After an incense stick of time, Bei Li Mo brought Yang Kai out of the Ice Prison and dropped him directly on the ground.
At the same time, the Emperor Qi that was imprisoned in his body was finally released and began to flow freely. Yang Kai shivered and circulated his energy, forcing the chill out of his body. Looking up at the light in the distance, it felt like he was finally seeing day again.
His days of being locked up in the Ice Prison were smothering.
“For the Territory Gate’s repairs, go to the Holy City yourself and seek Bai Ya. He will coordinate with you!” After saying that, Bei Li Mo flew away, not even bothering to look at Yang Kai.
The Stone Demon who guarded the Frozen Nether Ice Prison walked over from the side and cupped his fists, laughing, “Brother Yang, earlier, this King was merely following orders, so please forgive me if I offended you.” In all his years of guarding the Ice Prison, it was his first time ever seeing a living person walk out. And, this man was actually brought out by the Holy Venerable herself. It was simply astonishing.
If the Holy Venerable did not think highly of this Human, why would she make this trip herself? So, in this Stone Demon’s opinion, this Human was worth associating with.
Yang Kai squinted at him and coldly snorted. Flicking his sleeves, he left with both hands behind his back, leaving an awkward-faced Stone Demon behind him who immediately gnashed his teeth with hatred.
He was but a Human, so what gave him the right to be so arrogant!
Yang Kai did not go directly to Soaring Snow Continent’s Holy City, but first went to look for his own men. The ten thousand people he brought here had been stationed outside the Ice Palace the whole time since he brought them here. He had been thrown into the Ice Prison by Bei Li Mo and had no idea what happened to them. What happened to the others was one thing, but he had to care about what happened to Li Shi Qing.
When he arrived at where they were stationed, Yang Kai finally felt relieved.
The ten thousand soldiers still maintained the same position as if they never moved during the past few days, and not a single one of them was missing.
When they saw Yang Kai appear, Tu Qia Luo, He Yin, Ba Zha, and the other Demon Kings all quickly came over to greet him and asked about him with concern.
The mobilization of the Soaring Snow Ice Guard a few days ago really frightened them. They thought that Yang Kai had angered Bei Li Mo in the Ice Palace and dragged the rest of them to be buried here as well. Only, they didn’t expect that the Soaring Snow Ice Guard would only hold them here for a few days before suddenly withdrawing earlier.
The Soaring Snow Ice Guard had just left and Yang Kai appeared right after.
When they saw each other again, Yang Kai asked them a few simple questions and got to know what they encountered during the past few days, but he didn’t care too much about it. Yang Kai estimated that Bei Li Mo simply mobilized the Soaring Snow Ice Guard so as to prevent He Yin and the others from sending news to Yu Ru Meng. Even though Yu Ru Meng could use Soul Descend on Xiao Wu at a critical moment, who knew what sort of conditions were required for that to happen?
Li Shi Qing also cast a concerned look at Yang Kai from the back. Sweeping a gaze at her, Yang Kai simply nodded lightly before picking Bo Ya and He Yin to head into Soaring Snow Continent’s Holy City together with him to seek out Bai Ya. The rest naturally stayed where they were and awaited further orders.
Li Shi Qing looked eager to follow, but she was stopped by a tug of her sleeve from Xiao Wu.
The Holy City was just a hundred kilometres away and was easy to reach. Bo Ya had been here before, so he naturally wouldn’t get lost.
After entering the Holy City, they inquired about the location of Bai Ya’s mansion from someone and in just a few moments, the trio appeared at his manor. As the servants headed off to inform their master, Yang Kai sat in the reception room, waiting for Bai Ya to appear.
Soon, Bai Ya came out in a hurry. As soon as he saw him, he cupped his fists, “I’ve kept Brother Yang waiting.”
Yang Kai looked up at him and said disgruntledly, “Brother Bai Ya, you weren’t very kind.”
It was only later that he realized certain details. When he was affected by the aphrodisiac at Bei Li Mo’s place, it was thanks to the Soul Warming Lotus dispelling the effects that he was able to not make a fool of himself. Bai Ya must also have been affected during that time, or else he wouldn’t have left in such a hurry.
Accompanied by how he acted, Yang Kai dared to ascertain that Bai Ya must have noticed it back then. Even a Half-Saint could not resist the effects of the drug, so its overbearingness could be seen. If Yang Kai did not have the Soul Warming Lotus, then he would probably still be lying atop a woman’s belly to this day.
Bai Ya was taken aback by his words, but then he couldn’t help but laugh, “Please forgive me, Brother Yang. I was also a victim on that day. There was nothing I could do.” He showed his concern, “Holy Venerable didn’t do anything to you, did she? How come I heard that you later angered Holy Venerable and were thrown into the Nether Ice Prison? I heard you were even imprisoned on the 18th floor!”
“Despite being in the Holy City the whole time, Brother Bai Ya seems rather well-informed.” Yang Kai grunted.
Bai Ya’s mouth twitched, “Is Brother Yang blaming me for not pleading for your sake? I must ask Brother Yang to forgive me on this matter. Holy Venerable has her own reasons for doing what she does, so there’s really nothing I can say as her subordinate!”
Of course, inside he was feeling amused in his heart. [We have nothing to do with each other, how can I possibly take the risk of offending Holy Venerable for your sake?]
“Forget it!” Yang Kai waved his hand, “I know Brother Bai Ya means well but was powerless to help, and I’m not blaming you either. Fortunately, it was just a bit of a frightening experience and nothing dangerous.”
Bai Ya then asked, “Brother Yang, how did you anger Holy Venerable? That she would actually throw you into the Frozen Nether Ice Prison… That damned place isn’t one that just anyone can come and go from.”
Yang Kai looked smilingly at him, “If Brother Bai Ya is curious to know, then just ask Holy Venerable directly. I’m not at liberty to discuss it here.”
Bai Ya laughed dryly. Naturally, he didn’t have the guts to ask Bei Li Mo about the details. No matter what Yang Kai did, it must be something that made her extremely angry; otherwise, there was no way he would be thrown into the Ice Prison. If Bai Ya were to run over and ask her, then wouldn’t he just be embarrassing the Holy Venerable? Then, the next one to enter the Ice Prison would probably be him.
“Let’s get back to business!” Yang Kai rapped his fingers on the table, “I’ve been in Soaring Snow Continent for quite some time, but having been confined by Holy Venerable all this while, much time was lost. Now that Holy Venerable has released me, it is only natural to turn my focus back to the Territory Gates. Holy Venerable is busy with her own affairs, so she asked me to seek out Brother Bai Ya to learn more about the situation, and also to ask Brother Bai Ya to cooperate with me fully. If there are any delays, then no mercy will be shown.” Naturally, the last few words were added by him casually. In any case, he was just waving a chicken feather as a token of authority. Even if Bai Ya went to ask Bei Li Mo, it wouldn’t matter.
Bai Ya answered readily, “Holy Venerable has already entrusted this matter to me previously, so if there’s anything Brother Yang needs, please just say the word. I will do my best to cooperate with you.”
Yang Kai nodded, “First of all, I’ll need information about the lost continents, the lost Territory Gates, and the unstable Territory Gates in the Holy Venerable’s territory.”
Bai Ya pushed a Space Ring in front of him, “I’ve already prepared all of that. All the information is already inside. Please take a look, Brother Yang.”
Yang Kai looked at him with a bit of surprise before picking up the Space Ring and scanning it with his Divine Sense. He found a lot of jade slips inside, probably containing the information about the Territory Gates and the lost continents.
After putting the ring away, Yang Kai said, “Now, I must ask Brother Bai Ya to call up 500,000 troops to wait on standby!”
Bai Ya couldn’t help but reveal a doubtful expression, “What does Brother Yang need 500,000 troops for?”
Yang Kai casually responded, “This King needs an absolutely silent environment while repairing the Territory Gates and must not be disturbed. When that time comes, the Territory Gates must be blocked off from both sides, so wouldn’t I need sufficient manpower?”
Bai Ya nodded, “So that’s how it is. That’s not a difficult request.” It was just a trivial 500,000 men. He could put them together in short order. In any case, it was just to seal off a place, so their cultivation didn’t have to be that strong. Having just a few Demon Kings with the rest being ordinary soldiers would be enough. Yang Kai himself had also brought over ten thousand men, so strength wasn’t an issue.
“Then, please make the preparations first, Brother Bai Ya. I will peruse this information and we will start tomorrow at the earliest, or the day after tomorrow at the latest.”
“I’ll be troubling you, Brother Yang!”
Bai Ya’s mansion covered a vast area, so there was naturally space for Yang Kai to stay. Bai Ya personally arranged the best guest room for Yang Kai to relax in and had someone serve him while he went to take care of other matters.
After ordering He Yin and Bo Ya to guard the door, Yang Kai went inside the room and took out the information that Bai Ya gave him, as well as the Demon Realm map he bought and began studying it carefully.
A wordless night passed. The information that Bai Ya gave him was not much, so it didn’t take Yang Kai too long to study it either. Only, Yang Kai had other plans in mind. If he wanted to put those plans into action, then he would have to plan everything out properly, that was why it took a little longer.
And, a night of research also gave him insight into the Territory Gates in Bei Li Mo’s territory.
In terms of territory size and the number of continents held, Yu Ru Meng and Bei Li Mo were practically the same. A dozen of the continent’s Territory Gates on Yu Ru Meng’s territory had problems, and a total of six continents disappeared during these years. With the Abyssal Returner’s help, Yang Kai found three of them. Then, having Gun-Gun swallow the remnants up, the Small Sealed World’s area expanded enormously, and even the World Principles began to change.
The situation on Bei Li Mo’s side was similar. There were also a dozen continents with faulty Territory Gates. Even the Soaring Snow Continent was so; however, the number of lost continents was a little more at a total of 8.
Of these, five continents were highly likely to be accessible! As for the remaining three, Yang Kai would need to find some excuse to get to them.
But that wasn’t what excited Yang Kai. What really excited him was the fact that one of the continents could be used as a springboard, granting him the opportunity to enter Eternal Sky Continent! Once inside, he would be able to find out whether Bright Moon Great Emperor was trapped there or not.
However, it wasn’t going to be so easy. No matter how much of a hurry he was in, he had to take it slow. At the very least, Yang Kai had to numb Bei Li Mo and Bai Ya’s nerves and lower their guard before he could have the chance to infiltrate Eternal Sky Continent.
The next day, Yang Kai opened the door and headed straight to see Bai Ya together with Bo Ya and He Yin, telling him that they could move at any time now that everything was prepared.
Naturally, Bai Ya could want nothing more than for Yang Kai to be done as soon as possible, so in agreement, they immediately set off for the nearest Territory Gate.
There were a total of eight Territory Gates on Soaring Snow Continent that led to eight different continents. One of them had disappeared while problems had arisen in two others. At this rate, Soaring Snow Continent would likely disappear from the Demon Realm’s map within a few thousand years.
This place was Bei Li Mo’s foundation, and also the ancestral land of the Demon Realm’s Snow Demon Clan. It was suitable for the growth and cultivation of the Snow Demon Clan, so they couldn’t lose it. This was also the reason why Bei Li Mo went to look for Yang Kai personally. The survival of a regular continent would not have warranted this level of care from her.
The 500,000 troops that Bai Ya agreed to arrange were ready overnight, and Yang Kai commanded them with no trace of politeness. He divided them into five groups and assigned them targets to march to. Four groups were told to block the two sides of the two unstable Territory Gates, and for the last group, they were told to move ahead to the lost Territory Gate to make preparations.
Bai Ya watched from the sidelines and had no intention of intervening. Bei Li Mo had already entrusted the matter of the Territory Gates to him, so he naturally had to accompany Yang Kai through the whole process, both to monitor so that he doesn’t engage in any mischief with the Territory Gates, and also in case Yang Kai had any other needs to be met, then he would be able to carry them out swiftly.
With a Half-Saint helping him, then work would naturally go smoothly. But if Yang Kai wanted to devour the lost continents on Bei Li Mo’s territory and even enter Eternal Sky Continent, then he first needed to find an opportunity to shake Bai Ya off.
But one must wait for an opportunity to arise. Things had just begun, so Yang Kai wasn’t in a hurry.
Half a day later, the group arrived at the first Territory Gate.
The Territory Gate had begun showing signs of instability several hundred years ago, and now the situation was becoming more and more obvious, flickering as if it could collapse at any moment.
The 100,000 men were already scattered in a hundred-kilometre radius, blocking this area and turning back anyone who did not have permission to enter. Then, Yang Kai arranged his own 10,000 men as an inner circle to guard a ten-kilometre radius. Only then did he turn his head to look at Bai Ya, his intentions obvious. He wanted Bai Ya to stand back now.
Only, Yang Kai obviously underestimated how thick Bai Ya’s skin was. Bai Ya had no intention of leaving at all. Instead, he was nonchalantly chatting with Yang Kai and telling him about the history of Soaring Snow Continent and its people.
Yang Kai coldly snorted in his heart. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to drive Bai Ya away so easily. Even if he made it clear to him, he would still find an excuse to remain. When that time came, all Bai Ya had to do was say that it was the Holy Venerable’s orders, and Yang Kai would be left with no other options.
However, Yang Kai wasn’t afraid of Bai Ya secretly learning something, so for now he just ignored him and flew straight to the Territory Gate. Then, body shaking, Space Principles surged up.
As soon as Yang Kai moved, Bai Ya had already stopped chattering. He watched Yang Kai move without looking away, seemingly wanting to unravel the profound mysteries of what he was doing. When Bai Ya felt the fluctuation of Space Principles, he looked even more excited. Divine Sense surging silently, he tried to peek into the process.
Even though Yang Kai had his back turned to him, how could he not feel Bai Ya’s slight movements? Still, Yang Kai couldn’t help but snicker. If the Dao of Space were that easy to grasp, then what would Bei Li Mo need him for?
It wasn’t his first time repairing an unstable Territory Gate. Yu Ru Meng had a dozen continents under her command that had faulty gates, so after repairing some 30 Territory Gates, Yang Kai could be considered experienced in this work. Even though the situation with this Territory Gate was a little more serious, if Yang Kai put his all into it, it would only take him half a day’s work to restore it back to its original state, then it would not falter for at least a thousand years.
But if he made everything seem easy, then it wouldn’t be able to show his importance.
So, while Yang Kai was happy to dawdle over work, he still put on a look of concentration as if he were doing his best when in fact he was just thinking about Eternal Sky Continent and Bright Moon Great Emperor.
Stopping and resting several times in between, the Territory Gate’s condition improved slowly. Bai Ya was finally sure that Yang Kai really was capable of repairing and maintaining the unstable Territory Gates.
It wasn’t until a few days later when the Territory Gate was completely stabilized that Yang Kai flew back with a tired face. Nodding to Bai Ya, he sat cross-legged in place and adjusted his breathing.
Bai Ya was shaken and quickly went forward to inspect the work.
Even though he wasn’t proficient in the Dao of Space, he could still sense whether the Territory Gate was stable or not. He crossed through the Territory Gate and went to the other continent. An hour later, he flew back the other direction, face full of joy.
Upon his return, Bai Ya sent a message to Bei Li Mo informing her of the situation. Bei Li Mo also seemed quite happy on her side, and ordered Bai Ya to meet all of Yang Kai’s needs as soon as the conditions permitted it so that he could have all the Territory Gates repaired and maintained as soon as possible.
Because word of Yang Kai’s abilities had already reached the ears of the other Demon Saints, many of them were naturally also interested in him. Several of them had already contacted Yu Ru Meng and were willing to pay a high price to invite Yang Kai to their territory to check on the situation. Yu Ru Meng naturally also sent a message to Bei Li Mo, warning her not to mess around with Yang Kai and to send him back as soon as possible.
That a Human, who had not been in the Demon Realm for even a year, would actually become such a hot commodity, even attracting the attention of so many Demon Saints, this was definitely an incredible feat.
Even though Bei Li Mo also wanted to keep Yang Kai in her territory for longer, she had no choice but to consider the wishes of the other Demon Saints as well. If she really tried to monopolize him, she would definitely become the public enemy of all the other Demon Saints!
This was also the reason why Yu Ru Meng did not stop Yang Kai from coming here, because she couldn’t stop him at all. Otherwise, with the grudge between her and Bei Li Mo, how could she have allowed Yang Kai to come here so easily?
After resting for half a day, the group set off again. The 100,000 men on guard a hundred kilometres away had already been sent away to another continent’s Territory Gate by Yang Kai.
In just five days’ time, the maintenance of two of the unstable Territory Gates on Soaring Snow Continent was completed, leaving only one Territory Gate that had been lost.
This Territory Gate took Yang Kai a little more time, and Bai Ya also stayed at the side throughout the whole process.
Even though he was mentally prepared, it was still shocking to see how Yang Kai restored the lost Territory Gate before his eyes and stabilized it. It had to be known that this Territory Gate has already been lost for more than a thousand years. The fact that Yang Kai was able to find its traces and reopen the gate proved how accomplished this Human was in the Dao of Space.
At first, he called Yang Kai Brother Yang under Bei Li Mo’s orders, and because they needed his help, but now, Bai Ya realized that this young man’s future indeed seemed boundless. Bai Ya had heard that there was another guy similarly proficient in the Dao of Space in the Star Boundary, and was known as the strongest Master under the Great Emperors, all relying on his profound Space Divine Abilities.
If Yang Kai was lucky enough to grow to that level, then even he himself may not be a match for him. At that thought, Bai Ya couldn’t help but change his attitude with Yang Kai a little.
In just ten days’ time, the repair of the three Territory Gates of Soaring Snow Continent was completed. As the rest did not need to be maintained, Yang Kai led his 10,000 men directly through a Territory Gate, entering another continent and continuing his work.
Day after day passed. Even though he had the protection of over 10,000 subordinates, Yang Kai still lived a monotonous and boring life; however, the process of repairing the Territory Gates also helped him in his comprehension of the Dao of Space.
After all, the Territory Gates were links between separate worlds. Even though he could arrange Space Arrays, those arrays could only function between points within the same world. Compared to the Territory Gates, Yang Kai’s Space Arrays were less impressive. If he could thoroughly understand the Territory Gates’ secrets though, he may be able to leap across World Barriers someday and take a big step in his attainment of the Dao of Space! When that time came, even Li Wu Yi wouldn’t be able to compete with him.
And it was because of that thought that the maintenance and repair of these Territory Gates was not a trouble for Yang Kai, but a pleasure. He could only wish for there to be more problems with the Territory Gates in the Demon Realm. That way, he would be able to delve deeper into their mysteries.
As time went by, the novelty that Bai Ya felt in the beginning also began to wear off. While Yang Kai was repairing the Territory Gates, he could only sit by the side and watch, not even daring to make a sound for fear of disturbing Yang Kai.
Even though he was a Half-Saint, and the cultivation of his temperament was not bad, having to repeat the same dull process over and over again would also become boring. From monitoring Yang Kai closely in the beginning, Bai Ya was now resting his eyes a short distance away, and would even sit cross-legged occasionally to cultivate.
Just because he was a Half-Saint didn’t mean that he didn’t need to cultivate. The ‘world as a bottle’ theory also applied to the Demon Realm, and the Twelve Demon Saints represented the upper limit. It was impossible for a thirteenth Demon Saint to be born, but the Two Worlds Great War was now in full swing. Even Half-Saints and Pseudo-Great Emperors had come out undisguised and bore the risk of losing their lives at any moment. Who could guarantee that the Demon Saints and Great Emperors would not meet each other in battle someday in the future?
When that day came, then a Demon Saint or a Great Emperor may fall, then the vacant position would probably be fought for between the Half-Saints and Pseudo-Great Emperors. The more strength they accumulated during this time, the higher their chance of laughing to the end in the battle of the Grand Dao of the future.
Not to mention, there was a Great Emperor trapped in the Demon Realm currently, and the Demon Saints hadn’t attacked him yet because they hadn’t made full preparations. But once the butcher’s knife was raised, it would become a fight of life or death where tens of Half-Saints could be buried with them!
Bai Ya did not wish to become one of the deceased, so he naturally had to maintain peak condition at all times.
Naturally, Yang Kai also noticed these changes, and he was in a good mood because of them. The time to shake off his observer didn’t seem too far off now.
Twenty days later, the group of people passed through another Territory Gate, entering another continent.
After stepping out from the Territory Gate, Bai Ya frowned and looked doubtfully at Yang Kai, “Brother Yang, if I’m not mistaken, there are no problems with the Territory Gates in this continent. Why have you come here?”
Yang Kai said, “Just because it doesn’t seem like there aren’t any problems doesn’t mean that problems won’t crop up in the future. Perhaps you just haven’t noticed it, but since Holy Venerable has entrusted the matter of the Territory Gates to me, I must naturally be responsible for them until the end. Besides, it’s not much effort for me to come and perform a simple check, and it would naturally be for the best if nothing turns out wrong. If there is something wrong, then I can also apply an early remedy.”
Even though Bai Ya thought it was odd, he didn’t feel as if there was anything wrong with this and just nodded, “Brother Yang is truly dedicated to his duties.”
Yang Kai laughed, “I’m just faithful to the task I’ve been entrusted with.”
As he spoke, he flew ahead and found a Territory Gate nearby, investigating it carefully.
The investigation lasted three days.
Bai Ya was getting impatient now and thought that Yang Kai really did find something wrong, so when Yang Kai flew back, he asked, “Did you find anything?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “No. All is well with this Territory Gate.”
Bao Ya was stunned. [Everything was fine and it still took you three days?] Even though three days was barely any time, it was only for a single Territory Gate. If he had to check every single Territory Gate, then how much time would that take?
Very soon, Bai Ya began to feel that Yang Kai was a little too serious with the Territory Gates.
They went through continent after continent, and Yang Kai had to stop to check each Territory Gate thoroughly. In the end, the Territory Gates that were perfectly fine naturally had no problems, but they did waste a lot of time.
This made Bai Ya a little speechless. He tried several times to advise Yang Kai both overtly and covertly but to no avail, so he decided to just keep quiet. If he wanted to waste his time, then just waste time. At most, he just had to accompany him for a few months.
A month later when they entered another continent, Yang Kai suddenly said, “Brother Bai Ya, you seem quite bored these days when you’re running around with me. Why don’t you just wait here for me? I’ll just check and see whether there are any problems with the Territory Gates here. If there are no problems, then we will leave for the next place.”
Bai Ya pondered for a moment, “If you say so. Then, please go and return quickly, Brother Yang.” The main thing was that the Territory Gates on this continent had always been very stable and there haven’t been any problems at all. According to previous experiences, he also knew that Yang Kai would check each and every Territory Gate, and then find nothing in the end.
Yang Kai nodded, and then, calling his 10,000 men, they departed. Only when he left Bai Ya’s perception range far behind did a glint flash in his eyes. He had finally gotten rid of that sticky bastard. At least his efforts weren’t for nought.
The Territory Gates that currently existed on this continent were indeed stable, but the information that Yang Kai received mentioned that one of the Territory Gates had collapsed, and that the continent the Territory Gate connected to had also disappeared.
Bai Ya only knew that he could maintain those unstable territory gates and restore the lost Territory Gates of continents that still existed, but once the continent disappeared, there was no way of repairing the corresponding Territory Gates of that continent anymore. But unbeknownst to Bai Ya, what Yang Kai couldn’t do Ah Wang could.
Without wasting time, Yang Kai led his 10,000 men directly to the long-lost Territory Gate and ordered Tu Qia Luo, He Yin, Ba Zha, and the others to ward off a 10-kilometre radius and forbid anyone from approaching.
The several Demon Kings naturally did not suspect anything. They also did the same thing previously so they had long familiarized themselves with the task. Very soon, the 10,000 troops moved into place.
Only then did Yang Kai head to the lost Territory Gate. After carefully identifying the location and faintly feeling around with his senses, he turned to check his surroundings. After making sure no one was paying attention to him, he quickly released the Abyssal Returner from the Small Sealed World.
Ah Wang shook her head and opened her big mouth directly, biting down on a certain part of the sky, directly biting out a gap in the Void.
After a few bites, the aura from another world faintly spread out.
Yang Kai quickly stored Ah Wang away and pushed his Space Principles to force open the Void Crack.
He couldn’t go in himself because if Bai Ya came here on a whim and didn’t see him, then he was sure to make waves. So, Yang Kai could only let the Embodiment go.
Flicking his wrist, Yang Kai threw the Sealed World Bead straight into the opposite continent, and then waited silently. In order to cover his tracks, Yang Kai even used his Space Principles to stir up the traces of the Void Crack so that even if Bai Ya really did come over at this time, he wouldn’t be able to find anything.
After a full four or five days of work, Yang Kai’s expression suddenly changed. Space Principles fluctuating, he stretched his hand forward towards the Void.
A short while later, when he closed his grip again, he had already retrieved the Sealed World Bead. Not even bothering to communicate with the Embodiment about what he gained within, Yang Kai threw a few fists at the unstable Void Crack in front of him, making it even more chaotic. Then, he turned around and left.
It wouldn’t take long before the rift here was repaired, and then no one would be able to find anything.
Yang Kai naturally wasn’t in a rush to look for Bai Ya. Instead, he led his men around and continued checking the other Territory Gates. If he had to put on a show, then he naturally had to put on the full show.
On the journey, he communicated with the Embodiment and learned that it made a good harvest this time. Even though they found three lost continents in Yu Ru Meng’s territory already, they only found some Myriad Demon Pills the first time. The Myriad Demon Caves on the two later continents had already been destroyed, so they naturally didn’t find any spoils.
But this time, they managed to obtain a harvest. Just like last time, there were more than a thousand Myriad Demon Pills. Together with the last batch, it was almost enough for the Embodiment to reach the Half-Saint Realm. But even with the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, refining so many Myriad Demon Pills would still take some time. After all, the amount of energy stored within those Myriad Demon Pills was quite shocking.
A few days later, the last Territory Gate was checked and the group marched back to Bai Ya’s location, ready to rejoin him and enter the next continent.
Bo Ya suddenly flew to Yang Kai’s side and turned her head to look at him.
Yang Kai glanced at her from the corner of his eye and frowned, “What is it?”
Bo Ya hesitated for a while, but curiosity finally got the better of her, “Are you able to find the lost continents?”
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes, “What do you mean?”
Bo Ya rolled her eyes, appearing quite charming, “I mean what I said. Stop pretending. There was a Territory Gate connected to another continent where you first went, but that continent has already been lost for almost a thousand years. If you weren’t able to locate it, then why would you dawdle there for so long?”
Yang Kai replied bluntly, “I was researching to see whether I can find traces of that continent, which is also what I did in Holy Venerable Ru Meng’s territory. Is there any problem with that?”
Bo Ya didn’t know whether he was telling the truth or not, but she had some doubts. Frowning, she said, “But I clearly saw you take something out of the Void. Don’t forget, I’m a Feather Demon!” As she said that, she pointed at her own eyes, expressing that her vision as a Feather Demon was exceptional. Even if others couldn’t see something, it didn’t mean that she couldn’t.
“You saw wrong,” Yang Kai looked coldly at her.
Bo Ya spat disdainfully, “You’re quite careful, but rest assured. Since I’m telling you this means I won’t be making this public; otherwise, I could have secretly gone off to tell Bai Ya. I was just curious is all.”
“Curiosity can kill a person,” Yang Kai coldly snorted.
Bo Ya was annoyed, “I know, I know. Seriously annoying, can’t we even chat properly? Who are you acting all mysterious for? Great Aunt’s Soul Puppet is still in your hands, so how can I not wish you well? I just wanted to remind you to be careful.”
Yang Kai had to admit that though he had no idea what she saw, she definitely noticed something. The eyesight of a Feather Demon was incomparable to that of ordinary Masters. But with her Soul Puppet in his hand, Yang Kai wasn’t afraid of Bo Ya acting against him, otherwise, she would also suffer if he fell into misfortune.
Tu Qia Luo and Ba Zha, as well as another High-Rank Demon King staying behind to watch over Blue Plains Continent were also the same. These three were even more miserable than Bo Ya since they had Yang Kai’s Soul Imprint planted in their Knowledge Seas, which truly meant their life or death could happen at a thought.
After reuniting with Bai Ya, they passed through a Territory Gate into the next continent.
After this experience, the journey became much easier.
Only when he was restoring and maintaining the Territory Gates would Bai Ya stay at the side to watch. But when he went to check on the stable Territory Gates, Bai Ya was too lazy to even follow.
This naturally made it easier for Yang Kai to sneak around. And, with Bo Ya reminding him last time, Yang Kai also became more cautious. He had his men stationed thirty kilometres away, with only Tu Qia Luo, Ba Zha, and Bo Ya remaining at the inner ten-kilometre radius. Even He Yin was excluded.
This time, even Tu Qia Luo and Ba Zha discovered something wrong with the situation. Even though they didn’t understand what Yang Kai was doing, it definitely wasn’t anything good. But since they had received Yang Kai’s Soul Imprint, they didn’t dare to ask even if they were feeling suspicious.
Gradually, Yang Kai found a total of three lost continents in Bei Li Mo’s territory, and the Small Sealed World’s area expanded greatly after devouring them. He also managed to harvest another batch of Myriad Demon Pills.
The continents that were swallowed by the Small Sealed World had been reassembled into one new world within the Small Sealed World with clear features of the Demon Realm still present, complete with the Demon Realm’s World Principles flowing through it.
Yang Kai estimated that even if he were to toss in some Demons, then they would probably be able to live quite well inside.
Two months later on another continent.
In the middle of a wilderness, 10,000 men were scattered thirty kilometres away. There were only four figures present, namely Yang Kai, Bo Ya, Tu Qia Luo, and Ba Zha.
The wind was blowing and their clothes were billowing. Yang Kai’s expression was serious, and even Bo Ya and the other two had uneasy looks on their faces. They had a few guesses from their experiences in the past few days, and they knew it was likely time for them to come clean.
Among the three of them, only Bo Ya knew a little more because of how much she could see. Even though Tu Qia Luo and Ba Zha knew that Yang Kai definitely had something to hide, they didn’t know what it was.
Today, Yang Kai suddenly asked the three of them to stay here alone, so he clearly meant to do something. If they were unlucky, then they might draw fire to themselves.
Yang Kai’s gaze swept over the three people in front of him before finally settling on Bo Ya, “You three are considered this King’s most trusted people. And, together with this King, if one suffers, all suffer, if one prospers, all prosper. So, that is why this King asked you to remain here. If anything happens to this King, then the three of you can not escape death, but if I remain safe, then all three of you can naturally rest easy.”
When they heard how seriously Yang Kai spoke, the three of them couldn’t help but feel uneasy. Tu Qia Luo gritted his teeth and cupped his fists, “If Great King has any needs, please order us and we shall obey to the best of our abilities!”
Ba Zha echoed the sentiment, “Please give us the order, Great King!”
Bo Ya did not speak, and instead had a reluctant expression. Ever since finding out Yang Kai’s little secret, she knew that following him definitely meant nothing good, and now, it seemed to be exactly so! For a moment, she was so regretful that even her stomach was churning. She thought she could borrow Yang Kai’s power to protect herself back then, but she didn’t realize she was actually boarding a pirate’s ship.
Yang Kai smiled, “It’s nothing dangerous so no need to overthink things. This King only needs you all to stay here…”
Then, silently transmitting his voice he passed a short order to the three of them. After hearing it, they all looked at each other, but they still did not ask any questions and obediently nodded.
Tu Qia Luo’s body shook. Blood Qi churning, the world became washed in crimson in an instant. In the blink of an eye, a mist of blood enveloped them all. The blood mist had the effect of isolating Divine Sense, so unless their cultivation was stronger than Tu Qia Luo, it was definitely hard to find out what was going on within.
At the same time, Yang Kai had already used his Space Divine Ability to silently arrive a thousand kilometres away in just a few flashes. Even though Bo Ya, Tu Qia Luo, and Ba Zha’s life or death were under his control and reasonably, there should be no risk at all for anything to be exposed, he still took the necessary precautions. He wasn’t prepared to tell the three of them about his plans to head to Eternal Sky Continent. Leaving them there was just a diversion.
After preparing for so long, Yang Kai was finally going to see the results soon. Yang Kai also couldn’t help but feel apprehensive about whether or not Bright Moon Great Emperor was even in Eternal Sky Continent.
Based on the information Yang Kai had gathered, there was a very high chance that Bright Moon Great Emperor was trapped on Eternal Sky Continent. After all, it was impossible for four Territory Gates to suddenly disappear from a continent all at once, unless some great calamity happened there. The fight between a Great Emperor and a Demon Saint was definitely a big enough event to re-shape a continent though.
In less than an hour, Yang Kai arrived at a plateau. Carefully avoiding the continent’s inhabitants along the way, he released his Divine Sense to scan the surroundings thoroughly.
There used to be a Territory Gate here that was connected to Eternal Sky Continent, and it was also one of the four lost Territory Gates, but it hadn’t been gone for long. So, if he hadn’t gotten the wrong location, then he should easily be able to find traces.
Things went relatively smoothly. In less than an incense stick of time, Yang Kai was able to pick up on the remnant aura of the Territory Gate. Flying to a height of around 300 metres, and under the surge of his Space Principles, Yang Kai thrust both hands towards the Void, took a deep breath, and tore space apart violently.
Like a piece of cloth being ripped in half, a crack immediately appeared in space that was large enough for one person to enter.
Yang Kai looked around for a bit before slipping inside in a flash.
Before his eyes could get used to the new scenery, Yang Kai had already used his Nihility Secret Technique and concealed his aura as best he could.
But very soon, he realized he was being overly nervous for nothing.
There wasn’t a hint of vitality that he could feel from this place, at the very least, not within the perception range of his Divine Sense. He had originally guessed that if Bright Moon Great Emperor really was trapped on Eternal Sky Continent, then this place must be heavily guarded. How could he have anticipated that this emptiness would be what he would be greeted with instead?
In this case, either his guess was wrong or Bright Moon Great Emperor was trapped in an even deeper location, so the Demon Race did not need to fortify their defences here.
But either way, Yang Kai had already arrived on Eternal Sky Continent now, so he had to figure out what was going on.
Looking back at the Void Crack which he had torn open, Yang Kai saw that it was healing up at a very fast pace. It likely wouldn’t be long before it restored itself completely.
Without waiting for it to restore itself completely, Yang Kai found his bearings and cautiously flew off.
He didn’t dare to fly too high in case someone noticed him, nor did he dare to fly too fast lest he draw attention to himself. Yang Kai even had to try his best in restraining his aura, so the speed of his investigation was naturally very slow.
After flying for a full hour, Yang Kai still didn’t find a single living being, which he couldn’t help but feel surprised at. Where had all the Demons from Eternal Sky Continent gone?
But the strange circumstances strengthened his confidence in Bright Moon being here.
Even a mouse would fight back when cornered, much less a Great Emperor. There was not a single safe place in this entire continent, so it was only natural that the Demon Race would evacuate in advance.
Another hour later, Yang Kai finally made a discovery.
Not the discovery of the Demon Race’s traces, but rather the remnants of a battlefield. The ground below was a mess with collapsed mountains, and rivers that flowed backwards. Destructive power could be felt everywhere, and gullies several hundred metres deep and spanning an unknown length intertwined like scars on the world that would never heal. Chaotic Principle Strength was surging restlessly around the various scars. Even without coming close, the frightening aura was still enough to send trepidations to Yang Kai’s heart!
There were also many cracks in the Void that could not heal themselves, like fatal ink stains. Anyone who dared trespass into these would surely die without a burial.
The Void Cracks were not as neat as the ones that Yang Kai tore, but were completely irregular. Some were long while others were round. Some even looked like funnels. But no matter which they were, the area surrounding them was still filled with destructive Principle Strength. These principles were just like toxins on an abscess that prevented the world from repairing itself.
Naturally, this scenery must have arisen from when a Master shattered the local space, and other than a Great Emperor, the only Masters who could produce such an effect would be Demon Saints.
[Bright Moon Great Emperor is here!]
When he saw this scene before him, Yang Kai could finally be sure that his previous guesses were correct.
This Eternal Sky Continent was definitely the battlefield where a Great Emperor and a Demon Saint clashed. Otherwise, there was no way such terrifying changes could have happened to the mountains and rivers of this place. This was most likely where Bright Moon Great Emperor first encountered those Demon Saints!
Yang Kai suddenly looked up, his profound gaze seemingly piercing through space to see into the deepest part of the battlefield.
Without stopping, Yang Kai’s body flashed and he flew out.
The more he advanced, the more wretched the battlefield became. Every so often, holes large enough that they almost seemed to go straight to the bottom of the world would appear below. The entire world seemed to have been turned upside down several times and had truly become barren. The more Yang Kai looked at it, the more shocked he felt. He really had no idea what number of enemies Bright Moon had to face for such a fierce battle to have taken place, and what was his condition right now.
Following the traces of the massive battle, Yang Kai flew for a whole day, but still found no traces of Bright Moon Great Emperor.
Another day later, Yang Kai, who was speeding forward, suddenly stopped his pace before swiftly dropping 30 metres and concealing his aura as he looked up ahead.
There, a hundred kilometres away, Yang Kai vaguely saw a large group of people who were currently traversing across the messy battlefield and making their way forward. Yang Kai couldn’t help but be stunned at the sight. Even though they were a long distance away and he couldn’t see too clearly, wasn’t the number of Demons gathered in front a little too great? In rough estimation, there were at least a million of them, and these were only those within his field of vision. The Demons formed a long line, almost like a long dragon. It was as if they were going on some sort of pilgrimage. The number of Demons outside his vision could only be countless!
Yang Kai thought that the Demons of Eternal Sky Continent had already evacuated due to the battle between the Great Emperor and the Demon Saints, but now that seemed not to be the case.
The Demon Race did not evacuate. Instead, they were converging towards a certain spot.
He couldn’t figure out what was going on here, but Yang Kai concealed his aura a little and approached the other side carefully.
Luckily there didn’t seem to be any powerful Masters among this group. Even though there were some Demon Kings, the cultivation of their Divine Sense wasn’t enough to detect Yang Kai’s presence. After reaching a certain distance from them, Yang Kai could finally get a clear look of the Demon Race’s situation.
The number of Demons gathered there was immense. Previously, he could only see around a million or so. But now, it seemed that this army of Demons did not stop at just a million or even ten million. It was simply impossible to see the end at a glance. There were old and young among the procession. Many Demons seemed to be bringing their families along and migrating to a certain place.
But the expressions of most of these Demons looked very strange. It was sad, yet determined.
With such a large number of Demons moving forward, they strangely made little noise. There was only some loud urging and shouting coming from the supervising Demon Kings.
[What is going on here?] Yang Kai frowned in the shadows, completely puzzled. He had a vague feeling that this should be related to Bright Moon Great Emperor, but he couldn’t figure out what the connection was.
The Demon Race couldn’t be thinking of trying to kill the Great Emperor by overpowering him with numbers, right? If that was really their plan, then the Demons of just Eternal Sky Continent might not be enough to kill him.
Yang Kai couldn’t figure it out, and he couldn’t be bothered to think about it either. Seeing so many Demons moving forward in a direction, Yang Kai also followed them in that direction.
The further forward he flew, the more terrified Yang Kai felt. The line of Demons seemed to stretch on endlessly, and now it seemed like the entire continent was gathering in one place.
After another day, a small change finally appeared ahead.
There was a crimson red glow in the air, as if fresh blood was poured over it. And, in a certain place, Yang Kai detected a towering malevolent aura and hostility. Even from such a long distance away, Yang Kai could smell the strong smell of blood in the wind.
His expression couldn’t help but change at this.
He was at least three thousand kilometres away from that place, yet he could still smell the blood from such a distance, so how many people must have died there? Even if the dead were all part of the Demon Race, this kind of loss of life was simply shocking. Could it be that the Demon Race really did intend to try and overpower Bright Moon Great Emperor through numbers? That was too naive.
But when he arrived here, Yang Kai didn’t dare to be careless at all. If Bright Moon Great Emperor really was in Eternal Sky Continent. Then that place three thousand kilometres away must be where he was trapped, and there must also be a Demon Saint standing guard nearby!
Yang Kai’s Divine Sense was indeed powerful and no one noticed any traces of him on his way here, but wanting to approach Bright Moon Great Emperor under the watchful eye of a Demon Saint was still nothing but an impossible dream.
He had to find a safer plan. While carefully making his way forward, Yang Kai’s mind was racing.
But no matter how he tried to think, he couldn’t come up with a viable solution.
The difference in power was an insurmountable gap. If there really was a Demon Saint standing guard here, then he would be exposed before he could even get near. Then, if they were to ask, how was he going to answer? He couldn’t just say that he was curious and came to take a look, could he?
What’s more, they might just kill him directly without even bothering to ask any questions.
Thoughts turned in his mind, but Yang Kai could only put his attention on the marching Demons. The Demon Race was moving towards the blood-coloured lands, and the best way for him to get near was probably to mix with them and find an opportunity to enter. The only thing he had to worry about was whether there was anything bad waiting for him at the end of the line.
After making up his mind, Yang Kai didn’t delay and slightly disguised himself to look more like a Demon before moving toward the marching Demons.
Looking around for a while, he found a suitable opportunity to teleport directly into the procession.
Heading over using Instantaneous Movement wasn’t going to work. These Demons may all look solemn, stirred, and completely silent, but it would definitely be suspicious if an extra person suddenly appeared in front of them. So, Yang Kai moved instantaneously in a crouching position as he entered before slowly getting up, moving forward while being squeezed between the procession.
With this, even if any Demons nearby thought it was strange, it wouldn’t arouse their suspicion. They would only think that he had just fallen and gotten up again.
As expected, when Yang Kai got up, the Demons behind him looked at him but didn’t ask any questions.
The procession was long and silent. The surrounding Demon Kings were all riding on mighty Demon Beasts, running back and forth and barking orders at the Demons to pick up the pace. Just like the Demons, Yang Kai slightly lowered his head without a word and through the concealment of his bangs, quietly observed his surroundings. The more they moved forward, the stronger the smell of blood became. The air was filled with that sickening smell. Yang Kai could also hear the vague sound of crashing waves, which he couldn’t help but feel suspicious of. Could there be a sea ahead?
A trip of a thousand kilometres was not considered far, but it was not short either. Pushed forward by the line, Yang Kai walked for half a day and had only made it halfway through the journey. Suddenly, Yang Kai’s drifting eyes were drawn to a huge blood-coloured pole.
The pole appeared crimson in colour with extremely complex patterns carved onto its surface. Just looking at it for a moment gave Yang Kai a palpitating feeling as if countless Demons were pouncing at him. With a thickness the width of several dozen people huddled together, its height was not known as it seemed to connect the Heavens and the Earth. Just the part protruding from the ground alone was at least a thousand metres high, not to mention how much of it must still be buried in the ground.
And, the reason why the pole appeared that crimson red colour was because fresh blood flowed over its surface. It was not known where the blood came from, but from the complex pattern on its surface and the way the blood kept flowing downwards as if it would never end gave off a very malevolent feeling.
[Array base!]
Yang Kai’s pupils shrank. Though he had no idea what this pole was called, it was definitely part of an Array. In other words, a shockingly large Spirit Array was arranged in this place, and for such a sensationally large array, its base would surely consist of more than this one pole.
Looking up, Yang Kai found that just as he thought, there were poles like this one erected from the ground at hundred-kilometre intervals around this bloody world, like nails hammered down by the Heavens to pin something or someone firmly in place.
The poles that Yang Kai saw alone numbered more than five, and there were most likely even more that had yet to be seen.
For such a shocking array to be used, who else could it be for besides Bright Moon Great Emperor? But the Demon Saints of the Demon Realm seemed to have also invested an enormous amount into this. Just the array base alone had already cost them the wealth of many continents, but now, it was being used to deal with a single person! But if they were truly able to use the power of this array to kill a Great Emperor from the Star Boundary, then any price would be worth it.
[Bright Moon’s situation doesn’t seem good!] Yang Kai’s heart sank slightly. Bright Moon Great Emperor was fighting in foreign territory to begin with, and was also overwhelmingly outnumbered. Now, he was even being trapped by the other side using such a large Spirit Array. It could be seen that the Demon Realm was determined to kill Bright Moon here on Eternal Sky Continent no matter the cost.
And once Bright Moon died, the gap between the Star Boundary and the Demon Realm’s top Masters would further widen. The Star Boundary, whose situation was already dangerous, would only become worse. If the Demon Saints of the Demon Realm were to come out in unison when that time came, the Star Boundary would definitely be unable to resist.
Right now, the reason that the Demon Saints had yet to take action was that they wanted to use this war to reduce the population of the Demon Race and also because they were afraid of damaging the Star Boundary too much. They had already considered the Star Boundary as their own property, so how could they allow their future home to be destroyed by intense fighting?
As thoughts continued to turn in his mind, Yang Kai kept on moving forward with the group.
Finally, at one point, he was able to see the blood world’s source.
It was simply a Blood Sea! A boundless sea of red that was surrounded by the huge array base he saw earlier, constantly rolling and tumbling. The sound of crashing waves that he heard previously was no illusion. It was all real.
Countless corpses tumbled around in the Blood Sea. Spirits wailed, and the Evil Qi soared.
Around the Blood Sea were Demons covered in red Blood Qi with serious expressions on their faces. Their eyes were tightly shut and each of them was making different hand seals. The Demon Qi in their bodies was tumbling, but Yang Kai had no idea what sort of Secret Technique they were performing. These Demons were all from the Blood Demon Clan. In the Demon Realm, their ability to control blood was unmatched among the other Demons. There was a distance from several dozen to a thousand metres between each Blood Demon. Though their strength varied, all of them were at least Demon Kings.
Just as Yang Kai was observing them, the Demons that arrived at the edge of the Blood Sea plunged into the boundless Blood Sea without stopping, melting away without making a single sound and integrating as part of the Blood Sea, strengthening its power…
Yang Kai suddenly understood how this huge Blood Sea came to be, and why all those Demons were gathering in one place.
[It’s a blood sacrifice!]
Blood sacrificing all the Demons of Eternal Sky Continent under the Demon King level! Even though Yang Kai had no idea how it worked, from the magnitude of this blood sacrifice, it was clear that it was being used against Bright Moon Great Emperor. Alongside the Spirit Array, which Yang Kai could tell was a terrifying existence at a glance, this blood sacrifice would undoubtedly be able to perform an unimaginable role.
What was Bright Moon’s current situation? Even though he was a Great Emperor, he must be injured after landing here alone and fighting with so many Demon Saints. Now that he was being trapped here by the Demon Race with a blood sacrifice and Spirit Array, his situation was most likely disastrous.
Yang Kai secretly clenched his fists, brows furrowing deeply.
One by one, the Demons jumped into the Blood Sea without a care for their lives. Most of them did not even hesitate. Even though some were reluctant, they didn’t seem to have the guts to resist either way…
An hour later, it was almost Yang Kai’s turn, but he hadn’t figured out a good idea to deal with the situation yet. With his current power, there was no possibility of him saving Bright Moon Great Emperor once his identity was exposed. Even though he did not detect the presence of any Demon Saints, there were quite a few Half-Saints present.
The Demons in front of him had all jumped into the Blood Sea. Standing in front of the Blood Sea, Yang Kai could faintly feel the evil hidden within it. Possibly sensing his hesitation, the nearby Demon Kings all turned their gazes over in unison, each of their faces grim.
Since things had already come to this, he had no other choice. Even though the Blood Sea felt terrifyingly malicious, Yang Kai was confident he could deal with it, at least for a time. So, even if he really did have to jump in, it wouldn’t affect him. He just had to quickly hide after jumping in, then he might have a chance.
Considering all this, he didn’t delay either and jumped straight in before quickly sinking down.
The bloody mass felt sticky and corrosive. Yang Kai didn’t dare to resist too early, and without protection, even his Half-Dragon Body stung under the corrosion of the blood water, feeling as if he were being burned by fire.
After sinking a thousand metres deep, Yang Kai felt that he was far enough down to circulate his Emperor Qi to add on some resistance.
The next moment though, a powerful Divine Sense suddenly swept across his body.
Yang Kai’s expression stiffened, and his face instantly turned ashen! He had already been careful enough, but he didn’t expect to expose himself at the last moment. Even though the Divine Sense was foreign to him, Yang Kai could feel how strong it was. This was definitely the Divine Sense of either a Great Emperor or a Demon Saint.
What should he do? Make a last-ditch struggle? But he was afraid that he didn’t have any power to resist in the face of a Demon Saint. For his plans today, he could only hope that his ability in repairing the Territory Gates would still be of some use; otherwise, he would be killed immediately.
Just as Yang Kai was frantically trying to come up with a solution, a dazzling light suddenly burst out from the deepest part of the Blood Sea. At the same time, a terrifying power surged from it, causing the entire Blood Sea to tumble as if it were boiling.
Yang Kai was shocked and quickly tried to stabilize his body, but he still felt like a feeble boat caught in a terrifying storm. There was no sense of security to speak of. In an instant, the corners of his lips were filled with bitterness.
Just as he thought that he was going to die, a burst of laughter suddenly erupted in his ears, “Just in time!”
When those words came out, another terrifying fluctuation of power suddenly emerged above him.
Yang Kai raised his brow, revealing a look of pleasant surprise.
The power fluctuation coming from above was definitely from the Demon Saint on guard here, so the identity of the one who acted from below was self-evident!
He couldn’t see anything around him in the Blood Sea, and he didn’t dare use his Divine Sense to investigate either, so Yang Kai had no idea what was going on outside. He only heard a rumbling sound, as if the world was going to collapse. The violent aftermath of the power fluctuation spread out rapidly, causing the Blood Sea he was in to bubble intensely. A burst of muffled sounds came from all directions, and following that, an untold number of life auras were annihilated.
The aftermath of the fight between a Great Emperor and a Demon Saint was too much for even Demon Kings to bear. Countless people were instantly killed or injured in that momentary clash!
Just as Yang Kai was trying his best to readjust his body, he suddenly felt a lightness around him, and the stickiness that was enveloping him the whole time seemed to disappear.
Surprised, Yang Kai opened his eyes and saw that the blood water around his body was being repelled by an invisible force, and a passage just wide enough for one person to cross appeared in front of him, connecting him to the depths of the Blood Sea.
He was slightly stunned, but Yang Kai quickly revealed a look of pleasant surprise. Taking advantage of the unknown Demon Saint’s attention being diverted, he quickly dove in.
As Yang Kai ran, the channel behind him collapsed and was filled up with blood again.
The aftermath of the fight between Masters slowly dissipated, and by the time the Blood Sea regained its calm, Yang Kai had already passed through the channel into an unknown depth.
In the middle of the boundless Blood Sea was a world filled with a soft white light that was less than a radius of 3 metres. And, at the very centre of this world was a man with a ruddy complexion and a countenance that was as warm as jade sat cross-legged. This man looked a little too young, only around 17 or 18, as if he were just a nimble youth.
Behind the young man’s head was a waning moon, and it was the waning moon that emitted the bright light that was resisting the intrusion of the Blood Sea, supporting this pure land in this chaotic world.
[Bright Moon Great Emperor!]
Yang Kai had met him once back when he was granted access to the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda. When he left Star Soul Palace that time, Bright Moon Great Emperor had specifically come out to speak with him. Despite the fact that the Bright Moon Great Emperor did not reveal his identity back then, Yang Kai knew well who he was.
Seeing him again now, Bright Moon Great Emperor did not seem to have changed in the slightest. Only, he was not in the same state as he was in before. His hair was greyed, each strand resembling silk and snow, and there was a huge wound on the lower-left section of his abdomen that was so deep that Yang Kai could even see his organs writhing underneath. At the wound was dark, churning Demon Qi that was eroding his vitality at all times. His white clothes had long been covered in dried blood, appearing as dark mottled red stains.
Next to the boundless Blood Sea, above a blood-coloured pillar, a magnificent figure stood with his hands folded behind his back. The man had an evil charm and appeared both wild yet reserved. His long, fiery red hair billowed in the wind while his scarlet eyes like those of a wild beast gazed into the depths of the Blood Sea. Emitting a peculiar light, these eyes seemed able to see through the Blood Sea’s depths to check on Bright Moon’s situation.
However, despite his injuries and confinement, Bright Moon was not completely without the power to resist. Even someone as powerful as this red-haired man was unable to take a clear look at the situation within. The soft moonlight glow in the Blood Sea blocked his vision and Divine Sense and there was nothing he could do about it.
Sure enough, a Great Emperor of the Star Boundary was no pushover.
The red-haired man was able to gain an upper hand during their confrontation just now, but was unable to do anything decisive. The only thing that puzzled him was why Bright Moon would suddenly strike at him. Was this as the saying went, a cornered beast will undoubtedly fight back?
A Great Emperor would never be so irrational; but then, what was the reason for him to take such an action?
Even after thinking about it for a while, he still came to no conclusions. He couldn’t help but shake his head slowly before raising his eyes again and gazing at the boundless Blood Sea, coldly snorting. Bright Moon was currently wounded, and with the red-haired man watching over him personally and the Twelve Pinnacles Grand Demon Array fed by the blood sacrifice of all the Demons of the entire Eternal Sky Continent, it was definitely enough to keep the man in the Blood Sea confined here forever. Even if he was a Great Emperor, Bright Moon shouldn’t even think of being able to make any waves.
With this thought, the red-haired man waved his hand and the blood from the bodies of the Demons who died in the vicinity during his confrontation with Bright Moon gushed out and converged like a spiritual snake before splashing into the Blood Sea.
In the bloody flash of light, the man’s figure disappeared without a trace.
…
At the bottom of the Blood Sea, in the pure land enveloped by the soft moonlight, Yang Kai’s eyes were lost in thought as he stared at Bright Moon’s abdomen with a stern gaze.
Though he had long guessed that Bright Moon must be in a bad state and even wounded, Yang Kai never expected the injury to be so serious. Much of the flesh was gone from the large hole on the lower left of his abdomen. Even though no blood was flowing, the horrible Demon Qi was still constantly corroding him. It was a difficult sight to behold.
That would’ve been normal if it were any ordinary person, but Bright Moon was a Great Emperor. From the severity of the injury, one could see how intense the battle had been.
At this moment, there was still a trace of blood left by Bright Moon’s lips that had yet to dry. There was no doubt he had suffered a small loss during that confrontation with the Demon Saint earlier. In terms of strength, both he and the Demon Saint were essentially equal, but the opponent occupied favourable conditions and an advantageous position. What’s more, Bright Moon wasn’t in peak condition, so it was only natural for him to lose.
“Yang Kai?”
Just as Yang Kai was looking over Bright Moon Great Emperor, Bright Moon suddenly asked, a surprised look on his face, seemingly not expecting to actually see someone from the Star Boundary here, much less someone he knew.
With a solemn expression, Yang Kai cupped his fists, “Azure Sun Temple’s High-Rank Guest Elder Yang Kai greets Great Emperor!”
Bright Moon was the divine protector of the Southern Territory, so Yang Kai naturally greeted him using his identity from the Southern Territory.
Bright Moon nodded lightly and asked curiously, “How come you’re here?”
Yang Kai quickly said, “This Junior was tasked by Senior Heavens Revelations to come to the Demon Realm to find where Senior was.” After a pause, he added, “Many thanks, Senior, for rescuing this Junior just now.”
With things having come to this point, Yang Kai naturally understood what happened just now.
It must have been because he tried to circulate his Emperor Qi after entering the Blood Sea, which alerted Bright Moon. That was why he suddenly made a move to disrupt the Demon Saint’s perception of this place. Then, he opened up a channel in the Blood Sea to lead Yang Kai here.
If not for Bright Moon’s actions, Yang Kai would probably have been discovered by that Demon Saint, and when that happened, it would be difficult to predict his fate.
Bright Moon smiled gently, “Your courage is not small.”
Yang Kai said embarrassedly, “I was just lucky.”
If Bright Moon hadn’t found him first… Yang Kai’s scalp tingled at the thought.
Bright Moon nodded, “So that old man Tian Shu asked you to come… Even though I know he has his reasons for asking you to come, this King is still curious. How did you enter the Demon Realm safely and come all the way here?”
Yang Kai scratched his head, “This Junior defected from the Star Boundary and took refuge in the Demon Realm. Right now, this Junior is considered a criminal in the Star Boundary that is cursed at by all.”
After saying that, he looked up at Bright Moon but rather than anger, all he saw was a look of interest on the other side’s face, so he quickly explained himself in full.
A few moments later, Bright Moon clicked his tongue in awe, “So, that means that Yu Ru Meng infiltrated the Star Boundary back then and came to you, but due to the great loss of her strength, she was unable to force you and had no choice but to bring you over to the Demon Realm using softer tactics. Then, you learned of her intentions, took advantage of the situation, and had that old boor Iron Blood cooperate with you to put on an act? Afterwards, you successfully justified your defection from the Star Boundary and came to the Demon Realm?”
Yang Kai nodded a little embarrassedly, “That is the gist of it.”
Bright Moon couldn’t help but praise, “Astonishing.”
It was indeed a remarkable achievement. It was generally impossible for a Human to come to the Demon Realm, but Yang Kai managed to. And the reason why Heavens Revelations Great Emperor would ask him to come to the Demon Realm was likely because he caught a glimpse of a divine revelation in the invisible threads of fate. Even though he knew not the process very well, he definitely predicted the final result; otherwise, why would he seek out Yang Kai rather than someone else?
“Senior is overpraising. It was just by chance that I succeeded.”
Bright Moon asked, “Are you safe here in the Demon Realm now?”
Yang Kai smiled, “Rest assured, Senior. I’m very safe. Yu Ru Meng does not suspect me in the slightest, and because of my mastery of the Dao of Space, the other Demon Saints are also keenly interested in me. They hope to be able to restore some of the Demon Realm’s Territory Gates with my power.”
“It’s been hard on you…” Bright Moon sighed and pondered for a moment, “But if that Heart Seal Secret Technique was performed by a Demon Saint, it must be extremely powerful. You must be very careful.”
“This Junior naturally understands.” Yang Kai nodded, thinking to himself that the Heart Seal Secret Technique didn’t have any hold on him in the slightest, but he couldn’t say it out loud; after all, to say that he broke the Secret Technique of a Demon Saint was bound to create a sensation.
Turning the conversation around, Yang Kai said, “How is Senior’s condition now? Your injuries… don’t seem light.”
Bright Moon smiled, “It’s not enough to kill me, but it’s the Spirit Array outside that’s going to be a problem.”
Yang Kai frowned, “I saw all the Demons of this continent gathering here on my way. There are also countless Demon King-level Blood Demons presiding over their blood sacrifice. They’ve formed a blood cage with a boundless Blood Sea, and there are also those blood-coloured pillars that connect the Heavens and Earth. Does Senior know what the Demon Realm is trying to do?”
Bright Moon chuckled, “What else could they be planning? They’re thinking of eating this King!”
“Eating?” Yang Kai frowned. He thought to himself, [you’re not food or drink, how are they supposed to digest you?]
Bright Moon looked at him, “Why do you think they haven’t killed me after so long?”
Yang Kai thought about it, “Even rabbits will bite when they’re desperate, let alone a Great Emperor like Senior. They will have to pay a certain price if they truly want to kill you.”
“That is only one of the reasons.” Bright Moon smiled lightly, “Since you have successfully infiltrated into the Demon Realm, and even more so won the regard of a number of Demon Saints, you should also know some information about the Demon Realm.”
“May I know what topic Senior is referring to?”
“The top Masters in the Demon Realm are more numerous than those in the Star Boundary. With twelve Demon Saints in total, if they were to join hands, do you think this King would be able to resist them?”
At his words, Yang Kai pondered for a moment and his expression could not help but become grave as he shook his head, “No.”
It wasn’t that he underestimated Bright Moon, but the difference in numbers was just too great. If the Twelve Demon Saints were to join hands, then Bright Moon would die without a doubt. Considering all this, Yang Kai was suddenly taken aback. If things truly were that simple, then why would the Demon Realm spend so much time and effort to confine Bright Moon here, even going so far as to sacrifice all the Demons of the entire Eternal Sky Continent? Even though Eternal Sky Continent was in ruins after the fight between the Great Emperors and the Demon Saints, even causing the disappearance of several Territory Gates, it wasn’t in a completely abandoned state. So why would they drag all the Demons in the entire continent over to be used in a blood sacrifice?
“Indeed not. Perhaps this King may be able to struggle for a moment and cause some trouble for them, but it would be overly ambitious for this King to even think of dragging one of them down with me. In other words, if they truly wanted to kill me, then this King would long have been dead already.”
Yang Kai was shocked, “The Demon Realm can’t be trying to demonize you, can they?”
Since they didn’t kill him even though they had the power to, then the Demon Realm definitely had bigger plans brewing. If they could demonize Bright Moon, then it would be equivalent to gaining a Demon Saint-level Master out of thin air. Only… was that even possible?
Bright Moon smiled, “How could this King possibly be demonized? This King said so earlier, they don’t want to kill me, they’re trying to eat me! They want to feed me to the Demon Realm.”
Yang Kai looked at him, confused.
Bright Moon explained, “Great Emperors and Demon Saints are all existences recognized by the Great World that they are from. They themselves are one of the representatives of that World. So, if this King falls, the Star Boundary will be in turmoil. Many unexpected phenomena will arise. The reason why that old man Tian Shu can be sure of my survival is because of that very point.”
Yang Kai nodded. This was something he knew.
“Since you’ve arrived at this level of strength, I’m sure you’ve heard the theory of the World as a bottle.” Seeing Yang Kai nod, Bright Moon continued, “This King and the other nine are the largest stones of the Star Boundary’s bottle while the loose stones remaining are innumerable. If this King were to be buried in the Demon Realm, then assimilated and accepted by the Demon Realm, then the Demon Realm’s bottle would expand, making it possible to give birth to a thirteenth Demon Saint!”
Hearing this, Yang Kai’s pupils shrank. If things truly were as Bright Moon said, then the Demon Realm’s target was not Bright Moon’s life. Killing a Great Emperor was sure to cause great changes in the structure of both worlds, but if the world power borne by a Great Emperor could be assimilated, then that would be the best result possible.
So, the reason why Bright Moon survived until now was first that the Demon Saints didn’t want to force the issue too far. Even though the twelve of them could kill Bright Moon without having to fear any of them being buried with him, Bright Moon will definitely have the chance to severely injure one or two in a desperate struggle. That was a price they weren’t willing to pay, and that was why they used the blood sacrifice to set up such a massive Spirit Array. Once their plot succeeded, the bottle of the Demon Realm would also expand, giving birth to a spot for another Demon Saint, while the Star Boundary would permanently lose a spot for a Great Emperor. In other words, a tenth Great Emperor would never appear again.
With that explanation, Yang Kai finally understood what Bright Moon meant by ‘eating’.
Killing him was just a means to an end, the ultimate goal of the Demon Saints was to digest the Star Boundary’s blessing from his body into this world.
“Then what should we do?” Yang Kai frowned. This matter concerned the Great Emperors and Demon Saints, as well as the future of the two Great Worlds. For a moment, Yang Kai couldn’t figure out any ideas and could only count on Bright Moon to lead the way.
But unexpectedly, Bright Moon slowly shook his head, “This King has no idea. Not only is this King now injured, but even if this King were completely unharmed, escaping from the Demon Realm would still likely be extremely difficult.”
Hearing him say so, Yang Kai’s heart sank, “Senior, is it truly impossible to leave here even if you were at full strength?”
Bright Moon pointed out and smiled, “The Demon Saint standing guard here is called Xue Li from the Blood Demon Clan and his strength is profound. Before you arrived here, I already tried many times to break free, but with him watching over this place, this King had no opportunities to take advantage of.”
Xue Li was a Blood Demon, so now with the blood sacrifice of countless Demons piled into this boundless Blood Sea, he was just like a fish in water here. Bright Moon’s repeated attempts to escape from this prison had all ended in failure, so he could only huddle back into a corner to recuperate his strength. If he hadn’t sensed Yang Kai’s aura this time, Bright Moon definitely wouldn’t have wasted his energy fighting.
Yang Kai hesitated before suggesting, “Senior, if I were to take you out…” But before his words could finish, he shook his head again, “No…”
Even though he was proficient in the Dao of Space and could use Instantaneous Movement, hoping to bring Bright Moon Great Emperor out of here under a Demon Saint’s watch was still just a fantasy. As soon as he tried to leave here, Xue Li would immediately give chase. Using the Sealed World Bead would also be impossible. Of course, Yang Kai could put Bright Moon into the Sealed World Bead, but once that happened, Yang Kai alone couldn’t even dream of being a match against Xue Li. When that time came, they would only die quicker.
Bright Moon smiled, “This King appreciates your kindness, but now that this King is at a dead end, you need not waste your efforts either. Being able to meet you one last time is also considered fate between you and I. If one day you are able to return to the Star Boundary, please tell Xun’er this for me. This King is unable to take care of her any longer. Tell her to take care.”
“It’s not the end yet, so why be discouraged, Senior?” Yang Kai looked solemn. Even though he was consoling him, he knew that Bright Moon clearly had some foresight into his future to have said such words. Though, unlike Tian Shu, he had no insight into the movements of the Heavens, having reached such a level of strength would dramatically increase one’s perception, even allowing them to comprehend some of the mysteries of fate.
“Before I came here, Junior Sister Lan Xun and I saw each other once. Junior Sister told me that I must bring you back no matter what. If you were to give up now, then how am I to explain to Junior Sister later?”
Bright Moon laughed, “This King is not giving up yet. Only… Sometimes, my strength is just not enough. If this King was in peak condition, then there might have been a thread of opportunity to escape, but now…” He looked down at the wound at his abdomen before slowly shaking his head.
His injuries were inflicted by a Demon Saint and were so severe that even if he could meditate and recuperate in peace, he might have a chance to recover after many years, but now that he was trapped here and forced to fight against the Blood Sea and the might of the Spirit Array surrounding him, how could Bright Moon have any attention to spare to heal his injuries? Staying here all this while, he could only build up strength and prepare for a final fight to the death.
However, though the speaker didn’t intend so, the listener may have their own thoughts. Yang Kai’s eyes lit up and said excitedly, “If Senior recovers from his injuries, then how big of a chance is there of escaping here and returning to the Star Boundary?”
“Less than 10%.”
Yang Kai was stunned. Was it really so small? 10% was almost equivalent to nothing. But on thinking about it again, it made sense. There was a Blood Sea formed outside, and with the blessing of the Spirit Array, even if Bright Moon managed to fully recover, even fighting one-on-one, he would not be able to defeat Xue Li. As long as Xue Li could delay him for a short time, then the other Demon Saints would surely arrive. Then, with the power of Twelve Demon Saints fighting against Bright Moon alone, how could he possibly escape?
But it was better than having no chance at all, so after a moment of hesitation, Yang Kai gritted his teeth and declared, “I might be able to help Senior recover.”
Bright Moon was stunned at his words and frowned, “It’s not that this King is unwilling to trust you, but do you know how severe this King’s injuries are?” His wound wasn’t something that could be solved through ordinary means. No pill in this world could solve an injury of this degree. If he wanted to recover, then he could only rely on himself. And yet Yang Kai suddenly told him that he had a way to help him recover. How could Bright Moon dare to believe it? He subconsciously thought that Yang Kai was a little too young and frivolous.
But all young people had such faults, and such blemishes cannot obscure a jade’s true lustre.
Yang Kai shook his head, “This Junior has no idea how severe Senior’s injuries are, but as long as Senior still has a single breath left in him, this Junior has a method to help you recover.”
Though his words were a little pompous, Bright Moon still began to believe him a little bit more; after all, someone who could successfully infiltrate the Demon Realm without being suspected by the Demon Saints definitely wasn’t a madman or braggart. For Yang Kai to dare say such a thing, he must have some certainty in himself.
“Then, this King would like to see how you are able to help him recover.”
“Please wait a moment, Senior!”
After Yang Kai’s words, he disappeared in a flash, and a bead suddenly fell on the ground.
Bright Moon raised a brow and reached out to pick up the Sealed World Bead into his hand. After scanning it, his face revealed a look of surprise. Even though he was not proficient in the Dao of Space, he could see some clues about this bead and couldn’t help but feel a little moved.
He was certain that this bead was one of Yang Kai’s most guarded treasures, but now it was so easily exposed before his eyes without even the slightest intention to conceal it. It was clear how much trust he was showing.
In the medicine garden inside the Sealed World Bead, Yang Kai stood in front of a half-human-high, crystal-like, little tree that was emitting a jade-green light. Gazing at the only three remaining leaves on the small tree, Yang Kai’s eyes couldn’t help but show a sense of sadness.
It had been a number of years since he obtained the Immortal Tree and it didn’t have many leaves to begin with. With him picking a piece from time to time to save himself and others, he was now left with only these three leaves.
The reason why Yang Kai dared to make such a promise in front of Bright Moon Great Emperor was that he had the Immortal Tree.
Mu Zhu and Mu Na, the two Wood Spirits were floating on either side of the Immortal Tree like little two fairies. Only, they were currently looking at Yang Kai with nervous and cautious expressions on their faces. Yang Kai suddenly appeared in the medicine garden and came directly to the Immortal Tree, so they already guessed what his intention was.
For the two Wood Spirits, the Immortal Tree was a true sacred object of the world. Nothing else could compare with it. After entering Yang Kai’s service, they had been taking great care of the medicine garden and the Immortal Tree, so how could they not be wary when Yang Kai was looking over with such a dangerous look in his eyes?
A moment later, Yang Kai sighed. Looking at Mu Na, he smiled bitterly, “I need to save someone.”
[Just as expected!] Mu Na and Mu Zhu both had troubled looks on their faces. For the first time, they had the idea of throwing Yang Kai out. Only, how could two little Wood Spirits achieve that? What’s more, the Immortal Tree belonged to Yang Kai to begin with, so it wasn’t up to them to decide what Yang Kai did with it.
“Do you have to use it?” Mu Na bit her lip and asked pitifully, as if Yang Kai were threatening her with some heinous act of violence.
Yang Kai nodded his head, “It has to be this!”
Mu Na’s face turned ashen in an instant even if she knew that the situation Yang Kai was facing must be severe for him to need to use the Immortal Tree.
Exchanging glances with Mu Zhu, Mu Na raised a finger, “Will one leaf do?”
Naturally, she knew that what Yang Kai wanted was the leaves of the Immortal Tree, and it was impossible for him to actually bring out the Immortal Tree; however, there were only three leaves left, if he took one away, then only two would be left.
Pondering for a moment, Yang Kai shook his head, “I need all three of them!”
He wasn’t underestimating the healing power of the Immortal Tree. According to Yang Kai’s estimate, one leaf would basically be enough to help Bright Moon recover to his peak, while two would be an absolute guarantee! But even if Bright Moon were to restore himself to his peak condition, he would still have to face a vicious battle, and it would be inevitable for him to get hurt again. Giving Bright Moon an extra leaf from the Immortal Tree to keep might just be able to save his life at a critical moment, increasing the odds of him being able to escape from the Demon Realm and return to the Star Boundary.
So, this was no time to be saving on resources.
Mu Zhu couldn’t help but look at Yang Kai with some curiosity, “What woman is worth you doing this much?”
Yang Kai didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, “What sort of man am I in your eyes? How did a woman get dragged into this?”
This was a rather big misunderstanding.
Mu Zhu snorted, “If it’s not a woman, then how could you be so willing?”
Yang Kai sighed, “It’s Bright Moon Great Emperor. Right now, I’ve arrived in the Demon Realm. The Great Emperor has been trapped and is wounded, so only the Immortal Tree’s leaves are capable of saving him. It has nothing to do with any woman.”
“Bright Moon Great Emperor!” Mu Zhu and Mu Na both straightened their expressions.
“The details are quite complicated, and I don’t have time to explain too much to you right now. When you’re free, you can ask Embodiment.”
Mu Zhu nodded, “In that case, take them.”
While speaking, she moved aside with Mu Na.
Yang Kai didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. How was this hiring two assistants to cultivate his Spirit Medicines? It was more like he had gained two little Ancestors! Even though he wanted to use his own things, he still had to get permission from them!
Reaching out and picking the three leaves, Yang Kai took out a jade box and placed them inside before nodding to the two Wood Spirits. Only then did Yang Kai leave the Small Sealed World with a flash.
When he arrived back at Bright Moon’s side, the latter returned the Sealed World Bead to him and smiled, “I was still wondering how I was going to send you out of here safely, but since you have this, everything will be much simpler.”
Yang Kai was stunned but quickly understood the meaning behind Bright Moon’s words. But now wasn’t the time to be discussing such things. Yang Kai accepted the Sealed World Bead and handed the jade box he was holding over, “Senior, this should allow you to recover within a short amount of time.”
Bright Moon looked at him with interest. Even a man as knowledgeable as him could not understand how Yang Kai could be so confident. He accepted the box and was just about to open it when Yang Kai suddenly said, “Senior, I think it would be best if you erected another barrier to isolate this place lest the aura leaks; after all, there’s still a Demon Saint standing guard outside.”
Originally, this place had already been isolated by Bright Moon both inside and out; otherwise, it would be impossible for Yang Kai to be conversing with him safely, he would’ve been discovered by Xue Li long ago. But for Yang Kai to make such a proposal now meant that the object within the jade box must be no small matter. It was likely to make a great impact once the jade box was opened.
Bright Moon stared deeply at Yang Kai for a moment before nodding lightly, he made seals with one hand and an even more dazzling light was suddenly released from the waning moon behind his back, illuminating this small place as bright as day.
Only then did Bright Moon open the box gently.
A ray of green light immediately appeared before his eyes while an amazing amount of vitality poured out. Even Bright Moon Great Emperor, who had vast experiences through thousands and thousands of years, could not help but feel slightly startled. He really couldn’t imagine what this object was to actually contain such great vitality.
Looking down, he saw three verdant green leaves inside the jade box. Each leaf was less than a palm length long and appeared like a precious gemstone with clear lines on its surface. Each leaf was emitting a faint fragrance that made one feel comfortable just by breathing it in.
Bright Moon’s pupils shrank slightly and comparing the object in his hands and the various information he had, he exclaimed after a short while, “So it’s this!”
He obviously recognized what these leaves were. He was a Great Emperor after all. Even if there was anything in this world that he had not seen before, he would surely have read about it in some ancient book at least. There was no way he wouldn’t recognize what these leaves were.
Yang Kai said, “Can this help Senior recover?”
“Indeed!” Bright Moon closed the jade box and looked at Yang Kai with a burning gaze, “No wonder Tian Shu sent you to the Demon Realm. For you to have such good fortune, it is indeed true that ordinary people cannot compare to you.”
After the events at the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda, Bright Moon had investigated Yang Kai a bit and learned his background. A young man who came from a lower Star Field and was able to stir up the wind and clouds within just a few dozen years, showing his potential and proving himself a dragon among men. And now, it seemed that the fortunes of this young man before him really weren’t ordinary, even allowing him to obtain something as precious as the Immortal Tree.
The three tender leaves had clearly just been collected. If Yang Kai did not possess the Immortal Tree itself, how could he have harvested these?
When he heard Bright Moon say so, Yang Kai smiled happily and urged, “In that case, then please use them quickly, Senior. I will stand guard for you.”
Bright Moon shook his head and laughed, “There’s no need to hurry. Even with these, I won’t be able to recover so quickly. It will take at least a year.”
“A year…” Yang Kai’s face stiffened. He originally thought that Bright Moon would be able to recover back to peak condition very quickly with the Immortal Tree’s leaves, then he could get out of here with him and return to the Star Boundary, consider his task complete, and saving him the hassle of feigning friendship and cooperation with the Demons here in the Demon Realm. But now that Yang Kai heard that it would actually take a year, he knew that he was being too hasty.
Not to mention a year, he couldn’t even wait a month. If he really disappeared for that long, then Bai Ya would definitely become suspicious. Then, if he followed the trail and chased him here, he would only ruin Bright Moon’s last opportunity.
Bright Moon smiled, “I’m not in a hurry, so what are you worried about?”
Yang Kai smiled embarrassedly, not sure how to answer.
Bright Moon’s face suddenly turned serious and he raised the jade box in his hands, “This matter will not leave my lips.”
The meaning of his words was obviously to tell Yang Kai that he definitely would not spread the fact of his possessing the Immortal Tree; after all, this news was simply too explosive. If it were to get out, there was no saying what sort of troubles it would bring to Yang Kai. Rumour had it that by refining the Immortal Tree, one could achieve an immortal and indestructible body, a feat aspired to even by Great Emperors. How could Bright Moon repay Yang Kai’s kindness with enmity when he could take out the leaves of the Immortal Tree at such a time to heal him?
“If I couldn’t trust Senior, then I wouldn’t have done so in the first place. Senior’s safety is very important to the Star Boundary, so I hope Senior can recover as early as possible and escape from here, returning to the Star Boundary to help preside over the larger situation. Then this Junior can also retire in success.”
Bright Moon was still smiling, but he did not comment. After pondering for a moment, he said, “Please pay attention to the news here in one year. If any changes arise, remember to rush here as soon as possible. This King still has something to tell you.”
Yang Kai looked steadily at him and suddenly had an uneasy feeling in his heart, as if Bright Moon was going to tell him his last words, certain that he would be unable to leave the Demon Realm.
Yang Kai opened his mouth, but he had no idea what to say. It was foolish to try and console a Great Emperor, so he might as well not say anything at a time like this, only hoping that Bright Moon’s luck would prevail.
“You should go now,” Bright Moon suddenly said.
Yang Kai was silent for a moment, but he soon nodded, “Take care, Senior!”
Bright Moon smiled, “You too. You must be careful in the Demon Realm, especially with that Yu Ru Meng. Don’t trust her too much. She likely has a method to escape the restrictions of that Secret Technique!”
Bright Moon was already the second person to say this to Yang Kai. First, it was Bei Li Mo, but she could just be sowing discord and harboring evil intentions. On the other hand, Bright Moon saying the same thing with only good intentions meant there was a great likelihood that Yu Ru Meng could really do such a thing. Only, it wasn’t the right time yet.
But that didn’t mean anything to Yang Kai since he had already dealt with the matter by himself long ago. He just had to keep up the necessary precautions.
“Junior will remember,” Yang Kai nodded and looked deeply at Bright Moon Great Emperor again before slipping back into the Small Sealed World.
What Bright Moon told him earlier was enough for him to understand how Bright Moon would send him safely away from here, so there was no need to say anything more.
Bright Moon caught the Sealed World Bead before it could fall and with a flick of his sleeves, a brilliant light emerged from his eyes. The waning moon which had been hanging behind his back suddenly became full and round, spreading its soft white light in all directions.
A violent power surged out and the Blood Sea which had not been calm for long suddenly began to boil once more, forming great waves from the impact.
All around the Blood Sea, many of the Blood Demon Clan Demon Kings paled and madly circulated their Demon Qi to protect themselves, but how could the wrath of a Great Emperor be something easy to resist? As the waves of the Blood Sea slammed down on them, several dozen Demon Kings were instantly killed.
Fortunately for them, several Half-Saints nearby reacted quickly and moved to suppress the situation, which helped things from turning much worse; however, the power of these people alone was simply unable to suppress a Great Emperor, even if he was wounded.
In just a short three breaths of time, the Half-Saints all revealed troubled expressions as fear and anxiety took them.
It was at that moment that a blood-coloured figure reappeared. Xue Li, with his red hair flying in the air, raised his hand and slammed it down violently.
As if a huge invisible mountain had descended from the Heavens, the bubbling Blood Sea calmed in an instant without so much as a ripple. Only then did the Half-Saints and Demon Kings breathe sighs of relief, as if they had narrowly escaped death.
Atop the blood-coloured pillar, Xue Li’s scarlet eyes glowed with suspicion, brows furrowing as he looked into the depths of the Blood Sea.
For this man to act twice in one day was quite unusual. Bright Moon was no fool, so putting up this kind of resistance would only be a complete waste of power. Not only would it have no effect, it would even put him in an even more difficult situation.
[What is the reason for all this? Bright Moon can’t be thinking of giving up and making one final struggle, can he?]
Just as he was thinking so, Xue Li’s eyes suddenly darkened, because hundreds of bright light beams shot out from below the surface of the Blood Sea which had just calmed down. The thick Blood Sea was unable to block the light assault, and wherever the beams passed, the bloody water was being purified, revealing long and thick channels.
What’s more, the Demons in the way of where the light beams passed all died with a single touch, unable to put up the slightest resistance. The white light shot into the distance in all directions, spreading tens of thousands of kilometres, piercing through the world before gradually disappearing out of sight.
Counting the ones from before, over a hundred Demon Kings were lost to these events, as well as countless other Demons, all of them cut down as easily as one would slice melons and chop vegetables.
Xue Li bellowed furiously, “Bright Moon, you court death!” With a wave of both arms, countless Blood Beasts were instantly formed within the Blood Sea, each one shaped oddly but incredibly lifelike. Each one of them emitted a fierce aura as they charged into the Blood Sea, lunging towards the pure land at its centre to suppress its scope.
Bright Moon swiftly executed another move as he called out in a mocking tone, “Xue Li, if you have the ability to kill this King, then come down here and do it! What’s stopping you?”
Xue Li coldly snorted. Not to mention that he didn’t really have the ability to kill Bright Moon with his power alone, even if he did, it was impossible for him to do such a thing. The goal of the Demon Saints was to have Bright Moon digested by the Demon Realm, so how could he kill him off so simply?
Only, Bright Moon’s provocations today that killed off so many Demon Kings undoubtedly angered Xue Li, so he did not hold back this time either. Though Bright Moon wasn’t an easy man to kill, it was definitely no problem to add to his injuries. As long as he was completely beaten down, such a situation like today would not happen again.
For a while, the battle of a Great Emperor and a Demon Saint across the boundless Blood Sea shook the World. Inside the Blood Sea, the pure land of light was constantly expanding and shrinking, warping repeatedly.
With Xue Li personally making a move, he was finally able to stabilize the array base and more Blood Demon Clan Demon Kings filled in the missing positions, spurring on the blood sacrifice, helping Xue Li fuel the array.
The battle did not last long, only half a day before Bright Moon finally took the initiative to back down.
Xue Li did not intend to pursue him either; after all, he wasn’t actually planning to bury Bright Moon here. Even though he had no idea what Bright Moon’s current condition was, Xue Li was sure he was in a terrible state. The most intuitive proof of that being that the pure white land in the Blood Sea had been reduced to half its size compared to half a day ago.
And, from the looks of it, the Blood Sea’s area had also been reduced by nearly a tenth of its original size.
One-tenth was an amount gained through the blood sacrifice of billions of Demons though. In other words, this short half-day fight alone caused several billions of Demons to die in vain.
Xue Li’s face sank and he coldly snorted, “You’re just seeking trouble!” In order to prevent Bright Moon from pulling any more tricks, he did not withdraw again and instead remained atop the blood-coloured pillar for several days, only leaving when he was certain that Bright Moon had truly settled down.
At the bottom of the boundless Blood Sea, in the small pure white land, Bright Moon’s face was pale. Bleeding from his seven orifices, he looked to be in a terrible state.
The half-day fight with Xue Li overwhelmed his already injured body even more. If not for what Yang Kai gave him before, then he would never have done such a thing; after all, he had been purposely saving up his power for so long just so he could make a final stand. Using up his strength in advance would just be a waste of his efforts.
Fortunately, Yang Kai brought him new hope. Opening the jade box, he took one of the Immortal Tree’s leaves, lightly twisting it several times before placing it into his mouth. Holding the leaf under his tongue, he circulated his Healing Art silently.
A short while later, a bright green glow was released from the countless pores on Bright Moon’s skin while surging vitality flowed through his body and meridians, repairing the body’s inner wounds. The flesh around the gaping hole at his abdomen also began to writhe as dark Demon Qi was gradually pushed out, allowing it to slowly close up.
When he felt the powerful restoration abilities of the Immortal Tree’s leaf, even Bright Moon could not help but reveal a look of pleasant surprise.
While he had been locked in an intense battle with Xue Li, somewhere several thousand kilometres away, Yang Kai suddenly appeared with a grave expression.
He had been hiding inside of the Sealed World Bead, which had been shot out with the help of Bright Moon’s power. They more or less took some risks with this attempt. If Xue Li had detected the Sealed World Bead’s existence, then Yang Kai was sure to have been exposed.
But at a time like that, it was impossible even for Xue Li to keep track of everything in his surroundings. And, having caught Xue Li off guard, Bright Moon was able to find a suitable opportunity to send out the Sealed World Bead.
It was simply impossible to avoid the perception of a Demon Saint’s Divine Sense with only a distance of several thousand kilometres, so after emerging from the Sealed World Bead, Yang Kai looked around him, only to see the wind and clouds being stirred in that direction while rumbling sounds poured out incessantly. He knew that Bright Moon was diverting Xue Li’s attention, so he didn’t hesitate to turn around and speed off in the direction whence he came.
Having made no twists or turns along the way, Yang Kai had returned to Bei Li Mo’s territory in just two days and rejoined Tu Qia Luo and the others.
The rest of the day went smoothly.
Yang Kai’s goal of infiltrating Eternal Sky Continent in order to seek out Bright Moon had been accomplished, and now that he knew what his condition was, all Yang Kai needed to do was wait a year before keeping his ears open for news about Eternal Sky Continent, then find the right opportunity to make his move. So, he couldn’t be bothered to trouble himself over anything else anymore. Naturally, Yang Kai was quite cooperative with the matter of dealing with the Territory Gates in Bei Li Mo’s territory. He restored the gates that needed restoring and maintained the ones that needed maintaining. Of course, if the opportunity arose for him to seek out the lost continents and allow the Sealed World Bead to devour them, Yang Kai wouldn’t waste the opportunity either.
This state of affairs continued for two months before all the continents on Bei Li Mo’s territory had been settled. Then, the group finally travelled back to Soaring Snow Continent.
Yang Kai didn’t really want to meet with Bei Li Mo, but he couldn’t refuse Bai Ya’s forceful invitation. What’s more, he was in someone else’s territory, so he should indeed say goodbye to the owner before leaving.
After hurrying back to Soaring Snow Continent, Yang Kai was once again brought into Soaring Snow Ice Palace under Bai Ya’s lead. After waiting for a long while inside, Bai Ya came back with an awkward expression.
Yang Kai looked at him, a little confused.
Bai Ya said, “Brother Yang, Holy Venerable has some important matters to deal with, so I’m afraid she won’t have the time to see you today.”
Yang Kai snickered in his heart. What important matter could so occupy Bei Li Mo’s time that she wouldn’t even have the time to see him? She clearly just didn’t want to see him, which was fine since he couldn’t be bothered to see her either; everyone was in agreement. At once, Yang Kai cupped his fists, “In that case, this King will excuse himself first. Farewell, Brother Bai Ya!”
In any case, since he had already offered his courtesy, there was no excuse that Bei Li Mo could use to blame him in the future.
“Please wait, Brother Yang!” Bai Ya quickly stopped him.
“Is anything else the matter?” Yang Kai asked.
Bai Ya said seriously, “I’m afraid Brother Yang won’t be able to return.”
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes, “What do you mean?” Bei Li Mo wouldn’t be thinking of keeping him here forever, right? That would be too naive of her. If she really were to do so, then Yu Ru Meng definitely wouldn’t agree.
When Bai Ya saw his expression, he knew that he’d misunderstood, but there was no helping it; after all, Bei Li Mo had a previous offence on record. She even tossed Yang Kai into the Frozen Nether Ice Prison and kept him confined there for a good many days.
Bai Ya quickly explained, “It’s like this. Since Brother Yang has the ability to restore the Territory Gates, the other Holy Venerables also require your assistance. So, Brother Yang has to take a trip to Holy Venerable Chi Yan’s territory.”
Yang Kai’s mouth twitched at his words. Even though he had long known that he would not have peace for a long time to come, he didn’t expect these Demon Saints of the Demon Realm to not even offer him the time to rest. How much of a hurry were these people in? And he had no idea what they were rushing for either. Those Territory Gates weren’t going to just disappear tomorrow.
After pondering for a moment, he answered, “Then I must still return to Holy Venerable Ru Meng’s side to inform her of the situation here.”
Bai Ya smiled, “This is also the thoughts of Holy Venerable Ru Meng. That is to say, Holy Venerable Ru Meng does not need Brother Yang to return. You can do so after taking care of the Territory Gates in each Demon Saint’s territory first.”
Yang Kai was a little speechless at his words and tried to confirm, “Did Ru Meng really say such a thing?”
Bai Ya nodded, “Holy Venerable Ru Meng and Holy Venerable Li Mo have already contacted each other regarding this.”
He estimated that Bei Li Mo wouldn’t lie to him about such a thing. Since she already said so, then it must be true. Yang Kai felt annoyed to have been sold out by Yu Ru Meng unknowingly. It seemed like his weight in her heart was not as heavy as he thought. Perhaps she really did have a method to break free from the Heart Seal Secret Technique’s restrictions. In that case, he really would have to be careful of her in the future.
With a gloomy face, he nodded, “Since it is an order from the Holy Venerable, this King shall obey.”
Bai Ya extended a hand, “Let me send you, Brother Yang.” Seemingly afraid of being rejected by Yang Kai, he added, “Brother Yang’s safety cannot be compromised. Someone from Holy Venerable Chi Yan’s side will come for the handover with me, so I have to at least show my face.”
Since he had already said so, Yang Kai could only agree, thinking to himself how they’d made him look just like a prisoner under confinement, even performing a handover…
After leaving Soaring Snow Continent, they made their way towards Chi Yan’s territory.
Chi Yan was from the Flame Demon Clan and his territory bordered that of Bei Li Mo’s. His relationship with Bei Li Mo was just like that of Bei Li Mo and Yu Ru Meng. They were both neighbours, so it didn’t take him much time to arrive.
A Half-Saint was mobilized from the other side, who also seemed to be a Flame Demon. Even his skin was dark red.
However, this unknown Half-Saint was different from Bai Ya. He seemed like a reserved and serious character, so after the handover and confirmation of Yang Kai’s identity, he simply threw him a Space Ring before turning around and leaving.
Yang Kai was bewildered, having no idea what this guy meant by this. Wasn’t he invited here to restore the Territory Gates? Why did it seem as if they were treating him as a beggar? Yang Kai wanted to make things clear, but the man had already disappeared from sight. As expected of the Flame Demon Clan, their temperaments were hot and decisive, choosing to act rather than speak.
Helpless, Yang Kai could only check the Space Ring and found several jade slips inside. Taking them out and looking at them, the lost and unstable Territory Gates, as well as the lost continents in Chi Yan’s domain were recorded inside.
Yang Kai guessed that they had made preparations here after they caught wind of information that leaked from Bei Li Mo’s side, which also saved Yang Kai a lot of effort.
Other than the jade slips with the recorded information, there was a token that was neither jade nor stone inside the ring. There were no words on it, only a burning flame, but Yang Kai had no idea what it symbolized.
Yang Kai guessed that this was most likely that Half-Saint’s token, which made sense. He was given the token in order to facilitate his travel in the continents so that he would not be interrogated or harassed.
[Interesting,] Yang Kai looked pleased. He was originally dissatisfied with the Flame Demon’s arrogant attitude, but now it seemed it was just what he wished for. Instead, it was Bai Ya’s type who was smiling all day yet constantly guarded against him that he found most annoying.
This was good. No one would interfere with him in Chi Yan’s territory, so he could do whatever he wanted and free his hands and legs completely.
After ordering his ten thousand subordinates to stop and rest, Yang Kai took out the jade slips and began studying them one by one. The number of Territory Gates that needed restoring and maintaining was not the main point, but rather the number of lost continents in Chi Yan’s territory.
In Yu Ru Meng’s territory, the Sealed World Bead devoured three continents, while there were three more that Yang Kai couldn’t find. On the other hand, the Sealed World Bead devoured four continents in Bei Li Mo’s continent.
There were a total of six continents that disappeared from Chi Yan’s territory, and if no one was there to interfere, then Yang Kai could seek out all six of these continents and devour them.
After studying for more than an hour and planning his route, Yang Kai ordered his troops to set off.
His days in Chi Yan’s domain were smooth sailing as expected. Even if some of the Demons on the various continents found his behaviour strange and came forward to interrogate him, he just had to show the token to make them leave.
In less than two months, Yang Kai had completely settled everything here.
Up to this point, Yang Kai still did not see any sign of that Flame Demon Half-Saint who had shown up on the first day.
Since his token was still in his possession, Yang Kai couldn’t just leave with it though. Helpless, he went to the continent where the Holy City was located, firstly to return the token, and secondly to ask where he should go next.
He had a feeling that Chi Yan’s place wasn’t his final destination, and that he would have to go on to the next Demon Saint’s territory immediately after.
And fact proved itself so. After finding that Half-Saint he met previously at the Holy City and returning the token to him, Yang Kai was asked to follow the man without any other words and was led all the way to a nearby Territory Gate.
After passing through several continents, they arrived at another Demon Saint’s territory. There was already a Half-Saint waiting for them there. After the handover, the Flame Demon Half-Saint turned around and left.
This new Half-Saint that Yang Kai just met had a rather good attitude and chatted a few words with him, seemingly wanting them to get to know each other a little.
He also passed Yang Kai a lot of information.
Since he didn’t seem to have any intention of leaving, Yang Kai grumbled in his heart, thinking that he couldn’t possibly have bumped into another Bai Ya, could he?
But since the man was insistent on following him, then he had no way around it either; after all, this was his territory.
After studying the information, Yang Kai planned his route and set off.
The Half-Saint did follow Yang Kai around for a few days, so Yang Kai had originally intended to deal with him the same way he dealt with Bai Ya. Unexpectedly though, this Half-Saint actually took the initiative to excuse himself and leave a few days later, even leaving his token for Yang Kai before departing, telling him to visit the Holy City once he was done to return the token to him. It turned out he had originally followed him around just for the sake of novelty, and once the novelty wore off, he simply left.
Day after day, Yang Kai led his ten thousand men around each continent like an on-call repairman, restoring the Territory Gates on the Demon Realm. The Demon Saints were all very enthusiastic about this matter, so practically everywhere he went, there were Half-Saints there to arrange everything for him. All he had to do was draw up his plan according to routine, and then head over to each continent to repair the Territory Gates.
After going through the territories of several Demon Saints, the Small Sealed World had already swallowed up nearly twenty lost continents, and the realm had now been expanded to an unimaginable degree. Even the Myriad Demon Pills that Yang Kai harvested had now reached several thousand in total. They were definitely enough for the Embodiment to advance to the Half-Saint realm. The only thing he needed now was some time.
On a certain day, while Yang Kai and his ten thousand subordinates were on the move, he suddenly stopped and looked ahead.
The people behind him also quickly stopped and looked over curiously.
Tu Qia Luo looked around but found nothing unusual in their surroundings, so he couldn’t help but ask in perplexity, “Great King, what happened?”
Yang Kai did not answer him. He just frowned at a certain spot in the air, deeply gazing as if trying to see through the void.
“Oh? You’re actually able to sense me?” As a voice sounded and a figure appeared out of thin air some three kilometres away. The stranger was a man, but he was a little different from all the other Demons that Yang Kai met before. There was actually a horn growing on the man’s forehead that was the length of a finger, and two fingers thick. It curved upwards, just like the horn of a rhinoceros. The man was also unusually strong and burly looking.
His appearance did surprise Yang Kai a little. Though there were so many clans in the Demon Realm, each one of them having different appearances and characteristics, it was his first time seeing a guy with a horn growing out of his forehead.
Where did this guy come from?
But no matter the identity of the other man, his strength was not to be underestimated. Yang Kai had only noticed some discordance ahead and did not actually sense any trace of this man. If he had not taken the initiative to reveal himself, then Yang Kai may have had to come closer before he could see through this concealment.
[He’s definitely a Half-Saint!]
Yang Kai was bewildered, but Tu Qia Luo, He Yin, and the others all began circulating their Demon Qi as if they were facing a great enemy, looking vigilantly at him. Bo Ya also began to draw her bow, Divine Sense surging while a meter-long arrow was locked onto the Half-Saint ahead.
Yang Kai glanced around and thought it even more strange. What was wrong with everyone today? They had come across so many half-Saints these past days, yet they’d never been this nervous before. Could this man before them have some sort of special background?
Just as he was thinking so, Bo Ya silently transmitted her voice over, “Be careful, that guy’s from Hundred Spirits Continent.”
[Hundred Spirits Continent?] Yang Kai frowned at her words, but after thinking for a moment, he quickly recalled that he had indeed seen the existence of this continent on his map before and nodded lightly, “Which Demon Saint’s territory does Hundred Spirits Continent belong to?”
Hundred Spirits Continent was still some distance away from here, and they would have to pass through at least five Territory Gates in order to reach it. For a Half-Saint from Hundred Spirits Continent to intercept him here all of a sudden, Yang Kai’s thoughts couldn’t help but turn in a different direction. He thought to himself, [Isn’t that Demon Saint from Hundred Spirits Continent too eager? I have to go there sooner or later to repair the Territory Gates, so there’s no need for this, right?]
Bo Ya glanced speechlessly at Yang Kai and replied, “Hundred Spirits Continent is not part of any Demon Saint’s territory.”
Yang Kai was surprised to hear that answer and turned to look curiously at her, “What do you mean?”
Bo Ya answered with a serious expression, “Your Star Boundary has Divine Spirits, and so does the Demon Realm. These Divine Spirits have long inheritances, and some have existed since the birth of the Demon Realm itself. All of them have powerful abilities that do not fall behind any others. Even though the Holy Venerables have divided 99% of the entire Demon Realm, there is one remaining continent that is occupied by these Divine Spirits and is not under the jurisdiction of any Holy Venerable, and that is Hundred Spirits Continent. As for the Lord of Hundred Spirits Continent, he is an existence no weaker than the Twelve Holy Venerables!”
Yang Kai was amazed to hear this. It turned out there was actually another Master comparable to the Twelve Demon Saints in the Demon Realm? But on second thought, it wasn’t so strange at all. There was still Dragon Island in the Star Boundary where Great Elder and Second Elder were both comparable to Great Emperors. The growth of a Divine Spirit was not bound by the bottle of the World because they had their own bloodline inheritance, and did not require the approval of the world’s power to continue growing stronger.
“This guy should be a Divine Spirit, and he’s probably here for you. The Territory Gates of Hundred Spirits Continent have also begun showing problems.”
Hearing this, Yang Kai nodded lightly, “Then, I’m guessing the relationship between this Lord of Hundred Spirits Continent and the Holy Venerables is not very good.” If they were on good terms, then there would be no need to send someone here to intercept him. They just had to talk to the other Demon Saints, and Yang Kai would naturally head over by himself.
Bo Ya couldn’t help but roll her eyes, “You’re still in the mood for such bad jokes?”
“Would you rather I cry and weep instead?” Yang Kai snickered.
It was just a Half-Saint. Even though this man was undoubtedly strong, it wasn’t enough to make Yang Kai fear him. Right now, there was still a short way to go before the Embodiment could ascend to the Half-Saint realm, but if they worked together, then even if they couldn’t beat their opponent with all their strength, they wouldn’t be completely defenceless.
Yang Kai’s fight with Cang Mo back in the Star Boundary was the best example. That Cang Mo was also a Half-Saint level Master, though in the Star Boundary, he was known as a Pseudo-Great Emperor.
Bo Ya continued, “The special situation of Hundred Spirits Continent is hard to explain in just a few words, but you’re right. The Lord of that continent is not in a good relationship with the Holy Venerables, but it’s not bad to the point where there’s an open confrontation. You are Holy Venerable Ru Meng’s man, so he may not dare to do anything to you.”
Yang Kai shot her a faint glance before cursing in his heart at his unfortunate position. To think he would actually be reduced to a little white face that had to depend on a woman here in the Demon Realm, having to borrow Yu Ru Meng’s prestige everywhere he went.
While he communicated with Bo Ya, the single-horned Divine Spirit on the opposite side did not interrupt them either. It wasn’t until their Divine Sense fluctuations subsided that he asked in a cheerful manner, “So, you’re the Human?”
Yang Kai chuckled, “If there are no other Humans in the Demon Realm, then I am him.”
“Very good. Come with me,” The single-horned Divine Spirit nodded, speaking in a tone that accepted no refusals.
Yang Kai’s face turned disgruntled in an instant. If this man could have spoken to him properly, then it wouldn’t have been impossible for him to go. In any case, he had been running through so many continents during this period already, what would it matter to add one more Hundred Spirits Continent? But to be shown such an attitude by this man repulsed Yang Kai a little.
[Helping you restore the Territory Gates is a favour, not an obligation. Why must I follow you? Really, without common ground, even half a sentence would be a waste of breath.] So, Yang Kai shook his head, “This King is subordinate to Holy Saint Ru Meng. If Your Excellency wishes to invite this King, then you will need to inform Holy Venerable Ru Meng beforehand. Only with the Holy Venerable’s word can this King move. Otherwise, this King is powerless.” He couldn’t be bothered to say more to this man, so Yang Kai raised his hand and said, “If there is nothing else, please give way. This King still has matters to attend to and cannot be delayed for too long.”
Naturally, the single-horned Divine Spirit didn’t move and just grinned at him, “I advise you to come with me obediently. Less resistance means less pain, don’t you think so?”
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes, “Does Your Excellency mean to start a fight with this King? I just wonder whether Your Excellency can withstand the wrath of Holy Venerable Ru Meng?”
The single-horned Divine Spirit scoffed, “The mighty name of a Holy Venerable may frighten others, but not those of our Hundred Spirits Continent!”
[Oh? He wants to go against them? No wonder the relationship between the Lord of Hundred Spirits Continent and the Demon Saints is not good. For such a disobedient group as them, there’s probably no Demon Saint who would be fond of them.]
[So why don’t the Demon Saints join hands to destroy the continent? They even managed to drive Bright Moon Great Emperor into a corner. If the Demon Saints really joined forces, then they must have been able to destroy Hundred Spirits Continent ages ago.]
But on second thought, Yang Kai understood how Hundred Spirits Continent could survive between the cracks.
Not to mention the fact that the Lord of Hundred Spirits Continent himself was an existence not inferior to the Demon Saints, the Twelve Demon Saints would really have to join forces completely to deal with such a big piece of meat. Hundred Spirits Continent would undoubtedly fight back if pushed to a corner, so just one or two Demon Saints wouldn’t be sufficient. What’s more, loose alliances and shifting allies would only serve to complicate matters.
But of course, there were way too many factors involved here. For a moment, this was the only reason that Yang Kai could think of, but regardless of the truth, if Hundred Spirits Continent could survive in the Demon Realm, there must be a good reason!
The single-horned Divine Spirit didn’t seem to have much patience and shouted soon after, “I’ll give you ten breaths of time. Think about your answer carefully and don’t disappoint me!”
Yang Kai rolled his eyes to the sky and faced him with his nostrils.
This action caused the mouth of the single-horned Divine Spirit to twitch…
But he kept his word. Ten breaths meant ten breaths. Once time was up, dense Demon Qi poured out of his body and he scoffed, “Since you won’t cooperate, then I’ll have to use force!”
As he spoke, he stretched a hand toward Yang Kai. Following his movements, World Energy surged and a black hand coalesced from Black Demon Qi grabbed at Yang Kai.
The faces of Bo Ya and the others changed dramatically, and all of them made a move. Even Li Shi Qing gritted her teeth and sent out a rain of flower petals, each petal containing terrifying cutting force.
However, despite their numbers and their strength, they were still no match for a Half-Saint. So, as their attacks fell on top of the large hand of Demon Qi, it only caused a ripple before disappearing without a trace.
Yang Kai had no intention of defending though and instead just kept a cold smile on his lips as he stepped forward, as if preparing himself for death.
The single-horned Divine Spirit was stunned by this and had no idea what Yang Kai was up to. Even though he did not intend to take Yang Kai’s life with this attack, it still contained a considerable amount of power. If it really landed on Yang Kai’s body, then with a cultivation equivalent to a Mid-Rank Demon King, he wouldn’t be able to survive it.
His goal in this trip was to bring Yang Kai back to Hundred Spirits Continent, not to kill him. If he really did kill Yang Kai, then it was sure to anger most of the Demon Saints, which was not a responsibility he could bear.
Thoughts flashing, he hastily withdrew some of his power.
But Yang Kai still showed no intention of resisting. Instead, he opened his arms as if to welcome the arrival of death.
[Is this guy sick in the head!?] The single-horned Divine Spirit was dumbfounded, but right now, it was too late to stop the attack. Seeing that the Human in front of him was about to be hit, a shocking aura suddenly spread out. Then, a slender figure instantly stood in front of Yang Kai, raising her fair palm and gently thrusting it forward.
In an instant, the large palm made of black Demon Qi dissipated.
Seeing Xiao Wu standing in front of him, Yang Kai smiled.
If he joined forces with the Embodiment, Yang Kai was sure to be able to put up a fight against this single-horned Divine Spirit, but he definitely wouldn’t be able to take any advantages either. So, Yang Kai figured he may as well take care of him by having Yu Ru Meng appear by Soul Descend. It saved time and effort.
When they saw Xiao Wu teleporting in front of Yang Kai to block the blow, Bo Ya and the others all let out a long sigh of relief. With the Holy Venerable making another appearance through Soul Descend, even if they were facing a Half-Saint, the other party would still have to back down.
But who knew that not only would the single-horned Divine Spirit not retreat, he even looked as if he had expected this result and gritted his teeth, “I knew it…”
At those words, a fist pounded forward, bringing forth an Earth-shattering power.
“Courting death!” Yu Ru Meng’s eyes were cold as she thrust her palm three consecutive times, sending a terrifyingly vast and irresistible force forward that completely neutralized the single-horned Divine Spirit’s attack. Not only that, but the aftershocks of it even left a sizable dent on his chest.
Fresh blood sprayed out from the single-horned Divine Spirit’s mouth.
Even if it were just a wisp of her Soul, the power of a Demon Saint was still not something that this man could withstand.
A look of astonishment flashed past the single-horned Divine Spirit’s eyes before he quickly retreated.
Yu Ru Meng would not allow him to act recklessly in front of her. If it was the Lord of Hundred Spirits Continent in person, then she might have some reservations, but this man was a mere Half-Saint. She could just kill him directly. It wasn’t as if the Lord of Hundred Spirits Continent could try to seek her out to settle the account; after all, they were the ones being rude to begin with.
So, body shifting, Yu Ru Meng directly gave chase and let out a scream that shook the Divine Spirit’s mind as he madly tried to withdraw, almost causing him to fall from the sky. This was obviously a Soul attack, and its might was no trifling matter.
The single-horned Divine Spirit was instantly bleeding from his seven orifices and looked miserable, but he still grinned and broke out in laughter, “You’ve fallen for my trick!”
Yu Ru Meng’s expression changed and seemingly realizing something, she quickly turned her head around to look, only to see two figures emerging from left and right, pincering Yang Kai who was just watching the show. Without even giving him the opportunity to resist, they grabbed an arm each and ran off, disappearing hundreds of kilometres away in the blink of an eye.
Yu Ru Meng was furious as she turned around and chased after them, but the single-horned Divine Spirit quickly pressed a hand to the void. At the same time, the glow of a Spirit Array lit up underneath Yu Ru Meng’s feet, caging her inside and obscuring her figure.
A violent power fluctuation emerged from the Spirit Array. In just three breaths, Yu Ru Meng had already escaped from the entrapment. Cold and beautiful eyes glanced left and right, but how could she still see those Hundred Spirits Continent Half-Saints? In the short amount of time that she was trapped in the Spirit Array, they had already disappeared without a trace.
Bo Ya, Tu Qia Luo, and the others had only reacted to the situation at this time, and were all looking fearfully at Yu Ru Meng, knowing that the Holy Venerable must be furious at this moment. To think that despite her personally appearing via Soul Descent, someone would still snatch Yang Kai away right under her nose. No one dared to speak up at this moment lest they draw her ire towards themselves.
Yu Ru Meng was indeed furious, and her murderous intent was erupting, but since things had already come to this point, there was nothing more she could do. Through Soul Descend, there was no way for her to use all of her power, so it was simply impossible for her to stall three Half-Saints at once.
Fortunately, she also knew that they wouldn’t do anything to Yang Kai. They were definitely doing this for the restoration of the Territory Gates, but with this, she would have to personally make a trip to Hundred Spirits Continent.
Secretly gritting her teeth, Yu Ru Meng turned around and looked at Tu Qia Luo and the others before ordering, “Return to Cloud Shadow Continent!”
Tu Qia Luo and the others did not dare to defy her. They couldn’t interfere in this matter regardless, and without Yang Kai, there was no meaning in them staying here any longer either. They could only first go back to Cloud Shadow and wait for further news.
Xiao Wu’s body then went limp and collapsed as soon as Yu Ru Meng finished speaking.
Xiao Wu wasn’t too strong after all, so each time she had to endure Yu Ru Meng’s Soul Descend, she had to sleep for many days to recover.
…..
As Yang Kai was dragged along, he was struck speechless. Looking left and right, he saw the same face. He would never have thought that Hundred Spirits Continent would actually mobilize three Half-Saints just to bring him over.
He originally felt emboldened, thinking that he could join hands with the Embodiment and with Yu Ru Meng appearing via Soul Descent, a trivial single-horned Divine Spirit wouldn’t be able to do anything to him. But now, he was held left and right and unable to move. Even if he let out his Embodiment now, they wouldn’t be able to beat these two Half-Saints. Since there was no helping it, Yang Kai decided to just settle down. It wasn’t as if his life was in any danger anyway.
But to Yang Kai’s surprise, the ones who kidnapped him were actually a pair of twins. He had no idea what Divine Spirits they were, but Yang Kai couldn’t see any difference between the two of them at all. They were very beautiful and their appearance was even a little exotic, with a tall and shapely nose, bright eyes, long eyelashes, full lips, and white skin even fairer than snow…
But then again, all those who had reached such a level of power were naturally quite beautiful. He couldn’t see their full figures for now, but their chests seemed quite grand.
“If you dare look again, I’ll dig your eyes out!” The woman on the right suddenly glared coldly at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai immediately moved his eyes to the front.
Instead, the woman on the left giggled, “Don’t be afraid, we don’t mean you any harm. We’re just inviting you for a walk.”
Yang Kai didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, “You call this an invitation? Thankfully, my courage isn’t small. If it were any smaller, then I would’ve been scared to death by you people.”
The girl on the left laughed, “Your courage is indeed not small. You can still keep a normal expression under such a situation.”
Yang Kai thought to himself, [I was like this when I was facing Bei Li Mo too, so what fart are two Half-Saints even worth?] But of course, he only dared to think that way in his heart. If he really said it out loud, then there would surely be no good results. Instead, Yang Kai said self-deprecatingly, “I’m afraid, actually. But there’s nothing I can do but act calm.”
After a pause, he added, “Um, may I ask how I can address the two of you?”
No one answered.
Met with awkward silence, Yang Kai could only ask again, “You two are twins, right? Which one is the Elder Sister, and which one is the Younger Sister?”
The girl on the right frowned, “You talk too much. Do you believe I won’t pull your tongue out?”
Yang Kai was speechless. [Is she some violent maniac? We’ve only just met and she’s already threatened to dig out my eyes and pull my tongue out. Did I offend you? You’re the one who insisted on kidnapping me. It’s not like I was the one who wanted to follow you.]
With a disgruntled look on his face, he didn’t speak anymore. This woman was possibly only speaking casually, but she may also be serious. How could Yang Kai dare to act rashly while he wasn’t certain?
But who knew that the woman on the left would suddenly jab him with her arm once he stopped talking.
Yang Kai turned to look at her, an inquiring look on his face.
The other party asked with interest, “I heard that you’re Yu Ru Meng’s man?”
Upon hearing this, Yang Kai couldn’t stop himself from rolling his eyes. Truly, good things never make it out the door, but bad things always spread over a thousand kilometres. Even the people from Hundred Spirits Continent had now found out about this. There was probably not a single person in the Demon Realm who did not know that he was a little white face who lived by relying on a woman.
But this woman was also quite the gossip, to actually ask so many of these types of questions. Yang Kai actually wished she’d be as aloof as the one on the left.
He was unwilling to explain more on such topics, but who knew that the girl would not relent and instead pestered him endlessly.
Helpless, Yang Kai could only point to his own lips, then at the girl on his left, meaning to say, [She already told me to shut my mouth, I don’t dare to speak…]
The girl on the right smiled and said, “I’m the Elder Sister, so she listens to me. Don’t worry.”
Finally, Yang Kai’s previous question received an answer. Yang Kai turned to look at the Younger Sister, only to see her looking steadily forward with an indifferent look on her face. It seemed she really did listen to her Elder Sister’s words, but Yang Kai still gave a tentative cough.
The Younger Sister immediately rolled her eyes at him, a look of disgust and contempt on her face.
“So tell me, the rumours that a Human managed to snag Yu Ru Meng, are they true or false?” It wasn’t that she really liked to gossip, but rather that the news was simply too shocking. Yu Ru Meng, one of the Twelve Demon Saints, actually hooked up with a Human man. It was really unbelievable.
“I guess so,” Yang Kai shrugged.
“What do you mean you guess so?” The Elder Sister was clearly dissatisfied with this answer.
Yang Kai replied, “I can’t explain it. Anyway, it’s exactly as you heard.”
“Hey, aren’t you being too perfunctory?”
“What do you expect me to tell you?” Yang Kai didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
The Elder Sister spat disdainfully before suddenly asking, “Then, have you two…” While saying so, she also showed a meaningful smile, wiggling her slender brows in a “you-know-what” sign.
Yang Kai nearly spat out a curse. [Aren’t you embarrassed asking a question like that? Do you know no shame?] Immediately, he said with a dark expression, “Am I that close with you?”
Even though it was obviously the first time they met, and he was even kidnapped by them, why was this woman acting so familiar with him?
But as soon as he said that, the Elder Sister hadn’t yet responded when the face of the Younger Sister to his right dimmed, “Watch your mouth or I’ll sew it shut!”
[You just have a problem with my face, don’t you? If it’s not my eyes, then it’s my tongue, or my mouth…Might as well take my ears and my nose too!] Yang Kai’s lungs were on the brink of exploding from anger.
Right at that moment, a stream of light approached from the right.
Yang Kai was overjoyed to see this, thinking that it was Yu Ru Meng who had come to save him, but how when he sensed the aura of the newcomer, it actually turned out to be that single-horned Divine Spirit from before.
When the other party arrived, Yang Kai confirmed that it really was him, but quite clearly, this guy wasn’t in good shape. His face was pale, and there was still blood leaking from his seven orifices that had yet to dry. Very clearly, he had eaten a great loss at Yu Ru Meng’s hand.
Yang Kai was disappointed, but since things had reached this point, he no longer had any wiggle room. He would have to make this trip to Hundred Spirits Continent whether he wanted to or not.
Once both sides converged, they passed through several Territory Gates, during which time Yang Kai proposed to have the two sisters put him down and promised them that he would follow without resistance, but unexpectedly, they just ignored him.
Yang Kai estimated that it was because they knew about his proficiency in the Dao of Space. If they really did let him go, then they might lose him in just one Instantaneous Movement.
A few days later, the four of them arrived before a certain Territory Gate.
There was actually a Half-Saint standing guard in front of the Territory Gate, and from his appearance, he seemed to be a Divine Spirit of the Hundred Spirits Continent as well. He was probably standing guard here as a precaution, but from this, it could be seen that the relationship between Hundred Spirits Continent and the Demon Saints was indeed not good; otherwise, would there be any need for a Half-Saint to guard a Territory Gate year-round?
It had been quite a while since he arrived in the Demon Realm, but even after passing through so many Territory Gates, Yang Kai had never seen anyone guarding any of them unless they were sealing off a continent. But the Territory Gate towards Hundred Spirits Continent was actually manned by a Half-Saint, so it was obvious that there was a problem here.
As soon as they saw each other, the Half-Saint watching the Territory Gate gently nodded. Sweeping a glance at Yang Kai, he let them pass easily.
After passing through the Territory Gate, the four of them arrived at Hundred Spirits Continent without incident.
Yang Kai wasn’t familiar with this continent, and he had no idea what special characteristics in the Demon Realm it had; however, he had seen its existence on his map and knew that its area was very vast.
Cloud Shadow Continent was already quite large, and was considered in the upper-middle ranks in the entire the Demon Realm; however, the area of Hundred Spirits Continent spanned almost five times that of Cloud Shadow, so it was safe to say it was one of the largest continents in the Demon Realm.
But this wasn’t so surprising since it was occupied by the Demon Realm’s Divine Spirits, after all. It wouldn’t be proper if the size was too small.
The group did not stop and continued flying forward.
Bored, Yang Kai looked around at his surroundings, and a novel sight caught his eyes very soon.
He found many Demon Beasts running around and howling in the spiritual mountains and rivers below. Even in the air, there were odd-looking Demon Beasts that he couldn’t name shuttling back and forth across the sky.
Their numbers were countless.
It wasn’t that he had never seen a Demon Beast before in other parts of the Demon Realm. Many Demon Kings liked to find powerful and imposing Demon Beasts to act as their mounts, but never in any continent had Yang Kai ever come across such a dense population of Demon Beasts.
As they flew forward, Yang Kai found traces of Demon Beasts residing in almost every part of the continent.
This Hundred Spirits Continent might be more aptly-named if it changed its name to Hundred Beasts Continent. And even more surprisingly, many of these Demon Beasts were exuding a powerful aura that was no lesser than the Demon Kings he’d met.
“There’s a lot of them, right?” The Elder Sister on the right suddenly asked.
Yang Kai didn’t process what she was referring to for a moment, but he quickly understood and nodded, “Yes, there’s a lot of them.”
The Little Sister on the left sneered, “There were even more in the past.”
Yang Kai frowned. He had no idea what she meant by that, but the Elder Sister explained just as he was wondering, “Our Hundred Spirits Continent is not under the control of any Demon Saint, and it seems like a free and easy place on the surface, but in reality, we’re just trying to eke out a living in the cracks. This continent is very suitable for the survival of Demon Beasts, and with so many of the Demon Beasts here having Divine Spirit bloodlines, it’s also very attractive to those guys outside. If they could get their hands on one of these Demon Beasts and train them into a mount, then it would also help to improve their strength. On the battlefield, their ability to charge and break through enemy lines is also just like painting wings on a tiger. So, our Hundred Spirits Continent is forced to send out a large batch of Demon Beasts to the outside once every hundred years.”
Listening quietly, Yang Kai gained some understanding as to how Hundred Spirits Continent managed to survive thus far. Without a doubt, the Lord of Hundred Spirits Continent was strong, enough to put fear into the Demon Saints hearts and make them think twice before making a move, but using this place as a breeding ground for Demon Beasts was the biggest reason why the Demon Saints tolerated the existence of Hundred Spirits Continent.
They pressured them for countless years, extorting them, leading to those living in Hundred Spirits Continent becoming hostile towards the outside. This was also the reason why the single-horned Divine Spirit showed no respect towards Yu Ru Meng while facing her, and even daring to confront her head-on.
The Elder Sister gritted her teeth, “There are some shameless guys who sneak into our Hundred Spirits Continent as well, slaughtering and trapping the Demon Beasts here like they own them! But of course, once discovered, those men wouldn’t be let off easy either.”
In the past, when the Territory Gates were unguarded, such events happened quite often. Some Demon Kings would form groups and sneak into Hundred Spirits Continent, leaving immediately after they got what they wanted.
And it was for that very reason that Half-Saints were posted at the Territory Gates to Hundred Spirits Continent, not allowing a single outsider into their domain.
Yang Kai frowned, “Why are you telling me about this?” Strictly speaking, he was just a prisoner now. Hundred Spirits Continent didn’t need to explain anything to him, right?
The Elder Sister smiled, “I just thought that you should know how pitiful the beings of our Hundred Spirits Continent are. And that you have the power to change all of that.”
“What power do I have?” Yang Kai was speechless. His biggest role in the eyes of the Demon Race was the ability to repair and maintain Territory Gates. This was also the root of why so many Demon Saints favoured him, “Speaking of which, didn’t you capture me here so I could repair the Territory Gates?”
The Elder Sister showed a profound smile, “You’ll know when the time comes.”
Yang Kai suddenly had a bad feeling about this. This trip definitely wasn’t as simple as he thought!
They spent a wordless journey through the mountains and rivers. Then, as a huge castle appeared ahead, the twin sisters and the single-horned Divine Spirit revealed enthusiastic expressions.
The castle covered a vast area and was located in a wide mountain range. Between the lofty mountain ridges, there were exotic beasts running about, and also strangely-shaped Demon Beasts climbing on the walls outside of the castle, each one of them exuding a powerful aura.
The castle was built in an extremely rugged fashion, like a giant beast from the ancient past that was crawling over the earth. Even the aura of the castle was quite ancient.
Even though it was Yang Kai’s first time here, he could guess that this must be where the Lord of Hundred Spirits Continent lived. So, he couldn’t help but feel a little apprehensive. Yang Kai wouldn’t be nervous when meeting with the other Demon Saints because he knew he was useful to them, so he wouldn’t be harmed in any way, but as for this Lord of Hundred Spirits Continent, things were different.
Ghosts know what sort of plans this man had in mind, but if Yang Kai displeased him and the latter decided to get rid of him, then who should he complain to?
In front of the castle, Yang Kai was greeted by a fierce aura before he even entered the building. In the dark shadows, something huge gradually revealed its figure, their each and every step causing the ground beneath them to tremble.
A few moments later, Yang Kai finally had a clear look at what was approaching him.
It was a huge Demon Beast like a lion, about 50 meters tall with a golden mane growing out of its chest that was as soft and lustrous as silk. Hot air was blowing out from its huge nostrils. Its appearance was simply majestic.
The huge lion looked down at Yang Kai and the others, golden pupils glowing with scrutiny.
The single-horned Divine Spirit and the twin sisters cupped their fists, “Sir Xiong Shi!”
Yang Kai blinked his eyes. He was caught by the two sisters on each side, but his cultivation was not sealed, so he could clearly feel the power of this gigantic lion. It was most definitely that of a Half-Saint level Master.
But though they were similarly Half-Saints, the single-horned Divine Spirit and the twin sisters still had to refer to this lion as Sir, so it could be seen that Xiong Shi’s strength must be beyond the three of them. Otherwise, it was his status that ranked higher among the Divine Spirits.
But whatever it was, this Xiong Shi guy must be beyond his ability to resist.
Xiong Shi nodded lightly and spoke their language, “You’ve returned?”
The Elder Sister who was holding Yang Kai said, “Fortunately, we did not fail our mission.”
Xiong Shi then turned to the single-horned Divine Spirit, asking in a cold voice, “Who did it?”
The single-horned Divine Spirit let out a bitter laugh, “Yu Ru Meng used Soul Descent!”
“We’ll teach her a lesson sooner or later!” As Xiong Shi coldly snorted before he shot a vicious glare at Yang Kai like he wanted him to be the one settling this account, which made Yang Kai a bit speechless.
But from this, it seemed that Hundred Spirits Continent showed a lot of resentment towards the Demon Race, especially towards the Demon Saints. At any other place, the Demon Race wouldn’t dare to even call the Holy Venerables by name, let alone talk about “teaching them a lesson”.
“Sir is inside. You can go in,” Xiong Shi said, stepping aside.
The two sisters nodded. Grabbing Yang Kai on each side, they led him inside. On the other hand, the single-horned Divine Spirit did not follow them in, and instead turned around and left, most likely to find a place to heal his injuries.
After passing through a long passage, they entered a cold and dark hall. The two sisters stopped at the edge of the hall and waited quietly.
At this point, they finally let go of Yang Kai. They probably figured that even with his mastery of the Dao of Space, it would be difficult for Yang Kai to escape from here.
Looking over, Yang Kai could vaguely see a strong figure sitting cross-legged at the centre of the hall, unmoving. However, the entire hall was filled with dark Demon Qi, covering the ground densely like a layer of mist. Following the exhalation of the figure, the Demon Qi in the hall also tumbled.
Yang Kai frowned. He stared blankly at the Black Demon Qi tumbling beneath his feet. Unable to hold his curiosity back for a moment, he lifted a foot and poked at it.
In the next moment, the tumbling Demon Qi suddenly converged towards the centre and was all sucked into the strong figure’s body.
Yang Kai’s face turned dark. Only then did he realize that the Demon Qi came as an effect of the figure circulating his Secret Art.
“What are you doing?!” A shocked cry came from the little sister behind him. Even the beautiful face of the Elder Sister paled. She never would have thought that Yang Kai would actually be so reckless as to dare disturb their Sir while he was cultivating.
From the centre of the cold, dark hall, two bolts of light like lightning suddenly crossed in an arc, arriving in front of Yang Kai in an instant.
It was only then that Yang Kai saw clearly that they were actually the divine glow of a pair of eyes. This gaze seemed able to take away a person’s Soul, and he couldn’t help but shudder at it.
Feeling stunned for a short while, Yang Kai immediately lowered his head, causing his bangs to fall and hiding his expression under its shade.
“Greetings, Sir!” The twin sisters quickly saluted.
“He’s the one?” A thick voice rang out, echoing through the hall.
The Elder Sister answered, “Replying to Sir, he’s the one.”
“Very good. Raise your head!” Naturally, his latter sentence was addressed to Yang Kai.
The corners of Yang Kai’s mouth twitched, but he had no choice but to lift his head. Without even looking into the man’s eyes, he lightly cupped his hands, “Greetings, Sir!”
“This King is called Chang Tian!”
Only then did Yang Kai find out what this Lord of Hundred Spirits Continent was called.
“I heard you’re proficient in the Dao of Space and have the ability to repair and maintain Territory Gates?” Chang Tian asked.
“Yes,” Yang Kai nodded honestly. There was no point in him denying it.
Chang Tian smiled, “They say the Dao of Space is mysterious and esoteric, and I’ve never had the chance to witness its use with my own eyes. Why don’t you show it to this King?”
Yang Kai frowned. He raised his head and looked directly into the man’s eyes, speaking with slight displeasure, “Sir must be joking. Space Abilities are no sideshow. If Sir truly wishes to learn about them, then you can watch me later when I repair the Territory Gates.”
It was only now that Yang Kai was able to get a good look at the Lord of Hundred Spirits Continent. Even though Yang Kai assumed Chang Tian would be a big and muscular man; unexpectedly, this man’s features were quite delicate. He was just a little tall, and the black hair resting scattered and unrestrained on his shoulders was just like his heart that longed for freedom.
When he heard Yang Kai’s response, the corner of Chang Tian’s lips curled up slightly as he glanced to the side.
The next moment, Yang Kai was suddenly alerted by a surge of power coming in from that side. Caught off guard, he simply couldn’t respond in time and had no choice but to activate his Nihility Secret Technique, exiling his body into the Void.
A slender palm passed through where Yang Kai was, striking the air instead. The attacker was left with her brow raised in surprise.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai took advantage of this opportunity to instantaneously move a thousand metres away, and looked back at her with a dark expression.
He didn’t try to escape using Instantaneous Movement as doing so in front of a Master comparable to a Demon Saint would only be humiliating for himself, but the fact that he was attacked without a word made him feel annoyed inside.
The attacker was the younger of the twin sisters. She seemed to have received a hint from Chang Tian to force him to reveal his Space Divine Abilities.
“Interesting.” Chang Tian stood with both hands behind his back as he turned around to look towards Yang Kai’s position. With his level of vision, he was naturally able to see through the profound principles in what Yang Kai demonstrated just now, so he smiled, “But Space Divine Abilities aren’t only used for defence, are they? Do you have any offensive techniques?”
Whether it be the Nihility Secret Technique or Instantaneous Movement, both were excellent methods, but their primary use was for self-protection, which obviously did not satisfy Chang Tian’s curiosity.
Yang Kai’s face couldn’t help but darken at his words. He, a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master, was actually secretly attacked by a Half-Saint. What else could he do but defend himself? But from how Chang Tian spoke, Yang Kai knew that he wouldn’t be given the chance to rest if he didn’t satisfy this man.
Sure enough, the little sister made a move once more after Chang Tian finished speaking. With a light raise of her fair hand, she pointed her finger at Yang Kai from far away. Even though they were clearly separated by a thousand metres, this tap still felt to Yang Kai like he was being crushed under a heavy mountain. His vitality was churning in his chest and it was difficult to even breathe, giving rise to a feeling of inferiority, like he was a mere ant.
And from the Younger Sister’s relaxed demeanour, she didn’t seem to have used her full strength.
The bones in Yang Kai’s body were creaking, so gritting his teeth, he flicked his fingers several times, shooting out several black Moon Blades that cut through the air and whistled towards the Younger Sister, arriving in a flash. These Moon Blades not only shattered her attack, but also reversed their positions and handed Yang Kai the initiative. This caused the pupils of her beautiful eyes to shrink, revealing a look of surprise.
An arm cannot be thicker than a thigh, so since Chang Tian wanted to witness Space Divine Abilities, then Yang Kai could only fulfil his wishes.
When the Elder Sister on the other side saw this, her small mouth gaped slightly, forming a circle. The black Moon Blade contained a terrifying power that could never have been demonstrated by a mere Mid-Rank Demon King. From this, it was clear that Space Abilities were not only unique in their abilities of defence and life preservation, but even their offensive power was phenomenal; otherwise, it would be impossible for Yang Kai to have cut through a Half-Saint’s attack.
In a moment of carelessness, the Younger Sister allowed the Moon Blades to cut in front of her. Her face couldn’t help but become ugly as her finger changed into a palm and thrust out fiercely.
The Moon Blades were instantly hit by an invisible wall of pressure and shattered all at once. But she wasn’t done yet. Suddenly shifting her body, she crossed the thousand metres gap in just a moment, arriving right in front of Yang Kai. Her arm was soft, as if it were boneless, as it shot out, planting a palm against his chest. This palm seemed light and without much force, but it caused Yang Kai’s face to change dramatically as he sensed a deadly threat from it.
He cursed in his heart, [This woman must be crazy! Chang Tian just wants to see some Space Techniques, and I’ve already done what he wanted, yet you actually want to kill me!?] Despite knowing that it was impossible for her to actually target his life, the power contained in her palm did not feel fake. Who knows how much force she would retract at the last moment? In any case, if there were any mistakes in her estimations, then he might be seriously injured by her.
Being bullied by a Half-Saint, Yang Kai could be described as falling into a desperate situation, and yet, he was unprecedentedly calm. Space Principles faring around him, he blasted a punch at her.
The speed of his punch was not fast, but it was powerful.
In front of the fist, a black vortex appeared out of nowhere, like an invisible beast opening its giant mouth, wanting to devour the world whole.
[Exile!]
Since he couldn’t dodge, Yang Kai had no choice but to counterattack rather than defend. But with this, all the Space Divine Abilities that he mastered would be exposed.
The Younger Sister, who thought that victory was already in her grasp, revealed a look of surprise. Even as a Half-Saint, she could still feel the devouring power coming from within the black hole and knew that if she were swallowed into that thing, she would likely be lost in the Void Crack forever, unable to find a way out, eventually dying alone.
Without the slightest hesitation, she immediately gave up on her original attack and quickly drew back. Only, before she retreated, she blasted out a wave of Demon Qi from her palm, hitting Yang Kai right in the chest.
A moment later, the Younger Sister had already returned to her original position as if she’d never moved at all. Only, a gap the size of a bowl had appeared on the stomach region of her clothes from being caught by the black hole accidentally just now, exposing her snow-white skin. It felt a little breezy, but fortunately, she wasn’t injured; otherwise, she would have lost a lot of face today.
