[They dare act so arrogant and domineering when they have nothing to do with any of the Great Emperors?!] Hua Xing’s expression turned cold instantly.
While those two were talking to each other, Yang Kai was admonishing Lin Yun’er, “Didn’t we agree to launch a sneak attack together? Why did you attack the instant we got inside?”
Lin Yun’er scratched her head before spitting out her tongue, “I forgot.”
Yang Kai sighed, “This is just great. Now that you have acted rashly and alerted the enemy to our plans, it won’t be easy for us to take him down anymore.”
“Then, what should we do now?” She looked at him with a rather innocent expression. She, too, realized that Hua Xing was a tough opponent when she fought him just now. Ever since she came to Star Boundary, she had been cultivating in retreat with her Master, and all her battles so far were one-sided tramplings. It could be said that this was her first true battle in many years.
It wasn’t until she ran away from home recently that she discovered that most people in the outside world weren’t very strong. They couldn’t take her attacks and often died in just one or two punches. Hence, she had assumed that everybody in the world was like that; however, Hua Xing’s performance had broadened her horizons and made her aware that there were still other powerful people in this world.
“What else can we do? We’ll just have to push through by force,” Yang Kai shrugged.
Understanding the meaning behind his words, she nodded in agreement, “I see. Then, let’s kill him together.”
She spoke matter-of-factly as if victory was certain, so when Hua Xing heard those words, he was absolutely livid, “Impudence! I wasn’t going to stoop down to your level, but you just had to walk right into the fire yourselves! Good! Good! Good! Today, this place will be your grave!”
Since these two had nothing to do with the Great Emperors, Hua Xing became bold and felt that he had been overly cautious before. Youngsters were always hot-blooded. Wasn’t he the same when he was younger? It’s always the newborn calves that are not afraid of tigers. They would forge ahead thinking that they are indomitable, even if the road before them is covered in thorns. It’s only when they grew older that they became overly suspicious. Not every youngster comes from a powerful background.
Hua Xing secretly vowed fiercely in his heart, [Today, I’m going to show them their place!]
Gritting his teeth, he looked at Li Jiao and warned, “Brother Li, we can still be friends if you leave right now.”
He was not worried about the two young ones, but he was worried about Li Jiao; after all, the latter was a Dragonborn and stronger than himself.
“I don’t have a friend as deceitful as you!” Li Jiao retorted unceremoniously, filled with resentment.
Hua Xing sighed in response, “If that’s the case, I have nothing else to say.”
Lifting a hand into the air, Hua Xing shouted, “Kill!”
As soon as the word left his mouth, he took the lead to attack. The cyan sword once again transformed into a phantom form that covered the entire sky. At the same time, the Wind and Cloud Pavilion’s disciples nearby also attacked in unison. Various artifacts flew out and Secret Techniques flashed brilliantly, enveloping the trio in an instant.
“Palace Master Yang, I will keep that old dog busy, please lend me a hand once you’re done dealing with the other rabble!” Li Jiao shouted.
Reaching one hand into the void, an ancient scroll immediately appeared in his hand. The scroll unfurled quickly, emitting blasts of dazzling light from within as it guarded against the attacks from their surroundings. It was an impenetrable defence.
With a loud rumble, Li Jiao completely blocked all the attacks aimed at them before he flickered and lunged towards Hua Xing.
Hua Xing shouted angrily, “You! Shameless!”
His rage was driving him crazy. He had been very hospitable to Li Jiao when he arrived at Wind and Cloud Pavilion, not only providing him with good food and wine, but also with many beauties for a pleasurable indulgence! He couldn’t believe Li Jiao would so easily and completely betray him at this moment.
Hua Xing held a deep grudge in his heart and immediately engaged Li Jiao in battle. As the two Third-Order Emperor Realm Masters put their lives on the line, their fight turned into a grand-scale battle that began cracking space around them while throwing the surrounding World Energy into chaos.
While those two were fighting each other, the rest of the Wind and Cloud Pavilion’ disciples did not remain idle. They relied on their overwhelming numbers to launch devastating waves of attacks at Yang Kai and Lin Yun’er. Unfortunately, the effects of their assault were minimal. Most of these cultivators were only in the Dao Source Realm, and they were no match for those two.
When the attacks rained down on Yang Kai and Lin Yun’er, they each moved in opposite directions and vanished from where they stood. None of the attacks landed on their targets as a result.
Immediately after that, bone-chilling screams rang out as one after another Wind and Cloud Pavilion’s disciples exploded into a fine blood mist. More than forty people died tragically on the spot in just ten breaths. Consequently, the rest of the disciples turned pale with shock and their eyes were filled with absolute horror and terror.
They initially thought that Yang Kai and Lin Yun’er would not be overwhelmingly strong even though both of them were in the Emperor Realm. Their First-Order auras were on full display for all to see, but after actually clashing with those two, those disciples realized how mistaken they were. These two were slaughterers! Nobody could stand against them, and Wind and Cloud Pavilion’s disciples dropped like flies wherever those two went.
[How do we fight these monsters?!] The surviving disciples no longer had the courage to resist and wanted nothing more than to run as far as possible. At that moment, several whooshing sounds came from afar.
The Wind and Cloud Pavilion’s disciples were overjoyed at the sight, “The Great Elder is here!”
“The other Elders are here too!”
“There are also some Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters!”
“Please save us, Elders!”
The surviving disciples started shouting all at once, watching the Great Elder of Wind and Cloud Pavilion flying in this direction as if their saviour had come to rescue them.
Wind and Cloud Pavilion was one of the top Sects in the Western Territory, and aside from Hua Xing, who was a Third-Order Emperor, there were two other Second-Order Emperors and almost a dozen First-Order Emperors in the Sect. Such a heritage was unbelievably powerful.
The two Second-Order Emperors were seated as the Great Elder and the Second Elder respectively. Unfortunately, the Second Elder was killed in Great Cloud City previously, causing Wind and Cloud Pavilion’s overall strength to drop noticeably.
Having received a message from Hua Xing, the Great Elder brought all the forces he could muster here with him. Hundreds followed behind him, with even the weakest among them being a Third-Order Dao Source Realm Master. They were clearly the complete elites of Wind and Cloud Pavilion.
It had been a long time since Wind and Cloud Pavilion brought out its full power to deal with an enemy; however, the situation was too dangerous at the moment. They would not have any chance of winning this battle if they did not go all out.
The Great Elder flew over with his sleeves fluttering in the wind. He had witnessed the Sect’s disciples being slaughtered from a distance and was instantly enraged as he roared, “Stop this instant!”
While speaking, a simple but ancient-looking sword appeared in his hand. His Emperor Qi surged as he slashed at Yang Kai. That attack was shockingly powerful and Sword Intent covered the sky, causing one’s skin to crawl.
The sword light slashed through Yang Kai’s body with unparalleled precision and cut him into two. Many of the Wind and Cloud Pavilion disciples immediately cheered at the sight.
“Great Elder is mighty!”
“Great Elder is too amazing!”
“How could that trivial brat survive the might of Great Elder’s sword?! In terms of the Sword Dao, Great Elder might rank in the top ten in the entire Western Territory!”
“Hahaha! That’s what you get for being so arrogant and wild! Now you finally know your place!”
…..
Many of the Wind and Cloud Pavilion disciples who had fled in terror after being beaten up just now felt their morale lifting and their hearts were filled with joy.
On the other hand, Lin Yun’er’s pretty face paled instantly as she yelled, “Uncle Yang!”
“Huh?” However, the Great Elder did not look the slightest bit joyful at his accomplishment. He knew his own swordsmanship best and had not felt as if he had cut through anything solid. When he looked again, he felt a chill running down his back as what he saw made the blood in his veins run cold.
The figure that he had cut apart was not a real person and not even a single drop of blood flowed out from it. It was clearly just an afterimage. Even so, the afterimage was so realistic that it managed to deceive so many eyes.
[Where is he? Since it is just an afterimage, that little brat must be unscathed. Where did he go? I didn’t even notice any movement!] The thought had just crossed his mind when a strange figure suddenly appeared before him.
*Ssii…*
The Great Elder gasped in surprise and stabbed out with the sword instinctually.
That sword was undoubtedly an Emperor Artifact as it was exuding waves of Emperor Pressure. Moreover, the Great Elder had wielded this sword for many centuries, so he had long ago reached the point where it was like an extension of his body. The thrust of his sword was immaculate, without any kind of flaw be it the angle or the timing. Sword Intent was dense and focused while the Sword Aura was stable and silent.
“Hm?” Yang Kai was rather surprised. He had met many Second-Order Emperors before and even killed some of them; however, those people were significantly weaker than the Great Elder of Wind and Cloud Pavilion.
The attack might have looked simple, but it was made exquisitely and would land no matter how he tried to dodge or escape, thus he found himself unable to avoid the blow. But if he couldn’t avoid it, he simply had to face it head-on.
Summoning the Myriads Sword into his hands, Yang Kai swung at the approaching sword and a series of metal clashing sounds rang out as they exchanged countless blows in the blink of an eye.
All of a sudden, Yang Kai retreated and looked at the Great Elder in astonishment,
Not far away, the Great Elder’s complexion was pale, his hand holding his sword trembling uncontrollably as he gritted his teeth and shouted, “What is this?!”
In terms of swordsmanship, the young man facing him was not even worthy of carrying his shoes; however, that same young man had blocked his series of attacks despite only being a First-Order Emperor. What the young man relied on wasn’t his mastery of the sword but rather his phenomenal reaction speed and terrifying strength. In particular, the brute force this young man wielded astonished the Great Elder. The power that surged through the opponent’s sword made his blood churn and if not for his own great strength, he probably would have lost the ability to even hold his sword up.
“One man can defeat an army with brute force alone if his strength is great enough!” Yang Kai raised his face and smiled in approval, “Great Elder, your swordsmanship is amazing!”
When those words left his mouth, countless blood arrows suddenly shot from his arms and legs. Even the clothes he was wearing were torn to pieces. During this exchange, Yang Kai had suffered a loss. Although the Great Elder’s vitality had been disturbed from the fallout of their clash, it was Yang Kai who suffered more injuries in the clash. If he had not been wearing the Great Soaring Black Dragon Armour, his injuries would have been far worse.
“Uncle Yang, are you okay?” Lin Yun’er’s voice came from the side. Every time she swung her fists, Wind and Cloud Pavilion disciples died or were critically wounded. When she saw Yang Kai being cut in half just now, she thought he had died and it saddened her so much that she nearly cried. Fortunately, he immediately reappeared and she understood she had seen wrongly and finally felt relieved.
“I’m fine. Yun’er, you should be more careful,” he urged.
“Good.” She nodded repeatedly before declaring, “They can’t beat me.”
Her nonchalant attitude made the Great Elder and many other Elders furious. They could tell that Yang Kai and Lin Yun’er were extraordinarily powerful though, and if they moved carelessly, they might end up failing miserably instead.
The Great Elder glanced at the battle taking place up above, where Li Jiao and Hua Xing fought on par with each other. It would be a long time before they could decide on a winner; thus, he could not place his hopes on the Pavilion Master to come and aid him. Understanding this, a savage look flashed across his eyes as if he made his decision about something as he shouted, “Formation!”
The use of Spirit Arrays went back a long way and often brought about miraculous effects. All large Sects in this world had their own unique Spirit Arrays. Putting aside large-scale arrays like the Sect Defending Array and Mountain Defending Array, there were many Spirit Arrays that linked people together as well, known as Formations. As disciples under the same Sect, they generally had many opportunities to practice working together and using special Formations often produced incredible results when dealing with strong enemies.
It was only natural for Wind and Cloud Pavilion to have its own Formations too. Moreover, it wasn’t just any Formation, but a Sword Formation of incredible power, which was mainly used for killing.
This Sword Formation was known as the Yin Yang Five Elements Everchanging Profound Sword Formation. It was an inheritance that had been passed down by the Wind and Cloud Pavilion’s ancestors for thousands of years. This Sword Formation had been used numerous times throughout the history of the Sect to turn things around during critical moments and allow the Sect to continue on until this day.
The Yin Yang Five Elements Everchanging Profound Sword Formation needed at least five people to form; however, there was no upper limit to the number of people that could be linked by it. The more people linked by the Formation, the greater the power.
Oftentimes, as long as ten disciples in the Third-Order Dao Source Realm assumed this Formation, they could hold out against an average First-Order Emperor. If there were twenty disciples linked to the Formation, then it was enough to kill a First-Order Emperor Realm Master.
Every Wind and Cloud Pavilion disciple had to cultivate this Formation once they reached the Dao Source Realm. Furthermore, there were large-scale joint exercises held every month to practice this Formation. Therefore, all disciples in the Dao Source Realm and above were extremely familiar with this Formation. It was all done as defensive preparations just in case Wind and Cloud Pavilion provoked a powerful opponent one day.
The last time Wind and Cloud Pavilion used the Yin Yang Five Elements Everchanging Profound Sword Formation was hundreds of years ago. At that time, Hua Xing had yet to return from his travels outside. The previous Pavilion Master was getting on in years, and the Sect showed signs of decline, as a result, several great forces in the Western Territory that coveted the Wind and Cloud Pavilion’s resources and position joined forces to attack it.
At the time, a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master had broken through the Sect Defending Array. It was then that the disciples of Wind and Cloud Pavilion relied on this Formation to repel their enemy. The reputation of Wind and Cloud Pavilion soared after that battle and the situation finally stabilized after Hua Xing returned to assume command of Wind and Cloud Pavilion.
Hundreds of years later, the Yin Yang Five Elements Everchanging Profound Sword Formation appeared once more; however, their opponents this time were merely two First-Order Emperors.
It wasn’t that the Great Elder was being overly cautious, it was just that he knew how terrifying these two youths were. During this period, Wind and Cloud Pavilion had sent out many Masters to kill these two. In addition, many Second-Order Emperor Realm Masters had been attracted by the reward of 20 million High-Rank Source Crystals for the heads of these two, but in the end, those two youngsters were still alive and kicking. They even killed their way into Wind and Cloud Pavilion while those so-called Masters dropped like flies in their wake.
The Great Elder himself was just a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master. He learned from past mistakes and did not hesitate to pull out the Sect’s trump card after getting a feel of Yang Kai’s power during their exchange.
Numerous Wind and Cloud Pavilion Elders and disciples looked solemn when they heard his command.
“Link!” The Great Elder shouted again. He lifted the sword in his hand and pointed it to the sky, releasing a burst of Sword Intent.
Six Elders in the First-Order Emperor Realm and hundreds of the Wind and Cloud Pavilion’s disciples in the Third-Order Dao Source Realm also summoned their own sword artifacts in unison, each activating a different Secret Technique. Their longswords vibrated with dazzling Sword Aura as they shouted, “Link!”
The voices of a hundred people intertwined and even their auras seemed to be connected by a mysterious force. The world buzzed and the void shuddered.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai narrowed his eyes. Although he did not know what was happening, he instinctively sensed that something was wrong. Turning his gaze to the place where most of the enemies were gathered together, he shouted, “Myriad Sword Arts, Radiant Moon Swallows the Wolf!”
He swung the Myriads Sword down as thousands of sword lights covered the entire sky and rushed towards those cultivators in the Dao Source Realm like a locust plague.
Under normal circumstances, even a First-Order Emperor Realm Master would have a hard time taking his attack head-on. On the other hand, a Dao Source Realm Master would definitely lose their life. However, those cultivators in the Dao Source Realm were not at all flustered as the sword lights headed in their direction. They simply watched indifferently while maintaining their Sword Aura and pushing their Sword Intent.
“Come!” The Great Elder flicked his longsword and released a sword flourish towards the sky with a roar.
A strange Formation appeared in mid-air, one that rotated slowly and turned into a barrier visible to the naked eye, which blocked in front of those cultivators in the Dao Source Realm.
*Hong hong hong…*
All the sword lights landed on the barrier but did not have any effect. Instead, they were all absorbed by the Formation.
Yang Kai frowned. [This is going to be a little tricky. This Formation is quite profound.]
Before he could finish his thoughts though, the Great Elder shouted again, “Go!”
The Formation suddenly began spinning in the opposite direction. Following that, sword lights shot out from within the array and appeared in front of Yang Kai in the blink of an eye.
“Uncle Yang, watch out!” Lin Yun’er called out.
Yang Kai wasn’t caught off guard though and with a swing of his Myriads Sword, he blocked those sword lights while raising his brow, “Reflection?”
He noticed that those sword lights that came flying at him were the ones he created just now. Thinking about the mysterious effects of the array, Yang Kai immediately understood how it worked. This Formation that appeared out of thin air didn’t just absorb attacks; it also had the ability to reflect those attacks back.
“Transform!” The Great Elder released his Sword Aura again while shouting.
The world changed in the next moment. All of a sudden, everyone disappeared and the entire world seemed different. Yang Kai looked around and saw countless longswords with dense auras forming the sky. The longswords felt real yet unreal at the same time; moreover, there were as many swords as there were stars in the sky, so many that one couldn’t see the end at a single glance. It was practically a world of swords.
An impressive Sword Intent pressed down from all sides. Simultaneously, waves and waves of invisible Sword Qi cut through everything in the world. It made the skin all over Yang Kai’s body sting with pain.
A drop of sweat slid down from his forehead. He could tell that the situation was not looking too good. Although he had yet to experience the true extent of the Formation’s power, his vision was still quite sharp. It was impossible for him not to notice the strangeness of this Formation.
“Entering the Sword Formation is a one-way road to death! Die!” The Great Elder’s voice came from void. It was vague and hard to track, making it impossible to grasp his position.
“Entering the Sword Formation is a one-way road to death!” Hundreds of people shouted together. Their words seemed to contain a shocking Sword Intent in them, which turned into invisible swords that attacked the minds of Yang Kai and Lin Yun’er.
That was clearly a kind of Soul attack. Moreover, it was a Soul attack with Sword Intent imbued into it, strengthening its piercing power greatly.
Yang Kai felt pain in his mind as his Knowledge Sea became turbulent. The defences of his Knowledge Sea were torn apart without warning and a huge sword wave slashed towards his Soul. Shocked, he quickly pushed the power of the Seven Coloured Soul Warming Lotus and transformed it into a shield to defend against the attack. The shield fended off the attack from the sword wave with a loud explosive sound as seven-coloured light flared brightly.
Following that, both sides were stuck in a stalemate for a long time before the sword waves suddenly dissipated.
Feeling horrified, he turned to look at Lin Yun’er, only to see that the little girl was staring around with her eyes wide open and her fists clenched tightly. She was looking around for traces of people and didn’t seem to be affected by their situation.
[This little girl is truly amazing!] That Soul attack just now could not have been aimed at him alone. She must have been included in the attack too. Even so, she wasn’t just completely unscathed; she didn’t even show any reaction at all, which was a little strange.
Although her cultivation was in the same realm as his, Yang Kai believed she could not be stronger than him in terms of Spiritual Energy; his Soul had been nurtured and nourished by the Soul Warming Lotus for so many years after all. His Spiritual Energy was on par with an ordinary Third-Order Emperor’s; thus, it would be rather outrageous if Lin Yun’er was stronger than him in this aspect.
Most likely, the reason she was safe and sound was either a result of her Special Constitution or a powerful artifact she carried on her. He leaned towards the latter reason. The special traits of the Tyrant Strength Body were mainly reflected in the body, not the Soul.
Yang Kai did not have the time to mull over this though. Shifting his body slightly, he arrived next to her and reached out to grab her while pushing his Space Principles. Following that, they vanished instantly.
This Formation was strange and unpredictable, so they would suffer a miserable defeat if they continued to remain in this place. Thus, the best thing to do right now was to escape.
“Trying to flee?” The Great Elder snorted coldly. A longsword suspended in the sky suddenly trembled slightly before disappearing as swiftly as lightning and plunging directly towards the void where they once stood.
In the next moment, the figures of Yang Kai and Lin Yun’er falteringly reappeared not far away. Lin Yun’er was holding a longsword in one hand with a furious expression on her face.
“This is not good.” Yang Kai’s expression changed slightly. His Space Divine Ability was rarely ineffective; however, in such a situation, it meant that the enemy’s strength was way beyond his expectations
“Space Principles?” The Great Elder was surprised too. Under normal circumstances, it would have been impossible for him to defeat Yang Kai, a Master on the Dao of Space, with his cultivation. It was just that he could control everything within the Sword Formation since he was the Formation Core. That was how he managed to grasp Yang Kai’s movements and presence. It was precisely because of this that he managed to force Yang Kai out of the Void and obstruct his escape.
“Are you scared, Yun’er?” Yang Kai swept a cold glance around his surroundings and asked. Even with his Divine Sense stretched to its limits, he could not locate where the people of Wind and Cloud Pavilion were hiding. The only thing in this place were swords, Sword Intent, and Sword Aura. There was nothing else besides those.
“I’m not scared!” Lin Yun’er replied. Exerting some force into her small hand, the longsword she caught shattered and disappeared in a flurry of light particles. Even though that was just an illusory sword, it felt real inside this Sword Formation.
“Good.” Yang Kai laughed, “Then, let’s break through this trash Sword Formation together!”
“Shameless boasting!” The Great Elder roared, “Even if you struggle endlessly, you will never escape from this Formation!”
As soon as his voice rang out, countless longswords around them began to vibrate and turn towards one direction. The sword tips were pointing directly at where Yang Kai and Lin Yun’er stood.
Yang Kai’s expression sank. He was enveloped by dense Sword Intent, causing the Emperor Qi inside his body to stagnate.
“Die!” Following that shout of anger, countless swishing sounds whistled through the air. It was deafening as countless longswords attacked Yang Kai and Lin Yun’er from all directions. Moreover, each sword exuded a shockingly powerful Sword Intent that seemed capable of cutting through everything in front of it. The entire world within the Sword Formation was filled with such attacks; there was nowhere for the two of them to dodge.
“Yun’er, get down!” Yang Kai shouted.
Without even thinking about it, Lin Yun’er crouched and hugged her head with her hands.
“Dragon Transformation!” Yang Kai let out another roar. When the high-pitched Dragon roar rang out, the Sword Formation shuddered slightly as if shocked by something. Then, a series of snapping sounds rang out as Yang Kai’s body expanded all of a sudden and turned into a forty-five meter tall behemoth. He had stubby Dragon Horns on his head; his hands became Dragon Claws; and his body was covered in Dragon Scale Armour. It was a powerful and majestic appearance.
Crouching down, Yang Kai curled up his huge body and protected Lin Yun’er.
*Hong hong hong…*
The swords rained down and exploded against Yang Kai’s body, causing sparks to fly in all directions. The forty-five-metre tall behemoth swayed as it was struck by the forces that came from all directions, looking as if it might collapse at any time.
*Chi chi chi…*
He grimaced in pain when the attacks began to draw blood. It made his monstrous face look quite hideous and terrifying. Even so, Yang Kai remained in place without moving. Curling up into a ball, he exposed his back and protected Lin Yun’er from even the slightest harm.
“Uncle Yang!” Lin Yun’er lifted her head, shock and surprise flashing in her eyes. She had not expected him to change so drastically in the blink of an eye; however, her eyes immediately reddened when she realized that he was enduring those attacks.
He grinned, “Let’s get through this for now and deal with them later.”
She nodded in response, a ruthless expression flitting across her face.
The endless sword rain lasted for a long time before it gradually subsided.
“What!?” The Great Elder’s voice rang out. He was astonished beyond words, having never imagined that Yang Kai could survive the Sword Formation’s assault. Not only was that a Yin Yang Five Elements Everchanging Profound Sword Formation formed by hundreds of people, but he, a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master, was also acting as the Formation Core! In addition, he had the support of six other First-Order Emperor Realm Masters, while the rest were Third-Order Dao Source Realm Masters! Even if a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master was subjected to that attack, they would die without a corpse!
[How did he survive?! Furthermore, his appearance has changed too greatly! There are two bulging protrusions on his head; his hands have turned into sharp claws, and his exposed skin is covered in scales. What kind of monster is he?!] He was so shocked that he couldn’t speak, his thoughts turning rapidly as he activated the power of Sword Formation again.
After that previous rain of swords, not many longswords were left inside the Sword Formation; however, swords of different shapes and auras were slowly condensing again at this moment as though the supply of swords was infinite. Although it wasn’t certain whether those sharp swords were real or not, every one of them was emitting powerful Sword Qi regardless of how real they were.
In response, Yang Kai’s expression turned grim. He anxiously swept his Divine Sense out in all directions.
[Trapped inside this Sword Formation, Yun’er and I will eventually tire ourselves out if we can’t find a way to destroy it or escape.] It was only to be expected; they were fighting against so many enemies after all. Moreover, their enemies were relying on the power of the Formation to maximize their strength. In contrast, the two of them were greatly outnumbered. Even if they could hold out for a while, they could not keep it up forever.
It was a pity that his Divine Sense could not find any loopholes in this place. Besides, he did not have much knowledge in Spirit Arrays. [If only Nanmen Da Jun was here, he might be able to give me some advice.]
While he was frowning deeply, Lin Yun’er angrily said, “Uncle Yang, please buy me some time.”
Although she had killed a lot before, she had always remained perfectly calm. Rather, it felt as though she was simply kicking aside a small stone by the side of the road. She didn’t even get mad when she was constantly being attacked or ambushed previously, but this time, she was angry for real. It couldn’t be helped though as her Uncle Yang had suffered a serious injury in order to protect her.
He was stunned when he heard those words, “Can you destroy this Formation?”
She replied, “I have a trump card. It should be able to destroy it!”
“Good.” Yang Kai was elated, “Go ahead and cast your Secret Technique. I will not let them interfere with you.”
“En!” She sat down cross-legged as soon as he finished speaking. Closing her beautiful eyes, she placed one hand flat against her lower abdomen and made a weird seal with the other hand. The aura around her floated about erratically.
Yang Kai did not know what she was going to do; however, she had already said so much, so he could only give her his greatest trust in return. Besides, he currently did not have any means to destroy this Formation. Thus, it was only natural to let her try if she had a way. If it failed, he would think about it then.
“You brats think you can destroy our Formation?! Such shameless boasting!” The Great Elder’s voice rang out again. He had heard the conversation between the two, and his voice practically dripped with scorn.
[If the Yin Yang Five Elements Everchanging Profound Sword Formation was that easy to break, it could not have rescued Wind and Cloud Pavilion from danger on so many occasions. Even if these two have some knowledge in Spirit Arrays, it won’t be enough for them to discover the weak points of this Formation.] While thinking so, he shouted again, “Slash!”
Without warning, a huge sword wave sliced down with Lin Yun’er as its target. The sword wave was several tens of metres long and looked like one of the towering pillars supporting the Heavens. Even cracks appeared in space as it slashed down from the sky. This attack was comparable to the full strength of a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master.
Yang Kai roared in defiance as he used his large body to stand between Lin Yun’er and the sword wave. His window-sized fists simultaneously lashed out, striking the approaching attack.
The sword wave dissipated with a loud bang. Meanwhile, Yang Kai staggered backwards slightly, a bloody wound appearing on his clenched fist.
“What amazing might!” The Great Elder was astonished. He did not know what kind of Secret Technique Yang Kai had used to make his body become so large, but even so, it was impressive of Yang Kai to take on the Everchanging Profound Sword Formation with his body alone. Still, he coldly snorted, “Let’s see how long you can last!”
“Slash!”
“Slash!”
“Slash!”
One after another, huge sword waves attacked again and again. The aura behind those attacks threatened to kill Yang Kai and Lin Yun’er ruthlessly. It was completely different from the endless sword rain just now. Each sword wave was infinitely more powerful. Hence the power was increased by a thousand times even though the number was much smaller.
Yang Kai strode forward to meet these attacks. His huge body was indescribably flexible and nimble, swinging out with his fists as he took on one sword after another. Every time he dealt with one sword, he staggered backwards slightly and an extra gash appeared on his fist. Meanwhile, fresh blood dripped on the ground with soft pattering sounds.
By the time the last sword wave came towards him, Yang Kai’s fists were a bloody mess and the Dragon Scales covering them were completely cracked. Gritting his teeth in determination, he used his head to block the attack.
An explosive sound rang out as that sword wave slashed down and embedded itself more than a hand length into his head. His entire body seemed to become shorter after taking that attack, and fresh blood slid down his cheeks.
“Ah…” The Great Elder gasped, feeling shocked. [How is he still alive?! What is with this boy?! How can his body’s defence be this strong?! How is he still standing even after taking on so many of our attacks?! Even a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master wouldn’t be able to remain standing after that, right?! This is impossible!]
A sharp look flashed through his eyes as he sent a giant sword wave at Yang Kai while simultaneously sending a much stealthier sword wave towards Lin Yun’er. Even if he couldn’t kill this boy, he could at least kill that girl, right?
As soon as the sword waves were released, the Great Elder suddenly felt a chill running down his back. The feeling that he was being targeted by a mighty presence blossomed in him for some reason. This terrifying sensation gave him the feeling that he could die at any moment if the other party so wished.
“Who’s there?!” He exclaimed in shock, but received no reply, and strangely enough, the feeling he got just now also vanished without any explanation, as if it had been nothing more than an illusion.
The Great Elder frowned in response, not knowing what was going on and secretly wondering if he had sensed wrongly.
He was currently acting as the Formation Core of the Yin Yang Five Elements Everchanging Profound Sword Formation; moreover, he had combined with hundreds of disciples to assemble the Sword Formation. If anybody wanted to harm him, they had to destroy the Sword Formation before they could locate his true body. [That inexplicable murderous intent that targeted me directly just now must have been nothing more than a figment of my imagination.]
In the meantime, while the sword wave rushed toward Lin Yun’er, she remained motionless, as if she could not sense the imminent danger approaching. She simply continued to cast her Secret Technique quietly and prepared to unleash her trump card.
[I wonder what trump card she has that requires such a long preparation time.] It made Yang Kai secretly judge her Master for being rather unreliable. [Who cares how powerful the trump card is if it takes so long to prepare?! In a real life-or-death situation, who is going to give you the time to make such preparations?!]
Although he was dealing with the Great Elder, he remained vigilant and paid close attention to Lin Yun’er’s situation; therefore, he immediately noticed the sword wave as soon as it appeared. With no other choice, he summoned the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
The tiny Mountains and Rivers Bell looked like a child’s toy in his large hands, but as it spun about in the air for a moment, it rapidly enlarged before covering Lin Yun’er. For that reason, the sword wave that arrived as expected struck the bell instead.
“That is…” The Great Elder was shocked again, his gaze locking onto the Mountains and Rivers Bell like a leech, a strange light shining in his eyes. How could he fail to detect the profoundness of this artifact? The aura that seeped out of this bell was ancient and desolate, as well as incredibly powerful.
“An Ancient Exotic Artifact!” He exclaimed, his gaze immediately filling with greed. He could barely hold in his urge to laugh as he couldn’t believe that this boy had such a precious treasure in his possession!
Even though he was a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master with his own Emperor Rank Artifact, an Emperor Rank Artifact and an Ancient Exotic Artifact were two completely different things. The latter was extremely rare but unbelievably powerful and would be incredibly beneficial in improving his strength if he could obtain one.
Looking at the bell again, he realized how extraordinary it was. Even among all the Ancient Exotic Artifacts, it was certainly a superior existence.
A greedy notion immediately budded in his heart as he secretly vowed to himself that he would seize that Ancient Exotic Artifact! How could a mere First-Order Emperor deserve such a treasure? Leaving that in his possession would be such a waste!
If he could get hold of that Ancient Exotic Artifact, he was confident that he could even fight against a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master. The appeal was too great.
While the Great Elder was being distracted by his greedy thoughts, Yang Kai reached out a hand to wipe at the blood on his face. He breathed in gently, a harsh and cold light flashing in his eyes.
He would not have used the Mountains and Rivers Bell if it had not been necessary. That was because the suppression effect of the Ancient Exotic Artifact was too strong. Even though it could provide Lin Yun’er with great protection, the suppression effect it exuded would surely interfere with her somewhat, especially since she was currently casting her Secret Technique.
Unfortunately, there was nothing much he could do about it at this point. He could only hope that it did not affect her too much. For that reason, he had also weakened the power of the Mountains and Rivers Bell as much as possible.
“Now I can finally go all out now! Old dog, you had better hide as best as you can. Don’t let me catch you, otherwise, I’m going to skin you alive!” Yang Kai looked around with cold eyes, sneering icily.
“How dare you be so cocky, you brat!” The Great Elder yelled in great frustration. His pride was hanging on the line. He was leading a Sword Formation composed of hundreds of people, so logically speaking, he should have been able to eliminate Yang Kai with ease, but contrary to his expectations, Yang Kai wasn’t just alive and kicking, he even dared to throw out threats too!
It was simply intolerable!
Inside Wind and Cloud Pavilion, the whole world was shaking while the surrounding World Energy rumbled.
While the Yin Yang Five Elements Everchanging Profound Sword Formation was in operation, all the World Energy in Wind and Cloud Pavilion seemed to be sucked over to sustain it. The Sword Intent in the Sword Formation churned, making it so hazy that it was difficult to see what was going on inside.
Many of the Wind and Cloud Pavilion’s disciples drew sharp breaths when they heard the ruckus. What kind of powerful enemy had invaded the Sect for the Yin Yang Five Elements Everchanging Profound Sword Formation to be activated?
Despite their willingness to help, the Formation had already been activated, so even if they were the Wind and Cloud Pavilion’s disciples, they couldn’t break into it. Forcefully entering the Formation would only cause them to be turned into dust by the limitless Sword Intent.
Since they couldn’t see the situation inside the Sword Formation, they could only turn their eyes to the other battlefield. Needless to say, it was the battle between two Third-Order Emperor Realm Masters. Every attack they unleashed had the power to split mountains, causing the Wind and Cloud Pavilion’s disciples watching the battle to be dazzled and shocked by what they saw.
“Li Jiao, those two Juniors have entered the Sword Formation; they will definitely die a miserable death, so why are you still fighting for their sake?” Hua Xing asked while dealing with Li Jiao.
Hua Xing’s cultivation might be comparable to that of Li Jiao’s, but Li Jiao was not a pure human. Li Jiao was a descendant of the Dragon Clan, so if it really came down to it, Hua Xing was not his match.
Being able to keep up with Li Jiao for so long was thanks to his favourable conditions and an advantageous position. He was the Pavilion Master of Wind and Cloud Pavilion, after all, so blessed by the fortune of the land, Hua Xing was slightly stronger than normal when fighting within Wind and Cloud Pavilion. Even so, he was only barely managing to keep up with Li Jiao on equal grounds.
[A Dragonborn really does deserve the title ‘Dragonborn’. Despite only inheriting a thin portion of the Dragon bloodline, Li Jiao can exert such great strength. If I had fought him outside of the Sect, I would have lost the battle a long time ago.]
He abhorred Li Jiao’s backstabbing attitude; however, he also knew that continuing with the battle was of no benefit to himself or Wind and Cloud Pavilion. The destruction brought about by two Third-Order Emperor Realm Masters clashing would destroy the foundation of Wind and Cloud Pavilion. Therefore, he wanted to make peace with Li Jiao.
[There are no eternal enemies in this world, only eternal benefits. Besides, those two Juniors are bound to die so it’s meaningless to continue fighting Li Jiao. It’s not like we gain anything from determining the winner between us anyway.]
Li Jiao frowned when he heard those words. He did not say anything in response, but Hua Xing clearly felt his strength reducing considerably.
Hua Xing was overjoyed. [I knew Li Jiao isn’t as aggressive and determined as he acts on the surface. Perhaps, he was forced to become enemies with me.]
Hua Xing decided to strike while the iron was hot and added, “Brother Li, you and I have been friends for hundreds of years. People from all over the world would ridicule us if they knew we made such a fuss over two measly Juniors. Why don’t we stop here for now and decide on what to do after seeing the results of the fight over there? What do you say?”
As soon as those words left his mouth, Li Jiao’s power reduced even more. Thus, he knew that he had guessed correctly. Casually exchanging blows with Li Jiao, he asked, “Brother Li, oh, Brother Li… Why are you doing this?”
Although Li Jiao said nothing to that, he was not as aggressive as before either.
Hua Xing understood that Li Jiao’s pride had taken a blow; after all, Li Jiao’s actions might seem rather capricious if he kept changing his mind left and right. The reason he continued fighting was that he still had some misgivings in his heart. He was afraid that the two Juniors might come out from the Sword Formation and see him loafing around instead of taking things seriously.
Hua Xing secretly sneered at that thought but did not try to persuade Li Jiao any further. As long as they were no longer destroying the foundation of Wind and Cloud Pavilion, he could play along with this farce. Once those two Juniors died and the Great Elder provided their corpses as proof, he would let Li Jiao know the consequences of offending Wind and Cloud Pavilion!
On this side, the battle was like a show of sorts. Both parties were not giving their full strength. Even so, the battle seemed fierce on the surface. Thus, the Wind and Cloud Pavilion’s disciples that had gathered around watched the battle with great interest.
On the other hand, Yang Kai was not having such an easy time inside the Yin Yang Five Elements Everchanging Profound Sword Formation. It was a Sword Formation deployed using the power of hundreds of people after all. Even though he had used his Dragon Transformation Secret Technique, he still couldn’t break out and could only remain passive, defending against the countless sword waves that attacked him.
Meanwhile, the Great Elder was becoming more and more frightened the longer the battle went on. [I’ve used the power of the Spirit Array to launch consecutive attacks, yet it isn’t making any difference! Is this boy really even human?!]
The behemoth that the young man had transformed into was a mess, covered in blood and wounds, but the monstrous ferocity it radiated did not diminish. On the contrary, it was only growing stronger. Oftentimes, the immense power that burst out randomly was capable of shaking the entire Sword Formation.
Although there was no need to worry about him destroying the formation, the Great Elder and the others had to expend their strength to defuse his attacks.
[If things continue like this, he might actually turn the situation around on us.] A sharp look flashed through the Great Elder’s eyes as soon as that thought crossed his mind and he swiftly began giving orders.
Soon, a figure appeared in front of him. It was the Third-Elder of Wind and Cloud Pavilion, the one who had set up the formation with him.
“Take over!” The Great Elder instructed.
The Third Elder was shocked by those words and exclaimed in astonishment, “Are you going to use ‘that’, Great Elder?”
The Great Elder replied solemnly, “There’s no other way aside from that.”
The Third Elder pondered in silence for a moment before nodding, “Be careful, Great Elder. That little brat is rather unusual.”
“Of course!” The Great Elder responded and handed the Array Core over to the Third Elder. Afterwards, he stepped into the void, reached out his hand, and beckoned with his hand. A light immediately flew over from not far away, and he caught it in his hands. It was none other than his Emperor Artifact, a longsword.
The Sword Formation not only required people but also their swords as its base. Therefore, the cultivators that set up this formation were cultivators of the Sword Dao. The Emperor Artifact of the Great Elder had been integrated with the formation previously. For him to recall his sword from the formation was a clear indication that he was about to execute a powerful and mighty Secret Technique.
With the long sword erected in front of him, he formed a series of hand seals before sliding his finger along the blade. Fresh blood flowed out from the wound but did not drip anywhere. Instead, it was cleanly absorbed by the longsword, which instantly turned the colour of blood. Immediately after that, the World Energy in the surrounding area reacted like a cat catching a whiff of fish, swarming over and pouring into the sword.
At the same time, the Great Elder’s aura climbed steadily. The clothes on his body flapped madly as all of a sudden, his aura erupted with the strength of a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master. Even so, there was no sign of it stopping. It wasn’t until his entire complexion turned beet red, like he might explode at any time, that the rising momentum finally ebbed.
At this moment, the Great Elder’s power was absolutely terrifying. Even Hua Xing and Li Jiao were incomparable. It wasn’t his heritage of course, but rather the Great Elder taking advantage of the Yin Yang Five Elements Everchanging Profound Sword Formation to empower himself.
His scarlet eyes locked onto Yang Kai, and taking a deep breath, he suddenly roared, “Die!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, together with his sword, he transformed into a beam of light that shot towards Yang Kai.
Inside the Sword Formation, Yang Kai felt his skin tightening as he felt the aura of death descend around him, causing the Emperor Qi in his body to churn uneasily. Throwing his Divine Sense into the surroundings, Yang Kai immediately discovered the source of the danger.
A dazzling light was rushing towards him at the speed of lightning inside. That sword wave was extremely bright, and the Sword Intent was so condensed that it seemed solid. It felt like it could break through all the barriers in the world and cut through the universe.
The pupils of Yang Kai’s eyes contracted. Although that terrifying blow was not comparable to that of Great Demon God’s cross-world attack, it was not something that could be unleashed by a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master.
Despite turning into a half-dragon, Yang Kai had a feeling that he couldn’t endure that blow. He felt as if his body was being torn apart by the sword wave even before it arrived.
Using his giant claws, Yang Kai rapidly formed a set of seals before pushing his palms out and shouting in a low voice, “Time Flies!”
Just as the sword wave split the air and flew at him, the Time Flies Seal shot out to meet it, exploding on contact. However, the sword wave continued to advance; its power had not been reduced whatsoever.
Yang Kai was startled. It was his first time meeting somebody who could break the Time Flies Seal in a direct confrontation. Even if he had not mastered the Time Flies Seal, it was still a Great Emperor’s Divine Ability! How could it be broken so easily!
Just as he was considering the idea of hiding inside the Sealed World Bead for a short while to escape the imminent danger, he heard a soft voice ringing out in his ears, “Uncle Yang!”
Lin Yun’er’s preparations were finally completed, and her voice was brimming with confidence.
Yang Kai’s brow twitched as the Mountains and Rivers Bell that had been guarding Lin Yun’er all this time immediately turned into a stream of light which then encapsulated him.
“Damn it!” Even though the Great Elder’s mental fortitude was impeccable, he couldn’t help cursing out loud at this moment. He had learned just how strong that Ancient Exotic Artifact’s defensive abilities were from previous experience.
He might be able to use the power of the entire array to perform an attack far beyond his own cultivation, but he did not have the confidence to break through the defence of this Ancient Exotic Artifact. In other words, he had used this trump card in vain. Encountering an opponent like this was the biggest misfortune of his life!
If he had been using his own swordsmanship to attack, he could have changed targets and taken the opportunity to kill Lin Yun’er. Unfortunately, this power was far beyond his ability to wield freely. He could only unleash it but not retract it; hence, he could only stare blankly at the Mountains and Rivers Bell in front of him and slam straight into it anyway.
*Hong…*
A loud explosion rang out, followed by a huge blast of light. The Mountains and Rivers Bell trembled while the Great Elder’s figure was revealed. At this moment, he had lost his previously proud demeanour. Although the force of the collision had not killed him, it had caused him to bleed from his seven orifices. He was extremely dizzy, and all the strength in his body disappeared. He couldn’t bring out the slightest bit of Emperor Qi in him.
“Seize!” Lin Yun’er did not take this opportunity to kill the Great Elder and shouted out instead.
In the next moment, the dizzy Great Elder’s expression changed drastically because he suddenly felt a huge force pulling against the Emperor Artifact longsword in his hands. The longsword involuntarily flew out of his hands as a result.
Shocked, he hurriedly tried to activate his Divine Sense to recall his Emperor Artifact. For people cultivating the Sword Dao, the sword in their hands was equivalent to their lives. What’s more; this was the Emperor Artifact that he had used his own life force to cultivate. If this sword fell into somebody else’s hands, it would be equivalent to having half his life in their hands.
However, what horrified him even more was that, regardless of how much he pushed his Secret Technique, the Emperor Artifact that had followed him for thousands of years did not respond at all. It was as if the ties formed during the past thousand years had been cut off by an inexplicable force.
The Great Elder widened his eyes and stared at Lin Yun’er dumbfounded. The sight that greeted him instantly rendered him speechless. Unfortunately, Yang Kai’s huge body suddenly appeared in front of him before he could react. Yang Kai’s huge body was like a small mountain that blocked out all the light in front of him.
[This is bad!] The Great Elder felt his entire body going cold. He shifted his body as if to conceal himself inside the Sword Formation; however, Yang Kai stretched out his hand and captured the Great Elder in his hand. Grinning, he asked, “You want to leave after finally showing yourself?”
Upon hearing those words, the Great Elder was so scared that it felt as if his Soul was being extinguished. Then, bursts of shocked exclamations rang out from the surroundings. Those shouts came from the Wind and Cloud Pavilion’s disciples who had set up the Formation.
“You!”
“How dare you, you brat!”
“Hurry up and release the Great Elder! Otherwise, you will die a miserable death!”
…
Shouts rang out from all around. Meanwhile, Yang Kai held the Great Elder in one hand and swept a sharp gaze across the sky as he sneered softly.
He had been one-sidedly beaten up ever since this Formation was set up. He couldn’t even find the enemy’s shadow. Thus, the rage he had been holding back was still simmering inside him with no place to go. He finally caught hold of one of their weaknesses and captured one of the enemy’s leaders, so how could he give him up so easily?
Over a hundred people had worked together to attack Yang Kai and Lin Yun’er, quite a few of them Emperor Realm Masters. There was even a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master among those numbers. During this period, they vigorously pressured them, fiercely attacked, and ruthlessly tried to kill them, yet now that Yang Kai had seized an opportunity to turn things around, they became furious and started issuing threats.
Yang Kai chuckled softly. Shifting his gaze, he stared at the Great Elder and coldly spat out a single word, “Die!”
“No!” The Great Elder’s expression changed drastically while wailing loudly. Unfortunately, he couldn’t break free from the restraints of that large hand regardless of how hard he struggled.
A violent force squeezed him from all directions and the sounds of bones breaking rang out. At the same time, blood flowed from all seven of his orifices. The Great Elder could distinctly feel his bones snapping and his internal organs being squeezed so hard that they exploded.
*Pa!*
Fresh blood splattered all over the place as the Great Elder’s flesh scattered in all directions.
“Ah!”
“The Great Elder is dead!”
The disciples of Wind and Cloud Pavilion exclaimed in horror. They could not accept what they just saw. The Great Elder was not just anybody. In the Wind and Cloud Pavilion, he was the second most powerful person aside from the Pavilion Master, Hua Xing! However, such a great existence had been single-handedly crushed by that monster!
“How impudent!”
“Avenge the Great Elder!”
They were shocked into silence for a moment before they began to clamour even louder than before.
The Sword Formation was activated once again and sharp swords appeared in every direction again, murderous intent increasing rapidly.
The Yin Yang Five Elements Everchanging Profound Sword Formation was constructed with swords as its base and cultivators proficient in the Sword Dao as its roots. It was basically a killing array. The Great Elder’s death made their murderous intent swell and significantly enhanced the power of the Formation.
It was a pity that the overall strength of the Formation still decreased despite their rage. It couldn’t be helped though as the Great Elder, who was acting as the Formation Core, had died. Meanwhile, the Third Elder, who took over his role, was only a First-Order Emperor. Hence, the power of the Formation Core had been reduced by a whole Minor Realm. It caused the entire Sword Formation to weaken as a result. Even the increase in intensity could not make up for the difference in power caused by the Great Elder’s death.
Yang Kai laughed wildly, “If I can kill one of you, I can kill all of you! Wash your necks and wait for me; I’ll find all of you, one by one then kill each and every one of you!”
“How dare you boast so shamelessly?!” The Third Elder, who linked the Formation, roared and no longer hesitated. As soon as the thought flashed across his mind, an overwhelming sword wave rushed toward Yang Kai again.
Before Yang Kai could react though, Lin Yun’er shouted again, “Seize!”
The moment the words left her mouth, the countless sword waves seemed to receive some sort of command from somebody else. They uniformly changed directions, flew in a certain direction, entered a certain spot, and vanished instantly.
Turning his head to look at her, Yang Kai raised an eyebrow and revealed a look of surprise, “Huh?”
At this moment, Lin Yun’er had her hands held up high and was holding a washbasin-sized item over her head. That item was entirely ink-black and looked extremely plain. It looked like nothing more than the usual iron wok that people used to cook with.
Contrary to appearances though, the plain-looking iron wok was the one to release such an incredible and unimaginable devouring power. All the Sword Qi brought out by the Yin Yang Five Elements Everchanging Profound Sword Formation disappeared after being sucked into it. Like a bottomless pit, that iron wok absorbed all the sword waves that came its way regardless of the number. Moreover, there was no sign of saturation at all.
Even so, what surprised Yang Kai wasn’t the power it displayed but the aura it emitted. It was a very pure and ancient aura, just like the Mountains and Rivers Bell he owned. It felt as though the aura had come from prehistoric times.
“An Ancient Exotic Artifact!” Yang Kai’s eyes lit up as he was shocked to see that Lin Yun’er had an Ancient Exotic Artifact in her possession.
After all, Ancient Exotic Artifacts were items that had been passed down since ancient times and were extraordinarily rare. The only Ancient Exotic Artifact Yang Kai knew about, aside from his Mountains and Rivers Bell, was Hua Yu Lu’s small flower drum; however, he did not know the extent of Hua Yu Lu’s artifact’s power.
This iron wok was amazing, on the other hand. Just judging by the devouring ability, it was incomparable to ordinary treasures. It was just that it looked… Rather unsightly. At first glance, Yang Kai really thought it was an ordinary wok used for cooking.
“Is that your trump card?” Yang Kai asked curiously.
Lin Yun’er balanced the iron wok on her head and rushed over to him with a smile. She lightly kicked with her feet and stood on his shoulders as she replied without answering his question, “Uncle Yang, you’re so handsome.”
He laughed heartily, “I think so too. You sure have a good eye, Yun’er.”
When the Third Elder heard those words, he nearly spat out a mouthful of blood. This was a life or death battle with the future of a great Sect at stake, so why was the enemy having such a casual conversation?! They were clearly looking down on them!
The Third Elder did know where that iron wok came from, all he knew was that it could bring about a miraculous effect. Even so, he had been angered by Yang Kai and Lin Yun’er’s nonchalance. Just as he was about to activate the power of the Formation again though, he heard exclamations of shock ringing out from all directions.
“Ah!”
“What’s going on?!”
“My sword!”
“Senior Brother, help! My sword is being sucked away!”
“Help you? Damn it… My sword is being sucked away too! I can’t even protect myself right now!”
When those voices rang out, the Third Elder’s expression changed drastically. He recalled the strange occurrence that the Great Elder had experienced before his death and seemed to understand something all of a sudden. Consequently, his expression became horrified.
At that moment, he suddenly felt the longsword in his hands being pulled by a powerful force. It was being drawn towards a certain direction uncontrollably as if to escape his grip. That direction happened to be the location of the little girl holding the iron wok.
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
Streams of light cut through the air, but this time around, it was no longer those non-existing sword waves but actual, genuine Artifacts.
The cultivators forming the Yin Yang Five Elements Everchanging Profound Sword Formation were either in the Third-Order Dao Source Realm or higher; therefore, the artifacts that they owned were naturally of rather high quality. Those Artifacts were Dao Source Grade Mid-Rank at the very least, but many were actually Emperor Artifacts.
Unfortunately, those swords were now flying toward Lin Yun’er and disappearing into the iron wok regardless of whether they were Dao Source Grade or Emperor Grade. In the blink of an eye, the iron wok had collected several dozen longswords. Moreover, more were still to come.
“What in the world is that?!” The Third Elder was horrified as he couldn’t believe that the iron wok would actually be able to snatch away other people’s artifacts! How were they supposed to fight against such an unfair power? He had never even heard of such a strange artifact before!
The power that was trying to devour the sword in his hands was becoming stronger and stronger, and even he had a hard time resisting it. He did not dare to relax his guard and hurriedly focused his attention on controlling his Emperor Artifact.
“Shua shua shua…*
In less than ten breaths, more than ninety swords had been sucked away by the iron wok. A short while later, even the Third Elder could not hold onto his artifact anymore. The sword slipped out of his control with a whoosh and flew away.
“Ah!” The Third Elder screamed as he madly pushed his Secret Art to recall his Emperor Artifact. But, what use would that do? Even the Great Elder had failed, so it was only natural that he couldn’t do any better.
When the last sword disappeared into the iron wok, a crashing sound rang out. Figure after figure began to appear, surrounding Yang Kai and Lin Yun’er in all directions, the expressions on their faces filled with terror.
These people were none other than the disciples and Elders that had participated in the Sword Formation. The Everchanging Profound Sword Formation was constructed with their swords as its base and them as its roots. Now that all the swords had been taken away, the Formation naturally broke apart even though the cultivators making up its roots were still around. Therefore, it could no longer conceal their presence.
“H-H-How is that possible?!” On the other side, Hua Xing drew a sharp breath of cold air into his lungs as he stared in that direction in disbelief. The Yin Yang Five Elements Everchanging Profound Sword Formation was destroyed! The indestructible Yin Yang Five Elements Everchanging Profound Sword Formation that saved Wind and Cloud Pavilion from danger on multiple occasions had actually been broken!
Hua Xing felt he was having a nightmare, [This is impossible! That formation was passed down for thousands of years! It only needs five people to deploy; moreover, it gets stronger the more people are linked to it!]
More than a hundred people were linked to the formation this time, an extremely large-scale event. Furthermore, the person leading the Formation was the Great Elder, a man whose cultivation reached the Second-Order Emperor Realm! With such a lineup, even Hua Xing would have died several times over if he were caught inside. How could it be destroyed by two unknown Juniors?! Also, what happened to the Great Elder? Where was he?
Hua Xing swept his gaze around but did not see the Great Elder anywhere among those people and his heart pounded wildly, knowing that something had gone wrong. The Great Elder had been acting as the Formation Core, but he was currently nowhere to be seen. That could only mean one thing, the Great Elder was dead!
[How did he die? Who killed him?] Hua Xing did not understand anything and was clueless about the happenings within the Sword Formation, so it was only natural that he was completely bewildered.
At that moment, he felt his heart clenching all of a sudden as he instinctively sensed that danger was heading his way.
[This is bad!] Only then did he remember that he was in the middle of a battle with someone else. Moreover, the opponent was stronger than him. He would never have made such a foolish mistake under normal circumstances, but what he just witnessed had shocked him to the core, so it was inevitable that he would become slightly distracted as a result.
Unfortunately, that moment of distraction gave Li Jiao an opportunity to attack. A ferocious burst of Emperor Qi pressed down on Hua Xing and exploded on his chest, sending him flying as he coughed out a mouthful of blood.
“Old Dog Hua, how dare you make Palace Master Yang your enemy?! Today, this Li will definitely kill you!”
Upon hearing those words, Hua Xing spat out another mouthful of blood as he roared furiously, “Damn you, Li Jiao!”
The exchange of blows between them just now had been little more than a farce, a show they were putting on for the masses. Although it seemed like a lively battle, they had not been using even ten percent of their true strength. Thus, the full-powered attack had caught Hua Xing completely off guard.
Hua Xing also knew why Li Jiao was acting in this manner. It was clear that Li Jiao was reacting to the situation at hand and choosing the most advantageous action for himself. Even so, Hua Xing couldn’t help the rage that erupted in his heart. How could a hundred years of friendship be overturned just like that?!
Gritting his teeth, Hua Xing roared, “Are you certain you’ll win?! Just wait and see! Nobody will leave this place alive today!” Pausing for a moment, seemingly steeling himself, Hua Xing then shouted to the sky, “Come out, Divine Beast!”
Inside the Wind and Cloud Pavilion, the Yin Yang Five Elements Everchanging Profound Sword Formation had been destroyed. Thus, hundreds of the cultivators that had formed the Sword Formation were revealed. It made the disciples who were watching from the sides cry out with shock. In particular, Yang Kai’s hideous appearance and huge body terrified them greatly.
[What kind of monster is that?!]
“You take the left; I’ll take the right!” Yang Kai swept a cold glance over his surroundings and yelled out instructions to Lin Yun’er.
Lin Yun’er said nothing and simply rushed forward with the iron wok floating above her head. Three Wind and Cloud Pavilion’s disciples gathered in one place didn’t even have the time to react before they exploded to bits from her punch.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai started moving too. Reaching out into the air, he somehow managed to grab the Third Elder in his hands even though the Third Elder was more than thirty metres away. Nobody knew how he managed to do that.
The Third Elder didn’t even have the time to say anything as a chill ran down from the top of his head to the tips of his toes. Then, he was squeezed by a great force until he exploded and followed in the footsteps of the Great Elder.
Afterwards, Yang Kai waved his hand again. This time, another Elder standing close to the Third Elder was sent flying, spitting blood in mid-air and dying before he even reached the ground.
Under the Dragon Transformation, the power hidden in Yang Kai’s Dragon Source was stimulated, allowing him to utilize immense strength, so how could mere First-Order Emperors be his opponents?
Yang Kai and Lin Yun’er mowed through the crowd, leaving a disaster in their wake. Both the disciples and the Elders of Wind and Cloud Pavilion suffered heavy casualties with nobody able to stand up against those two at all.
In just three breaths, more than half of the over hundred people were dead while the rest finally started fleeing in a panic as if they had just awoken from a dream.
In the face of these two monstrous opponents, they could not even muster up the slightest bit of courage to fight back, especially since their artifacts had been taken from them. It was more important to flee for their lives.
*Chi chi chi…*
One after another, Moon Blades flew out in all directions. None of the disciples of Wind and Cloud Pavilion who had contributed to the Sword Formation were spared. They screamed as they fell to the ground. Wherever the Moon Blades struck, a bloodbath ensued.
Lin Yun’er spun around in a circle. She had only killed a few dozen people, but looking around now, there was no corpse left. Only blood rained down from the sky.
The disciples of Wind and Cloud Pavilion watching from afar fell silent like crickets in the winter. Their complexions were ashen. [Just what kind of enemy did the Sect provoke? The entire elite force of the Sect, from the Great Elder all the way down to the Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters in the Third-Order Dao Source Realm are being wiped out! All of them are dying!]
Hua Xing was the only person left in the Sect that was an Emperor Realm Master. Throughout the entire history of the Sect, it had never suffered such severe damage as it had today. After this battle today, Wind and Cloud Pavilion would have difficulty restoring itself even if they managed to repel the enemy. Besides, could these two Monsters even be forced out of the Sect? Clearly the Sect was heading towards complete annihilation.
At that moment, Hua Xing roared in grief and rage, his anguished voice echoing across the sky, “Come out, Divine Beast!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, the expressions of many Wind and Cloud Pavilion’s disciples changed drastically as they looked even more terrified than when they watched Yang Kai and Lin Yun’er slaughtering their brethren.
“What did the Pavilion Master say?!”
“He wants to release the Divine Beast?!”
“Run! Why are you still standing there stupidly!?”
“If you don’t run now, it will be too late!”
The Wind and Cloud Pavilion’s disciples who had been watching from afar reacted as if a great enemy was about to appear and began fleeing helter-skelter, acting as though the Divine Beast was some sort of plague.
Some of the disciples that had just joined the Sect looked confused. Although they knew about the Divine Beast guarding the Sect, none of them had seen it before. They didn’t even know what that Divine Beast was. All they knew was that the Divine Beast was incredibly powerful; in no way inferior in strength compared to the Pavilion Master, Hua Xing.
When they saw their Seniors from the Sect fleeing for their lives though, they began to panic too. It didn’t matter what kind of being the Divine Beast was; it was by no means anything good.
Just after Hua Xing’s roar rang out, an imposing hostility suddenly appeared from somewhere deep within Wind and Cloud Pavilion. It felt as if a sleeping dragon had awoken, and the entire world shuddered in response.
“Hmm?” Yang Kai turned his head to look in the direction of the aura’s source. There was a faint scorching sensation burning throughout the blood in his body, as if some sort of force was pulling against him and made him eager to fight.
Lin Yun’er flew over to him, the shabby iron wok still floating above her head, her beautiful eyes glancing in that direction as she sniffed lightly, her beautiful eyes suddenly brightening.
*Huo…*
Another roar rang out again, and a huge figure flew out from that direction. It looked like some sort of beast that was covered in flames and struck a majestic image.
[Is that the Guardian Divine Beast of Wind and Cloud Pavilion?] Yang Kai raised an eyebrow as his fighting spirit grew even stronger. It couldn’t be helped; it was because he could feel a trace of a Divine Spirit’s aura from this Divine Beast. [I can’t believe that the Guardian Divine Beast of Wind and Cloud Pavilion is a Divine Spirit! Inconceivable!]
Soon, something else happened that shocked him even more. That Divine Beast did not fly straight at them and instead headed towards some of the fleeing Wind and Cloud Pavilion’s disciples. It was as swift as lightning as it rushed into the crowd and in the next moment, blood-curdling screams ringing out. They had obviously been bitten to death by the Divine Beast.
Hua Xing was utterly heartbroken. The Wind and Cloud Pavilion had kept a Guardian Divine Beast for thousands of years. Unfortunately, that Divine Beast was nothing more than an Ominous Beast, which was brought back by the tenth generation Sect Master of Wind and Cloud Pavilion. When the tenth Ancestor was still alive, that Divine Beast was relatively obedient; however, once he passed away, the ferocious nature of this Divine Beast was revealed.
Although it did not leave the Wind and Cloud Pavilion, it was not under anybody’s control either. Only the Pavilion Master of Wind and Cloud Pavilion of each generation could communicate with it a little.
Moreover, there would be a heavy price to pay every time it was brought out of the mountains. If they had time to prepare, they could have enough sacrifices on hand in advance to sate its appetite. Only then could they manage to ask it to repel the powerful enemies of the Sect. Having said that, they were completely unprepared this time around, and for that reason, the price they had to pay were the tragic deaths of their disciples.
Even when Wind and Cloud Pavilion was facing a huge crisis a few hundred years ago, the previous Pavilion Master had not brought the Divine Beast out of the mountains for this exact reason. Nonetheless, Hua Xing no longer had the leisure to care so much anymore with such a huge crisis before them.
The blood-curdling screams continued without stopping as Wind and Cloud Pavilion’s disciples were thrown to the ground and devoured by the Divine Beast, one after another.
“What the hell is that?” Yang Kai squinted as he looked over. It was too bad that the distance was too great so he couldn’t see clearly. All he knew was that the Divine Beast had yet to do anything to them and instead had taken down many of their enemies for them.
“It sure looks delicious!” Lin Yun’er sniffed even harder.
Yang Kai was rendered speechless by her words. [Why does this little girl only think about food?]
A quarter of an hour later, the Divine Beast seemed to have eaten its fill and finally ran through the air, rushing towards them, its hooves were covered in flames and its beastly eyes were burning with fire.
As it approached, Yang Kai finally had a clear glimpse of what the Divine Beast looked like. It had a Dragon Head, Deer Horns, Lion’s Eyes, a Tiger’s Back, a Bear’s Waist, Snake Scales, Horse Hooves, and a Cow’s Tail. It was extremely menacing and looked down on everyone present with clear disdain in its eyes.
“A Fire Qilin?” Yang Kai’s brow rose slightly. No wonder it had the aura of a Divine Spirit, it actually turned out to be a Fire Qilin! There were many types of Qilins, but all Qilins were Ancient Divine Spirits regardless of what species they were. The Dragon Clan blood flowing in Yang Kai’s veins also belonged to a Divine Spirit, and as both the Qilin and the Dragon Clan were considered superior beings among the Divine Spirits, their auras would naturally be attracted to each other.
“It only resembles a Fire Qilin,” Lin Yun’er seemed to have some knowledge on Divine Spirits though and her eyes were gleaming as she said, “It has a Qilin bloodline, but it’s not a pureblood.”
Yang Kai turned to glance at her with a speechless expression. “Yun’er… You’re drooling…”
She lifted a hand, wiped at the corner of her mouth, and excitedly proclaimed, “Leave this to me!” After saying that, she rushed forward.
“Be careful!” Yang Kai yelled after her. Although her strength was impressive, encountering an Ominous Beast with the blood of a Divine Spirit was still rather worrisome and he was certain she was not its opponent. Even so, she acted so confidently that Yang Kai couldn’t bear to discourage her; thus, he decided to be ready to react at a moment’s notice.
Both the human and the beast approached each other swiftly. The Fire Qilin descendent was clearly sentient, and when it saw Lin Yun’er rushing towards it, it roared furiously while at the same time, the flames on its body burned even more fiercely.
Lin Yun’er was unfazed by its reaction and continued to rush forward.
Opening its mouth, it shot out a large fireball that gave off an extremely terrifying heat; however, Lin Yun’er didn’t even flinch and instead used the iron wok to take on the attack.
The iron wok wasn’t that large, only about the size of a washbasin. Moreover, it was several times smaller than the fireball, but contrary to expectations, the fireball disappeared cleanly when it came into contact with the iron wok.
Yang Kai, who had been on the verge of moving, stopped in his tracks. His scorching gaze glanced at that black and shabby iron wok with a question in his heart: Just what was this thing!?
Meanwhile, Lin Yun’er had arrived right in front of the Qilin descendant. She kicked out with her feet, immediately jumped up, and swung the iron wok at its head.
In response, the Qilin descendant lifted its claws and swiped at the iron wok. The air surrounding the passage of its claws became distorted, forming irregular claw marks in the sky.
Forcibly twisted her body in mid-air, Lin Yun’er barely avoided the attack. Even so, she was slashed around her abdomen area. Blood gushed out immediately but she ignored it and slammed the iron wok down on the enemy’s head.
In the next moment, a miraculous scene occurred. The Ominous Beast, which could rival a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master in strength, and was also a Qilin descendant blessed by the Divine Spirit’s bloodlines suddenly yelped and swayed unsteadily. The iron wok now looked like it had become part of its head; furthermore, it released a terrifying suction force.
The humongous body of the Ominous Beast was drawn in by the inexplicable force, twisted, and distorted, then was soon sucked into the iron wok like a stream of water and vanished without a trace.
Yang Kai was stunned; Li Jiao was stunned; Hua Xing was stunned too! Even Lin Yun’er seemed slightly stunned as well, scratching her head as she wore a confused expression.
Despite being aware of the power of her treasure and having the confidence that it could deal with that Ominous Beast, she had not expected it to be so easy. She had been prepared to fight a tough battle against it and never imagined that it would actually end in one move.
She was a simple-minded person though, and excitedly taking back the iron wok without thinking too much about it, she brought out a lid from who knows where and placed it onto the iron wok with a resounding snap. Then, she glanced about with a huge smile, her expression becoming more and more delighted.
On the other hand, Li Jiao’s expression changed drastically. Even though he experienced all sorts of dangerous situations before, he couldn’t help shuddering at this moment. When Hua Xing called upon the Divine Beast of Wind and Cloud Pavilion, Li Jiao had taken the time to check out the Divine Beast’s strength. Even if he had fought it with all his strength, he was not confident he could win against it; however, such a terrifying existence had been defeated by a mere iron wok, in one move no less.
It was something he found simply incomprehensible.
[Wait… An iron wok?] Li Jiao’s eyes narrowed as he suddenly recalled a dusty memory in a corner of his mind and brought it to the surface again, and the next thought that popped into his mind terrified him out of his wits.
“That treasure…” Hua Xing clearly recognized the origin of that iron wok too and a horrified expression flashed across his face, “Don’t tell me it’s…”
Before he could finish his sentence, he felt a sharp pain shooting up his arm. Li Jiao had taken the opportunity to launch a sneak attack on him while he was distracted, and one of his arms exploded into dust as a result.
“Old Dog Li, how dare you deceive me!?” He roared in grief and rage. He hastily retreated and put some distance between him and Li Jiao as blood gushed out from the wound like a fountain.
Li Jiao followed close behind, completely unrelenting in his attacks as he shouted, “One may eat as much rice as they like, but they cannot spit out words carelessly! When have I ever deceived you?!”
“Who was the one to tell me that these two have nothing to do with any of the Great Emperors?!” Hua Xing’s expression was so distorted that it was hideous to see. He was both furious and extremely anxious. [If I had known that the little girl is related to a Great Emperor, I wouldn’t have dared to make her my enemy!]
Li Jiao sweated as he mumbled, “If I said I didn’t know either, would you believe me?”
That was the honest truth as he knew about Yang Kai’s situation, which had nothing to do with the Great Emperors. Therefore, he assumed that the little girl did not come from any special background either; however, he realized his mistake upon seeing that mysterious iron wok that could even absorb a descendent of the Divine Spirit in an instant.
That little girl wasn’t just related to a Great Emperor, she was clearly very closely related to them! Moreover, that Great Emperor in particular was the most battle-crazy and brutal among the Ten Great Emperors. Even the other Great Emperors could not afford to provoke that person easily.
Hua Xing thought to himself. [That little girl is definitely related to him! We should have never provoked her!]
“As if I’ll believe you!” Hua Xing roared furiously. His entire being was akin to a volcano that was about to erupt. His vitality attacked his heart, and his defence was full of holes. He was beaten up by Li Jiao so badly that he could not fight back.
Originally, he could have dealt with Li Jiao to a certain extent; however, he had long lost his composure after everything that happened. Combined with the loss of his arm, the gap between them immediately became apparent.
He received another blow and flew backwards from the force, bleeding non-stop. Before he could stabilize his body though, a monstrous figure suddenly descended from the sky, its humongous shadow looming over him.
Shocked, Hua Xing raised his head to look and saw Yang Kai slamming a fist down at him with a ferocious expression. He did not dare to let his guard down and hastily defended against the attack. Nevertheless, all defences were like paper in front of that punch.
The violent force smashed him down into the ground. He fell against the ground so hard that it created a deep hole in the ground. Meanwhile, Yang Kai landed next to him in pursuit and stepped on him, causing him to be unable to move. Hua Xing’s eyes were filled with fear and panic as he shouted, “Please spare me!”
Yang Kai glanced down at him from above and said lightly, “Your life is not in my hands.” He lifted his head to look at Lin Yun’er and asked, “How should I deal with this person?”
Lin Yun’er replied, “Master says that trouble needs to be removed from the roots up…”
Before she could finish her sentence, the strength within Yang Kai’s legs surged and he stomped down.
Hua Xing died!
On the other hand, Li Jiao broke out in cold sweat. [Hua Xing was a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master! Moreover, he was the leader of a top Sect! I can’t believe Palace Master Yang killed him just like that! There was no room for negotiations whatsoever! Isn’t Palace Master Yang a little too crazy?! No; thinking about it, it’s not the first time he did this either. He annihilated the entire Seeking Passion Sect back in the Northern Territory too. What was Hua Xing in comparison?]
Turning his head, he glanced at Wind and Cloud Pavilion, which was currently in chaos and sighed, knowing that this great Sect was completely done for. The inheritance of such a large Sect that had lasted for over ten thousand years ended in a single day. From the Pavilion Master at the top down to the elites of the Sect beneath him… Not a single one of them was spared; all of them died.
[What a headache…] Back in the Northern Territory, Yang Kai had turned the entire place upside down. Li Jiao couldn’t believe that Yang Kai didn’t even bother holding back at all even after coming to the Western Territory.
Even so, Li Jiao looked at the girl standing next to Yang Kai and knew that nothing would happen to Yang Kai regardless of what crazy things he did. However, that girl was different. That girl though… wasn’t someone simple either…
After a series of cracklings, Yang Kai returned to his original form. Fortunately, the Great Soaring Black Dragon Armor was very flexible or he would have been naked again.
“Wang wang wang!”
The black puppy ran over leisurely. It had gone into hiding during that earth-shaking battle just now and disappeared off somewhere, but now that the dust had settled, it immediately reappeared again. Its innate ability to seek fortune and avoid disaster was first-class.
Yang Kai glanced at it sullenly and decidedly ignored it. He was covered in numerous wounds inflicted by the Yin Yang Five Elements Everchanging Profound Sword Formation just now, some so deep that even his bones were visible. Even so, he ignored his wounds, took out a new set of clothes, and put them on. Glancing sideways at Li Jiao, he said, “Please take care of that little girl and clean up the rest of the battlefield while you’re at it. I’ll be right back.”
Li Jiao hurriedly replied, “Palace Master Yang, please rest assured. I will fight to the death to protect that girl’s safety.”
Yang Kai nodded and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Meanwhile, Wind and Cloud Pavilion was a chaotic mess. Countless disciples were trying to escape. The Pavilion Master had died! The Great Elder was dead! All the Elders in the Sect died! Even the elites in the Third-Order Dao Source Realm were dead!
Wind and Cloud Pavilion was doomed to perish. None of them were fools. Several plague-like disasters had attacked the Sect, and if they did not escape now, they would be killed as well!
Despite being a large Sect with thousands of disciples within it, it took less than a quarter of an hour for all the surviving members to flee, every one of them flying off into the sky without looking back at all.
Yang Kai searched for some time before he managed to locate the Treasury of Wind and Cloud Pavilion. Such a large Sect would surely have had some valuable treasures in its stores; therefore, he could not miss out on it. Even though he was extremely wealthy now, it was not enough to finance the expenditures of an entire Sect eternally so he wanted to obtain more cultivation resources so that he could splurge on his family and friends when they arrived from Shadowed Star. After all, they were not few in numbers.
After busying himself for half a day, Yang Kai returned with a good haul. The valuables stored within the storehouse of a top Sect such as Wind and Cloud Pavilion was extremely impressive, no less than what Seeking Passion Sect had once held. Just the High-Rank Source Crystals alone numbered close to a billion, not to mention the countless cultivation resources.
[These treasures will be indispensable to High Heaven Palace.] Yang Kai wandered around Wind and Cloud Pavilion again and collected everything that was of value. It wasn’t until evening rolled around that he returned.
Lin Yun’er and Li Jiao had moved to a nearby mountain peak and when Yang Kai came over, he was immediately greeted by a tantalizing scent. It seemed to be the smell of meat, moreover, meat packed full of energy. The smell entered his nose and greatly stimulated his appetite, even managing to make him feel genuine hunger. Could it be that Lin Yun’er, that little glutton, was cooking something?
“What are you doing?” Yang Kai asked curiously as he walked over, but after a glance, he was dumbfounded.
Lin Yun’er had built a fire on the top of this mountain peak and was using that shabby iron wok to cook over the heat. A gurgling sound was coming from the iron wok as if something was being boiled in it and sure enough; that tantalizing smell came from that iron wok.
Yang Kai felt cold sweat beading on his forehead. Was she really cooking? Moreover, with that iron wok? But inside that was…
Yang Ka couldn’t help feeling a little dizzy at the thought.
“Palace Master Yang, you’re back!” Li Jiao greeted him eagerly as he handed the Space Ring in his hand over, “These are the spoils I gathered from the battlefield earlier. Please check through them, Palace Master Yang.”
Be it Hua Xing or the Elders of Wind and Cloud Pavilion, their Space Rings would surely contain a plethora of valuable treasures. Hua Xing, in particular, as the Pavilion Master of Wind and Cloud Pavilion would have many good things in his Space Ring. Not to mention, there were hundreds of elites in the Third-Order Dao Source Realm. It was a tremendous harvest.
Li Jiao had collected all of them but did not dare to keep them for himself; quickly handing all of them over to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai accepted the Space Ring casually and didn’t even bother to check the inventory nor look inside the ring. He simply stared at Lin Yun’er, who was crouching in front of the iron wok, the corners of his mouth twitching as he asked, “What’s going on?”
At the moment, Lin Yun’er was staring at the iron wok with gleaming eyes and the corners of her mouth were moist; she was clearly on the verge of drooling. When she noticed that Yang Kai had returned, she greeted him absent-mindedly before gulping her saliva and focusing all her energy back on the iron wok in front of her.
“This… young lady is cooking something to eat,” Li Jiao coughed awkwardly and replied.
“Cooking something to eat… With what?” Yang Kai asked casually. However, his expression quickly darkened as he looked over at Li Jiao and asked, “It can’t be…”
Li Jiao nodded grimly.
Yang Kai was shocked, “Is even that okay?!”
Li Jiao hesitated, “Palace Master Yang, could it be that you don’t know the origin of this strange treasure?”
“Do you?”
He replied, “I’ve heard of it. If I’m not mistaken, this wok is known as Unlimited Return.”
“Unlimited Return…” Yang Kai frowned. It was a name he had never heard of before. Still, there was only one thing he was concerned about right now. He walked over and softly called out, “Yun’er.”
Lin Yun’er responded without even raising her head, “It’s almost done, Uncle Yang. Just wait a little longer.”
Wiping at the cold sweat on his forehead, he asked, “Did you really cook that Qilin descendant?”
“En! That’s a descendent of a Divine Spirit. I’ve never eaten one before. I’m sure it’ll be delicious.”
Li Jiao shivered after hearing those words. He was also a descendant of a Divine Spirit and a Dragonborn. [I hope I don’t end up getting boiled in a pot by this girl one day…]
For an instant, he looked at her with shock and awe as if he was looking at his natural-born enemy.
[As expected, I won’t be able to have a good life with Palace Master Yang around. Forget about the Dragon Clan; the worst that could happen is my power being suppressed, but this little girl is even more terrifying! I can’t believe she used the iron wok, Unlimited Return, to capture a descendent of a Divine Spirit and immediately cooked it up…]
Li Jiao felt as if his heart was at its limits. [If I stay around Yang Kai for any longer, I will die of fright, sooner or later. If I value my life, I should stay away from him…]
Yang Kai’s expression turned green, “Yun’er, you have to think this through properly. You can’t just eat things randomly. This guy devoured many Wind and Cloud Pavilion’s disciples earlier.” At this point, his complexion paled slightly.
If it was just a descendent of a Divine Spirit, it wouldn’t have mattered if it was cooked up as food. Besides, it smelled so delicious so its taste was surely even better. The point was that he had personally witnessed it eating many of Wind and Cloud Pavilion’s disciples just now.
[At this moment, all those people are inside this pot too.] When he thought of that, he no longer had any interest in eating. In fact, it would be a miracle not to throw it all up.
Lin Yun’er smiled, however, and waved her hand dismissively, “Don’t worry, Uncle Yang. I cleaned and prepared everything properly first.”
Yang Kai was surprised. He turned to look at Li Jiao.
In response, Li Jiao nodded, “She has indeed cleaned it. I’ve also stored all the sword artifacts that she absorbed previously in one of the Space Rings.”
[It looks like Lin Yun’er really did process it to be eaten while I was gone.]
Upon learning that, the conflicting emotions in Yang Kai’s heart weren’t as great as before anymore. He mulled over it for a bit before sitting down next to Lin Yun’er. Then, he listened to the bubbling sounds coming from the iron wok and appreciated the aroma in the air. He was waiting to eat!
After a while…
“It’s delicious! It’s so delicious!” Lin Yun’er was holding a large bone in her hands, exclaiming in delight as she chewed on its meat.
“Eat slowly!” Yang Kai reached up to wipe the grease from his face, “Nobody will snatch your food from you!”
Having said that, his speed wasn’t slow either. He had a small pile of bones next to him, but far less than Lin Yun’er’s as her bones were practically piled as high as a small mountain.
Truly worthy of being the descendent of a Divine Spirit, the Fire Qilin variant’s flesh contained first-rate essence. The moment Yang Kai bit into the meat, the juices flowed out and warmed his stomach.
Although there were no added seasonings, it was definitely the most delicious and scrumptious food Yang Kai had ever eaten. That iron wok seemed to have a way of making miracles happen. Despite cooking it so simply, the food turned out so delicious that one could get addicted to it.
After eating several bites of the meat, Yang Kai scooped a big bowl and took a sip of the soup. Then, he glanced at Li Jiao, who was standing by the side, “Brother Li, do you want to have a taste?”
“N-No, it’s alright…” Li Jiao replied politely.
“Then why are you drooling? Stop speaking nonsense.”
Li Jiao laughed, “Then, I won’t hold back anymore.”
The idea was rather repulsive to him at first; after all, he, himself, was a descendent of a Divine Spirit. Suddenly cooking a descendent of a Divine Spirit in a pot might have smelt tantalizing, but it would probably spark some conflicting feelings in him. Still, he wasn’t in a position to turn down Yang Kai’s invitation. Besides, he was truly curious to have a bite; he wanted to know what it tasted like.
Walking over to the pot, Li Jiao reached out with his hand and fished out a rib. Asking for forgiveness in his heart, he took a small nibble. Then, his eyes widened in response. His speed increased significantly to the point where he was eating with the speed of a whirlwind.
“It’s delicious, right?” Yang Kai smilingly looked at Li Jiao.
Li Jiao nodded vigorously, “It’s good. It’s very good. I’m blessed with such good food when I’m with you, Palace Master Yang.”
Lin Yun’er only made a muffled sound. Taking advantage of the time Yang Kai and Li Jiao spent talking, she had already wolfed down even more of the meat and a few more bones had been added to the pile next to her.
Not to be outdone, the black puppy lay down next to the pot, grabbed a large piece of meat, and ate it with great relish.
An hour later, Lin Yun’er lay on the ground and patted her stomach with her hand. That huge Divine Spirit descendant had been cleanly devoured by the three of them. Not even a mouthful of soup was left over from their meal.
Lin Yun’er had a contented expression on her face, having finally eaten her fill. She had not eaten until she was satiated ever since she snuck out. When she was with her Master, she had never had to worry about her meals as he would take care of everything for her. She finally learned that life was not easy after leaving her Master’s side. Even eating a full meal was such a difficult task. All of a sudden, she began to miss her Master.
“Yun’er, why didn’t you use your trump card earlier?” Yang Kai had gotten a blade of grass from somewhere and was using it to pick his teeth. [I wonder what’s the story behind this iron wok, Unlimited Return. If Yun’er had summoned it from the beginning, that Sword Formation would have been taken care of easily.]
She squinted his eyes and said, “Master said the trump card can only be used if it is my last resort.”
[Her Master again… This little girl really seems to take her Master’s words as law.]
“I’ll bring you out to eat something better next time,” Yang Kai casually offered.
She was surprised, “Really?”
“En. The Ancient Wild Lands in the Eastern Territory is sure to have a lot of delicious food.”
[He even plans to target the Ancient Wild Lands!?] Li Jiao felt cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. [I heard a Divine Spirit guards that place… Palace Master Yang is too bold!]
“Thank you, Uncle Yang!” Lin Yun’er was overjoyed.
After lying down for a while, Yang Kai asked, “Where do you plan to go after this?”
Wind and Cloud Pavilion had been annihilated, so the little girl had achieved her goal. She had managed to let out the rage that had built up in her.
“I don’t know,” she shook her head. She had been bored and ran away from home without any real plans or objectives. Meeting with Yang Kai had been pure coincidence.
“Is that so…” Yang Kai pondered for a moment before saying, “Why don’t you come with me to the Northern Territory? I established High Heaven Palace there.”
“High Heaven Palace?” She immediately became interested when she heard those words. Lin Yun’er had been part of Shadowed Star’s High Heaven Sect for a while; thus, she felt a sense of familiarity when she heard the name and quickly nodded, “En.”
“Good. Then, let’s return tomorrow.” Yang Kai immediately made his decision. The matter related to Wind and Cloud Pavilion had become a rather huge deal as a top Sect had been annihilated just like that. If the two of them had been cultivators of the Western Territory, it might not have been as bad, but the key point was that none of them belonged to the Western Territory. If they remained in this place, they might attract the attention of the Sect run by the Great Emperor here. Night Shadow Great Emperor and Shadow Killer Palace were not parties that they could afford to offend so easily.
When Li Jiao heard those words, his spirits lifted. [Finally! I finally have the hope of going home after travelling with Yang Kai for such a long time!]
The night passed quietly and the next morning, Yang Kai began arranging a Space Array.
He originally wanted to find a hidden location in the Western Territory to place this Space Array, that way it would be more convenient for him to come and go in the future as he could directly access this territory. Unfortunately, he was not familiar with the Western Territory so finding such a place was not that easy. It might take up to a month or more; therefore, Yang Kai gave up on his original plans after careful consideration.
[Let’s go back first. If I need to come to the Western Territory again one day, I’ll just make some effort to come through here again.] Hence, he set about arranging the Space Array on one of the peaks of Wind and Cloud Pavilion.
Li Jiao was meditating by the side but he was also secretly paying attention to Yang Kai’s movements. As a Palace Master himself, he had sharp eyesight. Therefore, he noticed the extraordinary features of this Cross-Territory Space Array right away.
Meanwhile, Lin Yun’er had nothing to do so she played with the black puppy.
Half a day later, the Space Array was perfectly arranged; then, Yang Kai called them over. Lin Yun’er immediately ran up with the black puppy in her arms while Li Jiao also walked onto the Space Array.
Space Principles surged and enveloped the trio. Yang Kai’s expression became solemn as he circulated his Emperor Qi to power the array.
With a dazzling light, a feeling of weightlessness washed over the trio and they disappeared instantly. At that moment though, Yang Kai felt a strange power striking him. It was not strong, but incredibly masterful, actually managing to interfere with the teleportation.
Yang Kai was shocked, but before he could figure out what was wrong, a voice sounded in his Knowledge Sea, “Little brat, you’ve got some courage! How dare you try to abduct my beloved disciple? I will forgive you this once since it was not done out of malice, but the next time this happens, I’ll kill you!”
The voice sounded directly in Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea, making it clear his defences were completely penetrated, but what shocked Yang Kai even more was that he failed to notice the slightest signs of intrusion.
[How is this possible!? My Divine Sense is extremely powerful, comparable to that of a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master’s. What kind of person could seamlessly break through the defences of my Knowledge Sea and even send a message directly to my head without me noticing?]
Before Yang Kai could finish processing this thought, his vision blurred and by the time he regained his sight, he had already arrived at High Heaven Palace in the Northern Territory. He turned to the side and saw Li Jiao standing next to him, his brow deeply furrowed. It was clear that he had yet to recover from the side-effects of teleporting across domains. On the other hand, the black puppy stood by his feet with a blank expression. Only Lin Yun’er was missing!
Yang Kai’s expression changed drastically as he hurriedly tried to teleport himself back to check on the situation; however, when he poured his Divine Sense into the Space Array under his feet, he discovered that the connection with the Space Array in the Western Territory had been severed. [That’s impossible! Li Jiao and I have just teleported over! How could the connection be cut off so abruptly?!]
The Space Arrays Yang Kai arranged were all linked together, allowing teleportation between any of them freely. After teleporting about so many times, Yang Kai was certain that nothing was wrong with the array he had arranged, and it was not the kind of thing that would fail so easily. Then, he suddenly recalled the words that had sounded in his head just now and his expression changed again.
[Yun’er must have been picked up by her Master. Does that mean her Master had been following her around all this time? If that wasn’t the case, her Master couldn’t have taken her back in such a timely manner.] In other words, the reason why the connection to the array was cut off was that somebody had destroyed it on purpose. Needless to say, the person who did that was none other than Lin Yun’er’s Master.
Yang Kai cursed in his heart as this was the second time he encountered something like this. The last time it had happened in the Ancient Wild Lands. The array he left in the Ancient Wild Lands had been destroyed by Luan Feng, [I can’t believe this happened to me again!]
[Just who on Earth is Yun’er’s Master?! I can’t believe I didn’t even notice anything even though her Master had been following us for so many days.] Considering all this, Yang Kai couldn’t help leaking cold sweat.
[No! No! That’s not right!] He suddenly remembered that inexplicable sense of hostility he had felt when he was in one of the cities previously. That sense of hostility came and went quickly. At the time, he had dismissed it as part of his imagination. Now, it seemed as though it had not been an illusion but rather hostility from Yun’er’s Master!
[Why was he being hostile towards me?!] The words that had sounded in his head just now were also dyed with some prejudice. It left him feeling puzzled. [I don’t think I did anything to Yun’er that warrants such hostility…]
Upon figuring things out, Yang Kai felt relieved. As long as it wasn’t an issue with the transportation which caused Yun’er to be left behind, then it was fine. [Her Master must be one of the top existences in this world and have his own reasons for taking her back. Besides, I can tell that he cares very much about her from those words just now.]
…..
Lin Yun’er stood alone on the Space Array on the mountain peak in Wind and Cloud Pavilion, a puzzled expression on her face as she looked around. Unable to find anybody, she immediately became anxious and called out, “Uncle Yang! Uncle Yang!”
Nobody answered her so she called a few more times, but the surrounding area remained silent.
“Stop shouting,” a person’s voice suddenly rang out. As soon as the words sounded, a middle-aged man suddenly appeared on the mountain peak.
Lin Yun’er glanced in the direction of the sound and became surprised, “Master? What are you doing here?”
She ran over quickly and looked at the middle-aged man with a smile.
The middle-aged man sighed, “You would have been kidnapped if I hadn’t come. How could I not come?”
He had not planned to show up so soon. He had finally gotten himself a Legacy Disciple; moreover, one he cared about deeply. She had never disappointed him before in all the years that they had spent together and her cultivation had progressed extraordinarily quickly. Therefore, he doted on this little girl very much. All that talk about secretly running away from home was just her wishful thinking. How could she possibly escape from under his nose if he didn’t indulge in her whims?
Lin Yun’er stuck her tongue out. She did not feel any remorse from being caught after running away from home and instead pouted, “Master, you’ve been following me all along.”
That person replied, “The world is a sinister place, but you are such a naïve child. It’s only natural for me to watch over and protect you.”
She snorted angrily, “No wonder. So, the reason why I took that big guy down so easily yesterday is because you helped me from the shadows.”
Lin Yun’er might be simple-minded and naïve, but she was no fool. She had been surprised at how much her ability had suddenly grown yesterday, but at this moment, she quickly understood the reason behind that change. It wasn’t that she had gotten stronger, but rather that her Master had secretly helped her. Otherwise, she could not have absorbed that Divine Spirit descendant in a single move.
When she pointed it out, that person simply smiled and did not deny her words.
“Where did Uncle Yang go?” She then asked.
He replied, “He is billions of thousands of kilometres away by now.” While speaking, he glanced at the Cross-Territory Space Array and secretly felt astonished. In his opinion, Yang Kai’s cultivation of the Dao of Space was already extremely impressive, especially since he could arrange an Array like this. No matter how fastidious he was, he could tell that that brat had a lot of promise. [He will accomplish many things in the future, but so what? How dare he actually try to abduct my Disciple?! I was being generous for Lin Yun’er’s sake by not breaking both his legs!]
“Ah! I need to go find Uncle Yang then!” She became anxious.
“Nonsense!” That person’s expression darkened, “You’ve spent quite a long time outside so it’s time for you to return with me. Don’t neglect your cultivation!”
“I don’t want to! I want to go and find Uncle Yang!” After saying that, she walked onto the Space Array on her own and tried to pour her Emperor Qi into it; however, the Array showed no signs of reacting even though she was trying so hard to activate it that her face was flushed from the effort.
When that person saw her actions, he felt as if a knife was twisting in his heart. [I struggled so hard to raise you and teach you for so many years. I even guided you to become an Emperor Realm Master. I can’t believe I lost to this Uncle Yang that popped out of nowhere! They say that girls are more outgoing, but isn’t this a little too much?!]
He did not have a good impression of Yang Kai in the first place, but now, his impression of Yang Kai became far worse. He was tempted to capture that boy from the other side of the Space Array and torture him to vent his anger.
Taking a deep breath, he suppressed the sorrow in his heart and smiled, “Disciple, let’s discuss something.”
“What?!” She glared at him furiously.
“Do you like that little brat with the surname ‘Yang’?”
“Uncle Yang is someone precious to me.”
“Do you want to find him?”
“Of course! Master, hurry up and come help me with this. I don’t know why this thing isn’t working.”
[Of course, it isn’t working. I secretly cut off the connection. It’d be weirder if it worked!] Naturally, those words could never be said out loud. If she ever heard those words, they would never have a future together anymore.
“I heard what that Uncle Yang of yours said just now. He has a Sect by the name of High Heaven Palace in the Northern Territory, right?” Pausing for a moment, he continued, “Let’s do this. Disciple, when you become a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master, I’ll bring you to that High Heaven Palace in the Northern Territory to look for your Uncle Yang. At that time, you can stay there for however long you want to.”
As soon as she heard those words, her beautiful eyes lit up, “Really?!”
[My heart hurts even more now!] That person forced a smile and nodded gently, “When have I ever lied to you before?”
Lin Yun’er didn’t even bother to think about it and immediately jumped off the Space Array, grabbed her Master’s arm, and started flying forward.
“What are you doing?” He was surprised.
“I’m going back; what else? I have to hurry up and cultivate. Don’t worry, Master, I will surely reach the Third-Order Emperor Realm very soon.”
“En, it’s rare for you to be so motivated. Your Master is very happy. You really are my treasured disciple,” that person replied with a smile; however, the words left a bitter taste in his mouth. [Damn it! Why does it feel like I’ve lost instead?! It’s him! Hmm… That brat was called ‘Yang Kai’, right?! Just you wait!]
…..
“Greetings, Palace Master!”
“Palace Master has returned!
“Quick! Quickly go and inform the Head Manager!”
Several disciples standing guard beside the Space Array in High Heaven Palace were elated to see Yang Kai and clamoured with joy.
They had originally been disciples of Thousand Leaves Sect, but Yang Kai had later taken them into High Heaven Palace after the Thousand Leaves Sect was destroyed. Although they still wore the Thousand Leaves Sect’s emblem, their sense of belonging and identity to High Heaven Palace was growing stronger and stronger as time passed.
Today, all the disciples of Thousand Leaves Sect felt as if they were a part of High Heaven Palace. It was just too comfortable to cultivate here. Not only was the World Energy many times denser here than back at the Thousand Leaves Sect, but there was also no need to worry about cultivation resources. Moreover, the Head Manager did not treat them differently just because they were Thousand Leaves Sect’s disciples.
Only a short period had passed, but the cultivation of the Thousand Leaves Sect’s disciples had increased rapidly. Even the previous Sect Master of Thousand Leaves Sect, Ye Hen, had entered retreat to break through to the Emperor Realm. That was something they could never have imagined before this; however, everything had changed ever since they came to High Heaven Palace. Nowadays, if anybody were to claim that they were not High Heaven Palace’s disciples, they would surely fight those people to death.
Yang Kai wasn’t just the benefactor of Thousand Leaves Sect, he was also the Palace Master of High Heaven Palace. Even so, he rarely showed himself and hardly ever remained in High Heaven Palace for long. He spent most of the time travelling around outside the Sect. Even on the occasional trip home, he would usually leave again soon after staying for only a short while; therefore, Head Manager Hua Qing Si had issued an order a long time ago that she had to be notified as soon as possible whenever Yang Kai returned. That was also why these disciples guarding the array were so excited.
“Hm?” Li Jiao finally recovered from the side-effects of the cross-territory teleportation and looked around in surprise, “Where’s that little girl?”
She was standing next to him just now, so how did she vanish without a trace in the blink of an eye?
Yang Kai replied, “Her Master took her back, so she couldn’t follow us here.”
“Her Master?!” La Jiao’s expression changed considerably as he asked in a terrified voice, “Did that Senior… appear?”
Yang Kai glanced at Li Jiao and curiously asked, “Why do your words sound like you know who Yun’er’s Master is?”
Li Jiao’s expression cramped as he answered honestly, “I have a good guess.”
“Oh?” Yang Kai suddenly became interested, “Who is that person? Let’s hear it.”
He could guess that Lin Yun’er’s Master was by no means an ordinary person and most likely a Great Emperor; however, Yang Kai still did not know who he was. The Great Emperors he came into contact with were few and far between, but it was unlikely for them to have anything to do with her. Still, the fact that Li Jiao had an inkling of who it was surprised him.
Li Jiao pondered in silence for a while before saying, “How much do you know about that girl’s iron wok, Palace Master Yang?”
“It’s my first time seeing it, and I’ve never heard of it before.”
“I see.” Li Jiao nodded, “If you don’t know about that iron wok, then it’s understandable that you couldn’t figure it out, Palace Master Yang.”
“What kind of reputation does that iron wok have?”
Li Jiao solemnly continued, “I’m sure you felt it too, Palace Master Yang, that iron wok, Unlimited Return, is an Ancient Exotic Artifact. Moreover, it can absorb all the treasures in the world when used.”
Yang Kai gently nodded. He had seen the power of Unlimited Return. Lin Yun’er had relied on that strange power to collect hundreds of Artifacts from other people inside the Yin Yang Five Elements Everchanging Profound Sword Formation. It could even be said that the absorption of Divine Spirit’s descendent was not due to her ability but rather due to the Ancient Exotic Artifact’s power.
“As far as I know, that iron wok’s previous owner was the famous… Iron Blood Great Emperor!”
“Iron Blood Great Emperor?!” Yang Kai was shocked.
“That’s right. It is none other than Senior Iron Blood. No one knows how he obtained that Ancient Exotic Artifact, but everyone knows that it is in his possession; however, that story is something from several thousands of years ago. Still, who doesn’t know of Senior Iron Blood’s strength? He is an existence that ranks at the top among all the other Great Emperors. There is almost no one in this world who is his opponent, so he doesn’t have any need to use such treasures. Therefore, Unlimited Return has not surfaced for the past few millennia. Even so, those of the older generation in the Emperor Realm are no strangers to that Ancient Exotic Artifact. I am fairly certain that the iron wok in that girl’s possession is Unlimited Return!”
A strange look flashed in Yang Kai’s eyes, “In other words, Senior Iron Blood is Yun’er’s Master?”
“Yes, the possibility is very high!” Li Jiao nodded affirmatively, “Senior Iron Blood rarely shows himself, so very few people know him. Nevertheless, his cultivation route is very similar to that girl’s, primarily focused on physical techniques and body tempering.”
“En,” Yang Kai thought about it for a while before he continued, “What you say makes sense.”
[Yun’er’s Master is Iron Blood Great Emperor…] That was completely unexpected. It would seem that Yang Yan had taken Yun’er away with her back then so that she could entrust the little girl to Iron Blood Great Emperor. It also made sense for Yun’er’s cultivation to increase so quickly if she was taught by a Great Emperor directly. Rather, it would be much weirder if her cultivation failed to progress quickly under Iron Blood Great Emperor’s guidance considering her own inherent ability and her Tyrant Strength Body.
Yang Kai suddenly thought of something else. Prior to the battle between Heaven Devourer and Bustling World Great Emperor back in the Shattered Star Sea, Duan Hong Chen once casually mentioned that Iron Blood had taken in a good Disciple. Thinking back on it now, it seemed that the good Disciple mentioned back then was referring to Lin Yun’er.
Yang Kai felt happy for the little girl. She had found herself a good Master. With a Great Emperor backing her, who would dare to provoke her? Besides, judging from the words transmitted by Iron Blood Great Emperor just now, it would seem that she was also very important to her Master. It could even be said that he doted on and spoiled her, so much so that it led to some prejudice against Yang Kai.
At that thought, Yang Kai rubbed his nose and couldn’t help feeling rather wronged.
Meanwhile, Li Jiao was sweating profusely by the side. He swallowed nervously and asked fearfully, “Was Senior Iron Blood… following us?”
“Probably,” Yang Kai replied casually.
Li Jiao sweated even more profusely, feeling extremely anxious and guilty. Back when Yang Kai and Lin Yun’er had been trapped within the Formation at Wind and Cloud Pavilion, he had slacked in his battle with Hua Xing until the two of them broke out of the Formation. Only then did he go all out. Even if his act could fool the disciples of Wind and Cloud Pavilion, it certainly could not fool a Great Emperor.
Luckily, the Great Emperor seemed to disdain acting against him for such a petty display; otherwise, he would not have returned alive. The horror of narrowly avoiding the gates of Hell left Li Jiao feeling extremely uncomfortable all of a sudden and he declared, “Palace Master Yang, I should be going now since this matter has been settled. This trip has taken quite a long while and I’m worried about how my Sect is doing, so I would like to go back quickly. May…”
“Go ahead,” Yang Kai waved his hand dismissively.
“Then, I will take my leave!” Li Jiao reacted as if his dreams had come true and he hurriedly fled outside while secretly making a vow in his heart, [I have to watch out for fire, thieves, and Yang Kai! Regardless of the circumstances, I will never go on another trip with Palace Master Yang again! It’s too frightening!]
[Iron Blood Great Emperor! I can’t believe that Yun’er’s Master turned out to be Iron Blood Great Emperor!] Yang Kai stood in place, lost in his thoughts for a long time. Then, he suddenly smiled. Despite feeling slightly regretful over failing to bring Lin Yun’er back, there would always be another chance for them to meet in the future. Now that she had a good Master taking care of her, her path towards the future would never be as thorny and difficult as his.
At that time, Hua Qing Si flew over and smiled at him as she called out from a distance, “Palace Master, you’re back!”
She had rushed over immediately as soon as she received the news while Bian Yu Qing had tagged along too.
Upon landing close by, Bian Yu Qing became rather cautious and cupped her fists respectfully, “Greetings, Palace Master!”
If not for Yang Kai’s help back at Spirit Lake Palace, she might not have had the chance to reach the Emperor Realm. Many things had changed with time. The little brat from back then was now her Palace Master. Moreover, he had provided her with shelter and a paradise to cultivate in. Thus, she couldn’t help feeling slightly embarrassed. Still, she had adapted to her new circumstances very well and was extremely grateful. She had assimilated quite well into High Heaven Palace and gotten very close with Hua Qing Si recently. They were practically like sisters now.
Yang Kai nodded lightly and looking at Hua Qing Si, he said, “Long time no see, Sister Hua. You’ve gotten more beautiful again.”
Hua Qing Si glared at him, but the joy sparkling in her eyes could not be concealed, “You are a Palace Master now so you should speak with some propriety. What would somebody who doesn’t know the full story think if they heard you?”
“I was only speaking the truth,” turning to look at Bian Yu Qing, Yang Kai asked, “How do you like living here so far?”
Bian Yu Qing hurriedly replied, “Thank you for your concern, Palace Master. I am very grateful to you for giving me a place to settle down.”
He gestured dismissively, “You became part of High Heaven Palace the moment you entered High Heaven Palace. You don’t need to be so stiff. This place will be your home from now on.”
Bian Yu Qing fell silent for a moment and smiled.
Then, Hua Qing Si added, “Palace Master, Junior Sister Qing helped out with many things within the palace while you were gone. In fact, regarding the management of a Sect, she is more experienced than I am; therefore, I was thinking of making her the Vice-Manager of High Heaven Palace. It’s just that I have not had the chance to inform you about it.”
“Good,” Yang Kai nodded, “Then, Protector Bian will be the Vice-Manager from now on.”
He instantly made the decision and with that, Bian Yu Qing’s position as Vice-Manager was confirmed.
Although Bian Yu Qing came from a small Sect and her foundation wasn’t as strong as Hua Qing Si’s, she was still a Protector of her previous force. When the Sect Master of Blue Feather Sect, Wu Meng Chuan, had been imprisoned, she and three other Protectors had stepped forward and managed the Sect. Naturally, they accumulated a lot of experience from that incident.
Hua Qing Si honestly learned a lot during the time she had spent with Bian Yu Qing. High Heaven Palace did not have many members at the moment since most of them were actually disciples of Thousand Leaves Sect, but even so, its background was deep and profound, so it was only a matter of time before it became one of the top Sects in the Star Boundary. When that happened, the disciples of the Sect might number tens of thousands. It would definitely require somebody to manage them, and although Hua Qing Si was doing well enough right now, things would only become increasingly difficult in the future.
Bian Yu Qing uttered with trepidation, “Palace Master, I didn’t help out that much! Entering High Heaven Palace has been the greatest stroke of fortune of my life. I will live as a member of High Heaven Palace and die as a member of High Heaven Palace and do everything in my ability to help should the Sect ever require it, but I am not worthy to accept the position of Vice-Manager!”
This wasn’t false humility on Bian Yu Qing’s behalf, it was simply the truth. When she first came to High Heaven Palace, she had not thought too deeply about it and simply felt that it would be a good place to live. Putting aside the fact that she owed Yang Kai a huge favour, the conditions of this land were incomparably better than those of Blue Feather Sect, so cultivating in this place was something any cultivator would yearn for.
As time passed though, Bian Yu Qing gradually learned more about High Heaven Palace’s depths and it was then that she realized she had completely underestimated this small Sect.
Three Monster Kings were guarding this place and each of them could rival a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master in strength. Meanwhile, the Fifth Disciple of Wondrous Pill Great Emperor served as Chief Alchemist of High Heaven Palace. Additionally, the Sect had an Emperor Rank Array Master, an Emperor Rank Artifact Refiner, as well as the Heavenly Tone Palace and the Thousand Illusions Dreamworld…
That wasn’t all. Yang Kai had a close relationship with Ice Heart Valley, a top Sect in the Northern Territory, one that was akin to the bonds of family. Likewise, the other two top Sects, Fire Dragon Palace and Full Sky Sect, owed a huge debt to High Heaven Palace.
On top of that, the Sect had a Cross-Territory Space Array linked directly to the Southern Territory, where it had a close partnership with the Violet Source Chamber of Commerce. Moreover, the annual income of the Sect was several times that of other top Sects.
Rumours even had it that Yang Kai had an ambiguous relationship with a member of the Dragon Clan…
It was hard to imagine that such an impressive heritage belonged to a Sect that had only been established recently. Furthermore, Yang Kai was the one to lay down such a foundation himself.
The more she learned about the Sect, the more frightened she became, so how could she take on the role of Vice-Manager? Not to mention she had just broken through to the Emperor Realm, only a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master would be qualified to take on such a role.
Hence, the moment she heard that Yang Kai wanted her to take on the position of Vice-Manager, she quickly refused. She simply lacked the confidence to fulfil this role.
Hua Qing Si knew what Bian Yu Qing was worrying about though and simply smiled, “We don’t base our positions in the Sect on our cultivation. We only look at who is most competent. Besides, the Palace Master himself is just an arm-flinging shopkeeper. I know how skilful you are, so you can’t turn down the position as Vice-Manager.”
Bian Yu Qing was about to speak again when Yang Kai waved her off, “This matter is settled.”
Then, he turned to look at Hua Qing Si, “Is Zhu Qing back?”
Hua Qing Si shook her head, “No. Didn’t she go to the Frozen Earth?”
Although Yang Kai had returned for a short time the other day, he had left again in a hurry; therefore, Hua Qing Si was completely unaware that he had also gone to the Frozen Earth and experienced so many things there as a result.
Yang Kai frowned upon hearing her reply. He had spent a lot of time in the Western Territory; making his way to Wind and Cloud Pavilion with Lin Yun’er had taken some time after all. Based on his calculations, Zhu Qing should have returned by now, and yet, Hua Qing Si had not seen her around… [Could it be that she was delayed en route?]
That possibility seemed likely after considering it. Hence, he did not inquire further into the matter. In his opinion, Zhu Qing would definitely return to High Heaven Palace once she left the Western Territory. She would, at the very least, come back to check on his situation since they now shared an intimate relationship with each other.
Yang Kai decided to wait for her. Who knows? She might turn up within the next few days.
“Palace Master, did something happen?” Hua Qing Si keenly noticed the strange expression on his face.
“It’s nothing.” He shook his head.
“How long will you be staying here this time, Palace Master?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Would you like to call everyone over to hold a meeting?”
“Good,” Yang Kai nodded. He also felt that he was being too much of an absentee landlord and since it was a rare occasion for him to be back, he ought to bond with everybody else too.
A short while later, a number of figures appeared in the Main Conference Hall of High Heaven Palace, one after another.
Yang Kai sat at the head of the hall. To the left of him was Ji Ying, an Emperor Alchemist. His strength wasn’t the highest here, but his status was special. He was the Fifth Disciple of Wondrous Pill Great Emperor, which made his position far higher than others. Naturally, there were no objections to him sitting in that position.
On Yang Kai’s right sat Xi Lei, a Monster King. The three Monster King’s cultivations were almost on par, but his true strength was greater than the other two. He was ranked very high among the Thirty-Two Monster Kings of the Ancient Wild Lands.
Further down were Ying Fei, Xie Wu Wei, Emperor Array Master Nanmen Da Jun, and Emperor Artifact Refiner Hou Yu. Hua Qing Si and Bian Yu Qing, the Head Manager and Vice-Manager respectively, sat opposite Yang Kai.
A total of nine Emperor Realm Masters were gathered inside the main hall, among which three were Third-Order Emperor Realm Masters. Such a lineup was simply luxurious. The number of Emperor Realm Masters might lose to other top Sects, but no top Sect could compare in terms of quality.
Chi Yue and others were not present. According to Hua Qing Si, they had been training within the Thousand Illusions Dreamworld recently. The distortion of time and space within the Thousand Illusions Dreamworld was special and something irreplaceable for rapid growth.
Everyone knew of the power of the Thousand Illusions Dreamworld and recognized it as a key component of the foundation for the future of High Heaven Palace.
Gathering everybody here wasn’t to discuss anything important. Although High Heaven Palace occupied a massive piece of land, it currently had few members so it was only natural that there were few issues too. Thus, there was no need for Yang Kai to ask about anything in particular.
Ji Ying had been immersed in Alchemy during this period. Yang Kai had given him countless Spirit Herbs, most of which came from the Ancient Wild Lands in the Eastern Territory. Many of the spirit medicines among them were things that Ji Ying had only heard about but had never seen before. Consequently, many Emperor Grade Spirit Pills had been accumulated in recent days, enough to splurge for a while.
On the other hand, Nanmen Da Jun had just finished arranging a new set of Spirit Arrays across the entire High Heaven Palace. He also finished refining the Mountains and Rivers Projection of High Heaven Palace. As soon as the Mountains and Rivers Projection was activated, the entire situation within High Heaven Palace could be seen at a glance. Hence, he had nothing much to do recently.
Only Hou Yu was busy all day long. Since she was a rebellious spirit, she constantly tried to escape every few days. It was a pity that the three Monster Kings took turns to watch over her; thus, she had no hope of fleeing at all. It caused the resentment she held towards the Monster Kings to deepen.
They chatted for a bit before everybody dispersed a short while later.
Yang Kai returned to High Heaven Peak and emptied out his mind for some time. Then, he waved his hand and countless High-Rank Source Crystals filled the room. In the first place, High Heaven Peak was the best Spirit Peak in High Heaven Palace with the densest World Energy. With so many High-Rank Source Crystals in the room, the density of the World Energy was elevated to a whole other level. The World Energy in the room practically began to form mists and was about to condense into a solid substance.
Yang Kai felt incredibly comfortable being enveloped in such dense World Energy. It felt as if his very pores were expanding.
He prepared to cultivate seriously. Ever since he broke through to the Emperor Realm in Shattered Star Sea, his cultivation had been steadily increasing; however, there were no signs of the next breakthrough even though a long time had passed since then.
He always felt as though his next breakthrough was imminent. Unfortunately, there was always something missing at the critical moment that he simply couldn’t identify.
With all of the recent outings he had been on, Yang Kai had not had the time to cultivate in retreat for any appreciable amount of time. For that reason, he wanted to quickly break through to the next realm now that he finally received a rare period of calm.
At present, he was a First-Order Emperor Realm Master and if he used everything at his disposal, he could stand against a Third-Order Emperor. If he was lucky, he might even be able to kill such an opponent. Even so, that was not enough. The higher his cultivation became, the higher the cultivation of enemies he faced rose. It made Yang Kai more aware of his shortcomings.
The Emperor Realm was not the pinnacle of cultivation. There still existed the Great Emperor Realm above the Emperor Realm! And, Yang Kai’s goal was to become a Great Emperor!
Ever since his trip to the Shattered Star Sea, his various experiences had been considerably rich and colourful, especially the years he spent inside the Thousand Illusions Dreamworld. It was simply an opportunity that not just anybody could encounter. It stood to reason that that experience itself should have been enough for him to break through to the Second-Order Emperor Realm, but for some reason, he just couldn’t overcome that last barrier. Therefore, he felt that he needed to work harder so that he could climb to even higher heights in one go.
Inside the room, Yang Kai sat cross-legged and circulated his Secret Arts, causing the rich surrounding World Energy to immediately rush towards him like a river flowing into the sea. It was then absorbed into his pores and distributed through the meridians in his body.
Gradually, the room where Yang Kai sat turned into a vortex that swallowed everything around it. It guided the World Energy that surged towards him from the surroundings before vanishing without a trace.
His cultivation slowly climbed, becoming stronger and stronger. Little by little, signs of a breakthrough appeared. The aura in his body fluctuated, his meridians expanded, and his body trembled.
Yang Kai steadied his mind to prevent external influences from interfering and his expression turned indifferent, neither happy nor sad. His aura simultaneously grew stronger and stronger as time went on.
The shackles of the First-Order Emperor Realm felt like a mountain that was lying directly in his path, with the beautiful scenery in the surroundings and the obstacles along the road to achieving a breakthrough. If Yang Kai were to become distracted by the scenery and stop, his Martial Dao would end then and there. On the other hand, the fierce winds, the thunder, and the lightning at the top of the mountain were the challenges hindering his growth. Many cultivators had stopped in front of these hurdles, leading to a lifetime of regret. Even if they thumped their chest in sorrow later, they would no longer have another chance to try again.
Yang Kai meandered up the winding mountain path without stopping, ignoring all distractions around him. The fierce winds, lightning, and thunder could not stop him at all. He only had one thought lingering in his mind. He wanted to overcome the mountain in front of him and stand at a higher place, overlooking the vast numbers of living beings beneath him.
He did not know how long had passed before a slight change abruptly came over his calm expression. His eyebrows furrowed together slightly. Following that, the changes became more and more obvious.
Finally, he coughed out a mouthful of blood while at the same time, the aura in him that had climbed to its limits suddenly wilted like a dying flower.
If the path to breakthrough was compared to climbing a mountain, then what just happened was equivalent to him rolling down from the top of the mountain. His goal was right before him; all he needed was one more push to overcome all that stood in his way; however, he failed to take the last step. Not only did he fall short of his goal and tumble down the cliff, he also suffered a slight injury from the agitation of his aura.
Yang Kai’s complexion was rather unsightly. Opening his eyes, he glanced at the Source Crystals around him, of which nearly eighty percent had been used up. He reached up with his hand and wiped away the blood at the corners of his mouth before taking out several Emperor Grade Pills and stuffing them into his mouth.
With a wave of his hand, the room was immediately filled with countless High-Rank Source Crystals.
[Again!]
This time around, Yang Kai proceeded even more cautiously than before. In the Emperor Realm, each breakthrough to the next Minor Realm was very difficult and represented a significant increase in strength. Unfortunately, Yang Kai was stuck at the peak of the First-Order Emperor Realm. The threshold of the Second-Order was right at his fingertips, but he kept falling short for some reason. Therefore, he could not take this resentment lying down.
First, he took some time to recover from his wounds and steady his condition. Once all his preparations were complete, he began trying to break through again. The World Energy churned again under his influence while at the same time, the Source Crystals inside the room began to turn into mist and pour into his body.
His aura climbed steadily. It wasn’t fast, but it was a constant increase. In less than half a day, his First-Order Emperor Realm aura began to climb to the peak again. He swiftly used several Secret Techniques to guide the strength in his body to challenge that layer of shackles again.
*Hong…*
A shock reverberated in his soul again and his vision blurred, causing him to feel dizzy. Unable to restrain the sweetness rising in his throat, he spat out another mouthful of blood and his aura deflated once more.
[I was so close!] A flash of determination flitted across his expression as he internally shouted, [Again!]
Ever since Yang Kai began his journey on the Martial Dao, his experience could be described as filled with wonders and tribulations. How many times had he narrowly escaped death? How many times had he created miracles? Compared to everything he faced in the past, what was this small obstacle? He refused to believe that he couldn’t even break through the barrier of the First-Order Emperor Realm.
Another day later, Yang Kai grunted as blood trickled out the corner of his mouth. When he opened his eyes, a sharp light flashed through them. [I was almost there! Again! Just a little more!]
The stubbornness in his bones had been completely triggered. There was a fierce determination burning in his heart as Yang Kai tried again and again, only to fail each time.
[There will always be a chance of success as long as I don’t die!]
…..
Yang Kai did not know how many days passed, but during this time, he challenged his limits again and again only to fail again and again, finally forcing him to accept reality. His cultivation had reached a bottleneck!
After realizing this, Yang Kai took several deep breaths and calmed the surging vitality in his chest. He stopped trying to break through to the next realm and simply sat there cross-legged. He was motionless and expressionless; there was no joy, anger, or sorrow.
Along his journey, he had gone through all kinds of dangers and nearly lost his life countless times; however, this was his first time experiencing something like this. Basically, every breakthrough he went through was a matter of course, occurring naturally and freely when he accumulated enough experience and energy. This was the first time he had ever encountered a bottleneck.
[It feels like I was so, so close. It’s like there’s a thin film blocking me from prying deeper into the mysteries of the Martial Dao. It feels like I can reach out and break it with a touch, but it just won’t break!]
These kinds of situations could not be solved through brute force and determination alone. He had tried several dozen times, so if he could have pushed through with will alone, he would have already.
[Is this the Emperor Realm? The obstacles are truly much harder to overcome than previous realms.] Yang Kai believed that it had something to do with the smoothness of his cultivation up until now. He had never encountered a bottleneck during a breakthrough before; hence, he had never known this helpless feeling either. Over time, this common obstacle finally showed itself in the Emperor Realm. It also gave Yang Kai a taste of what an ordinary cultivator felt like.
The Heavens were truly fair, and the joy of success could only be tasted after experiencing setbacks. Besides, only after experiencing such setbacks could the road of cultivation be considered complete.
Yang Kai was not discouraged. Rather, he considered himself lucky. It was fortunate that the bottleneck had appeared in the First-Order Emperor Realm. Although it seemed difficult to overcome right now, it did not mean that there was no hope. If it had occurred in the Third-Order Emperor Realm, it would have been much more troublesome than this.
After understanding this point, his emotions calmed as he knew that as long as he could overcome this obstacle, his journey on the Martial Dao in the future would be smoother than before.
Yang Kai waved his hand and put away all the remaining Source Crystals in the room before getting up and going outside. Since effort was not enough for him to break through, then it wasn’t a question of effort anymore. It was simply that his opportunity had yet to arrive and he could not force it.
When he pushed open the door, the black puppy lifted its head and looked up at him. Yang Kai did not know how many days the black puppy had been waiting here; however, nothing seemed to have changed with it at all. When it saw him walking out, it simply glanced at him before closing its eyes again and continuing its nap.
Yang Kai used his leg to nudge at it, but it seemed intent on playing dead. Chuckling, his figure flickered and disappeared instantly. When he reappeared again, he had arrived at a different mountain peak.
A loud trio of voices then reached his ears, “Big! Big! Big!”
“Big! Big! Big!”
Yang Kai swept his glance in that direction and saw the three Monster Kings yelling so hard that their faces were flushed. They were staring intently at a dice cup that was being held in Hou Yu’s hands with all her might. A rattling sound came from inside the dice cup. It wasn’t just crisp and pleasant, it was also refreshing and calming. The shaking of the dice cup was accompanied by the rippling of the air which spread out to the surroundings.
Hou Yu, the Chief Emperor Artifact Refiner of High Heaven Palace and the ‘Monkey Grandmaster’ famous throughout Star Boundary, had rolled up her sleeves to reveal her fair and tender arms. She had one foot on a wooden stool, her long skirt fluttering to reveal her calves. It was an extremely indecent posture.
Nevertheless, she ignored her lack of elegance as her beautiful eyes were staring fixedly at the three Monster Kings in front of her. Meanwhile, her hands moved faster and faster, a triumphant expression on her face.
None of them noticed Yang Kai’s arrival as all their attention was fixed on the dice cup, causing his expression to darken with rage.
Yang Kai was well aware of Hou Yu’s gambling addiction. Back then, she incurred a huge debt of Source Crystals because of this vice. In the end, she was cornered on an island, relying on the Spirit Array Nanmen Da Jun had arranged for her years ago to avoid being tracked down. This continued until Yang Kai had rescued her out of there. Otherwise, she would still be stuck on the island right now.
He had recruited her into High Heaven Palace because of her skills as an Emperor Artifact Refiner, and in regards to that particular aspect, she had not disappointed him. She had easily refined the Flowing Clouds Shuttle for him.
Not a day went by since Hou Yu entered High Heaven Palace that she did not wish to escape though. Unfortunately, there were three Monster Kings taking turns guarding her, so how could she hope to escape? Oftentimes, she was captured before she could even leave the gates of High Heaven Palace.
But now, it seemed like this woman was a terrible influence. Who did these three Monster Kings think they were? How could they be dragged into gambling with her!?
Looking at how they were behaving, it was clear that they were extremely into it as well; thus, Yang Kai suddenly became a little worried for High Heaven Palace. It felt like the Sect’s future was becoming uncertain.
[Was it the right choice to recruit Hou Yu?] He glanced at the dice cup again, and his expression darkened further. [That damn thing is an Emperor Artifact! What’s more; it’s an Emperor Rank Artifact that can prevent Divine Sense probing!]
Thinking about it though, it made sense. The Monster Kings were all very powerful so what could they gamble on if she could not prevent them from seeing the results beforehand with their Divine Senses?
“Place your bets!” Hou Yu shook the dice cup for a long time before slapping the dice cup down on the stone table in front of her. She had a sneer on her face as she glanced over at the three Monster Kings. Her posture was full of confidence, as if she was undefeated in this world.
“Open it! Hurry up!” Xi Lei urged.
“Xiao Hou, you better refine my Eagle Claw carefully if you lose!” Ying Fei smiled.
“Me? Lose? How can I lose? You must be joking!” Hou Yu sneered.
Xie Wu Wei added, “Don’t forget about me!”
She snorted, “Don’t worry. Just leave your Crab Shell to me if I actually lose.”
“Good good, quickly open it!”
“Are you sure?!”
“We’re sure!”
“Then look carefully!” Hou Yu’s eyes flashed madly as she lifted the cup and revealed three carefully crafted dice.
Upon looking at the dice, the three Monster Kings smiled widely. On the other hand, Hou Yu’s expression changed. She looked like she had a layer of frost on her face, like her parents had just died.
“Xiao Hou, don’t forget about your promise!” Xi Lei grinned.
Hou Yu turned her head away with a furious expression. She was just about to say something when her expression changed in an instant to the most forced smile possible as she stuttered, “P-P-Palace Master, you came! Why didn’t you say something?”
After Hou Yu said that, the three Monster Kings finally noticed Yang Kai’s presence and hurriedly cupped their fists and saluted him, looking extremely embarrassed.
Ying Fei nimbly and swiftly put the dice cup and the dice on the stone table away.
All three Monster Kings and one Emperor Artifact Refiner were not doing their jobs properly. Instead, they had gathered here to gamble and were caught red-handed by Yang Kai. It truly was too outrageous.
“En, I sensed that you were all here, so I came to see what was happening,” Yang Kai replied nonchalantly.
Xi Lei hurriedly asked, “Young Master Yang, do you have any instructions for us?”
“Nope!” Yang Kai did not mention anything about their gambling as he reached out his hand and captured Hou Yu who was trying to sneak away.
“Palace Master… I won’t do it again…” Hou Yu was being held like a chicken in Yang Kai’s hand. Hence, she forced an ingratiating smile on her face, “Please forgive me just this once. I will go back to Artifact Refining immediately. Didn’t you bring back many precious materials for me recently? Don’t worry; you can leave it all to me.”
Yang Kai released her and asked, “What do you do when you encounter a bottleneck in your cultivation and cannot break through?”
“Huh?”
“A bottleneck?”
“What bottleneck?”
The three Monster Kings stared at Yang Kai in puzzlement. They had not expected him to ask such an off-topic question out of the blue.
Ying Fei replied, “We never encounter bottlenecks.”
Yang Kai stared at Ying Fei in surprise, “Not even once?”
Xi Lei chuckled, “Young Master Yang, we of the Monster Race are dependent on our bloodline and our Sources. We are different from Humans. Our bloodline and our Sources basically determine the height we can achieve in our lives. Of course, there are some outliers and unexpected opportunities, but generally speaking, those from the Monster Race do not experience bottlenecks in their cultivation.”
“Indeed,” Xie Wu Wei nodded in agreement, “The cultivation of those of the Monster Race are basically based on our innate talent. It’s different from the Secret Arts cultivated by Humans, so the term ‘bottleneck’ doesn’t hold any meaning for us.”
“Right, I forgot that part about the Monster Race!” Yang Kai nodded before glancing at Hou Yu, “What about you?”
“Me?” Hou Yu had yet to recover from her panic and fear, so when she saw Yang Kai focusing on her, she smiled in embarrassment, “Palace Master, I am an Artifact Refiner so I don’t pay much attention to my cultivation. I don’t even know how I managed to become an Emperor Realm Master… So, this question of yours… is a little out of my realm of expertise…”
“So, you’ve never encountered a bottleneck before?” He glanced at her incredulously.
“No, I have, I think…” she dived into her memories for a moment before nodding, “En, I did.”
“How did you break through?”
“I just waited, I guess. I practised Artifact Refining or gambled… When the time was right, I naturally broke through to the next realm.”
Yang Kai groaned in response before nodding lightly.
“Young Master Yang…” Ying Fei looked at Yang Kai and hesitated.
“It’s nothing. You can continue,” Yang Kai smiled before he flickered and instantly disappeared out of sight. Just like how he had appeared silently, he left without a trace either.
“Did Young Master Yang encounter a bottleneck in his cultivation?” Xi Lei murmured thoughtfully.
“Probably,” Xie Wu Wei nodded, “I heard that he has been cultivating in retreat over the past few days, but his cultivation remains unchanged, so it might be true that he has encountered a bottleneck.”
Ying Fei remarked, “Humans have Secret Arts and Secret Techniques to help in their cultivation so their strength generally increases much faster than we of the Monster Race; however, they might not be able to move forward if they encounter a bottleneck that is very difficult for them to break through. I hope Young Master Yang will not be stuck in the First-Order Emperor Realm.”
Xi Lei added, “He is still young. It’s not a big deal for him to encounter a bottleneck. Besides, who doesn’t suffer from setbacks in life? With Young Master Yang’s talent and fortitude, he would surely make it through this ordeal.”
“Hopefully.”
“Are we still gambling?” Hou Yu glanced at the three Monster Kings pitifully, clearly itching to continue.
Xi Lei glanced sideways at her and asked, “What else do you have that you can afford to bet?”
Hou Yu considered it for a moment but found that she had no answer to that statement.
…..
Medicine Pill Peak was one of the Main Peaks of High Heaven Palace. Both the landscape and the World Energy were not inferior to that of High Heaven Peak. It was also the place where Ji Ying, the Fifth Disciple of Wondrous Pill Great Emperor and the Chief Alchemist of High Heaven Palace, lived.
Yang Kai heard a gentle voice when he arrived. It sounded like somebody was preaching the Alchemic Dao. Glancing over, he saw a person who was speaking eloquently and passionately while sitting cross-legged at the top of the peak. In front of that person sat more than ten cultivators of different realms. They were listening attentively with pensive expressions.
These cultivators were disciples of Thousand Leaves Sect who were interested in learning the Alchemic Dao and who had come here to study the craft from a true Master. It was too bad that Ji Ying’s status as one of the few Emperor Alchemists in the Star Boundary made it impossible for him to teach them. Even if he had the heart to do so, chances were they wouldn’t understand what he meant.
At this moment, the person giving the lecture was a disciple of Ji Ying. Yang Kai greeted him, knowing that he was a Dao Source Grade Alchemist with a solid foundation.
“Brother Yang, you’re here! Please come in quickly!” Ji Ying’s voice suddenly sounded in Yang Kai’s ears. It was obvious that he had noticed Yang Kai’s presence.
Yang Kai smiled slightly and walked into a large hall that was filled with heat waves from a Pill Fire that was burning brightly. Ji Ying was standing next to an Alchemy Furnace that stood in the middle of the hall with a smile on his face. When he saw Yang Kai approaching, he cheerfully exclaimed, “Brother Yang, you came at just the right time! I was looking for you recently, but Manager Hua told me that you were cultivating in retreat and I didn’t want to disturb you.”
“Do you need something from me, Brother Ji?” Yang Kai asked curiously.
“It’s like this. I’m preparing to refine the Nine Heavens Good Fortune Pill, but there are some obscure elements regarding the condensing of the medicinal liquid and the engraving of the pill arrays, and I wanted to ask you for some advice.”
“The Nine Heavens Good Fortune Pill?!” Yang Kai was surprised to hear what Ji Ying said. Needless to say, he knew of this Emperor Grade Pill. It was one of the most difficult Spirit Pills to refine, and even if an Emperor Alchemist went all out, they might not succeed. Although Ji Ying was the Fifth Disciple of Wondrous Pill Great Emperor, he was obviously not on the same level as his Master; thus, he was not certain he would succeed in refining such a difficult Spirit Pill. Yang Kai was the only person he could discuss such topics with in the entire High Heaven Palace.
“I don’t dare to give advice, but I happen to have some time on my hands. Why don’t we study the problem together?” Yang Kai said modestly.
“I was hoping for that. With your help, Brother Yang, refining this Spirit Pill shouldn’t be a problem,” Ji Ying was overjoyed.
Three days later, Yang Kai walked out of Medicine Pill Peak looking tired, but his eyes were extremely bright.
As he walked off, his expression suddenly changed into a wry smile. [I came here to ask Ji Ying about the way to overcome a bottleneck in cultivation but instead got dragged into studying the refinement process of the Nine Heavens Good Fortune Pill. I can’t believe I even forgot about what I wanted to ask…]
Ji Ying had already started the Alchemy process, so it wasn’t convenient to bother him at this point. Besides, he might not have an answer even if he was asked about this matter. Ji Ying’s situation was similar to that of Hou Yu’s after all, where his focus was not his realm, but the Alchemic Dao. Neither of these two probably thought much of it even if they did encounter a bottleneck during their cultivation, so they would not have much experience in this area.
Sighing, Yang Kai raised his gaze and looked around. [Even though High Heaven Palace is so large, I don’t have anybody I can talk to.]
At that moment, several beautiful figures flashed across his mind and a wave of loneliness washed over him.
A long while later, he stepped forward and vanished from the spot. When he reappeared, he had already arrived at the Space Array.
“Greetings, Palace Master!” The disciples guarding the Array quickly saluted him.
He nodded in acknowledgement before stepping onto the platform.
One of the disciples asked, “Palace Master, are you going out? When will you be back? The Head Manager might ask about this.”
“I’m going to Ice Heart Valley,” Yang Kai answered before pushing his Space Principles, after which a bright light instantly wrapped around him.
Yang Kai’s figure appeared at Ice Heart Valley’s Restricted Area, the Ice Lake, in the next moment. As soon as he appeared, a feminine voice rang out, “Are you from High Heaven Palace?”
“Yes!” Yang Kai replied.
This Array was only connected to Ice Heart Valley and High Heaven Palace, making it quite easy to travel between the two places. Therefore, only the people of High Heaven Palace could use the Array to teleport here. Even so, the disciples of Ice Heart Valley guarding the Array had to verify this fact upon seeing the Array being activated.
After confirming that it was somebody from High Heaven Palace, the disciple stepped forward, but when she saw his face, she blurted out, “P-P-Palace Master Yang?!”
Yang Kai looked at her but did not recognize her. She was a young girl with a babyface. Although she looked only eighteen or nineteen years old, her cultivation was in the First-Order Dao Source Realm so she was clearly older than that.
At this moment, the young woman looked very surprised and her beautiful eyes flashed with a strange brilliance, almost as if she was welcoming home a long lost family member.
“Do you know me?” Yang Kai cocked his head to the side and asked.
The young woman explained excitedly, “Everybody in Ice Heart Valley knows you!”
Her response made Yang Kai sweat slightly, but thinking about it, it wasn’t that surprising; after all, when Ice Heart Valley was besieged by Seeking Passion Sect, he had brought the Monster Kings here and turned the tide of the battle. Many Ice Heart Valley’s disciples had seen him in that battle, and even if they did not witness it themselves, they would still hear some information about it from their fellow disciples.
“Palace Master Yang, did you come to speak to Ancestral Founder? Or, did you come to find… Martial Aunt Ji Yao?” Everyone in Ice Heart Valley knew that Yang Kai and Ji Yao had a close relationship; moreover, the only reason their missing Third Martial Aunt was able to return to the Sect was that Yang Kai had brought her back. It was rumoured that she had experienced a lot of hardship outside the Sect over the years.
“I’m here to meet Senior Bing Yun,” Yang Kai said politely.
“I’ll relay your request then!” The disciple hurriedly took out her communication artifact and poured some Divine Sense into it. A moment later, she beckoned, “Palace Master Yang, please follow me.”
“Many thanks!”
While following this disciple, Yang Kai encountered many Ice Heart Valley’s disciples along the way. Their cold yet alluring nature was simply beautiful. Indeed, it was as this young woman guiding him had mentioned, all the Ice Heart Valley’s disciples recognized him. Most of them bowed deeply at the sight of him while others gathered from afar to point at him and murmur among themselves. Yang Kai did not know what they were saying, but from the way they were acting it was obvious they weren’t making malicious remarks.
Ice Heart Valley was a female-only Sect. Only women could be found here and men were basically not allowed to set foot in this place. That was to say, only Yang Kai would receive such courteous treatment in this place. If it had been any other man, they would have been cut into ten thousand pieces a long time ago.
The scenery in the valley was stunning, and the World Energy was dense. Combined with the countless beauties around, any man would wish to linger in this place.
