A Phoenix Blood Fruit had no other uses besides being an exceptional healing tonic. As long as the injured person was still breathing, this fruit could certainly save their life. In this sense, its use was quite similar to the Immortal Source Liquid.
Fan Wu and the others widened their eyes in disbelief. Although they were aloof Divine Spirits, they had never seen anything as precious as the Phoenix Blood Fruit before, leaving them flabbergasted.
But soon, the faces of these three Divine Venerables fell. Luan Feng’s pretty face was especially filled with regret and anxiety.
Judging from the situation they were in, although the bloodline of this Heavens Order’s descendant had awakened completely, she still regarded Yang Kai as someone precious to her. If this wasn’t the case, she wouldn’t have drawn out a Phoenix Blood Fruit from the Blood Gate to help him heal his injuries as this act was quite an extravagant waste.
Earlier, when Yang Kai was tortured and humiliated by Shi Huo, all three of them just watched from the side and did nothing, which led to Yang Kai becoming so battered. They wondered if this Heavens Order’s descendant would next settle the score with them.
Luan Feng was especially worried because Zhang Ruo Xi had slapped herself and begged her to help Yang Kai, but she remained unfazed, and she didn’t have any intention of stopping Zhang Ruo Xi, which led to the young girl slapping herself continuously until her cheeks were completely swollen. The blood at the corner of Zhang Ruo Xi’s mouth hadn’t even dried up yet.
If Luan Feng had known this would be the outcome, she would’ve done her a favour and saved Yang Kai, thereby making the young girl owe her one. However, she wasn’t willing to do that earlier because she didn’t want to offend Shi Huo. Looking back now, it was obvious whose favour was more important.
Now that Shi Huo was dead and his Source Strength had been taken away, Luan Feng’s previous worries looked laughable and had put her into a tight spot. It was the first time she felt so regretful in her life, and her mouth was filled with bitterness. Given a second chance, she would definitely choose to go against Shi Huo.
“Sir, heal your wounds first,” Seeing that Yang Kai remained unmoving with the Phoenix Blood Fruit in his hand, Zhang Ruo Xi couldn’t help but urge him to eat it. She had travelled together with Yang Kai for many years, but this was the first time she saw him looking so battered. While she was feeling sorry for him, her heart was also filled with resentment. Although she had killed the main culprit, Shi Huo, the other three present who did nothing but stood by were equally to blame in her mind.
After a nod, Yang Kai put the Phoenix Blood Fruit into his mouth and gulped it down. Although the fruit was rare and precious, he wouldn’t turn down Zhang Ruo Xi’s good intention. In an instant, the fresh and sweet juice permeated in his mouth. Following that, a warm stream in his stomach began flowing towards all his organs, filling his entire body and bones as it rapidly healed his wounds.
Yang Kai was shocked. Although he had known that Phoenix Blood Fruit was the best fruit for healing, he only realized how incredible the spirit fruit was after tasting it. It was said that as long as the injured person was still breathing, one piece of Phoenix Blood Fruit was enough to fully restore that person. Now, it seemed that these rumours weren’t exaggerated.
“Sir, how should we deal with them?” Zhang Ruo Xi spoke to Yang Kai via Divine Sense while turning her eyes to look at Fan Wu and the others, who dared not move a muscle.
The chests of Fan Wu and the others tightened when they saw her turning to gaze at them and they subconsciously gulped. Her cold gaze sent chills down their spines as they wondered what this Heavens Order’s descendant was thinking.
“How do you want to deal with them?” Yang Kai asked her the same question instead of answering it.
“I want to kill them all!” Zhang Ruo Xi’s gaze turned cold.
Yang Kai put on a bitter smile as he knew that she must be resentful of them. There was no way she would let them off.
“But, I’ll listen to you,” Zhang Ruo Xi added. “I’ll kill them if you want them dead.”
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai replied, “You don’t own the power that you used to kill Shi Huo, right?”
Zhang Ruo Xi nodded slightly and uttered, “I borrowed the power my ancestors left behind inside the Blood Gate. My own power isn’t enough to go up against them yet.”
“What are the downsides of using that power?” Yang Kai asked. He knew that borrowing such strength was no easy task; after all, Zhang Ruo Xi was still just a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, so it was impossible that there were no consequences for her using a power great enough to kill a Divine Spirit.
After a moment of silence, Zhang Ruo Xi replied honestly, “There’ll be some slight burden on my body.”
“Forget it then,” Yang Kai smiled faintly.
“But, Sir…” Zhang Ruo Xi didn’t seem happy to let them off.
Yang Kai uttered, “Although they didn’t offer to help us, it doesn’t mean they should be killed. What they did was what most people would do in that situation. At the end of the day, they didn’t harm me one bit. It’s good enough that Shi Huo is dead. Moreover, Luan Feng stopped you from killing yourself, so I owe her a favour.”
Zhang Ruo Xi bit her lip and nodded almost imperceptibly, which suggested that she agreed with Yang Kai, “Since you’ve said so, I won’t kill them, then. But, we still have to teach them a lesson, otherwise, they’ll think that we’re pushovers!” After a snort, she stood up in front of Yang Kai and shot a cold glare at Fan Wu and the others.
Yang Kai shook his head with a helpless smile. Zhang Ruo Xi’s temperament had changed drastically after her Bloodline Power awakened. She was now so domineering that Yang Kai couldn’t get used to it. With that said, he still felt her transformation was a good thing overall because timid and obedient people would only be bullied in this world.
It was the first time Fan Wu, Luan Feng, and Cang Gou felt so apprehensive in their lives. As they watched Zhang Ruo Xi and Yang Kai communicating with each other secretly, they felt like they were sitting on pins and needles. Seeing that Zhang Ruo Xi stood up and turned to face them, they felt a crawling sensation on their scalps, and they instinctively wanted to flee. However, Shi Huo’s death served as a lesson for them, so they didn’t dare to make any rash move lest they be killed on the spot.
“Madam, is there anything we can do for you?” Fan Wu grit his teeth and cupped his fists before asking. Luan Feng and Cang Gou looked apprehensively at them with their faces stiffened.
Zhang Ruo Xi snorted and uttered coldly, “Listen well. All of you helped Shi Huo oppress the weak and made things difficult for Sir. Even if I slaughtered you all, it wouldn’t begin to calm the fury in my heart!”
The expressions of Fan Wu and the others changed drastically when they heard this, and they almost wanted to run for their lives. However, they forced themselves to remain on the spot because they were too frightened of Zhang Ruo Xi.
“But…” Zhang Ruo Xi suddenly changed her tone, “Sir is a kind-hearted man, so he doesn’t want to kill others unless it’s necessary. Since the culprit is dead, he won’t pursue the matter.”
In an instant, Fan Wu, Luan Feng, and Cang Gou felt ecstatic as they shifted their attention to Yang Kai at the same time, directing grateful expressions at him as if he was their saviour.
“Although I won’t kill you, that doesn’t mean there won’t be any punishments. Take this lesson and learn from your foolish mistakes. If you dare to use your strength as Divine Spirit to oppress the weak again, your end will be the same as Shi Huo’s!” As soon as Zhang Ruo Xi finished speaking, she pushed out her palm at them.
The Blood Gate buzzed again, upon which two beams of red light shot out of it and struck Fan Wu and Cang Gou. Unable to resist these strikes, the two Divine Verenables were sent flying as they coughed up blood mid-air.
Luan Feng was rooted to the spot as her eyelashes fluttered. A moment later, she finally realized that she wasn’t attacked. She was an intelligent woman, so she knew why Fan Wu and Cang Gou were harmed, but not her. It was all because she had saved this Heavens Order’s descendant earlier. At that instant, she was glad she had at least done that much.
On the other hand, Fan Wu and Cang Gou fell to the ground. Although they appeared quite miserable, they dared not utter any complaint. Instead, they heaved a sigh of relief and got to their feet before cupping their fists and bowing, “Many thanks for sparing our lives.”
They understood that since Zhang Ruo Xi had made such a move, it meant that this matter was settled and they were safe, for now.
Zhang Ruo Xi snorted as her pretty face turned slightly red. It seemed that her body was now feeling the burden of borrowing the power from the Blood Gate. Remaining on the spot, she looked into the distance and beckoned, “Uncle Stone, Xiao Xiao, come here!”
The Uncle Stone she was referring to was undoubtedly the Embodiment. They had lived together in the Sealed World Bead for many years, so they were on good terms.
Upon hearing this call, the Embodiment and Xiao Xiao, who were just ten kilometres away, hurriedly ran over and reached Zhang Ruo Xi a moment later.
Zhang Ruo Xi turned to look at Fan Wu without uttering a word. Understanding her hint, Fan Wu immediately removed the seals on the Embodiment and Xiao Xiao, restoring their freedom.
“Uncle Stone, this is for you.” As Zhang Ruo Xi spoke, she flicked Shi Huo’s Source, which she had been holding in her hand all this while, towards the Embodiment. The heart-like thing spun and hovered around the Embodiment’s chest.
“For me?” Embodiment’s gaze brightened. He had seen how Zhang Ruo Xi killed Shi Huo, so he knew what this thing was. This was Shi Huo’s Source. If any suitable person could obtain it, refine it, and inherit its Source Strength, they would become the next Shi Huo.
After a nod, Zhang Ruo Xi drew out her Heavens Order Sword again and pointed it gently at Embodiment as she uttered, “The Stone Spirit Clan and Shi Huo are somewhat related, so your body structure and nature are quite similar to his. Therefore, I believe that a Stone Spirit Clan member like you can inherit Shi Huo’s power.”
The tip of Heavens Order Sword, which was pointed at Embodiment, suddenly shone brightly and carved a strange pattern on his chest. The pattern seemed to have a power of attraction, and with a blow, it pulled Shi Huo’s Source into it, causing it to disappear from everyone’s sight.
The Embodiment grunted as his body started burning with dark flames, and his face instantly contorted in pain.
Zhang Ruo Xi lowered the sword and quickly performed a hand seal with both her hands, upon which, a series of abstruse seals shot into the Embodiment. With every seal penetrating his body, the dark flames would be suppressed significantly. After a quarter of an hour, all the flames finally disappeared.
At the same time, the Embodiment fell silent and sat down cross-legged on the spot, as though he had fallen into the state of enlightenment.
“This Stone Spirit has now become one of the most powerful individuals in the world,” Fan Wu suddenly uttered as he looked at them from nearby.
With a bitter smile, Luan Feng said, “I heard that not only could Heavens Order take away a Divine Spirit’s Source, she could also bequeath them to others to create new Divine Spirits. Now we know this is true.”
Cang Gou appeared envious as he said, “If this Stone Spirit were to try to inherit Shi Huo’s Source on his own, the success rate would only be about ten percent; however, with the help of Heavens Order’s descendant, there are basically no drawbacks. After he refines Shi Huo’s Source, this world will have a new Divine Spirit.”
3 chapters a week for now and will increase depending on the Patreon goal. This is how Martial Peak was done in the past as well.
After Zhang Ruo Xi sealed the Source inside the Embodiment, her face suddenly turned pale.
Although she appeared nonchalant, it obviously took her a lot of strength to do all this. After looking around, she raised her hand again, upon which the Ten Thousand Beasts Seal, which was taken away by Shi Huo, whooshed towards her and fell into her hand.
“Sir, I’ll keep this gift that you’ve given me,” she clenched the Ten Thousand Beasts Seal as her eyes were filled with sorrow.
“Where are you going?” Yang Kai was shocked as he could hear the hidden meaning in her words.
Zhang Ruo Xi pressed her lips together and replied, “My Bloodline Power has awakened, so I have to inherit my ancestor’s power.”
Hearing that, Yang Kai turned to look at the Blood Gate.
Zhang Ruo Xi put on a smile as the coldness on her face melted in an instant. In a soft voice, she said, “Sir, once I can come out of the Blood Gate, I’ll be able to help you, and I won’t hold you back anymore. We’ll never go through incidents like what happened today again.”
Yang Kai parted his lips to say something, but in the end sighed, “It’s not your fault. It was me who couldn’t protect you.”
Zhang Ruo Xi shook her head, “It’s not Sir’s fault. It’s me who was too wilful.”
Without dwelling on the subject, Yang Kai stared at her and asked, “Must you go?”
With a determined expression, Zhang Ruo Xi nodded.
After that nod, Yang Kai went on to say, “Go then. It’s your ancestor’s power, so you can’t ignore it; however, you must be careful.”
“I will,” Zhang Ruo Xi said with slightly teary eyes. Then, she took a look at Xiao Xiao, “Sir, I’ll take Xiao Xiao with me. I’ll make sure that he inherits the power of Tai Yue. Please tell the Stone Spirit Clan members about it later.”
“Good,” Yang Kai nodded.
All the Stone Spirit Clan members came out this time because they wanted to send Xiao Xiao into the Blood Gate to inherit the power of Divine Spirit Tai Yue; however, things turned out to be the opposite of their expectations. Since Zhang Ruo Xi would bring Xiao Xiao with her now, there wouldn’t be any problem.
“Xiao Xiao, after you enter the Blood Gate, you must listen to Ruo Xi and must not cause her any trouble,” Yang Kai reminded Xiao Xiao.
Xiao Xiao kept nodding and grunting, as though he was telling Yang Kai that he would be obedient.
“Don’t worry, Sir. Since Uncle Stone can inherit Shi Huo’s Source, I’m sure Xiao Xiao will be able to inherit Tai Yue’s Source as well,” Zhang Ruo Xi reassured him.
Then, she turned to look at Fan Wu and the others. In an instant, her expression turned cold as she said sternly, “If anything happens to Sir in the Ancient Lands, I’ll kill you all after I return from the Blood Gate!”
She made no attempt to be polite with her speech. If anyone spoke to Fan Wu and the other Divine Venerables in such a manner, they would’ve pounced on that person; however, since it was Zhang Ruo Xi who was speaking, they all appeared meek now.
In an anxious manner, Fan Wu cupped his fists and uttered, “Don’t worry, Madam. As long as I’m alive, I’ll make sure nothing will happen to your Sir.”
Luan Feng and Cang Gou nodded sternly. Judging from the current situation, they thought that if they wanted to live their lives peacefully, they had to strike up a good relationship with Yang Kai. If they were on favourable terms with Yang Kai, then this Heavens Order’s descendant would probably stop finding fault with them.
At that instant, Yang Kai looked like a golden treasure in their eyes.
“Sir…” Zhang Ruo Xi turned to look at Yang Kai with a gaze that was filled with grief. Pressing her lips together, she said, “I’ll take my leave now.”
Yang Kai remained seated on the ground with a dejected expression, but he still forced a smile and replied, “It’s not like one of us is heading to the next life. We’ll meet again one day. I’ll wait for you to come out of the Blood Gate.”
Zhang Ruo Xi hung her head low as her face started blushing. In a nervous manner, she uttered, “Sir, before I go, can you grant a wish of mine?”
She appeared diffident when she said that as she stole a glance at Yang Kai. Apparently, she was feeling guilty.
With a smile, Yang Kai replied, “Good, even if you have a hundred wishes, I’ll grant all of them. As long as I can do it, I’ll do it for you.”
“Then… close your eyes…” Zhang Ruo Xi clenched her teeth and mustered all her courage. Upon finishing her words, she felt her face burning.
Fan Wu and the others looked dazedly at them with meaningful expressions on their faces. It was then they came to the realization that they had underestimated the relationship between Yang Kai and this Heavens Order’s descendant. They thought that they were just good friends, possibly even Master and Disciple, but it turned out that Zhang Ruo Xi harboured stronger feelings than that.
If that was the case, they had to do more than just maintain a good rapport with Yang Kai. In fact, they had to obey all his orders. Just like what Yang Kai had said, life was full of uncertainties, and they might need to ask for his help one day.
Although Yang Kai was referring to the Stone Spirit Clan when he said that, and Fan Wu had refused to accept it at that time, Yang Kai was now proven right.
Yang Kai was shocked upon hearing this request. He was no longer an inexperienced young man, so he could figure out her intentions through her demeanour and tone. Then, he sighed secretly and thought about how he had never dared to flirt with any woman since he came to Star Boundary; after all, he was far away from his homeland. More importantly, Su Yan, Xia Ning Chang, Shan Qing Luo, and Xue Yue were waiting for him.
Although he had ventured into Star Boundary for many years, he had always remained disciplined in his everyday life, as he had never been intimate with any woman; however, he was still a man with physical needs. After giving it a brief thought, he still closed his eyes.
Zhang Ruo Xi bit her lip as her heart pounded against her chest. Her heartbeat was as intense as that of someone thumping against a war drum, and her face became scorching hot.
She approached Yang Kai slowly and crouched down before cupping his face with trembling hands. Then, as her eyelashes fluttered, she closed her eyes anxiously and pressed her lips forward.
Soon, Yang Kai felt a warm sensation on his forehead, and he got a whiff of an intoxicating scent that was wafting from her. At the same time, he felt ticklish as her hair whisked across his face.
That moment seemed very short, but it also seemed to have lasted for a thousand years. Like a terrified rabbit, Zhang Ruo Xi jumped away as her vision became blurred. With her ears turning completely red, she said anxiously, “S-Sir, I really have to go now. Please take good care of yourself.”
Upon finishing her words, she charged towards the Blood Gate, as though she didn’t dare to stay there any longer. All of a sudden, her legs turned to jelly, and she almost tripped over a stone on the ground.
*Ha…*
Cang Gou almost couldn’t suppress his urge to laugh out loud.
Feeling ashamed, Zhang Ruo Xi immediately glowered at Cang Gou, whose smile froze and his forehead beaded with cold sweat.
“Take care of my Sir. Otherwise, all of you will pay the price!” After Zhang Ruo Xi finished speaking, she dashed into the Blood Gate and disappeared from everyone’s sight. Standing in front of Yang Kai, Xiao Xiao kept whimpering as though he was bidding him farewell. Then, he waved his hand at the Stone Spirit Clan members, who were still waiting in the distance, before he sprinted towards the Blood Gate as well.
Soon after, a crashing sound could be heard, upon which the Blood Gate Restricted Area, which had resided in the Ancient Wild Lands for countless years, disappeared all of a sudden, as though it had never existed before.
After the Blood Gate disappeared, the suppressive power that had been filling the air vanished as well.
Fan Wu and the others heaved a sigh of relief as they were glad that they had managed to survive in the end. At the same time, they felt fortunate that Zhang Ruo Xi was finally gone. If she stayed there any longer, they would have had a hard time breathing.
After trading glances, they sprinted forward and reached Yang Kai before cupping their fists, “Sir Yang, congratulations!”
At that moment, they didn’t dare to be haughty in front of Yang Kai anymore and all appeared humble. It was as though they were worried that Yang Kai might be displeased at their behaviour, which would lead him to making a complaint to the Heavens Order’s descendant in the future.
Yang Kai was still reminiscing about the kiss as he touched his own forehead. Upon hearing what they had said, he looked up at them and asked in an exasperated manner, “What’s there to congratulate me for?”
Certainly, he knew why they congratulated him. Anyone who managed to gain the favour of the Heavens Order’s descendant could literally walk sideways in Star Boundary, and even the Great Emperors had to show that person some respect.
“Did you congratulate me because I can now eat soft rice for the rest of my life?” Yang Kai grunted in an unhappy tone and shot a glance at them, “Do I look like a little white face to you?”
At that instant, Fan Wu and the others were lost for words as they didn’t know what was on Yang Kai’s mind. Rooted to the spot, they all remained silent and appeared embarrassed.
“You can leave. I still have something to do.” Yang Kai waved his hands, then he thought of something, “Let the Stone Spirit Clan members stay.”
“Yes!” Fan Wu and the others hurriedly cupped their fists and respectfully left the place.
After they were gone, Yang Kai looked up at the sky and saw Bing Yun’s Third Disciple was frowning, standing on the clouds, appearing displeased, pouting as she stared fixedly in the direction where the Blood Gate used to exist.
She had come to this place with Zhang Ruo Xi, but now that her friend was gone, she was left alone here. Having lost her mind, she couldn’t understand what was going on at the moment.
“Third Disciple!” Yang Kai called out to her.
Hearing his voice, Third Disciple immediately looked in his direction. Upon making out his face, she became cheerful and uttered, “Come catch me! Come catch me!”
Upon finishing her words, she seemed ready to flee from this place to continue the game of hide-and-seek with Yang Kai.
“Third Disciple, stop playing around! Don’t you want to meet Senior Bing Yun, An Ruo Yun, Sun Yun Xiu and Zhang Sun Ying?” After what happened to Zhang Ruo Xi, Yang Kai wasn’t in the mood to play with the Third Disciple anymore, so he directly dropped the names of those she cared about.
As expected, the Third Disciple seemed to have been impacted as she stopped running away. Then, she slowly turned around, and her eyes could be seen trembling, which suggested that her thoughts were in chaos.
Yang Kai was worried that something would happen to her, but to his surprise, in just a short moment, her eyes seemed to have cleared up, and she asked through clenched teeth, “You know my Honoured Master?”
She looked just like a healthy person when she spoke, almost like she had regained her sanity.
“Yes,” Yang Kai nodded.
“She…” The Third Disciple became agitated all of a sudden as she stared nervously at Yang Kai, “Is she still alive?”
With a solemn expression, Yang Kai replied, “Senior Bing Yun has returned to Ice Heart Valley. Your Senior Sisters and Junior Sisters are worried about you, and they have not stopped looking for you all this time.”
“Honoured Master is still alive…” The Third Disciple stumbled as she showed a relieved smile and then began to laugh out loud, “Honoured Master… Honoured Master, Honoured Master, where are you?”
As she spoke, the Third Disciple actually began to cry in a pitiful manner as if she was lost and couldn’t find her way back home.
Yang Kai’s expression instantly darkened, realizing that the Third Disciple’s condition was rather unstable and her emotions were prone to wild swings.
*Shua…*
The Third Disciple suddenly flashed and arrived behind Yang Kai. Tears were still on her face, but she suddenly laughed, “Honoured Master! So, this is where you were! Disciple shall brush your hair!”
As she spoke, she grabbed Yang Kai’s messy hair with her hand and began to carefully comb it.
[What’s going on!?] Yang Kai used his Divine Sense to inspect the Third Disciple, quickly discovering that even though her consciousness was in utter chaos, her expression had calmed down as she helped him comb his hair. She was serious and meticulous about combing each and every strand.
Has she mistaken him for Senior Bing Yun?
However, his figure wasn’t anywhere similar to Bing Yun’s. He wasn’t even the same gender! Wouldn’t it be impossible for any slightly normal person to mistake him for Bing Yun? It seemed the chaos in the Third Disciple’s consciousness was quite severe.
Yang Kai suddenly had a flash of inspiration as he frowned and quickly said, “Unfilial Disciple, do you know your wrongs!?”
After he said this, the Third Disciple standing behind him actually trembled with fear covering her face. She hurriedly came out from behind his back and faced Yang Kai while kneeling on the ground with her head lowered, saying in a shaking voice, “Honoured Master, please enlighten me!”
She really was treating him as Senior Bing Yun.
Yang Kai was secretly happy about this, but he acted with a severe expression as he scolded, “Your Master has safely returned to Ice Heart Valley, so why have you continued wandering about? Could it be that the colourful outside world has disturbed your Martial Heart and caused you to forget about returning?”
The Third Disciple answered in a shaky voice, “Disciple wouldn’t dare. This disciple was outside… This disciple was outside because…”
She was unable to explain what she was doing even after quite a while. It seemed as if she had forgotten what the whole purpose of leaving Ice Heart Valley was and a look of confusion gradually arose on her dirty face.
Yang Kai secretly felt that things had taken a turn for the worse. If he allowed her to continue thinking about it, perhaps things would become troublesome, so he immediately shouted, “Since you don’t dare, then come back with your Master to Ice Heart Valley, and serve by my side. You’re forbidden from going outside again unless you receive my command!”
The confusion on the Third Disciple’s face instantly disappeared as she respectfully answered, “Yes, Disciple understands!”
Yang Kai gently nodded, “Very good. Get up!”
“Many thanks, Honoured Master!”
“Stand over there to the side. Your Master needs to cultivate to heal… her injuries. During this time, do not permit anyone to approach!” Yang Kai tried to give another command.
The Third Disciple obediently listened and immediately stood to the side with a vigilant expression in her beautiful eyes. She scanned the surroundings, as if she really was standing guard for Yang Kai.
Seeing her like this, Yang Kai couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. He wasn’t trying to intentionally take advantage of the Third Disciple, but if left to her own devices, she would always appear and disappear like a ghost. If he really let her escape again, it wasn’t certain if he could find her once more. It was a good thing that he could stabilize her with this method for now.
Yang Kai secretly observed the Third Disciple for a while and saw that she didn’t show any signs of going insane. Only then did Yang Kai silently begin cultivating to help his body absorb the medicinal efficacies of the Phoenix Blood Fruit.
He was quite seriously injured this time. Without even mentioning his torn flesh, more than ten of his bones were broken. It was even worse in his legs, as both of them had been shattered by Shi Huo’s attacks. His five viscera and six organs were also filled with blood and his insides were in terrible shape.
Luckily, Yang Kai had a strong constitution, and his Golden Blood had extremely powerful restorative properties. An otherwise-normal person with such injuries would either have died already or been on the verge of death.
Emperor Qi flowed through his body as he gradually absorbed the medicinal efficacies of the Phoenix Blood Fruit. His shattered bones gradually mended, and his injured and swollen face restored itself.
The Phoenix Blood Fruit truly was a wondrous healing medicine. Yang Kai already felt that there were no major problems anymore before he even fully absorbed the spirit fruit’s medicinal efficacies.
However, his newly mended bones would require several days to set before they would be fully restored like new.
One hour later, Yang Kai opened his eyes and glanced over towards the Third Disciple. He saw that she was still standing there in order to stand guard for his sake.
Ten kilometres away, with the three Divine Venerables as their leaders, many Monster Kings and Great Kings, and even the Stone Spirit Clan were all silently looking in this direction. Everyone had different expressions and complex feelings in their hearts.
It was even more so for Xie Wu Wei. He had previously been filled with unhappiness when Yang Kai forced him to become his Soul Slave. He felt that Yang Kai was far too shameless and underhanded. If it wasn’t for Yang Kai adding insult to injury, threatening to refine his Soul after he died, he never would have been willing to hand over his Soul Brand.
However, Xie Wu Wei no longer dared to think like this.
The three Divine Venerables were so respectful in front of Yang Kai. As Yang Kai healed himself, the three Divine Venerables didn’t even dare to disturb him, and even issued the command for all Monster Kings and Great Kings to memorise Yang Kai’s appearance and to treat him like a Divine Venerable if they saw him in the future.
Even the Divine Venerables didn’t dare to act arrogantly in front of Yang Kai. A Monster King like Xie Wu Wei was nothing in comparison!
Xie Wu Wei was impressed, truly impressed. He was also filled with incredible regret. If only he had known earlier that the little girl next to Yang Kai was the Heaven’s Order descendant, he would have tried to build a good relationship with Yang Kai.
If he had done a good job, perhaps when that Heaven’s Order descendant from earlier entered the Blood Gate, she would even be generous enough to bring him inside as well. But now, the Heaven’s Order descendant had entered the Blood Gate already and only brought a single Stone Spirit in to inherit Tai Yue’s power, while all he could do was be jealous.
Xie Wu Wei felt so much regret that his heart hurt when he thought of this.
“Third Disciple, call over the three Divine Venerables and Stone Spirit Elder.” Yang Kai suddenly issued a command.
The Third Disciple bowed and then headed towards the location ten kilometres away. Yang Kai went by himself to the Mountains and Rivers Bell on the ground and inspected it, as if he wanted to see a flower on this bell.
He was forced to dispel the Soul Imprint on the Mountains and Rivers Bell, so this Ancient Exotic Artifact had once again become a Masterless object. Nobody had touched it ever since it landed here.
Ten kilometres away, the Third Disciple had just arrived by flying over. Upon a glance, it was clear how tattered her clothing was and how dirty her pretty face was. It was almost impossible to tell what her original appearance was.
Everyone looked at her with curiosity, not knowing who she was.
Xie Wu Wei did know that Yang Kai had been searching for the Third Disciple all this time, and he had also seen the Third Disciple’s appearance before, but now wasn’t a convenient time for him to say anything.
“My Honoured Master commanded me to invite the three Divine Venerables and Stone Spirit Elder over for a discussion!” The Third Disciple glanced at Fan Wu and the others and spoke in a light tone.
“Honoured Master…” Fan Wu and the others had astonished expressions when they heard this. They had no idea what had happened.
They knew quite clearly that Yang Kai’s cultivation was only in the First-Order Emperor Realm, while this dirty woman before them was in the Second-Order Emperor Realm.
Why would she address him as Honoured Master?
However, judging from this woman’s tone and attitude, it didn’t seem like she was joking.
Fan Wu was filled with questions, but he couldn’t exactly ask them out loud, so he just smiled and nodded, “Please lead the way.”
After he said that, he was about to head over, but then it seemed like he quickly thought of something as he turned towards Stone Spirit Elder and extended his hand, “Elder, please go ahead first!”
Elder chuckled and knew what Fan Wu was worried about, so he also made an inviting gesture and went forward with the three Divine Venerables all in unison.
Not long after, the four arrived at the earlier battlefield under the Third Disciple’s lead.
“Honoured Master!” Third Disciple shouted to indicate to Yang Kai that she had already brought who he wanted over. She then respectfully stood to the side.
Yang Kai nodded and walked forward to greet them.
“Sir Yang!” Fan Wu, Luan Feng, and Cang Gou all immediately cupped their fists in greeting and forced slight smiles.
However, Yang Kai didn’t even glance at them as he directly walked over to the Stone Spirit Elder and smiled in greeting, “Elder!”
Fan Wu and the others all felt rather awkward, but they couldn’t really say anything, so they could only step back embarrassedly.
“Sir Yang!” Elder didn’t dare to be rude. Even if it was just taking Yang Kai’s intimate relationship with the Heaven’s Order descendant into consideration, not a single living being in the entire Ancient Lands would dare to behave arrogantly in front of Yang Kai.
Yang Kai pushed down Elder’s cupped fists and sighed, “Elder also saw that while things today may have had their ups and downs, in the end, fortunately I did not fail my mission. Xiao Xiao has now entered the Blood Gate, and Ruo Xi is taking care of him, so he’ll definitely be able to inherit the power of Tai Yue soon.”
Even though Elder had already learned of what happened from Fan Wu and the others, he was still really excited to hear Yang Kai personally saying this. His body slightly trembled as he said, “Sir Yang’s great favour is something that my Stone Spirit Clan shall remember for eternity.”
“Elder is being too polite!” Yang Kai smiled, “Although Xiao Xiao is a member of the Stone Spirit Clan, I also raised him myself, so of course I hope to see him doing well. Elder, we’re all one family, so don’t act as if we’re strangers.”
Elder’s eyes lit up, “It is Shi Jiu’s greatest fortune in life that he was able to follow Sir Yang, as well as the greatest fortune of my Stone Spirit Clan.”
Yang Kai told him, “Elder, please rest assured, the Stone Spirit Clan shall never be bothered again in this Ancient Lands, nor will anyone force you to do anything that you don’t want to do…” After saying this, Yang Kai glanced sideways at Fan Wu and the other Divine Venerables and chuckled, “Sirs and Madam, what do you think?”
Fan Wu hurriedly stated, “Sir Yang is correct. The Stone Spirit Clan absolutely won’t be bothered ever again. We will warn our subordinates today that with the Stone Spirit Clan’s current territory as the centre, all the land within a radius of a hundred thousand kilometres shall eternally belong to the Stone Spirit Clan. Anyone who dares to enter without permission will be executed without mercy!”
Luan Feng and Cang Gou also nodded, making it evident that they had no objections to this decision.
Yang Kai didn’t say anything more to them. He simply glanced at Elder instead, “Elder, are you satisfied with this? If this isn’t enough, we can discuss it again. The Three Divine Venerables are all easy to talk to, so please ask them if you have any requests at all.”
Fan Wu hurriedly exclaimed, “Yes, yes. If Elder still has any requests, feel free to say them directly. We three will definitely satisfy you as long as it is within our ability to.”
Elder chuckled, “That’s enough, that’s enough. My Stone Spirit Clan has few clansmen to begin with. A radius of one hundred thousand kilometres is more than enough for us to use.”
He had a very happy expression and was evidently highly satisfied with this result. Of course, he also knew that Fan Wu was only being so generous in order to give face to Yang Kai. Otherwise, forget about a hundred thousand kilometres, even a radius of ten thousand kilometres would be difficult to ask for.
Elder really couldn’t help but exclaim in his heart. Before he came here today, he had resolved to sacrifice himself if things didn’t succeed. He never expected that there would be such a wonderful ending.
Not only did the Stone Spirit Clan have someone so powerful to rely on now, even Shi Jiu would soon become a Divine Spirit, Tai Yue.
The Stone Spirit Clan and the intimately connected Wood Spirit Clan were able to reap incredible benefits today. Being able to live without any worries was a life that Elder had wanted for so many years but never obtained before.
But now, Yang Kai had resolved everything with just a few words.
Fan Wu smiled, “This King’s palace isn’t far away from Elder’s land. In the future, Elder must come visit me more often.”
Elder politely responded, “Since Sir Divine Venerable has offered such an intention, this Elder might come bother you in the future. I hope you don’t mind, Sir Divine Venerable.”
Yang Kai didn’t need to be polite with Fan Wu, but Elder still needed to worry about such things. The Stone Spirit Clan’s level of strength as a whole was still lower than Fan Wu’s before Xiao Xiao became Tai Yue, and it was also impossible for Yang Kai to remain in the Ancient Lands forever to protect them.
It wasn’t necessary to have an extremely close relationship with Fan Wu, but they couldn’t afford to have a bad relationship with him. Having a friendly relationship would be a good thing for the Stone Spirit Clan.
Fan Wu chuckled loudly, “Elder, you’re being too serious. If Elder has free time in the future, you must spend some time at this King’s palace.”
Luan Feng also covered her mouth and smiled, “This Queen welcomes Elder as well.”
Cang Gou gave them a sidelong glance and snorted, “You act as if this King is trying to reject all visitors.” He then turned and smiled at Elder, “Elder, although my palace is a bit far from the Stone Spirit Clan’s territory, I’ve always heard that the Wood Spirit Clan’s wine is incomparably delicious. If I come visit you someday, I hope that Elder will offer his hospitality.”
“Of course, of course. If Sir Divine Venerable wants to visit, my clan would naturally welcome you with all our hearts!” Elder couldn’t help but smile wryly. Since when has he become so attractive? The three great Divine Venerables of the Ancient Lands were all trying to establish a relationship with him. Naturally, this was all because of Yang Kai. Elder wasn’t the type to be hypocritical, since he felt that continuing to chat with the three Divine Venerables would result in him being strong in will but weak in strength, he hurriedly said to Yang Kai, “Sir Yang, since things are resolved here, then this Elder shall return with his clansmen. As for Sir Yang…”
Yang Kai smiled and replied, “I won’t be going with Elder. I came to the Ancient Lands this time to find Xiao Xiao. Since Xiao Xiao has gone into the Blood Gate already, then I’m done with what I came for and will be leaving the Ancient Lands soon.”
When Elder heard this, he had a regretful expression, but he still nodded, “I hope you will have a pleasant journey then, Sir Yang. If you ever visit the Ancient Lands again, please come to my Stone Spirit Clan’s territory. This Elder will definitely welcome you!”
“Elder, have a safe trip, forgive me for not seeing you off,” Yang Kai cupped his fists.
Elder cupped his fists in response and said goodbye to Fan Wu and the others before he finally turned around and left.
Soon, the Stone Spirit Clan followed Elder and vanished from everyone’s vision.
Fan Wu and the others stood behind Yang Kai and looked at each other for a while, feeling somewhat anxious inside. In the end, Fan Wu lightly coughed and tried to ask, “Sir Yang, what do you intend to do next?”
Yang Kai tilted his head and chuckled while looking at him, “What is it, Sir Fan Wu? Are you in a hurry to see me leave the Ancient Lands?”
Fan Wu’s expression changed as he exclaimed in fear, “I would never dare! It’s the Ancient Lands’ good fortune that Sir Yang has arrived. This Fan Wu would never dare to think in such a way.”
“You really wouldn’t dare? Just say whatever it is that you’re thinking. A trivial First-Order Emperor Realm like me can’t do anything to you anyways,” Yang Kai chuckled coldly in a strange manner.
[You can’t do anything to me, but that Heaven’s Order descendant can!] Fan Wu kept thinking that as he forced himself to smile, “Sir Yang is overthinking things. From today onwards, Sir Yang is our Ancient Lands’ Honoured Guest. We truly welcome you if you wish to stay here.”
Yang Kai reached out and patted Fan Wu on the shoulder while laughing out loud, “I never thought that Sir Fan Wu would be such a generous host. Since that’s the case, then this Young Master must give you some face. This Young Master shall stay in the Ancient Lands for a while.”
Fan Wu’s expression darkened as he really wanted to slap himself in the face.
Luan Feng and Cang Gou also glanced at him with complaining expressions as they thought, [Why did you have to talk this much!? Being mute would have been better!]
Yang Kai pointed and asked, “Do you three still want this or not?”
Fan Wu and the others regained their senses and saw that Yang Kai was pointing at the Mountains and Rivers Bell that was on the ground. Their hearts instantly jumped as they answered in a panic, “This belongs to Sir Yang, so it should go with its rightful owner. We would never dare to have any designs for it.”
Yang Kai snorted, “Who told me before that this originally belonged to the Ancient Lands?”
Cang Gou instantly smiled, “Treasures belong to those who obtain them. This bell has existed in the Ancient Lands for countless years, but nobody has ever been able to tame it before. Since Sir Yang is capable of making it acknowledge you as its Master, it should belong with you.”
Cang Gou, who was the one who previously said that sentence, was afraid that Yang Kai would hold a grudge against him for it, so he hurriedly denied any knowledge of his previous words.
“I couldn’t tell that even though Sir Cang Gou is the aloof type, he actually has such a way with words,” Yang Kai glanced at him teasingly.
Cang Gou’s face reddened and he couldn’t wait to find a hole to crawl into. He had lost a lot of face today, but luckily, nobody else was here apart from Fan Wu and Luan Feng. The Monster Kings and Great Kings were all ten kilometres away; otherwise, if word of what happened today spread, he would no longer have any authority to command his subordinates with.
“You really don’t want it?” Yang Kai had a serious expression, “Don’t say that this Young Master didn’t give you a chance. This is an Ancient Exotic Artifact, a bell that can suppress the mountains and rivers. You’ll be filled with courage when holding it, and you can even go and slap the Dragon Clan several times in the face if you meet them. You won’t have this opportunity again if you miss it, so you better not regret letting this go.”
Fan Wu could only keep smiling bitterly, “Sir Yang, please stop joking around with us.”
He had an expression of being unable to take much more, almost to the extent of pleading with Yang Kai to immediately take the Mountains and River Bell away with him.
Luan Feng also pleaded, “Sir Yang, we were in the wrong before, but Shi Huo has died already, so we hope that Sir Yang will calm his anger.”
Yang Kai glanced at her and stated in a light tone, “Since Lady Feng has said so much, this Young Master shall give you face.”
Although Luan Feng had also been watching from the sidelines before, at least she helped stop Ruo Xi from committing suicide. Yang Kai was somewhat grateful to her even if just for that alone.
Luan Feng was somewhat surprised when she heard this, while Fan Wu and Cang Gou both hurriedly glanced at her and seemingly realized something.
Yang Kai walked forward and patted the Mountains and River Bell, pouring his Emperor Qi and Spiritual Energy into it somewhat anxiously.
Back in the Shattered Star Sea, he had spent one year in order to tame the Mountains and Rivers Bell. The difficult process would be unimaginable to outsiders. Today, he had been forced to remove his Soul Imprint, so he didn’t know if he could make it recognize him as its Master again. Even if he could make it recognize him as its Master, he didn’t know how long it would take.
Yang Kai would be really depressed if it took another year.
Fortunately, his Spiritual Energy and Emperor Qi easily entered the Mountains and River Bell, bringing a smile to his face as he knew this Ancient Exotic Artifact wasn’t rejecting him. Immediately, Yang Kai focused on leaving his Soul Imprint on the bell again.
*Zhe…*
The ancient Mountains and River Bell flashed and shrunk as Yang Kai slightly arched his eyebrows. He reached out and picked it up as he tossed it around, playing with it in his hands.
“This…” Fan Wu had an astonished expression.
Fan Wu had also tried to take the Mountains and River Bell earlier, but even with his cultivation, it wasn’t possible for him to even pick it up, so he could only allow it to remain on the ground. Since Yang Kai was able to pick it up now, this was obvious evidence that he had already received its acknowledgement.
“So quick!” Cang Gou couldn’t help but exclaim out loud.
A strange light flashed in Luan Feng’s beautiful eyes as she reassessed Yang Kai, as if she wanted to see what was hidden in his body. Comparisons really would make a person frustrated. The three of them had tried many times before, but they were completely unable to get their strength to enter the Mountains and Rivers Bell, yet when it came to Yang Kai, he made it look as easy as breathing.
“A bout of good luck indeed!” Yang Kai grinned meaningfully, “This treasure seems like it’s still willing to recognize me as its Master.”
As he spoke, Yang Kai immediately absorbed the Mountains and Rivers Bell into himself before he turned around, sat down cross-legged, and glanced at the Embodiment on the ground.
Ever since Ruo Xi sealed Shi Hou’s Source into the Embodiment, the Embodiment appeared to have gone into a strange deep sleep. According to Yang Kai’s senses, his Soul Clone within the Embodiment had also fallen silent.
However, there was no danger even though the Embodiment was in a deep slumber. As long as the Embodiment could successfully refine Shi Huo’s Source, then a new Divine Spirit Shi Huo would awaken afterwards.
“Sir Yang, this Stone Spirit… How should we deal with him? Do you need me to have several Monster Kings remain here to stand guard for him?” Luan Feng hurriedly asked as she saw the concern in Yang Kai’s eyes.
If there really was a biggest winner from today, then it would doubtlessly be the Stone Spirit Clan.
A Stone Spirit clansman was brought into the Blood Gate by the Heaven’s Order descendant in order to inherit the Divine Spirit Tai Yue’s Source, while another clansman had obtained Shi Huo’s Source.
This one clan was about to give rise to two Divine Spirits!
The entire Stone Spirit Clan didn’t even have many clansmen.
Just this fact alone meant the Stone Spirit Clan couldn’t be underestimated in the future.
Yang Kai shook his head when he heard Luan Feng’s question, “No need.”
[No need?] Luan Feng paused in surprise and couldn’t help but worry a little. Although her subordinate Monster Kings and Great Kings all knew about what happened today and would definitely wouldn’t try to bother this Stone Spirit, who was about to rise to become a Divine Spirit, Shi Huo, underlings were sometimes harder to deal with than powerful leaders. Maybe some weak Monster Race member with no eyes would come here and accidentally disturb this Stone Spirit. Who could possibly take responsibility then?
Luan Feng had her worries and was about to try and convince Yang Kai again when she suddenly saw him weave a few hand seals. He moved his body around in a crazy manner as if he couldn’t control himself, making others feel afraid that he would break his own bones as he kept muttering something.
His actions were incomprehensible.
The three Divine Venerables were all stunned at the sight and had no clue what Yang Kai was trying to do.
As they watched, Yang Kai suddenly reached over to pat his Embodiment.
*Shua…*
The Embodiment mysteriously vanished in the next instant.
The Three Great Divine Venerables were astonished as their expressions greatly changed.
Fan Wu called out in a low voice, “What happened? Where did he go?”
Luan Feng and Cang Gou also had confused expressions as they slowly shook their heads.
The Three Great Divine Venerables were the strongest here and had the most experience and vision, but what happened just a moment ago made them feel that something inconceivable had occurred right before their eyes, so of course they would be astonished.
“There’s nothing to be surprised about,” Yang Kai clapped his hands and flicked away some imaginary dust from his sleeve while giving the three a sidelong glance, “This Young Master just used his World Shifting Technique to transport him to a safe location.”
“World Shifting Technique!” Fan Wu had a shocked expression.
Still, he soon had an expression of understanding, since Yang Kai had shown how proficient he was with the Dao of Space before. In Fan Wu’s mind, this World Shifting Technique he had never heard of before was obviously just another way of using Space Principles.
Since Yang Kai was capable of instantly teleporting himself, then it made sense he could teleport others as well…
However, Fan Wu didn’t know that Yang Kai was just bluffing about teleporting the Embodiment while, in fact, he had secretly stashed him away in the Sealed World Bead. Otherwise, with their cultivation, they would definitely be able to detect signs of the teleportation, while this method would leave no traces at all.
“Sir Yang’s Divine Ability is truly wondrous and inscrutable. I’ve truly learned much today,” Fan Wu praised, and not just as a means of flattery, as he truly did feel this way.
It was impossible to not be impressed with how Yang Kai had made such a large Stone Spirit vanish with apparently such little effort.
Fan Wu felt that he personally had no such ability.
The three Divine Venerables were astonished by Yang Kai just from this alone.
They thought about it some more and figured that with Yang Kai already having such astonishing cultivation at his young age, and being highly skilled in the Dao of Space Force, it was possible he might even become a Great Emperor in the future. Even if he couldn’t become a Great Emperor, becoming a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master would definitely not be a problem for him at all. What was a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master who was a Master in the Dao of Space? Even if such a person wasn’t a Great Emperor, he would still be one of the top Masters within the Emperor Realm. Yang Kai also had the Mountains and Rivers Bell, and the Heaven’s Order descendant was deeply attached to him…
The three Divine Venerables reassessed Yang Kai at this moment and discovered that this youth secretly contained enormous and unimaginable potential, which helped to open up their way of thinking.
Fan Wu cupped his fists, “Sir Yang, now that things are finished here, how about you come to my place to rest for a while?”
After Fan Wu realized the potential within Yang Kai, he no longer disliked the idea of Yang Kai staying in the Ancient Lands. Instead, he even started acting as a warm and welcoming host.
Cang Gou and Luan Feng had evidently noticed this as well, so right after Fan Wu finished speaking, Cang Gou added, “This one’s palace also welcomes Sir Yang. If Sir Yang doesn’t mind…”
Luan Feng immediately interrupted him, “This Queen would also like to invite Sir Yang to her palace. I’m just afraid that Sir Yang won’t agree.”
Cang Gou felt really aggrieved because he didn’t get to finish his sentence. He couldn’t help but glare at Luan Feng as an obviously depressed expression appeared on his face.
Yang Kai was all smiles as he looked at the three, he clearly knew what they were thinking. He secretly chuckled coldly in his mind while wondering if they would still be so passionate if they learned about his true intentions in a bit. He pondered for a bit before saying, “Since all three of you are inviting me so warmly, this Young Master would appear impolite if he refused. I wonder which of your three palaces is the closest to this location?”
He didn’t have much of a relationship with any of these three Divine Venerables. The only one that was easier on his eyes was Luan Feng, since she was a woman who had some natural advantages in this area. Yang Kai also had a slightly better opinion of her compared to the other two because of Ruo Xi’s matter.
Still, it didn’t matter where he went right now, as the important part was after he went.
Luan Feng’s pretty eyes lit up, “The closest location is this Queen’s palace.”
Cang Gou instantly became unhappy, “It’s just around a hundred thousand kilometres closer than this King’s palace. You call that close!?”
Yang Kai waved his hand, “Since we’re closest to Lady Feng’s palace, then this Young Master shall go rest at her palace. Cough cough… my injuries haven’t healed yet, so it’s not convenient for me to travel long distances.” As he spoke, he actually began to cough violently as he spat Golden Blood everywhere like it was rain.
The three Divine Venerables were astonished as Luan Feng exclaimed, “Sir Yang, what’s wrong!?”
The Third Disciple’s beautiful face changed expressions as she was also standing nearby. She hurriedly went over to support Yang Kai as she concernedly muttered, “Honoured Master…”
Yang Kai held his chest as he made an expression that it was difficult for him to speak, “Shi Huo attacked me too viciously, so this Young Master was seriously injured and likely won’t recover within a short period of time.”
Fan Wu and the others were really surprised as they thought in unison, [Didn’t that Heaven’s Order descendant give you a ten-thousand-year-old Phoenix Blood Fruit? With such a supreme healing medicine, what type of injury would possibly be unrestorable? Additionally, you were clearly fine earlier, so why would you suddenly be spitting blood?] They all had strange expressions because they didn’t know what Yang Kai was trying to do.
*Cough cough…*
Yang Kai had a pale expression as he panted, “I hear that the Ancient Lands contain a lot of spirit medicines with long medicinal ages. If I can obtain some to consume, they’ll definitely help this Young Master’s injuries. Sigh, it’s such a pity that this Young Master is currently injured and doesn’t have the strength to go search.”
Fan Wu’s expression darkened as he instantly understood what Yang Kai wanted. His mouth slightly twitched as he said, “Sir Yang, rest assured, this King will have his subordinate Monster Kings search for those spirit medicines so that I can personally present them to you. I hope that Sir Yang can hold on for a while longer.”
After Fan Wu said this, he surreptitiously glared at Cang Gou and transmitted a secret message.
Cang Gou instantly realized what was going on, so he hurriedly added, “This King will naturally work his hardest for Sir Yang’s sake.”
“That’s good, that’s good,” Yang Kai wiped away the fresh blood at the corner of his mouth. He leaned half his body on the Third Disciple as he said, “Apart from these spirit medicine and spirit fruits, if there are also some High-Rank Source Crystals or rare treasures… This Young Master’s injuries will probably be restored even quicker.”
[What do Source Crystals and rare treasures have to do with your injuries?] Fan Wu and the others really wanted to ask this out loud to Yang Kai. How was this not blatant extortion?
“You three can rest assured, once this Young Master’s injuries are fully healed, he shall leave the Ancient Lands. I won’t trouble you for too long,” Yang Kai forced himself to smile harmlessly as he spoke with an expression filled with weakness.
Fan Wu’s eyes twitched violently as he said insincerely, “Sir Yang is being too polite. With Sir Yang’s status, it’s alright no matter how long you stay in the Ancient Lands.”
“Ah, right,” Yang Kai acted as if he suddenly thought about something as he said, “Since Shi Huo is dead, all the treasures he plundered over the years are obviously useless to him now. I need to trouble you three to go to his palace, carefully make an inventory of everything, and then bring it over to me. By rights, all of that should belong to Ruo Xi. I will temporarily hold onto it and pass it to her after she comes out of the Blood Gate.”
After he said this, Fan Wu and the others felt as if blood was dripping from their hearts; however, they didn’t dare to say anything against this since Yang Kai brought the Heaven’s Order descendant into the matter.
Fan Wu answered, “Sir Yang is correct. Shi Huo indeed plundered many good things over the years. This King shall soon bring people over to make an inventory of those items before delivering everything to Sir.” After he said this, he glanced at Luan Feng and said, “Lady Feng, please take good care of Sir Yang.”
Luan Feng nodded, “I understand.” She then turned to look at Yang Kai, “Sir Yang, this Queen shall take you back to her palace now.”
Yang Kai nodded in agreement.
Luan Feng immediately circulated her Qi to envelop Yang Kai and the Third Disciple before flying off.
Before they left, Yang Kai even waved towards Fan Wu and Cang Gou, “This Young Master shall be waiting for good news from you two. Please do your best regarding this matter.”
Fan Wu and Cang Gou currently had smiles that looked even worse than if they were crying as they cupped their fists in unison as a respectful goodbye.
Once Yang Kai and the others completely vanished from their vision, Fan Wu’s expression suddenly collapsed as he shook his head and smiled bitterly, “It’s easy to invite a Deity, but difficult to make one leave.”
Cang Gou glanced at him and commented, “Shi Huo’s belongings… Are we really going to give everything to him? Shi Huo collected a significant amount of wealth over the years.”
Fan Wu glanced at him dispassionately while asking, “Is treasure more important, or is your life more important?”
Cang Gou answered, “It’s not like he knows how much wealth Shi Huo has collected. He’s a First-Order Emperor Realm, so he’ll probably laugh his teeth off if we give him just a little. Can he really handle that many good things?”
Fan Wu coldly snorted, “He might not know, but you think Lady Feng wouldn’t know? All he has to do is ask her. What if Lady Feng leaks the information to him? How are you and I going to explain?”
Cang Gou frowned, “Lady Feng isn’t the type to say that much, is she?”
Fan Wu sighed, “He keeps pressuring us with that Heaven’s Order descendant. He’s asking for Shi Huo’s legacy by using the Heaven’s Order descendant’s name. It’s likely that Lady Feng won’t dare to deceive him.”
Cang Gou also heavily sighed when he heard this as pain filled his expression.
…..
Tall mountains loomed as clouds spread across a realm that seemed straight out of a fairy tale. At the peak of a certain mountain was a grand and magnificent palace around which mythical beasts and birds frolicked, making it appear like a paradise.
This was Luan Feng’s palace.
As the palace of one of the Four Great Divine Venerables, this place naturally possessed a Peak-Rank Earth Vein, making the ambient World Energy astonishingly rich.
Luan Feng softly landed together with Yang Kai and the Third Disciple, after which Yang Kai’s eyes flashed with surprise as he looked all around and secretly exclaimed to himself.
When they landed, a few beautiful women in maidservant attire immediately came up to greet them. There were two rows and eight maidservants in total, and they all possessed dense Monster Qi, making it evident that they were powerful members of the Monster Race.
Yang Kai scanned them with his Divine Sense and found that the eight maidservants were surprisingly all Low-Rank Twelfth-Order, equivalent to First-Order Emperors.
The maidservants came forward and bowed in unison, “Greetings, Mistress!”
Luan Feng waved her hand and had them rise. She then pointed to Yang Kai, “This Sir Yang is this Queen’s Honoured Guest who will be staying at my Phoenix Nest Palace for some time. Tell the others that if you see Sir Yang, it is as if you’re seeing this Queen. No one is to show him the slightest disrespect.”
When the eight maidservants heard this, they all had looks of astonishment on their faces, but they still responded quickly and in unison, after which they secretly began to observe Yang Kai.
Their beautiful eyes glanced over and found that Yang Kai was actually a Human, which gave them quite the shock. They wondered just who he could be that their Divine Venerable would value him so greatly.
Seeing him was like seeing the Divine Venerable. This was an incredible honour.
As they spoke, a precocious little girl of about seven or eight suddenly appeared behind them. This little girl had a pink and perfect appearance and somewhat resembled Luan Feng. She had two cute braids, and she immediately rushed over to pounce into Luan Feng’s arms. She kept pushing her little head around, which caused Luan Feng’s voluptuous peaks to distort and change shape.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but gulp when he saw this.
Luan Feng’s face became bright red due to her chest being pushed around like this. She noticed Yang Kai’s strange gaze as well, so she hurriedly held the little girl in her arms and angrily scolded, “Ling’er, stop playing around. I have a guest today, so I’ll play with you later.”
She smiled apologetically to Yang Kai after she said this, “My daughter is a little spoiled. I hope Sir Yang doesn’t mind.”
“I don’t mind. I don’t mind at all.” Yang Kai swept his eyes over this girl named Ling’er and exclaimed in realization, “Lady Feng, is she your daughter that I previously met on Clear Jade Mountain?”
“Indeed!” Lady Feng put Ling’er down and patted her head with obvious love.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but exclaim how wondrous things were.
Yang Kai had met this girl named Ling’er before back at Clear Jade Mountain when the little Luan Feng revealed itself. He never expected that she would actually be able to take Human form after only a few years and that her cultivation would be this high, reaching the Mid-Rank Eleventh-Order.
However, this Ling’er was the descendant of a Divine Spirit, so it wasn’t strange that she would have such an astonishing growth rate.
Yang Kai suddenly became rather curious as he looked at the little girl.
[Giving birth obviously required a man and a woman, so how had Luan Feng given birth to her daughter? There probably wasn’t a male Luan Feng in this world, right?]
[Could it be… That she got together with one of her subordinate Monster Kings?] Yang Kai’s expression instantly became strange when he thought about this.
The little girl named Ling’er tilted her head as her eyes flashed while she curiously looked at Yang Kai.
However, it was evident that she no longer remembered Yang Kai. Even though she had met him more than ten years ago on Clear Jade Mountain, Ling’er had just awakened her sentience then, so there were many things that she couldn’t remember clearly. She could only sense that this person in front of her seemed faintly familiar.
Yang Kai smiled harmlessly at her.
Luan Feng’s heart suddenly skipped a beat, afraid that Yang Kai would become enamoured with her daughter and try to steal Ling’er away, so she hurriedly gestured at a nearby maidservant, “Take her away. Let’s not bother Sir Yang.”
The maidservant hurriedly answered, “Yes!”
She then immediately took Ling’er by the hand, excused herself, and slowly left.
Luan Feng heaved a slight sigh of relief as she watched Ling’er vanish from her sight. She secretly resolved to absolutely not let Ling’er meet Yang Kai again while he was staying in her palace for this period of time.
A Divine Spirit’s descendant would be tremendously attractive to any Human. No matter if the descendant was any help or not when brought outside, just the status of being a Divine Spirit’s descendant would awe many people. If Yang Kai really stole Ling’er away, Luan Feng wouldn’t even know who to cry to. Not only that, Ling’er really loved to play and was difficult to keep an eye on.
“Sir Yang, please come this way!” Luan Feng gestured with her hand.
Yang Kai nodded as he and the Third Disciple followed Luan Feng into the Phoenix Nest Palace.
The palace had been constructed on a grand scale, and its interior was decorated with amazing beauty. It could be seen that Luan Feng really knew how to enjoy herself in this manner.
There was an inner pavilion with a flying dragon and phoenix sculpture that only emphasized the grandeur of this abode.
Luan Feng finally spoke up after she led Yang Kai all the way to a courtyard deep inside, “Sir Yang, does this place suit your tastes? If you’re not satisfied, we can change it to a different location.”
Yang Kai glanced around and found nothing to be dissatisfied with, so he nodded in affirmation, “This is fine!”
Luan Feng heaved a sigh of relief. She glanced back at the other seven maidservants following her and ordered them, “All of you shall stay here to serve Sir Yang during this time. If Sir Yang has any requests, any at all, you must satisfy them, otherwise, this Queen absolutely won’t forgive you.”
The seven Low-Rank Twelfth-Order maidservants hurriedly answered, “Yes!”
They couldn’t help but secretly worry. Their Divine Venerable said to satisfy all of Sir Yang’s requests, but what if he was lustful and wanted them to do this or that… What should they do then? Men were all the same, no matter if they were Human or Monster.
But since the Divine Venerable had already made this declaration, they didn’t dare to disobey.
“Sir Yang, if there’s nothing else, this Queen shall take her leave. Feel free to give them orders if there’s anything that you need,” Luan Feng smiled as she looked at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai nodded, “Lady Feng, go ahead and do what you need to. En, as for those spirit flowers and so on, please pay attention to those as well, Lady Feng.”
Luan Feng could only bitterly smile to herself as she realized she couldn’t escape from this tribulation; however, outwardly she could only respond, “Sir may rest assured, this Queen shall deal with it right away.”
After that, she then politely took her leave.
Yang Kai stepped forward after she left and began looking around. He pointed at a building to the left and said, “Third Disciple, will it be fine if you live there for the time being?”
The Third Disciple glanced at the building and then answered, “Will Honoured Master also be living here?”
Yang Kai smiled, “I’ll be living there.”
He pointed at a nearby building.
Third Disciple instantly had an expression of ‘this was difficult for her to accept,’ “But this Disciple wants to serve next to Honoured Master…”
“It’s not far away, so it’s fine,” Yang Kai waved his hand. He didn’t wait for the Third Disciple to say anything else as he looked at one of the maids and asked, “What’s your name?”
The maidservant bowed, “Reporting to Sir, this servant is Tian Long!”
Yang Kai nodded, “Please take her over there and bathe her, then find some clean clothes for her to change into.”
The Third Disciple’s current appearance wasn’t really convenient for meeting others right now. Her Ice Heart Valley attire hadn’t been changed for an unknown number of years, her hair was messy, her face was filthy, and there was a strange smell on her body that somewhat resembled a pungent fruit.
But now that things had calmed down for the time being, Yang Kai naturally wanted to have her clean herself first, as otherwise it really would be difficult to keep looking at her.
“Yes!” Tian Long took the Third Disciple’s arm as she spoke and pulled her away.
The Third Disciple seemed to panic, so Yang Kai hurriedly consoled her by saying, “Come see me again after you’re clean!”
Yang Kai’s words were quite effective on Third Disciple now, so his command immediately calmed Third Disciple down.
After the maidservant named Tian Long took Third Disciple away, Yang Kai waved at the other six maidservants, “You can go do whatever you need to do. I don’t need you to serve me.”
The six maidservants all showed their delight when they heard this. Without saying anything, they all bowed and took their leave.
They had been really afraid that Yang Kai would make some obscene request that they wouldn’t be able to resist due to the Divine Venerable’s command from earlier. However, this Human seemed quite easy to get along with, so they now felt a lot more reassured.
After Yang Kai made everyone leave, he walked into the building by himself and went straight up to the second floor.
The second floor was spacious and had everything needed to live in. Yang Kai walked over to a table, sat down, and slightly sighed.
This trip to the Ancient Lands was truly filled with so many twists and turns.
When facing the Four Great Divine Venerables, Yang Kai truly experienced what it was to feel strong in will but weak in strength, a feeling he hadn’t had in a long time. His Space Divine Abilities which he relied on so much were basically worthless in front of the Four Great Divine Venerables. Things likely would have been bad if it wasn’t for Ruo Xi’s bloodline suddenly awakening at the last moment.
Yang Kai was also truly astonished that Ruo Xi was actually Heavens Order’s descendant.
Still, since her bloodline had awakened already and she was now in the Blood Gate, she would definitely be able to inherit her ancestor’s strength as long as she could emerge from the gate. As for Xiao Xiao, who had gone in together with her, he would also transform into the Divine Spirit Tai Yue.
Even his Embodiment had obtained Shi Huo’s Source and was likely to become the next Divine Spirit Shi Huo.
Overall, although this trip was a bit dangerous, Yang Kai had gained an incomparably large harvest. This wasn’t even counting the treasure that he was extorting or the million Monster Cores he obtained in the Ten Thousand Spirits Tomb. He also didn’t know how much treasure Shi Huo had left behind, nor did he know how many good things the other three Divine Venerables would give to him.
Without mentioning the current and future benefits though, what Yang Kai truly felt the strongest about right now was his own desire for greater strength!
This time, the danger had only been resolved because Ruo Xi had awakened her bloodline, but what about the next time? How should he deal with things if he met another Divine Spirit or Master on the level of a Great Emperor? It wasn’t like he could always have such good luck, right?
In terms of methods, he had countless techniques and Divine Abilities that wouldn’t be fewer than anyone’s. He had his Dao of Space techniques, the Time Flies Seal, his Golden Divine Dragon Source, and the power of that Ancient Demon. Any of these techniques and means would be astonishing all on their own.
As for artifacts, he possessed the Mountains and Rivers Bell. Just this one artifact alone would be more than enough for anyone to be in awe.
The only thing he lacked was cultivation!
With his First-Order Emperor Realm cultivation, he was neither weak nor strong. It was an awkward realm to be in.
Yang Kai still needed to cultivate; he needed to work even harder at cultivating!
When he thought of this, Yang Kai was no longer in the mood to keep thinking random things, so he waved his hand and brought his Black Jade Furnace before him. He sent his Divine Sense searching through his Space Ring and Small Sealed World to look for suitable resources.
He was now an Emperor Grade Alchemist, so he had plenty of herbs on hand to refine Emperor Grade Spirit Pills.
With the assistance of Emperor Grade Spirit Pills, he would be able to achieve twice the result and half the effort in his cultivation.
That was why he intended to first refine some Spirit Pills, which would also be useful for improving his Alchemy proficiency, in preparation for refining the Flesh Incarnation Fruit in the future.
Yang Kai took out numerous Emperor Grade spirit medicines and Monster Cores and placed them in front of himself. Various pill recipes flashed through his mind before he finally decided upon making several Spirit Pills that would assist in his cultivation based on the current resources he had on hand.
Yang Kai poured his Emperor Qi into the Black Jade Furnace, which caused flames to immediately start burning. This raised the temperature of the room by several degrees.
However, before Yang Kai could put the spirit medicine before him into the Alchemy Furnace, his expression suddenly changed as he raised his head and glanced outside.
The maidservant named Tian Long was running over in a panic with an anxious expression on her face, as if something major had happened.
“Sir Yang!” Tian Long immediately raised her head and shouted when she approached the building.
“What is it?” Yang Kai furrowed his brow as he replied.
“Sir Yang, you should hurry and go take a look! I don’t know what happened to your Disciple, but she suddenly went crazy and won’t cooperate with us bathing her!” Tian Long answered anxiously.
Yang Kai’s expression darkened as he secretly thought to himself, [This is bad!]
The Third Disciple’s mental state was extremely unstable, and judging from Tian Long’s words, it seemed her consciousness had become chaotic again.
Yang Kai flashed and immediately appeared next to Tian Long as he quickly said, “Lead the way!”
Tian Long was slightly surprised as she didn’t know how Yang Kai had come out, but she didn’t dare to ask as she hurriedly led the way.
Not long after, the two of them arrived at a secluded hall that seemed to be for bathing. There was a large pool in the centre of the hall which was covered with flowers of different colours that emanated a gentle fragrance that spread everywhere in a wondrous manner.
At this moment, the other six maidservants were also in this hall, trying to anxiously search for the Third Disciple.
When they saw Yang Kai arriving, the six maidservants hurried over and kneeled on the floor while trembling.
Yang Kai glanced at them and asked in surprise, “Where is she?”
Tian Long hurriedly answered, “We don’t know…”
Yang Kai frowned, “What happened exactly?”
Tian Long answered, “Everything was fine at first, but when we prepared to wash your Disciple, it seemed as if she suddenly became someone else. We tried to catch her, but she disappeared before any of us could even blink.”
There was something else that Tian Long didn’t dare to directly say, which was that the Third Disciple had previously acted like a completely unreasonable maniac.
Yang Kai slapped himself on the forehead and thought to himself that he had been overconfident.
He waved his hand, “It’s not your fault. All of you can rise.”
“Many thanks, Sir!” The six maidservants who were kneeling all heaved sighs of relief.
Yang Kai looked around and saw that there was only one exit in this hall, while everywhere else was completely sealed off, so he immediately asked, “Did any of you see her leaving this place?”
The six maidservants exchanged glances and all shook their heads, indicating that they hadn’t seen her leave; however, that made things even stranger. They had searched the entire hall already without finding her, so if she hadn’t left, just where could she be?
When Yang Kai heard this, he secretly had an idea as he looked all around and coldly snorted, “Third Disciple, if you still don’t come out, your Master is going to get angry! I’ll give you three breaths of time to obediently come out by yourself. Otherwise, you’ll be punished according to the Sect’s Laws!”
As Yang Kai’s shout echoed in the hall, Tian Long and the other six maidservants all looked at each other and thought that this was useless because his Disciple had likely gone insane…
But to their surprise, a small sound suddenly came from behind a pillar right after Yang Kai finished speaking. This was followed by a dirty head peeking out from behind. The eyes were the only part that shone on this woman’s face.
“Honoured Master, what are you doing here?” It seemed as if the Third Disciple had been spooked as she hurriedly ran out from behind the pillar.
Yang Kai glared at her coldly and acted authoritatively, but soon he couldn’t help but avert his eyes as he didn’t even know where to look.
From what he saw, the Third Disciple had actually been stripped completely naked. The white parts and black patch on her body were really attention-grabbing. It had been hard to tell when she was wearing her tattered clothes, but now that she was naked, the Third Disciple’s curvaceous figure was fully exposed for him to see. Some parts of her white skin almost blinded Yang Kai’s eyes!
However, the Third Disciple didn’t feel anything was wrong at all and directly came over and stood right in front of Yang Kai with an anxious expression on her face.
“Um…” Yang Kai scratched his chin and glanced up at the ceiling as he spoke with an awkward tone, “I heard that you were playing pranks again, so your Master came to take a look.”
The Third Disciple nervously replied, “Honoured Master, don’t be angry. I was just playing with them.”
“Ha…” Yang Kai hurriedly waved his hand, “Since you’ve had your fun now, hurry and go wash up.”
“Yes!” The Third Disciple answered as her tender body flashed and landed in the giant pool, sending water splashing everywhere.
Yang Kai secretly heaved a sigh of relief. It seemed that the Third Disciple’s consciousness still recognized him as her Honoured Master, which saved him a lot of trouble.
Tian Long and the other maidservants all stood to the side with strange expressions. They didn’t know what was going on between this strange Master and Disciple pairing. Since they were Master and Disciple, why was this disciple completely naked in front of her Master? Was there some type of unspeakable relationship between the two of them?
That would be against all common morality! The maidservants all felt their hearts jump as they thought about this.
“Hurry and go wash her, I’ll wait outside!” Yang Kai felt so awkward that he couldn’t even maintain his expression and immediately tried to run outside this place of controversy after he spoke.
However, Tian Long hurriedly interceded, “Sir Yang, what should we do if your Disciple becomes like that again after you leave?”
This was the same situation as before. Everything was fine when the maidservants took the Third Disciple from Yang Kai, but then the Third Disciple instantly went insane, followed by her being restored to normal when Yang Kai arrived.
Tian Long was really afraid of this happening again. The Third Disciple was a woman, after all. It wasn’t a big deal if her Master saw her body, but what if she ran outside and someone else saw her naked? That would make it hard for her to live.
Yang Kai furrowed his brow slightly as he asked helplessly, “What should we do then?”
Tian Long smiled, “Your Disciple seems to be very respectful of you. Sir Yang, how about you wait here? I doubt that your Disciple will raise a fuss again with Sir Yang present.”
Yang Kai fell silent for a while. Although he knew this wasn’t exactly for the best, he didn’t have any better ideas. He could only nod and tell Tian Long and the other maidservants to be as quick as possible.
Yang Kai sat down cross-legged with his back facing the pool, taking out two High-Rank Source Crystals as he focused on cultivating.
He soon heard the sounds of water from behind his back, along with the Third Disciple’s giggling. He couldn’t help but imagine and fantasize about various things.
It was one hour later when Yang Kai was finally woken up by the sound of ‘Honoured Master.’ He opened his eyes and saw an attractive woman standing before him. She had a brow that seemed straight out of a painting, cascading black hair, red lips, and pearl white teeth. She had incredible beauty, and perhaps because she had just bathed, her white face even contained a hint of redness that gave off an alluring light.
Her light green dress fit her perfectly and accentuated her curves exquisitely. A faint pleasant fragrance wafted in his direction.
She appeared somewhere in her late twenties, as if she was a young woman; however, this definitely wasn’t her real age. It was simply that Ice Heart Valley’s Secret Arts focused on purity and helped maintain one’s youthful appearance.
“Third Disciple?” Yang Kai arched his brow and felt truly surprised. He never expected that the Third Disciple would be so pleasing to look at after some slight clean up. Her previous dirty appearance couldn’t be seen at all.
“Honoured Master!” The Third Disciple bowed respectfully to him.
“En,” Yang Kai nodded lightly and stood up from the ground as he waved his sleeve, “Follow me.”
The Third Disciple obediently followed after him without saying a word.
Due to the previous incident, Yang Kai no longer dared to allow the Third Disciple to be alone anywhere, as he was afraid that her consciousness would become chaotic again. As long as he was in front of her to help suppress things, she would at least maintain lucidity.
Yang Kai took the Third Disciple with him back to the building he was living in. He then went to the second floor and told her to cultivate by herself before he took out the Black Jade Furnace and the various herbs he gathered previously.
He used his Emperor Qi to warm the Black Jade Furnace as his Spiritual Energy flowed in alongside it. He made use of his Conflagrated Knowledge Sea to help adjust the flames’ strength.
Yang Kai then tossed numerous herbs into the flames in an orderly fashion in order to refine medicinal liquid.
The Third Disciple kept watching blankly from the side, her mind filled with questions, but she didn’t dare to ask for fear of bothering Yang Kai.
After about an hour passed, Yang Kai suddenly made a seal with his hands.
Moments later, he slapped the Black Jade Furnace, causing the lid to fly up along with several Spirit Pills. Yang Kai caught the Spirit Pills in a jade bottle that he had previously prepared.
Yang Kai frowned slightly when he saw the quality of the Spirit Pills that he refined.
This furnace of Spirit Pills had only produced five pills. Not only were there no Pill Veins, but even the overall quality wasn’t that good.
For Yang Kai, even though he had successfully refined a furnace of Spirit Pills, this was far from the results that he desired.
Still, Yang Kai quickly understood. These were Emperor Grade Spirit Pills, after all. Although he had risen to become an Emperor Grade Alchemist long ago, he had been running around back and forth for the past several years with no time at all to quietly focus on refining pills. This made his Alchemy techniques somewhat rusty.
As long as he had enough resources to practice with, Yang Kai was confident that he was capable of creating good quality Spirit Pills.
Yang Kai put away the five Spirit Pills, cleaned out the burnt residue from the Black Jade Furnace, and began refining a new batch of pills.
Half a day later, when Yang Kai received another six Emperor Grade Spirit Pills, the Third Disciple could no longer bear just watching from the side as she asked with astonishment in her voice, “Honoured Master, when did you learn Alchemy?”
Her expression was filled with confusion and surprise, since, from what she could recall, her Honoured Master had never come into contact with the Alchemic Dao before. But, judging from the current situation, not only did her Honoured Master know Alchemy, all the pills her Master created were Emperor Grade Spirit Pills!
In other words, her Honoured Master was actually an Emperor Grade Alchemist!
How many Emperor Grade Alchemists would there even be in the entire Star Boundary? Every single Emperor Alchemist would be an incredibly venerated existence. Only the top Sects and forces would be lucky enough to have one under their patronage.
Ice Heart Valley had previously invited an Emperor Alchemist to become their Sect’s Foreign Elder and spent many resources every year to keep them. Ice Heart Valley would satisfy all of that Foreign Elder’s requests.
But ever since her Honoured Master suddenly vanished, Ice Heart Valley weakened, and that Foreign Elder left for a better position elsewhere.
This meant that if Ice Heart Valley wanted Emperor Grade Spirit pills now, they would have to either spend a large amount of Source Crystals to purchase them, or find another Sect’s Emperor Grade Alchemist to refine pills for them. Not only was this extremely inconvenient, but the expenses were tremendous.
However, her Honoured Master was actually now an Emperor Alchemist! The Third Disciple was naturally astounded.
Hearing this, Yang Kai smiled slightly as he explained “Your Master had some opportunities during the years outside.”
“Oh,” the Third Disciple believed him as she nodded silently.
Yang Kai tossed more herbs into the pill furnace as he told her, “Third Disciple, properly focus on your cultivation. Your Master shall give you some pills when they’re done.”
“Many thanks, Honoured Master,” the Third Disciple hurriedly replied, but then furrowed her eyebrows as she inquired, “Honoured Master, why do you keep calling me Third Disciple?”
Yang Kai paused in his movements for a second, but soon he restored himself to normal, “You are my Third Disciple, so what else would I call you apart from Third Disciple?”
Yang Kai thought, [I don’t even know your name, so what else am I supposed to call you?]
The Third Disciple pouted, “Honoured Master, you always called me Yao’er before; after all, Disciple’s full name is Ji Yao.”
Yang Kai chuckled dryly, “Perhaps your Master hasn’t seen you for so long that I forgot how I used to address you. I’ll just call you Yao’er from now on then.”
Third Disciple giggled, “Honoured Master really knows how to joke around.”
“Alright, continue cultivating. Your Master is still busy, so don’t bother me.”
“Yes!”
After saying that, she really did obediently close her eyes, sit down, and begin to cultivate.
Yang Kai secretly glanced at her and inwardly sighed. It was unknown when this Ji Yao would be restored to normal, or if she would want to take revenge on him when she remembered what happened today.
Pretending to be Bing Yun and taking advantage of her was still fine, since there was a reason for it, but it likely wouldn’t be that easy to deal with the matter of seeing her completely naked, since this was about a woman’s honour.
Yang Kai felt a chill despite not being cold as he thought about what the future held, but he hurriedly focused again and continued with his Alchemy.
Time passed.
Yang Kai stayed in the Phoenix Nest Palace for about ten days, during which time he was almost always immersed in Alchemy.
Just as he previously expected, as he invested a large number of resources into practising, the Emperor Grade Spirit Pills he refined continued to improve in quality and quantity. During this time, he even produced about six Spirit Pills with Pill Veins, which was a pleasant surprise for him.
He had excellent amplitude for Alchemy, and had also once caused the advent of the Grand Alchemic Dao Tone back at Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce’s Water Moon Star. He received the teachings of Alchemy from the Heavenly Way itself and was able to catch a glimpse of the Grand Alchemic Dao.
He had a Heaven-sent advantage in Alchemy talent at this current point. When it came to this profession, only Little Senior Sister Xia Ning Chang’s Sacred Spirit Medicine Body was comparable.
He refined a large number of Spirit Pills of various types over the past ten days, but a large majority of them were auxiliaries for cultivation.
Yang Kai gave some pills to Ji Yao, secretly hoping when her sanity was fully restored in the future she would be willing to make big things small and make small things nothing out of consideration for this gift.
Ji Yao was naturally overjoyed to be ‘rewarded’ and kept thanking Yang Kai so much that he felt quite guilty, but he didn’t dare to show his feelings on his face at all.
Another five days passed. Yang Kai’s pill success rate for Emperor Grade Spirit Pills was almost perfected by this point and almost every time that he refined a batch, he would receive nine pills with their quality near the peak possible. There was also a great increase in the number of Spirit Pills that were refined with Pill Veins.
With such technique and familiarity, creating the Flesh Incarnation Pill would no longer be a problem.
Yang Kai had obtained a Flesh Incarnation Fruit in the ancient medicine garden last time when he saved Gao Xue Ting, so as long as he could gather the necessary adjuvants, Yang Kai would be able to refine the Flesh Incarnation Pill that would allow Tian Yan, who was in the Azure Sun Temple’s Divine Ascension Mirror, to form a physical body.
Although Tian Yan was only a Soul Avatar, he was a Master at the level of a Great Emperor. If he could obtain a physical body through the Flesh Incarnation Pill, then the Star Boundary would gain an additional Great Emperor.
Yang Kai was spending such a great deal of effort on this matter because Tian Yan was a good person who had taught him a Soul Secret Technique, Heaven Severing Slash, back in the Divine Ascension Mirror. There was also his promise to Tian Yan long ago. Besides, it was rare to have the opportunity for a Great Emperor to owe him a favour.
As long as he helped Tian Yan obtain a physical body, Tian Yan would naturally help him out if he had trouble in the future.
However… The Flesh Incarnation Pill was highly difficult to refine, and it also required many rare herbs. Eighty-one adjuvants were required, and all of them were Emperor Grade spirit medicines that were rare and difficult to find.
Although Yang Kai had many rare spirit medicines in his possession, he could barely put together half of the ones he needed and had no idea where to search for the rest.
He could only hope that the three Divine Venerables of the Ancient Lands could help him find the others. As long as all the herbs were gathered, he would be able to refine the Flesh Incarnation Pill and then return to Azure Sun Temple to see Tian Yan.
Yang Kai began looking forward to how things would be as he thought about this.
Another several days passed, and on this day, while Yang Kai was in the middle of performing Alchemy, he suddenly raised his head and glanced outside, as if he sensed something. He immediately called out, “Yao’er.”
Ji Yao hurriedly opened her eyes from her meditation and respectfully answered, “Yes.”
“A guest has arrived. Go tell them your Master is currently in a retreat and can’t be bothered. Mmm… accept what they’ve brought, and tell them that I’ll be leaving the Ancient Lands after my injuries are fully healed.”
“Yes!” Upon hearing this, Ji Yao hurriedly stood up and went down to the first floor.
Soon after, the sound of conversation could be heard from downstairs. Some moments later, Ji Yao returned and respectfully handed four Space Rings to Yang Kai, “Honoured Master, the three Divine Venerables wanted me to give these to you.”
Yang Kai nodded as he took the four Space Rings.
He randomly picked a ring and scanned it. Yang Kai couldn’t help but chuckle as he thought that the three Divine Venerables were paying a great deal of attention to detail.
The four Space Rings probably each contained items from a separate Divine Venerable. They were afraid that Yang Kai wouldn’t be able to tell which ring came from which person, so they even especially left their own auras on the rings so that they wouldn’t be mistaken as having come from another person.
This ring in Yang Kai’s hand was apparently Fan Wu’s contribution. It was unknown what presents were in the ring for him.
Yang Kai secretly looked forward to the results as he sent his Divine Sense into the ring to investigate.
He glanced inside and saw two mountainous piles of Source Crystals. One pile was larger than the other, with the larger pile being Mid-Rank Source Crystals, while the smaller pile consisted of High-Rank Source Crystals.
Yang Kai made some quick calculations and couldn’t help but laugh out loud. There were approximately three billion Mid-Rank Source Crystals, along with approximately fifty million High-Rank Source Crystals. Such a large amount of Source Crystals was an outstanding amount of wealth.
Even a top Sect would probably harm its very foundation if it had to bring out so many Source Crystals at once. It should be said that one High-Rank Source Crystal could be exchanged for one hundred Mid-Rank Source Crystals, and one Mid-Rank Source Crystal could be exchanged for one hundred Low-Rank Source Crystals.
Fifty million High-Rank Source Crystals didn’t sound like much, but when you exchanged them, that would be five billion Mid-Rank Source Crystals or five hundred billion Low-Rank Source Crystals.
That was a rather terrifying number.
Yang Kai had killed and robbed others for many years already, and although his accumulated wealth was significant, it was really nothing in comparison to Fan Wu’s enormous gift.
High-Rank Source Crystals were limited in number throughout the entire Star Boundary, which is why almost all exchanges, no matter the type, would use Low-Rank or Mid-Rank Source Crystals. High-Rank Source Crystals were mostly used for cultivation and breakthroughs by Masters.
Fan Wu had given Yang Kai fifty million High-Rank Source Crystals at once. This was more than enough for a major Sect to use for several years.
Next to the two piles of Source Crystals was a pile of Monster Beast Cores.
This was the Ancient Lands where Monster Beasts were incredibly common, so Monster Cores would be left behind when these Monster Beasts died.
Still, there weren’t that many Monster Cores, a mere hundred Twelfth-Order Monster Cores, while there were two thousand Eleventh-Order Monster Cores and thirty thousand Tenth-Order Monster Cores. However, there wasn’t even a single Monster Core that was less than Tenth-Order, as Fan Wu had figured that Yang Kai wouldn’t be interested in them and thus didn’t even bother giving him any.
This amount of Monster Cores would be an astonishing amount of wealth in anyone else’s hands, but to Yang Kai, who already possessed around a million Monster Cores, it wasn’t much.
Still, it likely hadn’t been easy for Fan Wu to obtain so many Monster Cores. One hundred Twelfth-Order Monster Cores was something that could only be obtained from the death of one hundred Monster Beasts’ equivalent in strength to Emperor Realm Human Masters.
The Four Great Divine Venerables had only been able to gather so many Monster Cores because they had ruled the Ancient Lands for countless millennia. If this was any Human Sect, bringing out one hundred Twelfth-Order Monster Cores would be unimaginable.
Yang Kai soon glanced over at another pile of items.
This pile was a pile of glowing spirit medicine all stacked together. There were even various spirit fruits of different colours that looked quite alluring.
Every spirit medicine and spirit fruit was Emperor Grade, not a single one being Dao Source Grade.
“I’ve made quite a profit!” Yang Kai wiped away some drool from his mouth as a green light seemed to flash from his eyes.
These spirit medicines numbered at least ten to twenty thousand, and at a glance, Yang Kai saw many of the adjuvants he needed to refine the Flesh Incarnation Pill.
This was truly a huge profit. Compared to the Source Crystals and Monster Cores, Yang Kai needed these spirit medicines more. All of these were more than enough to make any Alchemist go mad.
“But… That guy… How can he just casually pile up these precious spirit medicines so sloppily like this? It’s such a waste of the Heavens’ precious gifts,” Yang Kai cursed under his breath.
These spirit grasses and herbs hadn’t been preserved appropriately, and after some time passed, their medicinal efficacies would surely reduce.
Luckily, Yang Kai had his Sealed World Bead and the medicine garden within it. Yang Kai had previously organized his ancient medicine garden and expanded its area. The soil in the ancient medicine garden was extremely fertile and the best possible environment to raise spirit medicines in.
Considering all this, Yang Kai hurriedly tossed all the spirit medicines in the ring into the medicine garden of his Sealed World Bead. He wasn’t counting on being able to replant them and only hoped that they wouldn’t lose too much of their medicinal efficacies being stored in an appropriate environment.
There were too many things for Yang Kai to organize for the time being. He intended to properly sort through everything when he had some free time to see if he could find the herbs necessary for refining the Flesh Incarnation Fruit from among these spirit medicines.
That was everything in the Space Ring that Fan Wu gave him, but it really was a huge present.
Yang Kai was extremely satisfied.
He then immediately picked up the second ring and scanned it slightly. He confirmed that Cang Gou’s aura was on it, so this was undoubtedly his offering.
After scanning the ring carefully, Yang Kai discovered that Cang Gou’s present was similar to Fan Wu’s, probably because the two of them had discussed it beforehand. The number of Source Crystals, Monster Cores, and spirit medicines were almost identical.
Yang Kai wasn’t surprised by this.
He then picked up the third Space Ring, which came from Luan Feng’s.
As expected, Luan Feng’s present was about the same as the previous two presents.
Yang Kai started looking forward to seeing the final ring.
There wasn’t anyone’s aura upon this ring, but Yang Kai knew that this ring contained all of Shi Huo’s treasures.
Divine Spirit Shi Huo had lived in the Ancient Lands for tens of thousands of years, so Yang Kai was really interested in how much wealth had accumulated over all that time.
Despite his already high expectations, Yang Kai was stupefied when he really sent his Divine Sense into the ring.
He saw Source Crystals piled up like mountains, once again sorted into two categories; however, these two piles were more than ten times larger than the piles that Fan Wu and the others gave him.
In other words, there were at least thirty billion Mid-Rank Source Crystals, and five hundred million High-Rank Source Crystals.
Even though Yang Kai had mentally prepared himself, this was still a truly awe-inducing sight.
The Monster Cores were also more than ten times the number that Fan Wu and the others gave him, with several thousand Twelfth-Order Monster Cores and several tens of thousands of Eleventh-Order Monster Cores. There were fewer Tenth-Order Monster Cores, as there were only a few tens of thousands of them.
There was also ten times the number of spirit medicines. Just looking at the pile of spirit medicines made Yang Kai want to jump for joy.
When adding all the wealth in the four Space Rings combined, just Mid-Rank Source Crystals alone would be over forty billion, while there were also some six hundred and fifty million High-Rank Source Crystals.
Yang Kai didn’t count the Monster Cores, since he already possessed around a million of those, so the Monster Cores that the Divine Venerables gave him could only be counted as an extra few.
However, there were more than one hundred thousand spirit medicines. It was an unbelievable amount of wealth. It was likely that only the Ancient Wild Lands could possibly produce so many spirit medicines, as no other place in the Star Boundary would have such rich, fertile soil that was completely untapped by human hands.
With Yang Kai’s current wealth, it was likely that only the Sects run by the Great Emperors were capable of being equal to him, but even they might not compare. This was because even though these Sects would have large coffers and many productive industries, they would also have many disciples and would need to spend a great deal on cultivation expenses every year.
In Shi Huo’s treasures, apart from Source Crystals, Monster Cores, and spirit medicines, there were also countless rare ores as well as random items that Yang Kai couldn’t identify. He figured they were things left behind from Shi Hou’s death, and it was likely that Fan Wu and the others had gathered everything and given it all to Yang Kai.
When comparing all of the presents, Fan Wu and the others had given Yang Kai approximately ten percent of their total wealth.
It was still a huge gift. If it wasn’t for Yang Kai being so close to Zhang Ruo Xi, none of them would be willing to part with ten percent of their net worth just to appease him.
Fan Wu and the others were helpless to do anything else.
Ever since Yang Kai started checking the contents of the four rings, he had been laughing like a fool as he checked the rings. He would check for a while then start laughing in a silly manner, and this would keep repeating itself…
Ji Yao felt really scared as she watched from the side. She didn’t know what was going on with her Honoured Master, but she didn’t dare to ask. She could only stand there with an uneasy expression.
Finally, she managed to wait until Yang Kai finished laughing like a drunken idiot and weakly spoke up, “Honoured Master…”
“Hmm?” Yang Kai suddenly came back to his senses as he realized how he had just debased himself. He hurriedly forced a stiff expression onto his face as he said, “Yao’er, go tell Lady Feng that your Master’s injuries are healed now, and that I will be leaving this place tomorrow. Tell her to rest assured.”
“Yes!” Ji Yao answered as she went downstairs again.
Outside the building, Fan Wu, Cang Gou, and Luan Feng, the three Divine Venerables, were all standing there with bitter expressions. Yang Kai had received their gifts, but he hadn’t responded at all, so they were all feeling quite anxious now. In fact, they hadn’t even managed to see Yang Kai in person when they came here, only the crazy woman next to him came out to speak to them.
After some time passed, Cang Gou finally spoke up, “Could it be that he thinks our gifts are too few, so he still wants more?”
Fan Wu glared at him, “We’ve already given him a tenth of our wealth. Is that a ‘small gift’?”
“I’m just afraid he won’t know when to be satisfied,” Cang Gou had a worried expression as he exclaimed with disgust, “You all know how greedy Humans can be.”
Luan Feng sighed, “What can we even do if he’s not satisfied? We’ll probably have to spend more in order to get rid of this calamity. Right, you two didn’t secretly hide any of Shi Huo’s treasures, did you?”
Cang Gou curled his lips, “Lady Feng, you’ve checked Shi Huo’s property already, so can’t you tell if we hid anything or not?”
Luan Feng nodded, “I was just asking.”
Fan Wu smiled bitterly, “He’s using the excuse of recovering from his injuries to stay in the Ancient Lands, and it’s hard for us to ask him to leave. Otherwise, if something really does happen, we won’t be able to handle it once that Heaven’s Order descendant emerges from the Blood Gate!”
When Luan Feng and Cang Gou heard him mention the Heaven’s Order descendant, they couldn’t help but go pale, making it obvious they were really afraid of her.
The three of them exchanged glances as they all kept sighing. They all felt that this was truly a headache.
At that moment, it seemed like the three of them all suddenly noticed something as they turned to look at the path ahead of them. They saw that Ji Yao had just come from the building’s direction and it was not long before she arrived before them and spoke, “Three Divine Venerables, please approach!”
Fan Wu and the others’ hearts all jumped, as they didn’t know what else Yang Kai wanted. They wondered if he was still dissatisfied with the contents of the four Space Rings and was trying to take even more of the lion’s share? If that really was the case, then his greed would be too disgusting.
Luan Feng forced a slight smile as she politely asked, “Little Sister, does Sir Yang have any other requests?”
Ji Yao gave her a light glance and answered, “Honoured Master wishes for me to tell all of you that his injuries have healed already and that he shall leave the Ancient Lands tomorrow.”
“What?” Cang Gou was overjoyed as he lost control of himself as he asked anxiously, “Is what you are saying true?”
Cang Gou was still a Divine Venerable, yet he was unable to help himself and lost control of his emotions when he heard that Yang Kai was about to leave the Ancient Lands, causing Fan Wu to secretly kick him right after he said this.
Cang Gou’s expression instantly changed and he immediately closed his mouth and stopped talking with an awkward expression.
However, Ji Yao didn’t even glance at him, simply turning around and leaving after having delivered her ‘Honoured Master’s message.
After Ji Yao disappeared from their vision, Luan Feng and the others looked at each other for a while and saw the great relief in their eyes. Fan Wu secretly made a gesture, so the three of them held the joy in their hearts as they swiftly walked away before all heaving a sigh in unison.
Cang Gou smiled, “He’s finally going to leave. It seems this Sir Yang isn’t too greedy.”
If Yang Kai really insisted on them giving more gifts to him, then they wouldn’t be able to do anything other than sacrifice even more of their wealth.
“Spend money to avoid calamity…” Fan Wu was also delighted. Yang Kai was likely the only one in the world who could make the Divine Venerables happy after being extorted so wantonly. If any other person tried to do this to them, the three Divine Venerables would likely have fought a huge battle against them.
“Since he’s going to leave tomorrow, this Queen shall personally see him off in order to be polite,” Luan Feng spoke with a big smile.
Fan Wu nodded, “That’s only proper. I shall be troubling you then, Lady Feng.”
Luan Feng waved her hand and smiled bitterly, “Good, he had to stay at this Queen’s place, while the Ancient Lands is still our territory. If anything happens to him here, none of us will likely be able to bear the consequences.”
The three of them then chatted for a while until Fan Wu and Cang Gou said their goodbyes and left.
When the two of them arrived, they had both been filled with anxiety and worries, but now they were completely relaxed and joyful as they went back, a tremendous contrast.
…
Yang Kai used the time he had left to organize the contents of the four Space Rings, rather than continuing to create Spirit Pills.
Source Crystals, Monster Cores, and so on were easy to organize.
He simply had to sort them by type and grade, followed by tossing all of them into the Sealed World Bead and piling them up into mountains of different sizes. He would then simply take these items out whenever he needed them.
However, the hundred thousand or so Emperor Grade spirit medicines took Yang Kai a long time to organize. These spirit medicines were all precious and rare, so Yang Kai naturally needed to check them one at a time and do his best in order to preserve their medicinal efficacies.
After an entire busy night, Yang Kai had organized less than ten percent of the spirit medicines he received.
The next day’s morning, Yang Kai led Ji Yao and followed the maidservant Tian Long out of Phoenix Nest Palace. Once outside the palace, he saw Luan Feng waiting for him.
“Sir Yang!” Luan Feng hurriedly came over to greet Yang Kai when she saw him.
Yang Kai nodded lightly and had a slight smile, “I’ve been troubling Lady Feng for the past several days. En, this Young Master’s injuries are completely healed now, so it’s time for me to leave. As for the Stone Spirit Clan, I’ll have to request Lady Feng and the other two Divine Venerables to take good care of them.”
Luan Feng covered her mouth and smiled, “Sir Yang, please rest assured. As long as the three of us are still in the Ancient Lands, we definitely won’t let the Stone Spirit Clan suffer any grievances.”
Yang Kai nodded in satisfaction.
Luan Feng added, “The Ancient Lands have many Natural Arrays, and the journey to the exit is quite long, so allow me to send Sir off.”
Yang Kai didn’t reject her friendly intentions as he simply nodded and flew up into the air. Ji Yao hurriedly followed after him.
Luan Feng also flashed right next to Yang Kai and Ji Yao in an instant. Her Monster Qi enveloped the two as she took both of them and transformed into a beam of light that shot towards the exit of the Ancient Lands.
Yang Kai was already a First-Order Emperor, so his flying speed wasn’t slow at all, yet he discovered that his speed still couldn’t compare to Luan Feng’s.
Unless he used his Space Force for repeated short distance teleportations, he wouldn’t even be on the same level as her.
It took less than two days for the group of three to leave the Ancient Lands and arrive before the Ancient Lands Passageway.
Inside the passageway was a strange fog, falling thunder and Astral Wind, along with countless Yin Souls who were always looking for prey. Even a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master wouldn’t dare to recklessly enter the passageway.
However, Luan Feng didn’t even spare a glance at these obstacles as she directly took Yang Kai through the strange fog that covered the entire sky. It took only an hour for them to fly out of the passageway.
Right when Yang Kai’s vision was restored, he heard an astonished shout of “Brother Yang!” before he could even tell what was before him.
“Hmm?” Yang Kai was rather confused as he turned towards the voice. He saw that there was a large group of cultivators of varying strengths waiting there, numbering at least one hundred.
Judging from their behaviour, it seemed that they wanted to enter the Ancient Lands.
The person who spoke was a young man of about thirty years, his face slightly pale, seemingly injured.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but furrow his brow when he saw this person and asked, “Qi Hai?”
This man was Qi Hai from Qi Family Fort, who had met Yang Kai before in the Shattered Star Sea. He knew that Yang Kai had obtained the Phoenix True Fire, so he previously pleaded with Yang Kai to visit the Qi Family Fort to use the Phoenix True Fire to save his wife. Qi Hai’s wife had been afflicted with the Heavenly Frost Earth Rain, one of the Ten Extreme Poisons, while she was exploring the Ancient Wild Lands before. In this world, only the nirvana flames of the Phoenix True Fire were capable of expelling that poison from her body.
If Yang Kai had still been in possession of the Phoenix True Fire, he wouldn’t have minded helping Qi Hai out as it wasn’t much effort on his part.
However, Liu Yan had absorbed the Phoenix True Fire, and Jiu Feng had taken her to Spirit Beast Island.
Yang Kai wanted to help, but currently couldn’t.
Back when he entered the Ancient Lands, Yang Kai met Qi Family Fort’s disciple Qi He Feng, who was the person that Qi Hai arranged to wait for Yang Kai at the Ancient Lands Passageway.
Qi Hai had originally wanted to have Yang Kai owe him a favour by telling him that the Netherworld Sect was secretly scheming against him. Yet, it turned out that Yang Kai was incredibly fierce, to the point where he boldly and without hesitation or looking back walked straight into the Ancient Lands.
The end result was the annihilation of Netherworld Sect’s entire group.
As they exchanged glances, Qi Hai had a complex expression as some regret and hesitation seemed to flash through his eyes. Still, it wasn’t long before his hesitant expression suddenly became resolute as he cupped his fists and shouted towards a burly old man in front, “Senior Wu, he is the person that you’re looking for.”
Although this old man appeared to be elderly, he had a strong and robust body. He wore a short-sleeved vest that revealed his muscles which seemed as solid as metal. It was as if astonishing strength could burst forth from his brawny figure at any moment.
The strong old man’s expression darkened when he heard Qi Hai’s words, “He’s the little brat surnamed Yang?”
As he spoke, his eagle-like sharp gaze pierced straight at Yang Kai’s face. It was obvious that murderous intentions were brewing on his face.
Qi Hai quickly said, “Yes!”
“Good, very good!” The man surnamed Wu smiled viciously, “I didn’t expect that he would present himself to this King before this King had to go search for him. It seems I am quite lucky.”
Qi Hai gritted his teeth and stated, “Senior Wu, please keep your promise and loan the Phoenix True Fire to this Junior after everything is finished.”
The man surnamed Wu coldly snorted, “Since when did this King give you such a promise?”
“But Senior, didn’t you previously say…” Qi Hai’s expression greatly changed as he had an expression of disbelief as he looked at the man surnamed Wu.
The old man snorted again, “The Phoenix True Fire is far too divine for someone like you to borrow!”
“Senior, you’re actually going back on your word!?” Qi Hai’s expression instantly became extremely ugly. Unfortunately, he wasn’t as strong as the other party, so he couldn’t do anything even though his heart was filled with rage.
“Impudence!” This time, the man surnamed Wu didn’t say anything. Instead, another old man angrily shouted and slapped Qi Hai, causing him to spit blood and fly backwards from the impact as he fell on the ground with evident weakness in his aura.
That old man stepped forward and stated icily, “If you dare spout rubbish again, this Old Master will kill you first!”
“Young Fort Lord!”
Upon seeing Qi Hai fall on the ground, a group of people all rushed over and carefully helped him up. They couldn’t help but heave sighs of relief when they saw that Qi Hai’s life wasn’t in danger. They then glanced with vexed expressions at the old man who attacked Qi Hai, as they only dared to be angry but didn’t dare to say anything.
“Just what is happening…” Yang Kai had a strange expression as he watched all this.
He didn’t expect that right when he emerged from the Ancient Lands, that he would run into such a good show. A show that even involved him.
Qi Hai and the man surnamed Wu didn’t exchange many words, but Yang Kai was no idiot and naturally had some inkling of what was going on.
Yang Kai glanced over at the hundred or so gathered before him and smiled, “Netherworld Sect is it… They seem to follow me no matter where I go.”
Among the hundred people, were about ten who had extremely dark and chilly auras, including the man surnamed Wu and the person who previously attacked Qi Hai. It was obvious that they had cultivated dark and evil Secret Arts.
These people’s auras gave Yang Kai a sensation that was identical to Yin Le Sheng and Hua Fei Cheng’s auras.
The identities of these ten or so people were thus quite obvious.
In the Eastern Territory, apart from those from the Netherworld Sect, there weren’t any other Sects that possessed such gloomy auras.
Apart from the ten or so people from the Netherworld Sect, the remaining people had varied cultivations. All of those who were looking at Qi Hai had expressions filled with concern, so they were obviously people from Qi Family Fort.
Soon, Yang Kai focused his attention on another old man as he furrowed his brow slightly, “Old Ban? Why are you here as well?”
This old man was Old Ban, the guide who previously took Yang Kai and Zhang Ruo Xi into the Ancient Lands.
Old Ban could only smile bitterly when he heard Yang Kai’s question, “They wanted to enter the Ancient Lands… They are the knives, while I’m just the fish on a chopping block…”
His words clearly expressed the helplessness in his heart.
“Old thing, shut your mouth!” A Netherworld Sect disciple next to Old Ban immediately glared at him. Old Ban’s expression changed as he really didn’t dare to say anything more, but he still secretly sent Yang Kai a message saying, “Little Brother, hurry and leave. It seems these people are from the Netherworld Sect and came here just for you.”
However, right after he said that, the Netherworld Sect disciple who previously glared at him shouted, “This old thing even dares to secretly send him a message? You’re courting death!”
Right after he spoke, he immediately sent his palm slapping towards Old Ban.
Old Ban was only in the First-Order Dao Source Realm, so even though he did his best to act covertly, the movement of his Divine Sense was naturally not missed by the Netherworld Sect disciple who was a Third-Order Dao Source Realm. Seeing that Old Ban was refusing a toast, the Netherworld Sect disciple intended to make him drink a loss.
The person that the Vice Sect Master was looking for had already appeared of his own volition, so there was naturally no more need to enter the Ancient Lands. Since they weren’t going to enter the Ancient Lands anymore, they no longer needed someone to lead the way; therefore, it wouldn’t matter if he beat Old Ban to death.
The Netherworld Sect disciple’s palm showed absolutely no mercy, causing Old Ban’s face to completely pale as the wind from the attack approached.
Right as the palm was about to strike Old Ban though, another palm suddenly came out from the side and met the disciple’s palm at a strange angle.
“Who!?” The attacking Netherworld Sect disciple was astonished, but before he could even tell who had intercepted his attack, the two palms had already struck each other.
A torrential force with the power of a tidal wave crashed into the Netherworld Sect disciple. He felt as if this power smashed through his defences like they were dry weeds or rotting wood before directly invading and rampaging through his body.
*Pu…*
The Netherworld Sect disciple spat some blood as he flew out and rolled several times after falling to the ground.
When he got back up again and checked himself, his face immediately became ashen as he exclaimed in despair, “My meridians… My meridians have all been destroyed!”
He kept roaring hysterically as he raised his head. Only then did he see clearly that the person who attacked him was actually the person named Yang Kai, immediately gritting his teeth while shouting, “How can you be so vicious?!”
After Yang Kai saved Old Ban, he put the latter back down where he originally stood and glanced lightly at the Netherworld Sect disciple with a mocking grin, “It seems neither your family nor your Sect have taught you how to show proper respect to our Elders. Since you don’t even have such basic knowledge, destroying your meridians is a small form of punishment. Remember to respect your Elders in the future.”
The Netherworld Sect disciple was already in a state of despair, but after listening to Yang Kai’s preaching at him, he couldn’t help but spurt a mouthful of blood. He then turned to the man surnamed Wu and pleaded, “Sir Vice Sect Master, your disciple’s meridians have been destroyed! Sir, you have to enforce justice on behalf of this disciple!”
The man surnamed Wu coldly snorted, “You have brought disgrace to the Sect, scram now!”
The disciple was dumbfounded. He never expected Sir Vice Sect Master would actually be so unkind. Not only did he not help him, but even reprimanded him. He suddenly felt that there was no meaning in life. Infuriated and forlorn, his eyes rolled back as he fainted right away.
The man surnamed Wu coldly looked at Yang Kai and lightly snorted, “First-Order Emperor Realm, not bad.”
Yang Kai pursed his lips into a smile, unabashed, “Just so so…”
Afterwards, the smile on his face receded as he turned his head, looking coldly at Qi Hai, “Brother Qi Hai, you have let me down, this Young Master is saddened greatly by your conduct.”
Qi Hai became uneasy after hearing this, his face filled with shame and embarrassment, but he still grit his teeth and justified himself, “Brother Yang, had this Qi not been forced to, this Qi would not do something like this. It’s just that my wife’s life is at stake. Unfortunately, Brother Yan has the Phoenix True Fire but is unwilling to extend a helping hand, so this Qi can only depend on others.”
Yang Kai heaved a sigh and indifferently stated, “Brother Qi, this Young Master admires your feelings for your wife, unfortunately… even if you betray me, this Vice Sect Master doesn’t seem to appreciate your favour.”
Qi Hai’s face was immediately filled with bitterness.
Previously, the members of the Netherworld Sect came to the Qi Family Fort just because the Qi Family Fort was a local tyrant that was more familiar with the Ancient Lands than them. At that time, Qi Hai was angry that Yang Kai was being so stingy, not willing to extend a helping hand to him in his time of desperation, so he didn’t hesitate to agree to Vice Sect Master Wu’s request. He even brought several members of Qi Family Fort and prepared to enter the Ancient Lands to search for Yang Kai’s traces.
Only, Yang Kai had come out of the Ancient Lands before they could venture in and had a run-in with them, face to face.
“Where there is a will, there is a way,” Qi Hai grit his teeth and added, “This Qi believes that even rocks and metal would give in to sincerity. As long as Vice Sect Master Wu is willing to use the True Fire for this Qi once, this Qi is willing to pay any price.”
While speaking, he turned his head and looked at the man surnamed Wu, who had an indifferent look on his face, his expression basically showing no change whatsoever.
Yang Kai chuckled before agreeing, “Brother Qi is right, but… Didn’t Qi He Feng tell you that the Phoenix True Fire is no longer with me?”
Qi Hai rebuked with a forced smile, “Brother Yang, who would be willing to give something as precious as the Phoenix True Fire? This Qi had only asked for a small favour, something as simple as lifting your hand, but to me, was more important than my own life. Why are you making all sorts of excuses now?”
Yang Kai’s face turned colder, “Believe what you like, but I have already given away the Phoenix True Fire, and the one who received it is not with me any longer. Originally, I was still thinking of bringing that person to the Qi Family Fort after she returns because of the favour to me last time. In any case, it wouldn’t be much effort, but now… It seems the Young Fort Lady’s fate must be left to the Heavens to decide.”
Qi Hai’s face suddenly distorted as he asked in a trembling voice, “Brother Yang… The Phoenix True Fire is really not with you?”
Yang Kai made a cold snort, not bothering to answer his question. In truth, he didn’t have any friendship with Qi Hai, and it was already quite lucky of Qi Hai to have not been silenced by Yang Kai back in the Shattered Star Sea. This time, he actually let the word out that Yang Kai obtained the Phoenix True Fire, which made Yang Kai quite angry.
Seeing Yang Kai’s expression, Qi Hai suddenly realized that Yang Kai wasn’t lying; after all, Qi He Feng had already mentioned this to him when he had returned to the Qi Family Fort.
Now, when Yang Kai reiterated it again, he began to believe it a bit more.
In a flash, his heart was filled with remorse and fury. He felt as if a bitter gourd had been stuffed into his mouth and he dumbly stood in place, as if he had lost his soul.
“Are you Netherworld Sect’s Vice Sect Master?” Yang Kai turned his attention to the stalwart old man, frowning.
“Bold!” The old man who had attacked Qi Hai before angrily shouted, “Why are you still not on your knees after seeing Sir Vice Sect Master?”
Yang Kai sneered and retorted, “Who do you think you are to make this Young Master kneel before you?”
The old man wanted to say something but was stopped by the man surnamed Wu.
The man surnamed Wu, indifferently looking at Yang Kai and gave a nod of appreciation, “Mentality is good, cultivation is also good. Boy, this King wants to accept you into the Netherworld Sect, what do you think?”
“Ah!” The group of Netherworld Sect members looked shocked after hearing this. They had never expected their Vice Sect Master to think so highly of Yang Kai. The Netherworld Sect was a top Sect of the Eastern Territory, and its reputation was only below that of Serene Soul Palace. It wasn’t a place where just anyone could enter.
But since it was the Vice Sect Master, it was naturally not difficult for him to admit someone.
The Netherworld Sect disciple, who had fainted after Yang Kai had destroyed his meridians, happened to have woken up right then, and was completely shocked after hearing this, causing him to stare at Yang Kai with bulging eyes.
“You want me to join the Netherworld Sect?” Yang Kai couldn’t help but laugh.
The man surnamed Wu nodded, “Yes, this King is the Netherworld Sect’s Vice Sect Master, Wu Yuan Zheng. As long as you agree, this King is willing to accept you into the Sect.”
Yang Kai stroked his chin while maintaining a calm and composed look, “This Young Master is… not interested in being a Netherworld Sect disciple.”
Wu Yuan Zheng proposed again, “What if this King offers you an Elder’s position?”
“What!?” The Netherworld Sect disciples reacted as if they were struck by lightning, paralyzing them on the spot.
As for the Netherworld Sect disciple whose meridians had been crippled, he coughed a mouthful of blood before fainting again.
He was expecting his Vice Sect Master to avenge him and kill Yang Kai, but he hadn’t expected for the things to proceed beyond his imagination. Not only did the Vice Sect Master not avenge him, he even wanted Yang Kai to join their Sect, going so far as to offer him an Elder’s position.
Once Yang Kai became a Netherworld Sect Elder, he would have no chance to avenge himself. He would have no choice but to let the matter of him being crippled remain unsettled.
“An Elder…” Yang Kai also stood there as dumb as wooden chicken, as if he couldn’t believe his ears. He looked at Ji Yao and asked, “Yao’er, your Master didn’t hear it wrong, did he?”
Jia Yao blankly replied, “Your Disciple also heard it.”
She couldn’t help but sneer. [Honoured Master is Ice Heart Valley’s Ancestral Founder, while Ice Heart Valley’s status is almost on par with the Netherworld Sect’s. What is this Wu Yuan Zheng thinking trying to ask Honoured Master to join the Netherworld Sect? Was his head kicked by a donkey? How laughable!]
Wu Yuan Zheng indifferently stated, “Of course, the premise is that you must hand over the Phoenix True Fire to this King. As long as you hand over the Phoenix True Fire, all the grievances between you and my Netherworld Sect will be written off. This King guarantees that you will be an Elder of the Sect as well. What do you think?”
Yang Kai put on an excited look, “That sounds very good.”
Wu Yuan Zheng slightly smiled and added, “This King’s Sect is among the top of the Eastern Territory’s forces, so even if you are just an Elder, such status isn’t inferior to the Sect Master of a second-class Sect. You are still young and have a bright future, so it’s not impossible to reach this King’s status in time.”
Yang Kai smacked his lips with joy as he stated, “Tsk tsk, it’s tempting but this Young Master has a lot of grievances with your Netherworld Sect, especially with your noble Sect Master’s Legacy Disciple, Yin Le Sheng…”
Wu Yuan Zheng guaranteed, “This King said, as long as you are willing to join our Sect, our past grievances will be written off. As for Martial Nephew Yin, this King will persuade him. I believe that he is not someone who will fail to see the bigger picture.”
“Will everything really be written off?” Yang Kai asked, raising his brow.
“How can this King lie to you after giving his word?”
“Even if Yin Le Sheng and Hua Fei Chen have been killed by me?”
Wu Yuan Zheng narrowed his eyes and the smile on his face instantly disappeared as he shouted out loud, “What did you say?”
Yang Kai indifferently reiterated, “Yin Le Sheng and Hua Fei Chen have been killed by me!”
Wu Yuan Zheng shouted again, “That’s impossible!”
The reason why he had come here was because he had heard that Yin Le Sheng and Hua Fei Chen had taken a team of Netherworld Sect disciples to the Ancient Lands to deal with a personal enemy. Yin Le Sheng was the Legacy Disciple of the current Netherworld Sect Sect Master. Also, he had ascended to the Star Boundary from the lower plane, so his aptitude was extremely good and his future was extremely bright. He was of great value to the Netherworld Sect and the Sect Master also valued him greatly.
Whereas Hua Fei Chen was an Elder of the Netherworld Sect, an extremely high position in the Netherworld Sect.
Wu Yuan Zheng and the Netherworld Sect Master were completely oblivious about the two of them taking so many disciples to the Ancient Lands at first as the two had acted very secretly.
Later, when the Netherworld Sect Master accidentally came to hear about it, he became furious and extremely worried as well. After all, the Ancient Lands were extremely dangerous. He was afraid that something would happen to his Legacy Disciple, so he had asked Wu Yuan Zheng to personally go and search for them.
And so, Wu Yuan Zheng, after coming here, went to the Qi Family Fort right away. At Qi Family Fort, he came to hear about Yin Le Sheng’s grudge with Yang Kai, and about Yang Kai being in possession of the Phoenix True Fire from Qi Hai.
Wu Yuan Zheng was immediately overjoyed and realized that this trip might be a good opportunity for him.
If he could obtain the Phoenix True Fire and refine it, he may be able to become the next Martial Flame Great Emperor! At that time, the Netherworld Sect would be at his beck and call.
He secretly made up his mind to search for Yin Le Sheng while also seizing Yang Kai’s Phoenix True Fire. Therefore, he didn’t hesitate to offer Yang Kai an Elder’s position.
How could a trivial First-Order Emperor Realm brat have something as divine as the Phoenix True Fire? Only a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master like him could subdue a Divine Flame for his own use.
How would he have known that Yang Kai would suddenly deliver him such a terrible surprise?
After returning from the Shattered Star Sea, Yin Le Sheng had advanced to the First-Order Emperor Realm whereas Hua Fei Chen was an established Second-Order Emperor. And now, Yang Kai actually claimed that he had killed both of them.
Wu Yuan Zheng immediately rejected the very notion; after all, Yin Le Shen still had an Emperor Authority Bead gifted to him by the Netherworld Sect Master. That Emperor Authority Bead had the full powered attack of a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master sealed inside of it.
“You killed them? You? Boy, aren’t you afraid of being struck by lightning for making such outrageous claims!?” The Netherworld Sect Elder, who had attacked Qi Hai before, sneered. Obviously, he didn’t believe Yang Kai one bit. With Yang Kai’s current strength, how could he kill Hua Fei Chen, a Second-Order Emperor?
However, as he said this, his eyes suddenly widened as he stared ahead in shock.
Suddenly, a pitch-black thing appeared in Yang Kai’s hand. It was surrounded by dense Yin Qi and ghastly cries and wails could be heard when it flapped along with the wind.
“Netherworld Purgatory Banner!” The Elder couldn’t help but blurt out while Wu Yuan Zheng too couldn’t help but have his facial muscles twitch, staring straight at the Netherworld Purgatory Banner.
“It’s indeed a Netherworld Purgatory Banner…”
“And the rich aura is unlike that of a Dao Source Grade banner, it’s more like an Emperor Grade Netherworld Purgatory Banner!”
“In the Sect, only the Elders, Sect Master, and Vice Sect Master can have an Emperor Grade Netherworld Purgatory Banner… Could it be that he really killed Elder Hua?”
Shocked by this revelation, the Netherworld Sect disciples broke into a lively discussion.
The Netherworld Purgatory Banner was an artifact refined by every disciple of Netherworld Sect; however, which grade of banner they received depended on their individual cultivation.
The banner taken out by Yang Kai was an Emperor Artifact left by Hua Fei Chen after his death. Some disciples were unable to distinguish its aura, but Wu Yuan Zheng and the other Elder could tell that it belonged to Hua Fei Chen at a glance.
In a flash, Wu Yuan Zheng’s face turned ashen.
[If Hua Fei Chen is dead, then Yin Le Sheng’s fate cannot be any better. Sect Master regards Yin Le Sheng as Netherworld Sect’ successor and spared no effort nurturing him. If he is dead, who will calm Sect Master’s anger?]
“You actually killed Elder Hua!?” The Netherworld Sect Elder became furious and roared at the top of his lungs, “Boy, I’ll take your life!”
Having lost his mind to anger, he charged ahead without a moment of hesitation. Dense Black Qi surged around him in a gloomy and terrifying manner. It seemed as if he wanted to kill Yang Kai to avenge Hua Fei Chen. Who knows what his relationship with Hua Fei Chen was?
Wu Yuan Zheng was shocked and hurriedly shouted, “Elder Zhong, come back!”
Although Yang Kai was just a First-Order Emperor Realm, since he could kill Hua Fei Chen, Elder Zhong wasn’t his opponent for sure. At this moment, Elder Zhong had been blinded by rage but he could clearly see this.
But his warning came a little too late.
Yang Kai, seeing Elder Zhong charging at him, wasn’t surprised at all and simply chuckled, “Elder Zhong, don’t worry, this Young Master will send you to reunite with Hua Fei Chen!”
He slowly raised his hand, but just as he was about to make a move, a shapely and slender figure suddenly appeared before him.
Ji Yao’s figure was exuding an extremely cold aura, and standing before Yang Kai, her jade-like hand slightly grasped the void as she summoned a long sword into her grip.
Immediately, a fearsome aura erupted from Ji Yao, as if she had transformed into a giant crystal of eternal ice that would never melt and would freeze anyone who dared to approach her.
“Second-Order Emperor Realm!” Elder Zhong’s face turned pale in shock and horror.
Although he had seen Ji Yao before, because Ji Yao had been standing behind Yang Kai, he thought that this woman was Yang Kai’s entourage or maid.
How strong would a maid accompanying Yang Kai, a First-Order Emperor, be?
Not to mention him, even Wu Yuan Zheng had never paid any importance to Ji Yao from the beginning to the end.
They didn’t realize how wrong they were until Ji Yao had made a move.
To their dismay, the woman calmly standing behind Yang Kai was actually a Second-Order Emperor, significantly higher than Yang Kai in cultivation.
Just as Ji Yao drew her sword, a flash of light flickered accompanied by a metallic cry before an icy domain that could freeze space itself rapidly spread into the surroundings, enveloping Elder Zhong.
Mid-air, Elder Zhong felt his entire body turn stiff. Affected by the Ice Principles, he was unable to circulate his Emperor Qi smoothly and his hair and beard froze in an instant.
[I’m not her opponent!] Elder Zhong’s eyes went wide as he loudly shouted, “Vice Sect Master, save me!”
But how could Wu Yuan Zheng save him? Elder Zhong had attacked without any prior signs and his speed was too fast, so at this moment, he wasn’t that far from Yang Kai, meaning Wu Yuan Zheng would be too late to rescue him even if he tried to.
Before everyone’s eyes, the sword in Ji Yao’s hand flashed before it returned to its original position, as if it had never moved.
However, an ice flower had strangely appeared on Elder Zhong’s chest.
The ice flower had six petals and was crystal clear. It was extremely beautiful, but this epitome of beauty was accompanied by a fearsome murderous intent. With a burst of soft cracking sounds, more ice flowers suddenly spread across Elder Zhong’s body, encasing him from top to bottom.
Through the newly formed wall of transparent ice, a hundred pairs of eyes could clearly see the frozen expression of horror on Elder Zhong’s face.
Frozen, Elder Zhong plummeted from the air. And the moment he touched the ground, the block of ice shattered, and so did Elder Zhong, leaving not even a single drop of blood.
Instant kill!
A First-Order Emperor Realm Elder of the Netherworld Sect was instantly killed by this otherworldly woman! The strong visual impact had shaken everyone’s heart and soul, causing them to be unable to regain their senses for a long time.
“How dare you yell before the Honoured Master! You deserve death!” Ji Yao oppressively shouted as her pair of pretty eyes swept over the audience.
Anyone who met her gaze involuntarily shivered.
Only Wu Yuan Zheng, who was burning with fury and on the verge of erupting like a volcano, coldly said with his hair and clothes dancing despite there being no wind today, “Good good good! It seems that the Sect has been silent for too long that any random whore now dares to kill our Elders!” While speaking, he glared at Yang Kai and shouted, “Yang Kai, even if you hand over the Phoenix True Fire today, you will still die!”
An Elder-level Master had died right before his eyes, so if he didn’t kill the culprit, how would he explain it to the Sect?
Yang Kai sneered, “You want to kill this Young Master? Let’s see if you have the ability!”
“This King will broaden your vision today!” Wu Yuan Zheng stated in an ice-cold voice and grimly smiled, “Don’t worry, this King won’t kill you right away. I will drain every drop of blood from your body! As for the two women by your side… they will know what it means to suffer a fate worse than death!”
“Vice Sect Master, kill them to avenge Elder Zhong!”
“Kill them!”
“The two women are great beauties. Vice Sect Master, this is a blessing! You can enjoy them before killing them!”
“Yes, yes! Heh heh, these two women are blind and ignorant, they have no idea who to follow and who to not. They are actually accompanying this brat, how unfortunate for them!”
After recovering from the shock of Elder Zhong being killed, the Netherworld Sect disciples suddenly became more confident as they had Wu Yuan Zheng with them!
He was the Netherworld Sect’s Vice Sect Master, a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master. His strength was second only to the Sect Master in the Netherworld Sect. Once the Vice Sect Master made his move, this man and these two women would surely be doomed.
“Sir Yang, why not leave them to this Mistress?” Luan Feng, hearing the foul and obscene words of the Netherworld Sect disciples, asked in a cold voice as an icy gleam flashed past her eyes.
Yang Kai meaningfully grinned, “I was just about to ask Lady Feng for your help!”
A Third-Order Emperor Realm Master was far stronger than him, and even if he pulled out all his trump cards, he would have to pay a price to kill this opponent. Yang Kai was only acting so confident and carefree in this situation because Luan Feng was by his side.
Otherwise, he would have escaped with Ji Yao at first notice.
But now, Wu Yuan Zheng’s luck had definitely run out! He thought he could turn Luan Feng’s life into a living hell! Even the Heavens themselves would not be able to save him now.
While Yang Kai was secretly communicating with Luan Feng, Wu Yuan Zheng had already soared into the air and pounced over with a fierce aura, like a falcon on attack, throwing out a palm as he shouted, “Kneel down!”
Hua Fei Chen was dead, Yin Le Sheng was dead, and now Elder Zhong was dead….
The Netherworld Sect could be said to have suffered heavy losses this time.
Wu Yuan Zheng wanted to use Yang Kai and his party to establish the Sect’s prestige. He wanted to let the world know what would be the outcome for people who killed the members of the Netherworld Sect.
As he smacked down a palm strike, a near-tangible might of the Third-Order Emperor Realm poured out like a fountain. Even the surrounding space was frozen in an instant as if it wasn’t a person descending from the sky, but a tall mountain.
The Netherworld Sect disciples excitedly gazed upon this scene in anticipation, waiting for Yang Kai and his group to kneel down and beg for mercy.
The several dozen members of Qi Family Fort looked at them with complicated eyes, especially Qi Hai. He couldn’t help but sigh to himself as he knew that Yang Kai was doomed this time, and once Yang Kai died, all his hopes of borrowing the Phoenix True Fire from him would die with him, no matter whether the Phoenix True Fire was with him or not.
[I’m afraid my wife’s Heavenly Frost Earth Rain Poison will remain untreated forever], for a moment, his heart was filled with remorse. He secretly hated himself for his low strength and for being useless.
In front of everyone’s eyes, Wu Yuan Zheng sneered widely while Yang Kai and the two women appeared as if they were scared and stupefied, simply standing on the spot, completely still.
Just when that palm strike was about to land though, Luan Feng suddenly lifted her arm and pointed a single finger upwards, her movements completely casual as if she was shooing away a fly.
But the might of this finger made Wu Yuan Zheng’s face immediately turn pale.
His tyrannical Third-Order Emperor Realm aura was instantly pierced through by this finger and all his momentum popped like a pricked balloon.
Not only that, a dreadful force shot towards him from the front, like an unstoppable sword, ripping apart the Principle Strength and the defensive Emperor Qi around him like it was smashing through dry weeds and rotten wood, thrusting straight towards his palm.
“Impossible!” Wu Yuan Zheng was completely shocked and his eyes filled with disbelief. At that moment, he desperately poured all of his energy into his palm, trying to resist the invading energy.
But the Third-Order Emperor Realm cultivation that he had always been proud of was like thin paper in front of this inexplicable force, serving no role at all.
*Pu…*
With a soft squashing, blood flew into the air as a gruesome hole as wide as a chopstick appeared on Wu Yuan Zheng’s palm. The fiercely swooping Wu Yuan Zheng felt as if he had been struck by lightning and tumbled awkwardly through the air before crashing to the ground, all the time staring at Luan Feng while violently trembling.
The Netherworld Sect disciples were all stupefied.
The Qi Family Fort disciples were also dumbstruck.
What did they just see?
Wu Yuan Zheng, a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master, actually had his palm pierced by a woman, and it seemed that he was powerless to resist!?
Everyone was terrified as the world seemed to fall so silent that one could hear a pin falling on the ground. Only the sounds of their hearts pounding could be heard.
In this world, who could wound a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master like this?
“Who… who are you?” Wu Yuan Zheng’s face had gone completely pale, but it wasn’t because he was hurt. Although the finger’s energy had pierced through his palm, that was only a minor injury. If he went back and took a pill, his palm would be completely recovered after some days of resting. Compared to his injuries, the experience itself was what shocked him scared.
He was overawed by this woman herself! A woman who could hurt him like this must have an extraordinary identity.
A very shocking notion suddenly rose from the depths of his mind and Wu Yuan Zheng immediately broke into a cold sweat as he asked in a shaking voice, “Are you Lady Flower Shadow?”
Everyone broke into an uproar after hearing this.
Flower Shadow was the name of a person and a title too!
Flower Shadow Great Emperor, one of the Ten Great Emperors.
There was only one female among the Ten Great Emperors, but although she was a woman, she wasn’t any weaker than the other Great Emperors. She supported all the female cultivators of the Star Boundary and was the object of all of their respect and worship.
Unlike Serene Soul Great Emperor, Bright Moon Great Emperor, and a few other Great Emperors, who had founded their own Sects, Flower Shadow Great Emperor lived in seclusion in a place called Myriad Flower Valley, but as to where this Myriad Flower Valley was in the Star Boundary, no ordinary individual could tell for sure.
The Ten Great Emperors each had different temperaments. Some founded Sects to spread their leaves and branches into the mundane world, some roamed alone, free and easy, others lived on some obscure mountain or in some isolated forest in seclusion.
Only the names of each Great Emperor had spread throughout the Star Boundary.
Wu Yuan Zheng speculating Luan Feng was the Flower Shadow Great Emperor was without any basis other than the fact that she was far stronger than him. He was already a Third-Order Emperor, so only a Great Emperor-level figure could so dramatically surpass him.
And Luan Feng was a female, so it was easy to relate her to the Flower Shadow Great Emperor.
“Flower Shadow Great Emperor!”
Everyone exclaimed, one after another while the faces of the Netherworld Sect disciples immediately turned pale and their legs started shaking as if they had seen their dead parents. It was all over! Their Sir Vice Sect Master just had to antagonize a Great Emperor, even commanding her to kneel…
As for themselves, they had just now used obscene language to profane Lady Flower Shadow.
How were they supposed to keep their lives now?
The members of the Qi Family Fort also wore solemn looks on their faces. Although they hadn’t made any offensive comments just now, they were clearly together with the Netherworld Sect, so who knows if Lady Flower Shadow would decide to settle accounts with them.
On the other side, Wu Yuan Zheng was sweating buckets. With a face filled with fear, he apologized in a trembling voice, “Madam, this one had eyes but failed to see. I had no idea that Madam would personally grace us with her presence. I hope that Madam will forgive me…”
Having provoked a Great Emperor, Wu Yuan Zheng’s heart was like dying embers, but what he couldn’t figure out was why a Second-Order Emperor Realm and a Great Emperor were actually standing behind a trivial First-Order Realm Master, Yang Kai.
[Who is this guy? What’s even more hateful is that I was acting so arrogant, but he didn’t reveal anything at all, just keeping his mouth shut while enjoying the show. Such a vicious and sinister bastard!]
“You’re mistaken, this Queen isn’t Flower Shadow!” Luan Feng indifferently stated.
“You’re not Lady Flower Shadow…” Wu Yuan Zheng was dumbfounded, gawking at Luan Feng in a daze. Who knows what was going through his mind, but he couldn’t help but ask, “Then, you are… you are…”
Luan Feng didn’t have any intention to answer him, she just pointed her finger towards Wu Yuan Zheng. This finger strike was different from before. Before it was a simple finger, but now, a jet of pitch-black flame condensed at her fingertip instead.
“World Extinguishing Black Flame… You’re!” Wu Yuan Zheng’s face drastically changed. Obviously, he had realized Luan Feng’s true identity after seeing this, but that wasn’t surprising; after all, they were at the periphery of the Ancient Lands, and there was only one female Divine Spirit in the Ancient Lands.
Seeing her signature World Extinguishing Black Flame, how could he not guess her true identity?
Divine Spirit Luan Feng!
Wu Yuan Zheng was horrified. Had he provoked Flower Shadow Great Emperor, he might still have a chance to survive as the rumours were that the only female Great Emperor had a modest temperament. As long as one didn’t do something that was utterly devoid of conscience, she would not make things difficult for them.
Provoking the Divine Spirit Luan Feng was another matter. Although Luan Feng wasn’t someone who killed innocents, the word ‘merciful’ was not one that could be remotely associated with her.
“Madam, mercy!” Wu Yuan Zheng shouted as hard as he could while at the same time, he pushed his Emperor Qi madly in an attempt to block the oncoming World Extinguishing Black Flame.
But Luan Feng remained indifferent.
*Huala…*
The moment the wisp of fire came in contact with Wu Yuan Zheng, it ignited all of his Emperor Qi, reducing him into a ball of scorching black flames in an instant.
Wu Yuan Zheng started miserably screaming, causing the hearts of all who heard his cries to clench.
“Mercy! Senior, mercy…” Wu Yuan Zheng pushed his Emperor Qi hard, but he was unable to stifle the black fire on his body in the slightest. On the contrary, the harder he pushed his Emperor Qi, the fiercer the flames became, as if his Emperor Qi was nothing but fuel for the fire.
The miserable wails and cries for mercy soon died out, because Wu Yuan Zheng only lasted for less than three breaths under the World Extinguishing Black Flames before he was reduced to ashes. Even his Space Ring was completely melted.
Everyone went completely silent!
Earlier, when Elder Zhong attacked Yang Kai, he was instant-killed by the woman with the cold temperament.
Now, when Wu Yuan Zheng attacked Yang Kai, he was instant-killed by the other woman.
Had they not personally witnessed it with their own eyes, perhaps no one would dare to believe that something like this could ever happen in this world.
“Lady Feng, your flames are too strong,” Yang Kai, seeing Wu Yuan Zheng’s Space Ring melt, couldn’t help but be saddened.
In any case, Wu Yuan Zheng was the Netherworld Sect’s Vice Sect Master, so he must have had many rare and precious treasures on him, but now, all of that had been completely torched by Luan Feng, so how could Yang Kai not be upset?
Luan Feng stated with a smile, “This Queen was negligent. Sir Yang, please forgive this Queen this time for the sake of the many treasures Sir Yang obtained previously!”
Yang Kai’s brow twitched. Since Luan Feng had brought this up, what could he say?
“Madam, forgive us, Madam, mercy!”
The dozen or so Netherworld Sect disciples suddenly knelt down and started begging for mercy aloud.
Now, Elder Zhong was dead, and so was Wu Yuan Zhen, so they had no backers here. If they wanted to survive, they could only abandon their self-esteem and sense of shame.
In a flash, a dozen or so kept kneeling, kowtowing and begging for mercy in succession.
“Shut up! If you make another noise, I’ll kill all of you!” Ji Yao shouted in a sweet and tender voice that felt as cold as glacial ice.
All these cries were giving her a splitting headache.
As expected, the dozen or so people dared not utter another word. They just nervously gazed at Luan Feng, for the fear that she would make them follow their Vice Sect Master’s footsteps in anger.
*Putong…*
Another person knelt down.
Yang Kai glanced over and found that it was none other than Qi Hai.
An ashamed Qi Hai started pleading in a desperate voice, “Brother Yang, this Qi has committed a terrible mistake. I hope that my death will calm your anger, please let Qi Family Fort’s disciples go!”