Even so, it was still an unbelievable situation. It had to be mentioned that her opponent was merely equivalent to the Mid-Rank Demon King. If it were any other Mid-Rank Demon King, then even without using her full strength, it would’ve been impossible for them to even touch one of her hairs, much less damage her clothes.
On the other hand, Yang Kai was thrown back by the impact. It took him a lot of effort to stabilize himself, and he struggled for a long time, but still failed to hold back from spitting out a mouthful of blood. Gritting his teeth, he looked at the Younger Sister on the other side with a resentful face.
The last-moment Demon Qi blast from her may not have actually been any threat to him, but it did injure him a little. Sure enough, the might of a Half-Saint was not to be underestimated.
“That should be enough, right?” Yang Kai wiped the corner of his mouth and turned to look at Chang Tian. For a Second-Order Emperor to do this much was already the limit. If Chang Tian still wanted to make things difficult for him, he really didn’t know what he was going to do.
It was the first time Yang Kai really missed Yu Ru Meng. That woman should be on her way to Hundred Spirits Continent right now, but he had no idea when she would be able to arrive.
But when he glanced at the man himself, Yang Kai couldn’t help but frown. That was because Chang Tian was actually staring closely at him at the moment, as if he’d seen something surprising. Both his eyes were shining and the smile on his lips was clear to see.
Four eyes intersecting, Yang Kai felt apprehensive as he thought to himself, [This Lord of Hundred Spirits Continent doesn’t have some sort of… special fetish, does he? If that’s the case, then things are going to get troublesome.]
Even the twins could sense that something was wrong. It had been a long time since they’d seen their Sir wearing such an excited look on his face. That’s right, it was excitement…
[What in this world could make him this excited? It’s not that Human’s Space Techniques, is it?]
But while everyone was wondering, they saw Chang Tian wave his hand out, and a flash of golden light shot forth from Yang Kai’s side, flying into Chang Tian’s palm.
The two sisters focused their gaze and discovered that what Chang Tian summoned over was no object, but rather the fresh blood that Yang Kai had just spat out.
The blood was golden in colour, but what concerned the two sisters was the fact that they actually felt a touch of familiarity from that blood…
But before they could figure it out, Chang Tian’s expression turned even more excited. He broke out in laughter that echoed throughout the cold and empty hall incessantly.
With a casual toss, the drop of Golden Blood flew out. Then, looking at Yang Kai with a burning gaze, Chang Tian lifted his feet and strode toward him.
As soon as the first step came down, the entire hall was filled with a rumble as the Heavens and Earth began to shake and a terrifying pressure swept out in all directions. The faces of both twin sisters changed, and they had no choice but to circulate their Demon Qi to resist it.
When the second step fell, both the twin sisters and Yang Kai could feel their hearts clenching abruptly, as if those feet were not stepping on the earth, but rather on their own hearts.
Chang Tian walked forward step by step with an aura of majesty bursting forth in all directions. His pace was not quick, but it gave one an indescribably sense of oppression. His eyes were on Yang Kai from beginning to end, revealing a look of anticipation.
After his initial shock and anxiety, Yang Kai gradually stabilized his mind and very soon, he was also looking at Chang Tian with astonishment. Gradually, he had a realization. Though this man’s aura was indeed terrifying, it gave him a familiar feeling.
[This is… Dragon Pressure!]
The Lord of Hundred Spirits Continent actually turned out to be from the Dragon Clan! Only, this was not the Dragon Clan that he knew, but rather the Dragon Clan from the Demon Realm.
But on second thought, it wasn’t so surprising. The Hundred Spirits Continent was home to many Divine Spirits, and Divine Spirits have always revered the Dragons and Phoenixes. So, if there was anyone qualified to become the leader of the Divine Spirits, then there could be no other possibility but Dragons and Phoenixes.
Yang Kai understood that this man must have noticed when he spat out Dragon Blood from the injury earlier, and that was why he would take the initiative to test him this way; otherwise, why would he, the mighty Chang Tian, have to bully the weak? Even while he was trying to observe and emulate his Space Abilities, he had instructed others to do the work for him.
While Yang Kai was lost in thought, Chang Tian had already moved several dozen metres. The Dragon Pressure that he exerted almost felt material, complemented by his shockingly powerful cultivation. Even the Half-Saint twins were finding it hard to bear as both of them revealed troubled expressions.
On the contrary, Yang Kai’s face was peaceful. Even though he could feel his opponent’s power, the impact on him was not too serious, so he can still barely support himself.
This made the two sisters who were watching this scene show looks of disbelief. They almost thought that they were dreaming. How could Yang Kai bear the pressure that even they could not withstand?
Seeing this, the smile on Chang Tian’s face deepened and his body shook as he increased his Dragon Pressure abruptly.
Both sisters let out a grunt and fell to one knee, their faces turning pale.
Yang Kai also felt that he couldn’t hold on any longer. His Golden Divine Dragon Source Strength was the real deal, but he had yet to fuse with it completely, so he could not bring out its full power yet. So naturally, he couldn’t resist Chang Tian’s majestic pressure.
His body was writhing and his bones were creaking, his face flushing red as both his eyes were open wide.
At his limit, Yang Kai roared through clenched teeth, “Dragon Transformation!”
As a crackling sound broke out, a huge being suddenly swelled in the cold and dark hall. Chang Tian who had been approaching unhurriedly finally stopped, and his line of sight was constantly rising along with his head while he let out a chuckle from his lips.
The two sisters who were kneeling on the ground were also looking up with dazed expressions on their faces.
On Dragon Island, Yang Kai had faced the might of two Great Elders of the Dragon Clan once, but during that time, it was in the Dragon Palace, and he had received the blessing of many Ancestral Dragon Souls, so it couldn’t be confused with the current situation he was facing.
Chang Tian’s strength was estimated to be at the level of the top two Elders of the Dragon Clan. Without the blessings from the Dragon Palace, even if he used all his strength, it was impossible for Yang Kai to be Chang Tian’s opponent; after all, the other party was equivalent to a Demon Saint. Without relying on his Bloodline Power, just his cultivation alone was enough to suppress Yang Kai.
The reason he used his Dragon Transformation Secret Technique was also just so he could withstand the Dragon Pressure! And, this seemed to be the goal that Chang Tian was pushing for step by step.
Dragon Horns extended from both sides of Yang Kai’s forehead. His body was covered in Dragon Scales and shone a golden light, and both his hands transformed into Dragon Claws. The tips of his Dragon Claws shone with a cold glint. Even the sturdiest defensive artifacts in the world could not stand against these Dragon Claws. A Dragon Tail swung behind his body, and his more than 300-meter-tall body extended into the sky. Fortunately, the construction of this room was high enough. Otherwise, it simply won’t be able to accommodate Yang Kai’s current size.
Hot air spouted from his nostrils, sweeping up a breeze in the hall. Looking down, he suddenly met Chang Tian’s gaze and could see that the latter’s eyes were filled with amusement as he gently nodded, “As I expected!”
Yang Kai let out a soft grunt before opening his mouth and letting out a dragon roar that shook the sky, causing the entire hall to shake.
Outside the castle, many exotic beasts that were resting all raised their heads in an instant as they looked towards the castle in shock. They were all taken aback by the loud and magnificent roar, and they had no idea what was going on inside the castle.
Inside the hall, Dragon Aura filled the air. Chang Tian, the first to bear the brunt of it, remained unmoved. For him, this roar was just like wind passing through his ears. On the other hand, the twin sisters looked up in a daze. The Elder Sister’s red lips moved. She did not make a sound, but from the shape of her lips, she seemed to be saying ‘Divine Spirit’.
She never would have expected that the Human that they kidnapped would actually turn out to be a Divine Spirit! At the very least, he had the bloodline of a Divine Spirit, the same bloodline as Senior Chang Tian!
The younger sister, who had always been cold as ice towards Yang Kai, and threatening to cut out his tongue and gouge out his eyes for the littlest things, also could not help but change her countenance.
The echo of the dragon roar gradually subsided as Yang Kai stared alertly at Chang Tian who was standing in front of him, “Is that enough yet?”
Chang Tian did not answer his question and only smiled, “Your Source is very strong! It’s even stronger than this King’s.”
[What? A Human actually possesses a stronger Source than Senior Chang Tian?] Both sisters were stunned. If they heard these words from anyone else, they would definitely think that they were just spouting nonsense. There were many Divine Spirits living on Hundred Spirits Continent, and the two sisters were among them; however, there were still rankings among the Divine Spirits. Throughout Hundred Spirits Continent, and even across the entire Demon Realm, it was impossible to find anyone with a stronger Source than Senior Chang Tian. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have become the Lord of Hundred Spirits Continent.
But now, such words actually came from Chang Tian’s own mouth.
[Doesn’t that mean that one day, this Human will be able to grow to Senior Chang Tian’s level? Possibly even… surpass him!]
This future could be a thousand years, or ten thousand years from now, but the opportunity would always be there. Compared to the other Divine Spirits who would never reach Chang Tian’s level for the rest of their lives, this was undoubtedly a great expectation and compliment.
[But wasn’t he just a Human who is proficient in the Dao of Space and able to repair the Territory Gates? How did he suddenly rise to the level of being qualified to stand evenly with Senior Chang Tian?]
“So, it turns out that the Dragon Clan exists even in the Demon Realm? What a surprise.” Since the other party was keeping a good attitude, Yang Kai couldn’t just show him a sour face either; after all, his opponent had the larger fist here. Yang Kai was just unsatisfied with how he had been kidnapped here without consent by this man and even pressured in such a way, but now it seemed as if this man had no ill will towards him… Of course, that was only after Chang Tian realized that he possessed the Dragon Clan’s bloodline.
Chang Tian chuckled, “Every Great World has its own beings born in conformity with its Source. The Demon Realm is also a Great World and also possesses a Source, so why can’t the Dragon Clan exist here? Since you come from the Star Boundary, then obviously the Star Boundary should have members of the Dragon Clan too, correct?”
“Indeed. There is a place in the Star Boundary called Dragon Island!” Yang Kai responded casually.
“Dragon Island?” Chang Tian’s eyes glowed with interest, “Where the Dragon Clan lives?”
“Exactly so!” Yang Kai nodded. He noticed that the man seemed to be quite interested in Dragon Island.
Sure enough, Chang Tian quickly asked, “How many members of the Dragon Clan live on Dragon Island?”
Yang Kai answered, “Those who live on Dragon Island probably number around 20 or so.”
“Are they all pure-blooded Dragon Clan members?”
“Of course!”
“So many…” Chang Tian seemed lost in thought, but then he said with an eager expression, “What attributes are they of? And what of their cultivation?”
“…” Yang Kai couldn’t help but feel a little speechless. If it was anyone else asking him this, then he could understand; after all, Dragon Island was a very mysterious existence in the Star Boundary. If not for his connection with Zhu Qing, then even to this day, it would be impossible for Yang Kai to have had any contact with Dragon Island. However, Chang Tian was the Lord of Hundred Spirits Continent, and his cultivation was also on par with that of a Demon Saint. How could his curiosity be so intense?
Thinking so, Yang Kai frowned and asked, “Aren’t there many Dragon Clan members in this Hundred Spirits Continent?”
Chang Tian answered, “If we count only the pure-blood Dragon Clan members, then this King is the sole one. However, the number of those who possess thin Dragon Clan bloodline is not small in number.”
[Only a single pure-blood Dragon!] It was no wonder why Chang Tian seemed so surprised to hear that there were up to 20 pure-blood Dragon Clan members on Dragon Island. Clearly, pure-blood Dragon Clan members were a very rare existence to him. This had nothing to do with his powerful cultivation, it was just the environment here in the Demon Realm that gave him such thoughts.
After a pause, Chang Tian waved a hand at Yang Kai, “Could you return to your Human form? This King does not like to speak with others looking up.”
Yang Kai was speechless, thinking to himself, [You were the one who forced me to transform. How long has it been and you already want me to transform back? Is toying with people so fun?]
The twin sisters at the side were also speechless. They had never seen Senior Chang Tian so friendly with an outsider before, which really opened their eyes.
Though Yang Kai complained in his heart, he still released his Dragon Transformation Secret Technique and returned to his original appearance. He also felt a little embarrassed to have a Demon Saint-level Master constantly speaking up at him.
“Sit down and talk,” Chang Tian gestured with his hand. After saying so, he sat down directly on the cold hard floor. Even though this hall was very spacious, its inside was actually very empty without any furnishings. Not to mention tables, there wasn’t even a single chair inside.
Since Chang Tian was sitting on the floor, how could Yang Kai be picky? He could only sit opposite him.
Then, the twin sisters witnessed an amazing sight. The Lord of Hundred Spirits Continent, the existence that gave all the Demon Saints such a headache, was actually sitting opposite a Human while they spoke freely with each other. But what amazed them even more was the fact that Yang Kai could actually remain unmoved in front of an existence such as Chang Tian. He could talk with him without any hint of nervousness or trouble.
Chang Tian was very interested in the situation at Dragon Island, so all his questions were about the Dragon Clan and Dragon Island. On the other hand, Yang Kai didn’t want to speak too much about Dragon Island. According to the Great Emperors’ plans, the Dragon Clan would be the secret force that they could use against the Demon Race. If they came forward at the critical moment, then it was very likely for them to be able to change the situation of the entire war, possibly even capture a Demon Saint or two.
But in front of Chang Tian, Yang Kai didn’t dare to lie or conceal anything. It was true that the other party meant no harm to him, but who knows if he would change his attitude if he provoked him?
Most importantly, Chang Tian was clearly not close with the Demon Saints, so even if Yang Kai did tell him a bit about Dragon Island, he estimated that the news would not pass to the ears of those Demon Saints.
So, that was why Yang Kai hid nothing from Chang Tian and detailed his experience on Dragon Island to him, which Chang Tian listened to with fascination, “I really wish I could visit Dragon Island to take a look, and also meet others of my clan!”
Yang Kai glanced at him from the corner of his eye, thinking to himself, [If you ran over there with your Demon Qi flaring like that, Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun would definitely join hands and kill you immediately to clean up their house. Even though the Dragon Clan of the Demon Realm is still part of the Dragon Clan, they were also considered Demon Dragons. How could Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun allow such clansmen to exist…]
However, Yang Kai could hear a faint sense of loneliness and desolation in Chang Tian’s words.
Just as the pure-blood Dragon Clan members on Dragon island did not treat the Dragonborn as their own kind, with Chang Tian standing at the very peak, it was unlikely for him to take the Half-Dragons here in the Demon Realm as his own kind as well, and that was why he became so amiable with Yang Kai after discovering the purity of his bloodline.
[So he’s treating me as a fellow clansman!]
“Yang Kai, even though you’re a Human, since you’ve obtained such a pure Dragon Source, then you and I can be considered family. This King will not beat around the bush, then. Are you willing to join my Hundred Spirits Continent?”
Yang Kai was surprised, “Me? Even I can join the Hundred Spirits Continent?”
Chang Tian smiled, “Why not? Have you not gotten used to your Divine Spirit body yet?”
[How am I a Divine Spirit?] Yang Kai disagreed with his opinion, but he was still caught off guard by this offer that Chang Tian extended to him. For a moment, he had no idea how to answer. If he were to refuse him head-on, then he wondered whether Chang Tian would overthink the reason. But if he were to agree, then his insincerity would surely be noticed by the other, so he might as well just not agree.
After pondering for a moment, Yang Kai said, “It is this Junior’s honour to receive Sir’s regard, but Sir should also know that I am one of Holy Venerable Ru Meng’s people, and without Holy Venerable Ru Meng’s agreement…”
Chang Tian raised his hand to stop him, “This King will discuss the matter with Yu Ru Meng’s side personally. This King trusts that as long as he is willing to lower himself, then she wouldn’t be unwilling to let you go. Now, it depends on your own willingness. If you are willing, then this King will accept you as his adopted son, and rule of Hundred Spirits Continent will be passed to you in the future.”
At those words, Yang Kai was utterly stunned.
The twin sisters on the side were equally shocked.
The three of them were wondering whether they heard him wrong.
If Chang Tian was merely promising Yang Kai some other benefits in order to win him over to his side, then that could be accepted; after all, Yang Kai could barely be considered as a half clansman, and he also had good potential. As long as he was given enough time to grow, then there was no saying that a second Chang Tian would not appear in Hundred Spirits Continent. When that time came, they would also gain another source of strength when dealing with the Demon Saints.
But to accept him as an adopted son was completely unbelievable. If he truly did this, then Yang Kai and Chang Tian will be tied together in both honour and disgrace, and Chang Tian would have to nurture and care for Yang Kai with great dedication as the inheritor of Hundred Spirits Continent. As long as Yang Kai agreed, then he would become an existence under one man, but above ten thousand in Hundred Spirits Continent. He would have wealth and glory at his fingertips, and all Divine Spirits would have to obey him!
Chang Tian’s words were so shocking that Yang Kai truly had no idea how he should respond at that moment.
Personally, he was unwilling to agree. He had his own mission here in the Demon Realm, and he must one day return to the Star Boundary. No matter how sour the relationship between Chang Tian and the other Demon Saints was, he was still from the Demon Realm. The two of them would stand on opposing sides one day and become enemies, so how could he agree to such a proposal?
So, his first thought was whether or not Chang Tian had gone crazy, or if he had ulterior motives. Otherwise, how could he say such a thing? But on second thought, there was no need for Chang Tian to do so. With his current cultivation and status, Chang Tian had no need for such tactics.
So, the only possibility was that Chang Tian was serious, and Yang Kai could also feel the sincerity in his words.
Just because he was half a clansman to him, did it really warrant such high regard? Wasn’t this being a little too hasty? They were just meeting each other for the first time, and neither side truly knew much about each other, so was it really a good idea for Chang Tian to open up to him in this way?
Clearly, the twin sisters at the side were also making the same considerations. Only, due to Chang Tian’s long-standing authority, neither of them dared to speak up carelessly.
Just as these thoughts were churning in Yang Kai’s head, Chang Tian suddenly said, “You don’t have to be in such a hurry to answer. You can think about it for a bit longer before you give me your response. You can walk around and get to know this place yourself. Hundred Spirits Continent is the home of all Divine Spirits, and in the end, you are still a member of them. So, regardless of whether you agree or not, Hundred Spirits Continent will not become your enemy. However, if your identity as a Divine Spirit were to be exposed, then I’m not sure what the other Demon Saints will think of that.”
Yang Kai was taken aback by his words. Only then did Yang Kai realize what a special group these Divine Spirits were in the Demon Realm, unlike in the Star Boundary. It was because of the existence of Hundred Spirits Continent and Chang Tian that the average Demon and the Divine Spirits had a sour relationship.
But if his Dragon Clan bloodline were really exposed, then it would surely lead to bad things.
What’s more… Yu Ru Meng was aware of his Dragon Clan bloodline; after all, he had used the Dragon Transformation Secret Technique in front of her before.
“Many thanks, Senior…” No matter what, Chang Tian had no intention of forcing an answer out of him now, allowing Yang Kai to breathe a sigh of relief.
Chang Tian let out a chuckle and beckoned lightly.
The twin sisters who had been standing at the side rushed over in a flash and bowed in unison, “Sir, what are your orders?”
Chang Tian looked at Yang Kai, “These Lotus Sisters will accompany you. Just tell them if you need anything.”
When the two sisters heard this, both of them had strange expressions on their faces, seemingly not expecting Chang Tian to assign the two of them to take care of Yang Kai. That proved that he really did value him quite a lot; otherwise, how could he possibly do such a thing? To have assigned two Half-Saint level Masters to such a task, it could be seen that their Sir truly did want to take this Human as his future successor. So, not daring to delay, they both agreed in unison.
“Go on, then.” Chang Tian waved his hand after speaking and closed his eyes.
Yang Kai was filled with doubts inside, but he couldn’t ask too many questions here. He could only settle the confusion inside him and got up, bowing to Chang Tian before exiting the cold, dark hall.
Outside the passage, he saw the huge lion again. It looked down at Yang Kai with its imposing eyes and as they passed each other, its majestic voice emerged, “Do not disappoint Sir, boy.”
It seemed like this lion had already found out what happened inside; otherwise, he wouldn’t have said such words.
Yang Kai’s footsteps paused for a moment before he turned around and cupped his fists. Without making any further statements, he then flew out with the Lotus Sisters.
Outside the castle were undulating mountains, jagged rocks, and cascading waterfalls.
Atop a certain mountain peak a hundred kilometres away was a palace, which was where the Lotus Sisters lived. Chang Tian assigned the two sisters to take care of Yang Kai without making any specific arrangements, so naturally, the sisters had to bring Yang Kai home with them.
It was only on the way there that Yang Kai learned what the names of the two sisters were. The Elder Sister was called Hei Lian, and the Younger Sister was called Bai Lian, which were simple names to remember. Their names were sure to be related to their identities as Divine Spirits. Only, Yang Kai could not figure out what sort of Divine Spirits they matched with.
Though he had his questions, he did not voice them. After settling him down, the Lotus Sisters disappeared soon after, with Yang Kai having no idea what they had gone to do.
After walking around his courtyard for a while, Yang Kai was still a bit confused at what he encountered today. Though the residence of the Lotus Sisters was not small, there seemed to be no servants around. On the other hand, there was a large array of beasts and flying animals that were either playing or lounging nearby.
Yang Kai quietly opened the window and looked out, but saw no one. However, there was a horse-like beast in the courtyard. It had a single horn growing out of its head, and it was a black colour throughout.
This was an extraordinary steed.
Yang Kai had no idea where it came from, but at the very least, he did not see it when he arrived.
Seemingly having heard Yang Kai open the window, this guy actually looked up at once and stood up, nickering.
Yang Kai quickly put a finger to his lips and shushed it, fearing that it would make too much noise and draw the Lotus Sisters over, but he had to admit that this guy looked even more majestic after he stood up. This horse was ten metres tall and its four hooves were ringed with golden light, appearing as if it were stepping on a golden flame. There was a white crescent right below the horn on its forehead. After getting up, a fierce aura spread out from it.
Yang Kai was astonished. Only then did he realize that this black horse-like beast actually possessed terrifying strength. With this level of cultivation, even if it could not take human form, it should still have a high level of sentience. When it saw Yang Kai make that gesture, it really did stop making noise and only looked at him with its head tilted.
Yang Kai looked around, and seeing that no one was around, he flipped out of the window deftly before walking out in light steps.
Even though Chang Tian may have made everything sound pleasant, and though the Lotus Sisters did not have any intention to monitor him either after bringing him back, whether that was truly the case or not was yet to be proven, so he wanted to test it.
When he arrived at the courtyard, Yang Kai walked forward step by step under the watchful eyes of the black horse; however, the way he snuck around like a thief filled the black horse’s eyes with suspicion.
Since the Lotus Sisters didn’t suddenly appear, Yang Kai quickened his pace considerably.
But very soon, there was a pulling force from behind that caused him to stagger, with even his clothes being ripped.
Yang Kai’s face darkened. Turning around, he saw that the black horse had actually bit down on his collar and was innocently staring at him with its pair of big eyes. Yang Kai looked up at it, then looked down at his torn clothes, and couldn’t help but feel the impulse to curse.
Clearly, the black horse knew that it had done something wrong and quickly let go of his clothes. It turned its head to the side and neighed constantly as if it was not at fault.
“Shh!” Alarmed, Yang Kai quickly shushed it while waving his hands down on both sides to calm it down.
Unexpectedly, not only did this bastard ignore him, it made even more noise instead. Who knew whether it was just playing the fool or not!
[Damn it, you’re going to get me in trouble!]
Sure enough, after all the noise they made, Yang Kai heard a *xiu* before sensing two familiar auras behind him. Needless to say, it was definitely the Lotus Sisters.
“Huh? Why are you here, Zhui Feng?” The Elder Sister Hei Lian’s voice emerged.
“What did you do to Zhui Feng?” The Younger Sister Bai Lian immediately questioned Yang Kai.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but roll his eyes, not bothering to pay her any attention. But from her tone, this bastard seemed to be quite important; otherwise, there was no need for Bai Lian to be so nervous.
When it saw the Lotus Sisters appear, the black horse called Zhui Feng stopped neighing and quickly moved in front of them, lowering its head to nuzzle the two of them. Hei Lian reached out to stroke its soft mane before smiling, “I know, it’s not your fault.”
He had no idea what she knew, but Yang Kai couldn’t help but feel a little guilty.
In the next moment, Hei Lian turned her head around and looked at Yang Kai with a smile, “Do you want to go out?”
Yang Kai lightly coughed, “Senior told me to look around earlier, so I was planning to enjoy the scenery of Hundred Spirits Continent.” It was Chang Tian who said it first, so he might as well just push the blame on him.
“That’s a good idea.” Hei Lian smiled meaningfully, as if she could see through Yang Kai’s heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys, which annoyed him, “I can’t guarantee anything else, but the scenery of Hundred Spirits Continent is definitely unmatched. I’m sure once you’ve lived here for some time, you’ll definitely fall in love with it.”
[As if anyone would fall in love with this place!] Yang Kai coldly snorted in his heart, but he said, “Would you two like to join me?”
“If you don’t mind,” Hei Lian smiled sweetly.
[I mind, I mind it very much!]
Zhui Feng suddenly whinnied again, causing the Lotus Sisters to both look at him with a stunned expression. Hei Lian even asked strangely, “Are you sure you want to do that?”
Zhui Feng turned and trotted towards Yang Kai, arriving by his side in just a few steps before nudging him with its head.
It had to be said that this guy was really quite strong. With just a small nudge, Yang Kai felt as if he had been hit by a boulder and almost had internal injuries. He quickly avoided it and looked at Hei Lian, “What does that mean?”
All this felt a little inexplicable. Logically, with Zhui Feng’s strength, it would have been able to take human form long ago, but from its appearance, it seemed to have been born with some congenital defects. Even though it could understand human language, it was unable to speak it.
This kind of situation wasn’t uncommon though as whether it be in the Star Boundary or in the Demon Realm, many beasts were the same way, only able to maintain a beast form throughout their entire life.
Hei Lian’s expression seemed a little odd as she responded, “Zhui Feng wants you to ride him. He can bring you around Hundred Spirits to enjoy the sights.”
Yang Kai turned to look at Zhui Feng, then back at Hei Lian, wanting to ask whether this was a joke or not. But from Hei Lian’s serious expression, he instantly knew that this was no joke.
Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, Yang Kai asked, “There’s no need for that, is there?”
He was still a Second-Order Emperor after all, so flying was no problem for him. Why would he need to ride a mount… though it would look very impressive riding this guy.
“Little brat, you don’t know what you’re talking about!” Bai Lian suddenly shouted coldly at him.
Yang Kai subconsciously shrank his neck back; however, remembering Chang Tian’s previous order, he suddenly found his courage again and glared at Bai Lian, “What are you shouting at me for? Do I owe you money or something? You’ve been snapping at me since we met. Oh? You even dare to glare at me? I’m talking to you! Glare at me again and see if I won’t dare to gouge your eyes out!”
Bai Lian was fuming at his words, and the pupils of her beautiful eyes constricted. Just as she was about to say something to him, Hei Lian suddenly pulled her back, instantly causing Bai Lian to swallow her anger back down, gritting her teeth and keeping quiet instead as she turned her head to the side.
Chang Tian’s words worked! Yang Kai felt secretly pleased. Just as he said, Bai Lian’s attitude towards him had been bad since they met. She would threaten him with this and that at the slightest provocation, which forced him to bottle up a lot of anger.
Now that he could give her a taste of defeat, of course, he would use Chang Tian’s tiger skin as a banner, which also counted as a type of victory for him.
But Yang Kai obviously had no intention of letting her off so easily. Faced with her defiant look, he demanded, “Apologize!”
Bai Lian suddenly turned her head around to look at him, narrowing her eyes as a dangerous cold glint flashed across them. Pursing her lips, she asked gloomily, “What did you say?”
Yang Kai tilted his head up slightly and pointed his chin at her, “I told you to apologize!”
“Do you want to die?” The cold glint in Bai Lian’s eyes turned even brighter.
“Fine. You’re the one who said it,” Yang Kai nodded. With his hands behind his back, he stepped out.
Hei Lian quickly shifted over and stopped him, frowning, “What are you going to do?”
Yang Kai glanced at her, “Nothing. I’m just going to look for Senior Chang Tian. You’re not going to stop me, are you?”
Hei Lian was speechless, “What are you looking for Sir for?”
Yang Kai grunted, “This King can’t guarantee his safety in Hundred Spirits Continent since someone is constantly threatening to kill me. I can’t stay here any longer, so of course, I have to say my farewells to Senior so I can hurry back to my Cloud Shadow Continent.”
Naturally, Hei Lian could tell what he meant with his words and sighed, “Little Sister spoke out of turn just now. Don’t be angry with her.”
A smile curved up Yang Kai’s lips, “Me? Angry with her? Where did you see that?”
[I can see that even with my eyes closed, alright?!] But she couldn’t just ignore it after the matter had been turned into such a mess, and could only say meekly, “Little Sister’s temper has been like this since birth. She often offends people, and if you want an apology, I’ll apologize to you on her behalf, alright? Just be magnanimous and leave the matter be.”
Yang Kai sneered, “It’s not like you’re the one who wants me dead, so what are you apologizing for? The one who offends should be the one to apologize.” While saying that, he squinted at Bai Lian. It wasn’t as if he had to make things difficult for her; indeed, he had the heart to teach her a lesson, but this was also to verify how far Chang Tian’s words would go. If Bai Lian really apologized to him, then things would become interesting.
“Hey, don’t push things too far!” Hei Lian was also a little angry. Yang Kai appeared very stingy with his unwillingness to forgive her sister, which drew some of her scorn. Even if Bai Lian was in the wrong, strength was what spoke in this world. If he was not as strong as others, then what right did he have to make them lower themselves?
Yang Kai glared at her, “Move away. I can’t stay here any longer.” With these words, he walked straight into Hei Lian.
Even though she was much stronger than Yang Kai, Hei Lian still subconsciously turned her body to her side. If she were to bump into Yang Kai, then she would also just be taken advantage of by him, which she was naturally unwilling.
“Sorry!”
A sound as quiet as a mosquito suddenly sounded behind him.
Yang Kai stopped in place and turned his head back, only to see Bai Lian glaring at him with a furious look on her face. Blood was even oozing from the lip that she had bitten through. Her fists were clenched and her tender body was shaking slightly.
[She really apologized!] Yang Kai was amazed.
But before he could regain his senses, Bai Lian had already turned into a white light and rushed into the mountains, disappearing from his sight. Obviously, she would not have the face to remain here after being forced to apologize to Yang Kai as a Half-Saint.
Hei Lian reached out her arm, seemingly in an attempt to catch her, but she didn’t manage to do so. She just heaved a sigh and glared at Yang Kai, “Are you satisfied now?” They were still sisters, after all, so she wasn’t too happy about her sister being forced away.
“Hm, not bad!” Yang Kai laughed. But with this, he gained more confidence in what Chang Tian told him previously. With his hands behind his back, he turned a circle before looking at her, “Then, take me out to look around.”
Hei Lian said with a cold expression, “What about Zhui Feng?”
“What would I need him for!” Yang Kai never thought of riding this guy from the start. This black horse didn’t seem to be anything good. He hadn’t even asked it to repay him for his torn clothes yet.
As soon as those words came out, Yang Kai felt a pull on his clothes again. Turning his head around, sure enough, it was Zhui Feng’s mischievous antics. While biting on his clothes, he was dragging him closer, as if asking him to ride him.
This guy was so strong that Yang Kai’s clothes were ripped to pieces in mere moments.
“Enough, you!” Yang Kai bellowed, “Do you think I won’t beat you up?!”
Seeing him angry, Zhui Feng was also taken aback and quickly let go of his torn clothes, lowered his head, and moved a few steps back. He seemed a little gloomy, and his eyes looked as if it had suffered a grievance.
Seeing his appearance, Yang Kai couldn’t bear to get angry at it; after all, this guy was just a beast. Even if it had sentience, it was clear his intelligence was far from perfect.
Next to him, Hei Lian suddenly giggled, “You may be fine in Hundred Spirits continent if you beat up us sisters, but if you dare hit Zhui Feng, then I guarantee you won’t live to see the sun the next day.”
That was an unexpected amount of information she revealed, so Yang Kai couldn’t help but turn to look at her and ask, “What do you mean by that? Is this guy’s status so high in Hundred Spirits Continent?” After a pause, he suddenly had a realization, “He couldn’t be Senior Chang Tian’s…”
But that didn’t seem right. He did not perceive any of the Dragon Clan’s bloodline in Zhui Feng. If this guy was truly related to Chang Tian, then surely he would have traces of the Dragon Clan’s bloodline.
Hei Lian came forward and stroked Zhui Feng’s mane, a look of reminiscence appearing on her face, “It’s not what you think. Zhui Feng was Sir’s mount and it has been together with him for a very long time. The two conquered north and south for thousands of years, sharing life or death countless times. In his early years, when Sir had yet to achieve his current strength, he had been saved many times by Zhui Feng. So, it can be said that without Zhui Feng, Sir would not exist today. During that time, my little sister and I were still mere Demon Great Generals.” Turning her head around to look at Yang Kai, she smiled, “So tell me, how high do you think Zhui Feng’s status is in Hundred Spirits Continent?”
Upon hearing this, Yang Kai looked at Zhui Feng with astonishment.
This guy actually turned out to be Chang Tian’s former mount? He really couldn’t tell at all, but after observing it closely, Yang Kai discovered the big and small scars over Zhui Feng’s body, quite obviously the marks of honour left behind from going through countless life or death battles. But with that, it meant that Zhui Feng’s status was indeed very high in Hundred Spirits Continent. It had conquered north and south with Chang Tian and also saved the latter’s life many times. Even though he was now idle, as long as he was still alive, then no one in Hundred Spirits Continent would dare provoke him. Otherwise, they would surely suffer Chang Tian’s thunderous wrath.
While Hei Lian was talking about these things, Zhui Feng, who had lowered his head in grievance from Yang Kai’s disdainful attitude, couldn’t help but raise his head suddenly and neigh. Its gold-rimmed hooves were pawing the ground restlessly as his eyes lit up, an awe-inspiring aura spreading out from his strong body. Hei Lian’s retellings seemed to have brought him back to the days when he accompanied Chang Tian on his glorious campaigns, to the days when they lived a precarious but hot-blooded life.
This gave Yang Kai the illusion that if he were to ride Zhui Feng, then he would be able to charge through even a million-man army.
“In all these years, I’ve never seen Zhui Feng this close with anyone other than Sir.” Hei Lian looked at Yang Kai with some disbelief, “You’re the first.”
Yang Kai muttered thoughtfully, “Is it because of my bloodline?”
“It could be.”
Chang Tian was a Demon Dragon, while Yang Kai possessed the Golden Divine Dragon Source. Both of them had Dragon Clan bloodlines, so it would make sense if Zhui Feng felt closer to Yang Kai. If not, it would make no sense for him to pester Yang Kai like this.
After a moment of silence, Yang Kai asked, “What kind of Divine Spirit is Zhui Feng?”
Hei Lian shook her head, “I’m not too sure about that. Long ago, I heard Sir say that Zhui Feng’s bloodline was very mixed and does not come from just a single type of Divine Spirit. It is for that reason that though Zhui Feng is strong, he has no hope of taking human form in his life. But that doesn’t matter. To Sir, Zhui Feng was just like his child, and also his only friend…”
And it was because he could not take human shape that he could become Chang Tian’s friend…
Yang Kai nodded. Flipping over onto the horse’s back, he patted Zhui Feng’s neck, “Since you’ve chosen me, then let me trouble you to take me on a ride!”
Suddenly feeling the weight on his body, Zhui Feng raised his head at once, looking incomparably excited as it whinnied at the sky.
Hei Lian watched this scene with immersion. The figure atop the tall horse seemed to overlap vaguely with the invincible figure that galloped through every direction back then, obtaining victory after victory. Memories came flooding back to her, and the sound of war seemed to echo in her ears…
With a whoosh, Zhui Feng darted out like a bolt of lightning, four hooves burning with golden flame, leaving behind a trail of bright golden light in the air as he cut through the sky.
Yang Kai, who was sitting on the back of the horse, was almost thrown off and had to quickly use a technique to protect himself from the oncoming winds. His eyes were wide in surprise as his expression turned to one of disbelief.
[Fast, very fast, extremely fast!]
Zhui Feng’s speed was beyond his imagination, faster than anything he had ever experienced to this day. No Demon King or Emperor Realm Masters could compare at all. Even a Half-Saint going all out would not be able to catch up with Zhui Feng.
Looking back and focusing his eyesight, Yang Kai could only see a small black dot in the distance chasing after them. It was obviously Hei Lian, but she was getting further and further away. He guessed that he would probably lose sight of her in a short while.
Yang Kai finally understood how Zhui Feng was able to save Chang Tian’s life several times in the past. With such a terrifying speed, even Half-Saint level Masters wouldn’t be able to do anything about it. It practically guaranteed a perfect escape.
Yang Kai’s Space Techniques were also excellent life-preserving methods, but if someone were to disturb the space around him, then he would not be able to use Instantaneous Movement, unlike Zhui Feng whose speed was just that, speed. In certain ways, Zhui Feng had advantages over Yang Kai’s Instantaneous Movement, though there were naturally disadvantages too.
However, this wasn’t Zhui Feng’s fastest speed yet. When it rushed out with Yang Kai, it was already performing with utmost enthusiasm, but as time went on, he kept on speeding up. Even though Yang Kai’s cultivation was in the Emperor Realm, it was still almost impossible for him to look at the surrounding scenery, he could only see the world constantly passing him by from the corner of his eye.
Like rolling thunder and surging lightning bolts, the scenery passed them by along the way. The mountains and rivers beneath them quickly receded and the oncoming wind blew strongly in their faces. This was a speed that was simply unheard of and never before seen for Yang Kai.
At a certain moment, when Zhui Feng’s speed had reached an extreme, it suddenly raised its head and whinnied grandly towards the Heavens, excitement clear in his voice.
Hundred Spirits Continent was very large, at least, it seemed so on the map; however, in the face of Zhui Feng’s immense speed, the continent didn’t seem so big anymore.
After circling the area for half a day, Zhui Feng’s speed gradually decreased before they settled at a certain mountain valley. Half a day of running did not make him the least bit tired though; rather, it seemed like Zhui Feng had only just warmed up and was still in high spirits.
The mountain valley was lush and green with exotic flowers and grasses competing in beauty and fragrance. A layer of hazy light enveloped the lands, making the mountain valley appear just like a beautiful immortal realm.
Hei Lian was already waiting here, as if knowing that Zhui Feng would come to this place. Four eyes suddenly met, and she revealed a look of helplessness. Since she couldn’t catch up, she could only wait for them here.
Yang Kai jumped off the horse’s back and patted Zhui Feng, who cocked his head to the side and nuzzled him a little.
“How was it?” Hei Lian came over and asked with a grin.
Yang Kai gently nodded, “He certainly lives up to his reputation!” He thought to himself, if only he could just abduct this guy, Zhui Feng. It seems like it really would be very good to have this guy as a mount, and he was so fast that whether in travel or battle, he would still be a considerable help.
But this was only an idea Yang Kai kept in his mind. Even though Zhui Feng was friendly with him due to his Dragon Clan bloodline, Yang Kai estimated that it would be impossible for him to abduct him. At the very least, he wouldn’t be able to pass Chang Tian’s hurdle.
Looking around his surroundings, Yang Kai asked, “Where is this place?”
In fact, he wondered how Hei Lian knew to come here in advance to wait.
Hei Lian answered, “This is Zhui Feng’s territory.”
[So that’s how it is.]
While she was speaking, Zhui Feng suddenly whinnied. In the next moment, a herd of Demon Flame Horses ran over from all directions. Each one of them had delicate features and soft, shiny manes; however, they were all generally smaller in size than Zhui Feng. After approaching, they gathered around Zhui Feng, nuzzling him with intimacy.
Taking a closer look, Yang Kai discovered that all of the Demon Flame Horses turned out to be Zhui Feng’s mates, so he couldn’t help but laugh a little. It seemed like this guy was living a rather blessed life.
After teasing Zhui Feng a little, Yang Kai and Hei Lian flew out again under the horse’s watch, but there was no helping it. He wasn’t able to see anything earlier on Zhui Feng’s back, so Yang Kai could only have Hei Lian lead him around for another tour.
There were four Territory Gates on Hundred Spirits Continent. Yang Kai thought that Chang Tian had brought him here so that he could make use of his Space Techniques to repair these Territory Gates; however, after some investigation, Yang Kai realized that all four Territory Gates were perfectly fine, and could even be said to be extremely stable. This confused him a little. Since the Territory Gates were fine, why would Chang Tian send out three Half-Saints to kidnap and bring him here?
But through probing, he figured out that Hei Lian had no intention of stopping him from leaving Hundred Spirits Continent. When they approached a Territory Gate, it became completely possible for him to take the opportunity to escape. Once he left through the Territory Gate, he would be randomly transported to a spot in the neighbouring continent, so even if Hei Lian chased right after him, she couldn’t even dream of catching him again.
This showed that it was indeed true that Hundred Spirits Continent bore no ill will towards him. Perhaps they did at first, but with the exposure to Yang Kai’s Dragon Source, it was clear Chang Tian had changed his mind.
“What does Senior Chang Tian actually want me to do?” Yang Kai asked on the way back.
Hei Lian smiled, “Since Sir has not told you, there’s not much we can say, either. If you really do want to know, why don’t you ask him directly? If Sir is willing, he will naturally tell you the reason.”
Yang Kai couldn’t help but roll his eyes.
Once they went back to the mountain peak where the Lotus Sisters lived, Bai Lian was waiting in front of the palace. Upon seeing her Elder Sister and Yang Kai appear, she announced, “Yu Ru Meng is here!”
Hei Lian turned to look at Yang Kai and smirked, “Looks like she values you quite a lot.”
It had only been a few days since they abducted Yang Kai, but Yu Ru Meng had already rushed all the way over. This proved that Yu Ru Meng had already left Enchantment Continent when they were on their way back; otherwise, it would be impossible for her to rush to Hundred Spirits Continent so quickly. The importance that Yang Kai held in that Demon Saint’s eyes was evident from this in itself.
“Where is she?” Yang Kai asked Bai Lian.
“She’s talking to Sir, but Sir said to inform him as soon as you returned.”
Yang Kai nodded, indicating that he had no comment. So, Bai Lian activated a technique to contact him at once.
Soon after, a dazzling light could be seen approaching from afar. When it came close enough to reveal the figure within, who else could it be if not Yu Ru Meng?
She had a nervous look on her face at the moment. Landing directly next to Yang Kai, she swept her eyes over him before asking, “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” Yang Kai smiled. He couldn’t help but feel a complicated feeling well up inside him. The words of Bei Li Mo and the Bright Moon Great Emperor still echoed in his ears. He might be able to ignore Bei Li Mo’s words, but he couldn’t help but pay attention to those of Bright Moon Great Emperor.
Yu Ru Meng’s anxiety and concern were not fake since the restraints of the Heart Seal Secret Technique linked them together. For her, he was the most important person in her life, and anyone who tried to hurt him was her enemy.
Could a woman like her really be hiding something from him? Could she really be capable of undoing the bindings of the Heart Seal Secret Technique at the critical moment? Yang Kai had no idea. Perhaps the truth would only reveal itself when that moment came.
Right now, he couldn’t help but feel grateful for the Soul Warming Lotus’s might. If it weren’t for this Supreme Treasure, he would never have been able to escape the Heart Seal Secret Technique’s influence, and he may have made an irreparable mistake long ago.
“It’s good that you’re fine,” Yu Ru Meng let out a soft sigh before she turned her cold eyes over to the two Lotus Sisters, causing their hearts to jump in surprise.
If Yu Ru Meng were really to attack them here, then they would never be able to resist; after all, they were also involved with Yang Kai’s kidnapping back then, so it made sense if Yu Ru Meng wanted to make them pay for their actions now.
Fortunately, Yu Ru Meng didn’t seem to have any intention of attacking them, possibly because she was concerned about agitating Chang Tian.
Right at that moment, Chang Tian’s figure also appeared, landing nearby.
The Lotus Sisters finally breathed a sigh of relief. With Chang Tian here, even if Yu Ru Meng were upset, it was impossible for her to make a move, which meant they were able to avoid disaster this time.
“I told you I didn’t do anything to him, but you just wouldn’t believe me.” Chang Tian stood with his hands behind his back, smiling faintly at her.
Yu Ru Meng turned to him and quickly said, “What are you up to? If you wanted your Territory Gates restored, all you had to do was talk to me. Would I have disallowed that?” This was also the part that she couldn’t understand. Word of Yang Kai’s abilities had spread throughout the Demon Realm, and all the Demon Saints wanted to borrow his power. Yu Ru Meng didn’t really stop any of them either, and Yang Kai had already run over to the territories of several Demon Saints, but who would have thought that Hundred Spirits Continent’s people would suddenly kidnap him?
Even though the relationship between Hundred Spirits Continent and the rest of the Demon Realm was not good, some superficial level of respect was still maintained. What’s more, if anything truly did happen to the Territory Gates of Hundred Spirits Continent, then even if Chang Tian himself didn’t request for them to be repaired, the other Demon Saints would still have Yang Kai do it; after all, with Hundred Spirits Continent gone, where would the Demon Realm find so many powerful mounts with good bloodlines in the future?
Chang Tian, however, just smiled and replied, “The Territory Gates are only a trivial matter. I’m more interested in this boy himself.”
“Let me warn you now. Don’t get any funny ideas about him, or don’t blame me for being impolite,” Yu Ru Meng shot a warning glare at Chang Tian.
Laughing, Chang Tian shook his head, “Don’t misunderstand. I’m not planning to do anything to him. I only brought him here because I heard about his Dragon Clan bloodline, and I wanted to take him in as my godson. You can ask him yourself if I have restricted his freedom at all during these past few days.”
Yang Kai’s expression changed when he heard this. Even though there was no big problem with what Chang Tian said, the order of cause and effect were clearly reversed. Chang Tian clearly found out about his Dragon Clan bloodline after his arrival, rather than beforehand. In that case, he must have had another purpose in the first place, but for the moment, Yang Kai couldn’t figure out what his original goal was.
“Godson?” On the other hand, Yu Ru Meng’s face had turned completely black.
She was a Demon Saint, and even though Chang Tian was not counted among the Twelve Demon Saints, he was still equal in position to Yu Ru Meng whether it be status or cultivation. In other words, they were two who stood on a single stage, and Yang Kai was her man. If Chang Tian truly took Yang Kai in as his adopted son, then Yu Ru Meng would suddenly become his Junior for no reason.
Livid, she shrieked, “In your dreams!”
She then turned to look at Yang Kai and asked, “You didn’t agree, did you?”
Yang Kai shook his head and responded in a soft voice, “How could I possibly agree without asking you beforehand?”
He was feeling secretly pleased inside. He had been thinking about how he was going to refuse Chang Tian’s offer, but now he found the best excuse to do so. Yu Ru Meng wouldn’t agree to it! This was simply an impeccable reason. He estimated that whether it be a godson or whatever, Chang Tian wouldn’t bring this matter up again in the future.
After a pause though, Yang Kai added, “But it is true that Senior bore no ill will towards me, nor did he restrict my freedom during the past few days.”
Hearing him say so, Yu Ru Meng’s expression cleared up a little and she gently nodded, “That’s for the best.”
Turning back to Chang Tian, she said, “If you want your Territory Gates restored, then don’t waste time. Just get it over with now. After it’s done, I will take him away from here.”
She couldn’t rest easy as long as Yang Kai was here, and since she had made the trip personally, naturally, it was better to take Yang Kai along with her.
“That matter is not important for now.” Chang Tian smiled, “But I do have another matter to discuss with you.”
Yu Ru Meng frowned, “What is it?”
Chang Tian looked straight at her and did not say anything directly, instead, his Divine Sense surged silently.
Yu Ru Meng looked cautious at first, then stunned, before revealing a shocked expression. She quickly began communicating with Chang Tian using her Divine Sense.
After a while, the two finally stopped their discussion and Yu Ru Meng stood there, unmoving, deep in thought.
Yang Kai and the Lotus Sisters were confused at this sight. They had no idea what these two had been talking about; however, Yang Kai had a vague guess that he was related somehow.
“Very well. If it’s as you say, then it wouldn’t matter if I agreed,” A moment later, Yu Ru Meng seemed to have made up her mind and looked at Chang Tian, “But you’d better not try anything funny.”
Chang Tian smiled, “How could this King be careless when the future of this continent is at stake?” Cocking his head to the side, he looked at Yu Ru Meng, “So, is that a deal?”
Yu Ru Meng snorted softly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, but Chang Tian knew that she had already agreed to his proposal; after all, she had nothing to lose and much to gain.
Walking over to Yang Kai, Yu Ru Meng took his hand and said softly, “Walk with me.”
Obeying, Yang Kai walked side by side with her, not flying out either and just strolling through the forest, listening to the sounds of birds and insects around them.
The Lotus Sisters behind them clicked their tongues in amazement at this pair. Even though they’d known that Yu Ru Meng regarded Yang Kai highly, they never expected their relationship to be this close. Leaving aside their status and cultivation, this man and woman were clearly the life partners.
[Can a Demon Saint also have eyes for a Human? Even though this Human has a Divine Spirit bloodline…]
The forest was dense with foliage and each tree was so thick it would take several people to embrace it. The ground crunched beneath them as they walked. With no outsiders around, Yu Ru Meng had also foregone her airs as a Holy Venerable, resting her head on Yang Kai’s shoulder like a little woman with a peaceful expression. She wasn’t in a hurry to speak, and Yang Kai didn’t ask her anything either, allowing them the rare enjoyment of a moment of tranquillity.
“How nice,” Fingers interlocked, a smile curved up Yu Ru Meng’s lips.
“Hm?” Yang Kai looked down at her, his lips brushing the soft strands of her hair which exuded a pleasant fragrance.
Yu Ru Meng smiled, “It’s nice this way. If only we could stay like this forever.”
Yang Kai pinched the tip of her delicate nose, “If you want, we can leave everything behind and find a place to live in seclusion.”
Yu Ru Meng laughed, “We’ve already failed once and you want to try again?”
The last time didn’t count. Yang Kai felt a little guilty and was about to say something else when Yu Ru Meng suddenly put a finger to his lips, murmuring, “If I were to do you wrong one day, would you come to hate me?”
[Is that moment coming?] Yang Kai was secretly surprised as he thought back to Bei Li Mo’s provocation and Bright Moon’s warning, but he kept a smile on his face and asked, “Such as?”
Yu Ru Meng smiled, “There’s no such as. I’m just saying, if ever that day does come…”
Yang Kai stopped in his tracks, so Yu Ru Meng also had no choice but to stop as she looked at him in confusion.
Grabbing Yu Ru Meng’s shoulders with both hands, Yang Kai looked directly into those beautiful eyes that seemed able to suck out one’s soul and enunciated each word, “No matter what you do, I won’t blame you, much less hate you.”
Yu Ru Meng’s pupils contracted abruptly, as if something had struck down heavily on her heart. Her beautiful eyes glistened, and pursing her lips, she went onto the tips of her toes and cupped Yang Kai’s cheeks, taking the initiative to approach him.
The soft touch instantly gave Yang Kai the feeling of being trapped in a mire, unable to extricate himself…
After a long time, Yu Ru Meng caught Yang Kai’s hand that was moving all the way up from her belly abruptly, pushing him on the chest and glaring at him, “You’re messing around again!”
A red glow decorated her cheeks in an appearance that was irresistibly charming. The Demon Saint, who was already a Charm Demon to begin with, revealed an indescribably sense of charm at this moment. Yang Kai’s throat felt dry, and he even worried he was going to lose his senses at any moment.
He had to bite down on his own tongue to snap himself out of this trance.
Stroking his chest, Yu Ru Meng panted heavily a few times before gradually calming down as well; however, the blush on her cheeks did not dissipate as she whispered, “Wait a little longer. I’m not ready yet.”
This was the bad thing about being inferior to her in terms of strength. He couldn’t seize the initiative at all. Even if he could throw her off her bearings with his sweet-talking, it was still a lost cause when it came down to it in the end.
Faced with Yang Kai’s dejected expression, Yu Ru Meng swiftly changed the subject, “There’s something that I need your help with.”
“If there’s anything you need, just say the word.”
Yu Ru Meng pursed her lips into a smile, “What if I ask you for something difficult?”
Yang Kai shrugged, “You know it’s impossible for me to refuse you.”
Undoubtedly, these words pleased her, so standing on her tiptoes, she gave Yang Kai a light peck on the cheek like a dragonfly kissing the surface of a pond.
[Is that it for my reward?] Yang Kai was naturally not satisfied.
“Chang Tian wants you to stay here for a time, and I’ve also agreed to it.”
Yang Kai frowned, “Aren’t you worried he’ll do something bad to me?”
Yu Ru Meng slowly shook her head, “If he really meant you any harm, he would’ve done so before I even arrived here. There’s no need for him to drag things out this long. What’s more, you said it yourself, he has no ill will towards you.”
“That’s right.” Yang Kai nodded, “When I went out with Hei Lian to investigate, I came near several Territory Gates, so if I’d wanted to leave then, she would not have been able to stop me.”
“That’s right.” Changing the conversation around, Yu Ru Meng began using her Divine Sense to communicate, “Chang Tian does not have much longer to live.”
Yang Kai was surprised at her words and asked in astonishment, “How do you know that?”
Yu Ru Meng smiled, “This is not a secret among the Demon Saints. Everyone knows his life is at an end. Actually, just based on his origins and his current cultivation, this should not have been the case, but in his early years, he engaged in many fierce battles and suffered many deep injuries, which damaged his vitality. So, we all guess he has at most two or three thousand years more to live.”
For an ordinary person, two or three thousand years was several dozen lifetimes added together. Even for an accomplished cultivator, it wasn’t a short time; however, for a Demon Saint-level Master, two or three thousand years… was truly too short.
“What does this have anything to do with me staying in Hundred Spirits Continent?” Yang Kai frowned.
Yu Ru Meng explained, “Didn’t you hear that he wanted to take you in as an adopted son? Because of Chang Tian, Hundred Spirits Continent has a poor relationship with us Demon Saints. Once he falls, Hundred Spirits Continent is sure to be divided up between the Twelve Demon Saints. The future of all the inhabitants of this continent will be in danger. Those whose cultivation is not high may still have a ray of hope, but any of those who are at the level of Demon King and above will either have their cultivation crippled, be executed, or be branded with a Soul Imprint and reduced to a slave. Divine Spirits are all incredibly proud, so how could they possibly be willing to submit to someone else? The most likely scenario here is that if Chang Tian dies, then it would surely lead to a bloodbath in Hundred Spirits Continent. When that time comes, how many Divine Spirits could survive? Chang Tian has been fighting all his life for Hundred Spirits Continent, and it was with much effort that he managed to carve out this piece of land from the territories ruled by the Demon Saints, opening a space for the Divine Spirits to live in, so how could he stand to see all his efforts go up in smoke while all the Divine Spirits that he tried so desperately to protect stain the earth with their blood?”
“So that’s why he wanted to take me as his godson and train me to become his successor?”
“Exactly so! Right now, Hundred Spirits Continent is lacking a suitable successor. You have a Dragon Clan bloodline though, so naturally, you can gain Chang Tian’s favour. Two or three thousand years might just be enough time for you to grow to a sufficient height, though it might not be as well. However, you represent hope.”
“Did he tell you all this himself?” Yang Kai frowned slightly. Chang Tian was still one of the Demon Realm’s top Masters, so how could he open up so easily to Yu Ru Meng?
Yu Ru Meng smiled, “I know what you’re thinking, but indeed, he told me this himself. Of course, there are some things that I knew myself already, so there’s no need to doubt his intentions. For him, you and I are one entity, sharing honour and shame. If he wants to try anything with you, then he needs to first consider me; however, if he can convince me not to interfere, it will also be beneficial to him. What he wants is the stability of Hundred Spirits Continent and the safety of the Divine Spirits. If you really assume control of Hundred Spirits Continent within that two to three thousand year period, then you’ll have fulfilled his wish. When that time comes, with me supporting you from behind, the other Demon Saints are sure to not give you too much trouble.”
Yang Kai nodded at her words and also understood why Yu Ru Meng had shown some enthusiasm towards the matter. This was certainly Chang Tian’s wish, but it also brought great benefits to Yu Ru Meng. If Yang Kai took over Hundred Spirits Continent, then she would naturally have a share of the continent too.
It was a great plan to gain control of Hundred Spirits Continent without bloodshed, which was something the Twelve Demon Saints have been wanting to do for years but have never been able to.
“So… What does he want me to do?” Yang Kai asked.
Yu Ru Meng told him, “First of all, when he kidnapped you, he had the intention of having you seal off all the Territory Gates.”
Yang Kai frowned, “Sealing the Territory Gates?”
“That’s right.” Yu Ru Meng brushed her hair behind her ear, “Since you’re able to repair the Territory Gates, then you should obviously be able to seal them as well.”
Yang Kai was silent for a moment before nodding, “It shouldn’t be difficult.” Even though he had never done it before, he didn’t believe it would be an issue to seal the Territory Gates.
“Once the Territory Gates of Hundred Spirits Continent are sealed, this continent will lose contact with the rest of the Demon Realm, and the continent will become a haven for all Divine Spirits. So, even if Chang Tian passes away, there would be nothing we Demon Saints can do about it.”
“That’s not necessarily true.” Yang Kai shook his head, “The Territory Gates here show no problems, and though I should be able to seal them, if they encounter too great of a force, that seal may break and the Territory Gates will be revealed once more. If Chang Tian really insists on this plan, he may end up lifting a stone only to drop it on his own foot.”
Ordinary people may not be capable of breaking the seal, but a Demon Saint’s attack was powerful enough to do so. Yang Kai had no confidence that a seal he formed would be able to withstand the attack of a Demon Saint.
“Is that so?” Yu Ru Meng cocked her head to the side and looked at him.
“It’s highly possible, but then again, I’ve not tried it yet. Of course, there’s also the possibility that the Territory Gates may be shattered alongside the seal…” While talking, Yang Kai was suddenly taken aback. If Chang Tian’s original plan had been for him to seal the Territory Gates to begin with, then after he did so, it would definitely leave him with no way out. At the very least, he wouldn’t be able to leave Hundred Spirits Continent.
Chang Tian would never allow someone who was proficient in the Dao of Space to remain outside.
Yang Kai secretly cheered in his heart. Fortunately, he had a Dragon Clan bloodline in his body; otherwise, this trip might actually have been considerably troublesome.
Yu Ru Meng did not stay long in Hundred Spirits Continent. After confirming that Yang Kai was not harmed or in danger, she left in a hurry as if she had important business to attend to.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but think of Bright Moon Great Emperor. If anything can keep a Demon Saint’s mind occupied, then it was highly likely to have something to do with a Great Emperor. Yang Kai even had the idea that the reason why she sent him to Cloud Shadow Continent was one, as she said, to help repair the Territory Gates, but secondly, to separate him from her. Even though in Yu Ru Meng’s eyes, he was already a defector from the Star Boundary, that was his birthplace after all. She might have worried that he would not be able to leave all his attachments to his homeland behind.
It wasn’t that Yang Kai had never thought of sending news of the situation here back to the Star Boundary so that the Great Emperors could think of a way to save Bright Moon, but the two worlds’ passage was being guarded by numerous powerful Demons. It was simply impossible for him to return to the Star Boundary unnoticed.
Thinking about his one-year agreement with Bright Moon, Yang Kai felt heavy in his heart. The only one who would be able to help the Great Emperor then would be him, but would Yang Kai be able to bring Bright Moon out of the Demon Realm under the watchful eyes of the Twelve Demon Saints? Yang Kai wasn’t even sure whether he could actually help at all.
A fight between Great Emperors and Demon Saints was at too high a level. With his current Second-Order Emperor Realm cultivation, Yang Kai was simply powerless to intervene.
The next day after Yu Ru Meng left, Chang Tian called Yang Kai over and had a frank and open talk with him.
Just as Yu Ru Meng said, his original intention had been to borrow Yang Kai’s abilities to seal off all the Territory Gates in Hundred Spirits Continent, creating the illusion that the entire continent had separated from the Demon Realm. But of course, this separation was different from the continents that disappeared before.
If the entire Demon Realm was a giant plant, then the continents that Yang Kai encountered before were just like the withered parts. The disappearance of the Territory Gates gradually caused the collapse of those continents, while Territory Gates sealed by Yang Kai’s Space Principles would only conceal Hundred Spirits Continent. Hundred Spirits Continent would not be at risk of collapse, and the beings of this place would no longer be affected by the rest of the Demon Realm’s continents.
But once he discovered Yang Kai’s Dragon Clan bloodline, Chang Tian changed his plans.
The reason Chang Tian wanted to seal off Hundred Spirits Continent was that he couldn’t see any hope. Though there were many Half-Saint level existences in Hundred Spirits Continent, none of them would be able to overturn the current situation. At least, it was impossible for someone to advance far enough in two to three thousand years to hold back the Demon Saints. Once Chang Tian passed away, there would be no one left to carry the burden of protecting Hundred Spirits Continent.
But things were different now. A little light in the darkness gave Chang Tian newfound hope. He couldn’t even care less about the close-knit relationship between Yang Kai and Yu Ru Meng. If he could entrust everything in Hundred Spirits Continent to Yang Kai, then that would be his greatest hope. It could even be said that the close relationship between Yang Kai and Yu Ru Meng gave Chang Tian even more confidence to entrust matters to him.
When the time came, even if Yang Kai’s abilities had not grown to his satisfaction, with Yu Ru Meng there to help, the other Demon Saints obviously wouldn’t draw her ire without pause.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai’s words also strengthened Chang Tian’s resolve in this regard. The Territory Gates could be sealed, but there was no guarantee that that would make Hundred Spirits Continent disappear completely, which completely dispelled his initial plans.
But even so, some Territory Gates had to be sealed.
There were a total of four Territory Gates in Hundred Spirits Continent. Chang Tian needed Yang Kai to seal three of them, leaving only a single one open.
With that, only one Half-Saint needed to guard the Territory Gate, unlike now when four were required at all times.
Naturally, Yang Kai had no reason to refuse. Instead, he was even looking forward to it.
If not for Chang Tian’s prompt, Yang Kai would not have even thought of this idea. He was already familiar with restoring and maintaining Territory Gates; however, he had never sealed one before. The darkest place is always right under a candlestick, especially in terms of one’s own thoughts. Yang Kai wouldn’t dare to be reckless in another Demon Saint’s territory either, and if he was seen sealing a Territory Gate, it would definitely lead to trouble.
However, since the Hundred Spirits Continent had such a need, this might give him new insight into the Dao of Space.
At that thought, Yang Kai left the dark and empty hall eagerly to the nearest Territory Gate under the guidance of the Lotus Sisters. Zhui Feng had also found his own way over to him and was running around randomly at the side. It was only after Yang Kai reprimanded him severely that he settled down finally.
The Lotus Sisters looked on at this sight in terror. Though Zhui Feng had shown an affectionate attitude towards Yang Kai, and was even willing to let him ride him, everyone in Hundred Spirits Continent knew that Zhui Feng’s arrogance was no less than any Half-Saint’s. Long ago, during Hundred Spirits Continent’s unification, a newly advanced Half-Saint had such an inflated ego that he ended up provoking Zhui Feng. As a result of that, this guy hunted him for three whole years and knocked his cultivation down from the Half-Saint level. Even to this day, that guy was unable to restore himself.
The incident back then had been just a trivial matter, so small that the Lotus Sisters couldn’t remember exactly what the cause was; however, such a small matter led to the downfall of a Half-Saint, and yet now, someone actually dared to reprimand Zhui Feng, and even took advantage of him!
But Zhui Feng actually didn’t show too much of a reaction if at all…
[Truly unbelievable. So someone with a similar bloodline to Sir can receive treatment like this?]
Without Zhui Feng’s interference, Yang Kai was finally able to concentrate on his research.
Even though he didn’t think it was too difficult to seal a Territory Gate before, the actual implementation was very different from the usual restoration and maintenance. It couldn’t be done as simply as reversing the process, and rather involved many things he had never even thought of before.
Sealing the Territory Gates really brought Yang Kai great inspiration regarding the Dao of Space.
It took almost a whole month before Yang Kai finally found some clues.
One day, Space Principles suddenly fluctuated. The Lotus Sisters who could no longer stand the boredom and were cultivating on a mountain not far away opened their eyes at once and looked towards the sky. In the next moment, both sisters showed looks of amazement.
There, in front of the Territory Gate, they saw Yang Kai extend his hand out with an open palm towards the large Territory Gate. From that palm, an invisible Principle Strength was released. Like a stone falling into a calm lake, a layer of ripples that was visible to the naked eye spread outward, gradually covering the entire Territory Gate.
Where the ripples passed, the Territory Gate suddenly grew indistinct, as if it was covered with a veil that made it hard to see.
Even though the Lotus Sisters were unfamiliar with the Dao of Space, they could tell that Yang Kai had a breakthrough regarding sealing the Territory Gates just from this scene alone. Perhaps they could even witness the miraculous scene with their own eyes.
As expected, the ripples were constantly undulating. The Territory Gate became more and more hazy, just like a painting on a piece of paper that had grown blurry in the weather.
After a full three days, the space where the Territory Gate resided in the past was now empty. Whether it be in visual observation or Divine Sense perception, they could no longer find any traces of the Territory Gate.
Yang Kai still maintained the same posture while his Space Principles surged incessantly.
Just because the Lotus Sisters couldn’t see the traces didn’t mean he couldn’t see them. The state of the Territory Gate in front of him was similar to it being hidden. Without a similar level of insight, no one should even think of passing through this Territory Gate; however, if it were to be attacked with a strong enough force, it was possible to make the Territory Gate reappear.
Since he was doing this, Yang Kai naturally wanted to be as thorough as possible.
Another half a day later, Yang Kai finally breathed out a long sigh and slowly lowered his hand. The rippling Space Principles dissipated at the same time.
Wiping the sweat off his brow, Yang Kai flew straight downward and found a place to sit cross-legged. Throwing a few Spirit Pills into his mouth, he meditated and adjusted his breathing.
During the past few days, he had been constantly using Space Principles. For him, this was quite a burden, and this time that he was using to recover was just right for him to consolidate what he learned.
Seeing this, the Lotus Sisters quickly flew close and stood guard to his left and right. Though it was unlikely for some guy with no eyes to come here and cause trouble, precautions still had to be taken.
An hour later, Yang Kai opened his eyes and the thoughtful look on his face faded away before he nodded to the Lotus Sisters.
Hei Lian asked, “Is it done?”
Yang Kai gestured with his hand, “You can give it a try.”
Hei Lian glanced at him, and sure enough, she did try. And as a result, she was surprised to find that there were no traces left of the Territory Gate that had always existed here at all. After going back and forth, she also proved that the Territory Gate was in fact sealed.
This news would surely please Sir once it gets back.
Bai Lian asked, “Did you get rid of the Territory Gate completely or can it still be restored?”
Yang Kai shot her a somewhat surprised look. He didn’t expect that this woman who always gazed at him as if he owed her a huge sum of money actually had a mind sharp enough to think of this point. At the very least, the Elder Sister, Hei Lian, didn’t have such an idea.
“Since it’s a seal, it’s theoretically possible to restore it, but whether it’s truly possible or not, I will still need to try to know.”
In fact, even without her asking, Yang Kai had a mind to restore the Territory Gate now. Not to show off, but to confirm his hypothesis. If it wasn’t possible to restore it, then he would have to ask Chang Tian whether he should seal the other Territory Gates or not. It would be bad if got rid of the Territory Gates and couldn’t get them back again, upsetting Chang Tian in the process. After all, this Territory Gate was different from the other lost Territory Gates. It disappeared by his own initiative.
Without delay, Yang Kai flew back to the previous location and reached his hand out towards the front like before. Space Principles surged and ripples spread out again just like before.
The outlines of the lost Territory Gate were gradually revealed.
In less than a quarter of an hour of work, the Territory Gate reappeared again in the eyes of the three. Staring wide-eyed from the side, Zhui Feng seemed surprised and would fly around and around the Territory Gate, as if he was hoping to see a flower pop out from somewhere.
Sealing the Territory Gate for the first time took several days of time, yet restoring it took only a quarter of an hour. It wasn’t about practice, but rather that restoring it was just much easier than sealing it. It was even easier than restoring the lost Territory Gates.
“I’ll go and report the news to Sir.” After saying that, Bai Lian turned into a stream of light and sped towards the castle.
With the experience of sealing the first one, the rest went much easier. In less than ten days, three of the four Territory Gates were sealed by Yang Kai, leaving only a single passage to go to and from the Hundred Spirits Continent.
In this way, as long as that exit was secured, then no one would be able to sneak into the Hundred Spirits Continent to commit violence.
Yang Kai had no idea whether it was possible for a Demon Saint level Master to break his seal, but at the very least, it was impossible for a Half-Saint. The Lotus Sisters had already confirmed this by taking turns to attempt it themselves. Yang Kai estimated that even if his seal could not defend against a strong Demon Saint attack, it should still be able to last some time.
If he could shorten the time it took to seal a gate, then this trick might come in handy for him…
So, for a long time following that, Yang Kai stayed in front of one of Hundred Spirits Continent’s Territory Gates, constantly sealing and unsealing it, sealing and unsealing it, and so on…
The Lotus Sisters were watching quietly from the side, oblivious as to what he was doing. The task that Senior Chang Tian had given him was already completed, so they could’ve returned back long ago. Yet, this brat just had to find work out of nothing, forcing them to have to accompany him as well to protect him. Naturally, they were a little unhappy with the state of affairs.
Hei Lian asked Yang Kai about what he was doing, and the answer she got was that he was trying to cultivate the Dao of Space through this method.
She had no idea how one cultivated the Dao of Space, so she just went along with whatever he said.
But Yang Kai was indeed improving at a visible rate. In the beginning, he needed three whole days to seal a single Territory Gate, but the time it took him to accomplish it became shorter and shorter. A few months later, he needed only ten breaths of time to seal a Territory Gate, and with just a wave of his hand, he could make the Territory Gate reappear.
The Lotus Sisters found this quite incredible. How the Territory Gates were formed was a mystery that perhaps only the Demon Saints knew a thing or two about. After so many years, no one has ever been able to play around with the Territory Gates like a toy in the palm of their hands.
On this day, while Yang Kai was trying to master his techniques of sealing the Territory Gates, his brow suddenly twitched and his hands stopped before he swiftly immersed his consciousness into the Small Sealed World.
Immediately, the Embodiment’s voice emerged in his ears, “I’m making a breakthrough!”
Yang Kai was stunned for a moment before becoming overjoyed.
The Embodiment’s cultivation had been stagnant for a long time since devouring Shi Huo’s Source. After awakening, he had gained a cultivation on par with a peak Emperor Realm. After cultivating endlessly with the help of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law for such a long time, his strength naturally increased by a good amount, and now after devouring so many Myriad Demon Pills recently, he had obtained enough power for a breakthrough. It could be said that Yang Kai had constantly been waiting for him to grow to the level of a Half-Saint.
The number of Myriad Demon Pills they found in the lost continents was not small. Right now, after consuming around seventy to eighty percent of them, the Embodiment was primed for a breakthrough.
Only, Yang Kai never expected this breakthrough to come so late. In his predictions, Embodiment should have broken through a long time ago.
“Want me to bring you out?” Yang Kai asked. Even though the World Principles in the Small Sealed World were now considered complete, and breaking through to the Emperor Realm shouldn’t be a problem inside, the Embodiment probably was unable to break through the final layer inside the Small Sealed World if he had contacted him like this.
Yang Kai thought that he needed to break through in the outside world.
“No, it’s useless. I think I have to head back to Cloud Shadow Continent!”
Yang Kai was a little puzzled by this answer, but thinking back to the fact that the Embodiment was now the Master of Cloud Shadow Continent, he understood. This must concern something he had no knowledge of, and if the Embodiment was to break through these shackles, then he would likely have to rely on some factors from Cloud Shadow Continent.
With this in mind, Yang Kai immediately said, “Wait for a moment!”
With that, he restored the sealed Territory Gate, turned around, and got on Zhui Feng’s back before saying to the Lotus Sisters, “I have some business that I must see Senior Chang Tian about, so I’ll be going first.” Squeezing the horse’s sides with his legs, Zhui Feng neighed and turned into a bolt of light. The two Lotus Sisters behind them looked at each other, not knowing what on earth he was doing, but they had no choice but to rush over to follow him.
Since Chang Tian had entrusted Yang Kai’s safety to them, they had to stick close to him.
Moving as quick as lightning, it didn’t take long before they returned to the castle. Jumping off the horse’s back, Yang Kai hurriedly went inside.
The giant lion named Xiong Shi suddenly appeared to stop him. Looking down at Yang Kai from above, its rumbling voice asked, “What do you need, boy?”
Perhaps because of Chang Tian, Xiong Shi displayed a rather friendly attitude towards Yang Kai, no longer scorning him like when they had just met.
Yang Kai cupped his fist, “I want to see Senior.”
Cocking his head to the side, Xiong Shi listened attentively for a while and gently nodded, “Go in. Sir is inside.” After saying that, he moved aside.
In the same dark, cold, and empty hall, Chang Tian sat cross-legged in the centre. Dark Demon Qi filled the interior like flowing clouds of mist. When Yang Kai entered, the Demon Qi was sucked back into Chang Tian’s body like a whale inhaling water, leaving not a single drop behind.
The darkness was lit up by two bright rays of light, just like two small suns.
Without dallying, Yang Kai cupped his fist and said, “Senior, I have to take a trip back to Cloud Shadow Continent, so I’ve come to bid farewell to you.”
Chang Tian nodded at his words, “Go ahead. Take care.”
[Isn’t he even going to ask what I’m going to do there?] Yang Kai was taken aback by how easily he agreed, but this was also the result he hoped for. He had no idea what he was going to do if Chang Tian refused to let him go.
“Many thanks, Senior,” Yang kai turned around and left.
Since he was here in Hundred Spirits Continent, Yang Kai had to tell Chang Tian if he wanted to return to Cloud Shadow; otherwise, he wouldn’t have wasted time coming here.
“Let Zhui Feng accompany you,” Chang Tian’s voice came from behind him, “It’s not too convenient for the Lotus Sisters to show their faces outside, but Zhui Feng is different. With him accompanying you, I’m sure no one would dare to try anything with you.”
Yang Kai halted his steps. Turning around, he nodded slightly at Chang Tian before speeding up and leaving the hall.
When he left, he met Xiong Shi again, who looked at him with a look of surprise, “Done talking already?” It seemed as if he had gone in for just a few breaths of time.
Yang Kai smiled, “Sir is quite easy to talk to.”
[He’s only easy to talk to for you!] Xiong Shi looked thoughtfully at his back.
When the Lotus Sisters rushed over, they were just in time to see Yang Kai climb onto Zhui Feng’s back. Then, in the blink of an eye, he disappeared again, leaving both of them speechless, but soon, Chang Tian’s Divine Sense transmitted a message to their ears. Once they understood the reason, both sisters breathed sighs of relief.
They had nothing to do while accompanying Yang Kai for the past few months, which really felt stifling for them.
In the sky, Zhui Feng was in high spirits. Especially after passing Hundred Spirits Continent’s Territory Gate into another continent, the change was especially obvious. It felt like it had entered a sea large enough for fish to leap and a sky high enough for birds to fly through.
Though Hundred Spirits Continent was big, it was still a cage for Zhui Feng. Only the entirety of the Demon Realm combined was a suitable place for it to run free.
As the ground retreated beneath their feet, the violent incoming winds forced Yang Kai to protect himself with his Emperor Qi, but for Zhui Feng, this feeling almost tasted as sweet as candy, and he only ran faster and faster.
Under Yang Kai’s guidance, the pair passed through Territory Gate after Territory Gate, traversing continent after continent. In less than half a day, man and mount had already made it back to Cloud Shadow Continent from Hundred Spirits Continent, a terrifyingly small amount of time.
As soon as they arrived at Cloud Shadow Continent, Yang Kai got off and patted Zhui Feng’s neck. Then, tapping on the void, he opened a gap to the Sealed World Bead.
In the next moment, the Embodiment’s huge figure emerged from the gap, which gave Zhui Feng a terrible fright. It quickly jumped away and eyed the Embodiment warily.
Yang Kai didn’t bother to calm him down either, because the fluctuating aura around the Embodiment’s body proved that he was indeed at the edge of a breakthrough. Only, he was unable to resonate with Cloud Shadow Continent while he was inside the Small Sealed World, and couldn’t cross through that final barrier.
After he emerged from the Small Sealed World, the undulating aura around the Embodiment became more and more obvious.
The Embodiment fell rapidly from high in the sky and turned into a small black dot in the blink of an eye.
But the moment he hit the ground, he simply and silently sunk into it and disappeared.
With a look of amazement, Zhui Feng went after him, digging at the place where the Embodiment disappeared with all four hooves. As dirt was kicked into the air, a hole quickly formed in the ground…
Yang Kai stood solemnly in mid-air, gazing at a certain point in the earth. Even though he could not see the Embodiment presently, he could sense where he was.
For all living beings, whether they be Human or Spirit, or perhaps even Demon, every breakthrough to a new Great Realm was a test of life or death. Yang Kai had no idea whether the breakthrough of a Half-Saint was considered a Great Realm’s breakthrough, nor did he know what sort of dangers the Embodiment would face during this experience, but there was nothing he could do to help. The Embodiment could only rely on himself.
Fortunately, though the Embodiment cultivated an evil art such as the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, he was able to avoid its drawbacks to a great extent due to his body being that of a Stone Spirit; otherwise, swallowing up so much raw energy would surely make one suffer unimaginably during a breakthrough.
From this point of view alone, Heaven Devouring Great Emperor, who was able to cultivate the Heaven Devouring Battle Law to such a peak, was indeed a genius among geniuses. Yang Kai still had no idea how Wu Kuang was able to resolve the issues caused by cultivating the Heaven Devouring Battle Law.
Yang Kai thought that an anomaly was sure to appear during the Embodiment’s breakthrough this time, possibly even resulting in extensive damage; after all, he and Cloud Shadow Continent had already formed a close link.
But to his surprise, the Embodiment went silent after sinking into the earth. Not to mention a Heavenly Manifestation, not even a single sound was heard. It was as if the Embodiment had fallen into a deep sleep after sinking into the ground.
Yang Kai couldn’t even get much information through his senses. The inseparable connection that he shared with the Embodiment all this while had also become blurry, as if he had entered a different world.
Hearing a neigh Yang Kai was woken up from his worries. Looking over, he saw Zhui Feng covered in mud from head to toe, baring his teeth next to him and neighing constantly. This guy seemed to have searched for half a day, but was still unable to find the Embodiment. On the other hand, it did excavate a large hole in the ground. From the looks of it, he had come to Yang Kai to complain.
But how could Yang Kai have the time to pay him any attention? He just pushed his head aside.
The Embodiment sank into the ground for several hours, but Yang Kai still felt no movement from it, which caused him to frown in worry.
The Embodiment was clearly showing signs of having a breakthrough earlier, so why hadn’t he received any news from him yet? The haziness in his perception made it impossible for Yang Kai to accurately ascertain the Embodiment’s current condition, which made him anxious.
Suddenly, the ground shook, and a vague rumble burst out and spread in all directions.
Surprised, Yang Kai looked around. He could keenly sense a subtle change in the ambient World Energy. If the world could be described as standing still earlier, then something had begun slowly flowing, as if there was an invisible hand that was gently stirring the air.
*Dong…*
A dull and heavy noise erupted from the depths of the earth, just like a strong heartbeat, as if someone had struck a great war drum tens of thousands of metres below.
Following that noise, the energy flow accelerated abruptly, and the air began to change.
The whistling of the strong gale filled Yang Kai’s ears as tides of energy converged from all directions, gathering towards a certain place in the ground.
*Dong dong dong…*
The dull noise sounded over and over again, sounding more and more like a heartbeat. It gave one the illusion that the entire world was coming to life. Even the mountains in the distance resembling the coiled body of a dragon were undulating, just like the earth was breathing.
More and more World Energy was converging and becoming denser and denser before disappearing into the ground. It was as if a black hole existed underneath the surface that could devour everything, swallowing it all no matter how great the amount.
In the violent wind, Zhui Feng neighed in unrest, but Yang Kai was still as a mountain. He stared through the void, penetrating through the earth.
Within the depths of the earth, a powerful aura was gradually getting stronger, just like a Dragon awakening from its slumber.
Such a shocking phenomenon naturally alerted the Demons nearby, who all came over to investigate the situation; however, they weren’t able to approach within a thousand kilometres due to being obstructed by an invisible force. The Embodiment was the Master of the Cloud Shadow Continent, so it wasn’t hard for him to achieve this.
The Embodiment’s aura was growing stronger and stronger. Even without specifically sensing it, Yang Kai could feel it clearly. At a certain point, the strengthening suddenly stopped as if it had reached a limit. Rather than increasing, it was now decreasing.
Yang Kai’s face, who had been monitoring the Embodiment’s movements, sank at this revelation.
He knew that the Embodiment must have encountered a problem. Naturally, breaking through to the Half-Saint realm was not simple. Even with the Myriad Demon Pills in the Demon Realm, there still weren’t many Half-Saint level Masters in existence. Not because of any problems in accumulating power, but rather the shackles of their own perception. Without breaking through this layer, they’d never be able to reach a higher level.
But fortunately, the weakening force grew stronger again after a while and climbed to its highest peak. Only, this time the situation was almost exactly the same as before. Once it reached a peak, it could no longer go further and quickly dropped again.
Yang Kai’s face grew even darker.
As the saying went, the beating of the first drum rouses the spirit, the second weakens it, while the third exhausts it. Many grains of sand would eventually build a tower, but the longer a breakthrough stalled for, the less hope there was for success.
What’s more… the Embodiment’s breakthrough this time was slightly strange. Yang Kai did not see the familiar World Energy Baptism, and he had no idea whether it was because they were currently in the Demon Realm, and the World Principles here were different from the Star Boundary, or if it were due to other reasons.
But he could be sure that the Embodiment was in fact in the process of a breakthrough.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but feel worried again. He had already been in the Second-Order Emperor Realm for a long time, so he might break through to the Third-Order at any moment. When that time came, what if he encountered a problem due to the differences in World Principles between the two Great Worlds? What if he did not encounter a World Energy Baptism then?
But it was too early to worry about this right now. Perhaps the Embodiment’s advancement might offer him some insight.
Over the next few days, the Embodiment remained in the same state as before. His aura from underground was stuck in a loop of strengthening and weakening. Yang Kai really couldn’t understand this strange situation. Logically, the Embodiment should have failed if he had not been able to make a breakthrough even after such a long time, and the price of failure was that his cultivation would fall, or he would die. There were no other possibilities than these.
But according to Yang Kai’s perception, not only was the Embodiment not in any danger, but he even had the feeling that it had merged with Cloud Shadow Continent and was in a kind of deep sleep. And, the strengthening and weakening of his aura was just like him breathing.
Naturally, such a long-lasting abnormality alerted many of Cloud Shadow’s Demon Kings.
He Yin, Lao Ke, Ke Sen, and the others all came to investigate, but were all stopped a thousand kilometres away. Fortunately, Yang Kai noticed their arrival and took the initiative to contact them. Only then could they feel a little more at ease.
After all, they were extremely worried when they saw such an abnormal situation arise on Cloud Shadow, and they had no idea what was happening. Now that they had confirmed that it was related to Yang Kai, they immediately relaxed.
Compared to this, Yang Kai’s sudden and safe return surprised them even more. Previously, the Divine Spirits of Hundred Spirits Continent had appeared to abduct him. No one knew what was going to happen to Yang Kai after that and they had no news whatsoever for the past few months. They could only confirm through Tu Qia Luo and the others’ statuses that Yang Kai was still alive. The three Demon Kings from Blue Plains Continent had Yang Kai’s Soul Imprint in their Knowledge Seas, so if anything happened to Yang Kai, they would surely accompany him to the next life. There was no way they could be spared.
Since he had nothing to do here either, Yang Kai decided to move a thousand kilometres away to meet up with them. Asking about the situation, he learned that nothing special had happened in Cloud Shadow Continent recently. On the other hand, many people were worried about him when he had been abducted, especially Li Shi Qing, who was constantly trying to persuade He Yin and the others to gather Cloud Shadow’s strength to save him from the Hundred Spirits Continent.
Of course, it was impossible for He Yin and the others to agree to such a thing. As members of the Demon Race, they knew the terrifying heritage of the Hundred Spirits Continent. It was not something that a mere Cloud Shadow Continent could challenge by themselves. A single Half-Saint from Hundred Spirits Continent would be enough to destroy the entire Cloud Shadow Continent. This wasn’t about loyalty, it was about ability.
Since she was unable to persuade He Yin, Li Shi Qing had tried to make her way towards Enchantment Continent to ask for Yu Ru Meng’s assistance. Fortunately, Bo Ya stopped her.
This surprised Yang Kai; after all, he had never treated her well, and even slapped her when they first met.
But remembering that they were the only two Humans here in the Demon Realm, Yang Kai reasoned that Li Shi Qing more or less must have felt a connection with him, so it wasn’t that difficult to understand why she would have made such a decision. If something happened to him, then she would truly become isolated in the Demon Realm. No matter how bad his attitude was towards her, they were still of the same race…
While He Yin and the others talked, Zhui Feng was flying up and down at the side, drawing the attention of many Demons. Only, these Demons did not recognize Zhui Feng and simply thought that this mount was quite good.
Their Great King actually took a mount from the Hundred Spirits Continent? This surprised He Yin and the others. It seemed now that their Great King did not suffer any harsh treatment.
Ttwo months went by in the blink of an eye.
Even though he had never seen other Half-Saints make a breakthrough before, Yang Kai was sure that absolutely no one would take such a long time in order to achieve this process. Yang Kai estimated that the Embodiment was probably a first.
Every day remained unchanged, repeating the same situation over and over again, giving one the illusion that time was repeating itself.
On a certain day two whole months later, when the Embodiment’s aura reached its peak, it no longer dropped like before; instead, it seemed like it was going to continue climbing.
Yang Kai didn’t notice the difference at first; after all, he had been following this situation for two months without noticing any changes. Who could have guessed that a change would suddenly happen at such a time? It wasn’t until the Embodiment’s aura broke through its previous limit and reached new heights that Yang Kai woke with a start and showed a look of surprise.
He Yin and the others had clearly sensed the change as well, and they all looked at him questioningly.
The Embodiment’s growing aura didn’t seem like it was going to fall back on itself; instead, it continued to rise, climbing higher, higher, and higher again.
Finally, at a certain moment, a loud noise sounded, as if something had been shattered. Then, the rising aura reached a peak. At once, World Energy converged like a tsunami towards the ground before being swallowed up.
“Half-Saint!” Lao Ke muttered under his breath with excitement on his face.
After two months of waiting and observing, even without Yang Kai’s explanation, they could tell that someone was making a breakthrough to the next Great Realm, and the one who was breaking through must have a close relationship with Yang Kai. Right now, this aura undoubtedly meant that the person who was breaking through had succeeded.
In other words, Cloud Shadow Continent had their own Half-Saint from now on! No longer did they have to play to the tune of others anymore.
If Cloud Shadow had a Half-Saint back then, they would not have been bullied by Yue Sang.
But… Who was this person, and when did they refine Cloud Shadow’s Source?
Faced with the curious glances from the side, Yang Kai had no intention of explaining. Currently, Yu Ru Meng was the only one in the Demon Realm who knew about the Embodiment’s existence. Now that he had broken through to the Half-Saint realm and was suitable to be used as a secret weapon, it would naturally be best for Yang Kai to keep his existence a secret for as long as he could.
Yang Kai still remembered that Yue Sang was eyeing him. Even though he had been sent to the Two Worlds battlefield, who knew whether Yue Sang would come back in the future?
Only, now that he had the Embodiment, Yang Kai was no longer worried about that guy.
The aura of the newly advanced Half-Saint gradually disappeared, to the disappointment of Lao Ke and the others. They were hoping to be able to meet the new Half-Saint, but from this, they could tell that the other party had no intention of showing themselves, so they had no choice but to give up. Fortunately, they could be sure that this newly advanced Half-Saint had a good relationship with their Great King, so there may be a chance to meet them in the future.
After telling Lao Ke and the others to wait in place, Yang Kai flew a thousand kilometres away to look for the Embodiment that was burrowing out of the ground.
Four eyes met and Yang Kai revealed a look of surprise. That was because the Embodiment seemed to have grown smaller. Even though the Embodiment could freely alter his size, he usually maintained his most comfortable state. Due to him refining Shi Huo’s Source, his body had shrunk to about ten metres in height during normal times, but now he seemed to be only the size of an average person.
Although Embodiment had gotten smaller, that did not mean his strength had gotten weaker. On the contrary, it was a symbol of his strength becoming more condensed than before. The characteristics of a Shi Huo that used to be obvious had also undergone some drastic changes. The stone spikes protruding from the surface of his body were gone, lumps of rock piled up high against each other to form well-defined muscles that were filled with explosive strength, an Evil Fire could vaguely be seen between the cracks of his stone body, and the Demon Qi wrapped around him was extremely dense.
Perhaps it was because Embodiment had just advanced into the next Realm, but he could not wield his power as he pleased yet.
Yang Kai could clearly feel the Half-Saint aura coming from Embodiment. It was a strength that far surpassed a Demon King or an Emperor Realm Master. Unfortunately, he had nothing to compare it with. He couldn’t discern whether there were any gaps in strength between Embodiment and those older Master Half-Saints.
With a surge of his Divine Sense, Yang Kai placed Embodiment back into the Small Sealed World to allow him to stabilize his cultivation. Then, he returned to meet with He Yin and the others.
He was in no hurry. Riding Zhui Feng, he led a group of Demon Race members and advanced toward Cloud Shadow City with great vigour. The end of the one-year period agreement between him and Bright Moon was fast approaching. Besides, the dust had settled regarding Embodiment’s affairs. It was time for him to visit Enchantment Continent and look for Yu Ru Meng.
Yu Ru Meng would be the first to know if anything had happened to Bright Moon. If he stayed beside her, he could receive news about the situation on Eternal Sky Continent in advance and come up with a plan sooner.
While Yang Kai was mulling over those thoughts, he saw a member of the Demon Race racing toward him from a distance. When the Demon came closer, he revealed himself and seemed faintly startled to see Yang Kai in the lead. Still, he cupped his fists politely, “Greetings, Great King. Greetings, Sirs.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly and looked down at him arrogantly, “What’s the matter?”
That member of the Demon Race was just a Demon Great General. From the looks of things, he had flown over from Cloud Shadow City. He bowed and replied, “Great King, according to the reports from our spies, all continents in the Demon Realm are urgently dispatching troops. The Half-Saints are also being deployed, one after the other. There seems to be something going on, but we don’t know the reason behind it.”
In order to locate Bright Moon’s whereabouts, Yang Kai had assembled a lot of manpower from Cloud Shadow Continent and Blue Plains Continent and scattered them across all the continents of the Demon Realm to gather information. Despite already knowing Bright Moon’s location, he never ordered his spies to withdraw; instead, they continued to send various reports from other parts of the Demon Realm back to Cloud Shadow City.
When they recently discovered the anomalies occurring across the other continents as though something major was about to happen, it was only natural for them to report the findings immediately.
Lao Ke frowned upon hearing this and asked, “Did something happen on the two worlds’ battlefield?”
All the continents were dispatching their troops and many Half-Saints were being sent out, one after another. It was obvious that something big was happening. Aside from changes in the war, there shouldn’t be anything else that could cause such a huge commotion in the Demon Realm.
The Demon Great General shook his head, “I don’t know, but…”
“But what?”
“But, the Half-Saints seem to be heading toward the Eternal Sky Continent and not the two worlds’ battlefield.”
“Eternal Sky Continent!?” Yang Kai’s expression changed. Lowering his body slightly, he stared at the Demon Great General in front of him, “Are you sure they are heading to the Eternal Sky Continent?”
The Demon Great General faltered slightly under that unrelenting stare. Swallowing nervously, he answered, “That is what the spies reported. I heard that millions of troops from several continents have already amassed outside the Territory Gates of the Eternal Sky Continent.”
That undoubtedly meant that something had occurred in the Eternal Sky Continent. The first thing that Yang Kai thought of was Bright Moon. [It really is… Argh… Whatever I worry about will always come true…. I was just planning to head to the Enchantment Continent to visit Yu Ru Meng too…]
Bright Moon had been heavily wounded and was trapped on Eternal Sky Continent as a result. Not only was there a magnificent Spirit Array arranged there, but there was also a Demon Saint personally guarding that location. The Demon Race did not hesitate to sacrifice all the living creatures across the entire Eternal Sky Continent in an effort to increase the power of the Spirit Array to keep Bright Moon in the Demon Realm forever; however, nobody could have imagined that Yang Kai would secretly sneak in and leave Bright Moon with three leaves from the Immortal Tree. Hence, Bright Moon had recovered completely within a year with the help of those leaves.
Even if Bright Moon was still on his own, he was no longer the same weak lamb waiting to be slaughtered. A Great Emperor at his peak and a severely wounded Great Emperor were two different existences altogether. On this point, the Demon Saints had miscalculated, and they were going to pay a heavy price for this miscalculation.
The deployment of troops from all the continents and the dispatching of so many Half-Saints were the best indication! Those signs clearly indicated that a battle had broken out on Eternal Sky Continent, and the Demon Saints had clearly discovered that the situation was vastly different from what they had expected. Why else would they need to mobilize so many people as reinforcement?
Based on Bright Moon’s previous condition, he would only have gotten weaker and weaker with time. The power of Xue Li and the Spirit Array alone would have been enough to doom Bright Moon for all eternity.
“Pay attention to the news in this place one year from now. Don’t forget to rush over if any changes occur here as I still have something to tell you.” Bright Moon’s words echoed in Yang Kai’s ears. A moment later, Yang Kai nudged Zhui Feng with his knees, turned around, and galloped toward the nearest Territory Gate.
“Great King, where are you going?” Lao Ke exclaimed.
Yang Kai turned a deaf ear to those words. Riding Zhui Feng, he had already disappeared out of sight. He Yin and Lao Ke, who were left behind, looked at each other. They didn’t know what was wrong with Yang Kai.
Before they could figure out the situation though, Yang Kai, who had just disappeared into the distance, returned with a dreadfully solemn expression on his face. His arrival was accompanied by a command, “Quickly summon all the combat power in Cloud Shadow Continent and Blue Plains Continent and follow me to battle at Eternal Sky Continent!”
Arriving at Eternal Sky Continent alone was a bit too conspicuous; on the other hand, bringing some people along with him would give him an excuse to explain himself if anybody questioned him. In any case, everybody was converging at Eternal Sky Continent, so Cloud Shadow Continent was simply following their lead.
“Are we going to the Eternal Sky Continent too?” Lao Ke looked surprised.
He Yin looked up at Yang Kai and asked, “Great King, what is happening at Eternal Sky Continent?”
[Why did he become so impatient when he heard this odd piece of news?]
Yang Kai waved his hand impatiently, “Why are you asking so many questions!? Hurry up and gather the forces!”
Ke Sen hesitated, “But, Great King, we didn’t receive any orders to…”
“Are you refusing to obey this King’s orders?” Yang Kai looked at Ke Sen coldly. In response, Ke Sen immediately swallowed the rest of his sentence.
A short while later, many of the Demon Race split up and headed in all directions to spread word of Yang Kai’s orders. Meanwhile, Yang Kai was feeling extremely impatient. He couldn’t wait to fly over to Eternal Sky Continent to see how Bright Moon was doing; unfortunately, all he could do was wait patiently.
In any case, the battle between a Great Emperor and a Demon Saint would not be decided in such a short time, so it was pointless for Yang Kai to rush there. There was no way for him to interfere in a battle of that level with his current strength. If Bright Moon wanted to get himself out of trouble, then he could only rely on himself.
More importantly, Yang Kai had no idea how Bright Moon was going to get in touch with him. There were so many eyes around and under the watch of so many Demon Saints, not even the slightest disturbance would escape their gaze.
It was not long before both Cloud Shadow Continent and Blue Plains Continent were in an uproar. Many Demon Race Masters were being mobilized, heading towards a certain Territory Gate that was set as the marshalling point.
Three days later, a million troops from Cloud Shadow Continent had gathered. The dismal turnout was due to the need for expediency. If they had enough time, they could have gathered a few times more than this; after all, the population of an entire continent was quite large.
The million troops passed through the Territory Gate in great procession, the long line of soldiers stretching out into the distance with no end in sight. By the time they stepped across the boundary of Blue Plains Continent and marched toward the location of the next Territory Gate, Tu Qia Luo, Ba Zha and the others had already arrived with another million troops and were waiting there quietly.
When both parties converged, the army under Yang Kai’s command numbered over two million in total. Yang Kai had less than 50,000 people at his back when he defended Tiger Roar City initially. There was a multiple times difference in numbers between then and now. The army looked rather messy with so many people. Fortunately, with many Demon Kings assisting, none of the weaker soldiers dared step out of line, so it was not a hassle to manage the situation.
The army marched forward, but needless to say, it was not as fast as travelling alone. Yang Kai estimated that it would take at least half a month before he arrived at Eternal Sky Continent with these two million people in tow.
[I hope Bright Moon will be fine!]
Passing through one Territory Gate after another, the army continuously marched towards Eternal Sky Continent. At the same time, Yang Kai calmed down as the days went by and his initial impatience and anxiety were no longer present.
He had made up his mind. When the time came for him to reveal his true intentions, he decided to use Zhui Feng’s speed to escape with Bright Moon. As for whether they could actually get away, that would be up to the Heavens to decide. Besides, he wasn’t sure if Zhui Feng would cooperate with him. Although they now shared a close relationship, this guy was sentient and might not be willing to leave the Demon Realm with him.
…
The Blood Sea churned in Eternal Sky Continent. Twelve blood-coloured pillars that looked like spikes the Heavens had nailed to the ground turned the vast area into an unbreakable cage.
Outside the Blood Sea cage, the Demon Qi of many Blood Demons surged, increasing the power of the red ocean. In addition, countless members of the Demon Race were stationed outside the cage to prevent any unexpected mishaps. Among them, there were more than ten Half-Saints alone.
However, the current situation was a little different from what Yang Kai had seen when he was last here. The biggest difference was that the Demons who had continuously thrown themselves into the Blood Sea were gone. All the living creatures across the entire Eternal Sky Continent had been sacrificed. Consequently, the power of the Blood Sea had been elevated to the extreme, causing it to look like it was boiling. It churned endlessly and continuously emitted huge bubbles. Inside the Blood Sea, countless Souls wandered around while letting out bursts of cries and howls.
It was extremely disquieting.
The roaring and rushing power of the Blood Sea suddenly came pouring out, followed by an invisible jarring force that dispersed in all directions.
At the same time that a muffled noise sounded, the Blood Demons gathered around the Blood Sea exploded into a blood mist without a word. There was not even a bone left of their body. When the members of the Demon Race creating a blockade in the surroundings saw this, their expressions revealed fear and panic.
The vacant spots were quickly filled by other Blood Demons as they continued to maintain the power of Blood Sea; unfortunately, this method could not be kept up for long. The Blood Demons that could participate in this task had to be at least Demon Great Generals. The Blood Demon Clan might be a huge clan with a large population spread across the entire Demon Realm, but even they could not withstand such depletion of manpower. If things continued in this manner, the middle- to upper-level Blood Demons would all fall. In the worst case, it would cause the entire Clan to weaken as a result.
Ten breaths later, another tumultuous burst of power came surging out of the depths of the Blood Sea. It was just that it was not an invisible jarring force that came this time, but rather a burst of dazzling white light instead.
Several tunnels of nothingness formed in the Blood Sea everywhere the white light passed. Everything along its path was erased and the blood waters all vaporized. The members of the Demon Race that were touched by the white lights died on the spot without even a sound.
Xue Li had a cold expression as he stood on top of one of the blood-coloured pillars. His long, blood-coloured hair flapped behind him and his scarlet eyes were filled with a fury that threatened to burst out in flames. Gritting his teeth, he bellowed, “Bright Moon, you court death!”
Bright Moon should have been severely wounded. Offering up all the living beings in Eternal Sky Continent as blood sacrifices should have consumed the rest of his remaining energy. After such a long time, he should have gotten increasingly weaker to the point where he collapsed dead to the ground with no strength left to fight back and then been devoured by the World Principles of the Demon Realm. So, why was he still capable of resisting!? Furthermore, judging by the fallout of his attack, his aura was more stable and more powerful than before he had been trapped in this place. He even gave off a slight impression that he had been restored to his peak!
[What happened!? Where did it go wrong!?] Xue Li’s expression was cold and stern. He simply couldn’t figure it out.
Bright Moon’s injuries were known to all. Before he had been trapped in this place, he had been wounded by several Demon Saints working together. In fact, the injury in his abdomen had been personally inflicted by Xue Li.
To that end, Xue Li even went so far as to use a Secret Technique that wounded the enemy greatly while inflicting serious damage to himself. He was certain that nobody else in the world could treat that level of injury aside from him. [As one of the Great Emperors of the Star Boundary, Bright Moon would certainly not lack elixirs for healing purposes. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of my Secret Technique is not something that can be thwarted by mere Spirit Pills!]
Xue Li was tempted to plunge into the depths of the Blood Sea to check on Bright Moon’s current condition with his own eyes; however, there was a circle of pure land filled with a gentle light that blocked out the power of the Spirit Array at the bottom of the Blood Sea, in which Bright Moon could act as he pleased. This prevented Xue Li from seeing what was going on inside.
Since he couldn’t see inside, he could only take action to verify the situation for himself. He would definitely be made into a huge laughingstock if word got out that he allowed countless Blood Demons to be slaughtered by the opponent despite personally guarding this place.
While shouting, Xue Li raised both hands and his long, slender body shuddered slightly. A majestic wave of Demon Qi rushed out. The boiling and churning Blood Sea instantly experienced an eerie moment of calm, as though a large, invisible hand had suppressed all its movements. In the next moment, the Blood Sea suddenly began whirling clockwise, creating a whirlpool of enormous force. A huge Blood Vortex appeared in the middle of those twelve blood-coloured pillars in the blink of an eye.
That Blood Vortex was crimson all over and could clearly be seen even from thousands of kilometres away. It was as though the full moon in the sky had been dyed red and came falling down to the ground. At the same time, it gave off a feeling of unspeakable horror, as though the world was about to end.
Traces of a faint white light flickered in the centre of the Blood Vortex. It was the only pure land that Bright Moon had formed by pushing out the Blood Sea with his supreme cultivation. It was a pity that the area covered by this pure land was almost imperceptible compared to the size of the entire Blood Vortex.
Blood shadows the size of a palm formed inside the Blood Sea. Upon a closer look, one would discover that the blood shadows were actually blood-coloured bats. Those blood-coloured bats rushed towards the pure white land like an avalanche that blotted out the sky under Xue Li’s control. Unfortunately, they turned to dust and disappeared the moment they came into contact with that gentle moonlight. There was an overwhelming number of blood-coloured bats that were being formed and destroyed at a constant rate. Be that as it may, they couldn’t weaken the light of that pure land in any way whatsoever regardless of how many there were.
Xue Li’s expression darkened even more. There was no need to try again. He could already tell that Bright Moon’s condition had improved greatly, and even if he hadn’t fully healed, the difference wouldn’t be much.
[As expected, a Great Emperor cannot be underestimated.]
It was originally believed that the Twelve Pinnacles Grand Demon Array combined with the Blood Sea formed from all the living creatures of Eternal Sky Continent would be enough to make Bright Moon disappear forever, but it seemed the Heavens had other plans. It was shocking that Bright Moon still had the strength to fight back.
[The original plan is no longer feasible. We can only make adjustments to the plan as we go.] At that thought, Xue Li’s scarlet eyes flashed with determination. Casting Secret Techniques with both hands, the Demon Qi around his body surged powerfully and the Blood Vortex simultaneously began spinning faster. The indescribably high speed of rotation created a tornado. Looking down from above, the world below looked like a spinning top that threatened to rotate the entire Eternal Sky Continent along with it.
The Blood Demons surrounding the Spirit Array drew back quickly, lest they were dragged in and became collateral damage
Under Xue Li’s control, various Blood Creatures were formed from the Blood Sea in endless waves. These creatures rushed towards the pure land, only to dissipate into nothingness when they came in contact with the white light.
The Blood Sea had strong corrosive properties, but the gentle light had an unparalleled purifying effect. It was a battle between corrosion and purification. Bright Moon and Xue Li were natural enemies. When their respective Grand Daos collided with each other, a brilliant flare of light that eclipsed all others in the world flashed.
As time passed, the volume of the Blood Vortex gradually grew smaller. On the other hand, there were no changes to the pure land. There were no signs of it being reduced in any way. Many Half-Saints and members of the Demon Race watched the battle from afar, feeling incredibly pained. That Blood Vortex was the accumulation of all the living creatures of Eternal Sky Continent that had been offered up as blood sacrifices. In other words, Xue Li was using the energy formed from all the living of Eternal Sky Continent to clash with Bright Moon. Each reduction in volume represented the sacrifice made by millions of the Demon Race. Unfortunately, it was still unknown whether the outcome was worth the price they were paying.
On the other hand, Xue Li’s expression did not change whatsoever even after he launched his attack. The shrinking Blood Vortex did not affect him in any way. In his opinion, it didn’t matter if the Blood Vortex in front of him disappeared. Even if he had to sacrifice the living creatures of two or three more continents, it would still be worth it if he could weaken and suppress Bright Moon again.
There were hundreds of continents in the Demon Realm, but only twelve Demon Saints. If he could use all the living creatures of the two or three continents to gain another Demon Saint position for the Demon Realm, then it was not a bad deal. In any case, he was only sacrificing the living creatures on the continent and not the continent itself. Those low-rank members of the Demon Race were nothing to the Demon Saints. The Demon Realm might not have much, but its population was enormous. Xue Li would simply need to migrate some of the Demons from the other continents to those continents that were involved in the sacrifice and give them enough time to restore themselves to their former glory.
The air was filled with an endless sizzling sound that even drowned out the sounds made by the rotation of the Blood Vortex. It was naturally the sound of the blood waters being purified by the light Bright Moon created.
The light that used to glow faintly was growing stronger and stronger inside the crimson Blood Vortex, seemingly as though the pure land was expanding as the volume of the Blood Vortex was decreasing.
Xue Li’s scarlet eyes finally flashed with a hint of surprise. He had been certain that Bright Moon had recovered somewhat, but now he could be sure that Bright Moon was either back in peak condition or had used some sort of Secret Technique to forcefully stabilize his injuries; otherwise, it was impossible for Bright Moon to display such might.
[I can’t let this situation be dragged out any longer. Judging from the current situation, things would only get worse the longer this went on. As the person responsible for guarding this place, I will surely be disgraced if Bright Moon escapes from here.] Xue Li suddenly raised his foot and stomped abruptly on the blood-coloured pillar under his feet. Following that, an invisible force spread along the blood-coloured pillar and extended to the other eleven in a flash.
The tall pillars that acted as the base of the Spirit Array and had always been somewhat unremarkable suddenly shone with a strange light. At the same time, the complicated patterns engraved on the pillars gradually began to move. Then, eleven streams of blood water split off from the centre of the Blood Vortex and were absorbed by the blood-coloured pillars. The blood water flowed along the pillars, spreading from the bottom all the way to the top and condensing into blood-coloured figures at the top.
Eleven blood-coloured pillars and eleven blood-coloured figures. There was exactly one blood-coloured figure standing on top of each of the blood-coloured pillars, and including Xue Li, this formed the strongest array in the entire Demon Realm; the Twelve Pinnacles Grand Demon Array!
These blood-coloured figures were highly varied; some were tall, and some were short; some were male and some were female. Their bodies were constructed from the blood waters, and they had distinct features with bright eyes. In addition, each of the blood-coloured figures was emitting a different aura and each aura was that of a Demon Saint!
These twelve figures atop the pillars represented the twelve most powerful existences in the Demon Realm! It was just that, aside from Xue Li, the other eleven Saints were Manifestations based around Soul wisps. All the Demon Saints had sealed a part of their Soul into the base that made up the Twelve Pinnacles Grand Demon Array. It was so that the person in control of the Spirit Array could use a Secret Technique to awaken the Soul Wisps to enhance the power of the Spirit Array during emergencies. For example… now.
Among those figures, both Yu Ru Meng and Bei Li Mo stood out impressively.
“Xue Li, what is going on?” One of the tall figures glanced around. Then, he turned to look at Xue Li and asked the question.
“Can’t you tell from the current situation!? That bastard Bright Moon played all of us! Damn it!” A hoarse voice mixed with anger rang out from another direction.
Even if these figures were only Manifestations, the Demon Saints were no fools. They instantly understood the situation at a glance. Bright Moon had the strength to fight back against the Blood Vortex conjured by Xue Li. That was clearly not the final struggles of a dying man that they had expected. Rather, it was a person looking for a chance to break free.
“Xue Li, you were too careless! You can’t even watch over a guy rendered half-dead!? What a useless waste!” A short figure gave off a weird laugh. This person was very conspicuous among the Twelve Demon Saints because of his short stature that was only about the height of a five or six-year-old child. In contrast, his body shape was very round. The combination made him look very strange. Nevertheless, his aura felt the most dangerous among all Twelve Demon Saints. He was like a volcano that could erupt at any time.
As soon as those words left his mouth, many Demon Saints furrowed their brows in response. It was undeniable that Xue Li held some responsibility for this situation. If he had noticed Bright Moon’s condition a little earlier, they might have been able to avoid the current situation; however, it was not entirely Xue Li’s fault either. If a Star Boundary Great Emperor was that easy to kill, then they would not have spent so much energy laying out such a complex trap in the first place. Rather, if anybody else had been guarding this place instead, they might have fared even worse than Xue Li; after all, Xue Li was part of the Blood Demon Clan. Only the Blood Demons could draw out the full power that came from sacrificing all the living creatures of an entire continent.
Unfortunately, somebody had to take the blame in this situation…
When the short little man’s words rang out, Xue Li turned to look at him and grinned savagely, “Huo Bo, who gave you the courage to talk to this King in that tone? Have you forgotten the pain from the beating this King gave you ten thousand years ago? Do you want another taste? If so, this King doesn’t mind teaching you another lesson!”
The Demon Saint called Huo Bo jumped up like a cat that had its tail stepped on. His already round body seemed to expand further, and the dangerous aura around him became even more dangerous. “How dare you mention what happened ten thousand years ago!? If you didn’t cheat back then, this King would not have been humiliated in such a manner!”
Xue Li sneered, “It was your own naivete and stupidity. How can you blame me for that? A brain is certainly a good thing to have. It’s a pity not everybody has one.”
Despite being Demon Saints, they still had their respective strengths and weaknesses. It wasn’t just the case for the Demon Saints of the Demon Realm. The same went for the Great Emperors of the Star Boundary. For example, Heavens Revelations Great Emperor and Wondrous Pill Great Emperor would certainly be no match for the other Great Emperors if it came down to a fight. Those two had never been known for their combat abilities. Among the Ten Great Emperors, the one with the highest combat capabilities was probably Iron Blood Great Emperor, which was apparent just from the title of ‘Iron Blood’ that he held.
The dispute between Xue Li and Huo Bo dated back to ten thousand years ago. Although the exact situation was unclear, it was easy to figure out from their conversation that this Demon Saint by the name of ‘Huo Bo’ had suffered a great humiliation at the hands of Xue Li ten thousand years ago. Otherwise, why would the two of them still remember the incident so clearly even though so many years had passed?
“Arghhh…” That simple exchange between them instantly made Huo Bo jump with rage. He flipped out on top of that blood-coloured pillar, gritting his teeth and shouting, “Xue Li! I’m going to kill you!”
Xue Li coldly snorted, “You’re just a trivial Soul Manifestation in this place. Do you think I don’t dare to destroy you?”
Huo Bo fell into a fuming silence. The feud between him and Xue Li was a known fact. He had wanted to take advantage of this incident to ridicule the other party, but the other Demon Saints would not stand up for him even if his Soul Manifestation was destroyed in this place. Furthermore, he could not avoid taking some damage if his Soul Manifestation was damaged. Be that as it may, he felt extremely upset to remain quiet after being threatened by Xue Li.
Fortunately, somebody stepped up at this moment to smooth things over for all of them, “That’s enough. Stop quarrelling. You can settle your grievances with each other in private. What’s important right now is Bright Moon.”
The Demon who spoke had a pair of wings behind her back. She seemed to be from the same Clan as Bo Ya and was most likely a Demon Saint from the Feather Demon Clan. Turning her head, she looked around while enunciating each word clearly and coldly, “Do we kill? Or not?”
It wasn’t as though the Demon Saints were incapable of killing Bright Moon here and now. They had the perfect opportunity to kill him when he was heavily injured previously; however, their plan at the time had been to let the Demon Realm consume Bright Moon. Not only would that allow the Demon Realm to gain a new spot for a Demon Saint, it would also forever reduce the number of Great Emperors the Star Boundary could produce. That was the reason why they had set up this Grand Spirit Array and offered up billions of living beings as blood sacrifices. Unfortunately, their plans had backfired on them. Now that Bright Moon had the strength to break free of their cage, their original plans were no longer feasible. They had no choice but to come up with another course of action.
Nobody could provide an answer to the question raised by the Demon Saint of the Feather Demon Clan. If they killed Bright Moon, then all their previous efforts would be in vain. All the Demons of Eternal Sky Continent would have died for nothing. On the other hand, only the Heavens knew how much damage the struggles of a Great Emperor forced into a corner would cause if they did not kill him quickly. It was a huge dilemma even for the Demon Saints.
Silence fell over them. The only sound among them was the endless sizzling that was created as the pure white light purified the blood waters without pause. A short while later, many of them cast their gazes at a tall figure. It was as though this Demon Saint held great prestige among them all and his words could convince everybody. Under their gazes, that Demon Saint spoke, “Let’s try one more time. If it still doesn’t work, we’ll have to go with our backup plan!”
The Demon Saint of the Shadow Demon Clan replied, “There is certainly a chance of success with the backup plan, but as we discussed before, our Demon Race’s clansmen might not receive the recognition of the World this way. It’s not just that they will die if we fail to receive approval from the World, but the most important thing is that… if we actually go with this plan, many of the Half-Saints under our command will suffer and possibly even die. It’s impossible to expect them to kill a Great Emperor without paying a heavy price for it.”
The Demon Saint of the Sand Demon Clan added, “This is a rare opportunity. We should fight for it. Whether our subordinates can obtain the recognition of the World or not will depend on their luck. As for whether they survive or not… I’m sure they are more than willing to put their lives on the line for the sake of their futures; after all, if we were in their place, we would have made the same choice.”
Many of the Demon Saints nodded firmly. Even Xue Li and Huo Bo, who disliked each other, agreed on this point. Faced with this situation, the tall Demon Saint who spoke up earlier declared, “Since there are no objections, then it is settled! Begin!”
After completing their discussion, the Twelve Demon Saints began activating Secret Techniques in unison. The twelve blood-coloured pillars instantly shone with a blood-red light that flooded the entire world. At the same time, a horrifying aura suddenly burst out from the Blood Vortex, which had been constantly shrinking, suddenly became reinvigorated with the blessing of the Twelve Pinnacles Grand Demon Array.
In response, the clean white light was continuously compressed and weakened. In the end, the light disappeared out of sight. The entire process didn’t take more than an hour. Even Bright Moon’s aura could no longer be detected anymore.
Many of the Demon Saints couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief at the sight. They previously thought that Bright Moon had somehow recovered completely, but now, it would seem that it was nothing but a false alarm.
Bright Moon had probably used some sort of sacrificial Secret Technique to stabilize his injuries and put up a last struggle. It was a pity that he had underestimated the power of the Twelve Pinnacles Grand Demon Array. If it really had been just Xue Li alone here, then he might have succeeded. Unfortunately, he was unaware that the Spirit Array could summon the Soul Manifestations of the other Demon Saints at any time to provide a power boost. It could only be said that his attempt to escape had ended in failure and he was destined to die in the Demon Realm.
At this rate, they could fall back on the original plan again. Bright Moon would gradually weaken and be absorbed by the Demon Realm, but as many of them relaxed their guard, Xue Li’s expression abruptly changed and he roared, “Watch out!”
Unlike all the rest of the Demon Saints who were only here as Soul Manifestations, he was actually present. Therefore, his perception and senses were naturally sharper than the others. Combined with his identity as a Blood Demon, he had the greatest insight on the changes occurring inside the Blood Vortex and could detect even the slightest changes it underwent.
At that moment, Bright Moon’s aura, which had been extinguished previously, suddenly erupted back to life. Moreover, his aura expanded at a speed that even caught Xue Li off guard. The weakness Bright Moon displayed before had been nothing more than a ruse to make his enemies lower their defences.
At that moment, Xue Li’s mind was clearer than ever before. A look of realisation flashed in his eyes, [So this is what he was planning! No wonder he stayed quiet even though he clearly had the strength to escape! He was putting pressure on me on purpose! He wanted me to summon the others! He intends to wipe them all out in one fell swoop!]
Strong as the Demon Saints might be, they would still suffer quite a bit if their Soul Manifestations were destroyed. It would take them many years before they could recover from the effects, and that period when they were recuperating would be the best time for Bright Moon to escape. When that happened, the only one with enough strength to stop him would be Xue Li. The rest of the Demon Saints would inevitably be restrained by the injuries to their Souls.
Although they were enemies standing on opposite sides, Xue Li couldn’t help feeling a sense of respect for Bright Moon at this moment. The actual physical bodies of the other Demon Saints were already on the way here, and it wouldn’t take more than a few days for them to gather at Eternal Sky Continent. If everything went according to plan, Bright Moon would not have been able to even dream of escaping the Demon Realm even if he had overwhelming power that surpassed the Heavens. However, with what he was about to do, the other Demon Saints might not have the strength to stop him even if they rushed here in time!
Inside the crimson Blood Vortex, a small light suddenly lit up like a lamp in the night. That brightness increased at an alarming speed and in a short time, it appeared as though the sun itself was sealed within the Blood Vortex. The Blood Vortex shone brightly with a strange white incandescence. As the light grew increasingly stronger, a terrifying force poured out of the Blood Vortex.
Aside from Xue Li, the faces of the other eleven Demon Saints were filled with shock and fury.
The dazzling incandescence broke through the seals of the Blood Vortex and spread outward in all directions. Everywhere that the white light passed, the blood waters evaporated away and the enormous Blood Vortex only held out for three breaths before it dissipated into nothingness. The clean white light contained a Heaven-destroying and Earth-shattering murderous intent as its remaining power swept towards the place where the Demon Saints stood without diminishing in the slightest.
The speed of the light was unimaginably fast, so fast that even the Soul Manifestations of the Demon Saints failed to notice it until it was right in front of them. The first Soul Manifestation to be shrouded by that white light only had time to let out a shrill scream before exploding and disappearing. At the same time, a figure in a certain continent somewhere that was rushing towards Eternal Sky Continent groaned and fell out of the sky. Fortunately, the Half-Saints around him reacted quickly and supported him with their Demon Qi; otherwise, he would definitely become the butt of all jokes…
Immediately following that, a second scream rang out…
Then, a third…
“In your dreams!” Xue Li roared. He had already come up with a countermeasure in that short interval. As he shouted, he bit the tip of his tongue and sprayed out a mist of blood to his left. The blood mist spread out swiftly, came to the nearest blood-coloured pillar in the blink of an eye, and enveloped the Soul Manifestation standing there. Immediately following that, the white light struck. Fortunately, the white light was offset by the blood mist that enveloped that Soul Manifestation, allowing it to escape unscathed.
As the white light gradually faded, its terrifying power slowly subsided. The figure of a young man was eventually revealed to be standing in the spot where the enormous Blood Vortex was originally located. That person’s complexion was jade-like, brave, and heroic. He was dressed in white clothes that were spotlessly clean. Stepping out of his prison, he looked at Xue Li quietly with a calm smile on his face.
Xue Li’s gaze landed on Bright Moon’s abdomen for a moment before his pupils abruptly shrank… [The wound is gone! He’s fully recovered!]
After that, he turned to look to the side and saw Huo Bo, the only remaining survivor and his facial muscles twitched in response. When Bright Moon attacked just now, Xue Li could only protect one other person. It was impossible for him to stop Bright Moon from escaping with his strength alone and he didn’t think about anything else at that moment. Only now did Xue Li realize that the person he protected was none other than Huo Bo… [Just looking at that oafs’ expression makes me want to spit up blood!]
Nevertheless, now was not the time to care about such details, [The Blood Sacrifice Technique has been broken and the Twelve Pinnacles Grand Demon Array has become a hollow joke due to a moment of carelessness. Right now, the only ones that can stop Bright Moon are Huo Bo and I!]
“Get here quickly!” Xue Li growled at Huo Bo. Then, he turned his head and focused all his attention on Bright Moon, who was slowly approaching. He might not be afraid of a Great Emperor, even one in peak condition, but he could not delay Bright Moon for long either if the latter was intent on escaping. It had taken several Demon Saints working together at that time just to injure and trap Bright Moon here. If Huo Bo took too long to arrive, everything would be over!
Needless to say, Huo Bo understood this too. He turned and glared at Bright Moon hatefully before his figure dissolved into a pool of blood that vanished into the blood-coloured pillar. Meanwhile, somewhere in the distance, the actual Huo Bo was rushing toward Eternal Sky Continent with all his might…
The mountains and rivers shuddered, space collapsed, the continent was broken into pieces, and incomparably huge cracks lay across the Void like scars that would never heal. Blood-red light and moonlight clashed with each other above the sky. The Half-Saints and other members of the Demon Race watched in awe from below.
They could not tell how the battle was going as the fiercely colliding Grand Dao had blanketed all traces and blinded their eyes. There was only a continuous flashing of lights in their vision, an endless rumbling in their ears, and the ceaseless quaking of the World Energy around them. The aftershocks of the confrontation rippled wildly across the entire continent. As strong as the Half-Saints were, they suddenly felt extremely insignificant in the face of such power. This was a true battle between a Great Emperor and a Demon Saint!
Eternal Sky Continent was still in tatters from the last battle, and now that it was going through another similar experience, this continent was basically doomed to destruction. Even with the World Principles of the Demon Realm doing their best to repair things, it was unlikely for it to recover again on its own. Rather, it was easy to imagine that it would be like all the other continents that had disappeared. It would slowly disconnect itself from the Demon Realm in the next millennia and become completely obliterated in the endless Void.
Even if the Half-Saints couldn’t catch the specifics of the battle, they could tell that the Great Emperor from the Star Boundary was still trying to find a way to escape just by relying on their combat instincts; however, his attempts were being blocked by Xue Li. It was impossible for the Human to get away for the time being, but that was an extremely normal occurrence. When two people of similar strength fought, there would always be some struggle between the escapee and the captor. Unfortunately, it was undeniable that the former had an advantage over the latter. The captor would have to pay a higher price to achieve their goals.
High up in the sky, there was a round moon behind Bright Moon’s back that shone with a brilliant, white light. That gentle halo of light illuminated the entire world. Meanwhile, the aura around his body pulsed vibrantly, causing every gesture he made to carry the power to destroy the Heavens and shatter the Earth.
Sometimes, Xue Li took his Human form to perform various Secret Techniques to display his strength. Other times, he would turn into a blood mist that made his whereabouts very difficult to track. There was no need for him to confront Bright Moon in a life-or-death fight, he only needed to delay the other party’s progress and wait for Huo Bo to arrive. It would then become two against one, giving them a decisive advantage.
It was obvious that Bright Moon understood that too. His offensive attacks became fiercer and fiercer, almost to the point of recklessness. What really bothered him was not Xue Li, who was fighting him. Rather, it was a throbbing feeling in his heart. It felt as though a pair of eyes were watching him quietly from the darkness; one that could strike a fatal blow at any time.
If not for his scruples over that, Bright Moon would have gone all out in his struggle with Xue Li a long time ago. He tried many times to lure the enemy hiding in the dark to reveal themselves, but his efforts had failed. He didn’t know whether it was simply his imagination or whether the enemy was simply concealing themselves extremely well, but the longer he was delayed, the more detrimental it was to him. He could no longer afford to continue delaying as his best chance of survival was to flee as soon as possible.
When the thought crossed his mind, a trace of determination flashed in his eyes. Forming a set of profound hand seals, the round moon behind Bright Moon suddenly burst with dazzling light, transforming his whole being into a beam of brilliant radiance. With the resolve of facing death in order to carve out a chance to live, he charged toward Xue Li.
The blood mist in front condensed to reveal Xue Li’s figure as a trace of hesitation and struggle flashed in his eyes. Finally, he grit his teeth and the vitality around his body surged. A bright red light illuminated the sky as he stepped forward to meet Bright Moon boldly.
[If you want to fight with your life on the line, then I will accept your challenge!] His first thought was that it was one of Bright Moon’s tricks and he was simply trying to use this method to force him into retreat. This was the Demon Realm after all, and if Bright Moon was injured once more, he would not be able to escape again.
For that reason, Xue Li could not afford to retreat in this place. If he did, Bright Moon’s plan would succeed. Since he couldn’t retreat, he could only fight!
However, Xue Li’s expression soon filled with shock. That was because as he approached, he discovered that Bright Moon had no intention of backing down. Instead, Bright Moon’s aura became stronger while at the same time his attack became even more determined.
[This bastard really wants to clash with me!]
Xue Li soon rejoiced as he couldn’t help bursting into laughter, “Bright Moon, you truly court death!”
After saying that, he increased his power too.
Above the sky, white and red rays of light quickly approached each other before colliding. There was no explosion. At that moment, the entire world fell into a strange silence. It was as chaotic as the dawn of time; however, all those Demons who were watching this scene could clearly hear their hearts thumping in their chests. It felt as though they were caught by a giant invisible hand that left them feeling breathless…
The two rays of red and white light were stuck in a stalemate in the sky for a moment. Then, they crashed, exploded, and the impact seemed to swallow the entire world. All the Demons below couldn’t help squinting at this moment. Shockwaves visible to the naked eye spread out in all directions centred around the collision point as a gust of wind howled past, flattening and shattering many mountains…
The two figures were thrown in opposite directions at a speed faster than when they rushed at each other as the entire continent resounded with Xue Li’s angry roar, “You can’t escape, Bright Moon!”
Somewhere in the distance, a figure floated up unsteadily. It was none other than Bright Moon Great Emperor who had suffered defeat at Xue Li’s hands twice. At the moment, his complexion was deathly pale and his hair was dishevelled. His white clothes were stained with large patches of red. Nobody could tell whether the blood belonged to him or Xue Li. Ignoring his enemy’s words though, Bright Moon circulated his Emperor Qi and flew towards the nearest Territory Gate.
At the same time, he reached out his hand, summoned forth an emerald green leaf, put it in his mouth, and held it under his tongue. If it weren’t for having this leaf of the Immortal Tree, he would not have dared to use such a method that would injure both parties to escape from Xue Li’s entanglement. It was precisely because he could fall back on this that Bright Moon could act so resolutely.
Yang Kai had given him three leaves of the Immortal Tree back then, two of which he had used to heal his wounds. Bright Moon had been reluctant to use the last one, saving it just for today in case anything unexpected happened. Now, it would seem that this was a wise decision. He could stabilize his injuries with the leaf of the Immortal Tree, allowing him to take advantage of the fact that the other Demon Saints had not arrived. It was a great chance for him to escape from the Demon Realm during this period.
There were two remaining Territory Gates in Eternal Sky Continent, each of which was heavily guarded. Nevertheless, as long as there were no Demon Saints blocking his path, the other members of the Demon Race were nothing to him. If he could only pass through the Territory Gate, he would have won half the battle.
It was just that the feeling of being stared at by somebody was still there. It was definitely not just his imagination. There really was an extremely powerful enemy hiding somewhere in the darkness like a hunter watching the movements of their prey.
What surprised Bright Moon though was that the enemy hiding in the dark did not seem intent on stopping him even when the Territory Gate appeared in his vision. He did not let his guard down just because of that though as it was well-known that the better the hunter, the higher the possibility of them landing a fatal blow at the critical moment…
Bright Moon was only a few hundred metres from the Territory Gate, and with his cultivation, he could cover such a distance in the time it took to blink, but all of a sudden, a powerful aura suddenly appeared from the side and approached him at an incredible speed. It was a Demon Saint’s aura! Moreover, it was an extremely unfamiliar aura.
Bright Moon’s expression sank. He turned his head to look, only to see a figure with a short and round body that looked like a melon. His entire body seemed to be covered in flames, and he was screaming loudly. Moreover, he made a flurry of odd gestures on the way here. It made him look extremely comical.
[Is that… a Red Demon?] Bright Moon had spent quite a long time in the Demon Realm, and although he had been imprisoned for the vast majority of it, that did not mean he was clueless about the Demon Realm. Back then, Yang Kai had explained the various customs and culture of the Demons to the people of the Star Boundary, focusing on the characteristics and abilities of numerous Clans in the Demon Realm.
The memory of the Red Demons and Green Demons self-destructing was vivid in Yang Kai’s mind. Those two clans had been very active in the wars between the two worlds, and many from the Star Boundary had died at their hands.
These two Demon Clans held extremely low status across the entire Demon Realm. It could be said that they were the lowest existences of them all. They acted as cannon fodder in every war due to their powerful self-destruction ability.
Correspondingly, these Demons who were essentially cannon fodder had extremely low intelligence and never seemed to have produced any high-level members of the Demon Race. Be that as it may, Bright Moon was currently looking at a Red Demon, who was a Demon Saint! It was no mistake. The person rushing toward him, flailing and yelling at the same time, was exuding the aura of a Demon Saint!
[Can a Red Demon really cultivate to become a Demon Saint?] Despite his impressive mental faculties, Bright Moon couldn’t help feeling shocked.
Meanwhile, the Red Demon Saint rushing in this direction seemed to have no intention of defending at all. On the contrary, he looked as though he was determined to die together with Bright Moon.
[What does he plan to do?] Bright Moon frowned. [This guy can’t be like those normal Red Demons and Green Demons, right? He can’t be throwing himself at me to self-destruct, right? He is a Demon Saint after all. He can’t be attacking with such inferior means!]
Unfortunately, he soon discovered that he was wrong. This Demon really intended to self-destruct! That was because the aura around his body was becoming more and more dangerous as he approached. It felt like a volcano that could erupt at any time!
Bright Moon’s complexion changed. He turned and glanced at the Territory Gate that was so close at hand. Gritting his teeth, he retreated quickly.
The self-destruction of the most common Red Demons could produce great damage. Bright Moon simply could not imagine what would happen if a Red Demon, on par with the Demon Saint, were to self-destruct. [Perhaps, even the entire continent will be destroyed from the blast!]
To his surprise, the figure of the Red Demon in front of him became distorted as he backed away. The other party suddenly appeared a thousand metres in front of him in an instant. At such close distance, Bright Moon could clearly see the other party’s ugly face, bloated figure, and eyes that looked like they were about to pop out of their sockets. It was as if he himself could barely bear the great pressure in his body. The aura that was already dangerous in the first place had become even more horrifying at this moment.
Without any hesitation, Bright Moon gestured with both hands to lay down several layers of defence in front of him. He even went so far as to summon the defensive Emperor Artifact that he had never used before!