The female disciple leading the way seemed to be very proud of the fact that she was the one escorting Yang Kai and occasionally chatted with him along the way, arousing the envy of many within the Sect.
After a short walk, they came to a great palace where that female disciple stopped walking and said, “Palace Master Yang, please go inside. Ancestral Founder is waiting for you.”
“Many thanks!”
The female disciple hurriedly waved her hand in dismissal, “Palace Master Yang, please don’t be so formal with me. It was not trouble for me at all.”
As Yang Kai stepped forward, a beautiful figure suddenly appeared in front of him, blocking his way.
He looked up and a cold yet beautiful face entered his vision. The graceful figure was slender, and her white skirt fluttered in the wind. She looked like an immortal fairy that had descended into the mortal world. A refreshing fragrance wafted into his nose, clearly this woman’s natural scent, and a very pleasing one at that.
“Junior Sister Yao, it’s been a while. I trust that you’ve been well since we last met!” Yang Kai smiled at her lightly.
Ji Yao nodded lightly, sweeping her eyes over him before parting her red lips to utter a sentence that nearly made him spit blood in response, “I see you are still alive, Senior Brother.”
“Haha…” The corners of his mouth twitched, “Many thanks for your concern, Junior Sister. I’m doing well.”
“Where have you been all this time?” She asked.
“Just wandering around,” he replied offhandedly, feeling guilty for some reason.
Speaking of which, he had barely met with Ji Yao after he annihilated Seeking Passion Sect as he had been busy running around all this time; however, Hua Qing Si would always mention that Ji Yao was looking for him during his rare trips back to High Heaven Palace. Each time he had remained in High Heaven Palace for a while after hearing that; unfortunately, he would leave again before he had the opportunity to meet her.
[I believe Hua Qing Si also mentioned that Ji Yao was looking for me again when I returned this time.]
There had been many misunderstandings between him and Ji Yao.
Ji Yao had not been in the right state of mind while wandering about in the Ancient Wild Lands of the Eastern Territory. During that period, she somehow mistakenly identified Yang Kai as Bing Yun. As a result, some embarrassing incidents occurred. Even now, Yang Kai could recall the shocking scene he had witnessed in Luan Feng’s bathing room.
Seeing her at this moment instantly caused that shocking image to pop up in his mind again.
Fortunately, she later regained her senses from the shock of meeting the real Bing Yun. Regardless, Yang Kai still felt somewhat guilty when facing her as he was certain that she remembered those embarrassing incidents as well. Nevertheless, she never mentioned them and he was not foolish enough to mention them either.
Ji Yao looked at him coolly for a moment before the corners of her mouth lifted, “How many flowers have you picked this time?” Then, she actually sniffed the air around him a little and nodded, “Mm, very fragrant.”
Yang Kai felt even more guilty and quickly wiped at the cold sweat on his forehead before he smiled brightly, “Junior Sister, what are you saying…”
While speaking, he snuck a sniff of his aura and thought to himself, [It has been so long, so how could Zhu Qing’s scent possibly still be on me?]
“Is Yang Kai here? Come in if you’ve arrived. Why are you still standing outside?” Bing Yun’s voice suddenly called out from inside the palace.
When he heard Bing Yun’s voice, Yang Kai reacted as if he had received a Heavenly pardon and made some non-committal sounds before hurriedly rushing inside. Meanwhile, Ji Yao gave him a vicious look, one that made him feel as if a knife was stabbing into his back.
Upon entering the room, Yang Kai hastily greeted Bing Yun.
In response, Bing Yun studied him with a smile before nodding to Ji Yao, who had followed him into the room. Shen then gently said to him, “You’re not an outsider. Please, have a seat.”
Yang Kai thanked her graciously before sitting down opposite her.
On the other hand, Ji Yao knelt by the side with an indifferent expression. She took out a tea set and started making preparations without saying anything. Clearly, she was very familiar with the process and it would appear she was also quite skilful at it.
“When did you return?” Bing Yun asked warmly.
“I came back two months ago,” he replied.
Ji Yao’s hands paused slightly in their movements when she heard those words. Lifting her head, she looked in his direction and happened to meet his gaze. He saw the hint of blame in her eyes when their gazes collided in mid-air. She initially thought that he had just returned not long ago but how could she have known he had been back for two months now, yet she had received no word from him?
Yang Kai immediately retracted his gaze and straightened his back somewhat awkwardly.
“Have you been well, Senior?” Yang Kai desperately looked for a topic to fill the silence.
Bing Yun smiled, “En, I’ve been fine.”
That was not a statement made out of politeness, but rather just the plain truth. Ever since Yang Kai helped Ice Heart Valley tide over its crisis, the Sect had been progressing by leaps and bounds. Now that the Sect had a close relationship with High Heaven Palace, who in the entire Northern Territory dared to be discourteous towards them? Ice Heart Valley used to be one of the top Sects in the Northern Territory, but Bing Yun had been missing for many years. During that time, the Sect had been managed by Bing Yun’s disciples who, despite being stronger, were not as powerful as their Master. Combined with the fact that they were all women, they were constantly looked down upon or coveted, sometimes both. The so-called title of being one of the top Sects in the Northern Territory was nothing more than a name on paper. If this was not the case, Seeking Passion Sect would not have dared to attack Ice Heart Valley.
However, things were different now. High Heaven Palace had become one of the most prestigious Sects in the Northern Territory, second only to Medicine Pill Valley. Consequently, Ice Heart Valley had also benefited from being connected with High Heaven Palace. Nobody dared to provoke an Ice Heart Valley disciple when she went out anymore.
Bing Yun asked, “I heard that Wondrous Pill Great Emperor invited you to the Medicine Pill Valley. Have you gone yet?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “Not yet. I’ve been caught up with some trivial matters recently, so I have not had the time to go pay my respects.”
She advised, “The Great Emperor’s invitation should not be neglected. You should head there once you have the time. It will benefit you greatly if you can receive guidance from any Great Emperor.”
“En, you’re right.” Yang Kai nodded.
The two chatted for a bit and a short while later, the tea was ready. Ji Yao poured a cup for each person, and then sat there quietly.
Taking a sip of the tea, Yang Kai praised her, “This tea is delicious. Junior Sister, your tea-making skills are impressive.”
His flattering words did not seem to have any effect as she gave no response whatsoever. Hence, Yang Kai gave a dry cough and continued to drink.
Bing Yun chuckled, “Did you run into trouble?”
Yang Kai was startled before he responded with a wry smile, “Senior certainly has sharp eyes.”
To which she replied with a smile, “You seemed absent-minded, like you were lost in your own thoughts. I’d be blind if I couldn’t even see that.”
Yang Kai gave a faint nod, “I did run into something troublesome.”
Upon hearing those words, Ji Yao looked up at him and stared fixedly. Bing Yun followed up, “If you don’t mind, you may discuss it with me. I might not be able to help you, but I can at least listen.”
Yang Kai’s expression became solemn, “I seem to have encountered a bottleneck in my cultivation.”
“Oh?” She looked at him in surprise.
“I have been cultivating in retreat recently and I can clearly tell that I’m very close to breaking through, but I just can’t seem to grasp that vague opportunity.”
“And?” She asked.
“And that’s what’s been troubling me so,” he sighed helplessly.
Bing Yun failed to stifle her laughter and asked, “Is that all?”
Yang Kai looked speechlessly as he thought, [This is a huge deal to me!]
Seeing his face, Bing Yun laughed once more and tried to give him some sense of comfort, “I don’t know your exact age, but if I were to guess, you don’t seem a day over a hundred.”
He nodded affirmatively, “More or less,” while thinking to himself, [I don’t even remember how old I am anymore…]
Bing Yun then continued, “For most mortals, such an age is indeed close to the end of their lifespan, some might even have passed away already, but for cultivators like us, such an age is just the beginning. You have already reached the First-Order Emperor Realm despite how young you are; moreover, you climbed your way up from a lower Star Field. Just that alone is enough for you to be considered an unparalleled genius.”
“You are praising me too much, Senior.”
She shook her head, “I’m not praising you; it’s simply the truth. Do you know how long it took me to cultivate to the First-Order Emperor Realm?” Before he could answer, she raised a finger and continued, “A thousand years. I cultivated for a whole thousand years! Compared with your achievements, my aptitude for cultivation is insignificant.”
Yang Kai felt ashamed as he muttered, “How can I compare myself with you, Senior.”
Then, she pointed to Ji Yao, “Do you know how long it took for your Junior Sister Yao to reach the Emperor Realm?”
Yang Kai looked at Ji Yao curiously.
Ji Yao raised her hand, picked up the teapot, and poured a cup for Bing Yun while speaking softly, “Master, please have some tea!”
Bing Yun smiled and did not continue with the previous line of conversation. Instead, she focused back on the primary subject, “To be so accomplished at your age… I’m sure you’ve gotten accustomed to a smooth-sailing journey.”
[Did I have a smooth-sailing journey?] He considered it briefly. [It doesn’t feel like everything has been going smoothly for me. Rather, it feels like the journey was very difficult and bumpy.]
“That’s why you feel like it is a serious matter now that you’ve encountered a bottleneck.” Bing Yun smiled, “But in my opinion, this is nothing to be concerned over. Who doesn’t experience a bottleneck or two when cultivating? Who doesn’t encounter setbacks during their growth? A blade gets sharper the more it is honed, the same goes for cultivators. Bottlenecks and setbacks are just tools for polishing yourself…”
“Senior’s words make sense,” Yang Kai nodded.
Bing Yun then narrowed her eyes slightly and abruptly remarked, “Though, that does not really seem to be your main cause of concern. You aren’t worried about the bottleneck you encountered.”
Yang Kai now looked at her in amazement.
She smiled, “You have long understood what I mean, and you also know that you will break through this bottleneck sooner or later. You are worried about something else.”
“What do you mean?” He looked at her strangely.
She continued to smile enigmatically, her piercing gaze seemingly burning a hole into him to the point he felt uncomfortable. Then, all of a sudden, she advised, “Follow what your heart tells you.”
After saying that, she closed her eyes and gestured for him to leave.
Yang Kai’s eyes flashed and he pondered in silence for some time before picking up the cup in front of him and downing its contents. Following that, he stood up and bowed, “Many thanks, Senior.”
Bing Yun gave no reply, so he simply turned to Ji Yao and added, “Goodbye, Junior Sister Yao.” He then strode out in large strides.
Ji Yao stared at his back as he left and did not chase after him. She waited until he left before speaking, “Master, what happened to Senior Brother Yang?”
“I don’t know,” Bing Yun shook her head slowly. “But, he must have been hesitating about something. That bottleneck issue is just an excuse for him to avoid that.”
“So, Senior Brother Yang didn’t encounter a bottleneck?”
“The bottleneck is indeed there, and the opportunity for him to break through that bottleneck hasn’t arrived yet, but he understands that such an opportunity will come in due time. However, the other matter he is worrying about isn’t something as easily resolved.”
Ji Yao looked out, wondering what Yang Kai was hesitating over.
Yang Kai stood in Ice Heart Valley, summoned the Flowing Clouds Shuttle, boarded, and disappeared in a flash of light. He did not return to High Heaven Palace through the Space Array because his goal for this trip was not located in the Northern Territory. His goal was in the Eastern Territory; Dragon Island!
Zhu Qing never came back. At first, he assumed that she had been delayed on her way; however, it had been two months since he returned to High Heaven Palace. In other words, she must have returned to Dragon Island.
Yang Kai had been hesitant to go to Dragon Island to find her; but even so, he had been looking forward to Zhu Qing’s return to High Heaven Palace. They were now husband and wife, their relationship inseparable. Unfortunately, there had been no news even after waiting for so long, so it left him feeling rather uncomfortable.
[What are you trying to do? Are you trying to make us into a couple with a short-lived relationship? You can’t just eat your fill then not pay! Just you wait for me, little girl, I’m going to find you, and when I do I’ll spank you hard!] He vowed ruthlessly in his heart. Recalling what she had said to him before, he smiled coldly.
He knew that she had made this choice for his sake; however, he was not convinced that it was the right choice nor could he accept her decision. [I’m a man. I don’t need her protection.]
Yang Kai had been hesitating between waiting for Zhu Qing to come back and going to Dragon Island to find her. At this moment, he finally made his decision.
Fire Dragon Palace, the back of a certain mountain, the scenery was as beautiful and refreshing as a spring day.
Li Jiao was strolling leisurely in a flower garden, feeling at ease. Beside him, a young woman in a fine dress accompanied him on his stroll. Their fingers were tightly intertwined, and they looked very intimate. She gently snuggled against him with a contented smile on her face.
She was dressed in red; her face was like a peach blossom; her skin was fair, tender, and delicate. Her eyes had an unconcealable charm to them, and her gaze was so elegant that it was breathtaking.
The Dragonic Nature was a lustful one, and even though Li Jiao was not a Pureblood of the Dragon Clan, this trait was not absent in him. It gave him an extremely high libido as a result. As such, he had many wives and concubines in Fire Dragon Palace. Despite his numerous wives and concubines though, his favoured consort was undoubtedly Lady Hong, the woman currently standing next to him.
In the past, he would be intimate with Lady Hong whenever he had the free time, and as Lady Hong was well aware that her life’s happiness was tied to Li Jiao, she was dutiful and dedicated herself to pleasing him.
It could be said that none of the other wives and concubines he had could compete with her for his love. It used to be so, and it was even more so right now.
Lady Hong could tell that Li Jiao pampered her even more than before ever since he returned to Fire Dragon Palace two months ago. Even though he had always treated her very well, things had obviously changed a lot recently. He had not separated himself from her for two whole months, leisurely spending each day with her. It indicated just how important she was to him.
She could keenly feel the change in him, but she was wise and did not question him about it; instead, she took the opportunity to completely capture his body and his heart by showing him how gentle and loving she was.
“Palace Master, that flower is so beautiful,” she suddenly pointed to a big red blossom with a loving smile.
“Do you like it?” His tone was extremely gentle as he looked at her with a smile.
“Yes, I love it!” She nodded lightly, acting like a weak and obedient woman.
Smiling, Li Jiao stretched out his hand, plucked the flower, and turned to her.
She glanced at him with joy, lowering her head slightly as she allowed him to insert the flower into her hair. When she looked back up, she turned her head left and right, pursed her lips, and asked with a smile, “Is it pretty?”
Reaching out his hand to pinch her delicate face, Li Jiao couldn’t help but nod, “It looks beautiful, but you look even more beautiful.”
Upon hearing those words, she felt as if her heart was overflowing with sweetness. It made her entire body feel light and fluttery yet she still pretended to sulk and ask, “Palace Master, why do you only know how to tease me?”
[The Palace Master has really changed a lot recently! I wonder what he experienced outside. He treats me even better than before after his return and has become much gentler.] In the past, he would have gone into retreat to cultivate; however, he had not shown any interest in cultivating for the past two months and simply took her out on trips all day long, making the rest of his wives and concubines green with envy and jealousy. They claimed that she had snatched all his favour away.
“Hong’er, I will stay with you like this from now on, okay?” He asked softly, the reflection in his eyes as he looked at her was filled with nothing but her face.
Her tender body trembled, and when their eyes met, hers reddened slightly as she said emotionally, “I can’t keep you for that long, Palace Master. You still need to cultivate.”
“Cultivate? Why bother?” He sneered, “My cultivation journey has come to an end. I will never cultivate again in the future! I’ll spend all my time looking at flowers with you until we grow old together.”
Those words were like sharp swords piercing her heart. She was so moved by them that she couldn’t stop her tears from flowing out.
“Why are you crying?” Lifting his hand, Li Jiao wiped away the string of pearl-like tears on her face and chuckled, “It is said that women are made from water. It seems that saying is true.”
“Palace Master, you are so kind to me. Hong’er is happy,” she gently snuggled in his arms and soon a small patch of wetness appeared on his robes. Li Jiao had been very good to her in the past, but he had never been so sweet before. She immediately felt as though she had entrusted her life to the right person and no longer had any regrets left.
“What is this? We still have a long future ahead of us.” Li Jiao smiled, reaching out to pat her on the back with a gentle and rhythmic motion.
She squirmed in his arms and shyly whimpered, “Palace Master… I want…”
Li Jiao suddenly became energetic when he heard those words, raising his brow as he asked teasingly, “What do you want?”
Lady Hong pouted, hammered her tender fists against his chest, and coyly cried out, “Palace Master, you are so awful!”
Li Jiao roared with laughter, but all of a sudden, his voice caught in his throat and his expression darkened as he whipped his head and shouted, “Who goes there?!”
When he looked over, he saw that an extra person had appeared by the rockery at some point in time. That person crouched there quietly, watching the intimacy between him and Lady Hong with relish.
As soon as he saw that person’s face clearly, Li Jiao felt as if his soul escaped his body from fright and he cried out in a markedly higher pitched voice, “You…”
“Hello!” Yang Kai smiled and raised his hand in greeting, “I haven’t seen you in two months, but you are still the same, Brother Li!”
“Ah!” Lady Hong was startled and quickly jumped out of Li Jiao’s arms. Looking in the direction of the sound, her face turned bright red. [This person must have heard what I said just now!] Thinking back on how indecent she had been, she wished that the ground would open up for her to jump in. Her shame soon turned to anger as she stomped her feet and yelled, “Who are you?! How can you be so discourteous?!”
The words had just left her mouth when Li Jiao pulled her behind him. She had never met Yang Kai before, so she did not know him; however, Li Jiao knew Yang Kai very well.
“Palace Master Yang…” He sounded almost close to tears, “When did you come? You should have said something.”
[If I had to name one person who I never wanted to meet again for the rest of my life, it would definitely be this boy! Even the Dragon Clan cannot compare to this walking ill omen!] This person was practically Li Jiao’s nightmare, as well as his natural enemy!
Anytime he got involved with him, he would definitely suffer. The experience he went through recently was the best proof there was. It was simply an unbearable memory.
“I’ve been here for a while. I apologize for interrupting your fun. Please forgive me!” Yang Kai laughed.
[Apologize for interrupting my fun?! Don’t you feel embarrassed secretly spying on us?!] Li Jiao retorted in his heart. Even so, he did not dare to show anything in his expression and simply stared at Yang Kai cautiously, “Palace Master Yang… Why did you come here?”
“You can continue. I’m not in a hurry. We can talk when you’re done.”
Li Jiao’s expression turned frigid as he cursed to himself, [You completely ruined the atmosphere. What do you mean by continue?!] Then, he resentfully said, “Palace Master Yang, please get straight to the point. I’ll say this first, if you are here to collect your debt, then we have nothing to discuss.”
“I’m not here about the debt. Why do you always assume I’m here about that?” Yang Kai waved his hand dismissively before he stood up from the rockery with a serious expression and quickly said, “I just wanted to ask you for a favour, Brother Li!”
*Gudong….*
Li Jiao gulped hard. [Why do those words sound… so horrendously familiar!?]
The last time Yang Kai came to Fire Dragon Palace, he had said something similar. Because of that, Li Jiao was dragged to the Frozen Earth, entered the Revolving World, and wandered about the Western Territory. During that time, he faced countless life-and-death situations and nearly lost his life on multiple occasions. That experience was far too rich and colourful for his taste.
[I’ve lived for so many years and been through all sorts of hardships, but all the hardships I experienced have never been as crazy as one particular trip! And, you want me to do it again?! Are you insane?! All I owe you are some Source Crystals, so why do you have to bully me like this?!] He was tempted to simply fight it out with Yang Kai on the spot. Even if he died, it would still be better than being constantly tormented like this.
Still, those thoughts remained as mere fanciful thoughts as Li Jiao knew that he was definitely not Yang Kai’s match. The bloodline suppression could not be overcome with willpower alone.
“If I may humbly say, my strength is not high so I’m afraid I won’t be able to help you much, Palace Master Yang.” Li Jiao didn’t even have the intention to ask about the favour and simply refused it outright.
[I never want to get involved with you ever again! I want to live the rest of my days freely and peaceful, regardless of how much turmoil the world outside is in. I just want to live and grow old with my beloved!]
Yang Kai solemnly continued, “I want to go somewhere, and I need you to help me, Brother Li.”
[Damn it, are you ignoring me?! Didn’t you hear what I said?!] Feeling sad and angry at the same time, he muttered through gritted teeth, “Palace Master Yang, I’ve been very clear with you. I’m afraid I can’t help you with your favour, so please…”
“I want to go to Dragon Island!”
“Enough!” Li Jiao couldn’t suppress his rage anymore and roared. He glared at Yang Kai fiercely as if he was about to eat his flesh and drink his blood, but then he froze in shock before exclaiming, “Y-Y-Y-You… What did you say?! Where did you want to go?!”
“Dragon Island!”
“Aahh!” Li Jiao gasped as his complexion went as white as a sheet. He was silent for a long while before asking cautiously, “Palace Master Yang, are you insane?”
“Do you have a way?”
Li Jiao was rendered speechless. Taking a deep breath, he asked, “Palace Master Yang, don’t you know what kind of place Dragon Island is? Why would you want to go there?”
Yang Kai replied, “Zhu Qing hasn’t come back!”
Li Jiao immediately became happy when he heard those words and he blurted out, “Were you dumped?”
“Nonsense!” Yang Kai became angry out of shame, “She has her own considerations.”
Li Jiao obviously realized something and nodded, “Young Lady Qing is both strong and wise, if she chose to do this, it must have been for your own good. So, why are you asking for trouble by going to Dragon Island, Palace Master Yang?”
Yang Kai snorted, “It’s not certain who will be troubled.”
Li Jiao looked speechless, “If you want to go to Dragon Island, just go. Why did you come to me? What can I do to help you?”
Yang Kai explained, “You are Dragonborn; don’t you know the location of Dragon Island?”
Li Jiao blinked in response, “Why would I know where Dragon Island is? Palace Master Yang, what you say simply doesn’t make sense.”
“You really don’t know?” Yang Kai looked at Li Jiao.
Li Jiao shook his head, “I really don’t know.”
Yang Kai nodded gently, “If that’s the case, then I won’t disturb you any longer. This… uh, sister-in-law, please forgive me for disturbing your time together.” Saying so, he cupped his fists at Lady Hong, tapped his foot gently, and rushed straight into the sky.
[Is he gone? Did he leave just like that?] Li Jiao stared blankly at Yang Kai’s back. He could barely believe what he was seeing. He thought Yang Kai would be as forceful as he was the last time, but who knew he would be so reasonable this time around?
“Um… Was that the Palace Master of High Heaven Palace?” Lady Hong asked, looking in the direction Yang Kai was leaving, the blush on her face yet to fully recede. Having realized who Yang Kai was, she couldn’t help feeling scared. It was rumoured that the Palace Master of High Heaven Palace was the greatest devil who killed without batting an eye. Moreover, he was the one who annihilated Seeking Passion Sect.
Li Jiao did not answer. It was as if he had not heard what Lady Hong said. His expression kept changing constantly, and his gaze seemed conflicted.
Lady Hong glanced at him, walked over, and straightened his clothes, then said gently, “I remember what you once said to me years ago, Palace Master.”
“What?” Li Jiao subconsciously asked.
“You told me that the greatest wish in your life was to set foot on Dragon Island. You wanted to see the place where your bloodline originated from. You said that if you could just take a single look, you would be able to die without regrets.”
“Hong’er, you…” Li Jiao turned to look at her in shock. He did not expect her to recall something he mentioned so many years ago while drunk. Moreover, she remembered it so clearly.
“Go, I will wait for you.” She looked at him with eyes that were full of reluctance, but her expression was full of smiles.
The struggle in his eyes became more apparent and all of a sudden, he stretched out his arms, wrapping them around Lady Hong’s waist and back as he lowered his head and kissed her red lips.
“Mmph…” She moaned and slowly closed her beautiful eyes, her long eyelashes fluttering slightly.
He kissed her deeply and held her tightly as if trying to merge her alluring body with his so that they would never separate again. A moment later, he parted his lips from hers, turned around, and spoke in a low voice, “If I don’t return … You… should remarry as soon as possible.”
After saying that, he rushed straight into the sky and chased in the direction Yang Kai had left just now. His aura was so imposing that even tens of thousands of people couldn’t stop him!
Staring in the direction Li Jiao was leaving with teary eyes, Lady Hong cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted, “Hong’er will wait for you to return! If you don’t return, I will go to the underworld to find you!”
Li Jiao paused for a moment, but after a brief hesitation, he sped up and disappeared from Lady Hong’s field of vision.
…..
Yang Kai set off on his journey alone. His entire mind was filled with thoughts of how to enter Dragon Island.
Dragon Island was an extremely mysterious place. Although it was famous and had many rumours about it concerning the Dragon Clan living there, practically no one knew where it was located. All that was known about Dragon Island was that it was located somewhere on the East Sea in the Eastern Territory. Needless to say, Yang Kai was clueless as to where it was actually located.
He came to Fire Dragon Palace to ask Li Jiao, hoping that he might get lucky. Since Li Jiao was a Dragonborn and a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master at that, Yang Kai thought he might know something about Dragon Island’s location.
However, Yang Kai was greatly disappointed after asking. [If Li Jiao doesn’t know, then I have to think of another way. Fortunately, I have another plan, so I’m not totally unprepared.]
Just as he was considering his options, his brow furrowed slightly and he turned to look back. A figure was chasing after him at a high speed. Before that person came closer, Yang Kai had already detected that person’s familiar aura with his Divine Sense and he frowned even deeper, a strange look appearing on his face as he waited in place for that person to arrive.
A moment later, Li Jiao appeared in front of Yang Kai with a complicated expression.
Yang Kai scoffed, “Why did you chase after me, Brother Li?”
“Are you really going to Dragon Island?” Li Jiao scowled and answered Yang Kai’s question with a question of his own.
“Yes.” Yang Kai nodded gently.
“For Young Lady Qing?”
“Yes.” He nodded again.
Li Jiao smiled bitterly and cupped his fists, “Palace Master Yang, this Li deeply admires your courage.”
“Enough with the nonsense. Why did you chase after me?” Yang Kai looked at Li Jiao curiously.
Li Jiao scratched his face and apologetically stated, “I came because I wanted to help you, Palace Master Yang.”
“Oh?” Yang Kai lifted his eyebrows slightly.
Li Jiao continued, “I know the approximate location of Dragon Island…”
“Hmm?” Yang Kai lowered his eyes.
Li Jiao observed Yang Kai’s expression. [This is bad. I vehemently denied knowing anything just now, yet now, I am admitting that I lied. My actions might have angered this guy…] Thus, he hurriedly explained, “I honestly only know the approximate location. I don’t know exactly where it is, so I didn’t dare to mention it before. I was worried I might cause trouble for you, Palace Master Yang.”
“Is that so?” Yang Kai walked over with a smile.
Li Jiao paled in response. [I’ve made this walking disaster mad after all! I shouldn’t have chased after him… Wasn’t living peacefully with Hong’er in Fire Dragon Palace nice? Why did I have to invite trouble to myself? Now, I’m riding on a mad tiger and I don’t even know why!]
He watched as Yang Kai walked over to him and raised a hand, causing Li Jiao’s heart to leap into his throat. [It’s impossible to win against him in a fight. Even if I resist, I’ll still end up being crushed. I might as well close my eyes and get this embarrassment over with!]
He believed that Yang Kai wouldn’t kill him. At most, he would be beaten up to allow Yang Kai to vent his anger.
*Pa…*
Li Jiao shuddered, but the attack he imagined did not come. Rather, he only felt an arm being placed on his shoulders.
Opening his eyes, Li Jiao saw Yang Kai had put his arm around his shoulders and was actually laughing in delight, “Hahaha… I knew you’d have a way, Brother Li! As expected, I didn’t come to the wrong person. Good, good! Let’s barge into Dragon Island and see what kind of lion’s den it is!”
Li Jiao wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, “I’m just going to take a look.”
“Rest assured; with me around, you won’t suffer any losses.”
The corners of Li Jiao’s mouth twitched, “Then, I’ll have to depend on your protection, Palace Master Yang.”
He did not believe those words. [Yang Kai might be powerful, but once we enter Dragon Island, even he will be forced to crawl on all fours in that damn place. What kind of waves can I expect him to make?]
“Leave it to me. This matter cannot be delayed any longer; let’s set off now.” While speaking, Yang Kai summoned the Flowing Clouds Shuttle. The two of them boarded, then the shuttle turned into a stream of light and left this place at an even faster speed.
Inside the Flowing Clouds Shuttle, Li Jiao hesitated for a long time before he cautiously said, “Palace Master Yang, I’m doing you another favour, so about the debt…”
“Debts are debts and favours are favours. The debt you owe me and the favour I owe you are two different things altogether. How can we confuse them together?”
Li Jiao sighed, he didn’t even know whether he would return from this trip alive, so why was he worried about mere Source Crystals now? He should just consider it a win as long as he returned alive.
“Palace Master Yang, how were you planning to enter Dragon Island if I had not come? Did Young Lady Qing tell you anything about Dragon Island’s location before she left?”
“Nope.” Yang Kai shook his head. He answered the question while controlling the Flowing Clouds Shuttle, “I was planning to go to Spirit Beast Island and ask Martial Beast Great Emperor for directions. The location of Dragon Island is hidden, but I’m sure Martial Beast Great Emperor knows where it is.”
“Spirit Beast Island?!” Li Jiao was absolutely shocked as he asked in horror, “Palace Master Yang, are you acquainted with Martial Beast Great Emperor?
“Nope!”
Li Jiao was instantly dumbfounded, “If you are not acquainted with Martial Beast Great Emperor, how were you planning on asking him for directions?”
“I have my ways,” Yang Kai replied nonchalantly. He might not be acquainted with Martial Beast Great Emperor, but he was acquainted with Martial Beast Great Emperor’s daughter! He had not seen Mo Xiao Qi since they separated after the Shattered Star Sea closed, which was some time ago, so he wondered how that silly little girl was doing now.
Spirit Beast Island might be hard to find, but at the very least, it wasn’t as secretive as Dragon Island. His initial plan was to go to Spirit Beast Island first and head to Dragon Island after that. The two Great Islands were both located in the East Sea, so even if there was some distance between them, they shouldn’t be that far apart from each other. As long as Mo Xiao Qi gave him directions, wouldn’t finding Dragon Island be a simple matter?
However, Yang Kai’s casual answer shocked Li Jiao so much that he began to sweat profusely and wonder, [Just who on Earth is Palace Master Yang!?]
He had not known Yang Kai for long, but their relationship wasn’t short either; however, the more Li Jiao learned about Yang Kai, the more terrifying this youth became. [It’s bad enough that his relationship with Dragon Island is ambiguous, and just recently, I found out that he has a very close relationship with the Disciple of Iron Blood Great Emperor, but now he is also connected to Spirit Beast Island?!]
Li Jiao was utterly confused. He found that it was getting harder and harder for him to figure Yang Kai out. After pondering for a moment, he asked, “Palace Master Yang, if… I’m just saying; if we really manage to enter Dragon Island… No matter what you want to do on that island, never mention your relationship with Spirit Beast Island.”
“What do you mean?” Yang Kai looked at Li Jiao in astonishment.
Li Jiao explained, “Dragon Island and Spirit Beast Island… Are as incompatible as fire and water with each other.”
Yang Kai’s mouth was agape with shock as he exclaimed in shock, “Where did you hear that from?”
He had never heard of such a thing before; thus, his first reaction upon hearing what Li Jiao said was disbelief. The two Great Spirit Islands were considered to be among the top existences across the entire Star Boundary. If they were in conflict with each other, everyone would have known about it, so how was it possible he had not even heard a rumour to that effect?
Li Jiao wiped his sweat and continued, “This isn’t mere gossip, Palace Master Yang. You probably don’t know because you are too young. Besides, it has not been long since you became an Emperor Realm Master. It’s only natural that you don’t know many of the secrets between the Star Boundary’s top forces. In time you surely would have come to learn about it.”
Yang Kai frowned, “The two forces are at odds with each other? Is it that serious?”
Li Jiao solemnly replied, “More or less.”
“Why?” Yang Kai suddenly became interested. A secret like that wasn’t something ordinary people had the chance to hear about. Li Jiao could understand; it was most probably because Yang Kai had the Dragon Clan’s blood in him.
Li Jiao explained, “Among the ten Great Emperors, Martial Beast Great Emperor’s Dao is that of Beast Taming. There are countless different exotic beasts on Spirit Beast Island and I’ve even heard there are one or two Divine Spirits there. Cultivating such a Dao naturally drove Martial Beast Great Emperor to want to control the most powerful Monster Beasts in the world. Think about it; what is the most powerful Monster Beast in the world?”
Yang Kai widened his eyes, “The Dragon Clan!”
Li Jiao slapped his thigh and said, “Exactly! The Dragon Clan claims to be the head of the myriad spirits, the leaders of the Divine Spirits, but when it comes down to it, they are still Monster Beasts. On the other hand, Martial Beast Great Emperor’s greatest dream is to control the Dragon Clan. Can he really have a good relationship with the Dragon Clan? You can even say that the reason why Spirit Beast Island is located in the Eastern Territory is that Martial Beast Great Emperor wanted to stay close to the Dragon Clan.”
“Are you serious?”
“Of course!” Li Jiao looked solemn, “Not many people know about this, but there is no impenetrable wall in the world.”
“This news is absolutely shocking.” Yang Kai looked lost. [Martial Beast Great Emperor wants to control the Dragons, but the Dragon Clan’s pride would never allow such a thing. Putting it that way, it’s no surprise they have a poor relationship with each other.]
Li Jiao continued, “Recently, the relationship between Martial Beast Great Emperor and Dragon Island deteriorated drastically and it is said that the Great Emperor caused a ruckus on Dragon Island some twenty years or so ago.” Then, Li Jiao added, “Of course, nobody knows if this information is real or fake. The only thing we can be certain about is that Martial Beast Great Emperor and the Dragon Clan are on bad terms with each other.”
Yang Kai nodded, “I understand. If we really enter Dragon Island, I will not mention Martial Beast Great Emperor.”
“That would be for the best.” Li Jiao was relieved.
“By the way, why did you chase after me?” Yang Kai tilted his head to look at Li Jiao and smilingly added, “It’s not like I forced you this time.”
Li Jiao smiled wryly and answered, “Everyone has something they yearn for in their heart. Dragon Island… To visit that place has always been my deepest desire.”
Those words sounded sorrowful, but Yang Kai understood what Li Jiao was trying to express. Stretching out his hand, he patted Li Jiao on the shoulder and said, “Rest assured. We will definitely reach that place, and if you are lucky, you might even be able to improve your bloodline”
Li Jiao burst into laughter, “I’m not aiming for such heights. This Li will be happy enough just to get to see Dragon Island.”
“Just you wait. One day, I’m going to make you pay for this!”
Yang Kai’s expression was gloomy as he muttered seemingly to himself. Meanwhile, Li Jiao silently hid in a corner like a cicada in winter. For some reason, Yang Kai’s temper suddenly became extremely bad one month after they set off from the Northern Territory. His expression was so cold and dark that it felt like his face was covered in a layer of frost. Moreover, he constantly cursed at somebody under his breath.
Yang Kai’s behaviour caused Li Jiao to be on edge all the time. [I didn’t do anything to upset him recently, so why is he acting like this all of a sudden?]
Fortunately, Yang Kai did not lash out at Li Jiao even though he was in a bad mood. Nevertheless, Li Jiao behaved very carefully around Yang Kai, lest he caused the building resentment in the other to suddenly erupt.
There was no doubt that Yang Kai was in a bad mood; however, it wasn’t because of Li Jiao but Luan Feng! [It’s all because that damn woman destroyed the Space Array I previously arranged in the Ancient Wild Lands. Otherwise, I could have gone directly from High Heaven Palace to the Ancient Wild Lands, then headed towards the East Sea!]
Although the distance between these two locations was not small, it was still infinitely better than the distance between the Northern and Eastern Territories. It was because Luan Feng destroyed his Space Array that he now had to fly all the way to the Eastern Territory. Even if the journey went smoothly, it still took a great deal of time!
For that reason, Yang Kai felt extremely upset and annoyed and vowed to himself that he was going to make Luan Feng pay for this. It was simply too frustrating otherwise!
The Flowing Clouds Shuttle travelled very quickly with Yang Kai and Li Jiao taking turns steering.
Whenever Yang Kai was free, he would sit down cross-legged to cultivate. His cultivation might have hit a bottleneck, but it didn’t prevent him from cultivating the Dragon Transformation Secret Art. At present, he became forty-five metres tall after his Dragon Transformation. Besides, cultivating the Dragon Transformation Secret Art could greatly help the Golden Divine Dragon’s Source integrate with his body and increase the power of his Dragon Transformation.
Once in a while, he also contemplated the Dao of Space. The Space Divine Abilities he currently wielded were essentially the fruits of his comprehension of the Dao of Space, each of them strong in their own way. Thus, it would be of great help to him if he could gain more insight into the Dao of Space.
This trip to Dragon Island was rather impulsive, but it was also the result of careful consideration. Yang Kai knew that he still had a long way to go in his cultivation, and if things went sour, they might get dragged into a conflict on Dragon Island. [Entering Dragon Island with my current strength spells certain death. Still, Zhu Qing is on that island. I can’t just sit around and do nothing.]
What Zhu Lie mentioned to him in the Revolving World echoed in his ears. He did not know what Zhu Qing might have encountered after she returned to Dragon Island, but it was obvious that the outcome would not be good.
A True Dragon was involved in an intimate relationship with a Human. Yang Kai didn’t even need to think to know that Dragon Island would never allow for something like that. If Zhu Qing gave in and decided to end their relationship because she failed to stand up against the pressure, he would have to reluctantly accept; however, if she refused to give in to the pressure, she would surely have to suffer.
[Will Zhu Qing be willing to sever our relationship?] Yang Kai never even bothered to consider this question because he knew what she would choose without even needing to think about it.
Time passed, and the days went by peacefully.
Yang Kai had not made much progress in the Dragon Transformation Secret Art. He had not been cultivating that Secret Art for long after all. It was all thanks to the Dragon Blood Pill and Zhu Qing’s pure Primordial Yin that he could achieve a height of forty-five metres. If he wanted to improve that Secret Art even further, then he would need time, a lot of it actually.
Finally, the duo arrived at the East Sea. Standing above the vast and boundless waters, it seemed like the blue sky was cloudless for tens of thousands of kilometres.
Even with the assistance of the Flowing Clouds Shuttle, it took Yang Kai and Li Jiao two months to arrive from the Northern Territory. That went to show just how far apart the major territories in Star Boundary were.
Upon arriving at the East Sea, Li Jiao took over control of the Flowing Clouds Shuttle. Yang Kai had no idea where Dragon Island was, whereas Li Jiao was the one who knew the approximate location.
It was understandable. Just as Yang Kai had guessed, Li Jiao was a Dragonborn with the blood of the Dragon Clan in him; therefore, he had a special attachment towards Dragon Island. Even the fact that he had never been to Dragon Island before did not hinder these feelings from growing in him. Li Jiao desperately wanted to visit Dragon Island; however, he was aware that his meagre bloodline did not qualify him to enter.
Still, five hundred years ago, Li Jiao had searched the East Sea for a very long time to find Dragon Island. He spent a full three years looking for clues, but was only able to gain a general idea of its location.
According to Li Jiao, back then, he inadvertently followed somebody into a coastal region, but unfortunately, the person he had been following, who seemed to be part of the Dragon Clan, mysteriously disappeared after entering that place.
This discovery made him very excited and he later searched the area for a long time only to fail to obtain any other clues. Thus, he could only give up on his endeavour. It wasn’t until Yang Kai came looking for him that the suppressed desire in his heart burst out again. For that reason, he had chased after Yang Kai so boldly.
“Back then, I lost sight of that guy in this region.” The Flowing Clouds Shuttle had been put away and above the vast and borderless sea, Li Jiao stretched out his hand and drew a circle in front of him as he explained to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai glanced left and right. Frowning, he asked. “Are you sure this is the place? There’s nothing here that you can use as reference.”
Li Jiao said. “Although there is nothing here to use as reference, I will never forget this place. I have always kept the image of this place in my heart.”
Yang Kai nodded. [If he is that confident, then it’s probably the right place.] “This area is vast, at least tens of thousands of kilometres across. Moreover, we have no clues whatsoever.”
“Should we just forget about it then?” Li Jiao looked at Yang Kai timidly. Throughout the entire journey, he had been extremely excited; he wanted to enter Dragon Island and explore that place; however, now that he had arrived at this place again, he was getting cold feet. He was scared, but he wasn’t scared of dying. He was afraid as to whether he had the courage to enter Dragon Island if they actually managed to find it. It was a question he asked himself constantly but could not answer.
“Brother Li, you can go back if you want to, but I’m going to continue searching.” Saying so, Yang Kai flew off.
Li Jiao stood there and hesitated for a moment before shouting, “Let’s search separately!” After saying that, he began flying in the opposite direction.
Yang Kai spread his Divine Sense around like a tide in the sea, carefully exploring every inch of this place. He even flew slowly, lest he missed anything.
Dragon Island’s location was so mysterious that no one knew where it was. In his opinion, that must be the work of an impressive Spirit Array which completely concealed all the traces of Dragon Island from the world.
[If Dragon Island is being concealed by a Spirit Array, then there will surely be traces of its existence.] As long as he could locate that Spirit Array, the location of Dragon Island would be revealed too. Yang Kai might not know much about Spirit Arrays, but he did know that all of them gave off fluctuations. Everything would fall into place once he detected the fluctuating energy of a Spirit Array.
One day, two days, three days…
Yang Kai expanded the search scope little by little but found nothing despite turning the coastal area spanning tens of thousands of kilometres upside down. During this period, he met up with Li Jiao several times. Unfortunately, Li Jiao had no results to show either.
Ten days later, they had doubled the scope of the search. One month later, the search scope doubled again.
Yang Kai’s expression gradually became extremely ugly. [Don’t tell me I’ll have to return home empty-handed without even locating Dragon Island? That would be the world’s biggest joke.]
When he met with Li Jiao again, he frowned and asked, “Are you sure Dragon Island is in this coastal area?”
“Of course, I’m certain,” Li Jiao nodded repeatedly. A long while later, he suddenly seemed to realize something. “Palace Master Yang, are you doubting me? You can’t wrong me like this; I’m innocent! Besides, what good will it do me to lie to you?”
“I’m not doubting you. It’s just that so many years have passed and the surrounding scenery in this vast sea is homogenous. It’s inevitable if you recall the place wrongly.”
“Impossible!” Li Jiao denied vehemently, “It’s impossible for me to get it wrong! It’s definitely this place! There’s no doubt about it!”
Yang Kai couldn’t say anything anymore after seeing Li Jiao’s reaction. He nodded slightly and looked out into the distance. [Should I go to Spirit Beast Island? Although Martial Beast Great Emperor and Dragon Island are on bad terms with each other, it shouldn’t be a problem for Martial Beast Great Emperor to provide some directions, right?]
“Haa… Dragon Island is so mysterious and hard to locate… If only we had a Dragon Island Token…” Li Jiao sighed.
Yang Kai abruptly turned his head to look at Li Jiao.
“What is it?” Li Jiao exclaimed in surprise.
Yang Kai said, “Can the Dragon Island Token locate Dragon Island?”
Li Jiao replied, “I think so. The Dragon Island Token is something the Dragon Island issued to others after all. Those who hold one of the Dragon Island Tokens can ask Dragon Island to fulfil one of their wishes as long as it is within the Dragon Clan’s abilities. However, the Dragon Clan rarely appears in public. If somebody obtained the Dragon Island Token, they would have to come to Dragon Island to make their wish, right? But, how do they get into Dragon Island? Naturally, they can only rely on the Dragon Island Token to do so.” Then, Li Jiao sighed, “Unfortunately, only a few Dragon Island Tokens exist. Besides, I heard Dragon Island took most of them back, so finding a Dragon Island Token now is more difficult than ascending to the Heavens.”
Yang Kai let out a long sigh. He raised his head and patted Li Jiao on the shoulder with a sorrowful expression.
Li Jiao was shocked. “What’s wrong, Palace Master?!”
Yang Kai lifted his head and forced out a smile that looked even worse than if he had cried. Gritting his teeth, he growled. “Why didn’t you mention something so important sooner!?”
Li Jiao felt a sharp pain in his shoulder, as if his arm was about to be crushed. [Why is Yang Kai going crazy all of a sudden!?]
“You didn’t ask.”
He had only mentioned it off-handedly; he did not expect Yang Kai to react so strongly to his words.
“A Dragon Island Token, right?” Yang Kai released his grip and took something out, “I have one right here!”
“Huh?” Li Jiao was dumbfounded; he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry as he shouted, “Why didn’t you take that out earlier?!”
“How was I supposed to know it would be of use here?!”
The two of them looked at each other, both feeling a little speechless and close to tears. They had worked so hard trying to locate Dragon Island for the past month with no results to show for it, only to learn that the key to solving the puzzle had been in their hands all along.
“Is this really a Dragon Island Token?” Li Jiao asked in disbelief. He had just mentioned how rare Dragon Island Tokens were. As far as he knew, only a handful of them even existed. Moreover, most of them had been retrieved by the Dragon Clan. Thus, he could not believe that Yang Kai could pull one out of his pockets.
Upon a closer look, the Dragon Island Token was simple and unpretentious. It was made out of unknown materials that were neither metal nor wood. On one side, a life-like Great Dragon had been carved into it while the character ‘Dragon’ had been engraved on the other side.
Li Jiao felt a little out of sorts. [This… Really seems to be a genuine Dragon Island Token! It’s not much different from the records I have seen in ancient books!]
“Are you sure this is useful?” Yang Kai asked, looking at Li Jiao.
Li Jiao was uncertain, “Probably?”
He had no way to be sure; after all, he had never used this before. Still, it was just as he had said. The location of Dragon Island was hidden and the Dragon Clan had not shown themselves for a long time now. If anybody obtained a Dragon Island Token and wanted to get to Dragon Island, they would most likely need to use the Dragon Island Token to find the location of Dragon Island. After all, it’s not as if the Dragon Clan was going to guide them there.
“We’ll know whether it has any use once we try it!” Yang Kai took a deep breath, circulating his Emperor Qi, and poured it into the Dragon Island Token.
Li Jiao widened his eyes and watched carefully, for fear of missing something.
The Dragon Island Token had been in Yang Kai’s possession for many years. When he first got this token, he had experimented with it to see what use it had; however, it had not shown any reaction whatsoever when he poured his Qi into it back then.
This time was no different from the rest. His Emperor Qi was accepted by the Dragon Island Token. Unfortunately, this simple token showed no response whatsoever.
Yang Kai and Li Jiao’s expectant gazes gradually became looks of disappointment.
“W-W-What?! How can it be useless?” Li Jiao felt slightly guilty. What he said just now had been based on mere guesswork, but there was some basis to it. Who could have known that the experiment would produce no results at all? He couldn’t help feeling rather embarrassed, as if he had offered up a bad idea.
On the other hand, Yang Kai sighed softly. Just as he was about to stop pouring his Emperor Qi into the Dragon Island Token, a sudden change occurred. The Dragon carving on the Dragon Island Token blinked all of a sudden.
He looked up and stared at Li Jiao. Similarly, Li Jiao was staring at him with wide eyes too. Their gazes met, and Yang Kai exclaimed, “Did you see that?!”
Li Jiao confirmed, “You saw it too?!”
The two of them were shocked. Once again turning their attention to the Dragon Island Token, they finally saw it clearly. That Dragon carving was indeed blinking. Not only was it blinking, but it also seemed to have been given a breath of life. It looked like it was going to jump out of the token.
The lifelike Dragon carving stretched its body as if it truly had a life of its own, swimming about inside the palm-sized token. Needless to say, it could not escape the constraints of the Dragon Island Token regardless of how hard it swam. Even so, its actions gave one the feeling that it was swimming freely.
Yang Kai observed it carefully and seemed to realize something. Placing the Dragon Island Token flat on his palm, he slowly rotated the token around in all directions. The direction the Dragon carving pointed in did not change. No matter how he rotated the Dragon Island Token, the Dragon carving always faced a certain direction. The Dragon’s Claws danced as if it were travelling through the skies.
“Dragon Island lies in the direction the Dragon’s head is facing!” Li Jiao shouted.
“Let’s go!” Yang Kai was overjoyed and hastily flew in the direction the Dragon’s Head was facing. Likewise, Li Jia seemed very fired up and quickly followed after Yang Kai.
They sped forward without paying any attention to their surroundings. Yang Kai only needed to follow in the direction indicated by the Dragon’s Head. They did not know how many tens of thousands of kilometres they flew when all of a sudden the Dragon carving spun around. The original position where the Dragon’s Head had been was replaced by the Dragon’s Tail while the position of the Dragon’s Tail was replaced by the Dragon’s Head.
Yang Kai slid to a stop and a moment later, Li Jiao abruptly stopped next to him and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Yang Kai did not answer. Instead, he slowly backtracked, and after taking several dozen steps, a change came over the Dragon carving again. The Dragon carving folded down into a right angle and the Dragon’s Head disappeared, leaving only the Dragon’s Tail pointed at Yang Kai.
“What does this mean?” Li Jiao was paying close attention to the changes of the Dragon Island Token and couldn’t help being puzzled.
Yang Kai frowned and studied the Dragon Island Token carefully for a moment. Then, he stretched out a finger and pointed at the sea, “That’s where Dragon Island is!”
“What?!” Li Jiao was shocked, “That’s where Dragon Island is?! Are you sure you aren’t making a mistake?”
Yang Kai replied, “If this token really does have a guiding function, then I’m not mistaken.”
The Dragon Island Token had been placed flat against his palm all this while. At this moment, the Dragon carving was obviously perpendicular to the sea surface and the Dragon’s Head was pointing toward the depths of the water.
“How can this be?! How can Dragon Island be beneath the sea?!” Li Jiao had trouble accepting such a truth. [Dragon Island! It’s called Dragon Island! Since it’s an island, shouldn’t it be on the surface of the sea?! In any case, it shouldn’t be under the sea!] Even so, the Dragon Island Token was guiding them in that direction so it left him with no other explanation.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai shook his head, “If that’s the case, it’s not surprising why Dragon Island has managed to remain concealed for so long.”
Everybody assumed that Dragon Island was located above the sea, who could have thought that Dragon Island was actually located under the sea?! This dramatically increased the secrecy of Dragon Island!
“Let’s go and investigate!” After saying so, Yang Kai plunged downwards.
With a loud splash, seawater splashed in all directions and he vanished from sight. He activated his Emperor Qi and formed a defensive barrier around his body, pushing the seawater around his body away.
At first, the light from above was sufficient; however, as Yang Kai dove deeper and deeper, the light from the surface became dimmer and dimmer. At the same time, more massive Sea Beasts passed him by. Those black shadows flitting by gave him a strong sense of oppression and anxiety.
Sea Beasts were usually large, and their strength normally corresponded to their size. Fortunately, Yang Kai and Li Jiao were not weak. By releasing their Emperor Pressure, the nearby Sea Beasts did not dare to approach them at all and their journey was unobstructed.
They did not know how long had passed. The depths of the sea were pitch-black and they couldn’t even see their fingers in front of them. Simultaneously, the surrounding pressure became quite terrifying. With such heavy pressure crushing down on them, even a Dao Source Realm Master would have been crushed to death. Only an Emperor Realm Master could manage to continue diving.
Their Emperor Qi flowed outward as rapidly as floodwaters and cold sweat was pouring from Li Jiao’s forehead, but he could sense with his Divine Sense that Yang Kai had not stopped. Thus, he could only grit his teeth and keep up with him.
All of a sudden, a powerful aura swiftly rushed towards them from the front. It was a Sea Beast hurtling towards them without any hesitation. Although both their Emperor Pressures could scare away most Sea Beasts, some domineering existences were utterly fearless.
When the black shadow passed by, the two of them were swallowed into its abdomen before they could even react. A fishy smell immediately enveloped them.
Yang Kai’s expression turned grim and raising his hand, countless Moon Blades flew out. Thudding sounds echoed as Yang Kai followed the Moon Blades and slipped out of the Sea Beast’s abdomen.
When Yang Kai looked back, he saw the huge black shadow writhing constantly. The pitch-black waters surrounding it seemed to be dyed red. Meanwhile, Li Jiao also escaped from that Sea Beast’s stomach through the wounds Yang Kai had inflicted on it. Sea Beasts generally had strong vitality and would not die even if they suffered this level of injury. Even so, it immediately understood that it had provoked an enemy that should not be provoked, and consequently, it swiftly fled.
“Keep up!” Yang Kai sent Li Jiao a Divine Sense message to which the latter nodded and sped up.
Another quarter of an hour passed but the pair still couldn’t see the bottom of the sea. Without warning, Yang Kai abruptly stopped in his tracks for some reason. At this point, they no longer knew how deep they had gone. There was no light nor sound from their surroundings, making it extremely quiet. It felt like the world had not been born yet and this was an endless space of chaos.
“What’s wrong?” Li Jiao asked, puzzled, standing beside Yang Kai. The defensive barrier he built with his Emperor Qi deforming slightly under the pressure of the seawater.
Yang Kai replied, “We’re in the right place.”
Li Jiao was overjoyed to hear those words, “That’s great! It’s great that we got the right place, but… Is Dragon Island really beneath the sea?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “It’s not beneath the sea.”
Li Jiao was a little confused, “What do you mean?” [We’ve come so far down into the sea… He even said that we’ve come to the right place. Where else can Dragon Island be if not here?]
“The entrance to Dragon Island is right in front of us!” Yang Kai raised his finger and pointed to the front.
Li Jiao hurriedly spread his Divine Sense out to investigate what was ahead of them, but his Divine Sense did not find anything related to what Yang Kai had mentioned.
“It’s a Void Corridor!” Yang Kai breathed out softly, “There’s a Void Corridor here. It’s just that it’s very well-hidden. Look closer.”
Upon hearing those words, Li Jiao finally noticed that something was wrong with this place. There certainly were traces of a Void Corridor nearby. Although he did not cultivate Space Force, he was still a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master. He had some experience and eye for these kinds of things and immediately exclaimed in shock, “Dragon Island is hidden behind a Void Corridor?!”
“Indeed!” Yang Kai nodded gently. With this, everything made sense. He had not been able to understand it before. He did not know why the Dragon Island Token would point into the depths of the sea. It wasn’t until he found the entrance to the Void Corridor that he had a sudden realization.
Putting aside the exact location of Dragon Island, this was obviously the entrance. Thus, it meant that whichever direction the Dragon Island Token pointed in was the location of the entrance.
*Gudong…*
Li Jiao swallowed audibly, “Will we enter Dragon Island once we pass through this?”
What he had been pursuing and dreaming about his entire life was now right in front of him so he couldn’t help becoming nervous. He had dreamt and imagined what Dragon Island was like, what he would feel upon setting foot on Dragon Island. He had imagined the scene so many times that he lost count. Therefore, he felt a little lost now that the goal was within his reach.
“Brother Li, you should leave now if you want to go back. I can handle the rest alone.” Yang Kai sent a transmission to Li Jiao.
When Li Jiao heard those words, the impulse to leave this place and return to the Northern Territory surged up in his heart; however, that impulse disappeared just as quickly as it came.
“I’m going with you!” He said decisively.
“Good, are you prepared?” Yang Kai turned his head to look at Li Jiao with a smile.
Li Jiao’s expression was solemn. Taking a few deep breaths, he calmed the tumultuous emotions in his heart and nodded firmly, “Yes!”
“Let’s go!” Yang Kai shouted and enveloped Li Jiao with his Space Principles before plunging into the Void Corridor.
The surrounding space changed suddenly. At the same time, a tearing force came at them from all directions. The barriers of space were broken and the two of them seemed to enter a whole new world in the next moment.
Just then, a thunderous Dragon Roar sounded from the Void ahead. Immediately following that, several huge Dragon Phantoms aggressively rushed towards them from the front, brimming with murderous intent.
When the Dragon Roar rang out, Li Jiao nearly jumped in fright. All the hair on his body stood on end as the feeling of death wrapped around him.
Yang Kai’s expression changed drastically too. He could feel the horrifying murderous intent coming from those Dragon Phantoms and without even thinking about it, he shouted, “Dragon Transformation!”
Another Dragon Roar sounded and a Golden Dragon Phantom flashed behind him before rushing into his body and disappearing. With the Dragon Clan’s blood in him awakened, a crackling explosion rang out and Yang Kai’s body grew to a massive forty-five metres in height. Stubby Dragon Horns appeared on his forehead and his hands turned into Dragon Claws while his body was covered in Dragon Scales.
Just as Yang Kai assumed his Half-Dragon Form, the Dragon Phantoms from before slammed into him. A mighty wave of power struck him from the front, forcing him to stagger backwards by more than three hundred metres. A sweetness rose in his throat and he nearly coughed out a mouthful of blood.
Meanwhile, those Dragon Phantoms immediately turned their heads back after that attack and haughtily looked down at Yang Kai and Li Jiao from above.
Yang Kai was covered in cold sweat. If he had reacted the slightest bit slower just now, he would have either died or been seriously injured. Fortunately, his Dragon Transformation protected him, otherwise, things would be very bad by now.
Yang Kai stared at those Dragon Phantoms, frowning slightly. That was because he noticed that the Dragon Phantoms did not have physical bodies nor were they like Soul Avatars. Rather, they seemed more like a kind of Secret Technique, a Dragon Clan Secret Technique!
The power of the Dragon Clan’s Secret Techniques was extremely potent, but only those with the Dragon Clan’s bloodline could perform them. These illusory phantoms were clearly Secret Techniques left here by a Dragon Clan Master.
This Secret Technique would not appear in the Void Corridor for no reason though. Yang Kai hadn’t thought that the defenses of the Dragon Clan would be so tight. Dragon Island was on the other side of the Void Corridor after all, so who would dare to risk their lives just to sneak in?
Looking at the Dragon Phantoms again, it was clear as day that they were lethal existences. If Yang Kai had not used his Dragon Transformation to bolster his defences, it would have been impossible for him to stand here at this moment.
[This is a trap! It’s definitely a trap meant for somebody. A trap like this is enough to kill a Third-Order Emperor on the spot. Was it aimed at me?] A sudden thought came to mind, but Yang Kai couldn’t be certain.
While he was distracted, the Dragon Phantoms suddenly started chanting in the obscure Dragon Language. Dragon Language was the foundation supporting the Dragon Clan’s Secret Technique. On the surface, it sounded similar to the spells of the Ancient World’s Shamans; however, it was even more ancient and esoteric than that.
The Dragon Language rang out rhythmically as the Dragon Phantoms suddenly separated from each other, their voices never stopping.
Meanwhile, Li Jiao shivered uncontrollably, instinctively feeling scared. He deeply regretted coming here. [If I had known this would happen, I would have turned around and gone home just now!]
The scattered Dragon Phantoms regrouped and suddenly transformed into a huge ancient character. They loomed over Yang Kai and Li Jiao like a net that covered the skies.
Yang Kai and Li Jiao hastily retreated only to discover that no matter how they tried to escape, they could not avoid being enveloped by this ancient character. The mysterious ancient character looked like four squarish ancient characters superimposed on one another, forming a regular and orderly shape.
In that tense situation, the ancient character blanketed the two of them. Following that, a strange Principle Strength began fluctuating.
Li Jiao’s complexion turned ashen in response. He looked like he had given up. On the other hand, Yang Kai made a soft exclamation of surprise with an odd expression.
In the next moment, their visions blurred and they instantly found themselves standing in a world of nothingness. There was neither light nor sound in that space. It was even more disturbing than when they had been deep under the sea previously.
Yang Kai swept his Divine Sense out and sensed Li Jiao standing not too far from him. Thus, he reached out to pull him over.
“Palace Master Yang… What is this place?” Li Jiao asked, gulping hard.
“A Void Crack!” Yang Kai replied as he dispelled the Dragon Transformation Secret Art and changed back to his original appearance.
The Dragon Phantoms from before were gone without a trace. After they transformed into the ancient character, they had forced Yang Kai and Li Jiao into a Void Crack.
“Ah!” Li Jiao paled in shock.
It was only natural that he was familiar with what a Void Crack was. Even for a Master like him, this was an extremely dangerous place where the slightest bit of carelessness would cause him to lose his way and never find his way out again.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai took out a new set of clothes from his Space Ring and put them on while carefully taking in his surroundings. He did not know how many times he had been in and out of Void Cracks by now; but even so, this place gave off a slightly different feel. It was as though something profound was hidden everywhere within its depths.
Yang Kai tried to manipulate the local Space Principles and, fortunately, there were no restrictions placed on them. He believed that he could break out of this Void Crack and return to the outside world if he used his full strength. It was just that he did not know where they would end up appearing; therefore, he was in no hurry to make a move. Besides, he still needed to enter Dragon Island.
A Void Crack would not appear for no reason. From the accumulation of his past experiences, Yang Kai could vaguely sense that this Void Crack was between the Star Boundary and Dragon Island. In other words, as long as they could locate the proper exit point of this Void Crack, they could enter Dragon Island.
[This is definitely a trap!] Yang Kai had a faint feeling that this trap was aimed at him, yet at the same time, it didn’t seem like that either.
Anyone who passed through the Void Corridor would have triggered this trap and been exiled to this place. Yang Kai might just have been in the wrong place at the wrong time; after all, Dragon Island was so well-hidden and their defences were so strict, that they were willing to leave a Dragon Clan Secret Technique here to defend against intruders.
If that was the case, Yang Kai couldn’t just tear space as he pleased here. He could not determine where they would land if he did that. There was no guarantee that he could enter Dragon Island.
As that thought passed through his mind, a plan formed in his heart and he sent a Divine Sense transmission to Li Jiao, “Follow me closely. The Void Turbulence in the Void Crack is very unstable. If you get caught, you will be sent to another place instantly and I’m not sure I’ll be able to find you then. There are also Void Fissures lurking here, and if you touch those, you will either die or suffer from severe injuries.”
Void Cracks were different from Void Fissures. The environment they were in was a Void Crack. On the other hand, Void Fissures were much smaller tears in space, sometimes so tiny they were imperceptible. They were similar to sharp blades randomly floating about, and if one were to come into contact with one they would be lucky to get away with some scratches. If they were unlucky, they could be cut in half.
Li Jiao clearly understood the situation he was in. In this damned place, only Yang Kai, who was proficient in the Dao of Space, could guarantee his safety. Thus, he nodded heavily, “I understand.”
After that, Yang Kai immediately led the way forward. Space Principles fluctuated as he inspected their surroundings, carefully avoiding all the Void Turbulence and Void Fissures around them. Li Jiao followed at Yang Kai’s heels, stepping where Yang Kai stepped and always staying one step behind him, his nerves stretched to their limits.
Yang Kai’s movements were rather erratic, constantly moving from left to right without a pattern. Although there was nothing to be used as a reference in this place and Li Jiao couldn’t distinguish North, South, East, or West, Yang Kai’s change in direction was still rather obvious. Sometimes, he would even turn around and walk backwards without warning.
Li Jiao kept quiet through it all, not daring to disturb Yang Kai. Only the Heavens knew how long it had been since they started walking when all of a sudden, Yang Kai stopped in his tracks with a strange expression on his face.
“Palace Master Yang… Did you find the exit?” Li Jiao asked cautiously.
“No,” Yang Kai shook his head.
“Then…” Li Jiao looked at Yang Kai inquiringly.
“We’re lost,” Yang Kai replied.
“Huh?” Li Jiao was taken aback, “We’re l-lost?!”
He nearly thought that he had misheard. [The surrounding space is in pure chaos and nothingness. There is no road to speak of, so how can we get lost? Still, Yang Kai must have his reasons to say that; after all, he has the most authority to speak in this place.]
“We passed through here earlier.” Yang Kai sighed softly.
Li Jiao scratched his head and released his Divine Sense into his surroundings to look around. [This damned place is the same everywhere. I can’t tell the difference at all. I can’t believe Yang Kai can differentiate where we are in this place.]
“This is a labyrinth.” There was a strange light in Yang Kai’s eyes. If he had not seen it for himself, he wouldn’t have dared to believe that there was such a mysterious labyrinth within this Void Crack.
The labyrinth was incredibly large. Using the Void Turbulence as paths and combining countless Void Fissures into one, it transformed a vast region into a maze with no way out.
What shocked him even more was that the labyrinth was not static. It changed constantly. Any changes to the surging Void Turbulence and the flowing Void Fissures could trigger a change across the entire labyrinth.
[Who set this up? Who has such great ability to pull this off? Is it Dragon Island? If it is Dragon Island… For what reason did they set up this labyrinth? Who are they trying to trap?]
All of a sudden, a sentence Li Jiao said before came to mind. Twenty years ago, Martial Beast Great Emperor had caused a ruckus on Dragon Island!
Yang Kai burst out in cold sweat. [This labyrinth… Maybe it was meant for Martial Beast Great Emperor! Only such a huge layout could trap a Great Emperor after all! On that same note, only a Great Emperor has the ability to force Dragon Island to set up a labyrinth like this, I’m nothing more than an innocent victim caught up in their squabble!]
When that thought crossed his mind, Yang Kai’s spirits lifted suddenly. [It looks like my previous guess was right. I can enter Dragon Island as long as I can crack this labyrinth because this Void Labyrinth was created with the Void Corridor as its foundation. The exit of the Void Labyrinth should coincide with the exit of the Void Corridor!]
He started moving again, carefully observing the changes around him. Then, he gradually formed a map in his head. It was a map of the entire labyrinth. He believed that as long as he could perfect this map, he could find a way out of the labyrinth.
Li Jiao did not know what plan Yang Kai had come up with. All he knew was that Yang Kai suddenly sped up; thus, he could only grit his teeth and keep up.
Time flew by. There was no Sun, Moon, or Stars here, and there was no way to tell how much time had passed, but even so, Li Jiao had the feeling that at least one month had passed.
Yang Kai spent the entire month walking here and there aimlessly. He stopped from time to time and observed his surroundings, muttering something under his breath before setting off again.
Although no battles had taken place during this month, Li Jiao nearly died several times. Void Turbulence could appear anywhere, and there was one time when he got caught in them and was nearly teleported away to a random place. Fortunately, Yang Kai had reacted swiftly and pulled him back or he might have been trapped here for the rest of his life. Li Jiao did not have the confidence that he could escape this place on his own.
During this past month, Yang Kai’s expression had gotten grimmer and grimmer. He slowly realized that he had underestimated this Void Labyrinth greatly. The map in his head had to be redrawn over and over again, to the point where he had barely made any progress.
With his knowledge of the Dao of Space, it was not difficult for him to leave this place. All he had to do was tear open the space randomly and he could return to the Star Boundary; however, doing that would mean giving up on his plan to enter Dragon Island. That was not what he planned on doing.
On this day, Yang Kai and Li Jiao were walking in the Void Labyrinth while looking for the exit as usual.
Li Jiao felt dead inside. He had given up, feeling as though he should never have hoped to set foot on Dragon Island in the first place. He simply followed Yang Kai mechanically, stepping where Yang Kai stepped.
All of a sudden, Yang Kai stopped in his tracks and his Emperor Qi surged. Surprised, Li Jiao pushed his Emperor Qi without any hesitation, thinking another Void Turbulence was coming.
Contrary to his expectations though, Yang Kai didn’t make any moves. He simply stood there and stared to the front in a daze. Li Jiao frowned and looked in the direction Yang Kai was staring before his jaw suddenly fell open in shock.
Not far away, a figure sat cross-legged inside the Void. It seemed to be exuding a strange Principle Strength fluctuation from its body and the surrounding Void Turbulence could not approach it.
[There’s somebody here? There are people in this damned place?!] Li Jiao could barely believe his eyes. However, he soon discovered that this ‘person’ was not really alive. Rather, it seemed to be a phantom image. Although that person’s entire being exuded a faint glow, they did not have a physical body.
A labyrinth existed inside the Void Crack. That in itself was incredible. However, there was a human phantom image in the labyrinth at this moment. That was even more incredible.
[Who is this person? Or should I ask; who is the person who left this phantom image behind?]
Both Yang Kai and Li Jiao were staring in that direction with widened eyes. Unfortunately, they were disappointed to learn that they could not see the true face of the phantom image no matter how hard they looked.
That Phantom Image Secret Technique seemed to have existed for many years. It might have been extremely powerful once, but it had become a little unstable after being exposed to the Void Crack for so long. The figure wavered erratically. Sometimes, it was long and thin; sometimes, it was short and round. It looked as if it might collapse at any time.
For some reason, Yang Kai had the feeling that the figure looked familiar, as if he had seen the one it was modelled after somewhere before.
“Brother Li, have you seen this person before?” He asked softly.
Li Jiao shook his head, “I can’t tell, but this person was definitely not just a nobody.”
That phantom image might be unstable, but the occasional short-lived aura that pulsed out from it was extremely powerful. That person was obviously not an ordinary Emperor Realm Master.
Yang Kai nodded. Images of all the Masters he had met before flashed through his mind as he tried to match them to the figure in front of him.
At that moment, the phantom image suddenly expanded then rapidly contracted. It turned into a small fist-sized ball of white light that slowly drifted towards somewhere.
Yang Kai did not have the time to think about anything else as he grabbed Li Jiao and shouted, “Follow him!”
Li Jiao was stunned, “Follow him?”
“En!” Yang Kai replied. He had the feeling that the appearance of this figure might be a turning point. He had been searching this place for a month now; however, he still couldn’t find a way out of this Void Labyrinth. [At this point, it won’t hurt to try everything at our disposal. We might as well see what that ball of light will do.]
Yang Kai no longer hesitated and followed closely behind that ball of light. The movement of that ball of light was even more erratic and elusive than Yang Kai’s movements from before. It looked aimless, but there were signs of predictability upon closer look.
Yang Kai was secretly encouraged, thinking that his guess was right. Now, all he wanted to know was who had left that figure behind; therefore, he had been observing the state of that ball of light but had not found any traces that would identify its source. That ball of light was produced by a Secret Technique cast by a Master who also made that phantom image. Unfortunately, it had long since become completely unrecognizable after so many years in this chaotic place. Thus, it was extremely difficult for Yang Kai to trace the origins of that figure.
They walked for several days and Li Jiao was becoming desperate while, similarly, Yang Kai felt his heart pounding wildly. The idea of giving up had popped up in his head several times by now, but doing so seemed like such a waste. Hence, he could only grit his teeth and continue to persevere.
All of a sudden, the ball of light accelerated and rushed forward. Yang Kai hurriedly chased after it upon seeing that. Unexpectedly, the ball of light suddenly exploded in a shower of sparkles and disappeared when it reached a certain spot in the Void.
“Uh…” Li Jiao looked a little dumbfounded.
They had been walking behind this ball of light for several days now but he had not expected that this would be the outcome of their efforts. Thus, he nearly cursed out loud at the sight. [Wasn’t this a waste of time?]
Following this incident, he began to lose confidence in Yang Kai. [We are probably destined to be trapped here for a lifetime. We will never be able to get out of this labyrinth.]
He turned to look at Yang Kai only to find that Yang Kai’s expression had lit up with joy as if he had discovered something amazing.
“Palace Master Yang?” Li Jiao called out.
Yang Kai turned his head to look at Li Jiao and said, “I found it!”
“You found it?” Li Jiao frowned and subconsciously asked, “Found what?”
“What do you think?”
Li Jiao was startled, then he became excited, “Are you saying… you found the exit?!”
“Indeed!” Yang Kai nodded repeatedly. He mulled over it for a moment before continuing, “I will open the exit now. Follow me as quickly as possible. If we are too slow, Dragon Island might discover us.”
“Good!” Li Jiao couldn’t help swallowing nervously. [We found it just like that? We actually found the exit just by walking behind that ball of light for a few days? What in the world was that ball of light?! Why would it guide us to the location of the exit? Whatever; that’s not important anymore. What’s important is that I’m about to set foot on Dragon Island! I’m about to complete my life’s greatest wish!] He was excited, nervous, eager, and anxious…
While Li Jiao’s emotions were all over the place, Yang Kai’s expression had already turned solemn. Space Principles began surging as he stretched out his hands and fiercely tore space apart.
“Go!” Yang Kai shouted.
Li Jiao immediately plunged into the gap and Yang Kai followed closely. Then the two of them instantly disappeared from this endless Void.
In the East Sea of the Eastern Territory stood a lush and beautiful island rich in World Energy, reminiscent of a paradise.
On that island stood a man dressed in white, holding his hand out to the void. Beside him stood a beautiful woman dressed in an elegant black dress. She had her arms crossed in front of her chest, squeezing her ample assets so tightly that they were slightly deformed. The split in her dress rose up to her thighs, exposing more than half of her legs to the air. Her fair skin was smooth and tender, exuding a seductive lustre akin to fine soft white jade. If a man were to witness this sight, he would be so charmed that he would lose his soul to her.
The man was handsome while the woman was voluptuous and graceful. Just by standing there, the two of them made an extremely eye-catching sight.
The two of them were looking out into the distance where a small figure was sitting cross-legged at the mouth of an active volcano. The blazing heatwave did not harm her whatsoever. Rather, it continuously rushed towards her childlike body and was completely absorbed into her.
“Feng’er, did that girl really assimilate with the Phoenix True Fire?” The white-robed man asked abruptly.
The beautiful woman in black who was called ‘Feng’er’ replied, “En. Moreover, it was a perfect assimilation.”
He asked, “Isn’t she an Artifact Spirit? Although she is a Fire Attribute Artifact Spirit, which does not clash with the attribute of the Phoenix True Fire, she does not have a flesh and blood body. How did she assimilate with the Phoenix True Fire?”
She responded, “Don’t underestimate her body. It might be artificial, but its ability to adapt and grow is incredible. That is the body of a Spirit Puppet. You will never find another one like her in this world.”
“You seem really taken with her,” he turned his head and looked at the person next to him.
She smiled, “Her future achievements will surely surpass mine.”
He nodded, “In any case, I should congratulate the Phoenix Clan for adding another clansman to their ranks.”
Her smile widened. It was an amorous sight.
At that particular moment, the white-robed man frowned and revealed an expression of surprise.
“What happened?” The beautiful woman glanced at him in amazement. At their cultivation, it was rare for anything to surprise them anymore; however, the expression on his face clearly indicated that something big and unexpected had occurred.
“You wouldn’t believe me even if I told you!” He turned to look at her with a strange expression, “Somebody has broken into Dragon Island!”
She was stunned for a moment. Then, she giggled, “Who could be so desperate? What an unlucky guy.”
She did not ask how the white-robed man knew about this because she knew that he had probed into the situation on Dragon Island several years back. Furthermore, he had left a kind of Soul Clone back in that Void Labyrinth.
That Void Labyrinth was not easy to crack. Even the white-robed man had failed to find the exit back then. In the end, he could only cast a Secret Technique to leave a Soul Clone to slowly decode the labyrinth.
More than a decade had passed since then and that Soul Clone had obviously made some headway in regards to escaping the labyrinth during that period. For the white-robed man to receive this information could only mean that he had received feedback from it. In other words, the Soul Clone he left behind in the Void Labyrinth had been dispelled.
“If it was really him, you also know him,” the white-robed man said with an odd expression. He couldn’t be sure about the identity of the person that had broken into Dragon Island; after all, the message he received from his failing Soul Clone after it had scattered had been incomplete. Thus, he was only sixty percent certain.
“I know him too?” The beautiful woman was taken aback by those words and asked curiously, “Who is it?”
“He is related to the Young Lady.”
She frowned at those words.
“He is also related to her!” He pointed at the small figure by the mouth of the volcano.
“Do you mean that guy?!” She was dumbfounded. His hints were so obvious that she would be an idiot if she still couldn’t guess who he was referring to. Still, she could not imagine that that person could successfully break into Dragon Island.
“How can it be him?” She was in disbelief, “Is he insane?! He actually dared to break into Dragon Island!?”
In response, he shrugged with a look that seemed to say, ‘I don’t know either.’
“Did you lead him in?” she asked.
He replied, “No, it wasn’t me. It’s something my Soul Clone did on its own.”
“Nonsense! What kind of place do you think Dragon Island is? What can he do after entering that place with that paltry strength of his!? He will probably be beaten to a pulp!”
The man added, “I left my Soul Clone there more than ten years ago. I didn’t know him back then, so the Soul Clone I left behind doesn’t know him either. It only led him into Dragon Island in hopes that he could make some waves in that place. It wanted to see if that person could create an opportunity for me to take advantage. It would be great if he causes a ruckus there, but it’s fine even if he doesn’t.”
“If anything happens to him, Xiao Qi will never forgive you for it. It’s not like you don’t know how important he is to her. She has been clamouring to go to the Southern Territory to look for him for years now. If she had not been confined by her father, she would have run off a long time ago.”
He sweated profusely at those words, “Please don’t tell her.”
She replied, “There are no secrets that can be kept forever.”
He exclaimed, “So, what should we do? He has already gone inside. If he was going to die, he would already be dead by now!”
She pondered in silence for a moment, “Well, this is certainly an opportunity. It wouldn’t be such a bad thing if we took this chance to sneak into Dragon Island… I will report this to Sir. We’ll see how he decides to proceed with this matter.
“Good.” He nodded.
Then, the beautiful woman transformed into a fiery light and headed into the distance as swiftly as lightning.
“Were you talking about Master just now?” A childish voice suddenly rang out.
The corners of the white-robed man’s mouth twitched at those words. Lowering his head, he glanced in the direction of the voice and saw a seven-or-eight-year-old little girl standing there. He did not know how long she had been standing there. She was staring unblinkingly at him with a pair of large, sparkling eyes.
The little girl looked like a jade sculpture. One glance was enough to determine that she would become a beauty that would turn the world upside down in the future.
However, the white-robed man knew that this little girl wasn’t a little girl at all. Lifting his head to look at the sky, his expression was full of vicissitudes as he groaned, “The wind today sure is noisy…”
The sky was blue and the earth was vast. Two figures stood mid-air, dazed and unable to respond. Needless to say, these two were none other than Yang Kai and Li Jiao who had experienced all kinds of hardships during their journey to this place. Yang Kai had torn open the space after that ball of light had led them to the exit of the Void Labyrinth, and they arrived in this place. However, what greeted them was so different from what they had imagined that they couldn’t help being stupefied for a while.
“Palace Master Yang, i-is this Dragon Island?” Li Jiao turned to look at Yang Kai with a look of astonishment.
“I don’t know either.” Yang Kai was also at a loss. He had assumed that they would arrive at Dragon Island after exiting the Void Labyrinth; however, at this moment, he was not sure if this place was Dragon Island because this place was not an island at all. It was a Sealed World!
Extending his senses out into the surroundings, he could tell that the World Principles in this Small Sealed World were complete, even more perfect than the Sealed World Bead in his possession. Lifting his head to look at the sky, he was amazed to see that it even had a scorching sun.
If somebody clueless to the situation were to see this place, they would have mistaken it as someplace in Star Boundary. Fortunately, Yang Kai was aware that this was not anywhere within Star Boundary. He had traversed many Small Sealed Worlds before, and even owned one, hence, he was extremely sensitive to these kinds of places.
This was a Small World, a perfect Small World. Furthermore, the World Energy here was impressive. It couldn’t be said to be extremely dense. After all, Star Boundary was vast with countless cultivation paradises, so which large Sect was not located in a beautiful spot that was rich in World Energy? This Small World might contain dense World Energy, but it was not much better than the cultivation paradises in Star Boundary.
The key point was its purity! The World Energy here was extremely pure, several times more so than any other World Energy Yang Kai had ever come into contact with before. A cultivation environment like that was extremely advantageous as the higher the purity of the World Energy, the faster and more easily one could absorb it. What cultivator would not thirst for that?
“We… Didn’t end up in the wrong place, right?” Li Jiao had an expression that indicated he did not know whether to laugh or cry.
“Why do you say that?” Yang Kai turned his head and looked at Li Jiao.
“How does this look like an island?!” Li Jiao was a little disappointed. In his imagination, Dragon Island was above all worldly considerations. It was an island isolated in the middle of the ocean with gigantic Dragons flying about and puffing out smoke. This place was also a paradise of sorts, but it was just too different from what he had imagined.
“Who stipulated that Dragon Island had to be an island?” Yang Kai countered rhetorically.
Li Jiao was stunned by those words before thinking to himself, [Fair enough.]
The name ‘Dragon Island’ had been passed down through the generations, so everyone assumed it was an actual island, but no one had ever entered Dragon Island nor spoken about what the island was like on the inside.
“In my opinion, this is probably Dragon Island,” Yang Kai took a deep breath. The pure World Energy in the air made him relax, physically and mentally. It felt as though even the pores in his body had expanded. Then, he broke into a grin, “It’s not just ‘probably’. This is definitely Dragon Island!”
What other place in this world could be better than the legendary Dragon Island? Yang Kai had been to many other cultivation paradises before, but nowhere else was comparable to this place.
Li Jiao nodded lightly and did not argue with Yang Kai on that point, “So, what should we do now?”
Yang Kai frowned and thought for a while before speaking, “Since we’re already here, we might as well enjoy ourselves. Let’s investigate this place first.”
“Sounds good!” Li Jiao nodded.
Afterwards, the two of them immediately flew off in the same direction. Both of them tried hard to conceal their auras to prevent revealing their whereabouts. Additionally, they neither flew too high nor too fast.
The Small World seemed to be rather large compared to the Revolving World they went to previously and while flying, they passed numerous mountains and rivers. However, they didn’t even see a single member of the Dragon Clan anywhere.
Although the numbers within the Dragon Clan were extremely low, as far as Yang Kai was aware, there should still be some of the Dragon Clan members living on Dragon Island. Thus, it made no sense that they couldn’t find a single trace of the Dragon Clan anywhere.
For that reason, he couldn’t help doubting whether his previous conjecture was wrong. [Could it be that this isn’t Dragon Island? Don’t tell me Li Jiao and I fell into a random Small World by accident. If that’s the case, things will get embarrassing…]
On the other hand, they ran into several Monster Beasts. Some were strong while some were weak. Moreover, many of the stronger Monster Beasts possessed some thin Dragon Clan bloodline. Their auras were terrifying, and they ran wild in the mountains and forests.
The appearance of these Monster Beasts with the Dragon Clan bloodline greatly increased Yang Kai’s confidence; even so, the True Dragon Clan was nowhere to be seen.
Two days later, a huge city suddenly appeared before them. The city was built on a huge plain and occupied almost one-third of the horizon. From a distance, the buildings in the city seemed densely packed with streets of varying sizes crisscrossing between them. Such a huge city could accommodate at least a million people.
Yang Kai and Li Jiao were instantly dumbstruck while at the same time, an inexplicable feeling surged in their hearts.
“Brother Li, is there a city on Dragon Island?”
Li Jiao smiled wryly, “I have never heard of a city on Dragon Island. However, the members of the Dragon Clan are so scarce, so why would they create such a large city?”
Yang Kai agreed with that sentiment. [The Dragon Clan has no reason to create such a large city. So, is this not Dragon Island after all?] At that thought, his expression turned grim. Two days ago, he had confidently declared to Li Jiao that this place was definitely Dragon Island. Who could have known that those words would slap him in the face two days later?
[But, what is this place if it isn’t Dragon Island?] Yang Kai mulled over it for a moment and said, “Let’s go take a look.”
They might as well take a look at the place regardless of where this was. Even so, they did not rush headlong into the city. They did not know where exactly this place was nor who exactly lived in this city. Therefore, they landed about a hundred kilometres away from the city, found a hidden spot to hide, and prepared to observe the situation for a while.
Upon a closer inspection, they saw many people actively going about their day inside the city. Even if the number of people in the city did not amount to a million, there were at least several hundreds of thousands of them here. This discovery made Yang Kai and Li Jiao even more disappointed. [This really isn’t Dragon Island… Otherwise, there wouldn’t be so many people here!]
“Somebody is coming!” Yang Kai shouted suddenly, staring intently at something.
The moment Li Jiao heard that, he hurriedly turned his gaze in that direction and saw several figures rushing in their direction. Soon, those people flew over the two of them, seemingly heading for the city.
After they passed by, Li Jiao muttered, “Those were Humans in the Dao Source Realm.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly at those words. Those were Humans indeed. Moreover, their cultivation was neither high nor low. People like them were everywhere in the outside world; it was nothing special.
Not long after those people left, another group of people flew towards the city. This time around, Yang Kai and Li Jiao discovered a strange phenomenon. The leading figure among this group was a person with a Dragon Clan bloodline.
He was a man with a First-Order Emperor Realm cultivation and had several Dragon Scales on his face. Apart from that, he did not show any other Dragon Clan like characteristics. Even so, this discovery astonished Yang Kai and Li Jiao greatly.
This man’s situation was very similar to Li Jiao’s. He was probably a Dragonborn with an impure bloodline. In fact, the purity of his bloodline was even lower than Li Jiao’s.
Yang Kai frowned slightly, feeling there was something unusual here.
For the next half a day, the two of them did not move from that spot. A figure or two would fly over their heads from time to time, heading straight towards the city.
The more they observed, the larger the shock and doubt in their hearts grew. This couldn’t be helped though as it was frightening just how many Dragonborn were in this place. At least a hundred people flew over their heads during the time they spent observing and a full ten had Dragon Clan bloodlines. That was a ratio of ten to one, which would have been impossible anywhere else in the Star Boundary but Dragon Island.
Dragonborn could be found in the Star Boundary of course, but there were not many of them. However, in this damned place, one out of every ten was a Dragonborn. If Yang Kai had not seen this ratio for himself, he would never have believed it.
The cultivations of these Dragonborn were uneven; some were high and some were low. The lowest was only in the Origin King Realm while the higher ones were in the Emperor Realm. The distinct Dragon Clan characteristics that they displayed varied too. Some had a short Dragon Horn on their heads, some had Dragon Tails behind them, some had nondescript Dragon Claws while most of them had a few Dragon Scales on their bodies. Naturally, the Dragon Clan characteristics that they had were completely incomparable to that of the true members of the Dragon Clan. The Dragon Scales they had were not so much Dragon Scales as they were more like snake scales.
Aside from Humans and Dragonborn, there were members of the Monster Race thrown into the mix too.
“Palace Master Yang, what’s going on? Why are there so many Dragonborn here?” Li Jiao couldn’t remain calm any longer.
“Do I look like I know the answer to your questions?” Yang Kai gave Li Jiao a sideways look.
Li Jiao laughed awkwardly. He had only been asking in passing. It was just that what they had seen over the past half a day was too startling.
“It’ll be easy to get down to the bottom of this matter. We’ll know once we go inside, right?” Yang Kai pointed out while looking in the direction of the city.
Li Jiao was silent for a while, then he nodded in agreement.
After observing for so long, they discovered that the city’s defences were very lax. Nobody would bat an eyelid at them even if they rushed straight into the city. Moreover, there were no gatekeepers asking them questions or collecting any kind of entrance toll. In other words, Yang Kai and Li Jiao could literally just walk in.
Upon discussing their plans, they immediately rushed out from their hiding spot and flew towards the city. They soon closed the distance of one hundred kilometres and imitated how the people from before had acted. Landing some distance away, they walked into the city on foot.
When they arrived at the city gate, Yang Kai looked up and saw three characters drawn across the city gate in a showy fashion. He was stunned by those words. Similarly, Li Jiao also seemed shocked. Those three characters drawn across the city gate in such showy fashion read ‘Half-Dragon City’!
The two looked at each other and saw the surprised look in each other’s eyes.
A lifelike gigantic Dragon carving sat on the city gates. At first glance, this Dragon seemed to be alive, lunging forward at them with fangs bared. It made Li Jiao pale slightly at the sight and he couldn’t help walking a little faster.
When they entered the city, the two were shocked again. They had long speculated that this city housed a large population, but the size of the population exceeded their expectations. The people coming and going in the city were so numerous that they looked like a school of silver carps moving down a stream. There were shops and stalls in every direction, and they were surrounded by a cacophony of everyday noises like people shouting and bargaining. Moreover, there were beings from the different races, Humans, Monsters and Dragonborn, mixed into the crowd.
Humans numbered the most among them, making up nearly half of the population. Next came the Monster Race that, although lesser in number than the Humans, were not far behind. Last came the Dragonborn who were the rarest.
[What is going on!?] Both Yang Kai and Li Jiao were a little confused.
Half a day later, Yang Kai and Li Jiao sat opposite each other in a teahouse. The fragrance of the tea tickled their noses, but both of them remained silent.
Half a day of observation had given them a lot of time to see many things. Half-Dragon City was extremely strange. Putting aside how odd it was to see so many Dragonborn in one place, just the number of Masters here was staggering. At least 1 out of 1,000 people in the street were in the Emperor Realm. To put it into perspective, the population of this city was approximately 500,000. In other words, there were 500 to 600 Emperors living in this Half-Dragon City!
[What is this!? There are simply too many of them!]
There were countless cities across the entire Star Boundary, both large and small; however, no other city would ever have enough Emperor Realm Masters to compare with Half-Dragon City. Oftentimes, just a dozen Emperors living in one city was an astonishing sight. And, even those numbers had taken the Emperor Realm Masters that were simply passing by into account. 100 was impossible let alone 500!
Even if the World Energy here was extremely pure and helped the cultivators break through quickly, the ratio was still too frightening to think about. To put it into perspective, even the Top Sects such as Azure Sun Temple had no more than a dozen Emperor Realm Masters among their ranks. That wasn’t even a fraction of the numbers in Half-Dragon City.
In addition, Dragonborn with the Dragon Clan’s bloodline seemed to have a generally higher status in Half-Dragon City. Of those in the same cultivation realm, a Dragonborn was often the leader among their peers.
Yang Kai made a conjecture that if all the Masters in this city were to take up arms, they would have enough strength to take over any city and any top Sect in the Star Boundary. Only the Great Emperor Sects would be able to put up some resistance against Half-Dragon City. This entire city was like an invincible army!
However, both Yang Kai and Li Jiao also discovered something else that was strange. The Dragonborn, especially those with slightly purer bloodlines, seemed to suffer from unstable auras. No matter how high or low their cultivation, they seemed unsteady on their feet and looked as if they were suffering from hidden injuries. Moreover, the higher the cultivation among those in the Emperor Realm, the fewer the Dragonborn among them.
[What’s with this situation?] Yang Kai and Li Jiao had even more trouble understanding.
Logically speaking, the Dragonborn had a unique advantage in cultivating due to the Dragon Clan’s blood in them. Take Li Jiao for example. If he had not been a Dragonborn, his cultivation journey would have ended when he was in the Second-Order Emperor Realm. It was because of his Dragon Clan bloodline that he was able to break through to the Third-Order Emperor Realm.
Strangely enough; the situation seemed to be reversed in Half-Dragon City. The purer the Dragon Clan’s bloodline, the harder it was for their cultivation to advance, and they reached the end of their cultivation in the Second-Order Emperor Realm. Thus, most Dragonborn cultivators were only First-Order Emperors. Contrarily, there were Third-Order Emperor Realm Masters among those that did not have the Dragon Clan’s bloodline in them, such as the Humans and Monsters.
After staying in the teahouse for a long time and listening to the conversations around them, Yang Kai and Li Jiao did not hear anything that stood out too much. The only thing that caught their attention was when one person accidentally mentioned the words ‘Dragon Palace’. Unfortunately, that person immediately realized that he had said something that was not supposed to be said and quickly changed the subject. It had left Yang Kai and Li Jiao feeling frustrated.
Half-Dragon City, Dragon Palace, Dragonborn… There were all indications that this place was none other than Dragon Island itself. However, Yang Kai found that hard to believe in the face of a population of several hundreds of thousands. [How can there be so many people on Dragon Island?]
Li Jiao was also confused. The difference between this place and what he had imagined was so vast that he could not accept reality.
While the two of them were immersed in their silence, a loud commotion sounded from the opposite shop. It sounded like a quarrel and immediately following that, Emperor Qi surged and Principles churned. The sound of something hitting the ground rang out, followed by a shocked exclamation. At the same time, a figure flew out from the shop and landed heavily on the ground.
The figure turned out to be a woman dressed in a light yellow dress. She had a head of black hair that fell to her shoulders like a waterfall while the shape of her back was slender and graceful. It was too bad that her face remained out of sight. The aura coming from her body was also not weak; she was a First-Order Emperor Realm Master.
Nobody knew who she had gotten into a conflict with inside that shop for her to be beaten up and thrown out but it seemed as though the injuries she suffered were not light. When the pedestrians on the street saw the commotion, they hurriedly evaded the area. Without knowing the cause and effect, no one was willing to stick their nose into another’s affairs, lest they bring trouble upon themselves.
“Mother!” A child’s voice cried out with a trace of sobbing. The woman lying on the ground got up with some difficulty, wiped the fresh blood from the corner of her mouth, and glared in front of her with a livid gaze. Her entire body trembled uncontrollably, whether from anger or fear remained unknown to the people.
“Hmph!” A cold snort rang out and a man walked out of the shop with a sullen expression. His movements were neither fast nor slow. His hand was slightly lifted, grabbing a girl by her hair and dragging her outside with him. Caught in that manner, the girl could only walk after him with her body half-arched backwards.
The girl was beautiful. She looked fairly young, and her body wasn’t very well-developed. With two small bulges on her chest, she looked extremely petite and exquisite. All in all, she looked no more than 15 or 16 years old. Her eyes were reddened, and tears slid down her cheeks. She seemed to be frightened, and her expression was filled with panic. Looking ahead of her, she cried out again, “Mother, please save me!”
Listening to her cries for help, this girl seemed to be the daughter of the woman that had been thrown out of the shop before.
“Let her go!” That woman growled through gritted teeth. The Emperor Qi in her body churned violently while her posture indicated that she was desperate to rush forward and fight; however, her daughter had been captured which made her hesitant to act, lest she cause her daughter to be harmed. She didn’t dare to act hastily regardless of how furious she was.
Besides, the cultivation of that sinister and vicious-looking man wasn’t just higher than hers; he was also a Dragonborn. Even if she fought with her life on the line, she would still be no match for him.
“Let her go?” The sinister and vicious-looking man looked at the woman and laughed coldly, “Why should I let her go just because you asked me to? What thing are you?”
Disdain was dripping from his words and it was obvious that he did not put the woman in front of him in his eyes. While he was speaking, he lowered his head and took a sniff at the girl’s hair. Then, he suddenly showed an expression of ecstasy, “How fragrant. I just love little girls like her.”
The girl had never gone through such experiences before and feeling the burning aura coming from behind, she stiffened and wept even harder, crying out pitifully, “Mother…”
“Don’t you dare!” The woman was enraged by the sight. Gnashing her teeth, she yelled, “Do you know whose daughter she is? How dare you act so frivolously toward her?!”
The sinister and vicious-looking man sneered, “Of course I know whose daughter she is!”
The woman seemed stunned by those words. She clearly had not expected the other party to reply in such a manner. At first, she assumed that the other party was abusing his authority and harassing them; thus, she only needed to bring out the name of her daughter’s father to make the other party back off in fear, leaving the mother-daughter pair unharmed. Who could have expected that it would have no effect at all?
She couldn’t help but feel her heart sinking, knowing that the situation was against her. The other party had been targeting her all along. He must have investigated them beforehand so threatening him with the father’s identity was no longer of any use.
The sinister and vicious-looking man said, “Did you think that person would care about a Human like you? If he cared, he wouldn’t have driven the two of you out!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, not only did that woman’s expression darken, but the expressions of the onlookers also became dejected. They looked as if they had gone through the same experience that woman did.
“Believe me; even if I strip her naked right here and right now, nobody will care about what happens to you!” The sinister and vicious-looking man said, placing his hand on the girl’s shoulder.
The girl’s body stiffened abruptly. Her tears slid down her cheeks uncontrollably like a broken string of pearls.
The woman standing opposite him was incredibly shocked by those words and shrieked, “No!”
If he really stripped her daughter naked here, then her daughter would never be able to hold her head high in public again. In the worst case, her daughter might even commit suicide. Her daughter was the only thing that made living bearable so how could she just watch this travesty happen?
The words of that sinister and vicious-looking man made many of the onlookers frown in response. They felt that he was going too far and somebody immediately piped up, “Hey, Friend. It’s not necessary to drive them into a corner. Even if they provoked you in some way, there’s no need to humiliate them in this manner, right?”
The moment that person spoke up, the expression of his companion next to him immediately changed drastically. His companion hurriedly tugged at him and whispered something in his ear. Following that, his expression changed too and his face became rather sickly and ashen.
The sinister and vicious-looking man turned to look in that person’s direction and sneered, “What did you say just now? I didn’t hear you clearly. Why don’t you repeat that?”
That person’s complexion paled further as he cupped his fists and bowed, responding in a low voice, “Sir, please forgive me. I failed to choose my words carefully. Please forgive me if I have offended you, Sir.”
The sinister and vicious-looking man stared at him coldly and a long while passed before he suddenly shouted, “Scram!”
When that person heard that word, he reacted as if he was granted a pardon by the Heavens. He hurriedly turned around and fled. Although he was willing to stand up against injustice if it was within his capabilities, he did not have the courage to do so when his life was at risk.
The rest of the onlookers saw the scene unfolding before them and understood that the Dragonborn in the Second-Order Emperor Realm was very influential. He might have a powerful backer supporting him, otherwise, his threat alone could not have been such a great deterrent.
Some of the others could recognize that sinister and vicious-looking man. Thus, they knew just where his confidence was coming from. Sighing, they thought to themselves, [Both of them are done for. They could have offended anybody in the world, but they just had to offend this bastard. Their futures will not be easy.]
After throwing his weight around, the sinister man turned his head to look at the girl’s mother and said with a smug expression, “Do you know what to do now?”
How could the woman not know what he was talking about? She clenched her fists so hard that her nails cut into her palms. Even so, she did not feel the pain. Lifting her eyes to look at her daughter, she smiled sadly and slowly got down on her knees. Prostrating herself, she pressed her forehead against the backs of her palms and aggrievedly said, “I… am willing to serve you, Sir. Please let my daughter go!”
The corners of his mouth lifted into a jeering sneer. The woman’s lowly posture satisfied him greatly and his gaze lingered on her round and tight bottom for a while before he leisurely swaggered over. All of a sudden, he lashed out and kicked the woman to the ground. The force of his kick was not small and caused the woman to roll across the ground several times before she stopped.
“Mother!” The girl cried out sorrowfully when she saw that.
“Shut up!” The sinister and vicious-looking man slapped his palm across the girl’s cheeks, causing her face to swell up greatly.
It could be that she had been scared senseless and did not dare to say anything else again after that. The pupils of her bright eyes dilated with fear.
Meanwhile, the sinister and vicious-looking man kicked the woman again. It was clear that he was not done with her. Stepping forward, he stomped one foot down on her chest, causing her voluptuous peaks to deform from the pressure.
The woman’s expression was twisted in pain, but even so, she called out to her daughter, “Close your eyes!”
She did not want her child to see the state she was in right now.
As a mother, how could that woman let her daughter witness herself being tortured?
Unfortunately, the girl was completely stupefied. Her eyes were open wide and staring. At the same time, her tears flowed freely down her face. It could be seen that she had been frightened senseless.
“Wouldn’t it have been better if you had agreed earlier?” The sinister and vicious-looking man coldly snorted. He ground his foot into her chest several times. The sound of bone being dislocated rang out, but he acted as if he did not hear anything. Lowering his body, he snorted, “If you agreed sooner, you wouldn’t have to suffer like this.”
The woman’s expression was filled with pain. Even so, she gritted her teeth and refused to utter a single sound. She simply looked at her daughter and squeezed out a smile. It was too bad that that smile was uglier than if she had cried instead.
“You rotten wretch! You should be honoured that you caught my interest! How dare you refuse me?!” It seemed as though he had not tortured her enough and still wanted to vent his rage. More than that, he clearly enjoyed the feeling of trampling on this woman, his eyes filled with bliss.
Inside the teahouse, Yang Kai’s gaze cooled slightly. He and Li Jiao had watched the entire scene unfolding before them, so they knew exactly what had happened.
Although it was his first time in Half-Dragon City and he was not very familiar with the situation here, he couldn’t bear to continue watching the mother-daughter pair being tormented so badly under their noses anymore. Just as he was about to make a move though, Li Jiao stood up abruptly. Li Jiao was watching the woman being stepped on the ground with a shocked expression. There was a look of disbelief in his eyes and in the next moment, fury burned in him.
“It’s too late to beg for mercy now!” The sinister and vicious-looking man was still trampling that woman underfoot, “Neither you nor your daughter can escape. You will both come with me!”
While speaking, he grabbed the girl with one hand and reached out to grab the girl’s mother with the other.
At that moment, without warning, a figure suddenly appeared in front of him. An imposing Emperor Pressure descended from the sky, enveloping the sinister and vicious-looking man.
The sinister and vicious-looking man was utterly shocked. Kicking out with his feet, he flew backwards and yelled, “Who!?”
Li Jiao stretched out his hand to form a fist, slamming it straight into that man’s face.
The sinister and vicious-looking man was horrified and hurriedly circulated his Emperor Qi to defend against the attack; however, the fist pressure became infinitely magnified in the next moment and smashed into his nose. Then, he was sent flying by that punch with a loud crack, sounding as if something had split apart. Concurrently, he lost his grip and the girl he had captured broke free from him.
A loud crash subsequently rang out as the man slammed into the shop behind him, breaking who knows how many things as he fell. Climbing up with some difficulty, he felt extremely dizzy and his mouth was filled with the smell of blood. He reached out to wipe at his nose, smearing blood all over his hand. It would seem as though his nose had been broken.
He was enraged as a result. Immediately rushing out of the shop, he fixed a cold gaze on Li Jiao and his murderous intent rose like a tide as he shouted through gritted teeth, “Impudence!”
Meanwhile, Li Jiao ignored him and instead he was focused on the girl he had rescued before turning to look at the woman who was still lying on the ground, saying in a low voice, “Go and help your mother up.”
The girl remained motionless. She had probably been overwhelmed with fear.
On the other hand, the woman stared at Li Jiao in astonishment. She had not expected anybody to help them at this point; after all, that sinister and vicious-looking man was not somebody they could afford to provoke. That man’s cultivation could not be counted among the best in Half-Dragon City and many others were stronger than him. Even so, he was not somebody that just anybody could afford to offend. Anybody who offended him would meet a terrible end and it had nothing to do with their cultivation.
When that woman saw Li Jiao’s face clearly though, she couldn’t help but widen her eyes and let out a soft exclamation in response. Their gazes met, and a look of pity and nostalgia flashed in Li Jiao’s eyes; however, that woman immediately looked away and avoided his gaze.
Seeing her reaction, Li Jiao sighed softly and gave the girl a soft push. Only then did the girl return to her senses and step forward to help her mother while bawling her eyes out.
Li Jiao’s arrogant attitude undoubtedly angered the sinister and vicious-looking man. It was strange to say that even though he noticed that Li Jiao’s cultivation was higher than his by a whole Minor Realm, he was not the slightest bit scared. Rather, he glared at Li Jiao hatefully and snapped, “How dare you injure me?! I don’t care who you are; you’re dead!”
“You took those words right out of my mouth.” Li Jiao turned back to look at the sinister and vicious-looking man, his expression completely indifferent, but the suppressed rage in his voice clear to all.
Inside the teahouse, Yang Kai narrowed his eyes, picked up a cup of tea, and took a sip. He gazed at the woman before shifting his gaze to Li Jiao. A moment later, his expression changed as if he had understood something.
On the other side, the sinister and vicious-looking man was stunned for a moment before he burst into laughter and said grimly, “You are pretty courageous. No one has ever dared to speak to me in that manner in Half-Dragon City.”
“There’s one now!” Li Jiao took a shallow breath and calmed the anger in his heart. He had never been so angry before. The rage burning in his chest threatened to explode right out and he could barely restrain himself from venting his anger and smashing this sinister and vicious-looking man into powder.
“You court death!” Similarly, the sinister and vicious-looking man was incredibly furious. His aura intensified, and the colour of the Dragon Scales under his neck deepened considerably. Simultaneously, a faint Dragon Pressure spread in the air.
Many of the Dragonborn within the crowd suddenly looked uncomfortable. It couldn’t be helped as this was a form of bloodline suppression. The Dragon Clan bloodline of that sinister and vicious-looking man was purer than theirs; moreover, his cultivation was in the Second-Order Emperor Realm. If he used his full strength, not many Dragonborn within Half-Dragon City could stand against him. Even the Humans and Monsters who were not Dragonborn looked extremely uncomfortable and began to back away.
Meanwhile, Li Jiao’s expression remained unchanged as he stood there as immovable as the mountain. He simply stared at the sinister and vicious-looking man coldly.
The expression of the sinister and vicious-looking man twisted slightly when he saw Li Jiao’s calm and indifferent demeanour. He couldn’t help thinking that something was wrong. Knowing that Li Jiao also had the Dragon Clan’s blood flowing in him, that man dared to be so reckless because he was certain that Li Jiao’s bloodline was not as pure as his.
Contrary to his expectations, Li Jiao’s reaction to the overwhelming Dragon Pressure gave him a shock. [How is he unaffected?! How can this be?! Is the bloodline suppression not working?! That’s impossible! There’s only one possible reason for his indifference… His bloodline is not inferior to mine!]
At that thought, his expression changed drastically. His cultivation was incomparable to Li Jiao’s in the first place, and if his bloodline gave him no advantages, then he was no match for Li Jiao whatsoever!
Upon taking a closer look at Li Jiao, a suspicious look flashed through his eyes. He realized that Li Jiao did not look even a little bit familiar, so much so that he had no recollection of ever meeting Li Jiao before.
Dragonborn might be common in Half-Dragon City, enough to number several tens of thousands, but not many Dragonborn were Emperors. There were only a few hundred in Half-Dragon City that were in the Emperor Realm in total, of which Humans and Monsters accounted for roughly eighty percent.
Totalling up all the Dragonborn in the Emperor Realm amounted to less than a hundred, so this man essentially had some recollection of all of them. Even if he was not close with them, he would have met them several times before. That was inevitable; they were all living in Half-Dragon City after all. The city might be big, but they would still run into each other over the years. In contrast, Li Jiao was a face he had never seen before. [Where did this guy pop out from? His cultivation is in the Third-Order Emperor Realm, and his bloodline is not inferior to mine… I’ve never heard of a guy like this before!]
At this point, he was utterly stunned! The woman was shocked too! Similarly, the surrounding onlookers were absolutely astonished! Everybody stared blankly at Li Jiao as though he had flowers on his face.
After a while, the sinister and vicious-looking man felt cold sweat beading on his forehead. He had the feeling that he had chosen a bad match.
“Disgraceful!” Li Jiao snorted coldly and activated his power too. In the next moment, a trace of Dragon Pressure that was obviously stronger than that of the sinister and vicious-looking man’s covered the entire surrounding area. Following that, the man’s Dragon Pressure disintegrated instantly like a bubble popping.
Muffled exclamations rang out from the surrounding onlookers as they suppressed their reactions.
“Third-Order Dragon Vein!”
“It’s a Third-Order Dragon Vein!”
“Was there someone with a Third-Order Dragon Vein in Half-Dragon City?”
Li Jiao furrowed his eyebrows at those exclamations. He knew that his Dragon Clan bloodline was impure, but he did not know how to classify it. He had never had anything else to compare it with after all, let alone a standard he could measure against.
The classification of the Dragon Clan’s bloodline originated from Dragon Island and the Dragon Clan, so it was not known to outsiders; however, judging by the exclamations from the crowd, the Dragonborn of Half-Dragon City seemed to have a clear idea of the standards of classification.
[So, I have a Third-Order Dragon Vein?] It was the first time Li Jiao had ever heard of that himself.
“Did we have a Dragonborn like that in Half-Dragon City?”
“Who is this person? How come we’ve never seen him before?”
“Look at his power! He probably has a Third-Order High Rank, right?”
“I don’t think so. It’s probably only Mid Rank.”
“Someone is about to be in trouble.”
“Don’t joke around. It’s not like you don’t know that person’s background, he might not necessarily be the one in trouble.”
……
The expression on that sinister and vicious-looking man changed constantly as he cursed endlessly in his heart. [What the hell?! Where did someone possessing a Third-Order Mid-Rank Dragon Vein pop out from? I, myself, only have a Second-Order High-Rank Dragon Vein! There’s a difference of two Minor Realms between us! My cultivation is not as good as his, and my bloodline is not as pure as his. How am I supposed to fight him?]
A wave of Dragon Pressure pressed down on him, and his expression became extremely troubled. The Emperor Qi in his body could barely respond, and the meridians in his body squirmed. At the same time, the throbbing from the depths of his heart made him panic.
It was also the first time Li Jia had experienced the benefits of bloodline suppression. In the past, he had always been the one being suppressed. He could only shrink in fear in front of Zhu Lie and Zhu Qing. This time, he was finally the one standing on top.
The rage in his heart had yet to subside though and raising his hand, he swept his palm at the sinister and vicious-looking man’s face. The sinister and vicious-looking man wanted to resist; however, he did not have the power to do so. He couldn’t even dodge aside when the slap came at him.
The crisp sound of a slap rang out. Consequently, one side of that man’s face swelled and several of his teeth were knocked out. He spun around several times before crashing heavily into the ground; that was how much power Li Jiao’s attack contained.
Afterwards, Li Jiao turned around. His cold expression disappeared immediately to be replaced with a kind one as he looked at the little girl, “He slapped you once, so I slapped him back. Was that enough to vent your anger?”
Meanwhile, the girl was in shock. She did not know Li Jiao. More than that, she did not know why he was helping her. All she knew was that she had been filled with grievances and fear when she and her mother had been harassed by that sinister and vicious-looking man. In contrast, she currently felt overjoyed to see that man receiving his just desserts. Hence, she had a good impression of Li Jiao, a person she had just met by coincidence, so she nodded repeatedly in response to his question.
He smiled, “If you think it’s not enough, I can hit him a few more times.”
The girl mulled over it for a moment and shook her head.
Li Jiao continued, “Good, then I’ll help your mother vent some of her anger now.”
On the streets of Half-Dragon City, everyone was silent.
When Li Jiao turned around again, the cold expression was back on his face. He approached that sinister and vicious-looking man, step by step.
The sinister and vicious-looking man was dizzy after being slapped in the face and when he finally got his bearings again, he saw that Li Jiao was standing in front of him all of a sudden. Thus, he became angry out of shame and opened his mouth to curse at Li Jiao, “How dare you hit me!?”
Li Jiao’s eyes drooped. Then, he lashed out again. A crisp slapping sound rang out, and the other side of that man’s face swelled as a result.
The double suppression from their bloodline and their cultivation left that man with no power to resist; thus, he could only take the beatings passively.
“You bastard! How dare…”
Before he finished speaking, Li Jiao smashed another fist into his face. He was hit so hard that his skin tore off.
“You…”
*Hong…*
Another punch slammed into his face.
The surrounding onlookers were as silent as cicadas in winter, feeling a chill running down from the tops of their heads to the bottoms of their soles.
Li Jiao was extremely furious and ignored everything around him as he rushed forward and pinned that sinister and vicious-looking man. Then, he began punching that man’s face repeatedly with both fists. The sounds of punching rang out continuously, so much so that that man couldn’t even get another word out of his mouth.
Although Li Jiao appeared ruthless, he also knew his limits. This was an unfamiliar place after all and even if he wanted to help those two vent their anger, he did not kill that man. Therefore, that sinister and vicious-looking man’s life was in no danger whatsoever even though he suffered such a terrible and miserable beating.
“Friend… It would do you good to be forgiving. Besides, this person… Isn’t somebody you can afford to offend.”
A voice suddenly floated into Li Jiao’s ears. Somebody had sent a Divine Sense transmission directly to him, causing him to frown and reduce the force behind his attacks considerably. Most of his rage had calmed down after beating that man up, so he was no longer as unreasonable as he had been previously.
The woman he rescued finally came back to her senses and screamed, “Stop hitting him! Stop hitting him! Sir, please stop!”
She wasn’t pleading on behalf of that sinister and vicious-looking man. How could she possibly plead on his behalf after suffering such humiliation at his hands? Her daughter even saw the entire scene! She was brimming with a thirst for revenge, but she was worried about Li Jiao. If Li Jiao killed that man, he would not walk away from this incident alive; thus, she was filled with the guilt and anxiety of dragging him into her problems.
In response, Li Jiao punched the sinister and vicious-looking man two more times before stopping and coldly snorted, “Worthless dog!”
The woman took the opportunity to run forward and clutched at his arm as she begged, “Sir, please stop! Stop hitting him!”
Li Jiao got up, looked at the sinister and vicious-looking man lying on the ground coldly, and snarled ferociously, “I’ll let you off this time. If this happens again, I will rip your corpse into ten thousand pieces.”
At this moment, the face of the sinister and vicious-looking man was covered in blood and his expression was literally deformed. Nobody knew whether it was because he was feeling incredibly embarrassed or he was actually severely injured, but he lay motionlessly on the ground as if he was dead.
Li Jiao kicked the sinister and vicious-looking man once again before turning to look at that woman with a slightly complicated expression and asked, “Are you alright?”
The woman shook her head, not daring to meet his gaze. Then, she gently let go of his arm. She was also an Emperor Realm Master. Thus, she was only sightly injured despite being subjected to that torture just now.
“Good,” Li Jiao nodded.
Lowering her head, the woman bit her red lips lightly before uttering, “Many thanks for lending a helping hand, Sir. But… You should leave quickly. You can’t stay in Half-Dragon City anymore.”
Li Jiao frowned at those words. Whether it was this woman’s current reaction or the message from before, both were conveying a clear meaning. Li Jiao was no fool, so how could he not realize that the man he had beaten up was somebody influential?
[I’ve really done it now. This is going to be troublesome.] Li Jiao couldn’t help feeling a little uneasy. Even so, he did not reveal his uneasiness in front of the woman. Besides, he would still make the same choice even if he was asked to choose again. It wasn’t because he had a gallant and compassionate nature; it was just…
“Are you going to keep addressing me in that manner?” He looked at the woman and sighed softly.
The woman’s tender body trembled and continued to play dumb as she asked, “Sir… What do you mean by that?”
“Ha…” Shaking his head, Li Jiao did not continue pestering her on that topic and simply said, “Come with me.”
After saying that, he led the way.
The woman hesitated for a moment, but in the end, she called her daughter over and held her hand before following behind him.
Walking into the teahouse from before and heading to the second floor, Li Jiao immediately saw Yang Kai smiling at him strangely. He couldn’t help blushing furiously in response, knowing that his impulsive actions just now had made him seem like a fool. He was a Third-Order Emperor, as well as a Palace Master, so it was indeed rare for him to lose his composure in such a manner.
Without saying anything, Li Jiao returned to his original seat. Yang Kai pushed a cup of tea over to him which he downed in a single gulp with a grim expression and remained silent.
Meanwhile, the mother-daughter pair stood next to each other happily. If one were to look at them carefully, one would notice that they had many similarities. Moreover, they were both extraordinarily pretty. The woman had been injured, and she even had some blood in the corner of her mouth, but that did not take away from her beauty.
Li Jiao remained silent. Similarly, the woman said nothing either. She simply stood there with her head lowered as if she had done something wrong. On the other hand, the girl studied Yang Kai and Li Jiao curiously, although she was relatively more curious about Li Jiao as he had rescued her and her mother; thus, she was more cordial and grateful toward him.
“Why don’t you sit down and talk?” Yang Kai smiled at them slightly.
The woman shook her head and whispered, “I have received your kindness, Sir. It’s enough for me to remain standing.”
Li Jiao was frustrated when he heard what she said and took another sip of tea.
She continued, “Two Sirs, you should leave Half-Dragon City as soon as possible. You must not stay here for long.”
Yang Kai asked, “Who is he?”
She answered, “He isn’t anything important, but… He can communicate with the other side.”
She did not explain clearly as it seemed to be a taboo of some sort. Seeing the indifferent expressions on both Yang Kai and Li Jiao’s faces though, she anxiously turned to Li Jiao and explained, “Sir, you really have to leave soon. It will be too late if you don’t leave now.”
Li Jiao turned his head and looked at her in annoyance and quickly snapped back, “Are you going to continue pretending not to know me?”
As soon as those words left his mouth, she immediately lowered her head again and did not dare to look at him. The girl next to her widened her eyes curiously and stared at her mother. Then, she turned to Li Jiao and asked, “Do you know my mother?”
Li Jiao snorted, “You have to ask her yourself!”
Li Jiao seemed to be a little angry; however, even he did not know why he was feeling upset.
In response, the girl innocently turned her head, “Mother, do you know this man?”
The woman remained silent, but her tender shoulders began shaking softly. Her tears dripped down like a string of broken pearls as she looked like she was reminiscing about something sad.
“Mother…” The girl’s eyes reddened at the sight, and she reached out to hug her.
“Why are you crying? So many years have passed, yet you’re still the same…” Li Jiao felt speechless. Knowing that his words had been a little too harsh just now, he suddenly felt bad. Unfortunately, he did not know how to comfort her so he fidgeted anxiously for a bit before turning to Yang Kai for help.
Yang Kai smiled, “Elder Sister, please have a seat.”
Although they were both in the First-Order Emperors, this woman was certainly older than him so it was not wrong of him to address her as ‘Elder Sister’. Furthermore, she seemed to be an old friend of Li Jiao’s, so it was only natural for him to show some courtesy to give Li Jiao some face. After all, Li Jiao had gone out of his way to play the role of a hero just now.
Sure enough; Yang Kai’s words immediately caused Li Jiao’s face to turn a brilliant shade of red. Nevertheless, he sternly ordered, “Sit. Why are you just standing there? If people didn’t know better they might think that I am bullying you!”
The woman continued weeping quietly. Even so, she sat down with her daughter. She probably felt that it was unsightly of her to stand there and cry. Her emotions were all over the place. Nobody knew if it was because of the harassment she received earlier or her meeting Li Jiao again after so many years; in any case, her tears flowed without stopping.
Seeing that it wasn’t convenient for her to talk at the moment, Yang Kai decided to turn to look at Li Jiao instead and secretly communicated with him via Divine Sense, “Do you know her?”
He had guessed as much before Li Jiao even made a move. Besides, what happened afterwards gave him various indications that Li Jiao and this woman were old acquaintances. It was just that he found it strangely coincidental for Li Jiao to meet somebody he knew in this weird place called ‘Half-Dragon City’.
Li Jiao nodded lightly in response, his expression becoming complicated again as memories flashed through his eyes.
Yang Kai did not inquire any further. It wasn’t easy to ask about something so private and he just couldn’t shake the feeling that the relationship between Li Jiao and this woman was not an ordinary one.
“Palace Master Yang, have you ever heard of the Sect, Dream Gate?” Li Jiao was silent for a long time before he answered through Divine Sense without any warning.
“Dream Gate?” Yang Kai pondered for a moment and nodded, “Yes, I have.”
Dream Gate was also located in the Northern Territory, but it was nothing compared to Fire Dragon Palace, Full Sky Sect, Seeking Passion Sect, or Ice Heart Valley. That was because there were no Third-Order Emperor Realm Masters in that Sect. The strongest among them was merely a Second-Order Emperor. Therefore, Yang Kai did not have a thorough understanding of this Sect even though he had heard of it before. Hearing Li Jiao mentioning it at this time, he immediately understood that this woman had something to do with Dream Gate.
Li Jiao continued, “Dream Gate’s Sect Master, Lu Qiu, is only a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master. Although his cultivation is not the greatest, it is not bad either. Furthermore, Dream Gate is a Sect with a long history. Sect Master Lu Qiu might not have many achievements under his belt, but he has been able to maintain the inheritance passed down by his ancestors well. The point is, he has many children. In particular, his third child is very beautiful and very famous. Everybody knew her as Lu San Niang.”
At this point, he turned to look at the woman who was crying softly next to them.
“It was probably around three hundred years ago, I was out travelling when I encountered a group of evildoers committing heinous crimes. I’m sure you are familiar with such incidents, Palace Master Yang. Not knowing the circumstances, I did not dare to interfere in the matter lightly, but just then, a lone woman decided to intercede on behalf of justice. Her strength wasn’t bad, but in the end, she was just a Third-Order Dao Source Realm at the time. She was surrounded by danger on all sides, so I saved her from her predicament and became acquainted with her. That woman… Was none other than Lu San Niang of Dream Gate. I am not afraid of being laughed at, Palace Master Yang, but the lecher in me was tempted by her beauty. After getting to know her for some time, I learned that she had a favourable impression of me, and therefore, I went to Dream Gate to ask for her hand.”
Li Jiao was born lecherous. Combined with the Dragon Clan’s blood flowing in him, it was only natural for him to be charmed by Lu San Niang’s country destroying beauty.
“Lu Qiu allowed the marriage, and as I did not wish to delay the matter any longer, I planned for the wedding to be held in a month. It’s a pity that one cannot predict the Heavens’ will; Lu Qiu sent a message half a month later saying that San Niang had disappeared. Naturally, I was furious. I went crazy at Dream Gate and injured many people; however, it was later verified that San Niang had vanished for no reason. It wasn’t the doing of Dream Gate. Fire Dragon Palace and Dream Gate searched for San Niang’s whereabouts for years after that, but there had been no leads whatsoever.” Li Jiao gave a wry smile, “It was as if she had vanished off the surface of Star Boundary. It was very strange indeed. This matter was such a huge deal back then that everybody in the Northern Territory knew about it. It was extremely embarrassing for me.”
Li Jiao was the Palace Master of Fire Dragon Palace, as well as a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master; therefore, it must have been quite humiliating for him to be involved in a marriage scandal like that. Yang Kai could almost imagine how Li Jiao had felt at the time.
[No wonder he went crazy at Dream Gate in his rage. If I had been in his shoes, I wouldn’t have been able to hold back either.]
“Up until today…” Li Jiao let his sentence trail away. Turning to look at Lu San Niang, he fell silent for a moment before sighing again.
It couldn’t be helped. They had been mutually in love at the time, but the woman he used to love now had a daughter of her own. Thus, he couldn’t help feeling heartbroken at the sight. Even though three hundred years had passed, some things could not be smoothed out with time. Li Jiao did not know why or how Lu San Niang vanished back then. He also did not know how she turned up in this Small World. More than anything else, he did not know whose child that girl was.
When he heard her voice earlier at the teahouse, he had simply thought that it sounded familiar. It wasn’t until that sinister and vicious-looking man kicked her to the ground that Li Jiao saw her face clearly and acted out of shock and rage.
The woman who had been betrothed to him had disappeared for three hundred years. Moreover, she had given birth to the child of another man. Any man would simply not be able to bear such humiliation.
It was only because it was Yang Kai that Li Jiao bothered to explain the situation. If it had been any other person, he would not have revealed such embarrassing secrets. In any case, it was not the first time he was humiliated in front of Yang Kai so he was already used to it.
“Big Brother Li…” A low voice rang out from the side. Lu San Niang had finally stopped sobbing. Wiping her tears from the corners of her eyes, she called out to Li Jiao.
Yang Kai choked and nearly burst into laughter. [‘Big Brother Li’!? I can’t believe that there are people in this world who address Li Jiao in such a manner! Moreover, it’s such a beauty too! He sure has pretty good fortune in love!] Unfortunately, now was not the time for laughter thus he hurriedly picked up a teacup and placed it by his mouth.
On the other hand, Li Jiao looked shaken. He turned to look at Lu San Niang with turbulent emotions, but what came out of his mouth was a sneer, “Are you going to stop pretending now?”
Lu San Niang did not look up as she whispered, “I was too ashamed to meet you. That’s why I didn’t dare to admit that I know you.”
“Oh, so you know that you should be ashamed to meet me?!” He coldly snapped. Li Jiao was feeling extremely vexed. At first, he wanted to ridicule and humiliate her to vent the anger that had been simmering in his heart for so many years; however, he swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue again when he saw her bleak and miserable appearance. At the same time, his face became slightly distorted.
Rubbing her eyes hard, Lu San Niang lifted her head and forced a smile at him, “I really would have never imagined that I’d be able to meet you again, Big Brother Li.”
His heart softened at the sight of her face and he no longer had the heart to blame her for anything else anymore.
“The person I have wronged the most in my entire life is you, Big Brother Li. I won’t have any complaints even if you want to beat me, scold me, or even kill me. It’s just…” While speaking, she turned to look at her daughter with eyes that were filled with love and longing.
The girl was shocked to hear those words and all the goodwill and gratitude she felt for Li Jiao vanished from her heart instantly. She jumped up, spread her arms wide in front of Lu San Niang, and shouted, “Don’t bully my mother!”
Li Jiao immediately became exasperated. Slamming his hands on the table, he shouted, “When have I ever bullied her!?”
The girl jumped in fright, blinking several times as pea-sized tears slid down her cheeks. Despite trembling uncontrollably, she continued standing in front of her mother with her arms spread open.
“Why is this girl so much like you?!” Li Jiao felt a little speechless. His words and tone had been a little harsh just now, so he felt extremely apologetic and looked extremely uncomfortable.
Lu San Niang reached out and pulled her daughter’s arms down, coaxing her in a gentle voice, “Qin’er, don’t cause a fuss. Your Uncle Li will not bully me.”
The girl seemed sceptical. However, she no longer dared to challenge Li Jiao again after he yelled at her just now.
Lu San Niang continued, “Big Brother Li, you should leave as soon as possible. That person won’t let things go so easily now that you beat him up. If you don’t leave now, things will get very troublesome.”
Li Jiao smiled coldly, “Trash like him? I won’t show him any mercy if he dares to pester me again.”
He was simply being stubborn and prideful when in actuality, he felt rather uneasy inside. Half-Dragon City was simply too strange. He would never have placed himself in the limelight if he had not accidentally come across Lu San Niang.
Lu San Niang shook her head though and continued, “Big Brother Li, I know that you are powerful; however, it doesn’t matter how strong you are in this place. The opponents you will face are not ordinary people.”
Despite feeling extremely nervous inside, he immediately scoffed at her words, “If that’s so, then I really want to see what kind of help he can bring.”
Lu San Niang was about to continue speaking when Yang Kai suddenly smiled and said, “Sister San Niang, you don’t need to worry about our affairs. Rather, I’m very curious about why you suddenly disappeared back then.”
He knew that what Li Jiao wanted more than anything else in the world was the answer to that question. Putting himself in Li Jiao’s shoes, he knew that this matter was a thorn in Li Jiao’s heart, one that had been pricking at him for three centuries now.
Nevertheless, Li Jiao seemed reluctant to ask that question. Rather, it might be more accurate to say that he seemed scared of asking. He was probably worried about what he might gain or lose from knowing the answer, so Yang Kai decided to ask in his stead.
Upon hearing that question, Li Jiao’s expression twitched as he picked up his teacup and took a sip. Despite how calm he acted on the outside, his hand holding the teacup was trembling slightly.
Lu San Niang did not expect Yang Kai to ask that question so forthrightly, so a trace of shame surfaced on her face and she lowered her head, “It happened so long ago. I don’t remember it that well anymore.”
That answer clearly did not satisfy Li Jiao and he couldn’t be bothered to keep up with pretences anymore. His expression sank immediately and he shouted, “In other words, the feelings you showed me back then were nothing but lies! Good good good!”
He looked sad and indignant. If any other man had been the one to encounter this situation, they would not have remained calm either. Just thinking about the marriage back then left him feeling incredibly vexed and he was tempted to slap that shameless woman to death!
“That’s not it!” She abruptly lifted her head with all her strength as her tears came rolling down her cheeks again, “The feelings I had for you were genuine! I wanted to marry you, Big Brother Li.”
The way she looked caused his heart to soften again and his ferocity subsided considerably as he quickly said, “I need an explanation for what happened back then.”
She shook her head again, however, and as a result, the rage in his heart that had cooled flared up again and he stood up and spat, “Fine! You don’t need to tell me. I won’t force you. Let’s just pretend we never knew each other in the first place. Let’s go, Palace Master Yang.”
Although what happened back then was extremely regretful, Li Jiao had overcome so many other challenges over the years so by now, he could take what came his way in stride. His cultivation was not low after all and his mental fortitude was exceptional.
As soon as Li Jiao turned around to leave though, Lu San Niang grabbed his sleeve.
“What else do you want?” Li Jiao looked down at her with a cold expression.
She sobbed for a while before explaining in a soft voice, “I… was kidnapped back then.”
Li Jiao’s face twitched upon hearing those words, but he said nothing. He simply stood there without moving and did not mention leaving again either.
“Back then, our marriage had been decided and I was eagerly awaiting Big Brother Li’s arrival at Dream Gate, but I could not bear it any longer and wanted to meet with you right away. Hence, I ran out secretly. I wanted to go to Fire Dragon Palace to find you, but… but I never imagined…” At this point, she couldn’t continue speaking anymore. She was probably recalling the memories from back then and they choked her up so much that she couldn’t even speak anymore.
“Mother…” The little girl started crying too as she raised her hand to wipe away her mother’s tears. For a moment, both mother and daughter wallowed in grief and wept their eyes out.
Then, Li Jiao sighed, “That’s enough. Stop crying. It’s fine; let’s not talk about what happened back then. I went too far.”
Lu San Niang shook her head, barely able to control her emotions as she continued, “I was only a Third-Order Dao Source Realm at the time, while ‘that’ person’s cultivation was extremely high. Unable to fight back, I was kidnapped and…”
There was no need to explain what happened next. She was such a stunning beauty, so she couldn’t escape unscathed after being kidnapped.
Li Jiao’s expression turned frosty at those words and he asked coldly, “Who was it?”
Lu San Niang did not answer directly and instead simply continued her story, “After that, he brought me here, to Dragon Island.”
“Dragon Island?” Both Li Jiao and Yang Kai were shocked and looked at her in unison to ask, “Is this really Dragon Island?”
She looked up at them, feeling curious about the reason why they did not know where they were even though they were already here. Nodding, she confirmed their suspicions, “That’s right, this is Dragon Island.”
Yang Kai and Li Jiao looked at each other, their expressions sinking. Although Lu San Niang did not mention who had kidnapped her, the answer was obvious. Who else could freely come and go from Dragon Island aside from the Dragon Clan?
Li Jiao clenched his fists tightly, and his hand trembled violently. [No wonder she refused to tell us, it was the work of the Dragon Clan! If I had not forced her to talk, she would never have revealed the truth!]
[Her disappearance back then was related to the Dragon Clan after all…] Yang Kai frowned, secretly thinking that this matter was going to be very troublesome.
Li Jiao was the same. It wouldn’t have mattered if it were anybody else; even if it were another Third-Order Emperor Realm Master. Li Jiao was willing to risk his life to get revenge and seek justice on Lu San Niang’s behalf; however, it turned out her abductor was a Dragon…
Li Jiao laughed bitterly in his heart as he thought to himself, [The Dragon Clan is something I can’t afford to offend…]
Just the bloodline suppression alone prevented him from having any thoughts of resistance. Thus, he fell back heavily in his seat with an ashen complexion. [My woman was snatched from me and humiliated beyond words. I also lost a great deal of face because of that incident, but even after learning the truth of the matter, I can’t even take revenge!!] A strong sense of helplessness sprung up in his heart, leaving him extremely depressed.
“How did you end up in this place?” Yang Kai looked at Lu San Niang with a frown. [The Dragons are lustful in nature. To add to that, she is a stunning beauty so it makes sense for her to attract the attention of someone from the Dragon Clan and get herself kidnapped, but how did she end up in Half-Dragon City then?]
Yang Kai was puzzled by this conundrum while at the same time, he sympathized with Li Jiao. [The Dragon Clan bastard that kidnapped her is a real piece of shit!]
Upon hearing Yang Kai’s question, Li Jiao became suspicious too. He frowned and asked, “That’s right. Why did you end up here? What happened to the guy who harmed you?”
Lu San Niang lowered her head and was silent for a while before she whispered, “After being taken back to Dragon Island, I was imprisoned in the Dragon Palace. It was a life no better than death.” Her voice choked, and her body trembled continuously, “Until fourteen years ago…” She turned and glanced at her daughter with a sad smile, “I was finally driven out of the Dragon Palace when Qin’er was born.”
Li Jiao was taken aback by her words and couldn’t quite wrap his head around what she said, but when he finally returned to his senses, his complexion turned pale with rage as he slammed his fists down on the table and shouted, “That bastard!”
Similarly, Yang Kai’s expression was no better, [That Dragon Clan member really is a piece of shit. It was bad enough that he kidnapped a woman, brought her to Dragon Island, and made her suffer for so many years, yet he kicked her out when her daughter was born?! Where are his morals?! Is he someone without a heart!?]
Yang Kai had not held much prejudice against the Dragon Clan before, simply feeling that they were too arrogant for their own good. On this point, both Zhu Qing and Zhu Lie were carved from the same mould; however, if the Dragon Clan was not arrogant, could they even be called the Dragon Clan anymore? He never expected the Dragon Clan, who called themselves the strongest and the head of the myriad spirits, to actually have such reprehensible conduct.