“Young Fort Lord!” The Qi Family Fort disciples were shocked and appalled.
“Hmph!” Yang Kai just glanced at him before disregarding him altogether. Rather he looked in another direction and coldly stated, “I guess…we will have to take a trip to the Netherworld Sect.”
Luan Feng furrowed her delicate brow and asked, “Does Sir Yang want to settle accounts with the Netherworld Sect?”
Yang Kai agreed, nodding, “Whether I’m going to square things or not, it will depend on their attitude. I need their help with another matter too.” Having finished speaking, he turned to Luan Feng and stated, “Lady Feng, I will have to trouble you to follow me a while longer.”
Luan Feng bitterly smiled after hearing this. She knew that Yang Kai wanted to use her as a bodyguard, but right now, she couldn’t refuse him either. All she could do was agree, nodding, “Sir Yang, you are too polite. That Young Lady wanted me to take good care of you, so this Queen is duty bound not to refuse. Only, this Queen wants Sir Yang to remember that her identity is somewhat delicate and it isn’t appropriate for me to act too presumptuously in a Human Sect, otherwise it will definitely draw the attention of the Great Emperors.”
Although she was a Divine Spirit, she still had to give deference to the Ten Great Emperors.
At her peak, she might have been able to stand on par with one of the ten Great Emperors for a time, but she had recently given birth to a daughter and her foundation still hadn’t completely recovered. If she really acted outrageously in the Human Sect, she would surely be pursued by the Great Emperors. At that time, she would have to say farewell to her peaceful days.
Yang Kai clarified, smiling, “Lady Feng, you are mistaken, I’m not going to the Netherworld Sect intent on killing anyone.”
“Hehe…” Luan Feng smiled, unable to say for sure whether she should believe him or not.
“Let’s go!” Yang Kai beckoned before flying up with Ji Yao.
But Luan Feng didn’t move. Rather she turned around, her eyes flickering with a cold gleam as she stared at the kneeling Netherworld Sect disciples. She then raised her arm and palmed down lightly.
*Peng peng peng…*
A series of muffled explosions echoed as the dozen or so Netherworld Sect disciples exploded into a bloody mist, disappearing from the face of this world.
It wasn’t that Luan Feng enjoyed bullying the weak, but the offensive comments these few had made about her was not an insult she was willing to let slide.
After having finished the remaining Netherworld Sect disciples, Luan Feng finally turned around and flew after Yang Kai.
The several dozen Qi Family Fort disciples stood rooted on their spot, sweating buckets. Only after a long time did they finally come to their senses and realize that they were lucky this time and managed to survive.
“Young Fort Lord, they… have left!” An old man came to Qi Hai and gently reminded him.
Qi Hai was powerlessly kneeling on the ground, his eyes having lost all lustre as a bitter look filled his face.
…..
Luan Feng was extremely familiar with the Eastern Territory. According to her, she had travelled around in the Star Boundary in her human form multiple times in the past, so she was quite familiar with the geography of the Star Boundary.
Under her lead, Yang Kai’s trio arrived at a city called Peaceful Sea City in just one day.
After entering the city, the trio head straight to the City Lord’s Mansion.
The City Lord of Peaceful Sea City was a First-Order Emperor, so when he came to learn that someone had trespassed into the City Lord’s Mansion, he was furious and hurriedly rushed out of his retreat. But before he could ask any questions, Ji Yao, under Yang Kai’s order, released a bit of her cultivation pressure and immediately rooted the City Lord in place. He didn’t dare to make a rash move.
Under everyone’s eyes, Yang Kai’s trio ‘borrowed’ the Space Array at the City Lord’s Mansion and left right away.
After the three had gone, the City Lord heaved a sigh of relief, his back dripping with cold sweat.
Following the same procedure and multiple teleportations, the trio finally arrived at Netherworld City.
“Sir Yang, Netherworld City is the closest city to the Netherworld Sect and was under the direct management of it. From here, it will only take two hours to reach the Netherworld Sect,” Luan Feng explained to Yang Kai after stepping out of the Space Array.
Yang Kai, nodding and beckoned, “I will have to trouble Lady Feng to lead the way.”
Luan Feng agreed, smiling, “Please follow me.”
After having been together with Yang Kai for a few days, Luan Feng realized that Yang Kai had a gentle temperament and was quite polite to her, unlike the arrogant and unyielding attitude he had shown in the Ancient Lands. This had put Luan Feng at ease as she knew that Yang Kai would not commit all matters of evil using her.
After exiting the City Lord’s Mansion, the trio headed straight to Netherworld Sect.
After two hours, a cultivation paradise with tall mountains and great rivers appeared before the trio. On the continuous rising and falling mountain range, there were many beautiful palaces and pavilions with streams of cultivators moving about. It was a place filled with rich World Energy, indicating a High-Rank or even better Earth Vein was located here.
However, this place gave Yang Kai a different feeling from other cultivation paradises he had been to because there was dense Yin Qi in the air. It was probably related to the Secret Arts of Netherworld Sect.
Netherworld Sect disciples all cultivated wicked Secret Arts, and all the artifacts were Yin Attributed. On top of that, there was also that strange Netherworld Pond inside their Sect’s headquarters, so over time, this cultivation paradise had turned into a ghastly place.
The disciples guarding the mountain range were just in the Dao Source Realm, so when the trio flew past them, the patrols didn’t even notice them.
Probably, they might not have ever expected that some people in this world would dare to trespass into the Netherworld Sect unannounced.
After entering the Netherworld Sect, the trio flew forward, ostentatiously and leisurely as if no one could stop them. Yang Kai was looking left and right, constantly inspecting the surroundings.
Luan Feng asked, “Sir Yang, are you searching for the Netherworld Sect’s Sect Master, Fu Bo?”
Yang Kai replied with a question of his own, “Mhmm, Lady Feng, do you know where he is?”
Luan Feng shook her head, “This Queen also has no idea as I have never been to the Netherworld Sect before.”
“Then we should just ask someone.”
While the two were chatting, they suddenly heard a shout nearby, “Hey you, stop right there!”
Yang Kai, hearing this shout, turned to look and in the next moment, he saw a streak of light flying over. Only when it arrived closer did the streak of light separated into two, revealing two figures, one of a man, and the other of a woman.
The man appeared to be in his thirties, but his face was a little yellowish and he had a sallow aura while the bridge of his nose had grown somewhat dark. He was only in the First-Order Dao Source Realm, but was wearing extremely luxurious clothes. By the looks of it, his status wasn’t low.
And as for the woman, she had a tender gaze and her cheeks were flushed. Her hair was a little messy and her eyes were bright and intelligent. She was quite beautiful, especially her figure, which appeared extremely ravishing. Her cultivation was also two Minor Realms higher than the man’s, putting her in the Third-Order Dao Source Realm.
As soon as the man and woman came near, an obscene smell wafted from them.
Yang Kai had a lot of experience in this regard, and the moment he smelled it and took a look at the woman’s enchanting appearance, how could he not tell that the man and woman had just been enjoying each other’s company? He secretly smiled in his heart at the fact that these two were in the mood in broad daylight.
Who knows just where they had been and what they were doing?
Luan Feng, on the other hand, furrowed her brow and asked, “What’s this smell?”
Although she had a daughter, she had definitely not become pregnant after consummating with a subordinate Monster King as Yang Kai had thought before. Instead, she had used her own Blood Essence and Vitality to form a fetus and then gave birth. In regards to the matters between men and women, Luan Feng was like a blank piece of paper, so how could she know about the origins of this smell?
But instinctively, she abhorred this smell.
“Well, a true icy beauty!” As soon as the young man arrived before the trio, his eyes were completely glued on the cold-faced beauty, Ji Yao.
Because they cultivated Ice Attribute Secret Arts, many of the disciples of Ice Heart Valley had naturally cold temperaments and expressions, giving them unapproachable auras that seemed to push others away.
After a bath and applying some makeup, Ji Yao had long lost her dirty and messy appearance. Her enchanting appearance and slim figure, coupled with her cold aura, could easily arouse a man’s desire to conquer her.
The young man before them was undoubtedly the kind of person who wallowed in women, otherwise, why would he drag his female companion to do such shameless deeds while the sun still hung high in the sky.
“Scram!” Being stared at by this young man, Ji Yao felt extremely uncomfortable and she immediately shouted in an ice-cold voice.
“Ha, a little feisty! I like it!” The young man clearly had quite thick skin. Ji Yao had bluntly rejected him, but he appeared to be enjoying this as if it was an invitation. His eyes were gleaming with greed and lust. He was despicable to the bone.
Yang Kai pulled Ji Yao behind him and looked at the young man with a smile.
The young man’s face immediately turned cold before asking with a cold snort, “Who are you? If you are Netherworld Sect disciples, why haven’t I seen you before?”
Yang Kai indifferently replied, “You don’t need to worry about who we are. We have come to the Netherworld Sect to settle some accounts. Tell me, where can I find your…”
Before Yang Kai could finish his sentence, the young man looked as if he had found a treasure and his eyes widened as an even greedier gleam appeared in them. Staring at Luan Feng, he smacked his lips and shouted, “What a beauty! Hahaha, this Young Master’s fortune is shining today! En, it’s decided, you will warm my bed for me tonight!”
Compared to glacial beauty Ji Yao, the young man seemed to prefer mature and charming women.
Previously, his gaze was attracted by Ji Yao, so only now did he finally discover Luan Feng’s existence. When he did though, he was so excited that his breathing grew ragged and his eyes gleamed with greed and perversion.
As he spoke, he actually tried to reach out and seize Luan Feng.
By the looks of it, it was apparent that he wanted to forcefully take Luan Feng in his captivity.
“Young Man, you’re so…” Yang Kai was scared and hurriedly stepped aside.
“You court death!” Luan Feng was enraged.
With her identity and status, even if the Netherworld Sect’s Sect Master, Fu Bo, came here in person, he would have to treat her with the utmost respect, but now this ignorant First-Order Dao Source Realm waste actually dared to grab at her. Not only that, he had made obscene remarks at her, even demanding that she warm his bed.
Even a monk could be angered, let alone Divine Spirit, Luan Feng.
While grabbing Luan Feng, the young man shot a glance at Yang Kai, his eyes filled with both contempt and admiration. As if he was saying that Yang Kai was quite an understanding fellow.
Naturally, he saw Yang Kai moving to the side just now and thought Yang Kai was afraid of him. This immediately boosted the young man’s vanity, “Baby, you better not resist! This Young Master’s grandfather is the Netherworld Sect’s Great Elder. You will enjoy inexhaustible benefits from this Young Master in the future!”
Luan Feng made a light snort and smacked out a palm.
The young man didn’t even realize what happened before he was smashed into a blood mist by the palm, leaving not even a single bone behind.
“Ahh!!” The woman who was with the young man, instantly turned pale and she hurriedly covered her mouth as her pretty eyes violently trembled.
Looking at the blood raining down from the air, she froze in disbelief.
The grandson of the Great Elder, to whom she had given herself willingly after she was promised enormous benefits, had died just like that, before she could collect even a single Source Crystal! If he was going to die, he should have given her what he promised first!
As she stared at the gore-filled pool of flesh and blood and remembers that this puddle used to be a man who had committed all kinds of perverted acts to her just moments ago, the woman immediately turned pale and flew to the side, emptying her stomach of all its content, vomiting so hard that everything went black before her eyes for a while.
“Lady Feng, didn’t you say that you can’t act freely in a Human Sect? Then, is it okay to kill the grandson of a Great Elder?” Yang Kai glanced at Luan Feng, whose face was completely cold at the moment.
Luan Feng grit her teeth and justified herself, “He was trying to profane this Queen! Should this Queen have just let him touch me?”
After a pause, she angrily stated, “Sir Yang, you aren’t a good person either!”
“Why…” Yang Kai was speechless, “How is this related to me? He was the one being rude to you, not me.”
Luan Feng glared at him and asked, “Why did you dodge just now?”
Yang Kai could have stopped everything from happening, but he had actually stepped aside, making Luan Feng pretty angry. Had Yang Kai not stepped aside, she would not have killed the opposite party in anger.
“Ah… ahaha…” Yang Kai forced a laugh before hurriedly justifying, “It was an instinctive reaction, an instinctive reaction. He was just a piece of trash, Lady Feng doesn’t need to pay his death any mind.”
Luan Feng maintained the cold look on her face; apparently, she cared about it a little, even suspecting that Yang Kai had acted deliberately just now to drag her into this mess. But what could she do now? She had already killed the Great Elder’s grandson in anger, forming an enmity with the Netherworld Sect.
“Do… do you know who he is?” On the other side, the woman, who had been vomiting all the while, had finally regained her calm and accepted the fact that the Great Elder’s grandson had tragically died before her. Nonetheless, she couldn’t help but stare at the trio in shock.
[These three are too bold! They killed the Great Elder’s grandson as if it was nothing, and not only are they not escaping now, but are instead standing around chatting.]
“I heard him loud and clear when he introduced himself, your Great Elder’s grandson, right?” Yang Kai smilingly looked at the woman.
“You…” The woman was completely stunned. Her sweet and sexy eyes that were filled with spring a moment ago were now filled with shock at this moment. She didn’t know what to say, but one thing she knew for certain was that the Great Elder would not let them go. The Great Elder had few family members and only one grandson in his third generation. Unfortunately, this young man was ignorant and incompetent while his aptitude was trash, resulting in him becoming a wastrel that spent all his time on women and wine.
Many Senior and Junior Sisters in the Sect had fallen prey to his wicked hands. Some had sent themselves into his arms willingly while others had been forced to obey him.
Because he was the Great Elder’s grandson, he had abundant cultivation resources in his hands though, so many Senior and Junior Sisters were interested in him and proactively undressed just to get useful benefits from him. She belonged to this category. As for those who were forced, they couldn’t get their revenge as he was under the Great Elder’s asylum.
However, this grandson was not a complete fool and only targeted girls without strong backgrounds in the Sect, those who have no way to seek justice for themselves. As for those with higher status, he never used force but instead lured them in with benefits.
That was also how she was coaxed into the act.
But how could she have ever thought that after sacrificing her innocence, not only would she not get the slightest benefit, but she would have to watch him die as well?
[Even though his end was guaranteed to be bad eventually, now I have to worry about being implicated…]
Thinking of the Great Elder’s coming anger, the woman couldn’t help but shudder as her face instantly went pale.
“Don’t worry,” Yang Kai gently comforted the girl, “We won’t do anything to you.”
“What do you want then?” The woman asked in a tearful voice.
“Where is your Sect Master, Fu Bo?” Yang Kai asked with a smile, but to that woman, that amiable and harmless smile seemed more terrifying than the devil’s malicious grin itself.
She subconsciously pointed in a direction, blurting, “Sect Master cultivates on that peak.”
“Oh?” Yang Kai looked in the direction she pointed before thanking her with a light nod, “Many thanks!”
Having offered proper respect, he flew towards the peak along with Ji Yao and Luan Feng, leaving the Netherworld Sect woman hopelessly standing there. Only after a long time did this woman come to her senses before heading towards another peak in a hurry.
She had to immediately report what just happened to the Great Elder, otherwise, she would definitely die if he were to investigate things himself.
The peak of the mountain was rich in Yin Qi. Also, there appeared to be an enormous Spirit Array surrounding the peak, preventing the near-tangible Yin Qi from leaking out.
More importantly, faint ghastly cries and wails could be heard coming from inside the dense Yin Qi field, giving the listeners a jittery feeling.
The moment Yang Kai’s trio arrived here, a sudden furious shout came from inside, “Who dares intrude here!?”
“Fu Bo?” Yang Kai asked back, raising his brow.
“Bold Junior! You dare call this King by name!? You court death!” The voice called out again.
“It looks like you are indeed Fu Bo,” Yang Kai pursed his lips into a smile before taking a step forward, directly disappearing into the Yin Qi. Ji Yao and Luan Feng hurriedly followed after him.
The Yin Qi covering the top of the mountain seemed to be only used for cultivation and didn’t have any defensive or offensive properties. Yang Kai thus came all the way in with Ji Yao and Luan Feng before everything cleared up before their eyes.
A palace appeared before the trio.
Yang Kai promptly spread out his Divine Sense and immediately found a fearsome presence inside the palace.
Stepping inside the palace, he saw a stalwart man standing there, his eyes gazing towards them, his expression gloomy and filled with anger.
In any case, his Netherworld Sect was a top Sect in the Eastern Territory. Even considering the entire Star Boundary, it was still among the very strongest, yet today, someone actually intruded into his private cultivation sanctuary. Fu Bo was naturally quite angered.
Scanning Yang Kai with his Divine Sense and discovering that he was just a First-Order Emperor, Fu Bo grew angrier.
But regardless of his personal feelings, he was still a Sect Master and his experience and insight were far better than an ordinary person’s. Seeing Yang Kai remain so calm and composed, without a hint of nervousness, Fu Bo subconsciously felt that Yang Kai wasn’t some insignificant character. Otherwise, how would he dare to call him by his name and even break into this place?
“Who are you? Why did you intrude into my Netherworld Sect?” Fu Bo asked with a cold snort.
Yang Kai glanced around before replying with a slight smile, “This Young Master’s name is Yang Kai, I wonder if Sect Master Fu had ever heard of it?”
“Yang Kai?” Fu Bo furrowed his brow, “It seems familiar…”
After giving it some quick thought, his face changed as he shouted, “Are you that enemy of Le Sheng’s?”
Yin Le Sheng was his Legacy Disciple, one that Fu Bo had very high hopes for. Yin Le Sheng hadn’t hidden anything that had happened in the Shattered Star Sea from him after returning to the Sect, so naturally he had mentioned Yang Kai more than once.
In his opinion, this was just a grudge between two Juniors, so Fu Bo didn’t attach that much importance to it. He only asked Yin Le Sheng to focus on cultivation and avenge himself in the future.
However, Yin Le Sheng was eager to have his revenge as quickly as possible, so after spending some time in the Netherworld Sect to stabilize his new Emperor Realm cultivation, he encouraged Hua Fei Chen to travel to the Ancient Wild Lands with him to deal with Yang Kai. After he learned of this, Fu Bo immediately sent Vice Sect Master, Wu Yuan Zheng, to lead some disciples to pick up Yin Le Sheng and prevent any mishap from befalling him in the dangerous Ancient Lands.
But he didn’t expect the little brat named Yang Kai would actually run over here before his disciple and Vice Sect Master even returned.
“It seems Sect Master Fu does know about this Young Master,” Yang Kai meaningfully grinned before nodding, “That will make things much easier.”
Fu Bu turned a deaf ear to Yang Kai’s mutterings and slowly asked with a dissatisfied look on his face, “As far as this King knows, Le Sheng has gone looking for you. As you travelled here, did you see this King’s good-for-nothing disciple?”
“I indeed met him,” Yang Kai replied with a smile, “There was also a guy named Hua Fei Chen with him. He seemed to be the Elder of your noble Sect!”
Fu Bo’s heart immediately hit rock bottom after hearing this and he immediately asked sharply, “Where are they?”
Yang Kai replied, pursing his lips into a smile, “Sect Master Fu is an intelligent man. Since they went looking to trouble this Young Master, and this Young Master has now appeared here unscathed, what do you think their ends would be? Sect Master Fu also said that your disciple is a ‘good-for-nothing’. This Young Master showed great compassion and helped clean your house of such trash. No need to thank me!”
Immediately, Fu Bo’s vitality rolled as he shouted in anger, “That’s impossible!”
Yang Kai coldly stated, “Wu Yuan Zheng said the same thing before his death too!”
“What!?” Fu Bo was truly shaken this time, “Vice Sect Master Wu is dead too?”
After a while, Fu Bo calmed down and rebuffed with a light snort, “Brat, you sure know how to spout nonsense; this King was almost fooled by you. With your pitiful cultivation, even Elder Hua could easily finish you off, so how could you have killed Vice Sect Master Wu? Laughable!”
Yang Kai indifferently replied, “Indeed, this Young Master cannot kill Wu Yuan Zheng, but I never said I killed him. The one who killed him was… someone else!”
Fu Bo furrowed his brow, feeling that Yang Kai wasn’t lying. His heart skipped a beat at that moment as he promptly spread his Divine Sense again, scanning the two women by Yang Kai’s side.
[The cultivation of the girl with the cold aura isn’t bad, actually Second-Order Emperor Realm!] Fu Bo was shocked by this revelation.
Just when he wanted to use his Divine Sense to scan Luan Feng though, he suddenly felt a fearsome pressure emanate from her, frightening him so greatly that he actually retreated a few steps before asking in shock, “Who is Your Excellency?”
Only now did he suddenly discover the unfathomable nature of this beautiful woman.
The woman standing there gave him the feeling of facing a Great Emperor!
As the Netherworld Sect’s Sect Master, it wasn’t like Fu Bo had never met a Great Emperor before. The Serene Soul Great Emperor made his base in the Eastern Territory, so Fu Bo had the good fortune to meet him more than once.
Every time Fu Bo had gone to Serene Soul Palace to meet the Great Emperor though, he would feel a similar pressure to the one he was feeling right now. This was a deeply unsettling sensation, like the other party could take his life just by raising his hand.
[This young man is actually accompanied by a Great Emperor!? What is his identity?]
Fu Bo was now even more curious about the identity of the beautiful woman.
Luan Feng just let out a light snort, having no intention of introducing herself.
After all, as a Divine Spirit, she shouldn’t have come to the Human Sect and didn’t want to reveal her identity unless it was absolutely necessary.
“Sect Master Fu believes me now?” Yang Kai looked at Fu Bo, maintaining a calm and composed look.
Fu Bo nervously gulped, staring at Luan Feng in fear. He then looked at Yang Kai and realized that this boy was the one doing all the talking and replied with a nod, “If this Madam took action, Wu Yuan Zheng would not have any chance to survive.”
Wu Yuan Zheng was dead, so Yin Le Sheng and Hua Fei Chen couldn’t be alive either.
He was totally unaware that Yin Le Sheng and Hua Fei Chen were killed by Yang Kai and it had nothing to do with Luan Feng.
Sighing, Fu Bo dejectedly asked, “Since my good-for-nothing disciple had eyes but failed to see, provoking Your Excellency, then he is guilty of death! It’s just that… it was a personal feud between Your Excellency and my disciple, and he has already been punished. I wonder why Your Excellency has come to my Netherworld Sect now?”
After Yin Le Sheng took on such a powerful opponent, his death was not the biggest deal, though it was still saddening. However, in this case it was his own fault for being imperceptive, and he had also cost the Netherworld Sect two Emperor Realm Elders and a Vice Sect Master.
This time, the losses suffered by the Netherworld Sect were immense.
Fu Bo was certain that the one who killed these people was Luan Feng, so his attitude softened as he didn’t dare to think of getting revenge. What worried him the most right now was whether Luan Feng would let things go. If she was unwilling, then it would be yet another calamity for the Netherworld Sect.
Having someone whose status was no less than a Great Emperor show up in person was no joke, and the Netherworld Sect could easily be erased from the Star Boundary if anything went wrong!
Yang Kai snorted lightly, “Yin Le Sheng kept pestering me, but I was magnanimous and kindly spared him in the Shattered Star Sea. To think he still had delusions of causing problems for me, this is very troubling indeed…”
[You’ve already killed him, what the heck are you troubled about! The one who really should be troubled is me!] Fu Bo was enraged, but did not dare to retort.
“As the old sayings go, the folly of the son is the fault of the father, and a Master for a day is a Father for a lifetime. Yin Le Sheng may be dead, but you also have quite a large responsibility as his Master. If you taught him well, then he wouldn’t have been so thick-headed and narrow-minded!”
As expected, the Netherworld Sect and Fu Bo were dragged into this matter.
Though he had known this was coming, Fu Bo was still filled with resentment upon hearing Yang Kai’s words. He dearly wished he had never taken Yin Le Sheng as his Disciple, but with the current state of things, he could not possibly escape?
“What does Your Excellency want?” Sighed Fu Bo.
With Luan Feng glaring at him from behind Yang Kai, Fu Bo’s heart was full of anxiety. He was terrified that he would say something to offend Yang Kai, who would then take the opportunity to give him more substantial trouble.
Yang Kai snorted, “The spiritual wounds and psychological trauma your Disciple caused me are indelible. Even today, I am greatly disturbed when I recall what happened, and I have suffered from sleeplessness and a loss of appetite. Those memories are like evil ghosts, they haunt me and cannot be dispelled…”
Fu Bo raised a hand to interrupt him, and said dejectedly, “Please name your price, Your Excellency.”
He finally figured it out. This time, Yang Kai was not here to actually do anything to the Netherworld Sect or Fu Bo; instead, it seemed like he was here for extortion.
And though it was painful to pay up, Fu Bo did heave a sigh of relief. If he could solve this calamity with Source Crystals, that was still acceptable. The only thing was that this cost… was not going to be low.
Yang Kai side-eyed him in anger, “Aren’t you underestimating me a little too much, Sect Master Fu? You think I can be so easily bribed?”
Fu Bo was stunned, wondering if he could possibly have misunderstood and became anxious once more, completely unable to comprehend what Yang Kai had come to the Netherworld Sect to do.
But Yang Kai suddenly changed his tune, “But… if Sect Master Fu is truly sincere,” he said, stroking his chin, “Then perhaps I won’t be unwilling to put things to rest.”
At those words, Fu Bo was so mad he felt like spitting blood. When Yang Kai was speaking so severely just now, Fu Bo almost thought he was someone with principles. Little did he expect to see Yang Kai’s true colours show so easily.
After all that talk, he was still just here for extortion…
“If I may ask, Your Excellency… how large should this ‘sincerity’ be?” Fu Bo asked darkly.
“If I had tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of Source Crystals,” Yang Kai said flippantly, “Then perhaps I could forget about the matter of people from your noble Sect causing me trouble, and I would be able to sleep peacefully from now on.”
“Tens… hundreds… of millions…” Fu Bo wiped the cold sweat from his forehead in shock, and asked, “Mid-Rank Source Crystals?”
“Preposterous!” Yang Kai’s expression turned to rage and he glared at Fu Bo, “It seems like Sect Master Fu’s sincerity is not enough to quell my fury! Lady Feng!”
At his yell, Luan Feng immediately took a step forward, “What are your orders, Young Master Yang?”
“Wait, wait, wait!” Fu Bo jumped, seeing Luan Feng step forward, and hurriedly raised a hand to halt things. He was pouring cold sweat as he cowered and asked weakly, “Could Your Excellency actually mean… High-Rank Source Crystals?”
Yang Kai sneered coldly, “If Sect Master Fu understands, then why play dumb?”
Fu Bo swallowed in spite of himself, finally understanding the extent of Yang Kai’s greed.
While it wasn’t impossible for the Netherworld Sect to provide that many High-Rank Source Crystals, it would be a huge blow to their resources if they did. The Netherworld Sect was a top Sect in the Eastern Territory and it had many Source Crystal lodes under its control that yielded great profits each year; however, with so many disciples in the Sect, its annual consumption rate was also quite astonishing.
If they really were to satisfy Yang Kai’s demands, then for at least the next few years, the disciples’ cultivation resources would be greatly reduced.
Fu Bo was beside himself with rage. The Vice Sect Master of his own Sect, two Elders, and even his Legacy Disciple had been killed, yet not only did the enemy come to extort him, he even demanded the lion’s share of their resources. Such a thing would infuriate anyone, but Fu Bo had no choice when he was so outclassed. It truly was vexing.
Just as Fu Bo was hesitating, a voice was suddenly heard from outside the hall, “Sect Master, Zhong Yong requests to see you!”
“Great Elder?” Fu Bo frowned, wondering why the Great Elder would come here at such a time. He naturally didn’t wish others to see his distressed state when he was floundering, but then again, perhaps having another person there could be helpful too. With the Great Elder there, they might just be able to recoup some of their losses; after all, he was no outsider.
At that thought, Fu Bo answered, “Come in!”
On the other side, Yang Kai cast a glance at Luan Feng, his mouth curling into a faint smile.
Luan Feng looked as cold as ever as she snorted quietly.
When they had just arrived at the Netherworld Sect, Luan Feng had killed a man who was entranced by her beauty and tried to assault her. That young man had declared his identity as the grandson of the Great Elder.
And now, with the Great Elder of the Netherworld Sect suddenly showing up, how could she not know the reason?
It was clear that he came for revenge.
That was indeed the truth. Earlier, the alluring woman who was with the dead young man had gone to see the Great Elder immediately after giving directions to Yang Kai’s group, and reported everything that had happened.
The Great Elder flew into a rage, and upon learning that Yang Kai and Luan Feng were here to find Fu Bo, he rushed over as well.
It was unacceptable that one of his kin was killed within the Sect’s headquarters. Not to mention, that was his only grandchild. Not only was the crime absolutely unforgivable, but the sheer brazenness of the killer was enough cause for the old man to take offence.
Zhong Yong entered the hall with an icy expression, and the murderous intent in his eyes was so strong that it was almost tangible. After bowing to greet Fu Bo, he immediately looked towards the two women standing behind Yang Kai.
He had heard from the Third-Order Dao Source Realm disciple that his grandson’s killer was a woman with mature and noble looks.
Luan Feng and Ji Yao differed greatly in the impressions they gave off, so Zhou Yong quickly identified which of them was the murderer.
At this moment, Fu Bo was frowning deeply as he pondered how to best explain the current situation to the Great Elder, so he could help come up with ideas, completely failing to notice Zhou Yong’s fury and murderous intent.
Before Fu Bo could break out of his reverie though, Zhou Yong suddenly roared, “Lowly wench, are you the one who killed my grandson!?”
“Huh?” Fu Bo nearly jumped out of his skin as he stared at Zhou Yong in alarm, “Great Elder, what are you talking about?”
[Did I just mishear him?? Did Zhou Yong just hurl that kind of insult?]
Zhou Yong reached out his hand and pointed at Luan Feng, who stood behind Yang Kai, his voice full of fury as he shouted, “Sect Master, it was this slut who cruelly murdered Zhou Ji, my only grandchild, inside the Sect!”
“Zhou Ji?” Fu Bo frowned, “That good-for-nothing waste?”
He knew Zhou Ji was Great Elder Zhou’s grandson. If it was any ordinary disciple, he could not possibly remember their name; after all, in his position and with the Sect having some ten thousand disciples, he could not care less about a mere First-Order Dao Source Realm disciple.
But Zhou Ji, being the Great Elder’s grandson, was naturally different.
Fu Bo had heard about him before and knew that he was a waste with no interest in cultivating. All he did was use his status as the grandson of the Great Elder to get away with any trouble he caused.
But still, that little brat had never damaged anything crucial to the Sect or preyed on any female disciples of notable aptitude. Thus, for the sake of the Great Elder’s face, Fu Bo had never been bothered to deal with him.
He could not have expected that the good-for-nothing had actually gotten himself killed. Not only that, but it also happened inside the Sect… and it was done by the formidable Master that even Fu Bo was intimidated by.
Zhou Yong’s face was full of anguish, “While Ji’er may not have been a good disciple, he was still young! With my personal tutelage, he could’ve one day achieved greatness, but now he is dead! This wench killed him, and now the Zhou family line… has been cut off!”
Fu Bo’s face was as black as it could be as he snuck a glance at Luan Feng’s reaction before roaring, “Great Elder, shut your mouth!”
This woman was pretty much equivalent in status to a Great Emperor! How could Zhou Yong be so blind, repeatedly insulting her by calling her a lowly wench? If he really angered her, then the consequences would be more than they could bear.
At that moment, Fu Bo’s regret was immense. If he had only known this would happen, he would never have let Zhou Yong in. Now, not only was Zhou Yong no help at all, but he was also adding to the trouble.
“Sect Master,” Zhou Yong said, enraged, “Even if they are your guests, I must have my revenge for the death of my grandson!”
He thought that Yang Kai’s group was here, invited by Fu Bo.
But even if they were Fu Bo’s guests, he was unfazed. As he was not only a Third-Order Emperor Ream Master, but also the Great Elder of the Netherworld Sect, his position was of extreme significance. Zhou Yong was sure that the Sect Master would take his side.
However, things were turning out quite contrary to his expectations. Fu Bo instead glared at him and snapped, “Great Elder, I ask you to think of the bigger picture!”
“The bigger picture?” Zhou Yong sneered, “My lineage has ended, what bigger picture is left!? Sect Master, if you allow me to have my revenge, that is all I could ask for, but if you don’t, then I must kill these people even if I have to leave the Netherworld Sect!”
Fu Bo shuddered as he asked in a dark tone of voice, realizing that he was in deep trouble now, “What nonsense are you talking about?”
With the Vice Sect Master and two Elders dead, if the Great Elder chose to leave the Sect as well, then the Netherworld Sect’s power would absolutely plummet. If that happened, then it would be impossible to keep things running even for a Third-Order Emperor Realm Sect Master like himself.
“Please accede to my wishes!” Zhou Yong said with solemn determination, cupping his fists.
He had only said those words as a bluff, and did not really wish to leave the Netherworld Sect; after all, he had committed his life to the Sect and sacrificed greatly for it. How could he cut ties with it so easily?
Zhou Yong was certain that if he just showed his resolve, then the Sect Master was sure to agree with him; after all, he had toiled for the Sect for so many years, and all that hard work had to count for something.
“Great Elder Zhou, was it?” Yang Kai spoke up with a light laugh, looking towards him with great amusement, “Why don’t you tell Sect Master Fu just why your grandson was killed?”
Fu Bo jolted and realized that he was right. Zhou Yong was quick to accuse someone who had strength equal to a Great Emperor of murdering his grandson, but why would someone with such lofty status randomly decide to attack a First-Order Dao Source Realm Junior? Under normal circumstances, she wouldn’t even spare such a person a glance, much less attack him.
Zhou Yong snorted coldly, “No matter what wrong Ji’er may have committed, you still shouldn’t have killed him!”
Yang Kai was stunned speechless. After a long pause he finally gave an approving nod and declared, “The Great Elder is bold indeed!”
Zhou Yong continued angrily, “Ji’er is my grandson, and any small mistakes he makes is understandable. And yet you people cruelly used lethal force against him! I have come here today because I must take your lives as revenge for my Ji’er!”
“Small mistake!?” Yang Kai couldn’t help but laugh as he turned to Fu Bo, “Sect Master Fu, Zhou Ji was blinded by lust for Lady Feng you see by my side. Without any care for anything at all, he tried to abduct her and force her to warm his bed. What do you think of that, Sect Master Fu?”
“Abduct!? Warm his bed?!” Fu Bo was horrified and cold sweat began pouring down like buckets from his entire figure. The whole world around him seemed to be spinning and he felt certain that there was no hope left.
Even Fu Bo had to be on his best behaviour in front of Lady Feng, but Zhou Ji had the guts to try and abduct her? Not only that, he wanted her to serve him in his bed? He was simply courting death!
Only at this moment did he finally understand why someone like her would attack a First-Order Dao Source Ream cultivator.
But according to what he knew of Zhou Ji, that good-for-nothing really was capable of doing such a thing.
Yang Kai smiled as he looked at Zhou Yong, “Today, I have witnessed the grand posture of the Great Elder. It has been quite eye-opening to see how someone from a top Sect has a completely different tone from the rest! You are quite right… if your grandson was still alive, and had your personal tutelage, then he would certainly achieve greatness some day! After all, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree!”
“Anything you say now is useless!” Zhong Yong stared coldly at Yang Kai, his eyes full of murderous intent, “Only by taking your lives can I quell the rage in my heart!”
He turned to look at Fu Bo, and quickly repeated, “Please accede to my wishes, Sect Master!”
Fu Bo’s face was as black as the abyss as he silently cursed the Great Elder for being so blind. He was just about to secretly convey to him just how powerful Luan Feng was, when Yang Kai suddenly spoke, “Sect Master Fu, since this Great Elder is willing to leave your noble Sect in order to kill us, why don’t you give him what he wants? If you keep trying to stop him, then it may upset all parties involved.”
Upon hearing this, Fu Bo perfectly understood what Yang Kai meant. He sighed deeply and closed his eyes, making it clear that he was not getting involved.
“Many thanks, Sect Master!” Zhou Yong spun around, ecstatic. Emperor Qi surged up within his body and he launched a heavy palm strike towards Yang Kai’s group.
It seemed from his manner that he wanted to kill them all in one blow.
“A mere firefly dares to challenge the light of the moon?” Luan Feng snorted coldly. She barely seemed to move before she suddenly appeared in front of Yang Kai and raised her hand, sending out a burst of pitch-black flames towards Zhou Yong.
The black flames gave off an aura capable of eliminating all of existence.
The power behind Zhou Yong’s palm strike completely collapsed as he shuddered, his stance falling apart as he panicked.
“What!?” Zhou Yong’s whole expression changed as his eyes were instantly filled with horror. He screamed as the deathly aura surged towards him, “Sect Master, save me!”
He finally realised that he had kicked an unbendable iron plate. This elegant and beautiful woman was so far above him in power that he was entirely outmatched.
Fu Bo’s tightly-shut eyes opened immediately, but before he could say anything, Yang Kai coldly spoke, “Sect Master Fu, you’d best not get involved, lest you be burnt!”
Fu Bo’s heart jumped as he swallowed back the words he had been about to say.
“Ahh!” A horrible scream was heard as the World Extinguishing Black Flames turned Zhou Yong into a black fireball and started to incinerate him.
Just like Wu Yuan Zheng before his death, the more Zhou Yong tried to channel his Emperor Qi to defend himself, the more furiously the flames on his body burned. It was as though all his Emperor Qi had turned into fuel.
“Sect Master…” Zhou Yong was still screaming piteously, begging for help in the most miserable of voices.
Even though Fu Bo pitied him, he didn’t dare to intercede. All he could do was gloomily look on.
After a whole ten breaths had passed, Zhou Yong was reduced to a pile of ash. With a careless wave of her hand, Luan Feng called back her World Extinguishing Black Flames that had still not diminished in strength.
The Great Elder of the Netherworld Sect was now dead.
Luan Feng still seemed to hold some lingering anger after giving vent to her feelings and she cast a glare at Yang Kai, “I do apologize, Young Master Yang. I once again forgot about his Space Ring.”
She had clearly not forgotten, but had done it on purpose. She knew that even if she killed Zhou Yong, it was impossible for his Space Ring to fall into her hands, so she decided to simply burn everything down instead.
After all, Yang Kai was greatly responsible for what happened today. Luan Feng was clearly still annoyed at Yang Kai for ducking aside earlier when that good-for-nothing grabbed at her, leading to her instinctually killing him.
If Yang Kai hadn’t dodged to the side, then perhaps they wouldn’t have so much trouble now.
Yang Kai wiped the cold sweat on his forehead and said awkwardly, “It’s no issue, no issue at all!”
Luan Feng’s anger was greatly reduced after seeing Yang Kai’s manner. On second thought, she really shouldn’t be giving attitude to the man who had the protection of that Heaven’s Order descendant. Now that Luan Feng saw that he wasn’t at all annoyed by her actions, she felt that he was actually not that bad after all.
Yang Kai turned to Fu Bo next, “Sect Master Fu, Lady Feng has killed your noble Sect’s Great Elder. I hope you have no problem with that?”
No problem with it? He had one hell of a problem! He was the only one left amongst the Sect’s three Third-Order Emperor Realm Masters! How could he have no problem with that? But even so, what could he do about it?
Fu Bo had seen Luan Feng’s attack with his own eyes and recognized the origin of those pitch-black flames. Coupled with Yang Kai addressing her as Lady Feng repeatedly, he had a pretty good idea of who she was.
Divine Spirit Luan Feng! One of the Four Great Divine Venerables of the Ancient Wild Lands. Her subordinates included eight Monster Kings, none of whom were weaker than him.
Though not a Great Emperor, she could be compared to one. Either way, he couldn’t afford to offend her. If he did enrage her, she could easily send a few Monster Kings over and exterminate the Netherworld Sect without breaking a sweat.
Fu Bo forced a smile despite the bitterness in his heart, “Zhou Yong had already left my Sect, so he doesn’t count as one of our members. Whether he lived or died after that has nothing to do with us!”
While he said all this, Fu Bo was filled with curiosity. How could Divine Spirit Luan Feng be willing to follow a human Junior? She even seemed like she was being ordered around by him.
Just what kind of background did this Yang Kai have?
Yang Kai gave Fu Bo a meaningful look and smiled, “Sect Master Fu is a flexible man of great understanding. In that case, let us resume the earlier discussion of compensation.”
“There’s no need,” Fu Bo smiled bitterly, “I will definitely ensure that Your Excellency is satisfied.”
He had wanted to bargain earlier when Yang Kai demanded the lion’s share of goods, but now, all he wanted was to quickly send these three calamity-bringers on their way. After a disciple of his own Sect had lusted after Luan Feng and even tried to abduct her, it was already a blessing that she hadn’t burnt everyone in his Sect to ashes. He did not dare to argue anymore.
Saying so, Fu Bo retrieved a communication artifact from his Space Ring and channelled his Divine Sense into it. He was evidently conversing with someone.
After he put the artifact away, Fu Bo forced a smile and said, “Please wait for a moment.”
“Good,” Yang Kai nodded, then suddenly turned serious, “Sect Master Fu, I’ve actually come to the Netherworld Sect for two matters. The first matter has been dealt with now, but I still need to talk to you about the second.”
Fu Bo’s heart jumped. He was extremely nervous, not knowing what other nasty surprises Yang Kai had for him, “May I know what else Your Excellency would like from me?” he asked carefully.
Yang Kai smiled, “Don’t be so tense, Sect Master Fu. This second matter is just a trivial favour. I’d like to borrow the Space Array of your noble Sect.”
“Borrow our Space Array?” Relief washed over Fu Bo, and he felt like he had just been brought out of Hell straight into Heaven, “No problem, no problem at all.”
He had just been on tenterhooks over what the second matter would be, but it turned out to be a simple request to borrow their Space Array.
“Where would Your Excellency like to go?” Fu Bo asked tentatively.
“To the Northern Territory!” said Yang Kai.
“The Northern Territory is quite far …” Fu Bo frowned a little, “Though our Sect’s Space Array is quite powerful, it still isn’t able to transport you to the Northern Territory directly. If you wish to go there, you’ll have to use a Cross-Territory Space Array. As far as I know, only Serene Soul Palace has such a Space Array in the Eastern Territory, a relic from the ancient past.”
“Serene Soul Palace has a Cross-Territory Space Array?” Yang Kai raised his brow, evidently surprised.
“I have only heard rumours of it, but not seen it myself.”
Yang Kai nodded.
Though Fu Bo had only heard about it, even if Serene Soul Palace really did have a Cross-Territory Space Array, it would be impossible for Yang Kai to borrow it. That place was overseen by the Serene Soul Great Emperor, and people could not simply go there and do as they pleased.
In addition, Yang Kai had clashed with the Serene Soul Great Emperor’s daughter Yao Lin. The Serene Soul Great Emperor had even been forced to appear to resolve the situation via a Soul Descend, but who knew what would happen if Yang Kai went right up to their front door.
“Since I can’t cross territories, then help me get to the place closest to the Northern Territory,” said Yang Kai.
“Of course. I will personally arrange this for Your Excellency in a moment,” Fu Bo quickly promised.
“Young Master Yang wishes to go to the Northern Territory?” Luan Feng finally asked, after listening to them for a while.
“En,” Yang Kai nodded and cast a glance at Ji Yao.
Ji Yao’s current condition was unstable, and while she was still well behaved because she thought he was Senior Bing Yun, who knew when her consciousness would become confused once more?
The reason he wanted to go to the Northern Territory was that he wished to send Ji Yao back to Ice Heart Valley. With Bing Yun personally looking after Ji Yao, perhaps she could finally recover.
As this was an urgent matter, Yang Kai had to deal with it first.
Yang Kai turned his head and said with a smile, “Why not come along, Lady Feng? The scenery of the Northern Territory is incredibly beautiful. It’s got lovely mountains and clear springs, and is the home of many outstanding people. Wouldn’t it be nice to go take a look around?”
“Absolutely not!” Luan Feng glared at him.
How outrageous of him to try and drag her along to be his free bodyguard again. She was supposed to be done after escorting him out of the Ancient Lands, and only continued to accompany him to the Netherworld Sect because she didn’t really have a choice. There was no way she would now follow him to the Northern Territory as well.
“Alright, alright, no need to get angry,” said Yang Kai, rubbing his nose.
Fu Bo was quite terrified as he observed them. He could not figure out just who Yang Kai really was or how he could be so close with Divine Spirit Luan Feng. There was only one thing he did know, which was that he must absolutely not get on this young man’s bad side.
After less than an hour had passed, a woman’s voice was heard outside the hall, “Sect Master, your subordinate requests an audience!”
“Come in!” Fu Bo hurriedly answered. After waiting there for an hour with Yang Kai and Luan Feng, Fu Bo had turned into a bundle of taut nerves, and looked extremely happy to see someone who could ‘save’ him from this situation.
Footsteps were heard as a woman in an elegant dress entered the hall.
This woman was quite refined in appearance, dressed in a noble and dignified manner. Her cultivation had reached the Second-Order Emperor Realm, and it looked like she held quite a high position within the Netherworld Sect.
As she entered, the woman cast a curious glance at Yang Kai’s group. She wondered what kind of people they must be, to be entertained in the Sect Master’s private retreat. As far as she knew, this place did not allow just anybody inside. Even the Elders usually couldn’t step in here unless they were summoned.
“Did you bring what I asked for?” Fu Bo asked the beautiful woman.
“Yes,” she quickly answered.
As she spoke, she passed the Space Ring she was holding to Fu Bo.
Fu Bo took it from her, then winced slightly as he checked it with his Divine Sense. He quickly calmed down and waved his hand at the woman, “You may go.”
“Sect Master!” The woman did not immediately leave, looking at Fu Bo with curiosity, “Why do you need a hundred million High-Rank Source Crystals all of a sudden, and so urgently?”
This beautiful woman was the Netherworld Sect’s general manager, in charge of the Sect storehouse and all resources used for cultivation. Though she did retrieve these hundred million High-Rank Source Crystals from the storehouse as ordered, it was such a large sum that she had to ask what they were to be used for. Without these hundred million High-Rank Source Crystals, the cultivation resources of all their disciples would be greatly reduced for the next few years.
And when the disciples complained about it, all their criticism would be directed at her.
“Cultivation!” Fu Bo answered calmly, without even batting an eye.
The woman stopped for a moment, then suddenly asked with great delight, “Sect Master, could you be…”
Fu Bo waved his hand, “Don’t ask so much.”
“Yes!” The woman hurriedly answered, cupping her fists, but even so, there was a look of joy on her face that could not be concealed.
She thought that the Sect Master wanted all these Source Crystals because he could possibly achieve a breakthrough. Fu Bo was already a Third-Order Emperor Realm cultivator, if he had another breakthrough, then he would reach the Great Emperor Realm, and if he really became a Great Emperor, then the Netherworld Sect would greatly rise in status as well.
Compared to the Sect Master’s cultivation taking a step further, a hundred million High-Rank Source Crystals was a triviality. The woman was instantly relieved.
“I will take my leave, Sir!” The woman bowed respectfully, and was about to leave.
“Oh, and go prepare the Space Array,” Fu Bo instructed, “I will be escorting these guests away shortly.”
The woman left happily with her orders.
After she left, a look of awkwardness came over Fu Bo’s face, and he tossed the Space Ring to Yang Kai.
As the current Sect Master of the Netherworld Sect, it was really quite embarrassing to have to lie to his subordinate in front of Yang Kai and the others, but what else could he do but lie? He could not possibly tell his subordinate that he was actually being extorted.
That would really be too embarrassing to say out loud.
Yang Kai took the Space Ring and checked it with his Divine Sense, then put it away without doing a precise count.
He was sure that Fu Bo would not short-change him. If he promised a hundred million High-Rank Source Crystals, then he would deliver a hundred million.
Yang Kai was in quite a good mood after suddenly attaining such a fortune. If he totalled up this stash with what he had gained last time in the Ancient Wild Lands, then he had somewhere between seven to eight hundred million High-Rank Source Crystals on hand.
It was a terrifying sum.
“Sect Master Fu is sincere indeed!” Yang Kai said, laughing, “Since you are so sincere, then my conflict with the Netherworld Sect is now resolved. From now on, let us each go our separate ways and not bother the other. What do you think of this, Sect Master Fu?”
“Good, I could not have asked for more!” Fu Bo would not possibly dare to say no.
Yang Kai went on, “I do still need to borrow your noble Sect’s power for the second matter.”
“En, please follow me!” Fu Bo did not hesitate further, and hurriedly led the way.
The four of them exited the hall and quickly flew towards a certain direction.
After they arrived at a small mountain, Fu Bo led Yang Kai and the others to stop at an area of flat ground on the mountaintop. A grand palace stood here, and Yang Kai could sense swirling Space Principles even without going inside.
Naturally, these were the Space Principles associated with the Space Array.
It seemed like the beautiful woman from earlier had already made preparations.
After entering the palace, the Netherworld Sect disciples guarding the Space Array immediately bowed respectfully to them. The woman who had brought the Space Ring earlier also hurried forth to greet them, cupping her fists as she spoke, “Sect Master, everything is now prepared. May I know what your destination is?”
“Black Armour City!” Said Fu Bo.
The woman nodded and gestured to the disciples standing by the Space Array, who immediately began making adjustments.
In no time at all, the preparations were complete and the Space Array was ready.
Fu Bo smiled and gestured ahead “Please go ahead!”
Yang Kai led Ji Yao forward to stand in the centre of the Space Array, then looked towards Luan Feng with a smile, “Lady Feng, are you sure you don’t want to come take a look with me?”
“Have a smooth journey, Sir Yang!” Luan Feng answered, her face expressionless.
Yang Kai chuckled, “In that case, many thanks to Lady Feng for escorting us. If I have the free time someday, I will certainly visit again to give my thanks.”
Luan Feng’s mouth twitched, but she still managed to force a slight smile without saying a word. It was folly to say too much at such a time, and thus, silence was her response.
Yang Kai turned his head to the Netherworld Sect disciples, “Begin!”
They glanced at Fu Bo and waited for him to nod his head, then fully activated the Space Array’s power.
With a flash of bright light, the High-Rank Source Crystals placed on the Space Array were instantly drained of their power and reduced to a pile of dust.
When the light faded, Yang Kai and Ji Yao had also vanished.
*Hu…*
Luan Feng heaved a light sigh, thinking to herself that this troublesome fellow was finally gone. Her mood was lifted by this, and she smiled.
Without bothering to bid Fu Bo farewell she turned around and walked straight out of the palace, then flew away.
Fu Bo led the Netherworld Sect disciples outside the palace gates to see her off, respectfully cupping his fists in salute.
“Sect Master…” The beautiful woman looked quite bewildered to see her Sect Master treat this unknown woman with such awe and respect. He even personally came outside to see her off even though she ignored him completely.
“That lady from earlier… Who is she?” The woman could not help but ask.
Before Fu Bo could answer, they heard the distant sound of a clear and melodious cry that seemed to pierce through the clouds.
They could also vaguely see the form of some gigantic being as it flew amongst the clouds, before quickly vanishing.
[As I thought…]
Fu Bo couldn’t help but squint as the fear of what had just taken place fully dawned on him. Though he had more or less guessed Luan Feng’s identity already, he was never able to fully confirm it. Now, after hearing that cry, and seeing the gigantic being flying amongst the clouds with his own two eyes, there was absolutely no doubt that his guess had been correct.
That person really was a Divine Venerable from the Ancient Wild Lands!
Most cultivators did not know much about the situation inside the Ancient Lands, but those who had reached Fu Bo’s level were always able to learn of some little-known secrets via various means. One of these secrets was the distribution of forces within the Ancient Wild Lands!
The Ancient Wild Lands was like a massive trove of treasures, and if it wasn’t for the Four Great Divine Venerables and thirty-two Monster Kings who maintained order in the Ancient Lands, that place would’ve been completely taken over by all the great forces of Star Boundary already.
“Don’t ask too much, just do your job!” Fu Bo replied calmly.
“Yes!” The beautiful woman replied respectfully, then suddenly asked, “Sect Master, I heard from a disciple earlier that Great Elder went to your place earlier. Why didn’t I see him at all?”
Fu Bo’s brow spasmed before he heaved a heavy sigh, “Zhou Yong… is dead.”
“What?” The woman was aghast, “Great Elder Zhou is dead? Who killed him?”
“He offended someone he shouldn’t have,” Fu Bo explained quietly, glancing at the woman, “Elder Zhuo, your curiosity is too strong.”
As he finished speaking, he turned into a flash of light and disappeared, going back to his place of retreat.
The woman by the surname of Zhuo remained standing in place, completely stunned and still trying to process the news that the Great Elder was dead. Her face was full of shock, and who knew what she would think if she knew that even the Vice Sect Master had also died?
……
Black Armour City stood near the border of the Eastern Territory, only about fifty thousand kilometres away from the Northern Territory.
Inside the city, Yang Kai and Ji Yao appeared on the Space Array.
Even before they could steady themselves, a palm strike and a rush of wind came towards them, along with someone’s shout of laughter, “This one is mine!”
“Huh?” Yang Kai was bewildered and turned to see a big bearded man flying towards them, a heavy palm strike aimed right at his chest.
He had no idea what kind of grudge or enmity he had with the man, but Yang Kai was certain that he had never seen this person before.
“Sha Yong, if that man is yours, then the woman is mine! Whew… this is a pretty one, I’m in luck!” Another voice was heard as a second person appeared, going straight for Ji Yao. His face bore an expression of lustful evil, as though he wanted to snatch Ji Yao away right then and there to ‘dote’ on her.
The bearded man named Sha Yong hadn’t paid much attention to Ji Yao before, but now he hurriedly checked her out as well. He saw that she was indeed a great beauty, especially with that cold and distant aura that only made him want to conquer her even more.
Sha Yong turned and dashed towards Ji Yao as well, hollering as he went, “Change, change! You got a woman last time Gu Peng, this time it’s my turn!”
As they spoke, Sha Yong and Gu Peng had both dashed in front of Ji Yao, each of them reaching out a hand to grab her.
Ji Yao’s expression abruptly turned ice-cold. There was a loud clang, a flash of the blade, and then blood sprayed.
Two horrible yells rang out as the two who had dashed at her jumped back, their faces terribly pale.
*Pa pa…*
Two severed arms fell to the ground.
“My arm!” Sha Yong screamed in shock, staring at the severed limb on the ground as though he had only just realised what had happened to him. Meanwhile, Gu Peng’s expression was not much better, either.
“Bold! With such low cultivation, you still dare to come and court death?” Yang Kai looked at the two men with great astonishment, unable to comprehend their actions.
When those two fellows had come charging forth so aggressively, one for the man and the other for the woman, Yang Kai had thought that they would be quite powerful, but now, upon checking them with his Divine Sense, he realised that they were merely Third-Order Dao Source Realms.
“You…” Gu Peng stared at Yang Kai and Ji Yao, appalled, “How could you have recovered so quickly?”
Yang Kai’s brow furrowed, as he didn’t quite understand what Gu Peng meant. He thought about it for a moment, then it all became clear as he smiled, “You thought that we would suffer side-effects from teleporting here?
Teleporting via a Space Array was always accompanied by a bout of dizziness, regardless of distance travelled, leaving all cultivators somewhat disoriented upon their arrival. Under such circumstances, the cultivator’s senses and reflexes would both be heavily dulled, making this the likeliest time for sneak attacks to succeed.
Thus, under normal circumstances, Space Arrays of large cities would be guarded by cultivators from the City Lord’s Mansion. They were not only responsible for protecting the Space Array from being damaged, but also for protecting the incoming cultivators from being ambushed.
But the Space Array in this Black Armour City seemed to be different. It sat right in the centre of the city, and did not have anyone nearby to guard it. Instead, there were a few people nearby looking to commit theft and make a quick profit.
Sha Yong and Gu Peng were two such opportunists, and they had intended to ambush Yang Kai and Ji Yao while they were disoriented, but instead, they had the tables turned on them.
Yang Kai, having cultivated the Dao of Space, had manipulated the Space Principles to protect Ji Yao and himself back when he was starting the teleportation from the Netherworld Sect. A mere short distance teleportation like this could not possibly affect him.
“How can this be?” Sha Yong was completely befuddled, his face aghast.
“Because this Young Master is strong!” Yang Kai grinned, but his expression struck terror and anxiety into Sha Yong and Gu Peng’s hearts.
“Sir, please spare us!” The bearded man Sha Yong immediately started begging for mercy.
A look flashed across Gu Peng’s face and he turned to flee.
“Hmph!” Ji Yao coldly snorted, turning the sword in her hand. She thrust it forward as she dashed towards Gu Peng, catching up to him in an instant and piercing him straight through the heart. He fell to the ground and was dead instantly.
As a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master against a Third-Order Dao Source Ream cultivator, Ji Yao didn’t need to use any of her true power at all.
As Sha Yong saw this, his face grew paler and his legs trembled. With a look of misery he pleaded, “I beg you, please spare my wretched life.”
Yang Kai looked at him impassively, and coldly said, “You two seem to have done quite a lot of these thefts and robberies.”
“No, no, this is my first time, it really is!” Sha Yong said piteously, looking up at him.
“One that walks frequently by the river cannot keep his shoes dry,” Yang Kai explained, “Since you’ve entered this profession, then you should have the corresponding awareness. You’re too young, don’t do such acts again in your next life.”
“Next life…” Sha Yong jolted, his eyes full of terror, but before he could do anything else, Ji Yao had already struck out with her palm, turning him into meat paste.
The cultivators nearby all shuddered. They stared at the icy woman, who possessed peerless beauty but killed humans like they were nothing but flies. Every one of them was terrified, fearing that she was in the mood for murder and would wreak havoc upon the place.
Yang Kai reached out and took the two Space Rings, without looking to see what was within. The Space Rings of two Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivators were nothing to him; after all, he was quite wealthy now. He then turned to Ji Yao and said impassively, “Let’s go.”
Ji Yao nodded, and the two of them flew away.
As they left Black Armour City, Yang Kai pointed in a direction and said, “Yao’er, the Northern Territory should be that way. Do you know the way back to Ice Heart Valley?
Ji Yao nodded her head, “I do.”
“Then you lead the way, I need to cultivate for a while,” Yang Kai instructed. He tossed out his ship artifact and landed upon it, calling Ji Yao to join him.
However, Ji Yao eyed the ship and said rather apologetically, “Honoured Master, let’s use my flight type artifact instead. Yours is… not suitable.”
Yang Kai grimaced.
This ship was a casual gift from Jiu Feng years ago, and it was a Dao Source Grade High-Rank artifact. Yang Kai used to think it was pretty good to use, but now that his cultivation had reached the Emperor Realm, it was rather unfitting of his status.
Ji Yao had clearly noticed the quality of the ship, which was why she had said those words.
Since she had a better one, Yang Kai didn’t object and put away his ship with a nod, not wanting to be embarrassed.
Ji Yao smiled, as though she had perceived Yang Kai’s thoughts. She waved her hand, and a small, elegant ship appeared before Yang Kai.
This ship was not large, only about ten metres in length, but it was exquisitely built. One could tell with one glance that it was made by a Master, and the ship emanated dense waves of Spirit Qi. It was undoubtedly an impressive Emperor Artifact!
Yang Kai had not expected that, with Ji Yao being so unhinged with her wealth all these years, she could still possess such a treasure.
“Please go ahead, Honoured Master!” Ji Yao gestured towards it.
Yang Kai cleared his throat solemnly, then stepped upon the ship.
“Honoured Master, please find a room to rest, and leave the rest of the journey to Yao’er”, Ji Yao offered.
“Very well,” Yang Kai nodded, striding into the cabin with his hands behind his back. He found a room and entered, and before he could even sit down, he felt the ship shake slightly and start flying off as swift as the wind.
The speed far outclassed that of his wooden boat.
Speed was one thing, but more importantly, this ship was very comfortable inside, nothing like his own flight type artifact. When Yang Kai sat on his ship, if he didn’t activate the protective barrier, then the force of the wind in his face would practically blow it out of shape.
It seemed like he really did need to find a better flight type artifact, or he wouldn’t even have anything to travel with in the future.
Yang Kai gathered his thoughts and entered the Sealed World Bead to look around.
His Embodiment had been in a deep sleep ever since he was forcibly stuffed with Shi Huo’s Source by Ruo Xi. It sat there, cross-legged and unmoving. Who knew how long it would be before he could truly assimilate Shi Huo’s Source.
Yang Kai went over to look at the medicine garden next and found that the spirit medicines in the garden were all growing well and the medicinal efficacy of the thousands of Emperor Grade spirit medicines was no longer being lost.
The entire Small Sealed World was so quiet that it made Yang Kai rather despondent.
When he came here in the past, he would find Ruo Xi, Liu Yan, Sister Hua…
But now there was only the Embodiment, all alone and in a deep slumber, with no one to even welcome his arrival.
Yang Kai shook his head with a sigh, then exited the Sealed World Bead.
Sitting upright in the cabin, Yang Kai took out a large amount of High-Rank Source Crystals, then he took out and consumed some of the Emperor Grade Spirit Pills he had refined last time to supplement his cultivation. He silently channelled his Secret Art and began cultivating.
The experiences he had in the Ancient Land, especially the powerlessness he had felt against Divine Spirit Shi Huo, made Yang Kai’s desire for power grow far stronger.
Now that he finally had a bit of spare time, he was naturally eager to go into retreat and cultivate.
In just a moment, Spirit Qi so dense that it was almost tangible filled up the whole cabin room, and it could even be seen with the naked eye that Yang Kai was absorbing it into his body.
Even though the Spirit Qi stored within High-Rank Source Crystals was tremendous, the amount which Yang Kai used up was terrifyingly huge.
Piles and piles of Source Crystals were reduced to dust, and numerous Emperor Grade Spirit Pills were consumed as the power within Yang Kai’s body kept increasing.
Sometime later, the ship suddenly shuddered, and even came to a stop.
Yang Kai was jolted out of his cultivation by the disturbance and frowned, not knowing what was going on.
Before he could extend his Divine Sense to investigate, he heard Ji Yao’s icy voice coming from outside, “Make way!”
Just as she spoke those words, the voice of an old man sounded, “Young Lady, we’d like to ask a favour. Young Lady Xue Man seems to really like your ship, can I persuade you to part with it? Of course, the price we offer will not disappoint you.”
“Move!” Ji Yao replied coldly, ignoring the request.
The old man’s tone became a little angry, “Young lady, is there a need to be so standoffish? Young Lady Xue Man wanting your boat is also for your own good. The Northern Territory has not been peaceful these past few years, and if you ostentatiously steer such a beautiful ship through the city, I’m afraid you will easily attract unwanted attention. If you were to encounter any evildoers, your fate would be most worrying indeed.”
“That’s right, young lady. You’d be doing us a favour as well as yourself. We’ll definitely offer a price that won’t disappoint you.” A younger voice spoke this time.
“What’s going on?” Yang Kai asked as he stepped out of the cabin and onto the deck, standing by Ji Yao’s side.
Looking up, he saw their path blocked by a group of three.
A man, a woman, and an old man.
The man and woman appeared to be a couple, as they seemed quite close. The man was handsome and the woman was pretty, making them quite an attractive pair. It was only the expressions in their eyes that ruined the impression they gave off.
The man was looking at Ji Yao as though he thought he’d laid eyes upon a goddess, and his gaze was absolutely glued to her as he spoke. It was clear that he was struck by her beauty.
The woman’s gaze, on the other hand, bore a trace of jealousy as her wide eyes looked Ji Yao up and down. She found that no matter how she tried to compare them, her looks were vastly inferior to the other’s, turning her mood even sourer.
Noticing the smitten expression on her partner’s face, the woman gave him a hard pinch and a twist, drawing a yelp of pain from his lips.
Yang Kai turned to Ji Yao and asked, “What happened?”
“Honoured Master, these three people have stopped us for some reason, and they’re blocking the path forward,” Ji Yao answered.
“Honoured Master?” The three people before them all looked utterly astonished to hear this; after all, Yang Kai and Ji Yao looked to be about the same age, yet this man was the icy woman’s Honoured Master?
As the ship was guarded by a protective barrier, even the old man could not check Yang Kai and Ji Yao’s cultivations.
Even so, since the young man was good enough to be someone’s Honoured Master, his cultivation must be quite high. The old man guessed that Yang Kai had to be an Emperor Realm Master at least. After all, the exquisitely built ship was an Emperor Artifact, something that would be impossible for an ordinary Dao Source Realm cultivator to obtain.
At that thought, the old man smiled slightly at Yang Kai and said, “Now then, young man, there’s no need to be nervous. We bear no ill will.”
“Oh, do I appear nervous?” Yang Kai smiled, thinking to himself that the old man had quite the level of confidence. He had gone through the Ancient Wild Lands, and caused quite a stir in front of the Four Great Divine Venerables and thirty-two Monster Kings. He had come face-to-face with more than one Great Emperor before that. In this world, it could be said that few could make Yang Kai nervous anymore.
The old man acted as though he had not heard this comment though and continued, “It’s just that this ship has caught the eye of Young Lady Xue Man, so I would like to negotiate with you regarding it. Could you perhaps be persuaded to part with your ship? I will pay a handsome sum for it.”
After a pause, the old man added, “I forgot to introduce myself. I am Yan Qing of Profound Thunder Pavilion. This is the Pavilion’s Young Master Bai Lu, and this is the daughter of Serenity City’s City Lord, Young Lady Yan Xue Man.”
After the old man made the introduction, he and the two people with him all looked very proud of themselves, as though Profound Thunder Pavilion and Serenity City were great forces to be reckoned with.
Young Pavilion Master Bai Lu smiled courteously, cupping his fists as he asked, “May I know your name, fair Lady?”
He seemed uninterested in Yang Kai and immediately started asking for Ji Yao’s name, clearly smitten with her beauty. Though the City Lord’s Daughter, Yan Xue Man, was quite attractive, her looks still fell far behind Ji Yao’s.
Bai Lu’s question caused him to receive a hard kick from Yan Xue Man beside him. She glared at him and huffed, “Why are you asking her that? Are you interested in her? You bastard! You already have me! Why are you still going after other women!? You want me to beat you up!”
As she spoke, she started pummelling Bai Lu with kicks and punches, but her fists and feet were dainty and light. Not only did she not hurt him at all, but it was more like she was just throwing a coquettish tantrum, causing Bai Lu to laugh. He reached out and pulled her into his arms, looking like he thought of himself as the ultimate winner in life.
Yan Qing did not even glance at the two as he said, “Young Master and Young Lady Xue Man are accustomed to such mischief, please do not mind.”
Ji Yao answered coldly, “Your matters have nothing to do with us. My Honoured Master and I need to be on our way, now make way!”
“Young Lady,” Yan Qing repeated, “This Old Master only wishes to purchase your ship.”
“I already said that I wasn’t selling it!” Ji Yao’s expression grew colder.
Bai Lu smiled pleasantly, “Now, Young Lady, don’t be so cold. As the saying goes, the more friends one has, the more paths open up. It’s only a ship, just name your price and I’ll pay up!”
“Sure!” Yang Kai stood forward, smiling as he spoke to Bai Lu, “I like people like Young Master Bai, who have both wealth and ability. Such people are refined, generous, and high-class! Since Young Master Bai is so ready to make his offer, then we’ll sell this ship. What do you think, Yao’er?”
A frown appeared on Ji Yao’s forehead, but she nodded, “If Honoured Master wishes to sell it, then it’s fine.”
“Many thanks to the Young Lady,” said Bai Lu, cupping his fists.
He had only spoken to Ji Yao from start to finish, as though he had not seen Yang Kai at all, but now he turned to look at Yang Kai, “May I know what your asking price is, Your Excellency?”
“One hundred million!” Yang Kai said lightly, “If Young Master Bai can pay a hundred million, then this ship will be yours.”
Bai Lu’s expression did not even change as he nodded lightly, “One hundred million… for a flight type Emperor Artifact, it isn’t costly.”
Not only that, but it was extremely cheap. He thought Yang Kai had the intent of showing goodwill in order to befriend him; after all, not just anybody could become the friend of the Young Pavilion Master of Profound Thunder Pavilion, which was a significant power in the Northern Territory. He smiled slightly, “Old Yan. Pay them!”
“Yes!” Yan Qing nodded, and after some rummaging, tossed a Space Ring to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai caught it, checked it with his Divine Sense, and smiled faintly. As he put the Space Ring away, he said, “Young Master Bai, the amount of Source Crystals doesn’t seem quite right.”
“How so?” Bai Lu frowned, and turned to look at Yan Qing, “Old Yan, did you count carefully?”
“There were exactly one hundred million Source Crystals,” Yan Qing answered, “I could not possibly have miscounted.”
“Indeed, it does have one hundred million Source Crystals…” Yang Kai said, nodding, but then his tone suddenly changed, “But, these are only Low-Rank Source Crystals…”
Yan Qing’s expression changed, “Didn’t you want Low-Rank Source Crystals? Or did you actually mean… Mid-Rank?”
“What!?” Bai Lu was similarly shocked. One hundred million Mid-Rank Source Crystals, that was the same as ten billion Low-Rank Source Crystals! It was an outrageous demand!
“No no no!” Yang Kai waved a finger at them, “Not one hundred million Mid-Rank Source Crystals… what I want is one hundred million High-Rank Source Crystals!”
“You… you’re insane!” Bai Lu’s entire body shook.
One hundred million High-Rank Source Crystals was a sum Bai Lu did not even dare think about. He had no idea how this person could bring up such a preposterous demand.
Though Profound Thunder Pavilion was a first-class Sect, they could never afford so many High-Rank Source Crystals even if they piled together everything they owned. An Emperor Grade ship may be rare, but it could not possibly be worth this much.
A murderous light flashed across Old Yan’s eyes.
Yang Kai smiled, “Young Master Bai, you just said that you would pay any price, but are you now trying to back out? A man’s word should be as firm as metal. It seems like Young Master Bai’s not very trustworthy.”
Beside him, Ji Yao smiled.
She was not very willing when Yang Kai agreed to sell the ship earlier, but she had to obey her Honoured Master. Only now did she realise that Yang Kai had no actual intention of selling her ship, and was simply teasing these people.
[When did Honoured Master gain such a sense of humour…]
In her recollections, her Honoured Master was always cold and calm, only showing warmth when alone with her and her sisters. She had never acted like she was doing right now.
As she thought further, Ji Yao began to feel that something was not quite right, and a frown appeared on her brow as she looked at Yang Kai in extreme confusion.
This sturdy figure seemed rather… different from the one in her memories.
“Little brat, you dare mock me!” Bai Lu flew into a rage.
Yang Kai coldly snorted, “Now, why would you say that, Young Master Bai? You three unreasonably barred the way of my disciple and I and insisted on buying Yao’er’s ship. I am merely letting you have your way out of goodwill. I’ll excuse your lack of gratitude, but why speak to us in such a way? Unless Young Master Bai really thinks he can bully us with impunity?”
Hearing those words, Bai Lu’s heart was filled with fury, and it burnt within him like a volcano.
The other man was clearly playing him for a fool, and yet he still claimed to be in the right. This put Bai Lu in quite a fit of rage and he yelled, “Old Yan, kill this bastard!”
Yan Qing was already in the mood to kill, and he did not hesitate upon hearing Bai Lu’s orders, immediately charging forward.
Bai Lu hurriedly added, “But don’t hurt the girl!”
Even at such a time, he still had Ji Yao’s beauty in mind. Evidently, there were some situations in which women held a unique advantage.
Old Yan came flying at them, Emperor Qi coursing through his body. His First-Order Emperor Realm cultivation was fully unleashed, and he struck down at the ship with his palm.
The ship’s protection broke apart with a boom under such power, not putting up any defence at all.
Yang Kai was stunned and realised that something was wrong. This ship was an Emperor Artifact after all, so its defensive power could not possibly be so weak. He then looked at Ji Yao but saw that she was staring blankly at him, her beautiful eyes full of confusion.
“Oh crap!” Yang Kai was alarmed. He did not know what had gone wrong, but Ji Yao was clearly suffering a relapse.
Ji Yao had been calm and stable all this time as she stayed by his side, so he had not expected a problem to occur at such a time.
It was clear that the ship’s defence was extremely weak because its owner was suffering from turbulent emotions.
“Boy, you dare to mock my pavilion’s Young Master? Today, you die!” Old Yan’s confidence was greatly boosted after breaking apart the ship’s protective barrier and threw another palm strike towards Yang Kai. His palm carried waves of Emperor Qi and Principles, clearly intent on turning Yang Kai into paste.
Yang Kai reached out and pulled the bewildered Ji Yao into his arms, channelling Emperor Qi to shield her as he matched the palm strike, “Scram!”
He was greatly worried that something had suddenly gone wrong with Ji Yao and no longer had any mood to mess with these people. His attack was fuelled by rage and was far beyond what Yan Qing could withstand. Though Yang Kai and Yan Qing were both First-Order Emperor Realm cultivators, killing enemies above his level was commonplace for Yang Kai.
Yan Qing was only an ordinary First-Order Emperor, while Yang Kai would not even fear fighting those in the Third-Order.
*Hong…*
A huge noise was heard along with an explosion of wind.
As their Emperor Qi collided, Yan Qing grunted and seemed as though he had been struck by lightning. His Emperor Qi and Principles were broken apart by an enormous force, as though they had been made from ordinary paper. That gigantic power surged up his arm, exploding it into shreds of flesh that scattered all around.
With a cry, blood sprayed from Yan Qing’s mouth as he was sent flying.
Yang Kai remained in place, unmoving as he protected Ji Yao. He was like a divine being as he stood there, firm as a mountain and still as an ocean.
“This…” Bai Lu watched, astounded as Old Yan was sent flying back with blood spraying into the air. His body suddenly started shaking violently.
Yan Xue Man’s pretty face also turned incredibly pale as her teeth chattered.
The two of them now realised that they had aggravated a powerful foe. They had thought that taking down the young man would be child’s play with an Emperor Realm cultivator like Old Yan protecting them, but instead, things had turned out opposite to their expectations, leaving them at a complete loss about how to react.
Yang Kai’s gaze fell coldly upon the couple.
Bai Lu was sweating profusely, and his voice trembled as he said, “What do you want? I am the Young Master of Profound Thunder Pavilion! If something happens to me, you’ll be doomed!”
He was clearly aware that he was no match for Yang Kai, so all he could do was bring up his identity in the hopes that Yang Kai would take it into account before attacking him.
“Scram!” Was all Yang Kai said.
Bai Lu jolted and looked greatly relieved. He turned and ran, even forgetting Yan Xue Man as he fled, causing her to stomp her foot angrily before chasing after him.
A short distance away, the pale-faced Yan Qing pushed himself up from the ground. He cast a fearful gaze in Yang Kai’s direction, then with a leap, he hurriedly chased after Bai Lu as well. Though he had lost an arm, he still had his Emperor Realm cultivation and his life was not in danger. But now, he was disabled for life.
“Yao’er!” Yang Kai turned to her, calling her name softly.
The sound of her name was so simple, yet like a sharp blade it pierced through and dispelled the cloud of confusion in Ji Yao’s gaze.
Ji Yao’s delicate frame trembled, and she suddenly regained her senses, “Honoured Master?”
Yang Kai couldn’t help but sigh in relief, and asked cautiously, “Just now… What happened to you?”
Ji Yao frowned a little, “Just now? What happened just now?”
She seemed to have no recollection of what had just happened and looked around, then exclaimed in surprise, “Where are those three annoying people?”
Yang Kai smiled and said, “I beat them and sent them running, they’re long gone!”
Ji Yao glanced at the fresh blood on the ground, and knew that Yang Kai had indeed done so, “You should’ve killed them. I already said I wasn’t selling the ship, yet they wouldn’t leave me alone. Who knows how many times they’ve coerced people to buy or sell things.”
“Yes, yes, I should have killed them,” Yang Kai didn’t dare say too much, so he just went along with her, then asked anxiously. “Yao’er, how are you feeling right now?”
Ji Yao looked at him curiously, “Why? I’m feeling fine. You should go inside and rest, Honoured Master, we’ll be able to return to the valley in just a few more days.”
“I think you should put away the ship for now,” said Yang Kai, “We’ll look for a place to rest first.”
Ji Yao just had a sudden relapse, and Yang Kai was unsure if this was because she had been using her power a lot recently. He didn’t dare to let her steer the ship again. If she fell into confusion again, then there would be trouble.
It would probably be good to let her rest.
Ji Yao naturally obeyed Yang Kai’s instructions and immediately retrieved the ship. She then flew forward alongside Yang Kai.
After half a day had passed, a city appeared before them. They landed, walked up to the city gates, and successfully entered the city after paying a small sum of Source Crystals.
It was a flourishing city, with streams of people busily coming and going. The street was extremely wide, with shops selling a vast array of exquisite products lining its sides.
The two found an inn and entered.
The innkeeper behind the counter looked at Yang Kai and Ji Yao, and asked with a smile, “Looking for accommodations?”
Yang Kai snorted, “Why else would we be here?”
The innkeeper’s smile became strained, “Then, would you like one room or two rooms?”
Yang Kai frowned and cast Ji Yao a glance, then said, “One premium room.”
He did not quite dare to let Ji Yao out of his sight right now, as it would also be easier to observe her if they stayed together. He did not have other intentions in mind.
Ji Yao naturally had no objections either. To her, it was only natural that she would stay in the same room as her Honoured Master.
The innkeeper, however, cast a meaningful look at Yang Kai and gave him a knowing smile. He took out a room tag and handed it over respectfully, saying, “Fifth floor, room A3. Please rest assured, dear guest, that this humble inn has had great Masters place Spirit Arrays in every room, to guarantee that your privacy would be protected. No matter what kind of noise is made, it cannot be heard from outside.”
As he said the last part, his eyebrows waggled, and he looked salacious!
“Haha…” Yang Kai gave him a fake smile as he took the room tag, “Price?”
“Ten thousand Low-Rank Source Crystals!” The innkeeper answered smilingly.
Yang Kai retrieved the sum with a wave of the hand and tossed them onto the counter, then led Ji Yao upstairs.
They reached the fifth floor and found room A3, opened the seal on the room with the room tag, then entered.
At a brief glance, though the room was not very spacious, it had all the necessary furnishings. The large red rug on the floor and the bedspread made from golden threads gave off a feeling of luxury.
For ten thousand Low-Rank Source Crystals, it was a good deal.
Yang Kai sat down after looking around a little, and Ji Yao retrieved a tea set from her Space Ring with the ease of long practice. She started brewing the tea, and in a short time the rich fragrance permeated the room.
After extinguishing the flame, adding in the hot water, and then pouring the tea, Ji Yao respectfully handed a cup to Yang Kai, “Honoured Master, please enjoy.”
“Mm,” Yang Kai casually took it, and sipped the tea slowly.
Only after a long pause did he suddenly realise what he was doing, and said, “You should sit too.”
“Disciple is fine standing,” Ji Yao’s gaze was fixed on Yang Kai. It was as though watching her Honoured Master drink the tea she had personally brewed was the most blissful thing ever, and her face was lit by a sweet smile.
“I’m asking you to sit, so sit.” Yang Kai’s attitude was firm.
“Yes!” Since Ji Yao could not change his mind, she obeyed and sat down.
Yang Kai was silent for a while, then suddenly spoke, “Yao’er.”
“I am here, Honoured Master,” Ji Yao quickly answered.
Yang Kai raised his hand to his mouth and cleared his throat, then said rather awkwardly, “If one day… You discover that I have concealed some things from you, or even deceived you, I hope you understand my intentions.”
“Conceal and deceive?” Ji Yao frowned, and she asked curiously, “What would Honoured Master have to conceal from me or deceive me about?”
Yang Kai forced a smile, “Well, I’m just saying. But if that day really comes, please don’t be upset about it. You may rest assured that I wouldn’t let you down on anything, nor would I hurt you.”
They were only a few days away from Ice Heart Valley, and Yang Kai did not know what kind of reaction Ji Yao would have when she arrived back there and saw Bing Yun. The best-case scenario was that she would suddenly come to her senses and realise that Yang Kai was just an imposter.
If that did happen, then Ji Yao would certainly recall that they had shared a room during this time.
This was not a big issue, as he had done so to help keep her stable, and he believed that she would understand. The problem was that in Luan Feng’s palace, he had caught a glimpse of her naked form.
Though it was just a glimpse, it was still a matter related to Ji Yao’s innocence and honour.
Yang Kai was not sure if she would try to kill him…
That said, even if Ji Yao could fully recover someday, he felt that she would forgive him.
“I trust you, Honoured Master,” Ji Yao said solemnly. “My Senior Sisters and I are all orphans, and you raised and educated us out of the kindness of your heart. It is all thanks to Honoured Master that I am who I am today. So, even if you wanted to kill me, that would be fine.”
Yang Kai sweated profusely, thinking of how relieved he would be if she didn’t try to kill him in the future.
Still, her little speech made him realise just how important Bing Yun was to her Disciples.
“Honoured Master…” Ji Yao called softly, “Honoured Master, is something troubling you? Do you need my help?”
“There’s nothing. No need for you to worry!” Yang Kai smiled slightly.
Ji Yao rose and walked slowly towards him, emanating a fragrant scent as she said, “Since I am unable to help, then please allow me to at least massage your shoulders, Honoured Master.”
“Huh?” Yang Kai was stunned, and before he could react, Ji Yao was already standing behind him and starting her light massage.
Yang Kai’s whole body froze, and he felt he was definitely in trouble.
Ever since he had arrived from the Star Field, he had kept his mind clear and without desire, entirely focusing on growing stronger, but he was still a man and naturally had desires.
Last time, he nearly had a nosebleed when he accidentally saw Ji Yao’s body. Now, they were alone together in one room, and Ji Yao was even voluntarily giving him a shoulder rub.
Not only that, but the warmth of her body leaning against his back and the light fragrance that wafted from her body were making Yang Kai extremely flustered and his throat dry.
Ji Yao laughed lightly behind him, “Honoured Master, your shoulders are so stiff. Have you been working too hard lately?”
[How can the body of a man like me compare to Bing Yun’s soft and delicate body? Of course they would feel different!] Thought Yang Kai.
Though he wanted to stop Ji Yao, he was worried that she would overthink things, which would also affect her current situation. In order to maintain the charade, he answered, “Yes, a little.”
Ji Yao laughed, “Just relax, Honoured Master. I have not served you for many years, I wonder if my skills have deteriorated.”
From those words, Yang Kai realised that Ji Yao used to do this often for Bing Yun when they were in Ice Heart Valley, which was why she was so skilled.
Since Yang Kai could not stop her nor turn her down, all he could do was to calm himself and enjoy the process, his body gradually relaxing. As Ji Yao’s jade-white hands applied varying amounts of force, it was such a heavenly comfort that he groaned.
Ji Yao blushed to her ears upon hearing that, wondering why her Honoured Master would make such strange noises, but feeling too embarrassed to ask.
After the shoulders were done, she moved on to the arms, then the head, and even the thighs.
After that service, Yang Kai was greatly relaxed. He had many words of praise for Ji Yao’s skills, which made her smile in delight.
The only problem was that the sight of Ji Yao kneeling before him, massaging his thighs, was too thrilling and alluring.
After the painful enjoyment was over, Yang Kai’s face fell again. He realised that when Ji Yao fully regained her senses, she would find yet another offence he had committed against her. The thought filled him with sadness and regret.
The night was tranquil as Yang Kai and Ji Yao meditated and slept separately, on the bed and the floor.
Ji Yao did not show any chaotic signs, which made Yang Kai feel much more at ease.
Only at noon the next day did they leave the room, and head down to the counter on the first floor to check out.
Seeing Yang Kai look fresh as a spring breeze, the innkeeper was incredibly envious. Still, he wore a knowing smile as he asked, “Dear guests, did you rest well last night?”
“Very well!” Yang Kai nodded. How could he not know what perverted thoughts were going through that fellow’s head? But he did not say any more, as he could not be bothered.
“Since you had such a good rest, do visit us again the next time you come to Serenity City,” the shopkeeper nodded and bowed to Yang Kai and Ji Yao as they left.
“Serenity City…” Yang Kai pondered as he exited the inn, and then came to a realisation, “Isn’t this the city that Yan Xue Man woman comes from?”
Earlier on, when those three people had blocked their path and demanded to buy Ji Yao’s ship, the old man had introduced the young man as the Young Master of Profound Thunder Pavilion, and the young woman as the daughter of Serenity City’s City Lord.
When they entered the city yesterday, Yang Kai had been preoccupied with Ji Yao’s condition and had not paid attention to the city’s name. Only now did he find out that they were actually in Serenity City.
This was quite the coincidence.
Still, Yang Kai was not afraid. A mere city was not sufficient cause of concern for him.
He led Ji Yao on the way out of the city, and in a short time they had reached the city gates.
There were quite a lot of people in line waiting to exit the city, as well as a number of cultivators keeping guard at the city gate. Each person leaving the city had to undergo inspection by those guards.
“Hm?” Yang Kai frowned at the sight, wondering if this was part of Serenity City’s normal regulations, or if something had happened.
“Honoured Master, it’s not because of those three people from yesterday, is it?” Ji Yao suddenly asked him in a low voice, “Could they be looking for us?”
“That would be too much of a coincidence,” Yang Kai laughed, “We didn’t alert anyone when we entered the city yesterday. Perhaps some other incident happened within the city.”
Ji Yao gave a small nod.
The two of them chose not to barge through the city gates even though they were more than capable of doing so. Since they were in someone else’s territory, it was not a big deal to follow their rules. Thus, the pair quietly joined the back of the line amidst the crowd, waiting to exit the city.
The cultivators guarding the gate were very careful with their inspections, even covertly using Divine Sense to check those who were ready to leave.
Cultivator after cultivator was checked and let through with no issue, and the queue gradually moved forward.
“Patriarch Dong!” Suddenly, a voice was heard from inside a guard station by the city gate.
“Still nothing?” Another person, who seemed to be Patriarch Dong, asked.
“We’ve found nothing just yet.” The first person replied, “But, please rest assured, Patriarch Dong, the other three city gates have been closed already. If your wife wishes to leave the city, she will definitely go through this gate. As long as she appears, we’ll be able to find her.”
“Thank you for your hard work, Commander Yu. Ah, what a misfortune that has befallen my household,” Patriarch Dong sighed deeply.
Commander Yu suddenly laughed lightly, “Patriarch Dong, as far as I know, you and your spouse have always been affectionate, often entering and leaving Serenity City together, a sight which made many onlookers deeply envious. How did the two of you have such a big argument that it could not be resolved? And why did she choose to run away suddenly, forcing your hand to request the aid of us people from the City Lord’s Mansion to find her?”
After those queries from Commander Yu, the guardhouse instantly fell into silence as it seemed like Patriarch Dong found it difficult to answer.
Commander Yu then commented, “If it is not convenient for you to answer, Patriarch Dong, then just act as though I never asked.”
“Ha…” Patriarch Dong sighed heavily, then began to speak, “You know how the saying goes, one’s dirty laundry should not be aired in public. I originally wished to keep it under covers and not make a big deal out of it, but that foolish woman truly left me no choice! It’s nothing too inconvenient to say, really. It’s just that foolish woman was suddenly consumed by greed, and stole the most valuable treasure of my Dong Family, that’s all.”
“Thievery!?” Commander Yu was astonished, “Surely that can’t be? Madame Dong holds the second-highest position in the Dong Family, and I’ve even heard that she apparently comes from some big Sect. What could the Dong Family have that she would want to take without giving notice?”
“I don’t know if she’s lost her senses or not, to have done such a shameful thing,” Patriarch Dong said in anguish, then solemnly continued, “Commander Yu, the Dong Family has treated you well in the past, and for that sake, I hope you will find that foolish woman and capture her quietly. Please do not alert others, especially not City Lord Yan!”
“I understand, Patriarch Dong,” Commander Yu replied, “Please do not worry.”
……
Though the two of them were speaking quietly inside the guardhouse, Yang Kai could hear them quite clearly.
He was not intentionally eavesdropping but had overheard them by accident. Now, however, he understood why Serenity City was on high alert.
It turned out that the wife of a Patriarch of a big family had stolen the family’s most important treasure, leading to her being hunted down with the help of the City Lord’s Mansion. This was indeed a great embarrassment to such a family. The helplessness and anguish in Patriarch Dong’s words had Yang Kai snickering internally. He figured that the man was probably floundering in desperation, wanting to both retrieve the stolen item while also keeping this shameful deed a secret.
Yang Kai wondered what the stolen item could be, to have triggered such greed in the Patriarch’s wife.
The queue continued moving forward though, and in no time, Yang Kai and Ji Yao had reached the city gate.
Just at that time, a stream of light suddenly appeared outside the city, flying towards the city gate.
“Who is it? Such impudence is not permitted at the gates of Serenity City!” One of the cultivators guarding the gate roared as he flew up to meet it.
The stream of light stopped, revealing a man and a woman.
“Are you blind, you lowlife? You dare to holler at this Young Master without even seeing who I am!?” The man snapped angrily.
The gate guard looked at them, and immediately began trembling uncontrollably, “Young Master Bai, Young Lady Yan!”
The couple was evidently the same people who crossed paths with Yang Kai just yesterday. He did not know where they had returned from, but noticed that Old Yan, who had been by their side yesterday, was now nowhere to be seen.
“Scram!” Bai Lu seemed to be in a foul mood. As he spoke, he struck the cultivator standing in their way with his palm, sending the guard flying backwards with blood spraying from his mouth. It was a pitiful sight.
As everyone around them watched, Bai Lu and Yan Xue Man charged right through the city gates and landed on the ground. Their eyes were full of arrogance, with an attitude of utter confidence of being the strongest present.
But very soon after, Bai Lu’s face twitched and his body trembled as he suddenly looked in one direction.
At the end of his gaze, Yang Kai was looking coldly at him.
Bai Lu had embarrassed himself in front of Yang Kai yesterday, and nearly lost his life as a result, so it was impossible for him to forget what Yang Kai looked like. Who knew that in just a day’s time, they would meet again at the gates of Serenity City?
The sight of Old Yan, who was an Emperor Realm Master, having his arm shattered in one strike was still fresh in Bai Lu’s mind. He was extremely terrified of Yang Kai and could not help but shrink in fear, his haughtiness from early withering in an instant.
“What happened?” Yan Xue Man asked, having noticed him acting strangely. As she spoke though, she followed his gaze, and in the next moment, her pretty face turned white as if she had seen a ghost and she immediately looked away.
She had no doubt caught sight of Yang Kai as well.
“Quickly, we need to leave!” Bai Lu muttered under his breath, casting aside his gaze and dragging Yan Xue Man along as he fled, rushing into the city immediately. This caused the cultivators from the City Lord’s Mansion great astonishment, and they all looked at each other as they wondered what was wrong with Young Master Bai and Young Lady Yan today.
A moment later, Bai Lu and Yan Xue Man peeked their heads around a street corner, quietly gazing towards the city gate.
“W-w-why are those two here?” Yan Xue Man asked in a trembling voice.
Bai Lu’s face was ashen as he answered, “If you ask me, who am I supposed to ask?”
The nasty encounter from the previous day had given the couple quite a shock, and they were as afraid of Yang Kai as a pair of mice would be in front of a cat.
Suddenly, Yan Xue Man thought of something, frowned deeply and declared, “No, this is Serenity City, why must this Young Lady fear them? I have to go tell Lord Father about this and have him seek justice for me!”
After saying so, she really turned around and started walking towards the City Lord’s Mansion, apparently eager to find her father.
Bai Lu hurriedly grabbed her arm though and said in a cold tone, “How can you have such a big chest but no brains!”
“Who… who has a big chest but no brains!?” Yan Xue Man screamed angrily.
Bai Lu bluntly continued, “The cultivation of Old Yan and your father is essentially equal, but Old Yan wasn’t that man’s opponent at all! Did you even stop to think about what would happen even if your father did come? Do you want to kill your father? When that happens, don’t come crying to this Young Master for help!”
When Yan Xue Man heard this, his pretty face turned pale and she thought about it again. Even Old Yan had his arm shredded in a single punch, so how could her father do any better? If she really called her father, the only one to suffer a loss would be him.
“What should I do then!?” Yan Xue Man panted anxiously, “Why don’t you call your Father over then? Uncle Bai is a Second-Order Emperor, so it shouldn’t be a problem for him to clean up that person.”
Bai Lu shook his head and said, “I don’t know how to tell my father about Old Yan. Profound Thunder Pavilion doesn’t have many Emperor Realm Masters, and Old Yan has already suffered such a serious injury. Speaking of which, this is all your fault, isn’t it!? Why did you insist on buying that ship? Old Yan lost an arm thanks to your selfish whims!”
After being accused by him, Yan Xue Man’s eyes reddened immediately and she snapped back in a trembling voice, “Surnamed Bai, after you and this Young Lady shared such a time together under the moonlight, you’re now accusing me of such crimes? Do you still have any conscience?!”
Seeing her cry like this, Bai Lu only felt more disgruntled, but he had no choice but to comfort her, “Good, good, don’t cry. What happened yesterday was my mistake, it has nothing to do with you.”
“Bad, you’re a bad man, bad…” Yan Xue Man yelled, pounding him with her fists while weeping.
“Don’t make trouble!” Bai Lu didn’t have the presence of mind to deal with her now so he quickly grabbed her hand and said, “What’s important is to send these two disasters away first. Fortunately, it seems that they are leaving the city… sii…”
Mid-sentence, Bai Lu took Yan Xue Man and quickly hid back behind the corner.
Because when he looked up, he actually saw Yang Kai turn his head and glance in their direction with an expression that nearly stopped his heart from fright.
At the city gate, Yang Kai, who was waiting in line to leave the city, turned his head back and sneered.
He didn’t expect that Young Master Bai and Young Lady Yan would react that way when they met him today, but it did save him some trouble. If they really didn’t know what was good for them and wanted to gather up forces to seek revenge, Yang Kai wouldn’t have minded teaching them a final lesson for bothering him.
“Cough cough cough…” A violent cough suddenly sounded as an old woman at the front of the line stumbled, losing her balance and nearly falling to the ground.
Ji Yao moved swiftly at that moment and supported the old woman, asking with concern, “Grandma, are you okay?”
The old woman started coughing again, and she coughed so violently that it seemed like she was about to hack up a lung. It was a long time before she managed to catch her breath, and she turned to say weakly to Ji Yao, “It’s alright, it’s alright, I’m just getting on in years… Thank you, little girl.”
Ji Yao shook her head, but before she could even let go of the old woman, her knees buckled again.
Ji Yao hurriedly pulled her to her feet again, and said with a frown, “I’ll help you stand, Grandma.”
“Thank you, thank you,” said the old woman, “You have a kind heart, little girl, you will be rewarded for it one day…” She coughed again.
Ji Yao smiled, “My Honoured Master often taught us Disciples that we should be respectful and kind to the elderly and the young when we’re outside. It’s only a small matter.”
The old woman chuckled lightly, “You’re a good girl, and your Master has taught you well. Which Sect are you from, young lady?”
Ji Yao shook her head and smiled, but did not answer.
Yang Kai’s eyes flashed at that moment though and he said with a smile, “It is indeed virtuous to be respectful and kind to the elderly and the young, but it’s also important to keep your eyes wide open when travelling outside. You mustn’t let yourself be easily tricked by others; after all, there are so many deceitful and sinister people in this world, and who knows when you’ll be taken advantage of when you’re just trying to do a good deed? Now, that would be the same as helping a tyrant to oppress the innocent, wouldn’t you say so, ‘Grandma’?”
The old woman trembled in spite of herself, and she forced a smile, “You are quite right, Little Brother.”
Ji Yao nodded her head seriously, “Disciple will take Master’s words to heart.”
“Disciple?” The old woman jolted at her words, realising that the Honoured Master that Ji Yao had mentioned earlier was actually the man standing behind her. She could not help but find this somewhat incredible.
Then came the sudden non sequitur from Yang Kai, “Your earrings are quite exquisite, Grandma.”
The old woman was startled and touched her earlobe with a hand, but found nothing there. She gave him a strained smile at that point, “Little Brother, you’re still so young and yet your eyes are fooling you. How could I wear earrings at my age?”
“You didn’t wear them today, but you probably did yesterday,” said Yang Kai, “The holes from the piercings are quite distinct. It would appear you’ve worn such ornaments for many years.”
His words were so pointed that there was no way Ji Yao would not have realised something was wrong. Her brow furrowed as she stealthy channelled Emperor Qi into the old woman’s body.
A moment later, Ji Yao’s expression turned icy and she tightly gripped the old woman’s arm, asking coldly, “Who are you, and why did you deceive me?”
It had escaped her notice previously, but upon closer inspection, she discovered that the seemingly terminally ill old woman was actually someone whose body was teeming with vitality. Her aged face was clearly not her true appearance, merely a camouflage of some kind.
This made Ji Yao quite furious. She had just been helping the woman out of the kindness of her heart, and had no idea that the woman actually had ulterior motives, which sent her into a rage.
The woman was not a true Master like them, only a Third-Order Dao Source Realm, so she was completely unable to move with Ji Yao grabbing her like this. All the Source Qi in her body was suppressed, and the inability to channel her Source Qi made her panic. She looked pleadingly at Ji Yao and said in a low voice, “Senior, I mean no harm, I only did this because I had no other choice! Please be magnanimous, Senior, and don’t expose me.”
Ji Yao’s expression changed as she cast a glance towards the cultivators closely guarding the city gate and asked, “They’re here because of you?”
The woman nodded silently.
“Why did you choose to take advantage of me!?” Ji Yao asked coldly.
“Earlier, Young Master Bai and Young Lady Yan seemed very fearful of the two of you when they were entering the city, so…”
Yang Kai raised an eyebrow and said, “Madame Dong is sharp-eyed indeed. You even took notice of something so minor.”
At his words, the woman’s whole body trembled as she looked at him in despair, “You know me?”
“Madame Dong?” Ji Yao frowned, wondering how her Honoured Master was able to reveal the woman’s identity so easily. As far as she knew, it was their first time in Serenity City, and they did not know anyone there.
“I don’t,” said Yang Kai, “But I heard some people talking about you.”
“What… what did they say about me?” The woman asked shakily, seemingly very keen to find out.
“The wife of the Dong Family Patriarch,” Yang Kai said lightly, “She stole the family’s greatest treasure, sending the Patriarch into a fury, causing him to request assistance from the City Lord’s Mansion’s guard to seal all the gates but this one and then perform a tight inspection of everyone trying to leave the city. If anyone found the criminal, they were to quietly arrest her!”
“Stealing the family’s treasure…” The woman smiled bitterly, “I dare not bear such a crime on my name.”
Ji Yao frowned, “Are you saying my Honoured Master is wrong?”
Madame Dong shook her head, “What family treasure? I never saw anything like that. The Dong Family doesn’t even have such a thing. I married into the Dong Family so many years ago, and was the wife of the Patriarch. If there really was a family treasure, how could I not know of it?”
“Then why would they frame you?” Ji Yao asked curiously.
“Because they need to catch me,” Madame Dong answered.
Ji Yao seemed curious to find out more, but Yang Kai waved his hand and discontinued the conversation, “Madame Dong, we’re not interested in your matters. As for your attempt to use us to escape the city, I won’t hold a grudge for it either. You’ll just have to pray for good fortune!”
“Sir…” Madame Dong looked pleadingly at Yang Kai, “It was my fault earlier, and I can only beg you to help me leave Serenity City. I will definitely repay your kindness one day.”
Yang Kai smiled coldly, “What can you use for repayment? I’m not interested in getting mixed up with other people’s affairs!”
“Sir…”
“If you say another word, I’ll expose you right now!” Yang Kai looked coldly at her.
Madame Dong shuddered. She did not doubt that Yang Kai was capable of doing this as his Disciple, Ji Yao, was able to instantly subdue her, and as Ji Yao’s Honoured Master, he would not be any weaker.
She had hoped to be able to persuade him to help her, but it was all wishful thinking in the end.
Madame Dong turned around miserably and stood in line, not daring to say anymore.
“Honoured Master, this person’s Disguise Technique is extremely profound!” Ji Yao whispered to Yang Kai. If it hadn’t been for Yang Kai’s observation earlier, she probably would have never suspected that the old woman was just a disguise.
This was no Secret Technique, but purely a Disguise Technique, but not one that could be mastered by just anybody.
Yang Kai gave a slight nod and agreed, “It is indeed. If I didn’t have prior knowledge, I may not have noticed anything off either.”
It was only because he had overheard part of Commander Yu and Patriarch Dong’s conversation, and then noticed the fresh piercing holes on the old woman’s ears, that he started to suspect her.
“Honoured Master, are we really going to do nothing? She really seems like she has some secret she can’t reveal.” At the sight of the woman’s frightened expression, Ji Yao grew sympathetic.
“People are deceitful,” Yang Kai said lightly, “We don’t know who’s right and who’s wrong in this situation. If we arbitrarily interfere, we may be aiding the villain instead.”
“Yes!” Ji Yao nodded.
As they spoke, the old woman had reached the front of the queue.
One of the cultivators guarding the gate waved his hand at the old woman and she walked unsteadily up. The cultivator was holding a bag in his hand, which he opened and placed before the old woman.
She took only one look at it before her demeanour changed completely. Immediately after, a chirping sound was heard from within the bag, like the cry of some Monster Beast.
The old woman moved quickly, with none of her previous frailty or unsteadiness. She was as agile as any youth as she bolted straight for the city gate.
“Seize her!” Cried the guard.
“Since you’ve shown yourself, then you may as well stay,” came another person’s voice, followed by a flash of a blade as it swung towards the old woman’s path.
The old woman’s expression changed again, and she knew that she was bound to be critically injured if she tried to force her way forward. Having no other choice, she reluctantly retreated a few steps.
*Shua shua shua…*
Several figures came dashing out from all around, charging towards the old woman.
After that moment’s delay, the old woman found herself completely surrounded by those people just as she realised what was going on.
“Oh!” At that sight, Ji Yao could not help but sigh. She knew the woman had no hope of escape.
The woman was only a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, while the people surrounding her included at least six with equal cultivations. Being so greatly outnumbered, it would be a joke if they let her escape.
“It’s the Elders from the Dong Family!”
“You’re right. It really is them!”
“Strange, what are they doing here? Who is that old woman? How did she get on the Dong Family’s bad side?”
The cultivators nearby were all discussing amongst themselves, full of curiosity about the scene going on before their eyes.
Though the Elders from the Dong Family had the old woman surrounded, they were in no hurry to actually make a move. It was clear that they all knew who the old woman really was, and they looked at her with conflicted expressions.
This was the Patriarch’s wife, after all. She held a higher position than all of them.
Two more people stepped out towards the city gate then, causing those guarding the gate to cup their fists in greeting.
“Greetings Commander Yu.”
“Greetings Patriarch Dong!”
Yang Kai glanced over, and saw that one of these men was clad in full armour and looked very imposing, while the other was wearing a blue robe and looked very stern.
Both of them were also Third-Order Dao Source Realms.
The person in armour was most likely Commander Yu, and thus the other one would be the Dong Family Patriarch.
The old woman turned, and her gaze fell upon the Dong Family Patriarch. Through gritted teeth she pleaded, “Let me go!”
Patriarch Dong shook his head slowly, “You know that is impossible.”
“I beg you, please let me go. If I can’t leave today, then I’ll leave tomorrow. You can’t stop me forever!”
“How will you leave if I break your legs and cripple your cultivation?” Patriarch Dong said coldly.
At those words, the old woman’s whole body trembled and she said in disbelief, “We have been husband and wife for so many years, are you really going to be so heartless?”
“Husband and wife?”
At those words the onlooking cultivators were all greatly astonished, wondering how the Dong Family Patriarch’s wife, who was as beautiful as a flower, had turned into an old hag.
The crowd whispered amongst itself, and Patriarch Dong’s expression was as dark as it could be.
The old woman standing in the street raised a hand at that moment and rubbed across her face, removing the disguise and revealing her lovely appearance.
“Wow… It really is Madame Dong! How could this be?”
“Heh heh, what drama is going on in the Dong Family?”
“We’re up for a good show now! The Patriarch’s wife is trying to escape the Dong Family, and they’re sending all their forces to stop her here. I wonder what happened behind the scenes!”
“Perhaps Madame Dong found a new flame, so she wants to leave Patriarch Dong, but since he could not possibly agree, he brought his men to get her back?”
“Brother, your hypothesis is very compelling…”
Now, everyone was gazing sympathetically at Patriarch Dong as though he was already wearing a bright green hat. This made Patriarch Dong’s expression grow darker and he roared, “Foolish woman, look what you’ve done!”
Madame Dong stood her ground, gazing miserably at Patriarch Dong, “Dong Hai!” She said in anguish, “Are you really not going to care about the feelings we had as husband and wife?”
Dong Hai’s face twitched as a trace of struggle flitted across his eyes, “Tian He,” he sighed, “If you still care about any spousal feelings between us, then return to the Dong Family with me quietly. From now on, you will not leave Serenity City again, and we will live out our days as husband and wife.”
Tears fell from Madame Dong’s eyes, and she shook her head, “Dong Hai, you know why I have to leave, and you know what I’m going to do. Please don’t make this any more difficult.”
“You are forcing the Dong Family into desperation!” Dong Hai scolded harshly.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” Tears were pouring down Madame Dong’s face, which was full of guilt and regret. It was as though she really had done something unforgivable, and the onlookers were even more confused as they had absolutely no idea what was going on.
“Come back with me and I’ll overlook what happened today, and so will the Dong Family. You will still be my wife!” Dong Hai reached a hand towards her, gesturing his intentions to Madame Dong.
Madame Dong only shook her head though as her tears continued to fall.
Any trace of tenderness in Dong Hai’s face gradually vanished and was slowly replaced by cold sternness. He finally lowered his hand and spoke calmly, “The foolish woman, Shi Tian He, since her marriage into the Dong Family, has not had any offspring in a hundred years. Her inability to produce an heir is a great enough crime on its own, but she is also vain and envious, a source of corruption to the Dong Family. Worse, she is guilty of the crime of theft, trying to take the Dong Family’s greatest treasure for herself. She has shown that she has no shame! On this day I, Dong Hai, as the Dong Family Patriarch, declare that Shi Tian He is banished from the Dong Family. From now on, all our spousal ties are severed, and we will have no further relations!”
His words stunned every single person present.
The local cultivators in Serenity City were especially shocked, and they all stared with their eyes wide in disbelief.
Though most had never even spoken a word to Madame Dong before, according to the gossip in the city, she was a good person with a kind and charitable heart. She would often help the city’s poor and downtrodden, yet in the words of the Dong Family Patriarch, she was shameless, vain, and shallow.
But gossip was only gossip, after all. If her own husband said such things about her, how could it be false?
Not only that, she had even stolen the Dong Family’s greatest treasure! This could not merely be described as having a poor character, it was a complete corruption of morality.
At that moment, everyone in the crowd was making their own judgments on the situation, wondering why the wife of the Dong Family Patriarch would throw away her good life to do such a thing. It was no wonder that the Dong Family would send all their Elders out to capture her.
Any man in that situation would not be able to endure such a woman as his wife, right?
*Pu…*
A low sound was heard as blood suddenly sprayed from Shi Tian He’s mouth. Her face was flushed red, and fresh blood vividly stained her clothes at the chest.
She staggered a little, clutching her chest, as though she was enduring unbearable pain in her heart. She gazed at Dong Hai with despair in her eyes, as she had never thought that Dong Hai would truly be so heartless.
A single day together as husband and wife was supposed to mean endless devotion for the rest of your life, while she and Dong Hai had been married for a hundred years!
Back then, she was willing to deeply offend her Honoured Master and be driven out of her Sect just so she could be together with Dong Hai. Though she had gotten what she wanted in the end, it had been a hundred years since she had last been to her Sect. As for all the Senior Sisters and Junior Sisters that she often thought of, she had never seen them again.
She had spent all her time in the Dong Family, at Dong Hai’s side. She had once thought that she had found the perfect husband for her entire life, and never thought that he would wound her heart so deeply.
This was the man she had viewed as her whole world and the only man for her entire life, and he had wounded her so cruelly.
“Honoured Master, this seems like no simple matter!” Ji Yao suddenly said to Yang Kai in a low voice, after observing what was going on.
Yang Kai remained indifferent though and simply commented, “It’s other people’s business, why pay so much attention?”
Despite his words, he was also quite unsettled. The despair in Shi Tian He’s eyes was like a layer of dark clouds, completely blocking out every last speck of light. It was evident that she was entirely heartbroken.
After a pause, Yang Kai asked, “Yao’er, do you want to help her?”
“I will do as you say, Honoured Master,” Ji Yao answered.
“En,” Yang Kai could not help but sigh. Though he was not very willing to intervene in this matter, it was evident that the people of Dong Family had gone a little too far, Dong Hai in particular. He and Shi Tian He had clearly lived together as husband and wife for a hundred years, so how could they not understand each other? Even if there were some little conflicts, it could be resolved peacefully through talking things through. Was it really necessary to cast her out of the Dong Family so publicly while completely tarnishing her name and honour?
How would anyone respect her after this?
[What an undependable man. Shi Tian He must’ve been blind to marry someone like him.]
“Ha… ahaha… hahaha…” Standing there, Shi Tian He suddenly started laughing as if she had gone insane, fresh blood still dripping from the corners of her mouth, turning her into quite the ghastly sight.
Her laughter was full of bitterness, and it was horrifying to the people who heard her.
“Dong Hai!” Shi Tian He suddenly screamed, “You are willing to go so far for the Dong Family? You really are… A fitting Patriarch!”
“There’s no need to say more!” Dong Hai said, unwilling to keep going on like this. With so many cultivators watching the scene, dragging it any longer would only cause himself and the Dong Family to lose even more dignity. He gave a light wave of his hand and ordered, “Elders, do it!”
Hearing this, the Elders’ faces grew grim as they said, “Pardon our offence!”
As they spoke, they each channelled their Source Qi and lunged at Shi Tian He.
*Zheng…*
The sound of a blade rang out as an icy longsword suddenly appeared in Shi Tian He’s hand. As the blade swung, the temperature around her plummeted, and an ice-cold domain suddenly spread outwards.
As her blade flashed, large snowflakes suddenly descended from the sky and enveloped the Dong Family Elders within. Each snowflake was like a deadly dangerous weapon, and the Dong Family Elders all grew pale as they did not dare to act rashly.
“It’s snowing?”
“No, this is her Ice Attribute Secret Technique!”
“To think Madame Dong is actually this strong!?”
The crowd exclaimed in surprise.
As Dong Hai saw Shi Tian He use her Secret Technique, his face grew grim and he hastily shouted, “Foolish woman, why are you still struggling?”
Commander Yu frowned and said, “Patriarch Dong, your wife… Ah, this woman’s attack seems to be similar to the Secret Technique used by Ice Heart Valley?”
Dong Hai forced a smile and pushed the matter aside hastily, “You must be joking, Commander Yu. This foolish woman had cultivated an Ice Attribute Secret Art since she was young, and she had learnt some fairly powerful Secret Techniques. She has nothing to do with Ice Heart Valley.”
From his words, it seemed like having anything to do with Ice Heart Valley would mean certain doom.
Commander Yu did not question him, only nodding lightly, “That would be for the best. You know how Ice Heart Valley is like right now. If she really was an Ice Heart Valley disciple, then your Dong Family would be finished.”
Cold sweat seeped from Dong Hai’s brow as he gave a strained laugh, “She’s her own person, and no longer has any connection to the Dong Family.”
“Clear Sky Snowfall!”
Ji Yao suddenly cried out, her brow knitting tightly as she stared fixedly at Shi Tian He who was struggling now with all her might.
As the Third Disciple of Bing Yun, Ji Yao was extremely familiar with all the Secret Techniques of Ice Heart Valley. Once Shi Tian He used her attack, Ji Yao recognized it as the Ice Heart Valley’s Clear Sky Snowfall, a Secret Technique that only Core Disciples of Ice Heart Valley could cultivate.
Up in the sky, Shi Tian He forced back a few of the Dong Family Elders with one attack, but just as she was about to escape, others swooped in, sticking around, cutting off her path. She had no choice but to turn her sword and attack again.
The weaving of her sword appeared like pear blossoms blooming in the sky, beautiful yet hiding an indescribable murderous intent. Shi Tian He darted between these blossoms, going in and out of visibility as she looked for a chance to escape.
“Pear Flower Ice Snow Sword!”
Ji Yao exclaimed once more.
Even if she had not been entirely certain that Shi Tian He was an Ice Heart Valley disciple when she recognized the Clear Sky Snowfall Secret Technique earlier, she was now certain.
If she was not an Ice Heart Valley disciple, how could it be possible for her to know these two Secret Techniques?
She was greatly shocked, not expecting that she would meet a fellow disciple of Ice Heart Valley in Serenity City, when she had only just returned to Northern Territory and not yet reached her Sect.
Just then, one of the Dong Family Elders fought hard and broke through Shi Tian He’s defences. He drew her attention while another Elder appeared behind her in a flash and struck towards her back with a palm.
Though Shi Tian He was quite powerful, she could not fend off multiple attacks at once. She was already at her limit after just a few rounds of attacks, and even though she sensed the attack coming from behind, she could do nothing about it other than feeling helpless frustration.
“Die!”
At that moment, a voice suddenly echoed and the onlookers saw a blur of movement as an incomparably beautiful woman with an icy demeanour suddenly appeared behind Shi Tian He. With what seemed like a casual strike, she turned a Third-Order Dao Source Ream Elder of the Dong Family into a blood mist.
Naturally, it was Ji Yao. As the Third Disciple of Bing Yun, Ji Yao held an extremely high rank within the Sect. Now that someone was not only bullying another Ice Heart Valley disciple right before her eyes, but also ganging up on her and embarrassing her, Ji Yao had no mercy at all and killed the Dong Family Elder in one blow.
She reached out with her hand and pulled Shi Tian He behind her, protecting the woman as her delicate hand dealt with outgoing blows.
*Hong Hong Hong…*
With that, several clouds of bloody mist were seen in the sky as every single one of the Dong Family Elders surrounding Shi Tian He exploded into blood mist, their bodies disintegrating before they even realized what was happening.
“An Emperor Realm Master!”
Someone cried out as everyone gasped in shock.
Shi Tian He’s situation had been desperate, and all the onlookers had thought that she would not be able to escape with her life today; but to everyone’s surprise, a beautiful and icy Emperor Realm Master suddenly intruded and completely flipped the tragic situation, instantly killing all of the Dong Family’s Elders.
“Ah!” Dong Hai’s face went pale, and he almost collapsed.
He had deployed all the Third-Order Dao Source Realm Elders of the Dong Family this time in order to capture Shi Tian He as this was an important matter with no room for mistakes. He had thought it was an adequate arrangement, but little did he know that it would result in all of them getting slaughtered.
With the Dong Family losing so many Elder level figures at once, their power was sure to plummet. After that, it was entirely possible that they would be consumed by the other great families in the city.
Dong Hai could hardly accept this reality, and his mind went blank.
“Who are you!?” Commander Yu was shocked as well. As the Commander of Serenity City’s Guard, an Emperor Realm Master appearing all of a sudden in his city without his knowledge was a serious dereliction of his duties.
Not only that, but the pressure he felt from Ji Yao was even greater than that of the City Lord.
In other words, this icy woman was even stronger than the City Lord.
A Master who was stronger than the City Lord… Had to be a Second-Order Emperor! Commander Yu felt cold sweat lining his brow at such a thought.
Around the corner, Bai Lu and Yan Xue Man saw everything that happened and were both filled with terror.
They had thought that between Yang Kai and Ji Yao, only the Honoured Master Yang Kai was an Emperor Realm Master. Only now did they realise that Ji Yao was one too.
Yan Xue Man, who had tried to buy her ship just yesterday, clearly realized that Ji Yao had been merciful back then, otherwise, the two of them would have long lost their lives.
Commander Yu hurried over while wiping the sweat from his forehead, “Greetings, Senior, I am Serenity City’s Guard Commander, Yu Zhen. May I know your honoured name?” He asked Ji Yao respectfully, cupping his fists.
Standing before someone he suspected to be a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master, he did not dare to show any rudeness; after all, even the City Lord was only a First-Order Emperor Realm Master. If he angered this Master into losing her temper and she decided to go on a rampage, Serenity City would disappear from the Stary Boundary today.
Ji Yao did not seem to hear Yu Zhen’s words, only turning her head and staring at Shi Tian He with a frown.
Shi Tian He was also stunned, still holding her sword in her hand. She looked around, but saw that every single one of the Dong Family Elders that had been attacking her was now dead.
“Senior…” Shi Tian He looked very emotional as she gazed at Ji Yao, saying gratefully, “Many thanks to you, Senior, for saving me!”
She had felt certain that she was about to die, only to suddenly receive someone’s assistance at the last moment and have her fate completely changed. The gratitude in her heart was more than she could express.
“You’re a disciple of Ice Heart Valley, right?” Ji Yao asked, frowning.
Those words fell like a giant boulder being thrown into the surface of a calm lake, creating humongous waves of shock.
“What? Patriarch Dong’s wife is an Ice Heart Valley disciple? Is this for real?”
“Surely not? If it is true, then the Dong Family is doomed!”
“It’s no wonder that Patriarch Dong was willing to drive his own wife out of the Dong Family in order to sever ties with her. It turns out she’s an Ice Heart Valley disciple!”
“Patriarch Dong is resolute indeed, how could anyone else bear to cast out such a pretty wife?”
The air was full of the crowd’s chatter, which made both Ji Yao and Yang Kai frown deeply as they wondered what was going on.
At Ji Yao’s query, Shi Tian He gave a bitter laugh, “I dare not call myself an Ice Heart Valley disciple anymore. I was expelled from the Sect by my Honoured Master one hundred years ago.”
“Expelled from the Sect? What crime did you commit?” Ji Yao asked after a shocked pause.
It was impossible for Ice Heart Valley disciples to be driven out of the Sect unless they had done something seriously wrong.
Shi Tian He’s expression was bitter as she cast a glance at Dong Hai below.
Ji Yao understood her meaning, and snorted coldly, “So, it was for a man! You really are blind to go with him even when it meant being driven out of the Master Sect. And look at you now, he even cast you out of the Dong Family!”
At those words, Shi Tian He’s eyes reddened again. This was her greatest source of anguish, but she was unable to say anything.
“It’s over, it’s over…” Dong Hai’s face seemed to grow old and weary as he heard Ji Yao and Shi Tian He’s words. His body swayed as he looked like he was about to fall.
He knew that this really was the end of the Dong Family. Not only did they lose their Elders and fall greatly in strength, the relationship between Shi Tian He and Ice Heart Valley had also been exposed. There was no way the Dong Family could ever recover from this!
From this day on, there would be no place in Serenity City for the Dong Family. Even if the other great families in the city didn’t deal with them, the City Lord would not possibly bypass them.
Even though Shi Tian He had been expelled from Ice Heart Valley a hundred years ago, she had still once been their disciple. Right now, in the entire Northern Territory, anyone who had anything to do with Ice Heart Valley would face a nasty end.
“So, she’s from Ice Heart Valley…” Yang Kai looked astonished as well.
When he had been eavesdropping on Commander Yu and Dong Hai’s conversation earlier, Commander Yu had said that Madame Dong was from some Major Sect. He had not paid attention to it then, but now he knew that the ‘Major Sect’ was actually Ice Heart Valley!
In the Northern Territory, Ice Heart Valley was considered one of the top forces. For their disciple to marry down and join the puny Dong Family of Serenity City was an incredible honour.
“Whose disciple are you exactly?” Ji Yao asked.
Shi Tian He said quietly, “Senior, this Junior’s Honoured Master’s surname is An, and her given name is Ruo Yun!”
“You’re Eldest Senior Sister’s disciple?” Ji Yao jolted.
An Ruo Yun was a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master and held the highest rank amongst Bing Yun’s direct Disciples. She was the Eldest Senior Sister amongst them all. During the years Bing Yun had gone missing, it was An Ruo Yun who took charge of Ice Heart Valley in her stead and kept it going.
It could be said that almost all the cultivators in the Northern Territory knew her name.
Upon hearing that Shi Tian He’s Honoured Master was An Ruo Yun, the crowd was shocked. None of them had thought that Dong Hai’s wife had such an astonishing origin!
The glances they cast towards Dong Hai were now filled with complicated emotions. The disciple of An Ruo Yun herself had chosen expulsion just to marry him! What had Dong Hai done to deserve such an honour? It was a pity, however, that what was once a great honour was now a death sentence for the Dong Family.
“Eldest Senior Sister?” Shi Tian He was stunned and stared blankly at Ji Yao, “Senior, you are…”
Since this person referred to her Honoured Master as Eldest Senior Sister, then she was evidently also from Ice Heart Valley. Shi Tian He recalled all the faces of her Martial Aunts in Ice Heart Valley, but none of their faces matched the person before her, which caused her great confusion.
“I am your Third Martial Aunt!” Ji Yao said coldly.
Shi Tian He’s eyes lit up and she cried out, “You are… Martial Aunt Ji Yao!”
Back when she was still in Ice Heart Valley, Ji Yao had never appeared in the Sect as she had been wandering outside. She had thus never seen Ji Yao in person, but during the days she spent in the valley, she had often heard her Honoured Master speak of this Martial Aunt who had been missing for so long. The other Martial Aunts in the valley were all concerned about her safety, but none of them knew where to begin looking for her.
She had never thought that she would run into Ji Yao in Serenity City today.
Quickly, Shi Tian He was overjoyed, and the sorrow in her heart was greatly reduced by seeing Ji Yao. She hurriedly knelt down before Ji Yao and greeted, “Greetings to Third Martial Aunt from the expelled disciple of Ice Heart Valley, Shi Tian He!”
“Get up!” Ji Yao raised Shi Tian He to her feet with one hand, and said with a cold snort, “You were the disciple of Eldest Senior Sister, and yet you went against her for the sake of such a man. If I was her, I would’ve killed you right away and not let you live to this day!”
Shi Tian He smiled bitterly and said nothing.
Ji Yao continued, “But since Eldest Senior Sister decided to spare your life, I will not go against her wishes. Since you were cast out from Dong Family today, then you are no longer one of them. Come back with me to Ice Heart Valley and apologize to Eldest Senior Sister! Whether you live or die will be up to her to decide.”
Tearfully, Shi Tian He answered, “Many thanks, Third Martial Aunt!”
Ji Yao turned her head and looked coldly at the distraught Dong Hai below, then scolded, “Though Tian He is an expelled disciple of Ice Heart Valley, that doesn’t mean any random trash can mistreat her! If you had cared for her after she abandoned her Sect to be with you, then it would’ve been fine, but now that you’ve cast her aside for your own selfish needs, your death isn’t worth pity!”
As she spoke, she was about to strike downwards with her palm.
“No!” Shi Tian He turned pale, and in a flash she had thrown herself in front of Ji Yao, falling to her knees as she pleaded, “Third Martial Aunt, don’t kill him! I beg you, please don’t kill him!”
The Emperor Qi was surging in Ji Yao’s palm, but she held it back and did not unleash it. She glared at Shi Tian He and snapped furiously, “You would protect him even now?”
Shi Tian He shook her head, crying, “He saved my life all those years ago. Please spare his life today, Third Martial Aunt, and just take it as me repaying that life debt. From now on, there is nothing between us, and there will never be any further contact!”
Ji Yao was unbearably livid, and she almost wanted to kill her foolish Martial Niece here and now. The Emperor Qi in her palm surged several times, but in the end, she could not bear to do it. After all, Shi Tian He’s life had been difficult enough already.
Given no other choice, Ji Yao could only turn her head to look at Yang Kai, “Honoured Master, what do you think?”
“His life may be spared, but he cannot escape punishment!” Yang Kai answered coldly.
As he spoke, he appeared before Dong Hai and landed a palm strike on his chest. Dong Hai could not even react before he was sent flying and was knocked out as he crashed into a nearby building.
Since Yang Kai had already acted, Ji Yao naturally had no objections and retracted her Emperor Qi.
“We’re leaving!” Yang Kai waved his hand and flew into the air first.
Ji Yao hurriedly followed, with Shi Tian He turning to look at Dong Hai unconscious on the ground for a moment before ultimately also averting her gaze and quickly disappearing from the onlookers’ view.
Only then did the many cultivators at the city gates heave a sigh of relief. With an Emperor Realm cultivator present, they didn’t even dare to breathe loudly in case they somehow caused offence.
“So, she’s from Ice Heart Valley!”
Around the corner, Bai Lu looked like he had discovered some great secret treasure, and his face was full of excitement. Thoughts spun rapidly in his head for a while before he suddenly said, “Xue Man, hurry and tell your Father that an Emperor Realm cultivator from Ice Heart Valley has just left Serenity City. Tell him to quickly gather all his forces and chase after them! Remember to tell him not to alert them! He just needs to make sure they’re followed!”
“What about you?” Yan Xue Man stared at him.
“I’m going back to Profound Thunder Pavilion to tell my Father what happened here. I believe he will be very interested in that woman.”
Having said so, he dashed towards the Space Array in Serenity City from where he could directly return to Profound Thunder Pavilion and inform his Father.
“To think someone from Ice Heart Valley dared to come out and stir up trouble. Now, I can finally get revenge!” Bai Lu thought with a cold smile, feeling gleeful as he thought about what it would look like when his father stepped in and took down those two.
Pewpew: Made another adjustment to erase all mention of how long she was gone for, so nothing needs to be adjusted from before.
A group of three people flew through the air.
Perhaps it was because of her intense disappointment in Shi Tian He, the expression in Ji Yao’s eyes when she looked at her was one of extreme frustration. As for Shi Tian He, she had just gone through a great change in her life, and though she had come out of the ordeal alive, she was distraught and depressed. If she did not have a goal to keep her going, she would’ve probably lost all desire to live.
“Honoured Master, you should have killed that man for what he did. Why did you spare his life!?”
After they had been flying for some time, Ji Yao finally could not hold herself back. Her words were filled with murderous rage and it was evident that she was still thinking about how Dong Hai had only received some small injuries instead of the death penalty.
Yang Kai shook his head and said nothing.
“Honoured Master?” Shi Tian He was shocked hearing these words though and stared at Yang Kai in amazement. She then cupped her fists and asked, “Greetings Senior, how may I address you?”
She had been in a state of dismay so far, and had only just remembered to ask about Yang Kai’s identity. She found it strange that her Third Martial Aunt would call him her Honoured Master.
Since she was her Third Martial Aunt, shouldn’t her Honoured Master be the Ancestral Founder of the Sect? Why was she calling a man her Honoured Master? Likewise, why would the Ancestral Founder be here?
“What do you mean, Senior? This is the Ancestral Founder! You really are blind!” Ji Yao said through gritted teeth, her heart full of outrage at the woman who had been driven out of the Master Sect by the Eldest Senior Sister all those years ago and could not even recognize the Ancestral Founder right before her.
[Shi Tian He’s eyes must be failing her!]
[How could Eldest Senior Sister have taken in such a Disciple?]
“Ancestral Founder…” Shi Tian He was astonished, staring wide-eyed at Yang Kai and wondering how he could possibly be the Ancestral Founder.
“Tian He,” Yang Kai stealthily communicated using his Divine Sense, “Something seems to have happened to your Third Martial Aunt during her years away from the Sect, and there’s a bit of an issue with her mind. She has mistaken me for Senior Bing Yun, and I can’t expose the truth now because I don’t know if that will cause her to lose her mind again. I’m here to escort her back to Ice Heart Valley, so she can come to her senses when she sees Senior Bing Yun. Just play along for now and don’t make her suspicious.”
Shi Tian He was aghast. She could never have imagined that her Third Martial Aunt, who looked to be in an entirely normal state, was actually suffering from such mental issues. It must be something serious for her to mistake a man for the Ancestral Founder…
Shi Tian He was quick on the uptake though, so she quickly calmed herself and gave a respectful bow, “Please forgive this disciple for her short-sightedness, Ancestral Founder.”
“Hmph!” Ji Yao snorted coldly, looking disdainful.
Shi Tian He gave a bitter smile, but her expression soon changed as she asked, “Ancestral Founder, have you only just returned to the Northern Territory with Third Martial Aunt?”
“How did you know?” Yang Kai asked curiously.
“So, you don’t know what is happening to the Sect?” Asked Shi Tian He.
“What’s wrong with the Sect?” Ji Yao frowned.
Shi Tian He’s face was pale as she said, “The Sect… Has been surrounded! And within the Northern Territory, many Senior Sisters who married out of the Sect have been murdered! The Sect’s foundations outside have all been entirely destroyed, and now, Ice Heart Valley has been completely blockaded, and is on the brink of disaster.”
“What!?”
Hearing this, Yang Kai and Ji Yao bore expressions of shock.
“Who dares!?” Ji Yao demanded furiously.
“Seeking Passion Sect!” Hatred flashed across Shi Tian He’s eyes.
“Seeking Passion Sect!?” Ji Yao’s pretty face grew grim as she snapped angrily, “How dare they! Why are they doing this to Ice Heart Valley!?”
Yang Kai frowned, suddenly realising that this matter… might have something to do with him.
With that in mind, he spoke, “Tian He, tell us everything from the beginning. We really don’t know anything about what has happened to the Sect.”
“Yes!” Shi Tian He said, and summarized the events of the last few years in the Northern Territory.
A few years ago, when the Star Boundary’s Shattered Star Sea opened, Seeking Passion Sect’s Sect Master, Feng Xuan, suddenly went to Ice Heart Valley, bringing many of his strongest subordinates with him. On that day, there were many Masters from Seeking Passion Sect present to pressure Ice Heart Valley with their power. It was unknown what kind of conflict occurred, but the two forces had a great battle outside Ice Heart Valley, and each side suffered immense losses.
From then on, Ice Heart Valley and Seeking Passion Sect were like fire and water.
As time passed, the grudge between the two Sects grew greater and their hatred ran deeper. Many of the disciples of Ice Heart Valley who married out of the Sect were hunted down and cruelly murdered by those from Seeking Passion Sect. Some of Ice Heart Valley’s external industries were completely destroyed, and the great forces connected to Ice Heart Valley received suppression and persecution.
And then, half a year ago, countless Masters from Seeking Passion Sect occupied Ice Moon City under the command of their Sect Master Feng Xuan, sealing off Ice Heart Valley’s connection to the outside world. It looked like they intended to destroy Ice Heart Valley in one go.
Ice Moon City was the city closest to Ice Heart Valley, and it had been the foundation of Ice Heart Valley’s external affairs ever since the founding of the Sect. It was an important hub connecting Ice Heart Valley with the world outside, but now, even that had been taken over. It was evident that Ice Heart Valley’s situation was dire.
Half a year had passed since the occupation took place.
It was only because of Ice Heart Valley’s powerful Sect Defending Array that it could survive until now.
“Seeking Passion Sect and Ice Heart Valley are both top Sects of the Northern Territory, and they’re about equal in power. If it was not for some unresolvable conflict, they could not possibly start a war. Tian He, do you know what the cause of all this is?” Yang Kai asked grimly.
“At first, no one had any clues,” said Shi Tian He, “Only later did there start to be rumours, saying that Seeking Passion Sect was so determined to wage war because Feng Xuan’s son, Feng Xi, was killed by someone while in the Shattered Star Sea.”
Ji Yao laughed coldly, “His skills were lacking, leading to his death. Was Feng Xi’s killer a disciple of Ice Heart Valley?”
Shi Tian He shook her head, “No, I heard that he was killed by a man named Yang Kai! Because this Yang Kai seemed to have a close relationship with the Ancestral Founder, the only way for Feng Xuan to learn about Yang Kai’s background and seek his trail was to pressure Ancestral Founder. But Ancestral Founder refused to tell him anything, so Feng Xuan’s anger boiled over and he was even willing to start a war between the two Sects to take revenge for his son.”
“Yang Kai…” Ji Yao frowned, vaguely sensing that the name was rather familiar.
Yang Kai saw that something was off about her expression and hurriedly changed the topic as he wiped cold sweat from his brow, “Seeking Passion Sect may be strong, but Feng Xuan is only a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master. How can he alone drive Ice Heart Valley into such a situation?”
Shi Tian He shook her head, “I don’t know the specifics, I only know that Ice Heart Valley is on the brink of disaster.”
Yang Kai’s eyes flashed as he suddenly asked, “Were you leaving the Dong Family and Serenity City because you wanted to return to protect the Sect?”
“Yes!” Said Shi Tian He bitterly, “I may have been expelled from the Sect by my Honoured Master, but ultimately, I am still a disciple of Ice Heart Valley. Now that my Sect is in danger, how can I stand by and do nothing? But the Dong Family didn’t want to let me leave, because if my identity as an Ice Heart Valley disciple was exposed, it would undoubtedly implicate the Dong Family as well. Right now, no one in the Northern Territory dares to have anything to do with Ice Heart Valley.”