A small red light appeared suddenly. Immediately after that, a loud noise that left the entire world buzzing in its wake rang out. The place where the Red Demon Saint was located was instantly shrouded in a dazzling red light. Then, the red light spread out violently in all directions. Everything it touched turned to dust.
The layers of defence in front of Bright Moon shattered like paper. Meanwhile, the defensive Emperor Artifact was wildly flashing, only enduring for a breath before shattering.
Bright Moon’s eyes narrowed sharply. Maintaining a constant pace of retreat, he continued to lay defences in front of him…
A moment later, the red light disappeared and the world calmed down. He stood in the sky, looking awful. His complexion was as pale as a sheet and blood was trickling out of his ears, nose, and mouth…
The destructive power of a Red Demon Saint’s Self-Destruction Technique was smaller than he had expected. At the very least, it had not destroyed an entire continent. Nevertheless, it had increased the severity of his injuries. The powerful vitality from the leaf of the Immortal Tree flowed throughout his body, quickly repairing the wounds in his body, but unfortunately, this was not something that could be done in such a short time. The injuries he received from Xue Li in the beginning had taken him two leaves and nearly a year to completely heal.
“Hahahaha!” Xue Li’s laughter sounded from afar as he drew nearer by the moment. He was obviously rushing toward this place, “Huo Bo, this is the first time I’ve ever found you so pleasing to the eye!”
Protecting Huo Bo’s Soul Manifestation had brought about an unexpected result. The other Demon Saints were not weak. In fact, most of them were stronger than Huo Bo. Be that as it may, if it had been somebody else other than Huo Bo who came here instead, they might have failed to halt Bright Moon here; after all, Bight Moon had been one step away from the Territory Gate. Huo Bo’s Self-Destruction Technique was the only thing that could prevent Bright Moon from passing through at that moment!
Small spots of red light condensed together, reforming into a short and bloated figure in the blink of an eye. The Demon Saint’s self-destruction had not cost him his life. That was probably an Innate Divine Ability that separated him from the rest of the Red Demon Clan. Nevertheless, his current condition was not the best either. The colour of his originally crimson body had dimmed noticeably and his aura was weaker too. It was clear that the Self-Destruction Technique had taken quite a toll on him. A Divine Ability like that could not be used continuously in a short period of time; otherwise, it would be fatal for him.
Huo Bo turned his head and looked in Xue Li’s direction, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly as he muttered something under his breath. Although nobody could tell what he was saying, it seemed as though he was cursing at somebody.
On the other hand, Bright Moon’s expression was as calm as water. He sighed. He was not sighing due to his failure. This scenario was still within his expectations. Needless to say, it would have been best if he could break out and escape; however, the Demon Realm had Twelve Demon Saints. If they truly let him escape, then they shouldn’t call themselves Demon Saints anymore. The situation before was well within his expectations, so there was nothing to regret. [My path is filled with thorns and there is only one way forward. I can only kill my way out!]
…..
Yang Kai was feeling extremely anxious. After rushing all the way, he finally arrived at the Territory Gate leading to Eternal Sky Continent half a month later. From a distance, he could see many members of the Demon Race gathered in front of the Territory Gate. He did not know how many people were gathered there.
With so many Demons around, the place became fairly chaotic as a result. The Demon Race army scrambled towards the Territory Gate under the lead of the Half-Saints, as though something good was waiting for them on the other side.
[Judging by the current situation, it won’t be my turn even after waiting in line for more than ten days!] Yang Kai turned around upon seeing this situation and yelled to the back, “Keep up!”
Tightening his knees around Zhui Feng, Yang Kai rushed towards the Territory Gate aggressively. Since he wouldn’t get a turn if he waited in line, then he simply wouldn’t wait in line!
Yang Kai charged forward violently. Relying on Zhui Feng’s power, he forcefully forged a path through the dense crowd of the Demons as his army of two million followed closely behind.
It went without saying that his actions attracted the attention of many of the Demon Race. They turned their heads in this direction and glared furiously. Even so, the entire Demon Realm was a place where the strong ruled. Although Yang Kai clearly wasn’t a Half-Saint, the aura Zhui Feng exuded was not inferior to a Half-Saint in any way. Therefore, the average member of the Demon Race did not dare to raise any objections.
After approaching to within five thousand metres of the Territory Gate, a figure suddenly floated over and stopped in front of Yang Kai. That figure lifted his hand slightly and shouted, “Stop!”
“Move aside! All who block my way will die!” Yang Kai did not have the time to waste on this person. The battle on Eternal Sky Continent had already begun and Bright Moon’s fate remained unknown; hence, Yang Kai was very anxious to check on the situation himself. Even if a Demon Saint was standing in front of him right now, he would have continued acting rampant, much less a mere Half-Saint.
In fact, Yang Kai was glad that somebody had blocked his way. He could make an example out of this person! The Embodiment had become a Half-Saint and Zhui Feng was one as well. The cards in Yang Kai’s hands were only getting better and better.
Yang Kai did not know which Clan this Half-Saint was from, only that his complexion was very sallow. The Demon Race army passing through the Territory Gate at this moment happened to be under his command and it was precisely because of that reason that he stepped forward to stop Yang Kai. Otherwise, who would bother to take care of somebody else’s affairs?
When that Half-Saint saw Yang Kai riding a Demon Beast with such a powerful aura, he was certain that the latter possessed an influential background. For that reason, he first tried reasoning with Yang Kai. Who could have known that Yang Kai would reject his kind offer so arrogantly? It immediately made him mad.
[This guy’s aura isn’t that strong. Even if he comes from an influential background, it has its limits. Besides, I am a Half-Saint. Why should I be afraid of others?]
In his rage, he lifted his hand and struck Yang Kai. An overwhelming wave of Demon Qi came rushing out and the air resounded with a deafening voice, “You court death!”
The power of a Half-Saint was nothing to laugh about and Yang Kai immediately sensed something tightening around his entire body as the aura of death washed over him. Just as he was considering letting the Embodiment out though, Zhui Feng neighed. His four hooves ignited with golden flames, leaving gold marks behind each step. He immediately appeared in front of that Half-Saint, reared up on his hindlegs, and stomped on him with his front hoofs.
It was an unremarkable attack, but even so, it made the Half-Saint’s expression change drastically. He raised his hands above his head with his palms facing outward like he was trying to hold up the sky, the Demon Qi in his body surging violently.
The moment the palms and hooves came into contact with each other, a terrifying force blasted out. The Half-Saint only managed to hold his ground for a moment before he fell out of the sky like an arrow that had left its string, his figure vanishing out of sight in an instant.
Zhui Feng looked like he was going to chase after his opponent, but Yang Kai grabbed his mane to restrain him. Turning around, Yang Kai glared at his surroundings with a cold gaze, “Who else wants to stop me?”
All the members of the Demon Race in the surroundings quickly retreated. Meanwhile, the other Half-Saints nearby stared at Zhui Feng with frowns on their faces. Then, a look of surprise flashed in their eyes as they apparently recognized the beast’s origins.
Yang Kai had been running around non-stop to help the Demon Saints repair their Territory Gates. For that reason, he had gotten to know many Half-Saints. Be that as it may, none of them could rival Zhui Feng when it came to reputation.
The mount that the Master of Hundred Spirits Continent once used to ride was incredibly famous, it was just that this legendary mount had gradually disappeared from the world’s notice following Chang Tian’s withdrawal from public life. Nobody could have expected Zhui Feng to reappear again here; moreover, he was being ridden by somebody who was no more than a Mid-Rank Demon King. Just who was this man!?
Although the relationship between Hundred Spirits Continent and the Demon Realm was tenuous, Zhui Feng’s identity was extremely unusual. If anybody dared to harm a single hair on Zhui Feng’s head, ‘that’ person from Hundred Spirits Continent would definitely come rushing out in a rage and turn the world upside down!
Therefore, all the Half-Saints held their silence when those words came out of Yang Kai’s mouth. It wasn’t because they were afraid of Yang Kai, but rather that they were worried that they might accidentally injure Zhui Feng during a fight. That would be very bad. What’s more; going by the strength Zhui Feng displayed just now, he was undoubtedly an extremely strong existence even among Half-Saints. It was a pity he was limited by his low sentience which prevented him from taking on a Human Form.
The sallow-faced Half-Saint who was sent crashing down by Zhui Feng flew back up again, his expression cold and terrifying. It was extremely embarrassing to be caught off guard in that moment of carelessness. Even so, it was obvious that he had some misgivings since he didn’t attack again.
Yang Kai glanced at the Half-Saint and did not provoke the other party any further. He had enough on his plate as it was and it would be better if he entered Eternal Sky Continent as soon as possible. Thus, Yang Kai simply shouted to the army under his command, “Let’s go!”
After saying that, he took the lead and headed towards the Territory Gate.
Lao Ke and the others followed behind him, drenched in cold sweat as they felt incredibly guilty. Yang Kai had the protection of Zhui Feng, so even if a fight broke out, nothing would happen to him. Unfortunately, the same could not be said about them. How many would be left of the army of two million if a melee broke out here? Fortunately, the surrounding Half-Saints had restrained themselves…
Afterwards, the army of two million shuffled through the Territory Gate, finishing their transit within half a day as the Territory Gate was big enough to accommodate many people at once.
Despite appearing in different locations, they were all within a thousand kilometres of each other. Yang Kai spent some time regrouping and reorganizing the army before setting off with great vigour.
From time to time, they would feel waves of subtle vibrations coming from somewhere up ahead. The sounds of battle mixed with the fallout of clashes came from the distance. A light loomed on the horizon, indicating that the battle was getting more and more intense.
Yang Kai lifted his gaze to look in that direction but couldn’t see anything. The actual battlefield was simply too far away.
On his way there, he encountered many other Demon Race armies rushing in that direction and his heart sank deeper and deeper. The way things stood; it was evident that the Demon Realm had pulled out all the stops. All the Half-Saints who remained in the Demon Realm along with seemingly every member who could fight had been dragged to Eternal Sky Continent. All this just to kill Bright Moon!
A strange idea came to Yang Kai’s head suddenly. [If I could destroy the entire Eternal Sky Continent, then the Demon Race would suffer a devastating loss that would certainly leave them debilitated for some time. That would also resolve the crisis of the Demon Realm’s invasion into the Star Boundary in one fell swoop!] However, that thought only flitted through his mind for a moment before he gave up on the idea. He did not have the power to pull such a feat off.
Passing by a certain mountain range, Yang Kai saw a crowd of people below. An extremely enormous flag was planted on the top of the mountain, one covered in complex patterns that fluttered in the wind. Yang Kai frowned at the sight, and after observing for a moment, he made the army behind him wait and flew down on Zhui Feng alone.
Someone over there cast a gaze in his direction before he flew up. When their gazes met, that person smiled at Yang Kai slightly and bowed with his hand on his chest, “We meet again, Brother Yang.”
“So it is Brother Bai Ya. No wonder you seemed so familiar.” Yang Kai flew over and looked down on that person from above.
Stationed on this mountain was the Half-Saint under Bei Li Mo, Bai Ya. Yang Kai had met Bai Ya on multiple occasions when he was repairing the Territory Gates in Bei Li Mo’s territory so they could be considered acquaintances.
When Bai Ya glanced at Zhui Feng, a flash of surprise appeared in his eyes and he smilingly asked, “Brother Yang, that is an extraordinary mount. Where did you get him?”
Yang Kai gave a fake laugh and replied, “I picked him up by the side of the road.”
The other party had clearly recognized Zhui Feng; thus, asking that question was simply to obtain confirmation. It didn’t matter whether he answered the question or not.
The corners of Bai Ya’s mouth twitched at those words before he looked back in the direction of the battlefield and asked leisurely, “Brother Yang, did you receive an order from the Holy Venerables to come and try your luck too?”
[Try my luck? Try my luck at what? What luck is there here?] Yang Kai was utterly confused. When it came down to it, he had not received any orders whatsoever. He had barged into this place on his own. Not in the position to ask questions though, he simply went with the flow, “That’s right. Isn’t that the case for you too, Brother Bai Ya?”
Bai Ya smiled bitterly and shook his head, “Of course, but I’d rather not have come. Unfortunately, it is an order from the Holy Venerables. I can’t disobey.”
Yang Kai nodded, “This place is extremely dangerous after all. It’s definitely not a place anybody will want to come to. But why hang your head and sigh when you are already here? The tides might turn in your favour. Who knows? It might be your lucky break now, Brother Bai Ya.”
Bai Ya laughed, “Although I really want to believe in your auspicious words, I know my own capabilities. If a fight breaks out, I won’t stand much of a chance…”
While speaking, he suddenly turned to look at Yang Kai, his eyes brightening as he said, “On the other hand, Brother Yang, you… might have a better chance than everybody else.”
[Better chance at what!? What the Hell is this guy talking about!?] Yang Kai was tempted to just ask to get to the bottom of things, but he had already pretended to understand the situation just now so he couldn’t expose his lies by asking. Thus, he could only pretend to be puzzled, “Brother Bai Ya, I don’t quite understand what you mean by that. If even you don’t stand much of a chance, why would you say I’d be able to do it?”
“Because you are from the Star Boundary! You originated from the same place!” Bai Ya replied in a matter-of-fact manner.
[What does this have to do with my coming from Star Boundary? What does he mean by originating from the same place?] Yang Kai was dying to know so badly that it felt as though a cat was scratching his heart with his claws. He was tempted to pry Bai Ya’s mouth open and get all the answers he wanted. Even so, on the surface, he pretended as though the realization had dawned on him, “So that’s how it is. Haha. I will believe in your auspicious words then, Brother Bai Ya.”
Bai Ya said with a solemn expression, “That might be the case, but if it really comes down to a fight, I will not hold back. If I accidentally harm you in any way, I hope you won’t blame me for it, Brother Yang!”
Yang Kai faked a laugh again, “Our lives are determined by fate, but we determine our future. Seeing as I am already here, that would mean that I have long mentally prepared myself for that possibility.”
Bai Ya gently nodded, “You sure are carefree, Brother Yang. Please go ahead with your duties. I might still have to wait here for some time.”
“I will take my leave then.” Yang Kai turned Zhui Feng around. He took a few steps, then turned around and asked, “Can I ask you something? Where should I go?”
Bai Ya stretched out his hand and pointed out, “The Half-Saints under Holy Venerable Ru Meng are in charge of guarding that position. You can go there and meet up with the rest of them.”
[So that’s how it is.] Yang Kai took another look at the flag that was waving in the wind on top of the mountain. A glimmer of realization flashed through his eyes. It would seem that all the Half-Saints who rushed over from the Demon Realm had divided the battlefield according to their respective Demon Saints and formed an encirclement. Each group of Half-Saints under their respective Demon Saint was responsible for an area.
After saying goodbye to Bai Ya, Yang Kai turned around to gather up his army of two million and headed in the direction indicated.
Half a day later, Yang Kai saw another big flag on the top of another mountain. The pattern on this flag was exactly the same as the pattern on a token that Yu Ru Meng had given him before. Needless to say, this was probably the gathering place for all those under Yu Ru Meng.
Yang Kai rode Zhui Feng and flew low. Scanning the crowd, he did not see any familiar faces among them. Speaking of which, he did not know much about the Half-Saints under Yu Ru Meng. The ones he was most familiar with were Bai Zhuo and Yue Sang. He was close with the former and held a grudge against the latter. Although he had met several other Half-Saints, he did not interact with them much. They only exchanged a few words while repairing the Territory Gate, so he was not close with them.
Meanwhile, the Half-Saint sitting at the top of this mountain looked very unfamiliar. This man had wide shoulders, a firm torso, and was unusually burly. Most of those in the Demon Race with such body shapes were either Strength Demons or Stone Demons.
Yang Kai could not determine which Clan this man was from without fighting him. Even so, something surprised him slightly. The Half-Saint had shot a cold and quiet glance at him when he first flew over, which was immediately followed by a look of disgust and hatred. It was as though the other party had found him rather unpleasant.
Yang Kai was at a loss. He didn’t understand how he had offended this person either. Whatever the case, this Half-Saint was in charge of affairs here, so Yang Kai had no choice but to step forward and inquire. When he got closer, he bowed with his hand on his chest, “I am Yang Kai of Cloud Shadow Continent. May I know how I should address you?”
That burly Half-Saint had a cold stare as the corners of his mouth curved into a mocking smile. It would seem that he had no intention of speaking to Yang Kai at all. On the contrary, his gaze was fixed on Zhui Feng for the most part.
Yang Kai repeated himself, but the other party continued to ignore him. Seeing that, he could be certain now. This guy really didn’t like him.
The situation utterly baffled Yang Kai as he was certain this was the first time they were meeting each other so there should be no conflict between them. Besides, Yang Kai had a close relationship with Yu Ru Meng, so even if most of the Half-Saints under Yu Ru Meng were not deferential towards him, they had to maintain a level of civility on the surface at the very least.
[I wonder what this guy is trying to do by putting on such a disrespectful attitude.]
There was no reason to repeat himself further though, so having failed to receive any response even after asking twice, Yang Kai didn’t bother saying anything else. He glanced around for a bit, nodded lightly, and turned around. Beckoning to the army behind him, he crossed the mountain and continued forward.
When Yang Kai left, that burly Half-Saint summoned a Demon King over and whispered into the latter’s ear, “Spread the news that the Human has appeared. If anybody wants to make a move, they should do it before Holy Venerable arrives.”
The Demon King took the order and left, disappearing out of sight in an instant.
…
“Great King, that was Senior Di Li just now.” After walking a certain distance, He Yin spoke up. She had seen Yang Kai being embarrassed back there, so she wanted to explain the reason to him.
Yang Kai secretly made a mental note on the name before he frowned and asked, “Did we ever upset that guy before?”
He Yin shook her head, “No. It’s just…” She glanced at him, hesitating to speak.
He said, “If you have something to say, just say it straight.”
She replied, “Senior Di Li and Sir Yue Sang have a good relationship with each other.”
Tu Qia Luo, who was nearby, also nodded at that, “That’s right. Senior Di Li often came over to drink and chat when Sir Yue Sang was still on Blue Plains Continent.”
“Drinking buddies…” Realization suddenly dawned on Yang Kai. He looked back and sneered softly, “So it’s because of that damned Yue Sang!”
Yue Sang was sent to the Two World’s Battlefield because of Yang Kai. Up until today, his fate remained unknown. That was a well-known fact. Yu Ru Meng had wanted to use that gesture to show all the Half-Saints under her command just how highly she valued Yang Kai. She could never have expected that her actions would inadvertently bring hatred to him instead.
If Di Li and Yue Sang had a good relationship with each other, then it was no surprise that the former held such dislike for Yang Kai. It would be stranger if he was polite and accommodating instead. Therefore, Yang Kai wasn’t bothered by it. The main reason was that he wasn’t in the mood to entertain such trivialities. Now that he had arrived at Eternal Sky Continent, it was only natural that his focus became fixed on the situation around Bright Moon.
Yang Kai didn’t go very far. He simply found a mountain valley located some fifty kilometres from the flag and stationed his army there. After that, he rode on Zhui Feng and stood high up in the sky, looking into the distance while trying to conceal his worry.
Ever since arriving on Eternal Sky Continent, Yang Kai could clearly perceive the fierce battle in the distance that never stopped, not even for a moment. He could infer from the auras fluctuating in the distance that Bright Moon was facing more than one enemy. [Bright Moon is outnumbered. I don’t know how long he can last, but he should have at least a chance if he only focuses on escaping.]
At a time like this, Yang Kai was powerless to interfere as he might be torn to shreds by the fallout of the clash before he could even approach the battlefield; hence, he could only wait here and monitor to see if the situation took an unexpected turn. Be that as it may, what seemed a little strange to him was that the Twelve Demon Saints had yet to arrive on the scene. There should be no more than three people fighting Bright Moon over in the distance, which begs the question, where were the rest of the Demon Saints? A huge battle had broken out in this place, so those Demon Saints should have arrived a long time ago.
[Where is Yu Ru Meng? I didn’t see Bei Li Mo anywhere near Bai Ya either.] This discovery puzzled Yang Kai a little. After mulling over it, he summoned Lao Ke and ordered him to investigate the situation. The Half-Saints under Yu Ru Meng were in charge of this area, so it should not be hard to find one or two familiar faces to ask about the situation.
More than a dozen Demons set off a moment later, splitting in various directions. Despite waiting for half a day, Yang Kai didn’t hear anything back from those groups though; thus, he immediately selected a team to come with him and headed in a certain direction.
An hour later, Yang Kai met Bai Zhuo on top of a mountain peak and exchanged a few words of greeting. Yang Kai then asked curiously, “Weren’t you sent to the Two World’s Battlefield? When did you return?”
If he remembered correctly, Bai Zhuo had mentioned returning to the battlefield some time ago; hence, he did not expect to meet him here.
Bai Zhuo smiled bitterly, “With such a huge commotion going on here, it’s only natural that we return. Almost all the Half-Saints were summoned back while only a few remained behind to maintain a defensive line.”
“Almost all returned?” Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed as he couldn’t help looking around with a vigilant expression on his face.
Upon seeing this, Bai Zhuo laughed, “Don’t worry. Yue Sang did not receive a transfer order. He is still on the battlefield.”
Yang Kai touched his nose and laughed in embarrassment, “I wasn’t looking for him…”
The truth was that he indeed had been looking out for Yue Sang. He could not defend against an ambush from a Half-Saint, not even with Zhui Feng’s protection. Nevertheless, even Bai Zhuo had been transferred back while Yue Sang was left behind. Yu Ru Meng’s stance in this matter was very clear. Changing the subject, Yang Kai asked, “Where is Holy Venerable?”
Bai Zhuo looked at Yang Kai strangely and countered, “Did you not receive the message from Holy Venerable?”
“Yes, I did.” Yang Kai lied with a straight face, “But, Holy Venerable only informed me to rush over. She didn’t say anything else.”
Bai Zhuo was sceptical, but thinking about how important Yang Kai was to Yu Ru Meng, he decided he had no reason to doubt otherwise. As such, he stopped talking and secretly sent a Divine Sense transmission to Yang Kai, “Holy Venerable has been injured. She is stabilizing her condition right now.”
Yang Kai’s expression turned solemn, “How did she get injured? Are her injuries severe?”
Bai Zhuo shook his head, “It probably isn’t too serious as Holy Venerable said she will definitely rush over. As for how she was hurt…”
He raised his gaze and looked into the distance. Then, he whispered, “It’s probably related to what is happening over there.”
Yang Kai was excited when he heard this news. [I was worried that Bright Moon was currently outnumbered, but who could have thought that he had already injured Yu Ru Meng! Was he really that powerful?]
“Holy Venerable Ru Meng is not the only one who was injured, most of the other Holy Venerables suffered injuries too.” Without waiting for Yang Kai to digest the previous piece of news, Bai Zhuo threw out an even more shocking one.
Yang Kai stared at Bai Zhuo dumbly with an incredulous expression. He instinctively felt that it was impossible. If Bai Zhuo had claimed that Bright Moon had injured one Demon Saint under the current circumstances, then it might have made some sense, but, injuring two or three… That was simply unrealistic! It wasn’t that Yang Kai was underestimating Bright Moon, it was just that the Demon Saints were not weak either. How could they be so vulnerable?
Even so, Bai Zhuo had spoken with such great confidence that Yang Kai had to believe those words and hurriedly asked, “What happened?
Bai Zhuo slowly shook his head, “I don’t know the specifics. Holy Venerable didn’t say clearly. She only asked me to form a siege around the battlefield and assist the Holy Venerables Xue Li and Huo Bo, to prevent the Great Emperor from taking desperate actions!”
[Xue Li and Huo Bo…] Yang Kai secretly made a mental note on these two names. If he was not mistaken, then these two were the ones currently fighting Bright Moon. It was also consistent with the information he had perceived before, but, just what happened in the half month before he arrived? How did Bright Moon manage to severely injure so many Demon Saints in one fell swoop? Possessing such power despite being imprisoned for so long, it could only be said that he truly deserved the title of Great Emperor!
“Brother Bai Zhuo, do you know how the battle is going on over there?” Restraining the shock in his heart, Yang Kai asked.
Bai Zhuo smiled bitterly, “I don’t know either. In any case, that Great Emperor will certainly suffer greatly with Holy Venerable Xue Li and Huo Bo cooperating against him.”
That was what puzzled Yang Kai the most. [Bright Moon managed to injure so many Demon Saints, so why is he being held up by two people? Could it be that he used some sort of powerful Secret Technique that caused him to be seriously injured as a result? That would explain why he had no power to do anything else, but that didn’t make any sense either…]
All of a sudden, another question came to him, “Is Holy Venerable Ru Meng still not here yet?”
Bai Zhuo shook his head, expressing that this was indeed the case.
[Ru Meng had been wounded before arriving in this place. If that’s the case, then there can only be one reason…] A sudden realization dawned on Yang Kai. [It looks like it might have something to do with a Soul Manifestation Technique! Maybe Bright Moon destroyed those Demon Saints’ Soul Wisps, which was how so many of them had been injured.]
Unable to get more information out of Bai Zhuo, Yang Kai flew back. His thoughts were a mess. It stood to reason that this was the best time for him to rescue Bright Moon. Most of the Demon Saints were still recuperating from their injuries, leaving only Xue Li and Huo Bo capable of contending with Bright Moon across the entire Eternal Sky Continent. Unfortunately, he was too weak. Even if he ran over to help, he would only cause more problems for Bright Moon. Be that as it may, they would lose what chance they had if he continued to wait and the Demon Saints arrived.
Returning to where the army was stationed in a muddled manner, Yang Kai saw a commotion ahead. It seemed as though something had happened. There was another group of people gathered in this place in addition to the two million army he had brought with him. The number of people that came were no less than his own army, and he did not know where they came from.
At this moment, both sides were confronting each other. Lao Ke, He Yin, and the other Demon Kings, who had remained in this place, looked extremely nervous. Lao Ke was even smiling and bowing to the other party.
However, the group of Demon Kings on the other side apparently didn’t appreciate it. One of the Demon Kings shouted loudly, “I’ll give you a stick of incense! Hurry up and scram out of this place; otherwise, don’t blame me for getting rough with you.”
[What’s going on? Are these people here to snatch our territory? What’s so great about this spot that they want to snatch it?] Yang Kai’s eyes widened. Although he didn’t know what was going on, he was already on edge and wanted nothing more than to go on a rampage. All the anxiety and depression instantly turned into rage. Tightening his knees around Zhui Feng, he rushed toward the crowd with a shout, “Move aside! Move aside!”
The army blocking his way ahead was a dense sea of people, but Zhui Feng was extremely fierce. He ran amok with no questions asked, opening up a passage through the crowd like a hot knife cutting through butter. Some of the Demon Race tried to fight back, but they were all knocked aside with ease. Those struck immediately suffered broken bones and their cries rang out unceasingly.
The change came so suddenly that the other party didn’t even have the time to react. When Yang Kai arrived at the front of the army, he found the group of Demon Kings standing on the opposite side glaring at him.
He swept his gaze over them coldly, staring at the many Demon Kings in front of him like they were ants. His eyes then landed on a female member of the Demon Race with an enchanting body and a charming face. It just so happened that this female Demon was also looking at him. When their eyes met, he raised his brow at her while the other party lifted the corners of her mouth and revealed a meaningful grin.
[A Half-Saint!] When Yang Kai saw that so many people had come to this place, he had guessed that there was a Half-Saint leading them. It would seem that his guess had been confirmed. Furthermore, the Half-Saint was probably from the same Clan as Yu Ru Meng, the Charm Demon Clan. Even though this woman had not said a word, nor were there any traces of her performing some sort of Secret Technique, she exuded an alluring charm at all times. It caused many of the male Demons under her command to show bewitched and lustful looks.
Yang Kai knew that it was no fault of these men. The charm of a Charm Demon Half-Saint was not easy to resist, but all Yang Kai felt right now was irritation; as such, he beckoned at somebody with a wave of his hand, and Lao Ke walked over immediately.
“What’s going on?” Yang Kai asked, keeping his gaze on the female Charm Demon without even blinking his eyes when he asked the question, a deep coldness flashing across their depths.
Lao Ke looked troubled, “Great King, this Madam claims that they are responsible for guarding this area. They want us to move.”
Yang Kai couldn’t help but sneer after hearing that, “Is that so?”
A Demon King on the opposite side immediately shouted, “By Senior Di Li’s order, we are to seal off the surrounding thousand-kilometre area as one of the lines of defence! All unrelated people are to leave at once!”
[Are we unrelated people now?] Yang Kai felt a little speechless at those words. Narrowing his eyes at the female Charm Demon, he asked flatly, “How should I address you?”
“Impudence!” The Demon King who had spoken before immediately let out a yell. At the same time, he stepped forward and glared at Yang Kai, “Get down from your mangy beast when speaking in front of our Mistress!”
While saying that, he raised his hand to grab at Yang Kai, looking as though he was seriously trying to pull Yang Kai down.
Zhui Feng neighed and was on the verge of counterattacking; however, Yang Kai was faster, lifting his palm and pressing down. Time Principles fluctuated and the world seemed to come to a stop at that moment.
Time Flows on Infinitely, Like a Mighty Stream, Like an Unending Dream!
The Demon King who had made a move didn’t even have the time to realize what had happened, and by the time he came to his senses, he felt an enormous force imprinted on his chest. He groaned and was thrown backwards into the air while all his vitality rapidly drained away!
*Xiu…*
An arrow pierced through the air at that moment and nailed the hand that the man had used to try and grab at Yang Kai just now with unparalleled precision, causing it to explode into a blood mist. By the time the Demon King landed on the ground, his hair had turned white and he clutched at his injured arm and looked up in horror.
Not far away, Yang Kai slowly withdrew his palm as a female Feather Demon stood next to him, the bowstring of her weapon slightly quivering, her beautiful eyes flashing coldly.
A strange sound rang out suddenly, and Demon Qi roared to the sky like flames. Affected by the changes just now, the armies on both sides immediately became hostile toward each other and had drawn their swords aggressively.
Yang Kai raised his hand slightly, calming the agitation of the people below him. At the same time, he grinned at the female Charm Demon and sneered, “Control your dogs better. He won’t be so lucky next time.”
The female Charm Demon turned to look at the injured Demon King and a cold light flashed across her eyes as she snapped, “Waste!”
While speaking, she flicked her wrist and a gloomy light hit the Demon King in the head. That Demon King immediately widened his eyes in shock and collapsed to the ground stiffly. His vitality vanished rapidly. A High-Rank Demon King had been killed by her just like that, without even the slightest bit of hesitation.
After doing that, she turned to look at Yang Kai. A smile lifted the corners of her eyes again, making her look very enchanting again, “Are you that Human the Holy Venerable highly values?”
Yang Kai raised his eyebrows, “You are quite well informed…”
She covered her mouth and laughed charmingly, “Everybody talks about you. It’s only natural that I heard some stuff about you. I had some interest in you at first, but you are nothing special now that I see you.”
He chuckled, “That’s only because you don’t know this King well. Once you get to know me better, I’m sure you’ll become more interested in this King.”
Li Shi Qing, who was standing next to him, turned her head and glanced at Yang Kai. Her face was blushing slightly. It was clear that she felt those words were a little inappropriate.
On the other hand, the female Charm Demon burst into uncontrolled laughter, “En, I’m getting a little interested in you now.”
Yang Kai’s expression turned cold, “It’s a pity that I don’t have any interest in you. Enough nonsense. What the Hell do you want? Spit it out.”
The smile on the Charm Demon’s face gradually diminished as her interest faded slightly, “As long as you’re not deaf, I’m sure you’ve already heard earlier. This Queen is responsible for guarding this place. I don’t know why you are here, but it is obviously not in compliance with the rules. So, please move.”
Yang Kai coldly snorted, “Rules? Who made these rules?”
“Naturally, these are the rules decided by Di Li.” She looked at him, “He is responsible for organizing and managing the various armies under Holy Venerable. You should be in your own position and it’s not here.”
[Di Li again!] Yang Kai’s eyes turned chilly, [Is he trying to cause trouble for me?]
Understanding this, Yang Kai grinned meaningfully, “Di Li is it? This King knows no such fool. All I know is that there was no one here when I first arrived in this place, so this place is now mine! You brought your people here to intimidate us, and now, you want to chase this King away!? Did you think this King would just nod and agree to it!?”
She frowned at those words and shot back, “But, this is certainly the place Di Li assigned me to guard. You should go and ask Di Li where you are to be assigned instead.”
“This King has already told you, I know no such dog. I am under the direct command of the Holy Venerable, I only obey her commands.” He then waved her off impatiently, “Take your mutts and scram; otherwise, don’t blame me for being impolite.”
The Charm Demon was so furious that her expression darkened and she screamed, “A trivial Human dares to speak to this Queen like this!?”
Yang Kai was about to counter with an insulting remark when to his surprise, the other party didn’t give him a chance to speak. She gave a soft flick of her wrist, and a soft whip came snapping at him out of nowhere with the force of the wind and thunder.
He ducked down in the nick of time to avoid the blow while the soft whip smashed into the army from Cloud Shadow Continent. Blood-curdling screams sounded as many casualties were suffered in that instant. Turning back to glance at the army for a moment, Yang Kai roared, “How dare you attack me!? You court death!”
By the time the words rolled off his tongue, he and Zhui Feng had already charged forward as one. Zhui Feng’s hooves were ablaze with golden flames, transforming into a bolt of lightning as he carried Yang Kai on his back and charged into the army on the opposite side. Like crushing dry weeds and smashing rotten wood, the enemy Demons were swept aside and felled.
Yang Kai could clearly feel Zhui Feng’s excitement. He seemed to be very familiar with actions like charging into battle. It was not surprising considering he used to be Chang Tian’s mount and would have accompanied Chang Tian into such battles countless times over the years.
His fighting instincts seemed to have been branded deep into his soul. Years of a peaceful life had left him incapable of restraining his wild and restless heart. Now that he had the opportunity to go wild, how could he not let it all out?
Zhu Feng rushed towards the places where the crowd was densest, ploughing empty paths through the opposing army. Screams sounded endlessly wherever he passed. Even the Demon Kings could not stop his lethal rampage, many dying on the spot if they so much as dodged aside too slowly.
In order to cooperate with Zhui Feng’s charging attacks, Yang Kai flipped his wrist and took out a long spear from his Space Ring. He did not know when he obtained this spoil of war and had never actually practised with the spear before, so he could only wield it in the most primitive of manners. Yang Kai was unable to draw out this weapon’s full power, but even so, the long spear managed to produce great damage when he wielded it with the additional support of his immense physical strength. His long spear swept and pierced left and right, splatting blood all over like blooming flowers as wails burst out from all around.
An ear-splitting sound rang out suddenly, transforming into an invisible force that broke through Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea defences and poured directly into his Soul. It was the female Charm Demon. Seeing Yang Kai acting so unscrupulously on his mount, she took the initiative to attack. She was a Half-Saint and a member of the Charm Demon Clan; therefore, that howl contained a potent Soul Attack in it.
Zhui Feng’s steps faltered; it was clear that he had been slightly affected by the attack. On the other hand, Yang Kai swayed and almost fell off Zhui Feng’s back. Fortunately, the Soul Warming Lotus exuded a cooling wave at that critical moment, allowing him to retain his consciousness. The sound of something slicing through the air floated into his ears as if a fierce attack was coming at him from the back. He instinctively raised the spear to block; however, a heavy force shook his hand so badly that it went numb. Immediately following that, the long spear flew out of his grip.
Turning to look in that direction, he saw that the female Charm Demon had a sardonic smile on her lips. She drew a circle in the air with the long spear that was wrapped in the soft whip in her hands and viciously brought it down on him. For an instant, the wind and thunder roared, and an aura of death enveloped him.
In response, he abruptly tightened his knees around Zhui Feng and the latter swiftly turned his body around, narrowly avoiding the blow.
A loud explosion rang out and a large crater appeared in the ground, sending the surrounding Demons, be they allies or enemies, flying as a result.
Without waiting for Yang Kai and Zhui Feng to recover from their daze, the soft whip came striking at them again. Fortunately, Zhui Feng’s instincts and reaction speed were extraordinary. He had already begun charging toward the female Charm Demon right after he spun his body around just now. He might seem clumsy, but he ingeniously avoided the second attack unleashed by the soft whip and came within ten metres of the opponent in the blink of an eye.
Yang Kai, who was riding on Zhui Feng’s back, clearly saw the panic flashing in the female Charm Demon’s eyes. Although she was a Half-Saint, her Clan was not proficient in close-quarters combat, nor was her artifact useful in such close range. She could only exert her full strength if she kept a distance from her opponents; hence, it was only natural for her to panic when Zhui Feng closed the distance between them in a flash.
Regardless, she was still a Half-Saint, so she did not lose her composure so easily. Instead, a hostile look flashed across her eyes. She ignored Zhui Feng and raised her gaze to meet Yang Kai’s. At the same time, her long whip trembled and transformed into several rings that wrapped around the latter.
Yang Kai gave a flick of his wrist, summoning the Myriads Sword. Calling upon his Emperor Qi, a silk-like sword wave blasted upward. Unfortunately, the attacks of a Half-Saint were not so easily countered. The sword wave only hindered the soft whip’s movements slightly before it dissipated.
Seeing that he was about to be restrained by the opponent’s soft whip, Yang Kai had no choice but to use his Space Principles. He used Instantaneous Movement and vanished from the spot as a result. He would truly be put at a huge disadvantage if he allowed himself to be caught by this woman. At this moment, he could only pin his hopes on Zhui Feng to fight against the opponent. Who knows? He might even make her suffer a little. Besides, separating himself from Zhui Feng would allow him to exert his full strength. The exchange of blows might have been short, but Yang Kai could sense that Zhui Feng’s movements were being restrained as he endeavoured to keep him safe…
The only person among the enemy’s ranks that could actually be a threat to him was this Half-Saint. Aside from this female Charm Demon, the rest were nothing to Yang Kai. By the time his figure reappeared, he was standing in the sky and looking at something a thousand metres away. Zhui Feng was entangled with that female Charm Demon. His attacks could be said to be very simple and crude, involving nothing more than body slamming, biting, swiping with his tail, and kicking with his hooves. On the contrary, the female Charm Demon used all sorts of methods to attack, executing various Secret Techniques and striking out with a soft whip. Even so, the two sides were evenly matched.
It could be seen that Zhui Feng’s strength was nothing to sneeze at even among Half-Saints. At the very least, he was stronger than this woman; otherwise, he could not have caused this stalemate situation. His endurance and durability would definitely let him gain the upper hand over time.
Long ago, Zhui Feng had hunted down a Half-Saint after a long pursuit. He had shaved away at that person’s strength and forced his cultivation to regress before he was satisfied. How could he have done that without stamina and persistence?
Meanwhile, the Demon Race armies numbering in the millions were battling each other too. Countless among the Demon Race died at every moment with both sides suffering heavy casualties. Yang Kai suddenly realized something. [How did things turn out like this? I didn’t bring the army of two million here to fight with the other Half-Saints. I came here to see if I could use the army under my command to do something at a critical moment.]
Needless to say, he was certainly also at fault for things to turn out this way. Nevertheless, the most important thing was that the other party was too aggressive. [She killed so many of my people without bothering to say anything. How can I let her get away with it so easily? Plus, it’s just a piece of land. The defensive line along the periphery of the battlefield is so long, is it really necessary for her to fight for this territory?]
While mulling over these thoughts, Yang Kai suddenly felt an uneasy feeling blooming in his heart. It was an inexplicable feeling of unease that came out of nowhere, as if a great danger was approaching him. He looked up at that moment and saw that Zhui Feng was nowhere to be seen. More importantly, he had no idea where the female Charm Demon had gone either. The feeling of unease grew stronger as all the hairs on his body were standing on end and a chill swept over him.
Yang Kai didn’t even think about it as his body shifted immediately, using his Nihility Technique to exile himself to the Void. At that moment, a figure appeared beside him in an eerie manner. The appearance of that figure was accompanied by a heavy punch directed at the place where he had been standing before. A violent force burst forth and the aftermath of the attack spread out, penetrating the Void.
Even though Yang Kai had used Nihility, he still felt the vitality in his body churning at that moment as his vision turned black and he nearly passed out.
He performed another Instantaneous Movement, distancing himself from that dangerous place and appearing three thousand metres away before looking up. His pupils contracted as he gritted his teeth and roared, “Yue Sang!”
The person who had ambushed him and almost killed him on the spot was none other than Yue Sang, who should still have been on the Two Worlds’ Battlefield!
Yang Kai had not met Yue Sang since he left the Holy City on Enchantment Continent. Yu Ru Meng also mentioned that Yue Sang had been dispatched to the Two Worlds’ Battlefield and Bai Zhuo had confirmed this fact. In fact, Bai Zhuo claimed that Yue Sang had been left behind at the front lines just a short while ago. Therefore, Yang Kai had not expected to see that Yue Sang had returned to the Demon Realm and even tried to ambush him here!
Yang Kai looked down at the millions of Demons fighting among themselves, then turned to look at where Di Li was located. After that, he thought about the attitude and actions of the female Charm Demon just now. A moment later, his expression greatly darkened. [This is a trap! A trap set up by three Half-Saints!]
First, Di Li had refused to assign an area for him to guard. Then, the female Charm Demon deliberately came to pick a fight with him over territorial issues to lead Zhui Feng away. Finally, Yue Sang came in for the kill…
Yang Kai thought about the close call he experienced just now, and cold sweat oozed out of his forehead. At the same time, he was filled with rage. [Three Half-Saints went so far as to join forces to kill me. How truly flattering!]
On the other hand, Yue Sang looked surprised. It would seem that he had not expected his sneak attack to fail to kill Yang Kai. Although he seemed to have injured Yang Kai, it was rather humiliating that he allowed Yang Kai to escape despite being a Half-Saint. [The Space Technique certainly deserves its reputation! But that is all there is to it!]
Even if he had to violate Yu Ru Meng’s order, he didn’t hesitate to rush back from the battlefield. The first reason was to take Yang Kai’s life. The second reason was to fight to obtain his own opportunity in the coming fight. Out of the two reasons, the second one was the most important. Taking Yang Kai’s life was just a bonus.
Yue Sang secretly resented Yu Ru Meng in his heart for not notifying him about such a great opportunity. If not for the other contacts he had, he would never have known that there was such a great opportunity to be seized in Eternal Sky Continent. It wasn’t as if he did not know just how much Yu Ru Meng valued Yang Kai. After spending so long on the Two Worlds’ Battlefield, he had heard all about the relationship between Yang Kai and Yu Ru Meng. He was well aware of what kind of consequences he would face if he killed Yang Kai; but even so, that was not enough to make him retreat.
[As long as I can seize the opportunity born from what the numerous Demons Saints are currently planning, then even Yu Ru Meng will find it difficult to kill me because the other Demon Saints won’t agree to it! So, Yang Kai must die today! I have to kill him with my own hands to get rid of some of this hatred!]
Their gazes suddenly met, and the look in Yue Sang’s eyes grew contemptuous as his voice sounded coldly, “Did you think you would be safe and sound just because you have Holy Venerable’s protection? Killing you is as easy as snapping this King’s fingers!”
Yang Kai turned to the side and spat out the blood in his mouth. Afterward, he sneered, “You didn’t get a transfer order. Let’s see how you’re going to explain yourself to Holy Venerable about returning from the Two Worlds’ Battlefield without authorization.”
Yue Sang’s eyes drooped, “Explain myself? I can return whenever I want to. Why do I need to explain myself to Holy Venerable? If you have time to worry about me, you might as well use it to worry about yourself a little more.”
Yang Kai spoke with a stern expression, “Do you really dare to kill this King?”
Yue Sang looked at Yang Kai teasingly, “What do you think?”
Yang Kai looked around for a bit. Then, he countered Yue Sang’s question with another question, “It looks like you’re determined to kill me, but I am truly curious. How did you convince Di Li and that female Charm Demon to do you this favour? Don’t they know what kind of consequences they would face if they did this?”
[There is no way Yu Ru Meng will forgive them once she eventually learns of how they aided Yu Sang to kill me.]
Even if those two were Half-Saints, they would probably follow in Yue Sang’s footsteps. They would be sent to the Two Worlds’ Battlefield to fight against Pseudo-Great Emperors. If they were lucky, they would make amends for their crimes through their devoted service. If they were unlucky, they might end up dead there; after all, more than one or two Half-Saints and Pseudo-Great Emperors had already died as the war increased in intensity.
Yue Sang replied indifferently, “Nobody is helping me. I was just in the right place, at the right time.”
Yang Kai’s eyes widened with anger, almost like they were about to burst. Despite knowing that Yue Sang was lying through his teeth to dissociate the other two from his actions, there was nothing wrong with that reasoning.
Yang Kai had only met Di Li once, and no conflict had occurred between the two of them. Even the female Charm Demon had a just cause to pick a fight with him; therefore, the other two could simply get away by saying that it was just a misunderstanding even if he filed a complaint with Yu Ru Meng after everything was over. Naturally, that would depend on which side Yu Ru Meng was standing on. If she was on his side, then no number of excuses would save them from trouble.
“Let’s see if the Holy Venerable believes those words of yours.” Yang Kai coldly snorted.
Yue Sang raised his hand and lightly replied, “Between a dead person and I… Who do you think Holy Venerable will believe?”
When the last word left his mouth, he struck toward Yang Kai. There was the sound of an explosion in the air. Following that palm strike, it felt as though an invisible mountain was pressing down on Yang Kai. Yang Kai only hesitated for a moment. Even so, he heard all the bones in his body cracking and he fell out of the sky like a meteorite. He crashed into the ground below and formed a huge crater in the ground.
Yu Sang didn’t stop. He drifted over in an eerie manner, approaching Yang Kai swiftly.
The sound of something slicing through the air rang out suddenly as a sharp arrow radiating with an incandescent light came flying from somewhere in the distance, arriving in an instant, it shot straight towards Yue Sang’s chest.
Yue Sang didn’t even bother looking at this though and just casually flicked his wrist at it, causing the radiant light to return along its original path at an even faster speed.
A scream sounded as the arrow Bo Ya had shot as a sneak attack from the shadows was returned to her, sending her flying as the powerful force struck her, causing her to tumble mid-air several times before she collapsed to the ground. It was unknown whether she survived that blow as the ground around her was stained red with her blood.
At the same time, Yang Kai got up with great difficulty. Blood was flowing out of his mouth and nose, his hair was a dishevelled mess, and he looked absolutely wretched. He was just in the process of standing up when Yu Sang slowly floated down, landed in front of him, and lifted a finger to point in his direction.
The scent of flowers burst out, and colourful petals appeared out of nowhere. Those petals floated over, gathering around Yang Kai in an instant and surrounded him. They converged together to form a solid wall of defence, circling around his body without pause. The strong fragrance they released seemed to have the effect of confusing a person’s mind.
Not far away from where Bo Ya was, Li Shi Qing bit her red lips as she executed her Secret Technique. Her body was glowing with a colourful light as her Emperor Qi surged. Although terror and fear were reflected in her beautiful eyes, her expression was as resolute as could be.
Yue Sang abruptly turned to look at her with a pair of frosty eyes and a cold snort escaped from his mouth. A gush of Spiritual Energy burst out, and a ray of light flashed across her chest. Li Shi Qing’s tender body trembled slightly as her Emperor Qi faded away. She collapsed to the ground limply the next moment, falling unconscious, the defensive wall of flower petals surrounding Yang Kai scattering to the wind.
Finally, Yue Sang leisurely turned to look at Yang Kai after getting rid of the two sluts interfering with him. The corners of his mouth lifted into a sardonic smile as though he was deriving great pleasure from something. His finger pointed at Yang Kai’s forehead at a speed that was neither fast nor slow. The light at the tip of his fingertips fluctuated vigorously as he mocked, “Have you ever regretted offending me? Did you think this King wouldn’t be able to do anything to you just because you are proficient in the Dao of Space? You are so close at hand, and this King’s Divine Sense is locking your movements. Don’t even dream about escaping!”
“Regret?” When Yang Kai muttered through gritted teeth, the Space Principles around his body fluctuated and a figure suddenly appeared in front of him as a cold voice sounded from behind that figure, “Dream on, you waste!”
Yue Sang’s expression was stunned as he stared blankly at the stone man who had suddenly appeared in front of him. He could not figure out where this person had popped out from no matter how hard he thought about it. There was no trace of this person just moments ago, so how did he appear in front of him out of nowhere!? However, he didn’t have more time to think because the stone man threw a punch at him at a speed that was neither fast nor slow as soon as he appeared, and judging by the power of the punch, this stone man who appeared so abruptly was a Half-Saint!
Yue Sang surged his Demon Qi and the light shining at the tip of his finger that was pointing at Yang Kai became even more powerful. Knowing that his opponent was a Half-Saint, he did not dare to take the stone man lightly.
[Damn it! Why is there another Half-Saint protecting this Human!? I thought the plan was foolproof when I arranged for Zhui Feng to be lured away! I can’t believe something so unexpected occurred!] Yue Sang’s heart sank with a vague sense that something had gone terribly wrong. With a Half-Saint diverting him, it was all but impossible for him to kill Yang Kai.
While his thoughts were still muddled, the attacks from both sides collided.
Yue Sang’s pupils eyes contracted suddenly, revealing a look of horror. He instinctively moved and retreated backwards, opening a distance of several thousand metres between them in the blink of an eye. When he lowered his head to look, his horrified expression darkened. One of his fingers was distorted beyond belief. All the bones in his finger were practically crushed into powder, and a throbbing pain came from his finger to agitate every single nerve in his body.
It was only a single blow, but his finger had been smashed, and if he had not moved so quickly and withdrawn, he would probably have lost his arm to the stone man.
[What power!]
The other party had not used the slightest bit of Demon Qi in the previous attack, meaning a simple physical blow had broken through his defences and injured him. Only a Strength Demon Half-Saint could have such terrifying power. No, even a Half-Saint from the Strength Demon Clan would have paled in comparison to this thing. Which race did this stone man from? The Stone Demon Clan? The Strength Demon Clan? But he didn’t look like either…
“Huo…”
The Embodiment opened his mouth and let out a mighty roar. His voice was mixed with uncontrolled excitement. He was technically Yang Kai’s Soul Clone; thus, he originated from the same source as Yang Kai. It wasn’t that he loved fighting and killing, but rather that he couldn’t suppress his excitement after experiencing his new full strength.
While he roared, his Demon Qi soared to the sky. A pitch-black flame ignited across his body, and his entire person transformed into a black hole that began devouring everything. Sharp bone spines broke through his rock skin as he reached out into the air and grabbed at something. A moment later, a War Hammer appeared in the palm of his hand. His Demon Qi flowed freely and the War Hammer trembled slightly, fluctuating with a dangerous aura.
Yue Sang had yet to recover from the shock of being injured by the Embodiment’s blow when he felt this burst of aura and he couldn’t help but stare at the Demonic War Hammer and exclaim, “Saint Artifact!”
Only the Demon Artifacts that the Demon Saints in the Demon Realm spent enormous effort to refine could be called Saint Artifacts. The total number of Saint Artifacts throughout the Demon Realm did not exceed twenty, so each one was extremely rare and precious. Likewise, every Saint Artifact had extraordinary power. Most of these Saint Artifacts were controlled by the Twelve Demon Saints while a few pieces were lost to the world, their whereabouts completely unknown.
The Demonic War Hammer in the Embodiment’s hands was something Yang Kai had acquired outside of Maplewood City. It was the weapon belonging to the ancient One-Eyed Great Demon. Since Yang Kai and the Embodiment could not control Demon Qi previously, neither of them was able to activate its true power over the years. Even during the times when the Embodiment occasionally used the Demonic War Hammer, he had only used it like it was the most common blunt weapon for smashing things.
But things were different now. The Embodiment had devoured the Source of Cloud Shadow Continent, transformed the strength in his body into Demon Qi, and become a Half-Saint of the Demon Realm. He now had the power to wield this Demonic War Hammer.
With the War Hammer in hand, his already overwhelming power was suddenly boosted to another level and he clearly noticed this. The Demon Qi in his body rushed into the War Hammer almost uncontrollably, and the War Hammer that had remained lifeless for so long seemed to be reborn at this moment. A sort of exultation was coming from the War Hammer, seemingly longing for even more Demon Qi.
The Embodiment looked down and grinned savagely. Activating the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, he immediately cut off the devouring act of the War Hammer. No matter what kind of artifact it was, it would inevitably be affected by its wielder. The War Hammer’s wild devouring nature was probably a reflection of its rebellious attitude, but how could the Embodiment tolerate such behaviour? He had always been the one to devour others. If the War Hammer wanted to devour his Demon Qi, it would need his permission first!
Lifting the hammer in his hand, he jumped up and crossed several thousand metres to smash Yue Sang with the hammer. A huge shadow of the hammer immediately appeared in the sky, seemingly covering it. When the hammer’s shadow came crashing down, it felt as if the sky itself was collapsing.
Yue Sang’s expression changed drastically as his entire body shuddered. With himself as the centre, large swathes of blood mist flooded hundreds of metres around him. The Embodiment looked up in time to see a vast space had been covered in blood mist while Yue Sang was gone from sight.
The hammer’s shadow slammed against the blood mist, smashing a huge crater into it; however, the surrounding blood mist immediately refilled the hole. Rays of blood beams shot out from within the blood mist, blasting towards the Embodiment like arrows. The Embodiment nimbly avoided several of the attacks but was still hit by a few. The sounds of something piercing through the surface of his body rang out as the blood and burning pitch-black flames fought back vigorously.
After a moment of hesitation, the Embodiment plunged into the blood mist. Instantly, roars and crackling sounds came from within and it was clear that he was ferociously fighting against Yue Sang.
At the same time, Yang Kai appeared next to Bo Ya and Li Shi Qing. Only these two women had come forward when he was in mortal danger. They didn’t make any difference to the situation, but they, at least, had tried to help him. The two of them currently lay unconscious on the ground, and if the millions of Demons on the battlefield turned a blind eye to them, they might not even know how they died in the end.
A quick inspection later, Yang Kai discovered that Bo Ya’s injuries were more serious between the two of them. Yue Sang had sent the arrow she shot right back at her. Not only did she fail to injure the enemy, but she also ended up hurting herself. Almost half of her shoulder was shattered, and the blood wouldn’t stop flowing. On the contrary, Li Shi Qing’s condition was rather surprising.
He originally thought that Li Shi Qing’s condition would be more severe; after all, she had been injured by Yue Sang’s Soul Attack. Ordinarily, she would have been severely injured even if she survived, but to his surprise, a careful inspection revealed that she was safe and sound. She probably fainted from the shock of being struck by Yue Sang’s Divine Sense, but other than that, there were no obvious problems with her.
Under these circumstances, Yang Kai only needed to wait for Li Shi Qing to wake up on her own. He couldn’t help being amazed. Thinking back to what happened just now, he had the vague feeling that the only reason she managed to remain safe and sound was related to the light radiating from her chest.
As the Disciple of Flower Shadow Great Emperor, she would surely be carrying all sorts of protective treasures on her body. Although it was said that everything on her had been taken from her, the things she had refined into her body could not be so easily stripped away. Nevertheless, he breathed a sigh of relief. He didn’t know what he was supposed to tell Flower Shadow Great Emperor if something happened to her because of him.
Lifting his head to look around, he saw Xiao Wu looking at him anxiously and he immediately beckoned to her, “Take care of them!”
She finally returned to her senses, nodded vigorously, and ran over quickly. Picking Bo Ya and Li Shi Qing up, one person in each arm, she swiftly retreated towards the back of the camp. Yang Kai took advantage of this fleeting interval to stuff a Spirit Pill into Bo Ya’s mouth. Her injuries might look serious, but they did not threaten her foundation. She only needed to recuperate for some time to recover fully.
Straightening up again, he glanced gloomily at the blood mist. Space Principles fluctuated around him and he disappeared out of sight. When he reappeared again, he stood in the sky above the blood mist that covered several thousands of metres of area.
Lifting his hand, a cyan bottle gourd appeared in his grip. It was the Wind Gourd he obtained from the Void deep in Orthodoxy Temple’s Restricted Area. Yang Kai ardently poured his Emperor Qi into it and pointed its mouth at the blood mist. In the next moment, a gust of strong wind that swept through the world transformed into a torrent of wind blades that slashed towards the depths of the blood mist.
A black light flashed as the Embodiment, who was connected to Yang Kai, had already escaped from the blood mist ahead of time. The torrent of wind blades continuously rained down on the blood mist, cutting it into pieces and shattering it apart. Among the chaos, a muffled grunt sounded. It was clear that Yue Sang had been injured.
The entire process took no more than ten breaths at most. The blood mist began to churn strenuously before, all of a sudden, it converged in the centre to reveal Yue Sang’s figure again. Yue Sang didn’t stop there though and had swiftly transformed into a blood beam that rushed towards Yang Kai. Lifting his hand, his entire arm transformed into a blood-coloured python with horns on its forehead. It opened its mouth wide and bit down towards Yang Kai, seemingly intending to swallow him whole.
The Embodiment was a Half-Saint, so Yue Sang couldn’t do anything to him in a short period of time as they were evenly matched. On the other hand, the strength Yang Kai showed was only that of a Mid-Rank Demon King, so if Yue Sang was helpless even against somebody like Yang Kai, then he might as well just commit suicide out of shame.
The blood python struck instantly. Its huge mouth bit through the barriers of space and devoured where Yang Kai was standing without giving him any time to react. By the time its huge mouth snapped shut, Yang Kai was gone.
Yue Sang sneered, “Hmph. A fool who doesn’t know his place!”
There was nothing Yue Sang could have done to Yang Kai if he had hidden himself away somewhere. Yang Kai was proficient in the Dao of Space, so it was not easy to kill him; hence, it was a surprise that he came out all on his own. It was simply an act equivalent to asking for death, but it was just what Yue Sang wanted.
The blood-coloured giant python became distorted as though it was going to turn back into its original shape. At that moment, the expression on Yue Sang’s face changed drastically. He looked at the python’s head intently. It felt like… there was an unbelievable aura awakening inside the python that aroused an involuntary sense of fear. Simultaneously, a muffled cry floated into his ears, “Dragon Transformation!”
The python’s head swelled abruptly and a behemoth subsequently appeared inside its maw, forcing the python’s mouth open again. It was accompanied by a Dragon Aura, one only those Pureblood Dragons could emit, that radiated out into the surroundings.
Yue Sang could not tell what method Yang Kai had just used; however, he was familiar with the aura that belonged exclusively to the most powerful of Divine Spirits. He had once fought against a female Dragon Clan member on the Two Worlds’ Battlefield, and while the other party’s bloodline could not be considered impure, it was enough for her to fight against him on equal terms.
[The Dragon Clan! This Human has the Dragon Clan’s bloodline!]
[What’s more, his Dragon Aura is much purer and stronger than that woman’s…]
The blood python’s mouth was stretched to its limit as two sharp Dragon Claws gleaming with cold light suddenly appeared in Yue Sang’s field of vision. One Dragon Claw gripped the top and the other gripped the bottom of the python’s jaws. A moment later, the two Dragon Claws forced the python’s mouth open from both sides. A tearing sound rang out, and the huge blood python’s head was ripped in half…
Blood splattered everywhere as the figure of an enormous Monster entered Yue Sang’s vision. The sight was also burned into the eyes of the army below. A moment of strange silence swept across the noisy battlefield as almost everybody was looking up at the huge figure with a confused expression.
Yang Kai’s body was more than three hundred metres tall and covered in gleaming Golden Dragon Scales. Dragon Horns grew out of his forehead, both hands had transformed into Dragon Claws, and a long Dragon Tail whipped about behind him, stirring up a strong wind.
A Dragon Roar sounded, reverberating throughout the sky. Yang Kai reached out his hand and grabbed the remains of the blood python’s body that he had torn into two before violently pulling on it.
An overwhelming force spread out as Yue Sang’s body was involuntarily yanked in that direction. The blood python was transformed from his arm, so it was inseparable from him. He had no way to resist such a powerful force. In terms of cultivation alone, he was far above Yang Kai. Unfortunately, he was not Yang Kai’s opponent in terms of brute force.
Hurriedly, Yue Sang had the blood python explode into a blood mist before he withdrew it and had it transform into an arm again. It was just that a long gash now extended up his forearm. The pain enraged Yue Sang as his carelessness caused him to fail such an easy task. It was a complete humiliation. Borrowing the pulling force coming from Yang Kai, he stopped resisting it and rushed forward instead, approaching Yang Kai in the blink of an eye.
The tiny figure formed a very sharp contrast with Yang Kai’s large body. Nevertheless, his gaze didn’t show the slightest bit of hesitation. Rather, he looked down at Yang Kai condescendingly as if he was the larger one instead.
Despite the heavy punch coming from Yang Kai’s side, Yue Sang had no intention of evading. Instead, he opened his mouth and spat out something. A blood ball sped towards Yang Kai and soon smashed against the incoming fist, but not only did the blood ball not break, it actually enveloped Yang Kai’s claw instead. The blood ball quickly grew larger and larger, enveloping the entirety of Yang Kai’s Half-Dragon Body.
Yue Sang glanced downward, reaching out his hand to point at Yang Kai, “Die!”
The loosely floating blood ball suddenly began contracting at that moment. The thin walls of the Blood Ball displayed an extremely astonishing force of restraint, and the sound of all the bones in Yang Kai’s body creaking immediately rang out…
At that critical moment, the Embodiment swooped down and swung his War Hammer towards Yue Sang’s head.
A trace of reluctance flashed across Yue Sang’s eyes, but he couldn’t afford to take the blow head-on. It was a Saint Artifact after all. Who knew what kind of consequences he would face? Thus, he could only retreat.
Inside the Blood Ball, Yang Kai struggled a few times but discovered that he couldn’t break through this shell due to its extreme resilience. It was not something that could be resolved with pure brute force. Nevertheless, the crushing pressure around him was getting tighter and tighter and he would soon become unable to breathe, so he could only open his jaw. Accompanied by the sound of a Dragon Roar, a raging flame spurted from his giant mouth.
Flames spread out and under their burning effects, the blood ball quickly evaporated, allowing him to quickly escape from its restraint.
On the other hand, the Embodiment was chasing after Yue Sang. Yang Kai didn’t stop after he escaped and followed closely. Working together, their battle against Yue Sang became chaotic. During the fierce battle, Yang Kai could clearly feel himself and the Embodiment growing stronger.
Back in the Eastern Territory, Yang Kai had teamed up with the Embodiment to fight against Cang Mo with all his strength. Cang Mo was a Pseudo-Great Emperor, who was probably as strong as Yue Sang.
At the time, the two of them had tried their best and even injured Cang Mo, but the latter still had plenty of leeway and was still holding back for the most part. If Cang Mo had truly gone all out at the beginning, Yang Kai and the Embodiment would only barely be able to protect themselves against him. In that battle, they were left in a miserable state. In the end, Qiong Qi showed up and forced Cang Mo back. With Li Wu Yi and Jiu Feng following after, Cang Mo had no choice but to retreat. But today, Yang Kai and the Embodiment had the upper hand in the battle against Yue Sang. Needless to say, the main reason was the Embodiment’s growth as Yang Kai had barely grown any stronger since then.
Yang Kai suddenly felt a bit miserable about this in his heart. His own strength was indeed his biggest shortcoming. He was now a Second-Order Emperor, and whether it was the Demon Realm or the Star Boundary, he already stood ahead of many others. Be that as it may, he began feeling more and more powerless as his power increased as those he came into contact with became increasingly distinguished.
His current situation was the perfect example. He and the Embodiment had the upper hand in the fight against Yue Sang, but it was an unrealistic dream if they wanted to kill him, unless Yue Sang made some kind of huge mistake.
Nonetheless, it was a mistake to pin his hopes on others making mistakes. Yang Kai might as well focus on improving his own strength if that was the case. There was no need to improve too much. He only needed to reach the Third-Order Emperor Realm. That way, he would be in a much better situation if he ever faced another Half-Saint again.
High above the sky, various mighty and terrifying Dragon Clan Secret Techniques shone brightly in his hands as Yang Kai tried to buy time for the Embodiment. The Heaven Devouring Domain had been activated and quietly spread out into the surroundings without Yue Sang’s knowledge, devouring his power, bit by bit.
With enough time, their advantage would become increasingly obvious. One man’s loss was another man’s gain. When the time came, Yue Sang would not be able to avoid death even if he wanted to.
[This bastard has been after my life since we met, how can I let him get away with that? Now that I have the chance, I’m going to make him pay the price; otherwise, I won’t be able to live in comfort with a Half-Saint eyeing me all the time, trying to murder me.]
Unfortunately, things didn’t work out as Yang Kai wished. The fight was in full swing when Yue Sang suddenly withdrew and retreated. He transformed into a blood beam and hurried away without hesitation.
The Embodiment tried to stop Yue Sang, but there was nothing he could do if a Half-Saint went all out to escape. The War Hammer swung down and smashed into empty air.
There was even less Yang Kai could do. Yue Sang’s speed during his bloody escape was no slower than Yang Kai’s Instantaneous Movement. Thus, Yang Kai could only watch as Yue Sang fled and disappeared out of sight. He glared in the direction in which Yue Sang disappeared with a savage expression. There was nowhere for him to vent the rage inside him, not to mention how upset he was.
“Somebody is coming,” the Embodiment said quickly as he casually put the Demonic War Hammer away.
Yang Kai turned his head to look and saw a stream of light swiftly approaching this place from not far away. When the figure got closer, he realized that it was Bai Zhuo. Bai Zhuo looked at Yang Kai’s enormous body with an expression of wonder. He studied Yang Kai’s appearance carefully for a while before making out Yang Kai’s face; then, he frowned and looked down at the chaotic battlefield below, quickly asking grimly, “What happened here?”
Bai Zhuo had heard the reports from his men claiming that there seemed to be a disturbance in this area, so he hurried over to check out the situation. Yang Kai had headed in this direction after they went their separate ways, so he suspected that something had happened here.
From the looks of things, it was indeed so. Judging by the remaining aura in the area, it looked like a battle between Half-Saints had taken place and he couldn’t help taking a few more glances at Embodiment.
“Yue Sang is here!” Yang Kai looked at Bai Zhuo with a grim expression.
“How could that be!?” Bai Zhuo was shocked, “Could you be mistaken?”
Yang Kai gritted his teeth, “I’m not so blind that I can mistake the person who tried to kill me.”
“But, shouldn’t he be on the Two Worlds’ Battlefield…” Bai Zhuo murmured. He frowned deeply as though mulling over something. Realization suddenly dawned on him, and he nodded lightly, “If that’s the case, it’s not strange for him to return.”
Yang Kai snorted coldly while dismissing his Dragon Form and restoring himself to his original appearance.
Bai Zhuo couldn’t help feeling a little embarrassed; after all, he had just told Yang Kai that Yue Sang had stayed on the Two Worlds’ Battlefield. Who could have known that Yang Kai would be attacked by Yue Sang as soon as they went their separate ways? Fortunately, nothing big had happened. If anything had happened, he would have been held partly responsible too. He couldn’t help chuckling softly, “Were you hurt?”
Yang Kai knew that Bai Zhuo wasn’t to blame for anything, but his expression remained sullen. It wasn’t because the misinformation provided by Bai Zhuo had caused him to fall into a trap, but rather because Bai Zhuo had arrived too quickly.
The reason why Yue Sang had retreated so decisively was that he had sensed Bai Zhuo’s aura. He probably knew that Bai Zhuo would not take his side as the two of them already held grudges against each other. He had secretly sneaked back to the Demon Realm and would never be spared if he were caught red-handed by Bai Zhuo. If Bai Zhuo, Yang Kai, and the Embodiment joined forces against him, he would not be able to escape anymore.
Yang Kai suppressed the resentment in his stomach and said dully, “It’s nothing too serious.”
Bai Zhuo gently nodded, “Holy Venerable will arrive in half a day. Let’s wrap things up here.”
Although Yue Sang had retreated, millions of the Demons were still fighting below. It was not something that could be resolved any time soon unless somebody intervened. It would be bad for everyone if Yu Ru Meng arrived to see this scene. This could already be considered a civil strife and it would only make Yu Ru Meng the butt of jokes among all the other Demon Saints for being inadequate in her leadership.
On the contrary, Yang Kai was dying to kill all of the female Charm Demon’s subordinates. Even so, he knew that it was no longer a realistic option the moment Bai Zhuo appeared. Besides, there were a lot of casualties on his side too. Nearly a tenth of the two million army had died in such a short time.
In any case, nobody could escape forever. Regardless of whether it was Yue Sang, Di Li, or the female Charm Demon, Yang Kai had already pinned them on his list of enemies. He would find them again one day as long as they still worked under Yu Ru Meng.
Without another word, he and the Embodiment rushed down. They killed many among the enemy army to completely break their opponent’s fighting spirit, defeating the opposing army by a huge landslide before they stopped in satisfaction.
Afterwards, Lao Ke and the others took a headcount of the battlefield. There was no need for Yang Kai to worry about anything. Meanwhile, Bai Zhuo followed Yang Kai every step of the way. He was probably afraid that Yue Sang would wheel back and kill Yang Kai. Not long after the battle ended, Zhui Feng ran back triumphantly. He even shamelessly approached Yang Kai with an attitude as though asking for praise.
Yang Kai whacked him right in the head while scolding, “Did I ask you to chase her!? Who asked you to chase her!? Why don’t you change your name to ‘Chasing People’ instead!? Don’t call yourself ‘Chasing the Wind’ anymore!”
[If this guy had not been lured away by the female Charm Demon, I might have been able to keep Yue Sang here earlier.]
Zhui Feng, who was smacked upside the head, looked extremely aggrieved and didn’t know what was going on.
Bai Zhuo was shocked by the sight. He had long heard of Zhui Feng’s great reputation. As the mount of Hundred Spirits Continent’s Master, he was not known for his peaceful temper and his true strength was extremely terrifying. Bai Zhuo watched Yang Kai scolding Zhui Feng and couldn’t help worrying that Zhui Feng might kick Yang Kai to death in a fit of rage…
What surprised him though was that Zhui Feng neither fought back nor resisted the scolding. He only neighed occasionally to indicate his grievances… After the severe scolding, he lowered his head, ran over to the side, and lay down with a wounded appearance.
Bai Zhuo was utterly amazed.
Both Bo Ya and Li Shi Qing had woken up by now. The latter was not seriously injured and even smiled at Yang Kai when she saw that he was safe and sound, which warmed his heart. Since they were both from the Star Boundary, it was only natural that he felt an inherent closeness to her. If not for the fact that they needed to pretend otherwise, he would not have treated her so poorly. Unfortunately, he had to be careful in everything he did while in the Demon Realm.
Although Bo Ya was pale, her condition had improved greatly after consuming some Spirit Pills. It seemed she would not experience any permanent damage from her injury.
He spoke some encouraging words to them and ordered Xiao Wu to take good care of them. Only then did he look into the distance with Bai Zhuo. Compared to the battle between a Great Emperor and a Demon Saint, the conflict from before could only be said to be a small fight. The thundering sounds from across the horizon never stopped. Rays of light occasionally burst out from that remote location, causing the world to dim and the space to shudder ceaselessly.
No matter who it was, they would be able to sense that the surrounding World Principles had begun to shatter as long as their strength had reached a certain height. That was the power of the Great Emperors and the Demon Saints. Their every move was capable of affecting the survival of the continent.
“If most of the Half-Saints returned to the Demon Realm, then what about the situation on the Two Worlds’ Battlefield?” Yang Kai asked suddenly.
Bai Zhuo shrugged, “Probably holing themselves up somewhere. What else can they do?”
Yang Kai turned his head to look at Bai Zhuo and chuckled softly, “Are the Holy Venerables planning to use overwhelming numbers to exhaust a Great Emperor to death?”
Now that most of the Half-Saints had been summoned back here and gathered in Eternal Sky Continent, it could only mean that these Half-Saints would eventually face Bright Moon. One or two Half-Saints might not have made much of a difference, but even ants could kill elephants if there were enough of them.
Bai Zhuo frowned and pondered in silence for a moment, “Although you can say that, this matter is not quite as simple as you think. The Holy Venerables have a much deeper plan. Besides, what is happening here is not just a gamble of survival, but also a great opportunity for all the Half-Saints.”
“Oh?” Yang Kai raised his eyebrows at those words, “I wish to hear the details!”
Bai Zhuo smiled wryly and shook his head, “You should ask Holy Venerable about this matter. If she is willing to tell you about it, she will surely tell you clearly herself. If she is not willing to do so, then it is not my place to tell you anything.”
Yang Kai’s eyes flashed, but he did not inquire any further into the matter. Bai Zhuo had made his stance very clear, so there was no point in asking any more questions.
Yang Kai could understand a life-and-death gamble as a Half-Saint facing off against a Great Emperor is nothing if not a life-and-death gamble! They may even be killed the moment they meet the Great Emperor, but what was this great opportunity they sought? Could it be that there is some sort of benefit to be gained by killing Bright Moon?
He couldn’t ignore the information Bai Zhuo had revealed to him, even if he wanted to.
Before they could finish cleaning up the battlefield though, a terrifying aura quickly came from afar. Zhui Feng, who had been lying on the ground all this while, immediately got up and looked in that direction warily. It was clear that he had felt the incoming pressure; however, he soon lay back down on the ground again.
Similarly, Yang Kai and Bai Zhuo looked up in unison as the latter’s expression changed, “Holy Venerable is here.”
Needless to say, Yang Kai could feel Yu Ru Meng’s aura too.
A brilliant light flashed a short while later and Yu Ru Meng’s figure appeared in front of the two of them.
“Greetings, Holy Venerable!” Bai Zhuo quickly cupped his fists. On the other hand, the army behind them fell to their knees quickly.
Yu Ru Meng nodded lightly. Glancing around, she couldn’t help furrowing her delicate brow tightly as she asked, “What happened here?”
The Blood Qi was very dense throughout the mountain valley and there were corpses lying all over the place. It was obvious that a huge battle had taken place here. Even Yang Kai looked a little pale, as though he had suffered some injuries. She couldn’t help being shocked by what she saw here and even thought that collateral from the battle with Bright Moon in the distance had spread this far.
Bai Zhuo turned and glanced at Yang Kai, but seeing that he had no intention of speaking, he quietly sighed in his heart. As such, Bai Zhuo had no choice but to step forward and relay all the information he had gotten from Yang Kai earlier to Yu Ru Meng.
Upon hearing how Yue Sang had returned from the Two Worlds’ Battlefield and even attacked Yang here, she turned red with rage, gritted her teeth and roared, “Impudence!”
She turned to look at Bai Zhuo and ordered, “Bring Yue Sang to me!”
It was one thing for Yue Sang to return from the Two Worlds’ Battlefield without receiving authorization, but he even dared to try and assassinate Yang Kai! How could Yu Ru Meng forgive him for that? Putting aside the Heart Seal Secret Technique that existed between her and Yang Kai, Yang Kai was now the key to the stability of the entire Demon Realm. Without him, who would maintain the unstable Territory Gates? Without him, who would repair those lost Territory Gates? For both public and private reasons, she had to give Yang Kai a reasonable explanation.
Receiving the order, Bai Zhuo immediately walked to the side and took out an item. He was presumably trying to find a way to contact Yue Sang.
Yu Ru Meng turned to look at Yang Kai next as her expression became gentle, “Are you alright? Is what Bai Zhuo said true?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “I’m fine. It’s just that Brother Bai Zhuo only understands a part of it.”
She asked, “What else is there that he doesn’t know about?”
Yang Kai sneered slightly, “I have Zhui Feng protecting me, so what could Yue Sang possibly do to me alone? He clearly knew that too. That’s why somebody helped him lure Zhui Feng away.”
“Who!?” Yu Ru Meng’s pretty face darkened. A person who could lure Zhui Feng away had to be a Half-Saint. She truly had not expected these Half-Saints under her command would be so ignorant of the general situation. [How can they create even more trouble for me at such a critical moment!?]
“I don’t know who she is. Just that she is a female Charm Demon,” Yang Kai replied.
Although he did not know who it was, there were only so few people among the Half-Saints under Yu Ru Meng’s command. Combined with the fact that the perpetrator was from the Charm Demon Clan, it was probably very easy to identify who it was.
“Aside from her, Di Li probably played a role too.”
“Di Li too!?” Yu Ru Meng couldn’t help scowling deeply. Nevertheless, realization came over her when she recalled how close Di Li and Yue Sang had always been with each other. When she had previously named Yang Kai as Great King and charged him with overseeing Cloud Shadow Continent, many of the Half-Saints under her had objected to the decision. After all, only a Half-Saint was qualified to manage a continent in the Demon Realm. How could a weak young Human male stand on equal footing with them?
Among these Half-Saints, Di Li had objected the most. Yu Ru Meng had forcibly suppressed their dissension at the time, so Yang Kai was unaware of this fact; even so, she never expected Di Li to be involved in this incident. That would mean that three Half-Saints under her command were involved in this debacle. She couldn’t help feeling extremely troubled. If it had only been Yue Sang alone, it would have been easy enough to handle. She could just kill him and be done with it; however, it was simply too much if three Half-Saints were involved. It might cause dissatisfaction among the rest of the Half-Saints if she punished all three of them severely.
Although a Demon Saint was a supreme existence in the Demon Realm, the number of Half-Saints under their command was the basis of their strength. It would be meaningless if all a Demon Saint had was their cultivation but not a single person under them to carry out their commands.
While they were speaking, Bai Zhuo walked back to them with a gloomy expression, “Holy Venerable, there is no response from Yue Sang!”
“Is there no response from him or is he refusing to answer?” Yu Ru Meng turned to look at Bai Zhuo.
He replied, “He is probably refusing to answer…”
“This is rebellion!” She raged. The incident today was wholly spearheaded by Yue Sang. Di Li and that female Charm Demon were probably just lending him a hand, but now, they couldn’t get in touch with Yue Sang, “Continue to contact him and tell him this, ‘never show up before me again if he doesn’t appear in front of me within an hour’.”
Bai Zhuo was startled to hear those words. He did not expect her to hand out such a harsh punishment. Nevertheless, he soon bowed and left to give Yue Sang the ultimatum.
Yu Ru Meng fumed in anger for a while before she reassured Yang Kai, “Don’t worry. I will definitely give you a satisfactory answer to this matter.”
Yang Kai slowly shook his head, “No need for that. I’ll deal with it myself.”
She frowned a moment and glanced at the Embodiment, who was standing by the side. Nodding gently, she said, “Suit yourself, but you have to wait until we settle things here. This matter is too important.”
She felt relieved in her heart. Although she was willing to handle things on his behalf, if she had to come forward personally, forget Yue Sang, even Di Li and the female Charm Demon would not be spared. If word of this incident were to spread, it was quite possible that her subordinates would lean towards other Demon Saints instead.
On the contrary, if Yang Kai were to deal with it himself, the situation would not be as serious. She could tell that the Embodiment was a Half-Saint now. Even so, Di Li and the female Charm Demon were not easy targets either; hence, Yang Kai might not necessarily have the strength to do anything to them if he dealt with this matter on his own.
It wasn’t as though the Half-Saints under her did not have conflicts between themselves; for example, it was a well-known fact that Yue Sang and Bai Zhuo had always held grievances against each other. It was just that she did not intervene in such matters without reason as long as these disputes did not hinder her overall interests. Having kept out of these matters in the past, it was best if she continued not to intervene now; otherwise, it would be hard for her to deal with things justly in the future.
“I heard you were hurt,” Yang Kai turned to look at Yu Ru Meng.
Yu Ru Meng was not willing to speak much on this matter so she replied nonchalantly, “It’s just a small injury, nothing to worry about. What about you? What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be in Hundred Spirits Continent?”
“I heard that something big had happened here, so I came to join in the fun.” He grinned, “Even so, I never expected to find the Bright Moon Great Emperor here.”
“He has always been here.”
“If you managed to trap him here, then why haven’t you killed him?”
She slowly shook her head, “Things aren’t as simple as you think. If we only wanted to kill him, he would have died long ago. Naturally, we had our reasons to keep him alive. But…”
“But, what?”
She sighed, “Nobody could have imagined that he would recover to his prime even under such conditions. So, the situation has changed.”
Yang Kai frowned at those words and asked, “Just now, Brother Bai Zhuo mentioned that this matter is both a life-or-death gamble and a great opportunity for all Half-Saints. What is going on?”
Yu Ru Meng turned and glanced at Bai Zhuo upon hearing that, seeming to blame him for being too talkative.
Yang Kai shrugged, “You don’t need to tell me if it’s inconvenient for you. I only came here to join in on the fun anyway. It’s not bad to be able to witness the fall of a Great Emperor. By the way, does Bright Moon still have any chance of survival?”
She chuckled softly, “Is your resentment toward Star Boundary still so deep?”
He coldly snorted, “Would I have fallen into such a state if not for how unjust they had been?”
She glanced sideways at him, “What’s so bad about the Demon Realm? You seem to me like you’ve been living quite well recently.”
“There’s nothing wrong with it, but in the end I’m still Human. I will always be a little out of place here.” He chuckled and changed the topic, “You haven’t answered me. Does Bright Moon have any chance of survival?”
She looked at him with a smile, “The Twelve Demon Saints have all taken action together. Do you think he still has a chance of survival?”
He couldn’t help letting out a short whistle at those words, “Looks like his death is certain.”
At this moment, Li Shi Qing suddenly rushed over from not far away, clutched at his arm with a pale face and begged him urgently, “Please save Senior Bright Moon!”
She had been resting not far away to recover and it was clear that she had heard the conversation between Yang Kai and Yu Ru Meng. That was why she was acting this way.
Yu Ru Meng glanced at Li Shi Qing, then glanced back at Yang Kai. A sly smile curling along the corners of her mouth, “How do you feel staring at this face all day long?”
Back when they had been in the Star Boundary, she had taken on Li Shi Qing’s appearance to remain beside Yang Kai. Many things had occurred between Yang Kai and her during that time. Only after returning to the Demon Realm had she finally removed her disguise and returned to her original appearance.
“What am I supposed to feel about it?” Yang Kai coldly snorted, “You are you, and she is she. How can I lump the two of you together?”
While speaking, he swung his hand vigorously and shook Li Shi Qing off, coldly snapping, “Go away.”
Li Shi Qing didn’t comply with his demands this time though and rushed up to grab at his arm again, her beautiful eyes were filled with a beseeching look, “Senior Bright Moon is a Great Emperor of the Star Boundary! Nothing must happen to him! Please find a way to save him! Please! Aren’t you a Master of the Dao of Space!? You can bring Senior Bright Moon away from this place!”
“I said scram!” His expression was frosty. He was already upset because of what Yu Ru Meng had said just now, and now Li Shi Qing was bothering him. He was in no mood to play nice with her. If his mastery over the Dao of Space was powerful enough, he wouldn’t be stuck here watching helplessly either.
Space Techniques could still produce some rather unexpected effects when used against Half-Saints, but how much use would they be against the Twelve Demon Saints of the Demon Realm? Everything else aside, if he so much as made a strange move, the Demon Saints only needed to seal off Eternal Sky Continent. Afterwards, he would be a fish on the chopping block. Yang Kai wanted nothing more than to rescue Bright Moon right now, but he was helpless to do so.
Seeing that Li Shi Qing was still harping on, Yang Kai stretched out his hand, whacked her over the head, and knocked her unconscious. Then, he shot a look at He Yin.
He Yin immediately stepped forward to help carry Li Shi Qing away.
“You actually hit her?” Yu Ru Meng gave Yang Kai a sideways stare, “Are you doing that on purpose for me to see?”
He laughed softly, “What do you mean by ‘on purpose’?”
As he said that, he stretched out his hand and reached out to her chin.
Her expression changed. Gritting her teeth, she snarled, “There are so many people here! Don’t embarrass me here!”
He grinned meaningfully and smoothly stroked her hair.
Feeling helpless, she swept her gaze over her surroundings where she saw Bai Zhuo looking up at the sky. Thus, she couldn’t help feeling both furious and amused as she changed the topic, “What’s the situation with Yue Sang?”
Bai Zhuo quickly bowed in response, “Still no response.”
“Hmph! Looks like he really has betrayed me!” She smirked in anger, “I can’t wait to see just how he plans to die!”
He replied, “Holy Venerable, do you need me to go and capture him?”
Bai Zhuo couldn’t let such a good opportunity to rub salt into Yue Sang’s wounds slip him by.
But instead, she waved her hand dismissively, “No need. Let’s deal with the matters at hand first. We can deal with him after we finish things up here.”
“Yes!”
“You can head back too. The situation might change at any moment. Relay my orders so that all can be ready at a moment’s notice.”
Bai Zhuo received the order and left, quickly disappearing out of sight.
After Bai Zhuo left, Yang Kai finally asked suspiciously, “What preparations? Do I need to make preparations too?”
Yu Ru Meng looked up at Yang Kai, hesitation flashing in her eyes. A long time passed before she sighed, “You shouldn’t have come. The reason I didn’t ask you to come here previously is that this place is simply too dangerous.”
He shrugged, “But I’m already here.”
She smiled bitterly, “It’s probably impossible to ask you to leave now, right?”
He grinned, “There’s nothing I can do if you knock me out and order somebody to take me away.”
He was quite worried that she might actually do this in fact. Although he didn’t know why she wanted him to leave, it was best if he spoke first and cut off the idea.
“Can’t you go back for me? I didn’t bring you back from the Star Boundary for you to die here.”
Yang Kai thought about it quietly for a moment before shaking his head, “I’ll be careful!”
“I knew it would turn out this way.” She pushed her hair behind her ear and looked at the battlefield in the distance. After a moment, she began to explain, “Bai Zhuo is right. This matter is both a life-or-death gamble and a great opportunity for all Half-Saints. That’s because… They will be the ones to deliver the final blow!”
Yang Kai felt extremely shocked, so much so that his complexion paled. She had only used the words ‘will be’. It wasn’t something that had already happened. Nevertheless, it was very likely to come true since a Demon Saint had said so.
Forcibly suppressing the shock in his heart, Yang Kai tried his best to speak in a calm voice, “It’s not difficult to understand the part about a life-or-death gamble. Half-Saints aiming to kill a Great Emperor certainly requires them to put their life on the line, but what do you mean by a great opportunity? Could it be that they would gain some sort of benefit from killing Bright Moon?”
This was what puzzled him the most. What benefit would they gain from killing a Great Emperor? Perhaps it was because his current cultivation was not enough, which was why he couldn’t figure it out.
Yu Ru Meng gently continued, “We didn’t kill Bright Moon at the beginning and instead arranged a grand Spirit Array and used a profound Blood Sacrifice Technique to trap him here. At first, we planned to let him weaken gradually until he died in this place. He is a Great Emperor of the Star Boundary, so his very existence represents a part of the Great World’s Will belonging to the Star Boundary. If he dies here, under the right circumstances, that part of the Star Boundary’s Will would be absorbed and assimilated into the Demon Realm, bringing it unimaginable benefits!”
That point was consistent with what Bright Moon had said before. He also mentioned that one of the reasons why the Demon Saints didn’t kill him was that they were afraid he might fight back like a cornered beast and cause serious problems for one or more of them before dying. However, the more important reason was that they wanted to let the Demon Realm ‘eat’ him. The capacity of the world would increase in turn, allowing for the rise of another Demon Saint. Meanwhile, the Star Boundary would permanently lose a Great Emperor. This trade-off would have an enormous impact on the two Great Worlds.
The number of top Masters in the Star Boundary was already considerably lower than the Demon Realm. Be it Great Emperors or Pseudo-Great Emperors, their numbers were incomparable with the numbers of Demon Saints and Half-Saints in the Demon Realm. The only advantage the Star Boundary currently held was the ‘home court’ advantage.
Yu Ru Meng continued, “We don’t know how Bright Moon managed to heal himself. He even broke through the Blood Sacrifice Technique and the Twelve Pinnacles Grand Demon Array, but it’s impossible to try and trap him here again, so we made some adjustments to the original plan. The twelve of us will work together to bring him to the brink of death, then the Half-Saints will land the final blow. The person who kills Bright Moon will have an opportunity to snatch the part of the Great World’s Will in him!”
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes when he heard those words, “Something like that is possible?”
She replied indifferently, “You are currently not strong enough, so it’s normal that you don’t understand these things, but it’s precisely because of this point that the person who lands the last blow must be a Half-Saint. In that way, the person who accepts the part of the Great World’s Will into themselves will have a great chance of growing into a new Demon Saint.”
Although it was easier for the Demon Saints to kill Bright Moon themselves, accepting the Great World’s Will would be of little use to them, far less so than compared to the birth of a thirteenth Demon Saint.
[So, this is the situation behind the so-called great opportunity.] Yang Kai was slightly stunned. [Based on what she told me, the odds are stacked against Bright Moon. Damn it! What can I do to help him!?]
“If anything, it would be best if you killed Bright Moon with your own hands.” Yu Ru Meng suddenly looked at him with a complicated expression.
“What do you mean?” He forced himself to compose his emotions, lest she saw through him.
She smiled, “Every Great World is distinct and unique in its properties. It is extremely difficult for a member of the Demon Race to accept the Star Boundary’s Will. For all we know, even if a Half-Saint manages to kill Bright Moon and snatch the Great World’s Will that belongs to him, they might explode and die from the backlash. But you are different. You are originally from the Star Boundary. Compared to the Demon Race, it would undoubtedly be easier for you to accept that Great World’s Will. It is also easier for you to obtain the Great World’s Will’s recognition.”
His eyes lit up upon hearing that, “I can try!” [If I can openly approach Bright Moon with a valid reason, I might get an opportunity to leave with him.]
“No!” Yu Ru Meng’s expression changed as she shouted, “You must not get such thoughts in your head!”
“Why?” He frowned.
“It’s too dangerous.”
“I’ll be careful.”
She looked at him firmly, “Don’t force me to knock you unconscious! I will never allow you to take such a risk!”
Yang Kai felt exasperated but could only nod in response, “Good. Since you’ve said so, then I will only watch the fun from the side.”
After a pause, he gave a bitter laugh, “Having said that, there’s nothing fun to see here anyway.”
The battlefield was too far away. Although he could feel the world-shattering commotion coming from that direction, he couldn’t get a glimpse of anything with his current eyesight. It left him feeling extremely frustrated.
Yu Ru Meng pondered for a while and gently said, “It’s not like you can’t watch… But you have to obediently watch from here. Don’t think about doing anything else.”
“I know, I know.” He looked at her somewhat excitedly. Although he didn’t know what methods she was going to use, since she said as such, it could only mean that she had a way to let him see what was going on clearly.
Yu Ru Meng shook her head helplessly, and with a flip of her hand, she took out a mirror-like Demon Artifact. Her Demon Qi surged and the mirror suddenly rose up with the wind, becoming as big as a table in an instant, lying horizontally in front of him. When the pitch-black Demon Qi churned, the surface of the mirror rippled like a stone had been thrown into a calm lake. As the ripples spread, a scenery gradually appeared on the surface of the mirror. It was not clear but not blurry either. It was tolerable in terms of clarity.
Yang Kai looked at it probingly, then turned his head to look at his surroundings and wondered, “Does this mirror reflect everything you see?”
The scenery shown in the mirror at this moment was clearly reflecting the mountain valley where they were located currently. It wasn’t a static image either. Rather, it moved as her vision moved; thus, the scenery in the mirror was constantly changing.
Yu Ru Meng gently nodded, “That’s right.”
“Amazing.” He couldn’t help praising. The function of the Demon Mirror might not seem very useful, but it was exactly what he needed at this moment. It was impossible for Yu Ru Meng to stay with him constantly. When the time came, she would have to join the battle personally. At that time, the situation on the battlefield would become clear at a glance.
“Remember what you promised me.”
She did not go into battle right away; instead, she found a place to meditate cross-legged. She did not seem to be injured on the surface, but Yang Kai had the feeling that she was still wounded; otherwise, she would not be so quick to try to recuperate. It was not easy for a Demon Saint to heal once they were injured.
Since Yu Ru Meng didn’t join the fight, Yang Kai couldn’t see what was happening on the battlefield. He could only wait patiently regardless of how anxious he was. During this period, he brooded hard over something. He was trying to see if there was a way he could get Bright Moon out of trouble, but he couldn’t think of anything no matter how hard he racked his brain, not unless he could persuade Yu Ru Meng to help. Unfortunately, the chances were not great even if she did agree to help.
As time passed, the battle up ahead became more and more intense. It seemed as though other Demon Saints had rushed over. Bright Moon had already been outnumbered in the first place. Now that the number of enemies had increased, his situation became even less hopeful. Concurrently, the entire Eternal Sky Continent’s World Principles were becoming increasingly fragmented. Wave after wave of aftershocks coming from the attacks swept over, making all the Demons present extremely nervous. They were worried that the continent might be destroyed, and they would all be swallowed up into the Void as a result.
All of a sudden, Yu Ru Meng abruptly opened her eyes. She looked into the distance with a deep gaze. Then, she stood up.
Yang Kai turned to look at her before she swayed slightly and disappeared from that spot, leaving only a light fragrance blowing in his face. Upon seeing that, he hurried over to the front of the Demon Mirror, grasping the edges of it with both hands as he anxiously lowered his head to look. The scenery in the Demon Mirror was changing rapidly, making it obvious that Yu Ru Meng was moving swiftly.
Approximately thirty breaths later, dazzling bursts of light shone out from the Demon Mirror and were immediately followed by loud explosions booming out from within. Yang Kai was stunned. He never imagined that not only could the Demon Mirror transmit pictures but also sounds. It was a good thing for him. This would make it easier for him to understand the situation on the other side.
The image froze as Yu Ru Meng stopped in her tracks. When the dazzling bursts of light faded, seven or eight figures stood proudly in the sky. One person stood in the centre and the rest were scattered around him.
The person in the middle was covered in blood. His originally white clothes were dyed blood-red. Nobody knew whether the blood belonged to him or the enemy. He looked rather tired but was still as calm as the wind.
Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed at the sight.
Bright Moon’s situation as of this moment was extremely dire. Even though he had recovered with the help of the leaves of the Immortal Tree that Yang Kai had given him, it was clear that he was badly injured again after going through such an intense battle. He was no longer bound by the Blood Sea and the Spirit Array, but the Twelve Demon Saints were still gathered in Eternal Sky Continent. It was now as difficult as ascending to the Heavens for him to escape from this place.
The Demon Saints surrounding him were greatly varied, including both men and women. They represented the Demon Realm’s strongest combat forces. Whether stern and gloomy, smiling, or cold and distant, they all had different expressions.
Yang Kai did not know many of them. He had some small dealings with Bei Li Mo before, so they were not strangers, and he had seen Xue Li once from a distance. Xue Li originated from the Blood Demon Clan and was the one who presided over the Blood Sacrifice Technique. The abundant Blood Qi in his body was not something that other people could match up to; however, his current condition was not much better than Bright Moon’s. He was also covered in wounds. It would seem that he had suffered quite terribly at Bright Moon’s hands.
In addition to Xue Li, there was also a bloated, short, crimson Demon Saint that concerned Yang Kai greatly. [If I’m not mistaken, this guy… is probably a Red Demon. What!? Even a Red Demon can become a Demon Saint? Aren’t they the lowest caste of Demons in the Demon Realm? What other means do they have aside from their own self-destruction?]
Moreover, this Red Demon Saint was in the same state as Xue Li. He was heavily injured. In particular, there was a gentle glow coming from his chest area that continued to radiate soft white light. It was causing him a certain degree of interference and injury with every passing moment. This was clearly Bright Moon’s doing.
Bo Ya’s weak voice suddenly came from beside him, “That person is probably Senior Huo Bo of the Red Demon Clan.”
He turned to look behind him and saw that He Yin, Lao Ke, and the others had gathered around too. It was clear that they were very concerned about the situation on the battlefield. Be that as it may, they did not dare to get too close without his permission. Bo Ya was the only one who did not act like an outsider, standing next to him and watching along with him.
[So, that’s Huo Bo!] When Yang Kai went over to Bai Zhuo’s station previously, he had heard from him that Bright Moon was fighting against Xue Li and Huo Bo. He had made a mental note of their names at the time. From what he could see, all three who had fought since the beginning were not doing so well. On the other hand, the other Demon Saints who came later seemed to be unharmed. At the very least, that was how they looked on the surface. The rest of the Demon Saints had their Soul Wisps destroyed, so they were surely suffering from a certain degree of damage.
“Didn’t I tell you to go and get some rest?” Yang Kai frowned and glanced at the injury on Bo Ya’s shoulder.
Bo Ya shook her head, “It’s nothing serious. Not to mention, this is such a rare battle that only occurs once every few thousand years. I really don’t want to miss it.”
Nobody wanted to miss spectating this battle. Judging from the looks on the faces of Lao Ke, Ke Sen, and the others, it was obvious that they thought the same way. Thus, Yang Kai left them alone.
“I can’t believe even a Red Demon can become a Demon Saint. He is a Red Demon, right?” Yang Kai frowned, voicing his suspicions as a question.
Bo Ya chuckled, “The entire Demon Realm considers it a miracle. You aren’t the only one to find it hard to believe. Nobody in the Demon Realm can believe it either. Even now, no other Master has been born to the Red Demon Clan. Senior Huo Bo is certainly one of the Twelve Demon Saints. Nobody knows what opportunities he came across in his early years.”
The world was vast and full of surprises. There was always something unthinkable that nobody could ever have imagined.
Yang Kai’s eyes shifted. He pointed at another Demon Saint and asked, “What about him?”
He was only observing the situation on the other side through the mirror-like Demon Artifact. Even so, this Demon Saint stood out as the most conspicuous existence. It wasn’t his appearance, but rather the feeling he gave off that made him impossible to ignore. Yang Kai could tell at a glance that this person was not to be trifled with.
Likewise, Bo Ya’s expression was extremely solemn as she identified that person carefully and replied, “If I’m not wrong, that would be the First Demon Saint, Senior Huang Wu Ji.”
“The First Demon Saint?” Yang Kai was surprised, “There are rankings among the Twelve Demon Saints?”
It had been a long time since he came to Demon Realm, but he had never heard about that before. [I wonder how Yu Ru Meng ranks. And, what about Bei Li Mo?]
Bo Ya, however, laughed and shook her head at his question, “The other Demon Saints do not have ranks. Senior Huang Wu Ji is the only person publicly recognized as the First Demon Saint!”
“Is he the strongest?” Yang Kai asked in a grim voice.
“Not only that. He is also the oldest Demon Saint,” She nodded lightly.
He studied the image seriously and memorized that person’s appearance before asking, “Which Demon Clan does he come from?”
“The Strength Demon Clan!”
Yang Kai nodded slightly. The Strength Demon Clan from the Demon Race was naturally known for their incredible strength. Additionally, this person was the strongest and oldest Demon Saint. His strength had probably reached a realm that was difficult to even imagine. Was there anybody who could even fight against him in the Star Boundary?
Afterwards, Yang Kai got to know each of the Demon Saints through Bo Ya’s explanations. In truth, she had never met any of these Demon Saints either, but their racial characteristics were very distinct. Moreover, many of them were exceedingly well-known throughout the Demon Realm, so she only needed to match their appearances to their names.
Flame Demon Chi Yan, Feather Demon Fu Yu, Stone Demon Mo Kan, Shadow Demon Wu Hua, Corpse Demon Zu Liao, Bone Demon Ge Meng, Sand Demon, You Qiu… Adding Charm Demon Yu Ru Meng, Snow Demon Bei Li Mo, Red Demon Huo Bo, Blood Demon Xue Li, and Strength Demon Huang Wu Ji, these were the Twelve Demon Saints who stood at the pinnacle of the Demon Realm. All of them were gathered in this place. Furthermore, each of the twelve Clans represented by the Demon Saints, aside from the Red Demon Clan, were among the most powerful Clans in the Demon Realm.
Staring at the scene in the mirror, Yang Kai held his breath, feeling as if he was experiencing the calm before the storm.
Bright Moon stood alone on a battlefield located an unknown distance away, explicitly, or implicitly confronting the Twelve Demon Saints. His expression was calm and unruffled. On the other hand, many of the Demon Saints did not seem to have the intention to make the first move either. They had an absolute advantage in numbers and were confident that they could keep him in this place forever. Even so, one or two among them might end up severely injured if Bright Moon fought back desperately. A moment of carelessness, and he could drag any one of them down with him. Therefore, none of them were making the first move even though they held the upper hand on the battlefield. What’s more, their plan was not to kill Bright Moon, but rather to exhaust his strength as much as possible to create a greater chance for the Half-Saints behind them to kill him.
Silence blanketed the entire world. Even the sounds of breathing were practically undetectable. This stand-off lasted for several days and nights. The figures of the Great Emperor and the Demon Saints were so motionless that they looked like they were part of an eternal painting of the world, leaving Yang Kai feeling extremely anxious.
He might not be on the battlefield, but he knew that the longer they dragged things out, the slimmer Bright Moon’s chance of escaping became. Although the confrontation had lasted for several days, Bright Moon had not been able to rest at all during these few days. The Twelve Demon Saints’ auras were firmly locked on him, and if he so much as showed the slightest weakness, they would immediately rain down a storm of attacks on him. Thus, he needed to always maintain peak vigilance to overcome this calamity. Under these circumstances, his mental strength was being consumed at a rapid rate. How could he possibly even get a moment of respite?
Even as a bystander, Yang Kai understood such an apparent truth, so how could Bright Moon, who was stuck in the centre of the vortex, be unaware of it? In order to break the stalemate, he would need to take great risks to have a chance of surviving. If this stand-off were to continue, his situation would only get worse and worse.
All of a sudden, without warning, Bright Moon moved. He slowly raised a hand, straightening his palm in front of his chest to use a Secret Technique. His surface was instantly covered in a layer of gentle light. Many of the Demon Saints changed their expressions in unison the moment he made a move. The Demon Qi coming from each individual roared into the sky.
The reflection in the mirror-like Demon Artifact showed Xue Li’s figure flickering. He turned into a blood ray and rushed at Bright Moon, seemingly going for the kill. The blood ray instantly arrived in front of Bright Moon and abruptly transformed into a blood web that could corrode anything and engulfed Bright Moon from above.
Bright Moon’s other hand grabbed at something in the void. A longsword that seemed to be formed from condensed moonlight appeared in his hand. Without even bothering to look, he slashed out with the sword.
The blood web split into two, skimming past his body. Then, it gathered together again to form Xue Li’s figure. He opened his mouth and spat out a cloud of blood mist at Bright Moon. Bright Moon had no time to bother about anything else as a round moon suddenly appeared behind him, hanging above his head. The moonlight illuminated the place, and the blood mist quickly evaporated. At the same time, his sword slashed out like a Dragon. The Moonlight Longsword transformed into a rain of swords and created a shield in front of him.
Meanwhile, clusters of crimson balls had already flown to his front during that time. It was Huo Bo who had launched a sneak attack while Xue Li was keeping Bright Moon busy. Yang Kai could clearly see that the clusters of crimson balls had been shot out by Huo Bo from a distance at an unimaginably high speed.
The sword net collided with the crimson balls and loud explosions immediately rang out. The small balls burst open as though many Red Demons had self-destructed on the spot, wrapping Bright Moon’s figure in a dazzling light.
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
Three rays of light appeared at that moment, shot from a far distance. It was the supreme archery performed by Feather Demon Fu Yu. There was also an incomparably tall skeleton of withered bones that approached from below, his jaws opening and closing as he approached, letting out a chattering sound that was extremely disturbing.
A sandstorm blew violently while the Shadow Demon Saint had already concealed his figure. The Stone Demon’s body glowed with a rocky lustre as he rushed to the forefront, acting as a physical shield to block Bright Moon’s continuous attacks with his strong defensive ability.
A chilly wind howled as snowflakes danced. Each snowflake was like a sharp blade and formed together into a deadly whirlwind. On the other side, there was a blazing fire that illuminated the world as Flame Demon Saint Chi Yan incinerated his surroundings as though he wanted the entire world to burn to ashes.
A dreamy murmuring sounded as the scene on the Demon Artifact mirror changed so rapidly that it was shocking. The smallest flinch had set off a chain reaction. With a single move from Bright Moon, the Twelve Demon Saints attacked all at once and the silent battlefield instantly broke out into a ferocious melee.
The scenery on the mirror-like Demon Artifact was shaking fiercely as all kinds of light flooded the scene and bursts of deafening explosions blasted out one after another. Yang Kai no longer had a clear view of the situation there anymore and clasped the edges of the Demon Mirror tightly with both hands, his expression so solemn that it was dreadful.
Bo Ya turned to look at him curiously and ruminated over something for a moment before she spoke up comfortingly, “All Twelve Demon Saints are there. Nothing will happen to Holy Venerable. You don’t need to worry so much.”
Yang Kai naturally remained silent. He was not worried about Yu Ru Meng, he was worried about Bright Moon!
The Demon Saints had successfully injured Bright Moon heavily and trapped him in Eternal Sky Continent back then, so it was possible for them to do it again today. Compared to back then though, the Demon Saints had an even stronger line-up today. Bright Moon’s current situation was truly worrying.
The battle showed no signs of stopping once it began. Be it Bright Moon or the many Demon Saints, they were going to fight to the death here. When the scenery in the Demon Mirror occasionally paused for a moment, Yang Kai could see a blur of the situation there.
Without any surprise, Bright Moon was being besieged by attacks. He was being hard-pressed, and his situation became increasingly severe with each passing moment. Facing so many enemies alone, it was already astonishing for a single person to be able to hold out so well, but what were his odds of survival even if he fought back desperately?
Yang Kai didn’t know what Bright Moon had planned, but it was clear his chances of escaping were very slim now that things had progressed to this point. Yang Kai assessed his own strength over and over again, wondering what he could do to help if he rushed over, but what discouraged him was that he concluded he would not be able to get close to the battlefield even if he brought out all his trump cards.
His fingernails cut into his flesh, causing Golden Blood to dye the edges of the Demon Mirror. His expression was so savage that it looked like he was about to kill somebody.
Bo Ya and the others could sense his foul mood and feeling that silence was golden, none of them dared to disturb him.
Time passed slowly, and with the help of Yu Ru Meng’s occasional pause between attacks, Yang Kai could see a little bit of the situation on the battlefield through the Demon Mirror. Bright Moon was covered in blood and terribly injured, his complexion was as pale as a sheet, and even if Yang Kai wasn’t on the scene himself and could not experience the power of the Secret Techniques and the Divine Abilities Bright Moon displayed, he could tell that they were not as powerful as before.
On the contrary, the Demon Saints became more relaxed. The Innate Divine Abilities of the Twelve Demon Saints were different, and they mutually reinforced each other’s strengths while covering for their weaknesses. Two or three of the Demon Saints were gathered around Bright Moon at every moment to tie him down while the Demon Saints who were proficient in long-range attacks took distance to severely wound him. Blood repeatedly splashed across the sky.
The Shadow Demon Saint, Wu Hua, was also lurking around elusively. He would appear whenever Bright Moon showed an opening, leaving another wound on his target’s body.
The full moon hanging behind Bright Moon’s head had become cloudy and sallow. It could no longer shine with the brilliant light it had before.
The world shattered as enormous cracks in space split open. Nobody could tell how much time had passed, but suddenly, Bright Moon let out a soft chuckle on the chaotic battlefield and his voice spread over his surroundings, “Bright Moon is honoured that all Holy Venerables think so highly of me that you have all turned out in full force. I will have no regrets even if I die in this place, but… my life is not something you can take just because you want to!”
After saying so, a light suddenly flooded the world. It was so bright that even the surface of the Demon Mirror turned blazing white. Immediately after that, a sensational aura spread out from the distance.
Yang Kai raised his head abruptly and looked in that direction, his complexion deathly pale as he felt like he was going to faint.
[Has Bright Moon been forced to self-destruct out of desperation!?]
It would be impossible for a Great Emperor to choose such a decisive way to end his life unless he had no other choice. At this moment, Yang Kai only felt as though somebody was squeezing his heart. It was so suffocating that he could barely breathe.
Yang Kai never imagined that he would witness the fall of a Great Emperor with his own eyes one day. He did not know what the Great Emperor War had been like tens of thousands of years ago, but it must have been simply astonishing with Heaven Devouring Great Emperor dominating the battlefield. Although many Great Emperors had worked together to fight him, quite a few of them had still been killed in the end. Wu Kuang, who cultivated the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, had terrifying recovery abilities and endurance, but even he had lost his life in the Shattered Star Sea, so what more need be said about Bright Moon?
Yang Kai should have expected this situation a long time ago. Even so, he found it hard to believe when he actually witnessed it. His figure swayed and he instinctively began to push his Space Principles to rush over. It no longer mattered what he could do to help, he was the only one who could save Bright Moon now. If he didn’t do anything, then there was nobody else in this world who could give Bright Moon a hand. As for the consequences… Yang Kai had no time to think about them. The main reason why he came to the Demon Realm was to save Bright Moon. Now that Bright Moon was in danger, he could not simply stand by and watch him die without doing anything.
Cries of exclamation came from many Demon Saints in the Demon Mirror. The scenery in the mirror was also retreating rapidly and it was obvious that Yu Ru Meng was fleeing from the battlefield after sensing something was wrong, so as not to be affected by Bright Moon’s self-destruction. A moment later though, her shout came through the Demon Mirror loud and clear, “Damn! We were fooled!”
Yang Kai froze in his tracks and the Space Principles around him instantly fell silent as he turned his head to look at the mirror. The incandescent light that originally filled the entire mirror had disappeared at some point. In Yu Ru Meng’s field of vision, Bright Moon had turned into a white streak. Just as the many Demon Saints pulled away and retreated, he took advantage of the opening to rush out of the encirclement and dash in a certain direction.
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
The sound of something slicing through the air echoed as the Feather Demon Demon Saint Fu Yu stood above the clouds and rapidly drew her bow. Several rays of light flew out like falling stars chasing after the moon. Those arrows ignored the barriers of space and appeared right behind Bright Moon the moment they left the bowstring.
Yang Kai had only just begun to feel relief when anxiety filled him again. Even though he had never experienced it before, he could still imagine the horror of the Feather Demon Saint’s archery skills. Bo Ya was only a Mid-Rank Demon King, but more than one High-Rank Demon King had died at her hands. The Feather Demon Clan specialized at sniping from a distance. Bright Moon might not be able to avoid such an attack in his best condition, so what about now?
Just when Yang Kai was feeling extremely nervous, Bright Moon’s figure urgently swooped downward, as though he had grown eyes on the back of his head. He narrowly avoided the series of sharp arrows, but before Yang Kai could rejoice, those arrows that were like streaming lights simultaneously turned around and chased after Bright Moon without pause.
Fu Yu’s arrows seemed to be guided by her Divine Sense to lock onto Bright Moon. Even if he escaped to the ends of the world, he couldn’t get them off his tail. He twisted and turned several times but still couldn’t shake off the streaming arrows chasing him. Taking advantage of his preoccupation, the Demon Saints he had deceived previously regained their senses and their figures shifted as they gathered around from all directions. It wouldn’t take any longer than three breaths for Bright Moon to be surrounded again. Then, he would lose his slight opening he spent so much effort creating. As such, he was extremely decisive. Flipping mid-air, Bright Moon weaved a set of hand seals and flashes of moonlight swiftly shot out behind him.
An explosion rang out and the flashes of moonlight vanished out of sight. The streaming arrows were shot down, one after another. Blood flowed from the corners of Bright Moon’s mouth due to the shock. The price might have been high, but he would still have a good chance of escaping as long as he managed to disrupt Fu Yu’s attack. The encirclement of the Demon Saints had yet to close and the Blood Demon Saint, who was the one nearest to him, was at least fifty kilometres away. He might be able to take this chance to escape as long as he could rush to the nearest Territory Gate…
It was at that moment that a black shadow suddenly appeared behind Bright Moon like a ghost, and a gleam of light slashed past him lightly…
Yang Kai’s eyes abruptly widened to the size of saucers. All the blood in his body turned as cold as ice in that instant! Time seemed to freeze. Reflected in the surface of the Demon Mirror, Bright Moon was still facing the various Demon Saints when, behind his back, a black shadow clung to his side. Nobody knew when that black shadow had appeared there, almost to the point where it seemed it had always been there.
The glow from the flashes of moonlight had yet to fade when fresh blood spurted out from Bright Moon’s waist…
The picture began moving again. Blood splattered everywhere and Bright Moon’s entire body shuddered as if he was struck by lightning. He didn’t even think about it as he struck behind him with a backhanded blow. That ghostly figure quickly retreated, avoiding the blow and stood at a distance of several thousand metres away from Bright Moon, glancing forward with an indifferent gaze. The figure was holding a pitch-black dagger in their hand, one that was dripping with red blood, making it very eye-catching.
Many Demon Saints stopped in their tracks, no longer having any intention to give chase. All of them were gazing at Bright Moon with complicated looks. They didn’t show any excitement at their success nor hostility towards their enemy. Even Xue Li and Huo Bo, who had been fighting Bright Moon before, were silent…
Bright Moon was nearly severed in two from that blow, and the Demon Saints no longer needed to take action. That was because Bright Moon would never escape from this place even if they didn’t do anything. That blow had not only cut him deeply, it also severed all his hopes of escape.
The next stage of their plan was prepared for the Half-Saints who wanted to compete for the opportunity. The many Demon Saints had long agreed that none of them could interfere unless forced to do so. Whoever received this opportunity would be up to the means of the Half-Saints serving under them.
“Wu Hua…” Standing in front of the mirror, Yang Kai clenched his fists, ground his teeth, and muttered coldly. However, he soon discovered that the person who had attacked Bright Moon was not Wu Hua. That was because the Shadow Demon Saint, Wu Hua, was clearly standing on the other side of Yu Ru Meng’s field of vision.
If it wasn’t Wu Hua, then who was it?
The person who attacked clearly belonged to the Shadow Demon Clan; moreover, a person who would dare to attack a Great Emperor at this time would definitely be a Demon Saint. Otherwise, the attack would not have succeeded.
Recalling the scene when this strange figure appeared, Yang Kai’s mind flashed back to the time when he was attacked outside Orthodoxy Temple. That scene was extremely similar to what had happened just now. In that tense moment, a name popped out.
Night Shadow Great Emperor, Can Ye!
[I can’t believe he’s here!] It seemed that Can Ye had been hiding in Eternal Sky Continent for a long time now, just waiting to land a fatal blow on Bright Moon at this critical moment. Yang Kai wasn’t expecting this, and it was clear that Bright Moon had not been expecting it either. It could also be said that he would have been powerless even if he had taken precautions against the attack.
Bright Moon couldn’t stop coughing up blood. The aura of a Great Emperor was fading quickly. A feeble light appeared at the location of the huge wound. It was barely able to stop the deterioration of the injury, but it was just part of his dying struggle. Can Ye’s blow had not just sliced open a wound that was visible to the naked eye. It had also sliced through the invisible foundation of the Great Emperor.
Bright Moon staggered, turned to face Can Ye, and wiped at the blood at the corners of his mouth with his hand. Although he was in a desperate situation, his expression remained unchanged in the face of death and his dry lips parted to ask, “Is the Demon Realm really that great?”
If not for Can Ye, the two worlds’ passage would not have been opened. If not for Can Ye, there would be no war between the Star Boundary and the Demon Realm. It could even be said that most of the responsibility for the current situation in the Star Boundary lay with Can Ye.
Can Ye didn’t answer. His body which was wrapped in a black shadow gradually faded and slowly vanished out of sight. Just as he came without a trace, he also left without one.
Bright Moon slowly shook his head. He then turned around to face the Twelve Demon Saints. His gaze flicked across the faces of each of the Demon Saints. In the end, his gaze landed on Huang Wu Ji as he spoke softly, “Many thanks for joining hands and facing me. I will die with no regrets. Although I will be dying here today, the light of the bright moon will not be extinguished.”
Huang Wu Ji stood with one hand behind him, lifting his other hand slightly to gesture politely at Bright Moon.
Bright Moon smiled slightly, stretched out his hand to grab at something in the void, and the Moonlight Longsword appeared in his hand again. He glanced sideways as an unknown number of Half-Saints had gathered in all directions, staring at him either openly or covertly. The eyes of every one of those Half-Saints were filled with obvious greed and covetousness.
Bright Moon staggered to turn around. The sword in his hand danced gracefully as many of the Half-Saints retreated in unison. Although his aura had weakened considerably and the aura of a Great Emperor was rapidly fading, he was still not an ordinary person and could not be underestimated. Who knew how many Half-Saints he could kill before he died?
Therefore, none of the Half-Saints that came from many different continents dared to act rashly, even though they couldn’t wait to rush in to kill Bright Moon. Clearly being first here was not wise.
The expressions on the faces of the Demon Saints were quite gloomy, but none of them spoke up to criticize the Half-Saints. They knew what these Half-Saints were scared of after all.
More than ten thousand kilometres away, the Space Principles around Yang Kai’s body fluctuated as he performed consecutive Instantaneous Movements without stopping. He was rushing towards the battlefield. The regret in his heart could not be any deeper. [If I had known earlier that this would have happened, I would have taken Bright Moon away from this place one year ago. Although Xue Li and the Twelve Pinnacles Grand Demon Array were there at the time, it would still have been better than the current situation where all Twelve Demon Saints have gathered.]
Unfortunately, he also understood that Bright Moon had been severely injured back then. Bright Moon could not have faced off against Xue Li in that condition, and he didn’t have the strength to take Bright Moon away either. Now that things had reached this point, he no longer understood why Heavens Revelations Great Emperor had wanted him to enter the Demon Realm to rescue Bright Moon. Bright Moon’s situation was doomed from the beginning. What was the use of sending him here? Could it be just so that he could witness the fall of a Great Emperor?
On the battlefield, the Twelve Demon Saints watched quietly as Bright Moon swung the sword in his hands. He walked across the sky, blood spilling along the way. His aura was disappearing at a speed that was visible to the naked eye, but even so, the Half-Saints blocking his way backed away constantly with every step he took forward.
A gloomy atmosphere pressed down on the hearts of every single Half-Saint present. It felt as though they were standing in the eye of the storm with the howling winds rampaging around them. The concealed murderous intent coming from Bright Moon made chills run down their backs.
All of a sudden, a certain Half-Saint could no longer withstand this tormenting pressure. He gave a loud roar and lunged towards Bright Moon, striking out with his fist. Wherever the fist passed, space collapsed.
However, Bright Moon didn’t even bother looking up and just casually slashed out with his sword. An explosion sounded and that Half-Saint and Bright Moon locked in an impasse for a fleeting moment. Then, the Half-Saint was cleaved into two. Blood spurted out like rain and his body turned into a cloud of mist.
At the same time, Bright Moon coughed up a mouthful of blood and his body trembled slightly. Under normal circumstances, it would have been absolutely terrifying to hear that a Half-Saint had been killed in a single move. It was also enough to deter anybody from daring to act rashly, but surprisingly, it didn’t horrify the Half-Saints today and instead many of them revealed pleasantly surprised expressions.
It was just that… even though the Half-Saint had been killed, he had also worsened Bright Moon’s injuries. This was something that was basically impossible under normal circumstances. A Great Emperor was that powerful after all. He could kill a Half-Saint on the spot with a mere wave of his hand; and yet, Bright Moon was currently coughing up blood non-stop. In other words, the Half-Saints present here were more than qualified to threaten the life of this Great Emperor of the Star Boundary!
That was enough! One or two Half-Saints might not be a match for him, but what about ten? Or twenty? There were more Half-Saints than that here. He would die even if all they used were their numbers to kill him by piling themselves on top of him. Before coming here, all the Half-Saints had mentally prepared themselves to put their lives on the line, so how could they shrink back at this time just because one of them had fallen?
Nevertheless, the fall of that leading Half-Saint was not without effect. At the very least, the remaining Half-Saints were afraid to act rashly. Everybody could see that Bright Moon was no longer at his peak, but he was still more than capable of killing off a few Half-Saints with ease. Nobody wanted to sacrifice themselves for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity just to help somebody else.
For that reason, everybody else simply surrounded Bright Moon tightly after the fall of that Half-Saint. They followed his movements and constantly kept their distance, but nobody dared to take action.
Meanwhile, messages were sent out. All the Demon Race armies stationed at various locations in Eternal Sky Continent suited up, marched in unison, and rushed towards the place where Bright Moon was located.
The Half-Saints did not want to die in vain; hence, they could only pin their hopes on the Demon Race armies under their command, hoping to exhaust Bright Moon’s strength further. There would definitely come a time when the Great Emperor of the Star Boundary would be completely spent. That would be when the Half-Saints would fight for the opportunity.
A short while later, one of the Half-Saints did not hesitate to give the Demon Kings in his army the order to attack the moment the first group arrived at the battlefield. The Demon Kings were full of reluctance, but they did not dare to disobey the order; thus, they could only grit their teeth and charge. Their roars resounded across the sky as armies of millions floated into the air and swept out like a dense swarm of locusts.
Bright Moon sighed. The Moonlight Sword in his hand shone dazzlingly. Several sword waves sped through the air and smashed millions to pieces…
The second army arrived, followed by the third… Countless Demon Race armies were arriving in a steady stream. The world was dyed crimson with blood. The Moonlight Sword flashed a few more times, and thousands of the Demons fell from the sky at every moment. It looked like the battlefield was raining from a distance. Even though the Demon Race suffered countless deaths and injuries, what caught everyone’s attention was the tragic yet majestic fate of the Great Emperor.
“A Great Emperor from the Star Boundary sure is amazing.” Bei Li Mo suddenly came to Yu Ru Meng’s side and sighed lightly.
Yu Ru Meng wrinkled her eyebrows, secretly feeling wary of Bei Li Mo. The two of them had always been at odds with each other. She didn’t know what kind of intentions Bei Li Mo held in her heart for her to run over here so suddenly, so how could she not be vigilant? Thus, she snorted softly and said, “I don’t think you will be any worse than him if you were driven to such a desperate situation.”
Bei Li Mo glanced at Yu Ru Meng and chuckled, “Little Sister, are you trying to jinx me? How could I fall into such a piteous situation?”
Yu Ru Meng said coldly, “That’s hard to say. Who knows what might happen to you one day?”
Bei Li Mo’s expression darkened as she angrily snapped, “It’s true that nothing good comes out of the mouth of a dog. I thought I’d give you a warning, but… it looks like I shouldn’t have bothered.”
Yu Ru Meng frowned, “Warn me about what?”
Bei Li Mo sneered and didn’t bother to reply to that.
Yu Ru Meng stared at Bei Li Mo suspiciously for a long while, but seeing she had no intention of responding, she impatiently snapped, “Speak if you have something to say! Stop trying to act mysterious!”
Bei Li Mo pondered in silence for a moment before sighing, “Haah… Forget it. Why do I always have to be so kind-hearted?”
Those words nearly made Yu Ru Meng burst out into laughter. If Bei Li Mo was considered kind-hearted, then there could be no treacherous people in this world anymore!
Nevertheless, she could sense that Bei Li Mo truly had something to say to her; it was not a good time to be at each other’s throats.
“Where is that little boy toy of yours? Is he safe?” Bei Li Mo winked at Yu Ru Meng.
Yu Ru Meng’s expression changed drastically as she quickly turned her head to look in Yang Kai’s direction. In the next moment, a powerful Divine Sense spread out. Ten breaths later, she gritted her teeth and shouted, “Yue Sang, you court death!”
While speaking, her tender body moved to rush in that direction, but to her surprise, a figure suddenly stood in front of her and blocked her way. That person had a slender body, a head of crimson hair flying in the wind, and blood-red eyes that exuded a wicked light. Although his complexion was pale, there was a smile hanging from the corners of his lips.
She narrowed her eyes slightly, “What is the meaning of this, Xue Li!?”
Xue Li smiled faintly and answered her question with another question, “Where are you going?”
“What do my whereabouts have to do with you? Get out of the way!” She screamed.
He slowly shook his head, “The matter with Bright Moon isn’t over yet. You can’t leave, not until he is dead.
Yu Ru Meng roared furiously, “Bright Moon is already an arrow at the end of its flight! Why do you need to be so cautious!? Besides, it’s not like I’m leaving Eternal Sky Continent. I’ll be back soon.”
He shook his head, “These are Big Brother Huang’s orders. If you want to leave, you can go and ask Big Brother Huang for his permission.”
Yu Ru Meng couldn’t help turning and glancing at Huang Wu Ji, who was standing some distance away. When she saw his indifferent expression, she suddenly felt uneasiness blooming in her heart.
Huang Wu Ji was the First Demon Saint. He must have seen and heard what was going on here; however, he was not saying anything about the situation. It was clear that he tacitly agreed with Xue Li’s actions. [What is the significance of all this? Does making things hard for me benefit them somehow?]
Yu Ru Meng’s pretty face instantaneously became gloomy before she sternly asked, “Has Yue Sang defected to you?”
Otherwise, how could Yue Sang return from the Two Worlds’ Battlefield without saying a single word to her? How could he dare to attack Yang Kai earlier? What’s more, he was currently lying in ambush on the path Yang Kai was taking here… Yue Sang must have found someone to back him, which was why he was acting so fearlessly.
Xue Li grinned, “Don’t make it sound so heinous. It’s not defecting per se. Yue Sang is just returning to his roots. Don’t forget; Yue Sang is a member of the Blood Demon Clan!”
“What are your real intentions here?” Her expression was so dismal that it was practically dripping with gloom.
Bei Li Mo laughed softly by the side as she said, “It’s not like we’re trying to do anything. It’s just that brat can repair and maintain the Territory Gates, which is very useful to the Demon Realm. It’s such a pity that he seemed to be getting a little too close to Hundred Spirits Continent recently. We need to teach him his place. He might be from the Star Boundary, but he still needs to know who is in charge in the Demon Realm.”
Upon hearing those words, Yu Ru Meng’s heart sank. It would seem that Zhui Feng’s appearance had made the Twelve Demon Saints extremely concerned. When they had Bright Moon as an enemy before, they had no time to care about anything else; however, Bright Moon was already an arrow at the end of its flight. Now that they were about to make their move, they were quick to turn on a friend and showed no mercy in doing so. Biting her red lips, she coldly said, “If anything happens to him, you will definitely pay the price!”
“Oh, my…” Bei Li Mo patted her full bosom exaggeratedly, smiling brightly as she cheerfully said, “Little Sister, your angry expression is so frightening.”
Xue Li smiled slightly, “Don’t worry, he won’t die. I have talked to Yue Sang. He can only maim but not kill; after all, there are still many Territory Gates in the Demon Realm that need his attention. It will be a huge loss for us if he dies.”
With Xue Li and Bei Li Mo blocking the way, Yu Ru Meng knew that it was impossible for her to leave this place. Yang Kai would not be in mortal danger even if he fell into Yue Sang’s hands. Nevertheless, he would ultimately suffer severe torture. Yue Sang hated him deeply after all. It could even be said that he would most likely be placed under house arrest in the future. She herself would also be forced into a disadvantageous position.
She secretly cursed him in her heart. [Smelly man! How dare he cause trouble for me!? I told him to stay there and not make any reckless moves! Why is he even rushing over here!? Is the opportunity from a Great Emperor that easy to obtain!? Isn’t it great now? He won’t even get to see the shadow of the opportunity before falling into somebody else’s trap!]
…..
In the boundless Blood Sea, Yang Kai’s complexion became extremely gloomy. He glanced around his surroundings as the entire world was filled with a blood-red colour. The blood waters below churned like the foaming sea. The blood clouds gathered in the sky, obscuring his vision from extending further.
He was anxious to rush over to the Moon Great Emperor’s side, but to his surprise, he had plunged into this Blood Sea halfway there and could no longer distinguish north, south, east, or west.
With such an obvious method, Yang Kai instantly understood who he was dealing with. He swept a cold gaze over his surroundings and shouted, “Get out here, Yue Sang!”
Since Yue Sang had been chased away by Bai Zhuo’s arrival previously, Yang Kai was surprised to see he had not given up. What’s more, he attacked him while the other Half-Saints were fighting over the grand opportunity. Compared to the resentment and hatred between them, Yang Kai felt that the opportunity to become a Demon Saint was far more attractive; thus, he simply could not understand what Yue Sang was thinking.
There were blood clouds in the sky and the Blood Sea below them while the air in between was filled with Blood Qi. The Blood Qi was thick with evil intent. When Yang Kai plunged into this place, he accidentally breathed in some of it and instantly felt dizzy as a result, nearly tumbling into the Blood Sea. Fortunately, he promptly sealed all the pores on his body and held his breath. Only then did he feel slightly better.
He had already tried using his Instantaneous Movement Technique, but unfortunately, this strange place seemed to be an isolated world of its own, making it impossible to leave easily unless he broke the barrier first.
There was no movement in the surroundings. It was so quiet that it felt as though he was the only person in the blood-coloured world. Be that as it may, he knew that Yue Sang was definitely observing him from somewhere in secret.
Seeing this, Yang Kai sneered, “Does a Half-Saint like you need to play hide-and-seek like this? Aren’t you afraid you’ll become a laughing stock if people learnt how cowardly you’re acting?”
As soon as those words came out, Yue Sang finally reacted. An erratic voice rang out from all directions, “I couldn’t do anything to you before because you had help from external forces, but let’s see what you can do to stop me now that you are all alone!”
Yang Kai snorted lightly, “In that case, why don’t you show yourself? Why are you wasting so much time?”
Bubbles emerged in the Blood Sea as Yue Sang’s figure gradually emerged from within. He had a smirk at the corners of his lips and was just about to speak when Yang Kai’s figure flickered and disappeared out of sight.
When Yang Kai reappeared again, he was already right in front of Yue Sang.
Even though Yue Sang’s strength far surpassed Yang Kai’s, he still couldn’t help being shocked for a moment. He jerked his head up and when their gazes met, a golden light shone out of Yang Kai’s left eye, one that was both extremely domineering and mesmerizing.
While using the Demon Eye of Annihilation, Yang Kai executed the Blossoming Lotus Secret Technique. A pure white lotus bud appeared in a flash and sank into Yue Sang’s mind.
Yue Sang’s vision was instantly filled with the pure white flower and his Spiritual Energy was forcibly sucked into the bud, out of his control. The petals subsequently began to unfurl, layer by layer. Immediately following behind the flowers, a sword light slashed out with horrifying killing intent!
Demon Eye of Annihilation, Blossoming Lotus Secret Technique, Heaven Severing Slash, and Instantaneous Movement. Yang Kai brought out four of his best methods in that instant, all to take his opponent by surprise. He had no other choice. The other party was a Half-Saint so he basically had no other card to play except taking a pre-emptive strike. Unfortunately, he had the feeling that using all these moves together was still not enough to do anything to his opponent.
With a cry of surprise, Yue Sang lifted his hand and struck out, his palm landing squarely on Yang Kai’s chest. A fleeting look of pain appeared on Yang Kai’s face as the sound of bones breaking rang out. Then, his entire person flew backwards like an arrow released from its string. While flying in mid-air, he forced himself to take a deep breath and summoned the Mountains and Rivers Bell to cover Yue Sang.
With a great splash, Yang Kai fell into the Blood Sea. The clothes on his body were quickly melted away, and even his intrepid physique could not resist the terrifying corrosive force. By the time he came back out of the Blood Sea, his entire body was covered in wounds. There was not a single spot on Yang Kai’s body that was not injured. Fortunately, the healing ability of someone with the blood of the Dragon Clan was so powerful that this level of injury could not be considered serious.