“Then this girl is…” Yang Kai looked at the girl when he asked the question.
She said nothing to that, but the meaning was obvious enough.
“She is a child of that bastard, she has their blood flowing through her! Why was she kicked out of that Dragon Palace?” Li Jiao frowned. As the saying went, ‘even a vicious tiger would not eat its cubs’. Regardless of the circumstances, her daughter was still part of the Dragon Clan, so why would they kick both mother and daughter out of the Dragon Palace the moment the daughter was born?
Lu San Niang replied in a quivering voice, “Those are the rules of the Dragon Palace. It doesn’t matter if you are infertile or have yet to give birth to children, but once you do, those without a Dragon Vein will be expelled from the Dragon Palace. Qin’er she… Wasn’t born with a Dragon Vein.”
“What kind of rule is that?!” Li Jiao was furious. [These children are their flesh and blood, regardless of whether they have Dragon Vein or not! How can they kick their children out like they were disposing of unwanted garbage?! Isn’t the Dragon Clan being too inhumane?!]
“This is truly too much!” Yang Kai lost any favourable impression he had towards the Dragon Clan.
However, Lu San Niang smiled sadly and shook her head, “These kinds of stories are not uncommon on Dragon Island.” Turning to look outside, she pointed at the pedestrians who came and went outside, “Where did you think all these people in Half-Dragon City came from?”
“Where do they come from?” Li Jiao asked.
She explained, “Many of them were expelled from Dragon Palace. Even if they themselves weren’t, their ancestors were.”
“What!?” Yang Kai and Li Jiao widened their eyes in unison.
“There are very few true members of the Dragon Clan and it is always very difficult for them to conceive children. Thousands of years can go by without a single new addition to the clan. Additionally, the ratio between men and women is very unbalanced in the Dragon Clan. Hence, most adult males in the Dragon Clan leave Dragon Island occasionally to search for excellent women, kidnap them, bring them back, and use them as tools to fulfil their desires. Over time, many of these women would eventually become pregnant. After giving birth, they can remain in Dragon Palace under observation. Even if the child is born with a Dragon Vein, it must be of a certain order or else even they will be expelled from the Dragon Palace. That’s how Humans, Monsters, and even Dragonborn with impure bloodlines have been added to Dragon Island over the years. As the number of Humans, Monsters and Dragonborn increased, they eventually established Half-Dragon City. That’s how Half-Dragon City began. Afterwards, the residents of Half-Dragon City got together with each other and gave birth to the next generation. Over the years, the population increased and gradually developed into what it is right now.”
After listening to Lu San Niang’s explanation, Yang Kai and Li Jiao were so shocked that they couldn’t say a word for a very long time. [Is that how Half-Dragon City was formed? All living creatures in Half-Dragon City, be they Human, Monster Race, or Dragonborn, are descendants of the Dragon Clan?! T-That’s… Just unbelievable…]
Lu San Niang had made it very clear. A portion of the people in Half-Dragon City were driven out from Dragon Palace; these people were none other than the women who had been captured by the Dragon Clan and their respective children, like Lu San Niang. However, this group was small in number. The rest were the descendants of people like them that had continually reproduced over the generations; they made up the vast majority of the population.
[No wonder this place was named Half-Dragon City. It turns out that there is an actual reason for this moniker. All the residents in Half-Dragon City had some relation to the Dragon Clan. What else should the city be called if not Half-Dragon City?]
At first, Li Jiao felt as if he had been cheated on by his once future wife. Unfortunately, there was nowhere to vent his anger. Even meeting with her today caused unpleasant emotions to erupt within him and the reason he asked so many pointed questions of her was that he simply wanted to get a clear picture of the situation.
But after listening to those words, all Li Jiao felt now for her was sympathy and regret. It wasn’t her fault for being kidnapped. At the time, she was only a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, so how much resistance could she put up against a member of the Dragon Clan? Besides, what happened to her was so saddening that he couldn’t even blame her anymore.
Letting out a long sigh, he couldn’t help feeling that he was not fated to be in a relationship with her. Then, he looked at the girl and asked, “What is your child’s name?”
She replied, “Yu Qin. Lu Yu Qin!”
Li Jiao nodded and asked another question, “What is the name of the Dragon that harmed you?”
Lifting her head, she anxiously asked, “What are you going to do?!”
“I was humiliated so badly, and it’s all that guy’s fault. Don’t I at least have the right to know his name?”
Lu San Niang shook her head without saying anything. It was clear that she wasn’t willing to tell him the name of that Dragon Clan member, lest she bring trouble down on him. She understood Li Jiao’s circumstances, but… the other party was a member of the Dragon Clan, and this was Dragon Island. How could Li Jiao possibly bear to offend that man? She did not want to see him meeting a tragic ending because of her.
Her reaction enraged Li Jiao and he was just about to say something when he frowned and turned to look into the distance.
At the same time, Yang Kai seemed to notice it too and focused his gaze in the same direction.
“A Dragon!” Li Jiao shouted with a solemn expression.
He and Yang Kai had been searching this place for so long to no avail. They saw neither hair nor hide of the Dragon Clan during this time. Who could have known that the Dragon Clan would show up on their own initiative? Before that member of the Dragon Clan approached, a monstrous power washed over them from a distance and Li Jiao couldn’t even move a muscle from the effects of the bloodline suppression. Similarly, the many Dragonborn in Half-Dragon City noticed what was happening and quickly stopped and stared.
A loud Dragon Roar soon came from afar. Immediately after that, the figure of a Great Dragon appeared before everybody. It was a Green Dragon a few dozen meters long and it flew through the clouds and quickly arrived in the skies above Half-Dragon City. The Dragon Body covered the skies as its giant head stared down from above.
The entire Half-Dragon City seemed to tremble and all the residents within it panicked. The Dragon Clan was absolute on Dragon Island. Furthermore, the Dragon Clan rarely came to Half-Dragon City. For one to suddenly appear left them feeling at a loss for what to do. They did not know the reason for this Green Dragon’s sudden appearance.
That Green Dragon remained in mid-air for a long time, taking in the entire situation of Half-Dragon City before assuming human form. A young man in his twenties or thirties appeared on the spot with a flash of light. He was wearing gaudy clothes, looking like a butterfly flying through the city.
Following that, a figure suddenly flew out from Half-Dragon City.
Yang Kai and Li Jiao watched this scene with shocked expressions. This couldn’t be helped though as the person who flew over to meet the Green Dragon was none other than the person Li Jiao had beaten up earlier.
At this moment, the sinister and vicious-looking man cautiously and respectfully landed in front of the Green Dragon with a fawning smile. He was shorter than the Green Dragon by a head. Furthermore, he had yet to recover from the injuries he sustained before so his cheeks were badly swollen, and he had lost some teeth. Combined with his current ingratiating behaviour, he looked extremely ridiculous.
The Green Dragon glanced at the sinister and vicious-looking man and frowned slightly. The contempt and disgust in his eyes were obvious.
“Greetings, Senior Fu Qi. I didn’t know you were coming. Do you have any instructions for me?” The sinister man did not immediately start snitching to this Green Dragon by the name of Fu Qi. That was because he knew that everyone in Half-Dragon City, including himself, were nothing but ants in the eyes of the Dragon Clan. Although he could communicate with the other side of Dragon Island, he was still no different from an ant to them. Trying to tattle at this moment would not only make Fu Qi ignore him, but it would also annoy Fu Qi instead.
Fu Qi did not look at the sinister and vicious-looking man at all and simply said indifferently, “The Dragon Blood Flowers need watering.”
The sinister and vicious-looking man hurriedly nodded when he heard those words, “I understand. I will prepare for it immediately. Will two hundred as usual be enough?”
Fu Qi nodded gently, “Yes.”
“Sir, please return ahead of me. I will bring the people to Dragon Palace immediately.”
Fu Qi then added, “I also need five hundred ordinary people!”
The sinister and vicious-looking man was stunned by those words, “Five hundred ordinary people?”
He looked confused, wondering why Fu Qi made such a sudden request like that. In the past, the Dragon Clan essentially only came to Half-Dragon City for matters related to the Dragon Blood Flowers. It had always been enough to bring two hundred Dragonborn over to the Dragon Palace. There had never been a precedent where ordinary people had been brought along before.
Regardless of how high a person’s cultivation was, they were nothing but ordinary people to the Dragon Clan as long as they did not have the Dragon Clan’s bloodline in them.
“What for?” He didn’t quite understand the situation.
“Are you questioning me?” Fu Qi turned around and glanced at the sinister and vicious-looking man with a frigid look.
In response, the sinister and vicious-looking man became anxious. He knew he should not have asked that question. No matter what the Dragon Clan did, his job was simply to do as he was ordered. He did not have the right to inquire too much into it; therefore, he immediately lowered his head and said, “Of course not. I wouldn’t dare. Please forgive me, Senior Fu Qi, I was careless with my words.”
“Scram!” Fu Qi spat out before closing his eyes and standing there motionlessly.
The sinister and vicious-looking man thanked the Heavens for his luck before he immediately spun around and flew towards Half-Dragon City.
Inside the teahouse, Lu San Niang’s beautiful face paled drastically as she screamed, “Big Brother Li, please leave immediately! It will be too late if you don’t leave right now!”
Li Jiao frowned as he watched the sinister and vicious-looking man fly towards them and calmly replied, “It’s already too late to run.”
He had assaulted that sinister and vicious-looking man previously, and it was clear that the other party was holding a grudge over it. Although he did not hear what that man said to that Green Dragon, Li Jiao knew that he couldn’t get out of this easily just by looking at the unkind expression on that man’s face.
[Do I regret doing that? No, I don’t.] Lu San Niang was being humiliated right in front of his eyes, so if he had just stood idly by, he wouldn’t be able to call himself a man ever again. It was just that Li Jiao had not expected trouble to come knocking on his door so soon.
Lu San Niang once mentioned that the sinister and vicious-looking man could communicate with the other side. Now, it would seem that the ‘other side’ was referring to Dragon Palace and the Dragon Clan.
Yang Kai squinted at the sinister and vicious-looking man flying towards them and asked, “What’s so special about this person? Why is he able to communicate with Dragon Palace?”
Lu San Niang sighed after hearing that question. She understood that there was no escape for Yang Kai and Li Jiao at this point. Where could they go with a member of the Dragon Clan here? Her expression was full of guilt, knowing that she had dragged the two men into her mess as she quickly said, “That person’s name is Yuan Wu. There is nothing special about him. He just got lucky. He has a Second-Order High-Rank Dragon Vein and speaks eloquently in front of those with power; therefore, he has always been in charge of communicating between Dragon Palace and Half-Dragon City.
“What about that Green Dragon?” Yang Kai glanced at the Dragon Clan member standing in mid-air.
Her expression became complicated, “His name is Fu Qi. He is a Fifth-Order Dragon.”
It was only natural that she knew of Fu Qi. She lived in Dragon Palace for 200 to 300 years after all. Besides, there were only a few members of the Dragon Clan.
“His surname is ‘Fu’?” Yang Kai was surprised, [I thought all the Dragon Clan members on Dragon Island had the surname ‘Zhu’.]
Li Jiao spoke up, “It is said that there are two surnames among the Dragon Clan living on Dragon Island. One is ‘Zhu’ and the other is ‘Fu’.”
Yang Kai nodded, “A Fifth-Order… barely passable.”
Lu San Niang was shocked as she stared at Yang Kai in a daze and secretly wondered, [What kind of background does Big Brother Li’s friend come from? How can he speak so brazenly? How can he say that a Fifth-Order Dragon is just barely passable?] The strongest in Half-Dragon City only had a Second-Order High-Rank Dragon Vein, and they were nothing compared to a Fifth-Order true pure-blooded Dragon Clan member. The differences between the Dragon Clan and the Dragonborn in Half-Dragon City were like night and day. Hence, she thought that Yang Kai was simply bluffing.
On the contrary, Yang Kai was simply stating facts. The only Dragon Clan members he came into contact with before were the siblings, Zhu Qing and Zhu Lie, both of whom had Eighth-Order Dragon Veins and were Eighth-Order Dragons. Moreover, Zhu Qing had broken through to the Ninth-Order after becoming intimate with him, so what was a Fifth-Order Dragon in comparison?
Even without Lu San Niang’s explanation, he could tell that the Green Dragon called Fu Qi did not have an extremely pure bloodline because Fu Qi’s true appearance as a Dragon had only been a few dozen meters long, a far cry from Zhu Lie’s 200 meters long body.
“What is a Dragon Clan member like him doing here?” Li Jiao asked with a frown.
Lu San Niang regained her senses and explained, “It’s probably for the Dragon Blood Flowers.”
“The Dragon Blood Flowers?” Li Jiao’s eyes lit up when he heard the words as he whispered, “Are there Dragon Blood Flowers in Half-Dragon City?”
What Lu San Niang went through had left him feeling humiliated; unfortunately, the enemy was a member of the Dragon Clan. In terms of pure cultivation, Li Jiao believed he would not lose to that Dragon; after all, he was a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master. However, in terms of bloodline, he was unworthy of even polishing their shoes.
Therefore, he had to bolster his bloodline first if he wanted to get revenge, and the best way to do so was using Dragon Blood Flowers. That was why Li Jiao suddenly lit up with interest at the mention of these exotic flowers. If he could strengthen his bloodline with them, then he might stand a chance against that Dragon Clan member in a fight.
To his surprise, Lu San Niang shook her head, “How can there be Dragon Blood Flowers in Half-Dragon City? Dragon Blood Flowers are the foundation of the Dragon Clan and can only be found in Dragon Palace.”
“But, you just said…”
She continued “The Dragon Blood Flowers need to be watered and nurtured with Dragon Blood. There are so few members of the Dragon Clan in Dragon Palace that it wouldn’t be of much use to the Dragon Blood Flowers even if they drained their blood dry. What’s more; doing this kind of thing will have a negative impact on one’s strength if done frequently; hence, the Dragon Clan will not use the blood of their clan members to nurture the Dragon Blood Flowers unless absolutely necessary. Fu Qi came here for Dragonborn. While Dragonborn bloodlines might not be very pure, they make up for that in numbers. Using the blood of Dragonborn to water the Dragon Blood Flowers has shown to be effective too.”
Upon hearing her explanation, Yang Kai and Li Jiao immediately understood the situation.
Li Jiao had cultivated a Dragon Blood Flower before and similarly used his own blood to nurture it at the time.
Dragonborn numbered as many as tens of thousands in Half-Dragon City, which made them a good choice for this task. From another perspective, it could be said that Dragon Palace was using Half-Dragon City as a source of Dragon Blood for watering the Dragon Blood Flowers. Their scheme was truly ingenious.
That explained the disparity the two of them had noticed in Half-Dragon City. It had puzzled them as to why the higher the cultivation, the fewer the Dragonborn among them. Among the Human and Monster Race there were several Third-Order Emperors, but not a single Dragonborn was in the Third-Order Emperor Realm. This was clearly the answer to that conundrum. The Dragonborn with higher cultivations had been dragged to Dragon Palace to nurture the Dragon Blood Flowers, and after years of repeated bloodletting, it would be a miracle in itself if their cultivation did not regress. How could they even expect to improve in their cultivation?
Lu San Niang turned to look at Li Jiao and said uneasily, “Big Brother Li, Yuan Wu will definitely take you away.”
Li Jiao’s expression was incredibly ugly. When he attacked Yuan Wu earlier, he had revealed his identity as a Dragonborn; moreover, he had overpowered Yuan Wu in both bloodline and cultivation.
It was only to be expected that Yuan Wu would not let Li Jiao get away with that behaviour, especially now that he had been ordered to search for Dragonborn to nurture the Dragon Blood Flowers. It was easy to tell just by looking at his flight path that Li Jiao was the first person he was approaching for this task.
Li Jiao suddenly became a little uneasy and looked to Yang Kai for help. If he were dragged to Dragon Palace to nurture the Dragon Blood Flowers, he might have to bleed himself dry in the worst-case scenario. Only Yang Kai could save him from this predicament. Even an Eighth-Order Red Dragon couldn’t do anything in front of Yang Kai, so what was a Fifth-Order Green Dragon to him?
“Let’s watch how things develop for now!” Yang Kai said in a soft voice and took a sip of tea.
Li Jiao felt reassured, knowing that Yang Kai was not going to abandon him.
Things progressed as they had expected. Yuan Wu headed directly to the teahouse and flew into the second floor. He glared at Li Jiao coldly, the fear and horror from before gone completely. Instead, he gave off the sense of a small-time villain intoxicated by a feeling of success. He had been humiliated by Li Jiao because his bloodline and cultivation were both inferior to Li Jiao’s; however, he now had a Fifth-Order Green Dragon behind him so what was there for him to be afraid of? Rather, he was eager for Li Jiao to resist; that way death would be the only ending waiting for Li Jiao.
“I come under the orders of Senior Fu Qi. I need 200 Dragonborn to go to Dragon Palace to serve. All Dragonborn above the Dao Source Realm are to gather here immediately. If anyone does not appear within a quarter of an hour, all will be killed without mercy!” Yuan Wu announced, his voice not loud but still resounding enough to spread throughout Half-Dragon City.
As soon as those words rang out, all the Dragonborn above the Dao Source Realm panicked and their expressions became extremely troubled. Needless to say, they understood the reason why Fu Qi came looking for Dragonborn to go to Dragon Palace. There could be no other reason aside from watering the Dragon Blood Flowers with their blood. It was a difficult and unrewarding task. Throughout the ages, every Dragonborn who went to Dragon Palace would suffer severe damage to their foundation and in severe cases, they might even suffer regression in their cultivation. There were also cases where some died on the spot.
Naturally, no one wanted to do such a difficult and unrewarding task. It was just that Fu Qi remained above Half-Dragon City so no one dared to resist even if they wanted to. They couldn’t escape from this place, nor could they escape from Dragon Island, so they were fated to be oppressed by Dragon Palace for life.
For that reason, all the Dragonborn above the Dao Source Realm began moving from all directions to gather at the teahouse after Yuan Wu’s announcement.
“You! Get over here!” Yuan Wu shouted, pointing at Li Jiao.
Li Jiao’s expression changed slightly. Although he had known from the beginning that Yuan Wu would definitely target him, it was still upsetting when it happened. He would have slapped that man again if not for that Green Dragon’s presence. Unfortunately, doing that under the Green Dragon’s watch was tantamount to declaring war against the entire Dragon Clan. Li Jiao did not have the guts to do so.
“The rest of you, get over here too!” Yuan Wu suddenly pointed again, including Yang Kai, Lu San Niang, and her daughter in their midst.
Lu San Niang’s expression changed abruptly.
Similarly, Yang Kai frowned. He did not know what that man was up to. [Dragon Palace should only be looking for Dragonborn to nurture the Dragon Blood Flowers. Lu San Niang, her daughter, and I are not Dragonborn, so why are we included in the mix? Is he trying to take revenge on us by abusing his authority? But, I don’t think he has the courage to do so….]
Although the Green Dragon kept his eyes closed, the commotion here was no secret to him. If Yuan Wu tried to do anything by borrowing his authority, Fu Qi would definitely not allow it; after all, he did not consider Yuan Wu to be worth his time, so why should he let Yuan Wu take advantage of him?
“I’m talking to you! Are you deaf?!” Yuan Wu deliberately shouted loudly with a displeased expression when he saw that no one at the table was moving. At the same time, he secretly glanced in Fu Qi’s direction. It was clear that he wanted to make a large commotion.
If Yang Kai and the others defied direct orders, then he could openly kill them; therefore, he was not mad at Yang Kai’s current behaviour. Rather, he was happy. He couldn’t help wishing that Yang Kai and his friends acted as arrogantly as possible. [Acting so high and mighty in front of the Dragon Clan… He must not know the word ‘death’.]
Meanwhile, Li Jiao glanced at Yang Kai. He was all out of ideas. In contrast, Yang Kai continued sipping his tea with an indifferent expression.
“How brave of you! How dare you disobey the orders from Dragon Palace!? You court death!” Yuan Wu looked angry on the surface, but he was dancing with joy inside. [Go on; keep being arrogant! Soon, you’ll be begging for death!]
The other people in the teahouse had incredulous expressions on their faces as they glanced at Yang Kai’s table. [These guys sure are not afraid of death. It has been many years since Half-Dragon City last saw thorns like them.]
Yuan Wu continued to yell, “Don’t blame me for not warning you! None of you can afford to pay the price for causing a delay in Senior Fu Qi’s affairs!”
When those words rang out, Fu Qi, who had been floating above the Half-Dragon City with his eyes closed, suddenly opened his eyes and snarled angrily, “Why are you wasting time on nonsense?! Hurry up and finish this!”
Yuan Wu jumped in fright and his complexion paled. He knew that his performance had upset Fu Qi and he did not have the leisure to rub his authority in Yang Kai’s face anymore. Thus, he immediately opened his mouth and announced, “Senior Fu Qi has ordered 500 ordinary people to be brought to Dragon Palace. Those that I selected are required to prepare for departure immediately; otherwise, no mercy will be shown to those who resist!” After saying that, he pointed at Yang Kai and the others again and ordered “You, you, and you…”
He circled his hand around and picked out all the people in the teahouse.
Everybody in the teahouse had terrible expressions on their faces and looked extremely uneasy.
In the past, the Dragon Clan only came to Half-Dragon City to look for Dragonborn. In their eyes, ordinary people had no value except for becoming outlets of their sexual desires. Therefore, nobody knew the reason why Dragon Palace suddenly wanted 500 ordinary people to be sent there as well.
Those who had been picked out by Yuan Wu looked depressed. [If we had known this would happen, we would never have come here for tea.] Dragon Palace was not a place people came and went at will. In fact, they might never leave that place alive if they went there.
When it came down to it, Yang Kai and the others were undoubtedly the cause of this incident. If they had not clashed with Yuan Wu before, the latter would not have rushed to the teahouse directly. This was truly a disaster.
All of a sudden, many people looked at Yang Kai and the others with resentful expressions, silently pinning their hatred on him and his group.
There were only slightly more than 20 people inside the teahouse, so after Yuan Wu picked them all out, he flew out and busied himself with the rest of his tasks in Half-Dragon City.
Fu Qi was watching him, so he didn’t dare to slack off. For that reason, he tried his best to round up the required manpower, not even spending any time picking a quarrel with Li Jiao anymore.
“What should we do, Palace Master Yang?” Li Jiao secretly sent a Divine Sense transmission to Yang Kai. He did not want to go to Dragon Palace as although he had never been there before, he was instinctively afraid of that place. At this point, he could only rely on Yang Kai to decide.
Yang Kai glanced at him calmly and replied, “Let’s go with the flow for now.”
He came to Dragon Island to look for Zhu Qing. Unfortunately, he had neither seen hide nor hair of her anywhere. He did not know where to find her, so Fu Qi’s appearance was an opportunity. Zhu Qing was probably inside Dragon Palace. For that reason, there was nothing he wished for more than to sneak into Dragon Palace with Fu Qi; it was exactly what he wanted. Therefore, he did not put up much resistance against it. As for what to do once they entered Dragon Palace, if it was a choice between a direct showdown or going with the flow, then he could only choose to go with the flow for now.
Li Jiao wasn’t in a position to refute, especially since Yang Kai had already said so. Nodding lightly in acknowledgement, he turned to look at Lu San Niang and her daughter, “Follow me. I will not allow you to be harmed.”
Lu San Niang had turned pale after being selected by Yuan Wu. Dragon Palace was a land of nightmares to her. She had lived there for 200 to 300 years, wishing every day she could escape. Although she was later kicked out by the Dragon Clan and was humiliated as a result, she finally got what she wished for.
She never imagined that she would have to return to Dragon Palace again after some ten or so years had passed. The thought filled her with terror and unease. Her grip on her daughter tightened considerably. Lu Yu Qin could sense the changes in her mother’s mental state; thus, she snuggled against her mother without saying anything.
It didn’t take long for all the preparations to be completed. The number of Dragonborn who gathered here far exceeded two hundred people, but Yuan Wu was clearly very experienced in this. He chose 200 Dragonborn with relatively good cultivation and health before dismissing the rest.
Those Dragonborn that had been dismissed noticeably let out a sigh of relief. On the other hand, the remaining Dragonborn all had sorrowful expressions as if they had been recently bereaved.
The 500 ordinary people were also gathered in the same place.
Only when everything was in place did Yuan Wu fly towards Fu Qi. Standing at a respectful distance, he cupped his fists and smiled, “Sir, everything is ready.”
“This matter cannot be delayed. Follow me.” After saying that, Fu Qi led the way.
Yuan Wu turned around and yelled, “All of you, keep up with the group! You will not be forgiven if you delay Senior Fu Qi’s affairs!
He did not know why Fu Qi wanted these 500 ordinary people either; even so, the Dragon Clan’s business was always top priority on Dragon Island. He could not handle these matters carelessly.
When the crowd heard those words, their expressions turned serious as they chased after Fu Qi. In an instant, seven hundred figures rose into the sky. There were many Emperor Realm Masters among them, a magnificent sight to see.
Lu San Niang was in the First-Order Emperor Realm, but Lu Yu Qin was only in the Saint King Realm; hence, it was only to be expected that Lu Yu Qin couldn’t keep up with the speed of the group with her meagre cultivation. They were fortunate to have Li Jiao assisting them, so they did not get left behind.
Li Jiao’s current perception of the mother-and-daughter pair was extremely complicated. More so when it came to Lu Yu Qin. She was the child between Lu San Niang and a member of the Dragon Clan, so no matter how innocent and cute she was, it was hard for him to have a favourable opinion of her. The resentment he held extended toward Lu San Niang as he felt as if he had suffered the world’s greatest humiliation for no reason.
At the same time, he also understood that Lu San Niang was not to blame for this incident. Back then, she simply missed him and secretly snuck out of Dream Gate to visit him at Fire Dragon Palace. Who would have thought that she would be kidnapped by a member of the Dragon Clan halfway through her journey and brought back to Dragon Island?
No one could have predicted this and she never chose for it to happen either. Furthermore, it was easy to tell from the way she didn’t dare to acknowledge him when they ran into each other again due to the guilt she felt towards him. Therefore, his emotions felt extremely complicated. It felt like a mountain was pressing down on his chest, making it difficult for him to breathe.
Lu San Niang understood why he was feeling down, so she followed him silently throughout the entire journey, not speaking a single word so as not to annoy him.
The group of seven hundred was completely silent and filled with feelings of unease. The Dragonborn knew what they were expected to do on this trip, but the 500 ordinary people were extremely anxious. There had never been a precedent where Dragon Palace gathered ordinary people before. Moreover, this situation came about far too suddenly. For that reason, some of the people who were on better terms with Yuan Wu approached him to inquire about the matter.
It was a pity, but what could Yuan Wu tell them? He was simply following Fu Qi’s orders to gather ordinary people and had no clue as to what was going to happen next. Nevertheless, he responded to their inquiries vaguely and put up a difficult-to-read demeanour in front of them. His attitude left them feeling annoyed, but they were helpless against him.
During the journey, Yang Kai found an opportunity and secretly handed several bottles of Spirit Pills to Li Jiao. Li Jiao was inevitably going to have to use his blood to nurture Dragon Blood Flowers which might affect his strength if he went unprepared. At the very least, he should be able to overcome this crisis with the help of those Spirit Pills.
Knowing that what Yang Kai was giving him were quality goods, Li Jiao did not refuse. He simply accepted them quietly and secretly felt grateful towards Yang Kai.
After the group left Half-Dragon City and flew for half a day, they felt a hot and humid sea breeze blowing against their faces and the sound of waves crashing against the reefs entered their ears.
Yang Kai looked up and saw an endless sea stretching out in front of him. It went as far as he could see, seemingly stretching out infinitely into the distance.
The fact that there was a sea in this Small World was beyond his expectations. It would seem that the scale of this Small World was much larger than that of the Revolving World. Additionally, the World Energy coming from the sea was incredibly rich. The closer they got to the sea, the more obvious this became.
Another half-day later, a small island suddenly appeared in front of them when evening rolled around. Yang Kai and Li Jiao looked at each other and they both saw the surprise in each other’s eyes.
Lu San Niang promptly explained, “That’s Dragon Palace.”
“It’s located on that island?” Yang Kai asked.
She shook her head in response. Glancing at Li Jiao with her beautiful eyes, she sighed when she saw that he wasn’t paying attention to her and replied to Yang Kai’s question with a sad expression, “No. Dragon Palace is composed of many islands, that is just the entryway to Dragon Palace. The name ‘Dragon Palace’ is a collective term. Each Dragon Clan member has their own Spirit Island. They don’t live together.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly. He understood in his heart that powerful Divine Spirits such as Dragons would not be used to living communally. Each and every one of them was very powerful; therefore, the amount of World Energy they needed for cultivation was incredibly large. It was only natural that they would not live together in one place. If they really did that, it would not be beneficial for their growth.
Even in a big Sect like Azure Sun Temple, each Elder had their own Spirit Peak. What’s more, this was the Dragon Clan, so these Spirit Islands were equivalent to their dens.
Somebody seemed to be waiting for them at the entrance to Dragon Palace. When they got closer, they saw it was a woman, a young girl, to be precise. She seemed to be around 15 or 16 years old at a glance, not much older looking than Lu Yu Qin; however, her real age was far beyond that number. The Dragon Clan grew at an extremely slow pace. Oftentimes, it took several hundred years just for them to be considered true adults. Hence, her 15 or 16-year-old appearance was nothing more than her surface appearance.
She was wearing a purple sleeveless dress that exposed her fair arms and had an ample bosom and beautiful looks. It was just that her brow was furrowed deeply in impatience. She had probably been waiting there for a long time now. As soon as she saw Fu Qi approaching, she yelled, “Why did you take so long?! I’ve been waiting here for half a day now!”
Fu Qi frowned and replied, “Travelling always takes some time.”
On the other hand, Yuan Wu stepped forward and bowed his head respectfully, “Greetings, Senior Fu Ling!”
[It’s the Fu Clan again?] Yang Kai’s expression changed as he studied the girl and secretly wrinkled his brow. His first impression of Fu Ling was not very good, but that couldn’t be helped as her expression gave off an insidious feeling.
From the way Yuan Wu was behaving, it was obvious that he had been in and out of Dragon Palace many times, even daring to speak first to Fu Ling… It could be seen that his arrogance within Half-Dragon City was not without reason.
Fu Ling offhandedly glanced at Yuan Wu and said contemptuously, “Oh, it’s you.”
Seeing that she remembered him, Yuan Wu felt excited and was about to say something, but she did not give him a chance to speak. Fu Ling waved her hand impatiently and continued, “Whatever. Since you’re here, come with me. The flowers are waiting for you.”
As soon as those words rang out, all the Dragonborn, including Yuan Wu, looked miserable. Even though they knew that it was inevitable, they still couldn’t help feeling apprehensive when the time came.
Fu Qi crossed his hands behind his back and snorted lightly, “Get going, you hybrids!”
‘Dragonborn’ was just the name the people in Half-Dragon City with the Dragon Clan’s bloodline called themselves. In front of the true Dragon Clan, these so-called ‘Dragonborn’ were nothing but hybrids, bastards with impure bloodlines. They were the despicable by-products of the Dragon Clan’s release of sexual desires and no Dragon Clan member cared about their lives or even remembered their faces, regardless of whether they had blood ties between them or not.
If not for that, Lu San Niang and her daughter would not have been kicked out of Dragon Palace; after all, Lu Yu Qin’s biological father was a Pureblood Dragon.
The two hundred Dragonborn were obviously accustomed to that title and no matter how high or low their cultivation, they did not dare to show any dissatisfaction towards it. Thus, they separated from the crowd and gathered towards Fu Ling.
Li Jiao suddenly became restless as he moved slowly while glancing towards Yang Kai. He never dreamt that he would be separated from Yang Kai the moment they stepped into Dragon Palace. His only hope in this place was Yang Kai, so what could he rely on if they were separated!?
Besides, he was more worried about Lu San Niang than his own situation. Despite the resentment he had towards her, it was a thing of the past. Moreover, the truth had become clear and, now, Li Jiao hated that Dragon Clan member that harmed her far more.
Yang Kai gave him a meaningful look, and he nodded imperceptibly in response. Li Jiao knew that there was no need to worry about the safety of Lu San Niang and her daughter as long as Yang Kai was watching over them.
Yuan Wu quickly asked, “Sirs, what about these ordinary people?”
“I have other uses for them,” Fu Qi answered, frowning.
The gears in Yuan Wu’s head spun quickly, and he immediately suggested, “Do you want me to stay behind to monitor them? As you know, these people… Heh heh… Some can be quite disobedient. Who knows? I might be of some use if I stay here with them.”
Yuan Wu was just talking without much thought to it. The main reason was that he was extremely unwilling to nurture the Dragon Blood Flowers. He had done this more than once and would be weakened for a year to two after each session. It was an excruciatingly painful experience.
Who could have thought that Fu Qi would nod in agreement after briefly considering the suggestion?
“Alright then, I will leave them to you, hybrid. If anything happens, you will be held responsible!”
Yuan Wu was stunned for a moment. Then, he was overjoyed, “I won’t let you down, Sir!”
“Let’s go,” Fu Ling urged impatiently. Hence, the 200 Dragonborn had no choice but to follow behind her and flew in the direction of the Spirit Island where the Dragon Blood Flowers were being cultivated. Many of them looked at Yuan Wu enviously before they left, making him feel very proud of himself.
All of a sudden, his eyes flashed and he glared at Li Jiao with an insidious expression. It so happened that Li Jiao was looking back at that moment. Their gazes met, and the corners of Yuan Wu’s mouth lifted in a smirk.
He had suffered at the hands of Li Jiao back in Half-Dragon City. He had been badly beaten and lost a lot of face. Now, the tables had turned. Li Jiao was about to be taken away to nurture the Dragon Blood Flowers while he had the easy task of watching the 500 ordinary people. Comparing his situation to Li Jiao’s, he felt extremely happy and satisfied.
[So what if your bloodline is stronger? So what if your cultivation is higher? You still need to bleed for Dragon Blood Flowers.]
Besides, that mother-and-daughter pair was finally in his hands again. He was already in the middle of planning how he could torture those two to vent his grievances. He turned his head to glance at the pair, then he turned back to give Li Jiao a deliberately provocative look and snickered. The meaning behind that look could not be more obvious.
Contrary to expectations, Li Jiao was completely unaffected. He simply glanced at Yuan Wu coldly. What’s more; the look in his eyes seemed to contain a trace of ridicule and sympathy.
[What does that mean?] Yuan Wu’s expression immediately went cold. Despite ruminating over it for a while, he still could not understand the meaning behind the look Li Jiao had given him.
Earlier, Li Jiao had stepped up to protect Lu San Niang and her daughter. It was quite clear that they were friendly with each other. [Why is that guy so indifferent towards my provocation?] Yuan Wu frowned deeply, his mind full of doubts.
Li Jiao had no need to worry about Lu San Niang and her daughter because Yang Kai was with them. It would be fine so long as Yuan Wu did not do anything; however, it would end very badly for Yuan Wu if he dared to do something. Li Jiao was certain that Yang Kai would not stand idly by when it came to Lu San Niang and her daughter.
The 200 Dragonborn disappeared into the distance and vanished out of sight. Then, Fu Qi turned around and headed in another direction without saying anything.
Yuan Wu had no time to worry about Li Jiao’s unusual reaction and quickly shouted, “Hurry and keep up! Don’t cause delays for Senior Fu Qi!”
He was used to bullying others by relying on the Dragon Clan’s authority; therefore, his tone was very rude.
Even so, nobody dared to complain about it. The 500 ordinary people hurried after Fu Qi. As Lu San Niang and her daughter passed by, Yuan Wu smiled coldly and immediately leaned over.
Lu San Niang shuddered, her complexion paling slightly. Li Jiao was gone, and she had lost her support; moreover, Yuan Wu could communicate with the Dragon Clan. If he really raised his hand against her or her daughter, she would have no power to fight back; thus, she secretly vowed to herself, [Even if I die, I won’t allow my daughter to fall into Yuan Wu’s hands!]
Her daughter might be the by-product of that Dragon’s impropriety, but Lu Yu Qin was also the baby she carried and gave birth to. The only reason she had been able to continue living all these years was Lu Yu Qin. If not for her daughter, Lu San Niang would have chosen death a long time ago. How could she have survived until today?
She held her daughter in her arms and quietly moved to the side, putting some distance between Yuan Wu and them. Unfortunately, Yuan Wu would never let such a chance slip away. He moved closer to her, clearly trying to take advantage of the situation to feel her up. In response, her expression suddenly became very unnatural. Lowering her head, her pretty face turned deathly pale.
Glancing to the front, Yuan Wu saw that Fu Qi was flying without paying much attention to what happened behind him; therefore, he immediately reached out his hands boldly to grab at Lu San Niang’s firm peaks. He had been lusting after her for a long time now as it was rare to see such a gorgeous beauty in Half-Dragon City nowadays. Furthermore, she had been expelled from Dragon Palace, which meant that she had been intimate with a member of the Dragon Clan, giving Yuan Wu a perverted sense of anticipation. It was only to be expected that he would not let the opportunity pass him by now that he could finally get rid of that itch.
To his surprise though, his hands grabbed at nothing but air and his expression darkened as a result. Turning to look to the side, he discovered that Lu San Niang, who had been right next to him, had slipped to the other side somehow. Moreover, a young man wearing dark blue clothes was standing between him and the mother-and-daughter pair.
He had been completely focused on feeling up Lu San Niang and did not notice when that young man had arrived. When he looked up, he saw the young man giving him a cold glance.
[Did this guy do that on purpose?] Yuan Wu immediately became annoyed. As he was able to communicate with the Dragon Clan, his status within Half-Dragon City was very high and whether they were Human, Monster, or Dragonborn, even the stronger cultivators had to show him some measure of respect.
The previous beating he suffered at the hands of Li Jiao inside the city had enraged him greatly; hence, he could not believe that there were still people out there that would ruin his fun. He glared at the person, and his expression turned frosty, “It’s you!”
He recognized Yang Kai as the young man sitting at the same table as Li Jiao. They clearly had a friendly relationship with each other.
[What’s this? Since that Dragonborn is gone, you’re stepping up to protect those two instead? What can you protect with that pitiful cultivation of yours?] Yuan Wu did not think much of Yang Kai as his own cultivation was Second-Order Emperor Realm, and he had a Second-Order High-Rank Dragon Vein on top of that. Yuan Wu could put up a fight against an ordinary Third-Order Emperor Realm Master and even if he couldn’t win, protecting himself wasn’t an issue.
Yuan Wu had failed to detect Yang Kai’s cultivation before because the latter had not used his Emperor Qi; however, everybody was flying at this moment and the aura fluctuations Yang Kai gave off exposed his strength.
[A First-Order Emperor!? How dare a First-Order Emperor defy me! Moreover, a mere Human!] Yuan Wu was so furious that his nose twitched in rage. [This little brat is looking down on me too much! Is he insane!?]
He darkly sent a Divine Sense transmission to Yang Kai, “Little brat, you sure are bold! How dare you spoil my fun?!”
The corners of Yang Kai’s mouth curled slightly as he replied, “I’ve always been this bold.”
Yuan Wu was taken aback by those words, not having expected Yang Kai to be so unyielding. He initially thought that Yang Kai was simply acting out of loyalty and summoned up the courage to stop him as a result. If that was the case, he simply needed to act fiercely to scare the other party away. To Yuan Wu’s surprise though, his statement not only failed to scare the other party away but actually drew insults to himself. [This is a rebellion!]
Thus, Yuan Wu instantly hated Yang Kai and secretly planned to create a chance for Yang Kai to suffer a fate worse than death. [How dare a mere Human boy in the First-Order Emperor Realm act so presumptuously in front of me? If I wasn’t worried about Fu Qi at the head of the group, I would have beaten this little brat senseless already.]
Smiling coldly, Yuan Wu sneered, “Good. Very good. Don’t forget those words you said. I hope you don’t regret saying them in the future.”
Yang Kai sneered, “Rest assured. I have never regretted anything I did.”
[He is too cocky! Too arrogant!] Yuan Wu was livid. Nobody in the whole of Half-Dragon City had ever dared to speak to him in such a manner before. Not only did somebody break that precedent today, but that person also had an expression of ‘What can you do to me?’ while speaking those words.
Gritting his teeth, he snarled, “Do you think that I won’t dare to do anything to you just because Fu Qi is right there? If that’s the case, you’re gravely mistaken…”
“Go on then, do something,” Yang Kai looked at Yuan Wu sincerely, “If you want to make a move, go ahead, I promise I won’t fight back.”
Yuan Wu was livid beyond words. Unfortunately, he truly did not dare to make a move. Fu Qi was right in front of him and if he did anything without a valid reason, Fu Qi would punish him first. Yuan Wu was not ignorant enough to believe that Fu Qi’s willingness to speak a few words to him meant that he thought any differently about him. The Dragon Clan was prideful and could not be bothered to speak with people like him, it was simply better to have a familiar face to speak with than a stranger. Yuan Wu knew he meant nothing to Fu Qi and could be replaced on a whim.
He understood this point very clearly. Hence, he was so furious that his face flushed red when Yang Kai provoked him in that manner, causing him to issue a vicious threat, “Little brat, I will remember you! Once we reach the island, I will show you what suffering means!”
“Waste!” Yang Kai glanced at Yuan Wu coldly.
Yuan Wu was stunned for a moment, then his face turned red, “What did you say!?”
Yang Kai moved his lips and spat out that word again, slowly, nearly causing Yuan Wu to explode with rage.
At that moment, a figure suddenly intervened between Yang Kai and Yuan Wu. That person cupped his fists at Yuan Wu and smiled ingratiatingly, his Divine Sense surging as he clearly said something to Yuan Wu.
It was a middle-aged man with a monkey-like face and shifty rat-like eyes. At first glance, he did not look like a good thing. Nevertheless, that person’s cultivation was not weak. He was a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master and seemed to be of the Monster Race. The Monster Qi surrounding him was very dense, but it was not very pure.
These kinds of situations were very common in Half-Dragon City. The Dragons had a lustful nature and did not discriminate when it came to their conquests. Therefore, women of the Human Race were not the only ones that the Dragon Clan kidnapped and took back to Dragon Island. There were women from the Monster Race too. If those women gave birth to a child of one of the Dragon Clan members, it would often bring about a situation like this where the child did not have a Dragon Clan bloodline. Unfortunately, their Monster Qi was not pure either and combined with the unique situation in Half-Dragon City where Humans and Monsters intermingled with each other, it was inevitable that some Half-Monsters would be born as a result.
Half-Monsters generally had a hard time cultivating and increasing their cultivation, so to be in the Second-Order Emperor Realm was an amazing achievement in itself.
While communicating with Yuan Wu via Divine Sense transmission, that man secretly winked at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai blinked then laughed to himself. This Half-Monster certainly was kinder than he looked.
This man was obviously aware of the conflict between Yang Kai and Yuan Wu and deliberately came to rescue the former. What he didn’t know was that Yang Kai did not need any rescuing whatsoever. Just as Yuan Wu did not think much of Yang Kai, what could Yang Kai possibly think of Yuan Wu?
Even so, this man’s gestures made Yang Kai form a favourable opinion of him and it reminded him that he should not judge a person by their looks.
Just by looking at this Half-Monster’s face, anyone would think that he was an insidious and wretched person; moreover, if one were to meet this person on the streets, they would have stayed as far away from him as possible, lest they were harmed by him in any way.
Who could have known that the Half-Monster would be such a kind and warm-hearted man? Despite not being acquainted with Yang Kai, he was willing to risk his life to help him; after all, his actions could easily offend Yuan Wu. Going by their current situation, what good would there be to offend Yuan Wu?
Therefore, this man’s actions made Yang Kai’s perception of him improve by leaps and bounds. Still, it was rather strange. This vicious-looking man had blatantly interfered in the matters between them, and although Yang Kai did not know what he was talking to Yuan Wu about, Yuan Wu did not seem upset at him. Rather, Yuan Wu leaned in closer. It would seem that the ingratiating and fawning expression on this vicious-looking man’s face was very pleasing to Yuan Wu.
Afterwards, Yuan Wu did not bother Yang Kai, Lu San Niang, or her daughter again for the remainder of the journey.
Yang Kai stared into the distance and narrowed his eyes. He had been hesitating over the idea of revealing his identity so that he could search for Zhu Qing; after all, he and Zhu Qing were already husband and wife, so it was only natural for him to come and find her. Besides, he also had the Dragon Island Token in his possession.
However, after meeting Fu Qi and Fu Ling, he had a vague feeling that acting rashly in that manner was not a good idea. He might not only fail to meet Zhu Qing if he did that, but it might also cause some unpredictable consequences. Hence, Yang Kai decided to act according to the situation and opportunity. [Let’s find Zhu Qing first.]
Night arrived. A cool wind blew, and the sky was full of stars. An island suddenly appeared in everybody’s field of vision. It was difficult to see clearly, but the size of the island was not small. Furthermore, the World Energy on that island was incredibly rich and pure, extremely suitable for cultivators to cultivate.
Yang Kai observed the island, secretly feeling surprised that the cultivating environment in Dragon Island was this good. [No wonder none of the Dragons I’ve met before were below the Emperor Realm in terms of strength.]
Putting aside the strength of Fu Qi and Fu Ling’s Dragon Vein, their cultivations put them on par with Human Emperors. That was not strange since the Dragon Clan were Divine Spirits though; moreover, they occupied such an abundant Small World so it would be stranger if they were weak.
“Mother…” Lu Yu Qin’s soft voice suddenly came from nearby.
Yang Kai turned at the sound and frowned at what he saw. He discovered that Lu San Niang’s condition was strange. She was shivering uncontrollably and pursing her lips tightly, her face completely pale and bloodless.
Lu Yu Qin had called out in concern upon noticing her mother’s abnormality and asked softly, “Mother, what’s wrong?”
“I-It’s nothing,” Lu San Niang shook her head.
“Mother, are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere? Why is your body so cold?”
“It’s nothing. It’s probably just the wind.” She reached out to hug her daughter tightly.
Lu Yu Qin looked at her mother in confusion but decided to believe her mother despite her doubts. She did not know what was wrong with Lu San Niang for her to be trembling so hard, and it was only getting more noticeable.
Yang Kai had clearly noticed this too. It was obvious that Lu San Niang’s explanation was nothing more than an excuse. Her cultivation was First-Order Emperor Realm, so how could she shiver this badly just because of some wind? That explanation could only fool an ignorant child like Lu Yu Qin.
Observing her silently, Yang Kai’s eyes flashed for a moment as he looked in the direction of that island not far away. He had a rough guess as to why she had such a reaction. She had been kidnapped by a member of the Dragon Clan, brought to Dragon Island, and confined for 200 to 300 years. It wasn’t until a few years ago that she was expelled when Lu Yu Qin was born. For that reason, the place where the Dragon Clan member who had captured her lived must be a nightmarish place in her memories.
Along the way, they had passed by several islands; however, Lu San Niang’s reaction had not been so strong. In contrast, her mental state changed so much that it was strange when the island in front came into view. The reason for that change couldn’t be more obvious; that was where she had been imprisoned for the past 200 or 300 years!
More than ten years had passed, but seeing the land of her nightmares again would inevitably bring back the painful memories from her past. Thus, it was normal to have some reaction. Her emotions were all over the place, so much so that even her flight became unsteady. Her body swayed, scaring Lu Yu Qin so much that she turned pale with fright.
Yang Kai pushed his Emperor Qi at that moment, wrapping both mother and daughter in it. Only then did their flight path stabilize.
“Many thanks!” Lu San Niang nodded gratefully.
To which Yang Kai replied, “Li Jiao entrusted the two of you to me. It’s only natural that I take care of you, so don’t worry too much about it.”
Lu San Niang fell silent for some time, but a short while later, she asked, “I haven’t asked you for your name, Little Brother.”
“Yang Kai,” He smiled.
Nodding, she asked, “I see, so it is Brother Yang. Are you very close to Big Brother Li?”
Yang Kai nodded lightly, “We are very close, like Brothers. That’s why his affairs are my affairs too. You don’t need to be so reserved, Elder Sister Lu.”
He knew the right things to say at the right time. Her love for Li Jiao was deeply rooted, not having faded even after centuries of forced separation; therefore, Yang Kai could not embarrass Li Jiao in front of her. He couldn’t tell her that Li Jiao had suffered greatly at his hands, right? That would be awful of him. Besides, they were only words. It didn’t cost him anything to say them.
Upon hearing that, she smiled, “Big Brother Li might have some Dragon Clan blood running through his veins, but he is an upright and righteous person. He likes to fight against injustice and is also very kind to others.”
Those words seemed to remind her of something from the past and brought a soft smile to her face. After distracting her like this, her situation improved greatly and she wasn’t shaking as badly as before anymore.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai felt speechless. [Is someone like Li Jiao even worthy of such appreciation? It seems love truly is blind. She thinks that he is perfect in every way. I bet she even thinks that his farts smell like roses. Seriously; when he came to High Heaven Palace with Ji Ying not that long ago, he was running around causing trouble left and right. Where was the kindness that she spoke of? I was so tempted to slap him to death back then!]
Needless to say, Yang Kai would never say such things in front of her. He simply followed her lead in the conversation and replied, “En, you’re right, Elder Sister Lu. Brother Li and I might not have known each other for long, but he has been a true friend, helping me with a number of issues.”
Saying that Li Jiao had helped him was the truth. Be it searching for Zhu Qing or coming to Dragon Island, Li Jiao had contributed a lot. That was something he could not and would not deny.
Lu San Niang smiled in response, “He has always been one to suppress the bullies and help the weak. If he had not acted out of righteousness back then, I would have died a long time ago. I would not be able to live until this day.”
The corners of Yang Kai’s mouth twitched. He knew that he was simply one of the recipients of Li Jiao’s ‘helping the weak’ acts in her eyes. It wasn’t hard to understand why she thought that way. His cultivation was only in the First-Order Emperor Realm, just like hers. On the other hand, Li Jiao was a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master, so if they ever encountered anything as a group, Li Jiao would be the one they relied on. That was the normal understanding most people would have. Since she had assumed this to be the case, Yang Kai couldn’t be bothered to explain either.
After chatting with her like this, her mood had stabilized significantly and she no longer felt anxious in front of Yang Kai. Their cultivations were similar in terms of realm, so she was able to relax more around him. On the other hand, she felt ashamed, timid, and cautious whenever she stood in front of Li Jiao.
[She is such a pitiful person…] Yang Kai sighed in his heart.
While they were conversing, Lu San Niang suddenly shut her mouth tightly and did not say another word. At the same time, she began trembling uncontrollably again as her gaze shakily looked forward.
Yang Kai looked forward as well, feeling a little speechless. That was because Fu Qi was flying directly towards that particular Spirit Island, marking it as their destination.
[Isn’t this a little too much of a coincidence?] There were countless Spirit Islands spread out across this sea; moreover, the Dragon Clan were scattered and lived far apart from each other. Nobody could have predicted that Fu Qi would lead them to the island Lu San Niang once stayed.
Having guessed the reason for her reaction, Yang Kai couldn’t let it go just like that. Hence, he secretly sent a transmission to her, “Elder Sister Lu, follow me closely when we get on the island. Do not separate from me.”
He did not know whether she heard what he said, but in any case, she showed no reaction whatsoever. The closer they got to the island, the worse her complexion became.
Finally, the group of people following Fu Qi landed on the island. Yang Kai’s previous observation had been accurate, Fu Qi’s destination was indeed this island.
A member of the Dragon Clan probably lived here as there were many palaces on the other side of the island. Although it was late into the night, the lights were flickering in the palaces. Nobody knew what the people were doing inside those homes.
When they arrived, Fu Qi beckoned with his hand and Yuan Wu immediately ran over eagerly, nodding and bowing respectfully. Then, Fu Qi coldly issued some instructions in a low voice, took out a Space Ring, and tossed it to Yuan Wu. Contrarily, Yuan Wu’s expression became as bitter as a bitter gourd. He obviously looked troubled; however, Fu Qi couldn’t care less and flew into the sky, transformed into a Green Dragon that was some 80 metres long, plunged headfirst into the sea, and disappeared.
“Senior Fu Qi! Senior Fu Qi!” Yuan Wu shouted.
“If you don’t finish it within a month, you will all die!” A Dragon Roar rang out from the depths of the sea, causing everybody’s expression to change. Nobody knew why they had been brought here or what they had to do, so how could they remain calm after hearing such a threat?
[One month? What does he mean by one month? What do we have to do within a month?] Nobody knew and all were silent for some time. A short while later, the crowd began chattering among themselves.
Now that Fu Qi was gone, all that were left were residents of Half-Dragon City. There was nothing to worry about now, so several of the more powerful Emperor Realm Masters gathered around Yuan Wu.
“Brother Yuan, why did the Dragon Clan gather us here? What do they want?”
“That’s right. What do they want us to do?”
“What did he mean by ‘a month’?”
“Brother Yuan, do you know something? If you do, please hurry up and give us an explanation.”
“Brother Yuan, you can’t keep it a secret from us. We are all in the same boat. We need to work together to get over this.”
“Good. If we can’t complete the task the Dragon Clan gave us, the consequences will be disastrous.”
…..
That group of people clamoured endlessly and Yuan Wu’s head was about to burst from it all. There was no helping it; it was a matter of life and death after all. Who would dare to take things lightly? Since Fu Qi mentioned a month, then it was a month. If they failed to fulfil his request within that time, forget the 500 people standing here, he might even kill 5,000 people in his wrath. The Dragon Clan had always meant what they said, especially when it came to threats.
Yuan Wu’s face was extremely distorted while at the same time he deeply regretted his actions. [If I had known this would happen, it would have been better to follow Fu Ling to water the Dragon Blood Flowers! Just great. I’m stuck with something troublesome now, something worse than merely bleeding for those damned flowers! What a blunder! Why is my life so difficult?!]
The people surrounding Yuan Wu continued to clamour noisily. He endured it for a while until he couldn’t stand it anymore and roared, “Shut up. All of you!”
Everybody immediately fell silent at those words as they turned to look at him. He swept a cold gaze over the crowd before speaking through gritted teeth, “I’ve gotten the gist of it, but I’m not too sure about the finer details either. Let me explain once I’ve figured it out.”
After saying that, he took out the Space Ring Fu Qi had given to him and carefully studied its contents.
Meanwhile, everybody watched him carefully to observe his reactions. They saw his expression turning into one of surprise, followed by one of glee. Then, his expression darkened again. After several more changes of expression, his face regained that bitter expression from before.
He waved his large hand and took out something that looked like an animal skin from the Space Ring to look at it carefully. The moment he laid eyes on it, he let out a soft exclamation of surprise.
The Emperor Realm Masters surrounding him couldn’t curb their curiosity anymore and leaned in for a closer look and their expressions changed after looking at what was written on the animal skin.
“What is this?”
“It looks like a palace.”
“It sure is large.”
“Huh? Even the construction materials have specific requirements.”
“What does this mean? Were we brought here to build a palace?”
“No way! Why would the Dragon Clan need to build a palace? I’ve never heard of the Dragon Clan having such needs before.”
“Unbelievable. This is just unbelievable. If this palace is built, there won’t be another one like it across the entire Star Boundary!”
“Green Gold Purple Copper, Ice Spirit Snow Jade, Heavenly Crystal Meteor Sand… Hey, these are all materials for refining Emperor Rank Artifacts. A-A-Are we really building a palace with these?! Isn’t it too lavish?!”
After seeing what was written on the animal skin, the group of Emperor Realm Masters immediately became a little uneasy and their expressions changed as a result.
Those gathered around the periphery couldn’t see the drawings on the paper, but their eyes also widened in surprise when they heard what was being said. They looked like they were in disbelief, their faces twitching slightly from the shock.
Green Gold Purple Copper? Ice Spirit Snow Jade? Heavenly Crystal Meteor Sand? One after another, those highly impactful terms sounded in their ears like thunderbolts, rendering them stupid from the shock.
Although they had always lived on Dragon Island and never communicated with the outside world before, that did not mean that they were ignorant of the ways of the world. The Alchemists and Artifact Refiners in Half-Dragon City had everything they needed. Besides, there was no shortage of cultivation materials on Dragon Island, so as long as they did not infringe on the benefits or boundaries of Dragon Palace, they were allowed to move about freely in this Small World. Therefore, they all knew what these materials meant.
All of these were extremely rare Artifact Refining materials, and any one of them was incredibly expensive. Moreover, they were extremely hard to find. If an Emperor Realm Master could get their hands on these materials, they could use them to greatly improve the Emperor Artifacts that they owned.
However, the voices in their ears seemed to be saying that these materials that were so rare to the point where they were almost non-existent were actually going to be used to build a palace! How could that be? Their hearts were filled with doubt and they did not dare to believe what they were hearing.
In an instant, everybody’s gaze turned to Yuan Wu, hoping he would give them an answer.
Even Yang Kai was surprised. [If that really is true, then this is certainly far too lavish. Even those Great Emperor Sects could not afford to make such a large and luxurious expenditure. Can Dragon Island really do this?]
In the meantime, Yuan Wu had been observing the animal skin drawing. He finally put it away after studying it for some time then swept his gaze over the crowd, his insidious eyes landing on Yang Kai for a moment before he loudly announced, “The Dragon Clan has given us a very difficult mission!”
As soon as the words rang out, the crowd exploded in noisy chatter.
“No way!”
“Are we really going to build a palace?”
“With those materials no less?!”
“Building a palace isn’t a big deal. We have so many people after all. No matter how large the palace is, we should be able to finish constructing it in a month. The problem is… those materials…”
“Yeah! Where are we going to find those materials?! How are we going to build the palace if we don’t have the materials?! Is the Dragon Clan trying to kill us?!”
“Shhh. Watch what you say! This is Dragon Palace! The walls have ears! Be careful!”
The crowd began talking among themselves.
Yuan Wu’s expression was as ugly as it could be as he waited for some time before he continued speaking, “You’re right. The Dragon Clan wants us to build a palace. Moreover, it’s a very magnificent and grand palace. From what I saw just now, this palace will span across an area of hundreds of thousands of square metres upon completion.”
A round of gasps rang out through the crowd. [Hundreds of thousands of square metres!? How big was this island? If it spans across an area of hundreds of thousands of square metres, then it will occupy almost a tenth of the entire landmass!]
They originally thought that they had enough manpower on their side, but they were stunned by how large the palace was going to be. Could that still be called a palace!? It was more like an entire city!
Yuan Wu pointed to the centre of the island and said loudly, “The palace will be located there. The Dragon Clan has essentially planned everything for us so we only need to follow their instructions.” Seeing that the crowd was showing signs of breaking out in a commotion again, Yuan Wu lifted a hand to suppress them and continued, “I know what you are worrying about. It’s about the materials needed for construction. Regarding the materials, Dragon Palace has prepared them in advance.” He lifted the Space Ring in his hand into the air, “It’s all inside this Space Ring.”
When those words sounded, everybody seemed taken aback for a moment before they all let out a breath of relief in unison.
“Oh! The Dragon Clan prepared them in advance! That sure scared me!”
“Yeah, that’s right! If we had to find those materials ourselves, we might as well just commit suicide.”
“That’s more like it. Still, I’ve heard that the Dragon Clan is astonishingly wealthy, but now I finally know that the rumours weren’t exaggerated.”
“Yeah. I can’t believe they are building a palace with all those materials. It’s so exaggerated and wasteful! If only they could give me some…”
“Stop dreaming. Who would dare to steal any of the materials from that Space Ring? If anybody really did do that, they wouldn’t even know how they died.”
“That’s true. Heh heh… I was just saying, you know?”
Just as the crowd began to relax, Yuan Wu smiled coldly, “I’m not trying to spoil your mood, but the materials within this Space Ring are not enough. It lacks a large part of what we need. We will need to obtain the rest ourselves.”
“What?!” They were shocked by those words. With just a few words their emotions fluctuated again and again. They could not believe what they were hearing. [The materials in the Space Ring are not enough?! We need to obtain them ourselves?! Where are we going to find such precious materials?! These materials can only be found by chance and won’t appear just because we are looking for them!]
Yuan Wu comforted them again, “Don’t worry. There are a few Spirit Islands in Dragon Palace that produce these materials. We only need to obtain them and bring them back.”
Their tense nerves relaxed again. That was good if that was the case. They were scared that the Dragon Clan wanted them to search for the materials themselves. These materials were extremely rare; where would they even begin to search for them? Upon hearing that the nearby Spirit Islands produced these materials, they did not worry as much anymore.
However, they couldn’t help criticizing Yuan Wu slightly in their hearts. [This bastard is definitely doing this on purpose, saying one thing but leaving out half the details. Why did he have to scare us like that?]
“Yuan Wu, may I know why the Dragon Clan wants us to build a palace like that?” Somebody asked suddenly.
That question represented the doubts in everybody’s hearts. They had coexisted with the Dragon Clan in this Small World for countless years, but there had never been a precedent for something like this. Although the Dragon Clan occasionally visited Half-Dragon City in the past, most of those occasions were to gather Dragonborn to cultivate the Dragon Blood Flowers. Therefore, the sudden request to come and build a palace left them feeling strange. Since when had the Dragon Clan paid attention to such things, and with such an exorbitant price too.
Judging from the scale of this palace and the materials needed for its construction, it was not meant for an ordinary member of the Dragon Clan to live in. It might turn out to be the palace of an Elder within the Dragon Clan. That conjecture inevitably made them feel uneasy as they knew that if they did not do this well, all 500 of them would die.
“I want to know that too,” Yuan Wu replied unhappily. He was extremely upset today. First, he was beaten up and humiliated. Then, he took on such a dreadful task. The rage burning in him was reaching its boiling point and right now, he just wanted to find an outlet to vent out all his frustrations.
The person who asked the question was a Human in the Third-Order Emperor Realm, but after being snarled at by Yuan Wu, he merely laughed apologetically and said nothing more. It couldn’t be helped. Inside this Small World, he did not dare to make Yuan Wu an enemy even if his cultivation was higher than his.
It wasn’t just the Humans or the Monster Race. Even the Dragonborn had to tread carefully around Yuan Wu. There was no benefit to provoking this man, especially now that he was having a headache over the fuss about the Dragon Clan’s orders.
Yuan Wu scanned his surroundings with an insidious gaze before taking a deep breath and saying, “The situation is very grave. I won’t say more. I’m sure you all understand it too. If we want to finish building a palace of this scale within a month, we will need to give it our all, maybe even… put our lives on the line.”
Those words did not contain a single lie. If it was just a palace covering an area of hundreds of thousands of square metres, then it wasn’t too troublesome a task for the 500 people present in this place; after all, the Emperors among them numbered over a hundred, so how hard could building a palace be?
The main issue was that the Dragon Clan had specified the materials to be used. Those were extremely precious Emperor Grade materials, each of which was incredibly tough to handle. It would take a lot of manpower and resources to obtain them and then refine them into the necessary shapes and sizes. Just take the Green Gold Purple Copper for example. It would take a long time just to melt a palm-sized piece of the Green Gold Purple Copper.
Hence, everybody could understand how arduous this task was. All of them were silent and looked grim, thinking about their prospects. Meanwhile, Yang Kai was the only one looking carefree. He studied their surroundings without paying much attention to the matter at hand. He came to Dragon Island to look for Zhu Qing, not to work as a slave. As long as he could find a chance to meet with Zhu Qing, he couldn’t care less about other matters.
A gaze suddenly landed on Yang Kai and he turned to look in that direction to see the monkey-like man from before smiling at him. When their eyes met, that person nodded at him lightly.
Yang Kai’s impression of this man was quite good as he had taken the initiative to smooth things over between him and Yuan Wu when the situation between them was getting heated. That indicated that he was a brave and just man; therefore, Yang Kai had to return this favour regardless of whether he had needed the help or not. Seeing that that man was nodding at him in greeting, he smiled back at the man. It was a gesture of goodwill.
On the other side, Yuan Wu accidentally discovered this little action of Yang Kai’s and it immediately caused a wave of rage to rise in him. [I’m drowning in gloom, worrying about what’s going to happen during this one-month period, and yet this brat is so damn calm, relaxed, and at ease! Why!? Just why!?]
Combined with the friction between Yuan Wu and Yang Kai previously, the feelings of hatred surged up in the former and his expression darkened as he pointed at Yang Kai, “You there! Go and obtain more Ice Spirit Snow Jade! You need to obtain 500 kilograms of the Ice Spirit Snow Jade every single day! If you fail to do so, you will suffer the consequences!”
*Shua shua shua…*
Everybody suddenly turned to look at Yang Kai with eyes full of sympathy.
The small disagreement between Yang Kai and Yuan Wu had mostly gone unnoticed. All they knew was that this young man was acquainted with the Dragonborn that had beaten Yuan Wu up. Thus, he was most likely being targeted by Yuan Wu due to his association with Li Jiao. He was being unfairly victimized. If he had been sent on any other errand, it would not have mattered as much even though it would still be unfair, it wouldn’t be life-threatening. However, mining Ice Spirit Snow Jade was an extremely dangerous task.
Ice Spirit Snow Jade was formed in extremely cold areas and even an Emperor Realm Master would suffer if they stayed in such a place for too long. In the worst-case scenario, they may even freeze to death. Additionally, Ice Spirit Snow Jade was extremely tough, so mining 500 kilograms daily was an impossible task!
Yuan Wu was clearly up to no good and everybody understood that. Besides, he didn’t even try to hide it as he snickered and sneered to himself, [Cocky, weren’t you? Arrogant, weren’t you? How dare you look down on me!? How dare you oppose me!? Good, these are the consequences of your actions!]
He was still pining over Lu San Niang and her daughter as he believed that as long as he got Yang Kai out of the way, he could do whatever he wanted with them. If he thought about it that way, then the job he took on today wasn’t that bad after all. At the very least, he could order these 500 people here around as he pleased. His mood immediately lifted and his ego inflated. [For the next whole month starting from today onward, I am King here. Everybody has to obey me!]
As for whether or not Yang Kai could manage to mine 500 kilograms of Ice Spirit Snow Jade, that wasn’t for Yuan Wu to worry about. It would be great if Yang Kai succeeded, but if he failed… Then, he would have a great excuse to teach Yang Kai a lesson.
[I will let him know the consequences of defying me!]
He believed that it was impossible for Yang Kai to complete that task. Hence, he was already secretly plotting ways to torture and humiliate Yang Kai to soothe the hatred in his heart.
Everybody else could see what Yuan Wu was planning and couldn’t help feeling their heart pounding in trepidation as their expressions changed. They had been overwhelmed by the Dragon Clan’s massive splurging of wealth and the difficulty of building the palace. Nevertheless, hearing the task Yuan Wu handed out to Yang Kai finally made them aware of something else.
Mining Ice Spirit Snow Jade was no easy feat and nobody would be willing to do it since the slightest mistake could cost them their lives. Now that Yuan Wu was in charge, they had to foster a good relationship with Yuan Wu in order to escape from being tasked with such a dangerous duty; after all, it would take more than one person to mine the Ice Spirit Snow Jade. At least 20 or 30 people would be needed for this task.
As that thought crossed their minds, somebody immediately piped up, “Brother Yuan, my cultivation technique is perfect for mining Green Gold Purple Copper, you should leave that to me!”
Although both were mining tasks, the dangers and difficulty between mining Green Gold Purple Copper and mining Ice Spirit Snow Jade were on completely different levels. Naturally, that person was rushing to take the easier job.
“That’s right. I believe I’m more suited to mining Green Gold Purple Copper too.”
“Heh heh… I think I’m more suited to mining the Heavenly Crystal Meteor Sand. Brother Yuan, what do you think…”
More than ten Emperor Realm Masters surrounded Yuan Wu, taking the initiative to volunteer for the mining duties. Their voices rang out, and it was extremely lively.
A smug look surfaced on Yuan Wu’s face as he felt that he was becoming more and more prescient for taking on such a pleasant task. The resentment from before had vanished without a trace. Although he was used to being arrogant and doing whatever he wanted in Half-Dragon City, he had never experienced the feeling of holding such authority in his hands before. Now that he finally satisfied that craving, he suddenly felt as though taking on this task was pretty worthwhile.
Even so, he ignored the requests of those people. [Those in power must have an air of authority around them. If I readily agree to anything they suggested to me, then how will I display my wit and brilliance? They are free to offer suggestions, but the final decision will lie in my hands! I will be the one to decide who mines the Ice Spirit Snow Jade, who mines the Green Gold Purple Copper, and who mines the Heavenly Crystal Meteor Sand.]
Therefore, he simply looked at Yang Kai coldly and lifted the corners of his mouth slightly as he scoffed, “Boy, I’m talking to you, are you deaf?”
Yang Kai gave a sidelong glance at Yuan Wu before retracting his gaze and looking out into the vast sea wondering which direction Zhu Qing was in. He had seen several Spirit Islands on the way here and Lu San Niang had mentioned that each Dragon Clan member lived separately. Zhu Qing surely had her own Spirit Island but unfortunately, he didn’t know which island that was. That was the first thing he needed to figure out.
“Impudence!” Yuan Wu was furious when he saw that Yang Kai was completely ignoring him. It was bad enough that Dragonborn was so rude to him, but at the very least his cultivation was stronger and his Dragon Vein was superior, but what thing was Yang Kai? How dare a mere First-Order Emperor Realm Human give him such an attitude! He needed to learn his place!
He was enjoying the exhilaration of his newfound authority, so how could he allow Yang Kai to ruin his prestige? Letting out a roar, he raised his hand and slammed a palm in Yang Kai’s direction. A gigantic green palmprint immediately appeared in the sky and smashed down.
Yuan Wu had not used his full strength in his attack. He did not want to kill Yang Kai after all. With the arduous task at hand, one less person would mean one less worker. The one-month deadline was already stressing him greatly. More importantly, he did not want Yang Kai to die so easily. He had transferred the hatred of being humiliated by Li Jiao to Yang Kai, so how could he let Yang Kai off easily before cruelly torturing and humiliating him?
He could never win against Li Jiao as neither his cultivation nor his Dragon Vein was a match; thus, he could only go for his next best option.
[Didn’t you have a good relationship with that Dragonborn? Didn’t you want to protect that mother-daughter pair? Let’s see if you have the ability to do so!]
For that reason, Yuan Wu only used half his strength in that attack. Still, that was enough. He was a Dragonborn and a Second-Order Emperor while Yang Kai was only a Human First-Order Emperor. Half of Yuan Wu’s full strength was more than what the other party could take. This attack of his would surely cause Yang Kai to suffer from some broken bones, at the very least.
“Watch out!” Lu San Niang shouted as her beautiful face went pale. Ever since she came to this island, her mental state had been rather out of sorts. She had been extremely nervous and her complexion was as white as a sheet. She had not even noticed the conflict between Yang Kai and Yuan Wu until Yuan Wu made his move, prompting her to suddenly call out to Yang Kai.
While speaking, she moved her body and circulated her Emperor Qi. She was clearly trying to take the attack on Yang Kai’s behalf. She might be no match for Yuan Wu alone, but if she worked together with Yang Kai, they might be able to deal with him; therefore, she needed to intercept this attack. In the worst case, she just had to apologize to Yuan Wu and beg for him to overlook the matter.
Her thinking was naïve and simple, but contrary to her expectations, Yang Kai swiftly grabbed onto her shoulder. She didn’t even feel him using any strength at all, but her Emperor Qi was instantly suppressed. She couldn’t even move a muscle, causing her eyes to widen in shock. She could not comprehend what had just happened.
The Masters surrounding them slowly shook their heads, thinking to themselves that Yang Kai was in deep trouble now. [This guy is pretty unlucky. It’s all because he is friends with that Dragonborn that Yuan Wu is displeased with him. It’s a pity but he will not have an easy time here because of that.]
They were unrelated to Yang Kai, and had never even met him before; hence, nobody stepped up to help him even though some people pitied him. They could tell that Yuan Wu was the person they needed to ingratiate themselves with at the moment so there was no way they would be willing to offend him for a complete stranger.
Almost everybody expected to see Yang Kai in a miserable state. Thus, they vowed to themselves to never offend Yuan Wu. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to leave this place alive one month later.
As sparks flew and tension soared, that gigantic green palmprint came smashing down on Yang Kai’s head; however, Yang Kai didn’t make any move at all. In fact, even the expression on his face did not change. It was as though he was so terrified that he had frozen in place.
It wasn’t until the palmprint was about to touch him that he gently lifted his hand. Emperor Qi concentrated on the palm of his hand and a mysterious Principle Strength surged. Raising his hand slightly, he pressed it against the gigantic green palmprint.
*Kacha…”
The sound of something cracking rang out as the gigantic green palmprint suddenly split apart and disappeared in a shower of light.
Yuan Wu was stunned. Lu San Niang was stunned. Everyone was stunned. Nobody knew how Yang Kai had caused that attack to disintegrate as it looked like he had merely lifted his hand gently and Yuan Wu’s unavoidable attack fell apart.
[Did that really just happen? Is this a joke? Did Yuan Wu underestimate his opponent too much?] That was what most people thought; after all, Yuan Wu’s strength was clear to see. Furthermore, Yang Kai was one Minor Realm below him, so even if the former didn’t use his full strength, it still wouldn’t be something Yang Kai could withstand. Thus, the only explanation was that Yuan Wu underestimated his enemy too much, causing his attack to be defeated.
However, there was a small portion of the people who narrowed their eyes slightly and looked at Yang Kai in amazement as an inconceivable notion flashed across their minds. They had not paid much attention to Yang Kai before now because there was nothing special about him. Things were different now though. That gentle movement he made just now was enough to make several Masters turn their attention on him.
[This young man was no soft persimmon! The reason this young man was able to disperse Yuan Wu’s attack wasn’t just that Yuan Wu had underestimated his enemy.]
On the other side, Yuan Wu was dumbfounded and his expression cramped up. He originally wanted to solidify his position with a demonstration of authority, but how could he have known that his attack would fail to establish his superiority here? Moreover, it even made him feel as if he had slapped himself in the face. Thus, he shouted furiously, “You court death!”
The flames of his rage burned in Yuan Wu’s heart as the Dragon Scales under his neck darkened in colour. A faint wave of Dragon Pressure swept out and the aura of a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master reached its peak.
Yang Kai’s resistance had undoubtedly enraged Yuan Wu. At first, all Yuan Wu wanted was to teach Yang Kai a lesson and make him realize his place so that he would become obedient in the future, but now, he planned to use his full strength to teach Yang Kai an unforgettable lesson.
[I’ll just beat him half to death for now!] Yuan Wu secretly decided in his heart, but before he could make his move, his vision blurred and a figure stood before him without warning. It made Yuan Wu jump in fright and when he refocused his gaze, he was startled to discover that Yang Kai, who had been standing some distance away from him, had appeared right in front of him somehow, no more than three steps away.
[What just happened?]
Yuan Wu completely failed to see how Yang Kai had approached him. It had happened too quickly!
Those Masters, who had been watching Yang Kai, also looked shocked and their pupils contracted in astonishment. That was because they had been observing him ever since he made that gentle palm movement just now. Therefore, they had a clearer idea of what had happened compared to the others. Even so, they failed to fully grasp his movements. It was as if they were watching an afterimage and had actually been standing in that new position the whole time.
Meanwhile, Yuan Wu finally came back to his senses and a look of hostility appeared on his face. Raising his fists, he punched at Yang Kai’s head. It was almost an instinctive reaction; however, he suddenly screamed when his fist was halfway moving through the air and his expression distorted so badly that it was barely recognizable anymore.
At that moment, he discovered that the left eye of the young man standing in front of him had transformed into a golden slit. It held no emotion whatsoever but was filled with sovereign power and majesty, like an impassionate deity was looking down from the Heavens at him.
When their gazes met, Yuan Wu’s mind blanked out for a moment as he vaguely felt as though he saw a budding lotus flower flashing by and rushing into his Knowledge Sea. Then, a severe pain spread from his Soul to his entire body, causing him to scream and tremble violently. As for his punch, it lost all its momentum and missed its target harmlessly.
Yuan Wu was still a Master in the end though, so after being ambushed in this manner, he knew he had fallen for Yang Kai’s trap. The young man in front of him did not have high cultivation; however, his Spiritual Energy was frighteningly powerful. That attack from the Secret Technique that seemed to come from the Soul felt like it was tearing his Knowledge Sea apart. Biting the tip of his tongue, Yuan Wu used that spike of pain to wake himself for a moment and clenched his fists to condense two lightning bolts which he then shot towards Yang Kai.
The two of them were standing very close together and Yuan Wu did not hold back at all, so the power behind his attack was monstrous and the dazzling lightning of his attacks practically illuminated the entire sky. However, in the next instant, something unbelievable occurred. The lightning passed through Yang Kai’s body without causing any harm to him whatsoever. Instead, it went straight through his back and hit nothing but air.
“Huh…” Yuan Wu gasped, barely able to believe what he was seeing. [How did he avoid an attack like that at such close distance?! No, that’s not right, he didn’t avoid it, it was more like my attack had no effect on him at all. But, how is that possible?! The lightning obviously hit him! I saw it clearly!]
Yuan Wu wasn’t the only one who did not understand what had happened, no one else in the crowd understood either; all of them were dumbstruck as a result.
While everybody was stupefied, Yang Kai suddenly reached out a hand and grabbed Yuan Wu by the neck. His movements were not fast, almost looking slow and casual to outsiders, something Yuan Wu should have avoided with ease but did not for some reason. Thus, he was caught just like that.
Meanwhile, Yuan Wu’s eyes felt like they were going to explode. All he could feel was a mighty force around his neck that threatened to snap it. That wasn’t all; the Dragon Pressure that he was exuding was suppressed in an instant. It felt like he had met his nemesis. The most obvious change was that the colour of the Dragon Scales on his neck became dimmer again.
[Bloodline suppression?!] Yuan Wu’s heart thumped in horror. He had a similar experience when he had been pummeled by Li Jiao during the day. Under the bloodline suppression from him, he could only exert 80% of his strength which was why he couldn’t lift a single finger against Li Jiao and was badly beaten as a result. Otherwise, he, who was a Second-Order Emperor, could have at least put up some resistance against Li Jiao even if he couldn’t win in the end.
But what was with this Human boy? Yuan Wu did not sense any Dragon Aura coming from this young man so he clearly wasn’t a Dragonborn. But if that was the case, how was he able to use the bloodline suppression on him?
What scared Yuan Wu even more was that the bloodline suppression he was facing right now was far more terrifying than the one he experienced earlier! That Dragonborn during the day only had a Third-Order Mid-Rank Dragon Vein; therefore, the suppression wasn’t that strong even though Yuan Wu was somewhat affected by it. At the very least, he could still exert 80% of his strength.
Yet now, he was being held by the neck by this young man and his strength had been suppressed by more than 50%. Moreover, the flow of his Emperor Qi seemed to be frozen, making it impossible for him to exert any of his strength at all. It felt as though he was terminally ill and his entire body went limp, but that was insane! The large hand around his neck felt like a metal shackle restraining him in place, making it difficult to even breathe properly, turning his face a bright shade of red.
The cultivators surrounding them widened their eyes in shock. What did this mean? They couldn’t comprehend the situation in front of them. Wasn’t Yuan Wu a Second-Order Emperor? Wasn’t he a Dragonborn? How did he get caught by a Human boy in the First-Order Emperor Realm so easily? What was going on? This didn’t make sense even if Yuan Wu had severely underestimated his enemy. Besides, the shocked expression on Yuan Wu’s face clearly indicated that it wasn’t a simple case of underestimating his enemy. Rather, it looked as if he had met an opponent he couldn’t hope to match! Was this young man really so powerful? Many people were utterly confused.
Meanwhile, the most powerful Masters among the crowd exchanged glances with each other and saw the astonishment in each other’s eyes.
On the other hand, Lu San Niang did not know what was going on. All she understood was that Yang Kai had dared to raise his hand against Yuan Wu; moreover, he was crushing Yuan Wu’s neck. Seeing this, she paled and cried out, “Stop, Brother Yang! Hurry up and let him go!”
She wasn’t pleading on Yuan Wu’s behalf. She simply felt that Yang Kai was being far too reckless. Yuan Wu currently held the highest authority here, so what good would it do to offend him? Mining the Ice Spirit Snow Jade was certainly a dangerous job, but as long as they were careful, they wouldn’t die, but now what? Now that Yang Kai had completely offended Yuan Wu, how were they going to survive this one month?
It wasn’t that she was incapable of discerning the truth. It was just that Yang Kai had his back to her and he just so happened to be blocking Yuan Wu from her sight, so she couldn’t see how the situation had developed.
Many people looked at her with strange expressions after she spoke, causing Lu San Niang to become taken aback, not knowing the meaning behind their looks.
“Choose. Do you want to live or die?” Yang Kai asked calmly while staring at Yuan Wu.
Although Yuan Wu was incredibly shocked by Yang Kai’s strength, he did not want to lose what prestige he had. Besides, he was the person Fu Qi personally selected to be in charge of building the palace and believed that Yang Kai couldn’t kill him.
Besides, he was already feeling humiliated and the moment he heard Yang Kai asking him that question, he immediately countered coldly, “Hurry up and put me down! Otherwise, you’ll die so miserably you won’t even have a corpse to bury!”
In response, Yang Kai snickered and looked at Yuan Wu and said, “It looks like you choose death. If that’s the case, I’ll fulfil your wish!”
Saying so, Yang Kai’s expression froze over and the strength in his grip increased abruptly as his murderous intent billowed out like waves.
*Kacha…*
A soft cracking sound rang out and Yuan Wu felt as if the bones in his neck were breaking, frightening him greatly. He had not expected that Yang Kai would dare to kill him. [It looks like this guy isn’t just bluffing, he’s really going to kill me! Where did this madman pop out from? How dare he act so presumptuously in Dragon Island?! It’s ridiculous! Isn’t he afraid that the Dragon Clan will come after him? However… regardless of whether or not the Dragon Clan will come after him, I will certainly die a miserable death if I don’t compromise right now!]
Feeling his life really at stake, Yuan Wu no longer hesitated and breathlessly called out, “H-Have… m-mercy…”
[He’s begging for mercy?!] Several hundred people around them froze in shock. It was unthinkable for a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master to be held by the neck by a First-Order Emperor Realm Master and be incapable of putting up any resistance whatsoever. What’s more; it was a Dragonborn against a Human.
Therefore, they couldn’t accept the fact that Yuan Wu was now begging for his life; after all, a Dragonborn’s status in Half-Dragon City was not something a Human or Monster Race could compare to. Regardless of their cultivation, Dragonborn held much higher status than the other races.
It was the first time any of them had ever seen a Dragonborn bowing their heads to a Human. Moreover, it was a Dragonborn in the Second-Order Emperor Realm with a Second-Order High-Rank Dragon Vein. If they had not witnessed it for themselves, they would have thought they were hallucinating or having some strange dream.
Aside from Yuan Wu, who was a Dragonborn, all the other 500 people present here were Humans, Monsters, or Half Monsters. When they saw this scene, they were utterly stunned. At the same time, they felt the resentment building up in their hearts for so many years ease up slightly at the sight before them.
None of them wished to offend a Dragonborn in their daily lives, and some had even bowed their heads and ingratiated themselves with Yuan Wu before. However, that did not mean that they held any goodwill towards this bastard. It was undeniable that some of the Dragonborn were reasonable and upright individuals; unfortunately, most of the Dragonborn in Half-Dragon City thought of themselves as superior beings and treated non-Dragonborn with disdain. Yuan Wu was a prime example. Hence, seeing Yuan Wu bowing his head and begging for mercy gave them a sense of satisfaction.
“Wouldn’t it have been better if you did that from the beginning?” Yang Kai lifted his hand and patted Yuan Wu on the cheek lightly. That slight slapping sound shamed Yuan Wu so much that he wished the ground would swallow him whole.
He was a prideful man, and Yang Kai’s actions were tantamount to slapping his face in public. Despite his raging fury though, he showed none of it on the surface.
“Don’t mess with me again. There won’t be a second chance.” Yang Kai roughly flung out his hand and tossed Yuan Wu away.
Yuan Wu fell to the ground in a miserable heap, his hand clutching at his throat as he coughed violently, sounding extremely miserable, almost as if he was about to cough up his lungs.
The surroundings were completely silent as everybody stared stupefied at Yang Kai, Lu San Niang included. At this point, how could she still be clueless about what happened? This Little Brother named Yang Kai actually humiliated Yuan Wu? Moreover, he suppressed Yuan Wu through brute force? It wouldn’t have surprised her if her Big Brother Li had accomplished such a feat; after all, he had the appropriate strength and cultivation to do so, but what was with this Brother Yang? Where did her Big Brother Li get to know this monster? Wasn’t his strength and ability too unbelievable?
Under everybody’s gaze, Yang Kai walked to the side and stood in front of the sea, staring out into the distance with his brow furrowed deeply. He didn’t think much of the conflict he had with Yuan Wu as all he cared about right now was how he was going to confirm Zhu Qing’s current status and whereabouts.
However, the disturbance he had caused made the entire atmosphere become rather awkward as a result.
Originally, Yuan Wu had arrogantly dictated everybody’s actions. He held full authority in his hands; thus, everybody had to act according to his wishes and act cautiously around him. However, he had been publicly humiliated by Yang Kai so how was he supposed to hold his head up high and lead the others now?
His heart was full of anger, but his strength could not compare to the other party. Therefore, he could only choke down his rage while trying to ignore the bitter taste in his mouth.
“Senior Yuan. Senior Yuan, are you okay?” At that moment, someone came scurrying over to Yuan Wu.
Everybody looked and immediately saw a monkey-like man walking over to Yuan Wu and cautiously helping him up.
Yang Kai frowned when he heard the voice and, turning around to look, he discovered that it was the middle-aged man that had helped to smooth things over for him earlier, acting again at this moment.
Yuan Wu’s complexion was greenish. After being helped up by the middle-aged man, he coughed violently and finally said, “I’m fine!”
He glared at Yang Kai hatefully but quickly shifted his gaze away when their eyes met. After experiencing what he went through just now, he no longer dared to challenge Yang Kai; thus, he could only bury the resentment in his heart and hope that he would have a chance at revenge in the future.
Only then did the monkey-faced man breathe a sigh of relief. He smiled flatteringly and said, “Good good, it’s good that you’re okay. We still need your leadership for the upcoming construction of the palace. What would we do if anything were to happen to you? We would lose the very backbone of the group!”
His flattery was so strong and obvious that many people glanced sideways at him, thinking to themselves that he could not be more shameless. Still, it made Yuan Wu’s expression turn for the better as he felt as though he managed to recover some of his pride.
The middle-aged man spoke again, “Sir, if there’s really no other choice, you can leave the mining of the Ice Spirit Snow Jade to me. What do you think?”
“Huh?” Yuan Wu was stunned. He turned his head to look at the middle-aged man, properly looking at the man for the first time.
The others were shocked too, and their expressions were weird. Everybody knew how dangerous mining the Ice Spirit Snow Jade was. That was why nobody had been willing to take on that task. They had actively volunteered themselves for all the other tasks because they were afraid Yuan Wu might assign that task to them.
The middle-aged man was in the Second-Order Emperor Realm, so they were sure he knew about the dangers too. [What is he doing? It’s clearly a dangerous task. Why would he volunteer for it? Is he sick in the head? Even if it’s flattery, he shouldn’t joke about a matter involving life and death!] For a moment, they looked at the middle-aged man as if looking at a fool.
However, the middle-aged man seemed oblivious to those looks and just smiled slightly, “Of course, I’m only just saying. You will be the one to make the final decision, Sir.”
As soon as Yuan Wu heard those words, his favorability towards this middle-aged man increased considerably. His ego had been bruised by Yang Kai; the first task he assigned had been brushed off and he had been severely humiliated in the process. That had been a huge blow to his prestige, which was likely to affect his standing in the hearts of these 500 people.
In light of that, how could Yuan Wu not be grateful towards somebody who stood up in support of him at such a crucial moment? Moreover, this man had a smooth way with words and always spoke flatteringly and respectfully towards Yuan Wu.
Looking at the middle-aged man deeply, Yuan Wu asked, “What is your name?”
He did not recognize this man nor did he have the faintest recollection of a person like this in Half-Dragon City. Thus, he couldn’t help finding it strange; after all, such a strange appearance would definitely leave a deep impression on people.
The middle-aged man grinned meaningfully and replied, “My name is Wu Chen!”
“Good! You are very good!” Yuan Wu reached out and patted Wu Chen on the shoulder. It was easy to gild the lily, but it was not easy to extend a helping hand in times of need. Wu Chen had undoubtedly helped him out during a difficult time; therefore, even if the two of them had never met before and were not familiar with each other, Wu Chen’s position in Yuan Wu’s mind was much higher than anybody else’s from this moment on. Nodding, Yuan Wu continued, “Then, I will leave the mining of the Ice Spirit Snow Jade to you. Will 30 subordinates be enough?”
Wu Chen was startled, looking surprised for a moment before he grinned with joy, “Many thanks, Sir!”
When everybody else heard those words, they glanced at Wu Chen enviously and secretly regretted their inaction. [If we had known earlier, we wouldn’t have stood by and watched the show. We would have rushed forward to show some concern for Yuan Wu too.] Wu Chen had become highly valued by Yuan Wu with just a few words. He could be considered a leader among the 500 people present in this place. Moreover, he had been assigned to be in charge of mining the Ice Spirit Snow Jade. It was a stroke of good fortune that just fell into his lap.
Yuan Wu narrowed his eyes and said, “You will be in charge of this matter. You can choose the people you need yourself. Once you’re done choosing, just let me know.” Then, he slowly swept his gaze across the crowd and calmly continued, “If anybody dares to make excuses, tell me. I will deal with them myself.”
“Yes, of course. Many thanks for your graciousness, Sir!” Wu Chen’s expression was practically glowing. It was obvious that he was incredibly elated.
He could conduct himself freely with Yuan Wu supporting him; after all, not everybody had the courage and strength like Yang Kai to dare to challenge Yuan Wu. Even the few Third-Order Emperor Realm Masters present did not have the courage to do so.
With Wu Chen as the precedent, the other Emperor Realm Masters no longer sat around doing nothing. They hurriedly gathered around Yuan Wu, spewing an endless string of flattery with big smiles. They could tell that building the palace was too cumbersome and huge a task and Yuan Wu couldn’t do everything by himself. If he wanted to build a palace within a month, he inevitably had to pick some leaders to work under him to take charge of other matters; therefore, now was a good time to perform well.
In the blink of an eye, Yuan Wu once again tasted the glory of being revered as a leader, like the sun the planets revolved around. The previous humiliation and resentment he felt were swept away in an instant. He glanced in Yang Kai’s direction coldly, hesitating whether he should instruct these people to get rid of Yang Kai; however, that thought had only flashed through his mind once before he shot it down immediately. It wasn’t that he was afraid of Yang Kai, it was just that mentioning it at this time might indicate that he was too eager for success. [I’ll let you have your moment of glory for now. I have a whole month’s time anyway. I’ll kill you the moment I get the chance!]
Yuan Wu laughed coldly in his heart. Afterwards, he no longer thought about Yang Kai as he started assigning tasks to the rest. During the previous investigation, he had gained a little understanding of what needed to be done in the next month. For now, the plan was to send people out to obtain the materials needed to build the palace. That was an urgent matter as it would be too late by the time the materials they had on hand were completely used up.
He consecutively selected more than two hundred people and divided them into eight teams. These eight teams were to go and obtain the various materials they needed for the construction; however, Yuan Wu was very careful with his selection. Aside from Wu Chen, he did not appoint another person to be in charge directly. He was grateful to Wu Chen for helping him save face, so he wanted to repay the favour in kind. On the other hand, the others had done nothing just now. [You want me to value you? Good, show me your attitude first!]
Although each material was produced by the islands of Dragon Palace, they were scattered across different Spirit Islands. Yuan Wu explained the tasks and pointed out the direction of the respective Spirit Islands. Then, more than two hundred ‘helpers’ reluctantly took flight under the cover of the night. Time was running out so there was not a moment to delay or rest. Therefore, there was no room for dissension even though they held some resentment in their hearts.
With that, the number of people remaining was halved all of a sudden.
After that, Yuan Wu began to assign different tasks to the remaining people. The Dragon Clan might have planned out the site, but that was only a rough mapping of the area. The rest of the details had been left to these 500 people to figure out.
Building a palace was not a simple matter. It involved many different aspects. Fortunately, the remaining three hundred people were not completely useless. Many of them had some experience in this, so Yuan Wu gathered them together for a brief discussion. Following that, he issued various orders to them.
Waves after waves of people flew off, each embarking on a different task. They began to make preparations for the construction of the palace on this island. In an instant, the entire island became bustling. Despite how late it was, the sounds of people moving about and working continued without end.
As dawn approached, most of the tasks had been assigned to these people. Only Yang Kai, Lu San Niang, and her daughter remained standing there without moving. Yuan Wu clearly had no plans to provoke Yang Kai anymore. He even ignored both Lu San Niang and her daughter as a result. Glaring at Yang Kai’s back coldly, he snorted and turned to leave.
The moment he left, Lu San Niang immediately looked at Yang Kai and helplessly asked, “Little Brother Yang, what should we do now?”
How things played out had been rather unexpected. She initially thought that it would be difficult for her daughter and her to escape from Yuan Wu’s clutches; thus, she had mentally prepared herself to resist to the bitter end. She did not expect that nothing would happen at all.
It was all thanks to Yang Kai that they could be so leisurely at this time. At the same time, she finally understood why Li Jiao had left without any worries whatsoever. He didn’t even tell her anything before he left. He clearly knew what Yang Kai was capable of and that was why there was no need to say anything at all.
“There’s something I’d like to ask you, Elder Sister Lu.” Yang Kai turned his head to look at her.
“Just ask away.” She looked at Yang Kai with some restraint, no longer daring to treat him as an equal. The reason she had been able to relax in front of him before was that she had believed they were both First-Order Emperors; however, after seeing his strength, she immediately understood that he was not someone she could ever hope to compare with. Besides, respecting the strong was an unchanging principle of the Martial Dao, so she was slightly in awe of him.
He seemed oblivious to the changes. Pondering in silence for a moment, he said, “You have lived here for a long time. Have you ever heard of a Dragon Clan member named Zhu Qing?”
“The Zhu Clan of the Dragon Clan?” She was startled.
“Indeed!” He nodded gently.
“I’ve never heard of that name before.” She shook her head, “Although I have lived here for 200 to 300 years, I have never left the place where I lived, so I don’t have much of an understanding towards the affairs within Dragon Palace.”
“I see…” Yang Kai seemed a little disappointed. He thought that since Lu San Niang has lived here for so long, she might know something about the internal workings of the Dragon Clan. At the very least, he thought she could point him in the right direction or something. Who could have known that she was basically a prisoner here the entire time, so he couldn’t rely on her to help at all?
She seemed slightly surprised, “Little Brother Yang, do you know a member of the Dragon Clan?”
[I don’t just know one, we even have an intimate relationship!] Naturally, he did not say those words out loud and simply answered, “I’m going to go out for a bit. Do you want to come along, Elder Sister Lu?”
She became frightened upon hearing those words and exclaimed in horror, “Go out? Go where?”
“I’m just taking a walk around!”
“You can’t!” Lu San Niang’s expression changed abruptly. She glanced about their surroundings to make sure there was no one else around before she whispered, “Brother Yang, I know you are strong, but this is Dragon Palace. This is where the Dragon Clan lives. If you are discovered by the Dragon Clan…”
Yang Kai smiled, “So many people have gone out. It won’t matter even if we were discovered by a member of the Dragon Clan.”
Earlier, more than two hundred people had scattered in different directions in eight different teams. They were all heading towards different Spirit Islands to obtain the materials needed for building the palace, so it was the perfect cover for Yang Kai.
Lu San Niang thought about it and agreed that it made sense. It could not be compared to back then. During the years that she lived here, Humans and Monsters who were non-Dragonborn were not allowed to stray too far away from the island where they lived.
With the construction of the palace, Yang Kai had a reasonable explanation even if he ran into a member of the Dragon Clan. Even so, she was still worried, “But…”
Yang Kai lifted his hand to cut her off and said, “If you want to come with me we’ll leave right now.”
He had no plans to stay on this island. Now that nobody was paying attention to him, it was a good chance for him to go out and search for some news about Zhu Qing.
She could probably guess that he was determined about this; thus, she pondered over it for a short moment before saying, “We won’t be going with you. You’ll have to be careful.”
Although her cultivation was not that bad, Lu Yu Qin was too weak. They would only be a burden for him if they followed him. If that was the case, they might as well remain in this place. That way, it would be easier for him to escape if he ran into any trouble.
He frowned in response and looked in a certain direction, “But, Yuan Wu…”
If he left, it would be hard to prevent Yuan Wu from harassing the Lu mother-daughter pair. That was the only thing he was worried about. Since Li Jiao had entrusted them to him, he had to take good care of them. It was a little irresponsible of him to leave them be just like that. Although he could place Lu San Niang and her daughter in the Sealed World Bead, he was not willing to do so unless it was his last resort.
She smiled slightly, “Brother Yang, you don’t need to worry about us. I have lived here for hundreds of years, so if I really wanted to hide, he wouldn’t be able to find me.”
As soon as those words left her mouth, Yang Kai immediately understood that his previous guess had been correct. This Spirit Island really was the den of that Dragon Clan member that had caused her so much grief. If that was the case, then he had nothing to worry about anymore. Lifting his head, he looked to the other side of the island, “What is the name of the Master here?”
She was silent for a moment before she whispered, “Fu Chi…”
While speaking, she shuddered slightly. It was clear that the name itself had brought up memories of something.
“What order Dragon Vein does he have?”
“The Eighth-Order Dragon Vein… He is a Thunder Dragon…”
Yang Kai nodded in response, “I understand.”
An Eighth-Order Dragon Vein was not low, so this Fu Chi was probably ranked fairly highly on Dragon Island. Even Zhu Lie only had an Eighth-Order Dragon Vein. Similarly, it wasn’t that long ago when Zhu Qing had an Eighth-Order Dragon Vein herself. It was just that she now had a Ninth-Order Dragon Vein. She was only one step away from becoming a Great Elder of the Dragon Clan.
“If you want to leave, you can leave without worries, Brother Yang. You don’t need to concern yourself about me. I can take care of myself.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Then, you take care too. I’ll be back in a few days.” After saying that, he rose into the sky and flew off in a random direction.
His movements had not alerted many people. Yuan Wu and the rest were busy working on their tasks in the middle of the island so it was impossible for them to notice what was happening here.
At this time, the sky had brightened considerably. Yang Kai moved about like lightning, not knowing which direction to begin searching. Thus, he could only take things one step at a time. He silently and secretly spread out his Divine Sense, investigating the surrounding movements.
The Spirit Islands dotted the sea within Dragon Palace like the stars in the night sky. Each Spirit Island was rich in World Energy and had an excellent environment. Moreover, the islands were full of wonderful and strange plants, as well as precious treasures. Even though Yang Kai was used to seeing such riches, he was still awed by the sight. He had known that the Dragon Clan was rich, but ‘rich’ was a vague concept. It was very hard to imagine the extent of their wealth without seeing it with his own eyes.
Many of the Spirit Islands did not contain auras of any living creatures. In other words, the precious treasures on those islands were completely unguarded. If it weren’t for his attachment towards Zhu Qing, Yang Kai would have cleaned out all those Spirit Islands of the precious treasures they held. Unfortunately, searching for Zhu Qing was the priority, so even though he was amazed by those treasures, he was not in the mood to think about them.
In addition to the abundance of various exotic flora, there were countless rare mineral lodes, including Source Crystal Lodes that would make anybody envious. All of this was simply left out in the open, exposed to the world for all to see. Even so, nobody seemed to care.
At this point, the wealth of Dragon Island was not something the so-called top Sects in Star Boundary could compare to. Even Great Emperor Sects could not hold a candle to it. No wonder they could generously spend such a lavish amount to build a palace. There was probably nobody else across the entire Star Boundary, other than the Dragon Clan, that could pull off that kind of bold move.
During that time, Yang Kai explored Spirit Island after Spirit Island; however, his search was not fruitful to say the least. It wasn’t until half a day later that he sensed the aura of some living creatures on one of the Spirit Islands.
That was probably one of the places where a member of the Dragon Clan lived. Yang Kai did not know whether it belonged to a member of the Fu Clan or Zhu Clan, but the aura coming from the island wasn’t that powerful. Hence, Yang Kai snuck in to investigate.
The living creatures on the island were all women. They were charming, alluring, and beautiful. Furthermore, there were at least a hundred of them. Although all of them were gorgeous, their cultivations were rather uneven.
Yang Kai understood that these women had probably been imprisoned by one of the Dragon Clan members. Just like Lu San Niang, these women were under house arrest on this Spirit Island. They were the toys of a Dragon Clan member.
It might have been due to the jealousy and competition between them, but many of these women were dressed up extravagantly and seductively. Some of them even went so far as to wear only a thin layer of transparent tulle. Their snow-white skin that was boldly exposed in front of Yang Kai made him slightly dizzy.
On the other hand, the Dragon Clan member that owned this place was nowhere to be seen. Who knows where that person had gone? Even so, he knew that this was not the place where Zhu Qing lived. She was a female Dragon, so there was no reason for her to keep so many women.
Yang Kai finally had a real understanding of the Dragon Clan’s extravagance and lasciviousness. Therefore, he hurriedly retreated from the island and continued onward.
One day passed, then another… Yang Kai wandered Dragon Palace for several consecutive days. During that time, he never encountered a single member of the Dragon Clan. He also inspected many of the Spirit Islands but aside from one or two of them that exuded auras so powerful that even he felt a little afraid, he had sneakily entered all others that were suspicious to investigate.
There was no sign of Zhu Qing anywhere though, and there was no sign of Zhu Lie either. Yang Kai did not know where the siblings lived so it made his search incredibly frustrating.
One day, another island appeared before him. Shifting his body slightly, Yang Kai flew in that direction as he could sense the aura of living creatures coming from that place.
Most of the islands in Dragon Palace were uninhabited. It was rare for him to come across an island with living creatures on it; therefore, Yang Kai could not pass up on an island like that. Concealing his aura as much as possible, he rushed towards the island.
Over the past few days, he discovered that the places where the Dragon Clan members lived were not very strictly guarded. They did not even have a single barrier erected around their islands, so it was not difficult to sneak in. All he needed to do was be careful to conceal himself and he would not be discovered.
Such behaviour had a lot to do with the Dragon Clan’s arrogance. Besides, this was Dragon Palace. Who would dare to run about without permission? Those who dared to do so were simply seeking death. Hence, it was very easy for Yang Kai to infiltrate the island and it didn’t take long for him to arrive at a palace.
This palace seemed to be rather old, but the interior decorations were extremely luxurious. Everything was giving off an ancient aura and there was the occasional person coming and going from the palace, though their cultivations were not that high.
What Yang Kai found strange was that all the people here were men. Moreover, they were handsome men. Not a single woman could be seen. Thus, he couldn’t help feeling a little suspicious. All the islands he had investigated before were mainly occupied by women. [Why is the situation reversed on this Spirit Island?]
The more the doubts grew in his mind, the more he wanted to figure it out. He carefully avoided those people and continued inward, and when he reached a certain place, a mellow voice suddenly entered his ears, turning his expression weird.
After listening carefully, Yang Kai distinguished the direction the sound was coming from and arrived outside a hall. Several dozen bodies were entangled together inside the hall. Additionally, it was overflowing with a strong scent of debauchery. The scent was so strong that it even wafted outside of the hall.
In the meantime, moaning cries rang out incessantly from inside the hall. Listening to those cries would make anyone blush furiously. They felt like little hands pulling at one’s heartstrings, making one’s blood rush and arousing one’s desires until they couldn’t control themselves. The sounds were intermixed with muffled groans and the urgent slapping sound of flesh against flesh.
Yang Kai had seen many similar scenes over the past two days. Life on most of the Spirit Islands where the Dragon Clan lived seemed to be overflowing with acts of carnal desires. If that was all, he would not have been this dumbstruck. What shocked him was that the hall was mostly filled with men. Moreover, there was a single woman among all these men!
That woman had her back to him. Her smooth and extremely alluring figure was beautifully curved, exuding a porcelain-like lustre. It might have been due to her arousal but her pale white skin seemed to be tinged with a faint shade of pink. It made one fantasize about it strongly. Behind her, a strong man was working hard to thrust into her. Meanwhile, two men were kneeling next to each other in front of her. They seemed to be sucking something. Similarly, there were two men on both sides of her, each holding one of her small hands to their mouths, sucking on her fingers, one by one. There was a faint expression on their faces that indicated their desire for her approval as they stared unblinkingly at her face.
There were many other naked men sprawled across the hall, looking extremely weak. They looked like they were half-dead. Who knows what kind of torture they suffered. These men were Humans, Monster Race, and even some Half-Monsters. However, the aura coming from that woman was that of a Pureblood Dragon.
[This woman is a member of the Dragon Clan!] Yang Kai was shocked and could not believe his eyes. The Dragon Clan lived a hedonistic life, something Yang Kai had truly understood over the past few days. Even so, such debauchery had mainly involved only the male Dragons. It was his first time seeing a female Dragon participating in such acts.
Even though Yang Kai had seen many things in his life, the scene in front of him was so impactful that he was completely dumbstruck and froze in place from the shock.
All of a sudden, the woman waved her hand and pushed away the faces of the men gathered around her. Then, she shoved the strong man who had been standing behind her down, turned around, and knelt on top of him. In the next moment, her exquisite and graceful body began moving up and down. Her head was lifted slightly and her beautiful hair danced with the motion as her ample peaks bounced in rhythm with her movements. A short while later, a suppressed moan rang out and the woman shuddered violently while at the same time, her tightly closed eyes opened slightly to reveal a look of ecstasy.
Inside the hall, the sounds of the carnal acts gradually stopped.
Outside the hall, Yang Kai stood dumbstruck.
That moment stretched out as if time had frozen at that very moment. Then, the woman’s slightly opened eyes met his peeping gaze. Their eyes seemed to meet for a moment and Yang Kai’s heart jumped in fright. [This is bad!]
Up until today, he had gone through many difficult challenges in life to get to where he was; however, what he witnessed just now was so unbelievable that he was utterly shaken. It wasn’t until this moment that he realized that the Dragon Clan member inside the hall was none other than Fu Ling, the one who came to pick them up when they first arrived in Dragon Palace.
Fu Ling’s slightly opened eyes slowly became sharp and compelling. It was clear that she had noticed his presence, so how could he dare to stay for another moment longer? Pushing his Space Principles, Yang Kai immediately disappeared from that spot.
Fu Ling frowned and stood up slowly. A touch of liquid flowed down her thighs but she ignored it. She didn’t even bother to cover up her body and simply walked straight out just like that. Glancing at the spot where Yang Kai had been standing just a moment ago and seeing nothing there, her scowl deepened and she turned her head to look into the distance, snorting softly as she did so.
…..
Yang Kai flew above the sea with an awkward expression. He had not expected to encounter something like that. It wasn’t his intention to peep, it was just that the scene was too shocking, so it was inevitable that he took a few more glances. That was why he accidentally revealed his presence.
[I wonder if she noticed me. She probably did. Otherwise, the look in her eyes wouldn’t have changed so much. Will she come looking for me? Will she cause trouble for me?] Based on the Dragon Clan’s temperament, that possibility was almost certain. Fortunately, Fu Ling did not know who he was even if she wanted to search for him. Moreover, she had not paid any attention to him when they met several days back. She would not remember a nobody like him. Therefore, there was no need to worry too much about it.
Although the lifestyle of that female Dragon might be a little more corrupt than usual, her figure and appearance were extraordinary. She was a Divine Spirit, a Dragon, after all; it was only natural for her to have extraordinary looks.
Recalling the scene he witnessed, Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling his heart racing as a result. Obscene images filled his mind as he continued to explore a few more islands to no avail. Hence, he decided to return for now. A few days had passed since he left the island and he did not know how Lu San Niang and her daughter were doing. Besides, he was also worried that Yuan Wu would cause trouble for them.
Half a day later, Yang Kai returned to the island. Landing on the ground, he glanced around but did not see Lu San Niang or her daughter anywhere. He did not know if they were hiding or doing something else.
Just as he was about to begin searching for them, the sound of water splashing about suddenly rang out from the sea nearby. At the same time, a peal of clear and sweet laughter entered his ears.
Turning his head in that direction, Yang Kai saw two graceful figures slowly rising from the sea. It was Lu San Niang and her daughter. He did not know what they had been doing under the sea, but they were clearly returning at this moment.
Both the bodies of mother and daughter were dripping wet, their clothes pressed tightly against their bodies, vividly revealing their graceful curves. One was mature and voluptuous while the other was young and alluring.
Yang Kai’s eyesight was so sharp that even if they were standing far away, he could take in that beautiful scenery clearly just by looking in that direction. Thus, he shifted his gaze away without saying anything and looked somewhere else, simply feeling relieved that they were safe.
The laughter continued. It was Lu Yu Qin’s voice. She seemed to have encountered something pleasant and was laughing non-stop. All of a sudden, the laughter broke off as she had probably noticed his presence. The mother-daughter pair exchanged a glance with each other before hurriedly using their Qi to remove the water from their clothes. After that, they flew over hand-in-hand.
“Little Brother Yang!” Lu San Niang greeted Yang Kai and landed not too far away. What happened just now might have made Lu Yu Qin a little shy, so she was hiding behind her mother and did not dare to show her face. Moreover, her cheeks were a little flushed.
Only then did Yang Kai look in their direction and nodded lightly with a smile, “I’m glad you’re having fun, Elder Sister Lu.”
He thought that the mother-daughter pair had been playing in the sea.
She smiled and asked, “Did you gain anything from your trip, Little Brother Yang?”
She might not know the exact reason why he was going out, but she knew that he had a purpose. It was just that she could not inquire too deeply into the matter since he did not take the initiative to tell her about it.
“I was just looking around,” he replied.
“The scenery around Dragon Palace is beautiful indeed. Little Brother Yang, please wait for a moment, let’s talk when I return after delivering something.”
He asked suspiciously, “Deliver?”
“This!” While speaking, she flicked her wrist and a Luminous Pearl suddenly appeared on the palm of her hand. The Luminous Pearl was not small, about the size of a man’s fist. It was unexpectedly round and full, and one glance was enough to tell that it was a first-class product. It was also exuding a soft light, which gave off a very warm feeling.
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up at the sight. Although this kind of Luminous Pearl did not have much value to one’s cultivation, women loved such things. That couldn’t be helped; this kind of Luminous Pearl was best used for lighting up dark places and was many times better than using other kinds of luminous stones.
“This pearl is pretty good.” He nodded in praise.
She replied, “This is one of Dragon Palace’s specialties. It’s known as the Radiant Night Pearl. It’s hard to find this in the outside world.”
“Who are you going to give this to?”
Her expression became a little unnatural. Mulling over it for a bit, she decided to answer anyway, “I was going to give it to Yuan Wu…”
Yang Kai’s expression darkened immediately, “Did he make you do this?”
When he left, all 500 people had been given tasks. Only Yang Kai, Lu San Niang, and her daughter had been exempted. It wasn’t because Yuan Wu was being respectful towards Yang Kai but simply because he did not dare to command the three of them to do anything. He had suffered a terrible loss in Yang Kai’s hands after all.
[I can’t believe Yuan Wu did something like this the moment I left!] Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling annoyed. [It looks like the lesson I gave him before isn’t enough!] He immediately turned to look towards the centre of the island.
When Lu San Niang saw his expression, she immediately understood what he was thinking and hurriedly explained, “It’s not like that. He did not force me to do anything.”
“Then, why did you…” He looked at her with a frown.
She explained, “I volunteered to do this.”
[Volunteered to do this? Why?] Yang Kai said, “You don’t have to do that. He won’t dare to do anything to you.”
“I know.” She smiled wryly, “But, I want to leave this place as soon as possible. The Dragon Clan gave us a deadline of one month, but if we can finish building the palace a little earlier, then we can leave this place sooner too.”
After listening to her explanation, Yang Kai immediately understood what she was trying to do. This place was her nightmare, and every moment she spent here was another moment where she was tortured by the memories of this place. It was only natural that she did not wish to stay here for long. She just wanted to leave as soon as possible.
Knowing this, his anger cooled. If she had volunteered to do this, then there was nothing he could say to that, “Why do they need these kinds of Luminous Pearls? For lighting?”
She nodded, “Yes. Such a large palace will surely need these pearls as decoration. Besides, I am very familiar with the coastal area around here. I also know where I can easily find these pearls, so it’s not that difficult of a task. I might as well do what I can do.”
At this moment, Lu Yu Qin suddenly stuck her head out and proudly exclaimed, “Mother found several hundred of them all at once!”
Lu San Niang had lived here for 200 to 300 years, so even if she couldn’t stray too far from the island, she must have been active in the nearby areas. Therefore, she was familiar with the nearby coastal region. Asking her to find these kinds of Luminous Pearls was obviously more efficient than asking others to do the same.
“Did Yuan Wu make things difficult for you again?” He looked at her and asked the question.
“No,” she shook her head, “His attitude might not be good, but he did not cause any trouble for us either.”
“Good.” Yang Kai nodded.
“Brother Yang, please excuse me for a moment. I need to deliver these pearls to him.” Afterwards, she said something to Lu Yu Qin before flying away.
Only Yang Kai and Lu Yu Qin were left. He smiled at her, but she seemed to be afraid of strangers and simply stood there awkwardly, blushing slightly without saying anything. Thus, Yang Kai looked for something to talk about and chatted with her. Unfortunately, she only replied with a few words or non-committal nods. It seemed like she didn’t dare to talk to him.
A short while later, Lu San Niang returned with a smile. She looked at Yang Kai and added, “Yuan Wu probably saw you coming back so he didn’t even dare to give me attitude this time around.”
“People like him only dare to bully the weak but are terrified of the strong,” Yang Kai snorted coldly. He looked down on people like Yuan Wu, but that was only if they did not do anything to him. If they so much as provoked him, it would not end at just giving them a lesson.
All of a sudden, Lu San Niang’s expression grew solemn and she whispered, “I heard them talking just now. It seems that quite a few people died while mining the Ice Spirit Snow Jade. Moreover, one of them was in the Emperor Realm.” Her expression seemed to be filled with lingering fears. She was clearly grateful for having Yang Kai’s protection; otherwise, she might have been assigned to mine the Ice Spirit Snow Jade too.
“Somebody in the Emperor Realm died?” Yang Kai was astonished. He knew that mining the Ice Spirit Snow Jade was no easy task and would surely be fraught with dangers, but even so, he did not expect people to die in the endeavour after just a few days!
“Yes. I didn’t hear much about the exact details so all I know is that a cold explosion occurred at the mineral lode of the Ice Spirit Snow Jade. A few people failed to escape in time, and they froze to death as a result.”
He asked, “What about Wu Chen?”
Yang Kai did not understand that monkey-like man at all. That man had helped Yang Kai out of a sticky situation and later volunteered to mine the Ice Spirit Snow Jade, which recovered some of Yuan Wu’s face. He seemed to be a good person who was considerate of others; however, Yang Kai had the feeling that that man was not that simple and couldn’t help being rather concerned about him.
She replied, “I’m not sure. I did not see him. He should still be mining the Ice Spirit Snow Jade; after all, this is a task handed down by the Dragon Clan. Nobody dares to procrastinate on that matter. Even if they want to proceed more carefully, they can only grit their teeth and continue working at pace or they risk not meeting the deadline.”
“That’s true.” Yang Kai nodded. He was the only one among the 500 people here that couldn’t care less about this matter. The others were working hard to complete the task given by the Dragon Clan within the one-month deadline; after all, it was a matter that involved their life-or-death. If they did not work hard on it, they would only be waiting for death.
While Yang Kai was speaking with Lu San Niang, a commotion sounded from the other side. The sounds seemed to be coming from the place where the palace was going to be built. Apparently, something had happened there.
Neither Yang Kai nor Lu San Niang was bothered by the commotion. However, several people soon came flying from the other side, rushing directly towards Yang Kai and Lu San Niang.
Sensing that something was off, Yang Kai turned around and looked in that direction, where he saw four people flying over, one man and three women. That man was none other than Yuan Wu, who appeared to be obsequious and cautious as he accompanied the ladies, nodding and bowing to them.
All three women were strikingly beautiful, especially the one at the front who appeared about 25 years old. Her face was alluring, her figure was curvy, and her peaks were grand. Moreover, her long imperial green dress and jet-black hair were fluttering in the air as she was flying over to this place. However, something might have happened to the lady earlier as she appeared to be furious. At the moment, her expression was grim, and her gaze was cold. Although the two behind her were pretty as well, they paled when compared to the leading lady.
As Yang Kai watched them flying towards him, he frowned and wondered what these people were up to. Apparently, Lu San Niang saw them as well and in an instant, she turned pale as her tender body started trembling.
Seeing that, Lu Yu Qin hurriedly approached her and asked in a small voice, “Mother, what happened to you?”
Lu San Niang shook her head and remained silent, but her expression grew more apprehensive by the moment.
Noticing her strange behaviour, Yang Kai took a look at her and then shifted his attention to the three ladies. With his brows twitching, he asked in a small voice, “Do you know them?”
In response, Lu San Niang gave a small nod. It was then Yang Kai understood her reaction when she saw these three.
According to Lu San Niang, they were now on a Spirit Island where Fu Chi of the Dragon Clan resided. Centuries ago, she was captured by Fu Chi and forced to live on this island. Apparently, Lu San Niang wasn’t the only woman on this island, and most of them were Fu Chi’s playthings.
Obviously, the three ladies coming at them were also Fu Chi’s toys, so it was no wonder that Lu San Niang knew who they were. After all, they had been living together for centuries, so she might have been familiar with them. However, it seemed that she was afraid of them. Perhaps there were some grudges between them.
After Yang Kai pondered over the matter for a bit, he got a rough picture. Hence, he decided to take a step to cover up Lu San Niang’s figure. He wasn’t sure why these ladies were coming at them, but the expression of the leading lady suggested that this wasn’t a friendly trip.
In the blink of an eye, Yuan Wu and the three women arrived, but they just floated in the air and looked down at Yang Kai and the others in an aloof manner. With a cold expression, the leading lady sized Yang Kai up and asked coldly, “Who did it?”
Yuan Wu hurriedly pointed at Yang Kai and the others before uttering, “Madam, they’re the culprits!”
The leading lady shot a glare at them and said through gritted teeth, “How dare all of you hurt Xiao Hong!”
Unfazed, Yang Kai just stared sternly at Yuan Wu, who became uneasy because of that gaze. Recalling the humiliation he went through a few days ago, Yuan Wu’s expression changed as he flinched a little. He was truly terrified of Yang Kai. Until this day, he still couldn’t understand how a trivial Human who was merely in the First-Order Emperor Realm could be so much stronger than he was, and how he was able to suppress his Dragon bloodline.
Nevertheless, Yuan Wu soon remembered that he wasn’t alone. He had a prominent lady by his side, so he shouldn’t be afraid of Yang Kai. Considering all this, he straightened up and pointed at the leading lady before snarling, “This is the Mistress of the Master who owns this land, Madam Hua. Are all of you deaf? Pay your respects to her, now!”
Upon hearing the introduction, Madam Hua raised her chin, appearing quite overbearing. In fact, there was no such position as ‘Mistress’ on this Spirit Island. Fu Chi brought them here and regarded them as mere outlets for his sexual desires, so he had never treated them with any kind of respect.
However, Madam Hua was an alluring lady who knew how to make a man happy, so she was Fu Chi’s favourite plaything, which was why her position was second only to Fu Chi on this island. Yuan Wu’s introduction was a great compliment for her, so she was satisfied with it. With narrowed eyes, she stared at Yang Kai as though the latter was an ant.
Ignoring her, Yang Kai continued to stare at Yuan Wu and curled his lips into a sneer.
In an instant, Yuan Wu felt furious as he had been provoked, [I’ve introduced Madam Hua to them, so how could he still be so arrogant? Doesn’t he understand Madam Hua’s importance on this island?]
Nevertheless, he was gleeful at Yang Kai’s behaviour. He was no match for Yang Kai, but it would be wonderful if he could teach him a lesson with Madam Hua’s help; therefore, he was now taking pleasure in Yang Kai’s imminent misfortune as he secretly hoped that this boy would act even more arrogant, so he intentionally stirred up the situation more, “Madam Hua, look how insolent he is! He doesn’t have any regard for you at all!”
At that moment, Madam Hua was quite infuriated. She thought that these insignificant people would bow to her right after she showed up. Although she wasn’t Dragonborn or from the Dragon Clan, she was Fu Chi’s favourite woman; therefore, she regarded herself as more important than anyone else on this island. Having been incited by Yuan Wu, she snorted coldly, “You’re all quite bold, no wonder you had the guts to hurt Xiao Hong!”
It was then Yang Kai slowly shifted his attention to her and asked with a frown, “Who is Xiao Hong?”
Yang Kai really didn’t know who or what Xiao Hong was, so he instinctively thought that Yuan Wu had played a dirty trick to shift all the blame to him.
Madam Hua scoffed, “Don’t you even know what you’ve done?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“How impudent!” Yuan Wu growled at Yang Kai, “Madam Hua’s prized Golden Backed Red Carp was hurt today. On this island, only you have the guts to be so reckless!”
Shaking his head, Yang Kai replied, “What Golden Backed Red Carp? I’ve never seen it.”
Yang Kai had just come back from outside, so he had never seen any Golden Backed Red Carp. However, its name suggested that it was a fish that Madam Hua had been keeping. These ladies had been confined to this island for such a long time and had nothing to do except when Fu Chi needed them in bed. Hence, it was natural that they wanted to raise some pets to occupy and relax.
However, Yang Kai truly wasn’t the culprit, so he put on a sneer and thought, [Yuan Wu, I was going to let you off, but I didn’t expect that you’d try to use such a transparent scheme on me. It seems that you haven’t learned from your previous lesson!]
With a murderous intent flashing across his mind, he stared at Yuan Wu as though the latter was already dead.
All of a sudden, Madam Hua waved her hand, “Show him!”
Then, one of the ladies behind her stepped forward with a fish tank in her hands. Inside the tank, there was a red fish that would easily fit into one’s palm. Its back was golden, but the rest of its body was red, so it had an outstanding appearance.
It seemed that it was the Golden Backed Red Carp Yuan Wu just mentioned, but its aura suggested that it was just a Fifth-Order Monster Beast. Hence, although it looked pretty, it wasn’t powerful. Furthermore, its original form should be larger than this. The fish tank must have some special power to contain the fish in it.
Indeed, the Golden Backed Red Carp was hurt as some of the scales on its back had peeled off, which affected its overall beauty; however, it should be alright as it still appeared energetic inside the tank. Given enough time, the fish’s beauty should be restored. However, by just looking at Madam Hua’s expression, one would have thought that the fish had died a terrible death.
The pretty face of the lady, who was holding the fish tank, was cold, as though one could scrape a layer of frost off it. Glowering at Yang Kai, she bellowed, “This is Xiao Hong! Do you remember now?”
Impassively, Yang Kai replied, “I’ve never seen this red carp before, let alone hurt it. You’re blaming the wrong person.”
“How dare you deny it when the evidence is right here!” Madam Hua was incensed, thinking that this guy’s attitude was outrageous.
Yang Kai refuted coldly, “You can’t prove that I hurt it. Moreover, if I had made a move, your fish would be dead by now.”
Hearing that, Madam Hua was startled for a moment before she started trembling in rage, “How dare you talk to me like this!?”
“I can talk to you however I want. Who do you think you are?” Yang Kai snorted.
Madam Hua was infuriated because her power on this Spirit Island was second only to Fu Chi. Although she was servile to Fu Chi, all others on this island had to be respectful to her. Earlier, when she went over to Yuan Wu’s place and revealed her identity, everyone there instantly became subservient to her. Hence, she didn’t expect that Yang Kai would have no regard for her at all and simply could not tolerate it.
Ignoring her fury outright, Yang Kai snapped coldly, “The red carp’s injury has nothing to do with me! Scram back to where you came from and stop bothering me!”
Madam Hua’s expression turned livid when she heard that. Although this red carp wasn’t valuable, she had been keeping it for more than ten years. Whenever she felt lonely, it was this fish that kept her company and helped her set her mind at ease. Now that it was hurt, she definitely had to settle the score with the culprit.
Nevertheless, the culprit before her eyes kept talking back and insulting her. Now, this matter had escalated beyond the red carp’s injury. If she didn’t teach this young man a lesson on this day, her authority would be forever damaged. [How dare a trivial Human provoke me! He must be sick of living!]
Just when Madam Hua was ready to teach Yang Kai a lesson at all costs, Yuan Wu suddenly pointed at the people behind Yang Kai and said, “If you’re not the culprit, it must be them who did it! Yes, it was them! Madam Hua, it was that mother and daughter who were gathering Luminous Pearls nearby. They must have come across your pet in the sea and hurt it!”
“What?” Madam Hua frowned and looked behind Yang Kai. She had not paid attention to the people behind him because she was furious about Xiao Hong’s injury. With her mind set on getting her revenge, she had no time to care about other matters.
Upon Yuan Wu’s reminder, she then noticed that two people had been hiding behind Yang Kai. One of them was covered up by the young man before her eyes, and the other young girl was looking timidly at her.
“Hmm?” Madam Hua stared at the young girl and frowned, finding her somewhat familiar, thinking she had met her somewhere before.
Although Madam Hua found the timid-looking girl familiar, she couldn’t remember where she had met her before. She had been living on this Spirit Island for about 200 years, so even if she had really come across the girl before, it must have happened before then.
However, the young girl’s cultivation and appearance suggested that she was just a teenager, which meant that she couldn’t possibly have been alive 200 years ago. Therefore, it wasn’t possible for Madam Hua to have met her before. Moreover, the young girl’s face and eyes, which resembled those of a woman she knew, made her feel repulsed.
Then, Madam Hua shifted her attention to the person hiding behind Yang Kai. Instantly, she figured out who that person was, so she sneered, “What’s the point of you hiding behind a man? Get out now!”
Hearing that, Lu San Niang couldn’t help but start shuddering, and she didn’t dare to reveal herself.
Seeing that, Madam Hua was certain that her speculation was right, so her lips curled up and said, “San Niang, it’s been more than ten years since we last met. Don’t you recognize me anymore?”
[San Niang?] Yuan Wu was startled for a moment before he gazed at Madam Hua in shock. At that instant, he realized that Madam Hua and Lu San Niang knew each other. Feeling apprehensive, he thought, [If Madam Hua and Lu San Niang are on good terms, then… I’m doomed.]
However, after he examined Madam Hua’s expression, he was able to set his mind at ease. [It’s fine. They’re not on good terms. In fact, there must be some grudges between them.]
Pretending to know nothing, Yuan Wu gazed at Madam Hua and asked, “Madam, do you know her?”
Madam Hua scoffed, “Of course I know her. We lived together for almost 200 years, and she always took good care of me. We know each other very well.”
With a fawning smile, Yuan Wu said, “What a coincidence.”
It was then he realized that both Madam Hua and Lu San Niang must be the captives of the Dragon Clan on this island. Judging from Madam Hua’s furious expression, he reckoned that these two ladies must have been in a fierce competition for Fu Chi’s favour, so it was understandable that they were on bad terms now. After Fu Chi expelled Lu San Niang from Dragon Palace, she was forced to relocate to Half-Dragon City, while Madam Hua stayed in the same place. Now that Madam Hua had come across her old foe, naturally, she wasn’t in a good mood.
“San Niang, why don’t you want to see me? Why are you hiding behind a man? I can see you, you know?”
Left with no choice, Lu San Niang moved away from Yang Kai and hung her head low with an anxious expression.
After Madam Hua snorted, the two ladies around her growled, “It’s really you!” Apparently, they knew Lu San Niang as well. Because of Madam Hua’s attitude, they also looked coldly and disdainfully at Lu San Niang, as they took pleasure in the latter’s misfortune.
Previously, Lu San Niang was Fu Chi’s favourite woman, so her position on this island was equivalent to that of the current Madam Hua. During the past 200 years of competition, Madam Hua had always lost to Lu San Niang. Now that Lu San Niang had been expelled from the palace though, Madam Hua didn’t have to be wary of her anymore. After all, it was said that the winner took all, and Madam Hua was the winner.
“Elder Sister Hua, fellow Sisters…” Lu San Niang hung her head low and greeted them as she grew more anxious by the moment. If possible, she would never have wanted to reveal herself; however, since Madam Hua had figured out her identity, it would be pointless for her to keep hiding. Furthermore, they had to solve the problem on this day, otherwise, it might turn into a bigger problem in the future. Gazing at these familiar faces, Lu San Niang couldn’t help recalling the unhappy memories from the past.
The woman holding the fish tank glared at Lu San Niang and snarled, “How impudent! How dare you call us Sisters! You’ve been expelled from the palace, so you have no right to address us in such a way! What a shameless woman!”
Although the other woman uttered nothing, her expression suggested that she shared the same thoughts. In the past, they were wary of Lu San Niang because the latter was Fu Chi’s favourite. However, now, they had gained Fu Chi’s favour, while Lu San Niang had been discarded by the Dragon Clan like a piece of trash. Since she was just a piece of trash, there was no way they would be afraid of her.
With a faint smile, Madam Hua said in a magnanimous manner, “Forget it. We lived together for a long time. Don’t be too hard on her now.”
Hearing that, the woman beside her stopped speaking. Appearing to be victorious, Madam Hua looked at Lu San Niang in a haughty manner and asked, “We haven’t met for more than ten years. How are you?”
Lu San Niang pressed her lips together and replied softly, “Many thanks for your concern. I’ve been doing well.”
In response, Madam Hua nodded gently, “Very good, you have no idea how sorrowful I was when you were forced to leave the island back then. I even went to beg Senior Fu Chi so that you could stay, but he had made up his mind, so there was nothing I could do. You don’t blame me for that, do you?”
After shaking her head, Lu San Niang replied, “No, I have never blamed you.”
With a smile, Madam Hua said, “I knew that you were a magnanimous person. It’s no wonder that you were Sir’s favourite in the past…”
As she spoke, she looked at Lu San Niang from the corner of her eye. Seeing that the latter appeared to be dejected, she continued gleefully, “Your power was second only to Senior Fu Chi at that time, so even I had to be respectful to you; however, life is full of uncertainties, isn’t it? Look how different the situation is now.”
Knowing that Madam Hua was mocking her, Lu San Niang just remained silent. Now that she was the weaker one, she had no choice but to kowtow to her. Furthermore, she had never been a woman who loved to compete with other women to win a man’s heart.
“By the way, why have you come back to this island? Have you gotten Sir’s permission?” Madam Hua suddenly changed the topic.
“I don’t have his permission.” Lu San Niang shook her head gently.
Pretending to be surprised, Madam Hua asked, “How did you dare to come back without his permission? Aren’t you afraid that he’ll punish you if he finds out about it?”
With a grin, Yuan Wu explained, “Madam, we’ve come to this island to help Sir build a palace. All of them are here to help as well, so they don’t need anyone’s permission.”
Upon learning the reason behind it, Madam Hua said, “Oh, I see. You have to be more meticulous, then. This palace is being built for Sir’s upcoming wedding, so everything has to be perfect. If there’s any mistake, all of you will be punished.”
“Wedding?” Yuan Wu was startled because he hadn’t heard of this news. A few days ago, Fu Qi brought all 500 of them to this island and told them what they had to do before promptly leaving. However, he didn’t tell them what the palace was for. It wasn’t until they heard it from Madam Hua that they came to the realization that this palace was being built for Fu Chi’s wedding.
It was indeed big news because there was only a small number of Dragon Clan members, and the period it took for them to reach maturity was unbelievably long. Furthermore, the ratio of men to women was unequal, so it was difficult for them to fall in love and get married. As far as Yuan Wu knew, the last wedding of a Dragon Clan member took place more than ten thousand years ago, which went to show how important a wedding was for them.
Understanding all this, Yuan Wu hurriedly said, “Madam, please rest assured. I’ll do my best to build this palace so that all of the Masters of the Dragon Clan will be satisfied.”
“Good,” Madam Hua nodded lightly. Then, she sighed and spoke helplessly. “Sir is going to get married soon. I wonder what will happen to us. San Niang, I’m really envious that you left the palace more than ten years ago. We have no choice but to stay here, and we don’t even know who the future Mistress is that we’re going to serve.”
All of a sudden, Lu Yu Qin growled, “You can also leave, then. No one is forcing you to stay!”
Although she was young and inexperienced, she could easily tell that Madam Hua and the other ladies were awful people. They kept picking on her mother as they spoke in an overbearing manner. Having been enraged by their attitude, she couldn’t take it anymore and flared up.
Lu San Niang’s expression changed abruptly as she pulled Lu Yu Qin’s sleeve and chided, “Don’t speak like that.”