Ji Yao stared at her, stunned for a moment, before she nodded, “Your loyalty is admirable.”
She had been full of disappointment earlier, thinking that her Martial Niece Shi Tian He was hopeless. She had such horrible judgment that she got expelled for the sake of a man, only to have that same man expel her from his family a hundred years later.
But now, she thought that her Martial Niece still had some redeeming qualities. At the very least, she had the desire to go back and help when her Sect was in danger. Knowing how dire the situation was, with the Sect on the brink of annihilation, but still boldly and without any hesitation trying to return… That was not something just anyone could do.
Shi Tian He shook her head, “The Sect raised me and educated me. In life, I will belong to Ice Heart Valley, and after I die my ghost will belong to Ice Heart Valley!”
Ji Yao nodded, “Good. With such an attitude, Eldest Senior Sister will surely take you in once more!”
“Really?” Shi Tian He stared at Ji Yao in surprised delight.
Ji Yao gave her a small, rare smile, “Rest assured, if she doesn’t take you back, then she’s no Eldest Senior Sister of mine.”
Shi Tian He was horrified and said quickly, “No, no, Third Martial Aunt, please don’t jest!”
“Honoured Master,” Ji Yao turned to look at Yang Kai. “Now that the Sect is in danger, we must hurry back! Eldest Senior Sister must be having a hard time holding up the Sect on her own.”
Yang Kai gave a nod, “Yes, but first we must get rid of those on our tail. It looks like someone’s got their eye on us.”
“Hmm?” Hearing this, Ji Yao immediately turned and looked behind them. She saw a few tiny black dots on the horizon which were rapidly flying closer, evidently chasing their group.
Shi Tian He’s face turned pale, “Oh no! It must be because we revealed our identities back in Serenity City and someone took notice.”
“Tian He, do you know who these people are?” Yang Kai turned and asked calmly.
Shi Tian He’s brow furrowed as she replied, “If my guess is correct, then they must be people from Profound Thunder Pavilion.”
“Profound Thunder Pavilion…” Yang Kai’s mouth rose into a playful smile.
“Serenity City is very closely connected with Profound Thunder Pavilion,” said Shi Tian He, “They have a Space Array connecting the two for easy access, and Profound Thunder Pavilion is currently attached to Seeking Passion Sect. Since our identities have been exposed, there’s no way Profound Thunder Pavilion will do nothing about it. They must want to capture us to obtain rewards from the Seeking Passion Sect.”
“That will depend on whether they have the ability!” Yang Kai laughed coldly, “What’s the cultivation of their Pavilion Master?”
“Pavilion Master Bai Yu has reached the Second-Order Emperor Realm!” Shi Tian He’s pretty face was grim, “They also have four Elders who are in the First-Order Emperor Realm. With Serenity City’s City Lord Yan Dong, that makes five of them. Martial Aunt, we had best hurry and leave.”
“Why leave when they’ve offered themselves up on their own?” Ji Yao glared at her.
Shi Tian He was stunned, wondering how her Third Martial Aunt was so confident. Remembering that the Third Martial Aunt’s mind was not in the right state though, she quickly turned to look at Yang Kai for his opinion.
Yang Kai smiled, “Worry not! It’s just a few pitiful weaklings.”
“Pitiful weaklings…” Shi Tian He was speechless. How could a Second-Order Emperor and five First-Order Emperors be classified as pitiful weaklings?
Did this man also have something wrong in the head like her Third Martial Aunt?
Shi Tian He’s mind was full of anxious thoughts, but when she saw that both Yang Kai and Ji Yao looked as calm as a lake, she found herself gradually calming down as well.
Since the moment she had decided to leave Dong Family and return to her Sect to do what little she could, she had been fully prepared for death.
It was entirely possible that she could be killed even before she could return to the Sect; after all, with Ice Heart Valley completely surrounded, she was bound to get attacked the moment she showed her face.
She had already put life and death out of her mind, so what was there left in the world that could make her afraid?
Her only wish was that she could return to the home of her Honoured Master before her death to ask for her Honoured Master’s understanding and forgiveness.
“Tian He,” Ji Yao said calmly, “Stand behind Ancestral Founder.”
“Yes!” Shi Tian He didn’t say any more, hurriedly ducking behind the impostor Ancestral Founder that was Yang Kai.
At that moment, the people pursuing them could be clearly seen, just as how the waves of their Emperor Qi could be clearly felt. The group, however, was slightly different from what Shi Tian He had expected. While the leader was indeed a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master, most likely, Profound Thunder Pavilion’s Pavilion Master Bai Yu, he was only followed by four First-Order Emperor Realm cultivators instead of five.
Yang Kai recalled that there had been a fellow named Yan Qing accompanying the Young Pavilion Master Bai Lu, who had his arm wasted in one strike by him. That Yan Qing was probably also an Elder of Profound Thunder Pavilion, and Yang Kai surmised that he was still recovering from his injuries at the moment, and thus unable to come along.
Even so, Profound Thunder Pavilion had sent out almost all of their Emperor Realm Masters, which showed just how important Yang Kai and Ji Yao were to them.
*Shua shua shua…*
With the sound of rushing wind, five figures came to a stop some distance away from Yang Kai and Ji Yao.
Their leader was fair-skinned and beardless, bearing some resemblance to Bai Lu. He was probably the Profound Thunder Pavilion’s Pavilion Master, Bai Yu.
Two middle-aged men and two elderly men made up the other four. Their expressions were impassive yet stern, gazing menacingly towards Yang Kai’s group.
“The leftmost one is Serenity City’s City Lord Yan Dong, and the other three are Elders of Profound Thunder Pavilion,” Shi Tian He conveyed to Yang Kai, “Senior, you and Third Martial Aunt need to be careful.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly.
“So, you are Bing Yun’s Third Disciple, Ji Yao?” The leader Bai Yu suddenly shouted. He did not know Ji Yao’s identity because he had seen her before, but because people had heard Shi Tian He address her as Martial Aunt Ji Yao when they were at Serenity City’s gates.
“How dare you refer to Honoured Master by name!?” Ji Yao snapped through gritted teeth, her beautiful eyes filled with anger.
“Hahahaha!” Bai Yu laughed scornfully, “Even Bing Yun has hidden herself inside Ice Heart Valley with her tail between her legs, not daring to come out. Yet her Disciple here has quite the temper. I wonder where you get the guts to wander about the Northern Territory!”
The four people behind him also laughed mockingly, and it was clear from their attitudes that they were confident in beating Yang Kai and Ji Yao.
It was not at all strange for them to be so confident; after all, Bai Yu was a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master, just like Ice Heart Valley’s First and Second Elders, An Ruo Yun and Sun Yun Xiu.
As the Third Disciple, Ji Yao’s cultivation was at best also Second-Order Emperor Realm, equal to Bai Yu.
If they were to battle, Bai Yu did not fear her in the slightest. Not to mention, he also had four First-Order Emperor Realm Masters with him. When it was time, they just had to take care of Yang Kai first before ganging up on Ji Yao, and there would not be much that she could do against them.
“Honoured Master, I want to tear his mouth off and rip his corpse into ten thousand pieces!” Ji Yao was evidently incensed, as her chest heaving in anger.
“Alright, go on. Leave the others to me,” Yang Kai nodded.
At his command, Ji Yao’s slender form immediately leapt above Bai Yu and she launched a barrage of attacks at him with her sword.
“Arrogant slut!” Bai Yu roared, reaching out and summoning a long spear into his hand. He channelled his Emperor Qi into his spear and instantly deflected Ji Yao’s attacks before sending a wide sweep towards her. Ji Yao’s expression remained unchanged as, with a flourish of her sword, she met his attack head on.
The two of them were immediately entangled in a fierce battle, with Emperor Qi surging and Principles colliding as they fought.
As he was battling Ji Yao, Bai Yu shouted to the others, “Go kill the other two and then come assist me!”
“Yes!” At his order, Yan Dong and the three Elders were immediately on the move, spreading out to surround Yang Kai and Shi Tian He.
“Madame Dong…” Yan Dong’s gaze fell coldly on Shi Tian He as he said, “I really didn’t expect you to be a disciple of Ice Heart Valley. What lengths have you gone to in order to conceal this from me, the City Lord?”
Shi Tian He grit her teeth, “I was expelled from Ice Heart Valley a hundred years back, so I don’t count as a disciple anymore.”
Yan Dong chuckled, “Still, you once belonged to Ice Heart Valley. I heard you’re also An Ruo Yun’s disciple?”
“So what if I am?”
Yan Dong sighed and said, “Many years back, when I was still touring the world, I had become acquainted with a disciple of Ice Heart Valley. That person… She was clear as ice and pure as jade, with a lovely face and a sharp mind, much like Madame Dong. I greatly admired her, yet my feelings went unrequited. That woman thought I wasn’t good enough for her, and it was such a regrettable thing that even now, I feel quite heated when I think of it.”
“There was such a romantic encounter in City Lord Yan’s past?” One of the Profound Thunder Pavilion’s Elders could not help but chuckle, “This is news to me.”
“Indeed, if that woman had accepted City Lord Yan back then, then you would’ve been dragged down for the crime of associating right now. Luckily, City Lord Yan is blessed with good fortune!” Another Elder laughed.
Yan Dong waved a hand dismissively, “This all happened many years ago, don’t laugh at me. Still, even though such a long time has passed, I still remember that woman was named Yu Dan. I wonder if you know her, Madame Dong?”
“Senior Sister Yu Dan?” Shi Tian He was astounded, “You actually know Senior Sister Yu Dan!”
From her expression, it was evident that she knew this Yu Dan too.
Yan Dong chuckled, “As expected, you know her because you were both An Ruo Yun’s disciples. Good, very good!” He nodded repeatedly as he spoke before a dangerous glint flashed across his eyes.
The Profound Thunder Pavilion Elder who had not spoken up until then looked thoughtfully at him, then asked, “City Lord Yan, you’re not thinking of making up for that past regret now, are you?”
Yan Dong smiled, “Why can’t I?”
The others were taken aback by his words. Then, the same Elder commented, “City Lord Yan has unique tastes indeed. This Madame Dong… Has been married for many years, you know?”
“I’m very fond of charming and beautiful women. Besides, she was Sister Disciples with Yu Dan. Since I can’t get the Senior Sister, then it’s not too bad to have some fun with her Junior Sister instead. Now then, when you, Elders, are attacking later, please be a little more careful to not hurt her.”
The Profound Thunder Pavilion Elders had no idea what to say to that, but they knew that Yan Dong bore a grudge in his heart for what happened in the past. If he could get Shi Tian He today, then he could resolve that grudge. Thinking this wouldn’t be any extra trouble, they all nodded and agreed, “Since City Lord Yan has said so, then of course we have to comply.”
Yan Dong chuckled, “Many thanks in advance.”
Shi Tian He’s face was crimson with embarrassment as she shouted furiously, “Yan Dong, I never thought you could be so despicable and shameless! To think Dong Hai spent all these years doing your bidding and obeying your orders!”
“Dong Hai?” Yan Dong coldly snorted, “Why bring up that dead man? Rest assured, he didn’t cherish you, but I’ll make sure to cherish you thoroughly in the future.”
“Dead… man…” Shi Tian He’s pretty face went pale, and she cried out, “What did you do to him?”
Yan Dong smiled coldly, “He was the Dong Family Patriarch, yet he married an Ice Heart Valley disciple, what do you think happened to him? Now that he’s been ripped into ten thousand pieces by me, the Dong Family is no more.”
Shi Tian He’s slender form trembled as she was completely stunned.
Even though she already knew that nothing good would happen to the Dong Family after her identity was exposed, when she actually heard the news, she still found herself unable to accept it immediately.
That was the man who had been her husband for a hundred years, the man she had been willing to leave her Sect for, and now… Just like that, he was dead.
“I’ll kill you, you vile beast!” Shi Tian He’s eyes reddened, gripping her sword in her hand and drawing up all the strength she had as she prepared to charge at Yan Dong.
But before she could even move, she felt a light tap on her shoulder and was instantly frozen in place, completely unable to move. If not for Yang Kai’s Emperor Qi supporting her as well, she would have most likely fallen out of the sky right then.
Yan Dong looked coldly at Yang Kai, and snorted, “Little brat, your own death is upon you, yet you still want to stick your nose into other people’s business?”
Yang Kai grinned, “Are you all really so confident that you can kill me?” As he spoke, he pulled Shi Tian He behind himself and made sure she had a firm footing.
He looked so calm that it made Yan Dong and the three Elders frown a little, wondering where he was getting all his self-confidence from.
They knew Ji Yao’s identity but had absolutely no idea who this man was, or what kind of power he held. That made them rather wary of him.
“Just who may you be? Right now, within the Northern Territory, Ice Heart Valley is hated by all and will be destroyed any day now. If you’re a smart man, you shouldn’t get involved in this mess!” Yan Dong said, looking coldly at Yang Kai.
“Indeed, if you can find your way back from this wayward path, it’s not impossible for us all to be friends!” One of the Profound Thunder Pavilion Elders said, nodding his head.
“Friends like you people… Are a little too far beyond my reach, I’m afraid.” Yang Kai grinned, “Let’s just get to the actual fight, shall we?”
“What are you dawdling for? Hurry up and deal with him!”
Just then, Bai Yu’s furious yell was suddenly heard.
His allies quickly turned their heads towards him, and they could not help but look alarmed when they realised that Bai Yu, a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master, was actually clearly on the losing side of the battle. An ice-cold domain had spread through the air, filling up a large region as Bai Yu struggled to fend off Ji Yao’s attacks, his face looking a little pale.
From the looks of it, he could not hold on much longer.
The others were all shocked as they realised they had underestimated Ji Yao’s strength.
Though she was also a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master, she was far more powerful than Bai Yu.
“If you don’t go and help out soon, your Pavilion Master’s going to die,” Yang Kai smiled as he looked at them while also letting out his Emperor Qi with the intention of showing his cultivation, “Rest assured, I’m not that strong, just a First-Order Emperor Realm. Don’t be afraid now, you can all come at the same time!”
“First-Order Emperor!”
“So, he’s just a First-Order Emperor!?”
“What the Hell!? A mere First-Order cultivator dares to pretend he’s some big shot to intimidate me!?”
Yan Dong and the three Profound Thunder Pavilion Elders all started yelling. They were wary earlier, because they were afraid that Yang Kai had a higher cultivation than them. That was why they did not dare to attack recklessly and had originally intended to probe his strength before doing anything. What they did not expect was for him to reveal everything himself.
What was there to fear from a First-Order Emperor Realm Master? The four of them were all First-Order Emperors as well. Even if one of them could not match him alone, they couldn’t possibly be outmatched if they all attacked together.
“Go!” One of the Elders shouted, and in the next moment, the four of them were lunging at Yang Kai, Emperor Qi surging as they each attacked with their Secret Techniques, full of confidence in their swift victory.
The sight of four Emperor Realm Masters flying at them all at once was quite terrifying.
Shi Tian He, who had been fixed in place by Yang Kai, had a sudden feeling of heaviness come over her body, as though several mountains were suddenly pressing down at the centre of her chest, making it impossible for her to breathe.
In the next instant, the four men’s attacks were upon them.
*Hong hong hong…*
Shi Tian He’s heart almost leapt out of her chest from the sound, and she thought her death was certain, but when she looked again, she found that she had somehow mysteriously appeared at a different location, and those four people’s attacks had not hurt her!
Yang Kai was still in front of her, waving his hands casually.
A gigantic, pitch-black Moon Blade formed, pulsating with terrifying waves of power. It was like the scythe of the reaper, biding its time until it could harvest the lives of all in existence.
With a slicing sound, the Moon Blade flew outwards, straight at the four Emperor Realm Masters.
“This is bad!” Yan Dong shouted, his face turning pale.
After the failure of the last attack, he had realised that he and his companions had greatly underestimated Yang Kai’s strength. Although this youth was also a First-Order Emperor like them, he was shockingly fast. Such incredible speed was enough to make him almost impossible to defeat in battle.
Just as Yang Dong looked up, he saw the gigantic Moon Blade flying towards them, and was so terrified he immediately retreated backwards.
“Quick, dodge!” He yelled to the others.
He was quick to notice and swift to dodge, but the three Profound Thunder Pavilion Elders were not as agile. They were still wondering what had just happened, as they had not seen Yang Kai make any movements, yet he had suddenly vanished.
By the time they heard Yan Dong warning, the Moon Blade was already upon them.
The three Elders all cried out as they pushed their Emperor Qi and Principle Strengths to defend themselves.
*Chi chi chi chi…*
Despite their efforts though, all they met was a sight that filled them with despair.
Everywhere the Moon Blade passed over, it left desolation in its wake, tearing apart their Emperor Qi and Principles like they were paper as it cut towards them.
*Pu…*
With only a soft sound, the pitch-black Moon Blade sliced through the chest of the foremost Elder before it continued onwards to the second Elder without weakening in the slightest.
The second Elder did not survive either as he was swiftly bisected by the Moon Blade.
By now though, the last middle-aged Elder had managed to shift his posture just enough so that the Moon Blade only cut through his shoulder.
In that instant, Yan Dong’s eyes bulged as he stared in horror at the two Profound Thunder Pavilion Elders, who had been cut in half by the Moon Blade, not even daring to blink.
With a loud splatter, the two Elders’ bodies suddenly split in two, sending blood and guts scattering in the air. At the same time, a horrible scream was heard, startling Yan Dong who hurriedly turned to its source.
He saw that the third Elder’s arm had been severed at the shoulder, with blood spraying out like a fountain from the wound. From the open wound, he could vaguely see the Elder’s heart beating in his chest. It was a critical injury.
*Siii…*
Yan Dong drew in a breath of cold air, and his clothes were instantly soaked in sweat. Turning his head creakily, he stared at Yang Kai in terror and nervously asked, “Who… who are you!?”
With one move, only one move, this young man had instantly killed two First-Order Emperor Realm Elders of Profound Thunder Pavilion while heavily wounding another.
How was a First-Order Emperor capable of such a thing? Was he even Human?
Yan Dong was truly scared now. If it hadn’t been for Yang Kai voluntarily channelling his power and showing his First-Order Emperor Realm cultivation earlier, he would’ve thought that Yang Kai was a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master hiding his true strength.
Standing behind Yang Kai, Shi Tian He was also bewildered and couldn’t help gulping nervously.
At that moment, she suddenly noticed that the force that had been binding her had disappeared, and she had regained her freedom of movement.
Yang Kai smiled widely and said, “You don’t even know who I am, yet you come and seek trouble with me. It seems like City Lord Yan doesn’t know how to write the word ‘death’.”
“Death…” Yan Dong’s eyes narrowed as he cast a glance at the two deceased Elders of Profound Thunder Pavilion. Then, he looked at Bai Yu, who was barely able to defend himself and didn’t seem like he could hold on much longer. Realizing his situation, Yan Dong grit his teeth and whirled around, turning into a flash of light as he hurriedly fled.
He did not dare to stay any longer. His opponent was able to instantly kill two Emperor Realm Masters that had comparable strength to himself, so it would obviously be easy for Yang Kai to take his life as well. If Yang Dong stayed any longer, he was sure to die.
However, faced with his opponent’s frightening speed, Yan Dong did not have much confidence in his ability to escape.
Thus, even as he fled, he cast an anxious glance behind him, only to see that Yang Kai was still standing there, seemingly not intending to pursue him.
The speed of an Emperor Realm Master was great, so in the blink of an eye, Yan Dong had vanished out of sight.
Only then did he start panting heavily, his face full of terror from what had just happened while at the same time he felt relieved to have survived such an ordeal.
He didn’t know why Yang Kai did not pursue him, but since he was allowed to escape, he did not intend to waste this opportunity.
After flying forward for several dozen breaths more, Yan Dong finally regained some sense of security. Regardless of how fast that youth was, since he had shown no signs of pursuit even until now, it meant that Yan Dong was safe.
Before he could finish that thought though, Yan Dong’s steps faltered as he stared grimly at a spot not far ahead of him.
The space before him rippled, as though the air was the surface of a pond after a rock had been thrown into it. Immediately afterwards, waves of some strange energy emanated from the centre of those ripples.
His vision blurred for a moment, but soon, Yang Dong saw a figure appear before him like some terrifying apparition.
*Deng deng deng deng…*
Yan Dong backed away in terror, looking like he had just seen a ghost in broad daylight as he stared at Yang Kai, muttering incoherently, “Y-Y-You… H-H-How did you…”
As he fumbled his words, Yan Dong suddenly seemed to think of something and shouted grimly, “A Spatial Technique!”
He had heard in the past that cultivators who cultivated the Dao of Space and had profound understanding of Space Principles were able to do fantastical things like moving instantly across vast distances, but that had been merely hearsay to him while the Dao of Space was not something an ordinary genius could cultivate. After all, the Dao of Space was one of the most esoteric Daos of all, and people with no innate talent for it could not even begin to comprehend it even if they spent their entire lives trying.
In the entire Star Boundary, there was only one Master who had an extremely deep comprehension of the Dao of Space, and he was said to be the strongest Master below the Great Emperors.
That man was the famed Li Wu Yi of the Eastern Territory’s Spirit Beast Island.
Yan Dong could never have imagined that he would run into an opponent who was proficient in the Dao of Space, and with abilities quite comparable to those of Li Wu Yi.
Yang Kai had not allowed him to escape. Rather, he had confidence in being able to stop Yan Dong with his ability. No matter how Yan Dong tried to run, he could not escape from Yang Kai’s grasp.
“City Lord Yan is quite perceptive,” Yang Kai chuckled, a light grin plastered on his face.
Yan Dong’s face darkened, and he growled through gritted teeth, “I’ve not given up yet!”
He knew he could not escape, and seeing from how he had slaughtered the Profound Thunder Pavilion Elders earlier, Yang Kai was unlikely to let him go even if he begged for mercy. His only hope for survival was to go all out with Yang Kai and pray he could win.
Yan Dong was a decisive man, so at those words, he drew forth all his strength and summoned a sword into his hand. The gleam of the sword’s edge was dazzlingly bright. Man and blade moved as one, slashing towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai snorted coldly, casually lifting his hand to deliver a palm strike.
As his Emperor Qi surged, the blade’s gleaming light was instantly extinguished, and the palm landed squarely upon Yan Dong’s chest.
*Pu…*
Blood sprayed from Yan Dong’s mouth as he flew backwards and fell onto the ground, smashing a deep pit where he landed.
Crawling out of the pit with much difficulty, Yan Dong looked at Yang Kai with a trembling gaze as the latter gradually descended from the sky, “Aren’t you only a First-Order Emperor?” Yang Dong screamed, “Just who are you?”
How could a First-Order Emperor Realm Master injure him so heavily with just a light palm? How could a First-Order Emperor Realm Master kill two Elders from Profound Thunder Pavilion and injure a third with one move?
Yan Dong was almost certain that Yang Kai had concealed his cultivation so he could toy with them.
It was laughable that they had all thought Ji Yao was the more powerful of the two, but ended up kicking an even thicker iron plate instead.
“Why don’t you guess?” Yang Kai blinked at him as another pitch-black Moon Blade appeared in his hand, though it was not as large as the previous one.
Sensing the waves of power hidden in that Moon Blade, Yan Dong’s face turned ashen. This blade was made of concentrated Space Principles, and he was powerless to defend himself against it.
“Wait…” Yan Dong hurriedly yelled. Since he could not defeat Yang Kai, the only option left was to beg for mercy.
Yang Kai had no intention of letting him speak, however, and with a flick of his wrist, the Moon Blade flew out.
With a soft sound, the Moon Blade cut through Yan Dong’s body. The City Lord’s eyes went wide as he fell to the ground, his body splitting in two as it collapsed.
Yang Kai waved his hand and took the Space Ring from Yan Dong, then turned and disappeared without a trace.
When he reappeared, he was once more standing beside Shi Tian He.
Hearing the sounds of battle still, Yang Kai looked over and saw that Ji Yao and Bai Yu were still locked in a life or death struggle. Bai Yu was in quite a bad state, his hair was dishevelled while his body was covered in bloody wounds. However, due to the effect of Ji Yao’s ice-cold domain, his blood froze the moment it spilled.
Bai Yu’s hair had also turned white with frost while his movements had become sluggish.
It was evident that his mastery of Principles was vastly inferior to Ji Yao’s, and it was only a matter of time before he was defeated and killed.
“Senior, these are the Space Rings of those three,” seeing Yang Kai return, Shi Tian He respectfully handed over the three Space Rings.
The heavily wounded Profound Thunder Pavilion Elder from earlier was already dead, as Yang Kai had quickly taken his life before pursuing Yan Dong to finish things off.
The pungent stench of blood permeated the area, and the ground was covered in a dark crimson.
“En,” Yang Kai nodded and accepted the three Space Rings, putting them with the one he had obtained from Yan Dong just now. He did a quick check and found that these fellows had been quite wealthy, especially Yan Dong, who had a sizable amount of Source Crystals in his Space Ring, as well as some precious treasures.
“Senior…” Shi Tian He called out anxiously. Ever since Yang Kai had demonstrated his terrifying power, she looked at him quite differently, with none of the ease from before but rather with respect and awe, “Just… Who are you?”
“Me? My name is Yang Kai,” he replied with a grin.
“Yang Kai?” Shi Tian He was stunned for a moment, then exclaimed, “Senior, you’re the one that…”
Yang Kai smiled, “Indeed, I am the one who the Seeking Passion Sect is looking for.”
Shi Tian He smiled wryly as she heard Yang Kai admit it himself.
When she had previously heard the rumours of what happened, she had admittedly criticized Yang Kai greatly; after all, he was the root cause of the crisis that Ice Heart Valley was currently suffering. It was his killing of Feng Xi in the Shattered Star Sea that made Feng Xuan fly into a rage, which then led to all the subsequent conflicts which placed the Northern Territory in its current state of chaos.
Shi Tian He had never thought that the culprit who started all the mess in the Northern Territory would one day appear right before her own eyes.
As she mused it over, another thought struck Shi Tian He with astonishment.
She suddenly recalled that Feng Xi was killed only a few years ago in the Shattered Star Sea. In other words, Yang Kai had been in the Shattered Star Sea a few years ago, but only cultivators below the Emperor Realm were able to enter that place.
Wouldn’t that mean that Yang Kai was only a Dao Source Realm a few years ago? And now, he had just reached the First-Order Emperor Realm.
But even though he was a First-Order Emperor Ream Master like the Elders of Profound Thunder Pavilion and Serenity City’s Lord, none of them were any match for him.
The cultivation that he had displayed was his real cultivation, and he had not concealed anything!
If such a thing had not happened right before her eyes, Shi Tian He would not have believed it in the slightest. Since when were First-Order Emperor Realm Masters so easy to kill?
In the past, she had even fantasized about one day finding that fellow Yang Kai, capturing him, and handing him over to the Seeking Passion Sect to resolve her Sect’s crisis. But now, she did not dare to have such intentions.
“It’s over for Bai Yu!” At that moment, Yang Kai suddenly spoke.
Shi Tian He hurriedly looked over and saw a dazzling light burst out from where Bai Yu and Ji Yao were fighting. A bone-chilling coldness spread everywhere as there was the flash of a blade, and the battle was finally over.
As the light faded, Ji Yao stood mid-air, only giving a light swing of her longsword, her expression indifferent.
An ice crystal had formed before her, and frozen in its centre was a man, Pavilion Master of Profound Thunder Pavilion, Bai Yu.
Trapped inside the ice, Bai Yu’s face was full of shock and terror. He seemed to still be in disbelief that he had completely, utterly, helplessly lost the battle.
*Shua…*
The ice block plummeted and broke apart with a loud boom as it hit the ground.
Trapped within, Bai Yu also shattered into many pieces, such that there was not a complete part of him to be found.
Just as Ji Yao had sworn, she had shredded his corpse into ten thousand pieces.
With another whoosh, Ji Yao was back at Yang Kai’s side. She cast a glance around, and did not bother asking where the other four opponents had gone. The fresh blood and torn flesh scattered everywhere was more than enough explanation. She nodded at Yang Kai and said, “Honoured Master, let us hurry back to the valley!”
There had not been much urgency earlier on, when she had been ignorant of Ice Heart Valley’s situation, but after hearing from Shi Tian He that Ice Heart Valley had been surrounded, Ji Yao felt intensely homesick. She wished she could instantly return to the valley and weather out the crisis with all her Sisters.
“Good!” Yang Kai nodded, casting a meaningful look at Shi Tian He.
Shi Tian He was quick on the uptake and hurriedly flew over to retrieve the Space Ring from Bai Yu’s corpse.
Ji Yao had brought out her ship by this time, and the three of them boarded it in order. Ji Yao formed hand seals, and the ship instantly flew forth as swift as the wind.
“Senior Yang, this is for you,” Shi Tian He handed over the Space Ring, which was still encased in ice and with a severed finger attached.
Yang Kai took it and channelled his Emperor Qi, melting the ice. He then tossed the severed finger away before throwing the ring back to Shi Tian He.
“Senior Yang, this is…” Shi Tian He looked at Yang Kai in confusion.
“This is your Third Martial Aunt’s spoils, and since she isn’t interested, you can have it instead. Once you’re back in Ice Heart Valley, you should focus on your cultivation so you don’t disappoint your Master again,” Yang Kai smiled.
“Many thanks, Senior Yang,” Shi Tian He said gratefully, “Many thanks, Third Martial Aunt…”
“What do you mean, Senior Yang!?” Ji Yao glared at her, “I already told you, this is the Ancestral Founder!”
“Yes, of course. Many thanks, Ancestral Founder.” Shi Tian He’s face paled and she hurriedly corrected herself. She had no idea how to explain any of this to Ji Yao and snuck a glance at Yang Kai, only to see that he looked even more awkward than she did.
……
Two days later, on a snowy mountain three thousand kilometres from Ice Heart Valley.
Snow was falling heavily upon a frozen landscape while Yang Kai and the others stood on the mountain’s peak, gazing out into the distance.
Ji Yao was full of emotion, unable to stop trembling as she looked upon the familiar sights and breathed in the familiar cold air. Feathery snowflakes fell onto her, gradually melting, and she felt as though she had been reborn. Her joy could not be suppressed.
Perhaps it was the anxiety of being so close to home, but there was also a trace of timidness and worry in Ji Yao’s eyes.
“That’s a lot of people,” Yang Kai let out a breath which turned into white mist.
It could be clearly seen from where they stood that a constant stream of cultivators was patrolling outside Ice Heart Valley, and it was obvious that they were not its disciples. Some of them were gathered together in small groups of three to five while larger groups had up to twenty members, all of them seemingly guarding the key entry and exit points of Ice Heart Valley.
The entirety of Ice Heart Valley was tightly surrounded.
“How did the Seeking Passion Sect gather so many people?” Yang Kai frowned slightly.
Based on what he had heard from Shi Tian He, he knew that not only had Ice Heart Valley been surrounded, but even the neighbouring Ice Moon City had been occupied as well.
Ice Moon City was a crucial hub for Ice Heart Valley’s connection to the outside world. After it had been taken over, Ice Heart Valley’s communications to the outside world had also been cut off.
But how was it possible that Seeking Passion Sect would have enough manpower to both surround Ice Heart Valley and occupy Ice Moon City?
“There are many Sects in the Northern Territory that are subordinate to the Seeking Passion Sect,” explained Shi Tian He, “For them to be able to cause such a ruckus, they must’ve called upon all the great forces from their subordinate Sects.”
“That’s still not enough people,” Yang Kai shook his head slowly, then suddenly added, “Ice Heart Valley and Seeking Passion Sect are both major forces. Since Seeking Passion Sect has its subordinate Sects, doesn’t Ice Heart Valley have some as well? As far as I know, quite a number of Ice Heart Valley’s female disciples have married out of the Sect. With such connections, aren’t any of the other great forces coming to help with Ice Heart Valley’s current crisis?”
Shi Tian He smiled bitterly at his words, not knowing how she should respond.
Ji Yao spoke up instead, “Honoured Master, didn’t you establish rules about this when you founded the Sect? The Sect does not forbid marriage, but disciples who marry out no longer have any connection to Ice Heart Valley. You were concerned at the time that people would misunderstand Ice Heart Valley to be spreading its influence through marriages, and wanted to avoid controversy.”
Yang Kai was shocked, “There is such a rule?”
“You set those rules yourself…” Ji Yao said reproachfully.
Yang Kai gave an awkward laugh, “I must’ve forgotten.”
“Who’s sneaking around over there!”
Just as they were looking around, a sudden shout was heard.
It was immediately followed by several whooshing sounds as a group of five appeared in front of Yang Kai and the others.
Amongst the group, an elderly man was the leader while the others looked like they were under forty years old. All of them were men.
Yang Kai did a sweep with his Divine Sense, and observed that these five were merely Dao Source Realms. The old man, who appeared to be their leader, was Second-Order, while the other four were merely First-Order.
“And who are you?” Yang Kai asked, narrowing his eyes. As he spoke, he released a little of his Emperor Qi and let it wash over the five newcomers.
All of them instantly turned pale, and the old man’s face was full of terror. He cupped his fists and said, “This one’s name is Fang Ming Hui. Greetings to you, Sir, please forgive the rudeness.”
Fang Ming Hui did not dare to show any more brazenness after realising that Yang Kai was an Emperor Realm Master. He hurriedly put on a subservient air, anxious to avoid upsetting Yang Kai in any way.
“What are you people doing here?” Yang Kai asked coldly.
Fang Ming Hui hurried to answer, “This humble one is leading a few people to patrol this area, on orders.” As he spoke, he gave Yang Kai a forced smile.
“Patrol? You are disciples of the Seeking Passion Sect?” Yang Kai frowned.
Fang Ming Hui shook his head, “No, no, we belong to Double Jade City’s Fang Family. The people behind me are all Fang Family disciples.”
“Double Jade City’s Fang Family…” Yang Kai said, comprehending, “Subsidiary great force, I see.”
“Sir, surely you jest,” Fang Ming Hui was still giving a strained smile, “Our Fang Family is merely a small force, how could we gain the interest of a top Sect like the Seeking Passion Sect? Even the entire Double Jade City would most likely be unworthy of their interest.”
Yang Kai was puzzled, “Since you’re not an attached force of the Seeking Passion Sect, what are you doing here? And on whose orders are you patrolling this area?”
This area was extremely close to Ice Heart Valley, so now that the Seeking Passion Sect and Ice Heart Valley were like locked in a life or death struggle, ready to start fighting at any moment, surely people who had nothing to do with the matter would not remain in the area.
Fang Ming Hui was astonished, “On orders from the Seeking Passion Sect, of course.”
Yang Kai snorted, “Are you talking nonsense just to try to confuse me? If you don’t speak clearly, I’ll rip out your tongue!”
Fang Ming Hui paled, “Please quell your anger, Sir,” he said hurriedly, “This humble one really is under orders from the Seeking Passion Sect to patrol this area. But our Fang Family really does not have any connections to the Seeking Passion Sect. This one is not lying, Sir.”
The faces of the four behind him were also pale. They were thinking that Emperor Realm cultivators were indeed not to be provoked, as this guy was threatening to pull out someone’s tongue just because he was in a bad mood. Such violence! If they could ascend to the Emperor Realm someday, they could do the same thing if they ever felt slighted…
“Since you have no connection, why would you obey their commands? You think I’m easy to deceive?” Yang Kai looked coldly at Fang Ming Hui.
Fang Ming Hui wiped the cold sweat from his brow and explained, “Sir, what are you saying? Currently, there are many forces like our Fang Family in the area around Ice Heart Valley…”
As he spoke, he suddenly seemed to realise something, and cast a timid glance at Yang Kai, “Sir, have you not heard of the Seeking Passion Sect’s Recruitment Order?”
“What Recruitment Order?” Yang Kai frowned.
Fang Ming Hui let out a breath, “Sir has not heard of it, then.”
“Explain in detail. If your explanation is satisfactory, I won’t rip out your tongue.”
“Yes, yes, of course…” Fang Ming Hui hurriedly nodded, and began explaining, “A few years back, when the Seeking Passion Sect and Ice Heart Valley started fighting, both of them were top Sects of the Northern Territory. Their strength was about equal, so both sides suffered losses. After the initial battles, in order to avoid further losses, the Seeking Passion Sect sent out a Recruitment Order. It informed all cultivators of Northern Territory that as long as they temporarily joined with the Seeking Passion Sect’s forces and obeyed their commands to help fight against Ice Heart Valley, they would be rewarded with Source Crystals, artifacts, and Secret Arts. Not only that, but depending on their contributions, they could even become Seeking Passion Sect’s subsidiary forces in the future. In addition, after Ice Heart Valley was destroyed, some cultivators who make great contributions would also get a share of Ice Heart Valley’s disciples.”
“Obtain a share of Ice Heart Valley’s disciples?” Yang Kai’s eyes went wide with astonishment.
Fang Ming Hui leered, “The women of Ice Heart Valley are all cold beauties, clear as ice and pure as jade. Not only that, but they are all quite gifted. Anyone who can get hold of one or two will have no regrets for the rest of his life!”
Ice Heart Valley had quite a reputation within the Northern Territory. To the cultivators from less impressive backgrounds, its female disciples were like goddesses, ones they could only ogle from afar, but could not come close to, afraid to defile them.
Throughout history, many men of the Northern Territory had viewed it as an immense honour to be able to marry a disciple of Ice Heart Valley.
However, only a small number of them were able to actually accomplish this feat. Now though, countless men from the Northern Territory had been driven into a frenzy by the Seeking Passion Sect’s Recruitment Order. The rewards were trivial compared to the chance to obtain one or two female disciples from Ice Heart Valley after it was defeated. It would be quite impressive to make them into servant girls, but even going as far as to take them as proper wives would not cause any embarrassment, as it would only make others envious.
“You’re all here for Ice Heart Valley’s disciples?” Yang Kai looked curiously at Fang Ming Hui, not expecting him to have such desires at his advanced age.
Fang Ming Hui gave a wry smile, “I dare not have any extravagant expectations. I only seek to get a few of the Seeking Passion Sect’s rewards, which the Fang Family would be able to enjoy for many years. If we can also become a Seeking Passion Sect’s official subordinate, that would naturally be the best result.”
Yang Kai chuckled, “How many people has the Seeking Passion Sect recruited already?”
“There are at least a hundred thousand, most comparable to my Fang Family’s disciples in terms of strength, but there are also a few Masters from second and third class Sects.”
“And you’re not afraid that Ice Heart Valley will come to seek revenge if they manage to recover someday?”
Fang Ming Hui shook his head, “Ice Heart Valley has no such chance anymore.”
“What makes you say that?” Yang Kai raised his brow.
“This lowly one does not know the exact details but…” Fang Ming Hui explained, “I only know that there are currently two Third-Order Emperor Realm Masters in the Seeking Passion Sect, and even though Ice Heart Valley’s Ancestral Founder Bing Yun is also a Third-Order Emperor, she is but one person. How can she stand against the Seeking Passion Sect like this? Ice Heart Valley has also suffered heavy losses over the last few years of conflict. Else, they would not have retreated within the valley and relied on their Sect Defending Array to barely survive. Besides…”
“Besides what?” asked Yang Kai.
Fang Ming Hui smiled slightly, “Ice Heart Valley won’t hold on for much longer. In half a month, or a month at most, they are bound to be defeated.”
Yang Kai snorted, “You’re merely in the Second-Order Dao Source Realm, how can you be so certain?”
Fang Ming Hui glanced around cautiously, then said in a low voice, “Sect Master Feng Xuan has invited Grandmaster Nanmen here, and he’s currently investigating how to break the Sect Defending Array. It probably won’t be long before he is able to crack it. Once Ice Heart Valley’s Sect Defending Array is destroyed, we will hit them with all we have. They will be completely helpless.”
Standing behind Yang Kai, Ji Yao and Shi Tian He’s expressions had been growing more and more concerned and both of them were now quite pale.
After all Fang Ming Hui’s chatter, he finally asked, “Sir, why don’t you join in as well? Seeking Passion Sect is currently still recruiting, and I’m sure they will welcome someone of your strength.”
Yang Kai raised an eyebrow, “I can also apply?”
Fang Ming Hui nodded, “Naturally. You only need to go register at Ice Moon City and explain your background, and then, you’ll be able to serve the Seeking Passion Sect. Benefits are, of course, distributed according to contributions… That reminds me, Sir, I have not yet asked where you come from. If you have any connection to Ice Heart Valley, then the Seeking Passion Sect won’t be interested.”
Before Yang Kai could answer, Ji Yao had already taken a step forward and coldly declared, “This Queen is Ji Yao of Ice Heart Valley!”
At those words, the faces of everyone in Fang Ming Hui’s group paled, and they all started backing away.
The members of the Fang Family had never expected that they had been chatting for so long with someone actually belonging to Ice Heart Valley.
Wasn’t it common knowledge that everyone from Ice Heart Valley was hiding inside their Sect, too afraid to come out? And with the Sect Defending Array active, how did these people get out?
“Run!” Fang Ming Hui was a decisive man, and he knew that his words were sure to have upset these strangers. With that yell, he turned to flee.
The four Fang Family cultivators behind him were also quick to respond, each of them pushing their Source Qi desperately.
But before they could even take a step, a bone-chilling domain suddenly spread out.
*Kacha…*
With a soft sound, the ground was frozen over and it seemed like the whole place was being sealed by ice. The five of them were all stuck in place, unable to move.
“Leave him alive!” Yang Kai hurriedly shouted.
Ji Yao frowned, but still held back some of her strength. She froze the other four Fang Family cultivators into ice statues, leaving only Fang Ming Hui standing there stiffly, his lips blue from the cold and his teeth chattering as he pleaded pitifully, “Please spare my life, Sir, the Fang Family has not done anything to harm Ice Heart Valley directly after joining the Seeking Passion Sect’s forces! All we did was patrol the perimeter, we’ve never harmed any Ice Heart Valley disciples!”
Yang Kai tapped his forehead and knocked him out, then reached over and lifted him up. With a wave of his arm, he turned the four frozen Fang Family disciples into dust.
“Honoured Master, what did you spare his life for!?” Ji Yao’s eyes were icy as she looked at the unconscious Fang Ming Hui, unable to comprehend.
“I need him to convey what he just said to someone else. Perhaps we’ll be able to get some more information from him as well,” Yang Kai explained calmly, then added, “We’re returning to the valley!”
“Yes!” Ji Yao and Shi Tian He answered.
Channelling his Space Principles, Yang Kai wrapped the two women in his power and with a flicker, vanished from the spot.
They reappeared outside Ice Heart Valley’s Sect Defending Array. The array was extremely large and sturdy, looking like a translucent dome of light which enveloped all the vital areas of the Sect.
From afar, it looked as though there was a gigantic crystal bowl inverted upon the ground, and everything inside the dome of light was indistinct, unable to be clearly perceived.
A Sect Defending Array of this calibre was not something that could be easily broken. Though the Seeking Passion Sect was quite powerful, they could not break through by force, and could only hire an Array Master to handle it.
But the Source Crystal upkeep for keeping such a massive array functioning at full strength was also astronomical. Under normal circumstances, a Sect Defending Array would only be activated at full power when the Sect was in danger of extinction.
After spending a long time observing from the snowy mountain, Yang Kai had a good idea of the patrol schedule for this area. Thus, he did not alert anyone when he brought Ji Yao and Shi Tian He over.
“Yao’er, open the array!” Yang Kai scanned the area with his Divine Sense, keeping a close watch over their surroundings as he instructed Ji Yao.
“Yes!” Ji Yao nodded, and hurriedly retrieved a token from her Space Ring. She channelled her Emperor Qi into it and lightly waved it at the curtain of light before her.
A mystical light burst out and a small gap instantly opened in the array. Before the gap closed again, Yang Kai’s group had already slipped inside.
Ordinary people could not open the Sect Defending Array, but Ji Yao was Bing Yun’s Third Disciple, so she had a way to get through.
“Who goes there!?”
They had just entered when a feminine voice was heard, immediately followed by a flash of light from a blade. A petite form was concealed within the streak of light, which was bright and piercing as a comet.
Emperor Intent instantly expanded and the temperature plummeted from the approaching icy aura, causing Shi Tian He to shiver slightly.
“Seventh Junior Sister, is that you?”
Ji Yao was not even thinking of defending against the deadly attack coming towards her, only calling out with a trembling voice as she looked at the person within the streak of light.
“Huh?” A surprised cry was heard and the light quickly dispersed, revealing a petite and delicate figure.
The person landed on the ground, sword in hand, and looked carefully at these intruders.
“Seventh Junior Sister!” Ji Yao’s slender form was trembling a little as she called out.
“T… Third Senior Sister!” The petite figure was also instantly overcome with emotion, almost unable to believe her eyes, rubbing them vigorously, and looked again before confirming that the person before her really was her Third Senior Sister, Ji Yao, who had been missing for many years.
Both Senior and Junior Sisters were very emotional as they looked at each other before they sprinted forward and embraced one another.
“Third Senior Sister, you’ve finally returned! Where have you been all these years?” The petite girl threw herself into Ji Yao’s arms, sobbing.
Ji Yao’s eyes were also red-rimmed, but she tried to contain her emotions and gently patted the other girl’s hair, “I’m sorry I made you all worry.”
At that moment, many other Ice Heart Valley disciples had heard the commotion and came running. In an instant, there were hundreds of people gathered all around, each of them holding a sharp blade and full of battle intent, thinking that enemies must have broken in. When they saw their Seventh Martial Aunt tightly embracing an unknown woman though, they were all bewildered.
Upon hearing what the two said though, the confusion of the crowd was cleared.
“She’s our Third Martial Aunt!”
“What? She is Third Martial Aunt Ji Yao, who’s been missing for so many years?”
“Yes, it’s her! I’ve seen her portrait before in the Sect’s main hall, there’s no mistake!”
“To think Martial Aunt Ji Yao actually came back…”
“With our Sect in danger, it is our good fortune that Third Martial Aunt is back. Ancestral Founder will surely be delighted!”
“Finally, some good news for the valley!”
The crowd of women chattered incessantly like a flock of pretty birds, noisily conveying the joyful news.
“Junior Sister?” Another voice suddenly called out.
Amongst the crowd, a tall woman with refined features was staring in shock at Shi Tian He, who was standing behind Yang Kai.
“Junior Sister Tian He?” she exclaimed in astonishment.
At that cry, Shi Tian He looked over and her body trembled slightly as she tried to restrain her emotions, calling out haltingly, “Senior Sister Yu!”
Her expression was a little wary and timid, not entirely daring to face her Senior Sister Yu, as though she was a child who had gotten into trouble.
Yang Kai naturally heard this conversation and looked over curiously, soon recalling what Yan Dong had said earlier and instantly understanding that this tall woman was the Yu Dan he had spoken of.
Yu Dan strode over and stood before Shi Tian He, looking her over before smiling, “It has been many years since we last met, Junior Sister. You’ve lost weight, have you been mistreated during your years away?”
Shi Tian He’s eyes reddened and she shook her head, biting her lip, tears overflowing from her eyes.
“Now, now, don’t cry. Honoured Master has also been concerned for you all these years. It’s all good now that you’re back now,” as Yu Dan spoke, she gently wiped away Shi Tian He’s tears.
But her tears just kept falling and falling like a broken chain of pearls.
The sighs of the Senior Sisters of two different generations reuniting with their Junior Sisters after all this time was really touching.
The disciples of Ice Heart Valley were all quite emotional. Looking here and there, soon everyone’s eyes turned moist one by one, as if they were infected by the atmosphere. All of them sheathed their swords and quietly stood on their spot.
“Cough…” Yang Kai loosened his readied fist and lightly coughed, instantly attracting everyone’s attention.
“Right, Seventh Junior Sister, I came back together with Honoured Master,” startled, Ji Yao said to the petite figure with a look of joy on her face.
“Sister Zhang Sun, we meet again,” Yang Kai called out with a light smile.
The petite figure was none other than Bing Yun’s Seventh Disciple, Zhang Sun Ying, whom Yang Kai had met a couple years back.
Zhang Sun Ying looked at Yang Kai and cried out in surprise, “Senior Brother Yang, how come you’re here?”
She was very surprised, but that was understandable as she was reunited with Ji Yao after a very long time. Being totally absorbed in her joy, she had forgotten to pay attention to anything else and only now did she realize that her Third Senior Sister actually came together with Yang Kai.
She addressed Yang Kai as Senior Brother, not because Yang Kai’s cultivation was higher than hers. She was a First-Order Emperor, and furthermore, when she first met Yang Kai a few years ago, he was just a Third-Order Dao Source Realm.
She addressed him as such out of respect.
After all, Bing Yun was able to escape from the Solitary Void Sealed World and return to Ice Heart Valley mostly because of Yang Kai. After hearing about this, Bing Yun’s Disciples were all very grateful to Yang Kai and began addressing him as Senior Brother as a courtesy.
“Sister Zhang Sun, am I not welcome here?” Yang Kai asked with a slight grin.
Zhang Sun Yin immediately blushed and replied, “When did I say that!? Senior Brother Yang has done a great service to my Ice Heart Valley, so why would Senior Brother Yang be not welcomed? Honoured Master has already exhorted us to treat Senior Brother Yang as family.”
“Senior Bing Yun’s care is much appreciated,” Yang Kai gently nodded.
Ji Yao furrowed her brow deeply, staring at Yang Kai in confusion, puzzlement slowly creeping into her eyes.
In her mind, Yang Kai was her Honoured Master, Bing Yun, but now, when she heard Yang Kai speaking such words, she couldn’t help feeling confused and unable to understand what was happening.
Yang Kai, noticing her change, solemnly asked, “Is Senior Bing Yun free? I have to see her regarding something.”
Zhang Sun Yin hurriedly replied, “Honoured Master hasn’t entered retreat recently. If she learns that you are here and that Third Senior Sister has also returned, she will definitely be very happy… follow me!”
Saying so, she pulled Ji Yao’s arm, leading the way ahead.
Yang Kai, carrying Ming Hui in one hand, walked a few steps before turning around and beckoning, “Tian He, you come too, let’s go and meet your Honoured Master.”
Shi Tian He’s tender figure trembled as a restless look appeared on her face.
“Junior Sister, don’t be afraid. I will accompany you,” Yu Dan patted the back of Shi Tian He’s hand and stated in a gentle voice. Feeling this hand, Shi Tian He finally calmed down a little, before she and Yu Dan followed after Yang Kai.
Halfway there, Shi Tian He anxiously asked, “Senior Sister, is Honoured Master still angry with me after all these years?”
Yu Dan sincerely nodded, “Of course.”
Shi Tian He immediately turned pale, feeling her legs grow heavy as if they were filled with lead, making it impossible for her to move forward.
Yu Dan, on the other hand, mysteriously smiled and added, “Back then, you didn’t hesitate to disobey to go with that guy surnamed Dong, so of course Honoured Master will be angry; after all, she personally taught you for many years. Is she not allowed to be angry after you disobeyed her?”
Shi Tian He bitterly admitted, “Yes, this Junior Sister has disappointed Honoured Master.”
Yu Dan added, “But don’t worry, Honoured Master’s anger aside, she has still been thinking about you all these years.”
“Really!?” She Tian He was overjoyed.
Yu Dan replied in a low voice, “In the past hundred years, I was ordered to visit Serenity City every two years to inquire about your situation and check if you had been wronged in any way.”
Shi Tian He’s figure trembled and excitedly asked, “Did Honoured Master order you to do so?”
Yu Dan replied, smiling wryly, “Without Honoured Master’s order, who would dare to go? Honoured Master said that if you were wronged even once in the Dong Family, no matter how slight the offence was, she would destroy them completely. It might look as if Honoured Master hasn’t cared for you over these hundred years, but in fact, you have been on her mind all the while.”
Hearing this, Shi Tian He’s eyes turned red and she almost cried again. Only after persistent comforting from Yu Dan did she finally calm down.
…..
In the main hall of Ice Heart Valley, Yang Kai sat upright in a rigid fashion while Ji Yao and Shi Tian He stood behind him. As for Ming Hui, he was still unconscious and laid on the ground by Yang Kai’s feet. Yu Dan, who accompanied Shi Tian He, was secretly communicating with her Junior Sister via Divine Sense.
Zhang Sun Ying, after offering tea, stated, “Senior Brother Yang, please wait a moment. Honoured Master has already been notified and will be here soon.”
“She already is,” Yang Kai’s expression changed as he turned to the hall’s entrance.
He immediately noticed a flash, and the next moment, Bing Yun had appeared. Closely following behind her were Ice Heart Valley’s Emperor Realm Masters, ten of them in total.
First Disciple An Ruo Yun, Second Disciple Sun Yun Xiu, and the others were standing in single file.
Yang Kai quickly got up and greeted, cupping his fist, “Yang Kai greets Senior Bing Yun!”
Bing Yun replied, smiling, “You’re here!”
Even though the two had not been in contact for a long time, because they both came from the Heng Luo Star Field, they felt much closer to each other than others. At this moment, Bing Yun was very happy to see Yang Kai.
“Greetings, Senior Brother Yang!” The disciples behind Bing Yun hurriedly greeted.
Yang Kai nodded before gazing at everyone, looking at Liu Xian Yun and Fan Xin before turning his gaze to Zi Yu. Now, Zi Yu was also an Emperor Realm cultivator. She had entered the Shattered Star Sea with Yang Kai, gained an opportunity, and broken through during that time.
As their gazes met, Zi Yu lightly nodded to Yang Kai, her eyes filled with gratitude.
In the Shattered Star Sea, her breakthrough was imminent but she had also attracted the covetous eyes of her enemies. The Ice Heart Valley disciples by her side had not been strong enough to protect her at the time, but her breakthrough to the Emperor Realm still went smoothly. Only after she finished her breakthrough did she learn from her fellow Sisters that Yang Kai had appeared at the critical moment and lured the enemy away, giving her a safe and stable environment to advance.
This favour alone was enough to make Zi Yu grateful, let alone the fact that Yang Kai and Ice Heart Valley had an intricate relationship. There was also the close ties he had with Ancestral Founder Bing Yun.
Liu Xian Yun was equally excited. She hadn’t seen Yang Kai for several years, but after seeing him this time, she naturally had much to say to him, but she knew that now was not the time.
“I heard that Yao’er returned?” Bing Yun looked around as she asked, quickly noticing a dumbstruck Ji Yao standing there.
“Third Junior Sister!”
“Third Senior Sister!”
An Ruo Yun and the others also cried in excitement.
Ji Yao, on the other hand, stood there in a daze, her eyes filled with confusion. But staring at Bing Yun, the confusion in her eyes slowly became more and more obvious, as if dark clouds were blocking her vision.
“Third Junior Sister, why are you in a daze, why aren’t you greeting Honoured Master!” An Ruo Yun didn’t know what happened, so she just thought Ji Yao was overwhelmed with emotions and quickly reminded her.
Bing Yun, on the other hand, noticed that something was amiss and turned to Yang Kai to ask, “What’s wrong with Yao’er?”
Yang Kai hurriedly informed her via Divine Sense Message about Ji Yao’s current condition. He also didn’t hide the fact that he had been pretending to be her.
Yang Kai’s report broke Bing Yun’s heart. Ji Yao had suffered for many years in the Ancient Wild Lands, so much so that she even lost her mind. If Yang Kai hadn’t found her by chance, it was quite possible she would still be wandering the Ancient Lands aimlessly.
Bing Yun softly sighed before she called out with a face full of gentleness, “Yao’er, your Master is here, can’t you come over?”
“Honoured Master…” Ji Yao tenderly shouted, hearing this. Her figure quivered and her pupils shook violently, the confusion in her eyes shattering at that moment before regaining clarity.
*Pu…*
Ji Yao opened her mouth and spurted a mouthful of black blood, causing her aura to immediately wane while her eyes regained a kind of lucid brightness.
An Ruo Yun and the others were shocked at the sight of this as they had no idea what was wrong with Ji Yao.
“Honoured Master!” Ji Yao’s figure flickered as she suddenly rushed to Bing Yun, kneeled down and greeted in a trembling voice, “This unworthy Disciple has caused Honoured Master to be worried.”
Bing Yun stretched her hand out and lightly stroked her head, “It’s good that you are back, it’s really good. Get up.”
Ji Yao shook her head and kept crying, holding Bing Yun’s thigh tightly as if she was never going to let go.
An Ruo Yun and the others also wiped the tears from the corners of their eyes.
Bing Yun helplessly stated, “You and I are Master and Disciple, we should be happy to be meeting again after so long, so don’t cry, get up and talk.”
She held Ji Yao and pulled her up gently, personally wiping her tears before handing her to An Ruo Yun. Afterwards, she turned to Yang Kai and continued, “We’ve shown you something embarrassing. Yao’er has been stubborn since childhood, so I ask you not to pay it any mind.”
Yang Kai denied, shaking his head, “Yao’er, she… cough cough, Junior Sister Ji Yao just acts on her emotions.”
He had gotten used to calling her Yao’er during their time together and almost addressed her wrongly.
At that prompt, Ji Yao turned to look at Yang Kai with a complicated expression. After seeing the real Bing Yun, she had sobered thoroughly. Whether she would remain this way or lose her mind later remained to be seen, but at least for now, she was safe and sound.
Because she had fully regained her faculties though, she also finally realized how bad her previous state was.
She had misidentified a man as her Honoured Master. If this hadn’t happened to her personally, Ji Yao would have never believed it.
Yang Kai felt a little guilty and didn’t dare meet her gaze, instead shifting his eyes about in an awkward fashion.
“Sit down and talk, don’t keep standing,” Bing Yun proposed in a good mood. Her Third Disciple, who had been missing for so long, had returned to the Sect. Yang Kai was also back. It was a joyous event, so a rare smile appeared on Bing Yun’s face.
The disciples were overjoyed after seeing this.
They hadn’t seen Bing Yun smile at all these past few years; but today, they finally saw the beautiful moon after the dark clouds had cleared up, lightening the worries in their hearts.
An Ruo Yun, receiving a Divine Sense Message from Bing Yun, didn’t dare to let Ji Yao remain too far away from her. Naturally, she made her sit by her so that she could take good care of her.
“Senior Brother Yang, did you hear about our Ice Heart Valley’s situation and come here on purpose?” After taking her seat, Sun Yun Xiu asked as she curiously looked at Yang Kai. If he wasn’t here because of this, then his timing was too coincidental.
Yang Kai replied, shaking his head, “It wasn’t intentional. I happened to run into Junior Sister Ji Yao in the Ancient Wild Lands by accident and was just planning to escort her back. Certain events happened while we were passing through Serenity City though, and only then did we come to know about the current situation of Ice Heart Valley.”
“Serenity City?” An Ruo Yun’s expression changed after hearing this name and asked, “What happened?”
Serenity City might be unfamiliar to others, but to An Ruo Yun, it was like a thorn in her heart. In the past, Shi Tian He didn’t hesitate to disobey her and marry a man from Serenity City.
Shi Tian He’s figure trembled after hearing her question and she timidly looked at An Ruo Yun. Noticing that An Ruo Yun wasn’t looking at her, bitterness immediately filled her heart as she knew that her Honoured Master hadn’t forgiven her; otherwise, why hadn’t she summoned Shi Tian He and questioned her since she had seen her?
Yang Kai replied, smiling, “Speaking of which, it has something to do with Junior Sister An.”
An Ruo Yun thoughtfully looked at the pale Shi Tian He after hearing this. She maintained a stoic face, making it extremely hard to tell what was going through her mind.
“How does the matter of Serenity City have anything to do with Eldest Senior Sister? Senior Brother Yang, let’s hear the details,” Zhang Sun Ying curiously asked.
Yang Kai answered, “Junior Sister Ji Yao and I were resting at night in Serenity City a few days back. When we were about to leave the city, we ran into someone in disguise who wanted to leave Serenity City as well, but was being stopped by some people…”
He told everything that had transpired at Serenity City’s gate. He kept staring at An Ruo Yun while he was speaking, as if he was talking to her alone.
When she heard that Dong Hai completely ignored the century-long love between husband and wife, not only slandering Shi Tian He for stealing the Dong Family’s treasure but also expelling her from the Dong Family in public, the armrest on An Ruo Yun’s chair was crushed to dust.
Although An Ruo Yun had expelled Shi Tian He, she had raised her after all, so how could she let some Dong Family bully her Disciple like this?
What’s more, she knew Shi Tian He the best. How could it be possible for her to commit a lowly act like theft?
“Later, Junior Sister Ji Yao and I learned that the stealing of some precious family treasure was just false pretence while the root cause was that when Tian He learned that her Master Sect was in trouble, she wanted to return to the valley to render aid. But now, the Northern Territory is in turmoil and things don’t end well for anyone who has anything to do with Ice Heart Valley. As such, the Dong Family didn’t dare to let Tian He reveal her identity and pinned this crime on her to expel her from the Dong Family, so as to separate her from them lest they become implicated.”
Yang Kai continued, “Junior Sister Ji Yao and I ran into Tian He and finally came to know about Ice Heart Valley’s situation; after which, we rushed over as quickly as we could.”
After speaking, he picked up the cup of tea beside him and slowly took a sip.
“They went too far!” An Ruo Yun couldn’t hold it in anymore and smashed the other armrest with a smack.
In the main hall, many Ice Heart Valley disciples also looked angry.
For millennia, all the men of the Northern Territory had taken immense pride in being able to marry an Ice Heart Valley disciple, but now, when the dragon was in the shallow water and the tiger had come down to the plain, a mere Serenity City Dong Family dared to bully them.
An Ice Heart Valley disciple had married into the Dong Family as their matron, but in the end, she was expelled from the family in public, and her reputation was also smeared.
Ice Heart Valley’s disciples were fuming in anger.
“Tian He, come here!” An Ruo Yun raised her eyes and finally stared at Shi Tian He by Yang Kai’s side.
Shi Tian He’s tender figure fiercely trembled after hearing this. Her steps were shaky and she was having a hard time lifting her feet. Yu Dan even had to give her a little push and an encouraging look before Shi Tian He finally walked to An Ruo Yun and knelt down.
She didn’t say a word, just kept crying.
An Ruo Yun lifted her hand up high as she stared down angrily at her former Disciple. It seemed that she wanted to unleash a slap, but after a few tries, she couldn’t do it and instead stomped her foot as she dropped her arm.
After taking a deep breath and calming herself down, An Ruo Yun, “Unfilial Disciple, have you realized your mistake!”
Shi Tian He burst into tears and admitted, nodding, “Disciple has realized her mistake!”
An Ruo Yun stated with rage, “A hundred years ago, I advised you not to marry into the Dong Family because of that coincidental life-saving grace. There were many other ways to repay such kindness. There was no need to sacrifice your happiness! You sowed your fate yourself. Why do you humiliate yourself like this!?”
Shi Tian He, with her head touching the ground, kept prostrating and crying, “I ask Honoured Master to punish this unfilial disciple!”
An Ruo Yun stated with a cold face, “Don’t call me Honoured Master. You ceased to be my disciple a hundred years ago. You and I have already severed the ties of Master and Disciple. Everything you are facing is the result of your actions that day, whether it’s sour or bitter, you have to face it yourself. It has nothing to do with me, and neither does it have anything to do with Ice Heart Valley!”
“I beg Honoured Master to punish this unfilial disciple!” Shi Tian He weepingly begged.
An Ruo Yun angrily shouted, “You still dare to call me Honoured Master!”
Zhang Sun Yin couldn’t stand it anymore, standing up to intervene, “Eldest Senior Sister, please calm your anger. Although Tian He didn’t listen to you and disobeyed you in the past, she has suffered so much now. I believe she will never make the same mistake again. What’s more… She desperately tried to return to Ice Heart Valley when she heard that the Master Sect was in a difficult position. Can’t Eldest Senior Sister forgive her out of consideration for her will and loyalty?”
The other Junior Sisters also nodded one after another as they began to persuade her.
Upon seeing this, Yu Dan hurriedly walked forward and knelt down before An Ruo Yun and pleaded, “Honoured Master, please forgive Junior Sister Tian He this time.”
Zi Yu also came to An Ruo Yun’s front and begged, kneeling down, “Honoured Master, Junior Sister Tian He has already realized her mistake, please forgive her!”
Just like Shi Tian He, both of them were direct Disciples of An Ruo Yun, so they were qualified to intercede.
“You…” An Ruo Yun immediately became angry after seeing this, pointing at Yu Dan and Zi Yu as she grit her teeth and shouted, “Good, good, it seems your wings have hardened and now you are disobeying me while still daring to call me your Honoured Master.”
Yu Dan and Zi Yu’s tender figures trembled before they spoke in unison, “Honoured Master, please don’t be angry, Disciple wouldn’t dare.”
“Since you dared not, then quickly stand up,” An Ruo Yun angrily ordered.
Yu Dan and Zi Yu glanced at each other before pleading in unison again, “Honoured Master, please forgive Junior Sister Tian He.”
“You dare bargain with me!?” An Ruo Yun was completely incensed.
“Enough!” Bing Yun suddenly intervened.
As soon as she spoke, everyone immediately fell silent.
Bing Yun looked around before finally gazing straight at the prostrating Shi Tian He, who had her head touching the ground all the while, “Your name is Shi Tian He?”
Shi Tian He hurriedly turned around and replied, suppressing her cries, “Disciple Shi Tian He, greets Ancestral Founder!”
“En!” Bing Yun lightly nodded before pondering for a while and continuing, “Since you disobeyed your Honoured Master a hundred years ago and were expelled from the Sect for this crime, logically speaking, you are no longer a part of my Ice Heart Valley. Your life and death has nothing to do with us…”
Shi Tian He’s figure trembled after hearing this, falling into despair.
Bing Yun immediately continued, however, “But since your heart was still with the Master Sect and you risked your life to come to its defence, this Queen will give you a chance!”
She Tian He hurried asked, “This disciple earnestly requests for Ancestral Founder’s instructions!”
Bing Yun smiled and explained, “This Queen will take charge of this matter and admit you back into Ice Heart Valley. But…whether you can worship back under your Honoured Master or not will depend on your future performance.”
Shi Tian He looked up, looking at Bing Yun with pleasant surprise and gratitude, but very soon, she turned her head and said in a bitter voice, nervously looking at An Ruo Yun, “Since Honoured Master disagrees, this disciple doesn’t dare to return to Ice Heart Valley.”
Bing Yun smiled and added, “Your Honoured Master is my Disciple, since this Queen has given her order, how would she dare to disagree. Ruo Yun, what do you say?”
An Ruo Yun glanced at Bing Yun before she bowed and stated, “Disciple will follow Master’s order!”
After she finished speaking, she looked back at Shi Tian He and ordered, “Why are you still on your knees? Quickly thank Ancestral Founder!”
Shi Tian He was startled but she hurriedly composed herself and kowtowed, “Many thanks for your magnanimity, Ancestral Founder.”
After thanking Bing Yun, Shi Tian He finally stood up, her face beaming with happiness, but tears still flowing out of the corners of her eyes.
An Ruo Yun angrily rebuked, “Are you still going to embarrass yourself?”
While speaking, she threw a handkerchief to Shi Tian He.
Shi Tian He caught it but didn’t use it to wipe her tears, instead just clenching it tightly and using her sleeve to dry her eyes. Zi Yu and Yu Dan stood back up as well and couldn’t help but smile as they exchanged a glance.
“From now on, you will cultivate by Zi Yu’s side. Don’t worry about the Dong Family. After we have settled things here, I will personally go and uphold justice for you!” An Ruo Yun stated in a cold voice.
As soon as she proclaimed this, Shi Tian He knew that she was still in her Honoured Master’s heart. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have said anything about seeking justice for her.
She shook her head and stated, “Honoured Master, the Dong Family doesn’t exist anymore…”
“Doesn’t exist!” An Ruo Yun’s pretty eyes flickered with a cold gleam as she coldly snorted, “They were let off too easily, but if that’s the case, so be it. From now on, you will peacefully stay in the valley. If you commit another mistake in the future, you will not be forgiven!”
“Yes!” Shi Tian He respectfully replied.
“Congratulations Senior Bing Yun for reuniting with your disciple, congratulations Junior Sister An for reuniting with your disciple,” Yang Kai, who had been drinking tea all the while, seeing that things had settled down, finally smiled and congratulated, cupping his fists.
Bing Yun smiled and said, “It’s thanks to you. Speaking of which… several major events involving my Ice Heart Valley are connected with you. It seems that there is an inexplicable relationship between you and I.”
She was able to escape from the Solitary Void Sealed World and return to Ice Heart Valley mainly because of Yang Kai, and now, Ji Yao and Shi Tian He had returned thanks to him. If this wasn’t fate, then what was it?
“Just some chances and coincidences,” Yang Kai smiled. Immediately though, he turned serious and asked, “Senior, Junior Sister Ji Yao and I have just heard some rumours outside and are not that clear about Ice Heart Valley’s exact situation. Senior, could you please elaborate?”
When Yang Kai brought this up, everyone turned serious as Bing Yun asked, “What do you want to know?”
Yang Kai replied, “Seeking Passion Sect and Ice Heart Valley should be on par with each other in terms of strength, so how were they able to force Ice Heart Valley into this precarious position?”
Bing Yun replied with a sigh, “The two Sects were indeed almost on par with each other, but half a year ago, Seeking Passion Sect’s Vice Sect Master suddenly broke through to the Third-Order Emperor Realm. With Feng Xuan and him teaming up, this Queen wasn’t their match. In addition, my Ice Heart Valley has always been somewhat isolated from the world and never formed close ties with other Sects while Seeking Passion Sect has actively recruited many from their subordinates and outside forces. It has been difficult for my Ice Heart Valley to reverse such momentum, leading to us retreating to the valley to seek shelter behind our Sect Defending Array.”
“Seeking Passion Sect’s Vice Sect Master?” Yang Kai was taken aback. A figure flashed in his mind as he quickly cried out, “Yao Zhuo?”
Bing Yun confirmed, nodding, “That’s right, him!”
Ji Yao, who had been silent all the while, curiously asked, “You know Yao Zhuo?”
Yang Kai nodded, “When I came to Ice Heart Valley last, I had some interactions with him.”
Last time he came to Ice Heart Valley, he just happened to arrive for the marriage between Seeking Passion Sect and Ice Heart Valley. Seeking Passion Sect’s Young Sect Master, Feng Xi, had fallen in love with Zi Yu and tried every means to obtain her. Ice Heart Valley was forced to agree to the marriage under that pressure.
It was Yao Zhuo, who brought Feng Xi to Ice Heart Valley to greet the relatives.
At that time, Yao Zhuo was in the Second-Order Emperor Realm while Yang Kai was a Third-Order Dao Source Realm. There was a huge gap in their strength.
But Yao Zhuo was still injured by the Emperor Authority Bead gifted by Bing Yun to Yang Kai.
Later, Yang Kai even snatched Yao Zhuo’s ring. In that Space Ring were the gifts prepared by Seeking Passion Sect for the wedding, allowing Yang Kai to make a fortune from it.
This happened only a few years ago, so Yang Kai remembered it very vividly. So, when Bing Yun mentioned Seeking Passion Sect’s Vice Sect Master, he of course recalled Yao Zhuo.
On another side, Zhang Sun Yin’s lips moved up and down as she informed Ji Yao about what happened a few years back via Divine Sense Message.
Ji Yao was speechless after hearing the full story and suddenly realized that Yang Kai was an out and out robber. A few years back, he had snatched the Space Ring of a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master when he was just in the Third-Order Dao Source Realm, and during his time in the Ancient Wild Lands, he had extorted a lot of wealth from the three remaining Divine Venerables.
He was nothing less than a natural-born thief.
“How did Yao Zhuo suddenly advance to the Third-Order Emperor Realm?” Yang Kai slightly frowned.
Although Yao Zhuo was in the Second-Order Emperor Realm a few years back, breakthroughs, especially in the Emperor Realm, were incredibly difficult, often requiring hundreds, if not thousands of years of effort.
Yet Yao Zhuo had made such quick progress in his cultivation in such a short period of time.
Bing Yun replied, shaking her head, “I also have no idea. Perhaps he came upon some opportunity and made a sudden breakthrough.” She sighed and continued, “Originally, my Ice Heart Valley and Seeking Passion Sect were indeed well-matched in strength, but since Yao Zhou’s breakthrough to the Third-Order Emperor Realm, that balance was broken. I am not a match for Feng Xuan and Yao Zhuo together, so naturally Ice Heart Valley was quickly suppressed. Coupled with those recruited by Seeking Passion Sect, Ice Heart Valley has fallen into an absolute disadvantage.”
Yang Kai nodded his acknowledgment as he asked, “Then what is Senior planning? You couldn’t be thinking of hiding in the valley forever?”
Bing Yun denied, shaking her head, “I have no plans for the time being. I can only rely on the Sect Defending Array to guard the Sect for the time being.”
“The Sect Defending Array won’t last for much longer,” Yang Kai quickly said.
“Why do you say so?” Bing Yun was taken aback.
Yang Kai explained, “Junior Sister Yao and I ran into a patrol outside Ice Heart Valley upon our return, and according to him, Seeking Passion Sect has invited someone named Grandmaster Nanmen who happens to be proficient in cracking Spirit Arrays. Senior, have you heard of this individual?”
“Grandmaster Nanmen…” Bing Yun furrowed her brow slightly.
An Ruo Yun, on the other hand, cried out in shock, “Nanmen Da Jun!?”
Sun Yun Xiu and Zhang Sun Ying’s pretty faces also turned pale; apparently, they knew about this Grandmaster Nanmen.
Bing Yun cast a questioning gaze at An Ruo Yun, who hurriedly replied, “Honoured Master, Nanmen Da Jun is indeed an Array Master and is a famous figure in the Northern Territory. He is very accomplished in the Dao of Arrays.”
Bing Yun’s pretty face sank as she asked, “What is his background? Does he have a connection with the Seeking Passion Sect?”
She had left the Northern Territory for too long, so she had not heard of Nanmen Da Jun.
An Ruo Yun replied, “He should have nothing to do with the Seeking Passion Sect. As far as this Disciple knows, Nanmen Da Jun was just a commoner who obtained an ancient inheritance related to Spirit Arrays in the past. He is self-taught and does not belong to any Sect or Family. Apparently, because he had suffered greatly and was bullied a lot in his youth, he now only believes in money, not loyalty or people. As long as he is paid well enough, anyone can hire him.”
Sun Yun Xiu agreed, nodding, “But Nanmen Da Jun has always been a hidden dragon, only showing his tail but never his face. I never thought that Seeking Passion Sect could actually find him. They must have paid quite a hefty price.”
Bing Yun also turned serious as she asked, “Yang Kai, is this news true?”
Yang Kai replied, “I have only heard from an outside source. Whether it’s true or not, Senior should just ask herself.”
Saying so, Yang Kai kicked Fang Ming Hui, who was lying on the ground, and stated, coldly snorting, “Get up, if you keep pretending to be dead, I will really kill you!”
Fang Ming Hui, who seemed unconscious, immediately got up with a jolt. His face was pale as he cupped his fasts and greeted, “Greetings, Senior Bing Yun, greetings, beautiful Seniors, this lowly one is Fang Ming Hui, a member of Jade City’s Fang Family. I have nothing to do with Seeking Passion Sect, Seniors, please understand!”
He had woken at some point and had obviously heard most of the conversation, so he knew that the one sitting before him was Bing Yun.
“Did I ask you this? Did I ask you to say this?” Yang Kai went up and started kicking and punching him. While beating him black and blue, he stated, “If you dare to speak more nonsense, I will tear you into ten thousand pieces.”
Fang Ming Hui didn’t even try to protect himself and obediently took the beating, pleading with a crying face, “Sir, I will speak whatever you want me to speak!”
Yang Kai snorted, “Senior Bing Yun has some questions to ask you, honestly answer her; otherwise, you will regret it.”
“Yes, yes, yes!” Fang Ming Hui repeatedly nodded.
Although he had known that his Fang Family’s disciples had all been killed, he couldn’t even think of taking revenge at this moment. Who asked him to be weak, who asked him to actively take part in a battle between two top Sects?
Bing Yun, looking at Fang Ming Hui, asked, “What’s this about Nanmen Da Jun?”
Fang Ming Hui replied, grimacing, “Senior, I am also not that clear about it. This lowly one had just heard a rumour from someone he knows that Sect Master Feng Xuan… I mean, that old bastard Feng Xuan invited Grandmaster Nanmen, who began researching methods to break the Sect Defending Array upon arrival. Supposedly he claimed to need half a month to a month to find an appropriate method. Once the Array was broken, at that time, the hundred thousand cultivators gathered outside will charge into Ice Heart Valley and flatten it.”
“Is that everything you know?” Bing Yun furrowed her brow.
Fang Ming Hui replied, “Senior, please understand! My Fang Family isn’t a strong force and although we have taken refuge with the Seeking Passion Sect, we were only responsible for patrolling the periphery. We really don’t know about such confidential matters, nor have we done anything despicable to Ice Heart Valley.”
Yang Kai added, “He also said that the Seeking Passion Sect had issued a Recruitment Order, promising many benefits to anyone who joined their crusade.”
“I already know about this,” Bing Yun nodded, “Otherwise how could Seeking Passion Sect alone have gathered a hundred thousand people?”
Ice Heart Valley’s disciples numbered less than ten thousand at its peak, and after fighting various big and small battles over the last few years, their numbers had dropped to just around seven thousand. Seven thousand vs a hundred thousand was a difference in numbers that could send anyone in despair, not to mention that the Seeking Passion Sect has also recruited many Masters, while also possessing two Third-Order Emperors.”
Once the Sect Defending Array was broken, Ice Heart Valley would surely fall, and at that time, perhaps only a few disciples would be able to escape with their lives.
The situation was so severe that a gloomy atmosphere filled the hall.
They thought that with the Sect Defending Array, the Seeking Passion Sect could only stare at them but not deliver a fatal blow, but now they came to realize that it was just wishful thinking on their part.
Yang Kai pondered for a moment before speaking, “Ice Heart Valley is in this predicament because of me. If I were to…”
Feng Xuan didn’t hesitate to start a war between the two Sects, ignoring the general situation of the Northern Territory, because he wanted to avenge his son, Feng Xi, while it was Yang Kai who killed Feng Xi. Yang Kai felt that if he took the initiative to show his face, he should be able to lure Seeking Passion Sect away. At that time, the danger Ice Heart Valley was facing might be resolved without even needing to fight.
“Impossible!” Before he could finish his sentence though, Bing Yun refuted, shaking her head.
An Ruo Yun, Sun Yun Xiu, Zhang Sun Ying and the others also began to dissuade him.
Bing Yun continued to explain, “Although you may have been the spark that started this conflict, Feng Xuan’s Seeking Passion Sect has been eyeing my Ice Heart Valley since long ago. You also know all about Seeking Passion Sect’s Seeking Passion Supreme Art, and how many Seeking Passion Sect disciples have been cultivating it. On the other hand, my Ice Heart Valley’s disciples are all talented and beautiful, making them the best furnaces to cultivate their Secret Art. Therefore, even if you surrendered yourself to them, Seeking Passion Sect would not stop. Since the things had reached this point, they will settle for nothing less than the total destruction of Ice Heart Valley.”
What she said made sense, drawing a sigh from Yang Kai’s lips.
Bing Yun stood up at that point and said, “Although my Ice Heart Valley is now in dire straits, the Seeking Passion Sect won’t be able to destroy us so easily. Yang Kai, you need not worry about this issue. Since you are here now, stay a few days to rest. Zi Yu, take your Martial Uncle Yang to an appropriate accommodation.”
“Yes!” Zi Yu answered, turning to Yang Kai and saying, “Uncle Yang, this way please.”
Yang Kai nodded, knowing that Bing Yun and the others still had matters to discuss, and that it wouldn’t be appropriate for an outsider like him to be present, he obediently followed Zi Yu.
Leaving the main hall, the beautiful scenery in Ice Heart Valley came into view.
After walking for a while, Zi Yu suddenly pursed her lips and said with a smile, “It was Senior Brother a few years ago, but now it’s Martial Uncle.”
Yang Kai was startled, but soon laughed and said, “If Sister Zi Yu doesn’t mind, let’s speak casually to each other like before.”
When the two met a few years ago, Yang Kai referred to Zi Yu as Junior Sister, but now Bing Yun’s words had raised him a generation higher.
But this was not surprising. Yang Kai got along well with Ji Yao, as if they belonged to the same generation, so with Zi Yu being Ji Yao’s Junior, it was only appropriate that she address him as Martial Uncle now.
Zi Yu shook her head immediately and replied, “I’m afraid I cannot agree to that. If Ancestral Founder were to hear about such disrespectful behaviour, I would certainly be punished.” After a pause, she continued, “Right, I also want to thank Martial Uncle Yang for his assistance in the Shattered Star Sea. If not for Martial Uncle Yang leading those bastards away, Zi Yu is afraid that she wouldn’t have been able to break through so smoothly.”
“It was just a small matter, no need to worry about it,” Yang Kai smiled slightly.
The two of them continued chatting until they arrived at a small, exquisite courtyard decorated with red plum trees and snow frost lotuses.
“Martial Uncle Yang, there is no need for you to be polite when you come to Ice Heart Valley, just call if you have any instructions,” Zi Yu showed Yang Kai into the courtyard and said.
“Good, you can return, I’ll be fine here,” Yang Kai nodded.
Zi Yu bowed politely before taking her leave.
Yang Kai turned his head and looked around the courtyard before opening the door to a certain hut, entering, and sitting down cross-legged to meditate and cultivate.
Liu Xian Yun arrived a few moments later.
She and Yang Kai arrived at the Star Boundary together. Although they were from different Star Fields, the Senior Brother and Junior Sister had supported each other in the Blue Feather Sect for a brief period of time. They also went through difficult times together in the Solitary Void Sealed World, forming a firm relationship.
After leaving the Solitary Void Sealed World, Liu Xian Yun stayed in Ice Heart Valley, which was excellent for her.
She did not come to see Yang Kai for any specific matter, it was just that she did not see him for a few years and missed him.
After a long chat, Yang Kai learned that life was great for her and that she had officially become Bing Yun’s Disciple.
She was absolutely qualified for such an honour; after all, she was like Yang Kai, a cultivator who ascended from a lower Star Field. Back then, in the Grand Desolation Star Field, her aptitude was no worse than Yin Le Sheng’s; however, due to her inferior background and heritage, she was forced into a subordinate position.
If Yin Le Sheng could join the Netherworld Sect and become a Legacy Disciple of its Sect Master, Liu Xian Yun could naturally achieve a similar height.
Over all these years, her impeded progress in cultivation was due to her tough life and insufficiency of resources.
Now that she had become a disciple of Bing Yun, with abundant cultivation resources and excellent teachers, her potential had begun to blossom. In just a few years, she had broken through to the Second-Order Dao Source Realm and was well on her way to becoming a Third-Order Dao Source Realm Master. Although her cultivation as a Martial Aunt was inferior to many of her Martial Nephews and Nieces, her future was bright.
She got along well with her Martial Sisters in Ice Heart Valley, and she made this place her home.
Knowing this, Yang Kai was relieved.
Later on, Liu Xian Yun asked about Yang Kai’s life over the past few years.
There was nothing much for him to say. He spent most of the past few years in the Shattered Star Sea, and after leaving it, he rushed to the Eastern Territory’s Ancient Wild Lands without stopping to find Xiao Xiao, meeting the Four Great Divine Venerables in the process.
Yang Kai picked a few of the tamer stories to tell, hiding the dangerous points, but Liu Xian Yun still listened with great enthusiasm as he described his amazing adventures. She felt that Yang Kai’s life was always so wonderful and thrilling.
“Right, Junior Sister, I have a gift for you,” Yang Kai abruptly seemed to remember something.
“What is it?” Liu Xian Yun asked curiously.
Yang Kai grinned, “Just relax and don’t resist.”
After hearing this, Liu Xian Yun gently nodded and took a deep breath, lowering her guard completely as she even closed her eyes.
She was completely defenceless against Yang Kai at this moment. In other words, if Yang Kai intended to harm her, she could be instantly killed.
If she did not have absolute trust in Yang Kai, she would not act like this.
After searching in the Small Sealed World for a while, Yang Kai flipped his hand and a cluster of dim light appeared on his palm. The light actually released a familiar Source aura with its emergence. Looking closely, the cluster of light seemed to be filled with stars in it, like a starry night shrunk down countless times.
In a moment of suspicion, Liu Xian Yun quickly opened her eyes.
She was stunned at the object on Yang Kai’s hand, and questioned curiously, “Senior Brother Yang, what is that?”
Yang Kai replied solemnly, “A Star Source!”
“Star Source?” Liu Xian Yun’s tender body trembled in astonishment.
She naturally knew what a Star Source was since she was from the Grand Desolation Star Field. A Star Source was the core, foundation, and life of a Cultivation Star. Such a vibrant Star Source could only be born by a Cultivation Star after millions of years, and without one, a Star would degrade into a Dead Star.
One could only become a Star Master by refining the Star Source of a Cultivation Star in a Star Field.
But it was not easy to become a Star Master. Even a Third-Order Origin King could not guarantee their safety when attempting the refinement process. Among the countless Star Fields, there was an enormous number of Origin Kings who had died trying to refine a Star Source.
Back then, there were only a few Star Masters in the entire Grand Desolation Star Field, with Yin Le Sheng being one of them.
Liu Xian Yun had thought of becoming a Star Master by refining the Source Strength of a Star in the Grand Desolation Star Field before, but unfortunately, the Netherworld Sect was in control of everything in the Grand Desolation Star Field, so she did not have a chance to refine one.
Only after reaching the Star Boundary did she realize how rare and important Star Sources were, and that it was almost impossible for ordinary people to catch a glimpse of one.
She thought that it would be impossible for her to come across a Star Source in her lifetime; but contrary to her expectations, there was one in front of her now.
“Is… Is this from the Shattered Star Sea?” Liu Xian Yun asked in a trembling voice.
“En!” Yang Kai nodded.
He had gained a lot of benefits from the Shattered Star Sea, including comprehending the Time Flies Seal, obtaining the Phoenix True Fire and the Mountains and Rivers Bell, and witnessing the battle between the two Great Emperors, Bustling World and Heaven Devouring… A number of Star Sources were also among his gains.
“No, no, no, this is far too precious, I cannot accept it!” Liu Xian Yun rapidly rejected with her head shaking and her hands waving.
Yang Kai beamed, “Why not? It’s just a Star Source. You and I have known each other for so many years already, and now that your Senior Brother is quite successful in cultivation, he can afford to give you some small gifts. Why reject me?”
Although her desire was piqued, Liu Xian Yun still firmly shook her head, “Senior Brother Yang, if you give me other gifts, Junior Sister wouldn’t reject you, but a Star Source… Is something I cannot accept. You should refine it yourself. Once you successfully refine it, your efficiency in cultivation would definitely increase tremendously. It’s said that those cultivators who have refined Star Sources have a great affinity with World Principles!”
“Of course I know about that, but I am already a Star Master, remember?” Yang Kai chuckled softly.
His identity as a Star Master was revealed to Liu Xian Yun during their first encounter in the Starlight Corridor. He had a complete Star Source in his body since long ago and that was one of the reasons his cultivation speed had been so fast through these years.
“I know Senior Brother has one, but you can refine a second one still. Although the effect would not be as good as the first, it would still certainly help you,” Liu Xian Yun insisted.
Yang Kai shook his head, “Since I already planned to give it to you, I won’t take it back. Moreover, I have plenty of Star Sources!”
“Plenty…” Liu Xian Yun was dumbstruck, barely believing her ears.
She knew that Yang Kai had gone to the Shattered Star Sea and had even heard Zi Yu mention that at the Source Sea in the Shattered Star Sea, many Masters obtained complete Star Sources. At most though, one could obtain three or four complete Star Sources. Therefore, she thought Yang Kai was trying to comfort her by telling her that he had plenty of Star Sources.
Little did she know that in fact, Yang Kai did not just have three to four Star Source, but as many as thirty or forty.
The other complete Star Sources were all stored in the Sealed World Bead. Yang Kai had his own plans in using these complete Star Sources, but it did not hurt him to give one to Liu Xian Yun.
“Here!” While speaking, Yang Kai directly pushed the Star Source in his hand towards Liu Xian Yun, using his Star Refining Art to begin fusing it with her before she could react.
Liu Xian Yun moaned as she felt a little uncomfortable.
It was not easy to refine a Star Source. For those cultivators who snatched the Star Sources in the Shattered Star Sea, they temporarily sealed them in their own bodies and suppressed them with their cultivation, planning to slowly refine them once they returned to their Sects. As for whether they could succeed, that was up to chance.
During the process, they might suffer backlash from the rich Source Strength, possibly resulting in their death. It was not uncommon for their bodies to explode from the immense Source Strength they were trying to refine or from the swirling World Principles it would attract.
“I’m going to teach you a Secret Technique now, so listen carefully. With the aid of this Secret Technique, you can refine this Source easily and will not experience any danger,” Yang Kai remarked seriously.
Liu Xian Yun knew that at this point, she could not reject it anymore, so she immediately sat down and listened to him intently.
Yang Kai passed the Star Refining Art to Liu Xian Yun next while also instructing her to keep its existence a secret. Naturally, Liu Xian Yun complied.
It took more than half a day for Liu Xian Yun to memorize the Star Refining Art before she got up and declared, “Senior Brother Yang, I’ll go back to refine this Star Source now. If you need anything, just ask the disciples standing by outside.”
“I know, good luck,” Yang Kai smiled lightly.
After sending Liu Xian Yun off, Yang Kai went back to his room and sat down cross-legged while taking out some Source Crystals to cultivate.
On the third day, he suddenly opened his eyes and called out, “Enter.”
Soon, the sound of light footsteps was heard, and the door was pushed open. A beautiful looking female disciple greeted, “Martial Uncle Yang, what can I do for you?”
Yang Kai answered, “I want to see Senior Bing Yun.”
“Please follow me, Martial Uncle Yang.” The disciple immediately led the way.
Yang Kai was not just a guest in Ice Heart Valley, but rather their closest friend. A general order had been given that no matter what Yang Kai required, the disciples had to fulfil his needs.
He did not even need to formally request an audience in order to see Bing Yun.
Soon, under the guidance of the female disciple, Yang Kai came to the front of a grand palace.
Just as he arrived, Bing Yun’s voice echoed from the inner hall, “Is it Yang Kai? Come in.”
Obviously, she had sensed his presence.
The female disciple gestured to Yang Kai to enter. After nodding, Yang Kai stepped inside.
This palace should be the place where Bing Yun cultivated in seclusion. The decorations inside were not luxurious, but they were clean and pure.
As Yang Kai walked in, Bing Yun also entered from her inner room, followed closely by Ji Yao.
When he met eyes with Ji Yao, Yang Kai could not help feeling guilty, forcing himself to smile but only receiving an emotionless stare from her, one that hid all her thoughts and feelings.
“Greetings, Senior,” Yang Kai cupped his fist as he saluted Bing Yun.
Bing Yun smiled lightly, “Have a seat.” She then turned to Ji Yao, “Yao’er, tea.”
“Yes!” Ji Yao swiftly prepared the tea.
Yang Kai sat down with an uncomfortable expression.
He did not expect Ji Yao to be here, but on second thought, both Master and Disciple had finally reunited after not seeing each other for thousands of years, so it was natural that Ji Yao would stay close to Bing Yun and fulfil her filial duties.
With a quick effort, two steaming cups of tea were ready. Ji Yao served Bing Yun the first cup of tea, then put down another cup beside Yang Kai, “Senior Brother Yang, have some tea.”
“Many thanks!” Yang Kai nodded in appreciation.
He really did not understand what was going on in Ji Yao’s mind and wondered if she would retaliate against him in the future. However, he could not sense anything from her expressionless face while her treatment towards him was akin to how one would treat a total stranger, with no enthusiasm, quite unlike in the past.
“I apologize, I have been busy with the foreign enemies lately and haven’t had time to see you. Are you accustomed to living in the valley?” Bing Yun asked.
“Yes, I am…” Yang Kai kept nodding his head, “Ice Heart Valley has great people and beautiful scenery. There is nothing uncomfortable about this place.”
“That’s good,” Bing Yun smiled lightly before suddenly declaring solemnly, “But you won’t be staying long, I will personally send you out of here in two days.”
Startled, Yang Kai asked, “Is Senior planning to face the Seeking Passion Sect in a final decisive battle?”
Bing Yun gave a nod, “They are already right at our doorstep, and we, Ice Heart Valley, have no choice but to fight.”
“Is there any chance of winning?” Yang Kai questioned in a heavy tone.
Bing Yun shook her head, “No, but it won’t be easy for them to destroy my Ice Heart Valley. Yang Kai, as we speak about this matter, I still have a favour to ask.”
Yang Kai urged her solemnly, “Senior, ask away.”
Bing Yun sighed, “I established Ice Heart Valley thousands of years ago, but now that its safety is in jeopardy, I hope to preserve its foundation somehow. When I send you away, I hope you can bring some disciples with you and away from the Northern Territory. No matter where you send them, you must tell them not to be reckless and appear before our enemies as they are bound to be defeated. They mustn’t return to the Northern Territory until they are prepared. If they wish to take revenge, they must first be strong enough. If they’re not willing to take revenge… Then, just settle for a peaceful, steady life.”
Yang Kai’s heart sank as he listened, knowing that Bing Yun was telling him her last will. It seemed that she was determined to perish together with Ice Heart Valley.
“Those disciples will be led by Zi Yu. Yang Kai, you and Zi Yu are considered acquaintances, so I will leave them in your hands,” Bing Yun looked at Yang Kai with a solemn face.
Yang Kai frowned and asked pensively, “Senior, is the situation… that severe?”
Bing Yun shook her head, “There are a hundred thousand of them against only seven thousand of us. There is no chance Ice Heart Valley will emerge victoriously.”
Ji Yao, who was standing behind Bing Yun, suddenly spoke up, “Senior Brother Yang, is it possible for you to seek help from those in the Eastern Territory? We don’t need many, just two or three… “
Yang Kai shook his head in disagreement, “Their aid will be too slow to be of any help!”
Yang Kai knew who exactly Ji Yao was referring to.
It could only be the Great Divine Venerables in the Ancient Wild Lands. There was no need for Luan Feng or the other Divine Spirits to appear personally either as a few Monster Kings would be enough to completely flip the situation, but they were too far away in the Ancient Lands of the Eastern Territory.
Ice Heart Valley would be breached long before Yang Kai could return with help from the Ancient Wild Lands.
Moreover, they belonged to the Monster Race, so their appearance might anger the Great Emperors if they intervened rashly with the matters of Human Sects. Luan Feng did not even dare make a move when she accompanied Yang Kai to the Netherworld Sect, only killing Zhou Yong after he repeatedly provoked her.
Although those existences of the Ancient Wild Lands were powerful, there were many limits to the actions they could take when they left their own territory.
Ji Yao obviously knew this too and only asked that out of desperation; but after hearing Yang Kai’s answer, she sighed helplessly.
Yang Kai pondered, “Senior, I’ve thought about this issue for the past two days and concluded that the reason why Ice Heart Valley is at stake now is simply that the enemy has an Array Grandmaster on their side.”
Bing Yun nodded in agreement, “Yes, this Nanmen Da Jun is quite capable. The Sect Defending Array of Ice Heart Valley has already begun to show signs of weakening. He may even be able to break through the Spirit Array if we gave him another ten days to a half month.”
Yang Kai grinned broadly, “What if he didn’t have ten days or half a month?”
Startled, Bing Yun probed him, “What do you mean?”
Yang Kai continued, “This is what I think. Didn’t the Seeking Passion Sect issue a Recruitment Order? Perhaps I can pretend to submit to the Seeking Passion Sect and infiltrate their ranks so I can find an opportunity to eliminate Nanmen Da Jun.”
“That won’t work!” Bing Yun was shocked, “I know you are proficient in the Dao of Space, but now there are numerous powerful enemies outside Ice Heart Valley, including many Emperor Realm Masters. If anything goes wrong, I’m afraid you will have no chance to escape. And, don’t forget, those top leaders of the Seeking Passion Sect must know what you look like. No. Absolutely not. This is Ice Heart Valley’s matter, how can I possibly allow you to take such risks?”
Yang Kai chuckled slightly and assured her, “Senior, don’t worry about the issue of appearance. As long as I do not meet Feng Xuan or Yao Zhuo in person, I believe the others will fail to recognize me.”
Bing Yun frowned slightly, “Did you cultivate some kind of special Secret Technique?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “No.”
Ji Yao suddenly interjected up, “Does Senior Brother mean to ask Martial Niece Tian He?”
Yang Kai looked at her with a smile, “Exactly.”
Ji Yao thought for a while before nodding, “Senior Brother’s plan might be feasible then.”
Bing Yun looked bewildered as she asked, “Tian He? That disciple who came back with you a few days ago? She is just a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator. What can she contribute in this situation?”
Ji Yao smiled, answering, “Honoured Master, although Martial Niece Tian He lacks in cultivation, she has a very profound skill.”
“What kind of skill?”
Ji Yao replied, “Her Disguise Technique is exceptional. Last time in Serenity City, I didn’t find any flaws even when she stood right in front of me. If Senior Brother Yang hadn’t noticed a slight flaw and warned me, I’m afraid this Disciple would have been deceived by her.”
Bing Yun was intrigued, “Does she have such ability?”
If even Ji Yao could not see through her disguise, other Second-Order Emperor Realm Masters would probably not be able to do so either. Such disguising ability was simply astonishing.
Yang Kai nodded, “With the help of Martial Niece Tian He, it will be unlikely that I will be recognized even if I walked into Seeking Passion Sect. As long as I infiltrate them and find a chance to kill or abduct Nanmen Da Jun, no one will be able to break through the valley’s defences.”
Bing Yun’s eyes lit up when she heard this, but her excitement quickly died down. Shaking her head as she smiled wryly, “It still wouldn’t work. Even if you killed Nanmen Da Jun, the outcome would be the same.”
“Why?” It was now Yang Kai’s and Ji Yao’s turn to be astonished.
Sighing, Bing Yun explained, “Although the Defending Array of Ice Heart Valley is powerful, it consumes too much when it is used at full strength. Even without Nanmen Da Jun, we won’t be able to hold on for more than two months. In two months, the array will fail regardless, so the outcome will not change.”
Yang Kai was instantly relieved, “If that’s the case, Senior doesn’t need to worry. I have some Source Crystals on me, enough to sustain Ice Heart Valley for a long time, and… two months is enough for me to make a trip back to the Eastern Territory to seek help.”
As long as he could buy some time, he could return to the Eastern Territory to bring out a few Monster Kings.
By then, whether the Seeking Passion Sect had a hundred thousand cultivators or two or three hundred thousand cultivators on their side, it would not be a problem.
“Who will you look for in the Eastern Territory?” Bing Yun asked strangely.
“Junior Sister Yao knows,” Yang Kai smiled slightly.
Ji Yao darted her eyes towards Bing Yun and quietly sent her a Divine Sense transmission.
Thunderstruck, she asked Yang Kai in amazement, “Yang Kai, could you really move them?”
“For a trivial matter like this, they should be willing to help,” Yang Kai smiled confidently, and before Bing Yun could object, he pressed on, “Then, this matter is settled. Let’s not delay, I will go to Martial Niece Tian He now!”
He was the one who caused this mess for Ice Heart Valley in the first place, so he could not possibly stay out of it now. He had been racking his brains for the past few days for a way to resolve this catastrophe, and now, he had come up with a solution.
“Wait, Senior Brother Yang, count me in for this matter,” Ji Yao yelled quickly.
“You?” Yang Kai turned his head in shock, and waved his hand, “No, no, I can do this alone, and it’s more troublesome with an extra person.”
Ji Yao insisted, “This is a matter regarding Ice Heart Valley, how can I let an outsider take all the risk alone? I have to go with you.”
Before Yang Kai could refuse again, she sent him a Divine Sense transmission, “Senior Brother Yang, if you dare utter another objection, I will tell the Honoured Master that you have profaned me before.”
Yang Kai’s face froze as cold sweat instantly began dripping down his back. He quickly swallowed the words he wanted to say and changed his tone entirely, “The company of Junior Sister Yao would naturally be best, aha.. haha…”
Bing Yun obviously noticed his insincerity, and wondered what Ji Yao had said to him that changed his attitude so drastically.
But at this point, she could not object either as what Yang Kai said was true, if everything went well, Ice Heart Valley could avoid the fate of being destroyed. Bing Yun had to consider the fate of the seven thousand disciples of her Sect first and foremost.
“Since you insist on this, then ask Tian He to come here, I wish to see her Disguise Technique personally before I make a final decision.”
Ji Yao nodded enthusiastically, “I will ask Eldest Senior Sister to bring her over.”
After speaking, she took out the communication artifact and poured her Divine Sense into it.
Yang Kai also returned to his chair and sat down. He did not look pleased at all, and even the sweet tea that he sipped tasted bitter. He looked at Ji Yao quietly, only to find that she was completely ignoring him, as if the words she spoke before hadn’t come from her mouth.
Within a short time, An Ruo Yun was outside the hall, requesting for a meeting, with Shi Tian He by her side, entering soon after being given permission from Bing Yun.
After the necessary greetings, An Ruo Yun asked, “Honoured Master, what can I do for you?”
Bing Yun answered, “There’s nothing you need to do, I just want Tian He to do something.”
At her words, Shi Tian He hurriedly said, “Ancestral Founder, please give your order, this Disciple will do everything in her power.”
Bing Yun smiled in response, “Don’t be nervous. It’s just that I heard that your Disguise Technique is exceptional. I want to see if it is really that amazing.”
Shi Tian He answered respectfully, “It’s just some paltry tricks, I’m afraid it’s nothing in Ancestral Founder’s eyes.”
An Ruo Yun glared at her, and reprimanded, “Since Ancestral Founder wants to see it, just show it to her.”
“Yes!” Shi Tian He answered honestly, “Then this Disciple will not hesitate to show her inadequacies.”
Yang Kai addressed her, “Tian He, disguise my appearance.”
Shi Tian He looked at Bing Yun for permission, and seeing her nod in approval, she stood in front of Yang Kai and said softly, “Pardon me, Martial Uncle Yang.”
While speaking, she stretched out her hand and took out an assortment of items before placing them on the table next to Yang Kai. Everyone fixed their eyes on the items and found that these things were similar to mud and rouge, seemingly nothing special, possessing no obvious energy fluctuations either.
Shi Tian He fixed her eyes on Yang Kai’s face carefully, her face filled with concentration, taking a moment before she took a deep breath and began moving her hands in a fluid manner, picking up one material after another to smudge and smear across Yang Kai’s face while at the same time using some kind of ingenious technique to merge them together.
Right before everyone’s eyes, Yang Kai’s appearance changed dramatically.
His original somewhat handsome face was transformed into a dull, ordinary look with Shi Tian He’s Disguise Technique, which An Ruo Yun and the others watched with wide-eyed amazement.
They would not believe that a simple Disguise Technique could change one’s appearance to such an extent if they did not witness it with their own eyes.
After about an hour of effort, Shi Tian He smeared some material on Yang Kai’s face for the last time before nodding, “It’s done.”
She took a few steps back while An Ruo Yun and Ji Yao immediately drew in to have a closer look, and they were shocked to find that there was absolutely no flaw in this disguise. It seemed as though this man in front of them was born with this plain and dull appearance.
The only thing that was unchanged was Yang Kai’s aura.
However, there were not many people who had met him in Seeking Passion Sect, except for Feng Xuan and Yao Zhuo, so as long as he did not reveal his aura in front of them, they probably would not be able to notice anything.
Bing Yun’s enchanting eyes lit up, “What a miraculous technique. Tian He, your Disguise Technique is amazing.”
It could be seen how breathtaking Shi Tian He’s technique was from Bing Yun’s appraisal.
Flabbergasted, An Ruo Yun asked, “Tian He, where did you learn this from? Does the Dong Family in Serenity City have such a technique?”
Although Shi Tian He was her disciple, she was certain she did not teach Shi Tian He this technique. Therefore, it was obvious that she learned it when she went to Serenity City, but how could a trivial small family possess such a magical technique?
Shi Tian He shook her head in denial, “This Disguise Technique was not from the Dong Family. Disciple learned it from a stranger.”
“A stranger?” An Ruo Yun was stunned.
Shi Tian He explained with a reminiscent look, “It was almost sixty years ago. There was a beggar who came to Serenity City. He was dishevelled and despised by most people. One day, he was beaten and collapsed in front of the Dong Residence. This disciple saw him when she came back from an outing and asked someone to carry him to the storage shed in the courtyard to allow him to recover. After that, before he was about to leave, he came to this disciple and passed on this Disguise Technique to her as a gift of gratitude. This disciple didn’t take it seriously at that time, but later when I tested it during my spare time, I realized that this Disguise Technique was nothing short of astonishing.”
“A beggar…” An Ruo Yun and Ji Yao looked at each other, unable to believe this story.
“That man was certainly no beggar, but rather some powerful Senior Expert.” With a flash in her beautiful eyes, Bing Yun continued, “Tian He, you obtained such an opportunity due to your kind heart. Good deeds result in good karma.”
An Ruo Yun and Ji Yao nodded one after another in agreement.
If that person was really an ordinary beggar, how could he have such a miraculous Disguise Technique? It was almost certain that ‘beggar’ was a powerful Master who had a penchant for playing pranks. Some Masters had such strange character quirks, enjoying pretending to be weak to mix with the common people instead of living a more normal life.
“It is a bit unfortunate…” Bing Yun sighed.
“How so, Honoured Master?” An Ruo Yun asked.
Bing Yun explained, “That Senior is probably, in a way, looking for a successor. Unfortunately, Tian He did not meet his requirements, so he didn’t pass down his mantle and instead just gifted her this Disguise Technique as a sign of gratitude.”
“Too bad indeed,” An Ruo Yun nodded in agreement.
If one could really obtain the inheritance of such a Master, perhaps Shi Tian He would already be an Emperor Realm Master like Zi Yu, and the Dong Family would not have been exterminated.
“Did the beggar look… ugly and cunning, with a mouthful of yellow teeth?” After listening for a while from the side, Yang Kai suddenly asked.
Startled, Shi Tian He replied, “Martial Uncle Yang knows this Senior?”
“Yeah… I most likely know him…” Yang Kai nodded his head with an exasperated expression.
A stranger who could sublimate a simple Disguise Technique to such a degree, and also happened to be an ugly and cunning beggar… Yang Kai already had an idea of his identity in his mind.
It was reasonable that this technique could carry out such a miraculous effect if ‘he’ was the source.
Seeing that Yang Kai did not intend to discuss the stranger’s identity further, Bing Yun did not press him on it, instead remarking with a nod, “This Disguise Technique is truly amazing. Even if this Queen was the one inspecting it, I would likely still be fooled.”
“Then this plan is feasible,” Yang Kai beamed.
Bing Yun was still worried, however, “The enemies outside are still quite strong though. If anything goes wrong, how will you escape? It would be better to let Tian He disguise this Queen’s appearance to carry out this plan in person.”
Yang Kai hurriedly shook his head in disagreement, “I’m afraid that is not a feasible plan. Senior, you are a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master, so if you were to go out and accept the Recruitment Order, Feng Xuan or Yao Zhuo would certainly be informed and come to inspect the situation. You will be exposed as soon as either of those two appear before you, but it is different for me. Junior is just a First-Order Emperor, so my cultivation will not be enough to alarm them. Once I enter their ranks, I should still be placed in an important position though, which is convenient for us to execute our plan. Say no more, Senior. This matter is settled, and you don’t have to worry about my safety. If any unfavourable situation happens, I’ll run away immediately.”
Bing Yun sighed as she knew that Yang Kai had made up his mind, “Then you must be careful.” It was fruitless to try and persuade him anymore, so she just advised him gratefully.
Yang Kai nodded, “I still need Senior’s help on one more thing!”
“Just speak your mind.”
“I need a lot of Space Spirit Crystals. It would be best if I could have some Space Spirit Jade.”
“Good,” Bing Yun nodded, “I will ask someone to check the storehouse. If there are Space Spirit Crystals and Space Spirit Jade, I’ll have them brought to you.”
Both Space Spirit Crystal and Space Spirit Jade were in great demand in the Star Boundary, because these two things were the main materials for refining Storage Artifacts, such as Space Rings and Space Bracelets.
In comparison, Space Spirit Jade was a grade higher than Space Spirit Crystal.
Although Bing Yun had no idea what Yang Kai wanted to do with these Space Spirit Crystals and Space Spirit Jades, she agreed to his request without any hesitation or questions.
“Tian He, disguise your Martial Aunt Ji Yao’s appearance too,” after instructing Shi Tian He, Yang Kai turned to Ji Yao, “Junior Sister Yao, I’ll get ready first and we’ll depart tonight.”
Ji Yao glanced at him and nodded slightly without question.
Then, Yang Kai immediately exited the hall with a flicker.
After leaving the palace, Yang Kai did not return to his courtyard, however, and instead rushed to the edge of Ice Heart Valley.
Not long after, he arrived at the place on the Sect Defending Array where he and Ji Yao had entered from a few days ago.
“Who goes there?!” Zhang Sun Ying, who was still guarding this place, instantly dashed out from her hiding place as soon as she sensed his arrival, staring at Yang Kai with a cold face, the rest of her disciples also moving to surround him.
“Junior Sister Zhang Sun!” Yang Kai grinned at Zhang Sun Ying, “It’s me, don’t be nervous.”
“Are you… Senior Brother Yang?” Zhang Sun Ying furrowed her brows slightly and asked, befuddled, “How did you become like this?”
She was indeed taken aback by the sudden appearance of a strange man. She thought that the Sect Defending Array of Ice Heart Valley had been penetrated imperceptibly, otherwise, there would not be an incident here.
But after hearing his voice, Zhang Sun Ying knew that this strange man was none other than Yang Kai, it was just that the change of his facial features was so drastic that she could not recognize him at all.
“I was ordered by Senior Bing Yun to do something outside. Please open the Spirit Array for a moment.” While speaking, Yang Kai pointed at the array.
“Good, wait a moment!” Zhang Sun Ying did not refuse his request. She did not verify this matter with Bing Yun because Bing Yun had informed them that Yang Kai was a friend to them and they should accommodate all his requests without needing to report to her.
Zhang Sun Ying took out a token and put it on her hand. After carefully observing the situation outside and confirming that there was no one nearby, she gently shook the token towards the light curtain of the array.
A mysterious light beamed, and a crack suddenly appeared on the tightly closed barrier.
Yang Kai instantly flew out of the array as he sent Zhang Sun Ying a Divine Sense transmission, “It may take as short as two to three days or as long as five to six days, but I’ll definitely return to this spot. At that time, I’ll have to trouble Junior Sister Zhang Sun to open the array for me again.”
“No problem!” Zhang Sun Yin quickly responded. After confirming Yang Kai’s departure, she sealed the Spirit Array.
“Why is Martial Uncle Yang going out now disguising himself like this?” Yu Dan approached and asked curiously.
Zhang Sun Ying shook her head, replying, “I’ll report to Honoured Master to ask.”
Previously, when Yang Kai made the request, she did not report to verify his intentions because she simply obeyed Bing Yun’s orders. Now that Yang Kai was gone though, she still needed to inform her Honoured Master about it.
She immediately took out her communication artifact and poured her Divine Sense into it.
Inside the temple, Bing Yun soon noticed it and took out her communication artifact, smiling wryly as when she saw the message inside.
Below her, Ji Yao was still sitting there being disguised by Shi Tian He, preparing for ‘tonight’ when she would depart to Ice Moon City to receive the Recruitment Order together with Yang Kai, unaware that Yang Kai had just thrown her off and left on his own.
Bing Yun did not know how to explain this to Ji Yao, but she could see that Yang Kai did this on purpose. She had no idea what happened between her Third Disciple and Yang Kai, which was causing Yang Kai to avoid Ji Yao.
…..
Ice Moon City was Ice Heart Valley’s connection to the outside world and where it gathered almost all of its supplies and information from.
But since half a year ago, not a single Ice Heart Valley disciple could be seen in Ice Moon City.
Seeking Passion Sect came to Ice Moon City and seized it with overwhelming force, turning this place into its temporary stronghold while recruiting a large number of talents who coveted Ice Heart Valley’s wealth and assets. When the time was right, the Seeking Passion Sect planned to deliver Heart Valley a fatal blow to completely destroy it.
The majority of the properties in the city which belonged to Ice Heart Valley were now in ruins, with the resources having long been looted.
At this moment, there was a giant signboard with two big words inscribed on it in front of a grand palace in the Ice Moon City.
Recruitment Hall!
This was the place where the Seeking Passion Sect recruited outside aid.
Ever since Seeking Passion Sect sent out their Recruitment Order, it had attracted many cultivators to serve it by promising them countless benefits. Otherwise, it would be impossible for even a top Sect like Seeking Passion Sect to gather a hundred thousand people under its banner.
Among these people, many of them were either cultivators who lacked cultivation resources or Emperor Realm Masters who had ulterior motives. They were moved by the benefits promised by the Seeking Passion Sect and stayed to serve.
An eager, ordinary-looking young man arrived at the front of the Recruitment Hall. Although the young man had an ordinary appearance, he was dressed in exquisite robes and despite the cold temperature of the Northern Territory, he was actually fanning himself lightly while striding towards the hall, looking extremely suave.
He seemed to have caught the attention of some cultivators on the street, all of whom shook their heads and spurned him for being shameless.
The young man was, of course, Yang Kai. He had exited Ice Heart Valley quietly without getting noticed and went straight to Ice Moon City. After inquiring about the location, he headed towards the Recruitment Hall.
The hand fan in his hand was actually a Dao Source Grade High-Rank artifact, something he had collected from one of his many fallen enemies and that he had finally found a use for.
Two Seeking Passion Sect disciples were guarding the entrance of the Recruitment Hall. Their strengths were mediocre, with only First-Order Dao Source Realm cultivations, but no one dared to embarrass Seeking Passion Sect, so their cultivations did not matter as they were only given the role of gatekeeping.
The two guards exchanged disdainful looks when they saw Yang Kai strut over arrogantly.
Although their cultivations weren’t high, they had the identity of being disciples from the Seeking Passion Sect. From his appearance, Yang Kai was probably a Young Master from an unknown family, dressing in pompous clothing and strolling across the street snobbishly, as if he owned the ground he walked on.
Such an appearance could be passed as acceptable if he was extremely handsome, but his exquisite robes and elegant hand fan were completely mismatched with his completely ordinary face, making for quite a distasteful scene.
“Stop, what are you doing here?” One of the guards stretched out his hand to stop Yang Kai with an extremely cold look on his face.
Yang Kai looked up at the inscribed board, folded the fan in his hand and tapped it on the palm of his other one, “This is the Recruitment Hall, right? What do you think this Young Master is here for?”
The guard frowned and questioned, “Are you here to receive the Recruitment Order?”
“Of course,” Yang Kai smiled, unfolding the fan with a swipe and waving it a few times comfortably, giving him the appearance of someone who was quite the promising young man.
Since he was here to receive the Recruitment Order to work for Seeking Passion Sect, the two guards had no reason to stop him, so the one who had previously blocked his path nodded gently, “Go straight after you enter, then turn left and look for one of the Deacons.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly and strode into the hall.
Following the guard’s instructions, he went straight ahead, then turned left to enter a hall.
Unexpectedly, there were many waiting in line in this hall while behind several tables, Deacons from Seeking Passion Sect were interviewing those who had come to Seeking Passion Sect. If there was no problem with their backgrounds, these people would be registered and then issued a Recruitment Order.
With a Recruitment Order in hand, one would temporarily belong to the Seeking Passion Sect. After breaking the Sect Defending Array and destroying Ice Heart Valley, they would be rewarded.
After the cultivators who had clean backgrounds received the Recruitment Order, the disciples of the Seeking Passion Sect would direct them out and arrange tasks for them to do.
Yang Kai frowned slightly at the long lines behind the numerous tables. It did not look good for Ice Heart Valley that so many had come to receive the Recruitment Order from Seeking Passion Sect.
He stood there to observe for a while before immediately striding towards a table without hesitation when he had a clear picture of the registration process. With the fan in his hand swaying unceremoniously from side to side as he walked, Yang Kai shooed the people around him, “Move aside, move aside, don’t block this Master’s way.”
His arrogant and lawless attitude made it seem like he was some important figure from the Seeking Passion Sect.
The cultivators queuing up were sorely beaten by the hand fan, and the neat line was also quickly disrupted. Everyone glared at Yang Kai, but did not act rashly as they were not sure of his identity.
Sneering, Yang Kai completely ignored these people. They were here to join the Seeking Passion Sect, so they would be the enemies of Ice Heart Valley once the war started. As such, there was no need for Yang Kai to show any respect. The mysterious force sweeping out of the hand fan was enough for those cultivators to be feeling pain for the next ten days to half a month.
The Deacon of the Seeking Passion Sect sitting behind the table was furious at Yang Kai’s arrogant behaviour which completely disrespected the Seeking Passion Sect. He coldly snorted, “Junior, stop this racket!”
“That’s right, he’s too rude, Sir Deacon must teach him a lesson!”
“It burns! This brat is hitting others too rampantly! Sir Deacon, you must seek justice for us!”
“Don’t let him go!”
The group of beaten cultivators yelled.
“Shut up!” Yang Kai’s face turned cold as he palmed towards the complaining group. Instantly, Emperor Qi surged while Principles swirled, sending the whole hall into a buzz.
“Emperor Realm!”
“Heavens, it’s an Emperor Realm Master!”
The cultivators who had been yelling before suddenly became apprehensive, and even the expressions of the Deacons of the Seeking Passion Sect who were sitting behind the tables changed drastically. Although they were Deacons of the Seeking Passion Sect, all of them were just Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivators. They had no chance of resisting in the face of an Emperor Realm Master.
*Hong…*
Several dozen people flew out after being struck by Yang Kai’s palm, all of them spitting blood in mid-air before they struck the ground miserably. However, everyone was relieved that although the power of this palm was great, none of those who were hit died, though the injuries they suffered were not something that could be restored with just half a month of cultivation.
“Speak nonsense again and I’ll take your dog lives!” Yang Kai snorted coldly, with the arrogant ‘everyone is beneath me’ demeanour.
No one dared to say a word; the hall was so silent that even a needle falling to the floor could be heard.
*Shua… *
A figure suddenly shot out from the inner hall and stood in front of the tables.
As soon as this person appeared, the few Seeking Passion Sect Deacons who did not even dare to breathe lit up and quickly cupped their fists as if they had seen their saviour, “Greetings, Elder Sun!”
“Elder Sun, it’s Elder Sun Ping!”
“It’s really Elder Sun Ping. Now, this little brat is going to be in trouble! Elder Sun Ping is a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master! That boy is definitely not his opponent.”
“How dare he act so rampantly in the territory of the Seeking Passion Sect! This brat should check his face in the mirror.”
At their words, Yang Kai turned to look at the Master who had suddenly appeared.
It was an old man with an all-white beard, his aura was like an abyss, as deep as the sea, which gave tremendous pressure to the surrounding people. His face was thin, but his eyes were as bright as the sun that could pierce through one’s mind.
“Elder Sun?” Yang Kai raised his brow.
He was not familiar with this Emperor Realm Master from Seeking Passion Sect; after all, he only knew Feng Xuan and Yao Zhuo. This was the first time Yang Kai had met Elder Sun, but seeing his Second-Order Emperor Realm cultivation, it was obvious his status in the Seeking Passion Sect was not low.
“Young man, your temper is a bit too hot.” To everyone’s surprise, Sun Ping did not reprimand Yang Kai, but instead addressed him with a smile.
Yang Kai sneered, “They were too noisy, so this Young Master taught them a little lesson.” He lowered his voice and his attitude changed tremendously, cupping his fists as he grinned, “I didn’t mean to disturb Elder Brother Sun. It was indeed my fault.”
‘Bullying the weak, but acting humble in front of a Master’, This saying perfectly described Yang Kai’s current behaviour.
Everyone in the hall despised him, but did not dare to show anything on their faces as they still feared his Emperor Realm cultivation; it was truly frustrating.
“It’s fine!” Sun Ping smiled slightly as he asked, “Since you are here in the Recruitment Hall, I assume Little Brother has come here to receive the Recruitment Order?”
Yang Kai nodded and replied, “Naturally. I heard that the Seeking Passion Sect is looking for talents, so this Young Master came to have a look. Does Elder Sun not welcome me?”
“I wouldn’t dare!” Sun Ping stroked his beard and laughed lightly, “The Sect definitely welcomes young capable people like Your Excellency.”
“That’s good.” Yang Kai grinned.
“But…” Sun Ping turned around and narrowed his eyes, “I shall first warn you, you must possess a clean background to be able to receive the Recruitment Order. My Seeking Passion Sect will not accept those of unknown origins, especially those with cultivation like Your Excellency’s, so Your Excellency will need to answer a few questions from this Old Master.”
If his cultivation was below the Emperor Realm, it would be fine even if his background was a bit vague; but for people with Emperor Realm cultivation, one’s background must be clean and traceable, lest they turn out to be a spy or ally of Ice Heart Valley.
This was the rule.
“I understand,” Yang Kai smiled lightly, not revealing the slightest panic as he probed, “What is it that Elder Sun wants to ask?”
Sun Ping began his interview, “Where does Your Excellency come from? What is your name? Who is your Master?”
Yang Kai answered frankly, “My name is Xiao Bai Yi, and I hail from Azure Sun Temple in the Southern Territory. My Master is Elder Gao Xue Ting!”
As he spoke, Yang Kai silently apologized, [Xiao Bai, Xiao Bai, let me borrow your identity for a short while and please don’t come to settle accounts with me in the future.] He had already planned to use this identity since the beginning, so he was not hesitant to answer the questions now.
“Azure Sun Temple!” Sun Ping was stunned when he heard this name.
Although the Southern Territory was far away from the Northern Territory, Sun Ping still knew of Azure Sun Temple; after all, Azure Sun Temple’s status in the Southern Territory was the same as Seeking Passion Sect’s status in the Northern Territory. They were both top Sects of their respective territories.
However, it was quite incomprehensible for a disciple of Azure Sun Temple to appear in Ice Moon City of the Northern Territory.
Sun Ping frowned and probed further, “This Old Master has long heard of your noble Temple, but… why are you here?”
Yang Kai chuckled and answered, “I only recently broke through to the Emperor Realm, so my Honoured Master ordered me to roam and explore the world to temper myself. I have been travelling the Star Boundary for some time now and just happened to pass by here. I decided to come have a look after hearing what happened between your noble Sect and Ice Heart Valley.”
“I see!” Sun Ping did not suspect him.
It was normal for a young man like Yang Kai to travel the Star Boundary after a big breakthrough to broaden his horizons. Sun Ping himself had done this before, but he had never been to the Southern Territory, instead choosing to wander around the Territory and Eastern Territory. As a result, he didn’t see anything wrong with Yang Kai’s explanation.
After pondering for a while, Sun Ping looked up again and asked, “Considering Young Master Xiao’s age, you should be a core disciple even in Azure Sun Temple with a cultivation like yours. Words can’t prove anything, unfortunately, so does Young Master Xiao have anything to prove your identity?”
“Something to prove my identity with…” Yang Kai thought for a while, then suddenly reached out and turned over his hand. A token had appeared on the palm of his hand, which Yang Kai tossed over towards Sun Ping, “This should be enough to prove my identity.”
It was a shiny golden token, one that anyone could notice had extraordinary origins at a glance.
Sun Ping caught the token and rubbed it for a while, then smiled, “I heard that your noble Temple divides its disciple tokens into four grades, Iron, Bronze, Silver and Gold. Only Core Disciples would obtain a Golden Token. By the look of this, this should be the Azure Sun Golden Token.”
The quality of the token was sensational, so even Sun Ping could tell that it was authentic.
Of course, Yang Kai’s Golden Token was not a fake as it really was something given to him by Gao Xue Ting herself back then. Even though she did not forcefully demand him to join Azure Sun Temple, he was still regarded as an in-name disciple of the temple, and was given an Azure Sun Golden Token.
The Azure Sun Golden Token he possessed was the reason Yang Kai chose to impersonate Xiao Bai Yi for this trip.
“Wrong,” Yang Kai chortled, “My Temple’s tokens are divided into five grades, not four.”
“Five grades?” Sun Ping raised his eyebrows.
Yang Kai continued, “Elders hold the Jade Tokens!”
“I see,” Sun Ping nodded lightly. He did not know whether he should believe him or not; after all, he did not know much about Azure Sun Temple. However, it did not seem like Yang Kai was lying.
For a moment, he could not help hesitating.
It was a big boon for an Emperor Realm Master to join Seeking Passion Sect’s forces, as he would undoubtedly provide great assistance during the war. The only issue was, Sun Ping was still uncertain about Yang Kai’s background.
However, Sun Ping was a bit reluctant to let go of such a Master, and moreover, if he rejected Yang Kai, the world might mock the Seeking Passion Sect for being cowardly.
After a moment’s debate, Sun Ping turned to a young disciple and sent him a Divine Sense Message.
After hearing it, the young disciple stood up and cupped his fists towards Yang Kai, “Greetings from Cao Xu to Senior Brother.”
Yang Kai leered at him for a while, then paid no attention to him anymore. He had no idea what Sun Ping had ordered him to do.
Cao Xu pressed on, “A few years ago, when the Shattered Star Sea was opened, this Cao had the honour to meet a few young talents from the Southern Territory there!”
Yang Kai’s heart skipped a beat as he secretly cursed.
He pretended to be Xiao Bai Yi because he thought that no one could recognize him. Furthermore, he had the Azure Sun Golden Token with him, so his plan should have been perfect as it was a mix of both truth and lie.
But now, this guy named Cao Xu just declared that he went to the Shattered Star Sea before, and what was more, he actually met some cultivators from the Southern Territory.
If he recognized Xiao Bai Yi, his lies would be exposed.
“Oh?” Despite the uneasiness in his heart, Yang Kai looked at him steadily without the slightest change of expression, “This Xiao also went to Shattered Star Sea, but I have never seen Junior Brother.”
Cao Xu smiled wryly, “This Cao’s cultivation is weak, so the places I had visited were probably not somewhere that Senior Brother Xiao would put it in his eyes. It is only natural that you have never seen me.”
[He has never seen Xiao Bai Yi before!] Yang Kai’s courage was instantly buoyed by his statement and he replied, “Is that so? Then why is Junior Brother here? Do you have any advice for me?”
Cao Xu hurriedly explained, “This Cao doesn’t dare to. Although I did not meet any friends from Azure Sun Temple, I had met a few others from the Southern Territory. The one that I had the deepest impression of was Wu Chang. Since Senior Brother Xiao came from the Southern Territory, you must have known him as well.”
“Wu Chang…” Yang Kai nodded lightly. Wu Chang of Heavenly Martial Holy Land was born with the Yin-Yang Dual Body and was quite a ferocious character, so it was natural that he had a deep impression of him.
Yang Kai ignored Cao Xu and turned to Sun Ping who was observing him, waving his hand in front of him to compose the image of a certain character on his palm.
Yang Kai carried on, “Elder Sun, your intention of allowing Cao Xu to question me is to verify my identity. Now you may ask him whether this image is Wu Chang or not.”
Sun Ping turned to Cao Xu, and Cao Xu nodded gently, indicating that there was no mistake.
Sun Ping burst into laughter, “It seems that Young Master Xiao is indeed an elite disciple of Azure Sun Temple.”
There was nothing to be doubtful given that Yang Kai could condense the image of a Southern Territory genius and also possessed a Golden Token from Azure Sun Temple.
Yang Kai beamed, “Can I stay now?”
Sun Ping retracted his smile, and remarked pensively, “One final question.”
Yang Kai immediately became incensed and snapped, “Why are you all so annoying? This Young Master came to help your Seeking Passion Sect, not to accept your interrogation. What is Elder Sun’s motive for questioning this Young Master over and over again? Although the Seeking Passion Sect is not weak, that doesn’t mean my Azure Sun Temple is afraid of you!”
He used the prestige of Azure Sun Temple to unleash his anger on them on the spot, causing the surrounding cultivators to gape at him with their jaws dropped, secretly thinking that he was not afraid even if he was far away in the territory of others because he was truly a disciple from a top Sect. If it were for them, they would not have the courage to do the same.
Sun Ping responded with a smile, “Young Master Xiao, please calm yourself. If you have anything to say, please speak properly.”
“Old man, make sure this is the final question! If you continue to annoy this Young Master after this, I will just leave.” Yang Kai gritted his teeth.
“I guarantee you this is the last one.” Sun Ping assured with a solemn look.
Yang Kai replied with an upset face, “Go ahead.”
Sun Ping proceeded, “Since Young Master Xiao came from Azure Sun Temple, you should have no shortage in cultivation materials. Then, why are you here to receive our Seeking Passion Sect Recruitment Order?”
Yang Kai gawked for a moment before he laughed proudly, waving his fan as he clarified slowly, “Of course this Young Master is not short of cultivation resources. Honestly, all the benefits that your noble Sect had promised are nothing in this Young Master’s eyes, however…” Speaking until here, Yang Kai suddenly grinned, his smile looking extremely obscene, like a fox that had stolen a chicken.
“However?” Sun Ping further asked.
Yang Kai looked around, and whispered to Sun Ping, “Elder Sun, this Young Master is very interested in the beautiful women of Ice Heart Valley. I wonder if your noble Sect could pick a few Ice Heart Valley disciples for me to bring back to be my maids after the war?”
Sun Ping smiled and nodded in acknowledgement, “So, that is the plan of Young Master Xiao.”
He was quite relieved hearing that Yang Kai’s motive was out of desire for Ice Heart Valley’s disciples; after all, it would be strange if an Emperor Realm Master came to receive a Recruitment Order without any demands.
He was now aware that this Young Master Xiao in front of him was fond of beauties.
“Everyone loves beauty.” Yang Kai chuckled.
Sun Ping touched his beard and nodded, “En, not a problem. If we break Ice Heart Valley, based on the cultivation strength of Young Master Xiao, you definitely could share some Ice Heart Valley disciples. This Old Master believes that Sir Sect Master would not refuse, so this Old Master will approve your request on behalf of him.”
“Can I have ten of them?” Yang Kai raised his eyebrows.
Sun Ping could not help cackling, “Isn’t Young Master Xiao a little too greedy? There are only seven thousand disciples in Ice Heart Valley now, while our Seeking Passion Sect has a hundred thousand soldiers. Even if we distributed them only to the strongest among us, it would be impossible for Young Master Xiao to receive ten.”
“Eight then.” Yang Kai tried to bargain.
“Two, at most.” Sun Ping bluntly refused.
Yang Kai jumped, “Your Sect is too stingy.”
Sun Ping shook his head, “It’s not that our Sect is stingy, but we have too little meat for so many wolves.”
Yang Kai sighed, “Elder Sun, this Young Master will be honest with you. This Young Master is having a hard time in life. In fact, this Young Master has an arranged marriage from the Temple, but my fiancée is domineering, arrogant, and extremely ugly. That is why I fled out of the Southern Territory and came to the Northern Territory for training. It will be hard to get along with a shrewish wife at home, so I came in hopes of finding some attractive maids, okay? Elder Sun, for the sake of my pitiful life, allow me to have more please.”
Snickers resounded inside the hall as everyone was taking pleasure in Yang Kai’s misfortune, while even Sun Ping could not hold his laughter.
Nevertheless, he was not interested in Yang Kai’s troubles so he simply ignored the request, “Cao Xu, take Young Master Xiao to Elder Feng Chi, and let him assign some tasks to Young Master Xiao!” He gave an order to Cao Xue.
“Yes!” After receiving his order, Cao Xu gestured to ‘Young Master Xiao’ to leave, “This way please!”
Yang Kai stood still, whining, “Elder Sun, can we discuss this further?”
Needless to say, Sun Ping ignored him and disappeared with a flicker.
Yang Kai sighed and walked out with an unpleasant face. Wherever he went, everyone would avoid him.
After leaving the Recruitment Hall, Yang Kai still looked glum.
As such, Cao Xu just kept quiet and led the way in front of Yang Kai, trying to avoid touching a nerve. Soon, they left the city.
“Where are we going?” After a while, Yang Kai broke the silence.
Cao Xu replied, “To find Elder Feng Chi. He will assign some tasks to you.”
“Elder Feng Chi…” Yang Kai raised his eyebrows, “I heard that your noble Sect Master has the same surname too. Is this Elder Feng Chi… “
Cao Xu beamed, “Elder Feng Chi is the cousin of the Sect Master. Therefore, although he has only a First-Order Emperor, his status is only under the Sect Master and Vice Sect Master. He is responsible for the siege of Ice Heart Valley. At least for now.”
