Inside the Main Conference Hall of Void Spirit Sword Sect, Yang Kai sat valiantly in the main seat. To his left sat a group of Elders from Tian Luo Hall with Li Zheng Qing as their leader. On the other hand, to his right sat another group of people from Roaring Tiger Sect with Sect Master Zhuang Ju He at their head.
There was a clear distinction between the two sides. Moreover, all the people present today were cultivators in the Fourth-Step Earth Grade And above.
It had been one month since Yang Kai advanced into the Heaven Realm, and many things had happened during this time.
The biggest incident that affected the entire Void Spirit Sword Sect was that the Old Sect Master Su Chang Fa had abdicated his position. The Eldest Disciple of the younger generation, Yang Kai, had taken over in his stead.
This was also what everybody desired. Yang Kai was the one and only Heaven Realm Master in the entire Void Spirit Sword Sect. Not only was he the strongest, but he was also very young; thus, it was only a matter of time before he took over as the Sect Master. Su Chang Fa had simply brought this matter forward a little.
What’s more, Void Spirit Sword Sect was now a booming business thanks to Yang Kai’s efforts in developing the Sect. Not only did Roaring Tiger Sect and Tian Luo Hall become branches of Void Spirit Sword Sect, but all the other Sects and Clans within a thousand kilometres radius had also decided to submit to Void Spirit Sword Sect. Therefore, Void Spirit Sword Sect was indeed in need of a stronger Sect Master to act as a deterrent and a symbol.
Su Chang Fa was getting on in his years. Although he was happy to witness the rise of Void Spirit Sword Sect, he no longer had the energy to manage the Sect. In this aspect, Yang Kai was full of vigour, which was perfect for the circumstances.
For that reason, Su Chang Fa swiftly decided to pass the torch to Yang Kai after a simple discussion with Gu Kang Ning and Hong Xiu, regardless of whether Yang Kai agreed or not.
The succession ceremony was held half a month ago. All the nearby great forces sent their representatives to express their congratulations, making it a lively scene.
Aside from that, news of Yang Kai refining the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill in Heavenly Martial City had spread like wildfire among the Elders of Tian Luo Hall and Roaring Tiger Sect.
This was something that could not be kept secret, and Yang Kai had no intention of keeping it secret either. That was why he did not care when Du Yu Yu and Shi Ming Hui either intentionally or unintentionally spread this news to the public.
The news caused a huge stir among the Elders of Roaring Tiger Sect and Tian Luo Hall. Accordingly, the attitudes of these people were obviously much more respectful and attentive nowadays.
In the past, they had no choice but to surrender under Yang Kai’s brutal ferocity after he forced them to consume Poison Pills. However, it was different now. Yang Kai was not just a Heaven Realm Master but also a Heaven Grade Alchemist. A person like that was a pivotal figure in the Divine Armament World.
Once this information spread, there would be many Heaven Realm Masters willing to follow him.
In the Divine Armament World, it was not shameful for a Heaven Realm Master to serve under a Heaven Grade Alchemist. Rather, it was an act that was approved and recognised by the public!
That was because Heaven Realm Masters required large amounts of resources for their cultivation, while Heaven Grade Alchemists were wealthy people. As long as a Heaven Realm Master could serve under a suitable Heaven Grade Alchemist, there would be no need for them to worry about cultivation resources again.
Naturally, there was another, more important reason. If the Heaven Grade Alchemist they served could advance to become a Spirit Grade Alchemist, then they had hope of obtaining a Hundred Revolutions Clear Heart Pill and advancing into the Spirit Realm in the future. They were simply investing in their future in advance.
The two bodyguards at the peak of the Heaven Realm who served beside Gao Xin Peng were eagerly waiting for the latter to become a Spirit Grade Alchemist and subsequently refine Hundred Revolutions Clear Heart Pills for them.
After all, there were not many Spirit-Grade Alchemists in the entire Divine Armament World. Even if Masters at the peak of the Heaven Realm like themselves begged those Spirit Grade Alchemists for a pill, they might not have a chance of success.
The people of Roaring Tiger Sect and Tian Luo Hall were well aware that Yang Kai could easily amass a large force of Heaven Realm Masters with his current status and identity; therefore, they were dispensable pawns in his eyes.
It was not easy for them to gain a connection to a Heaven Grade Alchemist; hence, they would never let this opportunity slip by without a fight.
Inside the hall, these people sat upright with their backs straight. They also had attentive looks on their faces. Despite so many people gathering in the Main Hall, it was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. Even the sound of their breathing had been suppressed to the limits.
They did not know the reason why Yang Kai summoned them all here. Ever since he returned from his previous trip, he had remained in retreat. Aside from the one time he showed up at the succession ceremony, there had been no sight of him.
Looking around, Yang Kai nodded in satisfaction after seeing the respectful behaviours of these Elders. He then shouted, “Li Zheng Qing!”
Tian Luo Hall’s Sect Master, Li Zheng Qing, hastily stood up and cupped his fist, “Subordinate is here!”
“How long have you been stuck at the peak of the Earth Realm?” Yang Kai casually asked.
Li Zheng Qing quickly replied, “Reporting to Sir, it has been thirteen years since this Old Master advanced to the Peak Earth Realm.”
Yang Kai nodded and looked to the other side, “What about you, Zhuang Ju He?”
Roaring Tiger Sect’s Sect Master, Zhuang Ju He, also stood up quickly and smiled brightly, “I’m slightly better off than Brother Li, it has been eight years for me.”
Yang Kai said, “This world has shackles that bind us tightly. Unless you break free of these shackles, you will never get a glimpse into the mysteries of the Heaven Realm.” Raising a hand, he threw out two bursts of light towards Li Zheng Qing and Zhuang Ju He, “Take this and cultivate hard. Don’t disappoint this King!”
Both Li Zheng Qing and Zhuang Ju He accepted the beams of light, and when they stared down at the item, they immediately became emotional.
Li Zheng Qing’s lips trembled, “T-This… Sir, c-could this be….”
Zhuang Ju He took a deep breath and finished the sentence for Li Zheng Qing, “Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill?”
There was an uproar among the people in the Main Hall and numerous gazes latched onto the pills that Li Zheng Qing and Zhuang Ju He were holding in their hands like leeches. They might not need this pill right now, but it was something they would need one day.
“Yes, they are Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pills. As you know, I am now a Heaven-Grade Alchemist. This King refined these two pills himself,” Yang Kai responded indifferently.
He had already learned the pill recipe for the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill by heart, so a few days prior, Yang Kai sent his subordinates to purchase some herbs for him and quickly refined some Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pills. Seeing as he had no need to conceal his skills anymore, Yang Kai went all out during the refining process and produced six pills in the end. Out of which, one was a High-Rank pill and five were Mid-Rank pills.
To prevent standing out too much, he had only given Li Zheng Qing and Zhuang Ju He a Mid-Rank pill each. Even so, his actions made those two incredibly emotional.
They had known that Yang Kai would one day give them Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pills to aid them in advancing to the Heaven Realm if they were loyal enough; however, they never imagined that such a great blessing would come to them so soon! They thought that it would take several years of loyal performance for them to obtain the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill…
Thinking about it again though, Yang Kai’s strength was obvious. Not to mention that he was also a Heaven Grade Alchemist. Earth Realm Masters like themselves were probably of little importance to him. As such, they could play a greater role if he helped them advance into the Heaven Grade as soon as possible.
Li Zheng Qing was the first to return to his senses. He put the pill away with great care and cupped his fist, “Many thanks for your gracious gift, Sir. This Old Master swears that he will repay your kindness!”
He used to be the Great Elder of Tian Luo Hall. Although Tian Luo Hall was not a bad place, he had been suppressed by the Palace Master Shu Wan Cheng, who stood above him.
Most of the resources had been taken by Shu Wan Cheng, so even if Li Zheng Qing wanted to ask a Heaven Grade Alchemist for a Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill, he could not gather enough compensation to do so.
On the other hand, Shu Wan Cheng had managed to accumulate enough compensation to make such a request. Be that as it may, he still had to wait several years for his turn to come.
The problem Zhuang Ju He faced was similar to Shu Wan Cheng.
Back then, Zhuang Ju He travelled tens of thousands of kilometres to Profound Pill Sect to request a Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill. He had handed over a substantial reward only to be told that he had to wait for another eight to ten years. But now, there was a Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill right in front of him.
He gave a deep sigh as he thought to himself, [The treatment sure is different when you have powerful friends.]
With this pill, he was 80% certain that he could advance into the Heaven Realm. Cupping his fist solemnly, he said, “Many thanks, Sir. This subordinate will not let you down. I will definitely advance into the Heaven Grade as soon as possible and dedicate my services to you!”
Yang Kai nodded lightly and swept his gaze over the others below him, “As for the rest of you, there’s no need to be envious of them. If any of you reach the peak of the Earth Grade and wish to advance into the Heaven Realm, feel free to come to me. I will prepare a Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill for each of you.”
The expressions of the others changed upon hearing those words, and they thanked him with great emotion.
Even if Yang Kai tried to drive them away now, they would never leave. Staying here meant that there was no need to worry about the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill that was required to advance into the Heaven Realm. Where else would they find such a beneficial deal?
Afterwards, Yang Kai dispersed the crowd and went to check on the studies of Wan Ying Ying and his other two Junior Brothers. He taught them some common knowledge and techniques for Alchemy and only then did he return to his secluded home.
Out of the 100,000 pieces of Red Jade Yang Kai brought back from Heavenly Martial City, only half of them remained. If anybody were to learn about his consumption rate, they would be absolutely shocked. However, for a person who used the Heaven Devouring Battle Law like him, this was the result of deliberate suppression.
The power of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law was unfathomable. Even Yang Kai was horrified by this Secret Art that allowed him to devour everything in existence when activated. If he did not deliberately suppress the power of this Secret Art, he would have finished consuming the 100,000 pieces of Red Jade a long time ago.
Unfortunately, Yang Kai needed to allow his body to become accustomed to the surge in his cultivation and he also needed time for the might of his Dragon Vein to remove the hidden dangers brought about by cultivating the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. Therefore, he had no choice but to slow down his cultivation.
Fortunately, the toughness of his body gradually increased as his cultivation improved and more power from his Dragon Vein could be stimulated as a result. All of this formed a delicate balance with the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, so there were no hidden dangers for the time being.
During this past month, his cultivation did not grow by much as he only advanced from the First-Step Heaven Realm to the Second-Step Heaven Realm. The main reason for such slow progress was that the amount of resources he required just to advance by one Step was colossal now that he was in the Heaven Realm.
Other cultivators might not face such issues, but Yang Kai knew that he was unlike other people.
If it was said that one’s body was a container, then other people might have the capacity of a large lake when they reached the Heaven Realm. In contrast, Yang Kai’s capacity was as large as an ocean. The Spirit Qi he needed to accumulate in order to advance into the next Minor Realm was many times greater than average. The reason for such an occurrence was that the gradual strengthening of his body allowed him to accommodate even more Spirit Qi.
That was why Yang Kai was confident that he could win against most Masters at the Peak Heaven Realm despite only being in the Second-Step Heaven Realm. Moreover, he could succeed purely with his own strength, without the support of the True Void Sword Qi.
The days went by smoothly. In addition to cultivation, Yang Kai would take the time to teach Wan Ying Ying and the others daily. Nothing else required his personal attention as ever since giving Zhuang Ju He and Li Zheng Qing the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pills, the entirety of Roaring Tiger Sect and Tian Luo Hall had become absolutely loyal to him.
Meanwhile, the diligence of the younger Void Spirit Sword Sect disciples was gradually producing results in their cultivation.
At present, Void Spirit Sword Sect was no longer lacking in financial resources. Not only did they have the Black Jade mine, but Roaring Tiger Sect and Tian Luo Hall also kept sending various cultivation resources over as tribute. As a result, the disciples no longer needed to suffer through poverty like before.
Thanks to the consumption of various cultivation resources and supplemented by the Body Tempering Secret Art that Yang Kai taught them previously, the bodies of Void Spirit Sword Sect disciples not only became stronger, but their cultivation also improved at a steady pace.
Void Spirit Sword Sect was flourishing by the day. Soon, one month had passed.
Yang Kai stepped out of his secluded home on a bright sunny day. After one month of training, he finally reached the next Step in his cultivation. He was now in the Third-Step Heaven Realm; however, he had used up all the Red Jades that Miao Hong had given to him. There were many Black Jades in Void Spirit Sword Sect, so he decided to give it a try; however, he realised that just like what Miao Hong had said, when a cultivator reached the Heaven Realm, it would be ineffective to use Black Jades to cultivate. Red Jades would be a much better option.
He knew that he should head out to look for cultivation resources.
The notion made him feel slightly somewhat dispirited. Nevertheless, it wasn’t a difficult task for him. Now, he was a Heaven Rank Alchemist, and he possessed the pill recipe for the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill. Therefore, it wasn’t hard for him to collect some resources.
As long as he exposed the fact that he was able to refine the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill, countless cultivators would come over to request Alchemy services from him; after all, in this Divine Armament World, a lot of cultivators were stuck at the peak of Earth Realm.
Yang Kai had already expected this day to come; therefore, before he left Heavenly Martial City previously, he had insinuated to Miao Hong that he might return to the city soon.
Compared to Void Spirit Sword Sect, Heavenly Martial City was much more powerful, and it also had a larger population. Yang Kai had already decided to return to Heavenly Martial City and set up a Pill Shop. While refining pills for others, he could also collect the resources he needed. With sufficient resources, he would be able to reach the peak of the Heaven Realm at the fastest speed.
As for the Hundred Revolutions Clear Heart Pill needed for achieving an ascension to the Spirit Realm from the Heaven Realm, Yang Kai could only play it by ear. He wasn’t in a rush anyway, and he believed that a solution would present itself eventually.
He left his secluded home while he was still lost in his thoughts, and when he looked up, he became startled for a moment.
That was because Wan Ying Ying was seated outside his home as she stared vigilantly at Li Zheng Qing, who was just standing in a nearby place with a helpless expression, as though he was waiting for Yang Kai to come out. However, the old man wasn’t in a healthy state as he had been injured. His face was slightly pale, and his arm seemed to have been fractured as it was hung close to his chest with a long piece of cloth.
Upon hearing the noises, Wan Ying Ying and Li Zheng Qing gazed at Yang Kai. The former got up joyfully and dashed towards Yang Kai. In an obedient manner, she called out, “Eldest Senior Brother.”
Yang Kai nodded gently and stroked her head. Wan Ying Ying instantly started blushing as she moved away and pouted, “I’m a grown woman, Eldest Senior Brother. Please stop treating me like a child.”
Despite what she had said, she appeared to be enjoying his touch.
Yang Kai laughed and nodded his head, “Got it. I’ll be more mindful.” Then, he gazed at Li Zheng Qing, “What happened? Who hurt you?”
An embarrassed Li Zheng Qing bent his back and replied, “Sir, I have no idea who hurt me. The person’s Movement Skill was brilliant, so I was unable to see them clearly.”
Yang Kai was surprised, “You’re in the Heaven Realm now. How could you not even see who hurt you?”
Although it had only been a month since he last met Li Zheng Qing, Yang Kai could sense that the old man was now in the Heaven Realm.
Li Zheng Qing started flushing, “I really couldn’t see the person clearly. I’m truly useless.”
“So, what happened?”
Li Zheng Qing hurriedly narrated the incident in detail, as that was the reason he had been waiting here in the first place. Before Yang Kai entered retreat to cultivate, he had ordered that no one should disturb him. Therefore, Wan Ying Ying had been standing guard outside of the secluded home, and she wouldn’t even let Li Zheng Qing come anywhere near the place.
Upon hearing his story, Yang Kai finally learned that about half a month ago, a Heaven Realm Master snuck into Void Spirit Sword Sect. No one knew who the person was or even if they were a man or woman. They also had no idea why the person had snuck into this place.
Li Zheng Qing and Zhuang Ju He ascended to the Heaven Realm not long after. Since this was a serious incident, they personally led their subordinates to look into the matter. Unfortunately, when they finally detected some traces and found the intruder’s hiding place, they were easily defeated by that person. Li Zheng Qing and Zhuang Ju He were injured even though they had joined forces.
Fortunately, that person didn’t seem to have the intention to kill, so after injuring Li Zheng Qing and Zhuang Ju He, they immediately fled. Otherwise, the two new Heaven Realm Masters wouldn’t have been able to survive.
Other than the ones guarding the Black Jade lode, the people from Tian Luo Hall and Roaring Tiger Sect had gone all out to look for that mysterious person, but they hadn’t found a single clue so far.
The reason Li Zheng Qing had been staying there was to inform Yang Kai about it as soon as the latter exited his seclusion.
“A mysterious person, heh…” Yang Kai frowned, “Why do you think that person came to our Sect?”
The elusive person never killed anyone, and they were able to defeat two new Heaven Realm Masters, so it was obvious that they were very strong. The person must be in the Third-Step Heaven Realm at the very least. There must be a reason for such a person to sneak into this place.
Li Zheng Qing replied, “Brother Zhuang and I discuss it before, and we’re worried that the person came here for the Black Jade lode; after all, in Void Spirit Sword Sect, only the Black Jade mine could arouse the interest of Heaven Realm Masters.”
Yang Kai nodded gently, “It’s a possibility. Did you find anything in the lode itself?”
Li Zheng Qing shook his head, “That’s what’s strange about it. We didn’t find any trace of the intruder in the mineral lode.”
“Is that person still in Void Spirit Sword Sect?” Yang Kai narrowed his eyes.
“Yes, I believe so.” Li Zheng Qing bowed his head, “That person is powerful. Even though we discovered them once, they didn’t immediately leave. Brother Zhuang found the person again last night, but they soon disappeared.”
“Interesting,” Yang Kai’s lips curved into a smile. There was a mysterious Heaven Realm Master who appeared in Void Spirit Sword Sect and kept hiding in different places. It was expected that the people here were anxious. Before they figured out the person’s intentions, the entire Void Spirit Sword Sect would be shrouded in suspense.
“Alright, I’ll…” Before Yang Kai finished his words, he saw a burly man rushing towards them.
“He’s from Tian Luo Hall,” Li Zheng Qing spoke up.
The burly man stood in front of Li Zheng Qing and cupped his fist, “Greetings, Sect Master.”
“What’s wrong?” Li Zheng Qing asked.
The burly man replied, “There’s a Heaven Realm Master at the bottom of the mountain who has requested to meet the Sect Master.”
Li Zheng Qing turned solemn, “A Heaven Realm Master? Did he reveal his background?”
The burly man shook his head, “He didn’t. However, he gave me this thing. He said that the Sect Master will understand it when he sees it.”
Upon finishing his words, he held out a token with both hands.
A doubtful Yang Kai took it and instantly saw the character ‘Gao (高)’ on the token. Upon realising who the visitor was, he said to the burly man, “Invite him to the Reception Hall. I’ll be waiting for him over there.”
“Yes,” the burly man replied and turned to leave.
Li Zheng Qing gazed at Yang Kai and asked, “Sir, could the visitor be…”
“No. He’s from Profound Pill Sect.”
“Profound Pill Sect?” Li Zheng Qing straightened his face as the Sect was truly famous. It was one of Ten Great Sects in the Divine Armament World that currently controlled the Medicine King Furnace Divine Armament.
A moment later, a muscular man stepped into the Reception Hall. Just like what Yang Kai had expected, the visitor was the one he had in mind; however, what surprised Yang Kai was that the man was carrying a person in his hand. This person’s strength was apparently sealed, so they appeared weak while trying to struggle out of the man’s grip.
“Gao Ming greets Alchemist Yang.” The man directly threw the person onto the ground, and ignoring their glare, he cupped his fist to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai nodded his head, “Are you the bodyguard of Senior Brother Gao?”
When he saw the token just now, he reckoned that Gao Xin Peng must have sent someone over. When they parted ways in Heavenly Martial City previously, Gao Xin Peng said that he had to return to Profound Pill Sect as soon as possible to report the matter of Yang Kai’s existence to his Sect. Two months had passed, so it was about the right time for Profound Pill Sect to react.
“Yes.” Gao Ming nodded.
It was the first time Yang Kai heard his name, so he asked curiously, “You share the same surname as Senior Brother Gao. Are you two from the same family?”
Gao Ming nodded, “That’s right.”
“I see,” Upon hearing that, Yang Kai reckoned that Gao Ming’s loyalty could be guaranteed since he and Gao Xin Peng were from the same family. Gao Xin Peng must share the same concerns, which was why he asked Gao Ming to be his bodyguard.
Then, Yang Kai took a glance at the person who was squirming on the ground and asked curiously, “Who is this?”
The person on the ground was a woman, but her face couldn’t be made out for now. Although her Spirit Qi had been sealed, she was still squirming like a worm as though she was trying to flee. The sight was quite comical.
Gao Ming replied, “I detected this person’s aura when I was climbing the mountain. Since she was being rather stealthy, I decided to capture her. Please forgive me if she’s from your Sect.”
Yang Kai was instantly amused, “She’s not from Void Spirit Sword Sect.” Then, he turned to look at Li Zheng Qing, “Is it her?”
Li Zheng Qing shook his head, “I can’t be sure.”
“Just ask her about it.” Yang Kai rose from the chair and walked up to the woman to block her way. The woman immediately lifted her head and roared, “Get lost!”
Yang Kai adjusted his clothes and squatted in front of her before clenching her chin and lifting her up. He realised that she was a young woman with an alluring face and skin was as fair as snow.
Despite her beautiful looks, the woman was clearly quite fierce and incensed as the first thing she did was widen her mouth in an attempt to bite Yang Kai’s hand.
Yang Kai exerted more force into his grip, which ensured that she was unable to close her mouth. She could only hoot in response.
“Are you the one who has been hiding in Void Spirit Sword Sect?” Yang Kai questioned.
The woman still hooted in response.
Yang Kai grunted and scolded, “I’ll release you, but don’t you bite me; otherwise, I’ll break all your teeth.”
The woman glared at Yang Kai without saying anything.
It was only then that Yang Kai released her, which instantly left some red marks on her fair face.
“Speak. Are you the one who has been making a scene in Void Spirit Sword Sect? Are you the one who hurt my subordinates?”
“So what if it was me?” Despite her alluring face, the woman was hot-tempered, “Release me if you have the guts and fight this Great Aunt!”
Yang Kai chuckled and gazed at Gao Ming, “What’s this woman’s cultivation?”
Gao Ming replied, “Sixth-Step Heaven Realm or slightly higher.”
“You’re unlucky, then.” Yang Kai started sympathising with her. A Sixth-Step Heaven Realm Master should be quite powerful, and she was basically peerless in Void Spirit Sword Sect; however, she happened to come across Gao Ming, which was why she was easily captured.
“What’s your name? Where are you from?” Yang Kai asked.
The woman glared at him, “Do you think I’ll tell you?”
“You’re pretty hot-tempered.” Yang Kai grinned, then yelled, “Li Zheng Qing!”
“Yes!” Li Zheng Qing hurriedly stepped forward.
“Whip her 100 times before I interrogate her.”
Li Zheng Qing was startled for a moment, but he soon replied, “Yes.” Then, he moved towards the woman.
The woman was horrified. 100 whips were no big deal as since she was a Heaven Realm Master, the torture wouldn’t kill her; however, after 100 whips, her clothes would certainly be destroyed. How was she going to face anyone when her body was exposed by then?
She couldn’t believe that such a vicious man existed in this world.
“My name is Hua Rong! Hua Rong!” The woman hurriedly spoke up.
“So, it’s Sister Hua.” Yang Kai nodded gently, “What are you doing in Void Spirit Sword Sect?”
Hua Rong batted her alluring eyes, “Will you believe me if I say I’m having a stroll around here since this place is beautiful and serene?”
Yang Kai looked up and shouted, “Li Zheng Qing!”
“Wait! If you don’t believe me, I’ll come up with another excuse!” Hua Rong cried.
Yang Kai waved his hand, “Take her away and whip her 100 times.”
“True Void Sword!” Hua Rong exclaimed, “I’m here for the True Void Sword!”
“Oh?” Yang Kai arched his brow, then took the sword from his waist and waved it in front of her, “You’re here for this sword?”
Hua Rong nodded, “Yes.”
Yang Kai stared fixedly at her and realised that she didn’t seem to be lying. She really seemed to be here for the True Void Sword. It seemed that he and Li Zheng Qing had gotten it wrong.
The Black Jade lode in Void Spirit Sword Sect wasn’t the only thing that could arouse the interest of Heaven Realm Masters. There was also the True Void Sword.
Nevertheless, it wasn’t surprising at all. Although the True Void Sword was just a replica of a Divine Armament, it was still commissioned by the True Void Sword Lord using a lot of money and resources. Therefore, the True Void Sword was no ordinary weapon as it was a Spirit Armament, making it practically invaluable.
However, since this was the inheritance left behind by the True Void Sword Lord for his descendants, there were naturally some security measures in place.
The sword had three distinct portions of Sword Qi sealed within it and could only be safely used by one who cultivated the Void Spirit Sword Art. If an unsuspecting person rashly activated the sword’s power, the True Void Sword Qi would kill the wielder instead of their enemies.
It wasn’t certain how Hua Rong found out that the True Void Sword had appeared, but that was apparently the reason she had come all the way here. Unfortunately, even if she managed to obtain the sword, she wouldn’t be able to use it unless she was able to remove the Sword Qi from within it.
“That’s the True Void Sword?” To the side, Gao Ming, who had always remained calm and collected, was shocked as he looked dazedly at the sword in Yang Kai’s hand.
As a Heaven Realm Master, he certainly had heard about True Void Sword before as it was one of the Ten Great Divine Armaments.
Yang Kai shook his head, “Of course, it’s not the real True Void Sword. An Ancestor from Void Spirit Sword Sect made this weapon by imitating the Divine Armament. It’s just a Spirit Armament.”
“A Spirit Armament…” Gao Ming took a deep breath. Although this True Void Sword was just a Spirit Armament, no ordinary person had the right to possess it. Such a treasure would bring misfortune to its owner if they weren’t strong enough. It was imaginable that if word got out, Void Spirit Sword Sect would never have any peaceful days again.
Forget about Heaven Realm Masters, even many Spirit Realm Masters would come over to snatch this weapon.
“You’re pretty good at gathering information,” Yang Kai flashed a smile at the woman.
Hua Rong remained curled up like a worm, but she was no longer squirming. The main reason was that all her Spirit Qi had been sealed, so it was pointless for her to struggle. As she gazed at Yang Kai with a tilted head, she suggested by saying, “Your Sect is unable to keep this weapon. Why don’t you give the sword to me to save yourselves some trouble? Your problems will all be solved then.”
“Even if I give it to you, do you think you can keep it?” Yang Kai burst into laughter.
Hua Rong shrugged, “That’s my problem.”
To the side, Gao Ming snorted, “A Spirit Armament is truly precious. However, if Alchemist Yang is unable to keep it, no one else in the world can do that.”
Hua Rong was startled for a moment, “How arrogant! How could Void Spirit Sword Sect…”
Gao Ming cut her off by saying, “Void Spirit Sword Sect naturally can’t hold onto a Spirit Armament, but what about Profound Pill Sect?”
“Profound Pill Sect?” Hua Rong was astonished as she gazed at Yang Kai in puzzlement, “You’re from Profound Pill Sect?”
Gao Ming stated, “Alchemist Yang is a disciple of the thirty-fourth generation from Profound Pill Sect, and he’s also a Heaven Grade Alchemist!”
“What!?” Hua Rong was flabbergasted as she got to her knees and looked up at Yang Kai. With widened eyes, she stuttered, “He… is a Heaven Grade Alchemist?”
“What’s so surprising about it?” Yang Kai looked smilingly at her.
Hua Rong examined him and tutted, “It’s said that one can’t judge a book by its cover. If I hadn’t heard it from a cultivator who’s at the peak of the Heaven Realm, I wouldn’t have believed it. By the way, who are you?” As she spoke, she turned to look at Gao Ming.
She was truly unlucky to have been captured by Gao Ming. Initially, given her cultivation, Void Spirit Sword Sect was basically defenceless against her. Unfortunately, she happened to come across a cultivator who was at the peak of the Heaven Realm.
It was said that curiosity killed the cat. When Gao Ming was going up the mountain, Hua Rong secretly took a peek at him, which was why her whereabouts were exposed. She was subsequently captured by him.
A proud Gao Ming declared, “I’m a Blood Warrior under Heaven Grade Alchemist Gao Xin Peng, Gao Ming!”
“A Blood Warrior from Profound Pill Sect?” Hua Rong’s pupils contracted, then she let out a sigh, “It’s no wonder you were able to capture me easily. I admit defeat.”
She no longer appeared high-spirited as she sat on her backside and looked away, “Just kill me. I’ve made a rash move and offended a Heaven Grade Alchemist, so I deserve to die despite being such a young woman.”
She seemed to be a resolute person, and if it weren’t because her eyes were darting around when she spoke, Yang Kai would’ve admired her audacity.
“Since you’ve barged into Void Spirit Sword Sect and wounded my subordinates, I can’t let you off easily; however, seeing as you didn’t have the intention to kill, I won’t sentence you to death. Why don’t you receive one attack move from me? I’ll release you after that.” Yang Kai looked condescendingly at her.
Hua Rong was surprised, “Are you serious?”
“Do I look like I’m pulling your leg?” Yang Kai dispassionately replied.
Hua Rong was startled for a moment, then nodded, “You’re a good man. I’m in the wrong as I shouldn’t have offended your Sect.”
Yang Kai turned to look at Gao Ming, “Please lift her seal.”
Gao Ming appeared hesitant, but he still stepped forward and sent his Spirit Qi into her to release the seal he had placed. Hua Rong immediately got up and began stretching her limbs.
Gao Ming said, “Please be careful, Alchemist Yang. Although this woman is weaker than me, she’s still pretty strong. It took me quite some effort to capture her just now.”
“En.” Yang Kai nodded and gazed at the woman, “Are you ready?”
“Of course I…” Before Hua Rong could finish her words, she saw something flashing through her eyes. When she came to her senses, she realised that Yang Kai was already right in front of her. From the corner of her eye, she could see something coming right at her head so she anxiously lifted her arms to block it.
“How could…” Before she could accuse Yang Kai of launching a sneak attack, she heard a loud bang. Instantly, she became dizzy, and after staggering for a bit, she collapsed to the ground.
Raising his True Void Sword, Yang Kai took a glance at the unmoving woman and frowned, “I guess I used too much force.”
The weapon was sheathed when Yang Kai struck Hua Rong’s head with the flat of his blade. Although she had passed out, her injury shouldn’t have been serious.
Gao Ming was dumbfounded. After lifting the woman’s seal, he secretly circulated his Spirit Qi and was ready to make a move to ensure nothing unexpected would happen, but the subsequent incident thoroughly shocked him.
He thought that Yang Kai was a pretty despicable man. How could Yang Kai launch a sneak attack on such an alluring woman? That wasn’t what a gentleman should do.
Nevertheless, he wouldn’t dare to say it out loud.
“Ying Ying, throw her off the mountain,” Yang Kai gave an order to Wan Ying Ying, who was still dumbstruck.
“En,” Wan Ying Ying replied and picked up Hua Rong before shuffling out.
A moment later, a speechless Wan Ying Ying returned.
Li Zheng Qing was stunned, “Did you get rid of her so soon?”
Wan Ying Ying replied, “No. That woman wasn’t really passed out. Not long after I left this place, she woke up and leapt off the mountain.”
Upon realising what had happened, Li Zheng Qing remarked, “She’s quite a clever woman.”
That Hua Rong obviously pretended to have passed out; otherwise, she couldn’t have regained consciousness so soon. Then, Li Zheng Qing looked worriedly at Yang Kai, “Sir, will there be a problem if we let her go?”
Yang Kai waved his hand, “Don’t mind her. She doesn’t have any ill intentions. I guess she’s just interested in the True Void Sword; otherwise, you and Zhuang Ju He would have been killed. Since she doesn’t have the intention to kill, a light punishment for her was enough.”
“You’re indeed a righteous man, Sir,” Li Zheng Qing bent his back.
Yang Kai recalled the sight of him striking the woman with his sword. Now, he had a better understanding of the power he had grasped. He then turned to look at Gao Ming and said, “Sorry for the farce, Brother Gao.”
Gao Ming hurriedly replied, “Please don’t call me that, Alchemist Yang. I don’t deserve it. Just call me Guardian Gao.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Why have you come to Void Spirit Sword Sect, Guardian Gao? Does Senior Brother Gao want you to pass on a message to me?”
Gao Ming cupped his fist, “Senior Gao wants me to bring you back to Profound Pill Sect. He said that since you’re also part of Profound Pill Sect, you should return to your roots and acknowledge your ancestry. Besides that, the Elders have some questions for you as well.”
“I see,” Yang Kai felt his heart skipping. Although he knew that the matter regarding Profound Pill Sect would be a problem, he hadn’t expected it to come so soon.
Previously, in Heavenly Martial City, Yang Kai randomly came up with an imaginary Master to explain his skills, and Gao Xin Peng someone concluded that person was a Senior from Profound Pill Sect. That was why Yang Kai suddenly became related to Profound Pill Sect.
Honestly speaking, Yang Kai never wanted to go to Profound Pill Sect. Although he was able to fool Gao Xin Peng previously, it would be terrible if his lie was exposed after he headed there. Yang Kai believed that there were many Spirit Realm Masters in Profound Pill Sect since it was one of the Ten Great Sects, and there was no way he could go up against such a force as he was currently.
Once his lie was exposed, he would be doomed.
However, since those from Profound Pill Sect were aware of Yang Kai’s existence, and Gao Xin Peng had sent someone over to invite him, it would arouse their suspicion if he rejected the invitation, and his lie might be exposed.
It seemed that he had no choice but to head to Profound Pill Sect.
Nevertheless, it would be a good thing if he could really join Profound Pill Sect. Although it had only been two months since he ascended to the Heaven Realm, it would only take him a few years before he could make it to the Spirit Realm given the speed at which he cultivated using the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. By then, he would need to use the Hundred Revolutions Clear Heart Pill.
The Hundred Revolutions Clear Heart Pill was a Spirit Pill. Only a small number of great forces in the Divine Armament World possessed the pill recipe, and each one was a top existence in this world.
It was practically impossible for Yang Kai to get the pill recipe of the Hundred Revolutions Clear Heart Pill from those great forces; however, if he could assimilate into Profound Pill Sect, he might be able to get the pill recipe from them.
All in all, there were pros and cons if he headed to Profound Pill Sect.
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai decided to give it a try. It was said that fortune favours the bold, so he reckoned that it was worth going to Profound Pill Sect. As long as he was careful enough, his lie wouldn’t be exposed; after all, he had successfully fooled Gao Xin Peng already.
At the thought of this, he nodded, “Since it’s an order from Senior Brother Gao, I’ll definitely obey; however, Void Spirit Sword Sect…”
Gao Ming said, “Don’t worry, Alchemist Yang. You’re a Heaven-Grade Alchemist and a disciple from Profound Pill Sect. As long as word spreads, no one will dare to harm Void Spirit Sword Sect.”
Yang Kai reckoned that the other man was right. No one in the Divine Armament World was willing to rashly offend a Heaven Grade Alchemist, especially when he had something to do with Profound Pill Sect.
“Will you please wait here for two days, Guardian Gao? I’ll settle everything in my Sect and follow you to Profound Pill Sect.”
Gao Ming naturally wouldn’t object to it.
For the next two days, Yang Kai was busy handling all the trivial matters in Void Spirit Sword Sect. His trip to Profound Pill Sect was risky, so he decided not to bring anyone with him; furthermore, there were only two Heaven Realm Masters in Void Spirit Sword Sect, so it was pointless to bring them with him. He’d rather let them stay here to protect the Sect.
With Li Zheng Qing and Zhuang Ju He guarding Void Spirit Sword Sect, they could at least fend off some reckless people.
Yang Kai then refined some Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill and passed them to Su Chang Fa so that there wouldn’t be a lack of such pills when their disciples had to achieve an ascension. There was a Black Jade mine in the Master Sect as well as other businesses controlled by Tian Luo Hall and Roaring Tiger Sect, which could sustain the Sect’s development for a long time.
As for the Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters, Yang Kai had some arrangements for them as well. Wan Ying Ying and two other Junior Brothers had gained some experience in the Alchemic Dao, so there wouldn’t be a problem after they were given some pills for Body Tempering. What they lacked was cultivation, which couldn’t be solved in a short time.
Yang Kai also left behind a book which contained his insights into Alchemy for Wan Ying Ying. The book also contained many pill recipes. With this thing in her possession, she could still cultivate Alchemy on her own even though Yang Kai wouldn’t be by her side.
Everything was settled in two days. Outside the mountain, Yang Kai bid farewell to the Seniors, Junior Brothers, and Junior Sisters of his Master Sect. Su Chang Fa and the others were worried as, after they parted ways, it would probably take a long time before they reunited. Furthermore, Yang Kai was going to a faraway place. As Seniors, Su Chang Fa and the others were expected to be worried.
Wan Ying Ying was sobbing as she wouldn’t let go of Yang Kai’s clothes.
“Alright, stop crying. I’ll come back to visit you all after some time.” Yang Kai helped Wan Ying Ying brush the tears from her eyes. If it weren’t because he was worried that he might fall into trouble in Profound Pill Sect, he could have brought Wan Ying Ying with him and personally taught her; however, his future was uncertain, so it might do more harm than good to her if he brought her with him.
“Please take good care of yourself, Eldest Senior Brother. If you feel aggrieved in the outside world, remember you can always come back!” Wan Ying Ying cried.
“En, please protect the Sect on my behalf. If anything happens, go to Profound Pill Sect to look for me.”
Yang Kai then turned to look at Li Zheng Qing and Zhuang Ju He, “Both of you will be in charge of Void Spirit Sword Sect when I’m not around.”
They cupped their fists and said with straight faces, “Don’t worry. We’ll not disappoint you.”
Then, Yang Kai also talked to Su Chang Fa, Gu Kang Ning, and Hong Xiu for a bit before he leaped onto his horse and beckoned to Gao Ming, “Let’s go.”
Gao Ming nodded his head and led the way for him. After waving his hand at the crowd, Yang Kai clenched the horse with his legs and charged forward, soon disappearing into the distance.
Profound Pill Sect was pretty far away as it would take them half a month to arrive at their destination. They would also pass by Heavenly Martial City on their way.
However, not long after they left the mountain, Gao Ming frowned and looked behind as though he had detected something.
Yang Kai said, “Keep going. Let’s see what she’s up to.”
A surprised Gao Ming asked, “You’re aware of it as well, Alchemist Yang?” He was at the peak of the Heaven Realm, so it was expected that he could detect any anomaly around them; however, Yang Kai was a newly promoted Heaven Realm Master, so it was surprising that he had also noticed it.
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “Alchemists have very sensitive perceptions; otherwise, we can’t accurately control our Alchemy Flames.”
After giving it a thought, Gao Ming realised that it was true. Alchemists indeed had more acute senses; therefore, he obeyed his order and kept going.
Upon moving past a col, they hid on the side and waited patiently.
Soon, a figure was charging forward in their direction. As soon as she dashed past the col, she saw two people staring fixedly at her. She instantly stiffened and became rooted to the spot.
With a cold expression, Gao Ming glowered at Hua Rong, who had been tailing them.
Hua Rong batted her eyes, then rubbed her palms together and beamed at them, “What a coincidence. I didn’t expect to bump into you here. Are you leaving? Where are you going?”
There was still a bump on the woman’s forehead after Yang Kai struck her with his sword previously. It looked like there was a horn on her head, which was quite comical.
Gao Ming questioned grimly, “Why are you stalking us?”
“Huh? Who’s stalking you?” Hua Rong looked around, then pointed at her own nose, “Are you talking about me? I’m worried it’s just a misunderstanding. I happened to…” She soon realised she was unable to keep fabricating a lie, so she said meekly, “Alright, it seems that you won’t believe me.”
Not wanting to waste any more time on her, Yang Kai shook his head and warned, “Stop following us, or I’ll hit your head one more time.”
Then, he leaped onto the back of his horse and beckoned to Gao Ming before galloping away.
However, Hua Rong used a profound Movement Skill as she tagged along with Yang Kai closely and asked curiously, “Are you really a Heaven Grade Alchemist? Did you lie to me?”
Yang Kai shot her a glance, wondering what was wrong with her. Her head was previously struck by his sword, but she still relentlessly followed him. It wasn’t certain what she was up to.
“Would you like to hire a bodyguard who is loyal and manageable? How do you find me?” Hua Rong kept babbling regardless of whether Yang Kai would respond to her.
“It’s really easy to manage me. You just have to give me some resources and food every day, and I won’t demand anything else. If anyone tries to harm you, I’ll protect you.” Hua Rong tried her best to recommend herself, “Moreover, I’m quite beautiful, so you can look at me when you’re bored. Of course, you can’t do anything to me. I’ll only be a bodyguard, not a whore. What do you think? Do consider hiring me. I’m a powerful Sixth-Step Heaven Realm Master.”
Unable to take it anymore, Yang Kai grabbed his sword and attempted to strike her head while bellowing, “Take this!”
A shocked Hua Rong instinctively covered her head and leaped away.
Seizing the chance, Yang Kai hastened his pace and left her behind.
Watching the man leave, Hua Rong was infuriated. She gritted her teeth and raced after him; however, she wouldn’t dare to go near him this time as she tailed him from a distance.
After pondering on it for a moment, Gao Ming said, “It seems that woman is determined to become your bodyguard, Alchemist Yang. It’s no wonder you’re unable to get rid of her.”
A helpless Yang Kai replied, “I can’t believe there’s such an unreasonable person in this world.”
Gao Ming shook his head, “You might not be aware of it, but it’s actually quite normal. Many Heaven Realm Masters aspire to become the bodyguards of Heaven Grade Alchemists. In that case, not only could their cultivation resources be guaranteed, but they also wouldn’t have to worry about obtaining a Hundred Revolutions Clear Heart Pill once that Heaven Grade Alchemist manages to ascend to the Spirit Grade in the future. It’s a clever move.”
Although Yang Kai was already aware of such information, he still found it inconceivable when he finally had a taste of it. Hua Rong was a powerful Sixth-Step Heaven Realm Master, but she could be so obstinate in order to serve him.
“Is that the same case for you, Guardian Gao?” Yang Kai asked.
Gao Ming shook his head, “I’m different from them. As a Blood Warrior of Profound Pill Sect, I was born to protect the Alchemists in the Sect. When you arrive at Profound Pill Sect, you also have a right to select Blood Warriors to protect you.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful!” Yang Kai was surprised. He then recalled that when Hua Rong saw Gao Ming two days ago, she indeed mentioned the Blood Warriors of Profound Pill Sect; however, he wasn’t bothered about it at that time.
Gao Ming went on to say, “Alchemists spend most of their time practising Alchemy, and they rely on pills to increase their cultivation; therefore, they’re usually not very strong. In that case, their safety can’t be guaranteed when they go outside. Considering all that, our Sect trains a number of Blood Warriors from youth. When an Alchemist of our Sect reaches the Earth Realm, he’ll have a chance to select a Blood Warrior, and there’ll be another chance when he ascends to the Heaven Realm. Therefore, a Heaven Grade Alchemist from our Sect usually has two Blood Warriors while an Earth Grade Alchemist has one. Of course, besides the Blood Warriors from our Sect, the Alchemist can also hire bodyguards from outside. Nevertheless, he’ll have to bear the costs of hiring one.”
Yang Kai was stunned by how generous Profound Pill Sect was. Just like what Gao Ming had said, Blood Warriors started receiving training in the Sect when they were young, so they could be said to be the disciples of the Sect. The only difference was that they were trained to fight, and their loyalty wasn’t a concern at all. With the protection of Blood Warriors, the Alchemists from Profound Pill Sect could rest assured when they headed out into the world.
Blood Warriors were something that was familiar yet distant to Yang Kai. When he was still in the Great Han Dynasty, there was a group of Blood Warriors in the Yang Family whose duties were about the same as those from Profound Pill Sect.
“Unlike the bodyguards hired from outside, Blood Warriors can get a certain amount of resources from the Sect every month, so we could be considered part of the Sect. Moreover…” Gao Ming put on a smile at this point, “We can get a lot of good stuff from the Alchemists we follow; therefore, those from the Blood Warrior Hall yearn to be selected by an Alchemist. Whenever an Alchemist comes over to select a Blood Warrior, those little brats all become quite energetic.”
“It’s understandable.” Yang Kai could imagine the sight, then he took a look at Hua Rong, who had been tailing them, “In that case, it seems I was wrong about her.”
Gao Ming said, “That doesn’t matter. You’d better not rashly accept any strangers. If you want a bodyguard, you can select one from the Blood Warrior Hall when we get to the Sect.”
Yang Kai nodded gently, then suddenly recalled something, “Are there Spirit Realm Masters in the Blood Warrior Hall?”
Gao Ming shook his head, “No. Throughout the entire Divine Armament World, Spirit Realm Masters are considered peak experts. Such people naturally wouldn’t stay in the Blood Warrior Hall. However, many of the Blood Warriors grow with their Alchemists; therefore, the bodyguards of the Elders are basically all Spirit Realm Masters. You’ll find out more about it when you arrive at Profound Pill Sect.”
Yang Kai went on to ask more about Profound Pill Sect, and Gao Ming replied to him honestly. The main reason was that Yang Kai didn’t inquire about any secrets, so there was no need to hide anything from him. In any case, given Gao Ming’s position in the Sect, he was unable to get his hands on any top secrets.
Yang Kai stealthily tried to get more information about the person he claimed to be his Master; however, Gao Ming had no idea about this revered but mysterious person. The main reason was that he wasn’t Gao Xin Peng’s bodyguard at that time as he was still in the Blood Warrior Hall, so he had never come across that person.
Since Yang Kai was unable to gather any useful information, he could only give up. Now, he could only play it by ear and try to make sure his lie wouldn’t be exposed. He still hoped to get the pill recipe for the Hundred Revolutions Clear Heart Pill from Profound Pill Sect.
As they moved forward at full speed, they arrived at Heavenly Martial City three days later. They decided to visit Miao Hong and stayed over for one night.
Miao Hong received them in a hospitable manner, and upon learning that Yang Kai was returning to his roots in Profound Pill Sect, he congratulated him.
The next day, they leaped onto different horses and continued their journey.
They never came across any trouble along the way. Gao Ming was at the Peak Heaven Realm, and he was from Profound Pill Sect. Naturally, no one would dare to offend him.
Half a month later, they finally arrived at Profound Pill Sect.
The mountains were huge and the Spirit Peaks were beautiful. As one of the Ten Great Sects in the Divine Armament World, Profound Pill Sect was located in a picturesque mountain range. There was a city at the bottom of a mountain that was named Profound Pill City, which was bustling with noise.
According to Gao Ming, even though the city was the property of Profound Pill Sect, they didn’t really mean to develop it. It was just that the city had developed into such a scale over a long time.
Countless cultivators would come here every year to ask the Alchemists from Profound Pill Sect to refine pills for them. Most people were unable to enter Profound Pill Sect, so they would wait at the bottom of the mountain. There wasn’t a city initially, but as more people gathered together, a city was gradually formed. The city’s scale then increased over time. Now, Profound Pill City was one of the largest cities in the entire Divine Armament World.
In Profound Pill City, there were a lot of herb shops and pill shops. One could find any herbs that existed in the Divine Armament World in this city.
Before Yang Kai even entered the city, he saw many people flying around in the sky, which greatly surprised him.
He was now a Heaven Realm Master, and although he was able to fly, he would have to consume a lot of Spirit Qi to do so. Heaven Realm Masters usually wouldn’t fly unless it was absolutely necessary. People who could fly as they pleased were Spirit Realm Masters.
In other words, the people flying around before his eyes were basically all Spirit Realm Masters.
These were the strongest cultivators in the Divine Armament World and there was no doubt that the Spirit Realm was the goal for all Heaven Realm Masters. At the very least, Yang Kai could see a sense of yearning in Gao Ming’s eyes as he gazed up at the sky.
Gao Ming was now at the peak of the Heaven Realm, so with just one Hundred Revolutions Clear Heart Pill, he would be able to make it to the Spirit Realm.
Unfortunately, Gao Xin Peng wasn’t a Spirit Grade Alchemist yet, so he was unable to refine the pill for him.
Outside Profound Pill City, there was a wide avenue that was paved with stones which led to the nearest Spirit Peak. Gao Ming led Yang Kai to charge forward in that direction and no one stopped them.
However, Yang Kai could see many people walking on both sides of the road. Some of them appeared nervous as they were going up the mountain while some of them appeared dejected or excited as they were going down the mountain.
Although there wasn’t a restriction around the avenue, there seemed to be an invisible power that ensured no one would dare to step on it. While Yang Kai and Gao Ming were moving forward, those people looked at them with envious gazes.
Noticing Yang Kai’s doubt, Gao Ming secretly explained, “This avenue is exclusive to the disciples of Profound Pill Sect. Those who are not our disciples are not allowed to use it. The people you see are the ones who are here to ask for Alchemy services from our Sect.”
“There are so many of them!” Yang Kai was shocked.
Gao Ming said with a smile, “There are actually not many people today. There are days when more than twice as many people line the streets here.”
It was then that Yang Kai realised why those people sported different expressions. Those who got their pills were excited while those who didn’t were crestfallen.
“The Sect established the Seeking Pill Pavilion where people would go to request for pills. When you have a right to make pills in the future, you can set up a place there and get a medicine boy to be stationed there. If anybody wants you to refine pills, they will pass the necessary ingredients and compensation to your medicine boy.”
Yang Kai’s eyes brightened when he heard that, “That’s interesting.” Then, he turned to look in a different direction, “What are those people doing there? Is that Seeking Pill Pavilion?”
He could see that there was a huge platform where a large group of people, both men and women of different ages, gathered together. After scanning them, Yang Kai realised that many of them were cultivators in the Earth Realm or Heaven Realm. They had occupied the corners as they either looked around vigilantly or cultivated with their legs crossed on the ground. There were several dozen to a hundred of them.
What bothered Yang Kai was that there were traces of blood that had turned crimson on the ground. The traces of blood were a mess, and some of them were multi-layered. Yang Kai had a feeling that many fights had taken place here before.
The place was at the bottom of the mountain where Profound Pill Sect was located, so why would anyone get into a fight there?
Looking over, Gao Ming explained, “That’s not Seeking Pill Pavilion. That’s the Recruitment Stage.”
“Recruitment Stage?” Yang Kai frowned, “What is it for?”
Gao Ming swept a glance over them and suddenly pulled the reins of his horse, “Since we still have some time, you can take a look to find out what the place is for.”
Yang Kai stopped his horse beside Gao Ming and looked curiously at the Recruitment Stage.
Just then, a young man with a blue hat walked down the mountain with his hands behind his back. Despite his young age, he looked pretty arrogant. Yang Kai felt like laughing when he saw him.
However, when the cultivators on the Recruitment Stage saw the blue hat youth, they broke into a commotion as though a stone had been dropped into a still lake, which caused a layer of ripple to form.
The blue-hat youth directly shuffled towards the centre of the Recruitment Stage and looked around with a smug expression. Seeing that all of their attention was on him, he coughed lightly and said, “My Master needs to hire two bodyguards. He has total trust in me, so he has entrusted me to handle this matter.”
As soon as he finished speaking, one of them hurriedly asked, “Sir, is your Master in the Heaven Grade or the Earth Grade?”
The blue-hat youth glared at the person who spoke as though he was blaming him for saying something unnecessary. A moment later, he reluctantly replied, “He’s an Earth Grade Alchemist for now, but I believe he’ll make it to the Heaven Grade soon.”
Right after he finished his words, the eyes of many of the cultivators on the Recruitment Stage dimmed and soon, many cultivators left. Seeing that, the blue-hat youth yelled, “Don’t go! I said that my Master will make it to the Heaven Grade very soon. By then, you’ll be the bodyguards of a Heaven-Grade Alchemist! It’s not every day you get such a chance! If you don’t seize it now, you’ll regret it in the future!”
Regardless of what he said, those who were determined to leave had stepped down from the Recruitment Stage. About half of the cultivators were left.
Yang Kai could clearly see that the people who left were all in the Heaven Realm while the ones who stayed were in the Earth Realm.
He had a speculation about the use of the Recruitment Stage, so he gazed at Gao Ming and asked, “Is it a place where Alchemists hire bodyguards?”
Gao Ming nodded, “That’s right. Besides the Blood Warriors assigned to them, Alchemists can also hire their own bodyguards, and there isn’t a limit in number. Of course, the prerequisite is that they have enough money to employ them.”
“Did the Heaven Realm Masters leave because they think an Earth-Grade Alchemist wouldn’t have enough money to pay them?”
“That’s one of the reasons. Another thing is these Heaven Realm Masters treasure their dignity, and it’s reasonable that they want to follow at least a Heaven Grade Alchemist. They wouldn’t be able to get over it if they followed Earth Grade Alchemists.”
Yang Kai nodded to mean that he got it.
The blue-hat youth was haughty when he came, but at this moment, he appeared dispirited. While standing in the centre of the Recruitment Stage, he let out a sigh.
One of the Earth Realm Masters asked, “Sir, what are your Master’s requirements when selecting bodyguards?”
“Requirements?” The blue-hat youth looked up at the sky as though he was bored, then he grinned, “There aren’t really any special requirements. Why don’t all of you fight against each other? I’ll select the people I prefer and bring you to see my Master. Perhaps my Master will hire some of you.”
The demand was boorish, but the Earth Realm Masters seemed to have directly accepted it, so the person who asked the question nodded, “Understood.”
At that instant, the atmosphere around the Recruitment Stage became tense. Everyone, regardless of their age or gender, gazed vigilantly at the people around them. It seemed that a scuffle was about to take place.
It was then Yang Kai realised why there were so many traces of blood on the Recruitment Stage. A scuffle could be ignited when it was just an Earth-Grade Alchemist who tried to hire bodyguards, so nothing need be said about a Heaven-Grade Alchemist. This situation was clearly quite common in this place.
“Let’s go,” Yang Kai wasn’t in the mood to watch such a farce. He pulled the reins and beckoned to Gao Ming, after which the two of them continued moving forward. Soon, the noises of battle could be heard coming from behind them.
With Gao Ming leading the way, Yang Kai soon arrived at the Spirit Peak nearest to them. It was supposed to be the Reception Peak of Profound Pill Sect as there was a Reception Palace located here. Upon his arrival, Yang Kai was led by a maidservant to a room to get some rest.
Gao Ming stated, “Please wait here, Alchemist Yang. I’ve sent a message to Sir, and he’ll be here soon.”
Yang Kai nodded gently, “Many thanks.”
Gao Ming cupped his fist and turned around to leave. Yang Kai was left in the room to wait patiently.
One hour later, Gao Xin Peng was still nowhere to be seen. Since Yang Kai was bored, he decided to leave this room and take a stroll.
The maidservant followed him closely. Yang Kai took a glance at her but didn’t mind it; after all, he was unfamiliar with this place as he had just arrived, so it would be good to have someone to guide him and answer his questions if he got lost.
The Reception Peak was in the periphery of Profound Pill Sect. Yang Kai wasn’t surprised that he was told to stay here; after all, he wasn’t a disciple of Profound Pill Sect yet, so he didn’t have the right to enter the inner area.
The view on the Reception Peak was splendid as the buildings were finely built, and there was ample World Energy.
After taking a stroll for half a day, Yang Kai returned to the guest room. Gao Xin Peng happened to arrive at this point.
“Junior Brother Yang! I’m sorry for making you wait for such a long time.” Gao Xin Peng was still as passionate as ever, “It so happened that it was my turn to teach today. I was giving a lesson on Alchemy to the Juniors, which was why I was held up.”
“It’s fine, Senior Brother. I didn’t really wait for long,” Yang Kai put on a smile and invited him to have a seat.
Gao Xin Peng took a glance at him and nodded, “You’re a Heaven Realm Master now, Junior Brother Yang.”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “It’s thanks to the High-Rank Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill you gave me, Senior Brother.”
Gao Xin Peng waved his hand, “Even without that pill, you still would’ve broken through successfully; after all, your aptitude is extraordinary.” All of a sudden, his expression turned solemn, “I’m sure Gao Ming told you about the reason you were asked to come here.”
Yang Kai nodded, “All my Alchemy skills come from Profound Pill Sect. Although I don’t have a title, I’m still a disciple of Profound Pill Sect.”
“That’s right,” Gao Xin Peng gently knocked on the table, “The thing is, when I returned to the Sect previously, I reported your matter to the higher-ups. They take this matter very seriously; after all, it has something to do with that person. That’s why they told me to invite you to this place; however, before that, there’ll be a test to find out whether you’ve really inherited the Alchemy skills from Profound Pill Sect.”
“A test?” Yang Kai arched his brow, “What is it about?”
Gao Xin Peng replied with a smile, “Don’t worry, Junior Brother. They’ll just be asking you to refine a Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill. The pill recipe you possess is the best proof. Some of the higher-ups will also observe the test. You’ll just have to perform as usual by then. Of course, they may ask you some questions, but I’m sure that won’t be a problem for you.”
The last part was actually what Yang Kai was most worried about. There wouldn’t be a problem if he was only asked to refine the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill; after all, he had stolen the pill recipe from Gao Xin Peng, so there wouldn’t be any mistakes. However, he wouldn’t be able to explain himself if he was asked to talk about that person.
The only things he knew were that the Master was an old person with an extra finger on one hand.
Although he felt helpless, Yang Kai didn’t show any distress on his face and simply asked, “When will the test be held?”