With narrowed eyes, Madam Hua stared at Lu Yu Qin and said lightly, “San Niang, she must be the bastard child, right?”
Lu Yu Qin had already been born when Lu San Niang was expelled from the island. It was because Lu Yu Qin had no Dragon Vein at all that she and her mother had to be forced out of the island.
Judging from Lu Yu Qin’s age and appearance, Madam Hua was certain that she was Lu San Niang’s daughter. Having been provoked by Lu Yu Qin, she stopped being polite to Lu San Niang. She had never been fond of Lu San Niang anyway, so naturally, she loathed her daughter as well.
Furthermore, Lu Yu Qin was the daughter of Lu San Niang and Fu Chi. Although she didn’t have any Dragon Vein, she was still Fu Chi’s descendant. The very existence of Lu Yu Qin was like a needle in Madam Hua’s heart, so she had to remove it.
With a pale face, Lu San Niang pleaded, “Elder Sister Hua, she’s just a young girl who knows nothing, please forgive her.”
The woman holding the fish tank said coldly, “As her mother, do you know nothing as well?”
Lu San Niang bit her lip and replied, “Elder Sister, please forgive her. I’ll apologize on her behalf.”
Madam Hua sneered, “Are you implying that I’m a cold-hearted person? Am I so terrifying?”
“Elder Sister, you mean…”
Madam Hua waved her hand, “I will allow this matter to pass.”
Surprised, Lu San Niang uttered, “Many thanks, Elder Sister.”
Then, Madam Hua said, “However, I won’t forgive the culprit who hurt Xiao Hong. San Niang, do you know that after you left, I’ve been missing you every day?”
Naturally, Lu San Niang wouldn’t believe her. In the past, Madam Hua was her archnemesis who kept provoking her. Even though she ignored Madam Hua, the latter still wouldn’t stop competing with her. Obviously, Madam Hua was just spouting nonsense when she claimed that she had been missing Lu San Niang after the latter was forced to leave. Instead, she must have been gleeful.
“Fortunately, I chanced upon Xiao Hong.” Madam Hua then turned to look softly at the red carp in the fish tank, “Over the past decade, Xiao Hong has given me lots of comfort, so I’ve regarded it as my family member. Now that it has been hurt, I won’t let the culprit go. So, I hope that you’ll understand me.” As she stared coldly at Lu San Niang, she questioned, “Who was the one that injured Xiao Hong?
The sea wind blew by. Faced with Madam Hua’s question, Lu Yu Qin flinched and looked away, appearing to be guilty.
Madam Hua snorted, “Do you think you can get away with it by just keeping quiet? There are not many people on this island, so it isn’t hard to find out the culprit. I might consider giving you a lighter punishment if you come forward yourself. Otherwise…”
Yuan Wu immediately said, “Madam, it must be both the mother and daughter who hurt Xiao Hong.”
Madam Hua scoffed, “How do you know?”
Yuan Wu explained, “Just like what I had said, they were the ones responsible for obtaining Luminous Pearls. Your red carp must have been hurt when it was having fun in the sea. I swear that besides those two over there, no one else had gone into the surrounding waters.”
With her gaze turning glacial, Madam Hua stared at Lu San Niang and demanded, “San Niang, how will you explain yourself?”
Lu San Niang lowered her head, “Elder Sister, please forgive me. I didn’t know that the red carp was your pet. If I knew, I wouldn’t have the guts to harm it.”
With a furious expression, Madam Hua said through gritted teeth, “So, you’re really the one that hurt Xiao Hong. San Niang, I’m so disappointed in you!”
Just then, Lu Yu Qin stepped forward and growled, “My Mother didn’t do it! It was me! The fish suddenly came at us and surprised me, so I hit it by accident. I don’t think the fish was severely injured anyway.”
Shocked by her daughter’s move, Lu San Niang quickly pulled her back and chided, “Stop talking!”
Madam Hua stared at the sight and put on a cold smile, “What a loving mother and daughter! I’m moved!” Despite what she just said, her expression was ice cold, as though she couldn’t wait to kill the people before her eyes.
The woman holding the fish tank bellowed, “What do you mean Xiao Hong isn’t severely injured? Open your eyes and take a closer look. The scales on Xiao Hong’s back have been damaged! Do you know how much Madam loves Xiao Hong? How are you going to compensate Madam?”
Knowing Madam Hua’s temperament, Lu San Niang understood that this problem couldn’t be solved easily. Madam Hua had always been resentful of her, so she wouldn’t give up this chance to teach her a lesson. Hence, Lu San Niang hurriedly pleaded, “Elder Sister, it was me who hurt the red carp, so please punish only me.”
“San Niang, do you think I’m an idiot?” Madam Hua stared sternly at her and parted her lips, “You’re in the Emperor Realm, but Xiao Hong is just a Fifth-Order Monster Beast. If you made a move, Xiao Hong wouldn’t have survived.”
“It was really me!”
“Stop spouting nonsense! I already know who hurt my precious pet!” Madam Hua shifted her attention to Lu Yu Qin, “Since you’ve failed as a mother in disciplining your own daughter, I’ll teach her a lesson on your behalf, then. This is something I should do as her Senior, so there’s no need for you to thank me!”
“Elder Sister!” Flabbergasted, Lu San Niang hurriedly stood in front of her daughter.
Lu Yu Qin knew that she had made a huge mistake, so her beautiful face turned pale in an instant; however, she didn’t harm the fish on purpose. When she was collecting Luminous Pearl with her mother, a huge red carp approached them suddenly. Shocked, she landed a palm on that fish to chase it away, but she didn’t expect that her action would cause her to get into trouble later. If she knew that this would be the outcome, she wouldn’t have harmed the red carp no matter what. Although she was terrified, she still yelled, “Don’t bully my mother!”
“What do you mean, I’m bullying your mother?” Madam Hua snorted, “A little girl like you shouldn’t be so rude. Slap her for me!”
“Yes, Madam!” The woman, who had been quiet all the while, stepped forward and glared at Lu San Niang, “Move!”
Certainly, Lu San Niang wouldn’t just stand down as she kept shaking her head at Madam Hua, begging for her mercy.
Madam Hua continued, “San Niang, you know my temperament well. If you step aside now, it will only be a small lesson; however, if you dare to stop me, I will have no choice but to thoroughly punish her.”
Lu San Niang’s expression changed when she heard that.
“Out of the way!” As the woman spoke, she pushed Lu San Niang aside. She was only a Third-Order Dao Source Realm, which was much lower than Lu San Niang; however, Lu San Niang apparently didn’t dare to resist her, so she staggered to the side from the impact as she looked at her daughter with teary eyes. Knowing that her daughter couldn’t be spared the punishment, she just hoped that Madam Hua wouldn’t go overboard.
“Mother!” Lu Yu Qin called out to her.
With a ruthless smile, the woman raised her hand, ready to land a slap on Lu Yu Qin’s face, which resembled that of Lu San Niang. Apparently, the woman didn’t intend to go easy on Lu Yu Qin as she circulated her Source Qi around her palm. Lu Yu Qin’s cultivation was so low that she couldn’t possibly parry the attack. If she was slapped, her face would be severely injured.
Lu San Niang dug her nails in her palms, but she felt no pain at all. With her eyes turning bloodshot, she forced herself to remain on the same spot. She knew that if she tried to save her daughter, both of them would lose their lives here on this day as Madam Hua wouldn’t let them off. However, if she stayed put, there was a chance for her daughter to survive. Not having the heart to see her daughter being punished, she looked away as her tears slipped down her face.
*Pa…*
A loud slap was heard, followed by a woman’s scream. At that instant, the entire world seemed to have fallen into silence.
Lu San Niang felt her heart aching terribly. Although having her daughter was an accident, she still gave birth to her after a 10-month long pregnancy. Over the years, she only had her daughter by her side, so her daughter had become the most important person in her life.
She had never had the heart to scold harshly or lay a hand on her daughter before, but on this day, she had no choice but to let someone else slap her daughter right in front of her. She hated herself for being so useless, as well as Madam Hua’s ruthlessness. Thinking that it was all her fault, she started tearing up. At that instant, her tears dropped onto the floor like stringless pearls.
Then, worried that Lu Yu Qin’s face might have been deformed, she turned to look at her daughter. However, the next moment, Lu San Niang was stunned, as her daughter’s face remained flawless.
Although Lu Yu Qin appeared to be terrified, there was no sign of injury on her face. On the other hand, there was a visibly red slap mark on the face of the woman who was about to lay a hand on her. At the same time, blood was streaming out of her mouth. The woman was slapped so forcefully that her face soon became swollen.
[My daughter is fine? That woman was slapped instead?] Lu San Niang was astounded as she didn’t know what had happened.
The woman, who had been slapped, was rooted to the spot as she didn’t understand how she got slapped instead when she was the one who was supposed to slap Lu Yu Qin.
At that instant, Yuan Wu, Madam Hua, and the woman holding the fish tank were stunned as well. However, Madam Hua’s expression soon darkened as an insidious glint flashed across her beautiful eyes. Staring at the young man, who was standing in front of Lu Yu Qin, she questioned, “It was you who did it, right?”
Here, only Yang Kai, Lu San Niang and Lu Yu Qin dared oppose her. The mother and daughter pair did not have the guts to disobey Madam Hua, so the person who dared to make a move must be Yang Kai.
Since she arrived at this place, she had never spared Yang Kai a glance, as the latter was only a First-Order Emperor. Although her cultivation was in the same realm, cultivation wasn’t the most important thing on Dragon Island.
She had the support of an Eighth-Order Thunder Dragon, so no one other than the Dragon Clan had the guts to offend her. Hence, she didn’t expect that this average-looking young man was brazen enough to slap her subordinate, which was akin to slapping her.
[How outrageous!] Madam Hua was burning with fury as she glowered at Yang Kai.
“Good, it was me who did it.” Yang Kai took the blame in Lu Yu Qin’s stead.
Hearing that, Lu San Niang was grateful for what he was doing for her, but at the same time, she was worried about him. She knew that Yang Kai was a powerful man who had taught Yuan Wu a lesson before, but Yuan Wu’s status wasn’t comparable to that of Madam Hua.
It was no big deal punishing Yuan Wu, but it was akin to courting death offending Madam Hua. Extremely worried, Lu San Niang wiped away her tears and hinted at Yang Kai with her gaze.
Oblivious to her, Yang Kai waved his hand and said disdainfully, “I never wanted to lay my hand on a woman, but all of you are too disgraceful. Unfortunately, my hand has been dirtied.”
“What did you just say?” Madam Hua narrowed her eyes and glared at him.
Straightening up, Yang Kai questioned, “Are you deaf or what? Is that why you couldn’t hear me?”
Infuriated, Madam Hua couldn’t believe what she just heard. [How dare he talk to me like this!? How could he have the guts to offend me? I’m basically the Mistress of this island. Other than members from the Dragon Clan, no one else dares to be so arrogant before me!]
With her body trembling in anger, she said through gritted teeth, “Brat, you must be sick of living!”
Yang Kai snorted, “Let’s see if you have the ability to kill me. You’re nothing but a plaything to some Dragon, so I don’t understand how you could be so overbearing. Why are you making a big fuss over a minor issue? Do you know that you’re annoying? If you dare to find fault with us again, I’ll slap you as well. I don’t enjoy laying hands on women, but that doesn’t mean that I won’t.”
[I’m just a plaything? A minor issue?] Madam Hua widened her eyes in disbelief and actually started laughing out of anger, “Xiao Hong has been hurt, so I’m just here to obtain justice! And yet, you dare to offend me and injure my subordinate? Are you out of your mind?”
“So what if I called you a plaything and harmed your subordinate? Elder Sister Lu has apologized to you, so you shouldn’t have tried to harm her daughter.”
“Is an apology useful?” Madam Hua’s expression was dark, “Whatever injury Xiao Hong has suffered, I’ll have that brat get the same treatment!”
Hearing that, Lu Yu Qin couldn’t help shuddering. The red carp had only lost some scales, but if she were given the same treatment, it would mean that a layer of her skin would have to be peeled off. She was just a young girl, so she couldn’t possibly endure this kind of pain. In an instant, her face had turned completely pale.
“Is that how you want to settle this?” Yang Kai scoffed.
“An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. That’s how the world works!” Madam Hua declared coldly, as her chest was heaving. Apparently, she could not stand Yang Kai’s attitude anymore.
With a frown, Yang Kai nodded slightly and replied, “You’re right. An eye for an eye is indeed fair.”
Lu San Niang’s beautiful face turned a shade paler when she heard that. She thought that Yang Kai couldn’t withstand the pressure anymore and was giving in to Madam Hua. Nevertheless, she wouldn’t blame him for this because he had just protected her daughter from a possible injury. It was the right move to give in at this point, but she was worried that Madam Hua wouldn’t let him off as well.
As such, she secretly made up her mind. No matter how Madam Hua was going to punish her daughter, she would endure the pain in her stead so that her daughter wouldn’t be harmed.
“You think it’s fair as well?” Madam Hua stared at Yang Kai with narrowed eyes, a glint of ferocity flashing across their depths.
“Yes,” Yang Kai nodded.
“Step aside then. I’ll settle accounts with you later,” Madam Hua waved her hand and demanded impatiently.
With a grin, Yang Kai extended his hand suddenly and made a grabbing gesture.
The woman, who had been slapped earlier, was shocked. Thinking that Yang Kai wanted to attack her again and hurriedly stepped backwards. However, Yang Kai didn’t seem to have the intention of harming her, which made her look like she had overreacted. With her face flushing, she was utterly embarrassed.
Just then, a splashing sound could be heard, and after Yang Kai withdrew his hand, a Golden Backed Red Carp magically appeared in his grip. Upon closer look, that fish was none other than Madam Hua’s pet, which she had kept for more than a decade.
Nobody could see clearly how he obtained the red carp. He just seemed to have stretched out his hand, upon which the red carp called Xiao Hong magically appeared.
The woman holding the fish tank was stunned for a moment, but after taking a look at the red carp in Yang Kai’s hand, she shifted her attention to her fish tank and in an instant, her beautiful face turned pale as she screamed, “Ah!”
With a livid expression, Madam Hua came to her senses and snarled, “What are you doing? Release Xiao Hong now!”
“It’s just a red carp. Why do you see it as a treasure? In my eyes, it’s nothing more than a piece of trash.” Yang Kai put on a sneer.
At that instant, Madam Hua had a horrendous premonition and she hurriedly demanded, “I’ll count down from three now. If you don’t release it, I’ll kill you!” Right after she finished speaking, she started counting down, “Three!”
*Pu…*
When Madam Hua heard that, her pupils contracted as she watched Yang Kai tighten his grip and kill her fish. Although Xiao Hong was a Fifth-Order Monster Beast, it couldn’t possibly survive Yang Kai’s attack.
Upon impact, the fish broke into two as its head and body fell to the ground. Turning back into its original 10-metre form, it was dead when it touched the ground. Yuan Wu gasped and stared at Yang Kai in disbelief, as he didn’t expect that this young man was so brash.
Although the red carp wasn’t valuable, it was a pet that had accompanied Madam Hua for more than a decade. Earlier, Madam Hua had already blown her top because the red carp’s scales had been damaged. Now that the fish was dead, there was no way she would let Yang Kai off.
[This brat is practically dead meat now!] Yuan Wu was elated as he gazed at Yang Kai, taking pleasure in the latter’s imminent misfortune. He still remembered vividly that he was humiliated by Yang Kai a few days ago. He didn’t have the ability to get his revenge, but it would be great solace for him if he could get Yang Kai killed with Madam Hua’s help.
Lu San Niang and her daughter were dumbfounded as well. They met Yang Kai not long ago and only knew that he was Li Jiao’s friend; however, they didn’t expect him to be such a reckless man who had no regard for Madam Hua at all.
[What should we do now? We’re basically doomed. Earlier, the issue could be solved if we just let Madam Hua vent her fury by punishing us, but now…] Lu San Niang was extremely anxious. She blamed Yang Kai for his recklessness, but at the same time, she also blamed herself for dragging him into this matter. [How will I explain myself to Li Jiao in the future?]
“H-H-How dare you kill Xiao Hong!” The woman holding the fish tank turned completely pale as she stared at Yang Kai as her heart sank. [Where did this madman come from? Doesn’t he understand that his action will bring dreadful consequences?]
The other woman was flabbergasted at the sight as she was rooted to the spot. Even with her hand still covering her face, she couldn’t feel any pain at all.
A myriad of expressions came over all of them except the culprit, who didn’t seem to be perturbed by what he had just done. Yang Kai looked mockingly at Madam Hua and sneered, “An eye for an eye? How are you going to make me pay the price now?”
Madam Hua’s chest heaved in outrage as her pretty face contorted. Turning hysterical, she snarled, “Kill him! Kill him now!”
She couldn’t take it anymore. Initially, she just wanted to obtain justice for Xiao Hong by lecturing the person who had harmed it. However, after she saw Lu San Niang, she changed her mind and decided to humiliate that woman who had been her archnemesis for centuries. Now that her precious fish was killed though, she wanted nothing less than an end to Yang Kai’s life. Xiao Hong was dead, so she could only relieve the fury in her chest by killing him!
Her order was loud and clear, but no one took any action. The two women who had tagged along were also Fu Chi’s playthings, but they were only Third-Order Dao Source Realm. Facing Yang Kai, who was a First-Order Emperor, they didn’t have the courage to step forward.
Furthermore, judging from what Yang Kai had just done, it was apparent that he was a madman who knew no bounds. The two women would only humiliate themselves if they tried to challenge Yang Kai, so they remained on the spot and appeared to be hesitant.
Seeing that, Madam Hua growled, “What are you waiting for? Do you want me to make a move myself?”
If Madam Hua was forced to make a move herself, the two women would be doomed as well. Left with no choice, they traded glances and pounced at Yang Kai. Although they were no match for Yang Kai, they still had to take action; otherwise, they would be punished harshly after the incident. In the blink of an eye, they reached both sides of Yang Kai.
Despite being Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivators, they had lost almost all of their battle instincts after spending so many years on Dragon Island only competing with other women for Fu Chi’s attention. Hence, they couldn’t even utilize 70% of their real strength. With that said, even if they could make full use of their power, they would still be no match for Yang Kai, who was in the Emperor Realm.
Yang Kai didn’t seem to have made any move, but the two women were sent flying back in the next instant, spraying out blood in mid-air. After they fell to the ground, all their Source Qi had dispersed, and they couldn’t even get to their feet.
“How dare you!” Madam Hua yelled in a high-pitched voice that could damage a person’s eardrums.
Not only did Yang Kai kill Xiao Hong, but he also had the guts to hurt the women on this Spirit Island. His action was beyond Madam Hua’s ability to fathom. At that instant, her entire body was trembling as she was about to explode like a volcano.
Nevertheless, she had been living a luxurious life for years, and although she was utterly incensed, she didn’t have the intention of making a move herself. Hence, she shot Yuan Wu a glare and demanded, “What are you waiting for? Kill him for me!”
Instantly, Yuan Wu appeared to be on pins and needles. If he could defeat Yang Kai, he would have charged forward without Madam Hua telling him to do so. It was beneficial for him to strike up a relationship with Madam Hua, and the chance was right before his eyes. Despite that, he couldn’t seize it.
He had confronted Yang Kai a few days ago and despite the fact that Yang Kai’s cultivation was one Minor Realm lower than his, Yuan Wu knew was no match for him at all. If it weren’t because Yang Kai decided to let him go, he would have lost his life then and there.
This time, he had tagged along with Madam Hua to teach Yang Kai a lesson; however, he didn’t expect that not only did Yang Kai have the guts to kill Madam Hua’s pet, but he also dared to harm her subordinates. [He must be out of his mind!]
“I…” Yuan Wu uttered hesitantly as he didn’t have the courage to fight with Yang Kai.
Madam Hua threatened coldly, “You dare to disobey my order? Good, I’ll go back now and tell Senior Fu Chi that all of you have partnered up to shame me!”
“Please wait, Madam!” Yuan Wu was flabbergasted as he cursed at Madam Hua in his heart. He was just there to watch the show, so he wondered how he ended up being dragged into this matter. [What an unexpected ordeal!]
At that moment, he was truly flustered. If Madam Hua told Fu Chi what happened, it would mean the end of Yuan Wu’s life.
He didn’t believe that a Dragon Clan member was willing to spare a subordinate’s life. Although he was also a Dragonborn, he was just an insignificant hybrid in the Dragon Clan’s eyes. Hence, they would just kill him as they pleased.
[This is so unfortunate! If I knew this would be the outcome, I wouldn’t have come here in the first place! Now, I’ve been put in a tight spot.] Yuan Wu couldn’t help but feel like giving his past self a slap to the face.
Since he could never offend Madam Hua, he had no choice but to look apprehensively at Yang Kai. Upon seeing Yang Kai’s glare, Yuan Wu started shuddering and recalled that Yang Kai was able to suppress his bloodline with ease a few days ago. Suddenly thinking of something, he growled with a ruthless expression, “Madam Hua, rest assured. I’ll teach this bastard a lesson on your behalf!”
At the same time, he secretly spoke to Yang Kai by Divine Sense, “I have no choice. Please don’t blame me.” Upon finishing his words, he pushed his Emperor Qi and launched himself at Yang Kai, making the exact same move as the two women had done earlier.
With a gratified expression, Madam Hua shot an insidious glare at Yang Kai. She had been humiliated this day, but as long as she could capture Yang Kai, she had many ways to torture him. She could feel that, just like herself, Yang Kai was in the First-Order Emperor Realm, while Yuan Wu, a Dragonborn, was in the Second-Order Emperor Realm. Basically, Yuan Wu should be the more powerful man between the two of them. Since Yuan Wu had made a move, there was no way he would fail in his attempt to capture Yang Kai.
Meanwhile, Madam Hua was coming up with ideas on how to torment Yang Kai to vent her anger. [Since you have the guts to kill Xiao Hong, I’ll make life a living hell for you!]
Upon hearing a man’s scream though, Madam Hua was rooted to the spot as her well-laid plan evaporated before her eyes. Yuan Wu, who appeared to be fierce just now, was struck with a palm and sent flying backwards. The blood he sprayed out in mid-air was dazzling under the sunlight.
[What just happened? What is going on?] Madam Hua couldn’t believe what she saw. [Yuan Wu was supposed to be able to defeat that young man so why was he defeated instead? What happened?]
Yuan Wu landed on the ground with a loud thud as he convulsed for a bit and passed out. In an instant, Madam Hua’s face fell dramatically.
Yuan Wu had lost consciousness while Madam Hua’s expression remained livid. At that moment, the atmosphere in the beach was eerily quiet. Moments later, Madam Hua snarled at Yuan Wu, “Stop pretending! Get up now!”
It wasn’t possible for Yuan Wu, a Dragonborn in the Second-Order Emperor Realm, to be defeated by Yang Kai, a Human in the First-Order Emperor Realm, with just one palm strike. Therefore, Madam Hua concluded that Yuan Wu was just pretending to have passed out. Although she didn’t understand the reason behind it, she still shouted at Yuan Wu because he was the only person she could still order around at the moment.
However, Yuan Wu remained lying on the ground. It seemed that he had really passed out. Seeing that, Madam Hua approached him and landed a forceful kick on him, but he remained reactionless.
“How dare you!” Madam Hua bellowed. Just when she was about to keep rebuking Yuan Wu, she realized that her vision had turned a tone darker. When she raised her gaze, her pupils contracted uncontrollably, for Yang Kai was standing right in front of her and glaring at her.
Feeling her chest tightening, Madam Hua took a few steps back and asked in fright, “What are you trying to do?”
Upon finishing her words, she started to circulate her Emperor Qi and pushed out her palm at Yang Kai’s chest. She seemed to have planned for it earlier as there were no signs that suggested that she would make such a move. Judging from her expression and posture just now, no one could have guessed that she was about to take action.
After she pushed out her palm, she put on a sinister grin. She believed that Yang Kai must have never suspected she would launch such an attack. Given that their cultivation realm was the same, she had the confidence of defeating him with just one palm.
“What a devious woman.” Yang Kai snorted and pushed his palm forward as well. Despite the fact that he made a move later than Madam Hua, he managed to land a palm strike on her shoulder first.
“Ah!” Madam Hua was sent flying backwards from the impact as her mouth was instantly filled with blood. At the same time, she felt excruciating pain in her shoulder, so she knew that her bones must have been fractured. Just then, she felt a violent energy rushing along all her meridians and spreading across her five viscera and six organs, throwing her Emperor Qi circulation into chaos.
[How is he so strong?] Madam Hua widened her eyes in disbelief. Although both of them were in the First-Order Emperor Realm, Madam Hua realized that Yang Kai was far more powerful than she was. Just one attack was enough to make her realize that there was a huge difference between them.
A moment later, she fell to the ground, and before she managed to get to her feet, her vision turned dark again. Raising her head, she saw Yang Kai looking down at her with a sneer.
“How dare you attack me!” Flabbergasted, Madam Hua had forgotten about the pain in her shoulder as she stared at Yang Kai in disbelief.
“Why wouldn’t I dare to attack you?” Yang Kai raised his leg and put his foot on her chest, causing her tall peaks to deform noticeably.
Feeling a sharp pain, Madam Hua knitted her brows together. At the same time, she was stunned by what Yang Kai had said. [How dare he lay a hand on me? I’m Fu Chi’s favourite woman, no one has ever had the guts to attack me!]
“You court death!” Madam Hua turned mad as she gathered her Emperor Qi in an attempt to resist; however, with Yang Kai’s foot still pressing against her body, she couldn’t even get up, let alone counterattack. As she was clawing at the air, her hair became messy. At that moment, she looked like a mad shrew, completely unlike her beautiful self earlier. Her face had contorted as her gaze was filled with a sense of hatred.
“How are you still so arrogant at this point?” Yang Kai snorted and exerted more force with his foot, causing Madam Hua to wail and her face to turn pale.
It was then Lu San Niang came to her senses. After Yang Kai killed the Golden Backed Red Carp, she was stunned at the sight and rooted to the spot. It wasn’t until she sensed Yang Kai’s murderous intent that she regained her senses. Following that, she rushed over and grabbed Yang Kai’s arm before shouting, “Little Brother Yang, you can’t kill her!”
“There’s no one I can’t kill in this world.” With a ruthless expression, Yang Kai turned his head and glared at her.
It was the first time Lu San Niang saw Yang Kai looking so ferocious. After some contact with him, she believed that, while a bit arrogant, he was a reasonable man. Now though, he seemed to have completely changed, she was stunned and instinctively flinched.
Nevertheless, it was she and her daughter who caused this problem. If Yang Kai really killed Madam Hua, none of them would be able to leave the island alive. With that said, the problem had come to a point where it couldn’t possibly be solved anymore.
Given Madam Hua’s temperament, it wasn’t possible that she would let them off after she was humiliated in such a way. They would have to pay a hefty price to dispel her fury.
“You can’t kill her, Little Brother Yang. Release her first!” Lu San Niang tried to persuade him. Although she was grateful that he was standing up for her and her daughter, things had come to a point where she had been put in a tight spot. Whatever the case, they couldn’t kill Madam Hua, and they could only come up with a way to settle the issue later.
Seeing that Lu San Niang was showing her weak side, Madam Hua became haughty again as she snarled, “You bitch! I’ll definitely tell Sir what all of you have done to me. Just you wait!”
Her face turning a shade paler, Lu San Niang pleaded, “Elder Sister, it’s all my fault, and it has nothing to do with Qin’er. Please forgive her and never mention her name in front of Sir.”
Madam Hua sneered, “It’s no use begging me now. It’s too late! All of you must die!”
She shot a malicious glare at the mother and daughter as she watched their faces transformed by fear. Feeling gleeful, she shifted her attention to Yang Kai, but she was soon stunned. That was because she couldn’t see any sign of fear on his face. Instead, he was calm and collected, as though he was unperturbed by what he had just done.
[What’s wrong with him?]
“Elder Sister Lu, you see it now? You’re kind-hearted enough to let her go, but she isn’t willing to let you off. Why don’t I just kill her and end all the trouble?” Although Yang Kai was staring at Madam Hua, he was talking to Lu San Niang in a dispassionate tone.
Feeling anxious, Lu San Niang fell silent, for she wasn’t sure what she should do. If they released Madam Hua, she would go back and tell Fu Chi what had happened; however, if they killed her now, Fu Chi would also make sure that they couldn’t leave the island alive.
Whatever their decision, the outcome would be the same. In her heart, she was extremely exasperated. The incident on this day happened because Madam Hua’s red carp had been slightly injured, which wasn’t a big deal at all. Nevertheless, Madam Hua still brought along her subordinates to find fault with them; moreover, they had already apologized to her, but she still wanted them to suffer miserably.
“You… want to kill me?” Finally understanding the emotion behind Yang Kai’s gaze, Madam Hua was gripped by fear. In an instant, she was no longer arrogant as her body turned cold, as though all her blood had been frozen over. She had never expected that someone would have the guts to kill her on this island one day.
With a sneer, Yang Kai replied, “You think I’m making a joke?”
If they were in a different place, it wouldn’t matter whether he would kill Madam Hua. However, they were now on Dragon Island, and such a conflict had happened between Madam Hua and them, so they could never let her go. As for the consequences of killing her, they could only think about them later.
Engulfed in his murderous intent, Madam Hua was flustered as the colour had been drained from her face. She certainly didn’t expect that things would come to such a point. If she knew Yang Kai was such a daredevil, she would have given in to him earlier. Nevertheless, it had never crossed her mind that Yuan Wu would be of no use to her at all.
“Don’t kill me! Please don’t kill me! I won’t pursue this matter again! I swear! Please let me go!” Madam Hua pleaded with him as her body trembled. Finally realizing that he truly intended to kill her, all she wanted now was to survive. Hence, she stopped caring about her dignity. Due to the fact that she was terrified, her tears were now slipping down her face.
Seeing that Yang Kai still remained impassive, she hurriedly shouted out to Lu San Niang, “San Niang, we were Sisters for centuries, and I treated you well in the past. I know I’m in the wrong here, so will you please forgive me?”
Lu San Niang’s heart softened as she really didn’t have the heart to kill her. On the other hand, Lu Yu Qin was incensed. Earlier, Madam Hua had haughtily shamed her mother, but she now appeared to be lowly and servile, which was why Lu Yu Qin was gleeful. However, she also felt horrified as she had never seen anyone being killed before. It was then she realized that lives could be so fragile in the face of a threat.
“San Niang…” Madam Hua continued to plead with her.
Lu San Niang was in a dilemma as she wasn’t sure if she should keep asking for Yang Kai’s mercy on Madam Hua’s behalf. She had always been a kind-hearted woman, and although Madam Hua had always opposed her in the past, she still didn’t have the heart to watch her get killed over such a trivial matter. In the end, her nature got the better of her as she parted her lips and was ready to plead with Yang Kai, but just then, she suddenly frowned and turned to look at the sea.
The next moment, her expression changed drastically as she exclaimed, “A Dragon!”
She could sense that a Pureblood Dragon was approaching them, and it seemed that the person was just as powerful as Fu Chi. She had lived on Dragon Island for years, so naturally, she was sensitive to the presence of members of the Dragon Clan.
Following that, she shifted her attention to Yang Kai and said anxiously, “Little Brother Yang, release her now!” No matter which Dragon Clan member was coming, they couldn’t let the person see this sight; otherwise, Yang Kai would be doomed.
Naturally, Yang Kai had noticed this newcomer’s approach as well. However, unlike how flustered Lu San Niang was, there was a tinge of strangeness in his expression as he stared fixedly in the direction the Dragon Clan member was coming.
“Hahaha!” Madam Hua started cackling all of a sudden as she no longer appeared to be subservient.
With an insidious expression, she glowered at Yang Kai and said coldly, “You want to kill me? Try it! Since you have the guts to harm me, I’ll slowly settle the score with you. I’ll make sure you’ll go through the cruellest torture in this world!”
As a Dragon was coming, she was no longer afraid of Yang Kai. Glaring at him, it was as though she was trying to imprint this revolting face in her mind forever. Then, she shifted her attention to Lu San Niang and her daughter. She seemed to be shooting imaginary daggers at them through her gaze.
Lu San Niang was astounded as she said, “Little Brother Yang, release her now. A member of the Dragon Clan is coming.”
Although Madam Hua was just Fu Chi’s plaything, she was still his woman. No matter which Dragon Clan member was coming, the person wouldn’t watch her get killed without doing anything. Most probably, the person would murder Yang Kai.
At that moment, Lu San Niang was completely on edge.
“Are you deaf or what? Get your foot off me!” Madam Hua bellowed.
“Shut up!” Yang Kai used his Emperor Qi to slap her in the face.
Madam Hua was dumbfounded after she was slapped as she felt her cheek swelling rapidly. Although she had been injured by Yang Kai, it was due to the fact that she was no match for him. However, this slap in her face was a direct humiliation to her, “How dare you…”
*Pa…*
Yang Kai gave her another slap, after which the other side of her face became swollen as well. In an instant, blood started streaming out of her mouth. Glowering at Yang Kai, she decided to keep her mouth shut for now. She realized that this young man, who had been quiet earlier, was a thug. The more she tried to talk back, the harder he would slap her. Naturally, she wouldn’t want to suffer grievances anymore, so she could only hope that the Dragon Clan member would arrive quickly and bring justice to her.
Just then, a beam of red light appeared and approached at incredible speed. Seeing that, Lu San Niang’s tender body started trembling as her face turned pale.
She tried to rack her brain to come up with an explanation she could use when she met this Dragon Clan member; however, there really weren’t any great ideas. What awaited all three of them was this Dragon’s wrath.
With this thought in mind, she stretched out her hands and pulled Lu Yu Qin into an embrace. Since they were all doomed, she wanted to spend her last moments with her daughter in an intimate manner.
Unexpectedly, the beam of red light flew past their heads and headed to the other side of the Spirit Island. Both Lu San Niang and Madam Hua were startled, but a moment later, Madam Hua’s face turned ashen as she shouted, “Sir! Help!”
Thinking that the Dragon Clan member didn’t see that she was being bullied, she hurriedly shouted to attract his attention. Seeing that, Yang Kai snorted.
Suddenly, the beam of red light stopped in mid-air, “Hm?”
Following that, he turned his gaze downwards, but his pupils contracted when he saw what was going on.
Appearing quite wretched, Madam Hua wailed again, “Sir, save me!”
The Dragon Clan member turned around and transformed into a beam of red light again. In the blink of an eye, he landed on the ground as he stared fixedly at Yang Kai.
Lu San Niang’s face was transformed by terror as she felt the Dragon Pressure wafting from this Dragon. Knowing that there was no chance they could survive, she secretly sized up the Dragon Clan member and realized that he appeared about the same age as Yang Kai. His gaze was clear, and his red hair was conspicuous.
What shocked her was that the Dragon Pressure of this red-haired man was on par with that of Fu Chi, which meant that he was an Eighth-Order Dragon.
[We’re doomed.] Lu San Niang felt the world around her spinning as she was on the brink of passing out.
“Senior Zhu Lie, please help me!” Madam Hua, who was still being stepped on by Yang Kai, called out to the Dragon Clan member for the third time.
It was then Zhu Lie turned to look at her and asked dispassionately, “You know me?”
All the Dragon Clan members lived separately, and they rarely contacted each other, which was why these women, who had been living on Dragon Island for centuries, couldn’t possibly recognize all the Dragon Clan members. However, since this woman knew him, it was apparent that her identity was a little different.
Madam Hua hurriedly said, “I had the pleasure of seeing Sir once from afar, and I’ve always remembered you since then.”
After giving it a thought, Zhu Lie nodded lightly, “I see. You’re Fu Chi’s woman.”
In response, Madam Hua nodded, “Yes!”
“What’s going on?” Zhu Lie frowned and shot Yang Kai a look. He felt his head aching because he didn’t expect that he would come across Yang Kai here. [This guy is so bold by coming to Dragon Island. Moreover, he happens to be on Fu Chi’s island. Did he get wind of the news?]
If that were the case, it would be bad news because he had experienced how reckless Yang Kai could be previously. If this matter wasn’t handled properly, it would be a massive trouble for the Dragon Clan.
Madam Hua hurriedly said, “Sir, this is what happened.” She appeared to be pitiful as she explained the situation to him in a choking voice, “The pet I’ve kept for more than ten years had been hurt by these people, so I came over here to get an explanation from them; however, I didn’t expect that he’d be so unreasonable! Not only did he refuse to admit his wrongdoing, but he also laid a hand on us! We’ve not fought for many years, so naturally, we were no match for him. After we were humiliated, I begged him for mercy, but not only was he not willing to let us go, but he also intended to kill me! Sir, please stand up for us!”
As she spoke, she started crying her heart out, as though she was a young girl that had been bullied.
With a dark expression, Zhu Lie stared at Yang Kai and thought to himself, [What’s wrong with him? How is he able to cause trouble wherever he goes?]
Naturally, he wouldn’t believe Madam Hua, as he knew that Yang Kai wasn’t a man who would use his strength against others for no reason.
As Madam Hua examined Zhu Lie’s expression, she went on to slander Yang Kai further, “Sir, please look! It’s obvious that he has no regard for you at all. He’s still so arrogant in front of you, stepping on me with no regard for your presence! When you weren’t around just now, he…” She continued sobbing.
Flustered, Lu San Niang said, “Sir, that’s not true!”
Madam Hua naturally said nothing about how she had acted haughty just moments ago. Worse still, she shifted all the blame to Yang Kai. Lu San Niang was worried that Zhu Lie would buy her story and then harm Yang Kai. At this point, only she could step forward to explain the situation on Yang Kai’s behalf.
Without even looking at her, Zhu Lie said coldly, “You have no right to speak here.”
He appeared to be in a bad mood, which explained why he treated Lu San Niang harshly. Hearing that, Lu San Niang kept her mouth shut, her expression anxious.
After a sigh, Zhu Lie gazed at Yang Kai and said, “It’s inappropriate that you’re stepping on her. Release her first. You’re a man, aren’t you?”
With a cold expression, Yang Kai raised his chin and stared at Zhu Lie in a conceited manner.
In an instant, Zhu Lie was infuriated. He and Yang Kai were already on bad terms; moreover, Zhu Qing suffered grievances previously exactly because of Yang Kai. Considering all these, he was enraged as he growled, “Release her!”
Seeing that, Madam Hua regained confidence and said through gritted teeth, “How dare you still be so presumptuous in front of a Dragon Clan member! Who do you think you are? Get your stinky foot off me right now!”
Right after she finished speaking, she groaned in pain. Apparently, Yang Kai had exerted more force with his leg. Instantly, Madam Hua’s expression turned from haughty to pained as her forehead was beaded with sweat, her eyelashes fluttering as she stared at Yang Kai in fear.
[He still dares to hurt me in front of a Dragon Clan member? Is he out of his mind?] Despite the pain she was going through, she still felt gleeful, for she knew that Yang Kai could never get away with such an insult. She was Fu Chi’s woman, so Zhu Lie would certainly stand up for her for the humiliation she had suffered.
At that moment, she could envision Yang Kai on his knees as he begged Zhu Lie to let him go, but he was still murdered in the end. With this thought in mind, she put on a triumphant smile.
“Oh, you’re talking to me?” Appearing to be unfazed, Yang Kai started picking his ear.
Hearing what he just said, Lu San Niang and Madam Hua were dumbstruck. Although they knew that he was bold, they didn’t expect that he was this brazen. It was akin to asking for death when he talked to a Dragon Clan member like this.
Worried that Yang Kai might not understand how terrifying the Dragon Clan could be, Lu San Niang kept hinting at Yang Kai with her gaze. The Dragon Clan was the leader of all Divine Spirits, and the person before their eyes was an Eighth-Order Dragon who could kill Yang Kai without needing any effort.
At that moment, she felt that Yang Kai was practically walking on a tightrope between two mountains. If he wasn’t careful enough, he would fall and lose his life. However, what shocked her was that Zhu Lie didn’t immediately make a move.
Exasperated, Zhu Lie questioned, “What do you want?”
“Nothing. I just want justice to be done.” Yang Kai sneered.
After taking a look at Madam Hua, Zhu Lie uttered, “She’s Fu Chi’s woman, and Fu Chi is an Eighth-Order Dragon. If you kill this woman, he won’t let you off.”
“Just tell him to come at me if he has the guts.”
Zhu Lie growled, “You arrogant bastard!”
In an instant, Yang Kai’s expression turned cold, “Mind your language. Otherwise, I’ll beat you too.”
[H-He wants to beat him up?] Lu San Niang was startled as she widened her eyes.
Madam Hua yelled, “Sir, stop wasting time with him! This man clearly has no regard for the Dragon Clan at all! Please kill him right away!”
With the corner of Zhu Lie’s mouth twitching, he stared at Madam Hua as though she was a fool. If he was provoked by someone else like this, he would have already made a move, for he wouldn’t allow anyone to violate the Dragon Clan’s majesty. However, he was now confronted by Yang Kai, so there was nothing he could do.
It was because he was also no match for Yang Kai, as proven in their previous battles. He would only be able to deal with Yang Kai if he went to Dragon Temple to receive its blessing first, but he didn’t have the time to do that now. Moreover, in his heart, he was biased towards Yang Kai.
Although he wasn’t fond of Yang Kai, Madam Hua was just an insignificant ant in his eyes. The reason he persuaded Yang Kai to release her was that he didn’t want to make things worse to the point where the problem couldn’t be solved anymore. It wasn’t possible for him to fight against Yang Kai just to save Madam Hua.
Extremely anxious, Lu San Niang looked worriedly at Yang Kai. She could never have imagined that Yang Kai would still act so overbearing when he was facing a real Dragon. What puzzled her more though was that Zhu Lie didn’t seem to have the intention of making a move. [When did the Dragon Clan become so gentle? He’s been provoked by Yang Kai several times, but he still has done nothing in response.]
Zhu Lie’s behaviour completely changed Lu San Niang’s understanding of the Dragon Clan. As far as she understood, the Dragon Clan was a bunch of hot-headed people who were ready to kill whenever they felt displeased.
All of a sudden, Zhu Lie turned his head and stared in another direction, a dark expression filling his face as he commented, “Fu Chi is coming.”
“Sir is coming?” Madam Hua was elated upon hearing that. Her cultivation was weak, and she didn’t have any Dragon Vein at all, which was why she couldn’t detect the distant Dragon Aura. However, since Zhu Lie had said so, Fu Chi was certainly on his way.
Zhu Lie uttered, “I think he’s worried because he can sense that I’m here, which is why he’s coming over now.”
Hearing that, Yang Kai asked curiously, “Are there any grudges between you two?”
Zhu Lie looked away and replied impassively, “Not really. However, you’ll form a grudge with him soon.”
Upon finishing his words, he shot a look at the woman beneath Yang Kai’s foot.
At that moment, Madam Hua became hubristic again. Although she was unhappy that Zhu Lie didn’t stand up for her immediately, there was nothing she was afraid of now because Fu Chi was coming. She just had to tell Fu Chi what happened, after which Yang Kai, Lu San Niang, and her daughter wouldn’t be able to see the next sunrise.
As they spoke, they could sense Dragon Pressure wafting from the other side of the island. Just like what Zhu Lie had said, Fu Chi was indeed coming over.
Noticing the familiar aura, Madam Hua grew more confident as she stared viciously at Yang Kai.
“Move!” Zhu Lie growled all of a sudden and pushed out a palm at Yang Kai.
Seeing that, Yang Kai stomped his foot and leaped off to the other side.
Right then, Madam Hua, who was still coming up with ideas on how to torture Yang Kai, Lu San Niang and her daughter, spat blood suddenly. All her bones had been cracked as she was engulfed in excruciating pain. With her vitality leaving her body rapidly, she turned her head with difficulty and looked at Zhu Lie in disbelief, “Sir, you…”
As her head slumped to the side, all her aura dissipated. Her eyes were still wide open while she was dead. In her last moments, she still couldn’t understand why Zhu Lie decided to kill her.
Apparently, Lu San Niang didn’t grasp what was going on either. Seeing that Zhu Lie had killed Madam Hua, she raised her hands to rub her eyes, thinking that she was mistaken. [I don’t think he accidentally killed her. He’s an Eighth-Order Dragon, so it’s not possible that he’d kill the wrong target.]
Just when she was doubtful, Zhu Lie pushed out both his palms, upon which the two women who had come to this place with Madam Hua, grunted and lost their lives. Blood was streaming out from all their seven orifices.
At that instant, the colour drained from Lu San Niang’s beautiful face. By now, she was certain that it wasn’t an accident. Zhu Lie intentionally killed all three of Fu Chi’s women. [What’s going on? Wasn’t he supposed to kill Yang Kai? Why did he spare Yang Kai but murder Madam Hua and the other women?]
Lu San Niang was stumped as the incident was beyond her. Just then, Zhu Lie turned his head and stared at Lu San Niang and her daughter. With his gaze filled with murderous intent, he raised his hand and was ready to make a strike.
With her face turning a shade paler, Lu San Niang’s chest tightened. Suddenly, a figure appeared before her eyes. Yang Kai was standing in front of her as he said gently, “You can’t kill them.”
Zhu Lie replied, “Better safe than sorry.”
At that, Yang Kai shook his head, after which Zhu Lie said angrily, “Whatever. If the truth is exposed, it’s you who will be troubled.”
Upon finishing his words, he shifted his attention to Yuan Wu, who had remained lying on the ground after he was attacked by Yang Kai. At that moment, his body was trembling uncontrollably.
After all, he was a Dragonborn who was in the Second-Order Emperor Realm. Yang Kai didn’t exert much force with his palm earlier, so it wasn’t possible that Yuan Wu would really pass out from the impact. In fact, he was just pretending to have lost consciousness. As he watched the following incidents, he felt his heart pounding terribly against his chest.
The sight of Zhu Lie murdering Madam Hua and the other two women was extremely shocking for him. By now, he realized that Zhu Lie had sided with Yang Kai. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have helped Yang Kai silence all the witnesses before Fu Chi arrived. Hence, Yuan Wu knew he was also one of his targets.
The moment Yuan Wu saw Zhu Lie staring at him, he knew that he was in trouble. After hesitating between begging for mercy and running for his life, he decided to flee. As he ran in the direction Fu Chi was coming, he shouted, “Sir, help me!”
Although he didn’t understand why Zhu Lie wanted to kill all of them, he knew that Zhu Lie wouldn’t let him off. Therefore, it would be pointless for him to beg for his mercy. If he wanted to survive, he could only rely on Fu Chi. Even though the chance was slim, it was better than having no hope at all.
After staring coldly at his figure for a while, Zhu Lie lifted his hand and condensed a ferocious Fire Dragon from his flames.
Feeling the heat, Yuan Wu panicked, and when he turned his head and saw the Fire Dragon, he felt as though his soul had left him as he shouted desperately, “No!”
In the blink of an eye, he was engulfed in the Fire Dragon, which was summoned by a Pureblood Dragon, so it wasn’t possible for Yuan Wu to parry or escape. As his body was on fire, he screamed and collapsed to the ground, upon which he rolled around and struggled.
After just a short moment though, Yuan Wu stopped moving. His body was completely charred, looking just like a big piece of charcoal.
Finally, Fu Chi arrived at the scene. He looked like a man in his thirties with a sturdy physique. Despite not saying anything, he gave off a stern vibe. Crackling sounds could be heard as he was surrounded by arcs of lightning.
With a dark gaze, Fu Chi shot a look at Zhu Lie, apparently not welcoming him. It seemed that there were some grudges between them. Then, he took a brief glance at Yang Kai and looked away, as he didn’t have any regard for a Human. However, he frowned when he saw Lu San Niang.
Certainly, he still remembered Lu San Niang. It was he who kidnapped Lu San Niang from the Northern Territory and brought her to Dragon Island. He was also the one who banished her out of the island. The latter incident happened barely more than ten years ago, so he still remembered it.
On the other hand, Lu San Niang didn’t have the courage to look at him. Her face as pale as a white sheet, she stood in front of Lu Yu Qin as her tender body trembled uncontrollably. Fortunately, Fu Chi didn’t seem to care about her as he had only shot her a brief glance.
The next moment, Fu Chi was infuriated and said through gritted teeth, “Zhu Lie, what have you done!?”
At that moment, he saw the corpse of his favourite woman lying on the beach. Her eyes were still wide open, and her mouth was caked in blood. Her corpse was still surrounded by some faint Dragon Essence, so it was apparent that she was killed by a member of the Dragon Clan.
Now, there was only one Dragon Clan member here, which was Zhu Lie. Fu Chi didn’t need to ask any questions to know that it was Zhu Lie who killed her, and that fact alone enraged him.
This island was his territory, so naturally, he couldn’t tolerate the fact that his toys were killed by Zhu Lie.
While Fu Chi was fuming, Zhu Lie uttered dispassionately, “I just helped you kill a woman who thought too highly of herself.”
With a livid expression, Fu Chi questioned, “What do you mean?”
He wasn’t aware of what had happened. Although this place wasn’t far from his residence, he didn’t have the time to keep watch on this area all the time. He only came all the way here because he could sense Zhu Lie’s aura, but he didn’t expect to see this sight when he arrived.
“What do you think I’m talking about? She’s just an insignificant person, but she had the gall to offend me.” Zhu Lie snorted.
“She offended you?” Fu Chi was both surprised and doubtful. Madam Hua had been living on Dragon Island for centuries, so it wasn’t possible that she would recklessly offend a member of the Dragon Clan. Furthermore, as far as he knew, Madam Hua had met Zhu Lie before and thus knew his identity.
There were only a small number of Dragon Clan members, and those with extremely pure bloodlines were even rarer. Since Madam Hua had met Zhu Lie before, Fu Chi didn’t think she would rashly offend him for it would be akin to courting death.
[What’s going on?]
“What’s wrong? Are you sad to see her dead?” Zhu Lie put on a sneer.
Fu Chi stared fixedly at him and gave it a thought before replying, “They were just my playthings, so I don’t care if they’re dead. Why would I be sad about it?”
Indeed, these women were not important to him, and Madam Hua’s death didn’t really matter. What he cared about was his own dignity. Zhu Lie had just killed his people on his own island, which was a challenge to his authority. However, his situation was a bit sensitive right now, so he wouldn’t want to argue with Zhu Lie, lest the matter escalate into a conflict. After coming up with an excuse, he uttered, “Since she offended you, her death isn’t worth pitying.”
“I’m glad you understand.” Zhu Lie snorted.
Then, Fu Chi questioned coldly, “Why are you here today?”
Zhu Lie replied, “I’m here to check on the construction of the palace.”
“That’s it?” Fu Chi frowned.
His expression turning dark, Zhu Lie said sternly, “This is an important matter.”
Fu Chi nodded, “Indeed, it’s an important matter. Since you’re here, we should have a look together. I’m not sure how much has been completed either. I just took a brief glance, but the progress seemed satisfactory. Those lowly people are indeed somewhat capable.”
With a cold expression, Zhu Lie flew off in the palace’s direction. In the blink of an eye, he was nowhere in sight.
Fu Chi’s expression turned grim for Zhu Lie had been impolite to him on this day. He was displeased at the fact that even though he had extended an olive branch to Zhu Lie, the latter still appeared arrogant.
They were on par in terms of power and bloodline, so Fu Chi couldn’t really flare up. Moreover, in just one month, he wouldn’t have to be wary of him anymore. By then, he would be able to get his revenge. With this thought in mind, he turned around and disappeared as well.
Now, only the corpses, Yang Kai and the mother and daughter pair remained. Just now, Fu Chi hadn’t paid any attention to Lu San Niang, nor did he care about Lu Yu Qin’s presence. To him, these two were air, not even worthy of his attention.
Lu San Niang became dejected realizing this, not for herself, but for her daughter. Lu Yu Qin was still Fu Chi’s daughter, but Fu Chi was utterly stone-hearted towards her, which caused Lu San Niang to be crestfallen. Fortunately, Lu Yu Qin didn’t understand the intricacies of the situation.
Nevertheless, Lu San Niang’s focus was on another matter. Still reeling from the shock, she gazed at Yang Kai and said gently, “Little Brother Yang, he…”
Yang Kai replied impassively, “Don’t tell anyone what has happened today.”
With a solemn expression, Lu San Niang nodded repeatedly, “I understand. My daughter and I swear we won’t tell another soul about this matter. Please rest assured.”
Yang Kai nodded and looked in the palace’s direction. If it weren’t for Zhu Lie’s timely arrival, this issue wouldn’t have been settled so easily, especially after Fu Chi arrived.
Apparently, Zhu Lie was aware of this as well, which was why he turned ruthless suddenly by killing Madam Hua and the other two women as well as Yuan Wu, who had been pretending to have passed out. If Yang Kai didn’t stop him, Zhu Lie undoubtedly would have killed Lu San Niang and her daughter as well.
However, Yang Kai wasn’t so worried. If things really got out of control, he would have just fought it out with Fu Chi; after all, he didn’t put an Eighth-Order Thunder Dragon in his eyes. Yang Kai was confident he could defeat him, so he had nothing to fear.
With that said, he was satisfied with the outcome. The only thing he didn’t understand was that Fu Chi seemed to be wary of Zhu Lie.
They were both Eighth-Order Dragons, so they shouldn’t be afraid of each other. Nevertheless, Fu Chi’s attitude on this day was puzzling. Since Yang Kai couldn’t figure out what was happening though, he decided to stop thinking about it. Now, he only cared about Zhu Qing’s whereabouts.
Since he had come across Zhu Lie, Yang Kai reckoned he should seize the chance and ask him about Zhu Qing’s whereabouts. Nevertheless, Zhu Lie was with Fu Chi now, so it was inconvenient for Yang Kai to look for him. Left with no choice, Yang Kai could only wait.
He believed that Zhu Lie must have realized his intention for coming to Dragon Island, and since Zhu Lie was willing to help hide Yang Kai’s identity, he must have his own considerations.
Moments later, a beam of red light shot up from the palace and headed in a particular direction. The red light flashed past Yang Kai’s head and disappeared over the sea, as though it was done intentionally.
Standing on the beach, Fu Chi stared fixedly at Zhu Lie’s leaving figure. After a sneer, he turned around and left.
Yang Kai stood on the beach for a long time. The metallic tang that came with the breeze wasn’t so strong anymore.
Lu San Niang and her daughter dug out some holes and buried the four corpses so that they could rest in peace. She had always been a kind-hearted woman. Despite the fact that Madam Hua had humiliated and even tried to kill both her and her daughter, she was still willing to give them final rites.
After all, she couldn’t bring herself to leave their corpses lying out in the open. She had still lived with them for centuries and although they were not her friends, they could still be regarded as her acquaintances. Hence, she wouldn’t let their corpses decay on the beach. She also made sure to handle Yuan Wu properly, even though the corpse had been completely burnt black.
It wasn’t until the sun was sinking into the horizon that they were done with everything. Seeing that Lu Yu Qin was pale-faced, Lu San Niang draped her arm around hers as they walked towards Yang Kai. At that instant, Lu San Niang was at a loss, not knowing what she should do next.
Li Jiao had been taken away to nurture the Dragon Blood Flowers, so she could only rely on Yang Kai now; however, she wasn’t so familiar with him either, and after what had happened in the morning, she couldn’t see through the mystery surrounding this young man.
He remained arrogant when confronted by Madam Hua, and he could also talk back in front of a member of the Dragon Clan. All he had been doing seemed to be putting him in a dangerous situation, but he managed to escape unscathed in the end.
At that moment, she was three metres away from Yang Kai as she thought about what she should say to him. The incident in the morning made her realize that there was a huge difference between them, so she couldn’t treat him casually anymore.
Just then, a splashing sound could be heard. A water column shot out from the sea, as though a Sea Monster was taking a breath. There seemed to be a gargantuan figure hiding below the surface.
With his gaze fixed on that figure, Yang Kai said, “Elder Sister Lu, I have to go now, but I’ll be back soon. Please don’t go anywhere.”
“Oh, okay,” Lu San Niang subconsciously replied. Feeling warmth in her heart as she knew that Yang Kai had been taking care of her because of Li Jiao, so she was glad that Li Jiao had made such a good friend.
At the thought of Li Jiao, Lu San Niang became dejected, for she knew that she couldn’t get back together with him again. She didn’t treasure the man previously, and now, she could only reminisce about the past.
When she came to her senses, Yang Kai had leapt into the air and plunged into the sea. After a splash, the Sea Monster turned around and swam forward with an unwelcome guest on its back.
One hour later, a small Spirit Island came into sight. The Sea Monster stopped before reaching the island.
Understanding the Sea Monster’s intention, Yang Kai stomped his foot and landed on the island in the blink of an eye, upon which the Sea Monster turned around and disappeared into the sea.
After scanning the island with his Divine Sense, he ascertained his destination and activated his Space Divine Ability, after which he instantly appeared on the top of a hill.
Zhu Lie had been waiting for Yang Kai, so he wasn’t surprised at the latter’s arrival. Turning around, he asked with a frown, “Why are you on Dragon Island?”
Exasperated, Yang Kai charged forward and grabbed Zhu Lie’s collar as he glared at him, “What do you think, my little brother-in-law?”
“Let go!” Zhu Lie lowered his gaze and scowled. Given his identity, he couldn’t accept that someone was grabbing his collar, even though there were no outsiders around.
“I’ve been patient with you enough!” Yang Kai wouldn’t release him and continued to glower at him, “I’ve already figured out that Zhu Qing didn’t return to the Northern Territory because she followed you back to Dragon Island. It’s because of you, right? If you didn’t instigate Qing’er, she would have waited for me at High Heaven Palace.”
Zhu Lie replied coldly, “Dragon Island is where the members of the Dragon Clan have been living since forever. Where else could we go other than this place?”
“How dare you deny it! Do you think I don’t have the guts to lecture you?”
“Don’t you cross the line! This isn’t High Heaven Palace! We’re on Dragon Island!”
“What’s the point of you yelling about that? Since I’m here, of course I know I’m on Dragon Island! However, as your brother-in-law, I have the right to teach you a lesson, wherever we may be. Even if Zhu Qing is here, I’ll still lecture you whenever I want to. Let’s see who she’ll side with.”
Zhu Lie gnashed his teeth together, “You’re so unreasonable.”
Yang Kai sneered, “It’s better than how you played a dirty trick on me.”
Zhu Lie growled, “When did I play a dirty trick on you? Stop slandering me!”
Yang Kai uttered, “Why don’t we talk about why Qing’er secretly returned to Dragon Island, then? Why didn’t she even inform me about it? Do you dare to say it has nothing to do with you?”
“How would I know the reason behind it? Maybe she got sick of you. Stop thinking so highly of yourself. You’re just a Human, so you’re no different from an ant to the Dragon Clan.”
Yang Kai was so exasperated that he started laughing, “Good, let me teach you a lesson today! Let’s see if you’re really as noble and powerful as you think you are!”
“You’re so irrational!”
“You don’t respect your Seniors at all!”
After bickering for a bit, they shut their mouths suddenly and stared at each other. With no one willing to back down, the atmosphere was intense, but a moment later, Yang Kai released Zhu Lie’s collar and snorted.
Displeased, Zhu Lie adjusted his collar and patted his clothes with a disdainful expression.
With his gaze fixed on the sea, Yang Kai asked, “So, where’s Zhu Qing?”
Without answering his question, Zhu Lie questioned, “How did you get to this island?”
Pursing his lips, Yang Kai replied, “I’m a Master of the Dao of Space, how difficult could it be for me to enter this world?”
Zhu Lie shook his head, “It might have been possible in the past, but the Elders placed a seal at Dragon Island’s entrance. If a trespasser appears, that seal will automatically transform into a Void Labyrinth. It’s impossible for you to barge in.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Indeed, there was a Void Labyrinth, but it couldn’t stop me.”
He was eager to find out Zhu Qing’s whereabouts, so he decided not to tell Zhu Lie what he had gone through in the Void Labyrinth. Otherwise, he might invite unwanted trouble.
“You must have been lucky, then.” Zhu Lie sighed. He had heard from the Elders that the Void Labyrinth could even trap a Great Emperor for some time. If anyone tried to break free from it, the Elders would be alerted. The reason they had placed such a seal at the entrance was to prevent anyone from entering Dragon Island without them knowing. It didn’t necessarily have to trap the person inside it, but its purpose was to alert the Elders at a critical moment.
Hence, Zhu Lie didn’t expect that Yang Kai was lucky enough to have found a way out of the Void Labyrinth.
“Go back now,” Zhu Lie heaved a sigh. “You shouldn’t have come here.”
Yang Kai looked at him from the corner of his eye, “I won’t go back before achieving my goal. I want to see your Elder Sister.”
Zhu Lie shook his head, “You can’t see her.”
Yang Kai’s expression turned cold, “You won’t help me? Don’t forget it’s me who brought you out of the Revolving World. I don’t expect you to be grateful, but you should at least know how to return favours.”
Nevertheless, Zhu Lie shook his head again.
With his patience running out, Yang Kai threatened, “I really will beat you up.”
Zhu Lie explained, “It’s not that I’m not willing to help you… But it’ll be useless even if I lend you a hand.”
“What do you mean?” Yang Kai frowned.
Zhu Lie fell silent, as though he was thinking how to tell Yang Kai about it. A moment later, he turned around and stared fixedly at him before uttering, “How far will you go for my Elder Sister?”
It was the first time Yang Kai heard him addressing Zhu Qing as ‘Elder Sister’. Although he didn’t call out to Zhu Qing directly, it showed his love for his sister.
Realizing something, Yang Kai questioned in a grim voice, “Has she fallen into danger?”
“Answer my question first.”
Yang Kai shook his head, “I don’t have to tell you anything about your Elder Sister and me, and you have no right to butt in on our affairs; however, if anyone dares to stop me, they’ll be my enemy. The Dragon Clan is no exception.”
“What if it will cost your life?”
Yang Kai replied coldly, “No one can take away my life from me.”
Zhu Lie nodded as his cold gaze turned softer, “Perhaps Zhu Qing has found the right man. I hope you’ll always remember what you just said.”
In an impatient manner, Yang Kai asked, “So, has she gotten into any danger?”
Zhu Lie replied, “Not really, but… She has been confined.”
Yang Kai turned gloomy and spoke in a cold voice, “Is it because of me?”
Zhu Lie nodded, “That’s right. You said that I instigated Zhu Qing to return to Dragon Island directly without waiting for you in the Northern Territory. I admit that it was my intention, and I’d persuaded her to do so, but in the end, it was she who made the decision. However… I didn’t expect that the reason she wanted to return to Dragon Island was to inform the Elders about what happened between you two.”
He turned around and spoke in a slow manner, “She wanted to gain their approval to get married to you!”
Yang Kai was dumbfounded, but he soon became enraged, “How could the Dragon Clan imprison her just because of that?”
Zhu Lie yelled, “It’s taboo for a Dragon to marry a Human!”
Yang Kai scoffed, “Rubbish! I know what your Dragons have been up to all this time. Over the years, both male and female Dragons have been keeping their own playthings on their own island. Why don’t your Elders imprison all of them?”
Zhu Lie refuted, “Just like what you’ve said, they’re playthings, which is a different case between you and Zhu Qing. If she gets married to you, she’ll have to break away from Dragon Island. The Elders will never allow that to happen!”
“She’ll have to break away from Dragon Island?” Yang Kai was stunned as he didn’t expect that Zhu Qing would make such a decision. Although he wasn’t familiar with the Dragon Clan’s rules, he could picture how infuriated the Elders were when they learned this news.
It wouldn’t have mattered if Zhu Qing was just an average Dragon Clan member; however, she was already a Ninth-Order Dragon, so the Elders wouldn’t allow her to set a precedent.
After a sigh, Zhu Lie said, “If I knew this would be the outcome, I wouldn’t have told her to come back. Now…” He sighed again.
With a frown, Yang Kai questioned, “Didn’t she attempt to flee?”
Zhu Lie stared at Yang Kai as though the latter was a fool, “Her Dragon Vein has been sealed, and her cultivation has been suppressed. Now, she can’t even circulate her strength, so how is she even going to flee?”
“Where is she now? Bring me to see her immediately.” Yang Kai was anxious.
“It’s pointless even if you go because you can’t break into the place where she’s been confined. Even if you manage to get in, you’d still be doomed.”
“How do you know when we haven’t tried?” Yang Kai snorted.
“I know you’re a master of the Dao of Space, but that’s useless. Second Elder has confined her to her own Spirit Island, so she can detect anyone who tries to enter.”
“Is the Second Elder very strong?”
“As strong as a Great Emperor!”
Yang Kai gasped upon hearing that. If that was true, he didn’t even need to attempt. Before he could even go near the island, he was certain he would be discovered.
Just then, Yang Kai thought of something. If the Second Elder of the Dragon Clan was as powerful as a Great Emperor, what about the Great Elder? The Great Elder was supposed to be stronger than the Second Elder.
In other words, there were two Masters who were supposedly as powerful as Great Emperors overseeing Dragon Island, which was a piece of shocking news.
In the past, when Yang Kai heard other people talk about how incredible Dragon Island was, he still couldn’t grasp the concept. Now, he had learned that there were two Great Emperor level existences living on this island. Taking other Dragon Clan members into consideration as well, nowhere else in this world was comparable to this kind of heritage.
“What is the Great Elder’s stance on this matter?” Yang Kai asked with a frown. Since the Second Elder had confined Zhu Qing to her personal island, there was no way she would let her go. If Yang Kai wanted to help Zhu Qing escape, he had to start with the Great Elder.
Zhu Lie replied, “The Great Elder’s name is Zhu Yan, and the Second Elder’s name is Fu Zhun. Do you get it now?”
Yang Kai arched his eyebrow, “The Second Elder is from the Fu Clan of the Dragon Clan.”
“Although the Zhu Clan and the Fu Clan are both from the Dragon Clan, we’re not exactly on good terms.”
Furious, Yang Kai yelled, “Since the Great Elder is from the Zhu Clan, why doesn’t he help Zhu Qing?”
Although he had never met Zhu Yan before, he started growing resentful of the old man now. [That old fart is so useless. If he can’t even protect his own people, what’s the point of him holding the position as the Great Elder? Why doesn’t he just resign and spend his retirement years somewhere else?]
Zhu Lie explained, “Zhu Qing has violated the rules and disgraced the Dragon Clan, so the Great Elder can’t help her even if he wants to.”
Thinking that it was all Yang Kai’s fault, Zhu Lie glowered at him. [If it weren’t for him, Zhu Qing wouldn’t have ended up being imprisoned.]
A similar case to this took place more than ten years ago; however, at that time, it was the Fu Clan that was the cause of the incident rather than the Zhu Clan.
That person also fell in love with a Human and even gave birth to a child. When Dragon Island got wind of the news, the Second Elder, Fu Zhun, was so enraged that she personally went to bring that Fu Clan member back to Dragon Island. Ignoring the other Dragon Clan members’ persuasion and pleas, she directly imprisoned that person in the Dragon Grave.
Only dying Dragon Clan members would enter the Dragon Grave, so it was basically the Dragon Clan’s Restricted Area. Entering that place was akin to getting a death sentence, so no one could ever hope to get out of it again.
That person, who had violated the Dragon Clan’s rules, was Fu Zhun’s favourite clan member at that time. She had personally raised her, and even regarded her as her daughter. However, Fu Zhun was impartial when the rules were concerned. She still stone-heartedly pushed that person into the Dragon Grave, leaving her to perish on her own.
Zhu Lie still remembered that, at that time, even the Great Elder had tried to persuade the Second Elder to give her a lighter punishment, but the Second Elder was unfazed and went on to punish her accordingly.
More than ten years had passed, but Zhu Lie still remembered the incident vividly.
Given this precedent, Zhu Qing was lucky enough to not have been thrown into the Dragon Grave directly, so there was nothing else she could ask for. It was exactly because of this incident more than ten years ago that the Great Elder decided not to make a plea for Zhu Qing.
The Second Elder was cold-blooded enough to push the one whom she regarded as her daughter into the Dragon Grave, so she wouldn’t have any mercy on a Zhu Clan member. If the Great Elder insisted on protecting Zhu Qing, the outcome would turn out to be the opposite of what was desired.
Now, it was thanks to the fact that Zhu Qing wasn’t pregnant that she didn’t get thrown into the Dragon Grave. Otherwise, she would have ended up in the same place as that Fu Clan member.
The Dragon Clan was a bunch of promiscuous people, and many male Dragons had bedded Humans and Monsters, bearing many children; however, it was a different case when the female clan members bore children from another race, which was a taboo within the Dragon Clan.
The main reason was that the ratio of men to women within the Dragon Clan was imbalanced. The female Dragons were much smaller in number, so every one of them was a treasure as well as the hope to sustain the Dragon Clan’s bloodline, which was why they were not allowed to get together with other races.
With a dark expression, Yang Kai gave it a thought and asked, “Do you think I can suppress the Second Elder’s bloodline?”
Zhu Lie pressed his lips together and replied, “Don’t even think about it.”
“I’m able to suppress an Eighth-Order bloodline, but I have never tried it on a Ninth-Order before. The Second Elder’s bloodline is in the Tenth-Order at most, so there’s not much of a difference.”
Zhu Lie shook his head and explained, “I know what’s on your mind, but I suggest you give up that idea now. The Second Elder’s cultivation is unbelievably powerful. Given your current strength, you can’t suppress her bloodline. In fact, on this island, if I’m well prepared, you won’t even be able to suppress my bloodline.”
“What do you mean?” Yang Kai frowned.
Zhu Lie went on to say, “The Dragon Temple contains all our ancestors’ power, so if we’re able to obtain a Secret Technique from it, we’ll be able to considerably offset bloodline suppression. You’ve experienced it before.”
Yang Kai was startled for a moment before he recalled the first time he came across Zhu Lie. Back then, he wasn’t able to suppress Zhu Lie’s bloodline. It wasn’t until he achieved a breakthrough at the last moment, making an advancement in his Dragon Transformation Secret Art, that Yang Kai was able to peel off a special Dragon Scale from Zhu Lie and defeat him. There was a trace of the Secret Technique on that Dragon Scale.
It was then Yang Kai realized that it must be the blessing Zhu Lie obtained from the Dragon Temple. Now, he understood the reason why he couldn’t suppress Zhu Lie’s bloodline initially.
“If you want to suppress a Master like the Second Elder, you’ll have to integrate all the Dragon Source within your body first. Despite that, your chance will still be slim. Don’t forget that, other than being a Dragon, the Second Elder’s own strength is basically on par with that of a Great Emperor.”
“It’s impossible for me to fully integrate the Dragon Source!” Yang Kai shook his head repeatedly. It had been a long time since he started cultivating the Dragon Transformation Secret Art, and although he had made some progress with refining the Golden Divine Dragon Source Strength within his body, the amount was still insignificant. It would take him more than 100 years of cultivation to integrate all of it at best.
“Then, don’t even think about challenging the Second Elder.”
“Is the Great Elder really unable to help?” A glint flashed across Yang Kai’s eyes. The only person on Dragon Island who could challenge the Second Elder was the Great Elder. If he was willing to lend a hand, there was hope for them to save Zhu Qing.
“Don’t even think about it. The Great Elder is the leader of the Dragon Clan, so he won’t violate the rules.”
Yang Kai became incensed, “Are there really no solutions at all? Do we just watch Zhu Qing suffer and do nothing?”
As he spoke, he suddenly thought of something, so he uttered in an excited manner, “By the way, I have a Dragon Island Token. Why don’t I use it to get your Elder Sister freed?” Upon finishing his words, he fished out the Dragon Island Token.
Zhu Lie’s gaze lit up for a moment before it dimmed again. After a sigh, he replied, “The Elders will grant your wish if it’s a different matter, but they won’t agree to free Zhu Qing.”
Yang Kai snarled, “Won’t they keep their promise? It’s said that the Dragon Clan will grant the Dragon Island Token’s holder a wish. My wish is to leave with your Elder Sister.”
“That’s true, but the prerequisite is that you can’t violate the Dragon Clan’s rules and harm our interests. Rules will be broken if we allow you to leave with Zhu Qing.”
Yang Kai fell silent for a moment before he cursed. He hadn’t felt so helpless for a long time. He felt displeased and frustrated, as though all the roads had been blocked, which caused him to be unable to show his true power.
In a hesitant manner, Zhu Lie said, “You might have a chance next month.”
With his gaze lighting up, Yang Kai looked at him.
Zhu Lie gazed at him as well and explained, “Zhu Qing will leave the Second Elder’s Spirit Island next month. That’ll be your only chance to save her.”
“How do you know what’s going to happen next month?” Yang Kai frowned and thought that there was a hidden message in Zhu Lie’s words.
With a conflicted gaze, Zhu Lie asked, “Do you know why the Dragon Clan suddenly wants to build a palace on Fu Chi’s Spirit Island?”
After pondering on it for a moment, Yang Kai replied, “Because of Fu Chi’s wedding?”
He had heard about it from Madam Hua in the morning, but Yang Kai didn’t really care about it. Although a Dragon Clan member’s wedding was an important event, it had nothing to do with him. Now, he just wanted to leave with Zhu Qing.
“To be precise, it’s Fu Chi and Zhu Qing’s wedding!”
In an instant, the air seemed to have frozen. The temperature around them dropped by a few degrees as the area was engulfed in coldness.
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes, and his Emperor Qi started surging beyond his control. In a slow manner, he uttered, “Say that again. I didn’t hear it clearly.”
After a sigh, Zhu Lie replied, “She was spared from being thrown in the Dragon Grave, but there was a catch; she has to get married to Fu Chi to sustain the Dragon Clan’s bloodline.”
*Hong…*
Instantly, a surge of fury came over Yang Kai. He clenched his fists as his bones started cracking. He hadn’t been so infuriated in a long time, as though he had been engulfed in the sea of rage, causing him to be extremely agitated.
At that instant, he wanted nothing more than to kill Fu Chi. He wanted to return to that Spirit Island and find him before tearing him apart. Otherwise, he would never be able to soothe the fury in his chest.
[Bastard! How dare he snatch my woman from me!] Yang Kai had already disdained Fu Chi when he came across him in the morning, but now he was enraged and regarded him as his archnemesis.
He had never expected that Fu Chi, who had harmed Lu San Niang previously, dared to snatch his woman from him.
“Zhu Qing did try to resist, but it’s the Elders’ collective decision, so it’s useless for her to disagree with it. Otherwise, her Dragon Vein wouldn’t have been suppressed, and her cultivation wouldn’t have been sealed.”
Yang Kai’s mood turned worse when he heard that. Feeling sorry for Zhu Qing, he could picture how helpless she must have been at that time. With this thought in mind, he started blaming himself for failing to protect the woman he loved.
At the thought of Fu Chi, he became even more angered. [Who does he think he is? Even if I pissed on a picture of him, it would make it look better! Someone like that…]
With a ferocious expression, Yang Kai gnashed his teeth together, as though he was ready to kill.
Zhu Lie stared at him and uttered, “The wedding will be next month. At that time, she’ll go to Fu Chi’s island. That will be your only chance to save her. Other than that, you won’t have any chance to see her.”
Yang Kai said bitterly, “In other words, I have to stay here for one more month.”
“You can try breaking into the Second Elder’s residence now and depart for the afterlife immediately.”
Yang Kai glowered at him for a moment before taking a deep breath. The breath he puffed out from his nostrils was scorching hot, as though he was breathing fire. After he managed to compose himself, he nodded slightly, “Got it.”
“It’s not too late for you to leave now.” Zhu Lie gazed at him, “Since you were able to come in, I’m sure you’ll be able to leave as well. If you insist on staying, you’ll likely lose your life in a month’s time!”
Yang Kai was a hot-blooded man, but he could also calm himself down quickly, and his rational mind told him that Zhu Lie was right. Despite that, he still balled up his fists and said, “We’ll see who dies on that day.”
After the talk, Zhu Lie returned to his residence, leaving Yang Kai alone on the island. A myriad of dark expressions came over Yang Kai as he was still boiling with anger over what he had learned from Zhu Lie.
[It will be Zhu Qing’s wedding next month?] All of a sudden, Yang Kai looked up at the sky and began to laugh. His Emperor Pressure surged as he sent a circular shock wave across the island using his Emperor Qi.
The trees shook violently, and the sandstorm plunged the beautiful island into chaos. After Yang Kai stopped laughing, he turned his head and looked in a particular direction. At the other end of the island, there was a small area of purple corals in the sea. The corals were beautiful and looked just like crystals.
After stomping his foot, Yang Kai leapt into the air and disappeared into the night sky, upon which the atmosphere on the island became serene again.
A long time later, the corals contorted and transformed into a curvy and beautiful lady who was clad in purple clothes. Staring in the direction Yang Kai disappeared, she batted her alluring eyes and curled up her lips, “It seems that I’ve discovered a big secret! Zhu Lie, I’ll definitely get you this time. You’ll have to pay the price for looking down on me!”
Elated, she giggled for a bit and came up with all sorts of dirty tricks in her mind. After that, she turned around to leave.
Right then she stiffened as, all of a sudden, a chill was sent down her spine as though all her blood had been frozen. It was because she saw that Yang Kai, who had left the place earlier, appeared again and stood right there in silence. With bloodshot eyes, he was glaring at her, as though she was dead meat.
“You…” Flabbergasted, Fu Ling instinctively moved backwards in an attempt to widen the gap between them.
She had heard the conversation between Zhu Lie and Yang Kai earlier, so she knew that this average-looking Human was formidable. Therefore, her first reaction was to flee instead of battling against him.
It wasn’t that she was timid, as members of the Dragon Clan were never afraid of battle. They were the most powerful creatures in the world as well as the leaders of all Divine Spirits. They only respected Masters from the same clan. The reason she was retreating was that she knew she was no match for Yang Kai.
She was only a Sixth-Order Dragon, while even Eighth-Order Dragons like Zhu Lie and Zhu Qing were defeated by Yang Kai previously. Naturally, she couldn’t defeat Yang Kai either.
It had to be said that she had made a wise decision. As long as she could widen the gap between her and Yang Kai and disappear into the sea, she could possibly escape unscathed, given her ability to transform into various different forms.
Moving at full speed, Fu Ling turned into a Purple Dragon and broke through the void.
On the other hand, Yang Kai didn’t seem to be moving his body at all as he stared coldly at her. However, he was able to remain three steps away from her and make sure that she couldn’t escape from him.
The colour drained from Fu Ling’s beautiful face as she pushed her Dragon Essence in an attempt to call for help. Although it might not be useful at all, it might scare Yang Kai off for a moment.
“Look at me!” Yang Kai growled as his voice transmitted straight into Fu Ling’s eardrums.
Fu Ling instinctively raised her head, only to see that Yang Kai had transformed into a 45-metre long Half-Dragon. His towering figure was like a mountain pressing against her chest, making her unable to breathe. The Dragon Pressure he released seemed to have made her blood freeze, as she couldn’t even utilize half of her power.
What terrified Fu Ling most was that Yang Kai’s left eye was golden, which caused her mind to destabilize and her Soul to shake. Following that, a huge claw was seen coming at her.
Flustered, Fu Ling felt her heart fill with fear. She wanted to call for help, but she couldn’t utter a word, as though she had plunged into a nightmare. The next moment, she was sucked into something. The sea and the island disappeared from her sight and a huge area of land magically appeared beneath her feet, and the view around her had changed.
With her knees on the ground, she coughed for a bit and gasped for air, her face as pale as a white sheet. At that moment, her clothes were soaking wet, so they now stuck closely to her body, outlining her voluptuous figure.
Suddenly, a pair of big feet came into view.
Fu Ling raised her head with difficulty and looked up at the towering man as her tender body shook uncontrollably. Her nightmarish experience just now caused her to look particularly pitiful, adding to her appeal at the moment.
Although she knew that Yang Kai was powerful, she didn’t expect that she still couldn’t escape from him after she used all her strength to flee. [What’s going on with him? He’s more terrifying than what Zhu Lie described!]
Right after Zhu Lie and Zhu Qing returned to Dragon Island some time ago, they went to meet the Elders. After that, Zhu Qing was imprisoned. Recently, it was announced that she was to marry Fu Chi, which sent a shock wave across Dragon Island.
After all, there was a layer of mystery surrounding this incident, so all of them wanted to find out the truth. It was the same for Fu Ling. Women were intrinsically gossipy, and the Dragon Clan members were no exception. After putting in some effort, she was finally able to get some useful information.
It was said that Zhu Qing fell in love with a Human after she left the island some time ago. That was fine and all, but what wasn’t acceptable was that she wanted to get married to him. She returned to Dragon Island just to ask for the Elders’ approval.
That Human was named Yang Kai. It was said that he had obtained the Ancestral Dragon Source, which was an extremely fortuitous event for him.
However, he was a Human after all, so there was no way the Elders would agree to Zhu Qing’s request. A similar event had happened more than ten years ago, and that woman was pushed into the Dragon Grave and wouldn’t be able to come out ever again, so her ending was even more miserable than Zhu Qing’s.
Now, Zhu Qing had been confined to the Second Elder’s Spirit Island, and she was going to marry Fu Chi in one month. Fu Ling had no idea how the Elders would handle that Human, but his future was definitely bleak.
The Dragon Clan would certainly deal with him after Fu Chi and Zhu Qing’s wedding, for they couldn’t tolerate the fact that the Ancestral Dragon Source had fallen under a Human’s control.
Fu Ling knew a thing or two about Yang Kai, but she didn’t expect that he was reckless enough to sneak into Dragon Island. If she hadn’t come across Zhu Lie and followed him to this place, she wouldn’t have discovered this shocking secret.
However, now, she regretted the fact that she had been exposed. She was no match for Yang Kai, so she wondered what her ending would be. After struggling internally for a bit, she suddenly leapt into the air and travelled more than a few thousand metres.
Turning around, she was elated to see that Yang Kai remained on the same spot while he was looking at her coldly. Nevertheless, he didn’t seem to have the intention of chasing after her.
Without any hesitation, Fu Ling roared and transformed into a Purple Dragon before she shot up into the sky and hovered around the clouds.
“You’re doomed. My clansmen are coming over now. If you kneel and beg me now, I might consider sparing your life.” With a faint smile, Fu Ling stopped moving and stared at Yang Kai from a few thousand metres away.
The Secret Technique she just used was a call for help. She believed that all the Dragon Clan members on Dragon Island were coming over now, so she wasn’t afraid of Yang Kai anymore. Having regained her confidence, she was able to set her mind at ease and return to her human form.
Without uttering a word, Yang Kai stared mockingly at her. There wasn’t any trace of anxiety on his face.
Surprised, Fu Ling sized him up and asked, “Aren’t you afraid?”
“Why should I be afraid?” Yang Kai grinned.
Fu Ling nodded, “You’re indeed bold.” She flung her hair back casually upon finishing her words. After the fear in her heart disappeared, she became charming again, her alluring gaze seemingly having the ability to suck any man into it.
“However, I don’t think Zhu Qing would fall in love with you just because you’re bold. What does she see in you? I still can’t believe she’s willing to break away from Dragon Island just to be together with you.”
She was speaking to Yang Kai to stall for time. After her clansmen arrived, Yang Kai would never be able to harm her again no matter how powerful he was. Suddenly, she covered her mouth and giggled, “Could it be that… you’re skilful in bed? So Zhu Qing fell in love with your skills, is it…? Hahaha… She’s indeed an inexperienced girl.”
Yang Kai wasn’t surprised that Fu Ling would say such shameless things; after all, he had seen for himself how promiscuous she could be.
“Who knows?” Yang Kai shrugged and remained in the same spot.
Fu Ling licked her plump and juicy lips, which were as attractive as rubies. Panting slightly, she said, “I heard that Zhu Qing managed to become a Ninth-Order Dragon because of you?”
This wasn’t a secret, at least on Dragon Island. When Zhu Qing returned to Dragon Island some time back, all of them were shocked to learn that she was now a Ninth-Order Dragon.
It was extremely difficult to improve one’s Dragon Vein. Even if a Dragon Clan member continuously consumed Dragon Blood Flowers for more than 10,000 years, they might not be able to break through.
Since Zhu Qing was already an Eighth-Order Dragon, it was especially difficult for her to do so. However, she had managed to achieve that. Although she didn’t reveal the reason behind it, the knowledgeable Elders had figured out the truth.
The Human she had gotten together with had obtained the Ancestral Dragon Source. Hence, after they became one, Zhu Qing must have gotten a lot of benefits, which then led to the breakthrough in her bloodline.
Fu Ling was just a Sixth-Order Dragon, so if she could also bed Yang Kai, she should be able to become Seventh-Order with ease. Perhaps she would even make it to the Eighth-Order.
With this thought in mind, she felt her body growing hot as her heart yearned for that man. Her fair face and long neck also turned a shade redder.
“I’d like to have a try as well.” Her voice became alluring as she panted and tried to show off her hourglass figure.
She didn’t attempt to hide her promiscuity because Yang Kai had seen her having fun with other men in the Dragon Palace some time ago. Therefore, she didn’t have to pretend to be innocent now.
At that time, Yang Kai was taking a peek outside the room. She discovered him at the last moment and obviously remembered his face.
“Sorry, I’m not interested in worn-out shoes.” Yang Kai sneered.
Fu Ling turned cold instantly as her eyes beamed with a glacial glare. Clenching her teeth, she screamed, “Human, you’ll pay the price for your rudeness! After you are captured by the Elders, I will bring you home and make love to you! I hope you’ll have enough stamina because it’s difficult for any man to satisfy me!”
“We’ll talk about it when you have that chance.” Unfazed, Yang Kai changed the topic, “Anyway, I’m curious how you were able to hide without Zhu Lie and me noticing.”
Fu Ling grabbed her own hair and fiddled with it as she spoke nonchalantly, “I’m a Purple Dragon who was born with the Ever-Changing Innate Ability, so it isn’t surprising that I could turn into some rocks.”
“Ever-Changing Innate Ability!” Yang Kai exclaimed, “An impressive Divine Ability!”
If he hadn’t allowed his Emperor Qi to explode and noticed that something was off, he would have been fooled by her. Despite that, he wasn’t so certain himself, which was why he pretended to have left the place while actually hiding nearby to observe.
He didn’t expect that he would really catch someone, and that person turned out to be Fu Ling. Because of Fu Chi, he was generally resentful of all those that were in the Fu Clan. He especially loathed Fu Ling’s promiscuity, but now that she had eavesdropped on his secret discussion with Zhu Lie, it would cause him huge trouble if this matter wasn’t handled properly.
Finally sensing that something was amiss, Fu Ling knitted her brows and looked around cautiously.
“If you’re waiting for help, I’m sorry to disappoint you, but none will be coming.”
Fu Ling’s expression changed as she muttered, “This isn’t an Illusion Array! Is this a Small World?”
Just now, when the view changed as she was transported from that Spirit Island to this strange place, she thought that Yang Kai had used an Illusion Array to confine her. Now, she realized that they were in a Small World instead of an Illusion Array.
Upon that realization, Fu Ling almost broke down, for she finally understood why her clansmen were not coming. A Small World was an independent space, so there was no way she could send her call for help across World Barriers using her Secret Technique. Without the help of her clansmen, it meant that she had to confront Yang Kai on her own.
“Damn it!” Both exasperated and shocked, she whirled around and turned into a beam of purple light, no longer calm and collected. She didn’t know what this Small World was, nor how Yang Kai managed to bring her into it; however, she knew that she was in deep trouble, so she had to flee.
Not long after she flew off though she suddenly screamed. She was being pressured from all directions, which had fixed her onto the spot, as though she had crashed into an invisible wall. At that moment, she was bound to that place and couldn’t struggle out of it.
Just then, a strange force could be felt from ahead of her, which pushed her backwards and shortened her gap with Yang Kai. She started shrieking, for it was the first time she experienced such a strange event despite her age.
[It’s World Force! It’s the power of this Small World!] Fu Ling’s gaze was transformed by fear. The fact that Yang Kai could control this Small World plunged her into a state of despair. She knew that there was no way she could go against him in this place.
In just a short moment, all her effort had gone to waste as she was now right in front of Yang Kai again. Gazing at the 45-metre-tall Half-Dragon, she was panic-stricken and yelled, “You can’t kill me!”
Unfazed, Yang Kai went on to land a palm on her with a cold expression, he wanted to vent out his anger from last night on her.
Just then, Fu Ling shouted, “I’m Zhu Lie’s woman!”
Yang Kai’s Dragon Claw stopped just a hand’s length above Fu Ling’s head as her clothes flapped in the wind brought by the palm. Still reeling from the shock, she fell on her bottom, her face completely pale.
Yang Kai looked down at her and lifted a finger before he placed a pointed Dragon Claw on her forehead, upon which, blood started streaming out of her wound, “Say that again.”
“I’m not lying. I’m really Zhu Lie’s woman!” Fu Ling’s tender body trembled uncontrollably as it was the first time she was so close to death, which was why she was suffering from a breakdown. No longer dignified as a Dragon Clan member, she looked up at him and put on a fawning smile. Due to her fear, her smile was uglier than if she was crying.
“You’re quite bold to make such a claim.” Yang Kai chuckled, but he was now in a Half-Dragon Form, so his laugh was rather eerie.
Fu Ling hurriedly replied, “It’s true. It’s the Elders’ collective decision… As well as my own request.”
Yang Kai frowned as he realized that she wasn’t lying, “What do you mean?”
“Zhu Qing will get married to Fu Chi. As compensation, someone from the Fu Clan will have to marry a Zhu Clan member. I’m the designated woman, and Zhu Lie will be my husband.”
The corner of Yang Kai’s mouth twitched when he heard that.
“We’ll be one family soon…” With teary eyes, Fu Ling looked at Yang Kai in a pitiful manner, as though she was gazing at someone she admired. In a soft voice, she uttered, “Brother-in-law, all I’ve said is true.”
She seemed to be sincere when she addressed Yang Kai in such a way, and her expression was natural, as though they were indeed one family now.
With a weird expression, Yang Kai asked, “Has Zhu Lie… agreed to it?”
He was amused upon learning this news. [That brat’s taste in women is… heavy. I’m sure he knows what kind of woman Fu Ling is, so how does he have the courage to marry such a slut? Isn’t he worried that she’ll cheat on him in the future?]
Fu Ling forced a smile, “It’s not up to him. To the Elders, the most important thing for the Dragon Clan is to sustain our bloodline.”
“What a poor man.” Yang Kai sighed as he felt sorry for what Zhu Lie had to go through. [My little brother-in-law is so pitiful. If I were in his shoes, I would have blown my top.]
“Brother-in-law,” Fu Ling called out smoothly, “I didn’t intend to expose your secret. I just wanted to threaten Zhu Lie with this and make him agree to marry me. As for Fu Chi’s matter, I don’t care about it at all. Moreover, Zhu Qing is a Ninth-Order Dragon, so only a man like you is the perfect match for her. Who does Fu Chi think he is to snatch your woman? He doesn’t know his place!”
She had never flattered anyone before, so her words didn’t sound sincere, and seeing that Yang Kai remained silent, she felt extremely apprehensive. However, in order to survive, she mustered her courage and took Yang Kai’s finger before shaking it in a coquettish manner, “Brother-in-law, please trust me. I will never lie to you.”
Yang Kai looked down at her with a dispassionate expression, “It doesn’t matter whether I believe you or not.”
Fu Ling’s face turned pale again as she pressed her lips together, “Do you really want to kill me?”
Before Yang Kai could reply to her, she went on to say, “Brother-in-law, we’re one family, so I won’t complain even if you want to kill me. I shouldn’t have seen what I wasn’t supposed to see, and I shouldn’t have heard what I wasn’t supposed to hear. However, if you kill me, it will send a shock wave across the entire Dragon Island. By then, the Great Elder and the Second Elder will start an investigation and find out that you’re the culprit. When that happens, you’ll never have a chance to save Zhu Qing.”
Yang Kai frowned when he heard that. Fu Ling finally made a valid point after talking so much nonsense.
In fact, he really was hesitating whether he should kill Fu Ling or not. Inside the Sealed World Bead, it wouldn’t take him much effort to end her life as he was the Master in this place and could easily suppress her bloodline. The problem was what would happen after she was dead.
There were only a small number of Dragon Clan members, so everyone on Dragon Island would be alerted if any one of them died. If Fu Ling lost her life, Yang Kai wouldn’t be able to remain hidden anymore.
Seeing that he was hesitant, Fu Ling was elated. Knowing that he was now wary of the consequences of killing her, she reckoned that she had made the right move.
With her expression turning softer, she said gently, “As long as you don’t kill me, I’ll do whatever you want me to do.”
She was kneeling on the ground with her dress wide open, and her fair bosom appeared particularly alluring under the sunlight.
Understanding the meaning behind her words, Yang Kai shifted his attention to her bosom.
Putting on a faint smile, Fu Ling extended her hand and slightly pulled at her robes, which revealed more of her body. At the same time, she felt gleeful in her heart. [He’s just a Human while I’m a member of the Dragon Clan. By just exposing my body, I’m sure he’ll be enchanted by me! Furthermore, this Human has obtained Ancestral Dragon Source. Zhu Qing managed to gain benefits from him and even broke through. I’m only in the Sixth-Order, so if I can do the same, I should be able to gain even more benefits!]
With this thought in mind, she no longer felt repulsed by his aggressive stare. Instead, she was over the moon as she now yearned for his love. With her body growing hotter, she clenched her thighs tightly.
Just then, some popping sounds could be heard, upon which Yang Kai returned to his Human form. Following that, he stretched out his hand and clenched her neck.
“Brother-in-law…” Fu Ling was blushing as she made herself look charming. At that moment, she was pretending to be shy.
“Open your Knowledge Sea!” Yang Kai growled.
The shyness disappeared from Fu Ling’s face in an instant as she stared at him in shock, finally realizing his intention and turning pale as a result.
“Don’t make me repeat my words.” Yang Kai’s voice was cold, “I’ll grant your wish if you want to lose your life.”
After hesitating for a bit, Fu Ling decided to give in. With a forced smile, she replied, “Brother-in-law, please be gentle, it’s my first time.”
As soon as she lowered her Knowledge Sea’s defences, she felt a stream of pure Spiritual Energy gushing into her body.
In an instant, she felt her head growing heavy. It was really the first time she let anyone invade her Knowledge Sea, and she had given up resisting it. At that moment, she felt like she would rather die. [If I knew this would be the outcome, I wouldn’t have tailed Zhu Lie.]
At the same time, she cursed Zhu Lie in her heart.
Sending her consciousness into her Knowledge Sea, she appeared as her Soul Avatar and immediately saw Yang Kai’s figure. Yang Kai had also transformed into a Soul Avatar as he was standing on the vast waters of her Knowledge Sea. With a solemn expression, he wove a series of seals to form an Imprint.
Despite knowing what he was trying to do, Fu Ling was powerless to stop him. Standing to the side, she was extremely frustrated.
A moment later, a Seal appeared on Yang Kai’s palm and shot into Fu Ling’s Knowledge Sea. Instantly, her Knowledge Sea became volatile. Fu Ling groaned as her Soul Avatar kept shaking, as though it would disintegrate at any moment.
It took her some time before she managed to come to her senses. Raising her gaze, she realized that Yang Kai was nowhere in sight. Apparently, he had left her Knowledge Sea.
Upon checking on the Soul Imprint, she felt utterly helpless. Initially, she thought that she could dissolve the Soul Imprint with some time and effort, but upon seeing how complicated and solid it was, she gave up on the idea.
After her consciousness returned to her body, she looked apprehensively at Yang Kai and asked gently, “Brother-in-law, what do you want me to do?”
Since a Soul Imprint had been planted in her Knowledge Sea, her life or death was now up to Yang Kai to decide. Hence, she had to give in and stopped being presumptuous. Also, she had become more cautious when dealing with Yang Kai.
“Just make sure you don’t ruin my plans. I’ll leave this place in a month. By then, you’ll be set free.”
“Good.” Fu Ling appeared to be obsequious.
The Sun was rising from the East. At the break of dawn, Yang Kai decided to return to Fu Chi’s Spirit Island.
It had been a night full of unexpected twists and turns. Not only did he find out that Zhu Qing was going to get married next month, but he also managed to capture Fu Ling and plant a Soul Imprint in her mind, thereby controlling her life and death. Knowing that it was useless for him to be furious now, he suppressed the emotions in his heart. Now, he had to come up with a way to save Zhu Qing next month.
All the Dragon Clan members were expected to attend Fu Chi’s wedding, including the Elders. The Great Elder and the Second Elder were said to be as powerful as Great Emperors, so would he really be able to save his woman under their watch?
The chance of success was slim, unless he could persuade the Great Elder to side with him. If the Great Elder could deal with the Second Elder, there would be hope for him to save Zhu Qing.
It wasn’t ridiculous. Instead, it was highly feasible. Judging from what Zhu Lie had said, the Great Elder had a temperate personality, while the Second Elder was an impartial person. Supposedly, the Great Elder wasn’t in favour of this wedding, but he kept quiet about it due to the Dragon Clan’s rules.
[How do I make the Great Elder side with me? The Dragon Island Token might be useful, but it isn’t a sure-fire way.]
Now, Yang Kai hoped that Fu Ling could get some useful information for him. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be any chance of him surviving in a month’s time.
It was a good choice to subdue Fu Ling, as he had managed to plant a mole within the Fu Clan. It wouldn’t matter even if she was useless, but if she turned out to be useful, she might bring him the outcome he desired.
On his way back to the Spirit Island, Yang Kai was still pondering over the matter. When he returned to the island, Lu San Niang and her daughter were still waiting for him on the beach.
Seeing Yang Kai, Lu San Niang approached him, “Little Brother Yang, you’re finally back,” she said as her gaze was filled with worry. Although she didn’t know why Yang Kai had to leave, she knew that something must have happened. Upon seeing his dark expression, she dared not utter one more word.
Lu Yu Qin on the other hand, as a young and inexperienced girl, was still reeling from the shock of witnessing the death of a few people right before her eyes. Her face was pale and she was snuggled up to her mother.
Yang Kai gave it a thought on the same spot for a moment before he managed to clear up his mind. Now, he had to make sure that he would be able to meet Zhu Qing one month later. If he couldn’t even see her, how was he going to rescue her?
Having come up with a temporary plan, he took a deep breath and turned to look at Lu San Niang before speaking in a calm voice, “Where’s Yuan Wu’s Space Ring?”
“It’s here.” Lu San Niang hurriedly fished out a few rings, “Madam Hua and the others’ rings are here as well.”
When she and Lu Yu Qin were burying Yuan Wu and the others, she took their Space Rings off their fingers. She didn’t intend to hide them, so she immediately took them out when Yang Kai asked her about the rings.
There were a total of five Space Rings, four of which belonged to the deceased. There was one ring that was given to Yuan Wu by Fu Chi to store the rare materials needed to build the palace.
After scanning them with his Divine Sense, Yang Kai took the Space Ring with the rare materials and gave the others to Lu San Niang.
“This…” Lu San Niang took them hesitantly.
“Just keep them.” Upon finishing his words, Yang Kai leaped into the air and headed to the palace.
At that moment, the construction site was hustling and bustling. In just a few days, they had managed to build a foundation of the palace, which was incredible progress for such a large-scale building.
About 200 people were working there, and nobody dared to slack off; after all, it was a task that had been assigned to them by the Dragon Clan, and an Eighth-Order Thunder Dragon was living on this island, so they couldn’t be sure whether they would be caught if they loafed.
That was why all of them were working around the clock and would only take some Spirit Pills to restore their energy when they were exhausted.
“Little Brother Yang, I haven’t met you for such a long time. Why are you here?” A friendly voice could be heard as Wu Chen, who had a thin figure and a monkey-liked face, greeted Yang Kai with a smile.
Hearing that, the other cultivators shot a displeased look at Yang Kai. It couldn’t be helped, as all cultivators had been given different tasks by Yuan Wu, so they were all very busy. Even Lu San Niang and her daughter had to dive into the sea to look for Luminous Pearls previously.
However, only Yang Kai seemed to have nothing to do. Naturally, the others felt that they had been treated unfairly. Nevertheless, Yang Kai was a mysterious man who managed to defeat Yuan Wu previously. Although they were displeased, they didn’t have the guts to confront him, so after shooting him a glare, they continued with their work.
“Greetings, Brother Wu.” Yang Kai nodded.
With a frown, Wu Chen approached Yang Kai and said, “Brother Yang, have you seen Sir Yuan? I heard that he went to visit you. Why isn’t he back yet?”
“Yuan Wu is dead.”
Wu Chen was startled and looked dazedly at him while the other cultivators also turned to look at him in disbelief.
With the corner of his mouth twitching, Wu Chen said in a bitter voice, “He’s dead? How did that happen?”
“He offended a Dragon Clan member, so he was killed.”
Hearing that, all of them gasped as a myriad of expressions came over them. Some time ago, after Fu Qi brought them to this place, he told Yuan Wu to be in charge of the construction, so they thought that Yuan Wu had gained the Dragon Clan’s favour. However, in just a few days, he was killed by a Dragon.
All the Dragon Clan members were driven by their emotions and had no qualms about killing others. Hence, these cultivators reminded themselves not to make any mistakes. Otherwise, they might be the next to lose their lives.
After a moment of silence, Wu Chen appeared to be sorrowful as he asked, “What should we do, then? Without Sir Yuan in charge of the construction, this palace…”
“You’ll be in charge, then.” Upon finishing his words, Yang Kai tossed the Space Ring to him.
“Me?” Wu Chen was startled and hurriedly caught the ring before putting on a forced smile, “Stop pulling my leg, Brother Yang. I’m not qualified…”
“Someone has to be in charge of this place, so you shouldn’t reject it. I’m just passing on the Dragon Clan’s word. If anyone dares to disobey you, just tell me right away. The Dragon Clan will punish them.” As Yang Kai spoke, he shot a cold glance at the other cultivators, which sent chills down their spines. The message in Yang Kai’s words was significant, so they had to re-evaluate him.
Realizing that as well, Wu Chen asked in a small voice, “Brother Yang, have you been in contact with the Dragon Clan?”
“You just have to take care of everything here. The palace has to be built before the deadline. Otherwise, all of you will have to die!” Instead of replying to him directly, Yang Kai gave an ambiguous answer.
In fact, he wasn’t lying. He could contact Zhu Lie at any moment, and he had subdued Fu Ling. If anyone dared to disobey him, he could summon Fu Ling to punish them.
With a solemn expression, Wu Chen nodded and replied, “I understand, Brother Yang. I’ll make sure there won’t be any mistakes.
“Very good.” Yang Kai patted his shoulder and turned to leave.
If he wanted to meet Zhu Qing, he had to make sure that the palace would be built before the deadline. If the palace wasn’t ready on the day of the wedding, the wedding couldn’t even take place. When that happened, he also wouldn’t be able to see Zhu Qing.
He had wanted to be in charge of the construction, but that would be too frustrating. No man would want to trouble himself to build a palace for his woman to get married to another man. If he was in charge of the construction, he might end up destroying the palace instead of building it, which was why he decided to pass the responsibility to Wu Chen right after he saw him. What the eyes don’t see, the heart doesn’t mind.
With so much free time now, Yang Kai could take the chance to cultivate. If he could make a breakthrough to the next realm, he would stand a better chance to save Zhu Qing when the time came.
With this thought in mind, he returned to the beach and gave Lu San Niang some instructions before heading to sea. In just one hour, he reached the centre of the waters. There was basically no end in sight, and all he could see were the blue sea and the bright sky.
After inspecting the area with Divine Sense and making sure that no one was around, he dove into the waters. After reaching a few thousand metres below the sea surface, he summoned the Sealed World Bead and entered the Small Sealed World. Following that, the Small World Bead sank to the bottom.
Inside the Small Sealed World, Yang Kai took a seat on the ground with his legs crossed beside the medicine garden before he emptied his mind and breathed in the World Energy.
After about four hours, he finally calmed himself down and cleared up the unnecessary thoughts in his mind. Then, he summoned the Black Jade Furnace and took out a set of Spirit Herbs before laying them to his side.
Lastly, he fished out three Spirit Flowers that were as red as blood in a careful manner. They were Dragon Blood Flowers, a treasure only found on Dragon Island.
Although they looked similar to Li Jiao’s Dragon Blood Flower, the quality was much better, and the size was much bigger.
These were the Dragon Blood Flowers nurtured on Dragon Island, so they were naturally much better than Li Jiao’s half-baked Dragon Blood Flower. In comparison, Li Jiao’s Dragon Blood Flower was just like the weeds one could pick from the fields.
There were only three Dragon Blood Flowers, which he had snatched from Fu Ling. When Fu Ling was forced to take out the Dragon Blood Flowers, resentment was clearly written all over her face; however, under the threat of the Soul Imprint, she couldn’t resist Yang Kai’s demands.
Although every Dragon Clan member could get a fixed number of Dragon Blood Flowers every year, the quantity was small. For a Sixth-Order Dragon like Fu Ling, she could get 20 flowers every year at the maximum. It also depended on the maturity condition of those flowers. If she was unlucky, she might only get 10 flowers in any given year.
Dragon Clan members didn’t cultivate like Humans due to their already incredibly long lives. Furthermore, as they aged, their bloodline would naturally be purified, thereby increasing their power. The advancement would only stop when they reached the maximum purity their Blood Vein could support.
Besides that, they could also consume Dragon Blood Flowers as a shortcut to purify their bloodline, and increase their might.
Dragon Blood Flowers hadn’t been distributed for this year yet, and while last year, Fu Ling had obtained more than ten flowers, after regular use, she only had three left, which were all taken by Yang Kai.
At the time of passing the flowers to Yang Kai, she regretted that she didn’t use up all the flowers. She would have rather consumed them hastily than give them to Yang Kai.
In fact, Dragon Blood Flowers were graded into Low-Rank, Mid-Rank and High-Rank. The highest rank for Dragon Blood Flowers was Peak-Rank; however, Peak-Rank Dragon Blood Flowers were rarely found even on Dragon Island, as medicinal age wasn’t a determining factor in nurturing them; some natural factors were involved as well.
As for the three Dragon Blood Flowers taken from Fu Ling, two were Low-Rank while the other one was Mid-Rank. Based on this grading system, Li Jiao’s Dragon Blood Flower was just a flawed product, which couldn’t even be regarded as Low-Rank.
Some time ago, that Dragon Blood Flower was refined into Dragon Blood Pills by Ji Ying, and after taking that pill, Yang Kai was able to enhance his Half-Dragon Form with the help of Dragon Transformation Secret Art, which proved to be beneficial for him.
Having obtained three higher grade Dragon Blood Flowers, naturally, Yang Kai wouldn’t want to waste them. He decided to refine them into Dragon Blood Pills to stimulate his Golden Divine Dragon Source so that he could further integrate it into his body.
To deal with the Dragon Clan, the best way for him was to utilize bloodline suppression. Unfortunately, given his current level of strength, he wouldn’t stand any chance of success.
Although he had never made Dragon Blood Pills before, he was familiar with the production process through his contact with Ji Ying. Also, he could remember the pill recipe.
Given his mastery in the Alchemic Dao, there shouldn’t be any problems with this attempt. When everything was ready, Yang Kai started forming seals, upon which a fire was kindled inside the Black Jade Furnace.
After dropping the herbs and portraying the Spirit Arrays, Yang Kai began monitoring the heat, and moments later, the medicinal liquid was extracted. A mild scent started wafting from the Black Jade Furnace, which contained some soothing qualities for anyone who took a whiff.
With his increased strength, Yang Kai was able to perform Alchemy with greater ease than before. Although he hadn’t done this for a long time, his movement was smooth and not rusty at all. In the past, when he triggered the Grand Alchemic Dao Tone on Water Moon Star, Yang Kai was lucky enough to be taught Alchemy directly by the Heavenly Way. After that point, Alchemy became far more natural to him.
After Yang Kai dropped one Low-Rank Dragon Blood Flower into the Alchemy Furnace, the medicinal fragrance grew thicker. With a serious expression, Yang Kai was meticulous in every step he took, as though he was doing the most solemn thing in the world rather than simply performing Alchemy.
Half a day later, Yang Kai used his Nine Heavens Profound Pill Method. This Pill Condensing Method was taught to him during the Grand Alchemic Dao Tone as well. It was an individual technique, but it also harmonized perfectly with the Heavenly Way and Alchemic Dao, making it incredibly efficient and abstruse.
Just then, innumerable images flashed in his mind as a melodious and continuous clunking sound was heard from the Alchemy Furnace. After the fire went out, Yang Kai’s expression appeared as calm as a still lake.
After taking off the lid, he tapped the furnace with his other hand, upon which two red Spirit Pills flew out of the Alchemy Furnace. Already prepared for it, Yang Kai directly stored them in a jade bottle. Upon closer look, he still wasn’t satisfied with his work.
Although the Dragon Blood Pills had been produced successfully, the quality was rather poor, only slightly better than those made by Ji Ying previously.
The Dragon Blood Flowers he used this time were far better than those used by Ji Ying, but the quality of the pills still couldn’t meet Yang Kai’s expectations. Taking that into consideration, his pills were actually worse than those made by Ji Ying.
The quantity wasn’t ideal either, as he had only gotten two pills, not to mention that things like Pill Veins and Pill Clouds were nowhere in sight. With that said, any Emperor Grade Alchemists would have been over the moon if they could make such pills.
Although Emperor Grade Alchemists were able to produce Emperor Grade Spirit Pills, the success rate wasn’t 100 percent, not to mention when making pills like Dragon Blood Pills. Even compared to other Emperor Grade Pills, Dragon Blood Pills were one of the hardest to refine.
It couldn’t be helped, as the main ingredients for making the pills were Dragon Blood Flowers. Besides Ji Ying, no other living Emperor Grade Alchemists had had the privilege of refining this Spirit Pill.
It was Yang Kai’s first time refining Dragon Blood Flowers, but he had managed to produce two pills. This kind of result was extraordinary for any Emperor Grade Alchemist, so it was worth celebrating.
However, Yang Kai wasn’t happy with it because these Dragon Blood Pills were needed to help him save Zhu Qing one month later, so certainly, he hoped that the quality could have been better, and the quantity could have been greater.
After composing himself, Yang Kai didn’t rush to kindle a fire in the furnace again. Instead, he took out some Spirit Pills and gulped them down to restore himself. One hour later, he began again. This time, he also used a Low-Rank Dragon Blood Flower.
Half a day later, when he heard the clunking sound again, he arched an eyebrow and clapped the Alchemy Furnace. Although he hadn’t tried to sense it, he knew that there were more than two pills by just hearing the sound. As expected, four red Spirit Pills flew out of the Alchemy Furnace, upon which he put them in a jade bottle.
This time, the Dragon Blood Pills were much better than his first ones in terms of colour saturation, indicating that their medicinal efficacies were far better as well. It was true that it required skills and experience to perform Alchemy.
Yang Kai didn’t take a rest again and directly tried to refine Dragon Blood Pills for the third time. Half a day later, the third batch of Dragon Blood Pills flew out of the furnace. There were still only four pills, but the quality had been improved significantly.
Although it had something to do with Yang Kai’s increased familiarity with the process, the determining factor was that he had used the only Mid-Rank Dragon Blood Flower he had. To practice Alchemy, even though the Alchemist’s skills were crucial, the ingredients were the key to determining the quality of the final products. For the same Alchemist, the better the ingredients, the higher the quality the pills would turn out to be.
There were a total of ten pills for three refinements. The result was outstanding, as any Emperor Grade Alchemist couldn’t guarantee to achieve the same result, not even Ji Ying. Perhaps only the Wondrous Pill Great Emperor could ensure a 100 percent success rate.
When everything was ready, Yang Kai began cultivating. He was now in his Sealed World Bead, which was basically his territory, so he didn’t have to be wary of anything. No matter how much noise he made, people in the outside world wouldn’t notice it.
“Dragon Transformation!” After Yang Kai growled, his body swelled up instantly as popping sounds could be heard. Soon, his skin was covered in Dragon Scales. Two bulges rose from his forehead. His hands transformed into pointed Dragon Claws. Even the shape of his legs had changed.
After he transformed into his forty five-metre tall Half-Dragon Form, his Dragon Pressure permeated the place. Although he was seated on the ground with his legs crossed, his figure was still towering. With his eyes wide open, they beamed with a ferocious glare.
The petite jade bottle looked just like dust on his palm. As his chest heaved, he opened his mouth and took one Dragon Blood Pill into his stomach. Instantly, a scorching heat could be felt in his abdomen, as though he had just gulped down lava instead of a Dragon Blood Pill.
With hot air gushing out of his nostrils, Yang Kai closed his eyes and focused on circulating Dragon Transformation Secret Art.
His entire body was squirming, and it was as though all his pores had opened up. The Dragon Blood Pill disintegrated in his stomach as its medicinal efficacies spread across his entire body. The Golden Divine Dragon Source, which lay in his body, seemed to have been activated by some kind of force as it transformed into a mass of golden light that then began flowing along his veins and mixing with his Emperor Qi.
Just like thirsty travellers, his meridians expanded and sucked the power of the passing Dragon Source Strength, as though they wanted to drain it dry.
*Kacha…*
His bones seemed to have broken as a sense of excruciating pain came over his entire body. Paired with the scorching heat in his abdomen, Yang Kai felt that life was like a living hell for him.
After a grunt, he cast away the unnecessary thoughts as he continued circulating his Dragon Transformation Secret Art.
*Kacha…*
Cracking sounds could be heard again as though all his bones had been broken and then restructured. With every advancement in the Dragon Transformation Secret Art, Yang Kai had to go through this bone-exchanging process. Only by enduring this unbearable pain could he be reborn.
Although it was difficult to persevere, Yang Kai felt joyful in his heart. After his power was increased with the help of Zhu Qing’s Primordial Yin previously, his Dragon Transformation had not seen any significant progress for a long time. There had only been some slight progress which was almost imperceptible, as there hadn’t been any changes to his forty five metre long Dragon Form.
After all, he was originally just a Human. He had obtained the Golden Divine Dragon Source by chance and had lived with it for years. If he wanted to integrate the Dragon Source into his being fully, he had to pay a considerable price, and the process would be gradual.
Without any external help, any significant progress could take 100 or even 1000 years. However, the Dragon Blood Pill’s medicinal efficacies helped him shorten the time needed, ensuring that he could integrate his Dragon Source in a short period of time.
Cracking sounds were still heard continuously. The Dragon Scales on Yang Kai’s skin gradually changed into another colour. He even felt itchy on his temples as though some things were about to protrude. The places he felt itchy were where his stubby Dragon Horns were located.
The Dragon Blood Pill’s medicinal efficacies lasted for about an hour before the cracking sounds subsided and his expression turned calmer. After the medicinal efficacies disappeared, he opened his eyes. At that moment, his entire body was drenched in sweat, as though he had just emerged from the ocean, but his expression was jovial.
Without even trying to sense it, he knew that there must be some changes in him. After taking a rest, he opened his mouth and sucked in a breath, upon which, the second Dragon Blood Pill flew out of the jade bottle and into his mouth.
…
Inside the Small Sealed World, Yang Kai repeatedly took his Dragon Blood Pills, and with their help, he continuously cultivated his Dragon Transformation Secret Art.
Although the Dragon Blood Pills could help increase the Dragon Clan’s bloodline purity, their biggest use was to stimulate the Dragon Clan’s Source Strength and purify it.
Unlike the other Dragon Clan members, whose bloodline and Source Strength improved as they grew up, Yang Kai’s Golden Divine Dragon Source Strength was fixed, which meant that there was no room for growth, but it was easier for him to activate and integrate it. To Yang Kai, it was akin to owning a treasure trove, but he was unable to use it fully. He could only collect a small amount of wealth from time to time to enrich himself.
Two days later, the last Dragon Blood Pill had also been refined and Yang Kai abruptly opened his eyes as his gaze flashed. With him as the center, his Dragon Pressure spread across thousands of kilometres. His roar sounded just like an authentic Dragon Roar, which shook everything around him.
With a body as large as a hill, he got to his feet and let out a hot breath, which seemed to have caused the entire world to shake. After scanning himself with his Divine Sense, he put on a smile. The ten Dragon Blood Pills were indeed effective.
His Dragon Form had grown from forty five metres to fifty metres, which was a significant improvement. After he was helped by Zhu Qing’s Primordial Yin previously, his Dragon Form had grown from thirty five metres to forty five metres. These ten pills had helped him grow another five metres, satisfying him greatly.
Three days later, Yang Kai was still in a lotus position when he opened his eyes with a grim expression.
He had consumed all the Dragon Blood Pills, which helped grow his Dragon Form from 45 metres to 50 metres. However, after three days of cultivation, there still hadn’t been any progress. He knew that his cultivation had reached a bottleneck and without any special opportunity, it was impossible for him to reach the Second-Order Emperor Realm.
Nevertheless, Zhu Qing’s wedding was just around the corner. He eagerly wanted to increase his power, so he still gave it a try anyway. Unfortunately, he had just wasted three days of what little time he had. He couldn’t improve his cultivation anymore, and all Dragon Blood Pills had been consumed.
[Is there really no other way?]
The Golden Divine Dragon Source within his body was a treasure trove. If there were more Dragon Blood Pills, he could have fully activated his Dragon Source’s potential. If he could just grow his Dragon Form to 100 metres, he would have the confidence of leaving with Zhu Qing. However, it was an extremely difficult task to grow that much.
He had cultivated the Dragon Transformation Secret Art for a long time now, but even with the help of Zhu Qing’s Primordial Yin and more than ten Dragon Blood Pills, he had only managed to grow his Dragon Form to 50 metres, which was just half of 100 metres. If he could grow 5 metres with ten Dragon Blood Pills, he would need at least fifty pills to grow an additional 50 metres, which translated into more than ten Dragon Blood Flowers. This didn’t take into consideration that the difficulty would increase in the later stage of his cultivation. Taking that into consideration, he would need at least twenty Dragon Blood Flowers.
[But where do I get twenty Dragon Blood Flowers?] As Yang Kai thought about it, he was startled all of a sudden. Then, he smacked his own head as he realized how foolish he was. Although it was hard to get Dragon Blood Flowers in the outside world, he was now on Dragon Island, which was the only place where Dragon Blood Flowers were produced. As long as he could find the place where Dragon Blood Flowers were nurtured, he could easily get his hands on twenty of them.
At that moment, he couldn’t believe how foolish he was. If he had thought of it earlier, he wouldn’t have wasted three days of time. With the wedding just around the corner, every breath was crucial, and the three days wasted might determine his success or failure.
Upon that realization, he stopped hesitating and left the Small Sealed World. The Sealed World Bead was now sleeping on the bottom of the sea, so right after Yang Kai got out of it, he immediately felt the immense pressure as though he would be crushed into pieces at any moment. He circulated his Emperor Qi to form a layer of protection around his body to offset the sea-level pressure. After retrieving the Sealed World Bead, he shot up to the surface.
Half a day later, a beam of purple light arrived and landed on the island where Yang Kai had a discussion with Zhu Lie at night some time ago. The purple light turned into a beautiful lady, who was none other than Fu Ling.
She looked around cautiously but couldn’t find anything that felt amiss. Then, she called out gently, “Brother-in-law… Brother-in-law…”
She appeared to be stealthy as though she was doing something scandalous.
“I need more Dragon Blood Flowers.” Yang Kai’s voice was heard behind Fu Ling all of a sudden, which shocked her greatly. Turning around, she realized that Yang Kai was right before her eyes.
Upon hearing that, she put on a bitter expression, “I have none left. I already gave you all the Dragon Blood Flowers I had. If you don’t believe me, you can search me.”
She felt apprehensive when she received Yang Kai’s summoning, but it had never crossed her mind that Yang Kai would make such an outrageous request right after they met up. She was already resentful of him for snatching her three Dragon Blood Flowers previously, so she didn’t expect that he would demand even more.
However, her life was now in his hands, so she wouldn’t dare to show any displeasure on her face. Then, she asked in shock, “Where are the three Dragon Blood Flowers I gave you? Have you used them up?”
Yang Kai replied, “You think it’s a lot? They’re totally not enough.”
Disbelief was written all over Fu Ling’s face as she gasped and widened her eyes, “They’re not enough?”
A Sixth-Order Dragon like her would need ten days to refine a Low-Rank Dragon Blood Flower, and it would take her at least twenty days to refine a Mid-Rank Dragon Blood Flower. In other words, she would need more than a month to consume those three flowers. However, Yang Kai managed to use them up in just a few days.
[Wait… aren’t I a member of the Dragon Clan? Why does he seem more suited to be in the Dragon Clan instead? Is he able to defy the law of nature just because he’s gotten the Ancestral Dragon Source?]
Amazed by the revelation, she sized Yang Kai up as though it was their first encounter.
Displeased, Yang Kai uttered, “I need more Dragon Blood Flowers!”
Fu Ling spread her palms and replied, “I really don’t have any left. Oh, you can get some from Zhu Lie. I believe he still has some flowers left. Do you want me to help you contact him?”
“That’s still not enough.” Yang Kai pursed his lips, “I need the Dragon Blood Flowers of Dragon Island.”
Fu Ling was startled for a moment as she didn’t understand him, but her expression soon changed drastically. She yelled, “W-W-What do you mean?”
“You know what I mean. Stop wasting time. Lead the way. Now.” Yang Kai snorted.
Fu Ling took a few steps back and shook her head repeatedly, “No! If the Elders find out about it, I’ll be thrown into the Dragon Grave!”
[This man must be out of his mind! How dare he try to steal the Dragon Blood Flowers on Dragon Island!? Moreover, he wants me to lead the way! That’s like sending me to Hell. How despicable!]
Yang Kai stared at her with narrowed eyes, “You might still survive in the Dragon Grave, but you should know the consequence if you dare to disobey me.”
Fu Ling’s expression changed and she looked pitifully at him, “Brother-in-law, I can help you with other matters, but this… AHH!”
Before she could finish her words, she suddenly felt excruciating pain in her head, so she couldn’t help but grip her temples with her hands. As she shrieked, her tender body trembled uncontrollably.
With a cold expression, Yang Kai pushed his Divine Sense even harder.
Fu Ling screamed louder as she collapsed to the ground. With her body curled up like a shrimp, she wailed and called out, “Brother-in-law… Please… Stop…”
Ignoring her, he continued.
“AHHH!” Fu Ling looked up at the sky and growled. Following that, a purple light exploded as she transformed into a more than 80-metre-long Purple Dragon. With her body writhing about aimlessly, she plunged deep into the sea.
A moment later, she shot up from the waters, which caused a huge splash. Her Dragon Roar was extremely mournful as though it could shake the sky. She kept alternating between Dragon Form and Human Form.
The unbearable pain and torture she was going through made her unable to sustain either form properly, so she kept changing between the two. In her Knowledge Sea, her Soul seemed to have been seized by a big hand with the intention of crushing it.
Fu Ling couldn’t even utter a word to beg for mercy. She was being subjected to the cruellest torture in this world as she sank into the chasm of pain and despair. Every breath was an endless torment for her.
After the time it would take to boil a cup of tea, Yang Kai finally stopped and looked down at her coldly.
Fu Ling was lying at his feet, her clothes so soaked in sweat they stuck to her tender body and perfectly outlined her luscious figure. Her body was convulsing still and her eyes seemed to have lost focus. Drool was leaking out of her mouth, and her hair was completely dishevelled.
Even a Dragon like her couldn’t endure having her Soul directly tortured. There were countless times when she felt she was on the brink of death. This ordeal would remain her nightmare for life.
“This is just a lesson for you. You won’t get so lucky next time.”
“Y-Y-Yes…” Fu Ling gasped for air as her plump chest heaved. With all her energy drained from her, she lay down on the beach.
After she went through the ordeal Yang Kai imposed on her, reality finally dawned on her. What she was about to do might harm Dragon Island’s interests, and if the Elders found out about it, she would undoubtedly be thrown into the Dragon Grave. However, if she disobeyed Yang Kai now, she would suffer unimaginable agony before dying a cruel death.
Her future Brother-in-law wasn’t a man who would treat women gently, and he didn’t regard her as his family at all, so he had no qualms about torturing her. After weighing her options, Fu Ling knew what choice she had to make.
Members of the Dragon Clan indeed had incredible restorative abilities though, and it only took Fu Ling a stick of incense worth of time to go from lethargic to energetic. After adjusting her clothes and wiping away her saliva, she looked timidly at Yang Kai, “Are we really going?”
After the incident just now, she was instinctually fearful of Yang Kai, which was a feeling she didn’t have previously. Although she knew that her life was in his hands, it was just a vague notion before. Now, she finally realized that Yang Kai indeed had the power to kill her instantly and make her go through an ordeal worse than death.
“Hm?” Yang Kai glared at her with a ruthless expression.
“Good…” Knowing that she should shut her mouth and obey for now, Fu Ling leapt into the air immediately, “I’ll lead the way. Please follow me. If we come across other Dragon Clan members on the road, you have to hide somewhere first.”
Without uttering a word or making any move, Yang Kai followed after Fu Ling closely.
The incident just now made Fu Ling resentful of Yang Kai, so she never uttered a word on their way to their destination, unlike her active and passionate self a few days ago. She also appeared to be cautious whenever she took a look at him.
“Where are the Dragon Blood Flowers planted on Dragon Island?” Yang Kai asked.
Despite her grudge, Fu Ling replied, “It’s on an island as well. That island is only used for nurturing Dragon Blood Flowers. It’s one of the most important places for the Dragon Clan.”
“How many Dragon Clan members are guarding the place?”
“There’s only one…” Fu Ling uttered hesitantly.
“What Order is he?”
“Sixth-Order…”
That was basically the same as Fu Ling, so Yang Kai wasn’t afraid of the guard. After giving it a thought, he said, “When we reach there, you’ll distract that guard, and I’ll deal with him. We mustn’t give him any chance to react.”
Embarrassed, Fu Ling replied, “Brother-in-law, we don’t have to do anything.”
“What do you mean?”
Fu Ling pointed at herself and replied, “I’m the guard…”
The corners of Yang Kai’s eyes twitched as he looked at her in a daze. A moment later, he started laughing.
This would mean that he could get all the flowers he wanted without taking much effort, so the plans he had come up with earlier were all rendered useless. [What a coincidence. It seems that they deserve to have their flowers snatched by me.]
Fu Ling laughed with him, albeit awkwardly, and as she gazed at him, she appeared to be embarrassed.
“The Dragon Clan are simply too arrogant,” Yang Kai said with a smile as he was pleased with this unexpected outcome, so he stopped caring how fawning Fu Ling now looked, “They’ve only assigned one member to guard such an important place? Also, it seems that you’re not very dutiful at all.”
Fu Ling shook her head and explained, “It’s not that we’re arrogant, but no one has the guts to break into the place where Dragon Blood Flowers are nurtured on Dragon Island. Furthermore, every Dragon Blood Flower there is carefully accounted for, so only the Elders are qualified to pick them, and other Dragon Clan members can’t get their hands on those flowers, which is why that place doesn’t really have to be guarded.” She paused for a moment. “Also, there’s only a small number of Dragon Clan members, so it’s impossible to place numerous guards there. Normally, we take turns to keep watch on it. It’s my turn this year. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have gone over to fetch those hybrids the other day.”
Hearing that, Yang Kai nodded slightly. Some time ago, after he, Li Jiao and other Dragonborn came to Dragon Palace, it was indeed Fu Ling who took them away. It seemed that it was one of her duties as a guard.
Furthermore, the security of every place on Dragon Island was lax, which Yang Kai had some first-hand experience with. He had been to many Spirit Islands, but only Fu Ling managed to discover him, which went to show how lax their security was.
To him, it was because the Dragon Clan was so conceited that they felt there was no need for security, but they indeed had the power to be so haughty. However, they would never have expected that a Human could be so reckless and wanted to steal their Dragon Blood Flowers.
While they were on the way to their destination, Yang Kai suddenly thought of something. “When’s the season for harvesting Dragon Blood Flowers for the Dragon Clan?”
Fu Ling replied. “Not yet. It’ll be in two months.”
“Very good.” Yang Kai was able to set his mind at ease because he didn’t plan on being on Dragon Island in two months, so the matter would have nothing to do with him even if it was exposed.
He had to make a scene at Zhu Qing’s wedding and snatch her away from Fu Chi, which would thoroughly offend the entire Dragon Clan. Having prepared himself psychologically, he had no qualms about stealing Dragon Blood Flowers as well.
Since he would certainly offend the Dragon Clan, it made no difference for him to steal some Dragon Blood Flowers to increase his power in the process.
The Spirit Island used for nurturing the Dragon Blood Flowers wasn’t big, but the World Energy in the air was thick, showing an excellent Earth Vein ran beneath it. Moreover, the entire island appeared scarlet, as though it was built with blood. As they approached the island, they could clearly detect a whiff of the bloody smell.
Yang Kai and Fu Ling landed on the island at the same time. After scanning the area with his Divine Sense, he realized that there were auras of living creatures on this island.
Those living creatures gave off a weak aura, like candles amid the howling wind that might lose their light at any moment. There were about 200 of them.
The Dragonborn!
Those living creatures were the Dragonborn who were brought to Dragon Palace. The Dragon Clan was using their fresh blood to fertilize the Dragon Blood Flowers.
Yang Kai frowned as he found a familiar aura with his Divine Sense, after which he disappeared from the spot.
Li Jiao had been living a miserable life for the past few days. After he parted with Yang Kai, he was brought to this island. Fu Ling had ordered him to take a seat in a Spirit Array. After the Spirit Array was activated, Li Jiao immediately felt his Blood Essence leaving his body, which was then transformed into Blood Mist and spread across the island.
The entire Spirit Island was covered in a layer of red mist, which was made up of those Dragonborn’s Blood Essence.
He had tried to resist, but he couldn’t break free from this array. With the constant running of this array, his Blood Essence was continuously sucked out of his body. It was the first time he came across such an incident. Although he had prepared himself for it, he was still flabbergasted.
Although the speed at which the array drew out his Blood Essence was quite slow, his cultivation would regress to a lower realm if this went on for a long time. He might not even be able to save his Third-Order Dragon Vein, which would be unacceptable for him.
It was then he came to the realization why the Dragonborn in Half-Dragon City generally had lower cultivations. They were regarded as the fertilizers for Dragon Blood Flowers, so they wouldn’t attempt to improve their cultivation.
He felt a chill running down his spine at the thought of the Dragon Clan’s ruthlessness.
To make sure that his cultivation wouldn’t drop, Li Jiao had no choice but to sit cross-legged in the array and circulate his Secret Art constantly. However, he was still losing more ground than he could gain. He knew that he couldn’t persevere for a long time. In just ten days, his cultivation would drop to the Second-Order Emperor Realm.
If that happened, it would be extremely difficult for him to regain his Third-Order Emperor Realm in the future. As such, he didn’t hesitate to consume his supply of pills and had almost used up all his High-Rank Source Crystals as well.
In the past, he had always looked forward to visiting Dragon Island to see for himself the birthplace of his bloodline. That had been his biggest wish in life. His wish had now been granted, but the truth turned out to be crueller than he could have imagined.
If he could turn back the clock, Li Jiao would rather have stayed carefree in Fire Dragon Palace than follow Yang Kai to wade into these muddy waters. Every time he thought about the fact that he might not even leave this place alive, he felt crestfallen.
Just then, sensing that something was off, he frowned. When he opened his eyes, a smiling face came into sight.
“Brother Yang!” Li Jiao was elated as he got to his feet in an agitated manner. “Are you here to save me?”
At that instant, his resentment towards Yang Kai vanished into thin air, which was then replaced by gratitude and affability.
Suddenly, Li Jiao found himself to be quite miserable. The ordeal that had befallen him was all because of Yang Kai, so it was the latter’s responsibility to save him, which was why he shouldn’t have felt so grateful.
“Brother Li, it seems that you’re living a good life here.” Yang Kai teased.
With a bitter expression, Li Jiao replied, “Brother Yang, please stop. Get me out of here first. I don’t want to stay in this damn place any longer.”
Just then, a rustling sound was heard, upon which a curvy figure came into Li Jiao’s sight. When Li Jiao saw that woman, he was stunned as he yelled. “Watch out, Brother Yang! There’s a Dragon Clan member over there!”
With her hands behind her back, Fu Ling approached them and pouted.
“Release him,” Yang Kai turned his head and demanded.
Li Jiao was dumbfounded as he looked at Fu Ling and Yang Kai in a daze. Apparently, he couldn’t grasp what was going on. [It seems that this Dragon isn’t hostile towards him. Also, how is he able to give her orders as he pleases? What’s going on?]
What happened next astonished Li Jiao. Upon receiving Yang Kai’s order, the Dragon Clan member really performed a hand seal and pushed out a palm in his direction.
The next moment, the array stopped running. Li Jiao felt lighter instantly as he didn’t need to endure the pain of his Blood Essence being drawn out anymore.
“Brother-in-law, do you know him?” Fu Ling shot Li Jiao a curious look.
In response, Yang Kai nodded.
