The cultivators sitting at the next table quietly discussed the situation between Yun Xing Hua and Shocking Swan Territory for a while before they changed the subject. There was no other valuable information after that.
Yang Kai raised his glass and took his time to enjoy his drink, shaking his head slowly. From the conversation between those two, Yun Xing Hua seemed to be the Leader of Blood Swan Continent, the great force that Guo Zi Yan’s daughter was in.
Yun Xing Hua originally had a pretty good aptitude and was expected to make his initial breakthrough to the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Unfortunately, he was forced to advance to the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm due to Shocking Swan Pavilion’s suppression at the time. Afterwards, he took another 50 years to accumulate his strength and spent another 10 or so years in retreat. When he came out of retreat, he had broken through to the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Although he was several decades late, he still reached the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm in the end. It was just that the difference in the starting point of a cultivator would affect that cultivator’s room for future growth. If he had directly advanced to the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm at the beginning, his future limit would have been the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Now, his limit was only the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
It might only be a single Order, but this one Order often made all the difference. When Yue He was in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, she had been completely powerless to fight back against the Proprietress, who was in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Now that she was in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like Lu Xue would probably last no longer than ten breaths against her.
People under the eaves had no choice but to bow their heads. It was a pity but Yun Xing Hua had simply been born at the wrong time and place.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but think about his own situation again. The Proprietress once told him that there would be many obstacles in his way if he wanted to directly break through to the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm. It was impossible for the Cave-Heavens and Paradises to sit back and watch without doing anything. They would surely oppress him. Otherwise, his future growth would be absolutely terrifying if he successfully advanced into the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm directly.
Since ancient times, the only ones in the 3,000 Worlds allowed to advance into the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm directly were the disciples of the Cave-Heavens and Paradises who were carefully nurtured since they were young. These people had unique advantages and were extremely loyal to their respective Sects, so there was no need for the Cave-Heavens and Paradises to worry about these disciples overthrowing their dominance.
On the contrary, Yang Kai was different. He had nothing to do with any of the Cave-Heavens or Paradises, so he naturally had no protection from them either. Now, it would seem that this matter of suppressing others was not an uncommon occurrence in the Outer Universe. If a mere Shocking Swan Territory had someone like Yun Xing Hua, then what about the other Great Territories?
In any case, it was no secret that Yang Kai was condensing Seventh-Order Open Heaven Element Powers. He had revealed his Divine Manifestation many times in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary and befriended several disciples from various Cave-Heavens or Paradises. After the closure of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, those people had all returned to their respective Sects. Their Elders and Masters would surely ask about various things that happened in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. Those people might want to conceal the truth for him out of their gratitude for saving their lives in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, but they probably would not be able to conceal it for long even if they wanted to.
Therefore, Yang Kai had the feeling that he was already being watched by some of the Cave-Heavens and Paradises. A form of suppression similar to what Yun Xing Hua faced would come at some point.
For that reason, Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling a sense of urgency, as if time was running out. It was a pity that materials of the Seventh Order and above were simply too scarce. He still lacked Yin, Yang, and Metal Elements, but he was completely clueless as to where to search for them. [I hope the Proprietress can point me in the right direction.]
Yue He seemed to have seen through his gloomy mood; thus, she silently poured wine for him without saying a word.
After waiting for six or seven days in the Star City, Yang Kai began to feel that something was wrong when Guo Zi Yan failed to return even after so long. He had checked the Universe Chart earlier and knew Blood Swan Continent was not that far from the Star City. With Guo Zi Yan’s current speed, it would only take three or four days for a round trip, so how could he possibly delay for so long? Moreover, Guo Zi Yan knew that Yang Kai was waiting for him, so if something had really caused him to be delayed, he would have sent somebody to inform the latter.
[There has been no news from him and he is nowhere to be seen. Could it be that something has happened to him?] When that thought crossed Yang Kai’s mind, he stopped waiting and returned to the Falling Lotus with Yue He instead. The Falling Lotus soon headed in the direction of Blood Swan Continent.
They had only flown for half a day when Yue He, who was standing next to Yang Kai, suddenly turned her head to stare in a certain direction with a look of surprise in her eyes.
Yang Kai followed her gaze only to see a Spirit Province in the distance. It was just that the Spirit Province did not seem to contain any traces of being covered by a Spirit Array. It was probably an ownerless Spirit Province.
There were many such Spirit Provinces scattered across the void in the 3,000 Worlds, normally because such places had such weak heritages that stronger great forces looked down on them. On the contrary, those Open Heaven Realm Masters that were not so strong liked to occupy these Spirit Provinces to found new Sects and slowly develop their strength. If managed well, these Spirit Provinces might just become the Headquarters of a Third-Class or Second-Class great force after many years of work.
“Young Master, there are people fighting over there.” Yue He watched carefully for a moment before speaking all of a sudden.
In this vast universe, countless fights broke out between the people every single day. Likewise, countless people died in battle. Such battles were very common; however, Yang Kai involuntarily frowned upon encountering a fight in this direction. He couldn’t help thinking about Guo Zi Yan, who had yet to return after so long. Turning to look at Lang Qing Shan, he said, “Contact Commander Guo and see if he can be reached.”
Lang Qing Shan received the command and immediately took out the communication bead he used to keep contact with Guo Zi Yan. Pouring his Divine Sense into the communication bead, he raised his head after some time and reported, “Sir, Commander Guo is being besieged right now. He is currently in a terrible situation.”
Yang Kai was furious when he heard those words, “Who dares!?”
There was no longer any doubt. Guo Zi Yan was definitely one of the parties in that fight in that Spirit Province!
Without needing further command from Yang Kai, Lang Qing Shan and the others immediately steered the Falling Lotus towards the direction of the Spirit Province. At the same time, they continuously made contact with Guo Zi Yan through the communication beads. It was just that they did not receive another response. Guo Zi Yan’s situation must have been very bad indeed; otherwise, there was no way he would not even have the time to respond to them.
The Spirit Province might have looked far off, but the Falling Lotus was extremely fast. It took less than an incense stick’s worth of time for them to reach the periphery of the Spirit Province where Yang Kai and Yue He leapt out of the Falling Lotus. As they looked ahead, their expressions sank.
On that Spirit Province, Guo Zi Yan was protecting a young girl as they retreated continuously. He was dripping with fresh blood and his aura was fluctuating erratically. It was apparent that he had been seriously injured. The clothes on his chest were tattered and there was a bloody wound across his abdomen. His flesh was rolled up and his squirming organs were faintly visible. He was defending and retreating the whole way, leaving a trail of blood everywhere he passed.
The young girl he guarded behind him was only in the Emperor Realm and her appearance was somewhat similar to his. Although she was not a country-destroying beauty, she had a tall and slim figure. The two trails of tear stains that had yet to dry on her cheeks made her look very pitiable. Her beautiful eyes were filled with panic and worry. She might have the willingness to help, but her strength was too low. There was nothing she could do to help in a battle like this; rather, she would only drag him down with her if she tried to act.
There were four people besieging the pair while there were another two corpses lying on the ground. The four people were covered in injuries, but their injuries were minor. One of them was exuding the aura of a Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master while the other 3 were in the Second-Order.
In a one-against-six battle, Guo Zi Yan had managed to kill two. He had clearly gone all out, but he was an arrow at the end of its flight by this point. The World Force radiating from his body fluctuated erratically, causing the power he exerted to be strong at times and weak at others. He was clearly no longer at his peak.
On the other hand, the four who were attacking were behaving in a despicable manner and the methods they used were absolutely shameless. Even with a decisive numerical advantage, they still aimed most of their attacks at the young girl. Their actions forced Guo Zi Yan to devote most of his energy to protecting her, causing him to become overwhelmed.
When Yang Kai and Yue He appeared, they happened to witness the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master taking advantage of an opening in Guo Zi Yan’s guard to smash a hammer into the latter’s shoulder. There was a loud crack before Guo Zi Yan’s left arm immediately drooped. It seemed that his shoulder bones had been smashed to pieces.
“Bastard!” Yang Kai shouted angrily. When the Golden Crow let out a loud cry, a brightly shining golden sun leapt out from behind him. The scorching heat ran rampant, and the Golden Crow Casts the Sun reappeared in the world.
With a mighty Dragon Roar, the Azure Dragon Spear appeared in Yang Kai’s grasp as he stepped forward and thrust out at the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Golden Crow’s True Fire enveloped the spear and seemed capable of burning everything in existence.
At the same time as he made his move, Yue He took out a long whip and lashed through the air. World Force erupted as the aura of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master enveloped the entire area.
How could the four Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters besieging Guo Zi Yan expect such a sudden turn of events? When they sensed the majesty of Yue He’s Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm aura, their expressions changed drastically. An inexplicable horror descended upon them and they felt the power in their bodies becoming obstructed, as though they were stuck in a quagmire.
*Pa pa pa…*
Soft popping sounds rang out everywhere the whip passed as the 3 Second-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters didn’t even have time to grunt in pain before they exploded into blood mist and vanished from existence.
Another muffled groan sounded as Yang Kai stabbed the remaining Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in the chest with his spear. The spear penetrated the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master’s back and came out through his chest. When Yang Kai withdrew his spear, blood splattered everywhere. A large hole appeared in that person’s chest, penetrating from the front all the way to the back.
The Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master stiffened and his eyes widened in shock. He staggered forward a few steps and tried to look back; however, he collapsed to the ground without a shred of vitality before he could turn around completely.
Four Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were as insignificant as an ant in front of Yue He, a newly-advanced Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Yang Kai would not have been able to kill the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master so easily if her aura had not been suppressing the latter.
*Pu…*
Guo Zi Yan coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood and half-knelt on the ground while panting heavily. His breathing sounded like a set of old bellows as he was clearly having difficulty.
Seeing his condition, Yang Kai quickly walked over to Guo Zi Yan.
The young girl that Guo Zi Yan had been protecting behind him suddenly leaped forward. She was holding a longsword in her hand and although her complexion was pale, she firmly stood in front of him. Gritting her teeth, she asked in a trembling voice, “Who are you people?”
She was extremely frightened after seeing Yang Kai and Yue He murdering the others emotionlessly.
Guo Zi Yan gasped for breath, “Miao’er, don’t be rude. This is the person I was telling you about before.”
The young girl was stunned for a moment, but immediately after, she put away her longsword and fell to her knees in front of Yang Kai with an audible thud. She wept and begged, “Sir, please save my Father.”
Yang Kai lifted a hand and helped her up as he comfortingly said, “Don’t worry. As long as I’m here, I promise that your Father will not die!”
He then shot a look at Yue He who immediately stepped forward to examine Guo Zi Yan’s injuries. A short while later, she took out a Spirit Pill and fed it to him and said, “Although Commander Guo’s injuries are severe, he will not die from them. It’s just that he lost too much blood and exhausted too much of his World Force. He will be fine after recuperating for a while.”
While Yue He was speaking, Guo Zi Yan suddenly closed his eyes and collapsed to the ground.
“Father!” The young girl called Miao’er shouted, her beautiful face turning pale at the sight.
Yue He said, “Don’t worry. He just fainted.”
Guo Zi Yan had been besieged and could have lost his life at any moment. Now that he was rescued by Yang Kai and Yue He, his tense nerves finally relaxed. Combined with his excessive consumption during his battle earlier, he could no longer remain conscious.
Even though Miao’er knew that Yue He would not deceive her, she still examined her father’s wounds herself. She finally let out a breath of relief when she confirmed that he was simply passed out. Rubbing away the tears at the corner of her eyes, she respectfully bowed, “Many thanks for your saving grace, Sir and Madame.”
Yang Kai simply replied, “Commander Guo is a member of Void Land and has served by my side for many years. I will definitely help him if he is in trouble. There is no need for you to thank me; after all, this was caused by my negligence.”
Guo Zi Yan had only gone to visit his daughter, so how could Yang Kai have known that his life would be in danger? If Yang Kai had known that this would happen, he would have followed along no matter what. Something like this would not have happened if Yue He was around.
“What is your name?” Yang Kai turned to ask the young girl.
The young girl sniffed and answered softly, “This one is called Guo Miao.”
Yang Kai nodded, then summoned Lang Qing Shan, the shaved-headed man, and the others to carry the unconscious Guo Zi Yan back to the Falling Lotus where he could receive proper treatment. Meanwhile, Yue He held Guo Miao’s small hand and comforted the young girl.
A short while later, Yue He stood inside the Falling Lotus and asked in a gentle voice, “What happened? Who were the people attacking you? Didn’t Commander Guo head to Blood Swan Continent to pick you up?”
Guo Miao knew about the existence of Yang Kai and Yue He. It was most likely that Guo Zi Yan had told her about them; therefore, her emotions slowly calmed down with Yue He’s comforting words. Upon hearing those questions, she replied, “Those people were Deacons and Elders of Blood Swan Continent. The Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was Gu Zhi Xin.”
Yang Kai was incredibly surprised, “Gu Zhi Xin?”
After pondering for a moment, he asked, “Isn’t that your Honoured Master?”
A few days ago, Guo Zi Yan had mentioned this person. He claimed that he and Gu Zhi Xin were old friends and that was why he entrusted his daughter to Gu Zhi Xin’s care.
Guo Miao gnashed her teeth at those words, her eyes gleaming with a vengeful light as she snarled, “I don’t have such an insidious and despicable Honoured Master! That man nearly killed my Father!”
Yang Kai frowned, “What happened?”
Gu Miao exhaled softly and began narrating the entire story. After listening to her explanation, Yang Kai finally understood the cause of this incident.
Guo Miao was only sent to Blood Swan Continent to become a disciple of Gu Zhi Xin a few years ago. The first reason was that Guo Zi Yan was in a difficult situation at the time with the three great forces all fighting one another both openly and secretly in the Star City. They were constantly trying to overthrow each other, so the future in that place was uncertain. Guo Zi Yan sent his daughter away in order to protect her. The second reason was that he himself was only in the Second-Order Open Heaven Realm and could not be considered powerful. Blood Swan Continent might not be anything special, being only a Third-Class great force, but Gu Zhi Xin was a Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Gu Zhi Xin was stronger than him, so Guo Miao would receive a better education if he sent her there.
Furthermore, Guo Miao’s aptitude was not bad. She had been cultivating diligently over the years at Blood Swan Continent. With the assistance of her Sect and the cultivation resources that Guo Zi Yan constantly sent to her, Guo Miao gradually reached the Emperor Realm.
Before the Star City was devoured by the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, she was preparing to condense her own Dao Seal. Once she successfully condensed her Dao Seal, the next step would be to refine her Yin, Yang, and Five Elements, split Heaven and Earth apart in her body, and break through to the Open Heaven Realm.
Guo Zi Yan’s own starting point was not high, only the Second-Order Open Heaven Realm; however, he went to great lengths for his daughter. Risking his life working for Scarlet Star, he more or less exchanged all the gains he received for various cultivation resources. These cultivation resources were then sent to Blood Swan Continent for Guo Miao to use.
She was about to condense her Dao Seal, so it was only natural that Guo Zi Yan made preparations in advance for that eventuality. He spent his entire life’s savings to buy two Fourth-Order materials a long time ago and handed them over to her. Once she condensed her Dao Seal, she could refine those two resources.
If the Star City where Scarlet Star was located had not been devoured by the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, what happened next would never have occurred at all.
More than ten years ago, the Star City in which Scarlet Star was located vanished all of a sudden. Even the three great forces, Scarlet Star, Thunder Light, and Sword Pavilion, that had been established in that Star City for thousands of years disappeared without a trace. Overnight, over a million people from the Star City went missing.
This incident caused a huge uproar among several of the other nearby Great Territories. Many people went to investigate the situation only to return empty-handed. Guo Miao had also gone to take a look at the situation under Gu Zhi Xin’s leadership, but she could not find the slightest clue either.
Several years went by without news from Guo Zi Yan, so everybody assumed that he was dead.
At the beginning, Gu Zhi Xin continued to respect the wishes of his old friend. It could not be said that he was partial towards Guo Miao, but he at least dealt with her justly; however, on one particular day several years later, Gu Zhi Xin called Guo Miao over to talk. He constantly brought up the two Fourth-Order materials that Guo Zi Yan had sent to Guo Miao in the past and his meaning was clear; he wanted her to give them to him.
At this point, Yang Kai was puzzled, “Gu Zhi Xin is in the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm. What would he need Fourth-Order materials for? Aren’t they useless to him?”
Yue He explained, “He likely wanted to use them to exchange for Third-Order materials. He would then be able to refine and absorb them to strengthen his Small Universe and increase his strength.”
Yang Kai then asked curiously, “Can an Open Heaven Realm Master continue to refine materials?”
She explained further, “Young Master, you have yet to advance to the Open Heaven Realm, so you are unaware. It is not that a cultivator no longer needs Open Heaven materials after they advance to the Open Heaven Realm. On the contrary, the demand for resources only increases. As you know, Young Master, an Open Heaven Realm Master can increase their strength by increasing the heritage of their Small Universe. Once their heritage accumulates to a certain extent, they can advance to the next Order.”
He nodded, “Yes, I know this.”
Lu Xue had explained this to him previously. The most common and safest way for an Open Heaven Realm Master to do this was to consume Open Heaven Pills, but there were other methods as well.
For example, Old Ancestor Mo Yu had targeted the Demon Realm because he wanted to devour and refine its Principles and World Force. It was just that this method had some advantages and disadvantages compared to consuming Open Heaven Pills.
The advantage was that this method worked very fast. Consuming Open Heaven Pills was a long process of accumulating many grains of sand to eventually build a tower. Every breakthrough to the next Order would take years and years of accumulation. If one could devour and refine the Principles and World Force of a Universe World that matched their Small Universe, that person would be able to obtain huge gains in a very short time.
The disadvantage was that there would still be some incompatibility no matter how well-matched the Universe World was to one’s own Small Universe. Hence, there were hidden dangers to this method of cultivation. One would need to spend a lot of energy and effort to slowly remove what were essentially impurities from their Small Universe after performing such an act.
Nevertheless, the effectiveness of devouring the Principles and World Force of a Universe World was many times higher than merely consuming Open Heaven Pills.
Aside from these two methods, there was another rather common method of cultivation, and that was to refine Open Heaven materials of various Orders. The reason a cultivator could split Heaven and Earth apart in their bodies was that they had accumulated enough Yin, Yang, and Five Element Powers. After advancing into the Open Heaven Realm, they could continue to refine and endlessly enhance their own heritage; hence, it was not that a cultivator would no longer have need for various cultivation materials after advancing into the Open Heaven Realm. On the contrary, their needs only increased.
After listening to Yue He’s explanation, Yang Kai finally understood. It wasn’t that he was ignorant and uninformed, it was just that his strength was still lacking, so he had yet to come across such matters.
When Guo Zi Yan was still around, Gu Zhi Xin did not dare to covet the two Fourth-Order materials in Guo Miao’s possession. Guo Zi Yan had the support of Scarlet Star after all, and while he was not afraid of Guo Zi Yan, Scarlet Star was not an entity he could afford to provoke.
However, Guo Zi Yan’s whereabouts were now unknown and it was most likely that he was dead. Therefore, Gu Zhi Xin had nothing to worry about anymore. In addition, Guo Miao had two Fourth-Order materials in her possession even though she was only in the Emperor Realm. It was like a child holding onto an expensive treasure, so it was not surprising that Gu Zhi Xin began to covet them.
“That old dog sure is hateful, disrespecting Commander Guo so thoroughly.” Yang Kai coldly snorted.
Guo Miao echoed his words, “That old dog wanted the two Fourth-Order materials, but it wasn’t for his own use. Sect Master was in retreat at the time to advance to the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm and urgently needed a large number of resources. The reason that old dog tried to rob me was to display his loyalty in hopes that Sect Master would value him more in the future.”
Hearing what she said, Yang Kai suddenly recalled the information he overheard at the inn a day ago. It was rumoured that the Leader of Blood Swan Continent, Yun Xing Hua, had successfully come out of retreat after advancing to the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Judging by the situation, it was probably thanks to Guo Maio’s two Fourth-Order materials.
“What happened afterwards?” Yue He asked gently.
Guo Miao sadly replied, “That old dog asked for those resources, but my Father risked his life to obtain these resources for me, so how could I agree to his demands!? At first, I wanted to quickly condense my Dao Seal and refine those two cultivation materials so that he would have nothing to covet anymore, but who could have known that he would force me to refine a Second-Order Wood Element material as soon as I finished condensing my Dao Seal!?”
While speaking, she bit her lip so hard that it began to bleed, her eyes filled with tears.
Any building must start with a foundation. For a cultivator, their foundation was the most important building block. The lowest Order material they condensed would define the Order of the Open Heaven Realm they could break through to in the future.
Guo Miao was forced to refine a Second-Order material; therefore, she could only become a Second-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in the future.
Cutting off a person’s Martial Dao was an offence no different from murdering one’s parents. Nevertheless, the milk had already been spilt. Moreover, Guo Miao was placed under somebody else’s care, so how could a weak young girl like herself protect the two Fourth-Order materials in her possession? In the end, those Fourth-Order materials were forcefully taken away by Gu Zhi Xin and handed over to Yun Xing Hua. That was why Yun Xing Hua recently managed to advance to the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
In the beginning, Guo Miao had resigned herself to her fate. She was an orphan with no support now, so what could she do even if she was unwilling? To her surprise though, Guo Zi Yan, who had been missing for the past decade, suddenly appeared in Blood Swan Continent several days ago.
The father-daughter reunion should have been a joyous occasion; however, when Guo Zi Yan noticed that his daughter had condensed a Second-Order Element he couldn’t help feeling shocked and furious! He had prepared two Fourth-Order materials for her before he had been sucked into the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. Furthermore, she had enough aptitude to refine them. So, how did things turn out this way? Despite his questioning, Guo Miao remained tight-lipped and did not dare to tell him the truth.
Guo Zi Yan could tell that something was wrong, so he did not question her any further. On the contrary, he pretended not to notice anything and chatted with Gu Zhi Xin like normal.
That night, Guo Zi Yan took Guo Miao and fled while Blood Swan Continent was unprepared. He learned about the truth of the incident during their escape, and upon hearing that his daughter had been oppressed so terribly in Blood Swan Continent, he was furious and swore to take revenge so that he could obtain justice for her.
Unfortunately, he also knew that he was not strong enough. That was why he planned to return to Yang Kai as quickly as possible. It was a pity that Gu Zhi Xin and his men caught up to them before they could reach the Star City.
If it had only been a case of robbery of the Fourth-Order materials, there might have been a way for this grudge to be resolved. In the worst case, Blood Swan Continent could have provided some compensation for the lost property. Now that Yun Xing Hua had advanced into the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm, the need for cultivation materials would have decreased sharply and while Blood Swan Continent might only be a Third-Class great force, they should still have enough financial resources to compensate for two Fourth-Order materials.
However, of all the things that should never have been done, Gu Zhi Xin had forced Guo Miao to refine a Second-Order material and gather the Second-Order Element Power, essentially cutting off her Martial Dao! How could such a deep hatred be resolved so simply?
Blood Swan Continent probably understood this point too, which was why they immediately sent people to chase after Guo Zi Yan and Guo Miao when they discovered that the two of them had fled. They wanted to cut the weeds and pull out the roots so as to avoid future troubles!
Although Guo Zi Yan had advanced into the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm after refining a Low-Rank World Fruit, the pursuit team dispatched had six Open Heaven Realm Masters in it, so how could he stand a chance against them? Moreover, he had to protect Guo Miao from danger while trying to flee.
Being thoroughly outnumbered in a fierce battle, Guo Zi Yan suffered severe injuries. He knew that they were in critical danger and the only way out was to risk everything he had and fight for his life. Therefore, he fought hard and managed to kill two Second-Order Open Heaven Realm enemies. Even so, he could not escape. It was at the critical moment that Yang Kai and the others arrived on the scene. There was no need to explain what happened after that.
“Blood Swan Continent? Very good!” Yang Kai sneered. He had felt a little sympathetic towards Yun Xing Hua when he heard that the other party had been suppressed and forced to advance to the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm at the inn back in the Star City. Thinking about his own possible future encounters, Yang Kai even felt a small amount of comradery as they seemed to share a similar fate.
But, it would seem that the bastard did not deserve any sympathy at all. Even if Yun Xing Hua had been oblivious to the fact that Gu Zhi Xin had forcibly seized Guo Miao’s two Fourth-Order materials, how could he still claim to not know anything when Gu Zhi Xin brought men to hunt down Guo Zi Yan and Guo Miao?
Yue He turned to look at Yang Kai, “Young Master, what do you plan to do?”
It wasn’t just her. Lang Qing Shan, the shaved-headed man, and the others also turned to look at him. They had been with Guo Zi Yan for a lot longer than they had served under Yang Kai. Back when they were still with Scarlet Star, these people had been Guo Zi Yan’s direct subordinates. Guo Zi Yan usually took good care of them and even saved them from danger numerous times. At this moment, he had nearly been killed while his daughter had also been horribly mistreated. It was only natural that they shared the same hatred. Their eyes were practically blazing with the flames of rage.
“We shall never forgive those who dared to touch our people. Turn around. We head for Blood Swan Continent. This King will seek justice from this Yun Xing Hua himself. I want to see if he really has three heads and six arms to have such courage!”
The expressions of Lang Qing Shan and the others immediately turned serious and they quickly went off to carry out their orders.
Guo Miao was stunned for a moment, but feeling both grateful and anxious she tried to intercede, “Sir, Blood Swan Continent is not weak. We only have so few people…”
Yang Kai smiled, “The woman next to you is in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. What does a trivial Blood Swan Continent count for in front of her?”
Guo Miao turned to Yue He, so shocked that she raised her hand to cover her small mouth. She could tell that Yue He was in the Open Heaven Realm. Furthermore, the other party had to have been in the Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm to kill those people from Blood Swan Continent so effortlessly. Even so, she never imagined that Yue He would be in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm!
Falling Lotus cut through the void and sped in the direction of Blood Swan Continent.
At the same time, the grand bell tolled in Blood Swan Continent loudly. The noise resounded through the sky, alarming countless disciples who quickly looked up to the Main Hall located at its very centre.
One of Blood Swan Continent’s disciples counted how many times the bells tolled with a solemn expression. When the bell stopped ringing, he exclaimed with a pale expression, “The bell tolled nine times! That is the death knell indicating that an Elder has passed away! Which Elder is it?”
A disciple next to him responded, “There are four Elders in Blood Swan Continent and none of them are approaching their predestined time of death. Did something unexpected happen to them?”
A third person spoke up, “I saw Elder Gu leaving with a group of people just now. I don’t know what they were doing, but they were extremely aggressive and brimming with murderous intent. Could it be that Elder Gu was killed?”
While the disciples were conversing among each other, numerous figures flew out from all over Blood Swan Continent and rushed towards the Main Hall. These were the Open Heaven Realm Masters of Blood Swan Continent. There were not many of them, but they were not that few either. There were a total of more than twenty people. Among these twenty or so people, three were in the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm while the others were either in the First or Second-Order. They served a variety of positions within Blood Swan Continent but upon hearing the tolling of the bell, they immediately converged.
The figures quickly flew into the Main Hall where a middle-aged man with a handsome appearance sat in the head seat. This man had black hair, but there were streaks of grey at his temples that made him seem weathered but experienced in the vicissitudes of life. This middle-aged man was none other than the Sect Master of Blood Swan Continent, Yun Xing Hua.
A burly Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master with heavy-set arms and a thick waist strode in and looked around. Seeing everybody looking extremely gloomy, he frowned and cupped his fists, “Sect Master, whose death knell was it?”
Yun Xing Hua replied solemnly, “Elder Gu Zhi Xin!”
The Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master stared at Yun Xing Hua in shock and exclaimed, “How can that be!? Just yesterday, I was having a drink with Elder Gu! He was perfectly fine at the time. Besides, didn’t he just receive that Scarlet Star Great Commander as a guest? Could it be that his death is related to Guo Zi Yan?”
Yun Xing Hua nodded heavily, “I believe so.”
The Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was furious, “That bastard surnamed Guo sure is brave! How dare he murder Elder Gu in Blood Swan Continent!? Where is he right now!? I will immediately go and wring his neck!”
A weak-looking man dressed like a scholar standing next to him commented, “Guo Zi Yan quietly fled last night. He is no longer in Blood Swan Continent.”
The burly man frowned, “Fled? What do you mean?”
Yun Xing Hua said, “This incident is ultimately this King’s fault. Haa… Elder Gu also died because of me. This King has wronged him.”
The burly man was puzzled, “Sect Master, what happened exactly?”
This burly man was not the only one who was puzzled. Many others in the Man Hall were completely lost too.
Yun Xing Hua explained, “Do you remember that this King was in retreat for my breakthrough recently? I consumed a lot of Blood Swan Continent’s cultivation resources during that time. Blood Swan Continent had a shallow heritage in the first place, so it could not withstand such a heavy consumption. Moreover, I miscalculated the resources that I required, and at a critical juncture during my retreat, I discovered that the resources I had were not enough. Therefore, I sent a message to Elder Gu to ask him to help me. If I could not receive the necessary supply of resources in time, it was very likely that my previous efforts would be forfeited.”
Most of the 20 or so people in the Main Hall looked surprised upon hearing this. That was because they were oblivious to this fact. Nevertheless, Yun Xing Hua was the Sect Master of Blood Swan Continent, so if he could advance into the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm, it would greatly improve the entire Blood Swan Continent’s situation; therefore, nobody felt that anything was out of place even though it was their first time learning about this.
“And, then?” The burly man asked.
Yun Xing Hua continued his explanation, “Elder Gu lived up to my expectations, soon sending over two Fourth-Order materials. It was by relying on these two resources that this King was able to successfully achieve my breakthrough.”
The burly man frowned. Although he was rambunctious, his mind was fairly sharp. He vaguely sensed that something was wrong and hesitated, “Sect Master, is there something wrong with the two Fourth-Order materials?”
Yun Xing Hua nodded, “Indeed, Elder Guan. The problem lies in the two Fourth-Order materials. At the time, I was curious as to how Elder Gu managed to obtain two Fourth-Order materials so quickly, but I did not ask him much about it since my cultivation was at a critical juncture. I simply had him exchange them for appropriate resources at the Star City which I then absorbed wholeheartedly. Afterwards, I successfully advanced into the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm and came out of retreat. It can be said that it’s all thanks to Elder Gu’s meritorious deeds that this King was able to advance into the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm!
“After I came out of retreat, I asked Elder Gu about the materials again, and he reported that he accidentally came across them a long time ago. I was extremely grateful towards him and prepared to compensate him well in the future. To my surprise though, I learned that things were not quite so simple when Guo Zi Yan appeared on our doorstep two days ago. The two Fourth-Order materials did not actually belong to Elder Gu. Rather, it belonged to one of his Low-Rank Disciples, Guo Miao. Guo Miao’s aptitude was not bad and originally had hopes of achieving the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm directly, so Guo Zi Yan prepared the two Fourth-Order materials for her in advance. This was something Elder Gu had known about for a long time. When he received this King’s message, he borrowed the two Fourth-Order materials from her, and thereby, planted the root of this disaster.”
After listening to his explanation, many of the Open Heaven Realm Masters inside the Main Hall revealed strange expressions. They were not fools. After being acquainted with Gu Zhi Xin for so many years, they had a clear understanding of his character. Unfortunately, Gu Zhi Xin probably used forceful methods to obtain the two Fourth-Order materials from Guo Miao. It was definitely not something as simple as ‘borrowing’. It could even be said that it was unclear whether the Sect Master himself was aware of what actually happened at the time.
“When Guo Zi Yan came looking for his daughter, Blood Swan Continent played the part of a good host. So, I have no idea why he decided to flee in the middle of the night. Elder Gu was worried that Guo Zi Yan might have some sort of misunderstanding, so he chased after them in order to explain himself. But… a disciple reported to me just now that Elder Gu’s Soul Lamp went out all of a sudden!” Yun Xing Hua’s expression was full of grief, as if he was sorrowful beyond words, “It was not only Elder Gu. The Soul Lamps of Deacon Xiong, Hall Master Ran, and three others that all went out one after the other.”
“What!?” There was an uproar in the Main Hall when this news broke. Everyone craned their necks to look around, and sure enough, they did not see the people whose names Yun Xing Hua just mentioned. Counting Gu Zhi Xin, Blood Swan Continent had lost six Open Heaven Realm Masters all at once. While this kind of loss might not be crippling for Blood Swan Continent, it was still severely damaging.
“Moreover…” Yun Xing Hua had an extremely grave expression as he looked around the hall and continued slowly, “The Soul Lamps of Elder Gu and Deacon Xiong and two others were extinguished at essentially the same moment!”
A series of gasps rang out through the hall. Many Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters suddenly turned as pale as a sheet. If the deaths of Gu Zhi Xin and the other five people had shocked them, then the fact that multiple Soul Lamps had gone out at the same moment positively terrified them. The Soul Lamps going out at the same time meant that these people had likely been killed with a single blow. They could not help but make certain assumptions with this kind of information.
Gu Zhi Xin was in the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm. On the other hand, the others were all in the Second-Order Open Heaven Realm. The destructive power they could exert when working together could not be considered weak. Just what kind of existence could slaughter them all in an instant? A Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would not be able to pull off something like that. The only ones who could do this were in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm or a Master above the Fifth-Order!
“Could it be that Zhao Bai Chuan made a move personally!?” The burly man surnamed Guan had an extremely solemn expression on his face.
It was only natural that he made such an assumption. Guo Zi Yan was a part of Scarlet Star while Zhao Bai Chuan was the Head Manager of Scarlet Star. It would make sense if Zhao Bai Chuan helped Guo Zi Yan.
Yun Xing Hua stood up slowly, “It doesn’t matter who slaughtered Elder Gu and the others. Everyone, Blood Swan Continent will soon face a huge catastrophe. The slightest carelessness will lead to a disastrous situation. I hope that all of you will stand with this King to face this possible crisis together.”
Somebody stepped forward, “Sect Master, are you saying that the person who killed Elder Gu and the others will come to cause trouble for Blood Swan Continent?”
Yun Xing Hua nodded, “I cannot rule out this possibility.”
That person followed up, “Even if it was Zhao Bai Chuan who attacked us, he is only in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm. It is true that there is nobody in Blood Swan Continent who could be his opponent, but if he wanted to attack this place… It won’t be so easy.”
Yun Xing Hua replied, “If it were only Zhao Bai Chuan alone, then there is nothing for Blood Swan Continent to fear. We can rely on the Defensive Grand Array to protect ourselves. What can he do to Blood Swan Continent even if he is in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm? But if you believe that is all we have to worry about, then you underestimate the situation in Scarlet Star. They have several Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters and dozens in the Low-Rank. I don’t know where they have been hiding for the past decade, but their strength is no trivial matter now that they have returned.”
The weak-looking scholar from before said, “If that’s the case, Blood Swan Continent will not be able to fight back against them. Sect Master, I suggest we ask Shocking Swan Pavilion for help! Shocking Swan Territory is Shocking Swan Pavilion’s territory and Blood Swan Continent is affiliated with them. It is not Scarlet Star’s place to run wild!”
Yun Xing Hua revealed a complicated look in his eyes as he slowly shook his head, “I’m afraid it’s too late. If anyone really wants to cause trouble for Blood Swan Continent, they will appear in at most a day or two. Even if we ask Shocking Swan Pavilion for help, they won’t be able to make it in time. Besides, Shocking Swan Pavilion… might not be willing to lend us a hand.”
Upon hearing that, everybody’s expression became gloomy.
Yun Xing Hua had been suppressed by Shocking Swan Pavilion in the past. He was forced to advance to the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm when he could have broken through to the Fourth-Order. Now that he worked hard to cultivate for tens of years and finally regained the strength of a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, Shocking Swan Pavilion would not be pleased with this turn of events. If they really asked Shocking Swan Pavilion for help, they did not know what kind of price they would need to pay. Shocking Swan Pavilion might even take the chance to put forward some harsh conditions to suppress them further.
“Don’t mention asking for help again. I hope all of you will remain vigilant during this period. If there are any strange movements from the outside, report them immediately!”
“Yes!” Everybody responded loudly before scattering in all directions.
Once everybody had left, Yun Xing Hua finally gashed his teeth and viciously slammed his fist against the armrest of his chair, gritting his teeth as he cursed, “Gu Zhi Xin, you incompetent bastard!”
Yun Xing Hua had been suppressed and forced to advance into the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm, and now that he obtained the strength of a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he finally saw hopes towards the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm. With his aptitude, it would not be difficult for him to advance into the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm within 200 years if he had enough resources.
That would also be around the time the Old Pavilion Master of Shocking Swan Pavilion died. Aside from the old ghost of Shocking Swan Pavilion, Yun Xing Hua thought little of the others. When he obtained the strength of a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, there would be nobody else in the entire Shocking Swan Territory who could be his opponent. Dominating the entire Shocking Swan Territory and using Shocking Swan Territory to lord over Shocking Swan Pavilion would not be a difficult task. Only then could he take revenge for his grudge of being suppressed back then!
His beautiful dream had only just begun, and yet, he was faced with such a turn of events. That unknown powerful enemy could slaughter four Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters in an instant. Yun Xing Hua had to admit that he was not this enemy’s opponent. Even if they relied on Blood Swan Continent’s Grand Array, they might not be able to stop the enemy. He couldn’t help feeling a little lost as to what he should do in the future!
Despite pondering gloomily for a while, Yun Xing Hua came up with no countermeasure whatsoever. He could only hope that the enemy was not that powerful and would retreat in the face of difficulties.
Unfortunately, his hopes were crushed to pieces in just one day.
Following a loud sound, the entire Blood Swan Continent seemed to shake as a violent force impacted it. Blood Swan Continent was struck by a disaster. The slightly weaker disciples began bleeding from their seven orifices from the impact of the shock and chaos soon spread. Some even passed out, unable to take the impact.
Yun Xing Hua came out of the place where he had been cultivating and lifting his gaze, he immediately saw an enormous lotus outside of Blood Swan Continent’s Grand Array. The lotus rotated slowly and every flower petal was exquisitely crafted, like the most beautiful work of art. Even so, he could sense an amazing power from it.
This was definitely an artifact that only a Second-Class great force could produce. Moreover, it would need to be a Second-Class great force with quite a strong heritage. Shocking Swan Pavilion had a similar artifact called Shocking Swan Platform, which cost countless resources to create.
Yun Xing Hua’s mouth was instantly filled with bitterness at the sight.
At this moment, the Defensive Grand Array of Blood Swan Continent had been activated and a transparent light barrier enveloped the entire Spirit Province. However, there was a deep indentation at one spot of the light barrier that was slowly restoring itself. Yun Xing Hua’s face twitched slightly at the sight when he realised that the indentation was caused by the lotus ramming into the Grand Array.
[Just who is inside that lotus!? I can’t believe they used an artifact like that to forcefully try to break Blood Swan Continent’s Defensive Grand Array! Are they insane!?]
It had to be said that while this kind of artifact might be powerful, it was also extremely expensive to produce. Repairing such an artifact was no easy feat once it was damaged; therefore, artifacts like this would generally be loved and cherished greatly no matter the great force that owned it. They would not allow the artifact to be damaged easily. On the contrary, this person was using the lotus artifact to smash into the Grand Array directly.
[What violent and ruthless methods.] Just as that thought crossed Yun Xing Hua’s mind, he saw the lotus backing up by several dozen kilometres. Then, it turned into a stream of light and charged towards Blood Swan Continent again.
Yun Xing Hua felt as though his eyes were about to pop out of their sockets. A chill surged up from the soles of his feet to the top of his head in an instant and without any hesitation whatsoever, he summoned the Array Jade and desperately poured his power into it, urgently mobilising the strength of the Defensive Grand Array.
The World Energy of Blood Swan Continent instantly felt like it had been siphoned away. Everything was directed into the Grand Array to enhance its strength. The transparent light barrier quickly became more solid, as though several layers had been added to it.
The process had only just been completed when the lotus collided directly with the light barrier, which caved inward so deeply that the changes were visible to the naked eye. The enormous lotus was like a Divine sword falling from the Heavens, stabbing into Blood Swan Continent’s vitals, giving off the impression that it wanted to smash Blood Swan Continent to pieces.
There was a loud booming explosion and Blood Swan Continent experienced another earthquake. The illusory phantom of a Small Universe appeared behind Yun Xing Hua’s back for a moment before vanishing and his World Force fluctuated.
The power of the Grand Array did not disappoint as the thick light barrier was like a rubber ball that caused the lotus to bounce backwards. However, it took a very long time for the dented portion of the light barrier to recover.
Yun Xing Hua groaned and staggered backwards. Blood was trickling out of his mouth and nose and his complexion was slightly pale. As the person controlling Blood Swan Continent’s Grand Array, his mind was connected to it; hence, he was also affected by the backlash when Blood Swan Continent was struck by the impact.
“Sect Master!” Numerous figures rushed over and stood next to him, looking outward with expressions of shock and horror.
Yun Xing Hua suppressed the churning vitality in his body and shouted across the Grand Array, “These friends! Please stop! I have something to say!”
He originally placed his hopes in the Defensive Grand Array, but it would now seem that his hopes were in vain. Although the Defensive Grand Array remained strong and did not break, he could not withstand much more himself. The lotus would only need to slam into the Grand Array another 3 to 5 times before he would be severely injured. At that time, without someone to control it, the Grand Array would collapse on its own.
There was no response from the enormous lotus; instead, it pulled back once more to create a distance of over a hundred kilometres before turning into a stream of light and shooting towards Blood Swan Continent again.
*Hong…*
The collision shook the sky. Countless Blood Swan Continent disciples passed out on the spot and even those in the Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm seemed unable to withstand the impact of the collision. They staggered slightly, their expressions turning grim.
Meanwhile, Yun Xing Hua spat out a mouthful of fresh blood and his aura withered all of a sudden. He was the one in charge of the Defensive Grand Array after all, so he received the most direct impact.
Nevertheless, Blood Swan Continent’s Defensive Grand Array held even after the 3 ramming blows. That was the strength of the Spirit Array. Even if Blood Swan Continent was only a Third-Class great force, it could rely on the power of its Grand Array to defend against an invading enemy that was stronger than itself.
On the other hand, the glow of the enormous lotus faded slightly after the 3 impacts. It would seem that it had been damaged as a result.
A delicate woman’s voice came from inside the lotus, “Xiao Guo Miao, the Young Master has helped you vent your anger. If you have not had enough, we can continue ramming them. We will break this tortoise shell and trample flat Blood Swan Continent.”
Inside Blood Swan Continent, many of the Open Heaven Realm Masters nearly spat blood at those words. [Such a violent and crazy approach was just to help Guo Miao vent her anger!? Just what kind of lunatic is hidden inside that lotus!?]
While they were trembling in fear, they heard a young girl’s voice, “Many thanks, Senior. This disciple only wishes for my father to be safe and sound. I don’t care about anything else.”
Elder Guan stood next to Yun Xing Hua and whispered, “That’s Guo Miao’s voice.”
Guo Miao had lived in Blood Swan Continent for many years. Since Elder Guan knew about her identity, it was only natural that he could also recognise her voice.
Yun Xing Hua nodded solemnly. He had long guessed the murderer who killed Gu Zhi Xin and the others would not leave things be. It was just that he never imagined they would appear outside Blood Swan Continent so quickly. Taking a deep breath, he suppressed the rage in his heart and cupped his fists, “Blood Swan Continent Yun Xing Hua offers his greetings. May I know to whom I am speaking? Will you show yourselves?”
The lotus floating in the sky spun slowly. Then, an opening appeared in the gaps between two flower petals and two people emerged from within that opening. One was a brave and heroic young man. He stood with his hands behind his back with an indifferent expression on his face while the other one was a beautiful and charming woman.
Yun Xing Hua’s eyes contracted at the sight. That was because, among the two people who appeared, he could sense a terrifying aura coming from the woman. That aura was something he only felt from the Old Pavilion Master of Shocking Swan Pavilion before.
“Sixth-Order!” Elder Guan exclaimed, his expression instantly becoming extremely ugly.
The other Open Heaven Realm Masters also felt their hearts sinking in their chest. Their expressions were gloomy and their nervous gulping was faintly audible. [A Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master!? Blood Swan Continent has kicked an iron plate this time! We’re doomed!]
No wonder Gu Zhi Xin, as well as the other Deacons and Hall Masters, were killed in an instant! It turned out that the other party was in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm! How could any Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master fight back against such mighty strength?
Nevertheless, despite guessing that Gu Zhi Xin and the others had died at the hands of this beautiful woman, the many Open Heaven Realm Masters in Blood Swan Continent did not dare to hold the slightest resentment or vengeful feelings against her.
There was only one Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in the entire Shocking Swan Territory, and that was the Old Pavilion Master of Shocking Swan Pavilion. He had oppressed Shocking Swan Territory for thousands of years and reigned supreme in this place, dominating Shocking Swan Territory under him. Nobody dared to disobey him. That showed just how tyrannical the strength of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was.
Even if Blood Swan Continent had asked Shocking Swan Pavilion for help, Shocking Swan Pavilion would probably refuse to interfere in this chaos. How could the Old Pavilion Master, who was approaching his predestined time of death, dare to offend another Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master for Blood Swan Continent?
Yun Xing Hua looked at the young man standing in front of the woman with a bitter expression. That young man’s aura was obscure, but it was obvious he was only in the Emperor Realm. Even so, Yun Xing Hua did not dare to underestimate the other party. Rather, his expression became even more solemn than before.
This couldn’t be helped. That was because the young man’s position was actually one step ahead of that woman in the Sixth Order! What did that mean? That undoubtedly meant that the young man’s status was higher than hers. It could even be said that the woman in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm was nothing more than his subordinate!
Yun Xing Hua felt cold sweat oozing out of his forehead. He had the vague feeling that he had accidentally provoked an extraordinary existence. Suppressing the fear in his heart, he politely cupped his fists and quickly said, “Blood Swan Continent Yun Xing Hua greets two guests. May I know how I should address you?”
Yang Kai was expressionless and said nothing while on the other hand, Yue He smilingly replied, “The Young Master is the Master of Void Land, Void True Monarch.”
A trivial nobody in the Emperor Realm was clearly not qualified to call himself ‘True Monarch’, but nobody found those words strange given the circumstances.
Yun Xing Hua frowned slightly and his heart was filled with doubts. He could tell that Void Land was a Second-Class great force, but he had never heard of this name before. Still, he adjusted quickly, “So it is Sir True Monarch. I did not know that you were coming to visit Blood Swan Continent. Please forgive us for our lack of hospitality. It’s just… is there some kind of misunderstanding? Why did you attack Blood Swan Continent’s Grand Array, True Monarch? Has Blood Swan Continent done something to offend you?”
There had never been a time when he had to speak so respectfully towards an Emperor Realm Junior, but there was no helping it; his strength could not compare to the other party, so he could only lower his head.
Yue He was still smiling, but her smile seemed extremely terrifying in the eyes of the many Open Heaven Realm Masters in Blood Swan Continent.
“Don’t you know what Blood Swan Continent has done? Why ask when you already know the answer?”
Yun Xing Hua’s expression became tortured but he forced a smile onto his face and said, “Madame, please enlighten me. This Yun has been in retreat and has only come out recently, so I am not too aware of the events in the outside world.”
“Are you sure?” Yue He looked at him meaningfully, but her tone was leisurely.
Under her gaze, Yun Xing Hua felt as though he was being watched by an ancient Ominous Beast and could die at any moment. Thus, the cold sweat on his forehead kept sliding down his cheeks. The pressure was as heavy as a mountain as the wheels in his head spun at a dizzying speed, trying to think of a way to resolve the current crisis.
At this moment, the weak-looking scholar stepped forward and spoke in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft, “Sect Master, I’m afraid this incident might be related to Elder Gu.”
“What do you mean?” Yun Xing Hua pretended not to know anything, glancing at the scholar suspiciously.
The scholar replied, “I seem to have heard Guo Miao’s voice coming from inside the lotus just now. Guo Miao is one of the Disciples under Elder Gu and the daughter of one of Scarlet Star’s Great Commanders, Guo Zi Yan. In the past, Commander Guo sent Guo Miao to Blood Swan Continent to take Elder Gu as her Master and cultivate under him. The day before yesterday, Commander Guo came to Blood Swan Continent to take Guo Miao away. Naturally, Elder Gu had no objections. The two of them had a long conversation with each other over drinks, but I have no idea what happened after their talk. Since Guo Miao is here, then this incident must have something to do with that event.”
“Something like this happened?” Yun Xing Hua frowned and looked around. He shouted, “Where is Elder Gu? Come forward and explain this situation.”
The scholar replied, “Sect Master, Elder Gu is dead. His Soul Lamp went out all of a sudden. I was just about to report this matter to you, but I didn’t get the chance to do so.”
“What!?” Yun Xing Hua was shocked, “Elder Gu is dead!?”
“Elder Gu is not the only one. The Soul Lamps of several other Deacons and Hall Masters were also extinguished at the same time.”
Yun Xing Hua’s expression went pale all of a sudden as he spoke in a distressed voice, “How can this be?”
Seeming to mourn their deaths for a moment, he raised his head again to look at Yue He and Yang Kai, “May I know if Your Excellency’s arrival at Blood Swan Continent is related to Gu Zhi Xin? If that’s the case, I’m afraid you will be disappointed. Elder Gu was killed by an unknown party and even his Soul Lamp has been extinguished.”
“No need to wonder, I killed him!” Yue He said lightly.
Yun Xing Hua widened his eyes and stared at her in disbelief, “Madame, why did you kill one of Blood Swan Continent’s Elders? What did Elder Gu do to offend you?”
Yue He just stared at him deeply and only after a long while passed did she slowly shake her head and look at Yang Kai, “Young Master.”
Yang Kai clapped his hands slowly, “I heard that the Sect Master of Blood Swan Continent was suppressed by Shocking Swan Pavilion in the past, but he endured the disgrace and the humiliation while working to build himself back up. Therefore, I originally thought that the Sect Master of Blood Swan Continent would be a resilient and flexible man who could achieve great things given time. But, it seems now that he is nothing more than a clown!”
Yun Xing Hua snapped angrily, “Why do you say that, True Monarch?”
Yang Kai looked at Yun Xing Hua indifferently, “Sect Master, don’t you think that your acting is too clumsy? Who could you deceive with such a shoddy performance? For your next act, do you expect me to tell you that Gu Zhi Xin not only stole the two Fourth-Order materials that Commander Guo gave to his daughter but also forced her to refine a Second-Order Element in order to cut off her future Martial Dao? Then, to prevent any future trouble, he teamed up with several other Open Heaven Realm Masters of Blood Swan Continent to hunt down Commander Guo and his daughter? Are you going to tell me that you were completely oblivious to everything that was going on? Was it all done by Gu Zhi Xin alone?”
“Two Fourth-Order materials?” Yun Xing Hua was stunned by what he heard, “Elder Gu did give me two Fourth-Order materials to help me in my cultivation while I was in retreat. Could it be that those two materials belonged to Guo Miao?”
After saying that, he seemed extremely annoyed, “Foolish! How foolish! As one of the Elders of Blood Swan Continent Elder, how could Elder Gu actually steal the resources of his Disciples!? Such practices are against the ethics a Master should abide by!”
Yang Kai nodded in praise, “Sect Master, your acting skills are superb indeed. This King is impressed!”
Yun Xing Hua spoke with a stern expression, “True Monarch, you are misunderstanding me. I really had no clue about this matter. If I had known earlier…”
Before Yun Xing Hua could finish speaking, Yang Kai raised a hand to interrupt the other party. He leaned forward slightly and looked down at Yun Xing Hua condescendingly, “Did you think this King came here to argue with you? Regardless of whether you knew anything about this matter or not, it doesn’t change the fact that somebody from Blood Swan Continent stole from one of my people then attempted to kill them to cover up the crime. Commander Guo was also injured by the people from Blood Swan Continent. If not for this King’s timely rescue, he and his daughter would not be alive today. Commander Guo is a member of Void Land. The people of Void Land are not people that mere bastards like you lot can bully.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Yue He let out a tender shout as she gave a flick of her wrist and summoned a long whip into her hand. The whip flew through the air and lashed against the light barrier of Blood Swan Continent’s Grand Array. The light barrier caved inward deeply and successfully blocked this terrifying blow, but Yue He simply flicked her wrist again and lash her whip once more.
At the same time, the huge lotus suddenly split apart. The lotus flower petals flew out, slicing at the Grand Array from every direction like sharp blades. That was not all. Yang Kai also raised his hand and summoned the Yuan Magnetic Divine Bottle Gourd, opened its lid, and unleashed the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light towards the Defensive Grand Array.
The rumbling sounds were incessant and the entire Blood Swan Continent shook violently as its World Energy became chaotic. Many of the Open Heaven Realm Masters went pale at the sight and all of them turned to look at Yun Xing Hua.
Yun Xing Hua had re-summoned the Array Jade and focused the power of the Defensive Grand Array the moment Yang Kai and the others started attacking. Still, he perceived that the Grand Array was collapsing extremely quickly. His heart couldn’t help sinking to the bottom of the abyss.
Blood Swan Continent was only a Third-Class great force, so even though it had a Defensive Grand Array, its power was still relatively weak. They might have been able to resist if they had a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master on their side, but unfortunately, they did not.
Yue He was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so how could Blood Swan Continent’s Grand Array possibly stop her? Not to mention, Lang Qing Shan and the others were harnessing the power of the Falling Lotus while Yang Kai was controlling the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light to support from the sides!
With such a violent attack, it would take less than an hour before the Grand Array collapsed completely. When that happened, nobody in Blood Swan Continent would be able to stop the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master from slaughtering them, regardless of their advantage in numbers.
“True Monarch, please stop! This really is a misunderstanding!” Yun Xing Hua shouted in a frenzy, his face dripping with cold sweat.
Yang Kai was unmoved by those words and on the contrary, his attacks became fiercer. He urged the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light more savagely than before. The Yuan Magnetic Divine Light could unleash a Sixth-Order Element Power, which was extremely powerful; however, it was still just one Element. Its destructive power was incomparable to that of a genuine Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like Yue He. After all, what an Open Heaven Realm Master mobilised was World Force which blended Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements. Even so, the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light was much more powerful compared to his own strength as an Emperor Realm Cultivator.
When Yun Xing Hua saw Yang Kai ignoring him, he shouted again, “Blood Swan Continent is willing to compensate you for your losses, True Monarch! Please show mercy!”
Yang Kai sneered, “You want to bargain now? Too late!”
If Yun Xing Hua had dispelled the Defensive Grand Array at the start and apologised properly, Yang Kai might not have decided to be so cruel; after all, it was not right for him to continue attacking if the other party was not fighting back. Besides, the culprit, Gu Zhi Xin, was already dead. Even if Yun Xing Hua knew about the incident beforehand, he was not the mastermind. However, Yun Xing Hua mistakenly believed that he could worm his way out of any blame by feigning ignorance. How could Yang Kai tolerate his actions?
Seeing that Yang Kai was so determined, Yun Xing Hua despaired. He could only desperately mobilise the power of the Grand Array to resist, but he knew that he was simply drinking poison to quench his thirst. There was no way to stop the impending disaster in front of him just by relying on Blood Swan Continent’s Defensive Grand Array. But, what was he to do if he did not resist? Was he supposed to allow himself to be slaughtered?
Turning his head and looking around, he saw that the Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters looked as sorrowful as grieving widows and their complexions were grey with fear. Many of the disciples were also shivering and panicking. Yun Xing Hua sighed in his heart, knowing that Blood Swan Continent was doomed. At that moment, he wished with all his heart that he could drag the dead Gu Zhi Xin back from the Yellow Springs and give Gu Zhi Xin a brutal whipping.
*Kacha…*
The sound of something shattering rang out. In less than a stick of incense’s worth of time, numerous spider web-like cracks appeared in the Defensive Grand Array surrounding the entire Blood Swan Continent under the constant bombardment of Yue He, Yang Kai, and the Falling Lotus.
Yun Xing Hua might have been desperately drawing upon his power to reinforce the Grand Array, but it was nothing more than a struggle in vain.
Soon, the Grand Array collapsed, accompanied by a violent burst of energy fluctuations. As if struck by lightning, Yun Xing Hua spat out fresh blood and his complexion turned pale.
An invisible pressure spread out in an instant, enveloping the entire Blood Swan Continent. The weight of the pressure felt as though a thousand Universe Worlds were pressing down on everybody’s heads. It made them unable to breathe and caused despair to grow in their hearts. That was the majesty of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master!
Every single Open Heaven Realm Master in Blood Swan Continent trembled like a quail without a nest in the middle of winter. They stared at the beautiful and charming woman in the sky with a mixture of shock and horror. None of them could muster the slightest resistance, much less the courage to fight her.
Yang Kai appeared in front of Yun Xing Hua in a flash. He kicked him to the ground and stepped on the latter’s chest before pressing the Azure Dragon Spear against the latter’s forehead and asking coldly, “Tell me; how do you want to die?”
Yun Xing Hua raised his gaze to stare at Yang Kai, his mouth filled with the taste of blood and humiliation. With his strength as a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, it would not be difficult for him to kill this Emperor Realm brat in front of him if he lashed out violently; however, he did not dare to act rashly. That was because the woman’s Divine Sense was firmly locked onto him and her beautiful eyes were gleaming with a cold light. If he so much as twitched suspiciously, a storm of attacks would rain down upon him and he would die on the spot before he could make a move.
Despite the stifling feeling in his heart, Yun Xing Hua did not dare to make any strange moves. He suppressed his unwillingness and backed down, “Please have mercy, True Monarch! Blood Swan Continent is willing to provide compensation and apologise!”
“What’s the point of compensation and an apology?” Yang Kai’s expression was frosty, “This King came here today to seek justice for my people. I will let the 3,000 Worlds know that nobody can oppress the people of Void Land! Hurry up and choose the way you wish to die! This King might just let you keep a whole corpse!”
Yun Xing Hua felt his heart sinking into the abyss. He never imagined that Yang Kai would be so resolute, refusing to give face whatsoever.
At this moment, Yue He’s expression changed as she informed, “Young Master, Commander Guo has awoken.”
“Oh?” Yang Kai raised his head to look in the direction of the Falling Lotus. His Divine Sense spread out and sure enough, he could sense that Guo Zi Yan had woken up.
At this moment, Guo Zi Yan walked out of the Falling Lotus with Guo Miao’s help. When he looked around, he was shocked to discover that Yun Xing Hua was being trampled underfoot by Yang Kai and could not move. Many of Blood Swan Continent’s Open Heaven Realm Masters were frozen in place with panicked looks on their faces, as though a Binding Technique had been used on them. In addition, there were countless Blood Swan Continent disciples lying unconscious on the ground in the surroundings.
He immediately understood what was going on. Yang Kai had attacked Blood Swan Continent!
[What a domineering approach!] Looking at the current situation, it would seem that Blood Swan Continent was completely incapable of fighting back. That was no surprise though as how could a Third-Class great force stop a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like Yue He?
“Commander Guo, your injuries have yet to heal. You should be recuperating right now. Why did you come out?” Yang Kai looked at Guo Zi Yan.
Guo Zi Yan exhaled lightly, “Many thanks, Sir, for your concern. This subordinate’s injuries are not an issue and will recover fully with a few days’ rest. It’s my daughter… She has something to ask of you, Sir.”
Yang Kai looked at Guo Miao with a light expression and gently nodded, “Your Father serves under me, and although it has not been long, he is very loyal to this King and has made many worthy contributions. You are his only offspring and the most valuable existence in his life. A person he is willing to give up his life to protect. Go ahead and tell me what you want. As long as it is within this King’s abilities, I will not refuse you!”
Guo Miao hurriedly bowed when she heard those words, “This disciple would like to thank you in advance, Sir. This disciple… This disciple has no other wish. I just hope that Sir can show mercy. Please spare the Sect Master and Elders. Please spare Blood Swan Continent.”
As soon as her statement came out, not only did Yang Kai look surprised, even the Open Heaven Realm Masters of Blood Swan Continent looked astonished. The eyes of Yun Xing Hua, who did not dare to move under Yang Kai’s foot, glimmered with a sliver of hope.
Guo Zi Yan seemed to have anticipated what his daughter would say, so he was not surprised and simply let out a sigh.
“Are you certain?” Yang Kai stared directly into Guo Miao’s eyes, as though he was trying to stare into the depths of her Soul, “Gu Zhi Xin stole your resources and forced you to refine a Second-Order Element to cut off your future. Earlier, he also hunted you and your Father down with a group of men. You and your Father nearly lost your lives in the void. If not for this King’s timely arrival, you two would not be alive right now. As the Sect Master of Blood Swan Continent, it is bad enough that Yun Xing Hua failed to shelter and take care of a disciple like you, but he even condoned the crimes of Gu Zhi Xin. When this King came here to question him about the incident, he feigned ignorance about the matter. Such a villain, such a filthy place; are you sure you want me to be merciful?”
Guo Miao lowered her head, “Honoured… Gu Zhi Xin stole my resources and cut off my future. I hate him for that. His death is not worth pitying. I won’t lie to you, Sir. I used to dream countless times about taking revenge one day. I wanted him to die the most painful death. But, now that this day is here, this Disciple only feels sadness and for some reason, I am very unhappy.”
While speaking, her eyes reddened slightly and tears flowed out of the corner of her eyes. Guo Zi Yan lightly patted her on the shoulder and pulled her into his embrace.
Yang Kai’s eyes flashed as he could vaguely understand the contradiction in her heart; after all, she was practically raised by Gu Zhi Xin. Guo Zi Yan had sent her to Blood Swan Continent when she was very young, so having lost her Mother at a young age and parted with her real Father, she had struggled to survive as a child. In her eyes, Gu Zhi Xin was the closest person to her besides her Father. However, the closest person to her had harmed her during the most important juncture of her life. He forced her to condense a Second-Order Element despite her aptitude to help another reach the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Therefore, she hated him and cursed him with all her heart. Even so, her great hatred could not entirely erase the gratitude she had towards him for raising and teaching her.
Her gratitude and her hatred were in conflict, causing her emotions to become turbulent. It was only natural for her to feel sad. Rather, nobody with the slightest conscience in them would be able to bear watching Blood Swan Continent be wiped out.
Guo Miao rubbed at the corner of her eyes and said, “The culprit is dead and my Father and I are safe and sound, so this Disciple asks Sir to show mercy. Please let this matter end here.”
Blood Swan Continent was ultimately the place she grew up in and it could be considered her second family. Despite all the sorrowful happenings, the Fellow Brothers and Sisters that grew up with her and lived with her for many years were here in this place. If Yang Kai slaughtered all the Open Heaven Realm Masters, where would her Fellow Brothers and Sisters go?
After listening to her words, the Open Heaven Realm Masters of Blood Swan Continent all looked ashamed. On the other hand, Yun Xing Hua looked inexplicably grateful. He thought he was going to die, but who could have known that there would be a turning point in this scenario and he still had a chance to survive?
Yang Kai looked at Guo Zi Yan, “Commander Guo, is that also your intention?”
Guo Zi Yan replied, “This subordinate has no other wishes now that he has been reunited with his daughter.”
“Understood!” Yang Kai responded. He lowered his head to look at Yun Xing Hua only to see the other party looking at him beggingly.
When their gazes met, Yun Xing Hua looked like he was trying to force out a smile, but his facial muscles were so stiff that his smile was uglier than his crying face.
“Forget it!” Yang Kai spat disdainfully, “I’ve lost my murderous intent after listening to what the two of you have said. I’ll spare their lives today.”
A burst of relieved exhalation sounded. The Open Heaven Realm Masters of Blood Swan Continent felt as though a mountain had been lifted from their hearts. They immediately relaxed considerably. Looking at each other, they found that each other’s faces were covered in sweat; thus, they couldn’t help smiling ruefully. The feeling of lurking in front of the Gates of Death was horrible indeed.
*Ceng…*
The Azure Dragon Spear slid past Yun Xing Hua’s cheek and stabbed into the ground beside his ear. Yang Kai leaned down and spoke in a sinister voice, “You better be thankful that you took in such a kind-hearted disciple.”
“Yes! Of course!” Yun Xing Hua nodded repeatedly, “Blood Swan Continent will never forget the mercy Guo Miao showed us today!”
Yang Kai continued, “While death may be exempted, punishment may not.” He took out the Loyalty List and flipped to the third page, “Force out your Blood Essence, then record your name and aura here.”
The Loyalty List had a total of nine pages. The first page contained Chen Tian Fei’s name. The second page had Hei He’s name. There used to be a name written on the third page, a subordinate of Old Ancestor Mo Yu. Yang Kai previously used that person to lead Mo Yu into a trap. Unfortunately, that person had a short life. Mo Yu killed him immediately after noticing that something was wrong. Consequently, the name that used to exist on the third page faded away and disappeared.
Guo Miao’s gratitude allowed her to forgive the people of Blood Swan Continent, but Yang Kai was not willing to let them off so easily.
At the moment, Void Land was desperately short of manpower. In particular, there were too few Open Heaven Realm Masters among their ranks. It made handling various matters rather difficult. If he could absorb the Open Heaven Realm Masters of Blood Swan Continent, then he would have enough people to manage Void Territory’s Star City.
He once planned for Lang Qing Shan and the others to take care of the Star City once they advanced into the Open Heaven Realm, but that would take a few more years at least. On the other hand, this group of Open Heaven Realm Masters of Blood Swan Continent would undoubtedly meet his immediate needs. Moreover, Yun Xing Hua was in the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm so he was reluctantly strong enough to manage and maintain the order of the Star City.
Yun Xing Hua might not know the secret behind the Loyalty List, but he instinctively knew that it was not a good thing. Unfortunately, he was a person under the eaves. Yue He’s aura was also firmly locked into him, so how could he resist?
Fortunately for him, he was a rather flexible individual. Having been suppressed by Shocking Swan Territory in the past, Yun Xing Hua cultivated a character capable of enduring disgrace and humiliation. He knew when to bend and stretch. Hence, he readily forced out his Blood Essence to leave his name and aura on the Loyalty List.
A blood light shone brightly. Then, the name ‘Yun Xing Hua’ appeared on the third page of the Loyalty List.
Yang Kai grinned at Yun Xing Hua, “A wise man will submit to the circumstances. You did well.”
Only then did he remove his foot from Yun Xing Hua’s chest.
Yun Xing Hua observed himself quietly for a while, seeming to vaguely understand the mysteries of the Loyalty List. Regardless of how turbulent his emotions were inside, he did not reveal the slightest hint of dissatisfaction on the surface and instead smiled brightly, “Yun Xing Hua greets Sir. If you have any instructions in the future, this subordinate will not refuse your orders, come Hell or high water.”
Yang Kai glanced at Yun Xing Hua with a smile that did not reach his eyes. He naturally did not trust the latter. Nevertheless, he was not worried about what troubles Yun Xing Hua could cause as long as he had the Loyalty List in his possession.
“Is this all the wealth that Blood Swan Continent possesses?” Inside the Main Hall, Yang Kai sat in the head seat while Yue He stood behind him. At this moment, he was holding a Space Ring in his hand and staring speechlessly at Yun Xing Hua, who was standing in front of him.
Yun Xing Hua had left his name on the Loyalty List, so no matter what kind of character he had, he was now part of Void Land. Blood Swan Continent was located in Shocking Swan Territory, which was where Shocking Swan Pavilion reigned supreme. Even if Yang Kai wanted to bring the entire Blood Swan Continent under his command as a Subordinate Sect of Void Land, he was strong in will but weak in strength.
If anybody were to do something like that in the Void Territory, Yang Kai would not be able to accept it either. If he really did do this, then Shocking Swan Pavilion would definitely interfere.
Therefore, he could only give up on Blood Swan Continent’s Spirit Province despite his reluctance. Although Yang Kai could give up on the land, the people had to come with him.
Starting from Yun Xing Hua, the twenty or so Open Heaven Realm Masters and the numerous elite disciples of Blood Swan Continent would need to migrate to the Star City of Void Territory. From now onwards, they would live in and manage the Star City on behalf of Void Land.
Yang Kai believed that with a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in charge, in addition to the cooperation of several Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, the Star City would be managed properly.
Be that as it may, it was a given that all of Blood Swan Continent’s wealth would be taken along before they left this place. Yang Kai had expected Blood Swan Continent to be very poor; otherwise, Gu Zhi Xin would not have targeted his own Disciple to steal a mere two Fourth-Order materials. Nevertheless, he never imagined that a Third-Class great force could be so poor!
Blood Swan Continent’s treasure house contained no more than 100,000 Open Heaven Pills while all the other cultivation resources combined were probably only worth around 200,000 to 300,000 Open Heaven Pills. In other words, all the assets in Blood Swan Continent’s treasure house were worth no more than 400,000 Open Heaven Pills!
For somebody who literally spent billions at a time like Yang Kai, this paltry sum was not even worth looking at. After further consideration though, he realised that it was not Blood Swan Continent’s fault for being so poor. The reason he had so much wealth was that he made a fortune in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. In the 3,000 Worlds, most Third-Class great forces would not have much savings in reserve. That was because its members would always require various resources for their cultivation.
Take Blood Swan Continent for example. There were 20 to 30 Open Heaven Realm Masters under Yun Xing Hua, who served as the Elders, Deacons, Hall Masters, and various other important positions in Blood Swan Continent. These people would need a certain amount of remuneration every month, ranging from several hundred to several thousand Open Heaven Pills. In one month, their expenditures would cost several tens of thousands of Open Heaven Pills, and this was not counting the disciples below the Open Heaven Realm.
This was the case for Blood Swan Continent, and most other Third-Class great forces were in similar situations.
Back then, it had been a massive haemorrhaging for Great Moon Province to give Yang Kai 100,000 Open Heaven Pills in order to express its apology. Those who had accumulated hundreds of millions of Open Heaven Pills like Yang Kai were few and far between.
Yun Xing Hua responded in a panic, “Sir, this subordinate was in retreat for my breakthrough recently, which consumed a lot of resources. That… Uh…”
He thought that Yang Kai was not satisfied with the amount; thus, he kept shooting furtive looks at the other Open Heaven Realm Masters while speaking, as if to ask them to pool some resources together to calm Yang Kai’s anger. Although many of the Open Heaven Realm Masters were extremely reluctant, they did not dare to disobey and began taking action.
“Stop,” Yang Kai waved his hand dismissively and threw the Space Ring in his hand back to Yun Xing Hua.
Yun Xing Hua was puzzled, “Sir?”
Yang Kai picked up the teacup beside him and took a sip of the tea. Then, he slowly said, “That belongs to Blood Swan Continent. Take good care of it. This King is not interested in your possessions.”
Yun Xing Hua looked ashamed, “Sir, your benevolence puts this subordinate to shame.”
Yang Kai added sternly, “Right now, this King has a heavy responsibility to entrust to you!”
Yun Xing Hua hurriedly said, “Sir, please do tell!”
“Bring out your Universe Chart!” Yang Kai gestured.
Yun Xing Hua quickly took out his Universe Chart and gave it to Yang Kai. Yang Kai took the Universe Chart, poured some power into it, and then tossed it back to Yun Xing Hua a short while later, “I have marked the location of Void Land on your Universe Chart. Choose 1,000 people from Blood Swan Continent and head to Void Land to find someone named Lu Xue. Tell her that I sent you there.”
Yun Xing Hua replied respectfully, “Yes, Sir!” Pausing for a moment, he tried to probe for more information, “Sir, what should this subordinate do after meeting Lu Xue?”
Yang Kai glanced at Yun Xing Hua, “You will help this King manage the Star City in Void Territory!”
*Shua shua shua…*
The gazes of more than 20 Open Heaven Realm Masters below all turned in this direction at the same time.
Likewise, Yun Xing Hua was also stunned by those words. He stared at Yang Kai in great astonishment and asked, “Sir, you want me to manage the Star City?”
He could not believe his ears.
For any great force that was in control of a Great Territory, the existence of the Star City could almost be said to be one of the greatest sources of income. They could collect taxes and rent from the people living and working in the Star City, allowing them a steady stream of Open Heaven Pills with only minimal work and risk.
There was also a Star City in Shocking Swan Territory, but it was naturally under the management of Shocking Swan Pavilion. Blood Swan Continent had no chance to get involved in that matter whatsoever; after all, the existence of the Star City was extremely important to any great force. Only those who were the most loyal to the Sect were allowed to manage the Star City, so as to ensure the continuity of the great force.
And yet, Yang Kai was actually allowing Blood Swan Continent to manage Void Territory’s the Star City under Yun Xing Hua’s leadership!
“What’s wrong? Do you not want to?” Yang Kai’s expression sank.
Yun Xing Hua hurriedly shook his head, “No, no. This subordinate will carry out Sir’s orders even if he must cross a sea of swords and flame. It’s just that a Star City… It is so important. I am afraid of disappointing, Sir.”
Yun Xing Hua was extremely suspicious, [Could he be setting me up? But, he doesn’t have to go that far. He can determine my life or death with a single thought, so there’s no reason for him to use this method even if he wants to get rid of me.]
Yang Kai’s expression remained sullen as he explained, “Void Land is newly established and this King does not have enough Open Heaven Realm Masters or the necessary manpower to manage the Star City currently. If not for that, do you think you would obtain such a chance?”
Although these words held no trace of politeness to them, they sounded like music to Yun Xing Hua, [So that’s how it is! It’s because of insufficient manpower!]
He was jumping for joy on the inside, but he remained calm on the surface, “I see. This subordinate understands. Sir, please rest assured, this subordinate will take good care of the Star City and will not disappoint Sir’s trust.”
He was very good at hiding his emotions as neither his joy nor anger showed on his face. On the other hand, the other Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters did not have such prudence and many of them showed pleased expressions as they rejoiced in their hearts.
They originally thought that with Blood Swan Continent compromised, their days would become bitter. Even the Sect Master was being so respectful to the other party; therefore, they expected the road ahead to be extremely difficult. Many of them were already considering whether to find an opportunity to escape. They were Open Heaven Realm Masters after all, so they would be accepted anywhere no matter which great force they defected to. Even if they became lonely rogue cultivators, it would still be better than having to suffer another person’s whims.
Who could have expected that they would have the opportunity to manage a Star City? That was a lucrative job! Although all kinds of trouble could pop up in a Star City, it was also the place where transactions frequently took place and every transaction would involve large amounts of Open Heaven Pills changing hands.
Even among the great forces that were qualified to control a Star City, the candidates to manage it would have to go through extremely severe assessments and much competition before the final selection could be determined. On the contrary, the opportunity that countless people fought over was being placed right in front of them.
Sure enough, as the saying went, ‘One would surely experience great fortune after surviving a huge catastrophe’. They had been worrying about their lives not long ago, but they were now being handed such a great fortune. Every one of them could almost see huge amounts of Open Heaven Pills pouring into their pockets in the near future, so how could they not be excited?
Even Yun Xing Hua couldn’t help but smile. If he had known earlier that he would be helping Yang Kai manage a Star City, he would not have fought back at all earlier. He would have immediately opened the Grand Array and respectfully welcomed Yang Kai.
Yang Kai gave Yun Xing Hua a meaningful look, “If you work hard and show this King your sincerity, your cultivation journey in the future will not be as difficult as it is now. Over time, it will not be difficult for you to enhance your Order.”
Yun Xing Hua quickly replied, “Many thanks, Sir. Rest assured, this subordinate will live up to your trust.”
“Take this jade slip. When you arrive at Void Land and meet with Lu Xue, hand it to her. She will make further arrangements for you.”
“Yes!”
“I will give you five days to settle all the affairs of Blood Swan Continent. It’s up to you who to bring with you and what to do with the rest. I only want 1,000 people entering the Star City!” While speaking, Yang Kai stood up, “This King still has other important matters to attend to. When this King returns to Void Land, I hope to see the results of your efforts!”
Yun Xing Hua bowed, “Please look forward to the results! Have a safe trip, Sir!”
The Open Heaven Realm Masters also echoed in unison, “Safe travels, Sir!”
Under their gazes, Yang Kai led Yue He into the Falling Lotus. Afterward, the lotus quickly turned into a stream of light and flew off into the distance.
When the stream of light disappeared from view, Yun Xing Hua exhaled heavily as he felt this was all a blessing in disguise!
After pondering for some time, he turned around and issued order after order. The entire Blood Swan Continent immediately became bustling.
There were not many disciples in Blood Swan Continent, but they were not few either. There were about 7,000 people in total. Unfortunately, Yang Kai only wanted 1,000. The remaining disciples could not be brought along with them. Moreover, Yun Xing Hua would be permanently based in the Star City. In other words, he might never return to Blood Swan Continent again.
Naturally, he wanted to bring the 1,000 disciples with the best aptitudes. As for the rest, they would have to figure out a way out for themselves. They might defect to another Third-Class great force, join Shocking Swan Pavilion, or even end up homeless; however, Blood Swan Continent was bound to be merged into Shocking Swan Pavilion at this point anyways.
At the same time, inside the Falling Lotus. Yang Kai looked at the father-and-daughter pair in front of him with a big smile on his face, “Congratulations on your reunion with your daughter, Commander Guo.”
Guo Zi Yan bowed, “It’s all thanks to you, Sir. If not for your timely rescue, the two of us would be dead right now.”
Guo Miao also said, “It’s all thanks to your life-saving grace, Sir.”
Yang Kai raised his hand to stop Guo Miao, “Your Father is part of Void Land, which makes you a part of Void Land. If my disciple is in trouble, I will not sit idly by and watch.”
He then turned to look at Guo Zi Yan, “This King mentioned before that he will provide your daughter with the best cultivation resources within the range of her ability to refine. What Order Power can your Dao Seal withstand, Guo Miao?
Guo Miao’s expression darkened, “This disciple believes that Fourth Order should not be a problem while Fifth Order will be a little difficult. But, now…”
Guo Zi Yan also looked sad. Whenever he recalled that his daughter’s future had been ruined by Gu Zhi Xin, he couldn’t help feeling extremely distressed.
“If you can withstand Fourth-Order Element Powers, then you should refine Fourth-Order materials in the future and achieve the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm.”
Guo Zi Yan said, “Miao’er currently has a Second-Order foundation. It won’t make a difference even if she refines Fourth-Order materials afterward. In the future, she will only be able to break through to the Second-Order Open Heaven Realm. Sir, there are many things to be done in Void Land. There is no need to waste resources. I will take care of Miao’er’s cultivation in the future.”
“Who said that it will be a waste?” Yang Kai laughed, “Have you forgotten about Meng Hong?”
“Young Master Meng Hong?” Guo Zi Yan was stunned by those words. It was a given that he knew Meng Hong as they had lived together in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary for more than 10 years. Therefore, he recalled what happened during this period with great clarity, “Sir, do you mean…”
Yang Kai solemnly replied, “Senior Brother Meng originally condensed Third-Order Elements; however, he wiped clean those Powers from his Dao Seal and is now condensing Fifth-Order Elements! If he successfully advances into the Open Heaven Realm, he will be in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm! His starting point is two Orders higher than at the beginning.”
“This subordinate is aware of this matter. But, Young Master Meng Hong only received this chance because he obtained some Tai Yi Soul Cleansing Water. Something like the Tai Yi Soul Cleansing Water is simply too rare. It’s impossib… Sir, what is that?” While speaking, Guo Zi Yan suddenly widened his eyes and stared at the small jade bottle in Yang Kai’s hands.
Yang Kai shook the bottle, and the sound of liquid sloshing about inside could be heard as he smiled, “It’s Tai Yi Soul Cleansing Water.”
Despite having some guesses, Guo Zi Yan involuntarily gave a sharp hiss of surprise when he heard Yang Kai confirming his conjecture. Even Yue He looked over in astonishment.
Open Heaven Realm Masters were not able to enter the Primordial Land; therefore, they were completely clueless as to what good things Yang Kai had obtained inside. Other people might not be able to obtain Tai Yi Soul Cleansing Water, but Yang Kai had a lot in his possession. This Tai Yi Soul Cleansing Water was one of the treasures that he obtained from the Primordial Land.
“With this Divine Water, we can cleanse the Power in Guo Miao’s Dao Seal. Fortunately, she has only condensed one Element so far, so it won’t be difficult to wash it away. The only question is whether you have the courage to do so, Guo Miao. Can you persevere through the process?”
Guo Miao was excited as she asked, “Based on what Sir has said, this Tai Yi Soul Cleansing Water can give this Disciple a chance to start over again, right?”
She had never heard of Tai Yi Soul Cleansing Water before as she had been cultivating in Blood Swan Continent all this while and did not have much contact with the outside world, so she was a little ignorant and uninformed. Nevertheless, that did not stop her from inferring the effects of this item from Yang Kai and Guo Zi Yan’s conversation.
“Indeed!” Yang Kai nodded, “Although I have never used the Tai Yi Soul Cleansing Water myself, one of my friends has. This item can give you the chance to rebuild your foundation, but the risks involved are high. It involves your Dao Seal after all. If you are not careful, you might destroy your foundation and cripple your future. Furthermore, I’m afraid you will suffer great pain during the process of cleansing your Dao Seal.”
Guo Miao asked tentatively, “May I know what happened to your friend in the end, Sir?”
Yang Kai laughed, “Although the process was extremely torturous, he managed to succeed.”
A look of determination flashed through the young girl’s eyes as she declared her intent, “In that case, please grant me the Tai Yi Soul Cleansing Water, Sir. This Disciple is willing to try.”
“Are you sure?” Yang Kai asked in a low voice.
“This Disciple is sure. This Disciple originally had the aptitude to reach the Fourth-Order, but was forced to condense a Second-Order Element. While I might be able to safely advance into the Second-Order Open Heaven Realm, I will never be reconciled with my fate. Instead of feeling dissatisfied for the rest of my life, I would rather take a gamble. This Disciple will not have any regrets even if I fail!”
Guo Zi Yan stood by the side, looking as if he was hesitating to speak. It seemed as though he wanted to stop her; however, he kept swallowing the words that appeared on the tip of his tongue. In the end, he heaved a long sigh and gave up on the idea of stopping her.
Yang Kai handed the Tai Yi Soul Cleansing Water to Guo Miao with a small smile, “You have an ambitious heart. This King will fulfil your wish, but you don’t need to worry too much. At the time, my friend passed the entire ordeal with his will alone even after he refined three Elements. Your situation is far better than his. I will have Yue He stand guard for you.”
“Many thanks!” Guo Miao accepted the jade bottle and held it tightly in her hands. She gripped the bottle as though she was not holding Tai Yi Soul Cleansing Water, but her very future. She turned to glance at her father while Guo Zi Yan returned her look with an encouraging expression.
Without hesitating, she immediately went into retreat to consume the Tai Yi Soul Cleansing Water. Yang Kai naturally had no objections and instructed Yue He to take good care of her.
There were many secret rooms inside the Falling Lotus so the two ladies chose one, entered, and opened all the barriers to isolate themselves from the outside world. Guo Zi Yan stood outside the door like an iron tower, pacing back and forth with a worried and anxious expression on his face.
The days passed by as the Falling Lotus travelled from Great Territory to Great Territory. Twenty days later, they finally arrived at the Great Territory where First Inn was located.
When Yang Kai first arrived in this place, he did not know much about the Great Territory. Only now did he learn from the Universe Chart that this Great Territory was called Thousand Birds Territory. In addition, there was a Second-Class great force here known as the Thousand Birds Sect.
Be that as it may, the Star City in this place was not managed by Thousand Birds Sect, but this could not be helped. Thousand Birds Sect might be a Second-Class great force with a deep heritage, but it was the Subordinate Sect of Great Battle Heaven. Great Battle Heaven was the real Master of the Star City as it was one of the Thirty-Six Cave-Heavens.
In the 3,000 Worlds, there were countless First-Class, Second-Class, and Third-Class great forces. Most of them had subordinate relationships with each other.
Take Void Territory for example. Void Land dominated the Great Territory; hence, all other Third-Class great forces living in Void Territory belonged to Void Land. As such, when Void Land was re-building, those Third-Class great forces had sent many people over to help.
This was the case for Void Land and most other Second-Class great forces had similar situations. Another example was Shocking Swan Pavilion and Blood Swan Continent. Blood Swan Continent was also in a subordinate relationship with Shocking Swan Pavilion.
A Second-Class great force could control a Great Territory, so what needed to be said about a Cave-Heaven or a Paradise? Every Cave-Heaven and Paradise controlled multiple Great Territories, with the number ranging from as few as five to more than ten. Everything in these Great Territories was part of the foundation of those Cave-Heavens or Paradises.
Thousand Birds Territory was one of the Great Territories under Great Battle Heaven’s direct control. As a Subordinate Sect of Great Battle Heaven, Thousand Birds Sect had no way to resist if Great Battle Heaven issued it a command, unless it no longer wished to exist in Thousand Birds Territory. After all, supporting the rise of a Second-Class great force to replace the current existing great force was a simple matter for any Cave-Heaven or Paradise.
Yang Kai secretly rejoiced that Void Territory was not within the jurisdiction of any Cave-Heaven or Paradise; otherwise, Void Territory would need to bow its head to one of them and act according to their wishes. He would not have the freedom he currently enjoyed.
On the second day that they arrived in Thousand Birds Territory, the door to the secret room that had been closed tightly all this while suddenly opened. Guo Zi Yan had waited outside all this time, and when he saw the door open, he anxiously asked, “How did it go!?”
Yue He smiled, “Why don’t you go in and have a look?”
After saying that, she moved aside and Guo Zi Yan immediately rushed into the secret room like a gust of wind. A short while later, Yang Kai heard a peal of cheerful laughter coming from Guo Zi Yan.
“You’ve worked hard,” Yang Kai gently nodded to Yue He.
Yue He shook her head, “From beginning to end, I didn’t do anything. Guo Miao passed through this trial by herself. She has great potential.”
Guo Miao had a greater advantage compared to the time when Meng Hong consumed the Tai Yi Soul Cleansing Water. The first reason was that she condensed only one Second-Order Element, which was an Order lower than the Third-Order Elements Meng Hong condensed. Hence, the effects of the Tai Yi Soul Cleansing Water were greater and faster. The second reason was that she only condensed the Second-Order Element a short time ago, so it was easier to wipe away. The final reason was that she only condensed one type of Second-Order Power. In contrast, Meng Hong had already condensed several Third-Order Powers.
If even Meng Hong could persevere through the process, then there was no reason why she would fail.
Guo Miao was in good condition and only needed to recuperate for a short while before she could begin creating a new foundation for her advancement into the Open Heaven Realm.
Guo Zi Yan soon led Guo Miao out of the room. Guo Miao thanked Yang Kai profusely, while on the other hand, Yang Kai immediately brought out several Fourth-Order materials and gave them to her, for which she was infinitely grateful.
Another two days passed by and the Falling Lotus finally arrived at the Void Dock of Thousand Birds Star City. Yang Kai put away the Falling Lotus, paid some entry fees, and then led Yue He and the others into the Star City in a grand manner.
Looking at the vaguely familiar streets and the shops that had barely changed, he couldn’t help feeling slightly emotional. Yang Kai owed a large amount of money the last time he came to this particular Star City with the Proprietress. In the end, he had to rely on the Proprietress to pay off all his debts. Back then, he was all alone and had nobody to turn to for help.
Although only slightly more than a dozen years had passed, he was now the Master of Void Land. Not only did he have several Open Heaven Realm Masters like Yue He and Guo Zi Yan as subordinates, but he also had future elites like Lang Qing Shan and the shaved-headed man just waiting to break through. So many things had changed during those ten or so years.
If it was said that the Star City in Void Territory was a medium-scale one, then the Star City in Thousand Birds Territory was a large-scale Star City. There were crowds coming and going at all times, and all kinds of goods flowed through the city. Compared to this place, the Star City in Void Territory seemed rather cold and desolate.
Yang Kai was not unfamiliar with this place as, while helping the Proprietress collect debts, he had practically visited every corner of the Star City. More than ten years had passed, but not much had changed in the Star City; thus, he naturally would not get lost. Leading the group of people behind him, Yang Kai headed towards First Inn with practised ease.
It was Guo Miao’s first time coming to a place like this Star City; therefore, she was filled with curiosity about the bustling city. Everything was new to her, so she bought a bunch of items in a short span of time.
Guo Zi Yan followed behind her with a smile. He bought everything that his daughter liked, no matter what it was. His doting affection was beyond words. It was almost as though he was trying to make up for all the regrets and the guilt he felt over the years.
They had only passed through two streets when Yue He, who was walking beside Yang Kai, suddenly frowned. She gave a flick of her hand and a gentle power swept out. Her beautiful eyes glanced towards the side with a cold look of vigilance.
Yang Kai had yet to realise what was going on and it wasn’t until he sensed some movement that he turned to look in that direction. A burly and somewhat thuggish man stood motionless not far away, staring at Yue He in shock. This person looked fierce and wicked, and at first glance clearly did not look like anything good. Combined with his stunned expression, he looked extremely amusing at the moment.
His hand was slightly lifted in the air as though he was about to pat Yang Kai on the shoulder, but unexpectedly, Yue He reacted quickly and immediately stopped him. Furthermore, this man felt Yue He’s tyrannical strength during that brief moment of confrontation and could not help feeling surprised.
Yang Kai glanced at the bear-like guy and laughed, “Shopkeeper Pei?”
This person was none other than Pei Bu Wan of Hundred Refining’s Hall!
Yang Kai did not expect that the first acquaintance he met upon returning to the Star City in Thousand Birds Territory would be Pei Bu Wan.
More than ten years ago, he interacted with this gruff man when he went to Hundred Refining’s Hall to collect debt payment on behalf of the Proprietress. In the end, he was tricked by Pei Bu Wan into entering the Asura Arena and fighting a match. By relying on that fight, Pei Bu Wan earned a huge fortune. Not only did he overcome the deficit in the finances of Hundred Refining’s Hall and passed the inspection from his superiors, but he also paid his arrears in full as promised.
For that reason, Yang Kai had a deep impression of this bear-like guy.
“It really is you, Little Brother Yang!” Pei Bu Wan also had an expression of pleasant surprise on his face. He seemed very enthusiastic, almost as if he had been reunited with a long-lost relative. While speaking, he even took two steps forward in his excitement.
Yue He stood in front of Yang Kai and stared at Pei Bu Wan coldly.
He involuntarily froze in his tracks and the muscles in his face twitched slightly. He glanced at Yue He fearfully and smiled awkwardly. Just as Yang Kai had surmised, he had noticed Yang Kai’s familiar back from among the crowd and wanted to pat him on the shoulder to confirm his guess. To his surprise, he was stopped by Yue He before he could do anything.
Although Yue He’s movements looked calm and relaxed, it had to be said that Pei Bu Wan was in the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so he was not weak. Even so, she managed to stop him so effortlessly. It was obvious that her strength was far greater than his.
[This woman is definitely in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, or even the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm! Who is she!?] Pei Bu Wan was puzzled.
“Young Master, this is…” Yue He asked softly.
Yang Kai replied, “Shopkeeper Pei of Hundred Refining’s Hall. I have had some dealings with Shopkeeper Pei before.”
She studied Pei Bu Wan and exclaimed in surprise, “How can such a vicious-looking man be a shopkeeper? Does Hundred Refining’s Hall make any money? Won’t all the guests be frightened away?”
Pei Bu Wan almost spat out a mouthful of blood at those words. Her remarks might have been unintentional, but they stabbed right into his emotional wounds. The reason why he tricked Yang Kai into entering the Asura Arena back then was precisely because Hundred Refining’s Hall had experienced a huge deficit under his management. Therefore, he had been in desperate need of a large amount of Open Heaven Pills to make up for the debts. If Yang Kai had not won in that battle, he would not have been able to continue working as a shopkeeper. He would have been called back by the great force behind Hundred Refining’s Hall for punishment instead.
Still, he coughed lightly and responded to her words, “Sister, my appearance was given to me by my parents. This Pei Bu Wan might be born ugly, but I am very kind at heart.”
Yue He naturally did not express her opinion. Seeing as he was Yang Kai’s acquaintance, this was just a misunderstanding. Besides, nobody dared to make a scene in this Star City managed by Great Battle Heaven, so she immediately retreated to stand behind Yang Kai and watched coldly from the sidelines.
Yang Kai looked at Pei Bu Wan with a smile, “How may I help you, Shopkeeper Pei?”
Pei Bu Wan grinned meaningfully, “It’s nothing. It’s just that I have not seen Little Brother for more than 10 years, Little Brother Yang. I missed you quite a lot. This shopkeeper went to First Inn to inquire about you from Madam Lan in the past, but she would only tell me that you left on business and said nothing else, so I didn’t even know where to find you.”
Yang Kai was astonished, “Why were you looking for me, Shopkeeper Pei?” He suddenly became extremely wary, “You can’t be thinking of asking me to go and fight in the Asura Arena again, right?”
Pei Bu Wan immediately denied the accusation, “How can that be? Gambling at the Asura Arena is only good if done occasionally. How can this Old Pei regard it as a long-term business? If that were the case, I would lose more than just Hundred Refining’s Hall! It’s just that you helped me out greatly back then, Little Brother Yang. This Old Pei has not thanked you properly for your help, so I’ve always felt ashamed in my heart.”
Yang Kai looked at him suspiciously and replied lightly, “We were only helping each other. You don’t need to worry about it, Shopkeeper Pei.”
Pei Bu Wan chuckled, “Little Brother Yang, you are a man of noble character and unquestionable integrity indeed. Uh… Are you on your way back to First Inn?”
Yang Kai nodded, “Yes. I’m on my way to First Inn right now.”
“Oh!” Pei Bu Wan showed a look of surprise, “In that case, I won’t hold you up any longer, Little Brother Yang. Please convey my greetings to Madam Lan later. If you have the time, you should come and visit Hundred Refining’s Hall as a guest. This Old Pei will welcome you warmly.”
“Sure. Sure,” Yang Kai cupped his fists.
They chatted a bit more before Yang Kai left; even so, he could not shake the feeling that Pei Bu Wan’s attitude towards him was a little too enthusiastic. He could not understand the reason but could not be bothered to wonder about it either. Thus, he tossed this matter to the back of his head and walked towards First Inn with anticipation.
After passing through a few more streets, Yang Kai finally came to the familiar storefront. He looked up and saw the characters ‘First Inn’ shining brightly while people were coming and going through the lobby full of guests.
[Regardless of the time or location, First Inn will always be lively.] Yang Kai composed himself. Then, he quickly walked into First Inn and came to the counter.
The accountant was fiddling on his abacus, making click-clackety sounds as he worked. When he noticed somebody approaching, he spoke without even looking up, “300 for a night’s stay. Food and drinks are charged separately. Would you like to eat or stay for the night?”
Yang Kai grinned and raised a hand to rap sharply on the table.
Only then did the accountant look up. He tilted his head to the side and stared at Yang Kai with a pair of dead fish eyes. Then, he quickly lowered his head again and continued with his work as he repeated himself, “300 for a night’s stay. Food and drinks are charged separately.”
The veins in Yang Kai’s temples throbbed as he slapped the abacus with his hand and spoke through gritted teeth, “It’s me!”
The accountant sighed and glanced sideways at Yang Kai, “I know it’s you. That’s why I’m asking you whether you are here to eat or stay.”
Yang Kai was speechless and turned his head to look around, “Where is Old Bai and Proprietress?”
“Old Bai is working in the kitchen. Proprietress is discussing a business transaction.” The accountant lifted Yang Kai’s hand and placed it on the counter. After that, he stared straight at Yang Kai with his dead fish eyes.
Yang Kai was tempted to poke out those eyes as he snapped, “I’ll eat!”
“Please head inside,” The accountant gestured lightly.
Yang Kai strode inside, followed by more than 30 people. They found a few empty tables and sat down and soon a woman walked over elegantly. When she reached Yang Kai’s side, she suddenly covered her mouth and exclaimed, “Big Brother Yang!?”
Yang Kai looked up and smiled, “Junior Sister Luo?”
This woman was none other than Luo Hai Yi. She was also a person with a difficult life. She used to work as a guide in the Star City, showing people around to earn a living. Yang Kai had not been familiar with the Star City when he first started collecting debt payments, so he hired her to assist him. In the end, she began working at First Inn after he recommended her to the Proprietress.
Looking at her now, she seemed to be doing pretty well. Her complexion was much brighter compared to the first time he met her and it seemed that her beautiful eyes were filled with delight and astonishment from seeing him.
“You’ve returned, Big Brother Yang!?” She still seemed to be in disbelief.
“En, I’m back.” Yang Kai smiled widely at her. Looking at her clothes, he asked, “Did Proprietress arrange for you to work as a waitress here?”
“Yes.” She nodded, and then she seemed to remember something, “Please wait, Big Brother Yang. I will go inform Big Brother Bai and the others.”
After saying that, she ran towards the kitchen.
A short while later, Old Bai and the cook hurriedly came running out. Old Bai was dressed as a waiter as usual. His aura was completely withdrawn, so nobody could have imagined that he was a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master! On the other hand, the cook was wearing an apron wrapped around his waist, yet his fat body was indescribably agile. He came over to Yang Kai while holding a butcher knife in his hand. Glancing Yang Kai up and down, he grinned meaningfully, “Wait for a bit. I’ll whip up something delicious for you.”
Meanwhile, Bai Qi sat down next to Yang Kai. He tossed the white cloth in his hand down on the table and smiled, “You brat, why did you come running back here? Don’t you need to worry about Void Land anymore?”
Yang Kai said, “The Nine Heavenly Layers Grand Array has been completed, so I don’t have to worry about Void Land for the moment. I came to ask Proprietress about something.”
Bai Qi grunted, “In that case, you’ll have to wait for a short while. Proprietress is currently in the middle of a business deal, but she should be done soon.”
“How have you been?” Yang Kai asked.
“How else could I have been? We’re the same as usual here.” Bai Qi laughed heartlessly.
They did not exchange more than a few words between them when somebody nearby slapped their table and shouted, “Waiter, why hasn’t this old man’s food and drinks been served yet!?”
Bai Qi got up quickly and said, “Please continue. I’ll come find you later. I need to attend to the guests first.”
After saying that, he slipped away to continue with his work.
The eyes of Guo Zi Yan and the others were larger than a goose’s eggs. They never imagined that a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would be so willing to serve as a mere waiter. It had to be said that even the Head Manager of Scarlet Star, Zhao Bai Chuan, was only in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm himself. [Would the guest clamouring for his food just now piss his pants in fright if he knew that the waiter he shouted at was in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm?]
They did not wait for long before Luo Hai Yi and Old Bai brought out an endless stream of the very best food and wine. Everybody had travelled a long way to come here, so they had worked up an appetite and immediately began wolfing down the meal.
Another short while later, a woman walked out of the inner hall with a happy smile. She was followed by several young girls dressed as maidservants. This woman had clearly come to First Inn to buy information, and judging by her expression, she probably received the answer she wanted.
Not long after that woman departed, another lady walked out of the inner hall. The moment this lady appeared, it felt as though all the colour in the world dimmed for a moment. Countless pairs of eyes in the hall were drawn towards her direction and the sound of gulping echoed through the air.
The woman who just departed after inquiring about the information she wanted had been rather beautiful. She had an enchanting figure and a charming face, turning the heads of many men in her direction; however, they finally understood the meaning of ‘a peerless beauty’ when the Proprietress appeared. Comparing the two, the woman from before paled miserably. The Proprietress might not be born as the most beautiful woman, but she was definitely the most attractive to a man.
When she appeared, she gently pushed her hair behind her ear and her eyes swept across the hall and landed on Yang Kai. Be that as it may, she quickly shifted her gaze away and made her way through the hall with a smile. She would occasionally stop to talk to some of the guests, making herself seem extremely hospitable. After walking around the hall, she finally arrived at Yang Kai’s table.
Yue He hurriedly got up and bowed elegantly, “Elder Sister!”
The Proprietress smiled sweetly, “You must have had a hard time.”
While speaking, she did not pause at their table. She brushed past Yang Kai’s side and reached out a hand to rap her knuckles on the back of his head. It was neither light nor heavy. Then, she left.
Yang Kai was speechless! He did not know what the Proprietress’ actions meant. Asking Yue He and the others to remain at the table, he got up on his own and followed her into the inner hall.
A short while later, he gently knocked on the door of the Proprietress’ room and a lazy voice came from inside, “Enter.”
Yang Kai grinned. Pushing the door open, he entered the room and glanced back furtively before closing the door. He groaned and almost had a nosebleed at the sight he was greeted with when he turned around. The Proprietress was currently reclining on top of a sofa. She had one hand supporting her cheek and her eyes were closed as though she was sleeping. Her other hand was gently fanning herself with a hand fan. Her exquisite and graceful curves imprinted themselves upon his eyes and her fair thighs under her skirt left him feeling dizzy as her jade feet looked like the most perfect porcelain in the world. She seemed to shine with a charming lustre just laying there.
“How improper!” Yang Kai quickly stepped forward and took a blanket from the side to cover the Proprietress’ legs.
The Proprietress looked at him but did not stop him. She smilingly asked, “Why do you have the time to come running here to me now? How is Void Land?”
“It’s doing well!” He walked over to a table by the side and sat down. Taking out a teapot and a teacup, he poured himself a cup before continuing, “The Defensive Grand Array has been completed and it’s all thanks to the excellent Spirit Array Grandmaster that you recommended to me, Proprietress.”
“Didn’t you keep Grandmaster Wu Liang by your side?” She asked.
To which he shook his head, “The Grandmaster refused. Moreover, he claimed that his breakthrough was imminent so he immediately left to find a place to enter retreat after the Grand Array was completed.”
The Proprietress nodded at his words, “Grandmaster Wu Liang has very high attainments in the Dao of Spirit Arrays, but he is used to living a carefree life. It will not be an easy feat for you to win him over, but that is not an urgent matter. You will have more chances in the future. It will benefit you greatly if you can persuade Grandmaster Wu Liang to remain in Void Land.”
Yang Kai took a sip of tea and sighed, “I fear he isn’t interested in such a small Sect.”
Proprietress laughed at his words, “Void Land might be on the weaker side right now, but it will definitely expand greatly over time.”
“That’s for the future. Let’s not talk about this. I came here today to ask you about something.”
“Speak!”
Yang Kai’s expression turned serious, “I used to be all alone. There was no need to worry about feeding my family, but now there are many people in Void Land. How can I achieve long-term stability and obtain the various resources needed for the disciples’ cultivation needs? I can’t just do nothing and squander away my fortune. If I continue at this rate, I will exhaust all my resources one day soon.”
Upon hearing what he mentioned, she replied, “The predecessor of Void Land, Seven Wonders Land, has unique geographical conditions. You can just plant all seven kinds of spirit fruits in the seven areas and use them to refine Open Heaven Pills.”
“I was thinking so too.” Yang Kai nodded and continued, “But, Proprietress, you know what kind of situation I am in. Void Land only has the Alchemy ingredients but not the pill recipe for Open Heaven Pills. Do you happen to have it?”
“Of course I have a pill recipe. In fact, I have more than one.” She looked at him with a smile, “Forget it. I’ll sort them out and hand them to you later. There might be countless pill recipes for Open Heaven Pills in the 3,000 Worlds, but most of them are pretty similar. You can bring them back and research for yourself to see which recipe is most suitable for your use.”
Yang Kai was immediately overjoyed, “Many thanks, Proprietress!” [I knew the Proprietress would have the pill recipe. I’m glad this trip was not in vain.]
“Aside from refining Open Heaven Pills, I suggest that you take control of the Star City as soon as possible. The existence of the Star City is extremely important to any great force. You can even say that it is their foundation. Only by taking control of the Star City can you obtain a steady stream of resources and income.”
“I’m already working on taking control of the Star City. I believe that I will have Void Territory’s Star City at my disposal after I return from this trip.”
She smiled, “You sure work fast. With both of these ventures in hand, you can basically guarantee the cultivation resources for all of Void Land’s disciples. Why are you still so worried?”
Yang Kai muttered awkwardly, “There are many people in Void Land. I’m afraid just these two businesses alone won’t be enough.”
She became curious, “Many? How many is ‘many’?”
The number that came out of Yang Kai’s mouth left her stunned for a moment. She had never heard of any Second-Class force with so many people before. Thus, she frowned slightly, “You might have a lot of people, but they won’t consume many resources as long as they do not condense their Dao Seals. What is there to worry about?”
Yang Kai simply laughed, “I have to plan ahead, right?”
She pondered for a moment before asking, “Void Land must have taken control over several Universe Worlds, yes?”
“That’s right,” Yang Kai nodded. These Universe Worlds were previously controlled by Seven Wonders Land, so now that Void Land had replaced Seven Wonders Land, it was only natural for Void Land to take over their management as well.
The Proprietress thus proposed, “You also came out of a Universe World, so you should not be unfamiliar with them. But, even if you’ve broken free of your Universe World, you should not underestimate them. Each Universe World might contain cultivation resources of various Orders… It’s not a maybe. It’s a certainty. It’s just a matter of the quantity and how high the Order of these cultivation resources is. Controlling these Universe Worlds is equivalent to controlling all sorts of cultivation resources. It can even be said that Mid-Rank and High-Rank materials are obtained from these Universe Worlds. Do you remember the Nine Nether Continent you once visited? I’ve found many Fifth-Order materials and even Sixth-Order materials there over the years.
“I tend to hear similar news from time to time after being in the Outer Universe for such a long time. For example, somebody would obtain a High-Order material from an unowned Universe World. That would attract countless people to investigate those Universe Worlds.”
Yang Kai’s heart pounded at those words and he couldn’t help thinking about the Immortal Tree. Strictly speaking, the Immortal Tree was something he obtained from one of the Sealed Worlds in one of the Lower Star Fields. Even a mere Lower Star Field could produce such a High-Order treasure, what more an entire Universe World?
Then, he couldn’t help thinking about the Star Boundary. The Star Boundary had produced many cultivation resources needed by Open Heaven Realm Masters, it was just that no Open Heaven Realm Master had ever come from the Star Boundary before, so nobody knew the worth of those items even if they existed.
At present, Void Territory controlled more than a dozen Universe Worlds, each one equivalent to the Star Boundary. As long as he could develop them properly, there was no need to fear not having enough cultivation resources.
Yang Kai suddenly felt as though he had been enlightened!
“Although there are many people in Void Land, the cultivation resources that they need are not that many yet. As long as you take control of the Star City, refine your own Open Heaven Pills, and carefully harvest resources from those Universe Worlds, you should have enough to develop steadily.” The Proprietress taught him earnestly, “You can also plant some spirit flowers and unique plants in Void Land. You can even develop some of the land in those Universe Worlds for farming. In doing so, it will be an income whether you refine them into Spirit Pills or sell them as raw materials.”
“I understand,” Yang Kai nodded solemnly. Since he brought 600,000 people to Void Land, he had constantly been thinking about the future. In particular, the matter regarding cultivation resources had been weighing down on him like a huge mountain. It wasn’t until this moment that he finally felt a sense of relief.
He then changed the topic of conversation abruptly, “There is one more thing I wanted to ask you, Proprietress.”
“Let’s hear it.”
Yang Kai laughed softly, “Proprietress, you know about my current situation. I have condensed four Element Powers, but I still lack Yin, Yang, and Metal. It’s just that High-Rank materials are not easy to find. What I want to ask is, do you have any information about where I can find High-Rank materials for these three Elements?”
The Proprietress opened her eyes wide at those words and stared at him fixedly. A long time passed before she asked, “Are you still planning to achieve the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm?”
Yang Kai quickly replied, “The going is the toughest towards the end of a journey, but I’ve already come so far so I don’t intend to give up halfway.”
“No matter how much resistance you might face in the future?”
“We’ll talk about the future when the future comes.”
She sighed softly, “Since you have already made up your mind, I won’t stop you. I just hope you will not regret your decision in the future. Be that as it may, High-Rank materials are truly hard to find. Even if these materials appear occasionally, they tend to attract a lot of attention and thus have countless Masters competing for them. With your current strength, there’s no way for you to even enter such a struggle.”
“I am well aware of this point,” Yang Kai nodded sincerely. When the Golden Crow Divine Palace appeared, it attracted several High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters and dozens of Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters to First Inn. One could only imagine how tempting these High-Rank materials were to those Masters.
At first, Yang Kai had not understood the reason why they were competing for these materials. If it was for the sake of their Disciples, then wasn’t it strange for so many Masters to have Disciples that could directly refine Seventh-Order materials?
He later learned that these Masters were vying for the Golden Crow carcass for their own sake. They could absorb and refine the Fire Element Power from the Golden Crow carcass to enhance the heritage of their Small Universes, thereby improving their own strength.
Still, Yang Kai grinned, “But, what First Inn does best is to collect information. I’m sure you know about secrets that other people don’t know, like… where I could possibly find High-Rank materials for these three Elements.”
The Proprietress gave him a glare that was a mix of anger and amusement as she quipped, “What do you think High-Rank materials are? Cabbages that can be found everywhere? I don’t mind telling you. I do know where you can find the High-Rank Yin and Yang materials, but you definitely don’t have the ability to obtain them.”
“Where is that?” Yang Kai’s eyes suddenly blazed with excitement.
She glared at him even more harshly before she took out her Universe Chart, tapped it with her finger, and tossed it to him, “Take a look yourself.”
Yang Kai poured his Divine Sense into the Universe Chart and couldn’t help feeling stunned, “What is the situation with these Great Territories?”
He discovered that the Great Territories she marked were different from other Great Territories. They were completely empty. Normally, one could clearly see the great forces or Universe Worlds that existed in a particular Great Territory, but these few Great Territories were completely devoid of anything at all.
The Proprietress explained leisurely, “Tens and hundreds of thousands of years ago, these Great Territories indeed contained many great forces and Universe Worlds. But, they are all gone now.”
“Who could possibly do that?” He felt his scalp tingling from fear. All the great forces and Universe Worlds in several Great Territories had been completely wiped from existence. What kind of violent force could accomplish that?
“Sun’s Burning Light, Moon’s Serene Glimmer!” The Proprietress replied casually.
Yang Kai was taken aback by her words. Then, he immediately took a deep breath and asked in a trembling voice, “Do those two Divine Beasts really exist?”
According to legend, at the beginning of the universe, two strands of Chaotic Qi transformed into Yin and Yang, these two wisps evolved into the Sun’s Burning Light and Moon’s Serene Glimmer in the most primordial of ages. These two were the oldest Divine Spirits in existence. It was from them that all Divine Spirits like the Dragons and Phoenixes came to be. It could be said that the Sun’s Burning Light and Moon’s Serene Glimmer were the progenitors of all Divine Spirits, their one set of common ancestors.
Yang Kai once read the Divine Spirit Record, in which all the known Divine Spirits in the 3,000 Worlds were listed. The Divine Spirit Record listed the Dragon and Phoenix Clans at the top of the list. However, it started with an introduction to the Sun’s Burning Light and Moon’s Serene Glimmer. It was just that the author of this Record who wrote about the Divine Spirits, believed that these two Divine Beings no longer existed.
Who would have guessed that he would learn about these two horrifying existences from the Proprietress!? They were Divine Beasts that stood above the Dragons and Phoenixes, symbols of invincibility! If there were any beings in the universe that could compete against the Giant Spirit God Clan, then the Sun’s Burning Light and Moon’s Serene Glimmer would definitely be among them. It could even be said that they were stronger than the Giant Spirit Gods.
Tai Yang Zhuo Zhao and Tai Yin You Ying, but it sorta seems ridiculous…
“The Burning Light and Serene Glimmer were born diametrically opposed to one another and can never get along; thus, they have been fighting each other endlessly for countless eons. Those Great Territories were destroyed by the fallout of their battle,” the Proprietress explained slowly, “There originally existed many great forces and Universe Worlds in those Great Territories, but they are all gone now.”
Yang Kai drew a breath of cold air. [How violent must the battle be for it to destroy several Great Territories!? But, it’s possible for the two ancestors of the Divine Spirits to have such abilities.]
Yang Kai’s face twitched slightly as he said, “Proprietress, the Yin and Yang Element materials that you mentioned earlier… You can’t be talking about these two, right?”
She nodded, “I am. Their bodies are formed from the purest Chaos Powers that transformed into the original Yin and Yang Elements. The Order of the Power contained in their bodies is extremely high, possibly even at the peak of the Ninth Order, so they fully meet your requirements.”
Yang Kai naturally angrily retorted, “I don’t want to die yet!” [Is she crazy!? The fallout of the battle between those two can destroy everything in several Great Territories! If a mere Emperor Realm cultivator like me dares to go there, not even ash will be left!]
She giggled softly, “At least you’re a little self-aware!” Pausing for a moment, she added, “But then again, I don’t actually know whether the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer exist. These are only things I have heard from others. Nevertheless, these Great Territories are completely devoid of life and it doesn’t matter if you are in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm or the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm. No matter how high your cultivation, you will die the moment you dare to even set foot into those Great Territories.”
Yang Kai felt extremely uneasy and memorized the locations of those Great Territories, secretly deciding to never step into them no matter what. Still, he asked without giving up, “Are there no other ways?”
She pondered in silence for a long while before she answered, “Wait for half a year. An opportunity might present itself then, but it is only a possibility.”
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up at those words, “What kind of opportunity?”
She shook her head gently, “It is still uncertain for the time being. I will let you know once the news has been confirmed. It’s useless to tell you now since the situation is still uncertain.”
Yang Kai could not force her if she did not wish to speak about this matter, so he could only suppress the suspicions in his heart. In any case, he had nothing else to do in the near future so he immediately nodded and agreed.
At this moment, a sweet yet stern shout rang out from the outside, “Where is Yang Kai!? Show yourself!”
Yang Kai was startled upon hearing that voice as it clearly belonged to a woman, but he found it to be extremely unfamiliar. It was obviously somebody he was not acquainted with. Why would somebody he did not know come looking for him? He was filled with doubts.
The Proprietress tilted her head to the side and looked at him with a teasing look, “Smelly brat, did you break a heart somewhere?”
“Proprietress, rice may be eaten at will, but words should not be spoken indiscriminately.” He shook his head in all seriousness, “I’ve always kept myself clean. How could I possibly break a random heart?”
“Is that so?” The expression on her face was full of distrust as she swept her Divine Sense out and revealed a look of surprise, “Why is she here?”
“Who?” He asked.
“You will know once you take a look for yourself. Messing with her… You’re in for a lot of trouble.” The Proprietress looked like she was enjoying his misfortune. Closing her beautiful eyes slowly, she gently fanned herself and acted as though everything had nothing to do with her.
Feeling extremely annoyed, Yang Kai could only push open the door and walk out. He heard the woman’s voice again before he even arrived at the hall, “Yang Kai! Hurry up and get out here!”
Inside the hall, many cultivators who came here to eat were watching this woman with great interest.
On the other hand, Guo Zi Yan and the others were glaring at the woman furiously. This woman had a tall figure, but her cultivation was only in the Emperor Realm. Even so, she was not afraid despite facing so many Open Heaven Realm Masters. She even dared to make such a ruckus in a place like First Inn, completely thinking nothing of everybody else inside. They had to admit that she was very bold.
Yang Kai strode out from the inner hall.
As soon as he appeared, the young woman’s beautiful eyes immediately fixed on him like the sharp gaze of a falcon. Her entire body was exuding a boundless fighting spirit and her aura climbed steadily, causing her black hair to dance like snakes even though there was no wind.
“I waited for you for more than ten years. You finally appeared!” She gritted her teeth lightly. The look in her eyes was complicated, seemingly filled with accusations of blood and tears.
Countless pairs of eyes turned towards Yang Kai in unison. Judging by this woman’s words, there seemed to be a hidden backstory.
Yang Kai tilted his head and looked at her.
She then continued, “Did you think you could shame me then just walk away after everything you did!?”
The moment those words came out, countless people immediately cast contemptuous looks at Yang Kai. Some of them had already concocted a scenario where Yang Kai and this woman were deeply in love with one another, but in the end, the scumbag of a man must have abandoned her after taking her innocence.
Yue He covered her red lips with her hand, “Young Master, this young lady…”
“It’s not what you’re thinking.” Yang Kai felt rather speechless. Calmly looking at the woman, he frowned and said, “Though I feel a little apologetic, I’m afraid I have to ask. Just… who are you?”
Those contemptuous looks instantly turned into complete disdain!
The woman also seemed taken aback by his words. Her momentum that had climbed to the limit suddenly withered as though crushed by a huge mountain. A cold murderous intent appeared on her beautiful face as she asked, “Have you forgotten who I am?”
Yang Kai looked embarrassed as he continued, “You look familiar, but… I can’t recall who you are. Can you give me a hint?”
The woman clenched her tender fists tightly and grit her teeth so hard that the grinding sound could be heard. She placed great emphasis on each word she spoke, “Asura Arena, Yu Luo Sha!”
There was a huge uproar in the hall immediately as somebody yelled out in excitement, “What!? She is Yu Luo Sha? The one ranked first in the Asura Arena’s Earth Rankings!?”
“That’s right! That’s right! She really is Yu Luo Sha! I saw her fighting in the Asura Arena before! It’s just that I was too far away and her movements were too fast. She defeated her opponent in just two or three moves. I couldn’t see clearly.”
“I heard she is one of the most outstanding disciples of Asura Heaven, a Core Disciple who is expected to advance straight to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. She is only one step away from advancing already!”
“Who is this brat? How can he have such an ambiguous relationship with Yu Luo Sha? He can’t have done something to her, right?”
“There’s going to be a good show…”
Everybody in the hall was fervently discussing this issue among themselves. Meanwhile, the realization finally seemed to hit Yang Kai as he pointed at Yu Luo Sha and remarked, “Oh! It’s you!”
Back when he was tricked by Pei Bu Wan into entering the Asura Arena, he naturally fought against somebody. The opponent of that battle was none other than Yu Luo Sha. It had not been long since Yang Kai arrived in the 3,000 Worlds and his strength at the time was far inferior compared to what it currently was, but he still stood out amongst cultivators in the same Realm. Be that as it may, it had been a difficult battle to win. Arena Heaven was one of the Thirty-Six Cave-Heavens, and as one of Asura Heaven’s Core Disciples, it stood to reason that Yu Luo Sha was not an easy opponent.
The Asura Arena was directly managed by Asura Heaven, and almost every large-scale Star City had an Asura Arena where cultivators could battle each other to the death. The first reason was that Asura Heaven could earn a lot of resources through operating such a venue, while the other reason was that it allowed the disciples of Asura Heaven to enter the Asura Arenas to gain experience. Every one of Asura Heaven’s disciples had slaughtered their way out of the Asura Arena, so all of them were extremely warlike and could kill without emotion.
The Asura Arena was divided into three different rankings, namely Heaven, Earth, and Mortal. They corresponded to the Open Heaven Realm, Half-Step Open Heaven Realm, and those below the Half-Step Open Heaven Realm. When Yang Kai fought Yu Luo Sha, she ranked fourth in the Mortal Rankings. In comparison, she was now apparently ranked first in the Earth Rankings. That went to show just how much she had achieved and how much she had grown in the past 10 years!
Yang Kai had not thought much about the battle that took place that day. It was just one unimportant obstacle he had to overcome in his life. Thus, it was not worth remembering. He never imagined that Yu Luo Sha would come looking for him after more than 10 years had passed.
“Did Shopkeeper Pei tell you that I’m back?” he asked.
[No wonder Pei Bu Wan seemed so eager when I ran into him earlier.] It was Pei Bu Wan who brought Yang Kai to the Asura Arena back then. During the years that Yang Kai was away from the Star City, it was most likely that Yu Luo Sha had constantly questioned Pei Bu Wan about Yang Kai’s whereabouts. Otherwise, she would not have come looking for Yang Kai as soon as he returned to the Star City.
“So what?” Yu Luo Sha looked at Yang Kai coldly.
Yang Kai frowned, “Junior Sister Yu, why are you looking for me?”
“I must challenge you!” She shouted decisively.
As soon as her statement rang out, there was another uproar in the hall.
Who was Yu Luo Sha? She was the rank 1 in the Earth Rankings of the Asura Arena. It could be said that she was an invincible existence among those below the Open Heaven Realm in the Star City. She could only be challenged by others, so why was she taking the initiative to challenge some unknown boy?
On the other hand, who on Earth was this man to deserve such treatment from Yu Luo Sha? Everybody could almost predict that Yang Kai’s name would surely become known throughout the Star City once news of this incident was to spread.
“Challenge me?” Yang Kai was stunned, “Why?”
Yu Luo Sha replied matter-of-factly, “I was defeated by you back then. I must redeem myself!”
“That’s all?”
“Indeed!” After saying that, she suddenly tossed out a jade slip and looked at him seriously, “Three days hence, in the afternoon. I will be waiting for you in the Asura Arena.”
Glaring at him coldly, she turned around and left.
Yang Kai barely caught the jade slip before she had vanished out of sight, not even giving him the chance to speak a single word or react whatsoever.
“What a swift and decisive woman!” Yang Kai sighed and swept his Divine Sense over the jade slip. It really turned out to be a challenge letter.
Bai Qi, who just came out with a tray of dishes, clicked his tongue as he placed the dishes on the table and joked, “You brat, how charming you must be to make a woman wait for you for more than 10 years.”
“Stop talking nonsense.” Yang Kai curled his lips and turned his head to look outside before snorting, “Shopkeeper Pei, why don’t you come inside? You’re already here anyway. Why sneak around like that?”
Outside the door, Pei Bu Wan stuck his head inside with an embarrassed laugh. He did not seem ashamed even after Yang Kai saw through him. Striding over to the table, he took a seat and said, “Congratulations, Little Brother Yang.”
“What is there to congratulate?” Yang Kai gave Pei Bu Wan a sideways glance.
Pei Bu Wan spoke sternly, “You can have a match with Yu Luo Sha. Moreover, she was the one who took the initiative to challenge you. No matter who wins or who loses, your name will soon be known throughout the Star City, famous to all. What is that if not an auspicious event?”
Yang Kai responded in a tone that neither denied nor affirmed those words, “Is that so? Doesn’t that mean I should thank you, Shopkeeper Pei?”
Pei Bu Wan’s expression became bitter and pitiful, “Little Brother Yang, please don’t blame me. I was forced to do it. There really was no other way.” While speaking, he couldn’t help shedding bitter tears, “You suddenly vanished without a trace, so you don’t know just how annoying Yu Luo Sha is…”
The battles in the Asura Arena were extremely fierce and dangerous. There were unlucky cultivators who tragically lost their lives in those battles every day. The fact that Yu Luo Sha could make a name for herself and even rank first in the current Earth Rankings indicated that she was not an ordinary person.
It was not that she could not afford to lose or that she had never lost a battle. On the contrary, she had not been a Core Disciple of Asura Heaven from the beginning. She started out as only an ordinary disciple. When she first entered the Asura Arena, she lost more battles than she won. There were also times when she was beaten to the verge of death and nearly lost her life.
It was just that this woman had one unique characteristic. She would get back on her feet no matter what! She would challenge anybody who defeated her. If one time was not enough, then she would challenge them a second time. If two times were not enough, then she would challenge them for the third time. She was extremely tenacious, persevering again and again.
Over the years she spent in the Asura Arena, she won against one formidable opponent after another and her cultivation improved steadily. She had grown from the most common disciple in Asura Heaven to become one of its Core Disciples. At present, she had condensed Sixth-Order Elements and was only one step away from advancing into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm!
In all these years, she had won against all the opponents who defeated her in the past and trampled all those once mighty enemies under her foot. Amidst those bloody battles, she continued to thrive and grow. She rose from fourth place in the Mortal Rankings to first place in the Mortal Rankings. Then, she advanced into the Earth Rankings and fought her way to the top.
There was only one exception. And, that was none other than Yang Kai!
Back then, she fought Yang Kai in the Asura Arena and suffered a tragic defeat. When she finished undergoing intense training and returned to challenge Yang Kai once more, he was no longer in the Star City. He had already been thrown into the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary by then.
Unable to locate Yang Kai, she could only go to Pei Bu Wan, but how would he know about Yang Kai’s whereabouts? She also asked the Proprietress about Yang Kai’s whereabouts on several occasions, but she did not know where Yang Kai was either.
Yu Luo Sha had always been a woman with a strong personality. She also gave off the vibe of being extremely stubborn and single-minded, so it was a given that she would not give up so easily.
Inside the hall, Pei Bu Wan was close to tears as he rubbed at the corner of his eyes, “Little Brother Yang, please have mercy. Please save me! I’m about to go crazy because of that girl. She practically comes and questions me every three days. In these ten years, she has not let up even once before. Can you imagine how I lived my life all these years!?”
It was bad enough during ordinary times, but there were also several occasions where Yu Luo Sha kicked the door down when he was spending the night at the red-light district… The tragic experience he went through for the past ten years was simply inhumane.
“Is that the reason why you sold me out?” Yang Kai glared at Pei Bu Wan coldly.
Pei Bu Wan smiled ingratiatingly, “How can you consider that as selling you out? Little Brother Yang, even if I didn’t say anything, the girl would also learn about your return to the Star City. I only informed her in advance.” His expression became serious and his voice became solemn, “Fight her once. You only need to fight her once. It’s enough so long as you fulfil the wishes of that girl. It doesn’t matter whether you win or lose.”
“I’m not interested,” Yang Kai casually crushed the jade slip into powder.
He was only in the Emperor Realm and had only condensed four Element Powers at the moment. Strictly speaking, he was not even in the Half-Step Open Heaven Realm so he did not have the qualifications to enter the Asura Arena’s Earth Rankings. Nevertheless, he could neither muster the slightest interest nor fighting spirit to face another Emperor Realm cultivator. Countless Open Heaven Realm Masters had lost their lives at his hands already, so regardless of how outstanding one’s aptitude, how could a mere Emperor be his opponent now?
Pei Bu Wan panicked, “Little Brother Yang, what are you doing!? Don’t tell me you don’t plan to accept her challenge!?”
Yang Kai was surprised, “Did I ever agree to accept her challenge?”
Yu Luo Sha had left after giving him a challenge letter. She had basically been saying whatever she wanted while he had never agreed to her challenge. It was completely up to his mood whether or not he showed up in three days.
Pei Bu Wan’s expression darkened, “Don’t do that, Little Brother Yang. If you don’t accept her challenge, that girl will never give up. I’m sure you don’t wish to have somebody following you around and watching you all the time in the future, right?”
Yang Kai asked, “Will she really do that?”
Pei Bu Wan nodded sternly, “As far as my understanding of her goes, she will definitely do that. The previous person who ranked first in the Mortal Rankings was stalked by her for half a year. In the end, he couldn’t take it anymore and agreed to accept her challenge. Only then did she stop.”
Yang Kai couldn’t help frowning. If Yu Luo Sha was so difficult to handle, then it would be rather troublesome. Being followed was not a big deal and he had nothing to hide either; even so, it would still be extremely uncomfortable. After pondering in silence for a bit, he finally nodded in agreement, “In that case, I will meet her in three days.”
Pei Bu Wan was overjoyed to hear those words, “Little Brother Yang, you are a righteous man! This Big Brother will be awaiting your arrival at the Asura Arena in three days!”
It wasn’t until Pei Bu Wan departed that Yue He finally asked, “Young Master, are you really going to accept the challenge in three days?”
Yang Kai replied, “Shopkeeper Pei said it too. Yu Luo Sha is stubborn and single-minded. If I refuse her this time, she will definitely come again and again. Rather than dragging things out, I might as well deal with this mess in one go.”
“I see. Then, you’ll have to be careful, Young Master,” She covered her mouth and giggled.
He was surprised, “What do I need to be careful about? Do you think she can do anything to me?”
Yue He shook her head and replied, “I’m worried you might accidentally kill her. It is said that one is responsible for one’s own life and death in the Asura Arena, so nobody could take revenge even if death occurs; however, Yu Luo Sha is a Core Disciple of Asura Heaven. It will probably cause a lot of trouble if you really killed her.”
To which Yang Kai responded righteously, “Of course! I’ve always been one to cherish women!” Turning towards Lang Qing Shan and the others, he added, “We might need to stay here for a while, so if you have nothing else to do, you can train yourselves in the Asura Arena. Life-or-death battles are always the best catalyst for growth. It is useless to have great power without knowing how to wield it.”
Lang Qing Shan and the others hurriedly agreed. Some of them even revealed eager expressions. Every one of them had experienced tremendous growth after serving under Yang Kai for more than ten years, especially Lang Qing Shan. Back then, he was a mere Emperor Realm cultivator who had just condensed his Dao Seal. But now, he had condensed several kinds of Fifth-Order materials and his strength had risen sharply.
It was just that there were few chances to battle another person in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary for them. That was because Yang Kai dealt with practically everything single-handedly, so they had no chance to display their skills. Therefore, the Asura Arena was the best training place for them now.
After everybody finished eating, they got rooms to rest. What made Yang Kai indignant was that the accountant settled the accounts methodically without giving any discounts. Every room was 300 Open Heaven Pills a night. Of course, now that Yang Kai was wealthy, he wasn’t really bothered by the expense and rented ten rooms in one go.
News of the top ranker in the Asura Arena’s Earth Rankings challenging Yang Kai spread like wildfire and soon reached every corner of the entire Star City, causing a huge uproar.
Yu Luo Sha was famous now, so it was only natural that many people paid attention to her. She was the strongest cultivator below the Open Heaven Realm; hence, this battle drew many people’s attention before it even started.
Many people inquired about Yang Kai’s origins, and when they learned that he won against Yu Luo Sha more than ten years ago, they couldn’t help feeling shocked. Be that as it may, Yu Luo Sha’s battle record had many defeats and many people were not optimistic about Yang Kai’s prospects for that reason, even though they were surprised. After all, Yu Luo Sha’s growth during these past ten years was obvious to all. It could even be said that she improved by leaps and bounds.
All those who defeated her in the past could only look up to her now; thus, they believed that Yang Kai was probably no different. Furthermore, it was said that he went missing for more than ten years and only reappeared again recently. It didn’t matter what kind of opportunities he had during the past ten years; it was still impossible for him to be her opponent. He would only end up suffering a horrible defeat.
The Asura Arena was one of Asura Heaven’s highest-earning businesses so they spared no effort to advertise this battle and opened up a betting pool with extremely high odds right from the beginning, attracting many cultivators to frantically place wagers.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
The Asura Arena was extremely lively and crowded. Countless cultivators flooded the place, just to get a glimpse of Yu Luo Sha’s noble bearing. Ever since she won first place in the Earth Rankings three years ago, she rarely fought. That was because there was nobody below the Open Heaven Realm who could last for longer than an incense stick against her. Therefore, there was none who lacked awareness and dared to challenge her. Now that she was finally going to fight, it would naturally attract people to flock over in droves.
Outside the Asura Arena, Yang Kai leisurely walked over with Yue He. Pei Bu Wan had been waiting here for a long time. He strode over and enthusiastically greeted Yang Kai with a hearty laugh, “Little Brother Yang, you’re finally here.”
It wasn’t until this moment that he finally felt relief washing over him. Before seeing Yang Kai, he had been worried that the latter would not show up. If that were the case, then not only would the Asura Arena’s vigorous promotion over the past few days have gone to waste, but he would have been troubled too.
Yang Kai gently nodded at Pei Bu Wan in greeting.
“Is he Yang Kai?”
“Yeah, it’s probably him. He doesn’t look like much.”
“Look at the two followers behind him. He seems to be a debauched Young Lord of some family. How much strength would a person like that have?”
A wave of discussion suddenly sounded from the side. Yang Kai glanced over and saw that both sides of the streets were lined with cultivators. They were looking at him and many of them had curious expressions, so he frowned slightly at the sight, “These people are…”
Pei Bu Wan replied, “These people are Yu Luo Sha’s fans. You don’t need to care about them.”
Yang Kai was amazed. He never imagined that Yu Luo Sha would be so popular in the Star City. Upon further consideration though, he realised that it was not surprising. She was beautiful and cut a heroic figure. Which man would not be charmed by her? The main point was that her perseverance in the pursuit of victory could resonate with many low-levelled cultivators, making even more people admire her as a result.
“Hey, brat surnamed Yang! You better last at least a few hits from Senior Sister Yu later. Don’t lose too badly!” Somebody jeered loudly, causing the crowd to burst into laughter.
“You’re a man. You have to survive ten breaths, at least. Don’t embarrass us men!”
“Just admit defeat if you don’t want to die! It’s not shameful!”
“Hahahaha!”
The cultivators in the surrounding chattered away loudly. It sounded like they were cheering for Yang Kai, but their words were filled with sarcasm and mockery. It was obvious they did not think well of him.
Yue He swept a cold glance towards them as the aura of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master filled the air. The noisy chatter fell silent in an instant as even the air seemed to freeze and turn solid. The outside of the Asura Arena immediately became so silent that even the sound of a needle falling to the ground could be heard.
Pei Bu Wan’s forehead oozed with a cold sweat as he hurriedly said, “Young Lady, please calm down. Please calm down.”
Likewise, Yang Kai smiled and said, “Don’t stoop to their level.”
Only then did Yue He withdraw her aura with a cold snort.
Yang Kai ignored the looks and comments of the outsiders and entered the Asura Arena. He was immediately greeted by the sight of the Heaven, Earth, and Mortal Rankings, each of which contained 100 names.
He casually swept a glance over the rankings and sure enough, he saw Yu Luo Sha’s name right at the top of the Earth Rankings. It was shining golden and looked very dazzling. The list was constantly changing. From time to time, one of the names would slide down the rankings while others would vanish altogether. Those names that slid down the rankings belonged to the people who were defeated in the Asura Arena while those names that vanished from the rankings belonged to the people who died in battle.
Yang Kai suddenly glanced towards the bottom of the Mortal Rankings and smiled, “That brat, Qing Shan, is doing pretty well.”
In the 95th position of the Mortal Rankings was Lang Qing Shan’s name. Three days ago, Yang Kai asked Lang Qing Shan and the others to enter the Asura Arena for training. They immediately rolled up their sleeves and came over the very next day. Over the past few days, they didn’t even return to First Inn. They were practically regarding the Asura Arena as their home.
In just three days, Lang Qing Shan had made his way into the 95th position of the Mortal Rankings. It went to show just how diligently he had been fighting. During their conversation, Lang Qing Shan’s name suddenly jumped up the rankings and abruptly landed on the 89th spot. The name of the person who used to rank 89th slid down and stopped just below his name. At the same time, Yang Kai faintly heard an Earth-shaking roar of cheers coming from a corner of the Asura Arena.
“Are you Yang Kai?” A person’s voice sounded from the side.
Yang Kai looked up and saw a few young men dressed as Young Lords walking over from not far away. They were followed by several Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters. It would seem that they came from a rather extraordinary background. There were three people in total and they were all dressed differently. One was dressed in black; one was dressed in white; and the other was dressed in green.
The person who spoke just now was the Young Lord in green. He was holding a folding fan in his hand and pretending to be suave. While he was speaking, he couldn’t help stealing a few glances at Yue He with gleaming eyes.
On the other hand, Yue He’s gaze was as sharp as knives. She gave him a vicious look, causing him to smile in embarrassment and reluctantly withdraw his gaze.
“That’s right, and you are?” Yang Kai politely cupped his fist.
The Young Lord dressed in white announced, “You don’t need to know who we are. All you need to know is that our interests are closely related to your victory or loss today.”
Yang Kai suddenly understood the situation. These people must have placed bets. A betting pool would be opened for every battle in the Asura Arena and these wagers would have different odds to attract the cultivators watching to gamble. It stood to reason that he knew about this; after all, this was the reason why Pei Bu Wan suddenly earned such a large sum of money last time. His battle with Yu Luo Sha today would surely have a similar aspect.
[But, why did these people come to find me?] Yang Kai had a sudden thought and looked at them in astonishment, “Could it be that the three of you placed a bet on my victory?”
The Young Lord in white responded without a trace of politeness, “In your dreams. We might come from wealthy families and spend money like water, but we are not stupid enough to just throw money away. Why would we bet on your victory?”
Yang Kai became annoyed, “If you favour Yu Luo Sha, then why did you come to me?” [Are these three people sick in the head?]
The Young Lord in black raised a hand to pat Yang Kai on the shoulder and gave a sigh, “Junior Brother Yang, the three of us actually quite admire your courage. We can’t believe you have the guts to accept Yu Luo Sha’s challenge. It’s rare to see a young man as bold as you nowadays. I heard you defeated Yu Luo Sha more than ten years ago. Is that true?”
Yang Kai nodded in response.
The Young Lord in black heaved another heavy sigh, “It is said that one can make great progress in three days, much less after more than ten years. It is best not to think of her in the same way. You might have won against Yu Luo Sha in the past, but now…” He gazed at Yang Kai with a pitying look and patted Yang Kai on the shoulder, “Work hard to survive. You will only have hope for the future if you survive!”
Yang Kai chuckled and did not know how to respond.
The Young Lord in green closed his folding fan, “That’s not the main point. The main point is that you must survive for some time against Yu Luo Sha! The three of us are betting that you can hold out against that crazy woman for an incense stick at least!”
The Young Lord in white said, “Since you have the guts to accept Yu Luo Sha, I’m sure you have some confidence in your abilities. An incense stick should be fine, right?”
Yang Kai was curious, “You can even make a bet like that?”
The Young Lord in black replied, “Why not? The Asura Arena opened an extensive betting pool, and although the odds are lower, we can still earn a lot if we bet a lot.”
Yang Kai looked at the three of them and exclaimed in surprise, “Did all of you bet that I could hold out for an incense stick?”