On the other hand, Yue Sang had been caught off guard and lost the initiative. He was currently trapped in the Mountains and Rivers Bell as an overwhelming suppressive aura permeated the air. Violent banging sounds came from inside the bell and it was clear that he was trying to break free of these restraints. At the same time, his voice roared out from within, “Yang Kai, I will rip your corpse into ten thousand pieces!”
His voice not only sounded absolutely livid, but also loud and energetic.
Yang Kai was secretly speechless. Even a High-Rank Demon King would be severely injured after receiving his four move combination, but they only had such minor effects on a Half-Saint. The gap in their strength truly was not something that could be compensated with mere tricks.
“That’s only if you can get out of there.” Yang Kai snorted coldly. Enduring the feeling as though his head was going to split apart, Yang Kai formed a set of hand seals, causing the engravings on the Mountains and Rivers Bell to flicker, increasing the world-suppressing aura to new heights.
Maintaining the activation of the Mountains and Rivers Bell was very exhausting, but Yue Sang would escape very quickly if Yang Kai did not do so. Yang Kai would be no match for Yue Sang the moment he freed himself from his predicament.
Neither Zhui Feng nor the Embodiment were nearby. Yang Kai was all alone in this place. However, he was certain that both Zhui Feng and the Embodiment were catching up. They had hurriedly rushed after him when he sped off just now, but their speed was not as fast as his. Perhaps they had already discovered this Blood Sea and were trying to find a way to destroy it. They were both Half-Saints, so their strength was comparable to Yue Sang’s. The Blood Sea would not be able to stop them though, so Yang Kai only needed to hold on for a short while before the opportunity to join up with them would come.
Even so, Yang Kai could not pin all his hopes on them. Who knew what strange tricks were hidden in this Blood Sea? It might have some sort of power to delay them that he didn’t know about. Therefore, he spread out his Divine Sense and explored the Blood Sea in his surroundings for a weak spot while maintaining the power of the Mountains and Rivers Bell at the same time.
Regardless of how he searched though, Yang Kai could not find any useful clues. The Blood Sea seemed to be a gigantic Spirit Array and he had no way of destroying it unless he could locate its Array Core.
On the contrary, his Divine Sense seemed to have activated some sort of restriction. The Blood Sea in his surroundings churned tumultuously, constantly forming huge bubbles that burst and made the surrounding Blood Qi even denser.
“Did you think I wouldn’t be able to do anything to you just because you trapped me inside here!?” Yue Sang’s shouts came from within the Mountains and Rivers Bell, his voice a mixture of endless ridicule and mockery. Yang Kai did not know when he stopped banging against the Mountains and Rivers Bell, but he probably realized that this Ancient Exotic Artifact was very difficult to deal with so instead he simply called out, “Let me show you the power of my Blood Light Array!”
His words were accompanied by a loud splashing sound. A figure covered in blood suddenly sprang out of the Blood Sea. The figure lunged at Yang Kai at an extremely fast speed as soon as he appeared, closing the distance between them in the blink of an eye.
Yang Kai looked in that direction and couldn’t help feeling shocked. That figure was completely devoid of vitality. Yang Kai did not know how long this person had been dead for, but their figure was tall, broad, and had crimson red eyes. When that person’s fist came slamming down, the sound of something slicing through the air rang out. The attack caught Yang Kai off guard and he could only meet it directly.
*Hong…*
When both their fists collided with each other, Yang Kai’s eyes widened. He could feel the tremendous power rushing towards him as his body was inadvertently pushed back by a dozen metres. On the other hand, the figure was also blown away by his punch. The other party might be powerful, but it seemed Yang Kai’s strength was still greater.
*Hualala…*
A series of splashing sounds came out as dozens of figures suddenly emerged from the surrounding Blood Sea. Similar to the figure from earlier, they were devoid of vitality and had crimson red eyes. It was just that they came in different shapes and sizes. When these figures appeared, they attacked Yang Kai without saying a word. Several of them circled to the sides while each of them had powerful blood light coming from their forms. One of them was entirely covered in blood-red flames, similar to a Flame Demon’s Innate Divine Ability.
Several other figures pulled away, each stretching out their hands to hold a strong bow. When they drew the bow and nocked the arrow, countless rays of blood light burst through the air to attack Yang Kai’s vitals like blood serpents.
Yang Kai was taken aback. He never expected that there would be an ambush lying in wait for him in this Blood Sea. Moreover, these people had clearly been dead for a long time now. He couldn’t believe how they still managed to display the abilities they had during their life.
Not daring to underestimate them, Yang Kai lifted his hand, summoned the Wind Gourd, and opened its mouth. His Emperor Qi surged violently, and the Wind Gourd slashed out waves of shocking gales. A fan-shaped area in front of him centred on the place where he stood instantly became a land of death.
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
A muffled sound rang out as sharp blades of wind slashed everywhere, slicing up the numerous bloody figures into pieces. Even the blood arrows shot toward Yang Kai were completely blocked by the gale.
Before Yang Kai could rejoice, a chill suddenly came from behind him. At that critical moment, he activated Nihility and exiled himself into the void. He sprinted forward simultaneously, speeding thousands of metres away. When he looked behind again, he saw that a ghostly figure had suddenly appeared where he had originally been standing. That person was holding a dagger in his hand and slashing at the spot he used to be.
Shadow Demon!
Thinking back on the figures that were similar to Flame Demons and Feather Demons, Yang Kai suddenly understood. These people had been refined by Yue Sang. That was why even if they had died, they could still use the abilities they had when they were still alive.
Yue Sang’s voice came from the Mountains and Rivers Bell, “I have eight thousand Blood Corpses in this Blood Light Array. How many can you kill? Surrender obediently, and I’ll let you live!”
Yang Kai sneered, “If your Blood Corpses are only this strong, they won’t be able to do anything to me no matter how many there are!”
These so-called Blood Corpses might be extremely powerful, but they were only comparable to Mid-Rank and Low-Rank Demon Kings. As long as Yang Kai had enough Emperor Qi, he was not afraid of them with the Wind Gourd in his possession. The only thing he had to guard against were the sneak attacks from the Shadow Demon Blood Corpses. He didn’t know if it was because of Night Shadow Great Emperor, but there was nothing he hated more than the Shadow Demon Clan in the entire Demon Realm at this moment.
“How impenetrably thick-headed! Are you expecting someone to save you!?” Yue Sang sneered, “That beast and that strange Divine Spirit have indeed arrived and are right outside. But, what can they do even if I let them in?”
While Yue Sang was speaking, the Embodiment and Zhui Feng were blasting at the Blood Sea with various methods. Unfortunately, all they managed to do was cause the blood water to swirl violently and evaporate uncontrollably.
When Yang Kai had set off in such a hurry, they had rushed to keep up with him. Nevertheless, how could they possibly keep up with his Instantaneous Movement? Thus, they could only watch as he plunged straight into the Blood Sea. They might not know what secrets were contained within this Blood Sea, but they did know they had been blocked by the swirling sea when they tried to enter.
At this moment, the Blood Sea parted to the sides on its own after the duo let out another barrage of attacks, revealing a spacious passage that led straight into an unknown world. Zhui Feng and the Embodiment looked at each other and nodded. Both of them were extremely courageous, so they plunged into the Blood Sea without hesitation.
The sea that split apart on both sides closed again, swallowing them up in the blink of an eye. Unexpectedly, they lost each other the moment they stepped into the Blood Sea. Zhui Feng searched around but did not see Yang Kai and Embodiment. Thus, he couldn’t help neighing non-stop and sprinting away into the distance. Unfortunately, the Blood Sea seemed limitless and he could not see where it ended no matter where he sprinted, much less find Yang Kai and the Embodiment.
The Embodiment’s current situation was similar to that of Zhui Feng. Unlike Zhui Feng though, he quickly realized that the Blood Sea Spirit Array had some effect of creating an endless loop. There was no other way to swiftly break free of this place; hence, he quickly stopped in his tracks and did not bother with such useless efforts. With a flip of his wrist, the Embodiment took out a bead. Drawing on his power, the bead flashed with light and he disappeared from the spot.
In the centre of the Blood Sea, Yue Sang, who was still being trapped by the Mountains and Rivers Bell, was still mocking loudly, “I have let your two helpers into the Spirit Array. Nevertheless, they are simply walking straight into a trap. Unless they have my permission, they will never be able to find…”
At this point, he stopped abruptly. Immediately after that, he called out in alarm, “How is that possible?!”
There was an obvious incredulity in his voice and Yang Kai could almost imagine the shocked expression on Yue Sang’s face. That was because the Embodiment had appeared next to Yang Kai without warning, stretched out his hand to grab at a lunging Blood Corpse, squeezed it hard, and caused the Blood Corpse to explode.
Yang Kai shouted at that moment, “Time to die, Yue Sang!”
The Blood Light Array was truly amazing. Leaving aside the so-called eight thousand Blood Corpses lying in ambush that were prepared to jump out to attack at any time, it actually had the ability to seal off space, which greatly restricted the use of his Space Techniques. Yang Kai had no way to get out of this place via Instantaneous Movement without first destroying the Spirit Array, but all his Space Techniques worked just fine inside the Spirit Array. The same went for the Space Beacon.
The Embodiment was one of Yang Kai’s most powerful helpers, so how could he not possess a Space Beacon refined by Yang Kai?
Letting the Embodiment into the Blood Light Array was definitely Yue Sang’s biggest mistake. He probably never expected that the Embodiment could come directly to Yang Kai while ignoring the mysterious workings of the Spirit Array.
[That was already within the scope of the Space Techniques. Wasn’t that Human the only one proficient in the Dao of Space? Why was this weird Divine Spirit also proficient in it? How can it be so extremely versatile!?] Yue Sang was completely baffled and the shock in his heart caused the Blood Sea to churn in response.
Countless Blood Corpses were still coming out of the Blood Sea in all directions, lunging at Yang Kai as soon as they appeared; however, the strongest among these Blood Corpses was only as strong as High-Rank Demon Kings. Moreover, there were very few of them. The rest were Mid-Rank Demon Kings and Low-Rank Demon Kings. The real strength of these Blood Corpses lay in their numbers. Anybody who was trapped in the Blood Light Array would become flustered if they were besieged by so many Blood Corpses.
Be that as it may, the Embodiment was now as strong as any Half-Saint, so these Mid-Rank and Low-Rank Demon King Blood Corpses were nothing to him. He kicked and punched for a little while, and Blood Corpse after Blood Corpse burst into blood mist.
The surrounding area was cleared up in the blink of an eye.
The Blood Corpses did not reappear as Yue Sang was probably aware that something wasn’t quite right with the situation and stopped making unnecessary sacrifices. He might have claimed that he had thousands of Blood Corpses in his Blood Light Array, but judging by the speed the Embodiment was killing them, there was seemingly nothing they could do even if all of them charged together.
On the contrary, there was a violent sound coming from the Mountains and Rivers Bell. Yang Kai had been careless and nearly allowed Yue Sang to escape. It frightened him so much that he hurriedly pushed the power of the Ancient Exotic Artifact to further suppress Yue Sang.
The Embodiment exchanged a glance with him and immediately understood his current predicament, giving him a slight nod. There was no need for them to communicate as both understood what the other was planning.
In the next moment, the Embodiment reached out his hand and grabbed at something in the void. The Demonic War Hammer appeared in the palm of his hand, and with a slight shift of his body, he rushed towards the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai changed the hand seals he was using and opened a gap in the world-suppressing pressure. Yue Sang, who was trapped in the Mountains and Rivers Bell, keenly felt this change and immediately turned into a ray of blood light in an attempt to break free.
What he did not expect was that he would be greeted by the Embodiment’s head-on blow. The Heaven-destroying and Earth-shattering aura that pressed down on Yue Sang startled him, and like a frightened rabbit, he quickly shrank back again.
Taking this opportunity, the Embodiment plunged into Mountains and Rivers Bell from below and Yang Kai sealed the gap once again. There soon came fierce and appalling sounds of fighting from within the Mountains and Rivers Bell. It was evident that the Embodiment and Yue Sang were battling each other inside. In support, Yang Kai pushed his strength hard to maintain the power of the Mountains and Rivers Bell, a pained expression showing on his face.
The power of the Mountains and Rivers Bell was beyond question; after all, it was an Ancient Exotic Artifact that used to belong to a Great Emperor. It was an existence that could even suppress the Phoenix True Fire for tens of thousands of years. Unfortunately, that was only provided Yang Kai could exert all of its power.
Yang Kai had obtained the Mountains and Rivers Bell many years ago, but because of his limited cultivation, he could not bring out its full power. It had been a surprise that he managed to suppress Yue Sang within it. If the Embodiment had not arrived in time, it would not have taken long before Yue Sang broke free of the restraints.
At present, the two Half-Saints were fighting each other with the Mountains and Rivers Bell as the battlefield. The aftermath of the fierce battle spread out and it was no less intense than the commotion made by Yue Sang before. Even if Yang Kai tried his best, he didn’t know how long he could maintain this situation.
The moment he failed to hold on, Yue Sang would instantly escape from the trap. That would allow Yue Sang to regain the initiative and take control of the situation with the help of this Blood Light Array. Yang Kai seriously doubted that he and the Embodiment could fight against Yue Sang inside this strange Spirit Array while also having to deal with thousands of Blood Corpses. A veteran Half-Saint could not be that easy to deal with after all.
The only hope he had was that the Embodiment could kill or severely injure Yue Sang in short order! That was the only way they would have any hope of victory. What made Yang Kai more anxious though was Bright Moon’s current situation. When he had been rushing over from the mountain valley, Bright Moon had already suffered a grievous wound and was surrounded by countless Half-Saints. Yang Kai didn’t know what situation Bright Moon was in now, which made him hate Yue Sang even more. If Yue Sang had not ambushed him along the way, he would not have been delayed.
Nevertheless, he could not ignore Yue Sang in this situation. He would not be able to escape from the Blood Light Array if he didn’t kill or severely injure Yue Sang first, much less go to Bright Moon’s rescue.
Incessant explosions could be heard coming from within the Mountains and Rivers Bell as the Emperor Qi in Yang Kai’s body flared strongly. His mind was closely connected to the Mountains and Rivers Bell. Following the emergence of those sounds, the patterns on the Mountains and Rivers Bell continued to flicker without stopping. The body of the bell would also become bigger and smaller from time to time, reflecting the fierce battle occurring inside.
In the beginning, a few Blood Corpses would occasionally jump out of the surrounding Blood Sea to obstruct Yang Kai; however, he had taken the time to kill them, and the Blood Corpses in the Blood Sea did not reappear again as time passed. It wasn’t that all the Blood Corpses weren’t there, it was just that Yue Sang could not afford to split his attention to control them!
Yue Sang might be a veteran Half-Saint with extraordinary power, but the Mountains and Rivers Bell that limited the scope of the battlefield was highly advantageous to the Heaven Devouring Battle Law that the Embodiment was using. How could Yue Sang stop the Embodiment when the latter had a Saint Artifact in hand? Just resisting the Embodiment’s horrendous attacks exhausted all of Yue Sang’s mental capacity, so where would he find the spare energy to control Blood Corpses to attack Yang Kai?
While the fight was in full swing on this side, the main battlefield was also flowing with rivers of blood. Platoon after platoon of millions of Demons flooded in from all directions under the Half-Saints’ command. They threw themselves at Bright Moon, one after the other, and the Moonlight Sword continued to bloom with light in response. Troop after troop of the army was beaten half to death and the Demon Race suffered countless casualties as a result.
The scene looked like a group of ants trying to besiege an elephant. It was truly amusing. Unfortunately, the world was full of unspeakable tragedies. It was often said that even an army of ants could kill an elephant, but of course, that was under the premise that the elephant could not move to escape.
Even if Bright Moon was heavily injured, he was not somebody an ordinary member of the Demon Race could challenge. The Half-Saints did not expect the ordinary Demons to cause any new injuries to Bright Moon and simply planned on using these subordinates to tire Bright Moon out. Every time Bright Moon launched an attack, he would weaken a little more. The moment he reached a certain limit would be the moment the Half-Saints made their move.
Among the Twelve Demon Saints, eleven pairs of eyes were staring at Bright Moon. Only Yu Ru Meng looked into the distance with a frosty expression. Her Divine Sense was very powerful, so she could perceive some of the situation over there. Unfortunately, she had no way of knowing what the situation was within the Blood Sea. All she knew was that Yang Kai had plunged into the Blood Sea and fallen into Yue Sang’s trap.
It wasn’t until the Embodiment and Zhui Feng entered the Blood Sea together that her worries slightly lessened. Others might not know much about Yang Kai, but she was different. How could she not understand him after all the years she had spent beside him in Star Boundary?
[Yue Sang is in trouble!] Yu Ru Meng coldly snorted in her heart. [They will suffer for thinking themselves clever.]
Her subordinate’s betrayal was undoubtedly a blow to her reputation; however, her shaky reputation would stabilize again as long as Yang Kai could finish the matter for her.
…
“It’s over,” Nobody knew how much time had passed when Bei Li Mo’s voice suddenly rang in Yu Ru Meng’s ears. Her voice could not be said to sound excited; in fact, it sounded rather desolate instead, “The fall of a Great Emperor is truly spectacular.”
Yu Ru Meng was startled and when she turned to look in that direction, she saw that Bright Moon was standing alone in the sky. His figure looked bleak and the sky all around him was clear while the ground below him was covered in mountains of corpses and rivers of blood. Countless Demons had died there.
The Moonlight Sword he held in his hand all this while was dim and lacklustre. It was as though it could be extinguished at any moment. His aura as a Great Emperor had long vanished and instead, he was as weak as an old man who was on his deathbed. Even his originally black hair had turned grey at this moment. The appearance of a handsome youth that he used to have no longer existed.
It was indeed over. The Demon Realm had paid a price of hundreds of millions of lives in this place to forcefully exhaust a Great Emperor to such an extent. It was time for the Half-Saints to take their places on the stage. It was time for them to compete between each other.
“I wonder who will come out on top!” Xue Li laughed.
The Half-Saints scattered in the surroundings, who had been watching Bright Moon’s condition nervously, gathered around again. Each of them was so incredibly excited that they surrounded the spot where Bright Moon stood tightly.
Many pairs of eyes turned to look at Huang Wu Ji, to which the tall First Demon Saint gave a slight nod with a solemn expression.
In the next instant, hundreds of Half-Saints moved like a pack of hungry wolves to rush at Bright Moon. In the centre of the storm, Bright Moon’s expression was indifferent. He remained calm in the face of death. There was only an indescribable exhaustion on his face, and his eyes closed slightly. The Moonlight Sword in his hands trembled slightly, before its light was extinguished.
…
Inside the Blood Light Array, Yang Kai was trembling. His complexion was as pale as a sheet, and Golden Blood steadily flowed from his seven orifices. He had overexerted himself when using the power of the Mountains and Rivers Bell. These actions had affected the injuries that he suffered previously, although they could not be considered serious. Nevertheless, it had worsened his current state.
There was no way around this. Two Half-Saints, the Embodiment and Yue Sang, were having a deathmatch inside the Mountains and Rivers Bell. The fallout of the attacks shook the Mountains and Rivers Bell endlessly, to the point that even he, as the Master of the Mountains and Rivers Bell, was affected by the impact. Thus, Yang Kai could only grit his teeth and hold on with determination. All his previous efforts would be in vain if Yue Sang were to break free from the trap.
The feedback Yang Kai received from the Embodiment allowed him to understand the situation inside the Mountains and Rivers Bell in an instant. Fortunately, Yue Sang was also facing unspeakable misery that was comparable to Yang Kai’s overwhelming burden. The narrow space forced him to face the Embodiment’s fierce attacks while the manifestation of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law caused his aura to decrease steadily. On the other hand, the Embodiment only became stronger as the battle went on. He had the posture as though he was going to hammer Yue Sang to death on the spot.
Hence, Yue Sang was panicking. He could never have expected the situation to come to this in the end. Rather than the suppression of the Mountains and Rivers Bell, what scared him the most was the Embodiment. He did not know what kind of evil Secret Art this strange Divine Spirit had cultivated that had the effect of plundering and devouring his own aura, but it was clear the Embodiment was literally the Blood Demon Clan’s nemesis.
As a Half-Saint from the Blood Demon Clan, Yue Sang was the most proficient at using the various Secret Techniques of the Blood Demon Clan; however, he no longer dared to use them easily. That was because the Embodiment could refine and devour whatever Secret Techniques he utilized. Hence, his situation was becoming more and more unfavourable with the passing of time.
[Damn it! It was a foolproof ambush! How could things develop into this!?] There was no point in time when he was not trying to escape from this trap. Unfortunately, the bell-shaped artifact had an unimaginable force of suppression. Combined with the Embodiment making things difficult for him, Yue Sang was completely powerless to resist. It was humiliating that he had been held up by a trivial Mid-Rank Demon King for so long.
At that moment, he suddenly felt a flaw in the aura that had been suppressing the surrounding area. This discovery left him feeling overjoyed. He did not know why Yang Kai would make such a fatal mistake at such a time, but he guessed that the latter had reached his limits. After all, the other party’s cultivation was obviously much lower than his own. It was exceptional that Yang Kai could persist for such a long time already.
Without the slightest hesitation, Yue Sang spouted a cloud of blood mist. He had to stop the Embodiment for a moment, even if he had to sacrifice some of his Blood Essence to do so. Then, his figure transformed into a ray of blood light and rushed towards that gap in the defence.
The Embodiment could not stop Yue Sang in time and could only watch as Yue Sang dashed out of the suppression range of the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
At the same time, Yang Kai turned his head and looked in a certain direction. He had suddenly experienced an inexplicable sense of turmoil for a moment just now. It felt as though something terrible had happened. It was precisely because of this sliver of unease that his control over the Mountains and Rivers Bell had stopped for a moment and the gap that allowed Yue Sang to escape appeared. He instinctively knew that something had happened to Bright Moon, because he could no longer sense Bright Moon’s aura!
Although he had been fighting Yue Sang within the Blood Light Array all this time, Yang Kai could still sense the aura of a Great Emperor outside, albeit faintly. At that moment, however, the aura that belonged to Bright Moon became non-existent. It had thoroughly been extinguished from this world.
Yue Sang’s escape drew his mind back to the present in a panic, but unfortunately, there was nothing he could do at this point and his temper instantly flared to the extreme as a result.
To Yang Kai’s surprise, the counterattack he was expecting did not come. Likewise, Yue Sang vanished completely into the Blood Sea after escaping the trap. Yang Kai could not tell whether Yue Sang had fled or was hiding in ambush somewhere nearby.
The Blood Sea then began to churn, shrinking towards a certain direction.
At the same time, Yue Sang was fleeing into the distance with the help of the cover provided by the Blood Sea. His expression was full of hatred. He was also gnashing his teeth and cursing at something under his breath. A Blood Demon Half-Saint like him had ambushed Yang Kai only to end up in this miserable situation. Thus, the rage in his heart grew exponentially. Nevertheless, he did not dare to confront Yang Kai any longer due to his fear of the Embodiment’s power. He only wanted to escape, the further the better, lest Yang Kai used the Mountains and Rivers Bell to trap him again. He would most likely lose his life if he was caught again. On the other hand, he believed that he could still escape alive with the protection of the Blood Light Array. As for his grudges against Yang Kai… he could only leave that for later.
A ray of bright light suddenly tore through the boundless Blood Sea and the Moonlight Sword silently came slashing down. Yue Sang was heavily wounded and the expression on his face froze completely at that moment.
…..
Yang Kai retrieved the Mountains and Rivers Bell above the Blood Sea, but before he could catch his breath, he suddenly heard the Embodiment shouting, “Watch out!”
At the same time, a feeling of horror spread throughout his body. His eyes widened abruptly as he turned to look in that direction. Yue Sang was rushing directly at him with a blazing murderous intent.
Without the slightest hesitation, he forced himself to take a deep breath and punched out. Space collapsed in the path his fist took, but contrary to his expectations, Yue Sang, who was lunging at him, didn’t put up any resistance whatsoever when he threw this punch. Instead, Yue Sang opened his arms wide to accept it, even showing a small smile of relief. The murderous intent, which had been so dense that it practically felt tangible at that point, also vanished without a trace.
Yang Kai’s heart clenched violently and he instinctively realized that something was wrong, but it was too late to stop.
*Puchi…*
The punch that Yang Kai threw made a hole in Yue Sang’s chest. He had punched right through the body and the explosive power from his fist formed a wide hole. The rampant strength of his fist had shattered Yue Sang’s organs and meridians in an instant.
Yang Kai’s expression was one of utter shock. He was not feeling the triumph of annihilating his enemy. On the contrary, he felt an indescribable pain ripping through him. It felt as though a large, invisible hand was gripping his heart and that his body would collapse to pieces in the next moment.
[No! No! This can’t be…]
When their gazes met, Yue Sang smiled gently and softly muttered, “Everything is up to you now.”
While saying that, Yue Sang’s appearance distorted and transformed to become a heavily injured Bright Moon, covered in still wet blood…
“Senior!” Yang Kai shouted through gritted teeth, his eyes looking like they were about to break, “Why… Why…”
He could not accept what he was seeing before him, he had ended the life of Bright Moon Great Emperor with my own hands!
Yang Kai’s mind was a mess, and he could hardly think.
That punch had destroyed any chance Bright Moon had of survival. He no longer had any chance of escape from this ordeal.
[The person I wanted to kill was Yue Sang. Why did I end up killing Bright Moon instead!?]
Of course, it was not hard for a Great Emperor to deceive Yang Kai’s perception and make him mistakenly think that he was looking at Yue Sang; moreover, that realistic murderous intent was the key that forced him to act so decisively.
“This is what I wanted. The whole of the Star Boundary will thank you for this!” Bright Moon clearly understood Yang Kai’s feelings at the moment, so raising his hand, he grabbed Yang Kai’s wrist and looked straight into his eyes while speaking earnestly, “So, please don’t feel guilty.”
At that moment though, Yang Kai couldn’t hear what Bright Moon was saying. His mind had been filled with a chaotic buzzing ever since he saw the Great Emperor’s pale face.
A mysterious power flowed out from Bright Moon’s body and into his own along his arm right then, flooding his mind and body. This sensation finally brought Yang Kai back to his senses and the muscles in his face twitched uncontrollably. He wanted to take his hand out of Bright Moon’s chest, but Bright Moon gripped his arm tightly so that he couldn’t move.
“The Star Boundary’s Will cannot be taken by the Demon Race!” Bright Moon shouted, gritting his teeth. Blood flowed out from the corners of his mouth, dampening the shredded clothes on his chest. The warm blood flowed over Yang Kai’s arms, scorching like molten iron, “Only you can bring this Will back. This is also the reason Heaven’s Revelations sent you to the Demon Realm!”
Yang Kai looked startled and thought back on something Heavens Revelations Great Emperor had once said to him, “In the Demon Realm, you will face both an opportunity and a crisis…”
In the past, he had been unable to figure out the meaning behind ‘an opportunity and a crisis’. It wasn’t until now that he finally understood those words. Was there any greater opportunity than to obtain a Great World’s Will from a Great Emperor? Did Heavens Revelations predict this would happen back then? If that was the case, the reason he asked Yang Kai to come to the Demon Realm was never to rescue Bright Moon Great Emperor, but rather to inherit the Great World’s Will from him… But if this opportunity came at the cost of a Great Emperor’s life… Yang Kai didn’t want it!
Whilst in his dazed state, the mysterious power filled his entire body. The power did not make him stronger immediately; instead, it gave him an inexplicable and indescribable sense of clarity. It made his perception countless times sharper than before and he instantly understood that this was the Will of the Great World known as the Star Boundary.
“This King… is sorry!” Bright Moon forced a smile at Yang Kai, “But, this King had no other way. Please don’t resent me for this.”
Although such an opportunity was being fought over by hundreds of Demon Half-Saints, it was actually nothing but a massive burden for a Human. After all, Yang Kai had personally killed a Great Emperor, that was a truth that would never change.
This was also the first time in history that a Great Emperor died at the hands of an Emperor Realm cultivator. Rather than saying that Yang Kai had killed Bright Moon though, it was more accurate to say that Bright Moon had killed himself with Yang Kai’s hands.
“You must go now!” Bright Moon’s expression suddenly changed. He killed Yue Sang, and thus the Blood Light Array fell apart on its own. At this moment when the Blood Sea collapsed, the Half-Saints who had been chasing Bright Moon began appearing from all directions.
Many of the Half-Saints were dumbfounded by the sight of Yang Kai and Bright Moon’s current situation. Then, they immediately became angry out of shame. They had paid such a heavy price, with more than ten of them dying at Bright Moon’s hands. They went to great lengths just to force the Great Emperor of the Star Boundary into a desperate situation, and all that was left was to harvest the fruits of their labour. Who could have known that a mere Human brat would take advantage of their efforts? How could they tolerate this?
The Demons Saints had mentioned that no matter who killed Bright Moon, no one else could attempt to snatch away the Great World’s Will. As long as they could bear the weight of the Great World’s Will, that person would have a great chance of becoming the thirteenth Demon Saint of the Demon Realm in the future. That was the lifelong pursuit of all Half-Saints. The capacity of the world was limited, so with the opportunity to reach the summit so close at hand, they did not hesitate even if they had to put their life on the line in the attempt.
Following a burst of rage, the Half-Saints actually began sneering. Was it really an opportunity when a trivial Mid-Rank Demon King was the one to obtain this opportunity? Without the power to protect himself, that opportunity would become nothing more than a catastrophe. They would rather face a Mid-Rank Demon King than attack a Great Emperor on the verge of death.
Many Divine Senses locked on Yang Kai in an instant. Nearly a hundred Half-Saints fell silent at that moment. Nobody took the lead in attacking. Instead, their gazes swept around their surroundings warily. Yang Kai was nothing to them, it was the other Half-Saints that were the real obstacles in their climb to reach the summit.
Yang Kai stood in the centre of this mob with an expression that was extremely solemn. He glanced around in a circle, and by the time he looked down again, Bright Moon had closed his eyes and his vitality had dissipated.
Yang Kai’s expression shifted slightly, as he felt incredibly heartbroken. Before he could say his goodbyes to Bright Moon, before he could apologize, the Great Emperor had passed away.
He took a deep breath and forcibly restrained his chaotic state of mind. Then, he slowly pulled his hand out of Bright Moon’s chest in front of everybody and carefully placed Bright Moon’s body next to the medicine garden in the Small Sealed World.
Grief was stuck in his chest. He couldn’t bear not letting it out. Thus, he howled up into the sky. His howling gradually became louder, transforming into a thunderous Dragon Roar that resounded throughout the world.
As though being summoned at that moment, Zhui Feng’s mighty figure came galloping from a distance and arrived in front of Yang Kai in the blink of an eye. He reared up, practically standing on his two hind legs. By the time he landed on all fours, Yang Kai was already seated on his back. Yang Kai lightly patted the mane on his neck and ordered, “Run!”
Ah! My kokoro!
The night was cool, the moon was bright, and the stars were sparse.
Inside a palace on top of a mountain, Princess Lan Xun of Star Soul Palace put her hands together and prayed to the Moon in the sky reverently. She was praying for her Father’s safe return. She would stand there for two or three hours almost every night, hoping that her sincerity would touch the World’s Will and it would provide sufficient protection to her Father in return.
The world seemed to have heard her prayer that night as the Moon that hung in the sky suddenly became brighter. The soft moonlight shone down on the land, spreading over her body. It felt like the large hands of her Father when he used to pat her on the head as a child. It gave her a warm and comforting feeling.
She was taken aback for a moment, thinking that she was hallucinating; however, a careful observation revealed that the Moon in the sky was indeed much brighter than before. Furthermore, the brightness continued to increase as time passed, soon making the whole world as bright as day.
At the same time, all the living creatures across the entire Star Boundary looked up. They were looking at the Moon in the sky that had become as bright as the Sun…
The sparse stars seemed dim and dull because of the Moon’s brightness.
Lan Xun’s complexion suddenly became slightly pale. An inexplicable sense of fear surged up in her heart, causing her to feel terribly distraught.
All of a sudden, the brightness that was as radiant as the sun burst into dazzling points of light. The wisps of light lasted for approximately an incense stick of time. Just like how the Moon had burst into light without warning, it went out just as suddenly. It was as though it had burned out its last brilliance, becoming dim, as if covered by a layer of black gauze.
Several meteors shot across the sky. Soon, the scattered meteors turned into a meteor shower that rained down from above. What followed was a sense of sorrow that permeated the Star Boundary. The world seemed to be crying. The Moon was its eyes and the meteor shower was the flowing tears…
*Dang… dang… dang…*
Heavy and melodious bells tolled throughout Star Soul Palace, nine consecutive times, and when the last bell stopped, Lan Xun collapsed to the ground limply.
“Your Highness!” A maidservant exclaimed and hurried over.
…..
Heaven’s Revelations Great Emperor, Chu Tian Ji, and Martial Beast Great Emperor, Mo Huang, sat opposite each other in Heavens Spying Valley. They each held black and white chess pieces, playing against each other. Mo Huang casually placed a piece down. Without raising his eyes, he calmly asked, “What’s making you so restless?”
During the game, he could clearly feel that his old friend was being absent-minded. Although the other party had covered it up very well, they were both Great Emperors, so how could Mo Huang fail to see it?
Chu Tian Ji didn’t place his piece down for a long time and remained silent.
All of a sudden, Mo Huang felt shock going through his heart. He lifted his gaze to look at Chu Tian Ji and saw that he was also looking at him.
“Haaa…” Chu Tian Ji sighed. The white piece in his hand quietly landed on the chessboard and rolled a few times. He looked up at the sky with a trace of sorrow that could not be concealed on his face, “In the end, it came down to this anyway.”
Mo Huang’s expression turned extremely grim, “That feeling just now… it wasn’t a mistake?”
Chu Tian Ji gave a wry smile, “Neither you nor I felt it wrongly. Ming Yue (Bright Moon)… has fallen.”
Mo Huang asked, “Didn’t you say that he had a chance of survival!?”
Chu Tian Ji slowly shook his head, “No matter how many plans we make, the Heavens are the ones who decide our fate. Who can be certain about something happening in the Demon Realm? Perhaps, only Yang Boy will know what really transpired there.”
“Is Yang Boy in danger?”
“He is in the Demon Realm. How can he not be in danger?” Seeing that Mo Huang’s expression was rather ugly, he continued, “This misfortune may be a blessing in disguise. We can only watch how things turn out in the future. There’s no point in worrying now.”
“That’s just… Damn it!” Mo Huang held back for a long time, but eventually cursed out loud. His expression was grim, “Don’t you claim to have insight into the past and the future? How could you not predict the events of today!?”
Chu Tian Ji smiled bitterly, “If I had such powers, the Two Worlds’ Passage would not have opened in the first place. But… There is a silver lining in all of this. Bright Moon might be gone, but it would seem that he made contact with Yang Boy.”
Mo Huang was taken aback for a moment before understanding the meaning behind Chu Tian Ji’s words. The fall of a Great Emperor had caused a kind of Heavenly Manifestation, but the world’s capacity had not decreased. There was no sign that the World’s Will had been stolen. That could only mean that Bright Moon had passed on the most important thing to Yang Kai before dying; otherwise, the world would not have only shown a small anomaly. There would have been many natural and man-made disasters raging at this moment otherwise.
After remaining silent for a long time, Mo Huang sighed and said, “We can only watch how things turn out in the future, but one of us clearly won’t have such patience.”
Chu Tian Ji nodded lightly, “What does it matter if he collects some interest first?”
…..
The Two Worlds’ Battlefield had been raging for several years now, and the Demon Race had almost finished conquering the entire Western Territory thanks to their overwhelming numerical advantage. The Star Boundary’s coalition forces had retreated again and again and were now all but expelled from the Western Territory.
If they retreated another few more thousand kilometres, they would enter the Southern Territory. Once they crossed that line, it would mean that nearly a quarter of Star Boundary’s territory had been conquered. That was something the Humans of the world could not and would not accept.
Above the wilderness, tens of millions of lives from both the Human Race and the Demon Race were fighting desperately. Lives were lost every moment, and although the Humans were resisting with everything they had, the Demon Race had an absolute advantage in terms of momentum. The latter had an endless army that arrived continuously to refill their ranks, caring nothing for the losses they suffered; therefore, the Human Race was steadily forced to retreat again and again.
Even though Li Wu Yi, who dominated the battlefield, was extraordinarily powerful, there was nothing he alone could do about the situation. He was single-handedly fighting three Demon Race Half-Saints at that very moment, and though his mastery of the Dao of Space guaranteed that his life was not in danger, it was difficult for him to do anything else but buy time.
Watching the Demon Race army approaching aggressively, Li Wu Yi looked sorrowful. After today’s battle, the Western Territory would have fallen completely. Despite knowing that such results were ultimately not his fault, he inevitably held a sense of self-blame as the Supreme Commander of the Human forces.
Just as the Human Army was about to retreat to the area bordering between the Southern Territory and the Western Territory, an overwhelming aura suddenly surged forth from the rear. The speed with which that aura approached was extraordinarily fast. Li Wu Yi had only just noticed it before a fleeting figure flashed by him out of the corner of his eyes. That figure was wrapped in an icy chill.
Immediately after that, one of the three Demon Race Half-Saints that Li Wu Yi had been fighting froze in place. Li Wu Yi looked in that direction and saw that that particular Half-Saint had a great hand strangling his neck. Despite being a mighty Half-Saint, this Demon was currently being held up like a helpless chicken with no ability to fight back at all.
Looking at the brave and heroic back of the figure responsible for this sudden disturbance, Li Wu Yi called out in shock, “Senior Iron Blood!”
He was puzzled. Why was Iron Blood here?
The Demon Saints of the Demon Realm and the Great Emperors of the Star Boundary had come to an agreement a long time ago. Neither side would interfere in this battle, lest the war escalate to mutual annihilation. All this time, both Demon Saints and Great Emperors had strictly abided by this accord. None of them had ever appeared on the battlefield; therefore, Li Wu Yi was stunned to see Iron Blood Great Emperor, Zhan Wu Hen, appearing here and attacking a Demon Race Half-Saint.
[Has the war reached the point where the strongest combat powers of both sides have to enter the battlefield themselves!?] If that was truly the case, then it wasn’t a good thing for the Star Boundary. On the contrary, it was a terrible thing. The Star Boundary was the battlefield after all, so a confrontation between the Great Emperors and the Demon Saints would most likely destroy the entire Western Territory.
“G-Great Emperor!” The Half-Saint, who was being lifted up by the neck by Zhan Wu Hen, was becoming flushed. He stared at the steely face in front of him with an incredulous gaze. The murderous intent that washed over him was so intense that it was practically tangible. The hand closing around his neck tightened like a noose, squeezing so hard that bones cracked. Death aura enveloped the Half-Saint as he cried out in a panic, “You can’t kill me… The Demon Saints had an agreement with…”
Iron Blood’s expression was dark as he lifted the Half Saint up until he was level with his gaze and stared into that person’s eyes at close range. He asked coldly, “So what if I kill you?”
When the words left his mouth, his Emperor Qi surged. The great hand squeezed hard and the Demon Race Half-Saint burst like a watermelon that had been hammered open. The Half-Saint exploded into a cloud of blood mist, leaving not a single bone behind.
Li Wu Yi couldn’t help widening his eyes at the sight. Likewise, the other two Demon Race Half-Saints looked shocked.
[He really… killed him!]
Nobody could have imagined that a Great Emperor would suddenly appear on the battlefield at such a time and kill a Demon Race Half-Saint without saying anything. [Is he here to renege on the agreement between both sides? Are the Great Emperors and Demon Saints really going to leave the sidelines and step onto the battlefield themselves!?]
Without any hesitation, Li Wu Yi reached out and grabbed toward the other two Half-Saints. Space Principles fluctuated, and the space around those two suddenly became extremely viscous.
The other two Half-Saints reacted fairly quickly. When they saw their companion being killed, they immediately tried to escape. Unfortunately, Li Wu Yi had moved faster than them.
During that moment of delay, Iron Blood had already rushed in front of another Half-Saint. He smashed the Half-Saint’s body into pieces under the horrified stare of the last survivor. Then, without pausing whatsoever, Zhan Wu Hen struck towards the third Demon Half-Saint. A single palm strike left the Half-Saint without a head nor upper body. Only his legs were left hanging in the air.
Three Demon Race Half-Saints died in the blink of an eye. Iron Blood didn’t stop there though as he shifted slightly and rushed into the battlefield.
Wherever Iron Blood passed, the Demon Race fell! It didn’t matter whether they were weak disposable pawns or strong Demon Kings and Half-Saints, it made no difference as their defences were no different than paper in front of the Great Emperor.
Li Wu Yi stared at Iron Blood’s back in a daze, feeling a very bad premonition in his heart. As a Great Emperor, it was impossible for Iron Blood to go crazy like this for no reason. It was very likely that something significant had agitated him, and that was why he was acting out like this. Thinking back on the Heavenly Manifestation from earlier, Li Wu Yi felt a sense of sorrow…
Nevertheless, as the Supreme Commander on site, he quickly composed himself and ordered the Human Army to follow Iron Blood into battle.
The sudden interference of a Great Emperor in the battle resulted in the near annihilation of the Demon Race army that numbered in the millions. Corpses of the Demon Race littered the ground across the nearly ten thousand kilometres long frontline. The Human Army pushed forward and barely encountered any form of resistance. All the Demons had lost any will to resist and were all desperately retreating towards the Two Worlds’ Passage.
It wasn’t until ten days later that Iron Blood returned from the direction of the Two Worlds’ Passage, covered in black blood.
Li Wu Yi did not know what Iron Blood had done during these ten days; however, the Demon Race remained silent for a long time since then. Beginning from the border between the Southern Territory and the Western Territory, not a single member of the Demon Race could be seen within two hundred thousand kilometres, and the Star Boundary successfully reclaimed this land that had previously been occupied.
In a mountain valley of Eternal Sky Continent, Li Shi Qing woke up from her unconscious state. She glanced around and did not see Yang Kai anywhere. On the other hand, many members of the Demon Race were gathered around the Demon Mirror that Yu Ru Meng had left behind. They were looking into it with anxious expressions.
Rubbing her neck, she thought back to what had happened just before she fell unconscious. [I vaguely recall being knocked out by Yang Kai… That’s right! The Great Emperor is in danger!]
As soon as that thought crossed her mind, she woke up completely.
At that moment, the members of the Demon Race gathered around the Demon Mirror suddenly let out a cry of exclamation as if they had witnessed an extremely incredible scene. Feeling suspicious, she walked forward, approached the Demon Mirror, and looked into it. Just from that single glance, her beautiful eyes widened to the size of saucers and her tender body began trembling.
There were two figures standing upright in the mirror. Moreover, these two figures were being watched from very far away. Even though they were very far away, she could recognize who these two figures were. One was Yang Kai and the other was Bright Moon Great Emperor!
At this moment, one of Yang Kai’s fists was stuck in Bright Moon Great Emperor’s chest. He had blasted a huge hole in the Great Emperor’s chest. Blood was spilling out of the corners of the Great Emperor’s mouth, and the originally white clothes were completely dyed red with blood.
[What happened during the period I was unconscious!? Why did things end up like this!? I can’t believe Yang Kai killed Bright Moon Great Emperor!] This terrifying thought and the shocking image in front of her turned into an endless buzzing in her head. Unable to bear with it, her vision went dark and she fainted once more.
…
Yang Kai flipped himself onto Zhui Feng’s back, who then carried him towards the nearest Territory Gate with a loud neigh. His hooves were blazing with golden flames, leaving a burning trail behind him.
Countless Divine Senses were locked onto the pair, and murderous intent extended out toward them. Even though Yang Kai knew that Yu Ru Meng was here on Eternal Sky Continent, he didn’t feel the slightest sense of security from that knowledge.
Yu Ru Meng probably could not help him under these circumstances. If he wanted to survive, he had to escape quickly. The further he fled, the better. The best would be if he could pass through the Two Worlds’ Passage and escape back to the Star Boundary!
The Twelve Demon Saints of the Demon Realm and even Night Shadow Great Emperor, Can Ye, were currently gathered here on Eternal Sky Continent. Now was the time when the defence at the passage was weakest. It was also the best chance for him to escape.
He faintly regretted not putting Li Shi Qing into the Small Sealed World ahead of time. She would definitely suffer the consequences of his escape. Unfortunately, he couldn’t spare the time to worry about her right now. Comparatively speaking, the Great World’s Will was the top priority. The Will that Bright Moon Great Emperor had passed to him could not be lost.
Before the hundreds of Half-Saints surrounding him could recover from their shock, Zhui Feng had already rushed out of the encirclement with Yang Kai on his back. This instantly enraged those Half-Saints, and they began pursuing Zhui Feng and Yang Kai using various means. However, Zhui Feng’s specialty lay in his speed, so how could mere Half-Saints catch up with him? The distance between both parties had only been rapidly increasing from the beginning
Many of the Demon Saints were looking extremely gloomy. Only Yu Ru Meng showed a mixture of pleasant surprise and worry on her face. Although she had always known that Yang Kai was more receptive to the Star Boundary’s Will than the Half-Saints of the Demon Realm, she never thought of letting him participate in this struggle for it since he was not strong enough. What she had not expected was that Yang Kai would actually become the final winner. Furthermore, it seemed as though Bright Moon Great Emperor had voluntarily given that opportunity to him.
Yue Sang, who had been killed by Bright Moon, was nothing in comparison. In any case, Yue Sang had defected over to Xue Li so he was no longer her subordinate. So what if he died? It didn’t matter to Yu Ru Meng anymore. On the other hand, the fact that Yang Kai received this opportunity was tantamount to taking a giant step toward the Grand Dao in advance. How could she not be elated by that? Meanwhile, her worry stemmed from the fact that this opportunity might not be easy to keep.
Sure enough, just as that thought went through her mind, Xue Li’s furious outburst entered her ears, “Bastard!”
After saying that, he turned into a ray of blood light and sped off in the direction Yang Kai was escaping. It looked like he was going to stop Yang Kai personally. It wasn’t just him though as the other Demon Saints were also moving to give pursuit.
The Half-Saints might not be able to catch up with Yang Kai, but that did not mean the Demon Saints could not. Once these Demon Saints blocked his path, he would definitely be besieged by those hundreds of Half-Saints. The final result of that outcome was obvious.
“Don’t you dare!” Yu Ru Meng was furious, but before she could even move, a burly figure appeared in front of her and raised a hand to block her way. She glared at him with a calm expression and quickly said, “Senior Brother Huang, what do you mean by this!?”
The person blocking her way was none other than the First Demon Saint, Huang Wu Ji. He raised his hand slightly and held his arm out horizontally in front of her. His actions were casual, but it felt like there was an iron wall standing in her way. Even though they were both Demon Saints, it would not be easy for her to pass through this obstruction.
Huang Wu Ji looked in the direction where the figures were leaving and spoke in an indifferent tone, “Don’t interfere in this matter.”
Yu Ru Meng gritted her teeth and snarled, “Yang Kai is mine. How can I not intervene in this matter!? Besides, we agreed in advance not to interfere in this fight over the opportunity! They will compete between themselves, and no matter what the outcome is, no one is allowed to complain! So, why are the others pursuing him right now!? Do they think that I, Yu Ru Meng, am a pushover!?”
Huang Wu Ji just replied lightly, “It’s true that we had an agreement before, but the target of the agreement only applies to the Half-Saints under us. He is a Human.”
While speaking, he turned to look at her, “He is not one of us. How can such an opportunity be handed over to him?”
She snapped, “So what if he is a Human!? He has already betrayed the Star Boundary! He has already been demonified. He also made a lot of contributions to the Demon Realm. Why can’t he be allowed to receive such an opportunity!?”
Huang Wu Ji shook his head in response, “You know what we are worried about. Besides, he is not strong enough. What can he do even if he obtained this opportunity? How long will it take for him to fully grow up?”
“The Demon Realm has Twelve Demon Saints plus an additional Great Emperor of the Star Boundary. In comparison, the Star Boundary only has eight Great Emperors right now. Moreover, one of them, Bustling World Great Emperor, is missing. Yang Kai doesn’t make a difference in this equation, whether he exists or not. What you want is just an increase of the world’s capacity. So, why would you need to wait until he grows up?”
Huang Wu Ji shook his head slowly, “Unless he can truly undergo Demon Transformation and become a part of the Demon Race, he will not be allowed to keep that opportunity.”
Upon hearing those words, her face turned pale. She looked anxiously in the direction Yang Kai had escaped, clenching her hands so tightly that her fingernails cut into her palm painfully. Although Yang Kai had undergone demonification once in the Star Boundary and had been overflowing with Demon Qi at the time, he seemed to have returned to his original state at some point. It would be difficult for him to truly become a member of the Demon Race…
“Must he die?” Yu Ru Meng glanced at Huang Wu Ji with a heartbroken look, “If he dies, who will repair and maintain the Territory Gates?”
He lowered his gaze, “The opportunity is currently in his possession and can only be transferred to somebody else when he dies. Only then will others have the opportunity. As for those Territory Gates… we can only allow nature to take its course.”
Yu Ru Meng closed her eyes in pain. A long while later, she abruptly opened her eyes and the Demon Qi in her body surged. She struck out at him and shouted, “I really can’t stay here and do nothing after all! Pardon my offence, Senior Brother Huang!”
Huang Wu Ji held one hand behind his back, and his feet did not move. Even so, his body moved backwards several thousand metres and easily avoided her attack as he calmly stated, “Stop. I have no interest in hurting you.”
Yu Ru Meng was so furious that she smiled instead, “Don’t even think about touching a hair on his head while I still draw breath!”
While speaking, she had already drawn close to him. Her beautiful eyes flashed as a strange light suddenly burst out at that moment. It was as though her eyes had transformed into a black hole and were trying to suck him into them.
Huang Wu Ji lowered his gaze and did not meet her eyes. At the same time, he threw a punch, and a huge hole instantly appeared in the already turbulent space, as though a mirror had been shattered to pieces.
Yu Ru Meng let out a soft cry and was swallowed up whole by the Void.
Huang Wu Ji didn’t feel triumphant at his success though and instead he frowned and stared at his surroundings.
Vague and elusive laughter rang in his ears and the shattered world was suddenly transformed into a world as beautiful as the Heavens. It was enchanting and incomparably realistic. The sense of not wanting to leave rose up in his heart as he stood inside this world, making him extremely unwilling to destroy a single thing around him.
Huang Wu Ji sighed softly, knowing that he had accidentally fallen into her trap.
As a Demon Saint, Yu Ru Meng was not an easy opponent. Huang Wu Ji might be known as the First Demon Saint, but that was only in terms of overall combat strength. He would definitely be the last one standing in a fight to the death; however, each of the Twelve Demon Saints had their own speciality that should never be underestimated.
By the time Huang Wu Ji finally escaped from the constraints of that bizarre world, thirty breaths had passed and Yu Ru Meng was long gone. It was clear that she had chased after the rest of the Demon Saints. Be that as it may, he had delayed her long enough. It would be too late for her to help by the time she arrived; after all, the Demon Saints only needed to catch up with Yang Kai and block his way for a moment. Then, the Half-Saints following behind would rip him to shreds in an instant.
…..
Zhui Feng was practically a flash of lightning as he travelled as swiftly as the wind. As he dashed forward, the Half-Saints chasing behind them were getting further and further away. Unfortunately, an even stronger Divine Sense locked onto Yang Kai at that moment.
The Demon Saints had begun to move!
Yang Kai felt extremely sad and indignant. He knew that his guess was right, Yu Ru Meng was unable to protect him. It was fortunate that he had predicted this early on and immediately rode Zhui Feng to run for his life. Otherwise, he would be nothing more than a corpse by now.
He had yet to recover from the shock of Bright Moon’s death; after all, he had killed Bright Moon with his own hand. Even if that situation was created by Bright Moon himself, the self-blame Yang Kai’s heart still left him feeling suffocated and depressed.
Zhui Feng’s neighing brought him back to the present again. He turned to look in a certain direction and saw a ray of blood light approaching him at a terrifying speed. It was going to catch up in less than ten breaths. It was Xue Li!
Behind Xue Li was probably the Feather Demon, Fu Yu. With the help of those beating white wings, her speed was only slightly slower than Xue Li’s.
At this critical moment, Yang Kai’s life was at stake. He gritted his teeth and pushed his Space Principles. Holding onto Zhui Feng’s back with one hand, Yang Kai tore space before them and the pair leapt forward a few thousand kilometres in an instant.
The moment they reappeared though, Yang Kai coughed up blood.
Although Yang Kai had not faced Yue Sang directly when he used the Mountains and Rivers Bell to trap him, he had still been struck by the heavy backlash. After all, he was only a Second-Order Emperor while Yue Sang was a Half-Saint. Even with the Mountains and Rivers Bell, he still had to pay a price just to trap Yue Sang.
Due to the shock he experienced from Bright Moon’s death, Yang Kai had not noticed his body condition previously; however, he immediately realized that he was in a terrible condition the moment he used Space Principles to flee. His Emperor Qi was severely depleted and his entire body ached. It felt like even his bones had innumerable fractures. In this physical condition, forget fighting, he would definitely die if those Half-Saints caught up with him.
Fortunately, Zhui Feng had come to his rescue in the nick of time.
He only managed to put some distance between them and the Demon Saints with that one Instantaneous Movement earlier, but the other party had already closed that distance in the blink of an eye and began approaching at an even faster speed.
Yang Kai looked back, feeling so depressed that he was about to spit blood. It was his first time being chased by such powerful foes. The feeling that his life was hanging by a thread made him feel extremely uncomfortable. He hurriedly stuffed a handful of Spirit Pills into his mouth, crunched them, and swallowed. Pressing his body close to Zhui Feng’s back, he grabbed his mane firmly with both hands.
It was clear that even Zhui Feng had noticed the severity of the situation. The muscles all over his body tensed up as his hooves galloped wildly. He spared no effort in fleeing while carrying Yang Kai on his back. His back gradually emitted a layer of crimson blood mist, scorching white steam blew out from his nostrils, and his speed suddenly increased.
Even so, Xue Li and Fu Yu, who were the first to catch up, closed to just a thousand kilometres away within ten breaths.
A vicious murderous intent had locked onto Yang Kai from behind and his expression changed greatly as a result. When he turned back to look, he saw that Fu Yu was drawing her bow to shoot arrows at him while still in pursuit. Yang Kai pushed his Space Principles without any hesitation whatsoever to perform another Instantaneous Movement with Zhui Feng.
*Xiu…*
A stream of light shot through the air and struck the afterimages of Yang Kai and Zhui Feng, causing them to shatter and dissipate.
A thousand kilometres away, Yang Kai turned Zhui Feng around and fled in a different direction. There was no hope of fleeing in a straight line. Zhui Feng’s speed was certainly fast, but he could not outrun a Demon Saint. If they continued running in the same manner, they would be overtaken before they could even charge through the Territory Gate. He had to think of some other way if he wanted to escape from Eternal Sky Continent. Fortunately, one door would always open when another closed, and the Embodiment had already set off ahead of schedule.
Both Xue Li and Fu Yu, who were chasing after him, were surprised when Yang Kai turned around and changed directions. Nevertheless, the two Demon Saints did not bother thinking about it. They simply assumed that Yang Kai was so panicked that he was fleeing in any direction. That was exactly what they hoped to see from him. This Human brat was as slippery as an eel. He sprinted around in circles with the Space Principles he was so proficient in, which made him very hard to catch. In addition, things would become more troublesome if he were to pass through a Territory Gate. Hence, watching him flee in the opposite direction of the Territory Gate pleased them very much.
Xue Li’s insidious laughter resounded suddenly, “Boy, be good and stop running and this Saint will give you a quick death! Refuse, and this Saint will let you have a taste of Hell!”
Yang Kai turned a deaf ear to those words and whispered encouragingly in Zhui Feng’s ears, “Go faster! Go faster!”
The blood mist coming from Zhui Feng’s body continued to dissipate, however, and it was clear he was struggling desperately. Nevertheless, this kind of running did not tire Zhui Feng out. On the contrary, he was riding an emotional high. He let out an excited whinny now and then, appearing extremely thrilled. All those years of living peacefully had nearly made him forget the time when he used to carry Chang Tian into battle, but Yang Kai’s appearance had allowed him to experience this exhilarating feeling once more.
An hour passed by as this cat-and-mouse hunt confused Xue Li, who was gradually becoming more and more frustrated. The thought that he, a Demon Saint, had spent so much time and effort yet remained unsuccessful at chasing down a mere Mid-Rank Demon King was extremely humiliating.
But then again, half the credit of why Yang Kai was so good at running could be attributed to the beast, Zhui Feng. One could run as swiftly as lightning while the other could teleport across long distances. These two factors made it very hard to catch the pair. The Half-Saints had long since been thrown off the trail and left in the dust. Only the Demon Saints remained doggedly on Yang Kai’s tail.
Unfortunately, Yang Kai’s situation was worsening with the passage of time. Even though the Eternal Sky Continent was not small, there were more than ten Demon Saints chasing him. They only needed to coordinate their movements with each other to form an encirclement around him. He was clearly aware of this but there was nothing he could do about it.
An hour later, Zhui Feng finally came to a stop. Blood mist was steaming from his body and he blew hot air through its nose repeatedly. His skin had turned crimson red, looking like a scorching hot soldering iron. Meanwhile, Yang Kai, who was riding on his back, was very pale. He was panting breathlessly, and blood trickled out of the corners of his mouth with every breath he took.
It wasn’t that Zhui Feng was too exhausted to continue running, it was just that the Demon Saints had completed their encirclement and were blocking his path in all directions. Numerous figures appeared in the surrounding area, each of them regarding him with interest or with indifference.
Xue Li gritted his teeth and glared at Yang Kai, “Run. Go on, run. Why aren’t you running anymore?”
Yang Kai turned to the side and spat out a mouthful of blood with a mutinous expression. His cold gaze swept over his surroundings as he studied each of the Demon Saints’ faces carefully as if to imprint their appearance into his Soul.
Xue Li stretched out a finger and pointed at Yang Kai, “Boy, I’m going to make you beg for death!”
Yang Kai coldly snorted. Turning his head, he stared at Xue Li, “That would depend on whether you have the ability.”
Xue Li was so furious that he laughed, “Bold words for someone on the verge of death. Let’s see how you bawl your eyes out later!”
Huo Bo gave a strange chuckle by the side, “Why are you quarrelling with a child, Xue Li? Are you an idiot? Even if you don’t find it embarrassing, I do, so would you just shut up?”
Xue Li abruptly swivelled his head around and glared at Huo Bo furiously while Huo Bo glared back without backing down. At that moment, Yang Kai spoke up without warning, “This Young Master will certainly repay you all a hundred times over for the gift you have given me today!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, many Demon Saints looked at him suspiciously, but in the next moment, their expressions changed drastically. They reached out to grab at Yang Kai in unison. Fu Yu even used her Divine Sense to lock onto him while with a flick of her bare hands, a stream of light shot out.
The weather changed abruptly, and the world hummed in response.
Yang Kai’s figure, however, faded into nothingness at that moment, making all the Demon Saints grab nothing but air. Fu Yu was the only one who managed to lock her Divine Sense onto Yang Kai with an arrow, which disappeared along with the shattering of the Void.
The Demon Saints were completely dumbfounded. They never expected that Yang Kai could escape their clutches from right under their noses even in this situation. Thus, their expressions were absolutely horrendous. The feeling of being made a fool of was extremely unbearable, especially since the one who accomplished this was nothing more than a Mid-Rank Demon King who was also seriously injured.
Their Divine Senses poured out like a tide, spreading out without limit, but to their surprise, they couldn’t find any traces of Yang Kai anywhere. It baffled them greatly; after all, he had used his Space Technique to teleport many times during the previous chase. Each time he performed the Instantaneous Movement, he had only teleported by several thousand kilometres at most, so why had he vanished now?
More than ten breaths later, Flame Demon Saint Chi Yan, exclaimed with a great change of expression, “He’s at the Territory Gate!”
At the same time, Yu Ru Meng finally rushed over. She looked around and did not see Yang Kai anywhere; thus, she couldn’t help turning pale. Gritting her teeth, she shouted, “What did you do to him!?”
Bei Li Mo chuckled, “Don’t worry. That little man of yours escaped.”
“Escaped?” Yu Ru Meng was stunned. Then, her expression quickly turned grim, “Bullshit! So many of you were chasing him, how could he have escaped!? Hurry up and hand him over to me!”
Bei Li Mo scoffed softly, “Can’t you sense for yourself whether he has escaped or not? He is right by the Territory Gate.”
Seeing that Bei Li Mo didn’t seem to be lying, Yu Ru Meng pushed her Divine Sense and probed into the distance. Among the Demon Saints, her Divine Sense was actually the strongest; therefore, it only took her six breaths to discover Yang Kai’s aura. At that moment, her small mouth fell open slightly. She was utterly astonished and could not understand how he managed to escape in that direction with so many Demon Saints in pursuit. That location was very far from this place; however, she soon discovered the Embodiment’s aura nearby and immediately understood what was going on.
Bei Li Mo observed Yu Ru Meng’s reaction and chuckled again, “Little Sister, your little man sure is incredible. He played all of us for fools. I’m afraid he won’t be dying an easy death.”
How could the Demon Saints forgive such a great humiliation? They would surely torture Yang Kai severely the moment they got their hands on him.
Yu Ru Meng looked at them coldly and said, “I will kill whoever dares to harm him!”
“Aren’t you going to give chase? Why are you just standing around here doing nothing?” Huang Wu Ji’s figure swept through the air, appearing from a distance, and arriving in the blink of an eye. He turned his head and looked toward a certain location, “He is probably heading toward the Two Worlds’ Passage. We cannot let him escape back to the Star Boundary.”
In the next instant, a vague aura seemed to flash through the void.
Yu Ru Meng’s expression became extremely sombre. She knew that the Great Emperor of the Star Boundary, Can Ye, had made his move. As long as he blocked the Two Worlds’ Passage, Yang Kai would be a turtle hiding in its shell. No matter what kind of amazing abilities he had, he would be captured, sooner or later.
Bei Li Mo laughed softly, “Little Sister, Senior Brother Huang is clearly against him. Shouldn’t you kill Senior Brother Huang first?”
Yu Ru Meng gnashed her teeth so hard that it made an audible sound. She glared at Bei Li Mo furiously and snarled in her heart. [Bitch! Just you wait; I’ll get back at you for this one day!]
Mo Kan said, “Senior Brother Huang, the situation has changed. He is going to escape from Eternal Sky Continent. If we want to capture him, we will need to do it ourselves.”
Huang Wu Ji replied, “Find him as soon as possible.”
A sudden idea struck Xue Li and he chuckled slightly and said, “But, this is not in line with our previous agreement. Can I take it that the brat will belong to whoever catches him first?”
The Demon Saints were not interested in Yang Kai himself. What they were interested in was the Star Boundary’s Will that was inside his body. As long as they could capture him, they could transfer that Will to one of the Half-Saints under their command. By doing that, they would most likely gain another Demon Saint who would become their ally in the future. That was the most attractive point to many of the Demon Saints.
“Good!” Huang Wu Ji nodded.
Xue Li gave a weird laugh. Then, he transformed into a ray of bloody light and sped away, his voice echoing from afar, “He’s mine!”
Immediately after that, the rest of the Demon Saints followed his example and used various Secret Techniques to depart.
Before Bei Li Mo left, she gave Yu Ru Meng a provocative look, “Rest assured, Little Sister, if I find him, I’ll be sure to give him a quick death, so you should pray that I get my hands on him.”
After saying that, she covered her mouth with her hands and tittered as she left.
Yu Ru Meng wanted to leave too but was stopped by Huang Wu Ji again. His attitude this time around was much more forceful than before, and his expression had become incredibly stern.
Looking at his expression, she knew that he was going to be serious now. She only managed to shake him off earlier because she had made a pre-emptive strike and caught him off-guard. Besides, he had not been aiming to delay her for long; however, she would definitely be no match for him if he became serious.
“Three days! I will let you go after three days!” He looked at her calmly, “Don’t challenge my limits before that time is up.”
Yu Ru Meng said coldly, “Do you think he can hold out for three days!?”
With so many Demon Saints chasing Yang Kai, forget three days, it would be hard enough for him to survive a single day. His current condition was not looking too good after all.
Huang Wu Ji lowered his gaze, “That’s not something I need to consider, and it’s not something you can stop. I’ve already made myself very clear. If you insist on making a move, then don’t blame me for being impolite with you.”
Just as Yu Ru Meng resolutely decided to burn her bridges and attack, her expression suddenly changed. She turned and looked in the direction of the Territory Gate as an expression of astonishment instantly appeared on her face.
Seeing the strange expression on her face, Huang Wu Ji couldn’t help frowning. He spread out his Divine Sense and probed in the direction of the Territory Gate, but before he could investigate the situation, Yu Ru Meng simply giggled and said, “Good. Senior Brother Huang, I will listen to your wishes out of respect for you. Three days it is. If you try to stop me after three days, then don’t blame me for turning against you.”
While she was speaking, Huang Wu Ji had already found out about the situation at the Territory Gate and he couldn’t help raising his brow and clicking his tongue, “If he had not gotten a hold of an opportunity he didn’t deserve, I would be very reluctant to kill him. His existence is simply too useful to the Demon Realm.”
She coldly snorted, “Is there any meaning to saying this now? Weren’t you the one who sent them after him?”
He remained silent; his expression as tranquil as an ancient well.
…
Nobody paid any attention to the Embodiment when Yang Kai rode on Zhui Feng and fled. Thus, the Embodiment secretly snuck underground after Yang Kai lured all the Half-Saints away and quickly headed towards the nearest Territory Gate. Although Yang Kai later managed to shake those Half-Saints off his tail, the Demon Saints’ pursuit left him with no way to escape. He was eventually surrounded by them as a result.
It was a blessing that the Demon Saints were unaware of his Space Beacons, and with them, he brought Zhui Feng to the Embodiment’s side in an instant, just a hundred thousand kilometres away from the Territory Gate.
The arrow that Fu Yu shot at the last moment had not affected Yang Kai as it had simply fallen into the Void Crack and disappeared.
Upon meeting up with the Embodiment, Yang Kai placed him back into the Small Sealed World before he directed Zhui Feng towards the Territory Gate.
The Territory Gate was being guarded by part of the Demon Race army; however, there were no Half-Saints among them. All the Half-Saints had gone to snatch the opportunity, so who would still be in the mood to remain at the Territory Gate? Therefore, Yang Kai easily broke through the blockade and passed through the Territory Gate to arrive on the continent neighbouring Eternal Sky Continent.
Yang Kai did not flee immediately though and instead turned around and returned to the Territory Gate which led to Eternal Sky Continent. Space Principles pulsed and he swiftly sealed the Territory Gate.
Yang Kai had never imagined that the painstaking training he did in Hundred Spirits Continent would come in handy now.
This act delayed his escape by a bit, but seriously hindered the movements of the Demon Saints chasing after him in return. If not for this advantage, Yang Kai wasn’t sure if he could outrun them if they came rushing at him without any obstruction.
The only thing he had to worry about right now was how long the seal on the Territory Gate could delay those Demon Saints. It would be an awful joke if they broke the seal in an instant. Nevertheless, he didn’t have the time to mull over such worries and just fervently prayed in his heart. It would be enough if the seal could delay them for a few hours.
The reason why Yu Ru Meng had suddenly agreed to Huang Wu Ji’s request was that she had sensed the anomaly of the Territory Gate being sealed. She didn’t even need to think about it to know that Yang Kai was behind it. He was the only one with that ability in the entire Demon Realm after all.
At this moment, she couldn’t help feeling a little gloomy and frustrated. She didn’t even know when he obtained this ability. Not only could he repair and maintain the Territory Gates, but he could also seal them. Thinking back to what she had discussed with Chang Tian on Hundred Spirits Continent though, she had the faint guess that he probably developed this ability while cultivating there.
The other Demon Saints arrived at the place where the Territory Gate was located an incense stick’s worth of time after Yang Kai passed through it. Looking around, they all showed expressions of surprise.
You Qiu exclaimed in surprise, “Where is the Territory Gate? Did we go in the wrong direction?”
They had obviously come chasing after Yang Kai’s traces, so they couldn’t have gone in the wrong direction. Besides, there was a Demon Race army guarding the surrounding area. They were clearly stationed here to guard the Territory Gate.
Xue Li frowned as if thinking of something. Then, he suddenly stretched out his hand and grabbed one of the Mid-Rank Demon Kings below. Lifting that person up by the collar, he asked, “Where did the Territory Gate go?”
The Mid-Rank Demon King had never seen such a terrifying line-up before. It was very difficult to even see one of the Demon Saints under normal circumstances. The most powerful existences that he had ever met were the Half-Saints on his own continent. So many Demon Saints had appeared all of a sudden; moreover, one of them was holding him up in front of them. Thus, he nearly fainted from the fright. Pale-faced, the Demon King replied in a trembling voice, “I-I-It was still here j-just now. But, it s-s-suddenly disappeared for some r-reason.”
“Damn it!” Xue Li yelled and tossed the Demon King aside.
“To think he actually had such an ability…” Bone Demon Saint Ge Meng rubbed his skeletal chin as two ghostly fires danced in his eye sockets. He seemed to be lost in thought. It was impossible for the Territory Gate to disappear for no reason, so it was clear that the Human brat had done something to conceal it from their sight. Furthermore, the method used was flawless. Even at such a close distance, they, the Demon Saints, were unable to sense the slightest trace of the Territory Gate.
“What should we do now?” Stone Demon Saint Mo Kan turned his head and looked around. This was truly humiliating. A group of Demon Saints were being toyed with by a mere Human boy. Yang Kai had managed to slip through their clutches once, and now he had successfully obstructed their path. The reputation of the Demon Saints would be utterly ruined if he really managed to escape from them.
Flame Demon Saint Chi Yan coldly snorted, “Since it’s a seal, I’m sure it can be broken. Let me try!”
While speaking, he strode forward and came directly to the place where the Territory Gate was originally located. One of his fists was covered in flames as he threw a punch at the location. The flames exploded and space trembled. A huge crack immediately appeared connected to the empty void.
Seeing this, he sneered and his other fist came slamming down with a thunderous force. After several consecutive punches, the space in front of him completely disintegrated like a shattered mirror to reveal a black hole the size of the Territory Gate. However, what made him speechless was the extremely dangerous aura coming from within the black hole. It was filled with an aura of nothingness and chaos. In addition, probing into it caused their Divine Sense to be devoured cleanly.
Chi Yan couldn’t help being a little speechless. Even though he was a Demon Saint, he did not dare to enter this black hole to investigate the situation inside as he knew he might never find the exit again if he accidentally lost his way inside.
Pondering for a moment, he reached out and grabbed a few Demon Kings from below, “Investigate the situation inside. See if you can find an exit, then come back and report to me!”
After saying that, he disregarded the reaction of the Demon Kings and tossed them into the black hole. Those Demon Kings vanished out of sight in the blink of an eye.
After standing there and waiting for around a quarter hour, Chi Yan declared with an icy expression, “It looks like the Territory Gate here has been destroyed.”
If it had not been destroyed, one of those Demon Kings would have found the exit and returned to report by now. Since none of those Demon Kings could be seen, they had probably been struck by a disaster. He did not expect the situation to turn out like this after forcibly breaking the seal Yang Kai had placed on the Territory Gate.
This was something Yang Kai himself had not been able to foresee. He had formed a conjecture that two possible scenarios would occur if the seal he placed on the Territory Gate was forcibly broken. The first was that the Territory Gate would be revealed and returned to normal. The second was that the Territory Gate would be destroyed along with the seal. Now, it would seem that the second scenario was the correct one.
Xue Li gave a strange chuckling laugh, “There were only two Territory Gates left on Eternal Sky Continent. This one is destroyed, so if he also placed a seal on the other Territory Gate, wouldn’t that mean we will all be trapped here? That would be quite a terrible joke.”
As soon as those words rang out, Fu Yu turned around without saying a word and quickly rushed towards the only remaining Territory Gate. Although what Xue Li said was a terrifying prospect, they knew that Yang Kai had no time to seal the last remaining Territory Gate. Both Territory Gates were connected to different continents after all, and having managed to escape, Yang Kai would be focused on escaping. He would not have had the time to head to the other continent to seal the second Territory Gate. Even so, the rest of the Demon Saints hurriedly followed after Fu Yu.
Half a day later, many Demon Saints rushed out of Eternal Sky Continent through the last remaining Territory Gate, each of them wearing a deeply profound expression on their faces.
They all knew that it would be very difficult for them to track down Yang Kai’s trail again after such a long delay. Fortunately, Can Ye had already gone to guard the Two Worlds’ Passage, making it impossible for Yang Kai to leave the Demon Realm. Rashly trying to pass through the Two Worlds’ Passage would be nothing more than throwing himself into a trap. As long as he didn’t leave the Demon Realm, they would be able to find him one day. Besides, there were not many places that he could hide in this situation. As long as they laid an ambush in certain areas in advance, they might still succeed in catching him.
Many Demon Saints exchanged glances for a bit, then they scattered and spread out in different directions. They were all heading to where they thought Yang Kai was most likely to go.
Halfway through the journey, Bei Li Mo suddenly stopped in her tracks. She smiled softly, her beautiful eyes twinkling slightly. Then, she turned around and headed in a certain direction.
At the same time, Yang Kai was rushing through the skies above one of the Demon Realm’s continents. He was holding a map of the Demon Realm in his hands, trying to figure out his location. At first, he had intended to find a way back to the Star Boundary as soon as he got out of danger. He wanted to fulfil the Great Emperor’s last wish and bring the Star Boundary’s Will back; however, a chill ran through his heart for no apparent reason the moment that thought crossed his mind. Realizing that trying to escape this way would be no different from throwing himself into a deadly trap, he gritted his teeth and gave up on the idea after some slight hesitation.
[If I try to return to the Star Boundary… I’m sure the Demon Saints will be expecting me. Besides, there is only one Two Worlds’ Passage. They only need to fortify that place, and my path will be blocked off completely.] Yang Kai was certain that there was already a Demon Saint heading towards the passage by now. Zhui Feng might be fast, but he could not outrun a Demon Saint.
Since he couldn’t head toward the Two Worlds’ Passage, then there were only two other places that he could go. One was Hundred Spirits Continent! Rushing into Hundred Spirits Continent to seek shelter from Chang Tian might be one way, but he did not know if Chang Tian could withstand the pressure of so many Demon Saints. It was true that Chang Tian looked highly upon Yang Kai, but that was because his vitality was nearing its limits and he wanted to train Yang Kai as his successor. Unfortunately, he might not be willing to completely fall out with the Demon Saints and bring chaos to Hundred Spirits Continent as a result just for Yang Kai’s sake if more than ten Demon Saints joined forces to put pressure on him.
One of the reasons why Hundred Spirits Continent managed to remain peaceful for so many years was that Chang Tian himself was not to be trifled with. He had enough strength to make the Demon Saints respect him. The second reason was that none of the Demon Saints were willing to push Chang Tian into the arms of any one Demon Saint. That was why Hundred Spirits Continent had managed to survive between the cracks for so long.
Be that as it may, a thirteenth Demon Saint was related to the interests of the entire Demon Realm. The many Demon Saints would certainly be able to reach a consensus on this issue.
What’s more; it was not really a wise decision to place one’s own safety in somebody else’s care. Yang Kai had not been acquainted with Chang Tian for long and did not really know the latter that well; therefore, he only entertained that idea for a brief moment before immediately rejecting it.
The second option was to head toward Yu Ru Meng’s territory. Although what Bei Li Mo and Bright Moon said to him previously had caused him to be a little more suspicious and vigilant towards Yu Ru Meng, it was obvious she had done a lot to protect him back on Eternal Sky Continent. He was certain that it would not be a problem if he went to her. The only problem was whether she could actually protect him.
After mulling over it, he decided he would neither go to Hundred Spirits Continent nor Yu Ru Meng’s Territory. Instead, he would search for a continent that had disappeared and hide there. There were many continents that had disappeared in the Demon Realm, so he only needed to find one and hide there to escape detection. Now that the situation was so tense, it would be best if he could lay low for three to five years. He could show his face again once the storm died down. It would not be too late for him to find a way back to the Star Boundary at that time.
Upon making up his mind, he hurriedly checked the map in his hand. At the same time, he thought back on all the information on the various continents in the Demon Realm that he had seen before and confirmed his location a short while later. He also found the nearest continent that had disappeared. It was not too far away. He only needed to pass through two Territory Gates to reach it.
He had just put the map away when his expression abruptly turned frosty. He restrained Zhui Feng, who was speeding ahead swiftly. With a loud neigh, Zhui Feng stopped in mid-air and let out a loud snort.
Yang Kai’s expression turned extremely solemn as he turned his head and looked around his surroundings and called out, “Which Divine Saint has come? Show yourself since you are already here, why bother sneaking around?”
After saying that, he waited quietly for a short while, but there was no response.
Seeing this, Yang Kai sneered, “The opportunity to become a Great Emperor currently lies in me. Holy Venerable, go ahead and make your move if you wish to take it. You can’t be afraid of me, right?”
There was still no response.
He couldn’t help frowning in response. [Could I have been wrong? That doesn’t make sense!]
At that moment, he had clearly felt himself being watched by somebody hiding in the dark. That feeling had been so obvious that he could not have felt wrongly with his current cultivation and level of perception! The only people who could conceal themselves from him could not be ordinary Masters. It was most likely a Demon Saint, but if that was the case, why not show themselves? He wasn’t a Demon Saint’s opponent at his peak, much less in his current condition.
Listening to Yang Kai murmuring to himself under his breath, Zhui Feng couldn’t resist turning back to glance at him, his eyes filled with suspicion, as though he was asking, ‘Are you stupid? There’s nobody nearby. Who are you talking to?’
At the same time, Yang Kai sensed the feeling of being spied on disappearing without a trace. This puzzled him greatly. [What is going on? Could it be that I felt it wrongly?]
It didn’t matter which Demon Saint was spying on him in secret though. Since they were not showing themselves, then it could only mean that they had no intention of attacking him. It seriously did not make any sense.
Unable to do anything about it, he once again directed Zhui Feng towards the continent he had decided on previously while simultaneously stuffing a handful of Spirit Pills into his mouth, crunching them like candy.
After passing through two Territory Gates in succession, his expression darkened as he neared his destination, but it wasn’t because of something bad; rather, it was a good thing. He could feel the Qi in his body fluctuating. The bottleneck he had been facing for so many years was slowly loosening.
[I can’t believe I’m showing signs of breaking through at this time!]
Yang Kai didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He had been worrying about his cultivation that had been stuck in the Second-Order Emperor Realm for such a long time, more so when the war between the two worlds broke out. After entering the Demon Realm, he had always felt that his strength was a little insufficient. He had always been strong in will but weak in strength every time he had to face those Half-Saints; thus, he had been wondering when he would finally achieve a breakthrough. Unfortunately, his cultivation had not shown any signs of movement up until now.
[Why does it have to be now!?] During such troubled times, when he should be hiding and concealing his presence… Who could have thought that he would start showing signs of achieving a breakthrough!?
Thinking about it for a moment though, it wasn’t that strange. He had received the opportunity from the Great Emperor and the Star Boundary’s Will. Although his strength had not shown significant improvement, the hidden benefits were slowly beginning to surface. The loosening of his cultivation’s bottleneck was most likely related to this.
If he had a choice, he would definitely not choose to undergo a breakthrough at this time. He tried to suppress it only to discover that the fluctuating Qi was like the rumblings of a volcano. The more he tried to press it down, the more powerful it rebounded. It seemed determined on breaking through the barrier and reaching for the skies, which made him feel extremely speechless.
The destination he decided on previously was no longer viable. The continents that had disappeared might be extremely safe places to hide, but the World Principles in those continents were shattered beyond repair. They were not suitable for breakthroughs.
On the other hand, the Small Sealed World was an excellent place to go. The World Principles in the current Small Sealed World were complete. Combined with its abundant World Energy, it was enough to meet his breakthrough requirements. More importantly, nobody would notice regardless of how much of a commotion he caused if he underwent a breakthrough inside.
Just as this idea struck him though, Yang Kai had a vague and uncomfortable feeling in his heart. It felt as though he would definitely miss out on something important if he had his breakthrough in Sealed World Bead. Moreover, it was something that he would regret for the rest of his life! Without any further hesitation, he immediately turned Zhui Feng around and headed towards Cloud Shadow Continent.
He did not choose to undergo his breakthrough in the Small Sealed World. One of the reasons was the unease he felt in his heart. The other reason was due to the lack of security. If he entered the Small Seal World, then the Sealed World Bead would be exposed to the world. It didn’t matter how well he concealed himself. He could not guarantee that the Sealed World Bead would not be found with so many Demon Saints of the Demon Realm searching for him. The Divine Sense of the Demon Saints was outrageously powerful. It was not impossible for them to notice a bead that was obviously rather unusual if they carried out a thorough search. If any of the Demon Saints discovered the Sealed World Bead, he would truly become a turtle hiding in his own shell.
On the other hand, the Embodiment was the Master of Cloud Shadow Continent. Choosing to break through there could greatly benefit him. At the very least, the Embodiment could cover up the commotion of his breakthrough to the greatest extent. Furthermore, Cloud Shadow Continent was part of Yu Ru Meng’s territory, so if any troubles were to arise, she would surely come to his aid as soon as possible.
Having come to a decision, Yang Kai stopped thinking about it. He rode on Zhui Feng’s back, closed his eyes, and adjusted his breathing. With his breakthrough so imminent, he had to maintain himself in his best condition; otherwise, his cultivation path would be cut off if his breakthrough failed. This was not something that could be taken lightly.
The injuries he suffered were not caused by others. They were caused by the backlash of the Mountains and Rivers Bell from the time when he teamed up with the Embodiment to deal with Yue Sang. They could not be considered serious, but could also not be considered light.
Those injuries were recovering quickly with the help of the medicinal efficacies of the Spirit Pills he took, and he could vaguely sense that he would almost be fully healed by the time he arrived on Cloud Shadow Continent.
Yang Kai passed through Territory Gate after Territory Gate until half a day later, trouble came just as he was about to reach the next gate.
Looking from afar, he could see that many members of the Demon Race were forming a blockade around the Territory Gate and performing a strict check on each person that passed through. Yang Kai watched with his own eyes as a passing member of the Demon Race even had their Space Ring taken from them for investigation.
This situation darkened Yang Kai’s expression. He knew that he must be the cause of this. He probably did not encounter such a situation previously because news had not spread out yet. The entire Demon Realm was probably taking strict precautions right now.
He quietly scanned the surroundings and was relieved to see that there were no Half-Saints guarding this place. Although there were several Demon Kings, they were no match for him if he really wanted to force his way through. Nevertheless, Yang Kai did not want to reveal his current whereabouts. On the other hand, it didn’t make sense to change his course either.
After pondering for a while, he placed Zhui Feng into the Sealed World Bead and flew out alone. He wandered around for a while and quickly came across a lone member of the Demon Race. This man was a Low-Rank Demon King. When he saw Yang Kai blocking his road, he opened his mouth and let out a cold laugh, but the only reply he received was Yang Kai’s aggressive attacks.
It only took three punches and two kicks for Yang Kai to beat the Low-Rank Demon King into the ground. After that, he didn’t waste any time, reaching out to grab the latter’s head. Divine Sense overflowed like a tide, tearing through the Low-Rank Demon King’s Knowledge Sea defences and forcefully extracting the other party’s Soul Brand.
The Low-Rank Demon King had not recovered from his shock even after Yang Kai released him; however, his expression changed drastically the moment Yang Kai’s Divine Sense moved and he glanced up at Yang Kai aggrievedly, “Who are you and what do you want?”
Having his Soul Brand taken from his Knowledge Sea meant that his life was no longer his to control. That was not something anybody could accept. Even so, he was no fool. He knew that Yang Kai must have done it for a reason.
Yang Kai stretched out his hand, took out the Sealed World Bead, and said lightly, “Swallow this bead and pass through the Territory Gate over there.”
The Demon King frowned at those words, “What do you mean?”
“Don’t ask questions you shouldn’t ask; otherwise, your life will be at risk!” Yang Kai coldly snorted and tossed the Sealed World Bead over.
By the time the Demon King caught the Sealed World Bead and looked up again, he discovered that there was nobody standing in front of him. He couldn’t help feeling a little suspicious. If not for the Stolen Soul Brand and the bead in his hand, he would have thought that what happened just now was nothing more than a hallucination.
Looking around his surroundings, he tried to search for a trace of the man from before. Then, an unbearable pain appeared in his mind. It felt like his Soul itself was going to be torn apart. He was secretly surprised and realized that the man from before must be watching his movements from somewhere despite hiding in the shadows. That man was capable of killing him anytime and anywhere. The pain just now was definitely a warning.
[What did he ask me to do just now? Oh, right. Swallow the bead and pass through the Territory Gate…] He looked at the Sealed World Bead in his hand, feeling overwhelmed with sorrow and anxiety. [This thing doesn’t look that special. I don’t even know whether it’s poisonous…]
The sadness and anger in his heart could not be more pronounced. Misfortune had struck him out of nowhere even though he had not provoked nor upset anybody. How could he make sense of things?
Unfortunately, he had his Soul Brand taken. Even if this bead really turned out to be poisonous, he had to swallow it. Thus, he swallowed the Sealed World Bead into his belly and headed towards the Territory Gate with a sullen expression. He couldn’t not go. There was a sliver of Divine Sense locked onto his Soul in his Knowledge Sea. He could be killed at any moment!
A short while later, he arrived near the Territory Gate. He raised his head and saw that it was very heavily guarded. The Territory Gate was tightly surrounded by a platoon of the Demons and the aura of many Demon Kings seeped out from among them as they did a strict check on any traveller. Only then did he understand why that person had asked him to pass through the Territory Gate. [He must have committed a crime. But what crime did he commit that would warrant so many powerful figures hunting him down?]
If not for the dangerous element in his Knowledge Sea that could extinguish his Soul at any time, he would have happily reported the incident to the army. Unfortunately, he dared not act rashly with that sliver of Divine Sense locked onto his Soul.
He thought to himself. [Everything will be over as long as I pass through that Territory Gate. No matter how powerful he is, he won’t be able to find me again; after all, he couldn’t possibly pass through the Territory Gate in secret with such a heavy guard around it, right? If he had that kind of ability, he would not have forced me into doing this.]
He flew towards the Territory Gate in trepidation and was immediately stopped by a Demon General who asked coldly, “Stop! Where are you from and where are you going!?”
The Demon King squeezed out a smile, cupped his fist, and answered these questions carefully without lying.
The Demon General glanced at the Demon King, then he reached out a hand and unfurled a picture scroll in front of the latter, “Have you seen this man?”
Looking at the picture scroll, the Demon King’s eyelids twitched slightly. The portrait depicted on the picture scroll was none other than that person he encountered just now.
[As I thought. He must have committed a crime after all.] Still, he quickly shook his head in response, “No.”
The Demon General put away the picture scroll and said lightly, “If you see this person, report it to us immediately. Once the information has been confirmed to be accurate, you will receive a reward of a hundred Myriad Demon Pills! The reward is five hundred Myriad Demon Pills if you can capture him!”
“A hundred Myriad Demon Pills!” Upon hearing this, the Demon King couldn’t help letting out a cry of surprise as his eyes turned red from greed. He might be a Demon King, but he was only a Low-Rank Demon King. He was unsatisfied with his position on his continent, and although he had heard of Myriad Demon Pills before, he had never seen one himself. If he were to receive a hundred Myriad Demon Pills, it would be enough for him to cultivate until he became a High-Rank Demon King, and if he could capture that criminal, he would receive five hundred Myriad Demon Pills!
[Just what is this!? With so many Myriad Demon Pills, I would never have to worry about my future anymore!] Only the Demon Saints could bring out so many Myriad Demon Pills at once. Even Half-Saints did not have such capacity.
He couldn’t help swallowing nervously, nearly blurting out what he knew. Nevertheless, he thought about his life which was currently hanging by a thread and decided to keep quiet for now. Myriad Demon Pills were great, but he needed to be alive to refine them. There was no point in having a Myriad Demon Pill if he was dead.
He cautiously asked, “What crime did he commit?”
The Demon General replied, “He interfered in the Holy Venerables’ affairs. Right now, all Holy Venerables are working together to find him.”
[I can’t believe it is related to the Holy Venerables. Moreover, it involves all of them…] When the thought appeared, the Demon King couldn’t help feeling a sheen of cold sweat appearing on his forehead. He had a vague feeling that he had been dragged into something extremely terrible.
He continued forward and went through a series of strict checks. Even his Space Ring was searched before they allowed him to pass. Then, he secretly decided. [The moment I pass through the Territory Gate, I will immediately report this matter once I confirm my safety. I won’t be able to get the reward of five hundred Myriad Demon Pills, but a hundred Myriad Demon Pills won’t hurt, right?]
A short while later, he passed through the Territory Gate and arrived on a different continent. He glanced about him in a furtive manner and spoke through gritted teeth, “I’ve done what you asked of me. There’s nothing else you need from me, right?”
The surroundings were silent, and there was no response.
[Hahahaha! I knew he couldn’t have possibly crossed the Territory Gate with me!] He was elated.
Secretly confirming his location once more, he hurriedly headed in a certain direction, his eyes gleaming with a red light as though he could already see a hundred Myriad Demon Pills beckoning at him.
At that moment, there was a slight twinge of pain in his Knowledge Sea and he staggered and almost fell from the sky. After stabilizing his body, he looked around him as cold sweat dripped down his back.
[That’s impossible! I’m already on another continent! How can he still know what I am doing!? Don’t tell me he’s somewhere nearby!? But, that doesn’t make sense! If he can sneak past the Territory Gate without alerting the guards, then why did he need me to do that!?] While he was caught up in his swirling thoughts of doubt, the pain in his Knowledge Sea increased ever so slightly. It frightened him so much that he anxiously shouted, “I didn’t expose your whereabouts! If you have something to say, we should talk it out!”
After the words left his mouth, the pain disappeared; however, a wave of pain struck him again before he could catch his breath.
This cycle repeated many times. The Demon King was tortured to the point where he was weak from the pain. He cried out with a mournful expression, “What do you want!? Come out and tell me what you want. Stop torturing me like this!”
Nobody would feel good if they were walking on the edge of life or death all the time. The danger that his Soul could be extinguished at anytime and anywhere was a huge torture in and of itself. Be that as it may, no matter how much he cried out, that person from before did not respond at all.
After a long time, his expression suddenly changed. He opened his mouth and cast a Secret Technique for him to spit out the bead he had swallowed earlier. There was an expression of uncertainty on his face.
The moment he spat out the bead, a figure flashed and appeared in front of him. It was the figure of that person who had tortured him so badly just now.
At this moment, Yang Kai had a cold expression on his face and he snorted softly, “I was wondering if you would ever figure it out.” [If this guy didn’t spit out the Sealed World Bead soon, my only option would have been to break out through his body. That would have killed him.]
While saying that, he retrieved the Sealed World Bead.
The Demon King stared at Yang Kai, then stared at the Sealed World Bead, stammering, “Y-Y-You…”
Yang Kai sternly said, “Don’t stick your nose into my business. I need to go to Cloud Shadow Continent. Seeing as your performance was fairly lacklustre, you will lead me there.”
The Demon King secretly wailed in his heart upon hearing those words. It was just that he was under the other party’s control so he had no choice but to lower his head in acquiescence. The vexed feeling in his heart could not get any stronger.
Yang Kai ignored the Demon King’s mood and summoned his Tiger Head Chariot directly, beckoned to the poor soul, and brought him along. He had already decided on the route by the time the Demon King boarded. Afterward, the War Chariot turned into a stream of light and sped away with a surge of Emperor Qi.
Since they already had the experience of working together once, things were much easier after that.
Yang Kai would hide himself in the Sealed World Bead every time they got near a Territory Gate, then ask the Demon King to swallow the bead and pass through the layers of security to enter the next continent. Once they reached a safe place, Yang Kai would come out again and continue the journey on his Tiger Head Chariot.
This method might waste a little more time, but it was far safer. Nobody could have imagined that Yang Kai would conceal himself inside a bead to pass through the Demon Race’s strict security checks. Yu Ru Meng might have thought of this, but she would never tell the other Demon Saints about it.
After four or five days of torturous travelling, Yang Kai finally arrived in Yu Ru Meng’s territory. Unlike the territories of the other Demon Saints, the Territory Gates on the continents under her jurisdiction were not showing signs of being fortified. This was probably the only undefended zone in all the Demon Realm today. It made him feel a little relieved. In his eyes, she was different from the other Demon Saints after all.
It took a few more twists and turns before he arrived on Cloud Shadow Continent.
“This is Cloud Shadow Continent. Senior Yang, I have fulfilled your request. Can you… let me go now?” Upon arriving on Cloud Shadow, Huo Lun looked at Yang Kai expectantly. Despite knowing that it was a slim chance, he still had to try.
They might not be well acquainted with each other, but at the very least, they had gotten to know each other’s names after spending a few days together.
Yang Kai glanced at Huo Lun and calmly asked, “Do you think that’s possible?”
Huo Lun paled, took a few steps back, and angrily asked, “Do you have to kill me!?”
[This is truly a disaster! I followed along obediently without provoking him or causing any trouble. I can’t believe I am facing a life-threatening catastrophe! This is the worst!] He secretly vowed to himself. [If he is going to kill me, I will definitely take a bite out of his flesh first!]
“Not necessarily. You have been of great help to me. Killing you will make me seem a little ungrateful. Nevertheless, letting you go is impossible.” Yang Kai laughed softly as he raised the Sealed World Bead in his hand and said, “You must have guessed the use of this item by now.”
Huo Lun looked at the Sealed World Bead and nodded helplessly. Over the past few days, Yang Kai had entered and exited this bead right in front of him several times, so only a fool would not be able to figure out what the Sealed World Bead was used for. It was definitely a treasure that could contain living creatures inside!
“You have a choice. Die, or be kept inside.” Yang Kai stared at Huo Lun.
Huo Lun only hesitated for a moment before he smiled bitterly, “Is that even a choice?” As he spoke, his whole body relaxed in a posture of resignation.
“Wise decision!” Yang Kai stretched out his hand to grab at Huo Lun. Space Principles fluctuated as Huo Lun vanished into thin air.
There were two reasons why Yang Kai did not kill Huo Lun. One was the reason he mentioned earlier. The other reason was that he wanted to test if the expansion of the Sealed World Bead was suitable for the viability of the Demon Race.
The world inside the Sealed World Bead was now composed of three parts. The first part was the original space of the Sealed World Bead itself, the second part was comprised of the Cultivation Stars that the Sealed World Bead had devoured in Grand Desolation Star Field, and the third part was comprised of the continents that had disappeared in the Demon Realm.
The first two parts had been integrated into one while the last part was still an independent existence. Those continents that had disappeared had been fragmented and their World Principles had shattered; however, they were showing signs of recombining after being devoured by the Sealed World Bead. The broken World Principles seemed to be gradually becoming perfect again.
If the Demon Race could survive or even cultivate in such an environment, it would be of great help to the next part of Yang Kai’s plan. Thus, Huo Lun was sent to the third part, the newly expanded space.
After doing that, Yang Kai hurriedly released the Embodiment. He wanted to break through and advance to the next Realm on Cloud Shadow Continent. To do that, he needed the Embodiment’s help to cover up the commotion his breakthrough would cause, or he would surely be discovered. This was the main reason why he ventured back to Cloud Shadow Continent.
His injuries were fully healed after so many days on the run, but the fluctuating Qi in his body was getting harder and harder to control. It seemed to have reached the limit. If he had not spent so much effort to suppress it, he might have undergone the breakthrough halfway through their journey.
Time waited for no man and Yang Kai was going to undergo his breakthrough right this very moment; however, his expression suddenly turned icy as he turned his head and yelled furiously, “Who’s there!?”
The Embodiment, who was about to take Yang Kai to a safe place, jumped in fright. He hurriedly spread his Divine Sense out to investigate the surroundings, but after a while, he turned to look at Yang Kai suspiciously only to see him with a solemn expression on his face, as if he was about to face his greatest enemy. The Embodiment was extremely puzzled by the sight and asked in a quiet voice, “What’s wrong?”
Yang Kai looked very tense as he kept searching around his surroundings and asked, “Didn’t you feel anything?”
“Nope!” The Embodiment shook his head.
Yang Kai glanced at the Embodiment in surprise and exclaimed softly, “How is that possible?”
Just now, the feeling of being watched had appeared again. It felt as though there was a pair of invisible eyes staring at him from somewhere. It was an extremely unsettling feeling. When this feeling first appeared a few days ago, Yang Kai had thought one of the Demon Saints had caught up with him; however, there had been no signs of a Demon Saint ambushing him afterward, so he couldn’t help feeling a little confused by the situation.
It wasn’t until today when that feeling appeared again that he confirmed that this was by no means an illusion. He was really being targeted by somebody, but to his astonishment, the Embodiment, the Master of Cloud Shadow Continent, had not noticed anything at all. That left Yang Kai feeling even more baffled than ever.
[Have I been too nervous lately? Is that why my perception is playing tricks on me? This is the Embodiment’s territory after all, so it’s impossible for him not to notice anything even if it was a Demon Saint hiding nearby.]
If the Embodiment did not have a direct link to his own Soul, Yang Kai would have suspected him of lying to him. More importantly, there was no need for any of the Demon Saints to be so cryptic, regardless of which Demon Saint it was. They had the power to crush everything with their strength, so they only had to step forward to capture him. There was no need to go through all this dawdling.
While he was speaking, that feeling disappeared without a trace again.
The Embodiment asked, “Did you really sense something?”
Yang Kai was stunned for a moment, then he slowly shook his head, “I’m not sure. I don’t know if it was just my imagination.”
The Embodiment fell silent as he did not know what to say in this situation.
Yang Kai couldn’t spare the time to think about it though with his breakthrough being so imminent. Even if there really was a Demon Saint hiding nearby, he could not stop them if they wanted to harm him, so he could only do his best against them when that happened. Moreover, higher cultivation would surely give him a higher chance of surviving the encounter.
“Let’s begin!” Yang Kai declared in a deep voice, sweeping aside the mess of thoughts swirling in his head.
The Embodiment nodded. Activating his Demon Qi, he wrapped Yang Kai in it before burrowing into the ground. The pair navigated through the ground where there was neither light nor sound.
Yang Kai didn’t know how long had passed before he felt the pressure around him loosened and the Demon Qi wrapping him retracted. The Embodiment’s voice sounded in his ears next, “This is a cave a hundred kilometres underground. The commotion from your breakthrough should be suppressed with me standing guard.”
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes and swept his surroundings, taking in the pitch-black darkness that he could still vaguely make out as a large cave. It was dark and damp, and he could vaguely hear the sound of running water. There was probably an underground river flowing nearby. Although the conditions were a little lacking, Yang Kai was not complaining. He immediately took a deep breath and sat down cross-legged.
With a wave of his hand, batches of High-Rank Source Crystals were thrown out of his Space Ring. The Source Crystals turned into dust the moment they left the Space Ring and the dense World Energy contained within soon flooded the cave, forming a thick mist. All of a sudden, the dark and damp cave was transformed into a cultivation paradise.
Yang Kai spared no effort in the preparations for a successful breakthrough to the Third-Order Emperor Realm. At this time, he couldn’t help feeling relieved that he had prepared enough cultivation resources before coming to the Demon Realm; otherwise, he would not have had sufficient resources in this accursed place. He wasn’t finished yet though. Reaching into the Space Ring again, he took out a handful of Spirit Pills and swallowed them to ensure that he had enough energy to meet his breakthrough requirements.
On the Martial Dao, every Minor Realm of the Emperor Realm was blocked by a formidable barrier that innumerable talented cultivators failed to break through. That was the case whether it was from the First-Order to the Second-Order, from the Second-Order to the Third-Order, or from the Third-Order to the Pseudo-Great Emperor Realm and eventually Great Emperor Realm. How many people had experienced cultivation dissonance at the time of their breakthrough? Likewise, how many people had died or lost their cultivation during the process?
In addition, Yang Kai had chosen to undergo his breakthrough in the Demon Realm. He could not afford to be careless.
He immediately quieted his mind once everything was prepared, focusing on himself and clearing all distractions away. Quietly performing a set of hand seals, he released the suppression he had been placing on himself all this time. Immediately afterwards, the fluctuating aura in his body erupted outward.
A shudder ran through his body while at the same time, his Emperor Qi rumbled and soared to the sky, only to smash against an invisible barrier.
Yang Kai grunted involuntarily as pain spread all over his body. It felt like his entire body was being ripped to pieces, causing him to tremble. His entire body oozed with a layer of sweat from the extreme pain and his clothes were soon completely drenched.
The Emperor Qi in his body that had ballooned to its limits slowly deflated. Be that as it may, Yang Kai was not discouraged by his failure in this attempt. His previous breakthroughs had always gone very smoothly, so he rarely encountered such situations. Even so, who could continue experiencing never-ending success in the Martial Dao without running into any trouble whatsoever? Who could keep advancing down a path of great progress without facing some obstacles? Even the Great Emperors and Demon Saints suffered countless setbacks when they were younger. The setback Yang Kai experienced today would only serve to lay a solid foundation for tomorrow.
The pores on his body relaxed, greedily sucking in the dense World Energy in his surroundings into his body. The medicinal efficacies of the Spirit Pills also began to take effect in his lower abdomen. His Emperor Qi flowed smoothly, his aura recovered, and he tried to break through the bottleneck once again.
Muffled grunts rang out in this dark and damp cave without pause in a rhythmic fashion. The spot Yang Kai was sitting was soon soaked in sweat. Every attempt was met with a corresponding failure. Every single time, the pain was excruciating. The flesh on his body was torn apart, his meridians were disconnected, and his pores overflowed with Golden Blood.
At this moment, the Embodiment, who had been monitoring Yang Kai’s progress, couldn’t help starting to feel worried. It could be said that he had grown up with Yang Kai, but he had never seen him going through such a difficult breakthrough before.
Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do to help. As the Master of Cloud Shadow Continent, he could only provide a place that was safe for Yang Kai’s breakthrough and suppress the commotion that occurred. The rest was up to Yang Kai himself.
It was true that Yang Kai’s growth rate was extremely fast compared to others, and this kind of rapid growth was bound to come with some hidden dangers. These hidden dangers were usually undetectable until they burst out at a critical moment, just like what was happening now…
“After killing this King, do you really feel no guilt?” A familiar voice suddenly sounded in Yang Kai’s ear.
Yang Kai’s expression instantly became grim. He opened his eyes only to realize with a start that he was no longer in the dark cave. He was standing in the void with a Blood Sea spreading out around him. Additionally, there was a blood-covered figure standing in front of him with a sneer stretched across the face of a youth. Yang Kai’s fist had punched right through the youth’s chest, shattering his heart and vitality… It was Bright Moon Great Emperor!
The pupils of Yang Kai’s eyes contracted. He immediately reacted as he had on the day of this tragedy, trying to pull his fist out of the youth’s chest, but to his shock, Bright Moon grabbed his arm and held on stubbornly.
Then, Bright Moon leaned his body forward slightly. The expression on his face at this moment was incredibly hideous, “I am a Great Emperor! I represent the Star Boundary’s Will! How dare you kill me!?”
Yang Kai’s eyes widened to the size of saucers, staring forward with a blank expression. After being stunned for a long time, his expression suddenly sank as he gritted his teeth and roared, “Heart Demon!”
Bright Moon Great Emperor was dead, his body placed in the medicine garden of the Small Sealed World. It didn’t make sense for him to come out again, much less reproduce the same scene from that ill-fated day. The only explanation was that Yang Kai was currently experiencing the outbreak of a Heart Demon!
Yang Kai had been running for his life for the past few days, so the guilt and regret of killing a Great Emperor with his own hands had been repressed in his heart. He had deliberately tried to forget about it, he had deliberately avoided thinking about it, but as a result, repressing his emotions had given birth to a Heart Demon at this time.
In order to enter the Demon Realm back then, Yang Kai had worked together with Iron Blood Great Emperor to jointly put on an act in front of Yu Ru Meng, making it seem like he was experiencing a cultivation dissonance. He never imagined that he would really be faced with this kind of crisis one day.
If he couldn’t overcome his Heart Demon, everything would fall apart. Forget about breaking through to the next Realm, it would be a joyous miracle if his cultivation did not regress. In the worst case, he might really suffer from cultivation dissonance, become demonified, and lose himself. A huge sense of crisis fell over him, but as it did, he instead became calmer.
Yang Kai lowered his gaze, the black hair on his forehead casting a dark shadow over his face. He took a deep breath, looked up, and met Bright Moon’s eyes, “Of course, I do! You are a Great Emperor, and yet, you died at my hand. Of course, I feel guilty about killing you!”
Standing opposite Yang Kai, Bright Moon broke out into an evil smile, “Since you feel guilty, then why do you force yourself like this? Why not accompany this King on his journey to the Yellow Springs?”
Yang Kai grinned, “Senior, do you really think that way?”
Bright Moon’s expression turned frosty, “You are a sinner of the Star Boundary. Don’t tell me you still want to continue living!?”
Yang Kai slowly shook his head and pulled his arm out of Bright Moon’s chest, little by little. Due to Bright Moon’s intervention, his actions were extremely slow, “I don’t believe that I am a sinner of the Star Boundary. What you said is wrong, Senior.”
Bright Moon sneered, “Not a sinner? Don’t tell me you think you are a hero?”
“I can’t say that I’m a hero. I killed you after all. But I prevented the Star Boundary’s Will from falling into the hands of the Demon Race. Senior, you chose to die at my hands. If I really have to say it… it doesn’t matter how guilty I feel, I was helpless at the time.”
“Rubbish!” Bright Moon shouted with a hideous expression, “You are proficient in the Dao of Space! You could have taken me away long ago! But you didn’t want to take any reckless risks nor put yourself in danger. You are the reason I died in the Demon Realm! You are the Star Boundary’s greatest sinner!”
“Please don’t joke, Senior.” Yang Kai remained calm, “Although I am proficient in the Dao of Space, I am weak. How could I have taken you away with a Demon Saint guarding you?”
“Giving up so easily without even trying? You only think of yourself!” Bright Moon’s accusations became sharper and harsher, targeting the weakest parts of Yang Kai’s mind.
Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling shaken by those words and his stable mood nearly became disordered as a result. He had asked himself the same question back when he witnessed Bright Moon’s death with his own eyes, [Why didn’t I rescue Bright Moon earlier? If I had made a move earlier, we might have had a chance of success. At least, I wouldn’t have to carry this guilt around for the rest of my life.]
Watching Yang Kai close his eyes in pain, Bright Moon laughed coldly, “What else can you say to that?”
Yang Kai slowly opened his eyes again, “I have nothing to say.”
Bright Moon smiled slightly as his body fluttered over to Yang Kai’s side, “In that case, why bother struggling so needlessly? Why don’t you simply follow your heart and indulge in unfettered freedom?”
“If the ‘unfettered freedom’ you mentioned means becoming demonified, then I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you, Senior.” Yang Kai looked at Bright Moon indifferently and sighed softly, “Senior, my pain stems from the pain of losing a Great Emperor of the Star Boundary, not because I failed to save you. My strength is so lacking, there was no way I could have rescued you…”
While he was speaking, he finally retracted his hand from Bright Moon’s chest. Then, he slammed his fist forward again.
“Forgive me, Senior!”
When his fist landed, Bright Moon shattered into pieces. After making up for the apology he didn’t have the time to say before Bright Moon died back then, the tension in Yang Kai’s heart seemed to have relaxed. He finally made up for the regret he had felt. He had carefully considered the possibilities over the past few days; in particular, whether he could have succeeded in rescuing Bright Moon during their first meeting, but no matter how he thought about it, he could not fathom the slightest possibility of success.
The reason he was able to safely exit from the Blood Sea at that time was all thanks to Bright Moon. Xue Li, who had been guarding the Blood Sea at the time, would have noticed him immediately if not for Bright Moon’s distraction; therefore, he would certainly be greeted with the fury of a Demon Saint the moment he placed Bright Moon into the Sealed World Bead. If that happened, then not only would Bright Moon’s condition worsen, but he would also be dragged into the mess.
Space Beacons were certainly a possibility. He could have left a Space Beacon near the Territory Gate in advance, but what good would that have done? Whether it was the Twelve Pinnacles Grand Demon Array or the boundless Blood Sea formed from the blood sacrifice of the entire Eternal Sky Continent, both had the power of sealing space; thus, Yang Kai could not use his Space Beacon to perform long-distance Instantaneous Movement from inside.
It should be mentioned that even the Embodiment could only use a Space Beacon to perform an Instantaneous Movement to come to Yang Kai’s side after Yue Sang had allowed him into the Blood Sea. If it wasn’t for Yue Sang’s oversight in letting the Embodiment and Zhui Feng into the Blood Sea, Yang Kai would have been utterly powerless against him. For that reason, he was not at the point where he would be overcome by his Heart Demon even though he felt guilty over Bright Moon’s death.
Bright Moon’s body dissipated into particles of light, but they soon condensed into another figure. This figure had shapely curves and a trace of holiness in her bewitching face. It was Yu Ru Meng.
Yang Kai stared at her in a daze, feeling complicated and wondering to himself. [How did Ru Meng turn into my Heart Demon? Could it be because I have been on guard against her whether consciously or unconsciously?]
“Yang Kai, the Star Boundary’s Will is extremely important to the Demon Realm. Hand it…”
Before she could finish her sentence, Yang Kai had already thrown a punch at her. Even Bright Moon’s death had been unable to shake his mind, so what more needed to be said about Yu Ru Meng who was alive and well? He might have felt distressed and upset over this if the effects of the Heart Seal Secret Technique had not been transferred away, but the current him did not feel anything about it. Forget a trivial Heart Demon, even if it had been the actual person in the real world, he would have thrown a punch at her if she had dared to ask that of him.
The illusion of Yu Ru Meng shattered and fell apart like the one before it.
Yang Kai’s body suddenly relaxed as he believed that he had succeeded in his challenge, but to his surprise, the shattered illusion began to condense once more. He stared at it curiously, feeling rather stunned. [Who will the illusion turn into this time? Do I have that many Heart Demons?] He did not have many regrets or dissatisfactions in his life. It made sense why Bright Moon and Yu Ru Meng had appeared, but who could the third person be?
However, his expression soon changed as he stared at the sight in front of him in amazement. The illusion that formed was not somebody he could ever have imagined. It couldn’t even be said to be a person at all. It was a bunch of black shadows that were twisted together to form a humanoid figure. It almost looked like a Shadow Demon at a glance.
[Could it be Night Shadow Great Emperor!?] His expression turned sullen. [That doesn’t make sense! Although Night Shadow Great Emperor betrayed the Star Boundary and landed a fatal blow on Bright Moon, I’ve basically never interacted with him. Why would he turn into one of my Heart Demons at a time like this and interfere with my breakthrough?]
While Yang Kai was reeling from confusion, the black shadow in front of him suddenly let out a sharp, piercing scream.
Yang Kai felt a shock to his Soul when the scream entered his ears and after that, the black shadow in front of him turned into a ray of dark light and rushed directly at him.
Yang Kai was caught off guard and took the hit full-on. Immediately following that, an intense pain struck him. It felt like his Knowledge Sea was being ripped apart. He could clearly sense that there was a foreign invader now in his Knowledge Sea. Not daring to take this lightly, he immediately sank his consciousness into his Knowledge Sea and appeared as his Soul Avatar.
Yang Kai saw the black shadow standing above the churning sea of fire. That black shadow was staring fixedly at the seven-coloured island in the middle of the sea!
“Soul… Warming… Lotus!” A vague and hoarse voice came from the black shadow. It sounded like rusted pieces of metal scraping against each other, like the one speaking had not done so in thousands of years. Those three words had been forced out with great difficulty; nevertheless, it gave off the feeling of extreme excitement.
Yang Kai’s expression changed drastically as he narrowed his eyes and stared at the black figure. This was not his Heart Demon!
The so-called Heart Demons were purely mental fabrications that had no tangible substance, obstacles to a cultivator’s advancement. It was impossible for a Heart Demon to become sentient, much less have the ability to speak of its own free will.
This thing in front of him was clearly some sort of strange creature. Yang Kai didn’t even know how it managed to approach him, but he realized that the intense Heart Demons from earlier were probably caused by it somehow!
At this moment, Yang Kai recalled his experience of being spied on twice during his journey to Cloud Shadow Continent. [Don’t tell me… Is this guy the one that has been spying on me in secret!? Why didn’t the Embodiment detect him!? Isn’t he standing guard over me nearby!? How could he allow somebody else to invade my Knowledge Sea without doing anything!?]
“Who are you!?” Yang Kai asked with a sombre expression.
“Soul… Warming… Lotus!” That black shadow ignored Yang Kai. All of its attention was fixed on the Supreme Treasure as it repeated the same words it uttered just now.
Yang Kai was very surprised that this person could see the true body of the seven-coloured island at a glance. It was not the first time he had his Knowledge Sea invaded, and it was precisely because of prior experiences that he had transformed the appearance of the Soul Warming Lotus into a small island. It was a defensive measure to prevent people from learning his secrets. Who could have known that this black shadow would see through the mystery at a glance? That level of perception truly was something!
“I’ll ask you again. Who are you!?” Yang Kai shouted with a grim expression. He had made up his mind. [I can’t let this guy escape. If the secret of the Soul Warming Lotus is exposed to the world, the Demon Saints will spare no effort to hunt me down!]
The fluctuation of his emotions caused the sea below to become tumultuous and the raging waves to soar to the sky.
That black shadow still did not respond. Instead, it transformed into a ray of black light and rushed directly at the Soul Warming Lotus. The Soul Warming Lotus seemed to be very attractive to it and seemed to set off a certain impulsive urge to possess it at all costs.
“Cut!” Yang Kai pointed with a finger, and a sword light slashed out into the air. The Soul Splitting Saber was a Soul-type Emperor Grade Artifact that had been nurtured within his Knowledge Sea for decades. Inside this peculiar space, the Soul Splitting Saber was capable of drawing its power out to the fullest. That sword light was as swift as lightning, slicing towards the black figure and splitting it in two.
Before Yang Kai could rejoice though, the black shadow restored itself and rushed over to the sky above the seven-coloured island in the blink of an eye.
Yang Kai’s pupils contracted at this sight; after all, his enemy took a direct hit from the Soul Splitting Saber inside his Knowledge Sea yet came out unscathed. Just what was this thing!?
Seeing that the black shadow was about to succeed, Yang Kai did not dare to delay. He drew upon his Divine Sense and activated the power of the Soul Warming Lotus.
In an instant, a seven-coloured flash of light bloomed on the treasure island. It formed an invisible barrier, keeping the black shadow out. The black shadow tried to pass through the barrier several times but failed to break through the Soul Warming Lotus’ defences. Even so, it continued to single-mindedly rush straight at the barrier.
Yang Kai stretched out his hand. Then, he rushed forward with the Soul Splitting Saber and sliced the shadow in two. Be that as it may, the black shadow continued to ignore him. It was as though the black shadow could only see the Soul Warming Lotus. Thus, he was so furious that he laughed instead. [Setting his eyes on my treasure in my territory… This guy is the boldest thief I have ever seen!]
After slicing at the black shadow for some time, Yang Kai began to feel a little speechless.
It was clear that this thing did not have a high level of sentience. It was fixated on what it had decided on, but the Soul Warming Lotus’ defences were not something that could be broken through so easily. Despite these circumstances, this thing was determined to get its hands on the Soul Warming Lotus no matter what.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai had been slicing at it with the Soul Splitting Saber the whole time, but although that was the case, it would restore itself each time without any difficulty. It was almost like an undying object.
Yang Kai was powerless against this thing; hence, a strange stalemate had formed. Still, there was something for him to rejoice about. It was fortunate that this thing did not have a high level of sentience as with its strength, it would undoubtedly be very difficult for him to deal with otherwise.
Staring at the dark shadow for a while, Yang Kai felt rather troubled. He was currently in the middle of his breakthrough. Nevertheless, it was impossible for him to leave this thing in his Knowledge Sea and simply ignore it. The consequences would be dire if it disrupted him at a critical moment.
However, this thing was completely unaffected by the Soul Splitting Saber. He had no idea what it was or where it came from. Logically speaking, it should be a manifestation of someone’s Soul since it could enter his Knowledge Sea, but if that was the case, it didn’t make sense why the Soul Splitting Saber was ineffective against it.
Shifting his gaze away, he looked to the centre of the seven-coloured island. He did not know if the Soul Devouring Insects would be able to restrain it when the Soul Splitting Saber was useless against it. If even the Soul Devouring Insects were unable to deal with it, then Yang Kai did not know how he could either get rid of or kill this black shadow. It was just that, at this point, he could only try everything in his arsenal.
His thoughts flashed and a dense, black cloud of insects immediately swarmed out of the Insect Enslavement Bracelet and enveloped the black shadow under his command.
The black shadow was still slamming against the Soul Warming Lotus’ defences without pause. It ignored the Soul Devouring Insects and was soon covered in them. Clicking sounds rang out, sounding quite creepy.
Yang Kai coldly observed the black shadow’s condition, and a moment later, his expression changed. The Soul Devouring Insects had not disappointed him. They were having some effect on the black shadow, but the effect did not seem to be great. If it had been anybody else’s Soul, they would have fallen apart by now with those Soul Devouring Insects eating away at them like that. On the contrary, the black shadow remained lively and energetic.
Be that as it may, it was enough as long as they had an effect on the black shadow. Yang Kai had been afraid that even the Soul Devouring Insects would prove ineffective against it. The situation might be less than satisfactory, but he could wear down the black shadow with enough time.
With the situation in his Knowledge Sea stabilized for the time being, he checked on the condition of his physical body. He did not know if it was because the issue with the black shadow remained unresolved, but he could not break through that invisible barrier and advance to the next Minor Realm so his aura remained in a constant state of flux.
The concentration of the World Energy in the cave had been significantly reduced and the medicinal efficacies of those Spirit Pills in his abdomen had almost been exhausted too; thus, he had no choice but to replenish them again.
Golden Blood evaporated out of all the pores on his body. His whole body was in so much pain that it felt as though he was being torn apart. He felt slightly depressed in his heart as there had never been an advancement as difficult as this one before.
He was finally experiencing some of the difficulties and challenges that others faced on their cultivation journey and a sense of understanding grew in his heart. Each person’s strength was hard-won; it did not come easily. Every step they took on the path to the peak required ten times or a hundred times more effort and risk than simply stepping back and submitting. Thinking back on his smooth progress up until now, Yang Kai could see that he was certainly lacking something compared to others. The hardship he was facing this time was finally making up for this shortcoming.
While mulling over these thoughts, the physical pain he experienced seemed to reduce considerably. He gradually fell into a peculiar state when all of a sudden, his body gave a jerk. He had distinctly felt a change taking place in his Knowledge Sea; hence, he quickly sent his Soul Avatar back in to investigate the situation.
In the skies above Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea, the black shadow that was covered in Soul Devouring Insects was screaming up to the sky. Invisible waves of Spiritual Energy spread out, causing the flames to violently surge.
Yang Kai’s expression froze for a moment at this sight; then, he swiftly tried to suppress the abnormality in his Knowledge Sea and calm his mind. Looking in that direction, he saw the black shadow swelling up rapidly. At the same time, an extremely dangerous aura suddenly began fluctuating wildly.
His expression changed drastically and he quickly commanded the Soul Devouring Insects to retreat whilst simultaneously drawing upon the power of the Soul Warming Lotus. A seven-coloured light bloomed brightly, enveloping his entire Knowledge Sea in its radiance.
A loud bang resounded throughout his Knowledge Sea as the black shadow exploded. Black light spread outward as many of the Soul Devouring Insects that could not retreat in time were turned into ash and disappeared in the wind.
Similarly, the shock of the explosion left Yang Kai’s mind reeling in a state of confusion. It felt as though his Soul Avatar was about to collapse, and for a moment, he was completely incapable of thinking at all.
It wasn’t easy, but he finally stabilized his Soul Avatar and composed his emotions. He looked up and was instantly dumbfounded by the sight. There were bits and pieces of pitch-black energy scattered across his Knowledge Sea, looking as if somebody had splashed black ink into the flames. Moreover, those ‘ink drops’ were exuding an extremely powerful Demon Essence. They were also spreading into the surroundings at an astonishing speed.
Looking at this scene scared Yang Kai out of his wits. He did not know what would happen if he allowed these pitch-black ‘ink drops’ to spread into the surroundings, but judging by the Demon Essence being scattered around, he could guess that it would not end well for him.
Panicking, he rushed to stop the progression with his Divine Sense, but to his despair, his Spiritual Energy was instantly converted the moment it came into contact with those ‘ink drops’. As this process progressed, it caused the violent and malevolent urges in his heart to emerge and a sense of hostility to grow.
Even the purifying light blooming from the seven-coloured island had a hard time stopping the pitch-black ‘ink drops’ from converting his Knowledge Sea.
After several frantic moments, Yang Kai watched helplessly as his Knowledge Sea was completely dyed black. The Demon Essence in his Knowledge Sea was overwhelming. The small spot in the middle of his Knowledge Sea that was protected by the Seven Coloured Soul Warming Lotus became the last pure land left.
Yang Kai could distinctly sense that his mental state had undergone some subtle yet unexplainable changes, but it had yet to reach the level of a full-blown cultivation dissonance. It seemed that he was still capable of thinking normally without losing his sense of reason. It could even be said that instead of making him feel uncomfortable… this state gave him an unspeakable sense of joy and freedom.
[I couldn’t have truly undergone demonification, right?] Just as the thought surfaced in his mind, another voice whispered in his head. [So what if I underwent demonification?]
His Knowledge Sea began churning violently again, but this time, it wasn’t because something was wrong in his Knowledge Sea, it was because something was happening to his physical body.
With a flash of his thoughts, his Soul Avatar returned to his physical body just in time to feel his aura reaching a new height. The power brewing in his body was unprecedentedly strong and all the obstacles and bottlenecks he encountered before were smashed in the face of this surging power.
Yang Kai didn’t do anything consciously; he simply allowed his aura to rise with the momentum. The pain in his body disappeared all of a sudden, only to be replaced by a sense of comfort. An invisible wave of Qi spread out across his surroundings with him as the centre, the impact causing rocks to come crashing down inside the cave.
The door to a brand-new Realm slowly opened up in front of him. He had reached the Third-Order Emperor Realm!
Upon seeing this, the Embodiment, who had been standing guard by the side all this while, quickly used a Secret Technique to mask the disturbance caused by Yang Kai’s breakthrough. They were currently a hundred kilometres underground, so even a Demon Saint might not be able to find this place unless they were searching with a fine-toothed comb. Nevertheless, he proceeded with utmost caution just in case. By suppressing these fluctuations, he could ensure that the commotion in this place would not spread too far.
The Embodiment turned to look at Yang Kai with a joyful expression and prepared to congratulate the latter on his successful breakthrough, but to his surprise, he discovered that Yang Kai’s aura had not finished increasing. It was still climbing ever higher as though it was only just beginning. He was taken aback, feeling uncertain about what was going on; moreover, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.
As Yang Kai’s aura continued to become stronger, an extremely powerful suction force came from within his body and greedily swallowed up all the World Energy in the surroundings. The mist in the cave was gone in the blink of an eye and immediately after that, the Demon Qi that permeated everything in this world began pouring into the cave and flooding into his body. Consequently, the surface of his body was covered in a layer of faint black Qi in a very short amount of time.
The Embodiment was utterly shocked by the sight and rushed forward in a panic. Yang Kai’s current state looked as though he was experiencing cultivation dissonance.
Having cultivated the Heaven Devouring Battle Law and possessing the body of a Stone Spirit, the Embodiment was capable of recklessly devouring Demon Qi without any worries; however, Yang Kai was different. Yang Kai did not have all those convenient advantages that the Embodiment had; therefore, swallowing up all the Demon Qi in the surrounding area would not bode well for him.
Just as the Embodiment was about to step forward to stop Yang Kai, Yang Kai suddenly opened his eyes and glanced at the Embodiment with a calm look. Seeing this, the Embodiment immediately stopped in his tracks. He had caught a glimpse of a cold and inhuman indifference in those eyes, which left him at a loss for what to do. He did not know what had gone wrong with Yang Kai’s breakthrough to produce such changes.
Even so, Yang Kai’s intentions had been very clear. The Embodiment only hesitated for a moment before he simply stood back and watched how the situation played out. He was simply an offshoot of Yang Kai’s Soul, so how could he go against the wishes of the true body?
A howling wind roared in the cave, caused by the movement of the Demon Qi in the surrounding world as it was sucked into Yang Kai’s body. With the passage of time, the layer of faint black Qi on the surface of his body became denser and denser. He was also becoming increasingly full of Demon Essence.
Contrary to the Embodiment’s worries, however, Yang Kai was enjoying himself in this state. He could clearly feel that his power was rapidly growing. Furthermore, the Soul Warming Lotus was guarding the last pure land in his Knowledge Sea, so there was no risk of him becoming completely demonified.
[This… might be a blessing in disguise!] Just as that thought crossed his mind, a sound rang out from the depths of his heart. Yang Kai furrowed his brow in response, and after a careful inspection, he discovered that a crack had appeared on the seal on his dantian.
When he and Iron Blood had put on that show for all the Star Boundary to see, Yang Kai had released the seal on his dantian and let out the Ancient Demon Qi stored there. Of course, afterwards, he had used the power of the Firmament Tree to seal the Ancient Demon Qi back up again.
Unfortunately, the consequences of releasing the seal on multiple occasions had caused the Ancient Demon Qi to grow stronger. If it happened again, even the power of the Firmament Tree would not be enough to completely seal it again. Not to mention, the sealing power of the Firmament Tree had been weakened severely due to overuse. There had not been enough time for it to replenish its sealing power. Hence, for a crack to appear now seriously gave him quite a scare.
If he had been devouring Demon Qi solely because of the changes brought about by his breakthrough, he would not have thought much of it. On the other hand, the Ancient Demon Qi in his dantian was an extremely troublesome matter. Yang Kai did not know if the changes were caused by all the Demon Qi he was devouring at the moment; however, the Ancient Demon Qi in his dantian was madly slamming against the seal to the point where it managed to form a crack in it.
This was something that had never happened until now, and before he had figured out how to deal with the situation, the crack abruptly expanded. Immediately afterwards, the Ancient Demon Qi violently gushed out and began to directly devour the other Demon Qi in his body.
The place where Yang Kai was located had more or less turned into a black hole where Demon Qi which was so thick it was almost tangible was gathering into a cluster. The power fluctuations that emanated from the phenomenon were even making the Embodiment feel a little frightened.
A suction force that was even more violent than before came out suddenly, forming a huge vortex which pulled all the Demon Qi in Cloud Shadow Continent in this direction. A hundred kilometres above, a huge tornado that connected the Heavens and the Earth formed while, at the same time, the pitch-black Demon Qi poured into the ground and disappeared without a trace in a blink of an eye.
Noticing the abnormality, the Embodiment hurriedly took action to cover up the Heavenly Manifestation and the disturbance of the Demon Qi. It was done in order to prevent somebody with malicious intentions from catching wind of the phenomenon here.
A hundred kilometres underground, Yang Kai’s muffled roar sounded amidst the violently swirling Demon Qi. It sounded like a wounded beast’s howls. The Embodiment couldn’t help feeling rather frightened and uneasy when he heard the roar, but there was nothing he could do for Yang Kai anymore now that things had progressed to this point.
It was obvious from Yang Kai’s current condition that he had fallen into a state of cultivation dissonance. The only way for him to overcome this calamity was to rely on himself. If he failed to get through this, then everything would have been for naught.
For that reason, the Embodiment was feeling extremely anxious.
The roars rang out intermittently as Yang Kai lost track of how much time had passed. His voice was also gradually becoming more and more hoarse, almost as if his vocal cords had been torn apart from all his screaming. During this period, he did not know how much of the Demon Qi in the world had been sucked into his body. The overpowering Ancient Demon Qi that was sealed in his dantian had been released in its entirety and had integrated with the meridians in his body to the point where they could no longer be disentangled.
All of a sudden, Yang Kai abruptly opened his eyes. The entire world subsequently went dark. There was no light whatsoever in the cave a hundred kilometres underground, so it should have been pitch-black in the first place; however, the Embodiment still had the feeling of being completely shrouded in darkness at that moment. Not only did it feel as though his vision was being disrupted, but even his Divine Sense was also unable to detect anything.
In the darkness, a ray of golden radiance stood out conspicuously. He looked up and saw that the golden light was a column. As a Soul Clone of Yang Kai, it was only natural that he knew what that column of golden light was. It was the Demon Eye of Annihilation!
Ever since Yang Kai obtained this Divine Ability in Tong Xuan Realm, he had repeatedly relied on the Demon Eye of Annihilation to defeat powerful enemies and turn the tables around when the situation was dire.
That was not the point though, the point was that although the Embodiment could not see anything, he could instinctually sense that Yang Kai’s other eye was also open. It was just that that eye was completely pitch-black in contrast. It was the Ancient Demon Black Eye!
His eyes widened to the size of saucers as he felt as though he had been hit in the head by a sledgehammer, and his thoughts became unbelievably chaotic. The Ancient Demon Black Eye had always been a Divine Ability that could only be used when Yang Kai released the seal on his dantian. Once the Infinite Darkness was activated, all light would vanish from the world. But why did it appear now? Did Yang Kai’s true body completely undergo demonification?
At this moment, Yang Kai’s roar had completely transformed into a howl of pain. What the Embodiment sensed was not wrong as both of Yang Kai’s eyes were not in their normal state at the moment. Both the Demon Eye of Annihilation and the Ancient Demon Black Eye had appeared at the same time. There was nothing wrong with the Demon Eye of Annihilation in his left eye, but on the contrary, the Ancient Demon Black Eye in his right eye was aching like it was on fire. Not only was the pain excruciating, but his right eye was also throbbing non-stop, as though it was about to pop out of its socket. That kind of pain and suffering was simply unbearable.
In the midst of that throbbing, Yang Kai felt as though his very Soul was going to be shaken apart. It was a feeling that was worse than death, but gritting his teeth, he desperately held on. The Soul Warming Lotus guarded the last piece of pure land in his Knowledge Sea, preventing him from drowning completely or thoroughly undergoing demonification. His originally unstable aura gradually began to calm down in this tenacious confrontation with his own destiny. As time passed, the throbbing in his right eye became less and less frequent. Similarly, the excruciating pain slowly became less intense.
Without warning, all the pain vanished without a trace and his throbbing right eye stabilized again. Following that, an indescribable feeling of comfort spread throughout Yang Kai’s body. He let out a long breath of relief. Accordingly, the pitch-black Demon Qi in the cave was collected in one fell swoop. It poured into his body all at once like the ebbing tides of the sea, bringing peace back to the world a hundred kilometres underground.
Yang Kai sat cross-legged, breathing long and deep breaths. His aura in the Third-Order Emperor Realm was very obvious. Meanwhile, the Embodiment stood not too far away and stared blankly in his direction. In this situation, even he could not figure out whether Yang Kai had successfully survived the catastrophe or completely undergone demonification. Regardless of the outcome, the true body was the true body. He could never become truly independent from Yang Kai. As long as there was nothing life-threatening, he could accept any changes that Yang Kai would display later.
After some time, Yang Kai opened his eyes again. In that instant, there seemed to be a radiance flooding the pitch-black cave.