“I see!” Yang Kai nodded his head, “Then where are your Sect Master and Vice Sect Master? This is my first time here, perhaps it would be rude if this Young Master didn’t visit and greet them?”
A trace of disdain vaguely flashed across Cao Xu’s eyes as he thought to himself, [How could someone just meet the Sect Master and Vice Sect Master as they wish?] However, he quickly retracted his gaze and answered, “Sect Master is guarding Ice Moon City, and Vice Sect Master is accompanying him.”
“Good, next time then. There will always be a chance to meet,” Yang Kai chuckled and did not insist.
Soon, the two of them reached a mountain valley about three hundred kilometres away from Ice Heart Valley. Many cabins were built in the mountain valley with numerous cultivators zipping in and out of the houses while others soared through the sky, making the place seem quite lively.
Yang Kai swept his eyes across the place and his heart sank.
Given the number of cultivators gathered in this place, once the Sect Defending Array was breached, the seven thousand disciples of Ice Heart Valley would definitely stand no chance in resisting.
Cao Xu brought Yang Kai to a tall cabin, and informed respectfully, “Elder Feng, disciple Cao Xu asks to see you.”
“Come in!” A voice came out from the inside.
Cao Xu nodded lightly at Yang Kai, then guided him to enter the house.
Inside the house, Yang Kai saw a huge Spirit Array board lying in the centre of the room. The array board seemed to be a projection, which was glittering slightly, displaying the outline of some kind of terrain.
Yang Kai glanced at it and was soon flabbergasted as he recognized that the terrain outline was actually of Ice Heart Valley. He was surprised that this unknown array board could have such an effect.
At this moment, an elderly man was whispering to another man, who then quickly turned around and left after receiving the order. The man looked like he was in a hurry.
After the departure of the man, the elderly man looked intently at the array board and sneered.
After sneering for a while, Feng Chi looked up at Yang Kai and asked Cao Xu, “Another Emperor Realm Master?”
If it was someone who was led personally by Cao Xu, it must be an Emperor Realm Master.
“Yes!” Cao Xu answered courteously.
“Good, very good!” Feng Chi cackled, giving a light nod and cupping his fists towards Yang Kai, “Friend, may I ask for your name?”
Although he looked much older than Yang Kai, according to the laws of the Martial Dao, whoever was stronger would be senior, regardless of age. Since Yang Kai was an Emperor Realm Master, he had the qualification to be addressed as a peer.
“Greetings from Xiao Bai Yi to Elder Feng,” Yang Kai smiled faintly without losing his manners.
“So, it is Brother Xiao!” Feng Chi raised his brow, “May I know where Brother Xiao comes from?”
Yang Kai replied, “Southern Territory, Azure Sun Temple.”
“Southern Territory?” Feng Chi could not help frowning. There were many Emperor Realm Masters who received their Seeking Passion Sect Recruitment Order recently, but none of them were from the other territories; Yang Kai was the first.
He threw a quizzical gaze at Cao Xu, to which Cao Xu hurriedly explained, “Elder Feng may rest assured that there are no problems. Elder Sun has verified Young Master Xiao’s identity.”
Feng Chi nodded, “Elder Sun Ping is an attentive and careful person. Since he says there are no problems, then that must be the case. Brother Xiao arrived just in time, I am currently short of some people on my side right now and need to put you to work immediately.”
“Elder Feng, order as you may. Since this Xiao has already received the Recruitment Order, I’ll naturally listen to your commands,” Yang Kai responded while waving his hand fan.
“Come and have a look!” Feng Chi gestured to Yang Kai to come forward and pointed at the array board.
Yang Kai folded his fan and stuck it behind his back before taking a few casual steps forward to observe the array board intently.
The terrain of Ice Heart Valley was clearly outlined on the array board. Beyond the outline were countless glowing dots, indicating the strong and tight forces that fenced Ice Heart Valley.
Although he did not really understand the array board, Yang Kai was still aware of the critical situation of Ice Heart Valley.
“This Sky Extracting Array Board was laid by Grandmaster Nanmen in person. It’s for the convenience of this Feng to guard this place and plan strategies. It really saved me a lot of trouble.” Feng Chi’s words were full of praise for Grandmaster Nanmen.
“Grandmaster Nanmen is indeed an expert in Spirit Arrays. His craft is truly breathtaking.” Yang Kai commended him too.
Feng Chi smiled lightly, and pointed at a certain place, “Young Master Xiao, this Old Master hopes that you could guard this place and watch over the array flag set up by Grandmaster Nanmen, so as to prevent anyone in Ice Heart Valley from jumping out of the wall in desperation and causing problems.”
“No problem. Is my task only to watch over the array flag there?” Yang Kai looked up and asked.
Feng Chi remarked pensively, “This matter is very important. Once the array flag is disturbed, the layout of the array would be hindered, and it will give Ice Heart Valley breathing space. Therefore, it is necessary to have an Emperor Realm Master take charge of each flag. But in general, there should not be any problem as Ice Heart Valley has not made any moves since they were first besieged. Even so, Young Master Xiao cannot be careless.”
“Understood,” Yang Kai nodded solemnly.
Feng Chi nodded too, “Besides, this Old Master would also assign five hundred men under Young Master Xiao’s command. When Grandmaster Nanmen is ready, Young Master Xiao will be responsible for taking these five hundred men to activate the array flag and connect it with the other array flags. When that happens, we will be able to break the Sect Defending Array of Ice Heart Valley in one strike. Then, we shall dive straight to the enemy’s den and wipe out Ice Heart Valley.
Yang Kai cupped his fist, “I’ll not disappoint Elder Feng.”
“Good, good, good.” Feng Chi repeatedly nodded as he was truly satisfied with Yang Kai’s attitude, “Cao Xu, since you are familiar with the terrain nearby, you shall take Young Master Xiao over there. The five hundred men will arrive later.”
“Yes!” Cao Xu received the order and immediately led Yang Kai outside.
With them flying at full speed, they soon arrived at the location designated by Feng Chi.
Looking around, less than a hundred people were guarding the huge array flag, which was actually hidden in the Void. Yang Kai scanned the area with his Divine Sense, and could only detect an inkling of its presence.
The one hundred people below stared up at them in alarm at the arrival of Cao Xu and Yang Kai.
Cao Xu swept across the place with his eyes, bellowing, “Who is in charge here?”
A middle-aged man came out and cupped his fists, “Senior Brother Cao, it’s me!”
Cao Xu looked at him and nodded, “So, it is Junior Brother Huo Han.”
No doubt, he recognized this Seeking Passion Sect disciple.
“Senior Brother Cao, this is…” Huo Han queried as he glanced at Yang Kai curiously.
Cao Xu announced with a clear loud voice, “This is a Core Disciple of the Southern Territory’s Azure Sun Temple, Xiao Bai Yi. Young Master Xiao has received our Seeking Passion Sect Recruitment Order, and was appointed by Elder Feng to guard this place from now on. I trust everyone here will listen to his orders.”
Curiosity crept onto everyone’s faces at the news that Yang Kai was actually from the Southern Territory’s Azure Sun Temple, but no one dared to voice out any questions and just obeyed with their fists cupped.
“In addition, Elder Feng will send another four hundred people here, and they will also be under the command of Young Master Xiao. Once Ice Heart Valley has been wiped out, everyone will be rewarded according to their contributions!”
The crowd was exhilarated after hearing the word ‘reward’, except for Huo Han and the other Seeking Passion Sect Disciples. All of them looked calm because they knew that once Ice Heart Valley was captured, most of the plunders would belong to their Seeking Passion Sect, leaving only some crumbs to the outsiders.
“Young Master Xiao, I’ll go back first. This place is in your hands now.” Cao Xu cupped his fists towards Yang Kai.
“En,” Yang Kai nodded with a lukewarm attitude, showing the demeanour of an Emperor Realm Master.
Cao Xu spoke no more, turned around, and left.
After he left, only then did Yang Kai sweep his eyes across the one hundred people below, and stated coldly, “I believe that everyone knows the background of this Young Master, and I also believe that everyone heard this Young Master’s task. In the days to come, everyone please cooperate with me. No one here can bear the consequences if anything were to go wrong.”
Huo Han cupped his fists in acknowledgement, “Young Master Xiao is right. We’ll obey as long as it’s the order of Elder Feng.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Good. Now here is my command!”
When the words fell, the faces of a hundred men turned solemn.
“Go and find some wood to build a cabin here for this Young Master!” Yang Kai pointed at a piece of flat ground nearby as he ordered.
Everyone was stunned. Initially, given the solemnity of his tone, they expected Yang Kai to give out some important command, but were dumbfounded when they heard that he just wanted them to build a cabin for him, especially Huo Han and the group of Seeking Passion Sect disciples who now looked annoyed.
They were disciples of the Seeking Passion Sect! When have they ever been ordered to do such menial tasks? Furthermore, Yang Kai was just a foreign Emperor Realm Master; who was he to act so rampant?
“What’s wrong? Was this Young Master not clear enough, or are all of you deaf?” Young Kai snorted coldly and released his Emperor Pressure, causing a devastating force to press down on the hundred men below, turning their faces aghast.
“We will obey the command of Young Master Xiao!” A person instantly cupped his fists.
He rapidly ran out after speaking. The person was not a Seeking Passion Sect disciple, but just someone who served under the Recruitment Order, so he did not have the courage to challenge Yang Kai.
The majority of the people present were like this man, so soon, more than ninety people among the hundred went out, leaving only six people including Huo Han behind.
These six people were obviously Seeking Passion Sect disciples, and due to their identities, they were not willing to yield to Yang Kai’s abuse of power.
Yang Kai snorted coldly again, increasing his Emperor Qi steadily as he warned, “This Young Master will not be merciful to those who don’t listen to his command. Let’s see how long you can hold out!”
Huo Han winced in pain as his face turned red, “This is abuse of power for personal gain! I’ll report this to Elder Feng!”
“Report?” Yang Kai sneered, “Elder Feng Chi has entrusted this Young Master to guard this place, so everyone here must follow my command. This Young Master just came here and all of you dare to refuse his first order? Even if I killed all of you to serve as a warning, Elder Feng would not put the blame on me!”
“You dare?!” Huo Han was infuriated.
“Why wouldn’t I!?” With a raise of his brow, Yang Kai further increased his Emperor Pressure.
“Pu pu pu pu… *
The rest of the Seeking Passion Sect disciples spat a mouthful of blood one after another, no longer able to withstand the pressure. Creaking sounds could be heard from their bones, as if they might break at any time.
Huo Han and the others were all taken aback. They thought that Yang Kai would give them some face given they were Seeking Passion Sect disciples, but they did not expect that this guy to be so ruthless, showing his severity on the first meeting.
The Seeking Passion Sect gave great freedom to invited Emperor Realm Masters as they needed their help right now.
Therefore, Elder Feng would certainly not help Huo Han and the rest out if he learned of this; in fact, he might even punish them further to appease Yang Kai.
At most, they could only retaliate against Yang Kai after the war.
“Young Master Xiao, stop!” Huo Han’s body was shaking. He could not bear the pressure of an Emperor any longer and his body bent so low he almost kneeled down on the ground. He did not dare to hold out against Yang Kai anymore at this point as a trace of panic finally appeared on his face.
If he was really forced to kneel down, he would lose all face.
“Then, will you obey my commands now?” Yang Kai questioned in a cold voice.
“Yes, absolutely! We will listen to your commands!” Huo Han and the others answered without hesitation.
“Idiots! You guys just have to suffer in order to learn!” Yang Kai snorted coldly and retracted his Emperor Pressure.
Huo Han and the others seemed to be drained, so all of them fell on their bottoms, their clothes drenched in sweat.
“Hurry up. If I don’t see a new cabin here within two hours, all of you will die,” Yang Kai bellowed.
Huo Han and the others swiftly got up and rushed out.
The efficiency of a hundred cultivators was no joke. It took only one hour instead of two for them to build an exquisite cabin on the flat ground.
Yang Kai was truly satisfied with the result, praised the crowd, then walked inside proudly, closed the door, and began to meditate and cultivate.
However, after the incident today, most of these one hundred people did not have a good impression of Yang Kai, especially Huo Han and the others. All of them glared at the cabin in hatred, secretly plotting to ask the Sect Elders to avenge them when Yang Kai was no longer of use.
Half a day later, the other four hundred cultivators under Yang Kai’s command rushed over. They even caused the ground to rumble as they did so.
Yang Kai came out of the cabin to take a look; then, after a few words, he returned into his cabin, ignoring them.
Yang Kai could not help ruminating as he entered the cabin.
The main purpose of him infiltrating here using Xiao Bai Yi’s identity was to find Nanmen Da Jun. Once found, Yang Kai would kill him or capture him depending on the circumstances. However, he did not expect that he would be assigned a task to guard an array flag; tying him down to a single spot.
Since he was appointed to guard the array flag, he could not simply run around. Furthermore, he had no clue where Nanmen Da Jun was at the moment.
This caused Yang Kai to be anxious.
Looking at the progress of the Seeking Passion Sect, the array flags and the array bases were all but fully arranged. It would not take long for them to break the Sect Defending Array of Ice Heart Valley. If he continued to delay his mission, he was afraid that it would be too late to save Ice Heart Valley’.
Considering all this, a resolute look flashed upon Yang Kai’s face and he pushed the door open and went out again.
The five hundred cultivators scattered around the array flag, sitting cross-legged, all noticed Yang Kai appear and stood up to await his command.
Unexpectedly, Yang Kai did not even look at them. Instead, he just turned around and flew off.
“Young Master Xiao…” Huo Han shouted with his fist cupped.
“What?” Yang Kai frowned, looking rather displeased.
“May I know where Young Master Xiao is going?” Huo Han queried in a deep voice.
Yang Kai snorted coldly, “You don’t need to worry about where this Young Master is going.”
Huo Han’s face burned furiously. In a neither humble nor arrogant tone, he pressed on, “That’s not true, Young Master Xiao. Since Elder Feng had appointed you to guard the array flag, Young Master Xiao should obey the order and not leave without permission. I’m afraid Elder Feng would not be happy if he knew about this. If anything happens here, who will bear the consequences?”
“It’s so peaceful here. What could possibly happen?” Yang Kai stared at him coldly.
Huo Han smiled faintly, “Who knows? I’m also saying just in case… “
“I’m just going for a walk. I’ll be back soon.” Yang Kai interjected.
Huo Han warned, “Even leaving for just a moment is still considered abandoning your post. If Young Master Xiao insists on doing so, I’ll have no choice but to report this to the Elders.”
He hated Yang Kai for torturing him before, so it was natural for him to seize this opportunity to irritate him. Moreover, the job of these Seeking Passion Sect disciples stationed here was not only to assist the Emperor Realm Master who received the Recruitment Order to guard the array flag, but also to monitor them.
After all, it was hard to judge one’s heart from his or her face. No one knew whether these Emperor Realm Masters were reliable or not; only their own loyal disciples could be trusted.
Therefore, there would be some Seeking Passion Sect disciples under every foreign Emperor Realm Master. Although there were not many of them, Feng Chi needed these disciples to restrict these outsiders’ movements.
Yang Kai was exasperated looking at Huo Han’s serious yet proud face.
He knew that Huo Han was taking revenge on him, but since Huo Han had made his warning clear, Yang Kai could not act recklessly. If he really caught Feng Chi’s attention, Yang Kai was afraid that he would be monitored more closely.
“Fine, I won’t take a walk then. It’s not a big deal anyway,” Yang Kai chuckled, turned back and returned to his cabin, slamming the door behind him.
Huo Han stood still in the same spot, a happy smile on his face.
Soon, night came.
When Yang Kai was still thinking of a countermeasure, murmuring voices were heard from the outside. After listening carefully for a while, Yang Kai’s face darkened.
The topic that the five hundred cultivators outside were tattling about was not about anything else but himself.
“Have you heard that? Although our Sir Xiao has a huge background, he is a henpecked man.”
“This news is widespread. It’s also said that his fiancée is so hideous that no one could bear to look her in the eye. Furthermore, she is also a shrew of a woman. Sir Xiao could not stand being tortured by his fiancée in Azure Sun Temple and had to escape to the Northern Territory.”
“Haha, I thought he was strong, but he actually fears his woman.”
“Seriously? Such a thing even exists?”
“He said it himself in the Recruitment Hall, how can it be wrong? There were a lot of witnesses present at that time.”
“I think Sir Xiao probably hasn’t met any beautiful woman in his life yet, so he had to come here to receive the Recruitment Order, in hopes of picking up some beauties after Ice Heart Valley is destroyed.
“What’s the point of bringing them back? With a domineering wife at home, I’m afraid that he will not have the guts to go against her. At most, he will only be able to enjoy looking at them.”
“Pitiful, pitiful. He still dares to call himself an Emperor Realm Master? What a disgrace to men.”
…..
Yang Kai mumbled to himself, wondering who was the bastard that spread out these rumours, causing everyone to gossip about him. By now, his, or rather, Xiao Bai’s unsightly ‘history’ was known throughout the city.
Back then, Yang Kai just blabbered some random nonsense in the Recruitment Hall, never expecting he would be teased by everyone now because of this.
Needless to say, it must be Huo Han who spread these rumours.
Although it was just false information, Yang Kai was still annoyed by these people talking behind his back, especially since they were technically his subordinates right now. Embarrassed and filled with a full stomach of grievances, Yang Kai could not help snorting loudly.
Hearing his voice, the discussion outside abruptly ceased. Everyone exchanged glances, and could not help snickering.
“Becoming angry out of shame!” Huo Han gazed at the direction of the cabin, sneering lightly.
Yang Kay stayed in the cabin for two days, for Huo Han’s obstruction and surveillance had given him no choice but to come up with another plan.
As a Master proficient in the Dao of Space, a trivial Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator could never be able to detect it if Yang Kai truly wanted to leave, but he had to be extra careful as he was deep in enemy territory now.
On the third day, Yang Kai, who was meditating in the cabin, suddenly heard a trail of footsteps from outside, followed by a familiar voice, “Cao Xu requests to see Young Master Xiao.”
Yang Kai frowned, as he had no idea why Cao Xu came here. He did not reappear until today since he brought him here a few days ago.
Still feeling dubious about his sudden visit, Yang Kai opened the door and went out with his hand fan waving.
Before he could stand firm though, Yang Kai heard a cold, wrath-filled snort in front of him, followed by an overwhelming aura rushing towards him.
Yang Kai’s face changed abruptly as he staggered a few steps back, staring forward with wide-eyed eyes.
Standing before him was Cao Xu, who had a forced smile on his face. Beside him was a woman dressed in white from head to toe, as if she clothed herself in snow. She had a curvy and exquisite figure that men would not be able to resist fantasizing about while gazing at her.
But the look on her face was stomach-turning.
Freckles and pockmarks were unevenly distributed all over the woman’s face, monolids framing small eyes, and a flat nose accentuated her wide mouth. Although her eyes were energetic, given such ‘majestic’ light, they were also sharp as knives, making any who met them shudder.
The ugliness of this woman’s appearance was indescribable. What could this woman have done to offend the Heavens to be given such a punishment?
“Wha… wha… wha…” Yang Kai’s eyes almost popped out from their sockets as he exclaimed in shock, unable to finish his sentence.
“Hmph, I can’t believe you really came here! You made it all too easy for this Young Lady to find you!” The ugly woman gnashed her teeth and snapped at Yang Kai, as if she was about to peel his skin and tear his flesh.
Yang Kai was drenched in sweat, asking nervously as he wiped his sweat, “What… what are you doing here?”
He totally did not expect the woman in front of him would actually come here.
Despite the strange and hideous look of the woman, Yang Kai recognized her at a glance.
Ji Yao!
It was not that Yang Kai had a sharp vision, it was that Ji Yao deliberately released her own aura at the moment of meeting. Yang Kai and Ji Yao had been together for quite some time, so he was quite familiar with her.
Ji Yao’s current face was obviously a disguise made by Shi Tian He, and there was no trace of her original appearance at all.
Yang Kai had left Ice Heart Valley alone just a few days ago because he did not want to get Ji Yao involved in his plan, but he did not expect that she actually came to him on her own. Moreover, she was brought here by Cao Xu.
[What’s happening!?]
Yang Kai secretly glanced at Cao Xu in horror while the latter forced a smile, “Young Master Xiao, this… this Lady said that she was engaged to you and has come to find you, so… Young Master Xiao, hehe, please forgive me!”
Cao Xu’s voice was hoarse, filled with helplessness.
“Engaged!?” Yang Kai was exasperated.
The five hundred cultivators who meditated nearby also looked over in curiosity. When they saw Ji Yao’s current appearance, their faces changed. For those with poor mental endurance, they instantly turned around and vomited.
“Too ugly, too ugly! No wonder Sir Xiao had to escape from the Southern Region! If I had a fiancée like this, I would run too!”
“I feel sorry for Sir Xiao, too sorry for him… He is an Emperor Realm Master after all, how did he end up with such a woman?”
“A gentleman prefers death to humiliation. It’s better to die proudly than to marry a woman like this!”
The place was buzzing with discussions, as most of the cultivators started to sympathize with Yang Kai from the bottom of their hearts.
After all, he was an Emperor Realm Master, so shouldn’t it have been natural that he could have any kind of beauty he wanted? Why did he have such an ugly fiancée? It was unbearable! Any man in his position would still be traumatized for life even if he extinguished all the lights every night.
However, Huo Han and the other Seeking Passion Sect disciples could not help taking pleasure in Yang Kai’s misfortune, waiting to watch a good show with their eyes peeled.
“What’s wrong?” Ji Yao approached forward with a domineering demeanour, “Do you wish to deny our parents’ orders and the matchmaker’s words? Even though this Young Lady’s looks are a bit mundane, there are still many who want to marry me! If you dare to deny our engagement, I’ll break off your legs right this instant!”
“A bit mundane…” Cao Xu gulped. He could not believe that this lady dared to say such words. It was a complete understatement of her current appearance.
“You recognize the wrong person. I don’t know you. Leave now, leave now!” Yang Kai covered his face and did not dare to look at Ji Yao’s face. At the same time, he sent her a Divine Sense Message stealthily, “Why did you come here? This place is really dangerous, quickly go back.”
Ji Yao yelled hysterically, “Xiao Bai Yi! Don’t reject a face-saving offer! If it weren’t for the order of the Sect Master, do you think this Young Lady would be willing to be engaged to you!?”
At the same time, she sent him a Divine Sense Message back, “How dare you leave me behind! Before, in the Ancient Lands, you lied to me again and again while taking advantage of me. Do you think I have forgotten about that?”
“How do you know my name is currently Xiao Bai Yi? And regarding those matters, you also know that I was forced by the circumstances!” While communicating with her via Divine Sense, Yang Kai continued to shout out loud, “The engagement doesn’t count, doesn’t count! From now on, you and I should walk our own, separate paths and stop appearing in each other’s life!”
“Word of your ‘fierce’ fiancée has spread far and wide the past few days. Now, all of Ice Moon City knows about it, so it wasn’t hard for me to find out that you were using the fake name, Xiao Bai Yi. Don’t worry, I perfectly aligned my background to yours as well, and the Seeking Passion Sect is not suspicious in the slightest,” Ji Yao quickly replied through Divine Sense while yelling angrily out loud at the same time, “Xiao Bai Yi! Do you even have a heart!? If I hadn’t taken care of you all these years, you would have been fed to the wild animals in the wilderness! And now, you want to abandon me after taking advantage of me!?”
“Taking advantage!?” All of a sudden, the ears of the five hundred cultivators perked up in amazement.
They had no choice but to respect the courage of Yang Kai for being willing to ‘take advantage’ of such a hideous woman. None of them would dare to do so, as this ‘meal’… was too hard to be savoured.
Their quarrel did not just entertain the five hundred cultivators nearby, but also alarmed those cultivators who were guarding the other array flags in the vicinity. Soon, many had come over to watch the show.
After a little inquiry, all of them learned that Xiao Bai Yi’s wicked fiancée had come to find him.
Everyone had already heard of the news of Xiao Bai Yi’s shrewish wife the past few days, so they were enjoying the show in excitement, waiting to see how Yang Kai would handle his predicament.
“Take advantage…” Yang Kai’s cold sweat dripped even further, revealing a face full of guilt and uneasiness.
Everyone glanced at his expression, and they were even more impressed that such a thing truly happened.
“Do you think I don’t know why you came here to accept the Seeking Passion Sect’s Recruitment Order? Isn’t it all because you want to bring back some beautiful fair-skinned Ice Heart Valley disciples? I’ll tell you now, that will happen only in your dreams! If you bring one, I’ll kill one, if you bring two, I’ll kill two! Bring three, and I’ll cut off your third leg!”
The five hundred cultivators burst into laughter. Although Ji Yao’s appearance was disappointing, her words were brutal. Sure enough, she was really fearless, and no other normal woman would dare to speak like her.
Huo Han was especially happy as he doubled over in laughter at their conversation, wishing Yang Kai even more misfortunes as he did.
“Hey, you’re taking this act a bit too far…” Yang Kai hurriedly sent another Divine Sense message. He understood Ji Yao far better than anyone else present and knew that it was quite hard for a cold beauty like her to utter such words. With a sigh in his heart, he continued secretly communicating with her, “Fine. Since things have gotten to this point, cooperate with me. Find a chance to start a real fight!”
Ji Yao’s brow rose slightly as she silently replied, “Good!”
“Disgraceful!” Yang Kai cried out bitterly, pointing his finger at Ji Yao with a look of agony on his face as he declared, “I, Xiao Bai Yi, have always lived with dignity and nobility, so why do I have to fall into the hands of a disgusting woman like you!? The Heavens truly have no eyes!”
Ji Yao was infuriated, “How dare you despise this Young Lady!?”
While speaking, she rushed forward with a flicker, swinging her hands wildly as she looked like she was trying to claw out Yang Kai’s face, berating him at the same time without a break, causing everyone to stare in shock.
Yang Kai blocked left and right, but it was not enough. Soon, his clothes were torn by Ji Yao, turning him into an utterly dishevelled mess.
“Sii… This woman is also an Emperor Realm Master?”
“Senior Xiao is an Emperor Realm Master, but he is no match to her at all! It’s obvious that this woman’s cultivation is higher than Senior Xiao’s.”
“I heard that Senior Xiao is from Azure Sun Temple, a top Sect in the Southern Territory, so where did this woman come from?”
Previously, everyone was just enjoying the show and did not pay much attention to Ji Yao until she made a move. The revelation of her Emperor Realm cultivation threw everyone into a panic.
A shrewish woman was not scary, but a powerful shrewish woman was utterly horrifying.
“Enough!” Yang Kai yelled angrily, shoving Ji Yao back with a surge of his Emperor Qi before he shot a ferocious glare at her, “Keep your hands off this Young Master or don’t blame me for being impolite!”
Ji Yao was dumbstruck, seemingly not having expected Yang Kai to dare to fight back, but soon, she roared hysterically, “Xiao Bai Yi! You dare to hit me? This Young Lady will beat you to death!”
Saying so, she flipped her hand and summoned a sword before swinging it towards Yang Kai.
It was too late for Yang Kai to dodge, so the sword cut a big hole in his robes, almost opening his stomach while it did so.
“Are you courting death!?” Yang Kai exploded as he pushed his Emperor Qi and sent a gigantic palm print towards Ji Yao.
*Hong hong hong… *
The faces of the audience changed drastically at the extraordinary combat moves of the two Emperor Realm Masters. However, with a light swish of her sword, Ji Yao easily repelled Yang Kai’s move. She pointed her sword up to the sky, and many flowers made of swords wrapped around Yang Kai in an instant.
“They really started fighting… “
“This will be the battle of life and death!”
“How can two people who are engaged to each other end up like this? Senior Xiao has a bad temper, but this woman is even more unreasonable!”
Previously, these five hundred cultivators were having fun watching the show, but they began to worry when they saw Yang Kai and Ji Yao start a fight, wondering if they would be caught up in the fallout.
Nevertheless, Huo Han was enraptured by the scene, secretly cheering for Ji Yao, wishing her to stab Yang Kai to death for good.
On the other side, Cao Xu was standing still with cold sweat beaded on his forehead. After a short hesitation, he hurriedly rushed towards where Feng Chi was stationed. The battle between two Emperor Realm Masters was out of his league. He could no longer interfere and could only report this matter to Feng Chi in hopes that the latter could find a way to deal with this.
The fight between Yang Kai and Ji Yao took to the sky as both of them appeared to be unleashing all their pent up hatred, yelling and cursing at each other without stopping as they exchanged attacks.
The sky was filled with the sounds of explosions as the two flew back and forth, engaging in an all-out battle.
There were many Emperor Realm Masters watching from below, but they did not meddle as they were not related to Yang Kai or Ji Yao in any way. All of them could not help laughing after learning what was going on.
After a short time, Yang Kai and Ji Yao had moved their fight far away from where it began. Soon, a voice came from below, “Young Master Xiao, what are you two doing!?”
Yang Kai quickly stole a glance while carrying on the fight, spotting Feng Chi arriving with a furious look on his face.
Yang Kai ignored him and continued to fight with Ji Yao, quickly moving them in a certain direction.
“Is Nanmen Da Jun on that side?” Ji Yao asked while realization dawned on her, still throwing moves that seemed like they would kill Yang Kai at any moment.
“En. I’ve been sneaking out secretly these past few days, and although I did not dare to investigate thoroughly, Nanmen Da Jun is definitely on that side. But, I still don’t know his exact location, so we’ll have to search for him!”
“What does he look like?” Ji Yao queried.
“I have never seen or met him before, so I can’t tell. But, since he is an Array Master who is responsible for breaking the Sect Defending Array, there will certainly be some Masters protecting him. We just need to look for the place where there are several Emperor Realm Masters together.”
“Good!” While replying, Ji Yao released her Divine Sense to look around.
Feng Chi’s face hardened in the absence of a response from Yang Kai, as if his face was covered by frost.
“Elder Feng, that’s where Grandmaster Nanmen is! We can’t let them get any closer to that side otherwise they will interrupt the Grandmaster!” Cao Xu reminded Feng Chi as soon as he saw the direction Yang Kai and Ji Yao were headed.
“I know. But these two are so heated right now I’m afraid they won’t stop unless someone falls,” Feng Chi muttered glumly, “If I knew this would happen, this King would never have allowed you to bring that woman over here.”
Cao Xu smiled wryly, “No one could have anticipated that woman to be this unreasonable.”
“This matter cannot be delayed, we must stop them now!” After his remark, Feng Chi immediately flew towards Yang Kai and Ji Yao.
“Over there!” Yang Kai’s face suddenly changed at that moment as he shot Ji Yao a meaningful look, “There is a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master and two First-Order Emperors over there. They should be the ones who are protecting Nanmen Da Jun!”
The two exchanged looks before coordinating to move closer to that side, still exchanging flashing attacks as they flew.
Not long after that, they were close to the location they had previously detected.
Yang Kai swiftly scanned the area and saw a middle-aged man with a burly figure setting up an array flag. There were three Emperor Realm Masters guarding beside him; one of them was a Second-Order, while the other two were just First-Order.
“Nanmen Da Jun!” Yang Kai’s eyes lit up as he stared at the stocky man who was setting up the array flag.
“Who are you to be impudent here? Leave now!” Among the three Emperor Realm guards, the Second-Order Master shouted coldly as he looked up at them.
“Do it!” Yang Kai whispered to Ji Yao.
Ji Yao saw the opportunity and unreservedly performed a palm strike on Yang Kai. The power of this palm strike penetrated the clouds and wind, directly landing on Yang Kai’s chest.
With a miserable scream, Yang Kai spat a mouthful of blood and plummeted from the sky like a meteor.
Looking at the direction of his fall, he was heading directly towards the location of Nanmen Da Jun.
At the same time, Ji Yao’s eyes flashed furiously as she shouted, “Xiao Bai Yi, today is the day you die!”
While shouting, she flew downwards with a vicious look, as if she was leaving no chance for Yang Kai to live.
Ji Yao fell on the ground with Yang Kai, only a hair’s breadth distance from each other, but when they landed, they turned simultaneously and flew out together.
Ji Yao no longer restrained her strength as she swung her sword, causing the space around her to tremble.
“Second-Order Emperor Realm!” The faces of the three men who were guarding Nanmen Da Jun changed slightly. In that one shout, the Second-Order Emperor Realm Master had already made a move to intercept Ji Yao.
Yang Kai, on the other hand, went straight for Nanmen Da Jun, his eyes cold and vicious. At that moment, his vitality surged and he showed not the slightest sign of injury.
Although Nanmen Da Jun was an Array Master, his cultivation was not weak as he was also a First-Order Emperor Realm Master.
At the sight of Yang Kai’s aggressive pounce, Nanmen Da Jun was taken aback. However, he did not panic and instead took a few steps back while returning a cold gaze to Yang Kai.
“Who are you? How dare you try and harm Grandmaster Nanmen!?” One of the First-Order Emperor Realm Masters rebuked as he stood to block Yang Kai.
“Move!” Yang Kai roared and with a wave of his hand sent out a Moon Blade.
Seeing the incoming of the Moon Blade, the First-Order Emperor Realm Master snorted coldly and pushed his Emperor Qi to defend himself, but he had no clue about the lethality of Yang Kai’s Moon Blade. As his Emperor Qi touched the Moon Blade, it completely collapsed, scaring the life out of him as he hurriedly summoned his defensive artifact to protect himself.
However, he was too late, as Yang Kai had already arrived in front of him, and slammed a palm on his head.
With a thud, the First-Order Emperor Realm Master did not even have the time to react before his head was smashed and his brains splashed out.
In just a brief moment of confrontation, an Emperor Realm Elder of Seeking Passion Sect had his head smashed to pieces and died on the spot. All the nearby cultivators gasped in disbelief at the brutal scene.
That was an Emperor Realm Master, how could he be killed in just one hit? Could this Xiao Bai Yi possibly be that powerful?
Following his successful attack, Yang Kai once again released a Moon Blade towards the other First-Order Emperor Realm Master while at the same time grabbing towards Nanmen Da Jun.
“Little animal, it’s you!”
Instead of fear and panic though, the remaining First-Order Emperor’s eyes flashed brightly at the death of his companion, as if he had discovered an incredible secret. Grabbing towards Yang Kai with his hand, this Master’s cultivation suddenly soared upwards.
“A Third-Order Emperor Realm Master?” Yang Kai’s eyes widened, and immediately exclaimed when he noticed this person’s aura, “Feng Xuan! So you were hiding here!”
He had received news before that Feng Xuan was in Ice Moon City, but now, he realized that Feng Xuan was not in the rear taking command, but had actually been waiting by Nanmen Da Jun’s side while camouflaging his own appearance and hiding his cultivation, disguising as an ordinary First-Order Emperor Realm Master.
Since he was the Sect Master of the Seeking Passion Sect, it wasn’t surprising he had a Secret Technique capable of at least this much.
The reason for his actions was to have safety measures against Bing Yun; however, contrary to Feng Xuan’s expectations, the one who appeared before him was actually Yang Kai.
A few years ago, Feng Xi fought against Yang Kai in the Shattered Star Sea, the battle ultimately ending with Feng Xi’s defeat and his death. At the end of that battle, Feng Xuan used a Soul Descend to possess his son’s body, but even after fighting a battle with Yang Kai, Feng Xuan failed to save his son.
When the Moon Blade appeared, Feng Xuan instantly recognized Yang Kai’s true identity.
“It’s too late to realize it now! This King already knows who you are! I didn’t expect you to fall into this trap by yourself. My target just served himself on a platter for me, I don’t even need to put in any effort to search for you. Now die!” Feng Xuan sneered as he pushed his Emperor Qi and Principle Strength madly, condensing them into a thick chain that shot towards Yang Kai in an attempt to bind him.
Yang Kai’s face changed drastically and was forced to withdraw the hand grasping towards Nanmen Da Jun in order to rapidly form a series of hand seals as he shouted, “Time Flows on Infinitely, Like a Mighty Stream, Like an Unending Dream!”
A seal shrouded Feng Xuan from above.
“Time Flies Seal!” Feng Xuan was horrified when he felt the great power contained in this Divine Ability. Even a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master like him could not help feeling frightened as an odd sensation overwhelmed him.
Time itself seemed to slow to a crawl as he watched this seal form.
“Time Principles!” Feng Xuan’s face darkened.
Yang Kai used the Time Flies Seal in the Shattered Star Sea back then as well, and it was thanks to this Divine Ability that Feng Xuan’s son had perished. Because of this, Feng Xuan had spent some time over the past few years investigating the mysteries of this Divine Ability.
And his hard work had paid off because he finally had a good understanding of this Divine Ability.
This Time Flies Seal was the unique Divine Ability of the Flowing Time Great Emperor. A single seal not only made time flow rapidly, but also involved Time Principles. It was definitely a powerful Secret Technique that all Emperor Realm Masters would be envious of.
Now, Yang Kai was using the Time Flies Seal again, which he undoubtedly had become more proficient with than a few years ago.
Feng Xuan, who was shrouded by the distorted Time Principles, became sluggish for a moment.
Right at that moment, Yang Kai flashed by him and sprang towards Nanmen Da Jun like a tiger hunting its prey.
Nanmen Da Jun retreated quickly in horror, pushing his Emperor Qi at the same time to protect himself.
But just like Yang Kai, he was only a First-Order Emperor, so how could he resist? He did not even have time to summon any Emperor Artifacts before Yang Kai grabbed his neck. In the next moment, a fierce wave of force invaded Nanmen Da Jun’s body, flooding his meridians and physique. Nanmen Da Jun suddenly gave a cough, his face white as a sheet as cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
“Don’t force me to kill you! It’s not easy to be an accomplished Array Master, it would be a shame for you to die here!” Yang Kai declared coldly when he saw Nanmen Da Jun still trying to struggle.
Nanmen Da Jun sighed dejectedly and dispersed his Emperor Qi, allowing Yang Kai to lift him up.
At that moment, there was a soft cracking sound.
Yang Kai looked back and saw that Feng Xuan, who was under the influence of the Time Flies Seal, had broken free.
“I expected nothing less from Sect Master Feng!” Yang Kai complimented.
Although the Time Flies Seal was exceptional, Yang Kai’s cultivation was still far from Feng Xuan’s, so it was something of a fluke to even be able to trap him for a moment.
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
A group of silhouettes rose into the sky from all directions, and waves of Emperor Qi surged towards this direction violently. Naturally, these auras belonged to the Emperor Realm Masters from the Seeking Passion Sect and those who had accepted the Recruitment Order. They must have sensed something wrong and rushed to help.
At a glance, there seemed to be at least thirty Emperor Realm Masters approaching, an extremely terrifying force.
Although it was not as good as the thirty-two Monster Kings and eight Great Kings from the Ancient Wild Lands, it was still dreadfully shocking that a single Sect could gather so many Emperor Realm Masters.
“Yao’er, I’ve got him, withdraw!” Yang Kai shouted sharply, calling out to Ji Yao who was fighting against the Second-Order Emperor Realm Master guard.
Yang Kai did not want to be entangled here a moment longer. Since he had already achieved his goal, which was to capture Nanmen Da Jun, the wisest course of action was to leave now.
Ji Yao nodded and used her Pear Flower Ice Snow Sword Technique. Pear blossoms bloomed and swirled around her opponent, locking him in place for a moment as she took the opportunity to escape and fly towards Yang Kai.
“Trying to escape? Since you’ve come, this King insists you stay!” Feng Xuan was boiling in anger, like an erupting volcano. Pushing his Seeking Passion Supreme Art to its limit, he released a mystical domain that covered the entire surrounding region.
In this domain, everyone’s emotions and desires seemed to be infinitely magnified, shaking their minds and making it difficult for them to control themselves.
This was the horror of the Seeking Passion Supreme Art. Once it was deployed, it could arouse the emotions and desires hidden in the heart of the enemy, playing an important role of restraint in a battle of life and death; after all, even a small mistake in such a battle could result in death.
Activating his Secret Art, Feng Xuan stretched a hand out and summoned a spear that seemed to pulse with Blood Qi. Whistling wind and booming thunder was heard as Feng Xuan poured his Emperor Qi into the spear.
“Go!” Feng Xuan growled in a low voice as he threw the spear in his hand towards Yang Kai ferociously.
*Kacha… *
The spear turned into a violet bolt of lightning, soaring like a dragon through the Heavens, radiating an astonishing destructive power.
“The inheritance of the Seeking Passion Great Emperor, Wind and Thunder Divine Spear!”
Many Emperor Realm Masters were shocked, and many knowledgeable cultivators recognized the origin of this spear.
It was known that the Seeking Passion Sect was founded by a Great Emperor, and the Seeking Passion Supreme Art was also the cultivation technique created by the same Great Emperor at the time. It was this supreme Secret Art that assisted in his rise to become a Great Emperor.
Apart from the Seeking Passion Supreme Art, the Seeking Passion Great Emperor had left many other relics to his descendants before he passed on.
The Wind and Thunder Divine Spear was the original Natal Emperor Artifact of the Seeking Passion Great Emperor when he was alive, so its power and lethality was naturally immense!
One could see Feng Xuan’s determination to kill Yang Kai when he summoned the Wind and Thunder Divine Spear to fight against him, who was merely a First-Order Emperor Realm Master.
Pressured by the approaching Wind and Thunder Divine Spear, Yang Kai’s expression turned solemn. He felt a sense of crisis that he had never felt before, as if he was about to die the next moment.
Ji Yao’s face also paled slightly.
At the critical moment, Yang Kai stretched out his hand, and a simple little bell materialised before him.
This small bell that seemed to be thoroughly worn by time was engraved with many mysterious patterns. In an instant, it expanded to the size of a house, shielding Yang Kai and Ji Yao behind it.
Mountains and Rivers Bell!
As soon as this Ancient Exotic Artifact appeared, a wave of aura that could suppress the Heavens and Earth filled the air, causing the numerous Emperor Realm Masters who were rushing over to suddenly stagnate, their chests tightening as if they were being crushed by a large mountain.
Its Desolate Aura was released instantly.
Things did not end here though as Yang Kai slammed his palm forward and patted the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
*Hong…*
The ringing of the bell shot straight into the sky and the suppressive force suddenly multiplied. At this moment, countless cultivators hovering in the air dropped like dumplings, unable to resist. Even the Emperor Realm Masters could barely resist this suppressive force.
“What the hell is that?!” Feng Xuan staggered, realising the formidability of this bell. He was shocked that even someone as powerful as him felt his aura tumbling at a mere knell of this bell.
*Hong…*
There was another loud clang in the next instant, caused by the Wind and Thunder Divine Spear striking the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
The moment the two artifacts touched, the original form of the Wind and Thunder Divine Spear reappeared, its brightness dimmed somewhat as it bounced away. On the contrary, the Mountains and Rivers Bell remained exactly where it was, without even a single scratch, as sturdy as a mountain.
Yang Kai, however, spurted a mouthful of blood.
Unlike the last time when he was pretending to be injured by Ji Yao’s sword strike by biting his tongue, he was really injured this time.
The Mountains and Rivers Bell was an Ancient Exotic Artifacts and naturally not afraid of the Wind and Thunder Divine Spear, but as it was linked to Yang Kai, part of the impact of the attack was transferred to its owner still.
The power of the inheritance left by the Seeking Passion Great Emperor was truly extraordinary.
“Let’s go!” Yang Kai bellowed, retrieving the Mountains and Rivers Bell and enveloping Ji Yao and Nanmen Da Jun with his Space Principles before vanishing from the spot.
Silence descended where Yang Kai had just fled.
Bewilderment etched on their faces, the Emperor Realm Masters who had originally planned to rush to the rescue stood frozen on the spot, unable to move an inch.
Although the previous battle was short, the earth-shattering fluctuations displayed the intensity of the fight. No one could have imagined that a trivial First-Order Emperor Realm Master could compete against a Master like Feng Xuan, and was even able to retreat successfully.
“Where did he go?”
“Where is that little brat?”
“Who was he?”
Doubts arose in the Emperor Masters’ hearts, but no one was able to answer them. Perhaps the Seeking Passion Sect knew the identity of that person, but at this time, who would dare to speak? Feng Xuan looked extremely aggrieved, as if someone had just killed his parents and stolen his wives, so no one wanted to touch his nerves…
“Space Principles! Someone actually used a Spatial Technique!” Someone suddenly bellowed. Even though the shout was not too loud, it echoed all over the wilderness clearly.
The faces of all the Emperor Realm Masters grew solemn hearing this.
The Dao of Space was an esoteric Dao that only a few could use even when considering the entire Star Boundary. It was rumoured that the man who was the most proficient in the Dao of Space was a Master from the Eastern Territory’s Spirit Beast Island.
But that man supposedly had a powerful Third-Order Emperor Realm cultivation.
Now though, a mere First-Order Emperor actually used a Spatial Technique to such a skilful degree.
“I think that bell is the Mountains and Rivers Bell!” Another person recognized the bell.
“The Mountains and Rivers Bell? The relic of the Yuan Ding Great Emperor?”
“Yes, it was indeed the Mountains and Rivers Bell! I’ve long heard from my disciples that the Mountains and Rivers Bell appeared in the Shattered Star Sea, but at some point disappeared. Now, it seems like someone has refined the Mountains and River Bell and brought it out of the Shattered Star Sea.”
“Sii… He is proficient in The Dao of Space and managed to refine the Mountains and Rivers Bell… what a great fortune he has!”
“Who was that young man!?”
While everyone was still in doubt, Feng Xuan suddenly roared to the Heavens with an outraged face, “Yang Kai! This King swears he will kill you if it is the last thing he ever does!”
“Yang Kai!”
“Wasn’t that the name of the one the Seeking Passion Sect has been looking for?”
“It is said that he has a close relationship with Ice Heart Valley, and because of that, the Seeking Passion Sect sent troops to Ice Heart Valley to force information about him out of Bing Yun.”
“So, that little brat was Yang Kai!”
……
No matter whether Yang Kai was famous or not before today, he was destined to become famous after today, for he had killed a Seeking Passion Sect Elder and captured Nanmen Da Jun right in front of the Seeking Passion Sect’s Sect Master, Feng Xuan. Furthermore, he managed to make a successful retreat. No ordinary genius could accomplish the same feats Yang Kai had.
The hot news of Yang Kai wielding Space Principles and possessing the Mountains and Rivers Bells naturally spread out rapidly.
It was just a matter of time before the name of Yang Kai would be known throughout the entire Northern Territory.
Not everyone could master the Dao of Space as it depended on one’s natural talent for this Dao, nor would it be possible to comprehend it even if Yang Kai was captured and they tortured him for information; however, the Mountains and Rivers Bell was the titular artifact of the Yuan Ding Great Emperor, and rumour had it that it was an Ancient Exotic Artifact that was brought out from the Ancient Wild Lands, a treasure that all envied.
During the War of Great Emperors, even though he had to bear serious danger, the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor still chose to kill Yuan Ding first because he was afraid of the Mountains and Rivers Bell in his hands.
This was a treasure that even the strongest Master in the history of the Star Boundary feared! If one could lay their hands on it, his or her strength would soar.
Yang Kai and Ji Yao teleported back to the borders of Ice Heart Valley.
After sensing a tremendous energy fluctuation, Zhang Sun Yin immediately rushed out and looked over at the direction of Ji Yao and Yang Kai nervously, “Senior Brother Yang, you’re injured!” She exclaimed as she saw blood at the corner of his mouth.
Yang Kai waved his hand lightly, “I’m fine!”
Zhang Sun Ying continued, “You two are finally back! Honoured Master has been worried about both of you these past few days. Honoured Master would have gone out to seek you two if she was not afraid that she would alarm the enemy.”
While speaking, Zhang Sun Ying suddenly glanced at Nanmen Da Jun who was being held captive by Yang Kai, asking, “Who is he?”
Ji Yao answered, “Nanmen Da Jun!”
Flabbergasted, Zhang Sun Ying jumped on with joy, “You succeeded!?”
She had no clue about what Yang Kai was doing outside for these past few days. It was only after Ji Yao departed that she found out Yang Kai was going to deal with Nanmen Da Jun, and now that the latter had been captured, there was no doubt that they had succeeded.
Yang Kai nodded, and pushed Nanmen Da Jun forward to her, “I’ll turn him over to you, it will be up to Senior Bing Yun to decide whether he lives or dies. I need to heal myself first.”
Then, he turned to Ji Yao, “Junior Sister Yao, come and find me tomorrow. I’ll need your help.”
Ji Yao nodded without asking any questions.
After that, Yang Kai disappeared.
Although his cultivation was sealed, Nanmen Da Jun still showed the demeanour of a Grandmaster without a single trace of panic on his face. He looked around and stated calmly, “So, this is Ice Heart Valley. This King has long wanted to visit this place, but I didn’t expect to come here with the identity of a prisoner.”
Zhang Sun Ying and Ji Yao exchanged a look, the former stretching out her hand to gesture, “This way, Grandmaster Nanmen. I’ll take you to see our Honoured Master!”
Nanmen Da Jun smiled faintly, “En, lead the way!”
He looked calm and unaffected, which made many disciples of Ice Heart Valley see him in a new light. Although he was responsible for the dire situation of Ice Heart Valley, there was no real grudge between Nanmen Da Jun and Ice Heart Valley, he was simply working after receiving payment.
Since they had captured him, the crisis of Ice Heart Valley was resolved, and there was no point in harassing him.
Inside the room of the small courtyard, Yang Kai sat cross-legged and swallowed a few healing pills before quietly cultivating.
After a night of effort, Yang Kai had basically recovered and no longer showed any signs of injury.
The next morning, Yang Kai opened the door and left his room.
Ji Yao was already waiting outside.
Yang Kai requested as he glanced at her, “I want to see Senior Bing Yun.”
“Follow me!” Ji Yao answered. While leading the way, she took out her communication artifact and sent a message to Bing Yun.
Not long after, the two arrived at Bing Yun’s residence.
Needless to say, Bing Yun expressed her thanks to Yang Kai when they met. Without his help, they would never have been able to capture Nanmen Da Jun so easily.
Bing Yun’s cultivation was extraordinary, but some things just could not be achieved merely by strength.
“What are you going to do with Nanmen Da Jun?” Yang Kai asked.
Bing Yun replied, “We have made an agreement. In exchange for Ice Heart Valley guaranteeing his safety, he has agreed to never act against Ice Heart Valley again. Now, he is considered a guest, and I will send him away when the war is over.”
“Senior is kind-hearted,” Yang Kai nodded lightly.
If it were him, he would certainly teach Nanmen Da Jun a painful lesson first. Even if he did not kill him, he would still torture him to relieve his anger.
Bing Yun smiled, “In the end, he is an Array Grandmaster of our era. Perhaps, Ice Heart Valley will have need of his services in the future, so it is better to build a good relationship with him. He was not targeting us intentionally in any case.”
Instead of continuing their discussion about Nanmen Da Jun, Yang Kai asked, “Has Senior prepared the things that I requested?”
After hearing this, Bing Yun tossed a Space Ring to him, “They are all inside. Check if it’s enough for you.”
Yang Kai caught it and nodded as he scanned it with his Divine Sense, “It’s enough.”
Puzzled, Bing Yun questioned, “What do you need so many Space Spirit Crystals and Space Spirit Jades for? As far as I know, these materials can only be used to refine Space Rings. Do you know Artifact Refining as well?”
Yang Kai smiled faintly, “I don’t know Artifact Refining, but other than refining Space Rings, these materials have another great use.”
With a single thought, a realization dawned on Bing Yun, “Space Arrays?”
“Exactly!” Yang Kai admitted with a nod, “I want to arrange a Space Array in Ice Heart Valley. I wonder if Senior has a suitable place in mind? It’s better to be a place well guarded and hidden.”
Bing Yun was confused, “Why go through all the trouble? Our Ice Heart Valley has a Space Array here, and can travel to most of the places in the Northern Territory. Although it has been sealed recently, it can still be opened.”
Yang Kai shook his head, “I have to personally arrange this Space Array.”
Seeing his insistence, Bing Yun pondered for a while before she continued, “How about the Ice Lake?”
Yang Kai raised his brow, “The place where Zi Yu was imprisoned before? It’s indeed a good choice.”
Bing Yun concluded, “Then that place it is.”
“But isn’t that a Restricted Area of Ice Heart Valley?” Yang Kai frowned.
Bing Yun smiled faintly, “It was a Restricted Area before, but since you took that bead out, it’s not a Restricted Area anymore.”
Yang Kai was stunned and he chuckled in embarrassment.
When he came to Ice Heart Valley a few years ago, he took the Bead of Winter from the aforementioned Restricted Area. It was because of this opportunity that he gathered all of the Four Seasons Beads, allowing him to comprehend the Time Flies Seal Divine Ability of Flowing Time Great Emperor in the Shattered Star Sea.
In the past, Ice Heart Valley had used the Bead of Winter to create a Restricted Area which was useful for both cultivation and imprisonment, but without the bead, the Restricted Area naturally collapsed.
“It is not a simple feat to arrange a Space Array. Yang Kai, are you proficient in arrays as well?” Again, Bing Yun questioned curiously.
Yang Kai shook his head, “I only know how to arrange this one type of array, and even that was taught to me by a Senior Expert due to some opportunities in the past.”
With these words, a woman in all black emerged in Yang Kai’s mind.
[Yang Yan… ]
Yang Kai had not seen her for a long time. All these years, Yang Kai had been wandering the Star Boundary, but he never heard of a great force that had a Master called Yang Yan, and there was no news of Lin Yun’er, who Yang Yan had taken away with her.
After shaking off these distracting thoughts, Yang Kai got up and announced, “I shall go and arrange the array without delay. Junior Sister Yao, please assist me.”
Bing Yun ordered, “Yao’er, go with Yang Kai. If he has any needs, try to meet them.”
“Yes!” Ji Yao received her order.
The two immediately walked out of the palace and headed to the Ice Lake Restricted Area of Ice Heart Valley. Soon, they arrived at the place.
When Yang Kai came here last time, it was dreadfully cold due to the presence of the Bead of Winter, but now it was no different from the other places in Ice Heart Valley.
The altar in the centre of the island in the middle of the lake was still there, where the Bead of Winter was originally placed.
Yang Kai scanned the island with his Divine Sense and carefully examined the surrounding terrain, “This place is good, I shall arrange it here,” he said with satisfaction.
He stretched his hand and waved, summoning out a pile of materials along with a large amount of Space Spirit Crystals and Space Spirit Jades.
Yang Kai had arranged this kind of Space Array many times before. Previously, when he was in Heng Luo Star Field, he had arranged enough Space Arrays to connect almost every major Cultivation Star, allowing free travel between them all in an instant.
Before Yang Kai set up those Space Arrays, it would take about several months to several years for a cultivator to travel from one Cultivation Star to the next closest Cultivation Star across the vast Heng Luo Star Field.
However, with Yang Kai’s help, one could instantly reach his or her destination through the Space Array network, greatly saving time and avoiding the perils of travelling through the Starry Sky.
It could be said that Yang Kai’s contribution to Heng Luo Star Field was unprecedented, unmatched in history by any other.
It had been a long time since he last set up a Space Array, so Yang Kai could not help feeling a bit out of practice at first; however, his foundation was still there, so after a moment of preparation, he began to work.
Yang Kai was very familiar with the Space Array diagram taught to him by Yang Yan.
If it were another Array Master, even for someone like Nanmen Da Jun, they would probably need three to five months to finish arranging this diagram and would also need to go through a lot of trial and error. Because Space Arrays naturally involved the mysteries of the Dao of Space, the Array Master trying to arrange it could only begin after having a detailed understanding of what they were doing.
But for Yang Kai, it was different. He was proficient in the Dao of Space and had a strong grasp of Space Principles, so he had a unique advantage when it came to arranging Space Arrays.
With Ji Yao’s assistance, within only half a day, the basic structure of an array had been formed. Pieces of Space Spirit Crystals and Space Spirit Jades were smelted and arranged on the array by Yang Kai, completing the structure and formations in it, gradually perfecting it.
A day later, Yang Kai finally let out a gentle breath when he finished polishing the last rougher portions.
“It’s finished?” Although Ji Yao asked in a neutral tone, there was shock that could not be concealed in her beautiful eyes.
Even if one hadn’t eaten pork before, how could they not know what a pig was?
A Space Array was one of the most difficult arrays to arrange, and it was said that it required a lot of manpower, financial resources, and time to complete. Currently, only a few Grandmasters in the entire Star Boundary had the ability to arrange one from scratch.
But Yang Kai had completed a Space Array before Ji Yao’s eyes in the Ice Lake in just a day.
“It’s finished,” Yang Kai nodded in affirmation and circled around the Space Array for a while, apparently quite satisfied with his masterpiece.
Although he had not set one up for many years, it was still very easy to pick it up; some skills simply could never be forgotten.
The Space Array Yang Kai had arranged was only about four metres across and could be regarded as small to medium-sized, capable of teleporting no more than ten people at a time. The foundation of the formation was deeply buried in the ground, and countless mysterious runes were engraved on it. The base of the array was white and pristine as a jade, as if it could lead one the Heavens upon activation.
Above the base of the array were a few hundred grooves, which were used to insert Source Crystals as a power source.
“Where can it connect to?” Ji Yao asked curiously.
Yang Kai shook his head and smiled, “It doesn’t connect anywhere yet, it’s an independent Space Array.”
“Independent…” Ji Yao was stunned, “Then what use is it?”
Space Arrays had to be connected to each other to be effective. Two Space Arrays needed to exist in different locations and be connected to each other to allow cultivators to travel between them.
An independent Space Array was useless.
“It’s useless now, but it will be useful later,” Yang Kai grinned.
Ji Yao did not know what Yang Kai had up his sleeves, but it was apparent that he was not going to disclose it, so she could only hold her doubts.
“Take me to the Space Array in Ice Heart Valley then send me to the place closest to the Eastern Territory. I’ll return to the Ancient Lands from there,” Yang Kai turned his head to Ji Yao.
Ji Yao’s beautiful eyes opened wide and she gently nodded obediently, “Follow me.”
Why did Yang Kai want to go to the Ancient Lands? She knew that he was going to get help. The forces supporting the Seeking Passion Sect were both strong and numerous, with at least thirty to forty Emperor Realm Masters among the ranks, including several at the Second and Third-Order. With Ice Heart Valley’s current strength, they had no chance of victory and would surely be wiped out in a frontal conflict with the Seeking Passion Sect.
However, if Yang Kai could bring help from the Ancient Lands, the situation would be different. After all, each Monster King was as powerful as Feng Xuan.
While the two were walking, Yang Kai spoke up, “I won’t be bidding farewell to Senior Bing Yun, please inform her on my behalf. It will take at least one month to as long as two months to return, but I will definitely come back. The Sect Defending Array of Ice Heart Valley should be able to hold on until then.”
“Good,” Ji Yao nodded gently.
“And…” Yang Kai added while taking out a jade slip and sending his Divine Sense into it, engraving something onto it before he tossed it to Ji Yao, “Take this and teach it to Ice Heart Valley disciples while I’m gone.”
Ji Yao caught the jade slip and checked its content curiously, her tender body shaking slightly after a moment as she asked in shock, “What Spirit Array is this?”
Recorded in the jade slip was not a powerful Secret Technique, but a mysterious Spirit Array. Ji Yao, who was a strong Second-Order Emperor, had broad knowledge and insight so she was able to identify its profoundness at a glance.
With the help of this Spirit Array, the strength Ice Heart Valley’s disciples could display would increase immensely.
“The Seven Points Black Tortoise Formation!” Yang Kai replied, “It was the legacy inheritance of the Black Tortoise Sect from the Eastern Territory.”
It was Qin Zhao Yang from Maplewood City who taught Yang Kai this Seven Points Black Tortoise Formation. At that time, Maplewood City was besieged by Demon Qi, and with much difficulty, they managed to form the Seven Point Black Tortoise Formation with the help of seven Dao Source Realm cultivators in order to venture out and seek a solution to the crisis. Unfortunately, their efforts ended in vain.
It was not that the Seven Points Black Tortoise Formation was weak though, but rather that the ones who were using it didn’t possess high enough cultivation or the necessary unity.
This Seven Points Black Tortoise Formation was a core technique of the Black Tortoise Sect from the Eastern Territory. Once seven individuals formed the formation, it could be used offensively and defensively, but it was especially strong to be used as a defence.
It was unfortunate that the Black Tortoise Sect had somehow offended the Divine Spirit, Shi Huo, resulting in it launching an assault on them. Black Tortoise Sect exhausted all its power and resources but still failed to resist in the end, ultimately being wiped out.
The ancestor of the Qin Family in Maplewood City was a refugee from the Black Tortoise Sect. After the Sect’s fall, the Master had fled to the Southern Territory and settled in Maplewood City. It was a pity that the Qin Family continued to decline in successive generations, to the point where even the appearance of Dao Source Realm cultivators was rare. It was a point of great sorrow that no one in their family was able to wield the Myriads Sword Emperor Artifact which had been passed down to them from their ancestor.
“If a full-scale battle with the Seeking Passion Sect breaks out, Ice Heart Valley can somewhat reduce casualties with this Formation,” Yang Kai sighed softly.
There were a hundred thousand on the Seeking Passion Sect’s side, and although they were from different backgrounds, and were not entirely united with the Seeking Passion Sect, such a disparity in numbers more than made up for those flaws. Ice Heart Valley’s mere seven thousand disciples trying to resist such a tide would be like trying to break a stone with an egg.
This Seven Points Black Tortoise Formation would definitely be a life-saving tool for many disciples in Ice Heart Valley.
“Ji Yao thanks Senior Brother Yang on behalf of all the Sisters in Ice Heart Valley,” Ji Yao suddenly gave her gratitude seriously.
Ji Yao had witnessed that Yang Kai had been working hard to help Ice Heart Valley all this time, and now even passed down to them this mysterious and powerful Formation. It was an immense gesture of kindness.
In this world, there were plenty of people who would curry favour when one was blessed and prosperous, but how many could offer timely assistance in a time of crisis?
Yang Kai chuckled, “I have a close connection with Senior Bing Yun, so this much is nothing. I just hope Junior Sister Yao doesn’t tease me anymore in the future.”
Ji Yao’s face turned red as she naturally knew what Yang Kai was talking about.
But she instantly felt like burying her head in the ground when she recalled the time when he saw her naked from head to toe, and the time when she massaged his shoulders while rubbing against his back.
She had no idea how she could be so muddle-headed at that time. Yang Kai was obviously a man, so how could she mistake him for her Honoured Master?
This was a stain that could never be erased in her lifetime…
They did not speak again for the rest of the journey and soon arrived in front of the Space Array of Ice Heart Valley.
This Space Array was a one-way array. In other words, one could only go out, but not come in.
The Space Arrays in most Sects were generally one-way in order to prevent enemies from directly invading through them; however, now that they were at odds with the Seeking Passion Sect and with Ice Heart Valley’s safety at stake, Bing Yun had even closed this one-way Space Array out of an abundance of caution.
With Ji Yao’s help though, opening the Space Array was not difficult.
Soon, the Space Array was reactivated, and after installing enough Source Crystals, Yang Kai stepped onto it and disappeared with a flash.
Ji Yao looked at the spot where Yang Kai disappeared silently for a while before her tender body flickered hurriedly to report to Bing Yun.
She wanted to pass the Seven Point Black Tortoise Formation to Bing Yun, who would then disseminate it to the disciples.
In a city near the border of the Northern Territory, Yang Kai appeared leisurely. He left the hall where the Space Array was located immediately and asked someone for directions. He then leapt into the air and rushed in the direction of the Eastern Territory.
Although this was the border town, it still took Yang Kai five days to completely leave the Northern Territory.
After twenty days of ceaseless travelling, Yang Kai finally arrived at the desolate city outside the Ancient Wild Lands.
He couldn’t help but feel a little annoyed at this moment. If he had given Luan Feng or any of the others a Communication Bead or Communication Artifact and was able to communicate with them now, Luan Feng could have come out and led him inside, saving him much time and trouble to enter the Ancient Lands this time.
Instead, Yang Kai flew towards a small house and, with a sweep of his Divine Sense, found a familiar aura. Yang Kai could not help feeling relieved as he had worried if the master of this place was out on business.
“Old Ban!” Yang Kai shouted from the entranceway.
Soon, Old Ban’s figure appeared in front of Yang Kai, and seeing who it was, he smiled and greeted, “So, it is Young Master Yang. Didn’t Young Master Yang leave the city already? Why have you returned?”
Yang Kai answered solemnly, “I want to go to Ancient Lands again, and I hope Old Ban can help me. This will be your reward!”
As he spoke, he flicked a Space Ring towards Old Ban.
Old Ban caught the ring, but without even looking inside, he tossed it back to Yang Kai and smiled lightly, “There’s no need for any rewards. This old man is obliged to assist Young Master Yang’s entry into the Ancient Lands.”
It was thanks to Yang Kai rescuing him from Yao Lin back then that he was still alive and well today, so Old Ban did not feel the need to charge Yang Kai his usual fee.
Yang Kai did not insist and accepted the gesture, “Many thanks, Old Ban.”
Old Ban requested, “Young Master Yang, please wait a moment, I will need to settle down Ling’er first.”
As he spoke, a little girl who was about seven to eight years old ran out of the house. It was Old Ban’s granddaughter, Xiao Ling’er. She was still sick when Yang Kai saw her the last time, but now, she seemed to be healthy and active.
“Grandpa is leaving again?” Although Xiao Ling’er was young, she was very sensible. She stared at Yang Kai with her round dark eyes, then turned to look at Old Ban and asked.
Old Ban stroked Xiao Ling’er’s head and explained, “Grandpa is going out and will be back soon. Ling’er must stay at home obediently and not run about outside.”
“Ling’er understands. Be careful along the way, grandpa!” The little girl urged him solemnly.
The worried look on Old Ban seemed to dissolve as he turned to address Yang Kai, “Young Master Yang, let’s go.”
Yang Kai did not move, however, and instead looked at Xiao Ling’er for a while before asking, “Old Ban, she’s just a little girl. Is it safe for her to be home alone?”
There were all kinds of people in this desolate city, where there was no one to keep order, and fights happened all the time. Xiao Ling’er was just a seven-year-old little girl. If she was involved in any danger, Yang Kai was worried that she would not be able to protect herself.
Before Old Ban could answer, Ling’er crisply replied, “I will not give grandpa trouble.”
Old Ban smiled, “Ling’er is very well-behaved. When I’m not around, she won’t go out.”
Yang Kai shook his head lightly as this was not a matter of her going out or not. If someone really intended to harm Xiao Ling’er, it was useless for her to hide at home. Yang Kai was actually quite surprised Xiao Ling’er had been safe all these years already.
After pondering for a while, Yang Kai asked, “Has Old Ban ever thought of sending her to a Sect to cultivate?”
Old Ban smiled wryly, “Naturally, I’ve thought about it before, but this old man doesn’t have any connections, so there is no Sect that I can send her to. I would rather teach her by myself as a small Sect won’t be able to nurture her well. As for those big Sects, it’s not easy to join them.”
“How about I recommend her to a Sect?” Yang Kai turned to him, “As your reward for leading the way?”
Old Ban was stunned, then he was overjoyed, “Young Master Yang, are you serious?”
Yang Kai smiled lightly, “Why didn’t you ask me where I will send her?”
Old Ban replied, “How could that Sect be bad if Young Master Yang is the one recommending it?”
Yang Kai was an Emperor Realm Master, and Old Ban had witnessed his incredible strength with his own eyes. Since Yang Kai was the one making this offer, he would definitely not send Xiao Ling’er to some nameless Sect.
This was Old Ban’s greatest wish as well as a great opportunity for Xiao Ling’er.
“Ling’er, quickly thank Young Master Yang,” Old Ban ordered Xiao Ling’er, his face flushed in happiness.
Xiao Ling’er did not kneel, however, but instead stared at Yang Kai curiously with a pair of big, blinking eyes, her long eyelashes quivering as she spoke up, “Can Ling’er ask something?”
Yang Kai was amused by her reaction, as he did not expect that a little girl at her age would already be this precocious. He squatted down to a height even with hers, and nodded, “What do you want to ask?”
Xiao Ling’er tilted her head for a while, then asked, “Will I be separated from my grandpa?”
Yang Kai nodded, “Yes, there are only women in the place where I’m going to send you. Men are not allowed to stay there.”
Xiao Ling’er quickly shook her head like a rattle drum upon hearing it, “I don’t want to go then. I must accompany grandpa.”
After hearing this, Old Ban stomped his foot anxiously, “You little girl, do you know what you are talking about? It is a great opportunity for you that Young Master Yang wants to send you to a Sect to cultivate. How can you say you don’t want to?”
“I’m not going anywhere without grandpa!” Xiao Ling’er stood her ground firmly.
Old Ban was angry and anxious, though a gush of warmth filled his heart. He glanced at Yang Kai, praying that he would not take back such a good offer because of this.
“Simple and naïve, lovely and sensible. Xiao Ling’er is a good girl.” Yang Kai smiled as he nodded before he persuaded, “Ling’er, do you remember when your grandpa was captured last time?”
When he spoke those words, Xiao Ling’er’s face changed; she obviously remembered the last incident. Panic surfaced in her big eyes as she responded, “Are you going to catch grandpa if Xiao Ling’er doesn’t agree with you? If so, Xiao Ling’er will follow you, please don’t hurt my grandpa!”
Yang Kai could not stop himself from laughing as he continued, “I will not hurt your grandpa, but since such a thing happened once, then there will always be a second time, or a third time… Do you want to protect your grandpa?”
Xiao Ling’er looked up at Old Ban and heavily bobbed her head, “I do! I want to chase away all the bad guys! I won’t allow anyone to bully grandpa!”
Yang Kai pressed on, “Very good. If you want to chase away all the bad guys though, you need to cultivate to be strong, and in order to do that, you need to join a powerful Sect. Come, follow me, I will let you gain the strength you need to protect your grandpa!”
Xiao Ling’er pursed her lips, struggling.
Yang Kai continued again, “You also won’t have to worry for your grandpa, he will go with us. Although he can’t always be with you like he used to, you can still see him any time as long as you miss him.”
“Really?” Xiao Ling’er asked, her eyes lighting up in surprise.
“Pinky promise!” Yang Kai smiled and straightened his little finger towards Xiao Ling’er.
Xiao Ling’er glanced at his move and made a crisp response, “Pinky promises are for deceiving children. I won’t make a pinky promise with you.”
Yang Kai was speechless. He could not believe that this little girl was already so worldly at her age, but perhaps this was the fate of those who grew up poor and in constant danger.
“But Ling’er believes you,” Xiao Ling’er continued.
She immediately knelt down and bowed to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai stretched out his hand and lifted her up, “You don’t need to bow to me, I am only going to recommend you to a Sect. When the Sect accepts you, it won’t be too late to bow again to your Honoured Master.”
“Good… good… Please wait, Young Master Yang,” Old Ban was delighted. Although he has been staying in this desolate city and had been making a living as a guide for over a hundred years now, if Xiao Ling’er really found a bright future, he would not choose to remain in this chaotic place.
Old Ban only had a First-Order Dao Source Realm cultivation and was quite advanced in age, so he could not do anything other than act as a guide to earn a few Source Crystals.
Old Ban went into the house to prepare their luggage. Xiao Ling’er looked up at Yang Kai and asked, “My grandpa calls you Young Master Yang, then can I call you Big Brother Yang?”
“Ling’er can call me whatever she wants,” Yang Kai patted her little head.
“Big Brother Yang, where are you going to send Ling’er?”
“Ice Heart Valley!” Yang Kai answered, “You can rest assured that there are many beautiful Big Sisters there who are all gentle and kind. Ling’er will be taken care of very well there.”
“Are there other children like me?”
“Probably,” Yang Kai was not sure about that, but as far as he knew, Ice Heart Valley had always adopted orphans as disciples, so there should be some young children in the valley.
Yang Kai only came up with the idea of introducing Xiao Ling’er to Ice Heart Valley a moment ago. He had already borrowed Old Ban’s expertise to enter the Ancient Lands, moreover, Old Ban did not ask for a reward this time or the previous time, so he wanted to return a favour with a favour by arranging a brighter future for Xiao Ling’er.
Not long after that, Old Ban had finished preparing their luggage and came out of the house and cupped his fists, “Young Master Yang, we are ready to go.”
“Then, let’s go.” With a wave, Yang Kai rapidly lifted Xiao Ling’er up with both hands, and sat her around his neck.
Xiao Ling’er was obviously startled and quickly hugged Yang Kai’s head with both hands, but she was still a child after all and soon started giggling as she regained her balance.
“No, no, no, how could this be appropriate?” On the other hand, Old Ban stared in fear, “Young Master Yang, I’ll take care of Ling’er. It would be impudent of her to sit on your neck.”
Yang Kai waved his hand, “It’s okay. The Ancient Lands Passageway is extremely dangerous, but she will be safe with my protection.”
After hearing this, Old Ban gave up trying to persuade him because Yang Kai was telling the truth. The Ancient Lands Passageway was indeed a dangerous place, so it would be better to have an Emperor Realm Master protect Ling’er rather than trying to do it himself. Thinking so, he once again cupped his fists gratefully, “Many thanks then, Young Master Yang.”
During the journey, Yang Kai briefly introduced Ice Heart Valley to Old Ban and explained his plans for Xiao Ling’er. Old Ban listened to him without objections.
Even though he was located in the Eastern Territory, he had still heard of the great name of Ice Heart Valley as it was a top Sect in the Northern Territory. It was absolutely a blessed opportunity that Xiao Ling’er could join Ice Heart Valley.
In the past, Old Ban did not even dare to dream about such a possibility, but now this far-fetched dream had actually materialised.
He did not know the relationship between Yang Kai and Ice Heart Valley, but since the words came out of Yang Kai’s mouth, what he said should be trustworthy.
At that moment, Old Ban could not help weeping, unable to believe such great happiness could arrive so suddenly.
“Old Ban, you can try to make a living in Ice Moon City after Xiao Ling’er joins Ice Heart Valley. That way, if this little girl misses you, she can come and visit you.”
“Many thanks, Young Master Yang, many thanks indeed for going so far,” Old Ban raised his sleeve and wiped his eyes.
…..
The Ancient Lands Passageway was still shrouded in strange fog, while Yin Souls flew about, vigorous wind blew, and bolts of thunder fell.
However, Old Ban was an expert on all things here and led them on a path that avoided almost all of these dangers.
It took about ten days for the group of three to pass through the Ancient Lands Passageway and enter the Ancient Wild Lands.
Wild Force pervaded the air and seemed capable of corroding any living being composed of flesh and blood. With Xiao Ling’er in his arms, Yang Kai told Old Ban to stay close to him and then flew straight towards the depths of the Ancient Lands.
Old Ban was shaking along the way as, although he went in and out of the Ancient Lands countless times, this was the first time that he really stepped into the Ancient Wild Lands. After all, the Ancient Lands were so perilous that he would not be able to survive with his weak cultivation.
But looking at Yang Kai’s steady composure entering the Ancient Lands as if walking into his own garden, Old Ban was filled with a rush of admiration for the young man.
He had a doubt though. Yang Kai clearly said that he would introduce Xiao Ling’er to Ice Heart Valley, but Ice Heart Valley was in the Northern Territory, while Yang Kai was heading deeper into the Ancient Lands. The two places were in totally opposite directions, and he had no clue about what Yang Kai was up to.
They flew at full speed along the way. It was the first time Xiao Ling’er experienced the fun of flight, and she giggled from time to time, which flustered Old Ban to keep reminding her to not laugh so loudly for fear of attracting the Ancient Lands’ Monster Race.
But of course, just about half a day after entering the Ancient Lands, Monster Qi suddenly soared into the sky in front of the trio, followed by the appearance of a group of Monsters with vicious looks on their faces. The leader of this group even exuded an aura that was comparable to an Emperor Realm Master.
“A Monster Commander!” Old Ban’s face went pale, his clothes drenched in cold sweat.
He did not expect that the first Monster Race that they encountered in the Ancient Wild Lands would be the Monster Commander, who was also leading many Monster Soldiers and Monster Generals.
[We’re dead!]
Although Yang Kai had an Emperor Realm cultivation, their opponents were not weak, and he was afraid that if Yang Kai had to fight, the odds were most likely against him rather than in his favour.
“How dare someone from the Human Race run rampant in our Ancient Wild Lands!? Report your name quickly and perhaps this King will grant you a peaceful death!” The Monster Commander roared loudly while the Monster Soldiers and Monster Generals behind him howled restlessly. In an instant, the clamorous group of Monster Beast mounts they rode sent up a loud ruckus, producing a terrifying scene.
Old Ban was on the verge of fainting, trembling violently while Xiao Ling’er nervously grabbed Yang Kai’s hair, her face as white as a sheet of paper.
However, Yang Kai stood still on his ground, looking coldly at the Monster Commander.
Influenced by the excitement of his subordinates, the Monster Commander on the other side got excited as well and flaunted his majesty, “Puny Human, are you scared? You… huh?”
Before he had finished his words, he suddenly shuddered. The next moment, his eyes widened and he carefully looked at Yang Kai’s face. In an instant, the Monster Commander’s face changed drastically, like he had just seen a ghost, and he hurriedly shouted, “Everyone shut up! Make way, make way, quickly make way!”
The Monster Commander was extremely scared, as if he had seen something really terrifying, leaving his subordinates quite befuddled.
“I failed to see that it was Sir who arrived! Please forgive this humble one for offending Sir!” Dumbfounded, the Monster Commander trembled and his forehead dripped with sweat as he pleaded.
“You’re not so stupid after all!” Yang Kai snorted lightly, leading Old Ban and carrying Xiao Ling’er as he flew past the Monster Race group.
The Monster Commander breathed a sigh of relief after seeing that Yang Kai did not try to find trouble with him.
When Yang Kai was out of their vision, one of the Monster Generals asked curiously, “Sir, who was that man? Why was Sir being so respectful to him?”
The whole group of Monsters were puzzled. The Ancient Wild Lands were a paradise for the Wild Races, and the Monster Race was the most powerful among them, so how could Sir Monster Commander be afraid of a mere Human?
The Monster Commander’s face sank, but instead of answering the question, he ordered in a deep voice, “Remember not to provoke that man. The next time you meet him, run as far as you can. If you offend him, even Sir Monster King will not be able to save you.”
“What…” The Monster Race members were all appalled, their curiosity towards Yang Kai’s identity only growing, wondering how capable this Human was that even Sir Monster King could do nothing to him.
“Enough, I need to quickly report this to Sir Monster King.” After a murmur, the Monster Commander turned into a streak of black light that rushed towards a certain direction.
The sudden appearance of Yang Kai here was definitely a huge matter to the entire Ancient Wild Lands. Since the Monster Commander had met him, he must report it, otherwise, he would be severely punished if the Monster King he served came to know about this later.
Yang Kai continued flying through the jungle.
Xiao Ling’er was still naïve, so she did not understand the previous scene; however, Old Ban now worshipped Yang Kai as though he was a Divine Messenger sent from the Heavens.
Why would a powerful Monster Commander who had so many Monster Soldiers and Monster Generals behind him be so deferential to Yang Kai? Old Ban wanted to ask about it in detail, but he felt that his relationship with Yang Kai was not close enough to get to the bottom of the matter, so he simply kept his doubts to himself.
A short time later, Yang Kai frowned and stopped flying forward to look back.
“What happened?” Old Ban questioned curiously.
“Someone strong is coming, but I don’t know who and why,” Yang Kai squinted at the rear.
“Someone strong…” Old Ban’s heart skipped a beat. Even the Monster Commander gave up picking a fight with Yang Kai, so ‘someone strong’ in Yang Kai’s opinion would be at least a Monster King, right?
Old Ban abruptly felt light-headed and was having trouble standing on his feet.
In the timespan of two sentences, a navy blue streak of light appeared from the horizon behind them and flew over, dispersing to reveal a vigorous figure.
It was a middle-aged man, dressed in blue robes with a hooked nose, eyes as sharp as a knife, and an aura as deep as a sea.
It was a Monster King!
Old Ban’s face turned pale. Although he had never seen a Monster King before, he could still recognize that the one in front of him was no doubt a Monster King of the Ancient Wild Lands.
Rumour had it that only a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master could clash on par with the Monster Kings of the Ancient Lands. In other words, this middle-aged man in front of him was as powerful as a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master!
This kind of existence could easily kill him and Xiao Ling’er thousands of times over in a single breath.
“It really is Young Master Yang!”
When the middle-aged man opposite them saw Yang Kai, he did not show any hostility but instead smiled happily, as if he was reuniting with an old friend. Cupping his fists, the middle-aged man greeted, “Welcome, Young Master Yang. This one is Monster King Ying Fei who serves under Sir Cang Gou!”
“So, it’s Monster King Ying Fei!” Yang Kai nodded lightly with an indifferent expression. He might have seen this Monster King in front of him near the Blood Gate last time as he looked familiar, but this was the first time Yang Kai was learning the other’s name.
“Sir Cang Gou…” Old Ban was dumbstruck with his eyes widened, as if almost petrified.
Although commoners including Old Ban did not know about the division of power in Ancient Wild Lands, he had of course heard the name Cang Gou before.
That was an Ancient Divine Spirit!
It turned out that there was a Divine Spirit in the Ancient Wild Lands, and this Monster King was the subordinate of that Divine Spirit Cang Gou.
“Just now, I heard from my subordinates that they saw Young Master Yang. This Ying Fei thought they must have seen wrongly, but it turns out Young Master Yang really has come,” Ying Fei grinned, with a look as if he knew Yang Kai very well.
Yang Kai asked, “Why did a Monster King like you chase after me all the way here? Do you want to deliver some kind of command to me?”
Ying Fei hurriedly explained, “This Ying wouldn’t dare to command Young Master Yang. I just wondered where Young Master Yang is going and whether he needs my help or not?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “No need, I just wanted to find Lady Feng to discuss something with her.”
“You wish to see Lady Luan Feng!” Ying Fei beamed, “The distance from here to Lady Luan Feng’s Phoenix Nest Palace is not short. Even though most of the Monster Kings and the Monster Commanders in the Ancient Lands will recognize Young Master Yang and would not dare to offend you, there are still many who don’t know you and might cause trouble. Such a thing should not be allowed. If Young Master Yang doesn’t mind, why not allow this Ying to give you a ride? It’s not that this Ying wants to boast, but his speed is not inferior to anyone in the Ancient Lands.”
Since the last time Yang Kai caused havoc in the Ancient Wild Lands, the remaining three Divine Venerables had given instructions to all the Monster Kings and Great Kings under them to never be rude if they met Yang Kai again in the future.
Thirty-two Monster Kings and eight Great Kings participated in the battle on that day, and everyone knew the relationship between Yang Kai and that Heaven’s Order descendant. Even without the instructions of the Divine Venerables, they all knew what to do.
After returning to their respective territories, they summoned their Monster Commanders and Monster Generals to show them the image of Yang Kai, solemnly informing them to never offend him.
This was the reason why the previous Monster Commander recognized Yang Kai and flew into a panic. Although he had no clue what kind of person Yang Kai was, he knew that this Human was someone Sir Monster King would give special care to, so he did not dare to slight him.
Yang Kai took a deep look at Ying Fei, the corner of his mouth curving into a meaningful smile.
Yang Kai knew exactly what Ying Fei was up to for being so enthusiastic. After all, Yang Kai was the only one in the world who had a close relationship with Zhang Ruo Xi. As Heaven’s Order’s descendant, Zhang Ruo Xi controlled the Blood Gate Restricted Area, where countless Divine Spirit Sources were kept.
It was impossible for Ying Fei to find Zhang Ruo Xi now because she had entered the Blood Gate, but Yang Kai was right in front of him.
If he could build a good relationship with Yang Kai, it might be beneficial to him in the future. Perhaps Ying Fei would have a chance to obtain a compatible Divine Spirit Source from that Heaven’s Order descendant and evolve into a Divine Spirit by awakening his ancestral Bloodline Power.
“Very good. Then I shall trouble Monster King Ying Fei,” Yang Kai nodded.
Ying Fei was delighted, “No problem, no problem. It is this Ying’s pleasure to help Young Master Yang.”
As soon as those words fell, Ying Fei’s body flashed with blue light, and when the radiance dispersed, a proud cry resounded and a giant eagle with a wingspan of several dozen meters appeared. Even with a gentle flap of its wings, this giant eagle kicked up a raging wind.
“Big birdy, big birdy!” Xiao Ling’er who was riding on Yang Kai’s neck clapped happily when she saw Ying Fei’s true form, as if she just discovered something new and interesting.
Yang Kai chuckled, “If Xiao Ling’er wants to, we can ride on this big birdy.”
“Yes, yes!” Xiao Ling’er eyes brightened in excitement.
With a flicker, Yang Kai was already on Ying Fei’s back.
Ying Fei’s true form was gigantic, while his back was flat and spacious, allowing more than twenty to thirty people to sit comfortably. The feathers on his neck were also smooth and soft, making it feel like they were sitting on a fluffy blanket, which was extremely pleasant.
“Grandpa, come up. It’s really comfortable sitting on this big birdy, even more comfortable than our bed!” Xiao Ling’er climbed down from Yang Kai’s neck, sat on the bird’s back and beckoned Old Ban.
Cold sweat beaded on Old Ban’s forehead, he reprimanded, “Stop speaking nonsense!”
The little girl blabbered naively as she did not know the immensity of Heaven and Earth, but Old Ban understood the power of a Monster King. This was an existence that could extinguish one’s Soul with a single breath.
It was a rarity for him to even see a Monster King, but now he was going to sit on his back?
Old Ban panicked and hesitated, not knowing what to do and turning to Yang Kai helplessly.
Yang Kai smiled, “Monster King Ying Fei is kind. Just come up with us, Old Ban.”
“Don’t worry old man, this King will protect all of you,” The giant eagle spoke in Human language.
After hearing this, Old Ban cupped his fists nervously, “Then… please forgive the rudeness of this old man.”
As he spoke, he carefully stepped on the bird’s back, and an extremely unreal feeling grew in his heart.
He had been muddling along without any real goals for his whole life, but now he was actually lucky enough to sit on the back of a Monster King…
“Hold on tight, all of you.” Ying Fei reminded them as he flapped his wings. His gigantic body instantly turned into a beam of blue light that shot off towards the depths of the Ancient Lands at lightning speed. During the flight, Xiao Ling’er shouted in exhilaration as the surrounding scenery flashed past them speedily.
Although the speed was fast, there was a Monster Qi barrier on Ying Fei’s back serving as protection, covering them from all the headwinds and keeping Yang Kai and the others unruffled.
All of this was clearly an intentional performance. Ying Fei was not just fast but also flew very stably, not producing a single tilt or bump along the way, as if they were just standing on flat ground.
Just about an hour later, Luan Feng’s Phoenix Nest Palace appeared before their eyes.
Ying Fei brought them to the outside of the Phoenix Nest Palace and after they had disembarked from his back, he transformed back to his Human form and cupped his fists towards Yang Kai, “Young Master Yang, fortunately, I did not fail my mission. This Ying will take his leave now.”
It was not convenient for him to stay too long outside the Phoenix Nest Palace as he was under Cang Gou’s command.
Since the beginning, he did not mention anything else to Yang Kai. It seemed like the intention of this trip was merely to escort Yang Kai.
Ying Fei was smart and probably knew that Yang Kai had seen through his purpose of establishing a good connection with him, and thought that he would leave a better impression by just remaining silent instead of appearing greedy by asking for favours right away.
Moreover, he was not in a rush and knew that even winning Yang Kai’s favour was not a solution. Now that the Blood Gate had disappeared without a trace, even if Ying Fei wanted one of his ancestor’s Divine Spirit Sources, he would still need to wait for the Blood Gate to reopen again.
Yang Kai smiled faintly and cupped his fists too, “Many thanks, Monster King.”
“You are welcome, Young Master Yang!” Ying Fei returned the gesture, turned around and went back the way he came.
苍狗 – Cang Gou is basically Grey Dog… There is no such divine beast that I know of. Likewise, Vermillion Bird, for those that read the MTL, which we call Luan Fung here, is not even vermillion =.=. For god sakes.
So, most of these Divine Spirits are not even real mythical beasts.
“Young Master Yang, this place is…”
Old Ban asked carefully after Ying Fei had gone far away.
“Luan Feng’s palace, the Phoenix Nest Palace!” Yang Kai answered.
“Luan Feng…”
Old Ban’s eyes widened. He realized that what he had experienced today was more shocking than all the experiences of the rest of his life combined. It was sensational enough to sit on the back of a Monster King, but now, he was actually standing in front of the palace of a Divine Spirit.
If it were not for Yang Kai, it would be impossible for him to be here. Yang Kai could not only make a Monster King, Ying Fei, willingly serve as a mount, he could even simply walk up to a Divine Spirit’s palace.
Old Ban could not understand what identity and origin Yang Kai had that allowed him to do this.
While speaking, the palace gate suddenly opened, from which a beautiful and slim woman in an elegant dress came straight to Yang Kai and stood in front of him, saluting politely, “Greetings, Young Master Yang!”
Yang Kai smiled as he glanced at her, “Tian Long, long time no see.”
This woman was the maidservant Luan Feng arranged to serve him when he came to Phoenix Nest Palace as a guest the last time. Although Yang Kai had only met her a few times, they were still quite familiar with each other.
“It hasn’t been that long…” Tian Long looked up at him with a far-fetched smile, “Why is Young Master Yang here this time? Is there some kind of problem?”
Yang Kai replied, “I need some help from Lady Feng. May I know where she is?”
Tian Long answered, “Young Master Yang, unfortunately, you’ve come at a bad time. Mistress just happened to enter a retreat a few days ago.”
Hearing this, Yang Kai could not help giving her a meaningful look as he commented, “Lady Feng is a Divine Spirit, and she has a body that is naturally gifted in cultivation where the Heavens themselves assist in her development. Why would she even need to cultivate in retreat? Could it be… she simply doesn’t want to see me?”
Tian Long hastily explained, “There is no such thing. Mistress is really in retreat.”
Yang Kai ignored her and walked straight into the Phoenix Nest Palace.
Seeing this, Tian Long scurried after him hurriedly.
After entering the Phoenix Nest Palace, Yang Kai strode in and yelled repeatedly, “Lady Feng, Lady Feng, Yang Kai has come to see you.”
Tian Long did not know whether she should laugh or cry. She could only follow him all the way and remind him incessantly, “Young Master Yang, please don’t shout. If Mistress is disturbed, she will blame this servant.”
“Lady Feng, Lady Feng!” Yang Kai ignored her and continued his clamour.
After a long time, a figure suddenly appeared in front of Yang Kai. The figure was dignified and graceful, with a deep and profound aura; who else could it be other than Luan Feng?
However, at the moment, Luan Feng looked at Yang Kai with a slightly resentful face, her eyes full of complaint and animosity, as if Yang Kai was some pest she desperately wanted to be rid of.
“Lady Feng!” Yang Kai grinned as he saw her, and went forward with his fists cupped, “Greetings Lady Feng.”
Tian Long, who followed behind Yang Kai, also came up and looked at Luan Feng helplessly, “Mistress, this maidservant…”
“You may go,” Luan Feng waved to her.
Tian Long received the order and stepped away respectfully.
Luan Feng glanced at Yang Kai wickedly before turning around and walking off.
Yang Kai followed her with a smile while Xiao Ling’er and Old Ban followed close behind.
When she got to the main hall, Luan Feng turned around and sat on her throne, showing not the slightest politeness to Yang Kai and the others as she took a cup of steaming tea and enjoyed it herself.
“Sit, sit!” Yang Kai stretched out his hand and gestured to Old Ban.
Old Ban did not dare to sit. Standing there in the hall was already a very brave thing for him to do. He hurriedly waved his hand, “This old man can just stand.”
The woman in front of him was Divine Spirit Luan Feng. Even though she did not release her monstrous aura, Old Ban still did not dare to be impudent in front of her, or even dare to make a smile, lest he make this Divine Spirit upset with his improper behaviour.
He held Xiao Ling’er tightly with his hands as well to avoid his child from being ill-mannered towards Luan Feng.
Yang Kai did not force Old Ban to sit and instead turned to Luan Feng with a smile on his face, “Lady Feng doesn’t look like she’s in a good mood.”
Luan Feng raised her eyes and shot a look at him, responding impolitely, “I was in a good mood earlier, but not anymore. Why are you here again?”
Yang Kai answered, “I haven’t seen Lady Feng for so long, so I just came to pay her a visit.”
Luan Feng nodded her head lightly, “Now that you’ve seen me, Young Master Yang can go back.”
“How would that be appropriate?” Yang Kai smiled in embarrassment, “I just arrived here and you wanted to drive me away? Is that any way to treat a guest?”
“If Young Master Yang wants to stay here for a few days, this Queen welcomes you. You may stay at the same place where you did the last time. If you need anything, you can find Tian Long.” After speaking, Luan Feng stood up and looked like she did not want to waste anymore time with Yang Kai.
“Wait, wait, wait!” Yang Kai immediately stopped her when he saw her leaving.
Luan Feng snorted, “Little brat, what’s the matter with you? Coming to find this Queen at this time? Quickly speak, this Queen is not in the mood to waste her breath with you.”
Yang Kai continued to smile dumbly, “Lady Feng really has sharp eyes. It is true that this Junior is in need of a little help from you.”
“Ha…” Luan Feng abruptly snorted sarcastically, “What in the world could make a person like Young Master Yang seek the help of this Queen? How come you weren’t this humble when you made a big stir in the Ancient Lands by showing off in front of thirty two Monster Kings and the eight Great Kings last time?”
Yang Kai felt awkward, “Times have changed. Moreover, it was a misunderstanding at that time.”
Luan Feng growled, “You call killing a Divine Spirit a misunderstanding?”
Yang Kai corrected solemnly, “I didn’t kill him, it was Ruo Xi who did. If you want to blame someone, you should blame her.”
Luan Feng frowned, “This Queen is not looking to commit suicide. Furthermore, I don’t owe you anything now, so why should I help you again and again?”
Back then, Yang Kai took her to the Netherworld Sect where she ended up killing that Sect’s Great Elder. That incident would never have happened if Yang Kai hadn’t dragged her there in the first place.
That terrible business concluded not long ago, but now Yang Kai had come looking for her again. Luan Feng had to raise her guard against him as she was worried that this little bastard might do something reckless again.
“Lady Feng, why are you being so cold? It’s just a small favour for you,” Yang Kai grinned.
Luan Feng sighed deeply, “Speak, what do you want?”
It was hard for her to reject him since Yang Kai had already come here. However, she was only doing so out of consideration for the bigger picture. Yang Kai and Zhang Ruo Xi were close, and Luan Feng was still dreadfully afraid of Zhang Ruo Xi, the descendant of Heavens Order.
Yang Kai replied pensively, “I’d like to ask Lady Feng to deal with two Third-Order Emperor Realm Masters!”
“Who are they?” Luan Feng asked with a frown.
“The Sect Master and Vice Sect Master of the Northern Territory’s Seeking Passion Sect!”
“The Seeking Passion Sect of the Northern Territory?” Luan Feng scowled, “That is a top Sect, and this Queen has no grudges against them, why do I have to deal with them?”
“I don’t care! Lady Feng must help,” Yang Kai stuck his neck out.
“You…” Luan Feng laughed in anger, “Don’t play the rascal in front of me! It’s someone else who has offended you, not this Queen.”
Yang Kai chuckled, “Lady Feng, please help. It’s just two Third-Order Emperor Realm Masters, you can easily pinch them to death.”
Luan Feng snorted, “It’s easy for you to say. Although the Sects in the Northern Territory are not ruled over by any Great Emperors, The Wondrous Pill Great Emperor resides in the Northern Territory. If this Queen stirs up a fight in a Human Sect for no reason, how could he not move?”
Yang Kai remarked, “It’s true that the Wondrous Pill Great Emperor is in the Northern Territory, but he only pursues the Alchemic Dao and will not care about this small enmity.”
Luan Feng shook her head, “He may not care about other things, but he just might if this Queen gets involved. I can’t help you with this.”
“Since Lady Feng says so, I won’t force this issue,” Yang Kai sighed, revealing a helpless face.
Luan Feng was surprised. She looked at Yang Kai strangely, as she did not expect it to be easy to reject him. But soon, Luan Feng frowned, because she believed that Yang Kai would not give up just like this. He probably still had some wicked ideas in his sleeves.
Sure enough, after Yang Kai got up and headed towards the exit, he muttered, “There’s no need to rush now. Ruo Xi will definitely take revenge when she comes out and learns that her Sect was destroyed.”
“Wait!” Luan Feng hurriedly stopped him.
Yang Kai turned around and asked, “What else can I do for Lady Feng?”
Luan Feng gritted her teeth, “What did you say just now? Let me hear it again.”
Yang Kai sighed, “Lady Feng has heard everything, what else should I say?”
Luan Feng continued in a deep voice, “You just mentioned that her Sect will be destroyed, what do you mean?”
“What else could it mean? The Seeking Passing Sect wants to destroy Ice Heart Valley, the Sect which Ruo Xi originally hailed from. This Junior wanted to help but he cannot clap with just one hand, so he came to seek Lady Feng’s assistance. Unfortunately, it seems Lady Feng has her own concerns so this Junior will not try to impose any longer.”
“She came from Ice Heart Valley?” Luan Feng was shocked.
Ice Heart Valley and Seeking Passion Sect were both top Sects, and according to Yang Kai, it seemed that the two Sects were at war, with Ice Heart Valley being in imminent peril.
“Yes, didn’t I say so before?” Yang Kai responded.
Luan Feng pressed on with a solemn look, “Did she really come from Ice Heart Valley? Are you lying to me?”
Yang Kai replied seriously, “Why could I be lying? That crazy woman from last time was Ruo Xi’s Martial Aunt, Ji Yao. Did you pay attention to her cultivation technique when she attacked? She used only orthodox Ice Attribute Secret Arts and Techniques from Ice Heart Valley.”
Luan Feng thought back carefully and realized what Yang Kai said was true. Although Ji Yao did not fight much at the time, as a Divine Spirit, Luan Feng had naturally felt the Ice Attribute Emperor Qi and Ice Principles Ji Yao had cultivated.
Nevertheless, Zhang Ruo Xi did not show any signs that she had cultivated an Ice Attribute Secret Art. It was true though that Zhang Ruo Xi and Ji Yao seemed to have a close relationship.
Right now, Luan Feng was struggling with whether to believe Yang Kai’s words or not.
While she was still pondering, Yang Kai cupped his fists, “Lady Feng, I’ll leave first. When Ruo Xi comes out from the Blood Gate, please tell her that her Sect was destroyed and ask her to go back to the Northern Territory to seek revenge!”
Yang Kai’s words made Luan Feng’s breathing become faster.
If Zhang Ruo Xi was really from Ice Heart Valley, the last thing Luan Feng wanted to do was tell her such news. How could Luan Feng possibly answer if Zhang Ruo Xi asked her how her Sect was destroyed?
Could she tell Zhang Ruo Xi that she knew but stood by and did nothing?
“Stop right there!” Luan Feng hurriedly yelled at Yang Kai, who was about to leave the hall.
Yang Kai turned around again to look at Luan Feng with a grin and asked, “Lady Feng, did you have something else you wanted to say?”
Luan Feng gritted her pristine teeth hard and spat angrily, “This Queen really doesn’t know what she owed you in her past life!”
Yang Kai shook his head, “Lady Feng should not say that. Helping others is the route to happiness. But does this mean Lady Feng is willing to provide her assistance?”
Since she had stopped him, she naturally would not refuse the request. After all, she was still unsure whether Zhang Ruo Xi was really from Ice Heart Valley or not, but it was better to believe it than to not. Since Yang Kai had involved Zhang Ruo Xi, Luan Feng had to help no matter what.
She was not helping Yang Kai, but the descendant of Heaven’s Order whom she was extremely frightened of.
“Just two trivial Third-Order Emperor Realms Masters are not enough for this Queen to move personally, a few Monster Kings will be more than sufficient,” Luan Feng grumbled unhappily.
Yang Kai raised his brow and stated, “Lady Feng is wise. Then please send about seven or eight Monster Kings to the Northern Territory with me to eradicate the enemy!”
He never expected Luan Feng to take part in the fight from the beginning. His initial plan was to ask Luan Feng to send a few Monster Kings to boost their forces, and now Luan Feng had offered him exactly what he wanted.
“Seven or eight…” Luan Feng rolled her eyes, “Not even in your dreams!”
She did not possess that many Monster Kings. Hearing Yang Kai request for seven or eight Monster Kings made it seem less like he wanted to help Ice Heart Valley and more like he wanted to wage war against the world.
“Four or five then…” Yang Kai grinned.
Luan Feng did not answer, instead wearing a pensive look for a moment before she spoke, “Since this matter involves ‘her’, it is also a matter for the entire Ancient Lands. This Queen can’t bear the responsibility for this alone. How about this, stay here in the Phoenix Nest Palace for a few days. This Queen will give you a satisfactory answer within three days.”
Yang Kai thought for a while after hearing this, soon realizing something and smiling as he nodded, “Many thanks, Lady Feng!”
There was a pause before Yang Kai continued, “There is one more thing I need to ask of Lady Feng!”
“What?” Luan Feng suddenly became vigilant. The more she interacted with Yang Kai, the more offput she became. Nothing good would come out of this little brat’s mouth.
Yang Kai requested, “I want to build a Space Array in Phoenix Nest Palace, may I know of a suitable location?”
“A Space Array?” Luan Feng frowned, “Do you actually know how to arrange such an array?”
“Somewhat.”
“Where would this Space Array lead to?” Luan Feng asked uneasily.
“To Ice Heart Valley,” Yang Kai replied naturally, “I spent one month to get here, so I can’t return the same way as that would take too much time. That’s why I want to arrange a Space Array here that directly connects to Ice Heart Valley.”
“A Cross-Territory Space Array!” Luan Feng could not help being shocked as she asked incredulously, “Can you really arrange such a thing?”
This was the Eastern Territory, and Ice Heart Valley was in the Northern Territory. If Yang Kai was really not speaking carelessly, he possessed the incredible ability to arrange Cross-Territory Space Arrays. The only Cross-Territory Space Arrays in the entire Star Boundary were ancient relics that had been passed down over tens of thousands of years. Currently, there was no one capable of building new ones.
“Lady Feng can just wait and see,” Yang Kai laughed lightly.
Luan Feng nodded lightly, “This Queen will allow it. Just look for Tian Long, she will arrange everything.”
“Many thanks!”
As soon as they finished their negotiations, Luan Feng summoned Tian Long again and gave her instructions to take Yang Kai to the same small building where he stayed last time.
Back in the same small courtyard, Yang Kai sent Old Ban and Xiao Ling’er to rest before reiterating his request to Tian Long. Tian Long did not object to his request when she heard that it was approved by Luan Feng and personally brought Yang Kai to a concealed and spacious place.
Yang Kai immediately began to build the Space Array in that hidden place.
In less than a day, a brand new Space Array had taken shape.
After confirming the Space Array was not faulty, Yang Kai went back to the building to rest.
Just as he left, a graceful figure suddenly appeared, gaping at the Space Array in amazement.
“Tian Long, did he really only spend a day arranging this?” Luan Feng asked preposterously.
Standing to the side, Tian Long nodded in awe, “This servant saw it with her own eyes. Although this servant stood far away when Young Master Yang was working, she observed everything carefully from beginning to end.”
“Is he really that capable?” Luan Feng asked in disbelief.
Space Arrays were not easy to arrange, not to mention Cross-Territory Space Arrays. Luan Feng originally thought that Yang Kai would need at least ten days to half a month to arrange such an array, possibly even longer, but she had never expected him to complete it in a day.
This was simply amazing.
“Ice Heart Valley…” Luan Feng muttered, “Tian Long, I’ll pay a visit to Ice Heart Valley, you stay here.”
The reason that she decided to go to Ice Heart Valley was to first test the credibility of this Space Array, and second to investigate Zhang Ruo Xi’s relation with Ice Heart Valley.
She could not shake off the feeling that Yang Kai was conning her; after all, that little brat was too untrustworthy and was always up to no good.
Tian Long was flabbergasted, “Mistress must not! It’s not a question of whether this Space Array can be used, but just in case something unexpected happens…”
It was not a joke if an accident occurred during long-distance teleportation. At worst, Luan Feng could be exiled forever to The Void without a way out. Regardless of how strong Luan Feng was, she would be bound to suffer being exiled to the endless chaos.
Luan Feng waved her hand and insisted, “This Queen has her own plans.”
With another wave of her hand, many High-Rank Source Crystals appeared and slid into the grooves of the Space Array before she stepped up onto the platform with a flash.
Tian Long waited at the side nervously.
Luan Feng was also a little nervous. After all, this was something Yang Kai built in less than a day, so it could be faulty.
Surprisingly though, after Luan Feng waited on the formation for a long time, there was still no reaction from the Space Array.
“What? So, he was just running his mouth!” Luan Feng sneered, confirming that the Space Array was completely useless. She got down from the Space Array smugly and went back to her palace in a gleeful mood.
She was now anticipating seeing Yang Kai’s expression when he realized that his precious Space Array was defective.
During the few days of their stay, Old Ban felt like he was always walking on thin ice, constantly trembling in fear.
This was the palace of a Divine Spirit. He was extremely fortunate to even stay here, thanks to the blessing of Yang Kai, so how could he dare expect anything more? On the contrary, Xiao Ling’er was ignorant due to her age and lively by nature, so it was inevitable for her to feel curious when one suddenly moved to such a luxurious place.
The spirit fruits placed on the table were almost completely eaten by her. These spirit fruits were the local harvests of the Ancient Lands, all of which were rich in World Energy and naturally rare items to the outside world. Anyone who ate them would gain great benefits to his or her cultivation.
Xiao Ling’er lived here for only three days, but had eaten several dozen of these precious spirit fruits. Her originally sallow skin and thin figure had become supple and tender while even her dull hair had turned black and shiny while an abundance of energy seemed to pulse through her body.
The morning after the third day, the screech of an eagle was heard outside the Phoenix Nest Palace. A navy blue light fell from the sky and a figure appeared outside the palace. Before he could kowtow at the palace gate, another figure flew over from a different direction, appearing near him.
The two exchanged eye contact and the former smiled slightly as he raised his brow, “Xie Wu Wei!”
The latter greeted softly, “Ying Fei?”
Ying Fei peeked at Xie Wu Wei curiously, “Why did Brother Xie come to Phoenix Nest Palace? This is not Sir Fan Wu’s territory.”
Xie Wu Wei grimaced in reply, “You are here too, and this is not Sir Cang Gou’s territory.”
After speaking, the two seemed to realize something, and they both asked in unison, “Are you here for that?”
There was no answer, but the answer was apparent.
Xie Wu Wei crooned in amazement, “You are so lucky that you were assigned this job. I’m sure the others are all quite jealous!”
Ying Fei laughed heartily, “A few days ago, Young Master Yang travelled through this King’s territory. This King escorted him along the way, so after Sir Cang Gou learned of this, he assigned this King to assist Young Master Yang. But Brother Xie, how about you? How did you land this cushy job?”
He knew that among the Monster Kings under Fan Wu, Xie Wu Wei was definitely not the strongest one, nor the one that Fan Wu valued the most, because he had a short and bad temper, and he was unlikable; it was amazing that Xie Wu Wei actually stood out and grabbed this job.
He could obtain this job without shedding any blood, mainly because of a fortunate encounter with Yang Kai a few days ago, but how did Xie Wu Wei win over this opportunity?
Xie Wu Wei replied grumpily, “None of your damn business.”
Choked by his words, Ying Fei could not help rolling his eyes.
During their conversation, thunder rolled and a lightning-like light shot over from the distance. The light rushed towards Xie Wu Wei and Ying Fei and dispersed in front of them, revealing a burly figure.
“Xi Lei!” Xie Wu Wei frowned.
Ying Fei could not help cackling, “Brother Xi Lei, what happened to you?”
The burly figure before them was Monster King Xi Lei, a Monster King subordinate of Shi Huo. However, after Shi Huo was killed, he took shelter under Luan Feng and was now regarded as one of Luan Feng’s subordinates.
Despite Xi Lei’s rowdy, barbarian appearance, his strength was ranked top three among the thirty-two Monster Kings.
But the powerful Monster King, at this moment, looked quite dishevelled. He had a bruised nose and a swollen face, seemingly having just come from an extremely ferocious battle.
The Monster Race all had strong physiques and would recover rapidly from ordinary injuries, but Xi Lei’s wounds were still shockingly obvious and he had yet to fully heal, so his original injuries were no doubt quite severe.
Xi Lei scoffed at the question, “I just had a fight with those bastards! This Old Rhino suffered, but those bastards are not much better off than me.”
Although Xi Lei’s name did not consist of the word ‘rhino’, he had the body of a rhinoceros originating from an ancient bloodline, so he had always addressed himself as Old Rhino.
Xie Wu Wei and Ying Fei exchanged looks, and could not help feeling sombre. From the looks of Xi Lei’s condition, the two of them immediately understood that if they had not been so fortunate to have some previous connections with Yang Kai, they would have had to fight it out to obtain this position.
With the strength of all the other Monster Kings, they would absolutely not be able to stand out in the end.
For a while, both Xie Wu Wei and Ying Fei could not help feeling relieved. Especially Ying Fei, he started to believe that he had made the right choice in escorting Yang Kai on his trip a few days ago.
At this moment, Xi Lei suddenly sensed the abnormality too, and gaped at Ying Fei and Xie Wu Wei, “Why aren’t you two injured?”
Ying Fei snickered, “Why should we be injured?”
Xi Lei shook his head, “Don’t tell me those guys just gave you this good job for no reason. It took a lot of effort for this Old Rhino to get this opportunity!”
Ying Fei proudly responded, “Who dares to refuse Sir Cang Gou’s order? As for Brother Xie… I have no idea.”
Xie Wu Wei snorted with an enigmatic look, not bothering to explain himself.
Xi Lei fumed, “This is not fair! Completely and utterly not fair!”
Ever since the news came out a few days ago, the thirty-two Monster Kings and eight Great Kings of the Ancient Lands were all heated up. Everyone rolled up their sleeves and there was not a single one who did not covet this job. Xi Lei put up a great fight and only won this position because of his outstanding strength in the end. However, Ying Fei had simply been assigned the position by Sir Cang Gou and did not need to go through any tribulations like he did.
It was totally reasonable for Xi Lei to feel unfair at this comparison.
But he soon calmed down as, no matter the process, he still ended up winning the prize.
While the three were talking, the palace gate opened, and a woman dressed in a long gown walked out.
The three Monster Kings cupped their fists as they saw her and greeted, “Sister Tian Long!”
Although Tian Long’s cultivation was not as good as theirs, she was Luan Feng’s confidant, so they dared not to be impolite to her, lest Tian Long complain about them to Luan Feng, which would make their lives quite difficult.
“Mistress asks you all to come inside,” Tian Long called and led the way.
The three hurriedly followed.
Inside the hall, they saw Luan Feng sitting on her throne, while Yang Kai was sitting on a seat below her with an unknown old man and a little girl standing behind him.
The three Monster Kings stared steadily forward and cupped their fists together, “Subordinate greets Lady Luan Feng!”
“En,” Luan Feng nodded gently with a dignified bearing, “This Queen believes that all of you know why you’re here. You are summoned here this time to follow Young Master Yang to the Northern Territory to resolve a crisis for Ice Heart Valley. While you are out, you will follow the orders of Young Master Yang. Whoever dares to disobey will be punished severely without any mercy.”
“Subordinate will not disappoint Lady Luan Feng!” The three replied in unison.
It was a stroke of luck for them to be able to receive this job and no one would dare to disobey Yang Kai’s order. Even if Luan Feng did not warn them, they would still put all their hearts into serving Yang Kai; after all, this was an opportunity for them to build a good relationship with him.
Luan Feng nodded in satisfaction, “Young Master Yang is not an outsider anyway. You may greet him.”
Only then did they turn to Yang Kai, and cupped their fists, “Greetings, Young Master Yang.”
Yang Kai put on a smile, as he glanced at the three Monster Kings.
Among the three Monster Kings, he only knew the background of two. Xie Wu Wei was Fan Wu’s subordinate, while Ying Fei was Cang Gou’s subordinate. As for the last one, he should be Luan Feng’s subordinate. He came here to ask Luan Feng for help, but he did not expect that Luan Feng would ask each of the other two Divine Venerables to send out a Monster King as well. Luan Feng obviously did not want to bear all the risk herself.
However, Yang Kai did not have any comments on this matter and simply said, “Three Monster Kings don’t need to be so polite. I will be relying on you three in the future.”
Yang Kai was not disappointed at having just three Monster Kings as this was within his expectations. Only a fool would dream of Luan Feng assigning seven to eight Monster Kings together with him.
Of course, Xie Wu Wei and the others dared not to be at ease and continued to act respectfully.
Yang Kai stood up, “Lady Feng, since they are all here, this Yang shall take his leave.”
Luan Feng could not wait for him to leave, so she did not have the intention to stop him, “This Queen will send you off.”
She did not really intend to send him off, but mainly wanted to witness Yang Kai making a fool out of himself.
This little brat extorted a large amount of wealth from the Ancient Lands and dragged her into a pit in the Netherworld Sect. Now, he was even thick-skinned enough to request help from her again. She could not reject him, but it was still possible to watch him make a fool out of himself to relieve her resentment.
She had tried the so-called Cross-Territory Space Array a few times now and concluded it was just a useless piece of garbage.
However, she was looking forward to what expression Yang Kai would show after discovering this.
The group went straight to the place where the Space Array was located. When they arrived, Yang Kai instructed them to stand on the array and only then did he take out a number of High-Rank Source Crystals and insert them into the array base’s grooves.
“Farewell, Lady Feng. If there is time, this Junior will visit again in the future.”
“Go, go, don’t waste your time,” Luan Feng suppressed a laugh as she waved her hand.
Yang Kai frowned slightly, feeling that Luan Feng’s expression was strange, but he did not know why. He then glanced over at Tian Long beside her, who was also trying to hold back her laughter.
[What are they thinking now?]
Yang Kai was confused, but it was inconvenient for him to ask, so he simply pushed his Space Principles as he stood on the array. A light flashed in the next moment, enveloping everyone who stood atop it.
When the light was dissipated, they were all gone.
Flabbergasted, Luan Feng stared at the empty Space Array. However, she was no fool so after recovering from her initial shock, she ground her teeth angrily, “That tricky little brat!”
The reason why she could not activate the Space Array while Yang Kai could easily operate it was clearly that he had set up some kind of restriction on it. In other words, the Space Array was completely functional, but no one could operate it other than Yang Kai.
Luan Feng ground her teeth madly as she suspected that Yang Kai had anticipated her trying to go to Ice Heart Valley to verify the information about Zhang Ruo Xi, prompting him to play this trick.
“It really works!” Tian Long was simply startled as her jaw hung loosely.
It was truly a miracle that a Space Array that was arranged in less than one day could be activated.
“So what if it works!?” Luan Feng snorted coldly, “Smash it.”
“Smash… it?” Tian Long was taken aback.
“Smash it!” Luan Feng nodded affirmatively, “With this thing here, wouldn’t it be all too convenient for that little brat to come and go as he wanted? How could this Queen allow him to behave so rampantly!”
It seemed like she had developed a phobia of Yang Kai. In order to avoid any more harassment from him in the future, it was better to smash the Space Array. Otherwise, Yang Kai might just suddenly appear here again one day.
Tian Long received the order, and no longer hesitated. She immediately waved her hand and smashed the Space Array that Yang Kai arranged to pieces.
……
Ice Heart Valley buzzed incessantly as the world seemed to shake around it from time to time. World Energy swirled chaotically, as if it was a sign of the end times.
The entire Ice Heart Valley was now in danger and all the disciples were gripped with fear. However, there was still a determined look in their eyes, one which showed their will to sacrifice themselves together with Ice Heart Valley.
The light curtain of the array that shrouded Ice Heart Valley had become very dim and was now visibly shaking. Obviously it would not last much longer.
“Quickly think! If you can’t think of a way to stabilize the array, you will die the moment it collapses!” Somewhere in Ice Heart Valley, Ji Yao pointed her sword at a man’s neck. This sharp sword had even pierced through the man’s skin, drawing a small trickle of blood.
The man was not flustered even when his life was threatened by a sword pointed at his neck though and just sighed, “With things having progressed to this stage, this King cannot help you anymore. Although this King was captured by your side, the foundation of the array-breaker was almost complete at that time. Even without this King taking charge, the Seeking Passion Sect can still utilize at least half of its power. If this King did not assist you in stabilizing the Spirit Array all this time, do you think it could have lasted until now? This King is afraid it would have broken half a month ago.”
This man was Nanmen Da Jun, who was captured by Yang Kai back then.
After being captured by Yang Kai, Bing Yun did not embarrass him, only saying she would let him go after the war.
Nanmen Da Jun was naturally quite grateful, and to repay their mercy, he had spent these days living in Ice Heart Valley stabilizing their Sect Defending Array.
What he said was the plain truth. Although he was captured by Yang Kai more than a month ago, many of the array flags he set up had already begun to resonate with one another and the foundation of the array-breaker was almost complete.
Even without him, the Seeking Passion Sect could still operate it to a certain degree.
If Nanmen Da Jun did not take the initiative to help Ice Heart Valley in stabilizing the Sect Defending Array since then, how could it have lasted to this day?
He was the one who was in charge of breaking the Sect Defending Array in the first place, but now he was also the one who was stabilizing it. It was not that he was capricious, but rather that Nanmen Da Jun had a principle of equivalent exchange. Since his life and safety were assured, he was now repaying Ice Heart Valley as compensation.
However, this was his limit. Nanmen Da Jun had deep attainments in the Dao of Spirit Arrays, and at a glance, he could see that the Sect Defending Array of Ice Heart Valley would be broken in less than two hours.
“Enough nonsense. If you dare to say you can’t do it again, I’ll kill you now!” Ji Yao yelled angrily.
Nanmen Da Jun glanced at her emotionlessly, “If I were you, I would send my disciples away hurriedly before the array is breached, otherwise it will be too late.”
“You court death!” Ji Yao was infuriated and was about to stab him with the sword in her hand.
“Yao’er, don’t be rude!” Suddenly, Bing Yun appeared from nowhere and shouted at her.
In recent days, Bing Yun had left Ice Heart Valley repeatedly to harass the enemy. She did not expect to kill anyone, but simply wanted to cause some chaos to delay their progress in breaking the array. But unfortunately, she was met by Feng Xuan every time she went out.
There were even several times she nearly didn’t manage to retreat safely. It would be an equal match if she really fought Feng Xuan one on one, possibly even an advantage for her as she was slightly stronger than him, but Bing Yun was no match against the combined forces of the Seeking Passion Sect.
“Valley Master Bing Yun!” Nanmen Da Jun still had deep respect for Bing Yun, so seeing her arrive, he greeted her with cupped fists.
“Grandmaster Nanmen doesn’t have to be so polite.” Bing Yun said before a worried look appeared on her face and she asked, “Grandmaster, is there really no other way?”
Nanmen Da Jun shook his head, “It is now inevitable for the Spirit Array to be broken. It could take as short as one hour, or as long as two hours. Valley Master Bing Yun, you’d best make plans now.”
Bing Yun’s expression turned solemn as she knew that since Nanmen Da Jun had said so, there was no hope to defend Ice Heart Valley. Unfortunately, Yang Kai was not back yet. If he were, perhaps he could bring some hope to Ice Heart Valley.
However, it seemed like Yang Kai could not come back in time because, when he left, he stated that it would take a month or two for him to return.
“Yun’er, Xiu’er, Yao’er!” Bing Yun called out softly in a tired voice.
“Disciple is here!” An Ruo Yun, Sun Yun Xiu, and Ji Yao stepped forward together. The three of them were the Bing Yun’s earliest Disciples, and they were the only three Second-Order Emperor Realm Masters in Ice Heart Valley.
“Send the disciples away through the Space Array, I will stay here and delay the enemy for as long as possible.”
The three women exchanged difficult looks hearing this command, and in the end, An Ruo Yun replied, “Honoured Master, it’s not that we do not wish to follow your orders, but… I’m afraid none of the disciples are willing to leave.”
The remaining seven thousand disciples in Ice Heart Valley were mostly orphans who were brought back to Ice Heart Valley at a young age where they cultivated and were carefully taken care of since childhood. To them, Ice Heart Valley was the only home they had ever known, so none of them wanted to leave when their family was facing disaster.
It could be said that in the entire Northern Territory and even the entire Star Boundary, there was no Sect that could match the internal unity of Ice Heart Valley.
A few days ago, An Ruo Yun and the other Elders had made arrangements to send some disciples out of Ice Heart Valley in advance, but it turned out that none of the disciples were willing to go, and they all expressed their intention to either live or die with the Sect.
“They still have to leave even if they don’t want to, we have to save as many as we can.” Bing Yun ordered sternly, “Make arrangements now. Take your most trusted disciples away from the Northern Territory as far as possible.”
The three women did not move, all of them looking sad but also determined.
Watching from the side, Nanmen Da Jun was moved, secretly regretting his actions against this group of women for some paltry wealth. After all, he was in large part responsible for destroying their Sect’s Defending Array.
“Go now!” Bing Yun yelled at the three who remained unmoving.
The three women trembled at the sight of their angered Honoured Master.
At that moment though, a clear cracking sound echoed across the sky and the large light curtain that shrouded Ice Heart Valley suddenly shattered like broken porcelain.
The last layer of protection was finally broken through, leaving Ice Heart Valley completely exposed.
“The array is broken!” Nanmen Da Jun’s expression changed.
The faces of Bing Yun and the others also froze.
“Bing Yun, this Feng has come!” A yell sounded from outside, followed by the whistling of the winds approaching from all directions. A wave of powerful Divine Senses swept across the treasure land of Ice Heart Valley, and soon, the sound of a battle rang out.
Ice Heart Valley’s disciples had engaged the invading enemies.
*Shua Shua Shua…*
The air snapped, and in the blink of an eye, Bing Yun and the others were surrounded by more than twenty people, all of whom exuded the aura of Emperor Realm Masters.
Leading this group was Feng Xuan and Yao Zhuo, who had powerful Third-Order Emperor Realm cultivations.
“Ice Heart Valley’s Sect Defending Array was nothing much!” Feng Xuan stood mid-air, looking down at Bing Yun and the others, a smug and disdainful smile adorning his lips.
Bing Yun’s elegant eyes swept across each of the Emperors present with a deep sunken expression. Although many looked at her calmly, a good number of them avoided her gaze with looks of shame.
Ice Heart Valley had stood in the Northern Territory for thousands of years, and had never forged any grudges or grievances with other Sects. On the contrary, many female disciples had married out of the Sect, and although Bing Yun had set the rules that any married disciple would have cut all relations with Ice Heart Valley, rules were just rules after all, it was an unchangeable fact that the relationship formed by such marriages between forces could not be divided so simply.
In other words, after so many years, Ice Heart Valley had more and less become related to all the major forces in the Northern Territory, with excellent disciples from every generation of Ice Heart Valley marrying into these Sects.
But now, the Masters of these Sects, along with Feng Xuan, had broken through the Sect Defending Array of Ice Heart Valley, entered their homeland and surrounded Bing Yun and her disciples. It was really heartbreaking.
Some of them could not help feeling guilty as they met Bing Yun’s cold eyes.
“Valley Master Chen, there are no grievances between our Ice Heart Valley and your Green Wind Valley. On the contrary, it was this Queen who helped you with the detoxification when you were poisoned a hundred years ago. Did Valley Master Chen come today to embarrass Ice Heart Valley, too?” An Ruo Yun glared at an elderly man with her beautiful eyes.
The elderly man’s face flushed and quickly looked away without saying anything.
An Ruo Yun turned to another elegantly dressed woman, “We had addressed each other as sisters in affection when Elder Yu came to Ice Heart Valley as a guest. This Queen is quite surprised at this uninvited visit.”
The woman called Elder Yu forced a smile, and explained, “Junior Sister An, don’t blame Elder Sister. Elder Sister can’t tell you why, but I am forced to do this. Besides, Sect Master Feng doesn’t intend to embarrass Ice Heart Valley. He just wants to find out the origin of a single person. All of this will be over if you just tell him what he wants to know. Junior Sister An, why don’t you tell Sect Master Feng what he wants to know now, and Elder Sister will ask Sect Master Feng to spare Ice Heart Valley further trouble.”
An Ruo Yun sneered, “This Queen understands, but must decline Elder Yu’s good intentions.”
Elder Yu frowned and fretted, “Junior Sister An, is this really necessary? You all…”
“Enough! To think I once thought of you as my sister, this Queen was truly blind to have not seen you for the ungrateful villain you are!”
Elder Yu flushed at the biting remark and shouted angrily, “You really can’t appreciate kindness! Junior Sister An, if you’re still so stubborn, your end today will not be good!”
The woman was enraged out of shame involuntarily from An Ruo Yun’s reprimands.
She bellowed in a deep voice, “Today, Sect Master Feng came with overwhelming might. It is better for Junior Sister An to be wise and submit yourself to fate!”
“Well said!” Feng Xuan laughed, crossing his arms as he stared down sneering, “Bing Yun, when you sheltered the murderer of my son, you should have thought of this outcome, but it is too late to regret, since this King is here now, your ending has been decided.”
He seemed to be extremely confident, and just taking his time to enjoy the pleasure of dominating over Bing Yun and the others.
“Sect Master Feng…” Nanmen Da Jun called out, frowning slightly as he cupped his fists. Before he could say anything though, Feng Xuan interrupted him, glanced at him lightly, and commented, “It turns out Grandmaster Nanmen is here too!”
Nanmen Da Jun mumbled sarcastically to himself, [Why are you talking nonsense? I was taken away right before your eyes that day, where else could I have been?]
Feng Xuan continued, “Grandmaster Nanmen deserves most of the credit for our success in breaking through this Array. Please stand back now, this King would hate for you to be hurt by mistake in the coming conflict. After this Sect Master destroys Ice Heart Valley, he may still need your help, Grandmaster.”
Nanmen Da Jun frowned, sighed, and stopped replying.
He knew that his words would not carry much weight anyway. Although he was an Array Master, and plenty begged him for his services, there were also plenty of them who were ungrateful and would be willing to get rid of him after he got the job done.
He did not have the power to force Feng Xuan to follow his advice.
It was simply more sensible to shut his mouth, lest he really draw trouble to himself.
“Brother Yao, join hands with this King to first get rid of Bing Yun, then we shall destroy the entire Ice Heart Valley!” Feng Xuan enjoyed the desperate faces of Ice Heart Valley’s Elders for a while, his heart bubbling with glee. Then he roared loudly, murderous intent surging.
Yao Zhuo, who had been silent at the side for a while, took a step forward at that moment and released his powerful Third-Order Emperor Realm aura.
Although his aura was not as rich and pure as the veteran Feng Xuan’s, it was indeed the aura of the Third-Order Emperor Realm. After all, it had not been long since he had broken through.
Summoning a blade into his hand, Yao Zhuo charged towards Bing Yun with a flash. At the same time, Feng Xuan summoned the relic of the Seeking Passion Great Emperor, the Wind and Thunder Divine Spear.
The sound of a brewing storm resounded from the tip of the spear, and it turned into a flash of lightning as it thrust towards Bing Yun.
With two Third-Order Emperor Realm Masters joining forces against her, Bing Yun’s face turned solemn immediately.
These past few days, she had often fought with Feng Xuan and Yao Zhuo, and while she was not afraid of either of them in a one on one fight, even having confidence she could kill Yao Zhuo in a stick of incense worth of time, she was completely overpowered when facing the two of them together. With a light tap of her foot, she floated backwards and retreated.
“Formation!” An Ruo Yun shouted at that moment.
In an instant, six Emperors Realm Masters of Ice Heart Valley flew to Bing Yun’s side, spreading out in a mysterious pattern.
The seven pushed their Emperor Qi together, causing a resonation that shook the world around them, sending stone and soil flying from the ground and the sun overhead to dim. Where the seven stood, a vague behemoth seemed to materialize, raising its head as it released a guttural roar.
*Dang dang…*
The earth trembled twice as Yao Zhuo retreated a dozen steps, his eyes filled with shocking amazement when he felt the vitality in his chest tumble. Feng Xuan was also pushed back several steps, the Wind and Thunder Divine Spear that was thrust out repelled by a mysterious force.
“What’s this?”
“What happened?”
“How is Bing Yun so strong?”
The group of spectating Emperor Realm Masters were all dumbfounded, unable to believe their eyes. Although no one doubted Bing Yun’s strength, it was still unbelievable to all the audience that she could single-handedly block Feng Xuan and Yao Zhuo’s combined strike and even force them back.
But they could not doubt the truth that was right in front of them.
“No! That’s not Bing Yun’s power!”
“A Formation, but what kind of Formation?”
“The silhouette of a Black Tortoise, this Formation… it’s incredible.”
The bright light dissipated, and the vision of the ground gradually became clear. Everyone finally had a clear vision of the scene, and shockingly comprehended how Bing Yun had defended against the two Third-Order Emperor Realm Masters.
Because at this moment, Bing Yun and six of her Disciples had formed a mysterious Formation that connected each other’s Emperor Qi and manifested a huge phantom of a Black Tortoise.
Bing Yun stood at the head of the Black Tortoise phantom, while An Ruo Yun and Sun Yun Xiu were at its front shoulders; Ji Yao and another Emperor Realm Elder stood on its rear feet, while one Elder stood at the centre of the tortoise’s back and a last at its tail.
The Black Tortoise phantom threw a disdainful look at the crowd, displaying a demeanour that alone it could hold out against ten thousand men.
It was the Seven Point Black Tortoise Formation!
When Yang Kai left a month ago, he handed over the Seven Points Black Tortoise Formation to Ji Yao. Since then, every disciple of Ice Heart Valley had been practising this Formation diligently, including Bing Yun and her Direct Disciples.
This was the core Formation of Black Tortoise Sect, a secret that was not passed on to outsiders. This Formation’s defensive ability was extremely strong. Now, with the combined force of seven Emperor Realm Masters, including a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master like Bing Yun who took the central position, the Formation that they formed was nigh impregnable.
Although Bing Yun and the others had not doubted the power of the Seven Points Black Tortoise Formation, it was their first time using it in real combat, so they honestly did not know how powerful it would be. Seeing that they easily forced Feng Xuan and Yao Zhuo back, however, they were delighted and knew that if Yang Kai did not leave such a unique formation to them, Ice Heart Valley would be doomed today.
Even though the Sect Defending Array was breached, the seven thousand disciples could still reduce their casualties greatly with the help of this Seven Points Black Tortoise Formation, possibly even allowing some of them to escape and preserve the inheritance of their Sect.
“You bitches!” Contrary to the pleasant surprise of the Elders of Ice Heart Valley, Feng Xuan was maddened.
The Seeking Passion Sect and Ice Heart Valley were both top Sects in the Northern Territory, and they knew each other’s backgrounds extremely well. However, he had never known that Ice Heart Valley possessed such a mighty Formation Technique, nor did he have any clue where Bing Yun obtained it. His mood became dreadful as his proud attack had been turned back so casually.
“Listen to me, my Disciples! Follow me to carve a path of blood out of here!” Bing Yun shouted coldly.
“Yes!” Everyone replied in unison.
“Why are you still standing around gawking? Kill them!” Feng Xuan was enraged but did not lose his mind. Seeing that his combined force with Yao Zhuo was not enough to gain the upper hand, he could only choose to overwhelm the enemy with pure numbers.
This strange Formation was indeed profound and mysterious, but Feng Xuan noticed that Bing Yun and the others had not cultivated it for very long and were still not proficient in using it. In other words, they could not unleash the maximum potential of this Formation.
So, even if they hastily tied together this formation, there was a limit to the amplification it would provide. Feng Xuan had twenty Emperor Realm Masters on his side, so it was still possible for them to break through using brute force.
Hearing Feng Xuan’s order, the spectating Emperor Realm Masters put on solemn looks, pushing their Emperor Qi and summoning their Artifacts one after another before charging towards Bing Yun and her Disciples.
In an instant, the surrounding World Energy and Principles become disordered and space itself cracked, flipping the Heavens and Earth.
Nearly thirty Emperor Realm Masters had become locked in a life or death battle, a sight rarely seen in the Star Boundary.
Emperor Artifacts of various shapes and kinds emerged, displaying their great power, and turning into various attacks, bombarding the phantom of the Black Tortoise. However, the Black Tortoise phantom was extremely durable, remaining safe and sound despite the heavy onslaught.
Nanmen Da Jun was observing from the side with bright eyes, and after a long time, a realization dawned on him as he cried out involuntarily, “The Seven Points Black Tortoise Formation!”