“It’s up to the higher-ups, but I believe it will be held within a few days. You have to get prepared. I’ll inform you when there’s any news about it.” Gao Xin Peng seemed to have other matters to attend to as he rose from the chair upon finishing his words, “Since you’ve come all the way here, I’m supposed to treat you to a meal; however, I’m truly busy today, so I’ll get back to you on that. Not to worry, I’ll prepare a proper banquet for you at a later time.”
Yang Kai got up and saw him off, “Please attend to your matters since you’re busy, Senior Brother. I can take care of myself.”
“Good, then I’ll take my leave now,” After Gao Xin Peng finished his words, he left the place in a hurry.
Yang Kai followed him to the door, then turned around and sat down to get some rest.
A night passed in silence. The next day, Yang Kai waited for half a day but there still wasn’t any news, and he didn’t have any resources with him to cultivate. Since he was bored, he decided to take a walk. After taking a stroll around the Reception Peak though, he was still quite bored. Therefore, he found the maidservant and asked, “Will it be alright if I go down the mountain?”
The maidservant saluted him in an elegant manner, “Alchemist Gao has said that Sir is free to do whatever you want. Just make sure to come back every night.”
“Oh, there won’t be a problem, then,” Yang Kai said and walked down the mountain.
When he was going up the mountain alongside Gao Ming previously, he only took a glance at the Recruitment Stage but didn’t pay attention to the view along the way. As he walked down the mountain now, Yang Kai realised that the moving clouds were rather soothing.
Upon reaching the middle of the mountain, he saw many people mulling around. The people who were supposed to be asking for pills from the bottom of the mountain were streaming in that direction.
As he recalled Gao Ming’s words, Yang Kai soon realised that this was around where Seeking Pill Pavilion was located, the place where outsiders came to request Alchemy services.
A curious Yang Kai shuffled towards Seeking Pill Pavilion as he listened to the people talking among themselves.
As he continued moving forward, a huge palace soon came into his sight. There was a stone monument in front of the palace on which the characters ‘Seeking Pill Pavilion’ were carved into it.
Yang Kai was startled for a moment. When he heard about Seeking Pill Pavilion previously, he thought that it would be a small pavilion. It wasn’t until this moment that he realised he had underestimated the wealth of Profound Pill Sect.
The huge palace before him could easily accommodate several hundred to a thousand people.
As he followed the crowd inside, Yang Kai saw that the main hall was crammed with people, as though it was a big market. Although there were many people, they were not rowdy at all. The cultivators tactfully kept their mouths shut. Even if they had to talk, they would do so in small voices.
The first thing Yang Kai could see were long lines of people that looked like Dragons.
There were many desks around the corners of the main hall, and behind every desk sat a young man or woman with a blue hat. Their outfits were about the same as the one the young man who had appeared on the Recruitment Stage some time ago was wearing, so Yang Kai supposed they were medicine boys and girls of Profound Pill Sect.
A sign was hung in front of every desk that looked like a name. Yang Kai reckoned that those were the names of the Alchemists.
There was a line of people in front of every desk, even though there were some desks where fewer people queued up.
There was also a round counter facing the entrance of the main hall. Behind the counter stood 8 maidservants who were scattered around. Some people would come over to ask them some questions, and upon getting the directions, they would leave.
The maidservants behind the counter were busy as there was never a lack of people asking questions.
“Alchemist Yang!” Someone suddenly called out.
Yang Kai turned to look in that direction and felt helpless, “You really followed me all the way here.”
The person standing in front of him was Hua Rong. Yang Kai couldn’t believe that the woman had tailed him all the way here from Void Spirit Sword Sect. He wasn’t sure how she got to this place, but she appeared to be covered in travel dust.
“I knew you’d come to Profound Pill Sect. I was just wondering how I could look for you when I bumped into you here. Don’t you think we’re fated to meet again?” Hua Rong looked smilingly at him.
Yang Kai replied in a perfunctory manner, “En, right.”
“You think so too? I totally share the same sentiment. Since fate has brought us together, why don’t you take me on as your bodyguard? I can fend off your enemies for you!” As she spoke, she looked longingly at the man.
“There’s no need for that.” Yang Kai waved his hand, “I’ll get a Blood Warrior from Profound Pill Sect soon. I don’t need to hire a bodyguard.”
“Well, don’t reject me so soon. Although a Blood Warrior is good, he might not be to your liking. I’m different.”
“How are you different?” Yang Kai found the woman funny.
After giving it a thought, Hua Rong replied willfully, “Anyway, I’m different… By the way, what are you doing here?”
“I have nothing to do right now, so I’m here to look around.”
“Let’s go together then!” Hua Rong chuckled and followed Yang Kai closely. Realising that it was the first time Yang Kai came to this place, she took the initiative to explain, “The people who seek pills have to go through those ladies.” She pointed at the 8 maidservants behind the counter.
“There are many Alchemists in Profound Pill Sect who are in the Earth Grade, Heaven Grade, and even Spirit Grade, but there are different experts in different fields. The pills that the Alchemists are good at making vary quite a bit; therefore, the people who have come to seek pills have to find out which Alchemist will have the best chance of successfully refining what they want by judging from the amount of pills they’ve produced before. Those maidservants will give them some information regarding that.”
Yang Kai nodded, “I can see that.”
After observing for a bit just now, Yang Kai quickly realised what the maidservants were there for. Just like what Hua Rong had said, every Alchemist was an expert in a different field of study. Those who sought pills naturally wanted to look for the Alchemists who were most adept at making the pills they wanted.
“This place is divided into three areas, which are Earth, Heaven, and Spirit. They correspond to Earth Grade Alchemists, Heaven Grade Alchemists, and Spirit Grade Alchemists. The people behind the desks are their medicine boys or girls, and the signs in front of the desks are the names of the Alchemists. Hence, those who seek pills can easily find the Alchemists they want. By the way, when will you be setting up a place here? You don’t necessarily have to hire me to be your bodyguard. I can even be your medicine girl!” This idea suddenly sprang into Hua Rong’s mind, “There’s not a single medicine girl in the Sixth-Step Heaven Realm in the entire Profound Pill Sect. What do you think?”
“Are you familiar with Alchemy?” Yang Kai asked.
“No,” Hua Rong directly denied.
“How can you be a medicine girl when you’re not familiar with Alchemy?”
“I’ll learn as long as you’re willing to teach me,” Hua Rong said, matter-of-factly.
Yang Kai helplessly shook his head. However, at this point, he realised that jobs in Seeking Pill Pavilion were clearly divided, which was convenient for the people who sought pills. Regardless of who they were, they could easily find their targets. Of course, it took time to make pills, and it depended on their luck whether they could get the pills they wanted as an Alchemist wouldn’t necessarily succeed every time he or she refined pills. There was always a chance of failure.
Yang Kai walked around inside Seeking Pill Pavilion for a while before leaving. Hua Rong followed him as though she was close to him.
Initially, Yang Kai intended to go down the mountain and take a stroll around Profound Pill City, but he was no longer in the mood to do so. That was because Hua Rong was so garrulous that he was unable to take it anymore, so he decided to return to his resting place.
Hua Rong watched longingly as the man shuffled towards the Reception Peak of Profound Pill Sect. She stopped in the middle of the mountain as she wouldn’t dare to keep going further. Waving her hand, she shouted, “Look for me when you change your mind, Alchemist Yang! I’ll be waiting for you!”
Yang Kai pretended to not hear her.
Upon returning to his room in the Reception Palace, he told the maidservant to inform him immediately when there was any news. He then went on to stay in his room for the next few days.
It wasn’t until three days later when darkness was about to descend upon the world that Gao Xin Peng came over in a hurry. After some small talk with Yang Kai, he took a seat and said, “You have to get prepared tonight, Junior Brother. Those from the Elder Council will give you a test tomorrow.”
“En,” Yang Kai replied. Although he already knew that there would be a test, he still became apprehensive when the time finally came. What if his lie was exposed then?
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai reckoned that it didn’t matter even if his lie was exposed. He could just fight his way out of this place as he was fairly strong now. Even if he was faced with Spirit Realm Masters, he would still stand a chance to flee; however, those from Void Spirit Sword Sect would be dragged into this mess if that happened.
The only reason Gao Xin Peng was here was to inform Yang Kai about the upcoming test, so after chatting with him for a bit longer, he left. Before that, he told Yang Kai to be at ease as someone would lead him to the venue the next day.
The night passed in silence. Yang Kai got up early the next day and washed up before waiting patiently.
When the sun was up above the sky, a voice was suddenly heard speaking from outside, “Is Yang Kai here?”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai stepped out and saw a middle-aged man standing quietly outside his room. The man’s bright eyes looked like those of an eagle.
[Spirit Realm Master!] Yang Kai was surprised. Although the man never revealed his aura, Yang Kai could still sense that the man before him was in the Spirit Realm. Nevertheless, he couldn’t be certain about his exact Step.
“I’m Yang Kai. You are…” Yang Kai asked politely.
The man nodded gently, “I’m the Blood Warrior of the Sect Master. I was told to come over to fetch you. Come with me.” He never mentioned his name.
“Many thanks,” Yang Kai replied politely, then thought to himself that those from Profound Pill Sect indeed took the matter seriously. Even a Blood Warrior of the Sect Master was sent here to personally escort him.
Without speaking further, the man suddenly dashed towards Yang Kai. The next instant, he activated his Spirit Qi and engulfed Yang Kai in it before shooting into the distance.
It was the first time Yang Kai flew in the Divine Armament World, even though he was technically being carried by someone. Nevertheless, he was no stranger to flying, so he wasn’t flustered at all. On the other hand, the man glanced at Yang Kai with surprise as he wondered why the latter was so calm.
Soon, they saw a Spirit Peak where there were a lot of palaces. The man landed in front of a particular palace alongside Yang Kai and extended his hand, “Just go in.”
“Yes,” Yang Kai cupped his fist and took a glance at the palace. After adjusting his clothes, he strode inside.
Since the door was open already, Yang Kai directly stepped into the palace. He initially thought that he would instantly see the higher-ups of Profound Pill Sect and go through their test; however, he was surprised that there wasn’t anyone or anything in the hall.
Before he could figure out what was going on, the door was shut with a loud bang.
A shocked Yang Kai instantly put up his guard and scanned his surroundings.
Although he couldn’t see anyone, he could sense that there were some curious gazes in the darkness. All of a sudden, lights lit up and illuminated the hall.
Yang Kai soon saw that there was an Alchemy Furnace in the middle of the room, and a rack to the side that was filled with different kinds of herbs.
A voice abruptly sounded and reverberated around the hall, “We’ve prepared an Alchemy Furnace for you, and you can draw on the Earth Flame in this place. There are different kinds of herbs on the rack. Choose what you need and refine a furnace of Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pills.”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai became slightly at ease. It seemed that just like what Gao Xin Peng had explained, the pill recipe Yang Kai possessed was the best proof of his identity. As expected, he was asked to refine a batch of Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pills.
Settling his nerves, Yang Kai replied respectfully, “Yes.”
Then, he turned around and walked over to the rack to look for the herbs he needed. There were many herbs that were not needed to refine the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill here, which was obviously part of the test.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai had already memorised the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill recipe, so he could easily find the herbs he needed.
Gathering everything he needed, Yang Kai walked towards the Alchemy Furnace.
In a side hall just off from the room Yang Kai was in, five old men with grey hair and beards stood. They were Elders of Profound Pill Sect. One of them was the Sect Master, Baili Yun Sang, who was one of the most outstanding Spirit Grade Alchemists in the Divine Armament World. The other Elders were also Spirit Grade Alchemists.
Although both rooms were separated by a wall, they could easily see what Yang Kai was doing through a special one-way glass. On the other hand, Yang Kai was unable to see through the wall and look at the side hall.
Gao Xin Peng was standing respectfully behind the Elders and the Sect Master. Although he was a Heaven Spirit Grade Alchemist, he still felt pressured in such an environment as he brushed away the cold sweat from his forehead from time to time.
“Good, there’s nothing wrong with his selection of herbs. Those are the exact ones used in the pill recipe from our Sect.” Great Elder Wu Feng Hua nodded gently, “Let’s see if there’s any problem with his techniques and other details.”
Baili Yun Sang stroked his grey beard and said with a smile, “We’ll see.”
The Second Elder turned to look at Gao Xin Peng, “Little Gao, are you sure that this brat was an Earth Realm Master when he refined the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill in your competition?”
Upon hearing that, Gao Xin Peng hurriedly replied, “Yes, Second Elder. I saw it with my own eyes, so it’s definitely true. Junior Brother Yang was a peak Earth Realm Master when he made that Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill.”
Third Elder remarked, “I believe Little Gao. In that case, this boy is quite the talent.”
Wu Feng Hua asked, “Have you looked into his background?”
Gao Xin Peng replied, “Yes. Junior Brother Yang is an orphan who grew up in Void Spirit Sword Sect. He’s only 18 years old this year.”
“18 years old…” Baili Yun Sang took a deep breath, “An 18-year-old Heaven Grade Alchemist who is in the Heaven Realm. Such aptitude is really rare.”
Wu Feng Hua shook his head, “In fact, there has never been a person with such an aptitude in the past 10,000 years. He’s probably the first in at least that long. Although it’s rare, there have been a small number of 18-year-old Heaven Realm Masters in the past. The crux of the matter is that he’s also a Heaven-Grade Alchemist. I was already in my fifties when I became a Heaven Grade Alchemist.”
Baili Yun Sang suddenly stated, “Stop talking for now. That boy is about to start.”
Everyone looked in that direction and realised that Yang Kai had drawn on the Earth Flame as he was preparing to begin.
Under their observation, Yang Kai skillfully dropped the herbs one by one into the Alchemy Furnace and accurately controlled the Earth Flame below. His mastery of the temperature and timing was quite good and matched up with the pill recipe from Profound Pill Sect.
These experienced Alchemists couldn’t have done better even if they were to refine a furnace of Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pills themselves.
However, some small mistakes were made here and there during the process, likely due a lack of experience or familiarity with this recipe, but that didn’t really matter.
The entire process lasted for half a day. The Elders of Profound Pill Sect talked among themselves while observing the process and eventually confirmed that the pill recipe Yang Kai possessed was from Profound Pill Sect.
“The way this boy condenses pills is a little peculiar.” Wu Feng Hua fell into his thoughts, “I’ve never seen such a technique before.”
Second Elder added with a smile, “You know that guy very well. He likes to study all sorts of strange things. Perhaps he invented this Pill Condensing Technique after he left the Sect.”
Wu Feng Hua nodded, “That’s the only explanation.”
Just then, Yang Kai’s voice was heard coming from the hall, “Three pills have been successfully refined. One Mid-Rank and two Low-Rank. Please have a look, Seniors.”
Baili Yun Sang arched his brow, then turned to look at Gao Xin Peng, “How many Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill did you say he had made previously? What were the Ranks?”
Gao Xin Peng replied, “When I competed against Junior Brother Yang, he only made one pill that was in the Low-Rank.”
Baili Yun Sang tutted, “His skills have improved so much in just two months. His aptitude is truly extraordinary.”
Second Elder followed up, “That old guy has a terrible temperament, but he does have sharp vision as he’s found such a talented Disciple.”
Wu Feng Hua spoke up, “We can basically confirm that he has inherited his skills from Profound Pill Sect.”
In the hall, no one replied to Yang Kai after he finished speaking. However, he could still sense that some people were watching him, so he could only wait patiently.
A moment later, the voice from earlier sounded again. This time, he asked many questions about the person who wasn’t really Yang Kai’s Master. Yang Kai told him what he knew and tried to beat around the bush when he had no answers to the questions. He just told him that he was a young kid at that time, so there were many things that he had forgotten. The other party didn’t really probe him further.
Then, Yang Kai was asked to make another kind of pill, and he directly told them that he couldn’t. He said that his Master only passed him the pill recipe of Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill and taught him nothing else. The other pill recipes he possessed were obtained from other places over the years.
He wasn’t sure if he could fool the Elders of Profound Pill Sect using this explanation, but no one replied to him after that.
He went on to wait for an hour inside the hall before the door opened again.
Turning his head, he saw Gao Xin Peng standing outside the place with a smile. In a passionate manner, Gao Xin Peng called out, “Junior Brother Yang!”
“Senior Brother Gao!” Yang Kai walked up to him, and upon making sure that no one was else was watching, he asked in a small voice, “The test…”
“Congratulations, Junior Brother. You’ve passed the test,” Gao Xin Peng didn’t intend to keep him in suspense.
It was only then that Yang Kai breathed a sigh of relief.
Fixed Moon Peak was a Spirit Peak where the Heaven Grade Alchemists of Profound Pill Sect gathered together. With that said, there were only three to five Heaven-Grade Alchemists of Profound Pill Sect who lived there.
Gao Xin Peng was one of the residents on this Spirit Peak. The palace on the left side of the peak was his territory. Although there were many Spirit Peaks in Profound Pill Sect, they couldn’t afford to assign a Spirit Peak to every Heaven Grade Alchemist. Only a Spirit Grade Alchemist had the right to own a Spirit Peak of their own.
There were about ten to twenty Spirit Peaks in Profound Pill Sect that were just like Fixed Moon Peak. In other words, there were about several dozen to a hundred Heaven Grade Alchemists.
That was a staggering figure.
Besides Gao Xin Peng, there were two other Heaven Grade Alchemists who lived on Fixed Moon Peak. They had previously selected their favourite spots. One of them built a cave mansion while the other built a palace just like what Gao Xin Peng had done.
There was also a ready-made cave mansion in that place. After asking Yang Kai about it, Gao Xin Peng decided to bring him here.
“This cave mansion originally belonged to a Senior Brother; however, he passed away more than ten years ago due to old age, so this cave mansion had remained unoccupied since then. Although it’s in the middle of the mountain, the World Energy and environment here are excellent. It’s also just half a mountain away from my place, so it’ll be convenient for you to look for me,” Gao Xin Peng led Yang Kai to walk around inside the cave mansion while giving him an explanation.
Since Yang Kai had passed the test, he was now considered the 34th generation disciple of Profound Pill Sect. Naturally, he had a right to own a cave mansion in the Sect.
Gao Xin Peng was the one who brought Yang Kai to Profound Pill Sect and he was also the only person Yang Kai was familiar with, so the Elders had asked him to help Yang Kai settle in.
He gladly accepted the job since Yang Kai’s aptitude was exceptional. He was more than willing to get closer to him.
The cave mansion still looked the same as the time when the original owner passed away, so it was obvious that the place was cleaned up frequently. Although the place had remained vacant for a long time, it was still neat and tidy.
Yang Kai was fine with this place, so after walking around alongside Gao Xin Peng and familiarising himself with his new residence, he cupped his fist, “Many thanks for your help, Senior Brother.”
Gao Xin Peng patted the other man’s shoulder with a smile, “We’re one family now, so stop being overly polite with me. It’s late now, so you should get some rest. I’ll bring you to get an Identity Token and make a registration tomorrow. Also, since you’re new to the Sect, there are many trivial matters you have to deal with… En, I’ll tell you more about it tomorrow.”
“Good.” Yang Kai nodded.
After Gao Xin Peng left, Yang Kai took a stroll around the cave mansion again and found a place to take a rest; then, he closed his eyes and adjusted his breathing.
The reason he was able to pass the test from the Elders of Profound Pill Sect was because of the pill recipe he possessed. Just like what Gao Xin Peng had said, the pill recipe was the best proof of his identity, for there were no great forces in the world that would expose their own pill recipes, especially the pill recipe of the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill, which was extremely precious. Yang Kai’s refining process also proved that he had inherited skills from Profound Pill Sect.
Another reason was probably the aptitude he had showcased.
Even if the Elders of Profound Pill Sect were doubtful, Yang Kai’s aptitude was good enough to impress them. Those from Profound Pill Sect would want to make such a person stay even if he had nothing to do with their Sect.
Since Yang Kai had passed the test, there was nothing else he had to worry about.
Gao Xin Peng came over pretty early the next day and led Yang Kai to register himself. Yang Kai then obtained an Identity Token and some miscellaneous items.
It was already afternoon when everything was done.
They returned to Fixed Moon Peak together where Gao Xin Peng had already prepared a meal to welcome Yang Kai and congratulate him on becoming a disciple of Profound Pill Sect.
They had a jovial chat during the meal. A while later, Gao Xin Peng spoke up, “Junior Brother, since you’re new to the Sect and unfamiliar with everything, the Elders will give you one month to familiarize yourself. After one month, you have to start providing Alchemy services in Seeking Pill Pavilion just like other Heaven Grade Alchemists.”
Yang Kai turned solemn, “What do I need to prepare?”
Gao Xin Peng chuckled, “A lot. I was just about to talk to you about it.” After taking a sip of the wine, he put down the cup and continued, “Since you’re going to provide Alchemy services, you’ll need a medicine boy to be stationed at Seeking Pill Pavilion. You don’t have a medicine boy yet, right?”
Yang Kai shook his head.
“To Alchemists like us, medicine boys are very important. They’re our assistants who will help us deal with trivial matters as well as the disciples we personally train. Moreover, since the job has something to do with Alchemy, medicine boys must be familiar with both Spirit Herbs and pills. Not everyone can take on this job.” Gao Xin Peng wiped away the grease from his mouth, “Of course, it’s actually quite easy to settle this problem. There are new disciples joining the Sect every year, so you can go over to the Disciple Hall and select some medicine boys that meet your requirements. I’m sure those brats will be more than happy to follow a Heaven Grade Alchemist.”
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai asked, “Other than the disciples in the Sect, can I look for helpers from outside?”
Gao Xin Peng nodded, “There’s no problem with that and you’re free to do so; however, if you find medicine boys from outside, they’ll have to join Profound Pill Sect and become Outer Disciples. Do you have any candidates?”
Yang Kai nodded, “When I was in Void Spirit Sword Sect, I taught Alchemy to two Junior Brothers and one Junior Sister. They’ve shown talent in the Alchemic Dao.”
“Good. Just tell them to come over. However, that place is far away from here. You’d better get someone to fetch them so that they won’t fall into danger on the road. I suppose your Juniors are not very strong yet, right?”
“They’re not,” As Yang Kai spoke, he took a glance at Gao Ming, who was behind Gao Xin Peng.
Gao Xin Peng burst into laughter, “Well, please do not have your eyes on him. It’ll take one month to go back and forth; moreover, I’m leaving the Sect in a few days, so Gao Ming will have to come with me.”
A surprised Yang Kai replied, “I’ll come up with another way, then.”
At that instant, he regretted not bringing Wan Ying Ying with him when he came to this place. At that time, he was worried that he might fall into danger in Profound Pill Sect, dragging her into his mess if he brought her along.
However, it was no big deal as he could just ask someone to fetch her. A name sprang into Yang Kai’s mind as he thought he could use a particular woman’s help; after all, other than Gao Ming, she was familiar with the route.
After nibbling at his food, Gao Xin Peng went on to say, “Besides the matter regarding medicine boys, you’ll also have to settle the issue of an Alchemy Furnace and Alchemy Flame. I believe you still don’t have a personal Alchemy Furnace and Alchemy Flame, right?”
An embarrassed Yang Kai replied, “I do have an Alchemy Furnace, but it’s an old, generic one.” The Alchemy Furnaces in Void Spirit Sword Sect were all low quality. Even when he was still just an Earth-Grade Alchemist, Yang Kai found it difficult to use his current Alchemy Furnace. Now that he was a Heaven-Grade Alchemist, the furnace was basically useless to him; therefore, he didn’t even bother to bring it with him when he set off on his journey.
Gao Xin Peng put on a smile and suddenly clapped his hands.
Instantly, a maidservant came in with an Alchemy Furnace in her hands. It was a petite furnace only about a forearm length in height, but the surface was emblazoned with five Dragons, their mouths facing the lid.
“What’s this?” Yang Kai looked doubtfully at him.
Gao Xin Peng explained, “The Five Dragons Furnace. A Senior Brother gave it to me when I became a Heaven Grade Alchemist in the past, but I’ve never used it as I had my own. Since you don’t have a suitable Alchemy Furnace yet, why don’t you use it for now? Please don’t turn me down. This is a gift from someone after all. Although I’ve never used it, I wouldn’t have the nerve to give it away. I’m just lending it to you. When you have your own furnace, you can return it to me.”
Yang Kai parted his lips for a moment, then picked up his cup and drained it, “Many thanks for lending it to me then, Senior Brother.”
Gao Xin Peng waved his hand with a smile and told Gao Ming to send the Five Dragons Furnace to Yang Kai’s cave mansion before he went on to say, “Since you’ve settled the issue of an Alchemy Furnace, you can head to the Divine Flame Hall to get an Alchemy Flame. There are many Alchemy Flames available, but as for what kind of Alchemy Flame you’ll get, that will depend on your luck.”
An astonished Yang Kai asked, “The Sect will also provide us an Alchemy Flame?”
Gao Xin Peng put on a proud smile, “Profound Pill Sect has been in existence for a long time, so we do have a lot of Alchemy Flames. Those from the Divine Flame Hall are responsible for handling these affairs. After centuries of accumulation, even if there aren’t 1,000 Alchemy Flames over there, there are at least 800. There’s a rule, though. If you get an Alchemy Flame from the Divine Flame Hall, you’ll have to return it before your death; after all, it belongs to the Sect.”
Yang Kai nodded his head to indicate he understood. Still, he was shocked by the generosity of those in Profound Pill Sect. As long as an Alchemist reached a certain Grade, they could easily get a medicine boy, Alchemy Flame, and Blood Warriors.
Yang Kai believed that he could also get an Alchemy Furnace; however, since Gao Xin Peng had already lent one to him, it should be better than the one offered by the Sect.
“Get some rest tonight. I’ll bring you to the Divine Flame Hall tomorrow to get an Alchemy Flame. It’s the most important issue for you now because you’ll need some time to get used to the flame after obtaining one. It’ll probably take you a month to do so. You’ll also have to head to the Blood Warrior Hall. Since you’re now a Heaven-Grade Alchemist, you can get two Blood Warriors from the Blood Warrior Hall. I’m sure those from the Blood Warrior Hall will be quite excited.”
Two hours later, an intoxicated Yang Kai returned to his cave mansion.
When he left his residence the next day, he saw a blue-hat youth waiting for him outside the place.
“Greetings, Alchemist Yang!” The blue-hat youth saluted him.
“Are you… Senior Brother Gao’s medicine boy?” Yang Kai took a glance at him. He had come across this medicine boy in Gao Xin Peng’s place the day before, so he could faintly remember him.
“Yes, Alchemist Yang. I’m Senior Gao’s medicine boy.”
Yang Kai looked curiously at him, “What are you doing here? Where’s Senior Brother Gao?”
The medicine boy replied, “Senior Gao told me to wait here to pass on his word to you. Senior Gao had to leave the Sect this morning after receiving an order from the Elders; therefore, he can’t accompany Senior Yang to the Divine Flame Hall. However, he has informed those from the Divine Flame Hall about it. If Senior Yang wishes to obtain an Alchemy Flame, you can directly go over.”
“Senior Brother Gao has left?” Yang Kai was surprised.
Although Gao Xin Peng did say he was leaving the Sect in a few days, Yang Kai hadn’t expected him to be gone on this day.
“It was an emergency. Since the Elders had given the order, Sir had to leave,” the medicine boy replied respectfully.
“En,” Yang Kai nodded. After giving it a thought, he asked the medicine boy about the location of the Divine Flame Hall then walked down the mountain.
The medicine boy thoughtfully asked Yang Kai whether he needed a guide; however, getting an Alchemy Flame shouldn’t be a difficult task. Moreover, Gao Xin Peng had informed those from the Divine Flame Hall about it beforehand; therefore, Yang Kai turned him down.
The Divine Flame Hall was located in a mountain valley where there were many guards. As Yang Kai headed to his destination, he was stopped and checked several times. Nevertheless, after he showed them his Identity Token, the guards at the Divine Flame Hall stepped aside respectfully.
Soon, he arrived at a large palace and as soon as he entered he saw two people chatting among themselves. One of them was clad in the clothes exclusive to Heaven Grade Alchemists of Profound Pill Sect, and he was followed by two bodyguards.
The other person was clad in black tight-fitting clothes. Yang Kai was unable to sense his cultivation since his aura was restrained, but he had a feeling that the man was a Spirit Realm Master.
The Spirit Realm Master in black clothes said, “Since you’re all ready, Alchemist Wei, good luck.”
Alchemist Wei cupped his fist with a smile, “Many thanks for your kind wishes, Vice Hall Master. I’ll definitely succeed; after all, I’ve been preparing for it for two years.”
“You may go now. Someone from the Divine Flame Cave will lead you there,” The Spirit Realm Master nodded.
Alchemist Wei nodded, then led his Blood Warriors towards the door. Before he left, he shot a curious and doubtful glance at Yang Kai. Despite finding the man unfamiliar, he didn’t say anything.
After he was gone, the Spirit Realm Master turned to look at Yang Kai and examined him, then asked, “Alchemist Yang, I presume?”
“You know me?” Yang Kai asked curiously.
The Spirit Realm Master replied with a smile, “There are only a small number of Heaven Grade Alchemists in the Sect, and I’ve met them all. The only one I’ve never met is the newly joined Heaven Grade Alchemist. Alchemist Gao informed me about your arrival yesterday.”
Upon hearing his explanation, Yang Kai asked, “I see. How may I address you?”
“Divine Flame Hall Vice Hall Master, Wu Zheng Qi.”
“So it is Vice Hall Master Wu!” Yang Kai cupped his fist and thought that it was no wonder this person was a Spirit Realm Master. Since he was the Vice Hall Master of the Divine Flame Hall, the fact that he was a Spirit Realm Master wasn’t so surprising.
“Have you come here to obtain an Alchemy Flame?” Wu Zheng Qi asked.
“Yes.” Yang Kai nodded, “Senior Brother Gao said that since I’ve joined the Sect, I should prioritise getting an Alchemy Flame.”
Although Wu Zheng Qi wasn’t an Alchemist, he knew a thing or two about Alchemy since he had been in Profound Pill Sect for a long time. Upon hearing that, he nodded, “Since Alchemist Gao has said so, there wouldn’t be a mistake.”
“However, it is my first time coming to the Divine Flame Hall. Is there anything I should prepare?” Yang Kai inquired modestly.
Wu Zheng Qi replied with a smile, “You don’t have to prepare anything. The Divine Flame Cave is a special place where the Alchemy Flames accumulated over the years are stored. You just have to go in and sense your surroundings. As long as you are capable enough, you’ll find a suitable Alchemy Flame. What’s more, the Alchemy Flames will also be looking for worthy Masters to follow.”
Yang Kai was puzzled, “You mean, those Alchemy Flames are sentient?”
Wu Zheng Qi burst into laughter, “Alchemy Flames are not living creatures, so why would they be sentient? However… the Divine Flame Cave is a special place. It was built by the ancestors of Profound Pill Sect taking much time and care. It is also one of the Sect’s foundations. I’m not an Alchemist, so I don’t understand the abstrusity of it; nevertheless, the same thing happens to every Alchemist who tries to obtain an Alchemy Flame, so you don’t have to worry about it. Moreover, I heard that the greater a person’s aptitude, the better the Alchemy Flame they can obtain.”
“Are the Alchemy Flames graded?” Yang Kai figured out there was a deeper meaning to the Vice Hall Master’s words.
“Of course,” Wu Zheng Qi looked curiously at him, wondering why a Heaven Grade Alchemist wasn’t aware of such common knowledge, “Just like we cultivators, Alchemy Flames are divided into Mortal, Earth, Heaven, and Spirit Grades. Although there are different grades, an Alchemy Flame can swallow others to improve itself; therefore, even if one only gets a Mortal Rank Alchemy Flame, it will grow into a Spirit Rank Alchemy Flame as long as there’s enough hard work and opportunity. Moreover, the powers of the Alchemy Flames in the same rank can vary greatly. Good, if you want to find out more about it, you can head to the Records Hall when you’re free. There are many books about Alchemy Flames inside.”
“Many thanks for your guidance, Vice Hall Master Wu.” Yang Kai thanked him sincerely, for he had no knowledge of such information prior to this, “By the way, do you mean that there are Spirit Rank Alchemy Flames in the Divine Flame Cave?”
“Indeed.” Wu Zheng Qi nodded, “The Alchemy Flames that the Elders possessed over the generations were all Spirit Flames. Before their predestined time of death, they would try to separate the Spirit Flames from their own bodies and return them to the Divine Flame Cave. This process normally damages the Spirit Flames, causing them to regress into Heaven Flames. Nonetheless, some of the Spirit Flames still survived over the years. However, I advise you against coveting a Spirit Flame; after all, they are very powerful. If you don’t have sufficient power to match, you’ll be harming yourself instead.”
“I understand. However, is it alright that so many Alchemy Flames are put together? You just said that an Alchemy Flame could swallow others to upgrade itself…”
Wu Zheng Qi shook his head, “The Alchemy Flames that have returned to the Divine Flame Cave are all planted with seals, so they won’t swallow each other. Otherwise, the cave would’ve been gone for good long ago.”
“I see.” Yang Kai finally figured it out after his explanation, but he still asked worriedly, “Is there really nothing I have to prepare? Just now, I heard Alchemist Wei say that he had been preparing for it for two years.”
“He…” Wu Zheng Qi burst into laughter, “He’s different. He wants to obtain a particular Alchemy Flame from the Divine Flame Cave, so he has been trying to prepare some bait over the past two years to tempt that Alchemy Flame. If you have your own target, you naturally have to prepare some things in advance. However, if you’re just getting a random one, you don’t have to do that.”
It was then Yang Kai realised he had been overthinking things. Following that, he replied, “I’ll just obtain one at random then.”
“Do you have other questions? If not, you can head to the Divine Flame Cave now.”
Yang Kai shook his head.
“Come with me, then,” Wu Zheng Qi said, then led the way for him.
It wasn’t certain whether it had something to do with Gao Xin Peng or that the fact Yang Kai wasn’t familiar with this place was taken into consideration, but when Alchemist Wei headed to Divine Flame Cave just now, Wu Zheng Qi didn’t lead the way for him. Instead, Yang Kai had the honour to receive such treatment.
Naturally, Yang Kai had to thank him again.
The Divine Flame Cave wasn’t far away, and there was an entrance that led to it inside the hall. When they arrived, Yang Kai saw that the Blood Warriors that Alchemist Wei had brought with him were standing outside the cave while the Alchemist himself was nowhere to be seen. It was apparent that he had entered the cave.
Wu Zheng Qi pointed ahead and explained, “That’s the entrance to the Divine Flame Cave. There’s a rule in the Sect that only Alchemists can enter this place, so I’ll have to stop here. You can just go in.”
“Many thanks,” Yang Kai cupped his fists and shuffled into the cave.
The Divine Flame Cave was located deep beneath the ground, and as Yang Kai walked down, it took him almost an hour before descended into complete darkness.
It wasn’t the kind of darkness that was caused by a lack of light, but rather a kind of pure black colour that was indescribable with words.
Yang Kai initially intended to look for Alchemist Wei and observe how the latter was going to obtain an Alchemy Flame; however, he could see nothing in the darkness, let alone look for Alchemist Wei.
Turning his head, Yang Kai saw that there was a bit of light at the entrance that served as a beacon for when he needed to leave. However, the light was restricted in a radius of three metres in an eerie manner.
It seemed that the Divine Flame Cave was truly abstruse, so it was no wonder that it was one of Profound Pill Sect’s foundations.
Shaking his head, Yang Kai continued moving forward. In the darkness, he was unable to determine how far he had gone, so he could only turn to look at the light at the entrance to know that he had moved forward for quite some distance.
Reckoning that it was time to stop, he sat down on the ground with his legs crossed.
Wu Zheng Qi had said that the Divine Flame Cave was a special place, and upon entering, an Alchemist just had to sense their surroundings to look for the Alchemy Flames that suited them.
Yang Kai didn’t understand the abstrusity of it, so he could only do as he was told.
After emptying his mind, he focused on sensing his surroundings. He initially couldn’t detect anything special, but as he released his Divine Sense, he realised that dots of light started appearing out of thin air.
He was taken aback by the sight and almost awoke from his meditative state, which caused the lights to start flickering.
However, he soon composed himself, and the lights stabilised as well.
This was a strange feeling. Although his eyes were closed as he was only sensing his surroundings, it was as though he could really see those lights. The intensity of the lights varied, looking like different-sized candles that had been lit up in the darkness.
Besides that, the lights continued to increase, and soon, they started growing exponentially. From a few dots of light, they grew into dozens to over a hundred.
In the distance, more lights appeared all of a sudden.
[Are these the Alchemy Flames in the Divine Flame Cave?] Yang Kai fell into his thoughts as he inspected the lights, trying to determine their Grades by judging the intensity of the light.
Just like what Wu Zheng Qi had said, the Alchemy Flames here ranged from the Mortal Grade to the Spirit Grade.
The small number of the brightest lights should be the Spirit Flames, while the slightly weaker ones were Heaven Flames, followed by the Earth Flames and then the weakest Mortal Flames.
What surprised Yang Kai was that these Alchemy Flames came in different colours, which illuminated the originally dark cave.
While he was still awestruck by the sight, something happened all of a sudden.
The lights of different colours started rushing towards Yang Kai, as though they had been drawn by something. In the blink of an eye, he was surrounded by countless Alchemy Flames.
“Uh…” Yang Kai was stunned, not knowing what was going on.
Yang Kai could sense that these brightly lit Alchemy Flames had surrounded him as they jumped around him. Despite not knowing what was going on, he had a feeling that if he wanted, he could easily obtain any of the Alchemy Flames, be it a Mortal Flame or a Spirit Flame.
This discovery made him arch his brow.
He recalled that Wu Zheng Qi had said the greater a person’s aptitude, the better the Alchemy Flame they could get in the Divine Flame Cave. It then dawned on Yang Kai that even though he was just a Heaven-Grade Alchemist in the Divine Armament World, his attainments in the Alchemic Dao far exceeded the limits of this World. Regardless of whether these Alchemy Flames were sentient, they seemed to have instinctively realized his uniqueness, which was why they proactively approached him.
Almost all the Alchemy Flames in the Divine Flame Cave had gathered around Yang Kai except for one particular flame.
There was a flickering Alchemy Flame in a spot that was several hundred metres away from Yang Kai. He reckoned that it was a Heaven Flame by judging from its brightness, and it could be considered a better one among those in the Heaven Grade.
The Heaven Flames around Yang Kai were not comparable to it in terms of brightness or purity.
Yang Kai thought about Alchemist Wei, who had entered the place first, and had a feeling that the latter was just over there as the special Heaven Flame was restricted by him. That was the reason it was not drawn over.
Yang Kai wasn’t really concerned about what was going on over there. Since Alchemist Wei had prepared for it for two years, he must have a special technique to get the Heaven Flame he wanted. Moreover, Yang Kai wasn’t interested in Heaven Flames at all.
What attracted him were the small number of Spirit Flames.
Wu Zheng Qi had advised him against getting a Spirit Flame since he didn’t have the power to match, as that would cause him to be injured. However, that piece of advice was only applicable to the average person. Yang Kai had the confidence to subdue a Spirit Flame.
He could still use a Spirit Flame when he became a Spirit Grade Alchemist in the future, and he didn’t have to waste time upgrading or changing his Alchemy Flame. Since he had come to the Divine Flame Cave, Yang Kai naturally had to get the best one.
After making up his mind, he examined the lively Alchemy Flames around him and soon found his target.
It was an Alchemy Flame that was one of the brightest in this place. If he wasn’t mistaken, this was supposed to be a Spirit Flame. Moreover, this Alchemy Flame gave off a gentle feeling, which was unlike some of the restless flames, so it was suitable to be used for refining pills.
This orange Spirit Flame was originally in the outer ring, but after Yang Kai sent a signal over, it slowly came closer and soon reached a spot that was one metre away from him.
While the Spirit Flame was moving forward, the other Alchemy Flames proactively stepped aside as though they had realised how determined Yang Kai was.
The Spirit Flame continued moving forward, but just when it was about to reach Yang Kai, it abruptly stopped.
Yang Kai had no idea what was going on, but the next instant, all the Alchemy Flames around him seemed to become flustered, as though a ferocious beast was coming their way. In the blink of an eye, they dissipated and went into hiding. The countless lights that Yang Kai could sense instantly vanished.
The originally colourful world soon fell into complete darkness.
Yang Kai was shocked, not knowing what he had done that caused those Alchemy Flames to run away.
Looking around, he could see that the Alchemy Flame restricted by Alchemist Wei was pulsating; however, Alchemist Wei seemed to have a way to control it. Yang Kai couldn’t see clearly what the other party was doing, but the Alchemy Flame was unable to flee regardless of how hard it tried. It seemed to be bound to that exact spot. It seemed that it was just a matter of time before the flame was captured by Alchemist Wei.
Yang Kai came to his senses and thought back on what he had been doing since he came to this place, but he didn’t think he had done anything wrong. Nevertheless, the Alchemy Flames that had surrounded him disappeared just like that.
Just then, he caught a glimpse of a light that was slowly flying towards him from a distance. It was a white flame that wasn’t particularly bright. According to his observation, he reckoned that it was an Alchemy Flame in the Mortal Grade.
However, the light was astonishingly pure. Yang Kai hadn’t seen any other Alchemy Flame with such purity.
The Mortal Flame soon reached Yang Kai and landed in front of him, then became unmoving.
Yang Kai was startled for a moment as he was torn between tears and laughter.
[What’s going on?] All the Alchemy Flames were gone, leaving behind a Mortal Flame. He was now a Heaven-Grade Alchemist, so there was no way he would take a Mortal Flame, which wouldn’t meet his requirements for making pills.
After observing the Mortal Flame for a moment, Yang Kai concluded that besides the fact that the light was pure, there was nothing special about it. Therefore, he stopped paying attention to it.
Then, he emptied his mind and sensed his surroundings in an attempt to draw the Alchemy Flames back to him.
However, his action elicited a strange reaction from the small white Mortal Flame. Like a naughty kid, it jumped around in Yang Kai’s perception to draw his attention.
Seeing that Yang Kai ignored it, the flame started circling around him.
A moment later, it suddenly charged towards the Heaven Flame bound by Alchemist Wei. This turn of events finally attracted Yang Kai’s attention.
He could sense that the Heaven Flame bound by Alchemist Wei became even more flustered while the Alchemist exclaimed.
Alchemist Wei did not have long to ponder the issue, however, as the Mortal Flame dashed forward and instantly engulfed the Heaven Flame with its white light. After the dust settled, the light that belonged to the Heaven Flame was nowhere to be seen.
The white Alchemy Flame didn’t change one bit as it swaggered back towards Yang Kai. Upon reaching him, the flame gently whirled around as though it was trying to brag.
Yang Kai was flabbergasted.
Although it was the first time he came across this situation, it was obvious to him that the Heaven Flame was swallowed by this white Mortal Flame.
Wu Zheng Qi said that all the Alchemy Flames in the Divine Flame Cave were planted with seals, so there was no way they would devour each other. What was going on with this white light then?
Moreover, only Alchemy Flames of higher Grades could gobble up ones of lower Grades. How did a Mortal Flame wolf down a Heaven Flame?
“Who destroyed my flame!? Who?!” Alchemist Wei’s roar reverberated across the entire cave.
Getting no reply, Wei Cheng said through clenched teeth, “Good. Unless you stay in this cave forever, this Wei will find out who you are sooner or later! This matter is not settled!”
After Wei Cheng barked for a while more, Yang Kai could hear the footsteps fading into the distance.
There was a dark expression on Yang Kai’s face as he looked at the white light in front of him. He had practically done nothing, but it seemed that a grudge had been formed between Wei Cheng and him.
Yang Kai could only hope that he wasn’t the only person in the cave at this moment; otherwise, he would never be able to explain himself.
After witnessing how the white light swallowed the Heaven Flame, Yang Kai realised that this white flame was different somehow. The average Mortal Flame was not able to do that.
Furthermore, regardless of how hard he tried to sense his surroundings, the other Alchemy Flames in the cave didn’t respond to him. As he recalled the sight of those Alchemy Flames fleeing, Yang Kai let out a long sigh.
Now, it seemed that regardless of what he thought, he had to take this white flame.
Fortunately, nothing unexpected happened during the process. As soon as Yang Kai relayed his intent, the white flame flew towards him and directly disappeared into his body.
At the same time, Yang Kai could clearly feel that there was a new strange power in his body. The power wasn’t harmful to him, but he needed some time to refine and familiarise himself with it before he could really use it.
He had achieved his goal for coming to the Divine Flame Cave. Although he had only taken a Mortal Flame, Yang Kai reckoned that it wasn’t just any ordinary Mortal Flame judging from its strange behaviour.
It seemed that he had to head to Records Hall to find out what kind of Alchemy Flame he had accepted.
Standing up, he shuffled towards the light at the entrance and soon left the Divine Flame Cave. Then, he walked up the spiralling path.
One hour later, Yang Kai could finally see bright sunlight again, which suggested that he had finally left the cave. Before he could adjust to the brightness though, he heard someone speaking through gritted teeth, “It’s really you!”
Yang Kai turned his head and saw Wei Cheng glaring at him. The Blood Warriors behind him sported dark expressions as well. On the other hand, Wu Zheng Qi was standing with his hands behind his back as he looked curiously at Yang Kai.
A dejected Yang Kai knew that the trouble was inevitable, but he still pretended to know nothing, “Vice Hall Master Wu, this…”
Wu Zheng Qi explained, “Alchemist Wei came across an accident when he was trying to obtain an Alchemy Flame in the cave. It seems that he was unable to achieve his goal because he was disturbed; therefore, Alchemist Yang, he wants to know what you did down there.”
“Of course I was trying to get an Alchemy Flame in the cave. What else could I do?” Yang Kai frowned, “I didn’t act against anyone or anything. Why don’t you ask the other Alchemists who have entered the cave?”
Wei Cheng said through clenched teeth, “There were only the two of us in the cave. There were no other Alchemists! If you hadn’t done anything, this Wei couldn’t possibly have failed. I was about to succeed!”
Yang Kai shook his head, “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Alchemist Wei. I was just trying to obtain an Alchemy Flame for myself. However, I was shocked to hear someone exclaiming just now. It seems that it was you who screamed.”
A relentless Wei Cheng snapped, “Stop playing dumb! Who else could it be if it weren’t you?”
Yang Kai gazed at him and replied, “It’s the first time we meet, Alchemist Wei, and there are no grudges between us. Both of us are the Heaven Grade Alchemists of Profound Pill Sect, so why would I act against you?”
Wu Zheng Qi nodded, “That’s true. What actually happened, Alchemist Wei?”
Wei Cheng still glowered at Yang Kai, but he realised that the latter was right. It was the first time they met, and there were no grudges between them. There was no reason for Yang Kai to derail his plans; however, as he recalled the two years he had spent getting prepared and the fact that he was so close to succeeding, he was unable to just let the issue drop.
It was then Wei Cheng sported a dark expression and narrated what had happened in the Divine Flame Cave. According to him, everything was going well initially, but at the most critical moment when he was about to capture the Heaven Flame, it seemed to have been disturbed. After pulsating for a moment, it disappeared.
“Besides that, did you happen to see anything else?” Yang Kai asked probingly.
Wei Cheng was startled for a moment, “What do you mean? Did you see anything else?”
“No, I was just asking,” Yang Kai replied in a perfunctory manner.
Based on what Wei Cheng had said, he didn’t see the sight of the white flame engulfing the Heaven Flame inside the cave. In his perception, the Heaven Flame disappeared abruptly and he didn’t even see the Alchemy Flames of different colours gathering together. If he had, he would’ve exposed it.
[That’s strange…] Yang Kai thought.
“I’m sorry that your attempt to capture a Heaven Flame has failed, but I really know nothing about it, nor is there a reason for me to interfere in your plans,” Yang Kai stared at him in a frank manner.
“Even if you didn’t mean to, this matter must have something to do with you,” Wei Cheng said through clenched teeth. It was obvious that he was infuriated; after all, he had been preparing for this moment for two years, and his attempt failed at the last moment. It was expected that he couldn’t get over it.
An impatient Yang Kai gazed at him, “What do you want, then? To fight me?” Although Wei Cheng’s failure did have something to do with him, he didn’t mean to do it. Moreover, he couldn’t really admit anything, so Yang Kai could only deny it.
Surprisingly, Wei Cheng’s eyes brightened when he heard that, “Good, you’re the one who said it. This Wei will fight with you.” He then gazed at Wu Zheng Qi, “Please be the witness for us, Vice Hall Master Wu.”
Wu Zheng Qi appeared hesitant, as though he was trying to say something, but he eventually let out a sigh, “Since both of you want to settle the matter in such a way, this Wu will act as witness. However, I hope that both of you won’t go overboard as you’re from the same Sect.”
Wei Cheng cupped his fist, “Many thanks, Vice Hall Master Wu.”
He then glared at Yang Kai, “I’ll see you at the Martial Methods Stage in three days!”
Upon finishing his words, he waved his hand and left with his Blood Warriors.
Yang Kai had just placed his hand on the hilt of True Void Sword when his aura dissipated instantly. Shocked, he gazed at Wei Cheng’s leaving figure and asked in puzzlement, “Why is he leaving?”
Wu Zheng Qi explained, “Since an agreement has been reached, he naturally has to go back and get prepared.”
A helpless Yang Kai asked, “What’s there to prepare when we’re just going to have a fight?”
An astounded Wu Zheng Qi stared at him, “Are you going to fight with Alchemist Wei just like this?”
“What else should I do?”
Wu Zheng Qi gaped at him for a moment before landing a slap on his own forehead, “I’ve forgotten that you’re new to the Sect, so you’re not familiar with our rules yet. The thing is, Alchemists are important treasures of Profound Pill Sect, so the fights between Alchemists are different from those of other cultivators.”
Yang Kai frowned, “Please enlighten me, Vice Hall Master Wu.”
Wu Zheng Qi explained, “Usually, a fight between Alchemists is divided into three rounds. The one who wins two rounds will be the winner. Nevertheless, the first two rounds have nothing to do with the Alchemists as only their bodyguards would go on stage. They’ll fight in the first two rounds, and it will be best if there’s a winner. If there is a draw, the Alchemists will then go on stage; however, the competition between Alchemists will be all about Alchemy, not a battle. That way, the safety of the Alchemists can be ensured. Even if one of them loses, he wouldn’t be injured.”
Upon hearing his explanation, Yang Kai replied, “I see.”
It was no wonder that Wei Cheng said they would meet again at the Martial Methods Stage after three days. Yang Kai initially thought that they would just fight right away, and he had even considered using a bit of his true strength.
“You don’t have any Blood Warriors yet, right?” Wu Zheng Qi gazed at him in an awkward manner.
In response, Yang Kai shook his head.
Wu Zheng Qi burst into laughter, “It seems that you’ll have to head to the Blood Warrior Hall, but… En, I’ll stop here. You’ll find out about it when you reach the Blood Warrior Hall later.”
Yang Kai felt helpless as he returned from the Divine Flame Hall.
His trip to the cave ended up in him getting a Mortal Flame and offending Wei Cheng. It also never crossed his mind that he would agree to fighting with him. Life was truly unpredictable.
However, that didn’t bother Yang Kai one bit as he was most concerned about the kind of Mortal Flame he had obtained. Why was it able to engulf a Heaven Flame?
While he was in his thoughts, he walked down the mountain and soon arrived at Seeking Pill Pavilion. After looking around for a while, he still couldn’t find the person he wanted to see.
He thought that woman’s stubbornness was her only good point. She had said she would be waiting for him, but she had disappeared barely a few days later.
However, on his way back to the peak, he suddenly heard Hua Rong calling out to him in a passionate manner, “Alchemist Yang!”
Yang Kai turned his head and saw the woman at the Recruitment Stage. As she yelled, she dashed forward and soon reached Yang Kai. With a fervent gaze, she asked, “Are you here to look for me?”
After taking a few steps back, Yang Kai nodded, “Yes.”
An elated Hua Rong asked, “Have you changed your mind and decided to take me on as your bodyguard?”
The woman’s jovial expression surprised Yang Kai as he wondered why she was so ecstatic. After measuring his words, he replied, “I can take you on as a bodyguard, but I must give you a test first.”
“Tell me. As long as it’s achievable, I’ll do it for you!” Hua Rong nodded repeatedly.
Yang Kai examined her as he doubted her ability to carry out the task; however, there wasn’t a better person to do this job at this point. He initially wanted to borrow Gao Ming from Gao Xin Peng, but the latter wasn’t even in Profound Pill Sect now, so how was he supposed to borrow his bodyguard?
“I want you to head to Void Spirit Sword Sect and escort three people to this place.”
Hua Rong was all ears as she listened to him, then she asked, “That’s it?”
Yang Kai nodded, “Can you do it?”
Hua Rong replied with a smile, “Don’t underestimate me, Alchemist Yang. I can even escort everyone from Void Spirit Sword Sect to this place, not to mention three people.”
“Good, I’ll leave it to you, then. When you return… I’ll take you on as a bodyguard,” Yang Kai said through clenched teeth. He had to settle the issue of getting his medicine boy as soon as possible since those from Profound Pill Sect had only given him one month. After that, he would have to start providing Alchemy services at Seeking Pill Pavilion. If he didn’t have a medicine boy to help him out by then, he would be swamped with work. That was why he rushed over to look for Hua Rong first instead of heading to the Blood Warrior Hall.
“After I come back with those people, how am I going to look for you?” Hua Rong darted her gaze around, “I can’t enter Profound Pill Sect without an Identity Token.”
That was indeed a problem. Just when Yang Kai was ready to say he would ask someone to wait at this place every day, Hua Rong suggested by saying, “Why don’t you bring me to make a registration and get the Identity Token for a bodyguard first? That way, I can directly enter Profound Pill Sect when I come back.”
Seeing that Yang Kai appeared hesitant, she said, “Please trust me, Alchemist Yang. I’ll definitely complete your task. If anything goes wrong, you can kill me.”
Since she had said so much, Yang Kai gave it a thought and agreed to it.
It didn’t take him a long time to bring Hua Rong to make a registration; however, a bodyguard hired from outside like Hua Rong would have to go through the examination and verification of Profound Pill Sect to have her background checked. This was to ensure that she wouldn’t pose a threat to the Alchemist she followed or to the Sect as a whole. She would only be acknowledged as a bodyguard after everything was done.
Yang Kai didn’t have to be concerned about it anyway as Profound Pill Sect had an intelligence department to deal with such matters.
When he saw Hua Rong off, she already had a temporary Identity Token with her. With this token, she was able to visit most places in Profound Pill Sect except for the most important areas.
After she was gone, Yang Kai headed to the Blood Warrior Hall to select two Blood Warriors.
Since they were trained in Profound Pill Sect, their loyalty was guaranteed. Yang Kai also didn’t have to pay anything to get them.
He initially thought that there were countless powerful cultivators in the Blood Warrior Hall and he could easily get two Eighth-Step or Ninth-Step Heaven Realm Masters, but after arriving at this place, he realised that he was too naive.
There were indeed some Heaven Realm Masters in the Blood Warrior Hall, but the strongest ones were only in the Third-Step or the Fourth-Step Heaven Realm. They were even weaker than Hua Rong, which was why he was disappointed.
It was then he realised why Wu Zheng Qi appeared hesitant at the mention of the Blood Warrior Hall.
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai realised that it wasn’t so surprising. Profound Pill Sect was a powerful great force, and it wasn’t difficult for them to nurture Heaven Realm Masters; however, it took time for Heaven Realm Masters to grow, and the ones in higher Steps had all been selected by the other Heaven Grade Alchemists. The Blood Warriors that were left were naturally the weaker ones.
How was Yang Kai supposed to fight with Wei Cheng with these Blood Warriors? Although he had no idea about the cultivation of Wei Cheng’s Blood Warriors, they were clearly not in the Third or Fourth-Step Heaven Realm.
Yang Kai initially intended to select two Blood Warriors, but he had now lost interest.
Nevertheless, the Blood Warriors looked fervently at him, as though they were willing to do anything for him upon receiving his order. It would be inappropriate if he didn’t even choose one.
In the end, he only brought back one Blood Warrior.
One hour later, Yang Kai was seated on a chair in his cave mansion. There was a man who knelt on one knee in front of him. His bald head appeared pretty shiny even in the cave mansion.
This guy was the only one Yang Kai had brought back from the Blood Warrior Hall as he looked a bit special. He was truly burly, and about two full heads taller than Yang Kai when he was standing. His facial features looked fierce and he was quite conspicuous even among the Masters in the Blood Warrior Hall.
However, this person wasn’t the strongest as he was only in the Second-Step Heaven Realm. According to the person in charge of the Blood Warrior Hall, his aptitude was low as well and he had remained in the Hall for a long time. The other Blood Warriors from the same batch were now in the Sixth-Step or Seventh-Step, and they had already been selected by other Heaven Grade Alchemists. He was the only one left in the Hall from the same batch.
If Yang Kai hadn’t picked him out this time, this person would be kicked out of the Blood Warrior Hall in six months and become a guard somewhere else.
This was how most Blood Warriors ended up; after all, only a small number of Blood Warriors would be selected by the Alchemists. Those in the Blood Warrior Hall who had no more potential for growth but hadn’t been picked out wouldn’t be allowed to stay there to drain the Sect’s resources. Profound Pill Sect had many places that needed the protection of Heaven Realm Masters after all.
“What’s your name?” Yang Kai examined the burly man who knelt on one knee in front of him.
The burly man replied in a remarkably gentle voice, “The Blood Warriors in the Blood Warrior Hall do not have names; we’re represented by codes. Please give me a name, Sir.”