The Embodiment hurriedly asked, “How are you?”
Yang Kai stood up, loosening the muscles in his limbs, then observed the condition of his body as he scratched his chin, “I’m not sure…”
“Huh?” The Embodiment stared at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai replied, “It’s hard to explain. My breakthrough can be considered a success, but I don’t know what my situation is right now.” His cultivation had reached the Third-Order Emperor Realm without any doubt; however, even he himself couldn’t tell whether he had undergone demonification or not.
It could be said that he had undergone a Demon Transformation… However, he had not lost his sense of self. His mind was as clear as could be. Nonetheless, it was a fact that the nature of his Emperor Qi had undergone earth-shaking changes, completely converting into Demon Qi.
He had absorbed so much Demon Qi from the world during his breakthrough earlier after all. Even the Ancient Demon Qi in his dantian had been completely assimilated. The Emperor Qi in his body that he had spent so many years and so much effort to cultivate had been converted too.
Yang Kai told the Embodiment about everything that happened before and his current condition; after that, he simply grinned, “In any case, I feel freer than I have ever been before.”
The Embodiment felt a little speechless. If even the main body couldn’t figure it out, what could he possibly figure out? He considered it for a moment before saying, “All of this is probably related to the black shadow that invaded your Knowledge Sea. Perhaps, that is what gave you the ability to merge with the Demon Qi.”
Yang Kai nodded solemnly, “I think so too, but what in the world was that black shadow? I will need to investigate it thoroughly.”
If it had not been for the black shadow contaminating his Knowledge Sea after it exploded, he would not have been able to absorb the Demon Qi into his body so smoothly. It would also have been impossible to assimilate the powerful Ancient Demon Qi that was sealed in his dantian.
He experienced many changes during his breakthrough this time; nevertheless, the results could still be considered quite satisfactory. Yang Kai had to admit that the fact that his Emperor Qi had been converted into Demon Qi upset him, but even so, the fact that it had completely resolved the hidden danger sealed in his dantian was something to rejoice about.
When he last used the power of the Firmament Tree to reseal his dantian, he had still felt greatly worried. If the day came that he was forced to release the seal again, then there would be no turning back anymore. Fortunately, it was not an issue anymore. The Ancient Demon Qi had completely assimilated with him, so this worry was gone forever. He even had the feeling that he could activate the Infinite Darkness Divine Ability whenever or wherever he pleased, which was an unexpected and pleasant surprise.
“Haha! Turns out you really were hiding here! You really wear our iron shoes searching for your own feet!” A soft laughter suddenly sounded in Yang Kai’s ear.
Yang Kai’s expression changed drastically as he could instantly tell whose voice it was.
Bei Li Mo!
“Damn it! The anomaly accompanying your breakthrough probably attracted her here!” The Embodiment shouted.
The sudden change Yang Kai experienced had caused a shocking phenomenon. Even though the Embodiment had immediately acted to conceal it, he had apparently not acted swiftly enough. In addition, he could not transfer Yang Kai to another location since he had also been at an important crossroads at the time. Thus, the Embodiment could only pray that the anomaly had not attracted anybody’s attention. Who could have known that it would attract Bei Li Mo of all people to this place?
Yang Kai’s breakthrough this time had taken quite a long time, lasting for half a month. In other words, Bei Li Mo must have already been lurking on Cloud Shadow Continent for quite some time; otherwise, she could not have perceived the anomaly that occurred for only an instant. The Embodiment might be the Master of Cloud Shadow Continent, but it was still impossible for him to detect a Demon Saint who was intent on concealing her presence.
*Kacha…*
A strange sound rang out in the cave as the temperature dropped abruptly. Immediately following that, the walls were covered in a layer of frost. Icicles that were as sharp as could be quickly formed, and the cave was filled with a cold that penetrated even the Soul.
“Run!” Yang Kai shouted. Even if he had advanced to the next Minor Realm and was much stronger than before, he knew it was still impossible to contend with a Demon Saint. He would have no way to escape if he was locked down by Bei Li Mo.
As soon as those words left Yang Kai’s mouth, the Embodiment had already pushed his Demon Qi, wrapped it around Yang Kai, and swiftly began burrowing into the earth.
“You want to escape? This Saint has already come all this way, do you think you can still flee?” Bei Li Mo’s sneering voice rang out. Immediately afterwards, a layer of ice covered the ground in front of the Embodiment. It made the ground extremely hard. Failing to notice that, he bumped into it head-on. Thus, he had no choice but to change directions and continue to flee.
After twisting and turning about underground for a short while, bright light suddenly filled Yang Kai’s eyes. The pressure around his body disappeared abruptly, and by the time he recovered from the shock, he discovered that the Embodiment had brought him back to the surface.
A breeze caressed his face, feeling extremely pleasant, but just a dozen metres away, Bei Li Mo stood staring at him with a small, mocking smile. She had an enchanting figure and bright red lips, and her snow-white hair fluttered lightly in the wind.
He turned to look at the Embodiment, whose expression was extremely sullen. He probably did not know how he had fallen into the enemy’s trap as he had made so many rapid twists and turns only to appear right in front of the other party anyway.
“Cheap slut, die!” Yang Kai yelled without warning and a huge Moon Blade slashed toward Bei Li Mo’s head. At the same time, he manipulated the Space Principles and wrapped the Embodiment in them to escape together.
On the other hand, Bei Li Mo simply waved her hand. The Moon Blade slashing at her shattered to pieces before she lifted her hand again and grabbed at the void where Yang Kai was. Instantly, the surrounding world seemed to freeze in place.
Yang Kai and the Embodiment had only just become a blur when they began to solidify again. Yang Kai could not perform Instantaneous Movement again.
Exchanging a glance with each other, Yang Kai and the Embodiment pushed their Demon Qi at the same time. Spinning around, they both blasted Bei Li Mo with their respective Divine Abilities, desperately going all out. They were not hoping to injure her, just buy enough time to escape.
Unfortunately, a Demon Saint was a Demon Saint. A look of contempt flashed through her eyes in the face of Yang Kai and the Embodiment’s joint attack and the mocking smile on her lips curled upwards further. She stood in place, not taking a single step, simply raising her arm and lightly pressing her palm into the void.
Yang Kai and the Embodiment’s figures that were leaping forward seemed to have hit an invisible wall at that moment and ground to a halt. Following that, an overwhelming and terrifying force washed over them from the front and both of them were sent flying backwards as a result.
The Embodiment frantically tried to stabilize his body in mid-air but failed miserably in his attempts. On the other hand, Yang Kai coughed out a mouthful of fresh blood as his face turned pale.
Yang Kai fell heavily to the ground in a miserable heap, and before he could even get up, Bei Li Mo had already landed lightly in front of him. She placed one foot on his chest, her delicate foot seeming as heavy as a mountain, pressing down on him to the point that he could not breathe.
Her seductive body leaned forward slightly, revealing a deep valley between her proud peaks. Her expression was as cold as ice and her beautiful eyes glared at him, “What did you call me just now?”
Yang Kai struggled slightly but could not move whatsoever, so opening his mouth, he spat an arrow of Golden Blood directly at her.
She moved her head to dodge this vile act of defiance and in her rage, she lifted her foot and stomped down on him.
*Hong…*
His entire body sank into the ground and several bones in his chest broke as blood violently spurted out of his mouth.
“This is what you get for having such a foul mouth!” Her expression was frosty.
“Go ahead and kill me if you can!” Yang Kai glared at her fixedly with an unyielding expression.
In response, Bei Li Mo just laughed coldly, “Kill you? How could I bear to kill you? I’m taking you back with me!”
Yang Kai contained a part of the Star Boundary’s Will in his body. As such, whomever killed him would obtain that opportunity. She could not kill him here regardless of how furious she was. She could only bring him back so that one of the Half-Saints under her command could do the actual killing. Any of the other Demon Saints would have done the same.
After saying that though, she noticed something and spoke with a frown, “Did you undergo demonification?”
When he had launched his attack just now, a majestic and pure Demon Qi had clearly erupted from his body. It was only for a moment, but it could not escape her observation, so she couldn’t help feeling slightly doubtful. [This brat doesn’t look like he has undergone demonification, so why would he have Demon Qi in his body?]
“None of your damn business!” Yang Kai gritted his teeth and glared at her with fire practically spitting out of his eyes, “You better kill me now or I will be the one to kill you instead!”
Bei Li Mo giggled lightly, “So weak, yet so bold. I certainly would like to see how you are going to kill me! But first, I do have something I want to ask you.”
“If you have something to say, say it!” His expression was so cold that it was practically frosting over, but while appearing enraged and unyielding on the outside, he was desperately going over several ideas of how to get out of this predicament, his heart filled with rage and sorrow. [I finally broke through to the Third-Order Emperor Realm and solved the hidden dangers of my dantian. I haven’t even had the time to properly enjoy the growth of my strength after achieving my breakthrough! I can’t believe I just got caught by Bei Li Mo! This truly is a disastrous and unlucky year!]
Bei Li Mo seemed to be slowly getting used to his terrible attitude and didn’t think much of it anymore, so she simply said, “Senior Brother Huang said this before. Nobody can protect you unless you truly become a part of the Demon Race. So, tell me honestly. Have you undergone demonification?”
“And if I have?” He raised his brow at her.
Bei Li Mo studied him seriously, furrowing her delicate brow before she exerted some strength into her foot, pressing down hard, “Show me your power again.”
Yang Kai fell silent for a while, but in the end, he obediently drew upon his Demon Qi again. Pitch-black Demon Qi instantly surged to the surface of his body and wrapped around his entire figure. Even so, he did not take the chance to launch an attack at her because he would only embarrass himself by doing so …
“You really did undergo demonfication…” Her little mouth fell slightly open as a look of surprise appeared on her face. She could not fathom how he changed so much in such a short time. It had only been ten or twenty days since she last saw him.
As of now, Yang Kai could marginally be regarded as a member of the Demon Race. Even though he was born in the Star Boundary, he was undoubtedly one of them now that he had already undergone demonification, which perfectly complied with what Huang Wu Ji had declared.
“I’m seriously getting a little reluctant to kill you now,” Bei Li Mo frowned, as if she had encountered a serious problem. Huang Wu Ji had already issued his statement previously, so if she brought Yang Kai back and had one of her Half-Saint’s kill him now, it would be equivalent to slapping Huang Wu Ji’s face. Nothing good would come of falling out with Huang Wu Ji. Even if she disregarded that reason and only focused on Yang Kai’s potential, he was the only one of his kind in the entire Demon Realm, so it would really be a shame to kill him. Unfortunately, she couldn’t use him even if she didn’t kill him. He had been branded with Yu Ru Meng’s Heart Seal, so the young man in front of her would always be loyal to Yu Ru Meng alone. It was honestly very frustrating.
Yang Kai felt as though he had seen a glimmer of hope in the darkness upon hearing what Bei Li Mo said. Wracking his brain, he asked, “Then, why don’t we take a seat and have a calm discussion?”
Bei Li Mo just laughed mockingly, “Boy, what are you scheming now? This Saint is not like Yu Ru Meng. I won’t be deceived by your flowery words. I advise you to put away those devious thoughts of yours. Or else, you will be the one to suffer for it.”
Yang Kai grinned, “How could I dare to scheme anything in front of you, Holy Venerable?”
She snorted, “Oh? Are you calling me ‘Holy Venerable’ now? Then, why didn’t you speak politely earlier?”
“That was then, this is now. Besides, you and I have worked together once before. We are not strangers to each other. I do know a little bit about what kind of noble character you are, Holy Venerable.”
“Are you trying to say that you know me quite well?” She sneered.
“I wouldn’t dare. It’s just that you are easier to communicate with compared to the other Demon Saints. I am willing to work under you if you are interested, Holy Venerable.”
“What about Yu Ru Meng?” The corners of her mouth lifted.
He sighed, “I will explain it to Ru Meng later.”
She snorted. It was obvious that she did not believe what he said. [So what if this rotten brat lies to me? If he really does fall into my hands, I can just slowly discipline him later. With my ability, I can make him obey me in a very short period of time. I was slightly reluctant to offend Yu Ru Meng in the past just for him, but right now, he certainly has that value.]
Consequently, her thoughts began to churn.
At this moment, a figure leapt out from underground. A pure black War Hammer came smashing down on her. It was the Embodiment, who had secretly snuck over from underground to launch a sneak attack. Bei Li Mo had ignored him after sending him flying just now, but he could obviously not abandon Yang Kai and run away on his own; thus, he had quietly approached this place and waited for his chance. It was only natural that he went all out when he finally found an opening, so when the War Hammer came crashing down, the Heaven Devouring Battle Law was already in full motion.
“Scram!” Bei Li Mo didn’t even turn to look at him. It seemed she had been expecting this. Her silver hair fluttered even though there was no wind. Then, it suddenly transformed into a silver light that shot directly at him.
There was a dazzling silver light wherever her silver hair passed and the Heaven Devouring Domain shattered to pieces. As for the Embodiment, he received a heavy blow, his body freezing mid-air for a moment. After that, he was sent flying at such a high speed that he was a tiny black dot flying away like a shooting star a moment later. The Demon Qi gushing out of the surface of his body practically dispersed into nothing in an instant.
The Embodiment, who had the strength of a Half-Saint, couldn’t even handle a single attack from Bei Li Mo. It was similar to the time when the heavily-wounded Bright Moon had killed numerous Demon Race Half-Saints with a single sword strike. If Bei Li Mo had really wanted to, the Embodiment would have been turned into nothing more than a pile of dust by now.
The next moment though, Bei Li Mo suddenly felt a great sense of crisis enveloping her. She looked up only to see a small cold light blooming in Yang Kai’s hand that came shooting directly at her.
With practically no hesitation in her movements, Bei Li Mo immediately backed away, staring fixedly at that small cold light with her beautiful eyes. Her beautiful face paled and she screamed, “Profound Darkness Needle!? Why do you have that!?”
Yang Kai turned a deaf ear to her words as he rushed at her. Activating his Dragon Transformation Secret Technique, he unleashed the full might of his Dragon Pressure as his hands turned into sharp Dragon Claws. He grabbed at her ample chest without the slightest hint of compassion even though she was a woman. He did not know why she was so afraid of the Profound Darkness Needle; nevertheless, it was the only thing he could think of that could threaten her. This was the only card he had left.
In the past, Yang Kai had gone to Soaring Snow Ice Palace to repair the Territory Gates under Bei Li Mo’s invitation, but she had him imprisoned in the Ice Prison after he insulted her. He later met a young woman on the 18th floor of the Ice Prison. That young woman’s memories seemed to be a little jumbled up and she couldn’t even remember her own name; thus, he had casually referred to her as ‘Young Lady Bing’.
Young Lady Bing vaguely remembered that she had a Master-Disciple relation with Bei Li Mo. Bei Li Mo had imprisoned her in the Ice Prison because she had made a grave mistake. In the end, she handed this Profound Darkness Needle to Yang Kai, telling him there was a Forbidden Technique that she created sealed inside of it.
Not much time had passed since then; thus, he naturally recalled what Young Lady Bing had told him at the time. She mentioned that the Forbidden Technique inside the Profound Darkness Needle could not kill Bei Li Mo, but it could delay her for at least three and possibly up to ten breaths
This was the only thing Yang Kai had in his possession that could possibly be used to fight Bei Li Mo. The rest of his Divine Abilities were not worth mentioning in front of a Holy Venerable. To his surprise, the effect it had on Bei Li Mo was beyond his expectations. He had seen her reaction as soon as he took out the Profound Darkness Needle and her eyes clearly held a teeth-grinding fear and hatred in them.
At this moment, Yang Kai had the vague feeling that things were not as simple as he had thought. Perhaps, there was a hidden story to Young Lady Bing that she had not told him. Be that as it may, he had reached a point of no return and could not spare any thought on this matter at the moment. He could only pin his hopes on the power of the Forbidden Technique sealed inside the Profound Darkness Needle, praying fervently that what Young Lady Bing said before was true. If it could do what she told him it could, then he and the Embodiment might stand a chance at escaping this predicament.
Bei Li Mo moved swiftly as her figure flitted about erratically, twisting and turning about. There was an indescribable beauty to her movements. Nevertheless, the Profound Darkness Needle clung to her like maggots on rotting bones. Despite being a Demon Saint, she couldn’t get rid of it.
Three breaths. Three breaths was all the Profound Darkness Needle took before it zeroed in on her.
A hint of panic flashed across her face. Her Demon Qi instantly flared out and a thick layer of protection appeared on the surface of her body. Even so, it was meaningless. The Profound Darkness Needle effortlessly broke through the Demon Saint’s defences and penetrated her body. Her entire body shuddered in response and immediately after that, she became stiff and froze in place as though somebody had hit her with a Binding Secret Technique. There was an incredulous look on her charming face.
In the next moment, Yang Kai’s Dragon Claw also tore through her defences. His hand pierced her chest and grabbed hold of her beating heart!
[I did it!] His eyes widened in shock. It felt like he was in a dream. He had not expected to succeed so easily. She was a Demon Saint after all, one of the twelve peak Masters of the Demon Realm. He couldn’t believe that the Profound Darkness Needle could restrain her so firmly. [Didn’t Young Lady Bing say that this thing can only delay Bei Li Mo for a few breaths? Why does it have such great power? What else is there that I don’t understand here?]
Yang Kai didn’t have the time to think about other matters at the moment though as he exerted some strength into his hand and prepared to destroy Bei Li Mo’s Demon Heart. As a Demon Saint, it was a given that she would have more than one Demon Heart so crushing this one might not necessarily kill her, but it would severely damage her foundation at the very least. That would be a great help for him to escape with the Embodiment.
He had considered his plans very carefully. After crushing this Demon Heart of hers, he would immediately flee with the Embodiment.
At that moment though, an invisible force suddenly surged forth from the spot where Bei Li Mo had been stabbed by the Profound Darkness Needle. That force spread out in ripples that were visible to the naked eye and expanded to over a thousand kilometres at an extremely fast speed.
Yang Kai’s movements suddenly froze. He couldn’t conjure up any strength in his body. His Soul reacted volatilely and showed signs of leaving his body. This instance scared him out of his wits but no matter how hard he tried to stimulate his Divine Sense, he could not stabilize his Soul.
His vision suddenly blurred. Following that, the whole world changed drastically. Everything was covered in snow everywhere he looked. A freezing wind howled past, the chill biting into his bones. There were translucent icebergs in all shapes and sizes scattered all over the place. Moreover, snowflakes the size of goose feathers were steadily drifting down from the skies. When they landed on him, a chill spread throughout his body and caused him to shudder involuntarily.
Bei Li Mo, who was supposed to be standing in front of him with his arm in her chest, was nowhere in sight. On the contrary, she appeared on top of a towering ice pillar more than a thousand metres away. She stood there prettily with her silver hair whipping about in the wind, looking like a small flower that had bloomed in this icy world. However, her expression at this moment was filled with resentment as she glared in his direction with gritted teeth.
Yang Kai furrowed his brow in response, distinctly sensing that there was something wrong with this situation. After a careful check, he realized that he was actually in his Soul Avatar state. In other words, the part of him that existed in this world was not his physical body but his Soul! And the same went for Bei Li Mo! Their physical bodies were probably somewhere on Cloud Shadow Continent, still maintaining their previous posture.
[What is going on!?] Yang Kai was utterly confused by the situation when a strange noise came from behind him, and he turned around to look, his eyes narrowing slightly at the sight as he quickly greeted, “Young Lady Bing!”
It was Young Lady Bing, the person he had met on the 18th floor of the Frozen Nether Ice Prison. She was walking towards him from behind with a sweet smile on her face. She had a sheltered, ignorant, and innocent appearance. However, as she gradually approached, he felt a great sense of crisis looming over him instead. Turning sideways without drawing notice, he faced both Bei Li Mo and this mysterious girl at the same time.
Naturally, he did not fully believe Young Lady Bing’s words even though she had helped him in the Ice Prison back then. The main reason he accepted the Profound Darkness Needle from her was that she had claimed that it was powerful enough to delay Bei Li Mo for a short time. He had been repairing the Territory Gates in Bei Li Mo’s territory at the time, so he wanted to be prepared against her. If not for what happened today, he would never have brought out the Profound Darkness Needle. Rather, he would have kept it hidden forever.
From the looks of things, he had fallen into somebody else’s trap and was used by them as a result. Despite knowing that, he would still have used the Profound Darkness Needle even if he had the chance to redo what happened just now. He simply had no other means of fighting back against Bei Li Mo.
“Well done,” Young Lady Bing paused in her tracks and stated. They were standing in a triangle, a thousand metres separating her from Yang Kai and Bei Li Mo. She looked at him with a smile, “You succeeded so quickly. Choosing you was the right decision indeed.”
Yang Kai calmly replied, “I don’t know what you are talking about.”
He was extremely upset at being taken advantage of. Even if he still couldn’t figure out the true identity of this Young Lady Bing even now, the other party was definitely using him for some kind of plot. Just that was enough for him to remain wary around her.
“What did you just call her?” Bei Li Mo glared at Yang Kai bitterly and sneered, “Do you know how old she is? I can’t believe you call her ‘Young Lady Bing’!”
“You’re not young either!” Yang Kai glanced over at her faintly. Neither of these two women were anything good. In any case, his top priority was to figure out where this damned place was, and then how to get himself out of this predicament.
[Since Young Lady Bing dared to use me in her plot against Bei Li Mo, her strength is probably not inferior to Bei Li Mo’s. I am simply caught in the middle of their battle. I had better get out of the way as soon as possible before I end up as collateral damage. It would be best if I let them fight like dogs among themselves so that they keep each other occupied.]
“Unfilial Disciple!” Young Lady Bing shouted through gritted teeth, “You sure have gotten bolder after tens of thousands of years. How dare you talk about me like that!?”
Bei Li Mo sneered, “Honoured Master, how are you still alive? I thought you died in the Ice Prison a long time ago! I didn’t expect to see you again!”
Yang Kai, who was looking left and right searching for a way out, suddenly glanced at one before glancing at the other upon hearing their conversation. Then, he burst out laughing, “So, you two are really Master and Disciple!”
Back then, Young Lady Bing had mentioned that she and Bei Li Mo had a Master and Disciple relationship and he could only take her for her word. It would now appear that she had not lied on this point, but the truth was different from what she had said. She claimed that she was Bei Li Mo’s Disciple; however, the truth turned out to be the opposite… She was actually Bei Li Mo’s Honoured Master!
[A Demon Saint’s Honoured Master! That practically makes her an existence on the level of an ancient fossil!]
“What did you tell him?” Bei Li Mo asked while looking at Young Lady Bing though she had figured out practically everything when she saw the Profound Darkness Needle. Yang Kai must have encountered Young Lady Bing by chance back when she imprisoned him in the Ice Prison.
There had been no movement from Young Lady Bing inside the Ice Prison for the past ten thousand years; thus, Bei Li Mo honestly believed that the other party was dead. She had personally inspected the place many times, but she had never noticed anything out of place. It would now seem that Young Lady Bing had used some sort of Secret Technique to fool her perception.
Young Lady Bing pursed her lips and smiled, “I didn’t say much. I just took some parts from your story and embellished them a little for him, then, I asked him for a small favour…”
“Shameless!” Bei Li Mo scoffed coldly, “Do you think you can win just because you’ve dragged me here!? Honoured Master, you may have forgotten, but I am no longer the same little girl who had to obey your every word! I am Bei Li Mo! I am a Demon Saint!”
Young Lady Bing nodded repeatedly, “Of course, I know. How else would I be imprisoned by you in the Ice Prison for tens of thousands of years?”
Bei Li Mo said, “If you had remained hidden in the Ice Prison, you might have been able to die of old age, but since you dared to step forward and conspire against me, then don’t blame this Saint for not holding back!”
Young Lady Bing smiled charmingly, “I taught you everything you know. What do you think your chances of winning are in this place?”
“More than enough to kill you!” Bei Li Mo rushed forward to attack.
“Wait a moment, you two!” Yang Kai was feeling quite annoyed from listening to their bickering so he raised a hand to stop them from acting as he glanced between the two parties, “Can I ask a question? What is this place?”
Young Lady Bing smiled and replied, “This is my Soul Battlefield.”
Yang Kai’s expression twitched slightly, “Is that the Secret Technique sealed inside the Profound Darkness Needle?”
“Indeed!” She nodded, “Once the Soul Battlefield has been activated, I can drag a person’s Soul Avatar into here. It is a battle between Souls, and… it doesn’t end until one side dies!”
Yang Kai nodded repeatedly, “An incredible Secret Technique!”
Her physical body was still in the Ice Prison, but after being imprisoned for tens of thousands of years, it was clearly no longer a viable vessel. In other words, she wouldn’t be able to exert much power even if she freed herself.
However, the Soul Battlefield was different. Each of them was free from the shackles of their bodies, fighting only with their Soul Avatar. Thus, she could counter most of Bei Li Mo’s advantages. Having been preparing for this for tens of thousands of years, her prowess in Spiritual Energy was not to be underestimated.
“I have a suggestion. I wonder if you are willing to listen to it, Young Lady Bing. I’m certain you’re itching to kill this bitch, so if you can promise me something, I can kill her within ten breaths.”
When Bei Li Mo heard him unequivocally calling her a ‘bitch’ with every sentence he spoke, her expression darkened significantly. She secretly gritted her teeth and vowed to herself. [If I get the chance, I’m going to make this bastard pay for this!]
The corners of Young Lady Bing’s mouth curved upward, “Kill her in ten breaths? Little boy, don’t you think you are talking a little too big? With your cultivation? Even I don’t have such ability, what more you?”
He chuckled softly, “Naturally, I will be needing your cooperation.”
She asked, “How do you want me to cooperate with you?”
“Let me out! I guarantee I will turn her body into mincemeat!” While speaking, he acted like he was holding a knife in his hand and made swift chopping motions.
As soon as the words left his mouth, Bei Li Mo’s expression changed greatly as she gnashed her teeth and screamed, “You dare?!”
If her physical body was destroyed, then it would be over for her. That was why she felt incredibly anxious when she heard him saying that. She was really frightened that Young Lady Bing would agree to his request.
“Hahahahahahahahaha…” Young Lady Bing suddenly doubled over with laughter.
Yang Kai also smiled in response, “What do you think of my suggestion? Speaking of which, I’m an innocent bystander who was accidentally caught up in your fight. There’s nothing for me to do here, and I can’t be of any help either. You might as well let me leave and give you a helping hand from the outside.”
“It’s a great suggestion,” She nodded lightly before the smile on her face vanished, “But I can’t agree to your request.”
He pouted, “Why not?”
She narrowed her eyes, glanced at Bei Li Mo, and replied lightly, “If you turn her into mincemeat, this Queen won’t be able to possess her body anymore.”
Yang Kai blinked at her words for a moment before he chuckled helplessly, “So, that’s your goal.”
“You want to possess my body!?” Bei Li Mo sneered. Nevertheless, she felt a little more reassured since the other party had such intentions. She was more frightened that Yang Kai might be released.
“Why not?” Young Lady Bing raised her brow slightly, “You and I cultivate the same Secret Arts and Techniques while we also come from the same Clan. As long as I can defeat you here, possessing your body won’t be that difficult. Besides… I will simply be getting back what used to belong to me.”
“I’m afraid you don’t have the ability!” Bei Li Mo sneered.
“I won’t know until I try.” Young Lady Bing smiled softly. The aura in her body slowly began to rise, and Ice Principles spread out. She licked her red lips and scolded, “Unfilial Disciple, did you know? That man kept calling out your name before he died, hoping that you would save him.”
The silhouettes of a man and a woman stood frozen in place a hundred kilometres above ground from where Yang Kai had undergone his breakthrough somewhere on Cloud Shadow Continent. They looked like sculptures that would last for eternity.
Yang Kai’s Dragon Claw had penetrated Bei Li Mo’s chest and was grabbing her beating Demon Heart. A look of pain appeared on her face, but those beautiful eyes of hers were unfocused, hollow, and chaotic. A faint scent of blood wafted in the air.
The Embodiment quickly returned in a dishevelled state, but when he first took in the scene before him, he was stunned for a moment. Then, he hurried to their side and observed them closely. A troubled and anxious look appeared on his angular face. He did not know what had happened just now, but he could not feel the slightest trace of Yang Kai and Bei Li Mo’s Souls from their bodies. In other words, the Souls of these two people had escaped their mortal shells and were missing.
This left him feeling very troubled. It was undoubtedly the best time for him to kill Bei Li Mo. Her physical body was here but her Soul was gone, so she was powerless to resist regardless of what he did to her. The key point here was, what if killing Bei Li Mo affected Yang Kai in the process?
It was impossible for the Souls of two people to leave their bodies at the same time for no reason. This must have been caused by a powerful Secret Technique; thus, he did not dare to act rashly before learning what that Secret Technique was. He didn’t even dare to move their bodies. In his desperation, he could only borrow the power of the entire continent to isolate and conceal this region so that it would not be discovered by others.
Inside the Soul Battlefield, Young Lady Bing’s voice was bitterly cold and every word she spoke was soul-crushing, “That boy was crazy about you. He thought you would come to save him eventually, but his wish never came true up until the moment he died. Disciple, did you know? That expression of despair on his face as he was dying was truly memorable! Why didn’t you save him at the time? If only you had spoken up, I would have blessed the two of you! You are my most important Disciple after all!”
“Xuan Bing!” Bei Li Mo screamed, her pretty face warped with hatred. Her tender body shook as countless icy lights struck out like a swarm of locusts.
There was a trace of a smirk on Xuan Bing’s face as a light curtain appeared around her body, forming a semi-circular dome that shielded her from harm.
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
The swishing sounds rang out endlessly as the icy lights slammed into the light curtain only to form ripples on the surface, unable to penetrate the layer of defence.
The Ice Principles in the Soul Battlefield were becoming more and more intense, as if they were trying to freeze their very Souls. Both Master and Disciple were Snow Demons, so they were naturally proficient in Ice Principles. Moreover, their attainments in the manipulation of Spiritual Energy had reached an outrageous level. It was only natural that the entire Soul Battlefield would be affected the moment they began fighting.
Yang Kai had long realized that something was wrong when Xuan Bing began speaking so provocatively and hurriedly fled. Bei Li Mo was a Demon Saint, so needless to say, she had the Soul cultivation of a Demon Saint. Since Xuan Bing had dared to attack Bei Li Mo, her strength was probably on a similar plane. He did not dare to join in the battle between them.
What left him feeling speechless was that there was only a limited area to the Soul Battlefield even though it seemed infinitely vast. He immediately fled more than five kilometres away only to be blocked by an invisible barrier. It seemed as though he had arrived at the borders of the Soul Battlefield and couldn’t escape any further.
When a wave of icy force struck, his entire Soul Avatar shivered from the cold. A thin layer of frost formed over the surface of his body, shocking him so much that he hurriedly stimulated his Spiritual Energy to stave off the chill.
[I really am unlucky.] His heart was filled with grief and rage. [Judging from the current situation, I’m going to die in this place before Xuan Bing and Bei Li Mo decide a winner between them. Forget sitting on a mountain top and watching the tigers fight or sitting back and watching everybody die; those are mere delusions.]
The swishing sounds continued without stopping. Although Xuan Bing had the protection of her Spiritual Energy to prevent her Soul Avatar from being harmed by the cold lights, she was being forced to retreat little by little. Judging from this point, her attainments in Spiritual Energy seemed to be somewhat inferior to Bei Li Mo. She had been imprisoned by Bei Li Mo for tens of thousands of years after all, so it was normal for her strength to be inferior, seeing as Bei Li Mo was now a Demon Saint.
Even so, the smile on her face did not falter and the provocative statements coming from her mouth did not stop either, “Are you angry? So many years have passed yet you’re still hung up on him? You truly are my best Disciple! To think you are still thinking about your Honoured Master’s man even now. So, what!? What happened in the end? He died! He died at your hands!”
“Bullshit!” Bei Li Mo, who had remained silent all this time, gritted her teeth and snarled, “You were the one who killed him! What does that have to do with me!?”
Xuan Bing had a cold expression, “Why would I have killed him if it weren’t for you!?”
While they were verbally sparring, Xuan Bing had already retreated a thousand metres, but the corners of her mouth still curled to reveal a smirk, “Disciple, you look like you’re injured. Why is your Spiritual Energy weaker than what I expected?”
Realization suddenly dawned on Yang Kai, who was doing his best to resist the cold. [Right! Bei Li Mo is injured!]
It wasn’t just Bei Li Mo. Most of the Twelve Demon Saints of the Demon Realm were currently injured. Bright Moon had wiped out the Soul Manifestations of ten of the Demon Saints, and it would be impossible for any of them to recover in such a short period of time. The injury to Bei Li Mo’s Soul was what caused her strength on the Soul Battlefield to drop by such a large margin.
“So what?” Bei Li Mo coldly snorted, raising her finger slightly as she gently pointed at Xuan Bing.
With that slight tapping motion, Xuan Bing’s tender body shuddered. Immediately after that, a pure white snowflake appeared on her chest. That snowflake was like a brand that was imprinted on her chest. It was accompanied by the sound of crackling as it rapidly grew larger. The Ice Principles condensed around her with the tendency to completely envelope her. An extreme look of pain appeared on her face, and her entire body became stiff. Nevertheless, she soon burst out laughing again and mockingly said, “I told you, I taught you everything you know! What can you do to me!?”
While she was speaking, the snowflake on her body melted away quickly. At the same time, she took several steps forward and tapped towards Bei Li Mo a few times.
Bei Li Mo’s expression froze as her figure flickered about erratically to avoid the invisible force coming from Xuan Bing’s finger. Several pure white chains lunged at her from all directions before she could steady herself. Those chains were like spirit snakes, darting out of their holes and trying to entangle her. Stretching out her hand, she grabbed at something in the void and a crystal-clear longsword appeared in the palm of her hand. She casually swung the sword, hitting the top of one of the chains with a clanging sound. That chain was sent flying away. Meanwhile, sword waves rained down like a waterfall, transforming into a curtain of light.
The clanging sounds rang out incessantly as a cold light bloomed. The two of them fought hard against each other, both Master and Disciple using their Clan’s unique Techniques and Skills. As a result, their fighting styles were very similar. The only difference was that one had been trapped for a long time and was weaker in strength while the other was injured and fighting in the other party’s territory. For a time, the battle was evenly matched.
Meanwhile, they had both completely ignored Yang Kai!
Xuan Bing was unaware that he had the Great Emperor’s Opportunity in his possession. She was focused on possessing Bei Li Mo’s body and devouring her Disciple’s Soul; therefore, she couldn’t be bothered about Yang Kai’s life or death. On the other hand, even if Bei Li Mo wanted to save Yang Kai, she had no time to be distracted.
Consequently, Yang Kai’s situation was getting worse and worse.
The situation had been bearable before these two women began fighting, but the freezing temperature across the entire Soul Battlefield sank steadily the moment their battle commenced.
Yang Kai desperately drew upon his Spiritual Energy to defend against the cold, but even so, he was unable to protect himself fully. His body was gradually becoming covered by frost despite fleeing to the very edge of the battlefield. The biting cold not only made his Soul shiver but also seemed to make his very thoughts freeze.
Soon, the layer of frost turned into ice. It didn’t take more than an incense stick worth of time before his entire Soul Avatar was completely frozen and his consciousness gradually faded, as if he had fallen into a bottomless black abyss.
[It’s really over for me now… I managed to escape Eternal Sky Continent from right under the nose of the Twelve Demon Saints only to suffer a disastrous defeat in this damned place. Could anything be more vexing than this!?] Just before his entire consciousness plunged completely into the boundless darkness, a refreshing feeling suddenly swept across his Soul Avatar, giving him a start and waking him up abruptly.
When his vision refocused, Yang Kai realized that he was still wrapped in a layer of ice and an unbearable chill had spread out throughout his Soul. Fortunately, it wasn’t as uncomfortable as before anymore under the influence of the refreshing feeling bubbling up from within him.
Soul Warming Lotus!
Yang Kai’s eyes bulged wildly. He couldn’t help feeling a little incredulous. [How is the Soul Warming Lotus still working? My Soul Avatar has been dragged into this Soul Battlefield, but the Soul Warming Lotus wasn’t. Logically speaking, the connection between myself and the Soul Warming Lotus should have been completely cut off…]
However, it now seemed that this connection had not been severed and Yang Kai realized that he could even summon the Soul Warming Lotus. In fact, it was not just the Soul Warming Lotus. He could also access everything in his Knowledge Sea… Upon perceiving this, Yang Kai silently closed his eyes and decided to make like a tortoise hiding in its shell for the time being!
The battle between Xuan Bing and Bei Li Mo was in full swing. Powerful Spiritual Energy overflowed, and the entire Soul Battlefield was in turmoil. It felt as though the Soul Battlefield would collapse at any time. The crystal-clear icebergs scattered around cracked and crumbled to dust, flooding the entire world with ice powder. At the same time, the delicate-looking yet deadly snowflakes floating in the sky became more and more violent.
The two figures were entangled with each other in mid-air, sometimes colliding and sometimes separating as a mixture of pained cries and grunts echoed.
A battle between Souls was not an ordinary battle. Battles like these could only be described as extremely dangerous. The slightest carelessness could result in death. Every time these two collided with each other, both Xuan Bing and Bei Li Mo would have to endure tremendous pain. It was a double edge sword where both sides were injured as a result of clashing.
These two women should have been Master and Disciple, but they were facing each other as though they were irreconcilable enemies. They were acting like they wanted the other party to die the most painful death possible. Now, it was simply a matter of who could hold on longer.
Ever since the fierce battle began, Bei Li Mo had remained relatively calm, while on the other hand, Xuan Bing looked a little frustrated. It was obvious that she had fallen into a disadvantage, but this was not difficult to understand. Even if Bei Li Mo’s Soul had been injured, she was still a Demon Saint. If not for her injury, Xuan Bing would not have been her opponent at all. Xuan Bing might be Bei Li Mo’s Honoured Master, but that was still a matter that occurred tens of thousands of years ago. People were capable of improving in a matter of three days, much less tens of thousands of years.
There was another violent collision, and the entire Soul Battlefield shook from the impact. Only this time, the two women, Bei Li Mo and Xuan Bing, did not separate again. Instead, they were stuck together tightly with their palms pressing against each other. Their Spiritual Energy raged wildly in their bodies, turning into an overwhelming force that oppressed their enemy.
“It’s been tens of thousands of years! The day I’ve been waiting for is finally here! You will die here today, you Unfilial Disciple! Don’t even think about having it easy!” Xuan Bing’s pretty face was twisted into a ferocious expression as she shouted hysterically.
Bei Li Mo’s expression on the other hand remained solemn as she controlled her Spiritual Energy to fend off Xuan Bing and quickly commented, “Honoured Master, the past is in the past. Why don’t we sit down and talk about this like civilized women?”
“Talk!?” Xuan Bing laughed sarcastically, “Talk about what!? What is there to talk about between you and I, you bitch!? I even abandoned my body just to deal with you! There’s no going back anymore!”
Bei Li Mo said, “But, you are not my opponent, Honoured Master. If this continues, you will die! Your body might be gone, but I can find a new body for you. You might still have a chance of making a comeback in the future!”
“As if you were that kind-hearted,” Xuan Bing sneered. “Don’t forget, I raised you, how can I not know what kind of temperament you have? The moment I stop pressuring you, you will immediately try to extinguish my Soul!”
Bei Li Mo sighed softly, “What can I do for you to believe me, Honoured Master?”
“Don’t even dream about it! I will never believe you!”
Bei Li Mo sighed lightly, “Even if I swear on the name of Great Demon God? Will you still not trust me, Honoured Master?”
Xuan Bing’s pupils dilated suddenly, “You are willing to swear in the name of the Great Demon God!?”
Bei Li Mo gently nodded, “As long as you are willing to step down, Honoured Master!”
Xuan Bing never expected Bei Li Mo to be so sincere and her expression became a little dazed, but it was just for a moment before she immediately gave up on that thought in her heart and her expression became hideous again. Slowly shaking her head, she declared, “It’s too late. It’s all too late. When I killed him back then, you and I were destined to kill each other one day!”
Bei Li Mo gritted her teeth, “Do you have to be so hostile? I’ve made so many concessions for you on account that you are my Honoured Master. I am willing to spare your life even now. It seems you don’t know what’s good for you!”
Xuan Bing coldly snorted, “Don’t bother with all those pretty words. I might not be your opponent, but what does it matter if I keep this up and die here? You will pay dearly regardless!”
She was determined to inflict a severe injury on Bei Li Mo even if it was the last thing she ever did!
Bei Li Mo closed her eyes when her words could not get through to the other party, and when she opened them again, the fluctuation coming from her Soul magnified several times, pressing down on Xuan Bing so hard that she audibly groaned.
The two women were stuck in a deadlock above the void as the fluctuations of their respective Spiritual Energies decreased at an extremely obvious rate. Comparing the two though, the speed of Xuan Bing’s decline was much greater. It wouldn’t take longer than an hour before she died.
She might have borrowed Yang Kai’s hands to forcibly drag Bei Li Mo’s Soul into the Soul Battlefield and Bei Li Mo also happened to be injured at this exact moment, but all her plans were for naught when her strength was inferior to her opponent’s. Even so, Xuan Bing’s gaze was practically spitting with fire when she glared at Bei Li Mo, unwillingness and rage filling her eyes.
A quarter-hour later, the state of Xuan Bing’s Soul Avatar had turned slightly translucent. That was a sign of overusing her Spiritual Energy. Even if she stopped now, she would not last long in this state before disappearing without a trace.
On the other hand, Bei Li Mo, who had been confronting Xuan Bing for all this time, was pale-faced and shaky.
Neither woman dared to back down easily at this point, for they would be the first to be injured otherwise. This battle of Spiritual Energy would only end when one of them died, and judging from the current situation, the person who was bound to die was undoubtedly Xuan Bing.
At that moment, another aura rapidly recovered some five kilometres away. It felt like a sleeping Dragon had just awoken and the two women turned to look in that direction in unison, both of them wearing stunned expressions on their faces.
Yang Kai, who had frozen earlier, suddenly jerked his eyes open. His Spiritual Energy surged and the Soul Splitting Saber appeared out of thin air and transformed into a curtain of light to cover himself. Afterwards, he broke free of his icy restraints with a loud crackling sound. Grabbing the Soul Splitting Saber in his hand, the corners of his mouth curled upwards into a slight smirk. The situation in this place was as he had expected, everything in his Knowledge Sea could be summoned.
[I can summon the Soul Splitting Saber. That means I can probably summon that other thing too…] His thoughts flashed, and a seven-coloured light flashed beneath his feet. A seven-coloured lotus appeared out of nowhere, lifting him up. He stepped onto the Seven Coloured Soul Warming Lotus with the Soul Splitting Saber resting on his shoulders. Looking like a Great Mountain King preparing to go down and commit banditry, he gallantly strode into the centre of the battlefield.
The cold winds raged, and the Ice Principles ran rampant; however, a brilliant light circulated around the surroundings of the Soul Warming Lotus and blocked out all external harm, leaving Yang Kai completely unaffected.
Both Xuan Bing and Bei Li Mo were stunned and stared blankly in his direction, but it wasn’t until Yang Kai came closer that Xuan Bing exclaimed, “You’re still alive!”
She had stopped paying attention to Yang Kai’s situation after she started exchanging blows with Bei Li Mo, for in her opinion, there was no need to pay too much attention to such a weak boy who could not survive for long in her Soul Battlefield. Contrary to expectations though, he not only survived but was also overflowing with energy. A vicious and hostile aura came bearing down on the two women as he came closer, causing her thoughts to freeze for a moment.
“Disappointed?” Yang Kai grinned at her before turning to glance at Bei Li Mo, his lips curling up into an evil grin.
Bei Li Mo’s expression changed as she opened her mouth without any hesitation and spat something out. Her Spiritual Energy turned into an ice spike, shooting straight toward him.
With a loud stabbing sound, the ice spike instantly penetrated his chest and left behind a gaping hole. Dazzling light flowed out of the wound, but there was no blood. It was his Soul Avatar after all, so it was only natural that there was no blood. Yang Kai lowered his head and glanced down in surprise, but after looking at his wound for some time, he looked up and stared at her again, his expression incredibly hostile, “That hurt, you bitch!”
Saying so, he stepped on the Soul Warming Lotus, rushed towards her, and slapped her with his palm.
*Pa!*
She was struck so hard that her head tilted to the side. If it had been her physical body, a five-fingered palm print would have appeared on her face by now.
Bei Li Mo wasn’t the only one who was stunned by the blow. It also left Xuan Bing utterly dumbfounded. She stared at the wound on Yang Kai’s body in a daze, unable to understand how he remained safe and sound.
His Soul Avatar had suffered such a grievous wound. Even if he didn’t die from it, he should have lost all ability to fight back, but instead he remained alive and kicking… This wasn’t normal!
While both women remained frozen in shock, a seven-coloured light flowed out of the wound on his chest and the gaping hole created by the ice spike began to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye. At the same time, the Soul Warming Lotus under his foot flashed with a radiance that was extremely dazzling.
“Soul Warming Lotus! A Supreme Treasure!” Xuan Bing screamed, staring at the seven-colour lotus with a scorching gaze.
Although he had been standing on the Soul Warming Lotus, she had not thought much of it, she was simply amazed by the tenacity of his vitality which allowed him to persist until now. It wasn’t until this moment that she saw the miraculous effects of the Soul Warming Lotus with her own eyes and realization dawned on her.
The Soul Warming Lotus was a unique Supreme Treasure, one that was born from the primordial chaos itself. No wonder he managed to survive. He was protected by this treasure! The environment in the Soul Battlefield might be harsh, but how could it possibly kill him? That was a treasure that only existed in legends. She never thought that she would ever witness it with her own eyes one day.
Xuan Bing, who had resolved herself to death, couldn’t help but become revitalised again. Her current condition was very dire. She had no physical body, so she could not live for long unless she successfully possessed Bei Li Mo’s body; however, things would be different with the Soul Warming Lotus. If she could get her hands on this Supreme Treasure, then her Soul would never be at risk of dissipating. Not only could she make a comeback and turn the situation around in one fell swoop, but she might also be able to successfully possess Bei Li Mo’s body.
Even Bei Li Mo was stunned when Xuan Bing’s words entered her ears. As a Demon Saint, she should have been furious after being slapped like that; however, she actually forgot to become angry when she heard those three words ‘Soul Warming Lotus’. She simply turned around and stared at the seven-coloured lotus, dumbfounded.
She might hate Xuan Bing to the core, but she believed in the latter’s vision. Besides, she was a Demon Saint, so she could also perceive that the seven-coloured lotus was something extraordinary.
[He has the Soul Warming Lotus!? What a terrifying opportunity! No wonder I’ve always felt that his Soul cultivation is higher than his realm suggested! So it was because of this! Not to mention, he has part of the Star Boundary’s Will in him and is also proficient in the Dao of Space… Any one of these three is an unattainable dream for most people, and yet, all of them are gathered together in one person. Is he the illegitimate son of the Heavens themselves or something!? How can any one person’s luck be so good!?]
While Bei Li Mo was still caught up in her thoughts, Yang Kai slapped her again.
*Pa…*
Her head turned to the side from the force of the blow, but this time she furiously jerked her head back and gritted her teeth, “You…”
*Pa…*
Her head turned to the side once more.
*Pa…*
After three consecutive slaps, her tender body shuddered. She was livid. She was a Demon Saint. How could she allow herself to be slapped by another person!? This humiliation was simply unbearable!
The rage in her heart turned into a towering tidal wave, and a malevolent aura surged violently in her body.
Nevertheless, she did not dare to turn her head again. She did not know why, but she had the feeling that this boy had changed a little since the last time she met him. There was now a ruthlessness behind his words and actions that was not present before.
“Don’t you dare go too far!” She lowered her gaze, her beautiful eyes gleaming with a cold light.
“Me? Go too far?” Yang Kai grinned savagely as he swung the Soul Splitting Saber and rested it on her white neck and declared coldly, “Who is the one who went too far? I’m sure you yourself know the truth in your heart. I warned you. If you don’t kill me, I will kill you instead! Do you regret it now!?”
Bei Li Mo didn’t say anything in response; however, she was practically gnashing her teeth to bits.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai tilted his head to look at Xuan Bing and smiled, “Senior, your schemes are truly deep. I nearly died because of your tricks. When you first handed the Profound Darkness Needle to me, you didn’t warn me that I’d be in danger too once it activated.”
Xuan Bing answered in a manner that was neither negative nor affirmative, “When two fight to the death, the third takes all. You just sat back and watched us destroy each other. Aren’t you reaping the benefits now?”
“Hah!” Yang Kai rested the Soul Splitting Saber on his shoulders, rubbing his chin with the other hand as he said, “That’s because this Young Master was lucky. If it had been anybody else, they would have died by now.”
Xuan Bing remained silent and her expression changed, but he could not tell what she was thinking.
He looked around their surroundings and spoke in an indisputable tone, “You have two options. Either I kill you both in one move or I slowly hack you both to death. Choose.”
While speaking, he slowly lifted the Soul Splitting Saber. His Spiritual Energy surged, and the blade light fluctuated in an unstable manner. It looked like a venomous snake waiting to strike.
Xuan Bing and Bei Li Mo both turn slightly pale. The two women never imagined that the situation would take such a turn in the end. They had been fighting each other desperately with their lives on the line only for an outsider to ultimately swoop in and take advantage of the situation.
Without any hesitation whatsoever, Bei Li Mo looked at Xuan Bing and stated, “I will count to three and we will withdraw at the same time!”
At this time, the only way for them to get out of this crisis was if they agreed to a temporary truce. Even if she was a Demon Saint, she would die if Yang Kai swung his blade at them right now, so she unceremoniously started counting the moment the words left her mouth.
Yang Kai stood by the side and sneered, the aura emanating from the Soul Splitting Saber becoming more and more dangerous and before she could count to three, the Soul Splitting Saber was already slashing toward her without any mercy.
In his opinion, Bei Li Mo was undoubtedly more dangerous than Xuan Bing; hence, if he wanted to kill anybody, he had to kill the Demon Saint first. Furthermore, Xuan Bing’s Soul Avatar was currently in a translucent state, so she bore no threat to him at all.
[It has only been less than a month since Bright Moon passed away. If I can kill a Demon Saint here, then it can count as revenge on Bright Moon’s behalf.]
Bei Li Mo’s expression changed drastically when she saw the sabre slashing down at her and she was preparing to withdraw her hand regardless of the damage it would cause her.
“Wait a moment!” Xuan Bing suddenly shouted, “I have something to say!”
The sword light paused just above Bei Li Mo’s head, its sharp aura cutting into the female Demon Saint’s Soul Avatar, causing her to feel a piercing pain. She was so scared that her complexion turned pale and her Soul quaked.
Yang Kai turned to look at Xuan Bing and said frostily, “It had better not be nonsense. I don’t have much patience.”
Xuan Bing cut straight to the chase, “Do you want a Demon Saint who will obey you and serve you? If you do, then you had better listen to what I have to say.”
“Huh?” He raised his eyebrows at her with a surprised expression, “What do you mean?”
“I meant it literally.”
Yang Kai pondered in silence for a moment before turning to look at Bei Li Mo and coldly said, “Don’t tell me you plan to help me subdue her?”
In order to subdue somebody, he would have to plant his Soul Imprint into that person’s Knowledge Sea or force that person to hand over their Soul Brand to him, only then could he control their life-or-death with a single thought. It was not his first time doing something like this of course; however, the premise was that his Soul cultivation had to be higher than the other party’s. That was the only way he could break through the opponent’s Soul defences. Unfortunately, Bei Li Mo was a Demon Saint, so he did not have the confidence to be able to control her.
Xuan Bing gave a mocking laugh, “The difference in strength between the two of you is too big. Even with my help, you won’t be able to subdue her!” She paused for a moment, the corners of her mouth lifting, “But, I have an excellent plan!”
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes and pondered for a while, “Even if you can pull this off, how does it benefit you?”
“It doesn’t benefit me whatsoever!” She laughed wildly, “Not only does it not come with any benefits, but it also comes with many downsides! However, I’ve said this before, even if I die, I will make this bitch pay for what she did!”
Bei Li Mo quickly spoke up when she heard those words, “Boy, this woman is extremely vile and cunning, don’t be deceived by her!”
Yang Kai immediately pressed the Soul Splitting Saber down a little harder as he rubbed his chin and said to her, “If you dare speak another word without my permission, I will kill you immediately!”
Bei Li Mo trembled with fury in response and her gaze was filled with hatred.
Once Bei Li Mo had settled down, Yang Kai turned back to Xuan Bing, “Explain it to me in detail; how are you going to help me?”
He had to admit that what Xuan Bing had said was very attractive. Killing a Demon Saint wasn’t bad, but the benefits that came with killing a Demon Saint were simply too small compared to subduing one.
“Naturally, by planting a Soul Imprint.”
“Are you messing with me!?” Yang Kai’s expression immediately fell and he felt like he had been toyed with. It was a very unpleasant feeling.
Xuan Bing simply laughed, “Of course not! I am not joking. I know what you are worried about, you’re afraid you won’t be able to break through this bitch’s Soul defences because her Soul cultivation is greater than yours, but what if somebody actively cooperates with you?”
Yang Kai’s expression turned even uglier, “Is she such a fool that she will cooperate with this kind of thing!?”
While speaking, he lost his patience and the aura coming from his body became extremely dangerous.
“Of course, she won’t cooperate with you. But this Queen will!” Xuan Bing laughed heartily, a sadistic and deranged expression appearing on her face.
Originally, Bei Li Mo did not take Xuan Bing’s words too seriously; however, she suddenly seemed to realize something after hearing those words and her expression changed greatly as she glared at Xuan Bing furiously, a trace of fear seeping into her beautiful eyes.
The change in her expression did not go unnoticed by Yang Kai and it made what Xuan Bing said seem much more credible.
Xuan Bing continued, “You can plant a Soul Imprint in me; that way, my life will be in your hands, and then…” She turned a cool gaze toward Bei Li Mo, “I will try and possess this bitch. If it all works out, this Queen’s life will still be in your hands. If it fails…”
“What will happen if you fail?” Yang Kai asked, narrowing his eyes at her.
“This bitch will have to devour this Queen’s Soul. The Soul Imprint will then be transferred to her and take effect on her instead!” She laughed maniacally, “So, whether I succeed or fail, you will still be able to subdue a Demon Saint. What do you think of this deal?”
Upon hearing these words, Yang Kai’s pupils expanded abruptly. If it was truly as Xuan Bing had said, then it was a deal with no cost but great returns. It was highly attractive indeed; even so, how could he believe her words so easily?
He glanced at Bei Li Mo and saw the anxious expression on her face. She looked like she had something to say but didn’t dare to speak up, so he immediately asked, “Do you have something to say?”
Bei Li Mo urgently said, “Don’t believe her! She is lying to you!”
He turned to look back at Xuan Bing just in time to see her smiling coldly, “Every word I’ve said is the truth. Brat, if you have the slightest sense, then you will know that I can’t deceive you in this kind of thing.”
Bei Li Mo scoffed, “Is that so? Regardless of which one among us devours the other, our Spiritual Energy is not something he can compare with. So, what if we are marked by a Soul Imprint? We only need a little bit of time to break free from those restraints!”
Xuan Bing nodded, “As you’ve said, it will take some time, but we can break free from the restraints, but what if he strengthens the Soul Imprint every few days?”
Bei Li Mo’s expression changed drastically as she ground her teeth and snapped, “You’re digging your own grave!”
Xuan Bing laughed heartily, “Are you afraid? That’s good. This Queen is just repaying you for what you did to me in the past. Do you know how I survived these tens of thousands of years? If it wasn’t for my desire to take revenge against you, I would have died long ago!”
She abruptly turned around to stare at Yang Kai and snarled at him through gritted teeth, “If you find this offer tempting, then hurry up and assist me; otherwise, everything will be in vain if she manages to escape!”
“How can I help you?” Yang Kai asked quietly. In such a short time, he had considered his options carefully and couldn’t help being tempted by her proposal. Now that things had come down to this, he could only take this risky gamble. If it worked out, then he would be able to subdue a Demon Saint.
“Use the power of the Soul Warming Lotus and replenish my Spiritual Energy. That will be enough,” she shouted through gritted teeth.
Yang Kai did not hesitate and immediately did as she asked. As he drew on the power of the Soul Warming Lotus, a seven-coloured light bloomed and enveloped her.
Xuan Bing, who had been stuck in a stalemate against Bei Li Mo, couldn’t help giving a soft moan. Her translucent body solidified at a speed visible to the naked eye, but that wasn’t all. A light shone from within her body, making her look extremely ethereal.
Bei Li Mo’s expression was so dark that it was practically dripping with gloom.
“Don’t resist!” Yang Kai shouted.
Xuan Bing hesitated for a moment before doing as he asked.
With a surge of Yang Kai’s Spiritual Energy, a chain mysteriously appeared out of nowhere and wrapped around her Soul Avatar. Then, it sank into her body and disappeared. At the same time, he felt a strange and wondrous feeling in his heart. Before he could figure out what it was though, Xuan Bing spoke, “You can leave now. Next up will be my battle with her.”
After she said that, a huge force of rejection surged in all directions and forcefully kicked him out of the Soul Battlefield. He only had time to curse at her before his vision blurred and his Soul returned to his physical body.
A fragrant scent wafted in front of him, mixed with the smell of blood. He lifted his gaze and saw that he was still standing in their previous posture. He had one Dragon Claw stuck in Bei Li Mo’s chest and was clutching her beating Demon Heart.
The Embodiment sensed something and immediately flew over, asking in a worried tone, “What happened?”
“It’s hard to explain!” Yang Kai’s Divine Sense surged as he sent all his experiences in the Soul Battlefield to the Embodiment.
A short while later, the Embodiment exclaimed in shock, “I can’t believe that happened!”
Yang Kai replied with a sullen expression, “From the looks of things, I was deceived by Xuan Bing.”
At the last moment, the strange and wondrous feeling he experienced when he planted a Soul Imprint on Xuan Bing’s Soul Avatar clearly indicated that even if he had marked her, he was still incapable of controlling a Demon Saint’s life. The gap between their Soul cultivations was simply too wide.
“Should we just…” The Embodiment stared at Bei Li Mo, who was motionless and had a pained expression on her face, and swiped his hand across his stony neck.
This was indeed the best time to kill Bei Li Mo, as the other party was utterly incapable of fighting back right now. Yang Kai could turn her into a pile of mincemeat with ease, but all his previous efforts would be for naught if he did that, so he pondered in silence for a while before saying, “Let’s wait and see.”
Although he had no way to control a Demon Saint, the Soul Imprint he planted was not without effect. Now, he just had to see how much of an effect it would have.
In addition, Yang Kai was currently holding Bei Li Mo’s Demon Heart in his hand. He could severely injure her at any time, so there was nothing to be afraid of. In any case, it didn’t matter who emerged victorious from the Soul Battlefield; that person’s Soul would ultimately return to the body in front of him.
“I’m afraid time waits for no one.” The Embodiment’s expression turned solemn, “Xue Li and Yu Ru Meng have arrived on Cloud Shadow Continent.”
Yang Kai frowned upon hearing this.
As the Master of the continent, the Embodiment must have sensed something for him to say that. Yu Ru Meng’s arrival was not a big deal. In fact, it was a good thing. Xue Li, on the other hand, gave Yang Kai a headache.
“Should I lead Yu Ru Meng here?” The Embodiment asked.
Yang Kai pondered for a while before slowly shaking his head in response, “No need. Don’t let her know about the situation here for the time being.”
Even though he had received a lot of protection from her on Eternal Sky Continent previously, he still could not completely trust her. Bringing her here before he could fully understand the situation would only add to the variables. She had a long-standing feud with Bei Li Mo and might even take the opportunity to get rid of Bei Li Mo if she saw her in this situation. Rather, it could also be said that Yang Kai had no intention of telling her about this even if it worked out. It was necessary to be prepared. Who was to say this hidden hand wouldn’t save his life one day?
Unfortunately, the two Demon Saints had already arrived on Cloud Shadow Continent, so it was only a matter of time before they discovered this place. Now, it all depended on how long the Embodiment could conceal the disruption here.
“How long can you delay them?” Yang Kai asked.
The Embodiment shook his head, “I don’t have the means to delay them. They are currently searching around Cloud Shadow Continent and will find this place within an hour.”
Yang Kai’s expression sank after hearing this, “I’m afraid it’s too late to change locations now.” There were still traces of Bei Li Mo’s aura here, so even if they switched locations, it would not make a difference. He could only hope that Xuan Bing and Bei Li Mo could decide on a winner between them within an hour.
For a time, everything went silent. Only the Demon Heart Yang Kai was holding in his hand continued to beat rhythmically, but just an incense stick of time later, Yang Kai suddenly noticed the resurgence of Spiritual Energy in Bei Li Mo’s body. Immediately following that, her hollow beautiful eyes suddenly came alive again. She also seemed to feel pain again and couldn’t help groaning.
As her vision focused, she saw Yang Kai standing in front of her with a wary expression. He had one hand stuck in her chest, gripping her heart firmly in his hand, which left her unable to breathe.
“Bei Li Mo?” Yang Kai raised his brow at her. Each person had a different Soul aura; thus, he could tell who the Soul that revived in this body belonged to. He was slightly relieved that the feeling he felt in Xuan Bing’s Soul Avatar had not disappeared, so it looked like what she had said was true. The Soul Imprint had been transferred to Bei Li Mo.
“En!” Bei Li Mo gritted her teeth and hissed, staring at him with eyes that were practically spitting fire.
“So, Xuan Bing died?” He breathed out softly. It did not come as a huge surprise. Xuan Bing herself had not been confident that she could devour and possess Bei Li Mo, so this outcome was well within his expectations.
“Are you disappointed?” Bei Li Mo gave a cold laugh.
“I can’t say that I am.” He shook his head faintly, “For me, it doesn’t matter who lives and who dies; in any case, neither of you were good from the start.”
Bei Li Mo took a deep breath, and her ample bosom rose and fell. That movement affected the injury on her chest, and she involuntarily furrowed her brow slightly. Lowering her head, she looked down at his claw and asked, “Can you remove your hand now? Don’t you think it’s rude to treat a woman like this?”
“You are a Demon Saint. It’s not like you’re an ordinary woman!” Yang Kai gave a soft snort. Even so, he did not insist and simply did as she asked, slowly releasing her Demon Heart and withdrawing his Dragon Claw.
Blood splattered everywhere as she groaned again in response, her complexion turning pale. Before she could catch her breath, Yang Kai had already pushed his Divine Sense. Bei Li Mo immediately clutched at her head and wailed loudly, lifting her gaze as she glared at him and shouted, “What are you doing!?”
Yang Kai replied lightly, “Testing out the power of the Soul Imprint.”
“Stop! Are you trying to kill me!?” She screamed. She was in so much pain that she had crouched to the ground and was trembling all over.
In response, Yang Kai just looked down at her condescendingly with a cold and ruthless expression, “Stop pretending in front of me. I know that it’s impossible for me to kill you even with this Soul Imprint. But, that doesn’t stop me from causing you pain. Remember this feeling. If you dare to have any malicious thoughts towards me one day, this pain will accompany you until the day you die!”
The Soul Imprint could not control her life or death, but it could restrict her actions. If he inflicted this pain on her while she was engaged in a decisive battle with somebody else, she would definitely die on the spot.
Bei Li Mo’s anguished wails were extremely bleak and it could be seen that she was in great pain. Murderous intent poured out of her body uncontrollably, but she didn’t dare to do anything else out of fear.
He had already pushed the power of the Soul Imprint to the maximum. He wasn’t trying to kill her; it only made her miserable wailing become even more desolate. After a short while, Yang Kai stopped. He had already tested how effective the Soul Imprint was. It was different from what Xuan Bing had claimed, but it was still within the acceptable range.
Bei Li Mo was currently lying on the ground like a puddle of sweat, panting heavily, drenched from head to toe, her beautiful eyes vacantly staring at the sky. For a moment, she was unable to focus her sight. She felt on the verge of death. Eventually, a gust of wind blew and a chill ran down her back, causing her to shiver and finally return to her senses.
She looked up and saw Yang Kai standing in front of her, looking down at her from above. She turned her head away, clenching her fists tightly. The corners of her eyes were slightly moist… [I have never endured such humiliation ever since I became a Demon Saint! Xuan Bing, that bitch! I can’t believe she pulled this trick on me even at the cost of her life!]
“Open up your Knowledge Sea. I need to reinforce the Soul Imprint!” Yang Kai instructed.
She didn’t move, acting like she was deaf.
To which Yang Kai laughed angrily, “Stop acting as if you’ve been defiled and disgraced by me. Do you know how seductive you look right now? If it arouses my more base instincts…”
Before he could finish his sentence, Bei Li Mo got up shakily, her teeth biting into her red lips as the grief and rage she felt could not be more extreme.
“I will not repeat myself!” Yang Kai said with a cold expression.
Bei Li Mo closed her eyes at those words, for fear that she might lose control and attack him if she saw his face.
“That’s better!” He chuckled, his Divine Sense surging as it poured into her Knowledge Sea.
“I’m warning you. Reinforce the Soul Imprint if you want, but I will fight you to the death if you dare to pry into my privacy!” She opened her eyes abruptly and snarled.
Yang Kai was taken aback for a moment before he nodded, “Rest assured, I don’t have the habit of peeping into others’ private lives.”
After he said that, he began to act.
Bei Li Mo remained vigilant, however, and it was only when she confirmed that he really had no intention of making any extra movements that a sense of relief washed over her.
As the Soul Imprint in her Knowledge Sea had been transferred from Xuan Bing, it had inevitably become slightly weaker. His act of reinforcement would ensure that the Soul Imprint remained firm. Having done that, he stated, “I need you to give me your Soul Brand. I’m sure you can fulfill my request, Holy Venerable.”
“What if I refuse?” Her expression was extremely ugly.
“That’s okay.” Yang Kai smiled slightly, “Ru Meng is currently on Cloud Shadow Continent. I can lead her here. I’m sure she will be happy to have a good talk with you.”
Bei Li Mo’s expression changed drastically at those words.
The Soul Imprint Yang Kai had planted in her Knowledge Sea was not a done deal; after all, she only needed to spend some time and pay a small price to get rid of it. Once she purged it, she would be able to regain her freedom.
However, it really would be over if Yu Ru Meng learned about this. Given her relationship with Yu Ru Meng, Bei Li Mo was certain Yu Ru Meng would be more than happy to plant another Soul Imprint in her Knowledge Sea.
Yu Ru Meng had the most powerful Soul cultivation among the Twelve Demon Saints since she originated from the Charm Demon Clan. Even Huang Wu Ji had to concede this point. If she were to plant a Soul Imprint on Bei Li Mo, then Bei Li Mo would never have the chance to regain her freedom again. Bei Li Mo would truly become a pawn in her hands!
Thus, she took this threat seriously while her hatred towards Xuan Bing peaked. [If that bitch had not revealed so much information earlier, this little bastard would never have been so cautious!]
Bei Li Mo glared bitterly and resentfully at Yang Kai for a long time before she suddenly smiled and said, “I don’t mind giving you my Soul Brand. In any case, it will only hurt me a little even if you destroy it. It won’t kill me.”
Even when her Soul Manifestation was destroyed by Bright Moon she had only been injured, not killed, so how could a mere Soul Brand threaten her life?
“I know.” Yang Kai smiled lightly, “But, it’s still better than nothing.”
He certainly could not rely on a mere Soul Imprint or Soul Brand to control a Demon Saint; nevertheless, with these two pieces of insurance in hand, he could ensure that Bei Li Mo would not dare to play tricks in front of him so easily.
Seeing his insistence, Bei Li Mo was filled with a sense of helplessness and in the end, she nodded, “Good, I’ll do as you wish. But you have to promise to treat me well; otherwise, this Saint won’t comply with you.”
He asked, “If you don’t think a promise from me is trustworthy, then what’s the point of giving you my word?”
Bei Li Mo couldn’t help spitting disdainfully at those words.
A short while later, he received her Soul Brand and placed it on the seven-coloured island. Only then did he relax and turn to look at her, “You better not destroy the Soul Imprint. I will be checking on it every so often. If I find out that you’ve disobeyed me, I will make you suffer so much that you beg for death.”
“I know!” She replied in a grudging manner.
“Also…” He rubbed his chin in thought, “Don’t let others know about this matter between us.”
Bei Li Mo blinked her eyes at those words and her long eyelashes trembled slightly, “Not even Yu Ru Meng?”
“That’s my business. You don’t need to worry about it.”
Knitting her brow and thinking about it, it took a while before Bei Li Mo covered her lips with her hand and smiled prettily, “Strange. Aren’t you under the control of the Heart Seal Secret Technique? Why do you seem to be so guarded against her?”
“None of your damn business!” Yang Kai coldly snorted.
Bei Li Mo’s eyes flashed with a gleam of light and a meaningful smile appeared on her face as though she had discovered some dark secret. Then, she saw him stretching out his hand at her and she frowned and asked, “What?”
“Give me your Space Ring!” He was staring at the ring on her finger.
Taken aback, she exclaimed in surprise, “You want to rob me!? Are you insane!?”
In response, Yang Kai swiftly turned his head and looked at the Embodiment, “Get Ru Meng!”
“Here!” She snatched the ring off her finger and threw it at him viciously, her complexion pale in anger.
Yang Kai took the ring and poured his Divine Sense into it, checking out the contents with a feeling of excitement. How many good things would there be inside a Demon Saint’s Space Ring? After all, it was an accumulation of at least several tens of thousands of years…
There certainly were quite a lot of amazing things. Demon Crystals were piled high like mountains along with countless Demon Artifacts. There were also some items for women, as well as some bright and colourful clothes. Those clothes came in all sorts of different shapes and sizes. Some were extremely revealing while some were more modest. He couldn’t help fantasizing about how those clothes would look on her if she wore them.
[It would definitely be very seductive!] When that thought crossed his mind, he inadvertently lifted his head to sweep his eyes over her.
She seemed to know what he had seen. Sneering coldly, she consciously or unconsciously stretched out her hand to push her hair behind her ear, her actions revealing her infinite charm.
He withdrew his gaze and continued rummaging through the Space Ring and soon found what he was looking for, Myriad Demon Pills!
Myriad Demon Pills were unique to the Demon Realm and had a great effect on all members of the Demon Race that were in and above the Demon King Realm. The role of Myriad Demon Pills could not be understated in the reason why the Demon Race had so many high-end Masters. In fact, it could even be said to play a decisive role in the matter.
In the past, Yang Kai had found quite a few Myriad Demon Pills on the continents that had disappeared; however, those Myriad Demon Pills had all been consumed by the Embodiment. Doing so had allowed him to advance to the realm of Half-Saint in a very short time. Unfortunately, the path of advancing from Half-Saint to Demon Saint was another long and tedious journey. The power that one needed to accumulate for that purpose was unimaginable. In other words, it required a huge amount of Myriad Demon Pills!
The Embodiment wasn’t the only one who required them, however, as Yang Kai believed that he also needed them now. He had not been able to consume Myriad Demon Pills before because the nature of the power in his body had clashed with them, but it was different now. His Emperor Qi had been converted into Demon Qi, so the Myriad Demon Pills should be very useful to him.
Therefore, it was only natural for him to rob Bei Li Mo of her possessions at a time like this. As a Demon Saint, nobody could threaten her safety in the entire Demon Realm, so for that reason, she would definitely carry all her precious items with her.
He did not count how many Myriad Demon Pills she had in her Space Ring, but there were at least ten thousand. He did not hold back in front of her. Transferring those Myriad Demon Pills into his own Space Ring, he muttered in dissatisfaction, “Is that all the Myriad Demon Pills you have?”
Bei Li Mo’s expression was murderous, “Is that amount not enough to satisfy you!?”
He laughed mischievously, “One can never have too much good stuff.”
He looked at her sharply, “Are you hiding the rest somewhere else?”
“What is there to hide!?” She was annoyed, “I have so many subordinates under me. Do you think none of them need to consume these Pills!? Don’t I have to hand out rewards every year!? Did you think the Demon Saints get to accumulate a lot of Myriad Demon Pills!? If you don’t believe me, you can go and ask Yu Ru Meng yourself! You can see just how many Myriad Demon Pills she has!”
Yang Kai chuckled softly without saying anything. Having said so much, she probably wasn’t lying to him on this point. Besides, there were more than ten thousand Myriad Demon Pills, which would be enough for both him and the Embodiment to use for several years. He didn’t take all of them of course, leaving a hundred for her. Then, he began helping himself to the Demon Crystals in her ring…
Demon Crystals were of little use to a Demon Saint, so there were not many of them in her Space Ring. She only had around one billion or so, but they were all High-Rank Demon Crystals. After the Demon Crystals, he started on the Demon Artifacts…
In short, he took everything of value. After some time, he finally returned the Space Ring to her.
Bei Li Mo checked her losses and grimly laughed, “You sure are shameless.”
In such a short time, at least half of all the good items in her Space Ring were pilfered. It was equivalent to having what she had accumulated for half of her entire life stolen by him.
Before Yang Kai could reply, the Embodiment suddenly spoke up, “They’re here!”
Yang Kai’s expression became stern as he glared at Bei Li Mo and warned, “Don’t say anything unnecessary!”
Bei Li Mo frowned at those words, but soon understood who Yang Kai and the Embodiment were referring to by ‘they’.
Two streams of light flying side by side sped over in a rush. The auras of the Two Demon Saints were very obvious. With two whooshing sounds, Yu Ru Meng and Xue Li landed almost at the same time and revealed their figures.
As soon as Yu Ru Meng saw Bei Li Mo standing there, the pupils of her eyes contracted. She immediately stood in front of Yang Kai and glared fixedly at Bei Li Mo before turning her head to the side and asking, “Are you okay?”
Obviously, this question was not directed at Bei Li Mo but at Yang Kai, who was standing behind her.
Yang Kai smiled, “I’m fine.”
She calmed down at those words, but even so, she looked doubtful. [Bei Li Mo is standing right there. How can he be fine?]
Upon closer inspection, she discovered that Bei Li Mo seemed to be injured as there was blood staining the front of Bei Li Mo’s chest… [What happened here? Who injured Bei Li Mo? She was not in such a miserable state when we went our separate ways back on Eternal Sky Continent!]
Xue Li was having the same doubts. His crimson eyes flicked towards Bei Li Mo before glancing back to Yu Ru Meng. He gave a low chuckle and a faint scent of blood permeated the air. At the same time, a dangerous aura began to spread out too.
“What are you laughing at? What’s so funny?” Bei Li Mo’s mood was as gloomy as it could get so she glared at Xue Li and snarled, “Laugh again and I’ll knock your teeth out.”
The corners of Xue Li’s eyes twitched. He did not know how he had offended this woman, but he stopped laughing and commented, “I can’t believe you didn’t do anything. It’s absolutely shocking.”
She glanced sideways at him and asked, “Why don’t you try?”
He said, “How about you and I work together instead? We can discuss who owns the little brat afterwards.”
Standing opposite him, Yu Ru Meng had a posture indicating that she was going to protect Yang Kai with everything she had; thus, it would be quite difficult for him to succeed with his power alone. It wouldn’t work unless he cooperated with Bei Li Mo and faced Yu Ru Meng two on one. One person could keep Yu Ru Meng busy while the other abducted Yang Kai. That way, Yu Ru Meng would be rendered helpless.
As soon as the words left his mouth, Yu Ru Meng’s expression became frosty. The Demon Qi in her body became agitated and she looked like she would fight them to the death if either Xue Li or Bei Li Mo dared to make a move.
Unexpectedly, Bei Li Mo chuckled and stated, “Go ahead and attack if you want, but I’m not going to get involved in this matter.”
Both Xue Li and Yu Ru Meng were stunned by those words and turned to stare at her suspiciously.
Xue Li asked frowningly, “Why?”
Bei Li Mo’s answer was simply too shocking. With such a tempting morsel placed right in front of them, how could any Demon Saint not be tempted by it? He couldn’t believe that Bei Li Mo had just said she would not be intervening in this matter. Had she gone insane?
Bei Li Mo said lightly, “Because… I don’t want to get on the wrong side of Senior Brother Huang.”
Xue Li felt even more puzzled than before, “What has this got to do with Senior Brother Huang!?”
After saying that, he seemed horrified and glanced around their surroundings, “Is Senior Brother Huang here?”
“How could Senior Brother Huang be here?” She laughed lightly, “It’s just that… Senior Brother Huang once mentioned before that this rotten brat could keep the opportunity if he truly became a member of the Demon Race. And… he has the qualifications now.”
Xue Li scowled at those words and asked, “Isn’t he a Human? Since when did he become a member of our Demon Race?”
Likewise, Yu Ru Meng was very confused by what she heard. While those two were wallowing in confusion, Yang Kai stepped out from behind Yu Ru Meng and the Demon Qi in his body surged with every step he took.
Xue Li was astonished. Similarly, Yu Ru Meng stared blankly at Yang Kai’s back. A look of pleasant surprise appeared in her beautiful eyes.
The scene before them undoubtedly meant that Yang Kai had completely undergone demonification and became a Demon. Even if he was born a Human in the Star Boundary, only a member of the Demon Race could have such pure Demon Qi.
This was great news for both Yu Ru Meng and Yang Kai. She had been worried about what to do if he fell into the hands of the other Demon Saints, but everything was fine now. Now that he was a part of the Demon Race, all those problems could be solved easily; after all, nobody would dare take Huang Wu Ji’s words lightly.
“How is it? I can be considered a member of the Demon Race now, right?” Yang Kai asked lightly while staring at Xue Li.
Xue Li looked extremely unwilling and his expression changed several times in the process. Then, he activated his Divine Sense and said something to Bei Li Mo via transmission.
Bei Li Mo immediately sneered and spoke out loud, “You can do those deceitful acts on your own. Don’t drag me into it. I don’t want to offend Senior Brother Huang.”
His expression darkened when he heard her answer. [I only just realized for the first time that she is a lunatic! I sent her a Divine Sense transmission in secret, so why would she blurt things out so blatantly!? How am I supposed to get out of this now!? How embarrassing…]
“Xue Li, what crazy stunt are you still trying to pull!?” Yu Ru Meng screamed. Although Bei Li Mo had not expressed it clearly, the meaning behind her words could not be more obvious. Xue Li had yet to give up and wanted to work together with Bei Li Mo to capture Yang Kai. In any case, only the three of them knew that Yang Kai had undergone demonification. Once they had accomplished their goal, Yu Ru Meng would be helpless against them. There was no use crying over spilt milk, so Huang Wu Ji would not say much either.
Xue Li, however, just smiled brightly, “I just wanted to offer my congratulations. What nonsense are you talking about?”
Yu Ru Meng did not dwell on the matter as there was no point in doing so. Instead, she simply replied, “There is nothing to congratulate me for. This was Yang Kai’s opportunity in the first place. This is my territory, Cloud Shadow Continent. You should leave. I will inform Senior Brother Huang about Yang Kai’s demonification myself. He will be the one to have the final say in this matter.”
Xue Li nodded, “Good, you do that.”
After saying that, he looked at Yang Kai with some regret before slowly shaking his head and flying off.
If Bei Li Mo refused to cooperate with him, then there was nothing he could do to Yu Ru Meng with his power alone. Besides, it wouldn’t do him any good to confront Yu Ru Meng. While Yang Kai certainly had the Great Emperor’s Opportunity, it would take a long time for him to grow up. He might be able to seize this chance again over the course of these long years ahead!
Yu Ru Meng stared in the direction Xue Li was leaving, and only after she confirmed that he had left did she turn to look at Bei Li Mo with a vigilant expression on her face, “What the Hell are you planning now?”
Bei Li Mo’s attitude today was extremely unexpected. Just going by the relationship between her and Yu Ru Meng, it would not have been strange for her to cooperate with Xue Li, but on the contrary, she was going out of her way to protect Yang Kai. If she had not insisted on her decision, the situation today would not have been resolved so easily.
It left Yu Ru Meng feeling extremely puzzled; however, what baffled her even more was Bei Li Mo herself. Bei Li Mo had obviously been here for a while, and with her temperament, why hadn’t she done anything to Yang Kai? Yu Ru Meng did not believe that a mere word from Huang Wu Ji could make Bei Li Mo act so carefully as though she was worried she might harm an innocent person. Huang Wu Ji might be the strongest among the Demon Saints, but Bei Li Mo was a Demon Saint too, not his subordinate, so why was she being so obedient? Yu Ru Meng couldn’t shake the vague feeling that something was off.
“I’m not planning anything.” Bei Li Mo laughed softly before she turned to Yang Kai with bright eyes and spoke with great affection, “I just took a liking to him. Can’t I?”
That tender and affectionate attitude gave Yang Kai goosebumps.
Yu Ru Meng sneered, “Is that really all?”
“What else could it be?” Bei Li Mo raised her chin and glared at Yu Ru Meng provocatively, “If not for your untimely arrival, I would have gotten much more intimate with him.”
“Good!” Yu Ru Meng responded tit-for-tat, waving her hand widely, “If that’s your true intention, then why don’t I grant your wish? Do it right here! With the sky as your blanket and the ground as your bed, why don’t you show me how you intend to get on with it?” After saying that, she turned to look at Yang Kai, “Don’t be fooled by this woman’s age, she has never experienced the taste of a man before! If you can get on top of her, then you would have gotten the better end of the deal!”
Yang Kai felt sweat dripping down his back and couldn’t find the right words to form a response.
Bei Li Mo, however, retorted, “You speak as though you’ve experienced the taste of a man before.”
The two of them suddenly began glaring daggers at each other, neither one of them was willing to back down. As their Demon Saint auras collided with each other, even the world seemed to pale slightly.
Be that as it may, Bei Li Mo was suffering from an injury currently and that placed her at a slight disadvantage in this contest, so it didn’t take long before her complexion paled slightly. Flicking out her sleeve in irritation, she broke her staring competition with Yu Ru Meng and coldly snorted, “You owe me a favour for what happened today. You will return it to me one day.”
After saying that, she turned and flew off.
Yang Kai could not stop her from leaving; thus, he could only watch as she disappeared into the distance, secretly making up his mind to visit Soaring Snow Continent soon to check on her. He couldn’t allow her to break free of the Soul Imprint he had planted in her Knowledge Sea. Although he could not control her life with that Soul Imprint, it still might come in handy during critical moments.
Following Bei Li Mo’s departure, Yang Kai and Yu Ru Meng were the only ones left in this place. The Embodiment had long since secretly and silently sunk into the ground when Bei Li Mo left.
Yu Ru Meng stood there thinking hard for a while before she turned to look at Yang Kai with a frown, “What did that woman do to you?”
Yang Kai shook his head in response, “She didn’t do anything.”
“Why was she hurt? Who hurt her?”
“I don’t know. She was already in that condition when she arrived.”
Yu Ru Meng stared at him deeply, as if trying to look deep into his heart, but he simply returned her look calmly. A long time passed before she sighed softly and walked over. Holding his hand, she said gently, “Don’t worry. Nobody can do anything to you with me here.”
Reversing her hold so that he was holding her hand instead, he smiled, “I’m not worried. You, on the other hand… I’ve caused so much trouble for you…”
Before he could finish his sentence, she pressed a finger to his lips. Her eyes that were like shimmering water gazed up at him and her red lips parted softly, “Are words like these necessary between us?”
They gazed at each other for a moment before he leaned down and kissed her. Her eyelashes trembled slightly before she slowly closed her eyes. Her arms wrapped around his neck, and her ample peaks pressed up against his chest to the point they became deformed.
A long while later, their lips parted and Yang Kai picked her up in a princess carry and whispered, “Let’s go back to the palace!”
With a flash of thought from the Embodiment, who was lurking underground, Yang Kai felt his vision blurring for a moment before he found himself standing outside the main palace of Cloud Shadow City with Yu Ru Meng.
Many Demon Kings were feeling extremely worried inside the palace at the moment. The changes that occurred on Eternal Sky Continent had been completely unexpected and none of them could have imagined the outcome. The plan was devised by the Twelve Demon Saints themselves, and more than a hundred Half-Saints had participated in that battle. In the process, more than ten Half-Saints had fallen in battle and the Demon Race lost more than a hundred million soldiers. And yet, the final winner turned out to be Yang Kai.
It would not have been a big deal if it had only been an ordinary opportunity; however, it was an opportunity that even Half-Saints fought over desperately and the Demon Saints could not ignore. How could it be so easy to keep? There was no way Yang Kai could survive after being chased by all the Demon Saints and Half-Saints combined.
Among them, the gloomiest looking ones were the three High-Rank Demon Kings from Blue Plains Continent. That couldn’t be helped; Tu Qia Luo, Ba Zha, and Gu Li had given Yang Kai their Soul Brands, so their fates were connected to his. Thus, they would not be spared either if anything were to happen to him.
In the days since they withdrew from Eternal Sky Continent and returned to Cloud Shadow Continent, these three had been in a constant state of misery. Moreover, they prayed more fervently than anyone else for Yang Kai to return safely and soundly.
At present, He Yin, Ke Sen, and Lao Ke were gathered together with these three High-Rank Demon Kings. It wasn’t to monitor them. Rather, the three High-Rank Demon Kings were simply trying to assess Yang Kai’s situation from their current states. If they died suddenly, then it would mean that something had happened to Yang Kai. On the other hand, if they remained alive and well, then it would mean that Yang Kai was also safe and sound.
The main hall was silent for a long time, shrouded in a heavy and suffocating atmosphere, when suddenly, a strange power fluctuation came from the outside. The entire group of Demon Kings looked up and in the next moment, they stood up in unison and stared in shock at the figure striding into the palace from the outside, their eyes bulging at the sight.
Lao Ke even rubbed his eyes vigorously, for fear that he was suffering from hallucinations.
“Great King!” The three Demon Kings from Blue Plains Continent had already rushed over, looking extremely emotional as they bowed with their hands on their hearts, “You’ve returned!”
Only then did Lao Ke and the others return to their senses and hurriedly rush forward to greet Yang Kai; however, the group of Demon Kings soon noticed Yu Ru Meng, who was being held in his arms and they all swallowed nervously and dropped their gazes…
Meanwhile, Yang Kai looked around and smiled, “You are all back, too. En, this King is perfectly fine as you can see, so why don’t you get back to your duties?”
After saying that, he passed through the great hall and headed straight towards the residences, leaving the group of High-Rank Demon Kings looking at each other behind him. Every one of them were feeling extremely puzzled. [Wasn’t the Great King being chased by the Demon Saints and Half-Saints? Why is he so leisurely getting…]
At the back of the crowd, a pair of empty eyes that seemed to have lost their light stared at Yang Kai’s back before a cold gleam began burgeoning in their depths.
…..
Inside the room, Yang Kai threw Yu Ru Meng onto the bed before lunging forward under her surprised gaze and pressing her under his body. While supporting her head with one hand, he began kissing her again. At the same time, his other hand skilfully slid up her robes, past her lower abdomen and grabbed at her soft but supple peaks.
She tried to speak several times, but every time she tried, his heavy breathing would cover her mouth. Gradually, a stream of heat that surged from her heart and her lower abdomen left her feeling more than a little delirious and distracted in arousal.
Ripping sounds rang out next as he tore her clothes apart and threw them off the bed without even a second glance. It didn’t take long before her perfect body was exposed to the air. Her fair and delicate skin was as exquisite as the finest porcelain; her flat abdomen was without any excess fat; her long and slender legs were unconsciously entangled together; and a single hand was covering her most intimate place. She seemed like she wanted to refuse slightly out of shyness but was also welcoming him at the same time. Her neck was flushed with a faint tinge of pink and even her delicate earlobes became red. Her beautiful eyes were like a disturbed pool of water and her breathing was anything but calm.
In an instant, Yang Kai’s own clothes quickly turned into a pile of ashes.
Their fiery-hot bodies entangled together, and they could feel each other’s violent heartbeats. Yang Kai did not spend too much time on foreplay, but when he leaned down over her, a slender jade-white hand pressed against his chest to stop him from advancing further. Her beautiful eyes looked at him with a dreamy gaze, but there was an inexplicable pleading look in them.
Their gazes met, and his expression was calm, but Yu Ru Meng could sense his assertiveness and determination, something that had never appeared before. Although they had been intimate with each other before now, they never actually took that last step because she would always control her emotions at the last moment every single time.
However, this time… was clearly different from the past. She couldn’t tell exactly what was different, but she had a feeling that she would lose something precious if she repeated the same actions as she did in the past.
After a long while, she let out a soft sigh before slowly retracting her delicate hand. Turning her head away slightly, she closed her eyes.
Yang Kai did not hesitate whatsoever, thrusting forward and piercing the last barrier between them, instantly feeling himself being wrapped by a soft and moist warmth.
A moan leaked out as Yu Ru Meng bit her red lips hard and clenched the bedsheets with her fists.
On the other hand, Yang Kai felt a distinct sense of coolness spreading out from his lower abdomen. It rushed straight into his mind, instantly shocking his Knowledge Sea and almost causing him to faint at that very moment. He hurriedly stabilized his mind as a trace of lingering fear appeared on his face. The turbulence in his Knowledge Sea had not stopped, though, and instead was becoming increasingly violent. Fortunately, the Soul Warming Lotus was guarding his Soul, so there was no need for him to worry about anything happening.
All of a sudden, a huge force exploded in his Knowledge Sea and flooded it completely. Yang Kai could feel his Spiritual Energy growing at a terrifying speed. It almost seemed like there was no end to this growth and the rising force was threatening to explode his entire Knowledge Sea, frightening him with this realization.
It was then that a soft, dreamy whisper entered his ears. Looking down, he saw a teardrop dotting the corner of Yu Ru Meng’s eyes; however, it was accompanied by a beautiful smile on her face. Her red lips moved and strange-sounding syllables came out of her mouth to form a mysterious and Heavenly melody, one that seemed to have some sort of profound effect. The sound seemed to transform into an invisible little hand that gently stroked his Knowledge Sea and slowly stabilized the turbulence it was experiencing.
Meanwhile, his Knowledge Sea was still expanding. The explosive growth of his Spiritual Energy left him completely dumbfounded. Nevertheless, he gradually calmed down with the help of her Heavenly melody and slowly began to enjoy the process.
When Yang Kai broke through to the Third-Order Emperor Realm, he experienced great growth in his Spiritual Energy; however, that growth was nothing compared to what he was experiencing right now!
He could never have imagined that he would obtain such a huge benefit when he passed through Yu Ru Meng’s final barrier of defence. Although it was unexpected, it was well within reason.
The Primordial Yin of women with cultivation generally contained a peculiar power, and the stronger the woman was, the greater this power became. There were many Secret Arts in the world that borrowed this power to aid in cultivation, but Secret Arts that gathered Yin to supplement Yang were generally incredibly malicious. The women who were taken as dual-cultivation cauldrons would usually suffer a tragic ending.
The Yin-Yang Joyous Unification Art cultivated by Yang Kai and Su Yan on the other hand was a far more profound technique, a Secret Art for dual cultivation which greatly benefited both parties when practised. Therefore, the Yin-Yang Joyous Unification Art could be considered to be an orthodox Dual Cultivation Technique to a certain extent, not an Evil Technique.
Yu Ru Meng was a Demon Saint. Hence, the power of her Primordial Yin was absolutely terrifying. When the final barrier was torn, the Primordial Yin accumulated in her body throughout her lifetime was released all at once and then accepted by Yang Kai in turn. As a result, he experienced an astonishing growth in his Spiritual Energy. It was probably related to the fact that she was part of the Charm Demon Clan. For that reason, the benefit he obtained from the power of her Primordial Yin was not channelled into his physical body but into his Soul.
His Knowledge Sea expanded continuously, but he didn’t feel uncomfortable in any way. The dreamy whisper kept echoing in his ears, making his mental state more peaceful than ever. It was an extremely peculiar state that gave him a sense of longing and made him wish he could remain like this forever.
Unfortunately, everything eventually comes to an end. When his Knowledge Sea had grown to more than three times its original size, Yang Kai found the rate of expansion slowed down greatly. At the same time, the whispering gradually subsided too.
Due to the Soul Warming Lotus, his Spiritual Energy had always been beyond his current Realm. He could sense that his Soul cultivation was inferior to that of a Half-Saint’s when he advanced to the Third-Order Emperor, but it was not something an ordinary Third-Order Emperor or High-Rank Demon King could hope to compare with either. In contrast, he was currently far ahead of any Half-Saint when it came to Spiritual Energy.
The only people in this world who had stronger Spiritual Energy than him were the Demon Saints and the Great Emperors. His explosive growth in Spiritual Energy allowed him to become even more sensitive to his surroundings and he experienced a mysterious feeling that felt as though he had been reborn after shedding his former body.
While he was checking out the changes in his body with some interest, he suddenly heard a soft moan in his ears. Only then did he return to his senses and look down. He saw Yu Ru Meng looking at him with a bit of resentment. She had a shy and embarrassed expression on her face, and there was a trace of wetness at the corners of her eyes.
When their gazes met, Yu Ru Meng looked away, bit her red lips, and pinched Yang Kai hard around the waist. Yang Kai hissed in pain and lowered his body to kiss the tears staining the corners of her eyes. Afterwards, he gently began thrusting again. At this moment, the one lying under him was not one of the overwhelmingly powerful Twelve Demon Saints, but a woman who had just suffered the trauma of experiencing her first time.
Unlike him, who was well-experienced in this field, she was a beautiful flower that was blooming brilliantly for the first time; thus, she was truly tormented half-to-death. They did not leave the room for three consecutive days and nights, which was extremely ridiculous.
It wasn’t until a certain moment three days later that Yang Kai slowly opened his eyes inside the room filled with an ambiguous air. Yu Ru Meng was lying on his chest with a head full of dishevelled hair, looking like a kitten that had found the most comfortable and suitable position. Her breathing was steady, sleeping away deeply.
This was extremely rare for a Demon Saint. With how high her cultivation was, she no longer needed to sleep; however, three days and three nights of non-stop passion had left her feeling absolutely exhausted, even more so than if she had fought a battle against another Demon Saint.
Yang Kai’s large hand gently stroked her smooth back while gazing down at the charming curve between her back and her bottom. Resisting the impulse in his heart, he quietly pulled himself out from under her body, dressed neatly, walked out of the room, and came into the courtyard.
There were small bridges with flowing water and rockery standing tall in the courtyard. Several unknown fruit trees were also planted there. They were in full bloom at this time with small pink flowers that were very pretty and lovely hanging from the branches.
Yang Kai stood under a certain tree with his hands behind his back and looked up at the sky with a lost gaze.
[I did it! Ru Meng didn’t stop me!] Even though he had made love to her for three days and three nights without stopping, he could still barely believe it. [I actually broke through her final layer of defence! I finally obtained her in her entirety!]
What Bei Li Mo and Bright Moon mentioned to him had made him somewhat defensive towards Yu Ru Meng. His attempt this time had been a kind of test. If she had continued to reject him, then he would have to reconsider his plans for the future. He never expected things to progress so smoothly.
[Could it be that Bei Li Mo and Bright Moon were both wrong?] A woman, who was willing to have a taste of love and passion, undoubtedly showed that she had no reservations towards him; she would never have used her virginity as a joke.
In contrast, what surprised Yang Kai was that his attitude had been so assertive at the time! That would have been impossible in the past. Before, he would not have forced her as long as she showed the slightest resistance; however, three days ago, he had been thinking that he was either going to possess her or they would have to go their separate ways. There had been no third possibility.
It would seem that after undergoing demonification, his temperament had also experienced some changes. Fortunately, the influence was not too large, or he would have felt as though he had become another person.
*Chi…*
A soft sound rang out, accompanied by a shout that entered his ears, “Die!”
A sharp energy came from behind at that moment.
Yang Kai immediately turned around, lifted his hand, and pinched his fingers together. A longsword shining with a cold light was caught between his fingers, just a palm’s length away from his eyes.
The owner of the longsword tried to pull the sword back vigorously but was unable to regain her weapon. Seeing this, she gritted her teeth and abandoned her weapon before striking at him with her palm. Emperor Qi surged and the fragrance of flowers overflowed. It was so enchanting that it didn’t feel like a slender jade-white hand was stretching towards him but rather that a flower was blooming before him. It was so beautiful that he wanted to drown himself in those petals.
Stepping forward though, he rushed into his opponent’s attack range. The woman seemed startled and caught off guard.
Yang Kai grabbed her by her wrist and with a surge of his Demon Qi, the other party instantly lost all power to resist. Then, he looked at the woman in front of him and sighed. He knew that life would become a little more difficult after he gained the Great Emperor’s Opportunity; even so, he did not expect the first person to jump out and cause trouble for him to be Li Shi Qing!
At this moment, Li Shi Qing’s beautiful eyes were bloodshot as she glared at Yang Kai with unbridled hatred. She, who was usually so weak and timid, was now showing an expression filled with murderous intent.
With her longsword taken from her, her wrist being captured, and her Emperor Qi not responding to her, she couldn’t break free of his hold whatsoever. Nevertheless, her other hand clenched into a fist without hesitation and slammed into his chest. While hammering away at him, she shouted through gritted teeth, “I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you!”
Yang Kai looked at her calmly, allowing her to hammer her fist against his chest however she pleased. She was unable to use her Emperor Qi, so her violent hits felt no different from being tickled. A long while later, he finally asked, “Why do you want to kill me?”
She glared at him furiously, “You killed the Great Emperor! I must seek revenge!”
“How did you know that I killed the Great Emperor?”
“I saw it with my own eyes!”
He lowered his gaze and calmly replied, “What you see may not be the truth!”
“I saw it… I saw you kill the Great Emperor!” She suddenly burst into tears that streamed down her face. The moment she began crying, all her murderous aura vanished instantly and she asked with red-rimmed eyes, “Why did you have to kill him!? Why!?”
The fist she pounded against his chest no longer held any strength in them. If anybody who did not know the situation saw this, it would seem like they were flirting with each other rather than trying to murder one another.
Yang Kai had nothing to say. [Why did I kill the Great Emperor? If I had known the other party I was attacking had been Bright Moon, I would never have killed him!]
Unfortunately, Bright Moon was gone, and it was useless to wonder about ‘what if’s’ now. In any case, Li Shi Qing’s reaction was normal. Anybody from the Star Boundary would try to kill him in an attempt to avenge Bright Moon after seeing such a scene. Not to mention, she was the Disciple of Flower Shadow Great Emperor, so she held an even greater sense of responsibility and awareness compared to most ordinary people. Thus, Yang Kai did not and would not blame her for acting like this. He only hated himself for being so weak that he couldn’t protect Bright Moon at that time.
The abnormal situation here quickly attracted Lao Ke and the others over. Most stared at the two of them with wide eyes while Bo Ya seemed to understand something and sighed involuntarily.
Li Shi Qing didn’t seem like she would stop crying anytime soon, so Yang Kai raised his hand and knocked her out, supporting her body before beckoning to Bo Ya, “Take her away and look after her,”
Bo Ya took the unconscious Li Shi Qing without a word, simply picking her up and disappearing in a flash.
“Disperse!” Yang Kai waved his hand dismissively and returned to his own room. Pushing the doors open, he walked in and saw Yu Ru Meng lying on her side on the big bed, her cheek leaning against her jade-white hand as she exuded a lazy air.
She was not wearing any clothes and was simply covered with a thin layer of cloth, which vaguely highlighted her curvaceous figure. The sight of her made Yang Kai’s blood pressure rise once more, but when their eyes met, she smilingly asked, “She wanted to kill you. Why did you let her go so easily?”
“Why should I be bothered by her?” Yang Kai’s gaze roamed all over Yu Ru Meng’s body as he climbed onto the bed and lay down behind her. He placed one hand around her waist, and the other began groping her with no trace of politeness whatsoever.
She grabbed at his large hand that was being naughty and frowned, “Stop it. I can’t bear it anymore.”
Turning a deaf ear to her words, he blew gently in her ears while breaking free of her restraints. He then cupped one of her peaks and began kneading roughly with a chuckle, “You are a Demon Saint. Your restorative ability can’t be that bad, right?”
“What the Hell do you know!?” She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Nevertheless, she closed her eyes slightly and tilted her head back.
“I want to stir up a little trouble!” After saying that, he bit her on her shoulder, drawing a soft cry from her lips…
Inside the room was an ambiguous aura, and a strange smell permeated the air. After their vigorous lovemaking, Yu Ru Meng’s unblemished body was covered in faint red marks. She lay on Yang Kai’s broad chest like a kitten, her hair dishevelled as she quietly murmured, “Smelly man. Are you satisfied now?”
Yang Kai stroked her round bottom and grinned widely, “If I can do this every single day, then it will really be satisfying.”
She raised her head abruptly, glared at him furiously, and hammered his chest with her fists, “In your dreams! This time is a special case! Don’t even think about touching me again!
“What?” His eyes widened at those words and the movement of his hands froze. He looked at her beautiful eyes miserably, “What does that mean?”
“It means what it means.” She lay back down again, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth, “It’s not like you can’t have me. I’ll give you everything you want once you become the thirteenth Demon Saint of the Demon Realm.”
Yang Kai gasped, taking in a breath of cold air, “Only the Heavens know when that will be!?”
After the transformation of the power in his body, he was still only a High-Rank Demon King. There was still the Half-Saint Realm before becoming a Demon Saint… Although it was only two Realms, these two Realms were the two most difficult to break through. It was even more difficult than all his efforts combined throughout his journey to becoming a High-Rank Demon King!
Yu Ru Meng just snickered and said, “Well, that would depend on your efforts…”
“Don’t be like this!” Yang Kai boldly reached his hands out to cup her face and asked seriously, “You’re joking with me, right?”
On the other hand, her expression was as stern as could be and she said in a serious tone, “I am not joking. We hadn’t reached this point before, so I didn’t mind the little things you did. You were free to do whatever you wanted, but you are my man now. You need to have the qualifications to match up to me. I am a Demon Saint. Naturally, only another Demon Saint can stand beside me!”
Yang Kai fell silent. Although these words sounded very unpleasant to his ear, it was also the truth. As the man of a Demon Saint, it was disgraceful that his cultivation was too low.
“Was killing Bright Moon a huge shock to you?” Yu Ru Meng asked, looking at him.
“He was a Great Emperor!” He furrowed his eyebrows, “And, I came from Star Boundary after all.”
Yu Ru Meng continued, “If you didn’t kill him, somebody else would have done it. From the moment he fell into the Demon Realm, it became impossible for him to escape this place. He was fated to die here. It is just like how the Demon Saints do not dare to enter the Star Boundary easily. If we were besieged by those Great Emperors there, I’m afraid we, too, would suffer!”
“Of course, I know that,” He nodded lightly.
“By the way, why did you suddenly undergo a complete demonification?” She asked curiously. Yang Kai had experienced a dissonance in his cultivation once before and gained Demon Essence back in Star Boundary, but his situation had not been that serious and the power in his body continued to be Emperor Qi. However, he had revealed extremely pure Demon Qi when he called upon his power a few days ago. It was as though he was a real member of the Demon Race.
“Speaking of this, I wanted to ask you something too.” Yang Kai frowned deeply, “Back when I was on the run after obtaining the Great Emperor’s Opportunity, my Qi began fluctuating. I had no choice but to return to Cloud Shadow Continent for my breakthrough, but when I was in the process…”
He briefly recounted everything strange that he experienced before, and after listening to his story, Yu Ru Meng’s expression changed greatly, “Are you saying a strange shadow infiltrated your Knowledge Sea at the time of your breakthrough?”
“That’s right. That black shadow was very strange. There was practically no way to destroy it. I don’t even know when it began lurking nearby. It sneaked into my Knowledge Sea in a moment of inattention. After I killed the black shadow, my entire Knowledge Sea was contaminated by Demon Essence and I became able to absorb Demon Qi after that. Accordingly, the power in my body also underwent earth-shaking changes.”
Yu Ru Meng exclaimed in wonder, “If it was impossible to destroy, then how did you kill it?”
He replied, “I have raised some Soul Devouring Insects, so I relied on them to slowly grind it to death.”
“Soul Devouring Insects!?” Yu Ru Meng exclaimed, shocked to learn that he was raising such dangerous insects.
“Just what was that black shadow?” Yang Kai asked.
“I can’t say for sure,” Yu Ru Meng slowly shook her head, “Although I have a guess, I can’t say for certain without actually seeing it for myself.”
“You have a guess?”
She poked him in the chest and said, “Don’t ask so many questions. You will slowly come to understand in the future.”
Before he could ask anything else, she gave him an annoyed look and changed the subject, “Your luck really is Heaven defying. You obtained the Great Emperor’s Opportunity and broke through your bottleneck. Now, even your Soul cultivation has skyrocketed, right?”
He grinned, “Did you expect that to happen?”
She scoffed, “Why did you think I’ve always stopped you in the past? I was afraid you might be unable to bear the pressure that the sudden explosive growth of your Spiritual Energy would bring. If not for how pitiful you looked, your dreams would have remained unfulfilled!”
[Pitiful!? How can you say that!?] Yang Kai felt a little speechless at those words. Still, the benefits he received from her were unmistakable; thus, he didn’t bother to argue and instead pensively said, “I can sense that not only has my Soul grown a lot, but that it seems to have something else added to it.”
Yu Ru Meng gently nodded, “I am proficient in Charm Techniques, the Innate Divine Abilities of my Charm Demon Clan; therefore, you will have greater resistance towards similar Soul Techniques in the future. Let me put it in this way; even if another Demon Saint or Great Emperor tried to use Charm-type Soul Secret Techniques on you, they would have a hard time succeeding.”
Yang Kai’s eyes brightened at those words, “It’s that great!?” [Isn’t that equivalent to receiving natural immunity!? Even Demon Saints or Great Emperors will have a hard time succeeding, so those Half-Saints aren’t even worth mentioning anymore!]
As soon as that thought crossed his mind, a glimmer of cold light flashed through his eyes. It was time to settle some old debts he was owed.
She added, “But, it is only limited to Charm-type Soul Secret Techniques.”
“It’s better than nothing,” He grinned.
“Are you going to avenge Bright Moon?” The question came out of nowhere, causing both his body and smile to stiffen instantly. Just as he was about to speak, a delicate finger sealed his lips and Yu Ru Meng continued, “I didn’t mean to deliberately spy on your memories. It’s just that… our Divine Senses blended together when you accepted my Primordial Yin and I gained some insight into your thoughts and emotions. I learned that you were not sincere when you came to the Demon Realm with me. You probably came for Bright Moon’s sake. Am I right?”
Hearing all this, his stiff body gradually relaxed. Since there was no point in him denying it anymore, he could only nod in response, “That’s right. I came to the Demon Realm to save Senior Bright Moon.”
Yu Ru Meng immediately gritted her teeth and scolded, “You tricked me!”
While speaking, a slender jade finger pressed against his chest. Demon Qi fluctuated at the tip of the said finger and a dangerous aura spread out in an instant.
Yang Kai smiled bitterly, “Are you going to kill me?”
To which Yu Ru Meng spat equally bitterly, “Did you think I couldn’t bring myself to kill you!?”
He sighed and slowly shook his head, “Go ahead and do it then.”
After saying that, he closed his eyes as though waiting for the executioner’s axe to fall.
Yu Ru Meng gnashed her teeth so hard that the sound was audible. The Demon Qi at the tip of her finger extended out, little by little, turning into a sharp blade that pierced his skin and flesh, heading straight towards his heart, causing golden blood to flow out.
However, she suddenly stopped when it was only a finger’s width from his heart.
Yang Kai opened his eyes and looked at her triumphantly before rolling over and pressing her body under his, ignoring the blood flowing out of his chest as he laughed out loud, “I knew you couldn’t do it.”
Yu Ru Meng might be a Demon Saint, but she was also a woman. She would certainly hold some special feelings towards the first man to possess her. Not to mention, they were shackled by the Heart Seal Secret Technique, so how could she really bear to kill him?
While Yang Kai was speaking, he lowered his head and kissed Yu Ru Meng on her plump lips, but soon, he raised his head again with a look of pain. His mouth was filled with the taste of blood. She had bit his tongue so hard that it was bleeding.
“Was lying to me fun?” She looked at him coldly, turning hostile from passionate as fast as one could turn the pages of a book, causing him to be quite at a loss for what to do.
He covered his mouth and mumbled, “Still, you didn’t have to bite!”
“You asked for it!” She snorted coldly, “I told you. Don’t even think about touching me again in the future.”
“You were being serious!?” He was flabbergasted.
“Did you think I was joking around with you?” She lifted a leg and kicked him aside. Her clothes flew towards her body the moment she rolled over and stood up, and by the time he recovered from his shock, she was almost fully dressed.
Her well-rounded chest was rising and falling violently, making it obvious that she was still feeling aggrieved. Glancing sideways at him, she asked, “Let me ask you this, does your loyalty lie with the Demon Realm or the Star Boundary?”
This question was too pointed, so Yang Kai fell silent for some time before asking, “What will you do if my loyalty lies with the Demon Realm? And, what will you do if my loyalty lies with the Star Boundary?”
“If your loyalty lies with the Demon Realm, then everything will remain as before. I will do my best to help you become the thirteenth Demon Saint, but if your loyalty lies with the Star Boundary… then I will have nothing to do with you from now onward.”
He gave a bitter laugh, “Will you believe me if I tell you that my loyalty lies with the Demon Realm?”
If she had not seen into his thoughts and memories, his word would not have been an issue; however, it was impossible for her to believe him after the merging of their Divine Senses, so she scowled deeply and stated, “You have completely undergone demonification, and the power in your body has also been converted into Demon Qi. Even if you do return to the Star Boundary, will you still be accepted there? Why do you have to be so stubborn?”
To which Yang Kai slowly shook his head and replied solemnly, “The power in my body does not define me. Cultivators only care for what lies in our hearts. As long as my conscience is clear, there’s no need for me to fear the Heavens.”
Yu Ru Meng was dumbfounded by his words.
Seeing her dumbstruck, Yang Kai quickly struck while the iron was hot and continued, “Ru Meng, why don’t you help me instead? I’m sure I’ll be even more powerful with your help. You don’t need me to tell you about the situation in the Demon Realm as I’m sure you’re already well aware of it. This world is dying, the continents are slowly disappearing, and in addition, the Territory Gates are all becoming unstable. The Demon Realm will collapse one day so the Demon Race can only completely occupy the Star Boundary as their current solution to this problem. But, the Star Boundary won’t fall so easily. The battle will only end up destroying both sides. Both Great Worlds will experience heavy casualties and devastation in the end.”
Yu Ru Meng closed her eyes and shook her head, “That is an unavoidable outcome. The ending was determined from the moment the Two Worlds’ Passage opened. Between the Demon Realm and the Star Boundary, only one side will survive.”
Yang Kai slowly shook his head, “Perhaps, there exists another ending.”
Yu Ru Meng looked at him with a strange expression, “You can’t be thinking that the inhabitants of both worlds can coexist peacefully, right?”
Yang Kai burst out laughing and shook his head, “That might have been possible before blood was shed, but both the Demon Realm and Star Boundary have lost too many, too much, how can they coexist peacefully with this blood feud between them?”
“Then, what is this other ending you mentioned?”
His gaze was scorching hot as he eagerly explained, “When it comes down to it, the dispute between the Demon Realm and Star Boundary can be summarized into one simple word, survival! What the Demon Realm desires is another world for them to live in. On the other hand, what the Star Boundary desires is to protect their home. Isn’t the reason why both the Great Emperors and the Demon Saints dare not take action so easily? They are afraid of destroying the world! Even if the Demon Realm obtained victory in the end, how many people will survive if the dispute between both worlds continues in this manner? Forget those weaker members of the Demon Race, I’m afraid even most of the Demon Saints will probably meet their end.”
She stared at him in astonishment, “You’ve actually thought that far ahead?”
He smiled, “Well, I have stayed in the Demon Realm for such a long time. If I can’t even understand this much, then my trip here would have been all in vain.”
“Even if everything you’ve said is correct, what can you do about it? All living creatures will search for ways to survive as long as they are sentient. The dispute between the two worlds will not end until a victor emerges.”
Looking at her, he asked, “What if there is another place that can accommodate the Demon Race?”
Yu Ru Meng furrowed her eyebrows at those words and replied in a pensive manner, “Do you mean… another Great World?”
“Yes!” Yang Kai nodded, his gaze turning deep and profound, “The land area in that world is no smaller than the Demon Realm of today. The World Principles there are no worse than the Demon Realm either. Be it the lowest of the Demon Race or the Demon Saints themselves, all of you can safely live in that place. That world can be said to be another, brand new Demon Realm!”
“Do you know where such a world is?” She raised her eyebrows at him.
Yang Kai fell silent for a moment before shaking his head slowly, “I don’t know yet. But perhaps I will in the future.”
Yu Ru Meng looked at him for a short while before she smilingly asked, “Just what are you trying to say?”
He replied with a serious expression, “If there is such a place… Will you help me, Ru Meng?”
“How can I help you?”
“Convince all the other Demon Saints to move the entire Demon Race there.”
“That’s impossible!” She laughed scornfully, “While it’s true that the Demon Realm started this war for the sake of survival, at this point, it’s hard to say how many are truly acting on their original intentions. Don’t forget, the Demon Race is full of bloodthirsty battle junkies.”
Yang Kai furrowed his brow at those words. If he thought about it, this was a major factor too. Thus, he went for the next best thing instead, “Alright, let’s not talk about the others for the time being. I will only ask you, how will you choose if given the choice?”
She was taken aback for a moment before replying lightly, “If there really is such a place…” She abruptly gave a flick of her sleeves, “We’ll talk about it then.”
Without giving him a chance to respond, she continued on her own, “I’m returning to the Holy City. You will come with me. It’s not safe for you to remain here so long as Senior Brother Huang has not said anything. Pack up whatever you need quickly. I will wait for you outside.”
Finished with what she wanted to say, she began walking outside; however, she frowned with a touch of pain in her expression before she could take more than a few steps. Reaching down to clutch at her abdomen, she threw a vicious glare at him.
Yang Kai stood beside the bed without a single piece of cloth covering his body, his hands on his waist, admiring her enchanting back and slightly strange gait with a mischievous grin.
Although Yu Ru Meng had not made her stance on the matter clear in the end, he had seen that she was swayed by his proposal. That had greatly encouraged him. It gave him a stronger certainty that the sudden idea that had popped into his head might be possible to realize. Moreover, she had not done anything to him even after realizing the various intentions in his head. On the contrary, she was bringing him back to the Holy City with her to seek refuge. That showed that she still cared about him. It might have been because of the Heart Seal Secret Technique or perhaps the effects of sharing a bed with him, but regardless of the reason, it was a good start.
Yang Kai suddenly felt his entire body relaxing. The fact that he no longer needed to put up a pretence in front of Yu Ru Meng reduced a lot of the pressure on him.
A short while later, Yang Kai got dressed and left to look for Lao Ke. After leaving his instructions with the Demon King, he took off into the air with Yu Ru Meng. He did not bring the Embodiment with him and instead left him behind to protect Cloud Shadow Continent, in case of unexpected accidents.
Yu Ru Meng ignored Yang Kai throughout the journey, as if they had not shared many intimate moments over the past few days with him. She was probably still feeling angry and sullen. Not willing to upset her further, Yang Kai decided to close his eyes and rest instead. Unfortunately, that only irritated her even more and she was tempted to throw him out on several occasions.
A Demon Saint’s flight speed was extremely fast; therefore, it took them less than half a day to arrive on Enchantment Continent. Upon entering the palace in the Holy City, Yu Ru Meng tossed Yang Kai into the courtyard where he stayed before and disappeared without a word. She didn’t even give him a chance to speak.
The maids in the courtyard were the same ones as last time. None of them had changed aside from Xiao Wu, whom he had brought with him to Cloud Shadow Continent. Needless to say, they recognized him and served him wholeheartedly.
He entered the room and ordered them not to disturb him without reason. Only then did he sit down cross-legged. Sighing softly, he entered the Small Sealed World.
In the next moment, he appeared in the medicine garden of the Small Sealed World. The two Wood Spirits, Mu Zhu and Mu Na, immediately became aware of his presence and flew over from somewhere. After seeing Yang Kai, they shouted in unison, “Master!”
Yang Kai looked around and asked, “Where is the person I sent here the other day?”
The two Wood Spirits exchanged a look with each other before Mu Zhu said, “Master, please come with me.”
While speaking, she turned around and led the way. Navigating through the various exotic plants and flowers, Yang Kai soon arrived in front of a certain spirit plant with gigantic leaves under the guidance of the two Wood Spirits. There were three long leaves on the spirit plant that stretched out like three big beds. Two of the leaves were stretched out fully while the last one was furled up tightly as though wrapped around something.
He immediately understood what it was and looked at that spirit leaf with a sorrowful gaze.
Mu Zhu stretched out her hand to touch the spirit leaf, causing it to unfurl itself, presenting the body of a person. That person had a peaceful expression as though he was in a deep sleep. It was Bright Moon Great Emperor!
The blood stains on the Great Emperor’s body had been cleaned, and the two Wood Spirits even changed his clothes for him to cover up the huge gaping wound in the middle of his chest. His face was extremely pale and he was completely devoid of vitality.
“Did you try to restore his vitality?” He asked. The Wood Spirit Clan was not only proficient in cultivating Spirit Flowers and exotic herbs, but also very adept at Healing Techniques. He had sent Bright Moon here that day in hopes that the two Wood Spirits could do something to bring the dead back to life and preserve one of the pillars of the Star Boundary.
“Master, he was already gone by the time you sent him here. All that remained was an empty shell. There was nothing Na Na and I could do,” Mu Zhu replied softly.
He did not respond.
“Master, this man is…” She asked softly from the side. When he sent Bright Moon’s body here the other day, she and Mu Na had discovered him immediately. They also realized that this person must be an extremely important person; after all, it was the first time Yang Kai had ever sent a corpse to the medicine garden. He would not have sent anybody here unless they held very special meaning to him.
“One of the Ten Great Emperors, Bright Moon Great Emperor!” While speaking, he pulled up his robes and knelt respectfully in front of Bright Moon’s corpse. He took a shallow breath and quickly continued, “Senior, Junior Yang Kai swears to you that I won’t let you down. I will put my life on the line to prevent the Star Boundary’s Will from being stolen and to protect the Star Boundary from danger. I hope you will give me your protection and blessings from the Heavens.”
After he finished speaking, he bowed three times, deeply and respectfully. The two Wood Spirits behind him imitated his actions. Although they had never met, a Great Emperor was worthy of their respect.
A short while later, he instructed the two Wood Spirits to take good care of Bright Moon’s body. Then, his figure flickered, and he disappeared from that spot, soon appearing on top of a tall mountain.
A figure stood alone on the top of that mountain. Nobody knew how long that person had been standing there, but he gave off an indescribably sad and desolate air. Seeming to notice something, he suddenly yelled, “Who is it!?”
When he turned around to look, his eyes suddenly widened. A look of pleasant surprise burst forth from his gaze, almost as though he found a glimmer of hope in the midst of his despair. He practically scrambled and crawled over to Yang Kai in a rush and wept, “Sir, I finally meet you again! Sir, I’m begging you. Please let me go!”
Yang Kai looked down at the Low-Rank Demon King sprawled on the ground in front of him. Pondering for a moment, he asked, “I recall your name is Huo Lun, yes?”
Huo Lun nodded quickly, “Yes! This lowly one is indeed called Huo Lun!”
This person was none other than the Low-Rank Demon King that Yang Kai had coerced during his return journey from Eternal Sky Continent to Cloud Shadow Continent. He had borrowed this person’s body to pass through several strictly blockaded Territory Gates to safely return to the Cloud Shadow Continent. It was just that this person had learned about the existence of the Sealed World Bead, so Yang Kai had thrown him inside just in case.
On the one hand, Yang Kai had not wanted the secret of the Sealed World Bead to be exposed. On the other hand, he had wanted to run an experiment.
Huo Lun continued, “Sir, please let me know if you have any instructions for me! This lowly one will do everything you ask of without complaining! I just beg that you don’t lock me up in here anymore, Sir!”
This damned place was extremely vast, and he had been searching for a way out since he arrived; however, he had not been able to find anything. What frightened him even more was that there was not a single living thing here. It was as though he was the only one left in the entire whole world. Therefore, he had been under tremendous psychological pressure in this desolate and unfamiliar environment. If not for his Demon King cultivation and strong mental fortitude, he would likely have suffered a nervous breakdown a long time ago. For that reason, seeing Yang Kai again at this time was like meeting his saviour.
“What’s wrong? Are you having trouble getting used to living here?” Yang Kai asked with a smile.
Huo Lun wept with a melancholic expression, “Sir, this is but a desolate wasteland! There’s nobody here! How can I get used to it!?” He replied to the question honestly. After saying that, his expression became incredibly sincere, “Sir, this lowly one will obey you wholeheartedly from now on if you just let me out!”
Yang Kai smiled, “What would I need from a Low-Rank Demon King like you?”
Huo Lun’s complexion paled. Thinking back on the power Yang Kai had displayed previously, he realized that a Low-Rank Demon King was really useless to Yang Kai and instantly died inside at the realization.
Huo Lun was wallowing in despair when he heard Yang Kai speak again, “Let me ask you this. How does this place feel different to you compared to the Demon Realm?”
It stood to reason that he did not dare to refuse answering any one of Yang Kai’s questions, so composing himself, Huo Lun replied, “The World Energy is not as abundant and the Principles are on the weaker side. If I stay here for too long, I’m afraid my cultivation will be at risk of regressing.”
The World Energy and Principles of the Small Sealed World’s original territory were abundant and perfect; however, this piece of newly devoured and integrated territory was much poorer in comparison. It was formed from the fragments of the Demon Realm continents that had disappeared after all, so it was an unexpected miracle in itself that these fragments could reintegrate. How much more could one ask?
Huo Lun hesitated for a moment after saying that; then, he asked cautiously, “Sir, is this place not the Demon Realm?”
When it came down to it, he was still a Low-Rank Demon King, so it was only natural that he was somewhat aware that he had suddenly arrived in another world.
“Of course this isn’t the Demon Realm.” Yang Kai nodded, the corners of his mouth lifting, “But, it may become another Demon Realm in the future.”
“W-What do you mean?” Huo Lun looked confused.
“It’s none of your business what I mean. I have an extremely important task for you. If you do this well, then I might give you back your freedom one day.”
Huo Lun was pleasantly surprised and affirmed, “Sir, please do tell. This lowly one will do his best!”
“I want you to live here with peace of mind. This world might experience some unexpected changes in the near future. All you have to do is record the changes that occur in this place and report them all to me… Perhaps, you will be reluctant to leave this place one day.”
[Who would want to live in this damned place!?] He retorted rudely in his heart; even so, Huo Lun quickly accepted the task on the surface. He couldn’t help wondering to himself, [What kind of mission is this? More importantly, what kind of changes will occur in this world?]
While he was still caught up in his doubts, Yang Kai had already vanished from sight. Shocked, Huo Lun hurriedly shouted at the top of his lungs a few times, but there was no response whatsoever, so he couldn’t help feeling depressed. Thinking back on the instructions that Yang Kai had given him, he could only pray that Yang Kai would do as promised and he would be allowed to go free one day.
A short while later, a log house appeared on the top of the mountain. He needed a place to stay if he was going to be living here, and it was a simple task for a Low-Rank Demon King to build himself a simple hut.
…
Inside his room, Yang Kai composed his emotions, sat down cross-legged, and calmed his mind. Bright Moon was gone, and there was no way to bring the dead back to life. All he could do now was to fulfil the task Bright Moon had entrusted to him and protect the opportunity in his possession. To do that, he needed more strength.
Since breaking through by a Minor Realm the other day, Yang Kai had not had the time to sit and understand his current condition. It was only natural for him to be excited to see the differences within himself before and after the breakthrough since he finally had some free time on his hands. Naturally, his main reason was to check if there were any hidden dangers.
The power in his body had suddenly undergone such extreme changes that even he felt nervous, especially since the seal on the Ancient Demon’s Demon Qi in his dantian had been fully released. He was very worried that he might suffer from some sort of drawback as a result.
A powerful wave of Divine Sense surged and swept across his body, little by little, as he examined himself extremely thoroughly.
A full day later, Yang Kai exhaled deeply. His inspection had confirmed that there was nothing wrong with his breakthrough. The power in his body had been completely converted, his body and meridians had not been damaged, and the rich Demon Qi flowed through him without any hindrances.
Even though there was nothing wrong with his body, Yang Kai had an extremely sorrowful expression on his face. His current condition was a perfect example of a standard High-Rank Demon King and he just couldn’t get used to the idea. He honestly did not know whether he would be hunted down as part of the Demon Race if he returned to the Star Boundary now.
Nevertheless, there was no point in thinking about such things at the moment. He decided to set aside these thoughts and try to circulate his Secret Art instead. The Demon Qi in the world surged towards him, pouring into his pores and flowing through his meridians before sinking into his dantian.
He could really cultivate in the Demon Realm without any scruples now. Yang Kai had been in the Demon Realm for such a long time, but he practically never cultivated during that period. The main reason was that the conditions did not allow for it. The world was filled with Demon Qi, which was completely different from the pure World Energy found in the Star Boundary. It could have caused unpredictable consequences if he had rashly absorbed it into his body. Unlike the Embodiment, Yang Kai had not cultivated the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, so it was only natural that he did not dare to try cultivating here lightly. But the environment in the Demon Realm was no longer a constraint to him now that he had completely undergone demonification.
[I can absorb the Demon Qi in the world, but what about Demon Crystals?] Without hesitation, Yang Kai took out a large number of Demon Crystals from his Space Ring and shattered them. The room was instantly flooded with abundant Demon Qi, and as he breathed, the Demon Qi poured into his body without causing him any discomfort whatsoever.
Immediately after that, he flipped his hand and took out a Myriad Demon Pill, only hesitating for a moment before placing it into his mouth and swallowing it.
The Myriad Demon Pill was not a Spirit Pill. Rather, it was a special existence formed in the Myriad Demon Caves on the various continents in the Demon Realm. Those Myriad Demon Caves absorbed the vitality and Spiritual Essence of the Demon Race living on each continent at all times, which in turn resulted in the formation of Myriad Demon Pills like fruits inside each Myriad Demon Caves.
Yang Kai wasn’t sure why the Myriad Demon Caves had such peculiar abilities, he only knew that they suddenly appeared after the Demon Realm shattered into many independent continents.
The Myriad Demon Caves gave him a very strange feeling. They felt like they were living things, but even so, that did not prevent the Myriad Demon Pills from having powerful effects on the Demon Race. The Myriad Demon Pills formed in the Myriad Demon Caves were equivalent to the crystallization of the Demon Race’s vitality and Spiritual Essence on each continent. Hence, they contained huge and terrifying energy.
The Embodiment had advanced to become a Half-Saint in a very short time all thanks to his consumption of Myriad Demon Pills.
Yang Kai didn’t feel anything when the Myriad Demon Pill first entered his abdomen; however, he soon felt his stomach becoming boiling hot. It felt as though what he swallowed was not a Myriad Demon Pill but a burning-hot soldering chunk of iron. The huge energy exploded in his lower abdomen and flooded every corner of his body, causing his flesh to squirm and his meridians to swell.
He was secretly surprised. He had long known that the energy contained in the Myriad Demon Pills was unimaginable, but it wasn’t until he actually consumed one that he realized just how huge the energy reserves were. No wonder only the members of the Demon Race in the Demon King realm and above were eligible to enjoy the benefits of the Myriad Demon Pills. If any member of the Demon Race below the Demon King realm were to consume such a treasure, even a High-Rank Demon Great General would explode and die immediately.
At present, Yang Kai was a High-Rank Demon King; moreover, his true strength far surpassed that of an ordinary High-Rank Demon King. Therefore, a single Myriad Demon Pill could not harm him. He guided the energy in his abdomen to flow into his limbs and skeletal structure, then refined that energy into his body, bit by bit. He could clearly feel his strength increasing little by little.
He couldn’t help feeling somewhat amazed. The Myriad Demon Pill was more powerful than any of the other treasures or Emperor Spirit Pills he had taken before. It was no wonder that the Demon Race held a large advantage over the Star Boundary in terms of top Masters. It wasn’t just because the Demon Race had a larger population compared to the Star Boundary, it was also because they possessed Myriad Demon Pills.
The power difference between the two worlds was unbalanced from the beginning, and now that Bright Moon was dead, one of the peak level powerhouses had been lost and the imbalance became even more obvious. If the dispute between the two worlds were to continue, the Star Boundary was bound to face a catastrophic end. It wouldn’t even take ten years for the Star Boundary to fall, not unless they could figure out a way to reduce the number of Demon Saints. Unfortunately, a Demon Saint was not that easy to kill.
On the contrary, it would give the Star Boundary a chance to survive if there was another way to end the dispute between the two worlds.
Yang Kai knew that he needed to pick up the pace. He had to figure out another solution before the Demon Realm went all out in their invasion and the Demon Saints entered the battlefields themselves.
A single Myriad Demon Pill took Yang Kai a full ten days to completely absorb. He could not compare to the Embodiment’s speed at all. Due to the Embodiment’s constitution and cultivation technique, he was much faster at consuming the Myriad Demon Pills compared to Yang Kai. Furthermore, the Embodiment’s speed was sure to increase now that he was a Half-Saint.
[Luckily, I stole nearly ten thousand Myriad Demon Pills from Bei Li Mo…] Yang Kai opened his room door and called upon the maids. After making some inquiries, he learnt that Yu Ru Meng had not come looking for him nor passed any messages to him at all during this period. Thus, he continued cultivating. He swallowed another Myriad Demon Pill and began refining it.
It wasn’t until he finished refining three Myriad Demon Pills that he received news from Yu Ru Meng. The person who came bearing the message was none other than an old acquaintance of his, Bai Zhuo.
Bai Zhuo had also participated in the scramble for the opportunity back on Eternal Sky Continent. Unfortunately, his luck was rather poor. He had been injured by Bright Moon and was recuperating in the Holy City recently as a result. If not for that, he would have already rushed back to the Two Worlds’ Battlefield.
When Yang Kai saw him, he was still rather pale-faced and would also cough from time to time.
The two of them left the palace together, found a restaurant in the Holy City, and sat down to talk over some drinks. After a few rounds, Bai Zhuo smiled slightly and said, “Brother Yang, you really are a person with big opportunities. More than a hundred Half-Saints returned empty-handed after that battle on Eternal Sky Continent. In fact, more than ten Half-Saints lost their lives there. And yet, only you managed to grab the opportunity, Brother Yang. It really makes me envious.”
Yang Kai finished the wine in his cup in one gulp and smiled slightly in response, “It is said that fortune is a mysterious and fickle thing. Who can tell clearly where fate lies? I never meant to snatch the opportunity that day, I was only there to watch the fun.”
Bai Zhuo replied with a look of envy, “That’s why I said your luck is amazing, Brother Yang.”
So many Half-Saints had gone all out while eyeing that opportunity covetously, but in the end, it had been taken by a person who was only there to enjoy the show. It was enough to make one spit three litres of blood from the frustration.
Pausing for a moment, he continued, “Holy Venerable has asked me to inform you that your affairs have been settled. All of the Holy Venerables have come to an agreement that they will not attack you again directly.”
That outcome was within Yang Kai’s expectations. Since Huang Wu Ji himself had uttered those words, he could not slap himself in the face by taking them back. In addition, the rest of the Demon Saints would act out of respect for him. In any case, from the Demon Race’s point of view, Yang Kai had thoroughly undergone demonification and could now be regarded as one of them; therefore, it didn’t make much of a difference whether the opportunity was in his possession or one of the Half-Saints. It was also for this reason that Xue Li had no choice but to retreat the other day.