As an Array Master renowned in this generation, Nanmen Da Jun had a broad knowledge base, so although it was his first time seeing this Formation, he recognized its origins quickly.
“The core inheritance of Black Tortoise Sect that was said to have been lost to history!” Nanmen Da Jun had never been so excited before.
Spirit Arrays were his specialty, and his passion for this Dao was as deep as his attainments in it. To him, rare Spirit Arrays and Formations were like great beauties. He had once risked his own life just to study an Ancient Array in a Forbidden Zone, spending a whole three years to crack it in the end, narrowly escaping death.
Nanmen Da Jun had seen the records of the Seven Points Black Tortoise Formation in ancient books and learned that it was once the foundation of Black Tortoise Sect from Eastern Territory. However, when the Black Tortoise Sect was wiped out, the Spirit Array was said to have been lost.
According to the ancient books, Black Tortoise Sect comprehended this Formation by observing the Divine Spirit Black Tortoise. The Divine Spirit Black Tortoise was one of the greatest Divine Spirits of all time, so how could a Formation which was comprehended by observing such a majestic beast be weak?
Seeing this Formation stimulated the desire of Nanmen Da Jun. It was an array that he had studied for a while yet was not able to obtain.
He had never expected to witness this long lost formation in Ice Heart Valley today.
“This trip has been completely worth it!” Nanmen Da Jun’s eyes lit up as he completely forgot that a desperate life and death battle was taking place. Instead, he immersed himself in studying from the side with interest, ogling this Formation as he wished he could rush forward to study it in detail.
Although he was electrified, he knew that with his cultivation, he would only bring a miserable death to himself if he rushed out now.
On the other side, Ice Heart Valley and Seeking Passion Sect’s battle had reached a fever pitch.
Seeking Passion Sect had twenty Emperor Realm Masters on its side, greatly surpassing Ice Heart Valley in terms of numbers and overall strength, but they still could not break through the defence of the Seven Points Black Tortoise Formation.
Their attacks were all blocked by Bing Yun and the others while, on the contrary, Bing Yun and her Disciples were able to unleash powerful killing moves from time to time, terrifying everyone from the Seeking Passion Sect. All of them were drenched in cold sweat as they tried to handle this precarious situation.
Especially troubling was the cold domain and swirling Ice Principles that slowed down the circulation of Emperor Qi in their bodies.
With the passage of time, the Masters from the Seeking Passion Sect grew more and more frightened, worried they would be completely exhausted before they could break through the defences of this Formation. At that time, they would all become pigs waiting to be butchered.
After all, Bing Yun and the others were defending more than attacking, and with the assistance of this Formation, their consumption would naturally be much lower than those of the Seeking Passion Sect who were attacking.
Many of them were in a panic and their attacks became less fierce than before.
Realizing this situation, Feng Xuan suddenly exploded like a volcano as he raged, “Bing Yun, you are still putting up a stiff resistance with your back to the wall, but this King really wants to see how your seven thousand disciples in Ice Heart Valley will resist our forces! This King’s Sect has already sent another ten Emperor Realm Masters to the centre of your Ice Heart Valley! By now, your precious valley must be a river of blood!”
There were not just twenty Emperor Realm Masters on the Seeking Passion Sect’s side, but more than thirty in total. Only about one-third of this number directly belonged to the Seeking Passion Sect, while the rest were the helpers recruited from the outside.
Before coming here, ten Emperor Realm Masters were ordered to infiltrate into Ice Heart Valley to kill the disciples. With the remaining power of Ice Heart Valley, there was no way for them to resist.
Sure enough, when Feng Xuan’s words fell, the faces of the Ice Heart Valley Elders darkened.
Bing Yun bellowed as she gritted her teeth, “Follow me!”
While speaking, she led her Disciples in an attempt to break through their encirclement.
Feng Xuan put on a fierce expression as he struck out with his Wind and Thunder Divine Spear, “In your dreams! Bing Yun, just watch how this King wipes out Ice Heart Valley, and tremble in despair and regret! When those ten Emperor Realm Masters come back, you will all die!”
Yao Zhuo, who had been silent the whole time, also became bloated with confidence and sneered, “This is the consequence of opposing our Seeking Passion Sect!”
These words had a deep meaning behind them and the Emperor Realm Masters who did not belong to the Seeking Passion Sect turned silent after hearing them, secretly planning whether they should pledge their fealty to the Seeking Passion Sect after this war lest they no longer have a foothold in the Northern Territory.
“Ten Emperor Realm Masters?”
At this moment, a lazy voice sounded. When this voice reached the ears of all the Ice Heart Valley Elders, they could not help feeling delighted as they turned to look at its source.
“Senior Brother Yang!” Ji Yao was pleasantly surprised.
On the other side, Feng Xuan widened his eyes in hatred and burst out, “Little animal!”
He recognized this voice as his son’s murderer. Furthermore, he had encountered Yang Kai outside Ice Heart Valley just a month ago, so it was impossible for him to forget it.
Swiftly, Feng Xuan turned and glared at Yang Kai full of murderous intent, paying his complete attention to him as if no one else besides him mattered.
“Do you mean these ten Emperor Realm Masters? This Young Master brought them to you. It was just a slight effort, no need for any thanks.”
Yang Kai emerged slowly from the Void without the slightest fluster on his face, as if he was taking a leisurely stroll in his own back garden. When his figure was revealed, he waved his hand lightly.
*Hua la la… *
Corpses fell down from the sky one after another. It could be noticed that these corpses all belonged to important individuals as they were all dressed in fine robes. However, they were all dead, each of them having a single fatal wound on their bodies that blood still flowed out of.
“Ah, it’s Great Elder Feng Zi Ping of Green Wind Valley!”
“Liu Rui of Hundred Refining Sect!”
“Nine Star Sect’s Sect Master!”
…..
The air burst out in exclamations as the Emperor Realm Masters who were besieging Bing Yun and the others swept their eyes across the corpses, each of them calling out in fright one after another.
All of them recognized the deceased as they were quite familiar with each other. They had just separated from these people to follow Feng Xuan to tie down Bing Yun while the rest led the hundred thousand troops into Ice Heart Valley.
Nevertheless, all of these Masters had been turned into corpses.
They counted the number of corpses, and it was precisely ten.
In other words, all ten Emperor Realm Masters who separated from them were now dead.
The twenty Emperor Realm Masters gasped simultaneously, feeling a chill running from the back of their spines to the top of their heads.
Everyone stopped attacking, distracted by the ten corpses, staring in disbelief.
How could all of them die in such a short time? How could Ice Heart Valley still have such formidable power in reserve?
In contrast to the bewilderment on Seeking Passion Sect’s side, everyone from Ice Heart Valley was overjoyed.
Especially Bing Yun and Ji Yao, for both of them knew about Yang Kai’s plan. Now that they saw these ten corpses, they immediately understood that Yang Kai had brought back powerful helpers, otherwise it would be impossible to accomplish this without anybody knowing it.
“Yang Kai…” Bing Yun was lost for words as she called out warmly to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai on the other hand looked at Bing Yun and lowered his head slightly, “I’m late.”
“You aren’t. You came back just in time,” Bing Yun shook her head slowly.
She knew that Ice Heart Valley would be saved with the return of Yang Kai.
“Sect Master Feng, long time no see!” Yang Kai turned to Feng Xuan who was livid, and grinned.
“Bastard!” Feng Xuan’s teeth almost shattered from how hard he was grinding them, “How did you kill all of them on your own!?”
“Well, you see, I…” Yang Kai’s lips curved into a mocking grin, “Have no comments!”
“Little Bastard, I’ll kill you!” Yao Zhuo seethed at this moment, pushing his Emperor Qi madly as he slashed down with his sword from above, intending to cut Yang Kai in two with a single stroke.
The last time Yao Zhuo came to Ice Heart Valley was with Feng Xi to escort the bride back to their Sect, he suffered a great loss at Yang Kai’s hand. He was not only beaten up by Yang Kai taking advantage of an Emperor Authority Bead, but the Space Ring that contained the dowry and all his wealth was also robbed.
At that time, Yang Kai was just a Third-Order Dao Source Realm Junior.
That incident brought Yao Zhuo untold shame, so it was natural that his eyes were blazing with hatred when he finally met his enemy again today.
Yao Zhuo had always been strong, and now that he had broken through to the Third-Order Emperor Realm, his boundless aura was seemingly able to tear the world apart. An ordinary First-Order Emperor Realm Master couldn’t be his opponent, so he was confident Yang Kai would not be able to survive taking a slash of his blade.
“Yang Kai, watch out!”
“Senior Brother Yang, be careful!”
Bing Yun, Ji Yao, and the rest exclaimed anxiously for him.
However, Yang Kai just stood still instead of moving, as if he could not react to the situation and did not mean to avoid the attack at all. Bing Yun and the others were utterly nervous at the scene.
Yao Zhuo was overjoyed, further intensifying the power in his hand. The shining blade of light plummeted like a meteor, dazzling the eyes of its audience.
At that moment though, a mysterious shadow flashed across everyone’s vision, turning into a wisp of navy blue smoke as it passed by Yao Zhuo before coming to a stop behind him.
At the same time, Yao Zhuo, who was fiercely pouncing on Yang Kai, seemed to be affected by a petrifying technique and was frozen on the spot at once. The light of his Emperor Artifact blade dispersed and his Third-Order Emperor Realm aura deflated rapidly like a punctured balloon.
*Pu… *
Somehow, inexplicably, Yao Zhuo spurted a mouthful of blood, his face turning as pale as a sheet while he staggered and slumped over.
“What?” The people of Seeking Passion Sect were appalled as they stared at the navy blue light which appeared behind Yao Zhuo, their eyes filled with terror.
A figure was gradually revealed as the wisp of blue light dissipated slowly. Meanwhile, the figure who had come out of nowhere stood behind Yao Zhuo leisurely, holding something in his hand.
*Dong Dong… Dong Dong… *
The pulsating sound of this thing hammered fear into the hearts of all who gazed upon it.
When they got a clear vision of the object held in this newcomer’s hand, they recognized it as a still warm and beating heart. The organ was about the size of a fist, and its thick arteries were clear and discernible; scarlet blood flowed out of it with each beat.
*Gudong… *
Nervous gulps could be heard one after another as everyone automatically turned their gazes to Yao Zhuo’s back. At a glance, their faces were ashen as they shivered in horror.
Because a hole could be seen on Yao Zhuo’s back, one through which everyone was able to see the scenery on the other side of his figure. Where Yao Zhuo’s heart once was, now there was just an empty hole!
The situation in front of them was crystal-clear; Yao Zhuo’s heart was gouged out by the middle-aged man in navy blue. To be able to do this to a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master like Yao Zhuo, the middle-aged man must have astonishing strength and technique.
“Who is he?”
“Is there anyone like him in the Northern Territory?”
Flabbergasted, everyone began speculating, but none had an answer.
“A Monster King!” Feng Xuan abruptly bellowed, seemingly recognizing something.
Meanwhile, Yao Zhuo looked down at the hole in his chest with difficulty, his face turned bloodless in an instant. He turned around and pleaded in a trembling voice, “Sect Master, save me…”
Thanks to his great strength, Yao Zhuo did not die immediately even though his heart was gouged out, and if Feng Xuan could retrieve his heart, perhaps he may still be able to recover from death with the supplement of some powerful healing pills. Therefore, Yao Zhuo used his tremendous cultivation to seal his blood circulation while pleading for rescue.
“Your Sect Master can’t even save himself now, let alone you!” Yang Kai sneered, and with a flick of his fingers, he sent a Moon Blade towards Yao Zhuo.
In normal times, Yao Zhou could certainly resolve an attack like this even if he could not dodge it; but now, with most of his strength being used to suppress his mortal injuries, how could he have the spare capacity to defend himself?
With a slash, Yao Zhuo was directly sliced into two pieces by the Moon Blade, his severed body falling from the sky, crashing into a lump of mashed meat on the ground.
A Third-Order Emperor Realm Master was killed just like that!
Everyone from the Seeking Passion Sect was muted, their eyes were filled with terror.
*Pu… *
Ying Fei crushed the heart in his hand before sweeping his piercing eyes across the people of the Seeking Passion Sect, asking calmly, “Young Master Yang, is it them?”
Yang Kai nodded affirmatively, “En.”
The corners of Ying Fei’s mouth curled upwards slightly, “How should I deal with them, Young Master Yang?”
Yang Kai snorted, “What else is there to ask? Kill them all!”
Ying Fei nodded, and in the next moment, his body abruptly turned into a ray of navy blue light, diving straight into the remaining nineteen Emperor Realm Masters, darting back and forth among them dauntlessly.
Everyone from the Seeking Passion Sect was sent into a flurry, dodging and resisting to the best of their abilities in a panic.
Feng Xuan roared with rage as his Wind and Thunder Divine Spear turned into a gale and shot towards Ying Fei.
Among everyone here, only his cultivation could match Ying Fei’s, so only he could possibly stop him. However, Ying Fei’s true form was that of a giant eagle, and he had an innate advantage in terms of speed. It seemed that Ying Fei was creating panic on purpose instead of facing Feng Xuan directly, swaying here and there in the crowd, then retreating without getting caught.
*Pu pu pu… *
After a few muffled thuds, several Emperor Realm Masters raised their heads and spurted blood. When the others turned to them, they saw that the chest cavities where their allies’ hearts were originally located were all gouged out.
This situation was exactly the same as what Yao Zhuo encountered before.
Turning their heads to Ying Fei’s hands, as expected, there were several hearts in various sizes beating in them now.
With a hard squeeze, those hearts were crushed.
The faces of the several injured Emperor Realm Masters were ashen, and after a brief shudder, all of them fell from the sky. Although they could still survive with this kind of injury a while longer with their cultivation, their hearts were dug out and destroyed, so recovery was almost impossible and death would be their ultimate fate.
In the blink of an eye, five Emperor Realm Masters had fallen. Panic spread among the Seeking Passion Sect group at once. The remaining Emperor Realm Masters looked at Ying Fei like they were looking at the devil from Hell; they did not dare to fight him and secretly wished that they could leave this damned place as soon as possible.
On the other side, the morale of Ice Heart Valley soared. The anxiety and resigned look in the eyes of the beauties were all swept away, replaced with brilliant radiance.
“How dare a trivial Monster King act impudent in front of this King!” Feng Xuan was infuriated. He was aware that his forces had suffered a terrible blow to morale, so his most important task now was to bolster their spirits.
At this point, there was no turning back for Seeking Passion Sect and Ice Heart Valley; one of them had to die today. Initially, Feng Xuan was full of confidence in this siege, but the sudden emergence of this Monster King turned the situation on its head, so it was natural that Feng Xuan hated him to the core and wanted to kill him first in order to stabilize the emotions of his people.
“A trivial Monster King? How about two then?” A thunder-like voice boomed, followed by a flash of lightning which then turned into a burly figure, standing side by side with Ying Fei.
Xi Lei!
“If two is not enough, what about three!”
Another figure walked out leisurely and stood beside Ying Fei and Xi Lei.
The three Monster Kings gathered together, no longer trying to conceal themselves. Their Monster Qi surged from their bodies, causing the sky to shake.
The remaining Emperor Realm Masters of Seeking Passion Sect instantly trembled in fear as they became aware of the power of these three. Even Feng Xuan’s face turned pale as he stared in disbelief.
Although Monster Kings were theoretically on par with Third-Order Emperor Realm Masters in terms of cultivation, due to their sensitive racial identities, they seldom travelled around the Human world, and most of the time, just hid in the mountains and deep forests, reigning over those lands.
Of course, there were also some powerful Monster Race who took refuge in Human Sects, holding lofty positions such as Elders or Protectors.
But such cases were extremely small in number.
Feng Xuan never thought that there could be three Monster Kings gathered together in this world, and furthermore, they were all here to target his Seeking Passion Sect.
In an instant, Feng Xuan’s mouth filled with such bitterness he nearly choked. If it was just a single Monster King, he would still have the spirit to resist, but now that there were three of them, he knew that Seeking Passion Sect would be no match even if Yao Zhuo was resurrected from the dead.
“Three Monster Kings!?”
“Where did Senior Brother Yang get them from?”
“Did he go to get help when he went out? I thought he ran away after seeing our Ice Heart Valley in dire straits. Shame on me!”
“This time we’re saved, we’re saved!”
……
The Emperor Realm Masters of Ice Heart Valley who did not know the truth were overjoyed and gazed at Yang Kai with gratitude filled eyes.
Now they finally knew why Yang Kai could kill ten Emperor Realm Masters in one fell swoop. With three Monster Kings at his side, what were the ten Emperor Realm Masters to him?
“What’s the situation?” Seeing that Xi Lei and Xie Wu Wei had arrived together, Yang Kai asked with a slight relief in his heart.
Xie Wu Wei replied, “We killed about ten thousand, but there’s still a lot of trash left behind. All of those leftovers lost the will to fight though.”
“Ten thousand…”
All of a sudden, everyone on Seeking Passion Sect’s side faltered.
They did not doubt Xie Wu Wei’s words, because it would obviously not be difficult for two Monster Kings to kill ten thousand people. After all, there were no Emperor Realm Masters on their side left to impede these Monster Kings.
All the Sects who participated in this campaign had surely suffered immense losses if ten thousand of their disciples had died, and that wasn’t enough considering the deaths of their Emperor Realm Masters. After this war, the overall strength of the Northern Territory would surely decrease.
But what concerned these Emperors the most was their own fate. Previously, they came to Ice Heart Valley in an imposing manner, thinking that victory was within their grasps. However, the tables were turned in the blink of an eye, and now, they were the fishes waiting on the chopping board.
“Senior Bing Yun, leave this to us. You’d best oversee the situation in the valley,” Yang Kai turned to Bing Yun.
After pondering for a while, Bing Yun nodded in agreement, “Good!”
The outcome here was already decided; Ice Heart Valley was destined to win this war. However, the hundred thousand or so enemy forces still occupying Ice Heart Valley were not to be underestimated, even if they were now a disorderly mob. A mere seven thousand disciples of Ice Heart Valley would not be able to resist such a disadvantage in numbers. Fortunately, the Monster Kings had crushed the enemy’s spirits already which would greatly reduce the losses Ice Heart Valley suffered.
What Bing Yun and her Disciples needed to do now was return to clean up the mess and preserve as many Ice Heart Valley disciples as possible.
Seeing that Bing Yun and the others were about to leave, Valley Master Chen of Green Wind Valley opened his mouth, attempting to say something but stopped. He seemingly wanted to admit his mistakes and beg for forgiveness, but, from the look on his miserable face, when he thought of his actions in helping a tyrant abuse the innocent, he swallowed his words.
He knew that at this point, it was useless for him to say anything.
He regretted it. If he had known that Ice Heart Valley could bring in such strong allies, he would not have gotten involved with the Seeking Passion Sect from the beginning. Now, not only was Seeking Passion Sect the one who was worried about being exterminated, he was worried for his Green Wind Valley too.
He could not open his mouth because he felt ashamed, but someone else did.
“Junior Sister An, please wait! For the sake of our relationship in the past, please forgive this Elder Sister! This Elder Sister is truly sorry, I beg Junior Sister to let me live.”
Elder Yu cried out in panic.
Previously, during the mighty arrival of all the Masters from the Seeking Passion Sect, she quarrelled against An Ruo Yun to bootlick the Seeking Passion Sect by reprimanding the latter for not appreciating her kindness and stating that she was destined to end miserably today if she refused to realize her mistakes.
But Elder Yu did not expect that the tide would turn in less than a stick’s worth of incense.
Everyone looked at the thick-faced Elder Yu in disdain.
However, it was better to lose face than to lose her life. She would not mind peeling off the skin of her face for it if it could save her life.
Nevertheless, An Ruo Yun definitely did not care about a turncoat like her. Although Elder Yu often came to Ice Heart Valley as a guest and she had a considerably close friendship with An Ruo Yun in the past, she had become her eternal enemy the moment she chose to fight for the Seeking Passion Sect.
Despite hearing her pleas, An Ruo Yun ignored her. She did not even bother to reply a single word and instead rushed towards the valley under Bing Yun’s orders.
“Junior Sister An…” Elder Yu’s face was ashen, calling out even harder, but to no avail.
Knowing that it was useless to plead to An Ruo Yun, Elder Yu immediately moved her gaze to Yang Kai, begging with a forced smile, “Little Brother, this Mistress is not part of the Seeking Passion Sect, and this Mistress really knows her fault now. This Mistress shouldn’t have gone against Ice Heart Valley. This Mistress understands now and feels deeply regretful about it. Little Brother, please be kind-hearted and forgive this Mistress. This Mistress is willing to pay any price.”
While speaking, her tear-glistened eyes fluttered as she pressed her red lips lightly, putting on a pitiful look.
She noticed that the three Monster Kings who arrived seemed to obey Yang Kai’s instructions; therefore, as long as she could persuade Yang Kai, she would surely be able to save herself.
She was certainly not young, but she was good at maintaining her beauty and looks, making her appear no older than thirty while possessing a mature and graceful bearing. With the soft and gentle demeanour she presented, her charm would still be able to capture the hearts of many men.
But Yang Kai simply spat disgustingly, “An old cow still wants to chew young grass? Disgusting! Kill her so she does not defile this Young Master’s eyes further!”
Elder Yu’s pretty face changed drastically at his words. She did not expect that Yang Kai would be so hard-hearted and cruel. With a scream, she used all her strength to retreat, attempting to escape from this place.
Although she was fast, Ying Fei was faster. A beam of navy blue light flashed and Ying Fei already appeared in front of her, his fingers turning into blades that fiercely stabbed into her chest.
The protective Emperor Qi of a First-Order Emperor Realm was like paper to Ying Fei as his swordlike fingers pierced into Elder Yu’s chest. A moment later, a fresh heart was resting in his palm..
Following up, Ying Fei knocked Elder Yu to the ground, which led her to fall to her death on the spot.
“Kill!” At this time, there was no need for Yang Kai to give any more instructions. After a roar, the two Monster Kings, Xi Lei and Xie Wu Wei charged towards the formation of the Seeking Passion Sect while Ying Fei turned back and attacked from the rear.
The three Monster Kings were like tigers pouncing into a flock of sheep, instantly slaughtering the people of Seeking Passion Sect and sending the latter into a total rout. Everywhere the Monster Kings passed, no one could resist them, and no one could escape. It would be a dream for these people to escape before Ying Fei’s exceptional speed.
Mutilated corpses fell from the sky one after another, blood splashing everywhere like blooming scarlet flowers. The gruesome scene was mixed with terrifying murderous intent.
After only ten breaths of time, the fourteen Emperor Realm Masters had fallen.
It was unknown if it was intentional, but the three Monster Kings did not attack Feng Xuan at all, and he was still unscathed while everyone else around him was already dead. On the other hand, Feng Xuan did not interfere when the three Monster Kings were slaughtering his people, instead just watching the tragedy coldly, hovering in mid-air.
Feng Xuan sighed after everyone’s death, his face seemingly growing much older in the blink of an eye.
The Seeking Passion Sect had fallen!
The Seeking Passion Sect, which was inherited from the hands of the Seeking Passion Great Emperor and had deep roots in the Northern Territory for tens of thousands of years, did not fall at the hands of Ice Heart Valley, but rather a young man in the First-Order Emperor Realm.
No matter how hard Feng Xuan thought about it, he still could not figure out who this young man really was, and why he was like a nemesis to his Seeking Passion Sect!
Back then, Yang Kai’s emergence sabotaged the marriage between the Seeking Passion Sect and Ice Heart Valley. Afterwards, Yang Kai had killed his son, and now, the Seeking Passion Sect was about to be destroyed at his hands.
“Who wants the last one?” Xi Lei asked faintly while staring at Feng Xuan.
As Monster Kings of the Ancient Wild Lands, Xi Lei and the others had their own pride too. Previously, they joined hands to kill the enemies because they were outnumbered, but now that there was only one enemy left, they no longer needed to fight together.
Choosing who to finish off this man was a tough decision.
These three Monster Kings knew that this was a chance for them to prove themselves in front of Yang Kai, so they naturally were unwilling to let go of this golden opportunity.
“Me!” Xie Wu Wei immediately replied. With a surge of his Monster Qi, a giant scorpion phantom appeared behind him. The scorpion was gleaming with shiny green brilliance and flailed its obviously venomous tail about.
“Why you?” Ying Fei looked at him reluctantly.
“Then do you want to go?” Xie Wu Wei snorted coldly with his lip curled.
“Why not?” Ying Fei raised his brow, taking a step forward and preparing to take action.
“How about letting this King do it?” Xi Lei grinned, joining in the fun.
“What nonsense are you spouting!?” Ying Fei and Xie Wu Wei stared at him simultaneously.
At this moment, followed by a glare, Feng Xuan, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly emitted an astonishing radiance. His powerful Third-Order Emperor Realm cultivation burst out at once, infusing into the Wind and Thunder Divine Spear in his hand, causing the relic of the Seeking Passion Great Emperor to tremble violently and turn into a purple thunderbolt.
“Die!” Feng Xuan roared. With a flicker, he leapt towards Yang Kai and thrust out his spear.
Xi Lei and the others did not have the time to argue anymore. The moment Feng Xuan carried out the sudden attack, the three of them immediately reacted. Ying Fei was the fastest and pounced directly towards Feng Xuan. With a screech, his hands turned into eagle’s claws and left a trail of numerous afterimages in the sky, trying to seal off Feng Xuan’s movements.
At the same time, Xie Wu Wei and Xi Lei condensed their terrifying Monster Qi and struck towards Feng Xuan from the left and right respectively, unleashing their strength without any reservations.
*Hong Hong Hong… *
A loud explosion sounded as Emperor Qi and Monster Qi collided. The purple thunderbolt permeated a will that could destroy everything, tearing space itself as it collided with the three Monster Kings.
Ying Fei was knocked back with a groan, staggering to regain his footing. His hands were covered with blood, and even his fingers were slightly twisted and burnt, as if he had been struck by lightning.
Xie Wu Wei had lifted his head to spurt a mouthful of fresh blood while his face turned pale and the giant scorpion phantom behind him rapidly shattered. He seemed to have suffered a serious injury.
Xi Lei, who had the toughest physique among them, was sent flying hundreds of metres away, and it took him some effort to finally stabilize himself, leaving him flabbergasted.
Three Monster Kings acting together were actually all wounded by Feng Xuan alone.
*Chi chi chi… *
Just like the last radiance of the sunset, the purple thunderbolt extinguished after a few final flashes.
Feng Xuan stood less than ten metres in front of Yang Kai, holding the Wind and Thunder Divine Spear, glaring at him with his teeth gritted.
These last ten metres now seemed like an unsurpassable valley that Feng Xuan could not cross no matter how he tried.
Yang Kai did not move an inch, simply staring back at him with cold eyes.
“Little bastard! This King will still kill you even if he must turn into a ghost to do it!” Feng Xuan grinned hideously, blood oozing from his mouth.
While speaking, his Third-Order Emperor Realm aura rapidly weakened while even his black hair turned grey in the blink of an eye.
Although he forced back and even wounded the three Monster Kings in the last exchange of blows, Xi Lei and the others were not to be taken lightly. In exchange for suffering some injuries, they had delivered fatal wounds to Feng Xuan.
“Then we shall see if you have the chance to become a ghost!” Yang Kai sneered and with a stretch of his arm, a black banner appeared in his palm. The black banner was filled with austere gloominess while cries and howls could be heard coming out of it from time to time.
Netherworld Purgatory Banner!
It was the relic of the Netherworld Sect Elder Hua Fei Chen, an Emperor Artifact that could devour Souls and twist them for its owner’s own use.
Yang Kai lifted the Netherworld Purgatory Banner in his hand, “After you die, this Young Master will keep your Soul in this banner. Heh heh, a Third-Order Emperor’s Soul will make a fine primary Soul for this artifact.”
*Pu… *
Hearing this, Feng Xuan could not hold on anymore and spurted a mouthful of blood into the sky, including the pieces of his internal organs.
With Yang Kai possessing such an evil thing, Feng Xuan probably did not have the chance to be a ghost even if he died, as ultimately, he would be collected by Yang Kai as a puppet.
With this as the final blow, after spurting a mouthful of blood, Feng Xuan’s eyes dimmed and the vitality of his body quickly dissipated. After a tremble, he crashed down to the ground.
Yang Kai watched coldly, but he did not really collect his Soul into the Netherworld Purgatory Banner; after all, he had not refined this thing before and he did not know how to collect a Soul yet.
Before Feng Xuan’s body reached the ground though, Yang Kai sent out a burst of Emperor Qi with a palm strike, smashing the body into a mist of blood instantly.
Then, Yang Kai stretched out his hand and seized the Wind and Thunder Divine Spear.
“That guy was quite amazing!” Ying Fei and the others gradually moved closer, looking below with lingering fear on their faces.
“Not him, it’s this thing that’s amazing!” Yang Kai played with the Wind and Thunder Divine Spear for a moment before stuffing it into his Space Ring.
The Wind and Thunder Divine Spear was a relic left behind by the Seeking Passion Great Emperor, so it was undeniably powerful.
However, Yang Kai already possessed countless treasures, so he did not fancy it very much, thinking he could just keep it and give it away in the future.
“Go and help Ice Heart Valley deal with the cleanup,” Yang Kai motioned lightly to the three Monster Kings.
The three Monster Kings vanished without saying a word.
In Ice Heart Valley, shouts and battle clashes of different sizes were heard from time to time, mixed with the occasional scream. However, the screams were almost uniformly those of men. It seemed that the invading enemy was getting slaughtered.
There were more than thirty Emperor Realm Master corpses on the ground now. No one would have thought that in just a stick of incense worth of time, all of these Masters would be sent to the underworld.
Yang Kai seized their Space Rings one by one.
“Young Master Yang, Young Master Yang!”
At this moment, someone shouted from the side.
Yang Kai turned his head to look, and drawled lightly, “Why is Grandmaster Nanmen still here? Didn’t you already enjoy the good show? Or are you still planning to stay in Ice Heart Valley as a guest? Ice Heart Valley has never welcomed men, so Grandmaster Nanmen should probably leave now.”
Nanmen Da Jun had been witnessing the entire process from the side. Neither Ice Heart Valley nor Seeking Passion Sect had attacked him, so he was still safe and sound.
Upon hearing Yang Kai’s warning, he grinned meaningfully and returned cheekily, “Isn’t Young Master Yang also a man?”
Yang Kai snorted, “How can you compare yourself with this Young Master?”
[Such shameless boasting!] Nanmen Da Jun scoffed, but he did not have the arrogant demeanour of a top Array Master; after all, from the standpoint of Ice Heart Valley, he really could not be compared to Yang Kai, since Yang Kai was the reason Ice Heart Valley could be preserved today. Nanmen Da Jun rubbed his hands while he trailed off, “Young Master, this one wants to ask you something…”
“No comment!” Yang Kai snorted coldly, having no interest in talking to him.
Although Nanmen Da Jun was an Array Master renowned in this generation, Yang Kai was quite capable as well. He was an Emperor Alchemist, and there was no need to lower his status before others, especially when the person in question was hugely responsible for the crisis in Ice Heart Valley. He was fortunate that Yang Kai did not straight up kill him, yet, he still dared to ask for more.
“Young Master Yang, don’t be so cold,” Nanmen Da Jun gave a dry laugh, still unwilling to yield, “I would just like to inquire about something. If Young Master Yang could inform me, this Nanmen would be very thankful.”
Without waiting for Yang Kai’s refusal, he suddenly lowered his voice, “Young Master Yang, those three Monster Kings… came from the Eastern Territory, right?”
As soon as he said this, Yang Kai’s eyes turned cold and he cast a stern gaze towards Nanmen Da Jun, warning him in a deep voice, “I didn’t expect a man of your age would speak so recklessly. Be careful of what comes out of your mouth.”
Xi Lei and the other Monster Kings were brought out from the Ancient Wild Lands. Although it was only three of them, if rumours of three Monster Kings coming out of the wilderness were to spread, it would arouse the disapproval of the Masters of the Human Race, especially if these Monster Kings were from the Ancient Wild Lands.
Some people might even wonder if the Monster Race in the Ancient Wild Lands had come out to harm the Human Race Sects out of boredom. If this happened, it would be troublesome for Yang Kai.
“So, they really are from that place?” Nanmen Da Jun turned a deaf ear to Yang Kai’s warning, his eyes flashing as he cupped his fists positively and promised, “Don’t worry, Young Master Yang. This will only be between you and me, this Nanmem will never publicize it.”
“Hmph!” Yang Kai looked at him disdainfully, wondering if he should silence the witness to the crime.
Nanmen Da Jun seemed reckless, but was thinking clearly. As soon as he sensed Yang Kai’s murderous intent, he was secretly surprised and hurriedly pleaded, “Don’t be angry, Young Master Yang, this Nanmen was just interested in the many ancient restrictions and natural Spirit Arrays hidden in that place. I have gone in and out of that place to study them several times before, but my strength is too low, so I didn’t dare venture too deeply. It was quite regrettable that I didn’t manage to discover anything! It seems that Young Master Yang’s relationship with those three Sirs is… extraordinary. Do you think you can speak…”
“What are you talking about? This Young Master doesn’t understand. Don’t even mention it again!” Yang Kai interrupted him unceremoniously.
Yang Kai knew what Nanmen Da Jun meant before he even finished speaking. He just wanted to take advantage of Yang Kai’s relationship with Xi Lei and the others so that he could enter the Ancient Wild Lands in the future to study the restrictions and Spirit Arrays left behind there from ancient times.
He was the Array Grandmaster after all, so while he might not be interested in other things, Nanmen Da Jun was naturally quite eager to learn about anything related to Spirit Arrays.
Nanmen Da Jun opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something, but finally sighed heavily, comforting himself in his heart that there would still be a lot of chances in the future.
Nanmen Dajun spoke again, changing the topic, “Since Young Master is unwilling to talk more about this, then this Nanmen will not insist. However, there’s another thing I would need Young Master Yang’s guidance on. It’s about the Seven Points Black Tortoise Formation.”
“Oh?” Yang Kai could not help being surprised, “Does Grandmaster know about the Seven Points Black Tortoise Formation?”
Nanmen Da Jun had obviously seen Bing Yun and others form the Seven Points Black Tortoise Formation earlier, but Yang Kai had not expected him to have such sharp vision, actually recognizing this core technique of Black Tortoise Sect from ten thousand years ago. It seemed that he was really worthy of his title as an Array Grandmaster.
This much was already apparent, however, as if he was only fishing for fame and recognition, he would not have been able to break Ice Heart Valley’s Defending Array.
“Young Master Yang must be joking. This Nanmen is an expert in these matters,” Nanmen Da Jun chuckled happily, “This Nanmen would be blind if he could not recognize such a famous Formation in front of his eyes.”
“So, what if it is the Seven Points Black Tortoise Formation? Do you want the arrangement method?” Yang Kai looked at him with interest.
Nanmen Da Jun rubbed his hands, and began somewhat embarrassingly, “If I have the opportunity, of course I would like to study…”
“Hmph!” Yang Kai sneered, “Don’t even think about it.”
Nanmen Da Jun was startled and asked, “Why?”
“There’s no why, just forget about it,” Yang Kai waved his hand.
Nanmen Da Jun spat angrily, “Don’t be too arrogant, Young Master Yang! Senior Bing Yun is kind, and I believe that as long as I’m sincere, she will not necessarily reject this Nanmen’s request.”
He had spoken with Yang Kai politely earlier mainly because Nanmen Da Jun felt ashamed and also wanted to form a good relationship. He only wanted to study the Seven Points Black Tortoise Formation, but Yang Kai was now strongly rebuffing him.
[That’s too foul! What gives him the right to say that?] The Seven Points Black Tortoise Formation was set up by the people of Ice Heart Valley. Nanmen Da Jun had only come to Yang Kai to ask him to put in a few good words, so it was also fine if he didn’t want to help, but what gave him the right to refuse, and even tell him to stop thinking about it in the future?
The unparalleled, mysterious Formation that had been lost for ten thousand years had suddenly appeared in front of him. Nanmen Da Jun would lose the heart to delve into the Dao of Spirit Arrays if he did not insist on pursuing the Seven Points Black Tortoise Formation.
“Oh, someone lost his temper!” Yang Kai looked at him with a cunning smile.
“Hmph! This Nanmen won’t talk to you further. I’ll go to see Senior Bing Yun.” Nanmen Da Jun flicked his sleeve, turned around and walked away frustratedly.
Yang Kai snorted, “Go, go, don’t come crawling back to me begging.”
[Only a ghost would beg you!] Nanmen Da Jun retorted to himself, but at the thought of Ancient Wild Lands… He held his tongue. He was still obsessed with the restrictions and Spirit Arrays in the Ancient Wild Lands, and it seemed that with a few good words from Yang Kai, he would be able to explore that place without fear of the Monster Race. This might even allow him to obtain a breakthrough in his comprehension of Spirit Arrays.
However, Nanmen Da Jun was very troubled by the difficulty of communicating with this young man.
When Nanmen Da Jun left, Yang Kai released his Divine Sense and checked the situation in Ice Heart Valley.
The results of the battle were no different from what he had expected. The Seeking Passion Sect had more than thirty Emperors completely wiped out; Xi Lei and Xie Wu Wei joined forces and killed more than ten thousand people as easily as crushing dry wood, and although there were still a large number of enemies, they were like a herd of sheep without a shepherd, losing all spirit to continue fighting.
After the arrival of the Elders of Ice Heart Valley, the battle was now a one-sided rout.
At this moment, Ice Heart Valley was already cleaning up loose ends, and everything would soon be over.
Yang Kai’s figure flickered as he flew towards the Ice Lake, killing any enemies he met along the way and leaving a long trail of corpses in his wake.
After a while, he appeared in the area that was originally the Ice Lake, the Restricted Area of Ice Heart Valley.
He looked around and then whistled softly.
In the hidden rockery on the side, two figures, one old and one young, came out looking around curiously. When they saw Yang Kai, they immediately greeted him with joy.
The pair who followed Yang Kai to Ice Heart Valley was none other than Old Ban and his granddaughter.
*Weng weng weng…*
A strange buzz filled the air, and immediately after these two figures emerged, a group of hundreds of black insects flew towards Yang Kai.
Soul Devouring Demon Insects!
Yang Kai took out the Insect Enslavement Bracelet and retrieved the Soul Devouring Demon Insects before turning to Old Ban and Xiao Ling’er with a smile and asking, “No one came by, right?”
Old Ban shook his head and replied, “No one, thanks to Young Master Yang’s careful arrangement.”
While talking, he glanced at the Insect Enslavement Bracelet in Yang Kai’s hand with some slight fear.
Although he did not know what those black insects were, each of them gave him a sense of horror. Old Ban also knew that since Yang Kai left the insects to guard him and his granddaughter, he was obviously confident in the capabilities of the insects.
With the protection of the Soul Devouring Demon Insects, Yang Kai did not need to worry about their safety at all. A few hundred insects could put up a fight against a First-Order Emperor Realm Master, not to mention that the Emperor Realm Masters of Seeking Passion Sect were already dead. Even if someone accidentally bumped into Old Ban and his granddaughter and tried to take advantage of them, the final outcome was only to be killed by the Soul Devouring Demon Insects.
“Young Master Yang, there’s a lot of fighting outside, don’t you need to help? Ling’er and I can just hide here, you don’t need to worry about us too much,” Old Ban glanced at Ice Heart Valley worriedly. Even though he had been hiding the whole time, he could still hear the commotion outside and the clamour of shouting and killing, obviously concluding that a great battle was being waged.
Yang Kai smiled and shook his head, assuring them, “No, the situation has basically been settled already.”
He squatted down next and patted Xiao Ling’er’s head with a smile, “Do you like this place? From now on, this will be your Sect.”
Xiao Ling’er blinked her big eyes and replied crisply, “I like it, but it’s a little cold.”
Yang Kai chuckled, “This is Ice Heart Valley, it’s only natural that it is cold. Don’t worry, you will gradually get used to it.”
Half of the whole Northern Territory was covered with ice and snow, and with Ice Attribute Secret Arts being the core inheritance of Ice Heart Valley, Bing Yun naturally chose a cold environment like this to establish her Sect.
Although Xiao Ling’er had begun to cultivate, she was still young and weak, so it was normal for her to feel cold.
“Young Master Yang… can Ling’er really join Ice Heart Valley?” Old Ban asked uneasily from the side.
Although he noticed that Yang Kai had an unusual relationship with Ice Heart Valley, otherwise he could not just come and go through this Space Array, Old Ban was still quite concerned about the matter related to Xiao Ling’er’s future.
“Don’t worry, it’s absolutely no problem for her to join Ice Heart Valley, but how much she can achieve in the future will depend on her own efforts and opportunities,” Yang Kai smiled lightly.
“I’m not expecting her to have exceptional achievements. As long as she is safe and happy, that is enough.” After listening to Yang Kai’s reply, Old Ban sighed in relief, slightly delighted.
Previously, in the melting pot of people from different backgrounds of the desolate city, every time Old Ban went out to guide people through the Ancient Lands Passageway, he would constantly worry for Xiao Ling’er’s safety. But if he did not lead the way for people, they would not have been able to survive.
It would be great if his little girl could join Ice Heart Valley, as he would no longer have to live such a precarious life.
“Ice Moon City is not far away from Ice Heart Valley, and it is run by Ice Heart Valley…”
While waiting for the war to end, Yang Kai chatted with Old Ban and told him about the situation in Ice Heart Valley. Old Ban was greatly relieved after learning that Ice Moon City was not far from Ice Heart Valley.
This way, if ever Xiao Ling’er missed him or he missed Xiao Ling’er in the future, it would not be too troublesome for them to meet. He just needed to find somewhere to live in the Ice Moon City, and he did not need to worry about Xiao Ling’er anymore.
As they chatted, the noise outside gradually died down, replaced by a burst of cheers from many women spread across the fields.
It was obvious that Ice Heart Valley had achieved a great victory, and now the disciples were celebrating.
It was a miracle that seven thousand disciples could win against a force of a hundred thousand.
*Weng weng weng… *
Strange noises buzzed from all directions a moment later as clouds of black insects rushed into the Ice Lake Island from various locations in Ice Heart Valley.
When Yang Kai saw this, he took out his Insect Enslavement Bracelet and put all these Soul Devouring Demon Insects into it.
The Soul Devouring Insects had contributed greatly to the war today. Earlier, when Yang Kai arrived in Ice Heart Valley, he released all his Soul Devouring Demon Insects and ordered them to kill all the enemies.
With the current strength of his Soul Devouring Insects, even though they could not help Yang Kai out in higher level fights, they were quite handy in such large-scale battles.
Without the shelter of Emperor Realm Masters, no one in the hundred thousand scattered troops could resist the might of Yang Kai’s Soul Devouring Demon Insects, so wherever the black cloud of insects passed, Seeking Passion Sect troops fell like reaped wheat.
With the offensive power of the Soul Devouring Insects, the defensive strength of the Seven Points Black Tortoise Formation, and the assistance of several Ice Heart Valley Emperors and three Monster Kings, the victory of Ice Heart Valley was an inevitable outcome.
“Young Master Yang, Young Master Yang…”
Just then, a cry came from outside.
“Young Master Yang, someone seems to be looking for you,” Old Ban glanced over.
“Ignore him.” Yang Kai curled his lips and continued to talk with Old Ban.
Old Ban read his face and did not question further, although Old Ban did not know why Yang Kai looked like he was being cold to that person.
A moment later, Nanmen Da Jun finally flew over and landed in front of Yang Kai, hurriedly cupping his fists with a big smile on his face, “Young Master Yang, so this is where you were.”
Luckily, Yang Kai had killed some enemies along the way here, so many Ice Heart Valley female disciples had spotted him, otherwise, Nanmen Da Jun might not have been able to find him so quickly. Nanmen Da Jun had asked many people along the way and followed a distinct trail of bodies to quickly arrive at where Yang Kai was.
This Ice Lake was originally a Restricted Area, a hidden place where even disciples of the Sect would not easily be able to enter.
Nanmen Da Jun put his angry attitude away and replaced it with a respectful and flattering attitude. The aloofness of a Grandmaster was shattered by his behaviour. For people who did not know the whole story, they would be made to believe that this Grandmaster was nothing but a bootlicker.
“Young Master Yang, why do you harm me so by concealing the truth? If I knew that the Formation was Young Master Yang’s property, I wouldn’t have bothered Senior Bing Yun.” Nanmen Da Jun put a smile on his face, but he actually felt bitter in his heart, a complicated feeling.
After separating from Yang Kai, he went to find Bing Yun to ask about the Seven Points Black Tortoise Formation; however, Bing Yun was in charge of cleaning up the remaining enemies, so he did not feel right to disturb her and had to wait until everything was settled before asking.
When he finally got the chance to ask her though, Nanmen Da Jun was dumbfounded.
It turned out that the Seven Points Black Tortoise Formation was given to Ice Heart Valley by Yang Kai a month ago and did not belong to them at all. Bing Yun also clearly told Nanmen Da Jun that it was inappropriate for Ice Heart Valley to discuss anything about this Formation with him, and if he wanted to know about its details, he should ask Yang Kai himself.
Nanmen Da Jun was dumbstruck.
Realization dawned on him as he finally understood the meaning of Yang Kai’s last words to him during their previous meeting.
At that time, Nanmen Da Jun thought this boy was being arrogant and ignorant, but it turned out that Yang Kai had actually dug a big hole for him and was just waiting for him to voluntarily jump down into it.
Nanmen Da Jun was regretful and mad all at once. He was a famous Array Grandmaster, and even though he did not have any strong background or force behind him, he was respected by all people. Even Third-Order Emperor Realm Sect Masters showed him courtesy; after all, who did not have a Sect Defending Array or need help arranging Spirit Arrays now and again?
Now, it was embarrassing that he had to go back to plead with Yang Kai for a Spirit Array. He was already embarrassed once in asking about the matter regarding the Ancient Wild Lands, so he could not believe that now he had to turn the other cheek after being slapped on one side of his face.
[Why am I so cheap!?] Nanmen Da Jun despised himself in his heart.
After agonizing over it though, he still had no choice. Even if he had to humiliate himself, he could not resist the temptation of such a rare treasure. He secretly pledged that no matter how hard Yang Kai made things for him, he would still swallow all his pride as long as Yang Kai would show him the array charts of the Seven Points Black Tortoise Formation.
“Do I know you?” Yang Kai looked disdainfully at him with a lukewarm expression.
Nanmen Da Jun grinned, “Once strange, twice familiar, and thrice friends.”
“No need,” Yang Kai faked a smile, “Grandmaster Nanmen is famous in the Star Boundary, a leading Array Grandmaster of this generation. This Young Master is just a small character, unworthy to be friends with you.”
Nanmen Da Jun pulled a long face, “Young Master Yang is too serious. This Nanmen is just a little knowledgeable in the Dao of Spirit Arrays and wouldn’t dare to call himself a Grandmaster. Young Master Yang, please don’t flatter me.”
He would have accepted the praise without hesitation if it was from others, but in front of Yang Kai, he dared not to admit it.
Treasures blind the eyes. Before he got his hands on the charts from Yang Kai, Nanmen Da Jun still had to act humble in front of him, even if he felt extremely aggrieved.
Yang Kai ignored him and continued to chat with Old Ban.
Although Old Ban had no idea what was going on, he could see that this man named Grandmaster Nanmen was asking Yang Kai for a favour. Since he did not have the right to intervene in this kind of matter, Old Ban simply pretended that he knew nothing and continued chatting with Yang Kai.
Yang Kai’s haughtiness infuriated Nanmen Da Jun; however, he could only choke down his anger and wait for the other side with a forced smile, hoping that his sincerity would change Yang Kai’s mind later.
After listening to their conversation for a while, Nanmen Da Jun gradually realized a few things and turned to look at Xiao Ling’er, “Little girl, what’s your name?” He asked kindly.
Xiao Ling’er took a look at him and gave a crisp reply.
Nanmen Da Jun smiled lightly, “Ling’er is smart and lovely, and has honest eyes. It seems that it is fate for us to meet each other. Come, come, come, this old man will give you a little gift to commemorate our first meeting.”
Saying so, an object abruptly appeared in the hand of Nanmen Da Jun. It looked like a jade pendant; however, this pendant did not really have the colour of jade, but was in an unsophisticated yellow material.
After taking this pendant out, he hung it on Xiao Ling’er’s neck without hesitation.
Yang Kai casually swept his eyes across this pendant and immediately raised his brow.
Old Ban, who was talking to Yang Kai, was also greatly shocked, “Grandmaster, we cannot accept this, it is far too precious! Ling’er cannot receive such a valuable gift!”
Although he did not recognize what the jade pendant-like object was, he knew that Nanmen Da Jun would not give out something cheap.
Nanmen Da Jun chuckled, “You’re too serious. Since you know Young Master Yang Kai, you are also this Nanmen’s friend. This is our first meeting, but I’m sorry that I didn’t prepare anything for you, so I hope you don’t mind this small gift for your descendant!”
Old Ban opened his mouth, but he did not know how to reject it. He could only turn to Yang Kai helplessly.
They did not know each other at all, so it was unreasonable for Nanmen Da Jun to suddenly give a precious gift to Xiao Ling’er. It was obvious that he wanted to curry favour with Yang Kai through them, so only Yang Kai could deal with this matter.
“Grandmaster Nanmen is quite generous to just casually give out an Array Plate,” Yang Kai responded lightly.
Nanmen Da Jun’s eyes lit up, “Young Master Yang recognizes this?”
He was actually afraid that Yang Kai did not know the value of this thing, and wanted to give a few hints about it, but it seemed like he had underestimated Yang Kai’s vision.
“What? An Array Plate!?” Old Ban was taken aback as his face filled with terror.
An Array Plate was far too much for a first meeting gift.
Array Plates were self-contained Spirit Arrays. When facing an enemy, one could summon an Array Plate to instantly activate the Spirit Array inscribed inside of it. Old Ban had lived on the edge of the Ancient Wild Lands for a long time and had a lot of contact with many people, so he was knowledgeable enough to know what an Array Plate was.
“It’s just a small thing, a small thing. This Nanmen only refined it during his spare time and it is now useless for him to keep it. Please don’t reject this small gift,” Nanmen Da Jun laughed.
Yang Kai did not speak a word, simply reaching out to touch the Array Plate for a while before nodding, “Not bad. This could confine a Third-Order Dao Source Realm Master for at least an incense stick worth of time, while anyone below the Third-Order Dao Source Realm would die instantly inside!”
It was Nanmen Da Jun’s turn to be surprised as he genuinely complimented, “Young Master Yang really has sharp eyesight.”
Old Ban, who was listening on the side, gasped, his voice cracking, “Anyone below the Third-Order Dao Source Realm would die instantly inside this array?”
This Array Plate was not even worth a fart to Yang Kai, and it was not anything precious to Nanmen Da Jun either, who had only made it for fun.
But it was different for Old Ban and Xiao Ling’er.
Old Ban only had the cultivation of the First-Order Dao Source Realm. It was only normal for him to be startled to see an Array Plate that could capture Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivators. In other words, such an Array Plate was enough to kill him a thousand times over.
Furthermore, this Array Plate was also produced by Nanmen Da Jun, so it was definitely of fine quality among other Array Plates, and it would be enough to protect Xiao Ling’er while she grew for a long, long time.
Old Ban could not help feeling terrified, as it was improper to accept such a precious thing, especially when Yang Kai’s and this Grandmaster Nanmen’s relationship was still unclear.
Before he could refuse though, Yang Kai put down the jade pendant and spoke, “Since it was a gift for Xiao Ling’er, she should keep it.”
Nanmen Da Jun was overjoyed when he heard these words, knowing that his strategy was a success.
Old Ban’s expression was complicated when he cupped his fists, “Many thanks, Grandmaster!”
“You’re quite welcome, old man. If you need my help in the future, don’t hesitate to contact me,” Nanmen Da Jun’s attitude took complete charge when he was in a good mood.
Old Ban looked like an honest person, so it was not likely that he would be thick-skinned enough to go to Nanmen Da Jun for favours in the future, and even if he did, helping out a First-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator was just like lifting a finger for him, so he chose to say those words to leave Yang Kai a good impression.
And his approach was indeed proved effective.
Yang Kai’s previous coldness receded a little as he nodded lightly and commented, “Grandmaster Nanmen is thoughtful.”
Nanmen Da Jun smiled heartily, “I appreciate Young Master Yang’s compliment.”
He breathed a sigh of relief inside, but he also knew that it was not the right time to insist on his requests and did not mention the Seven Points Black Tortoise Formation or the matter regarding the Ancient Wild Lands. He only stood aside and waited quietly, figuring an opportunity would arrive one day.
As he looked around mindlessly to distract himself, Nanmen Da Jun’s gaze soon fell upon a certain Spirit Array.
This was the Ice Lake island, so the Spirit Array here was naturally the Space Array previously built by Yang Kai.
Nanmen Da Jun was too focused on Yang Kai’s attitude when he first arrived here and did not see anything else at all. At this moment, after finally relaxing, Nanmen Da Jun noticed the extraordinary Spirit Array at a glance.
He yelped lightly in surprise and walked towards the Space Array, circling it a few times in interest.
“Ah!” After a short while, Nanmen Da Jun suddenly exclaimed. He seemed to have discovered something extraordinary and his eyes shone with startling brightness. He pounced directly on the Space Array, probing it and inspecting it, only after a long time crying out in shock, “A Cross-Territory Space Array!”
He was somehow able to conclude that this was a Cross-Territory Space Array in a short time.
In an instant, Nanmen Da Jun’s face was flushed with extreme excitement, the glow in his eyes becoming more and more intense as he studied with utmost focus.
At this moment, he was in a world where there was only him and this Cross-Territory Space Array, and nothing else could distract him. From time to time, as if he had encountered difficulties he would frown, only to smile broadly and burst into insane laughter the next moment.
There were only a few Cross-Territory Space Arrays in the entire Star Boundary, and they were all treasures from ancient times, left behind in the Sects created by Great Emperors or similarly powerful forces.
It was even safe to say that there might not be a single functioning Cross-Territory Space Array in the entire Northern Territory.
It was not an exaggeration to say that Cross-Territory Space Arrays were extremely precious in the Star Boundary, so even though Nanmen Da Jun was somewhat famous, he had never had the chance to study one.
Nanmen Da Jun had never expected that he would see one in Ice Heart Valley. This was his luck and also his opportunity. If he could unravel the secrets of this Cross-Territory Space Array, he might be able to replicate it with his skills. By then, it would be a gospel for the entire Star Boundary, and the name Nanmen Da Jun would surely resound throughout the world.
Fame was not what mattered to Nanmen Da Jun of course, but he could die without any regrets if he could break through with the help of this profound array.
There would be fanatics in every profession, and for someone like Nanmen Da Jun, the attraction of a Cross-Territory Space Array was stronger than anything else.
“Wonderful, this is wonderful!” Nanmen Da Jun finally stood up slowly after a long time, exclaiming in admiration. Although no one knew what exactly he saw, the admiration on his face was obvious.
His eyes searched for Yang Kai as soon as he looked up, asking, “Young Master Yang, you are familiar with Ice Heart Valley, do you know who built this thing?”
“What is it?” Yang Kai asked curiously.
Nanmen Da Jun pondered for a moment before explaining, “This Nanmen is certain that this is a Cross-Territory Space Array, and the layout is ingenious, but…”
“But what?” Yang Kai frowned.
“But the technique used to arrange it is somewhat lacking in fluency. It is quite strange; if a person could arrange such an ingenious Spirit Array, their accomplishments in Spirit Arrays should definitely not be too low, undoubtedly a lot higher than this humble one’s. However, why do I feel like even the fundamentals are somewhat unsteady?” Nanmen Da Jun did not even know whether he was explaining to Yang Kai or just talking to himself. After babbling about it for a long time, he shook his head and concluded, “I don’t understand. I really don’t understand it!”
It was no wonder he did not understand.
Although he had good eyesight and recognized the Cross-Territory Space Array, he would never have thought that this array was arranged by Yang Kai.
What he said was right about the idea of this array being ingenious and rare, because the chart and methodology were provided by Yang Yan, but the person who actually arranged it was Yang Kai, who was not proficient in the Dao of Spirit Arrays. He only knew how to arrange this specific Spirit Array, so some of the small details were lacking.
The reason was that when Yang Kai set up the Spirit Array, he only knew the hows but not the whys, essentially just copying what Yang Yan taught him blindly without any personal insights of comprehension.
“What baffled me the most is… This Spirit Array doesn’t seem to be passed down from ancient times, but was actually only arranged recently.” Nanmen Da Jun frowned, then chuckled again, “Maybe I am mistaken.”
Even he did not quite believe this deduction as everyone knew that the array charts required to arrange Cross-Territory Space Arrays had long been lost.
“Grandmaster Nanmen really has sharp vision!”
At this moment, another voice was heard.
Everyone turned their heads to look, only to see a bevvy of young women, each beautiful in her own way, making their way over here. It was a group of Ice Heart Valley Emperor Realm Masters.
The leader was naturally Bing Yun.
Yang Kai, Nanmen Da Jun, and the others hurriedly saluted.
Although Old Ban had never met Bing Yun before, he immediately recognized this charming woman before him was Ice Heart Valley’s Valley Master from hearing Yang Kai’s greetings, so he quickly dragged Xiao Ling’er over and greeted her reverently.
Curiosity flashed across Bing Yun’s eyes, wondering why Yang Kai brought an old man along with him, but she did not ask much and simply stretched out her hand to lift Old Ban up, replying gently, “No need to be polite.”
Glancing at Xiao Ling’er, Bing Yun smiled curiously, “What a bright little girl. Yang Kai, where did you find her?”
Yang Kai chuckled slightly and explained the origins of Old Ban and Xiao Ling’er, after which he requested, “Senior, I want Xiao Ling’er to enter Ice Heart Valley to cultivate as a disciple, would that be acceptable?”
Bing Yun nodded immediately, “I don’t see any problems. The valley happens to have many disciples of similar age. She may cultivate with them in the future.”
Old Ban was overjoyed when he heard these words and urged his granddaughter excitedly, “Hurry up, Ling’er, pay respects to the Valley Master!”
Saying so, he nudged his granddaughter.
The little girl was quite worldly for her age, so she immediately knelt down and called crisply, “Ling’er pays respect to the Valley Master, and to all the Seniors.”
“En, a bright one indeed,” interest flashed across Bing Yun’s eyes as she reached out to pull Ling’er up. She then turned around and gave instructions, “Ying’er, make arrangements for her.”
Zhang Sun Ying stepped out in front of Xiao Ling’er and spoke to her in a low voice, to which Xiao Ling’er kept bobbing her head in response.
After a while, Xiao Ling’er turned around and chirped, “Grandpa, take care, Ling’er will visit you when she is free.”
Old Ban’s eyes were glistening with tears as he resisted the unwillingness to be parted from her in his heart as he waved goodbye, “Go, go. Grandpa will be living in Ice Moon City. Cultivate well and do not cause troubles for your Seniors.”
Xiao Ling’er then turned her head back to the front, walking step by step away from them, her hand held by Zhang Sun Ying.
“Old Ban should be happy that Ling’er has become a disciple of Ice Heart Valley,” Yang Kai comforted him beside him.
“Happy! This Old Man is extremely happy,” Old Ban lifted his sleeves to wipe the corners of his eyes.
With Yang Kai’s guarantee, Old Ban thought it should not be difficult for Ling’er to enter the discipleship of Ice Heart Valley, but he was more grateful than ever that his wish was granted so easily.
“Senior Bing Yun, what did you mean by what you said earlier?”
Nanmen Da Jun, who had held his tongue until now, finally found an opportunity and quickly asked, “Could it be that this Cross-Territory Space Array was really just arranged?”
“You should ask Yang Kai about this matter,” Bing Yun smiled gently, glancing to the side meaningfully.
“What?” Nanmen Da Jun was flabbergasted, gawking at Bing Yun and Yang Kai before asking doubtfully, “Senior means that this Space Array was arranged by Young Master Yang? Senior Bing Yun is not joking with me, right?”
Bing Yun replied, “En, Ice Heart Valley never had such a treasure before. Over a month ago, Yang Kai asked me for a large quantity of Space Spirit Crystals and Space Spirit Jades, and then this appeared.”
Her words were clear, and with Bing Yun’s identity and status, there was no need for her to make tasteless jokes with him, so Nanmen Da Jun’s eyes widened suddenly and he turned a scorching gaze towards Yang Kai. He was lost in his senses for a long time before he exclaimed excitedly, “Young Master Yang… No no no, Grandmaster Yang! Please accept this humble one’s respect!”
Saying so, he fell to the ground with utmost sincerity.
If Nanmen Da Jun had unwillingly bootlicked Yang Kai for some personal desires before, now he was really worshipping Yang Kai. If Yang Kai could arrange a Cross-Territory Space Array, his accomplishments in Spirit Arrays were definitely incomparable to his own!
According to the conventions of the Martial Dao, whoever was stronger would be positioned higher, regardless of age.
Nanmen Da Jun’s heart filled with admiration as he mistakenly thought that Yang Kai was a hidden Array Grandmaster.
“Grandmaster Yang, you really concealed yourself diligently. This Nanmen apologizes for his previous impoliteness. Grandmaster Yang, please forgive me!” Nanmen Da Jun smiled wryly, completely convinced of Yang Kai’s capabilities.
Yang Kai blushed slightly, but he was too lazy to explain, simply replying, “Yes, this Space Array was arranged by me, but it’s not like what you think.”
“Grandmaster Yang is far too humble! This Nanmen feels embarrassed for showing off his meagre skills before an expert.”
Yang Kai shook his head, deciding to ignore him entirely and turn to Bing Yun instead, “Senior, what are the casualties?”
Bing Yun sighed lightly, “More or less a thousand disciples died, and more than half of the remaining were injured. Even though we suffered a great loss, it was still a fortunate ending thanks to you and the three Monster Kings.”
Although Yang Kai did not really participate in the fight, the Soul Devouring Demon Insects that he released made great contributions. Without them, the casualties of Ice Heart Valley would be at least several times higher; after all, the number of enemies was too great, and they would not be able to kill all of them in time by just relying on the Emperor Realm Masters of Ice Heart Valley and the three Monster Kings.
But it was a totally different story with the aid of Soul Devouring Demon Insects. Wherever the clouds of insects passed by, the people of Seeking Passion Sect dropped in droves. They were indeed an efficient means of mass slaughter.
“What about Seeking Passion Sect?” Yang Kai asked next.
“Half of the one hundred thousand died, twenty to thirty thousand escaped, and the rest surrendered.”
Yang Kai nodded, the result was as he expected.
However, from now on, the Seeking Passion Sect would be no more. The Sect Master and almost all of its Emperor Realm Masters were killed. Even if some Masters were remaining in the Sect, they would still be unable to stabilize the situation.
“Senior, what’s your next plan?”
Bing Yun replied, “First, we need to tend to the injured disciples. Then, the Sect Defending Array has to be repaired. As for those who surrendered… It’s really hard to decide.”
There were about twenty to thirty thousand cultivators who surrendered, leaving Bing Yun with a headache. She was afraid that there would be bad consequences if she decided to simply kill all of them, but if they just let them go like this, Ice Heart Valley would be too forgiving. Therefore, Bing Yun was struggling with a decision.
After all, only a small portion of these people belonged to the Seeking Passion Sect, while the rest were just recruited by the Seeking Passion Sect’s Recruitment Order, so there was no deep grudge between them and Ice Heart Valley.
Yang Kai snorted coldly, “Capital punishment may be exempted, but some suffering is inevitable. Senior can let them go, but they will have to pay for their freedom.”
Bing Yun nodded in agreement, “I was thinking so too.”
While they were talking, Nanmen Da Jun suddenly suggested, “Senior Bing Yun wants to repair the Sect Defending Array? This Nanmen could be of assistance.”
Bing Yun smiled lightly, “I was about to propose just that. The only concern is whether Grandmaster Nanmen would be willing to or not.”
“Of course I am, why wouldn’t I be!?” Nanmen Da Jun was delighted.
Yang Kai definitely knew what he was up to, so he proactively offered, “As long as you can repair Ice Heart Valley’s Sect Defending Array, you can study the Cross-Territory Space Array as much as you want.”
That array was arranged by him with the help of his comprehension of the Dao of Space anyway, so no matter how thoroughly Nanmen Da Jun studied it, he would not be able to replicate it. As such, Yang Kai was not afraid of this technique being stolen by him.
Nanmen Da Jun’s eyes lit up as he heard it, cupping his fists, “Many thanks, Grandmaster Yang!”
He treated Yang Kai as though he was the Senior Spirit Array Master here.
“Senior, I want to take a trip to Seeking Passion Sect!” Yang Kai’s face abruptly turned solemn, a trace of murderous intent lingering around him.
Hearing this, Bing Yun nodded in understanding, “Then let Yao’er accompany you there.”
Yang Kai glanced at Ji Yao who was standing behind Bing Yun and nodded in agreement.
Without delay, he immediately took Ji Yao with him and flew out of the Ice Lake Island. After informing Xi Lei and the other Monster Kings, the group of five flew straight out of Ice Heart Valley.
“Young Master Yang, where are we going?” Xi Lei was a straightforward man and could not help asking as he sensed the murderous intent in Yang Kai’s eyes, knowing they were going to stir up some trouble.
“Seeking Passion Sect!” Yang Kai replied.
Xi Lei and the others came to a realization and simply followed behind Ji Yao without a word.
Ice Heart Valley’s crisis this time was greatly linked to Yang Kai. In fact, Yang Kai was essentially the cause of this whole mess. If he had not killed Feng Xi in the Shattered Star Sea, Ice Heart Valley would not have been besieged.
Although Seeking Passion Sect had already suffered a great loss as their top Masters were all dead, Yang Kai obviously did not plan to let the matter just drop.
Since the feud had already been planted, it was natural to cut weeds and pull out roots, leaving no chance for the enemy to seek revenge.
Furthermore, the Seeking Passion Sect had been firmly rooted in the Northern Territory for tens of thousands of years, so there was no doubt a lot of good things stored in their Treasury. How could Yang Kai simply let off such a prize?
After a while, the group arrived at Ice Moon City.
Before today, Ice Moon City had been occupied by the Seeking Passion Sect, but after the war, Seeking Passion Sect collapsed like a mud wall after the rain and Ice Moon City instantly reverted to its previous ownership. The city was quiet, however, with the previous bustling streets completely deserted.
Flying straight into the City Lord’s Mansion, Yang Kai’s group found the Space Array there and after activating it with some Source Crystals, they disappeared.
Seeking Tranquility Mountain Range was the headquarters of Seeking Passion Sect.
It was rumoured that the Seeking Passion Great Emperor had founded his Sect here from nothing, and it was also here that he comprehended his Dao and became a Great Emperor.
A Sect with few tens of thousands of years of history would definitely have extraordinary heritage.
It was a place propitious for giving birth to great men, with undulating hills and expansive plains, partnered with picturesque mountains and rivers.
In the Seeking Tranquility Mountain Range, there were countless Spirit Peaks with extremely rich World Energy. Compared to the world of ice and snow that Ice Heart Valley was built on, the climate in Seeking Tranquility Mountain Range was temperate, with the pleasant fragrance of flowers and the melodious chirping of birds surrounding them everywhere.
One day later, when Yang Kai brought the three Monster Kings and Ji Yao to this place, they actually found the gates of Seeking Passion Sect wide open. Not only was there no defensive Spirit Arrays active, not even a single disciple was on guard.
Releasing his Divine Sense, Yang Kai soon discovered that the whole of Seeking Passion Sect was like a ghost town, not a living person in sight.
“They’re quite fast at escaping,” Xi Lei obviously realized this too, and could not help muttering.
For a huge Sect, even if Feng Xuan had taken many disciples and high-level Elders with him on his campaign, he would certainly have left many people behind in the Sect. However, there was no one in the entire Seeking Passion Sect right now. Without a doubt, those cultivators who escaped from Ice Heart Valley must have spread the news, which led to the remaining disciples in Seeking Passion Sect to abandon their estate and run for their lives.
In other words, since yesterday, the Seeking Passion Sect had been no more.
Atop the main gate was a white jade plaque with three gleaming words ‘Seeking Passion Sect’ carved on it. It was clean and pristine, as if it was well maintained all year round.
With a swing of his hand, Yang Kai smashed the plaque to pieces.
He then beckoned the others to follow him as he walked inside.
Along the way, there was really no one to be found. The pavilions they passed by were all in a mess, probably because Seeking Passion Sect’s remaining disciples had looted whatever valuables remained before they fled.
Not only did Yang Kai not see a single person the whole way forward, but there wasn’t even anything of value left behind.
The only property left was this huge piece of land.
“This place isn’t bad, the World Energy is so rich that there must be a few first-class Earth Veins buried here,” Xi Lei’s head turned left and right, busy checking his surroundings.
Yang Kai smiled, “This was the Sect left behind by a Great Emperor, and the founder of the Sect was that Great Emperor himself. Why would he choose this place if it was bad? I think there’s probably no other place better than here in the entire Northern Territory.
“It was just too bad they messed with the wrong people. A foundation of tens of thousands of years ended just like that,” Ying Fei sighed.
Xie Wu Wei’s eyes flashed as he suddenly smiled, “Young Master Yang, how about you take over this place and found a Sect yourself? It would be a waste if this place was simply left deserted.”
Xi Lei and Ying Fei were shocked by his suggestion, but thinking about it, Yang Kai was totally qualified to found a Sect, since he was an Emperor Realm Master, and there was a ready-made place right here. With such an excellent environment and heritage, there would be no better opportunity to found a prosperous Sect than this one.
But these two Monster Kings wondered what Xie Wu Wei’s intentions for proposing such an idea were.
However, both of them were not stupid and after some contemplation, their eyes lit up as they finally understood Xie Wu Wei’s plan.
Ying Fei grinned, “Brother Xie’s proposal is brilliant. If Young Master Yang established a Sect here, I hope that I could be rewarded with a position like a Protector or an Elder.”
“Count this Old Rhino in!” Xie Lei smiled from ear to ear too.
Listening to these three, Yang Kai glanced at them and was secretly delighted, knowing that they were not willing to go back to the Ancient Lands and instead wanted to stick around with him.
He did not personally possess anything that could attract the three Monster Kings to work for him, but Zhang Ruo Xi did.
Although he understood all this, Yang Kai did not expose their thoughts and instead responded lightly, “Aren’t you three afraid that the Divine Venerables might not be happy about it? I don’t have the guts to poach their people.”
“Nonsense,” Xie Wu Wei beamed, “The Divine Venerables are not so narrow-minded. If Young Master Yang talks to them, they will definitely agree with you.”
“Yes yes, the Divine Venerables are very reasonable people!” Ying Fei echoed from the side.
If it was someone else, it was clear that the Divine Venerables would not accept such an arrangement, but it would be no problem if it was Yang Kai.
“We will see,” Yang Kai pondered for a while, but did not promise them.
After hearing this, the three Monster Kings’ eyes brightened, feeling exhilarated at the prospect of this possibility.
Xie Wu Wei’s proposal had truly moved Yang Kai’s heart.
As they mentioned, this place was excellent and ready-made. Even if Yang Kai did not want it, it would not take long before it was occupied by another great force.
What’s more, this was the place Yang Kai secured through his own efforts. Although there was not a single living person left, and it seemed all the wealth was taken away too, just owning this piece of land would make all his effort worthwhile.
Since this was the territory that he fought hard for, there was no reason for him to give it away.
Furthermore, ever since Yang Kai’s arrival in the Star Boundary all those years ago, he felt like he had been wandering around without a stable place to settle down.
It did not matter when he was alone, but where would he place his friends and family from Shadowed Star when he brought them here in the future? Where would they stay? Moreover, he could not let Chi Yue, Gui Zu and the rest keep staying in the Thousand Leaves Sect.
He would need to prepare his own place as soon as possible, for them to live in and cultivate in peace.
The casual words of Xie Wu Wei actually piqued Yang Kai’s interest.
Nevertheless, he understood that it would not be easy to found a Sect. Back then, it was a complete coincidence that High Heaven Sect could be established on Shadowed Star. Now, he would need to plan carefully if he wanted to create a permanent foundation here in the Star Boundary.
The headquarters of Seeking Passion Sect covered a vast stretch of land, so it took Yang Kai, Ji Yao, and the three Monster Kings two days of wandering around before they finished a completely cursory inspection.
The more Yang Kai observed this place, the more satisfied he was with it.
Previously, he only mentioned that this place might possess the richest World Energy density in the Northern Territory due to the lofty status of the Seeking Passion Great Emperor; but now, it seemed that his unintentional words might actually be true.
Because, the cultivation environment here was much better than the Azure Sun Temple’s.
Azure Sun Temple was also a top Sect, and in terms of status and strength, it was almost on par with the Seeking Passion Sect, but it was slightly worse off in terms of cultivation environment.
Perhaps, only those Sects founded by Great Emperors could compete with the Seeking Passion Sect.
With such a foundation, including so many ready-made buildings and the heritage left behind by the Seeking Passion Sect for tens of thousands of years, Yang Kai was feeling more and more reluctant to give this place up and had begun silently making plans for it in the future.
He checked every nook and cranny of this place, but found nothing valuable.
In the end, under the lead of Ji Yao, the few of them came to a certain large peak.
Ji Yao had visited the Seeking Passion Sect several times with Bing Yun millennia ago, so she knew that this peak was the most highly restricted area of the Seeking Passion Sect. If Seeking Passion Sect had a storehouse to keep its wealth, it must be hidden on this peak.
When Yang Kai and the others arrived, they saw the peak was enveloped by an extremely solid light curtain.
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up; he was not shocked but delighted instead.
The light curtain was still intact, which meant that no one had broken it since it was activated. If anything valuable was stored here, it would still be here as the disciples who fled the Seeking Passion Sect would not have been able to enter.
The several Monster Kings wanted to break the Spirit Array with their brute strength, but Yang Kai stopped them. Rummaging in his Space Ring, he soon took out several extraordinary looking tokens and tested them by pouring his Emperor Qi into them one by one.
In just a short time, one of the tokens lit up, and its radiance shot to the light curtain, causing a gap to appear in it.
These tokens were looted by Yang Kai from the Space Rings of the top Masters from the Seeking Passion Sect. Since this particular token could open the restriction here, it must have belonged to Sect Master Feng Xuan.
“Let’s go in and see what good things are inside.” Yang Kai was jovial and took the lead.
There was a magnificent and extraordinary temple on top of the mountain.
The group of five entered the temple and saw that the decorations were quite old and traditional, well worn with time.
Yang Kai scanned this place with his Divine Sense and found nothing special about it, but after pondering for a while, he instructed, “Let’s split up and search, just call out if any of you found anything suspicious.”
“Yes!” The three Monster Kings immediately went into action.
However, Ji Yao did not leave, instead just choosing to follow Yang Kai around.
“Do you really want to establish a Sect here?”
Ji Yao abruptly asked after they had walked for a while.
The three Monster Kings, while intelligent, weren’t all that perceptive, so they did not really pay attention to Yang Kai’s facial expressions the last few days, but Ji Yao had been observing silently and found that Yang Kai was really moved by that idea and wanted to establish a Sect here.
“Somewhat,” Yang Kai turned back to Ji Yao, “Why?” He grinned as he asked.
Ji Yao shook her head lightly, “Nothing. But if you want to establish a Sect here, it’s a good choice.”
“You think so too?”
Ji Yao pressed on, “Both Seeking Passion Sect and our Ice Heart Valley are in the Northern Territory, so if you settle down here, your Sect and Ice Heart Valley can watch out for each other. On top of that, you are qualified to engage in such an endeavour.”
Although Yang Kai only had a First-Order Emperor Realm cultivation, Ji Yao knew that he was on a completely different level compared to any other ordinary First-Order Emperor; even she would be no match for him if she fought against him one on one. In this world, only Third-Order Emperor Realm Masters could challenge him equally.
If Yang Kai were not qualified to establish a Sect, most Sects in this world would not be qualified to exist.
Yang Kai beamed, “I had the same thought too, but I don’t have a full plan yet, and even if I did, there would be a lot of trouble implementing it.”
Ji Yao smiled lightly, “That shouldn’t be a problem. You can discuss this with Honoured Master and I’m certain she will provide whatever assistance you need. Ice Heart Valley will also help in any way it can.”
Yang Kai nodded, “I’m not in a rush, I was just thinking about it. I will definitely ask Senior Bing Yun for advice when the time comes.”
Ji Yao nodded with a glimmer of expectation in her heart.
Yang Kai had a close relationship with Ice Heart Valley and had a deep connection with her Honoured Master, Bing Yun. Once he was truly rooted to this place left by the Seeking Passion Sect, his Sect and Ice Heart Valley could support one another. With two giants forming a close alliance, who would dare to provoke them? Ice Heart Valley would never be besieged like it just was again.
The main reason why Ice Heart Valley suffered this disaster this time was that it had always been too content with its circumstances and had too little communication with the outside world, leading to it having no real allies.
“But you have to think carefully about the name of this Sect. You can’t just continue to use the name Seeking Passion Sect, right?” Ji Yao suggested.
Yang Kai smiled lightly and nodded, “I have my own ideas about that.”
He had already long thought about the name of the Sect he would found.
At that moment, an eagle’s cry suddenly came from a certain direction.
Yang Kai turned that way and commented, “Ying Fei seems to have found something, let’s go and take a look.”
Ji Yao nodded in agreement.
A short while later, the pair arrived at an escarpment. The escarpment stood unimpressively on the mountain peak, but it had caught Ying Fei’s attention. He looked at it curiously and examined it by patting and touching here and there from time to time.
Seeing the arrival of Yang Kai, Ying Fei hurriedly said, “Young Master Yang, there’s something odd about this place.”
Yang Kai scanned the escarpment with his Divine Sense and nodded, “Indeed, there is something strange.”
Although this escarpment did not look awe-inspiring, it was actually covered in a highly covert restriction.
If it were Yang Kai who came here first, he might have carelessly missed it; however, Ying Fei’s true form was that of a giant eagle, so not only was his speed astonishing, his vision was also incredibly sharp. As such, he could spot something was off with just a glance.
“I wonder if those tokens could open this restriction too?” Ying Fei postulated.
“We won’t know if we don’t try,” Yang Kai smiled lightly. He took out the tokens he plundered from the Seeking Passion Sect’s Elders again and began testing them one by one.
As Yang Kai worked on this, Xi Lei and Xie Wu Wei arrived. After knowing the situation, they all looked interested and thought to themselves that this should be the storehouse of Seeking Passion Sect, or its hidden Treasury.
It was natural that the wealth stored by a top Sect, which had tens of thousands of years of heritage, would make them excited.
It turned out that the tokens Yang Kai seized were really useful. One of the tokens resonated with the restriction here and a mysterious beam of light flashed from it before the escarpment in front abruptly opened in a rumble, revealing a dark tunnel that led into the middle of the mountain.
Then, a glimpse of light suddenly came out of the tunnel. The light was like a prairie fire, shining brighter and brighter, extending all the way to illuminate the tunnel.
“Let’s go!” Yang Kai vigilantly looked around while taking the lead to enter the tunnel.
The rest hurriedly kept up with him.
The escarpment closed again as they entered the tunnel, but the tunnel itself remained bright thanks to a number of light crystals embedded in the walls.
The group descended some unknown distance before arriving at a huge underground cave.
After getting a clear view of the situation in the cave, Xie Wu Wei took a deep breath and remarked excitedly, “It’s really a hidden Treasury!”
He was not the only one to gasp, as the other two Monster Kings and Yang Kai were also excited. Nevertheless, Ji Yao still looked indifferent, as if wealth was just dirt to her. She had cultivated Ice Attribute Secret Arts her whole life, so she almost always remained calm and cold.
Inside the cave were all kinds of Low-Rank, Mid-Rank, and High-Rank Source Crystals, all piled up in hills in front of them. Their numbers were simply countless.
Yang Kai looked over and was almost dazzled by the light reflected by those Source Crystals.
Although he ripped off hundreds of millions of Source Crystals in the Ancient Wild Lands, the number of Source Crystals here could only be more than that.
This wasn’t a surprise though as this was the accumulated wealth of the Seeking Passion Sect over the past few tens of thousands of years, not something an ordinary Sect could compare to.
Since Yang Kai had the intention to establish a Sect here, the more resources he had on hand, the better. When he was capable of bringing his friends and family over from Shadowed Star, he would need to have enough cultivation resources to share with them.
Behind the Source Crystals, there were many wooden racks on which were packed countless boxes, including wooden boxes, jade boxes, metal boxes, and so on and so forth.
Yang Kai led the others to the wooden shelves, took some samples to investigate, and soon found that the contents of these boxes were almost the same as what he had guessed. They were all rare herbs, each of which was extremely precious and with long medicinal ages.
The Monster Kings were not interested in the herbs because the Ancient Wild Lands were abundant with such things. The Ancient Wild Lands was perhaps the place with the most spirit medicines in the Star Boundary.
Therefore, they paid no more attention after a few glances.
On the other side, there were also many wooden shelves, on which were not all kinds of boxes but rather tens of thousands of jade bottles.
After investigating, Yang Kai found that these bottles were filled with refined Spirit Pills of different grades, and they were all needed by cultivators for cultivation.
Moving further into the cave, the group came across ancient books and jade slips containing Secret Arts and Techniques belonging to the Seeking Passion Sect.
Yang Kai was impressed by these things, because they were all treasures left by the Seeking Passion Sect for tens of thousands of years, and they would be useful to the disciples if he ever established a Sect.
At what seemed to be the end of the cave were a tremendous number of artifacts. The lowest quality artifacts were Dao Source Grade, and there were even a few hundred brightly shining Emperor Grade Artifacts among them.
The energy fluctuation released from all the artifacts accumulated in one place was truly astounding.
After all that he had experienced during his cultivating journey, Yang Kai could be considered to be a very knowledgeable person, and yet he was still stunned by the abundant treasures he found here in Seeking Passion Sect.
It was such a windfall to have gained such a large amount of wealth suddenly.
“There’s more over there!” Ji Yao pointed.
Everyone looked in the direction she pointed and saw that in the deepest part of the cave, were three stone platforms. On each platform was placed a box that was shrouded by a light curtain.
Seeing that they were preserved so carefully, it was obvious that the objects inside these boxes must be absolutely extraordinary.
Yang Kai walked over enthusiastically, took out the token that opened the storehouse before, and waved it over one of the stone platforms. The mysterious light flashed, and the restriction opened up in response.
Yang Kai picked up the long box placed on the stone platform.
“Let’s have a look at what precious treasure it is.” The three Monster Kings gathered next to him, all looking at it with relish.
Everyone had curiosity, and Monster Kings were no exception.
As Yang Kai weighed the long box in his hand though, confusion surfaced on his face, “It seems to be empty.”
“It can’t be.” Ying Fei looked stunned while Xie Wu Wei and Xi Lei were also unwilling to believe it, but they also knew that Yang Kai had no reason to lie to them.
In front of everyone’s eyes, Yang Kai opened the long box in his hand, and as expected, there was nothing in it.
“What’s the point of putting an empty box here with such grandeur?” Ying Fei scoffed angrily, rather disappointed.
Yang Kai looked at the length of the empty box for a moment before his brow twitched suddenly. He then took something out of his Space Ring and placed it into the box, something that fit quite snugly.
“Is this… The Emperor Artifact Feng Xuan used before?” Xie Wu Wei raised his brow, recognizing the Emperor Artifact that Yang Kai had taken out.
Yang Kai nodded, “The Wind and Thunder Divine Spear is said to be a relic of the Seeking Passion Great Emperor!”
“So that’s it. That Wind and Thunder Divine Spear was originally kept here and Feng Xuan only took it out when necessary.” Xie Wu Wei looked astonished.
“That should be it. After all, it’s the legacy of his ancestors. Even if Feng Xuan is the Sect Master of the Seeking Passion Sect, he can’t carry this Emperor Artifact with him at all times.” Yang Kai nodded and put away the box.
It was certain that the object originally placed in this empty box was the Wind and Thunder Divine Spear. As for the remaining two boxes, since they were also placed here with the same importance, they were definitely not less valuable than the Wind and Thunder Divine Spear.
Curious to know what treasures were contained inside the two other boxes, Yang Kai did not hesitate. He removed the restrictions for the two stone platforms directly, picked up a box, and opened the lid.
Ying Fei’s quick hands picked up the last box and began inspecting.
“Huh…” Yang Kai raised his brow as his eyes gleamed, “This is…”
As soon as the box in his hand opened, an extremely pure World Energy rippled through the air, causing the Emperor Qi in his body to resonate with it. It seemed that this pure energy would greatly benefit his cultivation.
“Source Crystals!” Xie Wu Wei interjected, but soon his face changed slightly, “Peak-Rank Source Crystals!”
“Peak Rank Source Crystals?” Xi Lei also stared at the box in Yang Kai’s hand. Even Ji Yao, who was impervious to all the previous treasures, could not help stealing a glance at it.
“To think these are Peak-Rank Source Crystals!” Yang Kai grinned and stretched out his hand to take out a piece of Source Crystal. It was about the size of a thumb, and completely pure and clear.
These Source Crystals were a size smaller than regular High-Rank Source Crystals, but the World Energy stored in them vastly exceeded that of High-Rank Source Crystals.
In the Star Boundary, once a cultivator had cultivated to the Emperor Realm, Low-Rank Source Crystals and even Mid-Rank Source Crystals were of little use to them. Generally, Emperors needed to use High-Rank Source Crystals to cultivate. Even the transaction of some valuable items was done exclusively using High-Rank Source Crystals.
However, above High-Rank Source Crystals was an even better version called Peak Rank Source Crystals.
Compared to High-Rank Source Crystals, Peak Rank Source Crystals were like phoenix feathers or kirin’s horns, one in a billion in terms of rarity.
It was rare to even find one or two pieces in an entire top-grade Source Crystal Lode. Every Peak Rank Source Crystal seemed to be exclusively formed by the hand of the Heavens themselves.
According to rumours, there were many uses for Peak Rank Source Crystals, but the biggest use was for cultivators to break through bottlenecks. If any cultivator encountered a bottleneck in their cultivation, a single Peak Rank Source Crystal used as an auxiliary would be the best external aid, and would not cause any hidden dangers like pills.
In the Star Boundary, countless Emperors Realm Masters cultivated for thousands of years but remained stuck at their bottleneck, unable to make progress. These cultivators would always try searching for the legendary Peak Rank Source Crystals as they represented hope to make further progress.
However, how difficult was it to find a Peak Rank Source Crystal? The efforts of these cultivators who were pursuing these Source Crystals painstakingly were almost always destined to be in vain.
Yet here, in the storehouse of Seeking Passion Sect, was a box of Peak Rank Source Crystals, and there were as many as seven of them neatly placed inside the box.
“Such a treasure! It’s just a pity…” Xi Lei shook his head while admiring.
The other two Monster Kings’ brows twitched upon hearing this and repeated, “A pity indeed.”
Although Peak Rank Source Crystals were useful for breakthroughs for cultivators, the three of them had already reached the peak of their potential as Monster Kings. In other words, these Peak Rank Source Crystals couldn’t provide any aid to them, despite their rarity.
The only way for them to surpass their current level was to pin their hopes on obtaining a Divine Spirit Source, enabling them to awaken the bloodlines of their distant ancestors.
If it were not for this reason, how could they be so willing to be ordered around by Yang Kai with their level of strength?
Yang Kai also understood why it was a pity for them, but he did not comment, simply putting the box away and turning to Ying Fei, “What’s inside your box?”
Ying Fei answered with a sullen face, “A Secret Art!”
After speaking, he handed the box to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai took it, swept his eyes across the box, and his complexion instantly became pensive before he exclaimed in a low voice, “The Seeking Passion Supreme Art!”
This was the true foundation of the Seeking Passion Sect, and it was also the Seeking Passion Great Emperor’s greatest accomplishment. To cultivate this Secret Art, the deeper the passion was invested in it, the faster one would cultivate while the target of that passion would be met with a miserable fate.
This was because once under the influence of the Seeking Passion Supreme Art, the person who was sowed with passion would never be able to extricate themselves from it. Not only would she be unable to advance her cultivation, but she would also be under complete control of the Seeking Passion Supreme Art cultivator.
Feng Xi fell in love with Zi Yu of Ice Heart Valley, and although his love was true, his primary intent for Zi Yu was to make her fall in love with him so he could use her for the sake of his cultivation. If he succeeded in marrying her, Zi Yu would end up no better than Feng Xi’s personal servant and would never be able to touch the mysteries of the Emperor Realm for the rest of her life.
This Seeking Passion Supreme Art was both righteous and evil. Although it was an extraordinary skill, Yang Kai looked at it scornfully.
He always felt that this Secret Art relied too much on external forces and hindered one from seeking the true peak of the Martial Dao. He even wondered how the Seeking Passion Great Emperor was able to achieve such a supreme position using such a flawed Secret Art.
He put this box away casually then turned around to address everyone, “Look around and see if there is anything you want. If there is, just take it.”
The three Monster Kings exchanged excited looks before grinning, cupping their fists as they chanted in unison, “Then, we will not be shy.”
There was no reason to go back empty-handed when they were in a place filled with treasures. There were many treasures here that even roused the excitement of the three Monster Kings.
The three of them dispersed quickly, obviously each having a goal in mind.
Yang Kai gave Ji Yao the same permission, “You may also go look around.”
Ji Yao shook her head and said, “No need. It’s all your credit that Ice Heart Valley was able to overcome this crisis, so I cannot take anything more.”
“As you wish!” Yang Kai knew that with her temper, it was useless to try to persuade her once she had made up her mind. He was smart enough to not waste his efforts and instead began wandering around the storehouse, waving his hands as he sent the tens of thousands of years’ worth of accumulation of Seeking Passion Sect into his Sealed World Bead.
After a while, the Treasury’s contents were reduced by more than half.
At the same time, the three Monster Kings had also returned one after another.
Yang Kai glanced at them and saw that they did not take many things; each took some jade bottles filled with pills as well as one Emperor Artifact per person.
The Monster Race could not practice Alchemy, so although the Ancient Wild Lands was rich in Spirit Herbs, these precious resources couldn’t be put to good use. All herbs and spirit fruits were basically swallowed directly, greatly wasting their medicinal efficacies.
Now that there were so many pills here, the three Monster Kings naturally had to take some; after all, one can never be too prepared.
As for the Emperor Artifacts, it was natural for them to take one each. They were grinning ear to ear, each holding their chosen weapon in hand.
“Is that enough?” Yang Kai asked with a smile, “There are a lot of good things here.”
“Enough, enough!” Ying Fei nodded repeatedly, “Although there are a lot of good things, there are not many useful things for us. These are enough.”
Xie Wu Wei and Xi Lei also nodded in agreement.
Yang Kai did not say anymore and just continued to collect things.
After a full stick of incense, the huge underground cave was empty as the massive amount of wealth and treasure had all been moved into the Sealed World Bead by Yang Kai.
With these things acting as a base asset, if Yang Kai really wanted to start a Sect in the future, resources would definitely not be a problem.
“I suddenly thought of something,” Ji Yao frowned slightly. “It was probably thanks to those Peak-Rank Sources Crystals that Yao Zhuo broke through to the Third-Order Emperor Realm.”
Yang Kai nodded in agreement, “That makes sense!”
Yao Zhuo used to be a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master, but all of a sudden he achieved a breakthrough. If there was a reason for this other than some sudden enlightenment and opportunity, the Peak Rank Source Crystals were the most likely it.
Ji Yao chuckled lightly, “It’s pointless to ponder over this now. He’s already dead anyway.”
“En, let’s go.” Yang Kai beckoned and took the lead to return along the same path they came.
After leaving the Treasury, the cliff closed again and Yang Kai took out the token to restore the restriction.
Turning his head and looking around, Yang Kai stated, “I want to arrange a Space Array here, find something to amuse yourselves with around here.”
The three Monster Kings nodded their heads and spread out.
Ji Yao questioned, “Are you connecting Ice Heart Valley to Seeking Passion Sect?”
Yang Kai nodded and explained, “En, if there’s a direct connection, it will be convenient to come and go in the future.”
Since he had plans to set down roots here, Yang Kai would naturally be visiting Ice Heart Valley far more frequently in the future. There was already a Space Array arranged in Ice Heart Valley by him, which also connected with the Ancient Lands. Therefore, Yang Kai could directly connect to those two places if he arranged another Space Array here.
In the past, Yang Kai had never had a place of his own in the Star Boundary, and he never gave it much thought either, but now that he had such plans, this arrangement was indispensable.
Half a day later, a Space Array was formed.
Yang Kai instructed Ji Yao, “Junior Sister Yao, please go back to Ice Heart Valley and tell Nanmen Da Jun to come here after repairing Ice Heart Valley’s Sect Defending Array.”
He handed Ji Yao a peculiar token as he spoke.
Ji Yao took it in doubt, “What’s the use of this token?”
At a glance, she could see that it was a newly refined token made by Yang Kai himself, and she could still sense his residual aura in it.
Yang Kai smiled lightly, “Every Space Array that I arrange can only be activated by me or with this token, otherwise it will be useless.”
This was also why Luan Feng failed to activate the Space Array in Phoenix Nest Palace on that day, because she did not have Yang Kai’s Transmission Token. She mistakenly thought that the array was faulty and wanted to see Yang Kai make a fool of himself when he tried to use it, but the outcome disappointed her in the end.
After hearing this, Ji Yao’s eyes blinked a few times before she stepped up to the Space Array without saying anything.
Yang Kai continued while laying out the Source Crystals, “This matter is not urgent, and can be put on hold until he finishes his work in Ice Heart Valley first.”
“En!” Ji Yao nodded lightly. Then, her figure was wrapped with white light and disappeared.
After the departure of Ji Yao, Yang Kai took a look at his left and right, then vanished subsequently with a flicker.
Since he had the intention of settling down here, Yang Kai definitely needed to examine the Seeking Passion Sect’s headquarters thoroughly. Although he had checked almost every corner of this place, he did not really make a careful inspection as he was busy searching for the hidden Treasury.
Now that he was unoccupied, Yang Kai certainly wanted to examine this place as its new master.
Everything was notably different with the change of his mentality.
If he already thought that this base was good during the previous investigation, now there was only one word that could express his feeling, and that was ‘satisfaction’.
World Energy was rich in the Seeking Passion Sect, the scenery was beautiful, and there were many cultivation paradises on many pristine Spirit Peaks.
Such a vast base was enough to comfortably accommodate a hundred thousand disciples or more. Yang Kai did not even have that many friends and family back on Shadowed Star, so this place would certainly be enough to house them all.
After wandering around for several days, Yang Kai finally finished a thorough investigation of the whole land, without letting go of any corners, and had vaguely made some plans in his mind.
He then went back to the main gate of the Seeking Passion Sect.
Previously, there was a plaque engraved with the words ‘Seeking Passion Sect’ here, a signboard that had been handed down for tens of thousands of years, but it was smashed to pieces by Yang Kai days ago.
Yang Kai naturally had a plan for returning here; however, as he scanned the place with his Divine Sense, he found that many new auras were lingering about.
The strength of these people was uneven, some were hiding in the dark, while others were standing gloriously in the open. Everyone was staring at Seeking Passion Sect and whispering to each other from time to time. There were a lot of people, about a few thousand of them, and more were arriving all the time.
After the war between Seeking Passion Sect and Ice Heart Valley, Seeking Passion Sect was completely annihilated, and those who had sided with them had also suffered a heavy toll. This news was earth-shaking and it did not take long for it to spread across the entire Northern Territory.
These people appeared outside of the gates of Seeking Passion Sect because they had heard the news and wanted to see if they could pick up a windfall from this place.
In the Seeking Passion Sect’s heyday, none of these people would dare come near this place and could only gaze at it from afar. However, times were different now. The Seeking Passion Sect was doomed to collapse, and the wealth accumulated by them over their tens of thousands of years of history was now just a big tempting feast.
Men die for wealth just as birds die for food, this was the truth since ancient times. Many could not just sit still when they thought of the massive treasure trove hidden in Seeking Passion Sect and had to come here to try their luck.
They could relish for a lifetime from just a small part of the fortunes of a giant like Seeking Passion Sect.
However, no one dared to go in or openly inspect the interior of the Seeking Passion Sect, so the situation inside remained unknown to all of them.
This group of people had gathered here one after another over the past few days from various Sects, families and other great forces.
After several days of hesitation, they finally elected a few leaders to plan the matter together, but before they could even hold discussions, they saw Yang Kai walk out of Seeking Passion Sect leisurely.
Everyone abruptly fell silent and stared at Yang Kai.
The next moment, the crowd went into an uproar.
“Someone came out from the inside, is he a Master from Seeking Passion Sect?”
Seeking Passion Sect’s name resounded like thunder in the Northern Territory, so now that someone suddenly came out from it, the crowd immediately assumed he belonged to the remnants of Seeking Passion Sect, so they could not help feeling scared, fearful they might anger him and lead to their destruction.
“Nonsense! All the top Elders, including the Sect Master of Seeking Passion Sect, died already! Even if someone escaped, why would he return to the Sect? How would that be different from courting death?”
“That’s right! Don’t you see that the ten thousand years old signboard of the Seeking Passion Sect has already been destroyed? No one in the Seeking Passion Sect would dare to remain here.”
“In my opinion, this man must have come here for their fortune, and he just got here one step ahead of us… he must have harvested something!”
“Damn it, who the hell is he? How dare he simply break into the base of Seeking Passion Sect? Damn him!”
With these remarks, many of them were provoked and began glaring at Yang Kai with envy and hatred, as if the Seeking Passion Sect was their own territory and Yang Kai disrespected them by breaking into it.
These people had been camping out here for several days, but they did not dare to enter. Nevertheless, it seemed that someone else had taken the initiative before their arrival.
In that case, what were they doing here?
At this moment, all the cultivators, whether they were in the light or hidden in the dark, showed up one after another. Some of them even showed off their strength by releasing their auras towards Yang Kai.
After all, Yang Kai was alone, and he looked young, which made people look down on him. There were so many of them united together, prepared to loot this place, so they naturally were not afraid of one lucky youth.
All of a sudden, more than a dozen people flew towards Yang Kai and stood three hundred meters in front of him. A middle-aged man who seemed to be their leader looked down at Yang Kai and asked, “Boy, did you just come out of Seeking Passion Sect?”
Yang Kai glanced at him and sneered because he knew what they were up to.
Previously, he was surprised to see so many people gathered outside, but after pondering for a bit, he quickly realized their intentions.
It was undeniable that they made the right choice to come here so quickly. Since Seeking Passion had been annihilated, there would undoubtedly be many good things left in their headquarters. Taking advantage of someone when they were down was almost second nature to people.
Unfortunately, Yang Kai was the one who took down the Seeking Passion Sect, and he definitely would not give away any profits that he earned to others.
Facing the middle-aged man’s interrogation, Yang Kai didn’t even feel like answering and instead began rummaging through his Space Ring.
The middle-aged man’s face darkened looking at this boy’s ignorant and arrogant face.
After all, he was a Sect Master himself, and although his Sect was incomparable to a giant like Seeking Passion Sect, it was still considered a great force in the Northern Territory. Therefore, it was humiliating when someone ignored his question in his face.
Aware of his Sect Master’s anger, a young man next to him immediately glared at Yang Kai and reprimanded, “Little brat, are you deaf? Our Sect Master is asking you a question!”
Yang Kai glanced at the young man, and replied unconcernedly, “This Young Master is not deaf. It’s just that this Young Master is too lazy to answer such stupid questions.”
It was obvious that he came out of the Seeking Passion Sect, so he really had no idea what the middle-aged man was thinking asking such a question.
The young man looked maddened and was about to launch a rebuke when the middle-aged man waved his hand to dismiss him. Sweeping his eyes over Yang Kai, the middle-aged man smiled lightly and said, “This King is the Pavilion Master of Soaring Yuan Pavilion, Li Qing Yuan. How should this King address this Little Brother?”
He suddenly took an opposite turn from his previous arrogant attitude, which made the young man beside him frown as he did not understand his Sect Master’s behaviour.
Yang Kai waved his hand, “We’re just two strangers who met by chance, there’s no need to learn each other’s names.”
Li Qing Yuan scowled, looking really upset. He was a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master and also the Soaring Yuan Pavilion’s Pavilion Master. He had already put down his status and taken the initiative to speak politely to a Junior, but all he received in return was a dismissive attitude, upsetting him greatly.
However, he still had some self-restraint. Although he was upset in his heart, Li Qing Yuan remained outwardly calm and continued, “Little Brother, it’s like this. This King and these assembled heroes of the Northern Territory came here and saw that the gates of Seeking Passion Sect had been broken. We all felt sad about this and wanted to go inside to inquire about what had happened, but we were afraid of acting rashly and causing misunderstandings. Now that Little Brother has come out from inside, he must know what the situation of the Seeking Passion Sect is. Could you please enlighten us in regards to this matter?”
Everyone’s eyes lit up as they all nodded in agreement, pressuring Yang Kai to explain clearly about the situation inside Seeking Passion Sect.
Yang Kai snickered, “How dare you group of people call yourselves heroes of the Northern Territory?”
He casually scanned the crowd at a glance before nodding lightly, “A dozen First and Second-Order Emperors, I guess they can reluctantly be considered Masters.”
His shameless boasting instantly triggered the Emperor Realm Masters around Li Qing Yuan. They were Emperors, not some stray cats and dogs. Each of them had a high reputation in the Northern Territory, but in Yang Kai’s eyes, they seemed to be nothing more than leftovers.
[This little brat is looking down on all of us!]
Yang Kai retracted his smile, and swept his eyes across the people in front of him, “Are you guys here looking to pick up a bargain? I bet you want to enter to plunder this place, but aren’t sure if there are any Masters from Seeking Passion Sect left, so you didn’t dare to step inside, right?”
Li Qing Yuan and the others could not help blushing.
Although this was the truth, it was still shameful to be exposed face to face.
Li Qing Yuan coughed and explained, “Little Brother, this is not true. We are all from Sects, families, and great forces that have some connections with the Seeking Passion Sect. We heard that the Seeking Passion Sect had suffered a great disaster, so we came here mainly to ask if they require our assistance in any way. Why would we be here trying to act like common bandits? Little Brother must not look down on us.”
“Yes, yes!”
“That’s right. We are all here to deliver charcoal in the snowy winter. Boy, you must not judge others as you would yourself, thinking everyone is so shameless and immoral!”
Yang Kai said in amazement, “Aren’t you afraid that Ice Heart Valley might not be happy that you’re sending charcoal to Seeking Passion Sect in such an imposing manner?”
The news of the feud between Seeking Passion Sect and Ice Heart Valley had spread throughout the Northern Territory as well, so now that they came here under the guise of ‘assisting’, if Ice Heart Valley heard about this, they would definitely not forgive them.
Li Qing Yuan smiled, “Ice Heart Valley won’t be so petty. Senior Bing Yun is a wise and generous leader. Since we didn’t directly oppose Ice Heart Valley, she naturally doesn’t have any reason to be angry with us.”
“Exactly, although the women of Ice Heart Valley are cold, they are all reasonable people. They wouldn’t mind something small like this.”
“I see!” Yang Kai’s face expressed comprehension and nodded lightly.
As the saying goes, ‘a gentleman can be bullied’. Although this saying was a bit inappropriate to apply to the women of Ice Heart Valley, it was apt enough.
From another point of view, if Ice Heart Valley was the one in catastrophe, and they had gone to their aid, the Seeking Passion Sect would definitely not let these people off.
It was precisely because they understood how Ice Heart Valley would have handled the situation that they felt confident being here.
“Little Brother, you haven’t told us about the situation inside the Seeking Passion Sect yet.” Li Qing Yuan noticed that the topic was heading tangent, and quickly brought it back.
Yang Kai replied lightly, “Seeking Passion Sect’s top Masters were all wiped out, and countless disciples either died or were critically wounded. What else could happen? The tree has fallen and the monkeys have scattered.”
Li Qing Yuan’s eyes lit up as he listened, asking in pleasant surprise, “If that’s the case, Seeking Passion Sect should be empty right now, yes?”
Yang Kai looked at him in ridicule, “Friend looks very happy to hear this. Didn’t you come to show concern and provide assistance?”
Li Qing Yuan’s face immediately scrunched up in sadness, “There’s nothing to be happy about. This King is very heartbroken now. Seeking Passion Sect is… I mean, was a dignified top Sect, and has now been tragically exterminated, together with its tens of thousands of years worth of inherited foundation. It is a big loss for us in the Northern Territory.”
“What a pity, what a pity. A true pity.”
“Such a great force. How could it suddenly be destroyed?”
The rest of the people sighed so sorrowfully that anyone not aware of the truth would think that they really had a close relationship with the Seeking Passion Sect.
Li Qing Yuan quickly changed the focus of the conversation, his eyes scorching as he asked, “Little Brother just came out of Seeking Passion Sect, didn’t you? Did you perhaps… find anything inside?”
At this point, there was no need to hurry to gain a windfall since Yang Kai was a step ahead of them in getting into Seeking Passion Sect, and would have looted everything if there was anything.
It was safest to keep his eyes on Yang Kai.
“I found their Treasury actually!” Yang Kai just had to say things that would trigger everyone.
Countless pairs of greedy and covetous eyes turned to Yang Kai like sharp swords.
“And what was inside the Treasury?” Li Qing Yuan’s voice trembled involuntarily.
Yang Kai chuckled, “Source Crystals, hundreds of millions of Source Crystals, Low-Rank, Mid-Rank, High-Rank, everything, all kinds of rare herbs, Emperor Artifacts, ancient records, Secret Arts. Basically, what you can and cannot imagine.”
*Ssii…*
Everyone took in a breath of cold air, excitement stirred up in them as a gleam of greed flourished in their eyes.
Yang Kai looked at everyone with a smile, and commented, “You all seem to be very interested in these treasures.”
Li Qing Yuan resisted the urge to gulp as he plotted how to take down this little brat who did not know the immensity of Heaven and Earth, then swallow all the loot on his own. If he could attain the complete heritage of the Seeking Passion Sect, his Soaring Yuan Pavilion’s strength would definitely be improved immensely, and it might even be possible to become the second Seeking Passion Sect.
Many people had similar thoughts here, so for a while, everyone began seeing enemies everywhere, causing their vigilance to spike.
“Little brat, you are full of nonsense!” A voice suddenly spoke up, “It’s true that the Seeking Passion Sect has a Treasury, but how could you open it with just your strength? You are full of schemes, harbouring evil intentions at such a young age. Everyone, don’t be fooled by him!”
Slightly startled by this statement, the audience suddenly felt that what this person said made sense.
Seeking Passion Sect was such a big Sect, and it was obvious that it would have its own Treasury, but could this kind of place be opened casually? Only people like Feng Xuan and Yao Zhuo would know how to open the Treasury.
Li Qing Yuan came back to his senses and suddenly grumbled with dissatisfaction, “Little Brother is being a bit unkind.”
Yang Kai smiled disdainfully, “It’s up to you to believe me or not!”
Saying so, he suddenly summoned a strange stone from his Space Ring. It was about ten metres in height and as soon as it was taken out, the surrounding temperature dropped as it exuded an extremely cold aura.
The dozen Emperor Realm Masters who were enveloped by this aura instantly felt rigid as their Qi began to stagnate slightly.
“This is…”
“Ten Thousand Year Frozen Heart Iron!”
“What? That’s Ten Thousand Year Frozen Heart Iron? How could there be such a big piece of such a treasure in this world?”
“Heavens, where did this thing come from? I heard that just a fist-sized piece of Ten Thousand Year Frozen Heart Iron could refine an Emperor Artifact! How many Emperor Artifacts could be refined from a ten-metre tall slab of it?”
“If it was sold, this piece alone would cost at least a hundred million High-Rank Source Crystals!”
“This little brat didn’t lie! He definitely opened the Treasury in the Seeking Passion Sect. This must have belonged to the Seeking Passion Sect!”
…..
The air was filled with murmurs as all eyes were glued to the ten metre tall Ten Thousand Year Frozen Heart Iron. The shock of the crowd was palpable. This thing alone was priceless, and if Yang Kai really opened the Treasury of Seeking Passion Sect, how many more treasures had he plundered?
The previous suspicions disappeared all at once as everyone felt that Yang Kai had picked up a massive bargain in Seeking Passion Sect, and many Emperor Realm Masters were eager to take action. They looked at the Ten Thousand Year Frozen Heart Iron with avarice, prepared to rush over to snatch it in the next moment.
However, due to them having too many opponents, no one dared to act at will, and the situation suddenly became deadlocked.
More people, however, were curious as to why Yang Kai had taken out such a rare treasure so suddenly? Was it to show off his wealth? That couldn’t be the case unless he wanted to cause trouble for himself.
While everyone was suspicious, Yang Kai waved his hand and summoned the Myriads Sword. Emperor Qi poured into the sword, and Space Principles began winding around it as he swung the Myriads Sword, carving something into the Ten Thousand Year Frozen Heart Iron.
“What is this kid doing?”
“It looks like he’s writing something.”
“What a reckless waste! How could he use such a treasure like an ordinary slate? How outrageous!”
*Chi chi chi… *
No matter how angry and spurned they were though, Yang Kai continued to etch the strokes one by one with a focused and meticulous face.
After a full stick of incense, Yang Kai suddenly took a deep breath and put the Myriads Sword away, his face slightly pale. It seemed that this action had consumed quite a bit of his strength.
After all, this was a high-grade Artifact Refining material, not something easy to even carve a single stroke into.
Yang Kai took a closer look at his work and was quite satisfied with his masterpiece.
At this moment, a strong wind suddenly blew, and the dust and debris from the engraving on the Ten Thousand Year Frozen Heart Iron was blown away, revealing three large lively and vigorous calligraphies. The font was not stunning, but it gave off a strange sensation like it was drawing in one’s vision and swallowing their mind, making it impossible to extricate oneself from its sight.
“High Heaven Palace?”
Someone read the three big characters that were engraved on Ten Thousand Year Frozen Heart Iron, which immediately bewildered the rest of them.
“What thing is High Heaven Palace?”
“It sounds like the name of a Sect, but does the Northern Territory have such a Sect?”
“Never heard of it.”
Li Qing Yuan thought for a moment and asked Yang Kai, “Little Brother, what do you mean by this?”
Yang Kai stretched out his hand and patted the Ten Thousand Year Frozen Heart Iron beside him with a laugh, “Nothing much, I just want to tell everyone that from now on, this land is the base of my Sect, High Heaven Palace. It’s good that we have many guests today, that will save the effort of notifying everyone one by one. I hope these friends will help this Young Master publicize this matter after you go back today. En, don’t blame this Young Master for being ruthless to anyone who tries to invade the territory of my High Heaven Palace casually.”
“What!? What does this little brat mean?”
“Does he want to found a Sect?”
“What a joke. What gave a trivial brat the confidence to establish a Sect here?”
“Exactly! This is the legacy of the Seeking Passion Sect! He is far from qualified to occupy it!”
“This boy is quite ambitious, but I’m afraid that his fate is thinner than paper!”
…..
Yang Kai’s ears were filled with their murmurs, but still, he remained as steady as a mountain. He waited for them to finish before sneering, “Does everyone have an opinion? You should all hold that back if you do, don’t make everyone else unhappy!”
“Boy, you’re far too rampant! Do you really think the Northern Territory is yours to do with as you please?”
Li Qing Yuan was also sullen-faced, “Little brat, don’t go too far! Since we are here today, you cannot make such decisions alone. The Seeking Passion Sect is part of our region, the Northern Territory, so ownership of its base and Treasury should be decided by the heroes of the Northern Territory, and definitely not by you!”
This sentence changed the issue regarding the legacy of the Seeking Passion Sect into a matter of the Northern Territory. Li Qing Yuan was indeed an old fox, and everyone applauded in agreement.
Yang Kai jeered, “This place is now this Young Master’s territory, so naturally everything about it is for me to decide. Those who refuse to accept can stand forward now.”
“Sect Master Li, this little brat is too disrespectful, we must teach him a lesson today!”
“Yes, we have given him enough face, but he’s just too insatiable. There’s no need to negotiate with him.”
“Let’s do it. Now that the Seeking Passion Sect is no more, there is nothing to worry about.”
They did not dare to break in before because they were afraid of any Masters who might have stayed back in Seeking Passion Sect. Now that it was confirmed that there was no one left in the Seeking Passion Sect, it was intolerable that Yang Kai had acquired the treasures and still wanted to occupy this large piece of land all to himself.
A trace of determination flashed in Li Qing Yuan’s eyes, and he nodded, “Good, since he wants to persist in his delusions, we shall break them for him.”
As his words fell, he had already charged out.
The rest were naturally unwilling to lag behind and followed behind to rush towards Yang Kai, all aiming to grab hold of Yang Kai’s Space Ring.
Given that Yang Kai could casually take out a ten-metre tall piece of Ten Thousand Year Frozen Heart Iron, they believed that there must be countless treasures still in his Space Ring.
In an instant, the scene had become increasingly animated as the dozen Emperor Realm Masters became overbearing and aggressive, rushing towards Yang Kai.
With their Emperor Qi surging, the crowd made a move and the war was joined.
Facing the combined force of more than a dozen Emperor Realm Masters though, Yang Kai did not intend to dodge at all and laughed out loud, causing everyone to stare at him and wonder what was wrong with his head.
However, the arrow had already flown from the string, so there was no turning back even if they sensed something off. Everyone charged towards the Space Ring on Yang Kai’s hand.
In an instant, the dozen people pounced at Yang Kai, unleashing their various skills to attack him ferociously.
“Solidify!” Right after a cold snort, the Space Principles within a hundred-metre radius of Yang Kai pulsed, turning space itself extremely viscous.
The dozen people were aghast at this sudden change and soon found that their Emperor Qi could not circulate smoothly, as if they were trapped in a deep mire, creating an illusion that their movements were being restricted and the power of their attacks was greatly reduced. Even the brilliance of their summoned Emperor Artifacts dimmed.
“What!?” Everyone’s face changed drastically. They were about to retreat as soon as they noticed the oddity of the situation, but it was already too late.
Yang Kai lifted his both hands and caused the entire sky to be overcast by a shadow of two gigantic palms which swiftly blasted forward.
Following an explosion, the dozen people were thrown out, all of them spurting blood in the mid-air, their faces as pale as a sheet.
*Pa pa pa… *
The dozen Emperor Realm Masters fell on the ground like dumplings, and when they regained their composure, all of them looked ashen and horrified.
On the other side, Yang Kai seemed to also have spent tremendous energy to repel so many Emperor Realm Masters in one strike. He shuddered slightly, but he did not retreat a single step, and despite his face being a little pale at first, he quickly recovered.
Nevertheless, he still stood tall in front of the gates, like an immovable mountain, guarding this piece of treasured land.
“How is that possible?!”
“Is he really just a First-Order Emperor Realm Master?”
“How did he do that?”
…..
A dizzying sensation gushed out in the hearts of the dozen Emperor Realm Masters, as if they were caught in some kind of bad dream.
Yang Kai looked young and always gave the impression that he did not have very high cultivation. Therefore, even though they did not fully understand his capabilities at first, they did not put him in their eyes. Nevertheless, they found out about Yang Kai’s cultivation as he revealed it with his earlier move.
He was indeed a First-Order Emperor Realm Master, so logically, he should be weaker than them.
However, this First-Order Emperor Realm Master had resolved the combined force of a dozen Masters and even inflicted a certain degree of injury on them in a head-on confrontation.
No one would believe it if they did not experience it themselves. It was simply that absurd.
Especially Li Qing Yuan, who was a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master and had been in the Northern Territory for so many years. He had never encountered such a bizarre situation. He had faced many First-Order Emperor Realm Masters throughout his life, and would usually crush them with overwhelming power, but none of them was as fierce as the young man in front of him.
The greed in his eyes gradually converged, replaced by infinite solemnity.
It was rumoured that some geniuses in the Martial Dao could fight and even kill those with higher cultivations than themselves. Li Qing Yuan met this kind of talent before too, but those so-called geniuses, at most, could only fight evenly with him while being a single Minor Realm lower in cultivation. Compared with the young man in front of him, all those so-called talents were mediocre at best.
Not only could the young man in front of him fight against opponents above his realm, but he did not even fall into a disadvantage facing a dozen people with equal or higher cultivations than his own at once.
Li Qing Yuan even suspected that the young man had not used his full strength, and if he had, perhaps only half of them would still be alive now!
Thinking of this, cold sweat beaded on Li Qing Yuan’s forehead.
If this young man was already this powerful as a First-Order Emperor, wouldn’t he be invincible when he broke through to the Second-Order or Third-Order Emperor Realm? Perhaps at that time, only the Great Emperors would be a match for him.
“Little brat, who the hell are you!?”
Someone cried bitterly, as if they refused to believe the fact that they were repelled and demanded to know what deceitful tricks Yang Kai had used.
Everyone wanted to ask the same question too. Such a brilliant rising star couldn’t be some obscure individual. They should have at least heard of his name somewhere.
Yang Kai turned to that person, and grinned, “This Young Master is Yang Kai. I believe you’ve all heard my name before, yes?”
“Ahh… Is he THAT Yang Kai?”
“The Yang Kai who killed Feng Xi in the Shattered Star Sea and provoked Feng Xuan?”
“The war between Ice Heart Valley and Seeking Passion Sect started because of him!”
“I heard that the annihilation of the entire Seeking Passion Sect was also the result of his interference! He found some kind of strong support out of nowhere and killed Feng Xuan, Yao Zhuo, and all the others in one breath!”
Thanks to Feng Xuan’s publicity campaign, Yang Kai was quite well-known in the Northern Territory; after all, a war between two top Sects was a serious matter. The Seeking Passion Sect would not send out its warriors without reason, and the reason they gave for attacking Ice Heart Valley was that Yang Kai had killed Feng Xi while Bing Yun shielded him.
Before that, the Northern Territory cultivators were incredibly curious about this young man named Yang Kai. They could not believe that he had the courage to kill Feng Xi and also thought that this guy would not have a good end as a result.
But beyond everyone’s expectations, the Seeking Passion Sect was the one to be exterminated, and now the initiator of the whole tragedy actually came to Seeking Passion Sect’s headquarters to establish his own Sect, like the magpie seizing a nest, attempting to create his so-called High Heaven Palace!
If the Seeking Passion Great Emperor learned of this, he would probably be so furious that he would jump out of his coffin.
For a moment, it was dead silent outside the Sect gates. Whether it was the dozen Emperor Realm Masters, or the thousand or so cultivators spectating, all just stared at Yang Kai in shock.
*Shua shua shua… *
Several noises broke the silence, followed by three figures suddenly appearing behind Yang Kai. As soon as these three figures emerged, they unleashed a fearsome pressure. The weight of this pressure seemed to darken the whole world and a dreadful look was etched onto everyone’s faces as they felt it difficult to even breathe. It was as if their chests were being crushed by giant mountains.
Everyone looked at the three figures intently, their eyes quivering in fear.
Although they could not see the three figures clearly, the dominant pressure was telling them that these three would only need a wave of their hands to slaughter everyone here.
A cold sensation instantly rushed from the soles of the crowd’s feet to the top of their heads. The blood drained from the faces of the thousand people as if their parents had just died. They wanted to escape immediately, but they dared not move, so they could only just stand still and endure the torment.
“Young Master Yang, what happened? It seemed like a fight just took place?” Xie Wu Wei frowned as he asked.
“Hmph, it seems like someone was being rude here.” While speaking, Ying Fei swept his falcon eyes across the dozen Emperor Realm Masters in a threatening manner.
“How daring. Who caused the trouble? Let this Old Rhino deal with him!” Xi Lei yelled, his Monster Qi pulsing, whipping up a monstrous wind, as if it could puncture a hole in the sky.
“Monster Race!” Someone sensed the Monster Qi and exclaimed.
“Monster King!” Li Qing Yuan cried out grievously, cold sweat pouring down his face like droplets of rain as he turned as pale as a sheet.
Although he was a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master, he instinctively felt terrified because he was powerless in front of a Monster King who was on par with a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master. Moreover, if he was not mistaken, the other two Masters who appeared should also be from the Monster Race, and were likely Monster Kings themselves.
[Damn it! It’s rarer to encounter a single Monster King than it is to see a Third-Order Emperor! But today, there are three Monster Kings together!] Li Qing Yuan did not know whether he was fortunate or he should be grieving, but when he thought of what happened before, he felt that it was more likely to be the latter.
The dozen Emperor Realm Masters and the thousand spectating cultivators took one step back simultaneously at Li Qing Yuan’s remark about Xi Lei, and gazed at the latter in horror. It was as if Xi Lei was the reaper of death, just waiting to harvest their lives.
“Who was being rude here just now? Show yourself to this King!” Xi Lei roared like thunder, staring at the crowd menacingly.
No one dared to answer him as they all feared being targeted by him and dying. Nervous gulps could be heard one after another as everyone’s feet felt nailed to the ground.
The Emperor Realm Masters turned their gazes at Li Qing Yuan, hoping that he could stand out and speak some words to this Monster King for them.
Li Qing Yuan secretly scolded this group of cowards in his heart, but at this point, considering the consequences of him keeping quiet might be worse, he called out, “Sir Monster King, it’s just a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding!”
“A misunderstanding?” Xi Lei looked at Li Qing Yuan sideways and snorted, “How is it a misunderstanding?”
Li Qing Yuan racked his brain to think of an explanation, quickly coming up with an excuse as he blurted out, “It’s like this, we are all Northern Territory cultivators and heard that Young Master Yang Kai established a Sect here, so we came to congratulate him, but we failed to recognize Young Master Yang with our unworthy eyes and inadvertently offended him a little. We ask for forgiveness from Young Master Yang and all the Sirs here.”
Li Qing Yuan expressed his excuses eloquently, even feeling quite proud of his quick wit.
“Established a Sect?” Xi Lei was stunned and glanced at Yang Kai with inquiry. Although he did mention this idea a few days ago, Yang Kai did not give any affirmation, so he did not understand why Li Qing Yuan suddenly could speak of this matter.
Ying Fei’s eyes were sharper though and quickly saw the Ten Thousand Year Frozen Heart Iron standing to the side and applauded, “Young Master Yang really has established a Sect here. High Heaven Palace, en, to have the ambition to reach the peak as high as the Heavens. Good!”
Xie Wu Wei laughed merrily, “Good, good. Then from now on, this Xie will stay in High Heaven Palace and hopes that Young Master Yang will reward me with the position of Protector or Deacon or anything.”
“Count this Old Rhino in!” Xi Lei retracted his vicious aura and turned a fawning smile to Yang Kai, “Young Master Yang must definitely treat us well.”
Ying Fei nodded in agreement, “This Ying thinks so too.”
The dozen Emperor Realm Masters almost fainted listening to their words, while the thousand cultivators dropped their jaws, their eyes widened in disbelief as they started to doubt their own ears.
These three were Monster Kings, Masters on par with Third-Order Emperor Realm Masters! But now that Yang Kai marked this place as his territory and engraved the signboard of his Sect, these three Masters all scrambled to join him even though he had not officially established his Sect yet.
Furthermore, they actually begged for some position like a Protector or even a Deacon…
What was wrong with this world? Throughout the Star Boundary, which Third-Order Emperor Realm Master was not an overlord? Which one of them was not a Master of generations of men? With such a strength, one could establish his or her own Sect with ease, but now, these three Monster Kings actually seemed desperate to join the not-even-officially-established High Heaven Palace?
Who the hell was this Yang Kai and how did he manage to tame these three Monster Kings?
Li Qing Yuan and the others were extremely distressed. Three Monster Kings wanted to join High Heaven Palace only for the position of Protector or Deacon. Their strength was naturally no better than these three Monster Kings, so wouldn’t they only be qualified to be ordinary disciples if they joined High Heaven Palace?
Of course, they couldn’t break away from their own Sects and join High Heaven Palace. Even now there seemed to be too many monsters, both metaphorically and literally, in this High Heaven Palace, not a place they could fit into comfortably.
With the addition of these three Monster Kings, High Heaven Palace would probably become the strongest Sect in the Northern Territory in the future, and once it developed, it would definitely surpass the glory of the Seeking Passion Sect.
Li Qing Yuan and the others seemed to vaguely see the figure of a formidable giant rising up before them, and this caused them to panic internally.
The good fortune Yang Kai experienced was driving these observers mad with envy and jealousy. With three Monster Kings here, it would be infinitely beneficial if any single one of them joined Yang Kai’s Sect.
What surprised everyone was that in the face of the three Monster Kings’ sincere requests, Yang Kai’s expression was quite uneasy as he grimaced, “We will discuss this matter at a later time!”
Li Qing Yuan and the others stared at him with their eyes widened, silently scolding Yang Kai for being unappreciative of something others could not have even if they begged for it, still wanting to discuss the matter again. Was there just something wrong with his head?
What was there to discuss? Agreeing right away was the only correct answer.
On the other hand, Xi Lei and the others looked at each other and knew what Yang Kai was worried about. Although it would be nothing for Yang Kai to ask for three Monster Kings from the Ancient Wild Lands with his connections with the three Divine Venerables, he obviously did not want to headhunt someone so rashly, especially subordinates of three Divine Spirits.
At the very least, Yang Kai had to discuss with Luan Feng and the others regarding this matter.
Understanding this, Xi Lei and the other three Monster Kings did not insist anymore.
After a moment of pondering, Xi Lei queried, “Young Master Yang, are you… going to kill these people?”
He asked casually, as if it wasn’t a thousand people before them but a thousand chickens. This caused everyone to stare at Yang Kai helplessly with pasty faces.
At this moment, they knew that the fate of their lives was in Yang Kai’s hands.
The dozen or so Emperor Realm Masters leading this group looked at Yang Kai with anxious smiles, afraid the order to kill would suddenly leak from his lips.
“Why should I do that? I have no grievances and no grudges against them.” Yang Kai waved his hand and effused with a gleeful smile, “Didn’t you hear that they said they came to congratulate this Young Master for establishing a Sect? Since they are here to offer congratulations, they are the guests of my High Heaven Palace.”
“Yes, yes, Young Master Yang is wise!” Li Qing Yuan sputtered, a look of joy for having survived a calamity filling his face.
He knew that since Yang Kai had said these words, he and the others would not need to worry about leaving here alive today, and he was grateful for his generosity.
Xi Lei nodded and apologized, “This Old Rhino was reckless.” In an instant, he changed the topic, barking at Li Qing Yuan and the others, “You bunch of trash! Since you are here to congratulate Young Master Yang, why don’t I see any gifts? Could all this talk of congratulations just be casual talk?”
Li Qing Yuan and the others were shocked by this accusation but quickly recovered, “We wouldn’t dare to. Gifts… We did bring some, we did.”
While speaking, the dozen Emperor Realms Masters quickly searched their Space Rings while resolute and hesitant looks interchanged on their faces.
In a short time, a dozen Space Rings were gathered in Li Qing Yuan’s hands. Walking over to Yang Kai with wobbly legs, Li Qing Yuan squeezed out an ugly smile, “Young Master Yang, this is just a small token to show our respect. I hope Young Master Yang will kindly accept.”
Yang Kai took these things casually without even checking the contents.
After plundering the Ancient Wild Lands and the Seeking Passion Sect’s Treasury, these dozen Space Rings were really nothing to him.
He nodded lightly, “Sect Master Li is thoughtful.”
Li Qing Yuan was unable to conceal the pain on his face. He had just offered a large part of his life’s savings for fear that Yang Kai would be dissatisfied.
It was estimated that the other Emperor Realm Masters felt the same way, otherwise, none of them would be displaying grievous expressions.
Who would have thought that Yang Kai would put away their gifts without even looking at them? If Lin Qing Yuan had known this would happen, he wouldn’t have shaved so much meat off his bones and instead just given a small gift.
“Good, good. Young Master Yang… If you have no other instructions, this Li will take his leave.” Li Qing Yuan was extremely aggrieved by the loss of his wealth and wanted to leave here as soon as possible.
“En, speaking of instructions, this Young Master does need your help with one thing,” Yang Kai began pleasantly.
“Ah…” Li Qing Yuan wiped the cold sweat on his forehead in panic, “I wonder what orders Young Master Yang has?”
Yang Kai smiled slightly and started, “Sect Master Li doesn’t need to be so nervous, I only need you to do something simple. You just need to spread the word that this Young Master has occupied this piece of land, and has established High Heaven Palace here!”
Li Qing Yuan calmed down instantly and let out a breath of relief, “So that’s the case!”
Yang Kai looked at him meaningfully, “What did Sect Master Li think it was?”
Li Qing Yuan replied rather embarrassingly, “This is nothing, just a trivial matter. Young Master Yang can count on this Li to complete this task. Although this Li is not so strong, he does have a good number of friends. This news will be spread out in the shortest possible time to avoid any harassment by uninformed rascals to your noble Palace.”
“That’s good,” Yang Kai smiled and nodded before glancing over at the other Emperor Realm Masters. “I also hope that everyone can do me this favour.”
The Emperor Realm Masters dared not to disagree, nodding their heads frantically while striking their chests in promise.
Yang Kai smiled lightly and cupped his fists, “Since you are all the heroes of Northern Territory, I will definitely invite all of you again when I officially open the gates of High Heaven Palace. I hope all of you will be in attendance to celebrate with me at that time.”
Bitterness filled everyone’s mouths at Yang Kai’s words, for they knew that when they attended this ceremony, they would need to prepare another large gift. However, with no other choice, they promised Yang Kai their attendance with forceful enthusiasm.
After a few more words, the group of outsiders escaped hurriedly.
“A bunch of trash, why did Young Master Yang bother giving them any face?” Xi Lei snorted coldly. Although he did not witness the conflict between Yang Kai and the Emperor Realm Masters, he could roughly guess what had happened. According to his own personality, he would have killed them all to baptise the foundation of High Heaven Palace.
Yang Kai chuckled and shook his head, “An extra friend means extra help. They are only interested in profit and had no grievances with me, so why should we kill ruthlessly? In the future, if High Heaven Palace is to gain a foothold in the Northern Territory, it’s not fitting to make enemies everywhere. You must know that everyone has their virtue, there might come a day that they will be of some use.”
Xi Lei flattered him immediately, “Young Master Yang is wise. This Old Rhino did not think it through.”
Yang Kai was indifferent to his flattery, simply raising his hand and beckoning, “Follow me.”
The three Monster Kings exchanged confused glances, but although they had no idea what Yang Kai was going to do, they all followed quickly.
After a short while, everyone came to Yang Kai’s newly-arranged Space Array.
Giving the three of them a glance, Yang Kai began, “Many thanks to three Monster Kings during this incident. Without you, Ice Heart Valley would not have been able to survive the siege so easily. This Young Master thanks you on behalf of Senior Bing Yun and the thousands of disciples of Ice Heart Valley.”
Xi Lei and others were shocked and replied hurriedly, “Young Master Yang is too serious, it was just a trivial matter.”
Yang Kai smiled, “It may be a trivial matter for you, but it is a life-saving grace for Ice Heart Valley. The two cannot be confused.” After a pause, Yang Kai added, “But now that the dust has settled, you three should return to the Ancient Wild Lands first.”
“Ah…” Ying Fei exclaimed disappointedly as he looked at Yang Kai hopefully, “Young Master Yang, you want us to go back now? It hasn’t even been a few days since we came out.”
“Yes, yes!” Xie Wu Wei nodded sharply and protested, “Young Master Yang, is there nothing else for us to do? Just say it, the three of us will do it without hesitation.”
Xi Lei suggested eagerly, “Young Master Yang can take us to wipe out the heads of the Northern Territory and unify it under his command!”
This proposal led Ying Fei and Xie Wu Wei to applaud loudly, the Monster Qi in their bodies surging as they really seemed eager to start a reign of terror in the Northern Territory with Yang Kai at the helm.
Yang Kai broke into laughter, “Even though you three are powerful, there are differences between Monsters and Humans. If you really made a big uproar in the Northern Territory, I am afraid it would attract a lot of trouble. I know what you are thinking, but this matter cannot be rushed. It’s unknown when that little girl will even be coming out, so just wait for news in the Ancient Lands.”
All three Monster Kings looked embarrassed when Yang Kai exposed their intentions.
After all, they had only submitted to Yang Kai because of his relationship with Zhang Ruo Xi. Without Zhang Ruo Xi, Yang Kai could not command such respect from them.
The three also knew that Yang Kai was telling the truth. Although they insisted on following Yang Kai to be in a favourable position, the point was that the Blood Gate had been hidden since it disappeared. No one knew when Zhang Ruo Xi would return, so it was useless for them to follow Yang Kai.