“B-Brother-in-law?” Li Jiao widened his eyes in disbelief. Then, he approached Yang Kai and asked in a whisper, “Is she Young Lady Qing’s sister?”
“It’s a long story…”
Seeing that Yang Kai wasn’t willing to explain, Li Jiao stopped pursuing the matter. With gratitude written all over his face, he uttered, “Many thanks for saving me, Brother Yang. I’ll always remember it.”
“I just happened to realize you’re here, so I decided to save you. I have another important thing to do.”
“What is it? Maybe I can help.” Liao Jiao offered to lend him a hand.
“I’m here to steal Dragon Blood Flowers!”
Li Jiao was stunned for a moment before his forehead began dripping with sweat.
“Why so cowardly?” Fu Ling pursed her lips and shot Li Jiao a disdainful look.
“Are you really a member of the Dragon Clan?” As Li Jiao wiped away his sweat, he shot a look of disbelief at Fu Ling.
[That’s strange. Even if she’s Young Lady Qing’s sister, she shouldn’t help Yang Kai steal Dragon Blood Flowers. If other Dragons find out about it, she’ll be doomed.] Li Jiao couldn’t fathom the reason behind it, but Yang Kai looked as if there was nothing wrong with it. What was stranger was this Dragon girl’s attitude.
Fu Ling scoffed, “If I’m not a Dragon Clan member, then do you think you are? I don’t want to steal Dragon Blood Flowers either, but since it’s my Brother-in-law’s order, I’m obliged to help him.”
“Enough nonsense, let’s get to work,” as Yang Kai spoke, he walked to the side as there was a scarlet spirit flower, which was a Dragon Blood Flower. Judging from its size and colour, it was a Mid-Rank Dragon Blood Flower.
Cautiously, Yang Kai harvested it and put it into his Space Ring. He was excited because he could make four Dragon Blood Pills out of one Dragon Blood Flower, which would be a great help in cultivating his Dragon Transformation Secret Art.
Seeing that, Fu Ling put on a fawning smile. “Brother-in-law, can I just watch?”
Although she had already committed a huge crime and was bound to face the consequences, she was afraid to steal Dragon Blood Flowers herself. Stealing the flowers herself and being forced to do it were two different things. If she was held responsible by the Elders in the future, she could defend herself with this excuse.
Seeing that Yang Kai remained silent, she took it as that he had agreed to it in silence. After that, she followed him around but never made a move.
[One, two, three…]
The Dragon Blood Flowers were scattered everywhere as Yang Kai kept moving forward and picking as he went. In just the time it would take to boil a cup of tea, he managed to pick ten flowers, most of which were Low-Rank, while there were two Mid-Rank ones. It seemed that even on Dragon Island, Mid-Rank and above Dragon Blood Flowers were rare.
Li Jiao didn’t have the guts to steal the flowers as he followed Yang Kai around. When he saw that Yang Kai was actually enjoying this moment of flower picking, his eyes were green with envy.
In the past, he had spent hundreds of years nurturing just one Dragon Blood Flower, so he treasured it dearly. However, in the end, it was taken away by Yang Kai. He still felt heartbroken at the thought of this.
It already made him feel so bitter for losing one flower, and they were now on the island where Dragon Blood Flowers were cultivated, so it was no wonder that Li Jiao was envious. He was tempted because getting just one flower would be enough to promote his bloodline, but in the end, he wasn’t as bold as Yang Kai.
It was the same case for Fu Ling. These Dragon Blood Flowers were the Dragon Clan’s wealth, but she had a share of them as well. The fact that Yang Kai was stealing these flowers also meant that her own interests were being harmed.
Fortunately, she realized that Yang Kai had his own principles as he wouldn’t touch the immature Dragon Blood Flowers, only taking those that had reached full growth.
In fact, there were tens of thousands of Dragon Blood Flowers on this island, but over 90 percent of them were still in their growth phase.
Even if Yang Kai took away all the mature Dragon Blood Flowers, his actions wouldn’t cause extinction. By just waiting for another ten to twenty years, more Dragon Blood Flowers would mature.
[Ten, twenty, thirty…]
In just one hour, Yang Kai managed to pick more than a hundred Dragon Blood Flowers. His initial target was twenty, but he had removed said target after he started picking the flowers. Stealing one, twenty, or a hundred flowers made no difference. Since he had decided to act, there was no point holding back.
Of the more than one hundred Dragon Blood Flowers he had picked, 80% of them were Low-Rank while there were just more than ten Mid-Rank flowers. What made Yang Kai excited was that he had also obtained some High-Rank Dragon Blood Flowers as well.
At first glance, the High-Rank Dragon Blood Flowers were distinctively different from those of Mid-Rank and Low-Rank. The medicinal efficacies were sure to be astounding and if they were made into Dragon Blood Pills, they would bring greater benefits than those pills made from Low-Rank and Mid-Rank flowers.
In just half a day, Yang Kai had put more than a thousand Dragon Blood Flowers into his Space Ring after visiting almost all of that Spirit Island.
Despite Fu Ling’s stare, Li Jiao still picked a few flowers. Both excited and afraid, he could feel his hands trembling uncontrollably as this was the first time he had engaged in this kind of theft.
Suddenly, Yang Kai looked in a particular direction as he was attracted by two Dragon Blood Flowers over there.
The two Dragon Blood Flowers were distinctly different from those he had picked earlier. Both of them were translucent with a vivid blood colour. Their Dragon Aura was pure, and the red mist above them looked like it would form into a Flood Dragon at any moment, which was remarkable.
“Are those Peak-Rank Dragon Blood Flowers?” Yang Kai narrowed his eyes. Although he had never seen Peak-Rank Dragon Blood Flowers before, he recognized them the moment he saw those two flowers.
“Brother-in-law, these two flowers…” Fu Ling was flustered.
Peak-Rank Dragon Blood Flowers were extremely rare even on Dragon Island, so only the Elders had the right to consume them. These two Peak-Rank Dragon Blood Flowers were already reserved for the Great Elder and Second Elder, and they would be sent to them in two months after they were harvested. Now that Yang Kai had his eye on them, there was no way they could be saved.
Despite that, Fu Ling still attempted to dissuade Yang Kai from doing it.
“Stand aside!” Yang Kai pushed her away and approached the two Dragon Blood Flowers, his eyes beaming with greed. After picking them, he realized that the Red Phantom Dragon on those flowers faintly growled at him.
Knowing that her life was over, Fu Ling sighed. After this matter was exposed, she would certainly be thrown into the Dragon Grave.
One hour later, all the mature Dragon Blood Flowers on this Spirit Island had been swept up by Yang Kai.
“Just stay on this Spirit Island. I’ll summon you when I need your help. Make sure not to let anyone find out what happened.” Before leaving the Spirit Island, Yang Kai gave Fu Ling an order.
“Yes,” Fu Ling replied lethargically while cursing Yang Kai in her heart. [He has created such a mess and now wants me to clean it up for him, how can he be so heartless?]
Yang Kai nodded and flew off with Li Jiao.
Although Li Jiao was weak, his foundation hadn’t been damaged because Yang Kai had saved him in time. He just needed some time to recuperate and his cultivation wouldn’t be at risk of regressing.
Along the way, Li Jiao appeared to be hesitant.
“San Niang is fine.” Knowing what he wanted to ask, Yang Kai decided to tell him directly.
Li Jiao’s gaze appeared conflicted when he heard this. A moment later, he replied, “Brother Yang, many thanks for taking care of her.”
Yang Kai nodded, “San Niang is a kind-hearted woman. Moreover, the incident in the past wasn’t her fault.”
Li Jiao uttered, “I know it’s not her fault, but…” He sighed and shook his head. Although Lu San Niang was innocent regarding the incident in the past, no man could easily get over it if they were in Li Jiao’s shoes.
Yang Kai understood his feelings, so he only briefly mentioned it and stopped talking about it. After giving it a thought, he said, “You’re a Dragonborn, so you’ll certainly attract a lot of attention. If the other Dragon Clan members find you, that might put you in a dangerous situation. You should hide in a safe place for now.”
Li Jiao asked doubtfully, “Where?”
Stopping in his tracks, Yang Kai suddenly turned around and pushed his palm forward as he shouted, “Don’t resist!”
Shocked, Li Jiao instinctively wanted to resist, but he relaxed after hearing what Yang Kai said, for he believed that Yang Kai wouldn’t harm him. A sense of dizziness came over him, and he soon found himself entering a strange world.
After returning to Fu Chi’s Spirit Island, Yang Kai found Lu San Niang and her daughter, then he put them in the Sealed World Bead without explanation so that they could meet up with Li Jiao. Afterwards, he flew to the centre of the sea.
Just like how he had done it previously, he plunged into the waters and summoned the Sealed World Bead before entering the Small Sealed World. With the wedding only twenty days away, he wouldn’t want to waste even one breath.
After checking his stock of spirit herbs, Yang Kai took out all those necessary to make Dragon Blood Pills and placed them at his side.
He had many spirit flowers with him, so it wouldn’t be a problem for him to make Dragon Blood Pills. With over a thousand Dragon Blood Flowers, he could make a thousand batches of Dragon Blood Pills if he wanted to.
Nevertheless, he didn’t have enough adjuvant spirit medicines now, which would be finished after using the furnace roughly twenty times. Hence, he had to come up with a plan first.
Of the one thousand Dragon Blood Flowers, there were only one to two hundred Mid-Rank flowers, twenty to thirty High-Rank flowers, and only two Peak-Rank flowers.
To maximize the medicinal efficacies, he decided to directly use High-Rank Dragon Blood Flowers to make Dragon Blood Pills. After readying the pill furnace, he monitored the heat, drew the Spirit Array and dropped in the spirit medicines.
One hour later, the first batch of Dragon Blood Pills was ready.
The result was alright as there were four Dragon Blood Pills. However, the quality of these pills had improved significantly compared to those made previously. After all, these pills were made from a High-Rank Dragon Blood Flower, so they were naturally much better.
Yang Kai’s expression was as calm as a still lake. After restoring his energy, he started refining the second batch of pills, then the third batch, the fourth batch, and so on.
With more experience as he made more pills, Yang Kai was able to continuously improve the quality of Dragon Blood Pills.
When he was done with the tenth batch, he realized that there were five pills, which was one pill more than the previous batches. That was a wonderful improvement, as one extra pill gave him a greater sense of security, so he was happy with the result.
However, getting five Dragon Blood Pills per batch seemed to be the limit. After more than twenty batches, the number of pills he got still remained the same. At the same time, the quality of Dragon Blood Pills seemed to have reached its peak as well. Still, the medicinal efficacies that came with these pills were significantly greater than those he had made initially.
After emptying his mind, he sat down with his legs crossed and started cultivating to restore his energy.
One day later, he opened his eyes and started making pills again.
He only had two sets of ingredients for making Dragon Blood Pills left, so naturally, they were reserved for the two Peak-Rank Dragon Blood Flowers. At that moment, he was looking forward to the results of the next two batches of pills.
With the whole process ingrained in his mind after he had made more than twenty batches of Dragon Blood Pills, Yang Kai could even close his eyes and know what to do without making any mistakes.
When the first batch was ready, Yang Kai was excited to find out the result. After he got the pills out of the furnace and took a look, he was over the moon.
He was lucky because he had obtained six pills from using a Peak-Rank Dragon Blood Flower in this batch. Two of the pills even had Pill Veins on them. The veins were intricate and abstruse, like a Human’s meridians.
The value of pills with Pill Veins was considerably greater than those without, which was also a test for the mastery of an Alchemy Grandmaster’s skills. Although some Alchemists were highly proficient in Alchemy, they could never make pills with Pill Veins throughout their lives because they only repeated what they were taught when practising Alchemy without their own methods and insights. In other words, there was no spirituality in the way they practised Alchemy. Everything was done rigidly.
Naturally, Yang Kai was different from those Alchemists. After composing himself once more, he readied the furnace for making the final batch of Spirit Pills.
This time, everything went much smoother than the previous time. After the pills were ready, Yang Kai didn’t even need to inspect them to know that the result was better than the previous one.
As expected, of the six pills, three of them had Pill Veins. It was then that Yang Kai stopped making pills.
Including the Dragon Blood Pills he had made before, he had made twenty-five batches of pills in total, all of which were successful. Even the Wondrous Pill Great Emperor would praise him upon seeing his result.
Now, he had about a hundred Dragon Blood Pills. The pills from recent batches were greater than those he had made initially in terms of quality. Five of them even had Pill Veins on them.
After admiring his own masterpieces for a while, he had to start his cultivation plan.
With a roar, Yang Kai’s body swelled up and transformed into a 50-metre tall Half-Dragon.
After dropping a Dragon Blood Pill into his mouth, he started circulating his Dragon Transformation Secret Art as his Dragon Aura spread across the surrounding space.
Just as Yang Kai was taking those pills as though they were candies in order to cultivate, there was a woman in misery on a Spirit Island in Dragon Palace.
This Spirit Island was different from the other islands. A radius of a few thousand kilometres around the island was bitingly cold. The entire island seemed to have been frozen over and there was also a thick layer of ice on the sea surface around it.
Obviously, this was an ice island.
Everything seemed to have been frozen over on the island. There had never been a beautiful spring day on this island, nor were there any green trees. Besides the thick World Energy in the air, a depressing aura permeated the place, making the entire place extremely dull.
Even the Dragon Clan members couldn’t go near this island as they pleased because this was the territory of the Dragon Clan’s Second Elder, Fu Zhun.
Be it the Fu Clan or Zhu Clan of the Dragon Clan, they were respectful of the Second Elder, and after what happened more than ten years ago, their respect turned into fear.
That was because the Second Elder had personally thrown a Dragon, who was the closest to her, into the Dragon Grave more than ten years ago.
Their relationship was akin to that of a mother and a daughter, but despite that, the Second Elder was still stone-hearted when carrying out the punishment. At that time, all the Dragon Clan members realized how merciless the Second Elder was.
At this moment, Zhu Qing was confined to this ice island. In the centre of the island was an ice sheet that had been frozen for more than ten thousand years, on which Zhu Qing was seated with her legs crossed. Her cultivation had been suppressed, and her Dragon Vein had been sealed, so she was practically powerless right now. Nevertheless, her innate physique was still pretty strong.
However, on this eternally frozen ice sheet, she couldn’t help sneezing from time to time. Her face was pale, and even the breath she let out became a fog in an instant.
Even knowing that this was the Second Elder’s punishment for her though, Zhu Qing wasn’t resentful and she just endured it in silence. Recalling her memories with Yang Kai, she felt heartbroken, as they might never meet again. Given the situation she was in, she would be too embarrassed to see him again even if there was such a chance.
She had prepared herself psychologically before coming back to Dragon Island, as she knew that her fellow clansmen would certainly object to her being married to Yang Kai.
However, she was a proud member of the Dragon Clan, so she had to return. If she insisted on staying by Yang Kai’s side, she would bring trouble to him. Hoping to persuade the Second Elder, she decided to give it a try and returned to Dragon Island.
However, what awaited Zhu Qing was the tempest she had never expected. Not long after her cultivation had been sealed and her Dragon Vein suppressed, she was engaged to Fu Chi, and her wedding was scheduled to be next month. Everything happened too suddenly.
She would rather perish in the Dragon Grave on her own than marry another Dragon Clan member. There were only a small number of Dragons, so she knew what Fu Chi was like. In the past, he already had his eye on her and repeatedly asked the Elders to get her engaged to him. He even harassed her from time to time.
Zhu Qing had always ignored him, but she didn’t expect that he would succeed in getting her one day. She had already made up her mind. If there came a time when she was left with no choice, she would fight with them even if she had to lose her life.
Just then, footsteps could be heard approaching her. Zhu Qing raised her gaze and saw a beautiful woman in a white imperial dress.
The woman looked like she was in her late twenties. Her figure was curvy, and her face was strikingly beautiful. Her silver hair, which looked like snow-white silk, was tied into a bun. However, there seemed to be a layer of eternally frozen ice on her alluring face. By just looking at her face, one would feel cold and terrified in their heart.
“Second Elder.” Although Zhu Qing hated her for her despotic behaviour, she still had to be polite to her.
Fu Zhun asked impassively, “Have you changed your mind?
With a calm expression, Zhu Qing replied, “You already know my decision, so what’s the point of you asking this question?”
Fu Zhun uttered, “That’s fine. The wedding will be held in a few days regardless. You have plenty of time to think about it. After you change your mind, the Great Elder and I will set you free.”
With a frown, Zhu Qing asked, “Forcefully squeezed melons are not sweet. Why insist on forcing me when you know I am unwilling?”
Fu Zhun replied, “Sustaining the bloodline is the most important thing for the Dragon Clan, so your opinion doesn’t really matter. Moreover, how could you even consider being with a Human? You’re a disgrace to the Dragon Clan!”
Zhu Qing refuted, “That is my personal choice, what does it have to do with the Dragon Clan?”
Fu Zhun’s expression turned even colder, “Since the blood that flows in your veins belongs to the Dragon Clan, every decision you make affects our reputation. That’s why I won’t allow you to be reckless.”
Zhu Qing cried, “In your eyes, is there nothing more important than sustaining the bloodline for the Dragon Clan?”
Fu Zhun flung her sleeve, “There are only a small number of Dragon Clan members, and the ratio of men to women is imbalanced. If everyone is as disobedient as you are, our clan will go extinct one day. As a Dragon Clan member, you have to think about our future.”
Zhu Qing laughed in self-mockery, “I didn’t expect that the responsibility of sustaining the Dragon Clan’s bloodline lay on my shoulders. I’m flattered.”
“I know you’re resentful of me, but that doesn’t matter. I don’t mind being cursed by you as long as you can give birth to a Dragon baby.” Fu Zhun stared at her, “Don’t even think about doing anything silly. Before Fu Chi and your child is born, I won’t let you have any chance to kill yourself. I will speak no further. Think about it. Rather than spending the rest of your life in misery, you should quickly change your mind.”
Upon finishing her words, Fu Zhun turned around to leave.
Zhu Qing’s body trembled as she said through gritted teeth, “Second Elder, don’t you regret what you did ten years ago? She’s still suffering in the Dragon Grave. It’s not too late to release her now. However, it’ll be too late for you to regret it after she passes away.”
The Second Elder stopped in her tracks and replied without turning around, “No one can leave the Dragon Grave after they enter it. She only has herself to blame.”
After the Second Elder was out of sight, Zhu Qing put on a bitter smile. It was then she realized the Second Elder was truly stone-hearted, as she wasn’t affected one bit at the mention of the incident more than ten years ago. Now, Zhu Qing understood that she could never persuade the Second Elder.
A few metres away, a burly man came over with a fawning smile. After cupping his hands together, he greeted, “Greetings, Second Elder.”
Fu Zhun stared at him with a frown, “Why are you here?”
Cautiously, Fu Chi replied, “I’m here to visit Qing’er. You’ve just met her. What did she say?”
Fu Zhun uttered, “Regardless of what she’s said, she’ll be yours in a few more days.”
With a grin, Fu Chi asked, “You’re right, Second Elder. Can I go in to see her? She might change her mind if I could just talk to her.”
“She’s in a bad mood now, so things will only get worse if you meet her now.” Fu Zhun moved past him and went on to speak, “Rather than trying to persuade her, you should get prepared yourself.”
“Understood.” Fu Chi replied respectfully.
He didn’t dare to insist on his request after he was rejected by the Second Elder. He just wanted to visit Zhu Qing on this day and find out whether her attitude had changed. After hearing what the Second Elder said, he knew that Zhu Qing remained the same.
Upon that realization, he was exasperated. [I’m a Dragon, a genuine Eighth-Order Thunder Dragon, I’m superior to any Human in every way; however, not only has Zhu Qing rejected the Elders’ demand for her to get married to me, but she’s still longing for that Human! His name was Yang Kai, right?]
Fu Chi remembered Yang Kai’s name and was ready to find fault with him when the time was right. He hated the fact that Yang Kai had taken Zhu Qing’s innocence away. Unlike Fu Ling, Zhu Qing had a stainless reputation on Dragon Island, which was why he coveted her so.
He had pursued her before, but he had never managed to gain her favour. Unexpectedly, she left the island some time ago and got together with a Human. That fact made Fu Chi resentful.
However, it didn’t matter anymore, as the wedding would be held in a few more days. By then, Zhu Qing would become his woman. Furthermore, the Second Elder had announced that she wouldn’t release Zhu Qing’s seal before Zhu Qing gave birth to a child.
Although Zhu Qing was now a Ninth-Order Dragon, Fu Chi didn’t need to fear her with her strength sealed. After the wedding, he could do whatever he wanted to her. Even though he had many playthings on this island, they were not comparable to Zhu Qing.
Hence, he looked forward to the wedding. After dawdling on the ice island for a while, he flew back to his Spirit Island. To ensure that his wedding would be held on time, he had to make sure that the palace would be built before the deadline.
…..
Inside the Small Sealed World, Yang Kai opened his eyes, upon which a glint flashed across his gaze as his Dragon Pressure permeated.
He had consumed more than a hundred Dragon Blood Pills and even consumed all the remaining Mid-Rank Dragon Blood Flowers. Now, only Low-Rank Dragon Blood Flowers were left in his Space Ring.
After he did some calculations, he realized that the time had come. Then, he stopped circulating his Dragon Transformation Secret Art and turned back into his Human form. Upon checking the Small Sealed World with his Divine Sense, he located Li Jiao and Lu San Niang.
Both of them seemed to have dissolved their old grudges as they were now chatting with each other. Appearing to be timid, Lu Yu Qin was hiding somewhere and watching them from afar.
Li Jiao and Lu San Niang were shocked when Yang Kai appeared all of a sudden, and their expressions instantly turned awkward. After all, they were caught flirting with one another, which was quite embarrassing for them. At that moment, Lu San Niang was blushing.
Trying to shift the focus, Li Jiao asked, “Brother Yang, where is this?”
He, Lu San Niang, and her daughter had been staying here for some time, and upon realizing that this was a Small World, Li Jiao was astounded.
It was then he understood how he could escape the Demon Qi’s invasion when he was in the Revolving World. At that time, Yang Kai had repeatedly knocked him out, and every time he did that, it was when the World Principles changed.
Now, Li Jiao understood he must have been thrown into this Small World by Yang Kai at that time, which was why he could evade the Demon Qi’s invasion. Apparently, Yang Kai didn’t trust him enough in the past, which was why he kept knocking him out. Now, however, he must have gained Yang Kai’s confidence.
Without answering his question, Yang Kai spoke, “I have to teach Fu Chi a lesson.”
Li Jiao was startled for a moment before he said through gritted teeth, “I’ll assist you in any way I can.”
Previously, he didn’t know who Fu Chi was; however, through his contact with Lu San Niang recently, he had learned that Fu Chi was the culprit who had harmed her in the past, so Li Jiao now hated him greatly. Now that Yang Kai mentioned it, Li Jiao couldn’t hold back his anger anymore. He needed to get his revenge because Fu Chi had snatched his wife from him.
Fu Chi was an Eighth-Order Thunder Dragon, so Li Jiao was indeed no match for him. He would be rendered powerless if Fu Chi used bloodline suppression on him. Nevertheless, with Yang Kai’s help, things would be different. He didn’t expect to defeat Fu Chi. He just hoped that he could at least bite off a piece of Fu Chi’s flesh to vent his anger.
Lu San Niang’s expression changed drastically when she heard that, so she shouted, “No!”
With a gentle expression, Li Jiao looked at her and put on a smile, “Wait for me. I’ll take revenge for you.”
“You can’t go!” The colour drained from Lu San Niang’s alluring face as she grabbed Li Jiao’s arm. She was determined not to let him go.
Li Jiao didn’t have the heart to make a move on her, so he turned to look at Yang Kai. Understanding his hint, Yang Kai stretched out his hand and landed a finger on Lu San Niang, upon which she turned limp and collapsed to the ground.
“Mother!” Lu Yu Qin yelled as she ran over and supported Lu San Niang’s weight.
“Don’t worry. She’s fine.” Li Jiao patted her head and spoke after a sigh, “Take care of your mother. It’ll be all good if I can come back, but if I can’t…” He paused for a long time, “Tell your mother to bring you back to Dream Gate.”
“Uncle Li…” Realizing something, Lu Yu Qin gazed at Li Jiao with bloodshot eyes.
Although she didn’t know what his relationship with her mother was, she had been observing their interaction for the past few days. She had never seen her mother so happy before, so she knew that Li Jiao must be an important person in her mother’s heart. Hence, she was on the brink of tearing up when she had to part with him.
With a faint smile, Li Jiao uttered, “If we meet again, next time, you must call me father.”
In his current situation, considering what he was about to attempt, Li Jiao wasn’t even certain he would live to see tomorrow’s sunrise, allowing him to finally at this moment untie the knot in his heart and completely feel relieved. Instantly, he felt more energetic as all his troubles seemed to melt away.
In the blink of an eye, Li Jiao and Yang Kai disappeared from sight, leaving Lu Yu Qin rooted to the spot with only one thought in her mind, [I have a father now?]
Dazed, she sat on the ground with her mother in her embrace. A long time later, she became torn between tears and laughter, “Mom, I have a father now. Wake up. I have a father now!”
Anyone would have laughed at her if they heard that, for all people in this world had a father of some kind; however, having a father had been this little girl’s greatest wish for more than ten years.
It was hustling and bustling on a particular Spirit Island.
The grand palace had been constructed. Although they were only given a month, these 500 people still managed to build the palace before the deadline with incredible perseverance and resolve.
Countless rare materials had been used to build this palace, with the entire complex painted gold while the columns were carved with intricate patterns. Both Li Jiao and Yang Kai had never seen a palace of such a scale before.
At that moment, Wu Chen was still directing those people to decorate every corner of the palace. This was the last day of their deadline, and Fu Chi’s wedding would be the next day, so none of them dared to be careless.
Hundreds of people kept going in and out to place countless ornaments in the palace, making the spacious interior look grand and colourful.
“Brother Yang, we haven’t met for some time.” Seeing Yang Kai, Wu Chen greeted him with a smile.
He didn’t ask Yang Kai where the latter had been; after all, they were not close to each other. It was taboo to pry information from the other person when they were not close friends. Nevertheless, he was puzzled by Li Jiao’s appearance and wondered why a Dragonborn would come here.
If he wasn’t mistaken, this Dragonborn had been taken away to nurture Dragon Blood Flowers.
“The wedding will be tomorrow, right?” Yang Kai asked dispassionately.
Wu Chen’s expression turned solemn as he nodded, “You’re right. It’ll be tomorrow. Fortunately, we’re able to meet the deadline. Otherwise, all of us would lose our lives.”
“It’s thanks to your hard work, Brother Wu.” Yang Kai nodded.
Wu Chen replied with a smile, “There’s no choice because this is the Dragon Clan’s order. I don’t want to die either. By the way, since you’re here, please don’t leave again.”
Yang Kai looked at him doubtfully.
Wu Chen explained, “A Dragon Clan member’s wedding is an important event. Certainly, they want to make it big. However, as you know, there are only a small number of Dragons, so they’ve allowed us to stay and watch the wedding on the side.”
A glint flashed across Yang Kai’s as he nodded, “That’s exactly my intention.”
He had been thinking how he could stay in this place. If the Dragon Clan chased them out at this point, he would have no choice but to hide somewhere and wait until the following day. Unexpectedly, the Dragon Clan had allowed hundreds of people to watch the wedding, which saved him some trouble.
With the Dragon Clan’s permission, he could just wait there until he saw Zhu Qing.
“I guess there will be a good show tomorrow.” Wu Chen said with a smile.
“You’re right.” Yang Kai nodded his head. Suddenly, he frowned and turned to look at Wu Chen before he spoke in surprise, “Brother Wu, did you make a breakthrough?”
[Wu Chen was just a Second-Order Emperor some time ago, but now, he’s in the Third-Order Emperor Realm.] Yang Kai didn’t pay attention to it earlier, so he was shocked when that realization dawned on him.
It was extremely difficult to reach the Third-Order Emperor Realm from the Second-Order. It was basically ten times more difficult to achieve that than to make a breakthrough from Dao Source Realm to Emperor Realm. That was why Yang Kai wondered how Wu Chen managed to do that.
Wu Chen explained with a bitter smile, “Brother Yang, you have no idea what I have gone through in the past month. I had been on the edge of death several times, and I only managed to achieve a breakthrough by chance. If I had made any mistake, I would have left for the other world. I’ve been lucky, but our other brothers… Let’s not talk about it.” He sighed.
Apparently still reeling from the trauma, Wu Chen kept shaking his head.
Yang Kai was startled for a moment before he used his Divine Sense to scan the surroundings. A moment later, his expression changed slightly because he realized that only about 300 people were left.
There were 500 of them when Fu Qi brought them to this place one month ago. However, that number had dropped by more than 40% now. The palace had been fully constructed, so there was no need for them to go out to get more materials. In other words, more than 40% had died.
[How is it so dangerous to build a palace?] Yang Kai knew that they might lose their lives when mining Ice Spirit Snow Jades and some time ago, Lu San Niang had told him that some people had been frozen to death, but wasn’t it impossible for so many people to be frozen to death as well?
Following that, he noticed something strange.
Only a small number of cultivators around them were in the Emperor Realm, and none of them were in the Third-Order Emperor Realm. However, these people, regardless of their age, gender, and cultivation, seemed to be terrified of Wu Chen as they didn’t have the guts to go near him.
[What happened in the past month that made Wu Chen become such an authoritative figure in their hearts?]
“Brother Yang, do you want to take a rest now? Just come back to watch the show tomorrow.” Wu Chen patted his chest, “You can rest assured because I’m on top of everything here. I’ll make sure to get everything ready by then.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Alright.”
He didn’t want to handle any matter related to the palace. With his heart burning with fury, he would rather destroy the palace, so he couldn’t lend a hand. Therefore, he decided to find a place to take a rest with Li Jiao.
“Wu Chen is not as simple as he appears to be…” Li Jiao uttered with a frown.
“What have you figured out?” Yang Kai asked while looking at him.
Shaking his head, Li Jiao replied, “I haven’t figured out anything. I just think that… there’s something wrong with him. Brother Yang, you must be careful of him.”
“Got it,” Yang Kai said impassively, “I won’t mind it as long as he doesn’t become a hindrance. If he dares to become my enemy, I won’t show him any mercy.”
“By the way, Brother Yang, what are the grudges between you and Fu Chi?” Li Jiao asked as he was curious.
When Yang Kai told him he wanted to teach Fu Chi a lesson, Li Jiao didn’t ponder on the reason behind it. Now that he had calmed down though, he finally thought of this question. Furthermore, Yang Kai appeared even more resentful of Fu Chi than he was.
“It will be Fu Chi and Zhu Qing’s wedding tomorrow.”
Hearing that, Li Jiao was startled for a moment before he nodded, “Understood.”
The same thing happened to Li Jiao before. Both of them had their women snatched from them. The difference was that while it had already happened to Li Jiao, it had yet to occur to Yang Kai. At that instant, Li Jiao shared Yang Kai’s feelings of wanting Fu Chi dead.
For the entire night, they spoke not a word to each other.
The next day, the sky was as blue as the ocean with no clouds in sight.
The entire Dragon Palace seemed to be engulfed in an atmosphere of happiness and excitement.
Earlier, some flirtatious and alluring ladies had arrived at the palace, which made the spacious place lively.
These women were all Fu Chi’s captives, so naturally, they were all beautiful. Although they were not comparable to Lu San Niang and the deceased Madam Hua, they were all striking beauties. There were about a hundred of them walking around the palace and checking on everything. Wu Chen kept them company and led the way for them in an obsequious manner.
These women were responsible for greeting the bride on this day, so they wouldn’t dare to be careless. The woman that was going to get married to Fu Chi would be the future Mistress, who could easily kill them as she pleased. Therefore, all of them were meticulous in examining the palace. If they found any speck of dust, they would immediately reprimand Wu Chen and tell him to clean it up.
After four hours, Wu Chen felt dizzy from entertaining them. The other cultivators also lamented their fate, but no one dared to utter any complaint due to the Dragon Clan’s authority.
It took them four hours to get everything ready. More than a hundred ladies stepped out of the palace and formed a line in silence. Instantly, the air was filled with all sorts of fragrances.
The three hundred cultivators stood on both sides of the path, and at that moment, the place fell silent as everyone appeared solemn. Basically, all the cultivators were there to simply witness the wedding as they hadn’t been given any real tasks.
Yang Kai and Li Jiao hid among the crowd without moving a muscle. Feeling nervous in his heart, Li Jiao appeared very anxious. He wanted to talk to Yang Kai to relieve his stress, but upon seeing that Yang Kai had closed his eyes to focus himself, he didn’t dare to bother him.
A moment later, a beam of lightning appeared out of nowhere as a rich Dragon Pressure permeated the surroundings. A figure was approaching over from the other side of the island at incredible speed before he stopped right before the palace and showed himself.
On this day, Fu Chi was clad in all red, jubilant clothes. Since he had a handsome face and a sturdy figure, the red clothes didn’t make him look tacky. Instead, it had helped enhance his charm.
All the ladies had fallen head over heels for him while the cultivators remained solemn. Since the groom of the wedding had arrived, they had to appear more serious.
“Sir!” A woman in an imperial dress at the front approached Fu Chi with an elegant smile, but she appeared to be slightly cautious. Unlike Madam Hua, she wasn’t Fu Chi’s favourite woman, so she was acting in a careful manner.
Fu Chi shot her a glance and nodded lightly, “Is everything ready?”
The woman replied, “Yes. We just have to wait for the bride to arrive.”
She appeared hesitant, but she returned to her original place in the end without voicing her concern.
While Li Jiao had lowered his gaze, Yang Kai had closed his eyes. Both of them didn’t dare to look at Fu Chi. They were not afraid of him, but they were worried that the hostility behind their gazes might alert him.
Everyone simply waited outside the palace. A moment later, a Dragon Clan member arrived and congratulated Fu Chi, who returned the greeting warmly.
In just a short time, seven other Dragons had gathered outside the palace as they chatted among themselves and laughed.
One hour later, a few resounding dragon roars could be heard from afar. In the distance, the fog kept rolling over and over as a huge cloud approached the island at full speed.
“They’re coming!” One of the Dragon Clan members pointed at the cloud and uttered with a smile.
Hearing that, all of them shifted their attention in that direction while Fu Chi adjusted his clothes and put on a gentle smile.
As the cloud was nearing them, the dragon roars became even louder. All of a sudden, the cloud weltered, upon which a huge figure came into sight.
That was a large Scarlet Dragon with a figure as long as 200 metres. The red Dragon Scales on its body looked like they were on fire and the dragon swam through the sky and roared as it approached them.
Just then, some of them started gasping. Anyone would be immensely pressured in the presence of a Great Dragon’s true form at such a close distance.
Not long after the Red Dragon appeared, a Green Dragon that was as large as the Red Dragon emerged as well and flew alongside him.
Following that, a third and fourth dragon appeared as well.
Four dragons flew together in the sky at the same time, which was a magnificent sight to behold indeed, causing everyone to hold their breath and watch in silence.
Behind the four dragons was a luxuriously decorated palanquin, which was also painted red and appeared quite jubilant. Inside the carriage was a beautiful lady who was seated without moving a muscle.
With a thin veil around the palanquin, no one could see the lady’s face clearly; however, there was no doubt that she must be the bride.
The person inside the palanquin was the star of the day, while the four Great Dragons that had appeared earlier were just the escorts.
Two Dragon girls were flying alongside the palanquin. One of them was Fu Ling, whose purple hair fluttered in the air. She was supposed to be guarding Dragon Blood Flowers, but since this was Fu Chi’s wedding day, she was summoned back to accompany the bride. There was nothing special about the other Dragon girl. Besides her outstanding beauty, she appeared just like any Human.
The two girls stood on either side of the palanquin with flower baskets in their hands. While they were coming over in the air, the flowers flew out of the baskets, which formed a splendid rainbow rain. The sight was stunning. It was no ordinary flower rain as flowers of all colours wafted through the air and dazzled the spectators.
This sight alone was eye-catching enough as the crowd thought that the Dragon Clan was indeed rich enough to employ different gimmicks in a wedding. No other clans in this world had the resources to do such things.
In just a short moment, the palanquin arrived at the palace. Those four Dragons stopped coming near as they hovered several dozen meters away from the palace. All the spectators shifted their attention to the palanquin. Fu Chi naturally was smiling.
This was a joyous event for Fu Chi because the Dragon girl inside the palanquin would be his on this day.
*Shua Shua Shua…*
Right then, three figures appeared all of a sudden. The first person was a thin elderly man with red hair who appeared authoritative even though his expression was calm. There was no aura wafting from his body, but everyone could feel the sense of pressure he gave off. The kind of unspeakable pressure was much greater than those exuded from the four Great Dragons, who were still in their true forms.
Beside the elderly man was a silver-haired woman in an imperial dress with a cold expression. The aura wafting from her body sent chills down all of their spines. After taking a brief look at her, they hurriedly looked away as though they were afraid that they would be frozen if they kept looking.
The last person was a man who appeared to be between middle-aged and young. With a gentle smile on his face, he was standing there in an elegant manner.
Upon these people’s appearance, Fu Chi and the others turned solemn and bowed slightly, “Welcome, Elders!”
Dragon Clan members were only arrogant in front of other races. Faced with the Masters of the same race, they had to hang their heads low no matter how haughty they were.
Upon hearing how Fu Chi and the others addressed those three, the expressions on all 300 Human cultivators’ faces changed slightly as they lowered their heads and exclaimed in their hearts. [So, these are the Dragon Clan’s Three Elders! The Great Elder, Zhu Yan; the Second Elder, Fu Zhun, and the Fourth Elder, Zhu Kong!]
These three were the greatest authority on Dragon Island, especially the Great Elder and the Second Elder, who were both Tenth-Order Dragons. Basically, no one was a match for them on Dragon Island.
On the other hand, although Zhu Kong wasn’t a Tenth-Order Dragon, he was a Ninth-Order, so most Dragon Clan members were inferior to him as well.
It was said that there were four Elders on Dragon Island in the past. The Third-Elder was also a Ninth-Order Dragon, but for some reason, she didn’t attend the wedding on this day.
Nevertheless, this kind of secret was inaccessible to ordinary people. These 300 cultivators had always lived in Half-Dragon City, so they were not familiar with the internal affairs of Dragon Island.
At that moment, more than ten Dragon Clan members had gathered outside the palace. It could be said that all of the most powerful people on Dragon Island had gathered together. Besides a grand wedding that would happen roughly once every ten thousand years, it was rare for so many Dragon Clan members to appear in one place.
Zhu Yan’s expression was as calm as a still lake, while Fu Zhun’s expression remained eternally cold. Neither of them uttered a word. The only Elder with a smiling face was Zhu Kong, who nodded at Fu Chi and acknowledged, “Congratulations.”
Fu Chi replied respectfully, “Many thanks to all the Elders for attending. I shall always remember this day.”
Zhu Kong uttered, “After the wedding, both of you should treat each other politely and achieve lasting happiness.”
Fu Chi hurriedly replied, “Fourth Elder, please rest assured. I shall never mistreat Qing’er. We’ll give birth to a Dragon child quickly to sustain the bloodline.”
Zhu Kong smiled without saying anything.
With a frown, Fu Zhun ordered, “Enough nonsense. Help Zhu Qing out of the palanquin now.”
After receiving her order, all the Dragons wouldn’t dare to disobey her. The four Dragons separated to both sides in front of the palanquin, while Fu Ling and the other Dragon girl pulled the gauze open and said gently, “Big Sister Qing, it’s time to get out.”
Nevertheless, Zhu Qing remained seated in the palanquin.
Meekly, Fu Ling took a look at the Second Elder. Seeing that her expression was getting colder, Fu Ling persuaded Zhu Qing to get out, but to no avail. Her forehead became beaded with sweat because she was anxious.
Certainly, she knew that Zhu Qing wasn’t willing to marry Fu Chi. In fact, everyone on Dragon Island knew this. However, all the Elders were there, so it wasn’t up to Zhu Qing to refuse the wedding. If this matter wasn’t handled properly, the Dragon Clan would become the laughing stock for others.
The smile on Fu Chi’s face faded as he felt embarrassed.
On the other hand, Fu Zhun’s expression turned grim as she shot a glance at Zhu Yan, who had lowered his gaze and appeared unfazed.
Fu Zhun snorted in her heart, but just as she was preparing to drag Zhu Qing out of the palanquin herself, a figure flashed across her eyes.
All of a sudden, a young man appeared in front of the palanquin. Most people couldn’t see clearly how he appeared out of nowhere with only the Elders narrowing their eyes as they shifted their attention to him.
With a frown, Fu Zhun ordered, “Get him out of here!”
[What’s going on with this man? How could he jump out of nowhere and stand in front of the palanquin? Is he tired of living?]
Under normal circumstances, Fu Zhun would have killed him directly, but since it was Fu Chi’s wedding day, she didn’t want to see blood. That was why she suppressed her anger.
Just then, a loud Dragon Roar was heard, upon which a 200 meter long Red Dragon curled up its body and surrounded the palanquin. With its head held high, it narrowed its eyes and swept them across the crowd. After going into a protective posture, it blocked out the other three Dragons.
“Zhu Lie, what are you doing?” Fu Qi frowned and gazed at the Red Dragon which was clearly shielding the palanquin.
Opening his mouth, Zhu Lie spoke loudly, “I’m not doing anything. I just hope that all of you can wait a moment!”
Zhu Yan, who had been indifferent the entire time, finally raised his gaze, and upon seeing the figure that had arrived before the palanquin, he couldn’t help raising his brow.
On the other hand, disbelief was written all over Zhu Kong’s face. Although he had incredible cultivation, he was still stunned at the sight.
Standing in front of everyone, Yang Kai drew a deep breath and took a look at the woman in the palanquin whose head was covered with a red veil. After that, he extended his hand and said with a smile, “I’m here to fetch you.”
Upon hearing that, everyone broke into a commotion. All 300 Human cultivators stared at Yang Kai in shock as they lamented in their hearts, [What on Earth is he doing? How could he be so impudent in front of the whole Dragon Clan? He even said such a thing to a Dragon girl who was about to get married! He must be out of his mind!]
If such a thing happened in Human occupied territory, it basically meant that the man was trying to snatch the bride; however, they were now on Dragon Island, and it was the wedding day for two Dragon Clan members! This man must have gone mad. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have attempted to snatch the Dragon Clan’s bride!
The expressions of all Dragon Clan members turned stiff. Apparently, they were still reeling from the shock while Fu Chi was even worse off, as he still couldn’t fathom what was going on. Nevertheless, the next moment, his expression turned livid.
It was because after that Human finished his words, Zhu Qing, who hadn’t been willing to get out just now, shuddered and pulled the red veil on her head away. With disbelief written all over her face, she stared at that man and spoke in a shaking voice, “What are you doing here?”
She couldn’t believe her eyes, as she had never expected that Yang Kai would appear right in front of her at this very moment.
Gazing at the face she had been longing for every day, for a moment, she thought that she was dreaming. However, the man before her eyes seemed real, and his familiar aura suggested that this wasn’t a dream.
Yang Kai had really come to save her.
He appeared in front of all the Dragon Clan members fearlessly on a day that was supposed to be the most despair filled day of her life. The man before her eyes was just like the sun that had cast away the haze in her heart.
“Of course, I’m here to fetch you.” Yang Kai blinked at her.
With her eyes turning moist, Zhu Qing shook her head, “You shouldn’t have come.”
She was over the moon, but at the same time, she was worried about Yang Kai’s safety. If Yang Kai hadn’t come on this day, she would’ve been the only one who would suffer, but now that he was here, there was no way he could escape.
The Dragon Clan could never tolerate any form of humiliation. After this day, Yang Kai would become an enemy of the Dragon Clan. He didn’t even stand a chance of leaving this place alive.
“Is that so…” Yang Kai lowered his head and gave it a thought. Following that, he withdrew his hand and turned around, “Then I’ll take my leave now.”
“Don’t you dare!” Flustered, Zhu Qing stood up straight and pounced at him, grabbing his arm as she stared at him with widened eyes, “Don’t even think about leaving me behind!”
Yang Kai put on a grin, “It seems that you’re not willing to marry him. I’m relieved, then.”
As Zhu Qing wrapped her arm around his, her gaze turned dim as she muttered, “We’ll both die.”
“We already have a lot of happy memories together. Even if we have to die, we’ll die together. That’s not necessarily a bad thing.”
With her eyes welling up with tears, Zhu Qing snuggled up to him. In just a short moment, she managed to come round to the idea that since Yang Kai had come, it would be unrealistic to tell him to leave now. The only thing she could do now was face the Dragon Clan’s wrath with him.
Having made up her mind, she turned to look at her fellow clansmen, only to see how astounded they were.
There were not many things in this world that would shock a Dragon, but the incident on this day certainly counted as one of them. No one would have thought that someone had the guts to snatch a Dragon Clan bride, much less a mere Human. Moreover, Zhu Qing appeared very intimate with that Human.
At that instant, all the Dragon Clan members were dumbfounded, not to mention those Humans and Monsters whose jaws almost dropped to the ground.
Among the 300 cultivators, some of them were resentful of Yang Kai because, compared to how hardworking they were in the past month, Yang Kai didn’t contribute anything, which left them quite disgruntled. It wasn’t until this moment that they realized how bold Yang Kai was. They wondered how he could be so brazen, even having the guts to snatch the Dragon Clan’s bride. Compared to his action on this day, his loafing in the construction of the palace wasn’t even worth mentioning.
The world was never short of amazing events, but the incident on this day had really expanded their horizons.
At that moment, Fu Chi’s expression was grim. His bride was now linking arms with another man whom she appeared to be deeply in love with. Furthermore, they said that it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing for them to die together, which put Fu Chi in an embarrassing situation. After this incident, no matter how the problem was solved in the end, his reputation would be ruined.
Earlier, when Zhu Qing wasn’t willing to get out of the palanquin upon Fu Ling’s persuasion, it was already a huge embarrassment for him. On the contrary, Zhu Qing was willing to step out of the palanquin upon hearing that man’s words.
It was the worst kind of humiliation not only for Fu Chi, but also for the entire Dragon Clan. With his eyes beaming with ferocity, he glared at Yang Kai as though the latter was already a dead man.
Exasperated, he growled, “Where is this brat from? How dare he be so impudent!”
His wedding had been ruined, and the woman that was supposed to be his wife had now snuggled up to another man. Although Fu Chi considered himself a well-mannered man, he still couldn’t take it anymore.
Zhu Qing stared coldly at him and uttered, “Fu Chi, mind your language. He’s my man!”
“Your… Man…” Fu Chi widened his eyes and staggered, upon which he came to his senses and stared resentfully at Yang Kai, “So, it’s you!”
He was aware that Zhu Qing had gotten together with a Human after she left Dragon Island some time ago. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have had the chance to ask the Elders to marry Zhu Qing to him. His plan was that he would subdue Zhu Qing after the wedding and then leave Dragon Island to find that Human and dispose of him; however, he had never expected that this Human would come to Dragon Island and even be so impudent on his wedding day.
His expression had turned livid, while his eyes were burning with rage and hatred. He had already intended to kill Yang Kai, so he saw red when his love rival appeared right before his eyes.
“That’s right. I’m her man.” With a smile, Yang Kai pulled Zhu Qing into his embrace and planted a kiss on her forehead. He was acting willfully, as though they were the only people in the world.
Fu Chi’s expression grew gloomier when he saw that. His bride was kissed by another man in front of so many people. However, not only did she not attempt to resist, she appeared happy and shy. The fury in Fu Chi’s chest was about to explode like a volcano. Even the breath he let out was heavy and scorching hot.
On the other hand, Zhu Yan looked curiously at Yang Kai as he had just figured out his identity. Nevertheless, he appeared surprised at best, rather than angered or exasperated.
Although he didn’t agree to Zhu Qing and Fu Chi’s wedding, Zhu Qing had indeed made a grave mistake. Moreover, the Dragon Clan really needed more members to sustain their bloodline. Since the Second Elder wasn’t willing to relent, he wasn’t in a position to interfere. That was why he just let nature take its course.
He thought that decades or even centuries after Zhu Qing and Fu Chi got married, she would have forgotten about that Human. After that, he could come up with a plan to return her freedom; however, Zhu Yan never expected that this incident would happen on this day.
Suddenly, Fu Zhun shot a glare at Zhu Yan and glowered, “Did you already know about this?”
It was all but impossible to freely enter Dragon Island. More than ten years ago, they had enhanced the defences around the island. Even if a Great Emperor came over personally, the Dragon Clan would detect it immediately. If all the Dragon Clan members gathered, even a Great Emperor wouldn’t be able to force their way in. Therefore, Fu Zhun suspected that the reason Yang Kai could enter the island had something to do with the Great Elder.
Zhu Yan shook his head and replied, “How could I possibly know about this?”
With her doubt still unsolved, Fu Zhun snorted. [If this incident has nothing to do with him, how did this man enter Dragon Island without us knowing? Has the defence system we set up more than ten years ago lost its effects?]
Feeling uneasy, Fu Zhun couldn’t help frowning.
“This boy is pretty bold,” The Fourth Elder, Zhu Kong looked curiously at Yang Kai and put on a smile. “It’s no wonder Qing’er has fallen so deeply for him. I wonder if he’ll be lucky enough to survive this time though.”
If this matter wasn’t handled properly, Yang Kai and Zhu Qing were doomed to die; after all, the frozen-hearted Second Elder wouldn’t show any mercy towards them.
Upon hearing that, the Great Elder turned solemn.
“May I ask which one of you is the Second Elder?” Yang Kai turned around and looked in the Elders’ direction.
Despite his question, he was staring fixedly at Fu Zhun’s face. Of the three Elders, both the Great Elder and the Second Elder were Tenth-Order Dragons, so they were easily recognizable. This elderly man was obviously older than this cold-looking woman. His age suggested that he must be the Great Elder. That was why although it was Yang Kai’s first time seeing the Second Elder, he could recognize her at first glance.
At that instant, he cursed at the Second Elder in his heart. [There seems to be an eternally frozen ice sheet over her face. I wonder why she always puts on that cold expression?]
Not only was he not fond of the Second Elder, but Yang Kai was also resentful of her. [This woman basically has nothing better to do. Perhaps, she’s also suffering from some sort of mental disorder, which is why she insists on getting Zhu Qing married to Fu Chi.]
Despite his displeasure, Yang Kai didn’t want to fall out with them so soon. It would be wonderful if they could solve the problem peacefully. If they couldn’t, he would have no choice but to fight them. He was prepared to lose his life here. Even if he had to turn everything upside down, he had to leave with Zhu Qing today.
“Release her!” The Second Elder uttered coldly in an unquestionable manner without answering Yang Kai’s question.
With a calm expression, Yang Kai gazed at her, “Greetings, this Junior’s name is Yang Kai. I had no choice but to come here without any invitation, so I hope that you’ll forgive me.”
“I know who you are!” Fu Zhun stared coldly at him and replied dispassionately, “Release her if you want to live.”
Yang Kai shook his head, “Qing’er and I are deeply in love with each other. I’m sure you’re aware of this. I’m here to save her because she’s in a difficult situation. She isn’t my captive, so how am I supposed to release her? Aren’t you mistaken?”
“I said release her!” Second Elder growled as the temperature around her dropped by a few degrees. At that instant, the World Principles became a mess. Regardless of their cultivation realms, all 300 Human cultivators shuddered.
Hardly anyone in that place could endure Fu Zhun’s wrath, which was as terrifying as that of a Great Emperor’s anger. They looked at Yang Kai as though he was some kind of madman or freak. [The Dragon Clan’s Second Elder is already furious, yet he still dares to talk back? He must be courting death!]
Anger was rising within Yang Kai as his expression darkened. He wasn’t willing to fall out with the Dragon Clan directly, but it didn’t mean that he was afraid of them. Zhu Qing was part of the Dragon Clan, so if he was on bad terms with the Dragon Clan, it would put Zhu Qing in an awkward position, which was why he had been humble and sincere in his words. However, he didn’t expect that the Second Elder wouldn’t listen at all and instead just keep rebuking him.
After taking a deep breath to suppress his fury, Yang Kai tried once again, “Second Elder, please give Qing’er and me a chance to become husband and wife. We’ll be forever grateful to you.”
“Husband and wife?” Fu Zhun arched her eyebrows and spoke coldly, “Zhu Qing is getting married to Fu Chi today, so her husband is Fu Chi. What thing are you to spout nonsense here to damage our reputation?”
Zhu Qing immediately refuted, “Second Elder, you’re wrong. Yang Kai is my only husband. Whether or not the Dragon Clan will acknowledge or allow it, I’m his woman. Forever.”
“Impudence!” Fu Zhun snarled as her Dragon Pressure materialized and pressed down on Yang Kai and Zhu Qing.
Zhu Qing’s face turned ashen as she plunged into Yang Kai’s embrace. Her Dragon Vein had been sealed, and her cultivation had been suppressed, which was why she couldn’t bear the Second Elder’s wrath. If it weren’t because of her inherently strong physique, she would have lost her life upon impact.
Yang Kai also felt dizzy as his mind buzzed. At that instant, he was shocked as the pressure he felt was truly on par with that of a Great Emperor. Given his power now, he knew it would be difficult for him to deal with the Second Elder.
Zhu Qing’s resistance had completely infuriated Fu Zhun as she stared sternly at Yang Kai, “This is an auspicious day for the Dragon Clan, so I would prefer not to shed blood; however, since you’re so obstinate, don’t blame me for being ruthless.”
As she spoke, her murderous intent spread across the entire island and sent shivers down everyone’s spine.
Although the hundreds of cultivators were not directly targeted, they still found it difficult to breathe as though a huge mountain had been pressed against their chests, which caused them to almost cough up blood. They felt that they might lose their lives at any moment and were already suffering miserably. So, what about the main target, Yang Kai?
Naturally, he wasn’t in a better position. When he was engulfed in Fu Zhun’s murderous intent, he felt a clear and unprecedented sense of death. He felt cold all over her body, as though all his meridians had been frozen over.
On the side, Fu Chi watched Yang Kai suffer and felt gleeful in his heart. Earlier, he was already enraged by Yang Kai’s words, which were humiliating for him. If the Elders were not there, he would have made a move already. Nevertheless, he dared not be so presumptuous in front of the Elders. Now that the Second Elder was indignant though, he simply took pleasure in Yang Kai’s misfortune.
All inhabitants of Dragon Island understood the Second Elder’s temper very well. She was an unwavering person, so no one had the guts to disobey her. Yang Kai’s obstinacy would mean that he would end up in a miserable state. Then, Fu Chi thought of something and looked resentfully at Zhu Qing, who had nestled against Yang Kai. Upon seeing that sight, he decided that he must force himself upon her after the wedding.
[Unfortunately, her Primordial Yin has been taken away by that Human. A Dragon woman’s Primordial Yin is a powerful supplement for both Dragons and Humans. I’m an Eighth-Order Thunder Dragon. If I could have obtained Zhu Qing’s Primordial Yin, I might be able to achieve a breakthrough to the Ninth-Order. Sadly…]
Thinking so, Fu Chi felt frustrated as he shot a glare at Yang Kai.
“Wait one moment!” Yang Kai called out through clenched teeth as the veins on his forehead bobbed.
Unfazed, the Second Elder stared coldly at him and raised her fair hand. Principles swirled above her palm as the atmosphere around her turned glacial. She seemed determined to kill Yang Kai.
Yang Kai suddenly flipped his wrist, upon which a token appeared in his hand and he roared, “I have a Dragon Island Token with me!”
Fu Zhun was startled upon seeing that while the Great Elder, Zhu Yan, who had been silent the whole time, sized up the token in Yang Kai’s hand and nodded, “He is telling the truth. It’s a real Dragon Island Token.”
Zhu Kong uttered, “Oh? The last Dragon Island Token is with you. That’s interesting.”
It was the Dragon Clan who had created the Dragon Island Tokens, and there were only ten tokens in total. Over the past few years, the Dragon Clan had been trying hard to retrieve all these tokens, but they had only managed to retrieve nine so far. The whereabouts of the last token had remained a mystery up until today.
Previously, the main reason Zhu Qing left Dragon Island was to search for the last Dragon Island Token. Although she had figured out that the last token was in Yang Kai’s hands, she was unable to retrieve it. Then, due to a series of unexpected events, she had fallen in love with Yang Kai.
Now that Yang Kai had presented the Dragon Island Token to everyone, his intention was clear.
All of them were shocked when they saw the Dragon Island Token. The hundreds of cultivators had been living in Half-Dragon City for a long time, so they were familiar with the Dragon Island Token. However, they had only heard about it, and it was the first time they saw the real thing. At that instant, all of them shifted their attention to the Dragon Island Token and stared fixedly at it.
Fu Chi scoffed, “How can you take out a random token and claim that it’s the Dragon Island Token? Do you think that the Dragon Clan is made up of a bunch of fools?”
He decided to mock Yang Kai because he was resentful of him.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai looked at him as though the latter was an idiot, “The Great Elder has already said that this is the Dragon Island Token. Do you think you have a sharper vision than him? Or do you think he is lying?”
Fu Chi was startled as his expression darkened, “Boy, don’t slander me!”
Although he was an Eighth-Order Thunder Dragon, he wouldn’t be able to bear the consequences if he was regarded as not believing in the Great Elder. Therefore, he hurriedly turned to Zhu Yan and rectified, “Great Elder, that’s not what I meant.”
Zhu Yan waved his hand and gazed at Yang Kai, “Although I can see that the aura on this Dragon Island Token is pure, it requires further inspection to determine whether it’s the real Dragon Island Token. Would it be convenient for you to let me have a look?”
Yang Kai took a look at Zhu Qing, and upon getting a nod from her, he replied with a smile, “Please inspect it at will, Great Elder.”
After that, he tossed the Dragon Island Token to the Great Elder.
Upon catching the token, the Great Elder performed a hand seal and pointed at the token with one finger. Instantly, the Dragon carved on the token started moving and roared loudly.
The Fourth Elder, Zhu Kong, nodded, “En, it’s a real Dragon Island Token.”
In fact, the Elders were certain that it was the real thing when they first saw the token; however, since this was an important item, they had to examine it as well.
With a faint smile, Yang Kai uttered, “I heard that the Dragon Island Token’s holder can make a request of Dragon Island…”
Just then, his expression changed as he spoke angrily, “What are you doing?”
While he was speaking, the Second Elder suddenly extended her hand towards the Dragon Island Token in the Great Elder’s hand. Her movement was so swift that her hand transformed into an illusion as it tried to grab the Dragon Island Token.
The Great Elder had never expected that Fu Zhun would make a move, so he hurriedly twisted his wrist to evade it; however, the Second Elder was well prepared as her hand pursued the token.
The Dragon Clan’s two Elders remained in the same spots, but their hands transformed into countless illusions as they battled with each other in silence. After a loud thud, the atmosphere fell into silence again.
While Zhu Yan frowned, Fu Zhun remained dispassionate. Zhu Kong took a look at both Elders and heaved a sigh.
Right in front of everyone’s eyes, the Dragon Island Token in the Great Elder’s hand decomposed into a pile of dust as it trickled down his fingers and disappeared completely.
“Second Elder, what do you mean by this?” With a grim expression, Yang Kai stared at Fu Zhun as he clenched his teeth. He had never expected that she would destroy his Dragon Island Token right in front of so many people, which was the epitome of shamelessness. It was beyond his imagination that a Master, who was as powerful as a Great Emperor, would do such a thing in full view of the public.
Earlier, Yang Kai was already distrustful of this ice woman, which was why he only passed the Dragon Island Token to the Great Elder after getting Zhu Qing’s advice. Nevertheless, what happened just now was beyond his expectations.
Zhu Yan turned to look at Fu Zhun, awaiting her explanation.
Fu Zhun uttered unenthusiastically, “I don’t need to explain my actions to you. Since the Great Elder and the Fourth Elder believe that it’s the Dragon Island Token, I won’t deny it. I’ll just regard it as the Dragon Island Token, then.”
“You’ll just regard it as the Dragon Island Token?” The veins on Yang Kai’s forehead popped. [She’s basically lying in front of so many people. How can she deny my Dragon Island Token’s authenticity just like this?]
Fu Zhun wanted to shift the focus away from the issue, so she said coldly, “You’ve entered Dragon Island without the Dragon Clan’s permission; that’s your first crime. You’ve made a scene on the Dragon Clan’s wedding day; that’s your second crime. You’ve ruined a Dragon girl’s reputation; that’s your third crime. For these crimes, you should be killed three times over; however, I won’t kill you today. In exchange for the Dragon Island Token, you can keep your life, now leave!”
Unresigned, Yang Kai refuted, “I’ve never said that I want to trade that Dragon Island Token for my life. Second Elder, don’t you think you’re acting too despotic?”
He was truly infuriated by her actions. He had just fished out the Dragon Island Token and had yet to make a request, but this woman destroyed the token and said that it would be exchanged for his life. Even robbers wouldn’t do such a thing.
“If you don’t want it to be traded for your life, do you want to go to Hell then?”
Yang Kai raised his head and demanded, “I want you to release Qing’er and let her leave with me!”
“Dream on!” Fu Zhun sneered.
In a disappointed manner, Zhu Qing uttered, “Second Elder, according to the Dragon Clan’s rules, anyone holding a Dragon Island Token can make a reasonable request and have it fulfilled by the Dragon Clan. Although you’re the Second Elder, it doesn’t mean you can ignore our ancestors’ teachings!”
Yang Kai turned his head and shot a glare at Zhu Yan, “Great Elder, I need to hear your opinion.”
It was impossible to communicate with Fu Zhun. She was as obstinate as an eternally frozen ice block, so it was useless to try persuading her. Yang Kai would only get more exasperated if he kept speaking to her, which was why he shifted his attention to Zhu Yan.
Since the Dragon Island Token was destroyed right in his hand, he couldn’t evade the responsibility.
Hearing that, Zhu Yan nodded his head, “You’re right. There is such a rule in the Dragon Clan.”
With his gaze turning hopeful, Yang Kai cupped his fists and said, “Since that’s the case, I only have one request. I hope that you’ll forgive us and let Qing’er leave with me.”
After a moment of silence, Zhu Yan shook his head and replied, “I’m afraid I cannot agree to it.”
“Great Elder…” The light in Zhu Qing’s gaze went out. Without the Great Elder on their side, she and Yang Kai wouldn’t be able to leave this place.
Yang Kai sneered, “The Dragon Clan is indeed very mighty and honourable. Many thanks for opening my eyes today.”
The Great Elder shook his head and uttered, “It’s not that I’m making things difficult for you; it’s just that… Your request goes against the Dragon Clan’s principles, so I can’t agree to it. The Second Elder is right. You have a Dragon Island Token, so I’m supposed to grant your wish, but that request has to be reasonable! Allowing you to take Zhu Qing away is beyond what the Dragon Clan can tolerate, so you’d best leave on your own.”
The Great Elder’s statement was within Yang Kai’s expectation, so he wasn’t really disappointed.
Some time ago, he had asked Zhu Lie whether he could trade the Dragon Island Token for Zhu Qing’s freedom, but Zhu Lie had refuted his idea. The reason he even took out the Dragon Island Token today was to try his luck.
It seemed that Zhu Lie was right. Although he had a Dragon Island Token, Yang Kai couldn’t leave this place with Zhu Qing. It was impossible for the Dragon Clan to agree to such a request.
Just then, Zhu Kong said, “That’s right. You’d best leave now. We won’t stop you.”
Given the Dragon Clan members’ temperament, they would have directly killed any person who dared to make a scene like this. However, Yang Kai indeed possessed a Dragon Island Token, so no matter how rude he had been, the token was enough to be traded for his life. The prerequisite was that Yang Kai would just leave immediately.
“Huh?” The Second Elder suddenly snorted, “Did I say I’d let him go?”
The corner of Yang Kai’s mouth twitched when he heard that, and he scoffed, “So, you want to go back on your word and kill me. Alright, then. I’ll just fight with you. Since you’re making life difficult for me, I also won’t let the Dragon Clan live peacefully.”
“How conceited!” Fu Chi snorted.
The expressions of the other Dragon Clan members darkened as well. Obviously, Yang Kai had enraged all of them. They were already displeased at the fact that he had the guts to snatch the Dragon Clan’s bride, and now he was trying to threaten them in their own home. To the Dragon Clan, Yang Kai didn’t understand how outmatched he was.
“You’ll see if I have the ability to act conceited or not!” Yang Kai shot a look at Fu Chi, who he had decided to attack first if they really got into a fight.
Yang Kai had to vent out the anger he had accumulated over the past month.
[How dare this fool try to snatch my woman!]
“Second Elder…” Zhu Yan looked at Fu Zhun with a frown, “As members of the Dragon Clan, we are not supposed to go back on our word. What is your meaning here?”
Since the Dragon Island Token had been destroyed, it wouldn’t matter if they let Yang Kai go. Therefore, he didn’t understand why Fu Zhun went back on her word.
“Of course I won’t go back on my word.” Fu Zhun looked coldly at Yang Kai, “I’ve promised not to kill him, but I’ve never said that I’ll let him leave. If he doesn’t give the Ancestral Dragon Source to us, he shouldn’t even think about leaving Dragon Island!”
Hearing that, Zhu Yan and Zhu Kong turned solemn, as they understood what Fu Zhun was trying to achieve.
Yang Kai possessed Ancestral Dragon Source, and since he had come to Dragon Island himself, they certainly couldn’t let him go easily. The Ancestral Dragon Source was important to the Dragon Clan. If they could get their hands on it, the entire Dragon Clan’s power would increase dramatically.
Previously, Zhu Yan wanted Zhu Qing to invite Yang Kai to Dragon Island exactly because he wanted to obtain Ancestral Dragon Source. That was why when he realized the Second Elder’s intention, he stopped refuting her.
As far as he knew, Yang Kai had extremely high attainments in the Dao of Space, so if they let him go on this day, they might never be able to capture him again. After weighing the options, Zhu Yan decided to keep his mouth shut.
“Second Elder, don’t cross the line!” Zhu Qing was so furious that she started trembling.
“How dare you talk to me like this!” Fu Zhun glared at her.
“Shut your mouth!” Yang Kai shouted back at Fu Zhun with an even more ferocious glare, “So what if Qing’er talks to you like this?”
“Brat, you’ve gone too far! Since you desperately want to die, I’ll grant your wish!” Fu Zhun had never been insulted in such a way before, so she couldn’t contain her fury anymore and pushed out her palm at Yang Kai.
Instantly, her hand turned into an ice crystal as though it had been carved by the great sculptor. The formidable coldness transformed into a swirling current that engulfed Yang Kai.
Her palm magnified rapidly right in front of Yang Kai’s eyes, as though it could block out the entire sky.
Yang Kai snarled, “It is the Dragon Clan who is domineering and oppressive today, not I!” As he spoke, he pushed Zhu Qing away and, right in front of all the astounded people, he actually charged towards the Second Elder instead of retreating.
“Hou!!”
As soon as a roar was heard, Yang Kai swelled up and transformed into an 80-metre long gigantic creature. Stubby horns protruded on his temples, and his entire body was covered in scales. His flesh squirmed as his bones kept cracking. His hands had also turned into pointed Dragon Claws.
As a peerless Dragon Pressure spread out, Yang Kai puffed out scorching breath from his nostrils.
“Dragon Transformation Secret Art!” While the crowd broke into a commotion, the Dragon Clan members were dumbfounded.
The Dragon Transformation Secret Art was a legitimate Dragon Clan Secret Technique, so they were familiar with it. However, it was the first time they saw someone use it in such a domineering way.
Yang Kai had transformed into an 80-metre long beast, and while he could still only be considered a Half-Dragon in that form, the pressure he gave off was intense. Moreover, his Dragon Aura was extremely pure.
Some Sixth-Order and Seventh-Order Dragon Clan members secretly compared themselves with Yang Kai and reckoned that even without bloodline suppression, they might not be able to defeat him. Hence, they stopped being arrogant and disdainful of him as their expressions turned solemn.
Upon transforming into his Half-Dragon Form, Yang Kai immediately pushed his Dragon Pressure and engulfed Fu Zhun with it.
Fu Zhun was unperturbed, however, as the palm she had thrown out became even more translucent. In the blink of an eye, the two forces clashed with each other.
Right in front of everyone’s eyes, Fu Zhun’s palm easily broke through all of Yang Kai’s defences and landed on his chest. Silently, Yang Kai’s broad chest sank, as though it had been hit by a meteor boulder. At the same time, his back protruded as the shock wave exploded out behind him, astounding everyone.
*Kacha…*
It was then that the sound of countless bones cracking could be heard, which sent chills down the spectators’ spines.
The 80-metre-long Half-Dragon froze for a moment before it was sent flying backwards, like a bolt of lightning, flying more than a hundred kilometres in the blink of an eye, golden blood splashing out to form a long golden trail.
[We told you not to be so presumptuous!] That was the thought on the Dragon Clan members’ minds as they watched Yang Kai flying away from the impact.
After Zhu Yan and Zhu Kong traded glances, they shook their heads.
Although Yang Kai possessed the Golden Divine Dragon Source, and he was fairly powerful in his own right, he was now going against the Second Elder, who was a Master that was as formidable as a Great Emperor and a Tenth-Order Dragon. After Yang Kai had activated his Dragon Pressure, he failed in his attempt to suppress the Second Elder’s bloodline at all and without the advantage of bloodline suppression, he couldn’t possibly bear even one palm from her.
Even though her attack was clearly not made with her full strength, it allowed Yang Kai to realize the difference between a Great Emperor and himself deeply. On the contrary, he wasn’t able to hurt even one strand of Fu Zhun’s hair.
The place fell into silence as they were surrounded by the bitingly cold aura. With a dispassionate expression, Fu Zhun stared coldly at Yang Kai, who barely managed to stop and stabilize himself.
All of a sudden though, her pupils contracted as she slowly turned her head and narrowed her eyes. In a calm manner, she asked, “Zhu Qing, do you know what you’re doing?”
Hearing that, all of them came to their senses and looked in that direction, upon which they were all stunned.
When they were not paying attention, Zhu Qing had approached Fu Chi and engulfed him with her Dragon Pressure. At the same time, she had transformed her fair hand into a Dragon Claw and clenched at Fu Chi’s head as she stared warily at Fu Zhun.
She didn’t react upon seeing that Yang Kai was injured. It wasn’t that she didn’t care about his life or death; it was just that she couldn’t be distracted. The slightest lack of concentration in front of someone as strong as a Great Emperor would be enough to make Yang Kai’s plan fail, so Zhu Qing wouldn’t even dare to think about turning her head to examine his current state. At that moment, her pointed Dragon Claws had pierced Fu Chi’s flesh, and if she exerted any more force with her hand, Fu Chi would lose his life on the spot.
Apparently, Fu Chi had never expected that such a thing would happen. Just now, he was still laughing at Yang Kai for daring to challenge the Second Elder. Seeing that Yang Kai was on the losing side, he felt gleeful and hoped that the Second Elder’s attack could end his life.
While he was still thinking about that though, he saw a figure flashing across his eyes, upon which Zhu Qing appeared right behind him. Following that, he could feel the suppression from a Ninth-Order Dragon Vein as well as the pain on his head.
At that moment, Fu Chi’s expression was livid as he was extremely displeased.
A Ninth-Order’s suppression on an Eighth-Order wasn’t too overwhelming. If they were to fight face-to-face, Fu Chi could persevere for some time; however, Zhu Qing was fully prepared and managed to gain a decisive advantage from the start, so Zhu Chi’s life or death was now literally in her hands.
A myriad of expressions came over everyone in that place, as the sight before them was extremely strange. This was Fu Chi and Zhu Qing’s wedding day, and they were both clad in ceremonial red robes. They were supposed to be a loving couple, but at this moment, the bride seemed to have the intention of killing the groom, so the sight appeared very awkward.
Without answering the question, Zhu Qing placed all her focus on Fu Zhun.
“Your seal has been removed?” Zhu Kong frowned as he couldn’t believe it, “When did that happen?”
For quite some time now, Zhu Qing’s Dragon Vein had been suppressed and her cultivation had been sealed. However, now it didn’t look like any of that had happened to her. Apparently, she had restored all her strength, which was why she was able to make such a sneak attack.
“So that’s how it is,” Zhu Yan quickly figured out how Zhu Qing’s seal was removed. Shocked, he looked at Yang Kai, who was flying back unstably as he pressed his giant claw against his chest.
Incensed, Fu Zhun stared at Yang Kai and snarled, “It’s you who did it!”
There was no way Zhu Qing’s seal had been lifted for no reason. Since the beginning, only Yang Kai had got into contact with Zhu Qing. Hence, besides Yang Kai, no one else could remove Zhu Qing’s seal without anyone knowing.
[How did he do it? I laid that seal personally!]
“You’re allowed to place a seal on her, but you won’t allow me to lift it? That doesn’t make sense,” Yang Kai appeared ferocious as there was still some Golden Blood on the corner of his mouth. He hadn’t managed to restore his chest to its original form either, so it was still slightly sunken. Fu Zhun’s attack was unbearably powerful. Although it didn’t cost him his life, it had roiled his vitality and broken several bones. His 80-metre-long figure approached Zhu Qing and landed on the ground in front of her. Like a hill, he stood in front of Zhu Qing and faced the three Elders’ pressure on his own.
Seeing that he was still alive and kicking, Zhu Qing, who had been extremely anxious just now, could finally heave a sigh of relief and set her mind at ease.
“You’ve done well, Qing’er.” Yang Kai praised her without turning his head. After all, they were husband and wife, so their hearts were already one. Although he didn’t have the time to tell Zhu Qing his plan, she was still able to make the optimal choice at the critical moment.
“He was just creating a diversion…” Zhu Kong raised his brow. At that instant, he had also figured out what just happened.
Yang Kai activated his Dragon Transformation Secret Art and transformed into an 80-metre-long Half-Dragon seemingly to confront the Second Elder. Although it looked like he was reckless and didn’t know his place, he was in fact just trying to draw everyone’s attention to himself.
While all of them had focused on Yang Kai, Zhu Qing, who had been concealed behind his towering figure, could move freely to assist him, and it turned out that the couple’s tactics were indeed useful.
Initially, Yang Kai was like a fish on the chopping block, while the Dragon Clan held the knife. Hence, he couldn’t resist their oppression. However, things looked a little different now.
Zhu Qing’s seal had been lifted, and her power had been restored. Now, Fu Chi was in her hands and she could instantly kill him if she pleased.
Despite the fact that Yang Kai had been injured by the Second Elder, he managed to gain the upper hand in the end.
[What deep schemes! What boldness!] Zhu Yan and Zhu Kong were stunned as they thought that if this matter couldn’t be solved perfectly, they would soon have a formidable enemy.
“Zhu Qing, are you trying to betray us? Release Fu Chi now! What you’re doing now is highly improper!” Fu Zhun’s expression was cold, and her voice was equally stern.
Unperturbed, Zhu Qing replied, “I only listen to Yang Kai. I’ll only release Fu Chi if he tells me to do so.”
Fu Zhun growled, “Don’t forget that you’re a member of the Dragon Clan as well as part of Dragon Island! You know what kind of punishment you’ll get for harming your fellow clansman!”
Seeing that the Second Elder was truly incensed, most of the Dragon Clan members became terrified.
They hadn’t seen the Second Elder so infuriated in a long time. The last time she became this furious was ten odd years ago, when she ended up confining her favourite daughter to the Dragon Grave. At that time, that person was the Dragon Clan’s Third Elder!
Now that Zhu Qing was also a Ninth-Order Dragon, supposedly, she could become the Dragon Clan’s Fifth Elder, but that didn’t matter anymore. Even the Third Elder was sent into the Dragon Grave by the Second Elder, so there was no way Zhu Qing could escape her punishment.
“Harming her fellow clansman?” Yang Kai snorted and extended his gigantic hand to grab Fu Chi. Instantly, all his Dragon Pressure engulfed Fu Chi, which caused him to let out a muffled grunt. At that moment, Fu Chi was seized by a sense of fear.
He was just an Eighth-Order Dragon and even Zhu Qing, who had a Ninth-Order Dragon Vein, could suppress him, let alone Yang Kai who possessed the Golden Divine Dragon Source. Perhaps a month ago, Fu Chi could put up some resistance against Yang Kai even if the latter activated his Dragon Transformation Secret Art; however, in just one month, Yang Kai’s integration of the Golden Divine Dragon Source had improved dramatically.
Fu Chi felt that the Dragon Essence in his body had stagnated completely at this moment.
However, that wasn’t what truly upset him. He was most frustrated at the fact that, as an Eighth-Order Thunder Dragon, he was now held in Yang Kai’s hand like a toy, with literally hundreds of eyes staring at him, utterly shaming him.
“Old hag, you sealed Qing’er’s cultivation and suppressed her Dragon Vein. You knew that she loved someone else, but you still forced her to marry a Dragon Clan member she didn’t love. Doesn’t that count as harming your fellow clansman? In my opinion, you’re the one who should be punished!”
All the Dragon Clan members’ foreheads were now beaded with sweat, while the brows of the Great Elder and the Fourth Elder twitched.
[This guy is too bold! How does he have the guts to talk to the Second Elder like this!?]
Fu Zhun’s face twitched as she said through gritted teeth, “What did you just call me?”
“Old hag, old hag, old hag, old hag, old hag!” Yang Kai cursed at her repeatedly with such force that spit and blood flew in all directions from his mouth, almost dirtying Fu Zhun’s face.
Fu Zhun’s expression turned glacial as her tender body trembled violently and the murderous intent she released nearly became tangible.
“Don’t even think about killing me,” Yang Kai looked down at her with a sneer, “Yes, if you want to kill me, I probably won’t be able to escape. However, I’m a timid man and am easily frightened. If I were to suddenly lose control of my strength and accidentally pinch him to death, that would be terrible!”
To prove that he wasn’t bluffing, Yang Kai exerted slightly more force with his claw.
Instantly, Fu Chi shrieked as he felt that all his bones were being crushed. While he gritted his teeth, his sweat streamed down his forehead. His gaze was filled with hatred as he glared at Yang Kai. He had never been humiliated so greatly in his life, and his resentment towards Yang Kai would never be resolved no matter what. However, since he had fallen into Yang Kai’s hands, he couldn’t even muster the strength to struggle.
“I heard that there are only a small number of Dragons in the Dragon Clan, so each one of you is precious. I wonder how valuable an Eighth-Order Thunder Dragon is in your heart, Second Elder?”
Fu Zhun gnashed her teeth together and uttered slowly, “Today, either you will die, or the Dragon Clan will perish!”
The colour drained from Zhu Qing’s beautiful face when she heard that declaration.
A battle to the death!
The atmosphere in that place changed drastically when everyone heard what the Second Elder had said.
If someone else had said these words, it could be taken as just a threat; however, since the Second Elder was the one who had spoken, it really meant that they would fight with Yang Kai until either party lost their lives. She had been completely enraged, so she was determined to kill Yang Kai in order to wipe clean the humiliation that had been inflicted upon the Dragon Clan today.
Zhu Qing’s face turned totally pale.
She thought that by just capturing Fu Chi, they would have a bargaining chip to negotiate with the Elders, but she didn’t expect that the Second Elder would be furious enough to say such a thing. Zhu Qing was utterly flustered and didn’t know what to do, so she could only shift her attention to Yang Kai’s towering figure.
“How dare you threaten me!” Yang Kai’s expression turned even more ruthless as he directly grabbed one of Fu Chi’s arms, the difference between their sizes making it look like he was grasping a toothpick.
“What are you trying to do?” Fu Chi was stunned.
Right after Fu Chi finished speaking, Yang Kai exerted more force with his hand.
*Chi…*
In an instant, blood spurted out. Fu Chi was startled for a moment before he shouted in pain as his arm had been torn off by Yang Kai. The wound appeared uneven as his pure Dragon Blood kept squirting out like a fountain. Every drop of his blood appeared translucent as it dropped on the ground and dyed the place crimson.
Dragon Blood was precious, so every drop was extremely valuable. It could be used to make pills or just be consumed directly. For a Dragonborn like Li Jiao, Dragon Blood was even more useful than Dragon Blood Flowers.
However, at this moment, priceless Dragon Blood was actually being splashed out as though it was worth nothing. The blood’s vivid red colour sent a shock wave across everyone, making them completely terrified.
*Ssii…*
As all of them gasped as they looked dazedly at Fu Chi, their eyes brimming with fright.
With their expressions turning solemn, Zhu Yan and Zhu Kong stepped forward and tried to submerge Yang Kai with their peerless Dragon Pressure. They hadn’t made a move just now because Yang Kai hadn’t really done anything that had harmed the Dragon Clan’s interests, and for Zhu Qing’s sake, they weren’t willing to bully a Junior like Yang Kai.
However, things were different now because an Eighth-Order Thunder Dragon’s arm had been torn off by Yang Kai. As the Great Elder and Fourth Elder of Dragon Island, they couldn’t stay put and do nothing.
“Don’t you dare!” Yang Kai turned his head as he glared at Zhu Yan and Zhu Kong and pinched Fu Chi’s other arm. With a ferocious expression, he looked like a beast that would bite anyone that tried to approach, his eyes flashing with a horrifying glare.
Zhu Yan and Zhu Kong stopped in their tracks, but after a short pause, Zhu Yan spoke, “You’ve gone overboard.”
Yang Kai shook his head, “It’s the Dragon Clan who has gone overboard.”
“It’s not up to you to determine who is right or wrong. Release Fu Chi now. We can talk it out.”
Yang Kai replied without any hesitation, “There’s nothing to discuss. Let Qing’er and I leave now, and I’ll let him live. Otherwise, all of us will die together!”
Earlier, if he said such a thing, it would just be regarded as a threat that was not to be feared. However, everyone took his threat seriously now because he had just torn off Fu Chi’s arm. Apparently, he was really prepared to die today.
Both the Great Elder and the Second Elder had the power to kill Yang Kai, but before they could, Fu Chi would undoubtedly lose his life. There were only a small number of Dragon Clan members, so they couldn’t afford to lose anyone.
“Release him!” The Second Elder said through clenched teeth.
Without uttering a word, Yang Kai sneered and exerted more force with his hand.
*Chi…*
Fu Chi’s other arm was swiftly pulled off; after which Yang Kai nonchalantly threw the torn arm away and stared fixedly at Fu Zhun, apparently daring her to continue speaking.
[You threatened me, and I tore Fu Chi’s arm out; you growled at me, and I pulled his other arm out! Although he has no more arms left, he still has two legs! All Dragon Clan members are tough anyway, so these injuries wouldn’t kill him. Aren’t you trying to get Zhu Qing to marry Fu Chi? Once I kill him, let’s see how you’re going to do that!]
Yang Kai knew that he mustn’t show any signs of weaknesses in front of the Dragon Clan, he needed to appear even more ruthless than they were.
Fu Zhun was so enraged that her face turned livid. Even the incident more than ten years ago didn’t anger her so. However, Yang Kai’s actions had made her rage rise to an unprecedented level.
Fu Chi’s face had turned completely ashen after his arms were torn off as he trembled fiercely. He was a member of the Dragon Clan whose physical body was incredibly tough, so in most circumstances, it was impossible for anyone to tear off his limbs.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai had transformed into an 80-metre-long Half-Dragon, so his physical strength was equally incredible. If somehow the Great Elder or the Second Elder fell into the current Yang Kai’s hands, he would be able to separate the limbs from their bodies as well, so it was no wonder he could do that to Fu Chi with ease.
Fu Chi hung his head low as his gaze was filled with hatred.
“I’ll count down from ten, you have until then to make your decision!” Yang Kai swept a glance across all the Elders and upon finishing his words, he really started counting down.
Although he was the weaker party, he still displayed unfettered arrogance, as though he was above all of them and was the one who had the final say, making everyone feel awkward at the sight.
“Ten… Nine… Eight…” His voice was calm, which suggested that he wasn’t nervous, and his expression was filled with resolve.
Zhu Qing stepped sideward and stood beside Yang Kai. After taking a deep breath, she too put on a steadfast expression.
They were husband and wife, so they should enjoy happiness or endure hardship together. Even if they had to die, they would do so together. Although Zhu Qing never uttered a word, her actions had revealed her stance.
“One!” After Yang Kai finished counting down, all three Elders still never replied to him.
It wasn’t that they didn’t care about Fu Chi’s life or death; it was just that they could never make a concession on this day. If this news was spread, the Dragon Clan’s majesty would be destroyed. Faced with Yang Kai’s domineering attitude, they had no choice but to consider giving up on Fu Chi.
Zhu Yan sighed secretly, as he had never expected that things would come to such a point. From an outside perspective, this was mainly because Yang Kai had been too aggressive in his approach; however, no one could achieve a perfect outcome when faced with such a problem. This would be an unfortunate incident in the Dragon Clan’s history, and it also meant the end of Yang Kai’s life.
Yang Kai lowered his head and smiled at Zhu Qing. However, given his Half-Dragon face, his smile appeared rather terrifying, “Qing’er, it seems that we might die together on this day.”
With her silky hair flapping in the air, Zhu Qing replied with a smile, “I’m glad that we can keep each other company on the way to the afterlife.”
“Good!” Yang Kai growled as his expression turned solemn. Suddenly, he started uttering complicated and abstruse syllables. The syllables were so strange that the hundreds of Humans there couldn’t understand anything from them. Nevertheless, all the Dragon Clan members could feel their hearts pounding against their chests when they heard his voice as their Dragon Blood began boiling.
“A Dragon Clan Secret Technique!” Fu Zhun’s expression changed drastically as she clenched her teeth, “How did you even learn of our Secret Techniques?”
Yang Kai stared at her without responding to her as his voice turned increasingly aggressive, just like a real Dragon Roar, resounding towards the far distance.
“It’s the Ancestral Dragon Source’s inheritance!” Finally understanding what was going on, Zhu Yan said with astonishment.
The complete inheritance of an Ancient Divine Spirit could not be passed down solely through oral or written records. In fact, almost all core parts of such an inheritance were hidden within their bloodline and Source. When the awakening of their bloodline reached a certain level, that inheritance would naturally reveal itself.
The Dragon Clan was the leader of all Divine Spirits, so they were not exempted from this rule.
As Pure Blood Dragon Clan members’ bloodline improved, they would also grasp some Secret Techniques that only True Dragons could use.
Now, Yang Kai was using a High-Rank Dragon Clan Secret Technique. Apparently, he had obtained the inheritance that was supposed to belong to the Dragon Clan, and that inheritance came from the Ancestral Dragon Source within him.
That was the reason Zhu Yan was astonished. Since Yang Kai had obtained the Dragon Clan’s inheritance, it also meant that he had been acknowledged by the Ancestral Dragon Source. It was no wonder that he was able to lift Zhu Qing’s seal without anyone noticing.
Zhu Qing’s seal was planted by the Second Elder using a Dragon Clan Secret Technique, but given the strength Yang Kai had displayed, he indeed had the power to remove the seal.
Since that was the case, he could no longer be considered a pure Human. He could now be considered an esteemed member of the Dragon Clan.
Since Zhu Yan had figured it out, there was no way that revelation hadn’t dawned on Fu Zhun, but at that moment, she still couldn’t believe that fact.
She had intended to detain Yang Kai and extract the Ancestral Dragon Source from him, but now it seemed her idea couldn’t be realized.
If she wanted to remove the Dragon Source from him, the first prerequisite was that it was in a complete state.
However, since the Ancestral Dragon Source had acknowledged this Human and even integrated a significant portion of itself into his being, there was no way to separate it from him without causing severe damage. Even if they managed to forcefully separate it from him, it would only result in an unbearable loss to the Dragon Clan.
Only members of the Dragon Clan could employ the Dragon Clan’s Secret Techniques, which was an unbreakable rule.
The syllables wafting from Yang Kai’s mouth were an ancient Dragon Language, and although the others couldn’t understand it, there was no way the Dragon Clan members didn’t.
At that instant, all the Dragon Clan members were dumbstruck with even the Elders falling into a dazed state.
Before they could come to their senses though, Fu Chi, who had been held hostage by Yang Kai, screamed suddenly as his body trembled violently. His red clothes were drenched in sweat and his hate-filled gaze suddenly became completely blank, as though he had been controlled by a form of spell.
Following that, a bolt of lightning wandered around Fu Chi as crackling sounds could be heard. Suddenly, an illusionary Thunder Dragon appeared above his head. The Thunder Dragon roared, as though it wasn’t willing to leave Fu Chi’s body; however, under the urging of Yang Kai’s Dragon Language, it was forced to slowly separate itself from Fu Chi as its eyes were filled with a sense of pain and fear. In just a short moment, its head had completely manifested.
Apparently, this was Fu Chi’s Dragon Source. Once his Source left his body, he would lose his identity as a Dragon Clan member, which was something more unbearable than death.
“Dragon Punishment!” The expressions of all Dragon Clan members changed drastically as their bodies turned cold, as though their Dragon Blood had been frozen over.
Even after a Dragon Clan member passed away, their Source wouldn’t disappear. It would return to the Dragon Grave and become a kind of formless Source Strength. When a female Dragon became pregnant with a child, the Dragon Clan members would hold a ceremony and communicate with the Dragon Grave so that this Source Strength could be transferred to the fetus.
In other words, although losses would be incurred when a Dragon Clan member passed away, it wasn’t the end for that Dragon Source. However, if the Source was destroyed, it would be gone forever.
That was why even though there were only a small number of Dragon Clan members, they were never truly at risk of going extinct. That was because every deceased Dragon Clan member would leave behind their Source to make their last contribution to sustain the Dragon Clan’s bloodline.
However, with one Source being destroyed, it would mean there would be one fewer Dragon Clan member forever.
‘Dragon Punishment’ was the most effective way to destroy a Dragon Source, which was why it was one of the most forbidden of Dragon Clan’s techniques.
Earlier, when Yang Kai threatened to die together with Fu Chi, the Second Elder could still accept it despite her fury; however, what Yang Kai was about to do wasn’t something she was willing to see. A Dragon Clan member could lose their life, but the Source could never be allowed to be destroyed!
“Stop right there!” Zhu Yan roared, his expression turning black.
Yang Kai really stopped what he was doing as the ancient syllables ceased. As for the Thunder Dragon which was being separated from Fu Chi, it appeared slightly relieved as well.
“Great Elder, what else do you have to say?” Yang Kai asked in a serious voice as he forced his racing heartbeat to moderate. Although he appeared very reckless, he wouldn’t want to lose his life unless he had no choice. Fortunately, the Great Elder was willing to extricate him from this difficult situation by stepping forward at the right moment. Otherwise, Yang Kai wasn’t even sure if he should continue on with this suicidal path.
Things had come to a point where Yang Kai had no way out anymore. He either had to negotiate with the Dragon Clan and pay a hefty price to leave with Zhu Qing or fight with them until the end. The second scenario wasn’t what he hoped to see. As for the first scenario, he was prepared to make a huge sacrifice.
Seeing that Yang Kai had stopped the Dragon Punishment, Zhu Yan heaved a sigh of relief. Since this young man had obtained the Dragon Clan’s inheritance, and the Ancestral Dragon Source had acknowledged him and integrated with him, he couldn’t be regarded as just a Human anymore. Hence, it was useless for the Dragon Clan members to continue being so haughty in front of him.
After giving it a thought, Zhu Yan decided to say something, but just then, a sudden change shocked everyone.
A deafening buzz could be heard in the far distance, as though the entire world was shaking. Following that, a beam of light exploded and shot up into the sky. The World Energy around them kept trembling, causing everyone to feel uneasy.
The Dragon Clan’s three Elders turned their heads and looked at the source of the noise. The next moment, they turned pale at the same time.
The Second Elder Fu Zhun shouted, “Oh, no!”
Upon finishing her words, she leapt into the air and flew towards that direction at the speed of lightning. In the blink of an eye, she disappeared from everyone’s sight as she had no time to deal with Yang Kai anymore.
Hundreds of Humans were dumbfounded at the sudden change. Even Yang Kai appeared shocked as he darted his gaze around.
No one knew the reason the Second Elder left in such a hurry. Supposedly, what was going on in this place would badly affect the Dragon Clan’s honour and dignity; after all, it was deplorable of Yang Kai to try to snatch the Dragon bride on the wedding day. The Second Elder also appeared domineering as she threatened that the Dragon Clan would fight with Yang Kai until one of them died. It could be said that this was a grudge that could never be resolved.
So, what happened in the distance that made a Master like Fu Zhun turn so pale and fly off in such a panic? She even stopped caring about Yang Kai and went to handle this other matter immediately. Apparently, something shocking had happened on Dragon Island.
It was hard for everyone to wrap their heads around this idea. Then, they shifted their attention to the other Elders and realized that both Zhu Yan and Zhu Kong appeared solemn, as though they were faced with a formidable enemy.
They didn’t even show this kind of emotion on their faces when Yang Kai tore Fu Chi’s arms off just now.
On the other hand, the other Dragon Clan members appeared uneasy as they had their own speculation.
“Qing’er, where is that place? What is going on?” Yang Kai secretly communicated to Zhu Qing via Divine Sense. Feeling excited, he could sense that this might be their chance to leave.
Of the three Dragon Clan’s Elders, the Second Elder Fu Zhun was the hardest to deal with. If it weren’t because she was so unreasonable, Yang Kai wouldn’t have done such an outrageous thing, so now that she had left, Yang Kai was certainly elated.
With the Second Elder out of the way, they could talk it out with the other Elders, Zhu Yan and Zhu Kong, in a peaceful manner. After all, they were from the Zhu Clan of the Dragon Clan, so they were biased towards Zhu Qing, which was evident from their attitude just now.
Upon hearing Yang Kai’s question, Zhu Qing replied, “The Dragon Grave. That place is the Dragon Grave. It seems that something has happened there.”
“The Dragon Grave?” Yang Kai raised his brow.
Certainly, he knew what kind of place the Dragon Grave was. It was somewhere the Dragon Clan members would go before their death, so it was their Restricted Area. Previously, the main reason Zhu Qing went to the Frozen Earth was to look for the lost Dragon Source so she could bring it back to the Dragon Grave.
[Since the Dragon Grave is the cemetery for the Dragon Clan, what could have possibly happened there? The Second Elder even left the place in a hurry without saying anything. How strange…]
Zhu Qing didn’t know the reason either, as she just knew that something must have happened to the Dragon Grave.
While Yang Kai and Zhu Qing were having a chat in secret, the Great Elder and the Fourth Elder were communicating with each other as well. After Zhu Yan finished speaking, Zhu Kong suddenly turned solemn.
Yang Kai darted his gaze around before he raised his head and uttered, “Great Elder, Fourth Elder, I know I’m in the wrong today, but I have no other choice. I’m doing this because I care about Qing’er’s happiness, so I hope that you two will forgive me.”
His conflict with the Dragon Clan was mainly because of the Second Elder Fu Zhun. Now that she was gone, Yang Kai could possibly leave with Zhu Qing if he managed to persuade the Great Elder and the Fourth Elder to let them go.
However, he wasn’t sure if the Dragon Clan was willing to let him off, so he was both restless and apprehensive.
Hearing his words, Zhu Yan and Zhu Kong were torn between exasperation and laughter as they stared at Yang Kai.
Earlier, Yang Kai appeared unwavering when he confronted the Second Elder, as though he was determined to fight with Fu Zhun until the end to prove his love for Zhu Qing. Now that Fu Zhun was gone though, Yang Kai decided to negotiate. It seemed that he was a man who understood the concept of give and take.
With a grim expression, Zhu Yan uttered, “You’ve wounded our fellow clansman and damaged the Dragon Clan’s honour. You can’t get away with it by just claiming that you had no choice.”
Yang Kai raised his brow and refuted, “What do you want then, Great Elder? I’m sure you’re aware of Qing’er’s stance, so you should stop forcing her to get married to Fu Chi and stop lying to yourselves as well. Fu Chi is a Dragon Clan member, so is Zhu Qing. You should think about her well-being.”
Zhu Yan shook his head, “You’re right, but things have come to a point where there won’t be a good ending anymore.”
Yang Kai’s expression turned dark, “Since you’ve said so, I have no choice but to fight with you. If I offend you in any way, please forgive me.” His attitude towards the Great Elder was starkly different from when he dealt with the Second Elder.
He had completely offended Fu Zhun. So, if there was a chance for a turning point, he wasn’t willing to offend the Great Elder.
“Supposedly, you should be killed because you’ve humiliated the Dragon Clan and harmed Fu Chi,” Zhu Yan uttered and then shifted his focus, “However, as your Senior, I’m unwilling to bully you. Otherwise, the Dragon Clan’s reputation might be further damaged.”
Yang Kai’s gaze brightened as he asked, “Great Elder, what do you mean?”
“Release Fu Chi, and I won’t deal with you.”
“Are you serious?” Yang Kai was elated upon hearing that. Of all the Dragon Clan members, he was most wary of the Great Elder and the Second Elder, as they were both as powerful as Great Emperors. Now that the Second Elder was gone, he could just leave Dragon Island as he pleased if the Great Elder wouldn’t make a move against him. It would be difficult for the Fourth Elder to make him stay.
At that instant, Yang Kai found the Great Elder to be quite amiable, and even the latter’s solemn expression appeared warmer now. [He’s from the Zhu Clan of the Dragon Clan, after all, so he’s still biased towards Zhu Qing, which is why he’s trying to let her go.]
“Great Elder, you’re a man of your word, so I definitely believe you.” Yang Kai nodded repeatedly with a joyful expression.
The hundreds of Humans couldn’t help rolling their eyes. [He appeared suspicious of the Great Elder just now, but in the blink of an eye, he’s now praising him that he’s a man of his word!]
“Release him, then.” Zhu Yan shot him a dispassionate glance.
Without hesitation, Yang Kai tossed Fu Chi forward.
Fu Chi had turned completely pale because he had lost both his arms. He thought that he would certainly lose his life on this day, but he didn’t expect that he would be brought back from death’s door. After he landed on the ground, he picked up his torn arms and dashed off towards a certain direction.
He didn’t dare to stay there as he just wanted to look for a place to recuperate. Although his arms had been torn off by Yang Kai, as a member of the Dragon Clan, he was naturally tough, so he just needed some time to recover from the injuries.
Before he left, he shot Yang Kai a glare, as he was determined to get his revenge one day. He was an Eighth-Order Thunder Dragon and he felt that if it weren’t because Yang Kai made a sudden move by creating a diversion, he wouldn’t have been subdued by Zhu Qing so easily. Having suffered such a setback, there was no way he could forgive them.
He was injured right in front of so many people, and Zhu Qing had been snatched away from him. He would no longer be Fu Chi if he could tolerate it.
Hidden among the crowd, Li Jiao appeared grim and conflicted as he watched Fu Chi flee.
When Yang Kai taught Fu Chi a lesson by tearing off his arms, Li Jiao was extremely gleeful. If it weren’t for Fu Chi, Lu San Niang wouldn’t have endured hardship for hundreds of years. He hoped that Yang Kai would kill Fu Chi on the spot.
However, Yang Kai had come to an agreement with the Great Elder to let Fu Chi go, and while Li Jiao was disappointed, he also felt glad. He was disappointed that Fu Chi had escaped from his punishment, but at the same time, he was glad that Yang Kai didn’t kill him as the only way he could truly dispel the hatred in his heart was to kill Fu Chi himself, so the fact that Fu Chi had managed to survive had given Li Jiao a chance to get his revenge on his own.
However, in the end, Fu Chi was an Eighth-Order Thunder Dragon. Although he was severely injured at the moment, Li Jiao was still no match for him. He only had a Third-Order Mid-Rank Dragon Vein, so there was no way he could defeat an Eighth-Order Dragon, unless he could upgrade his bloodline.
At that moment, Li Jiao was racking his brain about what he could do to kill Fu Chi. He knew full well the consequences of killing a member of the Dragon Clan; however, as a man, he should determine for himself the things he should and should not do.
While he was hesitating, Fu Chi had disappeared from everyone’s sight.
Besides Li Jiao, there was another person among the crowd who stared fixedly in the direction Fu Chi was fleeing. That person had a greedy light flash across the depths of his eyes as a myriad of emotions swirled behind his gaze.
“I have released him, so I hope that you will keep your promise.” Yang Kai turned to look at Zhu Yan.
Zhu Yan nodded his head, “Of course I won’t go back on my word.”
Upon finishing his words, he shot a look at Zhu Kong before flying off rapidly.
Judging from the direction he was heading, he was headed for the Dragon Grave as well, and his speed was comparable to that of the Second Elder. In just a short moment, he disappeared from everyone’s sight.
Upon that revelation, the crowd broke into a commotion.
The fact that the Second Elder had gone to the Dragon Grave was shocking enough, but now, even the Great Elder was heading to the same place. What was going on in the Dragon Grave that required immediate attention from two Masters, who were as powerful as Great Emperors?
Yang Kai fell into his thoughts as he scratched his chin. Suddenly, the corner of his mouth twitched as he uttered aggrievedly, “We’ve been fooled.”
“What do you mean?” Zhu Qing looked doubtfully at him.
Yang Kai said through gritted teeth, “Old ginger really is spicier!”
Judging from the situation just now, something serious must have happened in the Dragon Grave, and even the Second Elder couldn’t handle it on her own, which was why the Great Elder had to rush over to help. In other words, whether or not Yang Kai released Fu Chi, the Great Elder couldn’t stay there for a long time.
If he just stalled for a bit longer, he wouldn’t even have to negotiate with the Great Elder. With Fu Chi still in his hands, he and Zhu Qing could easily leave Dragon Island. With the Great Elder and the Second Elder out of the way, he had guessed that the Fourth Elder wouldn’t be able to stop them.
However, Yang Kai had been tricked by the Great Elder. Now that his hostage was gone, he had lost a decisive advantage. Nevertheless, after a change of thought, he felt that this might actually be the best outcome.
If he didn’t agree to the Great Elder’s demand just now, the Great Elder might be forced to fight with him. By then, both Fu Chi and him would end up in a miserable state. With this thought in mind, Yang Kai became much calmer. Although he had been fooled by the Great Elder, the outcome was still acceptable.
With the two strongest Elders gone, only the Fourth Elder Zhu Kong and the other Dragon Clan members were left standing in front of the palace.
With a faint smile, Yang Kai turned to look at Zhu Kong, “Fourth Elder, what do you think? Will you let us go? Or will you fight with me until the winner emerges?”
It had been a day full of surprises so far, but things were going in his favour. With the Great Elder and the Second Elder out of the way, Yang Kai felt confident when dealing with the other Dragon Clan members.
After a sigh, Zhu Kong uttered, “It’s an eventful day on Dragon Island indeed. If possible, please stay here for a few days more, then we’ll talk it out.”
Yang Kai replied with a grin, “Fourth Elder, do you think you can fool me just because I’m young? If I don’t leave Dragon Island today, there won’t be any chance for me to do so again in the future. So, I cannot agree to your ‘request’.”
“You’re right.” Zhu Kong nodded slightly, “My request is indeed unacceptable.”
With a sincere expression, Zhu Qing stepped forward and stared at Zhu Kong, “Fourth Elder, Yang Kai and I are not willing to go against the Dragon Clan. We just want to leave this place. Please grant our wish.”
Appearing serious, Zhu Kong shook his head, “You’ve heard what the Great Elder said. There won’t be a good ending unless both of you surrender without resisting.”
“Come fight with me, then.” Yang Kai stepped forward. His figure was as sturdy as a steel tower, and his Dragon Pressure rolled around him.
The Fourth Elder narrowed his eyes, “There are only two of you, so you won’t stand a chance of winning. I suggest you stop resisting.”
Right after he finished his words, a figure suddenly appeared and stood beside Zhu Qing.
Zhu Qing turned to look at him and frowned. Then, she parted her lips in an attempt to say something, but she didn’t utter a word in the end.
On the other hand, Zhu Lie cupped his fists and said, “Fourth Elder, I’m sorry, but I have to side with Zhu Qing.”
The person who had appeared was none other than Zhu Lie.
Seeing that, all the Dragon Clan members turned ashen in an instant. Although Zhu Lie and Zhu Qing were siblings, what Zhu Lie was doing was basically rebelling against Dragon Island and the Dragon Clan. Besides the familial bond, it must also have taken him a lot of resolution to make such a decision.
Zhu Kong appeared unperturbed, however, as though this was within his expectations. After a nod, he said, “Good. Every decision comes with corresponding consequences. I hope that you won’t regret your decision today.”
Zhu Lie replied, “I won’t.”
Yang Kai guffawed, “As family, we should go to war and fight for our future together. Little brother-in-law, you’re truly not bad!”
The corner of Zhu Lie’s mouth twitched. Every time he heard Yang Kai call him ‘little brother-in-law’, he had the urge to beat him up.
Just then, a person stepped out of the crowd and stood firmly beside Zhu Lie. However, the way he carried himself was starkly different from Zhu Lie. He appeared timid, and his body was trembling slightly. Apparently, he was quite afraid.
“You’re here too?” Zhu Lie looked at Li Jiao in shock.
The corner of Li Jiao’s mouth twitched, “Young Master Zhu, it’s been a while since we last met.”
Without uttering a word, Zhu Lie extended his hand and clapped Li Jiao’s shoulder.
In an instant, Li Jiao appeared shocked at the gesture. Although he had been in contact with Zhu Lie previously, and they had even endured some life-or-death moments in the Revolving World together, Zhu Lie had never spared him a glance from the beginning.
Li Jiao could clearly feel that Zhu Lie was disdainful of him. As he was just a Dragonborn, he knew that it was impossible for him to get a Dragon Clan member to take him seriously… Until this day!
Although it was just a simple gesture from Zhu Lie, it represented his recognition and amiability.
Li Jiao wasn’t even sure if he should feel happy or sorrowful. He had just gained Zhu Lie’s recognition by stepping forward to side with him. If he managed to survive on this day, he would get innumerable benefits from him in the future; however, the chances of leaving alive today were slim to say the least. Li Jiao seriously wondered if he would have a chance to return to Fire Dragon Palace at all.
“A Dragonborn?” The Fourth Elder gazed at Li Jiao with a frown as he had identified him at first glance. Dragonborn were easily recognizable because their Dragon Blood wasn’t pure. All Dragon Clan members despised Dragonborn because they didn’t like the murky aura that lingered about their bodies.
No Dragonborn could raise their head in front of a member of the Dragon Clan as they felt inferior. They wouldn’t even dare to look into a Dragon’s eyes, let alone oppose them.
However, this Dragonborn’s actions were surprising. Zhu Kong looked meaningfully at Yang Kai because he knew that it must have something to do with this lad that this Dragonborn had the guts to step forward.
[How charismatic is this boy that even a Dragonborn is willing to risk his life for him? Anyway, it’s useless. Although this Dragonborn’s cultivation is strong, his bloodline is too impure, so he is not a match for the Dragon Clan at all.]
“Fourth Elder, there are four of us now!” Yang Kai arched his brow and stared at Zhu Kong.
Although the number of people on his side was still not comparable to that of the Dragon Clan, it had actually increased twofold, as there were only two of them initially.
Zhu Kong smiled faintly, “Four still isn’t enough.”
“Indeed, four people aren’t a lot, but what if you include us?”
Just then, a clear voice was heard right beside everyone’s ears. All of them were stunned because there didn’t seem to be any figure that had appeared, but they could hear the voice loud and clear.
“Huh?” Yang Kai arched his brow and looked towards the Void.
Noticing something as well, Zhu Kong narrowed his eyes and muttered, “This voice…”
A certain spot up in the sky nearby suddenly began to distort before space collapsed and a black tear appeared, looking like a great beast’s maw that could swallow up everything in existence.
“A Void Corridor!” Someone shouted in amazement.
A Void Corridor couldn’t appear for no reason, and judging from the person’s voice from just now, everyone immediately realized that a Master was approaching from this tear in space. However, who was this reckless person who had the guts to provoke the Dragon Clan even before appearing? That person must be tired of living, as hardly anyone could bear the Dragon Clan’s wrath.
Right in front of everyone’s eyes, a petite figure walked out of the Void Corridor. All of them were stunned at the sight because the person was too petite. She was just a little girl!
She appeared to be a seven or eight-year-old girl who was clad in an oversized dress. The long sleeves even reached her ankles. Her hair was tied into two ponytails. Her face appeared soft and adorable.
Besides the hundreds of Humans, the Dragon Clan members also couldn’t help sizing her up.
Right after the little girl appeared, she darted her gaze around and swept a glance across everyone in an attempt to look for someone. Excitement and expectation were written all over her face.
“Ah!?” Yang Kai exclaimed before he grinned widely.
Finally, the little girl’s gaze fell upon him. After she was startled for a bit, she charged forward and appeared before Yang Kai in the blink of an eye.
All of them couldn’t help feeling worried for her because there was a stark difference between Yang Kai’s towering figure and the little girl’s petite body. Even if the little girl stood on her toes, she would only be as large as Yang Kai’s nose.
At that moment, Yang Kai was grinning, like he was about to swallow the little girl with his enormous mouth.
Just when everyone was utterly anxious, the little girl spoke in a clear voice, “Master, why are you so big now?”
[M-Master?] All of them were dumbfounded, thinking that they had heard it wrong.
Zhu Kong’s expression became awkward as he could sense that although this little girl appeared young and innocent, there was an enormous power within her body. Moreover, that was the power of a Divine Spirit that was comparable to that of the Dragon Clan.
Nevertheless, he had never heard of such a strange yet formidable Master before. What puzzled him was that this little girl even addressed Yang Kai as ‘Master’. [Are they Master and servant? How is that possible?]
It was the first time today that Zhu Kong began to feel uneasy. He could sense that a profound change would befall Dragon Island on this day, and that revelation made his heart grow heavy.
Furthermore, the voice that appeared from nowhere just now wasn’t this little girl’s voice, that voice sounded more like…
“How dare you touch my butt!”
Just when everyone was in a dazed state, a woman was heard yelling. Following that, a beautiful woman in an imperial dress shuffled out of the Void Corridor. Then, with a furious expression, she turned to glare into the black nothingness.
The atmosphere had been quite intense when such words were heard all of a sudden, which caused everyone’s expression to become awkward. After such a disruption, the anxiety in their hearts vanished into thin air.
“I didn’t do it intentionally! You were the one blocking the way…” A third person’s voice was heard speaking. Everyone could hear clearly that it was the man’s voice from earlier.
The Void Corridor’s entrance flickered slightly, upon which a handsome and elegant man emerged. With a bitter smile, he appeared slightly embarrassed. Upon his appearance, the Void Corridor shrank and disappeared completely.
When Yang Kai tried to snatch the bride, all the Dragons were disdainful of him; when Yang Kai transformed into an 80-metre-long Half-Dragon, all the Dragon Clan members were amazed; when Yang Kai tore Fu Chi’s arms apart, all the Dragons were furious, as they couldn’t turn a blind eye to it after their fellow clansman was humiliated.
However, when this man and woman appeared, the expressions on all the Dragon Clan members’ faces changed drastically, as though they were faced with formidable enemies.
It was the same for the Fourth Elder. With a stern expression, he said through gritted teeth, “Jiu Feng! Li Wu Yi!”
The two Masters who had come over to this place through the Void Corridor were none other than Jiu Feng and Li Wu Yi from Spirit Beast Island. Putting Jiu Feng aside, Li Wu Yi was a Master of the Dao of Space who was widely known as the strongest in the Star Boundary below the Great Emperors. As such, it was no surprise he could bring a few people with him to shuttle the Void.
Judging from the expressions and attitude of the Dragon Clan members, it seemed that there were grudges between them. All the Dragon Clan members were gnashing their teeth together, as though they were ready to pounce on them and eat their flesh.
Yang Kai asked in shock, “Seniors, why are you here?”
With a faint smile, Li Wu Yi took a look at him, “One should never be ungrateful. Have you forgotten the favour I did you already?”
Not understanding what Li Wu Yi meant, Yang Kai appeared startled. However, he soon thought of something as his gaze brightened. Surprised, he asked, “Were you the one who left the Soul Clone behind?”
Li Wu Yi smiled faintly, “Good.”
“I see.” Finally understanding what had happened, Yang Kai cupped his fists, “Many thanks for your guidance, Senior.”
Previously, when Yang Kai and Li Jiao were trying to break into Dragon Island, they were trapped inside the Void Labyrinth, and they couldn’t find a way through it. It was only after a month of wandering aimlessly that they came across a degrading Soul Clone that guided them out of the labyrinth. If it weren’t because of that faint Soul Clone, they would have been trapped inside the labyrinth even now.
Yang Kai couldn’t figure out who was the one that had left behind that Soul Clone, but upon hearing what Li Wu Yi said, he finally knew that it was the latter’s doing. It was no wonder that he found the Soul Clone’s image familiar at that time.
Li Wu Yi waved his hand and replied, “It was the least I could do. Anyway, I have to thank you as well.”
“Thank me?” Yang Kai was puzzled.
Without explaining anything, Li Wu Yi turned to look at Zhu Kong and uttered, “Fourth Elder, it’s been more than ten years since we last met. It’s good that you still look so energetic.”
In response, Zhu Kong snorted. There hadn’t been much emotion on his face when Yang Kai tried to snatch the bribe and harmed a Dragon Clan member; however, facing Li Wu Yi now, he appeared wary and alert. Without replying to him directly, he simply asked, “Since you two are here, does that mean that person has come as well?”
Li Wu Yi replied with a light smile, “Why do you think the Great Elder and Second Elder had to go over there together?”
Although the Fourth Elder had figured the reason, his expression still dropped when his speculation was proven right.
“That person?” Yang Kai arched his brow. Although the conversation between Li Wu Yi and Zhu Kong sounded simple, a profound message was hidden in it. Then, when he recalled that the Great Elder and the Second Elder left in a hurry earlier, an inconceivable idea suddenly sprang to mind.
After that, he shifted his attention to the little girl.
Liu Yan quickly used her Divine Sense to speak directly into Yang Kai’s mind, “Martial Beast Great Emperor is here!”
Yang Kai was stunned for a moment before he turned elated. It was then he understood the reason Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun didn’t even have the time to deal with him. It was because the Martial Beast Great Emperor had arrived on Dragon Island. Faced with a Great Emperor, neither the Great Elder nor the Second Elder were confident of defeating him one on one, which was why they had to join forces to deal with him.
Puzzled, Yang Kai asked, “Why has Senior Martial Beast come to Dragon Island and even gone to the Dragon Grave?”
Liu Yan replied, “I don’t know the reason either, but this matter is clearly important to him.”
Although Liu Yan had been living on Spirit Beast Island for the past two years, she spent most of her time trying to integrate with the Phoenix True Fire. After she was reborn, she had been diligently cultivating the Phoenix Clan’s Secret Arts and Secret Techniques, so she wasn’t familiar with other matters on Spirit Beast Island.
This time, she got wind of the news and followed the other Masters to Dragon Island.
[Martial Beast Great Emperor… Dragon Grave… The incident more than ten years ago…] As these ideas flashed across Yang Kai’s mind, he realized that things were getting complicated. Nevertheless, the turn of events had put him in a favourable position now.
Initially, there were only four of them, so their collective power was still not enough for them to deal with the Dragon Clan. However, with the support of these people from Spirit Beast Island, the balance had been tilted in his favour.
Li Wu Yi and the others’ attitude suggested that they were the opponents of the Dragon Clan. Since Li Wu Yi was the Dragon Clan’s enemy, it essentially meant that he was Yang Kai’s ally.
After her initial outburst when she appeared, Jiu Feng had kept her silence. At that moment, she was darting her beautiful gaze around and scanning the surroundings. When she traded glances with Yang Kai, she even winked at him.
Although she appeared calm, she felt somewhat complicated in her heart.
She still recalled the first time she came across Yang Kai. At that time, he had just reached Dao Source Realm when she intercepted him on the way to Azure Sun Temple. In her eyes, he was just a Junior who had some decent luck, allowing him to cultivate the Dao of Space just like Li Wu Yi had. Nevertheless, at that point in time, she still could end his life with a wave of her hand.
However, only a few years later, she was no longer able to look at him in an aloof manner. His immense figure contained an unimaginable power, so naturally, she had to treat him as an equal now.
The speed at which Yang Kai had grown was incredible. It was the first time Jiu Feng saw the qualities of a Great Emperor in a First-Order Emperor Realm Master.
“Fourth Elder, you probably shouldn’t worry about it. Both of us have no right to interfere in the matter over there, so why don’t we take this opportunity and continue the unfinished battle more than ten years ago? What do you think?” Unlike the Fourth Elder, whose expression was solemn, Li Wu Yi kept a smile on his face as he appeared calm and collected.
Certainly, Zhu Kong understood that as well. Since he wasn’t a Tenth-Order Dragon, his power was significantly weaker than that of a Great Emperor. Although he was also an Elder of Dragon Island, his power paled when compared to that of the Great Elder and the Second Elder.
Indeed, he was of no help in the battle over there, which was the same case for Li Wu Yi and Jiu Feng. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have come here, as it would be better to help settle the decisive battle instead.
It was because Li Wu Yi and Jiu Feng understood their limitations that they decided not to stay there for too long.
As they spoke, a deafening rumble could be heard from the Dragon Grave again. Like arrows leaving the bows, the violent force spread across the entire horizon as the sea began to churn and the ground began to shake.
The battle over there had begun!
Yang Kai looked in that direction in excitement as he was eager to go over there.
That was a real battle between Great Emperor level powerhouses, something totally different from the battle between Duan Hong Chen and Wu Kuang that he had witnessed in the Shattered Star Sea in the past.
Although Duan Hong Chen and Wu Kuang were both Great Emperors in name, their powers had been significantly reduced at the time, so the battle was certainly not as stunning as the one on this day.
If he could just observe this battle and study its mysteries, it would be equivalent to years of secluded cultivation. At that instant, Yang Kai wished that he could install a pair of wings and fly over to have a look. Although it would be dangerous, he wouldn’t want to miss such a battle.
“Sir is indeed very impatient.” Li Wu Yi took a look in that direction and shook his head. Then, he turned his head and said, “Fourth Elder, if you think we should just take a seat and have a chat, I’m fine with that. I happen to have some bottles of wine with me, so you can have a taste.”
Zhu Kong stared fixedly at him, “Have you always been so verbose?”
Jiu Feng pressed her lips together and spoke up, “I told you to speak less and act more, but you just don’t listen to me. Don’t you remember the setbacks you suffered in the past? You’re like a leopard that never changes its spots!”
Feeling embarrassed, Li Wu Yi rubbed his nose and muttered, “It’d be best if we don’t have to resort to fighting. The Fourth Elder isn’t a pushover.”
Zhu Kong snorted, “Let’s see if you have the capability to defeat me!”
After trading glances, both of them made a move at the same time without any warning.
Li Wu Yi directly pressed his palm towards Zhu Kong as he pushed his Space Principles, upon which the Void engulfed the Fourth Elder.
With a stern expression, the Fourth Elder remained on the spot as a large Dragon’s illusory phantom emerged from his body and launched itself at the approaching Void wave with a roar.
There seemed to be a transparent layer or barrier within the Void which blocked the giant Dragon phantom; however, Li Wu Yi was also forced to hold out his palm as the Space Principles around him became turbulent.
Both of them appeared extremely solemn. While most of the spectators couldn’t grasp what was going on, a glint flashed across Yang Kai’s eyes as he observed Li Wu Yi’s use of Space Principles and compared it to his own. At that moment, he was learning a lot from Li Wu Yi.
Ancient and abstruse syllables were heard as Zhu Kong began forming a set of hand seals in a hurried manner while he ignored Li Wu Yi’s attack. The speed at which the syllables were wafting from his mouth increased as they formed into a line.
“The Blessing Technique!” Yang Kai frowned as he realized what Secret Technique the Fourth Elder was using.
Without any hesitation, Yang Kai also began chanting in Dragon Language and forming hand seals.
Zhu Kong stared fixedly at him as a sense of surprise flashed across his eyes. Earlier, he had learned that Yang Kai was able to use the Dragon Clan’s Secret Techniques, and since that was the case, it meant that Yang Kai had obtained the Ancestral Dragon Source’s recognition and its inheritance.
However, Zhu Kong had never expected that Yang Kai could even communicate with the Dragon Temple.
There were two Restricted Areas on Dragon Island. One of them was the Dragon Grave, and the other was the Dragon Temple.
The Dragon Grave was where the Dragon Clan members were buried, while the Dragon Temple was where their ancestors’ spirits resided. These two places were the foundation on which the Dragon Clan was built, so they were absolutely indispensable.
In order to communicate with the Dragon Temple, it required more than just a bloodline that was strong and pure. It also required years of prayers and an important ceremony. On Dragon Island, only the Elders could communicate with the Dragon Temple.
The biggest advantage one could get from communicating with the Dragon Temple was the ability to employ the Dragon Clan’s Secret Technique quickly without the need for complicated procedures. Besides that, the Dragon Temple could also provide a kind of Blessing that could help the Dragon Clan members resist bloodline suppression.
Zhu Lie had told Yang Kai before that the Blessing from the Dragon Temple could significantly offset the effect of bloodline suppression. Hence, on Dragon Island, if the Dragon Clan members were well prepared, the suppression of Yang Kai’s Golden Divine Dragon Source on them would be reduced significantly.
There were two main reasons why Fu Chi was subdued by Zhu Qing so easily. Firstly, he was not on guard, as he had never expected that Zhu Qing had recovered her strength, and that she would make a move on him. Secondly, Fu Chi did not have the Dragon Temple’s Blessing prior to that.
However, at this moment, the Secret Technique the Fourth Elder was using was none other than the Blessing Technique. He understood full well that the Dragon Clan’s biggest advantage in this situation was their numerical superiority, but their downside was their bloodline.
Yang Kai alone was capable of suppressing all the Dragon Clan members’ bloodlines at the same time, rendering all of them unable to utilize their full power.
If they allowed Yang Kai to use his Dragon Pressure, all of the Dragon Clan members here would be no match for him; therefore, before the battle even began, the Fourth Elder had to solve the problem of bloodline suppression, and the Blessing Technique was his only way.
As they uttered Dragon Language at the same time, Dragon Roars could be heard from the hidden Dragon Temple in the distance. Following that, a dozen beams of lights shot up into the sky as though countless Dragons were emerging as they zigzagged across the skyline and arrived above the Spirit Island in the blink of an eye. After that, they plunged towards the island.
The Dragon Clan members were elated upon seeing that, so they stepped forward to welcome the lights.
*Chi, Chi, Chi, Chi…*
One by one, those lights from the Dragon Temple entered the bodies of those Dragon Clan members. Although the lights couldn’t help them increase their power, they had given them a boost of confidence. At that moment, the Dragon Clan members felt as though they had been reborn, and they were no longer wary of Yang Kai.
“Come!” Yang Kai growled, upon which, a beam of light changed its direction and circumvented a Dragon Clan member, who was flying towards the light. After that, it landed beside Yang Kai and rushed into Li Jiao’s body.
Li Jiao shuddered as he still couldn’t grasp what was going on. However, after the beam of light entered his chest, he could feel his body going through a series of changes. The most conspicuous change was that the Dragon Pressure from the Dragon Clan members around him seemed to have less impact on him. Hence, his bloodline, which had been suppressed, was set free. His Emperor Qi also started flowing within his body without facing any obstacles.
“What is this?” Li Jiao appeared lost as he spread his palms and had a look. He still couldn’t believe what just happened.
“It’s the Dragon Temple’s Blessing,” Yang Kai replied nonchalantly and shook his head, apparently displeased.
His original intention was to intercept all the Blessings from the Dragon Temple. If he could achieve that, he wouldn’t even need to move a muscle to win this battle. His Golden Divine Dragon Source alone was enough to suppress all the Dragon Clan members, and he wouldn’t even need to utilize half of his power to defeat them.
However, he had underestimated Zhu Kong as he lost to the latter when grabbing the Blessings. In the end, Zhu Kong was the Dragon Clan’s Fourth Elder, so he was naturally more skilful at communicating with the Dragon Temple.
A glint flashed across Li Jiao’s eyes after he heard Yang Kai’s reply. Since he was facing off against the Dragon Clan, he had been subjected to bloodline suppression. The reason he could step out of the crowd and side with Yang Kai in a steadfast manner earlier was that he wanted to do something for Lu San Niang. If he wanted to get her revenge for her, he needed Yang Kai’s help.
Nevertheless. he didn’t think that he would be able to contribute much to this battle; after all, he only had a Third-Order Mid-Rank Dragon Vein, so he wouldn’t stand a chance of defeating the pureblood Dragon Clan members.
However, now, the bloodline suppression had been significantly offset. It was as though their bloodlines had returned to the same starting point, and they were not able to suppress one another.
With a grim expression, Li Jiao looked in the direction Fu Chi had left as his eyes beamed with a ferocious glare. In a lowered voice, he uttered, “Brother Yang, thanks for your help. I want to…”
“Go ahead.” Yang Kai knew what Li Jiao wanted to do, so he agreed to it before the latter could finish his words.
“I’ll be right back!” After Li Jiao finished speaking, he retreated and disappeared from the puzzled crowd’s sight.
While Yang Kai and Li Jiao were having a brief chat, the space around the Fourth Elder started contorting, as though it would collapse at any moment. After resisting for a bit, he still couldn’t break this Space Divine Ability, so he heaved a sigh and growled, “Since you want a fight, I’ll grant your wish!”
Li Wu Yi snorted, “Come, Fourth Elder!”
As he spoke, his hand, which had been stuck in mid-air, plunged suddenly.
Without a warning, the Fourth Elder disappeared, as though he hadn’t been there from the beginning. At the same time, Li Wu Yi vanished into thin air as well, while the surface of the space where he stood rippled.
Yang Kai arched his brow as he realized that this was a move utilizing Space Principles. It seemed that Li Wu Yi had dragged the Fourth Elder into an unknown space.
Li Wu Yi lived up to his name as the strongest Master beneath the Great Emperors. Although Yang Kai had never battled against the Fourth Elder before, he had guessed that the latter must be much stronger than ordinary Third-Order Emperor Realm Masters, but despite that, the Fourth Elder still couldn’t break Li Wu Yi’s Divine Ability.
Apparently, Li Wu Yi wanted a one-on-one fight with the Fourth Elder, which Yang Kai was glad to see. With the formidable Fourth Elder out of the way, he wasn’t afraid of the other Dragon Clan members left in this place. Furthermore, he wasn’t alone.
“I suffered some setbacks when dealing with you bastards last time, so I’m going to get my revenge today!” Jiu Feng swept a glance across the Dragons with a sneer.
Hearing that, all the Dragon Clan members were enraged. The Dragon Clan was the leader of all Divine Spirits as well as the strongest race in this world, so no one had dared to call them ‘bastards’ before.
Even Zhu Lie frowned after he heard that. By cursing at the Dragon Clan, Jiu Feng was basically scolding Zhu Qing and him as well. Nevertheless, he and Zhu Qing had confronted Jiu Feng and Li Wu Yi in that incident more than ten years ago, so they knew how unrestrained this woman was.
With dark expressions, all the Dragons remained silent, but their gazes had indicated their emotions.
Yang Kai swept a glance over all the Dragons and said, “Let Qing’er and me leave, and I won’t make things difficult for you.”
He didn’t want to completely fall out with the Dragon Clan. So, it would be wonderful if they could just set their differences aside first and let Zhu Qing and him go.
“Brat, that’s not what a friend should do!” Jiu Feng shot him a glare as she didn’t expect that he would make such a suggestion at this point.
If Yang Kai left, she would have to face the Dragon Clan alone. Although she was fairly powerful, she wouldn’t be able to defeat the more than ten Dragon Clan members before her eyes.
“Senior, you can leave with us.” Yang Kai looked down at her.
Jiu Feng replied, “I’ve come here all the way from Spirit Beast Island because there’s a mission I have to complete. If I leave, how will the others cope with it?”
Yang Kai uttered, “The Great Emperor is practically almighty, so you don’t have to worry about him. As for Senior Li, he’s even more proficient in the Dao of Space than I am. If he wants to escape, no one on Dragon Island can stop him.”
Jiu Feng burst into laughter, “You’re right; however, these guys over there don’t seem willing to let you go.”
Yang Kai turned his head and realized that all the Dragon Clan members remained silent with stern expressions on their faces.
Seeing that, he knew that it was impossible to settle the issue peacefully on this day. Thus, he nodded slightly, “In every battle, there are bound to be injuries and even deaths. When that happens, don’t you dare complain!”
After he finished his words, his 80-metre-tall figure vanished into thin air suddenly.
Upon the circulation of Space Principles, Yang Kai pounced on a group of Dragons. With a ruthless expression, he extended his gargantuan palm and clawed at one of the Dragon Clan members in a reckless and arrogant manner.
Despite the sudden attack, the Dragons didn’t seem flustered as they had put up their guard. Seeing him, they immediately dispersed in all directions.
However, the Dragon Clan member targeted by Yang Kai suddenly felt that the space around him had turned sticky, like he was wading through mud. Seeing that, he was startled.
It was because of this short delay that Yang Kai managed to grab him with his claw. It wasn’t certain whether this Dragon Clan member was from the Zhu Clan or the Fu Clan, but judging from the level of purity of his Dragon Aura, Yang Kai knew that he must be an Eighth-Order.
Eighth-Order Dragons were pretty rare on Dragon Island. There were only about a couple dozen Dragon Clan members in total, five of which were Eighth-Order. Excluding Zhu Lie and Fu Chi, only three of them were in the Eighth-Order, and the Dragon in Yang Kai’s hand was one of them.
Having been captured by Yang Kai, the Dragon Clan member was flabbergasted. He was still reeling from the shock that Yang Kai was able to tear Fu Chi’s arms apart with ease. Being in Yang Kai’s hands now, he knew that he would end up in an even more miserable state than what had befallen Fu Chi.
Right then, a thunderous Dragon roar broke through the sky.
The Dragon Clan member transformed into a 200 metre long Dragon as his immense Dragon Pressure spread across the island, giving intense pressure to the others.
By turning into his true form, he was able to utilize his full power. No matter how powerful Yang Kai was, he couldn’t possibly pinch him to death with one hand. After all, the Great Dragon’s size was truly immense.
As expected, after the Dragon Clan member transformed into his True Dragon Form, Yang Kai claw was spread apart and he was no longer able to sustain his grip. The Dragon Clan member then squirmed and struggled out of Yang Kai’s grasp.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai growled and extended both hands before he grabbed his opponent’s Dragon Tail. The muscles on his arms swelled up, as though his arms had become twice their original size.
With the Dragon Tail in his hands, Yang Kai exerted more force and pulled the Dragon back down.
Under the gaze of all the dumbfounded people, the Great Dragon, which was about to fly towards the sky, was stopped and then thrown down on the ground like a dead snake.
With a loud thud, the ground in front of the palace separated and formed a spider-web like crack. At the same time, a distressed Dragon roar was heard.
After transforming into an 80-metre-tall Half-Dragon, Yang Kai had become immensely strong, so even a Great Dragon couldn’t stand it when he was smashed to the ground. As the unlucky Great Dragon roared, he sprayed out his Dragon Blood, apparently having suffered some internal injuries.
Yang Kai stepped on the Great Dragon and scanned his Dragon Scales with widened eyes. In just a short moment, he had located his target.
It was a Dragon Scale that was as large as a washbasin, which didn’t look different from the other Dragon Scales. However, upon closer inspection, Yang Kai could see that a glint flashed across that particular Dragon Scale intermittently.
It was the Blessing Technique from the Dragon Temple!
Based on his previous experience of dealing with Zhu Lie, Yang Kai knew that only a particular Dragon Scale would be blessed with the Blessing Technique. By just removing that Dragon Scale, the Blessing from the Dragon Temple would lose its effect.
Yang Kai stuck his claw under that special Dragon Scale as the veins on his forehead bulged. Utilizing all his energy, he yanked the scale out.
Feeling excruciating pain, the Great Dragon growled and turned his head before spraying out his Dragon Breath at Yang Kai. The breath was extremely cold, as though it was about to freeze Yang Kai over.
In an instant, Yang Kai’s towering figure was covered in frost, and his hair also became snowy white, but he remained unperturbed.
*Chi…*
Dragon Blood started spurting out of the wound as a dazzling Dragon Scale had been pulled out by Yang Kai.
Without the Dragon Temple’s Blessing, the Eighth-Order Great Dragon became listless as Yang Kai’s bloodline suppression had made him unable to use his strength. In the blink of an eye, his 200-metre-long figure had shrunk by tens of metres, as though he would be unable to sustain his Dragon Form for much longer.
After stepping off from the Great Dragon, Yang Kai landed a kick on him, upon which the latter shot into the air and then plunged into the sea with a splash.
Then, Yang Kai shook his body a little to shake off the ice. With the bloodied Dragon Scale in his hand, he swept a glance across the other Dragon Clan members and spoke in a cold voice that would send chills down their spines, “He was the first. Who’s next?”