Yang Kai arched his brow, “You don’t have a name?” He then gave it a thought, “Then why don’t you take my surname? Since you’re so well built, I’ll call you Yang Da Zhuang.”
“Thanks, Sir!” Yang Da Zhuang cupped his fist loudly.
“I’m just pulling your leg.” Yang Kai waved his hand, “Yang Huai. Your name will be Yang Huai.”
“Yes,” Yang Huai replied respectfully. He was fine with whatever name was given to him by Yang Kai, offering no complaints at all.
“Do you know why I chose you out of so many people in the Blood Warrior Hall?” Yang Kai gazed at him and asked.
Yang Huai shook his head, “I have no idea. You must have your own considerations, Sir.”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “That’s right, but the main reason is that you look ferocious enough!”
Yang Huai put on a smile that could easily make crying children silent.
“I don’t know what Secret Art all of you cultivate in the Blood Warrior Hall, but it’s obviously not appropriate to bring out your potential. Your body is sturdy, and your vitality is ample, so you should cultivate a Body Tempering Secret Art. The Second-Step Heaven Realm is definitely not your limit. I have a Secret Art named the Supreme Tyrant Body Art that I can teach you. You must cultivate it seriously.”
Yang Huai wasn’t really a bright person, so a simple Secret Art like the Supreme Tyrant Body Art suited him; however, it was originally an Emperor Grade Secret Art, so Yang Kai had to modify and limit it a great deal before teaching it to him. The entire process took about four hours.
The real reason Yang Kai picked out Yang Huai was that he was trying to carry out an experiment. Although he could cultivate the Heaven Devouring Battle Law in the Divine Armament World, he wasn’t sure if he could use other Secret Arts he had in this world. It was the first time he entered a Small Source World, and if he had more chances to enter other Small Source Worlds in the future, he wanted to gather more information now.
If his experiment was successful, he would have a new helper with him. Even if the experiment failed, it wouldn’t really matter.
“When you cultivate the Supreme Tyrant Body Art, you’ll also need some pills to assist you. I’ll pass you the required ones in the future. Just cultivate it on your own for now. I have a fight with someone in three days, and I’ll need you to go on stage at that time.”
Upon hearing that, Yang Huai cupped his fist, “I will obey any order you give me, Sir.”
After telling Yang Huai to choose a room in the cave mansion and settle down, Yang Kai walked out alone and asked someone for directions, then headed to the Records Hall.
The reason he went to the Records Hall was to find out what kind of a Mortal Flame he had obtained from the Divine Flame Cave.
There were many ancient books in the Records Hall, which was divided into the outer hall and inner hall. The outer hall was open to all the Alchemists in Profound Pill Sect, and all the books were free for them to browse through.
However, if they wanted to enter the inner hall, they would have to pay some Sect’s contribution points.
Yang Kai had an idea about what contribution points were, but he had no idea how to obtain them. After asking around about the Sect’s contribution points, he realised he was basically right and that they were truly good things.
In Profound Pill Sect, as long as one had enough contribution points, one could trade them for anything they wanted, including the pill recipe for the Hundred Revolutions Clear Heart Pill.
This discovery greatly energised Yang Kai. He initially was still concerned about how to obtain the pill recipe for the Hundred Revolutions Clear Heart Pill after he entered the Sect, but it turned out that he would just need to earn enough contribution points.
There were many ways one could earn contribution points. One of the ways was to provide Alchemy services in Seeking Pill Pavilion. Although it wasn’t a lot, the amount would grow into a staggering figure as time passed.
One could also earn points by carrying out various tasks assigned by the Sect.
Since Yang Kai was a newcomer, he naturally didn’t have any contribution points; however, now that he had found out about them, he didn’t have to worry about getting the pill recipe of Hundred Revolutions Clear Heart Pill in the future.
After going through many books in the outer hall of the Records Hall for half a day, Yang Kai still couldn’t find any useful information about the white flame he had obtained. One book on Alchemy Flames recorded many Mortal Flames that shared many similarities with the white flame, but it didn’t explain why the white flame could easily devour a Heaven Flame.
In that case, he could only go back to his residence.
In the next two days, Yang Kai stayed in his room and focused on refining the white flame he had obtained from the Divine Flame Cave. The white flame gave off a gentle feeling, as though it wasn’t powerful at all. Furthermore, it was easy to refine the flame, so it took him just two days to basically complete the refinement.
On the third day, someone was heard calling out to him from outside of the cave mansion. Yang Kai walked out and realised that it was a Heaven Realm Master he had never met before.
The Heaven Realm Master cupped his fist and asked, “Are you Alchemist Yang?”
Yang Kai nodded, “Yes. Who are you?”
The Heaven Realm Master replied, “I’m from the Divine Flame Hall. The Vice Hall Master has told me to come over and invite you to head over to Martial Methods Stage.”
“It’s time for the fight already?” Yang Kai frowned. He had been refining the white flame for the past two days, so he had lost track of the time. If Wu Zheng Qi hadn’t sent someone over, he would’ve missed the fight against Wei Cheng.
Yang Kai felt helpless, but since it had been agreed upon already, he didn’t intend to back down.
As such, he yelled back into the cave mansion. Soon, a ferocious Yang Huai stepped out. Unlike a few days ago, Yang Huai now appeared even more savage. When he walked out of the cave mansion, he looked just like an ancient Ominous Beast, which caused the Heaven Realm Master’s pupils to contract.
“Sir!” Yang Huai cupped his fist and greeted in a respectful voice.
Yang Kai studied him and nodded, “You’ve made some good progress.”
A few days ago, Yang Huai didn’t have his current ferocious aura. The fact that he had gone through such a drastic transformation was undoubtedly thanks to the Supreme Tyrant Body Art. This abridged version of Body Tempering Secret Art taught to him by Yang Kai seemed to match Yang Huai perfectly, so Yang Kai expected the latter to have some serious achievements in it in the future.
“Many thanks for your guidance, Sir,” Yang Huai appeared excited as well. He had stayed in the Blood Warrior Hall for quite a few years. Since his ascension to the Heaven Realm, the progress in his cultivation had been quite slow. He initially thought that it was all he could achieve in his lifetime. Nevertheless, it never crossed his mind that not only would he be brought out of the Blood Warrior Hall, but he would also obtain such a profound Secret Art.
While cultivating the Supreme Tyrant Body Art, he could clearly feel that there was an inexhaustible source of energy that he could draw on, which was a feeling he had never had in the past.
“How do you feel?” Yang Kai asked.
Yang Huai grinned, “I feel great. I have the urge to fight someone.”
Yang Kai chuckled, “You’ll have a chance soon.” He then turned to look at the Heaven Realm Master, whose face twitched, “Please lead the way for us.”
The Heaven Realm Master hurriedly extended his hand, “Please come with me, Alchemist Yang.”
The Martial Methods Stage was located on a Spirit Peak where there was a very flat platform, as though it had been carved with an enormous blade. Presently, the stage was surrounded by many people.
If there were any grudges between the Alchemists of Profound Pill Sect, they would come over to this place and settle it; however, such incidents were rare. Therefore, after word of the dispute between Wei Cheng and Yang Kai spread, many Alchemists who had nothing better to do came over to watch the good show. When Yang Kai and Yang Huai arrived at Martial Methods Stage alongside the Heaven Realm Master, this place was already crammed with people.
Around the stage stood many Alchemists who had brought their bodyguards with them. Some of them gathered together and chatted among themselves, discussing the cause of the fight.
Wei Cheng was seated on a chair on one side of the stage, and his bodyguards were standing behind him, a hint of impatience on his face.
A helpless Wu Zheng Qi from the Divine Flame Hall was waiting on the stage. Honestly speaking, he wasn’t willing to interfere in this matter. Although he was a Spirit Realm Master, Profound Pill Sect was an Alchemy-focused force. It wasn’t appropriate for him to butt into the dispute between two Alchemists. However, since he had been invited to be the witness, he had no choice but to come over.
When Yang Kai arrived, he immediately drew the attention of many Alchemists. Although it had been only a few days since Yang Kai joined the Sect, the news that there was a new Heaven Grade Alchemist spread quickly. Many people were expected to be curious about this new Heaven Grade Alchemist. Furthermore, despite being a newcomer, Yang Kai had already formed some grudges with Wei Cheng, and they had to settle the dispute on Martial Methods Stage.
When they finally saw Yang Kai, many of them exclaimed and gasped.
That was because Yang Kai looked truly young. He appeared to be about 17 or 18 years old at most, but he was already a Heaven-Grade Alchemist.
He was the only Heaven-Grade Alchemist in the entire Profound Pill Sect who was this young. When these people were his age, most of them were still in the Mortal Grade. Their achievements paled when compared to this young man.
If nothing unexpected happened, this young man would become an important figure in the future.
On one side of the stage, Wei Cheng sported a conflicted expression. He was truly incensed outside of the Divine Flame Hall the other day, which was why he took Yang Kai’s words seriously even though the latter didn’t really mean it.
However, since they had agreed to the fight, he naturally had to look into Yang Kai’s background.
Upon finding out more about the young man, Wei Cheng was dumbfounded.
That was because Yang Kai was a Heaven Grade Alchemist who was only 18 years old, and he probably would be a Spirit Grade Alchemist in the future. Anyone would want to form a good relationship with such a person instead of offending him.
However, things had come to such a point that there was no turning back. The fight must go on; after all, Wei Cheng was a Heaven Grade Alchemist, so he could not embarrass himself.
Furthermore, it was uncertain whether Yang Kai could really become a Spirit Grade Alchemist. Wei Cheng also had the potential to be a Spirit Grade Alchemist in the future; therefore, even though he slightly regretted it, he was madder at the fact that his plan, which was two years in the making, had been ruined.
If it weren’t because of the accident a few days ago, he could’ve obtained an excellent Heaven Flame, which would help him improve his Alchemy skills and increase his chance of ascending to the Spirit Grade.
After leading Yang Kai to the stage, the Heaven Realm Master cupped his fist to Wu Zheng Qi, “Alchemist Yang is here, Vice Hall Master.”
Wu Zheng Qi nodded, “Good, you may leave now.”
“Vice Hall Master Wu!” Yang Kai cupped his fist at Wu Zheng Qi, who nodded gently in response.
Wei Cheng came over and stood on the left side of Wu Zheng Qi. He was followed by his Blood Warriors.
Wu Zheng Qi arched his brow, “Many thanks for inviting this Wu to be the witness of this battle. I feel truly honoured. However, I hope that both of you will not go overboard since you are both from the same Sect. Peace and harmony are valued highly here.”
Then, he darted his gaze between Wei Cheng and Yang Kai before saying, “If there are no objections, the fight shall begin. The rules are the same as always. The fight is divided into three rounds, and the person who wins two rounds will be the winner. Additionally, no weapons are allowed on the Martial Methods Stage. Do you have any problems with this?”
Wei Cheng and Yang Kai expressed that they were fine with the rules.
“Good. As for how you’ll fight, you can have a discussion among yourselves. This Wu will not interfere. The reason I’m here today is only to act as a witness.” Then, Wu Zheng Qi went away and observed them silently.
On the stage, Wei Cheng took a glance at the towering Yang Huai behind Yang Kai, then frowned, “Have you only brought one bodyguard with you, Alchemist Yang? How are we going to fight?”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “What’s wrong with that? The rules state that the person who wins two rounds will be the winner. It doesn’t say how many bodyguards we must bring.”
Wei Cheng shook his head, “That’s right, but I guess you’re underestimating this Wei. The bodyguard you’ve brought out of the Blood Warrior Hall is only in the Second-Step Heaven Realm. The weaker one of my two bodyguards is in the Sixth-Step Heaven Realm. There’s no way your bodyguard is a match for them.”
“We’ll have to let them fight to find out whether he’s a match.”
Wei Cheng stared fixedly at him, “If you’re willing to apologise to me, Alchemist Yang, I’ll pretend that nothing has happened so that you’ll be spared the embarrassment.”
Yang Kai shook his head, “It’s good to have confidence, Alchemist Wei, but overconfidence will do you more harm than good.”
Wei Cheng’s face fell as he snorted, “I’m willing to settle the dispute peacefully, but since you’ve rejected me, don’t blame me for oppressing you as a Senior Brother. I’d like to know how you’re going to defeat the three of us when there are only the two of you. The rules are the same. If there’s no winner after the first two rounds, we’ll personally have to compete in the last round.”
“En.” Yang Kai nodded, “However, before that, shouldn’t we put down a wager? Otherwise, the fight will be boring.”
“Wager?” Wei Cheng was startled, “What do you mean?”
Yang Kai turned to look at Wu Zheng Qi, “Will it break the rules of the Sect, Vice Hall Master?”
Wu Zheng Qi replied impassively, “It’s fine as long as both of you agree. The most important thing is that there must not be any casualties.”
“Understood.” Yang Kai nodded, then took the sword from his waist and raised it, “It’s a Spirit Armament. Is this wager good enough?”
Wei Cheng’s pupils contracted when he heard that, and even Wu Zheng Qi appeared interested. The Alchemists around the Martial Methods Stage immediately broke into a commotion.
“A Spirit Armament? Is that really a Spirit Armament?” Wei Cheng gazed at him in shock.
Yang Kai tossed the True Void Sword at Wu Zheng Qi, “Vice Hall Master Wu can definitely tell whether it’s a Spirit Armament or not.”
Wu Zheng Qi took the sword and unsheathed it. After he observed it for a moment, a longing expression appeared on his face. A moment later, he put the sword back into the sheath and nodded, “It’s indeed a Spirit Armament.”
Since Wu Zheng Qi had said so, Wei Cheng naturally wouldn’t doubt him. He looked doubtfully at Yang Kai as he wondered what the latter was up to.
A puzzled Wu Zheng Qi inquired, “Are you sure you want to put this Spirit Armament down as a wager, Alchemist Yang? That is an extremely precious treasure.”
In the entire Divine Armament World, Spirit Armaments were the second-best weapons after the Ten Great Divine Armaments. Every Spirit Armament was extremely powerful. The power a Spirit Realm Master could use with or without a Spirit Armament was drastically different. Although Wu Zheng Qi was a Spirit Realm Master, even he didn’t have a Spirit Armament. Therefore, when he saw Yang Kai, a Heaven Grade Alchemist, nonchalantly fish out a Spirit Armament and use it as a wager, he felt that the latter was being wasteful.
It would’ve been wonderful if the sword were in his possession.
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “I’m short on money now, and I don’t have anything more valuable than this.”
A myriad of expressions came over Wei Cheng, “It seems that you’re confident in yourself, Alchemist Yang.”
Since Yang Kai had even fished out a Spirit Armament to be used as a wager, he wasn’t just confident; he practically had no regard for Wei Cheng, who became vexed at this realisation.
“Although I’d like to get this Spirit Armament, this Wei unfortunately doesn’t have anything suitable to be used as a wager.” Wei Cheng shook his head regretfully. It was a shame that he had to let such a chance slip through his fingers.
“It’s fine. I don’t need any precious items. I suppose you have some Red Jades, Alchemist Wei?” Yang Kai asked with a smile.
“Red Jades?’’ Wei Cheng was startled, “You want me to put down Red Jades as a wager?”
He couldn’t believe his ears. Even Wu Zheng Qi appeared flabbergasted as he secretly cursed at Yang Kai for being a wastrel. The value of a Spirit Armament could never be measured with Red Jades.
“I said I’m short on money. It’s fine as long as you have some Red Jades.” Yang Kai nodded.
“I… do have some Red Jades.”
“How many can you take out?” Yang Kai asked.
An embarrassed Wei Cheng replied, “About 200,000 to 300,000. No more than that.” It was expected that a Heaven Grade Alchemist had several hundred thousand to a million Red Jades. Wei Cheng initially had more than a million Red Jades as well, but in order to get the Heaven Flame in the Divine Flame Hall, he had spent quite a lot of money to buy certain items, which was why he was left with so little money.
Of course, even 1 million Red Jades were nowhere near enough to buy a Spirit Armament, not to mention 300,000. He was fully aware of it, which was why he appeared bashful when he spoke.
“300,000 it is.” Yang Kai nodded, “Are you okay with putting down 300,000 Red Jades as a wager, Alchemist Wei?”
Wei Cheng stared at him like the latter was a fool, “Are you sure you’ll be fine with me only taking out 300,000 Red Jades as a wager?”
“Yes,” Yang Kai nodded.
On the side, Wu Zheng Qi was on pins and needles. If he hadn’t been restrained by his identity as a witness, he would’ve said to Yang Kai that he could lend him some money. It was extremely wasteful to put down a Spirit Armament to be a wager when the other party could only offer 300,000 Red Jades.
Wei Cheng stared fixedly at Yang Kai, and upon making sure that the other party wasn’t joking, he nodded, “In that case, I’ll take out 300,000 Red Jades to be a wager. Please be the witness of it, Vice Hall Master Wu.”
“En,” Wu Zheng Qi replied lethargically.
“Let’s start now, Alchemist Yang,” Wei Cheng felt elated since he was going to get a Spirit Armament soon. He speculated that it might be Yang Kai’s way of apologising to him; otherwise, why would anyone do such a foolish thing?
A Spirit Armament could more than make up for his losses in the Divine Flame Hall.
At the thought of this, he felt less hostile towards Yang Kai. Despite Yang Kai’s firm stance, he was actually a tactful person. This was his indirect way of apologising to Wei Cheng.
Yang Kai nodded, “Good.” He then turned to look at Yang Huai, “Do your best.”
Yang Huai cupped his fist and replied solemnly, “I’ll not embarrass you, Sir.”
Yang Kai nodded and leaped off the Martial Methods Stage. On the other hand, Wei Cheng and one of his Blood Warriors also left the stage, leaving only a single Blood Warrior to deal with Yang Huai.
Wu Zheng Qi shot an impassive glance at the people on the stage and replied dispassionately, “If the two of you are ready, you can start at any moment.”
The next moment, Wei Cheng’s Blood Warrior charged towards Yang Huai at the speed of lightning, leaving behind only an afterimage. He reached his opponent in a split second, and following a loud boom, the entire stage shook.
The towering Yang Huai seemed to have been struck by a mountain as he staggered backwards and almost collapsed to the ground. Fortunately, he managed to stabilize himself soon, then he extended his big hand.
A figure disappeared in front of him as he whisked past his palm and circled around him. Soon, another loud boom was heard.
A confident Wei Cheng observed the battle on the stage and nonchalantly stated, “Alchemist Yang, your Blood Warrior is too weak. There’s no way he can defeat my bodyguard.”
Yang Kai put on a smile without responding to him.
Yang Huai was only in the Second-Step Heaven Realm while Wei Cheng’s bodyguard was in the Sixth Step. There was a difference of four Minor Realms between them. On the stage, without any external help, Yang Huai was expected to be of no match for his opponent.
In just over ten breaths of time, Yang Huai had been struck more than ten times. Every strike would cause him to stagger and almost collapse to the ground, but he could always stabilise himself soon and counterattack. Although he was unable to harm his opponent, his powerful attacks forced the other party to dodge.
Such a battle was supposed to end quickly since the powers of both parties were drastically different. Nevertheless, the reality was that Yang Huai surprised the others with his perseverance and resoluteness.
Although Wei Cheng’s Blood Warrior seemed to have gained the upper hand on the stage, he was unable to defeat Yang Huai or force him out of the stage.
Furthermore, as time passed, a layer of blood mist started forming around Yang Huai’s figure. It was initially inconspicuous, but as time passed it increasingly thickened.
“What’s that?” Wu Zheng Qi, who had been observing the battle on the stage, arched his brow with surprise. That was because he realised that Yang Huai’s speed and strength were increasing by the breath.
Yang Huai was sturdy, but he was not very agile, and he was four Minor Realms behind his opponent; therefore, since the beginning, he had been in a passive position, and his occasional counterattacks were easily dodged by the opponent. Nevertheless, as the battle dragged on, his attacks gradually became faster and more powerful.
Following a tearing sound, the two of them leaped away from one another. Yang Huai was covered in blood as he widened his eyes with fury. There was a piece of cloth that he had torn from his opponent. After he released it, he dashed towards his opponent like an enraged bull, his eyes bloodshot.
The spectators around the stage exclaimed. It was the first time Yang Huai managed to hit his opponent, even though he had only torn a piece of cloth from the other party.
On the other hand, the Sixth-Step Heaven Realm Master took a look at his own chest where a small part of his robe had been torn off, revealing his vest. When he looked up and saw Yang Huai charging towards him, he became incensed and activated his Spirit Qi to deal with him.
The intense battle thus continued.
The spectators were initially not interested in the first round as a battle between Blood Warriors could be quite boring. Both of them were trained in the Blood Warrior Hall, so they were most familiar with each other’s moves and techniques.
Furthermore, there was a huge gap in powers between the two Blood Warriors on the stage.
It was supposed to be a battle without suspense; however, the reality surprised everyone as the Second-Step Heaven Realm Master was still not defeated following a series of attacks from a Sixth-Step Heaven Realm Master. Even though he was weak and covered in blood, he was still unwavering and resistant.
Many of the spectators were moved.
The battle on the Martial Methods Stage remained intense. Wei Cheng’s Blood Warrior was agile as he wandered around Yang Huai and made a move from time to time. Like a cat teasing a rat, he was able to easily mess with Yang Huai.
There was a subtle change behind Wu Zheng Qi’s gaze as he observed the fight, and then there came a moment when Yang Huai extended his hand and bellowed, “Got you!”
Following a loud boom, Spirit Qi surged as an air blast spread around. The sight on the Martial Methods Stage shocked everyone. At that moment, Yang Huai had miraculously caught the other Blood Warrior’s calf while fending off the latter’s violent attack.
The next moment, Yang Huai put on a hideous grin and lifted his opponent before smashing him to the ground as though the latter was a chicken. If his move was successful, the other party would be severely injured despite being a Sixth-Step Heaven Realm Master.
Wei Cheng exclaimed.
Instantaneously, the Sixth-Step Heaven Realm Master curled up his body in a strange way. Like a snake, he draped himself around Yang Huai’s muscular arm. Right before his back came into contact with the ground, he pushed out his fists in rapid succession at Yang Huai.
*Hong…*
The entire the Martial Methods Stage shook violently as the intense battle abruptly stopped.
The spectators looked up and saw that Yang Huai had fallen on one knee with widened eyes. He remained in the posture of the last move he made. On the other hand, his opponent was lying on the ground, his face covered in blood, looking all battered.
Although he had tried his best to resolve the crisis at the most critical moment, he was still hurled onto the ground by Yang Huai. Presently, his back was all numb, which made him think that his spine might have broken.
[Is it over?] After a moment of silence, the people around the Martial Methods Stage started whispering among themselves. The fact that a Second-Step Heaven Realm Master had won the battle surprised them. Even Wei Cheng believed that to be the case as well. He appeared sluggish as he was unable to accept the outcome.
Just then, Wu Zheng Qi stepped forward and extended his hand towards Wei Cheng before announcing the result, “Alchemist Wei has won the first round.”
Wei Cheng was startled upon hearing that. After making sure that he wasn’t mistaken, he appeared puzzled. Although he was a Heaven Realm Master, an Alchemist’s cultivation was generally built up using a lot of elixirs; therefore, it was unlike the other cultivators who relied on tortuous hard work. Even though he had taken in every detail of the battle, he still couldn’t figure out what was going on, nor did he understand why he had won the fight.
However, since Wu Zheng Qi had said so, there shouldn’t be a mistake.
Wei Cheng then gazed at Yang Kai, who appeared calm and didn’t seem to have the intention of objecting to the decision. It was then he set his mind at ease.
Right then, some noises were heard coming from the stage as the Sixth-Step Heaven Realm Master got up with difficulty. Although he appeared battered, he could still move at the very least. On the other hand, Yang Huai remained unmoving in the same posture. The blood streaming from his mouth and nose dripped onto the ground and caused some light noises.
Seeing that, Wei Cheng finally realised that Yang Kai’s Blood Warrior had probably passed out. It was no wonder that he had won this round.
“Sir, I didn’t disappoint you!” The Sixth-Step Heaven Realm Master cupped his fist at Wei Cheng.
“You’ve done a great job. Get some rest now,” Wei Cheng nodded gently.
“Yes,” the Blood Warrior replied. When he leaped from the stage, he couldn’t help but turn to look at Yang Huai, still reeling from shock inside.
He had never come across a person as defiant as this Second-Step Heaven Realm Master before. In truth, he had won this battle only because of a stroke of luck. If the other party had been able to persevere just a moment longer, it was hard to tell who would have won in the end.
On the other hand, Yang Kai leaped onto the stage and checked on Yang Huai, who was actually fine. This guy was extremely sturdy, so although he appeared battered, he was only covered in flesh wounds. None of his five viscera and six organs were harmed. The reason he passed out was that he had consumed too much energy. Confirming Yang Huai’s status, Yang Kai circulated some of his own Spirit Qi into him to wake him up.
“Sir!” Yang Huai regained consciousness and realised that he was defeated. With an embarrassed expression, he cupped his fist, “I’m sorry for disappointing you.”
Yang Kai patted the other man’s shoulder, “It’s fine. You’re much weaker than him after all. You did well. Moreover, it’s only been a short time since you started cultivating…”
Yang Huai grunted in a muffled voice. It wasn’t until this battle that he realised how extraordinary the Supreme Tyrant Body Art taught to him by Yang Kai was.
He was fully aware of his power as a Second-Step Heaven Realm Master. In the past, he could never have gotten into a prolonged battle with a Sixth-Step Heaven Realm Master. He doubted that he could even last for twenty breaths of time before; however, after cultivating the Supreme Tyrant Body Art, he was almost able to defeat such an opponent, which was simply inconceivable. He had already gained so much after cultivating the Secret Art for a few days. If he cultivated it for a longer time, he would have a chance to defeat the other party.
“Who will go on stage for the second round, Alchemist Yang?” Wu Zheng Qi asked.
Yang Kai had only brought one Blood Warrior with him. The bodyguard was basically half-dead, so there was no way he could go on stage for the second round. Wu Zheng Qi had never come across such an incident before, so he had no idea what to do; therefore, he decided to ask Yang Kai.
Yang Huai got up with difficulty and cupped his fist, “Sir, I can go on stage again!”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “Look at you. You’re even struggling to stand stably. If you go on stage again, you’ll be killed.”
“I’m willing to die for you!” Yang Huai appeared solemn.
“I didn’t bring you out of the Blood Warrior Hall just to watch you die. Go down. I’ll take part in the fight this time!” Upon finishing his words, Yang Kai gently pushed Yang Huai away. Engulfed in a soft force, Yang Huai was directly sent away from the stage.
Both Wu Zheng Qi and Wei Cheng were stunned.
With a frown, Wu Zheng Qi asked, “Alchemist Yang, the second round is still a physical fight. Are you sure you want to take part in it?”
Yang Kai nodded, “What’s wrong with that? Can Alchemists not fight for themselves?”
“There’s no such rule, but…” Wu Zheng Qi appeared to be in a dilemma, “No Alchemist has taken part in a physical battle on this stage before. What’s your cultivation now, Alchemist Yang?”
“Third-Step Heaven Realm,” Yang Kai replied honestly.
At that instant, Wu Zheng Qi wasn’t sure what to do. He then took a look at Yang Huai and reckoned that the latter really was unable to fight again. If the Blood Warrior were asked to go on stage, he would certainly lose. Since Yang Kai had no one else with him, it was understandable that he wanted to fight himself.
At the thought of this, Wu Zheng Qi nodded, “In that case, please be careful, Alchemist Yang.”
He then glanced at Wei Cheng, “Please tell someone to come forward, Alchemist Wei.”
Wei Cheng nodded and ordered the other Blood Warrior to go on stage. At the same time, he said in a small voice, “Don’t kill him. Just throw him off the stage. He’s a Heaven-Grade Alchemist after all. If anything happens to him, I won’t be able to save you.”
The Blood Warrior nodded, “Don’t worry, Sir. I know what to do.”
Then, he jumped onto the stage and cupped his fist at Yang Kai, “I’m ready, Alchemist Yang.”
Wu Zheng Qi dropped him a reminder, “Alchemist Yang, this bodyguard is in the Seventh-Step Heaven Realm. If you don’t think you’re a match for him, you’d better admit defeat now.”
“Many thanks, Vice Hall Master Wu.” Yang Kai put on a smile, “But… I don’t think I’ll be the one who will admit defeat.”
Right after he finished his words, he abruptly appeared in front of the bodyguard and lightly pushed out a palm surging with Spirit Qi.
The bodyguard was initially calm and collected, but when he saw Yang Kai’s palm, his expression changed drastically as he was engulfed in a sense of danger. He hurriedly pushed all his Spirit Qi and met the attack.
At the most critical moment, he recalled that the other party was a prestigious Heaven Grade Alchemist instead of a bodyguard, so he quickly restricted his force a little lest Yang Kai was harmed.
“Hong…”
Spirit Qi erupted as a figure was sent flying away like a sack. The person then crashed into the crowd and caused them to collapse to the ground.
Wu Zheng Qi, who had secretly circulated his Spirit Qi and readied himself to interfere, was dumbfounded by what he just witnessed.
On the other hand, Wei Cheng, who was ready to watch a good show, was rooted to the spot. The other cultivators and Alchemists couldn’t believe their eyes either.
At that instant, the entire place fell into silence.
It wasn’t until a moment later that these people came to their senses and turned to look at the source of the commotion. Over there, a person got to his feet as a myriad of expressions came over his face. His eyes were filled with disbelief. He was none other than Wei Cheng’s bodyguard, who was in the Seventh-Step Heaven Realm.
A Seventh-Step Heaven Realm Master was sent flying away from the Martial Methods Stage by a Third-Step Heaven Realm Master with only one move. If they hadn’t seen it with their bare eyes, no one would have believed it.
An incensed Wei Cheng glared at his bodyguard, “What on Earth are you doing?”
The Seventh-Step Heaven Realm Master was embarrassed as he cupped his fist, “Please forgive me, Sir. I just wasn’t careful enough.” There was a doubt in his mind. Even though he had restricted his power at the last moment lest Yang Kai be harmed, his attack still should have been enough to suppress a mere Third-Step Heaven Realm Master.
He initially had the confidence to push Yang Kai out of the stage in that clash, but he was the one who was sent flying away instead.
As he recalled the moment their moves met just now, he felt as though he was faced with a Peak Heaven Realm Master instead of a Third-Step Heaven Realm Master. However, it wasn’t like he could explain that to anyone, so he just dismissed it as his own hallucination.
Wei Cheng was infuriated. He initially thought that he could easily get a Spirit Armament to make up for his losses in the Divine Flame Cave, but it never crossed his mind that there would be a turn of events.
Since he was unable to change the outcome, it was pointless to say anything else. He glowered at the bodyguard and snapped, “Waste!”
The bodyguard hung his head low in silence, his face all red.
“Vice Hall Master Wu, I suppose I’ve won this round,” Yang Kai gazed at the dumbstruck Wu Zheng Qi.
Wu Zheng Qi came to his senses and nodded with an awkward expression, “Alchemist Yang has won the second round!”
“Both of you have respectively won one round of the physical fights, so the contest is currently a draw. You can have a discussion among yourselves regarding the last round.” Wu Zheng Qi looked around. Yang Kai and Wei Cheng had already come to an agreement, and it was an unspoken rule in Profound Pill Sect. They naturally wouldn’t object to it.
Since the last round was about Alchemy, Wu Zheng Qi, a cultivator, was unable to interfere.
Standing on the Martial Methods Stage, Yang Kai said, “Alchemist Wei, I’m a newcomer, so I’m not familiar with the Sect’s rules. You can decide on what to compete. I’m fine with anything.”
Wei Cheng snorted, “You’re truly confident, Alchemist Yang. What if I say we’ll compete against each other using Alchemy Flames? Will you accept the challenge?”
Upon hearing that, the Alchemists around the stage broke into a commotion and Wu Zheng Qi immediately raised his hand, “You can’t do that!”
A curious Yang Kai asked, “Why can’t we fight using Alchemy Flames?” It seemed to him that it was a serious issue to fight against one another with Alchemy Flames.
An astounded Wei Cheng asked, “Why don’t you even know this? Have you been living under a rock?”
On the side, Wu Zheng Qi explained, “Alchemist Yang, all Alchemists have their own Alchemy Flames, which are divided into different Grades. You’ve been to the Divine Flame Cave, so you must be aware that a powerful Alchemy Flame can swallow a weaker one to upgrade itself. That’s why some Alchemists fight against each other using their Alchemy Flames. However, this kind of fight is extremely dangerous. Usually, the Alchemy Flame of either party will end up getting swallowed. Once that happens, the Alchemist will suffer from a severe backlash. Therefore, unless it is an unresolvable blood feud, Alchemists never compete against each other using Alchemy Flames.”
After explaining it to Yang Kai, he turned to look at Wei Cheng, “Alchemist Wei, you and Alchemist Yang are important treasures of Profound Pill Sect. It isn’t like there’s a life-or-death feud between the two of you. It will be fine if it’s any other form of competition; however, if you really want to fight using Alchemy Flames, this Wu will have no choice but to report the incident to the Elder Council and ask them to interfere.”
Wei Cheng pressed his lips together, “This Wei was just making a point. Of course, I know how dangerous it is to fight using Alchemy Flames. Please don’t take it seriously, Vice Hall Master Wu.”
It was only then that Wu Zheng Qi nodded, “That’s good.”
Wei Cheng turned to look at Yang Kai, “We won’t fight using Alchemy Flames. However, it will be far too time-consuming if we compete against one another in a complete Alchemy session. Why don’t we refine some medicinal liquid? Let’s see who will be able to refine a purer, more concentrated medicinal liquid from the same herbs. It’s a simple contest and won’t take a long time.”
Yang Kai was naturally fine with it as he nodded, “En.”
It was apparent that Wei Cheng was well prepared. As he clapped his hands, the Heaven Realm Blood Warrior, who was previously sent flying away from the stage by Yang Kai, leapt up with two boxes in hand.
With his hands behind his back, Wei Cheng stated, “These are Starry Sky Flowers. They are similar in terms of their medicinal age and size. You can examine them and pick out one. Instead of using any Alchemy Furnaces, we’ll only use our own Alchemy Flames to refine the medicinal liquid and see who can do better.”
As he spoke, the Heaven Realm Blood Warrior reached Yang Kai with the boxes and let him examine them.
The Alchemists around the stage whispered among themselves.
“Alchemist Wei is trying to refine a Starry Sky Flower? It isn’t an easy task.”
“That’s right. Of all the Heaven Grade herbs, even though Starry Sky Flowers are not the most precious, they are definitely the most difficult to refine. I heard that even the best Heaven Grade Alchemists in Profound Pill Sect can only refine 70% of its medicinal efficacies.”
“Even the Spirit Grade Alchemists from the Elder Council can only reach 90%, let alone Heaven Grade Alchemists.”
“However, it’s a good test to find out an Alchemist’s foundation. This will be interesting.”
…
Noises could be heard coming from everywhere as Yang Kai gazed at the boxes. Just like what Wei Cheng had said, there was no difference in size or age between the two herbs. They could be said to be identical. They looked like flowers the size of a palm with eight petals each, on which silver lines were seen glowing, making them look like a sky full of stars.
Yang Kai had never seen these flowers before and had a feeling that they were native to the Divine Armament World.
Wei Cheng extended his hand, “Please, Alchemist Yang.”
Yang Kai nodded and randomly selected one. The bodyguard then walked towards Wei Cheng with the other flower. Wei Cheng took the flower and said with a smile, “By the way, Alchemist Yang, I have some unique insight when it comes to refining Starry Sky Flowers, so you’ll definitely lose.”
He wouldn’t have come up with such a form of competition if he were not confident in himself. That was the reason he had prepared two starry Sky Flowers from the start.
Yang Kai didn’t respond to him.
Right then, Wu Zheng Qi was heard saying, “If the two of you are ready, you can start at any moment.”
“Please, Alchemist Yang!” Wei Cheng shouted while activating his Spirit Qi. At the same time, an orange flame appeared above his palm. The brightness of the flame suggested that it was a very high-quality Heaven Flame, though Yang Kai wasn’t sure exactly what kind of flame it was. The Heaven Flame surrounded the Starry Sky Flower as its intensity shifted from time to time. Under Wei Cheng’s control, the flame started extracting the medicinal liquid out of the Starry Sky Flower.
Seeing that, Yang Kai hurriedly activated his Spirit Qi and Alchemy Flame. A white flame appeared out of thin air and flickered in the next moment. Although it appeared very pure, it wasn’t comparable to the Heaven Flame of Wei Cheng when it came to colour or Grade.
“A Mortal Flame?” Someone exclaimed all of a sudden.
Many of them were dumbfounded as they gazed at the flame above Yang Kai’s palm. Although they had no idea what kind of Alchemy Flame it was, they reckoned that it was a Mortal Flame just judging from its appearance.
It was inconceivable that the Alchemy Flame of a Heaven Grade Alchemist was a Mortal Flame.
If they hadn’t seen it with their eyes, they wouldn’t have believed it. Mortal Flames were usually used by new Alchemists as they were the lowest Grade of Alchemy Flames.
Wu Zheng Qi was also astounded. Yang Kai had visited the Divine Flame Cave a few days ago, so he should have gained something. Why did he only get a Mortal Flame?
A busy Wei Cheng took a glance at Yang Kai, then guffawed, “Alchemist Yang… how can you use a Mortal Flame to refine a Starry Sky Flower? Do you know that it’s a Heaven Grade herb? There’s no way a Mortal Flame will work on this Spirit Flower. I suggest that you admit defeat now to save you from embarrassment.”
Yang Kai shot him a glance and replied impassively, “What difference does it make whether it’s a Mortal Flame or a Heaven Flame? The Alchemist is the foundation of everything. As long as one is skilful enough, he can refine a Heaven Grade herb using a Mortal Flame… like this!”
As he spoke, the white flame surged while the medicinal liquid was extracted from the Starry Sky Flower and formed into a ball. With continuous burning, the impurities were slowly removed.
Wei Cheng was stunned, “How is that possible?”
While he was in a dazed state, his Heaven Flame almost destroyed the starry Sky Flower. Flustered, he quickly restrained the Heaven Flame’s power.
The Alchemists around the stage broke into a commotion as the sight before their eyes was inconceivable. A white Mortal Flame could really refine a Heaven Grade herb as fast as Wei Chang’s Heaven Flame.
In fact, Yang Kai was actually suppressing the white flame.
Although he already knew that the white flame he had obtained from the Divine Flame Cave was strange, he hadn’t had time to carry out any experiments with it yet. It wasn’t until this moment that he realised the white flame was incredibly powerful when it came to refining medicinal liquid. He didn’t really exert much force when the medicinal liquid was extracted out of the Starry Sky Flower. Moreover, the impurities in the medicinal liquid were swiftly purified with the help of the white flame.
This made Yang Kai feel even more curious about the kind of Alchemy Flame he had obtained. Unfortunately, there wasn’t any record of it in the Sect’s Records Hall.
The competition was still ongoing. On the Martial Methods Stage, Yang Kai and Wei Cheng continuously adjusted the intensity of their Alchemy Flames. The original Starry Sky Flowers were now gone and replaced by two drops of medicinal liquid. The drops of liquid glowed as though a sky full of stars had been condensed together. As the impurities were removed, the drops of medicinal liquid shone brighter and brighter.
Wei Cheng’s forehead was covered in sweat. He didn’t mind losing 300,000 Red Jades, but he couldn’t bear to embarrass himself in such a way. It had been decades since he joined Profound Pill Sect, so if he lost the competition against a newcomer who only arrived a few days ago, he would be too embarrassed to show his face again. Moreover, Yang Kai was only using a Mortal Flame in this competition.
Therefore, Wei Cheng went all out. Under such immense pressure, he was able to exceed his own limits and compared to the times when he refined Starry Sky Flowers in the past, he actually achieved a new record in performance.
One hour later, Wei Cheng took a deep breath and abruptly withdrew his Heaven Flame.
There was a drop of very pure medicinal liquid hovering above his palm, swirling around in mid-air with the influence of his Spirit Qi. Under the sunlight, the medicinal liquid reflected a rainbow of lights.
He let out a breath and without even needing to look at it, Wei Cheng knew that he had extracted 70% of the medicinal efficacies from the Starry Sky Flower. Although it wasn’t the best record in Profound Pill Sect, it was the best he had personally achieved so far.
Then, he looked up and saw that Yang Kai had also finished his refinement. There was also a drop of Starry Sky Flower’s medicinal liquid hovering above his palm, and from the looks of it, the drop of medicinal liquid was about the same as his own.
With a conflicted expression, he felt his chest tightening.
That sight before his eyes alone made him realise that he had lost. That was because he used a Heaven Flame to refine the Starry Sky Flower while Yang Kai used a Mortal Flame. Wei Cheng didn’t think he could have achieved the same result using a Mortal Flame.
Still, this was a competition between two Alchemists with a huge wager on the line, so Wei Cheng naturally wouldn’t admit defeat easily. He looked provocatively at Yang Kai and commented, “You’re pretty amazing, Alchemist Yang.”
Yang Kai nodded, “You’ve done pretty well yourself, Alchemist Wei.”
Seeing that neither of them was sincere, Wu Zheng Qi coughed and said, “This Wu is a cultivator who knows nothing about the profundities of the Alchemic Dao. Both of you will be the judges of the results. I believe you’ll be impartial and conscientious.”
He might have been sincere when he said those words, but it could also be that he wasn’t willing to be the judge of the last round. Both parties came to a draw in the combat rounds, and the winner would emerge in this final contest. It was inappropriate for Wu Zheng Qi to decide and announce the winner; therefore, he decided to leave the matter to the two competitors themselves.
Wei Cheng nodded, “In that case, Alchemist Yang and I will examine the medicinal liquid ourselves.”
Then, he circulated his Spirit Qi and pushed his drop of medicinal liquid towards Yang Kai. Seeing that, Yang Kai also sent his medicinal liquid that was extracted from Starry Sky Flower over.
While they examined each other’s medicinal liquid, the Alchemists around the Martial Methods Stage watched attentively. They were eager to find out who the winner would be; however, before the results were announced, they had no way to tell.
A moment later, Yang Kai put on a smile and gazed at Wei Cheng, whose expression kept changing as though he had just seen something shocking.
The spectators could see that while Yang Kai was calm and collected, Wei Cheng appeared conflicted. They were shocked as they thought that Wei Cheng might have lost the competition.
But, how was that possible? Both of them on the stage were Heaven Grade Alchemists, but one of them used a Mortal Flame while the other used a Heaven Flame. There was no way Wei Cheng would lose.
While they were lost in their doubts though, Wei Cheng suddenly let out a sigh and became dejected. The medicinal liquid hovering above his palm fell apart, then he cupped his fist, “Alchemist Yang is truly skilful. This Wei is no match for him. I’ve lost the competition.”
“You have my respect,” Yang Kai nodded gently. He wasn’t surprised by the outcome, but Wei Cheng had earned his respect at the last moment by being straightforward. That guy was foul-tempered, but he could still be considered a righteous man. At the very least, he wouldn’t refuse to admit defeat.
The crowd broke into a riot as the Alchemists looked at Yang Kai in shock. They could not figure out how he used a Mortal Flame to refine such pure medicine liquid and even defeated Wei Cheng. In the past, they would never have imagined such a thing was possible, but it now happened right in front of them on this day.
“I’ll tell someone to send the 300,000 Red Jades to you later. Goodbye!” Wei Cheng’s face was crimson as he hurriedly left the stage. He soon disappeared into the distance alongside his Blood Warriors.
“Congratulations, Alchemist Yang.” Wu Zheng Qi stepped forward and passed the True Void Sword back to him, “You’ve surprised all of us with your capabilities today. I’m sure your name will be known to everyone in Profound Pill Sect soon.”
Yang Kai took the sword and replied with a nod, “Many thanks for your kind words, Vice Hall Master Wu, but fame doesn’t really matter to me. Since this matter has been settled, I’ll take my leave now. I’m sorry for bothering you today.”
“It’s fine. I had fun watching the competition as well.” Wu Zheng Qi chuckled.
Yang Kai nodded and walked down the Martial Methods Stage, followed by Yang Huai.
Wei Cheng was a pretty efficient man as, barely one hour after Yang Kai returned to his cave mansion, he received the 300,000 Red Jades as promised. It took Yang Huai quite some time to carry all the Red Jades into the cave mansion, and once he was done, the entire place appeared quite luxurious.
Yang Kai had previously obtained 100,000 Red Jades from Heavenly Martial City, which allowed him to go from the Peak Earth Realm to the Third-Step Heaven Realm in just one month. With three times as many resources than what he previously possessed, Yang Kai reckoned that the Red Jades could last him for quite some time.
However, he was uncertain about how much his strength would increase. As one’s cultivation improved, he would consume increasingly more resources. Yang Kai even doubted that these Red Jades could allow him to achieve an ascension of two Steps.
With that said, things were easier now with these Red Jades. At the very least, he could buy the ingredients for the Body Tempering medicinal liquid that Yang Huai needed. He then fished out some Red Jades and jotted down a prescription before telling Yang Huai to head to Profound Pill City to buy a large number of herbs.
Profound Pill City relied on Profound Pill Sect to thrive, but the reverse was also true in some sense. As a result, there were a lot of herbs for sale in the city. It could even be said that any Spirit Herb could be found there as long as it wasn’t too rare.
It took Yang Huai four hours before he returned with bags of herbs in hand. Yang Kai selected some herbs that could help him with cultivating the Supreme Tyrant Body Art and told him to cultivate on his own. Then, he sat down with his legs crossed in the middle of the Red Jades that had been piled up like mounds and activated the Heaven Devouring Battle Law.
It could be said that Yang Kai instantly became famous after the competition on the Martial Methods Stage.
He already drew some attention when he joined Profound Pill Sect as a Heaven Grade Alchemist back then, but with that said, there were many Heaven Grade Alchemists in the Sect, and they had their own things to do; therefore, they were only slightly curious about him.
Now, however, after Yang Kai defeated Wei Cheng, his name became known to everyone in the Sect just like Wu Zheng Qi had predicted.
Not only was Yang Kai a Heaven Grade Alchemist at the astonishingly young age of 18, but he had also defeated a veteran Heaven Grade Alchemist when it came to refining medicinal liquid. Furthermore, he only used a white Mortal Flame at that time to do so.
All the things he had achieved piqued the interest of many. Even those from the Elder Council soon heard about it.
After the competition, Yang Kai started receiving invitations from various Heaven Grade Alchemists from time to time. They mostly ask him to their cave mansions to attend gatherings of sorts.
The Heaven Grade Alchemists would frequently come together and discuss the Alchemic Dao. This was the norm in Profound Pill Sect as by doing so, they could realise their own weaknesses and learn from others through exchanging pointers.
This was a great practice that had been passed down over the generations.
However, due to various different circumstances and personalities, the Heaven Grade Alchemists all had their own circles of friends, and it was difficult for others to mingle into such established groups.
Certainly, these circles wanted Yang Kai to join them, and he never turned them down. It had only been a short time since he joined Profound Pill Sect, so he was more than happy to become friendly with the other Heaven Grade Alchemists. Furthermore, he could also find out more about the level of Alchemy in this Divine Armament World by talking with others about it.
In just one month, Yang Kai had attended 7 gatherings. His experience and knowledge in the Alchemic Dao were far superior to these Heaven Grade Alchemists; however, due to his young age, he didn’t want to reveal too much. Having said that, he would occasionally let out some of his insight in a tactful manner and allow others to benefit from it.
He had made friends with many people in the past month, and he was well-received in all circles. If he claimed to be the most popular Heaven Grade Alchemist in Profound Pill Sect now, no one would object to it.
After all, given his young age and exceptional aptitude, any Heaven-Grade Alchemist was willing to become his friend.
The one-month deadline imposed by the Sect was fast approaching, but Hua Rong still hadn’t returned. However, considering the distance between Profound Pill Sect and Void Spirit Sword Sect, Hua Rong should be back soon.
As Yang Kai expected, Hua Rong returned barely three days before the deadline. With the temporary Identity Token given to her, she was able to enter Profound Pill Sect without difficulty.
When Yang Kai rushed over upon hearing the news, Hua Rong was already waiting in the Reception Palace.
Upon seeing him, Hua Rong cupped her fist, “Sir, fortunately, I’ve not disappointed you. They’re here.” She seemed exhausted and it was obvious that she hadn’t had proper rest in a while.
“Well done,” Yang Kai nodded and turned his head.
Wan Ying Ying and the other two Junior Brothers from Void Spirit Sword Sect came over with excited expressions and cupped their fists, “Eldest Senior Brother!”
Yang Kai raised his hand and stroked Wan Ying Ying’s head, “You must be tired. Did anything happen on the road?”
Despite being jovial, Wan Ying Ying still muttered, “Stop stroking my head, Eldest Senior Brother, I’m not a child… Nothing happened as Big Sister Hua was there to protect us.”
“That’s good. I’m sure you already know why I’ve asked you to come here. I need a few assistants, and since you have some heritage in Alchemy now, you can stay here to help me while continuing to study the Alchemic Dao.”
“Yes, Eldest Senior Brother. We won’t disappoint you!” The two Junior Brothers cupped their fists.
“Get some rest tonight and I’ll bring you to register your identities tomorrow. You’ll first have to join Profound Pill Sect and become Outer Disciples before you will be allowed to become my assistants.”
He then led Wan Ying Ying and the others to head to his cave mansion. Hua Rong approached the next moment and poked his waist before asking in a small voice, “Sir, who’s that ugly and ferocious-looking bear behind us?”
“Show some respect!” Yang Kai looked down at her hand and chided her, “I brought Yang Huai out of the Blood Warrior Hall to work as my guard. Since you will work with him, you should get to know him.”
“So, he’s a Blood Warrior from the Blood Warrior Hall.” Hua Rong seemed to have expected this. When she took one more glance at Yang Huai, she shuddered and asked dejectedly, “Sir, am I not good enough for you? Why did you get one more person to be your bodyguard? I’m saddened by what you’ve done! I went to Void Spirit Sword Sect and back in the past month for you. Is this how you’re supposed to treat me?”
She seemed ready to sob as though Yang Kai had thoughtlessly abandoned her after having his way with her.
Yang Kai glared at her, “If you dare to spout nonsense again, I’ll kick you out of Profound Pill Sect!”
Hua Rong instantly pressed her lips together, “Why do you sound like an old fart when you’re only a young man? Hmph!” Then, she exclaimed, “Wow! This is what the inner circle of Profound Pill Sect looks like. This place is magnificent, and the World Energy is so rich!”
Yang Kai shook his head and ignored her.
After returning to his cave mansion, Yang Kai told Hua Rong and the others to choose their own rooms and settle in. Then, he had a servant prepare a meal for them.
As they gathered together, they started wolfing down the food. Yang Kai asked about Void Spirit Sword Sect, and upon learning that all was well, he finally set his mind at ease.
After giving it a thought, he realised that it wasn’t so surprising. He was now a disciple of Profound Pill Sect after all. Additionally, Li Zheng Qing and Zhuang Ju He would never betray him. The other Earth Realm Masters were also still relying on him to refine Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pills for them, so they would never do anything to harm Void Spirit Sword Sect.
Also, the Sect now possessed a Black Jade mine, so they wouldn’t have to worry about getting cultivation resources. They also had the support of the businesses owned by Tian Luo Hall and Roaring Tiger Sect. Before Wan Ying Ying and the others departed, Su Chang Fa, Gu Kang Ning, and Hong Xiu already had a discussion on whether they should open their gates and take in more disciples.
There were not many disciples in Void Spirit Sword Sect because they were previously not powerful enough or wealthy enough to protect and support too many people. However, things were different now. Even Tian Luo Hall and Roaring Tiger Sect had been subdued by them, so naturally, Su Chang Fa wanted to restore the glory of Void Spirit Sword Sect.
Before Wan Ying Ying left, Su Chang Fa had told her to ask Yang Kai for his permission; after all, Yang Kai was technically the Sect Master of Void Spirit Sword Sect.
Certainly, Yang Kai wouldn’t object to this. When there was a chance, he would head to Profound Pill City and get someone to send a letter back to Void Spirit Sword Sect.
Three days later, a Profound Pill Sect Deacon came to get a Wooden Token engraved with Yang Kai’s name to hang in front of a vacant desk at the Seeking Pill Pavilion.
The two Junior Brothers who came from Void Spirit Sword Sect also went to assist. One was tasked with running errands while the other was tasked with receiving the cultivators who came to ask for pills.
On the other hand, Wan Ying Ying remained by Yang Kai’s side to help him personally. Compared to the two other Junior Brothers, her aptitude in Alchemy was better. Besides, Yang Kai intended to nurture her talents.
Although Yang Kai mastered countless pill recipes, none of them belonged to the Divine Armament World. Many of the pills in the outside world did not exist in the Divine Armament World. Similarly, some of the pills in the Divine Armament World did not exist in the outside world.
That was why he only listed one type of pill, which was the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill, when the Deacon came to collect the Wooden Token for registration.
In other words, Yang Kai would only be refining the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill at the Seeking Pill Pavilion. Fortunately, this pill was also the most in-demand pill among all Earth Realm cultivators.
Even though he started providing Alchemy services today, Yang Kai was not too concerned. Refining the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill was not a difficult matter for him after all. It would take some time at most; therefore, he continued to cultivate even after the Deacon took his Wooden Token.
On the other hand, Wan Ying Ying waited outside his secluded home with a mixture of anxiety and anticipation. From time to time, she would raise her head and look down the mountain frantically.
After waiting for more than two hours, a figure suddenly came speeding in this direction from the foot of the mountain. She let out a cheer and quickly went to greet the visitor.
A short while later, she came hurrying into the secluded home with a bag clutched tightly in her hands. She exclaimed excitedly, “Eldest Senior Brother! Eldest Senior Brother! Somebody came to request a pill!”
Wrapped in a burst of fragrant wind, she rushed over to Yang Kai. She was completely out of breath, and her bosom that was just beginning to take shape heaved up and down violently.
Yang Kai opened his eyes and looked at her; then, he spoke with some amusement, “If somebody is here to make a pill request, then they are here to make a pill request. Why don’t you catch your breath first?”
She quickly took several deep breaths and calmed her excitement. After that, she placed the bag beside him and looked at him eagerly.
“Open the bag and take a look inside,” he motioned to her.
She responded and cheerfully opened the bag. When she saw the dazzling array of items inside the bag, she couldn’t help exclaiming in astonishment, “What are all these!? These must be worth quite a lot!”
Yang Kai swept a glance over the items and nodded, “The pill recipe of the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill is a secret that only the Alchemists of each Sect are allowed to know. That’s why the people who come to request the pill do not know what kind of herbs to prepare. They either prepare enough Black Jades and Red Jades or precious treasures with enough value as compensation. Of course, how much they prepare will depend entirely on their means and generosity. The more generous they are, the further up on the waiting list they will be placed, and the faster they can obtain the pill they want.”
This was a piece of information Yang Kai learned after spending time with other Alchemists over the past month. Due to the number of cultivators in the Divine Armament World, there was an overwhelming demand for the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill. The speed at which Alchemists could refine pills could not keep up with the demands of the cultivators.
It had to be said that not every cultivator only required one Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill to advance to the Heaven Realm. Some might even need to undergo many attempts before they succeed, and each attempt required one or more Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pills.
Compared to other Heaven Grade pills, the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill was much harder to refine. Among hundreds of Heaven Grade Alchemists in Profound Pill Sect, less than half were listed to refine the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill. The other half either did not have enough contribution points to exchange for the pill recipe or their success rate in refining the pill was so low that Profound Pill Sect forbade them from refining it.
Therefore, all the Heaven Realm Alchemists listed to refine the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pills had accumulated large amounts of resources brought by the cultivators who came here to make pill requests.
It was just that performing Alchemy required time. That was why not all the cultivators who came to make a pill request could obtain the pill they wanted quickly. Some people who came to make a pill request might be placed on the waiting list and told it would be several years before it was their turn.
That was what happened to Tian Luo Hall’s Palace Master, Shu Wan Cheng, back then. He once came to Profound Pill Sect to request a Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill and offered up a substantial remuneration; even so, he was told to wait for several years…
It was not as though one’s priority on the waiting list was immutable. If they offered a gift valuable enough to tempt the Alchemist performing Alchemy for them, then their request would be brought forward on the waiting list. For that reason, most cultivators who came to make a pill request would prepare as much compensation as they could afford in order to obtain the pill they wanted as soon as possible.
This was not a secret, and when Yang Kai heard this from his Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters, he finally understood why most Alchemists were such wealthy people in the Divine Armament World.
With the ability to perform Alchemy, it was difficult not to make a fortune. And, Yang Kai was now one of them. There was basically no need to worry about his cultivation resources from now onward. As long as he continued to provide Alchemy services at the Seeking Pill Pavilion, the riches would continue to flow without pause.
“Ying Ying, have you prepared the things I asked you to?” Yang Kai placed the bag of items to the side and asked.
“I’ve prepared them, Eldest Senior Brother!” Wan Ying Ying quickly nodded in response.
“In that case, let’s begin. You may stand to the side to observe my actions. If there’s anything you don’t understand, don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Yes!” She nodded seriously.
She knew that her Eldest Senior Brother wanted to nurture her talents, and that an opportunity to observe a Heaven Grade Alchemist performing Alchemy was very rare. Even the medicine boys serving beside the other Alchemists in Profound Pill Sect did not enjoy such generous treatment.
This was the first time Yang Kai performed Alchemy after he obtained the White Flame and the Five Dragons Furnace, and he soon discovered that the support provided by the White Flame when performing Alchemy was simply incredible. Be it in terms of condensing the medicinal liquid or other processes, the results were countless times better than when he used the Radiant Flame Stones.