But it would also be a waste to just go back like this, so they were quite unwilling to do so. No one would know when, or even if Yang Kai would think of them again.
Xie Wu Wei’s eyes lit up suddenly as he proposed, “Young Master Yang, let them go back. This Xie will follow you to protect you. The world is not benevolent, and everyone may not be the same as they appear to be. It’s important to be careful while travelling the Star Boundary.”
“Why do we have to leave and you get to stay?” Ying Fei and Xi Lei asked in unison with a look of displeasure.
[This guy wants to reap the benefits all on his own, how shameless!]
Xie Wu Wei huffed, “Why now?”
Xi Lei yelled, “Come then, let us fight for it! Whoever is the strongest gets to stay, we will prove our capabilities with action, not just words! Since it’s to protect Young Master Yang, of course the strongest should win the right!”
Among the thirty-two Monster Kings and eight Great Kings, his strength was ranked in the top three, so in a solo battle, Ying Fei and Xie Wu Wei were definitely not his opponents.
Xie Wu Wei sneered at him, “This is a waste of this King’s time.”
Ying Fei nodded, “Brother Xie, it’s wrong for you to do this. Even if we really want to leave one person to protect Young Master Yang, it’s not going to be you. In regards to strength, Xi Lei is better than you, and in regards to speed and mobility, if this King claims to be second, no one would dare claim to be first. This King would make a far better Protector.”
Xie Wu Wei’s face twitched before he snorted coldly, “How about the fact that this Xie is Young Master Yang’s Soul Slave?”
As he spoke, with a surge of Divine Sense, a faint golden light appeared from his mind. The golden light was obviously a type of Soul restriction. It was branded in Xie Wu Wei’s Knowledge Sea, and Yang Kai’s aura was radiating from it, making its origins obvious.
Ying Fei and Xi Lei’s jaws dropped, looking at Xie Wu Wei dumbfoundedly.
They knew what was going on.
Xie Wu Wei was indeed marked by a Soul Imprint, meaning he really was Yang Kai’s Soul Slave.
But… When did this happen? The three Monster Kings had been together all this time and they did not realize any unusual changes.
Xie Wu Wei retracted the golden light and smiled faintly, “This Xie had long surrendered to him since the last time Young Master Yang entered the Ancient Lands. He is in total control of this Xie’s life. If anything happened to Young Master Yang, this Xie would die as well, so this Xie’s loyalty and dedication to Young Master Yang is beyond question. How can the both of you compare with me?”
Xie Wu Wei, who was a Monster King, had actually become a Soul Slave; however, he was proud instead of ashamed of this fact! If an outsider who did not know the truth witnessed this, their eyes would definitely pop out from their sockets.
But being Yang Kai’s Soul Slave was a great deal in Ying Fei and Xi Lei’s eyes too, and they silently cursed Xie Wu Wei in their hearts.
If Xie Wu Wei had such a relationship with Yang Kai, there would be no doubt that Xie Wu Wei would be the one to stay back with Yang Kai.
For a moment, Xi Lei and Ying Fei looked at Yang Kai helplessly.
Yang Kai smiled bitterly. Back then in the Ten Thousand Spirits Tomb of the Ancient Lands, he was forced to take Xie Wu Wei as his Soul Slave in order to protect himself, and Xie Wu Wei had also been very unwilling to accept such a fate at the time. After they came out of the Ten Thousand Spirits Tomb, Xie Wu Wei was neither friendly nor aloof with Yang Kai, for he was afraid that others would look down on him because of this unusual relationship.
Now though, he actually took the initiative to disclose such information just to gain a slight upper hand in this argument.
It was worth mentioning that the change in his attitude was quite funny. Yang Kai did not think that he was a person who was eager for quick success and instant benefits, but after all, the cultivation of these Monster Kings had reached a plateau, and their only hope to progress was to rely on the secrets of the Blood Gate.
Who would not try hard to grab the only opportunity in front of them?
Just when Xie Wu Wei was being jaunty and triumphant in front of the other two Monster Kings, Yang Kai suddenly waved his hand and a wisp of golden light flew out directly from Xie Wu Wei’s forehead and returned to Yang Kai.
Xie Wu Wei’s smug face instantly went stiff. The shackles on him were lifted, but what followed was not joy. He put on a long face and cried, “Young Master Yang, you…”
The Soul Imprint was retrieved, which meant that the connection of his Soul to Yang Kai’s was cut off, and he was no longer Yang Kai’s Soul Slave. He had recovered his freedom.
Xie Wu Wei did not expect that Yang Kai would be so decisive in doing so.
If it was anyone else, they would not simply let go of such a powerful Soul Slave. They would certainly keep him to serve themselves, but Yang Kai just disposed of him like nothing. The generosity Yang Kai displayed was out of the ordinary.
“Hahahaha!” Both Ying Fei and Xi Lei burst into laughter, their eyes lighting up when they realized what had happened as they secretly cheered, [Who asked Xie Wu Wei to boast so shamelessly? This is your karma! You deserve it!]
“Young Master Yang, you can’t do this…” Xie Wu Wei looked at Yang Kai with grief, as if Yang Kai had thoughtlessly abandoned him after using him.
Yang Kai swung his hand impatiently, “Leave, leave. All of you leave.”
“Do we really have to leave?” Xi Lei looked sad and was quite reluctant to go.
Yang Kai explained, “Don’t accuse me of driving you all away after using you; after all, you three are Monster Kings of the Ancient Lands, and your superiors are the Divine Venerables. If I retained you all without informing them, it would really be hard for me to explain it to them. In any case, it’s now convenient for me to come and go from the Ancient Lands, so if I ever have need of help in the future, I’ll look for the three of you.”
The three Monster Kings’ moods were elevated at Yang Kai’s words and they nodded one after another, “Young Master Yang must keep his word. When the time comes, don’t call others, just us.”
There were thirty-two Monster Kings and eight Great Kings in the Ancient Lands, and all of them were first-class Masters. They did not want the other Monster Kings and Great Kings to build a good relationship with Yang Kai and tried to prevent that by hoping to stay by Yang Kai’s side.
“I know!” Yang Kai promised as he continued swinging his hand like he was chasing flies away.
Only then did the three Monster Kings slowly step onto the Space Array.
Yang Kai casually inserted Source Crystals into the array and a moment later, he glanced at the three and asked, “Are you ready?”
The three Monster Kings nodded and cupped their fists, “Take care, Young Master Yang.”
Their unwillingness to leave could be heard in their voices, as if they were parting forever with Yang Kai.
Yang Kai grunted in response and bellowed, “Go!”
He poured his Emperor Qi into the Space Array as he spoke.
Strangely though, nothing happened. Yang Kai and the three Monster Kings stared at each other for a long time, exchanging bewildered looks.
“Huh?” Yang Kai was stunned, scratching his head as he tried the Space Array again and again, but to no avail.
The three Monster Kings exchanged looks, getting excited again. Ying Fei beamed, “It seems even the Heavens don’t want us to leave.”
Xie Wu Wei immediately echoed, “Yes, yes, Young Master Yang, since the Heavens have such intentions, you don’t have to insist anymore!”
“What happened?” Yang Kai was puzzled, checking the Space Array thoroughly. Even though he just set this up, there should be no errors in it.
After a thorough investigation, he confirmed that the Space Array was in perfect condition.
Xi Lei questioned, “Young Master Yang, is it because this Space Array cannot connect to the Ancient Lands? We were directly teleported from Ancient Lands to Ice Heart Valley the last time.”
“Impossible!” Yang Kai shook his head. The Space Arrays that he set were all connected to each other. In other words, the array in High Heaven Palace should be connected not only to Ice Heart Valley, but also to the Ancient Wild Lands.
While Yang Kai was still flabbergasted, a light suddenly burst out on the Space Array, followed by the emergence of two figures.
Everyone took a closer look, and realized that it was Ji Yao and Nanmen Da Jun.
After the teleportation, both of them seemed to have a brief vertigo, but soon, Ji Yao regained her senses while Nanmen Da Jun took a little more time to recover, since his cultivation was weaker than hers.
“Senior Brother Yang, I’ve brought him to you,” Ji Yao glanced at Yang Kai as she spoke softly.
Yang Kai nodded in acknowledgement before turning to look at Nanmen Da Jun. The latter met his eyes and immediately became excited, “Grandmaster Yang, I heard that you are looking for me.”
Ever since he saw the Space Array that was arranged by Yang Kai, the latter’s position in his heart has risen to the level of a pinnacle Array Grandmaster, and Nanmen Da Jun believed that he was even more learned in this Dao than himself.
“En,” Yang Kai nodded, then he questioned, “But didn’t I say that you should repair Ice Heart Valley’s Sect Defending Array first before coming here? Why did you come so soon?”
Nanmen Da Jun replied, “I’ve finished the repairs on that side. I heard that Grandmaster Yang was calling for me, so this Nanmen worked day and night to accomplish his task and then immediately rushed here right after.”
While speaking, he showed an obsequious face.
“Don’t tell me you only did a patchwork job?” Yang Kai looked at him incredulously.
Repairing Ice Heart Valley Sect Defending Array was a massive project, so how could it be done completely in just a few days?
Nanmen Da Jun explained in fear, “This Nanmen dares not! Grandmaster Yang is also proficient in the Dao of Spirit Arrays, so this Nanmen doesn’t have the guts to show off his meagre skills before an expert! The reason why it could be repaired so fast was because this Nanmen had studied Ice Heart Valley Sect Defending Array comprehensively for the past few months. Moreover, this Nanmen was also the one who suggested the array breaking method, so this Nanmen only had to reverse the damage done and was able to finish the repairs in just a short time.”
“I see,” Yang Kai did not doubt him, but replied solemnly, “I will go back to Ice Heart Valley to check later. If the Sect Defending Array’s repairs are shoddy in any way, you will have to watch out for your head!”
“Don’t worry, Grandmaster Yang,” Nanmen Da Jun assured him.
After a pause, he continued, “By the way, why did Grandmaster Yang summon this Nanmen here in such a rush? What can this Nanmen do for you?”
Yang Kai beckoned him, “Have a look at this place.”
Nanmen Da Jun turned around to have a look before he gasped softly and soared up into the air to get a clearer view. When he returned, he asked with surprise, “Isn’t this Seeking Passion Sect?”
He had been a guest of Seeking Passion Sect for some time recently, so he naturally recognized this land. However, when he was here last this place was crowded with outstanding people, but now, even though the scenery remained, the people were no longer here.
He could not help feeling sorry for the tens of thousands of years of heritage of the Seeking Passion Great Emperor that had been abandoned here.
“It used to be the Seeking Passion Sect, but now it is High Heaven Palace!” Yang Kai smiled slightly.
Ji Yao’s eyes flashed at Yang Kai’s words, revealing a thoughtful look on her face as though she seemed to have guessed something.
Yang Kai pressed on, “I want you to reopen the Sect Defending Array here, then repair and improve it. Display all of your abilities here to ensure that this Sect Defending Array is second to none in the Star Boundary.”
Nanmen Da Jun was hyped up listening to it, as if he had received an awakening challenge.
Yang Kai read his face and secretly nodded, extremely satisfied with his reaction.
“Grandmaster Yang is planning to occupy this land?” Nanmen Da Jun caught up very fast and guessed the intention of Yang Kai correctly.
“Good.” Yang Kai admitted with a nod, “How long will it take to complete such a project?”
Nanmen Da Jun did not reply immediately, but pondered seriously for a moment before he answered, “The Sect Defending Array of Seeking Passion Sect was not destroyed, just deactivated. This Nanmen needs to study the array charts and composition in detail, only then can I come up with a method of improvement. It could take as little as two months, or as long as three months, but this Nanmen will definitely give Grandmaster Yang a satisfactory result.”
“Good, I’ll give you three months then,” Yang Kai agreed without hesitation.
Nanmen Da Jun continued, “But in order to set up and improve such a huge array, some materials would be needed…”
“You can make a list of any materials you require and I will provide them for you,” Yang Kai assured him.
Now that he had plundered so much wealth, and even emptied the Treasury of Seeking Passion Sect, he certainly had the materials to improve the Sect Defending Array here.
Nanmen Da Jun beamed from ear to ear, “It’s easy if I have the materials. Right, does Grandmaster Yang want to do this together with this Nanmen…”
Yang Kai interjected with a deep voice, “This Young Master is about to be very busy and cannot share the burden with you. You will have to deal with it alone. If you need any assistance…” He turned to look at Ji Yao.
Ji Yao immediately understood and answered, “Leave that to me. I’ll summon some sisters over from the Sect.”
“Then… good, I’ll have to trouble Elder Ji Yao when the time comes,” Nanmen Da Jun was rather disappointed. He wanted to take this opportunity to exchange experience with Yang Kai in the Dao of Spirit Arrays and was saddened when the latter did not give him a chance at all.
However, it was his long-cherished wish as an Array Grandmaster to rebuild and improve a Sect Defending Array for such a great force.
Soon, he got himself together, excused himself, and went to study the array charts of the original Sect Defending Array of Seeking Passion Sect.
After he left, Yang Kai looked at the Space Array at the side while rubbing his chin, “So, it’s not a problem here.”
If there was something wrong with the Space Array in front of him, it would have been impossible for Ji Yao and Nanmen Da Jun to teleport here from Ice Heart Valley.
“What problem?” Ji Yao questioned curiously.
Xi Lei immediately grinned and explained the incident that happened before to her, making no attempt to hide the joyous look on his face.
After listening to it, Ji Yao responded with a thoughtful look, “Two Space Arrays connected to each other are required to achieve a teleportation, so since there’s nothing wrong here, and there’s nothing wrong with the one in Ice Heart Valley, then the one in the Ancient Lands must be the issue.”
Like a dreamer awakened from a deep slumber, Yang Kai’s eyes lit up and he nodded, “That must be it.”
After that, he suddenly recalled something and gritted his teeth, “Lady Feng, Lady Feng, this removing firewood from under the pot is really too cruel.”
The Space Array in the Ancient Lands could not have been broken for no reason. The only explanation was that it was intentionally destroyed by Luan Feng after his departure.
Luan Feng probably feared that he would keep disturbing her in the future, and her worries were completely justified. Thinking of this, Yang Kai could not help grinding his teeth feeling annoyed.
Although it did not take much effort to set up a Space Array, the problem was that the Ancient Lands was so far away that it would take him a long time to travel there to arrange another. He would need to stay connected with the Ancient Lands in the future, so it would be convenient to him to keep a Space Array there, but he did not expect that Luan Feng would destroy the Space Array the moment he had left. In the end, there was nothing more poisonous than a woman’s heart. Although Luan Feng appeared to be dignified and gentle, she was actually so cruel and ruthless.
By the look of this, Yang Kai would need to set up a Space Array in the territory of the Stone Spirit Clan the next time he went to the Ancient Lands, lest Luan Feng destroy it again.
After Yang Kai came to this determination, he turned to Xi Lei and the others, “It seems that you three have been abandoned by the Ancient Lands.”
Xi Lei and the others racked their brains, but still could not understand why they could not be sent away, but instead of feeling disappointed, they were actually delighted, “Good, good, Lady Luan Feng must think that Young Master Yang’s matter is very serious and wishes for us to stay and safeguard him. Please don’t reject us anymore!” They grinned excitedly.
Yang Kai replied, “How can I drive you away given a situation like this?”
He was reluctant to keep the three Monster Kings with him before, mainly because he was being careful not to seriously offend the three Divine Venerables in the Ancient Lands; after all, these three Monster Kings were subordinates of those Divine Spirits, and it would not be kind to poach them without any notice.
However, a tooth for a tooth. Since Luan Feng started this, then it was reasonable for Yang Kai to respond in kind, and the Ancient Lands could not blame him for it.
A Space Array for three Monster Kings; it was a steal. Yang Kai did not feel guilty about it either.
Xie Wu Wei could not hold down his smile as he rubbed his hands, “Young Master Yang, if that’s the case, can we join High Heaven Palace now? This Xie doesn’t ask for much, just a position as a Protector will do.”
Ying Fei and Xi Lei looked excited too.
Yang Kai beamed, “With your abilities, you three are overqualified to be mere Protectors. High Heaven Palace has barely been established now, and it will still take some time to open its gates to accept disciples, but when the day comes, you three will hold the position of High-Rank Foreign Elders.”
Xi Lei and the others exchanged looks, and could not be happier.
With Yang Kai’s words, they would be Yang Kai’s people in the future and he would naturally not forget them whenever there were benefits to be distributed.
Compared with the other Monster Kings and Great Kings in the Ancient Lands, they were already one step ahead.
Before the Sect was officially established, it already had three High-Rank Foreign Elders that were on par with Third-Order Emperor Realm Masters. If the news spread out, it would definitely gain a lot of admiration, envy or even hatred.
“Congratulations to Senior Brother Yang. When High Heaven Palace is officially opened in the future, please inform my Ice Heart Valley so we may attend the party,” Ji Yao chuckled on the side.
She was truly happy for Yang Kai to settle down here and establish a Sect because Ice Heart Valley had a good relationship with him, so both Sects could look out for each other in the future. No one in the entire Northern Territory could threaten the status of these two giants once they allied.
Yang Kai smiled lightly, “Of course. When the time comes, I will have to trouble all the Junior Sisters from Ice Heart Valley.” After a pause, Yang Kai continued, “Right, how did Ice Heart Valley settle those tens of thousands of prisoners who surrendered?”
Ji Yao smiled wryly, “Honoured Master is still having a headache about this. Although they assisted the evildoers to harass our Ice Heart Valley, there aren’t really any deep grudges between us. If we killed them all, it would only damage Ice Heart Valley’s reputation, but if we released them, it would appear like Ice Heart Valley is good to bully.”
Yang Kai laughed, “If so, you might as well ask them to work for me as labourers. Nanmen Da Jun will certainly need some manpower to rebuild the Sect Defending Array of Seeking Passion Sect. Of course, we should not tolerate those who have killed Ice Heart Valley disciples.”
Ji Yao nodded in agreement, “Those people have already been executed, while those who are still alive are just some people who were cheering them on from the sidelines. However, Senior Brother Yang’s proposal is good. Let’s wait for Grandmaster Nanmen to come back and see how much manpower he needs.”
The discussion ended and they began to wait.
Fortunately, this place had an excellent Earth Vein and was rich in World Energy, so they could meditate and cultivate while waiting in a luxurious palace nearby.
Two days later, Nanmen Da Jun came back, travel-worn and weary. He made a long list for Yang Kai of all kinds of precious materials. After taking a look at it, Yang Kai filled up several Space Rings with the materials for him generously.
Not only that, but Ji Yao also returned to Ice Heart Valley to bring over the surrendered cultivators to assist the work of Nanmen Da Jun.
With that, High Heaven Palace sprang to life. There was a constant babble of voices and a bustling crowd coming and going.
With the passage of time, everyone came to know that a young man named Yang Kai had occupied the territory of the Seeking Passion Sect, and established a new Sect here, High Heaven Palace.
Many people from Ice Heart Valley came over to help too, including Liu Xian Yun, Zi Yu, and several others who were close with Yang Kai.
With their supervision, those tens of thousands of surrendered troops dared not play tricks; after all, Ice Heart Valley had made it clear that as long as they redeemed themselves through good service, helping High Heaven Palace to arrange a grand Spirit Array, Ice Heart Valley would consider their past offences settled and release them.
With this promise, everyone worked diligently.
Many rogue cultivators became quite interested in High Heaven Palace and made veiled inquiries to the Ice Heart Valley disciples regarding how to join this new Sect.
After all, this place was originally the headquarters of Seeking Passion Sect, so who would dare to occupy this place without a certain capability? Moreover, these rogue cultivators somehow learned that High Heaven Palace had three High-Ranking Foreign Elders who had strength on par with Third-Order Emperor Realm Masters.
High Heaven Palace would definitely have a bright future with such a foundation, and once its gates opened formally, it would immediately become one of the top Sects in the Star Boundary.
One would benefit a lot in life if he or she joined such a force early.
Unfortunately, Ice Heart Valley’s disciples did not know how to enter High Heaven Palace, so they could not give them any answers, which disappointed many.
Inside High Heaven Palace, in a palace on top of the greatest mountain peak.
This was supposed to be the cultivation place that belonged exclusively to Feng Xuan.
Yang Kai sat cross-legged, surrounded by High-Rank Source Crystals. As he circulated his Secret Art, those High-Rank Source Crystals turned into dust one by one, transforming into streams of energy that poured into his body and flowed through his limbs and bones before settling in his dantian.
Ever since the last fight with Shi Huo in the Ancient Lands, Yang Kai felt a desperate need to improve his strength.
Although he was an Emperor Realm Master, he had not yet reached the level of invincibility. Furthermore, with the improvement of his strength, the enemies he faced were also getting stronger and stronger. If he did not want to feel helpless again in the future, he would have to quickly improve his cultivation.
However, after the incident in the Ancient Lands, he was tied up with the crisis of Ice Heart Valley, so he could not spare much time to cultivate. He did have a lot of treasures to assist him, but he did not have the time to take them.
Now that he finally had free time, Yang Kai naturally entered secluded retreat.
With auxiliary Spirit Pills and piles of Source Crystals, the strength in Yang Kai’s body increased steadily.
Xi Lei and the others knew that Yang Kai was cultivating; therefore, no one dared to disturb him.
Two months later, the Sect Defending Array of High Heaven Palace was fully arranged, and all the surrendered cultivators who helped were dismissed while the Ice Heart Valley disciples also returned to the valley through the Space Array.
The vast base of High Heaven Palace became still once more.
Nanmen Da Jun came to see Yang Kai in high spirits and wanted to report the results of his hard work during this period to him, but he was stopped by Ying Fei who was guarding outside the mountain. Even after some unpleasant exchange, Nanmen Da Jun still could not persuade Ying Fei to ask Yang Kai to come out. Depressed, he could only move on to study the Cross-Territory Space Array.
During this time, Ji Yao also visited Yang Kai several times, but she did not get to see his face either.
Ever since he went into retreat, Yang Kai seemed to be cut off from the outside world. Even the three Monster Kings had no idea when he would come out.
But the three Monster Kings also knew that it was common to cultivate in retreat for years at a time once one reached the Emperor Realm. As such, they were not worried about Yang Kai.
One of them would guard outside the palace every day, while the other two would have fun travelling around.
Time passed slowly, and after a full year, the palace that had been silent this whole time suddenly released a crackling sound, like the cracking of bones.
Ying Fei, who was guarding outside today, instantly opened his eyes and looked into the palace, his sharp vision seemingly piercing the many barriers and restrictions, illuminating the internal situation clearly.
Not long after, he put on a joyful face and stood up from where he was before letting out a long cry.
After a while, two figures rapidly flew over from afar. Naturally, it was Xie Wu Wei and Xi Lei.
As the palace doors opened, Yang Kai stepped out from the inside. Xi Lei and the others’ eyes lit up, delighted, and went forward to greet him.
Seeing that he was in high spirits, Xie Wu Wei beamed, “It looks like Young Master Yang has made great progress in cultivation.”
Yang Kai shook his head, “It’s just a little progression, but I don’t know when I can break through.”
After breaking through to the Emperor Realm, Yang Kai started to feel that his next breakthrough was not within the foreseeable future anymore. It was true that his strength had improved in this one year of retreat, but he still could not even feel the shackles of the Second-Order Emperor Realm.
Ying Fei smiled, “The path of cultivation is long and difficult. Take your time.”
Xi Lei nodded in agreement from the side, “Looking at those Emperor Realm Masters in the world, which one of them is not an old monster who cultivated for a thousand years? Given Young Master Yang has accomplished so many achievements at this young age, Young Master Yang truly possesses Heaven-defying talent, and will definitely be promoted soon.”
Yang Kai did not deny it, and also understood that he should never rush in cultivating. Therefore, he stopped discussing it further and asked, “How’s the arrangement of the Spirit Array here?”
Xi Lei hurriedly handed a plain and aged token to Yang Kai, and replied, “Nanmen Da Jun is really impressive. It only took him two months to ameliorate the Sect Defending Array. This is the Control Token for the Spirit Array.”
Yang Kai took it over and sent his Divine Sense into it to examine it. In an instant, he felt that his body was connected with some existence in this part of the world.
With a single thought, the Sect Defending Array that enveloped High Heaven Palace buzzed, and the ambient World Energy trembled.
Xi Lei continued from the side, “Nanmen Da Jun also mentioned that Young Master Yang may rest assured that this Spirit Array that he improved is much better than the Sect Defending Array of Seeking Passion Sect.”
Yang Kai nodded casually without a doubt, but then he looked out the mountain gate and asked, “Why are there so many people outside?”
When he was inspecting the Sect Defending Array just now, he found that many cultivators were squatting outside the main gates. The cultivations of these people varied greatly, but most were young people. They were either in groups of two to three, with a few staying alone, but all of them were putting on tidy and formal looks. Many people gazed intently at the three big engraved words, ‘High Heaven Palace’ on the Ten Thousand Year Frozen Heart Iron standing outside the mountain gate, seemingly entranced by them.
Ying Fei explained, “They are obviously here in hopes of entering High Heaven Palace. Young Master Yang, the great name of High Heaven Palace has now spread all across the Northern Territory, so for more than half a year, many young people have come here to see if they stand a chance of joining the Sect. But now they can’t enter as the gates have been closed, therefore, they are camping out outside. Some of them even waited for more than half a year to show their sincerity.”
“I see.” Yang Kai nodded lightly. He was not really surprised about it and did not pay much attention to it after scanning outside once with his Divine Sense.
The name of High Heaven Palace had finally spread out, and with three Monster Kings guarding the Sect, it had a strong impression on people. Normally, this would be the time for a new Sect to recruit new blood, so those rogue cultivators who had no background definitely would jump at this opportunity to enter the Sect.
For example, Liu Xian Yun was once an overlord in the Grand Desolation Star Field back then, but she could not even obtain adequate cultivation resources when she arrived in the Star Boundary. This was the downside of not having backing from a Sect. If she had not met Yang Kai again and been introduced into Ice Heart Valley, she would probably still be worrying about scraping together enough Source Crystals just to cultivate.
It was the same for Chi Yue, Gui Zu, and the others.
There were many cultivators like this in the Star Boundary. Not everyone was as lucky as Yang Kai. For these people, they did not wish to be prosperous in the future after joining High Heaven Palace, but were simply striving to obtain backing powerful enough that they could peacefully cultivate.
High Heaven Palace had already achieved a shocking result before opening its gates. The entire Northern Territory would be in an uproar when its founding was announced and cultivators flocked over like a school of silver carps moving downstream.
Xi Lei asked, “Does Young Master Yang want to open the gates and accept disciples now?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “I’m not in a hurry.”
He occupied this place mainly to provide shelter to his friends and family who were back on Shadowed Star. He did not even know how to return to Heng Luo Star Field now though, so why would he simply open the gates and accept outsiders he didn’t know?
But since Yang Yan and the Insect Emperor could travel to Heng Luo Star Field, then he also should be able to, he just didn’t know the way to do it yet.
Perhaps, he should try to search for Yang Yan to ask her about it.
Troubled, Yang Kai turned around, “I need to take a trip to the Southern Territory. Which of you three would like to accompany me?”
“Me!” Sure enough, the three Monster Kings answered in unison before glaring fiercely at each other.
When Ying Fei regained his senses, he asked, “Young Master Yang, we can all follow you. Why do you only want to bring one?”
Xi Lei and Xie Wu Wei nodded too, wondering why Yang Kai made such an arrangement.
Yang Kai explained, “You three are Monster Kings, so if all of you travel together through the Star Boundary, it will draw far too much attention and might attract some unwanted trouble. In addition, I also need someone to guard this place. Even though High Heaven Palace has a powerful Sect Defending Array and its gates have been sealed shut, who knows if there will be some fools who dare to come to make trouble? If all of us leave, this place will become unguarded. Since this Young Master has established High Heaven Palace here, he will be treating this place as his home for the foreseeable future, so you need not worry about this Young Master abandoning it. We will be spending many years together here.”
They all found Yang Kai’s explanation reasonable. They were already in the same boat with Yang Kai and were already the High Ranking Foreign Elders of High Heaven Palace, but if they gave Yang Kai too much pressure and seemed to be too eager for quick benefits, Yang Kai might be displeased with them.
After exchanging looks, Xie Wu Wei smiled faintly, “Then, Young Master Yang, please pick one of us. We will agree with whoever you pick.”
Ying Fei and Xi Lei nodded in agreement.
It would be hard for them to make a decision on their own because they couldn’t give this chance to another. Therefore, it was better to let Yang Kai decide so no one could argue about it.
Yang Kai answered as he nodded his head, “Then, Ying Fei, you are the fastest so I will be depending on you for this trip to the Southern Territory.”
After hearing this, Ying Fei could not help feeling delighted as he cupped his fists and replied, “Young Master Yang is wise.”
Dispirited, Xi Lei replied too, “Then, Brother Xie and I will watch over the Sect here.”
“Many thanks, both of you,” Yang Kai nodded lightly.
After some discussion, Yang Kai, together with Ying Fei travelled to Ice Heart Valley through the Space Array to say goodbye to Bing Yun.
When they returned to Ice Heart Valley, the valley had seemingly turned over a new leaf in just a year. Moreover, after the last ordeal, the whole of Ice Heart Valley had become even more united. Most of the disciples were currently cultivating in retreat and dared not slack off.
The pair did not stay too long in Ice Heart Valley, and after half a day, Yang Kai and Ying Fei left through its Space Array.
The Southern Territory was hundreds of millions of kilometres away from the Northern Territory, and the journey there was long and difficult, full of dangerous mountains and rivers, not an easy trek even for Emperor Realm Masters. Space Arrays could only span portions of the journey, while most of the time, one would have to travel under their own power.
Above the clear sky, atop the white clouds.
A giant eagle sped along as fast as lightning, leaving only a faint afterimage wherever it went.
The giant eagle was Monster King Ying Fei’s Monster Beast form. As the overlord of the sky, speed was his forte. Throughout the whole Ancient Lands, he was universally acknowledged as the fastest among the thirty-two Monster Kings and eight Great Kings.
This was why Yang Kai had Ying Fei accompany him.
Yang Kai sat cross-legged on Ying Fei’s back, which was spacious enough to accommodate a whole house, and felt not even a slight headwind despite their astonishing speed.
There were really not many existences in the level of Monster Kings who were willing to serve as a mount in this world.
Nevertheless, Monster King Ying Fei was happy to provide his service and had no complaints at all.
Though the journey was boring, Yang Kai did not waste his time and was focused on his cultivation.
It was quite safe to fly all the way as most cultivators could not even sense a trace of Ying Fei’s existence, while those who could sense his presence would not dare to provoke Ying Fei and would have escaped as fast as they could.
Two months later, Ying Fei suddenly spoke, “Young Master Yang, we have reached the Southern Territory, where to now?”
Yang Kai slowly opened his eyes and stopped circulating his Secret Art. He stood up and looked around before saying, “Find a city so we can ask for directions.”
Ying Fei received his order and started to search for a city down below.
After half a day, a fairly prosperous city entered Ying Fei’s eyes and with a flap of his wings, he descended.
After a short while, he assumed his human form and retracted his Monster Qi, landing in front of the city gates together with Yang Kai.
They did not mean to enter the city, so Yang Kai casually stopped a cultivator who passed by and asked, “Excuse me, which direction is Thousand Leaves Sect?”
The main purpose of him coming to the Southern Territory this time was to go to Thousand Leaves Sect, as Chi Yue, Gui Zu, and his other Seniors were being hosted there. Since he had established High Heaven Palace, he naturally wanted to send them to the Northern Territory. In comparison to Thousand Leaves Sect, the cultivation environment of High Heaven Palace now was definitely better and safer.
It was just that the Southern Territory was vast, and Yang Kai did not know which direction the Thousand Leaves Sect was from where he stood, so he could only ask someone about it.
The cultivator was in a hurry to enter the city, and he was quite angered at being stopped so abruptly. He made a fuss as he thought that he was the superior one with his Dao Source Realm cultivation; however, as soon as he saw the shining High-Rank Source Crystal in Yang Kai’s hand, his eyes lit up and he swiftly snatched it and examined it for authenticity before he asked Yang Kai curiously, “Are you a Thousand Leaves Sect disciple?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “No, why do you ask so?”
The man checked left and right, then whispered cautiously, “Don’t ask too much if you’re not a Thousand Leaves Sect disciple. The Thousand Leaves Sect has suffered a great disaster.”
“What do you mean?” Yang Kai’s face changed and instinctively felt something was wrong.
The Thousand Leaves Sect was just a small Sect in the Southern Territory, not one that was extremely famous and well known, so Yang Kai had not expected to obtain any information immediately when he inquired about it here. Surprisingly though, the first person he met actually knew about Thousand Leaves Sect and even mentioned it was in some kind of trouble.
Puzzled, the man asked, “Did Friend just come out of retreat? How can you not know about this news?”
Yang Kai queried in a deep voice, “What happened?”
The man whispered, “The Thousand Leaves Sect was destroyed.”
“What!?” Yang Kai was so appalled that he could not believe his ears.
The man shook his head, “Thousand Leaves Sect overestimated itself like an ant and tried to shake a mighty tree. A year ago, the Sect was destroyed and all of its disciples fled. Friend, if you have anything to do with Thousand Leaves Sect, you’d best sever those ties as soon as possible lest you draw trouble to yourself.”
This person seemed to have kindly warned Yang Kai for the sake of that High-Rank Source Crystal.
Yang Kai was dumbfounded, however.
A year ago, he brought the three Monster Kings to destroy the Seeking Passion Sect, but he did not expect that Thousand Leaves Sect would also be destroyed at the same time.
He happened to encounter the long-lost Chi Yue, Gui Zu, Ai Ou, and others during that time when he was invited by Ye Jing Han, the daughter of Thousand Leaves Sect’s Sect Master in Maplewood City to Thousand Leaves Sect to repair their hidden Space Array and restore their connection to a Small Sealed World which contained their lost inheritance.
Yang Kai was not well connected with the Thousand Leaves Sect, so they meant little to him personally, but Chi Yue and the others were in the Thousand Leaves Sect so that made all the difference.
Now that the Thousand Leaves Sect was wiped out, what happened to Chi Yue and the others?
Yang Kai had tight bonds with those who came to the Star Boundary from Heng Luo Star Field with him. Chi Yue was Shan Qing Luo’s adoptive mother, so she was considered to be his mother-in-law; Ai Ou was Xue Yue’s father, his father-in-law, Gui Zu was the Supreme Elder of his High Heaven Sect, and the two of them had been through many life-and-death experiences together. The only one he was less familiar with was Gu Cang Yun, the Union Master of Sword Union…
Yang Kai’s face was scrunched up at the sudden bad news, and terrifying murderous intent instantly diffused into the air as he stared at this unknown man, “Are you lying to me?”
The expression of the man who initially did not pay much attention to Yang Kai changed drastically when he felt Yang Kai’s aura, yelping in amazement, “Emperor Realm!”
He did not expect this young man who stopped to ask for directions was actually an Emperor Realm Master. Had he known this, he would not dare have spoken so carelessly just now.
The cold murderous intent as thick as substance lingered next to him, making him feel like he could die at any moment, so he could not help but sweat profusely and stutter, “S-S-Sir… this lowly one isn’t lying! The Thousand Leaves Sect is really gone, everyone in the Southern Territory knows this!”
“Bullshit!” Yang Kai grabbed his neck and lifted him up.
There were a million and one large and small Sects in the Star Boundary, so how could the news of the extermination of a second-class Sect like Thousand Leaves Sect, which had essentially no fame or influence, cause such commotion? Only the destruction of top Sects like the Seeking Passion Sect would turn an entire territory into an uproar.
To put it even more bluntly, the destruction of Thousand Leaves Sect would just be like a stone dropped into the vast ocean of the Southern Territory, causing some small local ripples at most that would immediately dissipate.
This was why Yang Kai instinctively felt that this man was lying.
Being grabbed by the neck, the person was struggling to breathe, but to no avail.
“Young Master Yang!” Ying Fei cautioned from the side, aware that Yang Kai’s mood was greatly affected while also realizing that this Thousand Leaves Sect should have an extremely important place in Yang Kai’s heart.
Yang Kai frowned and quickly realized he had lost control of his emotions. He loosened his grip and set the man down before quickly ordering, “Tell me everything you know. I won’t mistreat you if you are really telling the truth.”
The man choked and sputtered for a long time, tears running down his cheeks, but he did not dare to show any irritation. When he finally caught his breath after a while, “Sir, what… What do you want to know?”
The Emperor Realm Master in front of him seemed to be subject to shifting mood, so he did not dare to try to guess his thoughts and could only inquire carefully.
“Who destroyed the Thousand Leaves Sect?” Yang Kai asked in a deep voice.
“I heard that they angered the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect.”
“Flowing Shadow Sword Sect!” Yang Kai frowned, trying to recall where he had heard about this Sect.
After thinking carefully, he eventually remembered that it was in the Four Seasons Realm that he had encountered some disciples from the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect. In Yang Kai’s impression, this Sect was not a first-class Sect with considerable strength.
“Why did the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect annihilate Thousand Leaves Sect?” Yang Kai pressed on, “What deep grievances did the two have with each other?”
The man hurriedly replied, “There was no deep hatred, but the treasures of Thousand Leaves Sect provoked jealousy!”
A thought flashed across Yang Kai’s mind as he quickly guessed, “The Heaven Grade Puppets?”
The so-called Heaven Grade Puppets were the core inheritance of Thousand Leaves Sect from thousands of years ago. Back then, while Thousand Leaves Sect’s inheritance was intact, its Ancestors had profound attainments in the Dao of Puppets and had refined a dozen or so Heaven Grade Puppets for the Sect. Every Heaven Grade Puppet was comparable to an Emperor Realm Master.
The Thousand Leaves Sect in its heyday was also a top Sect in the Southern Territory, renowned throughout the Star Boundary.
However, its descendants were too mediocre and were unable to carry forward the glory of their ancestors. Their reputation declined from generation to generation, and Thousand Leaves Sect was eventually reduced to a mere third-class Sect, with most of its knowledge of Puppet Arts being lost to history.
Fortunately, Yang Kai had repaired their hidden Space Array last time, reopening their exclusive Small Sealed World and allowing them to retrieve their long-lost Secret Techniques, enabling them to reactivate the Heaven Grade Puppets.
Liu Yan’s current body was also obtained from that Small Sealed World. If it were not for that opportunity, Liu Yan would still have no physical form of her own.
The man nodded his head earnestly at Yang Kai’s mention of the Heaven Grade Puppet, “Exactly. It turns out that Sir also knows about the Thousand Leaves Sect’s Heaven Grade Puppets. In the past few years, Thousand Leaves Sect regained control of its lost inheritance for some reason, the Heaven Grade Puppets, which had been sealed for many years. The Flowing Shadow Sword Sect seemed to be quite interested in these treasures and launched a war to destroy the Thousand Leaves Sect.”
“That’s it?” Yang Kai’s face darkened and looked ugly.
The man smiled bitterly, “The world revolves around benefits and profits. It’s hard not to attract people’s attention given that the Thousand Leaves Sect’s Sect Master was only a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator while he and his Sect possessed multiple Heaven Grade Puppets that were comparable to Emperor Realm Masters.”
It was true. If there was an Emperor assuming command of the Thousand Leaves Sect, it would still be acceptable for them to control Heaven Grade Puppets comparable to Emperor Realm cultivators, but the Thousand Leaves Sect’s Sect Master Ye Hen was nothing but a Third-Order Dao Source Realm, so it was inevitable for others to feel he was unworthy of the Heaven Grade Puppets.
After pondering for a while though, Yang Kai interrogated coldly, “The Thousand Leaves Sect had over ten Heaven Grade Puppets, each having strength comparable to an Emperor Realm Master. How could the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect so easily destroy them?”
He knew the capabilities of those Heaven Grade Puppets because Liu Yan owned a White Tiger Heaven Grade Puppet, which could exert a combat power comparable to a First-Order Emperor Realm Master. Although the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect was good, it was not a top Sect of the Southern Territory, so how could it be possible for them to overwhelm such a formidable force so easily?
The man laughed wryly, “I really don’t know, everyone found this point strange as well. The Heaven Grade Puppets from the Thousand Leaves Sect were probably not as powerful as the rumours claimed them to be.”
This was also true in a sense. Although each Heaven Grade Puppet was powerful, it required a human to control it, and since there was no Emperor Realm Master in Thousand Leaves Sect, the full potential of any Heaven Grade Puppet couldn’t be displayed. However, Yang Kai had a feeling that the matter was not as simple as it seemed.
“What happened to the disciples of Thousand Leaves Sect after it was destroyed?” Yang Kai asked anxiously.
The man replied, “Some died, some escaped. I’m afraid not many survived, but I heard that some of them were captured, and among those who were captured there was actually a Star Master of a Lower Star Field!”
“Is that true?” Yang Kai’s eyes flashed brightly.
The man gave a wry laugh, “I would not dare to deceive Sir. Many people in the Star Boundary originally came from Lower Star Fields, but only a small minority of them are Star Masters. It is said that to become a Star Master, one needs to refine a Star Source, but I don’t know how that guy was fortunate enough to get a complete Star Source. Although that person’s cultivation was not high, he had a bright future. This is also information that was publicized by the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect. Otherwise, how would this have caused such an uproar in the Southern Territory?”
“Why are they trying to spread this news?” Yang Kai asked with a weird expression, his anxiety having calmed greatly.
The Star Master mentioned by this man was, if Yang Kai was not mistaken, Ai Ou.
Since Ai Ou was fine, Chi Yue and the others should be fine too. Of course, this was just the ideal outcome he was hoping for while it was possible that they had encountered some kind of accident.
“What else could they do? They are spreading the news to promote the auction Flowing Shadow Sword Sect is going to hold a month from now. They wanted to let it be widely known so they could sell off the Heaven Grade Puppets of Thousand Leaves Sect and that Star Master at a high price.”
“Is a Star Master something that can be auctioned off?” Yang Kai was stunned.
The man laughed wryly again, “Sir must be joking. That Star Master has a complete Star Source inside of him, so if it can be extracted and transferred to a disciple with good aptitude, that disciple will have a boundless future and admirers will rush to him like flocks.”
After hearing what he said, Yang Kai suddenly recalled the time when he encountered Yin Le Sheng in the Starlight Corridor. Back then, Yin Le Sheng seemed to be extremely interested in the Star Source in his body, and even claimed that he had a Secret Technique that could extract and transfer it to another.
Now it seemed that Yin Le Sheng was not lying.
A complete Star Source played an extremely important role in the cultivation of a cultivator. In this case, Ai Ou’s life was currently not in danger, but Yang Kai was worried about Chi Yue and the others.
“In a month, Flowing Shadow City…” Yang Kai murmured to himself, already forming plans in his mind.
Now that the Thousand Leaves Sect had been wiped out, and it had already been a year since it happened, there was no need to rush to take action no matter how anxious he was. He could only wait for an opportunity.
“One last question. Where is Thousand Leaves Sect and where is Flowing Shadow City?” Yang Kai asked in a deep voice, looking at him intimidatingly.
That person dared not to disobey Yang Kai, and pointed in the two directions obediently.
He did not get a response for a long time, and turned to find that the young man had already disappeared. He felt like he had just escaped death and it was only then that he realized that his clothes were drenched in sweat, as if he was just fished out of a lake.
Up in the sky, Yang Kai and Ying Fei were speeding side by side like lightning.
Ying Fei did not dare to probe Yang Kai, who seemed to be in a bad mood, but secretly felt that someone was going to be in trouble now.
If Yang Kai dared to destroy a huge Sect like Seeking Passion Sect in the Northern Territory, this Flowing Shadow Sword Sect’s end would probably not be good.
After a long silence, Ying Fei finally commented, “Young Master Yang, I don’t know if it’s just me, but something feels off.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly, “I can feel it too. What are your thoughts?”
It was said that bystanders would have a clearer picture of the situation than the involved party. Yang Kai was too focused on inquiring about Thousand Leaves Sect, Chi Yue, and the others, and did not have the presence of mind to carefully consider all aspects of this situation. However, the cold wind whipping past them must have calmed him down, allowing him to notice many strange points.
Now that Ying Fei mentioned it, he immediately comprehended that he was already sceptical of the described scenario, feeling something was really off.
Ying Fei answered, “Since the Thousand Leaves Sect was wiped out a year ago, why wasn’t the auction held immediately? If hosting an auction to reap profits was the ultimate goal of all this, it should have been hosted a long time ago. Not only that, but this news seems to have been deliberately spread out as if they wanted to make sure it reaches someone, and they have been fermenting the news over the past year as if they were afraid that it would not reach their intended target.”
The last time Yang Kai came to Thousand Leaves Sect, it still had towering mountains and beautiful scenery, but all that was now replaced with depressing ruins.
The mountains and plains were filled with devastated houses, and the pavilions in the forest were basically all collapsed. Traces of war could be seen everywhere, while the blood on the ground had long dried up. Birds were still flitting across the sky, but the land was a scorched mess.
As Yang Kai flew overhead slowly, his face darkened.
He scanned the place with his Divine Sense and found no living people inside the vast Thousand Leaves Sect, only some birds and beasts living in the mountains, the air still filled with a pungent smell of decomposition.
The Thousand Leaves Sect had really been wiped out.
Although the Thousand Leaves Sect was not a big Sect, it still had over ten thousand years of history and once held a top position in the Southern Territory, with countless disciples and Masters at its command. But now, the Thousand Leaves Sect no longer existed in the world anymore.
A blaze of anger churned in Yang Kai’s chest that left him feeling dreadfully uncomfortable. Although it was just intuition, Yang Kai felt that this had something to do with him.
But no matter how much he racked his brain, he still could not figure out what kind of connection he had with the Thousand Leaf Sect that had led it to its demise.
Perhaps, he could only ask the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect to understand the reason for all this.
Abruptly, Yang Kai lifted his head and looked in the direction of the Thousand Leaves Sect’s main hall, which seemed to have a few living auras inside of it.
His eyes turned solemn as he immediately headed towards it.
After a short while, he landed in front of the main hall. There was supposed to be a statue standing in this plaza, a representation of the Thousand Leaves Sect’s Ancestral Founder, a symbol of worship for all of this great man’s descendants. However, the status had collapsed long ago, seemingly having been cut down by a single slash of a sword. The cut was neat, and it must have been done by someone with outstanding strength. Yang Kai touched the cut, and he felt a remnant aura of wind still lingering about it.
Inside the main hall, a smell of cooking meat wafted out, and Yang Kai could vaguely hear the murmurs of a few people.
Yang Kai pushed the door, sending a gust of cold wind into the building.
There were a few people sitting on the ground in the main hall beside a bonfire, which was cooking up some unknown broth. Each of these people were drinking from a large bowl of wine in one hand, while gnawing on big chunks of meat they held in the other, truly enjoying themselves.
They turned around simultaneously at the sound of the doors being thrown open, and a man who was slightly older straightened up and glared at Yang Kai while shouting, “Who are you!?”
Yang Kai checked them out and found that they were not Thousand Leaves Sect disciples, so he could not help feeling a bit disappointed.
But honestly, if there were some disciples that survived the Thousand Leaves Sect’s destruction, they would probably have run away and hidden somewhere rather than openly squatting in the ruins of their Sect.
Among the people here, the strongest was just a First-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, while the rest were just Saint Kings. They seemed to be just some rogue cultivators without any big background.
Now that the Thousand Leaves Sect was exterminated, a deserted and vast mountain range like this naturally became an excellent refuge for them.
Yang Kai did not mean to waste his time on them and immediately asked, “Is there no one alive from the Thousand Leaves Sect here?”
In case they did not realize who they were dealing with, Yang Kai purposely released some of his aura while he spoke.
The few people rapidly sensed this threat, especially the man who put up a domineering demeanour before, and their faces changed instantly. The leader got up and bowed deeply as he addressed Yang Kai nervously, “I didn’t see any.”
The answer was as Yang Kai expected and he nodded in acknowledgement, sweeping his gaze left and right, not saying anything more.
Cold sweat was trickling down the lead man’s forehead like droplets of rain. He was petrified on the same spot where he stood. It took quite a long while before Yang Kai turned around and exited the hall.
Only then did the few cultivators in the main hall feel relieved, their muscles relaxing from the tension. To them, a Master like Yang Kai could easily take away their lives if he wanted, and these so-called Masters usually had wild mood swings so no one would know when they would suddenly start slaughtering.
Therefore, it was better for them to avoid these Masters while they were out in the world.
The small group who just escaped death exchanged knowing looks before they fled out of the main hall, running away as fast as they could, ignoring the almost done broth.
In a nameless mountain valley, Yang Kai looked around for a while, then stood in a certain place with his eyes brightened.
This mountain valley was familiar to Yang Kai. He had come here before when he visited Thousand Leaves Sect, because this was their Restricted Area. No one could enter this place except the Sect Master of Thousand Leaves Sect in previous generations.
From the outside, this place looked like a normal mountain valley, but it was actually covered by a huge Illusion Array, and a Space Array that led to the Small Sealed World owned by Thousand Leaves Sect was hidden here.
Emperor Heaven Valley!
Yang Kai finally remembered the name of the Small Sealed World. It was this Emperor Heaven Valley where Yang Kai encountered the powerful Corpse Puppet and Liu Yan obtained her Spirit Puppet body.
There should have been a war in the mountain valley that day, because there were traces of battle all around, dried blood and bones scattered about everywhere. It seemed that many had died on the day Thousand Leaves Sect was attacked.
Yang Kai carefully examined the damaged Space Array in the middle of the mountain valley for a moment before his eyes lit up.
He could see that the Space Array was destroyed by brute force, and the person who did this seemed to be in a rush, as if there was an emergency at that time.
Yang Kai could not help guessing that the person who destroyed this Space Array was the Sect Master of Thousand Leaves Sect, Ye Hen.
It would be good news if it was him, because there was a great possibility that there were still some Thousand Leaves Sect disciples alive in Emperor Heaven Valley if that was the case.
If it was Ye Hen, knowing that his Sect could not be saved anymore, he would immediately transfer his disciples and relatives to Emperor Heaven Valley and destroy the Space Array in order to save their lives.
Emperor Heaven Valley was a Small Sealed World that, while not big, would have no trouble supporting a large number of people while keeping them safe as long as the Space Array was destroyed.
The traces of the hastily destroyed Space Array also proved this point.
With a single thought, Yang Kai stood up and commanded, “Monster King, stand guard here.”
He wanted to reopen the Space Array and have a look inside the Emperor Heaven Valley. Everything would be clear then.
Ying Fei straightened up as he nodded before disappearing in an instant, hiding in some unknown place.
With a swing of Yang Kai’s sleeve, a gust of wind blew the debris away on the damaged Space Array and he reached out his hand to touch the remaining base.
This Space Array of the Thousand Leaves Sect was repaired by Yang Kai last time, so although it was damaged again, it was not difficult for Yang Kai to repair it again with his past experience.
As Space Principles fluctuated, a hum in the air around Yang Kai began, and soon, the local space began to warp and collapse.
From the void, there seemed to be a mysterious force resonating with Yang Kai, and a connection to some other space that had been severed seemed to be repairing itself.
*Hua… *
A dark portal entrance suddenly opened, one filled with chaotic nothingness, giving out an uneasy feeling as if it could devour all things.
A Void Corridor!
Yang Kai pushed his Space Principles to maintain the stability of the Void Corridor before he stood up and shouted, “Monster King!”
Ying Fei reappeared by his side, looking at the Void Corridor in awe.
Even a man as strong as him did not underestimate this seemingly quaint existence, because once he was trapped in it, he would likely be lost in the Void Crack, never able to find his way out again.
With a big wave of his hand, Yang Kai wrapped the two of them with his Emperor Qi and rushed directly into the corridor.
In the blink of an eye, the two of them vanished, together with the newly formed Void Corridor.
Yang Kai and Ying Fei appeared at the same time on the Space Array in Emperor Heaven Valley.
There was no one around this place. Yang Kai started to search the ground with his clear-sighted eyes, and soon, his vision lit up.
He saw some traces of blood on the ground and many distinct sets of footprints.
Ying Fei sniffed the air and informed quickly, “There are many people here.”
As a Monster King, his sense of smell was naturally remarkable.
Yang Kai nodded in acknowledgement before turning his sight in a certain direction, “Over there.”
He remembered there was a mountain valley and many caves on that side. It was also where he met the Corpse Puppet last time. If any Thousand Leaves Sect disciples survived and escaped here, they should have settled down in that mountain valley.
The two of them flew to the mountain valley.
Emperor Heaven Valley was not big, but its World Energy was quite rich despite it being a Small Sealed World. Therefore, it became the foundation for the establishment of the Thousand Leaves Sect in the past.
After a stick of incense, the pair reached the sky above the mountain valley. Yang Kai did not hide himself but deliberately released his aura for all to feel.
Rustles were heard from the surrounding mountain valley, followed by the flashing of shadows. Cultivators with different levels of strength came out from the forest one after another, all of them staring at Yang Kai with pale faces.
No one else had come here for more than a year since they had first gone into hiding. They thought that it was the safest place in the world as the array outside had been destroyed and no one could enter.
But today, two outsiders broke into this place.
This frightened the Thousand Leaves Sect survivors, for they had no idea what kind of fate was awaiting them. The scene of the annihilation of their Sect one year ago was still vivid in their memories, and the devastating pathos full of blood and tears was still fermenting in their hearts. Was the time for them, who had a second chance of living, coming to an end?
Two people came out of the biggest cave at that moment, one tall, the other graceful.
“Senior Sister Ye, Senior Brother Du!”
The Thousand Leaves Sect disciples saluted this pair respectfully.
When Ye Jing Han and Du Xian appeared, unlike the distressed disciples, they seemed quite overjoyed.
Because when Ye Hen sent them into Emperor Heaven Valley, he told them that if someone reopened Emperor Heaven Valley one day, it would certainly be Yang Kai!
As such, when they sensed that outsiders had entered Emperor Heaven Valley, their first thought was that Yang Kai had come.
Now that they saw it for themselves, they realized it was indeed Yang Kai! The appearance of his familiar figure was the best news they had in the past year.
“Young Master Yang…” Ye Jing Han’s tears ran down her face just when she was about to speak.
The last time she saw Yang Kai, the Thousand Leaves Sect was still in high spirits after having regained its ancestral legacy and taken back the Secret Techniques it had lost millennia ago. However, the Thousand Leaves Sect had changed a lot now, having completely lost its previous glory. Seeing Yang Kai reminded Ye Jing Han of her father, and she could not control her sorrow because she did not know whether he was still alive or dead.
“Brother Yang!” Du Xian cupped his fists excitedly, even though he was not as emotional as Ye Jing Han.
As long as Yang Kai had come, they would have an opportunity to leave here, and would not need to be trapped in Emperor Heaven Valley all their lives. Although the Thousand Leaves Sect was destroyed without reason and the enemy was strong, as the Eldest Senior Brother of the younger generation in the Thousand Leaves Sect, he had the responsibility and obligation to seek revenge.
To get revenge though, he first needed to improve his strength, and secondly, he needed to find a way to leave this place.
Improving his strength was something he could do on his own, but he could only rely on Yang Kai to leave here.
“Sister Ye, Brother Du…” Yang Kai nodded lightly, sighing, “My deepest condolences.”
He did not know what else to say. It was understandable for anyone who suffered the destruction of their own Sect to be emotional, so he tried to be considerate of Ye Jing Han’s distress.
The clueless Thousand Leaves Sect disciples watched the three of them exchange a few sentences, and seemed to have an inkling of his identity. Soon, the crowd below burst into discussion.
Ever since they took refuge in this place, Du Xian told them not to be discouraged and not to give up lightly, for they still had a chance to leave here and avenge their Sect, as long as a person named Yang Kai arrived.
Now that he was here, many Thousand Leaves Sect disciples rejoiced and looked at Yang Kai eagerly.
“Is everyone here?” Yang Kai glanced around, but was a little disappointed that the people he hoped to meet were nowhere to be seen.
There were not many here, at most only five hundred Thousand Leaves Sect survivors gathered in this mountain valley. The cultivations of this group were uneven, and less than ten of them were Dao Source Realm.
“Young Master Yang, let’s continue inside!” Ye Jing Han recovered a little, wiped the corners of her eyes, and gestured.
Yang Kai nodded and walked towards the cave. Ying Fei followed closely behind with his aura hidden from the others.
The cave appeared to have been inhabited for a while. Ye Jing Han, Du Xian, and the others had lived here for more than a year, working hard on cultivating with the motivation that one day they would be able to seek justice for their Sect.
There was no furniture in the cave, so the few of them sat on the floor. It seemed that Ye Jing Han and Du Xian held the highest cultivation and status among the few remaining Thousand Leaves Sect disciples.
“What happened exactly? I only heard that the Thousand Leaves Sect was destroyed by the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect. Is that really the case?” Yang Kai asked.
Ye Jing Han and Du Xian looked at each other, and the former nodded slightly while the latter answered, “Brother Yang has heard correctly. The ones who destroyed our Thousand Leaves Sect indeed came from the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect.”
“It was also rumoured that the Heaven Grade Puppets were the reason the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect attacked. Is that true?”
Du Xian raged, “The Flowing Shadow Sword Sect cultivates the Sword Dao and has always focused on swordsmanship, so they wouldn’t be tempted even if our Thousand Leaves Sect had Heaven Grade Puppets! There must be a mastermind behind this matter!”
Yang Kai raised his brow, and probed, “Why do you say this?”
Ye Jing Han and Du Xian looked at each other again, hesitant to speak.
Yang Kai persuaded them, “It’s okay. Since I am here, I naturally have to investigate this matter clearly. I have friends in the Thousand Leaves Sect too.”
Hearing this, Du Xian spoke, “Brother Yang… Do you remember Hua Qing Si?”
Yang Kai frowned, “Sister Hua?”
How could he not know Hua Qing Si? From the sound of Du Xian’s words, the destruction of the Thousand Leaves Sect seemed to have something to do with Hua Qing Si, causing his suspicions to increase. Moreover, he had not seen Hua Qing Si after their separation in the Shattered Star Sea.
Yang Kai did not know where Hua Qing Si had gone.
Sister Hua knew a lot of his secrets, especially about the Sealed World Bead, but he trusted her and had returned her freedom to her, even gifting her a lot of valuable resources such as the Extraordinary Treasure Pill.
Du Xian continued, “After the Shattered Star Sea closed, Hua Qing Si suddenly came to the Thousand Leaves Sect and said that she had an agreement with Brother Yang to wait for you here at the Thousand Leaves Sect.”
Yang Kai nodded and confirmed, “Yes. We did make such arrangements.”
When he was separated from Hua Qing Si in the Shattered Star Sea that day, Yang Kai had said that if she could not find him before it closed, she could wait for him at the Thousand Leaves Sect, because Chi Yue and the others were still in the Thousand Leaves Sect and he would return there one day.
Now, it seemed that Sister Hua had indeed kept her promise and came to the Thousand Leaves Sect after leaving the Shattered Star Sea.
Du Xian asked with a solemn expression, “Does Brother Yang know her true origins?”
Yang Kai simply replied, “She’s a Star Soul Palace disciple.”
This was not a secret as he knew it a long time ago. Hua Qing Si was ordered by her Master to go to Maplewood City to trace the death of an exiled disciple of Star Soul Palace, Han Leng. There, she encountered Yang Kai, who turned her into a Soul Slave and sent her into the Sealed World Bead after a series of twists and turns.
Du Xian was surprised, “Brother Yang actually knows?”
He thought that Yang Kai was clueless about this. He did not know that Yang Kai’s mind was clear as a bright mirror and assumed that Hua Qing Si had used Yang Kai, so he was a little bit hesitant to talk about it, but now it seemed that the situation was not what he had thought.
Now he was confused.
Yang Kai frowned, “Brother Du, you can be honest. I trust Sister Hua. The tragedy the Thousand Leaves Sect suffered should not have anything to do with her.”
If he did not trust her, it would have been impossible for Yang Kai to set her free, he would still be controlling her life through her Soul Brand.
Du Xian grunted before continuing, “Brother Yang, when the Senior Hua returned to the Thousand Leaves Sect, she was already an Emperor Realm Master, but she said that she had an appointment with you, and she would wait for you at the Thousand Leaves Sect, so Honoured Master cordially invited her to stay in the Sect. During that time, she was very close to Chi Yue and the other Honoured Guests.”
Hua Qing Si was aware of the relationship between Yang Kai and Chi Yue and the others, so there was nothing suspicious about them getting close to each other. Hua Qing Si had apparently also broken through to the Emperor Realm during her stay in the Shattered Star Sea, not putting the Extraordinary Treasure Pill that Yang Kai gave her to waste.
“It was peaceful at that time since our Thousand Leaves Sect had regained its long-lost inheritance and had an Emperor Realm Master in the Sect as a guest. Everything seemed to be going well.” Nostalgia flitted across Du Xian’s face as he reminisced the short period of his thriving Sect, “Unfortunately, those times did not last. Suddenly, one day, a very powerful Master came to the Thousand Leaves Sect to find Senior Hua. We could not see the cultivation of that person but he was obviously an Emperor as well.”
“No one knew what the person said to Senior Hua, but it was also at that time that we came to learn that Senior Hua was not just a disciple of the Star Soul Palace, but the direct Disciple of a Star Soul Palace Elder.”
“After that person left, our Sect Master went to see Senior Hua, but Senior Hua was nowhere to be seen. No one knew where she went, but since Senior Hua was from Star Soul Palace, and also an Emperor Realm Master, we believed that no one would dare to hurt her, so we did not take this matter to heart. But just one month after that incident, the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect suddenly attacked our Thousand Leaves Sect for no reason, seemingly determined to exterminate us.”
Yang Kai listened for a while, and then concluded calmly, “So, you are guessing that this matter has something to do with Sister Hua? How is it related?”
Du Xian explained, “It’s not just a guess, because when our Sect was under attack, the Master who had come for Senior Hua was there too. I witnessed that man from afar before, so although I couldn’t see his face clearly, I definitely could not mistake his figure. That person is definitely a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master, that’s the only explanation for why he could suppress all of our Heaven Grade Puppets!”
Ye Jing Han nodded from the side and added, “Yes, I saw that person too. That person subdued most of our Heaven Grade Puppets personally, which was why we weren’t able to resist the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect!”
Yang Kai’s face turned ugly when he heard this and finally understood the reason why the Thousand Leaves Sect was not able to resist even with the help of their Heaven Grade Puppets. It turned out a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master had intervened in this matter, but… why?
If that Second-Order Emperor Realm Master was from Star Soul Palace, he should only have been interested in finding Hua Qing Si who was also a Star Soul Palace disciple. She did not betray her Master Sect, but instead just failed to complete the task assigned by her Honoured Master. It was unreasonable to use the hands of others to wipe out the Thousand Leaves Sect just for that.
Yang Kai could not help smelling a waft of conspiracy.
Looking up at Du Xian, Yang Kai pondered, “The mastermind mentioned by Brother Du before, is it …”
Saying so, he pointed his finger at the sky.
Du Xian smiled bitterly and shook his head, “I don’t know, but the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect had no reason to attack our Thousand Leaves Sect. There had to have been someone else inciting them.”
He previously suspected Hua Qing Si and Star Soul Palace, but now when he thought about it carefully, if Star Soul Palace really wanted to deal with the Thousand Leaves Sect, why would they go through so much trouble to do so? Star Soul Palace was the overlord of the Southern Territory, a Great Emperor Sect, it could crush Thousand Leaves Sect upfront and with little to no effort if it wanted to.
For a moment, there was silence.
“Young Master Yang, since you came in from the outside, did you hear any news about my father?” Ye Jing Han looked at Yang Kai a little nervously.
Yang Kai shook his head, “I only returned to the Southern Territory a short time ago and don’t really know the whole situation. Did Sect Master Ye not perish?”
Ye Jing Han’s eyes grew wet again as she whimpered, “I don’t know. My father sent us into the Emperor Heaven Valley that day and destroyed the Space Array outside. We don’t know what happened afterwards.”
Du Xian recounted, “Honoured Master wanted to send in Chi Yue and the other Honoured Guests too, but they refused, insisting on remaining behind to help defend the Sect with other disciples. Now… it’s unknown if they’re alive or dead.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly, Chi Yue and others were overlords back in Heng Luo Star Field, so although they were a little restricted after coming to the Star Boundary, they were well taken care of in the Thousand Leaves Sect, so when the latter fell into danger, with their personalities, they would not stand idly by.
“You don’t need to worry about them. Since they acted of their own accord, they are responsible for their own fate,” Yang Kai sighed loudly. It could only be confirmed now that Ai Ou was still alive, but his worry for Chi Yue, Gui Zu, and Gu Cang Yun’s lives could not help deepening.
Yang Kai next stood up and suggested, “In one month, Flowing Shadow Sword Sect will hold an auction in Flowing Shadow City. The auction items are the Heaven Grade Puppets from your Sect. Would you like to take a look?”
“What?” Ye Jing Han and Du Xian were both shocked.
Yang Kai sneered, “This auction is the key. The truth will be revealed as long as we attend.”
Ye Jing Han and Du Xian were infuriated at the news that Flowing Shadow Sword Sect wanted to publicly auction the Heaven Grade Puppets of Thousand Leaves Sect. They could not complain because their Sect was destroyed due to their weak strength, but it was a disgrace that the precious treasures of their Sect would be auctioned off like common goods.
It was the same as digging up the bodies of the dead and whipping them just for the sake of embarrassing them.
Ye Jing Han and Du Xian could not wait to fly to Flowing Shadow City to sabotage the auction and snatch back the Heaven Grade Puppets.
But after a moment of anger, they became dejected again. Without strength, everything was just an empty dream. Even if they could go to Flowing Shadow City, it would be like trying to beat a dog with a meat bun.
The reason they hid here was to improve their strength, until one day they become strong enough to get revenge.
Seeing their concerns, Yang Kai responded, “No matter what your decision, I’ll still be going to Flowing Shadow City.”
Du Xian was shocked, and replied anxiously, “But Brother Yang, Flowing Shadow City is the base of Flowing Shadow Sword Sect. Since they dare to hold an auction, they will be fully prepared. Wouldn’t that be akin to stepping into a trap?”
Yang Kai grinned, “That depends on if their trap could hold me.”
“Brother Yang, you…” Du Xian felt deep admiration for his courage, but his eyes soon lit up as he asked, “Has Brother Yang already reached the Emperor Realm!?”
Ye Jing Han was stunned when she heard his question.
They had not been paying attention to Yang Kai’s cultivation, because when they met Yang Kai back then, his realm was similar to theirs, but now, seeing the confidence on Yang Kai’s face, they could not help releasing their Divine Sense to check.
Their Divine Senses were like stones being thrown into the sea though, unable to create any waves. All they could sense was a vague Emperor Aura lingering about Yang Kai’s figure.
He was indeed already an Emperor Realm Master.
Ye Jing Han and Du Xian were flabbergasted by the speed of Yang Kai’s cultivation and growth. However, when they thought about it again, they recalled that there were many talents in the world who they could not catch up to, and who could climb the ranks of the Martial Dao at superb speed.
It was precisely because of these talents that the world became so interesting.
Du Xian pressed on with a solemn face, “But Brother Yang, even if you are an Emperor Realm Master, Flowing Shadow City… is still a dangerous place; like a dragon’s nest or a tiger’s den.”
He implied that Yang Kai should not go.
Not to mention that Flowing Shadow Sword Sect had an Emperor Realm Sect Master, the man behind the extermination of Thousand Leaves Sect was already not someone that an ordinary Emperor Realm Master could easily deal with, and if this matter really involved Star Soul Palace, the Thousand Leaves Sect would be forced to choke down its grievances.
Yang Kai waved his hand, “It won’t be fun if it’s not a dragon’s nest or a tiger’s den.”
Both Ye Jing Han and Du Xian looked at Yang Kai dumbfounded, wondering how he could be so confident. However, when they recalled the destruction of their Sect and the tragic death of their numerous Junior Brothers and Sisters, it made their blood boil. Soon, they nodded solemnly, “Good, we will go too. Even if we have to fight to the death, we must get back our Sect’s Heaven Grade Puppets.”
Although they were fired up now, they both knew that it was impossible for them to achieve this with their current strength. Once their identities were exposed in Flowing Shadow City, they would be surrounded and annihilated.
Since the feud between Flowing Shadow Sword Sect and Thousand Leaves Sect had already been planted, it was natural that Flowing Shadow Sword Sect had to cut grass and pull out roots, leaving no chance for revival.
Yang Kai smiled, “That’s the spirit.”
He wanted to bring Ye Jing Han and Du Xian with him not because he was expecting any contributions from them, as they were just two Dao Source Realm cultivators and could do nothing in this kind of war, but because they were people of the Thousand Leaves Sect after all. One was the daughter of the Thousand Leaves Sect’s Sect Master, while the other was the Eldest Disciple of the younger generation in the Thousand Leaves Sect. Taking them with him to Flowing Shadow City was like Yang Kai’s ticket to participate in this fight, otherwise, for an outsider like him to meddle in the affair of the Thousand Leaves Sect, to put it nicely, he would be a kind helper; but to put it unpleasantly, he was just a busybody.
He also did not want to expose his relationship with Ai Ou and the others for the time being.
Now that they had made a decision, Ye Jing Han and Du Xian no longer hesitated. They summoned some of their faithful disciples and ordered them to carry on their cultivation in Emperor Heaven Valley. If Ye Jing Han and Du Xian failed to make it back, the revival of the Thousand Leaves Sect would fall on their shoulders.
Naturally, those Thousand Leaves Sect disciples tried their best to persuade them to think twice, but since the two of them had made up their minds, they would not be convinced by a few words.
Half a day later, Yang Kai left Emperor Heaven Valley with the young couple and returned to the nameless mountain valley in Thousand Leaves Sect through the Space Array.
Ye Jing Han and Du Xian were both natives of the Southern Territory, so they were familiar with Flowing Shadow Sword Sect and Flowing Shadow City. They had even been to Flowing Shadow City several times in the past, so with their guidance, the group of four travelled as fast as lightning towards their destination.
In just three days, the group of four people arrived at Flowing Shadow City.
Looking from a distance, Flowing Shadow City could be considered quite vast, with magnificent and towering buildings everywhere the eye could see. The city wall was more than several tens of meters tall, and there was a huge greatsword hovering in the air above the city gate. The greatsword seemed to be made of refined metal, and it was clearly thick and solid, hanging over the city gate, seemingly ready to fall at any time and split the earth in two, but it was a common sight for those cultivators who were entering and leaving the city.
Ye Jing Han and Du Xian followed behind Yang Kai with uncomfortable expressions, landing outside the city gate.
According to their plan, since they had to break into the enemy’s nest, they would have to at least disguise their appearances to avoid catching people’s attention and causing unnecessary problems, then take the opportunity to carry out their plan secretly.
However, Yang Kai did not ask them to disguise themselves, but let them show their true faces.
They were dreadfully nervous throughout the journey and were even more rigid and anxious than ever when they arrived outside Flowing Shadow City.
Although they were prepared to die, they at least needed their deaths to serve a purpose. If they died for no reason, they might as well just stay in Emperor Heaven Valley, endure the hardship of isolation, and spend the next few hundred years cultivating.
But Yang Kai seemed to have a card up his sleeve, which made it difficult for them to ask in detail.
At the city gate, many cultivators were waiting in line to enter the city, just like every other prosperous city. Flowing Shadow City was always an affluent place, moreover, with the auction fair that was about to be held, drawing many here from throughout the Southern Territory who were interested in the Heaven Grade Puppets of the Thousand Leaves Sect or the Star Master with a complete Star Source.
At this moment, the streets in Flowing Shadow City were full of Dao Source Realm cultivators, and there were even a number of Emperors to be found. Masters were simply as common as clouds here.
Inside the City Lord’s Mansion, the Sect Master of Flowing Shadow Sword Sect, Li Qing was taking charge.
As a First-Order Emperor who also majored in the Sword Dao, Li Qing Yun was considered a powerful Master in the Southern Territory. Given his status, he did not have to be here, but due to the upcoming auction, there were more and more Emperor Realm Masters in the Flowing Shadow City as many first-class Sects sent delegations to attend the event. No one in the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect could handle such a situation aside from the Sect Master himself.
During this period, Li Qing Yun had greeted numerous Masters from places his Flowing Shadow Sword Sect could not afford to offend, so since they visited his territory, as the owner of this place, he had to visit them to show courtesy.
The Flowing Shadow Sword Sect did not usually have this opportunity to make friends with so many Masters.
Nevertheless, Li Qing Yun was already tired of dealing with this situation as it left him no time for anything else, even cultivation. Moreover, as the day of the auction drew nearer, his nerves also grew tighter.
Although his cultivation was not very high, he was notably sensitive to crises thanks to cultivating a Dao highly related to killing.
He kept feeling that something serious was going to happen at this auction, and if he was not careful, the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect might be annihilated because of it.
However, the auction had to be held, as it was the command of that Sir; Li Qing Yun could not disobey at all.
After a long sigh, the Emperor Artifact Jade Illusion Sword lying in front of him hummed slightly, as if it sensed the fluctuation of its master’s emotions.
“Sect Master!” There was a voice outside the door.
“What is it?” Li Qing Yun opened his eyes, revealing a trace of fatigue on his face. If he had a choice, he would rather practice his swordsmanship in retreat in his Sect. Mastering the Sword Dao was a long journey, perhaps one he would not be able to complete with his ability even if he spent his entire life on it. Therefore, he did not want to waste time on complicated matters. However, in the eyes of that Sir, he and the entire Flowing Shadow Sword Sect were just pawns on the chessboard that could not act of their own will.
“There is a report from the lower disciples that two survivors of Thousand Leaves Sect have appeared,” that voice replied, “It seems to be the daughter of the Thousand Leaves Sect’s Sect Master and the Head Disciple of their Sect.”
“Where?” Li Qing Yun narrowed his eyes.
“At the city gates, about to enter the city.”
Li Qing Yun squinted slightly, the unease in his heart growing stronger and stronger, as if an invisible maw was slowly closing around him. The intense alarm of a crisis froze his skin.
It had been years since he last felt this way. The Jade Illusion Sword was also trembling non-stop, only confirming that his sensation was not a false alarm.
The person outside the door waited for a long time, but there was no response from the Sect Master, so he could only continue to wait.
At the same time, the crowd in front of the city gate was alarmed and broke into chaos.
A group of Flowing Shadow Sword Sect disciples surrounded Yang Kai and his group from both the sky and the ground while other irrelevant people retreated and watched from a distance.
The Flowing Shadow Sword Sect had annihilated the Thousand Leaves Sect, so although they were surprised by the sudden appearance of these people, since there was already an irresolvable grudge between them, naturally they didn’t plan on letting any enemies escape.
Ye Jing Han and Du Xian had a high status in the Thousand Leaves Sect and their portraits had been spread outside. Furthermore, Yang Kai had no intention of lining up outside the city and had led his group to barge through the gates like he owned this place, not putting anyone else present in his eyes at all.
Therefore, Flowing Shadow Sword Sect disciples who were guarding the city gate instantly recognized Ye Jing Han and Du Xian just as they entered the city.
How embarrassing was it that the enemy had come to openly provoke them?
Without being ordered, the several dozen Flowing Shadow Sword Sect disciples automatically encircled this group and glared at them with hostility.
Ye Jing Han and Du Xian exchanged a wry smile after seeing this.
Not to mention that Yang Kai did not let them disguise themselves, they did not expect that Yang Kai would be so bold to take the initiative to taunt the enemy. What did Yang Kai want to do? Why was he so confident that he could come and go freely from Flowing Shadow City?
But now, there was no time to regret it. They recalled what these Flowing Shadow Sword Sect disciples had done to the Thousand Leaves Sect a year ago, and their eyes gradually turned red while murderous intent gradually permeated the air.
Even if they had to die, they had to pull a few of their enemies down together with them, so that they did not embarrass their identities as Thousand Leaves Sect disciples.
“How dare you two break into our Flowing Shadow City! It seems that the people of the Thousand Leaves Sect really don’t know how to write the word ‘death’.”
The leader of the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect disciples, a Dao Source Realm cultivator, yelled as he stared at Ye Jing Han and Du Xian. However, when he turned his gaze to Yang Kai and Ying Fei, he suddenly looked puzzled, wondering who these two people were and why they stood together with the people of the Thousand Leaves Sect.
Although Yang Kai and Ying Fei’s presence was suspicious, the lead disciple did not pay much attention to them. The Thousand Leaves Sect was just a small Sect in the Southern Territory, inferior to their Flowing Shadow Sword Sect, so it was not important if they managed to bring along some reinforcements. This was Flowing Shadow City, and no one could be impudent in the base of the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect.
After looking at Yang Kai for a moment, the lead disciple snorted coldly, “Your Excellency, who are you? If you are sensible enough, leave quickly. Don’t make a mistake by sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong!”
Yang Kai turned a deaf ear to his words and instead looked at Du Xian and Ye Jing Han, “Do you want to collect some interest first?”
Yang Kai was not interested in laying his hand on this group, but it was a great opportunity for Ye Jing Han and Du Xian to vent their hatred.
Hearing this, Du Xian looked solemn and shouted, “Good, then I shall trouble Brother Yang to stand guard!”
Yang Kai nodded and stood to the side quietly.
“Impudence!” The Flowing Shadow Sect disciple was infuriated by Du Xian’s arrogance and, as he waved his hand, ordered, “Take them down!”
*Zheng zheng… *
The sound of swords being drawn rang out as sword lights glowed. A dozen Flowing Shadow Sword Sect disciples acted together, covering for each other while charging forward while releasing Sword Qi and Sword Intent.
“Senior Brother!” Ye Jing Han shouted. Du Xian understood the meaning of her call and immediately turned around to stand back to back with her. The two then swung their hands simultaneously, sending out a series of ball-like objects towards the enemy.
*Kacha… *
Following a burst of cracking sounds, these flying spheres magically transformed into life-like Monster Beasts in the blink of an eye.
With the fluctuation of World Energy, four beast puppets instantly emerged before everyone.
A python, a lizard, a wolf, and a bird.
Each of them was like a living creature and if not for the absence of vitality, all would assume they were real Monster Beasts.
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up.
Back then, when he went to the Thousand Leaves Sect, many of Thousand Leaves Sect’s Secret Techniques had been lost. Thanks to his opening of Emperor Heaven Valley though, these Secret Arts and Secret Books were finally retrieved.
At that time, he did not see the true techniques of the Thousand Leaves Sect.
With the appearance of these four puppet beasts, Yang Kai realized that the Thousand Leaves Sect had developed a lot in recent years. Each of the four puppet beasts had the power comparable to a peak Dao Source Real cultivator, and given their looks, they should be the Earth Grade Puppets of the Thousand Leaves Sect.
Because of the retrieval of their lost inheritance, the Thousand Leaves Sect disciples clearly became much better at refining puppets and applying Puppet Arts than in the past.
He initially thought that Ye Jing Han and Du Xian would not be able to handle being so outnumbered, but now it seemed like he had underestimated them.
“Chi chi chi chi… *
The sword lights that slashed towards Ye Jing Han and Du Xian were sharp and swift. If they were hit, Ye Jing Han and Du Xian would not have good ends; however, they did not show any signs of condensing their Source Qi to protect themselves and instead focused on controlling the four beast puppets.
The python-like beast puppet with bright scales curled up suddenly, wrapping around Ye Jing Han and Du Xian, and blocked all the incoming Sword Qi blades with its body, resulting in a series of dazzling sparks.
*Hong long long… *
At the same time, the lizard-like beast puppet abruptly flashed and the ground around it rapidly softened. Leaping into the air, it then dove directly into the ground, disappearing from sight.
Followed by a howl, the body of the wolf puppet emitted a navy blue light as it pounced towards the two nearest Flowing Shadow Sword Sect disciples with its bared fangs, causing these two to be so frightened that they kept swinging their swords wildly in order to protect themselves.
But just then, the exquisite and flexible bird puppet flew in a beautiful arc, like a bolt of thunder, penetrating directly through the chest of one of the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect disciples.
The protection formed by that cultivator’s Source Qi was akin to paper before this attack.
*Pu… *
The Flowing Shadow Sword Sect disciple spurted a mouthful of blood as he felt like his chest cavity had been emptied. As he looked down, he saw that there was a bloody hole through which he could see his organs and viscera vaguely.
Being outnumbered by more than a dozen people, one of the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect disciples had actually died first in the first clash.
The faces of the onlookers in the distance went pale as they were all appalled by the strength of these beast puppets of the Thousand Leaves Sect.
It was obvious that the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect disciple did not die because of some mistake he made, but because he was simply overpowered. Each of the four beast puppets was comparable to a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, while the level of strength of the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect disciples was uneven, so they couldn’t resist the beast puppets even though they had the advantage in numbers.
“Retreat!” The leader was also horrified by the situation and could not believe what just happened. The Flowing Shadow Sword Sect definitely seized a lot of treasures after destroying the Thousand Leaves Sect, and there were puppets among the gains.
Although many disciples in the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect possessed the puppets of Thousand Leaves Sect now, those puppets were incomparable to the four beast puppets in front of them.
Puppet Arts required not only the strength of a puppet itself but also the corresponding Secret Arts and Secret Techniques to drive it. In other words, the power of the same puppet in their hands would be quite different from that of in the hands of a Thousand Leaves Sect disciple.
Even though the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect had obtained many puppets as war trophies and studied them for some time, they still could not fully utilize their true strength, which led them to assume that these puppets were just mediocre.
But now, they knew they were wrong.
All the disciples were already frightened at the scene, so when they received the order, they naturally performed their swordsmanship together to guard themselves as they retreated quickly.
However, at this moment, the python puppet that was protecting Ye Jing Han and Du Xian suddenly whipped its tail, resulting in a resounding massacre.
The tail was as thick as a washbasin and made of some unidentifiable material, but the power of its whip could seemingly collapse a mountain. Several Flowing Shadow Sword Sect disciples failed to dodge the tail whip and had their abdomens cut open. Blood and bits of organs spurted from their mouths as their vitalities were wiped out.
As for those who had narrowly escaped, they couldn’t even catch their breath before a big hole suddenly opened under their feet. The lizard puppet, which had disappeared before, broke through the ground, opened its giant mouth, and bit a Flowing Shadow Sect disciple before dragging him into the earth.
The shrill scream came from underground, which frightened everyone from the tips of their hair to the marrow of their bones.
Other disciples immediately flew into the air one after another. Who would dare to stay on the ground anymore after this lesson?
However, it was not easy for them in the air, either. The wolf puppet was running at them from one direction, while the bird puppet descended upon them like lightning, each strike from the pair resulting in a spatter of blood and someone dying.
“Sword Formation!” The lead disciple of the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect roared with a pale face.
He initially thought that the trivial two Thousand Leaves Sect disciples would easily be handled by them and did not really put them into his eyes. Only after the battle began did he realize who the wolf and who the sheep really were. In just a short moment, there were already seven dead on their side, and if things continued, the rest of them would meet a similar end.
At the command, the remaining Flowing Shadow Sword Sect disciples rapidly came together to set up a Sword Formation to resist the terrifying beast puppets.
With the protection of the python puppet, Du Xian and Ye Jing Han were still unscathed after killing seven people. They were feeling a rush of emotions at this moment as the grievances and anger they had stomached for more than a year could finally be released. As they continued controlling their beast puppets, this sense of euphoric release only grew stronger.
Du Xian laughed out loud, “Flowing Shadow Sword Sect is nothing much!”
Although his tone was arrogant, he was not distracted and continued to control the beast puppets to fight fiercely with the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect disciples so that they could not catch a breath.
“Those whose Sect was exterminated have no right to be impudent!” A Flowing Shadow Sword Sect disciple bellowed. If he still did not try to gain back some face after seven of his fellow disciples died in front of their city gate and were openly mocked by Du Xian, the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect would probably not be able to keep a foothold in the Southern Territory in the future anymore.
Despite being terrified by the initial slaughter, the remaining disciples gradually stood firm, their hearts filling with hatred as they could not wait to rip Du Xian and Ye Jing Han into ten thousand pieces to wash off this shame.
“Exterminated?” Du Xian looked fierce as he gritted his teeth, “How could your puny Flowing Shadow Sword Sect have dared to challenge our Thousand Leaves Sect if it weren’t for you receiving outside help? Today, I, Du Xian, came here to avenge our Thousand Leaves Sect disciples who died at your hands!”
“Try it if you can! Kill!”
“Kill!” All of Flowing Shadow Sword Sect disciples shouted together and their Sword Intent surged. Using their Sword Formation, their auras blended together and a giant sword light slashed down from above, threatening to shatter space.
“Senior Brother!” Ye Jing Han’s face turned solemn as she performed a hand seal, causing the python puppet to shrink around them and wrap her and Du Xian up tightly.
The sword light slashed on the python puppet, sending sparks everywhere. The python shook, but Ye Jing Han and Du Xian were not hurt.
“If all you can do is cower behind your defences, why did you come to our Flowing Shadow City just to embarrass yourselves!?” A Flowing Shadow Sword Sect disciple sneered and shouted as he swung his hand, “Again!”
*Chi chi chi chi… *
Many earth-shaking sword lights continued to slash down, hitting the python puppet, immobilizing it. The sturdy puppet could not withstand such concentrated attacks and countless cracks soon emerged on its body.
The onlookers were commenting about the situation with each other. They all felt that these two youths from the Thousand Leaves Sect had overestimated themselves. Since they had successfully escaped a disaster once, why did they have to come and walk right into the trap? By the looks of it, they probably would not end well today.
If they had been smart, they should have found a place to hide and strengthen themselves first before trying to make a comeback and pay off old debts in the future.
“Hahahaha!” The lead Flowing Shadow Sword Sect disciple burst into laughter as soon as he saw that Ye Jing Han and Du Xian could not fight back as he taunted, “Let’s see how long you can hold on!”
*Hong… *
The earth suddenly split as the lizard puppet, which had vanished the whole time, abruptly emerged and rushed towards the Sword Formation, shaking its head and waving its tail. On the head of the lizard puppet, a man stood with his head held high. It was none other than Du Xian.
“Since when?” All the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect disciples were shocked. Although they had no clue what Du Xian was doing by rushing at them while seemingly putting his life at risk, they knew that he was obviously up to no good. They instantly surged their powers and unleashed their attacks towards Du Xian.
Instead of dodging, however, Du Xian sneered.
“The Puppet Arts of the Thousand Leaves Sect… is really amazing!” Praise came out from the crowd, as if someone had figured out what was happening.
It was not just one person who saw through the situation. At that moment, many pairs of eyes hidden in the dark stared at Du Xian who was standing on the head of the lizard puppet with looks of disbelief on their faces.
Sword Qi flashed as the power of the Sword Formation burst forth. The dazzling light seemed to be able to penetrate through space itself and completely covered a large area around the city gate.
Du Xian, who bore the brunt of the attack, could not dodge as an immense and tumultuous wave of energy enveloped him.
In an instant, Du Xian was torn apart.
“Hahaha, overconfident!” The lead disciple of the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect thought Du Xian had a trump card when he suddenly attacked so aggressively, but it turned out that it was just the howls of a toothless old wolf. With just a round of attacks from the Sword Formation, the enemy was ripped into pieces, drawing laughter from this man.
Just when he started cackling though, he instinctively sensed that something was wrong. His expression changed as his eyes widened when he saw the torn apart Du Xian, as if he had witnessed something unbelievable, “A Puppet!”
This bold, unhesitant, dauntless Du Xian who rushed towards them like he was ready to die, was actually not a living person but a puppet!
The puppet was so delicately crafted it was almost an exact replica of a real person, and in the midst of a fast-paced fight, it had been impossible to tell it apart from the original.
“Explode!” A low voice that sounded like a call from the underworld resounded in everyone’s ears.
The smashed Du Xian puppet suddenly radiated extremely bright scorching rays.
The extremely dangerous aura spread like a tsunami.
The Flowing Shadow Sword Sect disciple’s complexion changed drastically as he roared, “Run!”
As he spoke, he twisted the sharp sword in his hand, condensing a layer of solid Sword Intent to protect his body. He then stomped his foot and retreated backwards.
*Hong…*
There was an explosion and a scorching white ball blew up outside the city gates, covering a full thousand-metre radius, sending out a violent gust of wind that swept across the city.
There was a muffled snort, but it abruptly stopped. All life auras inside the radius of the blast were extinguished one after another, symbolizing the fall of the cultivators, causing the nearby onlookers to look on in fright.
After some time, the dust settled.
At the gates of Flowing Shadow City, a large pit several tens of meters deep and a thousand meters wide appeared. Surrounding the pit was a chaotic mess. A large section of the city wall was collapsed, while on the ground, there were scorched dead bodies and broken pieces of limbs.
*Kacha…*
The python puppet that had been coiled tightly around Du Xian and Ye Jing Han to protect them raised its head slightly, its scarlet tongue flicking threateningly while on its curled up abdomen stood Ye Jing Han and Du Xian, unscathed.
On the messy ground, a figure struggled to get up. It was the lead disciple of the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect. He was the strongest among the many disciples and he was the fastest to sense the approaching danger, so although he suffered some injuries from the self-destruction of the puppet, he managed to save his life in the end.
Just as he was standing up though, the light in front of him dimmed, as if covered by something in front of him.
Looking up, it was Du Xian.
When their eyes met, the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect disciple glared at Du Xian and angrily snarled, “You cheated!”
As he swung his sword at Du Xian, unbearable pain filled his body and his face became pale from the turbid flow of his Source Qi.
The self-destruction of Du Xian’s puppet was extremely powerful, almost equal to the self-destruction of a peak Dao Source Realm cultivator. The Flowing Shadow Sword Sect disciples who were standing close by were annihilated by this explosion, while their leader barely managed to preserve his life while suffering severe injuries.
Du Xian’s eyes flashed red as he gritted his teeth, “Compared to what the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect did to my Thousand Leaves Sect, this is nothing! We’re just collecting a little interest before getting our revenge!”
Du Xian couldn’t reconcile with the ones who exterminated his Sect. No matter whether the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect was instigated by someone else or not, they were all murderers, so Du Xian would never show mercy.
Finished with what he had to say, Du Xian lifted his palm to strike the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect disciple’s head in an attempt to finish him off quickly.
“Impudent Junior! This is Flowing Shadow City! How dare you commit murder here!”
An angry roar sounded as the figure of an old man suddenly appeared in the sky and grabbed towards Du Xian.
A burst of Emperor Pressure permeated his surroundings, causing Du Xian to freeze in place, unable to move no matter how hard he tried.
“An Emperor!” Du Xian’s face changed, knowing that the commotion they caused just now had forced a real Master to appear, but this person did not seem to be the Sect Master of Flowing Shadow Sword Sect, so his intentions for showing up and his connection with the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect was unclear.
“How can you be so bloodthirsty at such a young age? What will happen when you grow up? This Old Master will teach you a lesson to cleanse your murderous evil!”
The old man seemed to be making a point of explaining his actions as his big hand grabbed towards Du Xian’s head.
From the surroundings, several other figures flickered and rushed towards Ye Jing Han who was standing nearby.
The Thousand Leaves Sect was just a small, insignificant Sect that no one paid attention to before. It was only because of the uproar caused by the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect that anyone even knew its name.
The Dao of Puppetry was considered an auxiliary profession, so even if it was useful, it did not attract much attention.
But today, after seeing the Puppet Arts used by Du Xian and Ye Jing Han, these hidden Emperor Realm Masters dared not underestimate them anymore. Two Thousand Leaves Sect remnants relying only on a few puppets had actually slaughtered a dozen Flowing Shadow Sword Sect disciples inside Flowing Shadow City. If they could obtain such a precious ability, it would definitely enhance the power of their own Sect.
So in an instant, Ye Jing Han and Du Xian became a delicious meal many people were determined to snatch in order to unearth the secrets in refining puppets.
“Who does this old thing think he is to act so brazenly?”
There was a cold snort, and a sharp burst of Emperor Qi suddenly shot towards the old man, carrying momentum like a Flood Dragon emerging from the sea.
The old man’s heart clenched as he instinctively sensed danger and had no choice but to release Du Xian. He quickly pushed seventy to eighty percent of his strength to meet this incoming attack.
*Hong…*
With a muffled sound, the old man staggered and fell back a few steps, his face going pale as his vitality tumbled, somehow managing to not cough up blood. He was secretly shocked as he stared in the direction of the source of the attack and shouted in a low voice, “Who is Your Excellency?”
Yang Kai sneered and did not answer, instead just sending out a volley of palms towards the space around Ye Jing Han.
As these strikes struck, the several sneaky figures creeping towards Ye Jing Han immediately revealed themselves, ugly looks on their faces.
Without the suppression from the old man, the Source Qi in Du Xian boiled again as he palmed the barely living Flowing Shadow Sword Sect disciple into a pulp, a sense of release filling him as he roared to the sky.
Yang Kai swept his gaze across each of the Emperor Realm Masters who acted just now and asked, “Which one of you is the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect’s Sect Master?”
There was silence, and no one answered.
Ye Jing Han walked over and whispered, “That person is not here.”
When the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect invaded Thousand Leaves Sect that day, Ye Jing Han had also seen Li Qing Yun from afar, so she would recognize him if he had come.
Yang Kai snorted coldly, “Is he a coward?”
He was also a little curious now. Even after so many disciples of the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect had been slaughtered, why had the Sect Master not shown up yet? The situation was a little different from what he imagined, and he could not help feeling a little irritable.
“Boy, who are you?” The old man demanded again. He suffered some injuries from Yang Kai’s attack and lost his temper when Yang Kai ignored him.
Yang Kai was already disgruntled and shot him a cold glare, “You should have stayed in your bed old man, lest you injured yourself from running around like this.”
“Impudence!” The old man was enraged. After all, he was a Sect Master and it was simply unbearable for him to be humiliated by an unknown young man. If not for Yang Kai’s strength, he would have taught him a lesson to respect his elders already, letting him know the older ginger was spicier.
“Whose disciple are you? How can you be so arrogant? Didn’t your Master teach you how to show proper respect?” A middle-aged strong man frowned, apparently disapproving of Yang Kai’s defiant attitude.
Yang Kai grinned and taunted, “Do you want to teach me how to show proper respect?”
The middle-aged strong man grunted, “Young man, it’s not a good thing to be too arrogant. You must know that there are always mountains beyond mountains!”
Yang Kai brandished the Myriads Sword at him and snorted, “Come and fight if you are unhappy, let this Young Master see how high your mountain is.”
The middle-aged strong man gritted his teeth, “Madman.”
The other Emperor Realm Masters also shook their heads, thinking that this young man was just like a mad dog that would pounce on anyone who he didn’t find pleasing to the eye. What they didn’t know was that Yang Kai’s intentions here were to raise as much trouble as possible. Yang Kai was even worried that he would not be able to stir up a big enough commotion, but now that someone had been baited, he had no plans to stop.
However, the Sect Master he wanted to see had still not appeared, which made Yang Kai feel rather dispirited. He snickered deeply as he put away the Myriads Sword and declared, “It seems like you’re all talk and no action. If that’s the case, scram out of my sight. Don’t waste this Young Master’s time.”
Yang Kai then signaled Ye Jing Han and Du Xian, and with a sweep of his Divine Sense, his eyes locked on the direction of the City Lord’s Mansion, shouting in a loud voice, “Since Sect Master Li refuses to come out to meet me, this Young Master will have to visit him instead.”
Saying so, he straightened his back and led Ye Jing Han and Du Xian towards the City Lord’s Mansion.
Many Emperor Realm Masters glanced at each other, all of them aware of Yang Kai’s intentions, but only feeling more puzzled as a result. They were wondering how these two Thousand Leaves Sect survivors found such a powerful Emperor Realm Master to back them and why they were now trying to enter the dragon’s nest alone. It seemed that the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect was in big trouble this time, and they wondered if the auction could still be held on schedule.
After seeing the Puppet Arts used by Du Xian and Ye Jing Han, these Emperor Realm Masters were extremely interested in the Heaven Grade Puppets that were going to be sold and now felt that it would be worthwhile to buy one or two.
It was not easy for one to break through to the Emperor Realm, so if one could purchase a ready-made Emperor Realm puppet for some Source Crystals, it would be worth it.
For a while, the minds of these Masters were occupied by thoughts of their personal gains and losses and worries about the auction being derailed by Yang Kai.
But then again, it was none of their business, and they had no intention of intervening; the most they would do was watch from the side idly.
In front of the City Lord’s Mansion, a group of Flowing Shadow Sword Sect disciples stood trembling. Blood had long drained from their faces as they knew that they would soon be facing a terrible enemy.
A dozen or so of their fellow brothers had died in the battle in front of the city gates, and when they thought that their Sect Master would come out to teach these two Thousand Leaves Sect survivors a lesson, all they received instead was silence.
These disciples watched the group led by Yang Kai heading towards them step by step in fear, cold sweat oozing from their palms.
The breeze that brushed past them seemed to contain a thick murderous intent that sent chills down their spines.
“Formation!” With a fierce shout, nearly three hundred Flowing Shadow Sword Sect disciples moved to form a Sword Formation, their auras connecting with one another and their Sword Intent condensing into a single entity.
It seemed that what stood in front of the City Lord’s Mansion was not the three hundred cultivators, but one Heaven defying sword. The chilling Sword Intent could be felt prominently by all the cultivators in the entire Flowing Shadow City.
Yang Kai looked contemptuously at the Sword Formation in front of him and sneered, “Sect Master Li, is this the way your noble Sect entertains guests?”
If Li Qing Yun answered ‘yes’, Yang Kai would not mind killing all the three hundred cultivators.
Even if the Sword Formation was impressive, it could not stop him.
“Let them pass.” A calm voice came out from inside the City Lord’s Mansion.
Given that Yang Kai already pushed his way to his front door, Li Qing Yun had no way to avoid him anymore, but it was beyond everyone’s expectation that Li Qing Yun did not intend to make things difficult for Yang Kai and instead told his disciples to make way.
“Sect Master!”
The Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator who was serving as the core of the Sword Formation looked back at the City Lord’s Mansion with a face full of disbelief.
This Sword Formation was formed with the combined forces of three hundred disciples, so even an Emperor Realm Master would have a difficult time before it. How could they simply tolerate Yang Kai and his group after they had killed so many of their people at the city gate?
“I said let them pass!”
Li Qing Yun commanded again, but with a more dignified voice this time.
The expression of the Elder who presided over the Sword Formation changed several times, but after a moment of hesitation, he still shouted through gritted teeth, “Let them through!”
*Hualala… *
The crowd immediately split into two, and the startling Sword Intent instantly weakened a lot. With the crowd scattered, the Formation naturally disintegrated.
“Wise choice,” a trace of doubt flashed across Yang Kai’s eyes, feeling that this Li Qing Yun was a bit interesting.
Under the hostile gazes of everyone, Yang Kai led Ye Jing Han and Du Xian into the mansion. Yang Kai was calm, but Ye Jing Han and Du Xian were the complete opposite. They secretly gulped as they circulated their Source Qi rapidly, ready to react in case this group of Flowing Shadow Sword Sect cultivators reneged on their promise and suddenly backstabbed them.
But when they entered the City Lord’s Mansion safely, they exchanged confused looks and could not help letting out a sigh of relief.
A man was sitting cross-legged in the main hall of the City Lord’s Mansion. His figure was tall and straight like a sword, carrying the demeanour of a true Master. In front of him was a sword about a metre in length, placed horizontally. For some reason, this sword kept making a clanking noise. Furthermore, the closer Yang Kai approached, the fiercer this sword trembled, as if it was trying to scream out in warning.
Yang Kai could not help taking a few looks at this sword.
Li Qing Yun’s eyes remained closed for a time before he suddenly reached out his hand to caress the sword, immediately calming it down. Then, he explained, “The Jade Illusion Sword is the Supreme Artifact of my Flowing Shadow Sword Sect. Only the Sect Master may wield it. It has the ability to sense danger and the stronger the enemy is, the louder its warning will be. This Li has avoided many dangers thanks to it in the past, unfortunately, I’m afraid I cannot avoid danger this time.”
“Sect Master Li!” Yang Kai greeted him with his fists cupped and nodded lightly.
Ye Jing Han and Du Xian who stood behind Yang Kai glared at this man with flaming gazes, as if they could not wait to rip him to pieces.
“May I ask Your Excellency’s identity?” Li Qing Yun opened his eyes and looked at Yang Kai.
“I’m no one important, Sect Master Li wouldn’t know me even if I told you,” Yang Kai answered indifferently.
Li Qing Yun replied, “Fame is something you can earn. Your Excellency, after today, your name will certainly be widespread.”
Yang Kai snickered, “All fame in the world turns to dust eventually. Life itself is but a fleeting dream and only the Martial Dao is eternal!”
Li Qing Yun peered at Yang Kai as he felt that every word he said was like a gem, pounding on his heart like a heavy hammer. It seemed that he had reached an epiphany from Yang Kai’s words.
But after a few careful thoughts, he comprehended nothing, and could not help frowning.
With a faint sigh, he remarked, “Sure enough, the talents of the new generation will supplant those of the old generation.”
He looked dejected and seemed to be demotivated badly by something. After a pause, he continued, “Your Excellency, are you here to seek justice for the Thousand Leaves Sect? If so, let us end this now. This Li doesn’t believe he can triumph over you, but he will not just sit waiting for death either.”
Yang Kai turned to Ye Jing Han and Du Xian, and asked, “Do you want me to kill him? Just nod and I’ll take his life.”
Du Xian and Ye Jing Han gritted their teeth, their eyes bloodshot to the extreme as chilling murderous intent pulsed from their figures.
It was this man who broke into the Thousand Leaves Sect a year ago with a large number of Flowing Shadow Sword Sect disciples and caused a massacre. Countless Thousand Leaves Sect disciples died at his hands, and over the past year, there was not a single moment they stopped thinking about killing him to avenge their dead brothers and sisters. However, now that the enemy was sitting in front of them, even though they believed that Yang Kai could honour his word about taking Li Qing Yun’s life for them, they simply could not nod their heads.
As if their minds were connected, Ye Jing Han closed her eyes and whispered, “Senior Brother!”
Du Xian also took a deep breath and stated, “The revenge of exterminating our Sect should be obtained by ourselves!”
Yang Kai smiled as he looked at them, “Then you two will have to cultivate harder, for your enemy is an established Emperor Realm Master.”
Du Xian gritted his teeth, “We are younger than him.”
Youth was the biggest asset anyone could have.
Li Qing Yun nodded lightly, looking at the two with his eyes full of complicated feelings, “This King will be waiting for you.”
Du Xian pointed at him, “Don’t worry. One day, your Flowing Shadow Sect will be destroyed by me, Du Xian. When that day comes, I will personally remove your head.”
After saying this, Du Xian seemed to finally put down the stone in his heart, though he still had some mixed feelings.
“Sect Master Ye is not dead.” Li Qing Yun disclosed slowly.
“What?” Ye Jing Han and Du Xian were shocked at his words. The former shook excitedly, “Are you telling the truth?”
Li Qing Yun nodded, “Sect Master Ye is now in our Flowing Shadow Sword Sect. If you want to see him, you can pick him up at any time.”
Ye Jing Han was stunned but soon burst into tears. Du Xian took her into his arms and comforted her before turning to Li Qing Yun with a cold face and asking, “Why are you doing this?”
Li Qing Yun frowned, “Our Sect has no grievance with your Sect. It was not our will to exterminate the Thousand Leaves Sect, and now that the one who ordered this has obtained what he wants, he no longer cares whether Sect Master Ye lives or dies.”
“What do you mean?” Du Xian looked at him, puzzled.
With a single thought, Yang Kai questioned, “So, there is really someone behind you. Is it Star Soul Palace?”
Li Qing Yun’s face changed, and he shut his mouth, obviously unwilling to disclose any further information.
Yang Kai noticed his expression and knew that he was afraid. He immediately changed the topic, “You just mentioned that someone has gotten what he wanted. What did that person want?”
Li Qing Yun shook his head and did not answer.
Yang Kai snorted, “Does Sect Master Li really think that this Young Master is so benevolent? A trivial Flowing Shadow Sword Sect can be exterminated by this Young Master with a wave of his hand!”
Li Qing Yun answered solemnly, “The Flowing Shadow Sword Sect and this King are nothing but trivial pawns. Your Excellency, why must you make things difficult for me? If I don’t satisfy you, you will destroy the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect, but if I do, others will destroy the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect. I will die no matter what.”
Yang Kai sneered continuously, “It seems that the mastermind behind Sect Master Li is really not simple, just look how scared you are.”
Li Qing Yun shook his head, “Your Excellency, you don’t have to probe anymore.”
Yang Kai snorted, “Alright. Since Sect Master Li is so straightforward, I will stop being hard on you and just ask something that you can answer. Where is the Star Master that you captured from the Thousand Leaves Sect?”
Li Qing Yun freely revealed, “Your Excellency, why do you still ask since you have already guessed? My Flowing Shadow Sword Sect is just a pawn being pushed to the frontline. The people and the treasures we obtained are not in our hands now.”
Yang Kai’s face darkened. He had made some assumptions before, but he still could not help feeling a bit disappointed listening to Li Qing Yun’s answer.
If Ai Ou was imprisoned in this Flowing Shadow City or in Flowing Shadow Sword Sect, Yang Kai could immediately rescue him, but the problem was that Ai Ou was not here, and Li Qing Yun probably did not know where he was locked up.
Someone else was just using the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect to carry out the so-called auction.
After pondering for a moment, Yang Kai asked, “Other than the Star Master, who else did you abduct that day?”
Li Qing Yun thought for a while before answering, “There were a few cultivators from a Lower Star Field, but they are not as important as that Star Master.”
“Are they dead or alive now?” Yang Kai queried while trying his best to suppress his emotion.
Li Qing Yun shook his head, “I don’t know.”
Yang Kai furrowed his brow, and pressed on after a few thoughts, “Last question, who is the mastermind behind all of this?”
Li Qing Yun shook his head again, “I don’t know.”
…
Inside a certain attic in Flowing Shadow City, a pale old man was sitting cross-legged. The old man looked so old that he could die at any time, but his vitality was extremely vigorous and the aura that he unintentionally released actually reached the terrifying Third-Order Emperor Realm.
Beside the old man, a beautiful woman in an elegant dress knelt on the ground. Her hair was dishevelled and she looked listless with a pale face, as if she had suffered some torture.
From time to time, a dreadfully painful expression would flash across the face of the beautiful woman.
*Deng deng deng… *
Footsteps were heard, followed by a knock outside the door.
“Enter!” The old man shouted.
When the door was pushed open, a middle-aged man came in. He swept his eyes across the beautiful woman kneeling next to him then quickly looked away, greeting the old man with cupped fists, “Honoured Master!”
The old man opened his eyes and looked at him, asking, “What is the situation?”
The middle-aged man replied, “The fish took the bait.”
As soon as he said this, the tender body of the beautiful woman who had been kneeling on the ground trembled. On the other hand, the old man’s eyes lit up as he grinned, “Good, good, very good. This Old Master’s year of preparations has not gone to waste. The time has finally come.”
The middle-aged man questioned, “Honoured Master, that little brat is just a First-Order Emperor Realm Master. Since he is already here, why not allow this Disciple to directly take him down? I don’t think he can make any waves.”
The old man smiled lightly as he shook his head, “Don’t underestimate that boy. He is proficient in the Dao of Space, so although he is just a First-Order Emperor, if we are not fully prepared, even this Old Master himself is not confident he could take him down.”
The middle-aged man did not seem to care about these words, because he thought that his Honoured Master had simply overestimated this boy. He was a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master while the opponent was just a First-Order Emperor; it should be easy for him to take a little brat down, why did his Honoured Master have to waste so much effort to do this?
The old man knew what his disciple was thinking and simply glanced at the beautiful woman kneeling next to him, asking, “Your Junior Sister Qing Si has been with him for a long time, so she is quite familiar with that boy’s strength. If you don’t believe this Old Master, ask her instead.”
The middle-aged man turned his head when he heard this and looked at the beautiful woman kneeling at the side, inquiring, “Junior Sister Hua, tell me. If I went into battle myself, can I kill that brat?”
This beautiful woman was surprisingly Hua Qing Si, who separated from Yang Kai in the Shattered Star Sea. She was only a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator when they parted, but she had gained her own opportunities in the Shattered Star Sea and had broken through to the Emperor Realm.
However, at this moment, she did not have the noble appearance an Emperor Realm Master should have and instead she looked like a captured prisoner.
Hearing the middle-aged man’s question, Hua Qing Si pursed her lips and turned her head aside.
“Junior Sister Hua, you’re being difficult again.” A sneer surfaced on the middle-aged man’s lips as he suddenly formed a seal with his hand.
In the next moment, an ear-splitting scream tore from Hua Qing Si’s throat. She seemed to be suffering the most unbearable torture in the world and her pretty face was instantly distorted from the pain. Droplets of sweat rolled down her forehead, soaking her clothes in an instant.
“Honoured Master!” She forcefully bore the pain as she knelt down and cried at the feet of the old man.
The old man was motionless and did not even look at her, as if he had not heard nor seen anything.
The middle-aged man sneered again, “How dare the Disciple of our Honoured Master try to protect an outsider. If it weren’t for Honoured Master’s great compassion, you would already be dead! Your life was spared to make up for your mistakes, yet you insist on being stubborn. As your Senior Brother, I really can’t stand it and must punish you.”
“Honoured Master…” Hua Qing Si’s voice trembled, her face extremely pale as she gritted her teeth and pleaded, “I’ll tell him that you want that thing back. Please, Honoured Master… Stop and show him mercy. He is not an… unreasonable person, and this disciple is friends with him. I should be able to… Should be able to convince him, Honoured Master… Please give this Disciple a chance.”
“Impudence!” When the middle-aged man saw that she did not ask for mercy for herself but instead for others even under torture, he was furious and formed a new hand seal, causing Hua Qing Si to shriek and curl up in pain.
The old man sighed slightly, a look of helplessness appearing on his face as he spoke, “Girls really do grow up only to side with outsiders.”
With a wave of the old man’s hand, the middle-aged man ceased his actions.
The old man stretched out his hand and lifted Hua Qing Si up, stating, “This Old Master knows that it is thanks to him that you were able to break through to the Emperor Realm, but you must not forget who taught you and who supported you all this time.”
“Yes… Yes, Honoured Master. Disciple will never forget Honoured Master’s nurturing grace.” Hua Qing Si panted as she opened her eyes weakly.
The old man nodded, “It’s good that you understand. If it was something else, this Old Master would have allowed you the freedom to try; after all, you are now an Emperor Realm Master, and as Disciple of this Old Master, this Old Master is proud too, but… this matter is too important. The fewer people who know, the better. This Old Master sent you to inquire about information because he valued you, but you disappointed this Old Master.”
Hua Qing Si’s eyes flashed with guilt.
Although it was out of her control at that time when she had her Soul Brand taken by Yang Kai and was thrown into the Sealed World Bead, she really had failed the mission her Honoured Master had given her. Later, even though Yang Kai returned her freedom, she did not plan on reporting what happened due to the latter’s kindness towards her; she simply could not repay his grace with enmity, so she planned to just conceal her identity and never go back to Star Soul Palace as if the old Hua Qing Si had died.
However, she did not expect her Honoured Master to send her Senior Brother Wu Ming to trace her whereabouts to the Thousand Leaves Sect. Not only did he capture her, he even caused the extermination of the Thousand Leaves Sect.
After that, some kind of Secret Technique was used on her and she did not remember what she had revealed to her Honoured Master, but she knew that the extermination of Thousand Leaves Sect was caused by her presence there, and it was also a means for her Honoured Master to lure out Yang Kai.
Because there were a few people that Yang Kai valued greatly in the Thousand Leaves Sect, as long as they were captured, Yang Kai would definitely show up.
Facts have proved that there was no mistake in this move, and now Yang Kai had indeed appeared in Flowing Shadow City, stepping into a trap.
“How could this Old Master tolerate a little boy stealing his treasure? Qing Si, don’t think about it anymore. After this matter is over, return to Star Soul Palace with this Old Master and enter secluded retreat to reflect on your mistakes.” He waved his hand. Although his tone was flat, there was a faint trace of excitement flashing in those eyes.
A year ago, when Wu Ming brought Hua Qing Si back to Star Soul Palace, he used a Secret Technique to compel Hua Qing Si to reveal a lot of secrets. Not only did he find out who owned the treasure he had lost, but he also learned that the person actually had a storage artifact that actually held an independent world.
It was still alright if that was all it was. Although such a storage artifact was precious and rare, it was just a storage artifact in the end and it would be impossible to use it at will if one did not cultivate the Dao of Space.
The key was that within the storage artifact were many rare and precious objects. What truly attracted him were the two sacred trees, one filled with vitality, and the other that was gold and silver in colour.
As an Elder of Star Soul Palace, this old man had a powerful cultivation at the Third-Order Emperor Realm and had lived a very long time, allowing him to see and learn about many things. By carefully studying the characteristics of the two sacred trees, he was almost certain that one of them was the legendary Immortal Tree.
The Immortal Tree was rumoured to allow one to obtain an immortal and indestructible body if refined, which was a great temptation to any cultivator. He was getting old and thought that he would have no hope of breaking through again in his life, but he did not expect such an opportunity to fall into his lap so suddenly.
If he could obtain the Immortal Tree and refine it, he would very likely become a Great Emperor, and would be able to stand on equal footing with Bright Moon Great Emperor!
As for the gold and silver sacred tree, he had a rough idea but did not dare to be too sure. In any case, these two sacred trees were supreme treasures and anyone who obtained either one would be set for life. It was unimaginable that they were both in the hands of one person.
As long as that boy was killed, those treasures would be his. There would not be anywhere he could not go after he refined the Immortal Tree.
The old man did not disclose such a confidential matter to anyone, even Wu Ming, whom he relied on the most. Wu Ming only thought that his Honoured Master was planning to retrieve some treasure that he lost many years ago and had no idea about his Honoured Master’s other plans. At the same time, he had secretly made up his mind to finish off Hua Qing Si after everything was done so there would be no chance of any of these secrets leaking.
Hua Qing Si’s expression dimmed, knowing that it was useless to continue persuading now.
Wu Ming stood to the side and glanced at Hua Qing Si with a cold sneer, teasing, “Junior Sister Hua, don’t tell me you’ve fallen for that little brat?”
Hua Qing Si raised her head to glare at him, gritting her teeth, “Don’t talk nonsense.”
“Bitch, you dare to talk back!?” Wu Ming’s face twitched as he lifted his hand to form a seal again.
Hua Qing Si was planted with a Heart-Strangling Insect in her body, and her life was his to control, so how could he allow Hua Qing Si to be so impudent in front of him?
“Enough.” The old man raised his hand slightly to stop Wu Ming, “Go to the auction venue and prepare everything. There must be no mistakes.”
Even an old monster like him did not dare to be careless when dealing with a cultivator proficient in the Dao of Space. Even Yin Le Sheng had to set up a large array to isolate the world to fight with Yang Kai, so how could this old man be negligent? A small accident was enough to allow Yang Kai to escape, and although he had held the people Yang Kai cherished hostage, he could not guarantee that Yang Kai would give in obediently.
Wu Ming clenched his hand bitterly as he glared at Hua Qing Si coldly, thinking [I’ll let you rest for a while. When this matter is over, I will treat you well with love after requesting Honoured Master to give you to me.]
After Wu Ming left, the old man comforted Hua Qing Si, “Your Senior Brother has always been short-tempered, don’t blame him.”
Hua Qing Si did not dare to blame him aloud, but her heart was filled with bitterness. Her current situation was nothing like what a Master and Disciple should have, nor did it show any of the comradery a Senior Brother and Junior Sister should have. Her Honoured Master guarded her like she was a thief, and her Senior Brother looked at her with hatred. What was she to do? Where could she go? Even though she had reached the Emperor Realm, she had lost her direction in life.
…..
“Boy, what’s your name?”
Outside the City Lord’s Mansion, someone halted Yang Kai and his party as soon as they walked out.
It was a young woman who stopped them. Her appearance made her look about seventeen or eighteen years old, with a petite stature. She was wearing a clean light blue dress and although she was not tall, she had a pair of grand peaks that threatened to rip the fabric restraining them. The elegant line of her slim waist, and her plump, perky bottom only further emphasized her ample figure.
The young woman had a beautiful face, but she also had a vigorous and heroic air about her.
Standing in front of Yang Kai, she looked up at him with the demeanour of a Senior.
Yang Kai was taken aback, looking left and right before pointing at his nose and asking, “Are you talking to me?”
He was sure he did not know this woman, and he did not notice her when he entered the city just now, so he had no idea what her intentions were in blocking his path.
The young woman’s brow furrowed as she snarled, “Who else could I be talking to?”
“Do we know each other?” Yang Kai looked at her with a puzzled expression.
The young woman apparently didn’t have much patience as she snapped, “Just answer my question, what’s with all that nonsense?”
Yang Kai raised his brow and replied, “Wouldn’t it be shameful for me if I just answered anything you asked?”
This young woman was rather baffling for blocking others for no reason and acting all pretentiously. As such, Yang Kai was unable to produce any favourable impression of her.
Ying Fei grinned and snickered, “Young Master Yang is handsome and exceptionally talented, truly a dragon among men. I’m afraid someone has fallen in love with you at first sight… “
*Chi… *
Before Ying Fei could finish speaking, a delicate pink fist suddenly impacted his cheek. If Ying Fei did not possess exceptional speed, allowing him to barely dodge in time, he would have taken this punch right to his face.
Both Yang Kai’s and Ying Fei’s faces changed drastically after witnessing this punch.
The power behind this blow was terrifying, even distorting space in its wake. On the other hand, this woman clearly had not used much of her strength just now as she looked perfectly relaxed.
Ying Fei’s face darkened as a little horror lingered in his heart.
Although he was a Monster King and had great strength, he knew that if he had received that punch directly, he would have been seriously injured, if not dead.
It was quite hard to imagine that a young woman who looked so dainty had such monstrous strength.
“Nothing but a trivial Monster King. If you dare to mention that word again, I will immediately take your life!” The girl warned Ying Fei, slowly retracting her fist.
Ying Fei was really horrified now as his pair of eagle-like eyes flashed with terrifying light, peering at this young woman as if trying to look into the depths of her Soul.
He had been hiding his aura the whole time he stood next to Yang Kai without revealing the slightest flaw at all. Even an ordinary Third-Order Emperor Realm Master may not be able to sense his strength and identity, but this young woman only needed a glance to know he was a Monster King!
Such sharp vision was nothing short of extraordinary.
After pausing for a moment, Ying Fei asked, “Which word?”
He was puzzled at the young woman’s words and had no clue what he had said that triggered her. However, Ying Fei was not frightened, for he was also one of the thirty-two Monster Kings of the Ancient Lands. Even if the young woman before him had impressive strength, was he someone who was easy to deal with?
If they really had to fight, Ying Fei was not afraid of her.
At the same time, he scanned the young woman with his Divine Sense to see what her real cultivation was.
Yang Kai was doing the same, but to their great surprise, their Divine Senses were unable to glean anything from the young woman despite the fact that she stood right in front of them. Not to mention her cultivation, they could not even detect her presence.
There were only two possibilities for this. First, the young woman’s cultivation was much higher than Ying Fei and Yang Kai’s, or second, she had a treasure that hindered others from detecting her.
The first possibility was unlikely. Given that Ying Fei was already a Monster King, only a Divine Spirit or Great Emperor could be stronger than him. However, this young woman was too young for her cultivation to have reached such a level. As such, they concluded she had some kind of artifact which shielded her from their perception.
[The background of this young woman is not simple.] Yang Kai thought to himself, wondering where she came from.
“You will know when you speak it again.” The young woman sneered, not answering Ying Fei’s question directly, as if she did not put him in her eyes. Then, she turned to Yang Kai and asked, “What’s your name?”
She seemed to insist on inquiring about Yang Kai’s name.
But before Yang Kai could answer, she suddenly waved her hand, “Forget it, forget it, don’t need to answer.”
“Are you playing with me?” A few veins on Yang Kai’s forehead began to bulge as he thought to himself that this young woman must have some mental problem. For no reason, she blocked their way and kept blabbering like an idiot, which successfully angered Yang Kai.
The young woman snorted coldly, “What worth is there for this Queen to play with the likes of you?”
Yang Kai’s face darkened, “Then who might this illustrious Queen before me be?”
He had seen a lot of arrogant and domineering people, but he had never seen someone like her. She could no longer be described as a person who did not put others in her eyes, but rather someone so arrogant that she ignored the very existence of others.
“The one who wants your life.” The young woman replied coldly.
Yang Kai was stunned, “You want to kill me? Isn’t this just the first time we met? What kind of grievance do you have against me?”
The young woman frowned seriously and nodded, “It’s true that we only meet for the first time, but… you have something that doesn’t belong to you. Something you should not have dared to refine, but since you have, you must die!”
“What?” Yang Kai was bewildered.
“You’ll know after I break all your bones.” After announcing this, the young woman instantly punched towards Yang Kai, her fist seemingly small and delicate, as white as jade with just a hint of pink. This fist moved lightly, as if it was a playful tap that might be used between flirting lovers.
However, as the one facing this punch, Yang Kai’s expression changed drastically as he felt the power behind it.
Space cracked beneath the weight of this blow and a raging vortex of power spiralled towards Yang Kai, pulling him in as it tried to rip him to pieces.
Previously, when the young woman punched Ying Fei, Yang Kai did not feel too much of her power, only noticing that this young woman had incredible strength despite her small size, but when he really faced her himself, he realized that he had greatly underestimated her.
This kind of power was simply beyond what a young woman should be capable of. It would not surprise Yang Kai if Monster King Xi Lei unleashed such power while in his true form, but he could not believe that this power was released by a young woman who appeared only seventeen or eighteen years old.
Yang Kai was astonished as he secretly thought to himself that there were indeed a large number of talents in this world. This young woman who came out of nowhere was already so amazing that it made Yang Kai wonder how many more mighty people could be hiding in this big world.
“Young Master Yang, be careful!” Ying Fei’s face changed drastically. At the same time, he reached out his hand in order to grab the young woman’s fist.
“It’s useless!” Yang Kai’s face turned solemn as he channelled all his strength into his own fist to meet the enemy head-on.
The shadows of two gigantic fists collided in the sky, resulting in a shocking explosion. After a grunt, Ying Fei came to a halt after being forced back several dozen metres. His hand was slightly twisted as his arm shook. Yang Kai also felt that his blood was churning in his chest while his arm clearly had several fresh fractures.
The two of them together failed to stop the raging power of their opponent even with their combined force.
The young woman did not give up after a single punch though and instead threw another towards Yang Kai’s head with a flicker. Looking at her stance, she really wanted to take Yang Kai’s life with this next blow. Although her moves were vicious, her expression was as tranquil as an ancient well, lacking any murderous intent, an extremely unusual sight.
Nevertheless, this did not mean that the little young woman did not want to kill Yang Kai, but rather that her current performance required little effort from her.
When a butcher killed a sheep, would he release murderous intent?
A powerful vortex spun up again, causing Ye Jing Han and Du Xian to scream in terror as they were involuntarily pulled towards the young woman’s fist, as if they were asking for death.
They were not acting of their own will. Rather, this young woman’s cultivation was too high compared to their own, so when she let out her punch, she did not care about their lives and involved them even though they were innocent.
Their Source Qi would not circulate, and they found themselves trapped inside the powerful vortex just like drowning children, unable to escape no matter how hard they tried.
Seeing that their bodies were about to hit the pink fist and to be broken to pieces the next moment, another fist passed by them from behind. The fist was covered in a five coloured light, and it was filled with piercingly cold Sword Qi.
Yang Kai had pushed his Five Elements Indestructible Sword Qi to its limits while unleashing all of his Emperor Qi in a rage.
*Hong… *
Yang Kai was thrown back through the air after a loud explosion. His fist was badly mutilated, exposing his bones through his broken flesh. However, when the two punches met, the repulsive force of the collision successfully pushed Ye Jing Han and Du Xian back to him.
*Hua la… *
The terrifying shockwave that hit Yang Kai shredded his clothes into dust, revealing his rippling muscles. Not only that, the towering City Lord’s Mansion was razed to the ground in an instant, and the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect disciples who remained in it were either killed or severely injured.
“Crazy bitch!” Yang Kai glared at the young woman.
The young woman frowned at this sight and did not immediately pursue Yang Kai. She just glanced at his bloody fist with a look of disdain, the corners of her mouth curling upwards slightly.
“Young Master Yang!” Ying Fei immediately returned to Yang Kai’s side, murderous intent flashing across his eyes.
His job in following Yang Kai to the Southern Territory this time was mainly to ensure his safety; after all, Yang Kai was a critical person and if something happened to him, all the Monster Kings in the entire Ancient Wild Lands would not forgive Ying Fei.
He had never imagined that someone would actually wound Yang Kai right in front of his face.
If Xie Wu Wei and Xi Lei learned of this, they would not sit idle and would definitely give him absolute hell.
“Protect them!” Yang Kai tossed Ye Jing Han and Du Xian to Ying Fei before he looked around to check the surroundings.
The recent incident attracted the attention of many Emperor Realm Masters, all of whom flew over and were now watching from a distance. When they saw that it was Yang Kai who was involved in a conflict and was also injured, they all looked delighted and cheered in their hearts.
Because of the arrogant behaviour of Yang Kai at the city gate just a short time ago, many felt resentment towards him. Therefore, they rejoiced to see Yang Kai suffering, especially the old man and the middle-aged man who were humiliated by Yang Kai openly before; they were overjoyed.
However, what puzzled them the most was the identity of the young woman. Despite her youthful appearance, she could actually hurt Yang Kai, astounding everyone who was watching.
“If you want to fight, let’s fight outside.” After a short pause, Yang Kai declared and flew out of the city.
This was still inside Flowing Shadow City after all, and judging from the young woman’s strength, if he really fought with her here, they would certainly hurt the innocent people in the city. Moreover, Yang Kai did not want to expose too much of his strength in front of so many people.
“Good, I can at least let you choose where you want to die,” the young woman nodded in acceptance before following Yang Kai.
“Young Master Yang!” Ying Fei’s face darkened and he started to move to chase after him.
But Yang Kai’s voice came from afar at that moment, “Don’t follow me and don’t allow anyone to come near. It’s just one woman, this Young Master will come back as soon as he settles things with her.”
Ying Fei immediately stopped as he could sense the anger in Yang Kai’s words. This wasn’t surprising though as no one would be in a good mood after being offended for no reason.
However, Yang Kai’s order was tough for him. He was afraid that something would happen to Yang Kai if he did not follow him, but he was also afraid that Yang Kai would not be happy if he disobeyed his instructions.
While he was hesitating, a lot of Emperor Masters began moving in order to catch up with Yang Kai because they did not want to miss the exciting show.
Seeing this, Ying Fei snorted coldly and pushed his Monster Qi.
“Ssii…*
“A Monster King!”
The faces of the Emperor Realm Master all changed drastically, many of them freezing in place as if hit by some kind of petrification technique.
Most of the people here were First-Order Emperor Realm Masters, so it was natural for them to be frightened by the sudden appearance of a Monster King in the city. Monster Kings were comparable to Third-Order Emperor Realm Masters, so if this sharp-eyed man really wanted to initiate a massacre, perhaps no one in the whole Flowing Shadow City could stop him.
“You can try to follow them if you want to die,” Ying Fei swept his eyes across the crowd coldly. Whenever Ying Fei’s gaze fell on them, the Emperor Realm Masters would panic and dared not to make any noise.
As for the Emperor Realm Masters who had a grudge with Yang Kai, they were even more terrified. Previously, at the city gates, this Monster King had been following behind Yang Kai without doing anything, like a servant, but it was only now that they understood that this man was the reason for Yang Kai’s arrogance.
Fortunately, they did not really engage in a fight with Yang Kai, otherwise, they would already be dead.
“Damn…” In a hidden corner, Wu Ming stared in Ying Fei’s direction with a frown, “Why is there a Monster King here?”
The target of the Flowing Shadow City’s auction this time was Yang Kai, and if it was just him, a lone First-Order Emperor, Wu Ming believed that his Honoured Master’s plan would work perfectly. Nevertheless, everything had changed with the sudden emergence of a powerful Monster King.
After a moment of pause, Wu Ming hurriedly turned back to report this finding to his Honoured Master to see what adjustments to the plan would be necessary.
He could not simply ignore the existence of a Monster King.
“This… Sir!” Ye Jing Han and Du Xian were dumbfounded.
Although they had been with Ying Fei for a few days, they never thought that this man who had been like a bodyguard around Yang Kai was actually a Monster King.
Only now did they understand why Yang Kai was so confident to break into the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect alone. It seemed that his biggest dependence was not his own strength, but this Monster King.
With the help of a Monster King, there really was nothing to worry about.
In the sky, two figures flew forward at the speed of lightning.
Yang Kai led the way while the injuries on his fists were gradually healing thanks to his powerful restorative ability. He was secretly shocked by this young woman’s brute force. It was unknown where this young woman came from. He swept his Divine Sense over her and saw that she was actually carrying her hands behind her back, following him closely like a shadow without leaving a single step further behind him, her face calm and unpretentious.
It was like she was out for a stroll and then casually decided to fight him.
Yang Kai was instantly exasperated and took in a gentle breath. The irritation and anger in his heart gradually calmed down and his expression regained serenity. Although the other party seemed young and unreasonable, her strength was beyond question.
Although there was no grievance nor enmity between the two of them as this was truly the first time they ever met, since the other party held murderous intent towards him, Yang Kai would not back down.
[If you want to kill me, I will kill you. We will see who dies first.]
They travelled a few tens of thousands of kilometres away from Flowing Shadow City into a stretch of barren mountains.
Yang Kai suddenly stopped and turned around.
The young woman’s figure also halted three hundred metres away from him. Looking around, she pursed her pink lips and mocked, “Is this the burial location you chose for yourself? Your taste is quite bad.”
“Ha!” Yang Kai snickered, “Ignorant woman, thinking that you’re so great with just a little brute force, you still don’t know the immensity of Heaven and Earth!”
This was something other people would tell him, and it was his first time ridiculing others the same way. He felt uneasy for having a feeling of being a wicked person, and generally speaking, the people who dared talk to him like that had all ended miserably.
The young woman continued mocking, “It doesn’t matter whether you pick a wasteland or a paradise to die on, since you dared to refine those things, I will rip them from your body then shred your corpse, letting you die without a burial!”
While she was talking, she extended her scarlet tongue and licked her red lips as though she was looking at a delicious feast, a shade of coquettish charm appearing on her pure and naïve face. Yang Kai was startled as his heart rate elevated as he wondered how that little tongue would feel on him.
[Damn it, that’s an enemy right in front of you, how could you be seduced by her beauty? Is it because of the abstinence I endured since coming to Star Boundary?] Yang Kai scolded himself and immediately circulated his Secret Art to clear his mind.
“Are you ready?” The young woman raised her eyes and asked with a feigned harmless sweet smile.
Yang Kai burst out in a laugh and answered in equal arrogance, “Come! This Young Master will teach you a good lesson on behalf of your pare…PFT…”
Before he could finish, Yang Kai felt a huge force on his abdomen. There was no trace of the young woman three hundred metres away, only a faint afterimage left in the same spot where she once stood while her petite figure had long closed the distance between them and threw out a punch.
As if an Emperor Realm Master self-destructed in his face, Yang Kai felt a spasm in his stomach and he opened his mouth to douse the young woman’s head and face with a mouthful of blood. The impact sent him flying backward like a sac, directly colliding with a mountain peak.
*Hong long long…*
Rubble flew everywhere as the thousand-metre peak caved in. A huge hole appeared on the mountainside, but Yang Kai was nowhere to be seen.
The young woman retrieved her fist and straightened her back to stare at the hole and sneered, “Overconfident.”
With her strength, even a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master would find it difficult to resist, so could a trivial First-Order Emperor Realm be impudent in front of her? He really did not know how to write the word ‘death’.
This time, she had come to the Southern Territory to investigate the whereabouts of her clan’s treasure on orders from her Elder. She had no clue after searching many places until she encountered Yang Kai when she passed through Flowing Shadow City.
Had he been an ordinary Emperor Realm Master, she would have ignored him like air, but Yang Kai actually refined something taboo, and as a member of her clan, she naturally had the responsibility and obligation to erase him.
It was funny that this Human was arrogant enough to challenge her alone without knowing her true identity. His courage was worth complimenting, but his intelligence was sorely lacking.