Just like that, an Eighth-Order Great Dragon had been crippled.
However, it wasn’t accurate to claim that he had been crippled, as Yang Kai had only plucked out one of his Dragon Scales. Strictly speaking, this kind of injury was practically nothing. Under a different circumstance, an Eighth-Order Dragon would be totally unaffected and still fully combat-capable.
Nevertheless, without the Dragon Temple’s Blessing, and under the influence of Yang Kai’s Dragon Pressure, he couldn’t even sustain his Great Dragon form, let alone battle against Yang Kai. Although he was fine, he had lost the ability to keep fighting.
All the Dragon Clan members widened their eyes in disbelief as they were stunned at Yang Kai’s incredible agility and ruthlessness.
While Yang Kai was making a move on the Eighth-Order Great Dragon, the hundreds of Humans and Fu Chi’s women finally came to their senses as they shrieked and ran for their lives.
An epic battle was about to take place, so they wouldn’t dare to remain. In the blink of an eye, there were no longer any bystanders in front of the palace. All those that were left had something to do with the matters on this day.
At that moment, Yang Kai had Zhu Qing, Zhu Lie, Jiu Feng, and Liu Yan on his side. They were all the power he had. On the other hand, there were still about a dozen from the Dragon Clan’s side, so there was a stark difference in numbers.
However, Yang Kai was able to carry himself in an overbearing manner, which made him stand out among so many people. The Dragon Clan members had been pressed by his presence to the point where they could hardly breathe.
“Hahahaha!” Jiu Feng guffawed, “Brat, you’ve done a great job. These arrogant guys are indeed in need of a lesson!”
Due to the incident more than ten years ago, Spirit Beast Island and Dragon Island had found themselves on opposing sides. Naturally, Jiu Feng was gleeful to see that the Dragon Clan had suffered a big setback and as such found Yang Kai more pleasing to the eye now. [No wonder the Young Lady cannot forget about him. He’s indeed not a weakling.]
At the same time, she was glad that she didn’t bring the Young Lady with her. [If that little girl saw how audacious Yang Kai was just now, she would certainly fall head over heels for him. She has just come of age, so she’s very likely to be enchanted by a man’s heroic act at this stage in her life.]
Yang Kai swept a glance over them and demanded, “I’ll ask this question one last time. Will you let Qing’er and me go?”
All the Dragon Clan members were silent as they glowered at him.
“Fine then! Come at me!” Yang Kai growled and let out a scorching breath as he stomped his feet on the ground with a loud thud. In an instant, the entire Spirit Island shook a little. Like a cannonball, his massive figure leapt into the air and pounced on the Dragon Clan members, which signalled the true start of the battle.
With a precedent prior to this, the Dragon Clan members knew what Yang Kai was planning on doing; therefore, they hurriedly roared and assumed their true forms.
At that instant, Dragons of various colours, red, white, green, and blue, flew towards the sky. The smallest Dragon had a 100-metre-long frame, while the largest was 200 metres long. These Great Dragons hovered in the sky as their Dragon Pressure radiated out, seemingly causing the Heavens and Earth to shake.
Before Yang Kai could even reach them, the dozen Great Dragons opened their mouths and shot out their Pureblood Dragon Breaths from above.
At that moment, scorching Dragon Fire, freezing Dragon Breath, emerald green Dragon Poison, jets of Dragon Water, and blades of Dragon Wind were all directed at Yang Kai in a Heaven-shaking, Earth-shattering display.
Yang Kai roared and began chanting in the abstruse Dragon Language. As he parted his lips, a beam of golden light hovered above his head and transformed into a shield. All the attacks landed on the golden shield with loud thuds and, within moments, the Dragon Breath attacks hit Yang Kai as the shield shattered.
Yang Kai fell from the sky just as fast as he had soared into the air, his towering figure landing on the island and opening a huge pit on the ground, sending dirt and sand hurtling into the air. There were many wounds on areas of his skin that were not covered in Dragon Scales.
Upon seeing that, the Dragons were elated, but just when they were about to seize the chance and continue attacking Yang Kai, they were shocked to see that he was climbing out of the pit with difficulty. His horrifying eyes now beamed with a red glare. He looked like an enraged beast that was about to gobble up all his opponents.
After taking a look at the sky, Yang Kai moved his body and disappeared from everyone’s sight.
Alarmed, the Dragons appeared flustered.
Just then, a figure flashed across their eyes as Yang Kai appeared somewhere near them. He extended his hand in an attempt to capture a one hundred metre long Dragon.
The Great Dragon was prepared, however, and immediately flew away upon sensing Yang Kai’s appearance. The other Dragon Clan members also dispersed in a cautious manner.
“Solidify!” Yang Kai yelled and pushed his Space Principles wildly, which then transformed into an invisible cage and engulfed the 100 metre long Dragon in it. The space around him had turned viscous and now had considerable binding power.
For a moment, the Great Dragon was unable to free himself. Recalling Yang Kai’s ruthless acts just now, he roared in fright and turned his head to bite Yang Kai. With his mouth open, it could be seen that his teeth were as sharp as blades, which was horrifying.
Without stopping, Yang Kai balled up his fist and landed it on the Great Dragon’s head. The fist was so forceful that the Great Dragon’s head was jerked to the side, and a large patch of the scales on his head were peeled off. At that moment, he was clearly dazed and disoriented.
Seizing the chance, Yang Kai immediately grabbed his Dragon Tail.
Before Yang Kai could use the same trick as before though, another Great Dragon pounced on him and went round his legs with his huge figure. It was as though a python was strangling its target. In just a short moment, he managed to confine Yang Kai to the same spot and bind his body.
Seeing that, the other Dragon Clan members rushed over to rescue the dazed Dragon.
Yang Kai had crippled one of their clansmen on this day, but they could dismiss that as him being caught off guard. However, if the same thing happened again, the Dragon Clan’s reputation would be ruined. The Dragon Clan members had gone all out to deal with Yang Kai, so they mustn’t let a Human strut around before their eyes.
Meanwhile, Zhu Qing and the others finally rushed over.
However, the Dragon Clan members seemed prepared for them. Someone gave an order in secret, upon which the dozen Dragons separated and launched themselves at Zhu Qing and the others to stop them.
“Big Sister Qing, please don’t make it difficult for me. I don’t want to go against you, but I have no choice.” A Purple Dragon stood in front of Zhu Qing and parted her lips. It seemed that she had been put in a tight spot. This Purple Dragon was none other than Fu Ling.
She was just a Sixth-Order Dragon, so she felt diffident when dealing with a Ninth-Order Dragon like Zhu Qing. If it weren’t because of the Dragon Temple’s Blessing, it would be impossible for her to be bold enough to block Zhu Qing’s way as the bloodline suppression alone was enough to render her powerless.
Beside Fu Ling was a Blue Dragon that was slightly longer. Upon hearing that, she went along with Fu Ling and uttered, “Big Sister Qing, please stop this.”
This Blue Dragon was the Dragon girl who held a flower basket and cast a flower rain alongside Fu Ling earlier. Her bloodline was one rank higher than that of Fu Ling, making her a Seventh-Order.
However, with the Dragon Temple’s Blessing, she could join forces with Fu Ling and battle against Zhu Qing for quite some time. They might even gain the upper hand.
With a stern expression, Zhu Qing demanded, “Get lost!”
The Seventh-Order Blue Dragon shook her head, “I’m afraid I can’t agree to that.”
Without uttering one more word, Zhu Qing roared and transformed into a 300 metre long Red Dragon. There seemed to be fire burning on her body, and her size was more than two times larger than Fu Ling. Seeing that, Fu Ling and the Blue Dragon couldn’t help gulping.
Although the Blue Dragon had heard that Zhu Qing had broken through to become a Ninth-Order Dragon, she thought it was just hearsay. It wasn’t until now that she realized the rumours were indeed right.
Before Zhu Qing, there were only two Ninth-Order Great Dragons on Dragon Island, who were the Third Elder and the Fourth Elder.
The Third Elder had been imprisoned in the Dragon Grave more than ten years ago, and no one knew whether she was still alive or not. On the other hand, the Fourth Elder was an amiable person, so the other Dragon Clan members didn’t feel much pressure when facing him.
It was then they came to the realization that there was a huge difference between a Ninth-Order Great Dragon and themselves. Even with the Dragon Temple’s Blessing, they still felt terrified when confronted by Zhu Qing’s true form.
Then, Zhu Qing’s Dragon form turned into a beam of red light and launched herself at Fu Ling and the Blue Dragon, the heat from her body warping space wherever she flew.
Fu Ling and the Blue Dragon immediately tried to intercept her.
Zhu Qing had been blocked and Zhu Lie wasn’t spared the same treatment.
He had turned into his Dragon form as he was now fighting with an Eighth-Order Great Dragon. As they attacked each other with claws, teeth, tail, and using Dragon Clan Secret Techniques, it was as though there were unresolvable grudges between them. In the blink of an eye, they shot into the sky and continued the intense fight.
On the other hand, Jiu Feng managed to hold her ground while dealing with two Dragons on her own. Her movement was swift as she darted around the place, causing the two Dragons to be infuriated.
That was a terrible feeling despite the fact that they were strong. Jiu Feng just wouldn’t fight with them head-on, as though she was trying to mess around with them, which was why they were incensed.
“Little girl, go away if you don’t want to die!”
At that moment, Fu Qi was facing Liu Yan alone. His hundred-metre-long frame stood in stark contrast with Liu Yan’s petite figure. He leaned his head, which was as large as a house, close to Liu Yan and growled. It wasn’t that Fu Qi was a sympathetic person, but he had his pride as a Dragon Clan member. It would be shameful for him to deal with a little girl who was about seven or eight years old.
However, he soon realized that he had made a huge mistake, because this soft-looking and adorable little girl possessed a power that was as great as that of his own. When a loud Phoenix Cry was heard, two beams of fire shot out from Liu Yan’s back. The flowing fire had transformed into a pair of wings on her back as it started crackling.
At the same time, Liu Yan’s petite figure swelled up and transformed, upon which a Fire Bird that was as large as Fu Chi came into existence.
The Fire Bird appeared elegant, but her eyes were filled with a sense of majesty like a Queen’s.
“You’re from the Phoenix Clan!” Fu Qi yelled as his pupils contracted.
Although he had figured that this little girl wasn’t as innocent as she appeared, he had never expected that she was a Phoenix Clan member. Dragons and Phoenixes were often grouped together, and they were equals in terms of power.
Among all the Divine Spirits, it was difficult to tell whether the Dragons or the Phoenixes were the stronger clan, but in comparison, the Phoenix Clan was even rarer than the Dragon Clan. At the very least, the Dragon Clan had their own Dragon Island and inheritance, while there had not been any news about the Phoenix Clan in a long time.
Luan Feng of the Ancient Wild Lands of the Eastern Territory couldn’t really be considered to be a true Phoenix Clan member; she was from a branch of the Phoenix Clan. Even Jiu Feng, who had come all the way here, couldn’t be regarded as a real Phoenix Clan member.
However, the one before Fu Qi’s eyes was a genuine Phoenix Clan member. He hurriedly focused his mind as he dared not to be complacent.
If you think about it another way, it’s just a strong case of if you are from Alabama or not.
The Heavens and Earth seemed to have been shattered; Sun and Moon seemed to have lost their lustre; Principles had plunged into chaos; World Energy had become turbulent; countless tears in space appeared; waves on the sea rose by more than 300 metres.
The Small World in which Dragon Island was located appeared unstable at the moment. The grand battle on this day was bound to be recorded in the history books.
The Dragon Clan members had gone all out to destroy their opponents while Yang Kai and his allies were tackling their enemies separately. Although the pressure had been distributed, Yang Kai still had to confront seven Great Dragons alone. He was the primary culprit for all the things that had happened on this day, so naturally the Dragons hated and targeted him the most.
Of all the battles at the moment, only the battle between Yang Kai and the seven Dragons might end up with a winning side.
Zhu Qing was going against two people on her own, but she wasn’t on the losing side. It was the same case for Jiu Feng, but she mainly dealt with her opponents by evading their attacks. Although she couldn’t defeat the two Dragon Clan members, they were unable to harm her either. Just like Zhu Qing’s battle, it was hard to tell which side would end up winning the fight in a short period of time.
On the other hand, Zhu Lie was having a one-on-one fight with his opponent. Both of them were Eighth-Order Great Dragons, which meant that they were equally powerful, so it was hard to tell who would end up being the winner.
Although Fu Qi, who was battling against Liu Yan, did not have as high a ranking bloodline, he had a strong foundation supported by the Dragon Clan’s extensive heritage. On the other hand, even though Liu Yan had obtained the Phoenix Clan’s inheritance, she was still far from full maturity. Not long after the battle began, she was put in a disadvantageous position. The Dragon roared and the Phoenix cried as they scuffled.
At that moment, Liu Yan could only try to protect herself. Instead of defeating her opponent, she just hoped that she could help lift some pressure off Yang Kai’s shoulder. Worried about Yang Kai’s safety, she was constantly distracted, so it was hard for her to parry her opponent’s attacks.
For the other battles, the balance hadn’t been tilted strongly in favour of anyone; however, Yang Kai was clearly on the losing side.
After the failed sneak attack, the seven Dragons closed in on Yang Kai again and did not give him any room to maneuver. In a subsequent manner, they used their own Dragon Clan Secret Techniques to bombard him.
Having been injured, Yang Kai appeared utterly battered as his huge figure kept writhing about in mid-air. In just a few minutes, more than a hundred new wounds had appeared on his body. The wounds were so deep that his bones had been revealed. His Dragon Scales were soaked in blood, which made it look like a layer of golden powder had been painted onto his body.
Fortunately, his physical toughness had improved significantly after the transformation. Otherwise, he would have lost his life countless times by now from the mere fallout of this kind of high-intensity battle.
It was also thanks to his Space Divine Ability that he could twist space at every critical moment and escape fatal damage.
As his Golden Blood dropped into the sea, countless Sea Beasts got a whiff of the smell and rushed over to gulp down the bloodied sea water in order to cultivate their own Dragonic nature. Dragon Blood was extremely precious, and in normal times, it was impossible for the Dragon Clan members to bleed. That was why, although these Sea Beasts had been living around Dragon Island for years, they had never had the chance to have a taste of Dragon Blood.
However, now, Dragon Blood was dropping into the sea as though it wasn’t worth anything, so naturally the Sea Beasts fought with each other to obtain a greater share.
In the sky, Yang Kai was battling against the seven Dragons while in the sea, countless Sea Beasts were slaughtering each other. The entire world seemed to have descended into madness and bloodlust.
As the battle went on, they gradually drifted away from Fu Chi’s Spirit Island, so the island had become hardly visible to the combatants.
Panting heavily, Yang Kai straightened up his 80-metre-long figure with an arrogant gaze. The seven Dragons surrounded him as they stared fixedly at him.
“You must die for humiliating the Dragon Clan!” One of the Dragons growled.
“That’s right!” The other six Dragons agreed as their Dragon Roars seemed to contain some traces of a Dragon Clan Secret Technique. Their roars then transformed into an invisible Soul Attack which launched itself at Yang Kai and penetrated his Knowledge Sea.
After such a long battle, they had become less wary of Yang Kai. Earlier, they were indeed shocked by his ruthlessness when he crippled their fellow clansman in the blink of an eye; however, now it seemed that Yang Kai wasn’t as powerful as he appeared to be. He only managed to succeed before because he mounted a sneak attack.
It was a great honour for Yang Kai to have seven Dragons battle against him, so he should not have any regret even if he had to die.
Unperturbed, Yang Kai picked his ear and grinned, “It’s still too soon to tell who will be killed in the end! Don’t get too conceited, otherwise, you might end up having to eat your words.”
“Bold!” One Dragon Clan member growled impatiently, “Since you’re set on dying today, I’ll grant your wish!”
After he finished his words, deafening Dragon roars could be heard as the seven Dragons pounced on Yang Kai from all directions. The whole world was filled with their boiling Dragon Pressure. Any Third-Order Emperor Realm Master would be terrified of this Dragon Pressure and lose the power to resist.
Although Yang Kai wasn’t so weak, the playful smile on his face faded as his expression turned serious. Even though he wasn’t willing to admit it, he indeed couldn’t defeat the seven Dragons here on his own. These Dragon Clan members were truly hard to deal with.
[I need more people to help me.] With this thought in mind, Yang Kai tried to evade the Dragons’ attacks while secretly activating his Divine Sense.
On the other hand, Fu Ling and the Blue Dragon had joined forces to stop Zhu Qing, but there was no clear winner in sight. The three Dragons were tussling with each other in the sky, which made the atmosphere quite lively.
Suddenly, Fu Ling stopped what she was doing and sent out a Divine Sense Message to the Blue Dragon. Understanding her intention, the Blue Dragon twisted her body and rushed towards Zhu Qing.
Just then, Fu Ling, who was in her Purple Dragon form, suddenly flew towards the Blue Dragon and clawed at her stomach.
*Chi…*
The Blue Dragon shuddered and instinctively avoided getting her vitals injured; however, she soon felt a sharp pain in her stomach. At the same time, she was engulfed in the Ninth-Order Dragon’s Dragon Pressure, rendering her unable to circulate the Dragon Essence within her body. After she grunted with difficulty, her 150-metre-long figure started shrinking at a rapid speed.
[Bloodline suppression!] The Blue Dragon was both terrified and puzzled, as she didn’t understand what was going on. When she turned to look at Fu Ling, an inconceivable idea sprang into her mind, so she growled, “Fu Ling, you…”
At this moment, there was a light blue Dragon Scale gripped in Fu Ling’s Dragon Claw, and that scale obviously belonged to the Blue Dragon. It wouldn’t matter if it was just an ordinary scale, but that particular scale was where the Dragon Temple’s Blessing had been placed.
With the scale pulled out, the Blessing Technique had lost its effect, which was why she was affected by bloodline suppression immediately.
She still couldn’t understand why Fu Ling would attack her all of a sudden. If it weren’t because she was unsuspecting of her, she wouldn’t have let her have a chance to hurt her critically and destroy the Blessing Technique.
Apparently, Zhu Qing didn’t expect this either. While Fu Ling was mounting a sneak attack on the Blue Dragon, she approached Fu Ling and wrapped her body around the latter’s figure tightly. Then, she placed her pointed Dragon Claw on Fu Ling’s head, causing her red Dragon Blood to stream out of her wounds.
“Big Sister Qing, wait!” Fu Ling yelled in fright.
Her Dragon Form was less than half as big as that of Zhu Qing’s. It didn’t feel so obvious when she was battling against Zhu Qing alongside the Blue Dragon, but now that she had to face Zhu Qing directly, she started feeling horrified.
It seemed that Zhu Qing could end her life at any moment. It felt terrible to have her life or death controlled by someone else, but there was nothing she could do.
Zhu Qing grunted curiously and stopped what she was doing. After taking a look at the Blue Dragon, she shifted her attention to Fu Ling and asked, “Why did you do that?”
She didn’t understand why Fu Ling would mount a sneak attack on the Blue Dragon, as she and Fu Ling were not on good terms.
“I’m brother-in-law’s person,” Fu Ling hurriedly explained.
“Brother-in-law?”
“Yang Kai. Big Brother Yang.”
“What?” A murderous intent flashed across Zhu Qing’s eyes suddenly.
Fu Ling was astounded, but upon realizing the problem, she hurriedly added, “Brother-in-law planted a Soul Imprint in my Knowledge Sea previously, so I have to obey him now!”
She understood why Zhu Qing seemed to have the intention of killing her as she had said she was ‘Yang Kai’s person’, which obviously led Zhu Qing to misunderstand that there was some kind of immoral relationship between the two.
“He planted a Soul Imprint in your Knowledge Sea?!” Zhu Qing yelled in disbelief, immediately understanding why Fu Ling would help her all of a sudden.
Fu Ling hurriedly nodded, “Yes, he ordered me to make a move just now.”
“Got it!” Zhu Qing retracted her claw and took a look at the Blue Dragon. At this moment, the Blue Dragon had returned to her Human form. Under a Ninth-Order Dragon’s suppression, it was pointless for her to sustain her Dragon form, so she decided that she should just save her strength.
There was a long wound on her stomach as her blood was still streaming out of it. She covered her wound with her hand and glared at Fu Ling.
Anyone would be furious after experiencing such a sneak attack. However, upon hearing Fu Ling’s explanation, she understood that Fu Ling was left with no choice. Nevertheless, it was a humiliation for a Dragon Clan member to have a Soul Imprint planted in their Knowledge Sea by a Human, so she couldn’t help disdainfully gazing at Fu Ling.
“Big Sister Qing, brother-in-law needs help.” Fu Ling looked apprehensively at Zhu Qing.
“Don’t call him brother-in-law! Also, Zhu Lie will never marry you!” Upon finishing her words, Zhu Qing swung her Dragon Tail and flew towards Yang Kai.
She knew that Fu Ling was a promiscuous woman, so she didn’t want Zhu Lie to get married to her.
“I’m sorry.” Fu Ling looked at the Blue Dragon with an embarrassed expression and apologized to her.
“Keep the apology to yourself until you face the Second Elder. Let’s see if she’ll forgive you!” The Blue Dragon sneered.
A sense of fear flashed across Fu Ling’s eyes, but there was nothing else she could say, so she hurriedly raced after Zhu Qing.
Zhu Qing was worried about Yang Kai’s safety, so she was flying at full speed. As her gigantic figure soared across the sky, she left behind a beautiful arc that seemed to blaze with crimson flames, even burning some marks into the space she passed through.
Although Fu Ling was only one step later than Zhu Qing, she could hardly keep pace with her, so she was slightly frustrated.
Yang Kai didn’t just order her to go over to help. Most importantly, they had to destroy the other Dragon Clan members one by one, which was the key to winning the battle today.
Their biggest disadvantage was the small number of people on their side. However, if they could help Zhu Lie, Jiu Feng, and Liu Yan defeat their opponents first, there would be six of them by then. Although they would still be at a disadvantage when confronted by seven Dragons, their collective power would become much greater.
Unfortunately, before she could explain Yang Kai’s plan to Zhu Qing in detail, the latter had flown off. That was why Fu Ling was anxious, as she was worried that Yang Kai might reprimand her later.
Yang Kai’s battlefield wasn’t far away from Zhu Qing’s, so it only took them a short moment to reach it. When Zhu Qing saw the state Yang Kai was in, her eyes turned bloodshot.
At that moment, the seven Great Dragons were ganging up on Yang Kai like thugs. Every inch on his towering figure had been wounded and big pieces of his flesh had been completely torn off, revealing his bones.
Although Yang Kai was constantly resisting and evading their attacks, he was just one person after all, so he appeared battered and helpless. It was as though he would lose his life at any moment upon just one critical attack from the seven Dragons.
Zhu Qing roared and spat out a jet of her scorching flames at the seven Dragons.
Yang Kai and the Dragons turned to look at her. Flabbergasted, the Dragons wondered why Zhu Qing had arrived at this place.
The flame had temporarily gotten Yang Kai out of his predicament, upon which Zhu Qing immediately flew towards him. Apparently, she was ready to fight alongside him and share the burden with him.
The seven Dragons traded glances and came up with a solution instantly.
Two Dragons immediately shot towards Zhu Qing and blocked her way. In an instant, the three Dragons confronted and cast their Dragon Pressure together, causing the space around them to shake and the world to shatter.
“Move!” Zhu Qing growled.
Certainly, the two Dragons couldn’t step aside. One of them uttered, “Zhu Qing, stop destroying your own future! You’re now a Ninth-Order Dragon! If everything goes well, you’ll become the Dragon Clan’s Fifth Elder. Please look at the big picture and place the Dragon Clan first!”
Zhu Qing refuted coldly, “Before a Dragon, I am a woman! I don’t understand what big picture you’re talking about, all I know is that you’re hurting my man!”
The Dragon Clan member bellowed, “Mind your language! He’s just a lowly Human. Stop embarrassing the Dragon Clan!”
The other Dragon hurriedly reminded, “Zhu Qing, have you forgotten what happened years ago? She was as powerful as you are now, but look where she ended up. Do you want to go down the same path?”
Zhu Qing replied nonchalantly, “At that time, I didn’t understand why she was so obstinate, but I do now. Given a second chance, I would have stood on her side rather than against her at that time!”
“You’re so stubborn!”
“You’ll be thrown into the Dragon Grave. Zhu Qing, stop now!”
As they spoke, Fu Ling finally arrived at this place. As a Purple Dragon, she looked elegant and mighty, but upon her arrival, two people immediately scolded her, ““Useless!””
One of them was a Dragon Clan member. The seven Dragons didn’t understand why Fu Ling and the Blue Dragon couldn’t stop Zhu Qing although they had joined forces. Now, it seemed that the Blue Dragon had been injured. Otherwise, Fu Ling wouldn’t have raced after Zhu Qing on her own.
Supposedly, Fu Ling and the Blue Dragon had joined forces, and they had the Dragon Temple’s Blessing, so they should’ve been able to hold Zhu Qing up. However, in reality, they had only managed to hinder Zhu Qing for a short period of time, which forced two of the seven Dragons to come forward to deal with Zhu Qing.
The other person who scolded Fu Ling was Yang Kai, for he had never expected that she couldn’t even complete such a simple task. If she had accurately passed on his word and told Zhu Qing to help the others to defeat their opponents first, they would have been able to gain the upper hand.
However, Zhu Qing had directly arrived at this place, which meant that Fu Ling wasn’t able to complete her task, which was why Yang Kai was displeased with her.
Appearing embarrassed, Fu Ling stopped in mid-air and didn’t know what to do.
“Go over to help now!” One of the Dragons, who was confronting Zhu Qing, growled at Fu Ling.
Upon hearing that, Fu Ling had no choice but to fly towards Yang Kai. Seeing her, the other five Dragons snorted. They had already gained the upper hand by encircling Yang Kai with seven people on their side. Although Zhu Qing’s arrival forced two of them to leave the group to deal with her, they now had Fu Ling with them. Generally, the collective power remained roughly the same.
They had figured out all of Yang Kai’s abilities now. It was impossible for Yang Kai to win this battle, so they should just deal with him slowly by wearing out his confidence and energy until he could no longer use his elusive Space Divine Ability. By then, they would be able to kill or even capture him.
At the thought of this, the Dragons gazed at Yang Kai with a sneer and a sense of mockery. [What thing does he think he is? Where did he get the guts to make a scene on Dragon Island? Doesn’t he understand what place this is? There’s no doubt his end will be miserable!]
“Just choose one.”
While the Dragons were mocking Yang Kai in their hearts, he suddenly turned to look at Fu Ling and said something unfathomable.
The Dragons were stunned. [What does he mean, she has to choose one? What is he talking about?]
A sense of struggle and hesitation flashed across Fu Ling’s eyes. Seeing that, Yang Kai snorted and said coldly, “I’ll kill you if you dare disobey me!”
Her 100-metre figure shuddered when she heard that. Hesitating no further, she opened her mouth and shot a beam of purple light at one of the Dragon Clan members.
The Dragon Clan member had a frame that was as large as Fu Ling’s Dragon Form, so their power and bloodline should be roughly the same, which meant that they were basically there to assist the others. That was why he was focusing on Yang Kai and had never expected that Fu Ling would make a move against him suddenly. Hence, he was struck by the purple light directly, upon which he kept writhing about and roaring.
“Fu Ling, what’s wrong with you!?” One of the Dragon Clan members growled.
What just happened was utterly strange. As a member of the Dragon Clan, why did Fu Ling side with Yang Kai and attack her kin? That was absolutely absurd! Zhu Lie was Zhu Qing’s brother, so it was understandable that he would side with her, but why did Fu Ling go mad and side with them as well?
Knowing that she was in the wrong, Fu Ling didn’t try to defend herself. She simply transformed her gigantic figure into a beam of purple light and launched herself at her target.
Incensed, her opponent came to his senses and met Fu Ling head-on. In an instant, the two Dragons clashed, sending a shockwave across the sky as they chanted in Dragon Language to cast their own Secret Techniques. After they fell into the sea, they caused a huge splash that could eclipse the sky.
“What have you done to Fu Ling?” Not all of them were fools and a glint flashed across a Dragon Clan member’s eyes as he had figured out something, turning around to glare at Yang Kai.
On the other hand, Yang Kai chuckled and wiped away the blood on his face, which revealed his hideous countenance as he sneered, “Take a guess!”
The Dragon Clan member’s expression darkened as he realized that things were getting out of their control. Initially, they were dealing with Yang Kai with seven people on their side, which rendered him powerless to continue making a scene, and it was only a matter of time before they could suppress the battle. However, Zhu Qing’s arrival had forced two of them to leave the group, and now that Fu Ling had sided with Yang Kai, one more of them had to leave to deal with her as well.
Now, there were only four of them left, which was about half their original number. That was why they were slightly anxious. They had experienced Yang Kai’s elusive Space Divine Ability first hand. With the advantage of having more people on their side, they were able to intercept Yang Kai and make sure he couldn’t escape. However, with only four of them left, their plan and cooperation would be flawed now.
If Yang Kai could find a way to break their Blessing Technique, the Dragon Clan would be bound to lose the fight. No Dragon Clan member could ever accept this kind of humiliation.
Growing cautious, they didn’t dare to make a rash move again. As they traded glances, it was apparent that they were having a secret chat.
However, Yang Kai didn’t give them a chance. With his 80-metre-long figure, he appeared overbearing. As the four Dragons stared at him with caution, he launched himself at them, continuing their great melee.
…..
On a deserted island where World Energy was abundant, Fu Chi, whose face was completely pale, sat cross-legged and circulated his Dragon Essence. He had attached his arms, which had been torn off by Yang Kai, back on his body already, but although his vitality and restorative abilities were strong, being a member of the Dragon Clan, it would still take him one to two years to restore his strength to its peak.
It wasn’t certain if it was because he was in pain or something else, but with a contorting face, he was trying to heal himself while cursing at someone through gritted teeth, “That bitch! Slut! Whore!”
Although the entire Dragon Clan had been humiliated on this day, the humiliation that had been inflicted upon Fu Chi was a thousand times more intense than that on his fellow clansmen.
His bride had been snatched from him on his wedding day, and he had been subdued by his love rival. That Human even tore off both his arms. If it weren’t for the Great Elder rescuing him at the end, he would have been killed. Judging from how ruthless and resolute that Human appeared, Fu Chi was certain Yang Kai would not have hesitated to do it.
This kind of humiliation was like a mountain that pressed against Fu Chi’s chest, making it hard for him to breathe.
He could imagine that his reputation would be completely ruined after this day. In the future, he would be too embarrassed to meet his fellow clansmen. By just thinking about the expressions he would see on their faces, he felt utterly enraged.
As his blood was boiling, he suddenly spat out a mouthful of Dragon Blood, which dyed the ground in front of him.
At that moment, images of a man and a woman kept flashing across his mind. Feeling resentful of Yang Kai and Zhu Qing, he swore that he would make them experience pain and humiliation a hundred times more intense. Otherwise, it would be impossible for him to soothe the rage in his chest. As for who he would make suffer the most, he hated Zhu Qing more than Yang Kai so she would be the greatest victim.
While Fu Chi was deep in such thoughts, he suddenly noticed something and looked up, upon which his gaze turned ferocious.
Someone was standing quietly in the sky nearby, but he was a Dragonborn rather than a Human.
Fu Chi could sense the mixed Dragon Blood aura wafting from this person’s body. He was most familiar with this kind of aura because those hybrids from Half-Dragon City all exuded this kind of revolting aura.
All Dragon Clan members loathed this sort of aura and instinctively felt repulsed by it. Fu Chi was no exception.
“Scram!” Fu Chi growled with a cold expression.
He had suffered an unbearable humiliation on this day, which was why he fled to this island to recuperate, but he never expected that a Dragonborn would stalk him here and even look down on him from nearby.
He had already been humiliated by a lowly Human, so was this hybrid going to do the same?
In normal times, Fu Chi would have killed him on the spot; however, he was in the process of healing himself right now and wasn’t in the mood to deal with this hybrid.
He thought that his growl would terrify this hybrid and send him running for his life. In fact, any hybrid from Half-Dragon City would never attempt to disobey a Pureblood Dragon. It had nothing to do with their strength, it was just inherent inferiority they had before the Dragon Clan.
The division of Dragon Veins was rigid. The difference between Pureblood Dragon Veins and Half-Dragon bloodlines was like the difference between the Heavens and Earth.
However, what shocked Fu Chi was that his growl didn’t elicit any expression from the hybrid. Instead, the hybrid just stared at him quietly with an expression that was as calm as a still lake.
Infuriated, Fu Chi decided to vent his anger on this hybrid and lashed out coldly, “You must court death!”
Upon finishing his words, he pushed his Dragon Pressure and engulfed Li Jiao in it.
The next moment, Fu Chi’s expression was transformed into shock, because the sight before his eyes was completely beyond his ability to comprehend. Under his Dragon Pressure, that hybrid didn’t seem to have been affected as he only frowned a little. Unlike what Fu Chi had imagined, Li Jiao’s bloodline had not been suppressed, and he didn’t fall on his knees in fright.
[What’s going on? This man is just a hybrid with an impure bloodline, while I’m an Eighth-Order Thunder Dragon. There’s a huge difference between our bloodlines, so why does he still look fine? What went wrong?]
Unlike how shocked Fu Chi was, Li Jiao felt excited in his heart. [It’s really blocked! However, there’s indeed a huge difference between a Third-Order and an Eighth-Order. Although I still feel a little uncomfortable due to the suppression, I can finally see hope of getting my revenge!]
The Dragon Temple’s Blessing indeed lived up to its name. With the help of this Blessing, the difference between their bloodlines would be far less obvious, and Li Jiao would have a right to go all out to fight with Fu Chi. That was the right he needed most.
If it weren’t because Yang Kai had intercepted one of the Blessings from the Dragon Temple and redirected it into Li Jiao’s body, the latter would never have a chance to retaliate against Fu Chi for Lu San Niang. Everything was made possible because of Yang Kai, so Li Jiao was grateful to him.
Upon realizing what the cause of all this was soon after, Fu Chi widened his eyes and bellowed, “You have the Dragon Temple’s Blessing? How is that possible? How did you get it?”
Naturally, he wasn’t aware that after he left, the Fourth Elder communicated with the Dragon Temple and asked for Blessings to be delivered to his clansmen. What Fu Chi also couldn’t understand was how this Dragonborn managed to get a Blessing. Furthermore, there seemed to be an unresolvable feud between them, otherwise, this man wouldn’t have stalked him and looked at him with a gaze that was filled with hatred.
“What are you trying to do?” Fu Chi’s expression darkened as he sneered. [Does this hybrid think he can harm me just because I’m injured? Indeed, I’m wounded, but I’m still an Eighth-Order Thunder Dragon!]
Without answering his question, Li Jiao uttered dispassionately, “My name is Li Jiao.”
As he spoke, a golden glint flashed across his hand, upon which a halberd appeared. It was an Emperor Artifact, the Golden Lion Halberd.
This halberd was made from the bones of a Twelfth-Order Monster Beast, the Sovereign Golden Lion, which was an ancient beast that had supposedly gone extinct. In ancient times, it was one of the most powerful creatures in the Star Boundary and could even compete with some Divine Spirits.
Li Jiao managed to obtain the Sovereign Golden Lion’s skeleton by chance. After that, he found an Artifact Refining Grandmaster to help him forge this halberd. The weapon had accompanied him for about 500 years now, and he had been cultivating it with his Blood Essence the whole time. It could be said that this halberd was his most powerful weapon.
With this halberd in his hand, Li Jiao’s aura and momentum reached a peak. Facing an Eighth-Order Thunder Dragon, he wouldn’t dare to lower his guard as although the other party was injured, Li Jiao knew it would be no easy task to defeat him, which was why he directly brought out his trump card.
Also understanding the situation, Fu Chi frowned deeply. He didn’t know what the feud was between them that made Li Jiao ready to put his life at risk, but that didn’t matter at this moment.
Just then, a breeze whisked past them, after which Li Jiao charged forward with the halberd in his hands as a cold glint flashed across the weapon. Upon reaching Fu Chi, Li Jiao swung, chopped, and stabbed with his halberd, engulfing the former in an innumerable number of halberd shadows.
“Impudence!” Fu Chi was enraged because he had been humiliated by Yang Kai and Zhu Qing earlier, but now even a hybrid was insulting him! As a member of the Dragon Clan, he would never allow anyone to disparage his dignity. Releasing a ferocious roar, crackling sounds echoed as lightning arcs exploded out. The arcs condensed together into a giant bolt that then struck at Li Jiao. At the same time, Fu Chi opened his mouth and spat out a massive lightning ball at the Golden Lion Halberd.
A red gleam glowed on Li Jiao’s body as his pores expanded, a clear sign he was burning his Blood Essence to fuel his assault.
Li Jiao knew that this battle had to be ended quickly. Only by turning his anger into near reckless courage could he stand a chance to win a battle against Fu Chi. The longer things dragged on, the slimmer the chance he would have to get his revenge, which was why he decided to burn his Blood Essence from the very start so he could kill Fu Chi in as few moves as possible.
Just then, a beam of lightning struck Li Jiao’s body, causing the red glow to flicker, as though it would be put out at any moment.
The lightning ball coming out of Fu Chi’s mouth hit the Golden Lion Halberd simultaneously, and after a loud boom was heard, Li Jiao was sent flying away, while Fu Chi, who was seated crossed legged, was pushed back almost a hundred metres.
“Go to Hell!” Fu Chi growled as his fury reached a breaking point and exploded like a volcano. However, when he raised his gaze, his expression changed slightly.
That was because Li Jiao, who was sent flying away, actually spat more Blood Essence onto the Golden Lion Halberd while he performed several complicated hand seals and pointed at Fu Chi.
*Huo!*
A thunderous roar could be heard, upon which the Golden Lion Halberd contorted and transformed into a huge lion. The king of beasts then turned into a beam of golden light and launched itself at Fu Chi.
Knowing that the attack would seriously injure him if he allowed it to hit, Fu Chi didn’t dare to take it lightly. After a roar, he transformed into his Dragon form and clawed at the golden light with all his might, upon which the lion disintegrated and turned back into a halberd. The glow appeared fainter now, as its spirituality had been damaged, causing Li Jiao to spurt out blood as his aura deflated.
“Since you dared to provoke me, you must die today!” Fu Chi curled his body up and looked down at Li Jiao. Like an emissary of the Heavens, he was pronouncing the judgment for Li Jiao.
However, the next moment, his expression changed drastically as a sense of anxiety rose within him. Upon closer look, he realized that there was a longan-sized bead in the puddle of blood Li Jiao had spat out. Although the bead appeared ordinary, it actually contained a formidable power.
Apparently, Fu Chi felt threatened by the bead.
“A Dragon Bead! How did you cultivate a Dragon Bead!?” Fu Chi exclaimed.
It was an inconceivable idea that a mere hybrid had managed to cultivate a Dragon Bead. Although the bead’s quality was extremely low, it was still a genuine Dragon Bead.
Every member of the Dragon Clan had their own Dragon Bead, which was their most precious possession as it was the foundation of their life and strength, equivalent to a Monster Beast’s Monster Core.
When facing a life or death crisis, a Monster Beast could spit out their own Monster Core to attack their opponent. Naturally, Dragon Clan members could do the same, but hardly anyone had done it before, because there were basically no creatures in this world that could threaten their lives. Even if there were such creatures, they wouldn’t choose to offend Dragon Clan, much less try to kill them.
It took immense courage to spit out one’s Dragon Bead. Although the Dragon Bead was incredibly powerful and by no means fragile, outside the body it became vulnerable to attack, and the slightest damage to it would also damage a Dragon’s foundation. This would either result in a reduction of strength, or in extreme cases, a loss of life.
Unless they were left with no other choice, a Monster Beast wouldn’t spit out their Monster Core, and a Dragon Clan member would never take out their Dragon Bead unless it was the only way they could destroy their opponent.
At this moment, a hybrid had actually taken out his own Dragon Bead in front of Fu Chi, demonstrating clearly his determination to kill his enemy.
[What’s wrong with this guy? What grudge is there between us? Why is he going as far as to even spit out his Dragon Bead to attack me?] In comparison to the fact that this man had cultivated his own Dragon Bead, Fu Chi was more surprised by Li Jiao’s resoluteness.
Even now, he did not understand why Li Jiao hated him so deeply. Since the beginning, Li Jiao had only announced his name and spoken no further. After just a few moves, Li Jiao was even ready to put his life on the line to win.
Fu Chi was caught off guard by this series of unexpected attacks.
Li Jiao was a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master, but he was now ready to put his life at risk to release his strongest strike. Even though Fu Chi was an Eighth-Order Thunder Dragon, he wouldn’t dare disdain this kind of suicidal attack.
With his expression turning solemn, Fu Chi roared and spat out a mouthful of Dragon Breath which transformed into a layer of protection in front of him.
After the layer of protection was struck by the approaching Dragon Bead, Fu Chi’s gigantic body shook while Li Jiao coughed up enough blood to dye his clothes scarlet. The Dragon Bead’s glow started flickering, but through pure force of will, Li Jiao managed to stabilize its radiance.
*Kacha…*
Suddenly, a cracking sound was heard.
Fu Chi’s expression changed again as he had underestimated Li Jiao’s determination. He thought that a setback would make Li Jiao back down, but it only made him grow more ferocious instead.
The hybrid didn’t care about his own Dragon Bead at all as he recklessly pushed its power, an absolutely insane move.
After Fu Chi’s layer of protection was destroyed, the Dragon Bead would almost instantly reach him. Just when Fu Chi was hesitating whether he should also take out his Dragon Bead to intercept it, the chance had already passed him by.
At that moment, the small Dragon Bead was like the sharpest weapon in this world and penetrated Fu Chi’s Dragon Scales, forming a big hole on his chest before it shot out from his back, after which copious amounts of Dragon Blood spurted from his wound.
Fu Chi wailed as he writhed about, smashing all the rocks on the island and throwing sand and dirt into the air.
Compared to his body size, the wound that was caused by the strike was small, but he had actually been severely injured. His five viscera and six organs had been shifted and his Blood Essence had become chaotic and unstable.
Infuriated, Fu Chi swung his Dragon Tail and hit right at the Dragon Bead behind him.
*Kacha…*
A crack was formed on the Dragon Bead, causing its glow to dim noticeably.
*Wa…*
Li Jiao opened his mouth and spouted out another mouthful of blood. His face had turned as pale as a white sheet and, unable to even support his own weight anymore, he fell on his knees. He gasped for air, but his aura only continued to dwindle. It was as though he would lose his life at any moment.
He raised his head and saw that Fu Chi had returned to his Human form, proving his final strike just now wasn’t useless. Although Li Jiao was in a sorry state, Fu Chi had been severely injured as well. At this moment, Fu Chi’s face was ashen as he pressed his hand against his chest and glowered at Li Jiao. His robes were covered in blood.
If they were to fight head-on, Fu Chi believed that this hybrid would be no match for him even though the latter had the Dragon Temple’s Blessing. However, this hybrid was extremely ruthless and resolute, catching Fu Chi off guard. If not for this, it would have been impossible for Fu Chi to have been injured so badly. As a result, at this moment, Fu Chi felt utterly humiliated.
Staring coldly at Li Jiao, he uttered slowly, “I’ll kill you!”
Li Jiao raised his hand with difficulty to wipe the blood off his mouth and gazed calmly at Fu Chi as he thought to himself, [I’ve failed. Even though I’ve done my best, it’s still impossible for me to kill a member of the Dragon Clan.]
He had already gone all out, using every trump card he had, so all he could do was lament that the Heavens were unfair to him. [With so many creatures in this world, why are we graded into different ranks? Why is the Dragon Clan above all others?]
Fu Chi shuffled towards Li Jiao as a ferocious glint flashed across his gaze. Although he was staggering, he was in a much better state than Li Jiao.
He had figured out that Li Jiao had used up all his energy, so he could now do with him as he pleased. There was no way Li Jiao could resist.
Fu Chi’s anger had reached the breaking point after he was injured by a filthy hybrid. Therefore, he decided to torture Li Jiao in the cruellest way possible to let the latter know the consequences of offending him.
He didn’t care why Li Jiao would put his own life at risk to kill him. He wasn’t interested in finding out what was on the hybrid’s mind.
There was only a distance of tens of metres between them, but it took Fu Chi an incense stick worth of time to cross this short distance, staggering as he stepped because he too was incredibly weak.
Standing in front of Li Jiao, he appeared to be the victorious one with a smug expression. His lips curved into a hideous smile as he watched Li Jiao panting heavily on his knees.
After a sigh, Li Jiao decided to close his eyes and await his final moment. If he still had any power to resist, he wouldn’t have stayed put. However, the spirituality of his Golden Lion Halberd, which he had been cultivating with his own Blood Essence, had been damaged. His Dragon Bead had also cracked. The foundation of his life had been hurt as well, so he didn’t even have the energy to move one finger.
[Has he conceded defeat?] Fu Chi stared coldly at him and sneered. [So what if he has conceded defeat? He has to pay the price for offending me!]
Just when Li Jiao was about to shut his eyes though, he suddenly opened them again as he looked behind Fu Chi in fright. He seemed to be looking at something unbelievable as he widened his eyes.
Seeing that, Fu Chi snorted, “What trick are you trying to play on me before your death?”
He thought that Li Jiao was just trying to distract him, but he felt that something was off immediately after he finished speaking, because there really was another presence behind him.
“Who?” Having goosebumps all over his body, Fu Chi whirled around, only to see an ugly monkey-like man grinning at him. The smile on his face was horrendous and filled with a kind of unfettered madness.
“It’s you!” Upon recognizing the man, Fu Chi frowned.
He remembered that this man was the one in charge of building his new palace. Some time ago, he and Zhu Lie went over to check on the palace, and it was this man who had guided them around. Only a short period of time had passed, so Fu Chi still remembered this man’s face. At that time, he couldn’t help feeling disdainful of his servile attitude.
In front of the Dragon Clan, all Humans were as lowly as ants.
“What are you doing here?” Fu Chi stared at him with a frown.
Everything felt off on this day. First, a hybrid stalked him and waged a life-or-death battle with him. Then, a Human appeared all of a sudden.
It was said once bitten, twice shy, so Fu Chi was now wary of this man.
Normally, he wouldn’t even spare this kind of man a glance; however, having been injured repeatedly on this day, he had become more cautious.
The inscrutable smile on this man’s face made Fu Chi furious.
Faced with Fu Chi’s question, Wu Chen didn’t answer him as he just took a look at Li Jiao with a smile before shifting his attention back to Fu Chi. Nodding slightly, he uttered, “Good! Good! Good!”
After he said ‘good’ three times, the smile on his face became more eerie, and he even stuck out his tongue to lick his lips. He looked like a starving wolf that was staring at its prey in the winter.
“Are you also here to oppose me?” Fu Chi stared at him coldly and sneered. He wasn’t a fool, so he could see that this monkey-like man was ill-intentioned. This Human was just a Third-Order Emperor though, so although Fu Chi was weak now due to his injuries, he still had confidence he could defeat him.
Upon hearing that, Li Jiao was elated and looked at Wu Chen with expectation written all over his face.
He was extremely crestfallen because he still couldn’t kill Fu Chi even though he had used up all his tricks, and he was already in his last moments now. However, if Wu Chen was there to deal with Fu Chi, then he could still get his revenge with the latter’s help.
“Oppose you?” Wu Chen shook his head with a smile, “No, no, no… That’s not the reason I’m here.”
Fu Chi replied disdainfully, “I didn’t think you had the guts.”
Wu Chen nodded and uttered, “I’m here to eat a Dragon.”
“Eat a Dragon?” Fu Chi was startled as he didn’t understand the meaning behind his words. However, he did not have the time to think about it, because right after Wu Chen finished speaking, the gleam that beamed from his eyes suddenly turned into a vortex.
As they were staring at each other fixedly, Fu Chi couldn’t help but feel astounded as he felt that those eyes seemed to have a mysterious devouring power that seemed to be trying to suck his Soul in.
Fu Chi’s expression changed drastically as he tried to look away, but it was too late.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t move his gaze. The mysterious power from the other party’s eyes grew stronger and more horrendous, forcing Fu Chi to stare fixedly at him, and in just a short moment, Fu Chi could feel that his Soul was really beginning to shake.
His back was drenched in cold sweat in an instant. Following that, his vision turned dark, and he started to lose consciousness. However, he remained rooted to the spot, unable to move a muscle.
Wu Chen stepped forward, and under the attention of the dumbfounded Li Jiao, his body went through a series of transformative changes.
His thin frame swelled up all of a sudden, and his monkey-like countenance started contorting. In the blink of an eye, Wu Chen had transformed into an authoritative-looking and overbearing man with a pair of sharp eyes.
Appearing to be a middle-aged man now, he didn’t look like Wu Chen at all.
[What kind of Secret Technique is this?] Li Jiao was flabbergasted as his eyes were brimming with fear.
Despite his sharp vision, he couldn’t see through Wu Chen at all previously. He believed that Yang Kai and the hundreds of people who built the palace alongside Wu Chen also didn’t notice anything off about him.
[Does this Secret Technique allow him to disguise his appearance and aura perfectly?]
Just then, Li Jiao couldn’t help feeling fearful after ‘Wu Chen’ swept a glance over him. There was no way he could resist this man’s attack. If this man, who had disguised himself as Wu Chen, wanted to kill Li Jiao, he could do it without any effort. That realization made Li Jiao terrified as his blood almost froze.
When he was facing Fu Chi, an Eighth-Order Thunder Dragon, he could still summon the courage to kill him even if he had to sacrifice his life to do so; however, a mere nonchalant glance from this man was able to shake him to the core, which went to show just how horrifying this man truly was.
“Hahaha!” That man circled around Fu Chi and started guffawing, “This is such a lucky day for me! It really didn’t take me much effort to get one.”
Upon finishing his words, he licked his lips again as his gaze was brimming with greed while he was staring at Fu Chi.
“May I know who Your Excellency is?” Li Jiao gulped and asked.
Now, he had realized that this man, who had disguised as Wu Chen, must be a terrifying hidden Master. This man also had to have some hidden agenda for him to pose as Wu Chen and sneak into Dragon Island. Judging from this incident that had just happened, his plot must be extremely wicked and might even turn all of Dragon Island upside down.
Ignoring Li Jiao’s question entirely, Wu Chen stared fixedly at Fu Chi and uttered, “I have to thank you for what just happened. If you hadn’t injured him, it would take me some effort to capture him.” He tutted, “It’s troublesome being so weak.”
[Did he just call himself weak?] Li Jiao was astonished.
What Wu Chen had just showcased suggested that he had incredible power. With just a stare, he was able to root an Eighth-Order Thunder Dragon in place. If his power was considered weak, then Li Jiao’s power could only be regarded as trash.
“Stay right there. I’ll deal with you after I’m done with this little Dragon!” Wu Chen pointed at him.
Li Jiao felt cold all over his body. When he heard the man thanking him, he thought that he might be let off; however, upon hearing these last words, Li Jiao understood that he would be killed soon. [Forget it. Fu Chi will end up in a miserable state, so I’ve gotten revenge for San Niang. I’ve fulfilled my promise as a man, so I can die with no regrets.]
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to flee, but he knew that he wouldn’t stand a chance to escape from this man. He would only be killed sooner if he made a rash move. Therefore, Li Jiao decided to close his eyes and waited calmly for the end to come.
Right then, a sudden change happened. A strange aura pulsed from Wu Chen’s body, and at that instant, his expression contorted as he growled, “Old fart, what are you doing?”
Wu Chen immediately stepped backwards as a myriad of expressions flickered across his face. At the same time, two different auras began clashing with one another inside his body, an extremely eerie sight to behold.
Li Jiao stared at him in shock, not knowing what was wrong with him.
“Stop being so presumptuous! If you dare spoil my good deed, I’ll never let you off! Don’t you think I can’t devour you too!” The man growled again as the conflict between the two auras intensified. The confrontation between the auras also made Li Jiao’s skin feel painful.
Baffled, Li Jiao thought that the man was speaking to himself, as though he was suffering from a split personality. Li Jiao had lived in this world for thousands of years and seen countless strange things, but it was the first time he came across such an incident.
As Wu Chen spoke, both his hands started moving. What was strange though was that each hand was performing a different set of hand seals at the same time. Their movements were so rapid that Li Jiao couldn’t even see them clearly.
He was especially shocked by the complexity and abstrusity of the hand-seals, as he had never seen or heard anything remotely similar before.
A moment later, Wu Chen turned his head and glared at Li Jiao. With a contorting and hideous face, he said through gritted teeth, “Why are you still here? Are you sick of living?”
Li Jiao was flabbergasted. Realizing something, he pointed at the man and said, “You…”
Wu Chen growled, “Look for Yang Kai now and tell him…”
However, Wu Chen suddenly cut himself off and bellowed, “There’s no use looking for anyone! No one can stop me today!”
[Two Souls in one body! This man has two Souls in his body!] It was then that Li Jiao understood why this man was behaving so strangely. There were actually two Souls residing in his body, which was why he kept talking to and contradicting himself. Initially, he wanted to kill Li Jiao, but the next moment, he told him to flee immediately.
Li Jiao didn’t want to die. The reason he stayed put just now was that he didn’t see any hope of survival. Now that there was a chance though, he wasn’t willing to sit around waiting for death.
He took out some pills from his Space Ring and stuffed them into his mouth. Following that, he focused his mind upon which a cracked bead shot up from the sea and rushed into his mouth. It was his damaged Dragon Bead.
With the Dragon Bead back into his stomach as well as the help of the pills, he had managed to restore some of his energy. Then, he extended his hand and retrieved his Golden Lion Halberd, whose spirituality had been damaged. Upon taking a deep breath, he started running for his life.
He didn’t know the identity of the man behind him, but he realized that the Soul who told him to run away must know Yang Kai, which was why he had to tell the latter about it immediately. Unfortunately, that Soul didn’t give more details, or didn’t have the chance to do so. Otherwise, Li Jiao would have figured out the man’s identity.
…..
As the Dragon roars shook the sky, Yang Kai and four Dragons clashed across the sky. Although Zhu Qing and Fu Ling had shared some of his burdens, he was still put in a disadvantageous situation.
Those in the Dragon Clan were Divine Spirits, and all four Dragons in that place were mature Great Dragons. Although bloodline was graded into different orders, every Dragon Clan member could easily defeat a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master. Although Yang Kai was now an 80-metre-long Half-Dragon that was mighty in its own right, he was still no match for the other Dragons.
At the same time, he was glad that Zhu Qing and Fu Ling had lifted some of the weight off his shoulders. Otherwise, he would have lost the battle by now. Although the situation wasn’t in their favour, they still stood some chance of winning.
Yang Kai was still waiting for the right moment to deal a critical blow to the four Dragons, as he still had a trump card to play. It was called a trump card because it could bring the best result for him when his opponents least expected it.
At that moment, Yang Kai was drenched in blood, as he had been wounded all over his body, and his aura was no longer at its peak, as though he would collapse at any moment.
Seeing that, the Four Dragons stopped hesitating and pounced on him from all directions.
Yang Kai moved a little to avoid the first Dragon that charged at him and evaded the Dragon Breath that had been shot at him by the second. At the same time, he parried the third Great Dragon’s Secret Technique. However, as his body shook violently, he realized that he had been grasped by the Fourth Dragon.
That Dragon was the strongest among the four, as was a Seventh-Order with a 150-metre-long body which he wrapped around Yang Kai to ensure that the latter couldn’t escape using his Space Divine Ability. At that moment, all of Yang Kai’s bones started cracking.
The other three Dragons were elated upon seeing this, after which they rushed towards Yang Kai again. All of their eyes glinted with a cold glare. If Yang Kai still couldn’t struggle out of the grip before they reached him, he would be doomed.
As Yang Kai growled, a glint flashed across his eyes. It had come to the point where he couldn’t hide anything anymore. He had no choice but to use his last trick to save himself. Just then, he was startled for a moment before he became ecstatic. After he twisted his wrist, something appeared in his hand. Then, he hurled the thing in his hand at a Dragon that was coming at him, and he growled, “Get him!”
The other three Dragons were shocked when they saw what Yang Kai had done. Before they figured out what Yang Kai had thrown at them, they didn’t dare to parry it, as they had witnessed how tricky and ruthless he could be. There was no way the tactic he had used at this point would be meaningless.
Under everyone’s attention, a round boulder was seen being catapulted into the air. The perfectly rounded boulder was only as tall as an ordinary Human, but it appeared quite ordinary.
[What is that?] The Dragon Clan members were puzzled when they saw this. The Dragon who was about to be hit with the boulder impatiently swung his tail in an attempt to sweep it away, but as soon as his tail came into contact with it, a sudden change happened.
An explosion was heard, upon which the boulder broke into pieces. This change stunned the Dragons, but upon closer examination, they realized that a strange stone man about as tall as a Human had emerged from the broken stones. This stone man had an angular appearance and sharp spikes protruding from his figure. He had complete facial features and his limbs were unusually long. It wouldn’t be so surprising if that was all though. The most important factor was that this stone man had flames covering his body, and there was an aura coming from him that was exclusive to Divine Spirits.
“Shi Huo!” One Dragon growled as disbelief was written all over his face.
As Divine Spirits themselves, the Dragon Clan members were familiar with Shi Huo. Although Shi Huo wasn’t ranked highly among the Divine Spirits, it was still powerful.
However, what the Dragon Clan members didn’t understand was why a Shi Huo would emerge from a boulder, which was thrown out by Yang Kai. They were surrounded by the seemingly endless sea, so how did Yang Kai manage to summon it?
Right after Shi Huo appeared, it released a roar. The sound waves coming from its mouth were so strong they were almost visible to the naked eye. The shock wave caused a ripple in the surrounding space, and the Dragon Clan member at the front couldn’t help but stop moving. Instinctively, they could sense that this Shi Huo was more complicated than it seemed.
“Scram!” The Dragon closest by extended his claws and swiped at the Shi Huo. [So what if it’s a Shi Huo? No Divine Spirits can ever be haughty in front of us, the Dragon Clan! Moreover, this Shi Huo should be a newly-born, so it should be quite weak now.]
The next moment though, this Dragon Clan member realized he was deeply mistaken. After a growl, this Shi Huo that was only as tall as a Human rapidly began to expand. 10 metres, 15 metres, 30 metres, 60 metres… In just a short moment, Shi Huo, who was just as small as an ant to the Dragon Clan members a short while ago, had grown to be just as gargantuan as them. The flames on his body appeared even more violent, as though they could burn anything in this world.
With a loud boom, the Dragon Claw clashed with Shi Huo’s chest, which caused sparks to fly along with a screeching sound. Shi Huo staggered backwards as a claw mark formed on its chest.
The Dragon Clan member who had made the move was startled by the change. [Is this really a Shi Huo? When did it develop this kind of Divine Ability?]
After being clawed, Shi Huo took a look at its chest and raised its head. Its flickering red eyes looked like dancing flames, and an eerie laugh sounded from its throat. Following that, it extended its arms and grabbed the Dragon’s tail before pulling him towards itself.
The Dragon roared as he didn’t expect that Shi Huo would pull him towards it suddenly. As the two bodies clashed together, a thunderous boom was heard. Following that, the smell of roasted meat filled the air. Groaning in pain, the Dragon tried to struggle out of Shi Huo’s grip as it moved towards the sea. After both of them plunged into the waters, they caused a huge splash with a surge of steam.
There were four of them initially, but Shi Huo’s appearance forced one of them to leave the group. Now, only three Dragons were left to deal with Yang Kai.
“Hahahaha!” Yang Kai suddenly guffawed, his voice as loud as thunder.
“You’re about to die. How dare you still be so conceited!” the Dragon Clan member, who had been binding Yang Kai, growled, for he didn’t understand why Yang Kai was laughing.
Although there had been many unexpected changes on this day, Yang Kai was obviously still on the losing side. Three Dragons were more than enough to deal with him.
“It’s the right time now!” Yang Kai’s expression turned solemn as he spoke in a lowered voice.
As soon as he finished speaking, the three Dragons realized that something bad was going to happen. Hesitating no more, all of them decided to kill him immediately. The Great Dragon, who had been binding Yang Kai with his own body, exerted more force to restrict him so that there was no room for him to struggle.
The other two Dragons came at him from both sides as their Dragon Claws glinted with a cold glare. Breaking through the hindrance of space, they aimed at Yang Kai’s vital parts.
“Dragon… Transformation!”
The three Dragons were stunned when they heard Yang Kai’s hoarse voice. [Dragon Transformation? Hasn’t he already transformed into a Dragon? It’s already an inconceivable achievement that a Human has managed to transform into an 80-metre-long Dragon. Why did he yell ‘Dragon Transformation’ again? Does he want to turn into an actual Dragon?]
At the thought of this, the three Dragons couldn’t help but snort. In their eyes, Yang Kai could never become a True Dragon no matter how hard he tried. This was the limitation imposed on the Races, so he could never achieve that breakthrough.
But what happened next terrified them. After Yang Kai shouted ‘Dragon Transformation’, his already imposing Dragon Pressure started intensifying to the point where the three Dragons began feeling horrified. At the same time, cracking sounds could be heard, as Yang Kai, who was already 80 metres long, started expanding again.
“This…” The Dragon, who had been binding Yang Kai, widened his eyes in disbelief. He could feel that an immense force was pushing him outward, forcing his curled up body to expand.
80 metres, 100 metres, 120 metres, 150 metres!
With his head reaching to the Heavens while his feet firmly trod upon the void, Yang Kai now looked like a gargantuan monster as his terrifying Dragon Pressure spread across the sky, shaking the world, sending thousands of waves out across the sea.
The three Dragons could feel their eyes trembling violently. The Dragons, who were battling against Zhu Qing and Fu Ling, were dumbstruck as they gazed at Yang Kai.
Zhu Qing was startled for a moment before a glint of joy flashed across her eyes. She had never expected that Yang Kai had been hiding his true power as he awaited the best chance to fight back. Now, that chance had come.
There was a huge difference between an 80-metre-tall figure and a 150-metre-tall one. The strength of a Dragon’s bloodline could be judged by observing its size. Yang Kai had cultivated the Dragon Transformation Secret Art, so naturally, he had inherited this trait as well. The larger his size, the purer his bloodline was.
One month ago, his Dragon form was only 45 metres, but now, he had grown to be a 150-metre tall Half-Dragon, which meant that his size had grown by more than three times. Although his overall strength didn’t actually improve much, the increment in his size came with a proportionally more powerful Dragon Pressure and bloodline suppression.
It was thanks to those Dragon Blood Flowers that he had managed to improve his Dragon Transformation Secret Art to this point, especially those Dragon Blood Pills that were made from the two Peak-Rank Dragon Blood Flowers. Almost half of the result of his growth in the past month was brought about by just these two flowers, while the other High-Rank Dragon Blood Flowers made up the rest.
Given more time, Yang Kai could have grown even taller than 150 metres.
This was more than a mere increase in size though. Initially, the Dragon Scales Yang Kai was covered in didn’t appear all that special, but at this moment, all his scales started glowing with a golden gleam. His entire body seemed to have been covered in a layer of gold, which appeared dazzling under the sunlight.
The bulges on Yang Kai’s temples had protruded like sprouting seedlings as his Dragon Horns now appeared long and firm, like those of a True Dragon.
The whole space had been engulfed in his Dragon Pressure as though his presence had materialized, causing the three Dragons to feel suffocated. It was like their chests had been pressed by boulders, which made them frustrated, and the Dragon Essence within their bodies was circulating at half its original speed.
The three Dragons were astonished and panicked, especially when they realized that a particular scale on their bodies was glowing strongly.
The glowing Dragon Scales were where the Dragon Temple’s Blessing had been stored, and the reason for this abnormality was that the Blessing Technique had become unstable.
When Yang Kai was still an 80-metre-tall Half-Dragon, they were not affected by the bloodline suppression at all; however, after Yang Kai had grown to 150 metres, his Dragon Pressure’s impact on their bloodlines made them terrified, even though they still had the Dragon Temple’s Blessing.
Zhu Lie had said that the Dragon Temple’s Blessing could significantly offset bloodline suppression, but that didn’t mean it could be completely neutralized. When that suppression surpassed a certain limit, the difference between bloodlines couldn’t be ignored even though they still had the Dragon Temple’s Blessing.
Just like the time when Li Jiao was confronted by Fu Chi, at this moment, the three Dragons were extremely terrified when they were facing Yang Kai.
[This battle has to be ended quickly. Otherwise, the consequences could be dreadful.] The three Dragons decided in an instant.
After Yang Kai transformed into his 150-metre-tall form, his gaze appeared even more determined as he charged forward.
Yang Kai suddenly made a move. From an unbelievable angle, his fist that was as large as a house landed on the head of one of the large Dragons, who was coming at him from the left side. After a loud thud was heard, the Dragon wailed in pain as his head was jerked to the side from the impact, and some Dragon Scales on his head had been broken off. His towering figure writhed about in the air and then plunged into the sea.
The Dragon from Yang Kai’s right side reached him in the next moment, and like a blade that could cut through anything in the world, his Dragon Claw glinted with a cold glare as it stabbed at Yang Kai’s chest.
Since Yang Kai was still bound at this moment, he was unable to evade this attack nor could he teleport away. If the claw landed on his chest, he would be doomed. At the most critical moment, he made an instinctive move by swinging his Dragon Tail towards his opponent. Like a bolt of lightning that had descended from the sky, Yang Kai’s tail lashed at his opponent with incredible force.
*Pa…*
His Dragon Tail hit right at the Dragon’s spine, and after a pain-filled roar, the Great Dragon that was approaching shot out like a falling star.
With an awkward expression, Yang Kai scanned himself with his Divine Sense and arched his brow, for there was now a Dragon Tail on his lower back. The discovery shocked him.
After one month of painstaking cultivation, he knew that his Dragon Transformation Secret Art had improved significantly, but he wasn’t sure what he would look like after activating his complete Dragon Transformation… Until now!
His figure had grown to 150 metres long; Dragon Horns had grown on his temples; a Dragon Tail had been formed on his lower back; his Dragon Scales now glowed with a golden glint. These were all transformative changes that made him look starkly different from his 80-metre-tall Half-Dragon Form.
With a body as sturdy as a mountain, Yang Kai looked around in an aloof manner as though the entire world was now under his control. At that instant, his heart was filled with confidence and pride.
The Great Dragon, who had been restricting Yang Kai’s movements, widened his eyes in disbelief. All these turns of events happened in the blink of an eye. His two fellow clansmen were easily defeated by Yang Kai with just a fist and a tail sweep. Now, his chest tightened as he had to face Yang Kai, who had activated his second Dragon Transformation, alone.
A glint flashed across his eyes as he opened his mouth wide to bite Yang Kai’s head.
Yang Kai raised his arm to protect himself, upon which his opponent’s sharp teeth dug into it, causing his arm to be covered in blood in an instant. However, Yang Kai just put on a sneer, and under the terrified Great Dragon’s attention, he extended his other hand and grabbed the Great Dragon’s horn before twisting it.
“Argh!” A Dragon roar shook the sky. After this Great Dragon’s horn had been broken off, blood started spurting out of the wound on his head like a great fountain.
After taking the horn, Yang Kai extended his hand and clawed at the Great Dragon’s stomach.
*Chi, Chi…*
In an instant, a wound that was tens of metres long was formed on the Great Dragon’s stomach. Through the wound, his squirming organs could be seen. At the same time, hundreds of Dragon Scales had been ripped off, including the one that contained the Dragon Temple’s Blessing.
After a brilliant flash of light, the Great Dragon was unable to sustain his Dragon Form anymore and shrank at a rapid speed until he assumed his Human Form again. He immediately tried to run away from Yang Kai with his hands pressing against his stomach, his blood still trickling down from between his fingers. His face was completely pale.
With bloodshot eyes, Yang Kai shot him a disdainful glance, but he didn’t intend to chase after him. Without the Dragon Temple’s Blessing, this Dragon Clan member was no longer a threat to him.
With a roar, Yang Kai directly plunged into the sea, but oddly enough he didn’t cause a single splash. A moment later, a violent energy fluctuation was felt coming from the bottom of the sea. Following that, a water column shot up into the sky, upon which Yang Kai emerged from the sea with two Dragons, one in each hand. The splash he had caused reflected the sunlight and formed a great rainbow.
These two Great Dragons were the ones who had been defeated by Yang Kai earlier. With his huge palms clenching the necks of both Dragons, Yang Kai dragged them along as he flew towards the sky.
Yang Kai’s whiskers trembled as he laughed wildly. Exerting more force with his hands, he smashed the two Dragons’ heads into each other, causing a thunderous boom that had both of them seeing stars.
*Hong, Hong, Hong, Hong…*
It was as though Yang Kai had been addicted to playing this game, as he kept making them crash into one another. At that moment, their Dragon Blood spurted out of their wounds as their bones were constantly creaking.
After bashing their heads together several dozen times to get his revenge, Yang Kai tossed them away, using the same tactic as before to break the Blessing Technique on them.
Up in the sky, the two Dragon Clan members were forced to return to their Human Forms. They were staggering about and couldn’t even stand stably, as though they were completely inebriated. After they staggered out a few dozen metres, they turned to look at Yang Kai with gazes that were filled with fear and wariness.
Ignoring them, Yang Kai narrowed his eyes and targeted a particular place. The next moment, he pushed his Space Principles, upon which his figure vanished into thin air. When he reappeared, he had already joined Zhu Qing’s battle.
The two Dragon Clan members, who were blocking Zhu Qing, were shocked upon seeing him.
Although they were battling Zhu Qing just now, they were not far away from where Yang Kai had been fighting. Hence, they had seen the battle clearly. Going up against three Dragons, Yang Kai still managed to defeat them with ease. Those three Dragons were completely powerless to counterattack.
That was why they had now lost the courage to face Yang Kai’s ruthlessness. As Yang Kai’s Dragon Pressure penetrated them, their bloodlines were immediately suppressed.
After trading glances, they decided to turn into beams of light to flee. They were no longer able to resolve this issue today. In other words, they couldn’t solve the problem just because they had more people on their side. To restore Dragon Island’s reputation, they had to seek help from the Great Elder and the Second Elder. That was why they had to inform the two Elders about what was happening here now.
However, they didn’t have the chance to do that. Just when they were preparing to flee, the space around them became extremely viscous, as though they had been sealed off by a kind of mysterious force. Space Principles!
The two Dragons were both shocked and panicked as they pushed their Dragon Pressure to break free of the Space Principles’ impact on them; however, Yang Kai had already pounced on them and grabbed one of their tails. After spinning the Dragon around several times, Yang Kai hurled him at the other Dragon.
*Hong…*
Both Dragons were sent flying away as they roared. Yang Kai launched himself at them again and pulled away two particular Dragon Scales on their backs, forcing them to return to their Human Forms.
The following task would be much simpler. With his 150-metre-tall figure, Yang Kai could practically destroy the remaining opponents, who were below the Eighth-Order, with little effort.
After he helped Fu Ling defeat her opponent, the surroundings fell into silence.
Yang Kai shifted his attention to the sea where his Embodiment was still battling against another Dragon Clan member, both parties seemingly evenly matched.
The fact that his Embodiment had awakened gave him a pleasant surprise; after all, his Embodiment had been unconscious ever since he integrated with Shi Huo’s Source in the Ancient Wild Lands some time ago. Yang Kai didn’t expect that his Embodiment would awaken all of a sudden at this critical moment.
Yang Kai had been keeping an eye on his Embodiment since it absorbed Shi Huo’s Source, and according to his calculations, his Embodiment would only regain consciousness sometime in the future. Perhaps it had realized the situation Yang Kai was in somehow, allowing it to awaken early.
Although it had woken up in advance, it didn’t really matter. That was because Yang Kai could feel that his Embodiment had completely integrated with Shi Huo’s Source, which meant that his Embodiment was now the Divine Spirit, Shi Huo!
After telling Zhu Qing something, Yang Kai prepared to go over to help his Embodiment, but just then, a thunderous Dragon Roar rang out from the deepest part of Dragon Island.
That Dragon Roar was unlike anything that Yang Kai had heard before. It sounded almost like a wail, as though the one who was roaring was about to pass on.
When this Dragon Roar was heard, Zhu Qing and Fu Ling both turned pale at the same time as they turned to look in the direction it came from.
Besides them, all the Dragon Clan members also turned to look in that direction. The Dragon Roar lasted for about a cup of tea worth of time before it stopped abruptly.
The next moment, Yang Kai touched his cheek, for he could feel some liquid dripping onto his face. Looking up at the sky, he said with a frown, “Why is it raining when the weather is so lovely? The weather on Dragon Island is so strange.”
The sun was high above the sky while there were practically no clouds in sight. However, rain was now falling. Furthermore, it was torrential and turbulent rain.
What shocked Yang Kai was that the rain seemed to contain some spirituality.
“This isn’t rain!” Fu Ling had turned completely pale as she stared fixedly towards the origins of the previous Dragon Roar, subconsciously replying to Yang Kai upon hearing what he said as her tender body trembled uncontrollably.
With a dark expression, Zhu Qing uttered, “It’s Fallen Dragon Rain!”
“What?” Yang Kai turned to look at Zhu Qing and frowned. He could feel that something serious must have happened. Otherwise, Zhu Qing wouldn’t appear so solemn.
“A Dragon Clan member has died!” Zhu Qing turned to look at him with a face transformed by fear.
Yang Kai was startled as his pupils contracted, “How do you know? Is it because of the Dragon roar?”
[Although the Dragon roar sounded sorrowful, it doesn’t mean a Dragon Clan member has passed away, right? Maybe they were just severely injured.]
Above Dragon Island, rain was pouring down from the sky despite the lovely weather. The entire Dragon Island seemed to have fallen into silence as everyone was looking in a particular direction.
Fu Ling gulped and uttered with difficulty, “When a Dragon Clan member passes away, they will turn into spirit rain. This is the Fallen Dragon Rain!”
“Are you sure?” Yang Kai looked solemnly at Fu Ling.
Fu Ling replied, “Absolutely.”
Zhu Qing nodded in agreement, “Indeed, a Dragon Clan member has passed away.”
Yang Kai’s forehead was beaded with cold sweat, “No way! Who did it? Senior Jiu Feng? Or Li Wu Yi? Or Zhu Lie, that brat?”
He was shocked after Zhu Qing concluded that a Dragon Clan member had fallen.
Although he had fallen out with the Dragon Clan and even harmed some of them, the idea of killing any one of them had never crossed his mind. It didn’t matter for him to fall out with the Dragon Clan, as they could just not meet each other for the rest of their lives. He had always loathed the Dragon Clan’s haughty behaviour, so he would rather not have any contact with them at all.
However, if a Dragon died because of him, that would be a different story. When that happened, not only would Zhu Qing be put in a tight spot, but a blood feud would also be formed between Yang Kai and the Dragon Clan.
Given the Dragon Clan’s power, he was still no match for them. If they went all out to hunt him down, there would be no place in the world where he could hide.
Although Yang Kai had flared up and harmed some of the Dragon Clan’s members, he had not killed any one of them. Even those who were harmed by him didn’t suffer damage to their foundations. After breaking their Blessing Technique, Yang Kai simply stopped attacking them.
If he wanted to leave with Zhu Qing, he had to showcase his power and capabilities; however, he also had to make sure that he didn’t cross the line in whatever he did. While Yang Kai wanted to get the fury off his chest, he had to ensure that his actions would still be tolerated by the Dragon Clan in the end.
However, now, that line had been crossed because a Dragon Clan member had been killed. [Who was the one reckless enough to kill a member of the Dragon Clan on Dragon Island? Are they sick of living?]
Yang Kai’s expression turned serious in an instant as he was trying to figure out in his mind who the Dragonslayer was. [It’s impossible for Zhu Lie to do it. He is from the Dragon Clan as well, so he wouldn’t have the heart to kill his fellow clansman. Furthermore, he probably doesn’t have the power to do that. Jiu Feng probably couldn’t do that either.]
Yang Kai remembered that she was going up against two opponents at the same time, so it would be good enough if she could defend herself. There was no way she could have killed a Dragon Clan member.
[What about Li Wu Yi? The Fourth Elder is a Ninth-Order Dragon after all, so it’s not possible that he could be killed so easily. Could it be Liu Yan?] Yang Kai’s chest tightened when he thought of this possibility. If it was really Liu Yan who had done it, things would go really bad on this day.
Just when Yang Kai was deep in his thoughts, Zhu Lie and the others had calmed down as well. All of them stopped fighting with one another and returned to their own sides as a myriad of expressions came over them.
Jiu Feng caught some spirit rain with her hand as her expression suggested that she was taking pleasure in their misfortune, “Who is it that has passed away?”
Apparently, she knew a thing or two about Fallen Dragon Rain. As she shot a glance at the two Dragons who were battling against her just now, she mocked them by saying, “Could it be Zhu Yan or Fu Zhun?”
Despite what she had just said, she knew that it wasn’t possible. The Great Elder Zhu Yan and the Second Elder Fu Zhun were as powerful as Great Emperors, so even the Martial Beast Great Emperor would be unable to kill them. But then who was it that actually killed a Dragon?
Just like Yang Kai, she was astonished deep down in her heart. She went through all the possible culprits in her mind, but she negated all her speculations in the end.
While they had all calmed down, it was the same case in another battlefield. Four people were standing in silence in front of the Dragon Grave.
One of them was a burly man with thick arms and round waist who was clad in a dark red cloak. He appeared authoritative despite his calm expression. The aura wafting from his body was powerful enough to shake the Heavens and Earth and cause space to contort.
There was an extremely weak woman in his embrace. Her face was completely pale as she snuggled up to the man’s chest. Every breath she let out carried with it a pleasant fragrance, and her long eyelashes fluttered lightly. She appeared serene, as though it wouldn’t matter even if it was the end of the world, as long as she could remain in this man’s embrace. Upon closer look, it could be seen that beneath her serene facade, a sense of guilt was hidden.
On the other hand, Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun were standing not far away on both sides of the couple, still keeping a battle stance. The Great Elder was covered in a layer of green light, while the Second Elder was surrounded by her Ice Principles. Both of them were extremely wary of the man before their eyes.
The man had a masculine face with a thick brow and a bright pair of eyes. As he panted slightly, it was apparent that he had expended a great deal of his energy. Upon seeing the spirit rain though, he grinned suddenly and called out, “You two, I don’t think I need to remind you what Fallen Dragon Rain means. If you two keep fighting with me, I’m afraid all the members of your Dragon Clan will lose their lives one by one. When that happens, you two will be eternal sinners of the Dragon Clan. I don’t think you want to be held responsible for that, do you?”
The Great Elder and the Second Elder remained unperturbed. They had reached a cultivation realm where they could hardly be distracted by other things. Although it was an important matter that a Dragon had passed away, they dared not lower their guard.
It couldn’t be helped, as this man before their eyes was one of the Ten Great Emperors, Martial Beast Great Emperor, Mo Huang. He was just as powerful as the two Elders, hence, if the Elders were distracted or careless for even a moment, they might let the man before their eyes gain an advantage over them.
It was a significant matter that a member of the Dragon Clan had lost their life, but the issue of Mo Huang barging into the Dragon Grave and trying to leave with this exiled Dragon woman was equally important.
*Tsk…*
Seeing that the two Elders remained unfazed, Mo Huang couldn’t help but spit disdainfully. Frustrated, he uttered, “Just tell me straight away how you want to settle this matter today. I’ll consider it.”
The Second Elder replied dispassionately, “Release Fu Xuan and never come to Dragon Island again. I’ll let all of you from Spirit Beast Island leave safely.”
Mo Huang snorted, “Xuan’er and I are husband and wife who are deeply in love with one another. Why do you make it sound like I’m abducting her? All of you are stone-hearted people who follow your so-called rules blindly. You even threw Xuan’er into the Dragon Grave; however, I won’t try to settle the score with you about this. Let me leave with Xuan’er, and I won’t stop you from going over to settle the problems on Dragon Island.”
Fu Zhun shook her head, “Fu Xuan is the Dragon Clan’s Fourth Elder. She was born on Dragon Island, and she’ll die in the Dragon Grave. You can’t take her away!”
Mo Huang sneered, “I am going to take her away. You can try to stop me.”
Fu Zhun coldly replied, “We’ll have to settle it quickly, then.” As she spoke, the aura around her suddenly turned dangerous.
Ignoring her, Mo Huang turned to look at Zhu Yan, “Great Elder, what do you think? If you want to make a move on me, I don’t mind continuing the fight with you two. However, I’m worried that today will be the end of the Dragon Clan. All of you may have to go extinct!”
With a solemn expression, Zhu Yan sighed in silence. This was such an eventful day for the Dragon Clan. The series of changes happening on Dragon Island on this day was baffling. Although he had lived for many years, he had never seen anything like it before.
First, Yang Kai, who possessed the Ancestral Dragon Source, arrived at the wedding to snatch the bride. After that, the Martial Beast Great Emperor and the others from Spirit Beast Island broke into Dragon Island, and the latter even brought Fu Xuan out of the Dragon Grave. Then, before any of these matters could even be settled, a Dragon Clan member had been killed.
Although the Great Elder’s cultivation was incredibly powerful, he still found the issues on this day thorny. It was as though all the problems he hadn’t encountered in the past 10,000 years suddenly happened at the same time, so he was extremely exhausted.
They could never ignore the fact that a Dragon Clan member had been killed. The number of Dragon Clan members had always been small, and a death had not happened for many years. Most importantly, Zhu Yan wasn’t sure if the murderer still had the capability to kill other Dragon Clan members.
If the Dragonslayer still had the energy to slaughter other Dragons, he had to immediately go over to deal with that person. Otherwise, the consequences would be dreadful. Nevertheless, they couldn’t leave the matter at hand unattended either, so it was hard for him to make a decision.
“Great Elder, are you set on making things difficult for me as well?” Mo Huang questioned sternly, apparently losing his patience.
Zhu Yan raised his gaze and uttered, “Mo Huang, I have a proposal.”
“Go on.” Mo Huang arched his brow.
“We’ll put down the grudges with you for now.”
Fu Zhun frowned upon hearing that, but she didn’t rush to say anything.
Mo Huang laughed heartily, “That’s a great decision you’ve made.”
Zhu Yan continued, “However, you have to come with us.”
Mo Huang stopped laughing and stared seriously at Zhu Yan, as though he was trying to figure out if the Great Elder was pulling his leg. A moment later, he sneered, “Great Elder, are you out of your mind? A crisis has befallen Dragon Island, so naturally, I have to seize this chance and leave. After you two settle the problem, I won’t be able to leave anymore. Please don’t insult my intelligence.”
Zhu Yan shook his head, “If you don’t agree with it, then I have no choice but to join forces with the Second Elder and capture you first.”
Mo Huang uttered, “I’m amazed by your confidence.”
After a sigh, Zhu Yan replied, “If you were alone, both the Second Elder and I wouldn’t be able to stop you if you wanted to leave; however, you’re bringing Fu Xuan with you now, so there’s no way you can utilize your full strength. You don’t want her to get hurt, right?”
Mo Huang’s expression darkened when he heard that. Nevertheless, when he lowered his head to look at the woman in his embrace, his expression immediately turned gentler.
Zhu Yan went on to say, “In return, I’ll give you a chance. If you agree to my proposal, I’ll communicate with the Dragon Temple one day and beg for the ancestors’ mercy on Fu Xuan’s behalf. We’ll see if she’ll be granted a chance to leave the Dragon Grave.”
Mo Huang’s gaze brightened when he heard that, “Are you serious?”
Zhu Yan said, “I can only give it a try, it will all depend on the ancestors’ attitude.”
Mo Huang nodded, “I believe you.”
“It’s a deal, then?” Zhu Yan looked inquisitively at him.
Mo Huang turned to look at Fu Zhun, “That’ll depend on the Second Elder’s stance on it.”
Without uttering a word, Fu Zhun suddenly turned into a beam of white light and headed in a particular direction, her actions speaking for themselves. She didn’t agree to it, nor did she object to it explicitly. Obviously, it was a tacit approval; after all, it was the Great Elder’s proposal, so she couldn’t take a different position even if she didn’t agree to it in her heart. Moreover, this suggestion was the best solution to their current predicament.
Seeing that, Zhu Yan nodded at Mo Huang and turned into a beam of light before heading in that direction as well. The two Dragon Clan Elders left just like this, because they knew that since Mo Huang had agreed to it, he would not go back on his word. After all, he was the Martial Beast Great Emperor.
Moreover, it wouldn’t matter even if he really went back on his word. Even if he could sneak out of Dragon Island with Fu Xuan on this day, it wasn’t like his Spirit Beast Island could be moved to a different location. If he really broke his promise, all the Dragon Clan members would visit Spirit Beast Island sometime in the future. That was why the two Elders were not worried when they flew off.
“Is it worth it for you to do this?” A gentle voice was heard asking as Fu Xuan looked up at Mo Huang. His thick beard felt ticklish on her forehead, but she was yearning for this feeling, so she moved her forehead a little to rub his beard against her skin, as though she was trying to imprint this feeling in the deepest part of her soul.
Despite Mo Huang’s masculine face, he appeared gentle as he stroked her face and put on a smile, “No matter how beautiful the world is, you’re the only one I love.”
Fu Xuan’s gaze brightened up when she heard that.
Mo Huang grinned, “I heard Li Wu Yi, that brat, say this before. So, I’m just borrowing his words.”
Fu Xuan giggled, “So, those are Wu Yi’s words.”
After a sigh, Mo Huang uttered, “I’m sorry for what you’ve had to endure all these years.”
Fu Xuan shook her head and replied, “I had already expected this, and I deserved this kind of punishment. In any case, we’ve reunited today.”
In a serious manner, Mo Huang swore, “I’ll never let you leave me again!”
“But you’ll have to go against all of Dragon Island.” Fu Xuan pressed her head against the man’s broad chest. As she listened to his heartbeat, it was as though it was the most melodious music in the world and despite her words, the smile on her face suggested that she was truly happy.
Mo Huang snorted, “The day we met, I was already prepared to oppose Dragon Island.”
At the time when they chanced upon each other, they were both young and free-spirited. At first glance, Mo Huang could recognize that the arrogant-looking woman was a Dragon Clan member, and as the Martial Beast Great Emperor, whose Dao was that of Beast Taming, he had conquered many in this world, but he had never tamed a Dragon before. As his mind was filled with this thought, he couldn’t control his urge anymore. Repeatedly, he tried to approach her, forcefully at times. Eventually, he managed to subdue her, but he didn’t expect that he could never free himself from her after having a taste of her gentleness. Since then, grudges that were unknown to the outside world had been formed between the Dragon Clan and him.
As he reminisced about the past, he put on a warm smile and thought that it was the wisest decision he had ever made.
“How is Xiao Qi now?” Fu Xuan suddenly asked.
“She’s grown-up now, but she’s still acting like a spoiled child. You should go back to Spirit Beast Island with me to discipline her.”
Fu Xuan questioned, “She hasn’t found out about her identity, right?”
Mo Huang shook his head, “I haven’t told her about it. Hmm, that girl has been giving me some trouble recently though.”
“What happened?” Fu Xuan was shocked. After all, that was her own daughter. Although she had never met her daughter after giving birth to her, they were still mother and daughter, so naturally Fu Xuan was concerned about her.
“She’s been longing for a certain brat recently,” Mo Huan replied with a dark expression.
Fu Xuan was startled for a moment before she burst out laughing.
“What are you laughing at?”
Fu Xuan stopped laughing and explained, “Well, Xiao Qi has already come of age, so it’s expected that she’d be fond of one or two boys.”
Mo Huang shook his head repeatedly, “No, no. She’s still too young, so she shouldn’t even think about such things yet!”
Fu Xuan said gently, “Although I’m her mother, I have never had the chance to discipline her. You’re right to be concerned about her, but make sure that you won’t make her hate you because of this.”
Mo Huang was stunned, “She’ll hate me because of that brat?”
Fu Xuan pressed her lips together and smiled, “I don’t know. She’s grown up now, and women are generally more outgoing.”
Mo Huang’s expression darkened when he heard that. All of a sudden, he became worried about his daughter.
“Alright. We should go over to have a look now.”
With a frown, Mo Huang said, “We’d better not go. We’ll just have a chat here until the two old farts are done settling their problems.”
Fu Xuan looked up at him, “Please bring me there to have a look. They’re my fellow clansmen, after all.”
Mo Huang could never say no to her whenever she pleaded with him, so he immediately nodded, “Alright, alright. Since you’ve said so, we’ll go over now.” He paused for a moment and smiled, “If we’re lucky, we might even see that brat.”
Upon finishing his words, he carried Fu Xuan up and flew towards the sky.
Fu Xuan was startled for a moment before she grasped the meaning behind his words, “You mean, the boy Xiao Qi is fond of is on Dragon Island as well?”
“En. It’s thanks to him that I was able to sneak into this place without anyone noticing.” Mo Huang nodded his head. If it weren’t because Yang Kai had made a scene on Dragon Island and attracted the attention of Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun, Mo Huang would not have been able to sneak into this place unnoticed.
Normally, if he were to enter Dragon Island, Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun would immediately discover him.
“Is he a member of the Dragon Clan?” Fu Xuan frowned. She was a Dragon Clan member herself, so she knew that those male Dragons were all promiscuous people. If her daughter had fallen in love with a male Dragon, things would become thorny.
“No, he’s not a Dragon. He’s Human,” Mo Huang shook his head and replied.
“A Human?” Fu Xuan was puzzled, “How did a Human enter Dragon Island? What is he here for?”
Mo Huang pursed his lips and uttered, “He’s here to snatch a bride.”
Fu Xuan was shocked, and after she pestered him about it for a while, she finally found out what crazy things Yang Kai had done on Dragon Island. At that moment, she was astounded and thought that this young man was far too rash and brazen. However, after a change of thought, she realized that this boy called Yang Kai was in a similar situation as Mo Huang.
Both of them were Humans, and they had both married Dragon women. Naturally, the Dragon Clan was against their marriages, so they were forced to go against the Dragon Clan.
At that instant, Fu Xuan felt sympathetic towards Yang Kai.
Mo Huang was one of the Ten Great Emperors, but even he couldn’t bring Fu Xuan out of Dragon Island at that time. Certainly, Yang Kai couldn’t do that either. This love story between a Human and a Dragon was bound to have a tragic ending, as the Dragon Clan’s obstinacy was legendary.
…..
All of a sudden, a figure shot up from the sea, which attracted the attention of Yang Kai and the others. Upon a closer look, the Embodiment had shrunk to become as tall as an ordinary Human again. Steam was rising from its body as it flew towards the sky.
Zhu Qing and Fu Ling sized it up in shock and wondered where this thing had come from. However, the Divine Spirit aura on this stone man was conspicuous, so they immediately recognized that it was a Shi Huo.
What shocked them was that Yang Kai’s aura also lingered on this Shi Huo. If they scanned the stone man with Divine Sense instead of looking at it with their eyes, they would have thought that it was Yang Kai.
In a doubtful manner, Zhu Qing turned to look at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai uttered gently, “He’s with me.”
His Embodiment was a combination of his Soul Clone and a Stone Spirit. Although it had integrated with Shi Huo’s Source and become the Divine Spirit Shi Huo, it had not changed fundamentally.
It had been battling a Dragon Clan member earlier, but it was now returning to this place alone. Apparently, its opponent had fled, but none of them were certain what the outcome of the battle was.
Just when Yang Kai was about to ask this question, he was rooted to the spot upon hearing what the Embodiment said.
“Wu Kuang is here!”
Yang Kai asked in shock, “How do you know?”
Zhu Qing asked with a frown, “Wu Kuang? Which Wu Kuang?”
Fu Ling said with a smile, “Who is that? Why does he share the same name as Heaven Devouring Great Emperor?”
Heaven Devouring Great Emperor was a legend. More than 20,000 years had passed since his ‘fall’, but no one had surpassed him in terms of achievements and power. That was why even the haughty Dragon Clan members still remembered this name and were wary of him.
The Embodiment replied, “I wasn’t supposed to wake up today. I was awakened by a special force.”
“What kind of force?”
“A resonance from my cultivation technique!”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai was finally able to connect the dots. His Embodiment’s cultivation technique was the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, which was a Secret Art created by Wu Kuang. In the past, Heaven Devouring Great Emperor had no equal in this world because of this Secret Art. During the Great Emperor War, he had even managed to kill a number of Great Emperors despite being completely outnumbered.
If there was anyone in this world who could sense Wu Kuang’s presence, it was the Embodiment.
It was no wonder the Embodiment would awaken in advance. It wasn’t that Yang Kai’s calculations were wrong, but a special circumstance had taken place.
“Why is he on Dragon Island? If he’s here, does it mean that Senior Duan has come as well?”
After the battle in the Shattered Star Sea, the Souls of Wu Kuang and Duan Hong Chen were forced to co-exist in one body. After that, in the Divine Ascension Mirror of Azure Sun Temple, Wu Kuang took control of the body and fled from the temple. No trace of him had appeared since then.
Yang Kai had never expected that Wu Kuang would come to Dragon Island. As he thought about it, his chest tightened all of a sudden. The reason the Embodiment could sense Wu Kuang’s presence was that Wu Kuang must have used his Heaven Devouring Battle Law. It was impossible for Wu Kuang to use his Secret Art for no reason. When Yang Kai recalled the sight of the Fallen Dragon Rain earlier, a horrifying idea sprang into his mind.
Yang Kai turned to look in a particular direction and yelled, “Damn it! Come with me!”
Upon finishing his words, he flew off in that direction. While in the air, cracking sounds could be heard from all over his body as he returned to his original form.
After they flew off, all the remaining Dragon Clan members, who had been defeated, traded glances with each other before they raced after them.
Wu Kuang had arrived on Dragon Island and even used his Heaven Devouring Battle Law. On top of that, a Dragon Clan member had died, so the possibility it was Wu Kuang’s doing was high. He possessed the foundation and heritage of the strongest Great Emperor in history, so if he wasn’t stopped immediately, no one knew how much damage he would inflict here.
Yang Kai didn’t care about the Dragon Clan’s safety, but Liu Yan and Jiu Feng were over there. If they came across Wu Kuang, they might not be able to deal with him.
In just a short moment, Yang Kai had returned to the previous battlefield and upon closer inspection, he couldn’t help but heave a sigh of relief. Liu Yan and Jiu Feng were fine, while the Dragon Clan members, who were battling against them, had stopped as they gathered together with dark expressions on their faces. Apparently, the fall of a Dragon Clan member had dealt an unimaginable blow to them, so they were not in the mood to keep fighting.
Furthermore, all the Dragon Clan members in this place were unharmed, which meant that Wu Kuang didn’t make a move here.
Seeing Yang Kai, Liu Yan hurriedly flew towards him. Yang Kai stroked her head and asked with care, “Are you hurt?”
Liu Yan shook her head. She had learned a great deal from this battle; after all, it was hard to have a chance to fight with a member of the Dragon Clan. After this battle, her strength and experience had increased significantly.
“Brat, did you do it?” Jiu Feng looked at Yang Kai and asked with a frown.
If Yang Kai was the one who killed a Dragon Clan member, he was doomed, which was why Jiu Feng couldn’t help but ask him about it.
Yang Kai shook his head, “It wasn’t me.”
Jiu Feng asked curiously, “Who was it, then? Did Zhu Yan or Fu Zhun really… never mind.”
She turned to look in a different direction, where two beams of lights, one green and one white, were approaching at incredible speed. In the blink of an eye, they landed on the ground in front of everyone. They were none other than Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun.
Honestly, not really a spoiler… You guys should already know. Well, I’ll leave it up to the editors etc to decide whether to keep the title or not.
The expressions of the two Elders were grim. Right after Fu Zhun appeared, she swept a glance over Yang Kai and Jiu Feng before asking coldly, “Who was it?”
“Second Elder, we’re fine.” Fu Qi stepped forward and cupped his fists before replying to her.
Fu Ling hurriedly reported, “We’re fine as well.”
Fu Zhun frowned upon hearing that. Zhu Yan swept a glance over the Dragons and noted, “Fourth Elder and Fu Chi are not here.”
There were only a small number of Dragon Clan members, so it was easy for Zhu Yan to count them and find out who was missing.
Zhu Kong wasn’t there because he had been dragged into the Void by Li Wu Yi. Given Zhu Kong’s strength though, he wouldn’t be put in a disadvantageous position when going up against Li Wu Yi.
Then, the only possibility now was that Fu Chi had passed away. Zhu Yan’s expression darkened when he thought of this.
Fu Chi was an Eighth-Order Thunder Dragon, so he was quite highly ranked among the Dragons on Dragon Island. If he were the one who had passed away, the Dragon Clan would have suffered a great loss. Fu Chi had already been wounded by Yang Kai earlier, so his power must have dropped, still, on Dragon Island, who could have the capability to kill an Eighth-Order Thunder Dragon besides those already here?
That was what puzzled Zhu Yan.
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai cupped his fists and uttered, “Great Elder, there’s something I need to tell you.”
Zhu Yan wasn’t fond of Yang Kai because he was the one who had caused all these troubles. Although he had nothing to do with Mo Huang’s appearance, he was the one who had turned Dragon Island upside down. The reason they didn’t discover the fact that Mo Huang had broken into Dragon Island was because Yang Kai had distracted them. That was why Mo Huang had managed to barge into the Dragon Grave and break the Dragon Clan’s rules.
As a temperate man though, the Great Elder kept his emotions in check and nodded slightly upon hearing that, “What is it?”
With a serious expression, Yang Kai replied, “Wu Kuang might have come to Dragon Island!”
“Wu Kuang?” Zhu Yan frowned, “Which Wu Kuang?”
Yang Kai uttered, “Is there another Wu Kuang in this world?”
Zhu Yan turned pale in an instant, “You mean… the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor?”
Upon hearing that, everyone gulped as they turned to look at Yang Kai in shock, as though they were trying to figure out if he had gone mad. Not many people were aware of the name Wu Kuang, but the title Heaven Devouring Great Emperor was known to all.
Even Zhu Qing gazed at Yang Kai in disbelief.
Fu Zhun snarled, “Stop spouting nonsense! It has been tens of thousands of years since Wu Kuang died, so how is it possible that he’d appear on Dragon Island? How dare you lie to us!”
She was already resentful of Yang Kai prior to his appearance here today, and with a Dragon Clan member dead, she was in an extremely bad mood, so it was no wonder that she spoke harshly to him.
With a calm expression, Yang Kai replied, “Wu Kuang isn’t dead.”
Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun were startled upon hearing that. While Zhu Yan shook his head repeatedly, Fu Zhun snorted as she obviously didn’t believe him.
Yang Kai was exasperated at their attitude. He was just trying to tell them what he knew without any ulterior motives. He didn’t expect the Dragon Clan to be grateful to him, but they shouldn’t appear so disdainful.
Displeased by the two Elders’ attitude, Yang Kai stopped trying to explain himself. The Dragon who died had nothing to do with him anyway. His most important task at hand was to leave Dragon Island with Zhu Qing and the others without being stopped by Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun.
“Heh, he’s not spouting nonsense.” After a clear voice was heard speaking, a burly man suddenly landed on the ground with a pale woman in his embrace.
Pleasantly surprised, Zhu Qing looked at that woman and called out, “Third Elder!”
The other Dragons also stared at Fu Xuan with conflicted gazes as they greeted her.
Fu Xuan turned to look at Zhu Qing and nodded at her with a lethargic smile. After that, she shifted her attention to Yang Kai and sized him up. Yang Kai happened to be gazing at her as well, and when their eyes met, he couldn’t help but be startled.
[Mo Xiao Qi? Why is she here?]
But the next moment, Yang Kai realized that he was mistaken. Although this woman looked similar to Mo Xiao Qi, she had a very different air about her. This woman appeared more mature than Mo Xiao Qi. If Mo Xiao Qi was like a bud, then this woman was like a blooming flower who was more charming than Mo Xiao Qi.
Most importantly, this woman did not have a butterfly mark on her face.
The butterfly mark on Mo Xiao Qi’s face was a seal, not a birthmark like Yang Kai thought it was initially. It was a life-saving technique that the Martial Beast Great Emperor had cast on her. Some time ago in the Shattered Star Sea, after breaking the seal, Mo Xiao Qi almost went berserk. In the end, it was Zhang Ruo Xi’s blood that managed to return her to her senses by sealing the Divine Spirit which was implanted in her again.
Therefore, this woman wasn’t Mo Xiao Qi. Perhaps she was Mo Xiao Qi’s relative or even her Elder Sister; however, Yang Kai was puzzled upon hearing how Zhu Qing and the others addressed her, so he wondered about the nature of her relationship with Mo Xiao Qi.
What puzzled Yang Kai the most though was the way this woman was looking at him. It was as though she was examining and evaluating him.
“Is she the Dragon Clan’s Third Elder?” Yang Kai was too embarrassed to continue meeting eyes with her, so he looked away and spoke to Zhu Qing using Divine Sense.
“Yes.”
“Then the one holding her…”
“He is the Martial Beast Great Emperor, Mo Huang!”
Upon hearing her reply, Yang Kai was flabbergasted. He reckoned that this man must be very powerful when the latter arrived at this place just now, but he didn’t expect this man to be the Martial Beast Great Emperor. He had never met the Martial Beast Great Emperor before, so he didn’t know what the latter looked like. He had only tried to imagine the Martial Beast Great Emperor’s appearance through Mo Xiao Qi’s face. However, this man in front of his eyes was vastly different from his imagination.
[So, he’s the Martial Beast Great Emperor, the one who can control all beasts in this world. As soon as he gives the order, no beast will dare to disobey him. He’s one of the Ten Great Emperors!]
With this thought in mind, Yang Kai suddenly realized something. With an awkward expression, he spoke to Zhu Qing in her mind, “Has Senior Martial Beast come to Dragon Island because of the Third Elder?”
Zhu Qing replied, “Yes. In fact, their situation… is quite similar to ours.”
Yang Kai wiped away the cold sweat on his forehead and uttered, “Did the Third Elder get thrown into the Dragon Grave just because of this?”
Zhu Qing nodded and replied, “The main issue was that Third Elder conceived a child with Senior Martial Beast. Without that child, Second Elder wouldn’t have exiled her to the Dragon Grave; after all, she was a Ninth-Order Dragon. The Second Elder thought that there was still hope of her turning back, so she kept persuading her to break relations with Senior Martial Beast; however, after the child was born, everything became different.”
Yang Kai uttered, dazed, “So, Xiao Qi’s mother is a member of the Dragon Clan.”
Without the need to ask anything more, Yang Kai knew who the child of the Third Elder and Mo Huang was. There was only one Little Princess on Spirit Beast Island, the Martial Beast Great Emperor’s only daughter, Mo Xiao Qi. It was no wonder that this woman looked so similar to Mo Xiao Qi. They were mother and daughter, after all.
“What did you just say?” Zhu Qing turned to look at him.
With a serious expression, Yang Kai said, “Don’t worry. Even if we have a child of our own, I won’t let them send you into the Dragon Grave.”
Zhu Qing blushed and stopped pursuing the matter.
It was extremely difficult for a Human and a Dragon to bear a child of their own. The Martial Beast Great Emperor and Fu Xuan had been deeply in love with one another for more than a thousand years, but they had only managed to conceive Mo Xiao Qi in recent years, which went to show how difficult it was.
During those one thousand years, the other Dragon Clan members had always been against their relationship. However, since Martial Beast Great Emperor was involved, they couldn’t move too openly. They only made the final decision after Mo Xiao Qi was born.
At that time, the Dragon Clan went all out and stormed into Spirit Beast Island. Although Mo Huang wanted to resist, in order to settle the situation peacefully, Fu Xuan decided to follow her fellow clansmen back to Dragon Island. Naturally, Mo Huang had chased after them, but he was eventually forced out of Dragon Island since he was only one man.
After that, he had been constantly planning and waiting for the right moment to act.
While Zhu Qing and Yang Kai were communicating with each other in secret, Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun turned to stare at Mo Huang in shock, thinking that they must have heard it wrong.
Mo Huang sneered, “The Dragon Clan is really a conservative and self-centred bunch who never bother to learn about the outside world. That’s why you think that everyone would lie to you.”
“What do you mean?” Fu Zhun stared coldly at him.
Zhu Yan knitted his eyebrows together, “You mean, Wu Kuang is really still alive!?”
Mo Huang replied, “En, he’s been reborn.”
“What?” Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun turned ashen at the same time, while the other Dragon Clan members were astonished.
“How reliable is this news?” Zhu Yan stared solemnly at Mo Huang. If what the latter said was true, the world would go through a huge change soon. The Dragon Clan had participated in the Great Emperor War in the past, with Zhu Yan even being present personally. Only those who had dealt with Wu Kuang before knew how terrifying the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor truly could be.
Mo Huang went on to explain, “I spoke to him personally just over a year ago. How accurate do you think this news is?”
“You spoke with him?” Zhu Yan frowned as he didn’t understand what Mo Huang meant. As far as he was concerned, the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor wasn’t one to sit down and chat. Moreover, there were supposed to be deep grudges between the Martial Beast Great Emperor and him. How was it possible that they could communicate peacefully with each other instead of fighting the moment they met?
In an impatient manner, Mo Huang uttered, “Wu Kuang’s situation is a little special. He’d been hiding in the Source Sea of the Shattered Star Sea in an attempt to collect Blood Essence and build a new body so that he could be reborn. In fact, he almost succeeded; however, at the most critical moment, Duan Hong Chen broke into that place and fought against him. Both of them were severely wounded in the end. Wu Kuang did not obtain a new body as he planned, but he did manage to occupy half of Duan Hong Chen’s body instead.”
“Duan Hong Chen is involved in this?”
Mo Huang explained, “After they left the Shattered Star Sea, Old Duan began looking for ways to seal Wu Kuang’s Soul. He went to Serene Soul Palace, but even that old man did not have a solution. After he left, they came to look for me on Spirit Beast Island. That was how I found out what happened.”
Spirit Beast Island and Serene Soul Palace were both in the Eastern Territory, so it wouldn’t take much time to travel between them.
“Even that person from Serene Soul Palace had no solution?” Zhu Yan was surprised.
Besides the Master of Serene Soul Palace, no one else could be said to have studied and understood the Soul as deeply or thoroughly. If even he couldn’t solve the problem Duan Hong Chen was facing, who else in this world could?
“En, Wu Kuang is very much still alive.” Mo Huang looked disdainfully at the two Elders, “All of you should go out more often and learn about the outside world.”
In reality, only a tiny number of people in this world knew what happened with Wu Kuang and Duan Hong Chen. So, even if the Dragon Clan members really left their island, they might not be able to get wind of this news.
The fact that Wu Kuang had been reborn sent shockwaves across the Dragon Clan, rendering them speechless for a long time.
Just then, a figure appeared on the horizon, flying over from afar in an unstable manner. Looking like an intoxicated bee, the person appeared quite weak as he flailed through the air, like he would fall into the sea at any moment.
Everyone turned to look at him with doubtful gazes.
Yang Kai’s expression changed slightly after he recognized who the person was.
Zhu Qing uttered curiously, “It’s Li Jiao.”
With a pale face, Li Jiao suddenly spat a mouthful of blood. Upon seeing Yang Kai in the distance, he anxiously called out to him, as though he had met his long lost family member, “Palace Master Yang…”
Yang Kai hurriedly went over and supported his weight before checking on him. Upon making sure that he wasn’t at risk of losing his life, Yang Kai spoke to him using Divine Sense, “Is Fu Chi dead?”
“Yes!”
Yang Kai’s expression changed, “Did you kill him?”
Li Jiao shook his head.
He wanted to kill Fu Chi, but he was no match for him in the end. If that unwelcome guest hadn’t barged into that place at the most critical moment, he would have lost his life by now. Although Li Jiao understood the consequences of killing a member of the Dragon Clan, the situation he was in did not allow him to think things through. As he thought about what Lu San Niang had suffered through over the years, he knew that he could only get revenge for her by killing Fu Chi.
“It was Wu Chen! He killed Fu Chi!” Li Jiao uttered.
“Wu Chen?” Yang Kai’s expression turned awkward when he heard that. [How could it be him?]
Yang Kai could now set his mind at ease upon learning that it wasn’t Li Jiao who had killed Fu Chi; however, he still couldn’t believe what Li Jiao had said. When he was certain that Fu Chi was dead, only two possibilities came into his mind. First, Li Jiao suddenly experienced a surge of power and managed to slay him. If that was the case, Li Jiao shouldn’t even dream about leaving Dragon Island. Perhaps even his Fire Dragon Palace would be destroyed as well.
However, Yang Kai was doubtful this was possible. The reason he allowed Li Jiao to race after Fu Chi at that time was that he knew that given Li Jiao’s cultivation, it was impossible for him to kill Fu Chi. The most Li Jiao could do was to fight with Fu Chi to vent his anger. It would be unrealistic to think that Li Jiao could really kill Fu Chi.
The second possibility was that Wu Kuang had killed Fu Chi. That was far more likely, and perhaps the only possibility. However, what Li Jiao just told him was beyond his imagination.
[It was Wu Chen who killed Fu Chi?] Yang Kai had always felt that something was off about Wu Chen, so he had been wary of him. However, for the past month, Wu Chen had never shown any sign of hostility towards him. Instead, he had offered him help a number of times.
What concerned Yang Kai was the way Wu Chen’s cultivation had strangely broken through.
Initially, Wu Chen was just a Second-Order Emperor, but one month later, he had become a Third-Order Emperor. Although it was just a difference of a Minor Realm, it was as difficult as ascending to the Heavens for most cultivators.
Yang Kai did not know how Wu Chen got the opportunity to achieve this breakthrough, but he just felt that the latter was more complicated than he appeared to be.
“Who is Wu Chen?” Fu Zhun suddenly questioned.
Li Jiao uttered the last sentence directly instead of using Divine Sense, and everyone in that place had incredible cultivation, so naturally, they could hear what he had said clearly. Now, they were certain that Fu Chi had passed away. Upon finding out the culprit’s name, naturally, the Dragon Clan members wanted to know more about Wu Chen.
After Fu Zhun pressed him with her Dragon Pressure, Li Jiao spurted out blood again, looking like he was about to lose his life.
Yang Kai immediately stood in front of him and replied, “He’s a Human from Half-Dragon City.”
Fu Zhun snarled, “How did a lowly Human manage to kill a member of the Dragon Clan?” She suddenly stared at Li Jiao and narrowed her eyes, “Fu Chi’s blood aura still lingers on his body. You must be lying! It was you who killed him!”
Li Jiao hurriedly shook his head, “It wasn’t me! It was really Wu Chen! Although I fought with Fu Chi, in the end, I wasn’t able to do anything to him. In fact, he was just about to kill me when Wu Chen suddenly appeared out of nowhere and used some strange Secret Technique to instantly subdue Fu Chi.”
“How is this Wu Chen so powerful?” Zhu Yan was shocked by these words. It was almost impossible to instantly subdue an Eighth-Order Thunder Dragon. How could there be such a Master hidden in Half-Dragon City?
After giving it a thought, Zhu Yan uttered solemnly, “Tell us everything in detail. If you tell a single lie, your life will be forfeit.”
Although Li Jiao appeared battered, he remained calm and collected. So, he didn’t look like he was lying.
After nodding slightly, Li Jiao began to arrange his thoughts.
Yang Kai gently grabbed Li Jiao’s wrist and directed his Emperor Qi into the latter’s body. After Li Jiao recovered a little, he shot Yang Kai a grateful glance before he began narrating the story.
He did not try to hide anything as he told them how he followed Fu Chi to the deserted Spirit Island and went all out to kill him. He also told them how Wu Chen appeared out of nowhere suddenly, and the transformation of Wu Chen’s body as well as the wild swings in his personality.
“After I fled from that place, I heard Fu Chi’s screams. Following that, rain started falling from the sky even though there were no clouds above. Although I’m just a Dragonborn, I know a thing or two about Fallen Dragon Rain, so that’s why I was certain Fu Chi had died, and the person who killed him was Wu Chen.”
Naturally, he was gleeful that Fu Chi was killed, even though he wasn’t the one who killed him. Nevertheless, Li Jiao had dealt some serious damage to Fu Chi using his desperation attacks, allowing him to vent some of his anger.
It would have been quite difficult for Wu Chen to end Fu Chi’s life if not for Li Jiao’s prior assault. Taking that into consideration, he had contributed to Fu Chi’s death. In other words, he had personally gotten his revenge.
Although he knew that Wu Chen was dangerous, Li Jiao still felt grateful to him.
After everyone heard his story, a myriad of expressions came over them.
With a solemn expression, Yang Kai uttered, “You mean, both his appearance and temperament changed…” [Wu Chen, Wu Chen… Wu Chen! Wu Kuang and Duan Hong Chen!]
Wu Chen was just an alias, a simple combination of Wu Kuang and Duan Hong Chen’s names, which was perfect for them. After all, these two Great Emperors now shared the same body, so it was apt that they had made an alias by combining their names.
Upon realizing this, Yang Kai put on a bitter smile.
No matter how imaginative he was, it was impossible for him to associate Wu Chen and the two Great Emperors; after all, Wu Chen didn’t show any demeanour that resembled that of a Great Emperor, not to mention that he was extremely thin, and he looked like a monkey. All in all, he looked nothing like either of those two Great Emperors.
Now, it seemed that Wu Kuang had obtained full control of the body, and Duan Hong Chen had been suppressed. Yang Kai wondered how Wu Kuang had managed to do that.
As he thought about it, Yang Kai became shocked all of a sudden. He recalled that 500 of them were recruited to this place to build the palace, but one month later, only about 300 were left. What’s more, most of those who had gone missing were Emperor Realm Masters. Yang Kai didn’t think too hard about what had happened to them, for their life-or-death had nothing to do with him; however, upon realizing Wu Chen’s identity, he now knew what their fate was. Wu Kuang must have devoured them.
Now, there was a reasonable explanation for the fact that Wu Chen’s power had increased significantly in just one month. He was the legendary Heaven Devouring Great Emperor who had created the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. Judging from how the Embodiment cultivated the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, Yang Kai understood that those cultivators must have become the food for Wu Kuang’s growth.
Since Yang Kai could figure out Wu Chen’s identity, naturally, Mo Huang, Zhu Yan, and the others could do the same. Mo Huang had just said that Wu Kuang and Duan Hong Chen were now living in the same body, which verified what Li Jiao said about Wu Chen’s personality swings.
Now, everyone realized the severity of the situation.
Fu Zhun immediately extended her hand towards Li Jiao and uttered, “Come with me.”
All the Dragon Clan members were shocked that Wu Kuang had killed a Dragon, but now, the most important thing for them was to find out Wu Kuang’s whereabouts. He had snuck into Dragon Island and even pretended to be a lowly Human, so it was impossible that he was just here to kill a Dragon.
In order to look for Wu Kuang, they had to bring Li Jiao with them, only he knew the location where Wu Kuang had made the move that caused Fu Chi’s death.
When Li Jiao saw Fu Zhun’s fair hand extend towards him, he became rooted to the spot as the Emperor Qi in his body stopped running entirely, he was barely even able to breathe. He was like an inexperienced rabbit that was stunned on the spot when a falcon was coming at him with sharp claws.
It was then he came to realize just how massive the gap between the Dragon Clan’s Second Elder and him was. Even with his prided Third-Order Emperor Realm cultivation, it only took an instant for him to be utterly suppressed. His already pale face turned a shade whiter at that moment.
Just then, cracking sounds could be heard as Yang Kai turned his hand into a Dragon Claw and, ignoring the hindrance of space, he reached for Fu Zhun’s fair hand.
As soon as he started moving, the Embodiment made a move as well by attempting to land a fist on Fu Zhun’s cheek. The attack appeared forceful and ruthless.
Right then, a phantom flashed across Yang Kai’s eyes as he felt a forceful thump on his chest, upon which he was sent flying backwards for more than hundreds of metres before he spat a mouthful of blood. Then, as if struck by lightning, the Embodiment stiffened and directly fell into the sea.
Shocked, Zhu Qing hurriedly flew towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai covered his chest with his hand and raised his gaze, only to see that Li Jiao had been picked up by Fu Zhun as though he was a chicken. Then, she leapt into the air and flew in a particular direction. Seeing that, the other Dragon Clan members hurriedly followed her.
Yang Kai clenched his teeth and cursed at Fu Zhun. Although he knew that he was no match for someone as strong as a Great Emperor, he couldn’t stay put when Fu Zhun made a move against Li Jiao. Despite the difference in their powers, he had to show her that he was unyielding.
It was only because Fu Zhun didn’t want to waste time on him that she simply pushed him out of the way. Otherwise, he would have suffered a more severe injury.
“You’re quite bold.” Mo Huang shot Yang Kai a glance, but it wasn’t certain whether what he just said was praise or mockery.
It wasn’t until this moment that he finally took the time to observe Yang Kai. For some reason, he wasn’t fond of him. In fact, he was aware of the reason, but he just didn’t want to acknowledge it.
If it weren’t because Mo Xiao Qi had been longing for this brat, Mo Huang would have thought that this young man was a rising star worthy of praise. After all, no other young First-Order Emperor would have the guts to break into Dragon Island, let alone the ability to turn the place upside down.
Zhu Yan remained on the same spot as he looked past the void that was hundreds of metres away and gazed at Yang Kai and Zhu Qing, who were standing together. Then, he uttered, “Both of you, come with us.”
He couldn’t let Yang Kai and Zhu Qing stay in this place because he was worried that Yang Kai might seize the chance and flee from Dragon Island. The Dragon Clan couldn’t accept such an outcome. It had been an eventful day for the Dragon Clan already, but if Yang Kai managed to end everything by abducting a Dragon woman who was qualified to be an Elder, the Dragon Clan would lose what face it had left.
Silavin: It’s
Wu Chen Is Wu Kuang (Original Title. Well, wanted to make a joke.)
With a livid expression, Yang Kai stared at Zhu Yan and uttered, “What if I refuse?”
There were only two choices for him now. First, he would agree to Zhu Yan’s suggestion and follow him, but for all intents and purposes that meant they would be under surveillance. Second, he would fight with Zhu Yan now and settle the issue by force.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai didn’t think he would end up being the winner. He wasn’t even an equal match for Fu Zhun, not to mention that Zhu Yan, who was a rank above the Second Elder.
He was the Dragon Clan’s Great Elder, so even if Yang Kai used everything at his disposal, he would still not stand a chance against him.
Zhu Yan shook his head slowly, “You will agree. I’m your Senior, so I’m not willing to bully you.”
Frustrated, Yang Kai felt a bitter taste in his mouth. Anyway, Li Jiao had been taken away by Fu Zhun, so he didn’t think he should leave him behind. As his friend, he was supposed to go over there and see what the outcome would be.
“Boy, just go with them. Mo Huang will take care of you.”
The corners of Mo Huang’s eyes twitched when he heard what Fu Xuan said.
Since she had said so, Yang Kai decided to agree. Nodding gently, he replied, “Many thanks, Third Elder. We’ll go over to have a look together, then.”
In response, Fu Xuan flashed a smile at him. Zhu Yan turned to look at Mo Huang and uttered, “Shouldn’t you make them stop now?”
Without saying anything, Mo Huang pushed out a fist in silence, upon which a layer of ripples was formed in the air as it spread to the front. The next moment, sounds of things breaking could be heard as two figures appeared out of nowhere all of a sudden. They were none other than Li Wu Yi and Zhu Kong. Both of them appeared to be fine. It wasn’t certain how they fought with each other just now, but no one could tell who the winner was by just looking at their appearances.
After the Space Divine Ability was broken, Li Wu Yi and Zhu Kong immediately widened their gap as they looked doubtfully at Mo Huang and Zhu Yan respectively, wondering what was going on outside the void.
“We’ll talk about it on our way there.” Zhu Yan turned around and leapt into the air. After a frown, Zhu Kong followed him.
“Let’s go,” Mo Huang uttered.
Just like this, all of them headed for that particular Spirit Island. On their way there, Zhu Kong and Li Wu Yi were informed of what just happened. Zhu Kong’s expression darkened as he had never expected that just one hour after he entered the Void, a Dragon had lost his life. Furthermore, the famous Heaven Devouring Great Emperor was involved in this matter.
Li Wu Yi appeared equally shocked as he continued chatting with Jiu Feng.
World Energy was abundant on this particular Spirit Island, while traces of the battle had been left behind, but those traces were mainly formed during the battle between Li Jiao and Fu Chi.
The other Dragon Clan members were already investigating this place. With an agonized expression, Li Jiao appeared fearful as he was surrounded by a few Dragon Clan members.
“Have you found anything?” Zhu Yan flew towards Fu Zhun and landed beside her.
“Fu Chi did indeed lose his life here.”
“Where’s Wu Kuang?”
“There’s no trace of him.”
Zhu Yan nodded. After slaying a Dragon, there was no way Wu Kuang would stay in the same place.
“Find him!” Zhu Yan snorted, as he was incensed. Earlier, he wasn’t really angry when Yang Kai tried to snatch the bride. He also wasn’t furious when Mo Huang broke into the Dragon Grave and brought Fu Xuan out of it. However, what Wu Kuang had done had obviously crossed the line for the Dragon Clan.
He who slew a Dragon must be killed in the cruellest way possible!
Fu Zhun nodded and parted her lips, upon which, the abstruse Dragon Language could be heard. As she rapidly performed different hand seals, it was apparent that she was using a Secret Technique to find Wu Kuang’s whereabouts through the traces left behind.
Fu Chi had passed away not long ago, so Wu Kuang couldn’t have fled from Dragon Island even with his incredible capabilities. In other words, he must be somewhere on Dragon Island, just concealing himself.
While Fu Zhun was using her Secret Technique to find where Wu Kuang was, Mo Huang didn’t just stand idly by.
There were many grudges between the Dragon Clan and him, and he even hoped that all the Dragon Clan members would go to Hell. However, since the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor was involved in this, he couldn’t stay put and do nothing.
If the Heaven Devourer managed to flee from this place, the entire Star Boundary would be plunged into chaos. Although Spirit Beast Island would still be safe outwardly, Mo Huang couldn’t avoid his responsibilities. No one knew better than the Great Emperors about how horrendous Wu Kuang could be. His presence was like a plague that slowly consumed this world.
Just then, a small snowy white beast snuck out from Mo Huang’s sleeve. It looked like a combination of a mink and a fox, so it was hard to tell what species it was. The beast was only about the size of a palm, and its fur was a brilliant white. It was darting its gaze about at the moment, and after landing on the ground, it started sniffing around.
Zhu Yan didn’t try to stop it when he saw it. Instead, he decided to have a chat with Mo Huang, “Brother Mo, why do you think Wu Kuang would sneak into Dragon Island and kill a Dragon Clan member despite knowing that his identity would be exposed?”
They were battling against each other not long ago, but now they looked like they had been good friends for many years. The sudden change in attitude didn’t look strange. Instead, it was all quite natural.
Dispassionately, Mo Huang replied, “I’m not Wu Kuang, so how would I know what tricks he has up his sleeves? Great Elder, don’t you think you’re asking the wrong person?”
In fact, he did not understand what was going on either. Wu Kuang was an infamous man who was a common enemy of everyone in Star Boundary. Since he had managed to stay alive and even take control of Duan Hong Chen’s body, supposedly, he should have gone into hiding. Given the special characteristics of his Heaven Devouring Battle Law, it would only take him a few hundred years to restore his power to its peak. If he waited a few hundred years, he would become the most powerful person in the Star Boundary again. Unless a new Great Emperor War was launched, no one in this world would have the ability to deter him.
Zhu Yan nodded slightly and stopped talking. As they spoke, Yang Kai and the others finally arrived at this place. Seeing him, all the Dragon Clan members glowered at him, especially those who had fought with him before.
With seven Dragons going against one man, they were supposed to win the battle with ease and make Yang Kai concede defeat. Instead, Yang Kai managed to break their Blessings and battered all of them into an embarrassing state. Now that they met Yang Kai again, naturally, they all looked very hostile.
Yang Kai returned the glare, thinking that they shouldn’t be so arrogant since they had all been defeated by him. After trading aggressive glances for a while though, the Dragon Clan members gradually looked away.
Appearing smug, Yang Kai swept a glance over the other Dragon Clan members, only to see that Fu Xuan was gazing at him with a smile. Feeling embarrassed, he coughed and uttered, “I can feel that Wu Kuang is eagerly trying to restore his power.”
He had heard the conversation between Mo Huang and Zhu Yan just now, so what he had just uttered didn’t sound awkward.
“Certainly, he would want to increase his power quickly.” Zhu Yan nodded in agreement. Previously, Wu Kuang was the most powerful Master in the Star Boundary, so he always appeared haughty and aloof. He even managed to suppress all other Great Emperors. Now that his cultivation had dropped to such a low realm though, it was obvious he would be eager to restore himself.
Yang Kai uttered, “When Wu Kuang left the Shattered Star Sea with Senior Duan at that time, his cultivation was only First-Order Emperor Realm. When I came across him some time ago, he was already in the Second-Order Emperor Realm. However, in just one month, he managed to reach the Third-Order. The speed at which his cultivation improves is simply inconceivable. This time, he chose to kill a member of the Dragon Clan even if his identity got exposed. Maybe there’s something on Dragon Island that can help increase his power rapidly. For example… Fu Chi’s Dragon Source.”
A Dragon Source contained a lot of power, so it was certainly attractive to Wu Kuang. Zhu Yan’s expression changed when he heard that as a horrifying idea sprang into his mind and he suddenly raised his head and yelled., “The Dragon Grave!”
Mo Huang’s expression darkened, “He was trying to lure the tigers from the mountain.”
Wu Kuang’s actions would make sense if his target was indeed the Dragon Grave. The Dragon Grave was where the Source Strengths of all the deceased Dragon Clan members slumbered. If Wu Kuang could devour all the Source Strength inside the Dragon Grave, his cultivation would increase significantly. He already possessed the foundations of a Great Emperor, and he had even taken control of Duan Hong Chen’s body, so there were practically no bottlenecks in his cultivation.
Given the Heaven Devouring Battle Law’s special characteristics, he would be able to increase his power to an unbelievable point as long as he had enough resources. Even if this gambit wouldn’t allow him to reach the level of a Great Emperor, he would still be far stronger than a Third-Order Emperor by the end of it.
A Dragon’s Source was extremely precious as the power it contained was unbelievably immense. If Wu Kuang’s target was the Dragon Grave, it would be a major issue for the Dragon Clan.
The reason he exposed himself and even killed Fu Chi was to lure Zhu Yan, Fu Zhun and Mo Huang away from the Dragon Grave. After all, these incredibly powerful Masters were right in front of the Dragon Grave. Wu Kuang wasn’t a fool, so he wouldn’t show up in front of them. Now, everything fell into place.
Just then, Fu Zhun stopped casting her Secret Technique and looked in the Dragon Grave’s direction. At the same time, the weird little beast that was released by Mo Huang growled in the same direction.
Seeing that, all of them stopped hesitating and rushed over to the Dragon Grave. In an instant, beams of lights shot up into the sky in an overbearing and stunning manner. The sight would have shocked anyone who happened to see it.
The Dragon Grave was very far from their current location, and although they were all flying at full speed, it would still take an hour at least to reach their destination.
Even though Yang Kai appeared calm, he was secretly worried about Duan Hong Chen. He was now an Azure Sun Temple Elder, and there was a close relationship between Duan Hong Chen and the Temple. Hence, he was also somewhat related to Duan Hong Chen.
Moreover, Duan Hong Chen had helped him before. Yang Kai especially admired the fact that Duan Hong Chen decided to sacrifice himself by crippling his own cultivation over and over again just to break into the Shattered Star Sea.
Taking all these factors into consideration, he hoped that nothing would happen to Duan Hong Chen. However, it seemed that Duan Hong Chen had been completely suppressed by Wu Kuang as he couldn’t even control his own body now, which put him in an unfortunate spot.
Wu Kuang had already managed to achieve this even though he hadn’t regained his full power. If he could grow stronger, Duan Hong Chen would be doomed. Just like Wu Kuang had declared before, even the Bustling World Great Emperor would be devoured.
The fall of a Great Emperor would be a huge loss for the entire Star Boundary.
A moment later, the Dragon Grave finally came into their sight. It was a dim place that appeared as though it had been separated from the outside world, which was a depressing sight for anyone who saw it.
Zhu Yan and the others narrowed their eyes and looked dazedly at a spot in front of the Dragon Grave.
“Wu Kuang!”
There was a sturdy figure standing over there. Although there was no wind at the moment, his long robes were flapping in the air on their own. With a faint smile, he gazed at the people who were approaching him, his expression completely serene.
He was none other than Wu Kuang.
All the Dragon Clan members widened their eyes and stared at him. Although Wu Kuang, who was the most powerful Master in the history of the Star Boundary, had disappeared for countless years, all would still be terrified at the mention of his name. Rumours of him were so infamous and far-fetched that even the Dragon Clan members wondered if he really had three heads and six arms.
Naturally, Wu Kuang didn’t have three heads and six arms. Likewise, the current aura he was exuding was not that strong. If they hadn’t known his identity, they wouldn’t have associated him with the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor if they happened to come across him.
Not only did he not look like anything special, but his figure also appeared surreal in front of the Dragon Grave. It was hard to tell whether this was his true self or just an illusion.
With a dark expression, Zhu Yan stopped in his tracks.
“Damn it! It’s an Illusionary Soul Shadow!” Mo Huang bellowed with a grim expression.
The figure in front of them was indeed Wu Kuang, but it wasn’t his real body; it was just an illusion he had created using a Secret Technique. The illusion had perfectly replicated his aura and appearance.
“We’ve been fooled!” Fu Zhun said through clenched teeth.
Be it the Secret Technique she had used to trace Wu Kuang, or the lead given by Mo Huang’s little beast, they all pointed to the Dragon Grave. Paired with Yang Kai’s reasonable speculation, they all thought that the reason Wu Kuang had come to Dragon Island was to devour all the Dragon Sources in the Dragon Grave.
However, when they arrived at this place, they realized that they were wrong.
Wu Kuang had successfully attracted all of them to this place using an Illusionary Soul Shadow, while he was somewhere else carrying out his secret plot.
All of them had been fooled by him!
Only a Great Emperor could deceive another Great Emperor. Although Wu Kuang’s power hadn’t been restored, he was lurking in the dark while they were searching in the light, which was how he could play a trick on all of them with ease.
He was brazen, but at the same time, he had the means to back his confidence.
Just when all of them were in a state of confusion, Wu Kuang’s illusionary phantom flashed a smile at them, “Hey, long time no see, how are all of you?”
All of them ignored it because it was just an Illusionary Soul Shadow. It was pointless to communicate with it, and if they did, they might even accidentally fall into Wu Kuang’s trap.
Since the Dragon Grave wasn’t Wu Kuang’s target, what was it that he truly wanted?
Just then, Yang Kai and Li Wu Yi turned their heads and looked in a particular direction at the same time. Upon trading glances, they could see that both of them were equally shocked, “A Space Principle fluctuation!”
In that place, only the two of them were Masters of the Dao of Space, which was why they were the first to sense this kind of force when it was spread across the area.
Following that, Zhu Yan, Fu Zhun and even Mo Huang could sense it as well.
After stomping her foot, Fu Zhun transformed into a beam of white light and headed to that location, followed by Zhu Yan. Both of them were as rapid as meteors.
With a livid expression, Mo Huang bellowed, “It’s the Dragon Temple!”
All of them finally understood what was going on upon hearing that.
Wu Kuang’s real target was the Dragon Temple. He had used an Illusionary Soul Shadow to attract their attention, but his true self had snuck into the Dragon Temple. It wasn’t certain what his intention was.
“Damn it! He’s trying to flee!” Mo Huang growled as he had figured out something, upon which he also rushed over to the Dragon Temple. It was the first time he appeared so anxious, which went to show the severity of the matter.
While they were rushing over to that place, a dazzling light suddenly exploded in the distance, upon which a beam of light shot up into the sky and penetrated the Void, as though a big hole had been formed in the sky.
At the same time, the undulating Space Principles became increasingly powerful and conspicuous. Yang Kai was holding Zhu Qing’s hand and flying alongside her with a solemn expression.
As a Master of the Dao of Space, Yang Kai understood what this kind of undulation meant. However, he couldn’t understand how Wu Kuang managed to achieve it. Although he was the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor, there were no records of him being proficient in the Dao of Space.
Yang Kai sighed secretly, thinking that all the Masters on Dragon Island had been fooled by Wu Kuang. Apparently, it was useless for them to rush over now.
Wu Kuang had spent so much time and energy playing such a trick on them, so he must be well prepared with a comprehensive plan. If Wu Kuang managed to flee, Yang Kai and Mo Huang would have to face the Dragon Clan’s wrath.
Mo Huang was the Martial Beast Great Emperor, so he probably wasn’t afraid of the Dragon Clan; however, it was a different case for Yang Kai. He still felt diffident when confronted by the almighty Dragon Clan.