…..
At Seeking Pill Pavilion.
Ma Tai sat in a corner with a depressed look on his face, looking as though he had lost his soul. At this moment, he was staring lifelessly at the desk by the side. There were two young medicine boys sitting behind the desk; moreover, there was a Wooden Token hanging above the desk with the name ‘Yang Kai’ engraved on top.
Unlike the other desks where there were people constantly coming and going all day long, this desk could be said to be noticeably empty. It could even be said that nobody visited this table!
Of course, it was not completely without visitors. At the very least, Ma Tai had gone up to that desk to make a pill request when the Seeking Pill Pavilion opened its doors this morning. He also offered up all the wealth that he had been accumulating for many years.
He initially waited with great excitement and anticipation, but after making some inquiries, he was completely dumbfounded by what he learned instead.
It turned out that the Heaven Grade Alchemist named Yang Kai was providing Alchemy services at the Seeking Pill Pavilion for the first time today. As if that was not bad enough, it was rumoured that Alchemist Yang was only 18 years old…
[An 18-year-old Heaven Grade Alchemist!? How can there be such a person in this world!? When I was 18 years old, I was only in the Mortal Realm! Even if Alchemist Yang began learning Alchemy from inside his mother’s womb, it’s still impossible for him to be a Heaven-Grade Alchemist! Let’s just say that he is indeed a Heaven-Grade Alchemist, but he is so young! What is his success rate in refining the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill!?]
Ma Tai finally understood why nobody had been lining up at this desk when he arrived here this morning. He initially thought that he was incredibly lucky and hit the jackpot, but who could have known that this was the real situation?
[It’s over! It’s all over now! If my pill request fails, I will never get another chance to advance into the Heaven Realm again! If I don’t advance into the Heaven Realm, then how will I get my revenge on my enemies!?]
Thinking back to the person who died in his arms three years ago, he was tempted to kill himself by ramming his head into the table. He deeply regretted his foolishness. [There are so many Alchemists, why did I have to choose this fledgling Alchemist Yang!?]
“Another pitiful person whose pill request failed,” a passerby couldn’t help sighing when they walked by and saw him. Then, they casually tossed a Black Jade to him.
There were many people at the Seeking Pill Pavilion like Ma Tai, those who spent a great fortune just to come here only for their pill request to fail in the end generally had the same reaction as him. Some even went mad from the shock. It was just that there were Spirit Realm Masters guarding the Seeking Pill Pavilion all year round, so those who dared to act without restraint in this place tended to suffer tragic endings.
The clattering of the Black Jade startled Ma Tai back to his senses and he stood up abruptly. [Maybe I still have time to change my mind! I only just offered up my compensation this morning after all. Less than half a day has passed since then. Alchemist Yang might not have started refining yet. I might have the chance to get back what I offered earlier.]
As soon as the thought passed through his head, he hurried over to the desk.
The two young disciples from Void Spirit Sword Sect sat upright behind the desk. Looking at the lively scene in front of the other desks and comparing that to the quiet scene in front of them, they could not help feeling envious.
“Senior Brother Jing An, why won’t they come and make a pill request to Eldest Senior Brother? We don’t have anybody here. They don’t even need to queue!” The slightly younger Junior Brother asked.
Senior Brother Jing An replied, “It might be because Eldest Senior Brother is just starting to provide Alchemy services and his name is not well-known. The people who came here to make pill requests feel uneasy about Eldest Senior Brother’s skills. Even if there’s no need to queue here, they won’t dare to try asking us; after all, it was not easy for them to gather their wealth for compensation.”
The Junior Brother said, “But, isn’t Eldest Senior Brother amazing at refining the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill? I heard that the Former Sect Master has many Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pills that Eldest Senior Brother refined before he left.”
Jing An laughed and explained, “You might know that, but others don’t. Don’t worry, Junior Brother. Fame is like fine wine, the older it gets, the more fragrant it becomes. Time will tell. Besides, didn’t we get a customer who came to make a pill request earlier? Oh, somebody’s coming! Stop looking so gloomy. Smile quickly! Things might be a little quiet here, and our business might be a little lacking, but we can’t lose to others when it comes to hospitality. Hmm? Why does this customer look so familiar?”
The Junior Brother muttered, “This person seems to be the one who came to make a pill request this morning…”
“So it is him!’”
Ma Tai walked straight up to the desk and cupped his fist with a slight bow, “Greetings, Sirs!”
Jing An smiled, “So it is the Sir who came to make a pill request this morning! How may I help you, Sir?”
Ma Tai opened his mouth. Despite rehearsing what he wanted to say earlier, he didn’t know how to bring up the topic at this moment, [Should I say that I want to take back what I offered up earlier? Should I say I’m regretting my decision and don’t want to go through with my request anymore? If I say these words, will they beat me up… But, this matter is related to my advancement into the Heaven Realm!]
Even though he was extremely anxious, he could only steel himself now. Just as Ma Tai was about to speak though, he heard the medicine boy call out while looking at something behind him, “Little Junior Sister, you’re here! Does Eldest Senior Brother have instructions for us?”
Ma Tai turned to look in that direction and saw a young girl dressed in turquoise robes with a sweet appearance walking towards them. She was probably the so-called Little Junior Sister.
Wan Ying Ying said, “Eldest Senior Brother didn’t give any instructions. I came here to deliver the pill.”
Before Jing An could react, a sudden thought occurred to Ma Tai and his eyes lit up and he shouted, “Deliver a pill!? Deliver what pill!?”
Wan Ying Ying was so startled that she jumped to the side and looked at Ma Tai in confusion, “This is…”
Jing An smiled and said, “Don’t panic, Little Junior Sister. This Sir is the one who made a pill request this morning.”
“Oh! So it is you!” She immediately understood and pursed her lips into a smile, “Since you are here, Sir, I’ll just hand the pill straight to you. You can also check to see if there’s anything wrong with it.”
While speaking, she handed a jade box to Ma Tai.
Ma Tai stared at the jade box in shock, “Pill… Is the pill I requested done?”
“En!” She tilted her head to the side and stared at him, unable to understand his reaction; then, she pushed the jade box towards him again and said, “Sir, why don’t you take a look first? Afterwards, please accompany Senior Brother Jing An to the front desk and report the results to the Deacon stationed here.”
“Oh! Good, good, good!” Ma Tai finally returned to his senses. He wiped his hands vigorously against his clothes as though he was afraid the dirt on his palms might contaminate the jade box and took it with great solemnity. Holding his breath, he opened the box lightly and a round pill entered his vision…
Wan Ying Ying proceeded to say, “Sir, your luck is pretty good. Eldest Senior Brother managed to produce one High-Rank pill.”
Ma Tai’s hands started to tremble uncontrollably, and his eyes stared fixedly on the pill inside the jade box like a leech. He had never felt so emotionally charged before and he exclaimed excitedly, “A High-Rank Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill!”
When his voice rang out, numerous pairs of eyes from all directions turned to stare at him in unison.
Wan Ying Ying leaned close to her two Senior Brothers and asked in a whisper, “Um… What’s wrong with this Sir? Why is he making such a huge fuss?”
Jing An replied with a laugh, “Maybe he’s just too happy.”
“Is… Is this really what Alchemist Yang refined for me?” Ma Tai was in disbelief.
Just moments ago, he had decided to ask for his compensation back despite the risk of offending a Heaven-Grade Alchemist. Who could have known that he would obtain a High-Rank Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill in the blink of an eye? His life was truly filled with ups and downs.
[It’s a High-Rank Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill! I never even dreamed that I would receive a High-Rank Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill!] When he came here, he felt that he would have been satisfied just to receive a Mid-Rank Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill… It had to be said that countless people came to the Seeking Pill Pavilion for pills every year; however, less than 10% of them were lucky enough to obtain High-Rank pills. Most of them would only receive Mid-Rank or even Low-Rank pills.
“That’s right! It was just refined earlier. In fact, it’s still warm from the furnace! If you don’t believe me, you can feel it for yourself,” Wan Ying Ying pointed out.
Ma Tai didn’t know which part of his brain was defective, but he listened to her words and actually reached out his hand to touch the pill; then, he immediately exclaimed in surprise, “It really is warm…”
Wan Ying Ying smiled even more brightly as she said, “Did you think I would lie to you? I personally watched as Eldest Senior Brother refined this pill, and then I quickly delivered the pill here without a moment’s delay.”
“Many thanks! Many, many thanks, Young Lady!” Ma Tai thanked her gratefully.
Jing An said, “Sir, there are many eyes here. I think you should put the pill away first.”
Upon hearing those words, Ma Tai finally realised that there were countless people around him; moreover, they were almost all staring at the pill in his hands with envious gazes. He quickly closed the jade box and cupped his fist at the three of them, “Please thank Alchemist Yang on my behalf. This Ma will definitely return this great kindness if the chance arises in the future!”
Unable to understand what Ma Tai was feeling at the moment, Wan Ying Ying was at a loss for what to do and quickly waved her hands, “You’re being too polite, Sir. You came here to make a pill request. Not to mention that you’ve already paid for it. It’s only right that we refine the pill for you.”
Jing An chimed in, “Sir, please follow me to meet the Deacon stationed here and report the handover in person.”
This was a necessary procedure. Every Alchemist who provided Alchemy services at the Seeking Pill Pavilion had to make a record regarding the success or failure of their pill refining and the quality of the pills they produced. These were related to their evaluation and how many contribution points they would receive as a result.
Ma Tai was clearly aware of this procedure so he immediately nodded and said, “Of course. It’s as it should be. Sir, please lead the way!”
Jing An immediately led Ma Tai to the Deacon stationed at the front desk. Ma Tai took out the High-Rank Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill and left after obtaining the Deacon’s verification. Meanwhile, the Deacon wrote down Yang Kai’s Alchemy evaluation in his records.
At the same time, a large crowd of people suddenly rushed over to the originally quiet and deserted table. They surrounded Wan Ying Ying and the other Junior Brother, clamouring with questions. When they heard that there was no extended wait required for Yang Kai to refine the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill, especially after witnessing the High-Rank pill that Yang Kai refined for Ma Tai, many people immediately expressed their desire to request Alchemy services from him.
For a time, the scene was so chaotic that they attracted the attention of the Seeking Pill Pavilion’s guards. Only then did the chaotic situation return to order.
A short while later, Wan Ying Ying hurried back to Fixed Moon Peak where Yang Kai’s secluded home was located. She also brought with her an entire carriage worth of precious treasures!
When she rushed into the secluded home while yelling excitedly, Hua Rong and Yang Huai naturally came out after hearing the commotion. After listening to Wan Ying Ying’s explanation and seeing the carriage that was filled with treasures, Hua Rong’s eyes shone with a green light. She kept circling around the carriage and cheering, “We’re rich! We’re rich! We’re rich!”
On the other hand, Yang Kai was very calm. This situation was well within his expectations. He instructed Hua Rong and Yang Huai to put away the items in the carriage. He told them to keep the useful items and then bring the rest down the mountain to sell at Profound Pill City for Red Jades. As for Yang Kai himself, he entered his secluded home with Wan Ying Ying to continue performing Alchemy.
There was an unwritten rule among the Alchemists of Profound Pill Sect when it came to performing Alchemy, no matter how many pills were refined, they only needed to give one to the person who made the request. They could keep the remaining pills for themselves. It was up to them whether they wanted to hand these pills to the Sect or sell them themselves.
Nevertheless, even an Alchemist like Gao Xin Peng could only refine 4 Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pills back when Yang Kai first met him. Moreover, 3 of them were Mid-Rank pills while the last was a Low-Rank pill. Gao Xin Peng was considered one of the best among all the Heaven Grade Alchemists in Profound Pill Sect, but even he could only obtain such results, so what more need be said about the other Heaven Grade Alchemists?
Producing 2 or 3 pills per furnace was basically the norm. In many cases, they might produce only 1 pill or worse, fail at their Alchemy attempt altogether.
Therefore, most Heaven Grade Alchemists did not have many Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pills in their possession despite this unwritten rule. Refining a furnace of Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pills would take at least half a day or up to two days. Furthermore, they needed to rest and recover their strength afterwards, so their efficiency was not very high.
Yang Kai, however, was very different from the others. With his Alchemy Skills, he could produce at least 5 or 6 pills at a time. If he was lucky, he might even produce 7 or 8 pills.
When he refined the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill for Ma Tai, he had produced 6 pills from that furnace, 2 of them were High-Rank while the others were Mid-Rank. With just one furnace of pills, Yang Kai had enough to satisfy the pill requests of six people.
In addition, the time he took to refine one furnace of pills was much shorter compared to other Alchemists. It was only because he was teaching Wan Ying Ying along the way that Yang Kai deliberately slowed down his movements. If he focused solely on the refinement process, he would only need an hour or so to finish a furnace of Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pills.
Not only could Yang Kai condense many more pills at once than average, but he also took far less time to do so. In this way, providing Alchemy services did not affect his cultivation time at all.
As the days passed, a long queue formed in front of a certain desk at the Seeking Pill Pavilion every single day. There was an endless stream of people who came to make pill requests. As long as they were there for the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill, they would choose to queue in front of Yang Kai’s desk.
This couldn’t be helped though as the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill that Yang Kai refined would be Mid-Rank at worst. With a little luck, they might even receive a High-Rank pill. More importantly, there was no precedent of failure. This gave the people who came to ask for pills a great sense of security and reassurance. For that reason, they were willing to spend however much needed for their requests.
The number of people who came to ask Yang Kai for pills already created a wait list a year long. Be that as it may, a year was not that long compared to the other Alchemists.
The 300,000 pieces of Red Jade that Wei Cheng lost to Yang Kai back then had been finished a long time ago. Most of the resources brought by the people who came to ask for pills were also sold for Red Jades by Yang Huai and Hua Rong, who then constantly sent these Red Jades back to the secluded home for Yang Kai to cultivate with. Meanwhile, the remaining Spirit Herbs were refined into various pills by Yang Kai.
With the help of massive amounts of resources and pills, Yang Kai and the others experienced a rapid growth in their respective cultivations!
Hua Rong who was previously in the Sixth-Step Heaven Realm had advanced into the Seventh-Step Heaven Realm after serving by Yang Kai’s side for a mere three months. Wan Ying Ying and Jing An advanced into the Seventh-Step Mortal Realm and Eighth-Step Mortal Realm, respectively.
Even Yang Huai advanced from the Second-Step Heaven Realm to the Fifth-Step Heaven Realm in one go! His growth rate was simply sensational. The Supreme Tyrant Body Art was indeed perfectly suited to this brawny man who resembled an iron tower. Supplemented by the large amounts of resources and elixirs given to him by Yang Kai, it was not strange for Yang Huai to experience such remarkable growth.
As for Yang Kai, he was now in the Fifth-Step Heaven Realm. With the growth of his strength, his demand for cultivation resources also grew larger in turn. The Heaven Devouring Battle Law was certainly Heaven-defying. When cultivating this Secret Art, devouring resources was like drinking water or eating rice. Combined with the continuous stimulation of his Dragon Vein, there was no amount of resources in the world that Yang Kai could not swallow clean in a short period of time.
Fortunately, resources would flow in continuously as long as he continued to provide Alchemy services at the Seeking Pill Pavilion.
At present, Yang Kai was more worried about his contribution points than Red Jades. Although he received a set amount of contribution points for every Alchemy service he performed, it was not much. He had investigated the number of contribution points required to exchange for the Hundred Revolutions Clear Heart Pill already, and the number was so high that Yang Kai felt a little speechless.
Based on his current rate of accumulation, he would need to perform Alchemy at the Seeking Pill Pavilion for at least 20 years to save up enough contribution points to exchange for the pill recipe of the Hundred Revolutions Clear Heart Pill.
It was not surprising when he thought about it though. Generally speaking, it would take at least several dozen years for a Heaven Grade Alchemist to become a Spirit Grade Alchemist. As such, a Heaven-Grade Alchemist had more than enough time to accumulate the necessary contribution points. It was just that the speed of Yang Kai’s growth and advancement was too fast.
In just three months, he had advanced from the Second-Step Heaven Realm to the Fifth-Step Heaven Realm. Yang Kai estimated it would take only a year or 2 before he reached the Ninth-Step Heaven Realm. At that time, he would need the pill recipe for the Hundred Revolutions Clear Heart Pill in order to refine one for himself!
One or two years was not enough time for him to accumulate enough contribution points, no matter how many furnaces of pills he refined. He even took the time to teach the Earth Grade and Mortal Grade Alchemists in the Sect to earn more contribution points, but unfortunately, these contribution points were but a drop in the bucket compared to what he needed.
Third Elder Yu Bo Yang rushed into Profound Pill Sect’s Elder Hall with a scroll in his hands.
Great Elder Wu Feng Hua asked, “What’s wrong, Elder Yu?”
“Greetings, Great Elder!” Yu Bo Yang gave a bow before he explained, “While checking the daily reports of the Sect today, I came across something interesting. Please take a look, Great Elder.”
Wu Feng Hua stroked his beard and smiled lightly, “If even you find it interesting, Elder Yu, then it won’t be a trivial matter. What happened?”
Yu Bo Yang did not elaborate. He simply handed the scroll in his hand to the other party; then, he sat down on a chair next to the Great Elder and poured himself a cup of tea.
Wu Feng Hua unfurled the scroll and murmured, “Oh? The records from the Seeking Pill Pavilion…” Following a quick glance through the records, it didn’t take long before his eyes involuntarily narrowed slightly, “This… Are you certain that the records are accurate, Elder Yu?”
Yu Bo Yang slowly nodded, “The Deacons in charge of recording the pill quality at the Seeking Pill Pavilion work in groups of two that rotate shifts every ten days. It’s impossible for every group to make a mistake. I have also questioned them myself. This is indeed the truth.”
“How can this be?” Wu Feng Hua stared at a certain part of the scroll, where the name ‘Yang Kai of Fixed Moon Peak’ was clearly written. Below the name were various dates followed by the words ‘Pill Formed’. Lastly came the words ‘High-Rank’ and ‘Mid-Rank’ that appeared in a cyclical manner behind the words ‘Pill Formed’. Moreover, the words ‘High-Rank’ occupied a terrifying 30% in this series!
Yu Bo Yang said, “It’s difficult to believe, but this is indeed the truth! Ever since Yang Kai began providing Alchemy services three months ago, he has never experienced a single failure when refining the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill. Moreover, the quality is always Mid-Rank or above.”
Wu Feng Hua was pensive, “It’s possible that he may have failed, but he used the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pills he refined previously to make up for the losses!”
“Even so, this success rate is terrifying! He has practically surpassed even veterans like us! In all fairness, can you achieve such success for three consecutive months, Great Elder?”
Wu Feng Hua pondered the question seriously before he slowly shook his head, “It’s difficult!”
Yu Bo Yang asked, “Even veterans like us can’t accomplish this, so how did a young boy like him do it? Not to mention, the quality of the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pills are all Mid-Rank or superior!”
Wu Feng Hua looked up at the other party, “Elder Yu, what do you mean…”
Yu Bo Yang explained, “This boy must have his own unique insights into refining the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill, which can increase his success rate and the quality of the pills!”
Wu Feng Hua fell silent for a while before he nodded lightly.
Yu Bo Yang continued, “Great Elder, please take another look at the number of times he has performed Alchemy over the past three months. You’ll discover something else after you make a comparison.”
After receiving the reminder from Yu Bo Yang, Wu Feng Hua checked the records once more. A moment later, he raised an eyebrow and exclaimed, “This boy is getting faster and faster!”
Yu Bo Yang nodded in affirmation, “That’s right. In the beginning, he could only refine enough Pills to fulfil the pill requests of 2 people each day. He probably refined a single furnace of pills per day, and each furnace produced 2 or 3 pills. Afterwards, he gradually began to satisfy the needs of 3 to 4 people each day, but over the last week or so, 7 or 8 people received a Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill each day. 7 or 8 people! This is truly unheard of!”
Even if refining one furnace of pills produced 3 pills, one would need to refine 3 furnaces of pills to supply enough pills for 7 to 8 people. How could a single Heaven-Grade Alchemist refine 3 furnaces of pills within a day though? Even veterans like themselves would be exhausted after refining 2 furnaces of such pills in a single day. Furthermore, this was not counting the time needed for rest and recovery.
Wu Feng Hua closed the scroll, “It looks like this boy does indeed have his own personal insight into refining the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill! Elder Yu, why did you come here to tell me about this matter? What are your thoughts?”
Yu Bo Yang’s eyes gleamed, “Great Elder, this is an important matter that can bring great fortune to Profound Pill Sect. If the boy can spread his Alchemy Techniques within Profound Pill Sect, then the Alchemists of Profound Pill Sect will experience a massive improvement in efficiency. What’s more, since his insights can be used for refining the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill, it might also work with other pills. If that is possible, then…”
Wu Feng Hua’s eyes narrowed slightly. How could he not realise the importance of the matter?
If Yang Kai could share his insights with the entire Sect, it would certainly be a huge boon and merit. At that time, the time taken for the Alchemists of the Sect to refine pills would be shortened considerably. They would have more time to do other things and in the long term, the benefits towards Profound Pill Sect would be immeasurable.
“Be that as it may, such insights belong to him…” Wu Feng Hua hesitated slightly.
Yu Bo Yang insisted, “He is a Profound Pill Sect disciple! If it is something that can benefit Profound Pill Sect, he should offer up his insights. Besides, it’s not like the Sect won’t compensate him for his contribution.”
Wu Feng Hua shook his head, “This boy is extremely talented and will definitely become a Spirit Grade Alchemist one day. There’s no need to create friction with him.”
“But…”
He raised a hand to stop Yu Bo Yang, “This matter is very important, so I must inform the Sect Master. Sect Master can decide on what to do. Why don’t you come with me, Elder Yu?”
Yu Bo Yang nodded upon hearing those words, “Good!”
The two of them immediately set off to meet the Sect Master and report their various discoveries.
…..
Inside a secluded home halfway up Fixed Moon Peak, Yang Kai was teaching Wan Ying Ying Alchemy with some common materials when Yang Huai suddenly walked inside and announced in a rumbling voice, “Sir, there’s an old man outside who claims to be the bodyguard of the Sect Master. He said that the Sect Master invites you over for a chat.”
“The Sect Master?” Yang Kai raised an eyebrow at those words. [Is it finally here? I’m glad that my continuous attempts recently were not a waste of time.] He nodded and added, “Got it. I’ll head there now.”
After instructing Wan Ying Ying to practice on her own, Yang Kai changed his clothes and walked out of the cave mansion, where he immediately noticed the stooped old man.
The old man was standing there with his hands behind his back, looking rather ordinary and inconspicuous. There did not seem to be anything special about him other than the fact that one of his eyes was blind. There was no saying what he experienced in the past to become like this.
Upon seeing Yang Kai approaching him, the old man simply looked up at him without much reaction.
“Greetings, Senior,” Yang Kai stepped forward and bowed. Although he was a Heaven Grade Alchemist, this old man was the bodyguard of the Sect Master. The old man was bound to be in the Spirit Realm, and likely a Master at the peak of the Spirit Realm at that.
The old man gently nodded, “The Sect Master has summoned you. Follow me!”
Saying so, he turned around.
In the next moment, Yang Kai felt a gentle force wrapping around him. He then flew forward behind the old man, the scenery passing by him as swiftly as the wind. 10 breaths later, his figure came to a sudden halt and he found himself standing in front of a Grand Hall before he could react.
The old man turned back and said, “Go on in. The Sect Master and several Elders are inside.”
“Many thanks, Senior!” Yang Kai cupped his fist as thanks and strode towards the hall.
[Speaking of which, I have never met the Elders of Profound Pill Sect before.] There was a test when he first joined Profound Pill Sect, but nobody had revealed themselves at the time, so Yang Kai had never met them before.
Being summoned here today was within his expectations though.
Ever since he began providing Alchemy services, Yang Kai had no choice but to improve and increase his refinement speed as the number of pills he produced had to keep up with his demand for cultivation resources. Only then could he grow stronger, faster.
Unfortunately, such outstanding performance would surely attract the attention of Profound Pill Sect’s Elders one day.
Yang Kai originally felt a little hesitant about his actions; after all, his current strength was not that high, so it might be dangerous to expose too much of his real ability.
However, after careful consideration, he decided that there was no danger to his life since he was part of Profound Pill Sect now. In addition, he might even be able to resolve his concern over the contribution points along the way.
Nevertheless, his explanation for certain things had to be carefully considered!
Upon entering the Main Hall, Yang Kai immediately felt three pairs of eyes turning towards him, and when he looked up, he saw three people sitting up ahead.
The one in the middle was an old man dressed in all white. He also had white hair and a white beard. Despite his clearly advanced age, he was in high spirits. His expression was dignified and calm, as though he was used to being in a high position.
Two other old men were sitting on his left and right. One was dressed in green and the other was dressed in red robes. The three of them were extremely imposing and while the power in their bodies was withdrawn, they were definitely in the Spirit Realm.
Yang Kai took two steps forward and cupped his fist, “Disciple Yang Kai, greets Sect Master and two Elders!”
The old man in the middle smiled, “How do you know that this Old Master is the Sect Master? We’ve never met before, right? Wouldn’t it be embarrassing if you addressed the wrong person?”
Yang Kai calmly replied, “If I’ve addressed Senior wrongly, then I’ll ask to make sure before I greet you again.”
The Great Elder and Third Elder exchanged a glance with each other with the latter commenting, “He’s quite bold!”
Baili Yun Sang raised a hand to calm the chatter before continuing, “I called you here today because of your excellent performance at the Seeking Pill Pavilion. Be it in terms of quality or quantity, the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pills you refined are far superior to your peers. It’s just that the Great Elder and the Third Elder have some doubts about certain matters. That’s why I called you here to refine a furnace of Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill in front of us!”
Yu Bo Yang said, “Both the herbs and the Alchemy Furnace have been prepared for you. The Sect Master himself used this Alchemy Furnace when he was younger, so it is definitely better than your own Alchemy Furnace. Feel free to use it as you please.”
Those words made Yang Kai raise a brow. Looking up, he saw a small and delicate Alchemy Furnace in front of him. He had noticed this object when he first entered the Grand Hall, but he had not paid much attention to it at the time. Looking at it now, he realised that the Alchemy Furnace was indeed quite old. He could tell that it was extraordinary at first glance.
The Great Elder also spoke up, “Do your best at this refining! Don’t feel stressed or pressured about anything!”
Yang Kai thought to himself, [If I did my best at refining, wouldn’t I frighten you guys to death…] Even so, he cupped his fist and said, “This Disciple will not disappoint Sect Master and two Elders.”
“Do you need time to rest or prepare?” Wu Feng Hua asked.
Yang Kai replied, “This disciple is full of vigour. There’s no need for that.”
Wu Feng Hua nodded, “In that case, please begin.”
Yang Kai bowed and finally walked over to the Alchemy Furnace. Activating his Spirit Qi to stimulate his Alchemy Flame, he shot the little white flame into the Alchemy Furnace.
As soon as the white-coloured Alchemy Flame appeared, Baili Yun Sang and the two Elders were stunned. That was because the white flame seemed to be nothing more than a Mortal Flame to them.
[This brat is going to use a Mortal Flame to refine a Heaven Grade pill!?] Great Elder Wu Feng Hua was about to question Yang Kai when Baili Yun Sang raised a hand to stop him.
He glanced at Baili Yun Sang in astonishment, only to see the latter staring at the white flame with a solemn expression. Moreover, Baili Yun Sang’s eyes were flashing with excitement.
[Why would a trivial Mortal Flame make the Sect Master so excited?] Wu Feng Hua wondered before a sudden thought struck him. He suddenly recalled a certain legend written in one of the Sect’s oldest records…
Four months had passed since Yang Kai joined Profound Pill Sect. With the exception of the first month, he had spent the remaining three months refining Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pills every single day. It could be said that he had perfected the skill of refining this Heaven Grade pill and could flawlessly do so even with his eyes closed at this point.
Therefore, he even had the excess energy to covertly pay attention to the reactions of the Sect Master and the two Elders. The Spirit Qi around them fluctuated slightly and it was obvious that the three of them were secretly communicating with each other.
Nevertheless, he had already mentally prepared himself to expose some of his secrets. That was why he had to put some effort into refining the pill this time.
The white Alchemy Flame danced as he formed one hand seal after another.
After several hours, Yang Kai used his Pill Condensing Technique before smacking the Alchemy Furnace with his palms. A soft sound immediately rang out from within the furnace. At the same time, the strong aroma of pills filled the air.
Taking a shallow breath, he took two steps backwards and cupped his fist, “Sect Master, Elders, this Disciple has finished the refining. Please inspect and verify the results!”
All three men seated above him stared at him blankly. Their expressions were filled with a sense of shock and disbelief that could not be concealed. As the Elders of Profound Pill Sect, they were considered wise and knowledgeable. Moreover, they were accustomed to various great changes in life. Even when battling the other Alchemy forces during the Divine Armament Tournament, their expressions would remain indifferent and unchanged.
However, they had no idea how they were supposed to feel about everything they just witnessed.
Everything that happened just now was beyond their comprehension. If they had not seen the entire process from start to finish, they would not have dared to believe that such a bizarre situation could exist in this world.
“How long?” Baili Yun Sang was the first to return to his senses and turned to look at the Great Elder, asking this short question.
Wu Feng Hua quietly counted for a moment before he solemnly said, “Less than 6 hours!”
Yu Bo Yang gasped. Even though he had expected such results, he couldn’t help feeling absolutely stunned to hear those words.
It took less than 6 hours to refine a furnace of Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pills! Moreover, this furnace was refined by a Heaven Grade Alchemist! Even veterans like them would normally take 8 to 10 hours to refine a furnace of Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pills. It had to be said that they were among the best Spirit Grade Alchemists in the entire world. If other Heaven Grade Alchemists were given this task, it would be good if they took only 12 hours to refine a furnace of Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pills!
Such results had surpassed the refining record of the entire Profound Pill Sect… No, the refining record of the entire Divine Armament World!
Baili Yun Sang nodded lightly, “The time has been shortened by half, at the very least. Now, we have to check the pills that were formed.”
Having said so, he walked down from his seat. The Great Elder and Third Elder quickly followed behind him.
It only took a few steps for them to stand in front of the Alchemy Furnace. All three of them unanimously had expressions of anticipation and anxiety on their faces, as if there was something very important inside this furnace.
“Open it,” Baili Yun Sang instructed.
Wu Feng Hua responded and raised a hand to smack the Alchemy Furnace. The cover of the furnace flew into the air, and the situation inside the furnace immediately entered their eyes.
Yu Bo Yang exclaimed in astonishment, “He produced 5 pills!” Reaching out a hand, he grabbed the 5 pills and examined them carefully, his expression of shock deepening as he shouted, “2 High-Rank pills and 3 Mid-Rank pills!”
Wu Feng Hua hurriedly took the 5 pills from Yu Bo Yang upon hearing those words. Not only did he perform a similar examination of the pills, but he also used his fingernail to scrape off a bit of pill powder and place it in his mouth to taste. Only then did he exclaim, “There’s no problem with the medicinal efficacies.”
He turned to look at Yang Kai in shock. What he saw in front of him was simply astonishing!
Baili Yun Sang suppressed the excitement in his heart, and doing his best to lower his voice, he looked at Yang Kai and asked, “How did you do it?”
Yang Kai cupped his fist, “This Disciple modified the pill recipe for the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill. I also used some different Alchemy Techniques at the same time.”
Wu Feng Hua nodded, “The pill recipe you used just now is certainly different from the one you used when you first joined the Sect. Many of the processes have been simplified and some of the techniques are new and unique. I’ve never seen such techniques before. With this improvement, you can indeed shorten the refinement time greatly, but that’s not all. You can even increase the number of pills formed and their quality! But… How did you come up with these improvements?”
The pill recipe for the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill that belonged to Profound Pill Sect had been modified and improved over countless generations. Furthermore, this was the pill recipe for a Heaven Grade pill, so only a Spirit Grade Alchemists had the qualifications to make improvements to it.
Baili Yun Sang himself had tried to make improvements to this pill recipe in the past. Unfortunately, his efforts proved to be unproductive and eventually he gave up after wasting 2 years for nothing.
Something that even Baili Yun Sang had failed to achieve had been accomplished by a Heaven Grade Alchemist who only joined the Sect 4 months ago. More importantly, the recipe was improved by a wide margin compared to the original!
That was simply not something that could be achieved by an ordinary man.
“This Disciple doesn’t know either!” Yang Kai cupped his fist and replied.
“You don’t know?” Yu Bo Yang glared at Yang Kai, “How can you not know? Aren’t you the one who improved this pill recipe?”
Yang Kai replied, “Reporting to, Third Elder, the pill recipe was indeed improved by this Disciple, but this Disciple does not know why the changes improved the pill recipe in this way. I just felt that making those changes during the Alchemy process would be better, so that’s what I did.”
Those words left Baili Yun Sang and the other two confused.
“It’s like this…” Yang Kai hurriedly brought out the explanation he prepared in advance, “This Disciple was fortunate enough to join Profound Pill Sect. When I first registered to refine the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill, I used the original pill recipe. Then, this Disciple faintly heard a strange voice inside a waking dream one night. The voice was intelligible and impossible to comprehend. This Disciple could not understand what the voice was saying at all, but when I woke up and refined the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill again, I instinctively made some changes to the recipe. Afterwards, the voice would appear in my dreams again every now and then. Every time the voice appeared, this Disciple gained something. As a result, this Disciple improved the pill recipe for the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill over the past few months until it became what it currently is. I also somehow comprehended a few extraordinary Alchemy Techniques!”
This was the explanation Yang Kai prepared in advance. His current performance was rather bizarre, so he needed a valid reason to explain it.
Contrary to his expectations though, the 3 Elders looked shocked by his explanation.
Baili Yun Sang asked, “Did you say you faintly heard a strange voice?”
“Yes!” Yang Kai nodded, “This Disciple suspected that this knowledge was imparted to me by Honoured Master when he taught me Alchemy in the past. It’s just that I was too young and could not remember much from that time, so I didn’t understand Honoured Master’s kind intentions. Maybe performing Alchemy again has jolted certain memories, leading to my recollection of various things from the past. That voice is probably the sound of Honoured Master earnestly teaching me.”
In any case, his fabricated Master was not in Profound Pill Sect, so Yang Kai decided to push all the responsibility unto him.
Baili Yun Sang slowly shook his head, “Your Honoured Master might be a talented genius, but even he cannot succeed to this extent. This matter is probably unrelated to him!”
Yang Kai was astonished, “How are you so sure, Sect Master?”
[If this matter is unrelated to my fabricated Master, then I really don’t have a suitable reason anymore…]
On the other hand, Baili Yun Sang seemed to no longer wish to dwell on this topic. He waved his hand dismissively and said, “You don’t need to ask too much. In any case, I’m certain this has nothing to do with him. The strange voice you heard… This Sect Master knows what it is.”
Yang Kai was a little flabbergasted as he thought, [How can you know? Even I don’t know what it is!]
Yu Bo Yang quickly asked, “Sect Master, do you suspect…”
Baili Yun Sang nodded solemnly, “There’s no other possibility aside from this explanation.”
Great Elder Wu Feng Hua stroked his beard and nodded lightly, “If that’s the case, then everything makes sense now. But, why would that happen?”
“It is the Will of the Heavens.” Baili Yun Sang sighed softly and turned to look at Yang Kai again, “Do you want to see the true body of this voice?”
“Sect Master!” Both Wu Feng Hua and Yu Bo Yang gave a start of surprise.
Baili Yun Sang, however, just waved his hand and declared, “He can even hear its voice, which can only mean that he has fate with it. Allowing him to come into contact with it might lead to further discoveries.”
Wu Feng Hua pondered for a while before he nodded, “You’re right, Sect Master.”
Yu Bo Yang looked at Yang Kai with a complicated expression, “Kid, you sure are lucky. This is a blessing that many people never encounter in their lives.”
Yang Kai was completely bewildered and asked, “Sect Master, that voice… actually exists?”
Baili Yun Sang burst out laughing, “You heard the voice yourself. Why are you asking me?”
Yang Kai didn’t know what else to say. He originally wanted to push everything onto his fabricated Master, but who could have known that he would create a connection with something else through a series of coincidences? Now that things had come to this point, Yang Kai felt he was riding a tiger and could not get off anymore. Thus, he could only nod in response, “I will follow your arrangements, Sect Master!”
Baili Yun Sang nodded in delight, “There’s no need to rush. Go back and rest for tonight. I will send somebody to get you tomorrow. On another note, there’s another thing that I want to ask you.”
“Please ask, Sect Master.”
And so he inquired, “Where did you obtain the Alchemy Flame you used just now?”
Yang Kai replied, “This Disciple obtained this Alchemy Flame from the Divine Flame Cave a few months ago, but this Disciple does not know what kind of Alchemy Flame it is. Could it be that you know, Sect Master?”
Baili Yun Sang revealed a look of affirmation. He had a guess when he first saw the white flame and this was simply confirming his initial conjecture. After sorting out his thoughts, he said, “It might be an Alchemy Flame that I know. But, whether it is or not will need to be verified.” While saying so, he instructed Yang Kai, “Bring out that Alchemy Flame of yours.”
Yang Kai immediately pushed his Spirit Qi to manifest his Alchemy Flame. In the next instant, the white flame danced in the palm of his hands, looking extremely gentle.
Baili Yun Sang stared at the white flame and slowly reached out his hand towards Yang Kai. At the same time, a golden flame suddenly appeared in his palm.
The golden flame that danced wildly was extremely pure and scorching hot. One could tell that it was a Spirit Grade Alchemy Flame at a glance, one that was of a much higher grade compared to the white flame in Yang Kai’s hands.
However, as Baili Yun Sang moved his hand closer, the golden Alchemy Flame began to flicker. On the other hand, the white flame in Yang Kai’s hand remained steady. This phenomenon became increasingly obvious as the distance between them shortened.
At a certain point, the golden flame abruptly shrank into a ball on its own and retreated to Baili Yun Sang’s wrist. It was as though the golden Alchemy Flame had spirituality and could sense a great danger ahead.
Baili Yun Sang withdrew his Alchemy Flame and breathed out softly, “It really is that Alchemy Flame!”
Both Wu Feng Hua and Yu Bo Yang were staring at Yang Kai with a complicated expressions. It was obvious that they understood what just happened.
“Put it away!” Baili Yun Sang ordered.
Only then did Yang Kai put away the Alchemy Flame and humbly asked, “Sect Master, what exactly is this white flame? This Disciple searched through the Records Hall but could not find any relevant entries regarding it at all.”
Half a day later, Yang Kai returned to his cave mansion. In the end, he still did not learn anything about his white flame.
Sect Master Baili Yun Sang and the two Elders definitely knew something, but they were clearly hesitating to answer his questions. Perhaps they were worried that Yang Kai was too young and inexperienced to learn the truth.
In any case, they did not tell him much. They simply explained that the white flame was not an ordinary Alchemy Flame and could not be classified using the standard Mortal, Earth, Heaven, and Spirit Grades. Moreover, the white flame supposedly had a very long history.
They also warned him to use the Alchemy Flame with caution and pay attention to any changes in case anything went wrong.
Their attitude towards the white flame was very odd. It was a mixture of longing, wariness, and awe.
Since they refused to say anything, Yang Kai did not inquire any further. His questions would not be answered anyway. At the moment, he was more concerned about the voice that he randomly mentioned…
He initially wanted to push all the responsibility on his fake Master, but who could have known that the ‘voice’ would actually exist?
At this point, Yang Kai didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He could not shake the feeling that he shared an inexplicable fate with Profound Pill Sect.
Back then, he randomly came up with a fabricated Master only for Gao Xin Peng to misunderstand the situation and ultimately introduce him into Profound Pill Sect. And now, the random voice he created turned out to be connected to some sort of grand existence.
Judging by the attitudes of Baili Yun Sang and the two Elders, the true body that produced the voice was likely an extraordinary object indeed.
What’s more, at present, there was certainly something absolutely incredible in Profound Pill Sect! Yang Kai had a slight guess in his heart, so he couldn’t help looking forward to the experience.
The next day, the one-eyed old man in the Spirit Realm, who had come previously, arrived outside the Fixed Moon Peak cave mansion once more. As soon as he saw Yang Kai, he immediately pushed his Spirit Qi, wrapped Yang Kai in it, and took to the sky.
By the time they landed, they had arrived in a quiet valley where an old man stood in front of them. It was Profound Pill Sect’s Sect Master, Baili Yun Sang. However, he was alone this time. The two other Elders from yesterday were nowhere to be seen.
Yang Kai stepped forward in greeting.
Baili Yun Sang nodded, “Come with me.”
After saying so, Baili Yun Sang took the lead and Yang Kai quickly followed closely behind. As they moved forward, they passed through multiple checkpoints and barriers.
Along the way, Yang Kai sensed countless Spirit Realm Masters hidden in the shadows all around them, all of them vigilantly scanning the surroundings. The perception of these Spirit Realm Masters locked firmly on his body when he walked past them with Baili Yun Sang, making Yang Kai feel as though he was being pricked by thorns.
“This is the Restricted Area of Profound Pill Sect. Only this Sect Master and a few other Elders are allowed to enter this place. Anybody else who wishes to enter this place will need to spend a large amount of contribution points to gain access. In addition, they will need to pass an inspection to ensure that they are absolutely loyal to Profound Pill Sect before they are allowed to enter.” Baili Yun Sang explained while moving forward, “Do you feel anything?”
Baili Yun Sang’s question came out of nowhere. Yang Kai shook his head in response, “Reporting to Sect Master, I don’t feel anything in particular.”
Baili Yun Sang was not bothered by the answer he received and simply continued moving forward.
A short while later, Yang Kai sensed that he had followed Baili Yun Sang into the belly of a mountain. His vision suddenly brightened when he reached this place. There was a large cavern in the heart of the mountain, and the cavern was filled with a gentle light that illuminated the whole place.
Yang Kai’s gaze was instantly drawn towards an object in front of him.
Not far away was a structure shaped like an altar, and an antique four-legged cauldron sat atop it. The cauldron was approximately half the height of a man and it could be seen at a glance that it was extremely old. There were clear traces caused by the passage of time covering the entire cauldron.
The cauldron was also filled with a dense white fog which flowed out gently, like a trickling stream of water, filling the entire space with a strange power. Under the effects of this strange power, Yang Kai felt his mind becoming calm and peaceful. Even his Soul reached an unprecedented point of clarity.
At this moment, Yang Kai felt a stroke of inspiration and suddenly straightened his finger like a sword and turned around to face the cave wall. Activating his Spirit Qi, he began scribbling something on the wall.
Baili Yun Sang was startled by Yang Kai’s abrupt actions. He did not know what kind of frenzy had come over this boy, but just as he was about to stop him, his expression changed slightly. He seemed to realise something and hurriedly fell silent while paying close attention to Yang Kai’s movements instead.
A rustling and scraping sound filled the air. This place might be a Restricted Area, but the large cauldron was the only item of value in this place. The other caverns and altars simply contained normal objects. Thanks to Yang Kai’s actions, row after row of densely-packed words appeared on the cave wall. In exchange, a thick layer of dust quickly settled around his feet.
The entire process continued for half an incense stick’s worth of time. Then, he suddenly groaned and clutched at his head. His strange movements from before stopped abruptly.
Baili Yun Sang walked over to Yang Kai’s side and stared at the words written on the cave wall with glowing eyes. His expression was filled with pure excitement, and he murmured under his breath, “Incredible! How incredible!”
“Sect Master…” Yang Kai shook his head slightly before he turned around and called out.
“Oh! Are you all right?” Only then did Baili Yun Sang remember to check on Yang Kai’s condition.
Yang Kai shook his head, “I’m fine. Sect Master, what… What happened?”
Baili Yun Sang smiled at Yang Kai, “Don’t you remember what you did?”
Yang Kai stared at the words carved on the cave wall and dazedly said, “I’m not too sure myself. It was as if something suddenly exploded in my head and I received this knowledge for some reason. I was afraid I might forget, so I quickly wrote it down. If I made a mistake, please punish me, Sect Master!”
“You did well. You didn’t make any mistakes. You did extremely well!” Baili Yun Sang looked at Yang Kai emotionally before he turned back to look at the wall, “This is a pill recipe. Do you know what pill recipe this is for?”
Yang Kai pondered for a moment, “It should be the pill recipe for something called the Mortal Yuan Pill. This pill will be extremely beneficial towards those in the Mortal Realm once refined.” After saying that, he seemed shocked, “That’s strange. Why would I know this? I’ve never learned this pill recipe before…”
Baili Yun Sang patted Yang Kai on the shoulder, “Don’t panic. This is not a bad thing. On the contrary, it is a blessing! As for why you know this… Think carefully about what happened just now.”
Yang Kai put on a thoughtful expression. A moment later, he replied, “After following Sect Master here, I saw the large cauldron over there and subsequently heard a bang in my head. Then… Could it be that all of this is related to that explosion?”
Baili Yun Sang said, “This Old Master did not hear any explosions. I don’t know what it sounded like either. Think about it carefully; have you ever heard that sound anywhere else before?”
Yang Kai was pensive, “It’s similar to the voice I heard back at Fixed Moon Peak, but much louder and clearer!”
“En,” Baili Yun Sang nodded and pointed to the large cauldron, “That is the source of the voice you heard earlier!”
Yang Kai looked in that direction and asked puzzledly, “Sect Master, what is that cauldron?”
“That cauldron…” Baili Yun Sang’s expression turned solemn and he bowed deeply to the large cauldron quickly explaining, “That is one of the Ten Great Divine Armaments, the Medicine King Furnace!”
Yang Kai was shocked, “This is the Medicine King Furnace!?”
“Indeed!” Baili Yun Sang nodded.
“Unbelievable!” Yang Kai stared at the Medicine King Furnace blankly, “I thought…”
“Thought what? That the Divine Armaments should be sparkling and radiant?” Baili Yun Sang chuckled, “Each of the Ten Great Divine Armaments represents a Grand Dao of this World. They might not have a gorgeous appearance, but they are undoubtedly the most valuable objects in the Divine Armament World.”
“This Disciple has been enlightened!”
Looking at the Medicine King Furnace, Baili Yun Sang sighed slightly, “Do you know why this Old Master brought you here?”
Yang Kai shook his head.
“Logically speaking, a Heaven Grade Alchemist like you who recently joined the Sect would never obtain the qualifications to come into contact with the Medicine King Furnace. Just as this Old Master told you earlier, this place is Profound Pill Sect’s Restricted Area. Only this Old Master and several Elders are allowed to step into this place. Aside from that, other disciples not only have to spend a large amount of contribution points but also show absolute loyalty to the Sect in order to enter this place and explore its mysteries.”
“Mysteries?” Yang Kai keenly grasped onto the key point.
Baili Yun Sang nodded his head with a solemn expression, “Yes, mysteries. The mysteries of the Grand Alchemic Dao. Each of the Ten Great Divine Armaments represents a Grand Dao of this World, and the Medicine King Furnace represents the Alchemic Dao! There are countless Alchemic Dao Truths contained within the Medicine King Furnace. If you can glimpse just one of the mysteries within, you will benefit endlessly throughout your life.”
Pausing for a moment, he smiled at Yang Kai, “That faint voice you heard is the Medicine King Furnace’s Grand Dao Divine Tone! This Old Master will hear that voice occasionally, but it has always been vague and indistinct. I’ve never received as much benefit as you have.”
Yang Kai looked stunned, “So you’re saying that I managed to improve the pill recipe of the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill thanks to the Medicine King Furnace, and not because my memories of being taught by Honoured Master had resurfaced… And, that pill recipe for the Mortal Yuan Pill…”
“En!” Baili Yun Sang stroked his beard and looked at Yang Kai in delight, “Your residence on Fixed Moon Peak is quite far from here. Not to mention, there are various defences in place to protect this area. Nevertheless, that did not stop you from hearing the Medicine King Furnace’s Grand Dao Divine Tone. That must mean that you have a connection with the Medicine King Furnace. For that reason, this Old Master made an exception to bring you here. Judging from the situation, it was a wise move. You immediately received the teachings of the Medicine King Furnace and obtained the pill recipe for the Mortal Yuan Pills as soon as you arrived. If you stay here for the long term, your harvest will only be even greater!”
Yang Kai was taken aback by those words, but rather than happiness, he felt dread, [If I stay here for the long-term, then won’t I just be wasting my time here!?]
When he saw the Medicine King Furnace earlier, he confirmed his previous speculation. Baili Yun Sang and the others believed that the voice he randomly made up yesterday was related to the Medicine King Furnace. It was just that he never imagined things would coincidentally fall into place so perfectly.
Baili Yun Sang was apparently also capable of hearing the Medicine King Furnace’s Grand Dao Divine Tone. It was just that the voice he heard was rather ethereal, so he did not benefit much from it.
But, the mysterious voice really existed.
That was why Yang Kai immediately pretended to feel a headache and write down the pill recipe for the Mortal Yuan Pill when he caught sight of the Medicine King Furnace… Having mastered countless pill recipes, producing a pill recipe that did not exist in the Divine Armament World was very easy for him. The Mortal Yuan Pill was simply more nonsense that he created.
“Although I don’t know the reason why, this is Heaven’s Will. I can only obey. From today onward, you will live here and comprehend the secrets of the Medicine King Furnace. Don’t worry about the affairs regarding the Seeking Pill Pavilion. This Old Master will help you make arrangements!”
If it was said that Baili Yun Sang had some doubts about Yang Kai’s explanation yesterday, then it could be said that his doubts immediately vanished after seeing the pill recipe for the Mortal Yuan Pill. How could Yang Kai have comprehended a pill recipe out of nowhere if not for the teachings of the Medicine King Furnace’s Grand Dao Divine Tone? Even if it was only a pill recipe for a Mortal Grade pill, it was not something that could be created on the spot. It would take a considerable amount of time and countless Alchemy experiments to create even the simplest of pill recipes.
Baili Yun Sang himself was one of the best Alchemists in the Divine Armament World, but even with his knowledge and experience, he had never seen or heard of the Mortal Yuan Pill before. It could only be said that the Divine Armament had shown its prestige and passed down its legacy to its disciples.
Seeing as Yang Kai received such a huge reward the moment he came here, his gains would only be greater if he could stay here for a longer period. That was extremely beneficial to Profound Pill Sect.
On the other hand, Yang Kai was secretly cursing in his heart, [Damn it! Where will I find cultivation resources if I get trapped in here for a long time!?]
Providing Alchemy services at the Seeking Pill Pavilion was his biggest means for gathering resources at the moment. If he could no longer guarantee even that, then his cultivation would surely progress very slowly. There was no saying when he would finally advance into the Spirit Realm at this rate. Besides, he had too many secrets and there was a huge risk of exposure if he stayed here for a long time.
Nevertheless, he could not deny having a great interest in the Medicine King Furnace. If he guessed correctly, then the Ten Great Divine Armaments were the manifestation of the Divine Armament World’s World Force. The reason he came here was to refine part of the Small Source World’s Source Strength, thereby enhancing the heritage of his Small Universe.
The moment that thought crossed his mind, he quickly said, “I can’t, Sect Master.”
Baili Yun Sang frowned and asked, “Why not? Do you feel that your freedom is being restricted in coming here? If that’s the case, you don’t need to worry too much. From today onward, you will have free access to this Restricted Area. This Old Master will also issue an order to inform the guards outside about this matter. You should know that this is a monumental opportunity for you.”
“This Disciple is grateful for your kindness, Sect Master.” Yang Kai cupped his fist solemnly, “Truthfully, Sect Master, even though this Disciple obtained the pill recipe for the Mortal Yuan Pill after that voice exploded in my head earlier, this Disciple feels as though my head is about to split apart right now. There are stars dancing in my vision and I have the feeling that something extremely bad will happen if I continue to stay here.”
Baili Yun Sang was stunned when he heard the words. Although he could hear the Medicine King Furnace’s voice, what he heard was like a vague whisper. As such, he could not determine whether Yang Kai was speaking the truth; however, looking at Yang Kai’s pale complexion and excessive sweating, those words did not seem to be fake. He contemplated for a short while before he nodded, “Perhaps this Old Master has been too eager for quick success. The Medicine King Furnace is a Divine Object, so with your cultivation, it is certainly not something you can come into contact with for extended periods of time.”
After pondering for some time, he finally added, “In that case, this Old Master will give you the right to freely access the Restricted Area. You can come and listen to the Medicine King Furnace’s Grand Dao Divine Tone whenever you think it is suitable. If you obtain any gains from your experience, organise your findings and hand them to this Old Master.”
“I will obey your orders, Sect Master!” Yang Kai hurriedly cupped his fist. This outcome was undoubtedly the best he could hope for. He could come and go as he pleased; thus, it would not prevent him from providing Alchemy services at the Seeking Pill Pavilion.
“Rest assured. Your contribution to the Main Sect will not go unrewarded. This Old Master will ask the Contribution Hall to evaluate every single harvest that you obtain in this place and reward you with the corresponding contribution points. Although you only joined the Sect recently, I’m sure you know that having more contribution points is a good thing. You can exchange for anything that you want with those contribution points.”
“This Disciple understands. Many thanks for your great benevolence, Sect Master,” Yang Kai looked calm on the surface, but he was dancing with joy in his heart. The problem regarding his contribution points had been solved. Having countless pill recipes in his head, he could just randomly pick one from his repertoire and earn massive amounts of contribution points.
“Let’s end things here today. If you feel unwell, you should go back and take a good rest. Also, don’t forget to organise and hand over the improved pill recipe for the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill as well as some of the Alchemy Techniques that you displayed yesterday.”
“Yes!”
Not long after their return from the Restricted Area, the one-eyed old man came over once more. This time around, he handed a golden token to Yang Kai. There was a large ‘Profound’ character carved on the token! Yang Kai had seen this token yesterday as Great Elder Wu Feng Hua and Third Elder Yu Bo Yang both carried similar ones.
The old man had a strange expression on his face when he handed the token to Yang Kai. It was obviously his first time seeing a Heaven Grade Alchemist receiving an Elder’s token. Be that as it may, he had always been a taciturn man so he did not ask a single question despite his curiosity.
With this token, Yang Kai was free to come and go from the Restricted Area as he pleased. Although he wanted to examine the Medicine King Furnace as soon as possible, he felt that it was best not to act too eager so as not to reveal any mistakes.
In the following days, in addition to providing Alchemy services to cultivation resources, Yang Kai also sorted out the improved pill recipe for the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill and some of the Alchemy Techniques that he displayed previously. Then, he went to Profound Pill Sect’s Contribution Hall to turn these things over to the Sect.
It was obvious that the people at the Contribution Hall had received the news in advance. One of the Elders in charge of the Contribution Hall personally examined the things that Yang Kai brought, and not only was he full of praise, he also awarded Yang Kai with a large amount of contribution points.
The number of contribution points awarded was so large that even Yang Kai was pleasantly surprised. If this happened another two more times, he would have enough contribution points to exchange for the pill recipe for the Hundred Revolutions Clear Heart Pill.
A few more days later, Yang Kai finally felt that the time was right and rushed towards the Restricted Area once more. After hanging the golden Profound Token on his waist, he had a smooth journey with no obstacles. There were many layers of protection in the Restricted Area, but nobody blocked his path.
He soon arrived at the deepest part of the Restricted Area and came face-to-face with the Medicine King Furnace placed on the altar again. Just like last time, the Medicine King Furnace was overflowing with a white fog that was so dense it was almost solid. That white fog filled the entire space with a wonderful power of serenity and peace.
Looking left and right, Yang Kai was overjoyed to see that there was nobody around him. The last time Baili Yun Sang brought him here, he had not been in the position to investigate this place. Now that he was the only person here today, it was only natural that he took the time to study the truth of the Medicine King Furnace.
Striding to the top of the altar, Yang Kai circled around the Medicine King Furnace several times and discovered that there was nothing special about this object from the outside. [Is this really worthy of the reputation of the Ten Great Divine Armaments? Are the other nine Divine Armaments as bland in appearance?]
Be that as it may, what Baili Yun Sang said was true. The Divine Armaments might not have a gorgeous appearance, but they were the most precious objects in the world as each one of them represented a Grand Dao.
The Medicine King Furnace was covered in intricate patterns, and as Yang Kai examined the patterns, he suddenly had a realization. The patterns did not seem to be static but instead changed constantly like living beings when he was concentrating. Moreover, he vaguely discovered a mystery amidst the changing patterns.
It looked like Baili Yun Sang’s statement was correct. The Medicine King Furnace certainly contained the mysteries of the Alchemic Dao in the Divine Armament World. If a person could understand the mysteries hidden within the ever-changing and flowing patterns, there would surely be an immeasurable effect on the improvement of their Alchemic Dao.
Yang Kai could not be bothered to investigate these patterns though, as no matter how amazing the Medicine King Furnace was, it only represented the Alchemic Dao of the Small Source World which was not beneficial to him. What he cared about was the Medicine King Furnace itself.
Taking a deep breath, he stretched out his hand and placed it on the Medicine King Furnace.
In the next moment, a rumbling sound rang out in his mind like the tolling of a morning bell. Yang Kai immediately felt his Soul shaking uncontrollably, threatening to split his head apart from the pain. Unable to stop himself, he howled in pain. His entire body twitched uncontrollably and even his hand that was pressed on top of the Medicine King Furnace clenched tightly.
It took quite a while before he slowly calmed down once more. Even so, the buzzing sound in his head continued endlessly. His entire Soul shook so strongly that he was unable to concentrate as a result.
This experience gave him the feeling that the Medicine King Furnace was resisting his touch and instinctively rejecting him.