Upon hearing those words, Yang Kai asked, “That is to say, I will be safe in the Demon Realm from now on, right?”
Bai Zhuo smiled meaningfully, “Relatively speaking, it should be much safer,”
“Relatively speaking…” Yang Kai narrowed his eyes, quickly reading between the lines.
Bai Zhuo laughed, “Holy Venerable Huang Wu Ji has spoken. The other Holy Venerables will have some scruples, so they won’t cause further trouble for you. However, that does not necessarily apply to the Half-Saints.”
Yang Kai was surprised, “Even the Holy Venerables have some scruples. How can it be that the Half-Saints don’t have any?”
Bai Zhuo slowly shook his head and sighed softly, “Brother Yang, you must know that the opportunity in your possession was originally prepared for all the Half-Saints in the Demon Realm. It’s just that it happened to fall into your possession in the end. It would have been one thing were you really a member of the Demon Race. Unfortunately, Brother Yang, you know what kind of situation you’re currently in too. Somebody will inevitably make a fuss about your background and cause a dispute over it.”
“I understand what you mean, Brother Bai Zhuo. In the Demon Realm, the Demon Saints are concerned about their status and pride, so they won’t do anything to me, but those Half-Saints don’t have the same concerns, am I right?”
Bai Zhuo said, “Since ancient times, wealth blinds while opportunities breed greed. What’s more, this opportunity is a direct path to the Heavens to all Half-Saints. If not for the fact that I’ve known you for a long time now and that we work together under the same Holy Venerable, I would honestly have been tempted too.”
Yang Kai nodded gently in response.
Bai Zhuo then lowered his voice and continued, “These are the results of the negotiations between Holy Venerable and the other Holy Venerables. There is no fault in the Holy Venerables’ reasoning either. Simply put, if you don’t have the power to protect the opportunity in your possession, then you might as well hand it over as soon as possible.”
Bai Zhuo paused for a moment before adding, “Holy Venerable asked me to inform you that since you have received the opportunity, it is best if you remain in the Holy City to cultivate peacefully. Once you have reached the peak of your current Realm, nobody will be able to do anything to you anymore.”
Yang Kai looked at Bai Zhuo and asked, “Is that what Holy Venerable said?”
Bai Zhuo replied solemnly, “Not one word more, nor one word less.”
Immediately after that, he asked with a strange expression, “Brother Yang, this may be an inappropriate question, but have you done something to upset Holy Venerable?”
He couldn’t shake the feeling that the Holy Venerable’s attitude towards Yang Kai had become a little complicated. Despite her clear concern, it felt like she wanted to be indirect about it… saying one thing but meaning something else! Bai Zhuo would never forget witnessing such behaviour. He had served under Yu Ru Meng for so many centuries, but he had never seen her with such an expression before. It was the look a young maiden would show when she was experiencing her first love. He had been quite taken aback when he first saw it in fact.
It would not have been a big deal if it had been anybody else; however, Yu Ru Meng was no ordinary person. She was one of the Twelve Demon Saints, an existence that stood at the pinnacle of the Demon Realm. He couldn’t believe that there would be a time when she could show such a look too.
Yang Kai grinned meaningfully, asking another question instead of answering the previous one, “Since Holy Venerable asked you to inform me about this, does that mean she doesn’t want to see me?”
Bai Zhuo lightly coughed and vaguely replied, “I don’t know about that. All I know is that Holy Venerable truly values you, Brother Yang.”
“I understand,” Yang Kai nodded lightly.
“Brother Yang, do you mean…” Bai Zhuo looked at Yang Kai inquisitively.
Yang Kai grabbed the cup of wine in front of him and poured the contents into his mouth. After a moment, he slammed the cup down on the table heavily, wiped his mouth with his hand, and declared, “Time will not wait for me. I won’t be staying long in the Holy City!”
Bai Zhuo sighed again and smacked his lips, “Holy Venerable mentioned that if you want to leave, you can leave at any time. There is no need to see her first.”
Yang Kai nodded at those words, “Fine! Women are troublesome, so it will only be more hassle if we meet.”
Bai Zhuo looked down at his shoes, pretending to have heard nothing…
“By the way, Brother Bai Zhuo,” Yang Kai suddenly stared at Bai Zhuo with a scorching gaze, “Can I ask you a question? If any Half-Saint came looking for trouble with me, can I kill them?”
Bai Zhuo was startled when he heard those words. Lifting his head, he saw that Yang Kai’s eyes were brimming with murderous intentions and he couldn’t help asking, “Who are you planning to kill, Brother Yang?”
“I will kill anybody who comes picking a fight with me!”
If an ordinary High-Rank Demon King had spoken such bold words, Bai Zhuo would have burst out laughing, believing that person didn’t know the immensity of Heaven and Earth. There was a vast gap between a Demon King and a Half-Saint, as big as the difference between an elephant and an ant. How was it not amusing for an ant to even dream of biting an elephant to death?
However, he had no choice but to take those words seriously since Yang Kai was the one who said them; after all, the person in front of him was no ordinary High-Rank Demon King. He briefly considered it for a moment before answering, “Nobody is willing to stick out their neck and allow another to cut off their head. You can retaliate if anybody tries to harm you. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. That is your right, Brother Yang.”
“Good!” Yang Kai stood up and cupped his fists, “Many thanks for the hospitality, Brother Bai Zhuo. Let us meet again in the future,” After saying that, he strode out of the restaurant.
Upon exiting, Yang Kai looked back in the direction of the palace, vaguely aware of a gaze that seemed to be looking at him, though he could not tell where it was coming from. Grinning widely, he lifted a hand and vigorously waved in that direction before shooting up into the sky and disappearing into the distance.
An incense stick later, Bai Zhuo stood inside the palace and truthfully reported the events of his meeting with Yang Kai.
Yu Ru Meng calmly listened to the end before raising her brow and asking, “Did he just leave like that? He didn’t leave any kind of message at all?”
Bai Zhuo lowered his gaze and shook his head slowly, “He did not leave behind a single word.” Afterwards, he seemed to hear the sound of somebody grinding their teeth and couldn’t help shivering from the chill that ran down his back…
After considering it for a moment, he continued, “Although Brother Yang currently carries the Great Emperor’s Opportunity in him, he cannot be considered powerful. His hasty departure is no different from a child running through a bustling city with a pocketful of money; he will only attract countless covetous gazes to him. Should I chase after him and bring him back?”
“Why would you want to chase him!?” Yu Ru Meng’s complexion paled with anger. She gritted her teeth and flicked her sleeves irritably, “Just let him die outside!”
Bai Zhuo lowered his head even further, scolding Yang Kai furiously in his heart. [That guy just upped and left, leaving me to weather through the Holy Venerable’s stormy temper, it’s just too unfair!]
Instinctively realizing that he would be miserable if he continued to stay in the Holy City, Bai Zhuo ignored the fact that he was still injured and cupped his fists, “Holy Venerable, it’s been a while since I returned and the Two Worlds’ Battlefield remains without a leader. Please allow me to return to the frontlines and preside over the overall situation.”
Yu Ru Meng’s expression clouded over slightly at those words and she asked in concern, “How are your injuries?”
To which Bai Zhuo replied, “It is nothing serious. I only need to recuperate for a few more days to recover fully. Many thanks for your concern, Holy Venerable.”
Thus she nodded, “If that’s what you want, this Saint will allow it. Take this; it will aid your recovery.” While speaking, a jade box smoothly and steadily flew over to him.
Knowing that it must be a treasure for healing purposes, Bai Zhuo hurriedly thanked her for her graciousness. Then, she suddenly spoke up just before he left, “This time, focus more on defence when you stand on the Two Worlds’ Battlefield. Don’t start battles lightly.”
He was stunned to hear those words and did not know why she issued such an order. The army under the Twelve Demon Saints was currently divided into twelve equal parts, each performing their own respective duties. The territory conquered by their respective armies would in turn become their own. It was equivalent to a competition between the Twelve Demon Saints to snatch up land in the Star Boundary in advance. Once the Star Boundary was occupied in the future, the amount of land conquered by each Demon Saint during the war would determine the size of the territory they would control.
Despite that, Yu Ru Meng’s orders were equivalent to giving up her advantage in this competition. At this rate, she would not occupy much territory if they really took over the Star Boundary in the future. It was impossible for her to resettle all the people living on the continents under her without enough land. If she failed to resettle those people, there would definitely be riots and rebellion from the masses…
He was extremely puzzled, and under normal circumstances, he would have questioned her motives carefully. Unfortunately, Yu Ru Meng was clearly in a terrible mood, so he did not dare to speak carelessly. Thus, he could only docilely accept her orders and leave.
After Bai Zhuo took his leave, a strong force burst out of Yu Ru Meng’s tender body that swept across the entire palace, causing all the furnishings in the palace to explode into dust from the impact. Gritting her teeth, she roared, “Bastard!”
The guards and the maids in the palace trembled with fright, crouching on the ground with their hands over their heads.
…..
The scenery on Flying Clouds Continent was beautiful. There were undulating mountains and countless rivers. Moreover, the World Energy was extremely abundant in this place. It was one of the territories under Yu Ru Meng that was being managed by a Half-Saint. The overall strength of the entire continent was not weak. Be that as it may, there was an obvious difference between the customs on this continent compared to most other continents. Here, women were superior to men.
The status of the male Demons was lower than that of the female Demons unless their cultivation had reached a certain realm. This disparity was more strongly portrayed among the weaker members of the Demon Race. The female Demons held all the important positions in various villages, towns, and even cities. In contrast, the male Demons with the same cultivation were generally slightly more disadvantaged than their female counterparts.
The main reason for this was the Half-Saint who ruled this continent. She was a female member of the Demon Race. Moreover, she was from the same clan as Yu Ru Meng, the Charm Demon Clan!
Among the hundreds of clans in the Demon Realm, each one had their own specialties and characteristics. The speciality of the Charm Demon Clan was that their Soul cultivation was superior to all others in the same realm. They also specialized in seduction. Every single Charm Demon was a natural beauty. In the Demon Realm, which member of the Demon Race with a little bit of strength and status did not have a few Charm Demons around for their pleasure? The Charm Demons were well-known for their seduction skills and bedroom techniques.
In this regard, Yang Kai had enjoyed an unforgettable experience with Yu Ru Meng. Even though it was her first time, her performance in bed had left him wanting. She was almost comparable to Shan Qing Luo, and this was just the beginning. Given a little more time, even Shan Qing Luo would be outdone by her.
The Half-Saint Yin Si, who was the governor of Flying Clouds Continent, might have been born a Charm Demon, but nobody had the right to make her feign obedience and cater to their pleasure due to her cultivation and status. On the contrary, she kept more than 3,000 male concubines in Flying Clouds Palace, with the number increasing every year. As new male concubines were brought in, older male concubines were naturally sent out. However, regardless of the race or cultivation of these male concubines, those that stayed in Flying Clouds Palace for more than three years generally did not live long after being let go.
The Charm Demon Clan’s techniques in the bedroom were exquisite, and their innate ability to gather Yang to supplement Yin was one of their specialties. What male Demon could bear the burden of being a Half-Saint Charm Demon’s supplement? Therefore, things would be hectic on Flying Clouds Continent for a while at a certain time every year. The Demon Kings overseeing their respective areas had to try their best to select outstanding and strong male Demons from their territories to send to Flying Clouds Palace for Yin Si’s pleasure.
Even though it wasn’t time to select those who would enter the palace yet, Flying Clouds Continent was bustling once again. Moreover, the demand from Flying Clouds Palace this time around was higher than in previous years. The whole continent was operating in full swing and a continuous stream of qualified male Demons were sent to the capital. More than a thousand men had been sent into Flying Clouds Palace over the past month, and it showed no signs of slowing down yet.
Most ordinary Demons did not know the real reason for this. They simply thought that Yin Si was doing this for her own pleasure; thus, they secretly admired and envied her at the same time for her vigour. Despite knowing that the men who were sent into Flying Clouds Palace would not live long, being able to sleep with a Half-Saint was something countless men could only dream about, much less a Half-Saint of the Charm Demon Clan. For that reason, many male Demons from Flying Clouds Continent would voluntarily sign themselves up to enter the palace whenever it issued a summons for more people in the previous years.
Only very few Demon Kings knew the inside story.
Yin Si governed Flying Clouds Continent. Although she had always done this, it had never been as ridiculous as this time. More importantly, it wasn’t for her pleasure. The truth was she was suffering from injuries and desperately needed the young men to heal herself!
During the battle on Eternal Sky Continent, more than ten Half-Saints had been killed while many more were wounded. Bai Zhuo was one of the wounded, as was Yin Si. Compared to Bai Zhuo though, her injuries were much more severe. She had nearly been killed on the spot by Bright Moon Great Emperor and if she had not avoided the blow in the nick of time, Flying Clouds Continent would be without a leader now.
Flying Clouds Palace was located where the Demon Qi was densest on Flying Clouds Continent. The entire palace had been built to a magnificent and grand scale with countless halls inside, demonstrating the flair of the Continent Lord.
A group of male Demons stood in a long line outside the main hall, each of them in thin, practically see-through robes as they waited patiently. These male Demons were the people selected from various places throughout the continent and all of them were strong and sturdy. Some were as burly as an iron tower, some were as handsome as phoenixes, and some bore the scars of profound vicissitudes. Every one of them was good-looking and had different characteristics.
A female Demon King with extraordinary cultivation was stationed at the front of the line, inspecting them one by one. She was dressed in very revealing clothes. Perhaps it was because she had been serving under Yin Si for such a long time that her actions and mannerisms were similarly bold and unrestrained. While performing her checks on the men, she would stretch out her hand from time to time to grope at their broad chests. What’s more; she even grabbed at their nether regions to get a feel for the size of their packages. If it was to her taste, she would smile charmingly, and if it was not, they would be driven away on the spot. Hence, some of the male Demons would occasionally be dragged out of the queue by the guards and thrown out of Flying Clouds Palace.
The male Demons who passed the inspection were soon divided into groups of ten and welcomed into the great hall by another female Demon King. The door of the hall opened and closed constantly, as though it was an invisible beast devouring various delicacies. Interestingly, the male Demons who entered the main hall never came back out again. Nobody knew where they went.
Once in a while, soft moans could be heard from inside when the doors to the main hall were opened. When these moans entered the ears of the male Demons waiting outside, it caused their blood to boil and their breathing to quicken.
Shortly after that, the female Demon King who was in charge of the inspection came to stand in front of a certain male Demon. Her brow automatically furrowed at the sight of him. She did not know why, but this person seemed a little off; even so, she could not find anything wrong with him even upon closer inspection. On the contrary, the strong and broad chest that was partly hidden underneath the thin robes made her eyes light up. Licking her lips, she acted as usual and slid a jade-white hand into his robe to grope him lightly. His chest felt as tough as iron and her breath caught in her throat as she swallowed nervously, “Which clan are you from?”
The male Demons grinned, “Strength Demon Clan!”
“No wonder…” The female Demon King exhaled an orchid scent, her tone soft as she whispered while stroking his chest, “It gives off such an imposing feeling.”
While speaking, her small hand slowly slid downward, but just as she was about to touch his crucial spot, a large hand suddenly caught her jade-white hand. A domineering force came from that large hand, causing her to feel the faintest trace of pain; however, his actions did not upset her, they only made her more interested in this Strength Demon who was standing in front of her. Her beautiful lashes fluttered elegantly as her complexion was slightly flushed, “What’s wrong? Can’t I touch a little?”
The Strength Demon leaned close to her ear and whispered, “Madame, please take this lowly one away with you if you really want a taste. You can touch as much as you want then…”
His hot breath blew against her earlobe, causing them to turn red in an instant. Her entire body became hot and uncomfortable. Biting her red lips, she chuckled, “How dare you tease this Queen like this?”
While speaking, she struggled with an internal conflict for a moment before she sighed softly and withdrew her hand, “Someone will be coming to lead you into the hall later. Take good care of Madame when you go inside,”
The Strength Demon shrugged with an indifferent expression on his face. On the other hand, the female Demon King brushed past him with a look of regret. Even though she really wanted to bring such a superb specimen like him back with her, she did not have the guts to steal something from her superior and could only lament a little…
In the meantime, the door to the main hall opened and closed with ten people entering the great hall at hourly intervals. The long line kept moving forward… Approximately six hours later, it was finally the turn of the group that the Strength Demon from before belonged to. They followed another female Demon King into the hall, and when the door closed again, a strange slapping sound and a low roar entered their ears. The sounds were coming from the deepest part of the hall, but it was much clearer now compared to the occasional cry heard from outside the door. Soon, the entire group of male Demons began breathing heavily.
They followed the female Demon King as she proceeded deeper inside, and a short while later, a rose-coloured world came into view. They were standing inside a room where a large bed and a mess of naked bodies were entangled like a snake pit while the air was filled with an ambiguous scent. There was only one woman among that tangle of bodies, her figure incredibly graceful. Meanwhile, the rest were men who surrounded her like the stars around the moon, servicing her as best as they could.
From time to time, the eyes of one of the male Demons on the bed would roll to the back of his head. He would then collapse, completely devoid of aura. Afterwards, the fallen male Demon would quickly be dragged out of the room by a team of maids. Even so, the rest of the men seemed oblivious to what was happening. They continued to gather around the female Demon with an intoxicated expression on their faces and dedicate their vitality to her. Even the Demons that had just entered the room didn’t seem to notice anything. They were highly aroused, staring hungrily at the perfect and tender body of the lone female Demon.
A sneer lifted the corners of the mouth of the Strength Demon who was standing among the crowd, his eyes filled with derisive scorn.
Seeming to sense something, the female Demon who was rocking her body back and forth on the bed with a head full of dishevelled hair suddenly frowned. She lifted her head and looked over in his direction, coincidentally meeting the eyes of that ‘Strength Demon’. Her expression changed drastically in the next moment as she gritted her teeth and roared, “Yang Kai!”
“Yin Si!” Yang Kai, who had disguised himself as a Strength Demon to infiltrate this place, replied with an extremely cold glare. He let out a roar while simultaneously throwing himself at Yin Si and attacking her with a palm strike.
Even though Yin Si was in the middle of copulating and was currently heavily injured, the quick reaction speed of a Half-Saint was nothing if not quick. In that tense moment, she grabbed a male Demon, who was kneeling by the bed like a dog in heat, and used him to shield herself. Following that, she abruptly backed away without even changing her posture.
The male Demon she had caught and used as a literal meat shield was still desperately groping at her, bewitched by her Charm Technique and completely unaware of the crisis approaching him. A faint enraptured smile remained on his face even when Yang Kai’s attack turned him into a mist of blood.
Another male Demon kneeling behind Yin Si suffered the same fate, but his death was unrelated to Yang Kai. When Yin Si retreated abruptly, he had not moved out of her way. Thus, she collided into him and turned him into a mist of blood as a result. He didn’t even have bones left. The boiling-hot blood splashed against Yin Si’s body, staining her snow-white skin a bloody red. Only then did a terrifying wave of Demon Qi burst outward. The pink-coloured bed collapsed, and the male Demons still left were killed on the spot.
“Impudence!” Several of the female Demon Kings inside the room, who had been serving Yin Si all this time, finally reacted, their expressions changing drastically. None of them had ever expected somebody would dare to attack Yin Si in Flying Clouds Palace.
The strength of these female Demon Kings was not weak. One was a High-Rank Demon King, three were Mid-Rank, and two were Low-Rank. They immediately pushed their Demon Qi and lunged toward Yang Kai without any hesitation.
“Die!” Yang Kai swung both arms outward and pitch-black Moon Blades slashed at those female Demon Kings.
There was a rumbling explosion and the female Demon Kings rushing at him instantly reacted as though they had been struck by lightning. Their eyes widened in unison as their advancing figures were thrown backwards as though a powerful force had ripped through them.
Ever since he began cultivating, Yang Kai had always excelled at fighting beyond his Realm. He had already killed High-Rank Demon Kings and Third-Order Emperors when he was just a Second-Order Emperor himself, so now that he was a Third-Order Emperor, the only ones in the entire Demon Realm who could put up a fight against him were Half-Saints and those above them.
Those female Demon Kings might not have been weak, but they couldn’t even approach him. They were completely wiped out in an instant. They probably did not expect him to be so powerful. They felt safe with Yin Si around, so they had let their guard down and suffered terrible misfortune as a result.
On the other hand, Yin Si, who had left his range of attack and pulled on a piece of gauze to cover her body, narrowed her eyes at him. She finally realized that his strength was much greater compared to the last time she had seen him. Even so, her subordinates’ deaths had kindled her ire and she immediately yelled through gritted teeth, “You court death!”
Having said that, she didn’t immediately rush at him. She might be a Half-Saint with the ability to crush him, but she couldn’t shake off the inexplicable sense of unease; after all, he had another powerful helper beside him when she last saw him on Eternal Sky Continent. Therefore, she spread her Divine Sense out while shouting, as if searching for something.
“Are you looking for Zhui Feng?” Yang Kai looked at Yin Si coldly, “I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you. Zhui Feng is not on this continent.”
In a sense, he was not lying. Zhui Feng was certainly not on Flying Clouds Continent as he was currently inside the Small Sealed World. Therefore, Yang Kai was not the slightest bit lying when he said those words.
Yin Si’s expression relaxed upon hearing that. Even though she was injured, she still had her foundation as a Half-Saint. She neither noticed Zhui Feng’s aura nor any other Half-Saints’ aura, so her nervous mood quickly eased. Although Yang Kai’s performance just now was rather good, she didn’t take him seriously. There was nothing she had to fear as long as that beast from Hundred Spirits Continent was not here.
“You broke through?” She frowned slightly. Even while she was asking her questions, she looked stunning. It was as though she was not the one who had been engaged in so much debauchery on the big pink bed before. That was the horrifying aspect of a Charm Demon. Every action she took, every mannerism she had, and every smile she made was capable of seducing others. It was so natural that there was not the slightest trace of deliberateness.
“Indeed!” Yang Kai admitted frankly. When he had launched his attack just now, the fluctuations in his aura were so obvious that there was no point in denying something like this.
Yin Si smiled mockingly, as a Demon King’s breakthrough was nothing to her. What difference did a Mid-Rank Demon King or a High-Rank Demon King make? The only thing she needed to worry about was the reason behind his arrival on Flying Clouds Continent. Was there any other deeper meaning to his actions? Pondering in silence for a moment, she asked, “Did Holy Venerable send you here?”
She had cooperated with Yue Sang to set up a trap to deal with Yang Kai on Eternal Sky Continent. At the time, she had not thought much about it and she only agreed because she owed Yue Sang a favour. She could not turn his request down once he brought it up. Besides, Di Li had also been involved in that matter. Three of the Half-Saints under Yu Ru Meng had joined forces, so even if Yu Ru Meng learned about it later, there was no way for her to punish them for their actions.
However, the plan had been a complete failure. Yin Si only learned afterwards just how important this Human was to Yu Ru Meng and consequently experienced a slight trace of fear. Fortunately, Yu Ru Meng had not come looking for her, so she thought that the incident on Eternal Sky Continent was done and over with.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai’s sudden and bold arrival on Flying Clouds Continent at this time, in addition to his unscrupulous attack on her, had made her wonder whether he was acting on Yu Ru Meng’s orders. She would be doomed if that were the case.
“This has nothing to do with the Holy Venerable!” Yang Kai snorted coldly, “This King simply came here for his revenge!”
He had been caught in a trap set up by three Half-Saints working under Yu Ru Meng on Eternal Sky Continent. Yue Sang had been killed by Bright Moon, but Yin Si and Di Li were still alive and well.
If he were not stuck in his current predicament, he would not have bothered to create trouble for Yin Si as he had more important things to deal with at the moment and did not want to waste time here. It was just that Yu Ru Meng had reached a new agreement with the other Demon Saints, and Yang Kai did not know how many Half-Saints across the entire Demon Realm were secretly eyeing him from the shadows. If he didn’t display enough strength now, he would be facing all sorts of trouble in the future.
Flying Clouds Continent was going to be the stage on which he displayed his might, and Yin Si was going to be the object of his practice. At the same time, he could also use this chance to settle some of the grievances that he had suffered on Eternal Sky Continent.
[How dare a mere High-Rank Demon King be so shamelessly arrogant!?] Yin Si was furious beyond belief. Under normal circumstances, she would have already made her move to give Yang Kai a terrible lesson by now so that he knew what he could say and what he could not say.
Unfortunately, the man standing in front of her was a special case. Even without the fact that he was highly valued by Yu Ru Meng, he currently contained the Great Emperor’s Opportunity in him. In time, he might end up becoming the thirteenth Demon Saint of the Demon Realm; thus, she did not have the courage to harm him. Yin Si mulled in silence for a moment before breaking out into a faint smile, “Great King Yang, I think there might be a bit of misunderstanding between us…”
“A misunderstanding?” The corners of his mouth lifted. Her reaction was a little beyond his expectation. He thought that there would be a tough battle to be fought here today, but who could have known that the other party would retreat before the battle had even started? She seemed to have the intention of exchanging weapons of war for gifts of jade and silk; thus, he responded in a manner that neither confirmed nor denied her words, “Sister Yin Si, is the matter between us just a simple case of misunderstanding?”
“Of course!” She nodded, “A few days ago, this Queen was compelled by Yue Sang to act. I don’t know what possessed me at the time to agree with him, but this Queen truly did not act directly against you at the time, I only helped Yue Sang distract Zhui Feng and lure him away. Besides, you were safe and sound in the end while Yue Sang died at the hands of that Great Emperor instead. In fact, you suffered no losses whatsoever. What’s more, you and I are now serving under the same Holy Venerable. If we were really to start fighting in this place, it would be bad for us if Holy Venerable heard about it. It would only draw ridicule for Holy Venerable from the other Demon Saints for being incompetent. What do you think?”
Yang Kai rubbed his chin, “There is some truth to your words.”
Yin Si giggled lightly, her voice extremely pleasant. Moreover, the bulge of her ample bosom beneath that thin layer of gauze fuelled one’s imagination. Any man who saw such scenery would be struck with the idea of clambering over to liberate them from their constraints. It wasn’t the effects of a Charm Technique or something of that sort, it was just the effects of her inherent charm. Still laughing, she added, “Since it is just a misunderstanding, why don’t we talk this through instead of engaging in a pointless battle?”
Her tone of voice was very soft, causing her to feel sick in her stomach. If it wasn’t out of respect for Yu Ru Meng, she would not have acted with such grace toward a mere High-Rank Demon King. As a Half-Saint herself, Yin Si had her own pride, and a High-Rank Demon King was nothing more than a tool for her pleasure in her eyes.
She originally thought that Yang Kai’s attitude would soften, and he would back down out of respect for her, but how could she have known that he would break into a grin instead? “There were countless casualties from Cloud Shadow Continent that day. Sister Yin Si, you couldn’t possibly expect me to back down with just a few words, right? Won’t that come off as a little too insincere?”
[Cloud Shadow Continent suffered casualties? Are you saying Flying Clouds Continent didn’t suffer any? Both Cloud Shadow Continent and Flying Clouds Continent suffered many deaths in that battle!] Yin Si had not thought much about that; after all, those that died were nothing more than some inferior good-for-nothings in her opinion, so she had not taken those deaths to heart. However, the situation changed since he was bringing them up in this conversation.
Despite how furious she was that he could not appreciate her kindness, Yin Si continued smiling elegantly on the surface, “What do you want this Queen to do to show you her sincerity?”
While speaking, she gazed at him with a suggestive look.
Gulping hard, Yang Kai waved his large hand and said, “Simple. As long as you bring out a thousand Myriad Demon Pills, this King can forget about what happened back then. As you mentioned, we both serve the same Holy Venerable after all, so a confrontation would not benefit anyone. As such, this King is willing to do this out of respect for you.”
“A thousand…” The corner of her eyes twitched, “Great King, you must be joking.”
It wasn’t that she couldn’t bring out that amount of Myriad Demon Pills, it was just that it would empty her entire fortune if she really were to do so. Besides, those Myriad Demon Pills were of great use to her too. How could she willingly bring out so many? It would have been negotiable if it had been about a hundred or so, but a thousand?
Yang Kai’s expression darkened, “So… you are saying that I’m willing to show you some respect, but you aren’t willing to do the same for me? Is that right, Sister Yin Si? If you refuse to show me due respect, I might just get angry.”
Yin Si frowned, “A thousand… is simply too many. Why don’t we discuss this matter further?”
“There’s nothing to discuss!” Yang Kai gave a domineering wave of his hand, “Either bring out a thousand Myriad Demon Pills or I will tear Flying Clouds Continent apart!”
“Great King, must you be so aggressive!?” Similarly, her expression had darkened immensely. In her opinion, she had shown him more than enough respect. If it had been any other High-Rank Demon King, they would not even have the right to make so much noise in front of her.
[Does he think that being crowned ‘Great King’ by Holy Venerable allows him to do whatever he wants!?] As a Half-Saint, her patience was wearing thin.
“You don’t seem to want to show any sincerity at all!” He glared at her malevolently and with a surge of his Demon Qi, his figure became surrounded by a black aura as he shouted, “Since that’s the case, there’s nothing more to be said. This King will kill you first!”
Saying so, he blasted a punch that ignored the barriers of space at her. The tumultuous Demon Qi converged the moment he threw the punch, transforming into a long, pitch-black Dragon that roared furiously, opening its mouth to bite at Yin Si.
[Kill me?] She was so furious that she laughed instead, [I seriously have no idea where he gets his confidence from!]
Casually lifting a bare hand, she met his punch with her palm.
There was a loud explosion and the entire palace was torn apart by the explosion.
Meanwhile, Yin Si took a step back and flew into the sky, a strange look flashing across her eyes. [He’s strong. That was not something an average High-Rank Demon King can resist. Even though I have yet to recover from my injuries, there shouldn’t be any Demon King who can push me back so easily…]
On the other side, Yang Kai was forced backwards by a distance of several tens of metres, tumbling and rolling into the sky. Shaking his head, he muttered, “Little girl, you’re quite strong.” Before he even finished his sentence though, he lunged at Yin Si again.
Such a large commotion naturally shocked all the Demons outside, and when they looked up, they saw their Half-Saint fighting against a Demon King, causing their mouths to fall wide-open with looks of shock on their faces.
The female Demon King who was in charge of inspecting the male Demons outside was even more shocked than the others. That was because she recognized that the person fighting Yin Si at this moment was none other than the ‘Strength Demon’ that had aroused her interest earlier. Looking at him again though, he didn’t look like a Strength Demon… She did not know what was going on; after all, she had believed what he had told her earlier.
*Shua shua shua…*
Figures began to fly up into the sky, all of them Demon Kings who were throwing themselves at Yang Kai with malevolent expressions.
“Go away!” Yin Si yelled, “No one is allowed to interfere without my explicit order!”
While speaking, she exchanged blows with Yang Kai again, her body swaying slightly while he was sent flying several tens of metres.
As a Half-Saint, she had to uphold the dignity of a Half-Saint. Thus, she was extremely irritated by Yang Kai’s unscrupulous provocations. It would have been one thing if the other party had been nothing more than an ordinary Demon King. Unfortunately, Yang Kai’s status was special. Her actions were restricted, and she didn’t dare to allow those Demon Kings under her to approach. If one of them accidentally killed him, she would not know how she was going to explain things to Yu Ru Meng.
Following Yin Si’s orders, the Demon Kings who had been rushing to join the battle stopped in their tracks and scattered in all directions, surrounding the battlefield so tightly that not even a drop of water could pass through.
Under the gazes of the crowd of Demons, Yang Kai and Yin Si, both wearing practically see-through outfits, battled fiercely. Although their bodies were giving off extremely enticing auras, they were currently having a vigorous battle in the sky of a much more brutal nature. It was truly an amusing sight to see.
The battle was one-sided from the beginning. Yin Si stood in the sky, not moving a muscle. On the other hand, Yang Kai dashed around her like a butterfly flitting through a flower field. He would launch a fierce bombardment of attacks at her every time he got close, but she easily nullified them. This scene looked as though an adult was teasing a small child.
The Demon Kings who were watching the battle began to feel more reassured. At the same time, they began wondering where this strange person popped out from. His strength was clearly not up to par, so why was he asking to be humiliated?
“Yang Kai, you are not my opponent. Why don’t you just stop?” Yin Si’s beautiful eyes were frosty as she had lost her temper. Even though Yang Kai couldn’t hurt her, being challenged by a mere High-Rank Demon King undermined her authority. Besides, this was nothing but a farce to her. It was only natural that she wanted it to end as soon as possible.
“This King hasn’t even exerted his full strength! How do you know I am not your opponent!?” Yang Kai shouted furiously as the Demon Qi in his body surged and he lunged at her with an even more ferocious posture than before.
“Enough!” Yin Si yelled. She uncharacteristically faced his attack without any intention of backing down. Instead, she simply stared at him with an icy glare and coldly mocked, “You say you haven’t exerted your full strength… Are you implying that I’ve gone all out!?”
The moment the words left her mouth, her Divine Sense began to surge. Her eyes turned into bottomless pools that had a peculiar lustre flowing through them.
Yang Kai’s figure suddenly froze in front of her. He was completely immobilized. His eyes that were brimming with murderous intent also became hollow while the fist he had thrown was frozen just a palm’s length in front of her well-rounded peaks. The gust of wind from the force of his punch sent her hair flying wildly.
Their gazes met, and she calmly questioned, “Didn’t you know what a Charm Demon excels most at? Did you really think I wouldn’t dare to kill you just because you have the protection of Holy Venerable?”
While she spoke, her slender jade finger touched his chest and an internal struggle flashed through her eyes. The person standing in front of her wasn’t just a simple High-Rank Demon King, he was also a huge opportunity. If she killed him here, that opportunity would be transferred to her and open up a road to reach the Heavens.
As a Half-Saint, she was only one step away from becoming a Demon Saint, an existence that stood at the top of the Demon Realm. She had to admit that the temptation was extremely great. After the battle on Eternal Sky Continent, she had lost all hope of obtaining this opportunity and instead only hoped that Yu Ru Meng would not cause trouble for her afterwards. Who could have known that this opportunity would throw itself at her while she was staying at home and having some fun?
It was just that if she actually killed him here, it would be tantamount to rebelling against Yu Ru Meng completely. She would have to leave Flying Clouds Continent immediately and seek refuge with another Demon Saint. Furthermore, she didn’t know what she would experience after fleeing to the territory of another Demon Saint. If she fell prey for another person’s schemes, she would lose more than she gained.
Therefore, she was hesitating… Should she make her move here?
Before she could consider it more carefully though, she suddenly felt something tightening around her wrist. She looked down in surprise only to see that Yang Kai was grabbing her arm firmly, and the terrifying strength he used to grip her hurt her to the bone.
Yang Kai’s originally empty eyes had returned to their former lustre at this moment and he grinned maniacally, “Caught you!”
“You…” Yin Si’s beautiful face paled, and without hesitation, she raised her other palm and slammed it into his chest viciously.
Yang Kai didn’t bother to evade, he simply pushed his Demon Qi to protect himself while at the same time, his free fist that was frozen in front of her chest suddenly burst out with a violent force that exploded outward.
A resplendent shockwave spread out to the surroundings, centred around the place where the two of them stood. A few of the weaker ones among the Demon Kings gathered around were knocked flying and nearly fell out of the sky.
Two parties coughed up blood in mid-air. One coughed up Golden Blood, the other coughed up crimson blood. Both Yang Kai and Yin Si felt the vitality in their body churning from the mutual attack and they both became short of breath.
The blood they both coughed up splattered on the other person’s face, making their respective expressions hideous all of a sudden. However, Yin Si felt as though the plumpness of her bosom had almost been smashed to pulp by Yang Kai and the intense pain nearly caused her to convulse.
Her beautiful eyes trembled violently. [I can’t believe he broke free of my Soul Charm! He is just a High-Rank Demon King! Even if he cultivates some sort of profound Soul Secret Technique, how is he completely unaffected by my own!? I am a Half-Saint! What’s more, I’m a Charm Demon!]
At this point, how could she not realize that she had been tricked? The other party’s reckless and brutal attacks before were only to lull her into a false sense of superiority and entice her into using her Soul Secret Technique on him so that she would feel as though she was in control of the overall situation. Only then would he go all out with his attacks when she was least expecting it.
Her arm had been captured and she was unable to break free from the great shackling force that was transmitted through that grip. The man standing no more than an arm’s length in front of her was exuding the fierce aura of an ancient giant beast, as though he was going to devour her whole, leaving her feeling absolutely terrified.
[What is going on!? How did he break free from my Soul Charm!?]
“Dragon Transformation!” A shout rang out, accompanied by a deafening Dragon Roar. Following that, a huge Golden Dragon Head suddenly appeared behind Yang Kai and gazed down at the world below, seemingly looking down on all living beings.
Under the gaze of those Dragon Eyes, the horrifying feeling that she had no control over her life or death filled Yin Si’s heart.
The Dragon Head vanished in a flash, plunging into Yang Kai’s body, and disappearing out of sight. Immediately afterwards, his appearance changed drastically. Short Dragon Horns appeared on his forehead, his exposed skin was covered in Dragon Scales, his hands turned into sharp Dragon Claws, and a Dragon Tail appeared behind him… Only his body shape did not change at all!
With the growth of his Dragon Vein and the increase in his prowess in the Dragon Transformation Secret Art, Yang Kai was now capable of controlling the size of his body during his Dragon Transformation.
A stronger shackling force appeared at that moment as Yin Si immediately felt Yang Kai’s grip tightening around her waist, as though she was bound by a long whip. Looking down, she was shocked to realize that it wasn’t a whip that was restraining her but his Dragon Tail that had appeared after his transformation. The Dragon Tail curled and tightened around her slim waist, and the terrifying power almost seemed like it would cut her in two…
Yin Si knew she would have to go all out, for if she couldn’t break free from her opponent’s hold quickly, it would be difficult for her to escape with her life today. Her beautiful eyes became frosty in an instant and, lifting a jade-white hand, she palmed hard at his chest.
Yang Kai grinned seeing this and his Dragon Claw formed into a fist as he punched out mercilessly.
What used to be a farce suddenly turned into a lethal close-combat battle. The change was so rapid that the Demon Kings watching could barely accept what they were seeing…
*Hong hong hong…*
In several tense breaths, both sides had let out a barrage of attacks. The sound of bones breaking rang out as frequently as the crackling of beans being fried.
Yang Kai spat out another mouthful of blood and the Demon Qi covering the surface of his body trembled and swayed as though it could collapse at any moment. His physical fitness had always been incredibly strong, now even more so with the activation of the Dragon Transformation Secret Technique. With the Dragon Scales covering his entire body for protection, it stood to reason that there was practically no risk of him being injured.
However, Yin Si was still a Half-Saint when it came down to it. She was much stronger than him in the first place. Not to mention, this was Flying Clouds Continent! As the Lord of Flying Clouds Continent, she could communicate with the Source of this continent and use its power to enhance her own strength.
Hence, every blow to his chest was more than twice as powerful as the actual strength Yin Si could exert under normal conditions. Even he couldn’t withstand such a fierce barrage of attacks. Unfortunately, he had no choice but to do so. The moment he released his grip on her, she would put some distance between them and regain the advantage. It was very difficult to kill a Half-Saint in their own territory unless the one attacking was a Demon Saint. Otherwise, it was simply more difficult than ascending to the Heavens.
Capturing Yin Si and exchanging blows with her at point-blank range was the only possible way for him to win. That was why he had pretended to be weak from the beginning. He had planned to fight her in close combat since the very start.
Yang Kai was no doubt in a miserable condition, but Yin Si was not much better off. Although this was her territory and although she was a Half-Saint, she could not compare with Yang Kai when it came to raw physical strength. Being a Charm Demon at this point was no advantage. On the other hand, Yang Kai’s power as a High-Rank Demon King combined with the savage strength of his body under the Dragon Transformation exploded out of him. Every blow he landed caused her to suffer grievous internal injuries and the amount of blood she coughed up was even more than what he had.
Another explosion rang out…
Yin Si’s tender body shuddered once as she felt as though something inside her had shattered. Looking down at her figure, a huge sense of panic engulfed her. Her ample bosom had been beaten by him so badly that it had blown apart. Blood was gushing out uncontrollably, covering her entire body in a damp heat.
Her beautiful eyes trembled violently as she could not accept what she was seeing. Every single Charm Demon was a natural beauty, full of confidence in their figures and looks. As a woman, how could she accept that one of her most prized weapons had been blown apart?
It wasn’t as though an injury of this extent was irreparable, it was just that this ugly sight had been imprinted in her eyes, causing her to fall into hysteria. Raising her eyes again, a violent burst of Spiritual Energy poured out of her forehead and transformed into a sharp stake which rushed directly into Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea, all while she gritted her teeth and screamed, “Die!”
The stake formed from the condensed Spiritual Energy was actually visible to the naked eye, so it could be seen just how terrifyingly powerful her attack was. At this point in the battle, she no longer held any scruples. Even the opportunity in him could no longer cause ripples in her heart. She only wanted to kill this bastard in front of her as soon as possible. Everything else… could wait until after she killed him.
The Soul Stake stabbed into Yang Kai’s mind, and then… all she received in response was an even fiercer bout of attacks from him. The heavy blows landed on her wounds again and again, causing her even more unbearable pain.
Yin Si was completely dumbfounded and for the first time showed a frightened expression. She could understand to some extent why her previous Charm Techniques had not worked on him as he might be wearing some sort of treasure to counteract their effects; however, she had exhausted all her Spiritual Energy and turned it into a single piercing attack just now, so why hadn’t it worked on him either? Not only did it fail to work, but it didn’t even cause any ripples whatsoever!
Yin Si’s beautiful eyes shook violently. Her heart was chilled to the core, and the palm strike she shot out at Yang Kai weakened considerably due to her fright. On the other hand, Yang Kai was like a beast on a rampage. The force behind his punch coming at her became increasingly powerful. The impact was so strong that it caused all her internal organs to jerk and shred as bits of them were coughed up along with her next mouthful of blood.
[I’m going to die if this continues!] Yin Si had never imagined that a Half-Saint like herself would one day be threatened by a High-Rank Demon King to the point where her life was at stake. In front of this man, her strongest trump card became her biggest flaw. Her Soul Secret Techniques had failed twice, causing her to fall into an endless abyss of despair. Combined with the injuries she received back on Eternal Sky Continent not having healed yet, she was currently at a complete disadvantage.
“Hurry up and kill him!” Yi Si screamed, spitting blood.
Upon hearing her scream, the Demon Kings surrounding her finally came back to their senses and their expressions turned solemn as their Demon Qi soared to the skies as they lunged towards Yang Kai.
“Nobody can save you today!” Yang Kai’s expression was savage and with a flash of his thoughts, the Mountains and Rivers Bell smoothly appeared and covered both himself and Yin Si. The two of them were completely enveloped by the Mountains and Rivers Bell and vanished from sight before those Demon Kings could approach. The various patterns of mountains, rivers, flowers, birds, fish, and animals on the bell seemed to come to life. Following that, an overwhelmingly ancient aura spread outward.
Countless fierce attacks landed on the Mountains and Rivers Bell; however, it remained as sturdy as a rock. Those attacks only caused ripples to appear on its surface. Many of the Demon Kings paled in shock and began attacking with increasing fervour. For a time, the sky itself paled in colour and the world trembled from the impact.
Fierce tremors kept coming from inside the Mountains and Rivers Bell, mixed with the occasional high-pitched Dragon Roar and a woman’s tragic screams, performing the last elegy of life.
Nobody knew how long passed, but when the sounds from within the Mountains and Rivers Bell gradually stopped, the group of Demon Kings also ceased their attacks, each of them pale-faced as they looked around at each other nervously.
With a loud whooshing sound, the Mountains and Rivers Bell flew up, transformed into a flash of light, and buried itself in the chest of a man on the ground, revealing two figures.
Yin Si and Yang Kai remained in their original positions like a pair of lovers who had committed suicide together. Both of them were pressed tightly against each other, motionless. Yin Si was lying on top of Yang Kai’s chest so quietly that it seemed like she was asleep. It was just that both of them were covered in blood. Moreover, there was not a single uninjured spot on their bodies.
[Who won!? Did Senior Yin Si win!?] Many of the Demon Kings swallowed nervously and hesitantly released their Divine Sense to check the situation. In the next moment, the expressions of all the Demon Kings changed drastically. That was because Yin Si, who was lying on Yang Kai’s chest, did not have any vitality. On the other hand, Yang Kai was still alive. Although his breathing was heavy, he survived.
A colourful light suddenly shot out from Yin Si’s body and soared straight into the sky before bursting apart. The entire sky of Flying Clouds Continent was dyed in this multi-coloured light, becoming extremely beautiful all of a sudden. However, behind that splendid and colourful light was a sadness that enveloped the entire continent.
At that moment, realization dawned on all the Demons living on Flying Clouds Continent. The Continent Lord was dead! Yin Si was the Lord of Flying Clouds Continent, so it was only natural that she had refined the Source of Flying Clouds Continent. Now that she was dead, the Source she had refined was released from its shackles and regained its freedom; hence, it was displaying such an anomaly across the entire continent. The sun was shining brightly in the sky, but a torrent of rain poured down at the same time…
Yang Kai, who was pressed under Yin Si, slowly opened his eyes. The rain hit against his face, washing away the blood, turning it into a golden and red stream.
He lifted a hand and pushed the corpse on top of him to the side; then, he stood up trembling, swaying unsteadily a few times, barely managing to not fall. Pressing his hand to his chest, he spat out a mouthful of blood. There was a hoarse sound akin to the sound of broken bellows being pumped whenever he took a breath.
He turned to look around his surroundings only to see countless pairs of frightened eyes fixed on him. All the Demon Kings gathered around were at a loss for what to do. Yin Si had been killed in the skies above Flying Clouds Continent; moreover, she was killed by a High-Rank Demon King. If they had not witnessed the entire incident with their own eyes, they would not have believed it to be possible.
[What should we do now?] Many of the Demon Kings looked lost and confused…
“Kill him! We should avenge Senior Yin Si!” A coquettish shout rang out. It was the female Demon King who was in charge of doing inspections outside the hall. She was probably a close subordinate of Yin Si’s; otherwise, she would not have thought of avenging Yin Si at this time, “He is an arrow at the end of its flight! He doesn’t have much strength left!”
After saying that, she was the first to lunge at Yang Kai, her beautiful eyes filled with a bitter murderous intent. She probably had quite a lot of prestige on Flying Clouds Continent, and for that reason, many of the Demon Kings followed suit when she took action, all of them were overflowing with murderous intent.
She had hit the mark about Yang Kai being an arrow at the end of its flight. He had killed a Half-Saint despite only having the cultivation of a High-Rank Demon King, and even if Yin Si had been badly injured before the battle began, Yang Kai still had to pay a high price for engaging in a close-combat battle with her. At this moment, he couldn’t even exert half of his usual strength, so any random Demon King could kill him with ease.
However, he was not alone…
Glaring coldly at the Demon Kings rushing toward him, Yang Kai’s eyes were filled with mockery even though he could barely open them.
When the Demon Kings were less than thirty metres away from him, he suddenly waved his hand.
There was a loud neighing sound and a figure with four hooves burning with golden flames, an unusually dignified appearance, and a Half-Saint’s aura emanating from his body appeared.
Zhui Feng!
Ever since Yang Kai’s escape from Eternal Sky Continent, Zhui Feng had been inside the Small Sealed World. He did not bring Zhui Feng out even when he was fighting Yin Si in a life-or-death battle, mainly because Yin Si would have fled the moment she saw Zhui Feng, so Yang Kai could not release him at the start. Afterwards, he simply did not have the time to bring Zhui Feng out during the battle.
Therefore, this was the best time for Zhui Feng to show up.
The Demon Kings rushing towards Yang Kai never expected such a change, but it was too late to retreat by the time they saw Zhui Feng. The female Demon King, who had acted the fastest, was also the first to be killed.
Zhui Feng simply pushed his head forward and butted it against her body, causing all her bones to instantly shatter into dust. She was thrown backwards, tumbling mid-air while spitting out blood and pieces of her organs. Her aura was gone before her body even hit the ground.
Immediately afterwards, Zhui Feng ran wildly in a circle around where Yang Kai stood, kicking and bucking the whole time, causing the Demon Kings lunging at Yang Kai to be thrown backwards at a speed that was even faster than they had charged. Consequently, those Demon Kings were all either severely injured or dead.
In the blink of an eye, the area around Yang Kai was completely emptied.
Zhui Feng was caught up in the excitement of his killing spree; thus, he took the initiative to attack. His speed was unimaginably fast, so all the onlookers could see was a streak of golden light high up in the sky, darting from one place to another.
Many of the Demon Kings screamed and died on the spot, while those who were fortunately further away turned and fled when they saw that the situation was dire.
It only took a few dozen breaths for Zhui Feng to slaughter everybody left inside the palace grounds, but he probably realized that Yang Kai was currently in terrible condition, so he did not give further pursuit. He simply drove everyone out before turning back. Pushing his large head in Yang Kai’s face, he opened his mouth wide and snorted loudly as if to say, ‘Look at what a good job I did! Hurry up and praise me!’
The corner of Yang Kai’s mouth twitched. He wanted to smile but was unable to raise his lips. In the end, he could only just manage to lift his hand and pat Zhui Feng on the head.
Seeing this, Zhui Feng immediately lowered his body, used his head to lift Yang Kai up, and placed him on his back. After that, he broke into a gallop and ran in a certain direction.
An hour later, Zhui Feng stopped under Yang Kai’s order and slowly landed. They were now atop a barren hill far from the palace.
Yang Kai got off Zhui Feng, breathing heavily. He gave a flip of his wrist and summoned the Sealed World Bead. Lifting it to Zhui Feng’s eye level so that he could get a good look at it, he said in a hoarse voice, “Keep it safe!”
After saying that, he forcefully pushed his Divine Sense and entered the Small Sealed World.
Meanwhile, the Sealed World Bead landed on the ground.
Zhui Feng widened his eyes and stared at the bead, his gaze filled with shock and curiosity. After examining it for a while, he could not find anything strange about this bead though and only then did he muster up his courage to approach it. He sniffed it lightly and licked it with his long tongue…
There was nothing unusual about the bead. Walking around the Sealed World Bead a few more times, Zhui Feng neighed loudly and stepped forward so that he was standing right on top of the Sealed World Bead. He subsequently bent his legs and sat down on it, protecting it like a hen protecting her eggs.
Inside the Sealed World Bead, Yang Kai appeared in the medicine garden, his entire body was covered in blood. Swaying unsteadily, he took a few staggering steps before his vision darkened and the world spun dizzily. He collapsed to the ground and lost consciousness. The shocked exclamations and horrified screams of the two little Wood Spirits, Mu Zhu and Mu Na, seemed to ring in his ears.
…..
Three days later, Yu Ru Meng sat behind a desk made of white jade in the study of her palace on Enchantment Continent, quietly listening to the report of a Demon King in front of her.
“According to the investigation, Great King Yang snuck into Flying Clouds Continent after he left Enchantment Continent. He made use of the fact that Senior Yin Si had summoned many people to her palace and infiltrated her bedroom where he then attacked her. Great King Yang ultimately killed Senior Yi Si on the spot in close combat. More than eight hundred clansmen from various Clans and twenty-three Demon Kings were either injured or killed during that battle. Flying Clouds Continent is currently in a huge mess.”
“He killed Yin Si?” Her eyes widened at the news, “Is this true? Have you checked?”
“Yes, it has been confirmed. An anomaly had taken place throughout the entire Flying Clouds Continent when Senior Yin Si died. All of the clansmen living on Flying Clouds Continent felt it.” The Demon King replied, lowering his head.
“Damn it!” Yu Ru Meng slapped her palm against the white jade table in front of her, causing cracks to appear on its sturdy frame as she gnashed her teeth furiously, “How dare he!? How dare he kill one of my Half-Saints!?”
The Demon King was so frightened that he fell to his knees with a thud. His entire body shook in terror. It was never a good thing if a Demon Saint lost their temper. In the worst case, it would lead to rivers of blood. At this moment, he couldn’t help paying a silent tribute to Yang Kai in his heart as he had the feeling that the latter was now in deep trouble. As a subordinate of Yu Ru Meng, Yang Kai had caused internal strife and even went so far as to kill one of his colleagues. It was a given that he would face terrible consequences for his actions.
[I have to say, Great King Yang is truly amazing indeed. Rumour has it that he is only a High-Rank Demon King. To think he managed to kill a Half-Saint! It certainly is inconceivable.] When this Demon King first heard the news, he had barely been able to believe it. He even took a trip to Flying Clouds Continent himself to inquire about the matter carefully before returning to report the news after receiving confirmation.
Killing a Half-Saint with the strength of a High-Rank Demon King was absolutely unprecedented. Nobody in the Demon Realm had ever achieved such a feat before, though that wasn’t to say it might not happen again in the future. Even so, it was a feat that not even the Demon Saints had been able to achieve back then. He truly admired Yang Kai’s courage and strength.
Just as he was fretting over it, he suddenly heard Yu Ru Meng cursing through gritted teeth from behind the desk, “Little bastard!”
[Little bastard?] The Demon King couldn’t help feeling a bit strange when he heard those words. [Why does her tone sound so… off? It feels like Holy Venerable isn’t as furious as I expected. It seems that the rumours I’ve heard… are not groundless after all. The relationship between Holy Venerable and Great King Yang seems to be quite unusual…]
“Elaborate more on how he managed to kill Yin Si.”
Upon hearing this, the Demon King immediately told her all the intrinsic details of everything he knew about the battle that had taken place three days ago. He had gone to Flying Clouds Continent himself and located several survivors from that day to learn more about the incident; therefore, he had a thoroughly detailed understanding of what had happened. In this way, it was almost as if he had witnessed the entire incident with his own eyes and he reported the entire incident perfectly down to the finest detail.
A short while later, Yu Ru Meng’s voice came from behind the desk again, a hint of surprise in her tone, “Are you saying that he fought Yin Si alone, from start to finish? No one else intervened?”
“As far as my investigation shows, that is the truth. It’s just that Great King Yang seemed as spent as an arrow at the end of its flight after he killed Senior Yin Si. In the end, he summoned Zhui Feng to protect him when the Demon Kings of Flying Clouds Continent tried to attack him.”
“I can’t believe he managed to achieve so much…” Yu Ru Meng’s expression became rather complicated; however, Yin Si’s death was not surprising upon further consideration. As a Charm Demon, she probably had great confidence in her Soul Secret Techniques, but unfortunately for her, after Yang Kai had taken Yu Ru Meng’s innocence, his Soul cultivation had soared to the point where even Half-Saints could not do anything against him. Furthermore, it was impossible for the Charm Techniques of the Charm Demon Clan to have any effect on him. It was most likely for this reason that Yin Si was placed in such a disadvantageous position against him.
Additionally, Yin Si had been severely injured in the battle on Eternal Sky Continent, and although more than a month had passed, she had yet to fully recover. Even if she was the Master of Flying Clouds Continent, it was hard to say how much power she could exert in such a state. That was how Yang Kai managed to accomplish this feat. He could never have pulled that off with his power alone if he had been facing a Half-Saint in peak condition on their home turf.
[It’s just… that damn man went straight to challenge Yin Si the moment he left Enchantment Continent! That was completely beyond my expectations. Moreover, he even managed to kill Yin Si! If word gets out about this, I will definitely become the laughing stock among the other Demon Saints! I can even imagine the despicable expression on Bei Li Mo’s face the next time we meet! Hateful!]
Yu Ru Meng was deep in her thoughts when the Demon King below her tentatively spoke up, “How should we deal with this matter? Holy Venerable, please give your command.”
The loss of a Half-Saint was no trivial matter, and if it was not handled well, it might cause anxiety among the other Half-Saints. Furthermore, Yin Si had been working under Yu Ru Meng for many centuries now, so an explanation of some sort was necessary, especially since Yin Si had been killed in her own territory for no reason.
“Where is that little bastard right now?” Yu Ru Meng asked with a sombre expression.
“His whereabouts are unknown. No one has seen Great King Yang ever since he escaped on Zhui Feng three days ago.”
“Find him! I want him found! He must be seriously injured right now, so bring him to the Holy City the moment he is located. I’m going to teach him a lesson myself!”
Although her words were spat out through gritted teeth and her expression seemed like she couldn’t wait to tear Yang Kai apart, the Demon King heard a different kind of meaning behind her words. [Holy Venerable sure does love Great King Yang; otherwise, why would she order him to be brought back to the Holy City alive? She could have just sent several Half-Saints there to finish him off on the spot. I’m afraid Senior Yin Si has died in vain this time.]
“Also, spread the news that Yin Si was colluding with the traitor Yue Sang. She committed various traitorous acts last month, and she only has herself to blame for her death.”
[Sure enough…] The Demon King made a respectful response. Then, he hesitated for a moment before asking, “Um… What about Senior Di Li? Should I send somebody to warn him?”
He clearly knew about the incident on Eternal Sky Continent, and since Yang Kai went to the trouble of hunting Yin Si down, even going so far as killing her, he would surely not let Di Li walk free either. Just thinking about it was frightening. [Great King Yang was able to single-handedly kill Yin Si, so I’m sure he will also be able to put up a fight against Senior Di Li. What’s more, he has Zhui Feng with him. If he really went after Di Li, it would definitely lead to chaos.]
“Di Li has gone to the Two Worlds’ Battlefield. There’s no need to inform him about this!” Yu Ru Meng replied decisively.
“Yes.” The Demon King’s expression was respectful, but he secretly thought to himself. [It seems Holy Venerable was already prepared for this. Since Senior Di Li has gone to the Two Worlds’ Battlefield, Great King Yang most likely does not have the means to cause trouble there, so this matter will end here.]
“You’re dismissed.” Yu Ru Meng waved her hand lightly before slowly closing her eyes and relaxing her entire body into the soft chair behind her. What Yang Kai mentioned to her the other day echoed in her mind, ‘Even if the Demon Realm wins this war and successfully conquers the Star Boundary, how many of the Demon Race will survive? How many Demon Saints will survive?’
…..
Inside the medicine garden, Yang Kai opened his eyes, his entire body itching all over as though there were millions of ants crawling under his skin. The strange itch coming from his flesh, bones, and meridians reminded him of the feeling of having an itch that he could not scratch. It was an extremely uncomfortable feeling.
“Master, you’re awake!” Mu Lu’s cry of surprise came from his feet.
He lowered his head and looked down only to see the little Wood Spirit looking at him with a pleasantly surprised expression. Both her eyes were red and there were tear stains on her small cheeks. She looked like she had been crying.
At this moment, she was floating by his feet, casting Secret Techniques with both hands. The surface of her body was glowing with an emerald light. Mu Zhu was maintaining the same posture on top of his head. The green aura the two Wood Spirits released wrapped around him like the warm water of a bath, immersing his entire being in the energy that was brimming with vitality and life.
“How long have I been asleep?” He asked in a hoarse voice. The moment he began speaking, his throat felt like it was on fire, causing him to cough lightly.
“Eight days,” Mu Zhu’s voice sounded from above his head.
“That long…” Yang Kai was shocked. He knew his body the best, and that usually, most injuries didn’t even require his attention. Even if his tendons ripped or he broke a bone or two, he would only need a brief period of rest to recover; therefore, it could be seen just how severe his wounds were that he fell unconscious for eight whole days. It could even be said that he had never been injured so badly before. Even now, his internal injuries were not fully healed despite regaining consciousness.
“Master, you are pushing yourself far too hard! Mu Lu was nearly worried to death!” Mu Zhu reprimanded him with a stern expression, “If you didn’t wake up soon, she would have cried herself blind!”
“Wha…” Mu Lu flushed, staring hard at Mu Zhu as if blaming the latter for talking nonsense. When she saw Yang Kai looking at her with a smile though, her complexion turned even redder than before and she lowered her head and spoke in a voice no louder than a mosquito’s buzzing, “I didn’t cry that much…”
Seeing her innocent and cute appearance warmed Yang Kai’s heart and he gently waved his hand at them and advised, “The two of you should get some rest, I’m fine now.”
While speaking, he pressed both hands against the ground to push himself up into a sitting position.
Mu Zhu immediately flew behind him when she saw what he was doing and supported him with all her might. Similarly, Mu Lu rushed over too. She grabbed hold of one of his fingers and pulled him up with the strength of a baby suckling at milk, her face flushing red from the enormous effort.
The moment the two Wood Spirits left their positions, the emerald aura filled with vitality and life disappeared without a trace.
Yang Kai sat up straight and smiled. Lifting a finger, he stroked Mu Lu’s small head and said, “Thank you, it must have been hard on you two.”
Mu Lu immediately closed her eyes slightly with an expression of enjoyment. When Mu Zhu came from behind his back to stand in front of him, she pursed her lips and smiled at the scene that greeted her, “It’s all thanks to your body’s toughness; otherwise, there would have been nothing we could have done either. Ordinary people would have died from such wounds. Even ten lives would not have been enough to save you!”
After saying that, she made a stern expression, “You cannot fight in such a reckless manner again in the future, Master.”
The sight of a fist-sized little person acting all stern and strict made him feel like laughing, but the concern and worry these two little Wood Spirits showed him was full of sincerity and care; thus, he quickly nodded, “I won’t do it again.”
Mu Zhu let out a long sigh at those words as she knew that he was simply offering platitudes without actually meaning what he said. The world outside was extremely dangerous, and there would always be times when one needed to risk their life in a fight. Even if one didn’t seek trouble, that didn’t mean others wouldn’t. Hence, she did not bother saying more and changed the subject instead, “Master, you should examine the condition of your body. Don’t let any hidden dangers go unnoticed.”
“En!” He nodded and sat down crossed-legged, using his Divine Sense to examine himself.
The Immortal Tree was right next to him, but unfortunately, the tree was completely bare now. He had picked the last three remaining leaves on the tree and given them to Bright Moon Great Emperor back then. Still, Mu Zhu and Mu Lu flew to a branch of the Immortal Tree and sat side-by-side.
Mu Lu was swinging her two little feet with an extremely happy expression. Seeming to plan something, she turned to look and saw Mu Zhu looking at her with a smiling yet teasing expression. Her face immediately turned crimson. Lowering her head in response, she felt as though even the top of her head was steaming from embarrassment…
Yang Kai’s injuries this time were extremely severe, so even with his powerful regenerative abilities and the two Wood Spirits’ help non-stop for eight days straight, he was still not fully healed. But to his surprise, his examination left him feeling reassured. His injuries were indeed very severe, but there were no hidden dangers. On the contrary, fighting Yin Si with his life on the line had brought him some unexpected benefits. At the very least, his cultivation as a High-Rank Demon King had been completely consolidated.
As expected, fighting with one’s life on the line was the fastest way for a cultivator to grow. The eruption of insights that one experienced on the verge of death would be imprinted both on the body and deep within the soul, never to be forgotten.
Thinking back on the battle eight days ago, Yang Kai felt somewhat fortunate. He was grateful that the explosive growth of his Spiritual Energy had caused Yin Si’s Soul Secret Technique to be ineffective against him and even allowed him to become immune to her Charm Techniques. He was grateful that she had not recovered from her previous injuries and he was even more grateful that she had been overly complacent, which gave him the chance to take advantage of her weakness. If not for all those factors, he could never have killed a Half-Saint in their own territory.
As the Master of Flying Clouds Continent, Yin Si could have escaped at any time if he were not holding onto her firmly. He would not have been able to restrain her otherwise even if he was proficient in the Dao of Space.
Naturally, he was not so hot-headed that he had to fight her alone. In a fight with his life on the line, he had decided beforehand that he would release Zhui Feng if things took a turn for the worse. That would turn the situation into a two-against-one battle, so she would not have been able to do anything to him either.
He had gained a lot from this battle. The most intuitive manifestation of his benefit was that he now had a deep understanding of his current combat power. He could not compare with a Half-Saint in strength, but he was no longer as powerless against a Half-Saint as he had been in the Second-Order Emperor Realm. If he played all his cards, he had the feeling that he now stood a fighting chance even if he were to fight a Half-Saint all on his own.
He reminisced about the time when he first encountered Cang Mo outside Heavenly Wolf Valley in the Star Boundary. Despite joining hands with the Embodiment to face Cang Mo at the time, he was still beaten up very badly; thus, he couldn’t help feeling amazed. [Times have changed. I will definitely be able to finish off Cang Mo with the Embodiment’s help if I encounter him again!]
There were no hidden dangers in his body. In the face of his powerful regeneration abilities, those injuries that had not fully healed would only need a little more time for recuperation before they were as good as new, so he felt relieved.
With a flip of his hand, he took out a Space Ring. This Space Ring had a gorgeous design. It was the one Yin Si had been wearing on her finger. After he killed her within the Mountains and Rivers Bell the other day, Yang Kai had not forgotten to retrieve his spoils of war.
With his current cultivation, most Demon King’s Space Rings would not be able to entice him; however, a Half-Saint’s Space Ring should still have some good stuff within.
A brief check later, Yang Kai smiled broadly. Yin Si’s Space Ring did contain quite some good stuff after all, but what interested him the most was none other than the Myriad Demon Pills. There were only about 1,000 or so of them. It wasn’t much compared to what he looted from Bei Li Mo before, but that was only to be expected.
There were several billion Demon Crystals, some Demon Artifacts, and some Secret Techniques cultivated by the Demon Race. The rest were her personal belongings. What left him feeling rather speechless was that the contents of her Space Ring and Bei Li Mo’s were rather similar. There were countless clothes of various different styles. Moreover, most of them used very little material and were very revealing.
[It looks like a woman will always be a woman. Be they Demon Saint or Half-Saint, there doesn’t seem to be any difference when it comes to the pursuit of beauty. I wonder if Yu Ru Meng’s Space Ring also contains similar items…]
Having seen the wealth in Bei Li Mo’s Space Ring, the contents of Yin Si’s Space Ring were somewhat lacking in comparison. Although Yang Kai was quite happy to obtain some useful things, he wasn’t too excited either. He took out all the items that were useful to him, leaving the clothes and other items inside. It took him a while of busy work before he finished organizing it.
Immediately afterwards, Yang Kai took out some healing Spirit Pills and consumed them. While refining the medicinal efficacies of the Spirit Pills, he took out some Space Spirit Jades, pushed his power, and refined them into Space Beacons.
Being chased by Demon Saints previously had given him an urgent sense of danger. He might stand a fighting chance against a Half-Saint with his current strength, but he would be utterly crushed if he encountered a Demon Saint. Yu Ru Meng had reached a new agreement with the other Demon Saints, so they would not attack him again. Even so, he would not have lived until today if he simply relied on such agreements to keep him safe. Any agreement could be torn apart if the benefits were large enough after all. He had to consider his safety, especially since he was stuck in the middle of the enemy’s camp.
At this moment, the only thing he could rely on was his Space Divine Abilities. Instantaneous Movement could be regarded as a means of escape, but compared to using Space Beacons, the distance covered by Instantaneous Movement was undoubtedly significantly shorter; moreover, Instantaneous Movement could be easily disrupted by a Demon Saint.
Meanwhile, the Space Beacon attached to the Space Spirit Jade was faster and more convenient to a certain extent compared to performing Instantaneous Movement. In addition, the distance he could teleport was significantly greater.
Mu Zhu and Mu Lu both sat quietly by the side and watched Yang Kai working with curious expressions. One by one, he formed new Space Beacons in his hands.
Time slowly passed by.
During this period, Yang Kai took the initiative to chat with the two Wood Spirits when he noticed that they had nothing to do. The main reason was that he was afraid they might be bored after being locked in the Small Sealed World for so long; after all, these two little ones had been living in the Sealed World Bead from the moment they were brought over by the Matriarch of the Wood Spirit Clan and had not left it since. They usually only had Yang Kai or the Embodiment to talk to.
The two were very curious about the Demon Realm, so most of the topics were centred on the Demon Race. Hearing about the unique geographical environment of the Demon Realm and the fragmented continents, the two Wood Spirits both showed a surprised look. Then, they showed extremely worried expressions when they heard about the Twelve Demon Saints of the Demon Realm, each of whom was extremely powerful.
A few days later, Yang Kai had refined several hundred Space Beacons. He only stopped when he felt that his injuries were for all intents and purposes healed. After giving some instructions to the two Wood Spirits, he left the Small Sealed World.
It was still the same barren mountain, with Zhui Feng lying on the ground with his hoofs folded under him. His large eyes watched his surroundings vigilantly, like a gatekeeper guarding a treasure. Anybody who dared to approach him would have to suffer his fury.
Yang Kai appeared directly beside Zhui Feng.
Zhui Feng turned to look at Yang Kai and immediately stood up with a grin. He butted his big head against Yang Kai affectionately before gesturing to the Sealed World Bead on the ground to indicate that he had been guarding this place all this time.
“Did anybody come here recently?” Yang Kai asked.
Zhui Feng snorted…
“En, good job,” Yang Kai patted Zhui Feng’s head and put the Sealed World Bead away. His Divine Sense surged, and then he soon found a deserted cave on the barren mountain. Instructing Zhui Feng to wait a moment, Yang Kai vanished out of sight with a slight flicker of his body and reappeared again a moment later. In that short moment, he had hidden a Space Beacon in a remote corner inside that deserted cave.
He planned to connect the continents of the Demon Realm with his Space Beacons, especially the areas close to the Territory Gate; this way, it would be much more convenient for him to travel around in the future. Even if he was hunted by the Demon Saints again, he would be able to escape in time. If not for this plan, he would not have made so many Space Beacons in one go.
Swinging himself up onto Zhui Feng’s back, Yang Kai took out his map to check his position and the direction of the Territory Gate before he pointed Zhui Feng in the direction. Zhui Feng immediately dashed away with golden flames surrounding his hooves.
Yang Kai had no plans to cause trouble for Di Li. So much time had passed since he killed Yin Si that news had probably spread across the entire Demon Realm by now; therefore, even if he attacked Di Li, the other party would be prepared for it. In the worst case, he might fall into their trap instead.
His original purpose had been achieved. Yu Ru Meng had reached an agreement with the other Demon Saints, and in addition, many Half-Saints would probably be scared by the news of how he single-handedly killed Yin Si. Yang Kai had managed to suppress their eagerness to attack him, so it didn’t matter whether he went after Di Li or not.
Besides, Di Li was not Yin Si. As a Charm Demon, Yin Si’s abilities had been greatly restricted once he caught her. If his opponent had been Di Li the other day, the outcome of the battle would be unknown.
Unbeknownst to Yang Kai, Di Li had already been sent to the Two Worlds’ Battlefield and was not in the Demon Realm.
The journey forward was arduously slow, the main reason being that Yang Kai would stop from time to time to hide Space Beacons in suitable locations. As they passed through various continents, Yang Kai left at least three Space Beacons on each. He would definitely leave one near at least one Territory Gate while the rest were hidden in various suitable places.
These Space Beacons might be discovered and taken away, but finding and destroying all of them was practically impossible. Any one of these Space Beacons would work when he was in a critical situation; therefore, setting this up today was not a waste of effort.
It was not until half a month later that he finally arrived at his destination. It was a biting-cold place covered in perpetual snow. Soaring Snow Continent!
Needless to say, he did not come to Soaring Snow Continent at this time with kind intentions. He had borrowed Xuan Bing’s help that day to transfer a Soul Imprint to Bei Li Mo, and although he had taken Bei Li Mo’s Soul Brand as a double insurance afterwards, it was not impossible for a Demon Saint to break free from those shackles.
Regardless of how readily she had given him her word at the time, Yang Kai was certain that Bei Li Mo had been doing her best to purge the Soul Imprint he had planted on her.
The gap in cultivation between them was not small, especially in terms of Soul cultivation, so Yang Kai was not sure how long his Soul Imprint could last under her various efforts to break free. For that reason, he had rushed over in a hurry to reinforce his Soul Imprint on her and prevent her from breaking free of his control.
Controlling a Demon Saint would be of great help to his future plans. It could even be said to be the key to their success or failure. How could he allow Bei Li Mo to regain her freedom?
[I’m certain that the reinforcement of my Soul Imprint on her this time around will be a huge shock to her. I just hope she won’t be too surprised.] A sly smile appeared at the corners of his lips. He first found a place near the Territory Gate to hide a Space Beacon, leaving himself a way out in case of accidents. Only then did he ride Zhui Feng gallantly towards Soaring Snow Ice Palace.
Half a day later, he saw the huge and hazy outline of Soaring Snow Ice Palace from a distance. At that moment, he suddenly felt a connection with something that was inside the palace and laughed, knowing that he was not too late. Bei Li Mo had not managed to get rid of his Soul Imprint yet; otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to experience this feeling. This intimate connection was his link to his Soul Imprint. It could not be anything else aside from that.
At the same time Yang Kai felt the connection, a beam of light suddenly shot out of Soaring Snow Ice Palace and swiftly fled in the opposite direction. It was moving at an extremely high speed. At first, he didn’t realize what was happening, and it wasn’t until he felt the connection getting further and further away from him, quickly exceeding his range of detection in the blink of an eye, that he suddenly became livid, “Damn it! That bitch is trying to escape!”
That beam of light had been none other than Demon Saint Bei Li Mo! She probably detected his aura at the same moment he sensed the connection between them. That was why she was in such a hurry to leave. She was probably so reluctant to meet him because she was on the verge of breaking free of his control; otherwise, she wouldn’t have made such a dangerous move.
How could Yang Kai allow something like that to happen? He immediately manipulated Space Principles, performed an Instantaneous Movement, and materialized a thousand kilometres away with Zhui Feng. The connection that had broken off just now reappeared again.
He was just about to give Bei Li Mo a taste of his fury when she abruptly put on a burst of speed and accelerated. He did not know what kind of Secret Technique she was using for her to put so much distance between them in such a short moment, but she soon exceeded his range of detection again.
Yang Kai was livid. She might really regain her freedom again if he let her escape!
Thus, he spurred his Space Principles repeatedly and performed consecutive Instantaneous Movements before the connection between them finally reappeared once more. The moment he felt the connection between them, his thoughts flashed without any hesitation.
In the distance, the escaping beam of light paused suddenly, swayed slightly in mid-air, and nearly fell out of the sky; however, it resolutely continued flying a moment later.
Seeing this, Yang Kai grinned savagely, [As if I’ll let you get away!]
He continuously controlled the Soul Imprint to exert unbearable torture upon Bei Li Mo while urging Zhui Feng to go even faster.
Although Zhui Feng’s speed was not slow in the first place, he became even faster with Yang Kai’s urging. Ten thousand kilometres flashed beneath their feet as the chase continued.
The distance between the two parties was closing bit by bit. It wasn’t because Bei Li Mo’s flying speed was not as fast as Zhui Feng’s. On the contrary, Zhui Feng might not have been able to keep up with a Demon Saint’s speed if she was moving at full speed. Moreover, she was currently running for her life, so it was only natural that she was fleeing with all her might.
The main reason was that Bei Li Mo could not exert her full strength due to the torturous pain inflicted by the Soul Imprint. The pain coming from her Soul was not something even a Demon Saint could withstand, and she could not reach her maximum speed under this affliction.
As the distance between them continued to reduce, Yang Kai could gradually make out Bei Li Mo’s figure. An incense stick later, they were only a few dozen metres away from her. With such a short distance it would only take a moment for them to catch up with her.
“You had better hurry up and stop now; otherwise, you’re dead!” Yang Kai shouted viciously, his voice resounding in the surroundings. Many Demons heard his voice from below and looked up into the sky, and when they saw two flashes of light speeding by at breakneck speed, they all revealed shocked expressions. However, they did not know who was involved in the high-speed chase. Just what would they think if they knew that their Holy Venerable was the fleeing party?
Needless to say, Bei Li Mo ignored Yang Kai’s threats. It would be weirder if she suddenly began obeying him out of nowhere.
Yang Kai was so furious that he laughed instead and nodded repeatedly, “Good, good, good! It looks like you won’t give up unless you get a taste of true torture! In that case, don’t blame me for being ruthless!”
While he was speaking, he spurred the Soul Imprint even more fiercely than before.
Bei Li Mo was fleeing ahead when she suddenly let out a muffled groan. Sweat dripped from her body in mid-air and her speed slowed down considerably. Nonetheless, she gritted her teeth and endured the pain.
In that moment, Yang Kai immediately caught up with her. Riding on Zhui Feng as he kept pace beside her, he tilted his head to the side and gave her a sideways glance, his expression incredibly overbearing and arrogant.
Although she didn’t even bother to look at him, her gaze was blazing with flames. It was obvious that she was feeling extremely vexed. Without warning, she suddenly raised her hand and struck out at him. Her Demon Qi surged violently. Then, her slender jade hand rapidly enlarged in front of his eyes and obscured the light from his vision.
Startled, Yang Kai didn’t even think about it and sharply increased the pressure he was exerting on her.
Bei Li Mo had been gritting her teeth all this while to bear the pain, but in that instant, she suddenly let out a loud scream. Her voice was filled with agony as her entire body trembled so hard that she couldn’t maintain her flight and fell out of the sky. Following the unstable fluctuations in her Demon Qi, the palm that was striking him vanished without a trace.
Yang Kai was quite rattled. Cursing out loud, he prepared to chase after her only to see her stabilizing herself several thousand metres below and continue fleeing.
[How persistent!] Yang Kai lifted his gaze and looked forward. The light of a Territory Gate twinkled in the distance, and he immediately understood what she was aiming for. He stopped trying to chase her and rode Zhui Feng towards the Territory Gate while continuing to put pressure on her.
He was the first to arrive at the Territory Gate a short while later, and reaching out his hand, he pushed his Space Principles once more. Ripples swept across the huge Territory Gate before it abruptly disappeared.
Concurrently, Bei Li Mo finally approached at a high speed only to watch helplessly as the Territory Gate disappeared without a trace. Her originally pale face paled even further until not a trace of colour could be seen on it.
“Run! Go on, run!” Yang Kai rode on Zhui Feng, looking down condescendingly on Bei Li Mo from above as he snarled, “You bitch! How dare you attack me!?”
Bei Li Mo bit her pale lips, her clothes drenched in sweat, revealing her shapely figure. Her gaze was fixed on the spot where the Territory Gate had disappeared with a despairing look on her face. She had the feeling that she was probably the most aggrieved Demon Saint in all the Demon Realm’s history. All the problems she currently faced were caused by Xuan Bing; hence, she wished for nothing more than to revive her Honoured Master and kill her several hundred times over …
“I’m talking to you. Have you gone deaf?” Yang Kai shouted angrily.
Bei Li Mo took a deep breath, causing her ample peaks to heave violently in a breath-taking arc. She turned her head and looked away, an extremely unconvinced expression on her voice as she shouted, “The winner is the King while the loser is the villain. What else do you want this Saint to say!?”
“Who gave you the courage to raise your hand against me?” Yang Kai glared at her with a vicious expression on his face.
She retorted, “Who told you to get so close to me?”
“Astonishing! You even dare to talk back now!” Yang Kai was furious. His thoughts surged and she began howling in pain once again. Her entire body curled up into a ball, and the fine beads of sweat on her forehead suddenly gushed out. If Yang Kai had not held her up with his Demon Qi at that moment, she would have even fallen out of the sky.
Yang Kai tortured her severely, and it wasn’t until her voice became hoarse that he let up. The anger in his heart had subsided considerably now and he stared at her coldly as she convulsed and trembled, giving a cold snort, “This is the first and last time. If this happens again…”
Bei Li Mo immediately glared at him…
Yang Kai blinked and suddenly realized that there was nothing more that he could say. The main reason was that he could torture her through the Soul Imprint, but he could neither control her nor kill her. It was really quite tragic. Scratching his chin, he continued, “If this happens again, I will strip you naked and parade you around the entire Soaring Snow Continent!”
Bei Li Mo’s expression changed drastically as she shrieked, “You dare!?”
He grinned, “Go ahead and try me. We’ll see if I dare!”
They both glared at each other furiously. Intense sparks flying in the air. A long while passed before Bei Li Mo turned her head to the side and loudly snorted.
Yang Kai didn’t bother wasting his breath on her and immediately shouted, “Open your Knowledge Sea. I must strengthen the Soul Imprint!”
Bei Li Mo looked extremely resentful, but even so, having been severely tortured by Yang Kai just now, she knew that it was useless to resist, not unless she could kill him somehow. After receiving a scare just now though, Yang Kai had wisely kept a fair distance from her so that he would have sufficient time to react. He would definitely take action the moment she tried to attack him.
Feeling extremely reluctant, Bei Li Mo lowered the defences of her Knowledge Sea and felt Yang Kai’s Divine Sense flooding into her head in the next instant.
A short while later, he withdrew his Divine Sense from her Knowledge Sea, “It’s done.”
Yang Kai was rejoicing as he spoke. While reinforcing his Soul Imprint just now, he discovered that Bei Li Mo had worn down more than half of its strength. She would have completely broken free of his control in another ten to fifteen days. If that had happened, he would not have been able to do anything to her anymore, even if he had her Soul Brand in his control; after all, she even had her Soul Manifestation destroyed by Bright Moon, so what would sacrificing her Soul Brand count for?
[This bitch, she probably started trying to break the Soul Imprint the moment she returned to Soaring Snow Continent; otherwise, she could not have made such progress in such a short period of time. It’s fortunate that I was worried about it and immediately rushed over after settling matters on Flying Clouds Continent. If not, she might have gotten her freedom back.]
On the other hand, Bei Li Mo’s expression changed drastically after checking her Knowledge Sea and she stared at Yang Kai in shock, “How is it possible for your Soul to strengthen so much in such a short time!?”
Although he had only reinforced it, the strength of the current Soul Imprint in her Knowledge Sea was simply incomparable to before. It would only have taken her a month or two if she really wanted to break free of the previous Soul Imprint, but now it would take her at least a few years!
The longer it took for her to break free, the harder it would be for her to escape his control. If it could be said that she still had a glimmer of hope before, then that glimmer of hope had now been utterly extinguished. Yang Kai would only need to reinforce his Soul Imprint on her every couple of years, and she would never regain her freedom again.
[How can a person’s Soul become so powerful in the short span of a single month!?] Bei Li Mo was shocked to the core.
Yang Kai threw back his head and laughed heartily in response, “You noticed?”
“That’s impossible!” She looked like she was refusing to accept reality. Biting her lip, she exclaimed, “Just who are you!?”
To which he lowered his body slightly and glanced at her teasingly, “I am me. Who else can I be?” After saying that, he swept his gaze over her and smilingly continued, “Why does it feel like I have complete control over you now? Do you want to test it out?”
Previously, Yang Kai could only bring great pain and agony to Bei Li Mo even if he pushed the Soul Imprint to its limit, but now, it felt as though he could kill her with a single thought.
Needless to say, this might be nothing more than his imagination; even so, it would definitely cause indelible trauma to Bei Li Mo if he pushed the Soul Imprint to its current maximum. It would not be like how it was earlier, where all he could do was inflict a short period of pain on her.
Bei Li Mo looked at him steadily for a moment before doubling over in laughter. She laughed so hard that she rocked back and forth. She even had tears coming out the corners of her eyes.
Watching her laugh, his expression turned icy instead and he asked in a dangerous voice, “What’s so funny?”
She clutched at her stomach and it took her quite a while to finally stop laughing before she looked at him with interest, “Did you and Yu Ru Meng… do it?”
[She can even guess this much?] Yang Kai felt a slight shock in his heart. [I guess a woman who can become a Demon Saint will certainly have some extraordinary observation skills. To be able to infer such information just from the changes in my Spiritual Energy alone… She really isn’t somebody I can underestimate.]
“That’s enough to make you laugh? Isn’t your sense of humour a little too childish?” He snorted coldly.
“You’re serious!?” Her eyes widened.
To which Yang Kai proudly replied, “Ru Meng and I are in love with one another, what’s so surprising about two people who are deeply in love with one another making love to each other?”
“It’s nothing. It’s nothing.” She waved her hand dismissively. Even so, the amusement was still evident on her face, “It’s just that my mood became a lot better all of a sudden.”
Tilting her head to the side, she glanced at him with an incredulous expression, “I can’t believe that that woman is willing to put such a large investment in you.”
He glared at her provocatively, “If you want, I can accept you as my wife too. That way, you can be Sisters with Ru Meng in the future.
“Go to Hell!”
…..
Yang Kai boldly lay down on the soft bed that used to belong to Bei Li Mo under a transparent dome inside Soaring Snow Ice Palace. He was surrounded by a group of beauties, each of them sporting a different charm and style.
A gorgeous female Demon King, who was peeling some fruits, suddenly brought a piece to his mouth for him to eat. Another brought a glass of fragrant wine to his lips while yet another was giving him a massage… The most beautiful women, the finest wine, and the best food. The best way to describe his current situation was ‘lording it and abusing his authority’!
Meanwhile, Bei Li Mo was sitting nearby and glaring at him coldly.
The female Demon Kings serving Yang Kai seemed rather shocked. Nobody had ever dared to act so presumptuously in front of Bei Li Mo before. Likewise, they had never seen their Mistress being so tolerant towards anybody before either.
Ever since returning to Soaring Snow Ice Palace, Bei Li Mo’s good mood had been completely destroyed. Yang Kai’s various misdeeds had had a great impact on her prestige, yet she could do nothing against him.
The door opened and a female Demon King walked in. She was inadvertently taken aback for a moment when she saw the scene in front of her. Sensing that Bei Li Mo’s mood had fallen below the freezing point, she cautiously walked over, leaned down, and spoke a few words into her ear.
Bei Li Mo nodded lightly in response and waved her hand to indicate for the female Demon King to withdraw.
“Is it ready?” Yang Kai lifted his gaze to look at her.
To which she gritted her teeth and snarled, “It’s just a trivial army of five hundred thousand. How long did you think it would take to prepare!?”
“En,” he responded non-committally before getting up from the bed and straightening out his clothes, “Many thanks for your hospitality, Holy Venerable. Let us meet again in the future.”
Her brow twitched at those words, and her crimson lips moved silently. Even though no sound came out of her mouth, their shape indicated that she was cursing at him.
He added, “By the way, Holy Venerable, please don’t miss me too much. I’ll come to visit you soon.” After saying that, he winked at her.
Bei Li Mo’s expression was as cold as ice as she knew that the ‘visit’ he mentioned was fake. His true intention was to check on the Soul Imprint for any signs of damage.
Amidst loud ringing laughter, Yang Kai strode outside imperiously with his head held high.
An army of five hundred thousand stood quietly in the large square outside Soaring Snow Ice Palace. They were divided into 5 divisions of a hundred thousand soldiers each. Strangely, there was not a single sound to be heard even though so many people gathered in one place. There was a heavy and solemn atmosphere covering the entire venue, with each division led by eight to ten Demon Kings, among which High-Rank Demon Kings abounded.
A single person stood proudly at the forefront of the entire army, and upon seeing Yang Kai appear, he immediately came forward, cupped his fists, and greeted, “Brother Yang!”
Yang Kai responded with a smile, “Brother Bai Ya.”
Bai Ya sternly replied, “In the name of the Holy Venerable, Bai Ya has assembled five hundred thousand Soaring Snow Ice Guard to serve under your command, Brother Yang.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly, “Very good.”
Then, his gaze swept over the five hundred thousand Soaring Snow Ice Guards with a solemn expression on his face.
The Soaring Snow Ice Guard was the most elite force on Soaring Snow Continent. They were both Bei Li Mo’s exclusive imperial bodyguards and her trump card consisting of the most elite troops under her. An army like this was a rare existence even across the entire Demon Realm. Each Soaring Snow Ice Guard was selected through rigorous layers of tests and the lowest cultivation eligible to enter the Soaring Snow Ice Guard was that of Demon General. Bei Li Mo herself only had an army of five million under her command, so if Yang Kai had not demanded it, she would never have allowed as many as five hundred thousand to be deployed all at once.
Yang Kai had led an army before of course. Whether it be back in the Star Boundary or more recent times in the Demon Realm, he had commanded armies of two hundred thousand at most. However, those armies were completely incomparable to the Soaring Snow Ice Guard standing in front of him. Regardless of the overall quality or individual strength, the Soaring Snow Ice Guard made the previous armies he commanded look almost like a rag-tag bandit crew.
In contrast, the five hundred thousand people in front of him were truly a powerful army that could charge into battle on the frontlines and emerge victorious. If they met in battle, they could surely wipe out the allied forces of both Cloud Shadow Continent and Blue Plains Continent in all their entirety.
From now on, these five hundred thousand Soaring Snow Ice Guards belonged to him, setting off a raging feeling in his heart. Although Bei Li Mo had not said that she was going to give them to him, these five hundred thousand Soaring Snow Ice Guards were in his hands now. [There’s no way I can return them so easily. Even Bai Ya… Heh, heh, heh…]
Bai Ya seemed to detect the evil intentions in Yang Kai’s gaze and couldn’t help shivering in response as he asked, “Brother Yang, are you really going to go to the territories of each Demon Saint to continue repairing and maintaining the Territory Gates? You are very well-known right now, Brother Yang. You should be keeping a low profile for a while before making plans. It’s really not appropriate to show your face at this time.”
Yang Kai held the Great Emperor’s Opportunity in him. Across the entire Demon Realm, only the lower members of the Demon Race might not understand it very well. On the contrary, all those in the Demon King Realm and above had heard the rumours, especially those Half-Saints, so who among them did not have their eye on him at the moment?
Bai Ya simply could not understand why Yang Kai wanted to reveal his whereabouts and invite trouble for himself at a time like this. Bai Ya’s friendship with Yang Kai was nothing special, so he did not say those words out of kindness. The main reason was that he had to serve and obey Yang Kai by the orders of the Holy Venerable; thus, he wanted to find a way to protect himself. The gains would not be worth the loss if he were dragged into Yang Kai’s mess.
Yang Kai waved his hand dismissively, “One should always see through to the end the tasks they have begun. Although there were some misunderstandings between the Half-Saints and this King on Eternal Sky Continent, I still have to complete my assignment since it is something I have promised to do.”
Then, Yang Kai grinned and looked toward Bai Ya, “Besides, the Holy Venerables have come to a new agreement. They will not take any action against me personally. If it’s only those Half-Saints… Don’t I have you beside me, Brother Bai Ya?”
Bai Ya smiled bitterly but said nothing after glancing at Zhui Feng, whom Yang Kai was riding.
Zhui Feng might not have a high level of sentience, but his strength was obvious to see. Adding him into the mix would essentially mean that Yang Kai had two Half-Saints protecting him. If anybody were to try and harm Yang Kai, the opposing party would need at least three Half-Saints for their plan to even have a chance of success. Unfortunately, there was only one opportunity to be had. If three Half-Saints were to join forces, how were they going to split the prize afterward? Nobody would be willing to help others without appropriate compensation, so it was unlikely for such a situation to occur. What’s more, Yang Kai himself was proficient in the Dao of Space and it was rumoured that he recently killed one of the Half-Saints by the name of Yin Si, who was serving under Demon Saint Yu Ru Meng. Thus, Yang Kai’s personal strength was not to be underestimated either.
After a brief consideration, Bai Ya felt slightly relieved.
“By the way, what did the Holy Venerable tell you?” Yang Kai suddenly asked in a low voice.
Bai Ya replied, “Holy Venerable ordered that we obey all your commands.”
“What if I asked you to kill a Demon Saint?” Yang Kai looked at Bai Ya with a smile.
Bai Ya’s expression was sombre, “If you issue a command like that, Brother Yang, the Soaring Snow Ice Guard will die carrying out your orders!”
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up and he nodded at those words, “Very good.”
With a large wave of his hand, he ordered, “Let’s set off!”
After saying that, he turned around and led the way, with Bai Ya quickly relaying the command and the army of five hundred thousand moving out in an orderly manner, their speed not slow at all.
Along the journey, Yang Kai asked Bai Ya to explain the Soaring Snow Ice Guard’s organizational system and learned that the Soaring Snow Ice Guard had seven levels. From top to bottom, they were Division, Brigade, Regiment, Battalion, Company, Platoon, and Squad. A Division had 500,000 soldiers, a Brigade 10,000, a Regiment 3,000, a Company 300, a Platoon 100, and a Squad 10. The hierarchy was well-defined and the structure was rigorous.
In summary, the entire Soaring Snow Ice Guard consisted of ten Divisions and Bei Li Mo had transferred the command over one to Yang Kai. The Division Commander was none other than Bai Ya. Accordingly, the positions of Vice-Division Commander directly below Bai Ya were held by the five strongest High-Rank Demon Kings. Similarly, the Regiments and Battalions were headed by Mid-Rank Demon Kings and Low-Rank Demon Kings respectively while the Companies were led by Demon Great Generals.
There was none below the realm of a Demon General among the Soaring Snow Ice Guard, so one could only imagine what unimaginable destructive power such a well-structured and disciplined army could exert on the battlefield.
This truly got Yang Kai fired up. The Star Boundary simply could not compare with the Demon Realm when it came to warfare. Even if the Two Worlds Great War had not occurred in the Demon Realm, wars among different continents and Demon Saints were common occurrences. The skirmishes between continents would often involve large-scale battles involving millions of Demons. Therefore, the Demon Race was not unfamiliar with the art of war. On the contrary, the Star Boundary had experienced peace for a very long time. Although there were disputes among individual cultivators and occasional conflicts between Sects, a battle on the scale of millions had not occurred in tens of thousands of years.
For that reason, the Star Boundary was far inferior to the Demon Realm when it came to experience in dealing with such warfare. That was also one of the reasons why the Star Boundary had been forced into a constant retreat since the Two Worlds Great War began. Large-scale wars were often not something that could be won with one or two extremely powerful Masters. Rather, what they had to rely on was the full weight of both sides participating in the war.
The foundation and background of the Demon Realm was undoubtedly much greater than the Star Boundary’s. That was also one of the reasons why Yang Kai was desperately searching for another way out for the two Great Worlds. He wasn’t doing it out of consideration for the Demon Realm but for the Star Boundary as the latter’s odds of winning were simply too low.
Even the strongest fortresses could be brought down from the inside. Moreover, he was now within the enemy camp. Unfortunately, he did not have much confidence in being able to cause the collapse of such a strong enemy like the Demon Realm, so he could only do his best and leave the rest to the Heavens.
The army’s first destination was Eternal Sky Continent. When Yang Kai entered Eternal Sky Continent for the first time, he had also transited through Bei Li Mo’s territory and entered through the continent under another Demon Saint nearby. It was not that far away. Furthermore, the speed of the army could not be considered slow, and they arrived at the Territory Gate to enter Eternal Sky Continent in less than four days.
Eternal Sky Continent originally had two Territory Gates located in different places, but Yang Kai had sealed off one of them during his recent escape, so there was only one left. Moreover, the Demon Saints had eventually smashed the sealed Territory Gate and destroyed it as a result. As such, the army had arrived at the only remaining Territory Gate left.
Bai Ya did not know why Yang Kai had come to Eternal Sky Continent. After the last catastrophe on Eternal Sky Continent, the entire continent had been torn apart and shattered into fragments. Even the World Principles were broken beyond repair. Moreover, all the Demons who had previously lived here had been offered up as blood sacrifices. It could be said that the current Eternal Sky Continent no longer held any value at all. Not to mention, the one and only Territory Gate was showing signs of instability at this moment. If this Territory Gate disappeared, then the entire Eternal Sky Continent would be completely removed from the Demon Realm.
Bai Ya did not ask any questions despite his puzzlement though. Only a few days ago, Bei Li Mo had ordered him to lead the Soaring Snow Ice Guard and serve under Yang Kai. She also told him in very clear terms that he should not ask unnecessary questions and simply follow Yang Kai’s instructions. As a Half-Saint, it was impossible for him to serve under a High-Rank Demon King under normal circumstances; however, he could only obey since Bei Li Mo herself had ordered him to do so.
Yang Kai left Bai Ya and the army of five hundred thousand stationed near the Territory Gate. Then, he passed through the Territory Gate alone and stepped foot on Eternal Sky Continent once again.
The entire world was grey and hazy as far as the eye could see. There was not the slightest bit of brilliance anywhere. The land itself was fragmented and Void Cracks spread out across the sky like scars that could never heal.
There was a trace of sorrow in Yang Kai’s heart as he gazed at this landscape. This was the place where a Great Emperor had fallen. Nevertheless, he realized that he had no other choice whatsoever when he thought back on all the events of that day. Bright Moon Great Emperor had used his own life to hand his final responsibility over to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai did not know how he was supposed to face Lan Xun again after returning to the Star Boundary. Lan Xun had held great expectations for him before he left for the Demon Realm. Who could have known that her Father would end up dying at his hands? Just thinking about it gave him a headache.
After composing himself, Yang Kai began casually wandering around Eternal Sky Continent. The entire world was like a shattered plate wherein the fragmentation of the continent could be seen everywhere.
There were still hints of profound auras and traces of battle at the place where Bright Moon had fought against the Demon Saints back then. In addition, a bright crimson colour blanketed the spot where the boundless Blood Sea had once been. The base of the Spirit Array that made up the Twelve Pinnacles Grand Demon Array was gone, however, probably retrieved by the Demon Race.
Upon confirming that there were no other life auras on this continent, Yang Kai summoned the Sealed World Bead and had Gun-Gun come out to begin devouring the fragments of this continent. Ever since Gun-Gun started devouring numerous continents in the Demon Realm, its body had gotten even bigger than before. It was now capable of swallowing a fragment of the continent in one bite.
…..
Huo Lun stood in front of his log house located on the top of an uninhabited mountain inside the Small Sealed World, looking up at the sky with a lonely and melancholic expression.
During this period, he had gone around this strange world only to discover that it was completely devoid of any other living creatures aside from himself. Moreover, there was an invisible barrier in the sky that prevented him from flying too high. Every time he reached a certain limit, he would be blocked from going further. This world also seemed to have a set boundary, one he could not pass through. He couldn’t help feeling as though he was a bird trapped inside a cage. A vast cage, but a cage nonetheless.
[Just what is this damned place!?] He had been asking himself this question more times than he could remember but could not find an answer to it. He recalled what Yang Kai had mentioned a few days ago before leaving, ‘This world might become another Demon Realm in the future’.
Huo Lun remained unconvinced by those words. Even the most barren continent in the Demon Realm was millions of times better than this place.
All of a sudden, there was a loud explosion which sounded like thunder in the sky.
Huo Lun’s expression turned from depressed to shocked before he immediately became ecstatic as he stared up into the sky with wide eyes. In the two months that he had been living here, nothing had changed at all. There were no living creatures, and not even the slightest bit of sound; therefore, this sudden activity was a welcome sight.
[I don’t care what the changes are. It’s better than living here in dull silence!] With a shift of his body, he rushed up towards the sky in hopes of getting closer to the sound of the thunder and catching a glimpse of the mystery behind it. He also wanted to see how the world had changed.
There was another loud explosion a moment later, one so loud that the entire world seemed to tremble from it.
Under Huo Lun’s nervous and excited gaze, a huge crack suddenly opened in the sky, as if an invisible beast had opened its mouth. He felt like a tiny ant in front of that crack… Even so, that did not stop him. He rushed upward even more excitedly, thinking that this might be his chance of escaping from this place.
Just before he arrived in front of the crack though, a giant creature suddenly leaned out of the crack slowly. A horrifying pressure spread out from that figure and Huo Lun abruptly froze in his tracks to stare at this monstrosity with a wide-eyed stare.
A short while later, that giant creature finally revealed its entire body and he couldn’t help gasping at the sight. He was shocked and horrified to discover that this enormous creature was actually a giant piece of land. It looked as though somebody had cut out a part of a continent and thrown it into this world. The crack in the sky spat out the fragment of the continent, which fell straight down to the ground.
Huo Lun watched nervously, worried about the force of impact that would come from such a humongous thing crashing against the ground, but to his surprise, he saw the fragment of the continent melting away gradually as it fell. It was almost as if it had been digested by this world. The entire process took no more than ten breaths. The fragment of the continent vanished without a trace before it even touched the ground. Following that, another fragment was spat out from the crack in the sky and the process from before repeating again…
Huo Lun couldn’t help swallowing nervously at the sight as he wondered if he really was inside some sort of ancient giant beast’s belly.
Although he did not want to admit it, what he was seeing before him inadvertently made those thoughts appear in his mind. The continent fragments that were devoured up by the huge crack in the sky almost seemed like the food of a giant beast, which would mean that this world was the stomach of that giant beast; otherwise, how could the fragments of the continents be digested and disappear without a trace?
Piece after piece continued to be spat out before vanishing out of sight, seemingly without end.
All of a sudden, Huo Lun frowned. He keenly felt as though something was changing in this world. His cultivation was not that high, but he was still a Low-Rank Demon King, so he had a fairly good perception of the surrounding environment. Pondering in silence for a bit, he quietly tried to circulate his Secret Art and the results shocked him.
He discovered that the World Energy in this place had become marginally stronger than before. Even the World Principles had become a bit more abundant. Even if the changes were not significant, this feeling could not be wrong. He once again recalled what that person who tossed him into this place had once said and muttered to himself, “Perhaps one day in the future, this place will become another Demon Realm!”
He had been unconvinced by those words at the time; however, that outcome did not seem impossible now. If this world continued to develop with this kind of momentum, wouldn’t it become another Demon Realm once the World Energy became sufficiently rich and the World Principles became sufficiently perfect?
Huo Lun was extremely taken aback by this realization.
At this moment, something seemed to fall out of the air from among the vanishing continent fragments that were being digested.
[There’s something that cannot be digested by this world?] Huo Lun rubbed his eyes and confirmed that he wasn’t imagining things. Feeling curious, he hurriedly flew in the direction where that thing had fallen.
Exactly one hour later, he finally arrived at the spot. His Divine Sense surged as he searched a wide area for the item. It didn’t take much effort for him to find a spear in the middle of a lake with clear water. The spear was quite heavy, and its body was decorated with elaborate patterns. He could tell at a glance that it was an item that was forged with the greatest care.
Pouring his Demon Qi into the spear, Huo Lun examined the dazzling light it gave off and gasped at the sight, “High-Rank Demon Artifact!”
This was a High-Rank Demon Artifact! Moreover, it was a very high-quality existence even among High-Rank Demon Artifacts! There was no blockage whatsoever when he poured his Demon Qi into it. Furthermore, it felt like an extension of his arm when he swung it around casually.
As far as he knew, only some High-Rank Demon Kings and Half-Saints were eligible to wield such a High-Rank Demon Artifact. It was impossible for Mid-Rank Demon Kings and Low-Rank Demon Kings to even touch something like this.
Although he had his own weapons, they were only two Low-Rank Demon Artifacts, completely incomparable to this spear both in terms of quality and value. What made Huo Lun feel even more incredulous was that this High-Rank Demon Artifact was brand new, almost as though somebody had been using it not too long ago.
But… if the Demon Artifact was here, then where did the High-Rank Demon King or Half-Saint using it go?
Huo Lun couldn’t care less about that right now though as he clasped the spear tightly in his hand and laughed loudly. The gloomy and melancholic mood he had been experiencing all this time was swept away in an instant. Just the fact that he had unexpectedly obtained this Demon Artifact was enough to make him rejoice for a long while. It was a treasure that he did not even dare to covet before after all.
His good mood had just washed over him when something else fell out of the sky again and landed only several dozen kilometres away…
After confirming the direction, Huo Lun hurriedly flew over to look for the item. A burst of even happier laughter rang out a short while later. This time, he had picked up a Space Ring; moreover, there were countless treasures and wealth stored inside. He even found nearly a thousand Myriad Demon Pills!
These were Myriad Demon Pills! Treasures he would never even come across under normal circumstances. And yet, he had obtained nearly a thousand of them in one go. He almost thought that it was a dream. [With so many Myriad Demon Pills in hand, I only need to focus on meditating and cultivating for a time before I become a High-Rank Demon King. At this rate, even becoming a Half-Saint might not be a dream!]
So many Myriad Demon Pills were definitely not something a mere Demon King could own. As far as he knew, only the top Masters of the Demon Realm were qualified to have so many Myriad Demon Pills, such as the Half-Saints. Thinking back to the spear he had just picked up, he suddenly understood something. [I picked up the personal items of a Half-Saint who had died!]
Huo Lun jumped in fear the moment that thought came to him. For a Low-Rank Demon King like him, a Half-Saint was an extremely superior existence. Just who could kill a Half-Saint?
The shocking discoveries were far from over though. Over the next few days, Huo Lun kept seeing things falling from the sky. These were things that this world could not digest, and most of them were Demon Artifacts. Moreover, a lot of the Demon Artifacts had lost a great deal of spirituality. Their owners seemed to have experienced an extremely terrifying battle before returning to Great Demon God’s embrace. These Demon Artifacts were the weapons left behind by those who were slain in battle.
Huo Lun also picked up many Space Rings and gained quite a fortune; however, the only Half-Saint’s Space Ring he picked up was the first one. Although there was much good stuff in the rest of the Space Rings and a few Myriad Demon Pills could occasionally be found in some of them, none of them could compare with the wealth contained in the first Space Ring he picked up.
This situation continued on for seven or eight days before the crack in the sky gradually closed under his anxious gaze and nothing was swallowed into this world again. Huo Lun waited for a long time, and after making sure that there was nothing else he could benefit from, he finally turned around and headed back to his log house with a look of excitement on his face.
At this time, he was no longer complaining about being a bird trapped in a cage. Which person trapped in a cage could obtain such terrifying opportunities? The wealth he gained over the past few days was more than what he could have gotten even if he lived a hundred lifetimes.
He flew towards the mountain in a rush, but just as he was about to return to his residence, he suddenly paused in mid-air. He lowered his head and looked down. A moment later, his eyes narrowed. The mountain on which he had built his log house had gotten much higher! It definitely was not his imagination. Even if he had never measured the height of this mountain, his perception as a Demon King could not be wrong.
The mountain had gotten taller, the soil underneath had become thicker, the World Principles had become more perfect, and the World Energy was obviously more abundant than before. At some point in time, subtle changes had taken place throughout this world.
…..
Outside the Small Sealed World, the place where Eternal Sky Continent was once located had become a Void. The entire continent had been devoured by Gun-Gun. An unimaginably humongous Gun-Gun swam over to Yang Kai from the middle of the Void and transformed back into the Sealed World Bead, which Yang Kai then retrieved.
Afterward, Yang Kai turned around, passed through the Territory Gate, and sealed the Territory Gate behind him. He then called out to Bai Ya who was waiting outside, “Let’s go.”
He had not expected so much good stuff to be left behind after the battle on Eternal Sky Continent. Bright Moon had killed more than ten Half-Saints back then and the personal items of these Half-Saints had of course become ownerless at the time. Most of them had been found and retrieved after the incident; however, one Space Ring had been unaccounted for. That Space Ring had now benefited Huo Lun, whom he had locked up inside the Small Sealed World.
After leaving Eternal Sky Continent, Yang Kai led Bai Ya and the army across various continents in the Demon Realm. His nominal reason was to repair and maintain the Territory Gates, the task he failed to finish doing last time.
Half a year ago, he had been working on this task when he was ambushed by the three Half-Saints of Hundred Spirits Continent. Later, the incident on Eternal Sky Continent broke out; therefore, this matter had been delayed until now. Nobody would suspect anything if he chose to continue with his task at this time; however, repairing and maintaining the Territory Gates was a facade. His true objective was to look for opportunities to devour more lost continents.
He had not given much thought to it when he allowed Gun-Gun to devour those continents previously, only feeling it was a bit wasteful to leave the fragments to be devoured by the Void. In any case, Gun-Gun had a precedent of devouring, and it was never a bad thing to expand the domain of the Sealed World Bead. But now, it would seem that it had been a smart move of great foresight on his part.
All of the broken continents contained a part of the World Principles of the Demon Realm. Although the World Principles were as shattered as the continent themselves, Gun-Gun was never one to reject anything that came its way. As the saying went, ‘many grains of sand can build a tower’. When the quantity causes a qualitative change, the Sealed World Bead might undergo an amazing evolution in the future. If this idea was feasible, then he might be able to lead the battle between the two worlds to another conclusion.
As a veteran Half-Saint of the Demon Realm, Bai Ya knew the whole Demon Realm’s situation like the back of his hand; therefore, having him as an adviser made things much easier to handle.
Yang Kai only talked with Bai Ya for a few days, but it was enough for him to plan an efficient route in his heart.
As they passed through continent after continent, Yang Kai would stop every so often, instruct the Soaring Snow Ice Guard to seal off a certain area and disappear for a few days on his own.
Bai Ya gradually noticed how strange Yang Kai was acting, because he had not repaired nor maintained any of the Territory Gates throughout their journey at all. Instead, he seemed to be leading the army of five hundred thousand on a scenic tour throughout the various continents of the Demon Realm. Moreover, he seemed to have some sort of particular reason for stopping at certain places. It suggested that there was some sort of special pattern behind his actions.
It wasn’t until two months later that Bai Ya finally figured out what the pattern was. The places where the Soaring Snow Ice Guard raised a blockade were places where a Territory Gate once existed. In addition, those Territory Gates were once connected to a lost continent when it still existed.
After discovering this, Bai Ya couldn’t help feeling shocked. As a Half-Saint, it was only natural that he was quick-witted and an incredulous thought surged in his heart. Following his secret observations, he finally confirmed the conjecture he had formed in his heart.
[Yang Kai is capable of reopening the Territory Gates to the continents that were lost and entering those continents!] Those thoughts instantly set off a stormy wave of emotions in his heart.
There were two reasons why it was necessary for the Demon Race to start a war with the Star Boundary regardless of the costs. The first reason was the Demon Race themselves were blood-thirsty and hot-blooded, but the second and more important reason was that the Demon Race needed to find a new place to establish themselves.
The entire Demon Realm used to be whole many, many years ago. Nobody knew why it later split into countless continents of all shapes and sizes. It would have been nothing if that was all. Even if the continents were divided, they were still able to connect with each other so not much changed in the lives of the Demon Race. However, the key point was that these continents were gradually disappearing; moreover, the Territory Gates that existed everywhere also slowly began to experience some problems.
If the Demon Race did not find a new place to live, the entire Demon Realm would fall apart once all the Territory Gates disappeared and the connection between the continents were lost completely. At that time, even the Demon Saints were incapable of predicting what might happen. It might signal the end of the Demon Realm.
However, Yang Kai had found those lost continents and could even enter them! Combined with his ability to repair and maintain the Territory Gates, it was enough to maintain the safety of the Demon Realm during his lifetime. The Demon Realm would be able to avoid its fate of destruction. If that was the case, then what was the point of the battle between the two worlds? What was the point of countless Demon Race warriors, Demon Kings, Half-Saints spilling their blood in the foreign Star Boundary?
No wonder he asked Bei Li Mo for the escort of five hundred thousand Soaring Snow Ice Guards. He certainly needed some manpower to help him. Without the Soaring Snow Ice Guard to seal off the surrounding region, news about this would spread instantly if anybody were to learn about what Yang Kai was doing, shaking the very foundation of the Demon Realm.
Ever since discovering Yang Kai’s secret, Bai Ya had been slightly out of it. The expression on his face when he looked at Yang Kai was as though he was looking at a monster.
Bai Ya did not reveal the truth and Yang Kai did not explain himself.
When Yang Kai brought Bai Ya along with him, he never expected his secret to remain a secret for long. In any case, this matter would be exposed to the public one day in the future, and this would simply allow him to gauge Bei Li Mo’s attitude. Especially with the possibility of Bai Ya leaking this information to her in advance.
…..
Inside the Small Sealed World, the mountain where Huo Lun had built his log house was getting taller and taller. Ever since he first witnessed that mysterious scene the other day, similar scenes would occur again every once in a while.
When the huge crack opened in the sky for the second time, Huo Lun had excitedly rushed over when the fragments of the continent were devoured into this place again. He wanted to gain more benefits from the shocking phenomenon. Unfortunately, the results this time had left him disappointed. Even when the crack closed again, nothing special had fallen out of the sky. The same went for the third time… And, the fourth time…
At present, he no longer held any expectations. When the crack in the sky opened again, he simply opened his eyes and took a look with an indifferent attitude. No matter how shocking something was, it would become nothing special after witnessing it repeatedly. Besides, there was nothing he could gain from it anymore and the crack would close on its own after a few days.
The only reason he had gone out again recently was to verify a guess he had formed in his heart, and reality proved that his conjecture was correct. The world was expanding. Not only was the mountain he was living on getting taller, but the entire world had also gotten much broader. As the crack in the sky opened again and again, as the fragments of continents were devoured and digested, the World Principles and World Energy of the entire world gradually became stronger.
[World Creation!] Realization dawned on Huo Lun. [Such tremendous changes to this world are practically equivalent to creating a new world! Just who can perform such a feat!? Is it that man who caught me and locked me in this place?]
Yang Kai’s figure surfaced unbidden in his mind. Back then, Huo Lun had told that strange man that not only was his cultivation unable to progress if he lived in this place for long, but he also faced the risk of his cultivation regressing instead. But that risk no longer existed. Perhaps it would have been difficult for his cultivation to advance without cultivation resources, but his cultivation no longer faced the risk of regression. That was because the World Energy and World Principles in this world had both undergone great changes.
Leading the Soaring Snow Ice Guard, Yang Kai wandered the continents of the Demon Realm for a full year. During that time, he passed through all the territories owned by every single Demon Saint to devour all the known lost continents.
On a certain day one year later, Bai Ya stood in front of a Void Corridor above the skies of a vast sea. He was staring blankly at the black corridor radiating with a dangerous aura, and there was a complicated expression on his face. He knew that this Void Corridor connected to a continent that had disappeared from the Demon Realm three thousand years ago.
After such a long time, Yang Kai no longer bothered to conceal anything from Bai Ya anymore. He knew that the latter had long since found out about his secret anyway. A secret that had been found out could no longer be considered a secret; therefore, approximately half a year ago, he had allowed Bai Ya to follow him into one of these lost continents and openly showed Gun-Gun in front of him, devouring the continent.
When Bai Ya saw the broken continent, many expressions appeared on his face and all of them were filled with disbelief.
Over the past countless years, at least a hundred continents had disappeared from the Demon Realm. All the Demon Race subconsciously believed that these lost continents had simply been disconnected from the Demon Realm and nothing would happen to the continents themselves. As long as they could find a way to restore that connection, those lost continents would come back one day.
It wasn’t until he witnessed the outcome of these lost continents for himself that he realized his mindset had been too assumptive.
Even if the Demon Realm had been broken into pieces, it was still a whole; however, a continent losing its connection to the Demon Realm was equivalent to chopping off a person’s limbs. Those continents would then gradually experience decay and eventually fall apart due to a lack of nutrients…
Bai Ya suddenly felt a sense of panic and existential crisis. After witnessing the fate of those lost continents, he couldn’t help but wonder whether the surviving continents in the Demon Realm would one day end up in the same state, shattered and lifeless…
If that happened, even the Demon Saints would not be spared, let alone a Half-Saint like himself.
A weak aura fluctuation came from the Void Corridor in front of Bai Ya and immediately afterwards, Yang Kai clambered out of the Void Corridor.
Meeting each other’s gaze, Yang Kai nodded lightly, “Many thanks, Brother Bai Ya.”
Bai Ya smiled bitterly and shook his head, “I was just watching the scenery and enjoying the breeze outside. What’s so hard about my task compared to what Brother Yang did inside?”
“Did anything happen out here?” Yang Kai looked around.
“There was an aura snooping around, but it didn’t come close,” Bai Ya replied. As a Half-Saint, a snooping aura that could catch his interest could only mean that it was another Half-Saint.
It had not been a smooth journey over the course of the year. Yu Ru Meng had reached a new agreement with the other Demon Saints a year ago, so the Demon Saints did not attack Yang Kai anymore; however, many Half-Saints had immediately taken action upon learning about the situation.
Yang Kai was like an injured fish flapping about in the ocean, attracting the greed of the sharks known as Half-Saints with the smell of his blood. Just this year alone, there had been no fewer than ten conflicts with the Half-Saints! It was just that he was being escorted by Zhui Feng, not to mention five hundred thousand Soaring Snow Ice Guards and Bai Ya. One or two Half-Saints were completely incapable of causing any harm to him. The most dangerous situation he encountered was when five Half-Saints had joined forces to attack him.
In that battle, Bai Ya and Zhui Feng had both been held up by a Half-Saint each and were unable to extricate themselves from their respective battles. Meanwhile, the remaining three Half-Saints had chased Yang Kai vigorously for a while. It was to the point where they thought they were about to succeed in their endeavour.
Unfortunately for them, Yang Kai had concealed at least one Space Beacon on each continent every time he arrived. Coupled with his ingenious and unparalleled Space Techniques, he had no trouble escaping even if he could not win the fight.
That battle had lasted for half a month, but in the end, the three Half-Saints pursuing him were left eating his dust for that entire duration. They couldn’t even grasp a single hair on his head. On the contrary, they suffered greatly at the hands of his mysterious methods.
Since then, there had not been any direct battles between Yang Kai and a Half-Saint again. All the Half-Saints in the Demon Realm were aware that there was nothing they could do to a person proficient in the Dao of Space, not unless more than ten Half-Saints worked together against him or they found some method to restrict his movements to prevent him from escaping.
But, it was an extremely difficult task to get ten Half-Saints to work together. The Demon Realm did not lack Half-Saints; in fact, there had been more than a hundred participating in the battle to encircle and suppress Bright Moon Great Emperor back then, but they only joined forces at the time because the Demon Saints had ordered them to do so. Otherwise, trying to get ten Half-Saints to join forces against a single enemy on the premise that there was only one prize that could not be split in the hands of that enemy was something that was practically impossible to achieve.
For this reason, Yang Kai shocked the world with this battle. He had gotten famous in the Demon Realm because he obtained the Great Emperor’s Opportunity. It wasn’t until now that both the Half-Saints who were familiar and unfamiliar with him discovered that his strength could not be underestimated. It was no wonder he even managed to escape from the pursuit of the Demon Saints back then.
“Are there no other continents left?” Yang Kai asked.
Bai Ya shook his head, “Demon Blood Continent was the last of the lost continents.”
Yang Kai frowned at those words. Immersing himself in the Small Sealed World, he felt around for a bit and sighed, [It isn’t enough!]
The Small Sealed World had undergone earth-shaking changes after devouring all those broken continents and its territory had also become unbelievably vast as a result. Unfortunately, it was still not enough. It was not about the size of the land. The size of the Small Sealed World today was equivalent to the sum of nearly a hundred continents in the Demon Realm. Housing trillions of Demons there would not be a problem whatsoever. Rather, the problem lay in the World Principles and World Energy. The World Principles in the expanded territory of the Small Sealed World were only similar to that of a lower Star Field. In other words, the highest Masters that could be produced under such World Principles were Origin Kings.
Huo Lun was the best experiment. He had the cultivation of a Low-Rank Demon King, and during this period, he seemed to have used a number of Myriad Demon Pills to improve his cultivation. Even though he was already at the peak of a Low-Rank Demon King Realm, he could not break through his bottleneck. The reason was that the World Principles in the Small Sealed World were unable to fulfil the requirements needed for his breakthrough. If the newly expanded territory of the Small Sealed World did not evolve further, then Huo Lun would never achieve another breakthrough.
That was simply the limits of the world. Just like back then, the Origin King Realm Masters in the Star Field had to find their way into the Star Boundary. No matter how great a person’s aptitude, it was impossible to progress when the world itself limited you.
[It looks like I have no choice but to try something dangerous!] Yang Kai only considered it briefly before his eyes flashed with a resolute light. [I hope Bei Li Mo will not turn against me…]
“Let’s go!” He called out to Bai Ya, who immediately relayed the command to the Soaring Snow Ice Guard who had been guarding the surroundings, for all five hundred thousand of them to gather. Once assembled, the army gallantly set off.
Half a month later, Bai Ya stopped outside a Territory Gate, the corners of his mouth twitching as he asked, “Brother Yang, if I am not mistaken, this Territory Gate leads to Hundred Spirits Continent. Is this our destination?”
“That’s right.” Yang Kai looked at Bai Ya with a smile, not allowing for objections as he grabbed the latter by the arm and strode forward without any further ado.
Bai Ya was shocked; however, the two of them had plunged into the Territory Gate and arrived at a splendid and colourful world before he could say anything, causing him to smile bitterly…
Hundred Spirits Continent held a special position in the Demon Realm. Who would dare to barge into this place so casually, aside from unscrupulous and profit-driven mavericks? That especially held true for the Half-Saints serving under the various Demon Saints. They had been warned by the Demon Saints never to enter Hundred Spirits Continent or they could only blame themselves for their deaths.
Although Bai Ya knew that Yang Kai had a good relationship with Hundred Spirits Continent, he couldn’t help feeling as though he had been dragged into the lion’s den. Nevertheless, he was already here, so what else could he say? He could only pray that the Lord of Hundred Spirits Continent would spare him.
“Who dares trespass on Hundred Spirits Continent!?” The moment the two of them steadied themselves, a stern shout came from somewhere. It was clear that somebody had noticed the anomaly in this place. While that person was speaking, a ray of light sped towards them.
A figure was revealed in that ray of light as it got closer. It turned out to be a middle-aged man, but the aura radiating from his body was that of a Half-Saint. Upon seeing Yang Kai though, that person couldn’t help being taken aback for a moment before immediately cupping his fists, “So it is Senior Yang!”
[Senior…] Bai Ya couldn’t help frowning at that title. He was not familiar with the middle-aged man in front of him as the Half-Saints on Hundred Spirits Continent rarely involved themselves with the outside world. Be that as it may, almost all of the Half-Saints here were Divine Spirits who were famed for their arrogance, so why was this person addressing Yang Kai as ‘Senior’?
Only then did Bai Ya realize that he had greatly underestimated Yang Kai’s position on Hundred Spirits Continent, as well as how highly the Master of Hundred Spirits Continent valued Yang Kai! [No wonder even Zhui Feng has been following Yang Kai around! This guy is famous for being the mount that galloped across the world back then after all.]
“How should I address you?” Yang Kai looked at the middle-aged man with a smile.
The middle-aged man bowed with his hand on his chest, “Sir, please call me Du Yu.”
Yang Kai nodded slightly, “Is Senior Chang Tian here? I want to meet Senior in person.”
“Sir, please come with me.” Du Yu stretched out his hand to lead the way. While speaking, he subtly glanced at Bai Ya and a fierce light flashed through his eyes. The fiendish aura made all the hair on Bai Ya’s body stand.
Yang Kai said, “This is Brother Bai Ya. He is my companion.”
Upon hearing this, the fierce light in Du Yu’s eyes gradually diminished. He nodded lightly and led the way without saying another word.
Inside that dim and gloomy hall that felt as though one would never see the sun again, Yang Kai met Chang Tian again. It was impossible for a person like Chang Tian to change much in such a short time; thus, the two of them sat on the floor inside the hall just like before.
Meanwhile, Bai Ya stood quietly outside the hall with a meticulous expression. Du Yu, who had led the way, was gone now; however, there was a pair of twin sisters standing in front of him and staring at him unblinkingly. These twin sisters had beautiful appearances and graceful figures, one dressed in black and the other in white. The auras between them seemed to resonate with each other and were clearly closely connected.
Under normal circumstances, any man would have loved to have a second glance at such eye-catching beauties. Unfortunately, Bai Ya didn’t even dare to look sideways at this moment. The reserved smile on his face was practically frozen stiff as he cursed at Yang Kai fiercely in his heart. [I don’t care if you want to come to Hundred Spirits Continent, you could have done it alone! Why did you have to drag me here with you!?]
Despite being a Half-Saint, Bai Ya felt as though he was a lamb inside a tiger’s den, making him feel extremely uncomfortable.
“Senior, there are no flowers growing on my body. Why are you looking at me like that?” Inside the hall, Yang Kai rubbed his nose and glanced at Chang Tian, who had been staring at him since he came in.
Chang Tian smiled slightly and nodded, “Good. Good. I certainly picked the right person. With that opportunity in you, your chances of becoming a Demon Saint in the future will be greatly increased. This King is certain Hundred Spirits Continent will have a successor in a hundred years.”
The battle on Eternal Sky Continent had shaken up the entire world. Even Hundred Spirits Continent had heard the news despite being sealed off and isolated. Since his life was soon coming to an end, Chang Tian had wanted to train Yang Kai as his successor. He wanted Yang Kai to take over Hundred Spirits Continent in the future and protect all the Divine Spirits on this continent. Regardless of his intentions at the time, he also knew that the peak of the Martial Dao was not something that could be reached so easily. Fortunately, everything was alright now. Yang Kai had managed to snatch the Great Emperor’s Opportunity, so as long as Yang Kai progressed steadily, Chang Tian might actually be able to witness Yang Kai standing at the pinnacle of the Demon Realm before he passed away. If that were really to happen, he would have nothing to worry about anymore. In addition, the many Divine Spirits on this continent would have somebody to rely on.
“Since you have this opportunity, you shouldn’t carelessly reveal yourself outside anymore. Just stay on Hundred Spirits Continent. I have long since discussed with Yu Ru Meng, so I’m sure she won’t object too strongly to it.”
Yang Kai smiled ruefully at those words. He could discern the meaning behind Chang Tian’s words. Chang Tian wanted him to remain on Hundred Spirits Continent from now on to cultivate in peace to become a Demon Saint in the future. Although he could appreciate the care and protection Chang Tian was showing him, time waited for no one. How could he afford the time to cultivate here quietly? The goal of becoming a Demon Saint was a little too far off right now and the Two Worlds Great War was raging on. Meanwhile, his family, wives, and friends were all in the Star Boundary. How could he hide away in this paradise with peace of mind? The Star Boundary would be gone by the time he became a Demon Saint and left this place again.
Yang Kai mulled it over for a moment before he replied, “I appreciate your kindness, Senior, but has Senior never thought about leading Hundred Spirits Continent out of this rut? Hundred Spirits Continent might be large, but isn’t it a little too small for you, Senior?”
Chang Tian’s eyes flashed when he heard those words and the corners of his mouth curved upward, revealing the hint of a smile, “What do you want to say?”
Yang Kai stared at Chang Tian with a piercing gaze, “What I want to say is… With your power, you shouldn’t be confined to the Hundred Spirits Continent, Senior. Just thinking about it, each of the Twelve Demon Saints control dozens of continents, while your strength is no weaker than theirs, so why do you only settle for occupying something as insignificant as Hundred Spirits Continent? You are part of the Dragon Clan, and the Dragon Clan is Head of the Myriad Divine Spirits. You should be free to roam these lands as you see fit, not trapped in these shallow waters!”
Chang Tian’s gaze lowered slightly, “Originally, Hundred Spirits Continent did not exist in the Demon Realm. This is what this King spent half his life building. It is true that the Demon Realm is vast and there are hundreds, if not over a thousand continents, but alas! This King is only one, and such grand ambitions are not something that can be accomplished alone.”
“But, you have me now, Senior!”
“You?” He raised his eyebrows and looked at Yang Kai. Then, he burst out laughing all of a sudden, “Your appetite is truly enormous! Unfortunately, you need to have the corresponding strength to support it.”
Yang Kai slowly shook his head, “Senior, you have misunderstood my words. I am not inciting you to seize the other Demon Saints’ territories. The Demon Realm is already falling apart, so what’s the point of taking over another person’s territory? Perhaps, in a century, or a millennium, that territory you seized would collapse. That would just be meaningless effort. Forget everything else, let’s take Hundred Spirits Continent as an example. Who knows when Hundred Spirits Continent will break away from the Demon Realm and follow in the footsteps of the other lost continents? Where will you go if that happens, Senior? Where will the millions of living creatures on Hundred Spirits Continent go?”
Yang Kai paused for a moment before continuing, “Plus, you might be safe for now… But the war between the two worlds will sweep through the entire Demon Realm sooner or later. Can you and Hundred Spirits Continent still remain in a disengaged position when that time comes?”
Chang Tian’s expression darkened the moment he heard those words.
Yang Kai added, “It’s something that even a Junior like me noticed, so I’m certain Senior has already foreseen this.”
Although the war between the two worlds was raging fiercely, it had yet to reach the most critical point. That was why Hundred Spirits Continent could still afford to stay out of the matter; however, if the war reached a certain step… The Demon Saints in the Demon Realm would never allow Hundred Spirits Continent to remain watching idly by the sides. They were bound to work together to exert pressure on Hundred Spirits Continent so that it participated in the war.
Chang Tian would have no choice but to agree under such intense pressure; otherwise, Hundred Spirits Continent would become the Demon Realm’s enemy. That would only bring the worst possible fate to Hundred Spirits Continent. If the Demon Saints were determined enough to join forces, then Hundred Spirits Continent would be completely wiped off the map.
“Do you have a solution to this?” Chang Tian lifted his eyes and looked at Yang Kai suspiciously.
Yang Kai had brought this matter up so abruptly that it was clear that he had a specific aim in mind; thus, Chang Tian couldn’t help speculating.
“I’m still figuring one out, and I dare not say it will succeed, but it’s a direction at least. If this succeeds, not only can it extinguish the flames of war between the two worlds, but it can also provide a better living environment for Hundred Spirits Continent and even the rest of the Demon Race.”
“Extinguish the flames of war between the two worlds…” Even though Chang Tian was incredibly knowledgeable, he couldn’t help being a little dumbfounded at this moment.
Yang Kai’s words had simply been too incredulous! The Two Worlds Great War was not a run-of-the-mill brawl, it was a battle for survival where it was kill-or-be-killed. It was impossible to stop this war unless one party thoroughly lost or was completely annihilated. In comparison, it made the part about providing a better living environment for Hundred Spirits Continent and the rest of the Demon Race sound less shocking.
If it had been anybody else who spoke these words, Chang Tian would have thrown that person out a long time ago rather than waste his time on such nonsense; however, he held great expectations for Yang Kai and still hoped that Yang Kai would protect Hundred Spirits Continent in the future. Even if he couldn’t bring himself to believe what Yang Kai was saying, he had no other option but to ask about it, “Tell me more. What exactly are you planning?”
Yang Kai hesitated for a long time, but seeming to reach a decision about something important, he raised his gaze, stared straight into Chang Tian’s eyes, and stated, “I think you should see it for yourself, Senior.”
“See for myself?” Chang Tian frowned.
Yang Kai stretched out his hand to Chang Tian, “Senior, if you believe in me, then please relax and don’t resist.”
Chang Tian frowned in response. He did not know what snake oil Yang Kai was trying to sell; nevertheless, he reached out his hand and placed it in the palm of Yang Kai’s hand. As powerful as he was, he was extremely confident in his own strength, so he was not worried about any sinister trick or devious lies Yang Kai might try to pull.
In the next moment, he saw Yang Kai grinning at him and his vision blurred for a moment before he suddenly found himself in a strange world. Stunned, Chang Tian looked around only to see that this place was no longer his dark and cold palace hall. It could even be said that this place was not any place found on Hundred Spirits Continent.
This world made him feel a little uncomfortable as he felt an invisible shackle wrapping around him the moment he entered. It was the omnipresent World Force applying pressure on him to prevent him from using too much power. Although he had cultivation on par with that of a Demon Saint, it was worthless here since he could not exert that strength in this place.
This situation inadvertently made his expression change slightly. He was wondering if he had misjudged Yang Kai and accidentally fell into some sort of malicious trap. Even so, he quickly tossed this idea aside. That was because Yang Kai was standing beside him defenceless. If Yang Kai had wanted to harm Chang Tian in any way, then he would not be assuming such a carefree posture. Moreover, he was staring ahead with a relaxed expression. Stretching out a hand, Yang Kai pointed and said, “Senior, what do you think about this place?”