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai told Li Jiao, Liu Yan and his Embodiment to come near him. When the others were not paying attention, he put them in the Small Sealed World, preparing to flee if the need arose.
The beam of light shooting up from the Dragon Temple became increasingly bright, to the point that it could illuminate all of Dragon Island, but a moment later, the light grew weaker and slowly became dim.
When all of them arrived at the Dragon Temple, the light had already gone out. Nevertheless, the lingering Space Principle fluctuations coming from the deepest part of the Dragon Temple could still be clearly felt.
The Dragon Temple was an impressive building in which the auras of the Dragon Clan’s ancestors resided for eternity. Having gone through its fair share of ups and downs for hundreds of thousands of years, it was one of the most important foundations for the Dragon Clan.
Only those with the Dragon Clan’s bloodline had the right to step into the temple, and the bloodline had to be absolutely pure. A Dragonborn like Li Jiao didn’t even have the right to approach this place, and if he tried to break in forcefully, he would be crushed to paste by the Dragon Pressure coming from the temple.
Yang Kai was the last person to arrive at the place, but only Li Wu Yi and Jiu Feng were seen waiting outside the Dragon Temple, while the others were nowhere in sight. Apparently, they had gone into the temple.
Seeing Yang Kai, Li Wu Yi flashed a smile at him, while Jiu Feng exclaimed in shock. That was because she realized that Liu Yan and those related to Yang Kai had gone missing. At that instant, she shot a meaningful glance at Yang Kai, but she didn’t point it out.
“I’ll go in to have a look.” Upon finishing his words, Yang Kai stepped into the temple with Zhu Qing. Instead of going in to watch a show, he wanted to find out the situation Duan Hong Chen was in.
The interior of the Dragon Temple was spacious with Dragon-shaped columns erected everywhere. The main hall looked nothing special from the outside, but it was a different story on the inside.
Inside the hall, a thick Dragon Pressure permeated the place, giving off a disorderly feeling. Zhu Qing frowned right after she stepped into it.
Certainly, she had entered the Dragon Temple before, but the place wasn’t like this in the past. The disorderly Dragon Pressure suggested that something was wrong with the temple.
After walking for a long time, they finally heard some footsteps in the distance. A moment later, a beam of light came into their sight. Following that light, they kept walking forward and finally saw Masters of the Dragon Clan.
The epic battle Yang Kai had imagined didn’t happen. All of them surrounded the light and watched it in silence. As Yang Kai observed their expressions, his chest tightened all of a sudden. He had a premonition at that instant. After he approached the light and took a closer look, he widened his eyes as he was shocked by the sight.
That was because the source of the light was actually a Void Corridor. At the other end of the corridor, stars could be seen twinkling in the dark. It was as though someone had torn off a small area from the Starry Sky, shrunk it innumerable times over, and then pasted it there.
While Zhu Yan’s countenance was livid, Fu Zhun’s expression was as gloomy as a dark cloud. It was as though ice would drop from her pretty yet grim-looking face.
Mo Huang shook his head repeatedly and said after a sigh, “It’s too late.”
After Wu Kuang managed to flee from Dragon Island on this day, he would certainly kill more people and cause more Star Fields to collapse in the future. The Heaven Devouring Great Emperor had done such things before. The world they lived in was extremely vast, so no one knew where Wu Kuang had gone to, and it was nearly impossible to track him.
Yang Kai took a look at both sides. Unable to contain his curiosity anymore, he approached Mo Huang and asked in a small voice, “Sir, has Wu Kuang successfully fled?”
Mo Huang nodded slightly.
Yang Kai uttered, “How did he shatter space? What’s more, I can tell this is no ordinary Void Corridor.”
Even the Cross-Territory Space Array he arranged could not cause such turbulent Space Principle fluctuations when activated. What’s more, Yang Kai could feel that this Void Corridor was leading to an extremely faraway place.
While Mo Huang remained silent, Fu Xuan replied, “He made use of the Dragon Temple’s power.”
Yang Kai raised his brow, “He made use of the Dragon Temple’s power? How was he capable of doing that?”
The Dragon Temple was the Dragon Clan’s foundation, so how was it possible that it would allow an outsider to make use of its power? Moreover, when Yang Kai stepped into this place earlier, he could feel that some extremely powerful auras were hidden in this hall. Some of these auras were just as formidable as the three Great Emperors in front of him.
Yang Kai guessed that those auras must be from the Dragon Clan’s ancestors.
Fu Xuan explained patiently, “The reason he killed Fu Chi and took his Dragon Source was to enter the Dragon Temple. As for how he managed to make use of the temple’s power and shatter space, I’m not sure.” She turned to look at Mo Huang and spoke in a gentle voice, “Do you know how he did that?”
While she was basically asking this question on Yang Kai’s behalf, it was also true that she was quite curious about it herself.
Mo Huang replied, “Wu Kuang is much older than any of us here. It’s just hearsay, but I heard that Wu Kuang was on good terms with the Dragon Clan’s first few generations of Elders.”
If anyone else had said such words, they couldn’t be deemed credible. It could even be said that it was just an unfounded rumour. However, since it was Mo Huang who had said it, it suggested that it wasn’t just hearsay.
Wu Kuang was probably on good terms with the first few generations of Dragon Clan Elders.
Since that was the case, it was no wonder that he knew information about the Dragon Clan’s Secret Techniques. He might even have learned some abstruse methods from those Elders. Basically, his plan was to communicate with the Dragon Temple through Fu Chi’s Dragon Source and make use of the temple’s power to break through the space.
When carrying out the plan, he had not made any mistakes, and he had even succeeded in the end. Although Yang Kai wasn’t fond of Wu Kuang, he had to acknowledge that the latter’s plan was brilliant. A Great Emperor’s intelligence and tactics were indeed exceptional.
“Since the Void Corridor is still here, why don’t we pursue him?” Yang Kai asked.
“Pursue him?” Mo Huang shot him a glance and put on a sneer.
Yang Kai frowned, “What’s wrong with that?”
“Do you know where this Void Corridor leads to?”
“Sir, please enlighten me.” Yang Kai asked humbly.
Although he had figured that this Void Corridor was leading to an extremely faraway place, he didn’t know the exact location.
“It’s to a Lower Star Field!” Mo Huang broke the shocking news.
Yang Kai was stunned for a moment before he came to his senses. Then, he exclaimed, “A Lower Star Field?”
His loud voice had attracted everyone’s attention. Fu Zhun’s glare was especially cold.
Appearing embarrassed, Yang Kai rubbed his nose. Then, he asked anxiously, “How could it be the Lower Star Field? Isn’t there a great force called the Star Court that guards all the passageways from the Star Boundary to the Lower Star Fields? How did he manage to open this entrance?”
Certainly, Yang Kai was flustered that Wu Kuang had gone to a Lower Star Field. Although there were many Lower Star Fields, no one could be certain that Wu Kuang didn’t go to Heng Luo Star Field. If he happened to have entered Heng Luo Star Field, the entire Star Field was doomed. Moreover, Yang Kai’s roots were over there.
The number of Lower Star Fields was incredibly large. Some of them were completely sealed off and isolated on their own. Some of them were connected to the Star Boundary. The cultivators in these Star Fields were undoubtedly blessed, because once they reached a certain cultivation realm, they could head to the Star Boundary to further increase their strength and pursue a higher Martial Dao.
In the past, the Star Boundary was connected to essentially all Lower Star Fields. Not only could the people from below go up once they reached a certain cultivation realm, but the Masters from the Star Boundary could also go down using some methods.
However, after what the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor had done, the entrances of those Lower Star Fields that led to the Star Boundary had all been sealed. That was because to those cultivators from the Star Fields, the Masters from the Star Boundary were too powerful. There were many Star Fields that had been destroyed by the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor, and no one could guarantee that another similar incident wouldn’t happen in the future.
The existence of these Star Fields was crucial to the Star Boundary, so these seals also acted as a kind of protection.
That was where Star Court came in. It was a mysterious great force that was unknown to most people. It was founded by the Great Emperors at that time and was charged with guarding the passageways to these Lower Star Fields so that those from the Star Boundary could not go down as they pleased.
If Yang Kai wasn’t mistaken, the Iron Blood Great Emperor was the current leader of Star Court.
Yang Kai had always thought that anyone who wished to go to any Lower Star Field must obtain Star Court’s permission first. His plan was that he would go back to Heng Luo Star Field one day when he was free so that he could bring his friends and relatives out of that place.
He even suspected that Yang Yan, who had gone missing for quite some time, was currently in Star Court’s headquarters. However, he had never expected that before he could carry out his plan, he would see a Void Corridor that led to a Lower Star Field in the Dragon Temple on Dragon Island. Moreover, it was the infamous Heaven Devouring Great Emperor who had opened it up.
Although it was highly improbable that Wu Kuang would go to Heng Luo Star Field, Yang Kai still couldn’t set his mind at ease. What if Wu Kuang really went there? That was why Yang Kai became flustered when he heard from Mo Huang that Wu Kuang had gone to a Lower Star Field.
After giving it some thought, Yang Kai proposed, “Sirs, Wu Kuang has not regained his full power yet. If we don’t take this opportunity to kill him, he’ll be a scourge for all of us in the future. What are you all hesitating for?”
Zhu Yan raised his head and took a look at him. His already displeased expression darkened, “If we can accurately locate where Wu Kuang is, I’ll definitely race after him without you telling me to do so; however, no one can be sure which Star Field he has snuck into.”
“Is that why you’re staying put?” Yang Kai stared back at him defiantly.
With a frown, Mo Huang uttered, “It’s not as simple as you think.”
Yang Kai refuted, “Although we don’t know which Star Field Wu Kuang has snuck into, we have so many people with us now. If we all pursue him, we might stand a chance of finding him. However, if we don’t even try, we’ll only be allowing him to do as he pleases, then, when he regains his full power one day, no one in the Star Boundary will be able to stop him. I don’t think all of you want another Great Emperor War, right?”
“You’re both bold and ill-tempered.” Mo Huang snorted.
Yang Kai replied, “I’m just speaking the truth.”
Fu Xuan uttered, “This matter is very complicated, so you should calm down first.” Compared to the others, Fu Xuan had treated Yang Kai relatively gently. However, she didn’t understand why Yang Kai had become agitated all of a sudden, as though he was extremely eager to go after Wu Kuang.
Yang Kai shook his head, “I just don’t understand.”
“Shut up! How do you still have the gall to speak?” Fu Zhun suddenly raised her head and shot Yang Kai a cold glare.
Exasperated, Yang Kai stared back at her and said mockingly, “What is it that you want to say, Second Elder?”
Fu Zhun uttered through clenched teeth, “If it weren’t because of you, all these misfortunes wouldn’t have happened to us. If Fu Chi hadn’t been hurt by you, how would he have lost his life? If Wu Kuang hadn’t obtained Fu Chi’s Dragon Source, how could he have entered the Dragon Temple?”
She was accusing Yang Kai in an overbearing manner.
Yang Kai sneered, “Why do you make it sound like it’s all my fault? I’m just someone with a low cultivation, so I’m not powerful enough to take up this responsibility. You’re thinking too highly of me.”
He wasn’t fond of Fu Zhun at all, because not only did she try to break up Mo Huang and Fu Xuan, but she also wanted to interfere in the relationship between Zhu Qing and him. It was as though she was jealous of others’ love lives, so she wanted to destroy their relationships. Although she was beautiful and alluring, Yang Kai still found her to be contemptible because she tried to get Zhu Qing married to another man. Yang Kai was only giving in to her because he was still not her match. When he became powerful enough one day, he would deal with her and make her have a taste of her own medicine.
Upon finishing his words, he didn’t wait for her response as he turned to Zhu Yan and cupped his fists, “Great Elder, this incident has happened on Dragon Island, and Wu Kuang has fled from this place. So, the Dragon Clan shouldn’t evade responsibility. Now, the most important thing is to track down Wu Kuang and nip him in the bud. Otherwise, he’ll only return to destroy us one day.”
“Brat, don’t you try to cross the line!” Fu Zhun bellowed.
“Great Elder!” Yang Kai ignored her and stared fixedly at Zhu Yan.
However, Zhu Yan replied with a frown, “This has nothing to do with you. Step aside now.”
He was also sick of Yang Kai. Although Fu Zhun’s accusations against Yang Kai just now were extreme, it was true he held a great deal of responsibility for the events that transpired on Dragon Island this day. After all, Yang Kai was the one who had hurt Fu Chi first and held up the other Dragon Clan members. Otherwise, Wu Kuang wouldn’t have been able to carry out his plot so easily.
Certainly, Yang Kai understood that as well, but he couldn’t tolerate Fu Zhun placing all the blame on him.
Instead of stepping aside though, Yang Kai replied impassively with a dark expression, “It seems that the Dragon Clan does not want to get involved in this. Fine. I’ll do it then!”
All of them looked weirdly at him after he finished speaking.
Fu Xuan even secretly spoke to him via Divine Sense, “Don’t say such reckless things. Listen to the Great Elder and step aside for now. Perhaps there’s still a chance for you and Qing’er.”
Yang Kai looked gratefully at her, but he shook his head and uttered, “All I ask is that you will not stop me and allow me to leave. If I manage to find Wu Kuang, I’ll deal with him on my own. If I can’t do that, there won’t be any losses for the Dragon Clan.”
As he spoke, he pointed at the Void Corridor.
During the discussion, the Void Corridor’s entrance had been slowly closing. After all, World Principles had the ability to heal spatial tears. The Void had been broken through after Wu Kuang had made use of the Dragon Temple’s power, so it could be considered a kind of damage to the world. With the help of the World Principles, this kind of damage would disappear quickly.
If Yang Kai wanted to leave this place through the Void Corridor, he had to do it quickly. After it was closed, he wouldn’t have another chance to flee.
“In your dreams!” Fu Zhun shouted.
Zhu Yan shook his head, “I also cannot agree to this.”
It was already their fault that Wu Kuang had managed to escape to a Lower Star Field through Dragon Island. Although they didn’t have to explain themselves to anyone, it would still be embarrassing for them if this news was spread. If they also allowed Yang Kai to descend to a Star Field, their reputation would be ruined.
Since both Elders didn’t agree to it, there was basically no other way around it. If Yang Kai was clever, he should stop insisting now, for if he infuriated the Dragon Clan, he would be punished harshly.
However, all of them didn’t expect that not only did Yang Kai not give in, but he also stepped forward and said in a steadfast manner, “If you don’t agree to it, I can only use force.”
“How dare you disobey us!” Fu Zhun snorted, “Seize him!”
Apparently, she was speaking to all Dragon Clan members. Although she wasn’t fond of Yang Kai, it was difficult for her to personally move against him given her status and cultivation.
Upon receiving the order, the dozen Dragon Clan members started making a move.
Some of them were hurt by Yang Kai not long ago, but although their Blessing Technique was broken, they were mostly fine. With the Elders watching over them, there was no way they would be afraid of Yang Kai.
In the blink of an eye, Yang Kai and Zhu Qing were surrounded.
“Just try it!” Yang Kai shouted and stomped his foot on the ground, causing the entire Dragon Temple to shake. After a resounding roar was heard, the illusory phantom of a huge Golden Divine Dragon emerged from the back of his head, appearing overbearing and aloof.
Upon sensing the Golden Divine Dragon Source’s aura, all the Dragon Clan members fell into a dazed state, including the Elders.
[It’s the Ancestral Dragon Source! This is the true Ancestral Dragon Source!]
Although the Dragon Clan members were aware that the Ancestral Dragon Source was with Yang Kai, it was the first time they saw its true form with their eyes.
Even the Great Elder and the Second Elder were not comparable to this Pureblood Dragon aura. To all the Dragon Clan members, the Ancestral Dragon Source was like their origin as well as a mother’s embrace, making them feel familiar and amiable.
In an instant, the hostility they had towards Yang Kai vanished into thin air.
The Elders quickly pulled themselves together though and guarded their minds so they wouldn’t be affected by the Ancestral Dragon Source Strength.
“Second Elder, do you remember what place this is, and what kind of power I possess?” After the Ancestral Dragon Source appeared, Yang Kai suddenly began acting lofty and aloof. Although there was no sign of him using his Dragon Transformation, the way he looked at Fu Zhun was clearly as though he was superior to her.
Suddenly, he started forming a set of mysterious hand seals and began speaking in two different tones at once, as though two people were chanting at the same time through his mouth.
The first voice was uttering the abstruse Dragon Language, while the other was his usual voice, “Water cannot be dynamic without its origin. The tree cannot grow without its roots. The Ancestral Source is present, so why have you not come to pay your respects yet?”
Two voices were intertwined in a perfectly coordinated manner, so they didn’t sound awkward to the ears. Instead, they sounded like a perfect harmony.
The ordinary Dragon Clan members didn’t have much reaction when they heard these words, but the Elders all turned pale at the same time.
Fu Xuan’s gaze brightened as she exclaimed. Just then, Dragon roars could be heard again, but this time, they were coming from all directions in the temple in a continuous and alternating manner.
The slumbering spirits of all the Great Dragons in this place awakened at the same time as though they had been summoned by an irresistible call.
Suddenly, a spot in the dim hall brightened and then spread across the entire room. In the blink of an eye, the entire hall was as bright as daylight.
Great Dragons of different colours, scarlet, orange, red, emerald, green, blue, and purple, flew about, illuminating the hall in a dazzling display of light.
The first Great Dragon hovered above Yang Kai’s head for a moment before it stabilized itself and faced the Golden Divine Dragon. After that, it lowered its head in a dignified manner, followed by the second Dragon, the third Dragon, and all the others in order.
…
All who witnessed this scene were dumbfounded.
In the blink of an eye, more than ten Great Dragons had gathered around Yang Kai. These Dragons didn’t have a physical form, but their Source Strength was extremely pure. The most shocking thing about them was their sizes.
Even the smallest one was 400 metres long!
The greatest of them was nearly 1,000 metres in length. Its gigantic figure, which had spread across the entire hall, swam majestically through the air, giving immense pressure to everyone present.
It was as though these gigantic Dragons just jumped out of the ancient scrolls and arrived at this place for no reason.
*Gudong…*
All the Dragon Clan members gulped as their faces turned ashen. Under the influence of such terrifying Dragon Pressure, they could hardly support their own weights as their legs had turned to jelly and their faces were completely white.
Although the Dragon Grave was where the Dragon Clan members would go after their death, not all of them would end their lives in that place. Some of them would be enshrined in the Dragon Temple after their fall to provide good fortunes and blessings to their descendants.
Those who could be enshrined in the Dragon Temple were all Heads of the Dragon Clan.
In other words, only the Great Elder of every generation had the right to be enshrined in the Dragon Temple. For the current generation, only Zhu Yan had such a right. Even Fu Zhun was not eligible for this honour.
Hence, all these Great Dragons coming from all directions in the Dragon Temple were once Great Elders of the Dragon Clan who had been enshrined in this place.
Zhu Yan even saw a familiar figure, a Yellow Dragon between 400 and 500 metres long. In an instant, it was as though he had been thrown into a world of memories as he recalled the events of his childhood tens of thousands of years ago.
At that time, he was still working hard to grow and become a powerful Dragon under this Elder’s guidance. After his death, Zhu Yan took over his position and became the Great Elder.
He looked dazedly at the Yellow Dragon as his lips trembled. In his heart, he longed for this Elder, who had passed away many tens of thousands of years ago, to look at him and praise him for doing a good job. However, he was disappointed to see that this Elder, who had never bowed his head his entire life, was doing just that as he hovered quietly behind Yang Kai.
“The first Great Elder…” Astounded, Fu Zhun stared at the only Dragon that was 1,000 metres long. Although they were many generations apart, Fu Zhun could still recognize this particular Great Dragon at first glance.
Only the Dragon Clan members of that generation could grow to be so mighty.
As time passed, the Dragon Clan had gradually become weaker, and in the current generation, even the strongest of them could barely reach 500 metres in length, half of the size of those from the first generation.
The next largest after the first Great Elder must be the Great Elder of the second generation, followed by the third generation, the fourth generation and so on.
All the Great Elders of the past dozen generations had been called upon by the Ancestral Source and gathered together, a sight then sent shockwaves into everyone’s heart.
“How dare you do this!” Fu Zhun was startled for a long time before she snarled through clenched teeth, her beautiful face contorting madly. She stared resentfully at Yang Kai, as though she wanted to pierce through him countless times with her gaze, “How dare you disturb our ancestors!”
Although her tone was still fierce, she no longer appeared overbearing under the Dragon Pressure of these ancient Great Elders as well as the pressure from the Dragon Temple. Now, she looked like an enraged kitten that was brandishing its claws, so she appeared rather laughable.
She couldn’t be blamed for being so incensed though; after all, the Dragon Temple was where the deceased Great Elders of every generation were enshrined. This was the true foundation of the Dragon Clan’s fortune and the basis of their continued bloodline. All of these ancestors were long gone, so they didn’t have their own consciousness nor will. Even the Great Elder and Second Elder couldn’t summon these ancestors using any Secret Technique.
However, right after Yang Kai gave the order, the Great Elders of the past generations all awoke from their sleep, deeply embarrassing all the Dragon Clan members present.
Mo Huang was also amazed as he looked at Yang Kai. He had never expected this young man to be capable of pulling off such a feat. He swept a glance over the Golden Divine Dragon Source next as he knew that everything was made possible because of this strange-looking Dragon Source.
“You left me no choice,” Yang Kai stared down at Fu Zhun, but he didn’t try to aggrandize himself or pressure her in some way. If it weren’t because he was left with no choice, he really wasn’t willing to make such a big fuss.
The moment he stepped into the Dragon Temple, he could feel that the Golden Divine Dragon Source within his body had become active, as though it had been connected to something in the surroundings. In fact, it was just a subconscious act that he had summoned all these ancestors of the Dragon Clan.
“You were left with no choice?” Fu Zhun sneered, “What do you want now, then? Do you want to kill all members of the Dragon Clan?”
“That’s a great idea. Grudges have been formed between us anyway. The best solution is to kill all of you so that there won’t be any future worries for me.” As Yang Kai spoke, he swept an eerie glance over all of them, as though he was mulling over the feasibility of this idea.
All the Dragons were stunned when they met his gaze, as though they had been engulfed in the aura of death. The blood in their veins seemed to have frozen all over.
Appearing defiant, Fu Zhun pressed her lips together, while Zhu Yan appeared solemn.
If Yang Kai decided to deal with them with the help of the Dragon Temple’s power, Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun could only flee from this place even if they joined forces, unless they could kill him in one decisive strike.
However, under the watchful gazes of all the Great Elders from the past generations, killing Yang Kai was all but impossible. They knew just how formidable the Dragon Temple’s power was.
It was a special place that contained a special power, which was what made it unrivalled.
Mo Huang parted his lips in an attempt to persuade Yang Kai. Although he wasn’t fond of the Dragon Clan, the idea of killing any one of them had never crossed his mind, as there were no real blood feuds between them. He wasn’t sure what Yang Kai’s temperament was like though, and if he really did what Fu Zhun had said, the consequences would be dreadful.
Whatever the case, Mo Huang wouldn’t want the Dragon Clan to be slaughtered here. The Dragon Temple was one of the two foundations of the Dragon Clan, and it would be the biggest joke in history if it was responsible for their demise.
Before Mo Huang could speak, however, Yang Kai suddenly curbed his murderous intent and returned to an indifferent stance, “All of you are Qing’er’s family though, so we shouldn’t keep hurting each other. Why don’t we have a seat and talk it out? What do you think, Great Elder?”
Zhu Yan’s face twitched as he uttered, “Since ancient times, the one whose fists are bigger gets to decide. In this place, you have the final say.”
Yang Kai replied, “You seem to have some biases against me, but that’s fine. Besides going to the Lower Star Field, I don’t have other requests, so I hope that you’ll agree to it… Good. Since you remain silent, I’ll just take it as acceptance. You’re indeed a highly principled man, Great Elder. Many thanks.”
The corner of Zhu Yan’s mouth twitched as he lowered his gaze and remained silent. [He’s basically talking to himself. How does he have the nerve to spout such nonsense?]
The Void Corridor that had been created by Wu Kuang would be completely closed soon, so Yang Kai couldn’t dawdle any longer. If he wanted to head to the Lower Star Fields before the Void Corridor closed, he had to do it quickly.
Then, he turned to Zhu Qing and uttered, “You’ll stay here.”
Zhu Qing parted her lips in an attempt to say something, but Yang Kai stepped forward and pulled her into his embrace before locking his lips with hers right in front of everyone.
All of their expressions turned awkward as they looked away in embarrassment. They thought that this brat was too shameless to be carrying out such a blasphemous act in this sacred place.
If someone else had done this, they would have been killed by now.
With her lips locked, Zhu Qing couldn’t utter a word, and after their lips finally parted, she was blushing deeply. Yang Kai only said one thing to her then, “Wait for me.”
It wasn’t that he wasn’t willing to bring Zhu Qing with him, but the road ahead was uncertain, so he didn’t have the heart to make her suffer such hardships with him. Since Fu Chi was dead, it would be alright for Zhu Qing to stay on Dragon Island.
Then, he gazed at Fu Zhun and said, “Second Elder, I apologize for offending you today. I hope that you’ll forgive me. After all, I’m young and reckless, so I hope you don’t take my actions to heart. I will return one day to formally apologize to you.”
Since Zhu Qing had to stay here, he had to relax tensions with Fu Zhun. Otherwise, the Second Elder might oppress his woman.
However, what he just said could also be regarded as a threat. Since he had broken into Dragon Island once, he could do it again. If Zhu Qing was mistreated after he left, he would come back to Dragon Island with a different attitude. Instead of apologizing to them, he would be condemning them.
Upon grasping the meaning behind his words, Fu Zhun snorted.
Following that, Yang Kai turned to Fu Xuan, who had been in Mo Huang’s embrace the whole time, and flashed a smile at her, “Fourth Elder, many thanks for everything today. I didn’t manage to prepare a gift for our first meeting, so please accept this small token of my appreciation instead.”
As Yang Kai spoke, he performed a hand seal with one hand, upon which a Dragon roar could be heard. At the same time, a beam of light emerged from the void and shot towards Fu Xuan at the speed of lightning.
Mo Huang frowned upon seeing that. Although he could intercept it, he could feel that Yang Kai did not carry any ill-intentions, which was why he allowed him to proceed.
The beam of light shot into Fu Xuan’s body, upon which cracking sounds could be heard.
While Zhu Yan’s gaze turned softer as he was looking at him, Fu Zhun’s expression became grim.
Fu Xuan’s pale face gradually became lively again as her gaze brightened. Pleasantly surprised, she turned a grateful smile to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai nodded slightly at her before turning around. No longer daring to delay, he stepped into the Void Corridor and disappeared from everyone’s sight.
After he was gone, the Great Elders from the past generations disappeared one by one, as though they hadn’t been there at all.
The terrifying Dragon Pressure ebbed, upon which the Dragon Clan members gasped for air and looked at each other in shock, still reeling from the experience.
Mo Huang appeared pleasantly surprised as he gazed hopefully at Fu Xuan and asked in a small voice, “Was it…”
Fu Xuan nodded gently, “The Binding Dragon Seal has been removed.”
Binding Dragon Seal was one of the Dragon Clan’s Secret Techniques which was used on the Dragon Clan’s sinners. Once the Binding Dragon Seal was implanted on someone, their Dragon Source would be completely suppressed.
When Fu Xuan was thrown into the Dragon Grave all those years ago, the Binding Dragon Seal was used on her.
This Secret Technique wasn’t just a punishment for the Dragon Clan members who had made a mistake, it was also a symbol of their status as criminals. With this technique binding Fu Xuan, even Mo Huang was powerless to remove it.
Although he could get Fu Xuan out of the Dragon Grave, he couldn’t prevent her from growing weaker until she eventually lost her life, unless the Binding Dragon Seal was removed.
However, he didn’t have a method to remove this seal.
Sometimes, fortune arrives when one least expects it.
While Mo Huang was powerless to lift this Dragon Clan Secret Technique, Yang Kai was able to break it with ease. At that instant, Mo Huang was over the moon. Initially, he was biased against Yang Kai because of Mo Xiao Qi. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so harsh towards someone who was his Junior. However, at this moment, he felt extremely grateful towards Yang Kai, thinking that he should return this favour one day.
The removal of the Binding Dragon Seal meant that Fu Xuan was no longer a criminal, so she didn’t have to be thrown into the Dragon Grave again.
Mo Huang shifted his attention to Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun as he had made up his mind. No matter what would happen, he had to leave with Fu Xuan on this day. If the two Elders insisted on stopping him, he would have no choice but to fight it out with them.
He had been longing for Fu Xuan while also blaming himself for all the years they have been apart. So this time, he was determined not to leave her behind again.
Then, he heaved a sigh of relief, as he realized that both Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun didn’t react to the fact that Binding Dragon Seal had been removed. Instead, they were just gazing at the narrowing Void Corridor in silence.
At the same time, Zhu Qing was also looking at the corridor.
After the corridor disappeared a moment later, Zhu Yan turned to look at Mo Huang and uttered, “Wu Kuang has fled. We have to inform the others about it so that they can prepare, especially those within Star Court.”
Mo Huang nodded, “En, I’ll go to Star Court later and discuss with Iron Blood on how to deal with it.”
Zhu Yan continued, “The Dragon Clan is responsible for the fact that Wu Kuang has fled. Brother Mo, just tell us straight away if you need any help.”
“Great Elder, since you’ve said so, I’ll ask for your help whenever I need it in the future. I’ll take my leave for now.” Upon finishing his words, Mo Huang was ready to leave with Fu Xuan.
Fu Zhun suddenly demanded, “You can leave, but Fu Xuan must stay!”
Mo Huang frowned, “Second Elder, do you still want to fight with me?”
[This woman is so unreasonable.] Mo Huang was truly infuriated. If Fu Zhun insisted on making things difficult for his wife and him, he was ready to turn Dragon Island upside down.
Nevertheless, Fu Zhun uttered dispassionately, “Fu Xuan’s foundation has been damaged after years of imprisonment. We have a Secret Technique to help her recuperate; does your Spirit Beast Island have such a technique? If you have one, you can bring her with you. I won’t stop you.”
Mo Huang was startled for a moment before he became elated. With a grin, he replied, “I see. That’s what you meant.”
Fu Zhun questioned coldly, “What do you think I meant, then?”
Mo Huang coughed and nodded lightly, “That’s alright, then… Xuan’er, you’ll stay here. I’ll go to Star Court now. After that, I’ll come here again with Xiao Qi to see you.” As he spoke, he stole a glance at Fu Zhun. Seeing that she frowned but didn’t show any sign of disagreement, he became ecstatic.
It seemed that what Yang Kai had done on this day had dealt a heavy blow to her. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have gone through such a transformation. Although she didn’t agree to let him bring his daughter to Dragon Island, she didn’t object to it at the very least.
In the past, Fu Zhun wouldn’t have reacted in such a way.
At the mention of Mo Xiao Qi, Fu Xuan’s gaze brightened as she nodded, “En.”
“Wait for me.” Mo Huang stroked her face, but he didn’t have the nerve to kiss her in front of everyone just like Yang Kai had done. [That brat was just too brazen!]
Then, he turned around and left the Dragon Temple with light steps.
Zhu Qing stepped forward to support Fu Xuan then as the latter was still weak. Both of these Dragon girls shared similar fates, so they naturally became closer to each other.
…..
Countless stars were twinkling in the vast Starry Sky where a black Starship was navigating through the darkness like a giant beast. The Starship was about 300 metres long with a sleek design. Although it was a behemoth, the speed at which it was moving was quite fast.
The Starship was surrounded by an innumerable number of asteroids of different sizes that were passing it by. Sometimes, some asteroids would hit the Starship and cause some sparks, which spread across the surface like a ripple. However, the smaller asteroids couldn’t cause any damage to the Starship as its armour and defences would fend them off and break them into pieces should they come into contact.
Only the larger asteroids could cause the Starship to shake, but there hadn’t been any real danger on the way to its destination.
Inside the Starship, humming sounds could be heard coming from different arrays. In the control room, a group of cultivators appeared solemn as they looked out the transparent window that was made from crystals. Seeing those asteroids that were passing them by, they were all drenched in sweat.
[It’s an Asteroid Sea!]
When navigating through the Star Field inside a Starship, travellers were most afraid of two things. One was an Asteroid Sea, and the other was a Starry Sky Storm.
The former was still alright because most Asteroid Seas could be avoided by plotting appropriate courses in advance. With that said, some of the larger scale Asteroid Seas were unavoidable. However, the chance of coming across such Asteroid Seas was small in the vast Star Field.
On the other hand, a Starry Sky Storm was a more terrifying phenomenon in the Star Field as it was a disaster that could literally kill. If this 300-metre Starship was dragged into a Starry Sky Storm, it would be doomed.
Over the years, Asteroid Seas and Starry Sky Storms had destroyed many Starships and killed countless people.
Nevertheless, it had been an unlucky day for this particular Starship. There were many Masters aboard this Starship, and their Star Chart Master had charted a good navigation route for them. Supposedly, they shouldn’t fall into any danger as they just needed some time to reach their destination; however, they were now confronted by an Asteroid Sea that was coming from the front. It was already impossible for them to evade it the moment they discovered it.
Left with no choice, they had to keep moving forward and pass through the Asteroid Sea with caution.
A woman in an imperial dress was standing in the centre of the cabin. She appeared to be in her 20s, had long black hair, and a beautiful face. At the moment, she was giving orders with a solemn expression, her nose moist with sweat caused by her anxiety.
At the same time, the fragrance wafting from her body permeated the place. All the cultivators in the Starship, both men and women, were breathing more rapidly than usual, as though they were trying to breathe in the fragrance and imprint it in their minds so that they would never forget it.
“How much longer?” The woman suddenly looked in a different direction, where an old man was studying the Star Chart in his hands. A three-dimensional picture was displayed there, obviously a map of the region in Starry Sky in which the Starship was navigating.
Nobody knew how this old man had managed to draw this Star Chart, in which a small dot of light, which represented this Starship, was moving forward slowly. Countless smaller light dots, which represented the asteroids that might pose a threat to the Starship, were passing by as well.
Upon hearing the woman’s question, the old man gave it some thought and replied, “We’ll pass through this Asteroid Sea in one hour. We’re already halfway through it.”
The woman nodded upon hearing his reply, “Very good. Please continue to guide us.”
Apparently, this woman was the one in charge of this Starship. Although her cultivation was incredible, she was still respectful to this old man surnamed Chen. It couldn’t be helped, as this old man surnamed Chen was one of the most famous Star Chart Masters in the Star Field, whom she had paid a hefty price for helping them in this journey.
Star Chart Masters were highly reputable in the Star Field. They were just as important as the Alchemists and Artifact Refiners because, in order to navigate through the Star Field, a Start Chart was indispensable, and a good Star Chart Master could help a Starship evade unforeseen dangers.
With an embarrassed expression, Old Chen uttered, “Lady Lu is too polite. This Old Master should have noticed the existence of this Asteroid Sea. It was my fault that we fell into danger in the first place.”
“Life is full of unexpected circumstances,” Lu Huai Shuang replied.
Just then, she thought of something as her alluring gaze dimmed. With a forced smile, she uttered, “Old Chen, please don’t blame yourself. You’ve already helped us a lot. Without you, we’d have encountered countless crises already. It’s thanks to you that we’ve come so far.”
Old Chen said, “Many thanks for your high praise. This Chen will never forget this favour of yours.”
As they spoke, someone could be heard exclaiming, “Young Lady, we have a problem!”
Lu Huai Shuang’s expression changed as she turned to look at that person, “What happened?”
At this critical moment, she was most afraid of learning any bad news, which was why she was slightly nervous.
“An asteroid is approaching us, distance 100 kilometres.”
“How large is it?”
“It isn’t big, but… it’s giving off an unusually large energy signature.”
As they spoke, Lu Huai Shuang had already approached that person and taken a closer look, upon which she realized that there was indeed a light dot on that Spirit Array Star Chart that was coming at the Starship at incredible speed. In just a short moment, the distance between the asteroid and the Starship had been shortened by half.
After taking a glance at it, Lu Huai Shuang knitted her brows together while astounded, Old Chen uttered, “That’s strange. This asteroid isn’t very large, so why does it give off such a powerful energy fluctuation?”
He was an experienced man, but it was the first time he came across such a strange thing, which was why he was puzzled.
“Charge the Crystal Cannons!” Lu Huai Shuang yelled.
Then, she quickly added, “All ten!”
It was inevitable that they might fall into such a dangerous situation when navigating through the vast Starry Sky. When confronted by an unavoidable threat, the best option was to destroy it, and Crystal Cannons were the most effective means.
They wouldn’t use Crystal Cannons easily because a lot of Crystal Stones were consumed for every shot made; it was almost akin to burning piles of money.
It had to be said that although Lu Huai Shuang was a woman, she was more resolute than most men. It took a firm resolve to give the order to prepare all ten of the Starship’s cannons.
Her order was executed without delay and all ten Crystal Cannons emerged from the Starship’s hull before aiming at their target. Dazzling white lights were agglomerated as an astonishing energy fluctuation began spreading out.
The next moment, a jarring sound could be heard and a heavy blowback could be felt from one side of the Starship, causing the entire ship to shake. Ten beams of white light shot out in a particular direction into the void and accurately converged in a single spot.
The light exploded and illuminated the Starry Sky, as though a new Sun had been born all of a sudden, causing all in the cabin to narrow their eyes.
*Hong…*
Following that, a thunderous explosion rang out, stinging all of their eardrums. The asteroids around their target, be they big or small, were vaporized in an instant and disappeared.
Everyone heaved a sigh of relief seeing this. Although they knew how powerful their Crystal Cannons were, they were still reeling from the shock after witnessing the power of ten being fired all at once at a single target, rendering them unable to speak for a long time.
No matter what kind of asteroid was coming at them, it should have vanished into thin air by now.
Some things are supposed to be further and others, not so much. Some things are supposed to be bigger but, later on, not so much…
“Huh?” The cultivator, who had been keeping watch on the surroundings, suddenly grunted in a weird tone and looked dazedly at the Star Chart. Then, in a horrified voice, he uttered, “Young Lady, that asteroid… that asteroid…”
Lu Huai Shuang looked over and turned pale in an instant.
The light dot remained above the Star Chart, seemingly not having taken even the slightest damage after being hit by a barrage of ten Crystal Cannons.
“What is going on?” Disbelief was written all over Old Chen’s face. He had personally witnessed the collective power of those ten Crystal Cannons before. Even the strongest Masters in the Star Field wouldn’t dare to take such a blow head-on, so how was it possible that this asteroid remained undamaged?
What truly shocked him was that the Crystal Cannon barrage didn’t even manage to change the asteroid’s direction, as it was still heading towards the Starship even now.
“Evade it quickly!” Old Chen exclaimed.
With a helpless smile, Lu Huai Shuang replied, “It’s too late.”
If they were in empty space, they could possibly evade the asteroid and escape unscathed, given the Starship’s exceptional capabilities; however, they were now trapped inside an Asteroid Sea, where they were surrounded by asteroids of different sizes. There was no room to manoeuvre, so there was practically no way they could avoid the asteroid.
Indeed, it was too late. The light dot that represented the unwelcome guest on the Star Chart was about to collide with the Starship.
The only thing all of them could do was pray that this asteroid wouldn’t cause any serious damage, but this idea was undoubtedly unrealistic. Although the asteroid was small, the energy signature it gave off was astonishing. If they were hit by this asteroid, their Starship might not be able to bear the impact.
Through the crystal window, they could see a light dot flashing across their eyes like a falling star. Following that, a booming sound could be heard from somewhere on the Starship. The 300-metre-long Starship shook violently, and everyone inside it turned ashen in an instant. All of them thought to themselves in despair, [It’s over now. We’re all doomed!]
The rumbling sound gradually subsided though as the Starship slowly stabilized itself. Inside the cabin, everyone remained silent, and they only came to their senses a long time later.
[We’re alive! We’re still fine!]
After such a life-or-death moment, all of them still couldn’t believe what they had just gone through. The Starship wasn’t destroyed like they had imagined it would be. They seemed to have overestimated the destructive power of the asteroid. Nevertheless, the speed of the Starship was noticeably slower now, as it was apparent that there was damage that needed to be repaired immediately. Otherwise, they might fall into other dangers of the vast Starry Sky.
Lu Huai Shuang was the first to come to her senses as she ordered, “The ship has been damaged. Get some people to inspect the affected areas and begin repairs. We have to leave this Asteroid Sea as soon as possible to look for a place to anchor.”
It was then that all of them regained their senses and started taking action.
Lu Huai Shuang pressed her lips together and looked out at the Starry Sky through the crystal window. It was said that one was bound for good fortune after surviving a disaster. She hoped that would be the case here too.
The cultivators in the Starship then busied themselves with their own jobs. The Starship had slowed down due to the damage. Initially, they had estimated that they would need one hour to leave the Asteroid Sea, but it took them four hours to cross that gap. After leaving behind the asteroids in the borderless Starry Sky, they finally heaved a sigh of relief.
It wasn’t a great idea to allow a damaged Starship to navigate through the Asteroid Sea. Fortunately, all the cultivators in the Starship were well-trained, and they were excellent at controlling the ship, so they managed to stay safe till the end.
Now, they had to look for a stopover immediately and repair the Starship. After Old Chen pointed out a suitable location, Lu Huai Shuang ordered all of them to set sail in that direction.
Half a day later, above a desolate Star, the 300-metre Starship emerged from the clouds and landed on the ground slowly.
There were innumerable Stars like this one in the Star Field. Although there were countless Stars in the Starry Sky, only a small number of them were suitable for cultivators to reside and cultivate on. Only Stars with a complete Star Source that could nurture World Energy were qualified for cultivation. These kinds of lively Stars were called Cultivation Stars.
In contrast, there were Stars that were without any World Energy, and no one could possibly survive on them. These desolate Stars were called Dead Stars.
Some Dead Stars were originally Cultivation Stars. After the Star Source of a Cultivation Star slowly diminished and disappeared, such a Star would turn into a barren rock.
Meanwhile, some Dead Stars could be nurturing new life, and it could possess its own Star Source in the future. After a very long period of growth, such a Dead Star would become a new Cultivation Star. However, this kind of evolution took place over tens of thousands of years at least.
After the Starship landed somewhere on the Dead Star, the crews opened the hatches and streamed out of the ship to head to the damaged section. Although they had done some simple repairs earlier, they had to fully fix the damaged parts of the hull and Spirit Arrays before the Starship could navigate through the Starry Sky again at full power.
Lu Huai Shuang was now somewhat idle inside the Starship, so she decided to take a walk outside. Wherever she went, all the cultivators would salute her. There wasn’t any obscene light behind their gazes as they all truly respected her.
In Unending Star Field, everyone would praise the Eldest Young Lady from the Lu Family, who hailed from Morning Sun Star whenever she was mentioned. They all said that she was just as capable as men of the same calibre.
There were no male descendants in the Lu Family’s main line, and the Patriarch was old and frail. The entire Lu Family now depended on the Eldest Young Lady to manage and maintain it. When Lu Huai Shuang took over the Lu Family at that time, nobody thought she could succeed.
A woman was supposed to get married and nurture her children, so no one believed she could succeed as the leader of her family. However, all of them were proven wrong in the end.
Although she didn’t manage to bring the Lu Family to new heights, she didn’t allow it to decay or decline at least. The continued strength of the Lu Family was all thanks to Lu Huai Shuang’s efforts, and even their enemies had to acknowledge this fact.
Naturally, many people lusted after Lu Huai Shuang’s beauty and her family businesses. Beautiful women and wealth had always been attractive goals for men. The Lu Family was wealthy and had great potential for development, so it was expected that many men were drooling over it. If any man could gain Lu Huai Shuang’s favour, not only could he marry a beautiful woman, but he would also gain control over the Lu Family’s immense fortune, thereby reaching the heights in his life and shortening the years needed to achieve success. Countless men had proposed to her over the years, but none of them could win Lu Huai Shuang’s heart.
“My husband must be the most powerful man in the Star Field. His name must illuminate the Starry Sky just like the Sun. I’ll only marry the man who can achieve that.”
It was an outrageous demand as no man would admit that he wasn’t powerful. Upon self-examination, they would even think that they were the best, and no other men were comparable to them. However, nobody could brazenly say that their name could illuminate the Starry Sky just like the Sun.
Only a handful of Masters in the Star Field could be said to have achieved such status, but they were old men who were in the sunset stage of their lives.
[The Lu Family’s Eldest Young Lady is destined to spend the rest of her life alone. No man will love and treasure her. She will never experience how it feels to be loved by a man!] That was the bitter thought of those men who couldn’t obtain her. Since they couldn’t win her heart, they wanted her to live miserably for the rest of her life. Such men would never hope for her future to be bright, as they were already considered to be weak and unworthy by her.
As Lu Huai Shuang tread on the yellowish ground and smelled the humid air, she couldn’t help but knit her brows together. She was a woman, after all, so no matter how others regarded her or how capable she was, she still had her feminine qualities. The environment on a Dead Star was barren and bleak. On this Star, the yellowish sand was seemingly endless, and it was continuously carried up by the gusts of winds. The atmosphere was filled with fog, so she couldn’t see far into the distance, making for a gloomy and depressing atmosphere.
After walking for some time, she stopped in her tracks and wanted to stretch her back without caring about anyone’s opinions. However, she couldn’t even do such a simple thing because she had to uphold her mannerism and authority. She was exhausted, both physically and psychologically.
Standing there quietly, she tried to figure out this Dead Star’s history. Perhaps there had been a civilization on this Star a long time ago. Or maybe in the future, a bright civilization with interesting life would arise on this Star. Maybe somewhere on the sandy landscape before her, a cottage would appear, in which a man and a woman lived. The man would cultivate crops on the fields, while the woman would weave clothes in the house as they lived harmoniously together. Three to five years later, they would give birth to a son and a daughter, then they would take good care of their children. When they became old, they would travel the world together. After their death, they would be buried together in some unknown corner.
They wouldn’t need much money as long as they had enough. They also wouldn’t have to be powerful as long as they had each other. The more powerful a person became, the more difficult it would be to obtain the simple pleasures in life. Only those at the lowest level of the hierarchy would want to gain immense power and make a name for themselves, unaware of the sacrifices and difficulties such power would entail.
“Young Lady…” Someone suddenly called out to her.
Although Lu Huai Shuang’s imagination was disrupted, she wasn’t mad. Turning to look at the one who called her, she recognized him as one of the Lu Family’s guards. At that moment, he was looking dazedly at Lu Huai Shuang as shock and disbelief were written all over his face.
That was because he saw that Lu Huai Shuang was smiling. Although the smile wasn’t conspicuous, he could see that her lips had curved into a peaceful grin.
Lu Huai Shuang was a beautiful lady, and her smile made her look even more charming. He had joined the Lu Family a few decades ago, but since Lu Huai Shuang took over the family, he had never seen her smile like this.
Lu Huai Shuang pressed her lips into a line and asked impassively, “What’s the matter?”
The bodyguard hurriedly straightened his face and replied, “We’ve found something strange.”
Lu Huai Shuang frowned upon hearing that, “What is it?”
The bodyguard scratched his head as he didn’t know how to explain it. Their discovery earlier was so absurd that he couldn’t find the right words to describe it. Just then, a group of people walked out of the broken part of the Starship. They seemed to be carrying something as they rushed towards Lu Huai Shuang.
Everyone shifted their attention to them due to their strange behaviour. In just a short time, these people reached Lu Huai Shuang and dropped a person right in front of her. The person rolled on the ground for a bit before stopping.
With a frown, Lu Huai Shuang took a look and realized that the person was a young man. His clothes were torn apart, as though he had just gone through a great ordeal. His eyes were closed, and his face was pale. He remained unmoving on the ground after he was dropped.
Lu Huai Shuang couldn’t sense his aura, and he didn’t seem to be breathing, so she assumed he had passed away.
It wasn’t that Lu Huai Shuang had never seen a corpse before. On the contrary, she had personally killed many people throughout her life.
Not long after she took over the Lu Family, another prestigious family on Morning Sun Star, the He Family, launched an attack on them. In an instant, the two families went to war, and they lost many lives on both sides. It was thanks to Lu Huai Shuang’s outstanding leadership in the war that her position became firm.
Now, the entire Morning Sun Star was practically divided by the Lu Family and the He Family. Each of these two families had occupied half of the resources and territory on the Star.
However, the appearance of this young man made Lu Huai Shuang frown deeply. It wasn’t that she bore hatred towards him, but rather that this incident was too strange. After examining the young man’s face for a long time, she looked up at an old man and asked, “Third Uncle, is he from our side?”
There were a few hundred cultivators aboard the Starship and although she couldn’t remember all their names, Lu Huai Shuang could at least recognize all of them. However, this young man looked unfamiliar to her, so she was certain that she had never seen him before.
Lu Bing shook his head, “No.”
“He’s not?” Lu Huai Shuang narrowed her eyes.
[Since he isn’t from our side, why did he appear on my Starship?] In an instant, she could think of many possibilities, but the most reasonable explanation was that he must be a spy sent by the Lu Family’s enemies. If that was the case, there might still be other troubles lurking in the dark.
As though he had seen through her mind, Lu Bing uttered, “This man was found in the broken section of the Starship.”
“Third Uncle, you mean…” Lu Huai Shuang looked up at him. Although she was intelligent, she couldn’t grasp what he was talking about.
With a complicated expression, Lu Bing went on to say, “Based on my observations, our Starship was damaged because it was hit by this man.”
Upon hearing that, all fell silent as they were trying to understand what Lu Bing meant. Following that, a terrifying idea sprang into their minds as their gazes were transformed by disbelief.
Lu Huai Shuang came to her senses and stared at her Third Uncle in a bewildered manner. If she wasn’t very familiar with her Third Uncle’s personality and temperament, she would’ve thought that he was pulling her leg.
With a helpless smile, Lu Bing continued, “Initially, I thought that the Starship was hit by an asteroid, but after some investigation, I couldn’t find any traces left behind by an asteroid impact. Instead, I found this man at the centre of the damaged part of the Starship’s hull, right in the centre of the impact.”
All of them gasped and looked at Lu Bing with weird expressions, while Lu Huai Shuang remained silent and fell into her thoughts.
Lu Bing continued, “I know this sounds inconceivable, but I can’t find a better explanation.”
In fact, it wasn’t just inconceivable; it was just too shocking. How did a Human manage to crash into the Starship, which formed a hole on it that caused serious damage to its hull? They also had to look for a place to land to make repairs as a result. This was one of the two best Starships on Morning Sun Star, an Origin King Grade Starship! It could even endure the assault of a First-Order Origin King’s attacks for an extended period of time, so how could one man manage to damage it so seriously?
If such a Starship could be damaged so easily, it wouldn’t have been able to navigate through the Starry Sky, as any asteroid could destroy its hull with ease. Even if a person could cause damage to the hull by crashing into it, what about the Crystal Cannon volley they fired?
All ten Crystal Cannons were fired and hit the target accurately. Who could be strong enough to endure the collective power of ten Crystal Cannons? Judging from this young man’s appearance, it was apparent that while quite dishevelled, he was completely unhurt. Even if his skin was made of the hardest metal, he couldn’t withstand such an attack.
Everyone broke into a commotion. This young man, who was found in the broken part of the Starship, had all their minds messed up, as all their common sense and knowledge seemed to have been turned upside down.
“It’s no use speculating about all this now. Our priority is to repair the Starship,” Lu Huai Shuang ordered.
Lu Bing sighed secretly as he knew that she didn’t believe his speculation. Honestly speaking, he didn’t believe his own speculation either, feeling that he must have missed something and drawn the wrong conclusion, so he didn’t attempt to defend himself.
“As for this person, bury him somewhere.” Lu Huai Shuang looked down at the deceased young man. Regardless of his identity or the reason he appeared on her Starship, he at least deserved proper last rights.
Just then, beams of lights were seen coming at them from all directions as chaotic energy waves could be felt everywhere. The attacks already reached them before their opponents arrived.
*Chi, Chi, Chi…*
A series of sounds could be heard, and when a light flashed across their eyes, the place where these people from the Lu Family were standing had turned into a sea of energy waves.
“Enemy attack!” Someone shouted, but his voice stopped abruptly, as though someone was clenching on his neck. Following that, the person’s aura disappeared, so it was apparent that he had passed away. In an instant, numerous people started screaming.
Lu Huai Shuang’s expression changed drastically as she hadn’t expected that they would be assaulted in such a place. They were on a nameless Dead Star, and they had only decided to land here moments ago, so how did their enemies manage to ambush them here?
With no time to think about it though, she touched her earlobe and broke an earring, upon which a beam of white light transformed into a gigantic dome, protecting all the cultivators from the Lu Family from these attacks.
Explosions could be heard as all the attacks landed on the protective shield and formed a layer of ripples. The glow of the shield increasingly dimmed and only a few breaths later did it shatter with a loud crack.
However, with the buffer time they gained, all those from the Lu Family collected themselves and summoned their artifacts or used their Secret Techniques to counter the enemy assault.
The chaotic energy fluctuations caused the surroundings to shake violently as all of a sudden, a person fell from the sky with his arms crossed. At the same time, heavy pressure descended on Lu Huai Shuang.
Lu Huai Shuang narrowed her eyes as she unsheathed her azure longsword. In an instant, she seemed to have transformed into an entirely different person. She was an alluring lady with bountiful curves, but at the same time, she was an Origin King Realm Master.
Without considerable power, she wouldn’t have been able to command everyone in the Lu Family; moreover, she was a woman, so she needed even more power to earn everyone’s respect.
After she slashed across space with her azure longsword, a Sword Domain was formed instantly, and her Sword Intent caused her enemy to feel a sharp pain on their skin. The longsword in her hand then transformed into a phantom as it flourished above her head. At that instant, more than a hundred streams of Sword Qi shot out.
The horrifying pressure vanished in an instant as the enemy who was descending towards Lu Huai Shuang called out in shock and hurriedly dodged to avoid the Sword Qi blades.
After trading attacks, both Lu Huai Shuang and her opponent could feel each other’s immense power. Surprisingly, both sides were equally matched.
The clamorous battlefield fell silent in an eerie manner after the strongest Masters at the scene traded blows. The Lu Family cultivators felt like they had just returned from death’s door, and when they came to their senses, they realized that their backs were already drenched in a cold sweat.
Lu Huai Shuang took a closer look and realized that a fair-skinned chubby man was grinning at her with a playful expression. He was clad in a loose shirt that wasn’t buttoned up, so his big belly was exposed for all to see. He looked like a fat and slovenly man who had just finished a feast. Paired with his long, narrow eyes, he made for a funny picture.
However, no one dared to laugh at him. Instead, they were horrified.
With a dark expression, Lu Bing yelled, “Ma Chao Qun!”
A cold glint flashed across the fat man’s eyes as he replied with a smile, “Oh? You know me?”
Lu Bing gulped. The person before his eyes had a distinctive body shape and facial features, so there was no way he couldn’t recognize him. He was Ma Chao Qun of the Fierce Gale Pirates!
Fierce Gale Pirates wasn’t Ma Chao Chun’s personal force, but rather the name of a great force that was basically a plague upon everyone in the Star Field. Robbers lived in the mountains while pirates lived on the seas. Then, there were Star Pirates who sailed the Starry Sky.
What they did wasn’t fundamentally different from those robbers and pirates, they robbed people of their wealth and committed all sorts of wicked deeds.
There were a large number of Star Pirates in the Star Field, but only a handful of them actually had widely recognized names. The Fierce Gale Pirates was one such group though because they had Origin Kings among their leaders.
The Origin King Realm was the peak of the Star Field, so the Masters in this realm were practically peerless in every Cultivation Star. If such a Master decided to become a pirate though, it would be disastrous for all.
Historically, many of the top forces in the Star Field had joined forces numerous times to stamp out all Star Pirates; however, like weeds, they could be cut down but eventually, they would spring up again. Even if one to two groups of Star Pirates were destroyed, more would emerge in the future to take their place soon enough.
The Fierce Gale Pirates were particularly sly and cunning as they would never provoke those they couldn’t afford to offend. Those targeted by them were forces that were rich but relatively powerless. Moreover, they had no morality at all as they would frequently kill all of their targets and rob all their belongings. It was said that wherever the Fierce Gale Pirates passed through, even grass wouldn’t be able to grow.
Therefore, the Fierce Gale Pirates could be said to be the most infamous Star Pirates in Unending Star Field.
The Star Pirates from the Fierce Gale Pirates had surrounded all those from the Lu Family at this moment and were sporting evil grins on their faces. Their gazes were especially lewd as they stared fixedly at Lu Huai Shuang’s luscious body, as though they were savouring a delicious dish.
The grin on Ma Chao Qun’s face widened as his belly shook and rippled.
“You must be Young Lady Lu. You’re indeed a beautiful lady with a powerful cultivation. You’re so much better than what the rumours mentioned. I’ve been longing to meet you.”
With a long face, Lu Huai Shuang swept a glance over all those from the Lu Family. What happened on this day was unexpected, but she could feel that something nefarious was going on.
Those from the Fierce Gale Pirates seemed to have figured out that they would come here, which was why these pirates had appeared at this moment to rob them. As the leader of the Lu Family, she had her own suspicions about how this was possible, and with her sharp vision as an Origin King Realm Master she soon found a clue.
One of the clansmen from the Lu Family, who she recalled belonged to her First Uncle’s family, didn’t dare to meet her eyes at this moment. In that instant, Lu Huai Shuang felt her heart aching as she became extremely disappointed. She didn’t understand why someone she considered to be family would betray her.
Lu Huai Shuang had shown outstanding cultivation talent and aptitude when she was still a young child; she was also born into a noble and rich family, so she had never lacked resources.
Her exceptional aptitude, paired with her family’s unconditional support, made sure that she would be one of the leaders of her generation. As such, it only took her a hundred years to reach the Origin King Realm.
Nevertheless, she wasn’t haughty or arrogant like many other Young Ladies from prestigious families and was instead very good to her subordinates. She was one of the most popular individuals on Morning Sun Star.
If it weren’t because the old Patriarch was stricken with an illness, she would still be cultivating on her own. Cultivation wasn’t boring to her. She loved it because she felt joyful that the power within her was growing stronger day by day.
It wasn’t her intention to take over the Lu Family after the Patriarch fell ill, but after she did, her quiet cultivation time was replaced by all kinds of issues she needed to deal with. When she opened her eyes every morning, it was as though she could hear the voices of her subordinates who awaited her orders.
For the past thirty years, she had done everything she could for the Lu Family. As a result, she hadn’t been able to increase her cultivation one bit. Hence, she couldn’t fathom why someone from the Lu Family would betray her.
[What was his reason? What is he after? Do I deserve this kind of betrayal in exchange for my thirty years of contributions?] She clenched her sword and then loosened her grip. Following that, she shot a glare at her First Uncle before she shifted her attention back to Ma Chao Qun and uttered dispassionately, “Second Manager, since you’re here, Head Manager and Third Manager must be here as well. Why don’t they show themselves?”
She swept a glance over the surroundings as she spoke.
Although Ma Chao Qun was powerful, she wasn’t afraid of him. From their battle just now, she concluded that they were equally matched. Both of them were in the First-Order Origin King Realm, so they were equal in terms of their power.
Her biggest advantage was her strong foundation and abundant Saint Qi, while Ma Chao Qun’s advantage was his long years of combat experience. After all, he was a Master who had killed countless people to become one of the most infamous Star Pirates in the Star Field.
If only Ma Chao Qun was there, the people from the Lu Family could still defeat him. Nevertheless, the Fierce Gale Pirates were known to go all out when they made a move.
There were three Managers in the Fierce Gale Pirates. The Head Manager, Sheng Yao, was in the Second-Order Origin King Realm. The Second Manager was the fatty in front of her, Ma Chao Qun. The Third Manager, Ge Ming, was also a First-Order Origin King.
The reason the Fierce Gale Pirates could survive assaults from so many great forces was more than just luck. It was also because of their immense strength.
Ma Chao Qun chuckled, “Many thanks for your concern for them, Young Lady Lu, but I’m afraid I must disappoint you. I’m the only one here today because Big Brother and Third Brother have other matters to attend to. If you want to meet them, why don’t you follow me to Fierce Gale’s Base? I’m sure you’ll meet them there.”
Lu Huai Shuang narrowed her eyes, “Are you inviting me to your base?”
Ma Chao Qun kept the smile on his face, “If you agree, then it’s an invitation.”
“What if I don’t agree to it?”
“Heh heh…” Ma Chao Qun laughed without replying to her. His meaning was clear; if she didn’t agree to it, then it would be a threat.
In a calm manner, Lu Huai Shuang replied, “I’ve heard a lot about the Fierce Gale Pirates. The Star Field is extremely vast, so it’s quite coincidental that we’ve come across each other here. As I was caught unaware, my preparations are somewhat lacking, but I’m willing to deliver some gifts to all of you. In exchange, I hope Second Manager can allow us to leave.”
Star Pirates were mostly after money. If possible, she wasn’t willing to confront them. More importantly, she had a premonition that Ma Chao Qun wasn’t the only one here.
The Head Manager Sheng Yao and the Third Manager Ge Ming might be lurking in the dark, waiting for the best opportunity to make a move. If a fight broke out, all those from the Lu Family would be doomed, and she probably wouldn’t be able to escape from this place herself.
If money was enough to ensure their safety, that would be the best outcome.
A glint flashed across Ma Chao Qun’s eyes as he complimented her, “I’ve always heard that the Lu Family’s Eldest Young Lady is incredibly capable. It seems the rumours were not unfounded.”
Most women were shy and frail, but Lu Huai Shuang had courage and boldness that most men lacked. It was no wonder that she could command the Lu Family and occupy half of the resources on Morning Sun Star. If she was a man, she would probably become one of the Overlords of the Star Field in the future.
Ma Chao Qun shook his big head and sighed, “What a shame. I’d like to let you go, but some people might not agree to it.”
“What do you mean?” Lu Huai Shuang asked in a grim voice.
Just then, a black Starship emerged from the thick fog and clouds before it landed on the ground. The Starship was just as large as the one from the Lu Family, as though they were made from the same mould.
A large ‘He’ character was engraved on the Starship, causing a huge commotion to break out when it appeared.
“It’s the He Family’s Starship!”
“Why are they here?”
“It’s a trap. Damn it!”
“The He Family has joined up with the Fierce Gale Pirates. How shameless!”
The He Family was the other top family on Morning Sun Star. The He Family and Lu Family each ruled half of the Star, but it was well known that two tigers could not coexist on the same mountain. These top two families were bitter opponents, so it was expected that there would be confrontations between them. If one family was attacked by the other family, then they would retaliate against the other party the next day. Gradually, their conflicts evolved into a blood feud.
It could be said that these two families on Morning Sun Star desperately wanted each other dead; however, Lu Huai Shuang had never expected that the He Family would join forces with the Fierce Gale Pirates.
The Fierce Gale Pirates were the most infamous Star Pirates in Unending Star Field. If anyone was thought to be related to these pirates, their reputation would be ruined forever.
[Aren’t the He Family members worried that this news will spread? If all the Masters in the Star Field find out about it and launch an attack on them, they won’t be able to enjoy the Lu Family’s wealth even if they can gobble it up.]
Soon, Lu Huai Shuang’s expression darkened, as she realized that since the He Family members had the guts to travel to this place in their Starship, it meant that they had no intention of sparing any of their lives. That was because their secret could only be kept by killing all of them.
Her gaze became cold as she turned to look at her First Uncle, whose jaw had dropped in shock. The fear behind his gaze suggested that this outcome was beyond his expectation.
The Starship landed nearby, upon which its main hatch opened and an energetic old man with grey hair, who appeared to be in his sixties, stepped out. He appeared authoritative despite his calm expression, so it was apparent that he was the leader of his family.
In just a few nonchalant steps, he reached Lu Huai Sheng and the others, followed closely by hundreds of the strongest cultivators from the He Family, who were staring fixedly at the people from the Lu Family.
In an instant, the atmosphere became intense. The sound of gulping could be heard from those of the Lu Family, which went to show how anxious they were.
Ma Chao Qun kept a smile on his face, as though he wasn’t aware that He Wu Zui was there.
Meanwhile, He Wu Zui stared fixedly at Lu Huai Shuang and sneered repeatedly before he uttered, “Little girl, today you die!”
He appeared smug because his plot had succeeded.
Lu Huai Shuang let out a breath as she knew that she probably couldn’t survive. At such a critical moment, she became calm instead. In a dispassionate voice, she mocked, “Old Master He, our feud on Morning Sun Star is only between our two families, so I don’t think it’s appropriate for you to drag outsiders into this?”
He Wu Zui snorted, “The three Managers of Fierce Gale Pirates are my sworn brothers, so they’re not outsiders.”
What he had just said shocked everyone from the Lu Family. Lu Huai Shuang appeared flabbergasted as she had never heard about this before, so she reckoned that no one else in the Star Field knew about it either.
However, things had come to a point that she didn’t think He Wu Zui would be cracking jokes. Moreover, Ma Chao Qun didn’t seem to have the intention of refuting him, so it was probably true that he and the three Managers from Fierce Gale Pirates were sworn brothers.
He Wu Zui felt gleeful as he watched how astounded Lu Huai Shuang was. He had been patient for many years, and this was the day he reaped the fruits of his silence. From now onward, the He Family would be the only one to rule Morning Sun Star while the Lu Family would disappear from history.
“Fourth Brother, I don’t care about the others, but are you sure you want to kill the Lu Family’s Eldest Young Lady?” Ma Chao Qun suddenly turned to look at He Wu Zui and asked.
He didn’t care if the others from the Lu Family died, but he was pretty fond of Lu Huai Shuang. There were many beautiful women in this world, and given Ma Chao Qun’s power and status, he was never short of such women. However, a charming young lady in the Origin King Realm was rare, and he had never had a taste of such a woman.
Moreover, he had heard that Lu Huai Shuang had been cultivating in seclusion for most of her life, so the chances she retained her innocence were also great. In his opinion, it would be a shame if she was killed just like that.
Upon hearing his words, He Wu Zui immediately understood what Ma Chao Qun was up to and warned in a solemn manner, “Second Brother, a rose is fragrant, but it’s also full of thorns. I’m worried that you’ll be hurt.”
After giving it a thought, Ma Chao Qun nodded, “Yeah. Forget it, then.”
He knew how difficult it was to capture someone in the First-Order Origin King Realm, so he decided to give up on that idea. If he hesitated when he made a move because he was trying to subdue her, he would be the one who would be killed instead.
“Begin!” He Wu Zi suddenly shouted. Apparently, he wanted this battle to be ended quickly, thus giving no chance for the Lu Family’s people to fight back.
At that signal, Ma Chao Qun raised his hands, upon which two golden orbs appeared between his palms. The aura around the golden orbs was intimidating, so it was apparently a rare artifact.
On the other hand, He Wu Zui readied himself as his Saint Qi circulated rapidly through his meridians.
With a solemn expression, Lu Huai Shuang raised her azure longsword up high, upon which her Sword Intent significantly surged. The battle was about to begin, but just then, a stealthy figure suddenly appeared beside her and slashed at her with a slender dagger, flustering Lu Huai Shuang greatly.
Earlier, all her attention was on Ma Chao Qun and He Wu Zui, and seeing that they were preparing to make a move, she quickly raised her guard. However, now it seemed apparent that these two were just trying to distract Lu Huai Shuang while the real assassin approached her. By the time Lu Huai Shuang realized this though, it was already too late.
He Wu Zui and Ma Chao Qun grinned as they waited to watch a good show.
A cold glint flashed across the slender dagger, which was shrouded in an aura of death, as though the weapon would soon reap another life.
Right then, the slender dagger’s owner felt a chill all over his body. It was as though he had fallen into a frozen cavern and all the blood in his veins seemed to freeze in place.
Lu Huai Shuang also narrowed her eyes with a shocked expression, because the ‘dead’ young man, who had been lying by her feet, started moving all of a sudden in a very strange manner.
First, his legs slid back until he could place his feet on the ground. Then, his legs straightened as he hoisted his entire body up all of a sudden.
When Lu Huai Shuang turned to look at him, she was met with a pair of dark eyes which seemed to contain a bottomless abyss. By just looking into his gaze, she felt as though she would fall into it.
Astounded, she hurriedly circulated her Spiritual Energy to steady her mind.
The three Managers of the Fierce Gale Pirates all had their own unique skills. The Head Manager Sheng Yao needed no introduction. As someone in the Second-Order Origin King Realm, he could easily be ranked as one of the most powerful Masters in the entire Star Field.
The Second Manager Ma Chao Qun was a fair-skinned and naive-looking fatty, but the fat on his body wasn’t just a result of his overeating habit; it was also his life-saving card. With incredible defensive capabilities, his excess flesh was an incredibly sturdy shield. With the help of his fat, he was able to temporarily stand against a Master who was one Minor Realm higher than him.
Nevertheless, he could only parry a few moves, as his fat couldn’t make up the entire difference in cultivation.
As for the Third Manager Ge Ming, he was a short but sturdy man whose speciality was assassination. He was an elusive man, as no one could possibly find out his exact location.
An enemy lurking in the dark was the most horrifying. It was said that it was easy to dodge a spear out in the light, but it was hard to avoid an arrow in the dark. The person who mounted a sneak attack on Lu Huai Shuang was undoubtedly the Fierce Gale Pirates Third Manager, Ge Ming.
Lu Huai Shuang’s speculation earlier was right, that the Fierce Gale Pirates would go all out whenever they made a move. Ma Chao Qun was lying when he said that his Big Brother and Third Brother were attending to other matters.
With his exceptional Concealment Technique, Ge Ming was able to approach Lu Huai Shuang unnoticed, and just when her focus was completely on Ma Chao Qun and He Wu Zui, he struck.
He was also a First-Order Origin King Realm, and gained a big advantage by executing a sneak attack, so he was confident that his strike would severely injure Lu Huai Shuang, if not kill her. She was the leader of the Lu Family, and as long as they could kill or immobilize this woman, the others from the Lu Family would be easy to deal with.
Everything went according to plan, but the accident that happened all of a sudden terrified Ge Ming.
In the blink of an eye, a young man in tattered clothes was standing in front of Lu Huai Shuang as he stared calmly at Ge Ming. Although there was no emotion behind the young man’s gaze, Ge Ming subconsciously felt lowly before him, as though this young man was a towering mountain that stretched up into the Heavens. He tilted his head back, but still couldn’t see the top of the mountain. Even the clouds partway up the mountain appeared blurred.
[Who is this man!?] He had noticed this ‘corpse’ when he was approaching Lu Huai Shuang secretly, but as he was lying at her feet without showing any sign of vitality, Ge Ming assumed he was dead and didn’t bother with him. However, how did a dead man get to his feet all of a sudden? Moreover, how did his vitality surge so tremendously in that instant!?
Ge Ming’s panic was only temporary, however. Since he was able to reach the Origin King Realm, there was no doubt that his mental fortitude was outstanding, so after hesitating for a moment between retreating and advancing, he steeled himself. As a cold glint flashed across his slender dagger, he charged forward at an even greater speed.
[I don’t care who you are, but with such a short distance between us, I’ll still be able to stab you first even if you’re a Third-Order Origin King!]
“Get back!” Lu Huai Shuang finally came to her senses at that moment. Ge Ming was advancing instead of retreating with a ferocious gaze, but this young man didn’t react to it at all, so she couldn’t help but call out to him as she reached out her hand and grabbed his shoulder in an attempt to pull him back.
However, what shocked her was that this young man still gave no reaction at all, as if roots had grown from his feet. Not only could she not pull him back, but she was also forced to stagger forward and almost crash into his back from the recoil.
Just then, a clanging sound could be heard. The ferocious expression on Ge Ming’s face froze, then it was replaced by extreme fear. When he raised his head to look at the young man, his eyes seemed to be trembling uncontrollably.
Before he made a move, he had imagined many possible outcomes in his mind, the most likely being him killing this reckless boy with one strike. Perhaps his strike would only wound him though, or even less likely this young man would somehow parry his thrust…
However, Ge Ming had never expected that the sight before his eyes would be the outcome instead. This young man remained unmoving and simply allowed him to stab his dagger into his chest. Nevertheless, his weapon couldn’t penetrate the young man’s body, and there didn’t seem to be any wound on the young man’s skin. Instead, the glow on his slender dagger faded greatly and he almost dropped his weapon due to a sharp pain coming from his hand.
The slender dagger was an Origin King Grade Artifact which was extremely sharp and could even penetrate fine metal armour easily, let alone a Human’s body.
Ge Ming couldn’t even sense any energy fluctuation from the young man. In other words, this strange-looking young man had managed to withstand his attack with nothing more than his physique completely unharmed.
[Is he really Human?]
Ge Ming was an assassin who excelled at ending a person’s life with one decisive strike, but he was also extremely sensitive to danger. Therefore, when he realized that his assault couldn’t harm the young man, he immediately decided to run. His thin figure became blurred, as though he would vanish into thin air soon.
He had to flee, for the young man’s presence had defied his understanding of the world. The voice in his heart screamed that he had to escape now or he would die!
Just then, the young man raised his hand in a slow and stiff manner, then he nonchalantly grabbed the air, upon which Ge Ming, who was about to vanish from sight, seemed to have his neck clenched, his half-transparent figure solidifying in an instant.
For some unfathomable reason, his Concealment Technique was dispersed, and at that instant, he felt his Soul leaving his body. The seemingly casual grip around his neck seemed capable of snapping him in half at will, and no matter how hard he tried to struggle, all his attempts were utterly futile.
The young man raised his arm lightly and lifted Ge Ming off his feet, a sight that terrified all present. Ge Ming was an Origin King, but now, he had been captured by an unknown young man with complete ease and hoisted up like a powerless chicken.
“Third Brother!” The smile on Ma Chao Qun’s face was long gone as his chubby face appeared extremely solemn.
He Wu Zui’s expression also appeared grim as he silently summoned his artifact, his gaze darting around as though he was looking for an escape route.
Right in front of everyone’s eyes, the young man sized up Ge Ming for a moment before he frowned, knitting his brow as he muttered, “So weak…”
He hadn’t fought with someone in the Origin King Realm in ages. Over the years, the opponents he had come across were all Masters with more powerful cultivations than his own, which was why he was no longer used to dealing with someone so much weaker than himself and at that instant, he reminisced about his previous battles with a conflicted feeling.
[I was one of these weak cultivators in the past as well…]
“May I ask for Your Excellency’s honoured name?” Ma Chao Qun asked in a grim voice as he tried to recall the faces and figures of the true Overlords of the Star Field, but none of them resembled the young man before his eyes. He had never heard about a young man like him, who had such extraordinary power.
“Trash like you have no right to know my name,” the young man snorted.
His manner of speaking was extremely haughty, but no one found it to be awkward, for he had the power to match his overbearing behaviour. If anyone else spoke in the way he did, that person would have been laughed at.
Ma Chao Qun wouldn’t even dare to blow his top as he gulped and cupped his fists, “Please forgive us for offending you, Your Excellency, and show mercy for my Third Brother. If you could find it in your heart to release him, we will take our leave now and never show ourselves before you again.”
Although he appeared humble and polite, he was viciously cursing He Wu Zui in his heart. [Fourth Brother is such a fool! He didn’t even realize that the Lu Family had gotten the support of such a Master! We came all the way here just to be humiliated! Now, we don’t even know if this young man will let us off. If we manage to escape today, we’ll definitely make a clean break with Fourth Brother! If we stay with him any longer, we’ll lose our lives sooner or later!]
“Do you think you can come and go as you please? Do you think I’ll let you off so easily?” The young man sneered.
Although he was in a special state earlier, it didn’t mean he wasn’t aware of what was going on. Upon hearing their conversation, he had figured out what happened with these people and even though he didn’t consider himself to be a righteous person, he wouldn’t mind lending a hand when someone was in trouble.
Ma Chao Qun lamented in his heart, but he could only speak respectfully, “We acknowledge that the punishment is deserved, so please inform us of what Your Excellency wants from us.”
He couldn’t even figure out how powerful this young man’s cultivation was, so he wasn’t confident of going against him. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have appeared so meek. After all, he was someone with power and status.
The young man frowned as he despised this fatty for his readiness to yield, his killing intent fading greatly.
*Hong Long Long…*
Just then, a rumbling sounded across the sky and at the same time, the aura of the entire world seemed to have turned dangerous. At the same time, high up in the sky, lightning arcs began to crackle.
Everyone’s expression changed greatly as they looked up at the sky, only to see a dark swirl in the clouds. There seemed to be a Thunder Dragon swimming through this black vortex, one that emitted a Heaven-destroying and Earth-shattering power.
“What’s wrong with you!? I’ve already hidden so well!” The young man gazed up at the sky and cursed out loud.
Lu Huai Shuang frowned and stared at the young man’s figure with a weird expression wondering if he was cursing the Heavens.
All of a sudden, she felt sympathetic towards this young man. His cultivation appeared extremely powerful, and his actions just now showed he was a brave and heroic character. Upon a closer look, she realized that he was good-looking as well. Unfortunately, he seemed to be suffering from some kind of mental illness. If not, why would he be cursing the Heavens?
[Perhaps even the Heavens are jealous of such a talented man?] Lu Huai Shuang suddenly had this thought in her mind.
While she was still lost in contemplation, a booming sound was suddenly heard, which caused all of their eardrums to tremble. As though it was responding to the young man’s curse, a large beam of lightning shot out of the vortex towards the young man, one that seemed to tear about the world wherever it travelled.
All who witnessed this had goosebumps all over their bodies. Lu Huai Shuang, who was closest to the young man, turned ashen in an instant. It couldn’t be helped, as the lightning had a specific target, and it was going to strike the young man accurately.
[He is going to be struck by Heavenly Lightning! How wicked must he be that even the Heavens cannot allow him to live anymore!?]
“Run!” The young man suddenly turned around and grabbed Lu Huai Shuang’s collars before hurling her away.
Lu Huai Shuang hadn’t even realized what was going on before she was sent flying away like an arrow. As she flew backwards, she saw the giant lightning bolt strike the young man. In an instant, his black hair stood on end, upon which a 1,000-metre radius around him turned into a sea of lightning.
Those cultivators who didn’t escape in time were charred to death instantly without even a chance to scream. A burnt smell then filled the air, as though someone was having a barbeque. When the others caught a whiff of that smell, many felt the urge to start retching.
The lightning kept striking the young man for quite some time. During this period of time, beams of lightning came pouring down on that young man from the dark vortex, causing him to convulse uncontrollably, as though he was suffering from a foul plague. All of them could see that he must be in excruciating pain.
Lu Huai Shuang looked away as she didn’t have the heart to keep gazing at the sight. No matter how cruel he was when he killed, no matter how evil this young man was, he had just done her a great favour. If he hadn’t made a move earlier, she would’ve been injured, if not dead.
Meanwhile, Ma Chao Qun and He Wu Zui were ecstatic, and they almost couldn’t contain their urge to laugh. [The Heavenly Way is on our side! This man is being punished by the Heavens themselves!]
They traded glances and understood what was on each other’s mind without the need for a discussion. Moments later, the beams of lightning finally subsided, and the dark swirl in the sky disappeared.
The place fell into silence. The young man was still holding Ge Ming up with his hand. Nevertheless, both of them were seen with their hair standing on end, and their faces completely charred. There didn’t seem to be any aura lingering about them anymore.
No one knew the state the young man was in now, but it was apparent that the Fierce Gale Pirates’ Third Manager had left for the other world.
All of them saw how formidable the Heavenly Lightning was. It was the Heavenly Way’s method of exacting punishment. Even someone in the Third-Order Origin King Realm would’ve lost their life if they were punished in such a way, to say nothing of the fact that Ge Ming was only a First-Order Origin King. That was basically an unfortunate disaster for him. Although this young man was capable of ending Ge Ming’s life, he hadn’t really shown any intention of killing him. Instead, Ge Ming was killed by the beams of Heavenly Lightning.
Just then, two figures were seen charging forward. Like two beams of light, Ma Chao Qun and He Wu Zui came at the young man from both sides.
An enemy had to be killed with certainty to prevent future trouble. Certainly, they understood this simple principle. They had only appeared meek earlier because this strange young man showcased unfathomable power.
Now that he had been struck down by Heavenly Lightning though, they had to cut him down first whether or not he was dead. They had to make sure that this young man was truly dead so that they would stand a chance to survive. Otherwise, whether they lived or died would no longer be a decision for them to make.
Although Ma Chao Qun was fat, he was extremely agile. His bulky figure charged forward at incredible speed as the two golden orbs in his hands shone brightly. Before he even reached the young man, the golden orbs shot towards his opponent’s chest and head respectively in an overbearing manner.
On the other hand, He Wu Zui performed a hand seal and activated a frightening Secret Technique. A python appeared in mid-air all of a sudden as it opened its mouth wide in an attempt to bite the young man’s head off.
The series of actions was so rapid that Lu Huai Shuang hadn’t managed to react. With her heart jumping to her throat, she hurriedly slashed at He Wu Zui and Ma Chao Qun with her Sword Qi in an attempt to stop them from attacking the young man.
However, her action had come too late. She was doing all she could to save the young man, but it was probably useless.
*Chi, Chi, Chi…*
While the Sword Qi was slashing across the air, Ma Chao Qun and He Wu Zui suddenly stopped in their tracks, as though they had crashed into an invisible wall. At that moment, their hearts sank, and they were horrified as they stared fixedly at the sight in front of them.
What made them stop wasn’t Lu Huai Shuang’s Sword Qi, but rather the young man’s reaction. The strange young man, who had been struck by a shower of Heavenly Lightning just now, suddenly started moving again. He combed his messy hair back as his gaze turned from calm to furious, as though he was displeased with something.
It was this simple action that forced Ma Chao Qun and He Wu Zui to stop in their tracks as they had lost the courage to continue their attack.
Everyone seemed to have been restrained by an invisible hand, and time seemed to have stopped at that moment as well. All of them were rooted to the spot.
[He’s not dead? How did he survive inside that torrent of lightning?] Lu Huai Shuang couldn’t help but widen her eyes, an indescribable emotion flashing across their depths.
Meanwhile, Ma Chao Qun’s golden orbs were still shooting toward the young man at full speed and were just about to reach him.
Before the orbs could find their mark though, the young man lowered the hand he was using to comb his hair and waved it lightly.
Ma Chao Qun’s chest tightened, for he realized that he had lost the connection with his golden orbs. Upon a closer look, he felt his entire body trembling violently. In that instant, the two golden orbs had fallen into the young man’s hand. Swinging his fingers lightly, the golden orbs hovered around above his palm before they simply dropped into his grasp.
[How did he manage to snatch my Natal Artifact away so easily? What kind of Divine Ability was that? Who is he? What is he!?]
The python He Wu Zui had summoned reached the young man at that moment; however, he was so shocked that he couldn’t sustain it anymore, so it simply dissipated into a shower of light particles.
He Wu Zui gulped as his face started twitching uncontrollably.
“Uh…” Ma Chao Qun licked his dry lips as he tried to come up with an explanation, but he realized that he had lost all courage and couldn’t even speak properly.
“I didn’t kill him.” The young man finally tossed Ge Ming’s corpse away.
Ge Ming was killed by the Heavenly Lightning, so it was true in a sense that the young man didn’t murder him.
“Sir… I’m sure this is a misunderstanding,” Ma Chao Qun forced a smile, but he appeared more hideous than if he was crying.
“A misunderstanding? How so? Why don’t you explain it to me?” The young man stared indifferently at him.
Certainly, Ma Chao Qun couldn’t come up with an explanation. Normally, he would suppress others with his strength. If he fell out with someone, he would simply fight it out with them or escape if he couldn’t be victorious. Therefore, he had never been a smooth talker who could persuade other people. With sweat oozing from his forehead continuously, he had to keep wiping it away nervously. If he couldn’t come up with an explanation, he was doomed.
In the end, he opted to say nothing at all. Gritting his teeth, he turned around and ran for his life at full speed. Right now, he had no other option but to try to escape.
He and He Wu Zui only had themselves to blame for making a move on that young man. He also blamed himself for failing to realize how powerful his enemy was.
Seeing Ma Chao Qun flee, naturally, He Wu Zui didn’t dare to remain any longer. He immediately made up his mind and turned to run in a different direction. That was his instinctive reaction, as he hoped that the young man would chase after Ma Chao Qun, thus giving him time to escape. However, he was bound to be disappointed.
The young man didn’t even take a look at the fleeing pair, simply waving his hand once, sending one of the golden orbs flying out at a phenomenal speed.
“AH!!” A man screamed and fell to the ground with a loud thud.
He Wu Zui didn’t even dare to turn his head back as he put all his energy into fleeing, wishing he could grow two extra legs at this moment as he knew that the one who screamed just now was Ma Chao Qun.
All of a sudden, he felt a sharp pain on his back, and he collapsed onto the ground upon impact. He hurriedly got to his feet, but he was startled upon seeing the puddle of blood on the ground. Moreover, he felt as if he was missing something.
Lowering his head, he saw the last sight of his life. There was a large hole on his chest. Through the wound, he could see his organs squirming within his body. His vision turned dark, upon which he fell to the ground as his vitality rapidly left his body.
The atmosphere fell silent. On this unknown Dead Star, it was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. Be it the hundreds of disciples from the Lu Family or the Star Pirates from the Fierce Gale Pirates, or the elite cultivators from the He Family, they were all shaken to the core as they stared at the unmoving young man, as though they were looking at a deity.
It couldn’t be helped, as from beginning to end, there weren’t any aura fluctuations from the young man, even when he threw out the golden orbs. In other words, he had accomplished what he did using pure physical strength. Ma Chao Qun and He Wu Zui had collapsed to the ground after a single hit each, without any chance to resist.
Both Ma Chao Qun and He Wu Zui were dead. Both of them were First-Order Origin Kings, but they were as helpless as three-year-old children in front of this young man. They couldn’t have imagined that this would be the outcome when they had plotted this venture today.
All the cultivators from these three groups were engulfed in feelings of fear, panic, and wariness. Having just witnessed this young man’s terrifying power, they knew that he could kill all of them with ease if he wanted to.
Lu Huai Shuang’s gaze appeared conflicted as she stared at the young man. Besides gratitude, there was also a sense of worry behind her eyes.
This young man had indeed saved her, but it was the first time she met him, so she wasn’t sure whether he was a righteous or wicked person. She was no longer an inexperienced little girl and she currently had hundreds of her family’s top cultivators depending on her, so she couldn’t make a decision based solely on her own preferences.
She wanted to find out the young man’s temperament, but she didn’t dare to ask him anything. While she was hesitating though, the young man turned to look at her with a faint smile on his face.
Lu Huai Shuang’s heart leapt to her throat as she felt that the smile on his face appeared ill-intentioned. Furthermore, his stare made her feel like she had been stripped bare and seen through, which was why she stiffened in an instant.
“If I were you, I would’ve come out voluntarily.”
Her expression changed when she heard that.
[What does he mean? I don’t think I’ve offended him in any way. When he was assaulted, I even offered to help him. Moreover, when the Heavenly Lightning descended, he pushed me away, so he doesn’t seem like a bad person, so why did his attitude change all of a sudden? Did I just walk out of a wolf’s lair only to enter a tiger’s den?]
Since the young man was so much more powerful than she was, she didn’t dare to disobey him. Her cultivation was essentially the same as Ma Chao Qun and He Wu Zui, but they were killed by this young man with ease. If he wanted to take her life, there was no way she could keep it.
Sighing to herself, she decided to accept her fate. However, before she could take a step forward, she suddenly felt some movement behind her. Shocked, she turned around to discover a figure whose aura suggested that he was in the Second-Order Origin King Realm standing there.
Lu Huai Shuang’s pupils contracted when she realized who he was. [Sheng Yao! The Head Manager of the Fierce Gale Pirates!]
Although it was the first time she came across this person, she could recognize him at first glance. Besides Sheng Yao, no other Master in the Second-Order Origin King Realm would appear in this place at this moment.
The Head Manager of the Fierce Gale Pirates had managed to escape unscathed after the great forces of the Star Field had joined to annihilate him in the past, but at this moment, he looked like an obedient servant as he was trotting over in an obsequious manner with a cautious smile on his face.
After moving past Lu Huai Shuang, he stopped in front of the young man and bowed his head deeply as he greeted clearly, “Greetings Senior, this humble one is called Sheng Yao. I am astonished by your incredible power and am willing to follow you and serve as your subordinate. Senior, please accept my obedience!”
Everyone widened their eyes in disbelief. They had expected that Sheng Yao would either be unyielding or plead for mercy, but it was beyond their imagination that he would lower his head right after he appeared.
[Is he really the Fierce Gale Pirates’ Head Manager? Is he really a Second-Order Origin King?] Everyone felt that the sight they were seeing was surreal; however, after giving it a thought, they knew that he was just submitting to the circumstances.
Apparently, Sheng Yao wasn’t confident about going up against this young man, which was why he appeared so servile. A Master would only back down in front of an even stronger Master.
A glint flashed across the young man’s eyes as he looked over Sheng Yao and curled up his lips, as though he had found something interesting. However, he soon knitted his brow, for he had never expected that this person would be so cowardly. It was said that ‘one should not slap a person in the face when he was smiling at you. Although Sheng Yao had been hiding nearby the whole time, he had never made an aggressive move; hence, there were practically no grudges between them.
Moreover, he appeared humble and subservient now, so it would be inappropriate for the young man to kill him directly. Ma Chao Qun and He Wu Zui only had themselves to blame for their deaths. On the other hand, this Sheng Yao appeared to have sharp instincts for avoiding misfortune.
[This puts me in a tight spot.] After some deliberation, the young man still didn’t know what to do, so he decided to ignore him and close his eyes while remaining in the same spot.
Sheng Yao remained unmoving, his back bent deeply as pea-sized drops of sweat streamed down his face. It felt terrible to have his life controlled by the whims of another. Nevertheless, he had no choice but to remain subservient as this young man was far stronger than he was.
The place fell into silence again as the young man gave no reaction, but even an hour later, the young man still remained unmoving.
Naturally, the people from the Lu Family wouldn’t make a move since their leader, Lu Huai Shuang, also kept her silence. It was the same for the Fierce Gale Pirates. On the other hand, those top cultivators from the He Family traded glances as it was apparent that they wanted to flee when an opportunity presented itself.
Lu Huai Shuang shot them a cold glance all of a sudden, though, as she would definitely not allow them to escape. Both the Lu Family and the He Family were archenemies on Morning Sun Star, and their powers were equally matched because they both had an Origin King Realm Master assuming command. However, from today onwards, the He Family wouldn’t be a threat to the Lu Family anymore.
After He Wu Zui’s death, the He Family was practically leaderless, so the Lu Family could seize the chance and annex their properties and businesses. It would be the best outcome if Lu Huai Shuang could bury all these top cultivators from the He Family here forever.
Understanding that she couldn’t let this chance slip through her fingers, Lu Huai Shuang took one more look at the young man before steeling herself. A glint flashed across her azure longsword as she pointed her weapon at the He Family’s people and ordered coldly, “Kill them all!”
She had instantly decided the fate of those from the He Family. Although she was a woman, she wasn’t a magnanimous person. A soft-hearted person could never be the leader of great force. Since she took over the Lu Family, she could no longer live for herself.
The He Family instantly fell to a disadvantage. In truth, the cultivators from both families were equally matched in terms of quantity and strength; however, the Patriarch of the He Family was dead, and without a leader, these hundreds of top cultivators were unable to act in a cohesive manner. On the other hand, the people from the Lu Family had Lu Huai Shuang on their side, so their momentum was far greater and they were able to defeat their enemies with ease.
Just one hour later, all those from the He Family were slaughtered except for a small number of people who managed to escape. Despite that, they were just like beasts in a cage on this Dead Star, so they couldn’t possibly cause trouble anymore.
While the two families fought, the Fierce Gale Pirates fled from this place. The Lu Family’s people couldn’t divert their attention to those people either as their priority was the cultivators from the He Family.
That was why the Fierce Gale Pirates managed to leave this place with ease without anyone pursuing them. On the other hand, Sheng Yao was abandoned by his own people.
It was easy to share wealth, but it was hard to endure hardship together. It wasn’t even certain whether their Head Manager could live to see the next sunrise, so none of the Star Pirates were willing to stay there and let someone else decide their fate.
Sheng Yao continued to bow as he cursed all of his subordinates in his heart. Those people were proactive when they followed him around to drink wine and have fun with women; however, after he fell into trouble, they all ran away as quickly as possible. At that instant, he finally saw through their true colours.
One hour later, those from the Lu Family declared victory. In the end, only a few of them had been injured, which was a small price to gain such immense success. After the war, hundreds of top cultivators from the He Family were killed, and even their only Origin King Grade Starship had been seized by the Lu Family. On top of that, the He Family Patriarch was dead.
The outcome was astonishing, and just thinking that the Lu Family would be the sole ruler of Morning Sun Star from this day onward, all of them could barely contain their excitement.
Everyone knew that everything was made possible because of the young man who appeared out of nowhere. If he hadn’t killed He Wu Zui, no one could be certain who would end up the winner today.
Lu Huai Shuang returned from the battlefield with her clothes still clean and her hair still tidy. There was a charming smile on her alluring face; however, she was startled when she took a look at the place where the young man was supposed to be standing and discovered that he was nowhere to be found now.
Meanwhile, Sheng Yao remained on the same spot, still bowing, the sand around him soaked in sweat.
Lu Huai Shuang looked around with a frown, and upon confirming that the young man was indeed gone, she felt somewhat dejected. Then, she moved forward and asked, “Where is he?”
Sheng Yao didn’t reply to her.
“He’s gone,” Lu Huai Shuang uttered.
Shocked by what he just heard, Sheng Yao finally looked up cautiously. Upon realizing that the young man was no longer there, he felt his entire body shuddering. He was more terrified than he was surprised though as he had failed to notice it when the young man left.
He had been less than ten steps away from the young man, and given his Second-Order Origin King cultivation, Sheng Yao should have noticed something even if the young man was a Third-Order Origin King.
However, the young man just disappeared mysteriously without anyone noticing it, which was why Sheng Yao was so frightened. At the same time, he was glad that he had made the right decision. Although his dignity was lost, he had kept his life unlike his Second Brother, Third Brother and Fourth Brother.
“Can I get up?” Sheng Yao asked.
Lu Huai Shuang snorted, “Why are you asking me?”
She was naturally not fond of this Fierce Gale Pirate Head Manager. In fact, all the cultivators in the Star Field despised Star Pirates, which was why Lu Huai Shuang was treating him coldly now.
Sheng Yao put on an embarrassed smile and slowly stood up straight, cautious about his surroundings as he was worried the young man would suddenly reappear and cut him down.
It took him almost as long as it would take to boil a cup of tea to get up completely, but after he did, Sheng Yao heaved a sigh of relief and brushed away the sweat on his forehead. Since he was still breathing, it meant that the young man didn’t have any intention of killing him. Still, he felt slightly dejected for he was a Second-Order Origin King and the young man wasn’t even interested in making a move against him. Otherwise, the young man wouldn’t have ignored him.
“Young Lady Lu, I’ve heard a lot about you. Haha.” Sheng Yao put on a fawning smile and cupped his fists at her.
“Where is he now?” Never before in Lu Huai Shuang’s life had she had such an urge to look for someone. However, at this moment, she could only ask Sheng Yao about it.
“I… I don’t know…” Sheng Yao forced a smile.
In an instant, Lu Huai Shuang looked at him in shock as she had figured out the hidden message in his words, and she couldn’t help but be surprised.
“I suppose he’s still on this Dead Star though.” Sheng Yao wasn’t certain about it himself. Nevertheless, he thought that if that person had really left, he could take the chance and flee from this place. He wouldn’t dare to harm the Lu Family anymore. After such an ordeal, he just wanted to stay as far away from them as possible, so he uttered hesitantly, “Why don’t we look for him together?”
Lu Huai Shuang glared at him for a moment before silently summoning her Star Shuttle and boarding it, flying off in a beam of light.
The corner of Sheng Yao’s mouth twitched as he hesitated between fleeing from this place and looking for that strange young man. Eventually, he clenched his teeth and raced after the shuttle as he shouted, “Young Lady Lu, wait for me!”
For him, it was more than just admiration and fear he felt. He could sense a trace of a higher Martial Dao from that young man which he had been pursuing but couldn’t attain.
Meanwhile, the young man was sitting cross-legged atop a certain small mountain. There wasn’t any vitality on this Dead Star, nor any greenery. Such barren mountains could be seen everywhere on this Dead Star. This particular mountain was covered in sand and stones, and whenever a breeze whisked past, the sand would be brought up into the air, and a radius of ten metres around the young man would be hardly visible.
The stone mountain was only a kilometre high, but as Sheng Yao and Lu Huai Shuang stood at its base and stared up towards its summit, they felt as if they were gazing upon a 100-kilometre-high mountain because of the young man who sat at its peak. The mountain itself was small, while the figure above it appeared many times larger.
Half a month ago, the two of them had cooperated and finally found this figure at this place. Not daring to disturb the young man though, they waited for him at the bottom of the mountain. The wait had lasted for half a month already, and during this time, the young man remained seated on the same spot as though he was dead, no aura leaking from him at all.
Neither Lu Huai Shuang nor Sheng Yao knew what this young man was doing. He didn’t look like he was cultivating at all; rather, it was as if he was simply asleep. The half-month wait was extremely dull, but fortunately, both of them were Origin Kings and were used to cultivating in seclusion for years at a time, so they were used to such monotony.
Sheng Yao wanted to know more about this young man, so he kept asking Lu Huai Shuang about him; however, the latter knew nothing about him other than the fact that he mysteriously appeared on her Starship out of nowhere. At that time, she even thought he was dead. Nevertheless, she realized that her Third Uncle’s speculation was right.
The damage to her Starship was undoubtedly caused by this young man. Only a man with such inconceivable power could ignore a volley of ten Crystal Cannons without being hurt.
However, she was somewhat frustrated now. This couldn’t be helped, as this Head Manager from Fierce Gale Pirates kept talking to her incessantly. He looked more like a nagging housewife than a Second-Order Origin King.
However, she realized that there was no sense of obscenity behind Sheng Yao’s gaze whenever he looked at her. Apart from the fact that he admired the young man, there must be other reasons behind his continued presence.
Nevertheless, Lu Huai Shuang was fine with this as she hated it most when men stared at her with licentious gazes.
“Young Lady Lu, I believe it’s fate that has brought us together. When you’re free in the future, why don’t you visit me at the Fierce Gale Pirates’ headquarters? We have many…”
“We can discuss it if you manage to leave here alive.” Lu Huai Shuang rudely cut him off.
In an instant, Sheng Yao’s expression turned bitter.
A few days later, Lu Huai Shuang and Sheng Yao suddenly sensed something as they looked up at the peak of the mountain. The young man, who had been sitting cross-legged the whole time, finally got to his feet and stretched his back before yawning for a bit. As though he had just awakened from a long dream, he placed his hands behind his back and looked into the distance with his deep gaze.
Lu Huai Shuang and Sheng Yao traded glances before they dashed forward to the peak of the mountain. In the blink of an eye, they reached the top.
When they landed on the ground, they were startled for a moment because at this moment, the young man was giving off an ethereal feeling. Although he was standing there, it was as though he was some elusive smoke. If they hadn’t seen him with their eyes, they wouldn’t have known he was there even if they swept the area intensively with their Divine Senses.
[Did he sit cross-legged on the same spot for so long just to conceal his aura to the point where no one could notice it? What’s the point of doing this?]
Not daring to appear disrespectful, Lu Huai Shuang bowed slightly and uttered, “Lu Huai Shuang thanks Senior for his assistance the other day. It was all thanks to Senior that my Lu Family remains safe. I am forever grateful.”
The young man replied, “It was a minor matter. Just see it as the compensation for damaging your Starship.”
[So he really was the one who damaged our Starship!] Although she had somewhat guessed it before, Lu Huai Shuang was still astounded when this young man admitted it himself. In a respectful manner, she bowed and said, “I wouldn’t dare.”
She was a powerful Master in her own right, but when facing this young man who seemed only slightly older than she was, she lost all confidence as an Origin King Realm Master. Standing in front of him, she felt like a toddler who was just starting to learn how to walk. It was as though he could knock her down with just one finger.
She wanted to ask why he was so powerful, and how he ended up being unconscious. However, she decided to keep her mouth shut as she was worried that she might accidentally offend him.
Sheng Yao was more experienced and flexible than Lu Huai Shuang was, so he put on a fawning smile and asked, “Senior, how may I address you?”
Lu Huai Shuang’s gaze brightened up as she turned to look at the young man.
“Yang Kai. My name is Yang Kai,” the young man replied.
A glint of shock flashed across Sheng Yao’s eyes, as he had never heard this name before. He was certain that this young man wasn’t one of the Overlords of the Star Field. Astounded, he thought, [Does he come from ‘that’ place? If that’s the case, then everything makes sense now, including why he was struck by Heavenly Lightning some time ago. It’s because even the Heavenly Way cannot tolerate his presence here!]
Agitated, Sheng Yao felt that he was right to yield the other day. He might be rewarded handsomely in the future for his wise decision. Apparently, Lu Huai Shuang realized something as well, causing her gaze to brighten further.
“Where’s this place?” Yang Kai asked.
“We’re on… A Dead Star?” Sheng Yao replied cautiously. If anyone else asked him such a ridiculous question, he would have slapped him across the face. There were countless Dead Stars in this Star Field that had existed since ancient times, so it was impossible to name all of them. The young man’s question was indeed unreasonable.
“I mean where is ‘this’ place!” Yang Kai pointed at the vast Heavens and drew a circle. His movement was light, but it was as though he could embrace the entire Starry Sky.
Suppressing the excitement in her heart, Lu Huai Shuang replied, “This is Unending Star Field!”
“Unending Star Field?” The light in Yang Kai’s gaze went out as he heaved a sigh secretly. He was disappointed that he hadn’t returned to Heng Luo Star Field.
Although the Void Corridor in the Dragon Temple was connected to a Lower Star Field, Yang Kai knew that there were a vast number of such Star Fields. The chances he would return to Heng Luo Star Field through the Void Corridor were far less than one percent, and he didn’t know how to go there either. After entering the corridor, he could only chase after Wu Kuang’s aura. Unfortunately, he lost him halfway through.
Now, he wasn’t even sure if Wu Kuang was in this Star Field. Maybe Wu Kuang had found somewhere to hide, waiting for the right chance to rise again.
“Senior… Are you not from this Star Field?” Sheng Yao mustered enough courage and asked as his heart pounded against his chest, while Lu Huai Shuang stared fixedly at the young man.
“No,” There wasn’t a need for him to hide this fact. Moreover, they must have realized this as well, so they were just asking this question to confirm their speculations.
Upon hearing this, Sheng Yao and Lu Huai Shuang turned solemn. Sheng Yao was so agitated that his lips started trembling as he asked in a shaking voice, “Then, where is Senior Yang from?”
Yang Kai shot him a cold glare, upon which Sheng Yao immediately shut his mouth. He was overly excited and had forgotten about the young man’s power. He regretted asking that question now.
Lu Huai Shuang uttered, “There’s nothing of any worth on this Star. Why doesn’t Senior accompany me to my home to have a chat?”
Since he wasn’t from Unending Star Field, he must have many questions to ask, and if that was the case, there was a chance for Lu Huai Shuang to strike up a relationship with him. As long as she could satisfy him, the Lu Family would gain tremendous benefits.
Yang Kai nodded, “Good.”
With a faint smile on her face, Lu Huai Shuang made a ‘please’ gesture, upon which Yang Kai walked forward to go down the mountain.
Just when he reached Lu Huai Shuang, his left foot suddenly tripped over his own right foot as he staggered and dazedly fell forward. He instinctively tried to stabilize himself by reaching out his hands, but he happened to grab some plump flesh. At that instant, he could feel the amazing elasticity in his hands.
The air seemed to have frozen in an instant. Time seemed to have stopped flowing, and all of them were rooted to the spot. Lu Huai Shuang’s face turned visibly red as though it was burning with fire. The squeezing sensation on her peak made her feel uncomfortable, and she almost couldn’t contain her urge to draw her sword.
Given her power and reflexes, she could have avoided it when Yang Kai was falling toward her. However, she was wary of this young man, so she didn’t dare to react in an agitated manner. Therefore, she decided to remain standing there, and this was the result.
It was the first time her sensitive parts were grabbed by a man, and it was even one she had just met and didn’t know anything about. At that moment, her eyes turned bloodshot.
Sheng Yao widened his eyes as he stared at Yang Kai with a weird expression. [Even if he couldn’t wait, he shouldn’t have done it here. How did he even trip over his own foot? What’s wrong with him? Is he really the same Master with unfathomable cultivation who killed two Origin King Realm Masters with ease?]
Yang Kai was equally shocked as he retracted his hands slowly and straightened up. Then, he spread his palms and took a look with a frown.
When Sheng Yao and Lu Huai Shuang saw that, they misunderstood that Yang Kai might be reminiscing about something.
“It wasn’t intentional,” Yang Kai gazed at her with a sincere expression, but his explanation sounded unconvincing.
Lu Huai Shuang pressed her lips together and lowered her head, “It’s fine.”
Certainly, she wasn’t fine with it, as her reputation was involved. However, there was nothing she could do because she was less powerful than he was. It wasn’t like she would ask him to take responsibility. Even if he was willing to do so, she would still reject him.
After a sigh, Yang Kai spoke up, “Let’s go.”
It was useless for him to explain anything. Only he knew what truly happened. Then, he turned around and walked down the mountain.
Sheng Yao was astounded and thought that this man’s temperament was strange. Given the young man’s incredible power, he could have flown over, so why did he choose to walk? Since he couldn’t figure out what was on the young man’s mind, he could only follow him.
Lu Huai Shuang remained on the same spot for a while to calm herself down before she clenched her teeth and followed him.
“Head Manager, you don’t have to keep following me. You can return to wherever you came from.” Yang Kai suddenly said without turning his head.
More than half a month had passed, so he was no longer interested in killing Sheng Yao. Moreover, he had never had such intentions in the first place as he quite disdained making a move against a mere Second-Order Origin King.
Whether or not the Fierce Gale Pirates were a bunch of evildoers, they were natives of Unending Star Field, so it had nothing to do with Yang Kai.
Upon hearing that, Sheng Yao felt humiliated as his face started flushing, “Senior, I’m a man of my own words. Since I’ve sworn to serve you, I will not simply back down now.”
Yang Kai suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned his head to look at him, a faint smile forming on his face as he asked, “A ‘man’ you say?”
Sheng Yao’s face twitched, but he wasn’t sure what to reply to him.
“Suit yourself,” Yang Kai kept walking forward, upon which Sheng Yao hurriedly followed him.
Lu Huai Shuang couldn’t help but knit her brows together as she despised this Head Manager of Fierce Gale Pirates. [How could he still be fine after being humiliated like that?] At the same time, she was amazed at how thick-skinned he was. If she were in his place, she couldn’t have done this.
Although the speed at which Yang Kai was walking was leisurely, and there wasn’t any trace of him using any Movement Skill, as though he was simply strolling, both Sheng Yao and Lu Huai Shuang had to push their Saint Qi to keep up with him, and in just one hour, they managed to return to the Starships.
The two Starships were parked on this sandy plain, looking like two twin giants. Lu Bing was just standing outside the Starship when he spotted Lu Huai Shuang, so he quickly approached her. As someone with sharp vision, he immediately understood what was going on upon seeing Sheng Yao and Lu Huai Shuang walking behind the young man. Bowing slightly, he greeted, “Greetings, Senior, this one’s name is Lu Bing from the Lu Family.”
After a nod, Yang Kai moved past him and stepped onto the Starship. Lu Huai Shuang walked past Lu Bing and spoke to him via Divine Sense, “We’ll talk about it later.”
After that, she followed Yang Kai into the Starship. She was the head of the Lu Family, so she had to arrange everything for Yang Kai first before she could worry about other things.
Sheng Yao wanted to board as well, but Lu Bing and the others stopped him as they stared at him with hostile gazes.
Sheng Yao shouted, “I’m Senior’s escort, so I have to follow him. Make way!”
Then, he circulated his Saint Qi and pushed the crowd apart. He managed to push them away with ease due to his powerful cultivation, and instead of feeling ashamed, he appeared proud when he announced his status as a servant, which shocked Lu Bing and the others.
[The Head Manager of Fierce Gale Pirates, a Master in the Second-Order Origin King Realm, is willing to serve as someone’s escort? What’s wrong with this world?]
The Starship’s interior was spacious. Lu Huai Shuang led the way and walked along the corridors, bringing Yang Kai to a certain room before pushing open the door and beckoning, “Sir, please.”
Upon entering the room, Yang Kai caught a whiff of a pleasant scent. That wasn’t the smell of perfume, but the natural bodily fragrance of a woman.
The room was luxuriously designed, as there were some Luminous Pearls that were as large as fists dotting the walls. The pearls cast a gentle glow in the room. A thick and soft red carpet was placed on the floor and to his left was a big bed with pink curtains around it.
On his right was a large bathtub with flowers floating on the water. Although Yang Kai hadn’t sunk himself into it, he knew that the water must be at the perfect temperature.
There was also a dressing table to the side, and although there were no cosmetic products on it, its purpose was apparent.
Obviously, this was a woman’s room!
Moreover, it should be Lu Huai Shuang’s room, which was the best room on this Starship.
Most women would avoid getting too intimate with a man. Normally, no matter how much a woman respected her guest, she couldn’t let him stay in her room as that would undoubtedly draw criticism.
However, given Yang Kai’s strength, he was more than just a guest. Lu Huai Shuang thought that she could only show enough respect for him by letting him stay in her room. Even though he had molested her before, she wouldn’t dare to grow resentful of him.
Sheng Yao shot her a meaningful glance with a faint smile on his face.
Seeing that, Lu Huai Shuang started blushing. She didn’t have any ulterior motives when she decided to let Yang Kai stay in her room; however, it was still embarrassing for her to do so, especially when this man was just around her age. In a gentle voice, she asked, “Senior, are you fine with this room? If you don’t like it, I can prepare you a different one.”
“No, this is good enough.” Yang Kai nodded as he didn’t find anything inappropriate about it. It was just a resting place for him, so it didn’t matter whether or not it was a woman’s room.
“I’m glad you like it.” For some reason, Lu Huai Shuang heaved a sigh of relief, as her expectation was becoming reality. Shocked by this thought, she hurriedly said, “Senior, please rest for now. I must attend to other matters now but will return as soon as they are completed.”
“Good,” Yang Kai waved his hand.
It was only then that Lu Huai Shuang turned around and left. Before she did so though, she shot a glance at Sheng Yao, as she didn’t like this unwelcome guest. However, he had claimed to be in Yang Kai’s service now, so it was inappropriate for her to chase him away, which was why she only shot him a glare as a warning.
After the door was closed, Yang Kai walked around the room as he picked up a number of things and then put them down repeatedly, as though he was curious about everything in this room.
On the other hand, Sheng Yao followed him around like a tail.
All of a sudden, Yang Kai turned around, which almost caused Sheng Yao to crash into him. Sheng Yao immediately stepped aside and looked at him with an apprehensive expression, only to see that Yang Kai was staring back at him with a grin, “Are you going to follow me into the bath as well?”
The corners of Sheng Yao’s eyes twitched as he lowered his head, “I wouldn’t dare. I’ll leave now. Please just call if you need anything. I’ll be waiting outside the room.”
Upon finishing his words, he dashed out of the room and closed the door, then he waited respectfully outside. All of a sudden, he put on a helpless smile.
Sheng Yao had always thought that his disguise was perfect, as even his sworn Brothers in the Fierce Gale Pirates, who had drunk wine and had fun with women with him over the years, had never been able to see through him. However, he knew that his disguise was useless in front of Yang Kai.
Yang Kai had probably seen through him in a single glance, but he just didn’t bother to point it out.
Then, Sheng Yao recalled what Yang Kai had done to Lu Huai Shuang earlier. As he thought about his own wish, a glint of determination flashed across his eyes. Then, he nodded and performed a hand seal, upon which his body went through a huge transformation.
Yang Kai had taken off his clothes and was leaning against the bathtub. With his arms spread on the edges, he appeared relaxed. His muscles were well-built and balanced. If any woman saw him in his naked state, they would probably scream in surprise.
He was in a Lower Star Field now, and although he had come to the Unending Star Field, which was an unfamiliar place to him, he had reached his goal at the very least.
When he was founding High Heaven Palace, he thought to himself that he would bring his friends and relatives on Shadowed Star over to the Star Boundary one day. Although he had been trying hard to increase his cultivation over the years, he hadn’t had a chance or managed to find a way to return to his native Star Field.
Nevertheless, he had a chance now. Although he was now in Unending Star Field, it didn’t mean that he had no chance to return to Heng Luo Star Field. He knew that all Star Fields were separate from each other, but some Star Fields were interconnected. Maybe there were some ways or routes to travel to other Star Fields from this Unending Star Field.
Thus, he made up his mind. His primary goal was to return to Heng Luo Star Field, while his secondary goal was to find out Wu Kuang’s whereabouts. He had a feeling that Wu Kuang might be in Unending Star Field as well, and if that was the case, he could try to look for him. Wu Kuang was an old monster with vast experience, so he must know how to travel between Star Fields.
After Yang Kai was done with the bath, he put on his clothes and combed his hair. Then, he summoned his Sealed World Bead. Bracing himself, he cautiously circulated his Emperor Qi and entered the Small Sealed World.
Inside a quaint house in the Small Sealed World, Liu Yan, who was in a lotus position, opened her eyes suddenly and left the house. At the same time, the Embodiment showed up as well. Upon trading glances, they knew what was on each other’s minds.
Li Jiao, Lu San Niang and her daughter were having a good laugh when they saw them. Li Jiao couldn’t help but ask, “Sister Liu Yan, what’s happening?”
“Master is coming,” Liu Yan’s gaze brightened as she looked in a particular direction.
Upon hearing that, Li Jiao was startled for a moment before he looked in the same direction with a surprised gaze.
On the other side, Yang Kai appeared elusive, but he soon reached the house and flashed a smile at them, “It seems all of you are here.”
Liu Yan was standing there as she spread her arms at him.
Yang Kai shot her a stare, “What are you doing?”
“I want a hug!”
Yang Kai uttered, “Are you kidding me? Your age seems to have grown in reverse.” Upon finishing his words though, he still walked up to her and lifted her off her feet, as though he was carrying a baby.
Sitting on his arm, Liu Yan appeared satisfied as her hair hung loose on her shoulders. Previously, she hadn’t seen Yang Kai for a long time as she had been cultivating on Spirit Beast Island. When she finally met Yang Kai on Dragon Island, she didn’t have the chance to spend some quality time with him. Now that her wish had been granted, she fiddled with his ear with both hands in a presumptuous manner, as though she had just obtained a new toy.
Yang Kai kept shaking his head, but she was relentless, so he had no choice but to give in to her in the end.
“Brother Yang.” Li Jiao bowed to him, “I’ll never forget what you’ve done for me. If you need any help in the future, just ask, I’ll never reject.”
Lu San Niang approached them as well and bowed deeply, “Brother Yang, many thanks for helping obtain justice for me.” As she spoke, her eyes turned moist.
Lu Yu Qin hurriedly uttered, “Many thanks, Uncle Yang.”
She had never been fond of her Dragon Father. During this period of time, she had heard a lot from her mother about what happened in the past. In her eyes, Li Jiao was her father, while Fu Chi was the evilest person in the world.
Yang Kai reached out his hands and helped them up before replying, “It was Brother Li, not me, who got your revenge for you, so you don’t have to thank me.”
Embarrassed, Li Jiao added, “I wasn’t powerful enough for that. If you didn’t help me, I wouldn’t have stood a chance to retaliate against Fu Chi.”
Although he wasn’t the one who killed Fu Chi in the end, he had contributed significantly to his death. However, if it weren’t because Yang Kai had gotten the Blessing from the Dragon Temple for him prior to that, he wouldn’t have even had a chance to stand before Fu Chi.
Taking that into consideration, he was eternally grateful to Yang Kai. He was able to get the fury off his chest for what had happened on Dragon Island, and he could look forward to the future now. In fact, he had made up his mind that after he returned to Fire Dragon Palace, he would treat Lu San Niang and her daughter, as well as his other women much better.
After a casual chat, the Embodiment suddenly asked, “Have you come across any trouble?”
He was Yang Kai’s Soul Clone in the body of a Stone Spirit, so he could share Yang Kai’s memories if he wanted to, which was why he could sense that something was troubling him.
“En, you’re right.” Yang Kai nodded and spoke, “Have a seat first.”
Then, he waved his hand, upon which some wooden chairs and a table flew out of the house. These things were crafted by those from the Tong Xuan Realm who had left them here.
After they were all seated, Yang Kai moved his arms to seat Liu Yan in the chair beside him, but she wouldn’t agree to it. Left with no choice, he put her on his lap and draped one arm around her.
In just a short while, Yang Kai filled them in on what happened in the Dragon Temple. All of them were stunned upon learning that Wu Kuang had fled from the place by breaking through the Void and descending to a Lower Star Field.
Nevertheless, they were more shocked by the fact that Yang Kai had chased after him to an unfamiliar Star Field, Unending Star Field.
“The thing is…” Yang Kai put on a solemn expression, “Every Lower Star Field has its own World Principles that will repel any being that is stronger than an Origin King. So, besides Yu Qin, all of you can’t walk around safely outside of here. If you go out, you’ll be repelled by the Heavenly Way.”
Liu Yan asked, “What about you, Master?”
Yang Kai was in the Emperor Realm, and since Lower Star Fields would even repel people in the Dao Source Realm, nothing needed to be said about someone in an even higher realm.
“I was repelled as well.” Yang Kai rubbed his nose, “Before I came to this Star Field, I tried my best to suppress my own cultivation and aura; however, after I entered this place, I was still struck by Heavenly Lightning.”
The Heavenly Lightning was how World Principles repelled him. Fortunately, he had suppressed half of his cultivation already. Otherwise, the punishment would have been more severe. Although it was just a Lower Star Field, the power of World Principles could never be underestimated. If he was constantly targeted by the Heavenly Way, he couldn’t possibly stay safe in this Star Field.
“I… also stumbled.”
*Pu…* Liu Yan burst into a fit of giggles, as it was hard to imagine how a First-Order Emperor Realm Master would stumble. The others could barely suppress their laughter as well.
Yang Kai reached out to knock on her forehead, upon which she hurriedly covered her head and pouted.
“So, Brother Li, Sister San Niang, both of you should stay here for now as we can’t return to the Star Boundary for a while. Don’t worry. After I finish handling my own matters, I’ll bring you all back.”
Li Jiao nodded and replied, “It’s fine. Since you’re able to come, I’m sure you can leave this place as well. Is there anything we can help with? Given your cultivation, it’s impossible that you’ll come across any dangers in a Lower Star Field; however, since there are so many of us here, we can probably lend you a hand.”
Yang Kai said with a smile, “If you want to help me, then suppress your cultivation first.”
“Alright.” Li Jiao nodded.
“I want to help as well!” Liu Yan uttered.
“Good.”
In response, Liu Yan flashed a sweet smile at him.
Yang Kai had a feeling that she had changed a lot since their reunion.
…
“Where’s Lu An?” In another room, after Lu Huai Shuang was done with her chores, she asked Lu Bing this question.
Noticing the coldness in her voice, Lu Bing was shocked as he asked doubtfully, “What’s wrong with him?”
Lu Huai Shuang replied, “He was the one who revealed our location to the Fierce Gale Pirates and those He Family bastards.”
Lu An was her First Uncle, who didn’t dare to look Lu Huai Shuang in the eyes.
Things were pretty obvious. Lu Huai Shuang wasn’t blind, so she didn’t need to ask anything to have found out the truth. She didn’t punish him earlier because she had more pressing matters to attend to at the time. Now that she was free, she certainly wouldn’t let this traitor off.
No act of betrayal in the Lu Family could be tolerated.
Lu Bing was shocked upon hearing that, “Him? No way!”
He and Lu An were cousins. Just one month ago, they sat together to drink wine and chat, so he couldn’t believe that Lu An had betrayed the Lu Family. However, he knew that Lu Huai Shuang wouldn’t willfully accuse someone. Since she had said so, she must have obtained solid evidence. With a solemn expression, he uttered, “I’ll take a look.”
Then, he turned around and left, but he soon returned with a livid expression, “Lu An has fled!”
He had searched around the entire Starship, but Lu An was nowhere in sight. The other cultivators from the Lu Family also told him that they hadn’t seen Lu An for quite some time.
“Just as I expected,” Lu Huai Shuang wasn’t surprised at all. If she were Lu An, she would have fled as well. Traitors were always more contemptible than enemies. If he hadn’t fled, he would’ve been punished in the harshest way.
At the same time, she secretly heaved a sigh of relief. If Lu An hadn’t fled, she wouldn’t know how to deal with him. Kill him? But he was her Elder as well as her Uncle. If she really executed him, some people might be disappointed and think that she was too stone-hearted.
Since he had run away, it had actually spared her some trouble. Just like those from the He Family who managed to escape, he wouldn’t be able to live a rich life on this Dead Star that was devoid of any World Energy, even if he survived. That was why she didn’t have the intention of hunting him down, as leaving him here was the harshest punishment for him.
“Why did he betray us?” Lu Bing was distressed.
“He was either after benefits or the enemy found a way to blackmail him,” Lu Huai Shuang uttered dispassionately and waved her hand. “Forget it. Keep this matter to yourself, I don’t want to arouse any unnecessary suspicions.”
“Understood.” Lu Bing nodded, “But, Lu An still has some relatives on Morning Sun Star. How should we explain it to them if they ask about it?”
“Third Uncle, you’ll have to come up with an explanation.” Lu Huai Shuang stared at him.
Lu Bing bowed his head, “Alright. Just leave it to me.” He paused for a moment, “By the way, what should we do about the He Family’s Starship?”
Suddenly, Lu Huai Shuang lifted her head and said, “Don’t do anything to the Starship before we get that person’s permission.” Although they were the ones who killed all the He Family’s men and the Origin King Grade Starship was supposed to be their prize, Yang Kai had actually made the biggest contribution.
So, he practically had his name labelled on the Origin King Grade Starship, even though it was invisible.
Lu Bing uttered, “I understand what you mean. That’s why I’ve told our fellow clansmen not to enter the Starship. However, I don’t think that person would be interested in a Starship. Why don’t you… Ask him what he thinks about it?”
Although the Lu Family was one of the two rulers on Morning Sun Star, they only had one Origin King Grade Starship with them. If they could obtain another for free, their strategic strength would increase markedly. An Origin King Grade Starship was one of the sharpest weapons in the Star Field and had many uses. If they wanted to deal with the remaining He Family members after they returned to Morning Sun Star, this Starship’s power was indispensable.
Lu Huai Shuang rubbed her temples. Whenever she thought about that person, she would recall the incident where he molested her when they were about to descend the mountain. She could still vividly remember his touch on her chest, so her expression appeared awkward now.
[He told me it wasn’t intentional but… hah…]
“Have you found out about his background?” Lu Bing asked.
Lu Huai Shuang shook her head, “I only know that he’s not from Unending Star Field.”
Lu Bing’s figure shook when he heard that, “He’s not from Unending Star Field?”
Suddenly recalling something, he exclaimed, “Then he…”
Lu Huai Shuang dipped her head, “Yes, I suspect that he came from ‘that’ place as well.”
“No wonder.” Lu Bing fell into his thoughts, “Even the Head Manager of Fierce Gale Pirates is willing to become his servant. If he’s really from that place, then Sheng Yao gained a great bargain. Sheng Yao must have realized that as well, right?”
Lu Huai Shuang replied with a smile, “Someone like him is good at avoiding disaster while pursuing good fortunes. If there are no benefits, why would he be so servile to someone else?”
With a solemn expression, Lu Bing added, “Then we have to make sure to be on good terms with him, and we mustn’t let Sheng Yao get the opportunity before us. Alright, we’d better find out his preferences, but we don’t know what he likes. Anyway, men are mostly after money, power and women. Maybe we can start with women. We have a few beauties aboard the ship this time.”
“I’ll think about it,” Lu Huai Shuang nodded indifferently.
Realizing that she wanted to be alone, Lu Bing said, “I’ll take my leave now. Please inform me if you have any news.”
While Lu Huai Shuang was seated on a chair, a myriad of expressions came over her. After pondering over it for a long time, she still couldn’t figure out anything. In the end, she decided to visit that person and take things from there.
Whether or not she could strike up a relationship with him, she had to familiarize herself with him first. Sheng Yao had been following him around since the beginning, and if he managed to gain Yang Kai’s favour first, then the Lu Family would be excluded.
This was a huge opportunity, so Lu Huai Shuang wouldn’t want it to slip through her fingers.
…
While Lu Huai Shuang’s light steps could be heard, she slowly emerged from the corridor, but when she reached her former room, she was shocked by the person who appeared there and shouted, “Who are you?”
There was a woman, whose figure was curvy and sexy, standing in front of her room. Her peaks were so grand that they looked like they would burst out of her robes at any moment. She was clad in a tight-fitting light purple long dress, and a silk sash in the same colour had been wrapped around her waist, which perfectly outlined her willowy body. She even had her back arched slightly in a conspicuous curve, which lifted her bottom and made it look even more alluring.
Her silky smooth hair hung loosely over her shoulders, and her watery eyes were so lively that it was as though they were sparkling.
Even though they were both women, Lu Huai Shuang still felt her heart throbbing when she saw this woman.
[This woman is a seductress!]
Of course, her charm would have been even greater if not for the threatening aura of a Second-Order Origin King coming from her.
At this moment, Lu Huai Shuang wasn’t in the mood to appreciate that woman’s beauty though. Anyone would be alarmed when they realized that such an unfamiliar Master had suddenly appeared on their own Starship.
A cold glint flashed across Lu Huai Shuang’s sword as she pointed her weapon at the woman, her expression bitingly cold. Although she had a lower cultivation, she might still stand a chance of defeating her if they fought as this was her Starship and she had support.
To her surprise, faced with such direct hostility, the woman remained unfazed. She was holding a box of rouge with one hand and putting on some make-up with her other while looking at the mirror in the box. Her expression appeared serious.
Then, she stopped what she was doing and said in a frustrated manner, “I haven’t done this for years, so I’m not used to it anymore. Little Sister Shuang, can you help me put on some eye shadow?”
[Little Sister Shuang?] Li Huai Shuang frowned, “Do I know you?”
She was certain that she had never met such a mature and seductive woman before, so she felt doubtful about the way she was addressed.
The woman replied with a smile, “We just met not long ago. Do you not recognize me anymore?”
“What are you…” Lu Huai Shuang became a little impatient, but she soon gawked in shock as a possibility sprung into her mind.
The woman suddenly spoke in a completely different tone, “How about if I speak like this?”
“You’re Sheng Yao?” Lu Huai Shuang couldn’t believe her eyes as her jaw dropped as though two invisible fingers had been stuffed into her mouth.
The infamous Head Manager of Fierce Gale Pirates in Unending Star Field had turned into an alluring and fair-skinned lady with a curvy figure. At that instant, Lu Huai Shuang felt that her understanding of the world had been turned upside down, and her mind had gone blank.
“Hahaha…” the Head Manager broke into a fit of giggles as her chest swung wildly, threatening to leap right out of her dress.
Lu Huai Shuang still found it inconceivable, but the person standing in front of her at this moment was a Second-Order Origin King, so there really was no other candidate other than Fierce Gale Pirates’ Head Manager.
“How… why…” Lu Huai Shuang didn’t know what to say, as she was gripped by conflicted feelings.
The Head Manager suddenly turned serious and put on a sorrowful expression, “We’re both women and leaders of our respective forces, so I’m sure you understand the reason behind it.”
Lu Huai Shuang was startled for a moment before she comprehended. When she took over the Lu Family, she was criticized by almost everyone. It wasn’t that her cultivation wasn’t powerful enough as she was an Origin King, so no one in the Lu Family was stronger than she. She was criticized mainly because she was a woman.
Only after a number of hard-won battles where she had managed to destroy countless opponents and save the Lu Family from a series of crises did her position as Matriarch of the Lu Family become secure.
Now though, she could no longer be willful, as she had to be mindful of her language and mannerism at all times. It was as though men were naturally in a more advantageous position than women, which she felt was incredibly unfair. All men in the world were born from their mothers, so how could they look down on women? Both men and women were Humans, so why was there a disparity between the two?
The situation was already so bad in the Lu Family, so there was no need to even mention one like the Fierce Gale Pirates where the wickedest and most ferocious Star Pirates in the entire Star Field had gathered.
The Head Manager uttered, “If those brats ever found out that I’m not only a woman, but a beautiful one at that, do you think I could still manage them? My sworn Brothers alone would not hesitate to attack me with obscene intent.”
Understanding the situation she was in, Lu Huai Shuang nodded. Ma Chao Qun and Ge Ming could drink wine and have fun with women with Sheng Yao, but the prerequisite was that Sheng Yao was a fellow man just like them. If Sheng Yao turned back into her female form, her two sworn Brothers would undoubtedly develop covetous thoughts about her.
For some reason, Lu Huai Shuang could sympathize with this woman. In a way, they were in similar situations. They were both beautiful women who were the leaders of their respective forces, so they were restricted in many ways.
“Sheng Yao isn’t your name, right?” Lu Huai Shuang uttered. No woman would bear such a masculine name.
The Head Manager covered her mouth and giggled, “It’s just an alias I came up with randomly.”
“How should I call you from now on?”
“He Yun Xiang,” she smiled and replied, “I was born in a poor family, so my name is somewhat tacky.”
Lu Huai Shuang nodded slightly and then frowned. With an awkward expression, she asked, “I heard that every night you sleep with 100 women?”
[Since she’s a woman, how did she manage to do it? However, this rumour is probably not unfounded.]
Still covering her mouth, He Yun Xiang chuckled, “Little Sister Shuang, you’re quite the gossip,” then, a glint flashed across her eyes, “If you want to find out, you can try it with me one day.”
Lu Huai Shuang’s expression immediately turned grim as she replied in an awkward tone, “No need.”
At that instant, she regretted asking her this question. [I must be out of my mind!]
“Why are you standing here?” Upon learning that this woman was the Head Manager of the Fierce Gale Pirates, Lu Huai Shuang stored her azure longsword and curbed her hostility.
“Sir is taking a bath now. I’m a woman, so it’s not appropriate for me to stay inside.”
“Oh?” Lu Huai Shuang nodded and stood to the side, as she didn’t dare to knock on the door.
The place fell into silence for a moment as He Yun Xiang was still putting on make-up. All of a sudden, she hurled the rouge box away in exasperation and reached out her hand, upon which a crystal clear water ball appeared on her palm.
After removing the make-up with the water ball, she was then seen with her natural countenance. Then, she let out a breath and uttered, “Forget it.” She looked as though she was resigned to her fate, and that she was heading to the execution ground.
Lu Huai Shuang commented, “You look beautiful in your natural state.”
“You think so too?” He Yun Xiang suddenly found this Young Lady from the Lu Family amiable. Then, she sized her up and compared herself to her. [We’re both beautiful in our own ways, so we’re equally matched in this regard. However, our temperaments are starkly different. I wonder if Sir prefers seductive or elegant ladies. As for our figures…]
She then took a glance at Lu Huai Shuang’s chest, upon which she felt very proud of her own figure.
“What are you looking at?” Noticing her stare, Lu Huai Shuang appeared awkward. Then, she lamented in her heart, [What did she eat when she was growing up? How did she manage to make them so big?]
All of a sudden, the door opened silently. The ladies traded glances and turned solemn.
He Yun Xiang crossed her arms lightly to emphasize her bosom, making the deep valley between her mountains appear all the more profound and mysterious before she sashayed into the room.
Lu Huai Shuang was struck speechless. Still, she checked her appearance to make sure it was in order before she too stepped into the room.
“Sir!” He Yun Xiang approached Yang Kai and bowed her head in an attempt to showcase her assets.
Yang Kai nodded without even batting an eye. Apparently, he knew that she had turned back into her original form, so he wasn’t surprised at all.
“Senior!” Lu Huai Shuang performed a salute as well, but in a more restrained manner.
“Have a seat. There’s something I need to ask you two.” Yang Kai beckoned with his hand.
He Yun Xiang covered her mouth and giggled, “There’s no need for Sir to be so polite with us. Please just ask whatever you wish to. I’ll be sure to tell you everything I know.”
Lu Huai Shuang shot her a strange glance as this was the first time she witnessed someone playing up to a person in power so deftly.
“Sir, do you need me to help tie your hair?” He Yun Xiang gazed at Yang Kai’s shoulder-length hair and offered to help, “I’m fairly confident in my skills.”