After pondering for some time, Yang Kai had a vague feeling that this phenomenon was related to his origins. He was a veritable outsider to this world; meanwhile, the Medicine King Furnace represented one of the Grand Daos of this world. It was only natural that it would reject and resist him.
Nevertheless, this brief contact allowed him to confirm that the Medicine King Furnace did indeed contain an aura of Source Strength. It would seem that his initial speculation when he first entered this world was not wrong. In order to refine the Source Strength of the Divine Armament World, he would have to begin with the Ten Great Divine Armaments, as they were the physical manifestations of the Divine Armament World’s World Force.
Yang Kai originally thought that he would have to wait 100 years until the next Divine Armament Tournament to come into contact with the Ten Great Divine Armaments. Who could have known that the opportunity would come so suddenly?
Under these circumstances, Yang Kai’s first instinct was to surge his Spirit Qi in an attempt to refine the Medicine King Furnace. As long as he could refine the Medicine King Furnace, it would be equivalent to obtaining 10% of the Divine Armament World’s Source Strength. The World Force would then become the capital to enhance and strengthen his own Small Universe once he exited the Divine Armament World.
More importantly, he would not suffer any hidden dangers thanks to his existence and efforts in the Divine Armament World. The World Force was extremely compatible with him.
This was one of the cultivation shortcuts for Open Heaven Realm Masters that Xu Ling Gong mentioned at the beginning!
Yang Kai’s Spirit Qi surged, pouring into the Medicine King Furnace at a steady rate; however, the effects were minimal at best. He could sense that the Medicine King Furnace was absorbing his Spirit Qi, but the consumption rate was absurdly high. Clearly, refining this Divine Armament was not something that could be done overnight.
In less than half an incense stick’s worth of time, Yang Kai’s Spirit Qi was nearly exhausted. It had to be said that he had spent countless resources on his cultivation; as such, the Spirit Qi stored in his body was extremely terrifying compared to others in the same Realm. Nobody in the Fifth-Step Heaven Realm Master could compare to him, while even those at the peak of the Heaven Realm were not on the same level. Be that as it may, Yang Kai was practically a lamp running out of oil after such a short period of time.
[It looks like I will have to slowly figure out another method to refine the Medicine King Furnace! Fortunately, I can freely access this place now. The future is still far ahead.] When that thought crossed his mind, a sharp voice entered his ears, “What are you doing?”
Yang Kai turned to look in the direction the voice came from where he saw a woman dressed in an imperial dress glaring at him coldly. This woman had quite a beautiful appearance. She looked like she was only in her early thirties and her body had enticing curves. Her beautiful hair was pulled up behind her head in a dignified bun.
Despite never meeting this person before, Yang Kai keenly caught sight of the golden token hanging by her waist. Thus, he quickly withdrew his hands and took several deep breaths before he cupped his fist in greeting, “Fixed Moon Peak’s Yang Kai greets Martial Aunt!”
“Yang Kai?” The woman’s pretty brow furrowed together tightly before the realisation struck her a moment later, “You’re that disciple who joined the Sect recently!”
“Yes!” Yang Kai nodded seriously.
Looking him up and down, her gaze paused on the golden token on his waist for a moment and she snorted softly, “The Sect Master sure thinks highly of you. He even went so far as to issue you an Elder Token.” She beckoned towards him once more, “Come down so we can speak.”
Yang Kai obediently leaped down and stood before her respectfully. Seeing as this woman also had an Elder Token on her, she was definitely one of Profound Pill Sect’s Elders. In addition to being Spirit Grade Alchemists, all the Elders of Profound Pill Sect were also Spirit Realm Masters.
She glared at him, “What were you doing up there?”
Yang Kai casually came up with an excuse, “The Sect Master ordered me to come and comprehend the mysteries of the Medicine King Furnace whenever I have the time. This Disciple wondered if it would be easier to learn something if I stood closer to the Divine Armament. That’s why I went up there. If there’s anything wrong with my actions, please punish me, Martial Aunt.”
She angrily snapped, “The ignorant are truly fearless! How could you dare to touch the Divine Armament at will!? You’re lucky I found you early! If I were any later, I would be collecting your corpse instead!”
He was shocked, “Was it that serious?”
The female Elder nodded, “The Ten Great Divine Armaments represent part of this World’s Grand Dao. Ever since ancient times, those who obtained the Divine Armaments were those with great destiny and immense opportunities. It is not something just anybody can touch as they please.”
Although Yang Kai felt that the situation was not as serious as she made it seem, he pretended to be overwhelmed by the situation, “Many thanks for your warning, Martial Aunt!”
Her expression relaxed slightly. She then glanced at him with another measuring look, “So, did you realise anything just now?”
“I believe so, but it’s very vague. I will need more time to sort through and comprehend it.”
She gently nodded, “I’ve heard about you. Since you have a connection with the Medicine King Furnace, then don’t disappoint the Sect Master’s expectations of you. But, never forget this, don’t act rashly and overreach yourself for the sake of greed; otherwise, nobody can save you if something goes wrong.”
“Yes!” Yang Kai nodded firmly, though he couldn’t help feeling strange. This woman seemed rather concerned about him, but he was uncertain if it was just a figment of his imagination, so he offhandedly asked, “Did you come here to comprehend the mysteries of the Medicine King Furnace too, Martial Aunt?”
She let out a soft sigh, her well-rounded peaks heaving up and down slightly, “That’s right. Old people like myself come here every once in a while to see if we can receive any inspiration from this place. If a Spirit Grade Alchemist wants to exceed their current limits… Well, it won’t be so easy. It’s a pity that we old folk are so useless. On the other hand, a young boy like you can see through some of the mysteries here. It’s truly surprising.”
“This Disciple simply had a stroke of fortune. Besides, you are not old, Martial Aunt. You are clearly in the prime of your life.”
The woman glanced at him in surprise before bursting into a peal of laughter, causing flowers to tremble before her beauty. After a while, she finally stopped laughing and snorted softly, “You’re as glib-tongued as that old ghost! No wonder he took you in as a Disciple! Let me ask you this, is that old ghost doing well?”
Yang Kai was confused for a moment; then, he realised that the person she mentioned was referring to his fabricated Master. Looking at her expression and listening to the tone of her voice, this woman seemed to have some kind of deeper relationship with his fake Master. Now, he understood why she seemed concerned over him.
“When Honoured Master taught this Disciple, this Disciple was very young. I don’t remember much from back then, but Honoured Master was quite healthy at the time. Especially when this Disciple made a mistake. He was very strong when spanking this Disciple’s bottom!”
The woman was taken aback for a moment before she laughed happily, “His temper certainly leaves much to be desired, but his vision seems to be as far-sighted as always. You were still young at the time, so it’s only natural for him to spank you when you didn’t reach his standards. I’m sure he will be very proud if he learns about your current achievements.”
After that, she asked him a few more questions, to which Yang Kai either came up with more nonsense or simply claimed that he no longer remembered, so as to not reveal any flaws. Nevertheless, the woman listened with relish no matter how trivial the matter was. A long while passed before she waved her hand to dismiss him, “It looks like you’re tired. You should go back and get some rest. If you run into any trouble, you can come and visit me at Qian Luo Peak. I usually live there.”
“Many thanks, Martial Aunt! This Disciple will take his leave!”
Upon returning to the Fixed Moon Peak, Yang Kai went to Yang Huai and inquired about the circumstances. Only then did he learn that the Peak Master of Qian Luo Peak was an Elder known as Lan Yin. That was probably the woman he encountered in the Restricted Area earlier.
Yang Kai initially wanted to inquire more about his Master, but unfortunately, Yang Huai had lived in the Blood Warrior Hall since he was a child so he only knew about the existence of this person in Profound Pill Sect, but didn’t know much else, so there was nothing that he could tell Yang Kai.
In reality, whether intentionally or unintentionally, Yang Kai had begun to search for more information about his supposed Master ever since he joined Profound Pill Sect. He had joined Profound Pill Sect as that person’s Legacy Disciple after all, so it would not hurt to learn as much as he could about this person. Unexpectedly, there were no records about him in the Records Hall. Seeing as he could not inquire too much from the others lest he exposed his lies, Yang Kai had failed to learn much about his Master so far.
The days that followed were uneventful. Yang Kai provided Alchemy services at the Seeking Pill Pavilion to earn the necessary cultivation resources for himself. At the same time, he travelled to the Restricted Area and back in an attempt to refine the Medicine King Furnace.
He did not know if anybody else in Profound Pill Sect had attempted to refine the Divine Armament before, but he was quite certain that there were precedents; after all, who would not be tempted when the Divine Object was just sitting in the Restricted Area?
It was more likely that Sect Master Baili Yun Sang and the other Elders had tried to refine the Medicine King Furnace only to fail in their attempts. That was because he did not sense any traces left behind by the others from the Medicine King Furnace. On the contrary, Yang Kai made some progress every time he went there. Refining the Medicine King Furnace was a long-term process and was by no means something that could be achieved in a short period of time.
With the consumption of substantial resources, Yang Kai’s cultivation increased steadily.
In addition, he also came up with some pill recipes and Alchemy Techniques that did not belong to the Divine Armament World. Each time that happened, he would receive a considerable number of contribution points. Moreover, the Elders of Profound Pill Sect would research the things that he brought up with great fascination.
Yang Kai had already redeemed the pill recipe for the Hundred Revolutions Clear Heart Pill and his cultivation had slowly advanced into the Ninth-Step Heaven Realm. It would not take long before he was ready to advance into the Spirit Realm. He had no plans to refine the Hundred Revolutions Clear Heart Pill for himself though. With so many contribution points in his possession, he could spend them to exchange for a Hundred Revolutions Clear Heart Pill from Profound Pill Sect instead and save himself some time and effort.
At this point, it had only been less than two years since he entered Profound Pill Sect. The Heaven Devouring Battle Law was as horrifying as it was impressive. If he had not chosen to cultivate the Heaven Devouring Battle Law in the Divine Armament World back then, he could not have experienced such an explosive growth in such a short period of time. This Heaven-defying Evil Art had greatly shortened his cultivation time. Unfortunately, the drawbacks of this Evil Art were also gradually revealing themselves.
Yang Kai was now in the Ninth-Step Heaven Realm, just one step away from advancing into the Spirit Realm. At the same time, the strength of his Dragon Vein had been tremendously stimulated and his physique was unbelievably strong.
In the beginning, Yang Kai believed that his Dragon Vein could offset many of the hidden dangers brought about by cultivating the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, and that was indeed the case in the early stages of his cultivation. He had not sensed anything wrong at the time, so he confidently and eagerly cultivated the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. However, as time went on and his cultivation increased, his Dragon Vein was no longer able to keep up with the purification Yang Kai required.
He could now sense that the impurities in the energy that he devoured during cultivation were subtly affecting his body and mind. The most obvious sign was that his temperament had become a little more irritable than before. He would occasionally experience random temper flare-ups without any particular reason.
This was not a good sign. It had to be said that one must be aware and wary of arrogance and impatience in cultivation. If his mind became disturbed at a critical moment, there was a high possibility of suffering from cultivation dissonance.
Unfortunately, things had already come to this point and Yang Kai had no solution to the problem, so he could only stop cultivating for the time being and slowly stimulate the power of his Dragon Vein in an attempt to gradually suppress the drawbacks brought about by the Heaven Devouring Battle Law.
Thanks to this experience though, Yang Kai became certain that the Heaven Devouring Battle Law was not something that could be cultivated freely. The hidden dangers that the Heaven Devouring Battle Law brought were unavoidable, no matter how much he guarded against them.
It was fortunate that he noticed this situation early on. Only a few years had passed since Yang Kai entered the Divine Armament World, so he still had plenty of time before the next Divine Armament Tournament. Besides, he was not using his actual body here, so even if he suffered from any hidden dangers, these side effects would not affect him once he left.
Due to his given task of comprehending the mysteries of the Medicine King Furnace, Yang Kai had a good excuse to explain why his cultivation was improving so quickly. Among the pill recipes that he contributed, some pills were able to assist in cultivation and some pills could even directly enhance one’s cultivation. These pill recipes were quickly implemented in the Blood Warrior Hall, and their efficacies were swiftly verified. As long as one had these pills and enough cultivation resources, it would not be difficult for them to increase their cultivation.
Nevertheless, nobody paid too much attention to Yang Kai’s cultivation so far. For an Alchemist, cultivation was only an auxiliary to support their Alchemy, it was not their main focus.
Time flew by, and another year passed.
Over the past year, Yang Kai’s cultivation did not increase any further. He remained at the Ninth-Step Heaven Realm. Having noticed the drawbacks of cultivating the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, he had been working hard to stimulate his Dragon Vein to help eliminate the hidden dangers.
Despite all his efforts, however, some of the subtle hidden dangers caused by the Heaven Devouring Battle Law remained, despite his Dragon Vein having been significantly strengthened during this time. Those little hidden dangers were like gangrene that festered in his body and he could not remove them no matter how deeply he dug into their roots. Thus, Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling helpless. The might of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law was also reflected in this situation, highlighting its immense strength in another aspect.
Yang Kai could not understand how Wu Kuang had managed to cultivate this Secret Art. Logically speaking, Wu Kuang should have lost his mind a long time ago. More so since his cultivation grew to such a level with the Heaven Devouring Battle Law as his foundation. Despite what should have happened though, Wu Kuang was alive and kicking. That was not all; he had even managed to infiltrate Myriad Demons Heaven!
Just thinking about it was unbelievable; hence, Yang Kai could only admire that guy’s talent and genius.
On the other hand, both Hua Rong and Yang Huai had grown tremendously!
There was nothing much to be said about Hua Rong. She was already in the Sixth-Step Heaven Realm when she first started serving under Yang Kai. Having her cultivation at such a young age meant that her aptitude was outstanding in the first place, and after serving under Yang Kai, she received an almost unlimited supply of various cultivation resources and pills. Thus, she advanced to become a genuine Spirit Realm Master half a year ago.
Yang Huai might have started out on a lower footing, but he was very compatible with the Supreme Tyrant Body Art that Yang Kai taught him. Over the years, he also reached the Ninth-Step Heaven Realm, so like Yang Kai, he could advance into the Spirit Realm at any moment. It was just that Yang Kai did not allow him to advance so quickly. Yang Kai wanted him to train and hone his strength in the Heaven Realm for a little longer in order to solidify his foundation before attempting to break through.
The days at Profound Pill Sect were extremely comfortable and leisurely. Every now and then, Yang Kai would perform Alchemy to obtain large quantities of cultivation resources. Nevertheless, most of his time was spent immersed in refining the Medicine King Furnace.
One day, Yang Huai suddenly walked in and cupped his fist with a solemn expression when Yang Kai was teaching Wan Ying Ying. Yang Kai continued teaching a little bit more before he raised his head to look at Yang Huai, “What is it?”
Yang Huai replied, “Sir, a message came from the Seeking Pill Pavilion. There’s a person called Li Zheng Qing who came looking for you with something to report!”
“Li Zheng Qing?” Yang Kai raised his brow at the name, “What did he say?”
Yang Huai shook his head, “He did not say, but it seems to be urgent.”
“Bring him here,” Yang Kai instructed.
“Yes!” Yang Huai responded and hurried away again.
Wan Ying Ying asked worriedly, “Eldest Senior Brother, did something happen back at the Master Sect?”
Li Zheng Qing’s sudden arrival from Void Spirit Sword Sect had made her a little uneasy. She couldn’t help wondering if something had happened back at their home.
“I don’t think so,” Yang Kai shook his head. Although he had remained at Profound Pill Sect for several years, his contact with the Master Sect had never been interrupted. They basically exchanged letters with each other every two months. The last letter from the Master Sect had only been one month ago, so if anything had happened, Su Chang Fa would have notified him.
Besides, he was now a well-known Heaven Grade Alchemist. With Yang Kai protecting Void Spirit Sword Sect, not many people in the Divine Armament World would dare to offend them.
“Don’t worry. It’s probably nothing. Maybe Honoured Master has something to tell us,” Yang Kai reassured her while stroking her head.
She made a non-committal sound in response and stood quietly by the side.
Despite reassuring Wan Ying Ying otherwise, Yang Kai had the vague feeling that something had indeed happened to the Master Sect; otherwise, there was no need for Li Zheng Qing to come running here in person.
It didn’t take long before Li Zheng Qing was led inside by Yang Huai. Even though they had not met for several years, this old man had not gotten any older. Rather, he seemed to have gotten much younger. He had only been in the Earth Realm back then, but he was now in the Heaven Realm; moreover, he was in the Second-Step Heaven Realm! It was just that he seemed a little dusty and dishevelled from his long-distance travel.
“Li Zheng Qing greets Sir!” Li Zheng Qing greeted Yang Kai respectfully.
Yang Kai nodded, “Why have you come?”
Li Zheng Qing looked solemn, “Reporting to Sir, the Former Sect Master suddenly fell ill half a month ago. The two Elders sent this Old Master here to invite you back to have a look, Sir.”
“What!?” Wan Ying Ying jumped up at those words and nervously exclaimed, “Honoured Master is ill!?”
Similarly, Yang Kai’s expression became grim, “Why did this happen?”
Li Zheng Qing bowed his head and replied, “The two Elders claimed that the Former Sect Master is old and frail, and the sudden decline of his vitality seems to be related to the injuries he sustained when he was younger.”
Wan Ying Ying quickly asked, “How was Honoured Master when you departed?”
Li Zheng Qing quickly answered the question, “He was unconscious. His situation was not good, but he should not be in danger for the time being. Be that as it may, it took this Old Master half a month to travel here, so I don’t know how he is now.”
“Eldest Senior Brother…” On the verge of tears, Wan Ying Ying turned to look at Yang Kai.
“Don’t panic!” Yang Kai reflexively comforted her. After pondering for some time, he continued, “Wait here for a moment. I will report this matter to the Elder Council and return to the Master Sect immediately!” Turning his head to the side, he instructed Yang Huai, “Summon Hua Rong back here!”
“Yes!” Yang Huai replied in a low voice.
Yang Kai hurriedly walked out of his secluded home. Activating his Spirit Qi, his figure transformed into a streak of light that travelled quickly towards the Elder Hall. Then, he went up to the Elder on duty and briefly explained the situation.
A short while later, he flew back from the Elder Hall. Yang Kai originally thought that he would face some difficulties; after all, he was currently tasked with comprehending the Medicine King Furnace’s Grand Dao Divine Tone.
To put it bluntly, he was very highly valued by Profound Pill Sect, so it should have been impossible for him to leave Profound Pill Sect so easily under normal circumstances. At the very least, he would need to obtain Baili Yun Sang’s approval. Who could have known that Third Elder Yu Bo Yang, who was on duty at the Elder Hall, would agree immediately after listening to the situation? He even told Yang Kai to go swiftly and return quickly, as well as to be careful on the road.
Nevertheless, that was a good thing. Yang Kai did not know Su Chang Fa’s current condition, so he was anxious to return home and did not have time to be delayed.
When he came to the Divine Armament World, this world had given him a brand-new identity that came with the relevant causality and emotions. That was why his anxiety and worry upon hearing that Su Chang Fa was very ill were not fake. They came from the bottom of his heart.
Many years ago, Yang Kai had already known that Su Chang Fa’s potential had been exhausted.
The furthest Su Chang Fa could go in this life was the Third-Step Earth Realm. Having gotten on with age, he would one day face his predestined time of death if his cultivation could not advance any further.
It was just that Yang Kai never imagined that day would come so quickly!
By the time Yang Kai returned to his cave mansion, Hua Rong was back. This woman, who had always been playful and mischievous, was surprisingly tactful and did not joke around this time. She simply stood there, waiting quietly.
A short while later, a ball of light rushed into the sky. Working together, Hua Rong and Yang Kai used their Spirit Qi to wrap around Yang Huai, Li Zheng Qing, and Wan Ying Ying and took off into the sky.
…..
Third Elder Yu Bo Yang stood in front of the Elder Hall with his hands behind his back, his eyes narrowing slightly. A sound came from beside him soon after and following that, a person walked over to stand beside him and looked out into the distance, “Did he leave?”
He nodded, “He left.”
“In that case, go ahead with the plan.”
Turning to look at Baili Yun Sang, he frowned and asked, “Sect Master, is this really… the right thing to do? Regardless of the boy’s origins, he has never done any harm to Profound Pill Sect over the years. What’s more, he can hear the Medicine King Furnace’s Grand Dao Divine Tone. The number of pill recipes that he contributed over the years has been plentiful. He played a huge role in the development of Profound Pill Sect!”
Baili Yun Sang sighed, “How can I not know that? But it is precisely because this is related to the Medicine King Furnace that I have to proceed cautiously. It will be best if he has no intentions to betray Profound Pill Sect, but if he is a spy who was sent here…”
Yu Bo Yang nodded lightly, “That’s true. We cannot afford to be careless in this matter.” He paused for a moment and asked, “Isn’t it better to capture him and question him directly? Why go through the trouble of luring him out?”
Baili Yun Sang shook his head, “He is a famous figure now, and no one among the Heaven Grade Alchemists in the Sect can rival him in terms of talent. If this matter spreads to the public, it will surely become troublesome if any other disciples were to notice. It’s better to proceed quietly for now. We can explain the situation once we figure out the truth.”
Yu Bo Yang nodded at those words, “You’ve considered everything, Sect Master.”
…..
Profound Pill Sect was quite far from Void Spirit Sword Sect. It would take half a month to travel by horseback at the fastest. That was how long it had taken Gao Ming to bring Yang Kai to Profound Pill Sect back then. However, Hua Rong and Yang Kai were using their Spirit Qi to fly on this trip, so it was only natural that their speed was much faster than before.
Hua Rong might only have advanced half a year ago, but she was still a genuine Spirit Realm Master so she had the capital to fly.
On the other hand, Yang Kai was different from others even though he was only in the Ninth-Step Heaven Realm. The reserves of Spirit Qi in his body were extremely vast and could support the intense consumption flying long distances required. If it were any other Heaven Realm Master, they would not have been able to fly for so long.
They travelled as swiftly as the wind and it didn’t take more than a day for them to travel half the distance.
Hua Rong suddenly turned to look at Li Zheng Qing and asked, “Are you feeling warm?”
Li Zheng Qing was sweating profusely, but he forced a smile, “You must be joking, Young Lady. It is simply this Old Master’s first time flying so high in the sky. I can’t help being a little nervous.”
She nodded lightly and comforted him, “Rest assured. I won’t drop you.”
He whimpered in response.
Another day later, the mountain where Void Spirit Sword Sect was located came into view. The four of them landed directly in front of the mountain gate. Hua Rong glanced at Yang Kai breathlessly, her beautiful eyes were filled with surprise.
Even though she had entered the Spirit Realm, flying for two consecutive days was still difficult for her. Throughout the journey, she had consumed many pills that were personally refined by Yang Kai to replenish her depleted energy.
On the contrary, a Ninth-Step Heaven Realm Master like Yang Kai was neither flushed nor breathless. Comparing the two of them, it was almost as though her cultivation was much lower than his. Nevertheless, she clearly sensed that the Spirit Qi that Yang Kai consumed throughout the journey had not been any less than herself…
[How exactly did he achieve that?]
Unfortunately, now was not the time to consider this matter. As soon as they landed, Hua Rong immediately sensed that something was wrong as there was nobody guarding the mountain gate of Void Spirit Sword Sect. Moreover, the entire Void Spirit Sword Sect seemed to be empty. It was completely silent inside; however, she was keenly aware that there were several powerful auras lurking around and quietly watching them.
“Sir!” Hua Rong breathed in lightly and stepped closer to Yang Kai, her beautiful eyes flashing a grim light.
Yang Huai’s physique also tensed up. Like a rampaging Ominous Beast, an indescribable malevolent aura suddenly erupted from his entire body! His flesh wriggled, followed by crackling sounds that came from within his body. A moment later, his entire body became nearly ten centimetres taller.
Although he did not have Hua Rong’s powerful perception, he had a sharp instinct. Just like an Ominous Beast that had fallen into a hunter’s trap, the various incongruities in his surroundings made him feel as though he was facing a formidable enemy.
“Li Zheng Qing!” Yang Kai narrowed his eyes slightly and called out softly.
“This subordinate is here!” Li Zheng Qing replied with his head down. His entire body was shivering like a leaf in the wind and sweat dripped down his forehead without pause.
“How have I treated you?” Yang Kai glanced sideways at Li Zheng Qing with a cold look in his eyes.
Li Zheng Qing trembled, “Without your help, this Old Master would never have advanced into the Heaven Realm. To this Old Master, your favour amounts to being given a new lease on life!”
“Given a new lease on life indeed!” Yang Kai coldly snorted, “So, this is how you repay me?”
Li Zheng Qing’s complexion went pale, but he stubbornly insisted, “What do you mean, Sir? This subordinate does not understand.”
“I’ll give you one last chance. How is my Honoured Master?” Yang Kai stared deeply into Li Zheng Qing’s eyes, his tone incredibly grim.
A momentary struggle flashed across Li Zheng Qing’s expression, but he steeled himself and stood by his story, “Sir, the Former Sect Master is very ill…”
*Zheng…*
A clear and crisp sword cry rang out. Following the flash of a sword light, Li Zheng Qing reacted as if struck by lightning. He reached out to clutch at his throat and stumbled backwards, his eyes widening in disbelief. Staring at Yang Kai incredulously, he cried out hoarsely, “S-Sir…”
Fresh blood gushed out uncontrollably from between the gaps in his fingers.
Yang Kai held the True Void Sword as a drop of crimson fresh blood slowly slid along the length of the blade. A gust of wind blew past, causing his hair to dance and his clothes to flap wildly in the wind, “Just because my sword has not been unsheathed for a long time, did you really think that this was a mere decoration!? Come out!”
With a single sword slash, Sword Qi overflowed in all directions, blotting out all other light!
Following that sword strike, an overwhelming sword wave swept out in all directions. Gravel flew everywhere and countless figures emerged from their hiding places, landing in all directions to surround Yang Kai and the others in a tight circle.
There was a loud crash as Li Zheng Qing collapsed to the ground, causing dust to fly everywhere. His vitality was gone. Not only had Yang Kai’s sword strike sliced through his body, but the sharp Sword Qi had also flayed much of his flesh from his bones.
One of the people who revealed themselves turned to look at Li Zheng Qing’s corpse and frowned almost imperceptibly, seeming to be surprised by Yang Kai’s decisive action. This behaviour was completely different from the Yang Kai that he knew.
In Profound Pill Sect, Yang Kai had always presented himself as a genial and polite young man. Aside from his dispute with a Heaven Grade Alchemist called Wei Cheng when he first joined the Sect, he never lost his temper at anybody or even got into an argument. Despite being outstandingly talented and being highly cherished by the Elders of the Elder Council, he had never acted as though he was better than others.
Not only did he get along well with the other Heaven Grade Alchemists, but many of his comrades and Juniors in the Sect had also received his guidance. Thus, he was extremely highly regarded among all those who were below the Spirit Grade Alchemists in Profound Pill Sect.
When their gazes met, Yang Kai narrowed his eyes and spoke in a cold voice, “Vice Hall Master Wu!”
There were a total of three men hiding in the surroundings earlier, and one of them was none other than the Vice Hall Master of the Divine Flame Hall, Wu Zheng Qi! Back when Yang Kai and Wei Cheng had duelled against each other, Wu Zheng Qi had acted as their witness; therefore, there was a slight connection between them.
Over the years, Wu Zheng Qi had interacted with Yang Kai on numerous occasions, especially as the latter revealed an aptitude for the Alchemic Dao that surpassed all others in his Grade. That was because Wu Zheng Qi had intentionally tried to forge a friendship between them, so the relationship between these two could be considered pretty good in recent years.
For that reason, Yang Kai never imagined that he would encounter Wu Zheng Qi here.
Wu Zheng Qi’s expression was rather complicated, but he had already expected this scene when he first received this mission; hence, he said nothing.
Yang Kai turned to look at the other person, his pupils contracting slightly at the sight, “Old Man Qi!”
Wu Zheng Qi was in the Fifth-Step Spirit Realm, so he was not weak, but Yang Kai was not afraid of him. If it really came down to a fight, he might not be able to do anything to Yang Kai either.
However, it was a whole different case with Old Man Qi. This old man was the Blood Warrior of Profound Pill Sect’s Sect Master, Baili Yun Sang. Yang Kai had interacted with this old man on several occasions and even the Elder Token in his possession had been handed to him by the old man.
The old man was in the Ninth-Step Spirit Realm, which was practically the peak of the entire Divine Armament World, so Yang Kai was well aware of how horrifying the old man was.
Yang Kai did not know the third person; nevertheless, it was a given that this man was also in the Spirit Realm since he was standing here.
“So, that’s how it is. Is this all part of the Sect’s plan?” Yang Kai asked, looking at Old Man Qi. He did not know the old man’s full name and had always just addressed him by his surname.
Be that as it may, Yang Kai immediately understood something when he saw these three people. He had been wondering why he was allowed to leave Profound Pill Sect so easily as logically speaking, he shouldered the heavy burden of comprehending the mysteries of the Medicine King Furnace. That made him an extremely special existence in Profound Pill Sect.
Regardless of whether he had a valid and unavoidable reason, Profound Pill Sect would not have allowed him to leave so easily. Even on the off chance that he was allowed to leave, Profound Pill Sect would have dispatched many Masters to protect him, lest something unfortunate occurred.
Contrary to Yang Kai expectations though, Yu Bo Yang had allowed him to leave without any fuss. Now, looking at the current situation, it was obvious that this was all planned by Profound Pill Sect in advance. That was why he was not met with any resistance when he departed.
Many thoughts flickered through Yang Kai’s mind in that moment. He had made substantial contributions to Profound Pill Sect over the years through comprehending the mysteries of the Medicine King Furnace. In doing so, he had turned over various pill recipes and Alchemy Techniques to the Sect. Not to mention, he had displayed an aptitude for the Alchemic Dao that greatly surpassed all others.
[Logically speaking, Profound Pill Sect should value me very much. Why did they suddenly lure me out to Void Spirit Sword Sect and ambush me?] After thinking about it, there was only one explanation that came to mind, the lies he fabricated in the past had been exposed. Profound Pill Sect had learned that he was completely unrelated to that fabricated Master of his. [Does that mean that my fabricated Master has returned to Profound Pill Sect or made contact with them somehow?]
Hua Rong, Yang Huai, and Wan Ying Ying were stunned. They could not understand what was happening in front of them. Besides, Old Man Qi and the others did not act immediately after revealing themselves; therefore, Hua Rong and the others were completely confused and at a loss for what to do.
Old Man Qi looked at Yang Kai calmly and said, “Yang Boy, surrender without a fight. This Old Master does not hold back in a fight. Alchemists are generally weak and feeble. It will be bad if I accidentally hurt you.”
Wu Zheng Qi also persuaded Yang Kai from the side, “Alchemist Yang, it’s better not to resist. The order we received is to bring you back to Sect. Also, the Sect Master specially ordered us not to endanger your life!”
Yang Kai turned to look at the stone monument carved with the characters ‘Void Spirit Sword Sect’ and asked, “Where are the people of Void Spirit Sword Sect?”
Wu Zheng Qi replied, “Rest assured, the people of Void Spirit Sword Sect have not been harmed. Half a month ago, we transferred them all to Profound Pill City. I’m sure they’ve settled there by now.”
Yang Kai breathed a sigh of relief at those words, “Good.”
At this point, it was obvious that Su Chang Fa being seriously ill was simply Li Zheng Qing’s excuse to lure him back to Void Spirit Sword Sect. When that thought crossed his mind, he frowned, “If the Sect Master wants to capture me, then why did he lure me out here? He could have made his move back at the Sect!”
Wu Zheng Qi shook his head and said, “I don’t know the exact details. We are simply acting according to our orders…” He gave a bitter laugh before he continued, “To be honest, this Wu didn’t even know that the person to be captured was you, Alchemist Yang.”
Turning to look at Old Man Qi, he added, “Perhaps Old Qi might know something.”
Old Man Qi shook his head, “This Old Master does not know either. The Sect Master gave his order, so this Old Master obeyed!” Glancing at the True Void Sword in Yang Kai’s hands, he gave a warning, “Yang Boy, this Old Master knows that there are two Sword Qi attacks sealed within that True Void Sword replica in your hands, but those Sword Qi attacks will not be effective against this Old Master. You can give it a try if you don’t believe me.”
Yang Kai nodded, “You are very strong, Old Qi, so I know well that these two trivial Sword Qi attacks will not be able to do anything to you.”
Old Man Qi replied, “Since you know that, then follow this Old Master back to the Sect. If there is some sort of misunderstanding, you can explain yourself clearly to the Sect Master in person.”
Likewise, Wu Zheng Qi tried to persuade Yang Kai, “Old Qi is right. Alchemist Yang, please follow us back to the Sect!”
Yang Kai took a short breath and narrowed his eyes marginally, “I will definitely return to the Sect, but… not now!”
Old Man Qi’s eyes contracted slightly, “Boy, this Old Master does not wish to harm you, but that does not mean that I won’t…”
Yang Kai raised his hand to interrupt Old Man Qi, “Old Qi, it’s not that I underestimate you; however, there is no one in this world who can stop me if I am determined to leave.”
Old Man Qi’s expression darkened and he seemed to have been angered by those words, “Shameless boasting!”
Ignoring Old Man Qi, Yang Kai turned to look at Hua Rong and Yang Huai instead, “I’m in trouble now. What do the two of you plan to do from now on?”
Hua Rong gritted her teeth, “What else can I do now that I’ve boarded your boat? Why don’t you follow them back? It’s better than being dragged back after getting beaten half to death.”
Yang Huai was never one to speak much. He simply cupped his fist and shouted, “I will serve you until the day I die, Sir!”
Wu Zheng Qi sighed, “Those who come from the Blood Warrior Hall have always been fiercely loyal to the Alchemist that they choose to serve.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly, “Very good!” Then, he turned to look at Old Man Qi and added, “Old man, please pass this message to the Sect Master when you return to the Sect, I will return within ten days and explain everything to him at the time. I ask that the Sect Master treat the people of Void Spirit Sword Sect kindly. They are unrelated to this matter!”
Old Man Qi raised his eyebrows, “Things have already come to this, are you still caught up in your delusions? Attack!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, he reached out to grab Yang Kai. A terrifying Spirit Qi spread out in a fluctuating wave, almost like ripples spreading out across the surface of a pond.
With the hand looming over them, both Hua Rong and Yang Huai were so scared that all the hair on their bodies stood upright. There was a sense of being shrouded by a cage made from the World itself, which gave them the illusion that there was nowhere to run. The might of a Ninth-Step Spirit Realm Master was evident. It was not something that either one of them could even hope to compete with.
In the next moment, however, Old Man Qi’s expression changed drastically. That was because he was caught off-guard by a sudden discovery. When he reached out towards Yang Kai, he found that rather than getting closer, the distance between them actually extended further and further away. The space between them seemed to stretch out strangely, even though Yang Kai was clearly standing right in front of him without moving a muscle.
There was a peculiar force affecting his perception and judgement! He was shocked. In all the years that he spent cultivating, he had never encountered something as peculiar as this. He urged his Spirit Qi fiercely, trying to break free from the influence of that strange power, but unfortunately, his attempts proved to be fruitless.
Yang Kai’s voice sounded in his ears, “I told you. If I want to leave, nobody in this world can stop me! Old man, don’t forget to pass my message to the Sect Master. Also, please tell him that I don’t hold any malice towards Profound Pill Sect!”
The space in front of Yang Kai distorted abnormally, and by the time Old Man Qi’s hand clenched shut, Yang Kai and the others had already inexplicably vanished out of sight.
Similarly, the attacks of Wu Zheng Qi and the other Spirit Realm Master landed on empty space, narrowly missing Old Man Qi.
Old Man Qi’s eyes widened so wide that they were bigger than eggs. He could scarcely believe what he was seeing and turning to look around his surroundings, he shouted, “Where are they!?”
Wu Zheng Qi and the other Spirit Realm Master shook their heads in unison.
Three Spirit Realm Masters had formed a tight encirclement around Yang Kai and his group, but Yang Kai and the others had disappeared right in front of their eyes. What’s more, one of them was also a Ninth-Step Spirit Realm Master! If they had not witnessed what happened themselves, even they wouldn’t have believed it!
“Impossible! Search for them! They must be hiding nearby!” Old Man Qi shouted angrily and hurriedly began searching his surroundings.
A short while later, the three of them gathered together and looked at each other, their expressions extremely ugly.
Yang Kai and the others were gone… They not only vanished without a trace but also left no clues behind.
“Just now… What did he do?” Wu Zheng Qi asked with a gloomy expression. It was his first time encountering such a bizarre phenomenon after so many years of cultivation.
Old Man Qi snapped angrily, “If I knew what kinds of means he used, I would not have allowed him to get away!”
Wu Zheng Qi and the other Spirit Realm Master looked at each other only to see the inexplicable horror in each other’s eyes! What happened just now was simply too bizarre. They could only watch helplessly as four living people vanished from under their very noses! More importantly, if Yang Kai could disappear so suddenly, then he could also appear just as suddenly! Such an ability would be very difficult to fight back against!
In the middle of the wilderness, the stench of blood filled the air. A calf-sized Beast corpse lay in a pool of blood. Meanwhile, seven or eight bony Earth Wolves gnawed away at the flesh of their prey and devoured their food greedily. This was a perfect hunt. Under the command of the Alpha Wolf, this small group of Earth Wolves had finally obtained a chance to fill their stomachs after starving for half a month.
The Alpha Wolf, who was much larger than the other Earth Wolves, had already eaten his fill and at this moment, he was lying lazily by the side and licking his front paw that had been injured earlier. All of a sudden, his ears stood up alertly. His golden eyes were fixed on a certain point in the space in front of it. The area in that direction was twisted and distorted. Furthermore, pitch-black lines abruptly appeared in the area like cracks that had been torn open.
An uneasy feeling rose in the Alpha Wolf’s heart and he slowly got to his feet, baring his fangs and growling in that direction. The other Earth Wolves snapping for food looked over in unison and a series of wolf howls rang out one after another in the next moment.
The pitch-black cracks interweaved with each other, moving faster and faster. Then, a strange force suddenly erupted from within and four figures eerily appeared out of nowhere in the vision of the Earth Wolves.
A huge black hole that emitted the chaotic aura of nothingness appeared behind these four people, but under the effects of the local World Principles, the black hole was quickly sealed shut again.
The golden pupils of the Alpha Wolf contracted sharply, becoming the size of needlepoints. He let out a low howl before he turned and fled. At that moment, his beastly instincts allowed him to sense the threat of death. Thus, the Earth Wolves fled swiftly across the wilderness and vanished out of sight in the blink of an eye.
When Yang Kai and the three others suddenly emerged, only Yang Kai stood there without much of a reaction. The other three, including Hua Rong, were very pale. Covering their mouths with their hands, they ran to the side and bent over to vomit out everything in their stomachs!
Experiencing teleportation for the first time was not a glorious feeling. The feeling of tearing space, then travelling through the chaotic Void, was akin to the sensation of one’s body being broken down into countless tiny pieces and then recombined once more.
Yang Kai had witnessed this scene in front of him many times, so he was unsurprised by it. Hua Rong and the others were not considered weak in the Divine Armament World, but they were not nearly strong enough to withstand the effects of teleportation. If not for his protection, they would have been sliced to pieces by the Void Turbulence.
Turning to look back at the pitch-black cracks that were rapidly sealing together, Yang Kai frowned slightly. The World Principles here were far stronger than he imagined.
Several years had passed since he first arrived in the Divine Armament World, and his cultivation was now in the Ninth-Step Heaven Realm. The power of his Dragon Vein had also been greatly stimulated during this period. Aside from strengthening his Dragon Vein, Yang Kai mainly cultivated the Dao of Space over the past year. He was uncertain whether it was due to the limitation of his cultivation, but his progress in the Dao of Space was very unsatisfactory, and many of his Space Secret Techniques could not be used.
Nevertheless, he was titled Void Great Emperor in the Star Boundary thanks to his accomplishments in the Dao of Space, so he was still capable of displaying its brilliance even though he was in the Divine Armament World. At the very least, escaping from Old Man Qi was not an issue.
What surprised Yang Kai was that Profound Pill Sect had planned the incident involving Void Spirit Sword Sect. First, they lured him back to Void Spirit Sword Sect. Then, they arranged for Old Man Qi and two other Spirit Realm Masters to ambush him…
If his guess was correct, then Profound Pill Sect must have figured out that he had nothing to do with his fabricated Master; otherwise, there was no reason for them to do something like this.
Fortunately, Wu Zheng Qi had mentioned that the people of Void Spirit Sword Sect had been relocated and resettled in Profound Pill City approximately half a month ago without any casualties. That being the case, Yang Kai would need to return to Profound Pill Sect regardless of anything else.
[My cultivation in the Ninth-Step Heaven Realm is a little lacking. Now that I have one year’s worth of accumulation and precipitation, it’s time to advance into the Spirit Realm.]
“Just now…” Hua Rong walked over with a pale complexion, her face practically colourless as she asked, “What happened? Where are Old Man Qi and the others?”
“We shook them off!” Yang Kai responded casually and looked around his surroundings and did not know where they were. Although he could use Space Principles to an extent in this place, he could not control them with precision. That was why he could not guarantee his landing location or distance traveled. Randomly choosing a direction, he beckoned towards the others, “Let’s go. Let’s find somebody to ask for directions.”
Hua Rong remained confused. She could not understand how they managed to shake off the pursuit of three powerful Spirit Realm Masters. Following Yang Kai, she came to stand beside Yang Huai and reached out to poke him in the waist as she asked quietly, “Hey, big guy! Do you know what happened just now?”
Yang Huai’s expression was cold and he said nothing.
She snapped, “I’m talking to you! Are you deaf!?”
He lowered his head to look at her, his expression becoming more and more troubled.
Hua Rong became puzzled and asked, “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I… need to throw up again!” After saying that, he rushed to the side and retched again.
…..
After walking for less than an hour, the group came across a small village. Hua Rong went ahead to ask for information and it didn’t take long before she returned and pointed in a certain direction, “Heavenly Martial City is in that direction!”
Yang Kai nodded lightly and looked at her, “Can you fly?”
She pointed at her colourless small face, “Do you think I can fly in this state? I barely have the strength to walk right now!”
Yang Kai raised an eyebrow at those words and nodded, “Then, let’s find a place to stay for the night.”
None of them had any objections, so they quickly found a place to set up camp. Yang Huai hunted a roe dear; and after that, the four of them lit a bonfire and roasted something simple to fill their now mostly empty stomachs.
After resting for a night, they finally recovered their strength.
An hour after sunup, Yang Kai and the three others arrived at Heavenly Martial City and landed directly in front of the City Lord’s Mansion.
Many of the guards at the City Lord’s Mansion immediately reacted as though they were facing a formidable enemy. Heavenly Martial City was quite prosperous, and there were many Heaven Realm Masters in the city; even so, Hua Rong’s unconcealed aura clearly indicated that she was a Spirit Realm Master. The guards couldn’t help being fearful of her as a result. How could they dare to act rashly before figuring out the reason for the arrival of Yang Kai and the others?
The City Lord of Heavenly Martial City, Miao Hong, soon received the news and came forward to check out the situation. As soon as he saw Yang Kai, he was stunned, “Alchemist Yang?”
Yang Kai cupped his fist, “City Lord Miao, it’s been a long time!”
“It really is you, Alchemist Yang!” Miao Hong laughed loudly, “What a rare guest!”
Waving his hands widely, he scolded the guards around him, “Disperse! Disperse! How can you all have eyes but fail to see!? He is a Heaven-Grade Alchemist from Profound Pill Sect! What do you think you’re doing!?”
When the guards saw this situation, they immediately understood that these people were acquaintances of the City Lord. Thus, they couldn’t help breathing a sigh of relief and scattering back to their posts.
Meanwhile, Miao Hong enthusiastically came forward, “Alchemist Yang, it’s been several years, but your noble bearing remains unchanged!”
“You praise me too much, City Lord Miao.” Yang Kai smiled in greeting, “Please forgive me for coming without invitation.”
Miao Hong smilingly replied, “You are my saviour, Alchemist Yang. I’ve yet to thank you properly for what you did for me back then. This Miao is absolutely thrilled by your arrival. How can I be upset with you? Come! Let’s talk inside.”
It might be that he was grateful for the saving grace he received in the past or that he wanted to strengthen their friendly relations, but regardless, Miao Hong was extremely hospitable. He initially wanted to host a huge banquet to welcome Yang Kai, but to his disappointment, the latter was in no mood for pleasantries and politely declined.
Inside a reception room, Yang Kai sternly said, “I came here because I have something to ask of you, City Lord Miao.”
Upon hearing this, Miao Hong patted his chest loudly, “Please feel free to speak, Alchemist Yang. As long as it is within this Miao’s abilities, this Miao will not refuse!”
“I want to borrow some Red Jades from you, City Lord!” Yang Kai declared.
“No problem. How many do you need, Alchemist Yang?” Miao Hong immediately agreed. His answer was very straightforward.
“How many do you have?” Yang Kai countered with another question.
Miao Hong was flabbergasted by the question, but he quickly realised that the amount Yang Kai needed might be enormous.
Then again, Yang Kai was now a Heaven-Grade Alchemist. That was not all; he was an extremely well-known Heaven-Grade Alchemist in Profound Pill Sect. He would not be lacking in funds; therefore, he would not borrow money from Miao Hong if it were a small amount.
After pondering for some time, Miao Hong finally answered, “To be honest, this Miao has never taken an inventory of how many Red Jades there are in Heavenly Martial City. I don’t know if I can satisfy your needs, Alchemist Yang. Why don’t we do this instead? Come with me to the treasure vault. All the resources in Heavenly Martial City are stored there!”
Yang Kai did not refuse. He nodded and said, “En.”
Miao Hong gestured politely and walked ahead to lead the way.
Along the way, Yang Kai asked, “Aren’t you going to ask me why I need so many Red Jades, City Lord Miao?”
Miao Hong laughed, “You are famous now, Alchemist Yang. Even this Miao who lives in Heavenly Martial City year-round has heard your name. You’re a walking billboard among the Heaven-Grade Alchemists in Profound Pill Sect! Alchemist Yang, you came to borrow from this Miao because you think highly of this Miao. If it is within this Miao’s abilities, I will surely help you to the best of my abilities! As for what you plan to do, that’s your business.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Rest assured, City Lord Miao. For everything that I borrow from you today, I will surely reward you handsomely!”
Miao Hong chuckled, “We’ll talk about the future when the future comes! We’re here!”
Needless to say, the treasure vault of Heavenly Martial City was very heavily defended. There were several layers of guards protecting the place both overtly and covertly along the way. It was just that City Lord Miao Hong himself was leading the way, so these guards did not dare to stop them.
When Miao Hong opened the gates of the treasure vault, a strong wave of Spirit Qi immediately poured out.
Yang Kai stepped inside and immediately saw several small mountains of Red Jades. There were at least 2 or 3 million pieces in this place.
Thinking about it, it was not that strange. Back then, Miao Hong had readily given Yang Kai 200,000 pieces of Red Jades in order to thank him for his help. How could he afford to be so generous if he did not have the backing of immense wealth?
Aside from the Red Jades, there were also tons of Spirit Flowers, exotic herbs, and strange ores. All the wealth accumulated by Heavenly Martial City over the years was currently stored inside this treasure vault.
“Take a look, Alchemist Yang. Is this enough Red Jade?” Miao Hong asked with a smile.
“It’s enough!” Yang Kai nodded, “I will need to enter retreat for a few days. Please make the necessary arrangements, City Lord.”
Miao Hong nodded, “Good. Go ahead and enter retreat in peace, Alchemist Yang. This Miao guarantees that nobody will come and disturb you during this period.”
“Many thanks!” Yang Kai cupped his fist. Immediately after that, he issued some instructions to Hua Rong and Yang Huai.
With a loud rumble, the doors of the treasure vault closed. Hua Rong and Yang Huai stood on both sides of the entrance and even Wan Ying Ying stood nearby, trying her hardest to keep her eyes open and remain vigilant of her surroundings.
Glancing at the closed gates of the treasure vault, Miao Hong smacked his lips and asked Hua Rong, “What is Alchemist Yang’s current cultivation?”
Hua Rong glanced sideways at him, “Why are you asking so many questions?”
The aggressive reply left him unable to catch his breath. Unfortunately, she was a Spirit Realm Master, so while he might be a City Lord, Miao Hong did not dare to make a fool of himself in front of Hua Rong. He could only smile flatteringly in response.
Wan Ying Ying probably couldn’t bear to continue watching. Her Eldest Senior Brother was borrowing the other party’s land and Red Jades after all, which was why she spoke up softly from the side, “Eldest Senior Brother is currently in the Ninth-Step Heaven Realm!”
Even though he had guessed as much, Miao Hong couldn’t help gasping at those words.
When they first met, Yang Kai had only been in the Ninth-Step Earth Realm at the time. Only four years or so had passed since then, but Yang Kai was already in the Ninth-Step Heaven Realm! That was the same as Miao Hong himself! Even if Heaven-Grade Alchemists did not lack for pills to aid in their cultivation, the speed at which Yang Kai grew was terrifying.
Miao Hong had never heard of anybody who could advance from the Ninth-Step Earth Realm to the Ninth-Step Heaven Realm in such a short time. Seeing as Yang Kai not only came here to borrow Red Jades, but also to enter retreat, it was obvious that he was planning to break through into the Spirit Realm!
[The Spirit Realm… I’ve been yearning for that Realm for so many years!] Miao Hong had been stuck in the Ninth-Step Heaven Realm for a long time. His accumulation had reached its peak, so all he lacked was a Hundred Revolutions Clear Heart Pill!
As soon as the thought crossed his mind, his eyes immediately brightened. He had helped Yang Kai to advance into the Spirit Realm. If everything went smoothly, Yang Kai would surely become a Spirit Realm Alchemist. Therefore, it would not be too difficult to ask Yang Kai to refine a Hundred Revolutions Clear Heart Pill for him when the time came!
[The key for me to advance into the Spirit Realm might just lie with him!]
…..
Inside Heavenly Martial City’s treasure vault, Yang Kai sat down cross-legged with the small mountain of Red Jades piled up beside him and focused his mind. A long while passed before he took out a small jade box.
As soon as he opened the jade box, a longan-sized pill entered his view. This tiny pill had cost him 10,000 contribution points. More importantly, it was the key to advancing into the Spirit Realm! It was a Hundred Revolutions Clear Heart Pill!
Half a year ago, Yang Kai purchased a Hundred Revolutions Clear Heart Pill for Hua Rong when she needed to advance into the Spirit Realm. Considering that he would definitely need one in the future, he had also prepared one for himself.
In any case, he did not lack contribution points in Profound Pill Sect. Having contributed various pill recipes and other Alchemy-related knowledge over the past few years. By now, he had accumulated more than 100,000 contribution points in the Contribution Hall.
It would seem that his actions at the time had been a wise choice; otherwise, he would be stuck trying to figure out a way to refine the Hundred Revolutions Clear Heart Pill at this moment.
Gathering his thoughts, Yang Kai opened his mouth and swallowed the pill. He simultaneously activated the Heaven Devouring Battle Law and his entire body immediately transformed into a black hole that devoured everything around him. The Spirit Qi contained within the Red Jades piled up inside the vault was pulled by an irresistible force and gathered inside his body.
His flesh squirmed, his meridians swelled, and the Spirit Qi accumulated inside his body became larger and larger as a result. At the same time, crackling sounds rang out incessantly as the Red Jades quickly ran out of energy and turned into dust.
Half an hour later, Yang Kai’s entire body swelled up massively as his clothes and his black hair flapped wildly around him. In the short span of half an hour, he had already consumed as many as 100,000 pieces of Red Jade. Moreover, this was just the beginning!
More and more pieces of Red Jades were drained clean with the passing of time. The meridians below his flesh squirmed like earthworms, looking extremely terrifying.
It felt as though there were invisible shackles in his body, but under the continuous impact of the massive amounts of Spirit Qi, these shackles were constantly showing signs of loosening. A faint blood mist permeated the air, lingering around the sides of his body.
At this time, Yang Kai was very glad that he had spent an extra year strengthening his Dragon Vein after reaching the Ninth-Step Heaven Realm. If he had advanced directly into the Spirit Realm without any forethought back then, his body might not have been able to withstand such violent force.
The power of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law was terrifying beyond imagination. Not to mention, this power would increase with the improvement of one’s cultivation. Without a strong enough body as support, it would be impossible to support the influx of so much power all at once. Even at this moment, Yang Kai could feel various aches and pains all over his body, and there was no need to even look to know how many injuries he had sustained during this breakthrough.
Ignoring everything, Yang Kai continued to circulate the Heaven Devouring Battle Law and devoured the energy within the surrounding Red Jades without pause. Following the consumption of many Red Jades, he felt himself coming closer and closer to the barrier.
At a certain moment, a shout came from outside the door. It was followed by several loud crashes mixed with low groans. Immediately after that, the gates of the treasure vault shattered apart and an old man slowly walked inside the treasure vault amidst the flying rubble, his hands behind his back. Snorting, he shouted, “Don’t be so presumptuous!”
When he lifted his gaze and looked forward, his eyes immediately contracted and his expression filled with horror! Even with his experience and knowledge, he had never seen such a bizarre sight before.
Yang Kai was sitting down cross-legged inside the treasure vault with a thick blood mist lingering around his body. Nobody knew what kind of strange Secret Art he was cultivating, but more importantly, there was a frenzy of energy gathered around his body. The energy turmoil was absolutely terrifying, almost as if the oceans themselves were all boiling!
Another person followed closely behind the old man and walked into the room. Similarly, he soon froze in shock.
These two were Old Man Qi and Wu Zheng Qi. Yang Kai had disappeared from right in front of them yesterday. A search of their surroundings might have been to no avail, but they did not give up so easily; after all, they had received orders to bring Yang Kai back alive. There was no reasonable explanation for their empty-handed return if they gave up just like that.
After a brief discussion, they sent the other Spirit Realm Master back to report to Profound Pill Sect while the two of them, Old Man Qi and Wu Zheng Qi, continued to search for Yang Kai’s whereabouts.
While passing through the vicinity of Heavenly Martial City, the two of them sensed an unusual Spirit Qi fluctuation and immediately came over to investigate the situation only to encounter Hua Rong and the others who were standing guard outside the treasure vault.
Never had they expected to be so lucky as to find Yang Kai’s whereabouts so easily. Even though Hua Rong and the others had tried to stop them, what could a newly-advanced Spirit Realm Master and a Ninth-Step Heaven Realm Master do against Old Man Qi? They were easily knocked aside by the old man with a few casual moves.
When Old Man Qi entered the treasure vault, he was greeted by the scene in front of him.
Wu Zheng Qi was taken aback for a moment, “Old Qi, Alchemist Yang seems to be advancing into the Spirit Realm…”
Old Man Qi nodded almost imperceptibly and said lightly, “Let’s wait.”
Old Man Qi did not attack immediately. The order Baili Yun Sang gave him was to bring Yang Kai back alive, and if he attacked now, Yang Kai’s breakthrough would inevitably be disturbed. Yang Kai would die on the spot if he were distracted at such a critical moment, which was why Old Man Qi did not dare to take such risks.
As Baili Yun Sang’s personal Blood Warrior, Old Man Qi was well aware that Yang Kai’s existence was very important to Profound Pill Sect; furthermore, Yang Kai would only be useful alive. A dead man had no value.
Fortunately, they did not need to wait long. In less than an hour’s time, a powerful aura erupted from within Yang Kai’s body and a shockwave that was visible to the naked eye spread out in all directions. Everything in the treasure vault was thrown into disarray as a result.
Both the expressions of Old Man Qi and Wu Zheng Qi sank slightly. They had never seen such a violent and imposing breakthrough before.
The blood mist suddenly dispersed, and Yang Kai abruptly jerked his eyes open. His eyes were scarlet and contained a deep-seated evil, as if they could penetrate space to look into the essence of everything in the world.
“Just what kind of Evil Art did you cultivate!?” Old Man Qi shouted the question with a frown. At this moment, Yang Kai gave him a completely different feeling from usual.
A malevolent aura lingered around Yang Kai, making him seem like a Wild Beast that had finally obtained freedom after being trapped for many years and was hungry to devour its prey. He seemed like a completely different person compared to his usual demeanour.
Yang Kai ignored Old Man Qi, looked down at his hands, and clenched his fists lightly. It felt as though the entire world was in the palm of his hands when he slowly closed his fist.
Wu Zheng Qi stepped forward and shouted, “Alchemist Yang, stop going down the wrong path. Please follow us back to the Sect.”
Yang Kai looked up at Wu Zheng Qi. The corner of his lips lifted slightly, revealing a sinister smile, “The one going down the wrong path is you!”
Wu Zheng Qi frowned, “Alchemist Yang, are you suffering from cultivation dissonance?”
Yang Kai’s current state felt very wrong to him.
“No! I’m perfectly fine! I’ve never been better!” While speaking, Yang Kai slowly stood up and took a deep breath. An enraptured expression appeared on his face, “Power is truly delightful!”
Old Man Qi’s expression darkened, “He is probably suffering from cultivation dissonance. Don’t waste time talking to him! Capture him!”
Wu Zheng Qi nodded lightly and shouted, “Alchemist Yang, please forgive me!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, his body shot towards Yang Kai like an arrow, unsheathing his blade and slashing down as he approached!
The blade in his hand was a Spirit Armament. As the Vice Hall Master of Profound Pill Sect’s the Divine Flame Hall and a Fifth-Step Spirit Realm Master, it was only natural that he qualified to wield a Spirit Armament.