The Young Lord in black looked apologetic, “Not all of us. I bet that you won’t last for more than half an incense.” Seeing Yang Kai glaring at him resentfully, he continued, “There are even worse out there. Xu Tang Tang bet 3 million Open Heaven Pills that you will be defeated in ten moves. That guy is nuts! So, Junior Brother Yang, you have to do your best! You must hold out for more than ten moves…” he added in a low voice, “and lose to Yu Luo Sha within half an incense! I will treat you to a meal later!”
Yang Kai was so furious that steam came out of his nostrils, “Did Yu Luo Sha send the three of you here to humiliate me!?”
The three Young Lords smiled in embarrassment and quickly replied, “Of course not.”
Yang Kai snapped, “Didn’t anybody bet that I would win!?”
The three Young Lords exchanged glances with each other before shaking their heads in unison. They looked at Yang Kai like he was a lunatic.
Yang Kai smiled and nodded, but his smile did not reach his eyes, “Good, good. I will do my best not to disappoint the three of you then!”
The Young Lord in black brightened at those words and cupped his fists, “Many thanks, Junior Brother Yang! If you survive the battle today, the three of us will definitely become your friends!”
“Sure. Sure.” Yang Kai smiled and nodded. Afterward, he parted ways with these three. Under the guidance of one of the people from the Asura Arena, he walked into a room to wait for the Asura Arena to prepare the battlefield. Then, he abruptly turned towards Pei Bu Wan, “How much did you bet, Shopkeeper Pei?”
Pei Bu Wan made an incoherent noise as his gaze wandered nervously for a bit before he raised a finger.
Yang Kai smiled brightly, “How long did you bet that I would last?”
Pei Bu Wan looked guilty. He hesitated for a long while, then he gave a flattering smile, “An hour.”
“Wow! Shopkeeper Pei, you sure think quite highly of me. Should I thank you?”
Pei Bu Wan immediately said, “Little Brother Yang, it’s not that this Big Brother is favouring an outsider over you. It’s just that Yu Luo Sha’s growth over the past ten years is extremely terrifying! She is much stronger today than she was back then. But, I know that you are no ordinary guy either, Little Brother Yang. I’m sure you grew tremendously over the past ten years, so you can definitely hold out for an hour.”
“Three to one!” He considered for a moment, “Little Brother Yang, do you want to bet a little? There is still time. It’s no big deal even if you lose a battle. It’s more important to earn some Open Heaven Pills. Besides, now is the time when you need lots of cultivation resources for your cultivation. You won’t get another chance like this if you let this chance slip by.”
“Three to one. Those are some really stacked odds.” Yang Kai secretly gritted his teeth. The Asura Arena was obviously looking down on him by offering such odds. It could even be said that nobody who knew about this battle was optimistic about his chances at all, “If the odds are so high just for me to hold out for an hour, then the odds of my victory against Yu Luo Sha should be even higher, right?”
“Ten to one!” Pei Bu Wan answered solemnly, “These are the highest odds that the Asura Arena has ever offered in its history. There has not been any precedent of a higher offer.”
Yang Kai turned to look at Yue He, “How many Open Heaven Pills do we have left?”
Yue He immediately replied, “We still have more than 360 million. Young Master, are we going to place a bet?”
“Bet everything!” He waved his hand grandly, “I’m going to force Asura Arena to compensate me with the clothes on their back, down to their underpants!”
Yue He accepted the order and took her leave.
Pei Bu Wan’s mouth gaped open in shock. At first, he was shocked that a trivial Emperor Realm cultivator like Yang Kai had several hundreds of millions of Open Heaven Pills in hand. It had to be said that even as the shopkeeper of the Hundred Refining’s Hall, the funds that passed through his hands were no more than tens of millions at most.
[Did he rob a Cave-Heaven or a Paradise over the past few years!? How did he accumulate so many Open Heaven Pills!?]
A moment later, he was shocked at how decisively Yang Kai decided to bet all those Open Heaven Pills in one go.
It wasn’t until Yue He departed that he finally came back to his senses and hurriedly said, “Little Brother Yang, what are you betting on!? You can’t just randomly make such a bet!”
[That’s several hundreds of millions of Open Heaven Pills! What if he loses!?] Just thinking about the possibility distressed Pei Bu Wan.
“None of your damn business!” Yang Kai snapped angrily.
Pei Bu Wan was in the wrong here, so he did not dare to say another word.
A short while later, Yue He returned and reported with some dissatisfaction, “Young Master, the Asura Arena only accepts a maximum bet of 100 million. I can’t bet any more than that. I have asked Guo Zi Yan and the others to rush over immediately.”
Yang Kai nodded gently.
While they were conversing with each other, the door opened and an elderly man walked into the room. He swept a glance across the room and asked, “Which one of you is Yang Kai?”
Yang Kai stood up, “Me!”
“Please come with this Old Master. The battle is going to begin soon,” After saying that, the elderly man turned around and led the way.
Yang Kai had no choice but to follow the elderly man through corridor after corridor and soon came to a set of tightly closed doors. The doors were several metres high and at this moment, they were slowly opening. With the opening of those doors, an Earth-shaking cheer that made one’s blood boil with excitement came from within the Asura Arena.
“Please enter!” The elderly man gestured forward.
Yang Kai strode forward and entered the Asura Arena. It was not his first time here; however, it had been more than ten years since he last came. The reason his battle with Yu Luo Sha this time attracted so much attention was also thanks to the diligent efforts of the Asura Arena.
The entire battlefield was so vast that it was impossible to see the end at a glance. He turned out to be standing on a platform and a thousand metres opposite him, Yu Luo Sha stood on another platform in tight-fitted clothes that revealed her graceful curves. She was looking in this direction with a burning fighting spirit.
The doors behind both of them slowly closed and at the same time, numerous barriers were activated inside the Asura Arena. A transparent light barrier covered the entire battleground in order to prevent fallout from the battle from spreading outside the arena.
Following the activation of the barrier, the environment of the entire battlefield changed rapidly as towering ancient trees rose from the ground. It was a strange sight to see. The environment in the Asura Arena would change randomly, which was something Yang Kai had known for more than ten years. The last time he fought Yu Luo Sha, their battle had taken place in a desert. This time around, it seemed to be a forest.
Soon after, a booming voice sounded throughout the Asura Arena, explaining the rules. The voice was neither fast nor slow, but it was very penetrative. It clearly resounded in one’s ears despite the clamouring noises of the countless cultivators in the stands.
Under the watch and cheering of countless people, Yang Kai stood on the platform and smiled brightly at Yu Luo Sha, who stood opposite him before lightly asking, “Junior Sister Yu, can I admit defeat?”
Yu Luo Sha’s beautiful eyes narrowed at those words, “Are you mocking me?”
Her pretty face was filled with rage and her tender fists were tightly clenched. She had waited for more than ten years for this moment, all so she could have a proper fight with him. Now that he had finally returned to the Star City, how could she possibly accept a result like that?
“I guess it won’t work after all.” Yang Kai gave a leisurely sigh, “My original intention was to admit defeat immediately. After further consideration, I came to the conclusion that a woman with as much pride as you would not give up even if I admit defeat. You will definitely continue to pester me in the future. In that case, I figured I might as well fight you and create a chance for you to land the winning blow. That way, I can resolve this troublesome matter.”
“Create a chance for me to land the winning blow!?” She gritted her teeth, uttering those words with great emphasis as though she had suffered great humiliation. Her chest heaved erratically.
“Indeed!” Yang Kai remained calm.
“Judging by your words, you seem certain that I am not your opponent,” she said coldly.
“There is no one beneath the Open Heaven Realm who is my opponent!” He looked at her nonchalantly.
Even if she had a calm temperament and her mind was as tranquil as an ancient well, she still could not help becoming angry at his words, “Senior Brother, are you not worried that these nonsensical words of yours will come back to slap you in the face later? I was certainly no match for you more than ten years ago, but I am different from before. I’m afraid it won’t be so easy for you to defeat me like you did back then.”
Yang Kai nodded, “I know that you have grown tremendously over the past few years, Junior Sister Yu. However, this Senior Brother has not been idle either. It’s just that this Senior Brother is very kind to women. Junior Sister, you have such a pretty face. It would be bad if your beautiful face was injured in the fight. Why don’t we do this instead? Junior Sister, why don’t you take the initiative to admit defeat?”
The conversation between these two might be taking place within the Asura Arena, but every single word that was spoken was transmitted clearly through the barriers and into the ears of the cultivators in the audience. Everybody heard it loud and clear.
The originally noisy audience abruptly fell silent. Everybody stared at Yang Kai in dumbfounded amazement. In the next moment, an uproar louder than the noisy chattering just now erupted from the audience. Countless people mocked Yang Kai for boasting shamelessly. Some even clamoured for Yu Luo Sha to beat Yang Kai black and blue. The commotion in the audience was extremely loud for a while, drowning out even the voice that was reading out the rules.
Yang Kai turned to look at the audience and shouted furiously, “Shut the hell up, you bunch of trash! You’ll soon be compensating me with all your bets!”
Yu Luo Sha tilted her head to look at him and faintly said, “If it’s about how glib one’s tongue is, then I admit I am not your match, Senior Brother. We don’t need to compete in that regard. I will admit defeat.”
Yang Kai chuckled, “Looks like we still need to fight in the end. Haa… I never wanted to let this situation develop this far. However, you are wholeheartedly pursuing the peak of the Martial Dao. For an opponent like you, this Senior Brother can only show my respect for you by going all out!”
After saying that, his expression abruptly changed. His originally faint and nondescript aura suddenly erupted outward like a tsunami. The sudden change was so great that Yu Luo Sha couldn’t help narrowing her eyes. She instinctively surged the power in her body as a crimson blood mist instantly permeated the air around her!
At the same time, the voice that had been explaining the rules in Asura Arena also finished and shouted in a low voice, “Life and death shall be decided in battle, let the match begin!”
*Hong…*
The platform beneath Yang Kai’s feet exploded without warning and turned into countless pieces of gravel that shot out in all directions. His entire body turned into a stream of light as he charged towards Yu Luo Sha and appeared just ten metres away from her in an instant.
Yu Luo Sha’s expression changed greatly as a chill spread from the soles of her feet to the top of her head. In her vision, what charged towards her was not an Emperor Realm cultivator who had yet to even reach the Half-Step Open Heaven Realm but an ancient ominous beast that crossed through time and came from prehistoric times. The violent aura wrapped around her, causing her to become unable to breathe. It felt like her entire body was being pressed under a mountain and she didn’t even have the strength to move a single finger.
Meanwhile, the ferocious beast stretched out a claw while charging towards her and reached for her face, tearing through space and causing the world to collapse wherever it passed.
Yu Luo Sha was shocked! She had made a name for herself in the Asura Arena. Ever since she advanced into the Emperor Realm, she had fought in the Asura Arena and experienced at least 1,000 battles over the years. During this time, she met both strong and weak opponents. The most difficult opponent she had ever fought was during the battle where she took first place in the Earth Rankings.
In order to reach the top of the Earth Rankings, she first had to defeat the previous top ranker.
Her opponent had been on par with her in terms of strength and they were both in the Half-Step Open Heaven Realm, only one step away from advancing into the Open Heaven Realm. Her opponent had also condensed six types of Sixth-Order Elements and was a Core Disciple of another Cave-Heaven. Their battle lasted for half a day before they could determine the winner between them.
However, even the previous top ranker in the Earth Rankings had been extremely cautious when challenging her. They had taken their time to figure out each other’s strength before they went all out towards the end of the battle. Who would charge in so violently and savagely from the start?
What scared Yu Luo Sha even more was the sense of oppression that Yang Kai gave her. Countless people had looked down on Yang Kai and believed that he was not her opponent, but she had never once thought that way. How could the person who defeated her ten years ago be weak?
As he mentioned just now, she had shown tremendous growth during these past ten years. But likewise, he could not have been idling away either! That was why she never underestimated him. On the contrary, she had always regarded him as an opponent who could put up a hard fight against her. Nevertheless, she immediately realized she had underestimated him when he actually made his move. Compared to his shocking imposing aura, she felt like a firefly in front of the bright moon, absolutely insignificant! At that moment, she felt as though the person before her was an invincible existence.
Be that as it may, she was a Core Disciple of Asura Heaven and had experienced hundreds of battles before, so she quickly composed herself. Her aura surged as the strength inside her body exploded outward.
Kicking off the platform lightly, Yu Luo Sha gave a wave of her hand. Flower petals shot out and rained down on Yang Kai, each one dancing through the air and formed from the purest power she could condense in an ever-changing and unpredictable storm.
She had condensed Sixth-Order Elements, so the strength she wielded displayed as such! The golden flower petals were like indestructible swords, representing the Metal Element. The red flower petals were like blazing flames, representing the Fire Element. Meanwhile, yellow represented the Earth Element; green the Wood Element; white the Water Element; and black the Yin Element!
Thousands of flower petals danced to form an imposing Array that could shred everything to pieces and covered Yang Kai in an instant. Even so, Yu Luo Sha did not feel the slightest sense of triumph. On the contrary, her heart pounded as though an inexplicable sense of crisis was looming over her. Then, she saw a large hand in the shape of an eagle’s claws stretching out of the flower storm. Countless petals destroyed the man’s clothes, but they were blocked by a dirt-yellow light barrier. Sparks flew from the contact between the flower petals and that light barrier, while no harm befell his body at all.
“How can that be!?” She practically exclaimed in shock, her heart sinking to the bottom of the abyss. The Myriad Flowers Array was basically her trump card. She generally did not use this move because it consumed too much strength, and ever since she climbed to the top of the Earth Rankings three years ago, few people have been able to force her to use this move again. The only ones who could force her to use this move were opponents in the Half-Step Open Heaven Realm. These people had all condensed the Fifth-Order or Sixth-Order Elements and were also the elite disciples of various Cave-Heaven or Paradises.
Faced with Yang Kai’s head-on charge that resembled a ferocious Ominous Beast, she immediately brought out her trump card. She originally thought that it would stop him for a moment, maybe even cause him to fall into a precarious situation, but who could have imagined this result instead?
*Hong…*
Before she could understand what was going on, Yang Kai’s figure burst out of the Myriad Flowers Array. Countless flower petals shattered with a loud explosion, turning into bits of light that shot out in all directions like a meteor shower.
Yu Luo Sha stared blankly forward, only to see that Yang Kai’s expression was still as tranquil as an ancient well. His eyes were as cold and cruel as ice. Roaring to inspire herself, her tender body tensed and a boundless blood mist gushed out of her, turning into a sea of blood that drowned both of them inside.
The audience was completely silent as countless people stared blankly at the sea of blood in the Asura Arena, unable to comprehend what had just happened. It wasn’t until three breaths later that somebody murmured, “Did that Yang Kai just destroy Yu Luo Sha’s Myriad Flowers Array?”
Nobody answered the question. The Myriad Flowers Array had indeed been destroyed and Yang Kai had emerged from it without being bothered in the slightest. The main question was, how did he do it? Nobody had seen clearly.
Before anybody could figure out the answer, the sea of blood in the Asura Arena began squirming madly as though struck by a powerful impact.
The sea of blood shattered and the figures of two people swiftly fell out of the sky. Under everybody’s gaze, those figures suddenly vanished. Even though it had only been for a moment, almost everybody saw Yang Kai grabbing Yu Luo Sha by the face with a large hand and viciously smashing her towards the ground.
Yu Luo Sha was not willing to just give up and admit defeat. Both her slender jade hands and long legs; every part of her body had been transformed into a weapon that bombarded Yang Kai indiscriminately.
On the other hand, Yang Kai remained as stubborn and unchanging as a mountain. Motionless, he ignored whatever attacks she unleashed against him.
*Hong…*
The entire Asura Arena shuddered and countless cultivators in the audience also felt the ground shaking beneath them. A cloud of dust rose up at the spot where the two fighters landed. Numerous ancient towering trees crashed to the ground, forming a straight line that stretched out for several hundreds of metres. The scene was chaotic and the figures of both Yang Kai and Yu Luo Sha could no longer be seen amidst the dust.
Everybody hurriedly lifted their heads and looked up at the sky where a huge projected image of the battle between those two under the effects of the Spirit Arrays in the Asura Arena stood. What entered their eyes made them draw a deep breath of cold air in surprise.
Inside that enormous light barrier, Yang Kai was kneeling with one knee on the ground. He had one large hand pressing against the ground, his black hair and clothes flapping from the impact.
As for Yu Luo Sha, she was smashed into the ground with her face still in the grip of his hand. The long stretch of empty space behind them resembled a large mouth, mocking soundlessly.
The entire arena was silent! Everybody looked up stupidly at the projection in the sky. They couldn’t help feeling a sense of absurdity, almost as though they were stuck in a dream.
Yu Luo Sha had been utterly defeated! The top ranker in the Earth Rankings! The woman who was only one step away from advancing into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm! The woman who was said to be an existence that was invincible among those beneath the Open Heaven Realm! She had been defeated in an instant!
Moreover, the person who defeated her was a little-known man by the name of Yang Kai! How could this be!? How could there be something so ridiculous in the world!?
Countless people frantically rubbed their eyes and pinched their thighs, hoping that everything was just an illusion. Unfortunately, the reality of the image burned into their eyes was extremely clear. It could not be more real.
Yu Luo Sha had been defeated by Yang Kai. She seemed powerless to fight back against the violent attacks of the other party. Furthermore, no more than ten breaths had passed since the beginning of the battle.
…..
Inside a certain private room, three Young Lords dressed in black, green, and white respectively were staring fixedly at the Asura Arena in shock. They were the three Young Lords who spoke to Yang Kai previously. Their mouths were gaping so wide that they could practically stuff their own fists into them.
After a while, the Young Lord in black suddenly let out a cry of surprise. He turned around and shouted furiously, “Why did you pinch me!?”
The Young Lord in white looked extremely depressed, “I wanted to see if I was dreaming!”
The Young Lord in green wiped at the cold sweat on his forehead, “I can’t believe that Senior Brother… turned out to be so strong!”
Thinking back to the various ‘advice’ they gave Yang Kai just now and how they asked him to hold out for longer, they couldn’t help shuddering all of a sudden.
…..
Inside another private room, Pei Bu Wan slumped limply into the chair. His entire being looked like a balloon that had run out of air. His complexion had also gone white as a sheet as he was murmuring to himself, “It’s over. It’s over… It’s all gone! My 10 million Open Heaven Pills!”
After saying that, he clutched at his chest as though he was so heartbroken that he could not breathe.
Yue He coldly snorted, “Serves you right!”
She had no goodwill towards this shopkeeper of Hundred Refining’s Hall who bet 10 million Open Heaven Pills on Yang Kai’s defeat.
…..
Inside the Asura Arena, Yang Kai slowly stood up and reached up to brush the hair out of his face. Lowering his head to take a good look at Yu Luo Sha, who was lying unconscious on the ground, he smiled in satisfaction, “I didn’t injure her pretty face. As expected, I’m somebody who cherishes women indeed.”
His words were transmitted throughout the Asura Arena via the Spirit Arrays, so everybody heard him clearly. His tone might be warm and kind, but his words sent a chill down the backs of countless people.
Before this battle, the entire Star City believed that Yu Luo Sha was the strongest Master below the Open Heaven Realm. Nobody could be her opponent as long as the Open Heaven Realm Masters did not step forth. However, Yang Kai had knocked out the future rising star of Asura Heaven in less than ten breaths.
If Yu Luo Sha was the strongest Master below the Open Heaven Realm, then what did that make Yang Kai?
Besides, his offensive had been so violent and ferocious. He gave off the vibe that he was going to skin her alive right from the start. Those were not the actions of a person who ‘cherished women’, right? Just how shameless could he be to utter such words?
“Sneak attack! How dare you perform a sneak attack!? How shameless!” A furious yell suddenly rang out in the Asura Arena. That shout was particularly jarring in the silent arena.
In the next moment, the others joined in. Countless people accused Yang Kai of being shameless and despicable. They claimed that he must have maliciously launched a sneak attack; otherwise, Yu Luo Sha would not have been defeated in one blow.
Yang Kai swept a cold gaze over the audience and scolded, “You bunch of trash! If you’re willing to gamble, you must be willing to lose! You’re all just bitter because you lost everything down to your underwear, right!? Hahahaha!”
He burst into maniacal laughter, inciting the anger of all the people in the arena, tempting them to rip his corpse into ten thousand pieces. Nevertheless, his words were the truth. Countless people went bankrupt because of this battle; after all, everybody had looked down on Yang Kai before the battle began and almost everybody placed a bet on Yu Luo Sha as a result. The odds might be lower, but it was just as the Young Lord mentioned before, if they bet more, then they would win more.
Unfortunately, Yang Kai smashed their beautiful dreams to pieces with brute force in less than ten breaths. It was no wonder that they were accusing him of being despicable and launching a sneak attack.
Strictly speaking, Yang Kai had not launched a sneak attack. He only made his move after hearing the voice saying ‘Let the battle begin!’. There were no doubts regarding whether or not he had launched a sneak attack. It was just that some of those people were not happy about losing. That was why they threw those accusations at him.
It wasn’t until this moment that the voice explaining all the rules earlier rang out again. This time, it sounded extremely dry, “Winner, Yang Kai!”
In the next moment, a man slipped into the arena and stopped in front of Yu Luo Sha. He reached out three fingers to check whether she was still breathing. When he confirmed that she had just passed out and was in no danger, he seemed slightly relieved. He then bent down and picked her up. Then, he raised his head and glared at Yang Kai furiously before leaving in a hurry.
Yang Kai scratched his nose, knowing that he made himself stand out too much. The person who carried Yu Luo Sha away was most likely one of Asura Heaven’s disciples. Yu Luo Sha could be considered one of the Asura Arena’s golden signboards, so now that he smashed that signboard to pieces, it would be strange if he did not attract some grudges.
Yang Kai had not wanted to stand out, it was just that Yu Luo Sha was just too bull-headed. She would not have given up and would simply continue to pester him in the future unless he gave her a taste of despair.
Fortunately, Asura Heaven was one of the Thirty-Six Cave-Heaven and the Asura Arena was its primary business. Even if Asura Heaven was upset with him, it would not stoop so low as to secretly get rid of him. Besides, it was not that there was no precedent of Asura Heaven disciples dying in the Asura Arena. Asura Heaven had never held a grudge against others because of something like that. As far as the Cave-Heaven was concerned, death was deserved if one was lacking in talent.
Seeing as the countless cultivators in the audience were still cursing endlessly, Yang Kai decided to ignore them and leisurely walked towards the exit instead. At the exit, he saw the elderly man who led him into the arena previously looking at him as though looking at a ghost. The attitude of the elderly man at this moment was much more polite than the nonchalant attitude from before.
Upon returning to the waiting room, Yang Kai immediately saw Pei Bu Wan sitting there wallowing in depression and laughed, “Shopkeeper Pei, why are you acting like that? It’s only 1 million Open Heaven Pills. Just think of it as a monetary loss that allowed you to avoid disaster instead.”
Pei Bu Wan gritted his teeth, “What do you mean by 1 million!? It was 10 million! 10 million!”
“How bold, Shopkeeper Pei!” Yang Kai teased. When he questioned Pei Bu Wan earlier, Pei Bu Wan had only raised a single finger in response and did not provide an exact answer; hence, he mistakenly thought that Pei Bu Wan had bet just 1 million against him. Who could have known that Pei Bu Wan had bet 10 million instead?
“Little Brother Yang, you’ve ruined me!” Pei Bu Wan’s facial features were scrunched up together as he was literally on the verge of tears, “If you had such ability, why didn’t you let this Big Brother know in advance!? If I had known, I would have bet on you!”
Yang Kai was amazed, “I sent Yue He to place an enormous bet on myself, didn’t I? Shopkeeper Pei, you were the one who did not believe in me. How can you blame me?”
Pei Bu Wan was rendered speechless when he thought back on it. Yang Kai had dared to bet on his own victory with such confidence, so how could he be uncertain about his chances of winning? It was just that Yu Luo Sha’s invincible image was so deeply rooted in Pei Bu Wan’s heart that he did not dare to believe in Yang Kai.
Such a great opportunity to make a fortune had been placed right in front of him, but he had failed to grasp the opportunity… It had to be said that the odds against Yang Kai were ten to one!
Pei Bu Wan lifted a hand and slapped himself hard in the face. His chest was hurting as though somebody was squeezing his heart, making it hard for him to breathe.
While they were speaking, one of the people in charge of the Asura Arena walked in. That person glanced at Yang Kai before glancing at Pei Bu Wan, who was grieving as though he had lost his parents. That person nodded in acknowledgement, “Junior, you are here too.”
Pei Bu Wan suppressed the sorrow in his heart and hurriedly got to his feet, “Old Zhou!”
Old Zhou said, “You lost your bet? How could you lose if you are together with Nephew Yang?”
Pei Bu Wan reacted as if he was struck by lightning but said nothing, feeling as though somebody had rubbed salt into his wounds…
Old Zhou ignored Pei Bu Wan and cupped his fist at Yang Kai, “Nephew Yang!”
Although Yang Kai did not recognise this person, he echoed Pei Bu Wan’s words and cupped his fist, “Old Zhou!”
Old Zhou smiled, “Today’s battle has really opened this Old Master’s eyes, Nephew Yang!”
Yang Kai politely responded, “Old Zhou, you are too polite. I was just lucky!”
Old Zhou stared at Yang Kai meaningfully, “Defeating Yu Luo Sha in ten breaths cannot be considered ‘luck’. The disciples of Asura Heaven are not that easy to defeat. If just any random person could defeat the disciples of Asura Heaven, then Asura Heaven would have lost the right to call itself one of the Thirty-Six Cave-Heavens a long time ago.”
Yang Kai asked, “Why did you come here, Old Zhou?”
Old Zhou handed over a Space Ring, “Before the battle started, you bet a 100 million Open Heaven Pills on your victory, right? This contains your bet and your winnings.”
Yang Kai immediately took the Space Ring in high spirits. Sweeping his Divine Sense to check the contents, he exclaimed in surprise, “This number seems a bit higher than it should.”
Combined with his original bet of 100 million, the Asura Arena should only need to hand over 1.1 billion Open Heaven Pills to him. Such a large sum of Open Heaven Pills was not something just any great force could bring out so easily. Only a place like the Asura Arena where countless Open Heaven Pills flowed through every single day could do something like that.
But, what surprised Yang Kai was that the Space Ring seemed to contain more than 1.1 billion Open Heaven Pills.
“1.2 billion!” Old Zhou confirmed.
Yang Kai was puzzled, “Where did the extra 100 million come from?”
Old Zhou smiled, “Nephew Yang, your strength is extraordinary. In the future, your name will surely spread across the 3,000 Worlds, so this Old Master will not play games with you. That extra 100 million is a form of compensation from Asura Arena.”
“Compensation for what?”
“Nephew Yang, please do not set foot in any of the Asura Arenas of any the Star Cities ever again!” Old Zhou replied bluntly.
Yang Kai could not help blinking in surprise; however, he soon understood what Old Zhou meant. He had displayed a terrifying power that was strong enough to crush any opponent under the Open Heaven Realm in his battle today. It was a given that nobody could be his opponent if he were to set foot in another Asura Arena again, and if everybody bet on his victory, then how would the Asura Arena make money?
The Asura Arena was one of the most important foundations of Asura Heaven, which delivered large amounts of Open Heaven Pills to it every day. If the Asura Arena kept suffering losses, then Asura Heaven would be in trouble too. It was only natural for Old Zhou to consider the future. Be that as it may, he took out 100 million Open Heaven Pills to offer as compensation without even batting an eyelid! It could be seen just how wealthy and powerful the Asura Arena was!
Pei Bu Wan was dumbfounded. As far as his memories went, this was the first time the Asura Arena had ever offered such generous conditions to a cultivator. Asura Heaven was one of the Thirty-Six Cave-Heavens after all. Aside from the other Cave-Heavens in the Outer Universe, there was no need for Asura Heaven to give face to any other great force; after all, Asura Heaven had that kind of power.
Yang Kai smiled at Old Zhou, “What if I refused?”
Old Zhou calmly said, “You have no reason to refuse, Nephew. Fighting life-or-death battles in the Asura Arena might be able to help a person grow extremely fast, but there is no point in participating if you are simply going to one-sidedly crush your opponents. Even Yu Luo Sha could not last for more than ten breaths against you. There are few below the Open Heaven Realm in this vast universe who have the qualifications to stand before you. You won’t be able to meet a suitable opponent even if you enter the Asura Arena again. In that case, why would you waste your time by returning to the Asura Arena?
“Besides, even if you do enter the Asura Arena again, the Asura Arena can adjust the odds so while we won’t make money, we can minimize our losses. That is why I believe that you have no reason to refuse. What do you say, Nephew Yang?”
Yang Kai considered those words for a moment and nodded, “What you say does make sense, Old Zhou.”
Old Zhou grinned lightly at Yang Kai, “So, do we have a deal?”
Yang Kai laughed, “It’s not like I can’t agree to never set foot in the Asura Arena again. But, I have to ask that you restrain Junior Sister Yu, Old Zhou. I’m worried that she might not be convinced even after the battle today…”
Old Zhou replied, “Please don’t worry about this, Nephew. Xiao Yu’er might be stubborn, but she is not a fool. I’m certain that she will not challenge you again when she knows that she cannot defeat you and that her actions will only humiliate herself once more. Nevertheless, this Old Master will restrain her!”
“And, about the compensation…”
He raised an eyebrow at Yang Kai’s words, “Nephew Yang, do you think that it is too little?”
Yang Kai rubbed his fingers together and said slyly, “How can there ever be such a thing as too many Open Heaven Pills?”
Old Zhou pondered for a moment and came to a decision, “This Old Master can give you another 50 million. What do you think, Nephew?”
Yang Kai’s expression became stern, “50 million doesn’t sound that nice. Why don’t you round it up to a whole number instead?”
Old Zhou’s expression became stiff, “Nephew Yang, you should show some propriety. Don’t be too greedy. This is already the limit that this Old Master can provide under his authority. If you ask for more, this Old Master will have to pay you out of my own pocket. If you agree to this deal, you will not only receive a large amount of Open Heaven Pills but also the friendship of Asura Heaven. This is a very good deal for you.”
After saying that, his eyes flashed for a moment and he looked at Yang Kai seriously before adding, “Coincidentally, this Old Master heard of a name recently. That name is exactly the same as yours, Nephew Yang Kai.”
Yang Kai smiled, “The 3,000 Worlds is extensive. There are trillions upon trillions of living creatures scattered across the vast universe. I’m sure there are people out there with the same name as me.”
Old Zhou gently nodded, “Indeed. It’s not strange for a few people to have the exact same name and surname. What’s strange is that this person’s cultivation is also similar to yours. Don’t you find that rather strange, Nephew Yang Kai?”
Yang Kai’s expression changed and his eyes flashed, “What else did you hear about, Old Zhou?”
Old Zhou said slowly, “I also heard that this ‘Yang Kai’ was involved in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary incident. He made a huge fortune there and even condensed several High-Rank Open Heaven Elements. It seems he is very ambitious and intends to break through to the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm directly. Say, Nephew Yang Kai, don’t you agree that this person has no fear of the Heavens?”
Yang Kai quickly replied, “Cultivators all seek to reach the peak of the Material Dao. How is that having no fear of the Heavens?”
“It is difficult for a rogue cultivator to directly achieve the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm. This Old Master believes that this person will suffer a catastrophe in the future since he does not have any background nor support to rely upon. If he does not survive the catastrophe, then things would simply end with his death.”
“What if he survives the catastrophe?” Yang Kai looked at Old Zhou.
Old Zhou studied Yang Kai for a moment and gave a soft chuckle, “If he can survive the catastrophe, then this Old Master will cut off his head for him to kick around like a ball.”
Yang Kai couldn’t help but coldly snort in response, “Don’t get too high and mighty with your words, Old Zhou. Like water that has been spilled, the words you speak can never be taken back again.”
Old Zhou shook his head, “That is fate. If this Old Master says that he won’t be able to survive the catastrophe, then he won’t. Forcefully pushing forward will only cause his Soul to be extinguished. This Old Master hopes that he can change his mind as soon as possible. If he only takes a step back, then all will end well; otherwise, it will be too late for regrets by the time the catastrophe strikes.
Yang Kai looked livid.
Then, Old Zhou abruptly changed the subject, “There’s no point in speaking about such irrelevant matters. Nephew Yang, have you considered the offer this Old Master has given you?”
Yang Kai stretched out his hand, “Hand it over.”
Old Zhou smilingly took out another Space Ring and handed it to Yang Kai. That Space Ring contained an impressive 50 million Open Heaven Pills. He said meaningfully, “Nephew, this Old Master has a word of advice for you. Those who understand how to be flexible will rise higher!”
Yang Kai muttered, “Many thanks for your advice, Old Zhou. I will keep your words in my heart.”
Old Zhou gave Yang Kai a measuring look and seemed to see the determination in his eyes; thus, he sighed and shook his head before taking his leave.
Next to them, Pei Bu Wan bowed and sent Old Zhou off. It wasn’t until Old Zhou was gone that he looked at the two Space Rings in Yang Kai’s hands with an envious look. Those Space Rings contained a whopping sum of 1.25 billion Open Heaven Pills. It was an amount he would never earn even if he worked all his life. A moment later, he suddenly jumped in fright, “Little Brother Yang, why is your expression so terrible?”
Yang Kai randomly came up with an excuse, “I was wounded by Yu Luo Sha.”
Pei Bu Wan was surprised for a moment, then a wave of understanding washed over him. [I guess the battle just now was not as easy as it seemed on the surface. Yang Kai probably paid a heavy price to defeat Yu Luo Sha within ten breaths, it’s just that it doesn’t show on the surface.]
“Shopkeeper Pei, until we meet again.” Yang Kai cupped his fists and led Yue He away, his expression still as gloomy as before.
He knew that he could not hide his identity after what happened in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, or the fact that he had condensed a High-Rank Elements and was intending to reach the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm directly. So many people had witnessed what happened in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary after all. It was a given that the news would spread out. It was only a matter of time.
Calculating the time, nearly two years had passed since he came out of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. If Asura Heaven could learn about the events inside the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, then it would not be surprising for them to know about him.
Looking for a person in this vast universe was no different from looking for a needle in a haystack. Unfortunately, Old Zhou had noticed something during this battle in the Asura Arena and ascertained that Yang Kai was the same person mentioned in those rumours. Yu Luo Sha had condensed the Sixth-Order Element Powers after all. She could be considered an invincible existence among those below the Open Heaven Realm. As such, one needed to have a greater heritage than hers in order to defeat her within ten breaths.
If Asura Heaven was already aware of this fact, then that was probably the case for all the other Cave-Heavens and Paradises.
Yang Kai had always known from the Proprietress that his journey towards the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm was not going to be easy and he was very likely going to be suppressed by the various Cave-Heavens and Paradises. It was just that he had never revealed himself in the eyes of the world before. He had simply taken over Void Land and quietly strengthened himself. It could be considered a fairly stable lifestyle. On the contrary, he had been completely exposed after the battle today.
In any case, it was not something that could be helped. Even without today’s battle, it was simply a matter of time before his whereabouts were discovered by those who were interested in him. Unless he hid himself in Void Land forever and never showed his face anywhere, it was impossible to remain anonymous.
Be that as it may, there was no need to worry about being suppressed for the time being. He had only just condensed four Elements after all. There was still a long way before he could advance into the Open Heaven Realm. Even if the Cave-Heavens and Paradises planned to suppress him, they would not make their move so quickly. They had reputations to worry about, so they had to be mindful of how they took action.
A cultivator’s road to advancing into the Open Heaven Realm was long; in addition, there were many variables that could affect the final outcome. Just like the wooden boards that make up a wooden barrel, how much water a barrel could hold depended entirely on the shortest board. They only needed to ensure that his water barrel had a single wooden board that was below the High-Rank to get the results they wanted.
Upon considering all of this, Yang Kai felt a little more at ease. Old Zhou’s words today might seem like nothing more than kind advice, but they were actually a kind of warning, one that came from the various Cave-Heavens and Paradises. He did not dare to say that it was the will of all the Cave-Heavens and Paradises, but their opinions would likely be quite consistent when it came to this matter.
After passing through a long and dark corridor, the bright light ahead seemed to welcome him. Yang Kai tightly clenched his fists and looked up into the sky with a smirk on his lips. [Forget a trivial warning. Even if I have to make the entire world my enemy, my determination to achieve the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm will not be shaken!]
“Brat, why are you smiling so exaggeratedly?” Bai Qi’s face suddenly appeared in front of Yang Kai with an infinitely curious expression.
Yang Kai was astonished, “What are you doing here?”
Old Bai chuckled and waved the Space Ring in his hand slightly.
Yang Kai blinked and quickly caught on to the meaning, “Did the Proprietress ask you to place a bet?”
Old Bai delightedly replied, “It’s a good opportunity to make a fortune. Who would willingly miss out on such an opportunity? The Proprietress prepared this long ago.”
Those who did not know Yang Kai might not have been optimistic about his prospects, but the Proprietress knew him very well. How could she not know how strong he was? She started preparing for Bai Qi to place a bet the moment Yang Kai decided to accept Yu Luo Sha’s challenge.
“It’s a pity. The Proprietress did not have many Open Heaven Pills on hand, so we could only place a 30 million wager.” Bai Qi complained with some dissatisfaction.
Yang Kai was dumbstruck. The Proprietress had placed a bet of 30 million with ten to one odds; in other words, she had won 300 million Open Heaven Pills. Combined with the 1.25 billion Open Heaven Pills that he received, the Asura Arena must have lost basically its entire betting pool this time. There was no saying how long it would take for them to recover from these losses.
“We’ll have enough money for the auction now. Heh heh heh…” Bai Qi chuckled softly.
“Auction?” Yang Kai immediately became interested when he heard those words, “Where is the auction? Wind and Cloud Auction House?”
Thousand Birds Territory’s Star City had an auction house by the name of the Wind and Cloud Auction House. It was a place Yang Kai was familiar with as it was an industry owned by Wind and Cloud Paradise.
Back when Yang Kai and Old Bai went there to collect debt payments, Wind and Cloud Auction House had made all sorts of excuses to avoid paying them. The two had been so annoyed that they snuck into the auction and made multiple malicious bids, which resulted in the auction being ruined. The person in charge of the Wind and Cloud Auction House at the time was a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master by the name of Yun Zhen Hua.
Due to the malicious bids that Yang Kai and Bai Qi made during the auction, most of the auction items had basically fallen into their hands; however, they refused to settle the bill with Open Heaven Pills. It stood to reason that Yun Zhen Hua would not let this matter slide, so he imprisoned them inside Wind and Cloud Auction House. This provoked the Proprietress who subsequently flew into a rage and attacked Wind and Cloud Auction House as a result. Thus, a grudge was formed between them because of this incident.
Later, Yun Zhen Hua teamed up with Yue He, Qin Ji, and Ling Chun Qiu to ambush the Proprietress. Yun Zhen Hua was ultimately killed on the spot and his Soul was extinguished inside the Sealing Yang Domain of Golden Rainbow Province when Yang Kai used his last Mie Meng Golden Feather.
When Yang Kai heard Bai Qi mention the word ‘auction’, Wind and Cloud Auction House immediately came to mind.
Bai Qi sneered, “First Inn and Wind and Cloud Auction House are at odds with each other, how could we possibly participate in any of their auctions? This time, we are participating in an auction held by Red Clouds Auction House.”
Knowing that Yang Kai was not very familiar with the Star City, he went on to explain, “Red Clouds Auction House is owned by Red Clouds Cave Heaven. Their heritage is far greater than Wind and Cloud Auction House and they have branches in many Star Cities. Furthermore, they tend to hold a large-scale auction in a random Star City every five years or so. The large-scale auction this time will be held in Thousand Birds Territory’s Star City.”
“Red Clouds Auction House?” Yang Kai gently nodded, “When will this auction take place?”
“Half a month at the earliest to one month at the latest.” Bai Qi winked at Yang Kai, “Rest assured, the Proprietress knows that you will be interested in something like this, so she will surely bring you along with her. But, it won’t be easy for you to find any High-Rank materials there. High-Rank materials generally do not appear even at an auction of this scale. As far as I can remember, High-Rank materials have only appeared in an auction twice over the last hundred years. Both times, people went crazy in an attempt to compete for those resources.”
Yang Kai said, “I am aware of that.”
Even if there were no High-Rank materials, it would be great if there were Sixth-Order materials. The Great Emperors were currently cultivating in retreat back in Void Land, so their consumption of Sixth-Order materials was great. Leaving aside the Great Emperors, even Yue He needed Sixth-Order materials for her cultivation now.
During his journey, Yang Kai passed through several Star Cities but only managed to purchase one Sixth-Order material. It would be best if he could obtain some in the auction. He currently had more than 1.5 billion Open Heaven Pills, so even for Sixth-Order materials, he had enough to purchase up to several dozen! Unfortunately, a competition of this level would surely be extremely fierce and it would cost him a lot of unnecessary money.
Returning to First Inn, Yang Kai went to the Proprietress to inquire about the auction before entering retreat in peace when he learned that it would not be held until half a month later.
At present, his cultivation was stuck in an awkward position. He was unable to proceed without suitable resources; however, it was not a problem for him to comprehend the various Powers in his body and consume Dragon Blood Pills to further enhance his Dragon Clan bloodline.
He consumed Dragon Blood Pill after Dragon Blood Pill, and though he could not sense any obvious changes in his body, he was certain that his Dragon Vein was continuously being purified. The Golden Divine Dragon’s Source was also subtly affected by these changes. What left him feeling speechless was that he had been comprehending the Wood, Earth, and Water Element Powers in his body for so long, but even so, he had failed to gain insight into another Divine Manifestation like the Golden Crow Casts the Sun.
The power of a Divine Manifestation was boundless and it had always been a power that only those in the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm possessed, but Yang Kai had comprehended a Divine Manifestation as an Emperor Realm cultivator. He did not dare to claim that there was no precedent before him or that there would not be similar occurrences in the future, but it was still an astonishing feat. It could already be considered a lucky coincidence for him to have comprehended the Golden Crow Casts the Sun; therefore, it was undoubtedly extremely difficult for him to repeat it.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai was not discouraged. He would immerse his mind in comprehension whenever he had the time. Even if there were no benefits, it could still be regarded as a kind of accumulation. He believed that these accumulated experiences would lead to qualitative changes eventually.
Time passed while Yang Kai was cultivating in retreat and in the blink of an eye, a month passed. Yue He knocked on the door and entered to inform Yang Kai that the auction was starting. Only then did he stop cultivating, adjusted his clothes, and strode out of the room.
The Proprietress was waiting for him in the hall and when she saw him, she nodded lightly and called out, “Let’s go.”
Then, she led the way ahead.
There were a total of four people on this trip. The Proprietress was the leader, followed by Yue He, Yang Kai, and Bai Qi. Although their numbers were few, except for Yang Kai who was in the Emperor Realm, the other three were in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm and above. It could be said to be a very powerful lineup.
Along the way, they passed through numerous bustling streets and came to the entrance of a shop within an incense stick of time. There was a plaque above the entrance of the shop with the characters ‘Red Clouds Auction House’ written on it in shining gold.
Yang Kai looked up and saw that the characters seemed to contain a mysterious power, constantly twisting and changing in his eyes. It was very mysterious. A chill gripped his heart as he realised that this plaque must have been written by an extremely powerful Open Heaven Realm Master. These words most likely contained the Martial Truth of that Master. It was not harmful, but it gave off a profound feeling. There was no doubt that this was one of the ways for Red Clouds Auction House to demonstrate its strength and heritage.
Beneath the plaque, numerous cultivators of Red Clouds Auction House hurried back and forth to guide the people participating in the auction into the auction house with bright smiles on their faces.
Before the four of them could arrive at the door of Red Clouds Auction House, somebody greeted the Proprietress. Yang Kai glanced in that direction and discovered that the person was a Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master. As for what Order that person was in, he could not infer from the situation. The Proprietress seemed to be very friendly with the other party so she smiled and exchanged a few pleasantries.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai looked around and was secretly surprised. In such a short time, he saw many Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters entering the auction house with their followers or their Juniors. Some did not have obvious auras while others displayed wanton arrogance. There was no shortage of Masters in the Fifth-Order and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. This discovery both shocked and delighted him.
Yang Kai was shocked that the auction had attracted so many Masters to this place and these people were only the ones that he saw; there were probably more that he did not see. On the other hand, what delighted him was the presence of so many Masters. It could only mean that a lot of good things would be offered during the auction. Why else would these Masters travel for billions upon billions of kilometres from various Great Territories to come here?
The Proprietress was very well-connected and she immediately greeted several Masters in a very short time. They lingered around the entrance for a full incense stick before the Proprietress led their group inside. Under the guidance of a young maid working in the auction house, they stepped into a private room.
The private room was not that big, but it was more than enough to accommodate four people. Under Yang Kai’s perception, he found that many barriers had been placed inside the room to prevent outsiders from spying into it. The private room faced one side of the auction hall, with a transparent crystal partition to block out prying eyes and noise from the outside. Everything in the hall could be seen through the transparent crystal partition; however, nothing inside the room could be seen if a person were to glance at the room from inside the hall.
The Proprietress was the shopkeeper of First Inn; moreover, her cultivation was in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. It was only natural that she was qualified to enter a room like this. Yang Kai glanced around his surroundings and discovered that there were dozens of similar rooms. In other words, at least several dozen Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were participating in this auction. Such a large-scale auction could only be described as a grand occasion. It was much grander than the auction he participated in back at Wind and Cloud Auction House.
After the four of them took their seats, the maidservant immediately served several platters of fruit. The spirit fruits on the platters were crystal-clear and very fragrant. Yang Kai randomly grabbed one and tasted it, only to have his mouth filled with sweetness in an instant. Thus, he quickly grabbed another and tossed it to Yue He. Yue He caught the fruit with a small smile and began to eat in dainty bites.
Yang Kai had only eaten two when he saw Bai Qi storing these spirit fruits into his Space Ring. His actions made the maidservant in the room snicker softly while the Proprietress glared at him fiercely. However, Bai Qi was very thick-skinned and did not seem to care. He even winked conspiratorially at Yang Kai.
The hall was soon bursting at the seams with people, and a short while later, the sound of gongs and instruments played. The lights in the auction hall dimmed, leaving only a single beam of light that shone in the centre of the stage. The light was emitted from a strange stone on the roof. At that moment, be it in the hall or the various private rooms, everybody’s eyes were drawn to the stage.
At some point, a thin and stiff-faced old man had appeared in the middle of that beam of light. He bowed in a circle and said, “Many thanks to all our Honoured Guests for taking the time out of their busy schedules to participate in the auction held by Red Clouds Auction House. Many of you have worked tirelessly to travel here from great distances. If nothing else, this Old Master guarantees that this auction will not disappoint you! Without further ado, let the auction officially begin!”
The old man was probably from Red Clouds Auction House and was in the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm at least. When he finished speaking, the light in the hall brightened considerably. A tall maidservant walked out from backstage, carrying a tray with a sweet smile on her face.
The maidservant walked over to the old man’s side where he raised his hand and removed the red cloth covering the tray, “The first item on auction is a Sixth-Order Scarlet Yin Sand. There are a total of 999 grains of sand. If those beneath the Open Heaven Realm were to refine and absorb them, they would have a chance to obtain the Scarlet Yin Sandstorm Divine Ability. The effects of this Divine Ability are extremely powerful and cover an extensive area. It is capable of taking a person’s life without any trace. The reserve price for this item is 10 million Open Heaven Pills and each subsequent bid cannot be less than 500,000. Those who are interested may place their bids now!”
The hall flew into an uproar while the sound of many people inhaling sharply came from the various private rooms.
A cultivator required seven Elements to advance into the Open Heaven Realm. They were Yin, Yang, Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. Among these seven, the Yin and Yang Elements were much rarer. As such, compared to the other Five Elements, they were also more expensive.
Yang Kai himself had a lot of experience in this matter. Regardless of whether it was the wealth he obtained from the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary or the purchases he made at all the Star Cities he passed through along his journey, Yin and Yang Element treasures were far more difficult to find than those of the Five Elements. As a consequence, the price for them became much more exorbitant despite being in the same Order.
Red Clouds Auction House was definitely worthy of its reputation as a direct industry of a Cave-Heaven. Their first item was already a material of the Yin Element. Moreover, it was a Sixth-Order material!
It was understandable that Red Clouds Auction House wanted to use the first auction item to create enthusiasm; in doing so, they would draw out the excitement and anticipation of the people participating in the auction. Most auctions would carry out similar practices. It was just that bringing out a Sixth-Order Yin Element material right from the start was beyond most people’s expectations. Sixth-Order materials were hard to find after all. Even the Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters participating in this auction would not have the chance to obtain such materials under normal circumstances.
As soon as the remarks of the old man handling the auction rang out, the atmosphere felt like a handful of salt was thrown into a pot of boiling oil and the sounds of bidding rang out incessantly.
In the span of ten breaths, the base price of 10 million rose to 15 million. Not to mention, the price was not final yet.
16 million, 17 million, 18 million…
The price soon passed through the 20 million mark! 21 million, 22 million…
It was not until the price reached 23 million that the bidding gradually died down until only two parties were fighting over the material left.
This price had far exceeded the value of a typical Sixth-Order material. Even if it was a Yin Element material, the actual value should not be over 20 million. It had to be said that Yang Kai only spent 17 million to purchase a Sixth-Order material in one of the Star Cities on his way here. The price of this Yin Element treasure was much higher. Not to mention, the price was also driven up by the bidding. Nevertheless, 23 million had far exceeded the limits of what most people could accept.
Not everybody became rich overnight like Yang Kai or had several billion Open Heaven Pills in their possession that could be spent without a care in the world at will.
In the 3,000 Worlds, any Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master who could gather several hundreds of thousands of Open Heaven Pills could already be considered wealthy. Only Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters had the qualifications to accumulate several million Open Heaven Pills. On the other hand, High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were the only ones that could possess tens of millions of Open Heaven Pills.
Be that as it may, that was only relevant towards the financial resources possessed by individuals. How much money one would have when backed by a great force was a whole other matter altogether.
The stronger a person was, the more wealth they could accumulate. At the same time, their consumption was also greater. Take Yue He for example. If she were to cultivate without regard for anything else, she would consume at least tens of thousands of Open Heaven Pills a day. That was why it was extremely difficult for any Open Heaven Realm Master to accumulate wealth.
Money did not simply rain down from the Heavens; therefore, 23 million was truly a huge sum. Unless one was in urgent need of this Sixth-Order Scarlet Yin Sand, they would not stubbornly bid for it. A Sixth-Order material was very different from a Seventh-Order material. Although they were scarce, it was not as though they could not be found.
The two people who were still bidding among themselves were undoubtedly eager to purchase the Scarlet Yin Sand. It might be for their own use or it might be in preparation for their Juniors or disciples.
Yang Kai turned to look at the Proprietress, “Proprietress, are you not going to bid?”
The Proprietress was in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so it was just right for her to refine this Sixth-Order Scarlet Yin Sand.
Yet the Proprietress lazily replied, “These things are useless to me for the time being.”
Yang Kai was taken aback by her words, but he immediately understood what she meant. She had most likely reached a bottleneck in her cultivation. She advanced into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm a long time ago, so she was probably already at its peak. It stood to reason that she did not need the Scarlet Yin Sand to enhance the heritage of her Small Universe. If she went one step further, she would be in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm!
It was just that… she once made a Heart Demon Oath to crush the Headquarters of several great forces. As long as she did not fulfil the requirements of this oath, she would never break through to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm! She had flattened Yue He’s Small Orchid Palace, but Golden Rainbow Province and Boundless Altar were still thriving.
Golden Rainbow Province might have the word ‘Province’ in their name, but it was a genuine Second-Class great force. Needless to say, Boundless Altar was also a Second-Class great force. Moreover, Qin Ji and Ling Chun Qiu were both in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
When Yang Kai led Yue He to attack Blood Swan Continent previously, it had taken him quite a bit of effort to succeed, and Blood Swan Continent was only a Third-Class great force.
With the Proprietress’ current strength, it was a hopeless wish to trample flat the Headquarters of a Second-Class great force alone. It wouldn’t work even with Yue He and Bai Qi’s cooperation. The Defensive Grand Array of a Second-Class great force could not be regarded in the same category as the Defensive Grand Array of a Third-Class great force. It was impossible unless one could find a chance to slowly kill off the Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters of these two great forces, one by one. This was a matter that needed further consideration.
Since the Proprietress had no need for the Sixth-Order Scarlet Yin Sand, Yang Kai could make his move without scruples.
The price of the Scarlet Yin Sand had been raised to 24 million Open Heaven Pills. It was just that the two Open Heaven Realm Masters fighting over this material had to consider their choices carefully before they made a new bid at this point. After all, the price increased by 500,000 every time they bid, which was not a small sum.
At this juncture, Yang Kai’s voice resounded throughout the audience, “25 million!”
On the auction stage, the old man with the stiff expression who looked like all the people in the world owed him money immediately looked over in this direction. His voice became a little excited, “The guest from Room A3 has bid 25 million Open Heaven Pills. Are there any higher bids?”
*Shua shua shua…*
Many people in the hall also turned to look at First Inn’s private room, hoping to catch a glimpse of the person who placed a bid at the last moment. Unfortunately, they were obstructed by the Array and could not look into the private room.
The old man from Red Clouds Auction House gave two more consecutive calls. Then, one of the people who made a bid previously quickly shouted out, “25.5 million!”
Without waiting for the other person to finish speaking, Yang Kai immediately followed up, “26 million!”
His tone was brisk but not stressed, revealing his confidence in his wealth and his determination to win. Sure enough, nobody else made a bid after that. The old man banged the gavel three times to sound the final offer and Yang Kai won the bid for the Scarlet Yin Sand.
The first auction item had gotten things off to a good start. It was sold for an astoundingly high price that was nearly 20% higher than market value. Thus, the lively atmosphere in the auction hall instantly became burning with anticipation.
The second auction item was only a Fourth-Order material, but it still sold for a price that exceeded market value by 10%.
Fourth-Order materials were easy to find and could be found in any Star City; however, it had to be said that each material had its own characteristics. A cultivator might be able to realise various Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques by refining these materials. For that reason, the price and level of competition for materials might differ slightly even though the materials were of the same Element or in the same Order.
Take the Scarlet Yin Sand for example. If a cultivator beneath the Open Heaven Realm refined and absorbed this material, they might be able to realise a Divine Ability like the Scarlet Yin Sandstorm. Another example would be the Yuan Magnetic Divine Stone. The Yuan Magnetic Divine Stone could allow cultivators to comprehend the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light Divine Ability.
Take the various Water Element treasures as another type of example. Despite being classified as Water Element treasures, one might be the crystallization of the drizzling rain that snuck in with the spring wind during the night to moisten the Earth in silence, another might be a drop of water so heavy that it weighed ten thousand kilograms. There might even be a liquid poison that corrodes everything it touches.
If a certain material in the same Order and the same Element could allow a cultivator to realise a more powerful and effective Divine Ability, then its price would naturally be higher than average. That was why cultivators would usually put great thought into choosing the materials they condensed for their Yin, Yang, and Five Elements, unless they had no choice. Given a choice, they would combine the unique characteristics of their physique and consider the various differences of each Divine Ability to select the most appropriate option.
Yang Kai had never encountered this problem before. That was because he never had a choice. High-Rank materials were already extremely hard to find and it was already a great fortune just to come across any one of them. How could he afford to be picky about his choices under those circumstances? But then again, the four powers that he had condensed so far were all extremely impressive existences even among High-Rank materials; therefore, there was nothing for him to regret.
All the auction items chosen by Red Clouds Auction House today were the rarest and most precious materials in their respective Orders. They could allow a cultivator to realise various extraordinary Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques, so they naturally attracted many people to compete for them.
A lot of items were presented and none of them went unsold. Moreover, every auction item was sold for a high price. Yang Kai himself placed many bids and bought a considerable number of Fourth-Order materials of the Yin and Yang Elements, filling the gaps in his shopping spree from before.
As for the Fifth-Order materials, he still showed no intention of buying them at all. There would be a steady stream of Fifth-Order materials with the gourd vine living in Void Land, so there was no need to purchase them from external sources. Moreover, the gourd vine in itself was a whole entity that could produce all seven types of Powers. Yang Kai was curious to see if a cultivator would experience any special changes if they completely refined all their Yin, Yang, and Five Element Powers from the gourd vine.
Cultivation materials of various Orders were not the only things sold at the auction. There were also many pills, herbs, Secret Arts, Secret Techniques, and artifacts. Seeing these items really opened Yang Kai’s eyes to the world.
Four hours later, the auction was halfway through. Another maidservant walked onto the auction stage with a tray in hand. The old man from Red Clouds Auction House lifted the red cloth and everybody looked in that direction only to see a jade bottle. There was a jade slip placed next to the jade bottle; thus, everybody immediately understood that this auction item was most likely some sort of Spirit Pill. It was just that nobody understood the reason for the jade slip.
Just as everybody was whispering among themselves, the old man picked up the jade bottle and gave an explanation, “Ladies and gentlemen, the next auction item is this bottle of Spirit Pills in this Old Master’s hand. I will be honest with you, there is only one Spirit Pill in this bottle. This item is useless to those in the Open Heaven Realm and above; however, it will be of great benefit to those beneath the Open Heaven Realm, especially for those who are about to advance into the Open Heaven Realm.”
After hearing those words, many of the Open Heaven Realm Masters in the private rooms instantly lost interest in the item. On the other hand, many of the cultivators in the hall immediately paid closer attention. The cultivators in the hall were generally weaker and most of them were below the Open Heaven Realm. Since this Spirit Pill was useful for those below the Open Heaven Realm, it stood to reason that this item would catch their interest.
“A Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill, which also comes with the pill recipe for this Spirit Pill. The starting price is 2 million Open Heaven Pills! Honoured Guests, please place your bids!”
Unlike the previous chorus of voices calling out their respective bids, the entire auction hall fell silent after the old man finished speaking. Thousands of cultivators in the hall stared at the stage blankly, seemingly having trouble believing their ears. Just moments ago, the old man had announced that the Spirit Pill was only useful for those beneath the Open Heaven Realm after all. That was why they mistakenly believed that the price would not be too high. Who could have known that the reserve price would be 2 million Open Heaven Pills!
For a moment, they thought that they had heard wrongly. On second thought, how could the person presiding over this grand auction make such a mistake? But, if it was not a mistake, then which person below the Open Heaven Realm could afford the price of 2 million Open Heaven Pills? More importantly, just what was this so-called Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill?
Just as everybody in the hall was mired in confusion, a somewhat uncertain voice came from one of the private rooms in B Block, “Is this Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill some kind of Spirit Pill that can increase the success rate of a cultivator advancing into the Open Heaven Realm?”
The old man on the stage nodded, “Indeed!”
After a brief silence, an uproar broke out in the hall. Countless cultivators stared at the jade bottle with a burning look in their eyes, almost as though the jade bottle contained some sort of substance that drew their eyes to the bottle like a magnet.
Not everybody could succeed when advancing into the Open Heaven Realm. Despite going through all sorts of hardships in addition to spending a great deal of time, energy, and resources to condense their Yin, Yang, and Five Elements, there was still a huge risk when trying to actually break through to the Open Heaven Realm.
If one could not withstand the Yin, Yang, and Five Elements or the impact of Heaven and Earth splitting apart in one’s body, then it would undoubtedly end with one’s Soul being extinguished. There was no other possibility. That was why cultivators, no matter who they might be, would only choose to do what they could within the limits of the strength that they could withstand. If a person’s limit was the Third Order, their life might not be endangered if they were to forcibly condense Fourth-Order Elements; however, they would surely face a disaster when advancing into the Open Heaven Realm.
Many Bearers who left the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary would eventually face this problem. They had been forced by the Divine Spirits to condense Powers that exceeded their limits, so their advancement into the Open Heaven Realm would become a life-or-death catastrophe.
Take Ding Yi for example. His inherent aptitude was not bad, but it was not enough for him to withstand a Seventh-Order Power. Unfortunately, he was forced by Bi Fang to condense a Seventh-Order Fire Element. It placed a huge burden on his body every time he exerted this Power, so the dangers surrounding his advancement would be even greater.
Be that as it may, even a cultivator who had chosen to work within their limits faced the risk of failing during their advancement into the Open Heaven Realm. Splitting Heaven and Earth in one’s own body required one to harmonize Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements to mutually enhance and suppress each other. Furthermore, the process of forming a Small Universe in itself was an extremely difficult task. This aspect had nothing to do with the Order of the Open Heaven Realm that one was trying to achieve.
Many people could die on the spot even if they were only advancing into the First-Order or Second-Order Open Heaven Realm. Of course, it was less likely for a person to fail when trying to advance into a lower Order of the Open Heaven Realm under the same conditions. That was an indisputable fact.
There was no method or auxiliary aid to improve this situation in the entire 3,000 Worlds, much less a Spirit Pill that could help to improve the success rate of a cultivator in advancing into the Open Heaven Realm. There might have been such knowledge in the past, but as time went on, this knowledge was lost or eliminated for various reasons. It was no wonder that the audience was in an uproar when this Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill appeared at auction in Thousand Birds Territory’s Star City. That was something that had been lost with the ages after all.
On the stage, the old man said, “Although I cannot say that this Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill is able to guarantee absolute success in one’s advancement, it can increase the success rate by 50%.”
There was another commotion in the hall. Increasing the success rate by 50% was a terrifying figure. It could almost be said that as long as a cultivator was fully prepared, success in the advancement into the Open Heaven Realm was guaranteed.
Many tyrannical Divine Senses extended outward from the various private rooms, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill.
If this Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill was a genuine product, then the starting price of 2 million Open Heaven Pills was definitely not expensive. If one were to consider that this deal also came with the pill recipe, it could even be said to be an extremely cheap transaction! After all, who did not have several Juniors or Disciples with excellent aptitude? Used in the right place, this Spirit Pill could create a very powerful Master! How could the worth of such a Master be measured by a mere 2 million Open Heaven Pills? Even a price of 20 million would be worth it!
It was just that… What could their spying tell them? It didn’t take long for these Divine Senses to be retracted in disappointment.
The person who spoke just now asked, “This King would like to go onstage to inspect the item. Can you accommodate my request?”
Red Clouds Auction House seemed to have anticipated this situation, so the man’s request had only just rung out when the old man on the stage nodded in response, “Of course.”
The door to a B Block private room opened and a middle-aged man with a brave and heroic figure walked out. He came to the stage in a few steps and cupped his fist to the old man before he carefully picked up the jade bottle. Opening the bottle cap, he studied the contents carefully and took a sniff of its fragrance. His eyebrows would wrinkle slightly before relaxing again from time to time. Having only heard of the existence of the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill, he himself had never seen it before; therefore, he could not determine whether this Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill was the real deal either.
A short while later, he put the jade bottle down and picked the jade slip up. Closing his eyes, he perceived the contents of the jade slip for a moment. Then, he slowly shook his head. He placed the jade slip down and turned around to return to the private room.
Although the jade slip contained the pill recipe for the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill, there were many seals placed on the jade slip. There was no way to catch a glimpse of the full pill recipe without breaking these seals. That person’s examination would only allow him to observe what Red Clouds Auction House allowed, such as the main ingredients needed to refine the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill.
The old man on the stage said, “Are there any others who would like to come and inspect the items? You are free to come and have a look for yourself.”
There were indeed many people who wanted to check the items, and so for the next quarter hour, many Open Heaven Realm Masters filed out of the private rooms and approached the stage to investigate the Spirit Pill and its recipe. Even the Proprietress could not contain her curiosity and went to take a look.
When she returned, Bai Qi asked, “Proprietress, is that a genuine product?”
To which she replied, “Red Clouds Auction House is directly owned by Red Clouds Cave Heaven. With their reputation at stake, they will not make fraudulent claims regarding auction items. The item itself should be real, but…”
“But what?”
“But, even if that item is genuine, don’t think that you can refine another Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill with that pill recipe. One of the main ingredients has long since gone extinct. Do you think they would have offered up the pill recipe if there was a way to refine the Spirit Pill themselves?”
The realisation struck Bai Qi, “The pill recipe is useless, but they offered the pill recipe together with the Spirit Pill. That will give people the illusion of having received a great bargain, so the price will naturally go up.”
Yang Kai asked curiously, “What is the main ingredient that has gone extinct?”
Before the Proprietress could answer, he heard somebody inside one of the private rooms exclaim loudly, “World Source Liquid is a treasure that can only be formed when new Worlds are born! Where will we find something like that!? This pill recipe is useless! Useless!”
Yang Kai was stunned by those words, “World Source Liquid?”
The Proprietress nodded, “That’s right. The main ingredient that has long gone extinct is World Source Liquid. Unless you can find a newly formed world… Why do you have such unnatural expressions?”
She looked up only to see Yang Kai and Old Bai staring at each other with extremely strange looks.
Old Bai blinked and pointed at Yang Kai, “He has World Source Liquid.”
Bai Qi was disturbed by Qin Ji, Ling Chun Qiu, and Yue He during his advancement into the Open Heaven Realm back in the Sealing Yang Domain and nearly lost his life as a result. In the end, Yang Kai had given him World Source Liquid with the mentality that giving a dead horse medicine couldn’t harm it. That was what pulled him back from the brink of failure. He would not be alive today if not for Yang Kai.
Consuming World Source Liquid was a wonderful experience. It felt as though his entire being had been transported back to the time when the World was first created, allowing him to witness the beginning of Heaven and Earth splitting apart. Even now, he could still recall the experience vividly.
Both the Proprietress and Yue He turned to stare at Yang Kai with their beautiful eyes, unable to hide their surprise.
“You really have World Source Liquid?”
Yang Kai nodded woodenly.
“Where did you find World Source Liquid!?” The Proprietress was extremely shocked.
He explained, “The Universe World I came from had a Sealed World that still retained the primordial atmosphere from when the world was just formed. I entered that place once before and obtained the World Source Liquid by chance.”
While Yang Kai was speaking, another person in the auction hall spoke up, “May I ask where you obtained this Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill and its pill recipe?”
The old man on the stage replied, “To tell you the truth, this Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill and its pill recipe were both obtained from a Universe Cave Heaven. The Universe Cave Heaven was quite ancient, dating back at least a few hundreds of thousands of years. As for the specific details regarding the great Senior who left behind this Universe Cave Heaven, please forgive this Old Master for having no comment.”
“En, understandable!” That person responded and stopped asking questions.
Inside the private room, Yang Kai frowned slightly and asked, “What is a Universe Cave Heaven? Is it a Universe World?”
The Proprietress shook her head slowly, “No. A Universe World is a Universe World. Likewise, a Universe Cave Heaven is a Universe Cave Heaven. There are also Universe Paradises. A Universe Cave Heaven is the legacy left behind by an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master after their death. On the other hand, the legacy left behind by a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master is known as a Universe Paradise.”
Yang Kai was only more confused by her explanation and asked in puzzlement, “What do you mean?”
So she tried to explain, “How should I put it? You know that Open Heaven Realm Masters have to split Heaven and Earth apart in their bodies to form a Small Universe, right? Possessing a Small Universe is what defines the Open Heaven Realm. For an Open Heaven Realm Master to strengthen themselves, they need to increase the heritage of their Small Universe. The greater their heritage, the greater their strength. Nevertheless, there is still a difference between a Universe World and a Small Universe, regardless of how powerful that Small Universe is.”
Yang Kai still did not quite understand her explanation.
Still, she continued, “But, if a cultivator advances into the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm and reaches the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, their Small Universe will transform into an actual Universe World, which is almost indistinguishable from a real Universe World.”
His entire body shuddered at those words, “Almost indistinguishable?”
“The Small Universe of High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters can even accommodate living creatures or allow countless people to settle down peacefully in it. It can be said that they themselves are walking Universe Worlds. In fact, most High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters will bring living creatures, sometimes even Humans, into their Small Universes once they reach the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. If these living creatures and Humans live and flourish within their Small Universe, then the Small Universe will be filled with life and will experience further development. Since doing so strengthens the Small Universe, it correspondingly strengthens the cultivator as well.”
Yang Kai was dumbfounded as it was his first time hearing such information. But then again, he had not been in the Outer Universe for long and had next to no interactions with High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters, so it was only natural that he was unfamiliar with such things. If he had not participated in the auction today, he might not have had access to such information for a very long time.
“As for what is the difference between a Small Universe and an actual Universe World,” the Proprietress continued her explanation, “When a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master is about to die, he can choose to seal off his Small Universe. In that case, his Small Universe will not collapse and disappear with his death. Instead, it will be preserved as a peculiar existence that transforms into a Universe Paradise or a Universe Cave Heaven. These Universe Paradises and Universe Cave Heavens contain all the wealth of these High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters. You will enjoy great benefits if you ever manage to enter any one of them.”
Yang Kai immediately understood, “In other words, Red Clouds Auction House obtained the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill and its recipe by entering a Universe Cave Heaven left behind by a dead ancient Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Is that right?”
“That’s probably the case.” She gently nodded, “Throughout the ages, the 3,000 Worlds have given birth to countless High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters, so even if only a small part of them chose to seal off their Small Universes at their moment of death, there are still countless Universe Cave Heavens and Universe Paradises out there. It is just that not many people know where these Universe Cave Heavens and Universe Paradises are located.”
Bai Qi smiled widely, “Just because something is very rare doesn’t mean that there are none out there though. There are always people with Heaven-defying luck who will receive the opportunity to obtain the legacy of such Seniors. Their cultivation will generally soar as a result.”
During their conversation, the bidding for the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill had already started in the auction hall. Everybody knew that the main ingredient for refining the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill was long extinct. Even so, the Spirit Pill was a genuine product; thus, the bidding scene was extremely lively.
In less than ten breaths, the price of the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill had climbed from the starting price of 2 million Open Heaven Pills to 10 million Open Heaven Pills. Moreover, it was still rising at an extremely fast rate.
Leaving aside the powerful effects of the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill that might even save the life of an important disciple or Junior and rescue the future hope of a great force at a critical moment in the future, just the pill recipe alone had research value. It might be possible to find substitute ingredients from existing materials. It did not matter even if the authentic Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill could not be refined. As long as a similar imitation product could be refined, it would bring in a steady stream of income for any great force.
Among the many Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters in the private rooms, which one of them was not a Sect Master or Elder who held real authority in their respective great forces? It was only natural that nobody was willing to give up on something that could benefit their entire Sect. If they succeeded in their attempt, they could even make a huge contribution to their great force. The people who claimed that the pill recipe was useless earlier were either too biased or wanted to mislead the others and reduce their competition.
It was a pity that all the Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were all intelligent people. How could they change their minds just because of somebody’s casual remarks?
Many of the cultivators in the hall secretly felt helpless. They originally thought that since the starting price for this Spirit Pill was only 2 million Open Heaven Pills, the final price would not be too high. Who could have thought that so many of the Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters would be so determined to bid for this item from the very beginning?
Therefore, many of the cultivators in the hall immediately gave up hope. This item was not something weaker cultivators like them could even dream about having. Only those backed by a powerful great force had the qualifications to participate in the competition.
After thirty breaths, the price had risen to a whopping 15 million Open Heaven Pills. In another ten breaths, the price became 19 million Open Heaven Pills.
The entire hall was in an uproar. Up until now, the Scarlet Yin Sand that Yang Kai acquired at a price of 26 million was the highest-priced item sold at the auction. Since then, no other auction item has sold for more than 5 million. And now, the price of the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill in addition to its recipe had quickly broken through 20 million and might even surpass the price of the Scarlet Yin Sand.
It was just that a price like this had more or less reached the upper limits of the price range. There was only one Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill after all. The pill recipe might be valuable, but it was not guaranteed that one could obtain any results from researching it even after purchasing the item. If one could not figure out a replacement for the main ingredient, which was the famed World Source Liquid, then all the previous efforts would be in vain.
The Open Heaven Realm Masters present were not fools. Even with the backing of their respective great forces, 20 million was not a small sum. It was not an amount that could be waved around casually; hence, only three private rooms continued to bid for the auction item after the price exceeded 20 million.
A short while later, another party bowed out of the bidding. Only Room A5 and Room B2 continued to compete against each other fiercely. The moment one party made an offer, the other party would immediately follow suit. It would seem that they were extremely interested in the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill and its pill recipe.
When the price exceeded 25 million, the Open Heaven Realm Master in Room B2 suddenly let out a gloomy sigh and spoke up loudly, “Brother Teng Wang, this auction item is very useful for this Ye. Can you concede to me this once? This Ye will be very grateful and will owe you a favour, which will surely be repaid in the future!”
The moment this person’s voice rang out, the Proprietress looked pensive and soon muttered, “It’s those two?”
Yang Kai became curious, “Proprietress, do you know those two?”
She replied, “If I’m not wrong, then the person in Room B2 is Ye Jian of Thunderclap Hall while the other person Teng Wang of Clear Heart Palace. No wonder they are willing to go to such lengths to bid for this item.”
Sure enough, the person in Room A5 responded, “Brother Ye Jian, are you saying that this item is useless to me just because it is very useful for you? I am going to win this auction.”
Ye Jian sighed, “Why do you have to do this? Competing between ourselves will only benefit others. Why don’t we do it this way instead, Brother Teng Wang? This Ye only wants the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill. If you are willing to back down, this Ye will share the pill recipe with you. What do you think?”
Teng Wang laughed, “What a coincidence. I was just about to suggest the same thing. Brother Ye Jian, if you are willing to back down, then I can also share the pill recipe with you.”
Inside Room B2, Ye Jian fell silent for a moment before he revealed his dissatisfaction, “So, you plan to compete with this Ye to the end, Brother Teng Wang?”
“Brother Ye, feel free to quit early if you don’t think you can win. That way, both sides won’t have to suffer so much.”
“Hmph! You sure are arrogant, Brother Teng Wang. It’s not like this Ye does not know exactly how much Clear Heart Palace can afford to spend here. Since you stubbornly insist, Brother Teng Wang, then let’s compete to the end. We’ll see who has the last laugh!”
The conversation between those two ended there but nobody spoke another word and the auction hall suddenly fell into a strange silence.
Inside Room A3, Old Bai curiously wondered, “Proprietress, these two guys are only interested in the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill. Although they are doing this for their Juniors, isn’t the price a little too high?”
The Proprietress explained, “You don’t understand. They have their reasons to compete so desperately. Let’s talk about Teng Wang of Clear Heart Palace. He received a Legacy Disciple several hundred years ago. That disciple has extremely outstanding aptitude and was expected to advance into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm directly. However, rumour has it that he damaged his Dao Seal during a battle; therefore, he has not dared to advance into the Open Heaven Realm even though hundreds of years had passed since then. He has been holding off on condensing his final Element Power. If Teng Wang could obtain the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill, then his disciple could try breaking through. It is very possible that it will lead to the birth of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in Clear Heart Palace.”
“So that’s how it is!” Yang Kai understood.
“What about Ye Jian of the Thunderclap Hall?” Old Bai asked.
The Proprietress continued her explanation, “Their situations are similar. It is just that, in the case of the Thunderclap Hall, it is one of Ye Jian’s sons who forcefully condensed Sixth-Order Elements despite not having the necessary aptitude. There was nothing to worry about at the beginning, but as the Powers condensed in his Dao Seal began to increase, the dangers subsequently became greater. Without some external aid to stabilize his breakthrough, I’m afraid Ye Jian’s son will never reach the Open Heaven Realm. He will die the moment he tries to advance. However, this dilemma will be solved with the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill.”
Yang Kai nodded in understanding, “Compared to a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, 20 million Open Heaven Pills is definitely a worthwhile investment. If they can obtain a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, then their heritage will increase like a rising tide that lifts all boats. Why would they worry about a trifling 20 or so million Open Heaven Pills?”
She nodded, “That is the case. Why else do you think these two parties are competing so fiercely?”
“I understand now.” Yang Kai nodded again and placed a bid without warning, “25 million!”
The Proprietress just glanced lightly at him, not feeling surprised. Since he had World Source Liquid in his possession, there was no reason for him to ignore this auction. If she were in his shoes, she would also participate in the bidding.
The reason Yang Kai kept quiet earlier was just that he could not be bothered to waste his energy. He currently had several billion Open Heaven Pills in hand so it could be said that he was very wealthy. Only by placing his bid at the last moment to finalise the offer could he display his overwhelming confidence. It also served as a method to screen out other bidders to a certain extent.
Almost everybody in the hall looked towards Room A3 the moment Yang Kai’s bid rang out. Ye Jian and Teng Wang’s last bid was only slightly over 20 million after all. Yang Kai had added almost 4 million Open Heaven Pills to the bid in one go. It truly was as the saying went, ‘It never rains but pours’. It was absolutely shocking the moment he made his move.
Nevertheless, they immediately understood when they realised that it was the private room belonging to the person who bought the Scarlet Yin Sand earlier. Yang Kai was a person who spent 26 million to purchase one portion of Scarlet Yin Sand. It stood to reason that he would not care to spend another 25 million to purchase the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill and its pill recipe.
“26 million!” Teng Wang’s voice came out from Room A5.
Yang Kai was stunned upon hearing that. Teng Wang and Ye Jian had clearly reached a point in their bidding where they could no longer afford to bear the cost. That was why the price increase was not large with each bid they made. If not for that, he would not have increased the price to 25 million in one go. It was to make Teng Wang and Ye Jian back down in the face of difficulties.
[Teng Wang had reached his limits, so why did he suddenly add another million to his bid this time?] Before Yang Kai could understand the situation, Ye Jian’s voice rang out from Room B2, “27 million!”
[Could it be that those two were just acting just now?] Yang Kai was a little confused. Nevertheless, he could not be bothered to think too much about it. Unlike these two who were interested in the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill, he was only interested in the pill recipe. More so since he had World Source Liquid in his possession. The pill recipe might be useless to others, but it had the potential to play a huge role in his hands.
Naturally, he needed to obtain the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill as well. If he could study the finished Spirit Pill, then he could understand the pill recipe much faster. Otherwise, it would take a lot of time and effort to refine a Spirit Pill just by referring to the pill recipe alone.
Yang Kai immediately followed up after Ye Jian, “30 million!”
The sound of people inhaling sharply could be heard throughout the hall. Even the old man presiding over the auction looked surprised. It would seem that he never expected this item to reach such a high price.
The auction house would assess the value of each item and estimate a price before the bidding even began. Red Clouds Auction House had estimated the value of this Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill and its pill recipe to be around 20 million or so. But now, it has exceeded their estimation by 50%. Moreover, it seemed that this was not the end yet. This was a huge pleasant surprise for the auction house. Be that as it may, the auction house would surely hope that the price would go as high as it possibly could; after all, who would dislike earning more money than expected?
“31 million!” Teng Wang’s voice sounded like he was gritting his teeth. It was no longer as calm and relaxed as before.
“32 million!” Similarly, Ye Jian’s voice was anxious and annoyed.
Yang Kai couldn’t help scratching his head and murmuring under his breath, “What is up with these two?”
He initially thought that 25 million Open Heaven Pills would be the final price for this item. Who could have expected Teng Wang and Ye Jian to continue even though he went so far as to raise the price to 30 million?
On the other hand, the Proprietress was as intelligent as she was beautiful and solved the mystery with a single sentence, “They are probably cooperating with others.”
“Cooperating?” Yang Kai glanced over suspiciously.
She replied, “Both Teng Wang and Ye Jian mentioned previously that they only wanted the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill. That was why they both refused to back down earlier; however, there are so many great forces present here. Not everybody desires the Spirit Pill. On the contrary, more people will be interested in the pill recipe. It is probably that one or more great forces have approached Teng Wang and Ye Jian with a proposal to share the pill recipe if they win the auction. In that case, those great forces will only need to contribute a few million Open Heaven Pills each. If they pooled their contributions together, they would gain the chance to obtain a rare pill recipe. Even if the pill recipe proves useless afterward, the losses for them will not be too large.”
After listening to her explanation, Yang Kai immediately understood. It was the truth that the previous price of over 20 million had reached the limits of what Teng Wang and Ye Jian could bear. Being so cautious when increasing their bid had not been an act. Rather, the reason they could be so bold at this point was that they received financial aid from others.
“If you wish to continue bidding, then you only need to bid once more.” She smiled slightly, “Even if they received funding from others, the amount would not be too large. Slightly over 30 million should be their limit. They won’t follow up again unless they are insane.”
As such, Yang Kai did not hesitate, “35 million!”
Inside Room A5, Teng Wang was furious and roared, “Who is this fellow who is playing jokes with this King!? Announce your name!”
Ye Jian also said, “Friend, you are being excessive.”
The Proprietress sneered and spoke for the first time, “Why are you making so much noise just because this Great Aunt is bidding for something? Go ahead and increase the price if you have the money. If not, then shut up. Don’t embarrass yourselves here!”
“M-M-Madam Lan?” Teng Wang’s voice coming from Room A5 rose by an octave.
“It is this Queen. Do you have something you wish to say?”
“N-No, of course not. So it is Madam Lan… haha. Since you have interest in this item, Madam Lan… This Wang will respectfully withdraw.” His voice sounded a little bitter and reluctant.
Although his Disciple required the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill, the price of 35 million Open Heaven Pills was simply too expensive for him. Even if he had somebody helping him from the shadows, they had reached the limit they could afford. He was powerless to continue pushing forward. Rather than offending Lan You Ruo, it was better to take this opportunity to earn her favour.
Besides, there was no guarantee that his Disciple could successfully advance into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm even if he did manage to win the bid on the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill. Any investment was bound to come with certain risks. If his Disciple were to fail in the advancement process, the loss of several millions was enough to shake Clear Heart Palace’s foundation.
Now that the price for the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill and its pill recipe had been raised to 35 million in one go, Teng Wang had no choice but to withdraw from the bidding. Even Ye Jian from Room B2 fell silent.
On the stage, the old man from Red Clouds Auction House waited for a short moment before asking, “The gentleman from Room A3 has placed a bid of 35 million Open Heaven Pills. Are there any higher offers?”
The entire venue was silent.
The old man probably knew that the price of this item had reached its limit. The auction house’s original valuation of this item was only 20 million Open Heaven Pills while the current price had nearly doubled that estimation. Thus, he no longer hesitated and shouted, “35 million, going once! 35 million, going twice!”
Inside Room A3, Yang Kai was silently making plans. Once he obtained the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill and its pill recipe, he could immediately begin his research to see if he could fully understand its recipe and refine it.
If he succeeded, then there was no need to worry about the Void Land’s finances again in the future. A Spirit Pill that could increase the chances of success of a cultivator breaking through to the Open Heaven Realm was an all but non-existent commodity, even in the 3,000 Worlds. Void Land’s wealth would soar in a short period of time just by selling a few such Spirit Pills for several million Open Heaven Pills each. Besides, he had quite a lot of World Source Liquid that was required to refine this Spirit Pill.
“This Ye has something to say. Please temporarily halt the auction!” Just as the old man was about to call out the final confirmation, Ye Jian’s voice rang out from within Room B2.
Yang Kai furrowed his brow and couldn’t help glancing in the direction of Room B2.
[What is Ye Jian up to?] He instinctively sensed that the bidding for this auction item would not go smoothly. Fortunately, he currently had more than 1 billion Open Heaven Pills in his possession. It could be said that he was very rich, so he was not worried even if Ye Jian managed to borrow some money or find somebody to help provide funds.
The old man on the stage said, “Hall Master Ye, please speak if you have something to say.”
The door to room B2 opened all of a sudden. A fair and beardless middle-aged man walked out of the room with a solemn expression. Yang Kai guessed that that man was Ye Jian.
Ye Jian arrived on the stage in a few steps. He cupped his fist at the old man and handed over a Space Ring. His lips wriggled slightly as though he was silently whispering something to the old man.
The old man looked suspicious at first, but his expression stiffened when he heard what Ye Jian said to him and soon revealed an expression of great astonishment instead. Immediately after that, he checked the contents of the Space Ring and looked up at Ye Jian again, “Hall Master Ye, are you certain? This item is extraordinarily valuable!”
Ye Jian gently nodded with a look of determination.
The old man continued, “If you insist, Hall Master Ye, this Old Master will not persuade you otherwise. Please wait a moment.”
After saying that, his Divine Sense surged as though he was communicating with somebody else. A long while later, he nodded and said, “Red Clouds Auction House has agreed to your request, Hall Master Ye. Please return to your seat for now.”
“Many thanks!” Ye Jian cupped his fists with a serious expression. Turning around, he bowed in the direction of Room A3, “Madam Lan, this Ye would like to apologise in advance. Please don’t take offence at my following actions.”
The Proprietress stared at the stage calmly before she suddenly whispered, “Brat, you’ve met a real challenger. You’d best prepare for some heavy bleeding.”
“What do you mean?” Yang Kai had yet to understand what was going on.
At that moment, Ye Jian returned to Room B2 and immediately shouted, “40 million!”
After hearing that shout, Yang Kai finally understood what the Proprietress meant.
Ye Jian had increased the price by 5 million Open Heaven Pills in one go. This not only required great courage but also immense wealth. Moreover, he had never increased the price by such a large margin before when he placed his bids previously. It was almost as though he was a different person altogether.
Hence, Yang Kai felt his teeth hurting.
The old man on the stage lifted the Space Ring in his hand up high, “For your information, Hall Master Ye has just pledged an item to the auction house. Please forgive this Old Master for not disclosing the value of this item. However, Hall Master Ye has the ability to bid and provide payment.”
He provided an explanation because he was worried that other people might misunderstand. The price of the auction item was terrifyingly high after all, so he might be suspected of deliberately driving the price up otherwise.
Yang Kai slowly let out a breath and gazed towards Room B2 pensively. [The Space Ring in that old man’s hands contains the item that Ye Jian pledged just now. Just what did he pledge for him to have the courage to raise the price by 5 million in one go? More importantly, where is his bottom line?]
He might have over a billion Open Heaven Pills in his possession, but he did not wish to waste his money for no reason. [If only I knew Ye Jian’s bottom line, then I can minimise my losses to the best of my abilities. Unfortunately, I don’t even know what item he pledged. How can I figure out his bottom line?]
“Hall Master Ye placed a bid of 40 million! Are there any others with a higher bid?” The old man shouted.
Yang Kai considered for a moment and cautiously threw out a bid, “41 million!”
“45 million!” Ye Jian followed up without hesitation.
Yang Kai was stunned.
The Proprietress commented, “There is a difference between a Disciple and a Son after all. It looks like Ye Jian is determined to compete with you.”
Teng Wang’s Disciple required the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill, as did Ye Jian’s Son. It was just that Teng Wang pulled out of the competition when the price reached 35 million. On the other hand, Ye Jian was still stubbornly trying to win. It was obvious that he loved and cherished his Son deeply. Also, he believed that his Son would definitely advance into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm as long as he had the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill. Why else would he be so fixated upon this item, even if they were Father-and-Son?
“Why don’t you discuss with him to each pay half? You take the pill recipe while he takes the Spirit Pill. I’m sure he won’t reject your offer.” The Proprietress suggested.
Yang Kai considered for a moment before shaking his head, “The Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill has never appeared before. In order to refine this Spirit Pill, the results will be different if I can study a finished product first. Once the Spirit Pill falls into his hands, it will be difficult for me to research the Spirit Pill again.”
“There is no other way then.”
With the Spirit Pill in hand, the hopes of refining a Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill would increase significantly. Although it would cost him a lot of Open Heaven Pills, this investment was undoubtedly worth the money.
“46 million!” Yang Kai raised the bid once more.
“50 million!” Ye Jian’s voice trembled slightly. Even if he could afford to pay this amount, the terrifyingly high price was still heartbreaking. After placing his bid, he added, “Madam Lan, my Son is young and foolish. He made a huge mistake and desperately needs this Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill. Only then will he have the hope of progressing forward. Madam Lan, please listen to my request!”
The Proprietress pretended not to hear and said nothing in response; after all, she was not the one who was participating in the auction, it was Yang Kai. Although she used her identity to scold Teng Wang earlier, it was only her way of helping Yang Kai. How could she say anything under these circumstances?
Seeing that there was no response from Room A3, Ye Jian felt his heart sinking to the bottom of the abyss. Sure enough, a voice soon came from that direction to place a higher bid. The price was increased by just half a million.
Inside Room B2, Ye Jian’s expression crumbled, looking like he had aged several dozen years. Beside him, a young man with large eyes and thick brows smiled bitterly, “Father, let’s forget it. This price… is far too high.”
Ye Jian clenched his fists tightly, “No! I have not lost! I can still continue!”
The young man said, “It’s enough, Father. Even if the item we pledged far exceeds 50 million in value, that is a treasure that belongs to the Sect. If the losses we suffer are too high, it will be difficult for us to provide a sufficient explanation when we return. Father, let’s stop here!”
Ye Jian muttered painfully, “I am aware of that. How can I not be? But, you…”
The young man smiled bitterly, “Don’t worry, Father. In the worst case, I will simply never advance into the Open Heaven Realm. Who knows? Things might change in the future. There is no need to waste so much money at this juncture, especially since everyone else in the Sect also requires a lot of resources for cultivation. You don’t need to worry too much about me.”
Ye Jian opened his mouth to speak but finally let out a heavy sigh.
The old man on the stage called out the countdown. Finally, the bidding for the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill and its pill recipe came to an end. The auction item was sold at a terrifyingly high price of 50.5 million Open Heaven Pills.
The old man presiding over the auction had maintained a stiff expression on his face throughout, but his complexion was quite ruddy at the moment. He felt as though he had gotten the greatest bargain in the world.
This round of bidding also caused countless people to become hooked to the excitement. Be it the regular cultivators in the hall or the Open Heaven Realm Masters in the private rooms, they had never witnessed such a brutal and unexpectedly complex bidding war before.
When the price first hit 20 million Open Heaven Pills, everybody thought that it would be the limit. Who could have known that Teng Wang and Ye Jian would secretly receive funding from others? Thus, the price rose to 30 million. By the time the price exceeded 30 million, everybody thought that it was the end. Who could have expected somebody to appear out of nowhere and forcibly compete with Ye Jian for the auction item? The price was raised to 50 million as a result.
Throughout the history of all the auctions in the 3,000 Worlds, the only other time an auction could beat this round of bidding in terms of price was when High-Rank resources appeared in the world.
This was only halfway through the auction as well. The second half of the auction had yet to take place, so who could say what other good things might appear?
It might have been that the auction had reached a climax, so the auction house decided to take a short break. During the break, Red Clouds Auction House delivered the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill and its pill recipe over. Yang Kai paid the 50.5 million Open Heaven Pills and received his items.
Nobody had ever seen the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill before, so they were very interested in the item. The jade bottle was passed around between the Proprietress, Old Bai, and Yue He. On the other hand, Yang Kai carefully studied the pill recipe.
After some investigating, he was secretly speechless. It was apparently not difficult to refine the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill. He was confident he could refine the Spirit Pills with his abilities. It was just that many ingredients were required. There were a total of 9 main ingredients. Leaving aside the World Source Liquid, there were 8 others. In addition, there were a total of 72 kinds of adjuvants and many were herbs he had never even heard of before.
Yang Kai handed the pill recipe to the Proprietress for a look, and after a while commented, “The 72 auxiliary ingredients are quite common. Aside from the World Source Liquid, the remaining eight main ingredients are all pretty rare, but they can be found if you are determined to find them. It’s just the price… won’t be cheap.”
Yang Kai asked, “Proprietress, how much do you think it will cost to refine this Spirit Pill?”
She pondered for a moment, “At least a 100,000.”
The production cost of a Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill was 100,000. That was not inclusive of the failures during the refining process. If the costs of the failures during the refining process were included, then it would double the price at the very least. So, it would be 200,000.
Naturally, that was just the cost of the other materials excluding the World Source Liquid. If the cost of the World Source Liquid was included… World Source Liquid had practically gone extinct as it could only be formed when new Worlds were first created. Therefore, the value of something like that could not be measured.
In any case, the cost was extremely high. One could not be fooled by Yang Kai’s current spending where he could move several tens of millions at a time. For most cultivators, accumulating Open Heaven Pills was an extremely difficult task. Even Third-Class great forces could not accumulate more than several tens of millions of Open Heaven Pills with the strength of their entire Sect.
However, if he could successfully refine the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill, then the price of a single Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill would not be measured in just 1 or 2 million Open Heaven Pills. Just like how Teng Wang was willing to increase the price to 30 million for a Spirit Pill, not to mention Ye Jian who was willing to quote a terrifying price of 50 million Open Heaven Pills.
Needless to say, this price was only feasible because this was an auction. Moreover, the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill was the only one in existence. The price would not be as high if the Spirit Pill was mass-produced for sales. Be that as it may, selling the Spirit Pill for several million was not an issue. Which great force would not have several highly valued disciples? Just by spending several million on a Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill, they could ensure that their disciple had a smooth advancement, which would result in the enhancement of the Sect’s future hope and strength.
Yang Kai’s eyes brightened, as though he could see the Grand Dao of Fortune right in front of him. In addition, if the refinement of this Spirit Pill were successful, it would be highly beneficial to Void Land in the future!
Instructing Yue He to bid at her discretion during the subsequent auctions, Yang Kai picked up the jade bottle and took out the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill. Then, he carefully scraped off a layer of Pill Powder and began to examine it carefully.
As time passed, the auction started up again.
Yang Kai completely immersed himself in the research of the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill, constantly deducing the refinement process in his mind. He paid no attention to anything else, unable to extricate himself from his research.
He did not know how long had passed when he suddenly heard a gasp of exclamation coming from beside him. Unable to help himself, he pulled his mind back to the present and looked to the side. Old Bai was staring at the stage with an expression of shock, almost as though an amazing item had appeared on the stage. Even Yue He and the Proprietress looked solemn.
Yang Kai frowned, not knowing what was going on. Just as he was wondering about the situation, he heard the old man on the stage say something, “Ladies and gentlemen, you have not misheard. This Old Master is holding a map of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. Although it is not complete, it should cover at least 20% of the entire Blood Monster Cave Heaven’s territory. It might be even more. The auction house has made a total of 100 copies of this map. They will be sold in batches of ten during the auction. The starting price is 500,000 Open Heaven Pills. Please place your bids!”
The moment the old man finished speaking, numerous voices calling out various bids rang out incessantly from the private rooms. Even the Proprietress joined in.
Yang Kai was confused, “Old Bai, is the Blood Monster Cave Heaven part of the Thirty-Six Cave-Heavens?”
It had not been long since he first arrived in the Outer Universe, but it had not been a short time either. There were countless great forces in the 3,000 Worlds, so he might not be familiar with most of them, but he had at least heard of each of the Thirty-Six Cave-Heavens and Seventy-Two Paradises. Upon further consideration, he had never heard of the name ‘Blood Monster Cave Heaven’ before.
Old Bai licked his lips and said, “The Blood Monster Cave Heaven is not one of the Thirty-Six Cave-Heavens. It is a Universe Cave Heaven!”
Yang Kai was stunned; then, he immediately exclaimed in a loud voice, “A Universe Cave Heaven!?”
He had just heard the Proprietress mentioning the existence of the Universe Cave Heavens and Universe Paradises. She claimed that a Universe Cave Heaven was the Small Universe left behind after the death of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master while a Universe Paradise was the Small Universe left behind after the death of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. There was a high possibility that they contained the wealth of a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master accumulated over their lifetime. Anybody who could encounter one was bound to experience leaps and bounds in their growth.
Yang Kai had taken a great interest in this topic when listening to the Proprietress’ previous explanation, but he never expected that such a lucky coincidence would fall into his lap. Red Clouds Auction House was auctioning off the map of a Universe Cave Heaven! This shocked him very much!
[If Red Clouds Auction House can produce such a map of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, doesn’t that mean that they’ve already entered it before?]
Old Bai’s gaze was burning intensely, “You don’t understand. The Blood Monster Cave Heaven is an extremely special Universe Cave Heaven in the 3,000 Worlds. It is the legacy left behind after the death of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master by the name of Blood Monster Divine Monarch. Unlike other Universe Cave Heavens and Universe Paradises that are concealed from outsiders, the Blood Monster Cave Heaven is a Sealed World known across the 3,000 Worlds. Moreover, it opens once every 200 years. Any cultivator under the Open Heaven Realm can enter the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. If you are lucky, you can obtain all sorts of precious resources. You might even obtain the inheritance of Blood Monster Divine Monarch!”
Yang Kai jumped in surprise, “The inheritance of Blood Monster Divine Monarch!?”
The Small Universe left behind after the death of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would contain his entire lifetime’s worth of assets and his true inheritance. It was only natural that it would attract countless people’s attention.
Even if he was currently rich enough to buy a country, Yang Kai couldn’t help coveting those riches. He was tempted to rush into the Blood Monster Cave Heaven right now to explore the place thoroughly!
“Although the Blood Monster Cave Heaven has opened countless times since the death of Blood Monster Divine Monarch and many of the resources have been taken by others before us, there are many who obtained great benefits each time the Blood Monster Cave Heaven opened. It generally resulted in their strength soaring. Calculating the years, the Blood Monster Cave Heaven is indeed about to open again. Red Clouds Auction House planned this all out!”
The Blood Monster Cave Heaven was about to open and Red Clouds Auction House suddenly brought out a map for this auction. It was obvious that they were planning to use this opportunity to earn a huge fortune!
Yang Kai licked his dry lips, “How long before the Blood Monster Cave Heaven opens?”
Old Bai said, “Around half a year or so.”
Yang Kai suddenly recalled something when he heard those words. Glancing at the Proprietress, he asked her a question, “Proprietress, you previously asked me to wait for half a year for an opportunity. Could it be related to the Blood Monster Cave Heaven?”
When he asked her to help him keep an eye out for High-Rank resources, she had returned a less than optimistic answer. She only told him that he had to wait for half a year for a possible opportunity. Judging by the situation, it was most likely related to the Blood Monster Cave Heaven.
Sure enough, the Proprietress nodded, “Somebody once found a Seventh-Order material inside the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. That place might have what you need.”
Yang Kai’s eyes couldn’t help blazing with excitement.
Thinking about it again, it was not surprising. That was the Small Universe left behind after the death of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master after all. It contained all the wealth accumulated by Blood Monster Divine Monarch during his lifetime, what were Seventh-Order materials in comparison? There might even be Eighth-Order materials inside!
While they were conversing with each other, the first round of bidding for the map of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven ended. The cultivators in 10 of the private rooms had won the maps, though everybody was very restrained in their bidding. The starting price was 500,000 and the final price was only 700,000. Red Clouds Auction House had brought out a hundred copies after all, so there was no need to compete too hard.
After several rounds of auction, all 100 copies of the map had been sold. The entire process had only taken an hour or so. They were basically sold at prices ranging from 7 to 8 hundred thousand Open Heaven Pills each.
Yang Kai silently made some calculations. Just from the map alone, Red Clouds Auction House obtained a profit of close to 70 million Open Heaven Pills. Thus, he couldn’t help feeling extremely envious. If Void Land could have such skills one day, then he had nothing to worry about anymore.
Right after the map was sold, the old man on the stage took out a piece of jade that was one part of two halves, “This is the next item for auction. It might be an Array Jade; it might also be a key. This jade came from the Blood Monster Cave Heaven!”
As soon as those words rang out, the audience was shocked. The auction house had first sold off 100 copies of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven’s map. Then, they brought out this jade from the Blood Monster Cave Heaven to auction. Anybody could tell that the Blood Monster Cave Heaven was probably about to open.
“This jade might come from the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, but nobody knows what it is used for. That is why this Old Master mentioned that it might be an Array Jade or even a key. We don’t even know what kind of benefits one will obtain after this jade plays its role. Nothing might come from it. It might be a complete waste of money. But… what if it turns out to be the key to Blood Monster Divine Monarch treasure house?”
Upon hearing that sentence, many people secretly scolded the old man for being a treacherous old dog. He obviously knew that the Blood Monster Cave Heaven contained the wealth accumulated by Blood Monster Divine Monarch throughout his life. The value of his treasure house could only be imagined. It would be amazing if this jade turned out to be the key to the Blood Monster Divine Monarch’s treasure house.
“One unknown piece of jade. The starting price is 1 million! Ladies and gentlemen, please place your bids!”
The old man had only just finished speaking when Yang Kai immediately shouted, “10 million!”
Inside the private room, the Proprietress and the others turned around in unison to stare at him as though they were looking at a fool.
“What’s wrong?” He scratched his nose awkwardly.
The Proprietress sighed and explained, “Since Red Clouds Auction House is willing to auction off this jade, then they must have sent their own Disciples to test its uses before. It is only after confirming that the jade cannot be used for anything that they are willing to bring it out. How can you start off bidding 10 million…”
Yang Kai couldn’t help looking blank.
She teasingly continued, “It doesn’t matter. You have a lot of money, so you can act as you please.”
Yang Kai did not understand, “What do you mean?”
She gave him an amused look, “You can be willful because you are rich.”
He was rendered speechless. As if to verify her words, nobody else in the auction house placed a bid, aside from him.
The old man waited for ten breaths and quickly said, “Room A3 has placed a bid of 10 million Open Heaven Pills! Are there any higher offers? 10 million going once! 10 million going twice! Congratulations to the gentleman in Room A3!”
The transaction was finalised!
Yang Kai nearly spat blood. Only then did he understand that he had been overly eager. Leaving aside whether or not the jade would be useful, even if it turned out to be useful, there was no guarantee what kind of benefit it would bring. It could be said that this was an extremely risky investment. Aside from someone extremely rich like him, who would purchase this jade at such a high price?
If the price was only 1 million Open Heaven Pills, the other great forces might have been willing to take a gamble; however, he had directly offered 10 million from the beginning. Who would be willing to follow up his offer?
The corners of Yang Kai’s mouth twitched but he soon comforted himself in his heart, [Who knows? I might be able to obtain something great from this. Even if I don’t… Well, it’s not… that expensive.]
The jade was the final item. The old man on the stage gave a polite speech on the stage, thanking everybody who participated in the once more. Only then did he announce the successful conclusion of the auction.
Many of the cultivators in the hall stood up and left.
However, the Proprietress remained motionless. She simply sat there calmly, as if waiting for something.
Yang Kai was puzzled but did not ask any questions; instead, he began to take stock of what he had obtained from this auction. He had bid for quite a few things. Aside from the Sixth-Order Scarlet Yin Sand and the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill, he purchased many Fourth-Order materials. He also, of course, won the auction for the jade at the end of the auction.
While he was researching the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill, Yue He had made a move several times to bid for several Sixth-Order resources. The auction house had delivered those items a long time ago.
All in all, he had spent around 150 million Open Heaven Pills. These expenses were not a small sum to other people, but it was within an acceptable range for Yang Kai.
Be that as it may, no High-Rank resources had appeared even in such a high-end auction, so he couldn’t help feeling a slight sense of disappointment. Even the Sixth-Order materials were not many. It could be seen that his hopes of finding the High-Rank resources he needed in places like various auction houses were not very realistic.
Yang Kai soon finished taking stock of his newly-acquired items and then returned to working on the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill. He had already finished studying the pill recipe. Be it in terms of the materials or the refining process, the technique was not very difficult for him. There should be no problem as long as he practised diligently and overcame a few failures to accumulate experience.
At present, he was studying the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill itself. In the eyes of others, a Spirit Pill was nothing more than a Spirit Pill that could be consumed and used for different purposes depending on the medicinal efficacies it contained. However, for an Alchemist, a finished Spirit Pill contained an extensive amount of information. An accomplished Alchemist could even deduce the pill recipe for refining a particular Spirit Pill just from studying a finished Spirit Pill. They might not be able to decipher everything, but it was not difficult to deduce an almost complete pill recipe.
Although Yang Kai was devoted to the Martial Dao, he also had deep attainments in the Alchemic Dao. Now that he had the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill and its pill recipe in hand, he could learn many things from these two items.
He placed the bit of Pill Powder that he scraped off from the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill earlier into his mouth and savoured the taste carefully. His expression changed continuously. From time to time, he would suddenly frown or show a look of epiphany. His mind was racing like crazy, creating sparks from the collision of his thoughts.
An hour later, he finally pulled his mind back to the present with much greater confidence in his ability to refine the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill.
At this moment, the door opened all of a sudden. The old man with a stiff expression who presided over the auction just now pushed open the door but did not enter the room. He simply stood at the entrance of the room while stretching his hand out in a polite gesture, “Madam Lan, please come this way.”
The Proprietress was not surprised and simply nodded lightly before standing up.
Afterwards, the old man turned around and led the way.
Yang Kai followed behind the Proprietress and asked curiously, “Where are we going?”
The Proprietress didn’t even turn around as she sent a Divine Sense transmission to him, “Didn’t you want to find some High-Rank materials? We’re going to try our luck. But, I can’t guarantee whether any High-Rank materials will appear or whether you can obtain them even if they do.”
He was stunned, “What do you mean?”
She said, “So many Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters came today. Did you really think they came here just for that auction?”
Upon hearing those words, Yang Kai immediately realised that the situation earlier was strange indeed.
Some good stuff had appeared in the auction, enough that they could even cause the Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters to compete for those resources. Even so, most of the people in the private rooms had not made any bids from beginning to the end. Aside from the second to last round when they bid for the map of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, they mostly remained as nothing more than spectators throughout the entire auction.
Most of the Open Heaven Realm Masters in those private rooms came from various far-flung Great Territories with some being trillions of kilometres away. There was no need for them to put so much effort into coming here just to end up as a spectator, right?
“If they’re not here for the auction, then what are they here for?” He wondered.
The Proprietress replied, “They only joined the auction to take part in the excitement since they were already here. They are actually here for the exchange meeting after the auction!”
“An exchange meeting!” Yang Kai raised his brow at those words, gaining a vague understanding of the situation.
“There are many who obtain treasures but do not have a use for them, nor do they wish to put them up for auction. Even if they obtained Open Heaven Pills, they would still need to go out and search for the items that they really need after all. As such, they prefer to exchange items with each other in private. For example, if I need a Sixth-Order Earth Element treasure but only have a Sixth-Order Fire Element treasure, I can trade with somebody else during this exchange meeting. Since both items are Sixth-Order materials, their prices are pretty similar. In this way, the exchange can be carried out and everybody is happy with the exchange.”
“I got it.” Yang Kai nodded.
“But, you should not get your hopes up. High-Rank materials are hard to find. Even if they appear, you might not get your hands on them.”
Yang Kai grinned, “The only thing I fear is that they won’t appear. If they do appear, then I will get my hands on them even if I have to use money to beat them into submission.”
The theoretical price of a Seventh-Order material was around a 150 million Open Heaven Pills. Naturally, that was just in theory. If one were to include a premium for its rarity, it was acceptable for its price to range from 170 to 180 million. Would those people refuse to sell if Yang Kai threw out 200 or 300 million Open Heaven Pills at them?
In any case, those were Open Heaven Pills he won through gambling. It was not heartbreaking to spend them. Thus, Yang Kai was secretly looking forward to the exchange meeting.
Under the old man’s guidance, the group of four passed through several corridors and came to a secret room. There were quite a few people already waiting inside and they were clearly the Open Heaven Realm Masters who sat in the private rooms during the auction earlier.
When those people saw the Proprietress, many of them nodded at her lightly.
Inside the secret room, everybody was randomly seated. There was a large table in front of them and several platters of Spirit Fruits were placed there to enjoy. The seating arrangements formed a circle with a one-metre-high platform placed right in the middle. The platform was made entirely of flawless white jade.
“Madam Lan, please make yourself comfortable!” The old man spoke briefly before turning around to leave. He was probably going to invite others to this place.
The Proprietress led Yang Kai and the others over to an empty spot and sat down before taking a look around. There were already quite a few Open Heaven Realm Masters inside the secret room. Some of them were alone while some of them arrived with several people in tow, just like the Proprietress. Yang Kai also saw many Emperor Realm cultivators like himself, looking around curiously just like him. These Emperor Realm cultivators were probably the Juniors or Disciples of the Open Heaven Realm Masters. They were probably using this opportunity to learn more about the outside world.
While he was looking around his surroundings, Yang Kai saw two familiar figures. It was a man and a woman, one young and one old. They were none other than Old Zhou and Yu Luo Sha of Asura Heaven. Thinking about it again, it was not strange. Red Clouds Auction House and Asura Arena both had establishments in Thousand Birds Territory’s Star City. It was only natural that they were invited to participate in an auction here.
In Thousand Birds Territory’s Star City, these two were not the only businesses belonging to First-Class great forces. Wind and Cloud Auction House was an industry of Wind and Cloud Paradise, Gathering Virtue Emporium was an asset of Nine Stars Paradise, and even Hundred Refining’s Hall was supported by one of the Paradises. At this moment, the representatives of these First-Class great forces gathered inside this secret room.
Old Zhou of the Asura Arena smiled and nodded at Yang Kai. Yang Kai returned the greeting with a bow. Yu Luo Sha was looking at Yang Kai with a complicated expression, but she also nodded in greeting. There was no hostility in her demeanour; rather, her fighting spirit was burning.
Thus, Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling a sense of respect for this woman. He believed that she would definitely achieve great things in the future. The previous battle had not affected her Martial Heart negatively in any way; instead, it became the driving force for her to strive to become even stronger.
There was no sign of Pei Bu Wan anywhere as he probably lost everything the other day, so he did not have the money to participate in this exchange meeting.
During this waiting period, countless people kept entering the secret room, found seats, and sat down.
All of a sudden, a middle-aged man with a golden crown on his head appeared at the entrance. He was dressed in luxurious robes and the aura around him was extremely powerful. A tall girl with picturesque features followed behind him. Her cultivation was not high. Like Yang Kai, she was only in the Emperor Realm. Her intelligent eyes studied her surroundings with great curiosity, giving her an ethereal feeling.
Many young Juniors couldn’t help glancing in her direction with a look of admiration and adoration on their faces. Likewise, Yang Kai glanced over in that direction just in time to see the middle-aged man leading the tall and slender girl in their direction. The middle-aged man arrived not far from him within a few steps.
The Proprietress stood up and gave an elegant bow, “Senior Brother Guo!”
Old Bai also respectfully greeted the middle-aged man, “Greetings, Senior Guo!”
Surprised, Yang Kai and Yue He hurriedly got to their feet. Judging from the tone of the Proprietress and Bai Qi’s voices, they seemed to be familiar with this middle-aged man surnamed Guo. Their relationship also seemed to be rather intertwined; otherwise, the Proprietress would never address the man with the title ‘Senior Brother’. It had to be said that most Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were the ones to greet the Proprietress first when they encountered her. After all, the order of etiquette also served to represent the level of their respective statuses.
In other words, this man surnamed Guo was more powerful than the Proprietress. Yang Kai was secretly speechless. Judging by the way the Proprietress addressed this man, could it be that they had a Senior Brother-Junior Sister relationship with each other?
Senior Brother Guo smiled slightly, “Junior Sister Lan, there is no need to be so polite. Please take a seat.”
After saying that, he took the lead and sat down. Only then did the Proprietress return to her seat.
He then said, “It has been several dozen years since we last saw each other. You have a noble bearing as usual, Junior Sister Lan. It is truly gratifying.”
She replied with a slight smile, “Many thanks, Senior Brother Guo. You are as handsome as usual.”
He laughed, “I’ve gotten old. I can’t compare with the younger generation anymore.” Suddenly, he turned to look at Yang Kai with a measuring gaze. Then, he narrowed his eyes and asked, “Isn’t this the boy who defeated Yu Luo Sha in the Asura Arena?”
Yang Kai suddenly had the illusion that he was being stared at by the ancient Ominous Beast under that measuring gaze. For a moment, he felt as though he was being crushed under the pressure of a dozen mountains and could barely breathe as a result.
Fortunately, that terrifying pressure soon dissipated into nothing, almost as if the feeling just now had been nothing more than an illusion. Yang Kai bowed, “Greetings, Senior Guo!”
“Yes, it’s very similar!” Senior Brother Guo nodded repeatedly.
Yang Kai was taken aback. He didn’t quite understand what those words meant at first, but he soon understood. Senior Brother Guo was referring to his appearance. It was the reason why the Proprietress had taken such good care of him in the past, as well as why Yue He addressed him as ‘Young Master’. Apparently, his appearance was very similar to that of the Proprietress’ younger brother, Lan Ting Yu.
One’s appearance was determined by the Heavens, so he was unable to change anything about his appearance. Besides, there were trillions upon trillions of living creatures in the 3,000 Worlds. It was not surprising that some people would look similar to each other. Yang Kai did not feel that his appearance had caused him any trouble; rather, it could even be said that it had brought him great luck. If not for that, how could a humble person like himself become acquainted with somebody like the Proprietress in this vast universe?
“They might look alike, but they are two different people.” The Proprietress smiled softly, “I was very shocked when I first met this brat.”
Senior Brother Guo gently nodded, “Once this matter is over, let me bring this boy back to meet the Old Man. His aptitude is not bad. If he is personally taught by the Old Man, he will surely have great accomplishments in the future.”
“The Old Man?” The Proprietress’ expression changed slightly, “Is that what he wants?”
Senior Brother Guo shook his head in response, “The Old Man has not heard about this yet. I only just learned about it myself when I arrived here.”
Her expression became gloomy and uncertain as she glanced at Yang Kai worriedly and shook her head, “Senior Brother Guo, this boy does not belong to First Inn. If you wish to bring him back to meet the Old Man, you will have to ask him for his opinion.”
“Not part of First Inn?” He seemed a little surprised by those words.
Yang Kai was a little confused by the flow of the conversation. He did not know who this ‘Old Man’ they were talking about was, but a person who could be addressed so formally by two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters could not be a trivial person.
Senior Brother Guo laughed, “Since he does not belong to First Inn, then there’s no need to ask you.” He turned to look at Yang Kai and continued, “Kid, do you have any interest in joining Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven?”
“Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven?” Yang Kai was shocked.
Each of the Thirty-Six Cave-Heavens and Seventy-Two Paradises were extremely famous. They had more than one Great Territory under their command; were known as First-Class great forces in the 3,000 Worlds; and every one of them was led by High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters. Out of all of them, Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven was ranked in the top ten even among the Thirty-Six Cave-Heavens.
Yang Kai had long since guessed that this person by the name of ‘Senior Brother Guo’ came from a very powerful background. There was a high possibility that Senior Brother Guo came from one of the Thirty-Six Cave-Heavens or the Seventy-Two Paradises. It wasn’t until this moment that Yang Kai learned that he belonged to Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven.
Did that mean that Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven was the great force behind First Inn? Why else would the Proprietress and Senior Brother Guo address each other as ‘Senior Brother’ and ‘Junior Sister’?
Senior Brother Guo said, “The aptitude of Yu Luo Sha from Asura Heaven is pretty amazing. The fact that you can defeat her in one move must mean that your aptitude is even more impressive. An aptitude like that is enough for you to join Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven. What do you think? If you are interested, you can follow me back to Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven once this matter is over.”
Yang Kai was dumbfounded. If a Cave-Heaven had tried to recruit him when he first arrived in the 3,000 Worlds, he might have joined them eagerly without a second thought; that way he could enjoy the cool shade under a big tree after all. Backed by such a powerful force like Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven, his future would be very promising. He wouldn’t even need to worry about his cultivation resources. He would only need to ask his Elders for what he needed and somebody would immediately satisfy his needs.
Unfortunately, the current Yang Kai was no longer the same person who just arrived at the Outer Universe. He was now in charge of Void Land and had more than 600,000 people under him. What would happen to Void Land if he left? Besides, his path to becoming a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master would most likely be cut off halfway if he joined Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven.
The Proprietress once mentioned that only those disciples with excellent aptitudes who were born into and grew up in the various Cave-Heavens and Paradises had the qualifications to achieve the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm directly. That was because the Cave Heavens and Paradises had no need to worry about their loyalty!
However, who would dare to allow the birth of a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master if they were an outsider? What if that person cultivated to the level of a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master? Who could suppress them then? Especially somebody like Yang Kai who only joined as a disciple halfway through. Nobody could guarantee his loyalty towards the Sect.
After considering all this, Yang Kai vaguely realised something. He had exposed his identity in the Asura Arena, so many people probably had their eyes on him now. Senior Brother Guo was just one of those people. It was only because he was an old acquaintance of the Proprietress that he took the lead to try and win Yang Kai over.
[If I agree to join Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven, I will only be allowed to achieve the Sixth-Order Heaven Realm at most! I will never be allowed to achieve the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm!] Yang Kai turned to look to the side and sure enough, the Proprietress was staring at him in anxiety and worry. He made up his mind seeing that and carefully said, “Many thanks for your praise, Senior Guo. Unfortunately, this Junior has too many obligations to fulfil and must regretfully refuse your kindness.”
Senior Brother Guo became livid upon hearing those words. His stern and majestic eyes suddenly transformed to become a bottomless abyss, almost as though he wanted to drag Yang Kai’s Soul into them!
[I can’t believe this Senior Guo immediately turned hostile the moment we disagreed. He truly is subject to shifting moods.] Yang Kai trembled for a moment, feeling his Dao Seal vibrating uncontrollably. Sparks danced in his vision as he grit his teeth and shouted, “Senior Guo, are you trying to silence the witness to your crime?”
He originally hoped to cause a scene large enough to attract the attention of the people around him so that this Senior Guo would be more mindful about taking action. This was Red Clouds Auction House’s territory after all so he would not be allowed to do whatever he wanted. To Yang Kai’s surprise though, his voice never came out. His mouth opened and closed like a goldfish stranded on land, making him look extremely funny.
“Senior Brother Guo!” The Proprietress let out a sharp cry.
All of a sudden, the terrifying pressure disappeared. The power that was tugging at Yang Kai’s Soul and Dao Seal also vanished without a trace. He came back to his senses and saw Senior Brother Guo looking at him with a smile, almost as though what he experienced earlier was all an illusion. But, cold sweat drenched his entire body and he knew that what he felt just now was not a figment of his imagination.
“Your appearance is similar, as is your attitude. I just hope that the path you walk won’t be that similar.” Senior Brother Guo uttered that sentence meaningfully, “Otherwise, the ending that will befall you won’t differ much either. Junior Sister Lan, you don’t wish to see history repeating itself, right?”
The Proprietress’ expression was extremely dark as she snapped, “Senior Brother Guo, please mind your own business. I will take care of this boy myself.”
“That would be for the best.” He nodded, “It took a lot of effort for the Old Man to settle that matter for you in the past. You wouldn’t want to cause trouble for him again, right?”
Rubbing his chin, he abruptly changed the subject, “Speaking of the Old Man, I suddenly remembered something. When the Old Man brought the Golden Crow’s carcass back, he was muttering about how most of the essence from its body was missing for some reason. It’s obvious now that it was the doing of this brat.”
Only then did Yang Kai finally realise who the Old Man Senior Brother Guo kept mentioning was. The Golden Crow’s carcass had fallen into the hands of the owner behind First Inn, an old man known as Si Tu Kong.
Before handing the Golden Crow carcass over, Yang Kai had absorbed most of the Golden Crow’s True Fire and to condense his Fire Element Power. He originally thought that he had been very secretive about what he did, but who could have known that his actions had been noticed so quickly?
Judging by the current situation, Si Tu Kong belonged to Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven and First Inn was indeed backed by the powerful force.
The Proprietress spoke firmly, “Please don’t speak nonsense, Senior Brother Guo.”
Senior Brother Guo sneered, “I was just speculating. What are you so nervous about, Junior Sister Lan? Even if it is true, the Old Man failed to notice the issue on the spot, so you don’t expect him to come after this brat after so long, right? What would come of the Old Man’s pride? At his age, what he cares about the most is face. He would not do something that would slap himself so terribly.”
His expression turned cold and his voice became solemn, “There is no evidence regarding this matter, but is your intention to take down the Golden Rainbow Province and the Boundless Altar, or is this also this Senior Brother talking nonsense?”
She replied calmly, “What are you talking about, Senior Brother Guo? This Junior Sister does not understand.”
He turned to look at her, “Don’t give me that nonsense! These two great forces held a grudge against you in the first place! It was only because the Old Man and the other great forces intervened in the past that this matter was settled calmly. Not too long ago, you caused another huge ruckus. Did you think you could hide the truth!? Do you think you can still stand here alive if the Old Man had not intervened again when you killed Yun Zhen Hua of Wind and Cloud Paradise!?”
She looked at him leisurely, “What do you know, Senior Brother?”
He said, “Even if Yun Zhen Hua provoked you first, you should not have killed him. He belonged to Wind and Cloud Paradise after all. In the end, the Old Man had to clean up your mess again when you killed him.”
She became angry, “Are you saying they are the only ones who can attack me and I can’t defend myself? What kind of logic is that!”
He retorted, “With your strength as a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, running away would be a piece of cake for you!”
“Why should I run? They dared to provoke this Great Aunt. In that case, this Great Aunt will dare to slice off their necks. I will cut down every single person they send after me. I’ll see just who in the 3,000 Worlds would dare to provoke me again!” She said furiously.
He slowly shook his head, “Stop causing so much trouble and manage First Inn properly.”
She stared at him fixedly, “Is that what the Old Man wants?”
He replied, “It’s what I want.”
“What the Hell do you count for?” She threw a contemptuous look at him.
He sighed, “The Old Man is getting on in age. How long more do you think he can continue to shelter you? What will you do when all your enemies come at you simultaneously following his death? Forget your enemies. Many people don’t like you even within the Cave-Heaven.”
“Let them come! I’ll take the opportunity to settle my grudges against them!” She gnashed her teeth together, “Damn it! The Old Man has lived for so long, why isn’t he dead yet!?”
His mouth fell open in shock and he looked speechless. After a long time, he angrily muttered, “Brainless woman!”
Then, he turned to the tall girl next to him and said, “Remember this Martial Aunt Lan of yours. Don’t be like her in the future; otherwise, you will never get married! Look at her; even now, nobody is interested in her. That’s the reason.”
The young girl pursed her lips and smiled. On the other hand, the Proprietress glared fiercely.
Senior Brother Guo ignored the Proprietress and pointed at Yang Kai. “Don’t forget this person’s face either. Don’t ever become his enemy. You should ask him to rescue you if you are ever in danger.”
The young girl nodded obediently. Her beautiful eyes stared at Yang Kai seriously for a moment before she replied softly, “I’ve memorised it.”
Yang Kai was stunned by those words. He did not understand the meaning behind Senior Brother Guo’s words. This young girl looked like one of Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven’s elite disciples at a glance. Also, what kind of danger would she face that he would need to rescue her from?
Senior Brother Guo stopped talking and simply sat there in inexplicable silence. The Proprietress also fell silent. Thus, the atmosphere sunk into an awkward silence.
Although Senior Brother Guo and the Proprietress had not said much to each other, they had, intentionally or unintentionally, revealed a lot of information.
The first piece of information was that Yang Kai’s identity had been completely exposed. It was most likely that many of the Cave-Heavens and Paradises were monitoring him. While it would not pose a problem in the short-term, nobody could say for sure what kind of attitude they would take against him after observing him in the long run. They might decide to suppress him or try to win him over. The only thing that could be certain was that nobody would want him to advance directly into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Another piece of information was that the Proprietress truly intended to take down Golden Rainbow Province and Boundless Altar. It was just that these two Second Class great forces were not pushovers. She would definitely fail with her current strength if she really were to make a move against them.
Yang Kai would not simply sit back and watch if it came to that. But, what help could he provide with his current strength? Even if he brought all the Open Heaven Realm Masters in Void Land over to support her, his efforts would not play a decisive role. Not unless Zhu Jiu Yin was willing to help.
Unfortunately, this woman was not dependable. She might have agreed to become his Protector for 1,000 years, but it was only under the premise that his life was in real danger. She was not a fool, so how could she willingly follow him into such muddy waters?
Therefore, he couldn’t help feeling a sense of urgency and crisis. [Time is not going to wait for me!]
Just as his thoughts were swirling around in his head, he heard a familiar voice entering his ears, “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedules to participate in Red Clouds Auction House’s exchange meeting. Many of you are old acquaintances, but some of you are new faces. Nevertheless, this Old Master won’t go into details regarding the rules. I’m sure everybody has participated in similar exchange meetings before, so let’s not waste time. The exchange meeting will begin now.”
Many of the Open Heaven Realm Masters chuckled at those words.
Yang Kai looked up and the old man who presided over the auction earlier was standing on the round platform in the centre and bowing in all directions. Knowing that the exchange meeting had officially started, Yang Kai put aside all other thoughts and focused on the present.
Everybody here was in the Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm, so those in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm and the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm were everywhere. They would surely have some good stuff in their possession. It was possible that they had the High-Rank materials he needed; however, how he was going to obtain those High-Rank materials from them would depend completely on his own abilities.
He secretly said a prayer in his heart and rolled up his sleeves eagerly.
“Then, this Old Master will start things off.” After the old man on the round platform finished speaking, he took out an item. It was a forearm-length piece of bamboo. The bamboo might have been harvested, but it was still brimming with vitality. The bamboo leaves on the stems were dense. More surprisingly, the bamboo was enveloped in slivers of electricity that constantly flashed between the branches and leaves while making a crackling sound.
“A Sixth-Order Echoing Thunder Purple Bamboo. It is a Wood Element treasure, but it also carries a Thunder Attribute. If one can refine this, they will have the power to produce such thunder with impressive destructive power,” the old man said slowly.
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up! [Amazing! This certainly is deserving of being a high-end exchange meeting.]
It was a complete night and day difference from the auction earlier. Sixth-Order materials like this one would have been auctioned as finale items during the regular auction. On the contrary, it was the first item to appear in this exchange meeting. Although this was also a means for Red Clouds Auction House to elevate the level of this exchange meeting, taking out a Sixth-Order material right from the start was enough to set the atmosphere.
“This Old Master has no special requirements. This item can be exchanged as long as the value is reasonable. Even Open Heaven Pills are accepted.” After the old man finished speaking, he did not say anything else. He simply stood quietly on the round platform and waited.
Yang Kai looked around and saw that many Masters around the platform were hurriedly taking out Space Rings and fiddling with them. Even Senior Brother Guo next to him was doing so.
The Proprietress sent a voice transmission to him to explain, “Place the item or items you want to exchange in a Space Ring and hand it over to the other party. The other party will check the item and filter out the choices. If he thinks that your price is suitable, he will exchange the item with you. If he thinks that the price is not suitable or does not satisfy his requirements, he will return it to you.”
Yang Kai immediately understood. Without any hesitation, he immediately took out a Space Ring and placed 20 million Open Heaven Pills inside. He had the goal of acquiring all kinds of cultivation resources, so it was impossible for him to use his own materials to trade for another. On the contrary, he had an abundance of Open Heaven Pills. Besides, the other party had also mentioned that Open Heaven Pills were also accepted as an exchange. 20 million Open Heaven Pills should be satisfactory.
Yang Kai handed the ring over and waited silently.
A short while later, all the cultivators who were interested in trading with the old man were ready. There were as many as more than 50 Space Rings in the old man’s hands. His requirements were not high, so everybody was willing to give it a try. There was no loss even if they were not selected after all.
The old man checked the rings one by one. After a while, he chose one of the rings and said, “Brother Xu of Divine Fire Union has offered the highest bid. This Old Master will exchange this Echoing Thunder Purple Bamboo with him.”
After saying that, he flung his hand out. Each Space Ring returned to their respective owners, leaving only the Space Ring belonging to that cultivator surnamed Xu from Divine Fire Union in his hand. The Echoing Thunder Purple Bamboo also flew to the other party’s side under the guidance of a gentle force.
The cultivator surnamed Xu received the Echoing Thunder Purple Bamboo with a look of joy. He cupped his fists and thanked the old man.
On the other hand, Yang Kai was a little stunned as he gripped his Space Ring in his hands. He had spent 26 million to buy a Sixth-Order Scarlet Yin Sand, but that was because it was a Yin Element material. Yin Element materials were much rarer, so their prices tended to be on the higher side.
Most Sixth-Order resources were worth around 17 or 18 million. Thus, he originally believed that he had a promising chance of obtaining the Echoing Thunder Purple Bamboo. Who could have known that the old man of Red Clouds Auction House would not choose him? It would seem that it was not a pricing issue. Rather, the Divine Fire Union probably offered something that the old man was more interested in.
The first transaction had gone smoothly and the old man stepped down from the platform after a few polite words.
A figure immediately flew up and stood on the platform. It was a petite woman. She bowed with a bright smile and lightly parted her red lips to speak, “The value of what this Mistress wants to exchange is not that great. Please excuse me, Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters.”
While saying so, she took out her item. Yang Kai looked up and his eyes immediately brightened. What she had taken out was a bug-like thing with a fiery-red body that was slightly more than a palm length long and as thick as an arm. When his Divine Sense swept over this item, Yang Kai could even sense the vitality coming from it. This worm was a living creature.
“A 10,000 Year Fire Silkworm. If fed properly, it will produce a 10,000 Year Fire Silkworm Chrysalis every 10 years. The Order of the Fire Silkworm Chrysalis is uncertain. It might be Third-Order, Fourth-Order, or Fifth-Order. There is even a possibility it will be Sixth-Order. It all depends on your luck.”
The woman looked down with a smile. She was smiling so brightly that her eyes were crescent-shaped, “This Mistress would like to exchange this item for a few Fifth-Order resources. The attributes are not limited and the number is… Naturally, the more the better.” She stuck her tongue out playfully.
The people below immediately showed interest in this item. The 10,000 Year Fire Silkworm was extremely rare. If one could get their hands on it, then they could harvest an Open Heaven material every ten years in the future. Although the Order was uncertain and completely based on luck, the winning factor lay in the fact that it was continuous. There would always come a time when it would produce Fifth-Order and Sixth-Order materials.
In the short term, this would definitely be a huge loss. But, in the long run, it would be a money-making business. It was just that this kind of item was not suitable for individuals; after all, the investment was bound to be big and the break-even cycle was very long. On the other hand, it was very suitable to become part of the heritage of a great force.
Yang Kai was also rather interested in this item. Void Land might have a Divine Medicine like the gourd vine that could continuously produce Fifth-Order materials, but there was no means of producing Third-Order, Fourth-Order, or Sixth-Order resources. If he could bring this 10,000 Year Fire Silkworm back with him, then it would help offset this deficiency.
“Junior Sister, what does the Fire Silkworm eat?” Someone asked.
She turned to look in that direction and smiled, “Naturally, it eats items of the Fire Attribute. It eats anything in the Fire Attribute and is not a picky eater.”
“Does it mean that the more valuable the food we feed it, the higher the Order of the Silkworm Chrysalis produced?”
“Theoretically, that should be the case, but it also produced a Fifth-Order Silkworm Chrysalis when I previously fed it with some broken Fire Crystals and Fire Jades. On the other hand, it only produced a Third-Order Silkworm Chrysalis when I occasionally fed it with some First-Order or Second-Order Fire Element materials. This Fire Silkworm is very naughty.”
“Many thanks, Junior Sister, for clearing up the confusion.” The speaker cupped his fists.
A few other people also asked some questions and she answered all of them, one by one. There were some questions that she herself had never encountered before, so she could not provide any answers.
A short while later, everybody made their bids. Yang Kai also handed over the Space Ring that contained the twenty million Open Heaven Pills from the previous round of bidding after consulting the Proprietress’ opinion.
Quite a few people were interested in this Fire Silkworm so the woman received more than a dozen Space Rings in total. After checking through the rings, she kept only one of them and returned the rest.
What left Yang Kai feeling speechless was that he had not been chosen either this time around. The price of 20 million Open Heaven Pills was definitely not a low price. Since the other party did not select his Space Ring, then it could only mean that she was more interested in the other bids.
Judging from this situation, it would seem that Open Heaven Pills were not omnipotent. It was true that Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters also needed Open Heaven Pills, but in comparison, they seemed to value various cultivation resources even more.
This discovery left Yang Kai feeling speechless. He originally hoped to throw a huge sum of Open Heaven Pills to bid for the High-Rank materials he needed if they appeared here. Who could have expected this situation? It stood to reason that he would definitely succeed if he was willing to harden his heart and throw out 100 million Open Heaven Pills in the transaction; however, he was not a fool. How could he possibly make such a money-losing move?
He secretly felt that this method of transaction was hugely advantageous for the person standing on the platform. That was because the bidders had no idea what the bottom line was like for the others. There was no way to tell what kind of item the others were offering in exchange, so there was no way for the bidders to up their offer. On the contrary, it would maximise the interests of the person standing on the round platform. Even if the bids offered were unsatisfactory, that person could simply choose not to trade with the others. There would be no loss for either party.
The woman’s 10,000 Year Fire Silkworm was successfully traded. After she stepped off the platform, many others consecutively stepped onto the platform. They would first display the items that they wanted to trade, then put forward their own requirements before waiting for the others to bid for their item. Most of them managed to trade their items for other items that they wanted. There were also some whose requirements were too high or too niche, which naturally led to the failure of their request.
Yang Kai even saw somebody driving up the prices. That person ultimately held on to two Space Rings, then he told the owners of the two Space Rings that he was very interested in the items inside these two Space Rings but could not choose between them. He also mentioned that it would be great if one of them could add a little something to the bargain… As a result, his remark egged the two owners of the Space Rings to quickly add more to their offer…
As time passed, Master after Master stepped onto the stage and the exchange meeting proceeded in an orderly manner.
In this exchange meeting, each person would only have one chance to take the stage during each round. Even so, some people would choose not to go up the stage. Hence, one round quickly ended in less than four hours even though there were so many Open Heaven Realm Masters present.
When the second round began, fewer people went up the stage to trade. Yang Kai watched the entire process with great interest and even got hooked on the excitement.
This exchange meeting was much higher-end than the earlier auction. Many precious materials appeared one after another. Aside from cultivation resources, there were also some pills and precious treasures. The experience greatly opened his eyes. Furthermore, the cultivation resources that appeared in this exchange meeting were at least in the Fifth Order. Even Sixth-Order materials could be found everywhere. The sight of these resources absolutely dazzled him.
Those participating in this exchange meeting were Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters after all. Nobody would bring out Low-Rank materials and invite the scorn of others upon themself.
All of a sudden, a tall, straight-backed, fair-faced, and beardless middle-aged man stepped onto the stage. Looking around, he cupped his fists in greeting.
Yang Kai immediately recognised this person as Ye Jian of Thunderclap Hall; thus, he could not help gnashing his teeth in secret. He had hoped to win the bid for the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill and its pill recipe for slightly more than 30 million Open Heaven Pills during the auction earlier.
It was this person who kept raising the price until it reached 50 million Open Heaven Pills, forcing him to spend an extra 20 million Open Heaven Pills for no reason. 20 million Open Heaven Pills was practically equivalent to the price of a Sixth-Order material. It was an unmistakably huge loss.
During the first round of trading, Ye Jian had already been on the stage once to trade for a Sixth-Order material with another Open Heaven Realm Master. For him to go up the stage once more showed that he had a lot of good stuff on hand.
Under everybody’s gazes, he took out a long box. The box was as white as jade; moreover, it exuded a hint of coolness the moment it appeared and enveloped the entire secret room with a slight chill. The box was around the length of half an arm and the width of four fingers. There were mysterious patterns continuously surfacing and changing on the box. It was very mystifying.
“Heavenly Yin Jade?” Somebody suddenly exclaimed. The expressions of the others in the room stiffened abruptly at those words and their gazes instantly became scorching.
“Brother Ye sure is extravagant! I can’t believe he made a mere box out of Fifth-Order Heavenly Yin Jade!”
Only then did Yang Kai know that this clean and flawless jade box was also a Fifth-Order material. It was most likely a Yin Element treasure. Otherwise, it would not have given off such a cool feeling when it was brought out.
Just this jade box alone was extremely valuable. There was no telling what was placed inside that jade box.
The Proprietress suddenly reached out and nudged Yang Kai, “What you are looking for may have appeared.”
“What?” Yang Kai was so stunned that he could not react for a moment.
She gestured towards the round platform with her mouth.
On the round platform, Ye Jian smiled slightly and responded to the person who spoke earlier, “You have a good eye, Brother Zhao. That’s right! This is a jade box made from Fifth-Order Heavenly Yin Jade! However, what this Ye wishes to exchange this time is not this jade box but what is inside!”
Saying so, he formed several hand seals before light flashed at his fingertips and flowed into the jade box. Then, the jade box slowly opened to reveal the item inside.
Everybody looked in that direction with great interest. The item inside the jade box was a ginseng that was as thick as a baby’s arm. The ginseng roots were dense and one could tell that it was very old at a glance. Moreover, this ginseng had already begun to take a humanoid-like form. A ginseng like this was undoubtedly an existence among the Ginseng Kings. That was not all. The entire ginseng was a strange pale gold in colour and exuded a strong Yang Element Power. It was a Yang Element Ginseng King!
Yang Kai felt his entire body stiffening in shock and his heart pounding wildly in his chest. His eyes seemed to have grown roots in the way he stared fixedly at the Ginseng King.
Many restrictions had been placed on the Ginseng King with numerous peculiar forces sealing the Yang Element Power that it was exuding from its body. Even so, these forces were unable to completely seal the Yang Element Power away, so bits of it constantly clashed with the power of the Heavenly Yin Jade.
While everybody was still in shock, Ye Jian’s voice sounded once more, “A Seventh-Order Primordial Yang Profound Ginseng in exchange for some Sixth-Order cultivation materials. If there are any interested parties, please place your bids.”