“Good, then please do.” Yang Kai flashed a light smile at her.
“Pardon me then,” He Yun Xiang immediately moved behind him and summoned a comb into her hand before she got to work. At that moment, she looked like an obedient woman who had just gotten married.
Seeing that, Lu Huai Shuang moved her hand suddenly, upon which a complete tea set appeared on the table. Then, she took some Spirit Spring Water and started boiling it in a meticulous manner. She couldn’t make those seductive moves like what He Yun Xiang had done, so she thought she could start with making tea. Fortunately, she had mastered the art of tea since young, so she was skilful in this field. Her movements were so elegant that anyone would be mesmerized when watching her.
Soon, the aroma of tea permeated the room.
He Yun Xiang never stopped what she was doing as she asked, “Is that Spirit Mist Tea from Cloud Mountain?”
Lu Huai Shuang replied, “It appears Head Manager has broad knowledge and sharp vision.”
With a smile, He Yun Xiang said, “It’s not that I have sharp vision, but rather that this tea is truly famous. It’s thanks to Sir that I’m able to have a taste of one of the top three teas of the Star Field.”
Yang Kai just continued smiling lightly without uttering a word, which made Lu Huai Shuang feel dejected. It cost the Lu Family a hefty price to obtain this tea, and she only had a small sachet of it. Normally, the Lu Family wouldn’t even consider drinking it, but it seemed that even with this tea she couldn’t obtain the results she was hoping for.
After giving it a thought though, she reckoned that if Yang Kai really came from ‘that’ place, then this top tea in Unending Star Field might not even be good enough for him to moisten his throat. With this thought in mind, she pulled herself together and continued steeping the tea in a serious manner.
When the tea was ready, Lu Huai Shuang filled one cup with it and pushed it towards Yang Kai in a respectful manner, “Senior, please.”
Yang Kai nodded and directly picked it up to take a sip. After allowing the taste to linger on his tongue for a moment, he gulped it down and nodded, “Very good indeed!”
For a Lower Star Field, this tea was indeed quite good.
Upon receiving his praise, Lu Huai Shuang finally put on a smile.
“You should take a seat as well,” Yang Kai turned his head and said to He Yun Xiang. Although his hair had been tied, she didn’t take a seat immediately. Instead, she stood to his side.
“Yes,” Only then did He Yun Xiang take a seat with a smile without appearing uneasy.
After having three rounds of tea, Yang Kai suddenly spoke up, “There’s something I need to ask you two.”
The ladies put down their teacups at the same time and straightened up.
“Is Unending Star Field connected to other Star Fields?”
Upon hearing that, they shook their heads at the same time.
In an instant, Yang Kai’s heart sank, but he still asked, “Are you sure it’s not?”
He didn’t think these women would lie to him, but the answer was truly disappointing.
Lu Huai Shuang replied, “Senior, as far as I know, we have no direct contact with other Star Fields.”
Realizing something upon hearing Yang Kai’s words, He Yun Xiang asked carefully, “Sir, do you want to go to another Star Field?”
Yang Kai replied, “En.”
He Yun Xiang uttered curiously, “Then, why didn’t you go to your desired Star Field through the Ancestral Domain? Why did you come here instead?”
Yang Kai stared at her blankly and asked, “What is the Ancestral Domain?”
He Yun Xiang batted her eyes, “Sir, aren’t you from the Ancestral Domain?”
“I have never heard of it before.”
Lu Huai Shuang’s jaw dropped slightly as she took a look at He Yun Xiang. Both of them could see the shock behind each other’s gaze.
[How can this be? If he isn’t from the Ancestral Domain, why does he have such powerful cultivation?] They had always believed that Yang Kai came from the Ancestral Domain, but this speculation turned out to be wrong.
Both of the ladies were dumbfounded. If he wasn’t from the Ancestral Domain, why was he repelled by the Heavenly Way? How did he manage to kill two Origin King Realm Masters with ease?
“Sir, I’m sorry, but could you inform us where you hail from?” He Yun Xiang looked dazedly at him.
After hesitating for a bit, Yang Kai replied, “The Star Boundary.”
“The Star Boundary?” The ladies were puzzled.
It was Yang Kai who was shocked this time, “You’ve never heard of it before?”
He Yun Xiang and Lu Huai Shuang shook their heads at the same time. At that instant, they found it a little funny, as they didn’t seem to understand what the other person was saying. It was as though they were talking past each other entirely.
“Alright. I guess you can’t go to the Star Boundary from here. It’s not like there isn’t such a precedent.” Yang Kai thought of a possibility. Many Star Fields were completely sealed off, so not all cultivators could head to the Star Boundary from their own Star Fields. Unending Star Field must be one such example.
“We have never heard of the Star Boundary, but we can go to the Ancestral Domain from Unending Star Field,” Lu Huai Shuang explained.
“What is the Ancestral Domain?” Yang Kai’s interest was piqued as they kept mentioning this place.
“The Ancestral Domain is the ancestral land of all Star Fields!” He Yun Xiang wouldn’t let go of this chance to leave a good impression on Yang Kai, so she started explaining it to him before Lu Huai Shuang could, “There are countless Planes in this boundless universe, as well as innumerable Star Fields. However, have you ever wondered how these Star Fields were born?”
“No.”
He Yun Xiang smiled and waved her hand, upon which the World Energy in front of her surged and turned into a washbasin-sized orb. She pointed at this World Energy Orb and uttered, “This is the Ancestral Domain, where the Heavens and Earth were born!”
Yang Kai nodded and motioned for her to go on.
He Yun Xiang waved her hand again, upon which some streams of World Energy separated from the orb and stretched out. While using her technique, she explained, “No one knows what happened when the universe was born, but in the early days of the Heavens and Earth, a certain Plane was formed, a Star Field.” As she waved her hand, those streams of World Energy formed into fist-sized orbs and hovered around the first orb.
Then, she moved her hand again, after which more and more World Energy orbs appeared. In just a short moment, countless World Energy orbs floated in the air. They came in different sizes and levels of brightness. Their proximity with the first World Energy Orb varied too.
Some World Energy orbs would burst, but at the same time, more World Energy orbs would be born. However, none of these World Energy Orbs was comparable to the first one.
Upon realizing what she was trying to convey, Yang Kai exclaimed, “Fascinating!”
If that was the case, how was Star Boundary born, then? What was the position the Star Boundary occupied in this amazing theory?
He Yun Xiang went on to explain, “Although the countless Star Fields are not interconnected, they’re all somewhat related to the Ancestral Domain. I heard that some Star Fields are closer to the Ancestral Domain, and when cultivators from those Star Fields reach a certain level of strength, they can head to Ancestral Domain to pursue a higher Martial Dao.”
Lu Huai Shuang then added, “That’s why we all believed Senior was from the Ancestral Domain.”
Yang Kai shook his head, “I’ve never been there, nor have I heard of this place before.” He paused for a moment, “Can we go to the Ancestral Domain from Unending Star Field, then?”
Since that was the case, he might still have a chance to return to Heng Luo Star Field, as he could just regard Ancestral Domain as a terminal. According to He Yun Xiang, all Star Fields were related to the Ancestral Domain, so it must be the same for Heng Luo Star Field as well.
“Yes, we can.” He Yun Xiang forced a smile, “But we don’t know where the entrance is.”
“Have none of the Masters in Unending Star Field headed to the Ancestral Domain before?”
“There were some who travelled to the Ancestral Domain.” Lu Huai Shuang nodded in a solemn manner. Only the top Masters could enter the Ancestral Domain, and only people like them had the right to survive and prosper in that place. Although the two ladies were both Origin Kings, they did not yet stand at the peak of the Star Field, so they didn’t know how to go there.
“Those who have entered the Ancestral Domain have never returned, so we’re guessing that there may be no way back to our Star Field from there.”
Her speculation was sensible, but Yang Kai thought that the main reason was the Heavenly Way’s rejection. Also, those people might not be interested in returning to a Lower Star Field anymore after they obtained even stronger power.
It was the same for himself. If possible, he wouldn’t want to go to any Star Field, as he would rather stay in Star Boundary to further his cultivation.
“Sir, do you want to head to the Ancestral Domain?” He Yun Xiang asked.
“Yes. Do you know how I can get there?” Yang Kai looked hopefully at them.
With a helpless smile, Lu Huai Shuang replied, “Although the Lu Family is the top force on Morning Sun Star, my family is still quite small when compared to the hegemony of the Star Field, so I know little about the Ancestral Domain.” She felt upset. If she could help Yang Kai with this matter, then the Lu Family would be rewarded handsomely. However, she was unable to seize this opportunity.
He Yun Xiang darted her gaze around for a moment before she uttered, “I don’t know how to get there either, but I do know of someone who might.”
“Who?” Yang Kai’s expression changed.
Understanding what she meant, Lu Huai Shuang turned to look at her and said, “Head Manager, you mean the Yan Family?”
He Yun Xiang replied with a smile, “500 years ago, the Old Ancestor of the Yan Family left Taiyi Star and headed for the Ancestral Domain, which caused an uproar at that time. No one knows whether the Yan Family’s Old Ancestor successfully entered the Ancestral Domain; however, those from the Yan Family are the most familiar with such matters in Unending Star Field. If Sir wants to travel to the Ancestral Domain, you should start with them.”
“The Yan Family…” A sense of wariness flashed across Lu Huai Shuang’s gaze as she warned, “They’re not easy to deal with.”
“What’s their background?” Yang Kai asked.
The ladies knew that he wasn’t from Unending Star Field, so he wasn’t familiar with the local great forces; therefore, they explained it to him patiently.
In Unending Star Field, the Yan Family had raised countless powerful Masters. The Yan Family not only ruled over Taiyi Star, but they also controlled five other Cultivation Stars which were at least on par with Morning Sun Star. Meanwhile, Taiyi Star was far superior to Morning Sun Star.
If Cultivation Stars were graded, Morning Sun Star was only at the Mid-Rank, while Taiyi Star would be Peak-Rank. Be it the abundance of World Energy, or the production of resources, Morning Sun Star was vastly inferior.
Hence, the Yan Family’s foundation was solid and their resources plentiful.
In Unending Star Field, the Yan Family stood at the apex. They had somewhere between three to five Third-Order Origin Kings while their current Patriarch, Yan Luo, was touted as the strongest in this Star Field.
Star Pirates like the Fierce Gale Pirates were a band of lawless robbers who committed all sorts of evil atrocities; however, if they ever came across a Yan Family’s Starship while travelling across the Star Field, they wouldn’t dare to make a move on them.
Upon hearing their explanation, Yang Kai had a basic understanding of the Yan Family, and he felt satisfied. Since that was the case, he could start with the Yan Family and learn from them how he could head to the Ancestral Domain.
When the ladies saw how calm Yang Kai appeared to be, and that he was unfazed upon learning that the Yan Family was a superpower, they increasingly found him to be inscrutable.
He Yun Xiang was especially elated and thought that it was really worth it for her to sacrifice her dignity to grab hold of the thigh of a giant like him. If she could follow him to the Ancestral Domain, becoming his servant was a trivial price to pay.
With her gaze brightening up, she covered her mouth and laughed charmingly, “What a coincidence. Little Sister Shuang, isn’t Taiyi Star where you’re heading?”
Yang Kai asked, “You’re going there?”
After a nod, Lu Huai Shuang replied, “We were heading to Taiyi Star to trade for some goods. If Senior doesn’t mind, why not accompany us?” Morning Sun Star was very far from Taiyi Star, so even using an Origin King Grade Starship, it would still take them three months to cross that distance. Moreover, the products both Stars produced were very different. Every three to five years, the Lu Family’s people would take Morning Sun Star’s local products to other Cultivation Stars to trade. Their destination this time was Taiyi Star.
“Good.” Naturally, Yang Kai wouldn’t reject her. Although he was an Emperor Realm Master, everything was inconvenient for him in this Lower Star Field, as he had to actively suppress his strength and aura. If he tried to use his true power, he would trigger a rejection reaction from the Heavenly Way.
Since they were heading to the same destination, he wouldn’t mind a free ride. After confirming his next course of action, Yang Kai went on to ask about other matters regarding Unending Star Field. The ladies explained everything to him in a passionate and honest manner. He Yun Xiang didn’t even hide her intentions of wanting to enter his service.
Four hours later. Yang Kai told them that he was tired. Lu Huai Shuang tactfully rose from the chair and bid him farewell. Before she left, she asked him hesitantly how he wanted to handle the He Family’s Origin King Grade Starship.
Yang Kai waved his hand and uttered, “You can have it.”
Naturally, he wasn’t interested in an Origin King Grade Starship.
He Yun Xiang arched her brow and thought that he was indeed generous, as he gave the Origin King Grade Starship away without blinking an eye. However, upon some deliberation, she realized that given his power and status, he certainly saw things differently from her. The treasures in her eyes might just be a bunch of trash to him.
Lu Huai Shuang thanked him repeatedly and said that she would give him Crystal Stones of equal value in exchange for the Starship. Upon his rejection, she left the room.
It wasn’t that Yang Kai was pretending to be generous, but these Crystal Stones from the Lower Star Field were completely useless to him. On the contrary, if he took out even one of the many High-Rank Source Crystals in his Space Ring, it would trigger a reign of terror across this Star Field.
Before Lu Huai Shuang left, she shot a meaningful glance at He Yun Xiang, who pretended not to see it and stayed behind, unashamedly.
After the door was closed, only one man and one woman were left in the room.
“Sir, do you have any other needs? Whatever you ask, I’ll do it for you.” Although the room wasn’t particularly hot, He Yun Xiang’s face was flushed pink. Her eyes were watery, and she gently pressed her lips together whenever she spoke. Any man who saw her in such a state would be enchanted and agree to do anything for her. Judging from her suggestive words, there was no doubt about what her intentions were.
Faced with the young man before her eyes, she could only utilize her beauty to seduce him. Fortunately, she happened to be confident of her allure.
Yang Kai was a young and energetic man, and there was a beautiful woman who was trying to seduce him in such a relaxing environment, so he was tempted, but he had been cultivating for a long time now so he wasn’t lacking in self-control. His vision had also been broadened after venturing in the outside world for years. Moreover, he had met countless Heaven defying beauties in the past, so he wouldn’t be seduced by He Yun Xiang easily.
Staring at her, he asked with a meaningful smile, “Is it worth it?”
“What do you mean?”
“You still have your Primordial Yin, right?”
In an instant, He Yun Xiang’s face went from pink to red. She was pretending to be shy just now, but at this moment, she was truly embarrassed. Lowering her head, she bit her red lips lightly, and when she raised her head again, she replied steadfastly, “As long as you can lead me to a higher Martial Dao, then it’s worth it.”
Yang Kai shook his head, “I don’t make such deals.”
Since her intention had been seen through, He Yun Xiang stopped hiding anything and said calmly, “It is a woman’s greatest wish to find a reliable man. Throughout the entire Unending Star Field, the man I’ll be interested in hasn’t been born yet.” Her watery gaze reflected the figure of the young man before her. She wasn’t just interested in him; she was mesmerized by his power.
It wasn’t love at first sight. In fact, she wasn’t in love with him at all; however, she knew that if she wanted to look for a man whom she could rely on forever, the one before her eyes was undoubtedly the best choice.
The chance was right before her eyes, and if she didn’t grab onto it hard enough, it would soon slip through her fingers. She didn’t want to reminisce about the past in her old age and regret her hesitation on this day.
“How are you so sure that I can bring you to greater heights?”
He Yun Xiang tucked her hair behind her ear and replied with a smile, “I don’t know what power you possess, but I’ve always trusted my instincts.”
“You’re quite confident. I’m going to visit the Yan Family now, do you understand what that means?”
“I do.” He Yun Xiang gazed curiously at him, wondering why he mentioned this all of a sudden.
“I’m going there to find out how to enter the Ancestral Domain from them. How do you think they’ll treat me?”
He Yun Xiang was startled for a moment, as she had never thought about it before. However, upon pondering the question, she immediately thought of many things.
The way to get to the Ancestral Domain had always been a top-level secret. Although it was rumoured that, in Unending Star Field, numerous Masters from different ages had successfully entered the Ancestral Domain, the general public didn’t know where the entrance was or how to get there. This secret had always been kept by only the most powerful great forces.
Since it was a top secret, they certainly wouldn’t reveal it easily. Yang Kai’s journey this time wouldn’t be smooth sailing and he would probably find himself in conflict with the Yan Family.
Taiyi Star was the Yan Family’s headquarters as well as the place where all their top Masters gathered. Anyone would be put in a disadvantageous position if they were to fall into a conflict with them there.
The young man before her eyes was unbelievably powerful, so she didn’t doubt he could escape unscathed even if he couldn’t beat the Yan Family; however, she was just a Second-Order Origin King. If she was regarded as accompanying him, she would be targeted by the Yan Family. By then, she wouldn’t have a chance to flee.
She was an intelligent person, so she realized many things after giving them a thought. Hence, her steadfastness was soon replaced by hesitation. Initially, she thought that she would have a lot to gain by siding with Yang Kai; however, now, it seemed that she was too naive.
“You may go,” Yang Kai waved his hand.
He Yun Xiang remained unmoving though. She was silent for a short time before she suddenly gritted her teeth and, just like what she had done when they first met, she lowered her head deeply and spoke, “Sir, please allow me to follow you. I’m willing to do anything for you.”
Yang Kai was stunned, “I thought you understood already.” The hesitation on her face just now was real, so how did she change her mind in the blink of an eye? Yang Kai wondered if all women would change their minds so quickly, or perhaps he was just too simple-minded.
He Yun Xiang lowered her head as her fair bosom was exposed, but she didn’t do this intentionally. It was just that her peaks were easily revealed in her current dress and posture. In a determined manner, she uttered, “We all will come across a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity at some point in our lives, but it will only be considered an opportunity if we can seize it.”
“It might turn out to be a poisonous dagger.”
“Sir, I’m sure you’ve made bets many times before in your life. So, please give me a chance to make a bet this time.”
“You’ll regret it.”
“We all have to choose our own path. Since I’ve made the decision, I will never regret it.”
Yang Kai stared fixedly at her, while she remained unmoving.
Just like what she had said, as cultivators, every decision they made was akin to making a bet when they were faced with an opportunity. Some people won the bet and reached the peaks; however, those who lost the bet would fall into oblivion.
He Yun Xiang became who she was by making the right bets on her way up. One couldn’t cultivate if one didn’t dare to gamble. Although she was a woman, she had spent most of her life among a gang of rough and vulgar men. So, she wasn’t as sentimental as other women. Instead, she had the steadfast temperament of a seasoned warrior.
She wanted to venture a bet, which was to ride on the waves and surge to greater heights.
“Sir, if you doubt my loyalty, I’m willing to give you my Soul Brand. From now on, I’ll be your servant, and I’ll never utter a single complaint.”
Yang Kai couldn’t help laughing, but it wasn’t because he was mocking her. Instead, he admired her courage and boldness. As the Head Manager of the Fierce Gale Pirates, she was indeed a capable woman. If she was just a bit brainless, she would’ve died long ago.
Since she wasn’t foolish, then he might have a use for her in the future. Yang Kai knew nothing about Unending Star Field, so if he had a local as a guide, he would be spared a lot of trouble. Moreover, he was a cultivator in an incredible realm who had descended to this Lower Star Field. Although he possessed an astonishing power, he wouldn’t dare to use it as he pleased. Otherwise, he might be repelled by the Heavenly Way again. It would be a good thing for him to have someone to deal with trivial matters for him.
Moreover, this lackey was quite pleasing to the eyes, at least more so than a bulky man following him around.
Hearing his laugh, He Yun Xiang looked up at him, hope written all over her alluring face.
“You don’t have to be my servant, and I don’t need your Soul Brand.”
“Sir…” He Yun Xing was flustered. She couldn’t believe that he still wasn’t moved after she made her intentions clear. Did she have to take off her clothes and serve him in bed? Although she was prepared to go that far, that didn’t mean she wasn’t resistant to the idea.
“If you want to follow me, then you have to prove your worth. However, your cultivation is still too weak to do anything for me.”
He Yun Xiang was startled for a moment before her gaze beamed with ecstasy, “Sir, y-you mean…”
[Has he agreed? That’s certainly what it sounds like!] Never before in her life had she felt so nervous before. It was as though a beautiful landscape was unfolding right before her eyes, showing her the new future she would attain one day.
“So, improve your strength first.”
Agitated, He Yun Xiang replied, “Yes. I’ll cultivate now. I won’t disappoint you, Sir.”
Despite what she just said, her cultivation had come to a point that it was extremely difficult for her to reach the next realm. She had been stuck in the Second-Order Origin King Realm for hundreds of years already. If there was a chance for her to achieve a breakthrough, she would’ve seized it a long time ago. This wasn’t something she could achieve by sitting cross-legged and cultivating diligently. However, since Yang Kai said her cultivation was too weak, then she had to cultivate immediately. Whether or not she could achieve a breakthrough, she had to show him her sincerity.
“Open your mouth!” Yang Kai suddenly ordered.
He Yun Xiang was startled, but she quickly opened her mouth as she was told. Before she could even understand what was going on, she felt something entering her mouth and sliding down her throat to her stomach. She didn’t even manage to taste it.
The next moment, her expression changed drastically, because she felt a scorching heat in her abdomen, as though a fire was burning within her, consuming her from inside out.
[What is this? A pill? What kind of pill has such terrifying medicinal efficacies!?]
She knew that Yang Kai must have fed some incredible pill to her, so she immediately suppressed her shock and changed to a different position. She sat cross-legged on the ground and closed her eyes. Then, she performed several hand seals to circulate her Secret Art.
Yang Kai sat down on the side and ignored her as he took a sip of the spirit tea.
Gusts of wind whirled around in the room as all the ornaments clanged against each other. Ripples were formed in the bathtub as the water splashed out of it.
Blasts of uncontrolled Qi devastated the room, causing the place to turn into a mess. It was as though two peerless Masters had fought a life-or-death battle here. Yang Kai remained unmoving and did not try to resist those blasts of Qi as he just let them wash over him.
He Yun Xiang’s face had turned completely red as she kept moaning with difficulty. Her entire body was soaked in sweat, so her clothes stuck to her skin, emphasizing her alluring figure.
Her cultivation was rapidly improving, and it soon reached its peak after just an incense stick’s worth of time.
Then, her cultivation, which had been stagnant in the same realm for quite some time, suddenly surged and reached new heights. At the same time, an invisible aura spread across the room with He Yun Xiang as the centre, causing the already messy room to become even more chaotic.
Fortunately, this was Lu Huai Shuang’s room, and it was protected by several powerful Spirit Arrays, so the racket in the room wouldn’t spread. Otherwise, they would’ve attracted the attention of those from the Lu Family.
Then, a long groan was heard. He Yun Xiang’s face was so scarlet that it was as though she had applied a layer of rouge on her face. Her body stiffened, and her limbs convulsed uncontrollably. She opened her eyes slowly, and her gaze appeared blurred, as though she was just beginning to breathe again after experiencing a life or death battle.
Her body remained stiff for a long time before she suddenly gasped, upon which her plump bosom heaved violently, forming an impressive undulation.
Yang Kai found himself in an awkward position. It was just a breakthrough, but He Yun Xiang made it look like she had just been ravaged. At that instant, he wasn’t even sure what he should make of it.
Soaked in sweat, He Yun Xiang finally calmed herself down. For some reason, she felt as if she had become lighter, as though she had thrown away some burden that had been weighing her down. Her mind had become razor-sharp, and her vision became clearer than ever.
[This is the Third-Order Origin King Realm! I broke through to the Third-Order Origin King Realm just like that!?]
She thought she was dreaming, but when she turned her head and saw the young man’s meaningful grin, she realized that everything she just experienced was real. She was now a Third-Order Origin King, a peak level Master in the Star Field. The bottleneck that had been troubling her for hundreds of years had been broken through without her even understanding what was going on.
[What Spirit Pill was that? How is it so powerful?]
Then, she gazed at Yang Kai with gratitude and admiration. Whether or not she would fall into any danger or even get killed while following him around in the future, the reward she had obtained now proved that her earlier decision was right.
If she hadn’t insisted on following him, this kind of reward wouldn’t have befallen her. If she were to cultivate on her own, she might not have reached the Third-Order Origin King Realm in her lifetime.
The man before her eyes allowed her to become a Third-Order Origin King with just one pill, so the chances he could bring her to even greater heights in the future were great.
Elegantly getting to her feet, He Yun Xiang was just about to offer her sincere thanks when she caught a whiff of a foul smell. After she examined herself with a frown, she instantly became embarrassed, for she realized that her entire body was covered in a sticky layer of what looked like black mud, as though she had just swum through a swamp.
Her embarrassment then turned to shock as she realized what had happened. She had gone through similar experiences in her life before, and had seen others go through this process a number of times. Normally, only those with weaker strength would encounter this situation when they first began to cultivate.
All her bone marrow and meridians had been cleansed, so she had practically been reborn now. The mud on her body was all the impurities that had been expelled from her body.
She didn’t expect that as she ascended from the Second-Order to the Third-Order Origin King Realm, she would experience this kind of cleansing, dramatically improving her constitution and physique. This surprise was far more exciting than the fact that she had achieved a breakthrough. A breakthrough simply meant reaching a new realm, obtaining a boost in strength, but the cleansing of one’s marrow and meridians meant that her cultivation aptitude had been fundamentally improved.
At that instant, she realized that she had underestimated the power of the Spirit Pill she had been fed. It was no wonder that she felt so light, as she really had shed her old form and been purified.
With her heart filled with surprise and joy, she thought that no one could be luckier than she was in this world.
“Sir, please forgive my discourtesy.” He Yun Xiang uttered before she leapt into the air and plunged into the bathtub. While she was in mid-air, she shed all her clothes. When her curvy figure dove into the water, she didn’t cause any splash at all, as though she was as light as a feather.
After submerging herself in the water for a while, she emerged on the surface, upon which all the impurities on her skin had disappeared, and her skin appeared delicate and snow-white.
The crystal clear water slid down her face that was as fine as the most beautiful porcelain in the world. The water slowed down when it reached her plump bosom and accelerated after it moved past the twin peaks, cascading down her flat belly.
She brushed away the water on her face and rested her arms on the edge of the bath. With her chin resting on her hands, she stared fixedly at Yang Kai. She didn’t attempt to hide anything. Although she appeared slightly embarrassed, she still tried to make herself look at ease. Since she had decided to serve him, she believed that she would become his woman sooner or later. So, it wouldn’t matter that she let him take a look at her naked body first.
Moreover, after what just happened, she secretly hoped that he would bed her sooner. If she could become his woman, then he would certainly treat her even better. Although she wanted something from him, she wasn’t ill-intentioned about it nor did she have any ulterior motive.
Yang Kai didn’t look away, as there was no reason for him to turn down a naked lady’s advances. As a man, he wasn’t afraid of looking at her as he took a seat beside the bathtub and said, “Tell me about the Secret Art you’ve been cultivating.”
He Yun Xiang’s expression changed as she realized something. Suppressing the excitement in her heart forcefully, she began describing her Secret Art in detail.
Her cultivation technique was one of the best in Unending Star Field, but while others might covet her Secret Art, she knew that the man before her eyes wouldn’t.
While she was explaining her cultivation technique, Yang Kai listened attentively and asked some questions from time to time. Then, he told her to show him her artifact. Upon examination, he formed a general idea of what to do.
One hour later, He Yun Xiang put on her clothes and stood before Yang Kai. After her marrow and meridians were cleansed of impurities, she appeared even more alluring than before. By just standing there, she was an attractive sight herself. However, she was slightly disappointed as she didn’t manage to arouse this man’s more carnal instincts despite the intimate atmosphere earlier.
Nevertheless, a man like him was indeed reliable, so she still felt that she had made the right bet this time.
“As cultivators, we tirelessly try to pursue a higher Martial Dao. However, we’re bound to come across enemies and battle against them along the way. When that happens, whether or not your cultivation is strong enough is often the deciding factor. Nevertheless, artifacts and Secret Arts are indispensable as well. Although your Secret Art is decent, it’s still too weak. I have a Secret Art with me that should be suitable for you. Take it and study it.” Yang Kai took out a jade slip and passed it to her.
Suppressing her excitement, He Yun Xiang performed a salute, “Many thanks, Sir.”
“I’ll also give you this artifact. Try to refine it as much as possible. I might need your help on Taiyi Star.”
Then, he passed an artifact that looked like a ribbon to her.
The ribbon was woven from seven colours, and it was bright and strikingly beautiful. He Yun Xiang fell in love with it at first glance. She had been pretending to be a man for a long time, so even her artifact was rather masculine. She had never used a feminine artifact before, so this ribbon had undoubtedly made one of her long-held wishes come true.
He Yun Xiang didn’t have the time to look into the Secret Art yet, but she believed that since it was given to her by Yang Kai, it wouldn’t be weak. At the very least, it must be better than her own cultivation technique.
On the other hand, she could tell that this artifact was sublime at first glance.
She ran her hand over the ribbon and felt the aura fluctuation coming from it. With an agitated expression, she looked longingly at him, “Sir, your cultivation really must be above the Origin King Realm!”
Most cultivators in this Lower Star Field were aware that there was a higher realm than the Origin King Realm, but they didn’t know the secrets of that realm or how to reach it. They didn’t even know its name.
Normally, they would just refer to it as a realm that was above the Origin King Realm.
The artifact in her hand must be above Origin King Grade, so the person who gave it to her must be in a realm that was higher than the Origin King Realm.
“The realm above Origin King is called the Dao Source Realm.” Yang Kai flashed a smile at her.
“Dao Source Realm?” He Yun Xiang raised her head and looked excitedly at him. It was the first time she found out the name of the realm that was above the Origin King Realm, as though a door had opened right before her eyes, which showed her an entirely new world.
“Only by transforming all your Saint Qi into Source Qi will you have the right to achieve a breakthrough to the Dao Source Realm. Cultivate diligently, you still have a long way to go. What you have to do now is to strengthen your foundation.”
He Yun Xiang suppressed her excitement and longing as she replied respectfully, “Yes.”
“You may leave now. Inform me when we’re about to reach Taiyi Star. Don’t bother me if there’s nothing urgent.”
He Yun Xiang bowed and turned to leave. She pressed the ribbon against her chest, as though she was holding the most precious treasure in her life. After she left the room, she didn’t look for a secret room to cultivate immediately. Instead, she directly sat cross-legged in front of the door, acting as Yang Kai’s bodyguard.
A short time later, Lu Huai Shuang came to look for Yang Kai.
Earlier, she had gone to handle the matter regarding the He Family’s Starship. She told some Lu Family members to sail the He Family’s Starship back to Morning Sun Star first. The He Family’s Patriarch and hundreds of their top cultivators were dead, so she had to let the Lu Family members back home know about it as soon as possible so that they could begin preparations. When she returned to Morning Sun Star, she could directly launch an attack on the He Family.
After the He Family was destroyed, she believed that there would be no more dangers to the Lu Family left on Morning Sun Star.
When she saw He Yun Xiang sitting outside the room, she didn’t pay much attention to her at first, but she soon fell into a dazed state.
They had just separated for four hours, but she could feel that this Fierce Gale Pirates Head Manager had gone through some kind of transformation. The latter had become even more charming and alluring. Although she was a beautiful woman herself, Lu Huai Shuang was still enchanted by He Yun Xiang’s current beauty.
Following that, she exclaimed in absolute shock, “How have you reached the Third-Order Origin King Realm!?”
He Yun Xiang had just achieved a breakthrough, so she couldn’t conceal her aura yet.
It was apparent to Lu Huai Shuang that the woman before her eyes was a Third-Order Origin King, but less than half a day ago she was still just a Second-Order Origin King!
He Yun Xiang smiled without replying to her. It wasn’t that she wasn’t willing to reveal the secret to her, but Yang Kai’s methods were too inconceivable. She was worried that Lu Huai Shuang might develop ill intentions upon finding out what happened. If this woman also wanted to rely on Yang Kai, then there would be one more competitor for her.
Naturally, as the Head Manager of the Fierce Gale Pirates, she wouldn’t ask for such trouble herself.
Despite her silence, Lu Huai Shuang was easily able to figure out some things and asked in shock, “It was him, wasn’t it?”
With a smile, He Yun Xiang replied, “Sir is cultivating in seclusion right now, and I need to meditate as well to consolidate my breakthrough. Little Sister, please go back now if there’s nothing important. Sir told me to inform him only when we’re about to reach Taiyi Star.”
A myriad of expressions came over Lu Huai Shuang before she nodded her head, “Good. Congratulations.”
The transformation in He Yun Xiang had had a huge impact on her. [Is this the benefit of relying on a Master like him? What’s the point of me having persevered for so many years? The Lu Family is such a heavy burden on my shoulders, which makes it difficult for me to even breathe sometimes. Should I just give it all up and ask him to become my Master as well?]
The man inside the room was the best choice she would ever come across. Since he could accept He Yun Xiang, then he might accept her as well. She was confident that she wouldn’t lose out to anyone when it came to her beauty. That was the innate advantage of a woman.
[No! She’s walking down the path she has chosen and I have my own path to explore. Vines can grow taller by climbing a huge tree, but with the help of sunlight and rain, a sapling can grow into a mighty tree as well.]
At that instant, the shackles that had chained her for years relaxed a little, causing her aura to change slightly. With her gaze becoming determined, she put on a smile as she had let go of something in her heart, “Got it. I’ll inform you about it by then.”
[We’re not the same kind of people. You have your own way to survive, and I have my own method to grow stronger. Although the paths we’ve chosen are different in terms of difficulty, our destination is the same. When we come across each other in the future, I hope you won’t be too surprised.]
…
The black Starship started to lift off and left the Dead Star, accelerating out into the borderless Star Field.
It was the first time Yang Kai slowed down his pace in years. On his Martial Dao, he had always been running ahead diligently, not daring to slack for even a moment. What spurred him on were the threats from all directions and his desire for greater power. Now that he had slowed down all of a sudden, he realized that there were more paths in his life than he had imagined, and the view around him was magnificent as well.
During his stay in the room, he would often enter the Small Sealed World and chat with Liu Yan, the Embodiment, and the others inside. Sometimes, he would boil a pot of tea and read an ancient book for days. His life on the Starship was quite relaxing.
One had to know when to work hard and when to relax when cultivating. A skilful archer would untie the string when the bow wasn’t in use to ensure the longevity of his instrument.
It was said that by reading more books, one could marry a beautiful wife and earn a lot of money, thereby achieving success in life. However, that was just self-delusion and consolation for those poor scholars. However, it couldn’t be denied that one could improve one’s state of mind by reading more books.
All of a sudden, he put down the ancient text in his hands and gave it a hard thought. Moments later, a realization dawned upon him, “It’s because I’ve always been in a rush!”
He had always been cultivating at an incredible speed, and each of his breakthroughs was astonishing enough to shatter most peoples’ imagination. However, since he reached the Emperor Realm in the Shattered Star Sea, he had been stuck in this realm for a long time. He couldn’t achieve a breakthrough no matter how hard he tried.
He had always thought that it was because he hadn’t come across the right opportunity to ascend to the next realm. However, he now realized that it wasn’t that the opportunity hadn’t come to him. Instead, it was his mentality that was the problem here. He had always been in a rush to pursue greater strength and achieve a breakthrough from the First-Order to the Second-Order Emperor Realm to explore the secrets of a higher Martial Dao.
What he didn’t realize was that the more eager for success he was, the further his goal drifted away from him. His attitude to relentlessly pursue progress had formed a shackle that chained him to the peak of the First-Order Emperor Realm.
Although he had an inkling of this previously and had planned to let nature take its course, he still craved greater power when he was in an environment like the Star Boundary. Naturally, he couldn’t be at ease, thus failing in his attempt to achieve a breakthrough.
However, since he came to this place, not only did he not dare to use his power as he pleased, but he had also suppressed his cultivation as best he could. Also, he couldn’t cultivate at all. It was when he was forced to enter such a relaxed state that he finally realized the crux of the problem.
It was like a shaded area under the light. The problem had always been right before his eyes, but he had failed to notice it because he had never looked down at his own feet.
Whether or not he could return to Heng Luo Star Field this time, the journey had been fruitful because he had realized his own problem. He believed that he would be pleasantly surprised when he returned to Star Boundary.
Then, he picked up his book again and poured his attention into it. He was so quiet that it was as though he was someone who was in his twilight years.
*Du du du…*
Someone suddenly knocked on the door.
“Come in,” Yang Kai uttered without raising his head.
He Yun Xiang pushed the door open and entered the room, upon which the pleasant fragrance wafting from her body soon permeated the entire room.
“Sir, we’ll be landing on Taiyi Star soon,” She wouldn’t dare to forget Yang Kai’s order. Right after Lu Huai Shuang’s subordinate informed her about it, she immediately knocked on the door to inform him.
“Good.” Yang Kai acknowledged as he continued staring fixedly at the ancient book.
[Is that some kind of supreme Secret Technique Manual?] He Yun Xiang’s interest was piqued. Yang Kai could easily give her a profound and abstruse Secret Art, so his heritage must be incredibly rich. Hence, the book he was reading so attentively must contain great mysteries and unfathomable knowledge.
She knew that it was wrong to take a peek, especially when the other party was a powerful Master, which might cause him to feel repulsion. If that happened, her previous efforts would all be wasted.
However, a woman’s curiosity would bounce back harder the more it was suppressed. Initially, He Yun Xiang kept her head lowered. Yang Kai was unsuspecting, but it didn’t mean she could take a peek at his secrets.
Nevertheless, a moment later, she couldn’t contain her urge anymore, so she stole a glance at the ancient book. However, when she saw the book’s title, the corner of her mouth twitched.
[‘Emerald Mountain Record’? This is not a Secret Technique Manual at all!]
*Pa…*
Yang Kai closed ‘Emerald Mountain Record’ and rose from the chair. As he moved past her in a few steps, he uttered, “Let’s go.”
Hearing that, He Yun Xiang hurriedly followed after him.
“Your realm is only considered stable when you attain complete control of your aura, allowing you to take it out and conceal it at will. You have to work harder.”
Upon hearing what he said, He Yun Xiang nodded repeatedly and replied obediently, “Sir, you’re right. It’s just that it’s been too short a time.”
Only half a month had passed, so she didn’t have enough time to fully consolidate her new cultivation. Although she was already in a better state than half a month ago, her Third-Order Origin King aura was still pretty conspicuous. Anyone with a decent enough vision would be able to easily sense it.
“How about the refinement of the artifact?”
“I’ve achieved some success, but I still can’t wield it freely.”
The ribbon was a Dao Source Grade Low-Rank artifact. Yang Kai couldn’t remember how he obtained it. He had killed many cultivators over the years, and their belongings had all become his spoils. Although it was only a Dao Source Grade Low-Rank artifact, it was still difficult for He Yun Xiang to refine it because she had just reached the Third-Order Origin King Realm not long ago.
“What about the Secret Art?”
“I’m still studying it.”
“En, feel free to ask me if there’s anything you don’t understand.”
“Many thanks, Sir! There are indeed many parts that are difficult for me to understand.” He Yun Xiang didn’t pretend to understand more than she did. If she wanted to work under Yang Kai, she had to make sure that she was useful to him, since her worth stemmed from her power.
The Starship stopped somewhere in the Starry Sky. It would still take them half a day to reach Taiyi Star. After the cabin door opened, Yang Kai cupped his fists and said to Lu Huai Shuang, “Miss Lu, farewell.”
“Sir, farewell. Please stay safe.” Lu Huai Shuang performed a salute to him in an elegant manner. The top cultivators from the Lu Family behind her cupped their fists to bid Yang Kai farewell as well. She didn’t make him stay nor tell him they would meet again, because she knew that the reason he chose to part ways with her here was that he didn’t want to drag the Lu Family into this mess.
Taiyi Star was the Yan Family’s base, so the forces they commanded on the Star were vast with countless informants lurking in every corner. Yang Kai’s visit this time would surely turn into a conflict with them, and if the Yan Family looked into the matter, they would find out that he came to this Star with the Lu Family. By then, the Lu Family would be implicated.
Both Lu Huai Shuang and Yang Kai understood this. With this thought in mind, she heaved a sigh secretly. If it weren’t because she had to protect her family, she was more than willing to deliver him to that place directly. Their destination was the same anyway.
However, she had a huge family behind her, so she had to be careful in everything she did. Therefore, she was grateful that he was sensitive and considerate. If he insisted on reaching the destination with the Lu Family’s people, she couldn’t possibly reject him.
Instead, he decided to make the Starship stop when they were still some distance away from Taiyi Star to make a clean break with them. After the departure, they might not even meet again in the future.
Certainly, she hoped to see him again in the future. By then, she would stand before him with a higher cultivation realm.
Yang Kai turned his head and hinted at He Yun Xiang, who immediately summoned her own Star Shuttle. After they stepped on it together, the shuttle transformed into a beam of light and shot towards the Star Field.
Star Shuttles were a commonly used flight type artifact in the Star Field. Yang Kai had used one himself back when he was in Heng Luo Star Field; however, they were no longer useful after he entered Star Boundary.
He Yun Xiang’s Star Shuttle was an Origin King Grade artifact, but although its speed was quite fast, it still took them more than half a day to reach the periphery of Taiyi Star.
It was a huge azure sphere that looked like a giant eye in this boundless Star Field. It radiated a mesmerizing glow and was encircled by a layer of faint aura mist.
Yang Kai knew that it was the World Energy of Taiyi Star.
This Yan Family’s base indeed lived up to its name. Taiyi Star was one of the best Cultivation Stars Yang Kai had ever seen. In the entire Heng Luo Star Field, only Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce’s Home Star, Water Moon Star, was comparable to it.
“Sir, should we go directly to the Yan Residence?” He Yun Xiang asked as she controlled her Star Shuttle.
Yang Kai was standing right behind her, and despite him not using any energy, his figure was as stable as a mountain. No matter how fast the shuttle was, he remained unmoving, as though roots had grown beneath his feet.
“Yes, go there directly.”
“Good.” He Yun Xiang nodded as she was moved by his confidence.
Yang Kai was someone in a realm that was above the Origin King Realm, so he was practically unrivalled in this Star Field; therefore, the Yan Family was certainly no match for him. If the Yan Family’s people caved into him and told him the way to enter the Ancestral Domain, then it was all good. However, if they were obstinate, He Yun Xiang could already envision the kind of calamity this mighty family in Unending Star Field would suffer.
They had only met each other a short time ago, so she still didn’t understand Yang Kai’s temperament or personality well. However, she could feel that the Master she had sided with was an easy-going man. He wasn’t someone who would oppress the weak with his power.
This was the kind of demeanour a Master should have. Those who loved to oppress and make others submit to them were usually diffident about themselves.
So, the best way to communicate with someone like Yang Kai was to be totally honest with him. One might even get some rewards in return.
[Hopefully, the Yan Family will know what to do.]
He Yun Xiang had been to Taiyi Star several times before; after all, this was the best Cultivation Star in this Star Field. Although she was the Head Manager of the Fierce Gale Pirates that everyone despised, no one had seen her real face before, so to enter Taiyi Star safely, she just needed to revert back to her original appearance.
Hence, she was already familiar with the route to get into Taiyi Star. After circling around the Star in the opposite direction for a moment, she flew the shuttle towards the surface.
After they passed through a layer of clouds, the view of the ground came into sight.
“It seems that we’ve come to a remote area.” He Yun Xiang appeared slightly embarrassed as she observed the surroundings.
“It’s alright.”
After they continued flying in the air for four hours, a massive city finally came into their sight.
“That’s the Yan Family’s base.”
When they were about to reach the city, they landed on the ground and walked forward. Any sizable city wouldn’t allow any cultivator to fly into it directly because it would make it hard for them to manage the city. Only some people with special status were allowed to do that.
Yang Kai was already used to such customs, so he was fine with it.
The city wall was more than a hundred metres tall and its gates were wide open. A hideous head that looked like a ferocious ghost was hung below the gate, its eyes gleaming with a crimson glow. Its wide open mouth was the entrance to the city. All the cultivators who entered the city seemed to have been swallowed by this ferocious ghost as they disappeared into its mouth.
Whenever a cultivator passed through, the ghost’s crimson eyes would glint, as though it was examining something.
Many cultivators were waiting at the gate. He Yun Xiang asked for Yang Kai’s opinion and then lined up at the back of the line with him.
An incense stick later, it was their turn to enter the city. Yang Kai suddenly felt a stream of energy sweeping over his body, which felt like he had been inspected by Divine Sense, but he knew that it was something different. At that instant, he realized that it was the Secret Technique embedded in the ghost sculpture’s eyes. It didn’t have any ill intention as it was just making a record.
It was already the middle of the night, but the city was still hustling and bustling, as though it was a living creature. All the households in the city still had their lights on. Even the narrowest alley was illuminated by the lights around it.
Countless cultivators streamed along the streets and rubbed shoulders with each other.
The streets were designed in an intricate manner, and every street was lined with two rows of shops, so the city appeared very lively. All the shops came in different shapes as well. Some of them appeared exotic and pleasing to the eyes. There was also a tower with several dozen floors that looked like a huge pillar in this bustling city.
In the middle of the city was a mountain with two summits. It was so high that it almost reached the clouds. The two summits were perfectly symmetrical, as though they were made from the same mould. Yang Kai raised his head and saw that many buildings had been built from the bottom through to the top of the mountain like a ladder. The lights over there were especially bright. The rows of palaces appeared imposing and magnificent.
“That’s where the Yan Family’s clansmen live. Besides the Masters that have been stationed in other places, all Yan Family members live there,” He Yun Xiang pointed at the mountain and explained. A moment later, she asked, “Sir, are you going there now or…”
“I was just looking around. Let’s go there now.” Yang Kai replied.
“Sir, this way please,” He Yun Xiang uttered and led the way.
Although the city was massive, He Yun Xiang could walk around pretty quickly, as she was in the Third-Order Origin King Realm. On the other hand, Yang Kai didn’t exude an aura, but his movements were still remarkably quick.
Two hours later, they reached the bottom of the double summit.
“Outsiders are not allowed past this point. This is where those from the Yan Family live.”
There was a guard who was responsible for blocking outsiders from entering the compound. The guard was in the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm, which was just a step away from the Origin King Realm. He could already be considered a Master in this Star Field, but in this Yan Family base, he could only serve as a guard, which went to show how firm and robust the Yan Family’s heritage was.
Although his tone sounded polite, his expression appeared aloof. The way he swept a glance over Yang Kai was slightly disdainful because he didn’t sense any energy fluctuations coming from him, so he thought that the latter was just an ordinary person.
Nevertheless, he was startled at He Yun Xiang’s Origin King aura. Although he couldn’t determine her cultivation accurately, he was certain that she was in the Origin King Realm. Moreover, she was beautiful and charming, so he immediately started having licentious thoughts about her.
A strikingly beautiful Origin King Realm Master like her was rare.
If he were in the outside world, given his cultivation, he would not dare to size up an Origin King so wantonly. Nevertheless, he was now standing outside the Yan Residence, and he was also a Yan Family disciple, so although he was in a lower realm than her, he still brazenly swept his eyes over her figure and admired her beauty. He thought that if he could sleep with such a woman for one night, he would have no more regrets even if he had to die.
The other Yan Family’s guards around the place also looked at her and drooled over her body.
He Yun Xiang’s face fell when she saw that. She was now a Third-Order Origin King, one of the few peak level masters in this Star Field. So what if they were from the Yan Family? Weaker cultivators should show due respect to a Master like her.
If she had come here on her own, she would’ve swallowed her anger; however, she was now under Yang Kai’s wing, so her actions would affect his reputation, which was why she couldn’t tolerate their presumptuous behaviour.
As such, she swiftly released her Third-Order Origin King aura, causing the Yan Family’s guard, who had been ogling her, to turn pale. After he staggered backwards more than ten steps, he barely managed to stop himself from falling on his butt. With his hand pressed against his chest, he was still reeling from the shock as for a moment, he felt as though he was about to leave for the other world.
That was an Origin King’s pressure! Moreover, it wasn’t just any ordinary Origin King Realm Pressure. The guard reckoned that this beautiful woman must at least be a Second-Order Origin King.
A myriad of expressions came over him as he gritted his teeth and choked down his displeasure. Although he was a Yan Family disciple, this woman’s cultivation was shockingly powerful. The Yan Family wouldn’t choose to offend such a Master over such a trivial matter.
No longer daring to be arrogant, he cupped his fists with a solemn expression, “Madam, may I know your name and what you are here for?”
He was starkly different from his earlier haughty self.
He Yun Xiang uttered dispassionately, “I’m here to see the Yan Family’s Patriarch. Please inform him of my visit.”
“You want to see the Patriarch?” The guard was shocked as he shook his head, “I’m afraid I cannot help you with this.”
The Yan Family’s Patriarch was the Overlord of this Star Field, so not just anyone had the right to meet him. Although the woman before the guard’s eyes was an Origin King, there was a vast difference in strength and status between Origin Kings. She might not necessarily be worthy of meeting their Patriarch.
“I just want to visit Patriarch Yan. Please lend us a hand.”
The person shook his head again, “It’s not that I’m not willing to help, but…” He paused for a moment, “Madam, have you met our Patriarch before?”
If they were old acquaintances, then there wouldn’t be a problem. He would be more than willing to inform the Patriarch about it. Maybe this charming woman was the Patriarch’s mistress in the outside world.
“I’ve always admired him, but I haven’t had the chance to meet him before.”
“Then…”
“Please…” As He Yun Xiang spoke, she flicked a Space Ring towards the guard.
It was said that money made the world go round. As the Head Manager of the Fierce Gale Pirates, He Yun Xiang had a lot of precious things with her.
After taking the Space Ring, the guard scanned it with his Divine Sense and arched his brow, “Madam, since you’re so insistent, I’ll inform the Patriarch about it. Whether or not he’ll meet you…”
He Yun Xiang replied with a smile, “That’s fine. Just help me inform him about my visit.” She didn’t want to make things difficult for a mere guard.
The person turned around and dashed up the mountain at full speed.
“Madam, please have a seat.” Perhaps the other guards knew that they were eligible to share the benefits in that Space Ring, so they treated He Yun Xiang politely. One of them even took out a chair and placed it in front of her.
He Yun Xiang thanked him, but she shook her head with a smile, because she wouldn’t dare to take a seat in front of Yang Kai.
A moment later, the guard, who had gone up the mountain earlier, came down hurriedly and stood before He Yun Xiang, “Madam, our Patriarch is currently cultivating in seclusion, so I’m sorry to disappoint you.” Then, he told her something else with a smile, “However, the Second Elder, who is on duty now, is willing to meet you.”
“The Second Elder? You mean Elder Yan Qing?” He Yun Xiang was apparently familiar with all the Elders of the Yan Family.
“That’s right.”
Although He Yun Xiang didn’t make an appointment before her visit, in the end, she was an Origin King; moreover, she was a Master in the Second-Order Origin King Realm at the very least, on top of being a beautiful lady. Upon learning about her visit, Yan Qing thought it was inappropriate to simply force her to leave, and he wanted to meet her out of curiosity.
The Yan Family controlled several Cultivation Stars not only by relying on the power of their own clansmen, but also the many Masters who worked for them from other clans. If they could recruit this beautiful woman, she would be a great help to the Yan Family.
“Please follow me.” The guard stepped aside and gestured politely.
He Yun Xiang nodded and thanked him. At this point, she couldn’t possibly insist on meeting the Patriarch, so she decided to meet Yan Qing first.
“This…” Seeing that Yang Kai wanted to tag along, the guard frowned. Not everyone had the right to ascend the Yan Family’s twin summits. Although the young man had followed the beautiful woman to this place, he was obviously an ordinary mortal who had never cultivated before, so obviously he lacked such qualifications.
“He’s with me. Please allow him to come along as well.” He Yun Xiang flashed a gentle smile at him.
The guard frowned but stopped making things difficult for them. After a nod, he led the way for them. It was said that rules were inflexible, but Humans were adaptable. Since he had benefited from her already, he didn’t want to harp on such a trivial issue.
Then, the three of them trekked up the mountain. They came across many cultivators with powerful cultivations along the way, but when the men saw He Yun Xiang, they couldn’t contain their urges as they brazenly sized her up.
He Yun Xiang wasn’t used to such stares so throughout the long walk, her brow remained knitted together as she was gripped by a sense of fury. When she pretended to be a man in the past, things were simpler as she could kill whoever she wanted, and she had never been stared at like this before.
Fortunately, the further up they went, the fewer people there were, and in just an incense stick worth of time, they reached a grand palace.
The guard uttered, “Madam, please go in. Second Elder is waiting for you inside.”
As he spoke, he took a look at Yang Kai in shock. He was in the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm, while the Madam was an Origin King Realm Master, so the pace at which they walked was quite quick. However, he didn’t expect that this young man could follow them closely, but he couldn’t sense him using any Qi at all. [What is going on?]
He Yun Xiang thanked him again and stepped into the palace. The main hall was spacious with sculpted columns dotting around the place. An elderly man was sitting in the corner with a cup of aromatic tea in his hand. Seeing that two people were entering the place, he raised his head as his gaze brightened up. [What a charming lady!]
However, when he noticed He Yun Xiang’s aura, he was instantly shocked, [She’s a Third-Order Origin King!]
When the guard informed him of a woman’s visit, he just said that a beautiful woman wanted to see the Patriarch, and her cultivation was quite powerful. She was thought to be in the Second-Order Origin King Realm at the very least. Nevertheless, the guard’s vision wasn’t sharp enough to judge her accurately, so he failed to realize she was a genuine Third-Order Origin King.
Upon that realization, Yan Qing rose from his chair slowly and greeted her with a smile. He wouldn’t have done this if she was just a Second-Order Origin King, but she was a Third-Order Master, equal to him.
He Yun Xiang approached him and bowed elegantly, “Greetings, Elder Yan Qing.”
Yan Qing returned the courtesy as well and flashed a gentle smile at her, “A pleasure to make your acquaintance. May I have your honoured name, Madam?”
After He Yun Xiang introduced herself, Yan Qing’s expression remained calm, but a sense of doubtfulness flashed across his eyes. He didn’t remember any Master called He Yun Xiang in his mind. Moreover, she was a woman. There were hardly any women in the Third-Order Origin King Realm in this Star Field, so where did this woman come from?
Although he was puzzled, he still didn’t directly try to inquire about her background. Since she had personally come here, she must have a request to make. So, he wasn’t worried that he couldn’t find out more about her.
However, it seemed that this woman had just reached the Third-Order Origin King Realm, as she could barely conceal her own aura.
Yang Qing hospitably invited her to take a seat. When he saw Yang Kai sitting down as well, he couldn’t help but frown and think that this brat was mannerless. Nevertheless, before he found out about the relationship between the young man and He Yun Xiang, he wasn’t willing to cause a scene. So, he just ignored him for now.
After he clapped his hands, a maid came over and served tea to them.
During their following conversation, Yan Qing discreetly tried to inquire about He Yun Xiang’s background, but she always tactfully changed the topic, which made him feel displeased. Upon finishing their tea, he asked directly, “Lady He, may I ask what your purpose here is?”
He Yun Xiang stopped smiling and replied in a serious manner, “I’m sorry for coming without an invitation. There’s indeed something I need from the Yan Family. I hope you’ll forgive me.”
Yan Qing chuckled, “Lady He, please speak freely. My family does have some power in this Star Field, so if there is anything I can help you with, I won’t turn you down.” Certainly, he was just being polite. Nevertheless, if it was just a small favour, he would consider lending her a hand. It would be good to make this woman owe them a favour as that might help them recruit her in the future.
“Elder Yan Qing, you’re too humble. In the entire Star Field, only the Yan Family can help me with this.”
“Lady He, you think too highly of my family.” Yan Qing chuckled good spiritedly, but he had put his guard up at that moment. Judging from what she said, the favour she was here to ask wouldn’t be small. If that was the case, he had to be more careful.
“I want to enter the Ancestral Domain,” He Yun Xiang uttered.
Yan Qing’s laughter stopped abruptly, as though someone had reached out and clenched his neck, and the smile on his face slowly faded. Staring at her, he questioned, “Madam, do you understand what it is you are asking?”
He Yun Xiang forced a smile, “If it were an easy task, I wouldn’t have come here to ask for your help. I know that the Yan Family is probably the only force in this Star Field who knows how to enter the Ancestral Domain. Elder Yan Qing, please assist me.”
With a cold expression, Yan Qing refuted, “Madam, I don’t know where you’ve heard this rumour from, but no one from the Yan Family knows how to enter the Ancestral Domain.”
He was utterly exasperated as he thought that this woman had overestimated her own abilities. She wasn’t a close friend of the Yan Family, and it was the first time they met, so how could she ask for access to the Ancestral Domain? Was she out of her mind?
The way to enter the Ancestral Domain was also a top secret within the Yan Family and only a small number of the highest level members in the family knew a thing or two about it.
“500 years ago, an Old Ancestor from your family…”
Before she could finish her words, Yan Qing swung his long sleeve and rose from his chair, “Madam, you may leave now. I won’t see you off.”
He wasn’t willing to keep talking to her anymore. If her request was something else, he would still discuss it with her even if it was difficult to achieve; however, the method to enter the Ancestral Domain must never be leaked. If it weren’t because she was a Third-Order Origin King Realm, he would have directly taught her a lesson.
He Yun Xiang remained unfazed, however, as she had expected this outcome. After hesitating for only a moment, she continued, “Since there’s something I need from you, naturally I’ve prepared an appropriate compensation for you.”
Yan Qing laughed smugly, “There’s nothing the Yan Family does not possess in this world. What do you think you can… What is this?”
He widened his eyes and stared fixedly at the Spirit Pill in her hand.
The longan-sized Spirit Pill was white and translucent, like a perfect pearl. Nevertheless, the fragrance wafting from the pearl was unfamiliar to Yan Qing. After he took a whiff, he realized that the Saint Qi within his body was surging, which caused him to be astonished.
He was a Third-Order Origin King Realm Master, as well as the Yan Family’s Second Elder, so there was basically no Spirit Pill in this world that he had not seen or heard of before. Nevertheless, he had no idea what this Spirit Pill was.
At first glance, he could tell that this pill was of an unimaginably high quality and grade. As far as he was concerned, there was no Spirit Pill in this world that was comparable to it.
He Yun Xiang went on to say with a smile, “Elder Yan Qing, are you satisfied with this reward?”
Yan Qing’s expression changed as he instinctively felt that the pill in her hand would help him tremendously. Despite his calm temperament, he still couldn’t help but gulp as he stared fixedly at the pill. It was as though he was looking at a naked beauty who was inviting him, which aroused his greed greatly.
There was rarely anything in this world that he lusted after. If he needed anything, his family could get it for him. However, at this moment, he eagerly wanted to know what kind of transformation he would go through after he consumed the pill.
“What kind of Spirit Pill is this?” Yan Qing asked as he no longer appeared arrogant. They really didn’t have this pill in the Yan Family.
“This is a Source Condensing Pill.”
After giving it a thought, Yan Qing shook his head, “I have never heard of it before.”
He Yun Xiang smiled faintly, “There are countless amazing things in this boundless world. Elder Yan Qing, although you’re a worldly man, there are still things you haven’t seen before.”
The pill actually belonged to Yang Kai, so Yan Qing couldn’t possibly have seen it before.
He Yun Xiang was now a Third-Order Origin King, and the next step for her was to ascend to the Dao Source Realm. In that regard, Source Condensing Pills were indispensable as they would speed up the process of transforming her Saint Qi into Source Qi. Yang Kai had given her a few bottles of these pills to use whenever she needed them.
After she took out one of those pills at this moment, she managed to achieve the desired result.
“What are the benefits of this pill?” Yan Qing asked curiously.
He Yun Xiang appeared to be in a dilemma, as though she wasn’t sure if she should tell him about it.
Seeing that, Yan Qing was anxious as he said, “If you’re not willing to say anything, then go back now.”
He knew that she wouldn’t leave this place easily.
As expected, when He Yun Xiang heard what he said, the hesitation on her face disappeared, and she uttered, “It can help you reach a realm that is above the Origin King Realm!”
Yan Qing’s entire body shook as his eyes beamed with a glare.
“I’ll be able to reach the realm above the Origin King Realm by taking this pill?” Yan Qing’s throat felt dry, as he hadn’t come across such a thing for years.
He Yun Xiang replied, “To be precise, you’ll have a chance. The pill is just an auxiliary, your own foundation is still the critical element.”
What she didn’t tell him was that one indeed would stand a chance to reach a realm above the Origin King Realm by taking this pill, but the prerequisite was that one took enough of them over a long period of time. Just one Source Condensing Pill wouldn’t help much.
It took a very long time for an Origin King Realm Master to transform their Saint Qi into Source Qi.
“How would I know if what you’ve said is true?” Yan Qing frowned. He was an old fox who had gone through the vicissitudes of life. After the initial shock, he had pulled himself together and started having doubts. [If this Source Condensing Pill is so powerful, why doesn’t this woman take it herself? Why has she chosen to entice me with it? Isn’t she afraid that I’ll take it from her by force?]
“I need something from the Yan Family, so it doesn’t benefit me one bit to lie to you,” He Yun Xiang said solemnly.
Yan Qing shook his head, “I won’t simply believe you for what you’ve said. If that’s the case, I want to examine this pill first.”
In response, He Yun Xiang smiled at him, “Sure.”
A beam of white light flashed across everyone’s eyes as Yan Qing took the Source Condensing Pill in his hand, but he still couldn’t believe it. [What’s wrong with this woman? Since this pill is so precious, why did she pass it to me so easily?]
“Madam, aren’t you afraid that I might seize this pill?” he asked.
“Will you?” He Yun Xiang questioned in shock, as though she was an inexperienced girl while thinking to herself, [You’ll have to be powerful enough if you want to seize it!]
“No,” Yan Qing shook his head. Everyone in this world did everything for their own interests. When faced with such a huge benefit, they would do anything to grab it. However, he didn’t understand why this woman was so confident and wondered if she was suffering from some mental illness.
With a smile, He Yun Xiang replied, “Is this pill good enough to be traded for the way to enter the Ancestral Domain?”
Yan Qing let out a breath, “Yes, but the prerequisite is that this pill is truly as good as you’ve described it to be. Wait a moment. I’ll get someone to examine it.”
“Please.” He Yun Xiang waved her hand gently.
Since this was an important matter, Yan Qing wouldn’t dare to dawdle. He immediately turned around and disappeared into the inner hall.
He Yun Xiang turned to look at Yang Kai and spoke to him using her Divine Sense, “The fish has taken the bait.”
With a calm expression, Yang Kai nodded.
He Yun Xiang went on to ask, “Sir, given your power, you could just force the Yan Family members to hand over the method to reach the Ancestral Domain to you. Why do you have to do all of this?”
The Source Condensing Pill was just bait, and they were now in the Yan Family’s base. An outsider with an unknown background was basically inviting the Yan Family members to snatch such a pill from her by taking it out. Since they were bound to suppress the Yan Family with their power anyways, she reckoned that they should just make a move straight away, thereby saving them some trouble.
That was how the Fierce Gale Pirates would do it. They would just snatch whatever they had their eye on. As the Head Manager of that pirate group, He Yun Xiang was a firm believer in that approach.
Yang Kai replied, “I have my own considerations.”
In fact, he just felt embarrassed to take action, using his strength to bully and oppress the weak. Given his Emperor Realm cultivation, him using force here would be akin to a full-grown man snatching candy from a bunch of toddlers. Nevertheless, if they were naughty children, he wouldn’t mind disciplining them.
In a secret room on the top of the twin summit, the Yan Family’s Patriarch, Yan Luo, was studying the Source Condensing Pill as his expression changed repeatedly. Meanwhile, Yan Qing was standing to the side as he kept licking his dry lips.
Moments later, he asked, “Patriarch, is this pill really so magical?”
Yan Luo gave it a thought and shook his head, “I’m not sure. Let’s wait for the Grandmasters to come over.”
Even the Patriarch couldn’t be sure about it. Yan Qing was surprised rather than shocked, as he thought, [This Source Condensing Pill is indeed something precious.]
A moment later, some people streamed into the room. Regardless of their cultivations, they all exuded the aromatic smell of pills. Apparently, they were the people who had spent most of their time with herbs and Spirit Pills. They were Alchemists.
In particular, these people in the room were Yan Family’s top Alchemists who were all Origin King Rank.
After they entered the secret room and greeted Yan Luo and Yan Qing, an old man in a robe at the front said, “Patriarch, why did you summon all of us to this place suddenly?”
“Please take a look at this pill,” Yan Luo passed the pill to him.
After the robed old man took the pill, the others shifted their attention to it as well. In an instant, they no longer appeared nonchalant as they widened their eyes and exclaimed, “What!?”
“What kind of Spirit pill is this?”
“Let me take a look.”
“Don’t snatch it!”
All these prestigious Alchemy Grandmasters completely lost their noble bearings in an instant, as though they were all bumpkins who had never seen the city before. All of their eyes were brimming with shock.
Moments later, the agitated robed old man stared at Yan Luo and asked, “Patriarch, how did you get this Spirit pill?”
“Can you make out what grade this pill is?” Yan Luo asked him a question instead of replying to him.
“I can’t, but I can guarantee that no one among us can produce this kind of Spirit Pill.”
The other Alchemists nodded in agreement. This Spirit Pill was beyond their knowledge and comprehension. They couldn’t even ascertain the ingredients that were used, let alone produce them.
The answer was pretty obvious now. Even Third-Order Origin Kings and Origin King Rank Alchemists couldn’t verify this Source Condensing Pill that had appeared out of nowhere. The only possibility was that this pill was indeed above the Origin King Grade.
Just when the robed old man wanted to ask something, Yan Luo waved his hand, “All of you may leave now.”
Although the Alchemy Grandmasters were reluctant to go, they wouldn’t dare to disobey him. After bowing, they turned around and left. Before leaving the room, they still looked longingly at the pill.
After they were gone, Yan Luo uttered dispassionately, “You said the woman called He Yun Xiang simply gave this pill to you?”
“Yes.”
“It seems that she has more than one pill.” Yan Luo started laughing all of a sudden.
Seeing that, Yan Qing immediately understood what the Patriarch was up to. Certainly, that idea had crossed his mind as well. Both of them basically shared the same thought. Hesitantly, he questioned, “Since she’s able to casually take out such a pill, she surely isn’t someone who can be oppressed easily. What if there’s someone powerful behind her?”
“It’s not possible. Also, don’t forget where we are.” Yan Luo shot him an impassive glance.
Yan Qing was startled for a moment before he nodded, “Good.”
Then, he turned around and left the secret room. [She’s a woman without any background. Even if she’s killed here, no one will realize it.]
“Sir, it’s about to start.” Inside the main hall, He Yun Xiang looked at Yang Kai with a smile as sounds of some things breaking through the air could be heard. Like a large Dragon that was awakening, streams of powerful auras surrounded the main hall.
A person with a grim expression stepped out of the inner hall. He was none other than Yan Qing, who had left this place earlier.
He Yun Xiang asked, “Elder Yan Qing, what’s the result of your examination?”
Suddenly, Yan Qing bellowed, “How dare you take a fake Spirit Pill to fool us! How are you so brazen?”
He Yun Xiang appeared flabbergasted, “Elder Yan Qing, what do you mean that it’s a fake Spirit Pill?”
Yan Qing snorted, “I don’t know where you’ve gotten this pill from, but our Origin King Rank Alchemists have examined the pill and concluded that it’s totally useless. How dare you take this to trade for our top secret? Do you think we’re fools you can easily deceive?”
He Yun Xiang appeared terrified and pale as she said, “How is it possible that it’s a fake pill? It’s really useful for helping a cultivator to reach a realm that’s above the Origin King Realm. I would never dare to lie to you.”
In her heart, she found his behaviour laughable. Now, she could understand why Yang Kai had to go through such trouble. Even the Yan Family had to come up with an excuse before they would deal with her. Perhaps a reason was needed to cover up their wrongdoing.
[It’s just not as fun as when I was in the Fierce Gale Pirates. We could just kill and rob anyone as we pleased. It seems that I still need some time to get used to living on this side of the world.]
“Are you saying that our Origin King Rank Alchemists are inferior to you when it comes to their knowledge and insight?” Yan Qing snorted.
After a sigh, He Yun Xiang replied, “Since that’s the case, please return the pill to me and just forget about my request, then.”
Yan Qing sneered, “You want the pill back? I’ve already destroyed it.”
In an instant, He Yun Xiang’s eyes turned bloodshot, “How can you do this to me? That was a precious Spirit Pill. Even if you’ve failed to see its value, you shouldn’t have discarded it so carelessly!”
She appeared aggrieved and helpless. Anyone who saw her in such a state would feel sympathetic towards her.
[Is this woman really this foolish or is she just putting on an act?] Yan Qing was somewhat puzzled. [Has she just come out from a long time of closed-door cultivation? Given her strength, why can’t she see what’s going on? That’s right! That must be the case! That’s why I haven’t heard of a Third-Order Origin King Realm Master like her before! She must have gotten some incredible inheritance and been cultivating in seclusion somewhere!]
Yan Qing was shocked at this thought, and he no longer felt apprehensive.
“Forget it. It’s just a Spirit Pill, so it doesn’t matter that you’ve destroyed it. Since you’re so stone-hearted, I’ll take my leave now.” Appearing dejected, He Yun Xiang rose from the chair and wiped the corners of her eyes.
“Do you think you can come and go as you please from this place?” Yan Qing growled.
Flustered, He Yun Xiang asked, “What do you want, then?”
“You’ve tried to fool us in an attempt to steal our top secret. If we let you off, our reputation will be ruined. Lady He, you must remain behind.”
He Yun Xiang staggered backward and exclaimed, “You want to confine me?”
Since they had fallen out with each other, Yan Qing stopped hiding his intention as he said, “Lady He, if I were you, I would surrender without trying to resist. You appear weak, so I think you’ve just reached the Third-Order Origin King Realm. If you oppose me, I’m worried I might accidentally harm you.”
He was confident of capturing He Yun Xiang. Compared to her, he had been in the Third-Order Origin King Realm for a long time, so she was certainly no match for him. The arrangements outside the hall were just to make sure that she couldn’t escape.
He Yun Xiang snarled, “You’re so shameless. Why is there such a person like you in the Yan Family? I want to see Patriarch Yan and obtain justice from him.”
Yan Qing sneered, “He won’t meet you.”
Just when He Yun Xiang parted her lips in an attempt to say something more, Yang Kai got up all of a sudden. Seeing that, she immediately kept her mouth shut.
Yan Qing shot him a cold glance and frowned. Then, he swung his hand at him in a nonchalant manner, as though he was chasing a mosquito away.
A blast of Qi slashed at Yang Kai’s chest with a loud boom.
Yan Qing didn’t even spare him a glance. Although he didn’t expend much energy when attacking him, he was a Third-Order Origin King after all. A person who didn’t exude any Qi at all would surely end up in a miserable state after getting hit by his strike.
The young man would be considered lucky if only his bones were broken. Most probably, he would simply explode into a cloud of blood mist.
In the next moment though, Yan Qing’s body shook, upon which he turned to look at the young man in disbelief. The young man simply lifted his hand and brushed the part on his chest where he was attacked, as though nothing had happened to him. Then, he put on a grin and approached Yan Qing.
[What!?] Yan Qing couldn’t believe his eyes. [Why is he still fine?]
In disbelief, he scanned Yang Kai with his Divine Sense and became certain that the latter had never cultivated before. [This guy is just like any ordinary person.]
With a frown, he pushed out a palm with 30% of his power in an attempt to probe the young man.
Nevertheless, the young man still didn’t evade the attack and let it hit his chest. His figure didn’t shake one bit, and he appeared totally at ease.
Yan Qing was flabbergasted, as he realized that he had gravely underestimated the young man. [He could parry two palms from me without using any Qi. Is he…]
“You’re a Body Tempering Master!”
There was a peculiar group of people in this world who cultivated their bodies instead of the internal Qi. It was rumoured that they could reach the summit of Martial Dao as well, upon which their bodies would become immortal and indestructible. No one could verify this statement because, compared to the orthodox method of cultivation, Body Tempering was too uncommon. It had been a long time since anyone tried to cultivate solely their body. They could only read about it from the historical records in ancient times.
[Is this young man He Yun Xiang’s backer?] Yan Qing couldn’t help but have this thought.
If this person really was a Body Tempering Master, then it would be difficult to deal with him. That was because Body Tempering Masters only cultivated their bodies, so their vitality was strong, and it was hard to kill them. Although this path was extremely difficult, one could obtain a horrifying power if one had succeeded. At the same cultivation realm, almost no one could be his equal.
Yan Qing quickly brought out his full strength as he sent out a third palm. He wanted to see just how strong this Body Tempering Master was.
The howling of wind could be heard as his Saint Qi converged into a swirl on his palm. As his terrifying aura spread across the hall, he pushed out his palm at the young man.
*Hong…*
The spark of energy caused the entire hall to shake. After that, a perceptible green palm illusion headed for Yang Kai’s chest.
Yan Qing widened his eyes in an attempt to see clearly what would happen to the young man.
Nevertheless, he was astounded by the outcome. The strike that he had used his full strength to deliver still couldn’t move the young man one bit. Not even a crease was formed on his clothes.
[I’m no match for him!]
In the blink of an eye, a person was standing right before him all of a sudden. The young man, who was tens of metres away from him earlier, seemed to have teleported and suddenly appeared before his eyes.
“Duo!” Yan Qing reacted quickly. As he growled, a beam of green light shot out of his mouth and headed for Yang Kai’s eyes when the young man was unsuspecting. It was a palm length needle, which was an Origin King Grade High-Rank artifact. It was basically formless, so no one could have prepared to parry it.
Needle shaped artifacts were rare because they were hard to refine. Nevertheless, this one was extremely powerful, and it was one of Yan Qing’s most formidable trump cards.
However, this trump card didn’t provide him any sense of security. After he launched the attack, he immediately retreated in an attempt to widen the gap with the young man.
Then, he stopped moving abruptly, as his neck was suddenly clenched by a large hand, which caused him to suffocate. The moment his neck was constricted, his entire body turned limp, and the Saint Qi in his body no longer listened to his command.
With a clang, the long needle fell to the ground.
Yan Qing was gripped by fear, as he saw that this young man broke his trump card easily by blowing out some air.
[How is that possible? No! This must be a trick! An illusion! Hahaha!]
Just then, all the doors and windows were broken at the same time as more than a dozen people leapt into the hall.
Certainly, the Masters outside the hall could perceive the movements inside, which was why when they realized that the people in the hall had gotten into a scuffle, they immediately broke into the place. All of them exuded Origin King Realm auras.
The old man at the front had grey hair, but he still appeared very energetic. He was a Third-Order Origin King Realm Master whose aura was even stronger than that of Yan Qing. He was none other than the Yan Family’s Great Elder, Yan An!
He wielded the long sword in his hand as the tip of the blade swung from side to side. All of a sudden, the sword was thrust out, upon which countless sword waves condensed into a beam of light and shot towards Yang Kai’s back.
The attack was ferocious in every way. He had displayed his Sword Dao to its utmost, which caused the others to gasp in amazement. They were all immersed in his skills as though they had plunged into the boundless world of sword cultivation.
*Chi…* The long sword jabbed into the young man’s back and stuck out from his chest without any hindrance.
[Got him!] The feeling coming from the long sword made Yan An realize that his attack was successful. That was the unique feeling of a sword jabbing into a Human body. As the smell of blood permeated the place, those Yan Family’s Origin King Realm Masters at the scene were elated.
“Ah!” He Yun Xiang shrieked.
She had never expected that the invincible Yang Kai couldn’t even parry one strike from the Yan Family’s Great Elder. Certainly, she saw Yan An breaking into the place just now, but she had total confidence in Yang Kai, so she didn’t attempt to block the attack. Instead, she just stood to the side and watched the good show with a smile.
Then, she saw this unbelievable sight.
[What happened? How is that possible?] Earlier, Yang Kai had shown absolute power and defeated the Second Elder Yan Qing with ease. So, how did the Great Elder Yan An stab his sword into his back so easily? Even though he was facing away from the old man, he shouldn’t have made this kind of rookie mistake.
“Junior, you shouldn’t have been so presumptuous!” Yan An snorted as a cold aura radiated from his long sword and froze Yang Kai’s back. With the wound as the centre, a layer of frost spread across his entire body.
“Great Elder, you… *Pu…*!” Yan Qing’s flustered voice was then heard. He sounded despondent, and it seemed that he was puking blood when he was speaking.
Yan An raised his head and looked at Yan Qing, only to see the latter flashing an eerie grin at him.
With a frown, he thought, [What’s wrong with Second Elder? Why is he grinning at me like this?] While he was feeling doubtful, the familiar face in front of him contorted and turned into an unfamiliar young man’s face.
“What?” Yan An was flabbergasted.
If the person facing him was the young man, then who was it that he just stabbed his sword into?
He wouldn’t dare to keep thinking about it, as his forehead had been drenched in cold sweat. Upon a closer look, he felt his soul leaving his body. The man he had just stabbed his sword into was familiar to him in every way, including his figure, clothes, height and hair. The person was none other than the Second Elder!
[What happened? What is going on? My attack against the young man was successful, so how did the outcome change to this?] Despite the Great Elder’s powerful cultivation and calm temperament, he was still flustered at this moment.
“An illusion!” He Yun Xiang’s gaze brightened as she could finally set her mind at ease. [I knew he wouldn’t be killed so easily!]
Earlier, at that moment, all of them in the hall had been deceived by a powerful illusion technique as they mistook the Second Elder Yan Qing for Yang Kai. There were no traces of the young man using the technique, but he could draw all the Origin King Realm Masters at the scene into an illusory world without them realizing it, which went to show how horrifying his power was.
The golden glint on Yang Kai’s left eye subsided as his vibrant Spiritual Energy settled. Then, he tutted and mocked. “Great Elder, how did you have the heart to make a move on your fellow clansman like this? I wonder if there are any grudges between you two? Did he sleep with your woman? Or did he kill your father? I didn’t expect that you’d retaliate against him and attack him ruthlessly in this situation! I’d like to tell you that you’ve done a good job! As men, we should retaliate against our enemies in a straightforward manner. Great Elder, you’re a role model for all of us.”
“You…” Exasperated, Yan An pulled out his long sword.
*Pu…* Yan Qing spat blood again, which Yang Kai evaded with ease. The colour had been drained from his face. If he hadn’t known the Great Elder so well, he would have thought that the latter really had some grudges against him and took this opportunity to retaliate against him.
[I could forget the fact that you jabbed your sword into me, but why did you pull it out without informing me?] The excruciating pain was unbearable, and Yan Qing was almost frozen to death by the coldness. He knew that Yan An’s Mysterious Yin Algidity was extremely atrocious.
“I’ll kill you!” Yan An had gone mad with rage as he thrust his sword towards Yang Kai.
His reputation had been destroyed because of this young man in front of him. The fact that he had harmed his fellow clansmen was an unforgivable sin. From now onward, his reputation would be tarnished beyond redemption, and he would lose his right to keep the position as Great Elder. Most probably, he would have to retire and spend his remaining life in seclusion somewhere far from the centre of power.
Yan An had been in the Third-Order Origin King Realm for a long time, but faced with the old man’s furious attack, Yang Kai just put on a faint smile and reached out his hand.
*Chi…* The crisp metallic clanging sound resonated in the hall.
A basin of cold water seemed to have been poured down on Yan An at that moment, extinguishing all his fury and replacing it with fear and horror.
Upon a closer look, he could see that, while the young man was clenching Yan Qing’s neck, he also reached out his other hand and pinched the long sword slashed at him. The young man appeared nonchalant, as though he was pinching a falling leaf instead of an Origin King Grade artifact, which had been used to kill countless people.
Yan An was shaken to the core as his eyes were brimming with shock. He hurriedly tried to infuse his Saint Qi into the long sword and pressed forward instead of retreating.
With a sneer, Yang Kai flicked a finger on the long sword, which caused a clanging sound on the weapon.
Yan An’s heart froze as his sword almost flew out of his hand. He used all his energy to clench the hilt, but he couldn’t stop his sword from heading to the side.
*Chi…* The sound of a weapon piercing into a Human body could be heard. The long sword had penetrated Yan Qing’s chest and pierced into his heart.
“Uh…” Yan Qing widened his eyes as he let out a lethargic breath through his throat. With difficulty, he turned his head and stared fixedly at Yan An. Then, he opened his mouth and expended his last bit of energy to utter, “Damn you!”
After that, his head slumped to the side, and all his aura disappeared.
While all of them were dumbfounded, Yan An had lost his ability to think as his mind had turned blank, and his lips were trembling uncontrollably.
One of the top cultivators in the Star Field, the Yan Family’s Second Elder, who was a Third-Order Origin King Realm Master, was killed by his fellow clansman for no apparent reason.
Nobody could accept this kind of outcome. It would’ve been better if Yan Qing was killed by Yang Kai; however, since the beginning, Yang Kai had only been clenching his neck. He had never attempted to kill him. The person who ended his life was the Great Elder Yan An, who had stabbed his sword into Yan Qing twice!
Was the Great Elder taken advantage of by Yang Kai because he was no match for him? That wasn’t the case. It was just that this young man was too horrifying because he was able to toy with two Third-Order Origin Kings with ease, making one of them kill the other against his will. No one could possibly be his equal in this world in terms of power.
Yang Kai was a man who would repay a debt of gratitude, but he would also retaliate against those who had harmed him. Although he felt pity for them, he still had to destroy them because they were the ones who wanted to kill him.
When a cultivator picked up his sword, he had to be psychologically prepared that he would be stabbed by his opponent as well.
In a nonchalant manner, Yang Kai threw the corpse away as though the latter was a rag sack. Then, he shot a cold glance at Yan An.
Yan An came to his senses when he was met with the young man’s gaze, and he could feel his heart trembling violently. It wasn’t the right time for him to blame himself and feel sorrowful. The most important task at hand was to solve the crisis before his eyes. He thought that since he had deployed so many Masters around the palace, they would be able to capture their ‘guests’ with ease. However, before they could even find out the young man’s background, the Second Elder had been killed, which was a huge loss to the family. If Yan An was also harmed in any way, Yan Family’s power would plummet.
With this thought in mind, he hurriedly retreated, but he was shocked to see Yang Kai extending his hand toward him. The young man’s movement appeared slow, but it was apparent to Yan An that he could not dodge or parry his move. With goosebumps all over his body, he was already drenched in cold sweat as he shouted, “Patriarch, save me!”
Yang Kai failed in his attempt to grab Yan An, who had disappeared into thin air. Then, Yan An suddenly appeared in a place that was tens of metres away. He was still reeling from the shock as he was panting heavily.
“Oh?” Yang Kai arched his brow. Instead of looking at Yan An, he turned his head to look in another direction.
Someone was hovering in the air over there as he looked down at Yan Qing’s corpse with a gloomy expression.
Yan An didn’t escape unscathed because of his own skill. He was saved by that person. Just now, for a moment, Yang Kai could sense the fluctuation of Space Force. The way Yan An disappeared and appeared again was similar to his own instantaneous movement, but the distance was much shorter.
“Are you the Patriarch of the Yan Family?” Yang Kai asked.
With a cold expression, Yan Luo didn’t even spare Yang Kai a glance, as though the latter wasn’t existent. After staring at Yan Qing for a while, he uttered, “It’s been a long time since anyone dared to make a scene in our home.”
Despite his calm voice, he was burning with rage. An Elder had been killed when he wasn’t paying attention, which was a huge loss for the family.
“You must die!” Yan Luo suddenly turned his head and glowered at Yang Kai with a hideous expression.
Yang Kai grinned, “Patriarch Yan, that will depend on whether you’re powerful enough to kill me.”
“Do you think that Body Tempering is invincible? Many things in this world are beyond your imagination! You’re just a frog at the bottom of a well, so how are you able to imagine the magnificence of the whole Starry Sky?”
Hearing that, Yang Kai pondered on it and nodded, “You’re right.”
Raising his hand, Yan Luo pointed at the young man and uttered dispassionately, “Kill yourself now. You’ll suffer less pain this way. If I make a move on you, I’ll make sure that you’ll go through the most excruciating torture the world has to offer.”
Yang Kai replied, “I came all the way here just to ask you all about the way to head to the Ancestral Domain, and I was willing to give you appropriate compensation. Patriarch Yan, why are you so stone-hearted? Why do all of you want me dead?”
“It seems that I have no choice but to make a move. Otherwise, you’ll never repent!” Yan Luo snorted as he wasn’t willing to keep talking to him anymore. Then, he pressed his finger down.
In an instant, the world seemed to be buzzing as an unspeakable pressure descended from the sky, as though the Heavens themselves were about to collapse. Regardless of their cultivation, all the Origin Kings in the hall bent over and couldn’t raise their heads.
He Yun Xiang was horrified as her alluring face had been transformed by fear. She thought that after she reached the Third-Order Origin King Realm, she could walk sideways around the Star Field. Even if she came across someone she couldn’t defeat, she could still run away with ease. However, after Yan Luo made a move, she came to the realization that she was utterly wrong.
The pressure he could impose on them with just one finger was already so terrifying. If she was targeted by him, she wouldn’t stand a chance to flee.
[Why is he so powerful? Yan Luo’s aura suggests that he’s also in the Third-Order Origin King Realm. Even though he’s been in this realm for a longer time, he shouldn’t be so much stronger than I am.]
At this moment, the pressure Yan Luo had imposed on her was even more terrifying than what Yang Kai had before. He was just standing there, but it was as though he was as mighty as the Heavens and Earth themselves. The word he uttered was the law of nature, and no one could go against his will.
“Star Source Strength!” Yang Kai arched his brow as he was surprised, but he soon felt relieved.
Apparently, Yan Luo was a Star Master. Specifically, he was the Star Master of Taiyi Star. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to use its power.
Taiyi Star was the Yan Family’s base. As the Yan Family’s Patriarch, it was expected that he had refined Taiyi Star’s Source, thus becoming its Master.
[No wonder he is so arrogant. So, this is the reason behind it.]
As a Star Master, he was practically the ruler of Taiyi Star.
Yang Kai was currently still the Master of Shadowed Star, so he understood the kind of power a Star Master could use on his own Cultivation Star.
The reason Yan An could escape from him wasn’t thanks to any Space Technique. It was because Yan Luo had used his power as Star Master to move the former.
Despite feeling a heaviness press down on him, Yang Kai didn’t bend. Instead, he looked playfully at Yan Luo, who was hovering in mid-air.
Even without using any Qi, he could resist such pressure with his body. A Star Master couldn’t make him bend his back as he was far beyond that level now. Activating his Dragon Transformation Secret Technique, Yan Kai could assume a 150-metre tall Half-Dragon form. With his Dragon bloodline, Yang Kai wouldn’t bow his head to a mere Third-Order Origin King no matter what kind of external aid he possessed.
“What?” Yan Luo was shocked.
Although he hadn’t exerted all his might, no one could possibly bear a Star Master’s wrath while in their domain. [His Tempered Body is so strong that he can resist this kind of pressure!? Did he obtain some kind of unfathomable inheritance or something?]
With this thought in mind, Yan Luo became excited. If that was the case, he would gain a lot of benefits by killing this young man, which sent him laughing riotously.
“What are you laughing at?” Yang Kai asked.
“I’m laughing at what I should be laughing at.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Then I should laugh as well.”
“Only if you can laugh…” Yan Luo straightened his other four fingers, which basically became a palm now. Then, he twisted his wrist and sent a palm towards Yang Kai while he continued to float up above.
The world hummed again and those who were already bowed over now directly fell to their knees. No one was spared from this.
The indirect pressure was already so powerful, so they couldn’t imagine how Yang Kai would end up to be since he was the target. With a worried expression, He Yun Xiang raised her head to look at Yang Kai with great difficulty, only to be left flabbergasted.
Yang Kai stomped his feet on the ground, upon which the area around him collapsed and formed into a pit. Thousands of tiles in the main hall shot up into the air together and turned into dust.
With the help of the stomp, Yang Kai shot up into the air like a meteor.
Rising 30 metres up in the air, he was hindered slightly by the pressure from Yang Luo’s palm. Nevertheless, the hindrance was only temporary and in the next moment, he broke through the resistance with a force that could shatter any Origin King Realm Master.
Yang Kai appeared right before Yan Luo in the next instant and sent a fist out at him.
Yan Luo was stunned as the calmness and contempt on his face disappeared, which were then replaced by seriousness and disbelief.
[How is he so strong? I’m a Star Master, the ruler of all on Taiyi Star! How is it possible that he can resist my powers with such ease!?]
The space around them shook, and collapsed as Yang Kai’s fist shattered space itself, leaving deep gashes in the Void!
Yan Luo could feel his surroundings had collapsed and at that instant, an innumerable number of ideas flashed through his mind, but he eventually concluded that he had to dodge this attack no matter what.
If he was hit by this fist, he would surely lose his life. Even though he was a Star Master, he wouldn’t be able to withstand it.
Just then, a figure flashed across everyone’s eyes as Yan Luo disappeared from their sight.
Yang Kai’s fist struck the air; however, without a target, his power scattered, hitting nothing.
When a rumbling sound was heard, the main hall collapsed, sending up a cloud of dust and rubble. Countless figures that appeared quite dishevelled flew out of the hall, coughing repeatedly.
As the commotion spread, people at the bottom of the mountain looked up and were all astounded by what they saw. The main hall of the Yan Family, which had stood on the twin summit for thousands of years, had turned into ruins now as the walls were all damaged. It was as though doomsday had arrived. More and more people flew out of the main hall and cursed.
It was the middle of the night, but the city down below was still bustling, so countless people in the streets stopped what they were doing to look up at the mountain with doubtful expressions. They wondered what had happened to the Yan Family that such a commotion had been caused.
Without anything supporting him, Yang Kai fell back down and landed on a piece of plank sticking out of the ruins. Then, he looked in a particular direction and asked, “Patriarch Yan, are you still able to laugh now?”
Certainly, the grin had been wiped off Yan Luo’s face. His face appeared so cold that it was as though one could scrape a layer of frost off it. With his gaze trembling slightly, he stared at Yang Kai in disbelief.
He couldn’t believe that someone was able to threaten him on Taiyi Star. That was something that had never crossed his mind before.
He wasn’t the only Star Master in Unending Star Field. However, it was a universal fact that within a Star Master’s territory, whether the Star Master was in the Second-Order or Third-Order Origin King Realm, they were basically invincible.
That was because a Star Master could utilize his or her Cultivation Star’s Star Source Strength, which was the power of the world. Who could have the ability to go against an entire world?
The thing he had never dared to imagine had actually happened right before his eyes, so he thought that he must be dreaming.
After a moment of silence, he uttered, “You’re indeed incredible. You’ve proven yourself to be a true Body Tempering Master. However, if you think you can defeat me, then you’re wrong.”
He was invincible on this Star. No matter how powerful the young man was, he could never touch a Star Master.
“Patriarch Yan, are you sure you still want to be so obstinate?” Yang Kai shot him an impassive glance.
Yan Luo growled, “You’ve killed my family’s Elder and destroyed our foundation. No matter who you are, we’ll fight with you till our deaths!” There was no way he could tolerate it after suffering such a huge loss. The more powerful his enemy was, the more ill-tempered he became. If he couldn’t rebuild their reputation, the Yan Family would lose their footing in Unending Star Field.
Yang Kai let out a sigh, “Patriarch Yan, something you just said was correct.”
Yan Luo stared coldly at him.
The young man went on to say, “A frog at the bottom of the well can never imagine the magnificence of the Starry Sky. I’m in a good mood today, so I’ll broaden the horizons of you wastes.”
As he spoke, a powerful aura surged within him.
Since the very beginning, Yang Kai had never shown any sign that he had cultivated before. What he relied on was the robustness of his body. Even He Yun Xiang thought that he was a Body Tempering Master.
However, at this moment, Yang Kai exuded some of his Qi. However, it wasn’t Saint Qi. The aura was even purer and more profound than Saint Qi.
[What kind of power is that?]
His aura kept surging and breaking through barriers. Soon, it reached the First-Order Origin King Realm, but there it stabilized.
Yang Kai shook his head helplessly, as he had reached the limit. In this damned place, he couldn’t use a power that exceeded the Origin King Realm. Otherwise, he might attract the Heavenly Way’s rejection.
Yan Luo had never worn such a solemn expression before. He thought that the young man was just a muscular savage, so he wasn’t afraid of him. However, he didn’t expect that the young man had been hiding his true power. He was now a Body Tempering Master in the First-Order Origin King, so it would undoubtedly be difficult to deal with him now.
Nevertheless, the worry in Yan Luo’s gaze soon vanished. [He’s only in the First-Order Origin King Realm, so he isn’t that powerful. I’m the Star Master of Taiyi Star, so why would I be afraid of him?]
“Patriarch Yan, are you ready?” Yang Kai looked up at the old man.
Yan Luo’s heart leapt to his throat when he was met with the young man’s dark gaze, as he was engulfed in an unimaginable sense of danger. Soon, something flashed across his eyes, and a figure, who was none other than the young man, appeared right before his eyes.
Yan Luo gasped in shock as he had failed to notice how the young man even reached him. He instinctively activated the Star Source’s power and disappeared from the spot.
The next moment, he was already in a place that was 300 metres away, but before he could even take a breath, the young man appeared before his eyes again, less than an arm’s length away, the grin on his face sending a chill down Yan Luo’s spine.
*Shua shua shua…*
Yan Luo kept changing his location. His forehead dripped as his robes became soaked in a cold sweat.
He could keep changing his location with the power of a Star Master. However, the young man was able to follow him relentlessly. No matter how hard he tried, he could never open a distance with him. Most of the time, right after he re-appeared, the young man would then appear before his eyes, still at arm’s length.
At that instant, he realized that his power was practically useless to deal with this mysterious young man.
All the Yan Family’s Masters on the ground were dumbstruck. The two people in the air were so elusive that it was hard for them to see clearly. In just a short moment, they had changed locations several dozen times. Nevertheless, they always kept a close distance from each other.
“Space Force!” Yan Luo exclaimed.
As a Star Master, he was more sensitive than the others when it came to the changes on this Star. The young man could be seen with clear fluctuations of Space Force around him. Apparently, he had mastered the Dao of Space.
Unlike his power as the Star Master, the young man could move instantaneously by using his own power.
At that instant, Yan Luo was flustered. He thought that he was invincible and untouchable in this place, but it turned out that the young man before him had methods to negate all his advantages.
A fist magnified before Yan Luo’s eyes suddenly. He wanted to evade it, but he realized that the space around him had become viscous. The fist was coming at him like a mountain, blocking all the sunlight from his sight. No matter how hard he tried, he could not avoid it, which frustrated and terrified him.
After a loud boom, blood spurted out of Yan Luo’s nose as he fell to the ground like a meteor. Then, he crashed into the ruins of the main hall and sent yet another dust cloud up into the air.
Now, he was seeing stars, and he could feel that his nose had been broken. When he opened his eyes again, he realized that he was engulfed by a towering shadow.
“Mercy!” Yan Luo howled in a sorrowful voice. He no longer appeared calm and nonchalant. The man before his eyes truly had the power to end his life. Moreover, it seemed that the young man hadn’t even displayed his full strength yet, so he couldn’t imagine how horrifying this young man would be if he utilized all his power.
[Where is this man from? What kind of monster is he? Since he’s so powerful, he should have shown us his strength right from the start! What was the point of him doing all this? Now the Yan Family has lost all face! Not only was I powerless to oppose him, but a Third-Order Origin King Elder was also killed by him…]
Besides Yan Luo, the other Masters of the Yan Family shared similar thoughts. Yan An felt especially bitter. He was the one who had been manipulated into killing Yan Qing and had hoped that the Patriarch would take revenge for him; however, he had never expected that the Patriarch, who was supposed to be invincible on Taiyi Star, would have to beg for this young man to show mercy after less than an incense stick of battle.
Was the Patriarch too cowardly? Nonsense, he simply understood that a wise man must adapt to current circumstances.
Whatever the case, the Yan Family members were utterly shamefaced on this day. Fortunately, there were no outsiders in this place, so the news wouldn’t be spread. Otherwise, it would deal a huge blow to the Yan Family’s reputation and authority.
“I think we can talk now.” Yang Kai looked down at Yan Luo.
“Senior, whatever question you have, I’ll unreservedly answer for you.” Yan Luo forced a smile.
….
In another palace halfway up the mountain, He Yun Xiang put down a cup of aromatic tea on the table and obediently stood behind Yang Kai, as though she was a mere maidservant.
Yan Luo had cleaned himself up and changed into new clothes. After he stepped out of the back hall, he bowed to Yang Kai, “Senior.” Then, he hinted at Yan An with his gaze.
With a fawning smile, Yan An passed a box in his hands to Yang Kai in a respectful manner, “Senior, this is your Spirit Pill.”
After the box was opened, the Source Condensing Pill was seen lying in it.
He Yun Xiang took the box and sneered, “I thought the Second Elder crushed it.”
Yan An’s expression appeared awkward as he explained, “He was lying. His rash actions have nothing to do with the Yan Family. Senior, please forgive us.”
“The Second Elder also said that this pill is fake.”
“Nonsense! This pill is translucent and perfectly round. Moreover, it’s pleasantly fragrant, so it’s not possible that this pill is fake. Although we don’t know what pill this is, we’re certain it is an extraordinary treasure. Yan Qing must have been consumed by greed and lied to you in an attempt to seize this pill for himself.”
With a solemn expression, He Yun Xiang uttered, “Elder Yan An, it’s thanks to you that a wicked liar was purged today. It is a stroke of good fortune, otherwise, he might have brought trouble to the Yan Family in the future.”
Yan An nodded repeatedly, “Quite right. This is all thanks to Senior lending me a hand at that time, or I would not have been able to carry out the execution so smoothly. Patriarch and I were fooled by that traitor, which was how all these misunderstandings were caused. Senior, please don’t take this incident to heart.”
He Yun Xiang replied with a smile, “Sir won’t mind it.”
“Many thanks, Senior.”
With a mournful expression, Yan Luo spoke up at this time, “This all happened because I trusted the wrong person. Senior, if you want to punish me, I won’t resist.”
He Yun Xiang took a look at Yang Kai, and upon seeing that he remained silent, she replied with a smile, “The culprit has been punished, so this matter can be considered settled. Patriarch Yan, Great Elder, both of you are able to grasp the bigger picture here. It’s just that you two had been deceived, so you shouldn’t be blamed.”
Upon hearing that, Yan Luo and Yan An heaved a sigh of relief.
With a serious expression, He Yun Xiang went on to say, “Sir has come all the way here for just one thing.”
Yan Luo uttered solemnly, “Senior, please leave this matter to us. After making appropriate arrangements, I will personally bring you to the Ancestral Domain.”
He Yun Xiang was immediately at a loss for words. With absolute power, something that was as difficult as heading to the Heavens became easy all of a sudden. Before she could say anything, Yan Luo had already agreed to personally bring them to the Ancestral Domain. No one else in this Star Field was qualified to receive this kind of treatment.
Yan Luo rubbed his hands together and said carefully, “However, I do have a request. Senior, I hope you’ll agree to it.”
He Yun Xiang’s face fell as she questioned, “Are you trying to negotiate with us?”
Yan Luo shuddered and replied hurriedly, “No no no, I would never dare to. It’s definitely not a negotiation. It’s just that I have a small favour to ask.”
“What if Sir doesn’t agree to it? Are you not going to tell him how to reach the Ancestral Domain?”
“Certainly not! Whether or not Senior agrees, I shall fulfil my promise.”
He Yun Xiang glanced to check Yang Kai’s reaction before nodding, “Alright. Tell us.”
With a smile, Yan Luo said, “Senior, this will surely be an easy task for you. The thing is, I want to head to the Ancestral Domain as well, so I hope that you will bring me with you.”
“You want to go to the Ancestral Domain as well?” He Yun Xiang asked curiously, “Just go then. You already know how.”
With a grim expression, Yan Luo explained, “Senior, you might not be aware of this. Although I know how to head to the Ancestral Domain, the journey to that place is paved with danger. Even a Third-Order Origin King Realm Master like myself might be killed if I’m not careful enough. Otherwise, I would have gone to the Ancestral Domain a long time ago and not waited until now. Senior, you are incredibly strong, so I’m certain the dangers on the journey won’t be a hindrance to you. I simply wish to come along with you.”
“The journey to the Ancestral Domain is dangerous?” It was the first time He Yun Xiang heard about it, so she was doubtful.
“It’ll depend on our luck,” Yan Luo replied seriously.
Luck was basically an intangible thing. If one were lucky, their journey would be smooth sailing. However, if they were unlucky, every step they took would be dangerous. Sometimes, luck could even be considered a part of a cultivator’s strength. It was pointless to lament that the Heavenly Way was unfair, because that was simply how it worked.
He Yun Xiang couldn’t make that decision, so she asked for Yang Kai’s opinion.
Yang Kai didn’t mind it, so he nodded lightly, “Good.”
Upon hearing that, Yan Luo was elated and bowed to the young man, “Many thanks, Senior!”
To the side, Yan An cupped his fists and bowed, “Congratulations, Patriarch. Your dream is finally about to come true.”
With a smile, Yan Luo uttered, “After I’m gone, you shall be the next Yan Family’s Patriarch. Make sure to manage the family well.”
In response, Yan An bowed to him, “I won’t disappoint you.”
Turning around, Yan Luo said, “Senior, why don’t we set off in ten days? Of course, if you are in a rush, we can begin our journey three days from now, but I hope you can give me some time to hand over my role as Patriarch and give some instructions to my family.”
Naturally, he had a lot to do to hand over the position of Patriarch.
“We’ll set off in ten days, then.” Yang Kai rose from the chair, not minding this small delay.
After Yan Luo thanked Yang Kai repeatedly, he brought the latter to take a rest.
The interior of the room was luxurious with Luminous Pearls dotting the walls.
Once they were alone, He Yun Xiang asked, “Sir, do you think they are still trying to scheme against us?”
Yan Luo’s obedience made her feel doubtful. Even if he had caved in to absolute power, he didn’t have to act so subserviently. After all, he was still a Star Master and a hegemon in his own right.
Nevertheless, He Yun Xiang didn’t understand why Yan Luo would want to follow Yang Kai to the Ancestral Domain. If he really wanted to play a trick on them, why would he want to tag along?
“We’ll see how things go.” Naturally, Yang Kai wouldn’t be afraid even if the Yan Family had come up with a plot against him.
However, he had unsealed some of his cultivation on this day, so he was a bit anxious to suppress it again, as he could already feel the hostility coming from the world around him.
Ten days passed just like that.
In the morning, countless people were standing at the base of the twin summit. Almost all of the Yan Family’s important people had gathered in this place. All of them were standing close to each other in the square in front of a black Starship.
Basically, everyone had found out that the Patriarch was heading to the Ancestral Domain. This was an important event for the Yan Family, as it had been 500 years since the last clansman left for Ancestral Domain. Moreover, no one knew if he had actually reached his destination. This time, the Patriarch suddenly announced that he would step down and follow his Old Ancestor’s footsteps to pursue a higher Martial Dao and explore a greater world. After the news spread, everyone from the Yan Family was shocked.
Thousands of people had gathered in this place to see the Patriarch off.
Only a small number of people in the Yan Family were aware of what happened ten days ago. They knew that on that day, the Patriarch and the Great Elder were humiliated, and the Second Elder was even killed. These people were all leaders among the Yan Family though, so they wouldn’t spread the news. That was why the Yan Family’s people who had come here on this day had no idea what happened ten days ago. When Yan Luo appeared, all of them looked at him in admiration.
If they found out that the Patriarch had begged for a young man’s mercy ten days ago, they would probably lose all respect for him.
At that moment, Yang Kai and He Yun Xiang were walking at the front. The Yan Family’s disciples had a doubt about it, as they had no idea who these two people were. They just felt that the attitude of the Patriarch and the Elders towards these two was quite odd.
A moment later, they all boarded the Starship. After a loud hum and a strong energy fluctuation, the Starship rose into the air and shot into the vast Starry Sky.
It wasn’t until the Starship disappeared from everyone’s sight that the other people reluctantly left the place.
The former Great Elder, who was now the Yan Family’s Patriarch, Yan An, gave some instructions to the others before he too went back.
Once inside a certain palace, Yan An stepped into a secret room where a conspicuous lantern was placed. The lantern was aged and worn, but although no one knew how long it had been sitting there, there was no dust on it at all.
There were no other things in this secret room besides the lantern, a table, and an incense burner.
Yan An’s solemn expression was that of a sincere pilgrim. Then, he took out an incense stick from his Space Ring. The incense stick seemed to be custom-made. It was as thick as a thumb, and it was about as long as a forearm. No one knew what it was made of, but it exuded a pleasant scent even though it hadn’t been burned yet.
With the incense stick in his hand, Yan An thought about what Yan Luo had told him a few days ago and a sense of determination flashed across his eyes, upon which he slashed at his own wrist with his fingers. A wound was immediately formed on the wrist as his blood streamed out of it.
Then, he placed the incense stick below his wrist and let it be soaked with his blood until it became scarlet.
One hour later, the incense stick’s colour had changed completely. It was like a leech that had sucked in enough blood. It was entirely scarlet now, and it looked quite malevolent.
Despite Yan An’s pale face, he was still very excited. He then performed a hand seal, pushed his Saint Qi, and gripped the incense stick tightly as he growled, “Ignite!”
A spark was lit up on the incense stick. It appeared to be burning, but the smoke wafting from it was red.
With the incense stick in his hands, Yan An wouldn’t dare to dawdle as he repeatedly bowed at the lantern and stuck the incense stick into the incense burner on the table.
At that instant, the place fell into silence, and Yan An’s breathing could hardly be heard. As the incense stick was burning, the red smoke wafting from it seemed to have been summoned as it flowed into the lantern. Moments later, the ancient-looking lantern seemed to be going through some changes as well.
When the incense stick was half-burned, a horrifying pressure descended from the sky all of a sudden. At the same time, two dots of light lit up in the lantern, resembling a pair of eyes.
Yan An was shaken to the core as he immediately fell on his knees respectfully, “Greetings, Old Ancestor.”
The dots of light in the lantern glinted repeatedly before they stabilized, upon which an old voice could be heard speaking from the lantern, “Yan An? We haven’t met for hundreds of years. Are you the Yan Family’s Patriarch now?”
Judging from his words, the person with the old voice apparently knew Yan An.
“Yes, Old Ancestor. I am the current Patriarch.”
“Where is Yan Luo? I remember that when I left home in the past, it was Yan Luo who was in charge of the family. It’s only been a few hundred years. Please don’t tell me that he’s dead.”
Yan An hurriedly replied, “He is not dead. It’s just that he has stepped down as the Patriarch and has headed for the Ancestral Domain.”
“He’s coming to Ancestral Domain? It’s unexpected of him to have taken this initiative. I have to congratulate him, then.” The old voice sounded joyful, but it soon turned grim, “Wait a moment. Did you summon me just to tell me about this?”
If that was the case, they were basically making a big fuss over a trivial matter. Before the Old Ancestor left Unending Star Field in the past, he told them not to bother him if it wasn’t a matter of utmost importance.
Yan An bowed to him again and sobbed, “Old Ancestor, our family has been humiliated, so we must ask you to obtain justice for us.”
The aura in the lantern turned murderous all of a sudden as the old voice was heard speaking in a stern voice, “Tell me about it in detail!”
…
One month had passed since they set off on their journey.
It had been smooth sailing as they navigated through the Starry Sky inside the Yan Family’s Starship. The huge ‘Yan’ on the Starship was the best travel pass in this world, as no one would dare to attack a Yan Family Starship. The Star Pirates would immediately run at the mere sight of such a ship.
In the past month, Yang Kai had been living a relaxed life. He had read many ancient books and gained a lot of new knowledge.
Yan Luo would visit Yang Kai every day with precious food and drinks. Yang Kai wouldn’t turn him down, but he had rejected some women who had been assigned to serve him.
On this day, He Yun Xiang knocked on the door and stepped into the room.
Seeing that her aura was stable, and her skin was radiant, Yang Kai knew that she had managed to consolidate her realm.
“Have we reached our destination?”
She replied, “Yan Luo said we’re about to reach there soon.”
“Good, let’s go take a look.” Yang Kai was curious about the method and route to enter the Ancestral Domain. Although it might not be the same for Heng Luo Star Field, he could still learn from this experience and it might turn out to be useful in the future.
They soon reached the control centre of the Starship. Many disciples of the Yan Family were guarding the active arrays and there was a tinge of excitement in their solemn expressions.
All of them knew where they were heading to as they secretly thanked Yan Luo for choosing them to come along. This way, they could explore the beauty of the Ancestral Domain earlier than the others.
Seeing Yang Kai, all of them immediately bowed to him.
Yan Luo approached him and greeted, “Senior, the Star in front of us is where the entrance to the Ancestral Domain is located.”
Yang Kai looked in that direction and asked curiously, “A Dead Star?”
The Star was dim, and as they were looking at it from the Starry Sky, they could see that it appeared desolate. There was an innumerable number of such Dead Stars in each Star Field. No one could have expected that this Star was the key to entering the Ancestral Domain.
With a smile, Yan Luo replied, “This is why not many people are aware of the method to enter the Ancestral Domain.”
There was no World Energy on the Dead Star at all, so no one would attempt to investigate it. Even if they passed by, they would immediately leave this place. No one could have expected that the door to the Ancestral Domain was actually on this Dead Star.
“Your family is quite lucky to have discovered it.”
“Yes, we were indeed lucky,” Yan Luo grinned meaningfully without explaining anything. It was a coincidence that they had made such a discovery, and it traced back to many generations ago. Even he wasn’t sure how their ancestors had discovered and confirmed the gateway’s existence as a lot of information had been lost over the generations.
“Senior, please have a seat. If nothing goes wrong, we will soon reach the Ancestral Domain.” Yan Luo made a ‘please’ gesture.
Yang Kai nodded and took a seat on the side.
The Starship was slowly moving towards the Dead Star and descended in a particular direction before it entered a wide canyon. The canyon was so deep that it was as though it was a bottomless abyss. Some aboard were shocked to discover that they couldn’t sense the bottom with their Divine Sense.
Upon Yan Luo’s order, the Starship dove into the canyon, and soon, all they could see was endless darkness.
It was as though they were navigating through the gates of the Netherworld. The coldness seemed to have penetrated the Starship and made them shudder.
In such a hostile environment, even an Origin King Realm Master wouldn’t be able to survive for long. Only by relying on this Starship could they resist the depletion of their energy.
A long time later, Yang Kai’s expression changed suddenly as he hurriedly scanned the surroundings with his Divine Sense. He could feel a violent Space Principle fluctuation coming from the deepest part of the canyon.
Upon closer inspection, he knew that his speculation was right. There was a huge Void Crack at the bottom of the canyon. The crack was glowing dazzlingly, appearing very different from the other such phenomenon that he had come across before.
Yan Luo’s expression turned solemn in an instant as he personally controlled several arrays to activate the Starship’s defences.
Silently, the huge Starship flew into the Void Crack and disappeared, as though it had been gobbled up or had melted.
*Kacha…*
Just then, ominous noises could be heard from every direction and the expressions of everyone aboard the Starship changed instantly.
He Yun Xiang turned to look at Yan Luo in shock, but upon seeing that he remained unperturbed, she felt her heart freeze over.
It was said that a person shouldn’t bother about trifles if they wanted to achieve great things.
She wasn’t sure about the others in the Yan Family, but given her Third-Order Origin King Realm cultivation, she knew that this Starship wouldn’t last long. The Starship was now being squeezed by the horrible power surrounding them, and within an hour, it would certainly buckle and collapse.
By then, all of them in the Starship would be doomed except the Third-Order Origin Kings. Even He Yun Xiang wasn’t confident of escaping unscathed, so she could only place all her hope on Yang Kai.
Yan Luo must have known in advance that these other Yan Family members would die, but he still brought all 300 of them along to operate this Starship. The reason for it was that he wanted to take advantage of this Starship to exchange for an hour of safety in this passageway.
One month ago, these Yan Family members were still looking forward to the journey, which seemed laughable now. They wanted to explore the beauty of the Ancestral Domain, but they had never suspected that they were just tools to Yan An, ones he was well prepared to discard at any moment.
Inside the control room, the glow of all arrays kept flickering. That was the sign that the Spirit Arrays were about to reach their limits, and cracking sounds could be heard from all directions.
“Patriarch, we can’t continue, otherwise…” One burly man came over with an anxious expression. It was then he realised that they weren’t lucky to have set off on this journey. Instead, it was a journey to Hell.
Yan Luo uttered dispassionately, “Increase speed!”
The burly man’s expression became aghast.
Yan Luo raised his hand and landed a palm on the burly man’s forehead. With his forehead sunken, he fell to the ground without even a sound as fluids leaked out from his seven orifices. The other Yan Family’s disciples were terrified upon seeing that.
“Increase speed!” Yan Luo demanded again.
Not daring to hesitate anymore, all the disciples immediately infused their energy into their respective arrays. The Starship stalled for a moment before its speed picked up.
They were surrounded by lights of different colours, and they couldn’t see any way out. The pressure coming from the Void constantly damaged the Starship’s structure. Although it was an Origin King Grade Mid-Rank Starship, it was still creaking continuously.
A moment later, one of the arrays in the cabin suddenly turned dim, as it had been completely destroyed. At the same time, a part of the Starship began collapsing. As though a chain reaction had been triggered, with the broken part as the centre, the damage rapidly expanded as the Starship started disintegrating.
One by one, all the arrays stopped functioning.
All the Yan Family’s disciples turned completely pale as they turned to look at Yan Luo. Upon seeing that he remained calm and collected, as though he was unperturbed by such a crisis, they began seeing hope again.
[Patriarch will definitely lead us out of this crisis! We’re all selected by him to explore the Ancestral Domain together, so how is it possible that we’ll lose our lives here?]
One hour later, their hope was crushed. Following a loud crash, the Starship completely collapsed.
The pressure from the Void gushed in from all directions, and without the protection of the Starship, there was no way these cultivators who hadn’t reached Origin King Realm could survive.
*Pu, Pu, Pu…*
Just like bubbles that had been poked at, one by one, they exploded as their blood spurted everywhere.
“Patriarch, save us!”
All of them screamed for help. However, Yan Luo ignored them as he made a move, upon which a layer of dark Artifact Armour covered him from head to toe, making him look like an imposing general who was about to storm into their enemy’s territory in ancient times.
At the same time, He Yun Xiang summoned her ribbon artifact.
She had been diligently refining this artifact since she received it, and although she still couldn’t use the Low-Rank Dao Source Grade artifact with ease, it was still useful at this moment. The artifact could be used as a weapon as well as an armour, so it was pretty rare. Moreover, its grade wasn’t too high, so it suited her current cultivation.
The ribbon enlarged and covered her up, as though she had just put on a colourful dress. In an instant, she felt less pressured, upon which she moved closer to Yang Kai as she wouldn’t dare to stay too far away from him.
Yan Luo ran towards them and stood beside He Yun Xiang, his eyes narrowing when he saw the ribbon.
He had sharp vision, so he could see that the ribbon was no ordinary artifact. The artifacts he had seen before were all trash compared to this ribbon. Although he lusted after the artifact, he didn’t let the emotion show on his face.
[I’ll let you keep this treasure for now. It’ll be mine soon!]
A short moment later, the screams for help had died down. It had only been a short while since the Starship broke apart, but the hundreds of Yan Family disciples who had been manning it were all dead. However, Yan Luo remained emotionless, as though the people who had lost their lives were strangers instead of his own people.
He Yun Xiang was shocked as she found him to be too ruthless. Although she had killed countless people before, she could never be as cold-hearted as he was.
In this endless Void, there was no way to navigate as all they could see were vivid and colourful lights. It was the first time Yan Luo and He Yun Xiang experienced this, but they soon pushed it to the back of their mind as they explored the wonder around them.
Yang Kai was walking at the front, still not revealing any aura fluctuations from his body, but the horrifying pressure didn’t even make him frown.
The world was utterly silent, to the point where their heartbeats could be heard clearly.
Yan Luo felt that something was off, because it had been a safe journey so far without encountering any dangers or accidents.
500 years ago, the Old Ancestor embarked on a journey to the Ancestral Domain. Outsiders didn’t know whether he had succeeded, but Yan Luo knew that he had reached the Ancestral Domain. That was because three months after the Old Ancestor left home, Yan Luo used the Secret Technique left behind by the Old Ancestor to contact him. At that time, the Old Ancestor told him all about his journey to the Ancestral Domain.
According to the Old Ancestor, this colourful Void that they were passing through now was extremely dangerous. If they were not careful enough, they would be crushed to pieces. A lot of inconspicuous dangers were hiding in this seemingly beautiful world.
Yan Luo had gotten himself ready as he remained vigilant at all times, because he was worried that danger would befall him all of a sudden.
However, since the beginning, the journey had been smooth sailing, as though they were taking a stroll in their back garden. There didn’t seem to be any danger at all.
It was impossible for the Old Ancestor to lie to him, so they were either unbelievably lucky, or the strange young man leading them forward was somehow helping them avoid all the dangers, which was why they were safe now.
Yan Luo hoped that the former was the reason, for if it was the latter, then it would be too horrifying. Maybe the plot they had come up with wasn’t the right decision. At that instant, he began feeling apprehensive.
There was nothing around them that could be used as a reference, so they didn’t know how far they had gone. Yan Luo’s Artifact Armour appeared dim, so it was apparent that it had lost most of its spirituality. Nevertheless, he was well prepared, so he immediately changed into a new Artifact Armour.
On the other hand, He Yun Xiang had expended a lot of her energy as she had to use her Saint Qi to sustain the ribbon’s defensive capabilities. It was already difficult for her to use a Dao Source Grade artifact when she was just a newly promoted Third-Order Origin King, so it was expected that she couldn’t persevere for too long.
Despite feeling reluctant, she still fished out a Spirit Pill from her Space Ring and took it, after which she shuddered as a warm stream expanded from her abdomen and spread towards all her bones and organs. In an instant, her Saint Qi, which was about to be exhausted soon, was replenished significantly. The medicinal efficacy, however, was too potent, meaning she couldn’t quickly refine and absorb it, so most of it was wasted.
[All the things Sir has given me are so valuable!] There certainly wasn’t any Spirit Pill in Unending Star Field that was comparable to the one she had just consumed. She didn’t even know the pill’s name, all she knew was that it could help replenish her energy. Yang Kai had given it to her together with the Source Condensing Pills some time ago.
As time passed, they slowly grew tired of the magnificent view. The three of them were like lonely travellers in the desert, not knowing where their destination was. Yan Luo’s expression had turned from hopeful to dejected, while He Yun Xiang was anxious as well. Only Yang Kai remained unperturbed, and even his pace hadn’t changed one bit.
Just then, Yang Kai suddenly arched his brow and turned to speak to He Yun Xiang, “We’ll be there soon.”
Upon hearing that, He Yun Xiang was startled for a moment before she became elated.
Yan Luo hurriedly raised his head and saw that there was a different view in the distance. In an instant, he was over the moon, because he had no more Artifact Armours left. The one on his body now was the last set. If they still couldn’t reach the Ancestral Domain by the time it became damaged, he would have no choice but to ask for Yang Kai’s protection.
Fortunately, their destination was now in sight, so his perseverance so far was worth it.
Without uttering a word, they accelerated their pace at the same time.
One day later, a five-coloured swirl appeared before their eyes. The swirl was stationery in an eerie manner. Standing in front of the swirl, the three of them looked as insignificant as dust.
Yan Luo was so agitated that his lips began trembling. He looked fixedly at the swirl, as though he could penetrate the barrier of space and see the view on the other side.
He Yun Xiang’s gaze brightened as well. Just three months ago, she would never have imagined that this would happen to her one day. The Ancestral Domain was just one step away from her. This was the dream countless people had been pursuing for their entire lives, but she would be able to reach it soon.
Both of them turned to look at Yang Kai, only to be surprised to see that he had closed his eyes as he was quietly standing there. Neither of them dared to disturb him.
Moments later, he opened his eyes and uttered, “Let’s go.”
Then, he directly stepped into the stationery five-coloured swirl.
Dawdling no further, Yan Luo and He Yun Xiang immediately followed in his footsteps, upon which a feeling of weightlessness engulfed them.
In an instant, they felt dizzy, and their hearts throbbed uncontrollably. Unexpectedly, they could hear some voices around them. They tried to listen to them, but they couldn’t make out what those people were saying because their ears were ringing.
Only Yang Kai appeared speechless as he looked around.
On his way to his destination, he had thought about what it would look like, but when he finally reached this place, he realized that it was quite different from his imagination.
He wasn’t disappointed, but the sight before his eyes just felt off.
“Hey, there are new people.”
“Wow, there are three people in one go. What Star Field are they from?”
“One of them will go to Sky Pavilion.”
“Surname Liu, who do you think you are? Why must one of them go to your place? Have you even asked if we agree?”
“So what if you don’t agree? Are you going to fight with me?”
“Come then! I’m not afraid of you!”
“Regardless of what you think, one of them will go to Starry Mountain!”
“The remaining one will go to Holy Mountain Peak, then.”
“Are all of you cracking jokes?”
“I’m serious.”
“Your mother!”
“Why are you scolding me?”
It seemed that the situation was out of control because of the arrival of Yang Kai and the others, leaving him dumbfounded at the sight.
“Silence! All of you making such a fuss here before these new arrivals is highly improper! Acting so immaturely will only make them look down on us! Don’t you know the rules? We should ask about where they’re from first,” an old man with a sallow face suddenly uttered. The old man appeared authoritative among this group. His figure was thin, but his eyes were very energetic. There was a pipe in his hand as smoke was rising from the chamber. After he finished speaking, all of them fell silent and looked fixedly at Yang Kai and the others.
Upon a closer look, they were all shocked because the young man at the front was playfully looking at them.
Seeing that, all of them gasped. [How is that possible?]
They must have passed through the Void Corridor to go from a Star Field to the Ancestral Domain. The journey was extremely long, so it always caused some side effects for those who took it. The most notable effect was dizziness and discomfort in one’s Soul.
The time these drawbacks would last depended on their cultivation. If they were strong, then it would only take them a short time to recover. However, if they were weak, they would need a longer time.
Nevertheless, judging from the young man’s composure, he wasn’t suffering from any drawbacks at all.
[What’s going on?] All of them were dumbfounded.
Their expression turned weird after they scanned him with Divine Sense, because there were no aura fluctuations around him. If he was a cultivator, it was impossible that they couldn’t detect any aura from him. It was either because there was a huge gap between their cultivations, so the weaker one couldn’t sense it, or that he was using an artifact that concealed his cultivation.
However, it was unlikely that a cultivator coming from a Star Field would possess such an amazing artifact, and it was impossible that all of them couldn’t see through him.
[He’s such a strange guy.]
A moment later, He Yun Xiang and Yan Luo managed to pull themselves together. Upon seeing the sight around her, she turned pale as she hurriedly activated her Saint Qi and looked around vigilantly.
She had never expected that she would come across this situation right after she stepped into the Ancestral Domain. Moreover, the cultivation of all these cultivators around her was above Origin King Realm. Some of them even exuded an aura that horrified her.
[They’re all above the Origin King Realm! This is the aura specific to the realm that is above the Origin King Realm. It must be the Dao Source Realm that Sir had told me before. Have we reached the Ancestral Domain? If we haven’t, then why are there so many people in a realm above the Origin King Realm here? Why are they blocking our way? Are they going to rob us? However, we’re just cultivators from a Lower Star Field, so our possessions are probably not valuable to them. We’re not on the same level, so what’s the point of them snatching stuff from people who are in a lower realm?]
While she was vigilant, Yan Luo suddenly started moving and heading in a particular direction.
Seeing that, He Yun Xiang was stunned, while Yang Kai stared at him with narrowed eyes.
There were three people in the direction Yan Luo was moving, two men and one woman, standing on a small hill nearby. The young man at the front appeared handsome and carefree, and his aura was profound. The woman beside him, who appeared to be in her late twenties, was smiling elegantly. The last person was an old man who, despite his grey hair, had skin as smooth as that of a baby and a radiant glow on his face.
With an agitated expression, Yan Luo shuffled towards the hill and fell on one knee before uttering in a trembling voice, “Greetings, Old Ancestor! It has been many years since we last met!”
He Yun Xiang’s expression changed when she heard that, and she gazed dazedly at the old man. An idea flashed across her mind, upon which she realised who the old man was.
It was rumoured that an Old Ancestor from the Yan Family had embarked on a journey to the Ancestral Domain 500 years ago, but no one knew whether he had succeeded. Upon hearing how Yan Luo addressed the old man, she immediately figured out his identity.
He was the Yan Family’s Old Ancestor who had left Unending Star Field 500 years ago, Yan Ren Hao!
At that instant, He Yun Xiang felt that something was amiss. Yan Ren Hao was already the strongest Master in Unending Star Field 500 years ago, as he was at the top of Third-Order Origin King Realm. 500 years had passed, and he had been cultivating in the Ancestral Domain, so he must have reached a realm that was above Origin King Realm.
[It’s a trap! No wonder Yan Luo agreed to bring Yang Kai to the Ancestral Domain and wanted to tag along! It is because he knew that the Yan Family’s Old Ancestor would be waiting here.]
She wasn’t sure how the Yan Family members managed to contact Yan Ren Hao, but it was impossible that this old man would coincidentally appear in this place. Apparently, after they left Taiyi Star, someone from the Yan Family managed to send a message to their Old Ancestor.
Yan Ren Hao must be waiting in this place to receive Yan Luo.
[Damn it! Sir’s cultivation is indeed powerful, so he isn’t afraid of the Yan Family members on Taiyi Star, but is he a match for Yan Ren Hao? Moreover, Yan Ren Hao has two helpers with him. The woman is just a Third-Order Origin King Realm, so I can probably deal with her; however, that young man gives off a feeling that he’s even stronger than Yan Ren Hao. Can Sir defeat him?]
He Yun Xiang had thought about a lot of things in just a short moment. With a dark expression, she turned to look at Yang Kai, but seeing that he appeared calm and collected, she couldn’t help but be startled.
“Wonderful!” Yan Ren Hao guffawed as he stepped forward and helped Yan Luo up. After examining him, he clapped his shoulder and complimented him, “Very good indeed!”
Naturally, he was glad that a Yan Family descendant had managed to come here. After him, no Yan Family members had managed to reach the Ancestral Domain. Although his power had increased significantly in this world, he was less carefree than when he was in Unending Star Field. So, he was very pleased with Yan Luo’s arrival. With the two of them working together, they might extend the Yan Family’s legacy in the Ancestral Domain.
“It is good that Old Ancestor is well as well,” Yan Luo said excitedly, “Your cultivation…”
Yan Ren Hao chuckled and waved his hand, “Let’s not talk about cultivation now. Come, let me introduce you to a Master.” He placed his hand on Yan Luo’s shoulder and brought him to meet the young man. Then, he introduced him, “This is my Senior Brother in Azure Sea Palace, Duan Mu Qi. Just call him Martial Uncle Duan Mu.”
“Azure Sea Palace…” When Yan Luo heard that, a glint flashed across his eyes as he fell into deep thought.
Although they could contact the Old Ancestor, they couldn’t communicate with him for a long time. In fact, they had only contacted him once 500 years ago. Therefore, they had no idea how Yan Ren Hao had been doing in the Ancestral Domain.
Upon that introduction, Yan Luo immediately understood that Yan Ren Hao had joined a great force called Azure Sea Palace in the Ancestral Domain. Moreover, judging from his attitude, he appeared respectful towards this man called Duan Mu Qi.
Yan Luo was very old himself, and he definitely looked much older than Duan Mu Qi. However, a cultivator could only command respect with his strength, not his age. Since Yan Luo’s cultivation was weaker than that of this young man, he had no choice but to be humble.
Not daring to appear disrespectful, he immediately bowed and said, “Junior Yan Luo of the Yan Family greets Martial Uncle Duan Mu!”
With a faint smile, Duan Mu Qi nodded his head, “Martial Nephew, you don’t have to be too formal with me. We’ll be one family from now on.”
Yan Ren Hao uttered, “Your Martial Uncle is one of the top ten cultivators in Azure Sea Palace. It was thanks to his recommendation in the past that I was able to join Azure Sea Palace. You’ll have to ask for more guidance from him in the future.”
“Yes.” Yan Luo straightened his face.
“This is your Martial Aunt, Chen Chui Ling,” Yan Ren Hao pointed at the woman and said.
Yan Luo thought to himself that the woman was just a Third-Order Origin King, which was the same as his own cultivation realm. If they got into a fight, it would be hard to tell who the winner would be. So, why was this woman now considered his Senior? He was basically the Overlord of Unending Star Field who stood above all others, so he had never been so humble to someone else before. Nevertheless, upon seeing how intimate she was with Duan Mu Qi, he immediately understood the reason behind it. So, he also bowed to her and greeted, “Greetings, Martial Aunt Chen.”
Chen Chui Ling replied with a smile, “Martial Nephew, you don’t have to be so formal with me either; after all, you are Senior Brother Yan’s Junior. After you join Azure Sea Palace, I’ll definitely take care of you. I haven’t managed to prepare anything for our first meeting, so just take this bottle of pills. They will be useful for your cultivation.”
“Uh…” Although Yan Luo was tempted, he felt embarrassed to take something from her since this was their first meeting. So, he turned to look at his Old Ancestor to ask for his opinion.
Yan Ren Hao uttered, “Your Martial Aunt is an Alchemist and these pills were all refined by her personally. Since she has offered them to you, just take them.”
“Many thanks, Martial Aunt Chen!” Yan Luo hurriedly thanked her and took the bottle with both hands as his heart was filled with excitement. He thought that it was the right decision to come to the Ancestral Domain, as he had obtained a bottle of pills not long after he arrived here. He wasn’t sure about the grade of the pills or their medicinal efficacies, but since they were made in the Ancestral Domain, they would undoubtedly be treasures to the current him.
As the other cultivators listened to their conversation, they realised the relationship between them. At that instant, they sighed secretly, knowing that they couldn’t snatch these people from Azure Sea Palace.
[His Old Ancestor belongs to Azure Sea Palace, so he’ll definitely join the same Sect as well. There’s no way he’ll choose to join another Sect. As for the two people with that Yan Luo fellow, they must be from the same Star Field.]
Upon learning about their relationship, they knew that these people wouldn’t consider other options, so they had lost interest in luring them in.
Normally, cultivators from the same Star Field would stick together, unless there were some grudges between them.
However, if they loathed each other, it was impossible that they would come to the Ancestral Domain together.
After these people from Azure Sea Palace were done with their small talk, Yan Ren Hao traded glances with Yan Luo before he pushed his Divine Sense.
The next moment, he looked at Yang Kai and He Yun Xiang with a smile before he uttered, “Since both of you have come with Yan Luo, why don’t you follow me to my Sect?”
There were too many people around this place. Even though he had intended to deal with Yang Kai, he wouldn’t choose to make a move in this place. Otherwise, the other great forces might find fault with him and criticize him. However, once they left this place and returned to Azure Sea Palace, he could do whatever he wanted to Yang Kai.
[Since you’ve dared to kill my family’s Elder and damaged our foundation, I’ll never let you off! Do you think you can do whatever you want because you have some meagre strength? You’re indeed just a frog at the bottom of the well, so don’t even think about leaping out of it for the rest of your life. However, I must make them follow me to Azure Sea Palace first…]
With a smile, Yan Luo added in, “Brother Yang, let’s go. It’s thanks to you that I’ve managed to come to the Ancestral Domain safely. Please give me a chance to repay you for this favour.”
He no longer appeared obsequious and cautious. His Old Ancestor was right behind him, and he had the support of Duan Mu Qi, so he wasn’t afraid of Yang Kai anymore. It was apparent to him that no matter how formidable Yang Kai was, it wasn’t possible that he could be stronger than his Old Ancestor and Duan Mu Qi.
[You oppressed us in the Yan Residence some time ago. Now, the situation is different, so I’ll let you have a taste of your own medicine.]
With a gloomy expression, He Yun Xiang glowered at Yan Luo.
Although what happened to the Yan Family was within Yang Kai’s calculations, the Yan Family members only had themselves to blame. If they had agreed to her initial suggestion, she believed that Yang Kai wouldn’t have treated them poorly. Instead, he would have rewarded them handsomely. However, those in the Yan Family were too arrogant and made the wrong decision, so they couldn’t blame others for their misfortunes.
Furthermore, Yang Kai had the power to destroy the Yan Family entirely, but he didn’t choose to do that. Unfortunately, as a result, he had fallen into the Yan Family’s trap in the end. Now that Yan Luo had someone supporting him, he appeared smug and haughty, which made He Yun Xiang despise him even more than before.