The blade light was blinding as Wu Zheng Qi poured his lifelong cultivation into this slash. Regardless of whether it was the angle of the blade or the timing of his attack, both were impeccable. He was confident he could split a mountain with this single stroke.
At that moment, Old Man Qi’s shout suddenly entered his ears, “Watch out!”
Before Wu Zheng Qi could figure out what was happening, his vision blurred all of a sudden. Yang Kai appeared in front of him without any warning. Immediately after that, an overwhelming and terrifying force came from the front. His figure halted for a moment in mid-air, and then he was violently thrown backwards.
*Hong…*
A loud rumbling crash rang out as Wu Zheng Qi did not know how many walls he smashed through before he stopped skidding backward. A path of destroyed buildings was left in his wake.
Using his blade to push against the ground, he managed to climb to a half-kneeling position with some difficulty. A mouthful of blood surged up from the back of his throat. Opening his mouth, he vomited blood. The Spirit Qi in his body was extremely agitated and the hand with which he held his sword was bloody and trembling uncontrollably. Even the muscles along his arm had burst open.
An inexplicable sense of terror flooded his heart, and his eyes widened as far as they could. It was not until this moment that he realised Yang Kai had seriously injured him in a single move!
That terrifying force that struck him and the unstoppable invasion of Spirit Qi nearly made Wu Zheng Qi think that he was facing a Ninth-Step Spirit Realm Master rather than a newly-advanced one!
*Hong hong hong…*
A series of explosions sounded, and every single one was accompanied by a violent eruption of Sword Qi. Wu Zheng Qi looked up and saw a scene that he would never forget for the rest of his life.
Old Man Qi was a Ninth-Step Spirit Realm Master, but he was clearly being suppressed by Yang Kai in the sky! Every time sword light flashed, fresh blood was drawn!
Wu Zheng Qi wore a horrified expression on his face. The scene in front of him was even harder to accept than the fact that he had been heavily injured by Yang Kai in one move. He had just personally witnessed Yang Kai advancing into the Spirit Realm; in other words, Yang Kai was only in the First-Step Spirit Realm. Be that as it may, the strength displayed by this First-Step Spirit Realm Master was beyond his ability to comprehend.
[Is he even Human!?]
Yang Kai’s figure flitted about erratically, and despite Wu Zheng Qi’s sharp eyesight, he could barely keep track of him. Sword lights flashed continuously, and every blow contained terrifying power. Even Old Man Qi, who was in the Ninth-Step Spirit Realm, had great trouble parrying those attacks.
Wu Zheng Qi had never seen such a novel method of fighting in all his years of cultivation. Moreover… it came from an Alchemist!
In his impression, few Alchemists in the world would study the Martial Dao even if they had impressive cultivation. That was because they spent most of their energy and time on the Alchemic Dao. Besides, their cultivation was basically nurtured through the use of pills; after all, the main reason they improved their cultivation at all was simply to perform better in Alchemy.
In this way, the strength that an Alchemist could generally exert often did not match their cultivation. An Alchemist in the Ninth-Step Heaven Realm might not win in battle even if their opponent was several Steps weaker than them. It was precisely because of this consideration that the Blood Warrior Hall existed in Profound Pill Sect and why wandering Alchemists recruited bodyguards to protect themselves.
However, the exact opposite was true when it came to Yang Kai. Every punch and every kick was delivered with unparalleled precision and vicious power. It was impossible to achieve this level of combat sense without being immersed in the way of killing for hundreds of years. That being said, how old was Yang Kai!? He was only 18 years old when he first joined Profound Pill Sect, which meant he was only slightly past 20 this year! Where did he get such extensive fighting experience!?
All of a sudden, Wu Zheng Qi recalled something. When Yang Kai and Wei Cheng formed a feud with each other over an incident in the Divine Flame Cave, both of them agreed to fight on the Martial Methods Stage. In the second round, Yang Kai had personally fought against one of Wei Cheng’s bodyguards who was in the Heaven Realm and the bodyguard had been knocked off the Martial Methods Stage in a single move.
At the time, Wu Zheng Qi simply assumed that Yang Kai had launched a sneak attack and the Heaven Realm bodyguard had been caught off guard. It would now seem that Yang Kai had already revealed his extraordinary talent in fighting back then, and his strength had only been exponentially magnified with the improvement of his cultivation. At this point, he was definitely the strongest Alchemist in the entire Divine Armament World!
A muffled groan brought Wu Zheng Qi’s messy thoughts back to the present, and when he looked up again, the two figures in the sky that were originally engaged in battle had separated, now standing several dozen metres apart from each other.
Old Man Qi’s body was riddled with tiny wounds, making him seem as though he had been fished out of a pool of blood and there was an incredulous expression on his face. During the brief confrontation just now, he had been at a complete disadvantage. He would have been killed by Yang Kai by now if not for his mighty strength.
On the opposite side, Yang Kai held the True Void Sword lightly. His eyes were lowered, and his large hand holding the sword trembled uncontrollably for some reason. The veins in his forehead bulged, squirming and undulating like earthworms under his skin. His eyes had also changed to become completely blood-red. His appearance looked extremely horrifying.
“You should leave now, Old Man Qi. If you don’t leave now, you will probably die here!” Yang Kai’s suppressed voice resembled the growling of a trapped beast.
Old Man Qi stared at Yang Kai with a fleeting look of struggle in his eyes. He seemed to want to continue the battle, but he simply gritted his teeth and came to Wu Zheng Qi’s side in a flash upon recalling what happened just now. Wrapping his Spirit Qi around Wu Zheng Qi, he soared into the sky.
Just like that, a raging dispute ended in such a bizarre turn of events. All that remained was the City Lord’s Mansion that was now in shambles.
Miao Hong walked over from the side with an awkward expression and softly called out, “Alchemist Yang…”
It was not as though he had been unaware of Old Man Qi and Wu Zheng Qi’s arrival, it was just that he arrived too late. By the time he reached this place, Old Man Qi had already barged into the treasure vault. Besides, Miao Hong was only in the Ninth-Step Heaven Realm, so it was impossible for him to stop Old Man Qi regardless.
What shocked him even more was how Yang Kai had fought viciously against the two Spirit Realm Masters from Profound Pill Sect. Nevertheless, what he witnessed also told him that there was some kind of dispute between Yang Kai and Profound Pill Sect.
He might not understand the reason behind this incident, but it was the truth that Yang Kai’s advancement into the Spirit Realm had been disrupted. Both parties were not people he could afford to offend; hence, Miao Hong was worried that Yang Kai would blame him for this incident.
As soon as the words left his mouth, Yang Kai suddenly turned to look in his direction. The murderous intent in those crimson eyes practically threatened to erupt outward. For an instant, Miao Hong felt as though the entire world was shrouded in blood. Great panic flooded his heart and the feeling of death hit him in the face. He was so scared that he stumbled several steps back unconsciously.
Then, the murderous intent dissipated without warning. Drenched in cold sweat, Miao Hong looked up only to see Yang Kai standing there quietly, gripping his sword tightly. Yang Kai had closed his eyes at some point, but the frightening aura continued to fluctuate around him. It was almost as though that murderous intent would explode with an astounding impact at the slightest stimulation.
[What in the world is going on!?] Miao Hong was completely confused.
Similarly, Hua Rong and Yang Huai did not understand what was going on. Although they had followed Yang Kai for several years now, it was not until today that they realised just how terrifying his strength was. They felt as though they had only gotten to know him today, and their eyes were filled with a mixture of shock and doubt.
…..
In the dark of the night, two figures flew across the sky. They were Old Man Qi and Wu Zheng Qi who escaped from Heavenly Martial City earlier.
Thinking back to what happened just now, the two of them still found the reality extremely difficult to accept despite experiencing it for themselves. A Fifth-Step Spirit Realm Master and a Ninth-Step Spirit Realm Master had been defeated by a newly-advanced Spirit Realm Master, so much so that they were completely powerless to fight back.
“Old Qi, Alchemist Yang…” Wu Zheng Qi couldn’t stand the uncomfortable silence; thus, he was the first to break it.
“Cultivation dissonance!” Old Man Qi replied solemnly, “That boy is definitely suffering from a dissonance in his cultivation!”
Wu Zheng Qi sighed softly, “As expected…”
He had guessed as much in his heart, but it was a truth that was difficult to accept.
Yang Kai was a rare talent in Profound Pill Sect. Since ancient times, no other Heaven Grade Alchemist among all the Heaven Grade Alchemists providing Alchemy services at the Seeking Pill Pavilion had ever achieved a success rate as high as his. It was a pity that a talented individual like him would suffer from cultivation dissonance. How else could a person’s temperament change so much?
“That boy retains a small portion of his consciousness still. Unfortunately, whether or not he can survive this catastrophe will depend entirely on his fortune. This is an urgent matter; we need to report back to the Sect.” Old Man Qi coughed lightly, “And… With this Old Master’s strength alone, he is not his opponent. We have failed this mission.”
Wu Zheng Qi couldn’t help smiling bitterly, “I’m afraid the Sect won’t believe us even if we told them!”
The corners of Old Man Qi’s mouth twitched, “Our duty is to inform them of the truth. Whether they believe us or not is up to them.”
…..
The site where Heavenly Martial City’s treasure vault was originally located had been destroyed. Although the structure of the building was extremely solid, how could the building remain standing after a battle between two Spirit Realm Masters took place here? The remains were now nothing more than rubble and ruins.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai stood there motionlessly like a statue, his sword still in hand. The sun rose in the distance as the moon set on the opposite horizon. During this time, the aura fluctuating around Yang Kai’s body slowly calmed down and the malevolent aura sweeping out in all directions gradually faded.
Three days later, he abruptly opened his eyes and exhaled deeply.
The Heaven Devouring Battle Law was undeniably peculiar and the drawbacks were clearly unavoidable. Yang Kai had devoured an immense amount of energy in one go during his breakthrough and almost exceeded the limits of what he could bear as a result. That was what triggered the hidden dangers of cultivating the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, which in turn caused a great change in his temperament and aroused a wanton killing intent in him.
His battle with Old Man Qi had only added fuel to the fire. If Old Man Qi had continued to fight, Yang Kai wasn’t certain he could have stopped himself. The most likely outcome would have been Old Man Qi dying at his hands, forging an irresolvable blood feud with Profound Pill Sect. That was not the outcome Yang Kai hoped to see.
It was fortunate that Old Man Qi was a veteran who could read the situation. He immediately fled as soon as he discovered that something was wrong, thereby giving Yang Kai a chance to recover.
Unfortunately, the root of the problem had not been eradicated, even though Yang Kai’s situation had been temporarily stabilized. He would need to meditate and recover for a long time to resolve the hidden dangers brought about by his advancement.
[Regrettably…] Yang Kai turned to look in the direction of Profound Pill Sect as he sighed, [I’m running out of time!]
“Eldest Senior Brother!” Wan Ying Ying shouted timidly with an expression that resembled a frightened rabbit. She clearly wanted to approach him, but did not dare to do so.
Yang Kai turned his head to look at her and nodded lightly, “I’m alright now!”
Upon hearing those words, she burst into tears and plunged into his arms with her head lowered, whimpering through her sobs, “You scared me to death! Eldest Senior Brother, what happened?”
Yang Kai stroked her head lightly, “Something went wrong, but I’m fine now.”
“Sir!” Both Yang Huai and Hua Rong walked over. The former had an expression of reverence on his face while the latter appeared uncharacteristically serious.
Hua Rong had always been casual and unrestrained in front of Yang Kai. That couldn’t be helped as her strength was greater than his. Still, as a bodyguard, she had been dedicated to her duties even if there had barely been any need for her to do anything in recent years. It was not until today that she discovered something shocking, Yang Kai’s actual strength was many times greater than her own… Her presence as a bodyguard was completely unnecessary. Therefore, she was uncertain about how to act around him.
Yang Kai gave them a slight nod before turning to the side, “City Lord Miao, I need your help with something.”
Miao Hong was startled and immediately came forward, “How may I help you, Alchemist Yang?”
“Please help take care of my Little Junior Sister for a few days.” Yang Kai patted Wan Ying Ying’s head.
Miao Hong was stunned for a moment; then, he immediately nodded in response, “No problem. Please rest assured, Alchemist Yang. Young Lady Ying Ying will never suffer any grievances in Heavenly Martial City.” After a pause, he lowered his voice and asked, “Alchemist Yang, are you…”
“I’m going back to Profound Pill Sect!” Yang Kai replied.
The people of Void Spirit Sword Sect were there, and so was the Medicine King Furnace. No matter what, he needed to return to Profound Pill Sect.
Miao Hong seemed to have expected Yang Kai’s answer and nodded his head solemnly, “Please be careful in that case, Alchemist Yang. Profound Pill Sect is one of the Ten Great Sects in the Divine Armament World after all.”
Yang Kai smiled, “I know the strength of Profound Pill Sect better than you, City Lord Miao. I lived there for several years after all.”
Miao Hong was taken aback slightly before nodding, “That’s true.”
Afterwards, Yang Kai instructed Hua Rong and Yang Huai, “The two of you will stay here to look after Ying Ying.”
Yang Huai cupped his fist and quickly said, “Regardless of the dangers, I would like to follow you to the death, Sir!”
Hua Rong quickly pulled Yang Huai behind her back, “This big guy has always been stupid, don’t listen to him! If you don’t return, I’ll take Ying Ying and run away from here!”
“Good!”
As always, Profound Pill Sect was bustling with noise and excitement. That was especially true in the vicinity of the Seeking Pill Pavilion and the Recruitment Stage. People would gather around these places all year round; after all, there was a never-ending stream of cultivators who wished to make pill requests or attach themselves to an Alchemist.
All of a sudden, a figure descended from the sky and landed directly in front of the Seeking Pill Pavilion. The undeniable aura of a Spirit Realm Master radiated from the figure, startling passers-by with the sudden turn of events.
Everybody hurriedly turned to look at the figure in amazement, secretly marvelling at who would be so bold as to act so presumptuously in front of Profound Pill Sect. It had to be said that Profound Pill Sect was one of the Ten Great Sects in the Divine Armament World, so no matter who came here, they had to walk up from the foot of the mountain; otherwise, their conduct would be considered disrespectful.
On the other hand, the expressions of the guards on duty at the Seeking Pill Pavilion became very sullen. They quickly stepped forward to confront that figure only to become respectful upon recognising the figure. Then, they immediately cupped their fists in greeting, “Alchemist Yang!”
Yang Kai nodded lightly and ignored them. Looking up at the Reception Palace located at the top of the mountain, he strode forward without hesitation as a series of exclamations rang out from behind him.
Over the past few years, Yang Kai’s reputation in the Seeking Pill Pavilion had flourished. Countless Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pills had been refined by him personally, and the lowest quality among them was Mid-Rank. Many cultivators had advanced into the Heaven Realm thanks to those pills and for that reason, eight out of ten cultivators who came to the Seeking Pill Pavilion for a Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill would seek out Yang Kai for help.
It was just that Yang Kai generally performed Alchemy on Fixed Moon Peak and rarely ever appeared in person at the Seeking Pill Pavilion. That was why only people from Profound Pill Sect could recognise him. No outsiders knew what he looked like, so when they learned that this man who was almost excessively youthful was actually the famous Alchemist Yang, they suddenly had the feeling that knowing somebody by their reputation was not as good as meeting them in person.
When Yang Kai walked past the Recruitment Stage, the melodious tolling of a bell suddenly rang out from the depths of Profound Pill Sect. The bell rang nine times in quick succession.
The expressions of everybody who heard the bell immediately changed drastically. They glanced in the direction of Profound Pill Sect’s Headquarters in disbelief. For the bell to be tolled nine times meant that something major was happening. There were only a handful of times where the bell had rung nine times throughout the history of Profound Pill Sect, and every single time had spelled an impending disaster that almost destroyed the entire Sect!
The bodyguards of the Seeking Pill Pavilion immediately started dispersing all the people who came to make pill requests and sealing the passage leading up the mountain. It didn’t take long for all the people to be chased out.
Although most of the people in Profound Pill Sect were clueless about what was going on, the entire Sect was now shrouded in a sense of turmoil.
One man stood in front of the Reception Palace with a bitter smile, watching as Yang Kai walked up the mountain, his expression a little bewildered. He could not imagine how Yang Kai, who had only been an Earth Grade Alchemist just a few years ago, could cause such a huge commotion in the Sect today.
This person was the one who introduced Yang Kai into Profound Pill Sect, and it was also thanks to his close personal relationship with Yang Kai that he was sent here.
A cool breeze blew past as Yang Kai looked up at the man blocking his path and cupped his fist, “Senior Brother Gao!”
Gao Xin Peng looked at Yang Kai with a complicated look in his eyes and returned the greeting, “Junior Brother Yang!”
The two bodyguards behind Gao Xin Peng gripped their swords tightly, their expressions solemn. Like wolves that were about to pounce on their prey, they were ready to attack at any time.
“Why are you here, Senior Brother Gao? Does the Sect Master have instructions for me?” Yang Kai asked.
Gao Xin Peng smiled bitterly, “You caused quite a commotion this time, Junior Brother. The higher-ups want to have a good chat with you.”
Yang Kai nodded, “That was what I was thinking too; otherwise, I would not have returned to this place.”
Gao Xin Peng breathed a sigh of relief, “I’m glad you think so, Junior Brother Yang. Since you’re of the same mind, please surrender your sword and seal your cultivation. Then, come with me to meet the Sect Master and the Elders!”
“Is that the Sect Master’s will?” Yang Kai asked with a raised eyebrow.
Gao Xin Peng nodded lightly in response.
Yang Kai sighed, “I hold no malicious intentions towards the Sect. Although I have indeed kept some secrets, all I really did was go with the flow.”
Gao Xin Peng said, “I believe you, Junior Brother. It’s just that the current situation requires you to show some sincerity, Junior Brother.”
Yang Kai slowly replied, “The fact that I came back here is the greatest sincerity I can show! If the Sect insists on doing this their way, then I will be forced to slaughter a path out of this place! To be honest, I’m reluctant to do something like that, but if I have no other choice, then that’s all I can do.”
Gao Xin Peng’s expression changed, “Junior Brother, please don’t be so impulsive! You’re only one person!”
Yang Kai smiled slightly, “I may be alone, but I’m strong enough to represent a thousand men!”
“Junior Brother!”
He raised a hand to stop Gao Xin Peng, “You don’t need to say anymore, Senior Brother Gao. Please inform the Sect Master and the Elders that I can only persist an incense stick of time!”
Gao Xin Peng gave Yang Kai a deep look before he sighed heavily, “I will pass the message to them. You’re on your own now, Junior Brother!”
While saying so, he turned around and headed towards a Spirit Peak in the distance with his two bodyguards in tow. His figure vanished out of sight in the blink of an eye.
Following Gao Xin Peng’s departure, 8 figures emerged from their hiding places to surround Yang Kai. Every one of them wielded a Spirit Armament, and they eyed Yang Kai aggressively.
Yang Kai turned to look around and gently nodded, “The Blood Warrior Hall’s Heavenly Guard… A bunch of loyal fools indeed!”
When the last word left his mouth, Yang Kai’s figure abruptly became strangely hazy, and in that moment, he slipped past their encirclement and appeared where Gao Xin Peng had been standing earlier. The True Void Sword was held in his hand as fresh blood slid down the length of its blade.
The Blood Warrior Hall’s Heavenly Guard were shocked. 8 Spirit Realm Masters had surrounded Yang Kai, but none of them saw how he managed to break out of their encirclement, and by the time they reacted, Yang Kai was already walking away.
They immediately acted to stop him, but something peculiar occurred. When they tried to push their Spirit Qi, streams of blood involuntarily spurted out of their bodies. All their strength quickly flowed out through their wounds and with a series of thuds, all 8 of them fell to one knee on the ground.
They were absolutely horrified. Only now did they realise that they had been injured by Yang Kai. Fortunately, while their injuries were severe, they were not lethal. They simply lost their ability to fight and could only watch helplessly as Yang Kai walked forward with a mixture of horror and reluctance to admit their loss. Nevertheless, they understood one thing clearly, with the unfathomable speed that Yang Kai displayed just now, killing them would have been as easy as waving his hand for him. The reason he wounded but did not kill them was definitely an act of mercy.
*Chi chi chi chi…*
A never-ending series of sounds sliced through the air next as countless arrows flew over from all directions, pelting down on Yang Kai’s location in a dense rain, each one containing an extremely terrifying force.
Under such an intensive barrage, even a Ninth-Step Spirit Realm Master might not come out unscathed. However, the angle and trajectory of these arrows had clearly been calculated with great deliberation with none of them aiming at his vital spots. It was clear that even now, Profound Pill Sect had no intention of taking his life.
Yang Kai did not move a single step, but the sword in his hands danced and formed a barrier of sword lights. Under the urging of his Spirit Qi, a series of rattling and clanging sounds rang out and every single arrow in that dense rain was cut down without a single exception.
Many of the cultivators hiding in ambush turned pale with fright at the sight. In that moment of daze, Yang Kai’s figure vanished from their field of vision. Immediately after that, the first scream resounded through the air. The screams of agony continued endlessly… Subsequently, the cultivators hiding in the vicinity collapsed limply in pools of their own blood.
…..
Inside the Main Hall located several mountains away from the Reception Palace, all the higher-ups of Profound Pill Sect had gathered together. With Sect Master Baili Yun Sang in the lead, many Elders, Deacons, and Protectors assembled behind him.
Gao Xin Peng had just finished reporting the results of his negotiation with Yang Kai, after which Baili Yun Sang nodded lightly and gave a wave of his hand to dismiss him.
Great Elder Wu Feng Hua said, “He certainly is a man who values his comrades. He came back despite knowing that he is no match for us. Unfortunately, he is a little arrogant.”
Yu Bo Yang frowned, “Sect Master, that brat has only just advanced into the Spirit Realm. No matter how unusual he is, how strong can he be? Don’t you think we are a little too nervous about this? We’ve deployed all the forces that can be deployed in Profound Pill Sect. If word got out about this incident, we will be the laughing stock of the public!”
Baili Yun Sang replied, “I certainly hope we are just overestimating his strength, but… I don’t dare to take what Old Qi said lightly.”
Yu Bo Yang turned to glance at Old Man Qi and scowled, “Old Qi, are you sure that brat is so strong that even you are not his opponent? Are you sure you’re not mistaken about this?”
Despite listening to Old Man Qi’s reports earlier, almost nobody in the entire Profound Pill Sect believed him. Be that as it may, his words were stated with utter certainty. Wu Zheng Qi also provided a testimony to the fact, so it was difficult for them not to believe the words of those two. Although they had agreed to deploy all the combat forces they could, Profound Pill Sect’s leaders still couldn’t help feeling that they were being overly cautious.
Old Man Qi lowered his eyes and spoke quietly, “This old man might not compare to you in the Alchemic Dao, Third Elder, but this old man has immersed himself in battle for centuries now. That boy is the strongest Master this old man has ever seen in his life! If he wanted to kill me, he could have taken my life within 10 moves!”
Yu Bo Yang blinked and burst out laughing, “Old Qi, why are you being so humble? You’re one of the strongest Masters in the Divine Armament World. Aside from the Armament Masters, there aren’t many people who can kill you, let alone in 10 moves.”
He subconsciously believed that Old Man Qi was exaggerating about Yang Kai’s strength to shirk the responsibility for failing the last mission. It was just that Old Man Qi was a highly trusted and influential individual in Profound Pill Sect thanks to his position as the Sect Master’s personal Blood Warrior, so Yu Bo Yang could not criticize him too much.
Old Man Qi simply chose to remain silent.
“Reporting!” A shout rang out as a cultivator sped through the sky and landed in front of them.
Yu Bo Yang quickly asked, “How is the situation over there? Did you capture that brat yet?”
After asking his question, he realised that the messenger looked extremely panicked.
The messenger’s voice trembled, “Alchemist Yang has broken through the first and second lines of defences and is quickly approaching the third!”
“What!?” Yu Bo Yang exclaimed in astonishment.
Likewise, Baili Yun Sang and the other Elders also had horrified expressions on their faces. They could barely believe their ears. How much time had passed since Yang Kai arrived!? It had been no more than ten breaths since Gao Xin Peng came to report the situation, so how did Yang Kai break through two lines of defences already!?
It had to be said that the Blood Warrior Hall’s Heavenly Guard was in charge of the first line of defence, and they were all Spirit Realm Masters. Even if they were not the strongest Masters in the Sect, they highly outnumbered their opponent. Moreover, they were proficient in group tactics, so even if it was Old Man Qi, it was uncertain whether he could achieve victory against them.
Meanwhile, the second line of defence consisted of dozens of cultivators who were adept at archery. Falling into their encirclement would mean severe injuries at the very least, if not death.
[Did… Did he break through the defences just like that!?] Yu Bo Yang had not believed Old Man Qi earlier, but it would now seem that Old Man Qi had not been exaggerating, but what kind of Alchemist has such terrifying combat power!?
Before anybody could digest the shocking news, another person came running in with another shocking report. Yang Kai had already broken through the third line of defence and passed the Reception Palace. Moreover, he was currently heading straight for River Viewing Peak!
Rumbling explosions came from a couple dozen kilometres away, and everybody raised their heads to look in that direction. Although they were blocked by several mountains and could not see the situation over there clearly, they could see the never-ending flashing lights that illuminated half the sky in that direction. The situation beyond the mountains gave off the vague feeling that an Ancient Ominous Beast had escaped and was charging towards them in a bloody frenzy. They could sense the frighteningly vicious and hostile aura coming from that direction despite being so far apart.
A short while later, the commotion died down. River Viewing Peak had been defeated, and the two defence lines set up there had been completely destroyed!
Yu Bo Yang stared forward in a daze, “How is this possible? How is this possible!?”
Likewise, Baili Yun Sang was ashen-faced with disbelief!
What happened today was simply too shocking. Profound Pill Sect was one of the Ten Great Sects. Be that as it may, they failed to stop a single Alchemist who had only just advanced into the Spirit Realm even though they deployed their full strength against him! How could the power of a single person be so terrifying!?
Gao Xin Peng stared into the distance with a complicated gaze. Yang Kai’s words from before echoed in his mind, “I may be alone, but I’m strong enough to represent a thousand men!”
He had assumed that Yang Kai was merely spouting empty boasts in an effort to boost his morale. Contrary to his beliefs though, it would now seem that Yang Kai was perfectly capable of representing the strength of a thousand men. Of course, an ordinary army of a thousand men could not have broken through the defences of Profound Pill Sect.
A short while later, the two lines of defences on Flying Tooth Peak collapsed. Flying Tooth Peak had been defeated! The only thing that stood between Yang Kai and the higher-ups of Profound Pill Sect at this point was Purple Sun Peak!
There was only one line of defence on Purple Sun Peak where a total of thirty Spirit Realm Masters from Profound Pill Sect had gathered together. Furthermore, their cultivations ranged from the lowest in the Third-Step Spirit Realm to the highest in the Eight-Step Spirit Realm. This was an extremely powerful line-up, enough to wipe out most Sects in the Divine Armament World. It was a line-up that only one of the Ten Great Sects could assemble.
When the higher-ups of Profound Pill Sect looked in that direction from where they stood, their superb eyesight allowed them to see the large square on Purple Sun Peak where the thirty Spirit Realm Masters stood at the ready. Each of the thirty Spirit Realm Masters wielded a different Spirit Armament and additionally, they stood facing eight distinct directions, forming the Eight Directional Golden Lock Formation.
A figure stepped out from under the cover of numerous buildings and strolled over to the square. The sword in his hand was chipped in places along the length of the blade. Even an extraordinary Spirit Armament could not withstand the impacts of so many high-intensity battles in such a short period of time.
“He’s injured!” Yu Bo Yang shouted.
From where he stood, he could clearly see that Yang Kai’s clothes were tattered and he was covered in countless wounds with fresh blood trickling out. Everywhere he walked, he left behind an evident trail of bloody footprints.
Wu Feng Hua commented, “After fighting so many elites of Profound Pill Sect alone, injuries are inevitable. It would be weirder for him to remain unscathed. Besides, it looks like he won’t last much longer. Even the Spirit Armament in his hand is on the verge of being destroyed.”
Baili Yun Sang nodded lightly, “Let us hope so!”
Profound Pill Sect’s original intentions no longer mattered. Now that things had come this far, this battle could no longer be easily stopped. Things would only end when one party suffered complete defeat.
It was just that Baili Yun Sang himself never expected Yang Kai’s strength to be so terrifying. [Yang Kai only just broke through to the Spirit Realm. At this rate, won’t he be invincible if he advances to the Ninth-Step Spirit Realm!? No. With the strength he has displayed so far, it can already be said that he is invincible. Who in the Divine Armament World can be his opponent unless the Armament Masters themselves take action?]
During their brief conversation, an intense battle had broken out on Purple Sun Peak! Dozens of silhouettes weaved about, turbulent waves of Spirit Qi collided with each other, and deafening explosions rang out incessantly.
“Such a malevolent aura!” Lan Yin frowned slightly. Even though she was standing here, away from the battle, she could clearly detect the Evil Qi radiating from Yang Kai’s body. His aura was overflowing with brutality and destruction, which made her feel extremely uneasy.
“What kind of Movement Skill is that!?” Wu Feng Hua was staring at the battle in the distance, but despite being in the Spirit Realm himself, he could not follow Yang Kai’s movements at all. As far as he could tell, Yang Kai’s figure moved about in a ghostly and erratic manner, vanishing abruptly from one spot only to appear in a completely different place without any warning in the next instant. There were no traces of his movements whatsoever. Even the thirty or so Spirit Realm Masters on Purple Sun Peak could not do anything to him. On the contrary, the many Spirit Realm Masters of Profound Pill Sect were flustered by their first experience against an opponent like Yang Kai.
Meanwhile, Old Man Qi squinted at the fight in the distance. He could sense the Evil Qi surrounding Yang Kai becoming stronger, and an intense feeling of unease flooded his heart for some reason. That feeling of unease suddenly climbed to the peak when Yang Kai sliced off part of the neck of a Spirit Realm Master! That attack had nearly taken the life of that Spirit Realm Master.
“Sect Master, I want to investigate the current number of casualties among the cultivators in the Sect!” Old Man Qi hurriedly whispered in Baili Yun Sang’s ear.
Baili Yun Sang was completely focused on the fight in the distance, shocked by Yang Kai’s elusive Movement Skill, so he frowned when he heard those words and asked, “Why do you want to investigate that now?”
All the defence lines set up previously had been destroyed, so it was conceivable that many, if not all those cultivators had suffered tragic ends.
“It is related to the survival of the Sect! Please give me permission, Sect Master!” Old Man Qi looked extremely solemn.
Baili Yun Sang glanced at Old Man Qi and was startled by what he saw. Despite spending so many years with each other, he had never seen Old Man Qi looking so solemn before; thus, he nodded slightly, “Go!”
Old Man Qi nodded, and with a slight shift of his body, he flew directly towards the Reception Palace. As a Ninth-Step Spirit Realm Master, there was no question that his speed was incredible. It only took him several dozen breaths of time to hurry back. However, his expression was even more solemn than before he departed.
“What did you find?” Baili Yun Sang asked.
Old Man Qi replied, “No one has died! Everyone who participated in the battle was only wounded!”
Everyone was shocked by those words. Yu Bo Yang widened his eyes and asked, “Not a single person died!?”
Old Man Qi nodded slowly, “Not one.”
Everyone looked around at each other. Although several reports had come in earlier, they had only reported that the defences had been broken through. They had not mentioned a single thing about the casualties, and nobody bothered to ask either. That was because casualties were inevitable in a battle like this. That was why they subconsciously believed that Profound Pill Sect would suffer heavy losses today.
They were certain that Profound Pill Sect would take a great hit to its overall strength after this battle! Who could have imagined that not a single person had died? The brows of all the leaders in this place that were originally furrowed gloomily after hearing that the defence lines had been broken immediately relaxed considerably at the news. Regardless of the current circumstances, that was good news.
Baili Yun Sang sighed, “It looks like that boy has not forgotten his kinship with us, and held back enough to not kill anybody in the Sect!”
Wu Feng Hua stroked his beard, “He might be cautious about acting lest innocents be hurt; after all, the people of Void Spirit Sword Sect are in our hands.”
“Regardless of his reasons, this is a good thing for us!” Baili Yun Sang nodded.
Old Man Qi, however, shook his head and said, “You’re wrong, Sect Master. On the contrary, this is not a good thing for us at all.”
Baili Yun Sang looked over in puzzlement, “Why do you say that, Old Qi?”
Old Man Qi glanced at the battlefield in the distance and explained his reasoning, “When this Old Master went to investigate the defence lines earlier, I discovered that Yang Boy had extremely precise control over his strength at the beginning. Although everyone there was disabled, their injuries were not severe and they only need to recuperate for some time to recover fully; however, he seemed to be slowly losing control over his strength as time passed. The injuries he inflicted got progressively more severe as a result. If you look at the current situation, Sect Master…”
Baili Yun Sang looked over after hearing those words, just in time to see Yang Kai stabbing his sword into a cultivator’s chest. When Yang Kai drew his blade out, fresh blood splattered everywhere. The Spirit Realm Master quickly backed away with an absolute look of horror on his face.
Old Man Qi narrowed his eyes slightly, “Just now, he forcibly shifted his trajectory; otherwise, Rong Boy would be dead by now!”
The ‘Rong Boy’ Old Man Qi mentioned was referring to the Spirit Realm Master who had been run through.
Baili Yun Sang instantly understood, “He is suppressing his murderous intent, but he is quickly reaching his limits! That’s why his attacks are getting more and more brutal!”
Old Man Qi nodded solemnly, “That’s right! This Old Master experienced the same situation when I fought him in Heavenly Martial City previously. If this Old Master had continued to engage in battle with him at the time, he would have lost control and killed me!” He paused for a moment before continuing, “Do you remember the message Alchemist Gao brought back earlier, Sect Master?”
Baili Yun Sang frowned, “Which message?”
“Yang Kai said that he could only persist for a stick worth of incense!” Old Man Qi sighed, “We all thought he meant that he could fight for at most an incense stick worth of time, but it would now seem that the time limit he was referring to was how long he could retain his sanity. Once this time limit is up, he will most likely lose all sense of reason and massacre us!”
“What is the reason for all this?” Baili Yun Sang looked puzzled.
“This Old Master does not know, but this Old Master believes that it has something to do with the Secret Art he cultivated. That Evil Art has affected his heart! Sect Master, we can’t afford to continue this battle. At the rate things are going, Profound Pill Sect will suffer catastrophic losses even if we manage to kill him!” Seeing the hesitation in Baili Yun Sang’s eyes, Old Man Qi added, “Sect Master, don’t forget that he is also an Alchemist. He still has his Alchemy Flame!”
As soon as those words came out, a sudden thought occurred to Baili Yun Sang and he suddenly recalled the white Alchemy Flame. Even though his mental cultivation was very stable, he could barely resist the urge to curse out loud.
Yang Kai’s strength was so overwhelming that he could practically wipe out the entire Profound Pill Sect with his sword alone, which was why Baili Yun Sang had subconsciously forgotten Yang Kai’s identity as an Alchemist.
Alchemists might not engage in battle often, but that did not mean they could not fight at all. Generally speaking, their Alchemy Flame was their greatest strength when engaged in battle with others!
From the beginning until now, Yang Kai had not used the power of his white Alchemy Flame. It was obvious that he did not wish to increase the number of casualties; otherwise, the people he injured would not be alive right now. Not to mention, that white Alchemy Flame was the most mysterious and most powerful Alchemy Flame in the Divine Armament World! Other people might be unaware of the truth, but how could Baili Yun Sang be so ignorant?
At that thought, Baili Yun Sang did not dare to hesitate any longer and sighed softly, “Order them to retreat!”
Old Man Qi accepted the order and turned around to rush towards the battlefield.
“I’ll go,” Somebody spoke up suddenly and rushed towards the battlefield ahead of Old Man Qi.
Lan Yin immediately gave a startled cry; furthermore, her expression was filled with worry.
The battle was very fierce on Purple Sun Peak, and out of the thirty or so Spirit Realm Masters who made up its defence force, less than half of them were still able to move. All of them looked like they had seen a ghost, and their expressions were filled with abject terror. Although they could just manage to parry and block Yang Kai’s indiscriminate barrage of attacks, they had no solution against his elusive Movement Skill. It was only a matter of time before they were all defeated.
Sword light flashed in all directions, and murderous intent permeated the air. Many of the Spirit Realm Masters who were originally in formation had already been separated and were now each fighting independently. From time to time, somebody would get injured and collapse in a pool of their own blood.
All of a sudden, somebody rushed onto the battlefield and shouted in a thunderous voice, “Unfilial Disciple, stop this madness at once!”
While speaking, he stood directly in front of Yang Kai with his robes flapping wildly around him. The True Void Sword abruptly halted in front of his forehead, and the fluctuating sword wave pierced his skin. Fresh blood flowed down the bridge of his nose.
Their gazes met, with Yang Kai’s crimson red eyes filled with brutal hostility and destruction, causing the other party’s eyes to contract involuntarily. Despite living for so many years, this man had never seen such wild eyes before.
[Old Man Qi is right, this brat is about to reach his limits, a limit where he can no longer maintain his sanity. Once he exceeds his limits, he will instantly transform into a killing machine that slaughters all living things. At that time, he will completely fall into a state of cultivation dissonance. Without his conscious mind, the entire Profound Pill Sect will surely fall along with him.]
The battlefield riddled with endless fighting suddenly fell into an eerie silence at this moment. Only the repressed groans of the fallen continuously rang out from all around them. Meanwhile, the remaining seven or eight Spirit Realm Masters breathed heavily and did not dare to act rashly.
Yang Kai blinked. The thick crimson red in his eyes resembled fresh blood. His gaze shifted downward and landed on that person’s left hand with six fingers. Then, a trace of confusion flashed through his eyes as though he could vaguely remember something.
That person shouted again, “What are you doing, Unfilial Disciple!? Are you planning to rebel!?”
That man’s expression did not change in the slightest even though Yang Kai was holding a Spirit Armament against his forehead. It went to show his courage and boldness was not ordinary.
The cogs in Yang Kai’s head slowly began to spin, the thick crimson red in his eyes faded slightly, and the Spirit Qi surging wildly around his body gradually subsided. He tilted his head to the side and stared at the person in front of him before muttering, “Honoured Master?”
Now that the fighting had stopped, the murderous intent that threatened to overwhelm his mind was beginning to dissipate and he regained the ability to think.
Naturally, Yang Kai had never seen this man in front of him before; however, the unique characteristic of having a six-fingered left hand was too conspicuous. Anybody capable of sight would notice such a unique feature. Besides, the only people who would appear in front of him at this time could only be part of the higher-ups in Profound Pill Sect.
After combining several facts together, that person’s identity quickly became apparent. It was his fabricated Master, Dan Cheng Zi!
During the years that Yang Kai spent in Profound Pill Sect, it was only natural for him to pay attention to any information regarding his so-called Master. Unfortunately, the Heaven Grade Alchemists in his generation did not know much and he was in no position to ask the Elders of the previous generation for more information.
Fortunately, there was Lan Yin. The two of them would occasionally encounter each other in the Restricted Area, and seeing as she had feelings for his fabricated Master, the two had various common topics to discuss. Intentionally or unintentionally, Yang Kai learned quite a lot about his fabricated Master over the years.
Yang Kai’s fabricated Master was named Dan Cheng Zi. Dan Cheng Zi was the most outstanding and talented Alchemist in Profound Pill Sect. What made him so special was that he was talented in both the Martial Dao and the Alchemic Dao. Not only were his Alchemy Skills superb, but his actual strength was also immense. Thanks to his aptitude that surpassed his peers, he became extremely arrogant.
When the Former Sect Master was approaching his predestined time of death, Dan Cheng Zi believed that he would definitely be the one to take over as the Sect Master of Profound Pill Sect. Who could have known that the Former Sect Master would transfer the position to Baili Yun Sang instead? In a fit of rage, he decided to leave Profound Pill Sect. Although the higher-ups of Profound Pill Sect had been searching for his whereabouts all these years, their efforts proved to be fruitless. Nobody knew where he went.
Needless to say, an incident of this nature could not be publicised. That was why only the Elders of the older generation knew about it while the rest of the disciples were clueless about what happened to Dan Cheng Zi. Most people only knew that there was an extremely talented Spirit Grade Alchemist wandering outside the Sect with no news from him.
This information was what Yang Kai slowly coaxed out of Lan Yin through their continuous interactions over the years.
“It has been more than 10 years since we last met. This Old Master thought you didn’t recognise me anymore. It turns out you didn’t forget about him after all!” Dan Cheng Zi’s expression was cold and calm, but a drop of cold sweat slid down his forehead. Nobody could remain completely nonchalant when there was a Spirit Armament pressed against their head with pure murderous intent radiating from it. Therefore, a clear look of relief flashed through his eyes when he heard Yang Kai calling him ‘Honoured Master’.
The crimson in Yang Kai’s eyes faded bit by bit as he spoke, “Disciple is heavily indebted to your kindness, Honoured Master. How could I dare to forget you?”
With just a few simple words, the tense situation eased in an instant. Both of them understood each other’s intentions.
The so-called Honoured Master and Unfilial Disciple relationship between them was nothing but a fabricated reality. Dan Cheng Zi had never taught Yang Kai, and Yang Kai had never studied under Dan Cheng Zi. This was a fact known to all parties involved.
Be that as it may, the current situation required a breakthrough point in order to be resolved. The reason Dan Cheng Zi volunteered to come here was due to this consideration. Since Yang Kai claimed that Dan Cheng Zi was his Master, then Dan Cheng Zi might as well acknowledge the statement. Now that Dan Cheng Zi had paved the way forward, it was only natural for Yang Kai to go along with the story!
There was no need for any prior discussion. In the face of this difficult situation, both the young and the old quickly formed a tacit understanding between them.
“If you didn’t forget, why aren’t you putting away your weapon? Are you planning to kill me!?” Dan Cheng Zi shouted.
Yang Kai was taken aback for a moment before he remembered to sheath the True Void Sword, “Please forgive me, Honoured Master! This Disciple had no such intentions!”
Nevertheless, he was puzzled. He had caused a huge commotion in Profound Pill Sect, and even if he did not kill anybody, he had injured many. Moreover, these people were the Masters of the Sect, so if any great enemy were to attack at this time, Profound Pill Sect would be powerless to resist. There was no saying how Profound Pill Sect planned to deal with him after he caused so much trouble.
Still, there was a high likelihood that Profound Pill Sect was willing to reconcile with him since Dan Cheng Zi went so far as to take the initiative to come here; otherwise, there was no need for such measures.
Dan Cheng Zi looked sorrowful, “This Old Master knows that your actions were not intentional. Your aptitude is far too outstanding and as a result, your cultivation improved too quickly. Not knowing restraint and not having a stable enough mental state caused you to suffer from cultivation dissonance, which in turn resulted in a drastic change in your temperament. You nearly caused an irrevocable disaster. Fortunately, the Sect did not give up on you. The Sect used all its power to help you restore order from chaos. Thank goodness their efforts were not in vain!”
Yang Kai stared at Dan Cheng Zi and the admiration he felt for this old fox was almost beyond words. [This old man is undeniably cunning! Not only did he resolve the tense situation in Profound Pill Sect with a few choice words, he also made it seem as though I am now heavily indebted to Profound Pill Sect.]
It was obvious that Yang Kai had come charging into Profound Pill Sect all on his own; however, the story had been changed to one where Profound Pill Sect had pulled out all the stops to help him recover from his state of cultivation dissonance.
Yang Kai was so grateful that he almost felt like crying. He had caused such a large commotion today, and the Sect needed an explanation. This story provided the best outcome for both parties. It would also stabilize the people’s hearts. More importantly, Yang Kai deciphered the hidden meaning in Dan Cheng Zi’s words. Even now, Profound Pill Sect considered him one of their disciples! They had no plans of abandoning him!
Yang Kai did not know whether it was Dan Cheng Zi’s own intention or Profound Pill Sect’s will. Nevertheless, those details no longer mattered. The chance to remain in Profound Pill Sect was exactly what he wished for. He would need to figure out another method to steal the Medicine King Furnace otherwise. At that time, it would be another endless battle.
“Cough…” Dan Cheng Zi lightly coughed into his fist, “Unfilial Disciple, have you not recovered? Why are you staring at me? Is there any untruth in this Old Master’s words?”
Yang Kai quickly shook his head and declared, “What you said is true, Honoured Master. This Disciple has failed and brought shame to you. This disciple will be more diligent in the future, so as to avoid another incident like today!”
Dan Cheng Zi breathed a sigh of relief and nodded in satisfaction, “It’s good that you can think that way. Come with me. We will meet the Sect Master and the Elders.”
“Yes!” Yang Kai responded respectfully, acting as though he was a meek and obedient Disciple.
In front of everybody’s eyes, Dan Cheng Zi flew over to Baili Yun Sang and the others with Yang Kai in tow as the higher-ups of Profound Pill Sect watched those two with complicated expressions.
Dan Cheng Zi and Yang Kai had not suppressed their voices during their conversation earlier. Furthermore, those standing in the vicinity were basically Spirit Realm Masters, so every one of them had heard the entire conversation clearly.
Baili Yun Sang and the Elders were all worldly Masters, so how could they not understand the current situation? It was just that the sudden turn of events was beyond their expectations, so they were uncertain about how to handle a Star of Calamity like Yang Kai.
As such, Dan Cheng Zi was the first to speak, “Sect Master, my Disciple has overcome his cultivation dissonance and regained his true nature.”
Baili Yun Sang subconsciously nodded upon hearing those words, “That’s good. That’s good.” Pausing for a moment, he continued, “Since you’ve regained your senses, you should return and have a good rest now!”
Yang Kai cupped his fist, “This Disciple is grateful for your benevolence, Sect Master. It’s just that this Disciple has caused such a huge commotion in the Sect. This incident will haunt me forever, so I wish to request punishment. Please approve my request, Sect Master!”
Baili Yun Sang frowned and glanced at Dan Cheng Zi in puzzlement.
Dan Cheng Zi shook his head so slightly that his movements were practically imperceptible. His response indicated that he did not know what the brat was planning either.
Baili Yun Sang frowned, “It’s not like you meant to cause such a commotion. You were suffering from cultivation dissonance after all. This Old Master understands your situation. There’s no need for punishment. I hope you will be more careful in the future. That will be a blessing to the Sect!”
Those words came from the bottom of his heart. Following this battle, he had a profound insight into the true meaning behind the word ‘terrifying’. Despite gathering all the elites in Profound Pill Sect, they could not stop a single boy who had only just advanced into the Spirit Realm. 80% of Profound Pill Sect’s forces had been heavily injured in this battle, so who could possibly bear the brunt if another battle were to break out once more?
Yang Kai cupped his fist again, “Your magnanimity is boundless, Sect Master. This Junior is undeserving of your kindness. Unfortunately, the incident today started because of me, so if I don’t receive any form of punishment, the disciples in the Sect will surely have trouble accepting this decision. It will eventually lead to unrest within the Sect. For the future of the Sect, this Disciple is willing to receive punishment!”
Baili Yun Sang couldn’t help widening his eyes to stare at Yang Kai and thinking to himself, [What the Hell is this brat up to? Didn’t I say that I won’t pursue this matter any further? Couldn’t he just obediently go back and have a good sleep? Why is he bringing up such nonsense and speaking as though he is so righteous?]
A few of the Elders frowned, but they also knew Yang Kai was not wrong. The commotion today had gotten out of hand, so it would be difficult to appease the people’s hearts without a reasonable explanation.
Dan Cheng Zi frowned and asked, “What do you think is an appropriate punishment for you?”
Yang Kai bowed and quickly said, “This Disciple asks to be confined in the Restricted Area for 10 years to reflect on his mistakes. Honoured Master, Sect Master, please approve my request!”
The talented Heaven Grade Alchemist Yang Kai whose aptitude surpassed all his peers had advanced too quickly in his cultivation and built up an unstable foundation as a result. Consequently, he experienced a dissonance in his cultivation during his advancement into the Spirit Realm and underwent a drastic change in personality. Thankfully, the Sect Master and the Elders did not give up on him. They went to great lengths to save him, and their efforts paid off. They succeeded in turning the situation around! What joyous news!
That was the news that quickly spread throughout Profound Pill Sect in a very short time.
The battle that took place yesterday caused a huge uproar in the Sect, so it was only natural for everyone to be aware of the incident. Nevertheless, not many people actually knew what happened to cause such a commotion. Only those cultivators who participated in the battle understood some of the truth, but even they did not know much either.
In any case, this explanation did not make many people suspicious of the truth when combined with Yang Kai’s violent and murderous aura at the time. Yang Kai’s actions had indeed made him seem as though he was experiencing cultivation dissonance.
After the war subsided, the work of rebuilding was yet another troublesome matter. The explanation given to the public was only to stabilise the hearts and minds of those inside and outside Profound Pill Sect. Besides, the cultivators who were injured by Yang Kai needed time to heal and recuperate.
On the other hand, the most troublesome matter besieging the higher-ups of Profound Pill Sect at this moment was Yang Kai’s final request to reflect on his mistakes in the Restricted Area for ten years.
All the higher-ups of Profound Pill Sect had gathered in the Reception Hall for a meeting. Those in attendance ranged from the Sect Master down to the Elders, Protectors, and Deacons. Even though so many talented people crowded around inside the Main Hall, the atmosphere was absolutely dismal and gloomy.
The topic of discussion for the day was none other than the matter involving Yang Kai’s request for self-reflection for a period of ten years. It would have been fine if he had requested for any other area in the Sect, but the key point was that the Restricted Area was where the Medicine King Furnace was currently placed. Profound Pill Sect had no choice but to handle this matter with great caution.
Before learning the details of his background, they had allowed him to freely access the Restricted Area, come into contact with the Medicine King Furnace, and comprehend the Grand Dao Divine Tone. Now that they knew that he had ulterior motives, how could they dare to let him come into contact with the Medicine King Furnace? Unfortunately, nobody could come up with an acceptable solution on how to handle this matter.
Staring at the silent crowd below, Baili Yun Sang rapped his knuckles on the armrest of his chair, “Stop pretending to be mute. Let’s exchange some ideas about how we should handle this matter. Great Elder, what is your opinion?”
Being called upon by the Sect Master directly, Wu Feng Hua had no choice but to express his opinion. He was silent for a moment before he said, “That boy knows the importance of the Medicine King Furnace to Profound Pill Sect. Seeing as he dares to make such a request with that knowledge in mind, it can be seen that he is definitely scheming something. I’m afraid that he won’t give up unless we agree to his request. What’s more, judging by the strength that he has displayed so far, Profound Pill Sect wouldn’t be able to stop him even if he wanted to barge into the Restricted Area forcefully.”
That was right. In his opinion, Yang Kai’s final request was not a self-inflicted punishment but a request. It was a request for reconciliation with Profound Pill Sect! Agreeing with the request was the only method to gain some possibility of reconciliation between both parties. If they refused to meet his request, there was no doubt that another battle would break out between them. How the situation would turn out after that remained unknown.
In any case, there was no denying that Profound Pill Sect had taken all the people of Void Spirit Sword Sect captive in Profound Pill City. Even if not a single person from Void Spirit Sword Sect had been harmed, Profound Pill Sect was at fault in that sense.
Baili Yun Sang frowned, “Great Elder, are you saying that we should agree to his request?”
Wu Feng Hua shook his head, “This Elder has no such intentions. It’s just that… this Elder is of the opinion that Little Junior Brother should not have accepted the fabricated Master-Disciple relationship in the first place. If not for that Master-Disciple relationship, we would not be facing this issue now.”
Before Dan Cheng Zi could speak, Lan Yin glared furiously, “Great Elder, have you even thought about what the consequences would be if Little Junior Brother had not done that?”
Wu Feng Hua said, “Judging by the situation at the time, it would not have been difficult to stop that brat even if Little Junior Brother had not done that. It was proven that he retained a shred of his consciousness from the beginning to the end.”
Lan Yin looked like she was about to argue further, but Dan Cheng Zi raised his hand to stop her from speaking and looked up at Wu Feng Hua, “You’re right. He retained a shred of consciousness from beginning to end. That’s why he did not kill anybody in Profound Pill Sect. That’s also the reason why Profound Pill Sect only recorded countless wounded but not a single casualty in the battle yesterday. With that in mind, how should we have dealt with the incident even if we did manage to stop him? That brat is so strong that nobody in Profound Pill Sect can stop him. Do we just let him go? He has been comprehending the mysteries of the Medicine King Furnace for several years now. Not to mention that he also turned over many pill recipes and Alchemy techniques. Will you feel at ease if we let him go free just like that, Great Elder?”
Wu Feng Hua considered the question carefully before he slowly shook his head in response.
It was just as Dan Cheng Zi had mentioned. Yang Kai had comprehended so many mysteries of the Medicine King Furnace. Who could allow him to leave so easily?
“We can neither keep him here nor let him leave. In that case, we can only use this Master-Disciple relationship to tie him down. It doesn’t matter whether it is real or fake. As long as he calls me ‘Honoured Master’, even the fake relationship will become real.”
Baili Yun Sang looked pensive, “Little Junior Brother, did you recognise the Master-Disciple relationship yesterday with this consideration in mind?”
Dan Cheng Zi cupped his fist, “Things were too urgent at the time, so I had no time to discuss this matter with you, Sect Master.”
Baili Yun Sang waved his hand dismissively, “You have always been quick-witted. None of us can compare to you in this regard. You did the right thing. With this Master-Disciple relationship to bind him, that boy will be forced to act with more consideration in the future. Regrettably… that does not solve the problem at hand.”
Dan Cheng Zi said, “What the Sect Master and the others are worried about is simply whether he has any other intentions towards Profound Pill Sect or whether he is a spy sent by another Sect to spy on the secrets of the Medicine King Furnace!”
“That’s right,” Baili Yun Sang nodded.
Dan Cheng Zi slowly shook his head, “In my opinion, these are not problems at all.”
Everybody looked towards him and he continued, “It has not been long since I returned to Profound Pill Sect, and the understanding I have of my ‘Disciple’ is also based only on what you’ve told me. But, it’s precisely for this reason that I can look at the problem from an outside perspective, unfettered by certain constraints. Let me ask you this, Sect Master, has he ever done anything malicious to the Sect in all the years since he entered the Sect?”
“Never.”
“Have you ever seen him in close contact with any other Sects?”
“Aside from Void Spirit Sword Sect, we have never noticed anything of the sort. But, Void Spirit Sword Sect is where he was born, so it is understandable that he has frequent contact with them.
“He has comprehended various pill recipes from the Medicine King Furnace. There have been over a dozen so far. If he had any malicious intentions towards the Sect, he could have selected only a few to contribute to the Sect and kept more of them secret; however, I don’t believe he did that.”
Baili Yun Sang nodded lightly. There had been more than a dozen brand-new pill recipes over the years, which was a huge contribution to the Sect.
“Another point is the battle yesterday. There were no casualties in the Sect, only countless wounded. It can be seen that he cares for the Sect. Besides, if he was a spy sent by another Sect, would they allow him to attack this place all on his own? Wouldn’t they be afraid that an unforeseen accident might occur?”
Baili Yun Sang pondered for a moment and asked, “Junior Brother, are you saying that he was not instructed by a third party to join Profound Pill Sect?”
Dan Cheng Zi shook his head, “He joined Profound Pill Sect completely by accident.”
“What do you mean by that?” Everybody looked at him in curiosity.
He asked in return, “Do you remember how he joined Profound Pill Sect?”
Yu Bo Yang considered the question, “Little Gao encountered him in Heavenly Martial City during a trip there, and they ended up competing with each other in Alchemy. The result was that he refined a Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill using our Profound Pill Sect’s recipe. That’s why Little Gao suspected that he obtained the pill recipe from here. After making some inquiries, Little Gao determined that you were the one who taught him in the past, Little Junior Brother. If you had not returned to the Sect without warning the other day, we probably would never have known that it was all a lie.”
Dan Cheng Zi gave a wry smile, “I’ve always considered my talents to be above all others in the Alchemic Dao, with few who are qualified to be my equal; however, after a brief chat with the brat last night, I finally discovered what it means for there to always be mountains beyond mountains.”
Everybody looked at Dan Cheng Zi in astonishment. His arrogance was well-known. If not for that, he would not have left the Sect in anger over the Sect Master’s position back then. Therefore, it was their first time hearing him say something so humbling.
Baili Yun Sang asked, “Little Junior Brother, what did you talk about last night?”
“We talked about how he joined Profound Pill Sect!” Dan Cheng Zi breathed out a long breath, “He is now my Disciple, so it’s only natural for me to show concern for him as his Honoured Master.”
Pausing for a moment, he finally explained himself, “Little Gao was correct. The pill recipe that brat used to refine the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill back then did indeed belong to Profound Pill Sect. I’m sure you all verified that fact yourselves when he first joined Profound Pill Sect, Senior Brothers.”
Wu Feng Hua nodded, “That’s right. We verified that the pill recipe he used does indeed belong to Profound Pill Sect. It’s precisely because of this that we had no doubts about his origins; after all, there’s no way for him to fake the pill recipe. We were convinced that you took in a Disciple while travelling abroad.”
“There is nothing wrong with the pill recipe. What Little Gao misunderstood was that he learned the pill recipe from me. On the contrary, the pill recipe was taught to him by Little Gao himself.”
The crowd was absolutely dumbfounded by Dan Cheng Zi’s words!
Dan Cheng Zi said, “Little Gao is outside right now. Go ahead and summon him to tell us about what happened back then. I’m sure you’ll understand soon.”