Yang Kai’s heart pounded even harder than before and his lips went dry. His brain buzzed with a loud humming sound, leaving only the words ‘Seventh Order’ echoing around in his head. His gaze was fixed intently on the Primordial Yang Profound Ginseng and he could barely hold back the urge to throw his head back and laugh madly.
[A Seventh-Order Yang Attribute material! This Primordial Yang Profound Ginseng is a Seventh-Order Yang Attribute material! It really appeared in this exchange meeting!] During the first round of trading, he had not seen anything he really wanted; hence, he had already given up hope. Who could have known that his wish would come true during the second round of trading?
Forcefully composing himself, Yang Kai secretly gashed his teeth. [I have to obtain this Seventh-Order Primordial Yang Profound Ginseng, no matter what! Who knows when I will come across another chance like this if I let this opportunity slip through my fingers!?]
Whilst he was being absent-minded, a series of whispered discussions rang out in the secret room. Many people constantly released their Divine Sense to investigate the authenticity of the Seventh-Order Primordial Yang Profound Ginseng. Some of them even revealed a fanatical look. Yang Kai observed the situation around him and felt his heart sinking downward. [Looks like… there will be many competitors. But, regardless of how many competitors there are, I have to obtain this Primordial Yang Profound Ginseng!]
A gaze landed on Yang Kai from the side. Feeling the gaze, Yang Kai turned to look to the side and saw Senior Brother Guo smiling at him. Senior Brother Guo’s expression became extremely meaningful when their eyes met.
Yang Kai felt his heart thumping loudly, [This guy isn’t planning to get in my way… right?]
Senior Brother Guo’s previous words had been filled with the intention of recruiting and threatening. It was obvious that he knew Yang Kai was in need of Seventh-Order materials.
Yang Kai was not worried even if Senior Brother Guo tried to get in his way. It was just that he did not know how much money he would need to pay for no reason now. Nonchalantly withdrawing his gaze, Yang Kai began pondering how much he had to bid in order to impress Ye Jian.
Generally speaking, cultivators would never exchange High-Order materials for materials in a lower Order. That was because High-Order materials were much harder to obtain.
However, the Thunderclap Hall that Ye Jian belonged to was just a Second-Class great force. The strongest Master in Thunderclap Hall was only in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm and there were no existences in the Seventh-Order. Therefore, this Primordial Yang Profound Ginseng had little practical value to Thunderclap Hall unless one of them could advance into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm in the future. As such, it was more practical to exchange it for some Sixth-Order materials that could be used for cultivation purposes.
Yang Kai suddenly recalled something. During the auction earlier, Ye Jian had pledged an item to Red Clouds Auction House. Afterwards, he had significantly increased his bid. From the looks of it, the item he pledged earlier had been the Primordial Yang Profound Ginseng.
A Seventh-Order Yang Attribute material would be worth 200 million at least. Its value might be even higher than that, which certainly could give him enough confidence for his actions. If he had ruthlessly decided to continue bidding for the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill, the price might have been raised to 100 million between him and Yang Kai.
Fortunately, he decided to back down when it was only 50 million. Judging by the situation, he either did not wish to waste so many Open Heaven Pills or the Primordial Yang Profound Ginseng belonged to the entire Thunderclap Hall and not just him alone.
Recalling the previous auction, Yang Kai’s eyes shone brightly. He secretly came up with a plan. Coincidentally, the Proprietress also secretly sent him a voice transmission at this time. Her idea happened to coincide with his own.
The reason Ye Jian bid for the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill was out of consideration for his Son. Yang Kai had already noticed the young man with thick eyebrows and large eyes standing beside Ye Jian. Their appearances were not that different from each other, so he was probably Ye Jian’s son.
Ye Jian’s willingness to spend 50 million to bid for the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill showed just how much he cared for his Son. It would certainly catch his attention if Yang Kai used the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill to trade with him. Needless to say, the value of a Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill was far from that of the Primordial Yang Profound Ginseng.
Be that as it may, Yang Kai could make up for the difference. He originally planned to investigate the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill thoroughly later, but now that the Primordial Yang Profound Ginseng had appeared, he could not afford to care so much. In any case, he had already scraped off some Pill Powder earlier, which was enough for research purposes.
The moment the thought came to mind, he immediately stuffed 200 million Open Heaven Pills in addition to the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill into a Space Ring. He was about to hand the Space Ring over when he decided to stuff another 20 million into the ring just to be on the safe side.
It was not suitable for an Emperor Realm Junior like Yang Kai to make such an offer. Even though all the Cave-Heavens and Paradises were basically keeping an eye on him by now, it was still too eye-catching for a mere Emperor Realm cultivator to participate in the transaction of a Seventh-Order material. Hence, he immediately handed the Space Ring to the Proprietress for her to trade on his behalf.
Following a brief moment of shock and discussion inside the secret room, those who were interested in trading for the Seventh-Order materials had already taken out their cards. Yang Kai looked around and saw that not many people were participating in the trade. There were only a dozen or so while the rest were merely spectators.
Yang Kai quickly understood the situation. Those who were participating in this trade were the representatives of the Cave-Heavens and Paradises. They were backed by First-Class great forces with High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters who could put these Seventh-Order materials to good use. There were many Open Heaven Realm Masters from various Second-Class great forces, but none of them could use the Seventh-Order materials; therefore, there was no point in trading for it.
As expected, Senior Brother Guo also handed a Space Ring over. The Proprietress turned to glance at him and he returned her look with a smile.
Yang Kai instantly got a bad feeling. He was becoming more and more certain that Senior Brother Guo was going to cause trouble for him; thus, he couldn’t help worrying about his gains and losses. [Should I have added even more Open Heaven Pills? 220 million Open Heaven Pills in addition to the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill… It’s certainly an amount on par with or higher than the Seventh-Order Primordial Yang Profound Ginseng, but who can say what the other bidders are offering? Right now, I can only hope that Ye Jian really cherishes his Son. That is the only way the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill can impress him.]
With more than a dozen Space Rings in hand, Ye Jian began to check their contents carefully. He was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so his temperament was exceptional. The items contained within these Space Rings were extraordinary, but his expression remained as tranquil as an ancient well. It was difficult for others to guess what he was thinking from his expression alone.
On the other hand, Yang Kai was extremely nervous and secretly vowed that he would immediately increase his bid if Ye Jian did not select him! In the worst case, he would just spend even more Open Heaven Pills. It was no big deal. This Primordial Yang Profound Ginseng was going to be surnamed Yang today, no matter the cost!
In front of everyone’s eyes, Ye Jian stood on the round platform in the centre and carefully checked the Space Rings in his hand one by one. At a certain moment, he paused and looked up at the Proprietress. Even though he concealed his emotions very well, there was not a single person present who failed to notice the flash of joy in his eyes at that moment.
The memory of Room A3 and Room B2 fervently bidding for the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill during the auction earlier was still very fresh. For that reason, many people realised what had happened when they saw his action. First Inn had probably offered the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill from the auction just now.
This was certainly pandering to Ye Jian’s desires; after all, he had been extremely interested in the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill. This Spirit Pill would certainly be able to catch his interest. For a moment, many people secretly felt a deep sense of regret. They would have also competed for the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill had they known about this earlier. For all they knew, they could have used this Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill as bait to obtain a Seventh-Order material in exchange!
The old man from Red Clouds Auction House smiled bitterly. The one who regretted the most was none other than Red Clouds Auction House. They had brought out the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill for auction, but in the end, First Inn was using it against him by making it a bargaining chip to compete for the Primordial Yang Profound Ginseng. The old man couldn’t help feeling as though he had lifted a stone only to smash his own foot with it.
On the round platform, Ye Jian composed himself. He returned most of the Space Rings, except for two. One of those Space Rings belonged to Yang Kai while the other was from an unknown party.
Yang Kai was secretly ecstatic upon knowing that he was only one step away from achieving his goal. Ye Jian had held on to the Space Ring belonging to Yang Kai. That could only mean that the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill had an impact on him. It could be seen from this incident that he really did cherish his Son.
Thinking about it, it was not that strange. The young man had condensed Sixth-Order Elements, so he had the hope of advancing directly into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm in the future. That was not just his desire, it was the future hope of Thunderclap Hall! It was worth the extensive investment!
Yang Kai finally felt a sense of relief as the burden lifted from his heart. He had been most afraid that the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill would not impress Ye Jian. If that was the case, then the 220 million Open Heaven Pills would not have had much competitive ability either.
At present, there was only one more opponent left to defeat before he obtained the Primordial Yang Profound Ginseng! But, he had to figure out the owner of that Space Ring before that!
Without waiting for Yang Kai to figure out the answer, Ye Jian gave a wry smile from where he stood on the round platform. He cupped his fist slightly at the old man from Red Clouds Auction House, “To be honest, between the two rings that this Ye retained… Red Clouds Auction House has provided a better offer in terms of value.”
Yang Kai was stunned. At the same time, he immediately understood that the other Space Ring belonged to Red Clouds Auction House.
It was not surprising if he thought about it. Red Clouds Auction House had known about the existence of the Primordial Yang Profound Ginseng in advance when Ye Jian pledged this item during the auction. It was easy for them to guess that Ye Jian had brought this item with the intention of participating in the exchange meeting. Seeing as they had known about it in advance, then the auction house would definitely make preparations beforehand. It was only natural for them to bring out something that could impress Ye Jian.
On the other hand, the others had to quickly prepare their bids at a moment’s notice. It was difficult for them to compete with Red Clouds Auction House. It was only because Yang Kai had pandered to Ye Jian personally that he unexpectedly garnered a chance to stand against Red Clouds Auction House.
In other words, Red Clouds Auction House had provided the highest value offer out of all the other bids; however, Ye Jian suddenly turned the conversation around, “It is just that Madam Lan of First Inn has something that this Ye is deeply interested in. I apologise, but this Ye will be choosing Madam Lan’s offer.”
The old man from Red Clouds Auction House nodded, “You are free to trade with whom you please. Please don’t worry about it, Brother Ye.”
He regretted putting the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill up for auction and that feeling was only growing stronger. Although the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill had sold for a high price, Seventh-Order materials were not things that money alone could buy. The auction this time around was equivalent to giving First Inn a great opportunity in vain.
Then, Ye Jian turned to look at the Proprietress again and cupped his fist, “Madam Lan, this Ye is more inclined to choose your bid. But, this Ye has a request.”
The Proprietress nodded lightly, “Hall Master Ye, please speak.”
He continued, “Madam Lan, I know that you bought a large number of Sixth-Order materials during the auction earlier. This Ye wants those Sixth-Order materials. The remaining deficit can be made up with Open Heaven Pills. What do you say, Madam Lan?”
She pondered silently for a while until she received a reply from Yang Kai via transmission, “That’s not a problem!”
Although Yang Kai was a little reluctant to part with those Sixth-Order materials, he could not afford to care so much if he wanted to obtain the Primordial Yang Profound Ginseng. Sixth-Order materials could be bought at large-scale auctions or exchange meetings like this one, but that was not the case for Seventh-Order materials. Comparing the two, this amount of sacrifice was worth it. It didn’t matter even if he suffered some losses.
“Good!” Ye Jian smiled and nodded.
Just when Yang Kai was secretly feeling elated over the assumption that the situation had been settled, he heard Senior Brother Guo’s voice coming from the side, “Please wait, Brother Ye. This Guo wants to make another bid.”
On the platform, Ye Jian couldn’t help showing a troubled expression, “I will be honest with you, Brother Guo. I have my own reasons for choosing Madam Lan. Even if your bid is more valuable than hers, this Ye…”
Senior Brother Guo smiled slightly, “You are free to choose whomever you want, Brother Ye. But, you might as well take a look at what I’m offering first. Who knows? You might turn out to be more interested in this Guo’s bid.”
Yang Kai glared furiously at Senior Brother Guo from the side, wishing that he could summon the Azure Dragon Spear and stab the other party to death!
[I knew this bastard was up to no good! I had the feeling that he was going to get in my way, but I can’t believe it really turned out like this!] Suppressing the rage in his heart, he sent a Divine Sense transmission to the Proprietress, “Is that allowed in this exchange meeting?”
Likewise, the Proprietress scowled, “The exchange meeting is all about freedom. Nothing is forbidden.”
Yang Kai immediately grit his teeth and secretly vowed to himself. [In the worst case, I can just throw out all the Open Heaven Pills I have on hand. I have to get my hands on the Primordial Yang Profound Ginseng no matter what! I don’t believe that surnamed Guo can come up with something worth more than a billion Open Heaven Pills!]
On the round platform, Ye Jian nodded after hesitating for a bit. He was not in the position to embarrass Senior Brother Guo in public, “In that case, please go ahead, Brother Guo!”
Senior Brother Guo immediately threw a Space Ring to Ye Jian.
Under Yang Kai’s extremely nervous gaze, Ye Jian checked the Space Ring and immediately frowned. His expression wavered to reveal a look of indecision.
Yang Kai’s heart sank at the sight. He could tell that Senior Brother Guo’s bid had tempted Ye Jian. This bid had nothing to do with monetary value. Rather, it might be what Ye Jian required at the moment.
Yang Kai secretly cursed and swore in his heart. He was not sure what offer Senior Brother Guo had made; otherwise, he could have countered the offer.
Ye Jian smiled bitterly, “Brother Guo, this is extremely troubling.”
While speaking, he raised his head and glanced at his Son.
Senior Brother Guo responded with a small smile, “I believe you will make a wise choice, Brother Ye.”
Yang Kai seriously felt like punching that surnamed Guo at the sight of the latter’s smug expression. However, the more triumphant Senior Brother Guo looked, the more uneasy he felt. Based on his observation, the interval that Ye Jian’s eyes were lingering on Senior Brother Guo’s ring was becoming longer and longer. In other words, he seemed to be more interested in trading with Senior Brother Guo.
[The situation is bad!] Yang Kai’s heart sank. He was just about to ask the Proprietress to increase his bid when Yue He suddenly sent him a stealthy transmission. Her message startled him for a moment, then his eyes lit up. He had only been thinking about the difference in value between his bid and Senior Brother Guo’s bid; thus, he completely forgot the reason as to why he won the bid by surprise in the first place. The bid offered by Red Clouds Auction House had clearly been more valuable, but Ye Jian had still chosen to trade with him. That was because he had offered something that Ye Jian desperately desired.
If it were anybody else, they could only use this method once even with the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill in hand; however, he could use that very method one more time! It was fortunate that Yue He had reminded him about this, or else he would have forgotten that he still had a certain useful item in his possession.
He immediately prepared his bid and secretly handed a Space Ring to the Proprietress along with a transmission.
The Proprietress turned to glance at him, but did not ask further questions. She simply said, “Hall Master Ye, I wish to increase my bid as well!”
Ye Jian was currently caught in a dilemma and at a loss for what to do; therefore, he quickly replied when he heard those words, “Madam Lan, please go ahead!”
She tossed the Space Ring Yang Kai had passed to her over to Ye Jian. At the same time, she turned a meaningful look towards Senior Brother Guo, one filled with a look of authority and confidence.
Senior Brother Guo scratched his nose and turned to the side, seemingly feeling rather guilty.
“This… This is…” On the platform, Ye Jian let out an exclamation of shock after he checked the contents of the Space Ring. He widened his eyes that were blazing with excitement.
Everybody looked in his direction, feeling curious about what was contained inside the Space Ring. Unfortunately, they could not tell. Consequently, their curiosity gave them an itch in their hearts that they could not scratch.
Even the Proprietress did not know what Yang Kai had handed to her. Judging from Ye Jian’s expression at this moment, it was obvious that he had obtained something incredible; otherwise, how could a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master lose his composure like this?
“Hahahaha!” Ye Jian suddenly threw his head back and laughed wildly, “It’s true that the Heavens will always leave open a path! Good! Very good!”
While saying so, he immediately tossed the Space Ring belonging to Senior Brother Guo back to its owner and cupped his fist, “Brother Guo, forgive me. This Ye has decided to choose Madam Lan’s bid. For your information, this Ye’s choice is not a matter of value. It’s just that Madam Lan’s bid is something this Ye desperately needs!”
The audience went into an uproar. It was not until this moment that they learned something shocking. Even though Madam Lan had increased her bid, what Senior Brother Guo offered was still more valuable. It could be seen that Senior Brother Guo had offered a fortune in this trade. Even so, it was still not enough to win off Ye Jian.
Just what did Madam Lan offer for Ye Jian for him to be willing to give up on such huge benefits?
Beside the Proprietress, the extremely nervous Yang Kai clenched his fists and let out a great sigh of relief. There was an obvious look of glee and excitement when he met Yue He’s eyes.
Although the handover had yet to be completed, Ye Jian’s response indicated that the Primordial Yang Profound Ginseng was as good as his unless somebody else could come up with an offer that would impress Ye Jian even more. It was just that the possibility was extremely unlikely.
Senior Brother Guo held his Space Ring and pondered for a while. Nevertheless, he was pretty carefree and did not continue to cause further trouble. He simply smiled and said, “Congratulations, Brother Ye.”
“Many thanks! Many thanks indeed! Hahaha!” Ye Jian’s expression was radiant. He was unbelievably happy, which made many people watch him curiously. Now that he made his decision, he no longer hesitated and immediately traded with the Proprietress.
According to Ye Jian’s previous request, Yang Kai took out all the Sixth-Order materials that he had purchased during the auction, then calculated the remaining deficit in value so that he could use Open Heaven Pills to make up the difference.
In less than an incense, the handover between both parties was completed and everybody involved was happy. The Proprietress nonchalantly put the Primordial Yang Profound Ginseng away, as though nothing had happened.
In the meantime, the exchange meeting continued. It was just that the rest of the transactions were much more muted following the trade of a Seventh-Order material.
Yang Kai was so happy that he felt like he was floating among the clouds. He couldn’t wait to enter retreat in order to refine the Primordial Yang Profound Ginseng, so he no longer had any mood to participate in the exchange meeting.
Approximately two hours later, the exchange meeting finally ended and many of the Open Heaven Realm Masters got up and dispersed.
The group of four from First Inn said their goodbyes to the old man of Red Clouds Auction House under the leadership of the Proprietress. Yang Kai walked along the streets in a good mood, trying hard to suppress his excitement.
Old Bai turned to look at Yang Kai, “Laugh if you want to. Why do you have to hold it in so painfully?”
Yang Kai immediately burst into laughter, causing other people to look sideways at him repeatedly as though thinking that this person had problems with his head.
The Proprietress pursed her lips, “I’m very curious about what you added into your bid at the ending that made Ye Jian so happy that he immediately decided to trade with you.”
Yang Kai shook his head lightly, “Proprietress, you are so beautiful and intelligent. Why don’t you take a guess?”
She reached out and flicked a finger at his forehead angrily, “Are you trying to test me?”
To which he replied unhappily, “Proprietress, I’m an adult. You can talk, but you should not resort to violence so often, okay?”
The moment the words left his mouth, her leg flew out from under her skirt to kick him in the calf. He immediately staggered and lost his balance. For a moment, he grimaced in pain and clutched at his leg while hopping around in agony.
She smiled lightly, “You first used the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill to impress Ye Jian. That’s what made him choose you. Judging by his actions, he cherishes his Son, Ye Zi Ying, very much. Otherwise, he would not have declined the offer from Red Clouds Auction House. I’m guessing that the item you offered at the last moment was also something that will be useful for Ye Zi Ying.”
Yang Kai and Yue He looked at each other, then Yang Kai gave the Proprietress a thumbs up.
“Ye Zi Ying’s problem is very simple. It’s a case of forcibly condensing Sixth-Order Elements despite not having enough aptitude, which caused his Dao Seal to become unstable as a result. He will face a huge risk during his advancement. While the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill can alleviate this situation a little, it cannot guarantee that he will succeed in his advancement. In that case, what you brought out… can also increase the success rate of his advancement?”
While saying so, the Proprietress smiled slightly, “But, precious treasures that can increase the success rate of advancing into the Open Heaven Realm are extremely rare throughout the vast universe. Normal people will never get the opportunity to come across these items. Nevertheless, you have one such item in your possession. So, I’m guessing that it is probably World Source Liquid.”
There was a slight pause, after which she frowned deeply, “That’s not right. The Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill is a Spirit Pill refined from World Source Liquid so they will have the same effect. Moreover, the effects will be stronger with the refined Spirit Pill. If I were Ye Jian, I would not have been interested in World Source Liquid since I already have the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill in my possession; after all, these things do not work under the principle of ‘the more the better’ for a cultivator. Under the premise that the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill works, World Source Liquid will not further improve the success rate of Ye Zi Ying’s advancement.”
Yang Kai nodded, “It’s not the World Source Liquid. Has Proprietress ever heard of the Divine Dao Water?”
“Divine Dao Water!?” She was taken aback by those words and stared at him in astonishment, “You actually have Divine Dao Water in your possession?”
She was very well-informed, so it was only natural that she knew about Divine Dao Water.
The Divine Dao Water that he possessed was something Zhu Jiu Yin had given to him in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary in order for him to strengthen his Dao Seal. Back then, he had used around a dozen drops to fortify his Dao Seal to its limit, but he still had some remaining. It was the perfect item to trade with Ye Jian for the Primordial Yang Profound Ginseng.
“Ye Zi Ying’s Dao Seal is unstable. Compared to the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill, the effect of the Divine Dao Water will be more suitable for his situation.” The Proprietress was enlightened by the realization, “No wonder Ye Jian lost his composure and laughed so heartily. So that’s how it is.” Then, she glanced at him again, “You brat. You sure obtained quite a lot of good stuff in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary.”
Yang Kai just grinned meaningfully in response.
Old Bai sighed, “Now that Ye Zi Ying has the Divine Dao Water to strengthen his Dao Seal, all his worries have been eliminated. Furthermore, he also has the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill to aid in his advancement into the Open Heaven Realm. It looks like Thunderclap Hall will have an additional Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in the near future!”
The Proprietress nodded, “Thunderclap Hall has always been one of the top Second-Class great forces in the first place. Once Ye Zi Ying becomes a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, the strength of Thunderclap Hall will soar once more. Not to mention… Ye Zi Ying is different from Ye Jian. He advanced into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm directly, so he has the possibility of growing into an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in the future. He will be much stronger than his Father.”
Bai Qi was very envious, “Thunderclap Hall is flourishing now. Ye Jian sure received a great bargain.”
Similarly, Yang Kai was also very envious. Thanks to him, Ye Zi Ying would now have a bright and promising future. [When will I be able to advance into the Open Heaven Realm? I managed to obtain the Primordial Yang Profound Ginseng by chance today, so the problem regarding the Yang Element has been solved. But, what about the remaining Yin and Metal Elements? Maybe I should head to Golden Antelope Paradise to try my luck with a Metal Element treasure.]
When he first arrived in the 3,000 Worlds, Zhang Ruo Xi once told him that Golden Antelope Paradise was the only Paradise that was open to all cultivators. There was a Sealed World inside Golden Antelope Paradise and any cultivator was able to enter it as long as they were willing to pay a certain entrance fee.
There was a high possibility that he could find something like the Golden Blade Yuan Spirit inside the Sealed World. The Golden Blade Yuan Spirit was a Fifth-Order Metal Element treasure. Zhang Ruo Xi also mentioned that one could even find a Seventh-Order Metal Element treasure inside the Sealed World if they were lucky enough!
The reason she knew all this was that she had inherited the bloodline memories of her ancestor. As for how much one had to pay to enter the Sealed World, she did not say. It was probably not cheap.
On the other hand, it would be difficult to obtain a Yin Element treasure… Yin and Yang materials had always been scarcer and more valuable than those of the other Five Elements.
Take the Primordial Yang Profound Ginseng that Yang Kai acquired for example. His initial bid was 220 million Open Heaven Pills, plus a Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill.
Although he paid 50 million Open Heaven Pills for the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill and its pill recipe, the true value of the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill was not that high. Even so, judging from the competition between Ye Jian and Teng Wang, the value of the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill could not be less than 20 million.
In other words, Yang Kai’s initial bid was worth at least 240 million Open Heaven Pills! Be that as it may, the bids from Red Clouds Auction House and Senior Brother Guo were even more valuable than that.
Including the two drops of Divine Dao Water that Yang Kai added at the last moment, the total value of his bid was more than 260 million Open Heaven Pills, possibly even higher. If he had only used Open Heaven Pills to bid, he might not have been able to buy the Primordial Yang Profound Ginseng even if he tossed out 300 million Open Heaven Pills! In the end, these items were not things that could be bought just because one had a lot of money.
Yang Kai secretly decided that if he failed to gain anything from the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, he would immediately set off for Golden Antelope Paradise. He was going to enter the Sealed World to try his luck. The only problem he now faced was that his existence had been exposed to the various Cave-Heavens and Paradises. There was no saying whether Golden Antelope Paradise would be hostile towards him.
At the moment, he was still far from advancing into the Open Heaven Realm; therefore, the Cave-Heavens and Paradises were not in a hurry to suppress him. They might even entertain the idea of trying to win him over, like what Senior Brother Guo had tried to do at first. In any case, there was no point in worrying about the future. His top priority at the moment was to refine his Yang Element Power as soon as possible. Everybody was aware that First Inn had obtained the Primordial Yang Profound Ginseng, so there was no saying what kind of unexpected situation might occur if he did not refine it quickly.
After returning to First Inn, Yang Kai immediately asked the Proprietress for a secret room and went into retreat. All the barriers in the secret room were activated and there were two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters like the Proprietress and Yue He standing guard nearby. Therefore, the defence could be said to be impregnable. In addition, nobody would dare to act recklessly in the Star City under the jurisdiction of Great Battle Heaven.
Yang Kai sat down cross-legged and focused his mind.
Three days later, his mind was empty, free from distractions, and as tranquil as an ancient well. Only then did he finally take the Heavenly Yin Jade Box out of his Space Ring. A sense of coolness instantly permeated the entire secret room. The Heavenly Yin Jade Box itself was a Fifth-Order material. It was worth quite a lot, but it was nothing compared to the Primordial Yang Profound Ginseng contained inside.
When Ye Jian first brought out the Heavenly Yin Jade Box, the Proprietress had told Yang Kai that what he was looking for had appeared. She had probably guessed that an item held inside a box made from Fifth-Order material would not be something trivial. It was most likely a Seventh-Order material. In the end, it turned out that her guess was correct.
Yang Kai took the Primordial Yang Profound Ginseng out of the jade box and studied the item carefully. He did not know how long the Primordial Yang Profound Ginseng had lived as it had already begun to take on a humanoid shape, which made it look extremely lifelike and vivid. With the roots spread across its entire body, it was as thick as a baby’s arm and approximately a forearm in length. Furthermore, it was exuding an extraordinarily pure and potent Yang Element Power.
Without any hesitation whatsoever, he took a bite. The taste was ordinary, almost like he was chewing on a normal carrot. There was a sense of crunchiness, but it was nothing special and even tasted slightly astringent. It was hard to imagine that this was a precious treasure he spent 200 to 300 million Open Heaven Pills just to obtain.
Yang Kai took a few consecutive bites, but at his third, his expression suddenly changed and he quickly resealed the rest of the Primordial Yang Profound Ginseng in the Heavenly Yin Jade Box. Just as he finished doing that, he felt a burst of pure Yang Element Power erupting in his belly. The eruption of power caused his internal organs to shift. Looking inward, he saw that his body was filled with a golden energy. More importantly, that energy was still expanding madly without pause. He had clearly eaten too much!
He immediately knew that things were not looking too good for him. Although he had experience refining several High-Rank materials in the past, he had never eaten a High-Rank material to refine before. It was his first time and his lack of experience had led to an unfavourable outcome. He immediately fell into a dangerous situation.
Even so, he did not panic. If he were a normal cultivator, Yang Kai might have been injured by this mighty Yang Element Power. Fortunately, he had an intrepid physique thanks to his Dragon Clan bloodline, so how could he be scared of something like this?
He immediately adjusted his breathing and focused his mind. Mobilising his strength, he guided the Yang Element Power that was surging like a tumultuous sea in his body to flow into his Dao Seal. At the same time, he separated a thread of his consciousness to circulate the Defying Yin-Yang Five Elements Profound Universe Heart Scripture to maintain the stability of his Dao Seal.
Cultivators had to follow a certain step-by-step procedure when refining the Yin, Yang, and Five Element Powers. In order to maintain the stability of their Dao Seals. However, with the Defying Yin-Yang Five Elements Profound Universe Heart Scripture, Yang Kai could ignore the specific sequence of Elements. The price he needed to pay was that he needed to devote a thread of his consciousness to circulate this Secret Art at all times; otherwise, his Dao Seal would become unstable and result in endless negative consequences.
In the past, he had skipped the Metal Element Power and proceeded to refine his Water Element directly. He had already separated a thread of his consciousness for that purpose. In the long run, he was required to concentrate on two tasks at the same time no matter what he did. Now that he had refined the Primordial Yang Profound Ginseng, he would be required to concentrate on three tasks at the same time in the future.
Fortunately, his Soul was very powerful, so splitting his consciousness to do three things at once was nothing to him. Even so, it would place a heavy burden on his mind if things were to continue in this state for a long time. At some point, it would probably begin to affect his ability to engage in combat.
Under the guidance of his Dao Seal, the pure Yang Element Power slowly poured into his Dao Seal. The original four colours now had an additional faint golden radiance added. The golden colour gradually blended into his Dao Seal and complemented the other four existing colours. It was an extremely mysterious sight to behold.
After making it through the most difficult part, Yang Kai gradually felt that his stomach was no longer bulging so painfully. He had almost finished refining the Yang Element Power and the most notable change was that the golden colour in his Dao Seal had increased significantly.
Taking the Primordial Yang Profound Ginseng out of the Heavenly Yin Jade Box again, he determinedly took a few more bites. The golden Yang Element Power exploded in his body once more, squeezing his internal organs together painfully. The energy filled his entire body, along with his physique and meridians. It even made his entire body emit a faint golden light.
Mobilising the power of his Dao Seal again, he guided the Yang Element Power into it. Yang Kai simply repeated these steps over and over again. He did not know how long had passed but the Yang Element Power in his Dao Seal gradually became saturated while the Primordial Yang Profound Ginseng he spent nearly 300 million Open Heaven Pills to obtain was completely consumed in exchange.
When the last bit of the Primordial Yang Profound Ginseng’s medicinal efficacies dissolved into his belly and the Yang Element Power poured into his Dao Seal, Yang Kai suddenly felt an unusual change occurring in his body.
He immediately understood what had happened, his Yang Element had been completed. That meant that there were only two more steps left before he advanced into the Open Heaven Realm! Moreover, he had entered the Half-Step Open Heaven Realm.
Generally speaking, a cultivator could call themselves a Half-Step Open Heaven Realm Master once they condensed five Elements. This was not a Realm, but it was undeniable that they could exert more power than ordinary Emperor Realm Masters. Becoming a Half-Step Open Heaven Realm Master was of great significance to other cultivators. That was because they could look forward to advancing into the true Open Heaven Realm once they reached this point in their cultivation. In addition, their strength would also improve by leaps and bounds.
Unfortunately, it was useless to Yang Kai. That was because he was already on par with Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters in terms of strength when he had only condensed four Elements. Not to mention, he had to concentrate on three tasks at once now that he had refined the Seventh-Order Yang Element Power since he needed to operate the Defying Yin-Yang Five Elements Profound Universe Heart Scripture at all times to maintain the stability of his Dao Seal. Therefore, his strength had not increased by much.
It would not end at having to concentrate on three tasks at once. In the future, he might need to concentrate on four tasks at once upon condensing his Yin Element. The impact would be greater than what he was experiencing now. Hence, the best solution was for him to condense the Metal Element Power first. That way he could correct the sequence so that he no longer needed to work so hard to maintain the Defying Yin-Yang Five Elements Profound Universe Heart Scripture at all times.
It was just that… High-Rank resources were hard to come by. Who could say whether he would obtain a Metal Element treasure or Yin Element treasure first?
After calming down, Yang Kai checked his body and confirmed that there were no hidden dangers. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.
A quick calculation indicated that he had taken almost two months to refine the Primordial Yang Profound Ginseng. This period of time could not be considered long. If it were any other cultivator, they would likely have taken a year or two to complete the refinement process and that was only if they actually succeeded in the end. It might even have taken them three to five years to complete the refinement process.
Condensing the Yin, Yang, and Five Elements placed an extremely heavy burden on one’s Dao Seal after all. If one were overly hasty in the process, there was a high possibility that it would cause unnecessary trouble down the road. Which cultivator would not be cautious when refining their Yin, Yang, and Five Elements, lest their Dao Seal become unable to withstand the internal pressures?
Only Yang Kai, who had such a strong foundation and had taken more than ten drops of the Divine Dao Water to strengthen his Dao Seal to the limit, could ignore such consequences.
Yang Kai waved his hand to remove the barriers around the secret room. After a while, the door to the secret room opened. Both Yue He and the Proprietress entered together, they must have been waiting outside all this time. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for them to arrive so quickly.
The Proprietress came to a stop in front of him and glanced at him, “Is it done?”
He nodded lightly.
She seemed slightly surprised, “That was fast.”
Meanwhile, Yue He did not seem surprised. Yang Kai had taken about the same amount of time to condense his Earth Element Power back when they were in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary.
“What about the items that I asked for?” Yang Kai looked at Yue He.
“It’s all in here.” She immediately held out a Space Ring.
He nodded and accepted the Space Ring from her. Then, he swept his Divine Sense to check the contents.
At the same time, the Proprietress placed a hand on his forehead. The power in her body surged silently as she checked the situation with his Dao Seal. After a while, she retracted her hand when she confirmed that there was nothing wrong with him. Her gaze was solemn as she stared at him, “Brat, the path you are threading is extremely dangerous. There’s a very high possibility that it will lead to your death. Even if your life is not in danger, you will still face countless obstacles in your way. You must consider this matter thoroughly.”
He just grinned meaningfully though, “Proprietress, you’ve warned me about this many times. Since I have these unique advantages, I might as well give it a try; otherwise, I would definitely regret it for the rest of my life. As for the dangers and obstacles that I will face… I’ll deal with them as they come!”
In the beginning, he had refined the essence of the Immortal Tree without knowing it. That had given him an extremely high starting point. He later obtained the Golden Crow’s True Fire, followed by the Earth Attribute Great Dragon’s Dragon Bead… With such powerful heritage and advantages, how could he not strive to advance into the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm? It was only natural for people to aim high just as it was the everlasting logic that water would always flow downward.
She nodded lightly and said nothing more.
He asked, “When will the Blood Monster Cave Heaven open?”
She tidied her sleeves and said, “I’ve already sent people to monitor the changes in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven carefully. There has been no news yet. I’m afraid you’ll have to wait for a few more months.”
“In that case, I’ll have to trouble you to continue keeping an eye on this matter, Proprietress. I will continue to cultivate in retreat. Let me know as soon as possible if you receive news regarding the Blood Monster Cave Heaven.”
“Don’t worry. I will not let you miss this opportunity.” She gave him a displeased look. Knowing that he had other things to do, she said a few more things before leaving with Yue He in tow.
Inside the secret room, Yang Kai reactivated the barriers and took a short rest for two days to recover from his fatigue.
Two days later, he summoned an Alchemy Furnace. He took out the Space Ring that Yue He had given him earlier and the pill recipe of the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill that he obtained from Red Clouds Auction House. He was going to refine the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill!
This item was extremely invaluable. Ye Jian and Teng Wang had been willing to place a bid of more than 20 million Open Heaven Pills just to obtain this Spirit Pill. Once he managed to refine this item, Void Land would never need to worry about cultivation or development resources again.
Two months ago, Yang Kai instructed Yue He to purchase all the necessary Alchemy ingredients according to the pill recipe. The Star City in Thousand Birds Territory was a large-scale one where almost anything could be found for purchase with some effort. Not to mention, they were backed by an intelligence network of First Inn. Acquiring the ingredients listed in the pill recipe had not been hard. At present, the Space Ring contained enough ingredients for him to refine 200 Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pills.
The Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill was meant for cultivators in the Emperor Realm to consume when advancing into the Open Heaven Realm. Therefore, it was not a High-Grade Spirit Pill. It was just that the main ingredient had gone extinct, causing the Spirit Pill to be lost with the passing of time.
With his Alchemy skills, Yang Kai was confident he could refine the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill; however, it was uncertain as to what quality he could produce. He was neither expecting to succeed on his first try nor to refine a Spirit Pill with Pill Veins or Pill Clouds. It would already be a huge harvest as long as he managed to successfully refine 10% of the two hundred portions of ingredients.
A short while later, he took out some of the Pill Powder that he previously scraped off from the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill, extracted a small pinch, and placed it in his mouth to savour the taste. In doing so, he slowly deduced the process of refinement from the medicinal efficacies. All sorts of thoughts flowed through his mind like a shower of sparks.
Half a month later, he finally formed a plan in his heart and began warming the Alchemy Furnace.
The Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill could increase the success rate of a cultivator when advancing into the Open Heaven Realm while World Source Liquid had the same effects. Back then, Old Bai had suffered from interference during his advancement and nearly died as a result. At the time, Yang Kai had used the World Source Liquid to pull him back from the brink of death.
In comparison, the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill which was refined with World Source Liquid as its main ingredient had even stronger effects. Not only did it have the effect of allowing a cultivator to experience the atmosphere of when a World was first born, but it also had the effect of stabilizing their Dao Seal. In addition, each Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill only needed one drop of the World Source Liquid.
Yang Kai had used two bottles of World Source Liquid to save Old Bai’s life back then, enough to produce several dozen Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pills. Therefore, World Source Liquid could not compare to the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill in terms of the consumption rate either.
Half a day later, Yang Kai frowned when he was concentrating on his Alchemy. He could smell something burnt coming from the furnace and sighed before stopping what he was doing.
When the furnace fire went out, he opened the pill furnace. The burnt smell became even more intense, to the point that it was almost pungent. His first attempt at refining turned out to be a failure. He had failed to grasp the heat at a critical moment, so all the materials in the furnace were ruined.
This was perfectly normal, however. Although Yang Kai was quite accomplished in the Alchemic Dao, it was still his first time refining the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill so he was unfamiliar with the various steps in the process. Still, he did not expect to succeed on his first try and was not discouraged as a result. After a brief rest, he reviewed what he had done wrong and started on his second attempt.
Another half a day later, the materials in the second furnace were also scraped as a similar scorched smell wafted from the pill furnace. He did not make the same mistake as he did previously though. This time he had failed to grasp the right timing for a certain critical step.
Alchemy has always been a rigorous process. The slightest error could lead to complete failure. That was also the reason why Alchemists were so widely sought after everywhere they went. Likewise, the worth of various rare Spirit Pills remained highly valued at all times.
In the following month, Yang Kai kept attempting to refine the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill. He built up his experience from his repeated failures, improved his techniques, and mastered the amount of heat required at every step of the process. Every failure would leave him reflecting over his mistakes for a long time and every mistake he made allowed him to grow further.
According to the Proprietress’ previous estimation, each portion of ingredients would cost almost 100,000 Open Heaven Pills without taking the cost of the World Source Liquid into account. If the value of the World Source Liquid was added, then the worth of the Spirit Pill could no longer be estimated. It would cost at least 1 million Open Heaven Pills.
Over this period, Yang Kai had failed more than a hundred times. In other words, he had suffered a loss of more than 1 billion Open Heaven Pills. Nevertheless, this kind of investment was worth it. As long as he could successfully refine the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill, it would turn into a steady stream of money in the future!
He couldn’t help but think about his Xia Ning Chang. Although he was certainly talented to a certain extent in the Alchemic Dao, his Little Senior Sister possessed the Sacred Spirit Medicine Body that was born for the sake of performing Alchemy. If she were here, she would definitely fare better than him.
It wasn’t until a certain day one month later that Yang Kai took out a Spirit Pill from the pill furnace. This Spirit Pill was no different from the Spirit Pill that he had bought from the auction house previously. He gently scraped off a layer of Pill Powder and tasted it. There was not much difference, be it in terms of taste or medicinal efficacies.
Yang Kai finally let out a soft sigh, knowing that he had succeeded in refining the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill at last. It had taken him more than a hundred failures and a whole month to successfully refine the first Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill. It had not been an easy feat.
This was only under the premise that Yang Kai had the pill recipe. Without the pill recipe, he was certain that he could never have refined a similar Spirit Pill in his life. He had to admit that refining the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill was extremely complicated compared to other Spirit Pills of the same Grade.
Everything was bound to be difficult in the beginning, but now that he had a successful experience in refining the Spirit Pill, the process would only become smoother and smoother. Likewise, his success rate would surely increase steadily. Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pills came out of the furnace one after another in a steady stream. By the time he finished the ingredients he had on hand, Yang Kai had more than 20 Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pills in his possession.
Out of a total of two hundred portions of ingredients, he managed to produce 20 Spirit Pills. That meant that he had a 10% success rate. Compared with his initial expectations, the results were barely up to the standard.
Be that as it may, it was only just the beginning. Yang Kai had completely scrapped more than 100 batches of ingredients at the beginning without producing even a single Spirit Pill. It could be said that these 20 or so Spirit Pills were completely refined out of the few dozen portions of materials left towards the end. Yang Kai firmly believed that his success rate in refining the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill would only increase with the accumulation of experience.
During the previous auction, Ye Jian and Teng Wang had raised their bids to more than 20 million Open Heaven Pills in order to compete for this Spirit Pill. That was only possible since it was during an auction. Not to mention, it was under the premise that this Spirit Pill was the only one in the world.
If Yang Kai were to actually sell this Spirit Pill, the price of 20 million Open Heaven Pills was slightly on the higher side. Still, according to his estimation, there would be many people scrambling to buy these Spirit Pills if they were priced at 10 million Open Heaven Pills. Even if a single Spirit Pill was only sold at 10 million Open Heaven Pills, selling more than 20 of them would mean a profit of more than 200 million Open Heaven Pills.
However, Yang Kai had no plans to sell this Spirit Pill for the time being. The first reason was that everybody knew that World Source Liquid was the main ingredient to refine this Spirit Pill. More importantly, World Source Liquid was extinct in the current world. If he brought these Spirit Pills out to sell, anybody would be able to guess that he had World Source Liquid in his possession. Even with First Inn as a shield, it might attract unwanted attention and greed. Hence, the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill would not be released for sale until Void Land had enough strength to protect itself from external threats.
The second reason was that Lang Qing Shan and the others had been following him since they were in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. Most of them had condensed quite a few Elements, so they were not far from their respective advancements into the Open Heaven Realm. They could use these Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pills. It should also be mentioned that Void Land would have a high demand for these Spirit Pills in the future.
In the end, the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pills had to first meet their own needs. Only the surplus would be sold to the public. That was also the reason why Yang Kai could not convert these pills into actual financial resources within a short period of time despite having access to such a huge fortune-making operation.
In the meantime, Yue He delivered more ingredients.
Yang Kai worked without food or rest to refine Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pills. When he saw batch after batch of pills leaving his furnace, he did not feel the slightest sense of fatigue. On the contrary, he became more and more energetic.
It wasn’t until he had almost accumulated 100 Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pills that the tightly-shut door to the secret room was opened from the outside without warning. The furnace fire in the pill furnace was affected by this unexpected disturbance and flared up all of a sudden. It was fortunate that Yang Kai quickly suppressed the flames in time; otherwise, the herbs in the furnace would have been scrapped again.
He turned to look in the direction of the door, only to see Yue He walking in and nodding lightly at him. He immediately understood. The Blood Monster Cave Heaven was about to open! She would not have entered the room and disturbed him otherwise.
Focusing his mind, Yang Kai finished refining the Spirit Pill inside the furnace before slowly getting to his feet.
Yue He stepped forward, “Young Master, Big Sister says that the Blood Monster Cave Heaven is showing signs of opening. She asks that you prepare to set off immediately.”
He nodded and strode out of the room. While walking, he asked, “Where are Guo Zi Yan and Lang Qing Shan?”
“They have all returned.”
After exiting the secret room, Yang Kai came to the backyard where he immediately saw Guo Zi Yan and the others standing in two rows. Every one of them was motionless and relaxed, but their entire bodies exuded the chilling sense of killing intent. When they noticed Yang Kai, they cupped their fists in unison, “Sir!”
Their combined voices were thunderous and the aura they gave off was extremely impressive!
Yang Kai swept his gaze over them and noticed that their exposed skin was covered in countless injuries. Lang Qing Shan even had a hideous scar that ran across his face, looking like a centipede baring its fangs fiercely. The wound stretched from his forehead and slanted downward to disappear around his lower jaw. Although Yang Kai did not know what caused Lang Qing Shan’s injury, he could tell that it had almost cost him his life.
Ever since arriving at Thousand Birds Territory’s Star City, Guo Zi Yan, Lang Qing Shan, and the others had been participating in the Asura Arena’s battles. Hence, they had experienced countless life-and-death fights over the past few months. The battles in the Asura Arena did not prevent casualties from happening, so every battle was fought with their lives on the line.
Lang Qing Shan was originally born with handsome looks. With the addition of this scar, his appearance suddenly became less handsome and more intimidating instead. The same was true for the others. Compared to how they were just a few months ago, they had all grown quite a bit. They resembled wild beasts that sprang out of the barren mountains and forests, ready to attack at any time.
Yang Kai grinned, “It looks like everybody had an exciting time over the past few months.”
Life-or-death battles were always the best catalyst for growth. He himself had crawled out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, so he had a deep understanding of this. Lang Qing Shan and the others had pretty good aptitude, and under his vigorous training, they were bound to have a bright and promising future ahead. It was just that they lacked the experience of surviving against all odds in desperate situations, as well as the courage to fight without regard for anything else in order to survive.
The few months of fighting in the Asura Arena had been enough to fully bring out their hidden potential. Compared to before, the strength of these people had definitely improved greatly! They had been little-known figures before they arrived at Thousand Birds Territory’s Star City, but now, they were all listed in the Heaven, Earth, and Mortal Rankings of the Asura Arena.
Guo Zi Yan cupped his fists, “Sir, you urgently called for us to come back. Do you have orders for us?”
Yang Kai replied, “The Blood Monster Cave Heaven is about to open. I’m planning to go on a rampage there. You can join me if you wish. If not, you can remain behind and continue your training in the Asura Arena.”
“The Blood Monster Cave Heaven!” Guo Zi Yan raised his brow in surprise. Similarly, everybody else’s eyes lit up at those words.
The fact that the Blood Monster Cave Heaven was about to open was not a secret. Rumours regarding this matter had been flying around the Star City for the past few months. They might have been fighting day and night in the Asura Arena, but it was not surprising they had also heard about it. It was just that they had no idea when the Blood Monster Cave Heaven would open or what kind of qualifications were required for them to enter.
They never imagined that Yang Kai called them for the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. Thus, they immediately became excited at the prospect. Fighting in the Asura Arena was certainly a worthwhile experience, but that was also the case for the Blood Monster Cave Heaven.
Lang Qing Shan said, “I’ve heard that elite cultivators from Great Territories all over the 3,000 Worlds will swarm into the Blood Monster Cave Heaven every time it opens. This is a grand event that involves the entire Outer Universe.”
The shaved-headed man chuckled, “It might have been dangerous if Open Heaven Realm Masters were to participate. But, only Emperor Realm cultivators are able to enter, so what is there to fear? Sir, I’m going with you.”
The others quickly responded, “I’m going too.”
“Only Emperor Realm cultivators are able to enter?” Yang Kai was stunned. He turned to look at Yue He and asked, “Is there such a thing?”
The only thing Yang Kai knew about the Blood Monster Cave Heaven was its existence. If the shaved-headed man had not mentioned this prerequisite, he would not have known either.
Yue He gently nodded, “The Blood Monster Cave Heaven is the Small Universe of Blood Monster Divine Monarch. It is said that he preserved his Small Universe in order to choose his own Legacy Disciple. Before his death, he placed a restriction on his Small Universe so that no Open Heaven Realm Masters could set foot inside. There have been people who tried to force their way in, but nothing good came of their attempts.”
Yang Kai frowned, “Blood Monster Divine Monarch is an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. He may have been amazing in his time, but it’s not as if there are no other Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters among the Cave-Heavens and Paradises. Are you saying that the restriction placed by a dead man is too difficult for the living to handle?”
“A dead Master is naturally inferior to a living one.” The Proprietress’ voice came from the outside. He turned to look and saw her slowly making her way over from the hall. “However, Blood Monster Divine Monarch is an extremely decisive and ruthless man. Nothing will happen if his restriction remains intact. On the other hand, the Blood Monster Cave Heaven will immediately collapse the moment his restrictions are broken. In other words, even if somebody were to take great pains to break his restriction, they would never be able to enter the Blood Monster Cave Heaven.”
“So that’s how it is!” Yang Kai was stunned. It was true that nobody would waste their energy with a restriction like that in place; after all, cracking the restriction left behind by an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master after his death was no easy feat.
She continued her explanation, “The Blood Monster Cave Heaven only allows those under the Open Heaven Realm to enter for two main reasons. The first being that Blood Monster Divine Monarch is looking for his successor. The other being that he wants to prolong the existence of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven as much as possible.”
“Prolong its existence? What does that mean?” Yang Kai did not understand.
“If an Open Heaven Realm is allowed to enter the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, won’t they be able to refine and absorb the World Force contained within at will? How will the Blood Monster Cave Heaven exist without World Force to support it?”
He was surprised, “Does that mean that the World Force of Blood Monster Cave Heaven can also be refined and absorbed?”
She glanced sideways at him, “The Small Universe of a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master is no different from a real Universe World. Since the World Force of a real Universe World can be refined, then why not the Blood Monster Cave Heaven?”
After giving it some thought, Yang Kai felt that her words made sense. The Small Universe of a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master was no different from a real Universe World. Just like how Old Ancestor Mo Yu once targeted the Demon Realm, the Blood Monster Cave Heaven would have been long gone if Open Heaven Realm Masters were allowed to enter. It would not have existed until today.
“Are you all ready? If you’re ready, we can set off now. We will still need some time on the road and it will be too late if we set off any later,” The Proprietress called out.
Yang Kai turned to look at Lang Qing Shan and the others, who cupped their fists at him, “We will follow you to the end of the world, Sir!”
He said, “Let’s go then.”
Today, First Inn was closed for business. It even hung up a ‘Closed’ sign on its doors.
The chef and accountant were standing together in the hall. Luo Hai Yi was also standing next to them. The chef had packed many things. Heavens knew what was inside those bags, but he was holding his kitchen knife in his hand and grinned meaningfully when he saw Yang Kai approaching.
Meanwhile, the accountant turned his dead fish gaze towards Yang Kai, “You’re the slowest, kid.”
Yang Kai smiled, “Are you entering the Blood Monster Cave Heaven too?”
The accountant said, “What’s wrong? If you can go, then why can’t we? We’re also in the Emperor Realm. It’s a great opportunity for us to earn some riches.”
Yang Kai hurriedly cupped his fist, “Please take good care of me, Senior Brothers.”
The accountant snorted, “Brat, don’t worry. I will keep you safe inside the Blood Monster Cave Heaven!”
His reckless attitude seemed to say, ‘Below the Heavens and above the Earth, only I am supreme!’
The Proprietress kicked him in the shin, “Blabbermouth!”
He immediately clutched at his leg and hopped on the spot in pain.
Under the leadership of the Proprietress, everybody hurried to the Void Dock. Yang Kai summoned the Falling Lotus when they arrived, which transformed into a gigantic lotus. Several dozen people entered the ship before it rotated slightly and sped off into the distance.
They were not the only ones leaving from this Void Dock; there were many others besides them. There was an endless stream of flight-type artifacts in all shapes, sizes, and colours setting off at the same time. They departed one after another in a magnificent procession.
Yang Kai was dumbfounded by the sight, “Are all these people heading to the Blood Monster Cave Heaven?”
Bai Qi stood next to Yang Kai with a smile, “Of course. What else do you think they were doing? Every time the Blood Monster Cave Heaven opens, it becomes a grand event that involves the entire 3,000 Worlds. Who would not wish to claim a share of the pie? That is the Small Universe left behind by an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master after all. If they could inherit Blood Monster Divine Monarch’s inheritance… Tsk. Tsk. They would gain glory overnight.”
Yang Kai looked around in a daze. There were nearly a hundred flight-type artifacts just from what he could see, and there were many others that he did not see. There were nearly a thousand people just from the Star City in Thousand Birds Territory alone heading out, so what about Thousand Birds Territory as a whole? What about the rest of the 3,000 Worlds? If so many people flooded the place all at once, would he be able to find anything good? What if the place was filled to the brim when he entered the Blood Monster Cave Heaven?
Old Bai patted Yang Kai on the shoulder with a laugh, “Don’t worry. Don’t be fooled by the number of people here. Not many people will actually be able to enter. At most only ten thousand will succeed.”
“Why is that?” Yang Kai glanced at Old Bai puzzledly, “Could it be that there are other requirements to enter the Blood Monster Cave Heaven?”
“There aren’t any requirements in particular. How do I put it… Let Proprietress explain.”
At this moment, the Proprietress waved her hand and flung out a dozen or so streams of light that shot towards everybody. They immediately reached out and caught the light, which turned out to be a jade slip.
She then spoke, “The jade slip contains information on the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. Read it carefully. The map I acquired from Red Clouds Auction House has also been recorded into the jade slip. Although the map is incomplete, it should prove to be useful still. Who knows? It might save your life at a critical moment.”
After listening to her explanation, everyone quickly immersed their minds into the jade slip to investigate its contents.
Likewise, Yang Kai began reading.
This jade slip was probably something the Proprietress prepared specially for them. She knew that they were utterly clueless about the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. If they entered the Blood Monster Cave Heaven in their current state, it would be no different from going in blind. But, that would change completely now that they had this information.
The Blood Monster Cave Heaven would open every 200 years and several thousand people would enter every time it did. Although many people would die inside, there were also many who survived and came out wealthier than before. It was not surprising for them to bring back some information regarding the situation inside.
Something like that was not a secret. The Cave-Heavens and Paradises would generally retain the information. It was just that the information was not publicised anywhere. Fortunately, First Inn specialised in collecting information, so gathering this intel was child’s play for them.
According to the information inside the jade slip, Blood Monster Divine Monarch was proficient in the Dao of Blood and the Dao of Beast Taming when he was still alive; therefore, there were many Blood Beasts inside the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. These Blood Beasts were nurtured by Blood Monster Divine Monarch during his long life. For that reason, they were generally no different from ordinary Monster Beasts except for a few key points. In general, these Blood Beasts had strange abilities and ferocious strength, and over the years, most of the cultivators who entered the Blood Monster Cave Heaven would lose their lives to their claws.
The strongest Blood Beasts could compare to Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters in terms of strength. They were existences to be avoided at all costs; after all, the Blood Monster Cave Heaven was limited by a restriction that only allowed cultivators below the Open Heaven Realm to enter. A Blood Beast with the strength of a Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master was basically an invincible existence inside the Blood Monster Cave Heaven.
The Blood Beasts were vicious, but there were great benefits to killing them. That was because these Blood Beasts were nurtured by Blood Monster Divine Monarch personally and were a little different from ordinary Monster Beasts in the sense that their Monster Cores’ attributes were often extremely singular and pure. They were known as Blood Beast Cores and could be used as cultivation resources. According to the classification of Order, there were Blood Beasts ranging from the First-Order to Seventh-Order, and killing Blood Beasts of different Orders would result in obtaining Open Heaven materials of matching Orders.
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up at those words! [If I can find and slay a Seventh-Order Monster Beast in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, won’t I have the chance to obtain Metal and Yin Element treasures? No wonder Proprietress said that the Blood Monster Cave Heaven would be an opportunity for me!]
The only problem was that the strength of a Seventh-Order Monster Beast would be extraordinary, no matter how singular the Attributes of its Monster Core. It was still in the Seventh Order after all.
Just like the Yuan Magnetic Divine Bottle Gourd in his possession, the Sixth-Order Yuan Magnetic Divine Light might have a singular attribute, but it was perfectly capable of dealing with Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters. If that was the case for a Sixth-Order Power, then what more need be said about a Seventh-Order Power? A Seventh-Order Blood Beast was definitely an existence on par with or stronger than a Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master.
[I wonder if there are any Eighth-Order Blood Beasts inside? Blood Monster Divine Monarch was an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master after all, so it would not be strange if he managed to nurture some Eighth-Order Blood Beasts. Besides, Blood Monster Divine Monarch has been dead for so many years now. The surviving Blood Beasts might have grown stronger since his passing. Regardless of the circumstances, it will be best to proceed carefully inside the Blood Monster Cave Heaven.]
In addition to the threat of Blood Beasts, the Blood Monster Cave Heaven was also filled with ancient traps and restrictions. Some of them had lost their powers over the years due to lack of maintenance, but some of them were still lethal. If these restrictions were activated, one would be heavily injured even if they were lucky enough to survive. Aside from the Blood Beasts, the restrictions inside were the second largest cause of death among cultivators!
Be that as it may, it didn’t matter how powerful the Blood Beasts were or how amazing the restrictions inside were, Yang Kai knew that what he had to guard against the most were the other cultivators who entered the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. As long as there were people, there would be conflict. Compared to the restrictions and Blood Beasts with low to no sentience, scheming and treacherous people would always be more dangerous.
The Blood Monster Cave Heaven might be extremely dangerous, but there were also many benefits to be gained. Leaving aside the fact that one could obtain cultivation resources of various Orders by killing those Blood Beasts, the entire Blood Monster Cave Heaven itself was filled with numerous Cultivation Paradises.
The Blood Monster Cave Heaven was the Small Universe of Blood Monster Divine Monarch, so it stood to reason that Blood Monster Divine Monarch’s Small Universe was extremely stable when he was still alive. Unfortunately, it had been many years since his death. Despite the measures he took when he was still alive to preserve his Small Universe, the effects of time and nature had taken its toll over the years. The Small Universe was showing signs of instability. The Yin, Yang, and Five Elements had begun to split apart and accumulate in certain regions inside the Universe Cave Heaven. That was why it was very likely to come across an area where a certain Element was extremely dense inside the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. Cultivating in these areas was not inferior to refining resources of various Orders in terms of efficiency.
In Seven Wonders Land, now known as Void Land, the seven Orchards were located at the places where the seven Powers of Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements accumulated. It was perfectly suitable for cultivators to cultivate in those areas and condense the powers into their Dao Seals. It was just that the power in the Orchards was of very low Order. Cultivating there would only allow one to condense a First-Order Power. If they did that, in the future, that person could only advance into the First-Order Open Heaven Realm. That was why it was rare for anybody to cultivate in the Orchards, even among the Workers and disciples of Seven Wonders Land.
On the other hand, the Cultivation Paradises in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven were incomparable to the Orchards of Void Land. These Cultivation Paradises could be regarded as the improved and upgraded version of the Orchards. Needless to say, what Order Cultivation Paradise one could find was completely based on one’s own luck.
Yang Kai secretly prayed that even if he couldn’t kill a Seventh-Order Blood Beast, he could find a place where Seventh-Order Metal Element Power and Yin Element Power converged. That way, he could cultivate in those places for a while and condense the powers that he needed.
Suppressing the excitement in his heart, he continued reading. A short while later, Yang Kai suddenly looked at the Proprietress with a peculiar expression, “There are people living in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven?”
The information recorded in the jade slip indicated that there were people living inside the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. He couldn’t help being surprised by the discovery.
The Proprietress said, “The Small Universe of a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master is essentially no different from a real Universe World. If Monster Beasts can live inside, then why can’t people?”
“Then, these people are…”
“They are the people whom Blood Monster Divine Monarch kidnapped when he was still alive. The prosperity of a Universe World depends on the vitality of the creatures that are living in that particular Universe World. The more living creatures there are, the more prosperous a Universe World becomes. The same principle holds true for Small Universes. Compared to Monster Beasts, Humans have much stronger spirituality. If they settle down and continuously multiply across the generations, it will deepen the heritage of a Small Universe. In that way, the strength that a cultivator can exert will also be stronger. It isn’t just Blood Monster Divine Monarch. As far as I know, most High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters, if given a chance, will try to raise some Humans in their respective Small Universes.”
Yang Kai couldn’t help thinking of the Star Boundary. After the battle between the Great Emperors and Great Demon God, the Star Boundary had been on the verge of collapse. It had lost most of its Auspicious Spirit Essence. At the time, it was only through the continuous reproduction and development of the remaining survivors that the decline of the Star Boundary was delayed. It would now seem that the existence of living creatures was extremely important to any Universe World.
Yang Kai soon thought of another possibility and hesitantly asked, “Are there any Open Heaven Realm Masters among the people living in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven?”
“You don’t need to worry about that.” Proprietress laughed, “Blood Monster Divine Monarch placed a restriction on his Small Universe to prevent any Open Heaven Realm Master from entering. In that case, it stood to reason that he would not allow the people living inside to advance into the Open Heaven Realm either. They are only in the Half-Step Open Heaven Realm at best. It is impossible for them to advance into the Open Heaven Realm.”
He nodded lightly.
“But, try not to provoke these people if you can. They are very xenophobic. They call cultivators like you who enter the Blood Monster Cave Heaven aliens. It will be troublesome if you are discovered by them.”
“I got it.” Yang Kai responded before he continued to read the contents of the jade slip.
There was a lot of information recorded and he couldn’t help feeling thankful that the Proprietress had gathered all of it for him. Otherwise, he would have suffered badly if he had plunged into the Blood Monster Cave Heaven without knowing anything.
The jade slip also indicated that the deeper one ventured into the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, the more dangerous it became. It was rumoured that there was a Blood Monster Divine Palace in the deepest part of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. That was where Blood Monster Divine Monarch left his inheritance. If he could find that place, he would be able to obtain the entire legacy of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. The Blood Monster Divine Palace not only contained Blood Monster Divine Monarch’s inheritance but also the entire fortune that he amassed throughout his lifetime.
How amazing would the inheritance of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master be? That was the reason why countless cultivators flocked to this place. Not to mention the unimaginable wealth. If nothing else, just finding some Seventh-Order materials was enough to make a person rich overnight.
It was just that the Blood Monster Cave Heaven only opened once every 200 years. Nobody had ever managed to enter the deepest part of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven throughout all these years, so nobody had ever found the Blood Monster Divine Palace either. It could even be said that nobody was certain whether the Blood Monster Divine Palace actually existed!
Yang Kai couldn’t help recalling the jade that he acquired for 10 million Open Heaven Pills. That jade was one-half of a two-piece jade apparently. It could be a key or it could be used to control a particular Grand Array. It could even turn out to be useless.
[If the Blood Monster Divine Palace really does exist, then will the jade be of any use?] He couldn’t help but daydream about all sorts of fanciful ideas.
An hour later, he finally finished reading and understanding everything that was recorded inside the jade slip. Carefully putting the jade slip away, he asked a question that had been puzzling him, “Proprietress, there are so many people heading towards the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. So, why are only several thousand people allowed to enter in the end?”
He had not found the answer to his question inside the jade slip.
The Proprietress glanced out at the starry void with a melancholic expression on her face, as though she had recalled something from the past. She answered the question softly, “It’s hard to explain right now. You’ll understand once we arrive.” Then, she ran her hand through her hair and languidly called out, “I’m tired. Old Bai, lead the way. Wake me up when we arrive.”
After saying that, she slipped into one of the rooms and vanished out of sight.
Yang Kai looked at her back thoughtfully. Just now, she seemed to have recalled something from her memories; moreover, it was probably something sad. Otherwise, her mood would not have turned gloomy so quickly.
“The Proprietress…” He glanced at Old Bai with a questioning look.
Old Bai sighed, “She probably recalled something unpleasant. The Proprietress has also been to the Blood Monster Cave Heaven in the past.”
“Huh?” Yang Kai was taken aback.
Old Bai laughed, “The Blood Monster Cave Heaven opens once every 200 years. It’s not strange for the Proprietress to have entered that place before, right? I heard that she gained a lot from the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. That’s how she managed to advance directly into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm.”
Yang Kai immediately turned to look at Yue He. Yue He had known the Proprietress for a long time. To his knowledge, the relationship between those two went way back; therefore, she would know the Proprietress’ circumstances the best.
Yue He gently nodded and looked nostalgic, “It’s true that Big Sister and I entered the Blood Monster Cave Heaven before; otherwise, we would never have come this far with our humble backgrounds.”
The realization struck Yang Kai suddenly. The Proprietress came from Nine Nether Continent. He himself had been there before and although it was not a bad Universe World, it was also nothing special either. It was also not a Subordinate World under the control of a powerful great force.
Both the Proprietress and Yue He had come from a place like that. Without a chance encounter or a special opportunity, it was impossible for them to advance into the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm or the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Looking at the situation, it was highly likely that the Blood Monster Cave Heaven was where they turned their lives around!
Following the flow of his thoughts, Yang Kai couldn’t help thinking about Lan Ting Yu. Lan Ting Yu was the Proprietress’ Younger Brother. His knowledge of this person was very limited. All he knew was that his appearance was very similar to this person. Furthermore, Lan Ting Yu had also tried to advance directly into the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm. It was likely that something awful happened to him later. He ultimately failed in his attempt and lost his life for some reason.
Yang Kai once wondered where Lan Ting Yu managed to secure so many High-Rank materials. It would now seem that he had obtained many things from the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. Unfortunately, his actions went against the interests of many people. That was why he failed miserably in the end.
Lan Ting Yu was an example to learn from. It was also what Yang Kai needed to guard against the most. If there came a day when he had to experience what Lan Ting Yu once faced in the past, what should he do?
“The Blood Monster Cave Heaven might be extremely dangerous, but it should not pose a problem with your strength, Young Master. You just need to be careful. There’s another thing you need to be wary about. That is… the elite disciples of the Cave-Heavens and Paradises. Their individual strength might not compare to yours, but every one of them holds a hidden trump card,” Yue He warned.
Yang Kai nodded, “I’m well aware of that.”
It was not as if he had never interacted with the elite disciples of the Cave-Heavens and Paradises before. He had met some of them back in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, so he knew that each of them had their own Identity Tokens. These Identity Tokens contained a Divine Ability that their Masters or Elders had sealed inside for them so that they could use them as life-saving trump cards!
The lotus flew quickly, passing through many Territory Gates and travelling across many Great Territories. None of them talked again for the rest of their journey. They were all conserving their strength.
Yang Kai was meditating one day when the Proprietress sent a transmission to him. He immediately got to his feet and headed towards the room she was in. Pushing the door open, he was just about to greet her when he saw that her complexion was extremely pale; moreover, she was drenched in sweat as though she had suffered a serious injury.
Shocked, he hurriedly stepped forward and asked worriedly, “What happened?”
The Proprietress slowly shook her head, “It’s nothing.” Then, she handed a round bead to him, “Take this.”
“This is…” He lowered his head to look at the bead. Although he did not know what it was, he could keenly sense that this bead contained an extremely terrifying power in it.
“I sealed one of my Divine Abilities inside this bead. You can summon it when you are in danger. It might be able to save your life.”
Yang Kai stared at the round bead in his hand quietly for a moment before glancing back up at her. The realization struck him immediately, “Did you push yourself into such a state in order to create this bead?”
Sealing her own Divine Ability into this bead was no easy feat. Even the materials required to produce this bead were not something that could be found anywhere. Otherwise, the disciples of the Cave-Heavens and Paradises would not be limited to only one Identity Token as their trump card. Just by looking at the Proprietress’ current condition, Yang Kai could tell that sealing her Divine Ability into this bead had consumed a lot of her energy.
“You fool!” He glared at her, “I might only be in the Half-Step Open Heaven Realm right now, but it’s not as if you don’t know about my strength. More than one Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master has died at my hands. No matter how dangerous the Blood Monster Cave Heaven is, who can do anything to me?”
“Don’t be careless! The Blood Monster Cave Heaven is not as simple as you imagine. There is no saying whether you might run into some sort of trouble. It’ll be safer with one of my Divine Abilities protecting you. Although the power that can be summoned through this method is only half of my full strength, it should be more than enough to deal with the power of an Open Heaven Master below the Fifth Order.”
Yang Kai did not know what to say to her.
A moment later, she handed another item to him and said tiredly, “Take this with you too.”
“What is this?” He reached out a hand and took the item from her. He discovered that it was an extremely peculiar Wooden Token around the size of a palm. It looked rather old; furthermore, there were strange patterns carved into it like a totem.
“A favour!” She murmured softly.
“A favour? A favour from whom?” He was bewildered.
However, the Proprietress did not say anything else. She simply said, “In any case, just take it with you. Maybe it’ll come in handy, maybe not. It’s just in case.” After saying that, she did not give him a chance to speak again and waved him off instead, “Go out. I need to rest.”
A wave of gentle force wrapped around him and pushed him out of the door. Afterwards, the door of the room closed behind him with a bang. The Wooden Token and the round bead in his hands felt extremely heavy.
Half a month after leaving the Star City in Thousand Birds Territory, the Falling Lotus finally came to a gradual stop. Old Bai, who was in charge of navigating, let out a long breath, “We’ve finally arrived.”
“We’ve arrived?” Yang Kai raised his brow and hurriedly took out his Universe Chart to check their location.
A short while later, he was surprised. That was because this Great Territory was known as Blood Monster Territory. Unlike most other Great Territories, there were no other great forces in this Blood Monster Territory. There wasn’t even a single Universe World with any living creatures in it. It could be said that the entire Blood Monster Territory was completely devoid of life!
Yang Kai was extremely shocked.
It had to be said that it didn’t matter which Great Territory it was, as long as a Great Territory was labelled on the Universe Chart, then there was bound to be many great forces and Universe Worlds in it. All the known great forces and Universe Worlds were recorded in the Universe Chart. Even a Great Territory as isolated as the one where the Star Boundary was located was no exception. However, there was nothing recorded in the Blood Monster Territory. How could such a peculiar Great Territory exist in the world?
Seeming to notice Yang Kai’s confusion, Old Bai explained with a smile, “The Blood Monster Territory used to be no different from other Great Territories. It also used to have some great forces. Moreover, the number was not small.”
Yang Kai asked, “Then, why did it become like this?”
Old Bai replied, “Of course, it’s because of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. Take a look outside.”
Yang Kai turned to look outside and quickly discovered a strange scene. There were countless flight-type artifacts weaving through the void as far as the eye could see. There were also some that were motionless in the void like the Falling Lotus. These flight-type artifacts clearly belonged to the great forces that had rushed to the Blood Monster Territory not too long ago. Aside from these artifacts, there were also many cultivators flying about. They were constantly looking around as though searching for something.
“What are they looking for?” Yang Kai frowned.
Yue He walked over and explained gently, “They are looking for the entrance to the Blood Monster Cave Heaven.”
Guo Miao looked curious, “Isn’t the entrance to the Blood Monster Cave Heaven fixed in a certain spot? Why do they need to search everywhere for the entrance?”
This was the same question that was puzzling Yang Kai.
Yue He chuckled softly, “It’s true that the entrance of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven used to be located at a fixed spot in the beginning. But, that was a very long time ago. Everybody would only need to gather in front of the entrance and wait for it to open in order to enter the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. It’s just that some changes gradually took place over time.”
“What changes?”
Old Bai answered from the side, “The entrance became two, then three, then four… Every time it opened, the number of entrances would increase. At this point, entrances to the Blood Monster Cave Heaven can appear anywhere in the Blood Monster Territory.”
Guo Miao covered her red lips, “Why does that happen?”
Old Bai sighed, “It is said that there are signs of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven becoming more and more unstable; after all, so many years have passed since the death of Blood Monster Divine Monarch. It’s amazing how his Small Universe managed to endure for so long without a Master. Even so, it is impossible for it to last forever. The Small Universe is merging with the Void of the Blood Monster Territory. An entrance will appear at the place where the two overlap with each other.”
Yang Kai revealed a look of realization, “So, the Blood Monster Cave Heaven will completely merge with the Blood Monster Territory one day?”
“That’s what they say. Who knows how much longer that will take though?” Old Bai shrugged, “But, these changes have made it easier for more people to enter and explore the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. If not for that, did you think the Cave-Heavens and Paradises would allow anybody else to meddle with such a wonderful place? At the beginning, the right to explore the Blood Monster Cave Heaven was exclusive only to the Cave-Heavens and Paradises. The other great forces were not allowed to participate at all.”
What Old Bai mentioned immediately resolved all the questions that had been puzzling Yang Kai.
He had felt that something was a little strange when he first heard about the Sealed World known as the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. The Blood Monster Cave Heaven was a Small Universe left behind after the death of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master and contained the inheritance and wealth of that Master. How could anybody ignore such shocking benefits? Even the Cave-Heavens and Paradises would covet such riches.
If they coveted these riches, then why didn’t the Cave-Heavens and Paradises keep firm control over the Blood Monster Cave Heaven? Why did they allow other cultivators to enter? Why did they allow this to become a grand event that involved the entire 3,000 Worlds?
He had been unable to figure out the answer to these questions, so he eventually stopped wondering about it. It was not until this moment that he learned the truth. It was not that the Cave-Heavens and Paradises did not want to, but rather that they could not.
In the beginning, the entrances to the Blood Monster Cave Heaven were few and far between; thus, a few powerful forces could control the entrances and prevent the others from entering. Only disciples from their respective great forces would be selected to enter and explore the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. On the contrary, how could the Cave-Heavens and Paradises guard the entrances when one could appear anywhere in the Blood Monster Territory?
It was precisely because of this reason that the Second Class great forces, the Third Class great forces, the lesser-known organizations, and even the rogue cultivators acting alone had the opportunity to enter the Blood Monster Cave Heaven to take a share of the benefits.
Old Bai continued, “The entrances to the Blood Monster Cave Heaven are also becoming increasingly unstable. Sometimes, it is nothing more than a flash of light even when it appears in front of your eyes. It might vanish into thin air before you even get the chance to enter the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. Even if it did not vanish, each entrance can only allow one person to enter before it would collapse completely.”
“Each entrance can only allow one person to enter?” Yang Kai was stunned.
Old Bai gently nodded, “That’s right. You should now understand why I previously mentioned that although many cultivators flock to the Blood Monster Territory, not many can actually enter the Blood Monster Cave Heaven in the end.”
Yang Kai was enlightened.
According to Old Bai, one had to fight to enter the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. An entrance might appear in front of several cultivators, but that entrance could only support one person passing through before it vanished. The rest could only watch helplessly. In this way, only a few people could seize the opportunity to enter the Blood Monster Cave Heaven.
Old Bai snorted softly, “Every time the Blood Monster Cave Heaven opens, more than a million cultivators gather in the Blood Monster Territory. No, there might even be tens of millions of them. It’s just that most of them come here for nothing.”
Yang Kai agreed with those words. They, too, had arrived at the Blood Monster Territory; however, flight-type artifacts and cultivators were weaving about in the void everywhere as far as the eye could see. The numbers were indeed nothing to scoff at. Not to mention, these were only the ones that he could see. There were more out there that he could not see. After all, this situation was prevalent across the entire Blood Monster Territory at the moment.
After pondering in silence for a moment, he turned to look at Lang Qing Shan and the others, “When it’s almost time, you should enter the Small Sealed World.”
Many people had come with him on this trip. Leaving aside the fact that there were more than 30 people in the group who followed him from the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, he also had Guo Miao, as well as the chef and the accountant from First Inn, coming on this trip with him.
If so many people were to fight for an entrance each, not all of them would be successful. It was a different matter altogether if Yang Kai took them into the Small Sealed World and brought them into the Blood Monster Cave Heaven with him. At that time, he only needed to secure one entrance for everybody to be happy. Afterwards, he just needed to let everybody out of the Small Sealed World once he arrived.
With his attainments in the Dao of Space, it would not be difficult for Yang Kai to secure an entrance somewhere in this vast Blood Monster Territory. In particular, since there were several tens of thousands of entrances scattered around.
That was his original plan, but to his surprise, Lang Qing Shan and the others looked at each other for a while when they heard those words and did not answer immediately. As such, he asked curiously, “What’s wrong? Do you have something to say?”
The shaved-headed man laughed awkwardly and rubbed his hands together, “Sir, we would like to attempt this on our own. The last time we followed you into the Primordial Land, you protected us the entire time. In the end, we could only wait in the Small Sealed World without being able to help Sir in any way. Since we decided to follow you, we should also do our part. We cannot stay protected under your wings all the time.”
Lang Qing Shan cupped his fist, “Sir, this subordinate understood something during the days he spent in the Asura Arena. One can only grow rapidly by experiencing various hardships. A sheltered flower in the greenhouse will not live long when faced with a true storm. In the future, we would like to continue serving under you through all the ups and downs, Sir. We refuse to remain helpless and incompetent. Please allow us to act independently in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, Sir.”
Yang Kai looked at Lang Qing Shan calmly before turning to look at the others, “Are you all of the same opinion?”
They cupped their fists and responded in unison, “Please allow it, Sir.”
He stroked his chin thoughtfully and nodded, “I’m very pleased with your ambitious spirit to keep improving yourselves. It’s a simple matter if you want to train yourself. Once we enter the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, you can act independently. But, before that, I think it’s better if I bring you in with me.”
More than 30 people would also mean having to search for more than 30 entrances. It was impossible for all of them to succeed. If they were to fight for the entrances on their own, some of them would surely fail. Moreover, it was likely that quite many of them would fail. It was such a rare opportunity; it would be a waste if they missed it before it even began.
The others had no objections to this suggestion; thus, they quickly agreed.
When their discussion was settled, the Proprietress said, “Let’s go. We need to secure a spot.”
“Secure a spot?” Yang Kai was taken aback by those words
Old Bai explained, “There are a few more days until the Blood Monster Cave Heaven opens. Since we arrived early, it stands to reason that we should occupy a favourable spot for ourselves. Take a look outside. Those with some measure of strength have claimed a large patch of the void and are preventing others from approaching them. That area is the territory that they have secured for themselves. If an entrance appears within their territory, they would have the advantage of being slightly closer to the target.”
Yang Kai immediately understood.
The Falling Lotus moved forward once more to head towards the depths of the void to find a suitable area to occupy. The people from First Inn could not be considered late, but even more people had arrived before them. They searched for a long time but could not find a suitable position. Everywhere they went, numerous great forces had already occupied territories of various shapes and sizes. In addition, Open Heaven Realm Masters constantly patrolled the edges of the territory to chase away other cultivators who accidentally stumbled too close.
Yang Kai even saw a gigantic and domineering palace towering in the void from a distance. A radius of ten thousand kilometres around that palace was completely empty. The artifacts and cultivators that came and went in a steady stream had to fly around the gigantic palace that was in the middle of their path. Needless to say, that gigantic palace belonged to either a Cave-Heaven or a Paradise. Only a First-Class great force could afford to create an artifact like that. That was a symbol of their identity and status. By placing this impressive and majestic artifact in the void, everybody had no choice but to show respect to them.
There was more than one palace similar to this gigantic palace scattered around. There were Thirty-Six Cave-Heavens and Seventy-Two Paradises in the 3,000 Worlds, which came to a total of 108 First-Class great forces. Each of these great forces would send representatives forward whenever the Blood Monster Cave Heaven opened. Furthermore, each of these great forces would dispatch many of their disciples and bring out their large-scale flight-type artifacts.
The Falling Lotus was quite extraordinary in and of itself, but it was nothing compared to those artifacts belonging to the First-Class great forces.
There were many artifacts and cultivators coming and going. Like First Inn, all of them were searching for a strategic but unclaimed position. Under most circumstances, everybody was rather restrained. There was an unspoken rule of ‘first come, first served’. If a certain spot was taken by somebody, then the others would bypass that area. Unfortunately, there were always people who liked to break the rules. They generally also believed that they were extremely powerful; therefore, fights constantly broke out all over the Blood Monster Territory. It was truly chaotic.
As the Falling Lotus travelled along, Yang Kai saw many battles occurring. Some were small quarrels with several disciples in the Emperor Realm attacking each other. There were also some battles that were fought with their respective lives on the line. Even the Open Heaven Realm Masters leading the groups were caught up in such fights. Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques bloomed everywhere. At the same time, blood and severed limbs flew in all directions.
Yang Kai also saw the broken remains of many artifacts that appeared to have been of no worse quality than the Falling Lotus. That just went to show the intensity of these battles. The fights were already so intense before the Blood Monster Cave Heaven even opened, so what kind of situation would occur when entrances began to appear? Just thinking about it caused him to shiver.
First Inn could be considered famous and influential. On this trip alone, they had the Proprietress and Yue He, two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters; Old Bai, a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master; and Guo Zi Yan, a Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. There were a total of four Open Heaven Realm Masters with them. Even so, their line-up was still greatly inferior to the Cave-Heavens and Paradises. Hence, they gave the palace artifacts belonging to the First Class forces a wide berth.
Despite searching for half a day, they had yet to find a suitable spot. Just as Yang Kai was secretly beginning to worry that they might not find a suitable spot, the Proprietress suddenly stretched out a hand and pointed to the side, “Head there.”
Yang Kai glanced in that direction and saw a large-scale multi-storey ship floating in the void. Many people were standing on the deck of the ship. They were too far apart for him to see who those people were; however, judging from the size of the ship and the manpower that was dispatched, it probably belonged to a Second-Class great force.
The Proprietress was planning to snatch somebody else’s spot…
The Falling Lotus turned around and charged in that direction.
The cultivators on the ship seemed to have noticed this too. A commotion broke out among the people standing on the deck. Then, quite a few people leaped into the air. The illusory phantoms of their respective Small Universes flashed and disappeared behind their backs, indicating their powerful heritage. Their actions carried a hint of warning in them, as though trying to make the Falling Lotus back down in the face of difficulties.
The Proprietress naturally ignored those warnings.
“It’s that old bastard!” Old Bai suddenly cursed with a furious glare, seeming to recognise the identity of the people on the ship.
Simultaneously, an elderly man on the ship took the lead and displayed his full strength as he shouted loudly, “Who goes there? Ling Chun Qiu of Boundless Altar is here. Please leave and head elsewhere. This Old Master will be very grateful!”
“Grateful, your ass!” Old Bai roared furiously. Then, he turned to Lang Qing Shan and the others who were steering the Falling Lotus, “Ram them! Crush that old dog to death!”
Lang Qing Shan turned to look at Yang Kai with a questioning expression.
Yang Kai gently nodded in response. He had been wondering about the situation just now. The Proprietress was not somebody who used her strength to bully the weak. So, why did she suddenly decide to snatch somebody else’s territory? Now, it turned out that she had encountered an enemy.
The Proprietress and Boundless Altar had always held a grudge against each other. During Old Bai’s advancement into the Open Heaven Realm, Ling Chun Qiu of Boundless Altar had worked with Qin Ji and the others to interfere with the process. It had nearly cost Old Bai his life.
Now that the Blood Monster Cave Heaven was about to open, a Second Class great force like Boundless Altar would definitely participate for a share of the pie. They probably never imagined that their presence would be detected by the Proprietress.
If Ling Chun Qiu had remained hidden in the Headquarters of Boundless Altar, the Proprietress might have been helpless to lift a finger against him; however, they encountered each other in the Blood Monster Territory, so it stood to reason that she wanted to exact her revenge. At the same time, they would also be able to snatch Boundless Altar’s spot for themselves.
“Halt, or we will show you no mercy!” The Falling Lotus was giving off an aggressive air and it was obvious to Ling Chun Qiu that these visitors did not hold good intentions; thus, he immediately shouted a warning.
Who would heed his words though? The speed of the Falling Lotus did not decrease in the slightest. On the contrary, it accelerated even more after approaching a certain distance. The group of disciples standing on the deck of Boundless Altar’s ship suddenly turned pale with fright and quickly retreated. Some even went so far as to hide in the cabins.
Ling Chun Qiu was so livid that his expression turned blue then red with anger. He exchanged a glance with the other two Open Heaven Realm Masters beside him; then, they swiftly formed a set of hand seals. Several cannons suddenly protruded from the sides of the ship, brewing with a terrifying energy that caused the surrounding space to shudder. Dazzling rays of light shone out, aiming in the direction of the Falling Lotus.
“This is your final warning! If you stubbornly refuse to listen to reason, then don’t blame this Old Master for being ruthless!” Seeing that the Falling Lotus showed no signs of slowing down, he gritted his teeth and shouted, “You’ve gone too far!”
The entire ship shook with a loud boom and a blinding light burst forth brilliantly. At the same time, a mysterious beam that was as thick as a man’s torso shot out from the ship and quickly approached the Falling Lotus. The power of the beam was extremely terrifying. It seemed as though even the void could not withstand the force as pitch-black scorch marks were seared everywhere it passed.
Boundless Altar was a Second-Class great force. Needless to say, this ship artifact was also very expensive. It was originally produced as a weapon for besieging and taking down enemy fortifications, so the power of each cannon was comparable to a full-powered attack from a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
Everybody inside the Falling Lotus felt their vision going white, filled with the glare of the light beam. Just as it was about to strike the Falling Lotus though, a pale-yellow light barrier suddenly appeared. The beam slammed into the light barrier a moment later.
The light barrier dented inward so severely that the distortion was visible to the naked eye. The huge impact also forced the Falling Lotus’ speed to drop sharply. At the same time, the figures of Yang Kai and the others inside the Falling Lotus were thrown forward violently.
However, this only lasted for a moment. Everything returned to normal again in the next instant. The power cannon beam might be horrifying, but the Falling Lotus was also an extraordinary artifact. This artifact was something Flying Flower Boat had spent countless resources to create after all. Even Flying Flower Boat only had one such artifact.
The enormous lotus spun as it forcefully pushed forward against the weight of the cannon beam.
On the ship, Ling Chun Qiu and the others swiftly turned pale at the sight. They were clueless about the identities of the people aboard the lotus who were behaving in such a ferocious manner. It almost seemed as though the other party had a huge undying grudge against Boundless Altar.
Ling Chun Qiu gritted his teeth and formed a new set of hand seals, resulting in several more shots being fired from the ship’s cannons aimed straight at the Falling Lotus.
A blinding light completely drowned the lotus as its flower petals flew apart and seemingly disintegrated.
Many of Boundless Altar’s disciples stood on the deck of the ship, frozen in shock for a moment. After that, they began cheering excitedly while secretly thinking to themselves. [The fools in that lotus are absolutely reckless! Why didn’t they dodge in the face of such a powerful attack? Are they brain dead!?]
Similarly, Ling Chun Qiu secretly let out a breath of relief, but a moment later, one of the Open Heaven Realm Masters’ expressions changed as he roared, “Raise the shields! Hurry up and activate the Defensive Grand Array!”
Ling Chun Qiu looked up and saw that the lotus that should have been broken to pieces was still charging straight at them. The flying flower petals were spinning like indestructible blades and slicing through the void.
The cheers coming from the ship stopped abruptly and Ling Chun Qiu’s expression also changed drastically at that moment. Without hesitation, he desperately channelled his strength to activate the ship’s Defensive Grand Array. A light barrier had only just materialised when the flower petals arrived. Sparks flew in all directions and the light of the Defensive Grand Array quickly dimmed under the fierce barrage.
Due to a hasty response, the Defensive Grand Array shattered before it could reach the peak of its defensive abilities. The flower petals quickly closed in from all directions, turning the entire space within into a boundless killing Domain that covered the entire ship.
*Kacha…*
The deck of the ship was broken in half as huge gaps appeared all over the sides of the ship, sliced open by the flower petals. Shrill screams rang out incessantly as many Boundless Altar’s disciples were killed in an instant. They died with their bodies cut to pieces.
The three Open Heaven Realm Masters of Boundless Altar felt their hearts bleeding at the sight.
Which great force had not dispatched the elites among their disciples for the sake of entering the Blood Monster Cave Heaven? It could be said that all the cultivators who came to the Blood Monster Territory had been chosen through countless layers of rigorous selection. Having prevailed against all their peers, these disciples had obtained the qualifications to participate in this expedition. They represented the future hope of the entire Sect. Given enough time to grow and develop, they would have become part of the pillars supporting the great forces in the future.
However, Boundless Altar had suffered heavy casualties before the Blood Monster Cave Heaven even opened. Not only had their ship been broken to pieces, but many of their elite disciples that came along on this trip had also been killed or severely injured.
It was no wonder Ling Chun Qiu and the others were heartbroken! What depressed Ling Chun Qiu the most was that he still had no idea who was attacking them, but it didn’t take long before he discovered the identities of the perpetrators.
Three figures flashed out of the lotus. Two of them were women and the remaining one was a man. Moreover, each one of them was enveloped in an imposing aura. They consisted of two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and one Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master!
The rage of Boundless Altar’s three Open Heaven Realm Masters turned into ice-cold fear in an instant as a chill ran through their entire bodies. They also had three Open Heaven Realm Masters on their side, so both sides had the same numbers; however, their Orders could not compare with the enemy at all. Aside from Ling Chun Qiu, who was in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, the other two were only in the Fourth-Order.
What frightened Ling Chun Qiu even more was that he knew all the people who had just shown up.
“Lan You Ruo!” His voice was dry and his gaze was terrified.
The person next to him exclaimed, “What!? The one from First Inn!?”
He shouted, “Run!”
While speaking, he quickly steered the damaged ship around and fled. On the other hand, the Proprietress and the others chased after him without the slightest hesitation.
Old Bai roared furiously, “Old dog! I’ll hunt you down and rip your corpse into ten thousand pieces even if you flee to the ends of the universe!”
The feud formed from the time Ling Chun Qiu tried to end his Grand Dao could be said to be absolutely irreconcilable. How could he spare Ling Chun Qiu’s life so easily now that he encountered the latter here?
Three streams of light chased after the ship into the distance. During the pursuit, the Proprietress and the others attacked viciously. Their attacks were so fierce that the lights of Boundless Altar’s ship flickered incessantly. Everywhere they went, the passers-by around them hurriedly moved to the side to avoid them.
Inside the Falling Lotus, Yang Kai and the others looked at each other and sighed. They were of no help whatsoever in a battle of such magnitude. Even if they caught up to the Proprietress and the others, they would only get in the way. Thus, they simply stayed where they were. It so happened that the people from Boundless Altar had run away, so this huge empty spot had become a no man’s land. Judging from the current situation, this place would soon be occupied by other people if they chased after the Proprietress and the others. There would be no place for them to go again by the time they returned.
An hour later, three streams of light came from afar and landed on the lotus. It was the Proprietress and the others. Yang Kai went out to take a look at the situation. The three of them showed no signs of injury, which was not surprising considering how strong they were. No matter how hard Ling Chun Qiu and the others resisted, there was nothing they could do against the Proprietress and the others.
Contrary to expectations though, Old Bai was gnashing his teeth and looking depressed.
“What happened? Did you fail to catch up to them?” Yang Kai walked over and asked in a low voice. [That can’t be. Boundless Altar’s ship had nearly been torn to pieces. With the strength of the Proprietress and the others, how could they possibly fail to catch up to the enemy?]
“We had no problems catching up to them, but we couldn’t kill that old dog.” Old Bai clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles cracked loudly.
“Why?” Yang Kai furrowed his eyebrows.
Old Bai snarled through gritted teeth, “Somebody protected them.”
Yang Kai’s eyes flashed. Boundless Altar was a Second-Class great force. The only ones who could protect them were the Cave-Heavens and Paradises. If the Cave-Heavens and Paradises decided to intervene in this matter, then it was no wonder that the Proprietress and the others had no choice but to retreat.
“Brat, if you meet any of Boundless Altar’s disciples when you enter the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, help me kill them.” Old Bai turned to look at Yang Kai with a fierce look on his face.
Yang Kai patted Old Bai on the shoulder, “Rest assured. It’s one thing if I don’t meet any of them, but if I run into any of them, I will definitely help you vent some of your anger.”
Only then did Old Bai’s expression lighten slightly.
The enormous lotus stood quietly in the void. The Proprietress and the others stood on top of the flower petals, silently showing off their strength.
Two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and one Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master could be considered an extremely luxurious line-up. Nobody even dared to approach and stroke the tiger’s whiskers without the backing of a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master. For that reason, even cultivators of the other great forces would leave after glancing over from a distance when passing by.
For a time, all was at peace.
The entrance to the Blood Monster Cave Heaven had yet to appear so far. Fortunately, the Proprietress had a wide range of connections, so after asking around, they determined that the Blood Monster Cave Heaven would open within three days. At that time, the entire Blood Monster Territory could turn into a battlefield where a fierce struggle between two evenly-matched opponents would take place.
Yang Kai had nothing to do; hence, he closed his eyes and preserved his strength. He strove to enter the Blood Monster Cave Heaven in his best condition.
Another day passed by and there was still no sign of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven opening, so the entire Blood Monster Territory continued to remain calm.
All of a sudden, Yang Kai was meditating when he suddenly heard Old Bai muttering softly, “What are they planning? Why are they coming towards us?”
He opened his eyes upon hearing those words and turned to look in the direction of Old Bai’s gaze. What he saw made him frown involuntarily. That was because a huge palace was rushing through the void in this direction. Moreover, it was showing no sign of detouring or slowing down.
“Are they here to snatch our territory?” He quickly came to understand the situation. Their current location was obtained by snatching the territory from Boundless Altar. Who could have known that karma would hit them so quickly? Only one day had passed and somebody else was already eyeing this spot.
Not to mention, the attack was coming from a First-Class great force! Such a humongous palace was not something a Second-Class great force could refine. Only the Cave-Heavens and Paradises had enough capital to produce an artifact of such scale.
Old Bai nodded solemnly, “That’s probably it.”
Yang Kai frowned deeper, “Which great force is that? Why are they targeting us?”
It did not make any sense. The Blood Monster Territory was so big, so even if there were people everywhere, each party had drawn clear boundaries around their territories. In addition, it was very easy for a First-Class great force to occupy a territory with their strength. However, the route of the palace seemed to indicate that it was coming straight in this direction. In other words, it was coming because it could recognise First Inn.
Atop the lotus flower petals, the Proprietress got up and said slowly, “It’s the Five Elements Palace of Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven!”
It was obvious that she had recognised the origins of that palace.
Yang Kai turned to look in that direction, feeling extremely surprised, “It belongs to Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven?”
The owner behind First Inn was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master from Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven. In this way, it could also be said that the great force behind First Inn was Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven. Since First Inn belonged to Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven, then they could be considered members of the same family. Why were they coming here?
While Yang Kai was floundering in his confusion, the Proprietress took out a communication bead and poured her Divine Sense into it as though she was contacting somebody.
Yang Kai couldn’t help thinking about Senior Brother Guo. Senior Brother Guo was somebody Yang Kai once met in Thousand Birds Territory’s Star City. Based on the flow of logic, it made sense that he would also appear in the Blood Monster Territory seeing as he had appeared in the Star City back then. The Proprietress was probably trying to contact him.
A short while later, the Proprietress’ expression darkened. It was obvious that her attempt at communication had not gone smoothly.
At this moment, the enormous palace arrived in front of them and came to a steady halt.
Yang Kai looked up, feeling shocked. Just by looking from a distance, he could tell that the palace was huge. Even so, it wasn’t until it was right in front of him that he realised it truly was a giant existence.
The Falling Lotus was certainly not small and could accommodate several dozen to several hundred people without feeling the slightest bit crowded. Nevertheless, the Falling Lotus looked like a small blade of grass standing beside a huge tree when compared to the palace artifact of Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven.
The palace was at least ten times the size of the Falling Lotus. Its huge shadow loomed over the Falling Lotus, producing a kind of gloomy air. A plaque on the front of the main gate of the palace was emblazoned with the words ‘Five Elements Palace’. The characters shone brilliantly in radiant golden light. Three people stood side by side on the front steps of the Five Elements Palace. They consisted of two men and one woman. Moreover, one of them was Senior Brother Guo whom Yang Kai once met at the auction house.
At this moment, Senior Brother Guo squeezed out an embarrassed smile at the Proprietress. His smile was mixed with a slight sense of helplessness.
In addition to Senior Brother Guo, there was a dry elderly old man. He could only be described as thin and withered-looking, almost like a bamboo stick. His robes were flapping around him noisily. His expression was not angry, but he had an imposing temperament. On the other hand, the woman was extremely glamorous. She was petite and had exquisite features. She also had a pair of peach blossom eyes that overflowed with seductive charm.
Yang Kai could not determine the cultivation of these three people at all. He only knew that Senior Brother Guo was on par with the Proprietress in terms of strength. In other words, Senior Brother Guo was in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Even so, it did not seem as though he was in charge of Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven’s current contingent. That was because both he and the glamorous woman were standing half a step behind the elderly man. With such obvious positioning, it could be seen that this elderly man’s status in Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven was higher than that of Senior Brother Guo and the glamorous woman.
Yang Kai was startled. [Senior Brother Guo is already in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Could it be that the elderly man is in the Seventh Order!?]
However, that didn’t make sense. The Blood Monster Cave Heaven was indeed of great importance and a grand event that involved the entire 3,000 Worlds. Almost all the great forces would participate in this event. Even the Cave-Heavens and Paradises were no exception. Even so, the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters held such noble statuses, so how could they possibly bother themselves over something like this? It had to be said that the incident involving the Golden Crow Divine Palace had only brought out several High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters because an Eight-Order material was involved.
Just as Yang Kai was feeling suspicious, the Proprietress bowed, “First Inn’s Lan You Ruo greets Elder Chu.” Then, she nodded to the glamorous woman lightly, “Junior Sister Han.”
As for Senior Brother Guo, she outright ignored him.
Junior Sister Han returned the greeting with a soft voice, “Senior Sister Lan!”
She then eyed Old Bai and Yue He with interest. In particular, she took a closer look at Yue He.
The Proprietress nodded and glanced at Elder Chu, “The Blood Monster Cave Heaven is about to open. Why did you come here, Elder Chu?”
Elder Chu had a dried-out appearance, and his voice was just as dry as his appearance. It was almost as if he had never drunk a drop of water in his life, “Are you sure you don’t know why this Old Master is here? Why ask when you already have the answer?”
She faintly said, “Please enlighten me, Elder.”
Senior Brother Guo lightly coughed into his fist and said, “It’s like this, Junior Sister Lan. I’m sure you know how far the Main Sect is from here. Although Elder Chu and the others had calculated the time of departure and should have arrived at the Blood Monster Territory half a month ago, there was some trouble on the road. Because of that, they only arrived today, which is… a bit late.”
“So?” She cast a glance at him.
He scratched his head, “We arrived too late, so we couldn’t find a suitable location anymore. The Blood Monster Cave Heaven has attracted too many people. At present, the entire Blood Monster Territory is crowded with people.”
She flicked her sleeve and snorted, “And? What has that got to do with me?”
Senior Brother Guo chuckled in embarrassment. Just as Senior Brother Guo was about to say something, Elder Chu suddenly raised his hand from where he stood to stop him from speaking. He looked at the Proprietress as he spoke, “This Old Master will not waste time with you. Let us have a frank discussion. The Main Sect is unable to find a suitable location, so this Old Master wishes for you to hand this spot over to become the Main Sect’s base.”
Yang Kai immediately lost his temper when he heard those words, “Why!?”
Although this territory was something the Proprietress and the others had stolen as well, there had been a valid reason for their actions. Be it the Proprietress or Old Bai, both of them held deep grudges against Boundless Altar, the previous owners of this spot. If not for that, the Proprietress and the others would not have abused their strength to rob the other party of their territory. They passed through many places that they could have snatched along the way, but the Proprietress and the others had not arbitrarily attacked anyone up until that point.
Be that as it may, this elderly man with the surname Chu was asking First Inn to give up its place so lightly. Was that not a clear sign that his intention was to harass them? What’s more, the elderly man with the surname Chu had maintained an arrogant attitude and an unquestionable tone throughout the conversation. It was almost as if the others owed him a million Open Heaven Pills. It was extremely annoying.
Yang Kai couldn’t help recalling what Senior Brother Guo mentioned at the exchange meeting. There also existed people who were unfavourable towards the Proprietress in Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven. It would seem that Elder Chu was one of these people.
Old Bai’s expression also fell upon hearing those words.
Meanwhile, Elder Chu glanced at Yang Kai calmly but did not bother to respond to him. In his opinion, he probably felt that there was no need for him to explain anything to a mere Emperor Realm Junior with his status. He simply glanced at the Proprietress and exerted an invisible pressure on her.
The Proprietress was obviously a little annoyed, but she managed to suppress her anger, “Although there are many people in the Blood Monster Territory at the moment, it should not be a problem for you to obtain a territory with your strength and prestige. Isn’t that right, Elder Chu? Why do you specifically target me?”
Elder Chu replied indifferently, “That’s true. It is very easy for this Old Master to occupy a territory if he wanted to. I believe no one would dare not give the Main Sect face; however, won’t the Main Sect be slandered as an entity that abuses its strength to bully the weak if this Old Master were to do that? That would definitely result in damage to the Main Sect’s reputation. That is not desirable! Not desirable at all!”
Yang Kai was furious, “Snatching somebody else’s territory is an abuse of your strength and bullying the weak, so you targeted one of your own instead!? For the sake of something like reputation, you can damage the interests of one of your own!? What kind of logic is that!?”
Both Elder Chu and Senior Brother Guo frowned and gave Yang Kai a displeased look. On the other hand, a young man who had been standing behind Elder Chu immediately leapt forward and scolded Yang Kai without a trace of politeness, “The Elders are speaking! How dare a mere Emperor Realm Junior interrupt them with your nonsense!?”
This young man had been standing behind Elder Chu without saying a word this entire time, but he had an extraordinary bearing. It was easy to tell that he was probably one of the elite disciples of Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven. Yang Kai had interrupted twice. Due to Elder Chu’s status, it was inconvenient for him to say anything. In comparison, this young man was not bound by such scruples.
Yang Kai glanced sideways at the young man and curled his lips, “With such bold talk, I was wondering which High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master it was. It turns out to be nothing more than an Emperor Realm Junior.”
The young man coldly snorted with a look of disdain, “There are vast differences between Emperor Realm cultivators. Although both you and I are Emperor Realm Masters at the moment, I am destined to stand above the clouds in the future while you are destined to wallow in the mud. I will be looking down on you from above. Let’s see if you still dare to speak to me in that manner then!”
Yang Kai sneered, “Then, you better start praying so that you never meet me in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven; otherwise, I will beat you so badly that you’ll resemble a pig’s head!”
The young man burst into laughter, “This is the first time I’ve ever met such a crazed Junior before! Let’s see whether you can even enter the Blood Monster Cave Heaven in the first place. Who knows? You might not even get the chance!”
Yang Kai nodded repeatedly, “Don’t worry. Even if you can’t enter the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, I can.”
The two Emperor Realm cultivators were arguing in front of a group of Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters. Furthermore, neither of them was willing to back down. It was quite a strange sight.
Senior Brother Guo couldn’t bear to listen any longer so he looked at the Proprietress with a grimace, “Junior Sister, please reprimand your people.”
The Proprietress replied calmly, “Senior Brother, why don’t you reprimand your people first?”
Elder Chu spoke up, “Why are you all making so much noise? Cease this nonsense!” His expression that had always remained as tranquil as an ancient well was tainted with a hint of rage. He glared at the Proprietress, “First Inn doesn’t have that many people in the first place. Why do you need to occupy such a large territory? Many people from the Main Sect came on this trip. Unfortunately, we arrived slightly later than expected. The Blood Monster Cave Heaven may open at any time, so there is no time to find another place. If you are still grateful for the kindness that the Main Sect has shown you, then you should be willing to sacrifice for the Main Sect.”
The Proprietress’ voice was cold as she retorted, “It was the old man who was kind to me. What does that have to do with Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven?”
Elder Chu snapped irritably, “The old man you are referring to is one of Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven’s Elders! Whether you admit it or not, you have received the kindness of the Main Sect!”
“That’s just your wishful thinking.” She sneered, “Besides, who said that First Inn doesn’t have many people? We naturally have our own reasons for occupying such a large territory. What will happen to the people under me if I hand this territory over to you? I suggest you should hurry and find another place while you still have time. Who knows? You might be able to find an unclaimed area. But, it will really be too late if you wait around any longer.”
His expression was as ugly as could be, “Do you insist on doing this?”
Senior Brother Guo stepped forward, “Please stop arguing. Look; I have a suggestion. First Inn won’t need to give up this territory either. Why don’t we both share this spot? This territory is quite large so when the Blood Monster Cave Heaven opens, many entrances will probably appear here. At that time, we can let the little ones compete for the entrances with their own strength. That way, they won’t have any complaints even if they failed to seize the opportunity.”
“Impossible!” The Proprietress refused flatly. This was the territory that First Inn had acquired. Yang Kai had mentioned earlier that he could bring everybody into the Blood Monster Cave Heaven with him by using the Sealed World Bead, so they only needed to fight for a single entrance. Nevertheless, she could not swallow this indignity. Why should she share with Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven? She would have nothing to say if the old man himself came forward; however, Elder Chu had always looked down on her. She had no reason to make things easy for this old man.
“Fine!” Contrary to expectations, Yang Kai nodded in agreement at the same moment that she refused.
She turned to look in that direction only to see Yang Kai winking at her furtively.
Senior Brother Guo hesitated, “Junior Sister, do the words of this boy… count? Do you need to discuss this first?”
Her expression was cold as she pondered in silence for a moment. Then, she nodded, “Since he has agreed to it… I’ll let him make the decision. But, we will agree on this in advance. If anybody dares to intervene when they are competing for the entrances, then don’t blame this Great Aunt for hitting back!”
Senior Brother Guo laughed, “Affairs between the children should be left to them. As Seniors, it’s enough if we just watch over them. What do you think, Senior Brother Chu?”
Elder Chu coldly snorted, but his expression did not change in the slightest. Although he did not agree with this method, the Blood Monster Cave Heaven could open at any time now. If he rejected this suggestion at this time, he might really fail to find even the last spot available. Thus, he immediately replied unhappily, “If you go back on your word, this Old Master will definitely report this matter to Elder Si Tu. I’ll see how you still dare to hold your head high to face him then!”
The Proprietress didn’t even bother to look at him, treating him as though he were a fart in the wind.
Hence, a strange sight appeared in the void. The gigantic Five Elements Palace and the much smaller Falling Lotus coexisted peacefully in that piece of territory that could not be considered large.
It had to be said that countless great forces from all over the 3,000 Worlds were gathered in the Blood Monster Territory at the moment. Both large and small great forces would occupy a territory that belonged solely to them. In that way, they would have the advantage of being closer if the entrance to the Blood Monster Cave Heaven were to appear in front of them.
There were no other great forces in the Blood Monster Territory in the same situation as First Inn and Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven.
“Smelly brat, what crazy idea are you cooking up now?” The Proprietress couldn’t help asking when she saw Yang Kai sneakily studying his surroundings. The one who agreed to Senior Brother Guo’s suggestion earlier had also been him. Although she could guess that he was up to no good, she had no idea what he planned to do.
Yang Kai did not answer; instead, he asked a completely different question, “Proprietress, is First Inn directly under Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven?”
She replied, “Nonsense! The old man is the Owner of First Inn. Even though the old man is one of the Elders of Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven, First Inn is considered the old man’s private asset.”
“Private asset!?” Yang Kai was dumbfounded. He might not know how much income First Inn brought in, but he was certain that they were raking in profit every single day. Not to mention that there were so many branches across numerous Great Territories. [I can’t believe such a great force is nothing more than the private assets of that old man surnamed Si Tu. I have to say; the heritage of a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master is just so different from our own.]
“Then… Will it trouble First Inn if I were to make the people from Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven suffer a little?”
She sneered, “In that case, I’ll be looking forward to it. What do you plan to do?”
“You just need to watch the good show later.”
While speaking, Yang Kai’s gaze shifted towards the Five Elements Palace. He just so happened to meet the gaze of the young man who had been quarrelling with him before. Four eyes suddenly met but the young man’s expression was filled with contempt. He reached up and slowly slid his hand across his neck like a blade… The threat behind his actions were obvious.
Yang Kai sneered in his heart and directed a question at the Proprietress, “Who is that guy? He looks like a complete wastrel.”
She raised her head and glanced in that direction, “I forgot his name, but he is probably that old dog’s Legacy Disciple.”
“Is that so…” Yang Kai grinned, “I got it.”
Staring at the young man deeply, Yang Kai suddenly announced, “It’s still early. I’m going to take a walk.”
After saying that, he slipped out with his hands behind his back. He looked absolutely carefree, almost as if he was going sightseeing.
The Proprietress failed to stop him in time, so she could only remind him, “Don’t go off for too long and come back soon! The entrance to the Blood Monster Cave Heaven may appear at any time!”
“I know!” He didn’t even bother to turn back as he waved his hand at her dismissively.
…
Inside the Five Elements Palace, the young man watched Yang Kai and did not take his eyes off the latter at all. Yang Kai was acting like he was patrolling his own territory, looking around left and right in the vast void. There was no saying what he was doing. Hence, the young man couldn’t help snorting coldly, “Pitiful weakling!”
Senior Brother Guo was standing right next to the young man. Upon hearing those words, he laughed, “Nephew, don’t judge a person by their appearance.”
Jumping in surprise, the young man hurriedly turned around and bowed, “Martial Uncle Guo!” He frowned, “Martial Uncle, what do you mean? Is there anything worthy of respect in that brat?”
Senior Brother Guo said, “Do you know the name ‘Yu Luo Sha’?”
The young man did not understand why Senior Brother Guo suddenly brought up an irrelevant person; even so, he nodded seriously, “Of course. I went to Thousand Birds Territory’s Star City two years ago and participated in the Asura Arena on a whim. I fought Yu Luo Sha once!”
“Oh?” Senior Brother Guo raised an eyebrow at those words, “What was the result of your fight?”
“It was a draw. I fought her for six hours until I was completely exhausted in the end. But, don’t worry, Martial Uncle. This disciple has been working hard over the past two years. My strength has improved greatly compared to back then. If my estimation is correct, Yu Luo Sha will definitely enter the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. This disciple will not embarrass the Main Sect if I encounter her inside.”
Senior Brother Guo nodded, “I’m not worried about you meeting Yu Luo Sha. If you fought her on equal terms two years ago, then I’m sure you won’t be weaker than her two years later. Rather, I’m worried about you meeting that boy inside the Blood Monster Cave Heaven.”
The young man was astonished for a moment, then he immediately became annoyed, “Martial Uncle, why do you speak so highly of him and belittle me? Although my aptitude is poor, I have never failed the teachings of Honoured Master in all these years!”
Senior Brother Guo sighed, “I’m not trying to belittle you, but you wouldn’t be so carefree if you saw how the fight went between that boy and Yu Luo Sha went.”
The young man was dumbfounded, “He fought Yu Luo Sha before? What was the result of his fight?”
“One move!” Senior Brother Guo turned to look at the young man sternly, “Yu Luo Sha was completely defeated in a single move!”
“Impossible!” The young man reacted as if he was struck by lightning. His entire body stiffened in shock and his eyes were about to pop out of their sockets.
“There’s nothing impossible about it. I witnessed it personally.” Senior Brother Guo reached out a finger and pointed at the tall girl standing beside him all this while, “If you don’t believe me, you can ask Junior Sister Zhu yourself.”
The young man turned to look at the tall girl and she gently nodded in affirmation.
“One move…” The colour drained out of his face. He was as pale as a dead man, “How can Yu Luo Sha be defeated in a single move? Like me, she condensed Sixth-Order Elements. We are only one step away from advancing into the Open Heaven Realm. How can anybody below the Open Heaven Realm overwhelm her so completely?”
“It’s simple.” Senior Brother Guo glanced at Yang Kai’s back in the distance, “What you are condensing is the Sixth-Order Elements, but… that boy is condensing Seventh-Order Elements!”
“Seventh-Order Elements!?” The young man’s eyes narrowed as though he had received a great shock, “He…”
Senior Brother Guo said, “This Martial Uncle will give you a piece of advice. If you encounter him in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, run as far as you can. I’m certain that brat is not a soft-hearted and forgiving young man. You were having a dispute with him just now, so be careful, just in case he does something to you inside the Blood Monster Cave Heaven.”
“He dares!?” The young man was livid.
Senior Brother Guo patted the young man on the shoulder, “It’s better to endure for a moment and keep the peace. He has condensed Seventh-Order Elements, so while his future might seem bright and promising, it is actually filled with misfortune and danger. The higher one stands, the harder one falls after all.”
After listening to what Senior Brother Guo said, the young man seemed to recall something. His complexion slowly returned to normal and he nodded, “This Disciple will remember your advice, Martial Uncle.”
Gazing in the direction that Yang Kai had left, the young man gripped his fists lightly and sneered in his heart. [Condensing Seventh-Order Elements… He doesn’t know his place!]
…..
Exactly half a day later, Yang Kai finally returned to the Falling Lotus. He looked up and saw that the Five Elements Palace was crowded with people. Many cultivators were standing on the deck and listening to Elder Chu’s teachings. He was amazed by the sight, “Just how many people did they bring?”
The Proprietress replied, “The Blood Monster Cave Heaven only opens once every 200 years. They might not have another chance in the future. It’s only natural for them to want a share of the pie while they still have the chance. The numbers from Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven are considered on the low side even. They only have 200 or so. Some great forces might even dispatch 4 or 5 hundred people.”
Old Bai chimed in, “It’s just that the entrances are limited. There’s no point even if many of them come. They have to successfully secure an entrance if they want to enter.” He turned to look at Yang Kai, “You should act now. It’ll be too late if you wait any longer.”
Yang Kai nodded and slipped into the Falling Lotus. He placed Lang Qing Shan and the others in the Small Sealed World, then he put the Falling Lotus away. By the time he finished doing everything, the 200 disciples from Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven had moved out and spread out into the surroundings. They were evenly distributed across the rather spacious void that was their territory. In this way, the person closest to the entrance would have the greatest advantage if an entrance appeared near them.
Glancing around carefully, Yang Kai discovered that the two hundred disciples had practically occupied the entire area within the Void. The distance between each person was rather evenly spaced. It was clear that they had no intention of leaving any space for First Inn at all. If there were more than thirty people from First Inn who were trying to enter the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, this would have turned into an awkward situation. Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven had the advantage in numbers after all. If it came down to a fight, First Inn had no advantages to speak of. It was truly fortunate that he had the Sealed World Bead.
“Proprietress, I’m going.” Yang Kai had his sights set on a certain location, so after a cursory goodbye, he immediately headed towards that spot.
“Young Master, please be careful!” Yue He called out from behind.
Guo Zi Yan cupped his fists and quickly said, “This subordinate wishes you all the best! May you return with success!”
Yang Kai waved goodbye.
A short while later, he came to a spot near one of Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven’s disciples and came to a halt. Although it was said to be near, he was still a few hundred metres away from the other party. It was just that the others had a distance of several kilometres between them, so this distance was relatively close.
The Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven disciple shouted at Yang Kai furiously when he noticed him, “Brat! Are you looking for trouble!?”
Not only had Yang Kai come alone, but out of all the places he could stop, he also just had to stop so close to this man. Therefore, it upset him greatly.
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai turned to look at the disciple and grinned. He pointed in another direction and asked, “Junior Brother, can I ask you a question? What is that guy’s name?”
The Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven disciple glanced in the direction that Yang Kai was pointing and blurted out, “That’s Yin Xin Zhao. Senior Brother Yin is Elder Chu’s Legacy Disciple. He is expected to advance into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm in the future… Hey, what the Hell do you count for!? How dare you so shamelessly address me as ‘Junior Brother’!?”
“So his name is Yin Xin Zhao!” Yang Kai smiled lightly.
Even though there were several kilometres between them, that smile gave Yin Xin Zhao an inexplicable sense of horror. He had looked down on Yang Kai before learning what the latter was capable of. However, he knew that he was not Yang Kai’s opponent once he learned that even Yu Luo Sha had been defeated by Yang Kai in one move. It was only natural for him to feel uncomfortable when he was being watched by Yang Kai so wolfishly. [This guy can’t be trying to compete against me for an entrance, right? There is a distance of several kilometres between us after all. If the entrance appears near me, I’m bound to have the advantage. How can he win?]
“Junior Brother!” Yang Kai turned to smile at the disciple nearby, “Seeing as you answered my questions, I’ll give you a piece of advice!”
That person roared furiously, “Speak if you have something to say!”
“You should keep a distance from me; otherwise… You won’t be able to enter the Blood Monster Cave Heaven!”
That person was taken aback by those words for a moment. Then, he lost his temper completely, “Brat, don’t you dare snatch my entrance from me! I will cut off your head and use it as a urinal!”
“I’m just giving you a friendly warning!” After saying that, Yang Kai closed his eyes and spread his Divine Sense out to cover the surroundings.
That person glared at Yang Kai furiously, intending to spit out some insults; however, he saw that Yang Kai was no longer paying any attention to him. Although he was burning with rage, he simply opened his eyes wide and kept a close watch on his surroundings, lest an entrance to the Blood Monster Cave Heaven appeared all of a sudden.
Time passed slowly and a feeling of anxiety gradually filled the quiet void. Even cultivators from the same great force would feel tension when their gazes occasionally met. All of them had gone through rigorous selection of their respective Sects in order to obtain the qualifications to come here. Be that as it may, there was no guarantee that they could enter the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. This issue involved a matter of fighting over the entrances. Only those who could secure an entrance could enter the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. That was why everybody else was a rival in their eyes. How could they not be wary of the others?
Yang Kai kept his eyes tightly closed. He was completely motionless, almost as if he had fallen asleep.
In contrast, Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven disciple standing a few hundred metres away from Yang Kai was feeling incredibly anxious. Even though he kept his eyes wide open and vigorously searched his surroundings for so long, there were no signs of an entrance appearing nearby. His eyes were already starting to feel tired. Turning to glance at Yang Kai, he coldly snorted, “Hmph! Playing cheap tricks!”
He reached up to rub his tired eyes. Not a moment later, he suddenly noticed something out of the corner of his vision. He turned to look in that direction and saw a glimmer of red light appearing at a certain spot in the void. The light was not very conspicuous when it first appeared, but it quickly spread like a drop of ink in clear water.
It took only three breaths for that glimmer of light to transform into a swirling blood-red portal. The portal was not large, only able to accommodate a single person passing through it while the aura of a Universe World leaked out from beyond it.
The entrances to the Blood Monster Cave Heaven… had finally begun to appear! At that moment, all the Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master of Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven and First Inn turned to look at the blood portal at the same time.
How could that person continue to rub his eyes? He couldn’t help bursting into laughter as he cheered, “The Heavens are on my side!”
With a slight shift of his body, he immediately rushed in the direction of the blood portal. He never imagined that the first entrance would appear near him. It was a huge stroke of fortune. He had been extremely nervous while waiting earlier, afraid that no entrances would appear within his couple-kilometre range. If that was the case, then he would not be able to enter the Blood Monster Cave Heaven no matter how capable he was.
Who could have known that he would be so lucky? All his worries from before dissipated into nothing, causing him to throw his head back and laugh heartily.
[I’m going to be the first person to enter the Blood Monster Cave Heaven!] Although the Blood Monster Cave Heaven was filled with all sorts of dangers, he was already here, so who was not mentally prepared for all the possibilities? Just as there were dangers lurking everywhere inside the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, there was also an abundance of opportunities to be had. He might be able to achieve success overnight if he could obtain some benefit inside the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. It would be even more wonderful if he could advance into the Open Heaven Realm once it was all over.
He was feeling extremely excited and his expression reflected his emotional state. He hurriedly rushed towards the entrance as though he could see a bright future beckoning to him from within the Blood Monster Cave Heaven.
In the next moment, his smile froze on his face. Widening his eyes, he stared in the direction of the blood portal and exclaimed in disbelief, “How is that possible!?”
That was because a person had appeared right in front of the blood portal during that brief flight of fantasy he had! Moreover, it was a person who should have been several hundred metres behind him!
Thinking that he had seen wrong, he even turned back to look behind him. There was no sign of a person’s figure at the spot where Yang Kai had been standing earlier. Somehow, the hateful young man had vanished at some point in time and bypassed him directly to arrive in front of the blood portal.
…..
Inside the Five Elements Palace, the three Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters of Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven all had different expressions on their faces.
Senior Brother Guo was absolutely dumbfounded, “This…”
Elder Chu shouted through gritted teeth, “Space Secret Technique!”
The glamorous woman revealed a look of realisation and murmured to herself, “So that’s how it is!”
She had been puzzled when Yang Kai agreed so readily to Senior Brother Guo’s suggestion earlier; after all, the situation was very disadvantageous to First Inn. Judging by the current situation, this Junior by the name of Yang Kai was a Master of the Dao of Space and could perform Instantaneous Movement. He could shuttle back and forth across the Void in an instant without regard for the barriers of space. With such a Divine Ability, why would he worry about failing to secure an entrance?
She laughed and shook her head. [Taking petty revenge just because he suffered a bit of loss… That’s so childish. It’s just a single entrance. So what if that Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven disciple fails to secure it? We don’t expect all of them to enter the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. It’s a good result even if only 50 out of these 200 disciples managed to go in. Losing one entrance won’t cause a problem for the overall situation. It doesn’t matter how amazing this boy’s Space Secret Techniques are. In the end, he’s just one pers…]
As soon as that thought came to mind, everybody saw Yang Kai abruptly reaching his hand into the Void. Immediately after that, he fished a chubby fatty out of nowhere…
Senior Brother Guo was shocked, as were Elder Chu and the glamorous woman… Then, all three of them suddenly had a bad feeling.
…..
“The entrance to the Blood Monster Cave Heaven!” The chef immediately yelled in excitement when he appeared.
“Don’t talk nonsense. Hurry up and get inside!” Yang Kai kicked the chef in his butt and sent the chef falling into the blood portal. The swirling portal immediately collapsed upon itself and swiftly turned into a small red dot that vanished into thin air.
Just as the Proprietress and the others had mentioned before, the entrance to the Blood Monster Cave Heaven was extremely unstable. Each entrance could only accommodate a single person passing through before it collapsed, so after Yang Kai released the chef from the Sealed World Bead and tossed him straight into the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, the entrance immediately disappeared.
It wasn’t until this moment that the previous Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven disciple arrived, but he was too late. Staring blankly at the spot where the entrance used to be, he was completely dumbfounded at first. Then, his blank stare was followed by a furious roar, “You bastard!”
Yang Kai brushed past that disciple and patted him on the shoulder, “Good luck, Junior Brother. I hope another entrance will appear nearby!”
Manipulating Space Principles, his figure vanished out of sight again.
Only that disciple was left behind in the same spot, fuming with rage that had nowhere to go.
By the time Yang Kai appeared again, he was already several kilometres away. There was a small glimmer of red light in front of him, expanding quickly to become an entrance.
300 metres away, another Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven disciple had just spotted the entrance, but before that disciple could make a move, Yang Kai grabbed the accountant out of the Small Sealed World and tossed him into the entrance.
The accountant’s figure flashed and vanished. He probably did not even realise what was happening before everything was over.
Following that, Yang Kai’s figure flickered again. This time around, he appeared two kilometres away. It was almost like he had predicted the future as a small red dot was just appearing when his figure reappeared from the Void. Three breaths later, the entrance took form. Yang Kai grabbed another person from the Small Sealed World and tossed them into the portal.
In just a matter of several dozen breaths, Yang Kai had consecutively stolen three entrances. This large void was like his backyard where he could come and go as he pleased. Nobody could compete with him at all. It could even be said that Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven disciples who were checking their surroundings had failed to even discover the appearance of those entrances before Yang Kai acted.
…..
Inside the Five Elements Palace, Elder Chu’s expression was so ugly that one would cry at the sight of him. His gaze was fixed gloomily upon Yang Kai, who was several kilometres away. It was almost as though he wanted to rip Yang Kai into ten thousand pieces!
Three entrances represented three chances that should have belonged to Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven. Now that they were stolen away, the Main Sect had suffered a huge loss.
“This is difficult. The Brat is very proficient in the Dao of Space.” Senior Brother Guo fiercely scowled, “An entrance into the Blood Monster Cave Heaven appears when the Cave-Heaven and the Blood Monster Territory merge together for a moment, so there are bound to be subtle spatial fluctuations right before it becomes visible. The others might not notice anything, but these spatial fluctuations are as obvious as beacons in a sea of darkness to him. He can accurately locate each entrance before they even appear.”
The glamorous woman continued, “Furthermore, based on that boy’s actions, he probably has an artifact that can hold the living creatures; otherwise, how could he have conjured three people out of thin air?”
“An artifact that can hold living beings is extremely rare. Where did he obtain something like that?” He was puzzled.
She glanced at the Proprietress, “I’m afraid she must have given it to him.”
Elder Chu was furious, “That Junior thinks he can do whatever he wants just because he is proficient in the Dao of Space!? He is not respecting the Main Sect in the slightest! That bastard!”
“Elder, please calm down!” The glamorous woman quickly tried to comfort him, “The Dao of Space might be amazing, but there is still just one of him. He can’t create clones out of himself. It is only just the beginning. I’m sure many entrances will appear in this large void. It’s impossible for him to steal all of them. Besides… He is only in the Emperor Realm. Even if he is proficient in the Dao of Space, there must be limits to the distance he can teleport. As long as an entrance appears outside of his range, he will not be able to do anything either.”
As though to verify her words, five red points of light flickered throughout the void following the consecutive appearances of the three entrances earlier. The five red dots swiftly enlarged and turned into entrances.
Yang Kai’s figure flickered rapidly. Even so, he only managed to steal three entrances; the other two were taken by Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven disciples.
Elder Chu’s expression finally eased slightly at the sight. The Main Sect only managed to obtain two entrances, so only two disciples could enter the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. Nevertheless, it could be considered a good start.
More than a dozen kilometres away from the Five Elements Palace, the Proprietress shook her head slowly, “Smelly brat, you are the embodiment of the saying ‘revenge is a dish best served warm’.”
It was not until this moment that she understood the reason for the question he asked previously. It would seem that he had already planned to make things difficult for Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven beforehand. It was just that he was worried about causing trouble for First Inn. That was why he asked if First Inn would be placed in a difficult position if Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven was humiliated slightly.
At this rate, Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven would not just suffer a small loss, they would suffer a terrible one! Be that as it may, it was Elder Chu who came looking for trouble first. If he had chosen to station himself elsewhere, this would not have happened. Unfortunately, they assumed that First Inn was easily bullied and forced their way into this area.
With Yang Kai’s temperament, how could he let others be happy when he was unhappy? This was a typical act of hindering the success of others even though these actions served no benefit to him.
Entrances to the Blood Monster Cave Heaven appeared one after another throughout the endless void of the Blood Monster Territory, allowing the cultivators waiting nearby to succeed in entering. There were people everywhere in the Blood Monster Territory; as such, less than ten breaths would pass from the time an entrance appeared to the time somebody entered. Some entrances were taken not even a breath after they appeared.
Each entrance represented an opportunity. Whether a person could successfully seize that opportunity or not depended on one’s abilities and one’s luck. For the sake of securing an entrance for themselves, many fellow cultivators from the same great forces would even attack each other. This was also allowed. As long as one was careful when attacking and the attack was not lethal, the Elders leading the team would turn a blind eye to those actions.
The cultivators who managed to secure an entrance would vanish out of sight. On the other hand, those who failed would be extremely annoyed. They had no choice but to search for another entrance.
Inside the territory where First Inn and Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven were located, Yang Kai’s figure was flickering about without pause, pushing his Space Principles to their limits. As Senior Brother Guo had mentioned before, the entrances to the Blood Monster Cave Heaven were formed when the Blood Monster Cave Heaven merged with the Blood Monster Territory; hence, there was a subtle fluctuation right before an entrance formed. Other people might not be able to perceive anything, but the space fluctuations were extremely conspicuous to Yang Kai, who was proficient in the Dao of Space
For that reason, he was perfectly capable of taking the lead in seizing the opportunities. Even if he was all alone, he was practically unstoppable. Most of the time, the entrances had only just appeared and he was already standing in front of them. He would casually grab somebody from the Small Sealed World and throw them into the entrance, then turn around to leave. As a result, he left many Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven’s elite disciples stunned and annoyed in his wake.
However, the entrances to the Blood Monster Cave Heaven appeared at irregular intervals. Sometimes, it would take a long time before one appeared. Sometimes, several entrances would appear at the same time, so no matter how capable Yang Kai was, it was impossible for him to dominate all the entrances.
Be that as it may, he had stolen almost 70% of the entrances that had appeared so far. Although Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven had the advantage in numbers, they were only able to secure 30% of those entrances in this territory. Inside the Five Elements Palace, Elder Chu’s eyes were practically spitting fire at the sight. His murderous intent was also extremely dense and he was tempted to smack Yang Kai to death in a single move.
If not for Yang Kai’s constant interference, Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven could have secured nearly 20 of the entrances. On the contrary, only 6 disciples had entered the Blood Monster Cave Heaven so far. Every entrance represented an opportunity; therefore, this heavy loss left him feeling heartbroken.
Suppressing his rage, he shifted his gaze to look in another direction instead. His Legacy Disciple, Yin Xin Zhao, was standing in the void and looking around his surroundings with an anxious expression.
He was not very lucky. Almost an incense stick had passed by since the entrances to the Blood Monster Cave Heaven started appearing, but there were no signs of one appearing around him whatsoever. This had resulted in him being unable to obtain a chance to enter the Blood Monster Cave Heaven even though his strength was extraordinary.
Seeming to notice Elder Chu’s gaze, Yin Xin Zhao turned to look at his Honoured Master. Then, he took a deep breath and suppressed the anxiety in his heart to wait patiently.
And his patience paid off. Less than a cup of tea later, a small red dot suddenly appeared approximately 400 hundred metres away from him. He immediately noticed the changes and swiftly moved in that direction with an expression of excitement. As somebody standing at the peak of the Emperor Realm, a distance of 400 metres was nothing to him. He could cover it in the blink of an eye.
Inside the Five Elements Palace, Elder Chu let out a breath of relief at the sight. It didn’t matter if the other disciples failed to enter the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, but it would be an extremely devastating loss if his Legacy Disciple failed to enter the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. After all, he had very high expectations for this boy.
At that moment, Yang Kai suddenly came to mind. Elder Chu glanced vigilantly at a certain spot in the distance and discovered that Yang Kai was a few thousand kilometres away due to the constant struggle just now; thus, he immediately felt relieved.
With such a huge distance between them, it was impossible for Yang Kai to return in an instant. It was not possible even if he was a Master of the Dao of Space.
As soon as that thought crossed Elder Chu’s mind though, his face twitched. That was because Yang Kai, who was several thousand kilometres away, had abruptly vanished from his field of vision. Immediately following that, Yang Kai appeared not far from Yin Xin Zhao.
Elder Chu was absolutely startled and could barely believe his eyes. [How can this be!? He is only in the Emperor Realm! Even if he is proficient in the Dao of Space, how can he cover a distance of several thousand kilometres in an instant!?
What enraged Elder Chu even more was the fact that another entrance had appeared near the place where Yang Kai was originally located; however, the brat had ignored that entrance and chose to appear in the vicinity of Yin Xin Zhao instead. His actions clearly indicated that he was deliberately aiming at Yin Xin Zhao. Elder Chu couldn’t help feeling anxious; thus, he paid close attention to the situation at hand without looking away in the slightest.
On the other side, the Proprietress and the others had been keeping a close watch on Yang Kai; therefore, they immediately noticed his strange actions. Old Bai let out a frivolous whistle and snickered, his expression seemed to say that he was ready to watch a good show.
Meanwhile, the Proprietress looked pensive. Like Elder Chu, she was puzzled, “How did he achieve Instantaneous Movement over such a large distance? It should have exceeded his limits.”
She had once chased Yang Kai through the void, so she had an idea where his limits were.
Yue He replied gently, “It’s thanks to the Space Beacons, a special artifact that the Young Master refined himself. One is used for positioning while the other is carried around on hand. As long as the distance between these two Space Beacons is not too outrageous, they can be used as anchor points to connect two places across the Void.”
The Proprietress was enlightened, “So, you’re saying that brat left a Space Beacon in the vicinity beforehand?”
Then, she suddenly recalled how Yang Kai had wandered aimlessly throughout the territory with his hands behind his back before the entrances to the Blood Monster Cave Heaven began opening. Judging by the current situation, he was actually making preparations in advance even though he looked like he had only been taking a leisurely stroll. Furthermore, he must have scattered more than one Space Beacon.
“Crafty little bastard,” She spat softly. It would seem that he had already been conspiring to do this when he agreed to Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven’s unreasonable request back then.
Yin Xin Zhao was Elder Chu’s Legacy Disciple. Moreover, he quarrelled with Yang Kai earlier. It would have been strange if Yang Kai did not harass him.
Predictably, Yang Kai had immediately rushed back as soon as he detected an entrance appearing in this area. He even went so far as to ignore other entrances that appeared closer to him.
At this moment, Yin Xin Zhao looked like he had seen a ghost. He turned his head to the side to look at Yang Kai, who was racing forward side by side with him, with a horrified expression on his face.
On the other hand, Yang Kai winked at Yin Xin Zhao; then, his figure flashed and he vanished out of sight.
Yin Xin Zhao raised his head to look forward.
Sure enough, Yang Kai’s figure reappeared in front of the nearby entrance. However, he did not send anybody through the entrance immediately. He simply stood there with a teasing expression and gazed at Yin Xin Zhao. The blood portal swirled endlessly a dozen metres behind him, connecting to the Universe World like a huge mouth that was gaping open in silent mockery.
Yin Xin Zhao was furious. His Emperor Qi surged and he bellowed, “Scram!”
His speed abruptly increased, almost as if he intended to rush into the entrance while Yang Kai was unprepared.
Yang Kai did not bother to dodge aside. He simply stretched out his arm in front of him in slow motion. Space Principles surged and with a strike of his palm, he shouted, “Near… Distant Horizon!”
This palm strike held no destructive force. Yin Xin Zhao was initially on guard against the attack, but contrary to his expectations, no attack came. He was feeling bewildered when he suddenly discovered that he could not approach Yang Kai at all no matter how fast he flew forward. That hateful face continued to smile at him from a few hundred metres away. Meanwhile, the void beneath his feet seemed to extend infinitely despite his constant forward movement! It filled him with an inexplicable sense of terror!
Although he had heard from Senior Brother Guo about how Yu Luo Sha had been defeated by this man in a single move, he had subconsciously refused to believe it; after all, he was familiar with Yu Luo Sha’s abilities. More importantly, he had his pride as an elite disciple of Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven and the Legacy Disciple of Elder Chu. He did not consider himself inferior to anybody. He even had the impulsive thought of fighting Yang Kai in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven to determine who was better between them.
Unfortunately, it would now seem that this person’s methods were both profound and mysterious. It was certainly extremely unusual! Just the Divine Ability ‘Near Distant Horizon’ alone was something he had never heard of before.
Be that as it may, he was still a Core Disciple of Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven with amazing talent and disposition. As soon as he noticed that something was wrong, he immediately reacted with a loud roar. A violent force erupted from his body and his fists transformed into a rain of shadows that struck out in all directions.
Yang Kai simply watched him quietly, showing no intention of stopping him whatsoever.
Three breaths later, cracks began to appear around him, as if space itself was collapsing. Overjoyed, Yin Xin Zhao increased the intensity of his attacks!
*Kacha…*
The sounds of something shattering rang out and Yin Xin Zhao could clearly feel as though he had escaped from an invisible cage. His entire body felt lighter all of a sudden. The other party’s Divine Ability had been broken!
The moment the understanding struck him, Yin Xin Zhao moved to rush forward without hesitation; however, what entered his field of vision nearly made his eyes pop out of their sockets from rage. He watched as Yang Kai leisurely summoned a person out of thin air before pushing them into the entrance! The blood portal immediately shrank and turned into a red dot that dissipated into nothing.
His complexion was ashen due to his rage and the veins in his temples were throbbing madly. Glaring furiously at Yang Kai, he shouted through gritted teeth, “You bastard! How dare you humiliate me!?”
Yang Kai had come running here from several thousand kilometres away. It was bad enough that he was deliberately targeting him to steal this entrance, but he even went so far as to taunt and trap him until Yin Xin Zhao had broken free of the shackles to use the entrance. It was obviously a deliberate act to humiliate Yin Xin Zhao.
…..
Inside the Five Elements Palace, Elder Chu was so angry that he almost spat blood. His clothes flapped around him wildly as he roared solemnly, “This Junior does not know the immensity of Heaven and Earth! What impudence!”
Following that, he took a step forward and an endless wave of pressure came crashing down in that direction.
A figure flashed at that moment and the Proprietress stepped in between Yang Kai and him. With a flick of her hand, she lightly stopped the pressure that Elder Chu was exerting and raised her head to look at him, questioning in a cold voice, “What is the meaning of this, Elder Chu? You are a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master and the Elder of a famous Sect. Are you planning to attack a child? Who was it who said that adults should only watch over the affairs between children?”
When she spoke the last sentence, she glared at Senior Brother Guo with a vicious look.
Senior Brother Guo was a little embarrassed. Those were certainly his words; nevertheless, he never imagined that Yang Kai would behave so excessively immediately after. Yang Kai had continuously stolen entrances from Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven, practically pushing them to the verge of despair.
The rage brewing in Elder Chu’s chest was about to erupt like a volcano. His World Force fluctuated erratically, seemingly as though he might attack at any time.
Both Senior Brother Guo and Junior Sister Han were taken aback, with the latter hurriedly speaking, “Elder Chu, please calm down. Senior Sister Lan is a subordinate under Elder Si Tu. She is also considered part of Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven. We will only make a laughing stock of ourselves if a fight breaks out between us.”