Lifting her pink little hand up and wiping the blood from her face, she stared at it for a moment as she frowned and muttered, “It’s golden…”
It was her first time encountering a Human with golden blood, and the vitality contained in this blood was quite shocking even to her.
Sticking out the tip of her tongue to lick the golden blood, the young woman’s face changed slightly as she mused, “Demon Essence… with spirituality, how strange.”
She tasted an absolutely repulsive aura in this blood, but at the same time felt a sense of intimacy with it.
Yang Kai’s Golden Blood originated from the Demon Mystic Tome he obtained at the beginning of his cultivation journey. He had used the power contained in the black book to refine his blood into pure Golden Blood, which was why it emitted a rich Demon Essence. He also refined the Golden Divine Dragon Source though, which carried a pure spirituality that provided an extraordinary restorative ability to his blood.
The two had perfectly combined and blended with each other over time.
The Demon Essence refined from the Demon Mystic Tome should not be able to withstand the spirituality of the ever-strengthening Golden Divine Dragon Source at all, but the pure Ancient Demon Qi sealed within Yang Kai had subtly affected his physique after being unsealed several times, leading to a delicate balance being achieved.
A thunderous explosion blasted from the hole made on the side of the mountain, followed by a stream of light flying out from it which turned into Yang Kai’s figure, appearing in front of the young woman again.
“You…” The young woman was taken aback and looked forward in astonishment. She thought that Yang Kai would be severely injured even if he did not die after taking her punch. How could she have anticipated that the other party still had the ability to move? On top of that, he returned with high morale, his Emperor Qi surging as his eyes shone with a terrifying light.
“It hurts!” Yang Kai exclaimed, but a lofty look instead of a pained one was shown on his face, gritting his teeth as he shouted, “Woman, I underestimated you! It would be impolite to not reciprocate your gift, so take a punch from this Old Master in return!”
As he spoke, his aura condensed, like a volcano about to erupt as he concentrated all of his power on his fist. Space Principles fluctuated and he reappeared right in front of the young woman while throwing a punch towards her chest.
If the punch was not evaded, this pair of voluptuous peaks would definitely rupture. Yang Kai did not mean to take advantage of her, but her figure was so small that the punch Yang Kai threw could only strike her chest, just as she did not deliberately choose to attack Yang Kai’s abdomen.
In the face of a life or death threat, there was no doubt that Yang Kai would throw this punch no matter how soft and tender the enemy’s skin was, or even if she was a stunning beauty dancing in front of him.
Five coloured rays bloomed around his fist as his Five Elements Indestructible Sword Qi swirled, strengthening the blow.
Inexplicably, Yang Kai felt invigorated and unspeakable pleasure filled his heart. This type of simple and crude battle was truly able to unleash a man’s ferocious instincts.
The vortex of strength suddenly appeared and space cracked. What was thrown out was no longer just a fist, but a lifelong perception of the Martial Dao, a condensation of Yang Kai’s will and cultivation.
The young woman narrowed her eyes slightly, obviously a little surprised. She did not expect that Yang Kai, a trivial First-Order Emperor Realm Human, could unleash such violent power. Combined with the vitality of the golden blood, the young woman suspected that Yang Kai should have cultivated some incredible Body Tempering Art, otherwise, it would be impossible for him to achieve this.
Sneering secretly in her heart, she mocked how he dared to address himself as Old Master in front of her at his young age. Despite her youthful appearance, she happened to have a very long growth cycle, so in fact, she was a few hundred years old already.
“You will regret that you didn’t die easily just now.” The young woman’s crimson lips parted slightly. She stood still on the spot, simply raising her hand and thrusting out her palm to meet Yang Kai’s fist. The small, tender hand was like an exquisite piece of artwork carved from the finest jade thrown into a raging storm at sea that could shatter it to pieces in the next moment.
*Pa… *
Fist met palm, and the only thing about the young woman that moved was her dress as she successfully blocked Yang Kai’s confident, incredible blow, as though the punch was nothing more than a headless fly instead of a violent, fatal attack.
The young woman stood tall as her beautiful eyes filled with a mocking light.
“Fuck!” Yang Kai was accustomed to engaging in strong, incredible fights, but could not help but drop his jaw at that moment. The conflict between what he imagined would happen and reality at the critical moment was too abrupt and somewhat unacceptable to him.
Even though he knew that the power of this young woman was immense, Yang Kai did not expect it to be so great. It felt like her strength was completely out of his league.
“My turn!” The young woman smiled with a laugh very much resembling the sweet-sounding chime of a silver bell, but that sweet sound was like a horrifying knell to Yang Kai. The palm that blocked Yang Kai’s punch closed around his fist was soft and supple, but Yang Kai instantly felt that his fist was firmly locked, unable to move.
Immediately afterwards, the young woman pulled back her free arm as if she was pulling a bowstring, and her figure leaned slightly backwards to support the action, her light blue dress almost failed to contain her ample peaks as her movement threatened to rip apart its fabric.
*Hong… *
The bowstring was at full tension and the arrow was released, sending the flying tender fist that was wrapped in an aura of pure destructive energy forward.
Yang Kai’s eyes widened dramatically as he gathered all the strength he could in his free hand and punched out, creating a barrage of fists shadows.
Explosions blasted one after another, accompanied by Yang Kai’s muffled grunts.
*Chi… *
Yang Kai staggered back, his Five Elements Indestructible Sword Qi collapsing. His attacking fist was distorted and bloody, and the flesh on the knuckles of the other fist was completely scraped off, exposing his bones.
The vitality in his chest rolled, and Yang Kai could not stop himself from coughing up another mouthful of blood. Desperate to save some face, he raised his head with difficulty and spat, “Mediocre!”
“Really?” The corner of the young woman’s mouth curled up into a sneer as she thought to herself, [Humans were really pathetic, he still doesn’t repent when he is about to die, even daring to speak contrary to his own thoughts. He probably regrets it now and is scared to death. Maybe he will kneel down and beg for mercy later.]
[He might just turn around and run away now; after all, he knows that defeat is inevitable, no one would be stupid enough to continue resisting stubbornly in the face of an undefeatable enemy.]
“Again!” Yang Kai roared as he gathered his strength again. Before the young woman could answer, he shot towards her.
[He actually… Came head-on!] The young woman’s heart jumped, feeling that the matter was progressing a little differently from what she had imagined. Could she have already punched him senseless and he was now acting like a madman?
Yang Kai held his burning fury inside his heart. The battle with this young woman reminded him of his helplessness against Shi Huo in the Ancient Lands more than a year ago.
He could not kill Shi Huo back then, and now, was it possible that he could not kill this stupid little woman too?
Rage erupted in Yang Kai’s heart as his blood boiled like magma. Although he was still overwhelmed by the woman’s terrifying brute strength and mostly defended instead of attacked, as the battle went on, he became more and more furious and excited, and the flow of his strength also became smoother and smoother.
*Hong hong hong… *
The two figures constantly collided with each other and whizzed around the mountains. Countless mountains collapsed, while all living creatures nearby ran for their lives. From time to time, Yang Kai’s blood splattered the air from an attack, but he would pounce back into the battle tenaciously without the slightest hesitation.
His clothes were almost completely torn, and the more pieces of his robes fell with each exchange. His upper body was completely naked now, leaving only a few strips of cloth covering the private part of his lower body.
He never wore Artifact Armour, not that he didn’t possess any. Throughout the recent years, he had killed many Masters and obtained a lot of loot like Artifact Armours from their Space Rings; however, Yang Kai did not refine them as he did not think that he would need them. Even though Artifact Armour could provide a layer of protection, it would also isolate his perception of danger.
It was not good relying too much on external aids.
However, how could ordinary clothes withstand such a violent battle? If the battle continued, Yang Kai would probably be totally naked before long.
Surprisingly, the woman did not feel shy at all, as if she did not see anything on Yang Kai. Even if she had never seen a man’s naked body before, she ought to have heard some stories about it, and it was nothing interesting to her… Furthermore, she did not think it mattered what a dead man looked like.
Compared with Yang Kai’s messy condition, the battle seemed to be much more relaxed for the young woman. No matter how fierce Yang Kai’s attacks were, she could resolve them easily. The terrifying strength that she possessed was simply unfathomable. Even the strongest Monster Beasts would not be able to compete with her in strength.
*Pu… *
Yang Kai spurted another mouthful of blood as he shot out again, ploughing a deep ravine into the ground as the last remnants of clothing on his lower half were shredded.
The woman frowned slightly, thinking that Yang Kai was simply too stubborn and unreasonable.
If it were any other ordinary Emperor Realm Master, he would have been smashed into mince by now. Nevertheless, Yang Kai was still alive, and although he looked utterly dishevelled, his fighting spirit was only rising instead. This was all thanks to the surging vitality in his peculiar golden blood she thought, if not for it, this man would have been long dead.
Sure enough, the Golden Blood was really bizarre.
Yang Kai got up trembling, spat out the blood in his mouth, and stared at the young woman defiantly with shocking brilliance in his eyes.
Facing such adversity and the desperate struggle itself made him recall the moment when he obtained the Demon Mystic Tome many years ago. It was precisely because of his unyielding spirit that he was able to obtain the recognition of the Demon Mystic Tome and begin his journey on the Martial Dao.
The situation at this moment was very similar to that time.
However, that incident was too long ago, and he had almost forgotten that feeling.
Because of this suffering, Yang Kai finally found his fierce spirit rekindled after a long period of dormancy.
[As long as I remain unyielding, who can stop me?]
With a single thought, he vaguely comprehended something. The blood in his body circulated with increasing haste, and his wounds began to heal rapidly. Yang Kai stretched out his hand and wiped the blood clots off his body, revealing new skin.
“I see!” Yang Kai’s eyes sparkled with radiance.
Over the years, his reliance on Secret Techniques and Artifacts in battle had caused him almost to forget his unyielding spirit. The insight that he gained today was truly fruitful.
“You…” The young woman slightly furrowed her brow, instinctively sensing that something had changed with Yang Kai just now, but she could not tell what this transformation was.
Yang Kai took out a new set of clothes from his Space Ring and put them on.
He beckoned the woman by curling his index finger, “Again!”
Infuriated, the woman gritted her teeth, “Since you can’t wait to die, I will fulfil your wish!”
Without showing any unnecessary animation, she rushed towards Yang Kai’s face and threw another punch.
Yang Kai immediately punched back to counter. At the moment their knuckles touched, Yang Kai’s eyes lit up, and he burst out the power of his whole body in all directions.
*Hong… *
Yang Kai was blown away again, but this time, the young woman also couldn’t help withdrawing a single step back.
“What just happened…” The young woman was shocked. Previously, no matter how hard Yang Kai tried, he would not be able to even shake her. However, she was forced to take a step back from this clash, clearly indicating that the power of his punch was many folds greater than before.
What transformation could he have possibly undergone in this short time to achieve such rapid growth?
“Hahaha!” Yang Kai flew back with a laugh as he tumbled through the sky before crashing down on a certain hill, “Give an inch and you take a mile. Look at how weak you are, you are still just a woman after all!”
The young woman was exasperated and her next punch flew out like a gust of wind that shrouded towards Yang Kai.
For a moment, the sky was full of fist shadows.
After a short while, the two figures separated. The ground under the young woman’s feet cracked, and her breathing had become a slight bit faster. Yang Kai’s new clothes were torn again, his skin was cracked, and his Golden Blood dripped down like streams from his wounds, but despite his messy look, he was even more excited, like nothing but the battle before him existed anymore.
The woman finally showed a solemn look as she swept her eyes over Yang Kai and asked, “What’s your name?”
She had asked this before in front of the City Lord’s Mansion, but at that time she was not really interested in knowing the answer because she did not put Yang Kai in her eyes. To her, Yang Kai was already a dead man, so why did she need to know his name?
But now, she asked the same question again.
The Human whom she looked down on was finally worthy of her attention, if only a little of it.
The strong had always treated each other with respect.
“Yang Kai!”
After a moment of silence, the woman replied, “Zhu Qing!”
Yang Kai was stunned at first, then he nodded when he realized that it was her name, “I’ll remember it.”
Zhu Qing looked at him in surprise, and questioned, “Don’t you have anything to say after hearing this Queen’s name?”
Yang Kai thought about it carefully, and answered, “It’s a nice name. Sweet and simple. Not bad, not bad.”
Zhu Qing could not help rolling her eyes as she could not believe that this guy really could not connect her name to anything. Zhu Qing finally realised why Yang Kai was so fearless; he was just an ignorant idiot. She wondered how he had managed to become a First-Order Emperor in the first place.
Although she admitted this young man was talented, he had violated a grave taboo, and the world could not tolerate his existence. He had to die.
“Never mind!” Zhu Qing waved her hand in disappointment, “Time to get serious.”
“Hmph, this Young Master also hasn’t given it his all yet! I was being a gentleman the whole time because you are a woman.”
Although Yang Kai boasted so, internally he was screaming, [What the hell did this crazy woman mean? Was she just fooling around up till now? How arrogant is she? I can’t come off as weak in front of her!]
“I know,” Zhu Qing smiled faintly, revealing a serene look.
Yang Kai thought that she would snap back at him for his arrogance, but unexpectedly she actually answered like this.
“What do you know?” Yang Kai raised his eyebrows.
Zhu Qing tucked her hair behind her ear and answered slowly, “You refined those things but haven’t used them yet, so of course, you haven’t given it your all yet.”
Yang Kai frowned, “You keep talking about ‘those things’, but what do you mean?”
Zhu Qing did mention that he refined something that he should not have earlier, and this was the reason for their battle; however, he hated people trying to act mysterious with him the most. If it were not for her ample figure, he would have slapped her in the face.
Zhu Qing’s expression turned cold, and retorted, “You don’t even remember what you refined?”
Her aura changed tremendously in the next instant. If she had appeared like a harmless woman next door previously, now she was like a Flood Dragon that was going out to the sea to commit murder.
Yang Kai retorted, “This Young Master has refined so many things over his life, how could I possibly know what you’re talking about if you don’t tell me?”
“Then…” Zhu Qing touched her red lips and flashed a sweet smile, “Let me help you remember.”
When the words fell, she already reappeared in front of Yang Kai, her hand in the shape of a claw as she grabbed at his chest. Her speed was so fast that Yang Kai could not react at all.
Perhaps it was an illusion, but Yang Kai seemed to hear a dragon roar at that moment as Zhu Qing’s small hand seemed to transform into a dragon claw. It appeared that she was attempting to tear down all his defences to gouge out his heart in one blow.
Sure enough, this young woman had not given it her all earlier. Yang Kai hurriedly stepped back, horrified.
But Yang Kai could not shake her off as Zhu Qing chased after him like a shadow. When she reached right under his nose, he could smell her orchid-like breath when she warned him, “If you don’t use it now, you won’t have a chance to use it again.”
At the critical moment of life and death, a realization dawned on Yang Kai and he shouted, “Dragon Transformation!”
His aura that was already quite strong instantly rose to a new high, his monstrous power became comparable to a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master. Pieces of scales suddenly appeared on Yang Kai’s exposed skin, and both his hands also turned into dragon claws at the same time. A golden ray of light flashed behind him as a giant Golden Divine Dragon illusory phantom manifested.
Zhu Qing’s heart sped up inexplicably as she lifted her head and stared behind Yang Kai, but she saw nothing. She was dumbstruck, staring with her eyes widened.
However, because of this short moment of delay, her momentum decreased sharply.
Yang Kai immediately stretched out his dragon claw to grab her hand.
“Oh no!” The pretty face of Zhu Qing turned pale as she hurriedly tried to retreat, but it was too late as she was too close to Yang Kai. Yang Kai successfully caught her hand, and his dragon claw unleashed a mighty power, which made Zhu Qing feel pain, a sensation she rarely felt.
“Caught you!” There were Dragon Scales vaguely appearing on Yang Kai’s face, and his bearing changed greatly, becoming dreadfully overbearing.
“Let go of me!” Zhu Qing shouted as she punched Yang Kai’s chest with her other fist.
Yang Kai did not move, however, and simply allowed the punch to hit his chest directly, resulting in a metallic clang. Sparks flew and his chest sunk in somewhat. His body staggered a bit, but he still held Zhu Qing’s hand tightly in his grip.
Zhu Qing was dumbfounded as she did not expect that her strike to be so weak.
No, it wasn’t her punch that was weak, but Yang Kai who had grown stronger.
When she thought of punching again, Yang Kai suddenly reached out and grabbed her free arm. Both of her arms were restrained now, unable to budge. He held her so close to himself that there was only a finger’s length of distance between their faces now.
Hot breath met her face, sending tingles all over Zhu Qing’s body, making her feel extremely uncomfortable. Looking up, Yang Kai’s eyes were flashing an obscene light as he stared at her with clear lust.
Blood drained from Zhu Qing’s beautiful face instantly, unaware that she was bewitched by Yang Kai’s Dragon Transformation Secret Technique.
Yang Kai would not have had such a visceral reaction being in this proximity to Zhu Qing if she was an average person, but she was different, her very existence would definitely trigger him to release the most primitive carnal desire hidden in his heart.
Such was the draconic nature!
Perhaps Yang Kai did not realize it himself, but it was an instinct he could not resist.
Yang Kai did feel odd though as he was clearly determined to teach Zhu Qing a harsh lesson, but the feel of her in his arms and the scent of her bodily fragrance dissipated the hostility in his heart inexplicably. On the contrary, another feeling was boiling violently within him.
It was a feeling he had suppressed for years and had not had a chance to release, a man’s basic instinct.
Looking up and down at Zhu Qing with a scrutinizing gaze, Yang Kai secretly admired her extremely alluring figure. Her peaks were round and voluptuous, undulating like great mountains, and the dip of the front of her dress was simply dizzying, tantalizing his throbbing libido, drawing his eyes in like a whirlpool, making him unable to extricate himself.
The lingering scent made Yang Kai feel agitated as his blood began to boil.
He breathed in this scent deeply with an extremely intoxicated expression, lowering his head slightly as his scorching gaze moved down to the exposed delicate white skin.
The claws that grabbed Zhu Qing’s fist and arm were no longer satisfied with just this little contact and he began to stroke and caress his prisoner lightly. The soft and tender hands were just a wonder to his touch.
Two clearly distinguishable streaks of steam puffed from his nostrils that collided with Zhu Qing’s neck, sending her into a daze.
“Impudence!” Zhu Qing reprimanded in a frail squeal, her beautiful face losing all colour as she shouted. A trivial Human dared to gaze upon her with such presumptuous eyes? It was simply unforgivable! He needed to be cut into ten thousand pieces for this sin alone! However, what made Zhu Qing even more shocked was that she too was being affected by his aura.
If it was someone else, not to mention a First-Order Emperor Realm Master, her emotions would not have fluctuated at all even if she was held like this. However, she felt a subtle reaction from her body when she was bathed in Yang Kai’s aura.
She was horrified and furious.
Just what was happening?
As she struggled, her strong and powerful calf was quickly lifted, sending a knee flying mercilessly towards Yang Kai’s crotch.
It was a failed attempt, however, as Yang Kai’s legs immediately clamped down on the approaching thigh, leaving Zhu Qing unable to slip out from the brute force of his grip.
Zhu Qing’s legs couldn’t be considered slender, but they still had astonishing proportions. The muscles on her legs were supple but also firm, their feel invoking even more lust and desire in Yang Kai.
With both arms restrained and one leg clamped tight, Zhu Qing looked as though she was clinging on to Yang Kai, their posture as ambiguous and amorous as could be.
Especially when Yang Kai was half-naked in his torn robes, increasing the intimacy of their embrace significantly. Although there was not any skin-to-skin contact, only a thin layer of fabric separated them.
Zhu Qing’s expression changed again as panic finally flooded her beautiful face.
Yang Kai took a deep breath of her scent again, completely indulging in it while at the same time struggling to maintain his rationality, frowning deeply as he interrogated, “What did you do to me?”
He instinctively thought that his unstable mood was the result of some technique Zhu Qing used. He really did not expect that this woman not only had astonishing brute strength, but was also proficient in Charm Techniques.
He had no idea what she did to affect his latent desires.
This was truly an odd situation. Yang Kai had come into contact with a number of women who cultivated Beguiling Techniques, and each of them was coquettish and charming, but as for Zhu Qing, she did not seem to have cultivated any such technique.
Unable to express her discomfort when she heard this, Zhu Qing could only grit her teeth and threaten him, “What could I have done to you? Let go of me now, or I’ll kill you!”
Yang Kai flexed his arms, pulling her tightly towards him. At that moment, the two bodies closed the short distance between them to enter a tight embrace, and a pair of astonishingly soft mounds pressed up against Yang Kai’s chest.
Yang Kai clearly felt the two swells pressing against his chest, causing the rampant desires in his heart to rapidly expand.
Blowing gently on Zhu Qing’s delicate earlobes, Yang Kai whispered, “Do you know what playing with fire is?”
Zhu Qing was in a strange daze, and his voice sent a shudder through her body. Although she could not see her own face now, she was sure her ears were definitely scarlet.
Sure enough, Yang Kai pulled his head back slightly, staring at her earlobe with interest for a while before grinning, “So sensitive?”
Anger boiled within Zhu Qing out of embarrassment. She suppressed the discomfort in her heart and coldly glared at Yang Kai who was right in front of her and threatened again, “Let me go, otherwise there won’t be a single place for you to hide in the entire Star Boundary! I mean it!”
Yang Kai’s face turned cold as he raised his hand, grabbed her hair, and yanked back abruptly.
Zhu Qing shrieked as her body bent back involuntarily, revealing an expression of pain.
“Do I look like I’m joking with you?” Yang Kai’s face was full of hostility, as if he had become another person, “You provoked me one-sidedly, and wanted to kill me, now you dare to threaten me after I’ve captured you? You’re not dull in the head are you?”
“You brought this on yourself…” Zhu Qing gritted her teeth and closed her beautiful eyes slowly. When she opened them again, she let out a sudden dragon roar that resounded through the sky. Yang Kai could clearly see a huge fiery red dragon phantom manifest behind Zhu Qing. Immediately afterwards, Zhu Qing’s tender body was filled with the majesty of a dragon, and her long black hair suddenly turned a flaming red. Not only that, two small, delicate dragon horns appeared on top of her head.
After this change, Zhu Qing’s aura suddenly became extremely dangerous.
Yang Kai was stunned, but he quickly curled his lips and challenged, “A Dragon Source? I have one too!”
No wonder Yang Kai felt a little strange when he first saw Zhu Qing. He did not realize it at that time, but looking back now, he did feel an inexplicable sense of intimacy with her. However, Yang Kai was distracted by Zhu Qing’s overbearing attitude causing that inexplicable intimacy to quickly be replaced by disgust.
Only now did he realize that this intimacy was not an illusion, but rather because the other party also had a Dragon Source.
This made sense. This insane woman looked young, with a petite and exquisite figure, but possessed extraordinary power. Obviously, this was because she had a Dragon Source.
As Yang Kai finished speaking, his body trembled.
A high-pitched dragon roar pierced the Heavens as a huge Golden Divine Dragon phantom suddenly soared upwards and hovered behind Yang Kai. The house-sized dragon eyes were full of endless majesty as it stared at the land before it.
“Ancestral Dragon…” Zhu Qing’s aura froze as she stared blankly at the Golden Divine Dragon behind Yang Kai, a complex mixture of shock, fright, and joy filling her beautiful eyes.
As the Golden Divine Dragon stared down at her, Zhu Qing’s tender body trembled with an inexplicable sense of humility.
The next moment, the Golden Divine Dragon phantom returned to Yang Kai’s body and disappeared.
“What did you say?” Yang Kai frowned as an absurd feeling that he could easily kill Zhu Qing in front of him filled him after he pushed his Golden Divine Dragon Source Strength. This feeling was preposterous, but it was also completely doubtless, causing Yang Kai to not hear Zhu Qing’s mutterings in between his confusion.
Yang Kai was slightly stunned, because Zhu Qing’s aura, which had greatly risen upon the activation of her Dragon Source, immediately returned to normal. Her long red hair turned black again, as if her power was suppressed by an inexplicable force. Even the two dragon horns on her head disappeared.
Both of her glistening pupils stared blankly at Yang Kai, reflecting an indescribable emotion.
The blood inside his body tumbled and his breathing became heavier and heavier as Yang Kai gradually became unable to resist the evil thoughts in his heart.
With her staring at him with those watery eyes, and the combination of the warmth of their embrace, Yang Kai’s rationality finally shattered.
He bound her tightly with increasing strength as if he was trying to squeeze Zhu Qing into his body. Zhu Qing could not help choking as she clung to Yang Kai involuntarily.
He leaned down to capture her red lips, kissing her wantonly and domineeringly.
“Mmm… mmm…” Zhu Qing struggled, her eyes bulging as the shame of being violated enveloped her, a feeling she had never felt before. She fought hard to resist, but she could not even summon thirty percent of her strength under the natural suppression.
“Still playing hard to get at this time!” Yang Kai snorted coldly, clearly sensing that Zhu Qing’s strength had decreased greatly from before, concluding that she was using some profound Beguiling Technique to seduce him, otherwise, why was he unable to suppress his own carnal desires as a First-Order Emperor Realm Master?
[Since you want to play with fire, then this Young Master will grant your wish! We’ll see who has the advantage when this is all over!]
The red lips of the woman in front of him were extremely hot, like living flames, giving Yang Kai an unimaginable joyful experience. In the short moment when Zhu Qing lost focus, he took advantage of an opening and forced his tongue into her mouth, capturing her little tongue, sucking on it greedily.
Unsatisfied, Yang Kai released her hands and took her waist from behind with one hand, moving it down to her round bottom, kneading it as he pleased. His other hand reached up and grasped hold of her other softness, massaging the peak he grasped vigorously.
Having her hands released from his restraint, Zhu Qing fought back, but she was unable to exert even a third of her full strength. She hammered Yang Kai repeatedlypowerful but still failed to stop his rampant violation. On the contrary, this action only aroused his fierceness and thirst.
Gradually, her resistance became weaker, and the natural instincts that were suppressed in her bones gradually surfaced. Zhu Qing circled her arms and embraced Yang Kai, her nails dragging across his bare back, leaving trails of blood as a strange moan leaked from her lips.
A crystal clear tear formed from both joy and pain silently rolled down from the corner of her eye across her cheek as the clash between her instincts and her rational mind left her at a complete loss.
“Will anything happen to Young Master Yang? That woman doesn’t seem to be someone we should get involved with,” Ye Jing Han asked with a worried face. Her heart raced when she recalled the scene in front of the City Lord’s Mansion.
“Since Brother Yang took the initiative to lead her out, he definitely has a plan.” Although saying so, Du Xian was uncertain too and looked at Ying Fei with a querying look.
Ying Fei said nothing, but a vague trace of worry could be seen on his cold face.
Ye Jing Han and Du Xian were just Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivators, so they could not understand just how terrifying that young woman really was, but as a Monster King, he naturally understood the astonishing strength she possessed.
Her performance in front of the City Lord’s Mansion was just a fraction of her true strength. If she really went all out, Ying Fei was not sure if he could defeat her.
Yang Kai was strong, but he was still just a First-Order Emperor after all.
Therefore, even though Yang Kai told them not to follow, Ying Fei still decided to chase after him in case of an accident.
As they traced the aura left by Yang Kai, Ying Fei was sure that he was moving in the right direction. After entering the mountains, there were traces of battle everywhere, with the surrounding terrain broken, trees felled, mountains flattened, and the stench of blood filling the air, showcasing the ferocity of the fight which had taken place here.
Ying Fei could not help frowning, secretly praying that Yang Kai would be alright.
After sniffing with his nose to determine the direction, Ying Fei wrapped Ye Jing Han and Du Xian with his Monster Qi and rushed off in a certain direction.
After a short moment, Du Xian suddenly pointed his finger, “Over there.”
Despite there being several dozen kilometres between them, Du Xian could keenly see that there were two people on the ground over there. He had no clue what was happening at the moment, but he could see that the fight had seemingly come to an end. In fact, what he vaguely saw was two people closely entangled together, like they were wrestling.
Ying Fei narrowed his eyes and immediately flew over.
Although it was several dozen kilometres, it only took them a blink of an eye to arrive.
“Young Master Yang!” Ying Fei cried out, but as soon as he spoke, his jaw dropped at the scene on the ground in front of him, dumbstruck.
Ye Jing Han and Du Xian were stunned too, their expressions gradually turning awkward.
There were traces of battle the whole way here, so although they did not witness the fight themselves, they could tell just how fierce the conflict had been and had been deeply worried for Yang Kai. However, this scene in front of them totally confused them.
Yang Kai and the young woman were tightly embracing each other on the ground. Yang Kai’s upper body was practically naked as he pressed his body onto the young woman, his hands roaming all over her body. On the other hand, the young woman was embracing Yang Kai too, her nails leaving deep bloody trails on his back. The three observers could not tell whether the noises these two were making were sounds of joy or of suffering, confusing and embarrassing them at the same time.
“This…” Ying Fei was speechless as deep down inside his heart he was screaming, [What the hell happened!?]
“Don’t look, don’t look!” Du Xian hurriedly covered Ye Jing Han’s eyes, but he continued watching attentively without even blinking his own.
Ye Jing Han blushed and shoved Du Xian’s hand away angrily, then pulled his ear and dragged him away.
Du Xian forced a smile to conceal his embarrassment.
“Let’s leave!” Monster King Ying Fei immediately reacted to the situation and said to Du Xian and Ye Jing Han before they quickly turned around and returned along the way they came.
Although they did not know what happened, they were sure that Yang Kai’s life was not in danger. Instead, he seemed to have completely ‘subdued’ the rude young woman, so Ying Fei did not feel right to disturb Yang Kai’s business with their presence.
Unfortunately, the arrival of the three still attracted the attention of Yang Kai and Zhu Qing.
Zhu Qing, who was in an intoxicated state as her instincts ran rampant after her strength experienced a bloodline suppression, suddenly regained a trace of sense in her mind and gave a hard bite.
“Ssii…” Yang Kai took a sharp breath as he felt his tongue almost get bitten off, hurriedly lifting his head up to protect himself.
Zhu Qing put her hands on his chest to block him, opening a distance between them. She was gasping for air, her face red, “Enough!” She retorted coldly with her lingering flustered face.
Yang Kai was amused by her look, he smiled faintly, “Not enough.”
Zhu Qing was irritated, “Don’t think you can act as you please!” She swept her eyes over Yang Kai, staring at his big hand that was still massaging her peaks and snapped, “Take your dirty hands off of me!”
Yang Kai shrugged his shoulders and squeezed hard, causing Zhu Qing to furrow her brow in pain. Only then did he stand up with a flip.
He also wasn’t shameless enough to continue their ‘activity’ after being spotted by Ying Fei and the others. However, after this activity, he felt that he had vented a lot of the fire in his body. Even though he still felt uncomfortable as he held back, he did not want to continue forcing the reluctant Zhu Qing.
After getting out of Yang Kai’s control, Zhu Qing quickly jumped up and put a thousand meters between her and Yang Kai. Then, she stared at him coldly, mixed feelings flashing across her beautiful eyes.
She only created trouble for Yang Kai because she sensed that Yang Kai had refined some things he absolutely should not have, but she could not believe that she was the one who suffered a big loss in the end.
The feeling of being frivolously molested still remained, making her extremely uncomfortable.
“First time?” Yang Kai asked without lifting his head, ripping off his ragged clothes and putting on another new set.
He did not understand. Since Zhu Qing seemed to have cultivated a powerful Charm Technique and did not hesitate to serve herself to the tiger, how could this possibly be her first time? However, the inexperience she displayed did not seem to be fake.
Yang Kai started to think that Zhu Qing did not actually cultivate any kind of Beguiling Technique. When he recalled his past uncontrollable actions, it seemed that it happened not because he was affected by something she did, but rather by some kind of primal instinct in his own body.
[Do I crave for women to such a degree? I don’t think so…]
“What?” Zhu Qing was puzzled, but soon, she understood what Yang Kai meant and rebuked with her face flushed red again, “None of your damn business!”
“Do you want me to take responsibility then?” Yang Kai winked at her, at the same time secretly circulating his Emperor Qi to gradually calm his rampaging emotions.
“Scram!” Zhu Qing was infuriated, “This isn’t over yet, just you wait!” Then, she turned around and flew away.
“Thank you for your patronage, you’re welcome to come again next time!”
Zhu Qing staggered and nearly fell from the air while Yang Kai’s unbridled laughter that came from behind made her feel even more ashamed.
After flying for a while, she saw the Monster King standing to the side with two weak Humans. When the Monster King saw her, he nodded at her with a smile, as if they knew each other very well.
If it had been before, she would have smashed him with her fist, but now that she had been seen in such a shameful situation, Zhu Qing was too embarrassed to face Ying Fei and instantly turned her tender body into a stream of light as she disappeared across the horizon.
“Young Master Yang is blessed,” Ying Fei raised his brow as he looked at Zhu Qing’s flying figure.
Although the young woman was a little rude, she was incredibly strong and desirable. He had no clue what amazing methods Yang Kai used that could take her down in such a time. As a man, Ying Fei had a deep admiration and respect for Yang Kai.
“En!” Du Xian agreed.
Ye Jing Han glanced sideways at him and snorted, “Why do I smell a sour smell?”
Du Xian was shocked and quickly flattered her with a smile, “No, no, no, that kind of woman doesn’t even deserve to carry Junior Sister’s shoes! In Senior Brother’s eyes, there is only Junior Sister in this world.”
Ye Jing Han shivered and rubbed her arm, “Okay, okay, you’re giving me the creeps.”
The corner of Du Xian’s mouth twitched as he shook his head and sighed.
“Didn’t I tell you all not to come?” Yang Kai’s figure suddenly flew over in front of Ying Fei.
Ying Fei answered embarrassingly, “I wanted to help Young Master Yang at first, but if I had known this was going to happen, I wouldn’t have come. Young Master Yang, please forgive me.”
If he did not lead Ye Jing Han and Du Xian into Yang Kai and Zhu Qing’s business, they might not have separated so soon. With a bit more time, the peanuts would have been shelled and the rice would have been cooked.
Ying Fei felt guilty about it.
“No harm,” Yang Kai waved his hand and stared towards the horizon.
The incident today was indeed weird. Zhu Qing just came up to find trouble with him for no apparent reason, then he ended up rolling around with her, doing some intense physical activity. It was just like an absurd dream that came and went without leaving traces.
There even seemed to be a wisp of residual fragrance when he licked his lips.
“Young Master Yang, where did the young woman… come from?” Ying Fei asked carefully.
Such a powerful young woman definitely had a strong background. If Yang Kai could obtain her, she would be of great assistance to him.
“I don’t know,” Yang Kai shook his head. Although he engaged in close physical contact with Zhu Qing, he only got to know her name and had no clue about her origins.
“Young Master Yang is impressive!” Ying Fei could not help admiring him even more as he just won over the young woman without even knowing her identity. He was simply a model among men, a shining beacon for this generation.
“Haha, I can’t help it if I’m so charming.” Yang Kai burst into laughter.
Ye Jing Han immediately tossed him a disdainful look.
…..
Inside an inn in Flowing Shadow City.
Zhu Qing quickly entered her room and activated the various isolation barriers before she sat down on the bed in a daze. Today, she went out for wool and came home shorn. It was the greatest shame of her life, a stain she would never be able to wash off. But when she thought about the Ancestral Dragon Source inside Yang Kai’s body, she relaxed quite a bit.
That kind of natural suppression was not something she could resist or withstand.
Luckily, she was not completely deluded under its influence and ultimately got away.
This situation involved too many complicated matters and it was no longer something she could handle at will.
After pondering for a while, Zhu Qing took a deep breath to calm her chaotic mind then took out a jade token from her Space Ring. The jade token had a vivid and lifelike dragon carved onto it. Looking at it, it was like a giant dragon pouncing forward.
Zhu Qing put her finger into her mouth and bit her fingertip, drawing a drop of blood that strangely burned like a flame.
The drop of burning blood disappeared into the jade token and it turned a bright red.
Suddenly, the dragon eyes on the token quivered and an aura as deep as the sea fell upon the room.
“Elder!” Zhu Qing greeted the jade token with a solemn face.
“Any news?” An old man’s voice came out of the jade token, one filled with dignity so strong that it stiffened Zhu Qing’s whole body from just hearing it.
“No,” Zhu Qing quickly answered.
“If that’s the case, why did you use the Dragon Talisman?”
Zhu Qing replied, “I saw the Ancestral Dragon Source.”
As soon as she said this, the light on the Dragon Talisman suddenly blinked and the old voice asked hastily, “What did you just say?”
Zhu Qing took a deep breath and replied, “I saw the Ancestral Dragon Source.”
“Is this true?” The old voice suddenly became extremely excited.
“Yes!” Zhu Qing nodded, “I saw it with my own eyes, I can’t be wrong.”
“Where did you see it? When did you see it… Hurry up, tell me everything you know.”
Zhu Qing explained what happened after she met Yang Kai today, but she concealed the fact that Yang Kai had taken advantage of her in the middle of their fight. She was a woman, after all, so it was simply too shameless and unbearable for her to even mention it.
Zhu Qing itched with hatred whenever she recalled Yang Kai’s assault. She never thought that her first contact with a man would happen like that.
After listening, the dragon eyes on the Dragon Talisman twinkled and it took a while before the old voice said, “If he could easily suppress your Source Strength, and it was a pure golden colour, it really must be the Ancestral Dragon Source!”
The old voice was incredibly enthusiastic, as if he had encountered something that made him extremely excited, he paused and confirmed with her, “Are you sure that person is a Human?”
“Yes.” Zhu Qing replied, “But he seems to have refined a few dragon artifacts and understood some simple Dragon Transformation Secret Techniques.”
The old voice commented, “Since he has obtained the Ancestral Dragon Source, it’s not strange to have refined several dragon artifacts.”
“Elder, the Ancestral Dragon Source is a big deal, should I… bring him back to the island?” Zhu Qing asked.
The old voice quipped, “Do you think you are capable of that?”
Zhu Qing was speechless.
It was true that Yang Kai only had a First-Order Emperor Realm cultivation, and that she could easily crush an ordinary First-Order Emperor at will, but the Ancestral Dragon Source in his body had too great a suppressive effect on her. The previous battle with Yang Kai had proved this point. She was subdued by Yang Kai even before she could exert half of her strength. To deal with such a person, unless an Elder personally took action, no one could resist the Ancestral Dragon Source’s suppression.
“Then what should I do?” Zhu Qing frowned. The Ancestral Dragon Source was a unique treasure that her clan had been seeking for tens of thousands of years, how could she ignore it now that she finally found it?
The Dragon Talisman was silent for a long time before the old voice decided, “Follow him and try to establish a friendly relationship with him. When the opportunity is right, invite him to the island as a guest.”
“Befriend him?” Zhu Qing’s face went blank, frowning, “He’s just a trivial Human, what qualifications does he have…”
“The Ancestral Dragon Source is his qualification,” The old voice interrupted her without waiting for Zhu Qing to finish speaking. There was an absolution in his tone accompanied by a trace of anger as he asked, “Are you questioning me?”
Zhu Qing’s body trembled, and she lowered her head in submission, “Zhu Qing dares not.”
“En,” the old voice said gruffly, “You must invite him back to the island no matter the price.”
“Then… My task…” Zhu Qing asked hesitantly.
“Continue to investigate, but don’t force the issue,” the old voice replied shortly. Compared to the emergence of the Ancestral Dragon Source Strength, Zhu Qing’s original mission was nothing. It was just a token after all.
“Yes!” Zhu Qing nodded respectfully.
The light in the dragon eyes on the Dragon Talisman gradually dimmed while its deep aura also dissipated slowly. Zhu Qing put it away, frowned, and sat on the edge of the bed feeling upset.
She was violated by Yang Kai, so there was nothing Zhu Qing would like more than to rip him into ten thousand pieces to resolve the hatred in her heart, but her Elder’s order now was to try her best to befriend him…
[Why should this Queen humble herself to make acquaintances with this trivial, lowly Human? It’s too shameful!]
Warm and Inviting Inn, the largest inn in Flowing Shadow City, was the property of Flowing Shadow Sword Sect.
Yang Kai arrived at this inn and after booking a few rooms upstairs, went to the hall downstairs to have a meal.
With his cultivation, there was no need for eating anymore. His body could subsist on the ambient World Energy, but the occasional consumption of food was still somewhat enjoyable.
Ye Jing Han and Du Xian had been a little sad and worried, and Yang Kai did not know how to cheer them up other than comforting their sorrows with the company of wine.
Jugs of alcohol were served, all of which Ye Jing Han drank so enthusiastically that she soon became inebriated and fell asleep in Du Xian’s arms.
Du Xian cast an apologetic look at Yang Kai to which the latter just waved his hand lightly, asking the former to take Ye Jing Han to rest.
Only Yang Kai and Ying Fei were left at the table now.
After three rounds of drinks, Yang Kai suddenly recalled, “Ying Fei, that woman said her name is Zhu Qing. Does it ring any bells to you?”
He suddenly recalled that when Zhu Qing announced her name, she followed up with a strange question about her surname. Yang Kai did not think much about it at the time, but it seemed to have a significant meaning now that he pondered upon it.
Yang Kai thought a lot about it, but still had no ideas. Although Ying Fei lived in the Ancient Wild Lands, he had been cultivating for a long time and had far vaster experiences than Yang Kai, so he just might have some clues.
At the very least, he had to figure out Zhu Qing’s origin.
Yang Kai did not think that such a woman would give up easily, and she did leave some harsh threats right before she flew off.
The wine cup in Ying Fei’s hand halted abruptly as he stared at Yang Kai with wide eagle eyes, asking, “Did you just say… her name was Zhu Qing?”
“What is it?” Yang Kai looked at Ying Fei’s unusually large reaction suspiciously.
It took a while before the shock on Ying Fei’s face receded. He took a gulp of wine before replying solemnly, “On the East Sea’s Dragon Island, the Great Elder of the Dragon Clan is called Zhu Yan.”
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes and asked sternly, “Does Monster King mean that… She’s from the Dragon Clan?”
Ying Fei answered, “It’s just a guess, I’m not sure. But back then, Zhu Qing said something about me saying a certain word and threatening to kill me if I said it again. I thought about it at the time and couldn’t figure out what word violated her bottom line, but now it seems that there is indeed one word that could enrage her.”
“Which word?” Yang Kai asked.
Ying Fei inquired, “Does Young Master Yang still remember what I said at the time?”
Yang Kai pondered for a while, then grinned, “You said I was handsome and exceptionally talented, truly a…” He stopped suddenly before saying, “So that’s it.”
Ying Fei also nodded and explained, “If she is really a member of the Dragon Clan, it all makes sense. The Dragon Clan has always been savage, and never gives any respect to other Divine Spirits, let alone Monster Race cultivators like me. The word I used to praise Young Master Yang would definitely irritate her.”
At this point, Ying Fei’s face turned pale from fear. Although he was a Monster King, the other party was a Divine Spirit.
[No wonder, no wonder she’s so strong. The Dragon Clan’s strength has always been unrivalled. No wonder I couldn’t see through her cultivation.]
It turned out that Zhu Qing was actually a Dragon Clan member!
Considering all this, his admiration for Yang Kai deepened even more.
[That was a member of the Dragon Clan! What method did Young Master Yang use to get her to yield within such a short time, even allowing him to take advantage of her? On the other hand, the other party didn’t seem to have much intention of resisting. If I hadn’t barged in uninvited, I’m afraid even little dragons could have been conceived.]
How could something like this happen?
The Dragon Clan was arrogant and always regarded themselves as the head of all living creatures. No other race could enter their eyes, let alone a humble Human.
How could Zhu Qing, a True Dragon, endure being violated by a mere Human?
“Young Master Yang, could you also be… from the Dragon Clan?” An idea suddenly came to Ying Fei. It seemed that only being a Dragon himself could explain all the incredible things Yang Kai had done.
Only a Dragon could make another Dragon yield!
Yang Kai guffawed loudly, and patted his own chest, “I’m Human!”
Ying Fei smiled bitterly, not knowing whether to believe it or not.
“Excuse me… Is Your Excellency… Yang Kai… Senior Yang?”
At this moment, a middle-aged man suddenly approached the table, trembling with his head lowered.
Ying Fei glanced at him and found that this guy was just a First-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, and did not pay much attention to him. However, even just a casual glance from Ying Fei was enough for this man to fall to his knees and exclaim, “Senior, mercy! This lowly one is just here to deliver a letter!”
Although Yang Kai acted extremely presumptuously in Flowing Shadow City, it had not garnered much real attention, but when Ying Fei later exposed his identity and cultivation, everyone was appalled at the fact that he was an authentic Monster King.
At this moment, this middle-aged man was not as very afraid of Yang Kai as he was afraid of Ying Fei.
“No one wants your life!” Yang Kai glanced at him then raised his chin slightly, “What letter is it?”
The middle-aged man scanned Ying Fei quietly and only took a deep breath when he confirmed that the latter was not looking at him anymore. He reached into his robes and took out a gilded note before handing it to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai took a look at the page then grinned, “An invitation?”
The middle-aged man nodded repeatedly, “Exactly.”
“Who told you to deliver this?” Yang Kai questioned.
“It was…” The middle-aged man was about to answer, but his eyes suddenly became blank. He tried to recall but could not remember, even feeling a splitting headache coming on.
“Young Master Yang, someone erased his memory with some kind of technique,” Ying Fei’s eyes flashed when he saw this.
Yang Kai nodded lightly and with a sweep of his sleeve, sent the middle-aged man out the door. Since someone had removed the messenger’s memories, it did not make sense to ask anymore as he probably would not be able to get any answers.
Taking a closer look at the invitation card in his hand, Yang Kai could not help raising his brow.
“Young Master Yang, what invitation is it?” Ying Fei asked.
Yang Kai handed the card over casually as he took a sip from his cup and stated, “It looks like someone is getting impatient.”
“Is this an invitation to the auction?” Ying Fei frowned after reading the contents of the card.
They came to Flowing Shadow City this time just for this auction, but Yang Kai did not expect someone to take the initiative to invite him there before he had done anything, as if afraid he wasn’t aware the auction was even taking place.
“Young Master Yang, this is a trap, a dangerous one at that.”
Ying Fei had exposed his identity and cultivation in public today, and the person hiding in the darkness still dared to send an initiation to Yang Kai. There was no doubt that they had found a way to counter him, a Monster King, otherwise, the hidden party would not be acting so confidently.
“I’m not a fool, how can I not see such an obvious thing?” Yang Kai smiled slightly.
“Do you want to summon Old Rhino and Wu Wei too?” Ying Fei asked via Divine Sense.
Since the unknown enemy had taken Ying Fei’s presence into account, his plan must be well-thought-out; however, no matter how many things this mastermind had taken into account, he would not be aware of the existence of Xi Lei and Xie Wu Wei.
Yang Kai just needed to set up a Space Array and summon the two Monster Kings from the Northern Territory. All schemes and tricks would be in vain in the face of absolute strength.
Moreover, Yang Kai was completely capable of doing this. Now that there was still some time before the auction, Yang Kai could arrange a Space Array in a discrete location and bring the two Monsters Kings over here without anyone knowing.
After some deep thought though, Yang Kai slowly shook his head, “No need.”
First, he did not have many Space Spirit Crystals and Space Spirit Jades on hand, so he did not want to waste them. Second, if he really summoned two Monster Kings over, it might alarm the enemy; after all, they entered Flowing Shadow City in a group of four, so if their group suddenly increased by two, everyone would find it suspicious.
Yang Kai actually considered hiding Xi Lei and Xie Wu Wei inside his Sealed World Bead, but it was better not to reveal its existence to too many people.
Since Yang Kai had decided, Ying Fei did not try to persuade him of anything. He just secretly made up his mind to keep Yang Kai safe no matter what happened.
“Come, follow me for a walk!” Yang Kai dropped a few Source Crystals to pay for the food and drinks, then walked out of the inn with Ying Fei.
Before coming to Flowing Shadow City, Yang Kai already vaguely felt that the auction was a conspiracy. It seemed that someone had deliberately set a trap and was waiting for their target to take the bait.
After he reached Flowing Shadow City and met the Sect Master of Flowing Shadow Sword Sect, Yang Kai felt more certain that his guess was likely true.
And now, he abruptly received an invitation to the auction, which made him wonder whether he was the target of this conspiracy since the beginning.
Yang Kai didn’t understand why this was happening, but he didn’t plan on simply following the other party’s script.
Since the auction would be held in Flowing Shadow City, it was reasonable that the items to be auctioned would be in Flowing Shadow City. Therefore, he wanted to check if Ai Ou and the rest were here. If so, he could just snatch them back directly.
While walking around, Yang Kai released his powerful Divine Sense to cover the surroundings like a tide while keeping as low a profile as possible.
He was very familiar with the aura of Ai Ou and the others, so he would certainly notice them if they were really in Flowing Shadow City.
But after half a day, Yang Kai could only sigh. Sure enough, the enemy was not foolish enough to keep his bargaining chips out in the open.
Yang Kai brought Ying Fei back to Warm and Inviting Inn.
The attendant of the inn came up to Yang Kai and informed, “Sir, a guest is waiting for you.”
“Who?” Yang Kai was surprised.
He did not know anyone in this Flowing Shadow City, so he was completely confused.
“It’s a woman.” The attendant showed a smug face, “She is now waiting in front of your room.”
Yang Kai furrowed his brow and released his Divine Sense to check, immediately discovering who was waiting for him. He murmured to himself as he could not help feeling a bit shocked, “How could it be her?”
Without a doubt, Ying Fei realized too and whispered, “Young Master Yang, be careful. This woman is not easy to deal with.”
“En, I know,” Yang Kai nodded. He had no clue about her background before, but after learning her origin and identity, Yang Kai did not dare to underestimate her anymore.
After tipping the attendant with some Source Crystals, Yang Kai strode upstairs.
A petite and exquisite young woman was pacing back and forth outside a room, mumbling to herself incessantly with an impatient expression. It seemed that she was a bit distracted and did not even realize that the Divine Senses of Yang Kai and Ying Fei had scanned her just now.
It was not until the sound of footsteps came from nearby that the woman suddenly stopped and looked up.
At first glance, a face captured her eyes, one so hateful that all she wanted to do was smash it in with her fist.
“Qing’er, are you here to find me?” Yang Kai looked at Zhu Qing with a grin and walked towards her step by step.
Zhu Qing’s face darkened as she asked in a frigid tone, “What did you just call me?”
[Impudence! How dare a trivial Human address me so informally!]
Ying Fei was speechless too, secretly admiring Yang Kai’s courage to provoke her even after knowing she was from the Dragon Clan. Still, he silently circulated his Monster Qi and prepared to fight at any moment. Although he did not want to make enemies with a member of the Dragon Clan, Yang Kai’s safety was his top priority now.
“Why so cold? I prefer how you looked before,” Yang Kai stood in front of her and looked at her with a smirk, his eyes sweeping across the bulge of her dress.
Being scanned by his obscene gaze, Zhu Qing could not help shivering. The feeling of being taken advantage of before struck her again. She was embarrassed and annoyed, immediately raising her fist to strike at Yang Kai’s face fiercely.
However, she instantly regretted her actions. Her Elder had ordered her to build a good relationship with Yang Kai, and then invite him to visit the island. Was not the reason for this trip here to put an end to their war and make peace? How could she forget her purpose so easily and act so recklessly?
She rapidly withdrew seventy percent of her strength.
Her fist was caught by a big hand, one that immediately began caressing her smooth fingers gently.
A strange tingle crawled across her body as Zhu Qing yelled with her face flushed red, “Let go!”
[I shouldn’t have held back my strength. I should have just smashed this hateful face with that punch just now!] While grumbling to herself, she swung another small fist towards Yang Kai, as if she wanted to fight him to the death.
“Good, good, good, I’ll let go. Don’t be so sensitive,” Yang Kai said despite continuing to rub her hand a bit longer, seemingly reluctant to let go.
Zhu Qing quickly jumped back to keep some distance from Yang Kai, her twin peaks bouncing noticeably as she landed. She furiously shook her little hand that was touched by Yang Kai, like she was trying to shake off something unclean.
Ying Fei, standing to the side, was drenched in cold sweat by now. He almost made a move when Zhu Qing attacked, but fortunately, he realized that Zhu Qing had withdrawn some of her strength at the last moment. Nevertheless, he was confused at Zhu Qing’s actions.
[What is she… doing?]
[Did she really fall in love with Young Master Yang? Otherwise, why did she withdraw her strength even when she was so angry? By the looks of it, she doesn’t seem to like Young Master Yang. In fact, from her attitude it’s like she can’t wait to kill him.]
Ying Fei was bewildered.
On the other hand, Yang Kai was snickering, his laugh sounding creepy and lewd. He took out the room token to unlock it before pushing open the door and leaning against the frame, “Let’s talk inside if you have anything to say.”
He had no clue why Zhu Qing came to him, but since she was here, it must be something important. Yang Kai was not afraid that she would get cold feet, for she was a proud Dragon after all.
A pair of beautiful eyes glared at Yang Kai with hatred, their piercing gaze seemingly wanting to slice Yang Kai a thousand times over, but she remained frozen on the spot.
Yang Kai continued to smile from ear to ear without urging her.
The scornful smile undoubtedly provoked Zhu Qing’s pride and soon she grit her teeth and swiftly entered the room.
“Bold indeed!” Yang Kai grinned, thinking that since she had thrown herself into his arms, she could not blame him if he did anything to her.
Yang Kai turned around and wanted to close the door.
Ying Fei blocked it from closing though as he seemed to want to follow inside, “Young Master Yang, I…” He stared at Yang Kai with his eyes widened.
“Get… out!” Yang Kai curled his lips then slammed the door, almost flattening Ying Fei’s nose.
“Young Master Yang, you…” Ying Fei was deeply worried and yelled, “Indulging in your lust is equivalent to hanging a knife upon your head! Young Master Yang, don’t become beguiled by beauty!”
There was no response from the room, making Ying Fei feel like a cat on a hot tin roof. Du Xian heard their movements from outside and poked his head out of his room, asking, “Sir, what happened?”
“Nothing!” Ying Fei replied angrily. He was anxious, but he did not dare to break in.
But on second thought, since Yang Kai could subdue Zhu Qing last time, logically, he would not be in big danger this time. Furthermore, Zhu Qing did not release any murderous intent from the beginning, making Ying Fei feel like he was just being paranoid.
Inside the room, Yang Kai turned around and hugged Zhu Qing’s waist. He leaned his head on her shoulder, gently sniffing her intoxicating fragrance as he nuzzled her white neck and whispered, “Qing’er, did you miss me so soon?”
Zhu Qing’s whole body stiffened in an instant. She did not expect Yang Kai to be bold enough to take advantage of her as soon as they were alone, leaving her no time to react. Infuriated, she snapped, “Take your dirty hands off of me!”
Yang Kai ignored her and instead gently bit Zhu Qing’s earlobe.
The heart inside her tender body jumped, followed by a reverse headbutt.
Yang Kai fell to the ground with a bang, stars floating in front of his eyes as two streams of Golden Blood flowed out of his nostrils.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Zhu Qing immediately leapt away and stood at the corner of the room. She glared at him with her teeth gritted, rebuking, “Please show some propriety!”
Yang Kai stretched out his arm and wiped the blood off his face. The pain that he felt actually calmed down his agitated mood a little. He looked at Zhu Qing, and sneered, “I can’t believe that someone from the noble Dragon Clan would actually cultivate a Charm Technique!”
Zhu Qing frowned, “What are you talking about? Since when did I cultivate a Charm Technique?”
Yang Kai snorted, “If you didn’t use some kind of Beguiling Technique on me, why would this Young Master be unable to control himself as soon as he sees you?”
“You were simply born obscene. Can you blame me for that?” Zhu Qing felt deeply wronged by his accusation. [Can a dog eat shit then blame that shit for tempting it because it smelt too good? Nonsense! Wait, how can I think like this? Isn’t this reference just degrading myself!?]
“Bullshit!” Yang Kai curled his lips, “Although this Young Master is not a gentleman, he is still able to remain perfectly calm even if a woman sits on his lap of her own free will. Since when am I obscene?”
Zhu Qing sneered, “Your actions are frivolous and dissolute, what could you be if not obscene?”
Yang Kai stared at her for a while, then he waved his hand, “Forget it, good men don’t argue with women.”
He took a deep breath and silently circulated his Secret Art to suppress the fires in his heart, then he looked up and questioned, “So, why did you find me? Don’t tell me you fell in love with me at first sight! Although I’m also a responsible man, I won’t force it if you don’t want to.”
Zhu Qing snickered, “Are you always this full of yourself?”
Yang Kai answered unmindfully, “I wonder who it was that embraced this Young Master so tight last time. Her strength was so strong that the nail marks she left on this Young Master’s back are still here. Oh right, that’s because she is a true dragoness… “
“Shut your mouth!” Zhu Qing could not help becoming angry out of shame. She stomped her foot fiercely, causing the whole inn to shake as if it was about to collapse from her brute strength.
The previous incident was simply the biggest humiliation of her life, and Yang Kai just could not stop touching the trigger.
After taking a deep breath, Zhu Qing chanted to herself, [Don’t be mad, don’t be mad. Focus on the bigger picture, for my clan, my sacrifice is nothing worth mentioning…]
It took her a while to finally calm down and look at Yang Kai, “So, now you know that I am from the Dragon Clan?”
Yang Kai looked at her with a calm smile, but there was actually a great storm whirling around inside his head. Previously, when he discussed this with Ying Fei, even though they guessed that Zhu Qing might be from the Dragon Clan, it was still just a guess.
Now that she took the initiative to admit it, Yang Kai was still shocked even though he was prepared for it…
The Dragon Clan held itself as the ruler of all living beings. Although the title seemed to be self-proclaimed, it was indeed not far from the truth.
In Ancient Times, Dragons and Phoenixes were the most powerful and respected among all the Divine Spirits! Whereas now when most of the Divine Spirits were extinct, the Dragon Clan was still living and thriving in the East Sea.
It could be said that this powerful race had witnessed the myriad ages of the world itself, experiencing the full passage of time from primordial to present. The Dragon Clan was not just a name, but also a symbol of inheritance and power!
Because Yang Kai possessed the Golden Divine Dragon Source in his body, he did not feel any intimidation or fear in the face of Zhu Qing, a living Dragon, but rather an inexplicable affection.
This affection quickly turned into greed and covetousness though as thoughts of subduing this Dragon Girl and making her his woman raced through this mind… What else could a man ask for with a life like this?
“How did you know?” Zhu Qing asked again.
Yang Kai smiled slightly, rubbing his fingers, and replied, “This Young Master is proficient in the art of divination, I could tell with a simple look…”
Zhu Qing glared at him furiously, thinking only a ghost would believe such a liar, but she did expose a lot of information when she was fighting with Yang Kai before, so it was not surprising that he had guessed her identity.
“It’s fine if you know, but I ask you to keep this information to yourself; after all, the identity of a Dragon Clan member is a bit too… shocking.” Zhu Qing looked at Yang Kai sincerely.
Although it was rumoured that Dragon Island was situated somewhere on the East Sea in the Eastern Territory, and many Dragons were living there, this was just a rumour after all and the world at large did not know anything about them. If a living Dragon Girl suddenly appeared in public, it would inevitably bring an unimaginable shock.
“No problem,” Yang Kai responded readily. “I am not someone who likes running their mouth.”
Zhu Qing expressed gratitude, thinking that this person could be a good person when conversed with properly. Perhaps she had been too biased, making him appear annoying and displeasing no matter what he did, but it was time to change her opinion of him.
“But what can you give me in return?” Yang Kai’s tone changed, and the aggressive gaze once again scanned over the sensitive parts of Zhu Qing’s body, like a dozen big hands trying to strip her naked.
Zhu Qing took a deep breath as she slowly closed her eyes, her body trembling slightly.
[I’m so naive to think that this person could be good!]
“What… do… you… want… in… return!” Zhu Qing opened her eyes, grinding her teeth as she uttered each word with fury, becoming increasingly infuriated the more she looked at his disgusting face.
“It depends on what you can give me,” Yang Kai rested his cheek on his palm, remaining calm and composed.
Yang Kai instinctually felt that there was something wrong with him today. The long-forgotten desires that he had been suppressing began boiling incessantly ever since he met Zhu Qing. Such feelings disappeared after separating from her, but they returned again now, especially when they were both alone in this room. The thrill of playing with fire was quite irresistible despite him continuously warning himself to not provoke this Dragon Girl.
Zhu Qing stared at him deeply, and it took a long time before she lightly opened her crimson lips and uttered, “… friends…”
“Huh?” Yang Kai looked at her, flabbergasted.
Zhu Qing inhaled gently, and repeated, “I said, I can be friends with you.”
Although the tone was plain, the unconcealable arrogance between her brow was saying that this matter was a Heaven-sent opportunity for him.
Yang Kai was stunned on the spot, just staring at her blankly.
Zhu Qing did not avoid his gaze, but frowned when Yang Kai did not respond after a long time, “Did you hear what I…”
“Hahahaha!” Yang Kai burst into laughter, slapping his thigh vigorously.
Zhu Qing was irritated, “What are you laughing at?”
Yang Kai stopped laughing, and looked at Zhu Qing mockingly, “The arrogance of the Dragon Clan is worthy of its reputation.”
Zhu Qing sneered slightly, “Better than the cunning Humans.”
Yang Kai pondered for a moment, and nodded, “En, what you said is right. Humans are indeed very cunning, and no one can deny that, but you said you want to be friends with me. Do you know… what a friend is?”
Zhu Qing replied proudly, “I don’t need to know.”
Yang Kai shook his head slowly, and looked at her, guessing, “You have no friends, right?”
[What kind of friends does a Dragon need?] Zhu Qing sneered in her heart, her face showing disdain, but suddenly realized that Yang Kai’s expression had a hint of pity and sympathy, suddenly making her feel annoyed. How dare a trivial Human look at her with this expression? Her slender fingers twitched, trying hard to suppress the idea of gouging his eyeballs out.
That was because she was not his opponent, and she would just be humiliating herself if she acted rashly.
[Elder, the task you gave is really arduous. Qing’er really doesn’t know how to complete it. Is this a test from the clan for me?]
“Why do you want to be friends with me?” Yang Kai frowned as he asked.
[Of course, it’s because of the Elder’s order and the Ancestral Dragon Source.] Zhu Qing muttered in her heart, but replied out loud, “Do I need a reason?”
“Why not?” Yang Kai was astonished.
Zhu Qing looked impatient, and demanded through gritted teeth, “Just tell me if you agree.”
One’s ancestors would jump out of their graves to receive such an honour to be friends with a Dragon, so how dare this man make things difficult? He really did not know the immensity of Heaven and Earth.
“What if I agree? And what if I don’t?” Yang Kai looked at her with a smirk, then his expression suddenly became stern, “You can’t be friends by just saying it.”
Yang Kai wondered if Zhu Qing was just too arrogant or simply had no experience socializing with people; he had never met a person who wanted to be friends and still put on an expression that said ‘you should feel lucky that I want to be your friend’.
“What should I do then?” Zhu Qing frowned and thought for a while, unexpectedly putting on an expression of confusion and questioning.
Yang Kai glanced at her and waved his hand, quickly explaining, “As friends, you should put your life on the line for each other, share each other’s worries and problems. As friends, you should be honest with each other and take care of each other. As friends… “
“Be specific,” Zhu Qing interrupted him impatiently, “What do you want me to do before you are willing to be friends with me.”
Yang Kai looked at her with a broad smile, and patted the bed next to him, “I don’t have a bed warmer. If you can undress and accompany me for the night, I would think about it.”
“Out of the question!” Zhu Qing roared. This man was nothing but a bastard, revealing his degenerate mentality in every word he uttered! Warming a bed was not something a friend needed to do! Although Zhu Qing had no friends, how could she not understand common sense?
Yang Kai shrugged his shoulders, looking helpless.
Zhu Qing turned her head away, filled with reluctance, “Change it.”
“Then I won’t agree.” Yang Kai said with a wave.
“What do you want?” Zhu Qing flushed with anger and glared at him fiercely.
Yang Kai slapped the table in front of him into pieces, and exploded, “This Young Master wants to ask you instead, what do you want?”
How baffling. In Yang Kai’s entire life, he had never seen anyone like her, who had come over and demanded to be friends with him. How could friendship be a coerced transaction?
Zhu Qing pursed her red lips and stated, “I just want to be friends with you.”
Yang Kai swept over her up and down to confirm that the woman was not insane, and yelled, “Good, I heard that there’s a force known as the Sword Villa in the Western Territory. The Sword Wine brewed there is the best in the world, even Great Emperors would praise it profusely. If you can get me some…”
Zhu Qing’s eyes lit up, “You will be friends with me?”
Yang Kai rubbed his chin, “I’ll think about it.”
“You…” Zhu Qing was furious, “You’re too much!”
Yang Kai sneered, “This is who I am, get out if you can’t stand it!”
“Fine. No one has ever dared to treat me like this. You will regret it!” Zhu Qing glared at him fiercely and headed out after spitting out a ferocious threat.
Yang Kai turned around and smiled, “It’s getting late. Qing’er, don’t you want to stay the night at least?”
Zhu Qing, who was by the door and was about to push it open, threw a punch in front of her upon hearing this.
In an instant, a big hole was opened in the door, spattering splinters of wood everywhere. Zhu Qing glared back at Yang Kai, turned around, and rushed into the darkness.
Outside the door, Ying Fei was thoroughly drenched in cold sweat. After Zhu Qing was long gone, he peeped into the room and found Yang Kai safe and sound, finally letting out a breath of relief, “Young Master Yang, what happened to her?”
“Only a ghost would know.” Yang Kai chuckled happily, feeling a lot easier in his heart.
After this incident, Zhu Qing would never come to pester him again, right?
Although it was a good thing that a Dragon Girl was attracted to him and insisted on being friends, Yang Kai found himself unable to suppress his carnal desires whenever they were in close proximity.
He was afraid a day would come when he really could not hold back anymore and would force himself on her. At that point, he would have offended the entire Dragon Clan.
All in all, although this Zhu Qing did not seem malicious, her existence was too dangerous to him, in multiple ways.
Yang Kai was puzzled. Zhu Qing did not cultivate any Charm Techniques, and her beauty was not to the extent that he could not suppress himself, so why was he so unable to control himself whenever he caught a sniff of her scent?
“This, this…” An elderly man wearing a golden robe like a landlord’s suddenly rushed upstairs, exclaiming again and again after seeing Yang Kai’s broken door.
Every room here was strengthened with a Spirit Array so powerful that even a general First-Order Emperor Realm Master would not be able to destroy it. What kind of terrible monster could have punched a big hole in this door?
“Who are you?” Ying Fei glanced at him and asked.
The elderly man seemed to know the identity of Ying Fei and bowed respectfully after hearing the question, “Replying to Sir, this lowly one is the keeper of this inn. What happened to this place just now…”
“Don’t ask something you shouldn’t ask,” Ying Fei glanced at him, taking out some Source Crystals from his Space Ring before tossing it to the innkeeper and saying, “This is the compensation. Give my Young Master a new room.”
“Yes, yes!” The innkeeper nodded and quickly got up. He would have never let it slide if someone else made trouble in his inn. Although he was just an innkeeper, this inn was actually an industry of Flowing Shadow Sword Sect.
But Ying Fei was a powerful Monster King, and Flowing Shadow Sword Sect was just a fart compared to him.
Very quickly, the innkeeper arranged a new room for Yang Kai and withdrew respectfully.
The next day, Yang Kai was meditating when someone knocked on his door.
After scanning with his Divine Sense, he found that it was Ye Jing Han and Du Xian.
Yang Kai opened the door and looked at the two of them, “What is it?”
Ye Jing Han answered in a trembling voice, “Young Master Yang, Flowing Shadow Sword Sect sent my father here. He is outside the inn now.”
“Sect Master Ye?” The image of Ye Hen surfaced in Yang Kai’s mind as he nodded lightly, “Looks like Li Qing Yun knows how he should act. Since he sent him to us, just accept it.”
“Master was delivered here by Li Qing Yun himself,” Du Xian remarked embarrassingly.
Li Qing Yun was a First-Order Emperor Realm Master, while Ye Jing Han and he were just Dao Source Realm cultivators; they did not have the qualification to talk face to face with him. Furthermore, they had no clue what Flowing Shadow Sword Sect was up to with this gesture, so they could only ask Yang Kai to face him for them.
After listening to the situation, Yang Kai nodded in understanding, “Then I’ll go with you.”
“Many thanks, Brother Yang!” Du Xian expressed his gratitude.
“It’s nothing,” Yang Kai smiled, but he actually sighed in his heart. If he was right, the extermination of Thousand Leaves Sect this time must have something to do to him.
The three of them strode outside, and Ying Fei also came out of nowhere, following behind Yang Kai.
When they arrived outside the inn, they saw that Li Qing Yun was indeed standing there. He was styled exactly like a swordsman, dressed in white and carrying his sword on him.
Standing in front of him was Ye Hen. Although he looked a little depressed, there was no sign of torture on him. He probably just felt deflated due to the extermination of his Sect and the death and injuries of so many of his disciples.
“Father!”
“Honoured Master!” Ye Jing Han and Du Xian shouted together and quickly glared at Li Qing Yun.
Ye Hen lifted his head and looked at them with a wry smile.
Thousand Leaves Sect had endured for over ten thousand years, but now it had been destroyed under his leadership. He felt ashamed of himself for failing the trust of his ancestors; however, seeing his daughter and his Eldest Disciple again after one year brightened his mood somewhat.
Li Qing Yun did not say anything as he lightly cupped his fists towards Yang Kai, then walked away without looking back.
It seemed that his purpose for this trip was only to send Ye Hen back.
As he said, the mastermind behind the scenes had gotten what he wanted and it did not matter to him anymore whether Ye Hen lived or died. It was also because of this that Ye Hen could keep his life after being captured by Flowing Shadow Sword Sect, otherwise he would have just been killed on the spot.
“Father!” Ye Jing Han rushed forward and carefully checked Ye Hen. After making sure his arms or legs were still intact, only then did she release a sigh of relief.
“Sect Master Ye!” Yang Kai went forward and greeted him with his fists cupped.
“Young Master Yang!” Ye Hen and Yang Kai were acquaintances, so seeing him together with his daughter and Eldest Disciple, Ye Hen’s heart filled with gratitude knowing that he could only get out of trouble this time thanks to Yang Kai’s help.
“Let’s talk inside,” Yang Kai beckoned.
Ye Hen nodded, and walked into the inn step by step with the support of Ye Jing Han and Du Xian.
After entering the room, Yang Kai asked for a meal to be prepared as the few of them sat cross-legged, drinking as they talked.
Ye Jing Han asked about Ye Hen’s recent treatment out of concern, and learnt that he was not tortured in Flowing Shadow Sword Sect, just detained. Hearing this, her hatred for the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect was reduced slightly.
But after this tragedy, Ye Hen seemed to have aged a lot all of a sudden, acting like he was being weighed down by heavy burdens. He downed one cup of wine after another, looking truly dispirited.
He had remained in the Third-Order Dao Source Realm for a long time, but back then, when Yang Kai retrieved the long-lost inheritance of Thousand Leaves Sect from Emperor Heaven Valley, Ye Hen gained the confidence to break through to the Emperor Realm in his lifetime. However, before he could achieve his ambitions, his Sect was destroyed by powerful enemies.
Sure enough, the world was unpredictable.
After bearing such a heavy impact, Ye Hen was not sure if he would still stand a chance of becoming an Emperor Realm Master in his lifetime.
Yang Kai lowered his cup as he said solemnly, “Sect Master Ye, the incident of Thousand Leaves Sect this time may have something to do with me.”
Flabbergasted, Ye Hen glanced at him, thinking he had misunderstood something. After a short silence, he replied with a wry smile, “It has nothing to do with Young Master Yang. This matter is because of Senior Hua.”
Yang Kai shook his head, “Sister Hua is just an added incentive. Chi Yue, Ai Ou and my other Seniors were their real targets.”
Ye Hen was surprised, “Why do you say so?”
Ye Jing Han and Du Xian also looked at Yang Kai, bewildered.
Yang Kai took a moment to collect his thoughts before continuing, “I don’t have a complete explanation yet, so what I say now is just my own conclusions. I believe this is all a conspiracy aimed at me, with Thousand Leaves Sect just happening to be involved. The ultimate purpose of everything was to draw me to Flowing Shadow City.”
Ye Hen was dumbstruck. If it was like what Yang Kai said, the Thousand Leaves Sect was really unlucky.
“Forgive me!” Yang Kai looked at Ye Hen and apologized sincerely.
Ye Hen laughed wryly, “Young Master Yang, you don’t have to feel guilty. This was an inevitable disaster our Thousand Leaves Sect had to face. This Ye will never dare to forget the kindness Young Master Yang showed for our Thousand Leaves Sect. Even if Young Master Yang was involved in this incident, this Ye will not utter a single word of blame or rebuke. If anyone is to blame, it is Thousand Leaves Sect for being so weak that it could not resist when confronted with its enemies.”
Yang Kai continued, “Sect Master Ye may rest assured that no matter who is the mastermind behind all of this, I will obtain justice for your Thousand Leaves Sect.”
Ye Hen smiled lightly, “With the words of Young Master Yang, this Ye is relieved. But… the enemy is hiding in the dark, while we walk in the light. Young Master Yang, are you really that confident?”
Ye Jing Han glanced at Ying Fei, then leaned towards Ye Hen and whispered in his ear.
Ye Hen was taken aback when he heard the words she spoke and immediately turned to Ying Fei, “So, this is Sir Monster King. Please forgive this Ye for his lack of respect.”
A heavy stone was lifted from Ye Hen’s heart when he heard this. Given the great strength of Yang Kai and the additional assistance of a Monster King, there was nothing more for him to worry about.
Ying Fei waved his hand with a faint smile.
Yang Kai announced, “The auction is the time when everything will come to light. When it comes, the mastermind will surely show his fangs, and the truth behind this matter will be revealed. At that time, I will kill him.”
Ye Hen straightened up, and declared with a solemn face, “Young Master Yang, please accept my bow.”
Thousand Leaves Sect did not have the ability to avenge itself anymore. If Yang Kai could take revenge for the Thousand Leaves Sect, he would be a true patron to the Thousand Leaves Sect.
Yang Kai shook his head while lifting Ye Hen up with his hands, “Sect Master Ye, don’t be like this. At this point, I can’t stay out of this matter anymore. All that’s left now is to see who is stronger.”
Then, they continued to drink for a while before Yang Kai said goodbye and returned to his room.
Everything was peaceful for the next half a month.
As expected, Zhu Qing stopped coming to disturb him, like she had totally vanished from the world, which actually pleased Yang Kai greatly.
Although that woman was a great beauty, extremely pleasing to the eyes, and a brand new experience to ‘have fun’ with, she was still a Dragon Girl after all. Yang Kai was really unwilling to take things too far with her.
During this period, plenty of Emperor Realm Masters arrived in Flowing Shadow City for the Heaven Grade Puppets of Thousand Leaves Sect. After all, every Heaven Grade Puppet was equivalent to an Emperor Realm Master, so it would never be a bad idea to buy one and bring it back to guard one’s Sect. The Star Source in Ai Ou’s body was extremely tempting as well.
Yang Kai had investigated Flowing Shadow City numerous times, but he still could not find any trace of Chi Yue, Ai Ou or his other Seniors. He had no choice but to give up on this approach.
Nevertheless, it was obvious that the enemy was not stupid enough to give Yang Kai chances. By the looks of it, the enemy would not expose their cards before the auction started.
On this day, the Flowing Shadow City that had been quiet for so long suddenly became lively, especially at the entrance of Seven Glories Chamber of Commerce, which was bustling with heavy traffic.
As one of the two top chambers of commerce in the Southern Territory, the Seven Glories Chamber of Commerce had naturally opened a branch in Flowing Shadow City, and the auction was held at this branch of the Seven Glories Chamber of Commerce.
All the Emperor Realm Masters who received invitations arrived as scheduled.
There were two rows of young girls waiting respectfully in front of the chamber of commerce, and whenever an honoured guest arrived, they would greet them with welcoming smiles before ushering them into the auction house. These girls were as beautiful as flowers and their graceful figures could be vaguely seen through their tulle dresses, attracting the eyes of the crowd.
Without a doubt, they were professionally trained, each one of them wearing a warm smile that made people feel at home while their soft voices lifted the spirits of those who heard them.
Li Qing Yun, the Sect Master of Flowing Shadow Sword Sect, also stood outside the chamber of commerce. He was like a statue, his hand on the grip of the Jade Illusion Sword, his eyes closed shut. He withdrew his Sword Intent, appearing just like an ordinary commoner. However, people who knew him would know that he was not someone who they could mess with. At this moment, he was just like a sword in its sheath. Once the sword was drawn, the whole world would fill with his murderous intent.
Suddenly, Li Qing Yun opened his eyes and looked forward, a trace of fear and helplessness flashing across his sharp eyes.
In front of him, a group of five advanced in a confident manner, barging in like they owned this place. All the guests around glared at them, but once they recognized the faces of these people, they immediately retreated to one side with fearful expressions and their heads lowered, as if they were avoiding meeting eyes with these tigers.
This group of five was led by a young man. Among them was a man with a sinister face and a hooked nose, a young couple, and an elderly man.
It was Yang Kai and his group.
When they reached the front of the chamber of commerce, Yang Kai looked at Li Qing Yun with a grin, “Is Sect Master Li here to welcome the guests? What an honour!”
The expression of helplessness on Li Qing Yun’s face intensified as the corner of his mouth twitched, revealing a speechless look.
“Hahaha, this must be Young Master Yang Kai. Young Master Yang’s arrival is truly a great honour for me. Please come inside quickly!”
A hearty and enthusiastic laugh came from the side.
Yang Kai turned to the source of the voice and saw an ordinary-looking middle-aged man walking out from the side to greet him with a smile. This smiling look caught Yang Kai’s eyes and caused him to frown.
“Who are you?” Yang Kai questioned.
“It’s you!” Ye Jing Han and Du Xian gave out a low cry as they stared at the middle-aged man fearfully.
Ye Hen’s body also trembled as flames burned in his eyes.
“Do you know him?” Yang Kai asked in surprise.
Ye Jing Han replied with her teeth gritted, “He was the one who suppressed our Thousand Leaves Sect’s Heaven Grade Puppets! And he was also the one who came looking for Senior Hua!”
“This one is Wu Ming!” The middle-aged man smiled lightly and continued to address Yang Kai, ignoring the three people from Thousand Leaves Sect, for these three trivial ants did not really deserve his attention.
Yang Kai’s eyes turned cold and he responded faintly, “So, is it you who is behind all these good deeds?”
Wu Ming beamed, “Young Master Yang jests. How could this one… What do you think you’re doing!?”
Before he finished, Wu Ming was taken aback because Yang Kai suddenly swung his hand to slap him. Emperor Qi surged and the surrounding World Energy shook. Although he was a Minor Realm higher in cultivation than Yang Kai, Wu Ming was shocked to find that he had no chance to avoid this blow.
He did not expect Yang Kai to be so dauntless and rush at him as soon as he appeared. He had not taken any precautions at all, and it was a bit too late when he reacted to the incoming slap.
What was even more appalling was that the Monster King who was always with Yang Kai was suddenly exerting pressure on him comparable to that of a Third-Order Emperor, making Wu Ming feel like a big mountain was crashing down on him.
Wu Ming was immobilized, his Emperor Qi unable to circulate properly.
*Pa… *
With a crisp sound, Wu Ming’s head was slapped aside. His cheek was blazing, his mouth was filled with blood, and pain shot through the entire side of his face.
The many Emperor Realm Masters who had come for the auction gawked at the scene in amazement.
Wu Ming, a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master was slapped in front of everyone’s eyes. How arrogant and savage was this young man named Yang Kai? Did he really think that he could be lawless with the backing of a Monster King?
“How dare you…” Wu Ming clenched his fists, gritting his teeth at Yang Kai as he roared like an enraged beast.
Before he finished speaking though, another palm quickly enlarged in front of his eyes and collided with his other cheek fiercely. Several teeth flew out, accompanied by the clear, crisp smack of the slap.
Wu Ming’s head buzzed and spun, and he was in confusion for a while. It was not merely due to being slapped, but also because he could not accept that this was happening to him. How could a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master, a Deacon of Star Soul Palace who had always been a class above everyone else, think that he would be humiliated like this in this meagre Flowing Shadow City?
Triggered by the anger in his heart, he pushed his Emperor Qi madly, barely getting rid of Ying Fei’s imposing suppression before leaping back a few steps and shouting, “Enough!”
“How dare you raise your voice before me! Come here!” Yang Kai’s face was ruthless as he stretched open his hand. Space Principles fluctuated, and Wu Ming was horrified to see that he had completely lost control of his own body and involuntarily flew towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai pulled back his fist and smashed Wu Ming’s face brutally as he moved into range. Blood spurted from his face instantly, but Yang Kai was not finished yet. He leapt up high in the air, bent his elbow, and plummeted, crashing onto Wu Ming’s back fiercely.
The violent force impacted Wu Ming, causing him to spew out a mouthful of blood as he was completely beaten to the ground.
He was then greeted by a storm of punches and kicks.
The surrounding cultivators were dumbstruck as they watched the scene, stupefied.
The young man named Yang Kai was like a common street thug pressing Wu Ming on the ground, beating him to a pulp while hurling curses at him the whole time. His actions were extremely arrogant. On the other hand, Wu Ming tried to resist a few times, but he was suppressed before could gather his strength. After a few tries, he seemed to have accepted that he had become a fish on the chopping block and resolved to curl up and cover his head with his arms, allowing Yang Kai to do whatever he wanted.
No one had ever seen an Emperor Realm Master fight like this. Today was truly an eye-opener as the group of bystanders was both amazed and frightened at the same time.
Within a short time, Wu Ming was beaten black and blue with a bruised nose and swollen face. He was almost unrecognizable with all the blood he was covered in. He would have died a long time ago from Yang Kai’s assault if not for his profound cultivation.
Breathing slightly heavily, Yang Kai stomped on Wu Ming a few times before turning to Ye Hen and others and offering, “Would you like to collect some interest?”
Ye Hen smiled wryly and shook his head humbly, “I will leave it up to Young Master Yang.”
He knew that Yang Kai was helping Thousand Leaves Sect vent its anger. Now that Wu Ming was beaten to a pulp, sprawling on the ground, Ye He could indeed go up and collect some interest from him, but what was the point of doing that with the power of others?
Yang Kai nodded lightly and did not insist. He bent over slightly and lifted up Wu Ming by the hair to face him directly, their faces almost touching as he openly threatened him, “This Young Master knows that there is still someone behind you. Tell that person that if even a single hair on my friends has been harmed, I will butcher him down to his bones and eat his meat while drinking his blood.”
Wu Ming roared in laughter, his face twisted in madness as he replied, “That will depend on whether you have the ability!”
Yang Kai stared at him coldly as he snorted, “Seems you have a death wish.”
Wu Ming’s body trembled and a chill suddenly rushed from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, making his arms and legs go cold. He thought that he had a bargaining chip in his hand that would make Yang Kai be cautious about his actions, but he did not think that this bastard would act so unscrupulously.
Yang Kai very much wanted to kill this Wu Ming, so even though he was doing his best to conceal his murderous intent, it still pierced Wu Ming’s heart like a sharp sword, choking him.
Wu Ming had no doubt that if he tried to anger Yang Kai again, he would cease to be in the next moment.
“I can fulfil your wish,” Yang Kai grinned. “I’ve always been a kind-hearted soul, I’ll end your life right away if you just say yes.”
Wu Ming was silent and did not dare to speak.
Yang Kai snorted coldly before chucking him aside, as if throwing away a piece of garbage.
Lying on the ground, Wu Ming watched Yang Kai leading his group into the auction venue.
[Little beast, just you wait for me! How dare you be so presumptuous to this King just because you have a Monster King protecting you. Today’s shame will be repaid a hundred, no, a thousand times over!]
Picturing Yang Kai kneeling down and begging for mercy filled Wu Ming with happiness. He cackled coldly, attracting the attention of the Emperor Realm Masters who came to participate in the auction, causing them to wonder if Wu Ming might have gone mad.
The auction venue was designed in the form of a stepped well that spiralled upwards with each level, and it was more than large enough to accommodate thousands of people at once. Looking up, the oval ceiling was inscribed with drawings of great beasts, giving the whole venue the appearance of a beast den, filled with creatures ready to swallow all of the incoming cultivators whole.
Ushered by a beautiful maidservant, Yang Kai and his party walked into a certain room. This room seemed to be at the top of the auction venue and, looking down, a clear bird’s eye view of the floors below could be seen.
The maidservant saw how strong and violent Yang Kai had been at the door before, and could not help trembling at this moment, not daring to even take a breath. After leading Yang Kai and the others into their private room, she stammered shakily with a pale face, “Please wait a moment, the auction will begin soon.”
Although she was just a maidservant, she also felt that the purpose of Yang Kai’s trip was to stir up trouble today, so after completing her duties, she promptly fled the room.
All of the Emperor Realm Masters were introduced into different private rooms by the maidservants, and the hall below was gradually filled with other people.
Although most people did not have enough financial resources to really participate, the more people who came, the better it was for the auction.
Yang Kai’s powerful Divine Sense swept across the auction venue dauntlessly, and the noisy hall below instantly fell silent as no one dared to make a noise when being scanned by this powerful Soul.
Ying Fei was doing the same thing.
After a while, the two took back their Divine Senses one after another.
“Young Master Yang, what have you found?” Ying Fei asked.
Yang Kai shook his head and sat on the chair and replied, “Everything has been hidden deeply, how about you?”
Ying Fei shrugged his shoulders, indicating that he had not noticed anything either, and frowned, “But since we can be sure that this is a trap, Young Master Yang should be careful. The more hidden the trap, the more dangerous it is.”
Yang Kai nodded.
Ye Jing Han was preparing tea on the side in a skilful manner, but worry filled her brow, and the same expression was apparent on Du Xian and Ye Hen’s faces.
…..
“Honoured Master, everything is prepared,” Wu Ming, who was beaten by Yang Kai to a pulp just now, somehow appeared here, standing in front of an old man, reporting respectfully.
It was unknown what kind of amazing pills he took, but his bruises and injuries had obviously recovered a lot, albeit there were still some traces left. On the other hand, internal injuries were not so easy to heal and his organs ached whenever he tried to circulate his Emperor Qi.
[That little bastard was so heavy-handed…]
The old man nodded lightly and asked, “How many Emperor Realm Masters have come?”
Wu Ming reported, “More than thirty.”
The old man was satisfied, “That’s enough.” After a pause, he signalled with a wave, “Since the guests are all here, let’s start.”
Wu Ming received the order respectfully, “Yes!”
Turning his head to the side, Wu Ming stretched out his hand and gestured, “Junior Sister, please.”
Hua Qing Si got up slowly, glanced at the old man with an unreadable gaze, then stated respectfully, “Honoured Master, Disciple will leave now.”
“Go!” The old man waved his hand in dismissal.
Hua Qing Si walked towards the door, then suddenly turned towards the old man and knelt down before him, respectfully knocking her head on the ground three times.
The old man’s eyes flickered slightly, as if he understood Hua Qing Si’s intention, but did not stop it, simply closing his eyes instead.
[It’s your own life, and this is the path you chose. There won’t be any Master-Disciple relationship now that you chose to be my enemy!]
Wu Ming stood aside and sneered softly, “Not appreciative at all!”
Hua Qing Si remained unmoved and stood up after the kowtow. She took a breath as if she had lifted a huge rock off her shoulders, feeling a lot lighter physically and mentally, and walked out the door. When she passed by Wu Ming, she stopped to warn, “Wu Ming, you messed with someone you shouldn’t mess with, you will die miserably.”
“You treacherous bitch!” Wu Ming was enraged and extended his hand, sending a big slap across Hua Qing Si’s face, leaving a red imprint on her pale skin.
Hua Qing Si brushed her cheek lightly and mocked with a smile, “What? Trying to vent your frustration on me after getting beaten by someone else? I guess you’re only capable of that much.”
This immediately set Wu Ming off as the scene of the previous humiliation he suffered at Yang Kai’s hand resurfaced vividly in his mind. His Emperor Qi surged madly as he raised his hand and swung towards Hua Qing Si’s head.
Hua Qing Si not only did not even try to dodge, instead puffing out her chest as she welcomed the attack.
“Enough!” The old man, who had been keeping his eyes closed, let out a sharp snort.
Wu Ming froze, the raised hand still hovering mid-air. He glanced Hua Qing Si up and down for a moment then grinned, “If Junior Sister wants to seek death, Senior Brother will not let it happen. You are our precious chess piece after all!”
Hua Qing Si gritted her teeth and snarled, “Despicable!”
Wu Ming smirked, “Whatever you say. Our Honoured Master has promised to give you to me as a reward after this is over, so don’t worry, Senior Brother will love you well.”
He emphasized the word “love” with a meaningful expression.
Hua Qing Si’s complexion changed abruptly as she turned to look at the old man in disbelief, only to find him completely ignoring her. Her heart ached in numbing pain, knowing that Wu Ming had not lied.
She had never thought that her Honoured Master had such a ruthless side. Perhaps before she had been too weak to come in contact with the real character of her so-called Honoured Master, but everything was slowly becoming clear to her after she broke through to the Emperor Realm
“Go. Don’t keep our guests waiting,” the old man dismissed them.
“Yes!” Wu Ming replied respectfully, glared at Hua Qing Si, then left the room with her.
After the three loud gongs, the auction officially began.
A woman in a long dress walked out slowly from the back to a round stage, her beauty unmistakably lighting up the eyes of many men as she swept her charming eyes over the crowd.
Usually, the people who presided over the auction were men, mostly the elderly, while women rarely appeared on such occasions. Nevertheless, this beautiful young woman was very eye-catching, which excited the crowd greatly.
“Sister Hua?”
In a private room on the top level, Yang Kai muttered in surprise, walking out of his room to stare at the beautiful woman with his eyes widened.
“Senior Hua…” Ye Hen and the others looked complicated.
They recognized Hua Qing Si because she had stayed with them in the Thousand Leaves Sect for a period of time, and it was after Wu Ming came to find Hua Qing Si that the Thousand Leaves Sect suffered the disaster of extermination. Before, Ye Hen and the others had speculated that their misfortune might be related to Hua Qing Si.
At this moment, they could not help having complicated thoughts seeing Hua Qing Si suddenly reappearing in their vision as the host of the auction.
With a woosh, an extra figure appeared on the auction stage, drawing everyone’s attention. Of course, it was Yang Kai.
“Sister Hua!” Yang Kai stood in front of her and greeted with a smile.
“Yang Kai…” Hua Qing Si was stunned for a moment, then her eyes overflowed with pleasant surprise. Although she learned long ago that Yang Kai was here, she could not help feeling astonished to see him appear in front of her.
“Long time no see. How are you?” Yang Kai smiled from ear to ear.
Hua Qing Si smiled wryly, then her face turned solemn, “You shouldn’t have come.”
Yang Kai replied, “If I didn’t come, how could I bring you all back?”
“But you can’t leave even if you’ve come.” Hua Qing Si stated.
“Is this really aimed at me?” Yang Kai’s face darkened.
Hua Qing Si sighed, “Do you still remember the Dragon Island Token?”
Yang Kai furrowed his brow as he thought back, soon remembering, “En, of course.”
In fact, he had long forgotten about it and if it were not for Hua Qing Si’s reminder, he probably wouldn’t have even recalled that such a thing was inside his Space Ring.
Hua Qing Si smiled wryly, “Back then, when I left Star Soul Palace, I was ordered by my Honoured Master to find the whereabouts of that Dragon Island Token in Maplewood City. You know that a Dragon Island Token is a very big deal. It allows one to go to Dragon Island and make a request from the Dragon Clan.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly, his distant memories gradually resurfacing.
He obtained the Dragon Island Token by finding it in the Space Ring of a guy he killed by the name of Han Leng.
Apparently, Han Leng was an exiled disciple of Star Soul Palace, and could be considered a Senior Brother to Hua Qing Si. No one knew where Han Leng stole the Dragon Island Token from or how he escaped from Star Soul Palace, but after he died at Yang Kai’s hands, the Dragon Island Token naturally fell into Yang Kai’s hands too.
Later on, Hua Qing Si tracked down the Dragon Island Token and found Yang Kai, but she was herself captured in the end.
The use of the Dragon Island Token was explained to him by Hua Qing around that time.
“That Dragon Island Token belonged to my Honoured Master. One year ago, my Senior Brother Wu Ming found me and brought me back to Star Soul Palace. Although I didn’t want to reveal anything, some kind of Secret Technique was used by my Honoured Master on me and I could not stop myself from talking. You should know what happened next. I have no idea what I disclosed to my Honoured Master at that time, but he definitely knows that the Dragon Island Token is with you now. Therefore, he attacked the Thousand Leaves Sect and captured Chi Yue and the others to force you to show yourself.”
Yang Kai frowned, “So, your Honoured Master also knows my other secrets?”
Hua Qing Si’s face turned gloomy, “I’m sorry.”
Yang Kai smiled faintly, “It’s alright if you didn’t do it on purpose.”
Although he never doubted Hua Qing Si, if she really betrayed him, Yang Kai would not be able to forgive her. Therefore, he felt quite relieved after listening to her explanation at the moment.
“Are my friends safe?” Yang Kai whispered.
Hua Qing Si answered, “Honoured Master didn’t hurt them; after all, you are his only target. Before taking you down, those people are his only chess pieces.”
Saying so, Hua Qing Si couldn’t help thinking to herself, [Am I not the same? Our relationship of Master and Disciple for so many years wasn’t worth a second thought in front of absolute benefits.]
Yang Kai looked up and scanned the place where Hua Qing Si came out of before muttering “If it’s across a Space Array…”
“Don’t be impulsive. They have all been implanted with Heart-Strangling Insects. Even if you were to find them, you wouldn’t be able to save them.” Hua Qing Si shook her head slowly, “Honoured Master only needs a single thought to take their lives.”
“Heart-Strangling Insect!” Yang Kai narrowed his eyes. He definitely knew what the Heart-Strangling Insects were as he had seen them listed on the Exotic Insect Record. Although not as formidable as the Soul Devouring Insects, they still had their uses and were also quite deadly.
As they were talking, Hua Qing Si suddenly let out a grunt. A dreadfully pained look appeared on her face, as if something was surfacing and crawling under her skin.
“Sister Hua, you were also…” Yang Kai’s face changed slightly.
Hua Qing Si endured the pain and continued, “Leave now. Honoured Master is always extremely cautious. He wouldn’t confront you without perfect assurance.”
Yang Kai swept his cold eyes towards a certain direction and saw Wu Ming over there sneering at him while performing a hand seal.
It seemed that he triggered the Heart-Strangling Insect inside Hua Qing Si that caused her to be in pain.
“Sister Hua, I will save you.” Yang Kai promised firmly before turning to Wu Ming and drawing his finger across his own neck threateningly, then vanishing.
If he stayed any longer, he was afraid that Hua Qing Si would suffer more torture. As such, it was the best choice to retreat for now.
The close conversation between the two on the stage had been seen by many cultivators, so they were all wondering what kind of relationship Yang Kai and Hua Qing Si had.
After the departure of Yang Kai, Wu Ming stopped torturing Hua Qing Si; after all, she was still needed to preside over the auction. It would not look good if he tormented her too much.
The Heart-Strangling Insect inside Hua Qing Si gradually settled and the unbearable pain slowly reduced. However, Hua Qing Si was already drenched in cold sweat. Pulling herself together, she lifted her head and announced like nothing happened, “The auction will begin now. The first item, Thousand Leaves Sect’s Heaven Grade Puppet, Howling Moon Heavenly Wolf! The reserve price is one million High-Rank Source Crystals!”
As soon as the declaration was made, everyone went into an uproar.
Although they knew that many Heaven Grade Puppets would appear in this auction, they still could not believe that one was used as the opening item.
This was unusual as generally, the sequence of the auction items would proceed from the lowest value to the highest value treasure in order to rile up the audience’s competitive spirit, making them lose themselves in the atmosphere and unconsciously bid higher.
The Heaven Grade Puppets were worthy to be auctioned off as finale items, so it did not make sense to take one out at the very beginning.
However, when they remembered that there was more than one Heaven Grade Puppet from the Thousand Leaves Sect and this might just be an ice-breaking tactic, they started to calm down.
One million High-Rank Source Crystals was a big sum, equivalent to one hundred million Mid-Rank Source Crystals or ten billion Low-Rank Source Crystals. As such, ordinary cultivators would not have the capability to win this prize.
However, considering that a Heaven Grade Puppet was as strong as an Emperor Realm Master, one million High-Rank Source Crystals was a bargain price. Buying it was equivalent to buying an Emperor Realm Master, one that could be controlled at will.
A large number of Emperor Realm Masters attended this auction, so they naturally came well-prepared.
At this moment, when they heard the reserve price, they rapidly prepared themselves for battle.
“I want this for one million. I hope everyone will give me face!”
A loud shout came just after Hua Qing Si finished speaking.
Everyone grimaced when they heard the voice, feeling disdainful in their hearts.
[Who did this person think he was? Did he really think that he could take away a Heaven Grade Puppet at the reserve price with just a few words? If he had big face, why did we even need to have an auction here?]
When they looked towards the source of the voice, many of them had their faces changed though.
Because they found that the person who spoke was no one other than the arrogant and aggressive young man, Yang Kai.
Those who initially wanted to compete immediately swallowed back their words.
When Yang Kai first came to Flowing Shadow City, he led his group to kill many Flowing Shadow Sword Sect disciples; however, even until now, Li Qing Yun, the Sect Master of Flowing Shadow Sword Sect did not mean to take revenge on them, instead even taking the initiative to deliver the captured Sect Master of Thousand Leaves Sect back to them.
Furthermore, Yang Kai had just taught Wu Ming a lesson outside the auction house. His boldness alone was enough to terrify everyone, not to mention the fact that he was accompanied by a Monster King.
It seemed like… they really had no choice but to give him face.
The entire auction venue fell into a strange silence.
Those cultivators who knew of Yang Kai’s savageness did not dare to make enemies with him, while those who did not know Yang Kai also noticed the strangeness of the atmosphere and vaguely speculated something too. Therefore, they dared not to stand out against him.
As a result, no one offered again after Yang Kai’s shout.
Hua Qing Si looked around and declared decisively, “In that case, the first Heaven Grade Puppet will belong to the friend in Room One.”
The crowd was stunned when they heard the declaration. They thought that the auctioneer was also quite strange, for she did not act according to any kind of convention. An auctioneer’s job was to raise the price an item sold for, so they would constantly ask whether there was anyone willing to bid again. Adding some colourful and exaggerated descriptions with a tone of incitement was commonplace. Even if they did not act so, they still had to at least declare a winner after a three count, but when it came to this young woman, she did not even bother to ask anything and declared the goods sold right away.
However, when they recalled the close conversation between Yang Kai and her before, they secretly believed that she was cooperating with him behind the scenes.
[What is this?]
[Was this still an auction?]
It was not the first time for these Emperor Realm Masters to participate in an auction, but this kind of auction was definitely a first for them.
It took only five breaths of time from the moment Hua Qing Si announced the reserve price until the first item was sold. At this moment, a maidservant emerged from behind with a tray in her hand, but before she could even show the Heaven Grade Puppet to the public, it was sold.
The maidservant seemed to have been completely taken by surprise, but she still walked straight to Room One with the tray.
When she arrived in front of the room, the door opened on its own, and the maidservant stood in front of the door, stating, “Honoured Guest, this is your auction item, please provide the one million High-Rank Source Crystals.”
Yang Kai stretched out his hand to grab the tray and lifted the red cloth covering the auction item, revealing a puppet in the shape of a wolf about a hand tall sitting quietly on the tray.
“Is it real?”
Yang Kai turned to ask Ye Hen.
Ye Hen confirmed excitedly, “That really is our Thousand Leaves Sect Heaven Grade Puppet, Howling Moon Heavenly Wolf!”
Ye Hen almost burst into tears at the recovery of the treasure he lost.
Yang Kai nodded lightly and tossed the Heaven Grade Puppet to Ye Hen casually, “Keep it.”
Yang Kai was a little surprised. As far as he could remember, these Heaven Grade Puppets were as large as mountains when he saw them guarding the strategic positions inside Thousand Leaves Sect, and did not expect that they could shrink to this extent.
The Puppet Dao from Thousand Leaves Sect was really extraordinary.
Ye Hen was dumbfounded, “But Young Master Yang bought this, this Ye… does not deserve it!”
This puppet was worth a great value of one million High-Rank Source Crystals, and Ye Hen was too embarrassed to take it for free.
“This thing can only display its full potential in your hands. Take it, there may be a fierce battle later,” Yang Kai smiled.
The puppets of the Thousand Leaves Sect were refined with specific Secret Techniques and were also driven by specific Secret Techniques. The two were closely connected, so even if others could utilize them, they would not be able to exert the puppet’s full power, which could only be unearthed by cultivating those corresponding arts.
A realization dawned on Ye Hen after listening to Yang Kai’s words and he stored the Heaven Grade Puppet silently.
The maidservant trembled, feeling uneasy for obvious reasons. She forced a smile out and spoke to Yang Kai, “Honoured Guest, the auction item has been delivered, please pay the Source Crystals!”
Yang Kai dismissed her offhandedly, “No hurry. I still have more to bid. I will settle my bill when the auction is over to avoid trouble.”
“Ah,” the maidservant frowned, and looked at Yang Kai pleadingly, “But… but we do not have such a custom, this servant cannot make such a decision on her own.”
Yang Kai glanced at her, “Since you don’t have the authority, go ask someone who does.”
The maidservant shivered violently when she received this glance and did not dare to talk anymore, leaving immediately to make her report.
In the meantime, another maidservant appeared on the stage up with a tray; after which Hua Qing Si announced dully, “The second auction item, a Thousand Leaves Sect Heaven Grade Puppet, the reserve price is one million High-Rank Source Crystals!”
She stood there quietly when she finished.
Yang Kai shouted immediately, “I want this for one million. I hope everyone will give me face.”
After saying this, the audience went into an uproar as the gathered Emperor Realm Masters ground their teeth with hatred.
When the first auction item, the Howling Moon Heavenly Wolf, came out, Yang Kai had said the exact same thing, and those Emperor Realm Masters really did give him face. No one competed with him, but it was simply insatiable of him to do the same thing for this second auction item. He really did not know the immensity of Heaven and Earth.
But when they thought of Yang Kai’s ruthlessness and the Monster King behind him, most of the Emperor Realm Masters still chose to remain silent, refusing to take the lead. Some other Emperor Realm Masters who did not know Yang Kai were quietly mocking him in their private rooms, but also did not continue bidding for the item.
Although their voices were small, it was still audible to the many clear-sighted and clear-hearing Emperor Realm Masters present.
They were a little worried that Yang Kai would start violently beating people, but unexpectedly, the room where Yang Kai was located remained silent.
At this time, the maidservant who sent the Howling Moon Heavenly Wolf to Yang Kai reported to Wu Ming carefully about what had happened earlier.
Wu Ming was furious as he cursed through gritted teeth, “That bastard, he’s trying to openly rob us!”
One million High-Rank Source Crystals was still a lot of wealth for him, and looking at Yang Kai’s actions, it was clear that he did not ever intend to pay and was simply brushing him off.
Wu Ming believed that even when the auction ended, Yang Kai would not pay a single Source Crystal.
Such a practice was far more than petty and shameless.
“Sir, what should we do now?” The maidservant was in a panic. She had sold something from her own auction floor for nothing, and any credibility Seven Glories Chamber of Commerce had before would be gone when the news spread out. However, she was just a simple maidservant and really had no right to make such important decisions.
Wu Ming’s eyes flickered for a while before he snorted coldly, “It’s fine, just ignore him.”
In any case, Yang Kai would die today, so no matter how many good things there were in his Space Ring, they would ultimately be theirs. [Go ahead, take these for free, we’ll see who has the last laugh when the dust settles.]
The maidservant was startled and pleaded, “But he has started bidding again. What should I do if he wins another auction?”
Wu Ming waved his hand, “Just deliver the items to him.”
“Ah!” The maidservant was appalled. She did not expect Wu Ming to give such an answer. However, before today’s auction started, the maidservants had been notified that they must follow Wu Ming’s orders, so she did not dare to refute. Still, she felt quite strange as she wondered what was going on today.
Wu Ming sneered slightly as he glanced at the private room where Yang Kai sat and thought, [You can have fun all you want now, but Honoured Master has planned for every possibility. Today you will die without a burial!]
The whole auction was not only a means to draw out Yang Kai, but also a strategy to stall for time. While the auction was being held, his Honoured Master was already secretly preparing to spring his trap. By then, no one would be able to escape from here.
As expected, no one competed in the bidding for the second auction item, and soon it was delivered to Yang Kai’s private room by a different maidservant.
As if she was under orders, the maidservant did not request Yang Kai for payment again. After delivering the item, she simply retired respectfully.
Yang Kai casually tossed it to Ye Hen again.
Ye Jing Han and Du Xian were secretly excited watching from the sidelines, thinking that all the Heaven Grade puppets of the Thousand Leaves Sect could be recovered from the auction. If this was the case, the Thousand Leaves Sect may be able to make a comeback. Many of the Sect’s ancient books and records were brought with them into Emperor Heaven Valley, so the Sect would surely regain its glory one day if they took back these Heaven Grade puppets and recruited more disciples.
“The third auction item…” On the stage, Hua Qing Si continued to host the auction with an indifferent expression.
But before she could finish her words, Yang Kai shouted again, “I want it for one million.”
It was no doubt another Heaven Grade Puppet.
The Thousand Leaves Sect originally had ten Heaven Grade Puppets, but after Liu Yan took away a White Tiger, only nine were left. It would take some time to buy all the items one by one.
An old voice in room seven asked in a voice mixed with deep dissatisfaction and indignation, “This friend, do you want us to give you face again?”
Yang Kai grinned, “It would be great if you could.”
The old man in room seven snorted coldly, “Face must be earned, not given by others.”
“Good, everything can be done once or twice, but not thrice.” Someone immediately agreed, the voice seemingly coming from room thirteen. “This is an auction, so naturally the one who bids the most will win. What you’re doing, my friend, is just too disrespectful.”
“Boy, you already have two Heaven Grade Puppets, you should be satisfied and not participate in the following auctions.”
“Yes, that’s right! We all travelled from far and wide to come here just for these Heaven Grade Puppets. Your appetite is far too big if you want to take them all for yourself.”
As soon as someone spoke out, others would definitely follow suit. They did not know anything about Yang Kai before, so they laid low and let Yang Kai pick up two big bargains for nothing; however, while everyone was discussing him in private, they realized that this little bastard was just putting up a front and not really taking action. This greatly boosted their boldness and they began openly criticizing him.
Who did not want good things? By the looks of Yang Kai’s attitude, if the others did not speak up again, he really would sweep up everything in this auction. How could anyone tolerate such an insult? It was already a great kindness that they let him take away two Heaven Grade Puppets at the reserve price. He needed to learn to be content.
Many people secretly regretted it. If they had known that this boy was just bluffing, they would have bid against him for the first two items. Generally speaking, the prices of the first few auction items were relatively low, and the prices would slowly increase as more items were auctioned.
Only those who knew that a Monster King was accompanying Yang Kai, and saw Yang Kai beat up Wu Ming earlier, kept silent, sneering in their hearts as they thought about the terrible fate awaiting these vocal Emperors would soon face.
Yang Kai’s boldness to beat Wu Ming into a pulp in front of the entrance of the auction house proved that he was reckless and dauntless. It would be courting death to look for trouble with such a madman, because none of the Emperors present was even as strong as Wu Ming.
Since this matter would not affect them though, they decided to sit back and watch the show.
But what surprised them was that Yang Kai did not react with violence to these people, simply remaining silent before drawling, “Since you don’t want to give me a face, then go ahead and start bidding. Why run your mouths so much?”
As soon as this remark came out, many people were shocked, thinking, [What happened? Does this boy have a split personality? That’s impossible! Could it be that he felt threatened by the number of people here?]
After all, it was never a good idea to provoke public anger. It did not matter if he beat Wu Ming, if he was stubborn and continued to ask others to give him a face, he would probably offend all the Emperor Realm Masters present.
Once that happened, he would be unable to handle so many enemies at once.
Considering all this, the Emperor Realm Masters who had been silent the whole time could not help becoming eager.
Without Yang Kai acting as an impassable obstacle, they did not need to be afraid of anyone, and whoever had the stronger financial resources would obtain the Heaven Grade Puppets.
As soon as they reached this conclusion, many Emperor Realm Masters straightened their backs and rolled up their sleeves, preparing themselves for the coming competition.
The old man in room seven smiled slightly and spoke in a manner of seniority, “Child, this is the atmosphere that an auction should have. In that case, this Old Master will start spicing things up. One million and one hundred thousand!”
“One million and two hundred thousand!”
“One million and five hundred thousand!”
“Two million!”
Shouts came in from all directions one after another as the Emperor Realm Masters in the big private rooms started to take action. In less than ten breaths of time, the value of the Heaven Grade Puppets with a reserve price of one million High-Rank Source Crystals rose rapidly to three million, and the bidding was far from over.
“Ten million!” A voice sounded abruptly.
The clamorous auction house fell silent in an instant as numerous people turned to look at room one with their faces twitching.
That was because they recognized the voice that offered ten million High-Rank Source Crystals had belonged to Yang Kai. Naturally, they felt resentful.
The price was terrifyingly raised from three million to ten million, more than tripled in one go. Such a price gap shocked all the Emperor Realm Masters.
But then again, a Heaven Grade Puppet was really worth such a price. Although ten million High-Rank Source Crystals was not cheap, it was completely worth it for a Heaven Grade Puppet. It could only be said that the boy in room one was decisive enough to offer a high price straightaway to deter most of the competitors who coveted it.
Auctions were competitions of wits and guts, and if one could not afford more than the new bid, he could only give up on it.
“What the hell!” Wu Ming who hid behind the stage scolded angrily.
Although the others thought that Yang Kai was acting generously and decisively to win the Heaven Grade Puppets, he knew what Yang Kai was really up to. The bidding price was just a number to Yang Kai, because he was not planning to pay at all. Therefore, not to mention ten million, he would even dare to offer a hundred million if he needed to.
Considering all this, Wu Ming’s heart clenched as cold sweat trickled down his forehead.
[Don’t tell me this little brat… really is going to offer a hundred million later?]
“Boy, how bold you are!” The old man in room seven yelled with a slight tinge of anger. He cursed Yang Kai in his heart for not understanding decorum. No one would raise the bid to such a high price like this. If the bidders cut one another’s throats, it would only benefit the organizer. If Yang Kai did not buy the two previous Heaven Grade Puppets, he would suspect that Yang Kai was a plant from the auction house.
“Ten million High-Rank Source Crystals for a Heaven Grade Puppet. Boy, your calculations aren’t bad, but unfortunately, you’ve run into this Old Master today,” the old man from room seven sneered and offered, “Eleven million.”
The price of his bid was actually almost close to his limit, but Yang Kai’s action was so unruly that he could not bear it and secretly decided to compete with him to the end. He wanted to make him understand that old ginger was spicier than young ginger.
“One hundred million!”
Yang Kai sat on his chair, resting his cheek on his palm, holding a cup of tea and sipping gently.
*Pu… *
Ye Jing Han almost laughed out loud.
At this point, how could she not understand Yang Kai’s plan? This auction was just a joke to Yang Kai, so there was no difference between ten million, hundred million, one billion or even ten billion to him. They were just numbers that he shouted, never intending to pay up in the end.
Ye Hen and Du Xian also revealed odd expressions, secretly wiping the sweat on their foreheads.
Backstage, Wu Ming’s face turned black. As he expected, the little brat really dared to bid a hundred million.
On the contrary, gasps could be heard one after another from all the private rooms as countless eyes in the hall converged towards room one.
“Did I hear him right? One hundred million? Did he mean Low-Rank Source Crystals or High-Rank Source Crystals?”
“Dream, dream. I must be dreaming.”
“This little brat is crazy! Does he really have so many Source Crystals to spend? If he can’t finish spending them, he can just spare some for me! What a waste!”
“Young Lord, this humble one is willing to serve you. This humble one’s capital is quite impressive, big, soft and white…”
…..
The hall was buzzing excitedly. Yang Kai’s bid of one hundred million left them totally flabbergasted, just like a loud boom of thunder that shocked them to the state of dizziness and confusion.
“You, you, you…” The old man in room seven became furious after recovering from his shock and crushed the arm of his chair as he shouted, “Little brat, don’t go too far!”
Yang Kai curled his lips and glanced lightly at room seven, “As you said, this is an auction, so naturally the one with the most money gets what he wants. How is this Young Master going too far?”
“You are clearly bidding maliciously! This is ridiculous!” He doubted that Yang Kai would really be willing to spend a hundred million High-Rank Source Crystal to buy a Heaven Grade Puppet. The value of a Heaven Grade Puppet was only ten to twenty million. What was the concept of a hundred million? Even those first-class Sects may not be able to take out so many Source Crystals at once.
Yang Kai snorted, “If you can’t afford to play, don’t play. It’s better to find a place to enjoy the rest of your life when you’re old. Why come out and make a fool of yourself?”
“You are infuriating this Old Master!” The old man was fuming and turned to Hua Qing Si, “Madam, is this auction simply going to allow this man to make a mockery of the rules and bid maliciously? Is there no one here who will maintain order?”
This was the branch of Seven Glories Chamber of Commerce’s regulations, which was extremely damaging to its credibility. The old man questioned her, thinking that Hua Qing Si was a member of the Seven Glories Chamber of Commerce.
Hua Qing Si glanced faintly at room seven and answered, “However much he bid is his business. I didn’t see him causing any trouble, but on the contrary, you’re the one who’s interrupting the auction.”
The old man was shocked, but then he remembered that the boy in room one seemed to be quite close with this auctioneer. They were even whispering to each other on stage just before the auction started, so it was only natural for her to help him instead of an outsider.
“Snakes and rats in the same nest, colluding with each other!” The old man flicked his sleeves, feeling extremely disappointed with Seven Glories Chamber of Commerce, mumbling out loud, “I don’t believe he can come up with a hundred million High-Rank Source Crystals.”
If any random person could take out a hundred million High-Rank Source Crystals, they would not be called High-Rank Source Crystals anymore. Even this old man could only gather up to twenty million High-Rank Source Crystals by almost emptying the coffers of his Sect. Given that Yang Kai looked so young, and his cultivation was only First-Order Emperor Realm, how could he have such rich financial resources?
“Old Zhou is right. This boy is definitely here to make trouble. He should be kicked out!” Someone yelled immediately. It was the Emperor Realm Master from room thirteen.
“Expel him! This kind of person should not be allowed to participate in the auction. He already picked up two bargains, what is Seven Glories Chamber of Commerce even doing?”
All of a sudden, the crowd became riotous and began demanding Yang Kai be thrown out of the auction.
The main reason was that the offer of one hundred million High-Rank Source Crystals was too terrifying. This was just the third auction item, and there were more Heaven Grade Puppets to come as well as the rumoured Star Master. If Yang Kai hiked up the price indiscriminately every time, who could defeat him?
They could not let him stay any longer for the sake of their own benefits.
Twenty or thirty Emperor Realm Masters shouted together, their Emperor Intent pulsing from each private room, as if the end of days was about to descend, frightening the wits out of the cultivators in the lower hall.
Hua Qing Si also frowned on the stage. If it was just one or two people, she did not need to pay it any mind, since this auction was really just a show. However, now that there were so many Emperor Realm Masters complaining, she had no idea what to do. If she did not handle this well, it might cause Yang Kai a dreadful disaster.
Wu Ming sneered backstage, secretly feeling satisfied about the situation. He showed no intention to step out and calm the situation because he could not wait for Yang Kai to draw the hatred of everyone present, making it easier to facilitate the next part of the plan.
“Shut up!” Yang Kai bellowed from room one while picking the wax from his ear.
The noise from all directions was causing his brain to buzz.
“Little brat, how dare you shout at us!” The old man in room seven now couldn’t wait to fight it out with Yang Kai. The situation was completely in his favour and he did not put Yang Kai in his eyes anymore, snapping righteously, “If you are smart, quickly disappear from this Old Master’s sight. If you don’t, everyone here will teach you how to show proper respect!”
Just when he finished his sentence, all of a sudden, a figure bizarrely emerged in the air above the auction hall. It was Yang Kai.
“You… What are you doing!?” The old man was taken aback. Even though he was watching everything from his private room, he did not notice how Yang Kai appeared just now.
A pair of eyes now stared back though, penetrating the walls and Spirit Arrays, seemingly stabbing straight into his heart.
Yang Kai stared coldly at room seven for a moment before he swept his gaze across the hall finally declaring, “All you trash are accusing this Young Master of maliciously bidding because you don’t believe this Young Master can take out one hundred million High-Rank Source Crystals. Then let this Young Master ask you, what if I can take them out?”
“Impudence!”
“Ridiculous!”
“This is so outrageous. The blasphemy!”
Although the cultivation of the Emperor Realm Masters here was not considered high, they were all still pillars of their respective Sects and forces. Each of them had exceedingly high status, so it was only natural for them to be infuriated after Yang Kai referred to them as trash.
“If you can take them out, this King will eat three kilograms of shit!”
The voice came out from nowhere and no one knew which private room it came from. Obviously it was just some random yelling and the person did not want to expose his position.
However, Yang Kai accurately locked his gaze on room thirteen and replied in amazement, “This friend has such strong taste. This Young Master admires you greatly!”
Inside room thirteen, a certain middle-aged man’s face turned pale. He did not expect that he would fail to hide his position with his Secret Technique and was instantly spotted by Yang Kai. He was now deeply regretting his choice of words. If he knew this, he would not have shouted recklessly.
It was just that Yang Kai was so unpleasant to his eyes that he instinctively wanted to annoy him.
The others also looked at room thirteen with various expressions.
“Good, since Your Excellency is so enthusiastic, this Young Master will fulfill your wish!” Yang Kai clapped his hands then turned to room seven and asked, “Old thing, how about you?”
“You?” The old man sneered disdainfully. Obviously, he did not believe that Yang Kai could come up with so many Source Crystals.
“Yes, me. Tell me what you’re willing to wager, or are you all talk?” Yang Kai snorted.
The purpose of him coming here this time, firstly was to rescue Chi Yue and his Seniors, and secondly to recover the Heaven Grade Puppets of Thousand Leaves Sect. Since there were people who dared to interrupt him, he would not show any kindness.
The old man retorted, “If you can take them out, this Old Master will take down his head and let you use it as a ball.”
To him, Yang Kai was just a trivial First-Order Emperor Realm Master. Even if he really could take out one hundred million High-Rank Source Crystals, he was not afraid of him either. It was not a big deal for him to fight with Yang Kai; in fact, he very much wanted to teach Yang Kai that there was always a bigger fish.
“Very good,” Yang Kai grinned, “Then, prepare your head for this Young Master.”
While speaking, he turned around and flew to the stage where Hua Qing Si was located. After landing and examining the surroundings, he announced, “Open your dog eyes and watch carefully, tell me if this Young Master is maliciously bidding or not!”
With a wave of his hand, a big hill of Source Crystals appeared on the stage. Each of the Source Crystals emitted blinding white light as they released an amazing aura. All of a sudden, the whole auction venue was completely filled with World Energy.
The cultivators in the hall instantly fell silent as they ogled at the stage with their eyes widened. Even the Emperor Realm Masters who were sitting in their private rooms could not help stretching out their necks to have a peek at the breathtaking scene before them.
“So many Source Crystals! I’ve never seen so many Source Crystals in my life!”
“They are all High-Rank Source Crystals, authentic High-Rank Source Crystals!”
“Such a big pile, there must be at least a hundred million!”
“Sir, this slave wants to have a baby with you! Please spare this slave a glance…”
All the cultivators sitting in the lower hall exploded. Their cultivations weren’t high, so the cultivation resources that they could obtain were always limited. They had never seen so many Source Crystals before, not to mention they were all High-Rank Source Crystals. Such a huge sum of wealth was enough to send them into a state of insanity.
If such a fortune fell into their hands, they would not have to worry about their cultivation for the rest of their lives. Even their future generations would not have to worry about resources for a thousand years.
*Gudong… *
The sound of gulps came from the various private rooms one after another. While floored with disbelief, these Emperors’ eyes were filled with covetousness, because it was no less eye-opening for them than it was for the cultivators in the hall to see this many Source Crystals all at once.
“He really has so many High-Rank Source Crystals…” The old man in room seven muttered in disbelief, his face twitching. Apart from feeling shocked, he also felt uneasy and frightened because he had made such an outrageous boast when he got mad earlier. For a moment, he felt a chill on his neck and subconsciously touched it.
But soon, he sneered.
[So what if this brat can take out a hundred million High-Rank Source Crystals? I’m a First-Order Emperor as well and have been one for centuries. How could it be possible for me to lose to this young man? If he is smart enough, he should now try to minimize the conflict, but if he still wants to pester me endlessly, I will teach him a lesson.]
[Moreover, this little brat has long infuriated everyone and does not understand the principle of not exposing one’s wealth, going so far as to recklessly show off his treasures. If we really have to fight here, I’m certain many others won’t just stand by and watch. At least, the friend in room thirteen will certainly help.]
Considering all this, the old man was instantly relieved.
On the stage, Yang Kai casually waved his hand again, and another pile of High-Rank Source Crystals appeared at once. The amount this time was even higher than in the previous pile.
“Ssii…”
The sound of deep inhalation was heard from all around as everyone stared at the Source Crystals on the stage stupidly, as if they were all petrified. The radiance of these High-Rank Source Crystals was dazzling, making everyone restless.
It was not over yet though as this was followed by a third pile, then a fourth …
In just a moment, the whole stage was almost buried in High-Rank Source Crystals, and the permeating World Energy had all but become liquid. Every cultivator in the auction venue felt that both their minds and bodies were reborn.
“Ah, my bottleneck… My bottleneck is loosening, I’m about to break through!”
Someone shouted loudly with a face full of pleasant surprise.
Before he finished speaking, an aura suddenly burst out; someone else had made a breakthrough before him.
*Hong hong hong… *
Auras inflated rapidly one after another. There were about one hundred cultivators who broke through their shackles with the assistance of the extremely rich World Energy, reaching the next realm.
Those cultivators who did not make a breakthrough were also full of joy though as every one of them madly circulated their Secret Art to absorb the dense World Energy.
These people did not have high cultivations or good cultivation resources. The places where they chose to cultivate in retreat were not excellent places either; however, because of the hundreds of millions of High-Rank Source Crystals that Yang Kai took out, he had created a kind of cultivation paradise that was comparable to the greatest cultivation rooms of top Sects.
Given this environment, it was a matter of course that they could break through their bottlenecks.
“My hero…” Someone cried his heart out. This person had been stuck at the peak of Second-Order Saint King Realm for thirty years and had thought that he would never be able to take another step further in his life, but today he had actually met such a good opportunity.
“Young hero, please accept my bow!” Another person stood up and bowed sincerely to Yang Kai who was standing on the stage.
More and more people stood up to offer their gratitude.
Yang Kai looked at them with a smile and did not stop those people from absorbing the World Energy emitted by his Source Crystals.
He had gained an absurd amount of wealth in the Ancient Wild Lands and again when he emptied the Treasury of Seeking Passion Sect. Just in High-Rank Source Crystals, he had more than a billion on him. A small loss of World Energy meant nothing to him.
From the wealth that he had now, a small donation was enough for these cultivators to use for their entire lives.
Backstage, Wu Ming stared at the High-Rank Source Crystals with scorching eyes, gulping hard as greed filled his mind, [Mine. It’s all mine!]
He did not expect Yang Kai’s wealth to be so great. Since hundreds of millions of High-Rank Source Crystals were just something that he could take out casually, this meant there must be even greater treasures in his Space Ring. If he could take him down, wouldn’t this wealth all fall into his hands?
[No, no, it should belong to Honoured Master. But it doesn’t matter because as long as Honoured Master obtains it, I will still be able to have a share!] Considering all this, Wu Ming was exhilarated and almost laughed out loud wildly.
“You trash, have you seen clearly yet? Now tell me, is this Young Master just maliciously bidding?” Yang Kai asked with a cold tone while glaring at the crowd.
Everyone turned speechless.
Words were not proof, but with the evidence right in front of their eyes, they had no other choice but to believe. Yang Kai really managed to take out so many Source Crystals at once. He had proven himself beyond any doubt.
Saying so, Yang Kai retrieved the High-Rank Source Crystals back into his Space Ring.
The rich World Energy in the surroundings was suddenly cut off, and everyone in the hall put on a sad face. Given that these things did not belong to them and the owner was an Emperor Realm Master though, it was already a great kindness for him to even show it to them, so they could not just expect Yang Kai to keep those Source Crystals there for them to cultivate.
Many sighs could be heard for a while.
“I’m glad that you all have no comment,” Yang Kai grinned, then turned to room seven, “Old thing, it’s time to fulfil your promise.”
“What promise, I don’t understand!” The old man in room seven yelled angrily.
“How dare you not keep your word!” Yang Kai’s face turned grim, “Who was the old bastard who said that if this Young Master could take out one hundred million Source Crystal, he would take down his own head and let me kick it like a ball? How dare you deny it. Are you that thick-skinned?”
The old man snorted coldly, “Can jokes be taken seriously?”
Yang Kai retorted in a deep voice, “Old thing, you really are shameless. I’ll count to three, if you don’t take down your head, don’t blame this Young Master for doing it for you.”
“Boy, how dare you!” The old man was maddened. After all, they were both First-Order Emperor Realm Masters, so he did not expect Yang Kai to not show him the slightest respect. Although he did make such a promise out of anger, anyone would understand that he was not being serious. Why would he follow through now?
“One!” Yang Kai ignored him and started counting.
“Little brat, don’t take things too far. This Old Master is the Sect Master of Grey Sky Sect. Do you want to make enemies of my Grey Sky Sect?” Seeing the determined look on Yang Kai’s face, the old man hurriedly revealed his identity in hopes of making Yang Kai back down.
“Two!” Yang Kai was unaffected as he called again coldly.
What thing was Grey Sky Sect to Yang Kai? He had even dared to annihilate the Seeking Passion Sect, so why would he fear some unknown Grey Sky Sect?
The old man was now beginning to panic. He did not expect Yang Kai to be serious. Was this little brat crazy? The two of them had equal cultivation and there was no deep hatred between them. Was it really necessary to take things to this extent?
However, he had no idea that a trivial First-Order Emperor Realm and a trivial Grey Sky Sect were nothing in Yang Kai’s eyes.
If he was a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master, Yang Kai might still consider bargaining a bit.
The old man gritted his teeth, and tossed his gaze in the direction of room thirteen, using his Divine Sense to communicate with the Emperor Realm Master there, “Friend, this little brat is insane. How about we join hands to take him down? Otherwise, given his attitude, he will target you after he finishes dealing with this Old Master. It’s better if we strike first, then split his hundreds of millions of Source Crystals between us evenly!”
The Emperor Realm Master’s face in room thirteen darkened too, because Yang Kai was simply too overbearing. He also knew that the old man was right. Previously, he proclaimed he would eat three kilograms of shit just to annoy Yang Kai, but he did not expect Yang Kai to be able to locate him even though he had deliberately hidden his position.
While he was still worrying that Yang Kai would also want him to fulfil his promise, the old man sent a Divine Sense Message.
After being motivated by the hundreds of millions of Source Crystals, this middle-aged man nodded as he replied without a second thought, “Good!”
The old man was ecstatic, thinking to himself, [Little brat, since you court death, don’t blame this Old Master for being ruthless.]
“Three!” After Yang Kai shouted, he stared coldly at room seven and nodded, “Very good, it seems you won’t shed tears unless you see your own coffin. In that case, let this Young Master help you!”
He shot towards room seven and sent out a punch.
A loud explosion, followed by a sudden appearance of a light barrier covered room seven. The barrier successfully blocked Yang Kai’s attack as it flashed brilliantly.
The private rooms in the auction were guarded by stronger barriers meant to protect the privacy and safety of important guests. For top-notched auction houses, these barriers were generally sufficient to defend against the spying of a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master, and even handle a few attacks from one.
Although Flowing Shadow City was not a small city, it was not a big city either; as such, the Spirit Arrays in this branch of Seven Glories Chamber of Commerce were only able to defend against the attacks of ordinary First-Order and Second-Order Emperor Realm Masters.
They were essentially useless against Third-Order Emperors.
However, there were not many Masters of this level and they were even more rarely seen. Even if such a Master appeared, each of them was a noble existence who would not commit such rude actions.
“Hahaha!” The Sect Master of Grey Sky Sect in room seven burst into laughter after seeing Yang Kai suffer a setback, “Little brat, do you think you alone can cause this Old Master trouble? You should go back and cultivate for another… Ah!”
In the middle of his boasting, he suddenly screamed as if he had seen something horrifying.
Everyone looked towards the room, their eyes bulging as they found what they saw impossible to believe.
A slight crack had actually appeared on the light barrier around room seven.
*Kacha… *
Everyone was taken aback by the soft noise. The face of the old man who sat in room seven turned pale and his eyes widened as he could not believe Yang Kai was so powerful.
Yang Kai could actually cause a crack in the barrier with a single punch, so it could be imagined what would happen if he unleashed a few more punches…
[Damn Seven Glories Chamber of Commerce, what kind of defective Spirit Array is this? Useless!] The old man cursed in his heart.
While the old man was still in a state of shock, Yang Kai summoned the Myriads Sword and pushed his Emperor Qi fiercely, causing an eruption of sword light as he slashed out.
*Hong… *
The power of the sword seemed to be able to penetrate space itself and flip the Heavens and Earth. The expressions of the Emperor Realm Masters in the other private rooms turned solemn as they realized just how formidable Yang Kai was.
The light curtain barrier which already had a crack on it completely shattered under the slash of the sword, turning into fluorescent dust as it scattered and disappeared.
Room seven was immediately exposed, utterly unprotected.
Yang Kai slashed once more and broke into the room where he met an old man with a pale and frightened face staring back at him with his eyes widened.
With a flicker, Yang Kai rushed inside and rested the broad Myriads Sword on the old man’s shoulder and demanded, “Old thing, give me your head.”
*Deng deng deng deng… *
The old man stumbled back in horror and shouted with his teeth gritted, “Friend, it’s now or never!”
Having said that, he pounced at Yang Kai while pushing his Emperor Qi wildly. The old man bent his fingers into claws as an eagle phantom flashed behind him. A shadow of two gigantic claws cast over the entire sky, charging forward fiercely, as if he was about to tear apart Yang Kai’s body.
Although the old man knew that Yang Kai was not easy to be dealt with, in the end, he was also a First-Order Emperor Realm Master. Furthermore, with the assistance of his ally from room thirteen, the old man was not too afraid of Yang Kai. As such, he held nothing back with his attack, obviously wanting to end things in a single stroke.
However, just when he was about to reach Yang Kai’s face, he was welcomed by a big foot covered in rich Emperor Qi, stomping on his face directly. Despite the simplicity of this move, it managed to disperse the shadow of gigantic claws from the old man.
The old man instinctively tried to evade, but to his surprise, the surrounding space seemed to solidify at that instant, making it impossible for him to move at all.
With a loud thud, the old man was thrown out and slammed directly into the wall behind him, from which he slid down slowly. Stars spun around his head, and apart from feeling dizzy, he also felt that his nose had been flattened.
When the old man opened his eyes again, he saw a broadsword pointed at his neck, the feel of it against his skin ice cold and at its opposite end stood Yang Kai with a sneer on his face.
The old man was appalled. He did not expect that even though they were both First-Order Emperors, he could not even take a single exchange of blows with Yang Kai before being beaten down.
[Is he… is this monster really a First-Order Emperor Realm Master?]
Gasps sounded one after another from the surrounding private rooms as no one could believe the scene that just took place in front of them.
All of them had been observing the battle clearly just now. First, Yang Kai broke the protective barrier around the old man’s private room with just two blows, then he exchanged moves with the Sect Master of Grey Sky Sect head-on, leading to the old Sect Master to take a kick to the face before he slid to the ground, his life now no longer in his own hands.
Everything that happened was beyond belief, and if they had not seen it with their own eyes, they would not believe that such a thing could happen in this world.
The Sect Master of Grey Sky Sect was an established First-Order Emperor Realm Master, so how could he be so vulnerable in front of an opponent with the same cultivation?
“You have a helper?” Yang Kai sneered, lightly glancing over at room thirteen.