While saying so, Dan Cheng Zi clapped his hands lightly. Gao Xin Peng walked in a short while later and bowed to the people in the room before he stood there obediently with his back straight.
Dan Cheng Zi said, “Little Gao, tell us about the details of your Alchemy competition with Yang Kai back then. Don’t skip over even the smallest of details.
Gao Xin Peng did not understand the reason behind Dan Cheng Zi’s order, but he still answered earnestly. The incident might have taken place several years before, but the memory remained fresh in his mind. Under his narration, the scene at the time seemed to be re-enacted before everyone’s eyes.
During this period, Dan Cheng Zi would also ask some key questions from time to time.
A short while later, Gao Xin Peng left in confusion; meanwhile, the entire Main Hall was so silent that one could have heard the sound of a pin dropping.
After a long time, Yu Bo Yang finally gulped nervously before positing, “Little Gao claimed that Yang Kai was always one step slower than him during their competition, from the first step of organizing the herbs to the final step of condensing the pills. Could it be that… that boy was learning on the spot?”
A series of gasps filled the air and everyone’s eyes contained a light of disbelief.
Alchemy was an extremely sophisticated process. From condensing medicinal liquids to the timing of adding herbs, to the control of the Alchemy Flame, each step required extensive experience and long-term accumulation. Even with a pill recipe, an Alchemist might not be able to successfully refine a pill in such a short time. They would often experience countless failures just to accumulate enough experience before they succeeded. Learning a recipe on the spot was simply impossible, much less succeeding in the refinement!
Dan Cheng Zi said, “I didn’t believe it either, but it is the truth. I deliberately used a pill recipe I created myself to test him last night, and the result was similar to the time when Little Gao competed with him. He would always be one step behind me throughout the entire process, but he succeeded in the refinement nonetheless!”
All of the higher-ups in Profound Pill Sect were shocked to their core!
“What… How can anybody in this world be so talented in the Alchemic Dao!?” Wu Feng Hua was so shocked that he was a little incoherent.
Dan Cheng Zi had used a pill recipe he created himself to test Yang Kai. In other words, the pill recipe was not known to anybody except for Dan Cheng Zi himself, but even so, Yang Kai had managed to replicate the pill recipe in its entirety on the spot. Something like that… was too scary to even imagine.
Dan Cheng Zi sighed, “Without such aptitude, he would never have heard the Grand Dao Divine Tone or comprehended the mysteries of the Medicine King Furnace so easily. Don’t even get me started on the pill recipes that he contributed to the Sect over the years.”
Baili Yun Sang was stunned, “If that’s the case, then it was Little Gao who misunderstood the situation back then.”
Dan Cheng Zi nodded, “The brat was in the Ninth-Step Earth Realm at the time, so he was in urgent need of a Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill to advance into the Heaven Realm. Unfortunately, his outstanding talents in Alchemy were wasted without a pill recipe. He coincidentally heard that Little Gao would be heading to Heavenly Martial City, so he tried various means to approach Little Gao. On the grounds of competing in Alchemy, he successfully learned the pill recipe for the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill. You know what happened next. He was young and weak at the time, so when Little Gao asked questions and pushed for answers, he simply went with the flow and things somehow ended with him being recognised as my Disciple through a series of twists and coincidences!”
Baili Yun Sang and the Elders looked at each other with speechless expressions on their faces.
Under those circumstances, who could have imagined that the pill recipe Yang Kai mastered had been learned on the spot? The only reasonable explanation was that a Senior Expert from Profound Pill Sect had secretly taught the pill recipe to him in the past. And, this Senior Expert could only be Dan Cheng Zi, who was wandering outside the Sect at the time.
Baili Yun Sang didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, “No wonder he claimed that entering the Sect had been an accident. It turned out to be true.”
Yu Bo Yang pondered in silence for a moment, “If that’s the case, then it’s a good thing for the Sect. We were simply worried that he might be a spy sent here by another Sect to gather intelligence on the secrets of the Medicine King Furnace. Judging from the current situation, he is unrelated to any other Sects. On the contrary, his identity as a Profound Pill Sect Disciple can no longer be denied.”
Wu Feng Hua nodded, “What Third Elder said is correct. Besides, he has never displayed his martial strength in all the years that he joined the Sect. If not for the circumstances forcing his hand, nobody would have known how strong he was. It can be seen that he is equally talented in both the Martial and Alchemic Dao.”
Dan Cheng Zi said, “That’s why the Medicine King Furnace is so attractive to him, and why he made such a request yesterday.” Turning to look at Baili Yun Sang, he cupped his fist, “Sect Master, I think it will be fine to agree with his request. But, he has to promise us something.”
Baili Yun Sang looked up at Dan Cheng Zi, “What are you thinking, Little Junior Brother?”
Dan Cheng Zi said, “Over the years, he has comprehended more than a dozen pill recipes from the Grand Dao Divine Tone of the Medicine King Furnace. If he is willing to continue contributing to the Sect, then it is a good thing for Profound Pill Sect. We can let him stay in the Restricted Area for ten years, but if he learns something new again, he must share all his findings with Profound Pill Sect! Since ancient times, the Divine Armament Tournament has been held once every 100 years, but how many people have actually comprehended the mysteries of the Divine Armaments throughout history? How is this not a huge opportunity for Profound Pill Sect? After all, nobody else has been able to comprehend anything of significance from the Medicine King Furnace aside from him.”
Baili Yun Sang did not answer. He was silent for a long time before he said solemnly, “This is an important matter that needs to be further discussed carefully.”
Dan Cheng Zi did not rush Baili Yun Sang when he heard the other party’s answer. That was because he knew that Profound Pill Sect had no other choice aside from this option, unless they could overcome Yang Kai through force and suppress him.
While the meeting was ongoing, Yang Kai went to visit the people of Void Spirit Sword Sect in Profound Pill City.
Su Chang Fa had not changed in the slightest. He was still in the Third-Step Earth Realm, though after such a long time, he seemed to have gotten older. On the other hand, Hong Xiu and Gu Kang Ning’s cultivation had increased substantially. They were now in the Sixth-Step and Seventh-Step Earth Realm respectively.
They had not known what was going on when Profound Pill Sect brought them to Profound Pill City, but they could vaguely sense that something was wrong. Unfortunately, Profound Pill Sect was much stronger than them, so they were powerless to resist in any way. Now that they met Yang Kai again, it was only natural for them to get to the bottom of the matter.
Yang Kai did not explain in great detail. He simply claimed that he asked the Sect to bring them here. Seeing as Profound Pill City was a city born from Profound Pill Sect, it was naturally a much better environment than the backwater mountains Void Spirit Sword Sect used to occupy.
Su Chang Fa and the others were naturally sceptical of his explanation.
Over the next few days, Yang Kai accompanied Su Chang Fa and the others sightseeing in Profound Pill City. The hustle and bustle of the large city was very dazzling to the group of people who came from the rural countryside, so everything was new and interesting to them.
Five days after the battle inside Profound Pill Sect, Dan Cheng Zi personally came to Yang Kai’s cave mansion on Fixed Moon Peak.
“Disciple greets Honoured Master!” Yang Kai came out to greet Dan Cheng Zi, bowing politely.
Both of them knew that this Master-Disciple relationship was a farce; even so, Yang Kai did not neglect to maintain the necessary etiquette. His actions made Dan Cheng Zi very satisfied. Nodding lightly, Dan Cheng Zi said, “Let’s go inside and talk.”
“This way please, Honoured Master!” Yang Kai gestured with his hand, welcoming Dan Cheng Zi into his secluded home. Then, he instructed Wan Ying Ying to brew a pot of tea.
He had sent a messenger to Heavenly Martial City three days earlier to fetch Hua Rong, Yang Huai, and Wan Ying Ying who had remained behind previously.
Everybody took their seats and savoured the fragrance of the tea. Then, Yang Kai asked, “Honoured Master, did you come because the Sect has decided on that matter?”
Dan Cheng Zi raised his eyes to look at Yang Kai and put his teacup down, “A few days ago, you caused a huge commotion and injured countless Sect members. Although your contributions have been significant, exempting you from punishment will not quell the public outrage. On account of your remorse and your sincerity to ask for punishment after the fact, the Sect has decided to accept your previous suggestion. Your punishment is to reflect on your mistakes in the Restricted Area for the next ten years. Are you satisfied?”
Yang Kai hurriedly poured the tea for Dan Cheng Zi with a chuckle, “I’m very satisfied!” Putting down his teacup, he cupped his fist in the direction of the mountain peak where Baili Yun Sang lived, “The Sect Master is wise indeed!”
The corners of Dan Cheng Zi’s mouth couldn’t help twitching at the sight of Yang Kai’s excitement. [In this world, he is probably the only person to be so happy to be punished to reflect on his mistakes for ten years.]
“Cough…” Dan Cheng Zi lightly coughed, “But, there is one more thing you need to guarantee!”
Yang Kai said, “Honoured Master, please speak.”
“If you learn anything from the Medicine King Furnace, you need to report your findings to the Sect immediately.”
“Of course. This Disciple has always done that,” Yang Kai readily agreed.
Having said that, it was true that one could indeed comprehend some Alchemy-related knowledge from the Medicine King Furnace. However, Yang Kai had no interest in such knowledge. Besides, the findings he turned over to Profound Pill Sect were knowledge that he had already mastered long ago.
During his time in the Restricted Area, Yang Kai would only need to provide a pill recipe or Alchemic Dao teaching that did not exist in this world to the Sect every now and then. That would be enough to keep them happy.
“Good!”
Yang Kai poured tea for Dan Cheng Zi again, “Honoured Master, this Disciple has one other thing that I need your help with.”
Dan Cheng Zi immediately looked at Yang Kai vigilantly, “What is this matter?”
It was not strange for Dan Cheng Zi to be so wary. Even having lived for so many years, he had never met a freak like Yang Kai. How could he possibly resolve a matter that even this Small Monster could not? That was why he asked that question so cautiously.
“It is a trivial matter for the Sect.” Yang Kai smiled, “As you know, I was born in Void Spirit Sword Sect, Honoured Master. It is a small and declining Sect that is not worth mentioning in front of a behemoth like Profound Pill Sect. Due to some misunderstandings previously, the people of Void Spirit Sword Sect were brought to Profound Pill City and have now settled down there.”
Dan Cheng Zi nodded, “I know about this. Do you wish for the Sect to escort them back?”
Yang Kai grinned, “It is such a long journey. Don’t you think that running back and forth is very troublesome? Besides, there’s nothing to miss about those backwater mountains. This Disciple was thinking… Since they are already here, they might as well remain. Profound Pill City is so large, so taking care of the entire Void Spirit Sword Sect should not be a problem. Right?”
Dan Cheng Zi glanced sideways at Yang Kai, a deep sense of vigilance in his eyes.
Yang Kai continued, “Several years have passed since this Disciple joined the Sect. I’ve noticed that there is no unified planning in Profound Pill City. There is no City Lord’s Mansion either, much less somebody to manage its day-to-day affairs. Why don’t you assign Void Spirit Sword Sect to manage the city?”
Dan Cheng Zi immediately fumed angrily, “What a large appetite you have! Aren’t you afraid that you might not be able to digest what you eat!?”
Yang Kai smilingly replied, “One won’t know until they actually try, but regardless, it’s still better than to starve.”
Dan Cheng Zi was about to speak again, but Yang Kai raised a hand to interrupt, “A fifty-fifty split. Void Spirit Sword Sect will submit to Profound Pill Sect and help Profound Pill Sect manage Profound Pill City. The profits will be split equally between both parties!”
The words that Dan Cheng Zi wanted to speak were forced back into his mouth. He was silent for a long time before he spoke again, “Profound Pill City is a large city that can generate profits every single day. It is not as if the Sect is unaware of that fact. But, do you know why the Sect never bothered to assign somebody to manage the city?”
“Please enlighten me, Honoured Master.”
Dan Cheng Zi replied, “Profound Pill City started out as a gathering place for the people who came to request pills. Rather than a city, it was more like a temporary camp back then. Over the years, more and more people came to request pills, and with the increasing popularity, the foot of the mountain slowly developed into a village, then a town, then a city. Although Profound Pill Sect could be considered quite well-developed back then as well, it was far from what we have achieved today. Not to mention, most Alchemists are addicted to Alchemy and were consumed by it all day long. How could they have the heart to manage a city? By the time the Sect developed and prospered, the situation in Profound Pill City had already stabilised. It is a huge piece of fat just waiting to be eaten, and for that reason, various great forces from all sides have gathered here. The situation is very messy and not so simple to intervene in.”
After a short pause, he added, “Of course, the main reason is that the Sect is not lacking in wealth. Not only is there no desire to manage the city, but there is no good excuse either.”
Yang Kai nodded repeatedly, “That’s exactly why it is best for Void Spirit Sword Sect to step into this position. Void Spirit Sword Sect has submitted to Profound Pill Sect; moreover, they left their hometown behind. They need the means to make a living. Otherwise, they would starve to death!”
Dan Cheng Zi stared at Yang Kai seriously, and a long while passed before he said, “Thirty-seventy! The Sect will take 70% and Void Spirit Sword Sect will take 30%!”
Yang Kai nearly jumped out of his seat when he heard those words, “What a large appetite, Honoured Master! Didn’t you say that the Sect is not lacking in wealth!? Why must you make things difficult for Void Spirit Sword Sect!?”
Dan Cheng Zi replied angrily, “Void Spirit Sword Sect doesn’t even have a single Spirit Realm Master, how will they manage the situation in the Profound Pill City? The Sect will have to step forward in this aspect. Isn’t it reasonable for us to take 70%? If we actually do this, the Sect will simply be borrowing Void Spirit Sword Sect’s name to take control of Profound Pill City. It can be Void Spirit Sword Sect, but it can also be any random great force! 30% is a lot already. Brat, don’t be too greedy. Don’t forget your place!”
Yang Kai responded solemnly, “This Disciple might be part of Profound Pill Sect, but I am also the Sect Master of Void Spirit Sword Sect. I am responsible for its interests!”
An hour later, Dan Cheng Zi finally left.
A forty-sixty split was the final outcome of their negotiation after a long back-and-forth argument. Yang Kai was very satisfied with the results. Although Void Spirit Sword Sect would only receive 40% of the income, that was still an unimaginable amount of wealth. It was enough to benefit Void Spirit Sword Sect endlessly. In fact, he was originally prepared to accept the thirty-seventy suggestion as a last resort.
Thankfully, Dan Cheng Zi had no wish to disturb the peace that had finally managed to create. That was why he eventually backed down and agreed to the solution of a forty-sixty split after arguing with Yang Kai for a while. With his assurance and facilitation, this plan would most likely be implemented without a hitch. Naturally, Profound Pill Sect would not wish to offend Yang Kai over something like this either.
Not long after that, Yang Kai went down the mountain to where Su Chang Fa and the others were living to inform them about this matter.
When they heard the news, they were absolutely astonished and delighted. They never even dreamt that such a blessing would happen to them in this world. Having gone sightseeing in Profound Pill City for the last few days, how could they not know the prosperity of the city? It just never occurred to them that they would be managing this place one day.
In addition to their happiness, they also felt a certain level of worry about the current strength of Void Spirit Sword Sect. After all, a place like this was simply beyond what a small great force like Void Spirit Sword Sect could manage.
Fortunately, Yang Kai himself had mentioned that they would be relying on Profound Pill Sect to back Void Spirit Sword Sect in this matter. One of the reasons was that they would give Profound Pill Sect a reason to take control of Profound Pill City. The other reason was that Profound Pill Sect themselves did not have the time or the energy to manage this city.
Even so, Su Chang Fa was a worldly man, so how could he not know that the biggest reason for this outcome was thanks to Yang Kai’s mediation? In comparison, submitting to Profound Pill Sect was not that difficult to accept.
For the next half month, the entire Profound Pill City underwent a drastic change. A large number of Heaven Realm Masters and Spirit Realm Masters from Profound Pill Sect frequently went in and out of the city.
A small Sect called Void Spirit Sword Sect also emerged out of nowhere.
With the cooperation of Profound Pill Sect’s higher-ups, Void Spirit Sword Sect quickly took control over the entire city. Needless to say, there were some obstacles along the way, but these obstacles seemed almost comical in the face of overwhelming power.
Yang Kai did not participate in this endeavour and simply watched from the shadows. Once all the dust had settled, he finally entered the Restricted Area to ‘reflect on his mistakes’.
From that day onward, nobody else saw him again aside from his two personal Blood Warriors and the higher-ups of Profound Pill Sect with the qualifications to enter the Restricted Area freely.
During the first two years in the Restricted Area, Yang Kai did absolutely nothing. He simply focused all his strength on removing the drawbacks and hidden dangers brought about by cultivating the Heaven Devouring Battle Law.
His advancement into the Spirit Realm had been too sudden, and he had not been fully prepared at the time. Consequently, the hidden dangers of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law erupted without warning after he devoured a large amount of Red Jade, negatively affecting his mental state. That was why he showed signs of cultivation dissonance during the battle in Profound Pill Sect.
Following the two years of meditative cultivation, his Dragon Vein became increasingly powerful and most of the drawbacks that emerged during his advancement into the Spirit Realm were resolved as a result. Although it had been an extremely dull two years, it was equally rewarding. Yang Kai’s gains were definitely worth the effort he put in.
On the other hand, the higher-ups of Profound Pill Sect were growing rather anxious. That was because Baili Yun Sang and the Elders would see Yang Kai in the same posture where he just sat there without moving whenever they went to the Restricted Area. For a whole two years, he just sat there without comprehending the mysteries of the Medicine King Furnace; therefore, Profound Pill Sect gained nothing at all.
Fortunately, the situation improved after two years. Hua Rong and Yang Huai constantly brought in large amounts of cultivation resources into the Restricted Area, and as Yang Kai’s cultivation increased at a steady and safe pace, several extraordinary and powerful pill recipes were also delivered to the higher-ups of Profound Pill Sect.
Baili Yun Sang and the Elders were absolutely jubilant. They ecstatically began researching the various pill recipes and Alchemy techniques, thanks to which the level of the Alchemic Dao in Profound Pill Sect soared.
In addition to cultivating, Yang Kai was also refining the Medicine King Furnace. This object was the manifestation of the Divine Armament World’s Source Strength, so refining it was extremely difficult. Despite having entered the Spirit Realm now, there was no way for Yang Kai to refine the Medicine King Furnace completely in a short period of time.
Time flew by. A period of ten years was neither too long nor too short. Ten years was just the blink of an eye to the Divine Armament World, while in the eyes of Profound Pill Sect, this past decade was a period of vigorous development for the Sect.
Originally, there were several Sects known for their achievements in the Alchemic Dao in the Divine Armament World that could compete with Profound Pill Sect. During the previous Divine Armament Tournament, Profound Pill Sect had fought against these Sects for the Medicine King Furnace, and even though Profound Pill Sect came out the winner in the end, the advantage they held was not very obvious.
Now, however, the level of the Alchemic Dao in Profound Pill Sect was far more advanced than those Sects.
All the greatest Alchemy Sects had jointly organised an Alchemic Dao conference one year ago; however, Profound Pill Sect came out on top in both the competitions between the Earth-Grade Alchemists and the Heaven-Grade Alchemists. In particular, seven out of the top ten contestants among the Heaven-Grade Alchemists were Profound Pill Sect disciples. Moreover, all top five spots had been monopolised by Profound Pill Sect. Something like this had never happened before.
The whole world was shaken when this news spread out. The other Alchemy Sects were reluctant to admit their loss, but they could only be resigned to their fate. Meanwhile, Profound Pill Sect cheered when this news reached it. Everyone, from the Sect Master to the common workers, every one of them was filled with great pride.
In terms of the Alchemic Dao, this was the era of Profound Pill Sect!
When drinking, one should never forget the one who dug the well and provided the water. Needless to say, Profound Pill Sect did not forget about the biggest contributor behind the scenes.
The Sect Master and the Elders gathered outside the Restricted Area to wait quietly. Likewise, Yang Huai and Hua Rong stood nearby with expectant looks on their faces.
During the past decade, Hua Rong had advanced from the First-Step Spirit Realm to the Fourth Step. Her cultivation was not slow. In fact, it could even be said that she progressed extremely rapidly.
Yang Huai’s progress was even more astonishing. He had gone from the Ninth-Step Heaven Realm to the Fifth-Step Spirit Realm in this period. His cultivation speed was even faster than Hua Rong; after all, he was only in the Heaven Realm back when she first advanced into the Spirit Realm.
The extreme compatibility of the Secret Art, his long-standing accumulation, and the endless supply of resources were the main reasons for Yang Huai’s success.
Of course, the primary reason for their success today was all thanks to Yang Kai. Leaving aside everything else, it would have been impossible for them to obtain so many cultivation resources without him.
Void Spirit Sword Sect was presently in charge of Profound Pill City, so they took in a large income every month. Even though they only received 40% of the total, that wealth was enough for a small Sect to grow and develop rapidly. Aware of Hua Rong and Yang Huai’s identities, Void Spirit Sword Sect was generous towards these two and would share whatever good things they came across with them.
Furthermore, Yang Kai had accumulated countless contribution points which Hua Rong and Yang Huai could use to exchange for large amounts of resources from Profound Pill Sect. Not to mention, they also had the pills that Yang Kai personally refined for them!
With such an immense supply of resources, even those with the worst aptitudes in the world could shine. What more Hua Rong and Yang Huai, whose aptitudes were fairly outstanding in the first place?
Everybody waited for over an hour outside the Restricted Area, but there was no noticeable movement from the inside.
“Little Junior Brother, is Martial Nephew aware that his punishment ends today and he is allowed to leave?” Baili Yun Sang turned to glance at Dan Cheng Zi.
Dan Cheng Zi frowned, “I mentioned this to him when I visited him several days ago. Logically speaking, he should be aware of this matter. Judging by the time, he should be emerging soon.”
Yu Bo Yang asked, “Could he be comprehending something again? I seem to hear the Grand Dao Divine Tone, but it is too mysterious for me to understand!”
Wu Feng Hua stroked his beard, “He might also be performing Alchemy. Didn’t he ask for many precious herbs to be delivered a few days ago?”
Baili Yun Sang nodded, “If that’s the case, then we cannot disturb him. It doesn’t matter. Let us wait here a little longer. Sooner or later, he will…”
Before he could finish his sentence, he abruptly raised his head and stared blankly at the sky above the Restricted Area.
For some reason, an unpredictable and ever-changing seven-coloured light had appeared in the sky. The light had appeared too suddenly; moreover, it was extremely obvious. Seeing as none of them were blind, it was only natural for them to notice it immediately.
Like Baili Yun Sang, the others all stared up into the sky blankly. Nobody knew what that light was.
Lan Yin shouted, “This light is coming from the Restricted Area.”
Everybody was slightly shaken by her words.
Baili Yun Sang hesitated for a short while before he spoke through gritted teeth, “Let’s go in and have a look.”
Originally, he had decided not to disturb Yang Kai out of consideration that the latter might be comprehending the mysteries of the Medicine King Furnace or performing Alchemy; however, he could not help but investigate the situation now that the strange light had emerged from the Restricted Area all of a sudden. The Medicine King Furnace was far too important after all!
As soon as the Sect Master spoke up, the rest no longer hesitated and single-mindedly rushed into the Restricted Area. Upon stepping into the Restricted Area, they looked up only for every one of them to stare forward in complete shock.
The entire Restricted Area was completely enshrouded in that seven-coloured light. The source of the light was none other than the Medicine King Furnace located in the centre of the Restricted Area!
Meanwhile, Yang Kai stood in front of the Medicine King Furnace, facing the crowd. The white Alchemy Flame danced inside the Medicine King Furnace as he was throwing extremely precious herbs into the Medicine King Furnace in an orderly manner, causing a faint medicinal fragrance to permeate the air.
“This…” Yu Bo Yang was dumbstruck.
“Is he using the Medicine King Furnace to perform Alchemy!?” Dan Cheng Zi nearly bit off his own tongue in shock.
The Medicine King Furnace was the Divine Armament of the Alchemic Dao. It contained the Truth of the Alchemic Dao and the ultimate mysteries of Alchemy. Since ancient times, regardless of their identity, all the people who obtained the Divine Armament would treat it like a precious treasure and take meticulous care of it, for fear of breaking it by accident.
The same went for Profound Pill Sect. The Medicine King Furnace had been placed inside the Restricted Area to keep it safe after they obtained it. Aside from the Sect Master and several Elders, nobody else was even allowed to approach the Medicine King Furnace. Trespassers would be killed without hesitation!
Such a precious object… How could there come a day when somebody would use this Divine Armament to perform Alchemy!? Everybody was dumbfounded. The sight in front of them was something they never even dared to imagine in their dreams.
There was no denying that the Medicine King Furnace was indeed a furnace, but be that as it may, who would think to ever actually use it for Alchemy!? That was something nobody ever dared to consider, and yet, that very scene was happening right in front of their eyes now!
[That’s… just crazy!]
Dan Cheng Zi was about to stop Yang Kai when a wave of great curiosity stopped him in his tracks. [What will happen… if he performed Alchemy using the Medicine King Furnace? What will the pill he refined be like?]
As soon as the thought appeared in his mind, he couldn’t help looking forward to the results instead.
Everybody else seemed to have had the same idea. After overcoming their initial shock, they simply stood there silently and paid close attention to Yang Kai’s movements and the reaction of the Medicine King Furnace.
A short while later, they revealed awed expressions on their faces. They had always known that Yang Kai’s aptitude in the Alchemic Dao was outstanding and several Elders had even seen him refining pills in the past. Nevertheless, comparing his skills back then and his skills now was like comparing clouds and mud. The difference was simply enormous.
Yang Kai displayed all sorts of peculiar Alchemy Skills and exquisite control over the temperature of the flame. Even the Spirit Grade Alchemists who had immersed themselves in the Alchemic Dao throughout their entire lives had to admit that they could not match up to him. Every single movement seemed to contain the secrets of the Alchemic Dao. It was almost as though the person standing in front of the Medicine King Furnace was personally interpreting the truth of the Alchemic Dao.
Not long afterwards, traces of aura appeared in their minds. Even the Grand Dao Divine Tone that usually sounded extremely vague suddenly became clear at this moment. The mysterious Grand Dao Divine Tone echoed in their heads and cleansed their Souls, causing the ambiguity and the chaos to become clear and recognisable in an instant.
Therefore, they became incredibly excited. All of them were Spirit Grade Alchemists. In other words, they had basically reached their respective peaks in the Alchemic Dao of the Divine Armament World. There was no means for them to progress any further. Be that as it may, their encounter today had given them a glimpse of further possibilities, and they couldn’t wait to return to their secluded homes to enter retreat.
A loud rumbling sound pulled them out of that mysterious state. They returned to their senses. Whilst bemoaning the loss, they suddenly saw something even more shocking. Yang Kai was rhythmically slapping the sides of the Medicine King Furnace with both hands. Every blow caused a ripple that was visible to the naked eye to spread out from the Medicine King Furnace. Following the rhythmic patting, the medicinal fragrance in the Restricted Area became stronger and stronger.
The pills were about to form!
The Spirit Grade Alchemists stared at Yang Kai’s movements without blinking, overflowing with curiosity. Nobody had ever used the Medicine King Furnace to refine pills before, so just what would a pill produced by the Divine Armament be like?
Every single person in the Restricted Area held their breath in anticipation, lest the air they exhaled disturbed Yang Kai’s Alchemy processes. After the last blow was struck, Yang Kai used his Pill Condensing Technique. A string of seven-coloured lights suddenly flew out from within the Medicine King Furnace.
Everybody took a closer look in that direction, and only then did they notice that what flew out of the Medicine King Furnace were not lights but Spirit Grade pills glowing with a seven-coloured light! These Spirit Grade pills had rapidly shot out of the furnace in quick succession to form a straight line, thereby creating the illusion that they were a string of lights.
“Nine pills!” Baili Yun Sang exclaimed, staring blankly at something in mid-air. In his field of vision, there were a total of nine Spirit Grade pills, each one perfectly round, flawless, and overflowing with spirituality.
The Elders were shaken to the core.
Nine was the limit. In theory, each furnace of pills could produce nine pills; therefore, producing nine pills in one furnace was a sign of perfection!
In reality, even the most skilled Alchemist rarely managed to produce nine pills. That was because the process would require an Alchemist to fully utilise every bit of the medical efficacy of the herbs during the Alchemy process. Moreover, not even the slightest mistake could be made throughout the refinement. There was no doubt that these requirements were extremely difficult to achieve and only when one’s luck was extremely good could they occasionally produce such a result.
Ever since Baili Yun Sang started cultivating Alchemy until now, he had only produced two furnaces of nine pills. Not to mention, those were Heaven-Grade pills. As for Spirit-Grade pills, even an experienced Spirit-Grade Alchemist like himself was unable to produce nine pills in one go.
If even he was unable to do that, what more needed to be said about other Spirit Grade Alchemists?
Looking at the pills that Yang Kai had refined just now, it was obvious that they were Spirit Grade. Even so, he managed to produce nine at once! The Medicine King Furnace might have contributed to the situation; nevertheless, the ability to perform to this extent undoubtedly showed that Yang Kai’s Alchemy Skills had surpassed everybody here!
Baili Yun Sang couldn’t help feeling old. All of a sudden, he realized something odd. He observed strange patterns on the surface of these pills. Those patterns resembled the meridians in the human body. It was a mysterious sight to see. More so since he had never seen such patterns before.
Under the guidance of his Spirit Qi, the nine Spirit Grade pills were collected by Yang Kai. Even though he had clearly refined a furnace of extraordinary Spirit Grade pills, he scowled fiercely and stood there lost in thought.
Nobody dared to recklessly disturb him, so they simply waited there quietly.
Ten years was not a short time for Yang Kai. He had spent the first two years resolving the hidden dangers of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. Afterwards, he spent the remaining eight years cultivating while refining the Medicine King Furnace. At present, he was in the Eighth-Step Spirit Realm! That was not the most important thing though. The critical point was that he had nearly finished refining the Medicine King Furnace. All that was left were the finishing touches!
It was not due to a lack of time that he hadn’t finished, however, nor was it due to some difficulties in refining the Divine Armament. Rather, Yang Kai was certain that he could finish refining the Medicine King Furnace in the next moment if he so wished, it was just that he had a vague feeling that he would immediately be rejected by this world as soon as he took that step. At that time, he would be forced to leave this place.
Thinking about it, that was only to be expected. The reason he came to the Divine Armament World was to refine part of the Source Strength of this world. Once he achieved his goal, he would no longer be allowed to remain here. That was also part of the rules in this world.
However, Yang Kai was not willing to leave just like this. It could even be said that he never imagined that such a situation would occur in the first place.
When he first entered the Divine Armament World, he had assumed that he would need to wait 100 years until the next Divine Armament Tournament to snatch the Divine Armaments. It could now be seen that his assumption had been wrong. Joining Profound Pill Sect and coming into contact with the Medicine King Furnace had given him the chance to refine it in advance.
It was not easy for Yang Kai to enter this Small Source World though, so how could he return without getting as many benefits as possible?
A vague plan suddenly formed in his mind. It was just that he would need careful planning to determine how he could implement it. Gathering his thoughts, Yang Kai suddenly noticed that everybody was staring at him eagerly, so he gently nodded and cupped his fist, “Greetings, Sect Master, Honoured Master, and Elders!”
Baili Yun Sang couldn’t care for pleasantries, so with a mixture of agitation and anxiety, he asked, “Martial Nephew, what kind of Spirit Grade pills did you refine earlier? Can you let me see them?”
“They are Spirit Yuan Pills, which have the effect of aiding Spirit Realm Masters in their cultivation. Didn’t I already hand the pill recipe to the Sect?” While speaking, Yang Kai took out one of the Spirit Yuan Pills and handed it to Baili Yun Sang.
Everybody immediately crowded around Baili Yun Sang as they couldn’t wait to lay their eyes on the pill to take a good look.
Dan Cheng Zi observed and emulated for a while before he frowned and said, “We are familiar with the pill recipe of the Spirit Yuan Pill, but why does your refining process seem a little different?”
Yang Kai explained, “It’s an Alchemy Technique that I created myself. I will prepare a copy for the Contribution Hall later!”
Dan Cheng Zi was satisfied, “Good Disciple!”
Baili Yun Sang held the Spirit Yuan Pill between his fingers and looked at Yang Kai in puzzlement, “Martial Nephew, what are these patterns on the pill? Why do I get the feeling that these patterns contain something extremely mysterious?”
“These are Pill Veins!” Yang Kai took the Spirit Grade pill from Baili Yun Sang’s hands and tossed the pill into his mouth. Crunching noisily on the pill, he finally swallowed and added, “With these Pill Veins, the medicinal efficacies of this Spirit Yuan Pill is double that of a normal Spirit Yuan Pill.”
“What!?” Yu Bo Yang exclaimed in astonishment.
“Double!?” Even Wu Feng Hua was shocked.
Baili Yun Sang was heartbroken, “How can you… How can you eat such a precious thing!?”
Looking at his expression, Baili Yun Sang seemed like he was tempted to rush over to Yang Kai and dig it out from his mouth with his bare hands.
Yang Kai laughed, “Pills are meant to be eaten. But, only I can eat these. Nobody else can eat them. This is the reason…”
While speaking, a humming sound suddenly came from within his body. Immediately after that, Yang Kai’s entire body abruptly swelled. Following the expansion of his body, it seemed to transform into a bottomless pit. An enormous wave of World Energy rushed towards his body, kicking up a gust of wind along the way. Even the Red Jades piled beside the Medicine King Furnace turned into dust in an instant.
*Hong hong hong…*
Following several consecutive rumblings, Yang Kai’s body expanded and contracted several times before he suddenly went back to normal.
Everybody was dumbfounded by the sight!
Baili Yun Sang stared at something by the side with a lifeless gaze. In just ten breaths of time, at least 300,000 Red Jades had been drained of energy and turned into dust. Those Red Jades had been consumed and devoured by Yang Kai in that time! That speed was simply appalling!
But, in this way, the Elders finally understood why Yang Kai claimed that only he could eat these pills. Ever since Yang Kai contributed the pill recipe for the Spirit Yuan Pills, Profound Pill Sect had refined many of these pills for the Spirit Realm Masters in the Sect to consume as an auxiliary to their cultivation. The effects were remarkable and all those who ate these pills claimed that the effects were amazing.
A normal Spirit Yuan Pill already had such powerful effects. On the other hand, a Spirit Yuan Pill with Pill Veins had double the effects. It was certainly not something normal Spirit Realm Masters could bear.
“These Pill Veins… How do you refine them?” Dan Cheng Zi stared at Yang Kai excitedly, his eyes gleaming brightly.
Although it was his first time hearing about Pill Veins, he had witnessed their terrifying strength with his own eyes. If this knowledge could be promoted in Profound Pill Sect, then no other Alchemy Sects would have a future in the world!
“It is not easy to form Pill Veins. It is one part talent and one part effort. Of course, the most important factor is… luck!” Yang Kai pondered for a moment and continued, “En. I’m sure everybody is tired today. Why don’t you all come to Fixed Moon Peak tomorrow? I will teach you about Pill Veins in detail then.”
Dan Cheng Zi nodded lightly, “Good!”
Baili Yun Sang looked at Yang Kai eagerly, “Martial Nephew, can I have another Spirit Yuan Pill? This Old Master wishes to go back and study it.”
“I want one too!” Wu Feng Hua immediately chimed in.
“Cough… This Old Master would like one too,” Yu Bo Yang stepped forward.
Seeing that the other Elders were about to speak, Yang Kai hurriedly raised his hand to stop them, “I don’t have many in the first place. Why don’t you all go to the Sect Master’s place to discuss and research the pill together?”
They exchanged glances with each other. Then, Baili Yun Sang nodded, “Good.”
Yang Kai immediately handed another Spirit Yuan Pill to Baili Yun Sang.
Baili Yun Sang took the pill as though he was accepting a great treasure. Taking out a jade bottle, he stored the pill carefully. After obtaining the Spirit Yuan Pill, he eagerly said, “Martial Nephew, your ten-year retreat ends today. You should go back and get some rest!”
After saying that, he hurried away while the rest of the Elders followed closely behind him.
Yang Kai called out to Dan Cheng Zi, “Please wait, Honoured Master! This Disciple has a question!”
Dan Cheng Zi glanced in the direction where the others were leaving and said impatiently, “What is it? Hurry up.”
Yang Kai secretly stuffed a jade bottle into Dan Cheng Zi’s hand and smilingly replied, “It’s nothing important. Maybe it’s because it’s been so long since I’ve seen you, Honoured Master, I missed you very much!”
Dan Cheng Zi lowered his head to look at the object in his hands and smiled, “It’s good that you are filial!” He looked up again. Glancing at the Medicine King Furnace, he asked, “You used the Medicine King Furnace for Alchemy… Will there be any issues?”
Yang Kai laughed, “The Medicine King Furnace is a Divine Armament, how can there be any issues? Besides, it was born for the sake of Alchemy. It is only because the Medicine King Furnace is too precious that nobody dared to do something like this before.”
Dan Cheng Zi nodded, “That’s good then. You should go back and rest now. You still have much to do tomorrow.”
“I will see you off, Honoured Master!” Yang Kai said.
The sky was slowly brightening on the horizon. Dan Cheng Zi’s sleeves fluttered as he landed halfway up the mountain of Fixed Moon Peak and looked in the direction of Yang Kai’s cave mansion with a strange expression. He had been so shocked by Yang Kai’s Alchemy Skills yesterday that he failed to notice an issue based on seniority.
The brat was one whole generation lower than the Elders, so how could he be so arrogant as to invite everybody over to his secluded home to listen to him preach the Dao about these new Pill Veins!? Logically speaking, he should have reported this matter to the Elders instead! Although it was said that the one who discovered the truth of the Grand Dao first was supreme, proper etiquette should not have been neglected.
For that reason, Dan Cheng Zi had rushed over early in the morning. He wanted to advise Yang Kai to head towards the Spirit Peak where the Sect Master was staying instead. Going by Yang Kai’s behaviour yesterday, he seemed to recognise the Master-Disciple relationship between them. Since he considered Dan Cheng Zi as his Honoured Master, then Dan Cheng Zi was the best person to step forward and speak to him about this breach of etiquette.
Outside the cave mansion, Yang Huai and Hua Rong stood on both sides of the door and cupped their fists in greeting when they saw Dan Cheng Zi approaching them.
Dan Cheng Zi looked lightly at them before walking into the cave mansion under Hua Rong’s guidance. When he looked up though, he couldn’t help being terrified for a moment.
It turned out that Baili Yun Sang and the others had arrived before him. Not only were all the Elders of the Sect gathered in this place, but they were also sitting upright with thin cushions beneath them.
Dan Cheng Zi’s face twitched slightly. The scene in front of him looked very familiar… Upon a closer look, he couldn’t help recalling a scene from when he was still a young boy. It was a scene from the past where he had listened to the teachings of his Honoured Master with many of his Fellow Brothers! So many years had passed that this old memory had almost been forgotten; however, thoughts of those times came surging back today.
The young men from back then had now become world-famous Spirit-Grade Alchemists; even so, the scene in front of him was almost identical to that memory from the past. The only difference was that those handsome young men were now old men with grey beards.
He couldn’t help feeling a little emotional.
“You’re here, Little Junior Brother?” Baili Yun Sang turned back and nodded at Dan Cheng Zi in greeting.
Dan Cheng Zi was taken aback, “Sect Master, why is your appearance so haggard!?”
At this moment, Baili Yun Sang’s eyes were completely bloodshot. He looked like he had not rested for weeks on end. Even his hair, which was usually kept neat and tidy, was completely dishevelled, as though he had run his hands through it countless times.
“Why are you all… so haggard!?” Dan Cheng Zi swept his gaze over the others only to discover that the condition of every single person in the room was no different from Baili Yun Sang.
It was just that their bloodshot eyes were shining with excitement even though they looked a little tired. That was the natural reaction they got after seeing something that was extremely stimulating to them.
Baili Yun Sang gave a wry smile, “The Pill Veins that Martial Nephew showed us yesterday are truly profound and mysterious. We couldn’t learn anything at all after studying the pill for the entire night. Since you’re here, Little Junior Brother, you should hurry up and take a seat. Martial Nephew will probably wake up soon.”
Dan Cheng Zi no longer knew how to bring up what he wanted to say earlier. The initial reason he arrived so early was to advise Yang Kai to head to the Spirit Peak where the Sect Master lived so as to prevent any discourtesy. Who could have known that the Sect Master himself was already here? Judging from how everybody else was also waiting in this place, there seemed to be no complaint at all.
In this world, who could make so many Spirit-Grade Alchemists wait with such patience? In terms of status, there was nobody in the Divine Armament World who had this qualification. Only their yearning for the Alchemic Dao could make these arrogant Spirit Grade Alchemists put aside their dignity.
Therefore, Dan Cheng Zi said nothing else and sat down cross-legged with the rest of them.
Approximately an incense stick later, Yang Kai walked out from the inner room and bowed in greeting, “Greetings, Sect Master, Honoured Master, Elders!”
To his surprise, everybody stood up and returned the bow. Taken aback for a moment, Yang Kai raised his hand and said, “You are all my Seniors. Please take a seat!”
After ordering somebody to serve tea, Yang Kai wasted no time and immediately began explaining Pill Veins. The Alchemic Dao that he mastered far exceeded the scope of what the Alchemists in the Divine Armament World could understand, so he only taught them about certain aspects that they could accept and comprehend.
The higher-ups of Profound Pill Sect listened fascinatedly. From time to time, somebody would ask a question and Yang Kai would answer them one by one. The lecture went on for three whole days.
The group of old men sitting below were not young anymore, and although they had strong cultivation, it was very exhausting for them to remain in such an excited state over such a long period. That was especially true when Yang Kai noticed that their spirits were incredibly high even though they were obviously very tired. He was worried that something bad might happen to them, so he ended the lesson abruptly.
Naturally, none of these eager Alchemists was willing to let this opportunity end, but they knew that what they learned over the past three days was enough for them to take another step further in the Alchemic Dao.
Before leaving, Baili Yun Sang suddenly asked, “Martial Nephew, do the Pill Clouds you mentioned at the end really exist?”
Yang Kai nodded, “Of course, they exist. Pill Clouds are another level above Pill Veins. It’s just that Pill Veins can be forged through hard work and effort, but Pill Clouds can only occur serendipitously.”
Baili Yun Sang frowned, “Even with your talents, Martial Nephew, do you have no confidence in refining the Pill Clouds?”
Yang Kai shook his head in response.
Baili Yun Sang sighed softly, “I really want to see how a pill with Pill Clouds looks! If I could see that, I would be able to die without regrets.”
Yang Kai smiled, “I’m sure you’ll get the chance. Who knows? Maybe you or the Elders will be favoured by the Heavens one day and successfully refine the Pill Clouds as a result.”
Baili Yun Sang waved his hand dismissively, “This Old Master knows the abilities of himself and these old fogeys well. We may not even be able to fully comprehend the mysteries of Pill Veins, let alone Pill Clouds. On the other hand, your Alchemy Skills are superb, Martial Nephew. If you manage to refine a pill that forms Pill Clouds one day, you must show it to this Old Master.”
“Of course, Sect Master!” Yang Kai nodded respectfully.
“In addition, you are now a Spirit-Grade Alchemist. Not only do your Alchemy Skills far exceed old folks like us, but you also contributed greatly to Profound Pill Sect. You are more than qualified to become one of the Elders in Profound Pill Sect. What do you think, Martial Nephew?”
Yang Kai was stunned. He never imagined that Baili Yun Sang would propose something like that. It didn’t matter to him whether he became an Elder or not, so he simply nodded, “I will leave the arrangements to you, Sect Master!”
“Good. After so many years, Profound Pill Sect will finally have another Elder among our ranks! The whole world will celebrate with us!” Smiling, Baili Yun Sang stroked his beard and left.
Dan Cheng Zi looked in the direction that Baili Yun Sang left and patted Yang Kai on the shoulder, “It looks like the Sect Master has high hopes for you. He probably plans to let you take over as the next Sect Master.”
Yang Kai was shocked, “Does Sect Master have such intentions?”
Dan Cheng Zi smiled, “Why else would he be so anxious for you to become an Elder? We are old and might not have many years left to live. Be it in Alchemy or the Martial Dao, your aptitude is the highest in Profound Pill Sect. Handing the Sect over to you is the best choice.”
Yang Kai didn’t know what to say. Ten years ago, he had caused a huge commotion in Profound Pill Sect and nearly burned all his bridges with them. It was difficult to imagine that he was now being trained as its successor.
…..
When Baili Yun Sang said ‘The whole world will celebrate with us’, Yang Kai thought that he had only said those words out of happiness. In reality, news of his Elder Promotion Ceremony was actually spread across the world.
Profound Pill Sect widely distributed invitations, inviting all the Sects in the Divine Armament World to witness the ceremony. As one of the Ten Great Sects, and a great force overseen by Alchemists, it was only natural for everybody to show their respect to Profound Pill Sect.
Two months later, the entire Profound Pill Sect was overflowing with festivities. They had countless guests in attendance, and almost all the Sects in the Divine Armament World with some influence had sent representatives. Profound Pill City was overcrowded at one point, so much so that even the outskirts of the city were not spared.
Throughout history, this was the first time an Elder Promotion Ceremony had ever become a grand event that practically involved the entire Divine Armament World!
Representatives of the various great forces became aware of how remarkable the new Elder of Profound Pill Sect was at this time. If Profound Pill Sect did not cherish this Elder, they would not have held such a grand event; therefore, Yang Kai’s name became known across the world in a single night!
Countless people were filled with curiosity about Yang Kai. Unfortunately, not much information could be inquired about him since he had been in retreat for the past ten years.
The rumours spreading among the people claimed that this new Elder was the reason for Profound Pill Sect’s rapid development over the years. Moreover, this Elder could arouse the resonance of the Medicine King Furnace and comprehend the mysteries of the Grand Dao Divine Tone. He alone had contributed dozens of pill recipes that never existed before to Profound Pill Sect. His contributions had elevated the Alchemic Dao of the entire Profound Pill Sect by a large margin.
Even the Sect Master of Profound Pill Sect, Baili Yun Sang, sighed at his incompetence when it came to his own attainments in the Alchemic Dao. Yang Kai was worthy of being known as the greatest Alchemist in the Divine Armament World!
Needless to say, the other Alchemy Sects refused to recognise this title. During the Elder Promotion Ceremony, they even went so far as to send out several Spirit Grade Alchemists to compete against Yang Kai in Alchemy on the grounds of ‘learning’. Nobody knew the outcome of the competition, but the Spirit Grade Alchemists of those great forces immediately entered retreat after returning to their respective Sects and there was no further news from them afterwards.
The biggest advantage of becoming an Elder of Profound Pill Sect was that Yang Kai could become the Master of a Spirit Peak, owning one all to himself.
He used to live on Fixed Moon Peak, but several other Heaven Grade Alchemists also lived on Fixed Moon Peak. Gao Xin Peng was one of them. Now that he was an Elder of Profound Pill Sect, Yang Kai moved to live on Limitless Peak instead.
After the ceremony, Limitless Peak remained very lively. Several storehouses on Limitless Peak were filled to the brim with gifts from countless Sects. There were so many precious treasures that the very sight would dazzle a person. It took Yang Huai and Hua Rong many days to organise and categorise the gifts with a group of servants.
Inside a quiet room, Yang Kai played with a stone the size of a melon. Both his Spirit Qi and the Space Principles surged as he refined the object in his hand.
Everything in the Divine Armament World was wonderful; however, the greatest inconvenience Yang Kai faced was that there were no storage tools like Universe Bags or Space Rings.
Whenever he cultivated nowadays, he would consume an extremely large number of resources, and it was very troublesome to move these resources around without something like a Space Ring. More importantly, he could not bring much with him if he were to travel outside. He could only carry some pills with him at most.
He had been searching for an opportunity to refine a Space Ring the entire time he had been here; unfortunately, even the cleverest woman could not cook a meal without rice. There were no Space Spirit Crystals in this world, so he was unable to refine a Space Ring. Unexpectedly, he found a strange ore among the gifts sent by one of the great forces. This strange ore had some similar properties to Space Spirit Crystal, which might allow him to use it to refine a Space Ring.
The white Alchemy Flame danced. Since this Alchemy Flame could be used for Alchemy, it was only natural that it could also be used for Artifact Refining. It was just that Yang Kai did not know much about Artifact Refining. That was why refining this object was very challenging. Fortunately, his attainments in the Dao of Space were quite profound, so refining a simple Space Ring should not be a problem.
Several days later, Yang Kai looked at the hideous ring in his hand and sighed softly. There was no helping it given that he didn’t know much about the Dao of Artifact Refining. Although he originally planned to refine a Space Ring, what he actually produced after all that effort was a black and crude ring with no sense of aesthetics at all.
Fortunately, the practicality of the item was not bad even though the appearance was rather ugly. He had used Space Principles to open up a small space inside of the ore, taking advantage of its natural properties, which was enough to hold quite a number of things.
Afterward, he went to the storehouse. When he found some resources that might be useful to him, he stuffed them all into the Space Ring.
Dan Cheng Zi was right. Baili Yun Sang really intended to train Yang Kai to become the next Sect Master of Profound Pill Sect; after all, ten years of dull and lonely retreat combined with Yang Kai’s enormous contribution to the Sect was enough to prove his loyalty to Profound Pill Sect.
Following the Elder Promotion Ceremony, Profound Pill Sect secretly built up the momentum and fervently boosted his reputation. A 30 year old Spirit Grade Alchemist, the youngest Elder, the future hope of Profound Pill Sect… All kinds of praises were added to Yang Kai’s name. For a time, he was in the spotlight of the entire Divine Armament World and the entire Profound Pill Sect was incredibly proud of him!
…
Vanishing Sword Mountain was one of the Ten Great Sects in the Divine Armament World.
The so-called Ten Great Sects were not fixed, but changed with the Divine Armament Tournament that was held every 100 years. Only the Sects that managed to obtain a Divine Armament were eligible to be part of the Ten Great Sects. The title was an honorary title. It was also a symbol of strength to some extent, but that was not always the case.
There was one such Sect among the existing Ten Great Sects. The Sect’s overall strength was not particularly superior. It was only because they had a Heaven-defying person among their ranks who managed to obtain one of the Divine Armaments in the last Divine Armament Tournament that the Sect was also promoted to become one of the Ten Great Sects.
Having survived for over 1,000 years, Vanishing Sword Mountain had a long history. Moreover, they managed to obtain the Divine Armament True Void Sword on numerous occasions throughout the past 1,000 years. Accordingly, the Sect was also periodically listed as part of Ten Great Sects. It could be said that Vanishing Sword Mountain was one of the undisputed leading Sects in the Divine Armament World.
Even without the protection of a Divine Armament, nobody dared to underestimate the strength of this Sect. What more when the Divine Armament True Void Sword was currently in Vanishing Sword Mountain?
In the dark of the night, the full moon hung high in the sky and cold moonlight illuminated the world. A ghostly figure silently appeared out of nowhere on top of a tall building.
Yang Kai stood on the highest point of Vanishing Sword Mountain, looking down on the large Sect that boasted an inheritance lasting over 1,000 years. The True Void Sword around his waist was currently humming like crazy.
Looking down, he raised an eyebrow. The True Void Sword around his waist was something that the Ancestral Founder of Void Spirit Sword Sect spent a lot of resources to forge in the past. It was an imitation of the genuine Divine Armament, but the sword itself was just a Spirit Armament.
Regardless of the circumstances, there would always be a subtle connection between the replica and the genuine object. If not for that, Yang Kai would not have deliberately carried the True Void Sword with him. He could have just stored the sword in the Space Ring.
At this point, Yang Kai had almost finished refining the Medicine King Furnace. He was only one step away from completion. Once he took that last step, he would definitely obtain a portion of the Divine Armament World’s Source Strength. At the same time, this world would also produce a strong rejection force to expel him out of the Divine Armament World. At that time, he would be forced to leave even if he didn’t want to.
It was not easy for him to come here, so it was only natural for Yang Kai to want to acquire more benefits.
The Divine Armament World’s Source had been divided into ten pieces, and the Ten Great Divine Armaments were the physical embodiments of these pieces. If Yang Kai wanted to acquire more benefits, then he would need to refine more of the Divine Armaments!
For that reason, Vanishing Sword Mountain was his first target. That was because the Divine Armament True Void Sword was here!
Yang Kai was very curious as to what would happen if he refined all of the Ten Great Divine Armaments. Would he be able to devour the entire World Force of the Divine Armament World and expand his Small Universe enormously as a result? If that were the case, he figured he would immediately advance into the Seventh-Step Open Heaven Realm!
As for whether he would be discovered, Yang Kai was not worried. His strength had reached a point where he was now unrivalled in the Divine Armament World. There was no need for him to continue living if he was discovered despite moving about so sneakily. What’s more, the Divine Armament was not owned by anybody. Even if he stole the True Void Sword, Vanishing Sword Mountain would have no way of determining the culprit.
The fact that the Divine Armaments had no owners was something he deliberately inquired about from Dan Cheng Zi. That was because he had found the situation very strange when he previously refined the Medicine King Furnace.
Logically speaking, the Medicine King Furnace should have an owner when it was already in Profound Pill Sect. In reality though, Yang Kai had not felt anybody’s aura in the Medicine King Furnace.
Lan Yin also mentioned in the past that there was nobody in Profound Pill Sect who could refine the Medicine King Furnace. If that was the case for the Medicine King Furnace, then it would surely be the same for the rest of the Divine Armaments!
The so-called Armament Masters were simply people who had obtained the Divine Armaments; however, the Divine Armaments were nothing more than weapons that were slightly sharper than Spirit Armaments in their hands. They were completely incapable of bringing out the true power of the Divine Armaments.
Throughout the ages, many heroes had tried to become the true Masters of the Divine Armaments; unfortunately, nobody had ever succeeded. There was even a precedent of being killed by the backlash from trying to refine a Divine Armament.
From the standpoint of an outsider, the Divine Armaments were the manifestations of this world’s Source Strength. If people in this world wanted to refine the Source Strength, they would need to have the vision and the strength to escape the shackles of this world; otherwise, their attempts would only lead to their destruction.
It was just that each Divine Armament also represented various Grand Dao’s of this World, so the benefits that these Divine Armaments could bring were immeasurable even if they were just placed in a hall and studied. Take the Vanishing Sword Mountain’s True Void Sword for example. If a person could comprehend the mysteries of the True Void Sword, they could significantly improve their attainments in the Sword Dao.
Everybody in Vanishing Sword Mountain was trained in the sword. Not to mention, they had obtained the True Void Sword multiple times over the past 1,000 or so years. That was why there were countless Sword Masters in Vanishing Sword Mountain.
The True Void Sword on Yang Kai’s waist continued to hum. The sound was soft, but the hearing of the Masters in Vanishing Sword Mountain was sharp and keen. Nobody noticed his arrival, but they definitely noticed his presence now.
A shout rang out from the shadows, “Who is sneaking around!?”
Numerous sword waves blasted out towards Yang Kai from all directions as soon as those words rang out. In an instant, the place where he had been standing was covered in an inescapable barrage of attacks. When the sword lights subsided, more than a dozen silhouettes had already leapt onto the building’s roof. They searched the surrounding area, but there was nothing there.
“Where is he?” One of them was puzzled and bewildered.
“Could it be that we were mistaken?”
“Impossible. I saw it clearly. There was definitely somebody standing here just now.”
“A person who can escape from beneath our noses must be a High-Rank Spirit Realm Master. Who knows why he is sneaking around. Hurry up and inform the Mountain Lord about this.”
With a few simple words, somebody quickly rushed off to make a report. The remaining people summoned more of their comrades to search their surroundings for anything suspicious.
The entire Vanishing Sword Mountain was thrown into turmoil in a short time. Figures weaved about in the dark of the night and each one surged with Spirit Qi. This display highlighted the immense heritage of this Sect.
At the same time, Yang Kai suddenly appeared in a quiet place.
The True Void Sword at his waist had already been stuffed into his Space Ring. The momentary connection formed from the resonance between the replica and the genuine object was enough for him to confirm the location of the actual Divine Armament, so at this point, leaving his True Void Sword out in the open would only invite more trouble.
Yang Kai stood at the entrance to a certain mountain valley. He turned to look around and saw a stone monument by the side of the stone valley. The characters ‘Sword Pedestal’ were carved on the stone monument.
He raised his brow slightly at the sight. The Sword Pedestal of Vanishing Sword Mountain was famous all over the world. It was also the Restricted Area located in the deepest parts of Vanishing Sword Mountain. It was reasonable for the True Void Sword to be placed here.
Yang Kai stepped inside, his figure flitting about with no fixed pattern. Under the night sky, he looked like a ghost. Muffled groans and the thudding sounds of something heavy dropping to the ground would come from the shadows from time to time. These were the sounds of the secret guards stationed outside the Restricted Area being knocked unconscious.
It didn’t take long before Yang Kai arrived in the deepest part of the Restricted Area.
There was a sword inserted straight into the middle of a stone cistern on top of a round platform. In terms of shape and appearance, the sword was identical to Void Spirit Sword Sect’s True Void Sword, and under the moonlight, the blade of the sword reflected the moonlight with a cold brilliance.
Yang Kai stared at the sword calmly, seeming to hear a vague and mysterious voice in his ear. However, the voice was indistinct and incomprehensible.
The Medicine King Furnace had a Grand Dao Divine Tone. Naturally, so did the True Void Sword. While the Medicine King Furnace contained the Truth of the Alchemic Dao, the True Void Sword contained the Truth of the Sword Dao! If one could comprehend the Grand Dao Divine Tone in this place, one would surely reach the greatest heights of the Sword Dao possible in the Divine Armament World.