There was something else that Junior Sister Han did not dare to say. The three Open Heaven Realm Master of First Inn were no inferior to Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven in terms of both cultivation and Order. If it really came down to a fight, nobody would hold an advantage over the other. It would only result in a situation where both parties suffered losses.
It was obvious that Elder Chu also knew this. Suppressing the rage in his heart, he shouted through gritted teeth, “Lan You Ruo, you better watch over your people carefully! If he dares to do something like that again, don’t blame this Old Master for being merciless!”
The Proprietress did not show any weaknesses though, “Go ahead and try. You’ll see whether or not this Queen breaks those old bones of yours. Old people should find a place to live out their old age. Why did you come running here?”
Elder Chu nearly exploded with rage. Stretching out a hand to point at her, he spoke in a voice trembling with anger, “This Old Master will definitely report this matter to the Sect. Just you wait! You’ll be punished for this!”
She snorted and threw Elder Chu to the back of her mind. When she saw that Yang Kai and Yin Xin Zhao were still glaring at each other in a stalemate, she couldn’t help sending a transmission, “It’s almost time. You should also head inside. All the entrances have almost finished opening. Unexpected changes might occur if you wait any longer.”
“Got it.” Yang Kai replied. Then, he smiled at Yin Xin Zhao and cupped his fist, “Good luck, Brother Yin!”
After saying that, he left with a flash.
[Fuck your good luck!] Yin Xin Zhao was about to explode with anger. He had waited for so long just for this wonderful opportunity. In the beginning, he believed that entering the Blood Monster Cave Heaven was a certainty. Who could have known that Yang Kai would interfere in his affairs so rudely!?
After such a long time, Yin Xin Zhao had discovered a pattern. The entrances to the Blood Monster Cave Heaven might appear without a fixed frequency, but they typically did not appear in the same location twice. In other words, there was not much hope for another entrance to appear in this location that he guarded so zealously. He had to search in another location. However, there were Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven disciples everywhere around him. Where could he go? For a time, his expression was extremely ugly.
On the other side, Yang Kai arrived at another newly-appeared entrance and slipped inside. After stepping into the entrance, he felt a blood light wrapping around him. Then, he was pulled, pushed, and squashed by an invisible force that pressed down on him. The scenery in front of him turned bizarre. A faint sense of dizziness came from the depths of his mind and golden stars filled his vision.
These were typical symptoms of teleportation, so he was all too familiar with this feeling. Moreover, he could tell from the severity of these symptoms that he was not being teleported too far. That was rather understandable. The Blood Monster Cave Heaven was hidden within Blood Monster Territory, not to mention that the entrances were formed when both sides merged together. Sooner or later, there would even come a day when the Blood Monster Cave Heaven and the Blood Monster Territory would completely merge together. That was why the distance between them was not that large.
It only took several breaths before the bizarre scenery suddenly disappeared. Yang Kai’s vision blurred for a moment and he discovered that he was in another world. He was in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven!
Before he could take a closer look at the surrounding scenery of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven though, he suddenly felt his body sinking downward. It felt like there was a huge mountain pressing down on his shoulders, causing his body to fall into a sharp descent. Only then did he realise that he was standing in mid-air. He hastily tried to correct his posture to stabilize his body, but to his horror and surprise, he found that there was an invisible restriction of some sort in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, preventing him from flying!
This was the Small Universe left behind by an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master after all. The restrictions placed within the world were not something an Emperor Realm cultivator like him could ignore. This place had gone through the baptism of endless years and many of the restrictions had fallen into disrepair. Even so, restraining the abilities of Emperor Realm cultivators was not an issue.
Yang Kai was flustered for a short moment. Lowering his head, he saw that he was no more than a few dozen kilometres above ground. It was just that he was falling out of the sky at a high speed. Be that as it may, he did not panic. He had a Half-Dragon Body, so although it might hurt to fall from such a height, it would not endanger his life.
The key point was that he had not appeared at a very favourable location. There was a group of hyena-like Monster Beasts in the plain directly below him. These Monster Beasts numbered over a hundred and they had a ferocious aura about them. Seeming to detect the scent of a Human, one of the hyenas looked up and let out several short but fierce yelps. Consequently, more than a hundred hyenas soon raised their heads and swarmed around the area where Yang Kai was going to land. They bared their fangs and howled endlessly, seeming extremely hostile.
It was Yang Kai’s first time in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, so he was clueless about the strength of these Monster Beasts. The idea of using them to practice his skills immediately popped into his head.
His figure fell rapidly, like a meteorite falling out of the sky. When he was about three kilometres away from the ground, he stretched out a finger and flicked repeatedly. Pitch-black Moon Blades slashed out, tearing space apart.
Slashing sounds echoed, accompanied by blood splattering everywhere. The bodies of the Monster Beasts that were gathered around in one spot were torn apart by the Moon Blades. They collapsed in a pool of blood. With one attack, more than half out of the hundred or so hyena-like Monster Beasts were either killed or severely injured.
Yang Kai crashed down a moment later, blasting a crater in the ground with a loud boom. The ground cracked and split apart around him. In addition, dust flew up in a cloud in all directions! The short but fierce barks of those hyenas sounded mournfully all around him. By the time he stood up and cast a Secret Technique to get rid of all the smoke and dust, there was only a pile of Monster Beast carcasses left lying on the ground. The rest of the Monster Beasts had turned tail and fled!
“Trash!” Yang Kai spat disdainfully. He had thought that these Monster Beasts were powerful when he saw how fierce and hostile they were. Who could have known that they would be so weak? Even an ordinary Emperor Realm cultivator could have dealt with them easily.
He casually gave a wave of his hand to retrieve one of the hyena’s carcasses and took out its Monster Core. A brief investigation revealed that this Monster Core was equivalent to a First-Order material. In other words, this was nothing more than a First-Order Monster Core!
Yang Kai checked a few more carcasses, but none of them was an exception. It would seem that these hyenas were the weakest First-Order Monster Beasts in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. There was no value in hunting them.
Nonetheless, the situation here was consistent with the information from the Proprietress. The Monster Beasts in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven were cultivated and modified by Blood Monster Divine Monarch when he was still alive. The Attributes of every single Monster Core were singular and very pure. This was a very rare phenomenon.
The Monster Core of a Monster Beast was similar to a cultivator’s Dao Seal. It was a collection of a Monster Beast’s Spiritual Essence, so the energy within was generally more convoluted. Although there were Monster Cores with only a single, pure Element in the outside world as well, they were extremely rare.
Not only was that the case for Monster Beasts, but the same also held true for Divine Spirits. It was just that more Divine Spirits had Sources with a singular Attribute compared to these Monster Beasts. For example, Jin Wu’s Source was of the Metal Element. Yang Kai used to covet it greatly. Other examples included Bi Fang who had a Source of the Fire Element and Kun Sha who had a Source of the Water Element! There were all sorts of varieties out there.
On the other hand, Yang Kai had just randomly killed a bunch of Monster Beasts in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. Even so, the Element of each Monster Core he obtained was singular and extremely pure. Although the Monster Cores in his hand were only in the First Order and were very low in value, they included the Metal, Water, Earth, and Fire Elements. There were more that he did not gather, but he should be able to obtain all seven types of the Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements from them.
Blood Monster Divine Monarch was definitely an expert in the Dao of cultivating and modifying Monster Beasts! Thus, Yang Kai could not help wondering what he had been aiming for. Cultivating such Monster Beasts would have required an enormous amount of effort and cost and incredible fortune. There must have been a reason for his actions.
A sudden idea occurred to Yang Kai and he couldn’t help thinking of a possibility.
Blood Monster Divine Monarch was in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm. The next step would be to advance into the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm! If he wanted to advance further, resources like the Open Heaven Pills might not be useful to him. In that case, he would need to refine all sorts of cultivation resources. It was just that his Order was so high that refining ordinary resources was just a waste of time. The only method that could work was if he refined Eighth-Order materials.
However, Seventh-Order materials were already extremely scarce. Eighth-Order materials, which were one Order higher, were probably even harder to find. Even if he himself was in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, Blood Monster Divine Monarch would not be able to find such treasures just anywhere.
Since he could not find them, then he had no choice but to think of a way to create them himself! If he could produce an Eighth-Order Monster Beast, he could then slay that Monster Beast for its Monster Core! In that way, it might be possible to further improve his cultivation.
The jade slip from the Proprietress had recorded the existence of Seventh-Order Monster Beasts in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. It was not a mere rumour but rather that cultivators had actually encountered Seventh-Order Monster Beasts in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven over the years.
Be that as it may, the jade slip did not contain any information on Eighth-Order Monster Beasts. Judging from the situation, it was either that Blood Monster Divine Monarch’s breeding efforts had failed and no Eighth-Order Monster Beast had ever been born, or all the Eighth-Order Monster Beasts had already been slaughtered by Blood Monster Divine Monarch!
Yang Kai shook his head. He did not know if his guesses were correct. It was just an idea that came to mind all of a sudden. Unfortunately, only Blood Monster Divine Monarch himself would know the actual reason why he began to cultivate and modify these Monster Beasts. This Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master had passed away so many millennia ago that the truth of ancient times had long been buried, becoming an unsolvable mystery.
In any case, countless cultivators had benefited from Blood Monster Divine Monarch’s legacy. As long as one was strong enough, one could easily obtain suitable cultivation resources in this place. Leaving aside the Monster Cores of different Orders and varying Elements hidden within the bodies of the Monster Beasts, just the Cultivation Paradises scattered all over the Blood Monster Cave Heaven was enough to make people go crazy.
Every 200 years, countless cultivators would flock here just to obtain the cultivation resources that they wanted in order to receive the qualifications to advance into the Open Heaven Realm. Naturally, great benefits would also come with great dangers. Only the elite disciples of each Sect would be able to enter the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. Nevertheless, how many of them actually left this place alive? Just as how great waves washed away the sand, only the best among the best would survive such trials.
Yang Kai casually put away the First-Order Monster Cores in his hand and ignored the rest. First-Order materials were only worth some 150 Open Heaven Pills. With his wealth, he had no interest in such baubles. He then waved his hand and eight figures came out of the Small Sealed World to appear in front of him.
With Lang Qing Shan in the lead, these people cupped their fists in greeting, “Sir!”
Yang Kai nodded gently, his gaze sweeping over each one of them. More than 30 people had been hidden in the Small Sealed World earlier; however, he had thrown most of those people into the Blood Monster Cave Heaven when he was stealing entrances from the Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven disciples. He did not know where they had been scattered at this point.
Since they had the resolution to train by themselves though, then their survival was up to their own respective fates. There was no point worrying about them. It was just as Lang Qing Shan and the others had mentioned previously, they could not keep relying on him and hiding under the shelter of his wings. When walking the path of a cultivator, one would only grow and become stronger by experiencing real hardships.
“This is the Blood Monster Cave Heaven.” Yang Kai got straight to the point, “Are you coming with me or going your own way?”
Lang Qing Shan and the others exchanged glances with each other before they responded in unison, “We would like to try exploring this Sealed World on our own. Please forgive our selfishness, Sir.”
This was the same resolve they had expressed previously. Otherwise, Yang Kai would not have thrown them, one after another, into the entrances of Blood Monster Cave Heaven earlier. Since they had made up their minds, then they would not change them easily.
He nodded, “In that case, please be careful.”
Everybody responded enthusiastically and rolled up their sleeves as though planning to demonstrate their skills in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven.
After that, he turned to look at Guo Miao, “What about you?”
Guo Miao glanced at Lang Qing Shan and quietly blushed before she said softly, “This Disciple would like to follow Big Brother Qing Shan.”
Yang Kai was taken aback by her words. He looked at Guo Miao, then looked at Lang Qing Shan. Quickly grasping the situation, he nodded, “Qing Shan.”
“Sir!” Lang Qing Shan stepped forward.
Yang Kai looked at Lang Qing Shan with a smile, “Guo Miao wishes to join you. What do you think?”
Lang Qing Shan was embarrassed. Sneaking a glance at Guo Miao, he cupped his fist and quickly said, “This subordinate will definitely keep Junior Sister Guo safe. Please rest assured, Sir.”
Yang Kai patted Lang Qing Shan on the shoulder, “I’m not worried, but you better not let anything happen to her; otherwise, you will have a hard time providing Commander Guo with an explanation when you exit the Blood Monster Cave Heaven.”
Lang Qing Shan nodded solemnly.
Yang Kai looked around again before saying loudly, “You are all ambitious men. This King is very pleased, so I will not stop you. This King wishes you all the best. I hope that any misfortune you encounter will turn into opportunity and good luck!”
Afterwards, he took out the jade slip that the Proprietress handed to him previously. Using his Divine Sense to make copies of this jade slip, he handed each person one. Only then did he wave his hands to tell them to leave.
A short while later, Yang Kai was the only person remaining in this place. He was holding the jade slip in his hand and trying to compare his location with the incomplete map recorded inside to determine his position. Unfortunately, he had only just entered the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. The information that he received was too little, so he could not determine where he was even after checking the map for some time.
With no other choice, he could only put the jade slip away and prepare to explore a little more. He could make a decision again once he had more information to compare.
Randomly choosing a direction, Yang Kai travelled onward. Along the way, he did some experiments and discovered that he could only float at a height of several dozen metres in this damned place. If he tried to go any higher, he would lose his ability to fly. There was probably a Flight Inhibiting Array covering the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. His discovery was in line with the feeling he got when he first arrived in this place.
The Blood Monster Cave Heaven was certainly worthy of being the Small Universe left behind after the death of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. It was truly not much different from a real Universe World. In this place, the World Principles were essentially perfect, the World Force was lively and vigorous, and World Energy was abundant everywhere. It was a huge Cultivation Paradise.
According to Old Bai, at least some tens of thousands of people could enter the Blood Monster Cave Heaven every time it opened. This was not a small number. During his travels, he would occasionally encounter some people, most of them alone, like him. Thus, they tended to be wary of their surroundings and chose to give a wide berth to strangers whenever they sensed an unfamiliar aura so that they could avoid conflict.
The entrances of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven were widely scattered all over the Blood Monster Territory. As a result, the people who entered this place were not gathered in any one place either. Rather, they were scattered across every corner of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven.
It had to be said that the Blood Monster Cave Heaven was a paradise for Monster Beasts. There were countless Monster Beasts of various shapes and sizes roaming this place.
Yang Kai travelled forward for half a day but did not encounter many cultivators; he did, however, run into many Monster Beasts. Along the way, he came across many traces of fighting, as well as the corpses of various Monster Beasts. All their Monster Cores had been retrieved; there were no exceptions. Although he did not see any corpses belonging to cultivators, that was not to say that no cultivators had died. On the contrary, even if any cultivators were killed in battle, their corpses would have been devoured by the Monster Beasts.
Yang Kai’s true strength had already surpassed the limits of an Emperor Realm cultivator; after all, he had even killed several Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters in the past. Most ordinary Monster Beasts were not his opponents at all and he could instantly kill any Monster Beasts in the Fourth Order and below. He had yet to meet any Fifth-Order Monster Beasts, so he did not know the strength of one yet.
Aside from that, this place was also abundant with various Spirit Flowers and exotic plants. There was no saying whether they formed in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven by natural means or whether they were cultivated by the late Blood Monster Divine Monarch. Be that as it may, Yang Kai only selectively harvested some and did not waste his time with those of little value and rarity.
After surveying his surroundings for half a day, Yang Kai had gotten some understanding of his current location. Comparing his location with the map recorded inside the jade slip, he adjusted his direction slightly and headed towards the depths of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. If he was heading in the right direction, then there should be a swamp up ahead.
An hour later, a huge swamp appeared in front of him. There was no end in sight to the swamp, which only made him more confident that he was heading in the right direction.
Floating ten metres above the ground, Yang Kai’s figure flew across the swamp. All of a sudden, he halted in mid-air and looked forward with a frown. There was an unusual fluctuation in the Void coming from a spot less than three metres from where he stood. He would not have noticed anything if he were not proficient in the Dao of Space.
[A Void Crack!] His brow rose, surprised to find a Void Crack in this swamp. Under careful probing, he discovered that the Void Crack was quite long, at least several dozen metres in length, stretching out invisibly and horizontally.
Void Cracks were extremely dangerous, to the point that even though he was proficient in the Dao of Space, Yang Kai was reluctant to touch something like that. Once touched, he would either be slashed in half by this invisible Void Crack, or dragged into the Void Crack with no means of determining his direction.
He was secretly shocked. This Void Crack was so well hidden that he had nearly run straight into it without realising it. It would seem that the Blood Monster Cave Heaven was indeed becoming rather unstable; otherwise, it was impossible for something like a Void Crack to appear in the middle of nowhere. The appearance of the Void Crack undoubtedly meant that the Blood Monster Cave Heaven would not last for much longer.
After perceiving his surroundings, Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling speechless. There was more than one Void Crack above the swamp. In fact, there were numerous Void Cracks messily scattered across the sky.
This place was highly dangerous. If somebody were to accidentally pass through this place, they would lose their lives nine times out of ten. Yang Kai’s gaze suddenly landed on a certain spot in the swamp. That spot had faint traces of bloodstains and he couldn’t help sighing. It looked like somebody had already met their demise here.
Not everybody was able to sense the dangers lurking in this place after all. The only reason Yang Kai managed to detect these dangers was by relying on his mastery of Space Principles.
Just as he was preparing to bypass this area, Yang Kai abruptly turned his head to the right and shouted, “Who is it sneaking around over there!? Show yourself!”
While speaking, he reached out a hand towards the depths of the swamp to grab at something.
At the same time that he made his move, a beam of light shot out from under the water. That beam of light was aimed directly at his face and was extremely hostile.
Yang Kai leaned to the side and dodged the attack, but immediately following that beam of light, a figure charged out of the swamp. Water splashed and rippled everywhere. A sword stabbed forward, shooting out thousands of sword waves that swarmed over him.
“Despicable!” Yang Kai roared furiously. His figure dropped sharply, instantly figuring out the intentions of the sneak attacker.
The other party was probably aware of the existence of the Void Cracks; therefore, they laid an ambush in this place to see if they could gain riches from the dead. After all, the wonderful chance to pick up the assets left behind by the dead without lifting a finger was not something one could easily encounter. It just so happened that the invisible and intangible Void Cracks that practically covered the entire sky above the swamp had created a chance like that for this person.
Who could have predicted that Yang Kai would be so alert though? He not only discovered the existence of the Void Cracks in advance but also noticed that person’s ambush. Thus, that person had no choice but to strike out openly.
While falling downward, Yang Kai flicked his fingers repeatedly. Numerous Moon Blades slashed towards the sneak attacker.
That person reacted quickly. Sensing that the Moon Blades were shockingly destructive, he hastily released numerous sword waves. The Moon Blades and the sword waves collided with each other and vanished without a trace in mid-air. The attacker frowned at the sight; then, he turned his body and fluttered to the ground several tens of metres away. Tilting his head to look at Yang Kai, he grinned, “Wait, Senior Brother! Don’t attack! This is a misunderstanding!”
It wasn’t until this moment that Yang Kai finally caught a clear glimpse of the sneak attacker’s appearance.
The young man appeared to be in his early twenties and looked quite capable. Although there was a smile on his face, his eyes were filled with deep wariness. He probably never expected Yang Kai to be such a difficult opponent. Besides, he was not weak in his own right. He also had the advantage of launching a sneak attack. His attempt would have succeeded if Yang Kai’s cultivation had been slightly weaker. If his attempt had succeeded, it would not have been a ‘misunderstanding’ anymore. It was precisely because he noticed Yang Kai’s strength that he said those words.
Yang Kai coldly snorted, “Seeing as it’s a misunderstanding, why don’t you invite your companion out to join us?”
While saying so, he suddenly punched at something behind him. That punch ignored the very barriers of space. When the force of the punch burst forth, a muffled grunt rang out.
Another figure appeared out of nowhere, no more than several tens of metres behind Yang Kai. At this moment, that person was pale-faced and retreating backwards. Blood was trickling out of his mouth and he was horrified to see that he had coughed up blood after just one of Yang Kai’s punches.
Startled, the young man smiled bitterly, “I admit defeat! You are amazing indeed, Senior Brother. My Brother and I have made a mistake. Please forgive us, Senior Brother.”
He immediately backed down upon realising Yang Kai’s strength. It could be said that he was rather flexible and adaptable.
Yang Kai looked at the young man calmly, “What is there to hide at this point? Ask your third companion to come out.”
The young man frowned, “There’s only my Brother and me here. We just wanted to take advantage of the situation to get some free benefits. What do you mean by a third person?”
All of a sudden, a stream of bubbles emerged behind the young man. Immediately after that, a whip-like object shot out from the swamp. Before the young man could react, it pierced right through his body.
He stiffened as if struck by lightning, his eyes widened in shock. Only now did he understand what Yang Kai meant by ‘a third person’. He and his Fellow Brother had been lying in ambush in this place, but something had been watching them all this while as well. The absurd part was that both of them had been completely unaware of this fact. If Yang Kai had not pointed out the truth, they would have remained in the dark even now. Unfortunately, it was too late by the time he realized…
The length of the whip was astonishing. Moreover, it did not lose its momentum even after piercing through the young man’s body and came straight at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai slammed his palm out and caught the end of the whip. However, what he caught in his hand was so slippery that he could not get a good grip on it. The whip rolled up and wrapped around his body several times. Then, a powerful pulling force was transmitted through the whip. Yang Kai abruptly lost his balance and as a result, the owner of the whip dragged him into the swamp, along with the young man who was pierced through the chest. Both of them instantly vanished from sight.
Only the cultivator who spat out blood after being punched by Yang Kai remained in the skies above the swamp, staring ahead blankly. The changes that took place in front of him were so sudden that he could not understand what was going on. He didn’t even manage to see what it was that had attacked from under the water. By the time he realised what was going on, his companion and the other man were gone. Only bubbles remained, emerging from underwater to burst at the surface of the swamp. It was absolutely terrifying!
Without even bothering to think twice, he immediately turned around and fled. How could he even think about rescuing the others? He had just seen a whip-like object piercing through his Junior Brother’s chest. Furthermore, his companion had been dragged into the swamp. It was almost certain that his Junior Brother was dead by now. They might be Fellow Brothers, but even a Husband and Wife would escape separately in the face of great danger. What was abandoning a Junior Brother under such dangerous circumstances? It was only natural that protecting his own life took precedence.
He had only just turned around when he heard a loud explosion coming from behind him. Turning around in shock, he saw a humanoid figure flashing out from under the swamp water at the speed of lightning. That person was dripping wet and his hair was a clumped mess. Even so, he immediately recognised that person as the man he and his Junior Brother had tried to ambush just now.
*Hong…*
A huge spout of water erupted from the place where that man came out of the water. Droplets filled the sky, falling down like torrential rain. Following closely behind that person, a huge figure leaped out of the depths of the swamp and landed heavily on the surface. It cast a dense shadow over the water, obscuring the two humanoid figures.
“A toad…” The cultivator raised his head to look, the word ‘toad’ flashing through his mind. It was not until this moment that he finally got a good look at the perpetrator’s true appearance. It turned out to be a large toad with bumpy warts all over its body and a pair of eyes that nearly bulged out of their sockets. Awe-inspiring Monster Qi exuded from its body and it was easy to see that this toad was not a creature to be trifled with.
When he realized he had been watched by this large toad during the time he and his Junior Brother had been secretly lying in ambush, he couldn’t help feeling a tingle of fear crawling across his scalp. At least he knew what that whip-like object was now. It was obviously the tongue that came flicking out of the toad’s mouth.
Ten metres above the ground, Yang Kai wiped the mud away from his face and secretly cursed his bad luck. He never imagined that such a Monster Beast would be hidden beneath the swamp. When he detected the hidden trace of vitality beneath the swamp earlier, he had simply assumed that it was a third person in this group of ambushers. It wasn’t until this incident occurred that he realised he was mistaken.
The first young man who launched a sneak attack on him earlier was gone. It was most likely that the young man had been eaten by this toad. At this moment, the Monster Beast was staring at him with bulging eyes; its gaze never left him as its lower jaw expanded and contracted, making a rumbling sound.
Yang Kai was just about to check which Order this Monster Beast was when the evil beast suddenly opened its mouth and spat out a large water ball. The water ball burst with a loud bang. Following that, a thick and dense fog covered the entire surroundings in a flash. Yang Kai’s entire vision was filled with white in an instant and he could not see anything. Even his Divine Sense was obstructed and could only stretch out approximately fifteen metres around him.
Pain spread out across the surface of his body as if burned by fire. It was also accompanied by a strange hissing sound. Yang Kai’s expression turned solemn. This fog was truly impressive. Not only did it have the effects of obstructing both his sight and Divine Sense, but it was also highly caustic! The poison was so strong that Yang Kai had never seen a match for it before.
If ordinary cultivators fell into such an environment, only death would await them. It was fortunate that he had a powerful Dragon Clan bloodline and Half-Dragon Body, so Yang Kai had a natural resistance to poison. The poison in this fog might be powerful, but it was not enough to kill him, it would only cause him some external injuries at most. With his restorative abilities, he would recover quickly once he was outside the range of this fog.
Not far away came the screams of the other cultivator from earlier. The screams were filled with great agony, as though suffering from horrible injuries. Judging by how the screams kept shifting around, he was probably searching for a way out.
“Don’t move!” Yang Kai shouted quickly.
Unfortunately, it was too late. The sound of a mighty wind slicing through the air rang out and that cultivator’s screams turned into a muffled groan.
“Help…” A cry for help resounded through the air, fluctuating erratically due to the rapid movement of his body. He only managed to shout for help once before he went completely silent.
Yang Kai could not see anything, but he could imagine what had happened to that person. That person must have been caught and delivered into that toad’s mouth, suffering the same fate that befell his companion.
[This is a Fifth-Order Monster Beast at the very least!] Yang Kai quickly made a judgement in his heart.
The cultivators that could enter the Blood Monster Cave Heaven were not generally weak, and if they were weak, then it would only mean that they had very good luck. Otherwise, they could not have managed to secure an entrance for themselves. Even so, the two cultivators from earlier were killed by the toad in an instant. Launching a sneak attack might have helped somewhat, but a Fourth-Order Monster Beast could not have killed a peak Emperor Realm cultivator in one move.
Yang Kai stood motionlessly in place and waited for a while, but the toad made no movements either.
Mulling over the situation, he had the feeling that this toad retained its wild instincts even though it was a high Order beast. Hence, it turned a blind eye to any stationary targets because it could only hunt with great accuracy when its target moved. This logic was in line with the previous two times it attacked.
After considering all this, Yang Kai could not be bothered to waste more time in this place. He immediately began to sway his body. He had only just begun moving when the soft sound of something slicing through the air came from the depths of the fog. Immediately after that, he felt something tightening around his body as though he had been caught by a whip. It was followed by a powerful pull that tried to drag him in that direction.
Yang Kai was waiting for this very moment; thus, he immediately broke out into a grin and reached out both hands to grab the thing that was binding him. The slippery feeling was extremely disgusting as there was no need to think to know that it was the toad’s tongue.
His hands transformed into Dragon Claw. Gripping the tongue firmly, his body abruptly sank downward as he shouted, “Come up!”
An overwhelming force poured out of his hands as he grabbed the toad by the tongue and forcibly threw it up into the air. At the same time, he silently surged the Fire Element Power in his Dao Seal. A layer of black flames covered his entire body. Burned by the Golden Crow’s True Fire, the toad’s tongue involuntarily loosened its grip.
The moment the restraints binding him disappeared, Yang Kai released his grip and threw the toad away. Standing still, he cocked his ear to the side and listened attentively. He soon heard the sound of something being sliced into pieces. These sounds were immediately followed by the sounds of large objects falling into the swamp with loud splashes.
[Done!] He dusted off his hands and quietly stood there waiting. A short while later, the fog in the swamp slowly dissipated and his vision returned to normal.
He looked in the direction of the sounds he heard towards the end and saw pieces of a corpse scattered all across the swamp. The incisions on the corpse were precise and crimson red blood dyed the ground red. The direction in which he threw the toad was where the Void Cracks were distributed. Those Void Cracks were something even he was reluctant to touch, let alone the toad. Its huge body had passed through several of those Void Cracks. The only ending for the toad was to be sliced into pieces, thereby losing its life in an instant!
Yang Kai waved his hands in front of him to disperse the fog that still lingered before walking in that direction and lowering his head to examine the pieces of the corpse. He soon found two Human corpses that were so badly corroded that they were no longer Human-shaped. He was secretly rendered speechless. It had not been long since these two people were devoured by the toad and yet they were already in such a state. It could be seen just how corrosive the acid in the stomach of this toad was.
These two men had been lying in ambush in this place, hoping to earn some money from the dead. Who could have known that they would end up in the stomach of this Monster Beast? It could be said that they got what they deserved.
After retrieving the Space Rings belonging to these two people, Yang Kai got to work and finally found the toad’s Monster Core. As expected, it was in the Fifth-Order. Moreover, it was a Water Element Monster Core. The energy contained within the Monster Core was extremely pure and singular, which was perfectly suitable for a cultivator to refine and use.
Blood Monster Divine Monarch was certainly impressive. The method to cultivate and modify these Monster Beasts was absolutely invaluable. It could guarantee every single Monster Beast would have a Monster Core that could be transformed into an Open Heaven material. If one could obtain this method, it would not be long before their great force rose to power and prosperity.
It was uncertain whether this method was included in Blood Monster Divine Monarch’s inheritance, but if it was, the value of the inheritance would greatly increase.
This was the first Fifth-Order Monster Core that Yang Kai received so far, so he carefully put it away. However, he was in no hurry to leave. On the contrary, he carefully searched his surroundings until he found a certain spot. After that, his figure sank and disappeared into the swamp.
He had discovered something interesting when the toad dragged him into the water just now. It was just that he was attacked without warning and did not dare to take his enemy lightly until he could figure out his strength; therefore, it stood to reason that he would investigate the area carefully now that the fight was over.
There was poison in the water. Moreover, it was even stronger than the poison in the fog. It was obvious that the toad Monster Beast had been living in this place for countless years. During that time, the toxins in its body must have merged with the nearby water source and caused this phenomenon.
Yang Kai activated his Dragon Source and a layer of Dragon Scales appeared on the surface of his body, instantly making him feel much more comfortable.
After sinking to a depth of several dozen metres, Yang Kai came to a halt. Although the muddy water was turbid and his visibility was poor, he could clearly perceive his surroundings with his Divine Sense. There was an area in front of him that was several tens of metres wide. More importantly, the area was filled with a dense and pure Water Element Power. The Water Element Power was so dense that it condensed into a fog, occupying a small space underwater that was incompatible with the turbid and dark muddy waters in the surroundings!
Yang Kai slipped into the fog and took a sniff. What entered his nose was a faint but clean scent. This was most likely the hiding place of the Toad Monster Beast. It had probably relied on this dense Water Element Power to become a Fifth-Order Monster Beast. If a cultivator were to refine and absorb the dense Water Element Power in this place, they would definitely be able to condense a Fifth-Order Power. It was no different from refining Fifth-Order materials.
This place was one of the Cultivation Paradises scattered across the Blood Monster Cave Heaven that he had heard so many stories about.
The Blood Monster Cave Heaven was the Small Universe left behind after the death of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. After the death of Blood Monster Divine Monarch, this place experienced the baptism of countless years. The Yin, Yang, and Five Element Powers in this Cave-Heaven were divided and transformed as a result. Eventually, they gathered and accumulated in numerous areas within the Cave-Heaven to form Cultivation Paradises.
That was why it was not a must for cultivators to slay Monster Beasts for benefits when they entered the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. They could achieve the same results if they could find a Cultivation Paradise that was suitable for their cultivation use.
If any other cultivator came to this place, they could only choose to cultivate and refine the Water Element Power; however, Yang Kai had the Sealed World Bead. He could transfer this Cultivation Paradise into the Small Sealed World and transfer it out again when he returned to Void Land. By doing so, Void Land’s disciples could use this Cultivation Paradise for their cultivation.
To make a comparison, it was like going to an inn for dinner. The others could only dine in, so they were limited as to how much food they could eat. Yang Kai, on the other hand, could choose to either dine in and take-away. This ability naturally had its own advantages.
When Yang Kai emerged from the swamp again, he had already transferred the Cultivation Paradise that contained the Water Element Power into the Small Sealed World.
He turned around to look at the corpse of the Fifth-Order Monster Beast and secretly thanked the Heavens for his luck. That Monster Beast was not weak in any way; otherwise, it could not have killed two peak Emperor Realm cultivators in the blink of an eye. He might have been able to defeat the Monster Beast if it really came down to a frontal fight, but it would have taken him quite a lot of effort. By taking advantage of the Void Cracks in this place, Yang Kai swiftly slaughtered the Monster Beast and saved himself a lot of time and trouble.
According to his estimation, the strength displayed by a Fifth-Order Monster Beast was almost equivalent to the strength of a Half-Step Open Heaven Realm Master. Fortunately, the singular Attribute of the Monster Cores of the Monster Beasts in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven made them easier targets.
Take the Toad Monster Beast for example. It had a Water Element Core, so it was naturally weaker to Fire Element Power. The reason Yang Kai used the Golden Crow’s True Fire in his Dao Seal was out of this consideration.
Although such a Monster Beast had a weakness that was easy to target, a Fifth-Order Monster Beast was still equivalent to a Half-Step Open Heaven Realm Master in terms of raw strength. Most Emperor Realm Masters would be in danger if they encountered a Fifth-Order Monster Beast. If that was the case for a Fifth-Order Monster Beast, then what about a Sixth-Order Monster Beast? Wouldn’t a Sixth-Order Monster Beast be equivalent to a Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master in strength?
This information was in line with his understanding and knowledge; after all, he had used the Sixth-Order Yuan Magnetic Divine Light to fight Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master. The power of the Sixth-Order Yuan Magnetic Divine Light was great, so many Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters would have a hard time blocking its attack.
What about a Seventh-Order Monster Beast, which should be much stronger? Wouldn’t a Seventh-Order Monster Beast be equivalent to a Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master in strength?
Yang Kai was secretly alarmed by the prospect. Not too long ago, he had wanted to find a Seventh-Order Monster Beast in order to slay it for its Monster Core. Looking at the current situation though, he might have no choice but to turn tail and flee if he encountered a Seventh-Order Monster Beast.
There was no point thinking about such possibilities at the moment. It was true that Seventh-Order Monster Beasts existed in this place, but they were not something that could be found so easily. If he really were to run into a Seventh-Order Monster Beast, then he could only react as the situation called for.
He took out the Space Rings from those two people earlier and checked the contents. Both of them were extremely poor, with only a couple hundred Open Heaven Pills between them as well as some random trinkets that Yang Kai turned his nose up at. Looking at the situation, it had not been long since they arrived in this place. It was a pity that they died before they could even make a fortune from the assets of the dead.
[What a tragedy…] Yang Kai did not mourn their deaths. They should have been mentally prepared to be killed when they entered the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. Just as he was about to put their Space Rings away though, his expression changed drastically as he took out a piece of animal skin from one of the Space Rings.
It was easy to tell that the animal skin was very old at a glance. In addition, there were jumbled patterns drawn closely together on the animal skin. It was just that many spots on the animal skin were blurry and hard to read after countless years of wear and tear.
At first, he could not understand what was drawn on the animal skin; however, he seemed to remember something a short while later. Hurriedly taking out the jade slip the Proprietress had given to him, he split his Divine Sense into two parts. He immersed one part of his Divine Sense into the jade slip to study its contents and used the other part of his Divine Sense to pay close attention to the patterns on the animal skin.
Sometime later, he revealed a look of astonishment, “A map?”
What was recorded on this animal skin turned out to be a worn-out and incomplete map. Moreover, it was a map of a certain area inside the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. It was only because part of this animal skin map was relatively consistent with the map recorded in the jade slip that he could identify it.
That was not to say that the animal skin map was more comprehensive. On the contrary, the map in the jade slip given by the Proprietress was much more complete. It was a map purchased through auction from Red Clouds Auction House after all. This map was compiled from all the experiences of countless cultivators exploring the Blood Monster Cave Heaven over the years. Be that as it may, the animal skin map contained additional locations that were not recorded in the jade slip map, although there were parts in both maps that overlapped with each other.
Holding the animal skin map in hand, Yang Kai fell into deep contemplation. The hundred copies of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven map that Red Clouds Auction House sold off might not have been complete, but it was enough to provide the cultivators with an idea of their position and bearings. Yang Kai was also not so naïve that he would believe Red Clouds Auction House publicised this secret information out of kindness; after all, a relatively complete map could bring about huge and unimaginable benefits in a place like this.
Red Clouds Cave Heaven, who was the actual figure behind the Red Clouds Auction House, would definitely have a more complete map in their possession. That was their biggest trump card after all. The only information they could disclose to the public would be information on places that they had thoroughly explored and deemed to be of little value.
It was not just Red Clouds Auction House of course. All the other Cave-Heavens, Paradises, and even the Second-Class great forces would have their own respective maps compiled from information and experiences over the years. It was hard to say who had a more comprehensive map or who had a more valuable map.
That logic applied even to the map in Yang Kai’s hands. He was certain that this was not an exact copy of the map obtained from Red Clouds Auction House. The Proprietress would have definitely added some information of her own into this map; after all, she herself had been to the Blood Monster Cave Heaven in the past.
Yang Kai did not know to which great force those two who died just now belonged. This animal skin map could also have been an accidental acquisition by one of the two, which would explain why it had accumulated such an ancient aura.
There was a certain location on the animal skin map that had been circled and was very eye-catching. Generally speaking, places that were marked with such great emphasis would surely contain some sort of treasure.
Just looking at that spot on the map made Yang Kai’s heart itch with anticipation. When he compared the two maps, he discovered that the circled location on the map would take several days of travel to reach. He would first need to pass through the areas where the two maps overlapped.
Still, Yang Kai put away the animal skin map for now. He was in no hurry to make a decision. It would not be too late to decide once he arrived at the location. Raising his head, he looked at the swamp in front of him and did not choose to take a detour. The first reason was that it would consume more time if he wanted to bypass this region, and the second reason was that this place was the best battlefield for him even though there were Void Cracks all over the place. If he were ambushed by another Monster Beast like the Toad Monster Beast earlier, he could make use of the Void Cracks to slaughter it for its Monster Core. Not to mention, it would not take much effort on his part.
Thus, Yang Kai spread his Divine Sense into the surroundings then headed towards the depths of the swamp at a high speed. There certainly were quite a few Void Cracks in this damned place but fortunately, he was proficient in the Dao of Space. He was also staying vigilant at all times, so he generally detected the Void Cracks in advance and smoothly avoided them.
Contrary to his expectations, he did not encounter any other Monster Beasts. It would seem that this place was also an extremely dangerous place to the Monster Beasts in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. Thus, they were reluctant to step foot here lightly. Even the toad had only been living at the edge of the swamp. Since there were no Monster Beasts, Yang Kai focused only on travelling and quickly crossed most of the swamp.
All of a sudden, Yang Kai heard a person’s voice coming towards him, “Friend, please wait! The road ahead is dangerous!”
Yang Kai immediately stopped and turned to look in the direction where the voice came from. A group of five was standing above the swamp more than a dozen kilometres away. All of them were dressed in full armour and carried weapons in hand. Although there were only five of them, their aura was so overwhelming that they gave off the impression of a mighty army.
Yang Kai couldn’t help thinking that this method of dressing was very familiar. Raising his brow, he recalled the name of a certain great force. His figure flashed and he arrived in front of those five people in a matter of moments as he tentatively asked, “Great Battle Heaven?”
Only the disciples of Great Battle Heaven would dress in this manner. It was only his guess, but he became more confident of his guess when he got closer. That was because all five of them gave off a chilling iron-blooded air. That was an aura that could only be acquired over the years if one lived under permanent military discipline.
Furthermore, Great Battle Heaven was the only great force in the entire 3,000 Worlds that was governed and managed by the iron law of an army. Any military order that was issued could not be disobeyed!
Thousand Birds Territory’s Star City was governed by Great Battle Heaven, so Yang Kai had seen a few Great Battle Heaven disciples at the Void Dock before. These people were not so much cultivators as they were soldiers!
These five people consisted of four men and one woman. They were staring at Yang Kai as though they were looking at a ghost. Shock and disbelief were written all over their eyes.
Upon hearing Yang Kai’s questions, the young man in the lead nodded, “That’s right.” Then, he examined Yang Kai once more and exclaimed, “Your luck is quite good.”
As soon as Yang Kai heard this young man’s voice, he immediately identified this person as the one who called out to him earlier. This person had thick brows and large eyes, making him look lively and spirited. The lines of his face were rigid though, giving him the feeling of an insightful but battle-tested young man. It could be seen that this person was the leader among these five.
Yang Kai smiled, “And your luck is not very good. How did you get trapped here?”
He could tell at a glance that these five were standing motionless in this place not because they did not wish to move, but because they were stuck here. There were Void Cracks surrounding them in all directions; moreover, some of the Void Cracks were moving about slowly and silently. These Void Cracks were imperceptible even with the help of Divine Sense.
Among these five, three of them were covered in blood, making it obvious that they were injured by these Void Cracks.
The young leader shook his head in response, “It’s difficult to explain! Let’s not talk about this for now. How should I address you?”
“Yang Kai!”
The young man was visibly taken aback by Yang Kai’s answer, “You are Yang Kai?”
The four people behind him also looked surprised and glanced at Yang Kai curiously.
Similarly, Yang Kai was stunned, “Do you know me?” Then, he immediately understood the reason, “Of course. You’ve probably heard of me.”
He most likely caught the attention of many Cave-Heavens and Paradises after the battle in Thousand Birds Territory’s Star City’s Asura Arena. First, there was the warning given by the man in charge of the Asura Arena; then, there was the recruitment offer from Senior Brother Guo from Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven. Seeing as both Asura Heaven and Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven had noticed his existence, it was not surprising that the great force in charge of Thousand Birds Territory’s Star City, Great Battle Heaven, had also heard about him.
The young leader did not deny the statement. He simply cupped his fists and said, “So it is Brother Yang. I apologise for my disrespect. This one is Bu Lian Zhong.”
“You’re too polite, Brother Bu!” Yang Kai nodded.
Bu Lian Zhong pointed at the four people behind him and introduced them to Yang Kai. After that, he solemnly said, “Brother Yang, this one has a request.”
Yang Kai gestured, “Please speak freely, Brother Bu.”
Earlier, Bu Lian Zhong had shouted a warning to him after seeing him travelling at high speed, so it was obvious that this person was good-natured. Yang Kai had always believed in the philosophy of mutual respect, so he would not show enmity to a person who showed him kindness. Nevertheless, he would not agree to a request easily until he knew what kind of help the other party wanted from him.
Bu Lian Zhong explained, “We are trapped in this place and I’m afraid things will not end well for us. Brother Yang, when you leave here, please head to the Governor’s Mansion in Thousand Birds Star City and report our deaths to Governor Ye!”
The Governor in charge of Thousand Birds Star City, Ye Tian Xiong, was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Even Yang Kai knew of him. There was no denying that Thousand Birds Territory’s Star City was a large one; therefore, only a Master as capable as Ye Tian Xiong could manage it. After all, he would not have been able to control the situation in the Star City if he was not strong enough.
Yang Kai was wondering what kind of help Bu Lian Zhong would request of him, but he hadn’t anticipated such a request.
He couldn’t help bursting into laughter, “Brother Bu, you can tell that to Governor Ye yourself, but I don’t think he will believe you.”
Bu Lian Zhong frowned, “Brother Yang, it’s just a small effort on your part. It won’t take up much of your time. Since it won’t harm your interests, why refuse my request?”
The other four people were also looking at Yang Kai, frowning.
Yang Kai knew that they had misunderstood him, but he could not be bothered to explain himself. Instead, his figure flashed as he passed through the area surrounded by the Void Cracks and came to stand before Bu Lian Zhong.
Bu Lian Zhong was startled. Involuntarily taking a few steps back as he stared at Yang Kai in shock, “Why… Why did you come in!?”
The few of them had been trapped inside this space for a long time now. It was not as if they had not tried to escape from this place, it was just that they could not determine which path was safe. Three of them had been injured after several attempts to escape and they ended up unable to move from their current spot. On the contrary, Yang Kai entered this place with so little effort. It was almost as though the Void Cracks trapping them here did not exist.
[Isn’t his luck a little too good?] To their knowledge, this person had travelled across the swamp without encountering any danger, and just now, he even slipped into this highly dangerous place so easily. It was a miracle how he managed to survive until now.
Yang Kai smiled and said nothing. He simply pushed his strength to wrap up the five of them. Before Bu Lian Zhong and the others could react, Yang Kai’s figure flickered again and he escaped from the area surrounded by the Void Cracks together with the others.
“Brother Bu, it’s best if you report to the Governor yourselves,” He nodded at Bu Lian Zhong.
Bu Lian Zhong and the others were stunned. They quickly looked around their surroundings and confirmed that they were no longer standing in the same spot as before. Rather, they had left that place by several kilometres. Only now did they reveal expressions of surprise and joy.
A realization struck Bu Lian Zhong as he turned to Yang Kai in astonishment, “Brother Yang, can you see those Void Cracks? Could it be that you cultivate the Dao of Space?”
Yang Kai replied reservedly, “I know a little something!”
Bu Lian Zhong was extremely impressed. Yang Kai had brought him and his fellow Brothers and Sister out of that place so easily; that was far beyond the level of ‘knowing a little something. It definitely required a high level of attainment in the Dao of Space, so he quickly understood. [It’s not luck that allowed him to safely travel through the swamp! There was simply no danger to him in the first place!]
“Many thanks, Brother Yang!” He cupped his fist solemnly, with the four people behind him following suit.
“It was nothing.” Yang Kai waved his hand dismissively, “This swamp is extremely dangerous and there are hidden dangers everywhere. Strangely enough, the map did not mark this place as hazardous.”
He had the map bought from Red Clouds Auction House in his possession; likewise, Great Battle Heaven’s disciples would definitely have a superior version of it. That map not only indicated various routes but also various dangers and opportunities. These were the results of countless cultivators exploring this place throughout the ages.
It was just that the map in Yang Kai’s hand had only indicated the location of the swamp. There were no warnings about the dangers hidden in this area. Thus, he guessed that the map owned by Great Battle Heaven disciples was similar; otherwise, they would not have ended up in this situation.
Bu Lian Zhong explained, “The Blood Monster Cave Heaven is unstable, so the situation inside sometimes changes. This place was probably safe 200 years ago. These changes must have occurred recently, which is why the dangers were not marked on the map. Brother Yang, although maps are useful, you should not trust them completely. We have already learned our lesson. Please be careful in the future.”
Yang Kai understood, “You’re right, Brother Bu!” Turning to look at Bu Lian Zhong, he asked, “Where were you trying to go?”
Bu Lian Zhong pointed in a certain direction.
Yang Kai smiled, “It looks like we are heading in the same direction. Let’s go together then.”
After saying that, he took the lead.
Bu Lian Zhong and the others exchanged glances with each other before hurriedly following after him. Since Yang Kai could bring them out of that place surrounded by Void Cracks so easily, it should not be difficult for him to bring them out of the swamp. It was only natural that they did not wish to pass up on this opportunity.
It was hard to tell whether Great Battle Heaven’s disciples were generally on the reticent side, but along the way, Bu Lian Zhong and the four others barely spoke. Even if they occasionally made conversation, it was because Yang Kai was the first to bring up a topic.
After a casual conversation, Yang Kai learned that these five had entered the swamp from another direction. They had not encountered any dangers at the beginning, and by the time they realised that something was wrong, it was already too late for them to turn back. If not for their luck in meeting Yang Kai, they would most likely have lost their lives in the swamp.
Even though they did not say much, the gratitude in their hearts was overflowing beyond words; after all, Yang Kai had saved their lives. Great Battle Heaven’s disciples were generally taught to be straightforward and upright. They would always repay the kindness they received and return the grudges they were given.
Despite having five people in tow, Yang Kai’s speed did not decrease in the slightest and they managed to leave the swamp after travelling for half a day.
Bu Lian Zhong and the others exhaled fiercely, finally feeling relieved. The feeling of not being in control of their own lives was simply awful. They never wanted to experience something like this again.
“We’re now out of danger, so we’ll be parting ways here.” Yang Kai cupped his fist to Bu Lian Zhong and the others. He had only brought them out of the swamp since they were going the same way. Hunting for treasure was better done alone after all. In that way, he could monopolise anything he found.
Bu Lian Zhong returned the gesture, “We five will never forget the kindness you showed us today, Brother Yang. We will definitely repay this favour in the future.”
Pausing for a moment, his expression suddenly became extremely solemn as he continued, “Brother Yang, please be careful. Don’t trust others easily.”
Yang Kai frowned slightly. He couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to those words. Just as he was about to inquire further, he suddenly heard a cry for help coming from afar; moreover, it was getting closer.
Everybody hurriedly turned to look in the direction of the sound only to see two figures speeding in this direction like bolts of lightning. One was chasing while the other was fleeing. The person in the back continuously blasted out fierce attacks, causing the person in front to jump left and right to avoid those attacks.
The person who was being chased had probably noticed the presence of Yang Kai and the others, so he rushed in their direction while shouting for help. It only took a few breaths for him to arrive in their vicinity while his complexion was extremely pale.
Staggering to the ground, he hurriedly begged, “Senior Brothers, please save me!”
Yang Kai, Bu Lian Zhong, and the others simply looked at him calmly. They neither promised to help nor refused to. The main reason was that they did not know anything about this person nor what kind of grievances this person had with the other party. Therefore, it was not their place to interfere.
Be that as it may, the cultivator chasing after this person faltered and came to a stop when he saw this person landing in front of Yang Kai and the others. He glanced in this direction from afar and seemed to recognise the origins of the Great Battle Heaven disciples. Coldly snorting, he turned and left.
The Great Battle Heaven disciples were dressed so distinctively that it was difficult not to recognise them. With the reputation of one of the 36 Cave-Heavens behind them, nobody would willingly come into conflict with them.
When the cultivator who asked for help earlier saw his pursuer leaving quickly, he finally let out a breath of relief. He slumped to the ground tiredly as though all the energy in his body had been drained. His face was filled with lingering fears. After a while, he finally struggled to his feet and cupped his fist at Yang Kai and the others, “Many thanks, Senior Brothers.”
Bu Lian Zhong replied, “No need. We didn’t do anything.”
That person shook his head and said, “Although Senior Brothers did not act, this Junior Brother still knows that he only survived because of you. If I had not happened to meet you here, that person would not have given up so easily.”
Bu Lian Zhong waved his hand dismissively, “Since you survived, you should get a good rest. The Blood Monster Cave Heaven is a dangerous place. I’m afraid it will be difficult for you to do anything in your current state.”
That person’s expression darkened at those words as he smiled bitterly, “You’re right, Senior Brother. I will go and search for a place to treat my wounds. Before I leave, I want to tell you something. Somebody located about an hour’s travel in that direction found Blood Monster Divine Monarch’s inheritance. Many people have gathered there to compete for it. If you are interested, you should go and check it out.”
“Blood Monster Divine Monarch’s inheritance?” The expressions of Yang Kai, Bu Lian Zhong, and the others stiffened at those words.
That person explained, “That’s what they said. I don’t know if it’s true. I was just watching from the side when that guy suddenly tried to kill me. It’s probably because he was afraid that the news might leak out and attract more people to investigate.”
Yang Kai and Bu Lian Zhong exchanged a glance with each other and could see the excitement in each other’s eyes. If this person’s words were true, then a huge treasure had appeared, one that would definitely cause a reign of terror in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven.
That person continued, “I don’t know much about the situation there. You can check it out if you are interested, Senior Brothers. This Junior Brother will take his leave first.”
He bowed after saying that and swiftly left upon deciding a direction.
Yang Kai and Bu Lian Zhong watched as that person gradually vanished out of sight; then, Bu Lian Zhong asked, “What do you think, Brother Yang?”
Yang Kai licked his lips, “If there’s a possibility of it being Blood Monster Divine Monarch’s inheritance, then we should go and check it out.”
If he could obtain the Seventh-Order materials that he needed there, then his trip to the Blood Monster Cave Heaven would be complete. It didn’t matter even if that person had been lying. It was only an hour away after all.
Bu Lian Zhong nodded, “I think so too.”
It was impossible to resist the temptation with such a huge prize dangling in front of them. Having come to a decision, they did not hesitate and immediately headed in the direction that man pointed earlier.
After going forward for a little less than an hour, Yang Kai suddenly frowned. He turned to Bu Lian Zhong and asked, “Brother Bu, do you notice anything?”
Similarly, Bu Lian Zhong had a serious expression on his face as he responded, “The smell of blood!”
Yang Kai nodded. He could also smell the scent of blood; however, this bloody scent gave him a strange feeling. It did not smell like when somebody was killed. Moreover, the smell of blood became stronger and stronger the further forward they went. It almost felt as though the World Energy itself was infused with blood.
A short time later, the group of six came to an abrupt halt and stared ahead blankly.
In front of them was a huge blood-coloured lake that spanned a diameter of a dozen or so kilometres. The lake water was crimson, as though it was made from fresh blood. The surface of the lake was strangely calm; there was not the slightest ripple in sight. Everybody couldn’t help feeling a little disturbed by the sight. It felt like countless ghosts and corpses would emerge from within the lake at any moment.
Currently, at least a few hundred people had gathered by the shore of the blood lake. They were either standing in groups of three to five, or standing alone. Many people were scattered around the edges of the lake, staring at its centre. Even more people were gathered in front of a large stone monument and looking up at something.
Yang Kai looked up and saw a palace standing in the centre of the lake; thus, he couldn’t help but wonder, [Could that be the Blood Monster Divine Palace? Is that where Blood Monster Divine Monarch’s inheritance is hidden? But, that can’t be right.]
According to the rumours, Blood Monster Divine Monarch’s inheritance was indeed hidden in the Blood Monster Divine Palace. Be that as it may, the Blood Monster Divine Palace was said to be located in the deepest depths of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. It was impossible for it to appear in this place. Regardless of whether Blood Monster Divine Monarch’s inheritance was hidden in this palace, there must be something precious inside a place like this. Therefore, countless cultivators were eagerly looking forward to the opportunity to explore.
Many cultivators were gathered around the stele by the side of the blood-coloured lake. Even more cultivators were rushing over from all directions, probably having heard about the news here. Otherwise, they noticed the strange movements here by chance.
Aside from that, Yang Kai also noticed that there were three small islands in the lake. Each island was separated by a distance of a couple thousand metres. They were located between the palace in the middle of the lake and the shore of the lake. In other words, one could use these three small islands as a foothold in order to reach the palace in the middle of the lake.
It was just that nobody was trying to head towards the palace in the middle of the lake even though many people were gathered around the shore. Most of them were gathered around the stele. Some stood with their hands behind their backs while others sat cross-legged on the ground. There were also some who were randomly shaking and swaying their heads. It was unknown what they were trying to do.
“Hahahaha! The Blood Monster Divine Palace!” A loud burst of laughter rang out. A burly figure rushed over from afar and charged towards the palace in the middle of the lake without hesitation. While doing so, he arrogantly yelled, “Blood Monster Divine Monarch’s inheritance is mine! Get out of my way!”
Yang Kai turned to look in that direction and saw the cultivator charging across the blood-coloured lake. The cultivator was heading for the first island that was nearest to the shore. Before he could fly very far though, a huge wave suddenly rose up from the blood-coloured lake, which had seemed like a pool of undisturbed and stagnant water all this time, before coming crashing down on him. He let out a furious roar and immediately surged his strength in defence. Splendid colours lit up around his body and a violent power fluctuation spread out.
It was clear that he was a Half-Step Open Heaven Realm Master who had condensed the Fifth-Order Elements. He was only one step away from advancing into the Open Heaven Realm; thus, his heritage was quite impressive. Given enough time, he would surely become a powerful individual as long as he did not die along the way.
However, the burly cultivator was completely powerless to resist the blood-coloured wave. The wave crashed down on him, swiftly dissolving the layer of defence around his body like snow under the scorching sun. His defenses didn’t even last for a breath. Turning pale with fright, he didn’t have the time to do anything else before he was showered from head to toe in blood water.
After encountering such a sudden change, how could he not know that he had activated some sort of restriction with his rash actions? For a moment, cold sweat drenched his entire body. He stood in place and did not dare to move.
The wave subsided and the blood-coloured lake returned to its peaceful state. It was almost as if the scene just now had been nothing more than an illusion.
“Hahaha! I’m fine!” That person laughed heartily once more. That was because he turned out to be completely unscathed even after waiting for some time. He initially thought that he had activated some sort of restriction previously and assumed that he was going to die. It turned out that he had simply been overthinking things.
“Fool!” Somebody by the shore looked at the burly cultivator coldly with an expression of scorn and ridicule.
Yang Kai also found the situation strange. That burly cultivator had been doused in the blood water, so how could he come out unscathed? Just as he was mulling over this question, he heard that burly cultivator’s voice again, “The restriction in this place has fallen into disrepair. It lost its effects a long time ago! And yet, you guys are being so cautious! How laughable! Just you wait! I’m going to get the Divine Monarch’s inheritance!”
After saying that, he rushed towards the small island in the middle of the island again.
He had just made his move when a burst of exclamations rang out among the people along the shore of the lake. Some women even looked horrified. They covered their red lips with their hands, staring ahead with widened eyes as though they were watching something extremely horrifying.
Likewise, Yang Kai also narrowed his eyes and stared in shock at the burly cultivator who was charging across the surface of the lake.
As that burly cultivator continued to charge forward, pieces of his flesh began to peel off and fall into the lake. In the blink of an eye, his head had turned into a fleshless skull. All the flesh on his body was gone too. His wide robes covered his body, making flapping sounds with every step he took. Even so, he seemed completely oblivious to the fact and continued to charge forward. It was a chilling sight to behold.
A short while later, the burly cultivator who was turned into a skeleton finally fell apart. He collapsed straight into the blood lake and was swallowed up silently. The surface of the lake was so calm that it was almost as if nothing had happened just now.
“Blood Monster Divine Monarch is an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Even if the restrictions he placed when he was alive had fallen into disrepair, how can just any stray cat or dog ignore them?” The cultivator, who called the burly cultivator a fool just now, sneered coldly.
It was obvious that it was not his first time seeing this situation. Somebody else must have died in this blood lake earlier; otherwise, it was impossible for so many people to be so indifferent towards the Palace in the middle of the lake despite gathering in this place.
Yang Kai turned to look in that direction and his eyes involuntarily narrowed all of a sudden. That was because he discovered that the speaker was brimming with Demon Qi. He couldn’t help thinking that it felt very familiar. After giving it some serious thought, he realised that he had felt this feeling from Great Demon God before.
[Is this person from Myriad Demons Heaven?] Yang Kai mulled over the possibility. Based on what he knew, there was a high probability that Great Demon God, Mo Sheng, had originated from Myriad Demons Heaven!
Seeming to notice Yang Kai’s gaze, the Myriad Demons Heaven disciple turned around and grinned fiercely, “What are you looking at, boy? Are you courting death?”
Yang Kai smiled slightly and looked away calmly. It was not that he was afraid of the other party, but that he was too lazy to be caught up in a conflict now.
Contrary to expectations, the other party was unrelenting. He studied Yang Kai with a measuring gaze and revealed a look of interest. With a shift of his body, he appeared within ten metres of Yang Kai as he rubbed his chin and said, “Brat, I realised that you resemble somebody a lot.”
Yang Kai turned to look at the other party and asked faintly, “Senior Brother, how may I help you?”
The Myriad Demons Heaven disciple observed Yang Kai carefully and nodded repeatedly, “I knew it! It’s you!”
When he said the last word, the Demon Qi in his body churned violently. He raised a hand and slammed his palm down on Yang Kai. Sixth-Order Elements surged in the palm of his hand, turning into a swirling vortex that tried to drag Yang Kai into the depths and strangle him to death.
Yang Kai was just about to counter the attack when Bu Lian Zhong and the four others activated their Powers at the same time and charged out from behind him. The auras of these five people connected tightly to form a peculiar Formation in an instant. Then, the power of these five gathered around Bu Lian Zhong’s body. Bu Lian Zhong raised a hand to counter the attack.
With a boom, the Myriad Demons Heaven disciple’s Demon Qi was shaken and he was pushed back several steps. On the other hand, Bu Lian Zhong and the others gave a muffled grunt and retreated. This fight was evenly matched.
It was just that Bu Lian Zhong had borrowed the might of that Formation to gather the power of all five of them. Meanwhile, the Myriad Demons Heaven disciple was all alone. It could be seen that the strength of Bu Lian Zhong and the others was far inferior to this Myriad Demons Heaven disciple.
“Great Battle Heaven?” The Myriad Demons Heaven disciple glanced at Bu Lian Zhong and the others coldly, “Are you courting death!? How dare you intervene in my affairs? If you dare make another move, I will kill you along with him!”
Bu Lian Zhong quickly said, “I have long heard that the disciples of Myriad Demons Heaven are extremely arrogant and tend to look down on everybody else. I originally thought that those claims were an exaggeration, but it turns out to be true! You might be powerful, Senior Brother Pei, but my Fellow Brothers and I are not weak either if we fight with our lives on the line!”
The Myriad Demons Heaven disciple tilted his head to the side, “Do you know me?”
Bu Lian Zhong said seriously, “Pei Wen Xuan of Myriad Demons Heaven. Senior Brother Pei, you are so famous, how can I not recognise you?”
His words might seem like he was answering the question, but he was actually explaining this person’s origins to Yang Kai.
Pei Wen Xuan grinned, showing off his fangs. He looked at Bu Lian Zhong with approval, “You can recognise me, yet you still dare to say such words to me. The people of Great Battle Heaven are courageous indeed! But, you’re dreaming if you think you can stop me with your abilities. It might work if it were your Eldest Senior Brother instead. Get out of my way if you don’t want to die!”
Bu Lian Zhong and the others were Great Battle Heaven disciples. It would not have mattered if he had killed them in secret, as long as the secret was not leaked. However, there were so many eyes watching in this place. It would be troublesome if he killed them here; after all, Great Battle Heaven was not to be trifled with.
“What if you include me?” A soft and gentle voice rang out. It was accompanied by a delightful fragrance that tickled the nose. At the same time, a beautiful figure appeared in front of Yang Kai.
The person who arrived had an extremely graceful image. Her appearance was exquisite and captivating. Her twin peaks were also so generous that it drew many people’s attention. Her dark hair was tied behind her head with a red ribbon and her beautiful eyes were mesmerising. Her every frown and smile gave off an amorous attraction. It was as though this woman was a flower in full bloom. Extremely eye-catching.
Many of the cultivators in the surroundings exclaimed in their hearts. [What a seductive woman!]
Their eyes were fixed relentlessly on this woman like leeches biting into flesh. They secretly swallowed nervously. As a result, many male cultivators were pinched hard by their Junior Sisters. They involuntarily grunted in pain and shifted their eyes away in embarrassment. Clutching the small hands of their Junior Sisters, they apologised profusely.
“Senior Sister Qu?” Yang Kai exclaimed in astonishment.
He had not expected to meet an acquaintance in this place. Many people had certainly entered the Blood Monster Cave Heaven this time. The entire 3,000 Worlds had been involved in this event, so it was only natural for the people he was acquainted with to enter the Blood Monster Cave Heaven as well. It was just that the Blood Monster Cave Heaven was simply too large so the possibility of running into them was simply too miniscule. Who would have known that he would meet one of them so quickly?
Qu Hua Shang of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven! Yang Kai’s memory of this woman was still quite fresh in his mind. She was the one and only woman who could clearly and eloquently discuss the matters of Yin-Yang Union Cultivation with him. Moreover, she did so with a straight and serious expression. She truly was a woman with a firm Dao Heart.
Although Su Yan had performed Yin-Yang Union Cultivation with him countless times, she had never discussed this aspect with him before. She was a woman who would blush if he so much as spoke affectionately to her, so how could she possibly discuss Yin-Yang Union Cultivation with him?
“Qu Hua Shang!” Pei Wen Xuan’s gaze turned cold.
He did not recognise Bu Lian Zhong and the others because they were not at his level even though their strength was not bad. However, that was not the case with Qu Hua Shang. Ever since she came out of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary and became a Yin-Yang Cave Heaven Core Disciple, she had become quite famous in her own right. It could be said that her future achievements would not be inferior to his.
“Senior Brother Pei!” Qu Hua Shang bowed elegantly, “It has been years since we last met. I see you are still as arrogant as ever.”
He coldly snorted as his gaze shifted between Yang Kai and her before he asked, “Do you know who he is? Why are you so anxious to stand up for him?”
She smiled, “I’ve known Junior Brother Yang for more than 10 years now. Of course, I know who he is.”
He couldn’t help scoffing at those words. Then, he seemed to recall something and grinned, “Interesting. How interesting. I see that Yin-Yang Cave Heaven is playing these tricks again. But, you better watch him carefully if you want to protect him. I’m not the only one who wants to kill him.”
She smiled in response and thought to herself, [This fool has never seen how powerful Yang Kai is. That’s the only reason why he dares to boast so shamelessly!]
Unlike the others, she had accompanied Yang Kai for some time inside the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary; therefore, she had a deep understanding of how strong he was. Despite originating from one of the 36 Cave-Heavens, even she was confident there was no one in the 3,000 Worlds beneath the Open Heaven Realm who could be his opponent. Even Pei Wen Xuan would not survive for long against him.
“Forget it! This is boring!” Pei Wen Xuan glared for a while. Then, he flicked his sleeves in annoyance and strode towards the stele, “You can play by yourselves. I won’t accompany you.”
When Qu Hua Shang saw him leaving, she couldn’t help breathing a sigh of relief. [If that guy did not give up, he would have suffered great humiliation today. At the same time, it would be very troublesome if Yang Kai killed him.]
She turned around and looked at Yang Kai with a smile. The look in her eyes seemed to speak volumes, revealing a trace of pleasant surprise, as her voice was as soft and gentle as ever, “Junior Brother Yang, it truly is a small world. I never expected to meet you here.”
Yang Kai bowed, “It has been many years since we last met, but your noble bearing remains the same, Senior Sister. Many thanks for resolving that conflict just now.”
Qu Hua Shang giggled happily with her hand over her mouth, “If anyone should thank me, it isn’t you. That bastard should be the one showing his gratitude.”
She then waved her hand dismissively and continued, “Let’s not talk about that. Why are you with the people from Great Battle Heaven?”
She glanced curiously at Bu Lian Zhong and the others, her beautiful eyes filled with curiosity.
Bu Lian Zhong stepped forward to reply, “We owe Senior Brother Yang our lives. We were stuck in a desperate situation and Senior Brother Yang came to our rescue.”
After listening to his explanation, she was struck by understanding, “I see! But, you don’t need to worry about it too much. Junior Brother Yang has always been a righteous man. He has saved the lives of many in the past. I’ve also received his life-saving grace. Since I have nothing to repay him for his favour though, I was just thinking about promising myself to him.”
Back then, Yang Kai used the Small Sealed World to bring all the surviving Bearers out of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary at the last moment. If not for that, they would each have had to suffer the wrath of their Divine Spirits when they eventually lost the Spirit Seizing War. At least half of them would have died in the process.
Bu Lian Zhong and the others looked at each other and were surprised to learn that even Qu Hua Shang from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven had been saved by Yang Kai before.
On the other hand, Yang Kai nearly choked for a moment when he heard her saying that she wanted to promise herself to him. [This woman is truly daring to say such things!]
Outwardly, he couldn’t help laughing, “Senior Sister, please don’t joke around like that.”
Qu Hua Shang covered her mouth and laughed gently, looking extremely charming as she did so.
Bu Lian Zhong and the others came from Great Battle Heaven, so they all had calm and steady temperaments. Even so, they nearly fell into a daze at the sight. [Eldest Senior Brother was right, all the women from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven are indeed walking catastrophes…]
“Senior Sister Qu, what is going on here? Why are there so many people gathered in this place? What is that palace in the middle of the lake?” Yang Kai changed the subject to prevent this woman from saying anything crazy again.
Qu Hua Shang composed her expression and replied, “The palace in the middle of the lake probably contains a part of Blood Monster Divine Monarch’s inheritance.”
Yang Kai and the others stiffened at those words and could barely believe their ears, “Is it really the inheritance?”
They had first heard about this from a random cultivator, but that person couldn’t be sure either. Now that even Qu Hua Shang was saying the same thing, it might actually be true.
Qu Hua Shang shook her head, “Blood Monster Divine Monarch was an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. He was very powerful. While he was alive, he was proficient in the Dao of Blood and the Dao of Beast Taming. Aside from these two, his achievements would surely include many other Daos. Although this place might contain part of Blood Monster Divine Monarch’s inheritance, it is unknown what kind of inheritance it might be. Many people speculate that the inheritance hidden here is related to the Dao of Blood.”
“What is the basis of their speculation?” Yang Kai was puzzled.
“The blood lake is one reason.” While speaking, she pointed at the stele by the shore of the lake, “But, the greatest reason is the Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture. That’s the reason for their speculation.”
“Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture?” Yang Kai felt his heart trembling in anticipation. If memory served him right, that Secret Art was one of the main cultivation methods Blood Monster Divine Monarch used before his death. Its name was even recorded in the jade slip given to him by the Proprietress. It could be said that the reason Blood Monster Divine Monarch was able to become an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was partly thanks to the Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture.
Bu Lian Zhong exclaimed, “Senior Sister Qu, do you mean to say that the secrets to the Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture are carved on that stele!?”
She nodded solemnly, “That’s right. I was comprehending the mysteries behind it before you came.” While saying so, she invited them to join her, “Let’s go and check it out together.”
Yang Kai and Bu Lian Zhong exchanged a glance with each other before they immediately followed behind her and came to stand before the stele without any hesitation.
There were many people crowding around the stele. It was just that this stele was very big. Even with so many people surrounding it, they could still see the stele clearly. Sure enough, there was a line of characters that seemed to be written in fresh blood at the top of the stele which read ‘Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture’!
Yang Kai was speechless.
This was one of the main Secret Arts that Blood Monster Divine Monarch cultivated. People used to speculate that this Secret Art would be hidden within Blood Monster Divine Monarch’s inheritance. It was a Secret Art that allowed one of their Seniors to advance into the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Who would not covet it? Nonetheless, who could have expected this Secret Art to appear unconcealed by the side of the blood lake? All the people who came here could observe, emulate, and comprehend this Secret Art. What was Blood Monster Divine Monarch thinking?
Be that as it may, this stele only had these few characters on it. There was nothing else aside from them.
Suppressing the suspicions in his heart, Yang Kai raised his head, focused his mind, and stared forward. An invisible force immediately seemed to pull his mind into the stele and a bizarre image involuntarily formed in his head. The circulation paths of the Secret Art flashed through his mind, shocking him so much that he hastily took a few steps back. The moment he moved, his mind was released and he immediately broke free of the stele’s hold.
Qu Hua Shang’s voice sounded next to his ear, “The circulation method of the Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture is hidden within this stele. If you can comprehend this Secret Art thoroughly; if nothing else, you can at least obtain that!”
Yang Kai shook his head and said doubtfully, “Senior Sister Qu, this method seems to be incomplete.”
Although his mind had only been held by the stele for a short moment and what he saw was not much, he could sense that the knowledge contained within this stele was incomplete.
Hearing this, Qu Hua Shang glanced at him in surprise, “Junior Brother, you deciphered the mystery in such a short time? You’re as amazing as ever. It took me several dozen breaths to notice that.” Pausing for a moment, she continued, “But, you’re right, Junior Brother. The Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture recorded here is indeed incomplete. It is probably only the first segment. Unfortunately, you have to comprehend this segment carefully in order to advance towards the palace in the middle of the lake. Do you see those islands in the middle of the lake?”
Yang Kai nodded, having noticed them as soon as he arrived. The stele was situated on the shore while the palace was situated in the middle of the lake. On the other hand, there were three islands separated by a couple thousand metres each between the stele and the palace.
She pointed at the first island, “Only by comprehending the first chapter will you have the qualifications to set foot on the first island. And, you will find the second chapter of the Blood Light Scripture on that island. Following this logic, you still have the third chapter, the fourth chapter, and the fifth chapter! Only by combining all five chapters of the Blood Light Scriptures can you truly obtain the complete version of the Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture. Only then can you obtain Blood Monster Divine Monarch’s inheritance, the Blood Dao Secret Art!”
“So that’s how it is!” Yang Kai now understood.
He had witnessed the peculiarity of the blood lake with his own eyes just now. Even if one wanted to step foot on the islands in the lake, choosing to fly was simply courting death. Fortunately, Blood Monster Divine Monarch intended to pass on his inheritance. It stood to reason that he would prepare many tests. The contents recorded in this stele was one such test. Only by comprehending the mysteries of the Blood Light Scripture could one obtain the qualification to receive this inheritance!
After considering all this, Yang Kai felt his heart sinking. He had never really dabbled in the Dao of Blood before. Even if the Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture was right in front of him, he could only look on in despair.
Seeming to see through his concerns, Qu Hua Shang chuckled, “Don’t think too much about it, Junior Brother. I studied the Secret Art earlier. Although the Blood Light Scripture is mysterious and obscure, it is not as if we don’t stand a chance. Since Blood Monster Divine Monarch set up his inheritance in this place, then he must not want to see everybody going home empty-handed.”
“You’re right, Senior Sister.” He nodded lightly, “In that case, let’s give it a try.” [In any case, I won’t lose anything even if I fail. But, what if I succeed?]
The words had only just left his mouth when he saw one of the cultivators sitting cross-legged by the stele suddenly stand up and laugh loudly, “I’ve comprehended it! Blood Monster Divine Monarch’s inheritance is mine!”
He was speechless. [Uttering those words in front of so many people… That only serves to draw the people’s hatred. The last person who said something similar has already lost all the flesh on his body and turned into a skeleton that was lying dead at the bottom of the blood lake. I wonder what fate this guy will face.]
In front of everybody’s eyes, the man walked towards the lake. When he reached the shore, the space around his body abruptly shimmered. A layer of Blood Qi wrapped around his body, turning into a red blood mist that enveloped him. Immediately after that, he took a step forward and lightly stepped on the surface of the lake.
Many people turned their gazes away. They did not dare to watch, lest they saw him being dissolved by the blood water. Strangely enough though, he did not fall into the blood lake when he took a step forward. On the contrary, his foot stayed steadily above the surface of the lake. Then, he lifted his other foot and stood on top of the blood lake.
Everybody was shocked!
Meanwhile, that man let out a low chuckle, “This much is nothing!”
He strode forward and continued onward. Large blood-coloured ripples spread out under his feet with every step that he took, but he remained completely unhurt. As he moved forward, the blood mist around his body kept squirming and wriggling. It seemed to be operating under some sort of mysterious method to form a resonance with the ripples that formed on the surface of the lake under his feet to support him as he continued to move forward. It only took him a short while to cross the distance of a few thousand metres and he soon set foot on the first island.
A burst of exclamation sounded. Everybody stared at him in shock and envy. Although he was still two islands away from the palace in the middle of the lake, he had successfully taken the lead and seized an important advantage in this competition. Even if somebody else could comprehend the mysteries after this, they would still lag behind his progress.
“Amazing!” Yang Kai sincerely praised.
Qu Hua Shang whispered quietly, “If my guess is correct, he is probably a disciple of Great Thousand Blood Land.”
“Great Thousand Blood Land?” Yang Kai asked curiously.
“It’s one of the top Second-Class great forces. Although it is inferior to the Cave-Heavens and Paradises, it is quite an impressive great force. This great force is proficient in the Dao of Blood. The reason that person can comprehend the mysteries of the Blood Light Scripture’s first chapter so quickly is that he already has a deep foundation in the Dao of Blood.”
Yang Kai sighed, “This part of Blood Monster Divine Monarch’s inheritance is related to the Dao of Blood. Doesn’t that mean this person had an unfair advantage?”
She said nothing. It was obvious that she had the same opinion.
At that moment, another burst of exclamation rang out from the side. Many people were staring fixedly at the small island. Yang Kai followed their gaze and couldn’t help being amazed.
On that small island, three round platforms had appeared in front of the Great Thousand Blood Land disciple at some point. A Monster Core was placed on each of the round platforms, covered in individual light barriers.
Three Monster Cores lay quietly on the round platforms, shrouded by transparent light barriers which isolated the power fluctuations coming from them. As such, they appeared to be identical from the outside, without the slightest bit of difference between them.
The distance of a couple thousand metres was not that great, so everybody on the shore could see the Monster Cores clearly if they focused their eyesight. Nevertheless, nobody could determine what Order those Monster Cores belonged to. Not even the Great Thousand Blood Land disciple standing on the small island could. He was rubbing his chin and examining the three round platforms in front of him with curiosity.
“Is that a reward?” Somebody asked in surprise and doubt.
These objects had appeared when the Great Thousand Blood Land disciple set foot on the first island; therefore, it was clearly a reward. It was just that nobody could say whether all three Monster Cores were given to him as a reward or whether he could only choose one out of the three.
Everybody stared blankly in that direction. A short while later, the Great Thousand Blood Land disciple made his decision and reached his hand out towards the round platform on the right. There was no resistance as his hand slipped right through the light barrier and he took out the Monster Core from within.
For a time, everybody was itching to know what Order the Monster Core was and what Element it was!
Unfortunately, the Great Thousand Blood Land disciple put the Monster Core away directly without giving the others a chance to investigate. Immediately after that, he stretched out his hand again at the speed of lightning to reach for the round platform in the middle; however, his attempt failed this time around. The light barrier enveloping the round platform might look as thin as a cicada’s wings, but it was extremely strong. There was no way to retrieve the Monster Core without breaking the light barrier.
After a brief delay, the three round platforms sank back into the ground and vanished out of sight. Everybody immediately understood that the Monster Core was a reward after watching this scene. How could they not? It was just that only those who could set foot on the island were eligible to obtain this reward. Although it was just a Monster Core, it still greatly roused everybody’s enthusiasm as a result.
All the cultivators who came here were attracted by Blood Monster Divine Monarch’s Dao of Blood inheritance. It was just that many people had backed away from the challenge after witnessing the horror and peculiarity of the blood lake. Be that as it may, the appearance of this Monster Core reward made many cultivators become eager again. If they could just obtain a Sixth-Order, a Seventh-Order, or even an Eighth-Order Monster Core, then there was no need to worry about money for the rest of their lives. The riches they stood to gain would be enough for them to live luxuriously for an entire lifetime.
Once the Great Thousand Blood Land disciple took away the Monster Core, a loud rumbling sound came from the centre of the first island. Following that, a huge stele burst out of the ground and stood in the centre of the island.
“There’s a second chapter after all!” Qu Hua Shang’s beautiful eyes lit up. She had told Yang Kai about the existence of the second chapter, third chapter, and so on earlier, but those were simply her own speculations. It wasn’t until the appearance of this stele that her conjecture received immediate confirmation.
The people by the shore used all their might to stare in that direction, hoping to get a glimpse of the contents on the second stele. To their surprise, the stele seemed to be covered in a layer of fog. Nobody could see what was written on it. This immediately made it clear that one had no choice but to step onto the first island in order to understand the contents of the Blood Light Scripture’s second chapter.
Blood Monster Divine Monarch’s inheritance was designed to be interlinked so that one could only advance step by step. It would seem that he really had the intention to choose his successor; otherwise, there was no need to make the design so complicated.
The Great Thousand Blood Land disciple came to the stele and looked up at it for a while; soon after, he sat down cross-legged without moving as he began to comprehend the mysteries of the Blood Light Scripture’s second chapter.
“Junior Brother Yang, do you want to give it a try?” Qu Hua Shang turned to look at Yang Kai.
“Of course.” Yang Kai nodded. Besides, he was already here. There was an opportunity right in front of him, so how could he be reconciled with himself if he didn’t even make an attempt? He might never have dabbled in the Dao of Blood before, but most of the cultivators here were no different from him.
Blood Monster Divine Monarch must have already taken this aspect into consideration when he set up a test in this place; after all, if his successor was chosen because of a prior foundation in the Dao of Blood, then it could almost be said that the disciples of Great Thousand Blood Land had secured the winning spot. There would also be no need for tests.
Yang Kai had the vague feeling that the tests for this inheritance could not be that simple.
Bu Lian Zhong and the others had no objection either. They quickly found a place to sit and immersed their minds into the stele to begin comprehending.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai did not begin studying the mysteries of the stele immediately; instead, he secretly manipulated Space Principles to see if he could directly teleport himself to the first island or the palace in the middle of the lake via Instantaneous Movement. If he could travel there instantly, then there was no need to comprehend the mysteries of the stele.
He had only started taking action when a huge sense of crisis flooded his heart for no reason. It felt like an imminent disaster would befall him if he tried to teleport himself there via Instantaneous Movement. This feeling shocked Yang Kai and he hastily gave up on the attempt. The sense of crisis that loomed over him vanished the moment he did so, causing him to sigh. [I knew it was not going to be easy. Blood Monster Divine Monarch had carefully prepared his inheritance. He would never allow later generations to take advantage of any loopholes. Those who tried to step foot on the small island or the palace in the middle of the lake without using his intended methods would definitely suffer a terrible fate.]
Unable to make use of Space Principles, Yang Kai had no other choice but to obediently begin comprehending the mysteries of the stele. Just like before, there was an inexplicable force that pulled his mind in, allowing the mysteries of the Blood Light Scripture to flash through his head.
Yang Kai had only gotten a brief glimpse earlier, so he didn’t think much about the Blood Light Scripture. Now that he was calmly focusing on comprehending it though, he quickly realised that the Blood Light Scripture was not obscure or difficult to understand. Strictly speaking, that only applied for the first chapter. There was no way for him to know how difficult the rest would be.
Nevertheless, it was not difficult for a person to comprehend the mysteries of the Blood Light Scripture’s first chapter as long as one’s heritage and comprehension abilities were not too poor. Focusing his mind, Yang Kai concentrated harder.
Time passed little by little. More and more people gradually stood up from under the stele to head towards the location of the first small island. One after another, they successfully stepped foot on the island. Moreover, the number of people who succeeded was not small.
Be that as it may, the number of cultivators gathered around the monument continued to increase steadily. That was because more and more people were arriving here. These people had clearly heard about the news and rushed over to get a piece of the pie.
By the time Yang Kai thoroughly comprehended the Blood Light Scripture’s first chapter and was confident that he would have no problem circulating the Secret Art, half a day had already passed. He slowly opened his eyes, just in time to see Qu Hua Shang turning to look at him from where she sat beside him.
Qu Hua Shang was obviously taken aback, “You finished so quickly?”
After all, she herself had only just come to a thorough understanding of the Blood Light Scripture’s first chapter.
She could not compare with the Great Thousand Blood Land disciple who already had a profound heritage in the Dao of Blood. She might be one of the Core Disciples of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, but like Yang Kai, she had never dabbled in the Dao of Blood before; therefore, she could not compete with the Great Thousand Blood Land disciple who held a unique advantage since she had to start from zero.
It was just that she had already begun comprehending the Blood Light Scripture before Yang Kai arrived, so she did not expect to finish at the same time as him. However, she was not surprised when she recalled his extraordinary performance in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary.
Pursing her lips into a coquettish smile, she commented, “It’s not a good thing for men to finish too fast!”
Yang Kai’s expression darkened at those words. [Has this woman gotten addicted to teasing me?]
He irritably replied to her teasing, “Would you like to try?”
Her eyes lit up and her expression changed, “Really?”
Feeling ashamed, Yang Kai quickly waved his hand to dismiss the notion, “No…”
He looked away only to see that Bu Lian Zhong and the others were still comprehending with their eyes closed. Just as he was wondering whether he should talk to them, Bu Lian Zhong’s eyes opened.
Bu Lian Zhong said, “Brother Yang, please go on ahead. We will catch up to you later.”
Yang Kai nodded, “In that case, we will go ahead and wait for you there.”
Bu Lian Zhong gave Qu Hua Shang a deep look and secretly sent a voice transmission to Yang Kai, “Brother Yang, remember not to trust anybody too easily!”
His words seemed to contain another hidden meaning behind them, causing the look in Yang Kai’s eyes to flicker in response. Yang Kai smiled and nodded at him in acknowledgement.
Afterward, Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang came to the shore of the lake together. Looking around them, they saw many cultivators circulating the Blood Light Scripture’s first chapter on the surface of the lake. All of them were covered in a layer of Blood Qi as they carefully made their way across the blood water.
Most of these people moved forward cautiously, lest they encountered something unexpected. Only a few of them walked confidently and soon came to the first island. Like the Great Thousand Blood Land disciple from before, three round platforms would appear in front of each cultivator that stepped foot on the island. Each round platform would contain a Monster Core. Once one of the Monster Cores were taken, the remaining two Monster Cores would sink back into the ground along with the round platforms and vanish out of sight.
A miserable cry suddenly rang out. One of the cultivators had stumbled for some reason, causing one of his legs to sink into the lake. Panicking, he reached out to grab at a companion beside him. His actions made his companion who had also been extremely on edge make a mistake. Thus, both of them lost their balance for a moment. The blood mist surrounding their bodies dissipated and they immediately fell into the lake.
The tranquil blood lake was like a fierce beast that selectively devoured people. Not a single ripple would crease the calm surface of the lake under normal circumstances, but it reacted viciously when somebody fell into it. A blood wave surged and came crashing down. The two cultivators who made a mistake were swept into the blood lake and disappeared without even a single bubble emerging.
Many people were horrified by the sight. The cultivators standing by the shore and preparing to make their attempt suddenly lost their courage to step forward onto the lake. They hesitated for a time, unable to make up their minds.
Yang Kai said, “Let’s find a spot with less people.”
Qu Hua Shang expressed her agreement, “Good.”
Although both of them had confidence in their respective abilities, they could not withstand the interference of others. Things would most likely end in tragedy for them if they were dragged down by a cultivator who stumbled like what happened in the situation just now.
After searching around for some time, they soon arrived at a location with less people. Yang Kai turned to look at Qu Hua Shang, “Senior Sister Qu, be careful.”
Qu Hua Shang smiled sweetly, “Rest assured. If I sense that something is wrong, I will definitely drag you down into the water with me. Although we could not be born on the same day and year, we can always die together. We can be a pair of lovebird ghosts. I’m sure it’ll be better than dying alone. Right, Junior Brother?”
Yang Kai sighed out loud as he commented, “I never realised that you were such a vicious cunning snake, Senior Sister Qu. I’m considering whether I should stay away from you.”
To which she giggled, “It’s too late!”
At the same time, she reached out her hand and grabbed his arm. She even pressed her ample bosom against him without hesitation, transmitting a sense of amazing elasticity to him. Before he could react, she jumped into the blood lake and pulled him in with her.
Shocked and frightened, Yang Kai hurriedly circulated the first chapter of the Blood Light Scripture to control the Blood Qi in his body according to the Secret Art that he had just learned. A pale golden light immediately enveloped his entire body.
*Pa…*
The two of them landed steadily on the surface of the blood lake. Ripples spread out from beneath their feet, slowly spreading outward.
Yang Kai felt cold sweat drenching his entire body. A breeze blew by, making his body shiver from the cold. He turned around and glared at Qu Hua Shang furiously, “Are you insane!? Couldn’t you have given me a warning, at least!?”
Qu Hua Shang looked at Yang Kai with surprise evident in her beautiful eyes, “Junior Brother Yang, your blood… is golden?”
Under normal circumstances, it was impossible for other people to tell the difference unless he was injured; however, he was circulating the Blood Light Scripture at the moment. The blood mist covering his entire body immediately revealed just how different he was from the others.
She tilted her head to the side. Sniffing him like a dog, she furrowed her eyebrows together, “The aura of a Divine Spirit?” Then, she stared at him in shock and exclaimed, “Junior Brother, do you have a Divine Spirit bloodline? Are you part of the Monster Race?”
Yang Kai became visibly irritated, “Monster Race, my foot!”
On the other hand, Qu Hua Shang’s expression was pure and innocent as she pursed her lips and asked with a twinkle in her eye, “Junior Brother, are you angry?”
At this point, he was practically on the verge of exploding from rage so his expression became surly, “No.”
He extricated his arm from her embrace. Following that, he carefully observed the blood lake and sensed the flow of the blood water under his feet. It didn’t take long before he discovered the secret behind the blood lake.
The ‘water’ in the blood lake might seem calm and undisturbed, but it was actually constantly shifting. It was just that these changes were so hidden that they were very difficult to detect. These changes could only be detected if one was standing on top of the lake. Furthermore, these changes gave the lake a peculiar suction force that caused a person to involuntarily fall into it. Only those who were circulating the Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture could resist this pulling force and stand above the surface of the lake.
After becoming aware of this fact, Yang Kai felt a sense of understanding flooding his heart. He became certain that the Blood Light Scripture recorded on the stele was indeed the foundation of passing this test. It could be said that there was no danger as long as one remained focused and constantly maintained the Blood Light Scripture at all times while standing on the surface of the lake. In fact, one would have no trouble reaching the first island at all. The cultivators who fell into the lake and lost their lives either failed to comprehend the Blood Light Scripture thoroughly or made a mistake due to their nerves. Whichever the case, their actions ultimately resulted in their deaths. In truth, the first part of this test was not difficult to overcome!
Yang Kai gained confidence from this knowledge and strode forward. Sure enough, he could walk safely across the blood lake as long as he continuously maintained the Blood Light Scripture. After taking a few steps forward though, he abruptly turned back to look at Qu Hua Shang, who was standing there blankly, “Why are you just standing there?”
Qu Hua Shang looked at him pitifully, “I was wrong. Junior Brother, please don’t be angry. Okay?”
He was speechless, “I’m not angry.”
She quietly said, “You clearly look angry. Haih… It looks like you won’t forgive me, Junior Brother. Then, this Senior Sister has no reason to continue living. I might as well die.”
While saying that, the blood mist around her body showed signs of dispersing on its own.
Yang Kai was shocked and shouted, “Senior Sister Qu, stop fooling around!”
At the same time, he hurriedly reached out to grab her, but to his surprise, she giggled and flicked her sleeves. A ribbon flew out and wrapped around his arm. Immediately after that, she fluttered like a dancing butterfly and threw herself into his arms. Lifting her head, she looked at him with her elegant and beautiful eyes.
Exhaling an orchid scent, she whispered sweetly, “I knew you’d be unwilling to let me go, Junior Brother.”
“Crazy woman!” He cursed through gritted teeth, “Is this the place to fool around?”
“I was wrong…” She said pitifully as she pressed her exquisite body up against him slightly.
All of a sudden, Yang Kai felt extremely uncomfortable. A gorgeous and seductive woman was literally in his arms. Moreover, she was rubbing herself up against him. Having such a mesmerising beauty in such close proximity left him feeling dry-mouthed and confused. Thus, he quickly grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her away slightly as he sternly said, “Senior Sister Qu, please behave yourself!”
[She was not this forward the last time we met each other in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary! What is wrong with her today? Her behaviour is too much to bear!]
Her expression turned cold and she glared at him, “Junior Brother, are you saying that I’m behaving badly?”
[Why is she suddenly being so unreasonable?]
Just as he was about to explain himself, she went against his expectations and stomped her foot in anger, “If that’s what you think, Junior Brother, then this Senior Sister won’t disturb you anymore! Hmph!”
Her hair slapped him in the face as she whipped her head around and strode away without a backward glance.
Stunned, Yang Kai was left standing stupidly in place, realizing once more that a woman’s heart is impossible to fathom.
The two of them looked like a pair of lovebirds quarrelling on the surface of the lake. Their flirtatious actions made many cultivators look at them in annoyance; therefore, many of them applauded in their hearts when they saw Qu Hua Shang abandoning Yang Kai.
Qu Hua Shang moved very quickly and it didn’t take more than a few moments for her to arrive on the first island. Meanwhile, Yang Kai was stunned for a while before he came back to his senses and hurriedly caught up to her.
The first test was not very difficult. As long as one could maintain the Blood Light Scripture smoothly, one could resist the pulling force coming from the blood lake
A moment later, Yang Kai also set foot on the first island. Three round platforms appeared out of nowhere in front of him the moment both his feet touched the ground. The round platforms were covered in a light barrier and they each contained one Monster Beast Core.
When he tried to investigate the Monster Cores with his Divine Sense, Yang Kai quickly determined that he could not probe into the contents of the barriers. He couldn’t even figure out what Element the Monster Cores belonged to. It looked like Blood Monster Divine Monarch had no intention of giving anybody any basis to make a judgement. The reward one would receive after arriving on this island was completely based on luck.
Realizing this, he randomly reached out towards one of the round platforms. The light barrier did not hinder his movements in any way. He was holding an Earth Element Monster Core when he retracted his hand from the light barrier. The three round platforms abruptly sank back into the ground and vanished out of sight after he retrieved the Monster Core.
Qu Hua Shang happened to be standing beside him and nudged him with her elbow before asking in a whisper, “Junior Brother, what Order Monster Core did you get?”
He turned to look at her and laughed, “I thought you were ignoring me, Senior Sister.”
She blinked, “I was joking just now. Couldn’t you tell? You sure are dense.”
[Who plays a joke like that!?] Yang Kai was speechless. Nevertheless, he revealed the Monster Core in his hand, “See for yourself, Senior Sister.”
She glanced at the Monster Core in his hand and said proudly, “You only received a Fourth-Order Monster Core. I got a Fifth-Order one!”
While saying that, she stretched out her hand to show him her Monster Core.
He glanced over and discovered that she had indeed received a Fifth-Order Monster Core. It would seem that the rewards here were not all the same. Turning around to observe the others around him, he saw that some had obtained Third-Order Monster Cores while others had Fourth-Order Cores like him. Only one other person received a Fifth-Order Monster Core, just like Qu Hua Shang.
Judging from the situation, the rewards for the first island ranged from Third-Order to Fifth-Order Monster Cores. Third-Order and Fourth-Order Monster Cores were far more common, but Fifth-Order Monster Cores were rare.
This discovery made his heart pump with excitement. If that was the case for the first island, then what about the second island, third island, and the palace in the middle of the lake. It might actually be possible to find Seventh-Order Monster Cores in this place! Hence, Yang Kai became even more determined to check out the palace in the middle of the lake.
At the moment, at least hundreds of people had gathered on the first island and more were heading here from the shore. Looking at the situation, the cultivators gathered on the shore had an 80% chance of reaching the first island. Furthermore, they would receive a reward as long as they arrived on this island. Those with great luck might even obtain a Fifth-Order Monster Core as a reward.
The first person to step foot on this island was the Great Thousand Blood Land disciple. Nearly half a day had passed since then. In other words, he had already been comprehending the stele here for slightly less than half a day. His progress was much faster than everybody else.
Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang did not dare to procrastinate. They quickly found a place to sit and immersed their minds in meditation, allowing the stele to guide them as they studied this Secret Art.
The stele on the first island indeed turned out to be the second chapter of the Blood Light Scripture. It was the continuation of the first chapter, but in comparison, the second chapter was much more esoteric and difficult to cultivate.
The expressions of many cultivators were difficult as they furrowed their brows together, looking as though they were having trouble understanding what they were seeing. Nonetheless, they tried their best to persevere.
Yang Kai immersed himself into the second chapter of the Blood Light Scripture, unable to extricate himself. About half a day had passed by the time he opened his eyes again. Looking around, he saw that the Great Thousand Blood Land disciple was nowhere to be seen. He immediately glanced in the direction of the second island and sure enough, he could see that person’s figure on the second island.
The Great Thousand Blood Land disciple had an extremely deep foundation in the Dao of Blood; therefore, he held a unique advantage over the others here. He also arrived on the first island earlier than all the others, so it was only natural for him to be in the lead. Aside from him, more than a dozen other cultivators had also arrived on the second island. Meanwhile, more than twenty others were cautiously making their way across the surface of the lake.
Yang Kai then turned to look at Qu Hua Shang and discovered that she was still in the middle of comprehending the Secret Art, and it did not look like she was going to wake up anytime soon. It was not to say that her aptitude was not as good as others. Having arrived later than the others, it stood to reason that she would be a little behind compared to the lead group. Be that as it may, Yang Kai did not rush to leave and simply sat beside her and waited patiently.
About an hour later, Qu Hua Shang slowly opened her eyes and gently let out a breath of turbid air. She turned to look at Yang Kai and said, “I apologise for making you wait such a long time, Junior Brother. Next time, you can set off on your own. You don’t need to wait for me.”
Although she had been comprehending the mysteries of the stele, she was not ignorant about what was going on in the outside world; hence, she was aware that he had been waiting for her for a long time. It was just that she was at a critical juncture of her comprehension so it had not been convenient for her to stop partway, forcing her to continue her meditation.
“It’s fine!” He smiled, “Besides, I didn’t wait that long.”
“Let’s go.” She called out to him.
Walking side by side, they headed in the direction of the second island. When they came to the lake, he said, “Be careful, Senior Sister Qu. The second stage is much more difficult than the first stage. The casualty rate is also much higher.”
He had been observing his surroundings for the past hour, so it was only natural that he noticed more things than the others. Compared with the first stage, it was obvious that the difficulty of the second stage had increased significantly. Many cultivators who passed the first stage had easily lost their lives in the second stage.
“You be careful too, Junior Brother,” she said.
Yang Kai nodded and stepped forward while circulating the Blood Light Scripture. A layer of golden blood mist immediately burst out from all over his body. It was denser and more imposing than before. After that, he gently stepped onto the surface of the lake. Resisting the pulling force of the blood lake, he moved forward step by step.
Qu Hua Shang followed close behind.
The pair immediately revealed how different they were from most people the moment they set off. Despite setting off a little later than others, their speed was not slow at all. They proceeded forward step by step with no hesitation at all. On the other hand, most of the other cultivators seemed to experience great hardship with every step that they took and many of them were sweating profusely. Their sweat slid down their faces and dripped into the blood lake. Every step required immense time and effort, so they could not move quickly.
It was only a short distance of a couple thousand metres, but Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang surpassed those who came before them one after another. It only took both of them less than a cup of tea worth of time to arrive at the second island. Unlike Yang Kai’s calm and relaxed demeanour though, Qu Hua Shang let out a sigh of relief. Her complexion was slightly pale and it could be seen that she had consumed a lot of energy to keep up with his pace.
Just like when they set foot on the first island, three round platforms that were covered by a light barrier immediately appeared in front of the two of them out of nowhere. Three Monster Cores lay quietly on the round platforms. After their previous experience, how could they not know that this was their reward for reaching the second island?
Qu Hua Shang was still comparing the three Monster Cores, feeling hesitant and uncertain about which Monster Core to pick. On the other hand, Yang Kai had already stretched out his hand to the round platform in the middle. There was nothing to compare. He could not tell which Monster Core was better, so he simply decided to leave it up to luck.
He easily passed through the light barrier sealing the Monster Core, took out the Monster Core in the round platform, and glanced at the Monster Core. It was a Fifth-Order Wood Element!
Turning to look at Qu Hua Shang, he saw that she had made her decision and took out a Monster Core. The power fluctuation coming from the Monster Core indicated that it was also in the Fifth-Order, but it was a Fire Element Monster Core.
The reward from the first island were Monster Cores ranging from the Third-Order to the Fifth-Order. Third-Order and Fourth-Order Monster Cores were common, while Fifth-Order Monster Cores were very rare. Upon arriving on the second island, both of them had obtained a Fifth-Order Monster Core each. The reward had clearly increased by a whole Order.
[Based on this conjecture, won’t the reward for the next island be in the Sixth-Order? In that case, there will definitely be Seventh-Order Monster Cores in the palace in the middle of the lake!] Yang Kai’s heart blazed with flames of excitement. He was becoming more and more determined to check out the palace in the middle of the lake. Although he could ignore Blood Monster Divine Monarch’s Dao of Blood inheritance, he could not let the opportunity slip him by when there was a high possibility that the resources he needed were in that place.
Closely following behind them, a steady stream of people was beginning to arrive on the second island. When they received their rewards, Yang Kai secretly paid attention to them. He discovered that only those with terrible luck would receive Fourth-Order Monster Cores. Most of them received Fifth-Order Monster Cores, but nobody received any Sixth-Order Monster Cores.
After getting a taste of sweet rewards, the cultivators that arrived on the island became more and more motivated. They quickly found a place to sit down and began to comprehend the Blood Light Scripture on the stele. The stele by the shore had contained the Blood Light Scripture’s first chapter and the one on the first island had contained the second chapter. Hence, the second island probably contained the third chapter.
Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang each found a spot to sit down. They immersed their minds in the stele and discovered that it really contained the third chapter; thus, they concentrated on their cultivation.
Compared to the first two chapters, the third chapter was much more profound and mysterious. Be that as it may, the aptitudes of the cultivators who could reach the second island would not be poor. It should not be a problem for them to comprehend the mysteries of this Secret Art. The hard part was circulating and maintaining the Blood Light Scripture.
Yang Kai had failed to notice anything when he was learning this Secret Art earlier, and it was not until he reached the second island that he suddenly realised something. Those with more robust vitality had a greater advantage among those who cultivated the Blood Light Scripture. It was not hard to understand why. The Blood Light Scripture was a Secret Art related to the Dao of Blood, so it would naturally require a strong and robust vitality, and thus a strong Blood Qi.
After noticing this point, Yang Kai failed to stifle his laughter. He previously assumed that the Great Thousand Blood Land disciple would have a larger advantage when comprehending the Blood Light Scripture due to his foundation in the Dao of Blood; however, it would now seem that he had the greatest blessing of them all!
Due to the Dragon Source in his body, nearly pure Dragon Blood flowed through his veins. He could transform into a 3,000-metre-tall Half-Dragon Form when he used his Dragon Transformation Secret Art. In a contest of the most robust Blood Qi, there was nobody among his peers who could compare with him. Even the Great Thousand Blood Land disciple who took the lead could only look up at him from behind.
All of a sudden, realisation struck Yang Kai. Back on the first island, he and Qu Hua Shang had started comprehending the Blood Light Scripture at the same time; however, he finished comprehending the Secret Art much earlier than her.
As one of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s Core Disciples, it was a given that Qu Hua Shang’s aptitude and comprehension abilities were among the best of the best in the entire 3,000 Worlds; otherwise, she would not have the success she enjoyed right now. Even so, the reality was that he was much faster than her when it came to comprehending the Blood Light Scripture.
He had not given much thought to this matter before, but it would now seem that it was not because his aptitude and comprehension abilities were much better than hers. Rather, it was the abundant vitality in his body that gave him a natural advantage in comprehending the Blood Light Scripture.
It was not just Qu Hua Shang. The same went for Pei Wen Xuan from Myriad Demons Heaven. His speed of progress was similar to hers. Although he was slightly slower than her, it was by no more than a cup of tea worth of time. He also departed not long after they departed from the first island. Similarly, he also arrived on the second island not long after they arrived.
Just as Yang Kai’s thoughts were wandering, he suddenly felt an unusual power fluctuation coming from the side. He hurriedly jerked his eyes open and looked in the direction. Not far away, steam was coming out of a cultivator’s head as though he was a cooked bun that just came out of the oven. His exposed skin was blood-red and the veins in his neck throbbed wildly. It was a truly horrifying sight. That in itself was bad enough; unfortunately, the main point was that a dense blood mist was oozing out of the pores on his skin. He was completely enveloped in a blood-red mist in the blink of an eye.
“He’s experiencing cultivation dissonance!” Somebody exclaimed in horror, quickly standing up and distancing himself from that person.
Yang Kai’s expression stiffened. He knew that the person who spoke was correct. This cultivator was experiencing dissonance in his cultivation while cultivating the Blood Light Scripture. Things would end disastrously for that cultivator if he did not figure out a way to resolve this crisis. But, who could afford to take care of others at this time?
It happened right in front of everybody, and in less than three breaths, a cry of agony rang out from within the dense blood mist. The blood mist exploded to reveal that cultivator’s miserable figure.
“Save… Save me!” That cultivator reached out a hand and begged for help. His complexion was haggard and his body had become incredibly thin. Those words had only just left his mouth when blood lines spurted out of his body like tens of thousands of fine red strands. The blood shot out in all directions. Immediately after that, his head drooped and all the aura in his body disappeared.
Everybody on the island stared at the sight in horror. After this person suffered from cultivation dissonance, all the essence in his body swiftly dissipated and he became a corpse that was nothing more than a skeleton wrapped in dry skin. It went to show how horrifying the Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture was. This was the first time somebody experienced cultivation dissonance while cultivating the Blood Light Scripture; moreover, most had never seen such a miserable and tragic way of dying before. Thus, they couldn’t help feeling worried.
“Ah!” Another miserable cry rang out.
Everybody turned to look in the direction of the sound. There was another person experiencing dissonance in his cultivation. All the Blood Qi in his body gushed out. His plump body quickly dried out and withered away. The essence of his body turned into a blood mist that covered him completely. A moment later, the blood mist exploded. Countless blood spouts shot out of his pores and turned him into a mummified corpse.
In just a short span of time, two people had suffered from cultivation dissonance and lost their lives as a result. It deeply drove home the realization that the Blood Light Scripture was not something that could be cultivated by just anybody, and the slightest negligence would result in death.
Nobody had suffered from cultivation dissonance back at the lakeshore or on the first island. That was because they had not cultivated critical parts of the Secret Art yet. It was not until the second island that the power of the Blood Light Scripture began to show.
Some of the cultivators scowled fiercely and the thought of withdrawing came to mind. The two who died might not be well-known, but since they could reach this point, it went to show that they were undoubtedly elite disciples of some powerful great force out there. Even a person like that had suffered such a terrible fate. If the others continued to comprehend the Secret Art, there was no saying who would follow in their footsteps.
“I’m not doing this anymore.” Somebody decided that he could not withstand the pressure. He knew the extent of his own aptitude and comprehension abilities. Things would not end well for him if he continued to comprehend this Secret Art so he shouted, “Screw the Dao of Blood inheritance! I don’t need it!”
Up to this point, he had received two rewards for managing to arrive on the second island. It was not as if he was leaving empty-handed if he turned back at this point. Besides, staying here would only take up more time. He might as well use this time to explore other places. Who could say whether he might obtain even better gains than staying here? Thus, he moved decisively. He went back along the way he came while speaking. Activating the Blood Light Scripture, he used the blood mist to protect his body as he headed towards the first island.
Contrary to expectations though, he had only just stepped onto the blood lake when the blood mist enveloping his body suddenly seemed to be drawn by something else and was immediately absorbed by the blood lake. There was no way for him to defend against the pulling force of the blood lake without the blood mist protecting him, so he sank into the lake before he even realised what was going on and without the slightest splash.
Everybody was dumbfounded! That person had arrived on the second island safely, which went to show that he was a rather capable individual. He had already comprehended the mysteries of the Blood Light Scripture’s second chapter. Nevertheless, he met his death on the way back; it came out of nowhere and seemingly for no reason.
More importantly, everybody clearly noticed that the blood mist did not disappear on its own. It had been absorbed by the blood lake. They did not encounter this phenomenon when they were coming here. It was almost as if the blood lake did not allow him to turn back.
“Blood Monster Divine Monarch was not a benevolent man. How could he allow you to come and go as you please at the place where he prepared his inheritance?” A cold sneer rang out. It came from Pei Wen Xuan of Myriad Demons Heaven.
Somebody politely cupped his fists, “Senior Brother, are you saying that… those who turn back will die?”
Pei Wen Xuan coldly snorted, “I didn’t say that, but anybody who wishes to return can go ahead and try. Even I would like to know for sure whether only death awaits us if we try to turn back. Who can satisfy my curiosity? I can thank him for his efforts.”
[Thanks!? What good will that do!? We may even lose our lives in the process!] With the previous example right in front of them, who would dare to make an attempt lightly? Although there was no way to confirm the truth, what Pei Wen Xuan mentioned was not without reason. This place was where Blood Monster Divine Monarch’s Dao of Blood inheritance was located. It was impossible for people to come and go as they pleased.
A woman turned pale as she asked, “Does that mean we can only keep moving forward?”
If she had known that the path would be so dangerous, she would not have waded into these muddy waters. She initially planned to leave after obtaining enough benefits from this place, but it would seem that she no longer had the option of leaving even if she wanted to.
Looking at the current situation, it would seem that the rewards on the island were simply bait. The rewards were used to incite countless cultivators to penetrate deeper into the blood lake and force them to proceed forward in order to check out the palace in the middle of the lake.
Yang Kai’s expression was gloomy. He had also been lured into this place by the rewards; however, what attracted him was not the Dao of Blood inheritance but the Monster Cores provided as rewards.
“You can also choose to remain here!” Pei Wen Xuan grinned meaningfully. Without saying anything else, he continued to comprehend the Blood Light Scripture.
Everybody knew that what he said was unreasonable. Choosing to remain here was a dead-end option; they would be trapped here until they died. They couldn’t just stay here for the rest of their lives, right? At the very least, they might have a chance of survival if they continued to press forward. It could be said that their retreat was cut off the moment they set foot on the first island. The crisis of life and death gave them no choice but to continue.
What was obvious now was that Blood Monster Divine Monarch was an extremely insidious man. It was not difficult to reach the first island, so 80% of the cultivators present could succeed, which allowed them to obtain a reward with little effort. For that reason, everybody racked their brains to arrive on the island and fell into this trap as a result.
Regardless of what other people might think, Yang Kai refused to give up halfway. It was true that he was only lured in by the Monster Cores given as a reward, but be that as it may, his strong Blood Qi gave him some natural advantages. If even he could not pass this trial, then everybody else in this place could only wait for their deaths.
He then turned to look at Qu Hua Shang and likewise, her eyes were firm.
It could be said that most cultivators would not back down easily from challenges. People like the cultivator earlier, who wanted to return via the same path he came, were in the minority; after all, who among the cultivators present were not people with great perseverance? That was how they achieved everything they had so far in their lives. Which one of them did not experience life and death struggles countless times? If they turned tail and fled at every setback they encountered, they would not have reached the Emperor Realm in the first place.
Closing his eyes again, Yang Kai continued to comprehend the third chapter of the Blood Light Scripture.
In the meantime, a steady stream of people moved to head towards the third island. It was just that the casualty rate was noticeably higher than before. Many of the cultivators successfully arrived at the first and second islands with ease only to perished en-route to the third island.
A long while later, Yang Kai opened his eyes. He integrated the essence of all three chapters of the Blood Light Scripture from the three steles and circulated the Blood Light Scripture. A golden blood mist immediately appeared around his body. Nodding lightly to himself, he was certain that he would have no problem crossing the blood lake and reaching the third island in his current state.
He turned to the side and saw that Qu Hua Shang was still comprehending the Secret Art. Just as he was debating as to whether he should wait for her or not, she abruptly opened her eyes on her own, “Are you done, Junior Brother?”
He nodded.
She said, “Then, you should go ahead first, Junior Brother. I will catch up to you later. You don’t need to wait for me.”
He raised his head and glanced in the direction of the third island. Then, he slowly shook his head, “No. Let’s go together.”
It was obvious that she did not expect that response from him; thus, she couldn’t help blinking at him in surprise for a moment before she exclaimed with a touched expression, “You are so good to me, Junior Brother!”
He sweated slightly at those words, “I just think that Blood Monster Divine Monarch’s inheritance can’t be that simple. It’s better to let the others test the waters first.”
She leaned into his embrace, tilted her head upward slightly, and spoke in a coquettish voice, “This Senior Sister can’t help it anymore. I want to promise myself to you right now. What should I do?”
Yang Kai naturally acted like he heard nothing, “Senior Sister, stop playing around. Hurry up and finish comprehending.”
“En.” She nodded repeatedly, acting like an obedient little girl, “I will listen to everything you say!”
After saying that, she closed her eyes and continued to comprehend the Blood Light Scripture.
There was nothing to do, so Yang Kai watched the movements in his surroundings. Even now, many people continued to head in this direction from the shore. The number of people on the first island remained high. Similarly, there were over 300 people gathered together on the second island. In contrast, only 6 people were gathered on the third island. The Great Thousand Blood Land disciple was among those 6.
Yang Kai could not help being amazed. [It really is different when one has a foundation in the Dao of Blood.]
Among the cultivators gathered here, Qu Hua Shang and Pei Wen Xuan were not the only ones who came from various Cave-Heavens and Paradises. There would surely be others; even so, the Great Thousand Blood Land disciple remained in the lead. It clearly indicated that his heritage was also very impressive. At this rate, he might really be the first person to arrive at the palace in the middle of the lake.
Be that as it may, Yang Kai was not worried that the Great Thousand Blood Land disciple might get a head start over them and obtain Blood Monster Divine Monarch’s inheritance. It was unconfirmed whether the Dao of Blood inheritance was even inside the palace in the middle of the lake, and if it was, the test to obtain it would not be that simple. Just as Yang Kai mentioned earlier, the first to arrive might not have an advantage. Although the pioneer would get the first attempt at the prize, the very same pioneer might also end up paving the road for the others.
After waiting for approximately four hours, Qu Hua Shang finally opened her eyes. The look in her beautiful eyes was as gentle as water as she said softly, “Junior Brother, I’ve made you wait.”
“It’s fine.” Yang Kai stood up and called out to her, “Let’s go.”
They walked to the lake together. Circulating the Blood Light Scripture, he took a step onto the lake.
“Junior Brother, please be careful. I don’t wish to become a widow at such a young age,” she reminded him from the side.
Yang Kai stumbled upon hearing those words and the Secret Art he was circulating nearly stopped. Therefore, he couldn’t help glaring fiercely at her. It made her giggle madly. For a moment, she was so gorgeous that her flirtatiousness practically oozed out like water.
There was a cultivator standing next to them. They did not know which great force he came from. Unfortunately, he was so befuddled by the sight of her beauty that he fell into the blood lake with a splash and lost his life.
Qu Hua Shang stopped laughing with an innocent expression.
Yang Kai sighed, “Let’s go.”
She nodded and stepped onto the blood lake before him. Ripples spread out from beneath her feet as she stood steadily on the surface of the water. Turning to look back at him, she playfully said, “Junior Brother, stay close, okay?”
He involuntarily snorted at those words but followed behind her nevertheless as they set off for the third island; however, the smile soon slid off his face. It reached a point where he didn’t even dare to look forward anymore. The main reason was that this crazy woman was twisting and swaying her hips in front of him hypnotically. He could not tell whether she was doing so intentionally or whether her actions were simply a natural habit, but her graceful and seductive curves evoked endless imagination in his head. Unable to take it anymore, he quickly caught up to her in a few steps and walked side by side. Only then did he get some peace of mind.
The third island was also located a couple thousand metres away from the second. As long as they circulated the Blood Light Scripture correctly and maintained the blood mist around their bodies to protect themselves, they would be able to cross the blood lake safely.
In less than the time it takes to boil a cup of tea, the pair arrived on the third island. At this moment, there were only a dozen or so people present. The elimination tests at each stage were becoming more and more difficult. Accordingly, the number of people who safely passed those tests became lower.
Upon arriving at this spot, Yang Kai finally became a little nervous even though he had remained calm all this time. According to his estimation, it was possible that the reward they would receive at the third island was a Seventh-Order Monster Core. Although the possibility was not high, there was always a glimmer of hope.
Three round platforms appeared in front of the two of them once more.
Yang Kai stared at the three Monster Cores in front of him and was unable to make up his mind. While he was hesitating, he suddenly detected a strange energy fluctuation coming from the side. He turned to look and saw Qu Hua Shang staring fixedly at the Monster Core in her hand with her mouth gaping open in shock. Her beautiful eyes were filled with surprise and joy.
That Monster Core was Seventh-Order! Moreover, judging from the aura it was exuding, it was an extremely rare Yang Element Monster Core!
Yang Kai was completely dumbfounded by the sight! Although he had the feeling that a Seventh-Order Monster Core might appear on the third island, he never imagined that it would actually appear in front of him, much less that Qu Hua Shang would obtain it!
“Put it away!” He quickly sent her a transmission.
Qu Hua Shang snapped back to her senses and lifted her head to glance around. A dozen or so people in front of them were all staring in this direction. It was obvious that they had sensed the energy fluctuations coming from the Seventh-Order Monster Core. They all had shocked and greedy expressions on their faces.
That was a Seventh-Order Monster Core, a treasure worth hundreds of millions of Open Heaven Pills! Back at the exchange meeting in Red Clouds Auction House, Yang Kai had paid more than 200 million Open Heaven Pills in exchange for the Primordial Yang Profound Ginseng! In other words, the Yang Element Monster Core that she received was worth at least 200 million Open Heaven Pills!
For something like that to simply fall into Qu Hua Shang’s hands so easily… Even a Core Disciple from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven like her felt as though she had been struck by a huge blessing.
It wasn’t until she stored the Seventh-Order Monster Core into her Space Ring that those gazes slowly retracted. They could probably tell that she was not an easy prey; otherwise, it would not be surprising for them to attack and rob her.
After being stimulated by this incident, Yang Kai couldn’t help rolling up his sleeves in anticipation. He took a deep breath and reached his hand into the light barrier on the left. When he withdrew his hand and spread open his palm, his anticipation immediately turned into disappointment.
It was not a Seventh-Order Monster Core. It was not even a Sixth-Order Monster Core. It was a Fifth-Order Monster Core! He nearly spat blood when he saw it. [This is the third island! How can I obtain a Fifth-Order Monster Core as a reward!? Are you joking with me!? I would have grudgingly accepted even if it was only a Sixth-Order Monster Core!]
Compared to what Qu Hua Shang had obtained, the Fifth-Order Monster Core he received was trash. It deserved to be thrown away without a second glance. Upon further consideration, a Seventh-Order Monster Core would not appear so easily even though this was the third island. It was amazingly lucky of her to receive a Seventh-Order Monster Core. The others would never get another opportunity to obtain a Seventh-Order Monster Core again.
Seeming to sense Yang Kai’s disappointment, Qu Hua Shang whispered, “Junior Brother Yang, do you want my Monster Core? I can give it to you.”
“Give it to me?” He glanced at her in surprise. That was a Yang Element Seventh-Order Monster Core! How could she just offer to give it away like that? There would definitely be more than one Master in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven who would need this resource. It could be said that it would be a huge achievement if she brought this Seventh-Order Monster Core back!
She continued, “Don’t you need High-Rank materials?”
Even if not for the fact that they had known each other since the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary and she was aware that he had condensed High-Rank Powers, his existence had caught the attention of the major Cave-Heavens and Paradises at this point. As long as Qu Hua Shang casually inquired, she would be able to get this information.
Yang Kai was stunned for a moment before he chuckled and shook his head, “Many thanks, Senior Sister. Unfortunately, I can’t use this Monster Core anymore.”
If it was before he participated in the exchange meeting, he might have considered trading with her for the Yang Element Seventh-Order Monster Core; however, he had already condensed his Yang Element now. This Monster Core was useless to him for the time being. Although it might be necessary for him in the future, that was still something far, far off from now.
How could he ask somebody else for something so precious? Nevertheless, he was moved by the fact that she wanted to give this Monster Core to him. [This woman can’t have truly fallen for me, right?]
Be that as it may, his current future was extremely bleak. There was no saying when he would have to face great pressure from multiple parties. Qu Hua Shang was no fool, so how could she fall for him at a time like this?
“Is that so…” She nodded, “Then, I’ll keep it for now. If you need it in the future, you can come to me at any time.” Glancing at him with a shy smile, she added, “Not just the Monster Core. I can even give myself to you.”
“Cough. Cough. Cough…” Yang Kai nearly choked to death on his own saliva. Qu Hua Shang’s boldness was a little difficult to handle. Looking at her was like looking at Shan Qing Luo from before. The seductive charms of the Beguiling Demon Queen were not something just anybody could withstand.
Yang Kai quickly pointed to the front, “Let’s just comprehend the Blood Light Scripture first. Is Blood Monster Divine Monarch sick in the head? Why does he have to make the test so complicated?”
Shaking his head, he walked towards the stele, listening to coquettish laughter coming from behind.
The stele was not small. Moreover, not many people had managed to reach the third island, so Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang casually found a spot and sat down together as usual. Afterward, they immersed their consciousness into the stele and immediately began to comprehend the fourth chapter of the Blood Light Scripture. Many subtle mysteries poured into their minds.
The two of them had only just sat down for less than six hours. They were comprehending the Secret Art when they suddenly heard a loud laughter, “I did it! I comprehended it! Blood Monster Divine Monarch’s inheritance is mine!”
The wild laughter was extremely wanton and arrogant.
Affected by this disturbance, all the cultivators who were quietly comprehending the Secret Art under the stele involuntarily opened their eyes. They looked forward and saw the Great Thousand Blood Land disciple laughing maniacally with his head thrown back. The blood mist surrounding his body churned violently. It was terrifying to see.
At this moment, he was laughing while striding towards the blood lake. His eyes were filled with a look of desire. As long as he could pass the final section of the blood lake, then he could arrive at the palace in the middle of the lake and get a glimpse of the inheritance!
A black mist suddenly surged forward and turned into a pitch-black python. The black python opened its mouth wide and lunged at him. It looked extremely lifelike. Moreover, it was overflowing with Demon Qi, making it all the more horrifying.
The man jumped in fright and hurriedly backed away. The blood mist around him shuddered, wriggling and changing to transform into a blood-coloured knife that came slashing down on the black python’s head.
The blood knife beheaded the black python, but before the Great Thousand Blood Land disciple could let out a breath of relief, the severed pieces of the black python suddenly exploded into countless tiny snakes. Their tongues flickered as they hissed and shot towards him like lightning.
He gave a roar and used both hands to send out Secret Techniques. The blood knife instantly turned into a thousand blades that he slashed out as he backed away.
Black snake after black snake was cut to pieces and dissipated as Demon Qi. The blood blades also vanished in a short time. By the time all the black snakes were beheaded, the blood mist surrounding the Great Thousand Blood Land disciple had weakened considerably. He abruptly turned around and glared in a certain direction, “Pei Wen Xuan, what’s the meaning of this!”
The attack just now had been too obvious. He didn’t even need to guess to know that the attack came from Pei Wen Xuan of Myriad Demons Heaven and he was both shocked and furious.
Pei Wen Xuan sat there motionlessly and stared at the Great Thousand Blood Land disciple coldly, “I just can’t stand the sight of you!”
The Great Thousand Blood Land disciple was absolutely livid. Unfortunately, his strength was lacking. He knew that he was not Pei Wen Xuan’s opponent, so he was forced to suppress his rage, “Brother Pei, this Zhou Yi will not forget your gift today and will be certain to return the favour in the future!”
The meaning behind his words clearly indicated that he would get his revenge one day.
After throwing out those harsh words, he moved to set out for the palace in the middle of the lake. He had only just started walking when he heard Pei Wen Xuan saying faintly, “I dare you to take a step forward and see what happens.”
Zhou Yi paused mid-step and did not dare to put his foot down. He glared at Pei Wen Xuan, “What do you mean, Brother Pei?”
He could sense that Pei Wen Xuan’s gaze was locked tightly on him like a panther that was about to pounce on its prey. The rage in his heart was like a volcano that was about to erupt, squeezing him to the point where it was very uncomfortable.
Pei Wen Xuan calmly replied, “If you left quietly after comprehending the Blood Light Scripture, this Pei would not have bothered to cause trouble for you, but you deliberately made such a ruckus to disturb me. Because of that, all of my previous efforts were wasted. Did you think this Pei was so easily bullied!?”
Zhou Yi gritted his teeth, “I was simply overjoyed just now and lost control of myself. It was not intentional!”
Pei Wen Xuan sneered, “Whether it was intentional or not, it’s up to me to decide. It’s pointless for you to argue with me.”
Zhou Yi shouted, “What do you want, Brother Pei?”
“Nothing!” Pei Wen Xuan lazily cracked his neck, “You just need to stand there quietly. Once this Pei finishes comprehending the Blood Light Scripture, you can set off together with me.”
Zhou Yi was furious. He had been in the lead ever since he came to the blood lake. Not to mention that it was the final stage and he was much further ahead compared to everybody else. How could Pei Wen Xuan force him to wait here!? How could he be willing!? If that truly were the case, then all his efforts and advantages from before would come to nothing. He had planned to set off early to see if he could obtain Blood Monster Divine Monarch’s Dao of Blood inheritance. No matter what, it would always be advantageous to be the first to enter the palace in the middle of the lake before everybody else.
“Brother Pei, did you think that this Zhou was a pushover? You might be a disciple of Myriad Demons Heaven, but none of us are in the Open Heaven Realm yet. The difference between our strengths is not that great. If you really want to stop me, Brother Pei, this Zhou will have no choice but to ask you for a demonstration of strength. If we end up fighting each other, it will only be advantageous for the others.”
His words were a mixture of reason and threat, but his response was not bad.
Pei Wen Xuan sneered and pointed at the people around him, “If you think that way, then you are sorely mistaken. Ask them yourself. Let’s see if they agree to let you leave first?”
Zhou Yi turned to look in that direction. Sure enough, there were many malicious gazes staring at him. Many of them looked like they were itching to take action; hence, he immediately became frightened. He realised that his actions just now had incited public anger. In addition to everything that he had done earlier, he had made himself into a target.
Therefore, his complexion turned pale. It was just as Pei Wen Xuan mentioned, he had deliberately laughed out loud to disturb the others who were in the middle of comprehending the Blood Light Scripture. He wanted to make them waste a little more time. Who could have expected that he would lift a rock only to drop it on his foot instead?
He might have gotten away with it if nobody had stepped forward to complain, but Pei Wen Xuan just had to stop him from leaving. With all the commotion they made, how could he possibly be allowed to leave now? If he really were to force his way out of here, he would instantly be besieged by everybody.
With that thought in mind, he gritted his teeth, “Good! I will do as you say, Brother Pei. I will wait for you. I just hope you won’t make me wait too long!”
Zhou Yi was a man who knew how to adapt to the situation. Now that things had come to this point, it was better to wait patiently than to be besieged by everybody. Even if everybody entered the palace in the middle of the lake together, he would still have his own unique advantages; after all, his attainments in the Dao of Blood were much greater compared to the others.
Pei Wen Xuan grinned and nodded, “Rest assured, this Pei won’t let you wait too long.”
The storm finally subsided. Aside from Zhou Yi who was standing there with a hideous expression on his face, everybody else on the third island continued to comprehend the Blood Light Scripture recorded in the stele.
Yang Kai was speechless. He initially wanted the others to enter the palace in the middle of the lake before him so that they could scout the way ahead for him. Unfortunately, his plans were completely ruined after what Pei Wen Xuan did. He had no other means to let the others take the initial risks for him.
Judging from the current situation, it was also not appropriate for him to stand out too much; otherwise, there was a high chance that he would be attacked by the others!
Aside from Zhou Yi of Great Thousand Blood Land, he had the greatest advantage among all the other cultivators here. His abundant and robust Blood Qi allowed him to comprehend the Blood Light Scripture more easily. He could confidently say that he would be able to finish comprehending the Secret Art in another hour. From the looks of things now though, he would have to conceal his advantage.
As expected, Yang Kai attained mastery of the Blood Light Scripture’s fourth chapter through comprehensive study after another hour. He came to realise something when he was on the previous islands; the more robust the Blood Qi of a cultivator, the easier it was for them to cultivate the Blood Light Scripture. At this point, this discovery was only becoming more obvious.
Still, Yang Kai pretended as though he was in the middle of comprehending the Secret Art. At the same time, he stealthily monitored his surroundings with his Divine Sense.
Zhou Yi was still standing there, not daring to make a careless move lest he provoke a violent reaction. It was just that his expression was uglier with the passing of time. He should have been investigating the palace in the middle of the lake by now, but he was forcibly held up in this place by Pei Wen Xuan. How could he not feel resentful?
During this period, more and more people arrived on the third island. Their numbers were not high, but the cultivators who made it this far were the elites among the elites. Bu Lian Zhong was one of them; however, his Junior Brothers and Junior Sister were nowhere to be seen. They probably remained behind on the second island.
Another 7 or 8 hours passed when Yang Kai suddenly noticed a short man secretly opening his eyes by a narrow slit. The short man’s eyes twinkled behind those narrow slits as he surveyed his surroundings.
Yang Kai couldn’t help laughing in surprise. Like Yang Kai, the short man had already attained mastery of the Blood Light Scripture. Despite having the qualifications to set off for the palace in the middle of the lake, he did not reveal the fact immediately. It was clear that he had his own plans.
Yang Kai quietly sighed in amazement. All the cultivators who could arrive on the third island were sneaky tigers hiding their claws. Pei Wen Xuan and Qu Hua Shang were still in the middle of comprehending the Secret Art, but this short man had already finished. It made Yang Kai wonder which great force he belonged to.
Another hour passed and Pei Wen Xuan suddenly let out a turbid breath of relief. He opened his eyes and sighed in amazement, “The Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture is profound indeed!”
While saying so, he stood up and glanced lightly at the cultivators who were gathered around the stele. A trace of murderous intent flashed through his eyes, but in the end, he shook his head and strode towards the blood lake. If possible, he would have liked to slaughter every single person here. After that, he could slowly take his time to explore the palace in the middle of the lake. However, he knew that it was not realistic to think that he could kill all these people.
After waiting for such a long time, Zhou Yi immediately followed suit when he saw that Pei Wen Xuan was finally moving forward.
In the next moment, the short man that Yang Kai noticed earlier also stood up. Another three or four others stood up at the same time. They looked at each other before tacitly shifting their gazes away.
There were five or six people heading towards the palace in the middle of the lake all at once, so it was only natural that it caught the attention of many people. They raised their heads to look in that direction with expressions of envy.
Yang Kai glanced at Qu Hua Shang suspiciously. Logically speaking, she should have finished around the same time, but on the contrary, she was frowning deeply. It was obvious that she was still immersed in comprehending the Secret Art and seemed to have encountered a problem.
This puzzled him; after all, she was one of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s Core Disciples. Moreover, she condensed Sixth-Order Elements. Both her aptitude and her comprehension abilities were the best among the best, so why was she taking so long?
After further consideration though, Yang Kai realised that it might be related to her gender. She was a woman, so her body was inherently more Yin aligned which would make her Blood Qi less vigorous. These two points might be the reason why her progress was slower than the others. Not to mention, there were no other women on the third island aside from her.
Still, Qu Hua Shang was not that much slower than the others. An hour after Pei Wen Xuan and the others left, she finally opened her eyes and glanced at Yang Kai affectionately.
Yang Kai gestured, “Let’s go.”
He was slightly unsettled by this woman. He had not noticed anything when they were in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, so he did not know why she was being so affectionate and forward when he met her again today.
“En!” She nodded.
The two of them walked side by side towards the blood lake. Circulating the Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture, a layer of blood mist immediately surged around their bodies to protect them.
When they stepped onto the blood lake, the various disturbances and the pulling force that came from the blood lake were more than ten times stronger than before. It was conceivable that one could not safely cross this stretch of the blood lake if they did not integrate and link all four chapters of the Blood Light Scripture recorded on all four steles together.
The last stage was several times harder to comprehend than the previous two stages. It was just that those who could reach the third island were all talented and intelligent people, so the casualty rate was much lower. All the people who departed earlier were safe and sound; about to arrive at the palace in the middle of the lake soon.
After another quarter hour or so, those people more or less arrived at the island where the palace was located. They exchanged a glance with each other for a moment, then they rushed towards the palace in unison and vanished out of sight in the blink of an eye.
Pei Wen Xuan was the only one who remained there. He turned around and looked towards Yang Kai, who was making his way across the blood lake.
Their gazes met and Yang Kai felt his heart sinking and thought to himself, [This is bad. This guy is going to pull some dirty trick.]
Pei Wen Xuan had tried to make trouble for Yang Kai when he first arrived at the blood lake, only to be stopped by Qu Hua Shang at the time. Now that Pei Wen Xuan was safely standing on the island in the middle of the lake while Yang Kai was standing on the surface of the lake, he finally found the perfect opportunity to do something,
The thought had only just occurred to Yang Kai when he saw Pei Wen Xuan grinning at him.
Following that, Pei Wen Xuan clenched his fist and punched out in Yang Kai’s direction. Both Demon Qi and Blood Qi churned violently all over his body before flowing out along his arm to become a pitch-black Demon Dragon that bared its fangs menacingly. The Demon Dragon skimmed across the surface of the lake and came charging in this direction with a shocking momentum.
Under normal circumstances, Yang Kai might not have taken this blow seriously; however, he was currently standing in the middle of the blood lake. Most of his concentration was being used to maintain the Blood Light Scripture in order to resist the pulling force coming from the blood lake. He could not even bring out 30% of his actual strength. If he was hit by an attack of this calibre, his concentration might lapse for a moment and he might make a mistake in circulating the Blood Light Scripture. The situation would surely end in tragedy then.
Pei Wen Xuan had truly chosen the best timing to attack.
“Senior Sister Qu, get away from me!” Yang Kai shouted. At the same time, he glared fixedly at the Demon Dragon charging towards him while silently urging his strength in preparation to defend against the attack.
However, the Demon Dragon only flew a couple dozen metres before it suddenly sank into the blood lake and vanished out of sight, like it was pulled downward by some unknown guiding force. It didn’t even make a single ripple on the surface of the lake.
Yang Kai was taken aback.
Similarly, Pei Wen Xuan was dumbfounded. He frowned slightly and fired another violent attack in disbelief. Just like before, the attack was absorbed into the blood lake before it could even approach Yang Kai. This situation made his expression turn ugly. He coldly snorted and glared at Yang Kai fiercely, “You got lucky this time.”
After that, he turned around and rushed towards the palace. The fact that the blood lake could even absorb attacks was beyond his expectations; otherwise, he would have made Yang Kai suffer greatly. In this situation, there was no point in wasting more of his time here. The others had already entered the palace ahead of him. Besides, he was also eager to try his luck inside the palace.
Yang Kai stared at Pei Wen Xuan’s disappearing back, a hint of murderous intent flashing in his eyes. Secretly gritting his teeth, he called out to Qu Hua Shang, “Let’s go.”
The two of them continued onward, taking almost an hour before they arrived at the small island where the palace in the middle of the lake was located. The moment they stepped foot on the island, Qu Hua Shang heaved a sigh of relief. The anxiety that had been weighing down on her finally lifted from her shoulders. Turning around, she studied her surroundings and said, “Junior Brother Yang, there doesn’t seem to be a reward for this stage.”
Yang Kai made a non-committal response. He had already noticed this when Pei Wen Xuan, Zhou Yi, and the others arrived on the island earlier. Unlike the previous three islands, this place did not offer any Monster Cores as rewards. This discovery disappointed him very much.
Based on his calculations, the rewards for the first, second, and third islands had been, on average, Fourth-Order, Fifth-Order, and Sixth-Order Monster Cores, respectively. In that case, there was a high possibility that Seventh-Order Monster Cores might appear on the central island! Unfortunately, it turned out that there was nothing here at all.
It would seem that Seventh-Order Monster Cores were extremely rare, even in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. It was not something that could randomly be given out as a reward. Not to mention, Blood Monster Divine Monarch’s Dao of Blood inheritance might be hidden inside this palace. What reward could be more valuable than the inheritance itself?
It was just that… Yang Kai mainly came here in hopes of obtaining High-Rank Open Heaven materials. Having gained nothing after coming here, it was only natural for him to feel extremely disappointed. Nevertheless, he was already here. He might as well go inside and have a look. Who could say whether he might find other treasures inside?
Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang glanced at the palace with a measuring look before walking towards the gates of the palace. A short while later, they entered the Grand Hall and immediately felt a chill running up their spines. This place was so eerie that it made all the hairs on their body stand on end.
Yang Kai initially assumed that there would be more tests and greater dangers set up in this place, but now it seemed things were completely different from what he had imagined. The Grand Hall was small enough that the entire situation within could be seen at a glance. Moreover, it was completely empty except for the platform located right in the centre.
A white skeleton sat cross-legged on that platform. There was no saying how many years it had been since the owner of the skeleton died. All the flesh had long since fallen off the bones, but the skeleton remained as white as jade, even exuding a faint trace of spirituality.
Yang Kai was extremely impressed. Although he did not know which era Blood Monster Divine Monarch lived as one of the apex Masters of his time, he was certain that at least several tens of thousands of years had passed since then. It might even be longer than that. The fact that the skeleton of a person from that era could remain preserved in such pristine condition after his death only served to show just how powerful his cultivation was when he was alive.
The people who arrived earlier were gathered around the skeleton. They were sitting separately and staring at the skeleton with scorching gazes as though they were staring at a supreme precious treasure! Upon sensing Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang’s arrival, they glanced in the direction of the entrance in unison.
“Seems everybody’s here!” Pei Wen Xuan chuckled.
Yang Kai glared at Pei Wen Xuan coldly, his murderous intent flaring. Pei Wen Xuan had come looking for trouble when he first arrived at the blood lake and even tried to kill him when he was crossing the blood lake just now. Now that they met again, it was only natural that he had no plans to be soft-hearted.
“Wait, Brother Yang!” Just as Yang Kai was about to attack, Zhou Yi of Great Thousand Blood Land suddenly raised his hand and shouted.
Yang Kai glanced at Zhou Yi and asked lightly, “Do you have an objection, Brother Zhou?”
Zhou Yi politely replied, “No. It’s just that this place is where Blood Monster Divine Monarch left his Dao of Blood inheritance. If you were to fight here, there’s a high chance that you might destroy the inheritance. This Zhou hopes that you will calm yourself for now and not cause a disturbance.”