The door of room thirteen was open, and a middle-aged man stood there in a posture that made it seem like he was preparing to rush out of his room, but right now, he was frozen stiff.
In front of him was Ying Fei, who was leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed, watching at him with a pair of sharp eagle-like eyes and a casual smirk.
There was no hostility, no aura fluctuations, and not even any pressure coming from Ying Fei’s body, but his mere presence had caused sweat to trickle down the head of the middle-aged man, locking him in place.
Inexplicably, this man felt that the one standing in front of him had the ability to kill him with ease, so even though he wanted to assist the Sect Master from Grey Sky Sect, he could not take a step forward.
“Go back. Young Master Yang will visit you soon,” Ying Fei looked at the middle-aged man and waved his hand lightly.
The middle-aged man gulped down his saliva and gently closed the door, retreating back to his seat as he shivered from head to toe.
Inside room seven, Yang Kai grinned at the Sect Master of Grey Sky Sect and teased, “It looks like you’ve been abandoned.”
Of course, Yang Kai knew what had happened to the Emperor Realm Master in room thirteen. With Ying Fei guarding the door, it was difficult for that man to even leave his room, much less provide help to the old man in front of him.
But when the Sect Master of Grey Sky Sect heard these words from Yang Kai, his face went ashen.
Initially, he thought he did not need to be too afraid of Yang Kai because they had the same cultivation. Moreover, with the support of room thirteen, it would be a two versus one battle so the old man didn’t put Yang Kai in his eyes at all. But as soon as they clashed, he realized how wrong he was.
This First-Order Emperor Junior was completely different from any he had encountered before.
However, what angered him more was that the person in room thirteen actually did nothing.
Feeling the cold chill of the Myriads Sword, the Sect Master of Grey Sky Sect begged in a trembling voice, “Forgive me, Young Master. I’m willing to apologize and make up for the mistakes. Please spare my life.”
At the critical moment of life and death, the Sect Master of Grey Sky Sect did not care about face anymore; he just wanted to live. Without life, everything else was pointless.
Yang Kai shook his head slowly, “One’s word is more valuable than their life!”
When the words fell, the Myriads Sword flashed across the old man’s neck.
The old man’s eyes widened as he stared in horror at Yang Kai, reaching up to touch his neck with his hand as he muttered, “You…”
Before he could finish his thought though, blood spurted out of his neck with such force that it separated his head from his body, sending his head flying into the air.
“Ah…”
Screams were heard around the room.
The Sect Master of Grey Sky Sect seemed to have brought several young disciples with him to experience the auction this time, so all of them were dumbstruck when Yang Kai broke into the room and could not help screaming in fear when their helpless Sect Master was beheaded without being able to even fight back. Among them were two beautiful female disciples who fell to the ground on their butts, their eyes completely glossing over.
Yang Kai ignored them as he casually grabbed the head of the Grey Sky Sect Sect Master by the hair and began examining it. The Sect Master of Grey Sky Sect truly lived up to his reputation as an Emperor Realm Master as he was still glaring at Yang Kai in anger even after he was beheaded, as if he could not accept such a fate, but after a while, the light in his eyes gradually faded.
Thousands of cultivators in the hall fell silent.
Previously, when Yang Kai took out hundreds of millions of High-Rank Source Crystal to create an unprecedented cultivation paradise for them, they appreciated him so much and never thought that such a good man could exist in the world. However, after watching him behead the Sect Master of Grey Sky Sect just because of a few casually spoken words, they realized just how frightening Yang Kai could be.
The Emperor Realm Masters in the other private rooms also stared in shock. For those who slightly knew about the background of Yang Kai, they just shook their heads and felt pity for the old man.
This young man was the one who beat up a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master at the entrance of the auction house, so all of them were doing their best to avoid him. On the other hand, this old man dared to provoke him, so what end except death could he expect?
As for the Emperors who had no clue about Yang Kai, they could not help feeling a sense of dread. Most of them were just First-Order Emperors as well, similar to the Sect Master of Grey Sky Sect. Seeing that this old man couldn’t even put up any kind of resistance before Yang Kai swiftly killed him, they could not help feeling terrified when they thought about if it was them in the old man’s position. All of them secretly decided not to provoke this devil, otherwise, they would be the next victim in line.
“Since you wanted this Young Master to kick your head, then this Young Master is forced to accept it.” After speaking, Yang Kai tossed the old man’s head up, and spun his body into a flying spin kick, sending the head of the Grey Sky Sect Sect Master in a swoosh, straight arc to the auction stage, over Hua Qing Si’s head, and finally crashing directly into the backstage, completely smashing it into a mush, like a tossed watermelon.
Backstage, Wu Ming who was watching the show did not expect Yang Kai to kick the head to his side and only managed to dodge it narrowly, but he still had blood splash all over his body. Wu Ming’s face darkened instantly as he desperately held down his anger, despite how uncomfortable it was for him.
After doing so, Yang Kai lifted up the dead body of the Grey Sky Sect Sect Master and glanced at room thirteen with a grin, “Where is my friend who said that he would eat three kilograms of shit? Be prepared, there’s a hot and fresh pile here.”
He then took the body and headed towards room thirteen as he spoke.
*Shua shua shua… *
Everyone turned to room thirteen with full of sympathy.
Even though the Sect Master of Grey Sky Sect was dead, it was a quick death as Yang Kai did not torture him, but for the Emperor Realm Master in room thirteen, perhaps death would be a preferable option to his coming fate.
Imagining the torture that the Emperor Realm Master in room thirteen would encounter soon, many shivered uncontrollably as goosebumps appeared all over their bodies.
They did not doubt Yang Kai’s strength and determination. Previously, the Sect Master of Grey Sky Sect in room seven had stated that he would let Yang Kai kick his head like a ball, and Yang Kai really did it. On the other hand, the Emperor Realm Master in room thirteen had stated that he would eat three kilograms of shit, and they were afraid that… he really would have to eat it now.
None of them had ever attended an auction like this, nor had they ever seen such an unruly person before.
The whole auction house turned dead silent as Divine Senses all emerged from the private rooms one after another to monitor the situation in room thirteen. No one could suppress their curiosity. Although they knew what was going to happen, they all still felt an irresistible yet terrifying urge to watch.
*Peng… *
The door of room thirteen was kicked open, followed by the growl of the middle-aged, “What do you want to do?”
“This Young Master is here to grant your wish. You’re welcome!”
“No, no, no, I didn’t say that. It wasn’t me.”
“A real man never goes back on his word. At this point, there is nothing you can do to avoid it!”
“Young Master, please spare me from this, I was wrong! Broad-minded people will not care about the narrow-minded people, please don’t take offence!”
“No, no, no, it’s the first time this Young Master has heard such an awe-inspiring request, so he simply must grant it today! Monster King, don’t let him resist!”
“Yes!”
“You… You can kill me, but I’ll not let you humiliate me, I’ll fight you!”
“How dare you try to move without this King’s permission! Young Master Yang, three kilograms is too little! Make it thirty kilograms!”
The barrier around room thirteen was still intact, so everyone’s Divine Senses were blocked and no one could see what was going on inside. However, the dialogue inside was still crystal-clear to everyone’s ears.
They heard the Emperor Realm Master in room thirteen decide to fight head-on after failing to beg for mercy. However, he seemed to have been subdued before he could even begin. Then there was a cry, followed by a few strange gulping sounds.
Although they could not see anything, everyone seemed to be able to imagine what happened to that Emperor Realm Master in room thirteen.
*Ou… *
A woman in the hall could not hold back anymore and vomited.
That sound seemed to be a fuse that set everyone else off. Those cultivators who were still struggling to hold themselves back could no longer endure it. They turned around and vomited everywhere. In an instant, the entire hall turned into a mess, while those who didn’t vomit felt more and more like it as they were surrounded by such a disgusting situation.
The Emperor Realm Masters in the other private rooms, on top of being repulsed, also felt bewildered. Seven Glories Chamber of Commerce was considered one of the two top chambers of commerce in the Southern Territory, yet no one had come out to resolve this incident. Realizing this, these Masters started to feel that this auction was not as simple as it appeared to be and that they had unwittingly become involved in a swirling quagmire.
After a long time, Yang Kai strode out of room thirteen and clapped his hands, “It’s really my first time seeing someone make such a weird request. What an eye-opener.”
Dreadful vomiting sounds could be heard from inside the room.
“Carry on!” Yang Kai looked up at Hua Qing Si who was on the stage and said.
Hua Qing Si nodded lightly. She could tell that Yang Kai felt really annoyed this time because of her Honoured Master. He was full of anger and had no place to vent, so now that the Emperor Realm Masters from rooms seven and thirteen had provoked him, how could he spare them?
Fortunately, the Emperor Realm Master in room thirteen was still able to keep his life, but perhaps he would have rather died than go through that punishment.
After looking around, Hua Qing Si asked, “Room one has offered one hundred million High-Rank Source Crystals. Is there anyone who wants to bid a higher price?”
No one responded, for the offer of one hundred million was already exorbitant.
Hua Qing Si nodded, “Since there is no one, the third auction item belongs to room one.”
At her gesture, the maidservant immediately walked towards room one with a tray in her hands. Her little face was pale, and her legs were trembling as if she was walking towards hell, [not room one].
Yang Kai returned to his room and claimed the third Heaven Grade Puppet.
On the stage, Hua Qing Si proceeded, “The fourth auction item, a Thousand Leaves Sect Heaven Grade Puppet… “
“One hundred million!” Yang Kai shouted.
Hua Qing Si beamed as she looked around the hall and asked, “Is there anyone interested in bidding a higher price?”
After asking, she made eye contact with the maidservant who had just come out from backstage, not even needing to give any instructions.
The rest of the auction devolved into a two-man show between Yang Kai and Hua Qing Si. Whenever an auction item was presented, Yang Kai would offer one hundred million without hesitation, and Hua Qing Si would send the maidservant to deliver the item directly to room one.
The expressions of the Emperor Realm Masters in every private room were helpless and ugly. They did not expect to come all this way only to be patronized. Not only could they not win any auction items, but they didn’t even have a chance to bid as Yang Kai would offer one hundred million High-Rank Source Crystals for every item. Who could compete with him at that price? Furthermore, they were now clearly aware that Yang Kai had other intentions here. It seemed that he was here not for the auction at all but rather to cause trouble.
Not to mention that he had just killed the old man in room seven and horribly humiliated the man in room thirteen, his continuous offer of a hundred million alone was somewhat thought-provoking.
He was indeed wealthy, having hundreds of millions of High-Rank Source Crystals without any doubt, but even so, it was unreasonable for him to bid like this as those High-Rank Source Crystals must not have come to him easily. The only explanation was that Yang Kai did not intend to pay at all.
The Emperor Realm Masters here were not idiots, and after observing the situation for some time, they started to sense something. An uneasy feeling gushed out from the depths of their hearts, like invisible chains wrapping around them, making them feel incredibly uncomfortable.
But it was strange to them that the auctioneer on stage still continued to cooperate with Yang Kai.
After only a quarter of an hour, the nine Heaven Grade Puppets of Thousand Leaves Sect were auctioned off. As expected, all of them fell into Yang Kai’s hands and were then returned over to Ye Hen.
Ye Hen was so excited that he could barely contain himself. He could not believe that he could recover all the Heaven Grade Puppets so easily. He thought that he had lost the inheritance of his Sect forever together with Thousand Leave Sect itself. All this time, he had been feeling guilty towards his ancestors and was so heartbroken he could not pull himself together even after Li Qing Yun released him unscathed.
But now, with the nine Heaven Grade Puppets back in his hands, Ye Hen’s fighting spirit was rekindled.
Since the Thousand Leaves Sect was destroyed under his watch, it had to be rebuilt by his hands to reclaim the glory of his ancestors. The five hundred disciples he sent into Emperor Heaven Valley, together with the Sect’s Techniques and ancient books, were his biggest hope, but these nine Heaven Grade Puppets were the capital he needed.
In an instant, Ye Hen regained his spirits, as if turning over a new leaf in spring after a dark winter.
Ye Jing Han and Du Xian were equally exhilarated as they witnessed the retrieval of the puppets, and they felt even more grateful to Yang Kai. After all, these Heaven Grade Puppets were outstanding treasures with strength comparable to Emperor Realm Masters. If it was someone else, they would probably have kept them for themselves, but Yang Kai gave all of them to Ye Hen. There was no way for them to not feel immense gratitude towards Yang Kai’s noble act.
“Young Master Yang, they seem to be stalling for time,” Ying Fei suddenly stated.
Yang Kai nodded, “I know.”
He had presented himself in a high profile manner and snatched every auction item, but Wu Ming did not try to stop him and simply remained quiet. What else could this be but a stalling tactic?
It seemed the masterminds here would rather give up the nine Heaven Grade Puppets in order to buy more time. It could be seen that there were a lot of preparations taking place behind the scenes.
“Do you want to request Lady Hua to speed up the auction?” Ying Fei frowned.
Yang Kai shook his head, “Sister Hua is implanted with a Heart-Strangling Insect. She cannot help even if she wants to.”
“Heart-Strangling Insect!” Ying Fei’s face changed, obviously familiar with this particular Exotic Ancient Insect.
“Since we’re already here, we should sit back and see what they plan to do.” Yang Kai took a sip of tea.
On the stage, Hua Qing Si suddenly frowned and glanced backstage. After a moment of hesitation, she announced, “This is the end of the first half of the auction. Please take a moment to relax and prepare yourselves as there are even more auction items coming next. None of you will be disappointed.”
Hearing this, Yang Kai could not help narrowing his eyes.
The Emperor Realm Masters in the private rooms also curled their lips. This auction would certainly have been exciting if not for Yang Kai’s presence, but with this bastard sitting here, this auction was like a pot of delicious porridge contaminated by a piece of rat dropping.
Yang Kai was a living calamity in this auction. No one had the chance to participate because of him.
All nine of the Heaven Grade Puppets from Thousand Leaves Sect had fallen into his hands, and even if there were more and better items to be auctioned, perhaps they would not be able to obtain any of them either. Once Yang Kai opened his mouth to shout the bid, the auction item was bound to enter his pocket again.
Thinking of this, many people were discouraged, as they accepted the fact that they had no fate with the following auction items. Some even got up from their private rooms and wanted to leave the auction house.
Shortly, half of the people in the more than thirty private rooms prepared to set off, while the other half remained there just to watch the show without any expectations to get any of the following auction items.
When those who wanted to leave reached the doors of the auction house though, they found that this place had been sealed. They were hindered by what seemed to be a solid Spirit Array enveloping this branch of Seven Glories Chamber of Commerce.
“What happened? Why won’t they let us go?”
“How dare Seven Glories Chamber of Commerce do this! Are they planning to capture all of us in one net?”
“I already felt something was wrong with this auction earlier, now it seems like there is indeed a conspiracy afoot.”
“Don’t panic, everyone, if we work together then this trivial Spirit Array won’t be any trouble to break.”
There were a dozen First-Order and Second-Order Emperor Realm Masters at the doors, so if they joined forces, the power they could display would be quite substantial. After a simple discussion, they started to jointly attack the Spirit Array.
After a stick worth of incense though, the dozen Emperor Realm Masters were forced to give up. All of them stared at the barrier which did not even flicker under their bombardment and their hearts sank.
No one expected the Spirit Array here to be so strong that it could resist the combined forces of a dozen Emperor Realm Masters for so long.
“Brother Gong, your Heavenly River Valley Gong Family are Grandmasters in the Dao of Spirit Arrays, yes? Do you know what this Spirit Array is?” A man suddenly turned to an elderly man who was wearing black. This elderly man looked like a commoner among the crowd, but he was actually the Patriarch of the Gong Family.
The Gong Family from Heavenly River Valley had a resounding reputation throughout the Southern Territory because the people of this family were all proficient in Spirit Arrays. The Sect Defending Arrays of many Sects were arranged by this family.
Gong Wen Shan, whom Yang Kai met in the Four Seasons Realm back then, was a member of the Gong Family. Despite Gong Wen Shan being just a Dao Source Realm cultivator, his achievements in the Dao of Spirit Arrays had reached an astonishing height, so nothing more needed to be said about the current Patriarch of the Gong Family.
In terms of attainments in Spirit Arrays, this Gong Family Patriarch should be on par with Nanmen Da Jun from the Northern Territory.
“What? Your Excellency is actually Patriarch Gong? Please forgive my rudeness!” Someone exclaimed and quickly saluted with his fist cupped. It was obvious that he had heard a lot about the elderly man surnamed Gong, but this was his first time meeting him.
Most of the people were like this too and immediately greeted the elderly man surnamed Gong.
Now that they recalled, when they were attacking the array together previously, Patriarch Gong did not use much of his strength. It turned out that he was not idling, but instead observing.
Patriarch Gong frowned slightly and remarked after pondering for a while, “If this Old Master is not mistaken, this is the Five Elements Grand Sealing Array.”
“What’s particular about this array?” Someone asked from the side.
Patriarch Gong answered, “The Five Elements Grand Sealing Array gathers and condenses Five Element World Energy, creating a cycle of mutual reinforcement and neutralization. It’s not something that can be broken by brute force. Once it is activated, it is even capable of isolating the space within it from the outside world.”
“Sealing space!” A cry of shock came out.
“This is an extremely profound Spirit Array,” Patriarch Gong’s face turned solemn, “And…”
“And what?”
Patriarch Gong looked around, and pointed out, “It seems that this place has something other than just a Five Elements Grand Sealing Array. There is another Spirit Array linked to it.”
“An Array within an array!” The speaker’s face darkened. Although he was not proficient in Spirit Arrays, he knew the concept of nested arrays. Such Spirit Arrays were several times more difficult to arrange than just two independent Spirit Arrays.
“Even Patriarch Gong can’t recognize it?” A middle-aged man without facial hair asked. He initially thought that it would be a simple matter to break this Spirit Array with Patriarch Gong here, but he did not expect that Patriarch Gong would be having a tough time too, which really worried everyone.
Patriarch Gong shook his head, “It’s not that I can’t recognize it, but it is hidden too deep.”
“Can Patriarch Gong crack this array?”
Patriarch Gong answered, “It’s possible, but it would be a waste of time and effort.”
With his ability, if he was given three to four days, he was confident he could crack this kind of Spirit Array, but the auction would have long ended by then and this Spirit Array would naturally be opened at that point, so there didn’t seem to be a point in him cracking it.
“Relax, everyone.”
Just then, a voice suddenly came from behind. Everyone turned around in surprise and found Wu Ming standing nearby with a grin on his face.
“What exactly is Seven Glories Chamber of Commerce up to? It’s time to give us an explanation.” The middle-aged man without facial hair jumped out and glared at Wu Ming.
He thought that Wu Ming was a manager from Seven Glories Chamber of Commerce; after all, he was the one who welcomed the guests at the door earlier.
The rest glared at Wu Ming too.
Wu Ming smiled faintly, “Each of you is a precious guest, so what can I do to you? It’s just that this one’s Honoured Master had ordered that no one can leave before the auction has ended. As such, I hope everyone can please return to their room. Once the auction is over, Honoured Master will disable the array and allow you to leave.”
“Are you trying to bully us into staying here? This King demands to come and go whenever he wants! Quickly remove this array and let us leave!”
Wu Ming looked at the speaker with a light smile. He did not respond, nor did he even move, but all of a sudden, the surrounding World Energy surged and a sharp blade of five-coloured light materialised, shooting towards the speaker like an arrow released from its bow.
Everyone was taken aback and immediately dodged.
The face of Emperor Realm Master who stepped out turned pale. He immediately pushed his Emperor Qi to resist the incoming attack; however, all his efforts were in vain against the five-coloured blade. The blade penetrated his Emperor Qi protection, then opened a big hole in his chest.
Blood splashed everywhere.
Everyone gasped.
The man did not die instantly though, having just enough time to glance down at his chest, then looked up at Wu Ming as if he could not believe it and spoke in a trembling voice, “You…”
After saying just one word, this man fell to the ground.
The dozen other Emperor Realm Masters were in a state of shock. They could not believe that Seven Glories Chamber of Commerce dared to kill someone in its own branch. No one knew what the five-coloured blade was, except for Patriarch Gong, because it was not something generated by a cultivator, but rather by a Spirit Array. The Five Elements Grand Sealing Array not only had the ability to isolate space, but it also possessed the power to kill enemies inside of it.
Wu Ming stood there smiling still, but to the onlookers, his smile was scarier than anything in the world.
Previously, Yang Kai killed the old man in room seven in the auction hall with a stomp of his foot and a slash of his sword, but Wu Ming did not even move his hand and was able to kill this man. How could that be possible?
All of a sudden, everyone recalled the ‘Honoured Master’ who Wu Ming had mentioned before.
If Wu Ming himself was already a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master, wouldn’t only a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master be capable of becoming his Honoured Master?
With the addition of this Spirit Array to a Second-Order Emperor Realm Disciple and a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master, everyone realized that they could be wiped out easily without even being able to put up a fight. Knowing this, fear began to creep into their hearts.
“Who else wants to leave?” Wu Ming looked at the crowd with the same eerie smile.
No one answered.
Wu Ming nodded, “Then, this way please.”
He stepped back and gestured for them to return to the auction hall.
Everyone exchanged looks with each other, but they dared not to have any different opinions, for the still-warm corpse in front of them served as a warning for them to not make the same mistake. Although they all looked infuriated, they dared not to say anything and went back to their rooms one after another.
“Patriarch Gong.” Wu Ming suddenly called.
Patriarch Gong stopped and turned his head, “What can I do for Your Excellency?”
Wu Ming smiled faintly, “Patriarch Gong is too polite. I didn’t expect that a trivial auction could attract Patriarch Gong’s honoured self to attend personally. My Honoured Master was truly surprised and wished to invite Patriarch Gong to have a small discussion.”
“And your Honourable Master is…?” Patriarch Gong questioned with a frown.
Wu Ming smiled lightly, “Patriarch Gong will know when you see him.”
Patriarch Gong laughed wryly, “Does this Old Master have a choice?”
He knew that nothing good would happen if he complied and secretly regretted giving a long speech and commenting on this Spirit Array just now. Although he had no idea about the purpose of this Spirit Array, it was obvious that the person who set up this Spirit Array was concerned about him, for he was a Spirit Array Grandmaster.
Wu Ming narrowed his eyes, and replied, “Honoured Master is offering his earnest hospitality, Patriarch Gong should not reject it.”
The tone was plain, but anyone could hear the threat behind it.
Knowing the fact that an arm was no match for the thigh, Patriarch Gong sighed, “Lead the way.”
He was also curious about the mastermind who had arranged all of this and what purpose he had.
“This way please!” Wu Ming turned around, but before he could take a step, he was horror-struck by what he saw in front of him.
Just steps away, Yang Kai was smiling at him.
Wu Ming was genuinely frightened of this young man who had just beaten him at the entrance of the auction house. His Second-Order Emperor Realm cultivation seemed so weak when confronting this anomaly.
The moment Wu Ming saw Yang Kai blocking his way, he instinctively jumped several tens of meters back and yelled, “Yang Kai, what do you want?”
Yang Kai glanced at him, then looked around and nodded in acknowledgement, “The Five Elements Grand Sealing Array isolates the world inside from the outside. It seems that you are well prepared to deal with this Young Master.”
Wu Ming’s face darkened when he heard this, as he realized that Yang Kai should have overheard the information Patriarch Gong disclosed just now.
It was true that his Honoured Master set up this Five Elements Grand Sealing Array to counter Yang Kai’s ability to use Space Principles. If they did not create a sealed space, Yang Kai could simply teleport away and flee anytime he wanted. Therefore, only by turning this place into a prison could they restrict his movements.
Wu Ming did not try to hide now that he was spotted by Yang Kai, and instead snorted coldly, “I warn you, you’d best cooperate, otherwise you’ll regret it.”
Yang Kai sneered, “You don’t need to care if I will regret or not, but if you dare act impudently to me again, I promise you won’t live to see another sunrise.”
Wu Ming’s face turned cold, but he really dared not act presumptuously anymore. He had witnessed Yang Kai’s strength and knew he was no match for him if they had to fight one-on-one. As such, he just stared at Yang Kai fiercely with a pair of resentful eyes.
“Patriarch Gong? I’ve long admired you,” Yang Kai cupped his fists towards the elderly man surnamed Gong.
“So you are Yang Kai?” Patriarch Gong swept his eyes over him in amazement.
Yang Kai frowned, “Has Patriarch Gong heard about me before?”
Patriarch Gong explained, “That brat Wen Shan mentioned you to me. Moreover, the news about Young Master Yang refining the Extraordinary Treasure Pill in the Four Seasons Realm caused quite an uproar in the Southern Territory.”
“Gong Wen Shan!” A vague figure flashed across Yang Kai’s mind. Although he did not really have a close relationship with Gong Wen Shan, he had at least had some dealings with him in the Four Seasons Realm.
On top of that, the reason Ye Jing Han came to Maple City to find Yang Kai to enlist his assistance in opening Emperor Heaven Valley was because Gong Wen Shan recommended him to her.
“Young Master Yang is truly a shining rising star, already reaching the Emperor Realm. Wen Shan, that boy, is still languishing in the Dao Source Realm. It seems the younger generation is destined to surpass the older,” Patriarch Gong sighed, secretly feeling that the Extraordinary Treasure Pill should have something to do with Yang Kai’s speedy breakthrough to the Emperor Realm.
Back then, Yang Kai refined a few Extraordinary Treasure Pills and bartered them away for certain treasures. Patriarch Gong had heard that Wu Chang of Heavenly Martial Holy Land and a young female Eight Paths Sect disciple had each gotten one. Wu Chang showed the powerful effect of the Extraordinary Treasure Pill when he broke through to the Emperor Realm, and although that Eight Paths Sect disciple had not broken through yet, she was now being courted by many top Sects looking to poach her. As long as she nodded and agreed, she could obtain the identity of Core Disciple in any top Sect straightaway.
All this was thanks to the Extraordinary Treasure Pills.
“Patriarch Gong flatters me, this Junior was just a bit lucky.” Yang Kai replied humbly and smiled, “This Junior would like to invite Patriarch Gong to have a chat in my room. I wonder if Patriarch Gong is interested?”
Patriarch Gong revealed a look full of gratitude because he understood that Yang Kai was resolving this awkward crisis for him, but he still hesitated as he glanced over at Wu Ming.
Yang Kai also looked over with a gloomy expression, “Patriarch Gong is going with me, do you dare to object?”
Wu Ming was maddened, but he did not dare to answer.
“It seems that you have no objections!” Yang Kai curled his lip, then gestured to Patriarch Gong, “This way please!”
Patriarch Gong looked relieved, and gestured with his arm stretched too, “After you, Young Master Yang!”
Both of them walked towards the auction hall one after another. Before leaving, Yang Kai turned to Wu Ming and mentioned, “Go back and tell your Honoured Master to wash his neck and wait for this Young Master to take his head.”
Patriarch Gong stumbled and almost fell to the ground hearing this. He thought to himself that Yang Kai was really too young and impulsive. How could a First-Order Emperor Realm Master dare to challenge a Third-Order Emperor?
Wu Ming glared at the backs of the two people with a resentful face, secretly cursing, [You can bark as much as you like now, because you will definitely kneel down and beg for mercy later.]
Yang Kai brought Patriarch Gong back to room one and introduced him to Ying Fei, Ye Hen, and the others.
Patriarch Gong also thanked Yang Kai for offering him a way out of his earlier predicament.
Yang Kai waved his hand lightly, “There’s no need to thank me, Patriarch Gong. Although I had no idea why Wu Ming invited you, I’m sure he planned to use you to cope with me. Me bringing you here is a matter of self-interest.”
Yang Kai did not dare to underestimate a Spirit Array Grandmaster. If Patriarch Gong really cooperated by controlling the Spirit Arrays surrounding this auction house, the power these arrays would display would undoubtedly increase by at least thirty percent. If this wasn’t the case, Yang Kai wouldn’t have acted so rashly as Chi Yue, Ai Ou, and the others were still being held hostage by Wu Ming. If he really crossed the bottom line of the Honoured Master behind Wu Ming, nothing good would happen.
Fortunately, it seemed that Wu Ming’s Honoured Master was still busy with something. Yang Kai did not notice any movement after he brought Patriarch Gong back with him.
A quarter of an hour later, Hua Qing Si stepped onto the stage again.
Everyone looked up at the stage simultaneously, knowing that the second half of the auction was about to begin.
On the stage, Hua Qing Si announced in a sweet, feminine voice, “Thank you for waiting. The next item to be auctioned… is a Second-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator!”
As soon as the announcement was made, everyone went into an uproar as each of them stared intently at the stage.
It had long been publicized that a Star Master from the Lower Star Fields would appear in this auction. At this moment, they undoubtedly assumed that the Second-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator Hua Qing Si mentioned was that Star Master.
Everyone was curious about the Star Master because they were a rarity even taking the entire Star Boundary into account.
Once there were many Star Masters, but some twenty thousand years ago, after Heaven Devouring Great Emperor destroyed many Star Fields, the channels connecting the Star Boundary and the various Star Fields were sealed, and the Masters from the Star Boundary could no longer easily travel to the Lower Star Fields to refine Star Sources.
Therefore, Star Masters were truly a rare existence in the Star Boundary nowadays.
Every Star Master possessed the essence of a complete Star Source in their body. If this Star Source could be extracted, one could inherit the position of Star Master for themselves, and their journey on the Martial Dao would become much smoother.
A skinny old man with a gloomy aura walked out from backstage like a ghost. The old man seemed to be affected by some kind of seal that caused his aura to be suppressed. Even so, he still gave out a ghastly feeling, especially the two clusters of ghost flames quivering in his pair of dreadfully horrifying sunken eyes
“Is this the Star Master?”
“Doesn’t look like anything special.”
“Having a complete Star Source but only reaching the Second-Order Dao Source Realm, it seems that his aptitude is not that good.”
“What do you know? It’s rumoured that all cultivators from the Lower Star Fields have top-notched aptitude as well as firm Martial Hearts, allowing them to dominate their respective Star Fields. If not, how could they make the arduous journey to the Star Boundary? Every cultivator who comes from the Lower Star Fields is comparable to a Core Disciple from a top Sect in terms of aptitude.”
There was a lot of discussion in the hall, with everyone whispering to each other, debating about the skinny old man on the stage.
They may not have seen a Star Master before, but they had at least heard some rumours about them.
Although it was rare for cultivators from the Lower Star Fields to reach the Star Boundary, many people knew that these cultivators were extremely rare talents, for they could still cultivate to the peak of the Martial Dao in their respective Star Fields despite the lack of good cultivation environments that exited everywhere in the Star Boundary.
It was precisely because of this that Liu Xian Yun told him that cultivators like them were very welcomed by many great forces back then when Yang Kai just arrived in the Star Boundary. They just needed to reveal that they were cultivators from a Lower Star Field, and they would definitely be accepted and trained vigorously by those big Sects.
Because cultivators like them had more hope to be promoted to the Emperor Realm than most cultivators from the Star Boundary.
“Gui Zu…” Inside room one, Yang Kai looked at the skinny old man on the stage with an unreadable expression, immediately recognizing him.
Gui Zu used to always be surrounded by Yin Qi, and ordinary people could not even see his true face. However, with his cultivation sealed, he could not release his usual aura.
His skinny and bony appearance was not because he was tortured, but rather his true form. Due to cultivating a Ghost Dao, his physique had already dried up and assumed its current form.
On the stage, Hua Qing Si continued, “He is not a Star Master, but he is a friend of that Star Master, and also a cultivator who came from the Lower Star Fields, so there is no need to worry about his aptitude.”
“Not the Star Master…”
“What the hell?”
“Why are they putting him up for auction if he’s not a Star Master? Is this a joke?”
Everyone below the stage started to yell unpleasantly, none seemingly willing to buy this old man.
“Jie jie jie jie…” Gui Zu cackled in a way that sounded like a vengeful ghost, causing chills for the cultivators in the hall.
“Sister Hua, enough games already,” Yang Kai suddenly shouted, “Your Honoured Master should be almost ready, just send him to me.”
Gui Zu stopped laughing, and turned to room one. Flabbergasted, the two wisps of ghost fire in his eyes immediately shone with a quaint beam.
Hua Qing Si smiled wryly, “Alright.”
She didn’t want to continue this charade any longer either; however, she had no choice but to obey the orders given by her Honoured Master. However, since Yang Kai had spoken so, she was happy to cooperate. The most important thing was that her Honoured Master did not make any objections, so it could be seen that Yang Kai was right about him having almost finished his preparations, not needing to delay for any more time.
Saying so, Hua Qing Si gestured with her hand, and a maidservant led Gui Zu to room one.
The door opened, and Gui Zu entered the room. When he saw Yang Kai, he got excited and cupped his fists, “Sect Master!”
“Supreme Elder has suffered,” Yang Kai lifted him up.
“It was all this Old Master’s incompetence,” Gui Zu looked ashamed.
Back then, when he roamed Heng Luo Star Field, even though he was not invincible, he was a peak level existence. There was hardly anyone in the entire Star Field who could suppress a powerful Third-Order Origin King cultivator like him; however, when he reached Star Boundary, he was being restrained everywhere and even ended up being captured as a prisoner and taken out as an auction item for public display.
It was a huge disgrace.
Gui Zu also knew that the enemy was strong, not someone that he could provoke with his current strength. If Yang Kai had not appeared, he would have been sold to someone else and worked as a slave for the rest of his life.
Gui Zu could not help shuddering just thinking about it.
Ye Hen, Ye Jing Han, and the others hurriedly went forward to meet him.
Gui Zu and the others had spent a lot of time in Thousand Leaves Sect, so all of them were quite familiar with each other. At this moment, they were naturally happy he was able to get out of trouble.
“Let me help you to remove the restriction.” Yang Kai put his hand on Gui Zu’s shoulder and started to examine him with his Divine Sense. In the meantime, he asked, “How are Chi Yue and the rest now?”
Gui Zu replied, “Their lives are not in danger, but their cultivations were all sealed. It seems that they will be brought out for auction later too.”
Yang Kai nodded in acknowledgement, “That’s good.”
After saying that, the Emperor Qi in his body surged into Gui Zu at once.
A trace of redness unnaturally flashed across Gui Zu’s pale face, and he spat out a mouthful of black blood. In the next moment, he felt that his body was relieved, and the sealed Source Qi in his meridians began circulating again.
The ghastly Ghost Qi gushed out and surrounded him at once. “Sect Master, your cultivation…” Gui Zu was dumbfounded.
Although he did not fully understand how powerful the person who sealed his strength was, he still had some guesses.
That man should have been a legendary Third-Order Emperor Realm Master!
He could not believe that his Sect Master could remove the seal on him after just a few breaths of time. Did this mean that Yang Kai’s cultivation was on par with that old man? It was natural that Gui Zu was so shocked because this was simply too unbelievable.
After all, they all came to Star Boundary together, but now he and his fellow Brothers and Sister were just Second-Order Dao Source Realm cultivators, while Yang Kai had walked far ahead of them. Gui Zu had no idea how Yang Kai progressed so rapidly during these few years.
“I just broke through to the Emperor Realm,” Yang Kai patted Gui Zu’s shoulder, “I’ll catch up with you later.”
Gui Zu nodded, but he was still amazed. Although Yang Kai’s cultivation was much weaker than he had imagined, it was astonishing that one could reach the Emperor Realm in such a short time.
It was especially amazing when he could easily remove the seal of a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master with just his First-Order Emperor Realm cultivation
Yang Kai had often created miracles and defeated opponents stronger than himself back in Heng Luo Star Field, and it seemed that he had not changed since he came to Star Boundary.
Realizing this, Gui Zu was secretly excited.
The few of them hardly had anyone to rely on in the Star Boundary, and even the Thousand Leaves Sect that they stayed at had been exterminated. But after witnessing the power Yang Kai possessed, Gui Zu knew that he had a strong backer to depend on now.
A man walked out of backstage at that moment. Yang Kai looked up and saw that it was the previous Union Master of Sword Union, Gu Cang Yun.
Hua Qing Si did not even try to introduce Gu Cang Yun and just signalled the maidservant to bring him to room one.
Soon, he was delivered to the room.
Gu Cang Yun was both surprised and delighted to see Yang Kai. It was Yang Kai who saved them the last time when they were in trouble in Sky Crane City, and now, a few years later, he came to the rescue again.
This made Gu Cang Yun lament in his heart that he still had to rely on others just to preserve his life.
The next who was brought out was Ai Ou.
The auction hall went horribly silent. The people there thought that the first half of the auction was strange enough, with the entire process being just an interaction between Yang Kai and Hua Qing Si, not leaving room for others to interrupt at all.
But they did not expect that the second half of the auction would be worse than the first.
The auctioneer did not even try to auction the ‘items’, nor did room one bother to bid. The whole process was just the ‘items’ being brought out and then delivered to room one.
What made them feel even more bewildered was that the Emperor Realm Masters in the private rooms were being quiet too, none of them questioning or complaining about anything.
No one had ever participated in such an auction. The whole auction looked just like a farce, which annoyed many people.
“Almost there!” Yang Kai stated with his eyes narrowed after settling Ai Ou down.
“What’s almost there?” Ai Ou looked at him with confusion, the shock on his face not having disappeared yet.
Just now when he learnt that Yang Kai had broken through to the Emperor Realm, he could not believe it until Yang Kai removed the seal on his cultivation.
As Yang Kai’s prospective father-in-law, Ai Ou was not sure whether he should be happy for him or feel frustrated. He was glad that his little girl, Xue Yue, had found a good man, but he did not know how many young women this prodigal son had flirted with in the Star Boundary over the years.
There were many good women in the Star Boundary, and given Yang Kai’s capabilities, it would only be normal for him to have a few women by his side.
If Xue Yue could come to the Star Boundary from their native Star Field one day, Ai Ou was afraid that she would not be able to compete with these Star Boundary women. As a father, Ai Ou could not help worrying. Sometimes it was not a good thing for a man to be too outstanding, especially a son-in-law.
“By the way, what about Chai Hu?” Yang Kai suddenly thought of someone.
Chai Hu was not from Heng Luo Star Field, but a native of Star Boundary.
However, he had a very close relationship with Gui Zu, Chi Yue, Ai Ou and the rest, and they had even become sworn siblings.
A total of five people came from Heng Luo Star Field with Yang Kai back then: Wu Dao, Gui Zu, Ai Ou, Chi Yue, and Gu Cang Yun.
Among them, Wu Dao was the strongest cultivator in the Star Field back then. Unfortunately, the Heavens were impartial, and Wu Dao’s life was taken in the World Energy Baptism when he attempted to break through to the Dao Source Realm, leaving the remaining four by themselves to struggle in Sky Crane City.
It was also at that time when the four of them met Chai Hu and received a lot of help from him. Later, their friendship deepened, eventually leading to an oath of brotherhood, with Gui Zu as the First Brother, Ai Ou as the Second, Gu Cang Yun the Third Brother, Chai Hu the Fourth Brother, and Chi Yue their Fifth Sister.
When Yang Kai was passing through Sky Crane City, he encountered the City Lord of the Sky Crane City, Luo Jin, who was compelling Chi Yue to marry him. At that time, Chai Hu took Luo Jin’s daughter Luo Bing, as a hostage in order to rescue Chi Yue, but his efforts fell short. If it was not for Yang Kai’s serendipitous presence, even Chai Hu would have found himself in serious trouble.
Later, Yang Kai raised a huge fuss in the City Lord’s Mansion of Sky Crane City, killing a lot of people, and ultimately rescuing his Seniors, bringing them to Thousand Leaves Sect where they had decided to remain temporarily.
At this moment, Yang Kai remembered Chai Hu.
Upon hearing Yang Kai’s question, Gui Zu cackled playfully, “Fourth Brother has gone off to pursue love!”
“With who?” Yang Kai was stunned.
Ai Ou answered with an equally cunning expression, “That little girl Luo Bing, do you remember?”
“Her?” Yang Kai was startled, unable to believe it.
Chai Hu kidnapped Luo Bing back then, and even if the two were not enemies, they should not have developed any good feelings between them, so it really did not make sense for the two of them to have developed an intimate relationship.
Ai Ou explained, “When Fourth Brother appeared to kidnap that girl, she happened to be encountering some dangerous circumstances, so even though he did so with ulterior motives, it could still be considered him saving her. It seems she is at least capable of distinguishing between gratitude and grudge. Unfortunately, her father died at your hands, while Fourth Brother is our sworn brother. That girl was unable to get past her grief and had hidden her feelings for Fourth Brother. She left two years ago, but Fourth Brother was worried and decided to follow after her, and we haven’t received any news from him since then.”
Gu Cang Yun continued, “You can call it a blessing or a misfortune, but because of this, Fourth Brother has also avoided this disaster.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly. Since Chai Hu had not been in the Thousand Leaves Sect, he did not need to worry about anything. He only asked out of concern for Gui Zu and the others for he had no personal friendship with Chai Hu.
“Fifth Sister is still in the hands of that old bastard,” Ai Ou said with a dark face, “Who knows if she will be sent out for auction as well.”
“I hope so,” Gu Cang Yun turned his head and looked towards the stage. All of them were sent out, so in principle, Chi Yue should be sent out too.
Yang Kai, however, shook his head lightly, “If I was that person, I would definitely keep a hostage in my hand for leverage.”
The few of them were surprised.
At this moment, Hua Qing Si on stage spoke, “Dear guests, this concludes today’s auction, but please remain in your seats. All of you have travelled far and wide to attend this auction, and my Honoured Master has prepared a generous gift as thanks. We hope you will like it.”
“She really was held back,” Ai Ou’s face sank and became extremely ugly.
The auction was over, but Chi Yue was still nowhere to be seen; obviously, she was being kept as a hostage, just as Yang Kai had predicted.
Although the few of them had been held prisoner by that old thing, and even had their cultivations sealed, they had never understood why.
“Monster King, protect them!” Yang Kai commanded, then flickered out of room one in a flash, reappearing above the auction hall, peering towards the backstage.
There was no one there now; even Wu Ming had long since disappeared.
He signalled Hua Qing Si and said, “Sister Hua, go to room one.”
Ying Fei was there and could be of assistance if anything happened later…
Hua Qing Si nodded, leaping out and flying into room one, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Down in the hall and in the private rooms, countless eyes focused on Yang Kai, all of them wondering what exactly this arrogant young man planned to do next.
Yang Kai’s Divine Sense spread out like a tide as he shouted, “Old dog, you used this auction to force this Young Master to appear, and this Young Master has indeed come. You used this Young Master’s friends to stall for time to make your arrangements, so this Young Master agreed and played along with your script. Now that everything is prepared, why haven’t you shown yourself? Are you that scared?”
He shouted, but there was no response at all.
However, many cultivators looked at each other in the hall and started whispering among themselves, watching Yang Kai like he had lost his mind.
“Old dog, do you feel no shame for behaving in such a cowardly manner? No matter what, you are still an esteemed Elder of Star Soul Palace, why act so timid?” Yang Kai sneered, his tone filled with ridicule.
“What? An Elder of Star Soul Palace?”
“There’s an Elder of Star Soul Palace here?”
“What does he mean?”
Yang Kai’s words set off an explosion in the crowd.
Star Soul Palace was not just another Sect in the Southern Territory, but also a symbol of hegemony and invincibility; after all, it was the Sect of the Great Emperor that protected the Southern Territory.
It was rare to be able to meet an Elder of Star Soul Palace, as such a figure was not inferior in status to a Sect Master of other top Sects.
And based on what Yang Kai said, it seemed like he had grievances with this Star Soul Palace Elder…
Was this not… courting death?
Of all the people in the Southern Territory, this boy had to offend a Star Soul Palace Elder, even daring to cause a commotion with such shameless boasting and incessant chiding! He simply did not know the immensity of Heaven and Earth!
At that moment, many people looked at Yang Kai as if they were looking at a dead man.
How could he survive from offending a Star Soul Palace Elder?
“Hahahaha!” A burst of loud erratic laughter sent the crowd into anxiety. The complexion of many Emperor Realm Masters in the private rooms changed, clearly feeling their auras destabilized slightly by the man’s laughter. Their Emperor Qi rolled uncontrollably, horrifying them as they realized how terrifying an existence the one who laughed just now was.
Was that the supposed Star Soul Palace Elder? There were not many Elders in Star Soul Palace, but with nothing but a laugh to go on, no one could identify who this person was.
“I have long heard stories about Little Friend Yang, and today I have finally seen that they are not just stories.”
Yang Kai snorted coldly, “This Young Master doesn’t speak to faceless people, show yourself.”
There was a moment of silence before the voice replied, “Since Little Friend Yang insists on it, then I shall do as you wish.”
When the words fell, the world suddenly dimmed, and countless Spirit Array patterns flashed across the entire auction house. The array patterns quickly lit up, like sparks that could start a prairie fire, spreading out all at once.
In the next instant, everyone had an illusion that the world was turned upside down and that space was divided up.
An invisible pulling force seemed to be drawing them into an endless void.
“En? Eight Sides Yuan Shielding Array!” In room one, Patriarch Gong’s complexion darkened as he hurriedly took out a set of array flags and poured his Emperor Qi into them. He flung both of his arms and threw the flags into the void one by one.
The array banners quickly disappeared, and the chaotically swirling space in room one immediately stabilized.
“Gong Tai, you court death!” An angry voice shouted. It was the same mysterious voice from before, but this time it was mixed with a shocking violent force, seemingly irritated by Patriarch Gong’s actions.
The shockwave that blasted towards Gong Tai’s Knowledge Sea caused him an incredible headache, resulting in him spurting a mist of blood from his mouth as he fell to the ground.
Things had not finished yet though as a five-coloured burst of light shot into room one, condensing into a sharp blade that slashed directly towards Gong Tai.
This five-coloured light blade was the same one that had previously killed an Emperor Realm Master.
Gong Tai’s heart screamed in panic, the blood draining from his face as he watched the blade pierce towards him.
Just when the five-coloured light blade was about to hit him though, an eagle claw accompanied by a powerful screech appeared from the side and firmly grasped the advancing blade, crushing it instantly.
Gong Tai was panting, his face pale, relieved that someone had saved his life at this critical moment.
He looked to the side with lingering fear and saw Ying Fei nodding at him with assurance, “Don’t worry, no one can kill you as long as this King is here.”
Gong Tai got up and respectfully cupped his fists, “Many thanks, Sir Monster King.”
An Elder of Star Soul Palace wanted to kill him, while a Monster King saved his life. The irony of the situation was hard to even comprehend.
Ying Fei waved his hand, “It’s fine. What is this Eight Sides Yuan Shielding Array that you mentioned?”
Yang Kai and Gong Tai had chatted briefly when the former brought the latter back to room one, so Ying Fei knew that Gong Tai was a Spirit Array Grandmaster. If this wasn’t the case, Gong Tai would not have been able to recognize the newly activated Spirit Array at a glance while also taking action to counter it.
Gui Zu and the others turned to Gong Tai with curiosity.
Gong Tai sighed, “It’s a Spirit Array that segments a section of space into individual sections. I knew that there was a nested Spirit Array arranged here, but I did not expect one of the arrays to be Eight Sides Yuan Shielding Array.”
“A nested Spirit Array? What is the other Spirit Array?” Ying Fei frowned.
“The Five Elements Grand Sealing Array!” Gong Tai replied, “These two Spirit Arrays complement each other and enhance each other’s effects. The one who set up the arrays is really quite skilled.”
After a pause, he looked at Ying Fei, “May I ask Sir Monster King, what grievances does Little Brother Yang have with this Star Soul Palace Elder that the latter would not hesitate to plant two Grand Spirit Arrays just to trap him?”
Ying Fei’s face sank and replied, “You mean, this Spirit Array has the effect of trapping people?”
Gong Tai nodded, “Yes,” He explained, “The Five Elements Grand Sealing Array has the effect of isolating those inside of it from the outside world. Right now, this auction house has become an independent sealed world of sorts. As long as the Spirit Array is not broken, I am afraid that no one in here can leave. As for the Eight Sides Yuan Shielding Array, it can isolate everyone here into small independent spaces. If this Old Master had not acted fast enough just now, I’m afraid that all of us would have been separated.”
Ying Fei’s face changed drastically at his words, “This is bad!”
He turned to look outside, but there was no trace of Yang Kai. It was pitch black outside of room one, as if the entire room had sunken into The Void. Releasing his Divine Sense, Ying Fei failed to detect anyone else’s aura.
It was like the thousands of people in the auction house had simply disappeared.
Ying Fei’s face darkened at once.
He had thought that a Star Soul Palace Elder would not be a problem with him guarding Yang Kai; after all, he was a Monster King, comparable in strength to a Third-Order Emperor. Why would he need to fear a mere Star Soul Palace Elder? But, now that they were isolated by the Eight Sides Yuan Shielding Array, how could Ying Fei protect Yang Kai if he had no clue where Yang Kai was? On the contrary, the person who set up this array could easily crush Yang Kai by using the power of his pre-arranged Spirit Arrays.
Deep remorse emerged in Ying Fei’s heart. Perhaps the situation would not be this bad if he insisted Yang Kai summon Xi Lei and Xie Wu Wei, but at that time, he did not persuade further when Yang Kai disagreed.
But on second thought, the opponent could isolate anyone with this Eight Sides Yuan Shielding Array, so it would be useless even if they brought more Monster Kings here.
He had exposed his identity as a Monster King a few days ago, so the opponent must have been fully prepared to deal with him since he dared to initiate this fight. It seemed that this plan was well arranged, and with the activation of these two Spirit Arrays, not only was Yang Kai trapped in this space, he was also isolated from everyone and he could only fight on his own.
“Patriarch Gong, can this array be broken?” Ying Fei asked in a deep voice.
Gong Tai sighed, “Yes, but it will take time.”
“How long?” Ying Fei did not have a good feeling.
“Ten days!”
Ying Fei was speechless. Ten days was far too long. In Yang Kai’s situation, how could Ying Fei just sit here for ten days?
Ai Ou remarked from the side, “Fortune always favours Yang Boy, although the opponent this time is powerful, he may not be able to do anything to Yang Boy. Patriarch Gong, the priority now is to break this array. We can only try to find another way to assist Yang Boy.”
This was the only solution in this helpless situation. Everyone knew what Ai Ou said was true, and immediately took action separately to look around, trying to find any flaws in the array.
…..
In a dark world, Yang Kai seemed to be suspended in a void, but the surrounding environment was notably different from the real Void. Releasing his Divine Sense, Yang Kai found his perception blocked by an invisible barrier around him, making it impossible to detect the presence of anyone else nearby.
He stood quietly in place with his lips curved slightly. Instead of being frightened or anxious, he decided to wait patiently.
A pair of eyes was observing Yang Kai’s reaction silently in the dark, but seeing that Yang Kai did not show the slightest signs of panic, this observer realized how formidable Yang Kai’s mental strength was and understood that normal methods would be useless against him. Nodding, the observer decided not to hide anymore and openly revealed himself.
A light abruptly emerged in the dark world, followed by the appearance of a figure in front of Yang Kai.
Yang Kai looked up and saw an old man standing there calmly, as if he had been there all along as there were no prior signs of him walking over. Behind this old man were two figures; one was Wu Ming, who had disappeared before, and the other was Chi Yue, whom Yang Kai had not seen for a long time.
Chi Yue’s cultivation was sealed, and her pretty face was slightly pale as Wu Ming restrained her hands from behind, making it impossible for her to move in the slightest.
When she saw Yang Kai, surprise and joy flashed across her eyes. It seemed that she did not expect him to be here; but soon, her face turned solemn and she shook her head at Yang Kai slowly, signalling him to run away.
Wu Ming saw her signal, and sneered, tightening his grip and drawing a groan from Chi Yue’s lips as her face turned even paler due to the pain.
“Little Friend Yang!” The old man greeted Yang Kai with a smile. At first glance, this old man had a sage-like appearance. He wore a cyan robe and had a long beard on his face, possessing the noble image of some Senior Expert removed from the mundane world.
“Old dog, you finally decided to show yourself,” Yang Kai bared his teeth with a smile.
The old man shook his head lightly and smiled wryly, “Little Friend Yang, please show some mercy with your mouth. This Old Master’s name is Tan Jun Hao!”
“Old Dog Tan then,” Yang Kai raised his brow.
“Little bastard, be careful of your filthy mouth! Try barking again if you dare!” Wu Ming’s face flushed angrily.
Yang Kai looked up to the sky and shouted quickly, “Old Dog Tan, Old Dog Tan, Old Dog Tan, Old Dog Tan, Little Dog Wu, Little Dog Wu, Little Dog Wu, Little Dog Wu… This Young Master barked like you asked, so come and bite me.”
“Bastard!” Wu Ming’s nostrils flared; after all, he was a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master and had never been insulted to his face like this. The rage in his chest was like a volcano threatening to erupt at any moment.
Tan Jun Hao on the other hand just let out a light breath and waved his hand to stop Wu Ming before squinting at Yang Kai, “Little Friend Yang looks like he is quite resentful and seems to have some problem with this Old Master.”
Yang Kai retorted coldly, “What do you think?”
Tan Jun Hao smiled faintly, and nodded, “This Old Master understands your wrath, but this Old Master has no choice. I hope you will forgive me.”
“I’ll forgive you when you die.”
Tan Jun Hao was stunned, then burst into laughter, “Little friend, you’re quite funny. This Old Master is an Elder of Star Soul Palace and receives the grace of the Great Emperor. Who in this world would dare to kill me?”
“So, this is why you are so daring!” Yang Kai nodded lightly, then he suddenly lifted his eyes and returned with a solemn voice, “This Young Master wants to see what the consequences of killing an Elder of a Great Emperor’s Sect will be!”
The corner of Tan Jun Hao’s eyes twitched as he noticed that Yang Kai was not joking, and truly intended to kill him; however, he did not really care about it because he doubted Yang Kai had the ability to kill him despite his murderous intent. Beaming, he continued, “This Old Master looks forward to it then, but before that, shouldn’t Little Friend Yang return this Old Master’s property? That thing belongs to me, but it was inadvertently acquired by little friend some years ago.”
“You mean this?” Yang Kai summoned a token into his hand. A lifelike dragon image was carved on the token, and there was a big ‘dragon’ character engraved on it. The token looked plain and aged, and it was uncertain what material it was refined from, seemingly having been crafted a long time ago.
“Exactly!” Tan Jun Hao nodded, his face changing the moment he saw the token.
The Dragon Island Token was an extremely precious treasure, and although it could not be used for Artifact Refining or Alchemy, it was the only pass for ordinary people to enter Dragon Island. With this Dragon Island Token, one could go to Dragon Island and make any request to the Dragon Clan that was within their ability to fulfil.
Tan Jun Hao was already a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master, and the only higher realm left for him to reach was the Great Emperor Realm. He believed that it was impossible for him to become a Great Emperor though with his innate comprehension and ability, but perhaps something on the magical Dragon Island could help him in breaking through these shackles.
This Dragon Island Token was a great opportunity for him.
Not to mention other requests, it would be no problem to ask for a few drops of True Dragon Blood from the Dragon Clan.
Therefore, he had been searching for the whereabouts of the Dragon Island Token for all these years.
Now that he saw that the Dragon Island Token was really in Yang Kai’s hands, he naturally felt delighted. However, given that he was also an old monster who had lived for countless years, he had enough composure to not reveal any change of expression on his face.
On the other hand, Wu Ming could not help showing an excited face when he saw the Dragon Island Token.
He was a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master, and with his aptitude and efforts, he did not know if he could reach the Third-Order Emperor Realm any time soon. But if he could get the Dragon Island Token and take a trip to Dragon Island, he probably could make a breakthrough right away.
But the token belonged to Tan Jun Hao, so Wu Ming dared not have any thoughts about it even if he wanted it, too.
Yang Kai played with the Dragon Island Token by rolling it through his fingers as he pondered for a moment before saying, “This Young Master has something you want, while you have someone this Young Master wants. How about this? Let’s trade.”
Tan Jun Hao smiled faintly, “Trade can only be established between two equal parties. Look at this situation… Does Little Friend Yang think that he is qualified to trade with this Old Master?”
Yang Kai’s face darkened slightly, “It doesn’t make much sense for you to talk like this. Don’t tell me that you want this Dragon Island Token for free?”
Tan Jun Hao chortled, “No, but please return the Dragon Island Token to me first, and we’ll discuss the rest later.”
Yang Kai pressed on, “Let her go first, and this Dragon Island Token will be returned to you. This Young Master has no use for this useless token anyway.”
“Return the Dragon Island Token first!” Tan Jun Hao insisted with a faint smile on his face, not bothering to negotiate with Yang Kai at all.
“Let her go first!” Yang Kai shouted fiercely.
Seeing that they could not agree, Tan Jun Hao no longer continued to waste time and turned to Wu Ming and ordered, “Disciple, let Little Friend Yang have a peek at our chips. Show him our sincerity.”
Wu Ming grinned, “Yes!”
Then he turned to Yang Kai, “Little bastard, I heard that this devilish woman is your mother-in-law?”
Yang Kai’s brow twitched as he thought to himself, [Sister Hua, Sister Hua, why did you have to tell them everything? From the looks of it, you must have disclosed the secrets of my Sealed World Bead and Immortal Tree to them too.]
But he could not blame Hua Qing Si for that because she stood no chance of resisting under the suppression of absolute strength. She did not even remember what she had revealed to Tan Jun Hao at that time.
Only a sinister Secret Technique could force Hua Qing Si to reveal his secrets.
“If you dare to hurt her even a single hair on her head, you’ll die a miserable death,” Yang Kai warned in a deep voice.
Wu Ming snickered, “Don’t worry, how could this King be willing to hurt such a beauty? This King likes her very much. If it weren’t for Honoured Master’s command, this King would have long taken her as his concubine!”
Chi Yue was a rare seductive beauty, and while she was not as beguiling as Shan Qing Luo, she had a mature air about her that added a different kind of flavour to her charm. If this wasn’t the case, Luo Jin, the City Lord of Sky Crane City, would not have been bewitched by her at first sight and forced her to marry him.
While speaking, Wu Ming stretched his hands and gently caressed Chi Yue’s face.
Chi Yue’s tender body shook violently, her eyes filled with disgust. She felt helpless because her cultivation was sealed and her body was being restrained. She could not resist at all, and could only endure with her teeth gritted and her eyes closed.
“You dare!” Yang Kai was maddened. This bastard actually profaned his mother-in-law right in front of him. There was no way for him to tolerate it and with a stomp of his feet, he jumped towards Wu Ming.
Wu Ming’s face changed drastically when he saw this. He had suffered a loss at Yang Kai’s hand before, so he knew that this little brat was not easy to deal with. Hurriedly, he pulled Chi Yue back with him.
Tan Jun Hao immediately stepped in between them and with a wave of his sleeve, many five-coloured light blades were formed and slashed at Yang Kai.
“Hong hong hong…”
A series of explosions rang out as the surrounding World Energy was whipped into a frenzy. Yang Kaw was forced to retreat while all the five-coloured light blades collapsed at the same time.
Tan Jun Hao narrowed his eyes and could not help praising, “Little Friend Yang is truly amazing. This Old Master has underestimated you.”
He thought that the Five Elements Grand Sealing Array would be enough to subdue a trivial First-Order Emperor Realm Master, but he did not expect that Yang Kai could compete on par with this Spirit Array. Tan Jun Hao could not help feeling a slight fear in his heart. How could a mere First-Order Emperor possess such power?
If he was allowed to reach the Third-Order Emperor Realm, who could be his opponent other than the Great Emperors?
“If you understand how great this Young Master is, let her go now, otherwise, I’ll remove your skull and use it as a toilet bowl later!” Yang Kai yelled with his teeth gritted, forcing his rampaging blood to calm down.
Tan Jun Hao shook his head lightly.
Seeing that he was protected by his Honoured Master, Wu Ming was not frightened anymore and he taunted coldly, “Little bastard, aren’t you very strong? Show me your strength once more!”
While speaking, he grabbed Chi Yue’s long locks and tugged backwards. Chi Yue let out a cry as her body was lifted slightly and her chest was pushed out.
Wu Ming grinned, his fingers gleaming as he circulated his Emperor Qi. Then, he slowly pointed his fingers at Chi Yue’s chest and stared at Yang Kai, “This is your mother-in-law, right? Let’s enjoy the scenery of your mother-in-law’s body together, shall we?”
When the words fell, he flicked his fingers downwards.
With a tearing sound, an opening on Chi Yue’s dress was slashed, revealing more than three fingers wide of snow-white skin, which was now flushed in faint crimson from anger and shame.
Yang Kai was Shan Qing Luo’s man, while she was Shan Qing Luo’s adoptive mother. Now, her bare skin was not just exposed to Wu Ming, but also to Yang Kai. Despite Chi Yue being a member of the Monster Race, she still could not stand being humiliated like this in front of her son-in-law.
Yang Kai silently narrowed his eyes.
Wu Ming started to look at Chi Yue’s body unscrupulously, but even though the clothes were torn, he still could not see the important part that remained covered.
He extended his hand excitedly, as if he wanted to strip the clothes and enjoy the most exquisite parts of her body.
“Enough!” Yang Kai shouted.
Wu Ming ignored him.
Yang Kai retorted, “If you dare to touch her again, both of you will never get anything you want today.”
Tan Jun Hao, who had been watching coldly, frowned and raised his hand.
Wu Ming immediately stopped his action with a disappointed face.
Chi Yue could not help letting out a sigh of relief. If Wu Ming really stripped off her clothes, she would be too embarrassed to face Yang Kai and Shan Qing Luo in the future. Although she was still in an awkward situation now, only some of her skin was shown at the moment, which was not too big a deal for a member of the Monster Race.
“Does Little Friend Yang understand this Old Master’s sincerity now?” Tan Jun Hao remained calm and composed while he turned to look at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai sneered, “It’s an eye-opener that an honourable Star Soul Palace Elder would handle things in such a disgraceful manner.”
Tan Jun Hao remarked, “Little friend doesn’t have to be sarcastic. A man of great ambition does not bother about trifles. You should understand this.”
“I only see two shameless dogs bullying a helpless woman. It’s laughable you still dare call yourselves men!”
Tan Jun Hao chuckled, “It’s fine. As long as you hand over the Dragon Island Token to this Old Master, everything can be discussed.”
While speaking, he stretched out his hand to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai clenched his teeth and snorted, pouring his Emperor Qi into the Dragon Island Token and tossing it to Tan Jun Hao.
At this point, he had no choice. If he did not compromise now, he was afraid that Chi Yue would be stripped naked in front of him. If that happened, how would he explain himself to Shan Qing Luo when he saw her again in the future?
He did not care much about a trivial Dragon Island Token anyway. If Hua Qing Si had not reminded him earlier, he would have totally forgotten about this thing. The reason why he refused to return it was because he wanted to save Chi Yue first.
The Dragon Island Token turned into a stream of light, wrapped with a potent piercing power, but Tan Jun Hao caught it easily with a flick of his wrist, rubbing it carefully as he nodded, “Yes, this is the token.”
Yang Kai continued, “I have returned the Dragon Island Token as you asked, are you going to release her now?”
Tan Jun Hao beamed, “There’s no hurry.”
Yang Kai immediately rebuked as he snorted, “Old dog, you’re going back on your word.”
Wu Ming laughed, “Honoured Master never said that he would release her after you returned the Dragon Island Token. Honoured Master only said that if you returned the token, everything could be discussed. We haven’t even started our discussion yet, so how could this be considered Honoured Master going back on his word?”
Seeing Yang Kai being forced to submit, Wu Ming was gleeful, as if he had taken his revenge.
Hearing this, Yang Kai’s face turned dreadfully ugly. His emotions were unstable as he slapped his own thigh with regret, feeling as if he had been scammed.
“Hahahahaha!” Wu Ming finally could not help laughing out loud.
“Old dog, what else do you want? I have already returned the Dragon Island Token to you. Don’t force this Young Master anymore, otherwise I will fight with you until either the fish dies or the net gets torn,” Yang Kai gritted his teeth.
Tan Jun Hao replied, “This Old Master wants to ask a little friend for something, but don’t worry, if little friend can fulfil this Old Master’s wish, I will give her back to you immediately.”
“Out with it then,” Yang Kai spat.
Tan Jun Hao smiled lightly and started moving his lips to send a Divine Sense Message, “A bead. A small bead that is said to contain a sealed world!”
Sure enough, Sister Hua had exposed the existence of the Sealed World Bead, but from how Tan Jun Hao was acting, it seemed as if he did not want Wu Ming to know.
The Sealed World Bead was an extremely precious artifact, not to mention that a supreme treasure like the Immortal Tree was inside it. Even though they were Master and Disciple, it made sense that Tan Jun Hao did not intend to let Wu Ming know about the Immortal Tree, lest he covet it.
“I don’t understand what you’re saying!” Yang Kai kept a serious face.
Tan Jun Hao continued to transmit his voice, “My unfilial disciple reported all your secrets to this Old Master, little friend doesn’t need to hide it anymore. This Old Master has meticulously planned everything for this day. The Dragon Island Token is not my main aim; what this Old Master truly wants is that bead. This Old Master will be grateful as long as you can meet his request. If little friend has any needs in the future, this Old Master will definitely try to help you. After all, this Old Master is an Elder of Star Soul Palace, and there is nothing in the Southern Territory that this Old Master cannot settle.”
Yang Kai shook his head like a rattle, “I don’t have such a thing.”
Tan Jun Hao’s face darkened, “Since little friend refuses this Old Master’s kind gesture, then you will have to suffer the consequences.”
He had been polite since the beginning, but after Yang Kai repeatedly refused to hand over the Sealed World Bead, Tan Jun Hao showed signs of anger, which showed how attractive the Sealed World Bead was to him.
Wu Ming became suspicious when he saw Tan Jun Hao and Yang Kai constantly transmitting their voices to each other, wondering what his Honoured Master was unwilling to let him know about, feeling somewhat aggrieved.
Despite that, he dared not to show anything on his face. He could only bury his feelings in his heart while secretly plotting to find a chance to inquire about it after they were done dealing with Yang Kai.
Yang Kai replied helplessly, “I don’t have the thing that you ask from me, so how can I give it to you?”
Tan Jun Hao snorted coldly, then signaled Wu Ming with his eyes, and retorted, “Little Friend Yang is refusing this Old Master’s request. You can do whatever you want with this devilish woman.”
Wu Ming’s eyes lit up and thanked joyously, “Many thanks, Honoured Master!”
While speaking, he attempted to grab Chi Yue’s chest.
“Wait, wait!” Yang Kai hurriedly shouted.
Tan Jun Hao raised his hand and shook Wu Ming’s hand away, causing the latter to look annoyed but he still dared not resist.
“Little friend, have you reconsidered?” Tan Jun Hao looked at Yang Kai with scorching eyes.
Yang Kai scratched his cheek, and coughed slightly, “I seem to remember that there is such a thing.”
Tan Jun Hao’s eyes brightened and he continued eagerly, “Since you remember now, hand it over to this Old Master.” If he could get the Sealed World Bead and the Immortal Tree inside it, the Dragon Island Token wouldn’t even matter to him anymore.
It was rumoured that after refining the Immortal Tree, one could achieve an immortal and indestructible body, so doing so would surely allow him to break through to the Great Emperor Realm.
Yang Kai snorted, “But this Young Master doesn’t trust your credibility.”
Tan Jun Hao immediately replied, “You may rest assured that this Old Master will let you take back this devilish woman as long as you give me that thing.”
“Really?” Yang Kai questioned with a frown.
Tan Jun Hao raised his hand, “If there is any violation, may this Old Master be struck by lightning and split into two halves.”
Yang Kai curled his lip, “If oaths were useful, why would we even bother cultivating? But… since you are an Elder of Star Soul Palace, this Young Master will trust you once more!”
Tan Jun Hao twinkled, “Little Friend Yang is a straightforward person, this Old Master will not disappoint you.”
Yang Kai sighed and flipped his hand over, summoning a longan-sized bead into his palm. This bead looked ordinary at first glance, but a faint wave of Space Principles fluctuated from it.
Tan Jun Hao widened his eyes and ogled the Sealed World Bead, examining it carefully with his Divine Sense.
With his cultivation and insight, he naturally noticed the specialty of the bead at a glance, and immediately understood that it must be the so-called Sealed World Bead. By itself, it was just a special storage artifact, but what was more important were the things inside.
Not just anyone could refine this special storage artifact, but Tan Jun Hao believed that it should be no problem for him to do so and withdraw the Immortal Tree with his strength.
Wu Ming was watching too and frowned, having no idea why such a bead was worth his Honoured Master’s attention, even more so than the Dragon Island Token.
He vaguely felt that the true aim of his Honoured Master this time was not the Dragon Island Token, but this small bead.
“This Young Master obtained this many years ago. It was a gift from a friend. Now, this Young Master is handing it over to Elder Tan, hoping that Elder Tan can take good care of it.” Yang Kai seemed to have accepted his fate and looked at the Sealed World Bead on his hand longingly, reluctant to let it go. Even the way he addressed Tan Jun Hao changed.
Tan Jun Hao replied, “Don’t worry, this Old Master will conceal this treasure cautiously. From now on, little friend will be this Old Master’s friend.”
Yang Kai clenched his fist and pressed on, “Before this, I have one more request.”
Tan Jun Hao frowned, “What is it?”
Yang Kai revealed, “I want Hua Qing Si to be freed from her discipleship under Elder Tan.”
Wu Ming snorted, “In your dreams. That bitch did so many things that disrespected our Honoured Master. It’s already signalledmercy that we didn’t kill her on the spot, yet now you want to ask for her freedom?”
Yang Kai stared at him coldly, “Can you make the decision for Elder Tan?”
Wu Ming’s face immediately changed and he cupped his fists towards Tan Jun Hao, “Honoured Master, this Disciple did not have such intentions.”
Tan Jun Hao waved his hand, “This Old Master understands.”
In fact, Yan Jun Hao actually felt somewhat relieved. He was more worried that Yang Kai wouldn’t continue trying to bargain, as that would truly be suspicious. After having a brief communication with Yang Kai, Tan Jun Hao could see that Yang Kai was a person who valued relationships greatly. If this wasn’t the case, he would not have been able to force Yang Kai to surrender without a fight by just holding Chi Yue as a hostage, even getting him to obediently hand over the Dragon Island Token and Sealed World Bead.
This request seemed to be reasonable to Tan Jun Hao. According to Yang Kai’s behaviour and attitude, it made sense for him to put forward such a request.
After some brief thought, he nodded in agreement, “This Old Master approves your request. From now on, Hua Qing Si is no longer this Old Master’s Disciple and has nothing to do with this Old Master.”
Yang Kai shook his head, “It’s useless to tell me this. Elder Tan, please tell Hua Qing Si directly. Since this Spirit Array is controlled by you, you should be able to contact her, right?”
Tan Jun Hao frowned and looked slightly impatient, “Little Friend Yang, please forgive this Old Master for not being able to accept this request.”
“Why?” Yang Kai furrowed his brow.
Tan Jun Hao explained, “Right now, room one is isolated from this Old Master’s Spirit Array and no longer under this Old Master’s control. This Old Master’s voice cannot be transmitted there.”
He could have done it earlier before Gong Tai interfered in the array and isolated room one from his control.
The capabilities of a Spirit Array Grandmaster were no joke.
“Is that true?” Yang Kai was astonished.
He was secretly delighted. This way, he did not have to worry about the safety of Hua Qing Si and his other friends. Initially, he thought that the lives of Hua Qing Si and the rest were controlled by Tan Jun Hao after he implanted Heart-Strangling Insects into them. Therefore, he was glad to hear Tan Jun Hao’s explanation.
Since room one was not under his control and he could not send any Divine Sense Messages, it should also be impossible for him to hurt them with the Heart-Strangling Insects.
It seemed that saving Patriarch Gong turned out to be a blessing to them.
“Good, this Old Master has satisfied all of little friend’s requests. Now, it’s little friend’s turn to grant this Old Master’s wish.” Tan Jun Hao stared at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai sighed deeply and remarked helplessly, “I hope that it won’t be a mistake to trust Elder Tan.”
He seemed to have accepted his fate, and having said so, he tossed the Sealed World Bead towards Tan Jun Hao lightly.
Tan Jun Hao’s eyes lit up as he quickly reached out to catch the Sealed World Bead. He did not see Yang Kai tamper with the Sealed World Bead in any way; in other words, he seemed truly willing to give up his Sealed World Bead in return for his mother-in-law.
However, for some reason, a sense of crisis struck Tan Jun Hao just as he was about to catch the Sealed World Bead.
At Tan Jun Hao’s level of strength, his intuition was extremely sharp, so as soon as he realized something was wrong, he hurriedly pushed his Emperor Qi to protect himself while staring intently at the Sealed World Bead in case of accidents.
At this moment, a black vortex suddenly emerged in front of the Sealed World Bead, like a Void Corridor connecting two worlds.
Then, a gigantic fist stretched out from the black vortex. There were ferocious and terrifying bone spur-like existences on this fist, striking towards Tan Jun Hao together with the fist.
Tan Jun Hao’s face changed drastically in an instant, his eyes bulging as his grasping hand froze mid-air.
“Hahahaha!” A wild laugh resounded as Yang Kai, who followed closely behind the Sealed World Bead, charged forward, “Even if you are cunning like a ghost, you still have to drink the water this Young Master used to wash his feet! Now die, Old Dog Tan!”
At the critical moment of life and death, a realization dawned on Tan Jun Hao and he immediately identified the gigantic fist, calling out in alarm, “Stone Puppet!”
Tan Jun Hao learnt from Hua Qing Si that there was a huge Stone Puppet as tall as a mountain hiding in Yang Kai’s Sealed World Bead.
But Hua Qing Si also mentioned that even though the Stone Puppet had incredible physical strength, its true power was only comparable to that of a First-Order Emperor Realm Master, and as long as he made flexible use of his speed, it would not be hard to deal with the Stone Puppet.
Therefore, Tan Jun Hao did not really put the Stone Puppet in his eyes; after all, he was a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master. Even if the Stone Puppet was powerful, it would still be useless if it could not hit him.
However, Tan Jun Hao did not even recall the existence of the Stone Puppet until the gigantic fist, full of spikes, appeared.
And it was too late when he finally remembered.
What flabbergasted him more was that the power of this fist was far greater than the full-powered blow of a First-Order Emperor Realm Master. Even a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master like him dared not to take this violent punch. Furthermore, it seemed that the fist of the Stone Puppet was layered with another kind of power, a power that gave off a terrifying sensation.
Tan Jun Hao had no idea that the Stone Puppet had been refining Shi Huo’s Source. Once the refining was complete, it could become the next Shi Huo Divine Spirit.
Now, even though the refining was not yet complete, there was already a trace of Divine Spirit power in this punch, which was enough to crush ordinary Emperor Qi.
The Stone Puppet itself was refining Shi Huo’s Source in a deep slumber, which should have been impossible to awake from in just a year or two. Nevertheless, since it was ultimately Yang Kai’s Embodiment, Yang Kai’s mind was connected to it. As such, Yang Kai had no problem controlling it to ambush Tan Jun Hao by connecting his consciousness to the Sealed World Bead.
The fist coming out of the Sealed World Bead was exactly the result of Yang Kai’s remote control.
The price paid to execute this move was not small. Spiritual Energy flooded outward from Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea, giving him a splitting headache.
The power of the fist was terrifying though, and with the addition of Yang Kai’s shout, Tan Jun Hao was thrown into a panic. With a wave of his hand, countless five-coloured light blades converged in front of him and shot towards the Embodiment’s fist. At the same time, he quickly retreated.
*Hong… *
All the five-coloured light blades shattered simultaneously, while the gigantic fist continued to blast forward unhindered. The sharp spikes broke through Tan Jun Hao Emperor Qi protection in an instant and stabbed a third of the way into his body, releasing a violent power that blasted him away while spurting large amounts of blood from his mouth. It was unknown if he was dead or alive.
On the other side, Yang Kai flew straight towards Wu Ming.
Although he shouted ‘die, old dog’, Yang Kai had no intentions to confront Tan Jun Hao at this moment as his priority was to rescue Chi Yue. Everything else could be considered later.
Therefore, Wu Ming could not react when Yang Kai advanced on him.
As their eyes met, Wu Ming was frightened pale and shouted, “Don’t come near, or I’ll kill her!”
While issuing his threat, a sword appeared in Wu Ming’s hand and immediately slashed towards Chi Yue fiercely.
“Solidify!” Yang Kai roared, causing the local Space Principles to condense and solidify the space where Wu Ming and Chi Yue were located.
The sword that was supposed to pierce Chi Yue was jolted slightly, and in that moment of delay, Yang Kai swooped in and snatched Chi Yue away from Wu Ming successfully while simultaneously landing a flying kick on Wu Ming’s head.
Followed by a painful howl, Wu Ming was sent tumbling through the air, crashing heavily to the ground some distance away as numerous teeth were knocked from his mouth.
As a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master, even if Wu Ming was no match for Yang Kai, it should have been impossible for him to be sent flying so miserably even taking a direct hit like this. However, fear had crept into his heart ever since he was beaten up severely by Yang Kai. In addition to seeing his Honoured Master suffering a massive loss, how could Wu Ming still have the presence of mind to fight back against Yang Kai? One would not be able to exert even half their strength if they were in a state of panic.
“Senior, are you alright?” Yang Kai scanned Chi Yue with his Divine Sense to check her condition.
Chi Yue’s face slightly flushed as she gripped her torn clothes to cover herself and shook her head, “I’m fine, but my cultivation is sealed.”
Just as Yang Kai was about to respond, his face suddenly turned solemn and he looked up in a certain direction with his teeth gritted, “It seems your status as a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master is not undeserved!”
Over there, an extremely strong aura blasted into the air as Tan Jun Hao walked out of the darkness step by step. He had long lost his sage-like appearance and now wore a ferocious expression on his face, as if he wanted to drink blood and eat raw flesh. His eyes were full of hatred and rage.
There were several big holes on his body, and his chest looked slightly sunken, obviously the result of the punch he took from the Embodiment.
No ordinary person could survive the Embodiment’s punch.
It was unknown how he stopped his bleeding, but his robe was full of blood.
“How dare a mere Junior deceive me! For this, you must die!” Tan Jun Hao clenched his teeth, his voice sounding like the ominous winds of hell, sending chills down the spines of all who heard it.
While speaking, he slightly moved his hands to perform a seal.
Chi Yue who was standing next to Yang Kai suddenly grunted before quickly releasing miserable screams.
Yang Kai was taken aback and swept his eyes over her, swiftly focusing on the skin of Chi Yue’s neck, where it looked as if something was squirming around.
“Heart-Strangling Insect!” Yang Kai bellowed. Chi Yue’s condition was similar to that of Hua Qing Si before, and it was obvious that she was implanted with a Heart-Strangling Insect too.
Tan Jun Hao was furious now, and he obviously wanted to take revenge by killing Chi Yue first.
“Despicable!” Yang Kai reprimanded as he stretched out his hand and summoned the Sealed World Bead back to him. He quickly wrapped his Divine Sense around Chi Yue who was beside him and sent her into the Sealed World Bead.
Tan Jun Hao, who was stimulating the Heart-Strangling Insect, frowned as he realized his connection with it had suddenly been cut off. He scolded with his teeth gritted, “Damn!”
The Sealed Word Bead was an independent world, and Yang Kai had continually collected Source Strength to improve the World Principles of the Sealed World Bead. Even if the Heart-Strangling Insect was powerful, it could not be triggered by Tan Jun Hao given that they were in two separate worlds now. Unless Tan Jun Hao could break the barriers of the World Principles of the Sealed World Bead, he would not be able to send his Divine Sense into the Small Sealed World.
Even a Great Emperor may not be able to do this, let alone a mere Tan Jun Hao.
“Hahaha!” Yang Kai laughed wildly as his Divine Sense connected to the Small Sealed World and found Chi Yue was indeed relieved from the torture. The Heart-Strangling Insect in her neck calmed down too. After knowing that he made the right decision, he had no worries anymore.
On the other hand, Tan Jun Hao’s face was extremely ugly, as if his parents had just been killed before his eyes.
He had planned everything out, and everything was in his grasp, but he was continuously frustrated when he ultimately confronted Yang Kai.
“Damn Gong Tai!” He cursed again. If he knew that Gong Tai had such capability, he would have captured him earlier. With Gong Tai securing room one with his own Spirit Array, Tan Jun Hao could not do anything to the people in there.
Room one was like the Small Sealed World now, an independent space that was beyond his control.
If this wasn’t the case, Tan Jun Hao would still have several hostages over there to coerce Yang Kai with.
This was also the reason why he did not interfere with Hua Qing Si sending the hostages back earlier in the auction, for he thought that it would not harm him as he could still control their lives remotely.
One wrong move and his whole plan had failed. Life was but a chess game in this regard!
“Old Dog Tan, what else do you have up your sleeves? Show me everything you have so you can die convinced!” Yang Kai was gleeful and started to mock Tan Jun Hao again.
This mocking, however, was mainly to buy Yang Kai some time. He had consumed too much of his Spiritual Energy controlling the Embodiment to release a punch from the Sealed World Bead, which was still causing him a sharp headache. Fortunately, the Soul Warming Lotus was displaying its effect, sending a cool sensation through his Knowledge Sea, rapidly restoring his exhausted Soul.
Tan Jun Hao had been badly injured, as it was not easy to take a punch from the Embodiment. Yang Kai had the confidence to fight with him even when he was in his best condition, not to mention now he was in a terrible condition.
This old man had plotted to harm him before they met, and Yang Kai swore that would kill him no matter what.
“Junior, you court death!” Tan Jun Hao growled as he raised his hands in a posture of grasping the whole world and gritted his teeth, “Since you dared to disobey this Old Master, this Old Master will grant your death wish!”
When the words fell, many figures emerged and gathered around him.
Yang Kai furrowed his brow and quickly examined those figures. Soon, to his surprise, he found that these people were all the Emperor Realm Masters from the auction house.
Although most of them were First-Order Emperors, there were also several Second-Order Emperor Realm Masters among them. Many of them looked familiar and seemed to be Sect Masters and Elders from various big Sects in the Southern Territory who came to participate in the auction.
Their number was also quite large, about thirty in total.
These Emperor Realm Masters strangely appeared, and all of them looked quite puzzled. They were all separated in boundless darkness after Tan Jun Hao activated the Spirit Array and had been searching for an exit up till now but to no avail.
Then, inexplicably, a sudden force emerged and dragged them all here. The next thing they knew, they found themselves in the presence of Yang Kai and Tan Jun Hao.
Noticing Tan Jun Hao’s injury, these Emperor Realm Masters were immediately struck by shock and secretly felt terrified.
They saw that Tan Jun Hao was exuding his powerful Third-Order Emperor Realm aura, but he was actually wounded, and his wounds seemed to be quite serious. Other than him, Yang Kai was the only person standing here.
Could these injuries have been caused by the young man named Yang Kai? He was just a First-Order Emperor though, so how could he have the ability to hurt a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master?
“Ah? Elder Tan!” After looking at Tan Jun Hao carefully, a middle-aged man suddenly exclaimed and went forward with his fists cupped, “Greetings Elder Tan. Why are you here?”
Tan Jun Hao glanced at him and nodded, “You recognize this Old Master?”
The middle-aged man smiled, “More than ten years ago, this one was lucky enough to obtain a pass from Star Soul Palace to cultivate in a Heaven Grade Cultivation Room for a time. It was then that I saw Elder Tan from afar, so it is natural that Elder Tan doesn’t remember this humble one.”
The middle-aged man was a Sect Master himself, but he was just a First-Order Emperor and his Sect was only second-class in the Southern Territory. Therefore, he had to behave humbly in front of a Star Soul Palace Elder. Furthermore, he could only break through to the Emperor Realm Master thanks to the opportunity to cultivate in the Heaven Grade Cultivation Room of Star Soul Palace.
He was truly grateful to Star Soul Palace, so it was natural for him to show his respect to a Star Soul Palace Elder here.
Tan Jun Hao nodded lightly, saying nothing more to him.
Nevertheless, the middle-aged man’s words shocked everyone else.
“Elder Tan, Star Soul Palace… Don’t tell me…”
Although most of the Emperor Realm Masters here did not recognize Tan Jun Hao and had never even seen him before, they had made some vague guesses about this situation.
Star Soul Palace was a Great Emperor Sect, so in order to be an Elder, one must reach the Third-Order Emperor Realm. There were only a few Third-Order Emperor Realm Masters in Star Soul Palace.
Even if they had not met Tan Jun Hao before, everyone had heard his name.
All of them were awestruck in their hearts and went forward and greeted with their fists cupped, “Greetings, Elder Tan!”
“Drop the formalities!” Tan Jun Hao waved his hand gently with the demeanour of a senior expert.
The middle-aged man who spoke earlier asked in a solemn face, “Elder Tan, who was bold enough to oppose you? Moreover, you were even wounded.”
Tan Jun Hao looked at Yang Kai coldly, and answered, “It’s this little friend. He ambushed this Old Master!”
Yang Kai curled his lip hearing what Tan Jun Hao said. It was true that he ambushed him, but if Tan Jun Hao did not threaten him first, why would he ambush a Third-Order Emperor Realm for no reason?
The middle-aged man was infuriated and immediately pointed at Yang Kai, “It’s you again, little bastard. Elder Tan is an Elder of Star Soul Palace, who has a respected and noble status! Star Soul Palace is the ruler of our Southern Territory, sheltering billions of cultivators under its wings. Little bastard, it is your honour to be in Elder Tan’s presence, yet instead of showing gratitude, you actually ambushed Elder Tan? Kneel down and apologize now! Elder Tan is kind-hearted, and perhaps he might spare your life, but if you continue to be stubborn, we will kill you!”
His words were sonorous and reverberating, causing Tan Jun Hao to smile gleefully while listening to them.
But all the other Emperor Realm Masters showed different expressions. Unlike the middle-aged man, they had not gained anything significant from Star Soul Palace, so although they respected Star Soul Palace, they did not need to go as far as to bootlick Tan Jun Hao.
However, it was not good for them to refute this either, so they just stood quietly and looked at Yang Kai sympathetically.
Now, they recalled that Yang Kai did mention something about a Star Soul Palace Elder in the auction earlier. Now, it seemed that the Star Soul Palace Elder he mentioned was Tan Jun Hao.
No one knew how a feud between him and Tan Jun Hao started, or how he could still have a way to live in the Southern Territory after offending Tan Jun Hao? Sure enough, youngsters were always impulsive and did not know how to restrain themselves.
“Ah… I was wondering who it was! It’s actually my friend from room thirteen who ate three kilograms of shit! No wonder your mouth is so smelly,” Yang Kai looked sideways at the middle-aged man and fanned the air in front of his nose with his hand.
“Ah…”
“It’s actually him!”
“Did he really eat it?”
“This, this, this…”
After hearing Yang Kai’s words, all the Emperor Realm Masters stared at the middle-aged man simultaneously, their eyes widened. Furthermore, some of them immediately jumped back to widen their distance from the middle-aged man with a disgusted look, as if they really smelled shit from his mouth.
All of a sudden, the middle-aged man’s surroundings were cleared, like a giant pair of invisible hands and split him apart from everyone else. Even Tan Jun Hao frowned as he looked at the middle-aged man with a strange look on his face.
“You…” The middle-aged man pointed at Yang Kai angrily, his face turning red from shame and rage.
What happened in room thirteen before was the biggest insult of his life. At that time, he really felt that it would have been better to be killed by Yang Kai than to be humiliated like that, but the hatred in his heart pushed him to live on as he secretly plotted his revenge.
When he saw Yang Kai after being summoned here by Tan Jun Hao through the Spirit Array, he had guessed that Tan Jun Hao’s injury was somehow related to this little bastard and could not wait to step out and put pressure on Yang Kai using Tan Jun Hao’s name.
But he did not expect that he would be humiliated by Yang Kai again.
Pairs of disdainful and disgusted eyes were piercing him like countless thorns. He could not wait to find a hole to hide as he shouted, “Don’t listen to this little brat’s nonsense, it wasn’t me!” The middle-aged man hurriedly denied.
No one believed him though as everyone had clearly heard him speaking in the auction venue before and could now recognize that it was indeed the same voice.
“Little bastard, you and I will be sworn enemies forever!” The middle-aged man knew that his reputation had been completely ruined when there was no response from the crowd. When someone mentioned him again in the future, perhaps the first thing they thought of would be him eating three kilograms of shit…
Yang Kai lifted his head with his lip curled, “Sorry, this Young Master doesn’t talk to people who eat shit. Please keep your mouth shut, Your Excellency!”
*Pu…*
The middle-aged man’s vitality roiled from uncontrollable anger, but he had no way to vent it, so he ended up spurting a mouthful of blood.
Seemingly losing his mind, the only thought left in his head was to kill Yang Kai to avenge himself. Through gritted teeth, he shouted in a rage, “I’ll kill you!”
With a flash of brilliance, a sharp sword appeared in his hand, and with a surge of Emperor Qi, he wrapped himself in a sword light and charged towards Yang Kai.
Such a ferocious blow could almost be said to be the full strength of the middle-aged man as a First-Order Emperor Realm Master. Even the other Emperors present could not help looking slightly shocked and dared not to underestimate this move.
On the contrary, Yang Kai showed a scornful look and sneered arrogantly. A large broadsword abruptly appeared in his hand and with a flourish, he retaliated coldly, “Since you want to die so much, this Young Master will grant your wish!”
“You’re the one who will die!” The middle-aged man yelled, seemingly unleashing all his strength in this one strike as he rushed up to Yang Kai’s face.
Yang Kai simply stepped forward and with a swing of his arm, lifted the Myriads Sword up, releasing a shining blade of sword light, one that seemed capable of rending the sky asunder, terrifying all who saw it.
*Ci la… *
Like a piece of silk had been torn apart, the shining sword light that was charging towards Yang Kai’s face was suddenly split into two and passed by either side of his body. The dazzling light dispersed in an instant, falling heavily to the ground and rolling a long way before it gradually stopped.
“Ssii…”
Everyone gasped as they stared at this scene in disbelief and astonishment.
Long bloodstains were drawn on either side behind Yang Kai, while crushed internal organs were scattered all over the ground along with two halves of a fresh corpse.
The power of that one sword slash actually managed to split a First-Order Emperor in two.
And it seemed that Yang Kai just swung his sword casually, not using any of his strength at all.
Although everyone knew Yang Kai’s strength was outstanding and understood that the middle-aged man could not possibly be his match, they never expected him to be so vulnerable.
No, it was not that he was vulnerable, but rather that Yang Kai was unreasonably strong!
Everyone had learnt of his terrifying combat ability when he killed the old man in room seven with a single stomp of his foot and a slash of his sword, but at this moment, they realized that they had still underestimated him.
Yang Kai flicked away the blood on the Myriads Swords and grinned, “This is a place of discord. Just leave if you can, why stay and watch?”
Tan Jun Hao definitely did not summon so many Emperor Realm Masters just for them to watch. He was probably plotting something, and perhaps planned to use these people against him.
Yang Kai did not want to make enemies with so many people, for Tan Jun Hao was his only target now.
Sensing the malevolence from Yang Kai’s words and considering the lessons from the recent past, the Emperor Realm Masters could not help shivering. Although they thought that this young man was too domineering, arrogant, and did not put anyone in the auction in his eyes, he truly had the capital to act so, and it would not be wise for them to turn against him.
Furthermore, they had no grievances with him, so why would they try to provoke him?
No one who could reach the Emperor Realm was a fool. They were smart enough to judge that it was beyond their means to intervene in the grievances between Yang Kai and Tan Jun Hao.
At that moment, someone cupped his fists, “Elder Tan, this one still has important things to do and will take his leave first.”
He then turned around to leave after speaking.
The others glanced at each other and quickly followed in this man’s footsteps, bidding their farewells before trying to escape. In the blink of an eye, more than half of the crowd dispersed, leaving the other half frowning slightly, hesitating.
They seemed to have sensed that whatever the outcome, it was out of their control. With Tan Jun Hao having summoned them here, already having set up a Spirit Array in advance, it was obvious he wasn’t just going to let them leave. To insist on leaving at this time would probably just offend Tan Jun Hao.
For a while, they felt extremely annoyed at this situation. They already felt that they should not have come to Flowing Shadow City to participate in this bogus auction, and now they were inexplicably involved in someone else’s messy dispute, unable to leave even though they wanted to.
Sure enough, Tan Jun Hao snorted and bellowed loudly at the sight of the dispersed Emperor Realm Masters, “Do you really think you can leave?”
Those Emperor Realm Masters stopped one after another, turning their heads to look at Tan Jun Hao. The person who left first spoke with a frown, “Elder Tan, what is the meaning of this?”
There was a faint demanding tone in his voice. Even if Tan Jun Hao was a Star Soul Palace Elder with a noble status and superior strength, there was no reason for him to restrict the freedom of this many Emperor Realm Masters. Yang Kai was his enemy, not these people. But… Something felt wrong with what Tan Jun Hao had said.
Tan Jun Hao remained indifferent, “It’s nothing much, it’s just that this Old Master has already set up a Grand Spirit Array here, and no one can leave without this Old Master’s permission.”
Their faces changed abruptly at his words.
The person who had spoken before frowned, “Elder Tan, we respect you as a Star Soul Palace Elder, and Star Soul Palace is the hegemon of our Southern Territory, protecting billions of cultivators in our Southern Territory. So please enlighten us, what can we do in order to leave here?”
If it was another Emperor Realm Master who did this, he would right now be receiving a harsh beating. Who would tolerate having their freedom restricted for no reason? But Tan Jun Hao was different. He was not just a powerful Third-Order Emperor Realm Master, but also held the title of Star Soul Palace Elder. No one dared to be presumptuous in front of him, so even if this man was infuriated, he forcefully suppressed his anger and asked carefully.
“Yes, Elder Tan, please enlighten us,” someone else immediately echoed.
Tan Jun Hao smiled slightly, “You just need to do a simple thing if you want to leave this place,” He pointed his finger at Yang Kai and said, “Help this Old Master to kill him, and this Old Master will set you free.”
Everyone’s eyes widened instantly, and bitterness as if they ate a hundred kilograms of bitter melon spread in their mouths…
Everyone saw Yang Kai’s previous murders and knew that this young man’s strength was beyond their ability to handle, not someone they could provoke. None of the Emperor Realm Masters present were confident they could defeat Yang Kai.
Tan Jun Hao asking them to kill Yang Kai was equivalent to pushing them into the fire pit!
Was he really a Star Soul Palace Elder? Instantly, the image of Star Soul Palace, a tall and majestic symbol in their hearts, collapsed, not to mention the disappointment they had for Star Soul Palace.
Star Soul Palace was the overlord of the Southern Territory, but if their Elders were so unreasonable and so abusive of their power, who would respect it?
“Elder Tan… Are you making a joke? I have no grievances with this little brother…”
“Yes, Elder Tan, please don’t be hard on us and let us go.”
For a while, the crowd was stirred up, but in the face of Tan Jun Hao, everyone still suppressed their anger and did not dare to be too rude.
Tan Jun Hao was unmoved, merely shouting, “This boy was extremely disrespectful towards this Old Master. He not only insulted this Old Master but also injured this Old Master’s disciple. He even went so far as to steal this Old Master’s treasure. If you can help this Old Master subdue him, this Old Master will reward you generously.”
“Such a thing happened? Then it is really his fault.”
“Yes, Elder Tan is an Elder of Star Soul Palace after all. It’s far too much for him to insult and steal from Elder Tan.”
“Apologize. He must apologize.”
They were just a group of people blustering. It seemed like they were all on Tan Jun Hao’s side, but none of them took action as they were not fools, and it was not like they were seeking death. They would not cause trouble with Yang Kai with just a blank statement from Tan Jun Hao.
Yang Kai watched them happily and could not help shouting, “Old Dog Tan, you are a Star Soul Palace Elder, and your strength is two Minor Realms higher than this Young Master’s, yet you shamelessly ask for help to deal with this Young Master? If you have the capability, don’t involve innocent people and come fight this Young Master one on one!”
As soon as this statement came out, everyone’s impression of Yang Kai drastically improved, feeling like what he said was reasonable.
Why did they have to be involved in the grievances between these two? This Elder Tan was really unreasonable.
Tan Jun Hao’s face sank as he glared at Yang Kai bitterly before sweeping his eyes across everyone and asking, “You really don’t want to help this Old Master?”
Everyone had an embarrassed expression and avoided his eyes, but no one responded aloud.
The person who initiated the discussion spoke up again with a look of indignation, “Elder Tan, please don’t make things difficult for us. Everything should be settled with reason. It’s better for you to solve the problems you have with this little brother by yourself. With Elder Tan’s cultivation, it should be a simple matter for you to defeat him. Our help should be unnecessary.”
This man had a face full of beard and a heroic demeanor about him. He did not seem like one who used schemes and his statement had a sting because he was disapproving of Tan Jun Hao’s various deeds.
Tan Jun Hao glanced at him coldly then suddenly formed a certain hand seal.
The big bearded man screamed as if he was suffering terrible pain, his whole body trembling violently as a bump immediately appeared under the skin of his neck, squirming around rapidly.
“What happened?” Everyone was shocked and jumped away from the bearded man, for fear of getting involved.
“Brother Liu, Brother Liu!” Shouted a cultivator who was friendly with this bearded man.
However, the cultivator surnamed Liu continued to scream his head off. After a while, his face became pale and his body was soaked with sweat.
*Ci la…*
He suddenly tore the front of his clothes, and looked down at his bare chest, watching the little bump swim its way towards his heart with a pair of bloodshot eyes.
“This… what is this?”
The cultivator surnamed Liu took a deep breath with difficulty and stared at Tan Jun Hao, “You…what did you do to me!?”
“Heart-Strangling Insect!” Yang Kai’s expression changed as he growled in a low voice.
The hand seal on his hand still intact, Tan Jun Hao threatened lightly, “This is the fate of those who disobey this Old Master!” After a pause, he warned, “By the way, don’t try to circulate your Emperor Qi, otherwise you will only die faster.”
It was already too late though as the cultivator surnamed Liu had already pushed his Emperor Qi when he felt that his life was in danger. Sure enough, as Tan Jun Hao said, the more he pushed his Emperor Qi, the more fiercely the Heart-Strangling Insect moved. In the blink of an eye, the insect had gouged its way into his left chest.
A heart-piercing pain spread throughout his body!
The cultivator surnamed Liu shrieked, stabbing two fingers into his chest, causing blood to gush out. It seemed that he was trying to gouge the foreign object out of his body.
But before he could do anything, he heard a faint popping sound, and his pulse was cut off. His pupils enlarged, and his body collapsed.
“Ssii..” Everyone gasped with shock, feeling chills up their spines.
There was not a trace of movement by Tan Jun Hao at all. All he did was perform a hand seal, and the cultivator surnamed Liu had fallen to the Heart-Strangling Insect. This Heart-Strangling Insect was obviously already placed in his body long ago.
If this happened to the cultivator surnamed Liu, what about them?
The answer was quickly revealed as the hand seal in Tan Jun Hao changed again, his eyes sweeping across the audience.
The more than twenty Emperor Realm Masters present grunted in unison as a small bulge appeared under their skin and began quickly swimming toward their chests.
“Elder Tan, you…”
“When?”
The Emperor Realm Masters could not believe their eyes, they did not even know when they were implanted with the Heart-Strangling Insect. They recalled every detail after entering the auction, then someone suddenly realized, “The tea…”
Tan Jun Hao nodded lightly and confessed, “Yes, this Old Master did something to the tea.”
Yang Kai was shocked too, but at the same time felt relieved. It was good that he had been cautious and only drank some tea prepared by Ye Jing Han using her own tea leaves and tea set, otherwise, he too would have been infected with a Heart-Strangling Insect like the rest of these people, and would have no choice but to be manipulated by Tan Jun Hao.
The Heart-Strangling Insect was extremely hard to deal with as even an Emperor Realm Masters could not detect its presence until it became active. It seemed that Tan Jun Hao had cultivated these Heart-Strangling Insects for many years, otherwise they would not be so numerous and formidable.
This old dog was indeed cunning. He actually resolved to use these methods even with his Third-Order Emperor Realm cultivation.
“Elder Tan, you’re crazy!” Someone looked at Tan Jun Hao furiously.
There were as many as thirty Emperor Realm Masters from all over the Southern Territory present here, so once rumours of what happened today spread, there was no doubt Tan Jun Hao would be placed at the top of the kill list of Star Soul Palace. How could Bright Moon Great Emperor tolerate such devastating damage being done to Star Soul Palace’s reputation?
But thinking about it, who would dare to spread the word about there being a Heart-Strangling Insect inside their bodies?
As of today, these people were destined to become Tan Jun Hao’s slaves, and had no choice but to obediently serve him.
Devastation flooded their hearts at this thought, together with unwillingness and fury, but they had nowhere to vent.
They did not know that Tan Jun Hao was willing to do anything in order to snatch Yang Kai’s treasures, for as long as he could get the Immortal Tree, he could completely cast off Star Soul Palace and find a place to hide and refine it. Once he gained an immortal and indestructible body, what could Bright Moon Great Emperor do to him?
When that time came, he would have nothing to fear even if his wicked deeds were exposed.
It was exactly because of this that Tan Jun Hao did not hesitate to use the Heart-Strangling Insects and even killed the bearded man directly to serve as a warning.
“Whoever helps this Old Master to kill him will be greatly rewarded!” Tan Jun Hao pointed at Yang Kai once more. He had already taken down his disguise, and there was no need for him to worry about anything anymore, so he immediately ordered the Emperor Realm Masters to take action.
Hearing this command, everyone looked at each other with deep helplessness and bitterness.
It was true that they had numbers on their side, but they were afraid that only less than half of them could survive if they really had to fight Yang Kai.
No one was willing to sacrifice their life to create an opportunity for others.
But if they disobey Tan Jun Hao’s order, they would undoubtedly end up like the cultivator surnamed Liu.
For a moment, everyone was caught in a dilemma.
Tan Jun Hao naturally understood their concerns and snorted coldly, changing his hand seal again.
The Emperor Realm Masters all groaned miserably, sweat trickling down their foreheads as the Heart-Strangling Insects under their skin hastily gouged their way towards their hearts. There were several Emperor Realm Masters who could not endure the pain and screamed shrilly.
“If the insect gets to your heart, you will die without a doubt!” Tan Jun Hao remarked lightly, “If anyone can help this Old Master to kill this boy, this Old Master will remove the Heart-Strangling Insect in him and return his freedom.”
A carrot-and-stick approach had always been the best way to manipulate people, and as an Elder of Star Soul Palace, Tan Jun Hao naturally was very familiar with it.
Their eyes lit up as soon as this remark was made. The torment of these Heart-Strangling Insects was simply unbearable, so it was worth fighting Yang Kai if they could get rid of it. The most important thing was that they would die if they refused Tan Jun Hao, but they would still have hope to live if they stood against Yang Kai.
It was a simple choice, yet a choice that left them no choice.
At this moment, someone gave in to the pain and temptation of Tan Jun Hao’s promise and shouted, “Elder Tan must keep his word!”
Tan Jun Hao smiled faintly, “Of course, you have this Old Master’s word”
“Good! Then this Xia will lend Elder Tan a helping hand today. Who else is willing to join with this Xia?”
He turned around to look while speaking, and all the Emperor Realm Masters nodded one after another. In a situation where an arm was no match for the thigh, what else could they do other than submit?
The confidence of the cultivator surnamed Xia was boosted when he won the support of the crowd. With his morale greatly heightened, his Emperor Qi began to circulate. Surprisingly, he was a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master.
He roared as if to embolden himself then pounced at Yang Kai.
The rest of them followed closely after him.
In an instant, roughly thirty figures turned into streams of light and shot towards Yang Kai together. A series of Secret Techniques were unleashed as various Emperor Artifacts were summoned and used to attack, sending a series of colourful rays of light out.
Before they attacked, some of them even mumbled to themselves, “Little Brother, don’t blame us, we are being forced.”
The pressure on Yang Kai increased sharply, facing so many Emperor Realm Masters at once, as if several mountains were pressing down on his chest, making it hard for him to even catch his breath. However, he steeled himself and roared to the sky, “How can one be an Emperor Realm Master with so little courage? If one doesn’t have the will to fight for their own life, they should never bother fighting at all!”
“Little brat, you’re too full of yourself, now die!”
Not everyone felt sorry for Yang Kai as his previous actions in the auction had aroused public anger. At this moment, it was also because of him that they had been controlled by Tan Jun Hao. Unable to express their resentment towards Tan Jun Hao, these people who were implanted with Heart-Strangling Insects could only vent all of their grievances on Yang Kai, thinking that everything could end as long as he was killed.
Mercilessly, they launched their attacks.
*Hong hong hong… *
Thirty furious attacks bombarded Yang Kai at once, all of them from Emperor Realm Masters. The scene instantly turned into a chaotic explosion.
Tan Jun Hao narrowed his eyes as he believed that even he would end up with serious injuries if not death after encountering such attacks with his cultivation, but this little brat surnamed Yang was proficient in the Dao of Space, so this might not be sufficient to take him down despite the ferocity of the attacks.
Although he had sealed this space with the Five Elements Grand Sealing Array, he only made Yang Kai unable to teleport out of the Spirit Array’s bounds, but Yang Kai could still come and go freely within the Spirit Array.
This was why he did not hesitate to borrow the power of these Emperor Realm Masters. It was not that he was not confident he could beat Yang Kai alone, but that doing so would take a significant amount of time and effort.
When the dust settled after a short while, everyone found the place where all the attacks landed empty.
“Is he dead?” Someone asked.
“It’s unlikely for that brat to have survived so many attacks from us at the same time, even if his strength is far beyond normal. What a waste of a Heaven-defying genius.”
“Hahaha, he was truly overconfident for daring to make an enemy of Elder Tan. He deserved to die!” A man burst into laughter.
Now that Yang Kai was dead, it was time for him to bootlick Tan Jun Hao. Perhaps if Tan Jun Hao was in a good mood, he would remove the Heart-Strangling Insect out of his body and set him free.
Many of them secretly felt regret. If they had known that Yang Kai was so easy to deal with, they would have given their best just now in hopes of winning some small favour from Tan Jun Hao.
*Pu… *
A strange noise suddenly sounded. Although this noise was soft, it was not missed by the Emperor Realm Masters’ sharp senses. Everyone turned to the source of noise simultaneously, and the scene in front of them caused their faces to change drastically.
A broad and thick sword tip protruded out of the chest of the last man who spoke while a ghostly figure stood behind him, his profile appearing quite grim.
“Ah…” The man seemed to notice the coolness in his chest and his eyes widened as he looked down.
“Since you all decided to make this Young Master your enemy, then all of you should be prepared to die!” Yang Kai’s faint voice came up and shook the minds of the crowd like a deafening bell.
Before this man could react, Yang Kai flicked his wrist and directly split him in two. Blood splattered over the ground while the two halves of a body and internal organs rained down from the sky horrifyingly.
A First-Order Emperor Realm Master was just inexplicably stabbed and split in two, but what frightened everyone even more was that no one realized how Yang Kai escaped their attacks just now, or even how he returned to counterattack.
Was this boy a real ghost? Everyone shuddered in their hearts.
“This Old Master forgot to warn you that this boy is proficient in the Dao of Space!” Tan Jun Hao’s voice came up from the side.
“What? The Dao of Space?”
“Then he moved instantaneously just now?”
“I heard that people who are proficient in the Dao of Space can come and go mysteriously without a trace. They also possess unparalleled ability when it comes to escaping and chasing. How… how are we supposed to kill such a person!?”
…
After Tan Jun Hao explained that Yang Kai was proficient in the Dao of Space, everyone’s face changed again as they cursed Tan Jun Hao in their hearts, [Why didn’t he warn us of such important information earlier, only revealing it after this brat struck back?]
Yang Kai was already a frightening opponent before they learned of his mastery of Space Principles. If it weren’t because of the Heart-Strangling Insects, no one here would have obeyed Tan Jun Hao’s order and made an enemy of him. So, now that they learnt that he was proficient in this esoteric Dao, even possessing the ability to teleport at will, all of them could not help thinking that it would be impossible to kill him.
“Don’t worry. This Old Master has prepared for every contingency. This Old Master will give you a hand,” Tan Jun Hao comforted them.
Given the situation, he spoke as if he was helping them when it was actually the other way round.
Yang Kai carried the Myriads Sword and pointed at Tan Jun Hao with a derisive expression as he swept his eyes across the Emperor Realm Masters, shouting, “Don’t take it personally, but all of you here are trash! This Young Master held back just now only because you were being compelled, but if you still continue to be stubborn, all of your corpses will cover this place.”
His arrogance maddened many of them, but they knew that he was telling the truth. It was obvious Yang Kai held back just now, otherwise, he could have killed at least five people in an instant with his unpredictable movement.
It seemed that he really did not want to start a massacre.
“Stand aside. When this Young Master gets rid of Old Dog Tan, you’ll regain your freedom.” Yang Kai shouted
Everyone was moved by his words.
Tan Jun Hao rebuked in a deep voice, “Little boy, don’t boast so shamelessly! Is this Old Master someone who you can just simply kill just because you want to… hm?”
Before he could finish his sentence, his face suddenly sank as he swung his sleeves forward, condensing a barrier of light before him.
Yang Kai abruptly teleported in front of him, and swung his sword, slashing apart the light barrier and shattering it. At the same time, a strong repulsive force pushed him backwards.
“Everyone, what are you waiting for?” Tan Jun Hao yelled angrily.
He was dreadfully afraid of Yang Kai’s unpredictable movements too. If he had not been careful just now, perhaps Yang Kai would have succeeded in wounding him. Seeing that the Emperor Realm Masters he summoned were hesitating again, Tan Jun Hao could not help urging them again.
Hearing his call, although everyone was unwilling, they could only advance with their teeth clenched.
But they learned their lesson from the previous clash and did not use their full strength, retaining about seventy percent of their strength to guard their surroundings and not be caught off guard by Yang Kai.
Numerous Secret Techniques and Emperor Artifacts were once again unleashed radiantly with a rumble, all of them bombarding towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai tried to leave his spot with a flicker.
But just then, Tan Jun Hao chuckled and an array flag appeared in his hand out of nowhere, one he waved fiercely at Yang Kai.
A trembling force suddenly came up in the void, which shook Yang Kai’s disappearing figure, forcing it to materialize again.
Before Yang Kai could regain his stance, all of the attacks collided with him together.
Yang Kai was aghast and quickly circulated his Five Elements Indestructible Sword Qi.
Although these Emperor Realm Masters did not unleash their full strength this time, it was still the combined force of almost thirty Emperors, and Yang Kai would definitely suffer if he took it head-on. He did not expect that Tan Jun Hao’s Spirit Array could even disrupt the local space, neutralizing his ability to teleport, putting him at a huge disadvantage. It was too late for him to evade the attacks now though, so he could only try to defend himself.
The attacks landed one after another and caused his Five Elements Indestructible Sword Qi protection to tremble unstably. The glowing light dimmed from all the impacts as Yang Kai felt his organs shift.
Seeing that his Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art could not hold on any longer, Yang Kai could only clench his teeth and roar, “Dragon Transformation!”
A golden light flashed behind him, revealing the figure of a giant golden dragon. Dragon Scales materialized on Yang Kai’s skin piece by piece, and his hands turned into the shape of dragon claws as his physical defence was greatly increased.
*Hong hong hong…*
The attacks landed all at once, tossing Yang Kai left and right, throwing him into an unstable condition.
*Pu…*
A mouthful of golden blood spewed out. Yang Kai tried his best to defend, yet it was too much for him to endure so many attacks at once, leading to him being wounded.
“It… It hit,” someone muttered to himself, staring in disbelief.
Most of the others could not believe it either. They did not seem to expect that their attacks could really hit Yang Kai; after all, his instantaneous movement had made them lose their confidence in dealing with him, so they were surprised that this second round of attacks actually hit him, even causing some injuries.
Tan Jun Hao burst into laughter, “A trivial Spatial Ability is nothing to be afraid of. What are you all waiting for? Finish him off quickly!”
Hearing this, the Second-Order Emperor Realm Master surnamed Xia waved his hand and shouted, “Now! Don’t give him a chance to breathe!”
Everyone’s morale was greatly boosted as they continued to perform their own hand seals, surging the power of their Secret Techniques and Emperor Artifacts.
Yang Kai’s face turned cold as he glared at Tan Jun Hao and began searching for a solution. Looking at this situation, as long as Tan Jun Hao was eliminated, the rest of these people would not be a threat because they were only compelled to kill Yang Kai because of the Heart-Strangling Insects inside them. If Tan Jun Hao died, they would not be threatened by the Heart-Strangling Insects anymore and would naturally stop attacking him.
With a plan in his mind, Yang Kai looked up and shouted angrily, “Old Dog Tan!”
He had already pounced at Tan Jun Hao with a ferocious face before he finished. The Wind and Thunder Wings spread behind him, accompanied by the sound of a raging storm, transforming him into a stream of light as he rushed to the front of Tan Jun Hao in the blink of an eye.
The latter’s face changed slightly at this sight.
Tan Jun Hao was surprised to see that Yang Kai still remained aggressive despite his predicament. Not only was this boy not afraid of facing several dozens of Emperor Realm Masters at once, he even became more ferocious. His courage and spirit were simply terrifying. Tan Jun Hao immediately raised his hand and a vast area of five-coloured light gathered in front of him before condensing into blades of light that slashed towards Yang Kai.
It was the Five Elements Grand Sealing Array. Having Tan Jun Hao, a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master controlling it personally, the power this five-coloured light blade could exert was equivalent to a blow from a top-level Emperor Realm Master.
*Chi chi chi chi…*
Countless five-coloured light blades condensed rapidly, yet Yang Kai continued to charge forward without hesitation. With a sweep of his hand, a large Moon Blade was formed, one that fluctuated with powerful Space Principles. The full moon blade was like the dark maw of an ancient beast, pitch-black in colour, filled with bottomless chaos and nothingness.
When the Moon Blade slashed out, the five-coloured light blades were shattered one after another, as if they were thin mirrors, turning into particles of light that dissipated into thin air.
Horrified, Tan Jun Hao’s eyes widened, he shouted, “An offensive Spatial Ability!”
It was his first time seeing Yang Kai using Space Principles to attack, an eye-opening experience for him. If he had not seen it with his own eyes, Tan Jun Hao would not have believed that a Spatial Ability could have such powerful lethality. His attack was instantly resolved by a single Moon Blade.
Yang Kai smiled grimly, “A trivial Spatial Ability? Die!”
He waved his hands continuously, sending out numerous Moon Blades which were much smaller than the previous one, exchanging raw power for numbers.
Tan Jun Hao narrowed his eyes, and quickly changed his hand seal while bellowing, “Five Elements Force, gather!”
The five-coloured light came together once again, radiating the aura of metal, wood, water, fire and earth, which mutually reinforced one another in an endless cycle. All of a sudden, a fortified five-coloured light shield was formed in front of him.
Things had not ended yet though as with a tap of his hand, Tan Jun Hao summoned a small shield that rapidly expanded to the size of a double door, adding a second layer of defence.
The shield exuded a rich Emperor Pressure and was obviously a formidable defensive Emperor Artifact.
It could be seen how seriously Tan Jun Hao took Yang Kai’s vicious attack by how solid a defence he erected.
*Hong hong hong…*
The Moon Blades collided with the five-coloured light shield, causing its brilliance to flash inconsistently and rapidly dim. The five-coloured light shield could not even stand for a breath of time before it shattered completely, but the remaining Moon Blades were all blocked by the Emperor Artifact shield, leaving Tan Jun Hao unscathed.
When Yang Kai was about to attack again, he sensed waves of energy approaching him from behind. It was the incoming attacks of the other Emperor Realm Masters.
He gritted his teeth and pushed the local Space Principles to teleport again.
But Tan Jun Hao waved the array flag again, destabilizing space and hindering Yang Kai from escaping.
“Quickly kill him for this Old Master!” Tan Jun Hao shouted madly and anxiously.
He thought his plan was perfect this time, and that it should be easy to catch Yang Kai, a trivial First-Order Emperor Realm Master with it. But contrary to his expectations, Yang Kai was far stronger and more difficult to deal with. Not only had Tan Jun Hao failed to take him down in a short time, but he was now the one being pressured, even forced to summon his defensive Emperor Artifact.
As a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master, he could not accept this was happening.
But he no longer had the courage to fight head-on with Yang Kai, and could only command these Emperor Realm Masters to work for him.
Yang Kai’s teleportation was dispelled by Tan Jun Hao for a second time, but he was not as flustered this time, because he was already prepared. Facing the power of the several dozen Secret Techniques and Emperor Artifacts, Yang Kai bobbed and weaved to dodge the attacks.
Even so, he only managed to dodge less than half of these strikes while the rest ripped his skin and flesh apart, splattering blood from newly made wounds. If it were not for his Dragon Transformation, Yang Kai probably would not have survived this round of attacks.
After using his Dragon Transformation, Yang Kai’s defences had increased greatly. He was only still alive thanks to the Dragon Scales on his body that blocked most of the attacking power.
“He’s not dead yet…”
Everyone was stunned.
Although they only used thirty percent of their strength to attack Yang Kai the first time, this time they had used at least seventy percent of their strength. How was it possible that a mere First-Order Emperor could still be standing after taking so many blows?
For a moment, many of them secretly held Yang Kai in awe.
The strong would be respected wherever they went, and Yang Kai’s performance was enough to earn the respect of these Emperor Realm Masters, as well as making them feel deeply ashamed of themselves. If it were not for Tan Jun Hao and the Heart-Strangling Insects, they would definitely want to make friends with Yang Kai, but now their lives weren’t theirs to control, so they could only helplessly struggle on.
In the aftermath, Yang Kai turned and swept his crimson red eyes across the Emperor Realm Masters, releasing a murderous intent so heavy it was almost tangible.
Before, he planned to cut off the General’s head in order to warn the soldiers, thinking that everything would be settled by finishing Tan Jun Hao. Unfortunately, it seemed that this plan was not feasible. Tan Jun Hao himself was not weak, and with the assistance of the Grand Spirit Array here, it really would take a lot of effort to kill him.
Furthermore, Yang Kai could not just focus on Tan Jun Hao and ignore the attacks from these Emperor Realm Masters. If they continued to come at him, Yang Kai was afraid that it would only take two more rounds for them to incapacitate him.
“Then this Young Master will deal with you first!” Yang Kai roared and stared at the cultivator surnamed Xia, who had a Second-Order Emperor Realm cultivation. This particular man was quite merciless with his last two assaults, and the most serious injuries Yang Kai suffered were thanks to him. Most of the others just followed along, while the only one really going all out was the one surnamed Xia. It was as if this man was trying to impress Tan Jun Hao, probably hoping that he would remove the Heart-Strangling Insect in him and set him free later.
When the eyes of the cultivator surnamed Xia and Yang Kai met, fear filled the former’s soul and he hurriedly retreated to try to hide in the crowd. At that same time, he waved his hands and yelled, “This little brat is already seriously injured! Let’s finish him off now!”
Yang Kai roared as he warned, “Whoever dares to attack, dies!”
At the same time, his hands flashed as he formed a series of hand seals as he whispered with a solemn look, “Time Flows on Infinitely, Like a Mighty Stream, Like an Unending Dream!”
A strange fluctuation began to propagate, while time itself seemed to slow down. This strange feeling of stagnation affected everyone’s mind.
When they regained their senses from this temporary dizziness, Yang Kai had unleashed a brutal palm strike towards the man surnamed Xia.
A withering power shot froth and the cultivator surnamed Xia was completely unable to dodge, taking a direct hit from the Time Flies Seal, causing blood to spew from his mouth.
Since the cultivator surnamed Xia had hidden in the crowd out of fear, and Yang Kai’s palm strike had a large area of effect, several cultivators near the one surnamed Xia took a hit too. Yang Kai didn’t care though as all of them had been attacking him before, so right now, they were all life or death enemies.
“This is…” Not far away, Tan Jun Hao slowly widened his eyes, as if he was recalling something. He stared at the cultivator surnamed Xia, observing carefully, refusing to miss out on any details.
The cultivator surnamed Xia stood up staggering, looking dispirited. Although there were no apparent injuries, he still seemed to have suffered a heavy blow.
He raised his hands in front of his face in a daze and watched his flesh rapidly age. The surging vitality in his body dissipated at a visible rate, as though he had aged thousands of years in the blink of an eye.
*Gudong… *
The sound of gulping was heard everywhere as everyone was terrified by what they were witnessing. Just what kind of Divine Ability could turn a hale and hearty Second-Order Emperor Realm Master into a crippled old man in such a short time?
When they turned to the other Emperor Realm Masters who were caught in Yang Kai’s attack, they found that they were withering away too. Their hair swiftly turned from black to white, their cheeks sunk in, their eyes bulged, and their original fitting clothes became loose on their shrinking frames.
“Time Flies Seal! The Divine Ability of the Flowing Time Great Emperor!” Tan Jun Hao shouted madly as his whole body trembled.
As a Star Soul Palace Elder, he had far better insight than ordinary Emperor Realm Masters. He doubted at first, but when he saw the transformation these Emperor Realm Masters experienced, he immediately recognized that what Yang Kai used was definitely the Time Flies Seal.
It was rumoured that this was a Divine Ability that involved Time Principles. Time Principles were even more abstruse than Space Principles, which was already an extremely esoteric Dao to comprehend.
Now that he recalled, this little brat had gone to the Four Seasons Realm back then, which was rumoured to be where the legacy of the Flowing Time Great Emperor was buried. It seemed that he had obtained the Time Flies Seal from the Four Seasons Realm.
But, how was it possible for a person to master The Dao of Space and the Dao of Time at the same time? The opportunities that Yang Kai obtained, as well as his innate comprehension ability, were truly terrifying, and Tan Jun Hao could not help wondering what kind of monster he had provoked.
Apart from feeling terrified, Tan Jun Hao’s determination to kill Yang Kai grew immensely. He would not feel secure allowing such a monster to fully mature.
There may be still a glimmer of hope to survive after being hit by a Spatial Ability, but if one was struck by the Time Flies Seal, even if they did not die immediately, their vitality would be greatly consumed, reducing their lifespan immensely.
In his day, the Flowing Time Great Emperor stood at the apex of the world with his Time Flies Seal. He was truly invincible, with none ignorant of his great name!
Just when everyone was dumbstruck, Yang Kai flapped his Wind and Thunder Wings and rushed into the crowd.
The faces of all the Emperor Realm Masters changed drastically as they fled one after another, none of them confident they could fight with him anymore.
Yang Kai cackled loudly as he ran like a tiger through a flock of sheep, charging without any resistance. He pounced directly at the cultivator surnamed Xia, while wrapping himself in sword light, and slashed at him.
Although the cultivator surnamed Xia was almost crippled by the Time Flies Seal and his vitality was greatly reduced, old ginger was still spicier than young ginger and he immediately raised his hand as he sensed the incoming danger. Emperor Qi surged in his body as a throwing knife-like Emperor Artifact turned into a stream of light that flew towards Yang Kai while the now old man surnamed Xia retreated in fear.
But even in his heyday, this man was no match for Yang Kai, let alone now that he had been seriously injured. The throwing knife that fired out with his full force looked ferocious, but it barely scratched Yang Kai’s skin as it passed by.
Yang Kai slid past the throwing knife and pierced the cultivator surnamed Xia with his sword.
*Peng…*
The cultivator surnamed Xia exploded into a blood mist, leaving no bones behind, only a Space Ring that flew out and landed somewhere.
The crowd took a clear look again and saw that Yang Kai was covered in blood, standing in the void. His whole body was shrouded in a crimson rain as he stood there with a cold and resolute face filled with murderous intent. He was grinning, revealing a mouth of pristine white fangs, like he was the reaper of death.
[There is no way to fight him! We’re not his opponents at all!]
Everyone had the same idea in their mind at that moment and knew that they would die if they continued to fight against Yang Kai.
It did not affect them too strongly when Yang Kai killed several people earlier because they were all just First-Order Emperor Realm Masters. But the cultivator surnamed Xia was a true Second-Order Emperor Realm Master. If a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master was as weak and vulnerable as a child in front of him, how could they be his opponents?
The fear in their hearts greatly amplified and no one dared to attack Yang Kai anymore, just standing on the spot in terror.
Yang Kai swung his sword horizontally and a storm of sword lights flew out, puncturing countless holes in the bodies of the other few Emperor Realm Masters who were hit by the Time Flies Seal, killing them instantly. With most of them having lost all their strength after being corroded by the Time Principles of the Time Flies Seal, these Emperors could not even react to Yang Kai’s attack and followed in the footsteps of the cultivator surnamed Xia.
“Do you want to live or die!?” Yang Kai pointed his Myriads Sword at the survivors and he shouted.
After hearing his question, everyone was shocked at first, but then they were all overjoyed.
They did not want to fight against Yang Kai in the first place, but they had no choice because they were infected with Heart-Strangling Insects. If they did not obey Tan Jun Hao’s command, the latter would be the first one to not let them go; but if they did, how many of them could survive under the terrifying strength that Yang Kai had shown?
However, Yang Kai’s question at this moment seemed to have an intention to spare their lives.
Many people nodded vigorously and answered, “To live, we want to live!”
It had taken them a great deal of time and effort to become Emperor Realm Masters, finally gaining the respect of hundreds of millions of cultivators. Beauties, wealth, power… they could have everything they wanted with their current status. Their good days had just begun, so who would want to die at this point?
“Stand over there if you want to live,” Yang Kai lifted his sword and pointed in a certain direction.
The people immediately looked at each other and hesitated. If they could live by just standing over there, why would they still be in this dilemma? The problem was whether Tan Jun Hao was willing to let them go or not.
Sure enough, Tan Jun Hao saw what Yang Kai was trying to do and immediately threatened with a deep voice, “If you listen to him, this Old Master is afraid that you won’t be far from death.”
Yang Kai snorted coldly and glanced at Tan Jun Hao with a trace of disdain flashing across his eyes. He then turned back to the crowd and reassured, “Stand over there if you believe me. This Young Master will protect you. If you don’t believe me, you can try to kill this Young Master again and see if this Young Master is capable of killing all of you or not!”
“What shameless boasting, boy! This Old Master would like to see how you can protect them!” Tan Jun Hao sneered. This part of the world had been sealed by his Five Elements Grand Sealing Array and everyone had been implanted with Heart-Strangling Insects by him; their lives and freedom were all under his control. Yang Kai was indeed impressive, but there was no way he could challenge his authority here.
“Then open your dog eyes and watch carefully!” Yang Kai sneered, turning to the crowd again, “Ten breaths of time. I will give you ten breaths of time. If you still don’t stand over there, there will be no mercy!”
Everyone’s face changed after hearing this, and they felt suffocated trying to make this difficult decision.
Tan Jun Hao and Yang Kai were both people who they could not easily offend, and they could not help feeling aggrieved that they were forced to be involved in this situation
It did not seem like they would have much chance to live by continuing to obey Tan Jun Hao and listening to his order, but if Yang Kai really could keep them safe, it was worth taking a risk. More importantly, compared to Tan Jun Hao, Yang Kai was not as hateful. Although he was arrogant, at least he still had some moral bottom line. He did not want to kill them from the start and only struck back when left with no choice.
Everyone’s mind was racing with a million thoughts, weighing the pros and cons. Yang Kai and Tan Jun Hao did not urge them either, simply standing there quietly.
Yang Kai did not actually care about these people. He did not know them anyway, so he would not mind killing them all, but if he could win their trust here, it would save him some energy; after all, he would need to pay a steep price to kill all these people. Furthermore, Tan Jun Hao had his eyes on him, and a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master was really not easy to deal with.
“Young Master Yang, this Mistress believes you.” A woman shouted all of a sudden and was the first one who stepped out and flew to the place designated by Yang Kai.
Yang Kai glanced at her and nodded slightly.
He had a slight impression of this woman. Previously, when he fought with the rest of them, this woman barely used any strength at all, obviously not wanting to offend him.
When the woman saw him looking at her somewhat curiously, she moved her lips and sent him a Divine Sense Message, “This Mistress is Xia Sheng’s friend.”
Yang Kai raised his brow and looked at her again. He realized that the reason why she chose to believe in him was not that she knew about him, but rather due to Xia Sheng. Perhaps she heard his name from Xia Sheng too, and learnt that he was a disciple of Azure Sun Temple.
Yang Kai’s brow rose as he sent a message back, “Xia Sheng’s friend is my friend too. Since I have said that I’ll protect you, I’ll definitely keep you safe.”
The woman was delighted as she sensed Yang Kai’s confidence and secretly felt that she was right about her bet this time. Although she had no idea what cards Yang Kai had to play, since he made such a bold promise, he must have a way.
Thinking so, she called out, “I’m afraid everyone doesn’t know yet, but this Young Master Yang is a Core Disciple of Azure Sun Temple, and Sir Wen Zi Shan places great importance on him. If word of today’s matter were to spread out, do you think there will still be a place for you in the Southern Territory?”
“Azure Sun Temple?”
Everyone was taken aback. It was the first time they heard about this and many began thinking to themselves, [No wonder this little brat surnamed Yang is so strong despite his young age! It turns out he’s actually a Core Disciple of Azure Sun Temple.]
Although Azure Sun Temple was inferior to Star Soul Palace in the Southern Territory, it was still a top Sect. They really could put their trust in Yang Kai given that he was a Core Disciple of Azure Sun Temple.
Even if they died, it would still be their choice, far better than being manipulated by Tan Jun Hao.
As soon as this thought came up, more than a dozen people answered the woman’s call and flew to her side.
Although the remaining people hesitated, they all followed the crowd eventually and approached the woman one after another.
It was not that they believed in Yang Kai, but that even with the numbers they had before, they were unable to defeat Yang Kai. He had even turned the tide alone and killed a few of them instead. Therefore, the remaining people did not want to face Yang Kai again.
Seeing this, Tan Jun Hao’s face darkened and he snorted coldly, “Are you sure you want to do this?”
No one answered as they all looked at Yang Kai and thought, [Hurry up if you have some method, otherwise with just a thought, Tan Jun Hao will kill us all!]
Yang Kai laughed rampantly, “Old Dog Tan, it seems this Young Master has won public support, unlike you with your despicable tricks.”
Tan Jun Hao was so vexed that he almost spat blood, fuming with his teeth gritted, “Very good. Since you’ve made your choice, you can all die.”
He glared at the woman who moved first, apparently intending to kill her to serve as a warning to the others.
Everyone’s faces changed drastically seeing this and exclaimed, “Young Master Yang!”
“Relax!” Yang Kai waved his hand, as if he was grasping towards the void. Suddenly, a small bell appeared before him, one that seemed quite ancient and was engraved with countless patterns of flowers, birds, fishes, insects, mountains and rivers. As soon as the bell emerged, an extremely strong Primordial Force filled the air, creating an illusion that they had suddenly been transported to Ancient Times.
“What… What is that!?” Tan Jun Hao’s movements froze as he stared at the Mountains and Rivers Bell with bulging eyes, feeling his heart throb strongly. He was instinctively aware of how terrifying this small bell was.
“Ignorant fool!” Yang Kai glanced contemptuously at Tan Jun Hao before he casually threw the Mountains and Rivers Bell towards the crowd.
In the next instant, the Mountains and Rivers Bell expanded until it was as big as a house then fell to the ground with a bang, covering the group of Emperors.
“Whoever betrays this Old Master must die!” The words ‘ignorant fool’ from Yang Kai had truly incensed Tan Jun Hao. Without scruples, Tan Jun Hao formed a hand seal in order to trigger the Heart-Strangling Insects to kill all those Emperor Realm Masters who opposed him.
Yang Kai just watched with a sneer, his arms crossed, looking extremely calm.
On the inside though, he was still a little nervous. He knew that the Mountains and Rivers Bell was said to be able to suppress the world itself, but he wasn’t sure if it could isolate those Heart-Strangling Insects from Tan Jun Hao’s control. He only had about seventy percent confidence this method would work.
If this really failed, the twenty or so Emperor Realm Masters inside the Mountains and Rivers Bell would die miserably.
However, he soon saw Tan Jun Hao’s face fill with a puzzled look.
Yang Kai snickered as he found that his guess was right; the Mountains and Rivers Bell was indeed capable of isolating the Heart-Strangling Insects from Tan Jun Hao.
“This… This is the Ancient Exotic Artifact, Mountains and Rivers Bell!?” Tan Jun Hao bellowed as he realized it.
Yang Kai praised while clapping his hands, “Old Dog Tan, you have good eyesight.”
At times, Yang Kai really admired the insight of these old monsters who had lived for countless years as they could often discern the origins and identity of rare treasures at a glance. Perhaps this was the advantage of living a long life.