“Where is this place?” Chang Tian frowned. He had clearly felt the traces of teleportation just now, it was just that he had not had the time to get a closer look before he was transported here from the hall. While they were speaking, he spread his Divine Sense out, but could not perceive the boundaries of this world.
“This is a world. I call it the Small Sealed World.”
“The Small Sealed World?” Chang Tian’s frown deepened, but immediately after, his eyes gleamed with a shocking light, “A Great World!? Is this a Great World!?”
“It can marginally be considered one.”
“I can’t believe you actually found another Great World!” Chang Tian was thoroughly shocked.
The Star Boundary, which existed outside of the Demon Realm, had shown Chang Tian and the others that there was more than just one Great World out there. It was possible that there were thousands of Great Worlds out there in the vast universe. Up until now, no living Demon had seen another world other than the Demon Realm and the Star Boundary, and nobody knew where the other Great Worlds were located nor how to actually get there. Be that as it may, Yang Kai actually found a Great World and even figured out a way to enter it. How could Chang Tian not be shocked?
All of a sudden, Chang Tian understood what Yang Kai had meant just now. If Yang Kai could travel freely in and out of this Great World, then he could indeed extricate Hundred Spirits Continent from its current death spiral. There would be no need to worry about being pressured by the Demon Saints when the war between the two worlds intensified in the future. Likewise, there was no need to worry about Hundred Spirits Continent falling apart one day in the future, leaving hundreds of millions without a home.
Even so, Chang Tian only entertained the thought for a moment before the flames in his heart died down and he slowly shook his head, “This world is not suitable for the survival of stronger living creatures. It’s not perfect yet.”
With his insight, it was only natural that he could sense the shortcomings of the newly expanded territory of the Small Sealed World. If not for these shortcomings, the World Force would not have placed these invisible shackles on him. It was unfortunate, but this world was undoubtedly much inferior compared to the Demon Realm. A Great World like this was only for show. It might look impressive, but it lacked substance.
Yang Kai smiled slightly, “Senior, you have sharp eyes indeed. But, do you know what this world was like in the beginning?”
Chang Tian laughed, “How would I know?”
Pausing in shock for a moment, he turned to look at Yang Kai, “Do you know?”
Yang Kai replied in a carefree manner, “Of course, I know. That’s because… I created this world.”
“You… created it?” Chang Tian’s eyes widened at those words and he even wondered whether there was something wrong with his hearing.
“Senior, did you visit Eternal Sky Continent after the battle there?” Yang Kai suddenly asked a seemingly irrelevant question.
“Cough…” Chang Tian coughed lightly into his fist, “I was on Eternal Sky Continent at the time.”
This time around, it was Yang Kai’s turn to be stunned. He instinctively felt that Chang Tian would definitely investigate something as important as the battle on Eternal Sky Continent after the incident, but who could have known that Chang Tian had been there the whole time?
It wasn’t that strange upon further consideration. It was a battle between a Great Emperor and the Demon Saints after all. There was a high likelihood that it would change the future direction of the two worlds. It was reasonable for Chang Tian to be concerned over something like that.
“Then, it’ll be easy to explain.” Yang Kai nodded lightly, “I’m sure Senior saw the condition Eternal Sky Continent was in after that huge battle.”
“The whole continent had shattered to pieces and the World Principles had collapsed. The might of the Demon Saints and a Great Emperor’s attacks was not something a mere continent could withstand.” Chang Tian’s expression was solemn.
“Will you believe me if I tell you that, in the beginning, this world was in worse condition than the broken Eternal Sky Continent?”
Chang Tian turned his head in Yang Kai’s direction, his pupils shrinking slightly in response.
Yang Kai met Chang Tian’s gaze with a calm expression and a pure gaze.
A long while later, Chang Tian slowly shook his head, “It’s not that this King doesn’t want to believe you. It’s just that it’s too difficult to believe.”
Yang Kai smiled and said, “Senior, I’m sure you know that many continents have disappeared from the Demon Realm over the past few thousand years. One by one, those lost continents were severed from the Demon Realm’s territory because the Territory Gates collapsed. Nobody could enter them, and nobody knows what happened to those lost continents after so many years.”
Chang Tian furrowed his eyebrows, “Do you know what happened to them?”
Yang Kai nodded, “I found a way to enter the lost continents, but the state of those continents is not quite like what most people imagine. They have not been preserved intact; rather, they disintegrated a long time ago. Moreover, they were in worse condition than Eternal Sky Continent after the most recent war. The world you see now is the result of the amalgamation of those lost continents and Eternal Sky Continent. Senior, can’t you sense that the World Principles and World Energy here are somewhat similar to the Demon Realm?”
How could Chang Tian fail to sense that? He had felt it the moment he entered this place. The feeling this world gave him was a weakened version of the Demon Realm. He had not understood why before, but the realization dawned on him after listening to Yang Kai’s explanation.
Although the World Principles between Great Worlds were similar, it was absolutely impossible for them to be identical. Take the Star Boundary and the Demon Realm for example. Their different Principles allowed them to give birth to distinct power systems. In contrast, this place called the Small Sealed World simply had too many similarities with the Demon Realm.
Even though Yang Kai’s explanation seemed reasonable, Change Tian was still finding it rather hard to believe, so he asked incredulously, “How did you reintegrate the lost continents together?”
The fact that Yang Kai could enter the continents that had long since disappeared seemed less shocking in comparison; after all, he was proficient in the Dao of Space. Yang Kai was capable of repairing, maintaining, and even sealing Territory Gates, so reopening lost Territory Gates did not seem far-fetched.
“Senior, have you ever heard of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law?” Yang Kai asked with a smile.
Chang Tian shook his head, “I’ve never heard of it.”
Unlike many of the Demon Saints, he knew nothing about the Star Boundary. If it were any other Demon Saint standing here, they might have been familiar with the Heaven Devouring Battle Law; after all, they must have put in a lot of effort to gather intelligence on the Star Boundary before and after they launched the current war.
“The Heaven Devouring Battle Law is a remarkable masterpiece created by a Senior of the Star Boundary. It has the ability to devour everything, including the Heavens and the Earth themselves. That Senior’s name is Wu Kuang, and he was a Great Emperor several tens of thousands of years ago. It can even be said that he was the strongest Great Emperor in history. The greatest characteristic of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law is that it can devour anything and everything in the world, then turn that into something for its own use. Unfortunately, that Senior relied on his incredible strength and supposed invincibility to perform many dreadful acts. As the saying goes, ‘Upset the Heavenly Way, suffer the karmic consequences’. He finally roused too great a public outrage and all the other Great Emperors joined together to kill him. In that battle, however, he alone managed to kill four Great Emperors before succumbing.”
Chang Tian couldn’t help gasping at those words, “He killed four Great Emperors?”
Those who had not reached Chang Tian’s height could hardly imagine how difficult such a feat was. Chang Tian was also as strong as any Great Emperor, and he was not afraid of any of the other Twelve Demon Saints in the Demon Realm. He had even fought with the First Demon Saint, Huang Wu Ji, before. Even so, it was still impossible for him to kill four Demon Saints with his power alone. Forget four; even if he challenged Huang Wu Ji alone, he would be outmatched if a single other Demon Saint intervened in the battle.
They stood at the pinnacle with their level of strength and cultivation; thus, there was not much difference between them, that was also why Chang Tian, who stood at the peak, could better understand the horrors of Heaven Devouring Great Emperor, Wu Kuang.
“That’s right.” Yang Kai looked solemn, “That battle was known in Star Boundary as the Great Emperor War and the battlefield where it all took place was a place now known as the Shattered Star Sea.”
Chang Tian looked fascinated as he murmured, “Wu Kuang, the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor. What an extraordinary genius! If I could exchange blows with somebody like that in my lifetime, then my life would be worthwhile. What a pity… What a pity…”
Yang Kai smiled slightly and did not tell Chang Tian that Wu Kuang had been resurrected from the dead. At present, Wu Kuang and Bustling World Great Emperor had formed a mysterious balance between them wherein they shared one body with two souls.
Setting such matters aside, Yang Kai continued, “Following that battle, the name of Heaven Devouring Great Emperor has become one that all knew across the Star Boundary. Even now, his fame has not diminished in any way. Moreover, he is publicly recognized as the strongest Great Emperor in the Star Boundary’s history. The Heaven Devouring Battle Law he created is both the evilest and most powerful Secret Art known.”
Chang Tian’s expression changed upon hearing those words, “And that Secret Art… Has it fallen into your hands?”
They had been talking about creating a new Great World when Yang Kai suddenly switched the topic to Heaven Devouring Great Emperor. With Chang Tian’s keen insight, he immediately realized the connection.
Yang Kai nodded, “Yes. When this Junior first entered the Star Boundary, I crossed paths with Wu Kuang’s descendant and obtained the Heaven Devouring Battle Law by chance. At the time, my cultivation was progressing smoothly and I also did not have any intention of cultivating another Secret Art; hence, it was left to gather dust. I only learned much later that the Heaven Devouring Battle Law is not something just anybody could cultivate. This Secret Art might be powerful, but it also comes with severe drawbacks. Now, it would seem that I was very fortunate instead.”
If he had cultivated the Heaven Devouring Battle Law back then, his character might have become twisted and distorted. His physical toughness and ability to process impurities might be higher than average, but it was still much inferior to the Embodiment’s innate abilities.
Chang Tian gently nodded, “The more powerful a Secret Art, the more demanding its requirements. The Heavenly Way is fair in all things. That is reasonable.”
Yang Kai continued, “I have another item in my possession, however, called the Sealed World Bead, and inside it houses an independent world of its own.” He pointed forward, “It was the original prototype of this world. Whether it was the Heaven Devouring Battle Law or the Sealed World Bead, they were both special in their own right; however, when I combined the two together… Something amazing happened.”
“What happened?” Chang Tian couldn’t help asking even though he had a conjecture in his heart.
“The Small Sealed World became capable of devouring other spaces to strengthen itself. That is what led to the situation you see today, Senior.”
Chang Tian turned his head and looked around with a sigh of amazement, “No wonder this world is uninhabited even though it is so vast.”
Since it was a new world formed by devouring the lost continents, it was only natural that there were no living creatures here. After considering it for a bit, Chang Tian asked, “But, didn’t you say you didn’t cultivate the Heaven Devouring Battle Law? How did you manage to combine it with the… Sealed World Bead?”
Yang Kai smiled, “I didn’t cultivate it, but that does not prevent me from using the Sealed World Bead to circulate the Heaven Devouring Battle Law.”
Of course, Yang Kai could not have done this to this extent if not for the Embodiment. It was precisely because the Embodiment had cultivated the Heaven Devouring Battle Law and gained a very deep understanding of this marvellous masterpiece that Yang Kai could successfully use it through the Sealed World Bead.
“Astonishing! Simply astonishing!” Chang Tian clicked his tongue in amazement, “If it is as you have said, and this land is formed from those lost continents… Then, if you allowed that Sealed World Bead of yours to devour a complete continent…”
“Senior, what you are thinking is exactly what I am aiming for.” Yang Kai nodded seriously, “The Demon Realm is falling apart. The continents don’t have much time left. It’s only a matter of time before they, too, disappear from the Demon Realm’s territory. Compared to letting them disappear, you might as well let me devour them to build a new Great World. If I can successfully complete this grand project, then all the living creatures in the Demon Realm can settle into this new world. It will end the war between the two worlds. In fact, even you, Senior, and the denizens of Hundred Spirits Continent can find a place where you belong in the new world. You won’t need to hide away and be oppressed by the other Demon Saints again!”
As soon as those words left Yang Kai’s mouth, Chang Tian’s eyes lit up with a hungry light. It was almost as though he could see a new world beneath his feet. Nevertheless, at his realm, he would not be so easily persuaded by a few sweet words even if he valued Yang Kai highly. After a while, he calmly asked, “So, is the Sealed World Bead one of your trump cards? Aren’t you afraid of revealing it in front of me?
Something that could hopefully evolve into a Great World was a Supreme Treasure in anybody’s eyes. Even Demon Saints would be envious of it.
Yang Kai smiled upon hearing those words and replied, “The Sealed World Bead is indeed one of my trump cards, but its existence will be revealed to the world sooner or later ever since this idea came to me. In the past, I used to hide the existence of the Sealed World Bead because I was not strong enough to hold on to such a treasure. But now, I am a High-Rank Demon King and have some means of protecting myself, so why would it matter if it is revealed to the world? Furthermore, the Sealed World Bead might be valuable, but it is a dead object and requires the cooperation of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law to devour space. Aside from Wu Kuang, I am the only one who has mastered the Heaven Devouring Battle Law.”
Chang Tian chuckled softly, “Why are you telling me all this? Is it because you want my help?”
Yang Kai solemnly replied, “Creating a new world is not something I can accomplish alone. And, you are the only one I can trust in the entire Demon Realm. I hope you can help me, Senior.”
He did not know whether Chang Tian was trustworthy as they had not been acquainted for long after all, so he did not understand the latter’s character in full. Even so, it was a fact that Chang Tian’s remaining lifespan was short, and Hundred Spirits Continent had nothing else to rely on in the future; therefore, Yang Kai was certain Chang Tian would make the right choice when a new, better option was placed before him.
Chang Tian did not answer immediately. Instead, he thought about it carefully with a stern expression. It wasn’t until a long while had passed that he slowly said, “It’s not that this King is unwilling to believe you. It’s just that you are speaking without proof. If this world can really evolve as you say and eventually turn into an existence similar to the Demon Realm, then it wouldn’t hurt to help you…”
“Senior, how do you want me to prove it?” Yang Kai asked.
Chang Tian smiled slightly, “Verbal statements are not guarantees, only seeing is believing.”
The heavy doors of the main hall opened by a crack, and Yang Kai stepped out from within. Three gazes immediately turned towards him in unison. They belonged to none other than the three people who had been waiting outside, Hei Lian, Bai Lian, and Bai Ya.
Bai Ya couldn’t help letting out a breath of relief at the sight of Yang Kai. Being watched by the twin sisters, who were Half-Saints just like himself, in this hostile place had been… extremely stressful.
Yang Kai nodded lightly at Hei Lian and Bai Lian, “Many thanks for your hard work. We will be leaving now.”
Hei Lian stepped forward and asked, “Did Sir issue any other orders?”
Yang Kai smiled, “Senior intends to cultivate in retreat. He did not give any orders.”
Hei Lian made a non-committal sound in response and said no more. She simply watched as Yang Kai and Bai Ya left.
Upon leaving Hundred Spirits Continent, Yang Kai gathered the five hundred thousand Soaring Snow Ice Guards waiting outside and summoned Zhui Feng. Then, he swung himself up onto Zhui Feng and called out to Bai Ya, “Brother Bai Ya, you and I will be leaving first. The Soaring Snow Ice Guard can return on their own.”
Bai Ya nodded. After speaking to the five Division Commanders of the Soaring Snow Ice Guard, he left as swiftly as the wind with Yang Kai, rushing to the nearby Territory Gate.
Along their journey, Yang Kai asked, “Brother Bai Ya, are there any continents within Holy Venerable Bei Li Mo’s territory that don’t have a Half-Saint overseeing them?”
Bai Ya did not understand Yang Kai’s intentions in asking him this, but this information wasn’t a secret, so he simply pondered over it for a moment before casually reporting a list of names. Bei Li Mo was in charge of several dozen continents, but not all of these continents had Continent Lords. She only had a dozen or so Half-Saints under her command, less than twenty in total. Although each Half-Saint was in charge of a continent, most of the continents were managed by High-Rank Demon Kings. The situation was similar to how it used to be on Cloud Shadow Continent.
“Then… Let’s head to Heavenly Martial Continent.” Yang Kai chose one randomly.
Despite being clueless as to what Yang Kai planned to do at Heavenly Martial Continent, Bai Ya couldn’t help feeling uneasy. He had the feeling that nothing good would come from Yang Kai’s trip to Heavenly Martial Continent.
At the same time, Chang Tian stood on top of a mountain inside the Small Sealed World. He stood there with his hands behind his back, looking out into the distance. A Low-Rank Demon King stood tremblingly behind Chang Tian. He would glance up at Chang Tian’s back from time to time, a sheen of sweat dampening his forehead. This Low-Rank Demon King was none other than the one and only resident in this newly expanded territory, Huo Lun.
Originally, Huo Lun had been quite happy to see a fellow Demon in this accursed place; however, he suddenly felt as though he was covered in a thin layer of ice when he learned the identity of the person in front of him. The Lord of Hundred Spirits Continent, an existence comparable to that of the Demon Saints, Chang Tian, a Master famous throughout the Demon Realm.
[Why is he here?] Huo Lun felt dizzy. A humble and insignificant person like himself had suddenly come face-to-face with one of the highest existences in the Demon Realm. Nobody could have remained calm in those circumstances. What made Huo Lun most uncomfortable was the fact that this person had only been standing there motionlessly ever since appearing. The situation was such that he didn’t even dare to breathe because of that.
While Huo Lun was wallowing in anxiety, Chang Tian suddenly asked, “How long have you been here?”
The sudden question startled Huo Lun, and when he finally recovered from his shock, he immediately replied, “Reporting to Senior, it has been more than a year since this lowly one came here.”
“What did this place look like when you first arrived here?” Chang Tian asked again.
Huo Lun immediately answered, “It was not that different from what Senior sees now; however, the World Energy and World Principles in this place were inferior to what they are now. In addition, the territory has expanded many times during the past year.”
“How did those changes come about?”
“This lowly one does not know.” He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, “This lowly one was captured and locked up in this place. After two months of imprisonment here, a huge crack suddenly opened in the sky one day. Many continent fragments then rushed in from that crack and melted away before they fell to the ground. It felt as though they were being digested by the world…”
“Digested?” Chang Tian raised his eyebrows at those words.
“Yes. It’s like how a Demon would eat and digest food. It’s just that the digestion speed is extremely fast. The world gradually experienced changes following the digestion of these continent fragments.” Huo Lun glanced at Chang Tian’s back cautiously. He was hesitant to talk about the gains he obtained, for he had picked up a lot of good stuff when the world changed for the first time, including the Space Ring of a Half-Saint. He did not know if Chang Tian’s presence here had something to do with any of those things, but… What if Chang Tian decided to retrieve those items after he brought that matter up? That was wealth Huo Lun would never obtain even if he worked hard for several hundred lifetimes…
Just as he was trying to calculate his gains and losses, he heard Chang Tian speaking again, “What does the crack in the sky look like? What about the continent fragments? Tell me about them in more detail…”
Huo Lun swallowed nervously and quickly recounted everything he had seen during this past year in great detail. Chang Tian did not show any reaction to what he was saying and simply listened quietly. It made Huo Lun feel extremely anxious, afraid that he might say the wrong thing and end up killed by this person in front of him as a result. Even so, what made him feel slightly more relieved was that Chang Tian never even mentioned the personal effects of the Half-Saints…
…..
Heavenly Martial Continent was quite far from Hundred Spirits Continent, but the speed that Yang Kai and Bai Ya could travel once they left the Soaring Snow Ice Guards behind was not slow by any means. As such, it didn’t take more than a few days before the two arrived at Heavenly Martial Continent.
After rushing through the Territory Gate, Yang Kai suddenly paused in his tracks.
Bai Ya turned to look at Yang Kai, “Brother Yang, why did you want to come to Heavenly Martial Continent? Did you have any acquaintances here?”
“Nope.” Yang Kai shook his head, “I only need this continent.”
“Need this continent?” Bai Ya frowned.
“Brother Bai Ya, please stay calm. Also… Don’t be too surprised by what you see later.” Yang Kai smiled at Bai Ya slightly.
“What do you mean?” Bai Ya was taken aback by those words.
Yang Kai did not answer and simply flipped his hand over casually, summoning a bead into his palm. Immediately after that, he tossed the bead into the air, formed a set of hand seals, and then pointed at the bead. A mysterious light shot out of his finger and struck the bead squarely.
In the next instant, the light in the sky was suddenly obscured by something as an enormous shadow enveloped the earth.
Bai Ya looked up, and his jaw fell open in shock.
A strange creature with a round body and a wide tail that made it look like a fat tadpole had appeared in the sky. This thing was several thousand kilometres wide, and the shadow stretched over ten thousand kilometres of land below it. As soon as that thing appeared, numerous Void Cracks appeared in the surroundings.
At the same time, Bai Ya clearly felt the space of this continent becoming turbulent. There was a clear and distinct spatial fluctuation spreading out into the surroundings, with that creature as its centre. Wherever the invisible waves passed, countless small cracks appeared. He did not know why, but he suddenly had the feeling that the entire Heavenly Martial Continent was being pressured.
It was Gun-Gun! It was not Bai Ya’s first time seeing Gun-Gun as he had been following Yang Kai around for the past year. He had also been brought to the lost continents by Yang Kai and personally witnessed Gun-Gun devouring those continent fragments. Even so, those were the lost continents, broken beyond repair and devoid of all life. As such, Bai Ya had not given much thought to the matter despite his shock and simply felt that Yang Kai was making use of waste.
Be that as it may, this was Heavenly Martial Continent! This continent was still in perfect condition! Moreover, there were hundreds of millions of Demons living on it! [Yang Kai, are you planning to devour this continent!? Have you gone mad!?]
“Brother Yang, what are you doing!?” Bai Ya turned and gave Yang Kai a stern look, murderous intent radiating from his body.
Yang Kai seemed oblivious to this though and simply remained atop Zhui Feng’s back with a smile, “Have you reported to Holy Venerable about our arrival on Heavenly Martial Continent, Brother Bai Ya?”
During their journey here, Bai Ya had failed to conceal his little tricks from Yang Kai. In fact, Bai Ya and Bei Li Mo had remained in constant contact throughout the entire past half year, it was just that Yang Kai had pretended not to know. In any case, in his original plan, Bei Li Mo would have been the second person after Chang Tian to learn about his intentions anyway. If Bai Ya reported some things to Bei Li Mo in advance, it would save him the trouble of explaining to her later.
Bai Ya said coldly, “Holy Venerable is on the way here. Brother Yang, please do not overstep your authority!”
Yang Kai said, “Very good! It so happens that I have something to discuss with her.”
Bai Ya was stunned. He never imagined that Yang Kai would be so fearless towards Bei Li Mo. Unfortunately, this was a moment of crisis. Heavenly Martial Continent was bound to disappear completely in a few days if Yang Kai carried out his intentions here. The only person who could stand up to Yang Kai at this moment was Bai Ya; therefore, he spoke with a cold expression despite knowing that Zhui Feng was not to be taken lightly, “Brother Yang, please stop. Otherwise, don’t blame me for disregarding our friendship.”
Yang Kai slowly shook his head and said, “I’ve already made my move. There’s no way to stop now. Brother Bai Ya, you might as well try consulting with the Holy Venerable again to see what her stance on this matter is.”
Bai Ya’s expression became solemn. He glanced at Zhui Feng, who was carrying Yang Kai, and a trace of fear emerged on his face before he hurriedly took out an item to contact Bei Li Mo and inform her about this situation.
While Bai Ya was communicating with Bei Li Mo, Gun-Gun cracked open a mouth that was large enough to devour the entire world and then plunged headfirst towards the ground. Silently, everywhere that Gun-Gun passed turned to nothing. Bai Ya watched as a city not far away was devoured by Gun-Gun and vanished without a trace. None of the millions of Demons living in the city managed to escape their fates.
Bai Ya’s expression suddenly became extremely hideous, but just as he was about to attack, Bei Li Mo replied to his message. When Bai Ya saw her response, he was dumbfounded once more. After that, he clenched his fist and angrily snarled, “Holy Venerable is rushing here. I hope you will remain as calm and at ease as you are now when she arrives, Brother Yang.”
Yang Kai shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.
At the same time, Huo Lun gave a cry of surprise on top of the mountain inside the Small Sealed World, “Senior! That’s it… That’s the crack! Every time that crack appears in the sky, continent fragments will be digested by this world!”
Even without Huo Lun’s reminder, Chang Tian had naturally noticed this. He squinted his eyes and stared intently at that huge crack with a look of expectation in his eyes.
After some time, he confirmed it was just as Huo Lun had described, continent fragments were being devoured through the crack. Huo Lun shouted excitedly as if to verify that what he had said was true, “Look, Senior! I wasn’t lying, right!? These continent fragments are immediately digested after being devoured, with nothing left behind!”
The moment Huo Lun’s voice rang out, the continent fragments that had been swallowed into this place began melting away rapidly as though they were really being digested by the world. In the blink of an eye, the huge fragments shrank significantly, their volume decreasing at a speed visible to the naked eye as they fell from the sky.
However, Huo Lun’s mouth opened wide enough for a fist to fit inside just a short while later. That was because the continent fragments had not melted away completely. There was still a part left. Moreover, no matter how he looked at it, that part looked like… a city!
[A city!?] He could barely believe what he was looking at. Over the past year or so, he had gotten accustomed to seeing the scene before him. Aside from the first time where he gained various benefits and picked up a lot of good things, the other times had always been the same. It was the first time a city had appeared in this place. Just when he was wondering if he had seen wrongly, a dense bunch of small black dots suddenly began flying out of the city. He stared intently at those black dots and discovered that those were powerful members of the Demon Race!
These Demons had obviously been living in the city and were probably uneasy after experiencing such a sudden change so they flew out of the city to investigate the situation. The moment they saw that the city they had been living in was floating in mid-air and slowly falling to the ground, they began yelling. They were too far away for him to make out what they were saying exactly, but Huo Lun could clearly hear the panic in their voices while he could see some even gesturing wildly.
In the meantime, more and more black dots were flying out of the city and gathering together in a dense cloud. They looked like a pack of locusts in the sky. As for the weaker members of the Demon Race, they had no choice but to remain inside the city, though they were running about in a panic as though doomsday was upon them, enveloped in a sense of fear and trepidation.
“What is going on?” Huo Lun muttered to himself, his complexion turning pale. The size of a city like this could not be considered small in the Demon Realm, so why did it get devoured? Moreover, where did this city come from?
On the other hand, Chang Tian remained standing there motionlessly, his expression as tranquil as an ancient well but his eyes were overflowing with excitement and anticipation.
Sometime later, the city slowly landed on the ground as though an invisible hand was supporting it from underneath and gently lowering it. Except for some minor tremors which caused the collapse of a few less stable buildings, there was not much damage to the city in general.
From today onward, there was going to be a city filled with members of the Demon Race on that distant plain…
Another crack appeared in the sky, and another continent fragment slowly appeared. Then, another crack appeared…
After less than an hour, countless cracks had appeared in the sky and rained down continent fragments continuously, only for them to be swallowed into this world and thoroughly digested. Occasionally, other large cities would also fall out of the sky.
Meanwhile, changes had taken place all over the world without anyone noticing.
…..
Bai Ya stood mid-air outside the Small Sealed World, staring forward with a pale complexion, a chill covering his entire body. Not everybody could stomach watching a perfectly intact continent being gradually eaten away. The space that had been devoured was filled with nothingness as it returned to chaos, and Void Turbulence stirred up a storm in those chaotic regions. Despite being a Half-Saint, Bai Ya could sense the dangers hidden within those areas and knew that if he was dragged into them, he would lose his way completely and never find his way back again.
[Madman! This guy is an absolute madman!] He turned around and stared at Yang Kai, his face twitching visibly. [I never took Yang Kai to be a lunatic who could reduce a perfectly good continent into such a miserable mess in such a short period of time!]
Heavenly Martial Continent was utterly destroyed. Even if Gun-Gun stopped devouring the continent now, this continent could never return to the way it had been in the past. A land of nihility had formed in the place where Gun-Gun had devoured those parts of the continent. It could even be said that Heavenly Martial Continent would fall apart, sooner or later, because of the effects.
Bai Ya constantly supplied a stream of updates on the situation here to Bei Li Mo, who was rushing over as fast as she could. There was no response from her, but he could still feel her fury. [This guy is dead! Holy Venerable is sure to chop Yang Kai up into ten thousand pieces for encroaching on her territory! There’s no room for discussion whatsoever!]
The moment that thought crossed his mind, he glanced at Yang Kai with some pity; however, his pity was also laced with the burning rage in his heart. [If Holy Venerable truly intends to kill Yang Kai in a fit of rage, wouldn’t it be better for me to do it myself? I can take the opportunity to snatch the Great Emperor’s Opportunity that is in his possession! Becoming a Demon Saint will be right at my fingertips!]
One day later, approximately a fifth of Heavenly Martial Continent had been devoured. The continent now looked like a cookie out of which somebody had taken a big bite. It wasn’t until this moment that a fluctuation came from the Territory Gate behind Yang Kai and Bai Ya. Immediately afterwards, Bei Li Mo appeared not too far away. She had finally arrived after hurrying over with all haste.
Her phoenix eyes swept over the scene in front of her and she immediately noticed the endless stretch of Void and the chaotic aura of nothingness that emanated from it. Her expression changed drastically as a result. Then, she looked into the distance and vaguely saw an enormous ball-like creature wandering about the edge of Heavenly Martial Continent. The area covered by Heavenly Martial Continent steadily shrank as that creature passed by. It was easy to imagine that it would not take long before this behemoth devoured the entire Heavenly Martial Continent and all that would be left was emptiness.
“Yang Kai, you court death!” Bei Li Mo gritted her teeth and turned her head to glare at Yang Kai furiously, the murderous intent radiating from her body so strong that it was practically tangible.
Yang Kai just smiled slightly in response, “Why so angry, Holy Venerable?”
Seeing his calm and relaxed appearance made her so furious that she burst into laughter, “This Saint did everything you asked of her, even transferring five hundred thousand Soaring Snow Ice Guards and assigning Bai Ya to follow and protect you! How can you repay my sincerity by doing this!?”
While Bei Li Mo was shouting, Bai Ya secretly gathered his Demon Qi, preparing to attack Yang Kai the moment she gave the order. Yang Kai had made his bed, now he had to lie in it. Now that Bei Li Mo herself had come forward, there was no way he could create waves no matter how powerful he was. Bai Ya could almost see a golden world spreading out before his eyes, the prospect of which made him rather excited…
Yang Kai, however, just gently nodded, “This King is well aware of how accommodating you have been to me, Holy Venerable. That’s exactly why I’m showing you the right way forward.”
He simultaneously and secretly sent her a Divine Sense transmission, “Don’t cause too much trouble now; otherwise, don’t blame me if you embarrass yourself.”
Bei Li Mo’s aura froze for a moment before she gnashed her teeth so loudly that it was audible and sneered, “Destroying my continent is showing me the right way? Should I thank you then?”
“You can decide if you want to thank me after you meet a certain somebody.” He gave her a sideways look.
“Who?” She frowned slightly.
“Don’t resist!” Then, he reached out a hand towards her.
She hesitated for a moment, before lowering her guard. The main reason was that she couldn’t remain hostile even if she wanted to. She was currently being controlled by him, so it was meaningless to resist. Moreover, Bai Ya might notice something if things continued. What would happen to her pride as a Demon Saint if that happened?
A large hand lightly touched her on the shoulder, and she instantly disappeared.
Shocked, Bai Ya immediately shouted, “Yang Kai, what did you do to Holy Venerable!?”
In his rage, he didn’t address Yang Kai as ‘Brother Yang’ but directly by name instead.
Yang Kai glanced at Bai Ya, “Don’t worry, Brother Bai Ya. With my strength, what can I do to Holy Venerable if she was truly unwilling?”
Bai Ya considered those words for a moment and conceded. The situation just now clearly showed that Bei Li Mo had no intention of resisting. She had probably communicated with Yang Kai about something beforehand. Even so, his heart was filled with doubts. [Look at what became of Heavenly Martial Continent! Why isn’t Holy Venerable killing Yang Kai first and then asking questions later? Why does she still trust him so much?]
…..
Inside the Small Sealed World, Chang Tian was watching the changes occurring in the world when he abruptly furrowed his brow. He turned to look back as though he had sensed something and saw a graceful figure suddenly appear behind him.
“Bei Li Mo?” He raised his brow in surprise.
“Chang Tian!?” Bei Li Mo looked in his direction and her expression immediately sank. How could she not know who Yang Kai wanted her to meet at this point? She had long heard that the relationship between Yang Kai and Hundred Spirits Continent was good. Besides, Chang Tian even sent out his prized mount to assist Yang Kai, but looking at the current situation, it would seem that those rumours did not do the truth justice.
“B-B-Bei…” Huo Lun had gone stupid from the shock. Despite stuttering for a long time, he still couldn’t utter a complete sentence. He would not have thought too deeply into the name ‘Bei Li Mo’ by itself. The key point was that the silver-haired woman in front of him looked exactly like how she was described in the rumours. Furthermore, she dared to address the Master of Hundred Spirits Continent directly by name. There was only one person who fit this description in the entire Demon Realm, one of the Twelve Demon Saints, the Master of the Snow Demon Clan!
Huo Lun felt faint and dizzy. It was rare for a Demon King like him to meet a Half-Saint, much less a Demon Saint. Be that as it may, the Lord of Hundred Spirits Continent suddenly appeared in front of him a few days ago, and now the Master of the Snow Demon Clan had appeared here. [Just what the Hell is this accursed place!? Why does it attract so many influential figures!?]
In his panic, he hurriedly bowed and greeted Bei Li Mo, “This lowly one greets Holy Venerable!”
Bei Li Mo glanced at Huo Lun lightly and couldn’t help wondering why there was a Low-Rank Demon King next to Chang Tian. Even so, she didn’t pay much attention to Huo Lun and instead coldly asked Chang Tian, “Why are you here too? Where is this place?”
All Yang Kai had told her just now was to relax and not resist. Then, her vision blurred for a moment before she appeared in this place without any warning. She did not expect to see Chang Tian in front of her; after all, the relationship between the Demon Saints and Chang Tian was not the most amicable. She couldn’t help instantly putting her guard up in response. [That rotten brat couldn’t have borrowed Chang Tian’s power to cause me harm, right? He has already planted his Soul Imprint in my Knowledge Sea, so there’s no need to do this.]
“Sister, I am here for the same reason that you are.” Chang Tian laughed. If he had to be honest, he was a little surprised to see Bei Li Mo appear in this place, “As for what this place is… Did Yang Boy not tell you?”
Bei Li Mo coldly snorted, “That rotten brat didn’t tell me anything!” Turning her head, she took a look around and didn’t see Yang Kai anywhere, so she asked suspiciously, “Where is that little bastard?”
“Hey! Talking ill of others behind their backs is unbecoming of a Demon Saint!” Yang Kai’s voice suddenly sounded from above her head.
“You think you’re this Saint’s mother or something!?” She snapped angrily, but despite releasing her Divine Sense, she couldn’t detect his whereabouts. Thus, she shouted through gritted teeth, “Show yourself! Why the Hell are you sneaking around!?”
“I am not sneaking around!” Yang Kai sounded a little upset.
“Then, why don’t you show yourself!?” Bei Li Mo coldly snorted. She couldn’t help feeling like he was plotting against her if he did not show himself, which forced her to remain vigilant.
“It’s inconvenient!” His reply was incredibly blunt. He could use his special connection with the Sealed World Bead to send Bei Li Mo inside; unfortunately, there would be nobody keeping watch on the outside if he entered too. What would they do if a mishap occurred?
Bei Li Mo was livid, but even so, she couldn’t do anything to him, so her expression became as cold as thousand-year-old ice.
Chang Tian, who was standing by the side, showed a look of interest at their conversation. This would be understandable if Bei Li Mo had been Yu Ru Meng instead; after all, everybody in the Demon Realm knew that Yu Ru Meng held Yang Kai in special regard. The key was that this was Bei Li Mo!
[I can’t believe Bei Li Mo is letting it slide when Yang Kai is taking such a terrible attitude with her. Also, just what means did Yang Kai use to bring Bei Li Mo into this place? Is Bei Li Mo not wary of Yang Kai at all? What is the relationship between them?] Chang Tian suddenly found that he couldn’t understand Yang Kai anymore. He originally thought of the latter as a simple High-Rank Demon King with the Dragon Clan’s bloodline. He also hoped that Yang Kai would be his successor and protect Hundred Spirits Continent in the future. Who could have expected Yang Kai to be shrouded in such a layer of mystery…
While Chang Tian was deep in thought, Bei Li Mo had already discovered the strangeness of this world. There were enormous Void Cracks everywhere; moreover, continent fragments were continuously being swallowed into the world through those Void Cracks and melting away into nothing. Occasionally, a city or two would fall out of the sky and firmly root themselves into the ground. There were also countless members of the Demon Race flying about in the air in a panic.
Without even thinking about it, she immediately understood that these were the people living on Heavenly Martial Continent while the fragments that were being devoured were the fragments of Heavenly Martial Continent itself. Recalling everything she had seen so far, her expression became grim, “Just what is this place?”
She had felt an invisible force restraining her like a chain ever since she entered this place and it made her very upset and uncomfortable. In addition, this place gave her the feeling of being the Demon Realm, but at the same time not the Demon Realm
“This is a Great World!” Yang Kai’s voice sounded from the sky.
She immediately let out a mocking laugh, “Bullshit! What kind of crappy Great World is this!?”
The Demon Realm was a Great World, and so was the Star Boundary. Although she had never been to the Star Boundary, she knew that the World Principles in the Star Boundary were not inferior to those of the Demon Realm since it could produce existences like the Great Emperors. Both worlds were on the same level. On the contrary, the world she was in right now could not be compared to either the Demon Realm or Star Boundary. The World Principles were weak, and the World Energy was sparse. If this place could also be called a Great World, then what were the Demon Realm and Star Boundary in comparison? Super Great Worlds?
“This world is yet to become complete, but it will be perfected one day.”
She frowned at those words, “One day? When will that be?”
“Don’t be so impatient. Just wait and see!”
After saying that, Yang Kai stopped responding no matter how Bei Li Mo shouted at him. It angered her so much that her lungs felt like they were going to explode. Meanwhile, Chang Tian’s expression became more and more intrigued. If he had not seen it for himself, he would never have believed that Yang Kai dared to treat a Demon Saint in such a manner.
Bei Li Mo cursed for a while, but seeing that Yang Kai was adamantly ignoring her, she ground her teeth and turned to Chang Tian. She wanted to get some information from him, but the hateful thing was that he had turned away from her as he stood there with his hands crossed behind his back. His carefree and nonchalant appearance nearly made her gnash all her teeth to bits.
Close behind the two towering figures of the Demon Realm, Huo Lun shivered like a quail in the cold winter…
Time slowly passed, and the abnormality in the sky never stopped for a moment. It wasn’t until a certain moment that Chang Tian’s expression, which had been as tranquil as an ancient well, suddenly changed. Even Bei Li Mo, who was sulking, let out a cry of surprise. Chang Tian looked back and glanced at her, and when their eyes met, they both saw the shock in each other’s eyes.
At this point, Bei Li Mo no longer had time to continue being mad at Chang Tian and Yang Kai. Taking two steps forward and standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Chang Tian, Bei Li Mo let the mountain breeze blow through her silver hair reminiscent of white snow and carefully observed the world before her.
“Did you feel that?” Chang Tian asked solemnly.
She gently nodded, “It looks like I didn’t feel it wrongly.”
His expression was one of disbelief as he slowly shook his head and said, “I would never have believed that this world was capable of such a thing if I had not seen it for myself. From the looks of it, Yang Boy’s plan might actually work.”
“What the Hell is he planning!? Why does he have to destroy my continent for no reason!?” Bei Li Mo went with the flow of the conversation and asked once more.
Chang Tian asked with some surprise, “The continent that is being devoured right now is one of the continents in your territory?”
Bei Li Mo gritted her teeth and nodded, “Of course. Why else would I come here looking for him if not for that? That little bastard ruined one of my continents without even saying a word! I’m going to make him pay for this one day…”
Chang Tian smiled slightly in response and fell deep in thought for some time before saying, “He didn’t do this without reason. He is simply verifying a future direction.”
Bei Li Mo looked at him but didn’t ask any more questions. Seeing as Chang Tian had brought up the subject, he probably planned to explain things to her now.
“Yang Boy has a treasure in his possession called the Sealed World Bead. It contains an independent world of its own inside it, which is none other than this space where we are right now. This space has the ability to devour other spaces and thereby strengthen itself in the process. What you see before your eyes are the broken continents that disappeared from the Demon Realm over the past few thousand years. According to Yang Boy, the lost continents have long since shattered. The World Principles withered, and all living creatures perished; however, this prototype world in front of us is the result formed after that giant black creature devoured those broken continents.”
“How can that be!?” Bei Li Mo exclaimed. Although she had not known about the fate that would eventually befall those lost continents, what Chang Tian was saying was simply too inconceivable.
“I didn’t believe it to be possible either.” Chang Tian slowly shook his head and continued with a chuckle, “But, I have no choice but to believe after witnessing this for myself.”
Stunned, Bei Li Mo turned to look at the crack in the sky with a slightly dazed gaze.
It was just as Chang Tian had told Yang Kai before, ‘Seeing is believing’.
Before Bei Li Mo entered this place, she had personally witnessed the enormous creature devouring the Heavenly Martial Continent. Approximately a fifth of the continent had been devoured by the time she arrived, and since entering this place, she had watched as the continental fragments that were devoured were dissolved into this world while the cities caught up in the process landed in an orderly manner. Even those members of the Demon Race living in those cities had been swallowed up into this place.
It would have been nothing special if that were all. The key was that this world was also undergoing various changes while the devouring process was taking place. These changes were so subtle that they were difficult for ordinary people to detect; however, they could not escape Bei Li Mo and Chang Tian’s senses. It was precisely because they could detect these changes that they blurted out the words that began their current conversation.
The World Principles had become stronger, and the World Energy had become a bit denser; furthermore, the changes were becoming more and more obvious with the passage of time.
“Why is he doing this?” Bei Li Mo asked with a frown.
“He said he wants to quell the war between the two worlds and provide the Demon Race with another place to live,” Chang Tian replied lightly, “But, in my opinion, he is probably doing this to save the Star Boundary!”
“He is already part of the Demon Race!” Her expression darkened. Yang Kai was Human when they first met. Nevertheless, his identity had undergone a tremendous change after he was demonified. His body was filled with Demon Qi now, so what was he if not a member of the Demon Race?
“But, his heart lies with the Star Boundary!” Chang Tian smiled slightly.
“Hmph!” She sneered, “How can the war between the two worlds be so easy to quell? Who will be willing to stop the fight unless one party dies now that the war has already started?”
“You are right, but it may not be impossible if he has enough capital to intervene in the war.” Chang Tian stretched out his hand and pointed, “And this world is his basis for intervening.”
“If you play with fire, you will burn yourself!” Bei Li Mo looked upset. Her words were clearly meant for Yang Kai to hear because she knew that he was definitely paying attention to the situation here, even if he did not say anything.
Chang Tian stopped talking and quietly watched the changes taking place before him. Since he refused to speak, Bei Li Mo had no conversation partner and could only suppress the words she wanted to say in her heart.
Around five days after Bei Li Mo entered the Small Sealed World, the cracks in the sky closed again. When the last crack disappeared, no more continent fragments appeared. By this time, both Bei Li Mo and Chang Tian could clearly perceive that the world had changed a lot from before. It might still be vastly inferior to the Demon Realm, but it was at least stronger than it had been when they first arrived.
Then, Yang Kai’s voice resounded in the sky again, “Senior, this is the result after devouring just one continent. What do you think?”
If Yang Kai had to be honest, he himself was a little surprised by the results. The benefits gained from the Small Sealed World devouring Heavenly Martial Continent were far beyond his expectations. If he compared the Small Sealed World to a person’s stomach, then the shattered continents it had devoured in the past were nothing more than weeds with poor nutritional value. In contrast, Heavenly Martial Continent was a delicious plate of braised pork. The benefits they each brought to the Small Sealed World were a stark contrast to each other. Devouring just one Heavenly Martial Continent was far better than devouring more than ten shattered continents combined. The reason behind this could only come down to the fact that the World Principles of those shattered continents had withered while the World Principles of Heavenly Martial Continent were in perfect condition.
“It was very unexpected, but there’s still a long way to go!” Chang Tian replied calmly.
Yang Kai laughed, “At least this is a good start. I believe that as long as enough continents are devoured, this world will become a perfect Great World one day. It won’t be any worse than the Demon Realm.”
Bei Li Mo was horrified and shouted, “Don’t tell me you plan on causing more damage for me!? I’m warning you! One Heavenly Martial Continent is bad enough, but if you dare…”
All of a sudden, she gave a grunt in the middle of her sentence and her complexion paled slightly as the rest of her sentence trailed off. All that was left was the fury on her face.
Chang Tian glanced at her in surprise. Frowning deeply, he seemed to realize something and promptly revealed a shocked expression. He mulled over something for a bit before saying to the sky, “Your actions will be condemned by the entire world. The Demon Saints won’t just stand by and do nothing either. If you really intend to do this, you will make the entire Demon Realm your enemy. Who knows how many Demon Saints will be after your life at that time? Are you certain you want to go down this path?”
“The bow has already been drawn, it must be shot now.” Yang Kai’s voice was resolute and decisive, “Since ancient times, those who wish to achieve great things are generally helpless without support. That is why I hope that the two of you will help me!”
Bei Li Mo immediately retorted with a frosty expression, “I refuse!”
“That’s not up to you.” He snorted coldly.
Although Chang Tian still required some persuading, Yang Kai had already decided to proceed with his plans when it came to Bei Li Mo. Heavenly Martial Continent was just the beginning. It was useless even if she refused to cooperate as he was perfectly capable of cleanly devouring the continents under her jurisdiction, piece by piece. When she was left with nothing, she would be forced to get on board with his plans regardless; therefore, she had no choice whatsoever in this matter.
Seeing how domineering Yang Kai was acting, Bei Li Mo’s expression turned even uglier.
Chang Tian gave her a smile and said, “Why are you so upset, Sister Bei? What Yang Boy mentioned earlier is the truth. The Demon Realm will not last for much longer. If we can exchange a broken Demon Realm for a perfect Demon Realm, then this is a good deal for everybody involved.”
She turned to look at him with a sneer, “Aren’t you afraid that he might cut us off and burn all the bridges later?”
Chang Tian simply smiled in response, “This King’s lifespan is nearing its end. I simply wish to find a way out for Hundred Spirits Continent before my time is up. I do not wish for more.”
Bei Li Mo was taken aback by those words for a moment before she burst out laughing, “Isn’t that great then? If you allow him to devour Hundred Spirits Continent first, then this Saint will agree. What do you say?”
Chang Tian might be a Master comparable to that of a Demon Saint, but he was different from the rest of the Demon Saints. He only had Hundred Spirits Continent under him. Losing one Heavenly Martial Continent would not harm Bei Li Mo much, but Chang Tian would lose all paths of retreat once Hundred Spirits Continent was devoured. Besides, Yang Kai had already made it clear that she had no way to refuse him. Nevertheless, her worries would be reduced considerably if she could drag Chang Tian down with her in advance; after all, she couldn’t be the only one suffering all the bad luck in the world.
Chang Tian smiled bitterly and shook his head, “Sister Bei is really quite devious.”
Bei Li Mo coldly snorted, “What? Don’t tell me you don’t even have this level of resolve?”
He nodded lightly, “What you’ve said is reasonable. Very well then, let’s start with Hundred Spirits Continent.”
Yang Kai was overjoyed upon hearing this, “Senior, does that mean you agree?”
“If you can promise me a few conditions…”
“Senior, please speak,” he said solemnly.
“Please treat all the living creatures of Hundred Spirits Continent kindly. Don’t let harm befall them for any reason or cause.”
Yang Kai laughed, “That’s not a problem. Even without you saying that, I won’t do anything like that, Senior.”
“Secondly, I want a territory ten times the size of Hundred Spirits Continent!” Chang Tian continued.
“Done.” Yang Kai agreed without even thinking about it. Hundred Spirits Continent was just one continent, so ten times the territory simply meant ten continents. Bei Li Mo controlled several dozen continents under her, and with the lost continents Gun-Gun had already devoured, allocating a bit of extra space to Hundred Spirits Continent was really not a problem. As such, this wasn’t much of a condition to Yang Kai as it was something he could solve easily.
“Third…” Chang Tian paused before continuing with a smile, “The third doesn’t really count as a condition, I guess. It’s just that your plan is on such a large scale that I’m afraid just relying on me and Sister Bei alone would not be of much help. You will need to gain more supporters to have a chance of succeeding!”
Yang Kai replied, “Ru Meng should not be a problem.”
Chang Tian had clearly thought of this too and nodded lightly in response, “If you add in Yu Ru Meng… Good, this King agrees.”
“Many thanks, Senior!” Yang Kai was ecstatic. It felt like a stone had finally lifted from his heart. He secretly made plans to go and devour Hundred Spirits Continent as soon as possible. By then, there would be no turning back anymore, and it would be too late for Chang Tian to regret.
“I have conditions too!” Bei Li Mo exclaimed.
Since he was in a good mood, Yang Kai didn’t bother getting into an argument with her and asked, “What conditions do you have? Let’s hear them.”
She said through gritted teeth, “You should know what my conditions are!”
Yang Kai fell silent for a moment before he replied, “Good. I will grant you your wish after we succeed in this matter!”
Although she had not mentioned what she wanted clearly, the most important thing to her at this moment was to regain her freedom, so obviously she wanted him to remove the Soul Imprint he had planted in her Knowledge Sea.
Bei Li Mo’s eyelashes trembled in response, and she didn’t say anything more.
Now that everything had been agreed upon, a crack appeared in front of Chang Tian and Bei Li Mo and Yang Kai’s voice sounded again, “Please proceed forward!”
Chang Tian and Bei Li Mo looked at each other before rushing into the crack with a flicker, vanishing out of sight in the blink of an eye, leaving Huo Lun alone on the top of the mountain. A cold wind blew past, and his body felt icy. It wasn’t until the crack in front of him disappeared that he fell to the ground, panting for breath. His fright did not come from meeting the two figures on the level of Demon Saints, but rather because of the topics that those two had been discussing with the voice from the sky…
[I heard something I shouldn’t have! The only outcome is to be silenced permanently!] In that short period of time just now, he felt as though he had been pacing back and forth in front of the gates of death. Fortunately, the final result was not too bad. Those people had not shown any interest in him whatsoever, which in turn saved his life.
…..
Outside the Small Sealed World, Chang Tian and Bei Li Mo appeared together and their gazes landed on the bead that Yang Kai was playing with. They both knew that it was probably the Sealed World Bead that contained a world inside.
Bai Ya cupped his fist, “Greetings, Holy Venerable! Greetings, Senior Chang Tian!”
Bei Li Mo nodded lightly. Meanwhile, Chang Tian smiled at Yang Kai slightly, “Don’t forget what you promised me. I will await you and Holy Venerable Ru Meng on Hundred Spirits Continent!”
Yang Kai cupped his fist and said, “Senior, please have a safe journey. I will not be seeing you off.”
Chang Tian nodded and vanished from the spot.
After Chang Tian left, Bei Li Mo finally turned to look at Yang Kai while gritting her teeth and gave a cold laugh, “Are you satisfied now?”
Yang Kai gave a dry laugh, “Holy Venerable, please don’t be so bitter and hostile. If this succeeds, it will benefit all of us.”
She looked like she wanted to say something else, but he didn’t give her the opportunity, quickly taking his leave through the Territory Gate.
Bai Ya looked in the direction Yang Kai was leaving and asked, “Holy Venerable, Heavenly Martial Continent has been destroyed… Are we just going to let this matter go?”
“What else do you want to do!?” Bei Li Mo glanced sideways at him.
Bai Ya said, “Should I gather some people to…” While speaking, he reached up his hand and made a swiping gesture at his neck.
“Do what!?” She was absolutely livid. Unable to lose her temper with Yang Kai, she vented all her rage on Bai Ya instead, “Can you kill him!? Can you even catch him!? Stop humiliating this Saint! Notify all the Half-Saints who are still within the territory to gather at Soaring Snow Ice Palace! This Saint has an announcement to make!”
She then ignored Bai Ya, turned her back to him, and headed towards the Territory Gate.
In response, Bai Ya touched his nose with a helpless expression upon receiving her contempt. He did not dare to remain in this place for long and hurriedly left. Heavenly Martial Continent had been devoured, and the space where the continent used to be was now nothing but a land of nihility. With the Void Turbulence running wild inside, even the Territory Gate had become unstable. This Territory Gate would most likely disappear soon, and he would never be able to leave again once it collapsed.
…..
The place where the Holy City was located on Enchantment Continent was the centre of Yu Ru Meng’s territory. The Holy City did not seem to have been affected by the war between the two worlds and was still as lively as ever, with an endless stream of people coming and going. Moreover, Demon Great Generals and Demon Kings could be found everywhere.
Approximately ten kilometres away from the Holy City sat Yu Ru Meng’s palace.
At this moment, Yu Ru Meng was sitting cross-legged in a secret room under the palace grounds. She was slowly forming different seals with one of her hands while holding a purple fruit under her nose with the other. Following her breathing, a purple aura wafted out of that fruit like a propitious omen and was absorbed into her body.
Almost all of the Demon Saints had been injured during the battle on Eternal Sky Continent, and Yu Ru Meng was no exception. Her Soul Manifestation had been destroyed, and her Divine Sense had been injured as a result. An injury of that level could not be healed in a matter of days.
She had been recuperating from her injuries for the past year or so. The other Demon Saints who had their Soul Manifestations destroyed were obviously doing the same. Still, it would be some time before she fully healed.
All of a sudden, she seemed to feel something and opened her eyes abruptly. Her beautiful eyes sparkled like stars twinkling in the night sky, but she quickly bit her lip lightly and gave a cold snort. After that, she closed her eyes again and continued breathing in the aura of the small purple fruit. Even so, she couldn’t bring herself to calm down and focus anymore. The purple aura wafted under her nose like a lost lamb, no longer pouring into her body. Instead, it disappeared after wafting about her body for a while.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai strode forward confidently inside the palace. He ran about aimlessly, shouting out Yu Ru Meng’s name loudly wherever he went. A group of guards were left knocked over and unconscious when they tried to stop him.
A charming maid followed behind him and ran forward to block his path, anxiously saying, “Great King, this is the Holy Venerable’s palace. Please do not make such a commotion. Holy Venerable will get angry if she learns about this.”
Yang Kai continued forward while glaring around at his surroundings though, shouting as he strode, “Make way! Make way! Do not block this King’s path!”
While speaking, he reached out and pushed the maid out of the way. He nearly knocked her to the ground as a result. Despite searching high and low, he could not find Yu Ru Meng anywhere. On the contrary, the commotion he caused had attracted many of the palace’s guards who surrounded him and glared at him in a hostile manner.
Yang Kai stood on the spot and scratched his head. Turning his head to look at the maid who had just spoken, he asked, “Where is Holy Venerable now? Why don’t I see her anywhere?”
The maid shook her head, “This little one does not know either.”
He then asked the guards the same question, “Do you know where Holy Venerable is right now?”
Not only did the guards ignore him, but they also glared at him in a solemn manner, as though staring at a great enemy.
Yang Kai chuckled slightly at this sight, closed his eyes, and silently spread out his senses.
Although he had transferred the Heart Seal Secret Technique to the Soul Warming Lotus, it had not made the Secret Technique lose its effects entirely. He should be able to determine Yu Ru Meng whereabouts if he focused his perception on the Secret Technique. Naturally, that was only under the prerequisite that they were not too far apart; otherwise, this wouldn’t work either.
A short while later, his expression changed. He turned his head to look in a certain direction and laughed. Following the fluctuations of Space Principles, he vanished from the spot.
Soon, someone could be heard knocking on the door from outside the secret room and it was followed by Yang Kai’s voice, “Ru Meng. Madame Ru Meng. Lady Meng, I’m back!”
Upon hearing that, Yu Ru Meng, who was seated with her legs crossed in the room, was torn between laughter and exasperation, [What does this smelly brat think my palace is? Does he think he can come and go as he pleases, doing whatever he damn well wants?]
Just one year ago, after Yang Kai left this place, word got out that Yin Si was killed, and a scout reported that Yang Kai had also been severely injured as he had gone missing. Hence, she immediately told her subordinates to look for Yang Kai and bring him back to the Holy City. Unfortunately, it was too late when her people arrived at his last known location as he was nowhere to be seen.
Then, she learned that Yang Kai had begun travelling around the Demon Realm to repair the Territory Gates. She also heard that Bai Ya and five hundred thousand Soaring Snow Ice Guards had embarked on the journey with him. Upon making sure that he had the power to protect himself, Yu Ru Meng stopped following news about him as she had to tend to her own injuries; hence, she came to this secret room and had been recuperating since then.
However, she had never expected that this smelly man would have the nerve to come back one day. As she clenched her teeth, she decided to ignore him outright.
Yang Kai went on to knock on the door for a long time and kept calling out to her, but she never replied.
Knowing that she was still mad at him, Yang Kai appeared helpless as he scratched his head. He was no match for Yu Ru Meng in terms of strength, so he could not overpower her and might even embarrass himself if he tried. However, he wondered how long it would take before her anger would subside.
In Yang Kai’s plan, Yu Ru Meng was indispensable. It wasn’t certain whether Chang Tian and Bei Li Mo had agreed to work with him out of their own willingness or because they were forced to, so they might go back on their word at any moment. Nevertheless, Yu Ru Meng was different. As long as he could persuade her to join forces with him, she would be the greatest helper he had.
By then, he would have the support of three powerful Demon Saints. Although it still wouldn’t put him in any advantageous position when facing the other ten Demon Saints, it was enough for him to at least start the ball rolling.
One hour later, the knocking gradually faded and died down. Yu Ru Meng was no longer in the mood to absorb the energy from the purple fruit though, so she activated her Divine Sense and realised that Yang Kai had sat down cross-legged outside the room. He had even closed his eyes and started cultivating.
Yu Ru Meng sneered as she had the intention of teaching him a lesson, so she decided to ignore him and just let him wait out in the cold.
Someone like her was able to cultivate in seclusion for dozens of years, even for hundreds of years if need be. Although she wasn’t allowed to cultivate in seclusion for that long since they were in the middle of a war between the two Great Worlds, she could still do it for three to five years.
She doubted that Yang Kai could wait for such a long time. When he felt bored, he would leave this place. Considering all this, she made up her mind and pulled herself together as she continued healing herself.
As expected, Yang Kai stopped making a fuss outside the room as though he was determined to wait for Yu Ru Meng to take the initiative to come out. Separated by just a door, he went on to cultivate silently.
As time passed, Yu Ru Meng was finally able to be at ease as she resumed absorbing the energy from the purple fruit to restore her damaged Soul.
Half a month later, she was jolted awake by an explosive eruption of power. Right after she opened her eyes, she activated her Divine Sense, then her expression changed.
At this moment, Yang Kai, who was just outside the room, had the Demon Qi inside his body fluctuating violently. He appeared to be in pain as his forehead was beaded with sweat. It was apparent that he was suffering from cultivation dissonance.
Yu Ru Meng quickly got to her feet, but just when she was about to dash out of the room, she suddenly stopped in her tracks.
Although Yang Kai was no match for her in terms of power, it wasn’t difficult for him to pretend to be in pain to make her worried. Furthermore, he was now a High-Rank Demon King and had been cultivating for at least a hundred years, so it was unlikely that he would suffer from cultivation dissonance so easily. This must be a trap to lure her out of the room!
As she gritted her teeth, she snorted and sat back down, but just when she was about to wait it out, the man outside her room could be heard coughing up a mouthful of blood. His face had turned ashen as he trembled and fell backwards.
With a loud boom, a violent gale could be seen swirling around in the room as Yu Ru Meng had disappeared from her original spot. Following that, the door flung open as Yang Kai fell into her soft embrace.
The colour had drained from Yu Ru Meng’s face as she asked in a flustered manner, “What happened? What’s wrong? Are you alright?”
As she spoke, she activated her Demon Qi in an attempt to check on Yang Kai’s situation.
Nevertheless, before she could do so, she realised that Yang Kai, who was in her embrace, was winking at her.
She was startled for a moment before she became incensed. Realising that she had been fooled, she hurriedly tried to push him away. Unexpectedly, the man wrapped his strong arm around her waist and pulled her into his embrace though. Yang Kai exerted force with his feet and stood up while lifting her off the ground, chuckling heartily as he dashed into the room and slammed the door shut.
“Let me go, you bastard! You tricked me again!” At this moment, Yu Ru Meng’s expression was livid. She was still mad at the fact that he had lied to her previously, but she had never expected that she would be fooled by the same man again so soon. As a Demon Saint, it was truly embarrassing for her.
As she spoke, she repeatedly landed her palms on Yang Kai’s shoulders and chest, which was why loud slaps could be heard.
Upon impact, Yang Kai sprayed out a mouthful of blood again, and he wasn’t faking it this time. Just now, in order to lure her out of the room, he had tried to circulate his Secret Art in reverse and lightly injured himself, but it was nothing he couldn’t handle with a few hours of rest. Although Yu Ru Meng hadn’t expended all her force at this moment, it wasn’t easy to bear a Demon Saint’s wrath. After just a few slaps from her, he could feel that his bones were about to dislocate.
Thanks to the fact that he was a Half-Dragon, Yang Kai was still able to support his own weight, fortunately. If he were just an average High-Rank Demon King, he would’ve fallen to the ground and become paralysed due to her attacks.
“Alright, stop being so mad with me. If it soothes your anger to kill me, I don’t mind losing my life here, but will you be happy if that happens?” Yang Kai looked smilingly at the woman in his embrace, the Golden Blood on the corners of his mouth quite conspicuous.
Yu Ru Meng stopped struggling, but she looked grimly at him and spoke in a voice that was colder than the winds on Soaring Snow Continent, “Release me!”
However, Yang Kai naturally refused.
An infuriated Yu Ru Meng said through clenched teeth, “I said let me go!”
“No way!” Yang Kai shook his head like a rattle drum. It had been quite difficult to make her open the door once, so if he let her go now, all his efforts would be wasted.
“Don’t test me, the consequences will be dreadful!” Yu Ru Meng’s chest could be seen heaving as she appeared utterly incensed. The previous problem hadn’t been solved yet, and now she was fooled again. She wondered whether there was something wrong with her ability to judge people.
On the other hand, not only did Yang Kai not release her, but he also lowered himself and attempted to lock his lips with hers.
As she felt his breath and watched his face magnifying in front of her, Yu Ru Meng sneered and tipped her head back, after which she thrust her head forward and struck his forehead.
With a loud thud, Yang Kai felt as if his forehead had collided with a mountain before he staggered backwards upon impact. As he felt the world spinning around him, he shook his head and stared at her in disbelief. Torn between tears and laughter, he said, “You’re a Demon Saint, so how could you deal with me by using a headbutt?”
Yu Ru Meng scoffed, “You asked for it!”
Although she was also in pain as her forehead had reddened, she couldn’t show any signs of weakness.
Yang Kai grinned, “You’ve got guts!”
Rather than deter him, this woman’s intense resistance and the pain in his forehead ignited his ferocity and wicked nature. As he spoke, he pushed Yu Ru Meng up against the nearest wall and pinned her down. The next moment, he grabbed both of her wrists with only one hand above her head, rendering her immobile.
Yang Kai had incredible physical strength, so although Yu Ru Meng was a Demon Saint, she was unable to resist him at this moment. Charm Demons were not known for their physical strength after all.
Before she could struggle out of his grip, she saw him attempting to kiss her again; hence, she decided to try a headbutt one more time, which he easily dodged. Before she could make another attempt though, he had lowered himself and sucked her lips recklessly.
In response, she forcefully bit his tongue, which caused him to feel a sharp pain in his mouth while a metallic taste suggested that he had started bleeding.
Ignoring the pain he felt, Yang Kai looked like a crazy beast that had just escaped from its cage as he snuck his other hand under her dress and groped at her wantonly.
Yu Ru Meng grunted in a muffled voice as she struggled and squirmed. Even the Demon Qi around her turned violent.
With such a close distance between them, they stared fixedly at each other as neither of them seemed to have the intention of backing down. The atmosphere in the room was awkward as it was filled with contrasting airs of violence and intimacy.
Gradually, the Demon Qi in Yu Ru Meng’s body calmed down as her gaze appeared conflicted. Then, she closed her eyes and stopped struggling. Her cold-looking face reddened as her fair neck was slowly covered in hickeys.
Then, Yang Kai released her wrists, which had become stiff from getting restricted for a long time. After that, she wrapped her arms around his neck as though her entire body had hung onto him. Their close contact allowed them to feel one another’s warmth and passion.
Following that, their clothes became a mess as the atmosphere was filled with a pink air.
One day later, Yu Ru Meng was lying on the ground as her porcelain-like body had reddened. With her hair being untidy, she stared at the ceiling through her blurred vision as she panted heavily, “I need a break… I can’t take it any…”
Before she could finish her words, Yang Kai flipped over and locked his lips with hers.
Three days later, Yu Ru Meng kept shaking her head as her hair flapped in the air while in a stuttering voice, she uttered, “N-No… please stop!”
Ignoring her, Yang Kai rampaged like an enraged bull.
Five days later, she was paralysed on the ground as she said in a lethargic voice, “Please let me go…”
She pitifully reached for her clothes that were just an arm’s length away, but as she watched her clothes turn to ash after the beast above her pushed out his palm, she felt crestfallen and closed her eyes in resignation.
Ten days later, the noises in the room slowly died down. Just like a kitten, Yu Ru Meng snuggled up to Yang Kai’s chest. As their skin came into close contact, they keenly felt each other’s heartbeats.
Yang Kai gently lifted some strands of her hair and sniffed them. Demon Saints generally exuded a pleasant scent that was neither too sweet nor tangy, which was quite relaxing for those who took a whiff of them.
Just then, he felt a soft sensation on his chest. Yu Ru Meng had awakened from her sleep as her eyelashes fluttered against him.
As expected, she opened her eyes a moment later and lifted her head to look at Yang Kai with a languid smile.
“How was the rest? Enough?” Yang Kai’s lips curved into a wicked smile.
Seeing this look, Yu Ru Meng shuddered and looked somewhat fearfully at him. Whenever he put on this kind of smile in the past ten days, it meant that she would have to suffer another several rounds of ‘torment’. If it weren’t because she was a Demon Saint, she wouldn’t have been able to bear the exertion. She had heard that male Dragons were all licentious, but it wasn’t until she had personally experienced it that she realised it wasn’t just a rumour.
Yang Kai guffawed and stroked her blemish-free back, “Don’t worry. I won’t eat you.”
It was then Yu Ru Meng heaved a sigh of relief and shot him a glare. Then, she lowered herself and leaned her head against her man’s chest to listen more closely to his heartbeat.
All of a sudden, Yang Kai straightened up and made her face him. Her long hair hung loose on her chest, just barely blocking the view of her twin peaks. As their eyes met, she realised that his gaze appeared solemn, as though he had made a very important decision.
Feeling doubtful, she gazed at him with her head tilted.
“There’s something I need to tell you,” Yang Kai uttered with a serious expression, “It’s a secret.”
“A secret?” Yu Ru Meng arched her brow and put on a smile, “Everyone has their own secrets that they don’t want others to know. It’ll no longer be a secret if you tell anyone about it. If you don’t want to expose the secret to me, you can just keep it to yourself.”
Yang Kai shook his head, “You’re my woman now, so I don’t want to hide anything from you.”
Yu Ru Meng pressed her lips together, “Now? Do you mean I wasn’t your woman in the past?”
An embarrassed Yang Kai scratched his head and replied, “You’ve always been my woman, but it is different now.”
Certainly, Yu Ru Meng understood what he meant. The relationship between a man and woman became different after they united as one. Although they had bedded each other one year ago, she had chased him away in anger right after. It wasn’t until today that they truly made up with each other.
With a faint smile, she straightened up and nodded lightly, “Alright, Husband. I’ll listen to what secret it is that you’ve been hiding from me.”
Yang Kai felt somewhat awkward, as it was the first time she called him Husband. The main reason was that the person before his eyes wasn’t just his woman, but also a Demon Saint. Despite the awkward feeling in his heart, he also felt that he had achieved something astonishing.
Pulling himself together, he said, “Enter my Knowledge Sea.”
Upon hearing that, Yu Ru Meng did not hesitate to reach out and point her finger at his forehead. The next moment, they closed their eyes together, and as she activated her Divine Sense, her Soul Avatar had left her body.
In the sky above the Knowledge Sea, a curvy figure gradually appeared. It was none other than Yu Ru Meng’s Soul Avatar.
If someone wanted to enter another’s Knowledge Sea, they would either have to forcefully break through their defences using overwhelming power, or the owner had to open up their Knowledge Sea in advance.
The latter was a show of wholehearted trust to the person entering their Knowledge Sea.
Yang Kai needed Yu Ru Meng’s help, so after they reached this new stage in their relationship, he gave it a thought and decided to open up to her so that they could have a completely honest conversation.
Upon entering his Knowledge Sea, Yu Ru Meng exclaimed as it was much broader than she had expected. The sea of black demonic flames that represented the power of his Soul was extremely deep, a sign that he had gone through complete demonification.
Although his Knowledge Sea still wasn’t comparable to hers, it was much vaster than that of ordinary Half-Saints.
Yang Kai appeared beside her a moment later and took her hand. As she turned to look at him, he pointed in a direction and asked, “Do you recognise that?”
Yu Ru Meng turned her head to look in the same direction and was surprised by what she saw.
In the middle of the black sea, there was a treasure island that was gleaming with seven coloured light. No matter how violent the flames were, the seven-coloured island remained unmoving. She could clearly feel that there was a special power radiating from the island.
As she narrowed her eyes, she finally made out what the island was.
“Soul Warming Lotus?” Yu Ru Meng exclaimed. As her feelings undulated, even her Soul Avatar trembled, “Is that really the Soul Warming Lotus?”
“Milady has sharp eyes.” Yang Kai gripped her hand tighter, “It is indeed the Soul Warming Lotus.”
Demon Saints all had acute vision. Xuan Bing and Bei Li Mo could recognise it at first glance in the past, so there was no way Yu Ru Meng couldn’t make out what it was.
“You have the Soul Warming Lotus!” Yu Ru Meng was shaken to the core. As a Demon Saint, she wasn’t interested in the ordinary treasures, but the Soul Warming Lotus was different. She had only heard about such a Supreme Treasure, but had never seen it before. As she stared fixedly at the lotus, she murmured, “I’ve heard that Soul Warming Lotus is able to revitalise one’s Soul regardless of how damaged or drained it becomes. Even if the owner of the lotus passes away, their Soul can remain undiminished. It’s no wonder I always felt that your Spiritual Energy was more powerful than what it was supposed to be in your current realm. So this is the reason.”
Upon finishing her words, she forcefully pinched Yang Kai’s waist.
The sensations a Soul Avatar could feel were much more intense than those of a flesh and blood body, so as he was pinched, Yang Kai was gripped by excruciating pain. Grimacing, he questioned, “Why did you pinch me?”
Yu Ru Meng said through clenched teeth, “You knew that my Soul had been injured, but for the past year, you just let me suffer instead of using this treasure to treat me. Husband, you’re too mean!”
As she spoke, she looked resentfully and tearfully at him, appearing extremely aggrieved.
Yang Kai replied after a laugh, “I was chased away by you…”
Yu Ru Meng snorted, “If you were determined to stay, you wouldn’t have been chased away.”
She then swatted his hand away and turned around in exasperation.
A troubled Yang Kai went on to coax her for a long time before she stopped being mad at him.
“Why have you asked me to come here to see this? Do you want to treat my injury?” Yu Ru Meng shot him a glare, “If that’s your intention, I’ll forgive you. It’s better late than never.”
“I’ll certainly treat you, but before that, there’s something I need to confess to you,” Yang Kai coughed and scratched his face as he appeared embarrassed.
“What’s the matter?” Yu Ru Meng gave him a look.
Yang Kai hesitated for a long time but still couldn’t bring himself to say anything.
Yu Ru Meng said through gritted teeth, “Do you still want to hide things from me?”
Hanging his head low, Yang Kai replied in a small voice, “The Heart Seal Secret Technique you used on me has been transferred to the Soul Warming Lotus.”
Yu Ru Meng batted her eyes as she didn’t understand him, “What do you mean?”
Yang Kai explained, “I didn’t mean to do it, but this thing seemed to have that ability to do so. In the past, I just gave it a try, but I never expected that the Heart Seal Secret Technique would so easily move from my Knowledge Sea to… Over there.” He pointed at the seven-coloured island and observed her expression.
Yu Ru Meng was startled for a moment before she nodded lightly, “I see. It’s no wonder that you’re still able to deceive me despite the Heart Seal Secret Technique still being active.”
After she finished speaking, she started beating him again, “You bastard! You’ve been playing with me right from the start haven’t you!?”
Yang Kai gritted his teeth to bear her wrath as he grimaced in pain.
A moment later, Yu Ru Meng stopped and glowered at him.
An embarrassed Yang Kai asked, “Have you vented out all your anger?”
“What do you think?” Yu Ru Meng sneered.
Yang Kai seemed to steel himself and waved his hand widely, “If you’re still mad at me, just continue beating me up. I’ll not be resentful even if I have to lose my life!”
“Stop putting on a show!”
Yang Kai grinned, “Does that mean that you’re not angry with me anymore?”
Yu Ru Meng huffed in annoyance, ignored him, then a moment later, heaved a sigh and said, “In fact, I have a secret too.”
“You can undo the Heart Seal Secret Technique, right?” Yang Kai looked smilingly at her.
Yu Ru Meng lifted her head and looked at him with her lips parted, appearing to be slightly flustered as she asked, “H-How do you know?”
Yang Kai chuckled, “Bei Li Mo and Senior Bright Moon told me. However, Bei Li Mo was just trying to sow discord while Senior Bright Moon was well-meaning. One of them is a Great Emperor from the Star Boundary, and the other is a Demon Saint from the Demon Realm, but they both said the same thing, which is why my suspicions were aroused.”
“That bitch!” Yu Ru Meng said through clenched teeth. She was apparently scolding Bei Li Mo. Then, she appeared somewhat anxious, “They’re right to say that the Heart Seal Secret Technique can be broken. I lied to you when I said that once the Secret Technique was used, both of us would be tied together for life.”
Yang Kai replied, “If you didn’t admit it, I wouldn’t have found out. Why did you decide to tell me about it now?”
Yu Ru Meng said, “We’re together now, so there’s no point hiding it from you. If you found out about it from others and confirmed the information later, discord would’ve formed between us, which is why I’ve decided to tell you about it myself.”
Stepping forward, Yang Kai took her hands and said lovingly, “Thank you for telling me this.”
Yu Ru Meng lifted her head, “Are you not mad at me? If you are, you can beat me… That’s what I did to you just now…”
Yang Kai laughed, “How would I have the heart to lay a hand on you? We both kept secrets from each other, but we’re even now.”
Yu Ru Meng’s lashes fluttered as she appeared touched.
Draping his arm around her shoulder, he gazed at the Soul Warming Lotus with her and said, “Since you’re able to unseal the Heart Seal Secret Technique, you should do it now. This is an unfair situation to you.”
Upon hearing that, Yu Ru Meng shuddered and turned to look at him, “You want me to unseal it?”
“Of course. That’s the reason I’ve brought you here,” Yang Kai nodded as he appeared completely open and honest.
Since the Heart Seal Secret Technique was transferred to the Soul Warming Lotus, it had lost almost all of its effect on Yang Kai, but it was still able to restrict Yu Ru Meng. There was no doubt that the Secret Technique was extremely powerful as it was able to tie a man and a woman together when they first met. The bond was so strong that even if they didn’t even know each other’s name, if one of them passed away, it would leave an unhealable wound on the other’s heart.
No matter how powerful it was though, it was just a Secret Technique, not a real bond. In the past, Yang Kai didn’t care about it, and he had even taken advantage of it to deceive Yu Ru Meng; however, things were different now, and this unfair Secret Technique didn’t need to exist anymore.
Yu Ru Meng gazed at him with her alluring eyes, “Husband, aren’t you worried that after the Secret Technique is unsealed, my heart will change, and I might even harm you?”
It wouldn’t have mattered if she hadn’t seen the Soul Warming Lotus, but now she knew that there was a treasure in Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea that all Demon Saints would covet. Once the Heart Seal Secret Technique was unsealed, he wouldn’t be able to resist if she had any ill intentions toward him.
They were now on Enchantment Continent, which was Yu Ru Meng’s territory. Even though he was proficient in the Dao of Space, Yang Kai couldn’t possibly escape her here, much less retaliate.
Upon hearing this though, Yang Kai put on a faint smile, “I’ve said that you’re my woman, and this fact will never change, even if you unseal the Secret Technique. If your heart really changes, I won’t blame you.”
Yu Ru Meng pressed her lips together, “Do you want me to unseal it?”
“It’s up to you,” Yang Kai replied with a smile.
Yu Ru Meng beamed and stared fixedly at him, “It’s up to me, right?”
Yang Kai bowed his head, “En.”
“I won’t unseal it, then.” Yu Ru Meng let out a long breath. Before he could say anything, she went on to explain, “Although I’m able to lift the Heart Seal Secret Technique, there’s a certain price I will need to pay. Furthermore, I can only use this Secret Technique once in my life. Since I’ve used it on you, I’ll stay loyal to you forever.”
Yang Kai asked, “Aren’t you worried that your feelings for me are due to the Secret Technique, not because you really love me?”
Yu Ru Meng replied with a smile, “I can tell the difference between the effects of a Secret Technique and my own feelings.”
Initially, she had indeed developed sudden and profound feelings for him due to the Secret Technique; however, now, she was certain that she loved him not because of the Heart Seal, so it was meaningless to unseal it anymore. If it weren’t because of that, she wouldn’t have given in to him one year ago. If she wasn’t willing, he would never have been able to possess her.
“Good, you have the final say,” Yang Kai nodded. After he finished speaking, he suddenly started laughing as he felt relieved.
Since the Heart Seal Secret Technique had been transferred, he had been acting carefully in front of Yu Ru Meng so that she wouldn’t realise that something was off. Now that they had come clean with each other, he did not have to keep putting on an act anymore. At that moment, he felt as if a mountain had been lifted off his chest.
Following that, he said in a relaxed tone, “Dear, there’s something I need you to help me with.”
Yu Ru Meng asked, “What is it?”
After pondering on how he should put it, Yang Kai said, “Since you’re a Demon Saint, I’m sure you can feel that something is wrong with the Demon Realm. The entire realm is breaking apart, and the continents are slowly disappearing. It won’t be long before the Demon Realm will be completely destroyed. I’m sure that’s the reason all of you decided to wage a war against the Star Boundary.”
Yu Ru Meng lowered her head, “That’s right. Before the Demon Realm completely disintegrates, we must seek a way out. The Star Boundary is the only Great World that is connected to the Demon Realm. The plan has been in conception for a long time. Even before I became a Demon Saint, the plans were already in preparation. We were just waiting for the passage between the two worlds to open.”
Yang Kai nodded. He had experienced the last war between Humans and Demons when he was in the Thousand Illusions Dreamworld, which was why he understood what was going on.
“If there’s a new Demon Realm, does that mean that the war can end?”
“A new Demon Realm?” Yu Ru Meng frowned before she gazed at him in amazement, “Are you saying that you have found a new Great World?”
Yang Kai put on a smile, “I haven’t found a new Great World, but I can create one.”
“Create one?” Yu Ru Meng was astounded upon hearing that. If it weren’t because they had become intimate and revealed all their hidden secrets to one another earlier, she wouldn’t have believed him. It was inconceivable that anyone could create a new Great World. Even as a Demon Saint, she was unable to do that.
“I’m sure you remember that I have a storage artifact that allows living creatures to live inside of it.”
Yu Ru Meng nodded her head as she was aware of the Sealed World Bead’s existence. Yang Kai had summoned the Embodiment a few times before, and she was often beside him when he did. However, she didn’t know what Sealed World Bead truly was as no one told her about it when she was in the Star Boundary.
“That artifact can not only allow living creatures to live inside, it is also an independent world unto itself.”
“You mean it’s a Small World?” Yu Ru Meng’s gaze brightened.
In fact, there were plenty of Small Worlds out there, but it was inconceivable that one could be made into a storage artifact and carried around casually.
“I guess you can say that, but my Sealed World Bead is different from an ordinary Small World as it can devour all the continents in the Demon Realm and absorb them to strengthen itself. Furthermore, it can also assimilate the World Principles and energy of those continents…”
Before he could finish his words, Yu Ru Meng was amazed as she interrupted him by saying, “You mean your Small World can integrate all the separate continents of the Demon Realm?”
As a Demon Saint, she was naturally intelligent, so before he even finished explaining, she had already figured out what he was trying to say.
“That’s right. Moreover, the more continents that are integrated, the more solid the Principles inside it become.”
With a solemn expression, Yu Ru Meng said, “You want to amalgamate all the continents in the Demon Realm into one whole?”
“Yes.” Yang Kai nodded repeatedly, “When I was repairing the Territory Gates in the different continents of the Demon Realm, I found many of the continents that had disappeared already and had my artifact devour them. I’ve also had it swallow a place called Heavenly Martial Continent in Bei Li Mo’s territory. From those experiments, my theory has been proven to work.”
Yu Ru Meng gasped when she heard that he had found those lost continents and devoured them. Nevertheless, upon learning that he had even gobbled up Heavenly Martial Continent, she gazed at him with a strange expression, “You’ve swallowed Heavenly Martial Continent? When did that happen?”
Yang Kai grinned at her, “Just before I came back here.”
“Bei Li Mo didn’t try to kill you?” Yu Ru Meng was shocked.
As far as she was concerned, Bei Li Mo wasn’t a magnanimous person. It was a miracle that Yang Kai managed to come back alive after making a scene in her territory. In fact, if she were in Bei Li Mo’s shoes, she would have ripped the man who destroyed one of her continents into a million pieces.
“Ha ha!” Yang Kai guffawed, “I’ll tell you what happened to her later. Now, please allow me to tell you my plan…”
Yu Ru Meng put on a bitter smile, “I know what you’re up to, but your plan is not going to work.”
“Why?” Yang Kai was startled.
“There’s no doubt that I’ll assist you, but the other Demon Saints will not readily believe you and let you occupy all their territories.” Yu Ru Meng stared at him, “Moreover, you’re the owner of that Sealed World Bead. After the bead gobbles up all the continents and becomes the new Demon Realm, it will mean that the life or death of all the Demon Saints, and even the entire Demon Race will lie in your hands. How could they be willing to entrust their future to you?”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai replied with a smile, “Of course, I understand this point of yours, which is why I don’t expect them to easily agree to it. It’s good enough that you’re willing to assist me. As for the other Demon Saints, we can slowly persuade them.”
Yu Ru Meng still shook her head, “I’m only one person, so I’m unable to protect you. If news about your plan is exposed… Damn!” Her expression changed all of a sudden, “You made a scene in Bei Li Mo’s territory, so I’m afraid that your plan has already been exposed!”
“Well…” Yang Kai coughed into his fist, “There’s one more secret that I have to tell you.”
Yu Ru Meng was startled for a moment before she shot him a glare, “Just one more secret? Spill it.”
“It’s about Bei Li Mo…”
Before he could finish his words, Yu Ru Meng said through clenched teeth, “I heard that after you left my place a year ago, you headed to Soaring Snow Continent and borrowed five hundred thousand Soaring Snow Ice Guards from Bei Li Mo. She had even sent Bai Ya to follow you and protect you, right?”
“Wife, I’m impressed by your ability to gather information!” Yang Kai quickly flattered her up.
The sound of Yu Ru Meng grinding her teeth became louder, “Are you going to tell me that you’ve hooked up with that rotten bitch?”
“We indeed have something to do with each other now, but it’s not what you think,” Yang Kai quickly explained, “Do you remember that after the battle on Eternal Sky Continent, I had to flee for my life? In the end, I was found by Bei Li Mo on Cloud Shadow Continent. I actually had a confrontation with her before you arrived.”
“Of course, I remember. Why? What really happened?” Yu Ru Meng’s expression remained cold.
“Well, before you arrived…” Yang Kai knew that if this misunderstanding wasn’t solved, he would be in deep trouble, which was why he hurriedly explained to her what had happened at that time.
“The story actually started back when I first went to Soaring Snow Continent. When I met with Bei Li Mo in her palace… certain things happened and I accidentally offended her, so she threw me into the 18th level of the Frozen Nether Ice Prison. There, I met a woman called Young Lady Bing. She was sly and lied to me by telling me that she was Bei Li Mo’s Disciple and the reason she had been imprisoned was that she had made a mistake and angered Bei Li Mo.”
Yang Kai took a breath before continuing, “She passed me something called the Profound Darkness Needle, which contained a Secret Technique she had created. She told me that after I activated the Secret Technique inside the needle, I could stall Bei Li Mo for three to ten breaths of time. After the battle on the Eternal Sky Continent, I fled to Cloud Shadow Continent, but when I was breaking through to my current realm, the commotion alerted Bei Li Mo. While I was in an intense battle against her, I used the Profound Darkness Needle.”
Yang Kai’s expression changed as his words became heavier, “However, I had never expected that apart from the Secret Technique inside, Young Lady Bing’s Soul had also been sealed in the needle. Therefore, her Soul and mine were sucked into Bei Li Mo’s Knowledge Sea together. Right after the two women met, they started arguing with each other. Through their conversation, I found out that her name was Xuan Bin and she was actually Bei Li Mo’s Honoured Master rather than her Disciple. It wasn’t certain whether Bei Li Mo had gone mad or Xuan Bing had done something unforgivable that led the Master and Disciple to fall out with each other…”
“Xuan Bing wanted to take control of Bei Li Mo’s body, but she failed in her attempt to do so. Instead, her Soul had been consumed by Bei Li Mo. However, before that happened, Xuan Bing allowed me to leave a Soul Imprint on her Soul, which was then transferred to Bei Li Mo.”
“Wait…” Yu Ru Meng suddenly lifted her hand to stop him and gazed at him with a stunned expression, “You mean your Soul Imprint is in Bei Li Mo’s Knowledge Sea now?”
“En,” Yang Kai nodded.
After batting her eyes, Yu Ru Meng covered her mouth and started convulsing with laughter.
She knew full well what a Soul Imprint on one’s Knowledge Sea meant. As a Demon Saint from the Charm Demon Clan, she had the strongest Soul of all cultivators in the Demon Realm. Any successful cultivator was able to use this method to control others, but she had grown bored of it a long time ago. Now, she wouldn’t even bother to use this kind of method to control others.
However, it would be a different story if the one getting controlled was a Demon Saint.
Upon hearing what Yang Kai had said, Yu Ru Meng knew that it was a result of both luck and coincidence. If Xuan Bing hadn’t allowed him to leave a Soul Imprint on her, he would never have been able to achieve such a thing. It was thanks to Xuan Bing’s initiative that Bei Li Mo, who had devoured her Soul, had suffered such a catastrophe. As a Demon Saint, she was now controlled by a High-Rank Demon King.
At that instant, Yu Ru Meng realised that Yang Kai must be referring to this incident when he talked about Bei Li Mo.
“That bitch deserves it,” After she was done laughing, she snorted. The territories of the two Demon Saints neighboured each other, which was why they had always been on bad terms. Before the war between the two Great Worlds, the Half-Saints and Demon Kings that served them had been in a constant state of confrontation and war with one another. Suddenly learning such a piece of exciting news, Yu Ru Meng could barely contain her glee, “I can’t wait to see how she will react when she sees me.”
At the thought of meeting Bei Li Mo one day soon, Yu Ru Meng could barely conceal the smile on her face. This was indeed an incredible feat as no one was able to control a Demon Saint in the past.
All of a sudden, she stopped smiling and said, “However, there’s a huge gap between your strength and hers, so she might have a way of breaking the Soul Imprint of yours. You must pay close attention to it.”
Yang Kai nodded, “I know. That’s why when I left this place one year ago, I headed to Soaring Snow Continent to strengthen the Soul Imprint. Furthermore, I also received a Soul Brand from her. With both measures in place, I have full control over her now.”
One year ago, the power of Yang Kai’s Soul increased significantly, and although he was still no match for a Demon Saint in this regard, the power of his Soul was far above an average Half-Saint’s. Since the Soul Imprint had been strengthened, Yu Ru Meng knew that Bei Li Mo would have to work around the clock for a few years before she could break it.
“So, that bitch is also on your side now,” Yu Ru Meng suddenly realised this.
“There’s no way she can reject me,” Yang Kai put on a smile, “After a discussion, Senior Chang Tian has also agreed to join forces with me.”
“Chang Tian…” Yu Ru Meng nodded slightly. She wasn’t surprised that Chang Tian had agreed to it. He had always been fond of Yang Kai and had even intended to make this young man his successor. Furthermore, once Yang Kai’s plan succeeded, it would break the status quo in the Demon Realm, which was hugely beneficial to Chang Tian. At the thought of this, Yu Ru Meng turned solemn. In that case, including herself, pretty much, three Demon Saints had agreed to join forces with Yang Kai. Although there were more Demon Saints in opposition, their side had obtained the right to initiate this plan. Furthermore, Yang Kai had the support of the entire Star Boundary and its Great Emperors.
With a helpless gaze, she looked at Yang Kai and said, “Since things have come to this point, I’ll just join you and follow you around.”
She did not just agree to his request because of their relationship, but also because the future for the Demon Realm was indeed gloomy. Even if the Demon Race could win against the Star Boundary, they would definitely suffer immense losses. Furthermore, the Star Boundary and the Demon Realm were two different entities, so it still wouldn’t be a happy ending even if they won the war. With different World Principles in place, the Demons would have a hard time living in another world. In that case, they would be better off living in a new Demon Realm.
With a joyful expression, Yang Kai asked, “Does that mean that you’ve agreed to it?”
Yu Ru Meng uttered, “But I have a condition.”
[A condition? Not again! Chang Tian and Bei Li Mo had also told me the same thing.] However, Yu Ru Meng was different from them, which was why Yang Kai nodded without hesitation, “Just tell me right away. I’ll agree even if you have a thousand conditions.”
“Don’t give promises so easily.” Yu Ru Meng shot him a glare, “There’s no Pill in this world for regret.”
Yang Kai grinned at her, “I don’t think you’ll come up with a condition that will make things difficult for me anyway.”
“It wouldn’t be considered a condition if it didn’t make things difficult for you.” Yu Ru Meng snorted and then declared loudly, “I want to be the First Wife of the Yang Family!”
At that instant, Yang Kai widened his mouth in disbelief. Even though he considered himself intelligent and insightful, he could not have expected that she would come up with such a condition.
Before he could even say anything, she said through clenched teeth, “I know how many women you have. They all met you before me, and they’ve gone through countless hardships with you, so there’s no reason for me to ask you to chase them all away. Supposedly, we’re all Sisters, so seniority among us isn’t necessary; however, rules are important in everything we do, and there has to be someone who is in charge of managing the Yang Family. I don’t think any one of them is a match for me when it comes to power and experience. Nevertheless, you don’t have to worry. I don’t need you to interfere in this matter. When we meet in the future, I have my own way of making them call me Big Sister willingly!”
What she had said sounded gentle and nonchalant, but Yang Kai was already drenched in a cold sweat even though he was just a Soul Avatar right now. His women back home had been getting along with each other quite well, and Su Yan was undoubtedly the leader among them; however, Su Yan had always had a gentle temperament, so it wouldn’t be difficult for Yu Ru Meng to make them acknowledge that she was the First Wife after they met up.
Nevertheless, the main issue was that he still had Zhu Qing, who lived on Dragon Island. More importantly, she was a Ninth-Order Fire Dragon. If she and Yu Ru Meng met up, a scuffle was almost inevitable.
Seeing that Yang Kai remained silent with his head hung low, Yu Ru Meng snorted, “Of course, if you think that you’ve been put in a tight situation, just take it as that I’ve never said anything. It seems that I’m still no match for the other Sisters in your heart because we’ve only known each other for a short time…”
All of a sudden, her eyes turned bloodshot as she looked away. It wasn’t certain how she managed to make her Soul Avatar’s eyes redden.
“That’s not it at all,” Yang Kai quickly waved his hands, “I’m just happy that you’d want to be in charge of the family as all of you would respect and treat each other well. I do think that this is an easy decision to make.”
“Husband, don’t force yourself to agree to it,” Yu Ru Meng pressed her lips together as she felt sorry for him.
“I’m not forced in any way.” Yang Kai stepped forward to take her hands and flashed a smile at her, “I’m extremely lucky to have your love and support. I can even worship you as an Ancestor, let alone make you my First Wife.”
He had intended to butter her up, but he had apparently said the wrong thing. With her face turning pale, Yu Ru Meng asked, “Husband, are you saying that I’m too old for you?”
Her eyes turned bloodshot again as she hung her head low, “You’re right. I’m indeed very old, which is why you’re unhappy with me!”
As she spoke, she attempted to withdraw her hands from the man’s grip.
[She’s getting unreasonable!] Yang Kai was both exasperated and flustered. Finding it unnecessary to explain anything, he directly pulled her into his embrace and spanked her firm backside.
Yu Ru Meng let out a yelp as her face started blushing.
They were now Soul Avatars, so every sensation was more intense than what could be felt with a physical body. Lifting her head, she saw that he was gazing at her with a wicked smile and in a small voice, he whispered, “Your Soul hasn’t healed yet, so stop reading too much into whatever I say. I’ll treat you now.”
Then, he lowered himself and locked his lips with hers.
A moment later, his Knowledge Sea surged. Their Soul Avatars entangled with each other and almost merged into one atop the seven-coloured treasure island. As their moaning could be heard coming from the island, the entire world seemed to be engulfed in a sense of intimacy.
Three days later, inside the secret room, Yang Kai opened his eyes and looked smilingly at Yu Ru Meng, who was seated across from him.
At this moment, she was flushed and panting heavily as her body twitched uncontrollably.
The blending of two Souls was a lot more intense than two bodies becoming one. It was an unforgettable experience for anyone who had tried it before, one they would want to drown in to feel forever.
Moreover, Yang Kai had cultivated the Yin-Yang Joyous Unification Art with Su Yan before, so he was quite familiar with such practices. In the past three days, he had used his vast experience and numerous methods on Yu Ru Meng. Although Yu Ru Meng was a Demon Saint, only a short time had passed since she lost her innocence, which was why she was unable to resist the man’s wanton advances. She had been muddle-headed and feeling on cloud nine the whole time, losing track of everything else around her. If it weren’t because Yang Kai took the initiative to withdraw, she would have drowned in that sensation for a long time before she awoke from her dream.
During the past three days, besides the integration of their Souls, Yang Kai had also made use of Soul Warming Lotus to heal the remaining injuries of her Soul. Previously, she had already recuperated for a year, but her Soul still hadn’t fully healed. She had estimated that it would take her three to five years before she could recover.
However, with the help of the Soul Warming Lotus, she was able to return to her peak in just three days. What’s more, the power of her Soul also seemed to have increased slightly.
Apart from her, Yang Kai could also feel that the power of his Soul had grown. Although it wasn’t comparable to the surge one year ago, it was still an improvement.
The integration of Yin and Yang was in accordance with the Heavenly Way. With the help of the Soul Warming Lotus, their time wasn’t wasted when they practised dual cultivation.
With his chin resting on his palm, Yang Kai put on a smile and quietly observed the Charm Demon in front of him.
When he first met her, he wasn’t even aware that she was a Demon Saint, and he could not have expected that she would become his woman one day.
At that instant, he thought that fate was truly unpredictable.
Moments later, as Yu Ru Meng gradually returned to normal, the room was filled with a pleasant scent, which was able to incite arousal of anyone who took a whiff of it. Yang Kai wasn’t sure about the other Charm Demons, but during his recent contact with Yu Ru Meng, he realised that every time she was aroused, a pleasant scent would exude from her body. The scent was harmless, but it did stimulate a certain sense of euphoria, especially when being intimate.
A while later, Yu Ru Meng opened her eyes and looked lovingly at her man. With her eyes turning watery, any man in the world would be more than willing to give her everything when they saw her in such a state. Even Yang Kai couldn’t help but gulp at the sight.
However, since he had an important task at hand, he had to suppress his excitement and pull himself together, “Please come with me to Hundred Spirits Continent. If you don’t make your stance clear to Senior Chang Tian, he won’t have peace of mind.”
Yu Ru Meng nodded, “En.”
She then put on a smile, “However, you should stop calling him Senior, because that will make me a Junior to him.”
“Good!” Yang Kai guffawed and got to his feet. After he pulled her up, they left the room together.
After giving some instructions to the leader of the guards in the palace, they leapt into the air and shot into the clouds.
Seeing that they were pretty far from the palace right now, Yang Kai pushed his Demon Qi and wrapped Yu Ru Meng in it; then, through Divine Sense, he told her, “Don’t resist.”
Yu Ru Meng relaxed her body and let him do whatever he wanted to her.
The next moment, as Space Principles undulated, the pair traversed the entire length of the continent and appeared quite a distance away. Yu Ru Meng looked around and saw a Territory Gate just a hundred kilometres away. Shocked, she stated, “Husband, your mastery of the Dao of Space has increased tremendously.”
The palace was over a million kilometres away from where they were, but Yang Kai was able to traverse such a distance with a single Instantaneous Movement, which was simply an inconceivable idea. If he could freely travel such vast distances in an instant, as long as he had a moment to use his Space Principles, no one in this world would be able to capture him. Even if he was confronted by a Demon Saint, he would still be able to escape unscathed.
Upon hearing this, Yang Kai started laughing, “No, no, no. You’ve got it wrong. I’ve managed to come to this place instantly with the help of this thing.”
After he finished speaking, he fished out a Space Beacon.
Yu Ru Meng took it to study while allowing him lead her towards the Territory Gate. As she fiddled with the Space Beacon, she asked, “What is this for?”
Yang Kai explained, “I learned this trick from Li Wu Yi.”
As he explained the uses to her, Yu Ru Meng nodded repeatedly and even kept the Space Beacon in the end. Then, she fished out a silk thread from her Space Ring and tied it to the Space Beacon before putting it on her wrist.
After moving past the Territory Gate, Yang Kai activated another Space Beacon and led her to traverse to the other end of the continent. With this, the time they needed to travel across each continent was cut dramatically as it would only take them two to three Instantaneous Movements, which was much faster than simply flying.
On their way to their destination. Yang Kai asked Yu Ru Meng about the war between the two Great Worlds. It was only then that he learned that after the battle on Eternal Sky Continent, Iron Blood Great Emperor Zhan Wu Hen made a move and single-handedly killed more than a billion Demons. He also managed to push the armies of the Demon Realm back to the Two Worlds’ Passage. At that time, three Half-Saints were killed by him.
During that period of time, all other Half-Saints of the Demon Race had been summoned back to the Demon Realm to take part in the fight for the opportunity to become a Demon Saint. The unfortunate three Half-Saints left to oversee the situation in the Star Boundary were slaughtered by Iron Blood Great Emperor.
Zhan Wu Hen’s move had undoubtedly broken the agreement between the Great Emperors and the Demon Saints; however, the Demon Saints did not pursue the matter because there was nothing they could really do about it.
Everyone of importance knew why Zhan Wu Hen acted the way he did, and that if this matter was disputed, it would prematurely ignite the final battle between the Great Emperors and Demon Saints. Although the Demon Realm currently had the upper hand, the Demon Saints did not want the war to escalate to that level so soon, so they kept quiet.
On the other hand, it was thanks to Zhan Wu Hen who had killed so many Demons in a fit of rage that those from the Star Boundary managed to retrieve a great deal of territory formerly occupied by the Demons. Now, they seemed to have returned to the initial stage of the war between the two Great Worlds.
Upon learning all this, Yang Kai was able to set his mind at ease. He was most worried that the Star Boundary could not persevere any longer. He had a plan, what he lacked was time.
If Yu Ru Meng were to travel from Enchantment Continent to Hundred Spirits Continent on her own at full speed, it would still take her a few days to do so; after all, she had to travel across multiple different continents and through several Territory Gates.
However, with the help his Space Beacons, Yang Kai managed to bring her to Hundred Spirits Continent in just half a day.
Already familiar with the route, the pair passed through the only Territory Gate and soon reached the place where Chang Tian cultivated.
Then, they landed on a spot in front of the palace, but before Yang Kai could request to meet the owner of the place, Yu Ru Meng suddenly grunted and looked in a different direction.
“What’s wrong?” A doubtful Yang Kai followed her gaze and saw a beam of light in the sky that was coming toward them. Realising who the person was, he smiled, “Things will be easier since she’s also here.”
The person was moving at full speed, and not long after Yang Kai finished speaking, a beam of light landed on the ground before them, after which Bei Li Mo’s figure was revealed.
Apparently, she had arrived here earlier, but she wasn’t waiting in front of this palace. She must have detected Yu Ru Meng’s aura just now, which was why she hurriedly came over.
The two women, who were both Demon Saints, had always held grudges against each other, so it could be expected that there was bound to be a fight whenever they met up.
One of them was as passionate as fire, and the other was as cold as ice. As their eyes met, there seemed to be sparks flying between them.
Yu Ru Meng was the first one to break the silence with a smile, “Elder Sister, we haven’t met for one year, but you’ve become even more alluring. Has something wonderful happened to you? Why don’t you tell Junior Sister about it so that I can share your joy?”
Upon hearing those words, the cold-looking Bei Li Mo shot Yang Kai a glare. She knew that he had definitely told Yu Ru Meng about her plight; otherwise, Yu Ru Meng wouldn’t have mocked her in such an oblique way.
She was a Demon Saint, but she was now being controlled by someone else through his Soul Imprint. Moreover, the person who had control over her was a mere High-Rank Demon King, so there was no way this could be considered a wonderful incident.
After a snort, Bei Li Mo simply replied, “It has nothing to do with you. Just mind your own business.”
“Elder Sister, what do you mean?” Yu Ru Meng kept a smile on her face.
Bei Li Mo shot Yang Kai a look and sneered, “You should know what I mean. On the other hand, as a Demon Saint yourself, you should be careful when choosing a man. There are countless good men in the Demon Realm, but what you’re doing is embarrassing to all Demon Saints. You’ve made yourself a laughing stock.”
Upon hearing that, Yu Ru Meng put on a faint smile and leaned close to Yang Kai. She had even wrapped her arm around his and rested her head on his shoulder. Appearing to be deeply in love, she asked, “Are you envious?”
“Me? Envious of you?” Bei Li Mo rolled her eyes, “Stop making this kind of ridiculous remark when you’re just disparaging yourself.”
Yu Ru Meng shook her head lightly and said, “You should stop pretending. Although we are both Demon Saints, before that, we are women. Hence, we have to marry a man in the end. I’ve found the right man while you’re still single. We’ve been neighbours for so long, so I really don’t have the heart to see you wallow in loneliness.”
In response, Bei Li Mo put on a sneer.
“I know! Why don’t you join me? From now on, we’ll share the same man and enjoy the fun in bed together! I don’t mind at all,” as Yu Ru Meng spoke, she took a look at Yang Kai with a bashful expression, “He might not be that powerful yet, but his skills in bed are truly amazing. I can’t bear it on my own.”
Bei Li Mo widened her eyes and uttered in shock, “You have the gall to say such things out loud?”
“It’s only natural that a man and a woman who love one another become intimate, so why wouldn’t I have the gall to speak of it?” Yu Ru Meng batted her lashes and stared at her with a clear gaze.
After they stared at each other for a while, they started cursing at the same time.
“Slut!”
“Bitch!”
Immediately after though, Yu Ru Meng stomped her foot on the ground and said, “Husband, she cursed me!”
With a solemn expression, Yang Kai lowered his gaze and nodded gently, “En, I heard.”
Upon finishing his words, he gazed at Bei Li Mo as a thought flashed across his mind.
In an instant, the colour drained from Bei Li Mo’s alluring face as she grunted and shivered; however, she was no ordinary woman, despite feeling excruciating pain, she gritted her teeth to made sure not to make another sound. As she glowered at Yang Kai, her gaze was filled with resentment and rage.
Yu Ru Meng clapped her hands joyfully, “You get what you deserve!”
At the same time, she gave Yang Kai a hint with her gaze to tell him to stop. Although she enjoyed seeing Bei Li Mo squirm with Yang Kai’s help, she knew not to cross the line. Bei Li Mo was a Demon Saint after all, so they couldn’t be too harsh on her.
Just then, the heavy door of the palace creaked open and revealed a gap as Chang Tian’s voice could be heard coming from inside, “It is my honour to have you here, Sister Ru Meng. Please come in and have a chat with me.”
Upon hearing that, Yu Ru Meng put on a smile and straightened up before casually strolling into the palace, looking every bit like she had just won a great victory.
After she stepped into the palace, the door slowly closed again.
Bei Li Mo had no time to vent out her anger on Yang Kai, so she glared at him and said, “Just you wait. I’ll settle accounts with you one day!”
Then, she quickly rushed towards the door and landed a slap on it, causing the door to stop closing as she bellowed, “How dare you shut me out? I’m coming in as well!”
The discussion had something to do with her future, so she had to take part in it. She was worried that Chang Tian and Yu Ru Meng would come to an agreement without her knowledge. Certainly, the door couldn’t take her strike, so as it paused for a moment, she snuck in.
Yang Kai cleared his throat and tried to enter the palace as well; however, before he even went near the door, he felt a gentle force blocking his way, causing him to be unable to move forward.
Seeing that, he was dumbfounded for a moment but he soon realised that Chang Tian didn’t want him to be involved in this discussion.
Left with no choice, he stepped back and waited silently outside the palace. After giving it a thought, he released Zhui Feng from the Small Sealed World.
There was no doubt that Zhui Feng was happy to have returned to Hundred Spirits Continent, so after running around Yang Kai for a while, he shot off in a particular direction and disappeared. Yang Kai knew that he must have left to look for his wives.
A moment later, Hei Lian and Bai Lian flew towards Yang Kai. Upon landing on the ground, Hei Lian asked, “Have you seen Holy Venerable Bei Li Mo? Has she come to this place?”
They had received Chang Tian’s order to accompany Bei Li Mo to tour around Hundred Spirits Continent. Just now, Bei Li Mo suddenly rushed back to the palace. Their speed was much slower than hers, which was why it wasn’t until now that they reached here.
Yang Kai motioned towards the palace before crossing his hands behind his back. Turning around, he swept his gaze over the scenery and said lightly, “This place sure is great.”
Hei Lian and Bai Lian traded glances as they had no idea why he made such a remark all of a sudden.
Two Demon Saints and one man who held the same status as a Demon Saint had entered the hall, and it wasn’t certain how long their discussion would last. With nothing else to do, Yang Kai decided to ask Hei Lian and Bai Lian about the situation on Hundred Spirits Continent.
Although he had been to this place before, and had even stayed here for some time, he still wasn’t familiar with the current affairs of the continent.
If Chang Tian really agreed to let Yang Kai devour the entire Hundred Spirits Continent, all the forces in the continent would become the latter’s power. With such a huge responsibility to take up, Yang Kai had to learn more about the continent.
It wasn’t a secret anyway, and Hei Lian and Bai Lian knew that Chang Tian was fond of Yang Kai, so they did not hide anything from him.
In Hundred Spirits Continent, apart from Chang Tian, who was undoubtedly the strongest, there were nine Half-Saints. They included Hei Lian and Bai Lian, whom Yang Kai was familiar with, Xiong Shi, Zhui Feng, and Du Yu, whom Yang Kai had met once. However, these Half-Saints had their own territories in the continent, and they rarely showed up. That was why Yang Kai hadn’t met all of them even though he had spent a few months here. Hei Lian, Bai Lian, and Xiong Shi worked closely with Chang Tian, so Yang Kai had seen them pretty frequently.
Besides these Half-Saints, there were more than a thousand Demon Kings in Hundred Spirits Continent. Upon learning the number, Yang Kai was shocked as the number was indeed inconceivable. There were only a few more than a hundred Demon Kings in Cloud Shadow Continent. Of course, many Demon Kings had been ordered to join the war between the two Great Worlds; however, even at the peak of its power, there were still fewer than three hundred Demon Kings in Cloud Shadow Continent.
With more than a thousand Demon Kings, Hundred Spirits Continent probably had the highest number of Demon Kings of any continent in the entire Demon Realm.
All in all, the collective power of Chang Tian’s subordinates was weaker than that of other Demon Saints. Nevertheless, since he only had Hundred Spirits Continent, his forces were far more centralised.
As they chatted, Hei Lian suddenly asked, “Is something major going to happen?”
“Why do you ask?” Yang Kai questioned.
Hei Lian took a look at the hall, “Two Holy Venerables have arrived at this place at the same time, which is unprecedented.”
Normally, Demon Saints wouldn’t come to Hundred Spirits Continent. Hei Lian and Bai Lian were already shocked when Yu Ru Meng came over previously. They had never expected that Bei Li Mo would also arrive at this place this time. As Half-Saints, they were not fools, so they understood that something major must be going on.
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “You’re right, but if you want to know the details, you can ask Senior Chang Tian later. It’s inappropriate for me to tell you.” It wasn’t certain what the outcome of the discussion would be. If they didn’t come to an agreement, Yang Kai would be embarrassing himself if he told the sisters about his plan.
Upon hearing that, Bai Lian shot him a glare as she hated people who were deliberately trying to act mysterious. Her gaze was so sharp that it was as though it could pierce through Yang Kai’s body.
On the other hand, Yang Kai flat-out ignored her.
Right then, the heavy door opened again in a slow manner. All three of them turned around, only to see Bei Li Mo stepping out of the palace with an emotionless face as her clothes flapped in the wind.
Following that, Yu Ru Meng walked out as well, then she gave Yang Kai an almost imperceptible nod.
Yang Kai was elated upon seeing that as he knew that they must have come to an agreement.
Lastly, Chang Tian appeared, but he was standing behind the gap at the moment. Then, he extended his hands and slowly opened the door further. It wasn’t certain what the door was made of, but it was obviously extremely weighty. As the door opened, a creaking sound could be heard.
However, though he was just pushing a door, Hei Lian and Bai Lian felt as if Chang Tian was pushing on their hearts. As the door was pushed open, the eyes of the sisters increasingly widened, as though they were witnessing something unbelievable.
Eventually, the doors opened fully. The sisters covered their mouths as their eyes trembled.
Yang Kai turned to look at them with a curious expression as he had no idea why they were so agitated when Chang Tian had just opened a door.
Right then, Yu Ru Meng explained in a small voice, “In the past, Chang Tian fought many great battles against the Demon Saints all across the Demon Realm, acting in an extremely bold and arrogant manner. In the end, he was defeated by the Demon Saints, who had joined forces to suppress him. Left with no choice, he returned to Hundred Spirits Continent. Since then, these doors have never been completely opened. To him, this half-open door is both a motivation to overcome and a reminder of his humiliation. He once said that he would only open this door once he was able to again crusade out of Hundred Spirits Continent. That’s the reason they’re so shocked.”
Upon hearing this, Yang Kai finally understood what was happening. Chang Tian’s move signalled that Hundred Spirits Continent would be stepping into the limelight again. It was no wonder that Hei Lian and Bai Lian were so excited.
With a whoosh, the sisters approached Chang Tian and fell on one knee as they hung their heads low. In a shaking voice, Hei Lian uttered, “Sir! As soon as you give the order, the billions of soldiers of Hundred Spirits Continent will follow you without fear of difficulties or death!”
“Please give the order, Sir!” Bai Lian also lifted her head and spoke, her gaze beaming with excitement.
Chang Tian put on a smile, “Tell them to come. I have something to tell them.” He did not specify who he wanted to meet, but it was understood that only Half-Saints had the right to see him.
“Yes,” the sisters replied and turned around before swiftly departing.
It would take the Lotus Sisters some time to gather the people together, but since they were all top Masters, a little time meant nothing to them.
Having made up his mind, Chang Tian appeared completely at ease. Then, he waved his hand, after which a table appeared on the ground. He also fished out a teapot and a jar of spring water in order to personally boil some tea.
Yang Kai and Yu Ru Meng stood closely to each other as they secretly talked to one another using their Divine Sense. Off to the side, Bei Li Mo watched them with a cold gaze as she parted her lips to curse them in silence. The main reason she had come all the way to this place was to find out whether Yang Kai was indeed going to devour Hundred Spirits Continent. If that was the case, it meant that all routs of escape for Chang Tian would be cut off, and it would be too late for her to go back on her word as well.
Soon, the aroma of the tea permeated the air. Chang Tian invited them to have a seat as they enjoyed some tea and waited for the others to arrive.
Half a day later, the first Half-Saint arrived. Upon seeing Yu Ru Meng and Bei Li Mo, he was startled for a moment, but he soon pulled himself together and saluted them.
Chang Tian spoke to him via Divine Sense and the Half-Saint appeared shocked, but he soon turned around and left without asking any questions.
More and more Half-Saints rushed over as time passed, and after meeting Chang Tian, they hurriedly left the place as well.
It was then Yang Kai realised Chang Tian’s intentions. It would be very turbulent once he began devouring Hundred Spirits Continent. If the Half-Saints were not informed earlier, there might be some unrest. After Chang Tian told them about it in advance, the Half-Saints could go back to make some preparations, and potential trouble could be prevented.
Two days later, the last Half-Saint finally reached the palace, and after receiving Chang Tian’s order, he quickly flew away.
They went on to wait for two days more before Chang Tian rose from the chair and gazed at Yang Kai, “Let’s start.”
Yang Kai nodded gently. He had been idling for a long time now and couldn’t wait to get started. He could only set his mind at ease after making sure that Chang Tian would be on the same boat as him. If it weren’t because Chang Tian had to inform the Half-Saints, Yang Kai would have begun a long time ago.
After that, he leapt into the sky and flipped his hand over to summon the Sealed World Bead. Pushing his Demon Qi, a thought flashed across his mind. Then, with a loud pop, the Sealed World Bead suddenly turned into a gigantic, rounded creature. At that instant, space in Hundred Spirits Continent fluctuated as many Void Cracks opened up in the sky.
Hei Lian and Bai Lian exclaimed as their faces had been transformed by shock. Although they were experienced and knowledgeable, they had no idea what this huge thing was and why it was able to shake the whole continent.
Yang Kai pointed his finger at Gun-Gun, after which it fell and opened its humongous mouth to take a bite out of Hundred Spirits Continent. As a rumbling sound was heard, the places which were bitten turned into nothingness wherever Gun-Gun passed. All things, both dead and alive, were devoured by it along the way.
The faces of Hei Lian and Bai Lian had turned ashen as they had never seen such a horrifying sight or even heard about anything like it before. They couldn’t help but turn their heads to shoot inquisitive gazes at Chang Tian.
At this moment, Chang Tian was astounded as well. Previously, when Yang Kai devoured Heavenly Martial Continent, Chang Tian witnessed the entire process from inside the Small Sealed World. However, the sight appeared even more shocking when he was observing it from the outside.
Besides him, Yu Ru Meng appeared solemn as well because it was the first time she saw such a thing.
On the other hand, Bei Li Mo, who had experienced it once, looked calm and collected. Nevertheless, she could barely conceal the astonishment behind her gaze.
In just a short moment, an enormous void had been formed in the continent. An area of millions of square kilometres had turned into nihility, and Void Turbulence could now be seen, giving off a dangerous feeling.
“Both of you, go inside now and calm them down. Tell them not to be anxious,” Chang Tian suddenly turned his head and spoke to Hei Lian and Bai Lian.
Upon hearing that, the Lotus Sisters nodded, and without any hesitation, they were about to rush over.
“There’s no need for so much trouble.” Yang Kai suddenly stopped them and extended his hands, “I’ll send both of you in.”
The sisters traded glances before tacitly placing their hands on the man’s palms.
“Don’t resist,” Yang Kai said, and with a thought, Hei Lian and Bai Lian disappeared from the spot.
“I’ll go in to have a look as well,” Yu Ru Meng said.
She had heard a lot about the Sealed World Bead from Yang Kai, including how it was able to devour the continents to strengthen its own Principles and create a new Demon Realm. However, she had yet to see it with her own eyes, which was why she was curious.
Certainly, Yang Kai wouldn’t reject his woman’s request, so he sent her in as well.
On the peak of a certain mountain inside the Small Sealed World, Huo Lun was standing in front of his log house. As he looked up at the crack in the sky, he slowly shook his head.
He had witnessed such a sight many times before, so he was no longer as astonished as the first time. Now, he was totally used to it as he knew that a continent was being devoured at the moment.
After the last continent was devoured, he had even gone over to have a chat with the newly arrived Demons and learned that they were from Heavenly Martial Continent. He wondered which continent it was that was being devoured now.
All of a sudden, a figure appeared before his eyes. Huo Lun, who was staring fixedly at the sky, was flabbergasted as he leapt backwards and bellowed, “Who goes there?”
Yu Ru Meng took a look at him and realised that he was just a Low-Rank Demon King, so she looked away and began scanning the surroundings. Seeing that Hei Lian and Bai Lian were not around, she knew that Yang Kai must have sent them somewhere else.
The Lotus Sisters had to calm their people down, but she had no such obligations.
Huo Lun widened his mouth as he stared shocked. It wasn’t that he had recognised Yu Ru Meng; it was just that he had never seen a woman as beautiful as her before. She had become even more alluring thanks to the fact that had recently experienced the spring rain and dew with Yang Kai. At first glance, Huo Lun felt as though his Soul had been snatched by this enchantress.
With that said, he wasn’t a fool; after all, he was still an experienced Low-Rank Demon King, so he knew that this beautiful woman must have an incredibly noble identity, which could be deduced from her elegant demeanour and air. Furthermore, even the leader of Snow Demons had arrived at this place before. Although he was astounded by Yu Ru Meng’s beauty, he wouldn’t dare to have any improper thoughts or display the slightest disrespect to her. Hanging his head low, he cupped his fists and said, “Huo Lun greets Madam. How may I address you?”
He couldn’t see through Yu Ru Meng’s cultivation, so it was apparent that she was more powerful than he was. Hence, it was appropriate for him to call her ‘Madam’.
Without uttering a word, Yu Ru Meng released a little of her Demon Saint’s aura.
In an instant, Huo Lun fell to his knees and pressed his head against the ground, “This humble one greets Holy Venerable Yu Ru Meng! May Holy Venerable forever remain strong and beautiful!”
In his heart, he rejoiced that he had the good sense not to hit on this woman; otherwise, he would have lost his life without even knowing how. Previously, the leader of the Snow Demons had come to this place. This time, even the leader of the Charm Demons had come over. Huo Lun wondered what was so attractive about this place that so many powerful figures wanted to visit.
A surprised Yu Ru Meng turned to look at him this time. It wasn’t that this man was particularly interesting, she was simply surprised that he was able to recognise her identity. With her head tilted, she asked, “Have you met this Saint before?”
“This humble one has not had the honour,” Huo Lun replied respectfully.
“Then how do you know who I am?” Yu Ru Meng became even more curious.
Huo Lun replied honestly, “There are twelve Holy Venerables in the Demon Realm, three of which are women. This humble one has met the Holy Venerable of the Snow Demons before, and although I have never seen the leader of the Feather Demons, I know that all Feather Demons have unique characteristics. Obviously, Holy Venerable is not a Feather Demon, thus… it is only logical Holy Venerable is the leader of the Charm Demons.”
Yu Ru Meng finally understood the reason this man could recognise her as he had met Bei Li Mo before. With a smile, she said, “You’re pretty observant.”
“Many thanks for your compliment, Holy Venerable.”
“Get up and speak,” Yu Ru Meng lifted her hand.
After a moment of hesitation, Huo Lun got to his feet as he was told, but he didn’t dare to look her in the eyes as he stared fixedly at his own feet. That was because no one should gaze at the leader of the Charm Demons as they pleased. It was no wonder he felt that his Soul was almost taken away. If he had stared much longer at her earlier, his Soul really would’ve left his body.
“You said you’ve met Bei Li Mo. When did that happen?” Yu Ru Meng nonchalantly asked as she looked into the distance.
“It was not long ago,” Huo Lun replied honestly, “About half a month.”
After some calculation, she realised that it was the time before Yang Kai returned to Enchantment Continent. He was supposed to be devouring Heavenly Martial Continent at that time. She immediately understood that he must have brought Bei Li Mo to this place when he devoured that continent.
At the thought of this, she gritted her teeth slightly because Bei Li Mo had actually found out Yang Kai’s secret earlier than she had. She was determined to settle the score with him one day.
“How long have you stayed here?” Yu Ru Meng asked.
“One year.”
Yu Ru Meng was startled upon hearing this. One year ago was just around the time when the battle on Eternal Sky Continent took place. Recalling what Yang Kai had told her before, she asked curiously, “What did this place look like when you arrived here for the first time?”
In fact, she had asked the same question that Chang Tian and Bei Li Mo had asked before, so Huo Lun began narrating his experiences to her in a concise yet full manner.
Yu Ru Meng nodded repeatedly as she listened to him. As time passed, more of Hundred Spirits Continent was devoured, and she could clearly feel the transformation of this world.
…..
It took more than ten days before the entire Hundred Spirits Continent was devoured. Just like what had happened to Heavenly Martial Continent, the location where Hundred Spirits Continent was supposed to be had turned into a turbid region of the Void.
After retrieving the Sealed World Bead, Yang Kai released Yu Ru Meng from the Small Sealed World. Then, he looked smilingly at Bei Li Mo, and it was apparent what his intention was. At the same time, Chang Tian was staring at her as well.
Since Hundred Spirits Continent had been devoured, there was no turning back for Chang Tian so he wouldn’t allow Bei Li Mo to go back on her word.
Realising that she had no other choice, Bei Li Mo turned around without hesitation and said, “Let’s go.”
Then, the four of them moved past the Territory Gate and headed to Soaring Snow Continent.
Before they reached their destination, Yu Ru Meng left the group and returned to Enchantment Continent to prepare. What Yang Kai was doing would turn the entire Demon Realm upside down, so if she didn’t make any preparations, things would quickly get out of hand.
At the very least, she had to inform her Half-Saints about it and summon those Half-Saints currently on the Two Worlds’ Battlefield back. Of course, Bei Li Mo had to do the same.
A few days later, Yang Kai, Chang Tian, and Bei Li Mo arrived on Soaring Snow Continent. After arranging a place for them to stay, Bei Li Mo went on to gather her Half-Saints to tell them to get prepared.
Chang Tian had bet the future of Hundred Spirits Continent on Yang Kai, hoping that he could strive for a better future and a wider territory for those living in the continent after the new Demon Realm was born. Hence, he was most concerned about Yang Kai’s security. In Soaring Snow Ice Palace, wherever Yang Kai went, he would always tag along. Even as someone who held the same status as a Demon Saint, he had somewhat become Yang Kai’s bodyguard.
Yang Kai had persuaded him several times to stop doing so but to no avail, so he just let him be.
While Bei Li Mo was getting prepared, Yang Kai was studying the map and getting some information from Chang Tian.
He learned that Bei Li Mo had forty-three continents. Yu Ru Meng was no match for her in this regard as she only had thirty-eight continents. Initially, Yu Ru Meng had eleven Half-Saints under her command, but Yue Sang was killed by Bright Moon and Yin Si was murdered by Yang Kai. Taking her loss during the War of Eternal Sky into consideration as well, Yu Ru Meng only had eight Half-Saints left.
On the other hand, Bei Li Mo initially had thirteen Half-Saints, but one of them had lost their life during the War of Eternal Sky, so she only had twelve now.
Yang Kai made some calculations and realised that Chang Tian, Bei Li Mo and Yu Ru Meng collectively had twenty-nine Half-Saints, which was a force to be reckoned with. After he swallowed up all their continents though, these people would also be a part of his power. Although he was still no match for the other Demon Saints, he would gain the right to wage war against them at the very least.
Then, he asked Chang Tian whether they could have more Demon Saints side with them. Just one to two more Demon Saints would significantly increase their chance of winning.
However, Chang Tian told him to give up on that idea. The circumstances for Chang Tian, Bei Li Mo, and Yu Ru Meng were unique. Chang Tian was unhappy with the current situation and wanted to carve out a brighter future for Hundred Spirits Continent, which was why he decided to side with Yang Kai. Bei Li Mo was left with no choice, and Yu Ru Meng did it because of love; however, it wasn’t so easy to persuade the other Demon Saints. If they found out about Yang Kai’s plan, they would rage against him like a tempest; there was no room for discussion.
Upon hearing this, Yang Kai had no choice but to give up on that idea. Before he became strong enough, he had to do everything he could to conceal his plans.
Bei Li Mo acted swiftly, and just three days later, she came and told Yang Kai that everything was ready.
Without waiting any longer, Yang Kai immediately started devouring Soaring Snow Continent. During the process, Bei Li Mo stood beside Yang Kai as she looked dispassionately at the disappearing continent without uttering a word.
However, her emotions were certainly not as calm as her expression; after all, this was where she was born and raised, and where she ascended to become a Demon Saint. If she was not under Yang Kai’s control, she would’ve been unresigned to see her home being swallowed up like this.
After Yang Kai was done with Soaring Snow Continent, he headed straight to the next one.
As time passed, the continents were gulped down one by one.
The time it took to devour a continent varied depending on its size. Yang Kai remembered that initially, it took Gun-Gun ten days to swallow a broken continent; however, as the space inside the Sealed World Bead expanded, Gun-Gun’s size grew as well, and it had become more efficient at its job.
It took Gun-Gun half a month to devour Hundred Spirits Continent, and it was one of the largest in the entire Demon Realm, almost twice the size of Soaring Snow Continent.
Seven days were needed for Gun-Gun to gulp down Soaring Snow Continent, and it became more even efficient as time passed.
Initially, Yang Kai was worried that it would take too long for him to carry out his plans; after all, Bei Li Mo had forty-three continents. If seven to eight days were needed to devour a continent, it would take Gun-Gun a year to devour all forty-three. Many things could happen in a year.
As such, Gun-Gun’s increase in efficiency was indeed a piece of exciting news.
As time passed, more continents were devoured, and Gun-Gun’s size became increasingly larger. At the same time, the speed at which it could eat up a continent increased proportionally. Gradually, Gun-Gun could stuff down a continent in five to six days, then it became three to four days. Eventually, it could do it in just one to two days. For some of the smaller continents, it could even devour one in just half a day.
As the continents disappeared from the Demon Realm, the locations where the continents were, joined the Void.
As Bei Li Mo had made proper arrangements in advance, only a small number of accidents had happened during the process. Although the Demons living in her territory were horrified, they could only close their eyes to bear this-Heaven destroying and Earth-shattering calamity. When they opened their eyes again, they realised that they had entered a new world.
The territory inside the Small Sealed World was expanding rapidly.
In just three months, all forty-three continents that belonged to Bei Li Mo were completely devoured.
After the last continent disappeared, Yang Kai could clearly hear Bei Li Mo heaving a sigh. At this point, her fate had been intertwined with that of Yang Kai’s. Just like Chang Tian, there was no turning back for her.
Finished with this first phase, Yang Kai sent Bei Li Mo into the Sealed World Bead so that she could help her people settle down.
During this period of time, Bei Li Mo had entered Sealed World Bead many times, so she was already familiar with this world. She had personally witnessed the transformation inside the Small Sealed World so there was no doubt that it was slowly being perfected and was much stronger than when she saw it for the first time. All forty-three continents had been assimilated, and together with Hundred Spirits Continent, they provided an immense amount of nutrition for the Small Sealed World.
With the enrichment from these continents, the World Energy in the Small Sealed World was now so thick that it could even nurture peak Origin Kings, similar to a Lower Plane Star Field.
Yang Kai had only swallowed the territories of a single Demon Saint, and there were still eleven Demon Saints out there. If he could devour all their territories, he was certain that the Small Sealed World would grow into a Great World that was a match for the Demon Realm and Star Boundary. By then, even a Demon Saint could be born into this new world.
Devouring the entire Demon Realm was a long and gradual process. Besides the time needed to devour the continents, it also wasn’t easy to deal with the Demon Saints. Since Yang Kai wanted to swallow up their territories, it was expected that they would resist.
However, the transformation the Sealed World Bead had gone through allowed Yang Kai to dream big. Perhaps Gun-Gun would be able to gulp down a continent in one go in the future. When that happened, it wouldn’t matter anymore whether those Demon Saints would agree to Yang Kai’s plan, he would just have to bring Gun-Gun to their territories and release it, after which a continent would disappear in an instant. Then, he would just head to another continent and do the same.
After all of Bei Li Mo’s territories had been devoured, it was time to move on to Yu Ru Meng’s.
Starting from Cloud Shadow Continent, he then went on to swallow Blue Plains Continent, Phantom Continent, Flying Clouds Continent, and so on. Just like how he had done it in the past, the continents disappeared from the Demon Realm one by one as the territory inside the Small Sealed World expanded and its World Principles grew.
Inside the Small Sealed World, in a log house on the peak of a nameless mountain, Huo Lun was circulating his Secret Art as the Demon Qi around him fluctuated. A gurgling sound could be heard coming from his stomach as he had just swallowed a Myriad Demon Pill and was trying to refine it. The power that the pill contained was immense. He was just a Low-Rank Demon King, so it would take him a few months before he could refine it completely.
Initially, he wasn’t in the mood to cultivate. This world was strange as a crack would appear in the sky from time to time, and the broken pieces of continents would emerge from within, which initially made him feel nervous. Furthermore, there seemed to be an invisible pair of shackles in this world that restricted him in all kinds of ways, which caused him to feel frustrated. He also could no longer use his full power. The most he could use had to be within the limits of what the Principles this world could tolerate.
Hence, it was pointless to cultivate in such a world. Even if he managed to grow to become a Mid-Rank or even a High-Rank Demon King, he could only exert as much power as Demon General.
However, since he started witnessing the transformation that this world was going through, he had stopped feeling disconsolate and become cheerful again. Although the Principles in this world were still abysmal, they were continuously improving. Also, from what he overheard of the conversation between Yang Kai, Chang Tian, and Bei Li Mo previously, he learned about the future plans for this world, which reignited his passion for cultivation.
Even as a Low-Rank Demon King, his cultivation hadn’t reached the peak of his current realm; hence, he decided to keep cultivating until he felt the bottleneck. Then, after the World Principles became good enough to allow a Mid-Rank Demon King to rise here, he could immediately achieve a breakthrough.
All cultivators sought greater heights in the Martial Dao, whether they were Humans or Demons made no difference. Absolute power was the goal that every cultivator strived to achieve.
While Huo Lun was greedily trying to refine the Myriad Demon Pill’s medicinal efficacies, he suddenly frowned and put on a helpless expression. It couldn’t be helped, as he could sense that someone was approaching.
He could be considered the first resident of this expanded territory of the Small Sealed World. Initially, he was extremely lonely, but the world had become quite bustling since Yang Kai started devouring continents with living inhabitants. Although the territory expanded continuously, many Demons were curious about the new world they were in, so upon making sure that they were safe, they started moving around to explore.
Over the past few months, many people had visited this nameless mountain. Normally, they would only look around for a while and then leave. Of course, some of them were curious when they saw that Huo Lun resided here, so they would have a chat with him.
Initially, Huo Lun was hospitable to these people. Given the fact that he was the first resident of this world, he didn’t mind exchanging views with those visitors. However, as time passed, he became sick of it all. After he decided to continue cultivating to become a Mid-Rank Demon King, he set up a barrier around his log house so that no one could disturb him.
However, at this moment, someone was approaching and triggering the barrier, which was why he could sense it.