“This place is where Blood Monster Divine Monarch left his Dao of Blood inheritance?” Yang Kai frowned slightly.
Zhou Yi nodded seriously, “Indeed!”
Several others nodded in agreement.
“How do you know?”
Zhou Yi pointed at the skeleton, “You will know just by immersing your mind in the jade skeleton, Brother Yang.”
Yang Kai glanced at Zhou Yi suspiciously. Spreading out his Divine Sense, he immersed himself into the jade skeleton. His expression soon changed drastically and his eyes filled with astonishment. He could sense the rest of the Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture inside the jade skeleton.
They passed through the three islands earlier, and including the stele on the shore, there were a total of four steles. The steles each contained one of the first four chapters of the Blood Light Scripture. However, the four chapters did not make up a whole. They could only be said to make up less than half of the Secret Art.
Yang Kai had guessed that the rest of the Secret Art would be located within the palace in the middle of the lake. It was only by joining both parts into one would the Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture be considered complete! At this moment, he could sense the rest of the Blood Light Scripture coming from this skeleton that had died countless years ago!
[This skeleton…]
Zhou Yi looked at Yang Kai and explained, “If my guess is correct, this skeleton is the remains of Blood Monster Divine Monarch. He set up a test in this place and engraved the second half of the Blood Light Scripture on his skeleton, all in the hopes of encountering a fateful person.”
[This is the skeleton of Blood Monster Divine Monarch?] Yang Kai had the vague feeling that something was off. [Didn’t they say that Blood Monster Divine Monarch’s inheritance was hidden deep within the Blood Monster Divine Palace? And, the Blood Monster Divine Palace is located in the depths of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. We have only been here for a few days. This area is only in the periphery of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. Why would the inheritance appear here? The location doesn’t match up…]
It was true that the tests in the blood lake were extremely dangerous, but he could not shake the feeling that something was not right. [But, the Blood Light Scripture in this jade skeleton does not seem to be fake…]
The most important basis of Blood Monster Divine Monarch’s Dao of Blood inheritance was the Blood Light Scripture. If they comprehended the mysteries of the Blood Light Scripture, then it would be no different from obtaining Blood Monster Divine Monarch’s Dao of Blood inheritance.
[Just what is going on?] Yang Kai frowned, feeling doubtful
Zhou Yi continued, “Blood Monster Divine Monarch died many years ago, so the Blood Light Scripture is now unique in the world. His skeleton might look like it is perfectly preserved, but nobody can guarantee that it can withstand violent impacts. If anybody were to fight here, they will most likely destroy the skeleton containing the inheritance. That was why we came to a consensus before you arrived, Brother Yang. We agreed to get rid of anybody who tries to use force in this place.”
Yang Kai had wondered why they were still standing around peacefully even though they arrived more than an hour earlier. It would seem that they had taken some time to reach a consensus. In addition, they were only being so restrained towards one another out of fear that the impacts of their fight would destroy the jade skeleton.
He glared at Pei Wen Xuan coldly. The other party returned the look with fierce fighting intent and a reckless expression, which made the others frown in response.
Zhou Yi secretly sent a Divine Sense transmission to Yang Kai, “Brother Yang, please endure for a moment. I will join forces with you later and we can kill him together when this matter is over!”
He had been harassed by Pei Wen Xuan earlier; unfortunately, he knew that he was not Pei Wen Xuan’s opponent and had no choice but to endure the humiliation as a result. With the chance of working together with Yang Kai in front of him, it was only natural that he did not wish to miss the opportunity.
After pondering for a while, Yang Kai nodded, “Good! I’ll let him live for a little while longer.”
Pei Wen Xuan immediately sneered, “It’s uncertain who is the one with the opportunity to live a little longer.”
Zhou Yi was overjoyed and cupped his fists, “Many thanks, Brother Yang! Since everybody has no objections, let us start.”
After saying that, he eagerly closed his eyes and immersed himself in the jade skeleton to comprehend the Secret Art.
He deeply believed that he had a great advantage and it was inevitable that he would obtain Blood Monster Divine Monarch’s Dao of Blood inheritance. It was for that reason that he was also the most afraid of conflict breaking out among each other. Otherwise, he would not have persuaded Yang Kai as soon as he saw him arrive.
The others naturally followed suit.
Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang took a few steps forward. They found a seat below the skeleton and looked up at the jade skeleton.
After thinking about it, Yang Kai sent a transmission to Qu Hua Shang, “Be careful, Senior Sister Qu. If you notice something wrong, protect yourself immediately!”
Qu Hua Shang turned to look at him and asked quietly, “Junior Brother, did you notice something wrong?”
He shook his head, “It just doesn’t feel right.”
He could not say what was off about this place. He simply felt that Blood Monster Divine Monarch’s inheritance would not be located in this place. But, he could not guarantee that his conjecture was correct either. What if this really was Blood Monster Divine Monarch’s Dao of Blood inheritance?
Focusing his mind, he closed his eyes and immersed himself into the jade skeleton once more. A string of characters immediately jumped out at him inside his mind, “Whoever obtains this King’s inheritance may inherit the Blood Monster Cave Heaven!”
Yang Kai had only taken a quick glance earlier, so he failed to notice this sentence just now. However, the feeling of unease in his heart became even stronger after seeing this sentence.
Blood Monster Divine Monarch was proficient in the Dao of Blood and the Dao of Beast Taming when he was still alive. This fact was portrayed extremely evidently throughout the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. The blood lake was the manifestation of the Dao of Blood while the various Monster Beasts were the embodiment of the Dao of Beast Taming. So, why would a person be able to inherit the entire Blood Monster Cave Heaven just by obtaining the Dao of Blood inheritance?
Another point that puzzled Yang Kai greatly was the location of the blood lake. The location of the blood lake could not be considered hidden. The area in which the blood lake was located was also indicated in the map given to him by the Proprietress; in other words, their predecessors had definitely explored this area before. However, the blood lake was not marked clearly upon the map!
If the blood lake had existed in the past, then why was it never mentioned before over the years? After all, the Dao of Blood inheritance was no trivial matter. The slightest information leak regarding this matter would cause such a huge commotion that everybody would know about it. Be that as it may, nobody had ever heard about the existence of the blood lake or the Dao of Blood inheritance until the Blood Monster Cave Heaven opened this time.
As such, there was only one explanation that would make sense. The blood lake and the Dao of Blood inheritance only appeared recently. It had not appeared in the past. That was why their predecessors who entered the Blood Monster Cave Heaven in the past had no knowledge about this matter. That was also why the blood lake was not marked on the map.
The cultivators who entered the Blood Monster Cave Heaven were the first batch of people to come into contact with the Dao of Blood inheritance. But, if that was the case, then it did not make sense either.
If Blood Monster Divine Monarch had set up various tests in this place in hopes of handing down his Dao of Blood inheritance to his destined successor, then there was no reason for him to hide this place for so many years. It was not until the most recent opening of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven that this place was revealed to the public. If he really wanted to find an Inheritance Disciple, then this blood lake should have appeared before the eyes of the world a long time ago; after all, the most likely result of hiding this place too deeply was the loss of his legacy with time.
[It doesn’t make sense. I just can’t figure it out…] Yang Kai shook his head while comprehending the rest of the Blood Light Scripture. In any case, the Blood Light Scripture was definitely genuine. Such an exquisite Secret Art was very rare. At this point, the only thing he could do was take it one step at a time.
As time passed, blood mist lingered around the people sitting around the skeleton. They were immersed in the mystery of the Blood Light Scripture, unable to extricate themselves. A glimmering light suddenly lit up in the eye socket of the skeleton without anybody noticing. The glimmering light was very dim and weak, almost like a candle that was about to go out. It silently drifted out of the sunken eye socket, circled around the skeleton leisurely before floating over to Qu Hua Shang.
The glimmering light floated up and down, seeming to be searching for something. It did not stay in front of Qu Hua Shang for long before moving on to the next cultivator. The short man who hid his abilities earlier was sitting to her right, not far away from her. The glimmering light seemed to have a sentience of its own and after observing the short man for a while, it moved away.
After investigating the cultivators one by one, the glimmering light came to Zhou Yi. It stopped in front of Zhou Yi for the longest time, almost as though it had found something of interest; however, it eventually floated towards the next person sitting beside Zhou Yi.
The glimmering light soon circled around and came to Yang Kai, who was sitting close beside Qu Hua Shang. Then, the glimmering light suddenly shone brightly like a wild beast that had found the most delicious food and immediately slammed straight into his mind without hesitation. Even though it looked like a flickering flame that was on the verge of extinguishing, it slipped into Yang Kai’s head without the slightest hindrance and quickly vanished out of sight.
Yang Kai was focused on comprehending the latter portion of the Blood Light Scripture when all of a sudden, his body shuddered slightly and a feeling of coolness spread throughout him. Before he could figure out what was going on, he felt his Knowledge Sea defences being penetrated. It seemed to be caused by something entering without his permission. Immediately after that, a cold voice sounded in his mind, “Junior, hand over your body!”
Shocked, Yang Kai quickly immersed his mind into his Knowledge Sea and transformed into his Soul Avatar. The first thing he saw was an illusory phantom charging towards him. The illusory phantom clearly looked very weak, but it gave him the feeling that it was very powerful. All of a sudden, it exploded without warning and turned into a cloud of grey mist that tried to wrap around him.
Hurriedly backing away to avoid the grey mist, Yang Kai was shocked as he shouted, “Soul Possession!?”
The illusory phantom that invaded his Knowledge Sea was clearly a Soul!
The horror he felt in his heart was indescribable. Although he had been concentrating on comprehending the Blood Light Scripture, a part of his consciousness had remained aware of the outside world. It was a countermeasure he took in case Pei Wen Xuan secretly attacked him. Even so, he failed to notice anything until this Soul invaded his Knowledge Sea. There was only one explanation for this outcome. This person’s Soul was so much stronger than his that it could completely evade his perception.
[Who!?] He immediately thought about the jade skeleton sitting cross-legged in front of him. For a moment, he was so shocked that it felt as though his Soul had been blown away. [It can’t be Blood Monster Divine Monarch’s Soul, right!? If that’s the case, then this might be the end for me!]
Blood Monster Divine Monarch was an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Even if he had been dead for countless years, his Soul was not something Yang Kai could resist.
Yang Kai watched as the fog relentlessly approached him. Gritting his teeth, he stretched out his hand in that direction and roared, “Cut!”
A sword light silently slashed downward as the Soul Splitting Saber that had been nurtured in his Knowledge Sea all this time manifested in his grip. Combined with the Heaven Severing Slash that Tian Yan taught him in the past, the power of this move was absolutely staggering. However, what made Yang Kai sink into utter despair was that the mist only scattered for a moment under the sword light of the Soul Splitting Saber before it converged together once more and doggedly chased after him. He nearly spat blood at the sight!
The Soul Splitting Saber was an Emperor Artifact. Its strength was no longer able to keep up with his cultivation progress, so it had fallen into disuse. Nevertheless, it was specially meant to target Souls. Not to mention that it had been nurtured with the Heaven Severing Slash Secret Technique for so long. It could be said that even a Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master who was caught off guard by this move would become dazed. Be that as it may, the mist was completely unobstructed in any way. It could be seen just how pure and powerful the Soul was.
“Junior, are you trying to resist?” An aged voice came from within the mist, “This Old Master has been waiting for tens of thousands of years and finally obtained a good opportunity! How can you possibly resist? Obediently hand your body over to this Old Master and you will suffer less pain!”
Yang Kai of course ignored the voice and repeatedly activated the Soul Splitting Saber. The Soul Splitting Saber transformed into countless sword lights that slashed down. Accordingly, his Spiritual Energy also flowed out like the ebbing tide.
Every blow from the sword light would scatter the mist, but the mist would gather together again quickly. Although the attacks seemed to have no effect on the other party, they bought Yang Kai precious time to escape. After all, everything would be over if he was enveloped by the mist.
After launching several dozen consecutive attacks, Yang Kai calmed down considerably. Judging from the situation, this invading Soul was indeed extremely powerful; however, too much time had passed. It was no longer in its peak condition. How could he have resisted otherwise? Furthermore, it turned out that the attacks of the Soul Splitting Saber were not completely ineffective. The grey mist had faded ever so slightly after being subjected to this barrage of attacks. It was not very obvious. Nonetheless, this place was within his Knowledge Sea, so how could he not notice the changes?
“Insolent Junior! Once this Old Master has seized your body, I will capture your Soul and make you beg for death!” An exasperated voice came from within the grey mist.
Yang Kai became more and more at ease upon hearing those words. Thus, he relaxed and continued to attack the other party with the Soul Splitting Saber. Concurrently, he asked, “Are you Blood Monster Divine Monarch?”
The grey mist charging at him froze for a moment, but immediately a furious howl followed, “Don’t you dare mention that Old Dog in front of this Old Master! Beneath the Heavens this Old Master cannot coexist with him!”
Yang Kai was absolutely shocked. [This guy is not Blood Monster Divine Monarch!?]
Based on his speculation, the Soul had probably been hiding inside the skeleton. If that was the case, then how could it not be Blood Monster Divine Monarch? Moreover, it sounded like this person had a huge grudge against Blood Monster Divine Monarch. A possibility suddenly flashed through his mind. [Unless… that skeleton is not the remains of Blood Monster Divine Monarch. It belongs to somebody else!]
“Who are you? Announce your name!” Yang Kai slashed down with the Soul Splitting Saber once more, blocking the other party’s offensive to a certain extent. This place was within his Knowledge Sea; therefore, he held a unique advantage in this battle. Unless the gap between their Spiritual Energy was extremely wide, the act of possession would never succeed under general circumstances.
The grey mist coldly snorted, “This Old Master is the Black Crow Divine Monarch!”
Yang Kai was secretly speechless, [Another Divine Monarch!]
Only those in the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm had the right to crown themselves with the title of ‘Divine Monarch’. [Doesn’t that mean that the Black Crow Divine Monarch was a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master when he was alive!? No wonder his Spiritual Energy is still so powerful that he can even try to possess somebody else to resurrect himself even though so many years have passed since his death!]
What made him curious was the reason why this Black Crow Divine Monarch turned up in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven.
“How dare Xue Yao, that old fart, imprison this Old Master!? Hahaha! So many years have passed, yet that old fart is dead while this Old Master still lives! How ironic!” The grey mist continuously pounced on while laughing maniacally.
Only then did Yang Kai realize that this person had been imprisoned within the Blood Monster Cave Heaven.
Blood Monster Divine Monarch was certainly very impressive. He even managed to imprison another High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master in his Small Universe. That being said, it was highly likely that this Black Crow Divine Monarch was in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm when he died. If not, he would not be so helpless against Blood Monster Divine Monarch.
“This Old Master spent countless years and only a hundred years ago broke free of that accursed seal. Unfortunately, this Old Master’s physical body was destroyed eons ago. Only my Remnant Soul remained. Fortunately, Xue Yao left behind his Dao of Blood inheritance. What kind of aptitude do you think this Old Master has!? I easily comprehended his Dao of Blood inheritance. Junior, do you know why that old fart’s Dao of Blood Secret Art is called the Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture?”
It was hard to say whether it was because Black Crow Divine Monarch had been feeling lonely for countless years, but he was very talkative, and Yang Kai was perfectly willing to be his conversation partner. Upon hearing those words, Yang Kai said, “Please explain, Senior.”
Black Crow Divine Monarch chuckled softly, “The emphasis is placed on the word ‘Immortal’ in the Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture. It allows a person to become immortal, undying, and indestructible! When you cultivate the Blood Light Scripture to its limit, you can be reborn from just a single drop of blood! This Secret Art is the ultimate Secret Art throughout the entire universe. It incited a reign of terror when it first appeared in the world and in the end, it ultimately fell into old dog Xue Yao’s hands.”
Yang Kai was curious, “If you can be reborn from just a single drop of blood, then why did Blood Monster Divine Monarch die in the end?”
Black Crow Divine Monarch coldly snorted, “One’s lifespan is limited. He simply died of old age. The power of time is extremely cruel. There have been countless heroes throughout the ages, but who among them has managed to escape the clutches of time?”
Yang Kai backed away while attacking ruthlessly and nodded, “So Senior obtained Blood Monster Divine Monarch’s Dao of Blood inheritance? What about the tests earlier? Were they also your doing, Senior?”
Black Crow Divine Monarch said it himself, he had thoroughly comprehended the Blood Light Scripture. In that case, why would the various tests for the Dao of Blood inheritance still remain?
“That’s right. How would this Old Master find a suitable candidate to possess if I had not done that?” Black Crow Divine Monarch readily admitted, “All the tests in this place were indeed set up by that old dog, Xue Yao, before his death. It’s just that this Old Master used certain means to move them here. This Old Master initially had his eye on another one of you brats. He seems to have a foundation in the Dao of Blood, so it would save me a lot of effort if I possessed him. But… your vitality is so abundant that it is simply outrageous. If I can possess you, I will get double the result with half the effort when cultivating the Blood Light Scripture in the future. Boy, you can only blame your poor luck for appearing in front of this Old Master at this time!”
The person with a foundation in the Dao of Blood that he mentioned was undoubtedly referring to Zhou Yi of Great Thousand Blood Land. Among the few people who arrived at the palace in the middle of the lake, he was the only one with a foundation in the Dao of Blood.
From what Black Crow Divine Monarch mentioned, Yang Kai also learned that all the tests in this place were indeed set up by Blood Monster Divine Monarch in order to pass down his Dao of Blood Legacy. They were simply relocated to this area by Black Crow Divine Monarch through unknown means.
[For a man to retain such great abilities even after his death… Divine Monarchs truly cannot be understood with common sense.] Just as Yang Kai was feeling amazed, the aura exuding from the grey mist suddenly soared. Immediately following that, an invisible and intangible Soul Attack shot out from within the grey mist.
Yang Kai was caught off-guard and took the attack straight on as a result. In that instant, his Soul became unstable, his mind was greatly shaken, and his entire Knowledge Sea became turbulent. Even his Soul Avatar nearly collapsed.
[This old dog… he’s been concealing his real ability!] Yang Kai was deeply shocked. After seeing Black Crow Divine Monarch getting slashed by the Soul Splitting Saber and failing to approach him, he had mistakenly assumed that the other party was not that strong. It was not until Black Crow Divine Monarch suddenly unleashed such a terrifyingly powerful attack that he realised his mistake. The other party had been hiding his skills all this while; it was just so that he could catch Yang Kai off guard.
Thinking about it again, it made perfect sense. The enemy was a Divine Monarch after all. How could he not have a trick or two up his sleeves? If not, how could he have penetrated Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea defences or even plan on possessing him?
“Hahaha!” Black Crow Divine Monarch laughed madly. The scattered mist gathered together again and lunged at Yang Kai like a tiger pouncing on its prey, “Junior, why did you think this Old Master kindly explained all of this to you!? It’s simply to distract you! Youngsters nowadays truly do not know the immensity of Heaven and Earth! But worry not. This Old Master will definitely take good care of your body after possessing it. You can also tell me if you have any dying wishes. This Old Master will fulfill them to the best of his abilities!”
While he was speaking, he had already arrived in front of Yang Kai and looked like he was about to envelop him entirely.
At that moment, Yang Kai’s dull eyes suddenly regained clarity. He backed away and shouted, “Many thanks for your kindness, Senior, but this Junior will fulfill his wishes himself! I don’t need to trouble you for your help, Senior!”
The Soul Splitting Saber unleashed another burst of sword light and slashed down diagonally to scatter the grey mist once more.
“You…” Black Crow Divine Monarch’s voice was filled with disbelief. He was nothing more than a Remnant Soul at the moment, so the power he could exert was limited as a result; even so, he was still the Remnant Soul of a Divine Monarch! How could a trivial Emperor Realm Junior resist him? And yet, that was exactly what happened just now. The boy in front of him had recovered in a matter of moments, causing the plans he believed were fool-proof to go horribly wrong.
Yang Kai did not give Black Crow Divine Monarch the slightest chance to approach him again. Having suffered once just now, he did not dare to underestimate his opponent. He reached out a hand when the sword light came slashing down and his Spiritual Energy surged violently as he shouted, “Blossoming Lotus!”
A lotus suddenly blossomed in the middle of the grey mist. The flower was as white as jade and looked extremely delicate, as if it might be blown apart by a gentle breeze. However, this very flower was swiftly absorbing the Spiritual Energy of the grey mist. With this power, the flower bloomed quickly and several layers of lotus petals unfurled magnificently.
“Ahhh…” Black Crow Divine Monarch’s screams of rage and agony came from within the grey mist.
The Blossoming Lotus Secret Technique consumed a lot of energy to unleash, but it would use the enemy’s own Spiritual Energy as nutrients to bloom after it was activated. It was a move with unlimited potential. If this attack struck an opponent of similar strength, their Soul would immediately suffer heavy damage. Unfortunately, the power of Black Crow Divine Monarch’s Remnant Soul was simply on a different scale.
Yang Kai immediately clenched his fist after unleashing the Blossoming Lotus and shouted, “Sealed Lotus!”
Another huge lotus appeared, directly wrapping the grey mist within its petals. It practically presented the exact opposite situation compared to when the Blossoming Lotus Secret Technique first appeared. This huge lotus swiftly closed and turned into a bud, sealing the grey mist within its petals so that it was plunged into an endless darkness.
*Hong…*
A huge force exploded from inside the flower and the entire lotus was torn apart immediately. The grey mist came rushing out aggressively from within the lotus and charged at Yang Kai viciously. Black Crow Divine Monarch roared in fury, “Your resistance is futile, Junior! This Old Master will not allow you to act so impudent in front of me!”
It was not until this moment that he finally revealed his true power. At the beginning, he had only wanted to numb Yang Kai’s will so that it was easier for him to take over his body. He was a Remnant Soul after all, so what little remained of his strength was running out and he had to use that power sparingly. Otherwise, he might be wiped out before he could even possess Yang Kai. That would make him the greatest laughing stock of all time!
Black Crow Divine Monarch’s aura, which was concealed until now, soared. It was more than twice as strong as before and the attacks of the Soul Splitting Saber did not have much effect on him. It simply slashed through the grey mist but did not delay or force him back in any way.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai’s expression remained as calm as before. His large hand slammed down in the direction of the grey mist once more as he shouted, “Blossoming Lotus!”
“Little bastard!” Black Crow Divine Monarch was furious. He had been struck by that Soul Secret Technique just now. Even judging the attack from the heights he achieved in the past, it was an ingenious idea even though the power behind it was not worth mentioning. The strength of the attack was weak, but that was related to the strength of the user. He believed that the power behind this attack would only increase steadily as Yang Kai’s cultivation improved over time.
The grey mist dissipated on its own, turning into a trail of grey vapour as though to avoid the Blossoming Lotus Secret Technique. Unfortunately, this place was within Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea and he was very sensitive to all the changes that occurred. How could he allow the grey mist to avoid his attack?
The flower appeared again and the flower petals of the lotus bloomed magnificently. Black Crow Divine Monarch screamed in agony but did not stop in place. Enduring the pain in his Soul, he charged towards Yang Kai as though desperate to take over his body right then and there.
“Sealed Lotus!”
Black Crow Divine Monarch was livid as he roared, “Junior, do you only know these two tricks!?”
Before he could finish his sentence, he was wrapped in a huge lotus once more. Although he soon broke out of the shackles, the delay gave Yang Kai some breathing space and allowed him to put some distance between them.
“It’s not about how new your tricks are, but whether they work or not!” Whilst fleeing, Yang Kai observed the changes of Black Crow Divine Monarch and what he saw made his heart sink.
It truly was the Remnant Soul of a Divine Monarch. Black Crow Divine Monarch had received at least several hundred hits from the Soul Splitting Saber, in addition to two rounds of the Blossoming Lotus and Sealed Lotus Secret Techniques, since he first revealed himself. However, the grey mist had not changed much at all. In other words, the damage he suffered was extremely limited.
Meanwhile, Black Crow Divine Monarch was about to explode with anger! He originally thought that he could succeed at taking over this boy’s body in an instant, but he had yet to succeed even after all the unexpected twists and turns. For some inexplicable reason, he vaguely sensed that something was wrong. It was just that he had no time to think about it at the moment. As soon as he broke free of the restraints, he charged towards Yang Kai again.
“Blossoming Lotus! Sealed Lotus!”
…..
The two self-created Soul Secret Techniques were unleashed repeatedly. The former was a method to attack one’s enemy while the latter was a means to restrain one’s enemy. Two Souls were engaged in a chase inside Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea, caught in a life-and-death contest.
At the beginning, Black Crow Divine Monarch had cursed and yelled in exasperation. Later, he no longer called out so loudly. He simply said coldly, “Junior, let’s see how long you can keep this up. The burden on your body from casting these Soul Secret Techniques is not small. Sooner or later, the power in your Knowledge Sea will be depleted. Let’s see how you resist this Old Master then!? Once I take over your body, I will definitely kill all your friends and family. I will sell your women to the cheapest whorehouse and force them to take customers every single day!”
Yang Kai was furious, “Old dog, you court death!”
Black Crow Divine Monarch snickered, “This Old Master gave you a chance, but you didn’t know how to appreciate the opportunity I gave you. Who else can you blame but yourself? How dare a trivial Emperor Realm boy…”
His sentence trailed off all of a sudden. The grey mist that had been chasing Yang Kai relentlessly also came to a halt. Seeming to sense something, he silently perceived his surroundings and immediately cried out in alarm, “No! That’s impossible! You are just an Emperor Realm Junior! How can you have such powerful Spiritual Energy!?”
He finally realized what that nagging feeling in his heart was. Having been focused on trying to take over Yang Kai’s body, he did not think too much about other things. It was only at this moment that he realised something. How could an Emperor Realm cultivator be this powerful? This person’s Spiritual Energy was almost on par with a common Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master’s.
That was not the most important thing though. The most important point was that Yang Kai had unleashed so many Soul Attacks earlier, so logically speaking, his Spiritual Energy should have been exhausted long ago. Even if it was not depleted, it should have gone down considerably. On the contrary, Black Crow Divine Monarch’s perception told him that Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea remained as plentiful as ever. There were no signs of depletion at all. In other words, Yang Kai was still in peak condition.
“Are you not an Emperor Realm cultivator!?” Black Crow Divine Monarch felt as though he had been bitten by a poisonous snake. Even his voice became one pitch higher.
The anger on Yang Kai’s face disappeared in an instant and he floated just above his Knowledge Sea as he looked at Black Crow Divine Monarch lightly, “You must be joking, Divine Monarch. What else can I be if not an Emperor Realm Junior? I am indeed an Emperor Realm cultivator! Guaranteed exchange if not genuine!”
“How dare you still try to deceive me, Junior!? How can an Emperor Realm brat have such powerful Spiritual Energy!? You unleashed so many Soul Attacks earlier. How is it possible that your Spiritual Energy shows no signs of depletion!?” After saying that, Black Crow Divine Monarch seemed to discover something, “Wait! Your Knowledge Sea itself is strange !”
Grey and wispy attacks suddenly shot out of the grey mist and slammed into Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea. The sea became turbulent, revealing the seven coloured island hiding below. An inexplicable aura immediately leaked out from that seven coloured island. It was extremely mysterious, almost as though it contained some sort of Grand Dao.
“This is…” Black Crow Divine Monarch stared fixedly at the seven coloured island. Immediately after that, he reacted as though he made an amazing discovery and exclaimed in shock, “Soul Warming Lotus! Seven Coloured Soul Warming Lotus!”
“You sure are well-informed, Divine Monarch. Your vision is indeed sharp. This Junior is impressed!” Yang Kai said lightly. Stretching out his hand, the seven coloured island flew out of his Knowledge Sea and transformed into a seven colour lotus. It bloomed with a dazzling light, floating just beneath his feet. Since it had been discovered, then there was no need to hide it any longer. Yang Kai figured he would just display it proudly. It would also serve as a form of deterrent.
Above his Knowledge Sea, Yang Kai’s Soul Avatar stood silently on the Soul Warming Lotus and stared at the grey mist calmly.
If Black Crow Divine Monarch had a physical body right now, he would be dripping with cold sweat. He spoke in a voice full of disbelief, “Junior, were you plotting against me all this time!?”
If he remembered correctly, Yang Kai had appeared panicked and flustered several times before. Only now did he realise that there was no reason for Yang Kai to panic when the latter had the support of a Supreme Treasure like the Soul Warming Lotus. It was clearly all just a ruse.
The Soul Warming Lotus was a Supreme Treasure that constantly nourished the Soul. Moreover, the lotus in front of him shone with seven colours. With such a foundation, Yang Kai’s Soul was a virtually indestructible existence and his Spiritual Energy would be replenished at many times the average rate. He was hoping to possess Yang Kai when he exhausted himself, but now such hopes were clearly nothing more than an illusion.
“I simply replied in kind!” Yang Kai glanced at the grey mist faintly. How could he possibly hold back after learning that the other party was the Remnant Soul of a Divine Monarch? Who knew what kind of means these Divine Monarchs might have?
Black Crow Divine Monarch gnashed his teeth in hatred. The grey mist shifted erratically for some time, indicating the fluctuations in his mood. He was currently stuck in this situation with no way out, so he was secretly feeling regretful. If he had known about this earlier, he would have chosen the Junior with the foundation in the Dao of Blood instead. At the beginning, he simply felt that Yang Kai’s aura was much more vibrant which would be more advantageous when cultivating the Blood Light Scripture in the future. From the looks of the situation though, he walked himself right into a deep pit-fall. There was no way to extricate himself now that he was so deeply trapped in this situation.
“Divine Monarch, you asked if this Junior only knows those two tricks!” Yang Kai leisurely lifted his hand while speaking.
A sense of crisis suddenly filled Black Crow Divine Monarch’s Soul and he instinctively realised that Yang Kai was going to unleash a far more dangerous move.
“Now I can finally answer your question, Divine Monarch. This Junior indeed has another trick, but… I wonder if you’ll appreciate it!” After saying that, Yang Kai gestured forward with his hand and commanded, “Consume him!”
A loud buzzing sound suddenly filled the air. Immediately after that, small black dots suddenly flew out from a bracelet on Yang Kai’s wrist. Those black dots were innumerable and soon turned into a large black cloud that swiftly enveloped the grey mist.
Black Crow Divine Monarch was extremely horrified as he shrieked in terror, “Soul Devouring Insects!”
Those small black dots were not black dots at all. There were distinct and oddly-shaped insects.
It was not as if Black Crow Divine Monarch had never seen Soul Devouring Insects before. These kinds of Exotic Insects specialised in devouring Spiritual Energy and could be said to be the natural nemesis of all Souls. That was also precisely the reason why they had a hard time surviving or reaching maturity because most cultivators who came across them would exterminate them while they were still young and weak.
Generally speaking, it was difficult for even mature Soul Devouring Insects to threaten cultivators who were in the Dao Source Realm and above; however, these Soul Devouring Insects far surpassed his cognition. Each insect exuded a ferocious aura that caused Black Crow Divine Monarch’s Soul to feel terrified. He was almost certain that things would not end well for him if he were to be enveloped by this cloud of insects. No matter how powerful his Soul was, he could not withstand the devouring of these insects.
His guess was right. Yang Kai had the Seven Coloured Soul Warming Lotus, so his Spiritual Energy was virtually inexhaustible; as such, there was no need to worry about his Soul being damaged. He could safely use his own Spiritual Energy to rear these insects. After so many years, how could they not become powerful?
If Black Crow Divine Monarch had been at his peak, he might not have been threatened by this cloud of insects. Unfortunately, he was currently just a weakened Remnant Soul. He was nothing but delicious food in front of these Soul Devouring Insects.
The Soul Devouring Insects had been dormant when Yang Kai hid them inside the Insect Enslavement Bracelet earlier, but now that they were released, they eagerly swarmed towards the grey mist like a cat that had caught the scent of a delicious fish.
Black Crow Divine Monarch gave a strange cry before turning and fleeing. The cloud of insects followed closely behind, relentlessly giving chase
Standing on top of the Soul Warming Lotus, Yang Kai coldly watched from the side-lines. Black Crow Divine Monarch was not the first person to invade his Knowledge Sea, or even the first person to try and possess him. However, anybody who dared to invade his Knowledge Sea had suffered a tragic ending.
All of this was thanks to the Soul Warming Lotus. It was certainly worthy of being known as a Supreme Treasure. Not only did it nourish his Soul over the years, but it also made his Spiritual Energy become unimaginably powerful. It was what allowed him to turn certain defeat into victory numerous times in the past. It could be said that Yang Kai would have died countless times by now if not for the Soul Warming Lotus. This Supreme Treasure that he obtained a long, long time ago had helped him a lot throughout his journey on the Martial Dao; thus, he was very grateful for it.
It had to be said that Black Crow Divine Monarch was both cunning and resourceful. This place was within Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea, so his Soul would naturally be subjected to some amount of suppression; even so, he was extremely fleet-footed in his escape. The cloud of Soul Devouring Insects could not do anything to him.
Upon seeing this situation, Yang Kai sent out a few thoughts. The cloud of Soul Devouring Insects immediately split into four and transformed into four columns of black smoke. These four columns of black smoke moved in four separate directions to chase and encircle Black Crow Divine Monarch!
This time around, Black Crow Divine Monarch fell into a dangerous situation. Although he was struggling hard, he could not escape from the jaws of the Soul Devouring Insects. The grey mist was soon covered in a layer of black insects. The Soul Devouring Insects silently and constantly fed on his Soul and devoured his Spiritual Energy. It made him scream in agony. Even the speed of his escape became significantly slower. The moment he slowed down, even more Soul Devouring Insects latched onto him. It only took several tens of breaths for the grey mist to be completely shrouded in the cloud of black insects.
“Junior, let me off! This Old Master can teach you the true Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture and bring you to the Blood Monster Divine Palace to receive Xue Yao’s inheritance in exchange!”
“The true Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture?” Yang Kai frowned at those words, “Are you saying that what we saw before is fake?”
“Those are real. Otherwise, how would people be able to circulate it smoothly? If not, you would not have passed those tests earlier nor would you have reached the palace in the middle of the lake. But, the Blood Light Scripture that this Old Master carved on his skeleton is fake. This Old Master modified several parts.”
“You sure are evil, old dog!” Yang Kai cursed.
“Let me go and I will hand over the real Blood Light Scripture. Your vitality is so abundant, so if you can cultivate the Blood Light Scripture, you will have twice the result with half the effort! It won’t take even a thousand years for you to become the next Blood Monster Divine Monarch!”
Yang Kai coldly snorted, “Stop trying to tempt me. This King cultivates the Grand Dao of Space. The Dao of Blood is useless to me!”
If not because he wanted to obtain the Seventh-Order Monster Core reward, Yang Kai might not have interfered in this chaos in the first place. The Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture might be amazing, but it was not very attractive to him.
Black Crow Divine Monarch kept trying though, “Of course, it’s good to have your own Dao, but the Blood Light Scripture is a miraculous creation! If you cultivate it to the limits, you can even resurrect from a single drop of blood. You will be immortal and indestructible! Doesn’t that tempt you at all!?”
“Blood Monster Divine Monarch died. What do you mean by immortal and indestructible?” Yang Kai snorted with disdain.
The Black Crow Divine Monarch was furious, “Even if you don’t need the Dao of Blood, don’t tell me you don’t want Xue Yao’s inheritance? It’s the inheritance of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master! If you obtain that, you will instantly become wealthy beyond your imagination!”
Yang Kai faintly said, “Of course, I want it. How can I not want it? But… I don’t trust you!”
The other party was a Divine Monarch after all. It was better for him to just ignore such tempting words. If he really became interested, then he would surely be devoured to the point where even his bones would be gone. The words of this old fox who had lived for countless millennia were incomparably shrewd. How could they be so easy to deal with?
“Junior, do you really plan to kill this Old Master!?” Black Crow Divine Monarch roared furiously.
“You wanted to possess me, Divine Monarch. Why should I show you mercy? Time is running out. Divine Monarch, please stop resisting and just hurry up and die!”
“How you vex this Old Master!” Black Crow Divine Monarch was furious. If he was given another chance to choose, he would never have tried to possess Yang Kai. Unfortunately, things had already progressed to this point where regret would not make a difference. Thus, he ruthlessly made up his mind and snarled, “Junior, if you want this Old Master to die, then don’t think you will get off easily either! This Old Master will fight you to the death!”
While saying so, the grey mist that was covered in a layer of Soul Devouring Insects abruptly turned around and charged towards Yang Kai. A terrifying Spiritual Energy fluctuation came from within the grey mist and it was obvious that Black Crow Divine Monarch was about to unleash a powerful Secret Technique.
How could Yang Kai dare to take the desperate Soul Attack of a Remnant High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master’s Soul lightly? He immediately drew upon the power of the Soul Warming Lotus. Seven-coloured light shone brightly, wrapping around his Soul Avatar. With the protection of the Soul Warming Lotus, he would not be defeated regardless of how mighty the attack unleashed by his opponent.
Yang Kai had only finished preparing when the grey mist arrived in front of him. The grey mist slammed into the seven-colour light barrier without any hesitation whatsoever. Violent Spiritual Energy burst out, killing countless Soul Devouring Insects that were latched onto the grey mist in an instant while the rest were sent flying by the impact.
The seven-colour light barrier shuddered fiercely and even Yang Kai, who was standing atop the Soul Warming Lotus, felt the impact shaking his Soul. He couldn’t help feeling shocked. The desperate struggle of a Divine Monarch’s Remnant Soul was certainly impressive. He had to admit that he had underestimated his opponent’s strength.
A buzzing sound rang out as the Soul Devouring Insects that were sent flying earlier swarmed towards the grey mist once more. It didn’t take long for them to devour the grey mist cleanly.
Yang Kai was slightly taken aback!
[Has Black Crow Divine Monarch died?] Even though the last attack was very powerful, Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling that it was more show than substance. It didn’t feel right. Just as Yang Kai was mulling over this matter, he suddenly grunted as he could feel that his Soul defences had been torn open and something was fleeing from his Knowledge Sea.
It was all a diversion to escape!
Resentment filled Yang Kai’s heart. He had taken all sorts of countermeasures and guarded against countless possibilities, but in the end, he still allowed Black Crow Divine Monarch to escape. He had assumed that Black Crow Divine Monarch’s attack was a last-ditch attempt born out of desperation, but who could have known that the other party was simply making a feint?
It was uncertain what kind of Secret Technique it was, but Black Crow Divine Monarch managed to separate out a thread of his consciousness. By doing so, he attracted the attention of Yang Kai and the Soul Devouring Insects while the rest of his Remnant Soul immediately found a chance to escape.
[He truly is an old fox. Cunning indeed.]
Nevertheless, what Black Crow Divine Monarch did would severely damage his foundation even though he survived. In the beginning, he had been slashed countless times by Yang Kai with the Soul Splitting Saber. Next, he suffered several rounds of the Blossoming Lotus and Sealed Lotus Secret Techniques. Afterward, his Soul was gnawed on by the Soul Devouring Insects. In the end, he was forced to split a thread of his consciousness to fake his death and escape. It could be said that Black Crow Divine Monarch had suffered great losses. It would be a miracle if he even managed to retain half of his Spiritual Energy from before.
[Now that he has escaped from my Knowledge Sea, he will surely try to possess somebody else!]
Yang Kai did not dare to be negligent and hurriedly dragged his mind out of his Knowledge Sea, opened his eyes, and glanced around his surroundings. What he saw shocked him greatly. That was because he was the only one who was safe and sound among all the people present. On the other hand, the vitality of the others was churning violently. The blood mist around their bodies was dense; moreover, they had pained expressions on their faces like they were enduring great suffering. They were all experiencing cultivation dissonance!
Black Crow Divine Monarch himself mentioned that he had modified the second segment of the Blood Light Scripture that he left in his skeleton; therefore, it would be weirder not to experience cultivation dissonance after cultivating the modified Blood Light Scripture. Only Yang Kai escaped this crisis because he was too busy to cultivate this Secret Art when Black Crow Divine Monarch penetrated his Knowledge Sea.
Yang Kai turned his head to look at the people around him and swept his Divine Sense across the Grand Hall, but he failed to locate any traces of Black Crow Divine Monarch’s Remnant Soul. Nevertheless, he was certain that the other party was not only still here but had also entered somebody else’s body. Black Crow Divine Monarch was most likely in the process of taking over somebody’s body right now. It was a pity that Yang Kai had no way to determine who Black Crow Divine Monarch was trying to possess.
A groan came from beside him. It was Qu Hua Shang sitting next to him who made the sound. At this moment, her complexion was flushed red and the blood mist around her body was literally steaming. She looked like she was in great pain.
Yang Kai had no time to search for Black Crow Divine Monarch. If he could not find a way to resolve Qu Hua Shang’s current situation, then it was likely that her meridians would be destroyed and she would become a cripple.
Coming to stand behind her with a flash, Yang Kai slapped his palm against her back and circulate his strength. He poured his own power into her body, attempting to restore her chaotic vitality and Emperor Qi to order.
Although she was experiencing dissonance in her cultivation, it had not been long since it began. She instinctively realised that something was wrong, so she did not reject his help and willingly cooperated with him instead. Soon after, her churning vitality gradually calmed down. The entire process only took about half a cup of tea’s time. Her complexion softened and her Blood Qi that had been churning like boiling water became calm once more.
She slowly opened her eyes, a trace of lingering fear flashing through her eyes as she said softly, “Many thanks, Junior Brother!”
She did not know what had gone wrong. After comprehending the second part of the Blood Light Scripture recorded in the skeleton, her Blood Qi went out of control and began to boil. Even her consciousness became hazy. If Yang Kai had not stepped in to rescue her at that moment, she would have suffered a disastrous fate.
“Senior Sister, it’s more important to treat your wounds immediately!” Yang Kai said. At the same time, he secretly sent a Divine Sense transmission to her, “Senior Sister, listen to me. The Dao of Blood inheritance here is a complete conspiracy. It’s a trap set up by a guy who has the title ‘Black Crow Divine Monarch’…”
He gave her a simplified explanation of Black Crow Divine Monarch’s plot and she was extremely shocked after listening to it. Qu Hua Shang could never have imagined that there was another Divine Monarch’s Remnant Soul in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. Simultaneously, she also came to understand the reason for her cultivation dissonance just now. It turned out that the Blood Light Scripture she comprehended had been maliciously tampered with.
“Junior Brother, are you saying that Black Crow Divine Monarch’s Remnant Soul is in one of these people’s bodies right now?”
He replied, “Yes. I suspect that he had already succeeded in possessing one of them.”
Yang Kai’s situation was an exception among exceptions. Not only did his Spiritual Energy exceed other cultivators of the same Realm by a wide margin, he also had the Soul Warming Lotus and extremely powerful Soul Devouring Insects. Those were the only reasons he could turn the situation around on Black Crow Divine Monarch. Unfortunately, others would not have such deep heritage or equally profound methods. Even if they were the elite disciples of their respective great forces and could grow to become extremely powerful figures in the future, they would still be helpless in front of somebody like Black Crow Divine Monarch.
Black Crow Divine Monarch’s Remnant Soul could not escape from this palace; otherwise, he would not survive for long. If he wanted to live, then he could only continue with his attempt to possess somebody. And, they were the only ones in the Grand Hall at the moment. Who else could he possess aside from them?
Among these people, there was no doubt that Qu Hua Shang was safe. That was because she was a woman. If Yang Kai were in Black Crow Divine Monarch’s shoes, he would never choose to possess a woman’s body as it was extremely likely his Soul and her body would be incompatible, leading to all sorts of negative consequences in the future. Another important reason was that Black Crow Divine Monarch placed great importance on the Blood Light Scripture.
As a woman, Qu Hua Shang’s body was inherently Yin-aligned and unsuited to cultivating the Blood Light Scripture. This could be seen from her previous performances. Although she and Pei Wen Xuan had started comprehending the Blood Light Scripture at the same time, Pei Wen Xuan would finish faster than her every time.
It was out of this consideration that Yang Kai immediately rescued Qu Hua Shang from her predicament. As for the others… He warily swept his gaze over the rest, feeling troubled. There was no way to determine who had been possessed from their outward appearances.
Among them, Zhou Yi of Great Thousand Blood Land was undoubtedly the biggest suspect. Black Crow Divine Monarch himself mentioned before that he originally had his eye on the person with a foundation in the Dao of Blood. It was only because Yang Kai’s vitality was so abundant that he gave up on his original idea of possessing Zhou Yi.
[Is it Zhou Yi?] Yang Kai fixed his gaze intently upon Zhou Yi’s face. Just as he was about to attack Zhou Yi as a test, a roar came from nearby. Immediately after that, Pei Wen Xuan abruptly jerked his eyes open. His eyes trembled violently and the Demon Qi in his body churned vigorously. While roaring loudly, he punched himself hard in the chest.
Fresh blood spurted out of his mouth and his aura weakened significantly as a result.
He then immediately got to his feet and glared at the skeleton in front of him furiously while swearing and cursing, “What the Hell!? This shitty Blood Light Scripture nearly destroyed me!”
Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed slightly at the sight. [I can’t believe Pei Wen Xuan actually freed himself from that state of cultivation dissonance with his own strength. Is it because he is just that talented? Or, is it because he was possessed by Black Crow Divine Monarch? If he was possessed, then this performance is nothing more than smoke and mirrors.]
Pei Wen Xuan’s expression was resentful, mixed with a hint of lingering fear. There were no flaws in his performance.
Seeming to sense Yang Kai’s gaze, he turned to look in this direction and exclaimed in amazement, “Ho… that’s impressive! Did you break free too? Looks like I underestimated you.”
“It’s you! Old Dog, die!” Yang Kai shouted as he lunged forward at the same time and viciously slammed his fist out at Pei Wen Xuan, leaving his back wide open.
Pei Wen Xuan’s eyes widened. He had not expected Yang Kai to attack him at such a time. Although he had provoked Yang Kai earlier, the situation then and now was completely different. Yang Kai appeared completely unharmed right now while he had only just broken free from cultivation dissonance. He had damaged his foundation as a result, so his strength had been greatly reduced.
Even so, Pei Wen Xuan was still a disciple of Myriad Demons Heaven and had his own pride to uphold. Thus, he laughed fearlessly instead of becoming furious, “Since you’re begging for death, this Pei will grant your wish! I’ll bring your head back as proof that I completed my mission!”
Forcefully enduring the pain coming from his body, he pushed his palms forward with great vigour. The Demon Qi in his body surged like the waves in the sea, suppressing Yang Kai with overwhelming force.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai’s fist turned into a barrage of fist shadows, slamming into the Demon Qi with little effect. He only managed to resist for a few moments before the Demon Qi slammed into him, sending his body flying through the air like a paper kite before falling backward.
At that moment, Qu Hua Shang suddenly screamed, “Junior Brother, watch out!”
Pei Wen Xuan couldn’t help feeling stunned. That was because he saw Zhou Yi, who had been sitting cross-legged all this time while suffering from signs of cultivation dissonance, opening his eyes abruptly. Then, Zhou Yi’s figure drifted towards Yang Kai’s back like a ghost, his hand stretched out like a claw, aiming straight for Yang Kai’s heart.
Not far away, Qu Hua Shang tried her best to rush forward to provide support. Unfortunately, Yang Kai was falling in the direction of Zhou Yi, so there was no way she could reach him in time. By the time she arrived, he would already be a corpse.
[Why did Zhou Yi launch a sneak attack on Yang Kai?] The sudden turn of events left Pei Wen Xuan feeling confused. Be that as it may, he could not be happier. He was severely injured at the moment, so it was inconvenient for him to engage in protracted battle. If Yang Kai was killed by Zhou Yi, then it would save him a lot of trouble.
While watching coldly from the side-lines, he suddenly felt that something did not add up. That was because Yang Kai’s expression was so calm that it was terrifying. [Besides… this guy isn’t that weak, right?]
It was rumoured that Yang Kai had defeated Yu Luo Sha in one move in the Asura Arena. Even if the rumours had exaggerated the truth, it made no sense for him to be sent flying with a single blow, much less from a hasty attack made by him right after having suffered from cultivation dissonance and receiving heavy damage as a result.
[This bastard is up to something!] A thought crossed Pei Wen Xuan’s mind as he knit his brow.
At this moment, a harsh and ear-splitting sound of metal rubbing against each out rang out. Sparks flew all over the place. Yang Kai spat out fresh blood as though he were struck by lightning and was sent flying back towards Pei Wen Xuan again. Spinning his body around, he turned and landed not far from him.
Pei Wen Xuan did not make another move. How could he attack again when he could tell that something was wrong? Raising his eyes, he saw that the clothes covering Yang Kai’s back were in tatters but a layer of golden scales that looked like Dragon Scales had appeared in their place. It was just that most of the Dragon Scales had been blown away at this moment, leaving a bloody wound that stretched across Yang Kai’s entire back. It was a horrifying sight and under his gaze, he saw the Dragon Scales slowly fade and vanish out of sight. Only the bloody wound remained.
Not far away, Zhou Yi looked down at his hand with a slightly puzzled look. He seemed surprised that Yang Kai had survived his sneak attack. When they came into contact earlier, he distinctly sensed a powerful layer of defence covering Yang Kai’s body. It was that layer of defence that caused all his previous efforts to come to naught. In the end, he failed to crush Yang Kai’s heart with his claw hand as a result.
*Pui* Yang Kai turned to the side and spat out a mouthful of blood. Lifting his chin, he looked down on Zhou Yi with a condescending expression, “Fooled you, old dog!”
Attacking Pei Wen Xuan was a feint; luring Black Crow Divine Monarch into action was his real aim.
In the situation just now, Yang Kai had no way of knowing who Black Crow Divine Monarch had possessed. There was no way for him to rescue the others under those circumstances. He might not be able to defend himself if Black Crow Divine Monarch attacked him while he was busy trying to rescue the others.
If Pei Wen Xuan had really been possessed, then it would be perfect. He could take the opportunity to kill him. Fortunately, Black Crow Divine Monarch failed to hold back and leaped out first.
Even though Yang Kai had already prepared himself in advance, he still nearly died at the hands of Black Crow Divine Monarch. If he had not used his Dragon Transformation Secret Art to form Dragon Scales on his back at the critical moment, he would not have gotten off with such light injuries.
“What are you talking about?” Zhou Yi looked at Yang Kai calmly.
“Are you still going to pretend?” Yang Kai looked at Zhou Yi contemptuously, “Does a noble Divine Monarch really need to act so cautiously in front of a mere Junior like me?”
“Divine Monarch?” Pei Wen Xuan was dumbfounded by those words. He was also very tempted to ask Yang Kai, “What in the world are you talking about?” How could a disciple of Thousand Great Blood Land be a Divine Monarch? That was a title only High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters could possess.
“Brother Pei, open your eyes wide and look carefully.” Yang Kai pointed at Zhou Yi, “The person in front of you is not Brother Zhou from Great Thousand Blood Land. He has been possessed by an old ghost by the name of ‘Black Crow Divine Monarch’. Black Crow Divine Monarch was imprisoned in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven by Blood Monster Divine Monarch. After Blood Monster Divine Monarch died, he stole Blood Monster Divine Monarch’s Dao of Blood inheritance and moved it to this place. It was all to lure us here so that he could find a suitable candidate to possess.”
Pei Wen Xuan frowned, “How do you know all that?”
Yang Kai replied, “Because he tried to possess me just now, but he failed! That’s why he changed targets and possessed Zhou Wu instead.”
Pei Wen Xuan turned to glance at Yang Kai. He instinctively felt reluctant to believe his words, choosing instead to believe that Yang Kai was up to something nefarious; after all, who in this place could escape if a Divine Monarch tried to possess them? But, Yang Kai claimed that the other party had failed to possess him.
Zhou Yi said, “Senior Brother, you must be joking. This Zhou Wu is true and genuine. How could I have been possessed? On the other hand, you are so wantonly slandering me, Senior Brother. What tricks are you up to? Are you trying to sow discord among us in order to enjoy all the benefits in this place yourself?”
Pei Wen Xuan, who had been staring at Yang Kai suspiciously, immediately turned to look in that direction after hearing those words as a hint of surprise flashed through his eyes.
“Hahahaha!” Yang Kai burst into uncontrollable laughter, “How dare you say that you have not been possessed? Let’s see how you plan to talk your way out of this now!?”
Zhou Yi frowned slightly. Glancing at Yang Kai, he then turned to look at Pei Wen Xuan and quickly came to a realization, “Where did this Monarch slip up?”
From the look on Pei Wen Xuan’s face, he could tell that his lies had been exposed; therefore, he did not bother to pretend any longer.
Pei Wen Xuan clicked his tongue and replied, “The owner of your body is called Zhou Yi, not Zhou Wu!”
‘Zhou Yi’ immediately understood and nodded lightly in response. Turning to look at Yang Kai approvingly, he said, “Junior, you are cunning and quick-witted indeed. There truly are talented people all over the world!”
[This Brat’s speech just now revealed nothing suspicious. He even revealed the name ‘Zhou Wu’ at the end, misleading me into believing that the person I possessed was named ‘Zhou Wu’. I simply followed his lead and answered accordingly. Who could have known that this Brat’s words were meant to mislead and test me? It looks like he was not too sure of his judgement even after I attacked him. That’s why he came up with a test like that.] Although it is just a simple sentence, it requires extremely quick thinking.
[This Brat has very strong Spiritual Energy, as well as a Supreme Treasure like the Soul Warming Lotus. At this rate, he will surely become extremely powerful once he matures. If I want to kill him, I have to do so now. Or else, I might not be able to in the future.]
“Your affairs have nothing to do with this Pei. This Pei has more important things to do, so I will take my leave first.” While saying that, Pei Wen Xuan turned and rushed out of the Grand Hall in a flash.
Black Crow Divine Monarch, who popped out of nowhere, gave him an extremely bad feeling. Even though the other party was nothing more than a Remnant Soul that had just taken over another person’s body, it was unknown how much power the enemy could exert. Nevertheless, the other party was a Divine Monarch. Nothing good would come from remaining in this place, so he decisively made the decision to withdraw.
Yang Kai was dumbstruck. [This bastard from Myriad Demons Heaven is far too unreliable! How can he avoid taking personal responsibility at a time like this!?]
Hence, he hurriedly said, “Brother Pei, do you really think you can remain uninvolved now that things have reached this point? If I were Black Crow Divine Monarch, I would make sure that nobody walks out of this place alive. How else would I keep my secret hidden?”
“You understand me well, Junior!” The man who used to be Zhou Yi but was now Black Crow Divine Monarch nodded in approval. His expression seemed to say that their thoughts were in sync. With a gentle wave of his hand, the entire Grand Hall suddenly rumbled and all the entrances shut tight.
Pei Wen Xuan paused mid-step. His expression was slightly ugly as he tilted his head to look at Black Crow Divine Monarch, “Old thing, you should have rejoiced when I left you alone. I’m afraid things will now end tragically for you because of your mistake!”
Black Crow Divine Monarch chuckled, “Are all the Juniors of the current generation this arrogant? Very good! Very good! The world is more interesting this way! This Old Master will not be bored!”
While speaking, his body suddenly shuddered slightly. An inexplicable pulling force surged out of his figure. Immediately after that, several groans rang out. The blood mist surrounding those people sitting cross-legged around the skeleton churned violently and transformed into numerous Blood Qi Dragons that rushed towards him and poured into his body. It was as though his body had turned into a bottomless pit that devoured the Blood Qi completely.
Black Crow Divine Monarch could not help revealing an ecstatic expression, as though he was enjoying the most pleasant experience in the world. Following his actions, the vitality of those people dropped swiftly and their bodies withered away. They were experiencing cultivation dissonance already, so they were completely unable to fight back. Moreover, Black Crow Divine Monarch was using one of the Blood Light Scripture’s Secret Techniques which was compatible with their cultivation dissonance. How could they resist?
Both Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang felt their scalps tingling in horror at the sight. Although they had comprehended the first part of the Blood Light Scripture previously, that was just the Blood Light Scripture Secret Art. It did not contain any Secret Techniques. It was not until they saw what Black Crow Divine Monarch did that they realised how cruel the Blood Light Scripture really was.
This was definitely an Evil Art! However, it was not difficult to understand. Blood Monster Divine Monarch was not a kind and benevolent man. It stood to reason that the Blood Light Scripture he cultivated was not a peaceful Secret Art either.
What made Yang Kai even more uneasy was that the aura around Black Crow Divine Monarch’s body was climbing steadily with his actions. Although Zhou Yi was originally an elite disciple of Great Thousand Blood Land, he was not that strong. On the other hand, Yang Kai could feel a sense of oppression coming from him after he was possessed by Black Crow Divine Monarch.
A person who could cultivate to the realm of a Divine Monarch could not be a soft-hearted weakling. In addition, Black Crow obtained an inheritance like the Blood Light Scripture. The various unimaginable methods made him even more powerful than before.
[We can’t let him continue any longer. This is definitely the best time to attack. He has only just taken over Zhou Yi, so his Soul and his body may not have fully integrated yet. Combined with the fact that Zhou Yi’s heritage is limited, it can be said that he is currently at his weakest. He will definitely become much stronger once he completely devours the vitality of those people.]
“Attack!” A shout entered Yang Kai’s ears as Pei Wen Xuan was the first to take action. He evidently came to the same conclusion as Yang Kai. While shouting, he pushed his hands forward. A large pitch-black cone sliced through the air and swiftly shot towards Black Crow Divine Monarch. The pitch-black cone was formed from pure Demon Qi and rotated rapidly, almost like it could even rip through space.
Pei Wen Xuan was not finished yet. Immediately following behind the cone, he lunged forward like a panther. His hands were clawed, stretching towards Black Crow Divine Monarch through the air. All five of his fingers contained Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth Element Powers, forming a cycle of the Five Elements which mutually reinforced each other. His power increased significantly as a result.
Likewise, Yang Kai’s reaction was very fast. In other words, he would have attacked even if Pei Wen Xuan had not. Black Crow Divine Monarch had invaded his Knowledge Sea and learned about many of his secrets, not to mention the Soul Warming Lotus had also been exposed.
Black Crow Divine Monarch would never let Yang Kai go. He would definitely target the Soul Warming Lotus. As a wounded Remnant Soul, this Supreme Treasure was exactly what he needed to recover.
Yang Kai made a wide sweep with his arm, condensing a large Moon Blade that slashed towards Black Crow Divine Monarch.
Meanwhile, Qu Hua Shang flicked her head back, unravelling the long red ribbon tying her hair up and shooting it towards Black Crow Divine Monarch’s chest.
Be it Yang Kai, Pei Wen Xuan, or Qu Hua Shang, all three of them were not ordinary Emperor Realm cultivators. The latter two were Core Disciples of the 36 Cave-Heavens, so it could be said that they stood at the very peak of the Emperor Realm. There were few beneath the Open Heaven Realm who could be their opponents, and even less need be said about Yang Kai. He had already killed several Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters so his strength could not be measured by common sense.
The power unleashed by the combined attacks of these three was something even Black Crow Divine Monarch could not help but acknowledge. He nodded repeatedly in approval, “Good! Good! You three little ones are very impressive! You will definitely have grand accomplishments in the future!”
Words of praise came out of his mouth, but his eyes were filled with contempt. Despite facing their combined attacks, he did not step aside nor dodge. On the contrary, he stepped forward all of a sudden. He looked at Yang Kai and shouted, “But, you are too arrogant, Junior! Did you think this is still within your Knowledge Sea!?”
He had suffered a terrible defeat within Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea. He was originally no more than a Remnant Soul after all. In the end, he was forced to use a sacrificial diversion in order to escape. In contrast, he currently possessed a physical body. With his previous heritage of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, how could he fear three measly Emperor Realm Juniors even if his strength was not at his peak anymore?
When he took that step forward, a dense Blood Qi permeated the entire Grand Hall as though mountains of corpses and seas of blood were going to come crashing down on the three of them. Be it Yang Kai, Pei Wen Xuan, or Qu Hua Shang, all three of them couldn’t help stiffening slightly as an overwhelming sense of helplessness involuntarily flooded their minds.
*Hong…*
The Demon Qi cone slammed into Black Crow Divine Monarch but was rendered useless. The attack was stopped by the dense layer of Blood Qi more than metre away from its target.
On the other hand, Yang Kai’s Moon Blade tore apart Black Crow Divine Monarch’s defences. Unfortunately, its speed dropped sharply after it sank into the Blood Qi, allowing the latter to easily sidestepped the attack.
Qu Hua Shang’s hair ribbon had even less to show for her efforts. After sinking into the Blood Qi, its halo immediately began flickering violently. It lost so much spirituality in an instant that she hurriedly withdrew the ribbon in shock.
Even Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters would not dare to take the combined attacks of these three lightly; nevertheless, Black Crow Divine Monarch blocked them all with little effort.
At the same time, he finished devouring all the Blood Qi of the other cultivators within the room. Their bodies shrivelled up like mummified corpses. Up until their deaths, those people had been clueless about what was going on. It could be said to be extremely tragic.
Those who could reach this palace were the best among their respective great forces. They were the strongest among their peers, so their vitality was incredibly robust. Having received nourishment from them, Black Crow Divine Monarch’s aura soared madly and reached a level that terrified the three of them.
Although he did not have the aura of the Open Heaven Realm, his momentum at this moment was almost as imposing as that of a Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master. In other words, he was a Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master who could not exert the signature power of the Open Heaven Realm!
The three of them felt their hearts sinking!
If that really were the case, then there was no way for them to win. Even if Black Crow Divine Monarch was unable to utilize World Force due to Zhou Yi’s lacking heritage, he still had the foundation of a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master. There was no saying just how much strength he could display.
The Blood Qi around him churned violently, making him look like he was covered in a mist of blood. He stared fixedly at Yang Kai and sneered, “Junior, how dare you act so presumptuous before this Monarch!? I will start with you!”
While saying that, he suddenly waved his large hand. A rain of blood suddenly fell on Yang Kai from above. The blood rain did not look special in any way, but it obviously contained great power.
Yang Kai’s figure flickered repeatedly to avoid the blood rain, but contrary to expectations, his perception told him that Black Crow Divine Monarch was ignoring him after the initial move.
A hand suddenly reached out from within the blood mist and clawed at Pei Wen Xuan across the barriers of space.
This old dog was truly cunning and insidious. Even when facing these three youngsters, he did not hesitate to use feints and diversions!
Thinking about it again, it made sense. Black Crow Divine Monarch coveted Yang Kai’s Soul Warming Lotus, so how could he kill him so easily? He most likely planned to capture Yang Kai alive in order to claim the Soul Warming Lotus as his own. If he could not kill Yang Kai, then he could only attack Pei Wen Xuan and Qu Hua Shang. Pei Wen Xuan had taken the lead to attack him earlier, so he probably held some grudges for that.
Yang Kai had not expected Black Crow Divine Monarch to take such actions and neither did Pei Wen Xuan; therefore, the large hand immediately wrapped around Pei Wen Xuan’s neck tightly as a layer of red Blood Qi swiftly seeped and enveloped the latter.
Pei Wen Xuan had lunged at Black Crow Divine Monarch after unleashing his previous attack, but at this moment, it seemed like he walked straight into his death instead. He was caught off guard and captured almost instantly.
Wrapped by the Blood Qi, Pei Wen Xuan felt as though something was suppressing the power in his body and blocking his meridians so that his strength could not flow out. He was absolutely horrified. [Is this really the power that an Emperor Realm cultivator can exert!?]
Zhou Yi was no more than a disciple of Great Thousand Blood Land. His aptitude and comprehension abilities were incomparable to those of Pei Wen Xuan. If it were before he was possessed, then Pei Wen Xuan alone would have been able to defeat three to five of him without breaking a sweat. Unfortunately, he became capable of subduing Pei Wen Xuan in a single move after being possessed by Black Crow Divine Monarch!
It was not until this moment that Pei Wen Xuan finally understood one thing, this might be Zhou Yi’s body, but the ‘Zhou Yi’ that stood in front of him could no longer be viewed as the same person at all.
“Die, Junior!” Black Crow Divine Monarch grinned, exerting a sudden burst of force in his hand in order to kill Pei Wen Xuan on the spot. However, his brow twitched at that moment and a huge sense of crisis enveloped him as the aura of death loomed over him.
Pei Wen Xuan’s Identity Token that had been hanging at his waist suddenly burst out with dazzling white light. It was extremely blinding, so blinding that it breached the blood-coloured sea even through the thick blood mist. The white light leaped out from the Identity Token like a bolt of candlelight. It was not very conspicuous at first, but the light exploded in an instant to transform into a blade of overwhelming Demon Qi. Then, the blade came slashing down on Black Crow Divine Monarch!
Black Crow Divine Monarch was shocked. How could he dare to remain standing in place after sensing the terrifying power contained in this strike? Releasing his grip on Pei Wen Xuan, he turned into a ray of blood light and quickly retreated; however, he could not escape the power of this blade no matter how he tried to dodge.
The blade slashed down and a scream rang out. The blood light was split into two, revealing two bloody halves of a body.
Pei Wen Xuan landed heavily, coughing hard with his hands clutching at his neck. He glared fiercely at Zhou Yi’s corpse that had been sliced in half and ground his teeth, “How dare you mess with me, old dog!? How dare you attack me!? Serves you right for ending up dead!”
He let out a gloomy laughter that sounded quite ghastly. While he was speaking, the Identity Token hanging around his waist cracked and shattered before turning into dust.
Yang Kai was amazed by the sight. He had long known about the Identity Tokens carried by the Core Disciples of the Cave-Heavens and Paradises. These Identity Tokens not only symbolised their personal status but also contained a Divine Ability granted by their Elders to protect them. It would automatically be activated in the event that their lives were in danger. Although it could only be used once, it could save their lives at a critical moment. Just like what happened here!
Yang Kai suspected that even a Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master might not have been able to withstand that attack if taken head on. Pei Wen Xuan’s Honoured Master was definitely a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master!
Black Crow Divine Monarch had possessed Zhou Yi, and while he had the heritage of a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master, he was limited by Zhou Yi’s body. Combined with the fact that he was a wounded Remnant Soul, the strength that he could exert at this moment was far from his peak. How could he come out unscathed after being hit by a Divine Ability like that?
[This old guy has been plotting for countless years only to suffer such a tragic ending when he finally succeeded in possessing somebody. I’m sure that he himself never anticipated such an outcome.] Yang Kai couldn’t help but sigh in amazement.
Zhou Yi’s body had been sliced into two, but Black Crow Divine Monarch’s Remnant Soul remained nowhere to be seen; hence, Yang Kai did not let down his guard and instead released his Divine Sense to guard against anything that might happen.
Under his close watch, Yang Kai was surprised to discover something strange about the crimson blood flowing out of the corpse that had been sliced in two. The blood seemed to be guided by some sort of pulling force, gathering together from all directions and quickly merging back into one. In the next moment, the two halves of the corpse suddenly joined down the middle and were patched together once more.
The tightly closed eyes of Black Crow Divine Monarch reopened at this moment and he slowly climbed up from the floor.
Inside the Grand Hall, Yang Kai and the two others were dumbfounded by the sight!
“The Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture really does live up to its reputation! Hahahaha!” Black Crow Divine Monarch cackled uncontrollably. When he first stood up, there remained a wound that resembled an obvious blood line extending from the middle of his forehead down to his neck and further down his body where his skin was exposed. However, this wound quickly disappeared while he was laughing. His outward appearance at this moment seemed completely intact! Only his aura was significantly lower than before.
Pei Wen Xuan was shocked and terrified. [I can’t believe that this old dog is still alive! I saw him being sliced in half with my own eyes just now! How is he still perfectly fine!?]
Even Yang Kai found the sight in front of him difficult to believe, but he then remembered what Black Crow Divine Monarch told him before. Supposedly, if one were to cultivate the Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture to its limits, they could even be reborn from a single drop of blood. One would be practically immortal and indestructible as a result.
Those words were certainly an exaggeration. Nevertheless, the current situation indicated that the Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture was indeed an extraordinary Secret Art. The Blood Light Scripture was definitely the reason why Black Crow Divine Monarch could come back to life.
Black Crow Divine Monarch, who had just gotten back to his feet, cracked his neck and coldly said, “Junior, stop resisting. You will not be able to defeat this Monarch with your abilities. Why bother wasting your energy and suffering in vain?”
“You must be joking, Divine Monarch! Even ants fight to survive, much less cultivators like us!” Yang Kai shouted.
Black Crow Divine Monarch sneered and turned around to look at Yang Kai, “Do you think this Monarch is reluctant to kill you? If you think so, you are very wrong. I will definitely get what I want even after killing you.”
He gently nodded while speaking, “I’ve decided! I’ll start with you!”
The words had just left Black Crow Divine Monarch’s mouth when Yang Kai immediately took out a Wooden Token from his Space Ring and hung it around his waist. He then grinned at Black Crow Divine Monarch with a smug look, “Go ahead, try if you dare!”
Black Crow Divine Monarch glanced at the Wooden Token fearfully, his face twitching at the sight. The incident earlier had traumatised him as he had been ignorant of the situation. Just as he was prepared to kill Pei Wen Xuan, he was cut down by the Divine Ability sealed within the Identity Token that hung from Pei Wen Xuan’s waist. If not for the Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture, he would have died from that attack.
As the saying went, ‘Once bitten, twice shy’. He now felt very troubled whenever he saw such a thing.
Unbeknownst to him, Yang Kai’s Wooden Token and Pei Wen Xuan’s Identity Token were completely different items. This Wooden Token was given to him by the Proprietress previously. It was engraved with an inexplicable pattern of a totem. She had claimed that it was a ‘favour’. Therefore, there was no Divine Ability sealed within. On the other hand, he also held a Divine Ability Bead that was given to him by the Proprietress. That was his greatest trump card.
Black Crow Divine Monarch gave Yang Kai a hateful look. Then, he turned to look at Qu Hua Shang.
Qu Hua Shang was no fool either so she gently reached out and tapped the Identity Token hanging at her waist.
[These Juniors… are too much!] Black Crow Divine Monarch felt a great sense of hatred.
“Divine Monarch, if you wish to kill somebody, then there’s a good candidate right there!” Yang Kai pointed in Pie Wen Xuan’s direction, “You ‘died’ at his hands just now. It’s a good opportunity for you to take revenge for what happened!”
Pei Wen Xuan was already coughing, but he nearly spat blood at those words. He gritted his teeth and snarled, “Yang Kai, this Pei will never forgive you if I die in this place, not even if I turn into a ghost!”
Yang Kai replied scornfully, “What has that got to do with me?”
Pei Wen Xuan was so filled with hatred that his teeth hurt, but there was nothing he could say or do. His Identity Token had been destroyed, so he no longer had a deterrent. If Black Crow Divine Monarch really attacked him, then he could only fight to the death.
“I’ll do as you wish then!” Black Crow Divine Monarch nodded.
His body suddenly transformed into a blood ray that charged towards Pei Wen Xuan. He had been ‘killed’ by the Sword Light Divine Ability earlier and severely damaged his foundation as a result. At this moment, he desperately needed to replenish his strength. Since he did not dare to touch Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang, he could only target easy prey like Pei Wen Xuan. After he slaughtered Pei Wen Xuan, it would not be too late for him to slowly torture the other two to death. In any case, the Grand Hall had been completely sealed shut so there was no fear that they might escape.
When Pei Wen Xuan saw that Black Crow Divine Monarch was charging towards him again, he felt a mixture of fear and rage. He let out a fierce roar and his Demon Qi churned violently. Raising his hand, he summoned his Coiling Dragon Shears and sliced through the blood light with them.
The Coiling Dragon Shears was a powerful artifact and the energy fluctuations that it emitted were by no means weak. Even so, the light flickered erratically when it sank into the blood light and its spirituality dropped sharply!
Qu Hua Shang had encountered the exact same situation just now. The blood light seemed to be extremely damaging and resistant towards artifacts.
Pei Wen Xuan turned pale in shock and involuntarily backed away while hastily forming a set of hand seals with both hands. One after another, a barrage of fierce attacks rained down on the blood light without any restraint. The explosions rang out endlessly as each of these attacks were defeated. The blood light flashed towards him like lightning, continuously shooting out blood-coloured blasts from within the blood light. The attacks were so oppressive that he was forced to retreat in a miserable fashion.
Even if Black Crow Divine Monarch had been cut down once and suffered heavy damage to his foundation as a result, Pei Wen Xuan was still not capable of being his opponent. Rather, it could even be said that how long Pei Wen Xuan could last under those attacks was a problem in and of itself.
In just a few breaths of time, Pei Wen Xuan could feel that he had reached his limits. At this moment, he felt the pressure lightening all of a sudden as Black Crow Divine Monarch’s evil laugh entered his ears, “Junior, you truly are insidious and cunning. Did you think this Monarch would not be wary of you!?”
The blood light that was approaching him halted without warning and Pei Wen Xuan looked up to see that Black Crow Divine Monarch had revealed his figure. Black Crow Divine Monarch had one hand blocking an attack to his side. Amidst the dense Blood Qi, Yang Kai had arrived with a spear in his hands at some point in time. It was just that he was trapped in the Blood Qi. It was like being stuck in a quagmire, making his movements extremely sluggish. That was not all. Sizzling sounds were coming from his body and it was obvious that the Blood Qi was corroding away at him.
Pei Wen Xuan immediately understood the situation. Yang Kai’s sneak attack caused Black Crow Divine Monarch to have no choice but to focus on dealing with him. That was definitely the reason why the pressure had suddenly eased off him just now. It could even be said that it was Yang Kai who rescued Pei Wen Xuan at the critical moment.
Even so, Pei Wen Xuan was not grateful. [This bastard sent Black Crow Divine Monarch after me. How abominable!]
Taking advantage of Black Crow Divine Monarch’s distraction, Pei Wen Xuan’s figure flashed consecutively, finally putting some distance between him and the other party, which gave him some breathing space.
As one of Myriad Demons Heaven’s Core Disciples, he was practically an invincible existence among those beneath the Open Heaven Realm. The fact that he could be defeated in such a short span of time only served to show just how powerful Black Crow Divine Monarch was. Moreover, this was after Black Crow Divine Monarch had been ‘killed’ already. If this were before he had suffered death once, how much strength could he have exerted?
For a moment, Pei Wen Xuan was both thankful and frustrated. He was thankful that Black Crow Divine Monarch was heavily injured at the moment but frustrated that his Identity Token was gone as a result.
Inside the Blood Qi that resembled a quagmire, Yang Kai’s movements were sluggish but his expression was calm as he roared, “Break!”
A small pitch-black light appeared at the top of the Azure Dragon Spear. When this pitch-black dot appeared, it was only the size of a pea; however, it immediately expanded wildly and turned into a massive black hole. Everything instantly collapsed!
Rupture!
Blood Qi poured into the black hole that appeared and vanished into nothingness, allowing Yang Kai to break free of its restraints and thrust his spear straight at Black Crow Divine Monarch. This attack was made in a direct, seemingly straightforward, simple, and ordinary manner. However, it contained intense murderous intent, perfectly demonstrating the strength of Yang Kai’s personal spear technique.
“The Dao of Space!” Black Crow Divine Monarch narrowed his eyes. He distinctly felt the fluctuation of the Space Principles at that moment; moreover, he could infer from those fluctuations that Yang Kai’s attainments in the Dao of Space were superb.
As those words left his mouth, the spear sliced through the air towards him. Black Crow Divine Monarch wanted to avoid the attack but was surprised to find that it had sealed off all his paths of retreat. There was no way to dodge.
The spear pierced through his head and came out through the back!
If it were a normal cultivator, they would not have survived after receiving such heavy injuries, but the person who received this wound was none other than Black Crow Divine Monarch who even revived after being sliced clean in half.
Yang Kai did not reveal the slightest hint of joy at succeeding. The truth was that this attack had not affected Black Crow Divine Monarch in any significant way. Although the Azure Dragon Spear had pierced Black Crow Divine Monarch’s head, Yang Kai had not felt the sense of having stabbed anything. It was as though Black Crow Divine Monarch’s head did not contain any resistance whatsoever at that moment.
“Boy, where did you get this spear?” Black Crow Divine Monarch asked in surprise.
He had a good eye, so he instantly noticed just how extraordinary the Azure Dragon Spear was. [This brat is not only proficient in the Dao of Space but also in possession of such an astounding treasure. He probably comes from quite a prominent background.]
“Why are you spouting such nonsense? Just die, old dog!” Yang Kai coldly snorted. The spear trembled slightly and a jet-black flame suddenly spread out across its length, igniting Black Crow Divine Monarch’s head.
“Ahh!” Black Crow Divine Monarch screamed loudly and his body abruptly retreated backward. The hole in the middle of his forehead swiftly sealed up, leaving him uninjured. Be that as it may, the pitch-black flames continued to burn him, causing him to suffer excruciating pain as he screamed in horror, “Golden Crow’s True Fire! You condensed the Golden Crow’s True Fire!?”
While screaming, his heart flooded with a deep sense of regret.
He had tried to possess Yang Kai earlier, but in the end, he suffered miserably inside Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea and severely damaged his foundation in the process. He had been forced to separate out a thread of his consciousness in order to create a diversion to escape. When he finally possessed Zhou Yi and obtained a physical body, he thought that it would be easy for him to get rid of the Juniors around him, but how could he have known that Yang Kai would wield a High-Rank Element Power? Not to mention, this was the Golden Crow’s True Fire that was said to be able to burn everything in existence!
Didn’t that mean this boy condensed High-Rank Open Heaven Elements? If Yang Kai could even condense the Golden Crow’s True Fire, then condensing the other High-Rank Elements clearly would not be a problem. In other words, this boy had the qualifications to advance directly into the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm!
What terrifying aptitude! How many people throughout the ages have been capable of breaking through directly to the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm? It was impossible to imagine what kind of achievements Yang Kai would have in the future with such a high starting point.
Therefore, Black Crow Divine Monarch was wallowing in regret. If he had known earlier, he would not have given up on trying to possess Yang Kai no matter what. He would have fought to the death in order to possess Yang Kai. Who could say for sure? He might have stood a chance to succeed. It was unfortunate if he lost, but what if he won? Then, he would have obtained an extremely high starting point and his future achievements would be many times higher than that of the past.
Unfortunately, he had already possessed Zhou Yi and nothing would change even if he felt regret. He was originally just a Remnant Soul. In addition, he had been heavily injured. He no longer had the strength to possess anybody else at the moment.
While screaming, his Blood Qi surged violently to force out the Golden Crow’s True Fire inside his body. The flames of the Golden Crow’s True Fire continued to rage without fuel even after falling to the ground.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai attacked again with his spear. His expression was as calm as jade, but his attacks were as fierce as a Dragon’s. His spear formed shadows that filled the sky, and every blow landed on Black Crow Divine Monarch’s vital points.
At the same time, Pei Wen Xuan attacked from the side with his Coiling Dragon Shears. The Coiling Dragon Shears made a clicking noise every time it opened and closed, constantly cutting away at the Blood Qi surrounding Black Crow Divine Monarch.
Likewise, Qu Hua Shang was not idle. She held a lute in her hands, strumming the strings lightly. Plucking sounds that resembled the sound of beads clattering onto a jade plate rang out. These sounds transformed into invisible attacks that disturbed Black Crow Divine Monarch’s concentration. She also set up countless crimson silk threads that criss-crossed all over the Grand Hall to form a network that hampered Black Crow Divine Monarch’s movements.
At this moment, Black Crow Divine Monarch was facing three enemies at once; thus, his situation was disadvantageous for a while. Among the three of them, what caused him the greatest headache was not Pei Wen Xuan’s Coiling Dragon Shears nor Qu Hua Shang’s lute, but Yang Kai’s Azure Dragon Spear.
Each attack from the spear displayed a refinement that was beyond anything he had ever encountered in his life. He simply could not imagine how a cultivator could execute such exquisite spear techniques. It was like watching a famous Grandmaster crafting a masterpiece. Each attack from the spear was a work of art.
He could understand if it were a cultivator with low strength who wholeheartedly cultivated the Spear Dao. Since they lacked strength, they could only make up for their shortcomings with technique; however, skill did not determine victory or defeat in the Emperor Realm. What really decided everything was strength. No matter how skilled a person was, it was useless if their strength was inferior to their opponent.
It would be one thing if Yang Kai’s spear technique was simply amazing, but the critical point was that the spear itself was extraordinarily powerful. Moreover, the spear was also covered in the pitch-black Golden Crow’s True Fire. It truly made Black Crow Divine Monarch suffer greatly as a result.
Due to a momentary lapse of concentration, Black Crow Divine Monarch was consecutively stabbed several times by Yang Kai. He screamed in pain and had no choice but to force out more Blood Qi to purge the Golden Crow’s True Fire that was burning his body.
Pei Wen Xuan’s Coiling Dragon Shears played a huge role in this situation. With every cut he made, he shaved off some of Black Crow Divine Monarch’s vitality and caused the latter to weaken steadily.
“Enough!” Black Crow Divine Monarch roared furiously. With a wave of his hand, two spots of blood light suddenly flew out from the skeleton on the round platform. They transformed into a pair of butterfly daggers, one for each hand. This artifact was clearly one he used in the past; furthermore, it was an artifact used by a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master. It would surely be of high quality.
With the twin butterfly daggers in hand, Black Crow Divine Monarch’s weakening momentum suddenly soared again. He crossed the twin daggers and brought them down on the Azure Dragon Spear.
A mighty force spread out and sent Yang Kai flying backwards.
The twin daggers in his hands trembled slightly as he turned the two blades into a stream of light that shot towards Pei Wen Xuan and Qu Hua Shang.
Pei Wen Xuan was shocked and immediately used the Coiling Dragon Shears to defend himself. Contrary to his expectations, the Coiling Dragon Shears had only just come into contact with the blade light when they shattered into pieces with a loud explosion. His artifact was unable to stop the blade light and the strength of the light blade did not weaken as it slashed down on him. How could he afford to care about his pride at such a dangerous moment? He threw himself on the ground like a dog lunging for food and a large piece of flesh was sliced off his back.
Also, most of the silk thread network that Qu Hua Shang spent so much effort to arrange was sliced apart and destroyed by the blade light which did not stop and slashed down at her lute. The sound of strings snapping rang out as they were all cut apart. Qu Hua Shang spurted out blood and was thrown backwards. Even so, the blade light continued to chase after her, threatening her life.
All of a sudden, Yang Kai appeared with a flash. His spear swept across the blade light and sent it flying as he turned to look at her and asked, “Senior Sister Qu, are you alright!?”
“I’m fine!” She slowly shook her head.
Yang Kai immediately spun around and leapt forward. Arriving in front of Black Crow Divine Monarch in the blink of an eye, he stabbed out.
Black Crow Divine Monarch looked at Yang Kai coldly, neither blocking nor dodging. More importantly, a slightly mocking smile crept onto the corner of his lips.
Yang Kai immediately sensed that something was wrong as a huge sense of crisis befell him. At the same time, he saw a blade light coming towards him from the left. It was the blade light that slashed down on Pei Wen Xuan earlier.
How could Yang Kai dare to be negligent? He immediately drew upon the Powers within his Dao Seal and formed a Dragon Shield around his body to protect himself!
The khakis-yellow Dragon Shield had only just formed when the blade light came slashing down. The sound of something shattering rang out and fresh blood splattered everywhere. Yang Kai retreated by several tens of metres with a new wound at his waist, one so deep that bone was showing!
Black Crow Divine Monarch’s gaze was scorching, “A High-Rank Earth Element Power!”
The Dragon Shield Secret Technique was obviously formed from a High-Rank Earth Element Power. Combined with the Golden Crow’s True Fire that Yang Kai displayed earlier, Black Crow Divine Monarch became more and more convinced that Yang Kai was aiming to become a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master directly.
[This Brat is definitely a rare genius!]
Yang Kai lowered his head to gaze at the wound on his waist. The spear in his hand trembled slightly as he lifted it with one hand and stared at Black Crow Divine Monarch mockingly, “Seems a Divine Monarch is nothing much!”
Black Crow Divine Monarch snorted, “What an arrogant mouth you have, boy. I will make you beg for mercy on your knees soon enough.”
While saying so, his body jerked slightly and took the initiative to fall apart of his own volition. He transformed into hundreds of thousands of Blood Crows that cawed loudly. They covered the sky as they threw themselves at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai kicked off against the ground and backed away but kept his eyes forward. He realised that his enemy feared his Golden Crow’s True Fire. That was why he created hundreds of thousands of Blood Crows to confuse him. He did not know what kind of Secret Technique it was that could produce such shocking effects and it did not look like part of the orthodox Blood Light Scripture. It was most likely Black Crow Divine Monarch’s own Divine Ability.
Black Crow Divine Monarch’s voice rang out from all around, “Boy, this Monarch believes that you have a bright future ahead of you. If you kneel down and beg for mercy, I can spare your life.”
Possessing Yang Kai was no longer an option, but subduing and taking Yang Kai under him could also be considered a kind of compensation. The brat was a genius who could probably advance into the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm in the future, so accepting Yang Kai as his subordinate was not a bad idea.
His voice floated around, giving no hint of his true location. There was no way for anybody to figure out which Blood Crow his Soul was hiding in. If it were anybody else, they would have no means of attacking in this situation.
However, Yang Kai put the Azure Dragon Spear away and summoned a bottle gourd instead. He pointed the mouth of the gourd forward and grinned wickedly, “This Junior is honoured by your offer and would like to offer a gift to show his thanks, Divine Monarch. Please accept it!”
While saying so, he activated the power of the Yuan Magnetic Divine Bottle Gourd, sending a blinding light pouring out of it to sweep across the flock of Blood Crows.
The Yuan Magnetic Divine Light was a Sixth-Order Metal Element Power, and even a Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master would need to use their World Force to block it. How could Black Crow Divine Monarch withstand this attack? Countless Blood Crows were struck by the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light and instantly riddled with holes, dropping to the ground while cawing loudly before turning into puddles of blood.
In just a few breaths of time, 20% of the Blood Crows were destroyed while the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light poured out strongly and continuously. Although those Blood Crows were numerous, they could not penetrate the defences of the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light, much less approach Yang Kai.
Qu Hua Shang hurriedly came to stand behind Yang Kai, lest Black Crow Divine Monarch attack her. On the other hand, Pei Wen Xuan also scrambled on all fours and ran over. Yang Kai turned to faintly glance at him, causing the former’s face to twitch slightly, but he did not know what to say.
Pei Wen Xuan was feeling very complicated. It was not as if he had never heard about how Yang Kai defeated Yu Luo Sha in one move in the Asura Arena. The truth was that this information had quickly spread far and wide after the incident, so many people knew about it.
However, he had not believed those rumours. That was because he knew how capable Yu Luo Sha was. She might not be as strong as him, but she was not much weaker either. Core Disciples of the various Cave-Heavens and Paradises like themselves were capable of fighting to a certain extent even if they encountered a Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master.
Therefore, the reason Yang Kai defeated Yu Luo Sha in one move when they were in the same Realm was either a sneak attack or Yu Luo Sha had greatly underestimated her opponent.
When Pei Wen Xuan met Yang Kai at the blood lake, he wanted to test his ability. It was just that Qu Hua Shang had stepped in to stop him at the time, so he could only give up. He had been feeling extremely unconvinced as a result. But, by the looks of things, it was fortunate that Qu Hua Shang had intervened back then; otherwise, he would have embarrassed himself instead.
He was practically helpless against Black Crow Divine Monarch’s attacks and it had taken all his strength just to fight back just a few times. Even his Coiling Dragon Shears were destroyed in the process. On the other hand, Yang Kai was able to hold his ground against the enemy with confidence. The difference between them was obvious at a glance. Such talent was completely unheard of, and his ability to defeat Yu Luo Sha in one move no longer seemed like an exaggeration now.
Pei Wen Xuan had always thought highly of himself, so he couldn’t help feeling rather deflated at the moment.
Blood Crows flew about within the spacious Grand Hall, cawing loudly. It was very distracting. The Yuan Magnetic Divine Light flashed brightly. Thanks to the Sixth-Order Metal Element Power, the countless Blood Crows could not approach them. Once in a while, the occasional Blood Crow would manage to penetrate the defences but they were killed by Qu Hua Shang and Pei Wen Xuan in short order. Every single Blood Crow they killed would transform into a strand of crimson Blood Qi that dissipated in the Grand Hall.
All of a sudden, the hundreds of thousands of Blood Crows gathered and merged together once more to return to their original appearance. It was just that Black Crow Divine Monarch’s complexion was slightly paler compared to before. His aura was also no longer at its peak and it was obvious that he was heavily injured. His eyes were filled with deep hatred.
“Kill!” Yang Kai turned the mouth of the gourd around and the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light immediately gushed towards Black Crow Divine Monarch. At the same time, he reached out his free hand and summoned his Azure Dragon Spear. With a flash of his body, Yang Kai charged towards Black Crow Divine Monarch.
Qu Hua Shang and Pei Wen Xuan immediately followed suit. They were both well-versed in grasping the flow of the battle. Black Crow Divine Monarch’s aura was obviously at an all-time low, so with the opportunity to defeat him right in front of their eyes, how could they not act?
Three figures attacked Black Crow Divine Monarch, surrounding him from three different directions. Yang Kai took the lead while Pei Wen Xuan and Qu Hua Shang supported him from the side. They did not engage Black Crow Divine Monarch too much and only attacked whenever the opportunity arose. With the combined forces of these three, the battle with Black Crow Divine Monarch instantly became extremely heated.
However, the three of them became increasingly frightened the longer they fought.
At this moment, it was clear that Black Crow Divine Monarch’s strength had dropped sharply; even so, he continued to fight them on equal footing. It just went to show how powerful he used to be. Luckily, the three of them had whittled down a considerable amount of his Blood Qi earlier; otherwise, it would have been an extremely dangerous battle for them.
Inside the tightly shut Grand Hall, the lights of various Secret Techniques and artifacts flared blindingly. At the same time, these lights were accompanied by several groans and grunts. It didn’t matter whether it was Black Crow Divine Monarch or Yang Kai’s party; both sides were covered in wounds in just a short period.
Black Crow Divine Monarch’s Blood Light Scripture was extremely troublesome. All the injuries to his body would only cause his vitality to drop by a small margin while even the most lethal and fatal injuries could not kill him.
That was in stark contrast to the situation when Yang Kai and the two others were injured. The blood from their wounds seemed to be guided by some kind of invisible force, transforming it into blood mist that gathered around Black Crow Divine Monarch and poured into his body, vanishing from sight to become part of his strength.
Yang Kai had the Wood Element Power stemming from the essence of the Immortal Tree, as well as a very pure Dragon Clan bloodline flowing in his body. Therefore, his regenerative abilities were incredible and his wounds healed very quickly. For this reason, the Blood Light Scripture affected him the least. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for Pei Wen Xuan and Qu Hua Shang. It was hard to say exactly how much vitality they lost in such a short period, but their complexions were now extremely pale.
Nevertheless, nobody retreated after things had come this far. That was because all three of them knew that only one side would survive the battle today. The slightest negligence or sign of weakness could bring about an irreversible and catastrophic outcome.
“Kill!” Yang Kai’s roar reverberated throughout the Grand Hall as his spear stabbed forward and Space Principles fluctuated wildly. The spear disregarded the barriers of space and stabbed towards Black Crow Divine Monarch’s head even though he was standing a thousand metres away.
Black Crow Divine Monarch narrowed his eyes and lifted his hands to push out a wall of Blood Qi.
There was a loud explosion and Yang Kai was sent flying by the impact. Similarly, Black Crow Divine Monarch was also thrown backwards. He spun lightly in mid-air and landed on the ground, glaring at Yang Kai with deep hatred as he viciously snarled, “Just you wait, Junior! Once this Monarch replenishes his strength, he will return to fight you again!”
After saying that, he turned around and shot a blast of light behind him.
Yang Kai felt his heart jump in horror as he witnessed this. He hurriedly stopped his body from flying backward any further and shouted, “Stop him! He’s trying to escape!”
How could Pei Wen Xuan and Qu Hua Shang dare to hold back upon hearing those words? They quickly unleashed their Secret Techniques at Black Crow Divine Monarch, but the latter simply ignored them. He forcefully took on the brunt of their Divine Abilities, causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood while his back was turned into a bloody mess.
In the meantime, there was a loud rumbling sound and the gates that had been closed all this while opened all of a sudden. Before the gates even finished opening, Black Crow Divine Monarch transformed into a blood light and rushed out.
Yang Kai and the two others felt their hearts freezing in fear at the sight!
It had to be said that hundreds or even thousands of cultivators were gathered on the three islands, the blood lake, and the lakeshore outside the Grand Hall. With a Heaven-defying Evil Art like the Blood Light Scripture, Black Crow Divine Monarch would only need to kill a few people and devour their vitality to recover completely. How were the three of them supposed to fight him if that happened?
“The gates have opened!” An exclamation suddenly sounded from outside the Grand Hall. It was obvious that more people had arrived at the palace in the middle of the lake while the three of them had been battling Black Crow Divine Monarch inside. It was just that the gates had been firmly shut, so they could not enter. Now that the gates had opened so suddenly, it was only natural for them to be pleasantly surprised.
On the other hand, Yang Kai quickly gave chase with his spear in hand. He had only taken a few steps when he heard several short screams coming from outside the palace. By the time he rushed out of the Grand Hall, three corpses were lying at the entrance of the Grand Hall. They had died a miserable death and all the vitality from their bodies had been sucked out, leaving them as little more than withered husks.
The cultivators who could arrive at the palace in the middle of the lake were the elite amongst the elite; however, who among them could withstand the assault of Black Crow Divine Monarch, especially when he was essentially launching a sneak attack? They were immediately killed on the spot.
Yang Kai suddenly felt as though his eyes were about to pop. An intense feeling of danger enveloped him. He looked up and saw Black Crow Divine Monarch running across the blood lake. There were several cultivators cautiously making their way across the blood lake. They seemed to be heading towards the palace in the middle of the lake.
Upon sensing the commotion in front, they looked up and saw Black Crow Divine Monarch travelling towards them in the opposite direction. All of them were shocked; after all, the blood lake only allowed a person to move forward but not retreat. Somebody had tried to retreat earlier only to end up dying on the spot. So, why was this person completely unscathed?
Just as they were puzzling over this question, Black Crow Divine Monarch lifted his hand and shot out several rays of blood light. These cultivators were already walking on thin ice in the first place and most of their concentration was used to maintain the circulation of the Blood Light Scripture. Thus, they were completely powerless to resist these attacks.
The blood light reached them in an instant and enveloped them completely. A dense blood mist leaked out of the bodies of those cultivators who were enveloped by the blood light at a rate that was visible to the naked eye. All the Blood Essence in their bodies flowed out quickly, and when the blood light returned to Black Crow Divine Monarch, those cultivators who had been turned into mummified corpses fell into the blood lake.
“Zhou Yi, how dare you steal the Blood Essence of others!? You will definitely suffer the Heavens’ wrath for committing such evil and despicable acts!” Somebody who probably knew Zhou Yi roared furiously.
Black Crow Divine Monarch was naturally unmoved. He simply waved a hand in that direction, shooting a ray of blood light at that person who in turn roared furiously and summoned his artifact to fight back.
“Run! That isn’t Zhou Yi! It’s a Divine Monarch who seized his body to revive himself! He’s not an enemy you can fight!” Yang Kai circulated his strength to his throat and shouted so that his voice was transmitted clearly across the entire surroundings.
Everybody was shocked and horrified.
At that moment, several others fell to the attacks of Black Crow Divine Monarch. They lost all the vitality in their bodies and perished. The rest of the cultivators became terrified upon witnessing that sight. The cultivators on the third island hurriedly got up and rushed towards the shore when they saw Black Crow Divine Monarch heading straight towards them.
There had been a restriction placed on the blood lake that only allowed a person to move forward but not retreat; however, Black Crow Divine Monarch was currently safe and sound while running in the opposite direction. It gave them a glimmer of hope and sure enough, they discovered that the restriction had lost effect at some point in time when they tried to retreat to the shore. It was most likely because the palace in the middle of the lake had been opened.
For a time, all the cultivators on the first and second islands all turned around and ran for their lives. Meanwhile, the people who were gathered on the shore scattered far away, keeping a distance that could ensure their absolute safety.
Black Crow Divine Monarch stopped in the middle of the blood lake and turned around to glare at Yang Kai hatefully, “Junior, I’ll rip your corpse into ten thousand pieces for ruining my good deed!”
If possible, he would not have exposed his identity. He would have preferred to silently possess and replace a person so that he could slowly take his time to cultivate and reach the heights he once achieved in his past life. Unfortunately, his attempt at possession had failed. Moreover, he was forced by Yang Kai and the others to reveal himself in order to replenish his strength. His secret could no longer be kept hidden at this point. It was conceivable that countless Masters would hunt him down as soon as he left the Blood Monster Cave Heaven.
“Black Crow Divine Monarch, do you dare to fight me!?” Yang Kai lifted his spear and pointed forward, shouting with his arms raised. [If I leave this old dog alone, he will only become stronger and stronger in the future. If I want to kill him, I have to do it now!]
Black Crow Divine Monarch coldly snorted, “Why do I have to fear? Junior, just stay there obediently. This Monarch will deal with you later!”
After saying that, he suddenly raised both his arms. The gigantic blood lake seemed to be lifted by some kind of force and the surface of the lake that had remained calm all this while suddenly began to churn violently, gurgling and bubbling as though it was boiling. When the bubbles burst open, they released dense Blood Qi.
Meanwhile, Black Crow Divine Monarch’s body seemed to have turned into a bottomless abyss that continuously devoured the Blood Qi.
Yang Kai felt his entire body going cold with fear…
The blood lake was definitely something Blood Monster Divine Monarch prepared for his Inheritance Disciple; after all, there was no point in inheriting his Blood Dao inheritance and cultivating the Blood Light Scripture if one did not have enough vitality. That was why he prepared this blood lake in advance.
Yang Kai had not given much thought to this matter before, so it was not until this moment that he understood. All the water in the blood lake was formed from genuine fresh blood. Just how many people were sacrificed to fill such a large blood lake? As expected, Blood Monster Divine Monarch was not a good or kind man either!
Black Crow Divine Monarch was unstoppable now! Having devoured all the vitality contained within the blood lake, his aura increased to new heights. Not only were his injuries from before completely healed, but he also experienced a huge boost in strength. His strength had reached a level where it was simply impossible to resist.
“Let’s meet again in the future!” Pei Wen Xuan immediately shouted at the sight. Turning around, he transformed into a cloud of black smoke and fled in a certain direction. He travelled across several dozen kilometres in an instant.
It had to be said that he was very clever indeed. He knew that nobody here was Black Crow Divine Monarch’s equal in terms of strength. Furthermore, the first thing Black Crow Divine Monarch would do once he finished devouring the blood lake was to come after Yang Kai. The old fart had suffered so badly at Yang Kai’s hands after all. It was only natural for him to take his revenge against him. Knowing all of this, why would Pei Wen Xuan continue to stick around with Yang Kai?
Yang Kai was so vexed that his teeth nearly cracked from grinding together; however, he did not dare to delay either. He grabbed Qu Hua Shang by the arm and shouted, “Let’s go!”
With a flicker of his figure, he chased after Pei Wen Xuan and it didn’t take long before the cloud of black smoke appeared in his field of vision.
Pei Wen Xuan turned around and nearly spat blood at the sight, “You bastard! Why are you chasing after me!? We are unrelated to each other; mind your own business and go your own separate ways!”
Yang Kai did not stop moving. Space Principles fluctuated and he arrived in front of Pei Wen Xuan with Qu Hua Shang in tow, “Brother Pei, you and I have faced life and death together. We wouldn’t have gotten to know each other otherwise. I admire your abilities greatly, Brother Pei. Senior Sister Qu is currently in poor condition so I need to bring her somewhere to treat her injuries first. I’ll have to trouble you to delay Black Crow Divine Monarch for a little while.”
After having said his peace, Space Principles fluctuated in consecutive motions and Yang Kai vanished out of Pei Wen Xuan’s field of vision.
Pei Wen Xuan couldn’t help cursing out loud! He had also attacked Black Crow Divine Monarch back at the Grand Hall, and although his attacks were not as damaging as Yang Kai’s due to his lack of strength, there was no denying that he had participated. If Black Crow Divine Monarch came chasing in this direction and caught sight of him, the former would not go easy on him; hence, he had been counting on Yang Kai to buy him some time to escape. Who could have known that Yang Kai would have the same idea? It truly was a case of karmic consequences; he reaped what he sowed.
The black smoke halted abruptly, revealing Pei Wen Xuan’s figure. He did not dare to flee in the same direction as Yang Kai; therefore, he could only turn and flee in a different direction. At the same time, he fervently prayed in his heart that Black Crow Divine Monarch would not come and cause trouble for him. His Identity Token had been destroyed, and although he did not fear encountering anybody else, Black Crow Divine Monarch was not somebody he could contend against with his strength alone.
He had not escaped far when he detected a bloody stench in the wind coming from behind him. Turning back to look behind him, Pei Wen Xuan was instantly stricken with terror. In the direction of the blood lake, he could see a blood cloud flying close to the ground and heading in this direction at a high speed. Moreover, there was a large face within the blood cloud. It looked so ferocious that it was absolutely horrifying. The mouth that was opened wide roared continuously, as though intending to devour the world itself!
The blood cloud travelled extremely quickly and arrived within several hundred kilometres in the blink of an eye. That face was glaring intently in the direction that Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang had fled just now; thus, Pei Wen Xuan secretly rejoiced. The thought had only just crossed his mind when the face suddenly turned to glance in this direction. It was just a passing glance, but Pei Wen Xuan immediately felt the sense of crisis looming over him.
The face opened its mouth and a blood arrow shot out, slicing through the Void and arriving in front of Pei Wen Xuan in an instant. The blood light immediately filled his vision, so he did not hesitate to bite his tongue and spray out a mouthful of Blood Essence. The Demon Qi in his body simultaneously surged violently. He had only just finished this when the blood arrow enveloped him.
There was a huge explosion and the entire world seemed to shatter from the impact. An enormous pit in the ground appeared out of nowhere and dust flew everywhere.
It was not until half a day later that a subtle movement stirred the dirt inside the deep pit in the ground. A large hand dug out of the earth and immediately after that, a bloody figure climbed out of the pit. He lay weakly on the ground, facing the sky without moving, his aura extremely weak. Who else could it be but Pei Wen Xuan!?
If an ordinary cultivator were in his shoes, they would not have any chance of surviving the attack. The only ending waiting for them was a death so tragic that not even their bones would be left. It was fortunate that he was a Core Disciple of Myriad Demons Heaven and his heritage was extremely rich, so he managed to survive after exhausting all his methods and strength.
Although he managed to survive, he was heavily injured as a result. It was impossible for him to fight anybody else with these injuries, not unless he recuperated for a month or two first. However, the Blood Monster Cave Heaven was filled with dangers, so where would he find a safe place to recuperate from his injuries? There was a high chance that he would be eaten by the Monster Beasts here before he could recover; thus, he cursed in his heart, [Yang Kai, you bastard! If I survive this ordeal, I will definitely get my revenge on you one day!]
On the other side, Yang Kai was busy fleeing for his life. At some point, he had placed Qu Hua Shang into the Small Sealed World so she could treat her injuries. It was not the seductress’ first time entering the Small Sealed World anyway as she had entered it once before when leaving the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary.
With the help of Space Principles, Yang Kai was second to none when it came to escaping. He even managed to escape from a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like the Proprietress for a time in the past. What was Black Crow Divine Monarch, who had only just possessed Zhou Yi, in comparison? No matter how powerful Black Crow Divine Monarch was, he was limited by Zhou Yi’s physical body; hence, the strength that he could exert was also limited.
Half a day later, Yang Kai fled so far that Black Crow Divine Monarch was nowhere to be seen. He hid inside a cave in one of the mountains, sitting cross-legged to rest. At the same time, he used his Divine Sense to communicate with the Small Sealed World to check on Qu Hua Shang’s condition.
Qu Hua Shang was quite badly injured. First, she was affected by dissonance in her cultivation from cultivating the false Blood Light Scripture; then, she was wounded countless times and had most of her vitality devoured by Black Crow Divine Monarch. For that reason, her aura was currently very weak. It was fortunate that her life was not in danger and she only needed to recuperate for several days to recover fully.
After confirming that Qu Hua Shang was alright, Yang Kai withdrew his mind from the Small Sealed World.
The fact that there was another Divine Monarch inside the Blood Monster Cave Heaven was probably something nobody had ever expected. Nevertheless, Black Crow Divine Monarch had returned to life by possessing another. The various Cave-Heavens and Paradises would not ignore this situation once the information spread to the outside.
Black Crow Divine Monarch was bound to face all sorts of troubles when the Blood Monster Cave Heaven closed. In the worst case, he might even be hunted down by numerous Masters! Whether or not he could keep himself safe at the time was an unknown variable. It stood to reason that he would not have the excess energy to deal with Yang Kai at that time.
In other words, Yang Kai had to make sure that he could safely escape from the Blood Monster Cave Heaven! Fortunately, the Blood Monster Cave Heaven was very large, so as long as he remained careful, it would not be difficult to avoid meeting Black Crow Divine Monarch.
Just as that thought came to mind though, Yang Kai felt his heart jump in fright. An inexplicable chill suddenly flooded his body and he did not hesitate to push his Space Principles and vanish from the spot.
At the same moment that his figure vanished out of sight, two blood snakes suddenly lunged out from their hiding places. These two blood snakes were very well-hidden and it was not until they made their move that they revealed a trace of their aura. If Yang Kai had not reacted so swiftly, he would have fallen prey to the attack just now.
Consequently, the blood snakes bit into nothing but air. Following that, they transformed into blood and the cave was instantly filled with an extremely unpleasant stench. Even the ground was corroded into a deep pit.
Yang Kai turned around to look behind him and gave a horrified exclamation, “Black Crow Divine Monarch!”
Somewhere no more than thirty kilometres away, a blood cloud entered his vision. Moreover, there was a lifelike face in the middle of the blood cloud. It was none other than Black Crow Divine Monarch.
Sensing the Space Principles fluctuations, Black Crow Divine Monarch immediately turned to look in this direction with an evil grin, “I found you, boy!”
Whilst saying that, a portion of his Blood Qi turned into a large hand that came crashing down on Yang Kai. The sky instantly darkened and all the light was quickly obscured as a result. After his palm slammed down on Yang Kai, he frowned slightly because Yang Kai had made a swift escape and disappeared with a flash of his figure.
Black Crow Divine Monarch was filled with hatred. [This brat is extremely proficient in the Dao of Space. How troublesome!]
Unbeknownst to him, Yang Kai was also feeling extremely annoyed at the moment. [I believe I ran far enough. How did Black Crow Divine Monarch find me? Could it be that he left some sort of Soul Mark on me? Is that why he can track my whereabouts? If that’s the case, it would explain how he managed to rush here so quickly.]
Spreading out his Divine Sense, Yang Kai investigated his Knowledge Sea and body, but despite checking every corner of himself thoroughly, he did not find anything. Thus, he scowled fiercely.
In an attempt to confirm his conjecture, Yang Kai escaped to a location that was even further away and secretly hid himself. That was not all; he also summoned the Shadowless Veil and covered himself with it. The Shadowless Veil was something that could even fool the perception of a Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master who was not actively searching for him. Although it had its limits, it was still an amazing treasure.
In less than six hours though, Yang Kai saw a blood cloud rushing through the sky from the distant horizon at high speed. Black Crow Divine Monarch shouted from afar before he even arrived, “Boy, cease your futile resistance! You will never escape from this Monarch even if you flee to the ends of the world!”
Yang Kai was furious and was now certain that Black Crow Divine Monarch had placed some sort of mark on him; otherwise, how could the latter accurately determine his whereabouts twice? It was just that he had no idea what kind of mark it was, so he had no way of removing it.
Yang Kai initially planned to avoid the old dog until the Blood Monster Cave Heaven closed as everything would be over after that. Unfortunately, it would seem that he was far too naive. In that case, he could only go all out and fight! This time around, he would not have Qu Hua Shang or Pei Wen Xuan with him. It would literally be a one-on-one battle!
Yang Kai remained hidden from view. Judging by the first time his whereabouts were exposed, Black Crow Divine Monarch could not determine his precise location despite the mark on his body and only had a general idea of his location. Otherwise, Black Crow Divine Monarch would not have used those blood snakes to search for him.
Yang Kai’s conjecture turned out to be correct. It didn’t take long for the blood cloud to arrive within ten kilometres of Yang Kai’s vicinity. The large face glanced about the surroundings for a while before its gaze fixed on the spot where Yang Kai was located. The blood cloud trembled slightly as numerous blood snakes emerged and immediately disappeared out of sight after landing on the ground.
Black Crow Divine Monarch then shouted, “Brat, don’t say this Monarch did not give you any chance! Although you embarrassed this Monarch greatly, it does not change the fact that this Monarch appreciates your abilities. I will spare your life if you come forward on your own initiative. Refuse, and it will be difficult for you to survive once this Monarch captures you!”
Yang Kai turned a deaf ear to those words. [This guy relentlessly chased me for over ten thousand kilometres just to kill me. Who would believe him when he utters such nonsense at this time?]
*Chi chi chi…* A series of noises came from Yang Kai’s surroundings. It was the slithering sounds of countless blood snakes moving around. Just listening to those sounds made one’s scalp tingle in fear.
Yang Kai, who was in hiding, could even discern clearly that the countless blood snakes were forming an extremely large net as they swept towards him like a blanket. At this rate, his location would be exposed once they reached his hiding spot.
The endless hissing of the blood snakes entered Yang Kai’s ears. Their bodies wriggled forward, gradually approaching the place where he was standing.
[I’m going to be found!] He closed his eyes and adjusted his breathing to suppress both his heartbeat and his aura to make himself seem as still as a rock, becoming completely motionless.
Now that things had come to this, he could only take a gamble. Although he could use Space Principles to escape, the old dog was as persistent as maggots on rotting bones. He could not escape, which was extremely troublesome.
The overwhelming number of blood snakes were creeping closer and closer. 30 metres… 15 metres… 10 metres…
Yang Kai abruptly opened his eyes and raised his hand to grab at something. The Azure Dragon Spear immediately appeared in his grip. Following that, his Dao Seal shone brightly as he poured the power of the Golden Crow’s True Fire into the spear. Lifting his spear, he stepped forward and pointed the spear to the front. Space Principles fluctuated as he thrust forward and roared, “Eat this, old dog!”
Black Crow Divine Monarch noticed the movement as soon as Yang Kai took action; thus, the face in the middle of the blood cloud immediately turned to look in his direction. The countless blood snakes in the surroundings leaped forward with their mouths opened wide towards Yang Kai from all directions.
The blood snakes attacked in a frenzy and Yang Kai’s figure was torn to shreds. However, it was only his afterimage. His actual body had already arrived in front of the blood cloud, his spear stabbing forward like a Dragon!
*Hong…*
The large face was pierced right through by the spear. A huge hole appeared, causing the face to become so distorted that it was practically incapable of taking shape once more. The pitch-black Golden Crow’s True Fire spread out in all directions, wantonly burning.
*Cilala…*
The blood cloud evaporated in large patches. Even so, Black Crow Divine Monarch was calm and unaffected as his voice rang out faintly, “Junior, your courage is admirable. It’s a pity that your actions are foolhardy!”
He quickly sliced away the parts of the blood cloud that was being burned by the Golden Crow’s True Fire; then, the endless blood cloud rolled and wrapped around Yang Kai.
“Let’s see where you can run now!” He let out a wicked laugh. What troubled him the most was not Yang Kai’s Azure Dragon Spear or the Golden Crow’s True Fire. Rather, it was his Space Principles.
If Yang Kai was determined to escape, he would not be able to catch up to him. Even if he could use his Secret Technique to determine Yang Kai’s general location, the Yang Kai’s Instantaneous Movement was too difficult to counter. Who could have expected that Yang Kai would stop running and throw himself into the trap instead? That was just what Black Crow Divine Monarch wanted.
Yang Kai was enveloped by the blood cloud which had Heaven Sealing, Earth Locking properties. Even if he was proficient in the Dao of Space, he could not perform Instantaneous Movement again. The winner of this battle would be determined once he was trapped to death inside the blood cloud.
The Blood Qi inside the blood cloud contained an extremely strong corrosive property that eroded away at Yang Kai’s body. It instantly damaged him so badly that he was covered in blood. Despite looking miserable, the look in Yang Kai’s eyes was as aggressive as ever as he coldly snarled, “Who said I was going to run!?”
Black Crow Divine Monarch was slightly confused, but before he could react, he heard Yang Kai shout something, “On this day, the Golden Crow casts the sun, below the Heavens, above the Earth, only I am supreme!”
A Great Sun suddenly leaped out from within the blood cloud, as though it was a newly-born star. Inside the sun, a Three-Legged Golden Crow danced playfully and joyously. A faint crowing could be heard coming from within the brilliant light. The majestic radiance caused the world to collapse and the surroundings to tremble. The aura in Yang Kai’s body soared to incredible heights in an instant.
Black Crow Divine Monarch exclaimed in utter disbelief, “A Divine Manifestation!”
He was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in the past, so it stood to reason that he was very knowledgeable. He could tell at a glance that the Golden Crow Casts the Sun was not just an ordinary Divine Ability. On the contrary, Yang Kai had already condensed his very own Divine Manifestation.
There were two methods by which one could comprehend a Divine Manifestation. The first was to condense High-Rank Open Heaven Element Powers. The second condition was to reach the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm and comprehend one’s own Element Powers to the extreme. These were, supposedly, the only methods to comprehend a Divine Manifestation.
Nevertheless, those were only the most basic requirements. As far as Black Crow Divine Monarch knew, throughout all of recorded history, all those who had Divine Manifestations were in the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm. He had never heard of anybody in the Mid or Low-Rank having comprehended one, much less a mere Emperor Realm Junior. In fact, even many High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters did not possess a Divine Manifestation. Even he had only managed to barely comprehend a Divine Manifestation when he was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in the past.
[This boy is only in the Half-Step Open Heaven Realm. That’s still within the range of the Emperor Realm! How does he have his own Divine Manifestation!?] Black Crow Divine Monarch could not believe his eyes. Be that as it may, his senses told him that this attack was indeed a Divine Manifestation.
[I was tricked again!] His heart jumped in fright. [This brat might look like he is attacking me out of desperation, but he was waiting for this very moment to strike a decisive blow! Damn it! This boy is too deceptive, hiding his cards like this!]
Everybody had fought desperately inside the place in the middle of the blood lake and revealed all their best methods in the process; however, Yang Kai had kept this biggest card hidden all this while. As a result, Black Crow Divine Monarch had mistakenly assumed that Yang Kai’s strength was still limited to common sense. Who could have known that he would receive such an unpleasant surprise here?
The Great Sun hung in the sky, almost as though it was an actual sun. It was just a sun that was countless times smaller than normal. The blood cloud that surrounded the great sun was completely powerless to resist and swiftly began evaporating. It didn’t take long before a large clean space in the sky was cleared out.
Black Crow Divine Monarch let out a strange cry and the blood cloud abruptly shrunk and swirled about before it transformed into Zhou Yi’s appearance. Before he could even stabilise his figure though, a bright light filled his vision from the front. He looked up and saw Yang Kai’s spear piercing straight towards him, the great sun manifesting at its tip.
[I will die if I fail to block this attack!] Panic filled his heart for a moment. Black Crow Divine Monarch had always held the upper hand in the fight earlier, no matter how hard Yang Kai, Pei Wen Xuan, and Qu Hua Shang fought back. Hence, he had not even panicked. Besides, he had Blood Monster Divine Monarch’s Blood Dao inheritance and cultivated the Blood Light Scripture. As long as his injuries were not too severe, he would be able to quickly recover. However, this attack was different. Black Crow Divine Monarch was certain that not even his ashes would remain if this attack struck him head on. He would be completely vaporized, to the point where nothing of him would remain.
With death looming right before his eyes, Black Crow Divine Monarch immediately became eerily calm. Two flashes of blood light rushed out from his body and entered his hands, transforming into his twin butterfly daggers. A raging fighting spirit erupted out of his body as he crossed his twin daggers above his head and shouted furiously, “I never imagined that there would come a day when this Monarch would be forced to go all out against a mere boy tens of thousands of years in the future! Brat, you have nobody but yourself to blame if you die at this Monarch’s hands!”
Yang Kai shouted a response upon hearing those words, “Divine Monarch, I will not mourn your death either if you die!”
“Hahaha!” Black Crow Divine Monarch burst into laughter, “Good good, very good!”
As they spoke, the distance between them shortened quickly. Yang Kai urged the strength in his body to the limits and even the Dao Seal in his body began trembling slightly. Likewise, Black Crow Divine Monarch’s vitality surged madly.
*Hong…*
An explosion rang out. At the same time, a huge and bright ball of light exploded.
Black Crow Divine Monarch’s twin daggers blocked the Great Sun. In that moment, he attacked countless times. The knife shadows covered the entire sky, slashing down with incredible power in each stroke.
At the same time, Yang Kai wielded his spear techniques to the extreme. They transformed into boundless spear shadows and the Dragon Roars shook the sky continuously. The spear in his hand practically turned into a True Dragon that devoured Black Crow Divine Monarch.
Their figures passed by each other and the light gradually faded.
Black Crow Divine Monarch coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood and staggered unsteadily. Using his two daggers to steady himself against the ground, he barely managed to stop himself from falling.
At this moment, the left side of his body was gone and the wriggling internal organs in his abdomen could clearly be seen. It was just that these injuries were nothing under the profound effects of the Blood Light Scripture. He had come back to life even after being sliced in half by the Divine Ability sealed within Pei Wen Xuan’s Identity Token, so what were injuries like these in comparison? His flesh squirmed and blood gathered in that spot. The half of his body that he lost was soon regrew in the blink of an eye.
On the other hand, Yang Kai stood motionless with the Azure Dragon Spear in his hand. It was just that the Great Sun attached to the tip of the spear had vanished. The vicious attack just now had practically drained all the strength out of his body.
It was not until this moment that countless blood arrows finally shot out from all over his body. Before his blood could land on the ground though, the golden blood arrows floated towards Black Crow Divine Monarch as though guided by an invisible force and were absorbed by him. That was not all. Yang Kai could clearly feel the fresh blood in his wounds being pulled towards Black Crow Divine Monarch.
[The Blood Light Scripture is a wicked art indeed!] Yang Kai did not dare to be negligent and hurriedly used his strength to seal his wounds. Turning around slowly, he saw Black Crow Divine Monarch watching him quietly with an expression of approval from several thousand metres away, “You are the first Emperor Realm Junior that has ever survived this long after meeting me!”
Yang Kai replied lightly, “Among the ‘Emperor Realm cultivators’, you are also the first person ever to block my Golden Crow Casts the Sun!”
Black Crow Divine Monarch slowly shook his head, “It’s not the same!”
He was a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master who possessed somebody else and came back to life; thus, he had thousands, if not tens of thousands of years more knowledge, experience, and heritage compared to Yang Kai. The reason his strength was only that of an Emperor Realm cultivator at the moment was that he had possessed somebody else’s body. If he really were an Emperor Realm cultivator, he would not have been able to block the attack just now.
“What this Monarch said earlier still stands. Surrender, and I will spare your life. You will be a pretty decent subordinate!” His expression seemed sincere and trusting.
“Die!” Yang Kai shouted. Suppressing all sorts of discomfort, he lifted his spear and thrust out.
Although the Golden Crow Casts the Sun Divine Manifestation was powerful, the consumption was also unimaginably huge. With his current strength, Yang Kai could only activate it once in a short period of time. It was hard to say whether he could successfully activate it a second time by force. Even if he did, it might shatter his Dao Seal even if he succeeded.
“What a pity! Talented people sure have such short lifespans!” Black Crow Divine Monarch shook his head and lifted his blades. The twin daggers turned into Blood lights that came slashing down on Yang Kai from both sides.
Yang Kai swung his spear to deflect the blood lights and send them flying away; afterward, he stabbed at Black Crow Divine Monarch’s heart.
Meanwhile, Black Crow Divine Monarch did not budge whatsoever. He allowed the spear to pierce his heart and the Golden Crow’s True Fire to burn him. All the while, he simply stared at Yang Kai with a cold smile.
*Chi chi…*
The two blood lights that Yang Kai sent flying earlier came hurtling through the air once more. They slashed two large wounds down the length of his body. Despite using his Dragon Transformation Secret Technique at the critical moment, his Dragon Scales were sliced through by the blood lights.
“Your strength isn’t bad, but your recovery rate is inferior to mine. How will you fight against me now?” Black Crow Divine Monarch sneered. He previously devoured the blood water in the blood lake cleanly, so his vitality was extremely abundant at the moment. Unless his vitality was completely exhausted, he was an existence that could not die. That was why he had nothing to fear!
On the contrary, although Yang Kai’s recovery abilities were indeed countless times stronger than the average cultivator, they paled in comparison to the extraordinary recovery abilities of Black Crow Divine Monarch.
The spear shadows danced and fresh blood splattered everywhere. Every attack Yang Kai unleashed struck Black Crow Divine Monarch’s vital points without fail. If it were anybody else, they would have been killed countless times by now. However, Black Crow Divine Monarch remained very much alive. He even kept up a steady stream of vicious mockery despite everything.
In contrast, Yang Kai’s injuries were becoming more and more severe. He had lost too much blood and was feeling dizzy as a result.
Aside from those Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters and High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters whose strength were on a completely different scale altogether, Black Crow Divine Monarch, who possessed somebody else and came back to life, was definitely the strongest and toughest enemy Yang Kai had ever encountered.
Even Great Demon God who he fought back then could not compare. That was because Black Crow Divine Monarch was practically undying and immortal! When Yang Kai fought Great Demon God, the entire Star Boundary had risen up to fight back together. He had countless companions by his side, supporting each other in adversity. However, he was currently fighting alone.
Moreover, Yang Kai was not confident that he could kill Black Crow Divine Monarch; after all, his most powerful attack, Golden Crow Casts the Sun, had been rendered useless by his opponent. It could even be said that he no longer had any cards left to play aside from the Divine Ability Bead given to him by the Proprietress!
It was a precarious situation! Yang Kai stabbed forward with his spear again and again as Space Principles fluctuated wildly. At the same time, his figure leapt about and flickered erratically. Each attack inflicted massive damage to Black Crow Divine Monarch, but the latter simply healed from even the most lethal and deadliest injuries in short order.
While Black Crow Divine Monarch continuously received heavy injuries, Yang Kai’s injuries were also becoming more and more severe. It had always been Yang Kai who relied on his powerful restorative abilities to put up a desperate fight against the others. Thus, he never imagined that there would come a day where somebody else would use the same method against him. It truly was a case of what went around came around. Fate was truly unpredictable!
Yang Kai’s vision flickered and went dark from time to time as he desperately drew out his potential to exceed his limits. Even if he failed to kill the old dog today, he had to let the other party know that he was not to be trifled with; otherwise, it would only be a matter of time before he became a lamp running out of oil if Black Crow Divine Monarch continued to hunt him down like this.
When the blood light struck towards him, Yang Kai lifted his spear to block the attack and deflected Black Crow Divine Monarch’s twin butterfly daggers to the side with soft clanging sounds. However, one of the blood knives suddenly turned into a cloud of blood and vanished. Simultaneously, a wave of murderous intent came from behind, locked onto him.
Yang Kai was shocked. How could he not realise that he had fallen into a trap? Hurriedly moving his body to dodge, he suddenly felt a slight pain around his waist and abdomen. He looked down only to see a blood light pouring into his back and coming out around his waist. The blood light had opened a gaping hole in his body that his blood was gushing out of!
The blood light flew back to Black Crow Divine Monarch’s hand, where he raised it in front of him in its dagger form, licked the blade lightly, and nodded in approval, “The blood of a Divine Spirit is delicious indeed!”
Yang Kai staggered backward by a few steps. Reaching out his hand to clutch at his waist, he circulated his strength to seal the wound as his figure swayed unsteadily.
[I’m at my limit!] Despite giving it his all, Yang Kai had reached the limits that his body could withstand. He might end up dying in this place if he continued fighting, causing him to sigh. Now that things had come to this point, he could only choose to escape and find a place to recuperate from his injuries. Unfortunately, it would not be easy to get rid of Black Crow Divine Monarch’s pursuit in his current condition.
“Junior, if you have any last words, speak them now!” Black Crow Divine Monarch held a dagger in each hand. After saying that, his figure shifted slightly and he rushed forward to come directly in front of Yang Kai. The twin daggers came slashing down from both sides as overwhelming murderous intent surged from him!
Yang Kai raised his spear to parry and in the next instant there was a loud explosion. He could sense an overwhelmingly powerful force coming from above him and even with his Half-Dragon Body, he could not withstand the impact. His entire figure was pressed down by the force, so much so that he was almost kneeling on the ground.
His vision went black again, and by the time it recovered, Black Crow Divine Monarch’s face was practically right in front of him, grinning as he sneered, “Die!”
Yang Kai grit his teeth and let out a roar. His Spiritual Energy erupted violently from within his Knowledge Sea, turning into a haphazard attack that blasted towards Black Crow Divine Monarch.
Black Crow Divine Monarch’s savage grin instantly stiffened in response and even his eyes seemed to bulge as though he received a huge shock.
The terrifying pressure suddenly relaxed. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Yang Kai quickly steadied himself and swung his spear at Black Crow Divine Monarch. His attack sent the latter flying, and before Black Crow Divine Monarch could get further away from him, the Azure Dragon Spear had already thrust out hundreds of times in a row. Every single attack blasted out with Heaven-destroying and Earth-shattering power.
Black Crow Divine Monarch was utterly powerless in the face of those attacks and his body was smashed to pieces as a result.
Yang Kai was stunned for a moment as he had not expected such a change in the battle. It was out of desperation that he unleashed a Soul Attack just now. He simply wanted to relieve some of the pressure bearing down on him, but who could have known that he would strike Black Crow Divine Monarch’s weakness with that attack? It caused the latter’s strength to drop sharply and even froze him on the spot for a moment.
After pondering for a while, realisation suddenly struck Yang Kai.
Black Crow Divine Monarch was just a Remnant Soul in the first place; moreover, he was severely injured inside Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea. Not to mention, he had been forced to separate a thread of his consciousness to create a diversion in order to escape. Afterward, he went on to possess Zhou Yi’s body. Although he was successful in his attempt, it was not as simple as it seemed from the surface.
Regardless of the circumstances, Zhou Yi was still an elite disciple of Great Thousand Blood Land, so his aptitude was not bad. Therefore, Black Crow Divine Monarch would definitely need to pay a price in order to possess his body. How strong could Black Crow Divine Monarch’s Soul be after overcoming all these obstacles?
In other words, his Spiritual Energy was nothing compared to the mighty power he displayed earlier and it was no wonder a single Soul Attack from Yang Kai was capable of causing such heavy damage to him. He didn’t even have the strength to fight back, and this was the reason.
Upon understanding this point, Yang Kai felt extremely annoyed. He had been fooled by the overwhelming momentum displayed by the other party and forgot about this crucial point. If he had realised it sooner, then this fight would not have been nearly as difficult. Using one’s strength to target the opponent’s weakness. How could he not understand such a simple truth? Nevertheless, it was not too late for him to realise this now!
Black Crow Divine Monarch was blasted to pieces by that attack just now, but he did not die. The pieces of hashed meat swiftly melted into blood that quickly converged together. The blood flowed and vaguely took on a humanoid figure.
How could Yang Kai simply stand back and watch? He sent out another blast of Spiritual Energy, causing the blood gathering together to immediately show signs of falling apart again. Swinging his spear, Yang Kai scattered the blood into the surroundings once more.
Black Crow Divine Monarch’s mournful screams rang out. The blood squirmed and flowed, transforming into a blood cloud that quickly fled into the distance.
“Where are you trying to run!?” Yang Kai roared. Lifting his spear, he hurriedly gave chase; however, he had only taken a few steps when his strength left his body and he slumped to the ground. It was fortunate that he had the Azure Dragon Spear to support himself; otherwise, he would have collapsed on his face then and there.
“Junior, I’ll spare your life this time! I will definitely take your head the next time we meet!” From far away, Black Crow Divine Monarch’s voice sounded from the blood cloud.
“Don’t run! If you’re not a coward, come and fight me!” Yang Kai roared furiously. He wanted to pursue Black Crow Divine Monarch but did not have the strength to do so; hence, he could only watch helplessly as his enemy fled further and further away until he vanished out of sight.
Yang Kai smashed his fist heavily onto the ground, his expression full of annoyance. Having missed the perfect opportunity to kill Black Crow Divine Monarch this time, he was not sure if another chance would appear again in the future. An Old Monster that had been sealed for countless years like Black Crow Divine Monarch was not a common occurrence in the first place.
After catching his breath for a while, Yang Kai turned and studied his surroundings. He did not know if Black Crow Divine Monarch had really retreated or if he was only feigning retreat. In any case, he was currently in terrible condition and could not help feeling slightly uneasy as a result. He did not dare to remain in place for long, lest he suffer if the old dog decided to turn around and attack him.
Putting the Azure Dragon Spear away, Yang Kai stuffed a handful of restorative Spirit Pills into his mouth before fleeing in a certain direction. He had not gone further than a few hundred kilometres though when he suddenly collapsed on the ground, lacking the strength to move a single finger. The fight with Black Crow Divine Monarch had exhausted him completely and it was a miracle he could escape even this far.
Yang Kai was feeling extremely dizzy and his vision turned dark from time to time as he felt as though he could faint at any moment. Nevertheless, he forced himself to stay awake as he did not dare to lose consciousness. That was because there was no saying what would happen to him if he passed out under these circumstances. After all, there were countless Monster Beast and cultivators in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven at the moment.
He barely managed to activate his Divine Sense and opened the boundaries of the Small Sealed World to release Qu Hua Shang from within. Before he could even say anything to her, his head tilted to the side and he fell unconscious.
Qu Hua Shang had been in the middle of treating her injuries when she was brought out of the Small Sealed World by Yang Kai. She initially felt confused about the situation, but then she turned around to see Yang Kai lying on the ground and covered in blood. His clothes were in tatters and numerous bone-deep wounds dotted his body. In addition, there was a gaping hole that penetrated his body from front to back at his waist. Thus, she couldn’t help being shocked by the sight and called out in alarm, “Junior Brother Yang! Junior Brother Yang!”
Rushing over, she knelt beside him, her complexion pale. She had no idea what he went through while she was recuperating from her injuries; however, judging from the extent of his injuries, it was definitely an extremely dangerous battle. She tremblingly placed a hand under his nose and discovered that he was still breathing, albeit faintly. Letting out a deep breath of relief, she slumped to the ground weakly. [I thought he was dead! I’m so glad he’s still alive! But, with injuries this severe…]
She reached out a hand and lightly brushed against those vicious-looking wounds, her body shivering lightly. Leaving aside how long it would take for him to heal from these injuries, there was no saying what kind of consequences he might suffer even after fully recovering. She more or less had a grasp of Yang Kai’s true abilities and knew that not many people or Monster Beasts in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven could possibly force him to this extent. [Could it be that Black Crow Divine Monarch was pursuing us?]
The moment that thought crossed her mind, she suddenly became agitated and anxious. She did not dare to remain in this place; therefore, she hurriedly took out some topical healing medicine, tore open his clothes, and applied some of the medicinal liquid to his body. Afterward, she took out a robe from her own Space Ring and wrapped him in it. Lifting him onto her back, she then quickly ran off.
Yang Kai vaguely felt his body moving up and down in his unconscious state. A fragrant scent entered his nose, enticing him sweetly. Furthermore, there was a soft and plump sensation pressing against his body. Something tickled his cheeks, almost as though a strand of hair was gently stroking his heartstrings. It was the very picture of a so-called tender love nest.
For a time, he could not figure what kind of situation he was in, but just as he was about to get a clear look of his surroundings, a burst of pain erupted throughout his entire body, causing him to hiss in pain.
“Junior Brother Yang, are you awake?” Qu Hua Shang’s voice entered his ears. She was out of breath and her voice sounded weak.
“En.” He responded and opened his eyes to look. Only then did he realise that he was being carried on her back. Her hands were supporting his thighs and she was leaning forward slightly while running quickly. In addition, his head was resting crookedly on her shoulder. Due to a matter of angle, his mouth would occasionally come into contact with her delicate cheeks and fair neck.
[This…] He never imagined that he would be greeted by this kind of situation as soon as he opened his eyes; thus, he was stunned for a moment.
Yang Kai had barely managed to keep himself awake long enough to release Qu Hua Shang from the Small Sealed World at the time. The reason for his actions was so that she could watch over him in case he was attacked by either a cultivator or a Monster Beast when he was unconscious. It should have been safer for him that way; however, he had no idea why this woman was running desperately whilst carrying him on her back!
When his body rose and fell with her movements, all the wounds on his body screamed in pain, causing him to grunt in agony. Patting her on the shoulder, he weakly said, “Senior Sister, please put me down.”
“I can’t, Junior Brother.” She shook her head, her hair brushing against his cheek.
Just as he was about to ask why, he suddenly detected a violent attack coming from behind. The attack sliced through the air with a loud rumbling noise, forcing her to dodge to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack.
Yang Kai was shocked and groaned, “Is that old dog still chasing me!?”
He could not tell how long he had been unconscious for; however, judging from the recovery of his injuries, it must have been two or three days by now. If they were ordinary wounds, he would already have recovered completely, but the situation this time was different from the usual. It was very difficult for the wounds that he received from his fight with Black Crow Divine Monarch to heal; therefore, he was still extremely weak and his strength had not recovered by much. There was a strange and troublesome force festering in his wounds that constantly ate away at them and prevented them from healing.
[So much time has passed. Don’t tell me Black Crow Divine Monarch is still chasing me!?] Yang Kai could not imagine how Qu Hua Shang had persevered for so long.
“It’s not Black Crow Divine Monarch.” She shook her head again. While speaking, she stumbled and nearly lost her balance. She herself had yet to recover from her injuries, so she was in dire need of recuperation. Unfortunately, she was currently being chased. Although she was not yet a lamp running out of oil, she wasn’t in good condition either.
“Then, who is it?” Yang Kai asked in surprise.
At this moment, a person’s voice came from a distance behind them, “Junior Sister Qu, this Senior Brother has no intention to harm you. Put Yang Kai down and you are free to leave on your own. Why do you have to struggle so hard to escape?”
The voice sounded rather familiar and Yang Kai vaguely felt like he had heard it somewhere before. After thinking about it, he abruptly became furious. [Doesn’t this voice belong to that little bastard Yin Xin Zhao from Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven!?]
Before the Blood Monster Cave Heaven opened, Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven had come to seize their spot. In return, Yang Kai used his mastery of the Dao of Space to steal many of their entrances. He had targeted Yin Xin Zhao in particular and stolen the entrance that was nearest to him; hence, Yang Kai wrongly assumed that Yin Xin Zhao would not have the chance to step into the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. Who could have known that they would encounter each other here? Moreover, the other party was relentlessly hunting him down.
[This guy has pretty good luck. How did he enter the Blood Monster Cave Heaven under those circumstances?] Turning back to look, Yang Kai saw Yin Xin Zhao doggedly chasing Qu Hua Shang, and he was not alone either. There were two helpers beside him, probably disciples of Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven.
In terms of strength, Qu Hua Shang was probably not inferior to Yin Xin Zhao and neither of them would lose to each other in a one-on-one fight. It was just that she was still injured and the other side had two helpers with him. How could she be their opponent? It was not hard to understand why she was fleeing while being chased.
“How did you encounter this guy?” Yang Kai was livid. If he met Yin Xin Zhao under normal circumstances, he would not be afraid of him; however, he had yet to recover his strength after his battle against Black Crow Divine Monarch recently.
“Bad luck.” Qu Hua Shang gave a bitter laugh and briefly explained what happened.
After being released from the Small Sealed World by Yang Kai, she immediately took him away from the battlefield. She originally wanted to find a quiet and remote place to recuperate, but how could she have anticipated running into Yin Xin Zhao and his group, who came to investigate the situation, before she could find a place to hide?
The battle between Yang Kai and Black Crow Divine Monarch had created a huge commotion. Yin Xin Zhao and his two fellow brothers had been in the vicinity, so it was only natural that they noticed the commotion.
Upon seeing that it was Yang Kai, Yin Xin Zhao was overjoyed and immediately wanted Qu Hua Shang to hand him over to them. How could Qu Hua Shang agree to his demands though? As such, she fled while coyly refusing his request. It had been two days since then.
Fortunately, Yin Xin Zhao still had to give face to Yin-Yang Cave Heaven so he did not dare to kill her. Otherwise, it was hard to say whether she could protect Yang Kai. It was just that his patience gradually ran out as time passed, so his attacks were becoming more and more lethal. He was acting as though he was going to kill Yang Kai recklessly.
“That bastard!” Yang Kai gritted his teeth and patted Qu Hua Shang on the shoulder, “Senior Sister Qu, please put me down.”
Although the feeling of lying on her back was very comfortable, how could he allow a woman to struggle desperately for his sake at a time like this? He couldn’t help cursing in his heart. [The Blood Monster Cave Heaven really isn’t a place for people to be in! I just got rid of Black Crow Divine Monarch and now I’m being targeted by Yin Xin Zhao. Does that mean I will constantly be hunted in this place!?]
“It’s fine. Junior Brother, you should continue resting. Let’s talk again once you’ve regained some of your strength.” Qu Hua Shang could sense that he was in very poor condition, so how could she agree to his request so easily?
“Junior Sister Qu, since you are so stubborn, then don’t blame this Senior Brother for attacking without mercy!” Yin Xin Zhao’s furious roar came from behind. Following his words, a whip-like sword light came slashing in this direction and arrived not far behind them in the blink of an eye. The power of this golden light was extreme and it could be seen that he had truly lost his temper. His scruples towards Yin-Yang Cave Heaven could not stop his resolution to kill Yang Kai.
By the time Qu Hua Shang noticed and wanted to avoid the attack, it was already too late. As a last resort, she could only turn sideways and throw out a palm in the direction of the attack together with Yang Kai.
*Hong…*
A violent force spread out, and although the two of them had managed to block Yin Xin Zhao’s attack together, they were also sent flying by the force of impact.
*Pu…* Qu Hua Shang spat out a mouthful of fresh blood and her complexion turned as pale as a sheet.
Similarly, Yang Kai was in no better condition. He felt an even more intense pain coming from all the wounds on his body. A sweetness filled his throat and he nearly coughed up a mouthful of blood. Fortunately, he managed to force the feeling down in time.
Even in this situation, Qu Hua Shang continued to carry him on her back and did not throw him off. It made him feel extremely grateful towards her. He had no idea why she was struggling so desperately for his sake.
Seeing that Yin Xin Zhao and the others were approaching, Qu Hua Shang struggled to get back on her feet, but failed. On the other hand, Yang Kai had already recovered some strength from his rest earlier. Upon seeing this situation, he pulled her into his arms and took a deep breath. Space Principles wrapped around them and they vanished from the spot.
By the time they reappeared again, they were already several dozen kilometres away. It was just that this forceful method of exerting his strength left Yang Kai feeling extremely uncomfortable. He had only just stabilised his injuries when all the strength left his body and he collapsed to the ground again. Qu Hua Shang let out a scream of surprise as she tumbled to the ground.
Yang Kai coughed lightly but incessantly. Scrambling and crawling on the ground, he hurriedly came to her side and anxiously said, “Senior Sister, are you alright?”
She looked at him with tears in her eyes, “My butt is bruised from the fall! If you don’t believe me, you can touch and see for yourself!”
Yang Kai nearly spat blood at those words for an entirely different reason than before. [What kind of situation are we in right now!? How can you still be so flirtatious!? There’s no helping this woman anymore!]
Reaching out to grab her arm, Yang Kai carried her on his back and quickly sped off. Although he had used Instantaneous Movement to put some distance between them and their pursuers, they had yet to escape completely from Yin Xin Zhao’s range of perception. The three people from Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven were still chasing them relentlessly, and although Yang Kai wanted to use Instantaneous Movement again, he no longer had the strength to do so.
It was Qu Hua Shang who was carrying Yang Kai earlier as they fled, but the situation was reversed now. She happily climbed on his back, wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist like an octopus.
It was not until this moment that Yang Kai noticed something strange, “Why am I wearing a dress!?”
Qu Hua Shang exhaled an orchid scent in his ear as she explained, “Your clothes were in tatters, so I tossed them. I couldn’t just leave you naked, right?”
He had no answer to that. It might be embarrassing to have a dress wrapped around him, but it was still within an acceptable range. It would have been far worse to be carried naked by a woman. His priority at the moment was to escape, so he had no time to complain about the way he was dressed.
He secretly regretted his decision. [If I had known that this would happen, I would have brought Pu Bai Xing with me.]
The grapes on Pu Bai Xing’s head were incredibly restorative Divine Medicines after all. It would only take a single grape for him to recover completely in a short time. Forget a single Yin Xin Zhao, he would even be able to kill ten Yin Xin Zhaos if he was at his peak.
It was just that he had left Little Mushroom in the Illusion Array to act as its Array Core after the Nine Heavenly Layers Grand Array was fully set up. The Gourd Vine had also been left under the care of others in Void Land because of its special role. Out of the three Divine Medicines that Yang Kai brought out of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, two had to stay in Void Land, so naturally, Pu Bai Xiong was not willing to leave either. He was adamant about staying behind in Void Land to accompany Little Mushroom and the Bottle Gourd Brothers. Therefore, Yang Kai had allowed him to do as he pleased.
Who could have known that a Divine Monarch would possess somebody and come back to life inside the Blood Monster Cave Heaven? Who could have expected the situation would become so dangerous? Yang Kai had assumed that his strength was enough that he could run wild in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. At the very least, he would not be in any danger.
[I was too careless! No matter what, I have to bring a few grapes along with me next time for emergencies.]
“Junior Brother, can we consider ourselves lovers after sharing life and death together?” Qu Hua Shang suddenly asked.
“Lovers my foot!” Yang Kai was rendered speechless by her. He had initially felt nervous being pursued by enemies, but the tense atmosphere vanished after listening to what Qu Hua Shang said.
She pouted in an aggrieved tone, “I’ve never struggled so desperately for a man in my life.”
To which Yang Kai nodded, “This Junior Brother will keep in mind the life-saving grace you have shown me today, Senior Sister. I will never forget it.”
Qu Hua Shang giggled and replied lightly, “Junior Brother also saved me back in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. Besides, I would have lost my life if you had not stopped Black Crow Divine Monarch earlier. Taking all these into account, you helped me more.”
“Things like favors and life-saving graces can never be settled with numbers.”
“That’s true.” She leaned her head against his shoulder and nodded lightly. A short moment of silence later, she said, “Junior Brother, put me down. You should escape on your own.”
Yang Kai was taken aback by her words, “What about you!?”
Her voice had weakened considerably as she muttered, “I’m afraid I can’t go on any longer. I’m too tired. I think I’ll take a little nap.”
His expression changed drastically, “Hold on, Senior Sister! You can’t fall asleep!”
It was not until this moment that he noticed his palms were sticky. He lifted his right hand and saw that they were covered in bright red blood. His blood was golden, so this red blood undoubtedly belonged to her. Although they joined forces and managed to block Yin Xin Zhao’s attack earlier, it was obvious that she had been injured at the time. Yang Kai swept his Divine Sense over her and discovered that she had a vicious wound on her waist. Moreover, her blood stained the ground in their wake.
“Hold on, Senior Sister Qu,” Yang Kai shouted, “You’ll be alright!”
“If something happens to me, will you be sad?” Qu Hua Shang asked softly.
“Of course! So, you can’t let anything happen to you!” Yang Kai nodded with certainty. As a Yin-Yang Cave Heaven disciple, Yin Xin Zhao would not have dared to lay a finger on her if she had abandoned him to his own devices. However, Qu Hua Shang had chosen to flee while carrying him and was currently on the verge of death as a result. If anything happened to her, he would definitely feel guilty for the rest of his life.
“In that case, I’m relieved.” She chuckled softly, “But, it’s a little regretful.”
“Senior Sister, what do you find regretful? Let’s hear it,” he quickly asked. She was currently in poor condition, so a conversation was just the thing to keep her focused.
“I’ve never tasted a man before. If I die just like this, then wouldn’t I have lived my life in vain?” Her tone was humorous.
Yang Kai had nothing to say in response. [As expected of a Yin-Yang Cave Heaven disciple, she really dares to say just about anything]
However, it was not that strange either after he thought about it. This woman was somebody who could clearly and eloquently discuss the Grand Dao of Yin-Yang Union Cultivation with him after all.
“Junior Brother, can you promise me one thing if I survive this time?”
“Don’t hold back, Senior Sister. Forget one thing; I don’t mind doing ten or hundred things for you!”
“Dual Cultivate with me!” Her words were incredibly shocking. It was almost as though she would not be happy unless she frightened him to death.
Yang Kai stumbled and nearly tumbled headfirst to the ground. His voice sounded rather uncertain, “Senior Sister, what did you say just now? I believe I misheard you.”
She chuckled softly, “You didn’t mishear me, Junior Brother.”
“Why are you still joking around at a time like this!?” He angrily snapped.
Nevertheless, she replied in all seriousness, “I am not joking around. I want to cultivate together with you. I want to do what men and women do when they are together.”
He shook his head, “Senior Sister, your injuries are too severe. You seem a little delirious. Why don’t you take a rest?”
After saying that, he poured his strength Qi into her body slightly, causing her to stiffen then faint on his back.
Behind them, Yin Xin Zhao and his two fellow disciples were getting closer and closer. Although Yang Kai had used Instantaneous Movement to put some distance between them earlier, he could not escape their pursuit in his current state. During their conversation just now, Yin Xin Zhao and the two others had already arrived within five kilometres. Such a distance was nothing to a Half-Step Open Heaven Realm Master.
The lights of various Secret Techniques and artifacts blasted out as Yin Xin Zhao’s group attacked from the rear.
Yang Kai shifted Qu Hua Shang, carrying her in his arms to prevent her from being hit by the attacks. At the same time, he activated the Dragon Transformation Secret Art to cover his back with Dragon Scales. He planned to avoid as many attacks as possible, but for those he couldn’t, he had to take them with his body. After several rounds, blood flowed endlessly and his condition worsened even further.
“Yang Kai, weren’t you acting so high and mighty back in the Blood Monster Territory!? Why don’t you stop and fight me now if you have the guts!? Let’s see if this Yin can’t take your life!” Yin Xin Zhao shouted whilst in pursuit.
Yang Kai roared furiously, “Yin Xin Zhao, I will definitely kill you one day if I survive this!”
Yin Xin Zhao roared with laughter, “Looks like you will never get the chance! Because you will definitely die here today!”
Yang Kai coldly snorted. He couldn’t be bothered to argue with Yin Xin Zhao. While he had the Divine Ability Bead given to him by the Proprietress, Yin Xin Zhao also had his Identity Token. It was just that one required active stimulation while the other was for passive protection. Be that as it may, Yang Kai had to admit that it was impossible for him to harm Yin Xin Zhao even if he used the Divine Ability Bead. He had witnessed the situation himself when Pei Wen Xuan’s Identity Token was activated earlier.
This was the first time he had such a hard time escaping ever since he began cultivating the Dao of Space. What vexed Yang Kai even more was that his pursuers’ strength was inferior to his own. It truly was a case where a Dragon could be toyed with by a shrimp in shallow waters while a tiger could be bullied by a dog if it left the mountains.
[I have to find a way out of this crisis; otherwise, things will end tragically for me.] Just as Yang Kai was studying his surroundings, he suddenly heard a loud noise coming from a certain direction. It was accompanied by extremely violent energy fluctuations. There were Masters fighting nearby!
Yang Kai turned to look in that direction and it didn’t take long before he heard another deafening bout of noise. The sound of explosions was mixed with the howls of a beast. Realisation struck Yang Kai immediately. One of the parties involved in the fight was unquestionably a Monster Beast. Moreover, it could be inferred from the energy fluctuations that the level of this fight had exceeded that of the Emperor Realm. There was no World Force, but the energy fluctuations indicated strength that was definitely on par with Open Heaven Realm Masters. The fight in the distance felt like two Black Crow Divine Monarchs fighting each other.
The strongest Monster Beast Yang Kai encountered ever since entering the Blood Monster Cave Heaven was only in the Fifth-Order. Based on his estimation, a Fifth-Order Monster Beast was the equivalent to an ordinary Half-Step Open Heaven Realm Master. In a desperate battle, a Fifth-Order Monster Beast might be slightly weaker than the Core Disciples of the Cave-Heavens and Paradises; however, the difference would only be a small margin. If Qu Hua Shang were to battle a Fifth-Order Monster Beast alone, she would have to pay a price even if she managed to slay the Monster Beast in the end.
On the contrary, the turmoil of the battle had already exceeded the limits of a Fifth-Order Monster Beast. It was a Sixth-Order Monster Beast! Furthermore, it was most likely a fight between two Sixth-Order Monster Beasts!
Sixth-Order Monster Beasts were not something the cultivators who entered the Blood Monster Cave Heaven could fight alone; after all, they were capable of exerting strength on par with that of a Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master! As for the Seventh-Order Monster Beasts… Yang Kai could not make an inference.
Looking in the direction of the commotion, Yang Kai grit his teeth and rushed towards it with Qu Hua Shang in his arms. The current situation could not get any worse. The only way he could survive was to seek life by crossing the gates of death.
Yin Xin Zhao clearly realised what Yang Kai was planning and the look in his eyes turned cold and he shouted, “Stop him!”
The other two Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven disciples accompanying him were speechless when they heard those words. [You can’t even stop him yourself. How are we supposed to stop him?]
Even so, they chased after Yang Kai with all their might.
On the other hand, Yang Kai forced himself to take a deep breath and used Instantaneous Movement once more. He opened up the distance between him and his pursuers while steadily approaching the place of the battle.
After running for a few hundred kilometres, a bright golden light suddenly appeared in Yang Kai’s field of vision. He looked up and inhaled a sharp breath of cold air. Now that he was here, he could finally see what kind of Monster Beasts were fighting each other.
One of them seemed to be a gorilla while the other was a wolf. Be that as it may, both the gorilla and the wolf had bodies that were several tens of metres tall, making them incredibly huge. Furthermore, both of them were gleaming with a dazzling golden light and every movement they made revealed great power. These were clearly two Sixth-Order Metal Element Monster Beasts!
The Metal Element Power was incomparably sharp and radiated in all directions during their battle, riddling the mountain peaks nearby with countless gaping holes. Many of the shorter peaks were even razed to the ground.
The two Sixth-Order Metal Element Monster Beasts looked evenly matched. Despite struggling hard against each other, it was impossible to tell who was holding the upper hand in the battle. That was not all. Both the Monster Beasts were also wounded and drenched in blood. Not to mention, their bodies were covered in countless wounds that had long since healed.
This fight seemed to have taken place many times before in the past. It would seem that these two Monster Beasts were incompatible enemies; thus, they had been continuously fighting each other in this Blood Monster Cave Heaven for countless years. Their fight would not stop until one party was dead.
Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling shocked when he felt the energy fluctuations from the fight between these two. [These two Monster Beasts are not ordinary Sixth-Order Monster Beasts. They are probably at the peak of the Sixth-Order; otherwise, it is impossible for them to cause such wide-spread damage.]
Despite the dangerous situation, Yang Kai carried Qu Hua Shang on his back and charged straight into the middle of the battle between these two huge Monster Beasts. He watched as the wolf came lunging straight at the gorilla’s neck while the gorilla lifted one arm to block the wolf’s gigantic maw. Meanwhile, the gorilla lifted its other arm, wrapped in dense Metal Element Power, and sliced towards the wolf’s abdomen.
Fresh blood splattered everywhere. Be it the gorilla or the wolf, both parties howled in agony. The wolf backed away, chewing on a piece of the gorilla’s flesh in its mouth. Similarly, the sharp Metal Element Power had sliced a bloody gash across its abdomen.
The two Monster Beasts stood thousands of metres apart and glared at each other across the distance. All of a sudden, they turned around in unison and looked in Yang Kai’s direction with vigilant expressions. It was obvious that they noticed his presence.
Yang Kai did not dare to be careless and hurriedly drew upon the power of his Dragon Source to reveal his Dragon Clan aura.
Although these two Monster Beasts looked like they were unrelated to the Dragon Clan, they were still Monster Beasts. As the head of the Divine Spirits, the Dragon Clan’s aura could act as a deterrent for almost all Monster Beasts.
The gorilla immediately let out a roar; likewise, the wolf bared its fangs at Yang Kai. The two enormous Monster Beasts were unhappy that Yang Kai’s arrival had interrupted their life-and-death struggle.
Even so, Yang Kai showed no fear and rushed straight at them. He held Qu Hua Shang up with one hand and took out the Proprietress’ Divine Ability Bead with his other, holding it up high above his head.
Both the gazes of the gorilla and the wolf were immediately drawn towards the Divine Ability Bead. The two enormous Monster Beasts could instinctively sense that the tiny bead contained terrifying power; thus, they both took a few steps back while looking extremely grim.
Yang Kai breathed a sigh of relief at the sight. He was afraid that the two Monster Beasts would attack him out of rage. If that was the case, then he had no choice but to activate the Divine Ability Bead. That would mean that he was forced to use his final trump card in this place. It was a huge loss that was not worth the benefits.
Fortunately, the sentience of the two Monster Beasts was not that low. They could tell that Yang Kai was a tough opponent, so they only watched him warily and did not do anything else.
Atop the mountains, a majestic Monster Qi permeated the air. The two enormous Monster Beasts were facing each other as Yang Kai slipped between them to stand right in the middle of their stand-off and breathed out heavily. He was in no hurry to leave. Since these two Monster Beasts were mortal enemies, they would not recklessly attack him as that would only give their opponent an advantage that could be exploited.
At this moment, Yang Kai was standing right on the balance point between them. It might look dangerous, but it was actually fairly safe. It was like standing in the eye of the storm. Yang Kai then turned around, his gaze becoming incredibly chilly.
*Shua shua shua…* Three bursts of noise, like something cutting through the air, rang out before the figures of Yin Xin Zhao and the others appeared and stopped nearby.
Yin Xin Zhao furrowed his brow deeply, glancing at the gorilla and the wolf. The depths of his gaze were overflowing with fear. Yang Kai had the courage to stand between these two Monster Beasts, but he did not. He did not dare to rashly attack Yang Kai either. He was as good as dead if the two Monster Beasts misunderstood his intentions.
“Yin Xin Zhao!” Yang Kai calmly stared forward, “This Yang will not forget what you did today! I will definitely pay you back a hundred times over for this!”
Yin Xin Zhao was silent. Besides, there was no point in saying anything in this situation. He could only hate the fact that he failed to catch Yang Kai in time; otherwise, how could he tolerate such impertinence?
After Yang Kai finished speaking, he carried Qu Hua Shang on his back once more and took several steps forward without even bothering to turn around, “Excuse me. Please continue your fight.”
*Hong hong hong…*
Earth-shaking noises rang out once more from behind him. It was the gorilla and the wolf continuing their vicious battle. Yin Xin Zhao nearly coughed up blood at the sight because while these two beasts were fighting between themselves, their battlefield was gradually moving towards him.
“Run!” He shouted and hurriedly escaped with his two Junior Brothers in tow. They quickly travelled across hundreds of kilometres before searching for a way around to continue their pursuit. Nevertheless, he knew that it would be difficult for him to trace Yang Kai’s whereabouts again after this delay.
At this moment, Yang Kai was desperately running with Qu Hua Shang on his back. Although he had borrowed the two powerful Sixth-Order Monster Beasts to temporarily get away from Yin Xin Zhao and the others, he was certain the other party would not give up so easily, so he had to continue fleeing for his life.
As he ran, he suddenly had the feeling that the terrain in this place was somewhat familiar. It vaguely felt like he had seen it before. After pondering deeply for a bit, the realisation struck him all of a sudden. He quickly stopped in his tracks and took out an animal skin map from his Space Ring. Studying the map carefully and comparing the places he passed by with the places marked on the map, he couldn’t help feeling surprised. [Isn’t this the route marked on the map?]
This animal skin map was something he obtained from the first cultivator he encountered in this place. The cultivator had tried to ambush him in the swamp when he first entered the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, only to be ambushed himself by a toad Monster Beast. At the time, Yang Kai had studied the map and discovered that it was probably part of a route in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. It was just that he had no idea what was waiting for him at the final destination.
Yang Kai originally planned to check out this place as the map looked ancient and might just lead to some hidden treasure. It was just that he met Bu Lian Zhong and the others along the way. Afterward, he encountered Blood Monster Divine Monarch’s Dao of Blood inheritance and was delayed as a result. Who could have known that he would arrive at the route marked on the map by accident whilst fleeing for his life?
Taking a good look around, he found that the final destination marked on the map was located not far away from here. It would take him another four hours at most to arrive, so his eyes flashed in anticipation. Putting the map away, he headed in the indicated direction.
He was not going there in search of treasure though; rather, both he and Qu Hua Shang were currently in a condition where they were in dire need of a safe place to recuperate from their wounds. Regardless of whether the final destination turned out to be a hidden treasury or something else, it would surely be well-hidden!
Four hours later, Yang Kai arrived in front of an enormous lake. He took out the map, checked his location, and confirmed that this was indeed the final destination, but he just stared at the lake with a speechless expression. [What am I supposed to do if this is the final destination!?]
The reason he strove so hard to come here was to find a place to hide and recuperate from his injuries; however, the terrain around the lake was completely unobstructed. Forget being chased by Yin Xin Zhao and the others, even encountering a Monster Beast here would be troublesome.
Yang Kai angrily put the map away. At this moment, he could only conceal himself within the Sealed World Bead and hide the Sealed World Bead in a secluded place. It was not as if he had not considered hiding inside the Sealed World Bead earlier, it was just that every corner of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven was fraught with danger. It would be perilous if the Sealed World Bead was discovered by a cultivator or a Monster Beast.
This lake turned out to be a pretty good spot though. He could sink the Sealed World Bead into the lake, assuming that there were no ferocious Monster Beasts swimming inside of it.
Upon considering all this, Yang Kai felt slightly better. His efforts to travel here were not completely in vain. He walked over to the edge of the lake and swept his Divine Sense out to investigate the situation.
The next moment though, his expression changed drastically! There was something strange about this lake! If he looked with his eyes, the lake was incredibly realistic. Light shimmered on its surface in a perfectly natural manner; however, he noticed something strange about it when using his Divine Sense to probe it.
[There’s a Spirit Array here! The lake is actually an extremely brilliant and sophisticated Illusion Array! The lake does not exist at all!] Yang Kai had only just figured this out when a black shadow suddenly came leaping at him from the surface of the lake. The shadow blocked out the sky and loomed over him.
He was startled. Just as he was about to flutter backward, a chill ran down his back at that very moment. Caught unguarded, he hurriedly turned around with a roar and viciously smashed his palm forward.
There was a loud explosion and his palm seemed to strike a person, drawing a grunt of pain from their lips. Then, a ghostly figure appeared in his field of vision. What he sent flying turned out to be a man with short stature.
The man looked like he had seen a ghost. It seemed that he had not expected Yang Kai to be so strong; after all, Yang Kai looked to be severely injured. Who could have expected that he would not be Yang Kai’s opponent even when the latter was in such a state? Nevertheless, this short man had achieved his goal.
Yang Kai was pushed back by the force of the impact and involuntarily staggered, only to fall headfirst into the black shadow coming from the lake. Immediately after that, he felt a mighty restraining force wrapping around him from all directions, trapping both him and Qu Hua Shang who was lying in his arms, together.
What came leaping out at him from the surface of the lake turned out to be a large net. At this moment, he and Qu Hua Shang had clearly fallen into an artifact trap. The large net tightened rapidly, causing him to feel extremely uncomfortable.
“That brat is tough. Quick! Use the Firm Yuan Nail!” The short man who was sent flying by Yang Kai earlier shouted.
*Chi chi chi…* Several cold lights came flying over and Yang Kai felt a slight pain in his body when they stabbed into his body. Following that, he stopped struggling against the net with a look of surprise.
The so-called Firm Yuan Nail turned out to be a strange artifact that could restrain the Qi in a cultivator’s body. From what Yang Kai could tell, there was a cold force seeping into his body that sealed his meridians and caused his strength to become obstructed!
Yang Kai hurriedly surged the Power in his Dao Seal to let the Golden Crow’s True Fire course through his veins and the Firm Yuan Nails were immediately burned to ashes, allowing his Qi to flow smoothly again.
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
More than ten figures landed from all directions, surrounding him in the middle, but Yang Kai remained calm. Carrying Qu Hua Shang in his arms, he glared at his surroundings coldly. [If these people believe that my strength has been sealed by the Firm Yuan Nail, then they are in for a rude surprise.]
Nevertheless, what piqued his curiosity was that these people seemed to have no intention of killing him. Be it the restraining net or the Firm Yuan Nails, they were both only meant to subdue their enemies. Even the short man who attacked him from behind was only attempting to force him into the large net. These people had not displayed any murderous intent from the start.
[Who are these people?] Yang Kai initially assumed that they were the disciples of some random Sect; however, it did not seem likely now that he had taken a good look at them. That was because they were dressed strangely. Slightly differently from everything he had seen before.
The young man in the lead was charismatic and handsome with a jade-like face. As he turned to glance at the short man, he asked, “Are you okay?”
The short man shook his head, “His paltry strength is not enough to harm me.”
The young man coldly snorted, “That guy is severely injured. Did you think you’d be safe otherwise?”
The short man looked unconvinced, “I didn’t use my full strength either.”
The young man ignored the short man and swept his gaze over Yang Kai, “An Outer World visitor?”
“Huh?” Yang Kai frowned, not quite understanding the question.
The young man pointed at the sky, “Are you from the outside world?”
Yang Kai asked curiously, “Aren’t you?”
As soon as the words left his mouth, he suddenly recalled something. The Proprietress once mentioned that the Blood Monster Cave Heaven not only contained Monster Beasts but also some natives!
Blood Monster Divine Monarch had placed these people into his Small Universe so that they could thrive and reproduce in order to strengthen the vitality of his Small Universe.
The Small Universe of a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master would transform from ethereal to corporeal and become essentially no different from a genuine Universe World, so it was capable of sustaining living creatures. For that reason, the Small Universes of many High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters would contain living creatures in them. It was just that these living creatures were bound by certain restraints and could never advance into the Open Heaven Realm, not unless they could somehow escape the Small Universe they lived in.
[Could it be that these people in front of me are the natives of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven? That must be it! No wonder they are dressed differently from those of us from the outside!] Upon realising this, Yang Kai immediately nodded in response, “That’s right. My companion and I both came from the outside world.”
The other party did not seem to be malicious, so he had no reason to make things difficult for himself. Besides, he had only just escaped from the clutches of two different enemies, so he truly could not afford to fight another battle at the moment. What he needed was a good rest to heal from his injuries.
“Has it been 200 years already…” The young man muttered under his breath and looked up at Yang Kai, “Don’t be scared. We won’t kill you, but you will need to come with us.”
Yang Kai retorted in his heart. [I’m not scared!]
In any case, the other party did not seem to be malicious so it wouldn’t hurt to follow them. He could also take the chance to go to where these people were located to have a good rest. It was not difficult for him to recover, but the main issue was Qu Hua Shang. Her injuries this time were rather severe.
While the young man was speaking, he raised his hand and retrieved the large net. However, he said nothing about the Firm Yuan Nails inside Yang Kai’s body. In his opinion, Yang Kai couldn’t even think about escaping as long as the Firm Yuan Nails were there.
The group of ten or so people immediately escorted Yang Kai towards the lake. The young man waved the token in his hand and a burst of light flashed across the surface of the lake. Following that, ripples spread across the space in front of them and a city came into view.
Yang Kai was slightly taken aback by the sight. Although he had discerned that the lake was an Illusion Array, he never imagined that an entire city was hidden behind it. [I brought Qu Hua Shang right to the gates of their city. No wonder they discovered my presence.]
At this point, he finally understood something. The place marked on the animal skin map that he obtained from somebody else’s Space Ring was this city! It was not some sort of hidden treasure trove. The person in question probably obtained the map from somewhere else and had no idea about the mysteries behind this place. If that person had found his way here, he would definitely be facing the same situation as what Yang Kai was experiencing right now.
Upon walking into the city, Yang Kai discovered that it was not very large, probably capable of accommodating a few thousand people at most. Great walls surrounded the entire city, all of them equipped with various large-scale ballista-like artifacts. There were also a few artifacts somewhat similar to the cannons of a Starship. Furthermore, the sturdy city walls were covered in bloodstains that had turned black with time. Parts of the city walls had collapsed and people were working on repairing them.
This place was clearly not some sort of paradise as there were various signs that it was constantly under attack. It was no wonder that they placed an Illusion Array on the outside to confuse one’s sight.
When they walked through the city gates, one of the cultivators on guard noticed the young man and hurriedly cupped his fists in greeting, “Big Brother Wu Xin.”
One of the younger cultivators laughed, “Big Brother Wu Xin, you truly are amazing. You captured them so easily. Are these two people from Emerald Thunder City?”
The young man shook his head, “No. They are Outer World visitors.”
“Outer World visitors!?” Everybody looked stunned to hear those words and curiously studied Yang Kai with a measuring gaze.
Although they lived in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, they had all heard their Elders talking about the Outer World visitors. It was said that every few hundred years, a group of people would enter this world from the outside before disappearing after some time. Nevertheless, it was not until today that many of them saw what an Outer World visitor looked like for the first time.
They discovered that the Outer World visitors were not much different from themselves. Moreover, this man was covered in wounds, so it was obvious that he had fought recently. On the other hand, the woman was unconscious. Her complexion was pale and her aura was weak.
“That’s enough. Guard this place carefully.” The young man waved his hands to dismiss the others before leading the group into the city.
The streets in the city were very spacious with row upon row of houses located in the surroundings. Yang Kai looked around while walking but did not notice anything special about this place. It looked no different from the cities that could be found everywhere in the outside world.
Under the guidance of the young man, they headed straight towards the building in the middle of the city. This place was most likely the City Lord’s Mansion. The young man contacted somebody once they arrived and gave a brief report about the situation before requesting that this matter be reported to the City Lord so that they could decide on how to deal with Yang Kai.
That person immediately entered the City Lord’s Mansion; however, he soon came back out with a frown on his face, “Senior Brother Fan, the City Lord is currently in retreat. She previously ordered that she was not to be disturbed unless it was for an important matter. What would you…”
Similarly, Fan Wu Xin frowned upon hearing those words and only spoke up after pondering in silence for a bit, “In that case, please place these two in custody for now. We can discuss this matter again once the City Lord comes out of retreat.”
“Many thanks, Senior Brother Fan.” That person cupped his fists.
It didn’t take long for Fan Wu Xin to bring Yang Kai to an underground prison where he gestured with his head, “Get in.”
Yang Kai glanced at Fan Wu Xin and said nothing. Carrying Qu Hua Shang in his arms, he squeezed into the prison. He had no intention of arguing with the other party as he was currently a prisoner. Besides, the prison might be on the smaller side, but there were no strange odours. It was also very clean and even had a small bed inside.
Fan Wu Xin stood at the door of the prison cell and said, “Please make do with this place for a few days. The City Lord will meet you after she comes out of retreat.”
Yang Kai did not respond. His most pressing concern was treating his wounds. Once he had recovered, nobody in this small city would be able to lift a finger against him; therefore, there was nothing to be worried about. More importantly, the other party believed that he was helpless after being restrained by the Firm Yuan Nail, not realizing that he was not affected in the slightest.
Fan Wu Xin was about to turn and leave when the look in his eyes suddenly changed. He lowered his head and glanced in the direction of Yang Kai’s waist. Then, he reached out his hand and grabbed the wooden token hanging there. After taking a closer look at the token, he asked curiously, “Where did you get this?”
This token was something the Proprietress had given to Yang Kai. Back at the palace in the middle of the lake, Yang Kai had made a bluff and hung this token on his waist to frighten Black Crow Divine Monarch. He had been fleeing for his life with Qu Hua Shang since then, so he had not had the time to store it away.
Judging by the way Fan Wu Xin spoke, it would seem that he recognised the token.
Yang Kai’s eyes flashed for a moment, but without answering the question, he countered with one of his own, “What is this token?”
Fan Wu Xin glanced at Yang Kai deeply. Frowning, he did not say anything more. He closed the door and turned to leave without returning the token to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai did not ask for the token back. That was something the Proprietress had given him, so he could not lose the token so easily. He would just have to retrieve it once he recovered from his injuries.
Putting Qu Hua Shang on the small bed, Yang Kai finally let out a shallow breath of relief.
This trip to the Blood Monster Cave Heaven had completely exhausted him. Aside from the first few days where things were relatively peaceful, he was first hunted by Black Crow Divine Monarch and subsequently chased by Yin Xin Zhao. And now, he was being imprisoned in this place. It could be said that his entire journey had been full of ups and downs.
Fortunately, he would finally have some peace for the next few days. With his regenerative abilities, he should be able to recover most of his strength in short order.
He placed his hand on Qu Hua Shang’s wrist to check the condition of her injuries, but the results made him frown. Her injuries were quite severe and her strength was almost completely exhausted. It was obvious that she had struggled desperately to escape from Yin Xin Zhao during the two days that he was unconscious.
Taking out some Spirit Pills, he ate some himself before stuffing the rest into her mouth.
The bed was too small and could only accommodate one person; therefore, Yang Kai flipped himself onto the bed and sat cross-legged at its head. He then placed Qu Hua Shang’s head on his lap and held her wrist with one hand. Activating the Wood Element Power in his Dao Seal, he poured the pure energy into her body while simultaneously treating his own injuries.
The Wood Element Power condensed from the essence of the Immortal Tree contained astonishing healing effects, and in less than an hour, Qu Hua Shang groaned softly and her lashes trembled slightly.
“Senior Sister Qu,” Yang Kai called out softly.
Qu Hua Shang’s long lashes fluttered harder and after a long while, she slowly opened her eyes and immediately looked up to see Yang Kai looking down at her. Blinking, she asked, “Junior Brother, are we dead?”
“No. We’re alive and well.” He smiled.
“No wonder it hurts so much.” She forced a smile, but her complexion was still as pale as a sheet of paper.
Yang Kai shook his head and chided lightly, “Since you’re awake, Senior Sister, then don’t get distracted. Your top priority should be to treat your injuries.”
Nodding weakly, she closed her eyes and began circulating some kind of Secret Art. She could clearly sense a powerful and energetic force flowing into her body through Yang Kai’s palm. Wherever that energy flowed, her injuries healed at an unimaginable speed. She initially thought that it would take her one or two months just to recover; however, judging by the current situation, it would not take longer than a few days at most. Hence, she was secretly amazed at how high the Order of the Wood Element Power Yang Kai must have condensed was.
She might not have condensed a Seventh-Order Element herself, but she was certain that what she was experiencing was not something a Seventh-Order Power could accomplish. A Seventh-Order Wood Element would simply not have such astonishing regenerative properties. [Is it an Eighth-Order? Or even… a Ninth-Order? Just what did Junior Brother condense for him to obtain such a horrifyingly powerful Wood Element Power!?]
Another half a day passed and her cheeks were now much rosier than before while her aura had stabilised somewhat. It was not until this moment that she realised she had been sleeping on Yang Kai’s lap all this while. Moreover, they were even sharing a small bed inside a tiny stone room.
“Junior Brother, what is this place?” She asked curiously.
He answered, “Inside a city.”
“A city?”
“En.” He nodded, “There are many natives inside the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, and this place is one of the cities where a group of natives reside. We were captured and brought back here.”
“Then, aren’t we prisoners?” She exclaimed in surprise. [Just what happened after I fell unconscious? How did we get captured by the natives?]
“I guess.” Yang Kai chuckled.
“What do we do now?” Her expression changed. [Who knows whether these natives have any malicious intentions towards us?]
“Since we’re already here, then we might as well see how things play out. Let’s just focus on recovering for now. What can they do to us once we are fully healed?”
She frowned and anxiously said, “I’m worried that they might do something to us before we recover completely. No, we can’t just do nothing and wait for death. Junior Brother, please cultivate with me.”
Yang Kai’s eyes bulged as he stared at her, feeling speechless, “Senior Sister, you’re becoming delirious again.”
She immediately retorted, “Don’t you dare knock me out again!”
The last time she had mentioned something similar, Yang Kai had knocked her unconscious without any hesitation; therefore, she immediately became vigilant upon hearing those words.
Yang Kai was truly exasperated as he grumbled, “What does our current situation have to do with cultivating together?”
“As a Yin-Yang Cave Heaven disciple, I have been cultivating a Yin-Yang Secret Technique since I was young. If we engage in Yin-Yang Union Cultivation, then we can recover even faster.”
“Even without doing that, our recovery is not slow.” Yang Kai chuckled.
“But, time is of the essence right now, Junior Brother.”
Yang Kai fell silent for a moment before he sternly replied, “Senior Sister, Yin-Yang Union Cultivation should only be done between people who are deeply in love with one another. This is a major life event; you should think this over carefully.”
“Of course, I know that! Junior Brother, you are a great candidate!” She stared at him with clear eyes. It was just that her charming beauty in addition to her weakened state made her even more alluring than ever.
He was stared at so intently that he couldn’t help feeling uncomfortable. Thus, he shifted his gaze away and muttered, “Including meeting here in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, you and I have only met each other twice, Senior Sister. You don’t know what kind of man I am. On the same note, I’m not sure what kind of character Senior Sister has. With such a loveless foundation, how will we blend with each other seamlessly and perform something like Yin-Yang Union Cultivation?”
“Feelings can slowly be nurtured in the future,” she said confidently, “I’m certain that you will surely fall for me once we’ve performed Yin-Yang Union Cultivation!”
Yang Kai scowled and spoke sternly, “Senior Sister, I am not talking about performing Yin-Yang Union Cultivation. I am talking about your lifelong happiness. You are so beautiful and intelligent, Senior Sister Qu. You should find somebody who is worthy of entrusting the rest of your life to.”
She replied, “But, I’ve already found one.”
Yang Kai was on the verge of a mental breakdown, feeling as though he could not communicate with her at all. What he could be certain of was that she had some feelings of admiration for him, just as he did for her. But, there was absolutely no love between them. How could she speak about dual cultivating together so easily?
“Junior Brother, do you think this Senior Sister is a woman without morals?” She suddenly asked.
“Why would I?” He shook his head. Over the past few days of interaction, he had more or less grasped her personality. She was not a loose woman. Otherwise, she would not mention that she had never tasted a man before. With her looks, who could resist her temptation and seduction if she really put her mind to it?
She broke into a wide smile, “In that case, why do you refuse to cultivate with me, Junior Brother?”
The conversation went full circle and came back to this topic again, so Yang Kai countered her question with one of his own, “Senior Sister, why are you so insistent on cultivating with me?”
Qu Hua Shang paused for a moment before explaining, “I’ll have to find somebody sooner or later. Junior Brother Yang is an outstanding man. I’ll never find somebody like you again if I let you slip away. You don’t understand. What I cultivate is the Heartless Dao.”
“The Heartless Dao?”
She nodded, “As a Yin-Yang Cave Heaven disciple, I must first cultivate the heart in order to advance into the Open Heaven Realm. We can either cultivate the Heartfelt Dao or the Heartless Dao. And, I am cultivating the latter.”
Yang Kai frowned slightly. Although he did not know anything about the Heartless Dao, the name itself made one uncomfortable.
Qu Hua Shang explained, “Those who cultivate the Heartfelt Dao have to fall in love to enter the Dao while those who cultivate the Heartless Dao have to cut off their affections to enter the Dao. But, both the Heartfelt Dao and the Heartless Dao will eventually end up at the same destination. In the end, we will achieve the Grand Dao and receive recognition as an Open Heaven Realm Master!”
“I still don’t understand how that is related to why you want to cultivate together with me, Senior Sister.”
“Stupid!” She rolled her eyes at him, “I have to cut off my affections in order to create my own Dao. But, I currently have no love to speak of. How am I supposed to cut off my affections and advance into the Open Heaven Realm?”
He understood, “So, you want to fall in love with me and then cut off your affections for me.”
“That’s right!” She readily admitted and looked at him with a pitiful gaze, “Junior Brother, just think of it as doing me a favour!”
Yang Kai didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. [How can there be such strange things in the world? Such a mesmerising woman wants to cultivate together with me, but it turns out that I’m just doing her a favour?]
Be that as it may, it was exactly as she said before. Regardless of which Dao Yin-Yang Cave Heaven disciples cultivated, they first had to fall in love with someone. Those who cultivated the Heartfelt Dao did not need to go through the trouble of cutting off their affections. On the other hand, the Heartless Dao could only be cultivated by those with great perseverance; otherwise, they would experience dissonance in their cultivation if they failed to cut off their emotions. The consequences would be unimaginable.
“Senior Sister, do you love me?” Yang Kai asked.
She considered the question seriously before making a pinching gesture with her fingers, “A little bit? But, it’s not enough. It doesn’t matter. I’m certain that I will fall in love with you once I cultivate together with you, Junior Brother.”
Yang Kai burst out laughing, “Love between a man and woman is not quite as simple as how you put it, Senior Sister.”
She blinked, “Junior Brother, you seem very experienced in this field.”
His face flushed bright red and he quickly changed the topic, “Please don’t mention cultivating together again. I’m sure you will eventually find the right person for you, Senior Sister. It’s just… that person is not me.”
“Fine!” Seeing his firm attitude, she immediately stopped talking about this matter. There were times when it was enough that she had expressed her intentions. It would have the opposite effect if she pressed too hard.
“Junior Brother, are you willing to join Yin-Yang Cave Heaven?” She abruptly changed the topic, “I’ll be honest with you. I actually came to the Blood Monster Cave Heaven with another task from the Master Sect.”
“What task?” Yang Kai asked curiously.
“Find you and ask you to join Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.” She explained, “I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you what kind of situation you’re in right now, Junior Brother. Although you intend to advance into the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm directly, you’ve stepped on too many toes in the process. The Cave-Heavens and Paradises only have two attitudes towards an existence like yours. They either want to take the cautious approach and kill you in advance or they want to win you over into their camp. Yin-Yang Cave Heaven is part of the latter.”
Yang Kai understood that she must have contributed a lot for Yin-Yang Cave Heaven to willingly try to win him over to their side. All of a sudden, what Pei Wen Xuan mentioned in the past echoed in his ears once more.
Pei Wen Xuan had claimed that he was not the only person in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven who wanted Yang Kai dead. It would now seem that many of the Cave-Heaven and Paradise disciples in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven were tracking Yang Kai’s whereabouts in order to kill him.
“Although I believed that you would enter the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, I never imagined that I would encounter you so quickly. It looks like you and I are destined for each other, Junior Brother.” Qu Hua Shang laughed lightly.
Yang Kai asked curiously, “Senior Sister, you mentioned that Yin-Yang Cave Heaven wished for me to join them. If I join Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, will they guarantee that I can advance into the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm?”
If he remembered correctly, the Proprietress had clearly mentioned that the Cave-Heavens and Paradises would not be able to accept somebody like him with peace of mind. That was because they had no way to guarantee his loyalty. Only those cultivators who were nurtured from birth could safely advance into the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm directly. It was just that cultivators like these were incredibly rare throughout the ages; hence, the appearance of anyone who could directly break through to the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm was bound to create a huge uproar in the 3,000 Worlds.
It was not just because the High-Rank materials were difficult to find and refine, it was also because forcefully cultivating them when one’s Dao Seal was not firm enough would only result in death. Even if somebody were to condense High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Powers, they would face great danger when trying to split Heaven and Earth apart inside their body to create a Small Universe.
Many talented cultivators who condensed High-Rank Elements would fail at the last moment and extinguish their souls as a result.
“No.” She shook her head, “If you join Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, you will have to advance into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm!”
Yang Kai was stunned. He thought that Yin-Yang Cave Heaven would be able to guarantee that he broke through to the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm. Who could have known that their offer came with such a condition? It was just a casual remark in the first place, but what he learned immediately made him lose all interest in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. The Sixth and Seventh-Order might only be one Order apart, but they were fundamentally different.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai finally understood why Qu Hua Shang was acting so forward and kept making those kinds of requests when he met her again this time. If he cultivated together with her, then he would undoubtedly carry Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s mark. Not only would she be able to complete the task given to her by the Master Sect, but she would also find a partner to fall in love with. It was killing two birds with one stone.
“Many thanks, Senior Sister, for being so frank with me.”
No matter what her original intentions towards him were, the fact that she could tell him everything without hiding anything indicated that she did not wish to harm him.
“Junior Brother, are you unwilling?” She asked.
His answer was resolute, “I will go forward bravely on the road beneath my feet. I have already seen the path to the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm. Even if it is narrow, muddy, and full of thorns, I will not retreat. My Dao Heart will become clouded if I choose the easier road instead!”
Qu Hua Shang sighed softly, “Junior Brother, you are still a long way from advancing into the Open Heaven Realm. Many people might have taken notice of you, but they have no intention of making a move against you yet. That is because they are people who must consider their own status. They cannot abuse their strength to crush you; otherwise, it will harm their reputation if word gets out. At the moment, they are only using their Juniors to cause trouble for and suppress you. But, if they perceive you as a threat one day, they will neither hold back nor be merciful.”
“Senior Sister, can you tell me why the Cave-Heavens and Paradises are so sensitive to advancing directly into the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm?” Yang Kai asked. He could not understand this point no matter how hard he thought about it. He was simply cultivating his own Dao. It was not as if he was harming other people, so why did he end up in this situation for no apparent reason?
Qu Hua Shang explained, “I don’t know if this is true as it is something I only heard about in rumours. A certain Paradise once recruited a talented and promising disciple like you, Junior Brother. That disciple certainly lived up to expectations and advanced directly into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm and was granted an important position as a result. Subsequently, the Cave-Heaven exhausted all its resources and spent thousands of years helping him advance into the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm. In the Open Heaven Realm, the First-Order is the weakest while the Ninth-Order is the strongest. Once he reached the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm, there was practically nobody in the 3,000 Worlds who was his equal. Afterward, nobody knew the reason why he suddenly had a drastic change of heart, but he went on to slaughter the entire Paradise in a single day. Not only did everybody from that Paradise lose their lives, but the Paradise itself was destroyed.”
She paused for a moment and highlighted, “Following those events, the Masters of the various Cave-Heavens and Paradises who were allies of the previous Paradise joined together to hunt him down. Unfortunately, the force sent to subdue him was also wiped out. Moreover, it would seem that this incident caused that person to greatly despise the various Cave-Heavens and Paradises. He deliberately went on to wreak havoc for the Cave-Heavens and Paradises. For a time, the entire 3,000 Worlds was plunged into a reign of terror. All 36 Cave-Heavens and 72 Paradises were swept up in this incident. This matter lasted for several hundreds of years. Only then was that person besieged to death. Unfortunately, all the Cave-Heavens and Paradises took severe damage as a result. Having learned from the lessons of the past, the current Cave-Heavens and Paradises tend to pay great attention to those who advance directly into the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm, lest the tragedy repeat itself.”
She carried on, “At present, there exists a Desolate Territory where the space is shattered and the vitality is gone. That is where the final battle took place in the past. It is said that several hundred High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters alone died in that battle! It is impossible to calculate how many Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters and Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters died as well. Even though so many years have passed, that Great Territory is still fraught with dangers. The power of all sorts of Divine Abilities remains. No matter how powerful you are, nobody who enters that place has returned alive.”
“The Desolate Territory was a battlefield in the past?” Yang Kai was astonished.
In order to locate the Star Boundary, he once scoured the entire Universe Chart. Needless to say, he had noticed the existence of the ‘Desolate Territory’. He had not given much thought to this matter at the time and only felt curious as to why there was nothing marked within that Desolate Territory. Only now did he learn that the Desolate Territory had such history behind it.
Nevertheless, he couldn’t help looking down on the Cave-Heavens and Paradises that were so sensitive and stressed about something that occurred in the distant past. [Instead of guarding against others, why don’t they strengthen themselves instead?]
“Junior Brother, won’t you reconsider?” Qu Hua Shang glanced at him pitifully, but her expression was filled with anticipation.
He reached out and flicked her on the forehead, “Focus on healing. Stop talking so much.”
She clutched at her forehead and rolled her eyes in frustration.
As time passed, their injuries gradually healed and they were no longer as weak as before.
…
Inside the City Lord’s Mansion, Fan Wu Xin took out the Wooden Token that he obtained from Yang Kai and played with it. He was extremely curious as the pattern on the Wooden Token was very familiar to him. It was none other than the insignia of Abundance City. [But, why does a Wooden Token brought in by an Outer World visitor have Abundance City’s insignia on it? Not to mention, the appearance of this Wooden Token indicates that it is from hundreds or even thousands of years ago.]
Unable to solve this puzzling question, Fan Wu Xin asked several others about this Wooden Token. Unfortunately, nobody knew anything either. [Perhaps, I will only learn the truth once the City Lord comes out of retreat.]
Just as he was about to put the Wooden Token away, he suddenly felt a gust of wind brushing against him. Immediately after that, a beardless middle-aged man with a fair face appeared in front of him.
Fan Wu Xin hurriedly straightened up and cupped his fist, “Elder Tan!”
The person who just arrived was none other than Tan Luo Xing, one of the five Great Elders of the Abundance City. He was very powerful and held great authority.
Like Tan Luo Xing, Fan Wu Xin had also condensed the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Elements; however, the other party was older than him by several thousands of years. If it really came down to a fight, Fan Wu Xin was certain that Tan Luo Xing could take his life within a hundred moves.
“Deacon Fan!” Tan Luo Xing nodded in acknowledgement, “I heard you were asking about the origins of a Wooden Token.”
“Indeed!” Fan Wu Xin nodded.
“Is that it? Can I have a look?” Tan Luo Xing cast his gaze in the direction of Fan Wu Xin’s hands.
“Please have a look, Elder Tan.” Fan Wu Xin immediately handed the Wooden Token over. While Tan Luo Xing was investigating the Wooden Token, Fan Wu Xin briefly recounted the story about how he had captured Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang.
Tan Luo Xing’s eyes flashed and he narrowed his eyes slightly, “Are they really Outer World visitors?”
“Yes, they are Outer World visitors.” Fan Wu Xin nodded in confirmation, “Elder Tan, do you recognise this Wooden Token? Do you know what it is? Why does it have Abundance City’s insignia?”
“I know a little bit, but I will only know whether or not it’s as I believe once I meet the person in question.” Tan Luo Xing clenched the Wooden Token in his hand and looked up, “Where are those two right now?”
Fan Wu Xin said, “The woman is unconscious due to severe injuries while the man is sealed by the Firm Yuan Nails. They are currently being imprisoned in the dungeon.”
“I’ll go and take a look.” After saying that, Tan Luo Xing turned around and left.
[In the end, he didn’t say anything about the Wooden Token….] Although Fan Wu Xin was annoyed, he could not inquire further into the matter. After ruminating over something for a bit, he got up and followed Tan Luo Xing.
…
Inside the dungeon, Yang Kai was adjusting his breathing when he abruptly opened his eyes and sent a transmission to Qu Hua Shang, “Be careful, Senior Sister. Someone is coming.”
Qu Hua Shang hurriedly sat up at those words, her bright eyes watching the door of the prison vigilantly. All of a sudden, she felt Yang Kai’s aura weaken considerably. She immediately understood his intentions and restrained her own energy, pretending that she was still seriously injured and on the verge of death, her complexion as pale as could be.
The two of them had only just finished preparing their ruse when a voice rang out from outside the door, “Greetings, Elder Tan!”
Another person grunted faintly in response, “Are the two people that Deacon Fan captured inside?”
“Yes.”
“Open the door. I’m going in to take a look.”
“Yes!”
Soon, the door of the prison cell opened and a beardless middle-aged man with a fair face walked in. His expression was gloomy and slightly anxious. When he looked up and saw Yang Kai, he immediately paused at the door of the cell and a hint of astonishment flashed across his eyes before he blurted out, “It’s you!?”
“Huh?” Yang Kai stared at the man suspiciously. [What is he talking about? Do we know each other?]
“So many years have passed. What did you come back here for!?” The middle-aged man shouted again.
Yang Kai was utterly confused; he had no idea what the middle-aged man was talking about.
Just as Yang Kai was about to inquire about the situation, the middle-aged man’s expression suddenly turned savage and he gave a low laugh, “It doesn’t matter. Since you came back, die!”
Whilst saying so, he raised a hand and pushed his palm towards Yang Kai as the Power of the Five Elements swirled around him.
From the strength of his attack, he had obviously condensed Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Elements. Moreover, he must have been immersed in this Realm for many years because his control over his Five Element Powers was incredibly refined and potent. Among all the other Half-Step Open Heaven Realm Masters that Yang Kai had met so far, none of them could surpass this man in this regard.
Moreover, this attack was very aggressive and overflowing with murderous intent. It was obvious that the middle-aged man intended to take Yang Kai’s life.
Yang Kai immediately lost his temper. He had never met this man before, so why was he trying to kill him at their first meeting!?
If he had not neutralized the Firm Yuan Nails that were placed on him earlier, Yang Kai would have been helpless in the face of this attack. Fortunately, he was no longer bound by such restraints.
Lifting his hand, Yang Kai threw his own palm forward while drawing the powers of his Dao Seal. His clothes flapped about wildly, making rustling noises even though there was no wind.
*Hong…*
Yang Kai’s figure swayed slightly and the small bed under him immediately shattered into dust.
On the other hand, the middle-aged man’s expression changed drastically as he was sent flying backward, coughing up a mouthful of fresh blood in mid-air.
The violent force from their exchange swirled and swept out in all directions. The dungeon was unable to withstand the impact and came crashing down with a loud rumble.
“Let’s go!” Yang Kai grabbed Qu Hua Shang’s waist with one hand and shot upward.
At this moment, Fan Wu Xin was hurrying towards the dungeon, but before he could even reach the entrance, he suddenly heard a violent explosion coming from below. It was followed by the distinctive sounds of battle. He was startled, not knowing what was going on. Before he could understand the situation, the ground collapsed without warning and two figures flashed out from the opening to land not far away from him.
Turning around to look in that direction, Fan Wu Xin was shocked by the sight that greeted him. [Isn’t that man and woman the two Outer World visitors whom I captured and brought back recently!?]
When he captured them, the woman had been seriously injured and unconscious as a result. Furthermore, he had planted the Firm Yuan Nails in that man himself. Logically speaking, it was impossible for the other party to exert any strength at this moment, but looking at Yang Kai’s abundant vitality and violent Qi… There were no traces of weakness at all.
*Hong hong hong…* More figures emerged from below, all of them covered in dust. One of them was pale-faced and had blood trickling out of the corners of his mouth.
Fan Wu Xin cried out in shock, “Elder Tan!”
The person who seemed to be injured was none other than Tan Luo Xing, who had parted ways with him earlier. Judging by Tan Luo Xing’s appearance, Fan Wu Xin could tell that the former had been injured by the Outer World visitor. Thus, he couldn’t help feeling horrified by the discovery.
He had a clear understanding of just how strong Tan Luo Xing was. The number of people in Abundance City who could win against Tan Luo Xing could be counted on one hand. Besides, it had not been long since they separated. [How did Tan Luo Xing get wounded so quickly? How strong is this Outer World visitor for him to do something like this in such a short period of time!?]
“Cough… Cough, cough!” Tan Luo Xing coughed lightly and spat out the blood in his mouth. Staring at Yang Kai with a mixture of shock and horror, he shouted furiously, “This person is not an Outer World visitor! He is a spy from Emerald Thunder City! Don’t let him escape!”
When that order rang out, a group of people immediately gathered around from all directions.
Fan Wu Xin was stunned. [How did these two get tangled up with Emerald Thunder City? Could it be that I was mistaken previously? Are they not Outer World visitors but actual spies? Elder Tan must have his own reasons for saying this but…]
He had no time to think. Hurriedly summoning his longsword, he joined the encirclement.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai was holding Qu Hua Shang by the waist with one hand, his expression gloomy. He had willingly let himself be captured in this place because he had urgently needed to find a quiet spot to recuperate from his injuries. Who could have known that he would be accused of being a spy and attacked before he had the chance to recover completely? It was only natural that he was in a foul mood.
Although he had yet to recover fully at the moment, he was no longer as weak as he was before. It was true that he could not exert his complete strength, but it was not a problem for him to fight at 80% of his maximum. For that reason, he was not scared in the slightest even though a lot of people were gathering around. It was just that this place was the enemies’ territory, so it would be rather troublesome if it came down to a fight.
Therefore, he turned to look at the middle-aged man coldly and asked, “You, are you misunderstanding something?”
“Misunderstanding?” Tan Luo Xing snarled, “Even if you turned into ashes, I would still be able to recognise you! What do you mean by misunderstanding!? What are you all doing!? Kill him!”
Following his command, more than ten figures lunged at Yang Kai from all directions. Every one of them used killing moves as their energy swirled wildly around them.
Seeing that, Yang Kai did not dare to underestimate them. He lifted his hand and summoned the Azure Dragon Spear into his grip. A bright light flashed, seemingly shocking the entire world as spear shadows flew in all directions.
Numerous cries of agony rang out as the people who threw themselves at Yang Kai were all thrown backwards. Each one of them collapsed to the ground, bleeding profusely.
The others in the surroundings were shocked by the sight. [Just who the Hell is this guy!? How is he so fierce!? Is he really a spy from Emerald Thunder City!?]
It was only a short moment of hesitation, but Yang Kai had already broken out of the encirclement during that time. Everywhere he passed, a reign of terror was left in his wake.
Fan Wu Xin was completely dumbfounded as a chill ran down from the top of his head to the soles of his feet. He had not realised just how powerful this man was when he first led his men to capture these two people. If this man had revealed such ability at that time, he and his men would not have been able to return alive. It was obvious that the other party had been terribly injured earlier but had recovered somewhat now.
“Watch out, Deacon Fan!” A shout broke Fan Wu Xin out of his daze. He looked up and felt fear flooding his heart. The Outer World visitor was charging straight in his direction, sending numerous figures flying along the way. Fresh blood splattered across the skies and screams reverberated through the air.
Fan Wu Xin quickly focused himself. With death looming right before his eyes, he slashed his sword wildly, sending out a torrent of sword waves towards the enemy.
There seemed to be no end to the sounds of the sword waves slicing through the air, completely obscuring the figure of the Outer World visitor.
[Did I get him?] Fan Wu Xin frowned, still feeling extremely uneasy.
*Hong…*
It was as if a giant ominous beast had rushed out from ancient-history. When the sword waves shattered, Fan Wu Xin saw a spear rapidly enlarging in front of his eyes!
[Oh, no!] He wanted to avoid the attack, but that spear seemed to block out all the light in front of him. There was no way for him to dodge.
[I’m going to die!] The moment that thought appeared, Fan Wu Xin felt an intense pain coming from somewhere in his body and immediately collapsed to the ground. A short while later though, he was stunned to discover that he was still breathing. Looking down, he saw that he was covered in blood and there was a wound at his waist area that had penetrated right through his body! Nevertheless, considering his Half-Step Open Heaven Realm cultivation, such an injury could be considered neither light nor serious because his vitals had not been destroyed.
[I can’t believe I’m not dead! Did he miss?]
All of a sudden, a series of groaning sounds entered Fan Wu Xin’s ears. Looking up, he was stunned by the sight before him. All the people who were defeated by the Outer World visitor earlier were injured and bleeding, but not one of them had died!
After witnessing this scene, how could Fan Wu Xin not understand? The other party had not missed; rather, he had held back! He had no intention of killing anybody and was simply fighting back and defending himself.
Fan Wu Xin looked around once more and saw countless cultivators of Abundance City continuing to besiege the Outer World visitor; however, none of them could even slow him down. Yang Kai left a path of destruction everywhere he went, mowing down his opponents as easily as crushing dry weeds and smashing rotten wood. On the other hand, the cultivators of Abundance City were cut down like wheat in a storm, collapsing to the ground one after another.
[Is he really Human!?] Fan Wu Xin looked dumbstruck.
“Kill him!” Tan Luo Xing roared furiously with a savage expression as he, too, charged in the direction where Yang Kai was located.
Fan Wu Xin hurriedly followed suit after circulating his strength to staunch his bleeding. There was no other choice. He was the one who captured these people in the first place, so he could not just leave them be. Although the other party was still showing mercy, Fan Wu Xin could not just sit around and watch as he caused such a huge commotion in Abundance City.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai charged forward with his spear in hand, fighting his way through the city. He was extremely annoyed by now. It was not a pleasant experience to be besieged for no reason. Although he believed that there was a misunderstanding, he had no idea who to approach to resolve the situation. Thus, he could only fight while running. He initially wanted to find a way to leave the city, but he couldn’t find the exit at all. This city was guarded by a powerful Spirit Array and there seemed to be no way out unless it was deactivated or opened.
He had not killed any of the native cultivators here so as not to create an irresolvable grudge between the two sides. There was still room for resolving this misunderstanding as long as he did not kill anybody. On the contrary, he would have no choice but to fight to the end if he launched a slaughter.
Fortunately, all the cultivators in this city were now aware of Yang Kai’s strength after his astonishing display just now. Nobody dared to approach him carelessly, but there was still a large group of people surrounding him from afar no matter where he went. Even though they had him surrounded though, they were the ones gulping nervously as terror and panic filled their faces.
Yang Kai held his spear in hand while Qu Hua Shang followed behind him at a leisurely pace. The more she watched this Junior Brother of hers, the deeper her impression of how extraordinary he was grew. When she thought back to the hardships and dangers that they experienced together, an indescribable and unfamiliar emotion began to blossom in her heart.
Abundance City was a complete mess. Countless cultivators were gathered around in all directions with Yang Kai at their centre. Most of these cultivators looked terrified and were nervously gulping. They moved quickly with Yang Kai’s every movement, maintaining a distance of several dozen metres from him at all times.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai scurried around the city with Qu Hua Shang in tow. He had failed to locate the exit of this city’s Grand Array despite searching for over an incense stick worth of time; thus, his patience was wearing thin. He reached out a hand and Space Principles fluctuated before a young man appeared in his grasp.
That young man had originally been standing fifty metres away from Yang Kai, but before he could realise what was going on, he felt something tightening around his neck. He looked up and saw Yang Kai staring at him with a dark expression. Screaming in fear, he instinctively tried to fight back; however, a mighty force filled the other party’s palm and flooded his body, making him unable to exert any strength at all.
“Where’s the exit!?” Yang Kai asked sullenly.
Pale with fright, the young man swallowed nervously. A look of hesitation and struggle flashed across his face, but he soon closed his eyes and grit his teeth with a look that indicated he was resigned to his fate.
“How brave!” Yang Kai coldly snorted. Increasing the strength in his hand slightly, he threatened the young man, “I’ll ask you one last time. Where is the exit!? I’ll kill you if you don’t talk!”
The young man gritted his teeth tightly together. Even though he looked extremely frightened, he refused to say a single word.
Yang Kai turned to look at his surroundings. Countless pairs of eyes stared back at him, flickering with fright and anger as though he was some kind of wicked villain. He was so furious that he wanted to laugh. Lifting the young man in his hand high into the air, he snarled savagely, “Release the city’s Grand Array and let me out! Otherwise, I will raze this entire city to the ground and leave no man alive!”
Nobody responded, but his words made everybody’s expression change drastically. Nobody answered his demand either. It could be seen that although this city and population was not very large, they were incredibly united. Thinking about it, it was not that strange. Every corner of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven was filled with danger, so if natives were not unified, it would be difficult for them to survive in this harsh environment.
“Junior Brother, are we really going to kill them?” Qu Hua Shang asked in a whisper.
“Senior Sister, please don’t be impatient. Just follow me closely.”
“En!” She nodded and snuggled tightly against him.
Afterward, Yang Kai turned his head to look at the middle-aged man who attacked him earlier. [The people here called him ‘Elder Tan’. He probably holds some sway in this city. I might be able to discover the location of the Grand Array’s portal from this man.]
When Tan Luo Xing noticed Yang Kai looking in his direction, his expression changed considerably and he subconsciously took several steps back. He had exchanged blows with Yang Kai back at the prison, which nearly resulted in his death; therefore, he had a deep understanding of the latter’s strength. This man was not somebody he could defeat. In fact, they could not stop him even after all the forces within Abundance City were mobilised. At this point, he seriously doubted that anybody in Abundance City could prevent Yang Kai from wiping out this city if so chose to.
At this moment, a shadow rushed over and landed not far away from Yang Kai. It transformed into a girl that looked quite young. She was dressed like a maidservant and in addition, she had a playful and pure appearance.
Upon seeing the situation within the city, the young girl revealed an expression of astonishment. Then, her beautiful eyes landed on Yang Kai. She swept a measuring gaze over his body as though trying to assess him.
“Be careful, Lady Jing! This person…” Fan Wu Xin shouted. After mulling for a long while, he finally added, “He is unfathomable!”
Lady Jing nodded lightly. Giving Yang Kai an elegant bow, she gently said, “This maid greets you, Sir!”
“What do you want?” Yang Kai glanced sideways at her.
She said, “I wouldn’t dare. The City Lord wishes to speak with you!”
“The City Lord?” Yang Kai squinted at the location in the middle of the city. Fan Wu Xin had brought him there once, but the City Lord had been in retreat at the time. That was why he and Qu Hua Shang were eventually thrown into the dungeon.
[It seems that all the commotion I caused here has roused the City Lord from her retreat. Nevertheless, this City Lord is certainly quite an interesting woman.] Even though he had made such a huge fuss in Abundance City, this person was still inviting him over for a chat. It went to show that the other party was either very generous, or was as timid as a mouse. Judging by the maid servant’s attitude, the former was more probable.
Just as Yang Kai was about to nod in agreement, Tan Luo Xing suddenly shouted, “You can’t! This person is a spy sent by Emerald Thunder City! Furthermore, he is very strong! If we recklessly allow him to approach the City Lord, the consequences will be dire! Everybody, please work with me to kill this man to prevent any further troubles!”
Yang Kai was furious. [Just what is wrong with this Tan Luo Xing!? Why does he keep accusing me of being a spy from Emerald Thunder City!?]
Listening to those accusations caused his murderous intent to rise, tempting him to kill this person on the spot with his spear!
Lady Jing, however, smiled and refuted, “Elder Tan, please watch what you say. The City Lord has made her decision. What’s more, if this man is as strong as you say, were he a spy sent by Emerald Thunder City, the city would be flowing with rivers of blood by this point. Nobody in Abundance City can stop him after all. However, that is not the case. While it is true that many of our people have been injured, not a single of them lost their life. It can be seen that this man has held back. I’m sure there’s a misunderstanding somewhere!”
[At least the City Lord is sensible.] Yang Kai nodded to himself, the rage in his heart subsiding slightly.
“Sir, Madame, please come this way!” After saying that, she turned sideways and gestured with her hand to show them the way.
Qu Hua Shang blushed, “I’m not a Madame.”
It was her first time being addressed in that manner, so it felt strange to her ears.
“Lead the way.” Yang Kai put away the Azure Dragon Spear, released the young man in his grasp, and nodded in acknowledgement.
Lady Jing looked to the side, “Deacon Fan, please come with us. I heard that you are the one who brought this Sir and Lady back.”
“Yes!” Fan Wu Xin responded as he clutched at his waist with one hand, his complexion pale. That spot was where Yang Kai had stabbed him with his spear earlier. Even now, the bleeding has not stopped completely.
“Everyone, please disperse. Those who are injured should receive proper treatment for your wounds!” Lady Jing waved her hands to dismiss the others before stepping forward to lead the way.
On the other hand, Tan Luo Xing could only watch helplessly as Yang Kai and the others departed. He was anxious and furious, but unfortunately, it was impossible to stop them with his current strength alone. He clenched his fists and ground his teeth, knowing that he was finished the moment that person entered the City Lord’s Mansion. He would no longer have a place in Abundance City. Staring in the direction of the City Lord’s Mansion that held so many of his memories, he immediately flew towards his residence.
…..
The City Lord’s Mansion was probably the largest building in Abundance City. Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang had been here before, but they had not been able to enter at the time. Now though, they had a smooth journey under Lady Jing’s guidance and soon arrived at the Main Hall. Lady Jing stopped outside the doors and announced, “City Lord, I’ve brought them here.”
“Since you’re here, then please come in.” A gentle voice came from within.
“Sir, please come this way!” Lady Jing gestured forward.
Yang Kai nodded and strode inside with Qu Hua Shang. Upon entering the Main Hall, he immediately felt a dozen or so Divine Senses shrouding him. He looked up and saw four people sitting at the head of the hall. There were two on each side, including both men and women. The others were hidden in the shadows, remaining alert and vigilant against him.
He was not bothered by their attitudes; after all, he had caused a huge commotion in the city earlier. Even if they invited him here, it was only natural that they took some precautions.
Meanwhile, the four people sitting in the Main Hall were on par with Elder Tan in terms of strength. They were probably the highest-level Elders in Abundance City. Besides them, a woman dressed in imperial dress sat demurely on the head seat located at the central platform.
When their gazes met, Yang Kai discovered that this woman looked to be in her thirties. Time had not left any traces on her face and her appearance was dignified, looking like a true Young Lady of the house.
What surprised him even more was that the City Lord abruptly stood up from her chair the moment their gazes met. She was not the only one to do so as the other people sitting around them had the same reaction. All of them stood up abruptly and stared at him in shock. In addition, the City Lord’s eyes reddened, her breathing quickened, and her body trembled lightly. She covered her red lips with one hand.
“It’s you!?” An elderly man on the left shouted.
Yang Kai turned to look in that direction and studied the man, having no clue who he was.
He had heard these words twice now. The first time was when Elder Tan met him, and the second was in this place. That was not all. The people here had reacted strangely when they saw him, so much so that the City Lord even lost all her composure for some reason.
Yang Kai frowned as various thoughts ran through his head, “Have you mistaken me for somebody else?”
If they did not mistake him for somebody else, then how could they have these kinds of reactions?
As soon as those words left his mouth, everybody stiffened in surprise; then, they all turned to look at the City Lord in unison.
The City Lord’s eyes were red as she called out, “Ting Yu… is that you?”
Her voice trembled slightly, sounding weak and desolate. Like a woman calling out to her lover after waiting for many years. Her voice was filled with longing but also mixed with a trace of resentment.
Upon hearing the name ‘Ting Yu’, Yang Kai immediately understood what was going on. The people here had indeed mistaken him for somebody else.
“Madame, are you referring to Lan Ting Yu?” Yang Kai asked.
Everybody was stunned once more. The City Lord’s tender body trembled at those words. Her figure fluttered lightly as she came to stand in front of Yang Kai. She studied him carefully while weeping softly; however, her expression became disappointed after taking a closer look at him, “You’re not him!”
She slowly shook her head repeatedly. Turning around, she slowly walked back to her seat and sat down as though all the strength in her body was gone. Even her complexion looked lifeless.
The elderly man who spoke up earlier took a good look at Yang Kai and asked suspiciously, “Are you not Lan Ting Yu?”
Yang Kai cupped his fist, “Yang Kai greets fellow cultivators!”
Everybody exchanged glances with each other when they heard his greeting while one of the women couldn’t stop herself from muttering, “How can they look so alike?”
Another middle-aged man said, “It’s probably not Brother Lan. It has been nearly a thousand years since we last saw Brother Lan, but this man still looks so young.”
“Yes. What Elder Pang says makes sense.”
“Could he be a descendant of Brother Lan’s? Otherwise, how can they be so alike?” The last person who abruptly voiced out a whimsical thought was a fatty. The words had just left his mouth when the woman next to him viciously stomped on his foot. The pain was so intense that he grimaced and he called out, “Why did you step on my foot!?”
That woman glared at the fatty fiercely and gestured upwards with her mouth.
The fatty immediately fell silent and sneakily stole a glance in that direction. The City Lord was staring at Yang Kai blankly, her eyes seemingly flashing with memories of the distant past.
“I am not acquainted with Lan Ting Yu nor have any relationship with him,” Yang Kai slowly explained. He had only heard about ‘Lan Ting Yu’ from Yue He and the Proprietress. Back when Yue He first saw him, she had also shouted out the name ‘Ting Yu’.
“But, you look so alike.” Some people remained consumed by a sense of disbelief.
Yang Kai did not say anything else; after all, he had already expressed his point to them clearly. Judging by the current situation, it would seem that Lan Ting Yu had not only visited this place in the past but was also acquainted with the people here. Why else would they have mistaken him for Lan Ting Yu when they first saw him?
[And, that City Lord…] Yang Kai observed the City Lord’s expression, secretly thinking to himself that she must have held deep feelings for Lan Ting Yu. If not, she would not have been this agitated. [Lan Ting Yu sure was popular. First, there was Yue He, and now, there’s this City Lord. Not to mention, the City Lord lives in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. Tsk! Tsk!]
All of a sudden, he was reminded of the Wooden Token that the Proprietress had given to him. At the time, she mentioned that it was a favour. It would now seem that the Wooden Token was most likely connected to the people here.
She had also hesitated to say anything and looked a little helpless when she handed the Wooden Token to him. Her reaction seemed to be related to the current situation. She probably expected the situation to turn out this way if he came to this place. It was just that this place was so well hidden. If Yang Kai had not been chased or coincidentally obtained the map, he would not have stumbled upon this place. Various coincidences had come together to allow him to come here and meet the people in front of him.
“This Queen has embarrassed herself in front of you, Honoured Guest. Please forgive me.” The City Lord was naturally not an ordinary woman though. Although she had been emotionally shaken upon meeting him, she quickly recovered her composure after confirming that he was not Lan Ting Yu. It could be seen just how firm and steady her will was. For a woman to have such strong mental cultivation, it was no wonder that she could sit on the throne of the City Lord
“You’re too polite, City Lord.” Yang Kai nodded lightly and asked, “May I know your names?”
“This Queen’s name is Mo Mei. I am the City Lord of Abundance City!” The lady answered. Following that, she introduced the other four people to him. These people were the Elders of Abundance City. The female Elder was called Mu Qian Xuan, the middle-aged man was Pang Duo, the old man was Gong Yang Xi, and the slightly chubby man was called Jin Yuan Lang, “There are five Elders in Abundance City. The last being Tan Luo Xing. I believe you’ve met Elder Tan already.”
Yang Kai couldn’t help coldly snorting. It was that very Elder Tan who had repeatedly slandered and accused him of being Emerald Thunder City’s spy. That was what caused the huge commotion in the first place.
“Where is Elder Tan?” Mo Mei suddenly asked.
Lady Jing replied, “I noticed that Elder Tan seemed to be injured earlier. He is probably treating his wounds right now.”
While speaking, she snuck a glance at Yang Kai. If she had to be honest, she had been extremely shocked to see the scene of wounded lying all over the ground when she arrived on the scene just now.
City Lord Mo Mei nodded lightly at those words.
Pang Duo then asked, “Little Brother Yang, how do you know about Lan Ting Yu if you are not acquainted with Brother Lan?”
Yang Kai answered, “Lan You Ruo, Yue He, and I are close acquaintances. It is through them that I learned about Lan Ting Yu’s existence.”
“So that’s how it is!” Pang Duo immediately understood the situation.
Jin Yuan Lang asked, ““How is Brother Lan doing now?”
Yang Kai turned to look at Jin Yuan Lang with a slight frown. Based on what he heard from these people and what he understood from their actions, it was likely that Lan Ting Yu, the Proprietress, and Yue He had come to Abundance City together and obtained that Wooden Token. Furthermore, City Lord Mo Mei seemed to have fallen deeply in love with Lan Ting Yu here.
Unfortunately, this was the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. Outsiders would be forced to leave once the time limit was up, so there was no way for them to send word of what happened later to Abundance City. In other words, these people had no idea that Lan Ting Yu had died a long time ago.
Worried about how City Lord Mo Mei would react, Yang Kai was not sure whether he should tell them the truth. He pondered in silence for a time before deciding that honesty would be best here and explained, “You might not be aware, but… Lan Ting Yu died a long time ago.”
As soon as the statement came out, Mo Mei’s body shook violently. Her emotions that had just stabilised became disordered again. Pang Duo and the others glanced at her worriedly while Mu Qian Xuan quickly said, “Our condolences, City Lord. Please restrain your grief!”
Mo Mei lowered her head so that her hair obscured her eyes and cast a dense shadow over her face. They could not read her expression. Nevertheless, she slowly raised her hand and said, “It’s fine. I had a feeling that was the case. Why else would he fail to return after so long, unless something had happened to him? He promised to bring us out of this place back then after all.”
Seeing how she forced herself to remain strong and endured the pain even though it felt like thousands of blades were slicing her heart, the Elders felt sad too; however, they did not know how to comfort her. It was not just Mo Mei of course, the rest of them had also speculated that something had happened to Lan Ting Yu. It was just that they never received any news from the outside world, so they continued to hold on to that glimmer of hope. Now that they knew the truth, even that glimmer no longer existed.
“Were you all very close to Lan Ting Yu?” Yang Kai asked after observing them.
Pang Duo replied, “To tell you the truth, Little Brother, Abundance City was founded with the help of Brother Lan. If not for Brother Lan, we all would have perished long ago under the claws of the Monster Beasts. It can be said that Brother Lan is our saviour.”
“Is that how it is?” Yang Kai was astonished. [No wonder the Proprietress claimed that the Wooden Token was a favour. It turned out to be a favour indeed. Abundance City was only established with Lan Ting Yu’s help. That’s one heck of a favour!]
Yang Kai secretly guessed that Lan Ting Yu and the Proprietress encountered these people from Abundance City when they entered the Blood Monster Cave Heaven back then and forged bonds of affection and friendship with each other. They later helped the people here to establish Abundance City and promised to find an opportunity to bring them out of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. It was just that fate had other plans. After Lan Ting Yu left the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, the Heaven-defying opportunities he obtained made him the target of various Cave-Heavens and Paradises. These opportunities eventually cost him his life. Needless to say, he never returned to this place again.
Over a thousand years had passed since then. That was why these people had mistaken Yang Kai for Lan Ting Yu when he first came here. It was also why Tan Luo Xing was so shocked and blurted out, “Why did you come back here after so many years!?”
Upon considering all this, Yang Kai suddenly felt as though things were not adding up so he hurriedly asked, “Has Elder Tan Luo Xing ever met Lan Ting Yu in the past?”
Jin Yuan Lang nodded, “Of course. Elder Tan and the rest of us here can be considered the earliest residents of Abundance City. When we first arrived at this place, there were only a few dozen of us. It was only after so many years of progress that we reached our current scale.”
Yang Kai wrinkled his brow, “That’s strange. If Elder Tan is acquainted with Lan Ting Yu and mistook me for him, why did he insist on slandering and accusing me of being a spy from Emerald Thunder City? He tried to kill me as soon as he saw me. If not for the fact that I have some skill, I would be nothing more than a corpse by now.”
[I don’t even know where Emerald Thunder City is located.]
“Something like that happened!?” Pang Duo was surprised.
Mu Qian Xuan pondered in silence, but a moment later, she glanced in Mo Mei’s direction and heaved a heavy sigh without saying anything. Similarly, the others seemed to understand something and their expressions became ugly.
Qu Hua Shang suddenly whispered from behind Yang Kai, “Junior Brother, it seems that Elder Tan regarded you as a love rival.”
Realisation dawned on Yang Kai after listening to her words. Everything made sense if that was truly the case. Tan Luo Xing was in love with City Lord Mo Mei, but Mo Mei only had eyes for Lan Ting Yu. It was just that Lan Ting Yu failed to appear after so many years, leading Tan Luo Xing to believe that he still had a chance with her.
Unfortunately, Yang Kai happened to arrive at this place at this time and had his Wooden Token taken away by Fan Wu Xin. Only one such Wooden Token had been issued by Abundance City throughout history. It was something that Lan Ting Yu took with him when he left. Only a dozen or so people knew about the existence of this Wooden Token, and out of all the people who knew about the situation, many had died over the years. Mo Mei and the five Elders were the only ones left who knew about the origins of this Wooden Token.
When Tan Luo Xing saw the Wooden Token, he naturally sought to investigate the situation thoroughly. In the end, he saw Yang Kai and mistakenly assumed that Lan Ting Yu had returned, sparking a murderous impulse in his heart. He immediately tried to kill Yang Kai while the latter was bound by the restraints of the Firm Yuan Nail. Who would have learned the truth if he destroyed the corpse and removed all evidence?
It was Tan Luo Xing’s bad luck that Yang Kai was not bound by the restraints of the Firm Yuan Nail at all. Yang Kai wounded him with a single palm strike. Afterward, things spiraled out of control until there was no turning back.
“Jing’er, summon Elder Tan here at once. I have something to ask him.” Mo Mei’s expression was filled with rage.
Jing’er bowed, “Yes!”
Immediately afterward, she flew out of the City Lord’s Mansion to search for Tan Luo Xing.
Pang Duo glanced at Fan Wu Xin, who had followed along, “Deacon Fan, I heard that you were the one to bring Brother Yang, and his companion back.”
Fan Wu Xin quickly replied, “That’s right. A few days ago, my men and I were guarding the Grand Array portal when we suddenly noticed a figure approaching, as though searching for something. Worried that it might be a spy sent by Emerald Thunder City to collect intelligence, I led my men to attack and capture this Senior Brother and Senior Sister. I can now see that it was all just a misunderstanding!”
While speaking, he cupped his fist at Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang to express his apology, secretly afraid. It was fortunate that Yang Kai had been injured at the time and lost most of his combat capabilities. Fan Wu Xin could not have brought his men back safe and sound otherwise.
“What happened afterward?” Pang Duo asked again.
Fan Wu Xin immediately recounted what happened in detail. When he saw the pattern on the Wooden Token, he felt that it was very similar to the symbol of Abundance City; thus, he took possession of it and went around asking about it. To his surprise, nobody knew about the Wooden Token. Tan Luo Xing came looking for him after hearing the news and later took the Wooden Token and headed straight for the dungeon.
What followed was a huge commotion. Tan Luo Xing had issued an order for all the cultivators in Abundance City to besiege Yang Kai, in the name of killing a spy. Consequently, many people were wounded by Yang Kai.
Upon hearing that Tan Luo Xing had repeatedly accused Yang Kai of being Emerald Thunder City’s spy, the expressions of the Elders became rather ugly. Even if they ignored the fact that the City Lord and Lan Ting Yu were deeply in love with one another, Abundance City was first established with the help of Lan Ting Yu and the others.
Therefore, everyone in Abundance City essentially owed their lives to Lan Ting Yu. Tan Luo Xing had been blinded by jealousy and acted foolishly. As one of the five Great Elders of Abundance City, his actions undoubtedly repaid kindness with enmity and brought shame to them all!
“Where is the Wooden Token now?” Mu Qian Xuan asked.
Fan Wu Xin replied, “With Elder Tan.”
Mo Mei interjected, “The Wooden Token is not important. We only gave Ting Yu a Faith Token back then because he and the others helped to establish Abundance City at the beginning. Abundance City owes the bearer of the Wooden Token a great favour. Yang Kai, you are the one who brought the Wooden Token here. If there is anything you need, please speak freely. Abundance City will not refuse as long as it can satisfy your demands.”
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up at those words and he quickly asked, “Does Abundance City have any Seventh-Order Yin or Metal Element Monster Cores?”
Pang Duo laughed bitterly at those words, “Little Brother Yang, do you think we have the strength to kill a Seventh-Order Monster Beast? If a Seventh-Order Monster Beast were to appear here, Abundance City would have been razed to the ground a long time ago. We don’t have any Sixth-Order Monster Cores in stock in Abundance City either. If you need any Fifth-Order Monster Cores, then we might be able to share some with you.”
[What use are Fifth-Order Monster Cores to me?] Abundance City had existed for thousands of years, so Yang Kai originally thought that it would have accumulated some Monster Cores over the years. There was a possibility that they had what he needed. Only now did he learn that Abundance City was not as wealthy as he imagined.
It made sense when he thought about it though. He estimated that a Seventh-Order Monster Beast could exert strength equivalent to a Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master. How could they win against a Seventh-Order Monster Beast with their strength?
Since there were no Seventh-Order Monster Cores available, then he had nothing else to ask for. In any case, he only came here to treat his wounds. Now that he was almost fully recovered, it was time for him to leave.
A blanket of silence fell over the scene.
“Wu Xin, why don’t you take your leave? You should get your wounds treated properly!” A short while later, Pang Duo dismissed Fan Wu Xin with a wave of his hand.
Fan Wu Xin left immediately.
At this moment, Jing’er returned. It was just that she was alone. Moreover, she had a strange expression on her face.
The generally taciturn Gong Yang Xi was puzzled and asked, “Where is Elder Tan?”
She replied, “I couldn’t find Elder Tan. His residence is empty.”
“How can that be?” Pang Duo was astonished, “Have you searched the city? Is Elder Tan treating his wounds somewhere else?”
Before she could respond, they heard a rush of footsteps coming from outside. Immediately after that, a person urgently shouted, “Reporting! Golden Gorilla King is here!”
“What!?” Jin Yuan Lang shouted. He was so shocked that he jumped up from his chair, “Why is he here again!? Didn’t he come here just a few days ago!?”
Likewise, the others also looked solemn. It was as though something major was about to happen.
Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang exchanged glances with each other. They did not know who this Golden Gorilla King was that he could make the people of Abundance City react like they were about to engage a formidable enemy.
“Reporting!” Another shout entered their ears. That shout was followed by a figure landing in the City Lord’s Main Hall.
“Speak!” Mo Mei shouted with great majesty.
That person cupped his fists, “City Lord, Elder Tan forcibly opened the Grand Array barrier and fled on his own just now. At this moment, the Grand Array is not functioning and the entrance to the city is wide open!”
“Bastard!” Mo Mei leapt to her feet with a furious roar while the expression of the others also changed greatly.
This truly was a case where ‘when it rained, it poured’. Golden Gorilla King’s sudden arrival was bad enough, but they could have dealt with the situation no matter how dangerous and critical it was so long as the Grand Array remained intact. However, Tan Luo Xing had forced open the Grand Array barrier and caused problems with its operation. It was like throwing Abundance City into the fire and roasting them on a stake. If they failed to handle this matter properly, there was a high chance that Abundance City would be reduced to ashes today.
Pang Duo was stunned, “Why did Elder Tan forcibly open the Grand Array? Why did he leave?”
Qu Hua Shang said, “Are you stupid? It’s obvious that bastard surnamed Tan ran away!”
“Ran away?” He sounded like he couldn’t believe it. He was just about to ask why Tan Luo Xing would flee when he suddenly realised something.
Tan Luo Xing clearly knew that he had been exposed for slandering Yang Kai. He was afraid of being punished by the City Lord and felt too humiliated to remain in Abundance City. That was why he hurriedly fled; after all, the commotion earlier was quite large. Although nobody died, it was only because Yang Kai had held back. Nevertheless, countless people were injured as a result.
If it wasn’t for Tan Luo Xing’s slanderous words, those incidents would not have occurred. As an Elder of Abundance City, he allowed jealousy to blind him, not only causing him to repay kindness with enmity and bring shame to Abundance City, but also resulting in great losses to Abundance City. Therefore, he simply had no face to stay.
“Leave aside the matters involving Elder Tan for now. Our priority at the moment is dealing with Golden Gorilla King!” Mo Mei walked down from the City Lord’s throne. Her voice was steady and her appearance was imposing as she began issuing orders, “Since he came here, he must want a tribute. He will leave as long as we can fulfil his requirements. Elder Mu, how many offerings does Abundance City have left?”
Mu Qian Xuan replied, “There’s not much left; only four or five Monster Cores at most. Golden Gorilla King usually only comes once or twice a year, so we have enough time to hunt Monster Beasts and gather the necessary tribute. It has only been a month since he last came here though. We emptied out our inventory at the time; moreover, the team we sent out to hunt Monster Beasts has yet to return. What tributes could we possibly have?”
Despite knowing that this was a possible outcome, Mo Mei still felt her heart sinking in despair after listening to Mu Qian Xuan’s report. Without enough tribute, they could not send Golden Gorilla King away peacefully. That could mean Annihilation for Abundance City.
“City Lord, Elders, Golden Gorilla King seems to be heavily injured,” the cultivator who reported this news earlier added.
“Golden Gorilla King is injured?” A light flashed in Gong Yang Xi’s eyes and he nodded, “That explains why he came back so soon. It’s obvious he wants the tributes to treat his wounds.”
Jin Yuan Lang smiled bitterly, “But, we don’t have any offerings for him. I wonder if he will become enraged.”
Mo Mei sighed, “Regardless of the circumstances, we should go out and meet him. Let’s hope it’s a blessing, not a curse. Even if it is a curse though, it can’t be avoided. It’s best if he can retreat peacefully. Otherwise… we can only draw upon the strength of the entire city to fight him.” After saying that, she turned to look at Yang Kai and added, “Sir Yang, Abundance City has wronged you regarding the matter with Elder Tan. Once this Queen finishes dealing with Golden Gorilla King, I will discuss the finer details with you.”
Yang Kai nonchalantly replied, “Please don’t worry about that, City Lord. As you’ve said, all this was caused by Elder Tan. What happened previously was just a big misunderstanding. On the other hand, I injured many of your people and should be asking for your forgiveness, City Lord Mo. As for this Golden Gorilla King, please allow us to come along if you don’t mind.”
Mo Mei glanced at him and gently nodded with a grateful expression on her face, “Many thanks, Sir Yang.”
Yang Kai had the strength to throw Abundance City into chaos, which clearly showed that he was very powerful. He could provide extra protection if he came along. Nevertheless, Mo Mei couldn’t help feeling ashamed. Abundance City was supposed to return Yang Kai a favour but instead a huge misunderstanding had caused him to suffer. Now, even after all that, he was voluntarily offering them his assistance.
[Sir Yang not only looks very similar to Ting Yu, but he also has the same old-fashioned compassion. If Lan Ting Yu had not rescued us back then, we would not have survived this long. We would have long been eaten by Monster Beasts.]
From Yang Kai’s point of view, Abundance City was jointly established with the help of the Proprietress and Yue He, so now that it was in trouble, he could not just sit back and ignore them. Although his injuries had yet to recover fully and he could not exert his complete strength, it would not be a problem for him to bring out 80% of his maximum.
While speeding forward, Yang Kai was just about to ask about Golden Gorilla King when he suddenly heard an Earth-shaking roar coming from not far away. This sound was a beast’s howl which clearly came from a Monster Beast Moreover… it also sounded very familiar, like he had heard this roar somewhere before.
When he followed Mo Mei and the others to the Grand Array portal, Yang Kai looked out and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. [What a coincidence!]
At this moment, the barrier of Abundance City’s Grand Array had been damaged after being forcibly opened by Tan Luo Xing during his escape and could not close properly as a result. A gorilla glowing with golden light was standing in front of the wide-open portal with his hands on the ground and his head held high. He was several tens of metres tall. Not to mention, he was looking down on the crowd with a contemptuous gaze as though he was looking at a group of ants. Moreover, his expression seemed impatient.
A while ago, Yang Kai had witnessed this gorilla fighting a life-or-death battle with a wolf. Their fight had shaken the very world itself. Yang Kai previously used the gorilla and the wolf as a deterrent to escape Yin Xin Zhao and his lackeys before he later arrived at Abundance City.
When Mo Mei and the others mentioned a Golden Gorilla King, Yang Kai mistakenly assumed that they were referring to some powerful cultivator. Only now did he realise that the other party was actually a Sixth-Order Monster Beast!
Yang Kai did not know what the outcome of the fight between the gorilla and the wolf was; however, he had the feeling that the gorilla did not win. That was because Golden Gorilla King was covered in wounds and dripping with blood. It was obvious that the wolf had bitten him and torn large chunks of flesh from his body. Even the golden light covering him seemed a little dim and his aura was rather weak.
Mo Mei and the others came to a stop several hundred metres away from Golden Gorilla King, each of them wearing a solemn expression. They bowed to him before Mo Mei spoke, “Golden Gorilla King, why have you returned to Abundance City so quickly?”
Golden Gorilla King lowered his head and growled something. The meaning was unclear, but the way he behaved indicated that he understood what they were saying. It could be seen that his sentience was quite high.
Mo Mei shook her head, “We’ve handed all the tributes we gathered to you earlier. Abundance City does not have any offerings left. We are powerless to help you even if you come here!”
*Hou!*
Golden Gorilla King flew into a rage. He lowered his head and let out a fierce howl, baring his fangs at them. A violent wind blew in their direction, causing Mo Mei’s hair to fly out in the wind. Even so, she remained motionless. Her expression did not change even when she stood in front of a furious Sixth-Order Monster Beast, showing her strong spiritual cultivation.
Mo Mei continued once the noise faded, “Abundance City will support you if you wish to treat your wounds. It’s just that we don’t have what you need. Nothing will change even if you lose your temper.”
*Hou!*
Golden Gorilla King let out another furious roar. Not only did he roar louder than before, but he also ran around and smashed several houses with his fists. Afterward, he waved his enormous fist at Mo Mei and the others as though saying, ‘Are you scared?’
Many of the cultivators who had gathered around couldn’t help taking several steps back. On the other hand, Mo Mei did not move. She simply called out calmly, “You are injured right now. It’s best not to get angry so easily; otherwise, it will be harder for you to recover.”
Golden Gorilla King ignored her completely, like a child throwing a temper tantrum. He was enraged because he could not get what he wanted. Clenching his fists tightly, he punched the ground repeatedly. Violent Monster Qi spread out in all directions, causing many to look terrified.
Yang Kai quietly asked Jin Yuan Lang, who was standing next to him, “What does Golden Gorilla King want?”
Jin Yuan Lang answered with a bitter smile, “Metal Element Monster Beast Cores.”
“A Metal Element Monster Beast Core?” Yang Kai could not hide his astonishment, “Why does it have to be of the Metal Element?”
“Little Brother Yang, you might be unaware of this fact.” Pang Duo leaned over, stroking his beard absent-mindedly while watching the raging Golden Gorilla King warily. He explained, “I don’t know about the Monster Beasts in the outside world; however, I’ve heard that there are some differences with the Monster Beasts here. The Monster Beasts here can strengthen themselves and recover from their injuries by consuming the Monster Cores of Monster Beasts of the same Element as them, thereby becoming more and more powerful.”
“The Monster Beasts here grow stronger through such a method?” Yang Kai was surprised at first, but he soon understood.
It wasn’t just the Monster Beasts in this place. There were many examples of Monster Beasts fighting for Monster Cores in the outside world too. Monster Beasts cultivated very differently from Humans. Humans had Secret Arts and Secret Techniques, but Monster Beasts did not. They relied completely on their instincts. If they felt that the Monster Core of another Monster Beast would be highly beneficial to them, they would not hold back if they could obtain it.
It was just that the Monster Beast Cores in the outside world usually contained a mixture of Attributes. It was not nearly as pure and singular compared to the Monster Beast Cores in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven.
“That’s right. The first time Golden Gorilla King appeared outside Abundance City, it had only just advanced to become a Sixth-Order Monster Beast. After so many years of receiving tribute from us, I’m afraid it’s not far from becoming a Seventh-Order Monster Beast.” Pang Duo’s eyes looked fearful.
They were no match for an ordinary Sixth-Order Monster Beast, so what more need be said about a Sixth-Order Monster Beast at its peak like Golden Gorilla King? One should not be fooled by its seriously wounded condition. If it really came down to a fight, the few thousands of people in Abundance City would not be enough to repel him.
Yang Kai asked curiously, “How did you manage to make an agreement with Golden Gorilla King to provide him with tributes?”
Jin Yuan Lang replied with a wry smile, “It’s not something that can be helped. Abundance City would have ceased to exist a long time ago if we refused to offer tribute. However, over the years, there have been several crises that Golden Gorilla King helped defend us against. He knows that we have value, so he allows us to exist in this place. If he decides that we no longer have any value though…”
A Monster Beast’s thoughts could not be inferred from Human common sense. If they failed to bring out a satisfactory tribute this time, there was no saying what kind of consequences they might face.
Abundance City and Golden Gorilla King seemed to be dependent on each other for survival. Although Abundance City was the weaker between the two, they could provide Golden Gorilla King with a steady supply of Metal Element Monster Beast Cores. It was for that reason that Golden Gorilla King would occasionally protect Abundance City from danger.
During their brief conversation, Golden Gorilla King was becoming more and more furious by the moment. He roared continuously, blowing a foul stench in their faces.
Mo Mei shouted, “Golden Gorilla King, I’m saying this for the last time! Abundance City does not have any tributes to offer at the moment, it’s useless no matter how angry you get! Why don’t you calm your anger and focus on healing yourself instead of wasting your energy in vain?”
Golden Gorilla King turned to glare at her, his crimson eyes filled with a cruel and ferocious light. All of a sudden, he raised his palm and slammed it down fiercely.
Mo Mei shouted, “Everybody, watch out!”
While shouting, she immediately moved to block the attack. Many of Abundance City’s cultivators trembled as they quickly used their respective Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques.
The moment they attacked in unison, the World Energy churned wildly. All sorts of Divine Abilities of various attributes transformed into a frenzy of attacks that shot towards Golden Gorilla King in different forms.
Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang looked at each other and saw the surprise in each other’s eyes.
Strictly speaking, the people in Abundance City could not be considered powerful. They were suppressed by the Principles in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven and could not advance into the Open Heaven Realm. It didn’t matter whether it was Mo Mei, the Elders, or the other cultivators; the strongest among them was only Half-Step Open Heaven Realm. In essence, their strength was still within the range of the Emperor Realm.
However, these Emperor Realm Masters seemed to be different from the Emperor Realm Masters in the outside world. That was especially true for Mo Mei, Pang Duo, and the other Elders. All of them had an overwhelmingly powerful and extremely pure Emperor Qi while the Divine Abilities that they could unleash were also incredibly powerful.
When Yang Kai fought Tan Luo Xing back then, he had noticed this distinction. Among those in the Half-Step Open Heaven Realm Yang Kai knew, even Qu Hua Shang might not be Tan Luo Xing’s opponent. It had to be said that Qu Hua Shang had condensed the Sixth-Order Element Powers while Tan Luo Xing had only condensed Fifth-Order Powers. It would now seem that Tan Luo Xing was not a unique existence. It was the same case for Mo Mei and the other Elders.
After pondering over this matter for a while, Yang Kai understood the reason for this disparity.
In the outside world, people like Mo Mei and Pang Duo would have tried to advance into the Open Heaven Realm a long time ago. If they succeeded, they would experience a massive surge in strength. Of course, if they failed to break through, they would be reduced to ashes. There was no third possibility.
Unfortunately, the people in Abundance City were suppressed by the Principles in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven and could not advance any further. They had been stuck in the Half-Step Open Heaven Realm for thousands of years. For that reason, they could only find other ways to increase their strength. It was only natural that their use of their Open Heaven Elements became stronger and more refined after a long period of accumulation and precipitation. Similarly, the Divine Abilities that they could unleash were also more powerful.
Yang Kai was secretly surprised. It would not be difficult for Mo Mei, Pang Duo, and the others to advance into the Open Heaven Realm if they could find a suitable opportunity; after all, they had much lower chances of failure with such solid foundations.
While he was immersed in his thoughts, numerous Divine Abilities had already collided with the giant palm of Golden Gorilla King. A golden light shone brightly as sharp Metal Element Power shot out in all directions like countless sword lights.
A buzzing sound rang out endlessly and in an instant, many Abundance City cultivators collapsed to the ground with their fresh blood staining their surroundings red.
Mo Mei and the others might have stopped that giant palm for a moment with their Divine Abilities, but their efforts could not be sustained for much longer. Just as the palm was about to slam down, Mo Mei, Pang Duo, and the others did not hesitate to rush forward. They frantically drew upon their power and blocked the palm from below.
*Hong…*
A golden force ran rampant and sliced through the sky. Countless small wounds appeared on everybody. Meanwhile, the figures of Mo Mei and the others staggered slightly. They were nearly pounded into the ground by Golden Gorilla King.
No matter how powerful they were, they could not exceed the limits of the Half-Step Open Heaven Realm. Even if Golden Gorilla King was injured, a peak Sixth-Order Monster Beast could exert the strength on par with a Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master at will. Abundance City had no way to fight back at all.
*Crack!* The sound of something breaking rang out. Jin Yuan Lang’s legs had been twisted and broken. Despite being in intense pain though, he grit his teeth and persevered without letting out a single sound.
When Yang Kai saw that, he knew he could not stand by any longer. If he continued to just watch without doing anything, there was no telling how many people would die in this place today. He rushed forward and raised his hand, summoning the Azure Dragon Spear. In the next moment, the spear stabbed towards Golden Gorilla King like a Dragon going out to sea.
Golden Gorilla King turned to look in this direction and while baring his fangs, he raised his other hand that was covered in dense Metal Element Power and grabbed at Yang Kai.
“Sir Yang, be careful!” Mo Mei shouted. The words had only just left her mouth when she saw him vanishing out of sight after he was caught squarely in the middle of the Golden Gorilla King’s palm.
[This…] Pang Duo and the others looked speechless. They originally thought that Yang Kai had extraordinary strength since he could cause such a huge commotion in Abundance City. Who could have known that he would be so vulnerable?
That thought had only just come to mind when they heard the Golden Gorilla King crying out in surprise. Immediately following that, fresh blood spurted out like a hurricane from his tightly clenched hand. A figure holding a spear shot out from within, spinning like a top that directly drilled a hole through the giant palm. The spear kept going, heading towards the Golden Gorilla King’s head.
Yang Kai’s hair was dishevelled. Covered in Golden Gorilla King’s fresh blood, he shouted solemnly, “It’s best you don’t get too brazen!”
Golden Gorilla King roared furiously and drew back both hands. Completely ignoring the wound on his palm, he clasped his fists together and savagely brought them down on Yang Kai.
*Hong…* A shockwave spread out as Yang Kai’s figure was slammed into the ground like a meteor. Likewise, Golden Gorilla King’s figure was sent flying into the distance. An extra ferocious-looking wound was added to his body that was originally already covered in wounds.
With Yang Kai’s support, the pressure on Mo Mei and the others reduced significantly. They hurriedly ran over in concern and stood beside the pit when they saw Yang Kai being smashed into the ground with Pang Duo shouting out, “Little Brother Yang!”
*Shua…*
Yang Kai jumped out of the pit as his hair blew in the wind, shaking his head for a bit before stating, “I’m fine!”
Although his injuries had yet to heal, Golden Gorilla King was also severely injured. Both sides were on even ground and nobody held the advantage, a fact made obvious by the exchange of blows just now.
[He’s fine even after taking that!?] Pang Duo and the others were completely stunned. They couldn’t believe that anybody could survive after being smashed into the ground by Golden Gorilla King. They all thought that Yang Kai would definitely die from that attack.
“Pu!” Yang Kai spat out a mouthful of blood and stabbed the Azure Dragon Spear into the ground. He glared fiercely at Golden Gorilla King, who was also getting back up, and grinned savagely, “Do you think you can do whatever you please just because you’re bigger? Today, I’ll show you just what it means to be big!”
With a guttural roar, Yang Kai shouted, “Dragon Transformation!”
A high-pitched Dragon Roar exploded from his mouth, echoing across the sky. An enormous Golden Dragon appeared behind Yang Kai’s back, looking extremely life-like. The Dragon Eyes were filled with a majesty that stood above all other living beings.
The Golden Dragon phantom plunged into his body and vanished out of sight in the next instant before a crackling sound rang out. Under everybody’s stunned gazes, Yang Kai’s figure suddenly swelled and transformed into a 500 metre tall Half-Dragon in the blink of an eye.
With the continued development of his Golden Divine Dragon’s Source and the purification of his Dragon Vein, Yang Kai was starting to gain better control over his Dragon Transformation Secret Technique. His current 500 metre form should be enough to crush Golden Gorilla King, who was only several dozen metres tall, and if that wasn’t enough, he could always transform into a behemoth more than 3,000 metres tall!
Yang Kai’s entire body was covered with Dragon Scales; his hands transformed into Dragon Claws; Dragon Horns grew out of his head; a Dragon Tail swished about behind his back; and a Dragon Beard flew about wildly below his jaw. He was the very picture of majesty and invincibility!
Qu Hua Shang lifted a hand to cover her red lips, staring up at him with shock in her beautiful eyes! It was her first time witnessing his transformation. She initially thought that she understood him to an extent after the life-or-death experiences they went through together. It was not until this moment that she realised something, what she saw was only the tip of the iceberg!
Inside Abundance City, thousands of people raised their heads and stared up at Yang Kai. All of them felt as insignificant as ants in front of this enormous figure. It was one thing if it was just their height, but the majesty Yang Kai radiated was what truly made them shudder. They instinctively felt the urge to bow down and worship him.
The cultivators of Abundance City were not the only ones frozen in shock. Golden Gorilla King was also stunned for a moment.
As a Monster Beast, he could sense the Dragon Pressure that Yang Kai was releasing much more acutely than Humans ever could, so his eyes narrowed slightly and he instinctively took a few steps back. However, he soon directed a furious roar at Yang Kai. It was almost as though he felt ashamed for backing away just now, so he could only strengthen his momentum through this roar.
Similarly, Yang Kai roared back at Golden Gorilla King. The Dragon Roar resounded throughout the skies, making the wind and clouds pale in comparison. Then, he took a step forward and charged at Golden Gorilla King.
Golden Gorilla King did not shrink back in fear either, rushing forward instead. The two enormous figures quickly collided with each other with a deafening explosion that shook the entire world.
*Hong hong hong…*
A series of violent explosions rang out as the two enormous figures were tangled together, fighting each other with reckless abandon. Abundance City was a mess. The city was not that large in the first place, so how could it withstand the damage caused by the battle between Yang Kai in his Half-Dragon Form and Golden Gorilla King? It didn’t take very long for half of the city to be destroyed. Countless buildings collapsed and turned into ruins.
Yang Kai could not afford to care about that at the moment though. Golden Gorilla King might be severely injured, but every attack unleashed by a peak Sixth-Order Monster Beast contained great destructive power. In his current state, Yang Kai could not defend against those attacks unless he went all out; therefore, he had no time to be distracted or worry about anything else.
Although he had an absolute advantage when it came to size, there were times when having a larger body did not necessarily guarantee a win. Golden Gorilla King’s movements were swift and agile. He would climb onto Yang Kai’s body from time to time, biting and scratching his scales and flesh with his fangs and sharp claws. As a result, Yang Kai’s back was drenched in blood and his Dragon Scales flew in all directions.
On the other hand, Yang Kai countered by grabbing Golden Gorilla King by one arm. He tightened his grip and swung his foe left to right as though he was smashing something with a large hammer.
*Hong hong hong…*
The ground shook and the mountains shuddered. Golden Gorilla King roared furiously as his body shone brightly with golden light. Yang Kai suddenly felt pain coming from his palm, as though the sharp Metal Element Power was piercing his Dragon Claws, so he couldn’t help throwing Golden Gorilla King to the side.
As soon as Golden Gorilla King landed, he raised both arms and hammered his fists against his chest with loud thuds. He was completely enraged. Reaching out his hand, he picked up a rock beside him. He leaped up high and brought the rock smashing down on Yang Kai’s head. Like a meteor falling from the skies, his power was simply astonishing.
Everybody felt nervous at the sight. The scene in front of them was practically a battle between monsters. Nobody dared to approach within a kilometre radius.
Yang Kai clenched his Dragon Claw and threw a punch, smashing the huge boulder to pieces. At the same time, he took a deep breath and his belly swelled up rapidly. A majestic Dragon Roar sounded as he opened his mouth to spew out pitch-black flames.
Fire Dragon’s Flaming Breath!
Even before he refined the Golden Crow’s True Fire, Yang Kai had been capable of using this particular Dragon Clan Secret Technique. After he refined the Golden Crow’s True Fire, this Secret Technique became considerably more powerful with the blessing of the pitch-black flames. Scarlet Star’s Poison Lady had died tragically because of this attack back in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. Yang Kai had burnt her alive until she became nothing more than a charred corpse
The flames raged wildly, even causing the surrounding space to warp and tear.
Golden Gorilla King could sense the power and danger of these black flames and did not dare to underestimate this attack. The golden light around his body shone brilliantly and formed a defensive shell.
When the black flames and the golden light collided, the golden light was suppressed in an instant.
While Golden Gorilla King could exert the strength of a Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master, and his Metal Element Power was comparable to the Sixth-Order, Yang Kai’s Golden Crow’s True Fire was a High-Rank Open Heaven Power. One was clearly superior to the other. Besides, even among the Five Elements, fire suppressed metal.
Hence, the Sixth-Order Monster Beast could only forcefully endure the burning of the Golden Crow’s True Fire and rushed out of the jet of flames. He clenched both hands together and viciously slammed them down on Yang Kai’s head.
Yang Kai staggered under that attack and stumbled backward unsteadily.
Golden Gorilla King showed no mercy. He used both hands and feet to punch and kick at Yang Kai at a high speed. The golden light around his body gathered in front of him, transforming into the shape of a spear. Following that, the golden light shot, tearing the air apart.
A huge sense of crisis filled Yang Kai’s heart, so he hurriedly activated his Dragon Shield Secret Technique to protect himself from this piercing attack.
*Kacha…*
The golden spear slammed into the Dragon Shield and immediately shattered it to pieces. However, the golden spear did not seem to lose any momentum whatsoever and continued to enlarge rapidly in Yang Kai’s field of vision. A cold sense of fear swept over him as he quickly retreated.
Yang Kai realised that he had underestimated Golden Gorilla King. A peak Sixth-Order Monster Beast was extremely powerful indeed, remaining so ferocious despite his severe injuries. What would he be like if he were fully healed? Of course, Yang Kai was also badly injured and had not fully recovered, so he was unable to exert his full strength either.
Yang Kai reached out his hand and summoned something. The Azure Dragon Spear sliced through the air and flew towards him. The moment his claws closed around the spear, it suddenly swelled and turned into a world-shattering 500 metre long weapon.
The spear stabbed forward and smashed the approaching golden spear to pieces. Still, Yang Kai felt his arms going numb as the Azure Dragon Spear nearly flew out of his grip. Fortunately, he quickly clenched his fists and drew the spear back slightly before thrusting out once more.
Golden Gorilla King appeared from behind the golden spear light, charging forward aggressively. He bared his fangs fiercely, making him seem absolutely terrifying.
*Chi…*
Blood splattered in all directions as a low roar rang out. The Azure Dragon Spear had pierced right through Golden Gorilla King’s chest and come out his back. Yang Kai pulled out the spear, causing warm blood to gush out onto the ground. Even so, Golden Gorilla King advanced forward instead of retreating. Taking advantage of the momentary opening Yang Kai showed after unleashing his attack, he threw a punch that landed squarely on Yang Kai’s chest.
Yang Kai’s giant Half-Dragon Body was sent flying backwards, landing on the ground heavily and sliding for several thousand metres before coming to a stop. Everywhere he passed, buildings collapsed into rubble.
By the time Yang Kai got back up and prepared to continue his fight with Golden Gorilla King, he was astonished to discover that his foe was nowhere to be found so he called out hastily, “Where did he go?”
Qu Hua Shang stretched out a finger and pointed in a certain direction. Yang Kai looked over and saw a golden dot fleeing desperately into the distance. Golden Gorilla King was already more than a dozen kilometres away by now. He clearly understood that nothing good would come out of the battle even if he fought on; therefore, he decided to retreat. It was a wise decision.
It was just that Yang Kai was not prepared to let Golden Gorilla King flee. He raised his spear and laughed, “Want to run now? Do you think you can!?”
Before he could take more than two steps though, Mo Mei shouted at the top of her voice, “Sir Yang, please show mercy!”
Yang Kai stopped and lowered his head to look in her direction.
Seeing that she had his attention, Mo Mei spoke in a rather sad tone, “Sir, please don’t give chase. Please spare his life.”
“Why?” Yang Kai questioned.
To which Mo Mei replied, “Golden Gorilla King might have benefited greatly from Abundance City, but it is also true that he has helped us to survive through numerous crises over the years. It can be said that he is our benefactor. This time… it might be that he is in urgent need to recuperate, which was why he acted so rashly.”
Upon hearing those words, Yang Kai couldn’t help giving a word of advice, “Save a thief from the gallows and he will help hang you in the future. City Lord Mo, please think this through.”
But Mo Mei insisted, “Sir, please spare his life.”
Yang Kai pondered for a moment before he released his Dragon Transformation Secret Art and he returned to his Human form. Since Mo Mei had already said so much, he couldn’t be bothered to chase after Golden Gorilla King anymore. Not to mention, Golden Gorilla King was not an opponent to be trifled with. Although Yang Kai was confident he could hunt down and kill Golden Gorilla King with his current strength, there was no denying that he would have to pay a certain price to do so.
Mo Mei thanked him while the other Elders were staring at him in shock and awe. It was the first time they had ever seen anyone fighting Golden Gorilla King on equal terms. [This guy seems to be even stronger and more aggressive than Lan Ting Yu!]
Many things had happened in Abundance City today. First, Yang Kai had caused a huge commotion, then one of the five Great Elders, Tan Luo Xing, forced open the Grand Array and escaped the city. Before the dust had settled on these shocking events, Golden Gorilla King appeared. Yang Kai and Golden Gorilla King then fought a fierce battle, which practically leveled half of Abundance City.
Looking around at the ruined buildings and wailing residents, Mo Mei couldn’t help furrowing her brow deeply.
All the Elders were injured. In particular, Jin Yuan Lang’s legs had been broken. Many others in the city had been injured as well. It could be said that Abundance City had suffered severe damage to its very foundation.
Soon, those who were not injured began to rescue those who were under Mo Mei’s command. Another group of people was sent to do emergency repairs on the Defensive Grand Array. Thus, the entire Abundance City was swept up in a flurry of activity.
Yang Kai found a quiet place and rested for a bit. After that, he came out again to check on the situation in Abundance City. He said to Mo Mei, who stood next to him, “City Lord Mo, I’m afraid you can’t stay here for much longer. You spared Golden Gorilla King’s life today, but the thoughts of Monster Beasts are very difficult to predict. It is hard to say whether he will or will not come to take revenge on the city after he recovers from his injuries. How will Abundance City protect itself at the time?”
Mo Mei sighed, “I’m aware of that. It’s just… how could it be so easy to migrate to a different place?”
Back then, they only managed to build and establish the city thanks to the help of Lan Ting Yu, the Proprietress, and a few others. They finally reached their current scale following the gradual development of the city over thousands of years. Even if they wanted to migrate elsewhere, they needed to have a safe place to act as their stronghold at the very least.
It was just that there were no such safe places in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. What’s more, Abundance City had their own enemies, such as Emerald Thunder City, which had been mentioned several times before. If Emerald Thunder City learned about what happened to Abundance City, they would not hold back. They would definitely gather an army to swallow up Abundance City, bones and all.
“Have you never considered leaving the Blood Monster Cave Heaven?” Yang Kai was puzzled.
Mo Mei laughed bitterly, “Why would we stay here if we could leave this place? Sir Yang, you may not be aware of this, but my ancestors were kidnapped by Blood Monster Divine Monarch and forced to live here. Blood Monster Divine Monarch was proficient in the Dao of Blood, so he placed a Blood Principles Restriction on them. This restriction is passed down from generation to generation. If the Blood Principles Restriction does not constantly receive the aura of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, we will immediately suffer a backlash and die on the spot. That is why we must first remove the restriction before we can leave this place; otherwise, we will only be walking to our deaths.”
“Blood Principles Restriction?” Yang Kai raised his brow at those words, “City Lord Mo, may I have a look?”
She looked at him in surprise, “Sir Yang, do you understand the Dao of Blood?”
Yang Kai calmly remarked, “I didn’t at first, but now I know a little bit.”
He had never touched upon the Dao of Blood in the past, but he had now comprehended several chapters of the Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture that were inscribed on steles at the blood lake in order to enter its central palace. Although the final inscriptions had been fudged by Black Crow Divine Monarch, what Yang Kai learned previously was undoubtedly part of the true Blood Light Scripture.
In other words, most of the cultivators present at the time had received some exposure to the Dao of Blood and Blood Principles. It was just that everybody was the same. They only understood some of the Blood Light Scripture’s Secret Techniques, but not the actual Secret Arts.
“Please go ahead, Sir Yang!” Mo Mei did not have the attitude of a shy young maiden and instead generously stretched out her hand towards him. Yang Kai apologised for his discourtesy and placed two fingers on her wrist.
His Divine Sense surged, probing into her bloodline where he soon discovered a mysterious restriction. It was closely connected to her bloodline and could not be separated by force. Not to mention, this restriction could be passed on continuously through reproduction.
[No wonder she mentioned that Lan Ting Yu wanted to find a way to bring them out of here. It now seems that they cannot leave the Blood Monster Cave Heaven at will. Under the effects of this restriction, they have no choice but to live in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven.] A short while later, Yang Kai withdrew his Qi and slowly shook his head.
She asked, “How is it?”
Yang Kai sighed, “I can sense the restriction… But, I don’t have the ability to remove it.”
Mo Mei felt slightly hopeful when she heard his first sentence, only to quickly become disappointed with his next. In the end, she laughed bitterly, “You are being too humble, Sir Yang.”
After all, he was able to force Golden Gorilla King back. That was by no means a small feat.
Yang Kai felt a slight sense of pity. He had been planning to use the Sealed World Bead to bring Mo Mei and the others out of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven if they were willing. They were old acquaintances with the Proprietress. It was nothing for him to help them out while he was at it.
More importantly, he believed that the people in Abundance City were extremely rare talents! Judging from their battle with the Golden Gorilla King earlier, these Emperor Realm cultivators had a much stronger foundation than average Emperors in the outside world. That was especially true for Mo Mei and the Great Elders. They were no different from Core Disciples of the various Cave-Heavens and Paradises like Qu Hua Shang and Pei Wen Xuan. Mo Mei had condensed Sixth-Order Element Powers while the rest of the Elders had condensed the Fifth-Order Elements.
Thanks to their precipitation over the years, they would surely have a greater chance of breaking through to the Open Heaven Realm compared to others if they could obtain the opportunity. If that happened, they would form a whole batch of Fifth-Order and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
What did Void Land lack the most right now? Wasn’t there a shortage of Open Heaven Realm Masters?
Yang Kai believed that it would not be a problem for him to invite them into Void Land if he could bring them out; after all, they had lived their entire lives in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven so they had no place to go in the outside world. Void Land was just right for them.
Unfortunately, the Blood Principles Restriction that Blood Monster Divine Monarch placed upon their ancestors had crushed all his hopes. If he placed them into the Small Sealed World, they would immediately die without the nourishment from the aura of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven!
Mo Mei sighed, “This place has become more and more unstable recently. I’m afraid our fate is to live and die together with this World. Many thanks for your kindness though, Sir Yang.”
The Blood Monster Cave Heaven was showing signs of collapse. That was something Yang Kai also knew. The most obvious manifestation of this phenomenon was the continuous increase in the number of entrances to the Blood Monster Cave Heaven whenever the Blood Monster Cave Heaven opened. That was a sign that the Blood Monster Cave Heaven was merging with the Blood Monster Territory. If these signs were appearing in the outside world, then there was bound to be more obvious signs inside the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. It would be particularly obvious to Mo Mei and the others who lived here.
Yang Kai pondered in silence for a moment, “City Lord Mo, you don’t need to abandon all hope just yet. I know somebody who can lift the Blood Principles Restriction in your bodies.”
“Who?” Mo Mei asked in pleasant surprise.
He grimaced, “A guy named Black Crow Divine Monarch.”
Black Crow Divine Monarch had stolen the Dao of Blood inheritance left behind by Blood Monster Divine Monarch and cultivated the complete version of the Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture. It would be a simple matter if he were willing to lend a hand to help remove the Blood Principles Restriction. The main issue was that Black Crow Divine Monarch was wicked by nature. Moreover, he had a deep grudge against Yang Kai. It could be considered a miracle if they neither fought nor tried to kill each other when they encountered each other next, so how could Yang Kai convince him to help?
“Black Crow Divine Monarch?” Mo Mei looked astonished. Although she lived her entire life in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, even she knew what the title ‘Divine Monarch’ signified. Only a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master was worthy of taking such a title. Why would a person standing so far above them be willing to help them remove the Blood Principles Restriction for no reason?
“Black Crow Divine Monarch is currently inside the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. If I encounter him by chance, I will ask him to help. It’s just that there are some… misunderstandings between us, so I cannot guarantee whether he will agree. I can only say that I will do my best.”
Mo Mei bowed and exclaimed gratefully, “Many thanks, Sir Yang.”
Yang Kai raised a hand to stop her, “It’s not a big deal. Abundance City has deep ties with Madam Lan. Since that’s the case, it also relates to me. I can’t just sit back and watch now that I’ve met you. City Lord Mo, you should arrange for your subordinates to patch up the Grand Array. I cannot stay in this place for long, so I’ll be leaving soon.”
Mo Mei nodded and hurriedly relayed the order to her people.
It took three days and three nights for the repairs to Abundance City’s Grand Array to be completed. Nevertheless, the ruined buildings in the city caused by the battle between Yang Kai and Golden Gorilla King also needed to be repaired. In addition, the countless wounded needed time to recuperate from their injuries. The events over the past few days had severely damaged Abundance City’s foundation so it would take a long time to recover completely.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang took a good rest for a few days.
Three days later, the two of them took their leave. Mo Mei and the others did not stop them from departing as they knew that Outer World visitors like Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang had entered the Blood Monster Cave Heaven to search for their own respective opportunities. It was impossible for these two to remain in Abundance City as once the time limit was up, they would be forced to leave even if they didn’t want to.
The Grand Array was reactivated, and with Mo Mei in the lead, many of the Elders and Deacons of Abundance City saw Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang off from afar. Thus, Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang exited the Grand Array. When they looked back, all they saw was a sparkling lake behind them. Who could have known that a city was hidden behind such a calm scenery?
“Let’s go.” Yang Kai called out.
Qu Hua Shang asked, “Junior Brother, where are we heading?”
“The depths of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven.” He took out a jade slip and checked the contents briefly. Blood Monster Divine Monarch had left behind two main inheritances. Even though the Dao of Blood inheritance had been stolen by Black Crow Divine Monarch, there was still the Beast Taming inheritance. Yang Kai did not know where it was concealed, but the rumours claimed that the Blood Monster Divine Palace was located in the deepest depths of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. The reason Yang Kai even entered this place was to search for High-Rank Metal and Yin Element materials. Who could say? The Blood Monster Divine Palace might contain exactly what he needed.
Yang Kai was secretly looking forward to it. It would also be very interesting if he encountered Yin Xin Zhao again. The last time they met, Yang Kai had been forced to flee desperately, which was a huge humiliation. Now that he had recovered his strength, he would surely teach Yin Xin Zhao a lesson on showing proper respect.
The pair travelled forward for several consecutive days but did not come across anybody at all. They barely even encountered any Monster Beasts, much less any Spirit Flowers or Exotic Herbs.
Yang Kai knew that the series of encounters he experienced previously and the delay in Abundance City had caused him to be much slower than the others, so all the good stuff along the road ahead would surely have been taken.
Be that as it may, this did not bother Yang Kai. There were a lot of good things in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, but not many interested him; after all, it was practically impossible for anybody else in the Emperor Realm to be wealthier than him.
They continued onward for another half a day when all of a sudden, they halted in their tracks and stood atop a small hill to study the battlefield in front of them.
A huge battle had probably taken place here and there were still strong energy fluctuations lingering everywhere. The ground was also littered with damaged artifacts. A dozen or so corpses lay haphazardly on the ground, each one shrivelled up terribly, as though something had drained all the essence out of their bodies. Moreover, these corpses retained expressions of horror on their faces from just before they died.
Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang exchanged a glance with each other and blurted out in unison, “Black Crow Divine Monarch!”
These people had clearly died from having their vitality drained by the Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture. Such obvious signs clearly indicated that Black Crow Divine Monarch had attacked this place.
Black Crow Divine Monarch’s strength could be said to be invincible in this place. Even if Yang Kai went all out, he would not be a match for Black Crow Divine Monarch. This old dog had the heritage of a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master after all. Now that he had possessed a body and revived himself, Emperor Realm Juniors were as insignificant as ants in front of him.
Fortunately, Yang Kai knew the old fart’s weakness. Black Crow Divine Monarch’s damaged Soul was a critical flaw. Yang Kai had nothing to fear even if he met Black Crow Divine Monarch again. It was just that he did not know how to ask Black Crow Divine Monarch to help remove the Blood Principles Restriction from the bodies of the people in Abundance City. It was extremely troubling.
Based on the appearance of these corpses, they had been dead for a few days. All of their Space Rings were nowhere to be seen, but Yang Kai could not tell whether Black Crow Divine Monarch had taken them or the people who passed by later had looted them.
If he had not come across Abundance City, Yang Kai would have taken a detour lest he run into Black Crow Divine Monarch again. However, he had promised Mo Mei that he would do his best to ask Black Crow Divine Monarch to help remove the Blood Principles Restriction in their bodies. As such, he could not avoid Black Crow Divine Monarch.
The pair continued to track Black Crow Divine Monarch’s progress. Along the way, they would occasionally come across some shrivelled corpses. It was not just the corpses of cultivators but also the corpses of Monster Beasts. All of them had died from having their vitality drained by the Blood Light Scripture.
Judging by Black Crow Divine Monarch’s path, he seemed to be heading into the depths of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven.
This discovery shocked Yang Kai. It was rumoured that the Blood Monster Divine Palace was hidden at the core of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven where nobody had ever been before. All Blood Monster Divine Monarch’s inheritances were preserved inside, waiting for the lucky person to discover them. It was just that the rumours had remained as nothing more than rumours after so many years. Nobody had ever confirmed the rumours because nobody had ever arrived at the depths of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven or found the Blood Monster Divine Palace.
Even so, the current situation seemed to indicate that there was a high possibility the Blood Monster Divine Palace truly existed!
If one were to say who had the greatest understanding of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, it would not be Yang Kai or the Proprietress. Rather, it would be Black Crow Divine Monarch! Although he had been sealed away by Blood Monster Divine Monarch for countless years, he had obtained Blood Monster Divine Monarch’s Dao of Blood inheritance. How could he not have some understanding of the secrets in this place?
If he was heading in this direction, then it could only mean that there was something in this direction that was attracting him! The only thing that could move a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master could only be the inheritance of another High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master.
After figuring out this point, Yang Kai increased his speed and pursued Black Crow Divine Monarch. They continued forward for a while before he suddenly halted. Qu Hua Shang followed suit and stopped to look at him, “What’s wrong, Junior Brother?”
Yang Kai turned to look in a certain direction, “There are sounds of battle…” He paused for a moment and added, “It’s heading our way.”
When he spread out his Divine Sense, he could detect the sounds of battle coming from a certain direction. The other party probably detected him through their perception as a result and immediately rushed towards him. He did not know whether the other party intended to seek help or foist the enemy off on them instead!
He initially planned to ignore the other party, but before he could leave, he noticed something and exclaimed in surprise. Following that, he pushed his Divine Sense strongly and probed the situation in that direction. A short while later, he became overjoyed and called out, “Senior Sister, follow me!”
While saying so, he immediately rushed to meet the other party. Qu Hua Shang did not know why he was so elated, but she did not question him.
It didn’t take long before two figures that were fleeing desperately appeared in their field of vision. It was a man and a woman; moreover, this man and woman were being pursued closely by six others. They unleashed a continuous barrage of Secret Techniques and the power of artifacts, blasting those two fleeing figures until they became increasingly desperate.
A dazzlingly bright light burst out. It was a killing move summoned by one of the pursuers that shot straight at the backs of the fleeing duo. The woman seemed to perceive that danger and hurriedly turned around to mount a defence. On the other hand, the man focused on escaping and ignored what was happening behind him.
The longsword in the woman’s hand slashed downward and a sword light flashed out, colliding with the attack coming from behind. Following the commotion, the woman’s body flew into the air like a paper kite. She spat out a mouthful of fresh blood in mid-air and her complexion turned as pale as a sheet.
The woman seemed to have suffered heavy injuries previously; therefore, this attack only made her condition worsen. The other man looked back in horror and a trace of struggle and hesitation flashed through his eyes before he fled without pause.
“Shameless!” Qu Hua Shang cursed upon witnessing this scene. The person she cursed was not the group of people attacking, but the man running at the forefront.
This fleeing pair were clearly companions. They were either lovers or Senior Brother and Junior Sister. Now that they were in danger, only the woman had turned around to defend against the attacks and was injured as a result. On the contrary, the man not only did not turn around to help but ran even faster instead. It was the height of despicableness.
His actions even made him seem like he wanted the woman to buy more time for him to escape. In their current state, he might not be able to escape his pursuers even if he turned around to help his companion. There was a chance that she might survive if he had done that; however, there was no doubt that she would die now that he had abandoned her.
Qu Hua Shang was also a woman. It could have been her in that situation. How tragic would that have been? Then, she thought back to what Yang Kai had done so far. No matter what kind of situation they were in, or how badly they were injured, he had never abandoned her. Be that as it may, they could not be said to have a close relationship with each other. They had only met once or twice before after all.
Comparing these two men, their characters were as different as night and day. She had not thought much about this before, but now that she made a comparison, she couldn’t help feeling a sense of warmth and sweetness in her heart.
Likewise, Yang Kai was also enraged. The pursuers were about to attack once more, but the woman was powerless to defend herself. Seeing that, he rushed forward and appeared in front of her while throwing out a punch at the same time. Space Principles flared and the Void shattered!
The expressions of the pursuers changed greatly. They hurriedly took action to defend themselves as one of them shouted, “Who!?”
There was a series of rumblings and when the dust settled, the pursuers were dishevelled and their complexions had gone pale. All of them looked in Yang Kai’s direction with fear in their eyes.
Yang Kai stared back at them coldly as he asked, “Ruo Xi, are you alright?”
The woman originally thought that she could not escape death today, but who could have known that a reliable figure would appear in front of her and block the barrage of attacks for her at a critical moment? She looked up, thinking that the back looked strangely familiar. When she heard his voice, her beautiful eyes widened in surprise as she asked in a trembling voice, “Sir?”
She nearly thought that she was dreaming! Ever since departing from the Star Boundary and heading out into the Outer Universe together, they had not heard anything from each other after they were devoured by a Myriad Facets Insect. She had tried to search for him, but the 3,000 Worlds were simply too vast. There were as many Great Territories as hairs on an ox. Moreover, each Great Territory was large and boundless. Trying to find a person in the 3,000 Worlds was harder than trying to find a needle in a haystack.
Throughout her journey, she continued her search and experienced all sorts of hardships. She finally arrived at Lang Ya Paradise. Following the legacy of her ancestor, she joined Lang Ya Paradise and became one of its disciples.
When she heard that the Blood Monster Cave Heaven was about to open, she struggled desperately to obtain a place among the participants. With Yang Kai’s abilities and heritage, she believed that he would definitely enter the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. In that case, she only needed to search for him inside. It would be much easier than her search in the past.
Unfortunately, the Blood Monster Cave Heaven was filled with dangers at every corner. She coincidentally met up with a Senior Brother, so they decided to travel together. Who could have known that they would encounter trouble and be hunted down by others? Just as she was about to die, Yang Kai miraculously appeared in front of her.
She had the sudden impulse to burst into tears. She had been able to endure all the hardships and tribulations on her own before she saw him. Her expression never changed even with a blade held to her neck; however, she reacted like a child who finally found support after suffering grievances outside the moment she saw him.
Yang Kai never expected to encounter Zhang Ruo Xi here either, much less that their reunion after so many years would be under such circumstances.
Back in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, he had tried to ask Gu Pan from Lang Ya Paradise about her. It was a pity that Gu Pan claimed that she had never heard the name ‘Zhang Ruo Xi’ before. Yang Kai figured that there were two possibilities. One was that Zhang Ruo Xi had not gone to Lang Ya Paradise. The other was that Gu Pan had not met her. There were at least hundreds of thousands of people in Lang Ya Paradise’s Main Sect, so it was impossible for Gu Pan to know all of its disciples.
During their conversation, Qu Hua Shang landed next to Yang Kai and crouched beside Zhang Ruo Xi. She stretched out her hand to support her and asked in concern, “Junior Sister, are you alright?”
Zhang Ruo Xi shook her head slowly and whispered, “I’m fine.”
Then, she abruptly opened her mouth and coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Qu Hua Shang’s expression changed slightly. How could she not know that this woman’s injuries were very severe? She quickly took out some healing pills and fed them to Zhang Ruo Xi.
“Senior Sister Qu, please take care of my friend,” Yang Kai’s voice was low and grim. It was a tone she had never heard from him before. Although he sounded calm, she could sense the hidden rage rampaging beneath that tranquillity.
“Rest assured,” Qu Hua Shang carried Zhang Ruo Xi and moved to a spot in the distance.
The pursuers frowned deeply at the sight and the young man in the lead spoke with a dark expression, “Who are you? Please don’t interfere in the matters of Heavenly Sword Union.”
“Am I supposed to just stand back and watch as you try to kill my friend?” Yang Kai glanced at the young man coldly.
The young man frowned slightly. After briefly considering the situation, he cupped his fist, “In that case, I will take my leave now.”
After saying that, he turned to leave. He seemed to have realised that Yang Kai was strong after the exchange of blows just now, so he did not wish to start a fight so easily.
Yang Kai shouted, “Did you think you could just leave after hurting others? Do you think something so simple exists?”
Who could have known that the young man was actually only pretending to leave? His real purpose was to distract Yang Kai. The words had only left Yang Kai’s mouth when he suddenly shouted, “Die!”
*Xiu…*
The ground beneath Yang Kai shuddered and a green vine shot out without any prior warning. The vine was like a snake that wrapped around Yang Kai so tightly that he resembled a dumpling. That was not all. The vine was covered in incredibly sharp thorns that stabbed into his skin and released a powerful poison.
He never intended to retreat in the first place. The fact that he had tried to kill Zhang Ruo Xi and the other man could not be leaked out to the world; otherwise, he would be in huge trouble even if he managed to walk out of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven alive. Heavenly Sword Union could be considered among the top Second-Class great forces with a number of Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters assuming command. Nevertheless, it was vastly inferior compared to Lang Ya Paradise. That was because Lang Ya Paradise had High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Blinded by wealth just now, he had planned to kill and rob Zhang Ruo Xi and the other Lang Ya Paradise disciple when he saw that they were not very powerful. Who could have known that they would encounter Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang here?
When he saw Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang, he immediately decided to silence all witnesses to his crimes. If word about this incident were to spread, forget about Lang Ya Paradise’s reaction, Heavenly Sword Union would be the first to capture him and offer his head up as an apology.
The only way to ensure his safety was to kill them all!
At the same time the green vine shot out of the ground, he charged towards Yang Kai. His sword flashed briefly and slashed towards Yang Kai’s neck. The others also quickly unleashed their killing moves. Every one of those attacks was extraordinarily powerful and they seemed intent on killing Yang Kai on the spot.
“How dare dead men like you come out to cause trouble!?” Yang Kai roared. With a whooshing sound, Golden Crow’s True Fire covered his entire body and began burning down everything around him. The vine curled around his body was an extraordinary treasure; nevertheless, it was powerless before the raging Golden Crow’s True Fire. Twitching like a living thing, it hurriedly shrank back and tried to plunge into the ground again.
Yang Kai grinned madly, reached out a hand, and caught the vine, all the while ignoring the thorns that dug into his flesh and secreted poison which was making him slightly dizzy.
With his Dragon Clan heritage, Yang Kai had incredibly strong resistance to poison. Most poisons were completely ineffective against him, but this vine managed to affect him slightly. It could be seen how powerful the poison was. Even if ordinary cultivators did not die from the effects of this poison, they would lose most of their combat power once afflicted with it. The realization struck Yang Kai suddenly. [No wonder the auras of Zhang Ruo Xi and that fleeing man seem so weak. It looks like they have been poisoned by the vine.]
Yang Kai held the vine in his grip, and under the heat of the Golden Crow’s True Fire, it kept twisting and struggling about. He then flicked the vine as though he was wielding a whip and sent it lashing towards the attackers.
Their expressions changed drastically. They never imagined that this man could break free so quickly; after all, they had used this very trick to kill many people before. Many of those victims had even been stronger than them.
Before they could understand what was going on, the vine sent them flying backwards. Every one of them coughed up blood in mid-air. They looked terrified when they hit the ground.
If Yang Kai had unleashed World Force, they would have understood why they were defeated in one move; however, the aura radiating from him was still within the bounds of the Emperor Realm…
[How can an Emperor Realm cultivator be this powerful!? We are not his opponents at all!]
“Retreat!” The young man in the lead shouted as they desperately performed their Secret Techniques to escape from this place. At this point, they did not care whether or not they would be exposed for trying to kill Lang Ya Paradise disciples. Survival was their top priority.
“Solidify!” Yang Kai shouted as he pushed his Space Principles and the surrounding space instantly transformed into a cage. Those people felt the space around them becoming viscous, like they had fallen into a quagmire and could not move.
They turned around and looked at Yang Kai in horror only to see him walking towards them with a wooden expression. He arrived at the closest person, glanced down at them, and casually threw a punch. That person’s head exploded open like a smashed watermelon, with brain matter and blood splattering everywhere.
Then, he walked over to the next person, glanced down at them, and threw another punch. Next came the third, followed by the fourth…
In the blink of an eye, only the young man leading the pursuers remained alive, trembling from head to toe. Although he was desperately trying to summon his strength, he discovered that his Emperor Qi was not flowing smoothly. Forget fighting back, even moving a finger was an extremely difficult task.
He watched helplessly as Yang Kai walked over to him. The fear in his heart overflowed from his eyes. He was on the verge of a mental breakdown as he screamed, “Don’t kill me!”
“Don’t worry. I won’t kill you,” Yang Kai looked at the young man calmly.
The young man could barely believe his ears, “Really?”
On the other hand, Yang Kai said nothing. With a flick of the vine, he wrapped the young man up in it.
The young man, who was now wrapped up like a dumpling, asked in a horrified voice, “What are you doing?”
Yang Kai slowly crouched beside the young man and lowered his head to look at him. Then, he picked up the young man’s right arm and gave a powerful squeeze.
*Kacha…* The sound of bones breaking rang out. The young man screamed in agony, but before his scream ended, the sound of bones breaking rang out again, raising his screams by a whole octave.
*Kacha cha…*
Yang Kai slowly and methodically made his way up. In the blink of an eye, he broke the young man’s right arm into seven or eight sections. It would have been one thing if only the bones had been broken, but the key point was that the meridians along the young man’s arm had been destroyed completely as well.