Nevertheless, he decided to ignore that person as a Myriad Demon Pill was extremely precious. Although he had obtained more than a thousand such pills, he did not want to waste any of them. If he stopped refining it at this point, the medicinal efficacies of the pill wouldn’t exactly go to waste, but the effect would be reduced.
Although he remained unfazed, this particular visitor seemed quite interested in his log house. After the person circled around the log house for a while, the barrier actually suddenly broke apart.
Huo Lun’s brow twitched as he became enraged and finally jumped to his feet. After pushing the door open, he snarled, “Who dares…”
All of a sudden though, he stopped speaking and stared fixedly at the front.
That was because there was a frail and helpless-looking woman with a pale face standing over there.
He suddenly did not have the heart to scold her because she was strikingly beautiful. When their eyes met, he felt his rage vanish in an instant. The woman’s expression was that of a child who had made a mistake, which made it difficult for him to curse at her. Although he’d decided not to scold her, he was still quite frustrated. He had arranged a barrier around his house, so anyone who had eyes to see should understand that the house owner did not welcome guests.
[What is wrong with this woman? Not only did she not leave, but she had also broken the barrier so quickly!]
Hence, it was apparent that the woman’s ability, cultivation, or both were much higher than his, but he wasn’t afraid of her.
He was someone who had met two Demon Saints, who treated him with a level of cordiality, so he wasn’t afraid of facing anyone in the Demon Realm anymore. Furthermore, in this strange world, there was a limit to everyone’s power because of the restriction from the World Principles. Basically, they were all brought down to the same level, so it was hard to tell who the winner would be if a fight broke out.
With displeasure written all over his face, he said, “What’s wrong with you? Why did you break this King’s barrier?”
The woman’s pale face started reddening as she quickly apologised to him, “I-I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to. I just wanted to find out what this barrier was all about, but I accidentally shattered it.”
The veins on Huo Lun’s forehead throbbed when he heard that she had done it ‘accidentally’. If it weren’t because the woman appeared sincere, he would have thought that she was provoking him and mocking him for arranging such a sloppy array.
As he stared fixedly at her and made sure that she really didn’t intend to mock him, Huo Lun’s expression became somewhat milder and he said in a softer voice, “Are you new here?”
“What?” The woman tilted her head with a puzzled expression.
Huo Lun said impatiently, “I’m asking whether you’ve just come in from the outside world!”
He felt exhausted by just talking to her. If it wasn’t for her being so beautiful, he would have outright ignored her. He would rather spend the time refining the medicinal efficacies of Myriad Demon Pill.
Upon understanding what he meant, the woman replied, “I’ve been here for half a month now.”
“Heh…” Huo Lun quickly put on an expression which suggested that he was more experienced than she was, “This world is different from the outside world that you lived in. I’m sure you haven’t gotten used to it since you’ve only been here for half a month, but let me tell you this; it took me half a year to get used to this place after I first arrived…”
As he jabbered on and on, the woman did not show any signs of impatience; instead, she appeared intrigued and even asked him some questions.
Huo Lun slowly became fond of her and thought that apart from the fact that she was a little muddle-headed, everything about this beautiful woman was quite good.
Perhaps he had realised that he was being long-winded, so after wrapping up his story about his experience of living in this world, he changed the topic by asking, “Which continent are you from?”
The beautiful woman remained silent for a moment before replying in a hushed voice, “I’m from Cloud Shadow Continent.”
“Cloud Shadow Continent? Oh, I know of it. It’s one of the continents that belongs to Holy Venerable Yu Ru Meng.” Huo Lun nodded repeatedly as he wanted to show her that he was knowledgeable. In fact, he had just met Yu Ru Meng some time ago, so he immediately recalled it when the beautiful woman mentioned Cloud Shadow Continent. Then, he asked, “What Clan are you from?”
However, the woman shook her head without replying to him.
Huo Lun didn’t mind it as this wasn’t important, and he didn’t want to force her since she wasn’t willing to talk about it.
“By the way, is this mountain yours?” She suddenly asked.
Huo Lun guffawed upon hearing that, “There’s an owner of this place, but it’s not me. I’m just a tenant. The real owner of this place is…”
The woman suddenly pointed in a particular direction and interrupted him, “Can I stay over there?”
He was slightly displeased as he was cut off, but after he looked in the direction she pointed, his gaze brightened, “You want to be neighbours?”
Initially, this nameless mountain where he resided was but a small hill, but as the Small Sealed World consumed more continents, this place had become a much taller and grander. Presently, there were three peaks within a radius of a hundred kilometres around this area, and the three peaks were arrayed in the form of a triangle. In the middle of the peaks was a valley where some wildflowers had grown, and there was even a clean lake. However, the scenery was still somewhat lacklustre.
The peak the beautiful woman pointed at was one of the three peaks.
Upon seeing Huo Lun’s reaction, she hung her head low and said, “Forget it if it’s inconvenient for you. I’ll just look for a different place.”
Although the territory in the Small Sealed World was large, the different lands were still being remoulded and integrated, so there were not many places that were suitable for living at this point. She had wandered around for half a month and finally found a place that seemed suitable to settle down. If not, she wouldn’t have destroyed Huo Lun’s barrier.
Huo Lun guffawed, “It’s not an inconvenience for me. I’m more than willing to have a beautiful woman like you be my neighbour. Do as you please. There are two peaks over there, so you can choose whichever you want. You can even take them both if you’d like.”
The woman put on a bashful smile, “I’ll just take one. Sorry for disturbing you.”
Upon finishing her words, she turned around and left.
Huo Lun shouted from behind her, “This King is Huo Lun. What’s your name?”
The woman stopped in her tracks and said lightly, “Li Shi Qing.”
As he watched her leave, he stroked his chin and frowned, “Li Shi Qing…”
There was no doubt that it was a beautiful name, but there was something off about it as it sounded somewhat foreign and exotic. After shaking his head, Huo Lun returned to his own room and took a seat with his legs crossed, resuming his refinement of the medicinal efficacies of the Myriad Demon Pill.
He was in a good mood because he had an alluring neighbour all of a sudden, so he no longer minded the fact that he was disrupted earlier. He had more than a thousand Myriad Demon Pills anyway, so it wouldn’t matter if he wasted a bit of the medicinal efficacies of one of them.
The nameless mountain had become livelier with a new resident. When Huo Lun paused his cultivation, he could see Li Shi Qing bustling about the peak to his left. Since she settled down, she had to build a house there. Fortunately, there were trees on the peak, so it wasn’t hard for her to build a house.
In just a few days, a cabin had taken shape. The distance between the two peaks was only several dozen kilometres, so given Huo Lun’s sharp vision, he could clearly see what was going on over there.
Compared to the exquisite cabin, his crude log house looked somewhat shabby, which gave him the urge to demolish his house and build a new one. However, that remained a thought as he didn’t mind living in an ugly house as long as there was a roof over his head.
Since her new house had been built, he intended to go over and congratulate her; however, after giving it a thought, he realised that it was inappropriate for him to visit a woman’s house all of a sudden. If he really did that, it might cause some misunderstandings. Since they were now neighbours, they would definitely come into contact with each other in the future, so he decided against going over now.
On the other hand, Li Shi Qing seemed to have sensed his gaze as she turned around and nodded at him.
Since his beautiful neighbour had moved in to live on the adjacent peak, the nameless mountain seemed to become different every few days.
When Huo Lun left his house for the second time since Li Shi Qing moved in, he subconsciously took a look at the adjacent peak, then he rubbed his eyes as he almost couldn’t recognise it. The peak over there was now covered in lush trees and flowers with numerous birds chirping happily. The view was simply stunning.
A few days later, the valley, which was in the middle of the three peaks, became different as well. In the valley, there were many new plants that Huo Lun didn’t even know the names of. Standing in front of his log house, he could even catch a whiff of the fragrance coming from the flowers.
[She’s a woman who loves flowers!] Huo Lun thought. However, since this was her interest, he wasn’t in any position to say anything. Furthermore, after the makeover by this neighbour, the nameless mountain had indeed become more beautiful and liveable.
Several days later, Huo Lun was stunned once again after he left the house. That was because he realised that there were new flowers on his own peak, which made the place look brighter and more pleasant.
Lifting his head, he realised that there was an alluring woman who was busying herself on the peak that no one resided on. Seeing this, he put on a helpless smile.
Half a month later, when he was cultivating in his own house, he was shocked to hear the sounds of a scuffle. The noises came from a place that was near his house, so he could tell that it had to be in the mountain valley. Also, the voice of a woman shouting sounded familiar to him.
It was none other than his new neighbour, Li Shi Qing!
Upon that realisation, Huo Lun stood up straight and opened the door before gazing at the valley, only to see two figures flying around the valley as they were locked in an intense battle. At this moment, the originally beautiful valley had turned into a mess, and all the flowers, which he had no idea the names of, had been smashed.
Just like what he had expected, his new neighbour had gotten into a fight with someone. The person she was battling against was a burly, muscular, and ferocious-looking man. He seemed to be a Strength Demon.
It was apparent that both his new neighbour and the Strength Demon had incredible cultivation. At the very least, they were more powerful than he was; however, due to the restriction of the World Principles, they could not use their full strength. The force they had showcased was that of Origin Kings at best.
However, although their powers had been brought down to the same level, Li Shi Qing was still not a match for the Strength Demon. This couldn’t be helped, as Strength Demons possessed extremely physical strength. Since they were both brought down to the level of Origin Kings, the Strength Demon could gain the upper hand thanks to his superior physique.
Soon enough, Huo Lun realised that his neighbour was in a disadvantageous position. Although she was dexterously dodging the Strength Demon’s attacks with her Movement Skill, it was apparent that she was in a perilous situation. On the other hand, the Strength Demon’s gaze appeared lustful as he snickered. Although his attacks seemed to be clumsy and simple, every strike contained a horrifying amount of power.
The corners of Huo Lun’s eyes twitched as he wasn’t sure whether he should stay clear of it or rush over to help his neighbour.
In fact, aside from their first meeting, he had barely spoken a word to her, so they couldn’t even be considered friends. Even if he decided not to help her, no one had the right to blame him; however, judging from the lewd smile on the Strength Demon’s face, he knew that if his neighbour lost this battle, she would end up in a miserable state. She would go through an ordeal that was worse than death.
Right then, he caught a glimpse of something red from the corner of his eye. Turning his head, he realised that the flowers that Li Shi Qing had planted some time ago on his peak had bloomed into bright red blossoms as they swayed in the wind, exuding an energising fragrance.
“Damn it!” Huo Lun grumbled through gritted teeth, he hesitated no more, pushed his Demon Qi, and leapt into the valley.
Right after he made a move, he saw a blood cloud shooting towards the battlefield from the opposite side. The blood cloud looked ferocious, and flames could be seen burning around it.
[He’s got a helper?] Huo Lun was flabbergasted as he pushed his Demon Qi harder to increase his speed. At the same time, he summoned out a pair of axes and shouted, “Watch out!”
He was giving Li Shi Qing a warning.
In the valley, Li Shi Qing, who was in an intense battle against the Strength Demon, was clearly on the backfoot, so upon noticing the approaching blood cloud, she couldn’t help but look despondent. She was planting flowers in the valley just now, but a Strength Demon suddenly descended from the sky and harassed her before they got into a fight, so it was apparent what his motive was.
Still, Li Shi Qing was the Disciple of Flower Shadow Great Emperor, so although her personality appeared delicate and even a bit weak, she wouldn’t wait for death once the other party had made a move. There was no doubt that this Strength Demon was a High-Rank Demon King, but he too was restricted by the ambient World Principles and couldn’t use his full power, so he could only showcase the strength of a Demon General. Nevertheless, with his vast combat experience and superior physique, he was able to gain the upper hand against Li Shi Qing not long after they began fighting.
Hence, it was understandable how frustrated Li Shi Qing felt when a Blood Demon appeared out of nowhere. She decided that if there was really no way out for her, she would use the Flower Burying Secret Technique to kill herself so that she wouldn’t stain her Sect’s honour.
At the most critical moment, the blood cloud had already reached the battlefield while Huo Lun was still ten kilometres away. His Demon Qi could be seen swirling around the axes in his hands as he yelled and hastened his pace, wishing he could grow a pair of wings to propel him forward faster.
The beautiful woman was a good neighbour who had planted a lot of flowers in front of his house. No one had ever treated him so well before. When he saw the budding flowers a few days ago, he was truly touched. Certainly, he wouldn’t have the heart to see his neighbour suffer.
While he was grinding his teeth in frustration though, the blood cloud had already joined the battle.
“Huh?” Huo Lun exclaimed as he widened his eyes to stare forward in shock. That was because the blood cloud did not harm his neighbour and instead directly pounced on the Strength Demon.
Certainly, the Strength Demon had been alerted when he saw the blood cloud approaching; however, the blood cloud moved too swiftly for him to react. Blood Demons were the fastest in the entire Demon Realm, so before the Strength Demon could respond, he was hit by the blood cloud.
Following that, he was engulfed in the cloud, and then the noises of an intense battle could be heard.
The next moment, the blood cloud disappeared as a brave and heroic figure landed on a spot in front of Li Shi Qing. The towering figure seemed like a mountain, capable of weathering wind and rain for her. On the other hand, the Strength Demon was forced to step backwards as he looked coldly at the front.
Standing behind the Blood Demon, Li Shi Qing was startled as she found the figure was reminiscent of another she knew. In fact, if it weren’t because she was certain that he was a Blood Demon, she would have thought that Yang Kai had arrived.
However, only Blood Demons were able to use such Blood Secret Techniques, so the person in front of her was definitely not Yang Kai. Furthermore, Yang Kai was supposed to be busy devouring the continents in the Demon Realm, so he wouldn’t have the time to come here.
“Are you alright?” The man asked in a low, masculine voice.
Knowing that he was talking to her, Li Shi Qing nodded and replied gently, “I’m fine.”
At this moment, Huo Lun finally arrived. He appeared imposing with two axes that were half as tall as an ordinary Human. After landing on the ground, he took a look at the Blood Demon before shifting his attention to Li Shi Qing. Then, he asked, “Are you alright?”
Li Shi Qing shook her head and replied in a soft voice, “I’m fine.”
Huo Lun bowed his head, “That’s good.”
He then took a glance at the Blood Demon. Although he didn’t know who the Blood Demon was, he still nodded at him in a friendly manner to greet him.
There were rarely any righteous people in the Demon Race; nevertheless, beautiful women were born with some advantages. Huo Lun believed that it was her beauty that prompted this Blood Demon to save her. Whatever the case, the Blood Demon could at least be temporarily counted as an ally.
With three people going against one, there was no doubt about who would lose the battle since all of them could only use power equivalent to that of a Demon General. If the Strength Demon persisted, he would only embarrass himself. Hence, after darting his gaze between Huo Lun and the Blood Demon, he snorted and moved floated backwards.
“You want to leave just like this?” The Blood Demon sneered, “Where do you think this place is?”
After he finished speaking, a Blood Sea expanded and shot forward. In an instant, the lively and colourful valley seemed to have been dyed red.
Huo Lun could not have expected this to happen and now thought that there was some kind of blood feud between the Blood Demon and the Strength Demon. Otherwise, why would the Blood Demon stop him from leaving? It was apparent that the Strength Demon wasn’t easy to deal with, so it was good enough that they were able to force him to retreat. It would cross the line if the Blood Demon wanted to kill him.
While he was in his thoughts, the Blood Demon suddenly turned to look at him and asked, “Actually, where are we?”
Huo Lun had no idea about where they were now as this place had no name, but before he could collect himself and respond, a meek voice could be heard saying, “Myriad Flowers Valley.”
[This place is called Myriad Flowers Valley? Why didn’t I know?] Huo Lun was dumbfounded as he had never expected that his neighbour had actually named the trio of mountains. Regardless, he was fine with the name as it sounded pleasant enough.
So after a nod, he said, “That’s right. This is Myriad Flowers Valley!”
The Blood Demon then put on a sneer as his Demon Qi felt horrifying, “You’re only allowed to enter Myriad Flowers Valley, but not leave. Stay behind!”
[Why didn’t I know that there’s such a rule here when I’m the first resident of this place!?] Huo Lun’s brow twitched.
One hour later, the Blood Sea that had engulfed the entire Myriad Flowers Valley disappeared and revealed three figures. They were Li Shi Qing, Huo Lun, and the Blood Demon whom they had just met.
As for the burly Strength Demon, he had vanished completely. The outcome had already been predetermined when it became three against one. When traversing the Martial Dao, bloody battles were inevitable, and life or death could be determined in the blink of an eye.
It had to be said that the Strength Demon was truly powerful with extraordinary methods. If any of them were to have a one-on-one fight, none of these three were a match for him. After the battle, the Blood Demon and Huo Lun had some new wounds on their bodies. Li Shi Qing was fine, but her face had turned quite pale. Apparently, she had expended a lot of energy.
After the life-or-death battle, an invisible bond had been formed between the trio. Li Shi Qing thanked them because she was the reason behind this battle. Huo Lun and the Blood Demon had come to her rescue, so she had to properly thank them.
Upon hearing that she called him ‘Big Brother Huo’, Huo Lun felt somewhat awkward, but he was still happy and gladly accepted it.
The Blood Demon was a forthright person as he waved his hands and said, “You don’t have to thank me. I just cannot bear to see a man bullying a woman. If you really want to thank me, just give me some wine. Do you have any?”
“I do!” Li Shi Qing quickly nodded. Although she didn’t really drink, she had some self-made wine in her Space Ring that was brewed from flowers. The wine was aromatic and mellow. Since they had saved her life, she decided to invite them to her peak to express her gratitude.
While Huo Lun appeared hesitant, the Blood Demon agreed to it without having the intention to reject her.
Seeing as the other man was so forthright, Huo Lun thought he appeared a little petty; hence, he decided to go with them as well.
Atop the peak, a table and some chairs had been placed in front of the cabin. Li Shi Qing personally made some dishes and fished out a few jars of flower wine to serve her saviours.
There was no meat as the food was all made from various plants. Moreover, the dishes seemed to be made from strange flowers. Nevertheless, Li Shi Qing was skilful at cooking, so these flower dishes were able to get the Blood Demon and Huo Lun hooked. Huo Lun even kept complimenting her cooking skills.
After drinking for a while, Huo Lun and the Blood Demon had become tipsy. Li Shi Qing had drunk a few sips of the wine as well, so her blemish-free face had slightly reddened, which made her look even more attractive.
After the battle earlier, they could be considered friends, and with the help of the wine, they gradually became familiar with each other. Li Shi Qing and Huo Lun told the Blood Demon their names, then they stared at him.
The Blood Demon gulped down a mouthful of wine and said straightforwardly, “Mo Sheng!”
A shocked Huo Lun stood up straight and widened his eyes in disbelief, “Are you a Demon Saint?”
The Blood Demon guffawed as he seemed to have expected it. Then, he told Huo Lun it was just his name, after which the latter heaved a sigh of relief and sat down with a helpless smile. Nevertheless, he was still reeling from the shock.
Mo Sheng came from a continent that was under Bei Li Mo. Yang Kai had devoured all of Bei Li Mo’s territories, which was why those Demons had entered the Small Sealed World.
The name Mo Sheng sounded similar to that of one of the Demon Saints, so he was often mistaken for him when he introduced himself. Huo Lun wondered how this man had survived until this day. If he had such a name, he would have been killed by now.
“Sister Li, you’re not a Demon, right?” Mo Sheng took a sip of the wine and suddenly asked.
Huo Lun was about to drink some wine from his cup when he heard this, so he halted and turned to look at her. Previously, he didn’t notice what was special about his beautiful neighbour despite feeling that her name sounded somewhat exotic. However, during the battle earlier, he realised that she didn’t exude any Demon Qi, nor did she use Demon Qi to attack. The power she had showcased seemed to be that of those from the Star Boundary.
However, he had never been to Star Boundary, nor had he joined the Two Worlds’ Great War, so he couldn’t be certain.
On the other hand, Mo Sheng asked the question in his usual straightforward manner.
Li Shi Qing pressed her lips together and took a look at him. She realised that he seemed to have just randomly asked the question, and he appeared frank. Since he didn’t mean to pry, and it wasn’t a secret anyway, she nodded and replied, “I’m Human.”
“You’re Human?” Huo Lun was stunned as this beautiful neighbour was really from the Star Boundary, which was the only place where Humans existed.
Mo Sheng seemed to have expected it, so he didn’t appear surprised, “I’ve heard that Holy Venerable Yu Ru Meng has a Human subordinate called Yang Kai. He’s favoured by the Holy Venerable quite heavily. Do you know him?”
Li Shi Qing replied dispassionately, “I do.”
Mo Sheng seemed to be interested in finding more about Yang Kai, so he became energised and asked, “I’ve heard that he joined the battle on Eternal Sky Continent and seized the Great World’s Will from a Great Emperor. Is that true?”
“What battle on Eternal Sky Continent?” Huo Lun was puzzled. After the battle on Eternal Sky Continent, Yang Kai fled to Cloud Shadow Continent. On his way there, he captured Huo Lun and made use of him to pass through the Territory Gates, so the latter wasn’t aware of the incident.
“Brother Huo, do you not know about that great battle?” Mo Sheng looked at him with a stunned expression.
Huo Lun shook his head.
Mo Sheng then went on to tell him the details of the battle on Eternal Sky Continent. In fact, everything he knew was hearsay as he wasn’t there personally; however, the war had been a hot topic in the Demon Realm, so it was hard to believe that anyone wasn’t aware of it.
Huo Lun’s jaw almost dropped to the floor as he listened to this narration, and he kept gulping hard.
[The Great World’s Will… it is indeed incredible. I can’t believe that the person who created this world is so fortunate! It’s no wonder that I managed to pick up some stuff from a Half-Saint. It seems that the continent that was devoured back then was Eternal Sky Continent. The Half-Saint must have been killed by that Bright Moon Great Emperor. In other words, I’ve actually gotten some benefits from one of the Star Boundary’s Great Emperors.]
Upon finishing his story, Mo Sheng turned to look at Li Shi Qing and asked, “Both of you are Human. Does that mean that you’re close to him?”
Li Shi Qing fell silent for a moment before tucking her hair behind her ear. Then, she picked up a jar of wine to fill their cups and shook her head, “Not really.”
Seeing that she didn’t want to talk about this topic, Mo Sheng and Huo Lun didn’t dwell on it.
After the meal, Mo Sheng got to his feet and pointed at a peak, “Does that peak have an owner?”
Huo Lun shook his head, “No.”
Mo Sheng guffawed, “It has an owner from now on then.”
After he finished speaking, he picked up a jar of unfinished wine from the table before moving towards the previously ownerless peak.
Huo Lun burst into laughter, “Brother Mo is such a forthright man.”
Now, all three peaks of Myriad Flowers Valley had been occupied, which was a good thing. It would have been terrible news if Mo Sheng was a stranger, but a bond had been formed between the three of them after their recent battle. If they came across any danger in the future, they could help each other out. They were living in a dangerous world now after all. The new world had just been created, and people tended to be restless as all sorts of evil individuals had surfaced. It was a Strength Demon today, but it could be Corpse Demon or a Bone Demon tomorrow.
After Mo Sheng left, it wasn’t appropriate for Huo Lun to linger, so he thanked Li Shi Qing for her hospitality then turned around and left.
…..
Inside the turbid Void, Yang Kai and Chang Tian were standing alongside each other. In the distance, Gun-Gun’s gigantic figure seemed to have blocked out the Sun as it continuously devoured a continent.
Behind them, Bo Ya looked dazedly at Gun-Gun as she felt shaken to the core. It was the first time she was seeing Gun-Gun and witnessed how a continent was being gnawed at like a biscuit, which was why she was astonished.
“Go on!” Yang Kai could be heard saying. Bo Ya came to her senses and gave it a thought on how she should put it before she continued speaking, “After the battle, Li Shi Qing, Huo Lun, and that newcomer Mo Sheng stayed on the three peaks of Myriad Flowers Valley. They seem to be on good terms. They also seem to interact with each other frequently.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Have you found out where that Strength Demon came from?”
He still had a headache regarding Li Shi Qing’s matter. After she saw him killing Bright Moon Great Emperor on Eternal Sky Continent, her attitude towards him had changed completely, as though an irreconcilable feud had been formed between them. Previously, in the palace located in Cloud Shadow Continent, she had even attempted to kill him.
One month ago, he returned to Cloud Shadow Continent, and although she didn’t do anything foolish, she was constantly glaring at him with murderous intent.
Since Cloud Shadow Continent had been devoured, Li Shi Qing had to stay in the Small Sealed World. One day, Yang Kai learned that she had left where he had dropped her, but did not know where she went.
It would be difficult for any ordinary person to look for a particular individual in this vast Small Sealed World. Perhaps they could never find the person they were looking for even if they tried. Nevertheless, the Small Sealed World belonged to Yang Kai, so he was able to locate Li Shi Qing after scanning it with his Divine Sense.
Then, he sent Bo Ya to a location that was near Li Shi Qing and told her to protect the latter in secret. She had to report to him at any time should anything happen.
For this reason, he had given Bo Ya a Space Spirit Bead that contained his Space Principles. If she was in danger, she just had to break the bead and he would sense it.
When the incident in Myriad Flowers Valley happened, Bo Ya had seen everything clearly. Even without the help of Mo Sheng and Huo Lun, Bo Ya would certainly lend Li Shi Qing a hand in secret to deal with her attacker; therefore, she didn’t need to inform Yang Kai about it.
However, Huo Lun made a move, and Mo Sheng appeared out of nowhere, so it wasn’t necessary for Bo Ya to expose herself.
On this day, Yang Kai summoned her out of the Small Sealed World and asked her about Li Shi Qing’s recent activity. Naturally, Bo Ya had to tell him what had happened that day.
Upon hearing Yang Kai’s question, she replied, “Yes, but countless Demons from different continents have gathered in the Small Sealed World now, and they all come from very different backgrounds, so I haven’t found any solid leads.”
“What about that Blood Demon? That guy called Mo Sheng,” Yang Kai asked.
“He is indeed a Demon King from a continent under Bei Li Mo. He didn’t lie about that.” Bo Ya couldn’t find out the Strength Demon’s background because there were no leads; however, Mo Sheng had talked about his background, so it was easy to investigate him.
“Mo Sheng…” Yang Kai narrowed his eyes, “Do you think this is a coincidence or some kind of secret plot?”
Bo Ya fell silent for a moment before she replied, “I think this should be a coincidence. He looks like a nice guy with a forthright demeanour. I don’t think he’s a scheming person.”
Yang Kai nodded, “I hope so. Keep watch on them, especially that guy called Mo Sheng. Report to me should anything happen.”
Although Li Shi Qing was resentful of him now, Yang Kai couldn’t just ignore her. If anything happened to her in the Small Sealed World, he would have a hard time explaining himself to Flower Shadow Great Emperor.
“Yes,” Bo Ya replied with a serious expression.
Just when Yang Kai was about to put Bo Ya into the Small Sealed World and send her to a location near Myriad Flowers Valley, she suddenly said, “By the way, Mo Sheng has a figure similar to yours.”
Yang Kai was startled for a moment, but he didn’t reply to her. As Space Principles undulated, she disappeared from the spot.
“Trouble is coming,” Chang Tian, to the side, suddenly said. As he stared into the Void, he seemed able to see across space and observe what happened ten thousand kilometres away.
“Many thanks for the warning, Senior.” Yang Kai nodded. Trouble should have come earlier, so he wasn’t surprised.
It had taken him three months to devour Bei Li Mo’s territories, and he spent one more month doing the same to Yu Ru Meng’s continents. A long time had passed, and huge changes had happened to the Demon Realm, so it was impossible that the Demon Saints had failed to notice it.
Since they had noticed, they would definitely look into the matter. Hence, Yang Kai knew that after he started making a move, it wouldn’t take long before he would go into conflict with other Demon Saints.
Nevertheless, he was satisfied with the fact that he had had four months as a buffer. He had devoured half of Yu Ru Meng’s continents so far, so it would take him one more month to complete the task. By then, he could shift his attention to the territories of the other Demon Saints.
As for how much he could devour, it would depend on how the Demon Saints reacted.
“Be careful, and don’t get killed.” After Chang Tian finished speaking, he stepped forward. When he appeared again, he was already a hundred kilometres away. Then, he took another step and moved another hundred kilometres again. Step by step, he disappeared from Yang Kai’s sight.
After he was gone, Yang Kai circulated his Demon Qi to protect himself. At the same time, he activated his Demon Eye of Annihilation to check the surroundings.
He wasn’t sure how many Demon Saints were coming, but he was certain that there were only a small number of them. Perhaps there was only one. After all, Demon Saints valued their time, and many had been injured during the battle on Eternal Sky Continent. Most of them were supposed to be recuperating, so they wouldn’t move around without a specific purpose.
The Demon Saints who could sense something was wrong would be those whose territories were close to those of Bei Li Mo and Yu Ru Meng, and there were only a small number of them. They must be the ones who would be the first to notice the changes to these continents.
Amidst the Void, Chang Tian suddenly stopped in his tracks and looked ahead dispassionately. A long time later, he said, “Brother Zu, although your Stealth Technique is excellent, you can’t hide your aura in this chaotic place. I can even sense it from ten thousand kilometres away, so what’s the point of hiding?”
Right then, a figure suddenly appeared several dozen kilometres away from Chang Tian. The figure was so withered that it looked like a corpse, and he didn’t exude any vitality. Besides his skin that was as pale as a piece of white sheet, his face was hideous, and his teeth were sharp and jagged. He was none other than one of the Twelve Demon Saints of the Demon Realm, the leader of Corpse Demons, Zu Liao.
“Chang Tian…” Zu Liao, whose eyes looked like those of a dead fish, stared fixedly at the Demon Dragon. His eyes were mostly white, and his pupils looked like two needles, which gave off an eerie feeling. His voice was extremely hoarse, as though he hadn’t uttered a word for a long time and he asked, “Why are you here?”
Without answering his question, Chang Tian simply replied, “Why can’t this King be here?”
Zu Liao didn’t want to harp on the issue, so he looked around and asked, “What’s going on? What happened to Yu Ru Meng’s territory? Does it have something to do with that Human?”
Demon Saints weren’t fools. The person who was able to make so many continents disappear must possess very specific and incredible abilities. However, no one was able to do such a thing in the entire Demon Realm. As Zu Liao looked into the matter, he realised that there were signs which suggested that those continents had been devoured, with obvious traces of disruptions in the local space. It wasn’t until he came to this place and saw Gun-Gun that he understood the full truth behind the disappearance of those continents.
Intense Space Principle fluctuations were radiating around Gun-Gun and it was surrounded by many Void Cracks. Hence, Zu Liao could easily deduce that it had something to do with Yang Kai.
Faced with Chang Tian’s silence, Zu Liao attempted to curve his lips into a grin, but he couldn’t do it in the end. Anyone who saw him in such a state would feel anxious for him. His hoarse voice could be heard speaking once again, “It seems that you’ve joined forces with that Human. Chang Tian, I suggest that you stop going down the wrong path. Do you understand the consequences of going against this Saint?”
Chang Tian replied coldly, “I had a taste of it several tens of thousands of years ago.”
Zu Liao’s pupils expanded a little as he pointed ahead, “I have to deal with that boy. Stand aside.”
Without saying a word, Chang Tian extended his hand and summoned out a long black sword. Dragon Tooth Sword, a blade forged from Chang Tian’s own fang. It was extremely sharp and could cut through everything in the world, even Principles.
At this point, Chang Tian had made his stance clear.
Without the need to say anything else, Zu Liao howled as the Corpse Qi around him undulated. After he lifted his hand, three black coffins appeared in front of him. Following that, thudding sounds could be heard coming from the coffins as they were surrounded by a malevolent aura. It was as though some kind of evil creatures were about to break out of them in the next moment.
Before Zu Liao could make a move though, Chang Tian had pounced on him and slashed out with his sword. As his blade sliced through the air, his Demon Qi undulated and turned into a three-hundred-metre-long Black Dragon, one that seemed to leap across space as it struck.
Chang Tian decided to make the first move to gain the upper hand.
An unperturbed Zu Liao performed a hand seal as Demon Qi exuded from the coffins. Following three thudding sounds, the ferocious creatures broke free of their confines.
The three ferocious creatures looked up at the sky and howled as visible sound waves could be seen spreading from them. Then, they clashed with the approaching Black Dragon, causing the Heavens and Earth to seemingly shatter. The Lord of Hundred Spirits Continent and the leader of the Corpse Demon Clan had engaged in combat.
Besides the battle that was ignited because of the rise of Chang Tian several ten thousand years ago, the Demon Saints rarely had a chance to have a fight in the Demon Realm. The last time they got into a fight was during the battle on Eternal Sky Continent, but at that time, all the Demon Saints had joined forces to deal with Bright Moon Great Emperor, so it couldn’t be considered a true battle.
However, at this moment, Zu Liao and Chang Tian were having a one-on-one contest. In fact, it wasn’t the first time these two had battled against each other. They had done so several times all those years ago, and the end result was always a draw.
Several tens of thousands of years had passed, but the situation remained the same as neither side could overpower the other.
All of a sudden, Zu Liao sneered, “That boy is doomed either way.”
Chang Tian pushed out his sword and said impassively, “Is it Chi Yan, or perhaps Mo Kan? Maybe both of them have arrived.”
Zu Liao, Chi Yan, and Mo Kan were considered neighbours of Yu Ru Meng and Bei Li Mo. Hence, one of them would naturally be the first to notice what was going on with the continents. Since Zu Liao had shown up, it meant that one of the remaining two must be here as well; however, since the other person wasn’t around, he must have gone to deal with Yang Kai while Chang Tian was being held up.
Upon hearing that, Zu Liao was startled, “Aren’t you worried at all?”
Chang Tian replied, “Why should I be?”
Zu Liao’s pupils were as thin as needles, so they couldn’t constrict any more, thus he said through clenched teeth, “Impossible. We were certain Yu Ru Meng wasn’t beside him. Without the protection of a Demon Saint, he is doomed.”
Chang Tian retorted, “He won’t die.”
While they were locked in an intense battle, Yang Kai suddenly narrowed his eyes and stared fixedly at the space in front of him as he asked, “Which Holy Venerable has come? Why not show yourself?”
Space contorted and a violent flame appeared ten kilometres away, a figure standing within it. Although they were ten kilometres apart, the scorching heat still seemed able to vaporise the Demon Qi around Yang Kai’s body.
Flame Demon Clan’s Demon Saint, Chi Yan.
Yang Kai had seen all the Demon Saints during the battle on Eternal Sky Continent; moreover, Chi Yan had obvious characteristics, which was why he was able to recognise him immediately. Cupping his fist, he said, “Greetings, Holy Venerable Chi Yan.”
Chi Yan took a look at Yang Kai for a moment before shifting his attention to the humongous thing that was devouring the nearby continent. With his eyes burning with fury, he bellowed, “What are you doing!? Are you sick of living!?”
Yang Kai appeared puzzled, “Holy Venerable Chi Yan, what do you mean by that?”
Chi Yan sneered, “Are you going to tell me that this isn’t your doing?”
Yang Kai nodded and replied, “No. You’re right. I am responsible for this!”
“How dare you destroy the continents of the Demon Realm!” Chi Yan snarled as his voice seemed to contain the power to burn Souls, even causing some pain in Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea.
“Holy Venerable, please understand that I am left with no other choice, and am doing this for the future of the Demon Realm.” Yang Kai cupped his fist again in a polite manner.
The flame behind Chi Yan’s gaze flickered as he couldn’t conceal his shock. Although he hadn’t used all his power, a High-Rank Demon King wasn’t supposed to be able to bear his snarl. Yang Kai should have received a wound on his Soul just now, but the latter seemed totally fine, which was truly shocking.
How could a High-Rank Demon King have such incredible Soul cultivation? Could he possess an artifact that could protect his Soul?
Suppressing his doubt, Chi Yan snorted, “You’re doing this for the future of the Demon Realm? Shameless! Are you even a Demon? How dare you spout such nonsense!”
With a solemn expression, Yang Kai refuted, “It does not matter whether I am from the Demon Race or not.”
Chi Yan snorted, “It seems that Yu Ru Meng has wasted her time fighting for a chance for you to live. Now that you’re here asking for death, her effort will be for nought.”
Yang Kai shook his head, “Holy Venerable, you’re wrong. Holy Venerable Ru Meng has treated very me well, so I’ll definitely repay her favour. I’m doing this to save the Demon Realm and build a brighter future for all.” Without giving Chi Yan a chance to say anything, he went on to speak, “The Demon Realm is disintegrating, the Territory Gates are becoming unstable, and the continents are disappearing. Sooner or later, the Demon Realm will be destroyed. Now that I’m able to gather together all the separated continents and repair their World Principles, I certainly won’t be so selfish as to refuse.”
“You’re able to remould the Demon Realm?” The flames around Chi Yan surged, so it was apparent that his emotions were undulating. Upon taking a look at Gun-Gun, he asked, “Is that how you’re doing it?”
“Precisely.” Yang Kai nodded, “Otherwise, I wouldn’t have the power to make a scene in Holy Venerable Ru Meng’s territories. I’ve received her permission.”
“Where is Yu Ru Meng?” Chi Yan looked around.
“She isn’t here.” Yang Kai shook his head and then looked sincerely at Chi Yan, “Holy Venerable Chi Yan, I now ask you to lend me your assistance. This Junior swears that after he has completed his mission, he will give you twice what you have given as a reward.”
“Oh? How do you want me to assist you?” Chi Yan questioned grimly.
“By allowing me to devour all of your continents.”
Chi Yan fell silent and stared gloomily at him. Then, he leaned forward, and as his pressure swept over Yang Kai, he said dispassionately, “Say that again?”
With a sincere expression, Yang Kai repeated his words.
All of a sudden, Chi Yan started laughing as loudly as thunder, and the flame around his body weltered. A moment later, he abruptly stopped laughing and shot a glare at Yang Kai, “Your courage isn’t small.”
Yang Kai heaved a sigh, “It seems that Holy Venerable is not going to agree to it. What a shame.”
Chi Yan rebuked, “If the matter is just like what you’ve said, I can still achieve the same goal after I capture you.”
“So Holy Venerable is going to make a move against me?” Yang Kai stared calmly at him.
Feeling that something was off, Chi Yan looked around.
Yang Kai said, “Holy Venerable Ru Meng really isn’t around.”
Right after Yang Kai finished speaking, Chi Yan lifted his hand and summoned a flame rope that shot toward Yang Kai.
Right then, a curvy figure suddenly appeared in front of Yang Kai. The expression on her alluring face changed when she felt the power of the approaching flame. Then, she pushed her Demon Qi as a glacial aura expanded and turned into an ice mirror, which was placed in front of them. As fire and ice clashed, they offset one another as explosions echoed around the Void.
“Bastard!” Two people were heard growling at the same time. They were Bei Li Mo and Chi Yan.
At this moment, Bei Li Mo was completely incensed. She was inside the Small Sealed World when she felt an irresistible tug, which brought her to this place. Before she even recovered from her shock, she was faced with Chi Yan’s attack.
Ice and Fire had always been incompatible, so while Bei Li Mo loathed Yu Ru Meng, that was simply because they lived close to each other and had numerous disagreements built up over thousands of years. However, of all the Demon Saints, she hated Chi Yan the most.
Both Demon Saints were experts in opposing Principles, so they were each other’s nemeses. In other Demon Saints’ territories, Demons from different Clans could be seen mingling with one another. However, there wouldn’t be a single Flame Demon in Bei Li Mo’s territories, and there were no Snow Demons in Chi Yan’s territories.
Yang Kai summoning her to deal with Chi Yan at this point was basically pairing an equal match for his enemy.
Chi Yan cursed because he felt that he had been deceived by Yang Kai and became angry out of shame. Earlier, he had checked the surroundings and was certain there was no one else other than Yang Kai in this place. Therefore, he had never expected that Bei Li Mo would appear out of thin air.
Yang Kai shrugged, “Holy Venerable Ru Meng really isn’t here.”
Yu Ru Meng was still inside the Small Sealed World, so what he said was true.
“Bei Li Mo!” Chi Yan growled. At this moment, he wasn’t in the mood to get mad at Yang Kai anymore. Compared to Yang Kai, he didn’t understand why Bei Li Mo would side with their enemies, thus he spoke in a voice that was filled with disbelief, “Are you out of your mind?”
Without responding to him, Bei Li Mo flicked her arm as countless icicles appeared behind her. The icicles gleamed with a cold glare, and every one of them was several tens of meters long. Without the slightest pause, she pointed forward and shouted, “Go!”
Sounds of the air being broken through were heard as the icicles launched themselves at Chi Yan like a hailstorm.
Chi Yan pushed out both palms as countless fireballs shot forward. Every fireball dealt with one icicle respectively.
A moment later, the fireballs and icicles clashed with each other as mist could be seen billowing and sounds of explosions were continuously heard.
Before the attack was over, Bei Li Mo made another move. After performing a set of hand seals, she clasped her palms together while at the same time shouting, “Seal!”
A huge ice rock abruptly appeared in the Void, engulfing Chi Yan inside it. A large region was instantly frozen over, with Chi Yan as its centre.
However, the next moment, flames could be seen surging around his body. As the power of fire undulated, the mass of ice could be seen melting rapidly and in just a few breaths’ time, he managed to escape.
Bei Li Mo’s relentless moves had infuriated him. As he parted his lips and growled, a radius of eight hundred kilometres around them was engulfed in flames.
Yang Kai had already disappeared from his spot. When he reappeared, he was standing atop Gun-Gun’s back as he watched the battle attentively.
The continent in front of his eyes hadn’t been fully devoured yet, so despite the fact that he was confronted by a formidable enemy, he couldn’t give up at this point. He was determined to let Gun-Gun finish here.
Just like what he had expected, Chi Yan and another Demon Saint had arrived, but what about the last one?
Yang Kai wasn’t sure whether the last neighbouring Demon Saint had arrived, but whatever the case, he had to protect Gun-Gun. While he was standing on Gun-Gun’s back, he communicated with Yu Ru Meng, who was in the Small Sealed World, and they had agreed that she could be summoned at any moment to surprise their enemy.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai wasn’t worried, for he still had Yu Ru Meng with him. Even if one to two more Demon Saints came over, she would be able to deal with them for some time.
Unless three more Demon Saints showed up, no one could stop Gun-Gun from gobbling up this continent. With that said, two Demon Saints had already appeared, so it was impossible that three more would be coming.
Most of the Demon Saints were busy healing their wounds, so they wouldn’t gather up for no reason. Only these Demon Saints, who were in neighbouring territories, would come over after sensing that something was off.
In different parts of the Void, which were separated by a great distance, lights could be seen flickering continuously and violent energy waves spread around from time to time. Naturally, this was the fallout of the battles between these Demon Saints on both sides.
After a long time of waiting, Yang Kai still didn’t see the last Demon Saint coming. It seemed that only Chi Yan and the other one, who was battling against Chang Tian, had come over to look into the matter.
Nevertheless, he didn’t lower his guard down.
One day later, Gun-Gun finished devouring the continent, after which, Yang Kai put it away. As Space Principles undulated, he flickered and disappeared from where he stood.
When Yang Kai reappeared, he saw a Territory Gate nearby. Then, he waved his hand and released Yu Ru Meng. As their eyes met, he nodded and said, “Just do as wish.”
“How many of them have arrived?” Yu Ru Meng asked.
“Two. One of them is Chi Yan, and I’m not sure who the other is.”
Yu Ru Meng put on a smile, “It’s either Zu Liao or Mo Kan. Go, and be careful.”
“I know. You be careful as well.” Yang Kai gently squeezed her hand before he turned around and disappeared into the Territory Gate.
Yu Ru Meng turned around and gazed into the Void. As she darted her alluring eyes around and narrowed them, she soon took in the battlefields on both sides. Although the battle between Chang Tian and Zu Liao was intense, they were not at risk of losing their lives. Both of them held back; they knew they could not overpower each other in a one-on-one fight, so they didn’t even bother trying.
On the other hand, the icy Bei Li Mo and the fiery Chi Yan clashed with each other like salt thrown into a hot pan of oil. Their battle was extremely intense, and it seemed that both of them had already been slightly injured.
Watching the good show from afar, Yu Ru Meng seemed to be enjoying herself as she even started humming a song. Then, she counted to one hundred in her heart before she parted her lips and mouthed a word in silence. The word broke through space and directly reached Bei Li Mo’s ears.
Upon hearing her voice, Bei Li Mo pushed her Demon Qi madly. As her silver hair swayed with the wind, she said in a cold voice, “Grand Frost Domain!”
Right then, fine particles of frost manifested all around her. In an instant, a radius of ten thousand kilometres around where Bei Li Mo stood was frozen over, living up to the Secret Technique’s name.
With a grim expression, Chi Yan intensified the flames around his body to resist the chill as he remained unperturbed; however, what surprised him was that after Bei Li Mo used this Divine Ability, she simply snorted and turned around before quickly leaving this place.
Ten breaths later, Chi Yan broke the Divine Ability that had frozen a radius of ten thousand kilometres around him and stared off into the distance as Bei Li Mo fled, a frown on his face as his heart was filled with a sense of unease.
Then, he turned around and looked into the distance, only to see that the gigantic black object was nowhere to be found. Not just the monster though, the continent itself had disappeared.
“Not good!” Thinking of something, Chi Yan immediately forced out more of his Demon Qi and turned into a beam of light to chase after Bei Li Mo.
At the same time, Chang Tian, who was dealing with Zu Liao, guffawed and stopped attacking after a last move, “Zu Liao, you’ll never overpower me.”
Zu Liao snorted as the three ferocious creatures in front of him bared its fangs, as though they were trying to show support for their master.
“You also can’t overpower me.”
Chang Tian responded, “That’s right. We’re evenly matched, so it may take months or even years to decide a winner in this battle. So, why don’t we stop here?”
Zu Liao appeared vigilant. Although he didn’t know what Chang Tian’s intentions were, the latter’s move was very strange.
While he was in doubt, his expression suddenly changed as he turned to look in a different direction. The next moment, he bellowed, “Bei Li Mo!”
There was a beam of white light, which exuded Bei Li Mo’s aura, approaching from the distance. Naturally, he was familiar with the aura.
However, he didn’t understand why Bei Li Mo was here. According to his investigation, all of Bei Li Mo’s continents had disappeared, supposedly devoured by that gigantic black object. So, it was hard to tell whether she was a friend or foe at this moment.
With that doubt in mind, Zu Liao moved back a hundred kilometres to widen the gap between him and Chang Tian.
Soon, Bei Li Mo reached Chang Tian and stood beside him before nodding gently.
There was no room for Zu Liao’s pupils to contract anymore. There were injuries on Bei Li Mo’s body, which were apparently caused by Chi Yan. It seemed that while he was locked in battle with Chang Tian, Bei Li Mo and Chi Yan had gotten into a scuffle as well.
Hence, it was obvious which side Bei Li Mo was on.
While he was still lost in his own thoughts, Chang Tian suddenly bellowed, “Attack together!”
A flabbergasted Zu Liao subconsciously moved backwards at full speed. Even if he had to deal with two enemies at once, he would not be at risk of losing his life; however, he would definitely suffer. He wasn’t a fool, so he wouldn’t give them a chance to join forces and fight against him.
After he moved away for more than a thousand kilometres away though, he was shocked to see that after Chang Tian’s threatening roar, the latter didn’t make a move against him. Instead, Chang Tian and Bei Li Mo had turned around and flown off at full speed.
[A feint?! Shameless!] Zu Liao ground his teeth in resentment, but he didn’t dare to chase after them as he wasn’t sure what they were plotting.
Soon after, a beam of red light approached, after which Chi Yan appeared.
As their eyes met, Chi Yan asked, “Didn’t they deal with you?”
When he saw Bei Li Mo retreating just now, he thought that she was going to join forces with Chang Tian to suppress Zu Liao, which was why he hurriedly came over to assist his ally; however, he was surprised to see that they didn’t even seem to have fought. Instead, it appeared Chang Tian and Bei Li Mo had fled.
Zu Liao shook his head, “Something is off.”
Chi Yan scowled and fell silent for a moment. Suddenly thinking of something, however, he looked in the direction Chang Tian and Bei Li Mo had left as he exclaimed, “Not good!”
All Twelve Demon Saints in the Demon Realm had cultivated for more than ten thousand years, so they were all iron-willed individuals who wouldn’t even frown at the sight of a continent disintegrating; however, the leader of the Flame Demon Clan, Chi Yan, had just said ‘not good’ twice in just a short period of time.
The first time he said it, was because he was mistaken, but the second time he said it meant that things were truly going from bad to worse.
When he gazed at the Territory Gate in the distance, he recalled the sight of Yang Kai fleeing after the battle on Eternal Sky Continent.
At that time, Yang Kai had obtained the Great Emperor’s Opportunity and quickly escaped, after which all the Demon Saints chased after him. If it weren’t because the Territory Gate suddenly disappeared, given Yang Kai’s cultivation as a Second-Order Emperor at that time, he wouldn’t have been able to escape from their pursuit.
There was no way that the Territory Gate would disappear for no reason though. Even if it did, the process would be long and gradual. Since Yang Kai was able to repair Territory Gates, it was reasonable to assume he had come up with a way to seal them as well. That was the consensus the Demon Saints reached after they saw the Territory Gate vanish on that day.
This continent had collapsed into the Void, so if the Territory Gate was also sealed, this would become an extremely dangerous place to remain.
That realisation not only dawned upon Chi Yan, but also Zu Liao. Their expressions grim, the pair rushed over to the Territory Gate as they prayed that things were not like what they had imagined.
Unfortunately, their worst predictions soon became reality. As the two Demon Saints flew alongside each other, staring at the Territory Gate from afar, they realised that Bei Li Mo and Chang Tian were nowhere to be found. Only Yu Ru Meng was standing in front of the Territory Gate and looking smilingly at them with a derisive expression. Then, she parted her lips and sent her message across to the two Demon Saints, “Have fun!”
The expressions of Chi Yan and Zu Liao cramped as light burst from their bodies and their speed increased dramatically. They rushed with all haste over to the Territory Gate in utter fluster.
Upon finishing her words, Yu Ru Meng turned around and disappeared into the Territory Gate.
Zu Liao and Chi Yan were rapidly drawing closer as they could barely contain their anxiety. In just three breaths’ time, they would be able to pass through the gate and leave this place.
Three breaths later though, they indeed reached the Territory Gate, but right before they passed through it, it disappeared from their sight. They continued charging forward for more than several thousand kilometres before they were able to stabilise themselves.
Turning around, they realised that the entire world seemed to have turned into a chaotic nothingness. With dark expressions on their faces, they realised that they had fallen into the enemy’s trap. Yang Kai must have devised this plot a long time ago; otherwise, his plan wouldn’t have been so comprehensive if he didn’t have enough time to get prepared.
Both Demon Saints had come to this place together, and they had gotten trapped in the Void at the same time. It would take them some effort before they could leave this place and return to the Demon Realm.
Anyone else would be despondent in this kind of situation. Nevertheless, Chi Yan and Zu Liao were no ordinary people. As Demon Saints, they were confident they could escape from this mess.
Things had come to a point where it was pointless to complain about anything. The most important task for them was to return to the Demon Realm as quickly as possible. After trading glances, they didn’t need to say a word as they turned around and flew into the distance.
There was more than one Territory Gate connected to this continent. Since one of them had been sealed, they just had to look for other ways out; however, three days later, they returned to the same place and stopped.
After three days of searching, they were certain that all the Territory Gates in this continent had been sealed and there was no way out. They were not sure about the exact locations of the other gates, however, which was why they returned to this place.
After a moment of observation, Chi Yan pointed forward, “Is it here?”
Zu Liao shook his head, “It should be three hundred metres to the left.”
“Are you certain?” Chi Yan turned to look at him.
Zu Liao fell silent for a moment and replied honestly, “No…”
At that, Chi Yan was lost for words. After giving it a thought though, he simply said, “Let’s do it together.”
“Good.” Zu Liao nodded.
They then moved three hundred metres apart and stared solemnly at the Void in front of them, as though their arch nemesis was there.
As Chi Yan’s Demon Qi undulated, he was engulfed in a scorching aura. Following that, he pushed out his fist towards the Void. White flame could be seen swirling around his fist, as though it could even melt space.
On the other hand, Zu Liao’s move was undoubtedly much more subtle. He could be seen flicking all ten fingers as visible thin threads shot forward. What was eerie was that the Void seemed to have turned into a lake as the threads disappeared into it. After that, he surged his Demon Qi, and then nothing happened.
He retracted his hands and stood beside Chi Yan before saying, “You’re right.”
Without responding to him, Chi Yan kept punching at the void. His attacks were so forceful that even a continent would have broken apart. The Void in front of him could be seen disintegrating as cracks started appearing.
After ten or so punches, the Void really fell apart and revealed a giant swirling vortex. The aura of nihility coming from this vortex was even more turbid and violent than the place they stood. If they rushed into it, they might be lost in the Void Crack forever and unable to find their way back.
Things had come to a point that they had no other choice but to dive in though, regardless of how dangerous it might be. Nevertheless, they were not without any hope to find their way back, they simply had to take a big risk to do so.
After taking a deep breath, Chi Yan said, “Let’s go.”
Upon finishing his words, he took a step forward.
“Wait!” Zu Liao lifted his hand to stop him and pointed at Chi Yan. Just then, a white thread appeared from his finger and stopped in front of Chi Yan. The thread kept squirming as though it was a living creature. Seeing that, Chi Yan put on a disdainful expression.
“Heh…” Zu Liao laughed, “We don’t know how dangerous it is inside the crack, but something is off about this thing’s aura. With this Soul Connecting Thread, we won’t be separated.”
Without responding to him, Chi Yan curbed his flame a little and revealed a gap. The thread immediately penetrated his body through the gap and disappeared, after which, the two Demon Saints entered the Void Crack together.
Chi Yan, who stepped into it first, was immediately faced with violent turbulence, which almost swept him away. Fortunately, he was incredibly powerful, so he was able to quickly free himself from the current. If it had been a Demon King in his place, he would have lost his life on the spot.
Inside the crack, it was pitch dark, and there was nothing but endless turbulence and invisible storms. With the Soul Connecting Thread, the two wouldn’t be separated; however, since they stepped into this crack, they had lost their ability to tell time. Apart from that, they also couldn’t identify what direction they were moving, so they could only slowly step forward.
A long time later, Chi Yan suddenly stopped in his tracks and asked, “Can you feel the Ancestral Land’s aura?”
There were more than a hundred Clans in the Demon Realm, but there was only one Ancestral Land. It was an intangible place, so no one knew where it was; however, it was the origins of all Demons. The average Demon wouldn’t know this, but the Demon Saints each received the Ancestral Land’s blessing when they assumed their position.
This was the reason Chi Yan and Zu Liao had the courage to enter the Void Crack. They were unable to identify their direction, nor could they find a way out on their own; however, as long as they could sense the Ancestral Land’s aura and move towards it, they would be able to find their way back home eventually.
After Chi Yan finished speaking, he realised that no one replied to him. Upon realising the reason, he activated his Demon Qi and spoke to Zu Liao through Divine Sense transmission.
Zu Liao replied, “I can’t. What about you?”
Chi Yan uttered, “No.”
“Keep going, then.”
They had no choice but to keep moving forward. The Void Crack wasn’t a sealed jar. Since they were able to come in, there must be a way out. Nevertheless, they had to look for the right path.
Although they couldn’t sense it here, it didn’t mean they couldn’t feel it somewhere else. After they detected the Ancestral Land’s aura, they just had to follow it to look for the exit. It might take them three years, five years, or maybe even a hundred years, but was impossible for them to be stuck here forever.
While Chi Yan and Zu Liao were trapped in the Void Crack, Yang Kai hastened his speed to swallow Yu Ru Meng’s remaining continents. He had expected Chi Yan and Zu Liao to arrive long ago, and since he couldn’t stop them, he just had to take advantage of the situation and trap them. That was the outcome of his discussion with Yu Ru Meng and the others.
Although the three of them could gain the upper hand when dealing with Zu Liao and Chi Yan, it was extremely difficult to kill a Demon Saint. In the past, many had gathered on Eternal Sky Continent just to kill Bright Moon Great Emperor. There was no way Yang Kai was able to call on so many people.
Since he wasn’t able to kill them, Yang Kai reckoned that he could at least isolate them. By doing so, he could gain a longer buffer time. At the very least, it was enough to let him devour all of Yu Ru Meng’s continents.
At this moment, Yu Ru Meng was just standing beside Yang Kai. When she was asked how long Zu Liao and Chi Yan would take to escape from the Void, she replied, “The Ancestral Land is elusive and untraceable, but its presence can be felt everywhere. As long as they can find a trace of the Ancestral Land’s aura, it won’t be difficult for them to escape. If I were them, this would be the only solution I have.”
“Ancestral Land?” Yang Kai frowned upon hearing that.
Chang Tian also took a look at her curiously. He obtained a power that was equivalent to that of a Demon Saint thanks to bloodline inheritance, so he didn’t feel this so-called ‘Ancestral Land’s’ aura when he ascended to his position; therefore, he became curious upon hearing what she had said.
Yu Ru Meng explained, “A person can only become a Demon Saint by obtaining the Ancestral Land’s blessing.”
Upon hearing her explanation, Yang Kai could somewhat grasp it, “It’s just like the acknowledgement from the Star Boundary’s Will.”
“More or less.”
Yang Kai thought that it was such a shame. The place where Zu Liao and Chi Yan were trapped was still within the Demon Realm, which allowed them to have a chance to feel the Ancestral Land’s aura. If they were stuck in the Void Crack around the Star Boundary, they would never be able to escape unless they were extremely lucky to find a natural exit.
With that said, he had made use of a unique feature of the Demon Realm that was impossible to replicate in the Star Boundary. That was because Star Boundary didn’t have separate continents and Territory Gates like those in the Demon Realm.
“How long do you think they’ll take to get out?” Yang Kai asked again.
Yu Ru Meng replied with a smile, “It depends. I’ve never ventured into the Void before, so I don’t know what it’s like inside. In short, it depends on their luck. If they’re extremely fortunate, they might escape in just a few days. If they’re unlucky though, they might get stuck inside for several dozen or even a hundred years.”
Displeased with her, Bei Li Mo snorted, “What’s the point of such a vague answer?”
Time flew by and soon another month had passed. All of Yu Ru Meng’s continents had been devoured.
Without taking a break, Yang Kai headed to Chi Yan’s territory. Chi Yan and Zu Liao were still trapped inside the Void, so he wouldn’t let this chance of devouring Chi Yan’s continents slip through his fingers.
Besides, he had already set out to swallow up the entire Demon Realm.
After gulping down all of Yu Ru Meng’s territories, Gun-Gun had grown to over ten thousand kilometres wide, so it was literally a humongous object now. Once it was released, it would only take one day to devour a continent.
At the same time, transformative changes were happening in the Small Sealed World as the territory continuously expanded. The World Principles and World Energy became more abundant. The Principles were still not strong enough to allow a Dao Source Realm Master to be born in the Small Sealed World, but it wasn’t far off.
Yang Kai could feel that the condition would be met after he swallowed all of Chi Yan’s territories.
As time passed, Gun-Gun was able to consistently consume one continent a day. Although there were still some Half-Saints in Chi Yan’s continents, they were unable to derail Yang Kai’s plan as he had powerful allies now. Every time he arrived at a new continent, he would seal off all the Territory Gates first to cut off the connection between the continent and the outside world before he released Gun-Gun.
If any Half-Saints had the guts to stop him, Yu Ru Meng, Bei Li Mo, or Chang Tian would deal with them. Normally, they would be taken down in one strike and then tossed into the Small Sealed World.
There were more than ten Half-Saints that worked for Chi Yan. Excluding those that had been killed by Bright Moon Great Emperor and those that had been deployed to the Star Boundary, there were still six Half-Saints in Chi Yan’s territories. Without fail, they all stayed in their respective continents, and they were all defeated by Yang Kai.
While Chi Yan was still trapped in the Void, not only had he lost all his continents, but half of his Half-Saints had also been defeated and imprisoned. If he was able to get out of the Void and find out about it, his expression would truly be worth looking at.
Yang Kai understood that the more fuss he was making here, the more pressure would be lifted off the Star Boundary, which was why he spared no pains to do so.
However, he also knew that he would face a hurdle soon. It had been half a year since his plan to consume the entire Demon Realm commenced. Although the Demon Saints were still recuperating, they should have realised what was going on now. In the Demon Realm, besides Yu Ru Meng, Bei Li Mo, and the two that had been trapped in the Void, there were still eight Demon Saints. They didn’t have to go all out, just half of them would be able to halt Yang Kai’s steps.
In any case, Yang Kai didn’t intend to achieve his goal in one go. Swallowing the entire Demon Realm was a long and gradual process, and he was only getting started.
One month later, all of Chi Yan’s continents had been devoured.
Without stopping, Yang Kai and Chang Tian headed to Zu Liao’s territories and started kicking up Hell again.
Nevertheless, just like what Yang Kai had expected, it wasn’t possible for the commotion that he created and the disappearance of so many continents to go unnoticed. The Demon Saints finally started doing something. Half a month ago, Chang Tian could feel a Demon Saint’s aura from afar, but he had no idea who the person was as they were just observing from a faraway location without the intention of approaching.
Unfortunately, by the time Yang Kai sealed off all the Territory Gates to the continent, the Demon Saint had already disappeared. Hence, he couldn’t set the person up using the same trick as last time.
On the other hand, a continent was devoured in a day again. Yang Kai and Chang Tian were standing on Gun-Gun’s back. Compared to Gun-Gun’s humongous size, they were like two millets on the ocean, hardly noticeable at all.
Just when they were about to head to the next continent, Yang Kai’s expression changed suddenly. After dismissing Gun-Gun, he said with a frown, “Senior, wait here a moment.”
Chang Tian stopped in his tracks and turned to look at him. Surprisingly, Yang Kai directly tossed the Sealed World Bead at him. After Chang Tian took it, Yang Kai moved and disappeared from the spot.
Chang Tian was startled for a moment, but he soon realised that Yang Kai must have entered the Small Sealed World. At that instant, he was shocked as he wondered what had happened that caused the young man to enter the Small Sealed World in such a hurry. Apparently, it had something to do with what was going on in the Small Sealed World.
With the Sealed World Bead in his hand, Chang Tian appeared interested as he fiddled with it. Although he knew that Gun-Gun was transformed from this thing and that the bead was a truly amazing Artifact, it was the first time he came into close contact with it, so naturally he had to study it.
However, even though his cultivation was profound, he had not the slightest bit of knowledge of the Dao of Space. Hence, he was unable to grasp the wonders of the Sealed World Bead.
Meanwhile inside the Small Sealed World, Yang Kai appeared in the medicine garden and stared at the Embodiment. “What happened?”
He had heard the Embodiment calling out to him, which was why he came to this place.
Since Cloud Shadow Continent was devoured, the Embodiment had been staying in the medicine garden. At this moment, the two Wood Spirits were sitting on the Embodiment’s shoulders. Seeing Yang Kai, Mu Lu said anxiously, “Master, something serious is going on. The world is about to be assimilated!”
On the other side, Mu Zhu nodded repeatedly with a worried expression.
In fact, Mu Lu didn’t even need to mention it because after Yang Kai finished asking his question, he could already feel it.
Presently, the Small Sealed World was divided into three regions. Naturally, the first region was the Small Sealed World’s own territory.
The second region was the expanded territory after he devoured several Cultivation Stars in the Lower Star Field in the past. While he was in Grand Desolation Star Field, an idea had sprung into his mind as he activated the Heaven Devouring Battle Law through the Sealed World Bead, which was how Gun-Gun was born.
The third region was formed after the continents in the Demon Realm were consumed.
Yang Kai had always made sure that the three regions were separated, so they were not connected in any way.
In terms of World Principles and World Energy, the first region was the undisputed leader, especially where the medicine garden sat. The World Principles here were one par with those of the Star Boundary.
The World Principles in the second region were about the same as those of a Lower Star Field.
Initially, the third region had been the weakest in this regard; however, as time passed and with more continents devoured, it was now only second to the region where the medicine garden sat, much stronger than the second region.
In the third region, the World Principles had broken through the chains of the Dao Source Realm, which meant Demon Great Generals could now be born in it.
When Mu Lu talked about the assimilation of the world, she wasn’t talking about the first region, where the medicine garden was located. She was talking about the second region.
In terms of size, the second region was much smaller than the third region, and the World Principles were much weaker as well. In the past, Yang Kai had set up a barrier to separate the two regions, so things were still alright; however, after the most recent continent was devoured, the World Principles of the third region had achieved a breakthrough, which was why things began to turn south.
It was still fine in the first region, where the medicine garden was located. Although its size was the smallest, it was the steadiest because its World Principles were the strongest; however, the barrier between the second and third regions had been hugely impacted.
Yang Kai probed with his Divine Sense and realised that the barrier he had set up had become somewhat unstable, and once it collapsed, the third region would devour the second region.
He was the owner of the Sealed World Bead, so theoretically, he had total control over everything inside of it; however, the second and the third regions were formed after the Sealed World Bead was originally created and were not considered innate pieces of territory, which significantly reduced his control over them. Furthermore, both regions had their own World Principles. Unless one region could devour the other, there would never be peace.
If that really happened though, the people from those Cultivation Stars who lived in the second region would swiftly be contaminated by Demon Qi and undergo demonification. There were only a small number of Origin King Realm Masters in the second region, so how would they resist the World Principles from the Demon Realm?
Countless lives were at stake, and the Embodiment had noticed it, which was why he called out to Yang Kai to tell him to come have a look.
The third region was showing signs of consuming the second region. If Gun-Gun was allowed to go on devouring more continents and strengthen the Principles of the third region further, the second region would be assimilated into the third sooner or later.
Yang Kai had never expected that such a thing would happen, and upon understanding what was going in, he felt a headache coming on.
According to his plan, he would swallow up all of Zu Liao’s territories first. If there was a chance, he would go on to devour other Demon Saints’ continents. In short, he would devour as many as he could before anyone could stop him.
However, since such a thing had happened, he had to halt his plan. Before he settled the issue within the Small Sealed World, he couldn’t let the third region expand; otherwise, the second region would not be able to persevere.
Collecting himself, Yang Kai used the authority in the Small Sealed World to first strengthen the barrier between the regions before he said with a frown, “I understand now, and I’ll look for a solution. Keep watch on the situation and immediately inform me should anything happen.”
The Embodiment nodded solemnly before asking, “How are you going to solve it?”
Yang Kai replied honestly, “I don’t know yet, but there’s definitely a way.”
A moment later, he reappeared in the Void, after which Chang Tian returned the Sealed World Bead to him. Seeing the young man’s dark expression, he asked, “What happened?”
Yang Kai replied, “I’m afraid we have to stop devouring continents for now. Something has happened in the Small Sealed World.”
“Is it serious?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “Not really, but before the issue is resolved, we can’t go on consuming more continents.”
Chang Tian gave a nod. He and Yang Kai were basically on the same boat now, so they would share fortune or misfortune together; therefore, the problems facing the young man were his problems too, “Alright, I’ll let you handle it.”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “Don’t worry. I believe I have a solution.”
In just a short moment, he already had an idea of how to solve the problem.
“That’s good.”
“Let’s go!” Yang Kai said and then shot towards the nearest Territory Gate.
Soon, they dove into the gate and headed to the next continent.
As soon as Yang Kai managed to stabilise himself after arriving though, his expression changed dramatically. At the same time, Chang Tian took the young man’s arm and pulled him behind his back. Following that, he parted his lips and released a resounding Dragon Roar.
Blood lights could be seen coming at them, but they soon collapsed after coming into contact with the Dragon Roar.
A red figure rushed over as Xue Li’s red hair flapped in the air. As he grinned, an endless Blood Sea expanded as though it was going to engulf Chang Tian and Yang Kai inside it.
Seeing that, Chang Tian immediately retreated. Without moving a muscle, he shot backwards at a speed that was as fast as lightning, crossing a thousand kilometres in an instant.
Of the Twelve Demon Saints, Xue Li was the fastest. Although Chang Tian was swift, Xue Li was still able to follow him closely.
During the pursuit, the two top cultivators, one Demon Saint and the other a Master on par with a Demon Saint, got into an intense battle. As Demon Qi undulated, rumbling sounds could be heard as violent forces swept out.
Just then, Yang Kai, who was behind Chang Tian, felt a sense of crisis envelop him. Without even thinking, he lifted his hand and released both Yu Ru Meng and Bei Li Mo.
Ice Principles flared as a thick ice shell took shape and surrounded Yang Kai to protect him. Bei Li Mo’s reaction was incredibly swift. Although she had no idea what was going on, they had come to an agreement beforehand. If Yang Kai summoned her suddenly, he must be facing a formidable enemy.
Hence, as soon as she realised that she was no longer in the Small Sealed World, she immediately used a defensive Divine Ability. After the ice shell was formed, she vigilantly looked around and observed what was going on.
While she was making a move, Yu Ru Meng did not just stand idly by. Her eyes seemed to be blooming like two lotuses, which made her look extremely enchanting. The next moment, she exclaimed, “Wu Hua!”
Besides them, only Xue Li could be seen in the vicinity; however, with her Eye Technique, Yu Ru Meng was able to catch a glimpse of an almost invisible shadow sticking close to them. It was the leader of the Shadow Demon Clan, Wu Hua!
At this moment, an almost imperceptible darkness was quickly approaching Yang Kai, and with just one strike, the ice shell around him collapsed.
It wasn’t that Bei Li Mo was outmatched by Wu Hua, it was just that Wu Hua had exerted a great deal of force with his attack while Bei Li Mo had only hastily set up her shield. Earlier, she hadn’t even made out who her enemy was, so her Divine Ability wasn’t able to fend off the strike from the leader of Shadow Demons.
With a loud crash, the ice shell shattered into dust; however, the darkness didn’t stop as it reached for Yang Kai’s chest.
When a Shadow Demon made a move, they would always aim for a swift kill, it was the defining characteristic of this Clan. Even an ordinary Shadow Demon would do the same in a battle, to say nothing of the fact that Wu Hua was a Demon Saint.
Yu Ru Meng’s expression changed drastically. Although Yang Kai was fairly strong, he was still just a High-Rank Demon King, how could he fend off Wu Hua’s attack? She immediately lifted her hand, which became boneless like a snake as it coiled around the darkness. At the same time, she pushed out her other palm as her Demon Qi surged.
Nevertheless, she was shocked to realise that she couldn’t repel Wu Hua, which caused her face to turn ashen in an instant. At that moment, she could only watch as the darkness broke free of her restraint and struck for Yang Kai’s chest.
Right then, a high-pitched Dragon Roar was heard as a giant Golden Dragon head appeared behind Yang Kai and then disappeared into his back. Following that, his skin was immediately covered in a layer of thick Dragon Scales.
After he activated his Dragon Transformation, his defence increased significantly; however, he didn’t just wait for death. While he was using his Dragon Transformation Secret Art, he had also cast his Nihility Secret Art and exiled himself to the Void.
Nevertheless, Wu Hua was a Demon Saint, and he had already locked onto Yang Kai’s aura. Even though Yang Kai had hidden himself in the Void, he still couldn’t escape from Wu Hua’s attack. The fatal strike broke through space and struck its target in the next moment.
As a loud and unpleasant clang was heard, Yang Kai, who had just used Nihility, reappeared. After a grunt, his body shook as blood streamed out from the corner of his mouth. His face had turned even paler than that of Yu Ru Meng’s.
It wasn’t until this moment that what happened to Yang Kai’s chest could be seen clearly. A dagger had been stuck a palm’s length into his chest, breaking past his outer Dragon Scales with ease.
The dagger was almost transparent, so it was hardly noticeable if one wasn’t paying attention. It was the same case for Wu Hua, who was holding the dagger. His figure distorted and looked like he was made of water, so only his general shape could be seen. The darkness earlier was condensed from his murderous intent.
An enraged Yu Ru Meng screamed as her Spiritual Energy turned into a fatal strike that pierced towards Wu Hua.
On the other hand, Bei Li Mo pushed her Ice Principles as she thrust a finger at the watery figure. Her move didn’t seem as ferocious as Yu Ru Meng’s, and her attack looked somewhat nonchalant; however, no one would believe that the power of her finger was inferior to Yu Ru Meng’s Divine Ability.
How could Wu Hua dare take attacks from two Demon Saints at once? While they charged forward, Wu Hua also began retreating.
“Seal!” Yang Kai suddenly shouted, pushing his Space Principles as hard as he could to solidify the space around Wu Hua.
Unfortunately, he was unable to stop the Demon Saint from escaping as the restriction around Wu Hua was instantly broken through by the latter. Yu Ru Meng’s Soul Attack and Bei Li Mo’s finger both missed their target, and even Yang Kai’s Moon Blade which had been released at point blank range hit nothing but air.
Wu Hua was nowhere to be seen. A Shadow Demon would attempt to kill their enemy in one strike, and if they failed, they would immediately retreat.
A pleasantly surprised Yu Ru Meng turned around as her eyes were filled with tears.
Earlier, she thought that Yang Kai was doomed; after all, he was just a High-Rank Demon King. In a fit of rage and grief, she had expended a great deal of her Spiritual Energy in her last strike.
Nonetheless, she had never expected that Yang Kai was still alive!
Although Bei Li Mo’s ice shield failed to stop Wu Hua’s attack, it had offset some of the enemy’s force. On the other hand, Yu Ru Meng’s palm might have failed to hit Wu Hua, but it did force him to dodge, which further offset some of his force.
Then, Yang Kai’s combination of Dragon Scales, Nihility Secret Technique, and intrepid physique came into play. With five layers of protection in place, even Wu Hua wasn’t able to kill Yang Kai in one strike.
The invisible dagger was just a finger’s width away from Yang Kai’s heart, and although his life wasn’t at risk, the residual force from the blade had penetrated his body and damaged his meridians, causing him excruciating pain.
It could be said that he had been severely injured, and would need a good deal of time to recuperate. The incident earlier went to show how mighty a Demon Saint truly was.
Yang Kai had come into contact with some Demon Saints before, and had been pursued by a group of Demon Saints after the battle on Eternal Sky Continent. He had even planted a Soul Imprint inside Bei Li Mo’s Knowledge Sea. Nonetheless, it was the first time he experienced how formidable a Demon Saint’s strength was.
At this moment, he was still reeling from the impact, and he wasn’t even sure whether Wu Hua had used his full strength just now. If Wu Hua had increased his force by just a few percent, the consequences would have been dreadful.
However, Yang Kai didn’t have the time to fall into wild thoughts. Although Wu Hua had retreated, they were still in danger.
They were confronted by two Demon Saints right after they were finished devouring a continent. Apparently, the Demon Saints must have realised what they were up to and made some preparations. They were just waiting for Yang Kai to fall into their trap.
Xue Li’s attack was a diversion, with Wu Hua’s ambush being the main attack. Since two Demon Saints had shown up, what about the other six?
Bei Li Mo took a look at Yang Kai, and her gaze seemed to suggest that she thought it was such a shame that he was still alive after such an ambush. It seemed that it was really difficult to kill this man.
If Yang Kai lost his life, she wouldn’t have to be controlled by him anymore. Although she would be injured slightly and her continents would be lost, it wasn’t unacceptable.
Since Yang Kai was still alive though, she had no choice but to keep guard to the side. Suddenly, with a solemn expression, she said, “Someone is coming.”
The person must be a Demon Saint to make her feel so anxious.
It seemed that three Demon Saints had arrived. Xue Li and Wu Hua were just two of them. Although it wasn’t sure who the third one was, that person must have been waiting somewhere else, and it would take them some time to arrive.
At this moment, the other five Demon Saints, who were not in this continent, must have gotten word of what had transpired. If Xue Li could hold Chang Tian up, the other five Demon Saints would have ample time to rush over. When all eight Demon Saints arrived, even if they couldn’t kill Yu Ru Meng and the others, who were also Demon Saints, it wouldn’t be hard for them to end Yang Kai’s life.
“We need to leave, now!” Chang Tian shouted. As he spoke, he wielded his Dragon Tooth Sword as gigantic and powerful shock waves spread out.
In front of him was the Blood Sea where Xue Li had hidden. The endless Blood Sea separated and raced after Yang Kai and the others, as though it was determined to engulf them. Every sword wave was able to slash the Blood Sea into half, but the sea would soon recover.
Yang Kai took a deep breath and endured the pain in his chest, which felt like countless ants were gnawing at him, and shouted, “Wu Hua is still locked onto my aura, so I’m unable to break through the Void!”
Wu Hua was nowhere to be seen, but everyone knew that he was still hiding nearby. That was the reason it was difficult to deal with a Shadow Demon. Although they were powerful, they would never fight with their enemy head-on. They were despicable as they would always launch sneak attacks.
“Allow me!” Yu Ru Meng shouted as she parted her lips and puffed out a breath, which looked like pink mist.
The pink mist surrounded them and seemed unaffected by the wind. As the pink mist thickened, they seemed to have been engulfed in a pink world, unable to see anything else.
A moment later, Yu Ru Meng shut her mouth and staggered.
Earlier, she had used a Soul Divine Ability which contained a great deal of her Spiritual Energy. She had exerted most of her force with that strike alone, so she had become somewhat weak. After forcefully puffing out the pink breath, she was unable to support her weight anymore and fell into Yang Kai’s embrace.
Yang Kai immediately kept her inside the Small Sealed World and placed her in the medicine garden. Then, he communicated with the Embodiment and told him and the two Wood Spirits to help her recuperate.
After the pink mist took shape, the lock on Yang Kai’s aura was cut off, making Wu Hua lose track of him.
Each Demon Saint had their own unique abilities, so none of them was stronger or weaker than the others. Wu Hua was able to lock Yang Kai down, preventing him from escaping, but Yu Ru Meng also had a solution to cut off the connection. She was just countering the enemy’s move accordingly.
After the lock was broken, Yang Kai immediately extended his hand to place it on Chang Tian’s shoulder and took Bei Li Mo’s wrist with his other hand. The next moment, he communicated with a Space Beacon he had pre-placed, after which, all of them disappeared from the spot.
The pink mist was weltering in mid-air as Xue Li’s Blood Sea turned into blood waves and crashed into it. The pink mist could be seen diminishing rapidly. As Xue Li attacked the mist, he sneered, “Senior Brother Huang and the others will be here soon. Yu Ru Meng, Bei Li Mo, if you don’t want to die, get out now!”
As soon as he finished speaking, Wu Hua suddenly appeared beside him.
Xue Li immediately stopped attacking the pink mist and leapt away. Staring at Wu Hua with vigilance, he questioned, “What are you doing?”
Without saying a word, Wu Hua pointed in the particular direction where Yang Kai had fled to.
Xue Li couldn’t believe that Yang Kai had fled; however, he soon understood that it was because the latter was a Master of the Dao of Space. Although the technique Yu Ru Meng had just used wasn’t harmful in any way, it was able to cut off Wu Hua’s lock on Yang Kai. After that, Yang Kai was able to break through the Void.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai was too naive to think that he could flee by just leaping across space. After a sneer, Xue Li activated his Divine Sense, but he soon appeared shocked. That was because he couldn’t feel Yang Kai’s aura anywhere. With a cold expression, he asked, “How far have they gone?”
“Very far,” Wu Hua replied briefly. After a pause, he knitted his brows together, “He’s no longer on this continent.”
“Impossible!” A flabbergasted Xue Li almost suspected that Wu Hua was messing with him. Anyone who wished to leave this continent would have to pass through a Territory Gate, and the nearest gate was more than a hundred thousand kilometres away from here.
In other words, Yang Kai had moved over a hundred thousand kilometres in an instant, which was inconceivable. If he was so proficient in the Dao of Space, no one in this world would be able to kill him.
However, he had to believe Wu Hua, who was the leader of the Shadow Demons. When Wu Hua targeted someone, he could feel the other party’s aura no matter how far the latter had gone. Since he said that Yang Kai was no longer on this continent, it must be the case.
[That rotten brat!] Xue Li was so exasperated that his face twisted in anger. He had never expected that even two Demon Saints working together would be unable to capture a mere boy. If he knew this would be the outcome, he would’ve taken him down when the latter was still walking around the Demon Realm in the past.
Just then, a swirl appeared on the ground as a figure slowly emerged. As dust rose in the air, the figure swiftly solidified. He was the leader of the Sand Demons, You Qiu!
After taking a look at both Xue Li and Wu Hua, he asked with a frown, “Where are they?”
“They fled,” Xue Li replied.
You Qiu was stunned, as Xue Li and Wu Hua had joined forces, and even Huang Wu Ji would have a headache if confronted by them; however, Yang Kai had managed to escape from them. After a moment of silence, he asked, “Did you see Zu Liao or Chi Yan?”
In response, Xue Li shook his head.
Both of them were also Demon Saints, but they had gone missing for about a month. Chi Yan’s continents had all disappeared while only half of Zu Liao’s continents were left. No one knew what had happened to them.
“However, we’re certain that Chang Tian, Yu Ru Meng, and Bei Li Mo have betrayed the Demon Realm!” Xue Li said through clenched teeth.
You Qiu’s pupils contracted when he heard that.
It wasn’t surprising that Chang Tian would betray them as he had always been on bad terms with the Demon Saints; however, it was truly shocking that Yu Ru Meng and Bei Li Mo had also turned against the Demon Realm. Hence, it was no wonder that Xue Li and Wu Hua were unable to capture Yang Kai as the three of them would surely have been difficult to deal with.
“Have Zu Liao and Chi Yan also…” You Qiu frowned.
“Who knows?” Xue Li spread his palms. He didn’t understand the reason behind Yu Ru Meng and Bei Li Mo’s betrayal, as there were no signs of it before this incident.
“We should pursue them,” Wu Hua suddenly said.
It was pointless to say anything else. As long as they could catch the traitors, the truth would be revealed.
…..
In the sky, Chang Tian and Bei Li Mo were supporting Yang Kai’s weight on both sides as they flew forward.
Wu Hua’s strike had caused Yang Kai to be severely injured. All his organs seemed to have been shifted, and his meridians felt excruciatingly painful. The murderous intent of the Shadow Demon Saint seemed to have turned into countless needles that continuously tortured him. He had spent his last bit of his energy communicating with the Space Beacon just now, so he had no more energy left to use his Space Secret Techniques. Therefore, he could only let Chang Tian and Bei Li Mo lug him along.
“Where are we going?” Chang Tian asked.
Although they were safe for now, they were being chased by the Demon Saints. Wherever they went, they would never be able to get rid of them.
“Two worlds’ passage!” Yang Kai already had a plan in his mind, so he immediately replied to Chang Tian after the latter asked him the question.
Upon hearing that, Chang Tian knitted his eyebrows together, “Are you going back to the Star Boundary?”
Yang Kai nodded his head. Just when he was about to explain his intentions, he realised that he didn’t have any strength to speak anymore. Left with no choice, he closed his eyes and started adjusting his breathing.
He didn’t dare to enter the Sealed World Bead. As long as he remained outside, he would still be able to activate a Space Beacon to flee at the most critical moment once he regained some energy. If he wasn’t around, Chang Tian and Bei Li Mo would be doomed should they be confronted by a superior number of enemies.
Bei Li Mo turned to look at Chang Tian, who also happened to stare at her. A tinge of hesitation could be seen flashing across their eyes. Yang Kai was originally from the Star Boundary, so it was totally fine for him to go back. However, one of them was a Demon Dragon, while the other was a Demon Saint, so it was inappropriate for them to follow Yang Kai to the Star Boundary. After all, the two Great Worlds were currently at war. They might be willing to believe Yang Kai, but they were worried that the Great Emperors from the Star Boundary would use this opportunity to deal with them.
With that said, they really had nowhere else to go apart from two worlds’ passage. Their own territories had been devoured by the Small Sealed World, and it wasn’t possible for them to go to the territories of other Demon Saints. Basically, they had no other choice.
They went on to charge forward at the speed of lightning. Naturally, Chang Tian and Bei Li Mo were swift, and other than Demon Saints, no one barred their path.
After passing through countless Territory Gates and continents for half a month, they arrived at a strangely tiny continent.
Rather than being a continent, it was more like an island that was floating in the Void. Compared to other continents, this one was really too small as it only had a land area of a hundred thousand square kilometres or so. Hovering in mid-air, they were able to take in the entire continent.
No Demon Saint owned such a tiny continent; however, millions of Demons had been stationed in this small place. These Demons had come from all directions to gather on this continent, from each of the Demon Saints’ territories. The reason they were here was to prepare to pass through the dark corridor that led to the Star Boundary at any moment.
This was the hub in the Demon Realm where they gathered together before heading to the Star Boundary.
Although this continent was small, it actually had thirteen Territory Gates, each one connected to a different continent in the Demon Realm to allow these Demon soldiers to martial here as quickly as possible.
Yang Kai had been here before. At that time, Yu Ru Meng led him to pass through the two worlds’ passage and arrived at this place from the Star Boundary. His journey to learn more about the Demon Realm began here.
However, presently, the continent appeared different from the time when Yang Kai saw it for the first time. The entire continent had been fragmented. It was originally a complete piece of land, but at this moment, it had broken into many islands, as though it had been struck by some powerful Divine Ability.
Even though Yang Kai was injured, he hadn’t lost his senses, so he knew they had arrived soon after they had passed through the Territory Gate. When he opened his eyes and saw what had happened to the continent, he appeared doubtful.
Bei Li Mo seemed to have seen through his thoughts and explained, “It’s Iron Blood Great Emperor’s doing.”
It was then that Yang Kai understood the reason behind this scene.
After Bright Moon lost his life in the battle on Eternal Sky Continent, a strange natural phenomenon happened in the Star Boundary’s sky. The Great Emperors saw it and understood what had happened. Yang Kai heard from Yu Ru Meng that Iron Blood Great Emperor Zhan Wu Hen had become enraged and stormed into the Two Worlds’ passage on his own. He had managed to kill countless Demons, as well as a few Half-Saints.
He must be the one who had caused this continent to break into so many islands.
Given enough time, Zhan Wu Hen had the capability to break the continent apart and make it vanish; however, at that time, Night Shadow Great Emperor Can Ye had rushed back to this place, and Iron Blood had no choice but to retreat. It wasn’t that he was afraid of Can Ye, but it was pointless to destroy the continent because the Two Worlds’ passage wouldn’t be destroyed along with it. The Star Boundary and the Demon Realm would remain connected.
Since he was done with all the killing, Zhan Wu Hen simply retreated without a fight.
“That’s the Two Worlds’ passage.” Chang Tian pointed at the front.
Certainly, Yang Kai recognized the huge dark corridor. The Demons would go from this place and pass through it to enter the Western Territory in the Star Boundary, after which they would begin raising havoc.
“Are we going now?” Chang Tian asked.
Yang Kai shook his head and turned to look at the side.
Although he had recuperated for half a month by consuming a lot of Pills, his face was still ashen. It was no laughing matter to be injured by a Demon Saint. If he didn’t treat his injury properly, he would be left with some irreversible damage to his body.
Bei Li Mo followed his gaze as her eyes brightened. After a nod, she said, “Are you going to seal off the Territory Gates? That’s a good idea.”
The Demon Realm and the Star Boundary were connected by the two worlds’ passage, and the entrance on the Demon Realm’s side was on this continent. As long as they could seal off all the Territory Gates to this continent, they would cut off the support from the other Demons.
After half a month of fleeing, Bei Li Mo had come to the realisation that she and Yang Kai were now on the same ship, so she wanted nothing more than for him to succeed. By cutting off the connection between the two Great Worlds, the Demon Saints wouldn’t be able to chase after them for a while.
On the other hand, Chang Tian scowled with a worried expression.
Knowing what was on his mind, Yang Kai said with difficulty, “It’s only temporary. I have to settle the problem inside the Small Sealed World before I can devour the rest of the Demon Realm. Senior, don’t worry. I’ll not go back on my word.”
Chang Tian had mentioned to Yang Kai that he wanted a territory that was ten times larger than Hundred Spirits Continent. Now, he had secured the territory, but the World Principles inside it left much to be desired, so it was pointless to stop now. He wouldn’t let the people of Hundred Spirits Continent live in a place where the Principles at most, allowed Demon Great Generals to be born. It would be too uncomfortable for them.
If Yang Kai stopped right now, Chang Tian’s previous effort would all go to waste. Upon hearing Yang Kai’s promise though, Chang Tian had no choice but to nod his head. Presently, his Hundred Spirits Continent had vanished, so he had no other choice but to fully support Yang Kai.
Then, Yang Kai urged them by saying, “We have to be quick. They might reach us soon.”
Hesitating no more, Chang Tian and Bei Li Mo brought Yang Kai to the nearest Territory Gate.
Many Demons noticed them as soon as they arrived on the continent. After all, there were many Demon Kings around, and even some Half-Saints had been stationed here.
Right then, a Half-Saint quickly shot into the air and flew towards the Territory Gate. After taking a look at Bei Li Mo and Chang Tian, he appeared doubtful. As a Half-Saint, he certainly could recognise the leader of the Snow Demon Clan and the Lord of Hundred Spirits Continent.
However, he didn’t understand why the two of them had mingled with each other. As for the young man… If he wasn’t mistaken, he was the one who had obtained the Great Emperor’s Opportunity on Eternal Sky Continent.
The Half-Saint had joined the battle on Eternal Sky Continent as well, so he was familiar with Yang Kai. It could be said that all the Half-Saints in the Demon Realm knew who Yang Kai was.
Hovering in mid-air, the Half-Saint cupped his fists and said, “Greetings, Holy Venerable Bei Li Mo, Sir.”
Although Chang Tian was as powerful as any Demon Saint, he wasn’t a Demon Saint in the end; hence, the Half-Saints would only refer to him as ‘Sir’. Nevertheless, they normally wouldn’t see Chang Tian as the latter hadn’t stepped out of Hundred Spirits Continent for the past several thousand years. It wasn’t until the battle on Eternal Sky Continent that he showed up again.
After greeting them, the Half-Saint put on a doubtful expression, “Holy Venerable, why are you here?”
Without responding to him, Chang Tian and Bei Li Mo traded glances. All of a sudden, Chang Tian reached out his hand towards the Half-Saint, whose expression changed drastically as he hurriedly pushed his Demon Qi and tried to move backwards. However, he wasn’t able to retreat, and he realised that he couldn’t use his Demon Qi anymore.
In the blink of an eye, Chang Tian had managed to clench the Half-Saint’s neck and lift him a little, like he had grabbed a helpless chicken.
“Sir, what are you doing?” The Half-Saint asked with shock as he widened his eyes.
He wasn’t aware of what had happened in the Demon Realm, so he hadn’t expected that Chang Tian would make a move on him all of a sudden. Although Hundred Spirits Continent had always seemed out of place in the Demon Realm, and Chang Tian and the other Demon Saints were on bad terms, they had still coexisted peacefully.
The fact that Chang Tian was making a move here suggested that he was about to wage war against the other Demon Saints, but why was Bei Li Mo here as well then?
Ignoring the Half-Saint, Chang Tian sealed off his cultivation and passed him to Yang Kai.
Understanding his intention, Yang Kai put the Half-Saint inside the Small Sealed World. There were many Half-Saints in the Small Sealed World anyway, and he had previously captured some Half-Saints that worked under Chi Yan and Zu Liao; hence, it wouldn’t matter if one more was added.
Just then, two figures could be seen approaching them from below. They were the other Half-Saints that had been stationed here to coordinate the armies, but upon witnessing what just happened from afar, they were both flabbergasted. Then, they stopped, turned around, and disappeared into the crowd.
Although they didn’t know what had happened, they were certain that their colleague was captured by Chang Tian and had then mysteriously vanished. It would be akin to courting death if they still stepped forward. Looking up, they realised that Yang Kai had extended his hand and spread his palm at the Territory Gate.
Visible ripples could be seen spreading around as the Territory Gate became vaguer by the breath until it turned completely transparent.
If Yang Kai was still in peak condition, he would be able to seal off a Territory Gate in just one breath. Now that he had been injured, he had to spend more effort than usual. As Space Principles undulated, the Territory Gate slowly disappeared. Half a cup of tea’s time later, the Territory Gate vanished completely.
Without stopping, they headed to the next Territory Gate. It took the same amount of time for Yang Kai to seal off the second Territory Gate, though the colour had drained from his face and his past half-a-month recuperation had been completely negated. In fact, his injuries had become worse than before.
However, he had no choice but to keep going despite it being increasingly difficult to achieve his goal. There were thirteen Territory Gates on this continent, and if just one was left unsealed, it would render all his previous efforts worthless.
Fortunately, they had managed to gain quite a lead on their enemies, which should allow them time to seal off all the Territory Gates before the Demon Saints reached them. As time passed, more and more Territory Gates disappeared.
One hour later, ten out of thirteen Territory Gates had vanished. The Demons down below were now all looking up at what was going on in shock; after all, apart from a small number of Demon Kings and Half-Saints, most ordinary Demons had never imagined that someone was able to make Territory Gates disappear.
Just then, Chang Tian and Bei Li Mo suddenly turned around and looked in a particular direction. It was the Void where the two worlds’ passage was located.
Yang Kai had noticed it as well. Without the need to ask any question, he knew what was going on.
The two worlds’ passage was extremely important, so Night Shadow Great Emperor had always kept watch over this place. After such a serious incident happened, there was no way the two Half-Saints, who had retreated earlier, wouldn’t inform Can Ye.
Upon learning the news, Can Ye immediately rushed over.
As Bei Li Mo and Chang Tian stared at the huge black tunnel, a figure suddenly appeared in front of it. The person was engulfed in black Qi, and it was difficult to make out his face or even body shape. It was impossible to tell his gender by just looking at his figure.
Night Shadow Great Emperor Can Ye was the most mysterious among the ten Great Emperors of the Star Boundary. The other Great Emperors didn’t even know whether Can Ye was a man or a woman.
In the past, they just thought that it was Night Shadow’s temperament and Secret Art that caused him to remain mysterious; after all, most people who cultivated assassination skills always tried to remain anonymous and inconspicuous.
However, they then learned that Night Shadow had bloodline relations to the Demon Race, which was why he wouldn’t come into contact with other Great Emperors so that his secret wouldn’t be exposed.
After so many years, Night Shadow was still constantly surrounded by black Qi that obscured his figure and face. Nevertheless, both Chang Tian and Bei Li Mo were able to clearly sense the sharp gaze behind that black Qi.
Chang Tian just flashed a smile at Night Shadow Great Emperor without uttering a word.
Supposedly, Can Ye still wasn’t aware of what had happened in the Demon Realm; otherwise, he would’ve been prepared ahead of time. However, what Yang Kai and the others were doing was now suspicious, which was why Can Ye was able to tell that they were enemies.
As Can Ye watched Yang Kai sealing off the eleventh Territory Gate, he didn’t make a move. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to stop him, but he was unable to do so.
Can Ye was only one person, so he was unable to confront Bei Li Mo and Chang Tian. Furthermore, Yang Kai had also released Yu Ru Meng. Previously, she had expended most of her Spiritual Energy, which was why she had become somewhat weak. After recuperating for half a month though, even though she hadn’t restored all of her strength yet, she was in a better state than Yang Kai.
Basically, it was three against one. Can Ye wasn’t a fool, so he wouldn’t embarrass himself.
Twelfth Territory Gate, thirteenth Territory Gate… Soon all the Territory Gates had been sealed off, yet Can Ye still hadn’t made a move.
Yang Kai let out a long breath as he finally managed to seal off all the Territory Gates before the Demon Saints reached them. Since that was the case, he had eliminated the biggest potential danger. With his mind at ease, he sprayed out a mouthful of blood and fell into Yu Ru Meng’s embrace before he said gently to her, “We need to head to the Star Boundary.”
Using his last bit of energy, he disappeared into the Small Sealed World and fell into the medicine garden before passing out. That was because he had expended most of his energy and had aggravated his previous injuries.
With the Sealed World Bead in hand, Yu Ru Meng slipped it into a pocket that was close to her chest before she turned to look at the two worlds’ passage, only to see that Can Ye had disappeared.
“He fled,” Chang Tian snorted. Before the last Territory Gate was sealed off, Can Ye had disappeared from the spot. Certainly, he knew that he would be confronted by the equivalent of three Saints if he didn’t flee. There was no way he would do such a foolish thing.
After taking a look at both Yu Ru Meng and Chang Tian, Bei Li Mo asked, “What should we do now? Are we really going to the Star Boundary?”
She was somewhat worried. The Star Boundary wasn’t like the Demon Realm. No one knew what would happen to them if they went over.
While Chang Tian fell silent, Yu Ru Meng replied in a steadfast manner, “I don’t care what both of you think. Since my husband has told me to go to the Star Boundary, I’m going to do just that.”
After she finished speaking, she directly charged towards the entrance of the passage, the huge Void Corridor.
“Husband…” The corners of Bei Li Mo’s brow twitched as she stared at Yu Ru Meng’s figure. It had never crossed her mind that a Demon Saint would call a man ‘Husband’. Was Yang Kai really such a fine man? Not only had Yu Ru Meng lost her innocence to him, but she had also fallen head over heels for him.
“Let’s go.” Chang Tian heaved a sigh. There was nowhere else they could stay in the Demon Realm. Apart from placing their hopes on Yang Kai, they had no other choice.
Soon, the three of them gathered together and rushed into the huge Void Corridor as they moved forward.
Although they were inside a Void Corridor, they were still positioned in a triangle as they were wary of Can Ye. Despite the fact that Can Ye had retreated, no one knew whether he would be hiding somewhere nearby. He had the blood of a Shadow Demon in him and was a Great Emperor of the Star Boundary, so it was naturally difficult to deal with him.
Fortunately, even after they saw the light at the end of the passage, Can Ye was nowhere to be found. The light became brighter as they got closer to the exit.
Soon, the trio stepped out of the Void Corridor and arrived at a desert in the Western Territory. In front of them was the base of the Demon Realm army, where powerful auras could be felt everywhere. Although there were no Demon Saints here, there were a lot of Half-Saints.
Sensing the three’s grand auras appear, more than ten figures shot out of the base, but when these Half-Saints arrived, they realised that no one could be seen. Hence, they traded glances in puzzlement.
Inside the Small Sealed World, Yang Kai was lying on the ground in the medicine garden. Mu Zhu was seated beside Yang Kai’s head, while Mu Lu was seated beside his feet. Both of them performed hand seals as Yang Kai was engulfed in green light.
In fact, it wasn’t the first time such an incident happened. Previously, Yang Kai did the same after his battle with Yin Si. It hadn’t even been two years since that fight, but he had to come to the medicine garden with a battered body again, requiring their treatment.
With a cold expression, Mu Zhu muttered in frustration. No one would be pleased with a man who didn’t even treasure his own life. Although the Embodiment had explained to them that it was an unexpected event and that Yang Kai was injured by the leader of the Shadow Demon Clan, Mu Zhu was still incensed.
Since Mu Zhu was blowing her top, the usually gentle Mu Lu had to play along with her.
Certainly, the Embodiment had to put in a good word for Yang Kai as he kept persuading the two Wood Spirits until they no longer appeared so grim.
More than ten days later, Yang Kai slowly opened his eyes. In fact, he had awakened earlier as although he was injured by a Demon Saint, it wasn’t as severe as his previous battle with Yin Si where he had risked his life in an attempt to kill him. Despite the fact that he had awakened, he still had to heal his injuries, so he simply began cooperating with the Wood Spirits’ to increase his recovery rate.
When he sat up and saw Mu Zhu hovering in front of him, he flashed a smile at her, but before he managed to thank her, she snorted and turned away.
She had decided to ignore him, but she didn’t stop what she was doing as Yang Kai was still engulfed in the green light.
Yang Kai scratched his cheek before turning to look at Mu Lu.
Mu Lu hesitated for a bit, but when she saw her big sister glaring at her, she quickly snorted and jerked her head to the side as well.
Appearing to be puzzled, Yang Kai batted his eyes. Then, he spoke to the Embodiment via Divine Sense and soon understood what happened. After that, he balled up his fist and coughed into it before saying, “There’s some good news. Do you want to hear them?”
Mu Lu immediately turned to look at him with widened eyes as she was curious.
“We’re back in the Star Boundary,” Yang Kai looked smilingly at her.
Mu Lu was startled for a moment before she became elated, “Are you serious? Are we really back in Star Boundary?”
No longer incensed, Mu Zhu gazed at Yang Kai and asked, “Have we really returned to Star Boundary?”
They had always stayed in the Small Sealed World, but since Yang Kai was in the Demon Realm, it meant that they were in the same place as well. Hence, upon learning that they were back in the Star Boundary, they could barely contain their excitement.
Upon making sure that Yang Kai had really returned to the Star Boundary, Mu Zhu put on a milder expression while an elated Mu Lu cheered. Yang Kai extended his hand and stroked Mu Lu’s head, “Thank you for all your hard work.”
In an instant, Mu Lu narrowed her eyes as she seemed to be enjoying his touch. On the side, Mu Zhu heaved a sigh, “Although you’re our Master, we’re actually much older than you are. So, stop treating us like children… What are you doing?”
Yang Kai stroked her head with his other hand, “Thanks for your help too.”
At that instant, Mu Zhu fell silent. With his legs crossed, Yang Kai adjusted his breathing for a while before leaving the Small Sealed World.
When he appeared, three people could be seen turning to look at him. They were Yu Ru Meng, Bei Li Mo, and Chang Tian. Seeing him, Yu Ru Meng quickly asked, “Are you alright?”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “I’m fine.”
A worried Yu Ru Meng directly took his hand and infused some of her Demon Qi into his body to check on his condition. Upon making sure that he was indeed alright, she finally relaxed. To the side, Bei Li Mo sneered, “It seems that it’s really hard to get you killed, but you will not always be this lucky. Be careful next time.”
In a good mood, Yang Kai nodded and took a deep breath. He was finally back in the Star Boundary. It had been five years since he ‘betrayed’ the Star Boundary and followed Yu Ru Meng to the Demon Realm. The war between the two worlds had been ongoing for five years as well, and countless people had lost their lives on both sides; however, judging from the current state of affairs, the war was just getting started.
Whatever the case, he felt joyful to be back in the Star Boundary. Although he had gone through demonification, he was fundamentally still a Human. Hence, he wasn’t fond of a place like the Demon Realm as the Star Boundary was still his home. Over here, there were his family, friends, and his Sect. This kind of connection could never be broken off.
The place that Chang Tian and the others had been staying was covered in rocks and all the trees had withered. Basically, there was no greenery at all. Some traces of battle could still be seen, but it must have happened a long time ago. Judging from the remains, the war seemed to be a large-scale one.
The wind made the sand rise into the air, which blocked their vision. The scorching Sun made the air feel sultry. This place was supposed to be somewhere in the Western Territory, and it wasn’t far away from the Demon Realm’s base. After arriving in the Star Boundary, Chang Tian and the others didn’t go far. They just left the base and decided to stay in this place.
“What’s your plan?” Chang Tian stared at Yang Kai and asked.
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai replied, “I’ll settle the problem in the Small Sealed World first. Then, I’ll gather all the forces of the Star Boundary and come up with a comprehensive plan before we continue devouring the Demon Realm.”
Chang Tian didn’t respond to him.
“However, I need all of you to assist me.”
It was then Chang Tian said, “Things have come to a point that there’s no turning back. We’ll certainly lend a hand.”
A grateful Yang Kai replied, “Many thanks. Please follow me to meet the Great Emperors, then we’ll have a proper discussion.”
A smiling Chang Tian shook his head, “I’m afraid we can’t do that.”
Yang Kai frowned and asked doubtfully, “Why?”
“We’re from the Demon Race, after all. Now, both Great Worlds are at war with each other. If we follow you to meet the Great Emperors, no one can be sure what will happen.” Seeing as Yang Kai was about to speak, Chang Tian lifted his hand to stop him, “I trust you, but it doesn’t mean that I can trust the Great Emperors. Why don’t you ask Holy Venerable Ru Meng and Holy Venerable Li Mo what they think?”
Yang Kai turned to look at them and saw Bei Li Mo nodding with a solemn expression. Although Yu Ru Meng didn’t utter a word, her expression suggested that she was worried as well.
“Bright Moon was trapped in Eternal Sky Continent and lost his life in the end. We don’t want to end up like him.”
With a frown, Yang Kai fell into his thoughts. It was totally understandable that Chang Tian and the others had such a worry. He had never thought about this issue, and he just felt that there was nothing wrong with his plan. Upon hearing what Chang Tian had said, however, he realised that he had been overly confident.
What if the Great Emperors wanted to kill these three upon seeing them? What if things would not turn out like what he had expected? Although the Great Emperors were all rational and sensible people, they still hadn’t gotten over the fact that Bright Moon was killed. Yu Ru Meng and Bei Li Mo had joined the battle on Eternal Sky Continent, so even though they didn’t directly harm Bright Moon, they had supported the Twelve Pinnacles Grand Demon Array. Hence, they had something to do with the death of Bright Moon.
“Senior, how do you think we can solve this issue?” Yang Kai asked.
Chang Tian replied, “While you were recuperating, we had a discussion and came up with a temporary solution. Why don’t you listen to it and see whether it’ll work?”
“Please.” Yang Kai cupped his fist.
“Your plan will not change, so you can go about it with a free hand.” Chang Tian then drew a circle, which included Yu Ru Meng and Bei Li Mo in it, “The three of us will stay here. Apart from that, some of the Demons in your Small Sealed World have to stay here as well.”
“How many do you need?”
“All those above the Demon King realm at least,” Chang Tian replied.
Yang Kai nodded. Over the past six months, the Small Sealed World had devoured more than a hundred continents of the Demon Realm, and billions were living on these continents; however, if only Demon Kings and above were counted, there were only several thousand of them.
With that said, it was still a horrifying number. A Demon King was equivalent to an Emperor Realm Master, so thousands of Demon Kings were a force to be reckoned with. Moreover, there were also some Half-Saints.
“Senior, why do you need them?” Yang Kai was puzzled.
After giving it a thought, Chang Tian replied with a smile, “I’ll be honest with you. We’re fairly powerful ourselves, so we’re not afraid of the Great Emperors one on one; however, there are only three of us. Now that we’ve lost support from the Demon Realm, we have to have some people with us should anything happen on your side.”
Upon hearing this, Yang Kai finally understood the reason behind it. Chang Tian wanted those Demon Kings and Half-Saints because he was wary of the Great Emperors.
“This is only one of the reasons,” Chang Tian went on to say, “As for the second reason…”
He pointed in a particular direction, “The Demons’ base is just over there. All of us are Demons, so we don’t intend to slaughter them; however, we can try to subdue them. Of course, it would be inappropriate for us to act personally, which is why we can let those Demon Kings and Half-Saints do it on our behalf.”
Yang Kai’s gaze brightened when he heard that. Before coming to this place, he had seen that tens of millions of Demons had gathered on that tiny continent. Including those that had invaded the Star Boundary, there were probably more than a hundred million Demons around here.
It would take those from the Star Boundary forever to kill so many Demons. However, if Chang Tian and the others were able to subdue those Demons, it meant that they could weaken the power of the Demon Realm around here.
These hundred million Demons didn’t have the support of any Demon Saint as only Night Shadow Great Emperor was keeping watch over them. It could be said that as long as Chang Tian and the others made a move, they could easily subdue the Demon soldiers without shedding any blood.
Since this was an amazing solution, there was no reason for Yang Kai to reject; hence, he hurriedly nodded in agreement.
Bei Li Mo and Yu Ru Meng seemed to agree with Chang Tian. Apparently, they had had a proper discussion while Yang Kai was recuperating. All three of them thought that this was the best plan at the moment.
“You will have a discussion with the Great Emperors and help us inform them that we and our subordinates will not make things difficult for the Star Boundary. We’ll even assist them when they advance against the Demon Realm. In return, we hope that we’ll have a place to stay after everything is settled.”
“I’ll remember to pass on your words,” Yang Kai nodded seriously.
With nothing else to say, Yang Kai communicated with the Small Sealed World and investigated all the land with his powerful Divine Sense. After that, he summoned all the Demons that met the requirement.
In just a short moment, the space in front of them was filled with Demon Kings.
Just like what he had estimated, there were a few thousand Demon Kings who were all the subordinates of Yu Ru Meng and Bei Li Mo, so they were all respectful of the two Holy Venerables upon seeing them.
He had also summoned the Demon Kings that worked under Chi Yan and Zu Liao. It was useless for them to stay in the Small Sealed World, so he believed that he could pass these people to Chang Tian and the others to be disciplined. With Chang Tian and the other Demon Saints around, these Demon Kings wouldn’t dare to play any tricks.
There were also the top Masters from Hundred Spirits Continent who had the bloodlines of Divine Spirits.
Apart from the Demon Kings, the rest were all Half-Saints. They were indeed a formidable force.
Eight Half-Saints worked under Yu Ru Meng and twelve Half-Saints that were under Bei Li Mo’s wing. Apart from that, Chang Tian had nine Half-Saints. Chi Yan and Zu Liao had six and two Half-Saints respectively. Including one more that had been captured at the two worlds’ passage more than ten days ago, there were thirty-eight Half-Saints here in total.
That was close to a quarter of the Half-Saints in the entire Demon Realm.
Although there were fewer of them compared to the Demon Kings, they were all top cultivators. Despite the fact that they were not powerful enough to conquer the entire Star Boundary, they had enough strength to protect themselves. That was the reason Chang Tian and the others wanted these Demons to stay.
If the Great Emperors decided to act against them, they would have the power to resist at the very least.
The eight Half-Saints that worked under Chi Yan and Zu Lian and the one who had been captured earlier were not considered their own people, so their cultivation had been sealed temporarily. Nevertheless, it wouldn’t be difficult for Chang Tian and the others to make them submit.
After Yang Kai was done with this, he felt exhausted as he had expended a lot of Spiritual Energy. Hence, he went somewhere else on his own to adjust his breathing. When he opened his eyes a few hours later, he realised that Yu Ru Meng had been watching over him from the side. Seeing as he had awakened, she flashed a smile at him.
Ten kilometres away, Demon Qi could be seen filling the sky. It was a magnificent sight that a few thousand Demon Kings and thirty-eight Half-Saints had gathered together. Although there were many of them, they were extremely quiet as only Chang Tian’s voice reverberated.
After their initial confusion diminished, those Demon Kings and Half-Saints calmed themselves down. Upon hearing Chang Tian’s explanation, they understood what they should do for their future.
Yang Kai silently listened to him for a while before he said with a smile, “Please take care of this place.”
Yu Ru Meng gently shook her head, “Just leave it to us. It’s you who must be careful; after all, you’re a little different from others in this world now.”
Yang Kai understood what she was talking about. He had gone through demonification, so it was natural she would be worried that the Great Emperors would slay a Demon like him on sight.
Yang Kai burst into laughter, “En, I’ll be careful.”
Then, Yu Ru Meng went on to tell him what he should take note of like a good wife seeing her husband go off to war. At this moment, she didn’t look like an authoritative Demon Saint but a worried woman who was reluctant to see her man go.
Yang Kai just looked smilingly at her and memorized everything she was saying.
“Are you done yet?” Bei Li Mo snickered from nearby. Initially, she was looking up at the stars, but she eventually couldn’t help but to turn around and mock her, “If you don’t want to part with him, why don’t you just go with him?”
Yu Ru Meng shot her a glare, “No one will mistake you for mute even if you don’t speak!”
Certainly, she wanted to go with Yang Kai, but she couldn’t.
Chang Tian and Bei Li Mo were wary of the Great Emperors, but Yu Ru Meng was distrustful of these two instead. If both Yang Kai and her left this place, no one could be sure whether these two, who had just obtained thousands of Demon Kings and several dozen Half-Saints, would suddenly change their minds. If Yu Ru Meng stayed here, she could watch over them and make sure that they wouldn’t betray Yang Kai. She was especially wary of Bei Li Mo because Yang Kai had planted a Soul Imprint in her Knowledge Sea. If she didn’t keep watch on Bei Li Mo, the latter might attempt to break it.
She didn’t tell Yang Kai about the worry on her mind because she didn’t have to explicitly explain everything to him.
Nevertheless, Bei Li Mo didn’t have to make a complaint anymore because Yu Ru Meng had said everything she wanted to say. In the end, she heaved a sigh and clapped her hands.
Following that, two figures quickly approached them. Upon closer look, Yang Kai realised that they were his old friends, Bai Zhuo and Bai Ya.
One of them was a Half-Saint that worked under Yu Ru Meng, and the other was a Half-Saint that was under Bei Li Mo’s wing. Both of them had had some close contact with Yang Kai previously.
In fact, Bai Zhuo was supposed to be on the battlefield between the two Great Worlds; however, when Yang Kai was ready to devour all of Yu Ru Meng’s continents, he received orders to return.
As their eyes met, Yang Kai nodded at them before turning to look at Yu Ru Meng with an inquisitive expression.
Yu Ru Meng explained, “I want you to take them with you so that I feel less worried.”
“It’s not necessary.” Yang Kai burst into laughter, “I have Zhui Feng and my Embodiment.”
“That’s different.” Yu Ru Meng shook her head, “I’ve stayed in the Star Boundary before, so I know it’s not as peaceful as it seems here. If anything happens to you, they will be able to help you.”
It was an understatement to say that they were just helpers as both of them were Half-Saints. Unless the Great Emperors decided to make a move on Yang Kai, basically no one else could harm him.
Bei Li Mo played along with her by saying, “Don’t leave if you’re not bringing them with you. You’re the key to our futures now. What should we do if anything happens to you?”
There was no turning back for them since they had pinned all their hopes on Yang Kai, which was why they had to ensure his safety at all costs.
Since both Demon Saints had spoken, Yang Kai knew that it was also Chang Tian’s intention; hence, there was no way he could reject them. Left with no other choice, he nodded, “En. I’ll bring them with me.”
Yu Ru Meng nodded before turning around, her alluring face turning solemn all of a sudden as she spoke, “The two of you must follow my Husband and protect him at all times. If anything happens to him, your heads will roll!”
Bai Zhuo and Bai Ya cupped their fists and replied solemnly, “Rest assured, Holy Venerables, we will protect Senior Yang at all costs.”
“Many thanks,” Yang Kai cupped his fist at them.
“It’s our duty,” They quickly saluted him.
When the two Half-Saints came into contact with Yang Kai in the past, they would refer to him as Brother Yang, as if they were from the same generation; however, since Yu Ru Meng had called him ‘Husband’ right in front of them, they wouldn’t dare to cross the line by calling him ‘Brother Yang’.
Just then, Chang Tian came over. Before he even arrived, he could be heard saying, “Get going if you’re ready. We can only set our minds at ease when things are settled.”
Since there was nothing Yang Kai had to prepare, he immediately put Bai Ya and Bai Zhuo inside the Small Sealed World. After bidding the others farewell, he directly shot into the sky. Under the Starry Sky, he turned into a beam of light and headed South.
Watching him leave, Yu Ru Meng heaved a sigh.
Bei Li Mo shot her a look and sneered, “Why do you look like an abandoned housewife? Are you that reluctant to see him go?”
Surprisingly, Yu Ru Meng didn’t rebuke her this time. After Yang Kai was out of sight, she simply turned around and left, making Bei Li Mo feel like she had just punched at a pile of cotton.
…..
Inside the Small Sealed World, a hundred kilometres away from the three peaks that were arrayed like a triangle, there was a mountain on which trees had grown densely. On a huge tree branch, a curvy figure was lying on her side, appearing to be enjoying herself as she swung her long and slender legs. There was an arrow that was over a meter long in her hand which she was polishing with her Demon Qi.
All of a sudden, a figure appeared just steps away from her.
Bo Ya reacted swiftly as she no longer appeared languid. Leaping off the branch, she put the arrow in her hand away and summoned out a razor-sharp dagger. Grasping the dagger in reverse, she attempted to stab the person in front of her.
However, the next moment, she stopped what she was doing as her dagger was just three centimetres away from the newcomer. After letting out a long breath, she patted her plump bosom and said, “You freaked me out. Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”
Still reeling from the shock, she could feel her chest heaving.
The person was none other than Yang Kai, as he was the only one who was able to abruptly appear in this place.
Yang Kai said with a smile, “You’re quite vigilant.”
Bo Ya snorted, “I’ve always been on my own. If I didn’t stay vigilant, I would’ve lost my life by now.” As she spoke, she examined him and appeared to be in doubt, “Your figure… Are you dead?”
“It’s just a projection,” Yang Kai replied.
He was still travelling in the outside world, so he had just sent a projection into the Small Sealed World using his Divine Sense. He was now a High-Rank Demon King and his Divine Sense was just as powerful as that of a Half-Saint, which was why he didn’t find it difficult to multitask.
The Divine Sense’s projection appeared slightly translucent, which was why Bo Ya thought that something had happened to Yang Kai and he was only left with a Soul Avatar now. Previously, after Bo Ya risked her life to ward off a fatal attack for Yang Kai on Eternal Sky Continent, they returned to Cloud Shadow Continent and then he had returned the Soul Puppet to her. Hence, even if anything happened to Yang Kai now, Bo Ya wouldn’t be affected.
Upon finishing his words, Yang Kai turned to look at the peaks that were a hundred kilometres away before asking, “Is everything fine over there?”
Bo Ya replied, “They’re fine. They’re actually getting along quite well now.”
Myriad Flowers Valley was located a hundred kilometres away. On Li Shi Qing’s own peak, there was a long table, on which delicacies and jars of wine had been set. Huo Lun, Mo Sheng, and Li Shi Qing were seated on three sides of the table as they were having a good laugh.
Chang Tian wanted all the top cultivators in the Small Sealed World that were Demon Kings and above, and Yang Kai had granted his wish, with the exception of Mo Sheng and Huo Lun, who were in Myriad Flowers Valley. Naturally, he let them stay because of Li Shi Qing.
It was apparent that they were indeed getting along well. Although it wasn’t certain what they were talking about, they all appeared joyful.
“Have you found out Mo Sheng’s background?” Yang Kai asked.
Bo Ya replied, “En. He’s just an unconventional Demon King from Deep Frost Continent. He’s fairly powerful as he’s a High-Rank Demon King, but due to the fact that he’s haughty, he’s disliked by the other Demon Kings and the Half-Saint there. Although he had worked under that Half-Saint for a while, he eventually left the continent and became an independent and unrestrained cultivator like me.”
She paused for a moment and added, “By the way, Deep Frost Continent was part of Bei Li Mo’s territory.”
Yang Ki nodded slightly and replied dispassionately, “Do you think he intentionally approached Li Shi Qing? Or was it a coincidence?”
It was just a random question as he didn’t really suspect anything. The main issue was that not long after Li Shi Qing settled down in Myriad Flowers Valley, Mo Sheng happened to come over and save her from danger. In the end, he had even started living in the valley, which caused Yang Kai to be concerned.
“I think it was a coincidence,” Bo Ya replied. Yang Kai had asked her the same question before, which was why she had paid more attention to Mo Sheng. During this period of time, Mo Sheng didn’t seem to have any ulterior motives. The three of them would gather every month or so to drink and eat, but normally, they were busy with their own business.
Yang Kai nodded and stopped talking as he observed them in silence. Although Bo Ya was able to look at what was going on a hundred kilometres away using her Eye Secret Technique, she was unable to hear what they were saying.
On the other hand, Yang Kai was able to see and hear everything. As long as he wanted to spy on someone, no one in the Small Sealed World could escape his senses.
At this moment, Huo Lun was asking Mo Sheng some questions regarding cultivation. Mo Sheng didn’t hide anything from him as he told him about his insights and experiences, which prompted Huo Lun to fall into a deep contemplation as he had truly gained something from his new friend.
Li Shi Qing listened on the side, giving some remarks from time to time. All her remarks were insightful, so Mo Sheng couldn’t help but praise her. In the end, she was a Great Emperor’s Disciple, so she had received the best training possible since young, which was why she was able to provide useful insights when it came to cultivation. Although Humans and Demons were different, they shared the same goal of pursuing the peak of the Martial Dao.
After a discussion, Mo Sheng agreed to Huo Lun’s request to have a friendly spar.
There was a difference of two Minor Realms between the two Demons as one of them was a High-Rank Demon King while the other was a Low-Rank Demon King. Supposedly, there was a huge gap between their powers, but presently, the World Principles in the Small Sealed World only allowed the existence of a power that was equivalent to the Dao Source Realm. Hence, even though Mo Sheng was powerful, he couldn’t fully use his strength, and it could be considered a fair match.
There was nothing special about the fight. Eventually, Mo Sheng won the battle, and Huo Lun admitted defeat.
Half a day later, they bid Li Shi Qing farewell and left the place.
When Li Shi Qing was done cleaning up the table and returned to her cabin, she suddenly stopped smiling as her expression turned cold. Following that, she whirled around in an attempt to leave.
Right then though, the door slammed shut. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t open the door. Feeling aggrieved, she turned around and glowered at Yang Kai, who was seated in the living hall, “What do you want?”
Yang Kai stared at her and said impassively, “I’ve returned to the Star Boundary.”
Li Shi Qing batted her eyes as though she couldn’t be certain what he had just said. A moment later, she recovered from her shock and asked, “You’re back in the Star Boundary?”
“That’s right.” Yang Kai nodded, “You’ll be able to leave this place soon.”
Unlike what he had expected, Li Shi Qing didn’t appear elated; instead, she fell silent for a moment before she lifted her head and looked at him with a conflicted gaze, “Aren’t you worried that I’ll tell my Honoured Master what I saw that day?”
Previously, the reason Li Shi Qing wanted to kill Yang Kai on Cloud Shadow Continent was because she had seen Bright Moon Great Emperor die by his hand. Witnessing such a sight had pushed her to seek revenge for the Great Emperor’s death. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have made a move on Yang Kai.
Later on, she figured out that with or without Yang Kai, Bright Moon was destined to lose his life in that kind of situation. Perhaps he had even intentionally asked for death to save the Great Emperor’s Opportunity. Whatever the case, it was an irrefutable fact that he was killed by Yang Kai.
Therefore, whenever she saw him, she would recall the sight where Bright Moon lost his life. That was why after Cloud Shadow Continent was devoured, she left the palace and came to this place on her own to stay away from Yang Kai.
She thought that by not seeing Yang Kai forever, she wouldn’t have to be put in a tight spot. However, she wasn’t aware that she had always been under his surveillance.
If she was able to return to the Star Boundary and see her Honoured Master, there was no way she would hide what she had seen on that day. She would definitely tell her Master everything. It was an unforgivable crime to have killed a Great Emperor. She wondered how those from the Star Boundary would punish Yang Kai upon learning what he had done.
Since the Great Emperor War that took place twenty thousand years ago, no Great Emperor had lost their life. Bright Moon was the first one since that war, and he was the only Great Emperor that had ever been killed by an Emperor Realm Master.
As if he didn’t hear what she just said, Yang Kai simply said, “I’ll release you when I meet Senior Flower Shadow so that both of you can reunite.”
Li Shi Qing said through clenched teeth, “When I meet my Honoured Master, I’ll tell her everything I saw on that day.”
Yang Kai nodded as he had never intended to conceal what had happened during the battle on Eternal Sky Continent. Even if Li Shi Qing didn’t expose it, he would personally tell the Great Emperors what had happened. As his figure became blurred, he went on to say, “By the way, be careful of Mo Sheng. I have a feeling that there’s something off about him.”
He wasn’t trying to scare her or sow discord between them as it was just a feeling. Theoretically, in this Small Sealed World, Yang Kai could even find out what was on Mo Sheng’s mind if he wanted; however, based on his observation and Bo Ya’s report, it was certain that there was nothing wrong with Mo Sheng’s background.
However, he just had this feeling that could be said to be unfounded. In that case, he thought he should warn Li Shi Qing about it. It was fine even if he was wrong, he just wanted her to be more vigilant.
Upon hearing that, Li Shi Qing was startled. Just when she was about to ask him about it, his figure became transparent and then disappeared.
Staring at the spot where Yang Kai once sat, Li Shi Qing gritted her teeth and cursed.
The crescent moon hung high above the sky as countless stars could be seen twinkling. Under the night sky, Yang Kai flew forward like a falling star.
At this moment, he felt completely at ease. He had been in the Star Boundary for many years as his cultivation rose from the Origin King Realm to the Emperor Realm here. He had also made many new friends here. Besides that, he had even founded High Heaven Palace in the Northern Territory and fetched all his relatives and friends over from the Lower Star Field. It could be said that the Star Boundary was his home.
However, he had never felt more relaxed than he was on this day.
It was a feeling he immediately got after he exited the Small Sealed World. Returning to the Star Boundary was like returning to his homeland and his mother’s embrace. The view, air, and world principles in this place… everything felt so amiable to him.
It wasn’t simply a feeling one would get when he returned to his home after venturing into the outside world for a long time. This homecoming might be one of the reasons he felt as such, but the Great Emperor’s Opportunity was the primary cause.
Yang Kai had obtained the acknowledgement of the Star Boundary itself! The entire world seemed to have opened up to him and embraced him. It was like a tiger that had returned to the mountain or a Dragon that had plunged into the ocean.
This made him feel extremely at ease, and he couldn’t help but start humming a song. As his figure shot forward across the sky, his humming seemingly reverberated in his surroundings.
He didn’t just feel relaxed. When he tried to sit down with his legs crossed to restore his energy some time ago, he realised that something had become different. As soon as he circulated his Secret Art, the World Energy seemed to penetrate his body like swallows returning to their nests. His efficiency at cultivation had increased manifold.
The acknowledgement from the Star Boundary allowed him to significantly increase the speed of absorbing World Energy. It went to show how amazing the Great Emperor’s Opportunity was, and perhaps there were more benefits that had yet to be discovered.
Since he was back in the Star Boundary, he could use his Space Beacon and meet those dearest to him in an instant. The reason he decided to fly back home was to experience this kind of feeling as well as to examine the current situation in the Star Boundary.
However, when he thought about the fact that the reason he had obtained these benefits was that he had killed a Great Emperor, he felt crestfallen. In the end, he failed in his attempt to bring Bright Moon Great Emperor back from the Demon Realm. Recalling Lan Xun’s gaze, which seemed to be pleading with him, when he left the Star Boundary, he felt utterly helpless.
[How am I supposed to face her now?]
While he was in a dazed state, he suddenly stopped flying and turned around, only to hear some sounds of a scuffle and feel the fallout of battle that was coming from a place not far away. In an instant, he realised that Demons and Humans were fighting nearby.
Without hesitation, he immediately flew over to that place.
Atop a desert expanse that was five hundred kilometres away, more than a thousand people were locked in battle. Thirty percent of them were Humans while seventy percent of them were Demons. In a radius of ten kilometres around the battlefield, the lights of artifacts and Secret Techniques could be seen flashing, illuminating the darkness. As Demon Qi undulated and swirled around, the Demons fought fiercely, fully intent on annihilating all of their enemies.
The Humans had been besieged as the Demons had gained the upper hand because of differences in numbers. There were also two Demon Kings that were in charge of their side, which was why everything was well under their control. On the other hand, there was only one injured Emperor Realm Master on the Humans’ side. Although the Humans were united, their defence circle was still shrinking slowly.
Nevertheless, all the Humans appeared determined and unafraid of death.
That was because they knew that if they fell into the Demons’ hands, they would end up in a more miserable state than death. Since they had been besieged, they had no other choice but to fight until the end.
Many corpses, both Humans and Demons, were seen strewn across the ground. A quick comparison showed that more Humans had lost their lives. The ground had been dyed red because of the blood.
These Humans came from multiple different Sects. Years of war had made them all become ferocious and they took up practised formations with their backs pressed against one another, obstinately resistant.
On the other hand, the Demons that had surrounded the Humans kept circling around as though they had turned into a grinder, while the Humans were like soybeans that were being crushed. If they were not careful, they would be ground into dust at any moment.
More and more Humans lost their lives, and new wounds could be seen forming on the only Emperor Realm Master’s body. He was horrendously drenched in blood, and his aura was clearly unsteady.
Meanwhile, the two Demon Kings appeared to be calm and collected. Instead of getting involved in the war, they were hovering in mid-air as they playfully watched this fight where there was a huge gap in power between the two sides. A Sand Demon was even licentiously sweeping a glance over a few beautiful and curvy women as he licked his lips from time to time.
He was especially fond of one Human woman, whose power was equivalent to that of a High-Rank Demon Great General. That was because she had a mature air and a particularly outstanding figure, just to his liking.
It had been many years since the invasion of the Star Boundary began, and the Demons had captured many Humans during this time. The salacious Demons had had a taste of many Human beauties, and this Demon King was one of them. His biggest hobby was collecting all sorts of beautiful Human women for him to have fun with. Unlike the forward, almost aggressive Demon women, Human girls were generally reserved and sheepish. Whenever he saw these girls, who were trapped under his shadow, screaming but unable to resist him, he would be completely aroused.
Certainly, those Human girls that had been violated would end up in a horrible state. Their corpses would mostly be dismembered. Whenever the Demon King bedded them, he loved to slowly bite off their flesh, chew it and gulp it down. He could never forget the delicious taste in his mouth.
As he watched the mature and beautiful woman, who was already drenched in sweat, wielding her sword, he felt his blood boiling and concentrate towards his nether region.
Knowing what his colleague was like, the Demon King beside him shot him a look and then followed his gaze. When he saw the mature and beautiful woman, he snorted, “She’s from Ice Heart Valley.”
Upon hearing that, the Sand Demon was startled, “She’s from Ice Heart Valley?”
Ice Heart Valley was one of the top Sects in the Northern Territory, and they had made significant contributions in the Two Worlds’ Great War. Women from that Sect could be seen in essentially every large-scale battle. Many Demons had suffered grievously because of them, which was why many Demon Kings were aware of Ice Heart Valley.
Besides Ice Heart Valley, they also knew a thing or two about most of the top Sects in the Star Boundary; after all, the war had been ongoing for many years, so there was no way they had no idea about their enemies’ backgrounds at all.
“She’s using Ice Principles, and she’s a woman. Also, judging from her clothes, I’m sure she’s from Ice Heart Valley,” the Demon King replied. It seemed that he knew more about the great forces in the Star Boundary than his Sand Demon compatriot.
Upon hearing that, the Sand Demon was startled for a moment before he started chuckling hoarsely. It seemed that he was in an even better mood now. A long time later, he stopped laughing and nodded slowly. At the same time, he stroked his face and said, “Good, good, very good!”
There was a hideous scar that looked like a huge centipede crawling across his face. It wasn’t certain how long the scar had been there, but it still hadn’t fully healed. From time to time, a cold aura would pulse from that scar. At that instant, the image of a woman, whose expression was like unmelting ice, sprang into his mind.
In one of the large-scale battles he previously fought in, that woman had descended from the sky and slashed at him with her sword. In an instant, three of the four Demon Kings in his group lost their lives on the spot. He was the lucky one as he immediately pretended to be dead, thus allowing him to escape from death’s door.
After that, he asked around and heard from the other Demon Kings that the woman, who had killed three Demon Kings with one strike, was called Ji Yao, and she was from Ice Heart Valley. She was also the Third Disciple of the Ancestral Founder of Ice Heart Valley, Bing Yun.
Initially, he had been considered quite the handsome Demon King, but since he got this scar, all he was left with was a hideous face.
He had never forgotten about what had been done to him as he was determined to get even with that woman one day. He would definitely capture Ji Yao and pin her down before making her beg for his mercy. While she was going through excruciating pain, he would bite off her flesh until she became nothing but bone.