It started with one of the young man’s arms being crushed. Then, it was his second arm, followed by both his legs…
The continuous sound of bones breaking was extremely disturbing.
The fear and despair in his eyes grew stronger and stronger, but his screams slowly grew weaker and weaker. He became breathless instead. The entire process took no more than a half cup of tea’s time. In that time, all the bones in his body had been crushed to pieces and all the meridians in his body were destroyed.
This kind of pain was not something ordinary people could withstand. The most important point was that he could clearly feel the traces and movements of each bone when they were broken. What horrified him even more was Yang Kai’s expression, which remained completely calm and indifferent, almost cold and meticulous, making him look like he was handling something very serious.
“Please kill me…” The young man murmured with lifeless eyes, “Kill me!”
It didn’t matter if all his bones were broken. With his cultivation, he only needed to recuperate for three to five years and consume some Spirit Pills to recover from even such major injuries. However, there was no way to recover once his meridians had been destroyed. Even if he could heal all the broken bones in his body, he would only be a cripple in the future. He could never cultivate again. For a cultivator, it was a fate worse than death. There was no crueler fate than that.
“Won’t killing you be going too easy on you?” Yang Kai stood up and looked down on this person contemptuously, his expression still as calm as ever, “I’m a man who means what he says. I said I won’t kill you, so I won’t kill you!”
After that, he took off the young man’s Space Ring and retrieved the Space Rings from the others. Turning around, he walked back to Qu Hua Shang.
Qu Hua Shang was in shock. It was her first time seeing Yang Kai acting so cruel. He had always given her the impression of a mild-tempered man. At the very least, he was warm and gentle with her. Be that as it may, his current actions could only be described as cruel and ruthless. It was true that he had not killed the young man from Heavenly Sword Union, but this fate was more despairing than death.
[Just who is this woman?] She lowered her head to look at Zhang Ruo Xi, who she was carrying in her arms. [I can’t believe seeing her hurt made Yang Kai so furious.]
Although she did not know the answer to her question, Qu Hua Shang could be certain that he had a close relationship with this young woman.
“How is Ruo Xi?” Yang Kai came to Qu Hua Shang and placed two fingers on the young woman’s wrist to probe her condition while asking. After a while, he breathed a sigh of relief. She was heavily injured, but her injuries had not damaged her foundation; hence, she would recover fully after recuperating for some time.
“Many thanks for your life-saving grace, Senior Brother!” A voice came from the side suddenly. It was the man who had been fleeing alongside Zhang Ruo Xi earlier. Seeing that his pursuers were gone, he returned and thanked Yang Kai.
Yang Kai turned to look in that direction and his originally gentle gaze instantly turned frosty. What happened earlier had not escaped his notice.
Both this person and Zhang Ruo Xi were being pursued just now. It was bad enough that he had not protected her. When an attack came from behind, it was only she who turned around to defend. On the other hand, he had taken the opportunity to flee even faster. He didn’t even bother to look back to see what had happened to her. It was one thing if they did not know each other; however, they had been escaping together, so how could they be unrelated to one another?
How could Yang Kai have any good impression towards a person like that? Even Qu Hua Shang looked at this man with an expression of disgust.
“Sir, this is my Senior Brother, Du Xu.” Zhang Ruo Xi introduced weakly.
Why would Yang Kai care to know that person’s name? He simply shouted, “Scram!”
Du Xu originally had a smile on his face, but when he heard Yang Kai telling him to get lost, his expression suddenly became incredibly awkward. He said falteringly, “Senior Brother, why must you be so hurtful with your words? Although you rescued my Junior Sister and I, we are still from Lang Ya Paradise.”
“It’s a disgrace to Lang Ya Paradise for having a disciple like you! Get lost!”
Du Xu’s face flushed red in embarrassment and then he became angry out of shame. It looked like he wanted to say something back, but he did not dare to speak the words that were on the tip of his tongue when he recalled the strength and brutality Yang Kai displayed earlier. In the end, he could only glance at Zhang Ruo Xi angrily before he turned to leave.
Qu Hua Shang watched that person’s back and frowned, “Is that person really from Lang Ya Paradise? He is a disciple of one of the 72 Paradises. How could he act like that?”
Lowering her head, she asked Zhang Ruo Xi, “Are you also from Lang Ya Paradise?”
Zhang Ruo Xi replied, “Yes. Senior Brother Du and I might belong to Lang Ya Paradise, but we are just Inner Disciples.”
Qu Hua Shang understood. Most Sects divided their disciples into three grades. The first were the Outer Disciples. They had the lowest status and worst potential. Next came the Inner Disciples. They had much better aptitudes and potential. The strongest among the disciples were the Core Disciples or Legacy Disciples. These talents were the future hope and pillars of the major Sects.
Both Qu Hua Shang and Gu Pan were Core Disciples while Zhang Ruo Xi and that man called Du Xu were Inner Disciples.
Legacy Disciples and Core Disciples were the smallest in number. Generally, only the cultivators who could condense Sixth-Order Elements were qualified to be chosen. Even among the major Cave-Heavens and Paradises, each Sect did not have more than a dozen Legacy or Core Disciples. Nevertheless, it was hard to say how many out of this dozen or so people would succeed and advance into the Open Heaven Realm and how many would fall.
Upon knowing that they were from Lang Ya Paradise, Qu Hua Shang became even more curious, “Heavenly Sword Union might be relatively powerful, but they wouldn’t dare to provoke Lang Ya Paradise. Why did those people pursue you so doggedly just now?”
Zhang Ruo Xi said, “We accidentally discovered a medicine garden earlier. It seemed to be one created by Blood Monster Divine Monarch. We found many valuable herbs, so those people were blinded by their greed.”
Yang Kai immediately snorted coldly, “Men die for wealth.”
As long as the people from Heavenly Sword Union could kill Zhang Ruo Xi and Du Xu, who would know that they had attacked people from Lang Ya Paradise? This matter would not be exposed.
If Zhang Ruo Xi and Du Xu had not met Yang Kai here, they would certainly be facing a bleak future. What Zhang Ruo Xi never expected was that Du Xu would be so unreliable. He had been very eager to flirt with her and constantly displayed his affection when they were at Lang Ya Paradise. His usual demeanour was also rather upright. Although she had explicitly rejected him on numerous occasions, he had continued to persevere.
Afterwards, they happened to encounter each other in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. Considering the dangers of this place, she decided to travel together with him. It had made him very happy, so he had been extremely diligent in every way.
Even so, he turned out to be as timid as a mouse when faced with a crisis. With their strength, they would not have been able to kill those people from Heavenly Sword Union even if they fought back with everything they had, but their enemies would also have suffered greatly as a result. The best chance at surviving would have been if they could scare their opponents off. However, Du Xu chose to escape without even trying to fight, leaving Zhang Ruo Xi no choice but to escape with him. In the end, it turned into the situation Yang Kai had witnessed earlier.
“Ruo Xi, the top priority is treating your wounds. We can talk about the rest later,” Yang Kai said.
Zhang Ruo Xi gave a non-committal grunt in response.
He took her from Qu Hua Shang’s arms and placed her into the Small Sealed World without another word. Then, he called out to Qu Hua Shang, “Let’s go, Senior Sister.”
The two of them continued on their journey while the cries of the young man from Heavenly Sword Union came from behind them as he begged in despair, “Please kill me!”
There were no traces of other cultivators along their journey and they did not see many traces of Monster Beast activity either. Many of the cultivators were in possession of a map sold by Red Clouds Auction House. Naturally, they moved forward by relying on the directions of the map. It was not surprising that their journey was calm since they were travelling the path that others had travelled earlier.
This only happened because Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang had encountered too many hardships along their way, which delayed their travels; otherwise, they would not have fallen behind the others.
After travelling for two days, Yang Kai’s expression suddenly changed and he immersed his mind into the Small Sealed World. He might have been travelling all this while, but he had always kept an eye on Zhang Ruo Xi’s condition inside the Small Sealed World. Just now, she had called for him.
Sending his Soul Avatar inside, Yang Kai stood in front of Zhang Ruo Xi. She smiled slightly and said delightedly, “I knew you would come to the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, Sir.”
Yang Kai was surprised and asked, “Did you come here just to look for me?”
“En.” Blinking, she continued, “Hasn’t Sir been looking for me all this while as well? Senior Sister Gu told me everything. She said that you once sought her out in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary to ask about me.”
“Gu Pan came to look for you?”
Upon further consideration, Yang Kai understood the situation. He had asked Gu Pan for information on Zhang Ruo Xi back in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. At the time, she said she had never heard of the name ‘Zhang Ruo Xi’ before. It was not until she returned to Lang Ya Paradise that she deliberately went around inquiring for information. That was how she found Zhang Ruo Xi.
“Senior Sister Gu has taken great care of me. I would not have been able to become an Inner Disciple if not for her.”
“Then, I’ll have to thank her properly next time.” Yang Kai nodded lightly. The image of a petite young girl with a paintbrush in hand, eating dried fish with her head lowered slightly involuntarily flashed through his mind.
Sitting crossed-legged opposite Zhang Ruo Xi, Yang Kai looked at her and grinned, “I’m glad. Although it has been years since we’ve last met, you’ve not gotten thinner. Good, very good.”
She blushed beet red, “Sir, are you calling me fat?”
“Of course not. You’re perfect the way you are right now. You’re neither fat nor thin.” Yang Kai chuckled, “By the way, did you go straight to Lang Ya Paradise after we parted ways back then?”
She nodded, “That’s right. I couldn’t find Sir; however, I knew you knew that my ancestor came from Lang Ya Paradise. I believed that you would surely look for me there, so I went there.”
Zhang Ruo Xi had not been very strong at the time. Moreover, she had to wander the 3,000 Worlds alone. How difficult had it been for her to go to Lang Ya Paradise? It was fortunate that she had some of her ancestor’s memories and knew quite a lot about the Outer Universe; otherwise, a lone girl like her would have been devoured cleanly by others.
Even so, the journey had taken her more than 10 years. It was not until several years ago that she finally arrived at Lang Ya Paradise. Joining Lang Ya Paradise was not difficult. Her ancestor had been a Lang Ya Paradise disciple after all, so she received some preferential treatment. Besides, her own aptitude was not poor. Lang Ya Paradise was also happy to accept a disciple like her.
It was just that it had not been easy to survive in Lang Ya Paradise. That place was one of the 72 Paradises, so although it had a grand reputation, it was still a large Sect. It was not easy to stand out among the countless disciples. Zhang Ruo Xi had crawled her way through the lower levels and finally borrowed Gu Pan’s help before she successfully became an Inner Disciple.
Be that as it may, she did not tell Yang Kai about these matters. The hardships she went through in the past were not worth mentioning. Meeting her Sir once more in this vast universe was the greatest gift from the Heavens she could ask for.
Yang Kai nodded, “I guessed as much. I wanted to head to Lang Ya Paradise, but I was held up by some other things.”
After he came out from the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, he had wanted to go to Lang Ya Paradise to look for Zhang Ruo Xi. It was just that he later obtained Void Land and the root from the World Tree, so he had to hurriedly return to the Star Boundary instead.
After Zhang Ruo Xi finished her story, she asked Yang Kai about what he had encountered over the years.
Yang Kai did not conceal anything from her. He told her that he had been lured to a place called Seven Wonders Land where he served as a Worker for some time following their separation. Later, he took the opportunity to escape when an incident arose and inadvertently joined First Inn. Afterwards, he wandered into the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary…
Zhang Ruo Xi’s eyes filled with pleasant surprise upon learning that he had gone back to the Star Boundary and repaired the shattered World Principles. She was different from him in the sense that she was truly born and raised in the Star Boundary; therefore, she held a special affection for that world. When the World Principles shattered and the Star Boundary was on the brink of collapse, she too had hoped to find a method to restore the world one day. Nevertheless, she knew that it was bound to be an extremely long and difficult process.
Contrary to her expectations, Yang Kai had succeeded in such a short time. [Sir is really amazing. He is capable of performing feats that ordinary people can never hope to achieve. If I think back to everything he has done in the past, which of those feats were something an ordinary cultivator could have done?]
When she learned that he had acquired a Spirit Province in the 3,000 Worlds, established Void Land, and brought several hundred thousand people from the Star Boundary there, her admiration for him grew stronger and stronger.
Over the past few years, she had cultivated extremely hard just to become one of Lang Ya Paradise’s Inner Disciples. On the other hand, Yang Kai had founded a Sect in the Outer Universe. The gap between them was apparent at a glance.
She had condensed the Fifth-Order Elements. Since entering the Outer Universe, she had spent most of her time journeying to Lang Ya Paradise. She did not have any means to earn resources either; therefore, it could be said that she achieved nothing for the past decade. Her strength had not grown by much either. It wasn’t until she entered Lang Ya Paradise that her circumstances changed for the better.
Disciples from any Sect had to obtain their own cultivation resources through hard work, meaning it was impossible for them to receive anything without effort. For that reason, Zhang Ruo Xi had no resources available for use even after she joined Lang Ya Paradise; after all, she was only an insignificant Outer Disciple at the beginning.
That might be the reason why many disciples of various Sects had such slow progress in their cultivation. They often had to perform various tasks for years, decades, or even longer just to build up enough merits to exchange for necessary cultivation resources. When they finished consuming these resources, they would have to continue completing tasks until they could gather all of the required Open Heaven Element Powers. If they had a sufficient supply of resources, then their speed of cultivation would surely increase significantly.
After Gu Pan returned from the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, she sought out Zhang Ruo Xi, checked her aptitude, and gave her some Fifth-Order materials. It was only then that Zhang Ruo Xi finally began cultivating for real.
Gu Pan was one of Lang Ya Paradise’s Core Disciples. Although she had condensed Sixth-Order Elements, even she could not obtain Sixth-Order materials at will; after all, each Sixth-Order material was worth ten or twenty million Open Heaven Pills. These resources were treated as strategic reserves in any Sect, so it was impossible to obtain them casually. It was the limit just for her to acquire Fifth-Order materials.
“Senior Sister Gu has been very good to me. She told me that you helped her greatly in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. Moreover, she said she would not have come out of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary alive without Sir’s help.”
Yang Kai smiled, “She is a virtuous and upright woman.”
Pondering quietly for a moment, he continued, “Do you want to start over again? I have some Tai Yi Soul Cleansing Water in my possession. It can wash away the Powers in your Dao Seal and allow you to condense new ones. There’s no need to worry about the resources. I have quite a lot of them.”
Zhang Ruo Xi shook her head at those words, “No need, Sir. I know my own limits. Even though I am capable of forcefully condensing Sixth-Order Elements, I’m afraid I won’t be able to survive the breakthrough to the Open Heaven Realm.”
The consequence of failure was the destruction of her body! That was one of the problems that plagued countless cultivators. In order to advance into the Open Heaven Realm, one of the problems the cultivators faced was obtaining resources. The higher the Order of the material, the more expensive and difficult to obtain such resources became. The other problem was the carrying capacity of a cultivator’s Dao Seal. That was why cultivators would only choose resources within the range of their financial abilities and carrying capacities, regardless of who they were.
While Zhang Ruo Xi’s aptitude was certainly not bad, it was not as good as Qu Hua Shang or Gu Pan’s. It was undeniable that condensing Sixth-Order Elements would be dangerous for her.
However, Yang Kai had the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pills in his possession. The Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill was refined with World Source Liquid as its main ingredient and could significantly increase a cultivator’s chances of entering the Open Heaven Realm successfully. Therefore, Yang Kai believed that her risks of failure when advancing into the Open Heaven Realm was not high even if she condensed Sixth-Order Powers.
But upon further consideration, Yang Kai realised that Fifth-Order Elements were enough. Zhang Ruo Xi could slowly cultivate until she reached the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm one day. There was a risk even if she used the Tai Yi Soul Cleansing Water, so he decided to leave the decision to her.
After telling her to get a good rest, Yang Kai withdrew his mind from the Small Sealed World.
A few more days passed. Zhang Ruo Xi was almost fully recovered at this point, so Yang Kai released her and properly introduced her to Qu Hua Shang. Only then did Zhang Ruo Xi learn that the other party was a Core Disciple of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. Her expression became a little weird when she looked at him. Needless to say, she had heard of the name ‘Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’.
Qu Hua Shang and Yang Kai had been travelling together all by themselves. Not to mention that the way Qu Hua Shang looked at him and spoke to him were clearly suggestive. It was inevitable that Zhang Ruo Xi would misunderstand.
As they gradually moved forward, they began to come across traces of other cultivators. They also encountered the occasional fleeing Monster Beasts and even found several battlefields.
Yang Kai knew that they had finally caught up to the others after rushing to get here. Be that as it may, the gains he received inside the Blood Monster Cave Heaven were practically negligible. It was extremely depressing. Qu Hua Shang had obtained a Seventh-Order Monster Beast Core at the blood lake, while he only obtained a Fifth-Order Monster Beast Core.
By contrast, he had acquired so many treasures back in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary that he nearly couldn’t carry them! Just as Yang Kai was wondering whether he had used up all his luck back in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, he suddenly noticed a large group of people gathering at a spot not too far ahead; thus, he couldn’t help feeling surprised.
It had to be said that this place was located quite deep in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. It had far exceeded the range of the areas marked on the map. Throughout history, nobody had ever gotten this far since the Blood Monster Cave Heaven was first opened.
It was rumoured that the deeper one ventured into the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, the greater the dangers became; however, their journey here had been completely unimpeded, without the slightest hint of danger. It was not just Yang Kai’s group who managed to get this far; there were also many others who had gotten there before them. Hence, it was strange why these people were gathering in that direction.
Curious, Yang Kai led Qu Hua Shang and Zhang Ruo Xi over. It didn’t take long before they arrived atop a crowded mountain. Yang Kai swept his gaze around and saw several acquaintances whom he once met in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. These people were Bearers chosen by the Divine Spirits. In the end, it was only thanks to his help that they could leave the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary safely.
When they parted ways, these people had left their respective Faith Tokens with Yang Kai so that he could visit them at their Sect when he had the time. They promised to provide him with the best hospitality they could offer. For that reason, many eyes immediately lit up upon seeing Yang Kai again. They quickly came forward and cupped their fists at him in greeting.
Yang Kai returned the greeting, but before they could exchange pleasantries, he heard a furious roar, “Yang Kai, I can’t believe you actually have the guts to come here!”
For some reason, listening to this voice enraged Yang Kai greatly. He looked in the direction of the voice only to see a group of people flying over from another mountain with great fanfare. It was clear that this group of people had been resting over there but came over after spotting him.
The person in the lead was none other than Yin Xin Zhao of Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven. Yin Xin Zhao and Yang Kai had a feud between them. Before the Blood Monster Cave Heaven opened, Yang Kai had stolen his entrance and almost caused him to lose out on this opportunity. Yin Xin Zhao later led a pair of his Junior Brothers to hunt Yang Kai down. There was no saying what would have happened if Yang Kai had not borrowed the strength of Golden Gorilla King and a Monster Beast wolf to escape their pursuit.
It was only natural for these two sworn enemies to blaze with hatred now that they came face to face with each other.
Yin Xin Zhao was surrounded by many people; however, what surprised Yang Kai slightly was that Pei Wen Xuan of Myriad Demons Heaven was among them.
[This guy didn’t die?] Yang Kai glanced at Pei Wen Xuan in astonishment. He recalled Black Crow Divine Monarch shooting a blood arrow at him and Pei Wen Xuan no longer had an Identity Token to protect him. How did he survive? As expected of a disciple from a major Sect, his heritage was indeed extraordinary.
The sight of these two together caused Yang Kai’s teeth to grind slightly.
“Is he Yang Kai?” A handsome young man swept his eyes over him and asked.
Yin Xin Zhao said, “That’s right! He is Yang Kai!”
The young man arrogantly said, “I heard you defeated my Junior Sister Yu Luo Sha in one move in the Asura Arena.”
Yang Kai raised a brow at those words, “Yu Luo Sha is your Junior Sister? Who are you?” [If Yu Luo Sha is his Junior Sister, then he must also be from Asura Heaven.]
The young man replied, “My name is Ba Liang. Remember it well, for I will be the one to kill you.”
While saying so, he grinned at Yang Kai, revealing a set of white teeth.
Another young man stepped forward, “Brother Ba, where does your confidence come from? Yang Kai’s head is mine.”
“And you are?” Yang Kai was so furious that he laughed. He had heard from Qu Hua Shang that many people wanted to kill him. The Cave-Heavens and Paradises had taken notice of him already, but it was inconvenient for the renowned Open Heaven Realm Masters to take direct action against him because they had their reputation and their Sects’ reputations to maintain. For that reason, they left this matter to their Juniors. The Blood Monster Cave Heaven was undoubtedly the best place to resolve this issue. Nobody would say anything if Yang Kai was killed in this place.
Nevertheless, rumours were simply rumours. He never imagined that so many people would actually want to kill him as soon as he arrived at this place.
It was one thing if Pei Wen Xuan and Yin Xin Zhao wanted him dead. They had personal grudges against him after all. It was also reasonable for Ba Liang of Asura Heaven to come looking for trouble. Ba Liang had a justifiable reason to avenge his Junior Sister and recover Asura Heaven’s face. On the other hand, the last person who popped up out of nowhere was completely unfamiliar to Yang Kai.
“Clear Mind Heaven, Qiu Kang Xian!”
[Clear Mind Heaven?] Yang Kai couldn’t help thinking that the name sounded familiar. After thinking carefully about it, he suddenly recalled where he heard the name before. He had met a Clear Mind Heaven disciple with the name ‘Young Master Hai’ during his first time in Thousand Birds Star City. That person had been harassing Luo Hai Yi, so Yang Kai taught him a little lesson. As a result, he was captured and punished by the law enforcement team of Thousand Birds Star City.
The incident had enraged the Proprietress so badly that she silently pursued and killed Young Master Hai in the void outside the Star City. Due to this incident, Hai Ping Le of Clear Mind Heaven joined forces with Qin Ji and the others to besiege the Proprietress during Old Bai’s breakthrough to the Open Heaven Realm.
Another person stepped forward and politely cupped his fist at Yang Kai, “Azure Nether Paradise, Ye Cheng, here for your head, Brother Yang!”
Four Cave-Heavens and one Paradise. All of them wanted Yang Kai to die! These were only those who openly announced their intentions. There were even more who kept silent but watched Yang Kai with great interest. Many gazes were fixed on his neck and heart, as though wondering which location was better to target should they make their move.
A rough estimate indicated that there were as many as a dozen Cave-Heavens and Paradises, with approximately twenty to thirty other cultivators together with Pei Wen Xuan and Yin Xin Zhao in the lead. These people were the elite Core Disciples of the various Cave-Heavens and Paradises and had condensed Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Elements at the very least. Even so, many amongst them had condensed Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Powers!
It could be said that the most excellent and talented cultivators in the younger generation of the 3,000 Worlds were gathered here! One day, the cultivators in this place who managed to advance into the Open Heaven Realm would surely become powerful Great Experts who ruled over the world.
The audience was horrified as many people looked over from the mountains in the vicinity. They did not know who Yang Kai was or how he managed to provoke so many Cave-Heavens and Paradises that so many people hated him and wanted to take his life.
On the mountain where Yang Kai was standing, the expressions of the cultivators who came over and greeted him earlier became very solemn. They only came to greet him because they received his help back in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. Who could have known that they would be mixed up in this mess as a result?
They were not ungrateful people who did not know how to repay their debts, and a life-saving debt was heavier than a mountain. It was only natural that they paid him back in full. It was just that each of them was a representative of their respective Sect. If they got caught up in Yang Kai’s mess, there was a high chance that their actions would also affect the force behind them. Thus, they hesitated to take action.
Ye Cheng of Azure Nether Paradise gave a small smile and looked at Yang Kai with a warm expression, “I’ve long heard of you, Brother Yang. After meeting you today, I can see that you are worthy of your reputation. It’s a pity that I can’t chat with you, Brother Yang. It truly makes me sigh with regret.”
Yin Xin Zhao coldly snorted, “Why are you spewing so much nonsense? Let’s attack him altogether! His head will belong to whomever manages to kill him!”
Pei Wen Xuan smiled deviously, “In that case, all of you should stand aside. I’ll be the one to kill him.”
If not for the fact that he had some means to protect himself, he would have died a long time ago due to Yang Kai’s schemes; therefore, he was holding a rather heavy grudge.
“Outsiders, step back! Otherwise, you will be killed without mercy!” Another person shouted. It was unknown which Cave-Heaven or Paradise he came from, but the aura around him was impressive.
Yang Kai had arrived here late, so many people had gathered around on the mountains. Some had quietly escaped after seeing that a conflict was about to break out, and at this moment, even more people retreated after hearing this person’s warning. These cultivators quickly scattered into the distance in an instant, like swallows leaving their nests.
On the other hand, the cultivators who came over to greet Yang Kai earlier were looking very troubled. A long while passed before one of them cupped his fist and said, “I’m sorry, Brother Yang.”
With a heavy sigh, he turned and left. It was true that he received a huge favour from Yang Kai in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary; nevertheless, he had no intention of making enemies with so many Cave-Heavens and Paradises. There was a high possibility that not only would he die in this place, but he would also bring trouble to his Sect. If he were killed by these people, his Sect would not dare to seek revenge either. His death would be in vain. With such a bright and promising future ahead of him, why would he willingly choose to die in this place?
With the retreat of one person, the others also quickly followed suit, each of them apologizing in shame as they did.
“Qu Hua Shang, why aren’t you leaving?” Ba Liang of Asura Heaven looked at Qu Hua Shang and questioned.
“Why would I leave? The world is so vast, so I can go anywhere I want. Can you stop me?” Qu Hua Shang snorted.
Ba Liang snorted, “It looks like Yin-Yang Cave Heaven is standing on the side of this bastard.”
She replied, “All of you should stop speaking in the name of your Sects. You can only represent yourselves.”
Ba Liang gently nodded, “There’s nothing I can say to refute your words, Junior Sister Qu. I just hope you won’t blame me for being ruthless when the fight begins later.”
To which she chuckled softly, “You can try.”
“Junior Sister Zhang, why are you still standing there!? Hurry up and come here!” Somebody shouted through gritted teeth from among the crowd.
Zhang Ruo Xi looked up and saw that it was the man who had previously been her travel companion, Du Xu. He had arrived at some point and was looking at her sternly from amongst the crowd at this moment.
She glanced at him and slowly shook her head, “I’m not going.”
Du Xu’s expression changed slightly as he snarled, “Junior Sister, do you know what you are doing!? Do you know who he is!?”
Du Xu and Zhang Ruo Xi were both Inner Disciples of Lang Ya Paradise. They had yet to reach the level of Core Disciples or Legacy Disciples, so they had not heard about Yang Kai before. Nevertheless, that did not stop Du Xu from assessing the current situation. With so many elite disciples of various Cave-Heavens and Paradises seeking Yang Kai’s life, it was only natural that he did not wish to bring trouble upon himself. When he saw Zhang Ruo Xi standing beside Yang Kai, he immediately tried to call her over so as not to implicate him.
“Of course, I know who he is! He is my life’s saviour and benefactor! If anybody wishes to kill him, they will have to go through me first!” Zhang Ruo Xi raised her hand and summoned the Heavens Order Sword, displaying a heroic demeanour.
Yin Xin Zhao turned to look at Du Xu, “Junior Brother Du, is that your Junior Sister? Then, you better persuade her well. Weapons have no eyes; it will be bad if she were injured once the battle begins.”
Du Xu cupped his fist in horror, “Please forgive me, Senior Brother Yin. Junior Sister Zhang might be part of Lang Ya Paradise, but she only joined the Sect a few years ago and is not very sensible. However, her attitude does not represent Lang Ya Paradise. Senior Brothers, Senior Sisters, please do what you need to. If she were injured in the fight, then I’m afraid that is her fate.”
“Not bad, Brat.” Pei Wen Xuan glanced at Du Xu approvingly, but the depths of his eyes were overflowing with deep disdain and contempt.
“She cannot represent Lang Ya Paradise, but I can. Isn’t that right?” A clear voice rang out and a petite figure landed nearby.
Zhang Ruo Xi looked in that direction with an expression of pleasant surprise, “Senior Sister Gu?”
Du Xu looked embarrassed and awkwardly cupped his fist, “Du Xu greets Senior Sister Gu!”
The person who came was none other than Gu Pan. As a Lang Ya Paradise Core Disciple, there was no denying that she could represent Lang Ya Paradise’s stance in this matter.
Everybody was stunned. They did not think that another person, apart from Qu Hua Shang, would dare to support Yang Kai at this time.
One was from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven and the other was from Lang Ya Paradise. A mere two Sects might not seem like much, but the momentum was not heading in a good direction.
It was said that the major Cave-Heavens and Paradises had two opposing attitudes towards Yang Kai. One side wanted to kill him as early as possible while the other side wanted to win him over to their side. It would now seem that was indeed the case. The attitudes of those Cave-Heavens and Paradises were clearly reflected here.
“Dao is nature and nature is the heart. Ning Dao Ran greets daoist brothers!” An elegant voice sounded. At the same time, another figure landed beside Yang Kai and bowed slightly with one hand on his chest.
“How lively! Hahaha! Why is everybody gathered over here?” A loud hearty laughter rang out, followed by a burly figure landing nearby. He had a huge sword strapped to his back and his aura was sharp and fierce. This man immediately drew everybody’s attention to him. He was very tall and burly, almost one head taller than the average cultivator. The huge sword on his back was even larger, seeming to pierce the sky even while being carried. It was easy to imagine that this sword would have the power to split mountains with a single swing.
“This Senior Brother is?” Yang Kai glanced over suspiciously. He was certain he had never met this person before. When Gu Pan and Ning Dao Ran appeared to support him, he was pleasantly surprised; however, their reasoning was understandable. They had interacted with each other in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, so it could be said that they had some friendship between them. It was just that the current situation was so tense that he could not greet them properly. He could only nod his head at them in response.
[But, who is this tall and muscular guy? Why is he standing on my side?]
Ning Dao Ran smiled slightly, “This is Wei Bu Que of Divine Cauldron Heaven. I don’t think you’ve met Brother Wei yet, Brother Yang.”
“Divine Cauldron Heaven?” Yang Kai immediately understood, “Where is Senior Brother Xu?”
The image of a little fatty popped into his mind. The Yuan Magnetic Divine Bottle Gourd in his possession was something the little fatty had refined for him.
Wei Bu Que said, “Junior Brother Xu is busy and could not participate in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. Nevertheless, before I left, he told me to thank you on his behalf should I meet you in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, Little Brother Yang!”
Yang Kai replied, “Senior Brother Xu is too kind.”
Yin Xin Zhao’s expression turned dark, “Wei Bu Que, why is Divine Cauldron Heaven meddling in this matter and not focusing on Artifact Refining?” [It’s bad enough that Divine Cauldron Heaven is meddling in this matter. I can’t believe they are opposing us! This is outrageous!]
Wei Bu Que tilted his head to the side and picked his nose with a finger. Flicking a booger in Yin Xin Zhao’s direction, he said, “Is Divine Cauldron Heaven only capable of Artifact Refining? So what if I want to meddle in this matter? Not only is Divine Cauldron Heaven choosing to meddle, but people from True Martial Cave Heaven are choosing to meddle too.”
He then turned to the side and shouted impatiently, “Lin Feng, you’re already here. Why are you hesitating like a little girl? Hurry up and get out here!”
A handsome man with a face like a jade crown coldly snorted from among the crowd in the distance and walked in this direction, snarling while walking, “Wei Bu Que, if you dare to utter just a single rude word again, I will knock out all your teeth!”
Wei Bu Que laughed heartily, “You’ll get the chance. We should find a time to spar together next time. We’ll see who knocks out whose teeth!”
Lin Feng coldly snorted and came to stand beside Yang Kai in a few steps.
Yang Kai’s heart warmed slightly and cupped his fist, “Yang Kai greets Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters! Many thanks for your help!”
Various Cave-Heavens and Paradises had joined hands to work against him; therefore, he couldn’t help feeling extremely grateful that there were people willing to stand up for him at this moment. Their willingness to side with him undoubtedly sent out a glaring signal that their respective Sects wanted to win him over to their side! Be that as it may, the reason their Sects made this decision was definitely related to their persuasion and efforts.
Lin Feng glanced at Yang Kai and spat in disdain, “Even women are capable of protecting you. It makes no sense for men to do any less than them.”
“What do you mean by ‘women’?” Qu Hua Shang immediately became unhappy, “Lin Feng, you better watch your words.”
Lin Feng turned his head to the side and feigned ignorance.
On the opposite side, the expressions of Yin Xin Zhao and the others turned ugly. At first, there were only Qu Hua Shang and Gu Pan, but now there was also Ning Dao Ran, Wei Bu Que, and Lin Feng. Although there was a huge contrast in numbers still, it would be troublesome to actually attack them. Aside from Zhang Ruo Xi, who they considered insignificant, the others would be very difficult to deal with.
After pondering for some time, Yin Xin Zhao finally spoke up, “Senior Brothers, the 36 Cave-Heavens and 72 Paradises have always been intricately linked and connected since ancient times. Why damage our relations for this? I ask that you retreat as a favour to this Yin.”
Wei Bu Que smiled, “What if I refuse to retreat?”
Yin Xin Zhao replied grimly, “Although you are talented people, Senior Brothers, you are few in numbers. If it really came down to a fight, are you sure you can protect that bastard surnamed Yang?”
Wei Bu Que frowned slightly. As one of Divine Cauldron Heaven’s Core Disciples, he did not fear these people, but if it really came down to a fight, the opposing side only needed to send somebody to keep him busy. The same held true for the others. It could be said that the opposing party would only need to send out a small group of people to distract them while the others continue to besiege Yang Kai.
[Even if Yang Kai is extremely powerful, it will be hard for him to survive this calamity. The best outcome at the moment is if he escapes immediately. But…] He turned to look at Yang Kai and saw that the latter was perfectly calm. Despite being watched by so many great talents of the same generation, Yang Kai showed not the slightest hint of fear. [He has no intention of escaping. Truly admirable.]
Wei Bu Que had heard about Yang Kai from Xu Zhen, so he knew that he was very strong. It was just that he had never seen Yang Kai in action before. He did not believe that Yang Kai could turn the current situation around all on his own. [If it comes down to a fight, I’m afraid things will end badly for Yang Kai.]
“You want to compete with numbers?” A furious roar rang out, “Do you think nobody from First Inn is here?”
Following the appearance of that voice, a chubby fatty ran over from a great distance. He had a kitchen knife in his hand and an apron tied around his waist. The apron was covered in grease stains and the word ‘Butcher’ was written in large characters across it. He looked like a chef who just came right out of a kitchen, and it really was none other than the chef!
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up. [I can’t believe Chef is here too!]
Chef rushed over aggressively, the fats on his face jiggling with every movement as he called out, “Don’t worry, Brat. Just see what I can do.”
Then, he raised his hand and shot out an arrow into the sky. A sharp piercing sound entered their ears. He shouted vigorously, “One cloud-piercing arrow, calling upon a thousand-man army!”
He did not summon thousands of troops of course. Be that as it may, the accountant, Lang Qing Shan, and the others quickly appeared right behind him.
When the entrances to the Blood Monster Cave Heaven first appeared, Yang Kai had stolen many of Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven’s entrances and sent his subordinates into the Blood Monster Cave Heaven instead. After Yang Kai entered the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, he parted ways with the rest of them. The people gathered in this place were not many. There were only ten or so of them. Another ten or so were nowhere to be seen. They were probably not in the vicinity. The Blood Monster Cave Heaven covered a vast area after all. Not everybody would travel in this direction.
The accountant glanced sideways at Yang Kai through his triangular eyes and muttered under his breath, “Brat, why do you have to cause trouble wherever you go?”
Yang Kai said, “It’s not that I like to cause trouble. On the contrary, trouble likes to come knocking on my door. What can I do?”
The accountant gave those words some serious thought and nodded, “I can’t blame you for that.”
“Brother Yang, is that you? What a coincidence!” A pleasantly surprised voice rang out. Immediately after that, a person emerged from the crowd. He was followed by a large group that numbered around forty or fifty people.
“Brother Ding!” Yang Kai exclaimed in astonishment. The person who popped up out of nowhere turned out to be Ding Yi!
Yang Kai had a deep impression of this person. Back in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, Ding Yi had established an organisation known as Emperor Heaven and took in a large batch of subordinates. He travelled extensively across the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary and made a name for himself. When the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary closed, most of Emperor Heaven dispersed and scattered around. Only a small number of people remained united around Ding Yi.
It was not surprising to meet Qu Hua Shang, Gu Pan, and the others here; the Blood Monster Cave Heaven was an important event after all. It was a given that the Cave-Heavens and Paradises would let their disciples enter as well. That being said, it was rather shocking for Ding Yi to enter this place. [He is only in the Half-Step Open Heaven Realm. How did he manage to snatch an entrance? Not to mention, there are so many people following behind him!]
“It’s been many years since we last met, Brother Yang. Have you been well?” Ding Yi roared with laughter. His posture was arrogant, almost as if he was not bothered by all the disciples from the major Sects on the opposite side.
Yang Kai smiled, “Brother Ding, your bearing is as imposing as usual!”
Yin Xin Zhao was furious as he roared, “Where did these wastes come from? How dare they jump out and embarrass themselves!? Get lost!”
He had been incredibly upset by the sudden appearance of Gu Pan, Ning Dao Ran, Wei Bu Que, and the others in support of Yang Kai. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do as their strengths and statuses were all similar. On the other hand, he could tell at a glance that Ding Yi did not have much of a background. [How dare he meddle in this affair? He does not know his place.]
While snapping, Yin Xin Zhao raised a hand and shot a stream of light in Ding Yi’s direction. Although it was a casual blow, his strength was extraordinary. The power behind this stream of light was absolutely shocking and all the people gathered around the mountain peaks in the vicinity were horrified by the sight, secretly thinking to themselves, [As expected of a Core Disciple from Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven.]
They would find it difficult to defend themselves even though it was just a casual blow. Out of all the cultivators present, 90% would be killed within ten moves if they fought Yin Xin Zhao one-on-one.
His attack was also intended as a warning to the others, lest more and more people popped up again, creating an unending cycle.
Ding Yi, however, burst out laughing. Raising his hand into the air, he summoned a blade, “I was just wondering about the abilities of a Cave-Heaven disciple.”
His blade came slashing down. The flames wrapped around the blade swept upward and transformed into a stream of light that easily cut down Yin Xin Zhao’s attack.
The disciples of the various Cave-Heavens and Paradises were shocked by the sight. They initially assumed that Yin Xin Zhao’s attack would cause Ding Yi to panic, even if it could not kill the latter. Who could have known that the other party was so powerful? Ding Yi easily stopped Yin Xin Zhao’s attack, but that was not all. After destroying that stream of light, Ding Yi’s flame blade did not stop swinging and he shouted loudly, “Receiving without returning is impolite. Hey, you! Take this!”
A blade light mixed with flames came slashing down towards Yin Xin Zhao.
Yin Xin Zhao coldly snorted. Summoning a longsword, he flicked out countless sword shadows to meet the attack. The flames flashed though and the sword shadows were annihilated.
Yin Xin Zhao abruptly turned pale as he shouted out, “Seventh-Order Fire Element Power!?”
Just from this exchange of blows, he immediately noticed that something was wrong. [This guy can unleash a Seventh-Order Fire Element Power!? No wonder he was able to block my attack!]
In desperation, Yin Xin Zhao immediately drew on the Powers in his Dao Seal. A dense wave of water vapour spread out and enveloped his entire body. He had not condensed a Seventh-Order Element, so all he could do at the moment was use Water to suppress Fire.
*Hong…*
The moment Water and Fire collided, Yin Xin Zhao groaned and a cloud of steam exploded in all directions. By the time the mist dispersed, everybody gasped in surprise. Although Yin Xin Zhao was perfectly fine and unhurt, his appearance was dishevelled and messy.
Everybody stared at Ding Yi in shock, wondering where this freak came from. They couldn’t believe he bested Yin Xin Zhao!
Only Yang Kai was aware that Ding Yi could unleash the Seventh-Order Fire Element Power because he was chosen by Bi Fang to become a Bearer in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. Bi Fang had forced him to condense Seventh-Order Fire Element Power in order to increase his strength. This approach had heavily impacted Ding Yi’s future as he would be forced to withstand the Seventh-Order Fire Element Power when he advanced into the Open Heaven Realm in the future. If he could not survive the impact, then his future would be bleak.
Even now, Ding Yi’s face was flushed red after using Bi Fang’s Fire and his entire body was steaming with heat. Nevertheless, he feigned calmness, resting his blade on his shoulder as he loudly proclaimed, “Cave-Heaven disciples are nothing special after all!”
Yin Xin Zhao was rendered speechless. If it really came down to a fight, Ding Yi would not be his opponent. Ding Yi could clearly not use Bi Fang’s Fire many times, so he only needed to block the Seventh-Order Fire Element Power once or twice to stand in an invincible position. It would be an easy victory once Ding Yi could not use that power.
It was just that he did not know anything about Ding Yi. [Is he the disciple of some unknown Old Monster? Otherwise, how could he be capable of unleashing a Seventh-Order Fire Element Power?]
He asked through gritted teeth, “What is your name, Your Excellency?”
Ding Yi burst out laughing, “Do you take me for a fool? You are a Cave-Heaven disciple. If I tell you my name, won’t you remember my name and come after me for revenge in the future? I’m not telling you. I won’t tell you even if you beat me to death!”
What he didn’t seem to realise was that Yin Xin Zhao would remember his appearance even if he did not know his name.
Ding Yi had brought his men as reinforcements, and counting Lang Qing Shan and the others, the numbers on Yang Kai’s side were almost equal to the opposing side now. However, only their numbers were equal. There was a huge disparity in terms of quality. Core Disciples and Legacy Disciples of the various Cave-Heavens and Paradises were abundant among the opposing side, and even the weakest among them were Inner Disciples who had condensed Fifth-Order Elements.
On the contrary, aside from Gu Pan, Ning Dao Ran, Wei Bu Que, Lin Feng, Qu Hua Shang, Ding Yi, Chef, and Accountant, there were not many who had condensed Fifth-Order or higher Elements on Yang Kai’s side. The people from Emperor Heaven were even more of a mixed bunch.
Yang Kai was not afraid of anyone in a one-on-one fight, but there was a problem now. As long as Yin Xin Zhao and the others had their Identity Tokens on them, he could not kill them unless he was willing to die with them. At present, he could only injure them at most. But, what was the point of doing that? That was why it was hard to tell who would win and who would lose if it actually came down to a fight.
The scene was tense. Ding Yi’s attack had greatly frightened Yin Xin Zhao and the others. If they did not attack, then Yang Kai and the others naturally would not attack either; thus, the situation fell into a stalemate.
“Are you done making a fuss? If you’re done, then shut up. Everyone keeps shouting at each other. It’s so noisy,” All of a sudden, somebody leisurely walked over from the foot of the hill with his hands behind his back.
Yang Kai’s expression changed drastically. Reacting as though he was facing a great nemesis, he prepared all the strength in his body to attack at any time and directed all his focus at this newcomer solemnly. There was only one person in the entire Blood Monster Cave Heaven whom he considered a formidable enemy, Black Crow Divine Monarch, who had returned to life through possession! Yang Kai had never thought much of anybody else, no matter which Cave-Heaven or Paradise they belonged to.
Similarly, Qu Hua Shang’s expression became grave.
On the opposite side, Pei Wen Xuan narrowed his eyes and inconspicuously took a few steps back. He had suffered badly at the hands of Black Crow Divine Monarch previously. In addition, his Identity Token had been destroyed. If Black Crow Divine Monarch attacked him once more, he would be powerless to resist, so upon hearing Black Crow Divine Monarch’s voice, he immediately began to consider whether he should flee.
“Now who the Hell are you!? How dare you speak so arrogantly!?” Yin Xin Zhao had nowhere to vent the rage in his heart. Just as he was about to deal with Yang Kai, various people had popped up one after another to get in his way. Ding Yi’s sudden appearance had also caused him to fall into such a dishevelled state, losing a great deal of face. And now, another unknown nobody had emerged. This series of happenings made him incredibly angry. It felt as though the entire world was looking down on him.
Yin Xin Zhao had never been to the blood lake, so he did not know about Black Crow Divine Monarch or the latter’s strength. Although Pei Wen Xuan was aware, he did not think to warn Yin Xin Zhao for some reason. Most likely, he was racking his brains and single-mindedly thinking of ways to protect himself.
A cultivator approached Yin Xin Zhao and whispered something in his ear, causing the murderous intent in Yin Xin Zhao’s eyes to flare brightly, “A Great Thousand Blood Land disciple? How dare a disciple of a trivial Second-Class great force utter such arrogant words in this place!? Scram!”
Black Crow Divine Monarch had possessed the body of Zhou Yi from Great Thousand Blood Land. It was obvious that the person who whispered in Yin Xin Zhao’s ear earlier had recognised the former’s appearance.
Black Crow Divine Monarch turned to look in that direction and grinned meaningfully, “What did you say, boy? I dare you to repeat those words again.”
Yin Xin Zhao was further enraged and snapped, “If you dare act disrespectful again, I’ll take your dog life!”
Black Crow Divine Monarch nodded repeatedly, “It has been many years since this Monarch appeared in the world. I was not aware that young people were so bold nowadays.”
While chuckling to himself, he raised a hand and pointed in Yin Xin Zhao’s direction.
Yin Xin Zhao originally did not think much of Black Crow Divine Monarch as, in his eyes, the other party was just a disciple from a Second-Class great force. There was no need for him to take notice of the other party. Even if he killed the other party here for irritating him, Great Thousand Blood Land would not dare to make a single complaint. However, Yin Xin Zhao suddenly felt that something was wrong when Black Crow Divine Monarch pointed at him and a suffocating aura of death suddenly enveloped him.
A small crimson point of light appeared in Yin Xin Zhao’s vision and rapidly magnified in front of him. It obscured his vision and flooded his other senses. Before he could realise what was happening, he suddenly heard the sound of something shattering coming from his waist. The Identity Token hanging on his belt suddenly crumbled to dust. Amidst the cloud of dust, a stream of light burst out and slashed towards the crimson light. The crimson light broke apart, but the stream of light did not lose its momentum and crashed towards Black Crow Divine Monarch.
Black Crow Divine Monarch had suffered badly due to a similar incident before. Back at the palace in the middle of the lake, he had been sliced in two by Pei Wen Xuan’s Identity Token, so how could he be unprepared now? After unleashing his attack, Black Crow Divine Monarch kicked off slightly and floated backwards. At the same time, he left a blood shadow that looked exactly like him in the place where he was standing before. The blood shadow was almost like a Soul Clone, its aura was no different from his.
That stream of light slashed down upon the blood shadow and it collapsed with a loud splash, transforming into a crimson pool. The stench of blood permeated the air. After slashing down this blood shadow, the stream of light dissipated.
The entire place went dead silent. Only Yang Kai, Pei Wen Xuan, and Qu Hua Shang were mentally prepared for this situation. All the remaining people stared at Black Crow Divine Monarch in shock, regardless of which Sect they came from. Their eyes were filled with horror.
Yin Xin Zhao was also as pale as a piece of paper! Even now, he was completely clueless about the situation. All he knew was that the Identity Token his Master had painstakingly created for him had been activated and his protective charm had been up. The Identity Token he carried would only activate automatically at times where his life was in danger. In other words, he would be a corpse by now if not for the protection of that stream of light.
[What just happened!?] His thoughts were all over the place.
“Are all the Cave-Heaven and Paradise disciples so shameless nowadays? How boring,” Black Crow Divine Monarch shook his head. He had tried to kill Pei Wen Xuan before but failed, and now, he once again failed to kill Yin Xin Zhao. It was all because his attacks were blocked by the Divine Ability released by their Identity Tokens. He turned to look at Yang Kai with a smile, “These kids are so much weaker than you.”
There were so many talented young people present, but the only person that interested him was Yang Kai. Only Yang Kai was capable of actually fighting him and surviving despite being pursued over ten thousand kilometres.
Yang Kai coldly snorted in response.
“Who are you?” Yin Xin Zhao no longer dared to underestimate Black Crow Divine Monarch. Somebody who could nearly kill him in a single move could not have been nurtured by Great Thousand Blood Land. Although Ding Yi’s display had surprised him, it was nowhere near as terrifying and shocking as what he experienced just moments ago.
He originally thought that the Blood Monster Cave Heaven would be where he could display his talents and rise to fame. Who could have known that each person he met in this place would be stronger than the last?
Black Crow Divine Monarch turned to look at Pei Wen Xuan and grinned, “Who is this Monarch? Why don’t you ask your companion?”
If it was someone else speaking such words, they wouldn’t hold much weight, but after his little display, Black Crow Divine Monarch certainly had such capital.
Everyone save for a few glanced towards Pei Wen Xuan.
Pei Wen Xuan was standing very far away by now, with all the energy in his body prepared to attack at any time. He had the posture of escaping at the first sign of something going wrong. When Black Crow Divine Monarch looked in his direction, his heart tightened in fear and he nearly fled.
To his surprise, Black Crow Divine Monarch smilingly assured him, “Don’t worry. I won’t attack you since you’re capable of reaching this place.”
Pei Wen Xuan did not know whether to believe those words or not; however, he realised that he would not be able to escape if Black Crow Divine Monarch had appeared here with the intention of actually killing him. Upon arriving at this conclusion, he relaxed considerably and quickly said, “This is Black Crow Divine Monarch.”
“Divine Monarch?” Everybody was so astonished that they could barely believe their ears. Since ancient times, the only ones with the qualifications to call themselves ‘Divine Monarch’ were High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters. Open Heaven Realm Masters were unable to enter the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, so how could there be a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master in this place? Besides, they had never heard of the name ‘Black Crow Divine Monarch’ before.
Pei Wen Xuan explained, “The Divine Monarch was trapped in this place by Blood Monster Divine Monarch, but his Soul did not perish. He recently possessed Zhou Yi of Great Thousand Blood Land and came back to life.”
Everybody felt their scalps going numb with fear as Ba Liang exclaimed in horror, “Is that the truth!?”
Pei Wen Xuan nodded solemnly in response.
Nobody doubted his words; after all, they witnessed what happened just now with their own eyes. Aside from a Divine Monarch possessing somebody and coming back to life, nobody else could have the strength to nearly kill Yin Xin Zhao in one move. In an instant, it wasn’t just the Cave-Heaven and Paradise disciples who looked at Black Crow Divine Monarch warily. Even the people standing around Yang Kai became anxious and uneasy.
From the actions of Black Crow Divine Monarch earlier, it was obvious that he was not a compassionate man. There was a high possibility that he was subject to shifting moods and killed others casually. If a person like him were consumed by bloodlust, nobody in this place could stop him.
“Don’t be so nervous.” On the other hand, Black Crow Divine Monarch was smiling cheerfully, “This Monarch did not spend so much effort to gather all of you in this place just to kill you.”
“You gathered all of us in this place?” Yang Kai furrowed his eyebrows.
“Of course.” Black Crow Divine Monarch tilted his head to the side, “If not for this Monarch, do you think all of you could have arrived here safely? I was the one who removed all the dangers and barriers along the way for you.”
Yang Kai did not doubt those words. His journey here had certainly been very smooth. Logically speaking, that should not have been possible. It was not until this moment that he learned Black Crow Divine Monarch had removed all the dangers and obstacles along the way. [No wonder so many people arrived here even though nobody had ever managed to arrive at the depths of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven after so many years.]
“This Junior has a question,” Ding Yi suddenly spoke up.
“Speak,” Black Crow Divine Monarch turned to him.
“Sir Divine Monarch, you could have quietly cultivated after possessing somebody and coming back to life. Why did you have to gather all of us here? What are your intentions, Sir Divine Monarch?”
This question hit the nail on the head. Everybody wanted to know the answer.
Black Crow Divine Monarch chuckled softly, making him seem rather insidious, “Of course, it’s for the Blood Monster Divine Palace. Why else would this Monarch spend so much effort to gather you all here?”
“The Blood Monster Divine Palace!?” A series of exclamations rang out. Everybody’s eyes blazed with excitement.
It had long been said that the Blood Monster Divine Palace was located in the depths of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, wherein the inheritance and legacy of Blood Monster Divine Monarch were hidden. Anybody who could locate the Blood Monster Divine Palace and pass Blood Monster Divine Monarch’s various tests would be able to inherit everything within the Blood Monster Cave Heaven!
Nevertheless, rumours were just rumours. Nobody had ever confirmed these rumours; after all, nobody had ever found the Blood Monster Divine Palace throughout the years, so how could these rumours be verified?
Be that as it may, Black Crow Divine Monarch had mentioned the Blood Monster Divine Palace!
“Does the Blood Monster Divine Palace really exist? You’re not trying to deceive us, right?” Yang Kai stared at Black Crow Divine Monarch suspiciously.
Black Crow Divine Monarch laughed, “Of course the Blood Monster Divine Palace exists. I don’t mind telling you. The Blood Monster Divine Palace is right in front of you. In this very mountain valley.”
While speaking, he reached out and pointed downward.
They looked down but did not see the Blood Monster Divine Palace anywhere. The mountain valley might be green and lush with beautiful scenery, but there was no sign of a palace at all.
Black Crow Divine Monarch calmly explained, “As long as the barrier is not broken, the palace will not show itself. If you want to find the Blood Monster Divine Palace, you have to destroy the barrier first!”
Yang Kai quickly asked, “What does that have to do with you gathering all of us in this place?”
Black Crow Divine Monarch snickered, “If this Monarch had his full strength… No, with just 10% of the strength I possessed before, it would have not been a problem destroying that barrier. Unfortunately, you have also seen this Monarch’s current situation. The strength I can wield currently is very limited. Although I know the secrets behind the barrier, my strength is not enough for me to break it alone. I need the help of many people!”
Upon hearing those words, everybody understood the situation. They finally knew why Black Crow Divine Monarch had gathered so many people in this place. It was not rare to see barriers like this which required the joint efforts of many people to destroy; therefore, there was nothing strange about his words.
“There’s one more thing.” Black Crow Divine Monarch’s expression became a little solemn, “There is probably a Monster Beast protecting the palace, and if this Monarch’s guess is correct, it is a Seventh-Order Monster Beast!”
“Seventh-Order!?” Everybody exclaimed in surprise. All of them had killed some Monster Beasts during their travels, so they each had a rough idea of the strength of these Monster Beasts. A Fifth-Order Monster Beast was roughly equivalent to a Half-Step Open Heaven Realm Master. On the other hand, a Sixth-Order Monster Beast was as strong as a Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master at the very least. Wouldn’t that mean that a Seventh-Order Monster Beast could exert the strength of a Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master? Who among all the people present could resist such a Monster Beast? Even Black Crow Divine Monarch himself could not win against it in his current state.
“You are unable to detect the existence of the Monster Beast because it is sleeping at the moment; however, it will awaken once we begin breaking the barrier. That’s why this Monarch doesn’t just need some people to help him break the barrier. I also need some people to help fend off the Seventh-Order Monster Beast.”
“Are you insane?” Yang Kai jokingly asked. He had already been at a serious disadvantage during his previous battle with Golden Gorilla King at Abundance City. Golden Gorilla King was only at the peak of the Sixth Order, not to mention that he was heavily injured at the time. If Golden Gorilla King was already so powerful, how much stronger would a Seventh-Order Monster Beast be? With their current strength, meeting a Seventh-Order Monster Beast was no different from courting death.
Black Crow Divine Monarch laughed, “A Seventh-Order Monster Beast might be extraordinary, but it’s been asleep for a very long time. It is unknown how much strength it can exert at the moment. Every one of you are the elite disciples of major Sects. I’m sure it won’t be a problem if you join forces and work together to fight it. Besides, this Monarch is not asking you to kill it. You only need to distract it for some time. Once we enter the Blood Monster Divine Palace after the barrier is broken, what can that Seventh-Order Monster Beast do to us?”
Yang Kai ignored Black Crow Divine Monarch’s little speech. Before entering the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, he had hoped to encounter a Metal Element or Yin Element Seventh-Order Monster Beast and obtain the Monster Core by slaying it, but he completely gave up on that idea after his battle with the Golden Gorilla King. A Seventh-Order Monster Beast was not something he could challenge.
Black Crow Divine Monarch continued, “The Blood Monster Divine Palace is where Old Ghost Xue Yao lived. There are countless hidden treasures inside there. If you can obtain some of those treasures, you will surely experience a soaring improvement in your cultivation.”
Although his words were bewitching, not many people were moved. After witnessing the methods Black Crow Divine Monarch displayed previously, many people were very scared of him. He was a Divine Monarch who not only came back to life through possession but also had a deeper understanding of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven than them. Even if what he said was true, even if they could work together to fend off the Seventh-Order Monster Beast and destroy the barrier, who could remove the treasures from beneath his nose? Wouldn’t he take all the good things for himself?
Who would be willing to sacrifice themselves for the benefit of others? The disciples of the various Cave-Heavens and Paradises were not stupid and understood this point clearly.
Black Crow Divine Monarch stretched his arms and shouted, “Everyone, please lend me your strength! This Monarch can only rely on you. Once we succeed, we will split the treasures in the palace according to our respective opportunities!”
Countless pairs of eyes stared at him indifferently, but nobody responded.
Yang Kai sneered, “Black Crow Divine Monarch, I’m afraid you took the wrong approach by trying to borrow our strength to open the Blood Monster Divine Palace. I suggest you give up on that idea as soon as possible.”
Black Crow Divine Monarch looked around after hearing those words, “This Monarch is being sincere. Is nobody going to show some appreciation?”
Ba Liang quickly said, “Divine Monarch, you are a Senior Master and we can only sigh at our inferiority before you. Please help yourself to all the treasures in the Blood Monster Divine Palace. I’m afraid we will have to decline your offer to participate.”
Black Crow Divine Monarch chuckled lightly, “What are you so afraid of? Are you afraid that this Monarch will simply slaughter you once we enter the Palace? If that’s the case… this Monarch can swear a blood oath!”
While saying so, he bit the tip of his tongue and sprayed out a mouthful of blood mist. Both his hands quickly formed seals, guiding the blood mist to transform into a mysterious blood pattern. He faced the blood pattern and solemnly swore, “This Monarch, Hei Ya, will swear a blood oath on his Dao Seal. If you all cooperate with this Monarch to open the Blood Monster Divine Palace, we will split the treasures according to our respective opportunities once we enter the palace, and as long as you do not provoke me first, this Monarch will not harm you. May my Soul be extinguished if I break this oath!”
After saying that, he formed a final seal and the blood pattern transformed into a blood light that shot straight into his forehead. Grunting softly, he staggered backwards and turned a few shades paler.
Upon seeing that, everybody looked at each other in shock. The fact that Black Crow Divine Monarch would decisively swear a blood oath on his Dao Seal was something nobody expected. Moreover, this oath sounded rather sincere. As long as they entered the Blood Monster Divine Palace, he would not attack anyone who did not provoke him. Those words essentially guaranteed their safety.
Of course, they could guess that the more sincere he seemed, the more it meant that he desperately wanted something from within the Blood Monster Divine Palace. Even so, there was no denying that many people became interested after Black Crow Divine Monarch made the blood oath. The main reason for their hesitation previously was their fear of his strength. He could force Yin Xin Zhao’s Identity Token to activate with a single move, which meant if he really wanted to kill them, nobody could stop him. However, things were different now that their safety was guaranteed. In any case, his actions had clearly shown his sincerity.
Yin Xin Zhao and the others looked at each other and saw the interest in each other’s eyes. They were the first batch of people to arrive in this place since ancient times, so there was no saying what kind of treasures they could find if they managed to open the Blood Monster Divine Palace.
Qiu Kang Xian of Clear Mind Heaven asked, “Divine Monarch, can you tell us what kind of treasures can be found inside the Blood Monster Divine Palace?”
Black Crow Divine Monarch chuckled softly, “How would this Monarch know? I’ve never entered the Blood Monster Divine Palace before. Nevertheless, that Old Ghost Xue Yao was an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. There must be some treasures inside. Who knows? There might be some Seventh-Order or Eighth-Order cultivation resources within.”
Those words made Qiu Kang Xian and the others breathe a little quicker in excitement. Even Yang Kai’s eyes flickered slightly. Although he could not let his guard down around Black Crow Divine Monarch, he desperately needed Seventh-Order Metal and Yin Element resources. If there really were Seventh-Order or Eighth-Order resources inside, then he had to try his luck no matter what. Even though those thoughts swirled in his heart, Yang Kai revealed nothing on the surface.
Ba Liang considered for a moment before he gritted his teeth and said, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained. How can this Ba back down after coming here? Sir Divine Monarch, this Ba Liang is willing to lend you a hand no matter what the others may choose!”
“Good. Very good. Boy, you’re not bad.” Black Crow Divine Monarch looked at Ba Liang approvingly.
Qiu Kang Xian said, “There’s no reason for me to refuse if Brother Ba agrees.”
Ye Cheng of Azure Nether Paradise smilingly chimed in, “This Ye will lend a hand too.”
As soon as these people expressed their stance, more people immediately expressed their willingness to help Blood Monster Divine Monarch break the barrier.
Even so, there were also some cultivators who realised that their strength was inferior to others present. After hesitating for some time, one of them cupped his fist and said, “Sir Divine Monarch, please forgive us. Our strength is lacking and I’m afraid we won’t be of much help even if we joined you. We will take our leave now.”
That person quickly led several of his Fellow Brothers and retreated down the mountain after saying that.
Black Crow Divine Monarch did not stop them. He simply watched their departing backs with a faint smile.
Those people had not walked further than several tens of metres away when a layer of crimson-red blood mist emerged from the ground and enveloped them. Their screams of agony immediately rang out, followed by several energy fluctuations.
The blood mist disappeared as quickly as it appeared. It didn’t take more than several breaths of time before the crimson-red mist vanished out of sight. What entered their sights made them gasp in horror. The cultivators that were preparing to leave just now had been turned into mummified corpses that collapsed to the ground without a shred of vitality.
Black Crow Divine Monarch grinned, “This Monarch even went so far as to swear a blood oath. Who else dares not give me face?” He turned and looked around, “Who else wishes to leave? Reveal yourselves to this Monarch!”
Who else would dare to step forward with such a precedent? Even though those people died a horrible death right in front of them, nobody had noticed when Black Crow Divine Monarch made his move. It was only natural that nobody wanted to follow their footsteps.
As such, he sneered, “I don’t mind telling you. This Monarch has already arranged a Grand Array in this area. Nobody can leave without this Monarch’s approval!”
Yang Kai calmly said, “Don’t wag your tongue so wildly, Divine Monarch, you might bite it.”
Yang Kai had tried to activate his Space Principles just now and discovered that he was not bound by any restrictions. In other words, Black Crow Divine Monarch could not stop him if he wanted to leave.
Black Crow Divine Monarch glanced sideways at Yang Kai, murderous intent overflowing from his eyes; however, he quickly composed himself and snickered, “You’re quite capable, brat. It’s true that this Monarch cannot stop you if you wish to leave. You can escape, but… can the people by your side do the same?”
Yang Kai’s expression immediately darkened. There was really nothing he could do if Black Crow Divine Monarch threatened the people around him. While he might be able to place everybody into the Small Sealed World and leave with them, Black Crow Divine Monarch would surely act before he could finish.
Ignoring Yang Kai, Black Crow Divine Monarch looked at the others and asked, “Does anybody else wish to leave?”
[Leave, my ass! Those who tried to leave died right in front of us! Who would dare try to leave?] Regardless of whether they were willing or unwilling, they had no choice but to follow Black Crow Divine Monarch now.
Pleased with the situation, Black Crow Divine Monarch nodded repeatedly. Then, he turned to look at Yang Kai, “What about you? Are you coming or not?”
Only the people around Yang Kai had yet to express their stance, which meant as long as Yang Kai agreed, then all the pieces were in place.
“Do you agree to let me leave, Divine Monarch?” Yang Kai asked.
“You can try.” Black Crow Divine Monarch smiled brightly in response; however, his gaze swept across Qu Hua Shang, Zhang Ruo Xi, and the others with malicious intent.
Yang Kai was so furious that his teeth hurt. After a brief consideration, he quickly said, “Divine Monarch, I can assist you, but I have a condition.”
Black Crow Divine Monarch burst into laughter, “You want to negotiate with this Monarch? I’m afraid you don’t have the qualifications to do so!”
Yang Kai shook his head, “I believe I do.” After saying that, he immediately changed his tone, “You mentioned it yourself, Divine Monarch. There are two main issues. One is to destroy the barrier and the other is to fend off the Seventh-Order Monster Beast. We are completely clueless about the barriers in this place while you seem to know something. In other words, you will be presiding over the process of breaking the barrier. During this time, you will be preoccupied so you won’t be able to do two things at once. As such, you will need somebody else to distract the Seventh-Order Monster Beast.”
“So what?” Black Crow Divine Monarch looked over calmly.
Yang Kai said, “You know the ferocity of a Seventh-Order Monster Beast. Out of everybody here, I am the only one who stands a fighting chance against it. Who else can fight a Seventh-Order Monster Beast?”
Black Crow Divine Monarch snorted, “Many of those little ones have those nameplates. When they are in grave danger, the Divine Abilities within the nameplates will automatically be activated. Forget keeping the Seventh-Order Monster Beast occupied, even killing it won’t be an issue.”
Yang Kai said, “They will need to be in grave danger for that to happen. Do you think they will intentionally place themselves in grave danger and use up the Divine Abilities in their Identity Tokens? Why fool yourself, Divine Monarch? These people are unreliable. You know you can only rely on me to distract the Seventh-Order Monster Beast. You’ve seen what I can…”
At this point, Yang Kai frowned and murmured, “No. Were you waiting for me, Divine Monarch?”
Yang Kai suddenly recalled that Black Crow Divine Monarch arrived here a long time ago; however, it was not until he arrived here that the latter leisurely showed up. It was clear Black Crow Divine Monarch was waiting for him. Upon understanding this point, Yang Kai immediately realised something else. [This Old Ghost planned to use me to hold off that Seventh-Order Monster Beast from the start! This Old Ghost is so sly! I nearly fell for his trick!]
Black Crow Divine Monarch coldly snorted, “Brat, those who are too smart tend to die young.”
Yang Kai burst out laughing, “Divine Monarch, why are you getting angry out of shame?”
Since Black Crow Divine Monarch had planned for him to distract the Seventh-Order Monster Beast in the first place, there was no reason to be reserved, so Yang Kai immediately asked, “Do you think I have the right to negotiate with you now, Divine Monarch?”
Black Crow Divine Monarch’s expression became gloomy and uncertain for a time before he coldly snorted, “What is your condition? Let’s hear it. But, I’ll say this in advance. If it’s too excessive, then don’t blame this Monarch for acting ruthless.”
“Don’t worry, Divine Monarch. My condition is not excessive.” Yang Kai smiled brightly, “I only need a Seventh-Order Metal or Yin Element material.”
Upon hearing those words, Black Crow Divine Monarch shook his head so hard that it rattled, “I don’t have any.”
Yang Kai said, “Divine Monarch, how can you be so unreasonable? You are a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master who came back to life through possession. Although Seventh-Order materials are valuable, they should not be a problem for you, right? Don’t you have any kind of legacy?”
Black Crow Divine Monarch angrily snarled, “This Monarch was trapped in this place by Xue Yao for countless years! What legacy would I have to speak of!? I would not hesitate to give you such trash if I had one in my possession, but I don’t have anything right now.”
He paused for a moment before he continued, “Why don’t we do this instead? Help me open the Blood Monster Divine Palace, and if I find what you need inside, this Monarch will deliver it to you. I’m sure there are some Seventh-Order materials inside the Blood Monster Divine Palace.”
Yang Kai scoffed at those words, “Divine Monarch, do you take me for a three-year-old child?” [If this bastard finds anything good inside, he would never hand them over to me. It’s not the first time I’ve encountered betrayals.]
Black Crow Divine Monarch said, “There’s nothing I can do if you don’t trust this Monarch. It’s just that this Monarch really does not have what you want. Why don’t you change your request to something this Monarch can satisfy?”
Yang Kai rubbed his chin thoughtfully, “Since you said that, Divine Monarch, then I won’t make things difficult for you. I’ll change my condition to something you have. That’s right. I’ll take the true Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture.”
Black Crow Divine Monarch’s expression immediately darkened upon hearing this, “Junior, don’t go too far!
Yang Kai looked at Black Crow Divine Monarch coldly, “Divine Monarch, don’t you think you’re being rather insincere? I wanted High-Rank materials, but you claimed that you don’t have any. Now, I’m asking for the Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture. Are you going to tell me you don’t have it either?”
Black Crow Divine Monarch was furious, “Who is the one being unreasonable here!? This Monarch is simply asking for your help to distract the Seventh-Order Monster Beast for a while. How dare you try to covet the Blood Light Scripture for such a small task? It’s unfortunate that this Monarch has only just been reborn and not recovered his strength, or I would have killed you a long ago!”
“You know that if I have to face a Seventh-Order Monster Beast, I will have to risk my life, Divine Monarch.”
“The Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture is the Core Secret Art of that old dog Xue Yao’s Dao of Blood inheritance! This Monarch spent countless years obtaining it! Handing it to another person is impossible! Not unless it’s a dead person!”
“This won’t work; that won’t work. Divine Monarch, are you trying to benefit without giving anything in return? I may be young, but I’m not so easily fooled either.” Likewise, Yang Kai looked annoyed.
Black Crow Divine Monarch furrowed his brow tightly and softened his tone, “Brat, don’t make things difficult for me. This Monarch is unable to fulfil the two conditions you asked for, so why mention them? You’re simply causing everybody to become unhappy as a result. Change your condition. This Monarch will not refuse you if it is within my abilities to satisfy you.”
“Really?” Yang Kai raised his eyebrows.
Black Crow Divine Monarch arrogantly said, “Of course. This Monarch will not deceive a Junior like you.”
Yang Kai pretended to think for a while before he finally said, “In that case, please hand over the Blood Principles Restriction Secret Technique in the Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture.”
“Why would you need that?” Black Crow Divine Monarch glanced at Yang Kai suspiciously, but a few moments later, he suddenly realised something, “Are you trying to bring somebody out of here?”
He looked Yang Kai up and down, then he grinned meaningfully, “Brat, you beat around the bush for so long, but it seems your real aim was the Blood Principles Restriction Secret Technique.” He seemed delighted to have seen through Yang Kai’s heart.
Yang Kai revealed nothing, “Just tell me whether you’ll give it to me or not.”
The truth was that Black Crow Divine Monarch was reluctant. It was just that he had already rejected Yang Kai twice, and doing so a third time would likely lead to a complete breakdown in negotiations. If that was the case, then there was no need to continue discussing this matter. Besides, the Blood Secret Technique was not related to the core of the Blood Light Scripture even though it was part of it. There was no need to worry about Yang Kai deducing the rest of the Blood Light Scripture from this derivative technique.
Thus, he immediately nodded, “This Monarch can agree to this condition.”
Black Crow Divine Monarch agreed so readily that Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling uneasy, so he frowned and said, “Divine Monarch, don’t try to deceive me. I’ve also comprehended a bit of the Blood Light Scripture myself, so I’ll know whether those Secret Techniques are real or fake. If you dare to play tricks on me, don’t blame this Junior for turning around and betraying you.”
Black Crow Divine Monarch coldly snorted, “Rest assured. This Monarch made a promise to you. I will not cheat. Why do you need to be so suspicious, Brat?”
While saying so, he took out a jade slip. His Divine Sense surged for a moment, seeming to inscribe something, before he tossed the jade slip over to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai reached out to catch the jade slip. While maintaining a thread of consciousness to watch Black Crow Divine Monarch warily, he examined the contents of the jade slip.
If not for the experience at the blood lake, Yang Kai would not have been able to determine the authenticity of the information contained within the jade slip. Fortunately, he had comprehended several chapters of the Blood Light Scripture previously and did not find any flaws after he carefully examined the Secret Technique in the jade slip.
The Blood Principles Restriction Secret Technique was not hard to undo, the only issue was that he needed to consume some of his own Blood Qi. [If only I could return to Abundance City. I’d be able to experiment on the cultivators there. That way, I’d know whether this information is real or fake.]
Everybody paid close attention to the conversation Yang Kai and Black Crow Divine Monarch were having via Divine Sense transmission; however, they had no idea what was being said. They saw various expressions flitting across the faces of those two and a short while later, Black Crow Divine Monarch tossed a jade slip to Yang Kai, who then began examining it.
Everybody couldn’t help looking at each other, wondering what kind of deal Black Crow Divine Monarch made with Yang Kai…
A quarter-hour later, Black Crow Divine Monarch urged impatiently, “Brat, are you done? Do you have to study it so carefully? You’ll have plenty of time to study it once we’re out of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven.”
Yang Kai put the jade slip away and nodded, “Good.”
Black Crow Divine Monarch looked satisfied, “In that case, let us begin. But, there’s something I have to say in advance…”
He looked around him and his expression gradually became colder as he darkly added, “You will all need to work together to enter the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. If this Monarch discovers that somebody is secretly attacking another or holding back, then this Monarch will kill him!”
While speaking, he specifically glanced at Yang Kai and Yin Xin Zhao. It was obvious he knew that these two were not on good terms.
Yang Kai nonchalantly said, “I won’t do anything if nobody provokes me first.”
Yin Xin Zhao cupped his fists, “Divine Monarch, please rest assured. In the current situation, the Blood Monster Divine Palace is the top priority. This Junior understands his priorities.”
“Very good.” Black Crow Divine Monarch laughed, “In that case, this Monarch will explain how we will work together to break the barrier. As long as we can break through and enter the Blood Monster Divine Palace, this Monarch guarantees that you will all gain something!”
Nobody understood the Blood Monster Divine Palace better than him, so it was only natural that he presided over the process of breaking the barrier. In addition, Black Crow Divine Monarch was very well-prepared. Now that he was in charge of coordinating the entire situation, he immediately conveyed order after order. That was not all though as he brought out Array Flags from somewhere and distributed them to the cultivators.
The cultivators gathered in this place numbered a thousand at the very least. Soon, everybody except the people around Yang Kai were divided into sixty-four groups to stand at various positions according to Black Crow Divine Monarch’s arrangement. The leaders of each group were elite disciples from the Cave-Heavens and Paradises, each of whom carried an Array Flag with them.
Yang Kai frowned slightly at the sight. Black Crow Divine Monarch had been imprisoned in this place for so many years. Not to mention, he himself was a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master who came back to life through possession. Logically speaking, he should have a deeper understanding of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven than anybody else, and yet, even with his extensive knowledge, experience, and ability, he still needed to go to such lengths to set up such a Grand Array in order to break the barrier here. Furthermore, there was also a slumbering Seventh-Order Monster Beast that would awaken the moment they began to break the barrier.
[Did Blood Monster Divine Monarch really have the intention to pass down his legacy and inheritance?] Yang Kai seriously doubted that Blood Monster Divine Monarch had truly considered such a thing; otherwise, why would he set such high-difficulty tests? These were not obstacles that ordinary Emperor Realm Masters could overcome.
Be that as it may, it was too late to think about it now. Black Crow Divine Monarch had already begun his preparations. Whether or not they could open the Blood Monster Divine Palace would depend entirely on his methods.
The entire process took no more than an hour before the Grand Array was ready. Black Crow Divine Monarch appeared in front of Yang Kai and solemnly said, “Brat, it will be great if the Seventh-Order Monster Beast does not appear later, but if it does, then I can only rely on you and the people around you to distract it. The others will be part of the Grand Array, so they will be unable to move. Don’t disappoint this Monarch.”
Yang Kai said, “I’ll do my best!” [I have no idea how much strength a Seventh-Order Monster Beast can exert. If I can’t win, then I’ll definitely make my escape. How can I just stay here and wait for death to come?]
Black Crow Divine Monarch clearly read between the lines and understood the thoughts that Yang Kai did not express; thus, he glared at Yang Kai deeply. Nevertheless, there was nothing he could do except try to entice Yang Kai with the benefits, “Didn’t you want Metal Element and Yin Element High-Rank materials? If you help this Monarch distract the Monster Beast, I will surely bring you what you need if I find them in the Blood Monster Divine Palace.”
Yang Kai nodded, “That can be discussed later.”
Needless to say, Black Crow Divine Monarch could not be trusted. He might be showing a kind and friendly facade at the moment, but that was only because he needed him right now. Once Yang Kai’s value vanished, why would Black Crow Divine Monarch bother playing nice?
[But…] Yang Kai was a little excited. [I wonder what element the Monster Beast sleeping in this place is. If it happens to be the Metal or Yin Element… I’ll definitely kill it! I haven’t used the Divine Ability Bead given to me by Proprietress yet. If I do, there’s a high chance I can kill the Monster Beast in one blow!]
Black Crow Divine Monarch transformed into a blood light and departed. By the time he reappeared, he was standing in the middle of the mountain valley. He formed a set of hand seals and shouted, “Get ready! Our success or failure depends on this! Start the Array!”
As he spoke, he reached his hand into the void and pulled out a large banner from somewhere. He opened his mouth and sprayed out a mouthful of blood mist. The large banner absorbed the Blood Qi and immediately seemed to come alive.
The large banner fluttered, flapping loudly in the wind. The cultivators holding the Array Flags at all sixty-four Array Nodes activated them according to the Secret Technique taught to them by Black Crow Divine Monarch. Then, the Array Flags began to resonate with the control banner.
A vibration that came from the depths of one’s Soul resounded through the air. The entire world seemed to shudder for a moment and crimson red mist emerged from the ground before spreading out to cover the entire mountain valley in the blink of an eye.
They had all witnessed the strangeness of this blood mist earlier. The cultivators who fell into it had quickly turned into mummified corpses; therefore, everybody was terrified when the blood mist appeared once more and their scalps tingled with fear.
Black Crow Divine Monarch shouted, “Focus! If you dare to slack off, then don’t blame this Monarch for being ruthless!”
Everybody felt very uneasy. Nevertheless, they could only grit their teeth and continue cooperating with him to activate the Grand Array when they thought about his horrifying methods. Fortunately, the blood mist only lingered within the mountain valley and flowed around their bodies.
The blood mist soon squirmed like a living creature under the influence of those Array Flags and gradually gathered together to form a gigantic array in the mountain valley! A faint outline suddenly appeared out of nowhere. The outline only revealed the tip of the iceberg, but it looked like a part of an enormous palace.
All the cultivators were stunned by the sight of that outline. Only then did they realise that Black Crow Divine Monarch did not deceive them. The rumoured Blood Monster Divine Palace was truly hidden in this place. It was just that it had always been protected by a barrier, so it was never revealed. If not for Black Crow Divine Monarch’s guidance, most would have never noticed any of the mysteries in this place even if they were standing in front of them.
Yang Kai stood at the top of the mountain in his original spot. He looked at the outline and became more certain that Blood Monster Divine Monarch had no intention of passing his legacy and inheritance down to anyone. Everything in this place could not be accessed by a cultivator in the Emperor Realm. Without Black Crow Divine Monarch, it would have been impossible for them to even find any traces of the Blood Monster Divine Palace.
The blood mist twisted and squirmed back and forth within the mountain valley, constantly climbing over the outline of the palace. Over time, the outline revealed more and more parts of the palace while at the same time, the outline became more and more solid.
Next to Yang Kai, Qu Hua Shang, Gu Pan, Zhang Ruo Xi, Lin Feng, Ning Dao Ran, Wei Bu Que, Ding Yi, Chef, Accountant, and Lang Qing Shan were all ready to attack at a moment’s notice. However, there were no signs indicating the appearance of the Seventh-Order Monster Beast despite waiting for so long.
Ding Yi scratched his head and chuckled, “Could Black Crow Divine Monarch have been mistaken? There doesn’t seem to be a Seventh-Order Monster Beast sleeping in this place. With such a commotion going on, any Monster Beast would have woken up a long time ago if they were sleeping here.”
Wei Bu Que grinned, “It’s best if there’s nothing. We can just watch them work; then, we can rush in and search for treasure once the Blood Monster Divine Palace opens.”
Ding Yi reacted like he had found his best friend and looked at Wei Bu Que enthusiastically, “I was thinking so too.”
“Keep your guard up!” Yang Kai suddenly shouted. Although they had yet to see anything resembling a Seventh-Order Monster Beast, there was obviously a reason why Black Crow Divine Monarch was so serious about this matter. It was most likely that there really was a Seventh-Order Monster Beast sleeping in this place.
During the conversation between Ding Yi and Wei Bu Que, a faint and barely perceptible Monster Qi suddenly spread out. It didn’t take long before the Monster Qi became dozens of times more potent. Moreover, the Monster Qi was so pure that it was simply indescribable. Even the Golden Gorilla King could not compare. There was no doubt that the Seventh-Order Monster Beast sleeping in this place had been awoken from its slumber.
Everybody’s expressions froze. The mouths of Ding Yi and Wei Bu Que, who had been joking around, twitched slightly. They realised that their words had jinxed the situation. They had only just mentioned the Monster Beast and the Monster Beast immediately showed signs of appearing.
Yang Kai’s expression was solemn. Spreading out his Divine Sense, he monitored the surroundings. He wanted to know where the Monster Beast would emerge from for, at this moment, there was no sign of it. Even so, just the Monster Qi permeating the air alone was enough to create a sense of terror in their hearts. One could only imagine the horror of a Seventh-Order Monster Beast.
A short while later, Yang Kai looked down and shouted, “It’s coming from below!”
The entire view in the mountain valley was unobstructed, but there was no trace of the Monster Beast at all. Thus, the only possibility was that the Monster Beast would emerge from underground.
As soon as the words left Yang Kai’s mouth, they heard a loud rumbling coming from deep below. It was followed by an earthquake, almost as though a behemoth was crawling out of the ground.
Without any warning, an enormous head suddenly popped out from below the ground, accompanied by a deep roar. A large bloody mouth opened and swallowed up several dozen people standing nearby in one bite, along with the soil they were standing on.
All of a sudden, there was one less Array Node among the sixty-four. Fortunately, Black Crow Divine Monarch had obviously anticipated this issue when setting up the Grand Array. Even though there was one less Array Node, it did not affect the operation of the Grand Array at all. The blood mist continued to drift over the Blood Monster Divine Palace, making it appear more and more solid. It was even starting to show signs of emerging from the Void.
*Hong hong hong…*
The Monster Beast broke out of the ground in the next moment, causing a gigantic pit to appear. Its enormous body was as large as a small hill, with thick scales covering its body forming a powerful defence. The blood mist swirled around the sides of its body but could not corrode it at all.
It was not until this moment that Yang Kai, who had been paying close attention to his surroundings all this while, finally had a good look at the Monster Beast. It was a Star Turtle with a 200-metre-long and 50-metre-tall body. In addition, it was covered in a layer of dazzling yellow light.
Yang Kai was both disappointed and relieved, “An Earth Element Monster Beast!”
He was disappointed that this Monster Beast was not of the Metal Element or Yin Element like what he desperately needed, but rather the Earth Element. He had already condensed an Earth Element Power; moreover, he had used the Dragon Bead of a Great Dragon. There was nothing much to gain even if he killed this Star Turtle.
At the same time, he was relieved that it was an Earth Element Monster Beast. The Earth Element was mainly about defence, so although it would be difficult to kill, the posture of this Star Turtle indicated it had poor offensive abilities so the risk of facing it was minimised to a great extent.
Furthermore, the Star Turtle had been sleeping for many millennia, so at this moment, it was still a little dazed and sluggish from having just woken up. It blankly rolled its eyes around, looking very drowsy.
The cultivators forming the Array Nodes nearest to the turtle trembled uncontrollably. They had witnessed with their own eyes as the Star Turtle gulped up an entire batch of cultivators as soon as it appeared. Therefore, they were scared that it might turn around and eat them too. One should not be fooled by its dazed appearance. Nobody present was its opponent if it decided to attack; after all, its strength lay in its defence. The possibility was high that nobody could put a scratch on it.
One of the cultivators from a Second Class great force gulped nervously and subconsciously took a few steps back. He wanted to hide behind the others to seek a sense of security, but who could have known that his retreat would cause him to fall into the blood mist? There was a series of sizzling sounds and that person screamed in pain. The blood mist crawled up his body like snakes, enveloping him completely. By the time the blood mist dissipated, the man had become a mummified corpse.
Black Crow Divine Monarch coldly snorted while waving the control banner, “Stand where you are! Whoever dares to move about rashly will die!”
Everybody felt a bitter taste in their mouths. It was not until this moment that they realised they were stuck in this situation with no way out. Out of all the areas covered by the Grand Array, only the areas around the Array Nodes were safe. Everywhere else was flooded with the blood mist. In other words, they could only stand at their respective Array Nodes once Black Crow Divine Monarch activated the Grand Array; otherwise, they would have to bear the risk of death.
Yang Kai was delighted when he saw this situation. He initially thought that he and the others had taken on a laborious task while the others had it easy, but it would now seem that fighting the Star Turtle was undoubtedly better than having no say about one’s own life.
He couldn’t help looking in Yin Xin Zhao’s direction, secretly hoping that the Star Turtle would kill the latter. Coincidentally, Yin Xin Zhao also happened to be looking this way. Their gazes met for a moment and Yin Xin Zhao immediately figured out what Yang Kai was thinking; thus, he angrily shouted, “Yang Kai, why aren’t you moving yet!?”
The Array Node he was managing was not that far from where the Star Turtle was located, so he had reason to be uneasy.
Yang Kai calmly called out, “There’s no rush!”
Yin Xin Zhao nearly spat blood at those words. [You might be in no rush, but I’m about to die from anxiety!]
Yin Xin Zhao never imagined that the situation would turn out this way after the Grand Array was activated. If he had known earlier, he would have volunteered to trade places with Yang Kai. At the very least, he would have some control over his own life or death. At this moment, he was unable to move a single step from this spot. Whether he lived or died was completely up to fate. It was a horrible feeling.
“You should act now before it’s too late.” Black Crow Divine Monarch’s voice rang out, “This Monster Beast has been sleeping for aeons, and now that it’s just woken up, its strength has yet to recover. This is the best time to take it down. If you delay, it will be even harder to handle.”
How difficult would it be to inflict heavy damage upon such a defence-oriented Seventh-Order Monster Beast? Yang Kai was not sure if they could put a scratch on it even if everybody on his side used their full strength. Nevertheless, Black Crow Divine Monarch was right about one thing. This was indeed the time when the Star Turtle was at its weakest!
At that thought, Yang Kai nodded, “Since Divine Monarch has said so, then this Junior will comply!” Then, he shouted, “Kill!”
Swinging his arm widely, Space Principles surged to form a huge Moon Blade that broke the void and slashed towards the Star Turtle.
Everybody around Yang Kai swiftly unleashed their Secret Techniques one after another. Colourful lights swept towards the Star Turtle, showering down on its huge figure in an instant.
The people gathered around Yang Kai were a mix of both the strong and weak. For example, many from Emperor Heaven were rather weak. However, there was no shortage of elites like Gu Pan, Qu Hua Shang, and Ning Dao Ran either. The attacks of these Core Disciples from the various Cave-Heavens and Paradises were extraordinarily deadly.
*Hong hong hong…*
Explosion after explosion rang out deafeningly as numerous halos of light from these explosions spread out in all directions. When the lights dissipated, everybody looked over and felt a headache. Although they had known that the Star Turtle would have high defensive strength, they never imagined that it would be so outrageous. Their previous barrage had not even broken through the yellow layer of light surrounding its body, let alone cause any form of damage.
Wei Bu Que grinned, “This bastard sure is tough!”
Yang Kai shouted, “Again!”
Another round of attacks was launched and nobody dared to hold back. The best method to deal with the Earth Element was to counter with the Wood Element. Among the Five Elements, Wood suppressed Earth. Unfortunately, the Wood Element was generally focused on restoration and healing. Few people could comprehend Offensive Divine Abilities from their Wood Element.
Although Yang Kai had condensed his Wood Element Power from the essence of the Immortal Tree, he had yet to comprehend a Wood Element Divine Ability. On the other hand, his originally strong restorative and healing abilities had been greatly enhanced as a result.
There were precious few among the crowd who had realised any form of Wood Element Divine Ability at all, so even if they unleashed these Divine Abilities, the effects on the Star Turtle were negligible. This was a Seventh-Order Monster Beast; therefore, the Earth Attribute light surrounding its body was formed from a Seventh-Order Earth Element Power. It was very difficult to destroy such a barrier without a high enough Order strength.
When everybody attacked at this moment, the disparity between their strength was revealed.
Qu Hua Shang, Gu Pan, and the others were undoubtedly the strongest in the group. They were Core Disciples of their respective Cave-Heavens and Paradises after all. As the future pillars of their respective Sects, they had been vigorously nurtured since young. The power behind their Secret Techniques was amazing, difficult for ordinary cultivators to match up to.
Meanwhile, Chef, Accountant, Lang Qing Shan, Ding Yi, and several others were slightly inferior in comparison. As for the ones from Emperor Heaven, their attacks were quite weak by comparison; however, what they lacked in individual strength they made up for in numbers. Their attacks raining down on the Star Turtle gradually made the light surrounding its body slightly dimmer.
At this moment, the Star Turtle seemed to be slowly awakening and soon it swivelled its head around and looked in their direction. Roaring up into the sky, it immediately began moving. It rushed over towards them at an extremely high speed despite looking clumsy and heavy. Every step it took made a thunderous thud against the ground.
“He’s coming!” Yang Kai shouted at the top of his lungs. At this moment, he did not dare to hold back any longer. Drawing Power from his Dao Seal, Golden Crow’s True Fire spread out and began burning everything before him.
Yang Kai had condensed five types of High-Rank Elements and had managed to comprehend Divine Abilities from two of them so far. One was the Dragon Shield and the other was the Golden Crow Casts the Sun. Be that as it may, it did not prevent him from mobilising these powers in other ways.
The pitch-black flames threatened to burn down the space around them and even the horrifying blood mist evaporated upon contact. When the pitch-black flames reached the Star Turtle’s body, a series of crackling sounds rang out. The khakis-yellow light dimmed further by a considerable extent.
The others continued to provide support while at the same time, they quickly retreated and scattered in all directions. It was not until the Star Turtle approached to within 1,000 metres that its yellow light barrier finally shattered.
Yang Kai was overjoyed by the sight. Without even pausing to think about it, he summoned the Yuan Magnetic Divine Bottle Gourd and opened its lid. A dazzling light immediately swept out and wrapped around the Star Turtle.
A loud cry sounded once more. The Yuan Magnetic Divine Light contained devastating destructive power that tore into the softer parts of the Star Turtle’s body that were not covered by its shell, slicing open countless bloody wounds all over its body.
When a dim light suddenly lit up, a sense of terror descended on the world. Everybody felt a shudder going through their hearts. It felt as though they could hear death calling out their names.
Yang Kai looked up and saw that the Star Turtle had opened its large mouth to reveal its jagged fangs. Moreover, there was a small ball of khakis-yellow light the size of a washbasin taking shape in its mouth. The attack was aimed directly at where Yang Kai was standing.
“Watch out!” Qu Hua Shang screamed. Touching her fingers together, she quickly formed a seal and pressed her hand down in the direction of the Star Turtle.
At the same time, Wei Bu Que slashed out with his sword. The whip-like sword light caused all the colours to drain out of the world. Ding Yi summoned Bi Fang’s Fire and stirred the clouds. Lin Feng drew his sword and flicked out countless sword shadows that covered the sky. Gu Pan held a paintbrush in her grip, drawing in the air. An enormous ‘Seal (封)’ character appeared as though printed upon the Star Turtle’s mouth.
Meanwhile, the peach wood sword behind Ning Dao Ran’s back came flying out to transform into a flitting shadow that cut down the stars. Last but not least, Lang Qing Shan, the people of Emperor Heaven, and the others also attacked all at once.
It was an extremely lively scene, with all kinds of blinding lights bursting forth and dazzled their sight. Unfortunately, the Star Turtle was unaffected. It allowed the numerous attacks to simply land on its body as the ball of light spewed out from its mouth like a winding bolt of lightning.
The sword lights shattered and the sword shadows were erased. Moans and groans rang out from all around. Qu Hua Shang was thrown backward like a paper kite, spitting up blood in mid-air. Wei Bu Que was pushed back several dozens of metres by the huge impact force, dragging his feet and creating long troughs in the dirt. Ding Yi’s face was flushed and his body glowed red as though cooked through. Creaking sounds came from the wooden sword in Ning Dao Ran’s hand as slim cracks appeared along its length.
The combined strength of so many elites could not stop a single blow from the Star Turtle, horrifying them all.
In the meantime, the ball of light continued to shoot towards Yang Kai even though the momentum had decreased somewhat.
Yang Kai raised his hand and summoned out the Azure Dragon Spear. Gripping it in both hands, he thrust out. A Dragon Roar resounded, reverberating through the sky as the figure of a Great Dragon seemed to flash out from the Azure Dragon Spear to collide with the ball of light.
In the next moment, the ball of light exploded and a shockwave spread out in all directions. Yang Kai felt a mighty force slamming straight into his chest and the sound of his bones breaking rang out. Several of his ribs were broken in an instant and the bone fragments stabbed into his lungs. The pain was absolutely unbearable. Unable to hold back, he sprayed out a mouthful of blood.
The khakis-yellow force raged about wildly. Everybody present was forced back and thrown into a miserable state. Some of the weaker Emperor Heaven cultivators were heavily injured by the impact and collapsed on the spot. It was hard to tell if they were even still alive.
Only Yang Kai advanced instead of retreating. Raging flames blazed in his eyes because he knew that at least half of the people on his side would die in the next instant if it backed down. Black Crow Divine Monarch had valid reason for choosing him to challenge the Seventh-Order Monster Beast. He was the only person who could stand a fighting chance against this Seventh-Order Monster Beast.
Holding his spear in one hand, Yang Kai kicked off slightly and swiftly arrived in front of the Star Turtle. Taking advantage of the latter’s lack of vigilance, Yang Kai flipped himself onto the opponent’s back with several agile leaps. In the next moment, spear shadows rained down endlessly to stab into the vulnerable spot behind the Star Turtle’s neck.
*Du du du…*
Several muffled thuds rang out. The Azure Dragon Spear that had never failed Yang Kai before turned out to be ineffective. Although the defences on the back of the Star Turtle’s neck were relatively weak, that was only in comparison to the other parts of its body. For a Seventh-Order Earth Element Monster Beast like this, every part of its body was as solid as rock.
It was not that the Azure Dragon Spear was weak, but rather that Yang Kai was not strong enough. The Azure Dragon Spear was bestowed to Yang Kai by Ah Da; moreover, it was refined from the corpse of a true Azure Dragon. Yang Kai had never been able to bring out the full power of his spear.
Hundreds of consecutive thrusts might have turned the back of the Star Turtle’s neck into a bloody mess, but such injuries were no more threatening than an insect bite to it. The turtle shook its head and flicked its tail, trying to throw Yang Kai off, but how could Yang Kai comply with the Star Turtle’s wishes? He didn’t budge in the slightest, almost as though his feet were nailed in place.
Needless to say, everybody else did not hold back in this situation. They quickly unleashed their killing moves and attacked the Star Turtle from all directions.
Bursts of light exploded against the Star Turtle’s body, but although these attacks were incredibly violent, they did not cause any effective damage to it at all.
Suddenly, the turtle stopped struggling and its entire body shuddered for a moment. Immediately following that, countless rays of khakis-yellow light flickered and shot out from its body, each ray containing incredible power.
Yang Kai was caught off guard, and as a result, he was hit by one of the light rays and immediately grunted in pain. His body flew high into the air while the others were similarly flustered by the attacks and many were now lying motionless on the ground.
Upon shaking Yang Kai off, the Star Turtle reacted like a Flood Dragon that had escaped its bonds. Its ferocity was greatly magnified and its enormous body thrashed about from side to side. Nobody dared to approach within a radius of a thousand metres.
“Move aside! Leave it to me!” Chef roared furiously, suddenly charging forward. He was holding his kitchen knife in his left hand and a chopping board in his right. His appearance made him look like it was about to butcher a pig or a goat. It was a rather funny sight; however, what he was aiming to butcher this time was a Seventh-Order Monster Beast.
The chopping board in Chef’s hand flew out and rapidly expanded in the wind before it slid under the Star Turtle’s body. It was hard to determine what kind of artifact the chopping board was, but it was emitting a strange and mysterious aura. A Monster Beast as powerful as the Star Turtle was trapped on the chopping board in a moment of negligence.
Chef strode over with a wide grin, “I am the knife and the chopping block, you are the fish!”
As he shouted, his body suddenly swelled and transformed into a several-dozen-metre tall giant. That was not all; the kitchen knife in his hand also became incomparably huge. His expression was so savage that it could only be described as terrifying. He stretched out a large hand and pressed the Star Turtle against his chopping block. The apron around his waist showed the large printed ‘Butcher’ character. At the same time, the kitchen knife in his hand swung down.
For a moment, it looked like Chef was in control of the situation. The Star Turtle seemed no different from a fish that was being cut up in the kitchen.
Everybody was stunned by the sight. They never imagined that Chef had such skill! Such means were beyond the reach of even the Core Disciples from the various Cave-Heavens and Paradises. Even Yang Kai never expected Chef to be so astonishing. He had always believed that Bai Qi was the strongest among all the shop hands working under the Proprietress and only now did he realise that he might have been mistaken. [If Chef successfully advances into the Open Heaven Realm, he will surely end up stronger than Old Bai.]
Every time the knife chopped down, Chef caused dazzling bursts of sparks to shoot out from the Star Turtle’s shell. He was forcefully gouging a white mark into the shell with every cut!
While everybody was in a trance, Accountant flew over with an abacus in hand. His fingers flew across the abacus, shooting out bead after bead that enlarged and came crashing down on the Star Turtle’s head.
*Hong hong hong…*
Every single blow made the Star Turtle’s head dip downward slightly. The Star Turtle’s head was smashed deep into the ground by the time hundreds of beads finished crashing down.
Everybody quickly took out their artifacts and unleashed their Secret Techniques, viciously attacking the Star Turtle.
All of a sudden, Chef’s expression changed drastically as he shouted, “It’s up to you now.”
While saying that, his huge figure shrunk back to his original size like a deflated balloon. The chopping board also flew back to his hand. After returning to his original appearance, his aura was so weak that he could barely stand. Moreover, his complexion was as pale as a sheet.
Upon seeing that, Yang Kai immediately understood that the Secret Technique Chef executed just now had consumed essentially all of the latter’s strength. It was not as if Chef could actually transform into such a big giant, it was simply a manifestation of the Secret Technique he used.
Therefore, Yang Kai immediately stopped his indiscriminate bombardment of the Star Turtle and flashed to appear beside Chef while shouting, “Don’t resist!”
Reaching out to grab him, Yang Kai tossed Chef into the Small Sealed World. Since the latter was no longer in any condition to fight, leaving him outside would only put him in danger. Since that was the case, it was better to let him rest in a safe place.
The Star Turtle seemed to have been agitated greatly by Chef’s attack. When it raised its head again, it shook its body hard. Its tail swept out in all directions like a meteor hammer, the power behind each blow so immense that nobody could defend against it. Countless people were thrown into the air and instantly suffered grievous injuries.
Zhang Ruo Xi was about to be hit by the sweeping tail of the Star Turtle. Seeing that she could not dodge the attack in time, Yang Kai flashed to her side and thrust out with his spear. When the mighty impact came, they both crashed into each other and became entangled. Yang Kai quickly got back to his feet and confirmed that she was alright before shouting, “Hei Ya, we’re all going to die here if you don’t do something quick!”
Black Crow Divine Monarch, who was presiding over the Grand Array, coldly snorted at those words, “Brat, don’t you dare shirk your responsibility!”
It was obvious that Yang Kai had not gone all out. If nothing else, he had yet to use the Divine Manifestation that he showed previously. That Divine Manifestation contained an impressive amount of destructive power. Unleashing that move here would surely be of great help to the current situation.
Nevertheless, Black Crow Divine Monarch could not ignore Yang Kai’s plea for help. Should Yang Kai’s side be defeated, his Grand Array would also be affected. He was at a critical juncture to break the barrier and did not wish for all his efforts to be in vain.
Therefore, he waved his large banner despite his dissatisfaction with Yang Kai’s inadequacy. A large part of the blood mist suddenly converged to form a blood cloud that floated towards the Star Turtle and wrapped around it. Immediately after that, the blood cloud condensed into two Blood Beasts that were no smaller than the Star Turtle, as well as countless blood snakes that wriggled like living creatures.
The two Blood Beasts fearlessly flanked the Star Turtle from both sides. On the other hand, the countless blood snakes swarmed the Star Turtle’s body by crawling along the edges of its shell.
The Star Turtle flicked its tail and one of the Blood Beasts immediately exploded, only to regroup immediately in a seemingly immortal and indestructible manner. Thanks to these Blood Beasts, the others had some time to catch their breaths and readjusted their formation. Then, the barrage of Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques resumed once more.
Yang Kai took a small breather. It was true that he had not used his full strength; after all, under these circumstances, he did not dare to exert his full strength. Although the power of the Golden Crow Casts the Sun was explosive, its power consumption was simply too high. He might not have any strength left for self-protection if he consumed too much energy in his battle against the Star Turtle. How could he do something so stupid?
Fortunately, Black Crow Divine Monarch valued the Blood Monster Divine Palace so much that he could not afford to be distracted even though he understood Yang Kai’s intentions. As a result of the two immortal and indestructible Blood Beasts charging the enemy and the countless blood snakes distracting the Star Turtle, everybody’s safety was greatly increased.
Even though the Star Turtle was strong, its sentience seemed to be somewhat lacking. There was no saying whether the cause was its long years of sleep or its inherent nature. Annoyed by the Blood Beasts’ badgering, it fought them endlessly. The battle occupied it so much that it had no time for anything else.
This situation delighted Yang Kai and the others. Before they could rejoice though, the Blood Beasts were destroyed to the point where they could no longer re-condense. Similarly, the blood snakes crawling all over the Star Turtle’s body were destroyed by the Earth Element Power it emitted.
Yang Kai secretly cursed. With no other choice, he stepped forward once more. The Azure Dragon Spear flew out and pierced forward to draw the Star Turtle’s attention. This was something he had promised Black Crow Divine Monarch earlier after all. It was also related to whether the Blood Monster Divine Palace could be opened, so Yang Kai could not simply stand back and watch. Nevertheless, the pressure was as heavy as a mountain. Any negligence could turn into a fatal mistake when facing such a Seventh-Order Monster Beast, so Yang Kai had no choice but to remain alert at all times.
The others provided support from the side, and for a time, they successfully kept the Star Turtle at bay.
Taking a slight breather amidst the pitched battle, Yang Kai glanced in the direction of the Blood Monster Divine Palace and discovered that it had become far more solid in such a short time. It would seem that Black Crow Divine Monarch and the others were making good progress. According to the agreement from before, Yang Kai’s task would be over once the Blood Monster Divine Palace was completely opened and he would no longer have to strive so hard against this Monster Beast.
Meanwhile, Wei Bu Que was secretly shocked. He had heard about Yang Kai’s strength from his Junior Brother, Xu Zhen. He had also heard about how Yang Kai defeated Yu Luo Sha in the Asura Arena of Thousand Birds Star City in one move. Even so, it was one thing to listen to the stories and quite another to witness it for himself. It was not until this moment that he understood how wide the gap between him and Yang Kai was.
Everybody had done their best when facing the Star Turtle, but the majority of the pressure was borne by Yang Kai who constantly charged forward to attack the enemy. Wei Bu Que had to admit that he would have been exhausted in less than an incense stick if he were in Yang Kai’s shoes. He might even face the risk of death. On the contrary, Yang Kai persevered against all odds. The scene might seem precarious and sometimes extremely dangerous, but things also seemed to be in his control.
[Black Crow Divine Monarch truly has a good eye for people. It’s also no wonder that Junior Brother reminded me countless times before my departure that I should try and win Yang Kai over should I meet him. With such talent, he will be incomparable to ordinary Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters even if he only achieves that realm upon breaking through.] A ray of light suddenly shot in Wei Bu Que’s direction. Shaking his head, he cleared his mind of the many distracting thoughts and slashed forward with his sword.
With the passage of time, the number of wounded increased. Even Wei Bu Que and the other elites were covered in injuries. There was no need to mention Yang Kai’s condition. If not for his strong recovery abilities and endurance, he would have died countless times over by now.
The strength of a Seventh-Order Monster Beast was terrifying indeed. Despite combining so many people’s strength, they could only keep the Monster Beast at bay. It was impossible for them to kill it.
Yang Kai had the feeling that only a Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master had hope of killing the Star Turtle; moreover, it had to be a Fifth-Order or Sixth-Order Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master. A Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was not capable of such a feat.
With the Star Turtle being held back, Black Crow Divine Monarch was undisturbed and made rapid progress. In the short span of an hour, the Blood Monster Divine Palace was almost fully condensed into solid form.
On the other hand, the Star Turtle’s purpose in sleeping here was probably only to protect the Divine Palace. As such, the further Black Crow Divine Monarch progressed, the more violent and powerful its attacks became.
Yang Kai and the others who were fighting the Star Turtle could feel these changes clearly.
All of a sudden, there was a soft crack. It was followed by a horrifying aura that permeated the air. Immediately after that, a Sword Qi slashed out from Lin Feng’s waist and shot towards the Star Turtle. The Sword Qi swept out wantonly and the Void shattered.
A several-metre-long crack was sliced open, stretching across the Star Turtle’s solid back. Through that crack, they could practically see the wriggling flesh and internal organs inside.
Yang Kai, who was struggling against the Star Turtle at the time, couldn’t help feeling stunned for a moment; likewise, the others were stunned too.
Meanwhile, Lin Feng stiffened and looked down at his waist. In the next moment, his eyes narrowed slightly. The Identity Token at his waist was shattered. In other words, his life had been in mortal danger just now. That was why the Divine Ability Sealed within the Identity Token had been triggered.
He was instantly drenched in cold sweat! He barely even understood what had happened. All he knew was that a yellow stream of light had shot out from the Star Turtle and flew in his direction. It had happened so fast that he had no time to react…
“Good job!” Black Crow Divine Monarch laughed loudly. Another blood cloud wriggled over and slipped into the Star Turtle’s body via that wound to wreak havoc from the inside.
The Star Turtle’s shell and flesh were extremely tough. Even though such a large group of people had been attacking him for half a day, the damage they managed to cause was negligible. In contrast, the Sword Qi Divine Ability unleashed from Lin Feng’s Identity Token had inflicted heavy damage in an instant. How could Black Crow Divine Monarch miss out on such a good opportunity? He took the initiative to attack without waiting for Yang Kai’s call for help.
The blood cloud vanished out of sight and the Star Turtle roared in pain while the pressure on Yang Kai and the others fell noticeably.
“Are you alright, Brother Lin?” Wei Bu Que asked while taking a breather.
Lin Feng slowly nodded, but a trace of fear lingered on his face. Never once had he ever felt so close to death before. He had never been so terrified in his life; not even when he was captured by Kun Sha in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary back then.
It would now seem that it was unrealistic to rely on the hope that the Divine Abilities sealed within the Identity Tokens of the Cave-Heaven and Paradise disciples could kill this Star Turtle. That Sword Qi just now had been indescribably powerful, but even so, it had only managed to open a single wound on the opponent’s back. Based on the outcome of this situation, they could not take the Star Turtle’s life even if they activated all of their protective Divine Abilities.
Nevertheless, it was thanks to this sealed Divine Ability that broke open the tough shell and allowed Black Crow Divine Monarch’s methods to take effect that Yang Kai and the others could catch their breath for a moment.
In the meantime, the Blood Monster Divine Palace was becoming more and more solid. Another quarter hour passed and there was a loud rumble accompanied by an earthquake that shook the entire world. Then, the gates of the Blood Monster Divine Palace slowly opened.
Black Crow Divine Monarch’s eyes blazed with a raging heat. Similarly, the cultivators standing at the various Array Nodes looked excited.
“Success!” Black Crow Divine Monarch laughed out loud, “This Monarch will be leaving first.”
After saying that, he ignored everybody else and charged forward. He rushed straight into the Blood Monster Divine Palace and disappeared out of sight. Upon seeing that, the others did not hesitate to follow suit. All of them quickly swarmed towards the Blood Monster Divine Palace, scrambling to be the first!
On the contrary, Yang Kai wanted to curse and scream! That was because the Star Turtle was no longer restrained by Black Crow Divine Monarch following his departure. Like a tiger that had been released from its cage, the Star Turtle’s aura soared wildly.
Yang Kai and the others had barely been able to cope earlier, but the pressure increased sharply at this moment. Several people gathered near the Star Turtle were swept away by its aura and swiftly retreated into the distance.
A battlefield was like a game of chess. One wrong move would lead to another, then another, until everything collapsed. Black Crow Divine Monarch’s sudden departure had left Yang Kai and the others in an extremely difficult and precarious position.
The Star Turtle shook its body. Dozens of figures collapsed on the ground, bleeding profusely as a result. This attack was swiftly followed by numerous yellow bolts of light shooting out from its body, causing the remaining people to panic.
Black Crow Divine Monarch probably never intended to bother about the lives of Yang Kai and the others in the first place. From his standpoint, he couldn’t be happier if Yang Kai and the others were killed by the Star Turtle. That was why he left without the slightest hesitation.
Although Yang Kai struggled hard to fight back, it was difficult for him to block the onslaught of a Seventh-Order Monster Beast.
“Go quickly!” He shouted while stabbing out continuously with his spear.
As soon as the words left Yang Kai’s mouth, the Star Turtle raised his meteor-hammer-like tail. A blinding yellow light gathered at the tip of its tail and a moment later, it moved at lightning speed and smashed down at the place where the most people were gathered.
Qu Hua Shang stood in that spot, her beautiful face drained of all colour. She knew that she would die if she didn’t move, but the Star Turtle’s horrifying aura locked her firmly in place. A feeling that she could not escape in time washed over her. The light in front of her eyes became obscured and the world darkened around her.
Yang Kai felt his teeth nearly cracking at the sight. Manipulating Space Principles, his figure flashed and appeared in front of her as a terrifying wind pressed down on him. He already felt suffocated before the Star Turtle’s attack arrived. [I can’t block this! With my current strength, I can’t block an attack of this magnitude! It’s not enough even if I use Golden Crow Casts the Sun! But, if I can’t stop this attack, then Qu Hua Shang will definitely die!]
In that moment between life or death, an aura flashed through his mind and the Wood Element Power shone brightly in his Dao Seal. An emerald aura flowed out and a great tree appeared out of nowhere behind his back, holding up a huge canopy that swayed in the wind. The tree gave off the feeling that it would stand tall even if the sky came crashing down.
*Hong…*
The Star Turtle’s tail smashed down and the yellow light collided with the canopy of the great tree. The emerald light and yellow light impacted with an explosive sound that shook the world.
Qu Hua Shang stared blankly at the figure standing in front of her, feeling as though some kind of barrier which wrapped around her heart was struck by something and shattered in an instant, making it race faster than it had ever before.
She was one of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s Core Disciples. Having been vigorously cultivated by the Sect since she was young, she never lacked for anything. Not only did she have great aptitude and high cultivation, but she also had a beautiful appearance. Countless Senior Brothers and Junior Brothers in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven had tried to woo her in the past.
What she cultivated was the Heartless Dao. In order for her to advance into the Open Heaven Realm, she would first need to experience love. She herself knew that it was only a matter of time before she had to settle down with a man.
Most of the other female disciples in the Sect from her generation had long since fallen in love and became intimate with their partners of choice; however, she had never been able to find a suitable candidate. Hence, she was always honest and straightforward with the Senior Brothers and Junior Brothers who approached her.
It was only when she entered the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary that she encountered a man who could clearly and eloquently discuss Yin-Yang Union Cultivation with her. Although she found the man rather interesting, she did not give much thought to the matter at the time.
After returning to Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, she underwent intensive cultivation to absorb all the benefits she received in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. It was not until she finally came out of retreat that she heard many things about Yang Kai.
Feeling appreciative of the life-saving grace she received from him in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, she persuaded her Sect to take a softer approach to win him over instead of trying to kill him. Her status as a Core Disciple gave her some say in making decisions, and due to her constant lobbying, the higher-ups in the Sect agreed. Naturally, the task of winning Yang Kai over fell upon her as the person who proposed this idea in the first place. Besides, she was already acquainted with him so there could be no better candidate than her.
Upon entering the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, Qu Hua Shang was not surprised to meet Yang Kai again. She was entrusted with a task from her Sect and had her own Grand Dao to consider as well; therefore, she was much more proactive in approaching him than before.
During this period, she survived through various hardships and even shared life and death together with him. The admiration in her heart grew greatly after she witnessed his abilities and temperament with her own eyes. Despite the mutual protection and unfaltering support during their travels, she only felt that he was a very responsible man. A trace of affection would occasionally bloom in her heart, but she knew that those feelings were a far cry from love.
She had more than once asked herself, ‘What is love?’ Unfortunately, she could not find the answer to her question.
However, at this very moment, when her life flashed before her eyes as the darkness of death enveloped her, that familiar figure had descended from the sky without hesitation to stand in front of her. That figure was akin to a majestic mountain that shielded her from rain and storm…
Qu Hua Shang suddenly felt as though a seed in her heart had germinated and burst out of the ground with great vigour. It was a strange feeling that instantly permeated her entire body. Even though she was standing at the threshold of life and death, she broke out into a smile. Her aura that had gone chaotic when danger loomed over her suddenly cleared up and became calm once more, even becoming more vigorous than before.
*Hong…*
The Star Turtle’s tail came slamming down to crash against the huge canopy. The yellow light and emerald light symphonically blended together. The great tree stood strong below, forcefully holding up the enormous tail.
Everybody was stunned by the sight, and even Yang Kai was taken aback. He looked up and stared at the large tree and huge canopy behind him and a single question flashed through his heart, [What is this?]
In that moment just now, he had instinctively pushed the Wood Element Power in his Dao Seal. It never occurred to him that a giant tree would appear behind him.
Among the Five Elements, the Wood suppressed Earth. What the Star Turtle unleashed was undoubtedly a Seventh-Order Earth Element Power. On the other hand, the Wood Element Power in Yang Kai’s Dao Seal was condensed from the essence of the Immortal Tree. In terms of Order, his Wood Element Power was definitely much higher than the Star Turtle’s Earth Element Power. In addition, these two Elements mutually restrained each other, so it was not hard to understand how he managed to block that terrifying blow.
What Yang Kai could not understand was what he did just now. He was astonished that he managed to comprehend a Wood Element Divine Ability at such a critical moment.
All this while, he had been trying to unlock the mysteries of the Elements in his Dao Seal in hopes of comprehending a Divine Manifestation no weaker than his Golden Crow Casts the Sun. If nothing else, comprehending a Divine Ability or Secret Technique like the Dragon Shield was not bad either. In particular, the Wood Element was the first Open Heaven Power that he condensed, so he had been rather disappointed that he could not comprehend any Divine Abilities from it.
Over the years, Yang Kai had wondered if the Order of the Wood Element Power that he condensed from the essence of the Immortal Tree was simply too high for him to comprehend anything from it. Nevertheless, he knew that some things could not be forced. Everything would remain an unreachable dream if the timing was not right. Correspondingly, everything would naturally fall into place once the moment arrived. Even so, he never imagined that the Wood Element Divine Ability would emerge right here and right now due to necessity!
[Sure enough, the fine line between life or death not only contains great terror but also holds great opportunities!] At the time, Yang Kai simply wanted to save Qu Hua Shang. There were no other thoughts in his head, so he drew on the Wood Element Power in his Dao Seal instinctually, causing the giant tree behind him to suddenly appear out of nowhere.
[This must be a Defensive Divine Ability!] Yang Kai immediately understood the situation. It was just that he did not have time to investigate it carefully. He could sense that the large tree could not withstand the Star Turtle’s aggressive attacks for long; thus, he quickly shouted, “Go quickly!”
Everybody returned to their senses. How could they dare to delay a moment longer? They hurriedly rushed towards the gates of the Blood Monster Divine Palace. Black Crow Divine Monarch was the first person to rush inside while the rest of the cultivators acting as Array Nodes soon followed out of fear and greed. Therefore, those fighting the Star Turtle were the last ones remaining outside.
At this moment, the Blood Monster Divine Palace had been opened so there was no longer any need to fight this Seventh-Order Monster Beast. Since it was impossible to kill this Star Turtle, it was only logical to flee as soon as possible.
One after another, their remaining figures slipped into the Blood Monster Divine Palace. Before leaving, Lin Feng, Wei Bu Que, Ning Dao Ran, and the others each sent a Divine Ability in the direction of the Star Turtle, giving one last burst of effort to help relieve some of the pressure on Yang Kai. Ding Yi also followed close behind with the rest of the surviving members of Emperor Heaven.
Accountant shouted, “Brat, we’re going on ahead. Take care of yourself!”
After saying that, he summoned Lang Qing Shan and the others before they charged into the Blood Monster Divine Palace.
Zhang Ruo Xi was not willing to leave, but Gu Pan dragged her into the Blood Monster Divine Palace by the arm and vanished out of sight.
Qu Hua Shang quietly whispered, “Junior Brother, I’ll be waiting for you inside. Hurry and catch up.”
Her emotions were a little agitated at the moment and for some reason, her body felt soft and weak. She knew that she would only add to his worries if she stayed here, so she forced herself to leave.
Yang Kai grunted in reply without looking back, sensing her aura quickly disappear.
In a blink of an eye, he was the only person left in the entire mountain valley. The great tree condensed from the Wood Element Power was already beginning to falter. It was true that the Wood suppressed Earth. Moreover, this newly comprehended Defensive Divine Ability was absolutely amazing in terms of power. Unfortunately, even the strongest defence could only last so long in the face of a furious attack.
Seeing that the huge canopy of the large tree was about to break, Yang Kai grit his teeth and stared up at the Star Turtle. Space Principles fluctuated around him and he appeared outside the gates of the Blood Monster Divine Palace in a flash.
If possible, he would have preferred to kill the Star Turtle. Although he was not in need of a Seventh-Order Earth Element Monster Core, it was still an invaluable cultivation resource. If he brought this back with him, he might be able to exchange this for something that he did need. It was a pity that a Seventh-Order Monster Beast was not something he could defeat with his current strength. So many people working together had been unable to leave a scratch on that Monster Beast earlier, so what could he do now that he was alone?
Standing in front of the gates of the Blood Monster Divine Palace, Yang Kai gave one last glance at the enraged and roaring Star Turtle before he turned around and rushed inside. The furious roars behind him stopped abruptly. Instead, he was greeted by a vast expanse of white everywhere he looked. Although his Divine Sense was not restricted by anything, he could not detect any other presences in this place. All the cultivators who rushed in before him were nowhere to be seen.
Yang Kai stopped and looked back, only to see that the gates of the Blood Monster Divine Palace were gone, replaced by a completely white world. It was as though there was nothing else in this place aside from the dazzling whiteness that stretched out in all directions.
[Where are the others?] Yang Kai frowned. Judging by the current situation, there seemed to be a strange restriction in the Blood Monster Divine Palace. It might not be harmful, but it gave off an indescribably peculiar feel.
After trying for a while, Yang Kai did not sense any danger; furthermore, he could neither see anything within his field of vision nor detect any life auras within the range of his Divine Sense. It was as though the people who came in before him had vanished without any rhyme or reason. Seeing as it was impossible for them to have gone missing, Yang Kai suspected that they were stuck in the same situation as he. They had all fallen into this world of pure white.
[How can the inside of the Blood Monster Divine Palace look like this? Why was Black Crow Divine Monarch so desperate to enter this place?] Yang Kai was a little worried about Zhang Ruo Xi, but upon further consideration, he recalled that Gu Pan had dragged Zhang Ruo Xi by the arm and entered the Blood Monster Divine Palace together. The two of them were most likely together at this moment. Even if something dangerous were to appear, Zhang Ruo Xi would have Gu Pan taking care of her. At the very least, she would not have to deal with the dangers alone.
With that thought in mind, Yang Kai relaxed slightly. He pondered for a moment before activating the Demon Eye of Annihilation. His left eye immediately transformed into a majestic column of golden light.
The Demon Eye of Annihilation had impressive power and utility, and Yang Kai had never been disappointed whenever he used this skill. However, he gained nothing this time around. He suspected that this was some sort of Spirit Array like an Illusion Array or a Bewildering Array. Seeing as he did not gain anything from the use of his Demon Eye of Annihilation though, it could only mean that there was nothing odd about this place, or that his Demon Eye of Annihilation was not strong enough.
Thinking about it, Yang Kai realised that this was not surprising. This place was the Blood Monster Divine Palace, the home of Blood Monster Divine Monarch. If an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master decided to place a restriction on this place, it would not be something Yang Kai could see through so easily.
Withdrawing his Divine Ability, he let out a sigh. This damned place had nothing. There was only whiteness all around. Furthermore, it gave off the feeling of infinity which made him somewhat anxious.
With no other clues, Yang Kai could only take things one step at a time. He adjusted his breathing and recovered his strength. At the same time, he decided on a direction and walked forward. There was no saying how much time had passed. He even had the feeling that the flow of time in this place was very strange. For that reason, he was unable to judge just how long he had been walking.
It seemed like it was only a moment, but it also seemed like several days had passed. Just as Yang Kai was starting to get frustrated, he suddenly heard a scream coming from a certain direction. His expression stiffened in shock and he hurriedly turned to look in that direction; however, he frowned deeply the next moment. That was because a figure had appeared in his field of vision. It was almost as if that person had been there all along and he simply had not noticed the man all this while.
It was a male cultivator who looked around forty years old or so. There was no way to tell which Sect’s disciple he was, but at this moment, he seemed absolutely panicked. His eyes were filled with terror, as though he had seen something extremely horrifying, and he was running around screaming, “Don’t kill me! Don’t kill me!”
This person seemed to have encountered something extremely terrifying and his expression was filled with fear. Having finally come across another person, Yang Kai could not let this man leave so easily even though he knew that the other party was seemingly in trouble. He moved forward and stopped in front of that person with his hand raised up in the air, “Excuse me, Friend!”
Unexpectedly, that person ran straight at Yang Kai as though he didn’t see him at all.
Yang Kai’s scowl grew deeper. He exerted some strength and stretched his hand forward to stop that person by force, but to his surprise, his arm passed through that person’s body. This scene shocked him greatly but before he could recover from his shock, that person had already passed through his body and ran off.
Yang Kai abruptly turned back to look. There was nobody there at all. It was almost as though everything that happened just now was just an illusion. A disquieting feeling rose in his heart and he felt a chill running down his back.
This damned place was full of mysteries. It was not a place one should stay for long. Unfortunately, he was completely clueless about this place and had no idea how to get out of here at the moment.
After walking for a while, Yang Kai suddenly saw a round platform ahead with something seemingly placed on it. He couldn’t help rubbing his eyes and looking vigilant. That was because he was certain that there had been nothing in this direction when he looked earlier, and yet, this round platform suddenly appeared when he looked in this direction once more.
Holding his breath and focusing his mind, Yang Kai stared forward, frowning. Even so, he could not see what was placed on top of the round platform. He hesitated for a long time before he steadily walked in that direction.
It didn’t take long for him to arrive in front of the round platform. He walked up the short flight of stairs and looked up. What he saw made his expression change drastically. That was because there was a severed head sitting on top of the round platform. Furthermore, the owner of that severed head was Qu Hua Shang!
[How did Qu Hua Shang die here? And, who placed her head here?] He suddenly felt as though his eyes were going to explode from the sight. A ball of rage burned in his chest like a volcano that was about to erupt. He wanted to burn everything in the world.
He had travelled with this Senior Sister from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, mutually supporting each other all the way. If she had not carried him on her back while fleeing desperately, he would have been killed by Yin Xin Zhao in his unconscious state; thus, he had a good grasp of her character by now. It could be said that he already considered her as one of his friends. Be that as it may, she had died in this place! Yang Kai’s heart felt like it had been sliced to pieces by a knife!
At this moment, Qu Hua Shang’s severed head jerked its eyes open and cried out to him miserably, “Save me! It hurts!”
Yang Kai lurched back and retreated slightly, staring in the direction of the head in shock and disbelief. She repeatedly pleaded for help, but his expression slowly became cold and calm instead.
[This is definitely not Qu Hua Shang’s head! It’s impossible for a dead person to speak.] He was almost certain that he had fallen into some sort of Illusion Array. What he was seeing at the moment was nothing more than some kind of hallucination. As soon as the thought crossed his mind, he quickly slipped into the Small Sealed World without delay!
He originally wanted to use this method to break free from the illusion in front of him. To his surprise, he discovered that there was something wrong with him when he entered the Small Sealed World. At some point in time, his body had been surrounded by faint traces of energy. This energy emitted a hint of malevolence that lingered and wrapped around his body. If he had not entered the Small Sealed World, he would not have noticed this phenomenon. This bizarre energy constantly twisted and distorted upon itself, creating all sorts of peculiar sights. The illusion he saw just now was definitely caused by this energy.
His expression darkened and he immediately activated the Golden Crow’s True Fire around his body. There was a crackling sound as the traces of evil energy entangled around his body were instantly burned to a crisp. After confirming that he no longer had that bizarre energy around him, Yang Kai finally slipped out of the Small Sealed World and returned to the outside world again. However, he remained cautious this time around. He did not withdraw the Golden Crow’s True Fire and instead coated his body in a protective layer of it.
As soon as he appeared in the outside world, Yang Kai heard sizzling sounds coming from his surroundings. Black smoke rose into the air as though something was being burned by him. It was similar to the scene where he burned off the evil energy inside the Small Sealed World; therefore, he immediately understood something. This weird place was filled with that strange energy and anybody who entered this place would begin to hallucinate as a result.
The Order of this evil energy was not low and was most likely one of the means set up by Blood Monster Divine Monarch to guard this palace. Fortunately, Yang Kai’s Golden Crow’s True Fire was of extremely high Order and was able to fully restrain it. If it were any other cultivator in this place, they would not be able to deal with this scenario.
Yang Kai couldn’t help becoming worried. Be it Gu Pan, Zhang Ruo Xi, Qu Hua Shang, Ning Dao Ran, Accountant, or Lang Qing Shan, none of them had a heritage as great as his. At this moment, they were probably being tortured by those illusions. It was almost certain that all the cultivators who rushed into the Blood Monster Divine Palace had encountered the same situation. Just because he could break free of those hallucinations did not mean that those people had the ability to do so!
Yang Kai looked back at the round platform and naturally Qu Hua Shang’s head was nowhere to be seen. Even the round platform was gone. Thus, he breathed out a sigh of relief. It would seem that what he saw previously was really just an illusion. Qu Hua Shang had not been beheaded after all!
Constant crackling sounds came from around him as the strange energy was steadily burned away. He took a step forward and compared to earlier, he now felt much more clear-headed. A long while passed when he suddenly heard a weak but extremely miserable cry. It sounded like somebody was going through unimaginable torture.
Yang Kai frowned slightly. He did not know whether the voice was an illusion or whether there really was somebody screaming. Just in case, he entered the Small Sealed World once more to check on his body. He confirmed that he was not affected by the evil energy before he returned to the outside world. The miserable cry sounded again, so this time around, Yang Kai could be sure that it really was somebody screaming.
After listening for a while, he followed the source of the sound and headed in that direction. He walked for a while and came to a stop in front of a ball of fire. Then, he stared at the flames solemnly. He did not know what kind of flames these were but even if they were incomparable to his Golden Crow’s True Fire, they were still quite strong. However, what shocked him was not this ball of fire but rather what was inside this ball of fire.
There was a humanoid figure inside the ball of fire. Under the burning of those flames, that figure screamed out again and again. He constantly writhed in pain. Once in a while, he would collide with the flames in an attempt to break free. However, every time he tried to do that, he would be restrained by an inexplicable force that immobilised him.
Yang Kai felt his scalp going numb with horror. The humanoid figure inside the flames was emitting the aura of a Soul Avatar! It was somebody’s Soul!
Ever since he started cultivating, Yang Kai had offended many people, and many of them had also threatened him with all sorts of things. For example, they would threaten to torture him or subject him to Soul Extraction and Refinement! Even so, those people were normally just making threats.
At this moment, he was actually witnessing a person’s Soul being continuously burned by flames but unable to die. This was the process of Soul Extraction and Refinement! The Soul was truly experiencing a fate worse than death!
Yang Kai wanted to see the identity of the Soul within the flames, but could not get a clear glimpse. That person was far too distorted. Moreover… he had the vague feeling that this Soul did not belong to any of the cultivators who came in before him. That was because the person gave off a feeling that he was once very powerful, even though he was incredibly weak now.
Just as Yang Kai was suspiciously eyeing this scene, that Soul suddenly stopped screaming or struggling. A twisted transformation revealed a face staring straight at him through the flames. It was an unfamiliar face that he had never seen before so Yang Kai subconsciously circulated his strength and raised his guard.
“Who is it!? Who is standing there!?” The person shouted through gritted teeth. It was not out of fury. It was simply because he was suffering immense pain from the flames burning his Soul at all times.
Yang Kai frowned and looked into the Soul Avatar’s eyes. Unexpectedly, he discovered that those eyes were unfocused even though the other party was looking in his general direction. In other words, that person probably could not see Yang Kai and simply sensed his presence.
[This person must have been a powerful Master in the past! Otherwise, it’s impossible for a Soul to persist for so many years!] Yang Kai couldn’t help thinking about Black Crow Divine Monarch. [Could it be that Black Crow Divine Monarch is not the only one imprisoned inside the Blood Monster Cave Heaven? Are there other High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters?]
“Who is standing there!? Speak!” That person yelled impatiently, like a wounded beast.
Yang Kai frowned, “And, who are you? Why are you being imprisoned inside those flames?”
“Me?” The Soul Avatar seemed taken aback, “I’ve forgotten who I am… Wait. You can see me?”
How could Yang Kai know that he was being imprisoned in a ball of flames unless Yang Kai could see him?
“I can see you.” Yang Kai nodded affirmatively.
“That’s impossible. What Order within the Open Heaven Realm are you? How can you see me? This place is the Nothingness Array set up by that old dog Xue Yao. It’s difficult for anybody to see through the mysteries in this place unless they are a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master. Don’t tell me… You are in the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm?”
Yang Kai replied, “I’m only in the Half-Step Open Heaven Realm…” Pausing for a moment, he firmly added, “But, I’ll become a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master one day.”
“A Half-Step Open Heaven Realm Junior…” That person seemed stunned for a moment but quickly reacted, “Did you condense High-Rank Elements?”
“Indeed!”
The figure immediately understood, “No wonder you can see me. Were you also captured and brought here by that old dog?”
Yang Kai fell silent for a moment. [Based on what he said, it is likely that Blood Monster Divine Monarch captured him, extracted his Soul, and left him to suffer the pain of being burned by these flames. How long has he suffered here? How did a Soul survive for so long without being extinguished? And, what did he do to offend Blood Monster Divine Monarch…]
After thinking about it, Yang Kai explained truthfully, “Blood Monster Divine Monarch died a long time ago and the Blood Monster Cave Heaven has turned into a Sealed World. I came here for training.”
“That old dog is dead!?” That person’s expression became rather complicated, muttering to himself for a bit before he burst out laughing, “Hahahaha! Xue Yao! So what if your strength was greater and your fist bigger!? I still lived longer than you!”
Yang Kai lightly coughed into his fist, not knowing what to say. [It’s better to die than to be stuck in this living Hell, neither dead nor alive.]
That person continued to laugh, then he suddenly burst out crying, “If that old dog is dead… then there’s no more reason for me to persevere!”
He couldn’t even remember his own name, but he never forgot Blood Monster Divine Monarch. It could be seen that there was a deep grudge between the two of them. It was also precisely because of that hatred that he had persevered until today and his Soul remained indestructible.
Soon, he composed his emotions once more. Enduring the pain from the burning flames, he said in a surprisingly calm voice, “Junior, please do me a favour.”
“What do you want me to do, Senior? This Junior’s cultivation is low and may not be able to help you.” Although Yang Kai felt sorry for what this man had experienced, he did not dare to talk too much. The main reason was his meeting with Black Crow Divine Monarch previously. All these Old Monsters who lived for countless years were not easy to deal with. He could fall into their trap at the slightest negligence.
The Soul replied, “Rest assured. It’s nothing too difficult for you. I just want you to kill me.”
Yang Kai fell silent. He had seen this person suffering a life worse than death due to the Soul Extraction and Refinement, so he was not surprised by the request. Rather than being stuck in this state, it was certainly better to die.
“Little Friend, are you still there?” The Soul asked tentatively when Yang Kai did not answer for a long time.
“I’m still here.” Yang Kai breathed out lightly, “What must I do, Senior?”
The Soul replied, “My Soul has completely integrated with this Soul Flame. As long as the Soul Flame exists, my Soul will not die. If you wish to kill me, you need to extinguish this fire. I’m sure you’ve condensed a Water Element Power, right? You only need to use it.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Please wait a moment, Senior. I will send you off!”
The Soul, who had been tortured and trapped in pain for such a long time, suddenly seemed to calm, “Many thanks, Little Friend.”
Yang Kai did not say anything else. Activating the Water Element Power in his Dao Seal, he reached out his hand towards the Soul Flame.
His Water Element Power was Seventh-Order, condensed from the Moon Essence back in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. Although it was technically of the Water Element, it leaned more heavily towards the Icy Attribute; thus, a bone-chilling cold aura permeated the air when Yang Kai drew upon it, seemingly holding a hazy ball of moonlight in the palm of his hand…
Among the Five Elements, the Water extinguished Fire. Using the Water Element Power to destroy the Soul Flame was akin to using the right tool for the right situation. If anybody else were to come here, they might not succeed even if they knew the correct method because the Order of this Soul Flame was not low. Fortunately, Yang Kai’s Water Element Power was more than enough to deal with it.
A chill spread out, wrapping around the Soul Flame. In response, the Soul Flame began to shrink at a rate visible to the naked eye.
The Soul was completely integrated with the Soul Flame, so he immediately noticed the changes, his voice calling out in a somewhat conflicted tone, “I’m finally free!”
Yang Kai asked while working, “Senior, do you have any last wishes?”
The Soul, who was sitting cross-legged within the Soul Flame, quietly waiting for death to come, laughed when he heard the question, “I don’t even remember who I am anymore. How can I still have any last wishes… Oh, that’s right! I think I used to have a Sect. What was the Sect called…” After pondering for some time, he could not remember anything; thus, he could only sigh in resignation, “Forget it. So many years have passed. I’m sure the Sect is gone by now. There’s nothing for me to worry about.”
In that short time, Yang Kai had worn the Soul Flame down with his Water Element Power until it became extremely dim. Even the Soul inside became hazy and indistinct, almost as though he was about to be completely extinguished.
Another short while passed. Be it the Soul Flame or the Soul integrated with the Soul Flame, only a faint shadow of them remained. With a crisp sound coming from the depths of the Soul, the Soul Flame disintegrated and the Soul was extinguished. The last vestiges of the Soul’s voice entered Yang Kai’s ears, “This place is the Nothingness Array set up by that Old Dog. It operates on the principle of the Five Elements mutually reinforcing each other. If you want to find the exit, you must first reverse the flow. Perhaps, you might still have a chance to survive!”
Looking at the spot where the Soul and the Soul Flame had vanished, Yang Kai couldn’t help sighing in regret. He was certain that this Soul was not inferior to Black Crow Divine Monarch. [I wonder what he did to offend Blood Monster Divine Monarch so terribly that he was subjected to the Soul Extraction and Refinement torture, unable to die even after being tormented for so many years.]
It could be seen that Blood Monster Divine Monarch was by no means a kind man. How could such a cruel and ruthless person be so kind as to leave his inheritance behind for others? Without Black Crow Divine Monarch, the Blood Monster Divine Palace would never have been found, much less opened.
Nevertheless, the words that Soul left behind before his death had given Yang Kai great inspiration. He probably wanted to reciprocate the favour. Since Yang Kai gave him eternal relief, he wanted to return the kindness in full.
It truly was as the saying went, ‘When one door closed, a window would open’.
Yang Kai immediately sat down cross-legged. [The Nothingness Array operates on the principle of the Five Elements mutually reinforcing each other. If I reverse the surrounding flow, then the Five Elements would mutually oppose each other.]
He cautiously perceived his surroundings and sure enough, it didn’t take long before Yang Kai detected the pure Five Element Powers in this vast white world. He had failed to perceive this phenomenon previously for two reasons. The first was that he had not investigated this place calmly and the second was that he had been too anxious searching for an exit. It was not until the Remnant Soul gave him a hint that he discovered this phenomenon.
At present, Yang Kai had condensed four out of the Five Elements; Wood, Fire, Earth, and Water Element. As he had yet to come across a suitable Metal Element treasure, he had not condensed his Metal Element Power. Be that as it may, he had the Yuan Magnetic Divine Bottle Gourd which contained the Sixth-Order Yuan Magnetic Divine Light, so he could use that as a replacement.
After coming to a decision, Yang Kai didn’t hesitate. [Regardless of the circumstances, there’s no harm in trying. It will be great if I can find the exit. In any case, it’s not too late to figure out another solution if I fail to locate one!]
Taking out the Yuan Magnetic Divine Bottle Gourd, he opened the lid and focused his mind. He then quietly drew on the four Powers in his Dao Seal and guided the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light out of the Yuan Magnetic Divine Bottle Gourd. Following that, he activated them in a sequence where the Five Elements mutually suppressed each other. In an instant, the energy in his surroundings surged violently and bursts of crackling sounds kept ringing out.
When Yang Kai activated the Wood Element Power, he suddenly remembered the Wood Element Divine Ability that he had the fortune to comprehend earlier. The situation had been too urgent back then, so he had no time to study it further. It would now seem that the Wood Element Divine Ability contained more than mere defensive abilities. There were even more aspects to it that he had yet to discover. Unfortunately, the current situation was not the right time to ponder about this Wood Element Divine Ability either. [I have to find a time to research this Divine Ability properly once I leave the Blood Monster Cave Heaven.]
The Power of the Five Elements circulated endlessly, mutually suppressing each other.
Yang Kai separated a thread of his consciousness to monitor the changes in his surroundings; however, nothing happened even after waiting for a long time.
This situation made his heart sink. He did not suspect the Soul of lying to him as, generally speaking, the words of a dying man tend to be the truth. The Soul had been tortured by Blood Monster Divine Monarch for so many years so it was highly unlikely for him to leave behind lies when Yang Kai was the one to relieve him of his suffering. There could only be two reasons for this outcome. Either Yang Kai’s strength was insufficient or the Soul was so confused that he remembered wrongly. The Soul had been tortured for so many years that he forgot his own name, so it was possible that his memory was flawed.
An idea came to Yang Kai the moment that thought crossed his mind. He reversed the Power of the Five Elements once more, instantly transforming the cycle so that the Five Elements mutually reinforced each other!
As soon as he completed the change, he suddenly noticed the faint outline of a step appearing in front of him! Yang Kai’s expression bloomed in excitement, but before he could take a closer look, the step vanished out of sight again.
[I’m confident that what I saw just now is not an illusion. It’s a real staircase, even if it’s only one step…] Stopping the movements of his hands, Yang Kai considered for a brief moment. Then, he repeated his previous action. Sure enough, the step appeared before him again. It was just that the step vanished out of sight once more when he blanked out in astonishment. Soon however, a light flashed through Yang Kai’s eyes and seemed to have understood something.
He breathed out softly and stood up. Activating his Dao Seal and the power of the Yuan Magnetic Divine Bottle Gourd, he drew on the Five Elements and the step appeared before him again.
This time around, he did not hesitate. Simultaneously climbing the step, he repeated his previous action once more and the second step appeared…
Yang Kai did not hesitate and stepped forward. The Power of the Five Elements surged around him, mutually suppressing then mutually reinforcing one another in a cycle. The third step appeared under his feet.
In the beginning, Yang Kai moved fast but cautiously. It was not until he verified the conjectures in his heart that he no longer held back. Every time he put his foot down, the next step would appear beneath his feet at a suitable time. The higher he walked, the further he went. His footsteps were steady, almost as though he wanted to walk above the clouds and slip through the barriers of the sky.
He did not know how long had passed, but it felt like he had climbed at least a thousand steps. At one point, he lifted his foot and realised that there were no further steps in front of him. His first reaction was shock. He originally thought that he had made a mistake somewhere and caused something to go wrong as a result, but when he looked ahead, he discovered that he had somehow appeared in a Grand Hall.
Looking back, there was no sign of a staircase and even the world of white was gone.
[I’m out!] Yang Kai felt a mixture of astonishment and joy. The Soul had not remembered the method to break the Grand Array wrongly, it was just that what he recalled was incomplete. It was fortunate that Yang Kai had a flexible mind; otherwise, he might not have been able to escape that strange Grand Array.
There was a whirring noise coming from the side, similar to the pumping of an old and broken bellows. Yang Kai turned to look and immediately became horrified. Taking a large step backward, he retreated into the distance and shouted through gritted teeth, “Hei Ya!”
[I can’t believe I’m meeting Black Crow Divine Monarch here!] At this point, how could he not realise that this old bastard had tricked everybody?
Earlier, Black Crow Divine Monarch had to borrow everybody’s power to break the barrier around the Blood Monster Divine Palace and distract the Seventh-Order Monster Beast guarding it. For that reason, he had given a lot of sweet promises to the others. He even went so far as to swear a blood oath on his Dao Seal, claiming that he would not attack anybody once they entered the Blood Monster Divine Palace as long as they did not provoke him first!
His attitude had been extremely sincere, which was why everybody willingly cooperated with him; after all, the Blood Monster Divine Palace would surely contain many treasures. It was not easy for them to arrive this far, so who would not want to go in and take a look around?
Even Yang Kai had been extremely tempted, but after his experience just now, how could he not understand that everybody had fallen for Black Crow Divine Monarch’s schemes?
Black Crow Divine Monarch clearly knew about the white world. He also knew that anybody who tried to enter the Blood Monster Divine Palace would fall into that Nothingness Array. However, he alone knew the way out. If everybody else was trapped inside the Grand Array and he alone could escape, then wouldn’t that mean that the entire Blood Monster Divine Palace would belong to him?
If Yang Kai had not received guidance from that Remnant Soul, he would not have been able to escape this quickly either. What he did not expect was that he would come face to face with Black Crow Divine Monarch as soon as he entered the Grand Hall.
Similarly, Black Crow Divine Monarch was as shocked as Yang Kai. His eyes widened as large as eggs and he breathed rapidly as though he had seen a ghost, blurting out incredulously, “Brat, why are you here!?”
Yang Kai coldly snorted, “That’s what I wanted to ask you.”
Upon taking a closer look, Yang Kai realised that Black Crow Divine Monarch was severely injured and covered in blood.
Black Crow Divine Monarch looked as though he had undergone enormous pressure. Despite his knowledge about the mysteries of the Nothingness Array, it would seem that escaping had still taken quite a lot of effort from him. It was no surprise considering that he had possessed Zhou Yi’s body. Zhou Yi was simply a Great Thousand Blood Land disciple who had condensed Fifth-Order Elements. There was quite a large gap between his foundation and Yang Kai’s.
Black Crow Divine Monarch probably received those injuries during his escape from the Nothingness Array.
Recalling the blood oath Black Crow Divine Monarch made just now, Yang Kai’s expression became calm. [What is there to fear? He is restricted by his own blood oath inside the Blood Monster Divine Palace. As long as I don’t provoke him, he cannot attack me.]
Yang Kai flicked his wrist and put away the Divine Ability Bead given to him by the Proprietress; then, he coldly asked, “Hei Ya, where are the others?”
Black Crow Divine Monarch chuckled, “Why ask when you already know the answer? They are stuck in the same place you just came out from.”
[I was right!] Yang Kai previously suspected that everybody who entered through the gates of the Blood Monster Divine Palace would fall into that world of pure white. Now that he received confirmation from Black Crow Divine Monarch.
This knowledge made Yang Kai so furious that his teeth hurt. The Nothingness Array was not only incredibly peculiar, but also filled with deadly dangers. There was no saying what kind of fate one might face inside that place.
It could be said that everybody had been tricked by Black Crow Divine Monarch. They had helped him open the Blood Monster Divine Palace only to be trapped in the Nothingness Array.
Yang Kai was very tempted to summon the Azure Dragon Spear and stab this bastard to death!
“This Monarch is truly astonished. I can’t believe you escaped that place in such a short time. You truly are extraordinary.” Black Crow Divine Monarch looked at Yang Kai with admiration. The only reason he made it this far so quickly was that he had known about the Nothingness Array in advance. On the other hand, Yang Kai managed to reach this place despite knowing nothing. His aptitude and comprehension ability were simply astonishing.
Yang Kai ground his teeth and said, “The only thing I want to know right now is how I can get them out.”
Black Crow Divine Monarch grinned meaningfully, “You want to save them? It’s simple. You just need to refine the Blood Monster Divine Palace. If you successfully refine the Blood Monster Divine Palace, forget rescuing them, it won’t be difficult for you to control the entire Blood Monster Cave Heaven.”
Yang Kai stiffened at those words, “Has your aim been to snatch the Blood Monster Cave Heaven all along?”
Based on what Black Crow Divine Monarch said, it was clear that he planned to refine the Blood Monster Divine Palace and take control of the entire Blood Monster Cave Heaven. How could Yang Kai tolerate something like that? If Black Crow Divine Monarch succeeded in his endeavour, then the lives of all the people in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven would fall into his hands!
“Why else did you think this Monarch spent so much effort to come here?” Black Crow Divine Monarch stared at Yang Kai with a measured look and quickly said, “Junior, you’re a talented one. In the future, you will achieve greatness. If you submit to this Monarch, I will share a portion of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven with you. What do you think?”
“Good!” Yang Kai agreed readily, “Tell me how to refine the Blood Monster Divine Palace first.”
Black Crow Divine Monarch snorted with disdain, “The opportunity is right in front of your eyes, but you don’t know how to grasp it. Junior, you are so short-sighted. It will cost you your life one day!”
After saying that, his body shuddered and turned into a blood cloud that rushed to the back.
Yang Kai exclaimed, “Where are you going!?”
At this moment, Yang Kai couldn’t care less about Black Crow Divine Monarch’s blood oath anymore. He immediately pushed his Space Principles to imprison the world around Black Crow Divine Monarch. However, the blood cloud abruptly exploded and shot out in all directions. Although Yang Kai managed to trap most of the blood lights, some still slipped through his fingers.
*Xiu…*
The blood lights transformed into several clusters of blood that flew about inside the Grand Hall, but Black Crow Divine Monarch was nowhere to be seen.
Yang Kai gnashed his teeth, knowing that Black Crow Divine Monarch was not afraid of him. Rather, Black Crow Divine Monarch was simply eager to refine the Blood Monster Divine Palace and did not want to be held up here. How could Yang Kai allow such a thing though? He immediately chased after Black Crow Divine Monarch.
At this moment, Yang Kai was the only other person aside from Black Crow Divine Monarch who could move freely inside the Blood Monster Divine Palace. If Yang Kai failed to stop Black Crow Divine Monarch and the latter successfully refined this place, he would gain total control over the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. Everybody would end up enslaved by Hei Ya as a result. It would be a life worse than death!
Be that as it may, Yang Kai had no idea which direction Black Crow Divine Monarch was heading. The Grand Hall was connected to the rest of the palace and there were many corridors heading in different directions; thus, he could only choose a direction at random in his pursuit of Black Crow Divine Monarch.
Rushing out of the Grand Hall, Yang Kai arrived at a long corridor with rooms on either side. He frowned and came to stand in front of one of the rooms. After investigating with his Divine Sense and confirming that there were no dangers inside, he pushed open the door and entered the room.
What he saw stunned him for a moment. It was probably a woman’s bedroom. Yang Kai might not know the identity of the owner, but the furnishings in the room gave off a feminine aura. It was just that too much time had passed and everything inside had long ago rotted away. The slight gust of wind that stirred up from when he opened the door caused many things to disintegrate into dust.
Yang Kai glanced around and determined that there was nothing of value inside the room. There were no signs of Black Crow Divine Monarch either, so he immediately left. He then pushed open the door to another room and found that it was rather similar to the previous room.
After investigating the rooms one by one, Yang Kai found nothing at all. This area seemed to be filled with women’s bedrooms; thus, he secretly guessed that this place used to be the living quarters of Blood Monster Divine Monarch’s harem. Blood Monster Divine Monarch was an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master after all, so it was not strange for him to have several women by his side. Even so, his women couldn’t survive until today when he himself had already passed away.
Passing through the harem, Yang Kai arrived at another Grand Hall. This Grand Hall covered an extremely large area. Moreover, it was surrounded by strange and seemingly indestructible stones that emitted a constant brilliant light.
Looking around, Yang Kai couldn’t help but shudder. There were many cages inside the Grand Hall. Furthermore, these cages were filled with many Monster Beast skeletons. Some were as small as one’s palm while others were several metres tall. These Monster Beasts came in all shapes and sizes. The list could go on forever. It could be conceived that countless Monster Beasts had once been imprisoned here a long time ago. With the passage of time though, they had reached the end of their lifespans and finally died.
Yang Kai walked over to one of the cages and studied the pile of bones. When he noticed a dull and faded bead among the bones, a sudden thought came to him and he immediately retrieved it.
Upon careful investigation, however, Yang Kai sighed. This dull and faded bead turned out to be the Monster Core of a Monster Beast. Judging from the weak aura remaining in this Monster Core, this Monster Beast used to be a Fifth-Order Monster Beast at the very least. It was just that too much time had passed. The Monster Beast Core had not been properly preserved, so most of the energy within had dissipated. A Monster Beast Core like this had very little value.
Weaving through the Grand Hall, Yang Kai found Monster Core after Monster Core that had long lost their value. He even suspected that some were Seventh-Order Monster Cores; thus, he couldn’t help feeling his heart ache. If these Monster Cores had retained their usefulness, then he would no longer need to worry about cultivation resources.
This place seemed to be where Blood Monster Divine Monarch used to research Monster Beasts. He was proficient in the Dao of Blood and the Dao of Beast Taming, but that was not all. He also managed to modify Monster Beasts so that they only had singular Attributes in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. It was proof of his supreme attainments in the Dao of Beast Taming.
Unlike in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, the Monster Beast Cores in the outside world would normally have a complex mix of Elements. Not many of them could be refined and used by cultivators directly. However, the Monster Beast Cores in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven were different in the sense that they could be used directly as Open Heaven resources. If this method was leaked to the outside world, the various Cave-Heavens and Paradises would surely scramble over themselves to get their hands on it.
[Since this place used to be where Blood Monster Divine Monarch did his research on the Monster Beasts, wouldn’t he have left some notes here?] Yang Kai had a sudden idea and carefully searched the surrounding area. It didn’t take long before he found a few remaining jade slips lying around. He carefully picked these jade slips up and confirmed that they were not damaged. Only then did he immerse his Divine Sense into the jade slips to check their contents.
A short while later, he revealed a look of pure joy. These jade slips might not contain information that fully described the methods to nurture these Monster Beasts, but there were some scattered records within them.
There were many parts that Yang Kai did not understand; however, that was not a problem. Martial Beast Great Emperor, Mo Huang, would surely be very interested in these research notes; after all, he rose to the status of Great Emperor by cultivating the Dao of Beast Taming.
Yang Kai solemnly put these jade slips away. Afterwards, he circled around the Grand Hall once more. When he confirmed that he had not missed anything else, he finally continued to head deeper into the palace.
There were many Grand Halls and rooms in this place, but most of them were empty. Apart from those jade slips, Yang Kai did not find anything else that was of value. It was not that this place did not contain great treasures, it was just that too much time had passed and many of these treasures had long since lost their spirituality. Take for example the Monster Cores he came across earlier. Some of those Monster Cores were originally Seventh-Order resources. Unfortunately, they had long since lost their effects and became worthless as a result. Yang Kai also found some artifacts that were of very high quality, but their aura was so dim that they could not be refined at all.
It could be seen that the rosy picture that Black Crow Divine Monarch had previously painted in front of everybody was nothing more than a bunch of nonsense. He simply wanted to borrow their strength to help break the barrier of the Blood Monster Divine Palace. There was no saying where he was hiding at the moment. He might even be refining the Blood Monster Divine Palace right now!
Even if Yang Kai wanted to search for Black Crow Divine Monarch though, he had no idea where to even begin. As such, he could only proceed one step at a time.
At a certain moment, Yang Kai pushed open the door of a room and was surprised to discover a large Alchemy Furnace inside. There were many wooden shelves in the surroundings which contained various herbs and jade bottles.
[Is this the Pill Refining Room?] Yang Kai’s heart skipped a beat in excitement. Blood Monster Divine Monarch was an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so the things that he would keep in this place would surely be of high quality!
Be that as it may, Yang Kai was disappointed once more when he stepped forward to examine the shelves. There were many herbs on the wooden shelves. Not only were they of very high quality, but they also had various barriers and methods cast on them to preserve them. It was just that far too long had passed so most of the barriers had lost their effects, causing these herbs to lose most of their medical efficacy.
It was the jade bottles that Yang Kai held out some hope for. After checking through the rows of jade bottles, he finally obtained some results. Most of the Spirit Pills in the jade bottles had lost their effects, but Blood Monster Divine Monarch seemed to be fairly skilled in Alchemy. Quite a few of the Spirit Pills here had Pill Veins.
Once a Spirit Pill produced Pills Veins, they would retain their efficacy no matter how much time passed as long as they were properly stored. They would be even more incredible if they formed Pills Clouds, in which case their medicinal efficacies would continue to increase with the passing of time.
Spirit Pills with Pill Clouds were extremely difficult to refine. Many Alchemists might never even refine a single Spirit Pill that formed Pill Clouds in their entire lifetime. Yang Kai had refined countless Spirit Pills since he first started cultivating, but the number which formed Pill Clouds could be counted on one hand.
There were no Spirit Pills with Pill Clouds in this place, but there were quite a few with Pill Veins. Moreover, there was quite a wide variety of them. Some were used to facilitate cultivation and some were for healing purposes. There were also some Yang Kai did not recognise. Nevertheless, he swept all of them into his Space Ring without exception.
When he picked up one of the jade bottles to investigate the content, he couldn’t help but frown as it only had a single Open Heaven Pill.
Blood Monster Divine Monarch was an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so why would he place a bottle with a single Open Heaven Pill here with such solemnity?
What surprised Yang Kai even more was that this Open Heaven Pill still retained its medical efficacies.
He casually tossed the bottle into his Space Ring, but just as he was about to continue with his search, he froze in surprise. [That can’t be right. If that really was an Open Heaven Pill, then it should have lost all its medical efficacies over the years. It’s impossible for them to be preserved so perfectly. Besides… that Open Heaven Pill seemed a little different from the other Open Heaven Pills that I’ve seen before.]
Yang Kai quickly took the jade bottle out again and opened it and poured out the single Open Heaven Pill. At a glance, there was no doubt that it was an Open Heaven Pill. Both the size and colour of the Spirit Pill were almost identical to that of a common Open Heaven Pill, but even so, Yang Kai could clearly sense that this Spirit Pill contained an energy that was countless times stronger than ordinary. There was also… a faint hint of the World Force leaking out of this Open Heaven Pill.
Yang Kai’s Divine Sense surged as he immersed it into the Spirit Pill to investigate.
*Hong…*
A wave of dizziness swept over him as it felt as though he had tried to sweep his Divine Sense over an entire Small World; his Soul shaken under the oppression of the World Force. That was not all. A distinct kind of Grand Dao aura emanated from this Open Heaven Pill, making him feel enlightened all of a sudden.
Sucking in a breath of cold air, Yang Kai focused his mind and studied the Spirit Pill in his hand intently. It was not until this moment that he noticed that there were countless fine and delicate patterns on this Open Heaven Pill. These patterns intertwined with each other and covered the entire surface of the Spirit Pill, seeming to contain 10,000 Grand Daos within them. These patterns made a person subconsciously yearn to investigate them further.
These were neither Pill Veins nor Pill Clouds. More importantly, this Spirit Pill was definitely not an ordinary Open Heaven Pill.
Yang Kai suddenly thought of a possibility that excited him so much that his hands trembled.
When he set off from the Star Boundary, Zhang Ruo Xi had once explained to him about the use of Open Heaven Pills. Open Heaven Pills were generally used by Open Heaven Realm Masters to increase their strength. They were also the hard currency used throughout the 3,000 Worlds.
It was just that there were limits to consuming Open Heaven Pills for advancement. Generally, one could only increase their Order twice by consuming Open Heaven Pills, and they became completely useless after that.
The cultivators who had reached this point had also reached the limits of their strength; however, those who were lucky enough to find Innate Open Heaven Pills could go a step further!
The Heavens never sealed off all hope, so there was always a path forward, no matter how narrow and dangerous. There was a mysterious Supreme Treasure in this vast universe known as the Universe Furnace. Most of the time, the Universe Furnace was hidden in the Void and it was something most people would never have the chance to encounter. The Universe Furnace drew upon the very essence of the Universe to produce Innate Open Heaven Pills. These Innate Open Heaven Pills not only had incredibly potent medical efficacies but also carried no side effects for cultivators.
It was rumoured that the cultivation and Order of a cultivator could be improved continuously without any risk or hidden dangers as long as one had enough Innate Open Heaven Pills.
Be that as it may, these Innate Open Heaven Pills were extraordinarily rare and a reign of terror would be unleashed every time the Universe Furnace appeared. Even the Cave-Heavens and Paradises would do everything in their power to snatch these naturally-formed Open Heaven Pills. That was why they were considered treasures that ordinary cultivators would never even lay eyes on. Not many people even knew what these Innate Open Heaven Pills looked like.
The Open Heaven Pills circulating in the 3,000 Worlds today were actually imitations of the Innate ones refined by Alchemists in the ancient past. There was a large difference between imitations and the genuine product, be it in terms of medicinal efficacies or effects.
Yang Kai gulped nervously. He was almost certain that this Spirit Pill in his hand was a legendary Universe Furnace Open Heaven Pill!
Thinking about it carefully though, it was not that surprising. Blood Monster Divine Monarch was an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so it would not be impossible for him to obtain such a treasure.
This bottle contained only one Spirit Pill, but although this one pill did not seem significant or useful, its value was practically immeasurable. Just imagine; a cultivator who had initially broken through to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm then spent countless years and energy to finally advance to the peak Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Unfortunately, this was the pinnacle of his or her life and the limit of their Martial Dao.
At this point, they could not increase their strength again no matter how many Open Heaven Pills they consumed or how many cultivation resources they refined. However, this Innate Open Heaven Pill gave a glimmer of hope in that desperate situation! If that were the case, they would probably agree to any condition just to obtain it.
This Spirit Pill was simply priceless!
Yang Kai’s heart pounded with excitement. Regardless of whatever else he gained, this trip to the Blood Monster Cave Heaven would be worthwhile just with this pill alone.
Yang Kai took a moment to compose himself. Although he was almost certain that what he received was the legendary item, he would still need the Proprietress to verify whether it was genuine; after all, she had far more experience and a better eye than him and would definitely be able to tell whether they were real or fake.
Placing this bottle into the Small Sealed World, Yang Kai continued to look around. The results made him very excited. He actually found 5 bottles with Innate Open Heaven Pills! In other words, he now had 5 of these Spirit Pills!
Yang Kai did not know how many Innate Open Heaven Pills an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would need to consume to advance into the Ninth-Order, but since these 5 pills were stored so carefully here, they would definitely be of at least some use!
Compared to these 5 Spirit Pills, all the other gains he obtained up until now could only be regarded as bonuses. Yang Kai quickly stored them away and looted the rest of the Spirit Pills that could still be used. He didn’t even spare the furnace.
Void Land would surely need to refine their own Open Heaven Pills in the future, and this Alchemy Furnace belonged to Blood Monster Divine Monarch, so it would definitely be of great quality. It would be perfect if he brought this back for Wondrous Pill Great Emperor to use.
Yang Kai exited the Pill Room and continued his search. It was just that he seemed to have used up all his good luck now and had no gains for a while after that.
All of a sudden, he heard a loud rumbling sound coming from the depths of the Blood Monster Divine Palace. This phenomenon made his expression change drastically
At this moment, the only one who could move about freely inside the Blood Monster Divine Palace aside from him was Black Crow Divine Monarch. Seeing as he was not the one creating this sound, then it had to be the doing of Black Crow Divine Monarch. Such a large commotion could only mean that Black Crow Divine Monarch had already begun to refine the Blood Monster Divine Palace.
Yang Kai became desperate. He hurriedly followed the source of the sound but could not find Black Crow Divine Monarch no matter where he searched. On the other hand, the rumbling sounds could occasionally be heard from a certain direction in the Blood Monster Divine Palace. These sounds were extremely upsetting.
He searched for another hour only to find no clues, causing him to grind his teeth hard. If Black Crow Divine Monarch succeeded at refining the Blood Monster Divine Palace, then he would be able to control the entire Blood Monster Cave Heaven. At that time, everybody’s life or death would be his to control.
Moreover, Yang Kai had greatly offended Black Crow Divine Monarch, so the first person to die would undoubtedly be him. It was impossible to retreat now, not unless the Blood Monster Cave Heaven opened again and ejected them all.
Just as he was at a loss for what to do, Yang Kai suddenly had a tingling feeling in his heart and he turned to look in a certain direction while shouting, “Who!?”
What he saw made his expression freeze in surprise. There was a bright figure floating in mid-air and staring at him expressionlessly. This figure looked like a seven or eight-year-old boy. He seemed to exist between the lines of ethereal and corporeal. Moreover, he wore a child’s traditional outfit. His hair was tied into a braid, making him look very soft and adorable. It was just that his expression was so cold that it was terrifying. Even his gaze gave off an air of indifference.
Yang Kai frowned. This child was clearly not a living creature as he could not sense the slightest hint of vitality coming from the other party. The boy was not a dead creature or a Yin Soul either because he did not give off a gloomy feeling. Rather, he gave Yang Kai a vague sense of familiarity. It felt as though they had met somewhere before… But, Yang Kai could not recall where at the moment.
“Child, who are you?” Yang Kai asked, watching the other party warily.
The child swept his eyes over Yang Kai and said, “I can offer you a fateful encounter. Do you want it?”
It was a child’s voice but it spoke in an old-fashioned manner, so it sounded extremely strange to the ears.
“What do you mean by fateful encounter?” Yang Kai remained unmoved.
The child replied, “This world!”
Yang Kai immediately sneered in response, “Such a small child, but what arrogance! What gives you the right to offer this world to me in the name of a fateful encounter?”
The child calmly said, “You only need to swear a Dao Oath to obey me in the future. Then, I can give you this world.”
Yang Kai rolled his eyes and pursed his lips, “Such a small child spouting such nonsense. Aren’t you afraid that the wind might slice off your tongue? I can’t believe you want me to swear a Dao Oath…”
While speaking, Yang Kai seemed to recall something. He looked the young boy up and down, then he exclaimed in astonishment, “Are you the Artifact Spirit of this place?”
He finally recalled why this small child gave him such a familiar feeling. This was clearly the aura of an Artifact Spirit, similar to how Liu Yan used to be. Combined with the child’s seemingly shameless boasting, how could Yang Kai not realise the truth?
The child nodded, “That’s right. I am the Artifact Spirit of the Blood Monster Divine Palace.”
Yang Kai’s expression turned serious, “Isn’t there somebody refining the Blood Monster Divine Palace right now?”
“Yes!” The child nodded.
Yang Kai became greatly anxious, “If somebody is refining the Blood Monster Divine Palace, then why are you still wasting time here with me!? Why aren’t you stopping him!?”
The child shook his head, “I am just an Artifact Spirit. I can’t stop anybody from refining me, no matter who comes to do so.”
Yang Kai frowned at those words, “Didn’t you just say you can give me this world? Doesn’t that mean you want me to refine the Blood Monster Divine Palace?”
“That’s right.”
“Why?” Yang Kai was truly puzzled.
“The one who is trying to refine the Blood Monster Divine Palace right now is a great enemy of my Master. I don’t want him to inherit the Blood Monster Divine Palace. So, I came to you.”
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up at those words. This Artifact Spirit was the Artifact Spirit of the Blood Monster Divine Palace, so he definitely inherited a part of Blood Monster Divine Monarch’s will. It made sense that he would instinctively hate Black Crow Divine Monarch, and at this moment, the only one who could move around in the Blood Monster Divine Palace aside from Black Crow Divine Monarch was Yang Kai. That meant that he basically had no other choice!
Yang Kai excitedly said, “Sounds good! Hurry up and tell me how to refine the Blood Monster Divine Palace.”
The Artifact Spirit said, “You must first swear a Dao Oath to obey me in the future.”
Yang Kai snarled furiously, “How dare a trivial Artifact Spirit speak so arrogantly? You truly don’t know your place!” [Sure enough; this place is a den of rats and snakes. Blood Monster Divine Monarch was not a good thing during his lifetime, so it makes sense that the Artifact Spirit born from the Blood Monster Divine Palace wouldn’t be good either. I can’t believe he wants to control me.]
“Don’t you want the Blood Monster Divine Palace? Don’t you want the Blood Monster Cave Heaven?” The Artifact Spirit looked at Yang Kai curiously, seeming not to understand why Yang Kai would refuse him.
Yang Kai coldly snorted, “What is there in this vast world that can compare to my freedom?”
The Artifact Spirit said, “If you can refine the Blood Monster Divine Palace, then everything in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven will be under your control. You will have endless resources at your fingertips. With enough time, you might even grow to rival the heights of my Master. What is losing a little bit of your freedom in comparison? Besides, I won’t make you do anything that will trouble you even if you swear the Dao Oath. I just want to protect myself.”
Yang Kai looked at the Artifact Spirit in surprise, “You even understand the art of temptation! It looks like your sentience is not that low.” Shaking his head, he continued, “But, you don’t need to waste your efforts on me. I cannot agree with your condition.”
There was no guarantee that he would die even if Black Crow Divine Monarch refined the Blood Monster Divine Palace. On the contrary, his life would be forfeited the moment he agreed to this Artifact Spirit’s condition.
The Artifact Spirit scowled deeply.
Yang Kai said, “Black Crow Divine Monarch was a great enemy of your Master. If he is allowed to refine the Blood Monster Divine Palace, do you think he will tolerate your existence? It’s a given that he will immediately wipe out your sentience. If not for that, you would not have come to me on your own. Since you need my help, then don’t bother trying to force such nonsensical conditions on me. Why don’t we cooperate instead?”
The Artifact Spirit asked, “How do we cooperate?”
Yang Kai relaxed slightly when he saw the Artifact Spirit’s attitude. This Artifact Spirit might have some measure of sentience, but he was not a living creature. Seeing as he could ask this question though, then there was room for negotiation.
“Take me to Hei Ya. I will help you to stop him from refining.”
“I’m afraid you won’t be able to stop him,” The Artifact Spirit shook his head disbelieving.
“If I don’t try, how will you know?” Yang Kai looked at the Artifact Spirit, “Compared to standing here waiting for your death, why don’t you take a gamble instead?”
The Artifact Spirit fell silent for a while and only after a long time passed did he respond, “Come with me.”
While saying that, he drifted in a certain direction at an extremely high speed.
Yang Kai did not hesitate and quickly followed.
The Artifact Spirit was born from the Blood Monster Divine Palace, so it was only natural that he knew this place better than anybody else. Yang Kai followed closely behind him, twisting and turning inside the various halls and corridors.
After travelling for a whole quarter hour, Yang Kai suddenly found himself inside a Grand Hall. The Grand Hall was completely empty, with only a Grand Array glowing faintly on the ground. At this moment, a figure was sitting cross-legged at one corner of the Grand Array. Who else could it be but Black Crow Divine Monarch who had taken possession of Zhou Yi’s body?
Blood mist was spreading out from Black Crow Divine Monarch’s body. The crimson-red Blood Qi frantically expanded outward, trying to fill the patterns of the Grand Array. Following his unrelenting actions, the entire Blood Monster Divine Palace rumbled in response.
With a single glance, Yang Kai knew that he could not allow Black Crow Divine Monarch to finish refining the Grand Array in this place. Once Black Crow Divine Monarch finished, then control of the Blood Monster Divine Palace would fall into his hands.
It was obvious that Black Crow Divine Monarch had been refining the Grand Array for some time now. At this moment, approximately 10% of the Grand Array had been taken over by him. The places where he refined were filled with blood mist while the rest of the area was still dull.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai breathed a sigh of relief when he saw this situation. He was not too late yet. Even if he rushed over, there was nothing he could do to stop Black Crow Divine Monarch if too much progress had already been made in the refinement process.
“Artifact Spirit, how dare you disrupt this Monarch’s plans!? The first thing I’m going to do when I finish refining this Blood Monster Divine Palace is to extinguish your Soul!” Black Crow Divine Monarch immediately snapped hatefully when he looked up to see Yang Kai and the Artifact Spirit. After saying that, he turned to Yang Kai and snarled through gritted teeth, “Boy, you’re such a persistent little bastard! Why do you keep getting in this Monarch’s way!? Damn you!”
“Enough nonsense, Hei Ya! Hand over your life!” Yang Kai shouted. Lifting a hand, he summoned the Azure Dragon Spear. A black hole the size of a fist swirled above the tip of the spear, containing Heaven-destroying and Earth-shattering power. When the spear thrust out, everything around it collapsed.
Rupture!
Black Crow Divine Monarch’s expression changed slightly and the layer of blood mist surrounding his body immediately became denser. At the same time, the area around him turned into a Blood Sea.
Yang Kai plunged into the Blood Sea and fervently attacked with everything he had; however, he could not tell North from South or even up from down inside the Blood Sea. He was unable to determine Black Crow Divine Monarch’s location, much less kill him. In the end, he rushed out of the Blood Sea with an extremely ugly expression after attacking fruitlessly for some time.
Black Crow Divine Monarch’s mocking voice came out from within the Blood Sea, “Junior, you don’t know the immensity of Heaven and Earth! You overestimate yourself just because you’re a little capable! Your little tricks are nothing more than pitiful tricks in this Monarch’s eyes. If you want to play so much, then this Monarch will play with you. You better play to your heart’s content!”
The Blood Sea squirmed and a large number of Blood Crow’s charged out from it, clawing loudly. The noise they made was extremely distracting as they swooped down on Yang Kai in an overwhelming manner.
Yang Kai quickly raised his spear and thrust out rapidly. Blood Crow after Blood Crow exploded into blood mist, but they could not be killed completely.
On the contrary, Black Crow Divine Monarch did not stop refining the Grand Array during the battle with Yang Kai. In fact, his blood mist continued to spread towards the middle of the Grand Array at even greater speed!
“What you’re doing is not working.” The Artifact Spirit spoke up from the side, “Nobody can stop him anymore once he finishes refining the Grand Array.”
How could Yang Kai not know that forceful methods were ineffective? It was just that he was currently riding a tiger and had no other solutions to the problem at hand.
“Quickly enter the Grand Array to compete with him for the right of control over the Grand Array,” the Artifact Spirit added.
Yang Kai grimly replied, “It looks like that’s the only way!”
With a flicker of his body, Yang Kai swept out his spear and turned countless Blood Crows into mere splattered blood. Then, he arrived at the opposite corner of the Grand Array in a flash. His Divine Sense surged and burrowed into the Grand Array as he frantically began refining it.
Upon seeing Yang Kai’s actions, how could Black Crow Divine Monarch allow this situation to continue? He controlled the countless Blood Crows to madly swarm Yang Kai.
However, Yang Kai was as steady as a rock. Separating his consciousness, he continued refining the Grand Array while simultaneously dealing with the Blood Crows. Yang Kai’s Divine Sense was immensely powerful; moreover, he also had the support of a Supreme Treasure like the Soul Warming Lotus. Hence, it was not difficult for him to do two things at once. It was just that he could not move once he started refining the Grand Array, so he could only stand there and become a target for the Blood Crows. This enraged him greatly!
On opposite sides of the Grand Array, Black Crow Divine Monarch and Yang Kai sat. They were both competing for the right of control over the Grand Array. The person who succeeded in completely refining the Grand Array would have total control over the Blood Monster Divine Palace.
As the Blood Monster Divine Palace was the core of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, controlling the Blood Monster Divine Palace was equivalent to controlling the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. It could be said that the lives of the natives and Monster Beasts, as well as all the people who entered the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, were resting on Yang Kai’s shoulders alone.
However, Yang Kai’s expression soon turned ugly. That was because he discovered that Black Crow Divine Monarch was much faster at refining the Grand Array compared to him.
The blood mist had already occupied 20% of the Grand Array in such a short amount of time. It would not take more than a few more hours for Black Crow Divine Monarch to completely refine it. In the first place, he had begun refining before Yang Kai. This increase in speed clearly indicated that Hei Ya was also working hard to move faster. Thus, it would be difficult for Yang Kai to catch up to him at this rate.
Yang Kai gritted his teeth and yelled, “Artifact Spirit, help me!”
The Artifact Spirit shook his head and said, “There’s nothing I can do. Although I was born from this place, my Master has restricted what I can do.”
Yang Kai was so furious that he nearly spat blood, “Then, why were you shamelessly boasting that you can give me this world earlier!?”
He thought that he could easily refine the Blood Monster Divine Palace if he cooperated with the Artifact Spirit. Only now did he realise that he was greatly mistaken.
The Artifact Spirit said, “Although I cannot help you, I can explain the mysteries of the Grand Array to you. Whether or not you can comprehend these mysteries will depend entirely on you.”
“Explain them then!”
The Artifact Spirit immediately began teaching, while Yang Kai listened attentively. By combining the information with the situation in front of him, there was no doubt that his refining speed improved greatly; even so, it was still difficult for him to catch up to Black Crow Divine Monarch’s progress.
As time passed, the Grand Array was gradually flooded with two different colours. One was Black Crow Divine Monarch’s crimson while the other was Yang Kai’s black. Nevertheless, it was very obvious that the area occupied by Black Crow Divine Monarch was much larger than Yang Kai’s. In this huge Grand Array, Black Crow Divine Monarch occupied a little more than 60% of the territory while Yang Kai only occupied some 30% or so.
In the beginning, things had remained somewhat peaceful when they were both refining separately, but once all the parts of the Grand Array had been filled with their respective energies, a clash between them would become inevitable.
Looking down from above, the Grand Array that controlled the Blood Monster Divine Palace was like a large plate. Black Crow Divine Monarch currently held some 65% of the plate while Yang Kai held the rest. If they wanted to occupy the entire plate, then they would first have to drive out their opponent’s power.
When their powers bordered on each other, Yang Kai’s body stiffened. He could feel an immense force rumbling towards him from the opposite side, giving him the feeling that the opposing force was unstoppable. Be that as it may, he had no choice but to defend even if it was futile. He hurriedly urged the part of the Grand Array that he controlled and viciously slammed his energy forward.
*Pu…*
Yang Kai spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. On the other hand, Black Crow Divine Monarch just swayed slightly in response.
In this collision, who was stronger was abundantly clear. Black Crow Divine Monarch had obviously occupied the absolute advantage. This was not something that could be helped. The two of them were currently fighting with their respective control over the Grand Array, it had nothing to do with their personal strength.
For that reason, Black Crow Divine Monarch was going all out. Even the Blood Crows that had been pestering Yang Kai all this while vanished without a trace. It could be seen that he had no time to care about anything else.
During their first clash, Yang Kai clearly felt that a part of his territory had been lost. Black Crow Divine Monarch’s energy continuously crept in his direction and gradually occupied the territory that he controlled previously.
Seeing this, Black Crow Divine Monarch laughed wildly, “Junior, stop being stubborn. Obediently accept your death! It will save you some pain!”
Yang Kai gritted his teeth and ignored the other party.
Black Crow Divine Monarch coldly snorted, “Stubborn fool!”
While speaking, he controlled the power of the Grand Array he controlled and it slammed towards Yang Kai once more.
Even though Yang Kai had prepared himself in advance and used all his strength to defend, he was still overwhelmed. At the same time, he lost another part of the Grand Array that he controlled. It gave Black Crow Divine Monarch a chance to take further control of the Grand Array, allowing his progress to reach 70%.
[I can’t let this continue any longer. Although I still control 30% of the Grand Array, it will only be a matter of time before I am completely overtaken by this Old Dog. If that happens, there will be no hope left.]
“Artifact Spirit, is there any other way to stop him?” Yang Kai asked through gritted teeth while struggling to defend.
The Artifact Spirit remained silent.
Looking at the Artifact Spirit, Yang Kai knew that the other party was powerless to help; thus, he couldn’t help feeling desperate.
Under normal circumstances, the Artifact Spirit would have absolute control over the Blood Monster Divine Palace; however, he had said that Blood Monster Divine Monarch had limited his abilities, so he was utterly powerless to help at this time. Otherwise, he would not have gone to Yang Kai for help in the first place.
*Hong…*
Black Crow Divine Monarch guided the power of the Grand Array to slam towards Yang Kai once more. Even though Yang Kai struggled desperately to defend, he was once again driven back, allowing the territory controlled by Black Crow Divine Monarch to expand a little bit more.
The situation was extremely precarious and Yang Kai had almost fallen into a desperate situation.
Black Crow Divine Monarch let out a wicked cackle, “Boy! Let’s see how long you can resist! The moment this Monarch completely refines this Grand Array will be the moment you die!”
Then, he turned to look at the Artifact Spirit, “And you! It was not easy for you to be born and gain sentience. If you acknowledge and repent for your mistakes, this Monarch is not opposed to forgiving you and sparing your life!”
The Blood Monster Divine Palace was not a living creature so it was indeed extremely difficult for an Artifact Spirit to be born out of it. Besides, his current strength was not that great. If Black Crow Divine Monarch could obtain the support of the Artifact Spirit, then it would be easier for him to control the entire Blood Monster Cave Heaven. If that were not the case, why would he bother wasting his time on a mere Artifact Spirit?
The Artifact Spirit remained silent and glanced in Yang Kai’s direction.
Seeming to notice the Artifact Spirit’s gaze, Yang Kai jerked in surprise and quickly said, “Artifact Spirit, don’t listen to his nonsense! Even if you join him now, things will not end well for you in the future!”
However, the Artifact Spirit drifted over and landed behind Black Crow Divine Monarch and bowed deeply, “This Artifact Spirit greets Master!”
Black Crow Divine Monarch burst into laughter, “Good! Good! Good! Obediently stand to the side. This Monarch will speak to you once I deal with this annoying ant!”
“Yes!” The Artifact Spirit immediately stood to the side.
Yang Kai coldly snorted at the sight. [This Artifact Spirit is completely unreliable after all. A two-faced coward. Earlier, he came to me in hopes that I could defeat Black Crow Divine Monarch. I can’t believe how eagerly he submitted himself to Black Crow Divine Monarch after seeing that I am having trouble defeating the opponent.]
Nevertheless, it didn’t matter who the Artifact Spirit recognised as his Master. It did little to change the current situation since he had no power to interfere with the Grand Array in the first place. For that reason, Yang Kai ignored the Artifact Spirit even though he scorned his actions.
Meanwhile, the attacks from Black Crow Divine Monarch were getting stronger and stronger with each passing moment. The portion of the Grand Array that Yang Kai refined had always been smaller compared to Black Crow Divine Monarch’s; moreover, their repeated collisions caused Yang Kai to lose large tracts of his territory.
On the contrary, Black Crow Divine Monarch’s territory grew larger and larger with each clash. This situation created a vicious cycle that quickly exhausted Yang Kai to the bone. It didn’t take more than an hour before the territory that Yang Kai controlled in the Grand Array was reduced to a mere 20%. At this point, it could be said that he was suffering from a crushing defeat.
Although they were both holding the right of control over the Grand Array, Black Crow Divine Monarch was using 80% of its power against Yang Kai’s 20%. It was practically impossible for Yang Kai to resist.
[Have I reached my limits?] Yang Kai grimly asked himself. [If I fail to stop him here, then he will take control of the entire Blood Monster Cave Heaven. Leaving aside whether or not I can escape if that happens, Qu Hua Shang, Zhang Ruo Xi, Chef, Accountant, Lang Qing Shan, and the others will surely become his prisoners. Knowing Black Crow Divine Monarch’s personality, everybody will be better off dead by then!]
[Chef!] Yang Kai abruptly recalled something and his eyes suddenly lit up with hope. Hurriedly activating his Divine Sense, he released Chef, whom he previously placed into the Small Sealed World.
Earlier, Chef had used a powerful Secret Technique against the Star Turtle, one that consumed a massive amount of his strength, leaving him almost completely drained. As such, Yang Kai later placed him into the Small Sealed World for his safety. He had almost forgotten about him.
At this moment, Yang Kai was facing off against Black Crow Divine Monarch and neither side could afford to be distracted, so whoever had an extra helper would surely gain a huge advantage over the other!
As soon as Chef appeared, he took in his surroundings warily. What entered his eyes left him stunned and he exclaimed in amazement, “What’s going on?”
Black Crow Divine Monarch was just as taken aback. Even though he wanted to ask the same question, it didn’t matter how this fatty appeared in this place as it was incredibly disadvantageous for him. The only thing that reassured him slightly was that this newcomer did not seem to be in a good state.
Even though Chef had recovered some of his strength, his complexion was still very pale and his aura was quite weak.
Yang Kai explained the current situation to Chef in the briefest manner possible.
When Chef finished listening to the explanation, he understood the severity of the matter. Thus, he gritted his teeth and glared at Black Crow Divine Monarch, “In other words, everything will be fine as long as I can take this opportunity to kill this guy, right?”
“You can say that, but…”
Before Yang Kai could finish his sentence, Chef summoned his kitchen knife. His chubby figure moved with indescribable agility as he rushed towards Black Crow Divine Monarch and roared, “Old Dog, die!”
Black Crow Divine Monarch’s expression was incredibly gloomy. Things had reached a critical juncture where he was about to take full control over the Grand Array. He initially thought that this matter would be settled soon, but how could he have predicted that a disturbance would pop up at the last moment?
While Black Crow Divine Monarch was not afraid of Chef, he was forced to split his attention in order to defend against him. Opening his mouth, he spewed out a massive blood cloud that wrapped around Chef tightly.
Yang Kai glanced in that direction and saw that Chef could no longer be seen. All that could be seen were the wriggling and squirming movements coming from within the blood cloud. In addition, violent bursts of energy would occasionally erupt from within the blood cloud. It was obvious that Chef was struggling fiercely!
Yang Kai ground his teeth. There was no time for him to be concerned about Chef’s safety though. Taking this opportunity, he quickly drew upon the power of the Grand Array to counterattack.
Black Crow Divine Monarch had anticipated this move though and pretended that he was being pushed back, retreating slightly before suddenly surging forward with a counterattack.
Yang Kai was caught off guard. Not only did he fail to turn the situation around, but he made the situation worse instead! This outcome nearly depressed him to the point of spitting blood!
*Hong…*
Chef, who had been enveloped in the crimson blood cloud finally broke out at that moment. His eyes were widened with rage and the kitchen knife in his hand glinted with a cold light. He was about to charge forward once more when Yang Kai hurriedly sent a Divine Sense transmission to him, “Attack the Grand Array!”
At this moment, it was unrealistic to try and wrestle control of the Grand Array from Black Crow Divine Monarch; the latter held the absolute advantage in this situation. If things were to continue, nobody would be able to stop Black Crow Divine Monarch once he completely assimilated Yang Kai’s territory.
Since competing for control was no longer viable, then they could only choose to destroy the Grand Array. In the worst case, it would be ruined for good and nobody could try to refine the Blood Monster Divine Palace again.
Chef’s eyes brightened and he nodded at those words, “Good idea!”
Following that, he brought his knife slashing down on the patterns of the Grand Array that covered the ground.
Black Crow Divine Monarch paled in shock at the sight and roared, “Junior, you dare?!”
Chef just sneered, “Watch me!”
His attack did not falter in the slightest and the blade light sliced down hard.
At the same time, Yang Kai took the opportunity to counterattack. He needed to distract Black Crow Divine Monarch so that the latter could not interfere with Chef.
A series of clanging noises rang out and sparks flew in all directions. Both Yang Kai and Chef were a little dumbfounded by the situation. Chef’s attack was incredibly fierce, but even so, it did no damage to the Grand Array at all.
Black Crow Divine Monarch burst out laughing at this sight, “Ignorant child! This Control Array was arranged personally by that old dog Xue Yao! It cost him a massive fortune to even just refine its base! How could it be something you pitiful weaklings could destroy? Stop making me laugh!”
Yang Kai’s expression darkened, “Don’t listen to his nonsense! Just keep attacking!”
Chef gritted his teeth and grunted in reply. Leaping onto the Grand Array, he used all his strength to launch a barrage of attacks down on it.
Black Crow Divine Monarch’s expression remained calm though. When he saw that Chef could not damage the Grand Array in any way, he stopped trying to interfere and simply watched coldly from the sidelines.
After attacking for some time, Chef panted for breath and called out, “Brat, this isn’t working. My strength isn’t high enough. I’m afraid this method will not work.”
Yang Kai’s expression was extremely ugly. At this moment, he only retained control over some 10% of the Grand Array. It could be said that he was being pushed into a corner, literally. Black Crow Divine Monarch only needed to attack a few more times to completely remove his energy from the Grand Array. If that happened, Black Crow Divine Monarch would easily refine the Blood Monster Divine Palace and take control of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven.
[The situation is desperate!] Yang Kai sighed. [It looks like I will have to use the Divine Ability Bead given to me by Proprietress in this place.]
He was very reluctant to use this Divine Ability Bead unless he really had no other choice. Besides, he did not know whether the Divine Ability Bead could destroy the Grand Array. Proprietress might be powerful, but she was only in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. How much power her Divine Ability Bead could unleash remained unknown, so it would be a waste if it had no effect on the current situation,
It had been extremely difficult for the Proprietress to refine this Divine Ability Bead, so how could he willingly let it go to waste? But, Yang Kai had no choice now that things had come to this. He had to use it even if he was reluctant. Aside from the Divine Ability Bead, he had no other means to stop Black Crow Divine Monarch.
Yang Kai glared coldly in the direction of Black Crow Divine Monarch, but just as he was about to bring out the Divine Ability Bead, his gaze landed on the Artifact Spirit. A light flashed through his eyes at that moment and a bold conjecture emerged from the depths of his heart in the next moment. Then, he secretly sent a Divine Sense transmission to Chef.
Chef was still gasping for breath, but he raised his brow at those words and nodded almost imperceptibly. Swinging his kitchen knife, he slashed several dozen sword lights towards Black Crow Divine Monarch.
Black Crow Divine Monarch coldly snorted, “How dare a mere ant act so impudent!?”
The blood mist around his body boiled and countless Blood Crows flew out to meet the sword lights. They cawed noisily when they were cut down but still easily blocked the assault.
Taking this opportunity, Chef raised his hand and summoned his chopping block. He casually tossed the block out and it rapidly enlarged, radiating a strange aura as it quickly slid under its target.
At the same time, Chef’s figure abruptly swelled up and became massive. He looked extremely ferocious. The apron around his waist was covered in grease stains and the ‘Butcher’ character stretching across his chest was absolutely horrifying. He grinned savagely as he roared, “I am the knife and chopping block, you are the fish!”
The Artifact Spirit jerked in surprise. He was astonished to discover that he was standing on top of the chopping block without him noticing. Furthermore, he was being restrained by a strange force. He couldn’t help feeling the situation was all rather absurd. At this moment, he felt like a pig waiting to be slaughtered.
How could Black Crow Divine Monarch not realise Chef’s intentions after seeing this situation? He did not know what effects would come from killing the Artifact Spirit, but he did not dare to take this gamble; hence, he roared, “Don’t you dare!”
Raising his arm, he shot a blood arrow in Chef’s direction.
Yang Kai flashed forward. At this moment, he completely gave up on the territory he had been guarding.
If Black Crow Divine Monarch wanted, he could have taken this opportunity to finish refining the Grand Array, it was just that he was distracted in his efforts to stop Chef and failed to notice this point. By the time he realized Yang Kai was attacking, the spear was already rapidly enlarging in his vision. The pitch-black Golden Crow’s True Fire lingered at the tip of the spear and its power was too great for him to simply ignore.
The spear shadows shrouded the sky, looming over Black Crow Divine Monarch. It was accompanied by crackling sounds that rang out endlessly.
Hei Ya gave a furious roar. Under normal circumstances, it would have been easy for him to block this attack from Yang Kai. In the worst case, he could simply dodge; however, he was currently in the last stages of refining the Grand Array, so not only was he unable to move, but most of his attention was also focused on the Array itself. There was no way for him to avoid this attack, much less defend himself.
His entire body was instantly riddled with holes by Yang Kai’s spear and countless large and bloody holes appeared on his body, gushing with fresh blood. Any other person would have died from such injuries, but he had cultivated the Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture. He even resurrected on the spot after being split in two by the protective Divine Ability from Pei Wen Xuan’s Identity Token; hence, Black Crow Divine Monarch’s injuries would only cause him to expend his Qi and did not threaten his life in any way.
At the same time, Chef made several consecutive chopping motions with his kitchen knife all while shouting, “Chop chop chop!”
A chilling blade light loomed down upon the Artifact Spirit. Three breaths later, Chef gave a muffled groan. His enlarged body deflated rapidly and the chopping block flew back into his hands. His complexion as pale as a sheet, he muttered weakly, “It’s up to you now.”
When he last used this Secret Technique, he had exhausted all his energy in an instant; thus, Yang Kai had placed him into the Small Sealed World for his safety. Performing this Secret Technique again after such a short time made his condition worsen even more than the first time. Yang Kai quickly appeared beside Chef at that moment, lifted a hand to grab him, and tossed him into the Small Sealed World.
On the other hand, the flesh around Black Crow Divine Monarch’s wounds squirmed vigorously and his injuries healed at a speed visible to the naked eye. At this moment, Yang Kai was no longer opposing him in the Grand Array and it could be said that there was nothing stopping him now. As long as he willed it, he would be able to refine the Grand Array to completion. Even so, he seemed numb to this fact and was simply staring in the Artifact Spirit’s direction with an ugly expression.
Similarly, Yang Kai was watching the Artifact Spirit closely. His spear was held loosely by his side and his expression was a mixture of nervousness and vigilance. His other hand was holding the Proprietress’ Divine Ability Bead; moreover, his strength was circulating wildly, ready to attack at a moment’s notice.
The Artifact Spirit looked perfectly fine, standing there motionlessly as though Chef’s Secret Technique had been completely ineffective on him.
Black Crow Divine Monarch burst out laughing, cackling so hard that he nearly cried; however, his expression began to stiffen in the middle of his laughter.
The Artifact Spirit lowered his head to look down at his body. All of a sudden, he gave a soft sigh and murmured to himself, “This is fine too.”
While speaking, his body shattered without warning and turned into wisps of light that soon faded into nothing. He was just an Artifact Spirit without any real defensive strength, so how could he withstand the ferocious attacks of Chef’s Secret Technique when he could not mobilise the power of the Blood Monster Divine Palace?
The Artifact Spirit was annihilated!
Both the gazes of Yang Kai and Black Crow Divine Monarch turned to look at the Grand Array in unison. Yang Kai’s gaze was cold while Black Crow Divine Monarch’s entire face twitched.
*Kacha…*
A soft sound suddenly came from the Grand Array and they both looked over to see that a crack had appeared in one of its corners.
Yang Kai was overjoyed. How could he not realise that his conjecture had been correct? The Artifact Spirit might have seemed useless, but his very existence was closely tied to the Grand Array. Chef might have been powerless to destroy the Grand Array, but killing the Artifact Spirit was well within his means.
As soon as the Artifact Spirit was destroyed, the Grand Array was deeply affected too. There was no reason to hesitate, so Yang Kai thrust his spear at the crack.
“Don’t even think about it!” Black Crow Divine Monarch roared furiously and a blood arrow shot directly at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai used his Dragon Shields to protect himself while focusing all his strength into his spear thrust.
*Hong…*
A violent force burst forth and the crack in the Grand Array immediately spread outward like a spiderweb.
At the same time, the Dragon Shields protecting Yang Kai shattered to pieces and his body was sent flying out.
*Kacha…*
A series of cracking sounds came from various spots of the Grand Array. Black Crow Divine Monarch hurriedly activated his power to try to stabilize the situation, but unfortunately for him, the damage had already been done. There was nothing he could do to reverse it with his current strength.
It didn’t take longer than ten breaths before the Grand Array completely lost all spirituality and broke apart.
“Damn you, Junior!” Black Crow Divine Monarch felt as though his eyes were going to explode at the sight. The raging flames of fury in him threatened to burn him alive. There was only a little bit left to refine! If he finished refining that remaining bit, then he would have gained complete control over the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. At that time, recovering to his full strength would have been a breeze. However, that little bit was now as wide and deep as a mountain valley. He had fallen short at the very last moment!
There had never been a time where the murderous intent he felt towards Yang Kai had been so intense. Although Yang Kai had ruined his plans back at the blood lake, it had not affected the overall situation. He had managed to possess Zhou Yi’s body and came back to life in the end. Unlike that time though, there was no way to recover from this loss.
A deep sense of regret filled Black Crow Divine Monarch’s heart. If he had known this would happen earlier, he would have slaughtered Yang Kai back at the blood lake. If he had known earlier, he would never have allowed Yang Kai to enter the Blood Monster Divine Palace! But, it was too late for regrets now!
Yang Kai stood up and wiped at the trickle of blood at the corner of his lips before letting out a wild loud laugh, “Hei Ya, let’s see how you refine the Blood Monster Divine Palace now!”
Black Crow Divine Monarch’s voice was low, but his entire body gave off a bone-chilling coldness, “Since I can’t refine the Blood Monster Divine Palace, this Monarch will refine you instead!”
Yang Kai’s heart clenched. He knew that he had truly enraged Black Crow Divine Monarch by ruining his plans. [It looks like this guy is determined to kill me now.]
Before Black Crow Divine Monarch could do anything though, a huge change suddenly occurred. A rumbling sound came from the depths of the Blood Monster Divine Palace, like distant thunder. Both Yang Kai and Black Crow Divine Monarch looked surprised.
Releasing their Divine Senses, they examined their surroundings and it didn’t take long for their expressions to change drastically. That was because the Blood Monster Divine Palace was showing signs of collapse. The surrounding walls came crumbling down one after another, turning the structure into ruins. Similarly, the bedrooms and Grand Halls also came crashing down with a loud rumble.
Yang Kai never imagined that destroying the Artifact Spirit would trigger a chain reaction of this scale. First, the Grand Array had broken apart, and now, even the Blood Monster Divine Palace would soon cease to exist.
Regardless, this was a good thing for Yang Kai. His friends had been trapped inside that strange Nothingness Array and were unable to extricate themselves, so if the Blood Monster Divine Palace was destroyed, then they would regain their freedom. With that thought in mind, Yang Kai’s figure flashed away as his voice lingered in the air, “Hei Ya, I’ll spare your life today. I’ll definitely kill you when we meet again!”
How could Black Crow Divine Monarch allow Yang Kai to escape though? He roared, “Don’t even dream about escaping!”
His entire body shuddered for a moment and a blood cloud that blocked out the whole sky appeared. However, Yang Kai was proficient in the Dao of Space, so if he was determined to flee, there was no way for Black Crow Divine Monarch to stop him without sealing the world in advance. Yang Kai vanished in the blink of an eye, leaving behind Black Crow Divine Monarch who was so furious that he nearly coughed up blood in response.
The reason Yang Kai fled was not that he was afraid of Black Crow Divine Monarch. The Old Dog might be powerful, but he was not yet an Open Heaven Realm Master. If it came down to a fight, neither of them would come out unscathed. On the contrary, Yang Kai was thinking that the Blood Monster Divine Palace contained many treasures. Now that it was on the verge of collapse, he was anxious to do one last search to see if he could find anything else of value. He barely had any time to search though when the entire Blood Monster Divine Palace fell apart completely.
One after another, numerous silhouettes suddenly appeared in the initial mountain valley, every one of them in a miserable state. All of these people had entered the Blood Monster Divine Palace, but their situation was different from Yang Kai’s. They had been trapped inside the world of white from the moment they entered the Blood Monster Divine Palace, unable to tell North from South or find an exit.
Yang Kai had relied on the power of his Golden Crow’s True Fire and the guidance of a Remnant Soul he helped to break free of that Array, but the others had neither the strength or the luck to do so. It was not until this moment when the Blood Monster Divine Palace collapsed completely that they were freed.
Looking around, there was no trace of the Blood Monster Divine Palace. All that remained in front of them was a huge ruin. Therefore, they couldn’t help feeling shocked. Nobody knew what had happened earlier, but before they could recover from their shock, they heard a gloomy roar. Immediately after that, an overwhelming aura enveloped them.
Somebody shouted in horror, “It’s the Star Turtle!”
The Seventh-Order Monster Beast was still guarding the mountain valley. Having lost all his targets when all the cultivators fled into the Blood Monster Divine Palace previously, how could it hold back when it saw these people re-appear? Countless rays of yellow light shot out like a storm of arrows, raining down on the cultivators. Many of the cultivators were caught off guard and nearly lost their lives as a result.
The Star Turtle had previously been restrained thanks to the efforts of Yang Kai and his allies, not to mention that they had prepared themselves in advance. The current events had happened so abruptly though that none of them could stop the might of this Seventh-Order Monster Beast. It didn’t matter whether it was the disciples from the Cave-Heavens and Paradises or the cultivators from weaker forces. All of them quickly fled for their lives.
Yang Kai was also flying away at the time when he spotted Qu Hua Shang and Gu Pan. Each of them was fleeing in different directions. Zhang Ruo Xi was following closely beside Gu Pan. It was likely that Gu Pan had located Zhang Ruo Xi as soon as they were freed from the Spirit Array.
Yang Kai was about to join up with them when a blood cloud appeared in front of him. The blood cloud morphed into Black Crow Divine Monarch’s furious face and his eyes searched the surroundings as his howls rang out endlessly, “Boy, show yourself!”
“Persistent bastard!” Yang Kai was a little annoyed. He knew that Black Crow Divine Monarch was not going to let him go this time, so he stopped trying to chase after Gu Pan and the others; instead, he summoned the Shadowless Veil and covered himself, concealing himself in an instant.
The Shadowless Veil was an absolutely invincible artifact in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. It was impossible to trace by anybody below the Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm, much less Black Crow Divine Monarch who was just a Remnant Soul that did not have such a powerful Divine Sense.
Just as Yang Kai was considering if he should take the chance to launch a sneak attack on Black Crow Divine Monarch, the world rumbled. It was followed by a deafening sound. Large fissures suddenly appeared throughout the sky like ferocious and terrifying wounds. That was not all. Continuous rumbling sounds also came from the deep underground. Countless large ravines suddenly emerged, turning many places into canyons that were thousands of metres deep.
The world split apart and rumbled violently! Cracks and ravines continued to extend outward while at the same time, more scars appeared in the sky.
Yang Kai was dumbfounded for a moment. It took a long while for him to realise what was happening but once he did, a bitter taste filled his mouth as he muttered, “This is bad.”
He never imagined that the chain reaction from killing the Artifact Spirit was not over yet. It was not until this moment that the true extent of the consequences appeared. The entire Blood Monster Cave Heaven was about to collapse!
Thinking about it again, this was not too surprising. Black Crow Divine Monarch wanted to refine the Blood Monster Divine Palace in order to seize control of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. That meant that the Blood Monster Divine Palace was the core of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. Now that the Blood Monster Divine Palace was destroyed, it made sense that the Blood Monster Cave Heaven would also be affected.
If the Blood Monster Cave Heaven had been completely stable, it might not have been affected so badly. Unfortunately, the Blood Monster Cave Heaven was already showing signs of collapsing in recent years. The destruction of the Blood Monster Divine Palace was simply the last straw that broke the camel’s back.
When the Blood Monster Cave Heaven first appeared, there was only one entrance. That entrance had been firmly controlled by the major Cave-Heavens and Paradises. Only disciples of the Cave-Heavens and Paradises had the right to enter the Blood Monster Cave Heaven to train, gain experience, and search for treasures.
With the passage of time though, the Blood Monster Cave Heaven became more and more unstable. There were signs that it was gradually merging with the Blood Monster Territory. The most obvious sign was that more and more entrances were appearing. This was the result of both worlds colliding and coming into contact with each other.
Consequently, it became difficult for the Cave-Heavens and Paradises to maintain control over the entrances. Things gradually evolved into a situation similar to what happened when the Blood Monster Cave Heaven most recently opened. Everybody would each occupy a spot in the Blood Monster Territory and wait for entrances to appear to enter the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. The Blood Monster Cave Heaven’s opening evolved into a huge event throughout the entire 3,000 Worlds, drawing countless cultivators to this place.
In any case, it was undeniable that the Blood Monster Cave Heaven had become unstable. This was something Mo Mei and the others from Abundance City had also mentioned. One day, the Blood Monster Cave Heaven would eventually merge with the Blood Monster Territory and dissipate into it. When that happened, the Universe Cave Heaven left behind by an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would be completely exposed to the outside world.
The collapse of the Blood Monster Divine Palace had simply hastened the timeline.
With the collapse of the world, a scene of the apocalypse approaching spread to all corners of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. The world hummed continuously, as though crying. Countless Monster Beasts hiding in the depths of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven fled for their lives in a panic. The native cultivators living in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven looked up at the sky, ashen-faced with despair filling their souls.
Their ancestors had been captured by Blood Monster Divine Monarch, who then planted a Blood Principles Restriction in them so that they could only live and breed inside his Small Universe. If not for the Blood Principles Restriction, they would have been the happiest about the collapse of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. That was because they could finally be free of the restrictions of this world and head out into the vast 3,000 Worlds instead. Unfortunately, they were trapped in this world and unable to leave because of the Blood Principles Restriction in their bodies. Once they stopped receiving nourishment from the Blood Monster Cave Heaven’s aura, they would all die!
In the mountain valley where the Blood Monster Divine Palace used to stand, Black Crow Divine Monarch rampaged around as a blood cloud to search for Yang Kai. Everywhere he went, he left a reign of terror in his wake. Countless cultivators had the vital essence of their bodies devoured by him and died on the spot.
Yang Kai remained hidden for some time before he suddenly thought of something and couldn’t help cursing aloud, “Damn it!”
He originally wanted to remain hidden until the end as once the Blood Monster Cave Heaven collapsed completely, he would be able to escape from here and return to the Blood Monster Territory.
Black Crow Divine Monarch would not be able to continue to do as he pleased in the Blood Monster Territory. He was cruel and ruthless. Moreover, he was an Old Monster from the distant past that came back to life through possession. The Cave-Heavens and Paradises would never let him walk free. It was not that they were allies of justice and wished to purge evil out of kindness. Rather, it was that an Old Monster like Black Crow Divine monarch would surely have many valuable secrets on him. His strength was still rather low at the moment, so if they could capture him, then they could interrogate him for information and receive some benefits. At the very least, he knew the Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light. Such a Heaven-defying Secret Art would surely tempt some people.
However, Yang Kai suddenly recalled Mo Mei and the others in Abundance City. It was very safe for him to hide there as with the Shadowless Veil concealing his body and his aura, Black Crow Divine Monarch would never be able to find him amidst all the surrounding chaos. However, wouldn’t the people in Abundance City die if the Blood Monster Cave Heaven collapsed completely?
Earlier, Yang Kai even went out of his way to ask Black Crow Divine Monarch for the Secret Technique to remove the Blood Principles Restriction. Didn’t he do that so that he could help the people in Abundance City? Not only were they related to the Proprietress, but Yang Kai also had his eye on their potential. It was almost certain that Mo Mei and the other Great Elders were existences who could advance into the Open Heaven Realm as long as he could save them!
They had lived their entire lives in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, so they had no place to go even if they left this place; therefore, it should not be a problem to take them into Void Land if he could save them. Void Land was currently in urgent need of Open Heaven Realm Masters, so Yang Kai could not let such a good opportunity pass him by.
When that thought crossed his mind, he couldn’t afford to be so cautious anymore. Doing his best to conceal his figure and his aura, Yang Kai hurried in the direction of Abundance City while secretly praying fervently in his heart. [I hope the Blood Monster Cave Heaven doesn’t collapse too quickly. At the very least, please wait until I finish removing the Blood Principles Restriction from the people in Abundance City!]
After flying for some time, he finally stepped out of Black Crow Divine Monarch’s detection range; thus, he was no longer held back by any scruples and increased his speed to a whole other level. Manipulating Space Principles, his figure flickered again and again to reach Abundance City at a high speed.
Humongous Void Cracks would appear in front of him from time to time. These were the signs the World was collapsing. Large tracts of land in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven vanished, flowing into these Void Cracks and disappearing. Under these circumstances, most people would have a hard time moving forward as they would be swallowed into the Void Cracks if they were not careful.
Yang Kai could feel the aura of the Blood Monster Territory coming from these Void Cracks. In other words, there was no danger even if a person was swallowed into them. The most likely scenario would simply be finding themselves back in the Blood Monster Territory. After understanding this point, he felt slightly more at ease. It shouldn’t be a problem for Accountant, Lang Qing Shan, Zhang Ruo Xi, and the others to return to the Blood Monster Territory safely.
Thanks to his mastery of Space Principles, Yang Kai could detect the existence of these Void Cracks in advance; hence, he was not greatly delayed in his travels.
While moving forward, Yang Kai separated a thread of his consciousness and immersed his mind into the jade slip given to him by Black Crow Divine Monarch. He had glanced through the contents of the jade slip earlier, and based on his foundation in the Blood Light Scripture thanks to the few chapters that he comprehended previously, he could basically confirm that the contents of the jade slip were real and this information could indeed remove the Blood Principles Restriction.
It was just that he had never used this Secret Technique before. Even though he was confident he could reach Abundance City in time, time would still be very tight. He needed to practice what he learned from the jade slip in advance. That was the only way he could rescue all the people in Abundance City in the shortest time possible.
The collapse in the World was becoming more and more obvious, so there was a possibility that it would fall apart at any moment. Therefore, Yang Kai became anxious and desperately rushed towards Abundance City. It was just that there was still some distance to go. It would still take at least half a day before he could arrive so all he could do was fervently pray that the Blood Monster Cave Heaven would last for a little longer.
Four or five hours later, Yang Kai had already gone over the contents of the jade slip a hundred times. He was very skilful in theory, so now he just needed practical experience to pull it off.
At this moment, a panicked figure suddenly rushed in Yang Kai’s direction like a headless fly. His figure floated about erratically and his complexion was extremely pale. He was a young man in the Half-Step Open Heaven Realm. It was just that the energy fluctuation coming from his body indicated that the Order of the Open Heaven Elements that he condensed was not very high.
Yang Kai initially planned to ignore this person, but a sudden idea came to mind. With a flash of his figure, Yang Kai arrived next to that person and captured him. At the same time, he did not stop moving and continued to head towards Abundance City.
The young man instinctively fought back after being caught so suddenly; however, the power that leaked out of Yang Kai’s hand shocked him. He could tell that he was not Yang Kai’s opponent at all, so he wisely gave up struggling and simply looked at Yang Kai in puzzlement, “Who are you? Why did you capture me?”
Yang Kai asked, “Are you a cultivator born in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven?”
“So what if I am?” The young man gritted his teeth.
[As expected, he is a native after all.] Yang Kai did not waste any time and got straight to the point, “Do you want to live?”
The young man was stunned as he thought to himself, [Isn’t that a stupid question?] Still, he bitterly replied, “Who would want to die if they can live?”
Yang Kai nodded, “Good. I want to perform an experiment on you. If it works, you’ll survive. If it doesn’t…”
The young man sighed and gloomily said, “I don’t know what you want to do, but you don’t need to waste your energy. You’re an Outer World visitor, right? I’m afraid you don’t know, but those who live in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven have a restriction placed on our bloodline. As long as this restriction exists, we can never leave the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. We will immediately explode and die without the nourishment of this World’s aura. Now that the Blood Monster Cave Heaven is about to collapse, we can only wait for our deaths to come to us.”
“I know about the Blood Principles Restriction. What I want to do is remove it.”
The young man was dumbfounded, but immediately after, his eyes lit up, “Do you have a way to remove the Blood Principles Restriction?”
He originally thought that his only option was to wait for death. All the cultivators who lived in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven had heard from their Elders that they would die alongside the Blood Monster Cave Heaven once this land ceased to exist. That was because the Blood Principles Restriction would immediately activate without the nourishment of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven’s aura.
When the changes in the world occurred and the apocalypse arrived, all the native cultivators living in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven suddenly realised that what their Elders mentioned was about to come true. Unfortunately, all they could do was prolong their dying breath. When he had fled from his residence, he never imagined that he would encounter a person with the ability to remove the Blood Principles Restriction. It was only natural that he became overjoyed.
“Yes. But, I have no idea whether it will work!” Yang Kai replied truthfully. He had never experimented with the Secret Technique in the jade slip after all. Only the Heavens knew whether Black Crow Divine Monarch had done anything to the Secret Technique, although the possibility was small.
“Go ahead and try. In the worst case, I’ll just die if it doesn’t work,” the young man quickly said. He originally thought that there was no way to escape death. But now, a chance for survival had appeared in front of him. It was only natural that he firmly grasped this opportunity.
Yang Kai gently nodded, “In that case, cooperate with me and don’t resist.”
While speaking, Yang Kai cut his fingertip and squeezed out a drop of blood. He flicked his wrist, turning the drop of blood into blood mist. After that, he used one hand to guide the blood mist so that it formed into a mysterious seal.
“Go!” Yang Kai raised his hand and slapped the seal against the young man’s forehead. The seal sank into the young man’s body and disappeared.
The young man’s body shuddered slightly; then, an inexplicable look appeared in his eyes.
“How is it?” Yang Kai asked anxiously.
The young man smacked his lips, “I can’t say for sure, but I feel a little more relaxed for some reason.”
Yang Kai’s eyes brightened, “A little more relaxed?” [If he can feel something, then it can only mean that the Secret Technique is working!]
The young man said, “I can’t confirm whether the Blood Principles Restriction has been removed or not. I will only know when this place collapses completely.”
If he was not dead when the Blood Monster Cave Heaven collapsed, then that would mean he no longer needed the nourishment of this World’s aura. It would also mean that Yang Kai’s methods had worked.
“There’s no need to go to such trouble. I’ll send you somewhere.” How could Yang Kai possibly wait until the Blood Monster Cave Heaven collapsed? It would be too late by then. He tossed the young man in his grasp into the Small Sealed World while speaking. At the same time, he paid close attention to the young man’s condition.
It was not as if he had never thought of hiding the people from Abundance City in the Small Sealed World to bring them out of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven; it was just that the limitations of the Blood Principles Restriction had ruined his plans. The Small Sealed World was an independent world, so without removing the Blood Principles Restriction, rashly sending Mo Mei and the others into the Small Sealed World was tantamount to sending them to their deaths.
At this moment, the success of the Secret Technique recorded in the jade slip obtained from Black Crow Divine Monarch depended entirely on the young man’s survival.
Under Yang Kai’s careful watch, the young man entered the Small Sealed World and looked around his surroundings in confusion, not feeling uncomfortable in any way. After a while, he seemed to realise what had happened and threw his head back to release something that seemed to be a mixture of a roar and laughter. The excitement and joy in his heart could not be expressed.
He initially thought that he had no other option aside from death. Unexpectedly, he encountered a person who helped him remove the Blood Principles Restriction and sent him to an unfamiliar world. Although he had no idea what kind of world this was, at least he no longer needed to worry about dying. The feeling of waiting helplessly for his death was not something he ever wanted to experience again!
Yang Kai let out a small breath of relief. It would now seem that the jade slip given to him by Black Crow Divine Monarch was real. The Secret Technique recorded inside had not been falsified.
Thinking about it again, it made sense. The situation had been very urgent at the time, so Black Crow Divine Monarch had no time to do anything after he came up with his request. It was one thing if he was completely clueless about the Blood Light Scripture; however, Yang Kai had comprehended several chapters of the Blood Light Scripture. If Black Crow Divine Monarch had falsified the information, there was a chance Yang Kai might have noticed something. Besides, this Secret Technique was unrelated to the Core Secret Art of the Blood Light Scripture, so Black Crow Divine Monarch was more than happy to oblige.
Now that it had been proven that the Secret Technique worked, all that was left was whether or not Yang Kai could arrive at Abundance City before the Blood Monster Cave Heaven collapsed.
In addition to his joy though, Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling troubled. The residents in Abundance City were neither too many nor too few, somewhere between 3,000 and 4,000 in total. It would take a lot of time for him to remove the Blood Principles Restriction from so many people. Clearly, he would not be able to rescue everybody. Still, he could only do his best and leave the rest up to fate!
Space Principles fluctuated and Yang Kai’s figure flashed erratically. The shaking in the world had gotten worse, and the World Principles in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven were showing signs of shattering. He became extremely anxious. Even though he was travelling very quickly, it had taken him half a day’s time before he could see the lake where Abundance City was located in the distance.
At this moment, the Spirit Array outside Abundance City had been destroyed due to the changes in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. In the first place, the lake was a product formed from an Illusion Array, not a real existence. At this moment, it had become heavily distorted and Yang Kai could vaguely see the cultivators of Abundance City fleeing in a panic through the Spirit Array’s disguise.
Just before he arrived at Abundance City, an incomparably large ravine suddenly appeared outside Abundance City. It was immediately followed by the appearance of another Void Crack in the sky, as though the sky had been torn apart.
Abundance City, along with several hundred kilometres of land in the surrounding areas, were swallowed up by the Void Crack and vanished in an instant. Screams rang out from all over Abundance City and many of the cultivators turned pale with fear as they stood absolutely petrified.
Yang Kai’s heart sank at the sight! Despite his rush, he was still one step too late. Nevertheless, he did not slow his pace. His figure shifted and he rushed straight into the Void Crack. A wave of dizziness washed over him, but he ignored it. His Divine Sense was fixed firmly upon the land where Abundance City was located as he hurriedly gave chase.
…
The Blood Monster Territory was a vast and desolate void. It was one of the few Great Territories without any great forces or even living creatures.
The Blood Monster Territory was originally no different from other Great Territories with several great forces and many Universe Worlds. However, things changed because of the entrances of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven that would appear at random all over the Blood Monster Territory. These entrances eventually resulted in the instability and collapse of the Universe Worlds, as well as the destruction of the Spirit Provinces. Thus, this Great Territory became dead and silent over time. Only when the Blood Monster Cave Heaven opened would it become extremely lively once more.
At present, countless cultivators were gathered on top of a large platform in the middle of the Blood Monster Territory. There were as many Open Heaven Realm Masters here as the hairs on an ox, including many in the Mid-Rank.
It was unknown which Senior Expert had brought out the platform, but it had become the base of many cultivators. These Open Heaven Realm Masters had led their disciples here to participate in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, and after their disciples had entered, there was no reason for them to wait around doing nothing. Hence, they gathered here and this place became a kind of shopping district.
With so many Open Heaven Realm Masters gathered together, meeting up with friends or holding an exchange meeting was a great way to pass the time. They might even obtain some unexpected benefits in this place.
At this moment, all the cultivators in the shopping district were staring at the void around them in shock. Half a day ago, some unusual changes seemed to have taken place in the Blood Monster Territory. It started out with frequent space fluctuations, followed by the emergence of large Void Cracks. Many people could even see the situation inside the Blood Monster Cave Heaven through these Void Cracks.
“Proprietress, what’s going on?” Bai Qi asked with a frown while looking at the Void Crack located a thousand kilometres away.
The Proprietress’ expression was unbelievably solemn as she observed the situation for a while before shaking her head, “I’m not sure. But, something seems to have happened in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven.”
Yue He suddenly became nervous, “Something happened in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven? What will happen to the Young Master?”
The Proprietress remained silent. Yang Kai, Chef, Accountant, and the others were all in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. Even so, nobody knew what the situation was like inside. Judging by the situation in front of them though, something major had happened.
After pondering in silence for some time, the Proprietress took out several communication beads and sent out various messages to inquire about the situation.
A figure suddenly flew over from not far away and landed beside her. It was the man with a crown on his head from Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven, Guo Nu. He asked, “Junior Sister Lan, do you know what happened?”
She glanced sidelong at him and sneered, “How would I know when even Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven doesn’t know?”
Still, he shook his head, “First Inn is renowned for its intelligence-gathering abilities. Did you not hear anything about this?”
The Proprietress might be annoyed with him, but she was in no mood to argue at the moment. Hence, she simply shook her head in response, “This happened too suddenly. I have not received any news. What’s wrong? Are you worried about your treasured apprentice?”
“That kid might have good aptitude, but he does not have much experience with worldly affairs. It’s inevitable that I will worry about him.” Guo Nu sighed. In this field, it was not easy to find a disciple suitable to inherit his mantle. It was only natural that he regarded his Disciple like a treasure.
Bai Qi asked, “Proprietress, could it be that the Blood Monster Cave Heaven is about to close?”
Guo Nu shook his head, “The closing of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven would not have created such a huge commotion. The current situation seems a bit more like…”
“Like what?” Bai Qi asked.
Guo Nu said nothing. He simply glanced at the Proprietress, who solemnly spoke, “It looks like the Blood Monster Cave Heaven is collapsing.”
Bai Qi jumped in fright and exclaimed in shock, “The Blood Monster Cave Heaven is collapsing!? Why so suddenly!?”
Although everybody knew that the Blood Monster Cave Heaven would collapse and merge completely with the Blood Monster Territory one day, that was something far in the future. Anybody would be surprised to be faced with this situation so suddenly.
“Something is coming out,” Yue He suddenly pointed at one of the Void Cracks in front.
The words had only just left her mouth when they saw numerous figures rushing out of the Void Crack. Upon a closer look, it turned out to be Monster Beasts.
Guo Nu reached out a hand and grabbed at the void. Even though it didn’t look like he had moved, a Monster Beast suddenly appeared in his grip. He gave a slight shake and the Monster Beast exploded into a cloud of blood mist. All that remained was a Monster Core in his hand, “A Fifth-Order Water Element Monster Core. This Monster Beast came from the Blood Monster Cave Heaven.”
Even the Monster Beasts had come rushing out of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, which was a clear indication that the Blood Monster Cave Heaven was about to collapse.
Not far behind these Monster Beasts, a huge mountain came floating out of the Void Crack. Monster Beasts fled from the mountain peak, leaving several trembling people behind.
Inside the shopping district, a certain Master turned into a giant and rushed into the mountain peak to bring those cultivators back to the shopping district.
“What happened inside the Blood Monster Cave Heaven?” Somebody asked.
Those cultivators were only in the Emperor Realm, with the strongest among them being just Half-Step Open Heaven Realm Juniors. Therefore, they were so frightened that they couldn’t speak when they suddenly found themselves surrounded by a huge group of Open Heaven Realm Masters.
At this moment, a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master squeezed out of the crowd and cupped his fists in all directions, “Sirs, please wait a moment. These are the disciples of my Heavenly Crane Palace.”
The Open Heaven Realm Master who brought them back said, “Don’t worry. We don’t want to cause trouble. We just want to ask a few questions.”
The Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master wiped at the cold sweat on his forehead and spoke to those young cultivators, “Answer any questions that these Seniors may ask. Don’t hide anything.”
Heavenly Crane Palace was just a Second-Class great force. Furthermore, it was somewhat weak even among the Second Class. How could this man dare to be impolite in front of these Masters from the various Cave-Heavens and Paradises?
The disciples calmed down upon seeing an Elder from their Sect. Thus, the leading disciple took a breath and said, “This Disciple has no idea what happened either. We were hunting a Fifth-Order Monster Beast when the world suddenly began breaking apart without warning. Then, we found ourselves here for some reason.”
Another disciple added, “Countless Void Cracks appeared in the sky of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. Numerous ravines also split the ground open. It was like… like the Blood Monster Cave Heaven was about to be destroyed.”
Many of the Open Heaven Realm Masters turned solemn at those words. How could they not know that the Blood Monster Cave Heaven was truly about to fall apart? Judging from the current situation, the collapse of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven would not mean its exile to the Void, but rather its dispersion into the Blood Monster Territory.
Many Open Heaven Realm Masters stood on the platform with different expressions on their faces. Some were worried while others were excited.
They were worried about the safety of their disciples. Judging by the current situation, the collapse of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven was inevitable. The vast Blood Monster Cave Heaven was bound to break apart and become countless pieces scattered across the Blood Monster Territory. It was an unknown factor as to whether their disciples could return safely; after all, they would be lost forever if they got trapped inside the Void Cracks.
On the other hand, some were excited that Open Heaven Realm Masters like themselves would finally have the qualifications to participate.
Throughout the ages, whenever the Blood Monster Cave Heaven opened, the responsibilities of the Open Heaven Realm Masters had always been to escort their respective disciples to the Blood Monster Territory, quietly wait for the Blood Monster Cave Heaven to close, and bring their disciples back to the Sect.
There were many valuable treasures inside the Blood Monster Cave Heaven that made their eyes turn green with envy. Unfortunately, the Blood Monster Cave Heaven was a Universe Cave Heaven left behind by an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. With restrictions in place, there was no way for them to enter.
If the Blood Monster Cave Heaven really were to collapse and countless parts were to merge with the Blood Monster Territory, then they could go around searching for the various treasures that came from the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. If nothing else, even obtaining a High-Order Monster Beast Core would earn them a fortune.
After recovering from their shock, many of the Open Heaven Realm Masters immediately flew off, heading straight for the depths of the Blood Monster Territory to search for opportunities.
In this short span of time, countless humongous Void Cracks had appeared throughout the entire Blood Monster Territory; moreover, enormous Spirit Peaks and vast Spirit Provinces had appeared out of the Void Cracks. They quietly floated in the void of the Blood Monster Territory, adding some life to this dead and silent space.
Soon, there were Open Heaven Realm Masters swarming all over every Spirit Peak and Spirit Province in search of treasure. Those who found anything valuable were few and far between. The Blood Monster Cave Heaven had been opened so many times before after all, so most of the valuable treasures had already been taken away. Of course, there were also some lucky enough to find invaluable treasures as soon as they arrived.
Be that as it may, those Open Heaven Realm Masters who landed on the Spirit Provinces also revealed looks of great jubilation despite not finding anything valuable.
Somebody exclaimed in amazement, “Such dense World Force!”
The Blood Monster Cave Heaven was a Universe Cave Heaven left behind by an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. It was only natural that the World Force it contained was extraordinary. The most basic method for cultivators in the Open Heaven Realm to strengthen their power was to enhance the World Force of their Small Universe; therefore, any Open Heaven Realm Master would benefit greatly if they could refine the World Force from the Blood Monster Cave Heaven.
It was just that cultivators would need to have great compatibility between their own Small Universes and the World Force in order for them to refine a World Force that did not belong to them. Take Old Ancestor Mo Yu for example. The reason he had his eyes on the Demon Realm and tried to conquer it was that the Demon Realm’s aura was highly compatible with his Small Universe. Not only would he not suffer major drawbacks after refining the Demon Realm, but he would also recover from his injuries and improve his cultivation in a very short time.
On the other hand, if their compatibility was low, there were heavy repercussions that could result in one’s own World Force becoming unstable or even damage being done to the foundation of their Small Universe.
The opening of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven was a great event that swept across the entire 3,000 Worlds, so there was no shortage of cultivators who came here. As such, there were bound to be some people who met the refining conditions. These people were absolutely overjoyed. Landing on the Spirit Peaks and Spirit Provinces, they quickly used various means to collect them into their respective Small Universes to slowly refine at a later date.
Even though most people did not meet the refining conditions, there was no reason for them to pass up on the Spirit Peaks and Spirit Provinces from the Blood Monster Cave Heaven either. If they brought these Spirit Peaks and Spirit Provinces back to their Sects, the World Force contained within could greatly enhance the heritage of their respective Sects.
For that reason, many battles over the Spirit Peaks and Spirit Provinces broke out across the Blood Monster Territory in a very short period of time. The Open Heaven Realm Masters fought viciously among themselves and some of them would die from time to time.
Even the Proprietress and the others joined in the fight. They collected several Spirit Provinces into their respective Small Universes and placed a seal on them for later use.
The Small Universes of Open Heaven Realm Masters would only turn from ethereal to corporeal when they advance into the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm. At that point, their Small Universes would be no different from actual Universe Worlds and could even accommodate living creatures in them. Even so, the Small Universes of Mid-Rank and Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were not mere decorations either.
Back when Yang Kai first entered the Outer Universe, he had been lured into Duan Hai’s Small Universe. Duan Hai was the Fire Spirit Land Protector Venerable of Seven Wonders Land, but he was only in the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm. It could be seen that even the Small Universes of Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters could accommodate living creatures as long as certain conditions were met and techniques were used. The only difference was that their heritage was not as majestic as a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master’s Small Universe.
The Proprietress and the others had spread out to search for the traces of Yang Kai and the others as at present, the Blood Monster Territory was in chaos. Yang Kai and the others were not yet in the Open Heaven Realm, so they had no means to protect themselves if they encountered danger.
Unfortunately, the Blood Monster Territory was a Great Territory, so it was incredibly vast. Even if they split up their forces to search, it was difficult for them to obtain results in short order. As such, they could only spread the news around in hopes of contacting Yang Kai and the others.
…..
Meanwhile, Yang Kai burst out of the Void Crack in pursuit of the Spirit Province. When he abruptly found himself in a vast and dead environment, he immediately realised that he had returned to the Blood Monster Territory.
Not far away, a large Spirit Province floated in the void. All the cultivators in Abundance City stood on the Spirit Province, looking very uneasy. They might not know what had happened, but they had witnessed the sudden collapse of the world around Abundance City.
Looking around, they found that they were currently in a completely unfamiliar environment. Numerous Spirit Provinces not inferior to the one Abundance City sat on floated about in the void. The World Force was beginning to dissipate and the aura of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven gradually weakened as a result. When the aura of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven completely dissipated, the Blood Principles Restriction in their bodies would immediately burst out. At that time, the only thing waiting for them was death!
Inside the City Lord’s Mansion, Mo Mei and the Great Elders stood side by side. They looked out at the chaotic Abundance City and gave a small sigh. Despite having always known that such a day would eventually come, it was not until that day actually arrived that they realised how weak and powerless they were.
“Everyone, do you have any last wishes?” Mo Mei was slightly ashen-faced, but her tone was calm. She could be considered a person who had weathered many storms in her life, so her mentality was stronger than most. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for a woman to take up the City Lord’s position. Although what was happening before her was literally a world-ending disaster, it was not enough to cause her to panic. Thanks to her influence, the Great Elders also became much calmer as a result.
Pang Duo spoke after some thought, “I still want to go and see what the world outside looks like. Unfortunately, we will never get this chance.”
Gong Yang Xi stroked his beard and smiled, “This Old Master has lived a long time. I don’t really have any regrets.”
Jin Yuan Lang said, “I kind of want to know what the Open Heaven Realm is like. It’s a pity we could not advance any further in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven.”
Mu Qian Xuan laughed softly, “Big Brother Yuan Lang, do you want to try advancing into the Open Heaven Realm right now?”
His expression changed upon hearing those words. What she mentioned was correct. They had already finished condensing their Yin, Yang, and Five Element Powers, it was just that they had always been stuck inside the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, so they could not advance into the Open Heaven Realm. Now that they had broken free of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven’s limitations, they could advance into the Open Heaven Realm as long as they were willing.
However, he soon shook his head and said, “I’m afraid it’s too late.”
Even though he had never tried to break through before, he knew that advancing into the Open Heaven Realm was not such an easy matter. He would almost certainly explode and die from the activation of the Blood Principles Restriction before he could finish preparing himself for the advancement.
Mo Mei suddenly bowed elegantly, “This Mistress is honoured to have received your help all these years. Many thanks for all your hard work.”
Everybody quickly turned towards her while Pang Duo spoke, “You are far too polite, City Lord. We were only performing our duties. Rather, it is your dedication to Abundance City that I highly admire, City Lord.”
Mo Mei smiled, “It’s not that bad to have your company on the road to the Yellow Springs.”
He laughed loudly, “Let us build another Abundance City when we arrive in the next world. We will behead anybody who dares to look down on us!”
The others roared their agreement.
“What are you talking about so happily?” A voice entered their ears suddenly, and in the next moment, their vision blurred slightly as a figure abruptly appeared in front of them. They jumped in fright and Pang Duo even took a few steps back without realising. After taking a good look at the newcomer though, he exclaimed in astonishment, “Yang Kai!? Why did you come back?”
Yang Kai smiled, “Of course, it’s to fulfil my promise.”
Mo Mei was puzzled, “Promise?” Seeming to recall something all of a sudden, she exclaimed in a mixture of surprise and joy, “Did you find a way to remove the Blood Principles Restriction!?”
When Yang Kai left earlier, he had mentioned that there was somebody who could remove the Blood Principles Restriction in their bodies. He also promised that he would do his best to obtain that method; even so, it had not been long since he left. Despite asking that question, Mo Mei had only asked out of a small sliver of hope. She did not actually believe that he had succeeded.
Contrary to her expectations, Yang Kai nodded in affirmation, “En. I obtained the necessary Secret Technique. I can help you remove the Blood Principles Restriction in your bodies so that you will never be bound by the Blood Monster Cave Heaven again.”
Gong Yang Xi accidentally tore out his beard hairs as his eyes widened when he heard those words and shouted, “Are you serious!?”
Likewise, Mu Qian Xuan’s eyes gleamed, “Yang Kai, you better not be lying to us.”
Yang Kai replied seriously, “Of course I wouldn’t lie to you. I’ve already experimented on the way here. The Secret Technique works.”
Pang Duo was taken aback for a moment, before he burst out laughing, “There’s always a way out! The Heavens have eyes after all! Hahahaha!”
Yang Kai raised a hand to interrupt, “Don’t get so happy just yet. There’s still a difficult problem to solve first.”
Mo Mei seriously asked, “What is it? Can we help? If so, then please speak freely.”
Yang Kai swept his gaze over them and answered in a troubled voice, “There are too many people in Abundance City. Using the Secret Technique depletes my strength. If I do this one at a time, I’m worried that the World Force here will dissipate completely before I can remove the Blood Principles Restriction from everybody.”
There were some 4,000 or so people in the city, so Yang Kai estimated it would take him at least one month to finish lifting the Restriction from all of them. However, the cultivators in Abundance City would lose the nourishment of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven’s aura when the World Force in this place fully dispersed. The only reason they were safe and sound at the moment was that Abundance City was located on a rather large Spirit Province; hence, some of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven’s aura still remained.
Yang Kai’s meaning could not be any clearer, time waited for no man.
When Mo Mei heard those words, her expression became grim. If that were the case, she would be stuck with the extremely unenviable problem of choosing who to save and who not to save. Having served as the City Lord for so many years, she knew every single person in the city personally, from the oldest man to the youngest child. All these faces floated in front of her eyes. It would be extremely cruel if she had to choose a person’s death in exchange for another person’s survival at a time like this.
Fortunately, Yang Kai continued, “There is another possibility, but it will be a gamble. If it works, then everybody in Abundance City will be saved. If it fails… Well, we’ll discuss that when that happens.”
Mo Mei immediately asked, “What’s the gamble?”
Yang Kai explained, “I have an independent world. I can collect this piece of land into that independent world and use certain means to lock the World Force in place. It’s just that I’m not certain whether I can maintain and preserve the unique World Force in this land for long.”
If he could preserve the World Force for an extended period of time, then the aura of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven would not dissipate so quickly and the Blood Principles Restriction in their bodies would not be triggered. In that way, he could slowly set everyone free. On the other hand, this method would be useless if he could not preserve the World Force for long enough.
Mo Mei’s eyes lit up at those words and she immediately agreed, “If you have a method like that, then please perform it as quickly as possible, Sir Yang.”
Nodding, Yang Kai requested, “Please wait for a moment. I also need you to tell everyone in the city not to resist what happens next.”
He was quite certain that it would not be difficult for him to collect this Spirit Province into the Small Sealed World; after all, his current Spiritual Energy was extraordinary. The main issue was that there were so many strong cultivators in the city as well. If anybody were to resist, it would add great strain to the load. Especially at a time like this where all the cultivators in Abundance City were already on edge. The slightest disturbance could send them into a panic, so it was crucial that they cooperated with him.
Mo Mei and the other Great Elders quickly relayed orders to the people. While comforting and reassuring everyone, they explained the current situation and told them not to resist under any circumstances. The cultivators in Abundance City slowly calmed down and soon there was not a single sound in the entire city, only their uneven breathing and the sound of pounding hearts remained.
Floating in the void above the Spirit Province where Abundance City was located, Yang Kai spread his Divine Sense into the surroundings to cover every corner of the floating piece of land. Even though he had already mentally prepared himself in advance, it was not until he actually attempted it that he discovered his initial assumption was far too naïve.
Even if his Divine Sense was incredibly powerful, his Spiritual Energy was gushing out like a waterfall at this moment. It didn’t take long before his Knowledge Sea was almost drained dry. If not for the Soul Warming Lotus’ continuous nourishment, he would probably be a dry oil lamp before he could even take action.
At times like this, Yang Kai couldn’t help missing the aspect of the Sealed World Bead that could transform into Gun-Gun. After all, Gun-Gun had even devoured the entire Demon Realm.
Everybody watched Yang Kai nervously only to see that his complexion was pale and his body was trembling slightly. Nevertheless, they could sense his overwhelming Divine Sense that was madly spreading out into the surroundings like a tidal wave.
Mo Mei and the others were shocked by the sight. Restrained by the limitations in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, they could only linger in the Emperor Realm for their entire lives. For that reason, their accumulation and precipitation in this Realm were by no means comparable to most other cultivators. Be it in terms of the purity and density of their Emperor Qi or their mastery of their Spiritual Energy, it was rare for Outer World cultivators to match up to them.
However, it was not until they compared themselves with Yang Kai that they understood their ignorance. Just in terms of Spiritual Energy alone, comparing themselves to him was like comparing a creek to the vast ocean.
A whole incense stick later, Yang Kai finally felt his Divine Sense wrapping around the Spirit Province without leaving out a single gap! His eyes, which had been closed all this time, jerked open abruptly and he roared, “Receive!”
The boundary of the Small Sealed World opened and Space Principles fluctuated violently and the Spirit Province became distorted. A series of ripples spread across the surface, then the Spirit Province suddenly disappeared.
Yang Kai exhaled softly in relief. Taking out some Spirit Pills, he stuffed them into his mouth and flashed into the Small Sealed World at the same time.
A large Spirit Province suddenly appeared in the Small Sealed World, its World Force clashing with the ambient World Force, causing the Blood Monster Cave Heaven’s aura to dissipate rapidly.
There was no time to rest as Yang Kai hurriedly communicated with the Sealed World Bead to seal the space around the new Spirit Province, preventing its World Force and the Blood Monster Cave Heaven’s aura from dissipating.
After working so hard, Yang Kai was so tired that he could see stars dancing in his vision. Nevertheless, the results were gratifying despite the huge effort required. The World Force of the Spirit Province that Abundance City was located on finally stopped dissipating. The preservation of the World Force meant that the Blood Monster Cave Heaven’s aura would not disappear; hence, the Abundance City cultivators had no need to fear or worry about the Blood Principles Restriction being activated.
It would seem that Yang Kai’s idea was feasible. A wave of relief washed over him after confirming this fact; then, he informed Mo Mei and the others about the results. Likewise, they also let out a deep sigh of relief.
“City Lord Mo, now is not the time for me to perform the Secret Technique. I’ll come to help you remove the Blood Principles Restriction in your bodies when I’ve settled down in a safe place,” Yang Kai said. The Blood Monster Territory was in chaos at the moment, so even if he wanted to help them, it was impossible for him to do so immediately.
Mo Mei bowed, “Please take care of your matters first, Sir Yang. This Mistress will manage Abundance City. Abundance City is greatly indebted to you for your life-saving grace, Sir.”
Pang Duo and the others solemnly cupped their fists, “Many thanks, Sir!”
Yang Kai returned the gesture and slipped out of the Small Sealed World. Even so, he was in no hurry to leave. He stayed there and took a short rest. All of a sudden, his eyes flickered. He had just noticed something rather interesting. When he was collecting the Spirit Province where Abundance City was located into the Small Sealed World, the Small Sealed World had absorbed the World Force that dissipated from the Spirit Province!
Upon further consideration, he realised that it was nothing to be surprised about. Back when he killed some Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters in Void Land, the Small Universes in their bodies had collapsed upon their deaths. Accordingly, a portion of the World Force that dissipated and filled Void Land had been absorbed by Void Land to enhance its heritage.
It was said that the Masters of various Cave-Heavens and Paradises would choose to return to their respective Sects when their predestined time of death was approaching. When the Small Universe in their bodies collapsed, their World Force would enhance their Sect’s heritage. In that way, the World Force of those Cave-Heavens and Paradises became incredibly dense and rich with the accumulation of many years. That was also how they grew to their current scale and power.
Being an independent world, it was only natural that the Small Sealed World could devour and absorb World Force from external sources to strengthen itself.
Yang Kai suddenly regretted it a bit. [If I had known earlier, I would have tossed the corpses of those Open Heaven Realm Masters I killed into the Small Sealed World. That way, the Small Sealed World could have absorbed the World Force from their Small Universes!]
Nevertheless, it was not too late to understand this now. He might not be able to kill any Open Heaven Realm Masters at the moment, but there was no shortage of Spirit Provinces in all shapes and sizes in the Blood Monster Territory.
The Blood Monster Cave Heaven had collapsed to form countless Spirit Provinces scattered across the Blood Monster Territory. These were all unowned property. If Yang Kai could collect some of them into the Small Sealed World, the Small Sealed World would surely be greatly enhanced as a result.
In the past, a bold idea had unintentionally formed in his heart. This idea was closely related to the Small Sealed World. If the Small Sealed World could become stronger, then it would only benefit him even more when his idea came to fruition!
All of a sudden, Yang Kai felt that the destruction of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven might not be such a bad thing for him after all. How else could he have obtained an opportunity like this?
After a short rest, Yang Kai immediately rushed in the direction of a nearby Spirit Province. At present, there was no shortage of Spirit Provinces in all shapes and sizes in the Blood Monster Territory. They practically filled the entire Blood Monster Territory, so he could easily find one or two without putting in much effort. It was just that this particular Spirit Province did not contain any native cultivators from the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. It didn’t even contain the slightest hint of life. Not to mention, it seemed significantly smaller than the Spirit Province with Abundance City.
Yang Kai spent a lot of effort to collect this Spirit Province into the Small Sealed World, but fortunately, there was no need to preserve the World Force of this place, so he simply allowed it to freely dissipate and add to the Small Sealed World’s heritage.
After two previous experiences, Yang Kai was becoming more and more skilful. He collected Spirit Province after Spirit Province into the Small Sealed World. Around half a day later, Yang Kai suddenly realised that he was not the only one doing this. Many other Open Heaven Realm Masters were also doing this!
It would seem that he was not the only one to realise that these Spirit Provinces contained great benefits. Thinking about it again, it was not that strange. The Open Heaven Realm Masters here were not stupid, so how could they ignore the benefits in front of them? This was the World Force of a Universe Cave Heaven left behind by an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master after all.
[As things stand, I have to move faster.] The Blood Monster Cave Heaven was vast, so it broke into countless Spirit Provinces after its collapse. Even so, these Spirit Provinces could not last long with so many people gathering them. It was conceivable that the entire Blood Monster Cave Heaven would be divided up among the Open Heaven Realm Masters and cease to exist before long.
Unwilling to compete with the Open Heaven Realm Masters, Yang Kai found a relatively remote area and rushed in that direction.
The truth was that he still held a glimmer of hope that he would come across a city similar to Abundance City. There should be many native cultivators within the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. If he could rescue them at a time like this, they would surely bring great benefits to Void Land in the future.
Unfortunately, he collected some Spirit Provinces along the way but did not encounter any native cultivators from the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. Yang Kai couldn’t help sighing slightly, knowing that these native cultivators would not meet a good end. The other Open Heaven Realm Masters had no way to remove the Blood Principles Restriction even if they collected the Spirit Provinces that had native cultivators inhabiting them. All that awaited these native cultivators was death.
With the passing of time, Yang Kai noticed that the World Force contained in the Spirit Provinces that he collected into the Small Sealed World was getting weaker and weaker. It was understandable; after all, the World Force contained in the Spirit Provinces would slowly dissipate as they drifted about in the void. In the end, these Spirit Provinces would all turn into dead land.
At one point, Yang Kai was floating in the sky above a certain Spirit Province located several hundred metres away. Opening the boundaries of the Small Sealed World, his Divine Sense surged as he made a move to collect the Spirit Province.
However, a violent aura erupted from the depths of the Spirit Province at that moment and smashed his Divine Sense to pieces in an instant. Not only did Yang Kai fail in his endeavour, but he also received some backlash from this encounter. For a moment, he was so dizzy that stars danced in his vision.
Yang Kai was extremely shocked. He had checked the Spirit Province just now and found no traces of life, so where did this violent burst of aura come from?
This aura was clearly hidden somewhere in the Spirit Province. It was only exposed because Yang Kai’s actions had disturbed it. Not to mention, this aura… gave him a sense of déjà vu. It felt like he had encountered it before.
Before he could figure out the answer, an enormous figure emanating a sharp and overwhelming Monster Qi burst out of the Spirit Province. In addition, the figure was covered in dazzling golden light!
Yang Kai took a good look and exclaimed in surprise, “Golden Wolf King!”
[No wonder I found the aura familiar. I’ve actually met this fellow before!]
When Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang were being hunted down by Yin Xin Zhao, he had accidentally stumbled upon a battle between two peak Sixth-Order Monster Beasts. One of them was Golden Gorilla King while the other was a Golden Wolf King. Those two Monster Beasts were very powerful. At the time, the fight was evenly matched and both parties ended up wounded as a result.
It was with the borrowed strength of these two Monster Beasts that Yang Kai had escaped the pursuit of Yin Xin Zhao and the others. He later arrived at Abundance City.
During Yang Kai’s stay in Abundance City, Golden Gorilla King had taken advantage of the time when the barrier over the city had been torn open by Tan Luo Xing to enter and wreak great havoc. In the end, Yang Kai fought him and managed to force him back.
According to the explanation from Mo Mei and the others, Golden Gorilla King was a Sixth-Order Monster Beast that they supported. He also helped Abundance City out of trouble several times in the past. For that reason, Mo Mei pleaded on his behalf after Yang Kai severely injured him. Thus, Yang Kai allowed him to go free.
Yang Kai never expected to meet the Golden Wolf King in this broken Spirit Province after the collapse of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. He gnashed his teeth wondering just how unlucky he could be.
It was clear that the intense battle between the Golden Wolf King and Golden Gorilla King had left both parties heavily injured; therefore, they had both been treating their wounds in hiding. Yang Kai’s actions just now must have disturbed the Golden Wolf King.
The Golden Wolf King and Golden Gorilla King were both peak Sixth-Order Monster Beasts and the grudge between them was not something that was just one or two days old. They were both Metal Element Monster Beasts, so both of them were coveting each other’s Monster Core.
When Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang encountered these two Monster Beasts during their escape, both had been covered in serious wounds. Some of these injuries were fresh while others were fully healed. It could be seen that they had fought each other numerous times. It was just that they were so evenly matched that neither could finish the other.
Upon meeting the Golden Wolf King again, Yang Kai discovered that the other party’s wounds from earlier had not healed; furthermore, new wounds had been added into the mix. The flesh around those bloody wounds squirmed, looking extremely disturbing. In other words, the Golden Wolf King was currently in extremely poor condition.
Yang Kai was capable of pushing back the heavily injured Golden Gorilla King even when he himself was not fully healed; therefore, he was not afraid of the Golden Wolf King in the slightest. As such, he immediately raised the spear in his hand.
A furious roar reverberated through the air and the golden light around the Golden Wolf King’s body shone out brightly. He swiftly moved about on all fours and arrived within several dozen metres of Yang Kai in an instant. Opening his large and bloody mouth as he bit at him.
An overwhelming aura loomed over Yang Kai from above. He could even smell the nauseating stench coming from the Golden Wolf King’s mouth! Just as he was about to engage in battle against the Golden Wolf King, he suddenly became shocked and hastily retreated with a kick of his foot. That was because he discovered that the Golden Wolf King was not in the Sixth-Order anymore. The entire body of the Golden Wolf King was radiating with the aura of a Seventh-Order Monster Beast!
If Yang Kai had not encountered the Star Turtle previously, he might not have been able to judge this accurately. Fortunately, he had fought a great battle against the Star Turtle not long ago. The ferocity of a Seventh-Order Monster Beast was still fresh in his mind. That was why the realisation struck him immediately the moment the Golden Wolf King attacked. This was not the Sixth-Order Monster Beast that he knew, it was a Seventh-Order Monster Beast!
[Is it a different Golden Wolf King? That can’t be. This is the same Monster Beast I met previously. The wounds on his body look very familiar. But, I’m certain it was only at the peak of the Sixth Order when I last saw it. How did it advance into the Seventh Order?] Looking at the wounds on the Golden Wolf King, Yang Kai immediately understood. [This guy probably killed Golden Gorilla King and devoured the latter’s Monster Core. That’s why he advanced into the Seventh Order!]
Both the Monster Beasts had been at the peak of the Sixth Order, so no matter who killed whom, the surviving party would definitely be able to break through because they were only one step away from the Seventh Order. It was impossible for them to remain stagnant at their previous level after devouring the Monster Core of another Monster Beast at the peak of the Sixth Order.
Under normal circumstances, these two Monster Beasts would have been evenly matched; however, Golden Gorilla King had been badly beaten by Yang Kai in Abundance City, causing his already serious injuries to worsen.
[The Golden Wolf King must have taken that opportunity to kill his long-time enemy!] Yang Kai could almost imagine the scenario. The Golden Wolf King had been silently stalking Golden Gorilla King and waiting for a chance to finish him off after he invaded Abundance City. After Golden Gorilla King was driven away by Yang Kai and went into hiding to quietly lick his wounds, the Golden Wolf King finally made his move and dealt the finishing blow!
The Golden Wolf King managed to kill Golden Gorilla King, devour his opponent’s Monster Core, and advance into the Seventh Order. Even so, he had paid a heavy price for his success. That much was evident from the fresh injuries all over his body.
In an instant, many thoughts flashed through Yang Kai’s mind. Although he could not prove his conjectures, he was certain that his guesses were not too far from the truth. Nevertheless, he couldn’t help feeling a mixture of fear and joy upon learning that the Golden Wolf King was now a Seventh-Order Monster Beast.
He was apprehensive towards the terrifying might of a Seventh-Order Monster Beast; after all, he had a previous experience with the power of the Star Turtle. Even though so many people had joined forces, they failed to harm the Star Turtle in any meaningful way. The defences of an Earth Attribute Monster Beast were already extraordinary, so nothing need be said about one that was in the Seventh Order.
On the other hand, Yang Kai was happy because the Golden Wolf King’s body currently contained a Seventh-Order Metal Element Monster Core!
Why did he enter the Blood Monster Cave Heaven in the first place? Wasn’t it because he was searching for Metal and Yin Element cultivation resources? Out of all the Yin, Yang, and Five Elements, Yang Kai only needed two more. Once he gathered all of them, he would be able to advance directly into the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm. Only then would he finally have the qualifications to face all sorts of dangers and create a place for himself in the vast 3,000 Worlds for himself.
[Do I fight or flee?] Yang Kai only hesitated for a moment before he reached a decision.
The Golden Wolf King might be a Seventh-Order Monster Beast, but it had not been long since it broke through. Besides, its injuries had yet to heal. Why else would it be hiding here instead of leaving when such a huge disaster had befallen the Blood Monster Cave Heaven? In other words, it was hard to say whether it could fully exert the strength of a Seventh-Order Monster Beast.
More importantly, Yang Kai had no idea when he might come across another Seventh-Order Metal Element treasure if he passed up on this opportunity!
Kill!
Yang Kai held his spear horizontally by his side. His gaze was fixed on the Golden Wolf King who was charging at him fiercely. While drifting backwards continuously, he gripped the Divine Ability Bead that the Proprietress had given to him in his other hand!
He had always been reluctant to use this Divine Ability Bead. Even when facing Black Crow Divine Monarch or the Star Turtle, Yang Kai had reserved the use of this Divine Ability Bead; however, this was related to a Seventh-Order Metal Element Monster Core. He could not afford to hold back or delay.
After Yang Kai poured his strength into the Divine Ability Bead without restraint, the Proprietress’ familiar aura permeated from the inconspicuous Divine Ability Bead.
The Golden Wolf King was charging straight at Yang Kai when it seemed to detect a great crisis. Its enormous figure halted abruptly in the void and its strangely humanised eyes revealed uncertainty. In the next moment, it turned and fled.
It was also at this moment that the Divine Ability Bead in Yang Kai’s hand shone brightly. A slender jade finger suddenly appeared and gently pointed forward. That movement was absolutely gentle and did not carry the slightest hint of aggression. It was almost as if it was a flirtatious act between lovers, stirring up faint ripples in one’s heart.
However, this gentle movement contained an extremely horrifying power. In an instant, the world was turned upside down. It seemed as though even a Universe World would shatter to pieces if it stood before that finger.
The slender jade finger pressed down in the direction that the Golden Wolf King was fleeing. The Golden Wolf King clearly noticed that it was in a dangerous situation; thus, its figure moved about erratically in an effort to dodge.
A short while later, the jade finger vanished out of sight. On the other hand, the Golden Wolf King had already fled several hundreds of kilometres away.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai stood frozen on the spot in shock. He was feeling slightly dumbfounded.
[Is that… all?] Nothing dramatic had happened. The Divine Ability didn’t seem to have done anything to the Golden Wolf King either. When he first felt the power contained within that finger, Yang Kai wondered whether it could even kill a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Contrary to his expectations, the results were completely unexpected.
[That can’t be right. Proprietress spent so much energy to refine that Divine Ability Bead. It’s impossible for it to be useless.] As soon as that thought crossed his mind, Yang Kai quickly chased after the Golden Wolf King.
At this moment, the Golden Wolf King who had fled forward suddenly howled in agony. It stumbled and collapsed in the void, blood mist violently gushing out of all the pores on its body. Even the golden light around it dimmed in an instant.
The damage caused by that gentle finger might not be apparent from the outside, but it was clearly effective on the inside!
Before the Golden Wolf King could get up once more, Yang Kai swooped in and fiercely thrust his spear out!
Blood splattered everywhere. Although the Golden Wolf King tried hard to avoid the blow, this spear stabbed straight into its eye socket and caused it to burst. If the Golden Wolf King had not shifted his head away at the last moment, Yang Kai was certain he could have killed his opponent in one move!
The pain made the Golden Wolf King howl again. The golden light around its body fluctuated and a beam of light aggressively shot out from its mouth, aiming directly at Yang Kai. The destructive power was extremely high.
Yang Kai did not dare to underestimate this attack and dodged aside. Surging his Space Principles, his figure floated about erratically as he rained down spear attacks on the Golden Wolf King like a storm.
An endless wave of stabbing sounds sliced through the air as the Azure Dragon Spear pierced again and again. Although Yang Kai had experienced some setbacks in his battle against the Star Turtle, that was mainly because the Star Turtle’s defences were beyond terrifying.
The Golden Wolf King might also be a Seventh-Order Monster Beast, but it had only just finished its advancement and was also heavily injured. More importantly, the Metal Element was specialized in attacking, not defending; therefore, countless new wounds were added to the Golden Wolf King’s body in the blink of an eye, constantly drawing blood.
Yang Kai swung his spear with the speed of lightning. There were no tricks to his attacks, they were simply a barrage he unleashed without restraint. In spite of his calm exterior, Yang Kai’s emotions were incredibly excited.
[I can kill him! I can kill this Seventh-Order Golden Wolf King! As long as I kill the Golden Wolf King, I will obtain a Seventh-Order Metal Element Monster Core! Then, I will only be missing the Yin Element!]
It was impossible for the Golden Wolf King to do nothing and wait for death under the endless rain of spears. It endured the pain and injuries on its body and fought back with all its strength. Its battle against Yang Kai was fierce. Although it was not an evenly matched situation, it was not a landslide victory either.
The heritage of a Seventh-Order Monster Beast was truly extraordinary. Even if it was just a newly-advanced Seventh-Order Monster Beast, it was absolutely incomparable to a Sixth-Order Monster Beast.
The same logic applied for Open Heaven Realm Masters. A Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master and a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master might only have a difference of one Order between them, but it was the difference between a Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master and a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master. Even 10 Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters working together might not win against a single Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
It was not until this moment that Yang Kai was thankful that he had not tried to hold back and had used the Divine Ability Bead given to him by the Proprietress from the start. Otherwise, he would not have been a match for the Golden Wolf King.
Thanks to the gentle finger within the Divine Ability Bead, the Golden Wolf King had been considerably weakened. It was conceivable how powerful it would have been if Yang Kai had not heavily injured it from the start.
A vicious battle ensued. Although Yang Kai inflicted wounds all over the Golden Wolf King’s body, actually killing the opponent would take much more effort. It would take at least an hour or more for him to succeed. Of course, the longer the battle went on, the more advantageous it would become for Yang Kai. That was because the Golden Wolf King’s injuries would only worsen with time and the strength it could exert would also weaken. At some point, it would become easy for Yang Kai to kill it.
However, Yang Kai could not afford to drag things out. He had to end the battle as soon as possible as this place was the Blood Monster Territory. There were Open Heaven Realm Masters everywhere and there was no shortage of Mid-Rank ones among them. It would definitely attract unwanted attention if somebody detected the commotion here. A Seventh-Order Monster Beast’s Monster Core was extremely valuable, so it would inevitably arouse the greed in others and incite their killing intent.
Taking a deep breath, Yang Kai raised his spear and surged the Power in his Dao Seal. Golden Crow’s True Fire spread out, distorting the void. A Great Sun suddenly leaped out from behind his back and the sound of the Golden Crow’s cry rang out. Inside the Great Sun, a Three-Legged Golden Crow danced happily. The moment the Divine Manifestation appeared, Yang Kai’s aura increased madly.
A look of shock and fear flashed through the Golden Wolf King’s humanised eyes and it hesitated for a moment before turning around and fleeing.
How could Yang Kai allow the Golden Wolf King to escape though? His expression was calm as he manipulated Space Principles to turn the void into a prison, instantly slowing the Golden Wolf King’s movements.
Meanwhile, with the Great Sun perched atop the tip of his spear, Yang Kai thrust forward fiercely.
At the critical juncture of life and death, the Golden Wolf King turned around angrily and shot out a beam of golden light from its mouth to meet the dazzling Great Sun.
A violent collision erupted. Beams of light spread out everywhere and brutal energy ran rampant. When the golden light finally went out, the Great Sun enveloped the Golden Wolf King completely.
A short while later, the dazzling light dissipated. Yang Kai’s complexion was slightly pale as he held his spear and breathed heavily.
Not far from Yang Kai, the Golden Wolf King’s head had been blasted to pieces. The headless carcass twitched slightly as its vitality rapidly faded.
This battle began abruptly and ended swiftly. Nevertheless, Yang Kai was extremely lucky to have killed the Seventh-Order Monster Beast. If the Golden Wolf King had not been heavily injured in the first place and he did not have the Proprietress’ Divine Ability Bead, the only thing Yang Kai could have done upon encountering a Seventh-Order Monster Beast with his current strength would be to flee. It was only because of multiple coincidences overlapping with each other that led to the death of the Golden Wolf King.
Suppressing the excitement in his heart, Yang Kai flashed over to the Golden Wolf King’s carcass. He swept his Divine Sense over the carcass and quickly found something in the chest area. Thrusting his arm into the carcass, Yang Kai grasped something and pulled his hand out, holding a bloody Monster Core that emitted a golden radiance. The Monster Core was about the size of his fist.
[Seventh-Order! It really is a Seventh-Order Metal Element Monster Core!] The urge to throw back his head and laugh wildly consumed Yang Kai. He originally thought that he would not obtain what he desired from the Blood Monster Cave Heaven this time around, but who could have known that he would gain a Seventh-Order Metal Element Monster Core after the collapse of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven? It truly was a blessing from the Heavens. [Great efforts will be rewarded indeed. I’m glad the Proprietress’ Divine Ability Bead was well-used.]
Before he could put away the Monster Core though, a figure appeared suddenly and landed not far away from him. Yang Kai’s heart sank at the sight. He knew that he would attract the attention of others if he did not finish the fight quickly. Unfortunately, he was still too slow. Both the Proprietress’ Divine Ability Bead and his own Divine Manifestation were incredibly powerful after all, so it would be more difficult for people not to notice if they were nearby.
The person who came was an elderly man. Yang Kai glanced at the man briefly and was surprised to realise that he could recognise this person. He did not know the name of this elderly man and only knew that other people called him ‘Old Hong’. If he remembered correctly, this elderly man came from a great force known as Heaven’s Border.
Back when Yang Kai snatched the carcass of the Golden Crow in the Golden Crow Divine Palace, Old Hong and several other Open Heaven Realm Masters had chased after him.
Afterwards, Yang Kai escaped into First Inn.
When the matter in the Golden Crow Divine Palace was exposed, Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters like Old Hong lost the qualifications to participate. And so, Old Hong backed down quickly.
As soon as Old Hong arrived, he glanced at the Golden Wolf King’s carcass with a gloomy expression. His eyelids twitched at the sight, “A Seventh-Order Monster Beast!”
The Golden Wolf King might be dead, but the aura of a Seventh-Order Monster Beast coming from his body had yet to dissipate completely. Being rather knowledgeable, it only took one glance for Old Hong to understand this. He then turned to look at Yang Kai and his gaze immediately became fierce, “Brat, it’s you!”
It was obvious that he recognised Yang Kai. His memory of this boy was still fresh in his mind. There were few who could survive the pursuit of several Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters after all. It had been his first time meeting such a person.
Yang Kai ignored the other party. Quietly taking out some Spirit Pills, he stuffed them into his mouth. Following that, he waved his large hand and kept the Golden Wolf King’s carcass into his Space Ring.
“Brat, hand over the Monster Beast’s Monster Core and this Old Master will spare your life!” Old Hong’s expression was a mixture of excitement and greed. It was a Seventh-Order Monster Beast’s Monster Core after all! He had never seen one in his life. As a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he was vastly superior to Yang Kai in terms of identity, strength, and status. However, he had less than a hundredth of Yang Kai’s wealth.
[How many cultivation resources can I receive in exchange for a Seventh-Order Monster Core?] It could be said that Old Hong would never have to worry about money again. How could he not be moved by such huge benefits in front of his eyes? Recalling how Yang Kai escaped in the past, he secretly drew upon the World Force in his Small Universe to seal this surrounding space while he was speaking. As long as he could seal this place, Yang Kai would never be able to escape from the palm of his hands no matter what kind of method he employed.
He was not clear as to how Yang Kai managed to slaughter a Seventh-Order Monster Beast with his trivial Emperor Realm strength. In any case, it was obvious that Yang Kai had a great stroke of luck; otherwise, how could a little brat who was not even in the Open Heaven Realm kill such a powerful existence? The might of a Seventh-Order Monster Beast was such that even he did not dare to face it lightly.
Yang Kai immediately noticed the moment Old Hong made a move. Raising a hand, he tossed a brilliant golden Monster Core at Old Hong and shouted, “Here!”
Old Hong instinctively reached out and grabbed the Monster Core in his hand, but after looking down at it, he nearly exploded with rage, “How dare you deceive me, boy!?”
It was indeed a Metal Element Monster Core, but it was a Third-Order Monster Core that was only worth 10 or 20 thousand Open Heaven Pills at most. By the time he looked up again, Yang Kai was already a black dot in the distance. Yang Kai had taken advantage of his momentary distraction to use Space Principles to escape.
Old Hong felt as though his teeth were about to crack from rage. Having learned from his past experience where this Brat had escaped his clutches, how could he give chase only to be left behind again? He knew that it was unrealistic to catch up to Yang Kai with his abilities alone. Even so, the temptation of the Seventh-Order Monster Core made him unable to give up so easily. Burning his Blood Essence, he struggled to catch up. At the same time, he took out communication bead after communication bead and sent various messages out.
Old Hong would never have informed others if he could enjoy the benefits alone; however, he wouldn’t even be able to catch up to Yang Kai with his abilities alone. He could only rely on others to help. Besides, the value of a Seventh-Order Monster Core was so great that he would still receive quite a lot even if he had to divide his gains with others.
Old Hong’s cultivation and identity might not be particularly outstanding, but he still had some friends. Not to mention, several Open Heaven Realm Masters from Heaven’s Border also came here with him. Be that as it may, he was cautious and did not inform the others about the specific details. He only asked them to help intercept Yang Kai and promised to reward them greatly afterwards.
Somebody soon responded to his message. Overjoyed, Old Hong desperately chased in that direction.
An incense stick later, Yang Kai had only just planted his feet in the void when he sensed World Force surge and lock him in place, creating a sealed space. Yang Kai was shocked as he never imagined that somebody would block the path in front of him. Looking at this situation, it seemed to be targeting his Space Principles. Why else would somebody purposely seal off space around him?
[Did Old Hong call for help?] The moment that thought flashed through his mind, he heard a loud voice entering his ears, “Junior, obediently surrender without a fight!”
Yang Kai desperately pushed his Space Principles again and Moon Blades slashed out in all directions, but could not tear apart the opponent’s World Force that was holding him in place. When he looked up again, he saw a middle-aged man approaching him and cutting off his escape.
The middle-aged man studied Yang Kai curiously. He did not know the reason why Old Hong had sent him a message asking him to stop this young man. It was just that he happened to be nearby and Old Hong promised great benefits, so he simply acted in passing.
Yang Kai’s thoughts flashed through his head like lightning before he immediately shouted, “Who are you? Why are you blocking my way?”
The middle-aged man asked, “And, who are you?”
[Does this guy not know who I am?] Yang Kai opened his mouth to respond, “I am a manager under Madam Lan of First Inn. I have an urgent matter I must report to her and need to meet up with her immediately. If there’s a misunderstanding, please allow me to pass. It will be very serious if Madame blames you for this delay.”
“Madam Lan!?” The middle-aged man jumped in fright. [This kid belongs to First Inn!? What the Hell is Old Ghost Hong up to? Did he swallow the heart of a bear or the gall of a leopard!? How could he dare to pursue somebody from First Inn!? What would happen if that crazy woman, Lan You Ruo, finds out about this!?]
He might not have heard about there being managers in First Inn, but he had no time to think about it either. After frowning and pondering for a while, he asked, “Little Brother, you claim to be from First Inn. Do you have any proof?”
“Madame’s token is right here. I’m just afraid that you might have eyes but fail to recognise her greatness!” Yang Kai coldly snorted. Raising his hand, he tossed a token towards the other party. He could sense the other party’s cowardice, so his courage increased sharply. At a time like this, he could not afford to be polite. It was better to be arrogant instead.
Besides, the token was not fake. It was something the Proprietress handed to him in the past so that he could go around collecting debts. He had been keeping it all this while; hence, her aura was indeed contained inside the token.
The middle-aged man took the token and probed the contents with his Divine Sense and instantly his expression cramped. He could sense a strong residual aura was contained within the token. Although he could not confirm that the aura belonged to Lan You Ruo specifically, it definitely belonged to a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Like Old Hong, he was simply a Fourth Order, so how could he dare to go against a Sixth Order? Furthermore, First Inn was very well-known.
The token felt like a hot potato in his hand; thus, he quickly returned the token and cupped his fists, “So Little Brother is a subordinate of Madam Lan of First Inn. Forgive me, Little Brother. Everything was just a misunderstanding.”
Yang Kai shook his head and impatiently said, “If this is a misunderstanding, then hurry up and release me!”
“Please go ahead, Little Brother!” After confirming that Yang Kai had a powerful supporter, the middle-aged man no longer dared to stop him, releasing his World Force and returning the token.
Yang Kai nodded gently and moved to leave.
The middle-aged man said, “Little Brother, you should head this way if you are looking for Madam Lan. I last saw her graceful figure from afar in that direction one day ago.”
He stretched out his hand and pointed in a certain direction.
Yang Kai cupped his fists, “Many thanks. I hope we meet again!”
With a flash of his figure, Yang Kai hurried in the direction that man had pointed.
At present, the Blood Monster Territory was in chaos. Being only in the Half-Step Open Heaven Realm, Yang Kai did not feel very safe moving alone. It would be best if he could meet up with the Proprietress and the others.
After Yang Kai departed, the middle-aged man angrily took out a communication bead and poured his Divine Sense into it to question why Old Hong had tried to harm him.
Old Hong was rushing over when he saw the message, so furious that he nearly spat blood, “Brother Xu, you let him go!?”
The man surnamed Xu snapped, “He is First Inn’s manager. How could I dare to stop him?”
Old Hong scolded scathingly, “What do you mean by the ‘Manager!? First Inn is just an inn! Why would it need another manager when Lan You Ruo is already there!?”
The man surnamed Xu couldn’t help realising the oddity of the situation when he heard those words. He had been frightened by the reputation behind the names ‘Madam Lan’ and ‘First Inn’ earlier, but now that he thought about it, he realised the truth behind those words. First Inn was just an inn, a place that collected and sold information. Why would it need multiple managers?
Despite feeling cheated, he replied, “Even so, that kid is from First Inn. We can’t afford to provoke them. Old Hong, I suggest that you give up as soon as possible to avoid accidents.”
Regardless of Yang Kai’s real status, the token was not fake. The aura contained within the token had terrified him. More so with the current situation in the Blood Monster Territory. There were disciples from major Cave-Heavens and Paradises everywhere. One could not be fooled by the fact that the other party was only in the Emperor Realm. Who could say which Sect the other party came from? What if he offended somebody he could not afford to? Not only would he suffer misfortune, but his actions might also endanger his Sect.
If this were a more hidden environment, he could have silenced the witness to his crime and be done with the matter; however, it was not easy to silence someone out in the open with so many people crawling all over the Blood Monster Territory. Determined to stay out of this shady business, the man surnamed Xu cut off contact with Old Hong.
Old Hong put away the communication bead and scolded angrily, “Cowardly rat! You are not qualified to participate in this great plan!”
Be that as it may, Old Hong could not be sure whether or not Yang Kai was from First Inn. If that were really the case, then he did not dare to provoke them either. Thinking about it carefully, Yang Kai had escaped into First Inn after snatching the Golden Crow carcass back then. Taking that opportunity to join First Inn did not seem unreasonable.
[In that case, that damned brat might really be part of First Inn!] Old Hong’s heart sank at the thought. [It feels like the Seventh-Order Monster Core will no longer have anything to do with me.]
Nevertheless, it was a miserable feeling to have such a tempting delicacy in front of him that he could only stare at but not eat. Old Hong stood there hesitating for a while. Then, he seemed to recall something all of a sudden. An idea came to him and he took out another communication bead. His expression became very respectful as he poured his Divine Sense into the communication bead and sent a message.
…
Inside the void, Yang Kai swiftly headed in the direction pointed to him by the middle-aged man earlier. At the same time, he took out his communication beads and kept sending messages to the Proprietress, Yue He, and Old Bai in hopes of getting in touch with them.
He was certain that the Proprietress and the others were also looking for him, it was just that they didn’t know each other’s location. The communication beads were certainly very useful and convenient, but they were limited by a certain distance; thus, they would not be able to communicate with each other if they were too far away from one another.
Half a day later, Yang Kai finally managed to contact Yue He. Once they exchanged information on each other’s locations, he finally calmed down slightly. Yue He was relatively close to him, so it would only take her an hour or so to arrive. Not daring to move around carelessly, Yang Kai found a dead Spirit Province nearby and hid there.
The Spirit Province he was hiding on clearly came from the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. It was just that it wasn’t very large, only kilometres wide and long. Several days had passed since the collapse of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, so the World Force of these Spirit Provinces that were not collected in time had dissipated completely and merged with the void, causing these remnants to become barren.
There were not many similar wastelands like this. Some 80% of the Spirit Provinces had been collected. It could almost be said that the entire Blood Monster Cave Heaven had basically been divided up between the Open Heaven Realm Masters who came here. This was the first time Open Heaven Realm Masters had benefited from the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. Unfortunately, this chance only came once. The Blood Monster Cave Heaven had collapsed, so it was impossible for another opportunity like this to arise again.
Before an hour was up, a graceful figure landed nearby. Yue He swept out her Divine Sense and looked around for a bit before she glanced at Yang Kai’s hiding place and called out softly, “Young Master?”
Yang Kai stepped out and took off the Shadowless Veil to reveal his figure.
She hurriedly greeted him and asked in concern, “Young Master, are you alright?”
Her expression was filled with worry. The main reason was that Yang Kai seemed to have experienced various difficult battles. His outer appearance was quite a miserable sight. His clothes were ragged and torn. Moreover, the dried blood crusting his clothes could almost form a complete shell.
He shook his head and said, “I’m fine. Have you found the others?”
Yue He examined his condition carefully and confirmed that he was really fine. Only then did she relax and answer his question, “We found almost all of them; five or six of them are still missing.”
Yang Kai fell silent. Those missing people had probably met with a disastrous end. Before he entered the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, he had mentally prepared himself for this eventuality when his subordinates decided to explore on their own. The Blood Monster Cave Heaven was not a safe place after all. There would always be a risk when going for training, but he could not stop them. If he refused their request and protectively brought them around with him all the time, they would never grow stronger.
Only losing five or six people could even be said to be a great fortune amidst the various misfortunes. Furthermore, those who had survived the Blood Monster Cave Heaven would surely have grown tremendously. This would be of great benefit to their future.
Yang Kai composed his emotions and nodded, “Let’s go see Proprietress!”
Yue He immediately summoned her flight-type artifact and returned the way she came with Yang Kai.
Searching for the Proprietress took quite a lot of time as she was also searching for Yang Kai. It was quite troublesome not to have a fixed meeting place in this vast Blood Monster Territory. It was fortunate that the Proprietress had not been too far away from Yue He in the first place. Half a day later, a familiar-looking ship came into view.
When Yang Kai and Yue He boarded the ship, Lang Qing Shan and others rushed up to greet Yang Kai, cupping their fists as they shouted, “Sir!”
Yang Kai swept his gaze over them and nodded lightly. It was certainly as Yue He had mentioned earlier. There were a few missing from this group of subordinates that he brought along with him.
Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling a little sad. These subordinates had been serving under him since the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. Having carefully nurtured them over the years, they would surely have been able to advance into the Open Heaven Realm with enough time. The most important point was that they were extremely loyal to him and had accompanied him through many dangerous and life-threatening situations in the past.
Guo Miao was also back, standing beside Guo Zi Yan.
Accountant looked at Yang Kai with his triangular eyes and asked, “Where’s Chef?”
Yang Kai slapped his forehead. He had nearly forgotten about Chef again; thus, he immediately brought him out of the Small Sealed World.
Chef had previously used his knife and chopping block Secret Technique twice in a row, but his complexion was better after recuperating in the Small Sealed World for the past few days. As soon as he came out of the Small Sealed World, he immediately hooked his arm around Accountant. Then, they slipped away into the cabin to do something.
The Proprietress looked at Yang Kai and said, “Smelly Brat, I heard that you caused a lot of trouble inside the Blood Monster Cave Heaven.”
She might have remained outside all this while, but she had received all sorts of news following the collapse of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven.
Yang Kai replied shamelessly, “There’s no such thing. Whoever said that must be slandering me.” Then, he hurriedly changed the topic, “By the way, Proprietress, there was this guy called Black Crow Divine Monarch in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven…”
Before he could finish his sentence, she raised a hand to interrupt him, “The news regarding Black Crow Divine Monarch has spread already. At present, all the Territory Gates of the Blood Monster Territory have been blocked. The Cave-Heavens and Paradises are currently searching for this person’s whereabouts.”
Black Crow Divine Monarch had returned to life via possession. That in itself was not a big deal as he would only have offended Great Thousand Blood Land. The body he possessed belonged to Zhou Yi of Great Thousand Blood Land after all. It was just that he had killed many people in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, including many disciples of the various Cave-Heavens and Paradises. More importantly, draining a person’s Blood Essence was an infringement of a serious taboo.
That was why the Cave-Heavens and Paradises immediately took action to block the Territory Gates of the Blood Monster Territory as soon as the news of Black Crow Divine Monarch was exposed. Anybody who wanted to leave the Blood Monster Territory would have to undergo a strict inspection. They were determined to find Black Crow Divine Monarch.
The Cave-Heavens and Paradises had taken an extremely aggressive approach towards this matter. The first reason was that they wanted to avenge their dead disciples, but a bigger reason was that Black Crow Divine Monarch was an extremely valuable source of information. If nothing else, the Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture was enough to make anybody envious. Who would not want such an extraordinary Secret Art? Even if they could not cultivate that Secret Art, they could not let it fall into another person’s hands.
Yang Kai breathed a sigh of relief to hear the Proprietress’ words. If the Cave-Heavens and Paradises were taking the lead to deal with Black Crow Divine Monarch, then things were not going to be easy for that old dog. Nevertheless, Yang Kai had the sneaking suspicion that Black Crow Divine Monarch would not be captured so easily. There was a high possibility that the people deployed by the Cave-Heavens and Paradises would return empty-handed.
In any case, this matter was no longer related to him.
Yang Kai had obtained some benefits from the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, so his top priority was to digest them as soon as possible, especially the Seventh-Order Metal Element Monster Core. Just thinking about it made him excited. [Once I refine that Metal Element Monster Core, I will only be one more step away from the Open Heaven Realm!]
“By the way, Proprietress, do you know where the people of Lang Ya Paradise are?” Yang Kai asked.
The Proprietress looked at him strangely, “Why? Did you quarrel with the people from Lang Ya Paradise?”
“I have a friend in Lang Ya Paradise. I want to check up on her.” He had seen Gu Pan escaping with Zhang Ruo Xi when the Blood Monster Cave Heaven collapsed. It was just that he was not sure what happened after that.
She replied, “The people of Lang Ya Paradise left one day ago. If you want to find them, you will have to go to Lang Ya Territory.”
Yang Kai was a little disappointed to hear those words. He had wanted to talk to Zhang Ruo Xi some more, but it would seem that his plan was no longer feasible. In any case, the fact that Lang Ya Paradise had left had to mean that Gu Pan and Zhang Ruo Xi had met up with the others. There was no need to worry about Zhang Ruo Xi’s safety with Gu Pan watching out for her.