There were four men with white hair and white beards sitting at four points around the round platform where the True Void Sword was located. The four of them looked extremely old. The beard of the one with the longest beard was so long that it actually dragged on the ground. One of them wore green robes, another red, another yellow, and the last one wore white. Their respective colours were very distinct.
Yang Kai might have travelled soundlessly when he walked in from the outside, but his movements had not escaped the eyes and ears of these four people. That was why all four of them opened their eyes at the same time and stared at him fixedly as soon as he arrived here.
It was just that Yang Kai had surged his Space Principles, so the space surrounding him fluctuated constantly. Even though the strength of these four old men was horrifying, they were unable to discern his true appearance. All they could see was a humanoid shadow which they couldn’t even tell was male or female.
The four Elders had neither seen nor heard of such strange methods before, so their expressions instantly became solemn.
The green-robed old man asked, “Who are you?”
Yang Kai shifted his gaze from the True Void Sword and swept a glance over them. Then, he gently nodded and said, “I’ve long heard that Vanishing Sword Mountain had four Elders of the Four Seasons. Each one has strength that has reached the peak of the World. Now that I see you today, you truly are worthy of your reputation!”
Although none of them had made a move, Yang Kai could feel the mighty aura of the Spirit Qi coming from the bodies of these four old men. Their Spirit Qi was practically at the limits of this world.
The red-robed Summer Elder quickly said, “We old men have not involved ourselves in the world for a long time, so we were unaware that people like you exist in this world. It seems that great talents are born in every generation!”
The yellow-robed Autumn Elder asked, “Why did you come here?”
Yang Kai grinned, “I came to borrow the True Void Sword!”
The four Elders exchanged glances with each other, but there was no anger in their eyes. The white-robed Winter Elder said, “We have been instructed to guard this place and watch over the True Void Sword. If you wish to take the True Void Sword, you will have to kill us first; otherwise, you will never take the True Void Sword away.”
Yang Kai smiled slightly, “Respecting the elderly and cherishing the young are the virtues of my generation. You are not young anymore, so you really shouldn’t be acting so violent. I will leave after taking the True Void Sword.”
While saying so, he boldly strode forward.
The expressions of the four Elders changed drastically. Although they did not seem to have moved, a sword suddenly appeared in each of their hands; then, flashing sword lights attacked Yang Kai from all directions.
None of them had used any fancy moves when attacking him. On the contrary, each move they made was only the simplest of forms. It was just that the terrifying Spirit Qi in their bodies was controlled so that every attack contained immense power.
All four of them were among the strongest Masters of this world, so it could be said that their combined strength was invincible; however, a scene that shocked them to the core appeared before them today. The hazy figure was completely unaffected by their attacks. Step by step, he slowly approached the True Void Sword. The space around him became distorted and warped. At the same time, all the attacks aimed at him were inexplicably extinguished.
An incense stick later, a burly figure rushed towards the depths of the Sword Pedestal. This person was the Mountain Lord of Vanishing Sword Mountain, Ye Cheng!
Somebody had quietly infiltrated Vanishing Sword Mountain, but a search of the surroundings came up empty. That was when Ye Cheng abruptly thought about the Restricted Area and hurried over to investigate the situation.
As he passed along the path, the secret guards who should have been standing watch over the area from the shadows remained silent. His heart involuntarily sank. When he arrived at the Restricted Area, he raised his head to look in that direction and his expression changed drastically. The True Void Sword was gone!
The Four Seasons Elders stood surrounding the round platform, each facing a different direction and motionlessly maintaining a stance with their swords drawn as though somebody had placed a Binding Secret Technique on them. The expressions on their faces were a mixture of shock and rage.
Traces of a battle remained fluctuating wildly around them.
Ye Cheng’s arrival seemed to have triggered some sort of hidden switch. Following a series of rustling sounds from all directions, each of the four Elders spewed out a stream of fresh blood and fell to their knees on the ground in unison!
Shocked, Ye Cheng quickly stepped forward, “Elders, what happened here!? Where is the True Void Sword!?”
An unusual red flush crept up the Spring Elder’s face. He forcefully suppressed his churning vitality and answered the question with a look of shame, “We have failed you, Mountain Lord. The True Void Sword… was stolen by someone.”
Ye Cheng was horrified, “Who would have the ability to steal the True Void Sword from under the noses of the Four Elders!?”
One could not fault him for feeling so horrified. The strength of the four old men standing in front of him had reached the peak. Any one of them could be considered an invincible existence in the world, let alone the combined forces of these four.
Summer Elder shook his head, “We don’t know. The infiltrator’s appearance was unclear. Judging from the voice, he was probably a man; however, his methods are unpredictable and strange. We… are not his opponent.”
Ye Cheng felt all the hairs on his body stand up in horror when he heard those words. According to the Summer Elder, the infiltrator had injured them and then stolen the True Void Sword. Not only that, but they couldn’t even get a clear glimpse of their enemy’s true appearance. If not for his trust in the four old men, Ye Cheng would have wondered whether they carried out the robbery themselves.
“That person who stole the True Void Sword should not have gone far. Mountain Lord, please dispatch the troops to pursue him immediately! Be sure to find out the whereabouts of the True Void Sword! The Divine Armament… cannot be allowed to fall into the hands of outsiders! We will take some time to adjust our breathing and catch up with the rest of you soon!”
Winter Elder waved his hand impatiently, “Hurry up and go!”
Ye Cheng nodded heavily, “Yes!”
Then, he turned around and strode away in large strides.
At the same time, 1,000 kilometres away, Yang Kai flew through the air with the True Void Sword in his hand, quietly circulating his Spirit Qi to refine it.
Thinking back to the battle earlier, he couldn’t help feeling a sense of admiration towards the Four Seasons Elders. Those Four Elders had reached the limits of this world and there was nobody who could stand up against their combined strength. Even with the help his Space Principles, Yang Kai had nearly been injured by those four, forcing him to fight back.
Fortunately, the True Void Sword was now in his possession. He had originally planned to store the sword in his Space Ring, but who could have known that the Space Ring was unable to accommodate this object? Thinking about it again though, it made sense. This sword was the manifestation of 10% of the Divine Armament World’s Source Strength after all. How could a mere Space Ring possibly contain something like that? In the end, Yang Kai could only carry the sword around in his hand.
A short while later, Yang Kai slowly shook his head. He was currently in the Eighth-Step Spirit Realm, so his cultivation was no longer the same as back then. Even so, the process of refining the True Void Sword remained extremely slow. His brief attempt just now had given him the vague feeling that he would need to spend several years in order to completely refine the sword.
Returning to Profound Pill Sect on that same night, he quietly returned to Limitless Peak and entered a secret room to focus on refining the True Void Sword.
Even though Vanishing Sword Mountain immediately suppressed the information, news of the Divine Armament True Void Sword being stolen spread across the Divine Armament World in an extremely short time.
Everybody who heard the news could barely believe their ears. Vanishing Sword Mountain had a long and powerful inheritance. Not to mention, there were as many Masters in the Sect as there were clouds in the sky. It was also said that the True Void Sword was guarded by the Four Seasons Elders who had not shown themselves to the world in a very long time. The strength of each Elder was absolutely staggering. How could anybody in the world manage to steal the True Void Sword from such a force?
Be that as it may, paper could not contain fire forever. Vanishing Sword Mountain refuted the rumours as usual, but disciples of the Sect were constantly dispatched to search the surrounding areas over the next few months. Their actions revealed clues to the people who were interested in the matter.
Nevertheless, it took half a year after the news first came out before the public finally confirmed the truth. The True Void Sword had really been stolen! The entire world flew into an uproar!
Everybody was shocked that a single person could slip through the defences of a top-tier great force like Vanishing Sword Mountain and steal the True Void Sword. At the same time, they were also extremely curious about the identity of the thief. Just who had the ability and the courage to pull this off? It was a pity that the thief never revealed himself, so nobody could figure out anything.
…..
Dan Cheng Zi and Yang Kai sat opposite each other on Limitless Peak located in Profound Pill Sect. There was a tea set placed between them, emitting a delicate fragrance. The purpose of Dan Cheng Zi’s visit today was to learn some Alchemy Techniques from Yang Kai.
Yang Kai was now one of the Elders in Profound Pill Sect, so although he was one step lower than Dan Cheng Zi in terms of seniority, they were on equal footing in regard to their respective statuses. Even so, the older generation of Spirit Grade Alchemists in the Sect hungered for the Alchemic Dao. They were not bothered by matters related to pride or reputation, so they would visit him to ask questions from time to time; likewise, Yang Kai taught them attentively.
Wan Ying Ying knelt by the side, pouring tea for the two of them.
More than ten years had passed, and the Little Junior Sister of Void Spirit Sword Sect was now a Heaven Realm Master herself. In addition, her progress in the Alchemic Dao had improved by leaps and bounds under Yang Kai’s personal tutelage. She had thus become an accomplish Heaven Grade Alchemist.
On the other hand, the other two Junior Brothers who followed Yang Kai to Profound Pill Sect were not quite as successful; even so, they were both Earth Grade Alchemists.
“So, you’re saying that this Master has understood the Hidden Dragon Art wrong.” After listening to Yang Kai’s explanation, Dan Cheng Zi revealed a look of understanding.
Yang Kai smiled, “It’s not a complete misunderstanding. It’s just a slight deviation. You only need to make some slight adjustments, Honoured Master. You will surely have twice the result with half the effort when you condense pills after making these changes.”
Dan Cheng Zi nodded, “En, I understand now.” Pausing for a moment, he put down his tea cup and nonchalantly asked, “You’ve been secluding yourself in Limitless Peak recently. Have you heard about the huge incident that occurred outside?”
Yang Kai looked up at Dan Cheng Zi, “What are you referring to, Honoured Master?”
Dan Cheng Zi stared back with a burning gaze, “Vanishing Sword Mountain’s True Void Sword has been stolen!”
“What!?” Yang Kai exclaimed in surprise, “Is that true!?”
“I heard the sword thief has mysterious methods and that even the combined strength of the Four Seasons Elders could not stop him!”
“That’s unbelievable! The True Void Sword was stolen! I’m sure Vanishing Sword Mountain won’t rest until they find the culprit.”
Dan Cheng Zi nodded, “That’s right. There is a huge uproar over this incident. At the beginning, Vanishing Sword Mountain refused to admit the truth and remained very secretive about it. It’s just that nothing can be kept secret forever. They have now begun to search for the whereabouts of the True Void Sword with great fanfare.”
Yang Kai smiled, “The sword thief is so strong that even the Four Seasons Elders are not his opponent. What can Vanishing Sword Mountain do even if they found the thief? Don’t tell me they plan to snatch the sword back from him?”
Dan Cheng Zi slowly shook his head, “The strength of the sword thief is frightening indeed, but what about his friends and family? Since he is alive in this world, it is impossible for him to be all alone. Vanishing Sword Mountain might not be able to defeat him directly, but they can target him from other aspects.”
“En, that’s true!” Yang Kai nodded lightly.
Dan Cheng Zi said sternly, “Vanishing Sword Mountain is extremely powerful. They obtained the Divine Armament multiple times over the past 1,000 years. If they discover the sword thief, a huge battle will be inevitable. Many people will die if that happens.”
Yang Kai nodded seriously, indicating his agreement.
The corners of Dan Cheng Zi’s brow twitched, “Brat, do you have anything you want to tell this Master?”
Yang Kai blinked innocently, “Is there something you don’t understand, Honoured Master?”
Dan Cheng Zi slammed his palms against the table in a rage, causing Wan Ying Ying to jump in fright.
Yang Kai exclaimed in surprise, “Why are you so angry, Honoured Master?”
Taking a deep breath, Dan Cheng Zi glanced at Yang Kai impatiently, “Seeing as the Medicine King Furnace has the Grand Dao Divine Tone, it is only natural for the same to hold true for the True Void Sword. Anybody within a certain level of ability and in close enough proximity to the Divine Armament can hear the Grand Dao Divine Tone if they have the opportunity, just like how you heard the Medicine King Furnace’s Grand Dao Divine Tone even though you lived on Fixed Moon Peak at the time. Several Vanishing Sword Mountain disciples are currently in Profound Pill City. One of them is Vanishing Sword Mountain’s most outstanding Sword Child of this generation. He heard the True Void Sword’s Grand Dao Divine Tone countless times when the True Void Sword was still at Vanishing Sword Mountain. If he is in close proximity with the True Void Sword, he will surely be able to sense the presence of the sword!”
Yang Kai looked amazed, “That Sword Child’s aptitude is amazing indeed! With him in action, the True Void Sword will surely be found soon!”
Dan Cheng Zi observed Yang Kai deeply with a suspicious expression on his face. After some time, he finally nodded and said, “It doesn’t matter whether you really don’t know or are just feigning ignorance. This Master will not say anymore. Figure it out yourself.”
After saying that, he stood up.
Yang Kai stood up to see Dan Cheng Zi off, “Have a safe journey, Honoured Master.”
Dan Cheng Zi waved his hand dismissively. Walking out of Limitless Peak, he soared into the sky.
…..
Baili Yun Sang and the other Elders were waiting on Purple Sun Peak and quickly focused on Dan Cheng Zi as soon as he returned.
Baili Yun Sang asked anxiously, “How is it? Is it him?”
Dan Cheng Zi slowly shook his head, “I can’t be certain.”
Then, he gave a brief recount of his probing conversation with Yang Kai earlier.
Wu Feng Hua was solemn, “According to the information from Vanishing Sword Mountain, the strength of the sword thief is absolutely terrifying. Moreover, the sword thief has peculiar and ghostly Movement Skills. It sounds exactly like what that brat did back then. Aside from him, I can’t think of anybody else in this world who could win against the Four Seasons Elders.”
Likewise, Yu Bo Yang nodded, “That’s right. Although he had only just advanced into the Spirit Realm at the time, he still managed to turn the entire Profound Pill Sect upside down, leaving us virtually powerless against him. Now that more than ten years have passed, his strength has only become even more terrifying. It makes sense for the Four Seasons Elders to be defeated.”
Lan Yin frowned, “But, what can we do if he won’t admit to the crime? We can only pray that the sword thief is not him; otherwise, a huge war will surely break out between Profound Pill Sect and Vanishing Sword Mountain. As one of Profound Pill Sect’s Elders, everything he does represents the entire Sect.”
The entire group of people was gloomy, and they sighed heavily.
Dan Cheng Zi pondered quietly, “I don’t think we need to worry too much. That brat is a man who knows what is important. Naturally, it will be great if this is not his doing, but if it is him, he probably has a plan. After all, he dared to attack Profound Pill Sect alone for the sake of the people of Void Spirit Sword Sect. It can be seen that he values relationships deeply. I’m sure he won’t fool around with the lives of his friends and family.”
“It would be the best if that’s the case! I’m just worried that the Sword Child might hear the sword’s voice. There will be no good explanation for that!”
What the higher-ups of Profound Pill Sect were concerned about did not happen. The Sword Child of Vanishing Sword Mountain only stayed in Profound Pill City for two or three days before leaving.
When the news was relayed back, the Elders who had been extremely nervous all this while finally breathed a sigh of relief. They vaguely wondered if they had misunderstood Yang Kai. It seemed that the thief who stole the True Void Sword was not him. Nevertheless, who else in this world could achieve such a feat right under the noses of the Four Seasons Elders if it was not him?
Vanishing Sword Mountain went all out and pursued this matter for six whole years. They practically searched the entire Divine Armament World, but there was no sight of the True Void Sword. In the end, they could only give up on this endeavour. They withdrew most of their troops and left only a small group of people to continue the search. Be that as it may, they knew that too much time had passed since the initial disappearance. It was probably impossible to locate the True Void Sword after so long.
Therefore, theft of the True Void Sword became an unsolved mystery.
This incident supported the livelihoods of many storytellers in the teahouses and inns. A mysterious man had infiltrated Vanishing Sword Mountain during the night, challenged the Four Seasons Elders alone, and stole the True Void Sword. This story was retold countless times, the descriptions so detailed that it was almost as if they witnessed the incident with their own eyes.
Less than two years after the incident with Vanishing Sword Mountain finally subsided, another shocking news spread out across the world once more. The Azure Dragon Saber of the Tyrant Saber Sect had been stolen!
It was an eerily familiar tale; one of the Ten Great Sects was attacked and one of the Ten Great Divine Armaments stolen. Eight years later, theft of the Tyrant Saber Sect’s Azure Dragon Saber was practically identical to theft of Vanishing Sword Mountain’s True Void Sword.
Similarly, a mysterious person suddenly infiltrated the Tyrant Saber Sect Headquarters. His figure was ghostly and his methods were unpredictable. Ten of the Tyrant Saber Sect’s top Masters had joined forces to stop him, but they failed and the mysterious thief disappeared without a trace. In front of everybody’s eyes, both man and saber simply vanished out of sight!
The entire world was in an uproar again!
Due to the precedent of the True Void Sword being stolen, the Tyrant Saber Sect did not conceal any information about the incident. They immediately released the news about theft of the Azure Dragon Saber several days after it occurred, and at the same time, they asked the other Ten Great Sects in the Divine Armament World to help in the search.
The incident this time caused a bigger commotion than the last. The theft of the True Void Sword could be explained away by claiming that the mysterious man had deliberately retaliated against Vanishing Sword Mountain due to personal grievances; however, the Tyrant Saber Sect’s Azure Dragon Saber had also been stolen now. That was enough to arouse the vigilance of the other Ten Great Sects.
This sneaky thief seemed to be targeting the Divine Armaments. Thanks to precious experience, the other Ten Great Sects did not dare to take this matter lightly; after all, there was no saying whether the next one to suffer might be themselves.
For a time, the entire Divine Armament World became turbulent. Almost everybody was searching the whereabouts of the thief. Even Profound Pill Sect was no different.
Baili Yun Sang summoned the Elders for a secret meeting and strengthened the protection around the Medicine King Furnace. Intentionally or not, many of the Elders would repeatedly glance towards Yang Kai throughout their discussion, their actions annoying him greatly.
Despite several years of turmoil, the Azure Dragon Saber remained missing. Hence, the Tyrant Saber Sect had no choice but to give up on their search. Such a large-scale search required extreme amounts of manpower and resources that even the Tyrant Saber Sect could not afford forever. In the end, they had no choice but to accept the loss of the Azure Dragon Saber. It was the same decision that Vanishing Sword Mountain made last time.
A few years later, the Ru Yi Parasol of Flower Rain Palace was stolen…
After another nine years, the Ten Facets Demonic Shadow Spear of Cloud Moon Island was stolen…
Following another eight years, the Thunderbolt Staff of Azure Sea Pavilion was stolen…
For the entire Divine Armament World, these were turbulent and tumultuous times. The name ‘Divine Armament Bandit’ spread across the world. There was nobody who did not know the name. Moreover, the horrors associated with the name were so frightening that they were enough to make children cry at night.
According to the rumours, this person was ten metres tall. Not only was he a brutal and vicious man who employed extremely cruel methods, but his strength was also absolutely horrifying. Moreover, he only stole Divine Armaments. He came and went without a trace. No matter how many Masters were there or where the Divine Armaments were hidden, he would be able to locate the items and effortlessly steal them.
Vanishing Sword Mountain’s True Void Sword was the first to be pilfered. The Tyrant Saber Sect’s Azure Dragon Saber was the second. After those incidents, the other eight Sects with Divine Armaments became on guard.
When the Thunderbolt Staff of Azure Sea Pavilion was stolen, almost all the Spirit Realm Masters in Azure Sea Pavilion had gathered in their Restricted Area. It could be said they could not stop the Divine Armament Bandit despite giving their best efforts. In front of everybody’s eyes, the Thunderbolt Staff was stolen just like that. Not to mention, many people had been injured in the battle. The incident was regarded as a great humiliation for Azure Sea Pavilion.
Before the Ten Facets Demonic Shadow Spear was stolen, Cloud Moon Island had forged replicas of the Divine Armament. They spent enormous resources to forge three Spirit Armaments that were placed in three different Restricted Areas on Cloud Moon Island. Meanwhile, the Divine Armament Ten Facets Demonic Shadow Spear was secretly stored in a safe area and guarded by the three strongest Masters of the Sect.
However, the end result was that the three fake Spirit Armaments had been ignored. On the other hand, the genuine Divine Armament was stolen without anyone being wiser.
In a short span of several decades, five out of ten Divine Armaments had gone missing. The five Great Sects with the remaining five Divine Armaments were now in great danger. Seeing as nobody knew who the Divine Armament Bandit was going to target next, each of the five Great Sects couldn’t help feeling anxious.
Be that as it may, there was something that anybody with a discerning eye would have noticed over the years. The Divine Armament Bandit might have extraordinary means, but he had never killed before. All the Masters guarding the Divine Armaments had only been injured at most. Based on this alone, it could be seen that the Divine Armament Bandit was not as cruel as the rumours claimed.
In addition, there was a fixed pattern to the timing of this person’s appearance. He would appear once every seven to nine years, and the intervals never stretched for more than ten years. Nobody knew the reason behind this peculiarity. Nevertheless, this pattern could be confirmed by looking at the timing when the five Divine Armaments were previously stolen.
At present, seven years have passed since the Thunderbolt Staff was stolen. A quick calculation indicated that it was almost time for the Divine Armament Bandit to appear again; thus, the five Great Sects still in possession of their Divine Armaments immediately entered a state of anxiety.
Even the five Great Sects that had their Divine Armaments stolen also dispatched their elites. Their troops were divided and sent to the other five Sects. The first reason was that they were asked by the five Sects to help protect the Divine Armaments. The other reason was that they wanted to use this chance to capture the elusive bastard who had stolen from them.
Be that as it may, those who had seen the strength of the thief knew that his means were far too mysterious. It was basically impossible for them to capture him. Their only wish was to figure out his identity. At the very least, they wanted to catch a glimpse of his true appearance.
…..
Inside the secret room on Profound Pill Sect’s Limitless Peak, Yang Kai sat down cross-legged with his palms facing upward. He was holding a long staff with intricate patterns that was as tall as a person in his hands. The staff would flash with lightning from time to time. This was one of the Ten Great Divine Armaments, the Thunderbolt Staff, which he obtained from Azure Sea Pavilion seven years ago.
It had taken many years, but he finally refined the Thunderbolt Staff. There was only one step left to completion. Breathing out lightly, Yang Kai opened his eyes and looked around him.
This was a secret room that he created himself. There were more than a dozen layers of barriers and seals inside. Moreover, he was the only person allowed to enter this place. Even Yang Huai and Hua Rong who had served him for so many years or his Little Junior Sister Wan Ying Ying had no idea what was inside the secret room. If any outsider were to enter this place, they would surely scream in shock.
That was because the five Divine Armaments that had been missing from the Divine Armament World for many years were stored in this room. They were the True Void Sword, the Azure Dragon Saber, the Ru Yi Parasol, the Ten Facets Demonic Shadow Spear, and the Thunderbolt Staff!
Each of the five Divine Armaments was wrapped in layers of barriers. There was no helping it. The Divine Armament naturally radiated the Grand Dao Divine Tone. Anybody with the opportunity could hear and comprehend the mysteries of the Grand Dao from these Divine Armaments if they were close enough and had the appropriate aptitude.
Over the years, countless Masters from other Sects visited both Profound Pill City and Profound Pill Sect. Somebody would have noticed something a long time ago if Yang Kai had not taken any precautions. A good example would be the Sword Child who wandered around in Profound Pill City.
With the protection of so many barriers, even if Yang Kai could not isolate the Grand Dao Divine Tone completely, he could dampen it significantly. There would be no problems as long as nobody came too close to the Divine Armaments.
Yang Kai was not afraid of these so-called Masters as his current strength had already exceeded the limits of this world. With the power of his Dragon Vein and his comprehension of the Dao of Space, he could come and go freely even if he was facing the strongest enemies in the world.
It was just that Profound Pill Sect would surely be in trouble if news were to spread. Even Void Spirit Sword Sect that was under Profound Pill Sect would be unable to survive safely.
For the sake of Profound Pill Sect and Void Spirit Sword Sect, certain precautions had to be taken.
More than fifty years had passed since Yang Kai first arrived in the Divine Armament World. During this period, he refined six different Divine Armaments, but he never completed the final step to finish the refinement. He originally planned to gather all Ten Great Divine Armaments. Unfortunately, he had no choice but to give up on his plan after refining the Thunderbolt Staff.
That was because he could clearly sense the rejection force of the world during the process of refining the Divine Armaments over the years. As the number of Divine Armaments that he refined increased, the rejection force grew stronger in turn. At this moment, he was about to hit the limit.
If he went out to search for another Divine Armament to refine, the rejection force would immediately repel him out of the Divine Armament World. That was why he could no longer refine another Divine Armament. It could even be said that he could no longer guarantee whether he could finish refining the six Divine Armaments he already had at this rate.
After spending so many years, it was time for him to harvest his gains and depart this world. At the time, how many benefits he could gain would depend solely on luck.
At that thought, Yang Kai immediately stood up and left the secret room. Summoning Hua Rong over, he asked her about Profound Pill Sect’s current situation.
Hua Rong spoke truthfully.
The deadline for the Divine Armament Bandit’s appearance was quickly approaching, so the five Sects that lost their Divine Armaments previously had dispatched their elite members to help guard the Divine Armaments of the remaining five Sects.
Not only were the Spirit Realm Masters of Profound Pill Sect inside the Restricted Area of Profound Pill Sect, but the people from Vanishing Sword Mountain, Tyrant Saber Sect, and several others were also present. It could be said that both inside and outside the Restricted Area were guarded so tightly that not a drop of water could pass through!
Yang Kai pondered quietly for a moment. Under the current circumstances, it was practically impossible to enter the Restricted Area without being noticed. After thinking for some time though, he waved his hand to dismiss Hua Rong. At the same time, he asked her to summon Yang Huai over.
A short while later, Yang Huai stood in front of Yang Kai, cupped his fist, and spoke in a rumbling voice, “Sir!”
Yang Kai looked Yang Huai up and down, “Big guy, how long have you served me?”
Yang Huai quickly said, “It has been fifty-two years since you took me out of the Blood Warrior Hall, Sir.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Fifty-two years… You’re already reached the Ninth-Step Spirit Realm in that time.”
“It’s all thanks to you, Sir.”
“I have a task for you. It might be dangerous, but it shouldn’t be too difficult as long as you are careful.”
Just like fifty-two years ago when Yang Kai took Yang Huai out of the Blood Warrior Hall, Yang Huai cupped his fist and shouted, “I’m willing to die for you, Sir!”
Having obtained the Divine Armament Sun Chasing Bow in the Divine Armament Tournament several decades ago, Grand Heavens Religion became one of the Ten Great Sects. The Sect had many talents and as many Masters as there were clouds in the sky; however, there were Spirit Realm Masters from the Sect and helpers from the other five Great Sects stationed both inside and outside the Restricted Area of Grand Heavens Religion at this moment. The defences were so tight that nothing could get past them.
Seven years had passed since the theft of the Thunderbolt Staff. A quick count of the years indicated that it would not be long before the elusive Divine Armament Bandit struck again. That was why none of the Spirit Realm Masters guarding the Restricted Area dared to slack off in the slightest. Every one of them had their vigilance raised to the maximum. In addition, they kept their eyes open wide to monitor the surroundings for any suspicious movement.
In the deepest part of the Restricted Area, the Religion Master of Grand Heavens Religion, Cao Kong, patrolled the area with the Left and Right Protectors. His gaze would land on the Divine Armament Sun Chasing Bow placed here from time to time. There was a faint anxiety burning away deep in his heart, as if he could sense that something big was about to occur.
*Xiu…*
The sharp sound of something slicing through the air suddenly came from the periphery of the Restricted Area. Cao Kong abruptly turned and looked in that direction. When he recognised the sound as a warning arrow released by the Masters in the Sect, his expression couldn’t help changing, “What is happening outside!?”
“I’ll go and take a look!” The Left Protector shouted before speeding off in that direction with a flicker of his body. A short while later, he reported back with a mixture of horror and excitement, “Religion Master, that person has appeared!”
Cao Kong’s eyes narrowed at those words, “The Divine Armament Bandit?”
“Yes!” Left Protector nodded heavily.
“He came after all!” Cao Kong drew in a sharp breath. Although he had expected this outcome, he couldn’t help feeling resentful. [There are five Sects that still have their Divine Armaments, why did the Divine Armament Bandit have to target Grand Heavens Religion? Does he think Grand Heavens Religion is easy prey!?] Pushing aside the distracting thoughts in his head, he anxiously asked, “How is the situation?”
The Left Protector revealed a hint of fear in his expression, “This person is very strong. His reputation is well deserved. Our Sect members are currently joining forces with the Masters from the other Sects to besiege him, but he has already incapacitated many of them.”
Cao Kong gasped. The only ones who could be stationed outside the Restricted Area were Spirit Realm Masters. The forces sent by the other five Sects were also outstanding Masters. Despite facing such a powerful line-up, the Divine Armament Bandit had taken out many of them in such a short time. It would seem that the strength of the Divine Armament Bandit was truly unfathomable.
The Left Protector added, “Sect Master, I’m afraid the forces outside will not be able to stop this person. He will slip past them sooner or later. Should we provide assistance?”
Cao Kong pondered for a while before he muttered to himself a little suspiciously, “It is rumoured that this person has ghostly Movement Skills. He can come and go without a trace. When he stole the Divine Armaments in the past, he never fought an extensive battle with the others. He basically left as soon as he obtained the Divine Armament. Why is he engaging in a big fight this time?”
In the middle of his monologue to himself, the realization hit him all of a sudden and he shouted, “A trap to lure the tiger from the mountain! He is trying to lure us away from this place to steal the Divine Armament! Relay the order! Nobody is allowed to move recklessly inside the Restricted Area! Guard the place strictly! Don’t even let a fly in!”
The Left Protector cupped his fists, “Yes!”
“Right Protector!” Cao Kong glanced at another person.
“This subordinate is here!”
“Hurry up and inform the other Sects! Inform them of the situation here and tell them that this is their only chance to capture the Divine Armament Bandit. If they fail to grasp this chance, it will be difficult for them to get another.”
The Right Protector immediately understood the Religion Master’s intentions and quickly replied, “This subordinate obeys!”
Turning around, he pushed his Spirit Qi and soared into the air.
Profound Pill Sect was not far from Grand Heavens Religion, only about an hour away if a Spirit Realm Master flew at full speed.
When the Grand Heavens Religion’s Right Protector personally entered Profound Pill Sect’s Restricted Area to report on the situation, the expressions of the Masters from the five Great Sects guarding the Medicine King Furnace stiffened in shock at the news.
Sect Master Ba Dao’s gaze burned brightly, “That thief has appeared at Grand Heavens Religion!?”
The Right Protector nodded, “Yes. The elites of each Sect are besieging him right now. The Religion Master ordered me to come and inform you of the situation.”
Sect Master Ba Dao shouted through gritted teeth, “Good! Very good! This Old Master has finally caught you by the tail!” Turning around, he shouted at the top of his voice, “Tyrant Saber Sect, hear my command! Come with me to aid Grand Heavens Religion! We’re going to capture that little thief who stole our Divine Armament!”
The other four Sects also rolled up their sleeves, wishing they could fly over to Grand Heavens Religion to teach that elusive bastard a lesson right this very moment.
The higher-ups at Profound Pill Sect glanced at each other before Baili Yun Sang declared, “Profound Pill Sect is also willing to help.”
Sect Master Ba Dao raised a hand to interrupt, “It’s best if Profound Pill Sect’s forces remain here. That thief has strange Movement Skills, so he might wheel around and come here when he sees that the situation at Grand Heavens Religion is disadvantageous for him. It’s best for this place to remain on guard. Fortunately, Grand Heavens Religion is not far from here. If anything happens, we will bring reinforcements as soon as possible.”
Baili Yun Sang nodded when he heard those words, “That’s true. In that case, I wish you all success and victory!”
Sect Master Ba Dao shouted, “We can’t afford to delay. We set off immediately!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, a large group of people soared into the sky and vanished out of sight in the blink of an eye.
Hua Rong stood on top of Limitless Peak and gazed in the direction where a large group of people was currently leaving. After they departed, she turned around and entered the hall. Bowing, she reported, “They left, Sir.”
Yang Kai was sitting in the main seat, and when he heard those words, he gently nodded and stood up, “Got it!”
As he strolled out of the hall, he turned to look in the direction of Profound Pill City.
Void Spirit Sword Sect had been developing steadily under the protection of Profound Pill Sect over the past few decades. Not only were there many Spirit Realm Masters in the Sect, but the Sect could also be considered a fairly powerful one in the Divine Armament World nowadays.
He had already made preparations for Void Spirit Sword Sect’s future before he sent Yang Huai into action. Void Spirit Sword Sect would continue to survive in this world even without his presence. With nothing to worry about, he moved swiftly.
“Eldest Senior Brother!” Wan Ying Ying was waiting outside. For some reason, she had the feeling that she would never meet Yang Kai again after today. Although he was clearly so close at hand, he felt so distant for some reason.
Yang Kai raised a hand to rub her head and smiled, “Cultivate well, and take good care of Honoured Master and the others.”
She opened her mouth, “Are you going somewhere, Eldest Senior Brother?”
He nodded, “I’m going on a long journey.”
“When will you return, Eldest Senior Brother?”
“I haven’t decided!” He shook his head and continued with a smile, “Perhaps, you’ll see me again as soon as you wake up.”
“Wake…” Before she could finish her sentence, her vision went dark and she limply fell unconscious.
Yang Kai handed her over to Hua Rong, “Take good care of her.”
Hua Rong took Wan Ying Ying and turned around to enter the hall.
The wind howled, causing Yang Kai’s clothes to flap around him. He looked in the direction of Profound Pill Sect’s Restricted Area and sighed softly to himself, “It’s time to end this!”
He pushed his Spirit Qi, and a humming sound suddenly came from somewhere on Limitless Peak. Immediately after that, five streams of light swept through the air and came to float behind him. These five objects that came in different shapes and sizes were a sword, a knife, an umbrella, a spear, and a staff. The Divine Armaments were crude and simple in terms of appearance. Their brilliance was not obvious. Without knowing the truth, nobody would have believed that these five plain objects were Divine Armaments.
There were only a total of ten Great Divine Armaments in the Divine Armament World. Any Sect that could obtain one of them would receive great blessings from the Heavens; however, there were five Divine Armaments gathered around one person at this moment. Such a sight was bound to cause anybody’s eyes to pop out of their sockets in shock if they witnessed it.
That was also the case in reality.
When Yang Kai activated his Space Principles and appeared in the Restricted Area of Profound Pill Sect, Baili Yun Sang and the Elders guarding the depths of the Restricted Area were dumbstruck by the sight. Every one of them was staring fixedly at Yang Kai and the five Divine Armaments behind him in shock. They couldn’t help feeling as though they were inside a dream.
“Greetings, Sect Master, Honoured Master, Elders!” Yang Kai cupped his fist in greeting.
Baili Yun Sang murmured in shock, “Martial Nephew, these objects behind you…”
On the other hand, Dan Cheng Zi jumped to his feet and scolded through gritted teeth, “I knew it was you, you damned brat! How dare you feign ignorance all these years!?”
Yang Kai apologised, “I’m sorry, Honoured Master. It was an important matter, and I couldn’t tell you.”
Wu Feng Hua’s gaze slowly became horrified, and he swallowed nervously, “Elder Yang, are those objects behind you the Divine Armaments that went missing several years ago?”
“Why ask when you have guessed the truth, Great Elder?”
The colour immediately drained from his face at those words.
Meanwhile, Yu Bo Yang slumped to the ground, “Disaster! This is a complete disaster!”
After hiding for decades, the Divine Armament Bandit who stirred up the entire Divine Armament World turned out to be one of their Sect’s Elders. The consequences would be horrifying if this information was spread to the public. The entire Divine Armament World would rally together to retaliate against them. Even Profound Pill Sect’s status as the top Alchemy Sect would not save them from destruction. This was truly a catastrophe!
Baili Yun Sang suddenly frowned and asked, “That can’t be. If the Divine Armaments are here with you, then the person at Grand Heavens Religion…”
“It’s Yang Huai!” Yang Kai replied.
“Yang Huai…” The group of people were dumbfounded once more.
Dan Cheng Zi was horrified, “Yang Huai is that powerful!?”
When the Right Protector of Grand Heavens Religion came to explain the situation, they had all been listening attentively. The ‘Divine Armament Bandit’ at Grand Heavens Religion had appeared and fought off countless Spirit Realm Masters alone. Not only did he not succumb to a disadvantageous situation, but he also injured many people in the confrontation; otherwise, Grand Heavens Religion would not have come to ask for support. With such strength, everybody immediately assumed that he was the real Divine Armament Bandit. Who could have known that it was just Yang Huai?
“What are you trying to do?” Baili Yun Sang looked at Yang Kai suspiciously.
“You will know what I’m trying to do soon.” Yang Kai smiled slightly.
While speaking, he flashed over to stand in front of the Medicine King Furnace. None of them managed to see how he moved, and by the time they recovered from their shock, he was already standing there.
Six Divine Armaments had been gathered in one place; an unprecedented sight never seen before in history. Even though they were filled with doubts and questions, the scene in front of them had rendered them speechless with shock.
Yang Kai took a light breath. Pushing his Spirit Qi to the maximum, he reached out to grab the Medicine King Furnace with his hands and quickly poured his Spirit Qi into it.
The Medicine King Furnace was the first Divine Armament Yang Kai refined in the Divine Armament World; moreover, it was a Divine Armament that was related to the Alchemic Dao. It was just that he did not dare to take the last step to fully refine the Medicine King Furnace during his ten-year retreat back then. After so many decades, it was no time to finish what he started.
Following the influx of his Spirit Qi, the Medicine King Furnace began to hum and flash with inexplicable brilliance.
It only took a moment before the Medicine King Furnace was completely refined. An inexplicable and indescribable connection suddenly flooded Yang Kai’s mind, giving him the illusion that he was resonating with the world itself. Under this perception, it felt as though the entire world was laid out in front of him and his perception expanded infinitely in an instant.
The Medicine King Furnace was part of the Divine Armament World’s Source Strength, so it was only natural for such bizarre reactions to occur now that it had been refined.
The Medicine King Furnace was completely refined!
Before Yang Kai could even begin to rejoice, a powerful rejection force suddenly came at him from all directions. The force was so strong that the space around him rumbled loudly. At the same time, his figure abruptly became hazy and indistinct. It was almost as though his very existence was now incompatible with the world.
This situation was within Yang Kai’s expectations, however, as he had noticed this phenomenon back when he first reached the final stages of refining the Medicine King Furnace. If not for that, he would not have stopped at such a critical moment to target the other Divine Armaments instead. Now that he had stolen the world’s Source Strength, the world could no longer accommodate his existence.
If this were to happen to a living creature of this world, they would definitely be punished by the world. They would either be extinguished on the spot or survive the catastrophe and escape this world; however, Yang Kai was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. The Divine Armament World could not do anything to him except kick him out of this world using its World Principles.
The higher-ups of Profound Pill Sect were stunned by the sight before them. Although nobody knew what Yang Kai had done, as what they saw had long exceeded the scope of their understanding, they could vaguely feel an enormous and overpowering Will descending and staring down on this small Restricted Area. The phenomenon left them trembling in fear, incapable of speech.
A shout reverberated across the room. Yang Kai desperately drew upon his Spirit Qi. His flesh wriggled when the power of his Dragon Vein was activated.
Over the years, his Dragon Vein had been stimulated greatly. It was mainly used to remove the drawbacks brought by cultivating the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. Activating the Dragon Transformation Secret Art might not transform him into a 4,500 metres long behemoth now, but the Dragon Pressure permeated the air and lingered around his body to resist the rejection force of the world at this moment.
His slightly ethereal figure became more solid immediately after. Not daring to delay, Yang Kai hurriedly grabbed the True Void Sword and continued the refining process. In the blink of an eye, the True Void Sword was also completely refined by him.
Now that two Divine Armaments had been refined, the rejection force increased by several times. The force caused the skin all over his body to crack open. Drenched in blood, Yang Kai looked extremely terrifying. His figure that had solidified considerably became hazy once more, a sign that he was about to be kicked out of the world.
[I’m running out of time!] Gritting his teeth, Yang Kai grabbed the Ten Facets Demonic Shadow Spear and repeated the process! The World’s Will seemed to be enraged by his insatiable greed and lightning appeared out of nowhere, striking his body without warning.
A series of explosions rang out as Yang Kai’s skin split open and his flesh was torn apart. Soon, a strong smell of burnt flesh filled the air. When these strange occurrences took place, the higher-ups of Profound Pill Sect perceived that the situation was not looking good; thus, they quickly left the Restricted Area and monitored the situation with apprehensive concern.
Lightning flashed and thunder boomed inside the Restricted Area. The rage of the world made millions of living creatures frightened and uneasy. The situation in the sky was constantly changing as heavy dark clouds filled the air like a thick quilt, making the people feel suffocated.
The Ten Facets Demonic Shadow Spear was completely refined!
When Yang Kai tried to reach out and grab another Divine Armament however, his hand came up empty. His palm had become ethereal and disordered, almost as though he had no substance. The rejection force coming from all sides was so strong that he could no longer resist!
[I’m at my limit!] Yang Kai sighed in his heart. It had taken so many years for him to steal the five Divine Armaments and slowly refine them. Including the Medicine King Furnace, there were a total of six Divine Armaments. He never imagined that he could only refine three of them in the end, powerless to refine the other three.
In this way, he had wasted some 20 to 30 years’ worth of effort. Nevertheless, this was not a big deal. The flow of time in the Small Source World was different from the outside world. For his actual body, the time he wasted was not much.
He turned around to look at the world one last time, then his vision went hazy. The dizzying feeling of the world turning upside down washed over him and a series of unpredictable lights flashed across his vision. His consciousness was pulled out of the Small Source World at that moment.
By the time he recovered, Yang Kai found himself standing in the void with a strange vortex spinning slowly in front of him. He couldn’t help shaking his head. The memories of living in the Divine Armament World for several decades surged in his head, giving him a wonderful sense of reincarnation. At the same time, the memories of the past slowly emerged.
After some time, he finally recalled that this place was a Restricted Area in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven while the vortex in front of him was the entrance to the Divine Armament World. Back then, he had entered the Divine Armament World through this portal.
There was no time for Yang Kai to think about anything else as his expression suddenly became serious and he quickly sat down cross-legged. A powerful force poured into his Small Universe, one that enriched its heritage and foundation, allowing his Small Universe to expand and improve upon itself.
This force had no source and was seemingly born out of nothing. Nevertheless, Yang Kai knew that the force came from the Divine Armament World. He had refined three Divine Armaments, which was equivalent to obtaining 30% of the Divine Armament World’s Source. In other words, up to 30% of the Divine Armament World’s World Force had been injected into his Small Universe.
As this was a training experience, it was as if Yang Kai had obtained this force through diligent cultivation. There were no dangers or discomfort, and the force could perfectly integrate with his own Small Universe. The influx of the mighty force made his Small Universe tremble uncontrollably and even his Soul was shaken as a result.
A short while later, the situation gradually stabilised. An examination of his body revealed that his cultivation in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm had increased by a large margin. Although he had yet to reach the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, the improvement was more than what he would obtain through many years of intense cultivation.
Xu Ling Gong once mentioned that there were several shortcuts when cultivating in the Open Heaven Realm. Undergoing a training experience in a Small Source World was one of them. It would now seem that those claims were true. Entering the Divine Armament World had given Yang Kai such rewarding results. If he could enter several more times, it would be easy for him to advance into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm.
[Becoming a Yin-Yang Cave Heaven Son-In-Law sure is beneficial!] Yang Kai joyfully opened his eyes only to see a topless old man covered in scars standing in front of him, staring fixedly at him. Yang Kai did not know whether it was his imagination, but he sensed that the old man seemed to be slightly displeased with him and his expression was rather gloomy.
“Greetings, Ancestor!” He quickly bowed.
The person in front of him was an Eight-Order Yin-Yang Cave Heaven Master and the Ancestor who watched over the entrance of the Divine Armament World. Even Xu Ling Gong had to behave respectfully in front of this man. Yang Kai was no more than a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so naturally he did not dare to act arrogantly in front of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
“Quite a big harvest you got, brat!” The Supreme Elder spoke without emotion.
Not understanding the reason for the old man’s displeasure, Yang Kai simply answered truthfully, “It’s all thanks to you and Martial Uncle Xu, Ancestor.”
During their conversation, a stream of light rushed over from not far away and arrived nearby in the blink of an eye. It turned out to be Xu Ling Gong, who probably received a message from the Ancestor.
“You’re out?” Xu Ling Gong observed Yang Kai with a measuring gaze, “How was your harvest?”
“Many thanks for your concern, Martial Uncle Xu. My harvest was not bad,” Yang Kai replied with a smile.
The Supreme Elder coldly snorted, “It’s far better than ‘not bad’. The Divine Armament World lost 30% of its World Force in one go! I’ve never seen something like this before!”
Xu Ling Gong was absolutely shocked by the news, “30%!? Are you mistaken, Ancestor!?”
The Supreme Elder’s expression was so dark that he was practically dripping with gloom, “This Old Master has managed and watched over the Divine Armament World for millennia. How can I be mistaken about something like this? If you don’t believe me, you can check for yourself!”
Cold sweat oozed out of Xu Ling Gong’s forehead, and he gave a flattering smile, “Please calm yourself, Ancestor. This Junior simply spoke without thinking. There is no way you can be mistaken.”
Then, he turned to glare at Yang Kai, “Smelly brat, did you refine three Divine Armaments!?”
Yang Kai immediately became guilty, “Uh… maybe?”
Although he did not understand the situation, he could sense that stealing 30% of the Divine Armament World’s World Force had displeased the Supreme Elder to a certain extent.
Xu Ling Gong slapped his forehead, “What… How bold and reckless! Are you not worried that your stomach might explode!?”
Yang Kai sniffed, “I’ve already refined them. You didn’t say I couldn’t refine three of them, Martial Uncle Xu.”
He did not dare to mention that he initially planned to refine six of the Divine Armaments as he was afraid that he would be killed on the spot!
Xu Ling Gong was a little speechless, “I never imagined that you would refine three of them! Most people would be sent back after refining one of the Divine Armaments. How did you do it?”
Yang Kai replied, “I obtained one of the Divine Armaments and refined it until only the very last step. Then, I collected a few more Divine Armaments and repeated the process. Lastly, I refined them all at the same time.”
“That’s possible?” Xu Ling Gong was dumbfounded.
The Supreme Elder snorted softly, “Not just anybody can do something like that. Do you know how strong the rejection force of the world is? Even if your method works, you won’t be able to refine many if you fail to resist the rejection force. To be able to refine three Divine Armaments is a testimony to your capabilities.”
“Many thanks for your praise, Ancestor!” Yang Kai humbly responded.
Xu Ling Gong asked with a frown, “Ancestor, does that mean that nobody can enter the Divine Armament World in the near future?”
The Supreme Elder shook his head, “I’m afraid not. Losing 30% of the World Force in one go is unprecedented. The Divine Armament World has suffered a heavy blow, so it will take at least 100 years for it to recover.”
Xu Ling Gong’s expression was stern, “100 years in the outside world is the same as 10,000 years inside the Divine Armament World.” He smacked his hand against the back of Yang Kai’s head, nearly sending him flying as he angrily scolded, “Look at the good deed you’ve done, brat!”
Yang Kai was silent, but he thought to himself, [How is it my fault? I didn’t know anything about the Divine Armament World before I entered. Only after entering the Divine Armament World did I slowly figure out what to do.]
In any case, it was true that he had enjoyed a huge harvest, so he could not refute anything, lest Xu Ling Gong became angry out of shame.
“Ancestor, this Disciple has a question!” Yang Kai cupped his fist.
Although the Supreme Elder was sullen, he knew that it was not Yang Kai’s fault; after all, nobody told Yang Kai that he could not refine several Divine Armaments. Upon hearing those words though, the Supreme Elder asked back, “Are you curious about what is happening inside the Divine Armament World after your departure?”
Yang Kai was astonished, “How did you know, Ancestor?”
The Supreme Elder snorted, “Every single person asks this question when they come out. It’s only natural to form some attachment to the world after living there for decades and even centuries. It is Human nature!” Pausing for a moment, he finally continued, “Instead of hearing it from this Old Master, you should witness the situation yourself.”
While saying so, he waved his arm lightly and the vortex in front of him suddenly displayed an image.
Yang Kai looked closely and saw that the image was of the scene of Profound Pill Sect’s Restricted Area. A figure was sitting down cross-legged inside the Restricted Area with a solemn expression. Upon a closer look, Yang Kai became shocked and exclaimed, “Isn’t… Isn’t that me!?”
The person in the Restricted Area was identical to him in terms of body shape, appearance, and temperament. There was no difference whatsoever.
“Why am I still there?” Yang Kai was filled with doubts.
Xu Ling Gong explained, “That’s because he is someone that existed in that world in the first place!”
“Existed in that world in the first place?” Frowning slightly, Yang Kai vaguely understood Xu Ling Gong’s meaning.
When he first entered the Divine Armament World, he had become the Eldest Senior Brother of Void Spirit Sword Sect in the blink of an eye. He was around 17 or 18 years old at that point. It was naturally impossible for someone like him to come out of nowhere. He must have truly existed.
After all, the entire Void Spirit Sword Sect had memories relating to him.
“But even so, why does that man resemble me completely in appearance and name?” Yang Kai was a bit confused.
Xu Ling Gong explained, “He may have had a different name and appearance before this, but since you have entered the Divine Armament World for training, the Divine Armament World naturally adjusted itself to you and prepared all kinds of information belonging to you. It is a fundamental adjustment so that anyone who knew him would not find you unusual.”
Yang Kai pondered, “In that case, does that mean that I have been inside of this person’s body all these years in the Divine Armament World?”
Xu Ling Gong nodded, “That is one way to see it, but it is not exactly like that. In any case, Small Source Worlds are strange and unique places. You will get used to it when you come to train a few more times.”
Yang Kai nodded in understanding, then he turned his gaze to the scene in the vortex.
The Yang Kai over there was a pre-existing being, so he would naturally stay behind once he left. Thanks to him worrying over how Void Spirit Sword Sect would fare once he left the Divine Armament World, Yang Kai had prepared many fallback plans.
But now, it seems like his worries had all been unnecessary.
Time flowed differently in the Divine Armament World than in the outside world, and the difference was huge. Yang Kai had only been thinking for a moment, but much had happened in that time.
Profound Pill Sect’s higher-ups had poured into the Restricted Area, but there was no sign of any Divine Armaments. Not only the five Divine Armaments that Yang Kai brought in disappeared, but even the Medicine King Furnace that was originally placed there was gone.
Naturally, everyone was shocked.
But soon, the Grand Heavens Religion and several other Sects that possessed Divine Armaments sent news that the Divine Armaments in their control had all disappeared at almost the same time.
Half a day later, a Heavenly phenomenon appeared. Ten streams of light fell across the world, each one emitting the aura of a Divine Armament.
It was then that the inhabitants of the Divine Armament World realized that a new Divine Armament Tournament was about to begin.
This was something that had never happened before. The Divine Armament Tournament occurred once every hundred years, and it had only been around fifty years since the last one.
Despite not understanding why such changes would come about, every Divine Armament Tournament was a sweeping event that affected the course of the entire world. Every Sect that was strong enough to join the fight would come out to fight for the blessings of their Sect’s next 100 years of progression.
Naturally, the same was true for Profound Pill Sect. Yang Kai saw the group of Spirit Grade Alchemists and Spirit Realm Masters from Profound Pill Sect that he led fly out in the swirling image to compete with the other great Alchemy Sects. Uniting their power, they fought against the other great Sects and eventually took back the Medicine King Furnace!
After that, they fought to snatch up the Divine Armament Ten Facets Demonic Shadow Spear without even a pause in between.
They were not targeting this particular Divine Armament for any particular reason; rather, it was just in close proximity to them.
This move seemed to have stirred up the hornet’s nest. Profound Pill Sect had always been a Sect that was focused on Alchemy, so even if they fought in the Divine Armament Tournament, they were only there to compete for the Medicine King Furnace; after all, it contained the secrets of the Alchemic Dao, so it was not very useful for the other Sects even if they got their hands on it.
However, this time, Profound Pill Sect’s accomplishments in the Alchemic Dao had greatly improved, so the result of the fight for the Medicine King Furnace was decided early, leaving it with enough time to participate in the other ongoing battles.
The many other great forces who were fighting for the Ten Facets Demonic Shadow Spear could not tolerate such behaviour, so practically all of them joined hands to attack Profound Pill Sect in an effort to get them to back off.
However, Profound Pill Sect’s achievements in the Alchemic Dao were not all that had improved markedly under Yang Kai’s guidance. Their overall strength had risen by several levels, too.
Especially the two guards who had been by Yang Kai’s side all these years. Yang Huai and Hua Rong, who had strength on par with a hundred Masters all on their own, not to mention the fact that there was also ‘Yang Kai’ there to show his face personally.
A fierce battle went on until the sky turned murky and the earth turned dark, and until both the sun and moon had lost their light.
Finally, the Ten Facets Demonic Shadow Spear was seized by Profound Pill Sect!
Naturally, Profound Pill Sect were the greatest winners of this tournament. Not only did they regain the Medicine King Furnace, they were also able to take home the Ten Facets Demonic Shadow Spear. Throughout history, this was the first time that a single great force was able to make away with two different Divine Armaments.
The power of Profound Pill Sect shocked the world, even more so the powers of Yang Kai and his two subordinates.
They never imagined that a Sect that was supposedly only known for their Alchemy would be so strong, and Yang Kai himself was revered as the strongest under the Heavens!
“Just like leaving a Soul Clone behind in the Divine Armament World, it can exert as much power as you have cultivated in the Divine Armament World,” Xu Ling Gong explained while pointing to Yang Kai’s figure that was reflected in the vortex.
Yang Kai grinned, “In that case, I can rest assured.”
He did notice this fact when he was watching the fight earlier, as it was just like watching his Soul Clone exert the same powers he had cultivated in the Divine Armament World. Otherwise, it would be impossible for ‘him’ to be so invincible.
“The lifespan of the beings in the Divine Armament World is not great, and even the most outstanding ones live only a few hundred years. Naturally, as a native of the Divine Armament World, your Soul Clone is also not free from these shackles. In a few hundred years, no matter his cultivation, he will eventually die.” Xu Ling Gong sighed, seemingly filled with some emotion.
“Several hundred is enough.” Yang Kai nodded his head. If he could protect Void Spirit Sword Sect and Profound Pill Sect for several centuries, then his efforts would not have been in vain. There were no Sects that remained prosperous forever, and there was no need for him to think about how Profound Pill Sect and Void Spirit Sword Sect would fare in a few hundred or thousand years.
“Let’s go,” Xu Ling Gong called out to him, “you will eventually come upon the opportunity to enter another Small Source World, so you can take this as a learning experience.”
After bidding the Supreme Elder goodbye, the pair sped off on their way.
Yang Kai followed by Xu Ling Gong’s side and asked, “Martial Uncle Xu, didn’t you say before that there were three Small Source Worlds in Yin-Yang Heaven…”
“Don’t even think about it!” Xu Ling Gong glared at him, “You took away 30% of the Divine Armament World’s World Force after entering it once, are those benefits still not enough for you!? Do you want to ruin the other two as well!?”
Yang Kai scratched his nose embarrassedly, “I was just asking. Martial Uncle Xu need not be so angry.”
Xu Ling Gong coldly snorted and remembered that Yang Kai was still Yin-Yang Heaven’s Son-in-law and the future husband of his treasured Disciple, so he could not help but say, “It is not that this King does not wish to let you enter the other two Small Source Worlds, but they are not as high-level as the Divine Armament World. Small Source Worlds are also separated into different ranks. You can get a lot of benefits by entering and training in the Divine Armament World, but the other Small Source Worlds won’t give you much no matter how hard you train; instead, you will be taking up the places of other Yin-Yang Heaven disciples. For Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, the losses are not worth the gains.”
Yang Kai nodded in understanding, “Are the Small Source World also separated into High, Mid, and Low ranks, just like World Fruits?”
“Yes, you can say that, so you better know how to be grateful.” Xu Ling Gong nodded.
Yang Kai cupped his fist, “No matter what, I must give my thanks to Martial Uncle Xu for granting me this opportunity.”
If not for Xu Ling Gong, then he might not have been able to enter the Divine Armament World and gain such great benefits. He was also a little apologetic to have severely damaged the foundation of the Divine Armament World.
“You are Qu’er’s future Husband, so it is only natural that I would treat you well; otherwise, Qu’er will become condemned to the life of a widow if you were to be killed off outside.” Xu Ling Gong waved his hand generously.
“How is Senior Sister Qu doing now?”
Xu Ling Gong coldly snorted, “She has only been confined so that she may cultivate in a quiet environment, so what do you think? It is for her benefit too. Her foundation is not stable since she has just advanced into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Even if she were not punished in this way, she would still need time to stabilize her foundation. In any case, it is only 100 years. For Open Heaven Realm cultivators like us, it is no more than the snap of one’s fingers, so don’t worry about it. What’s more, her Senior Brother Qing and Senior Sister Su will take good care of her.”
“Then I can rest assured.” Yang Kai nodded, “Now that this is over, I should also be returning. I will come again to visit Senior Sister in a century.”
“Why are you in such a hurry to leave?” Xu Ling Gong stopped him, “Have you forgotten what mess you caused on the Prison Star? You will surely die if you leave like this.”
Yang Kai blinked. Even though it had only been just a short month in the outside world, he had spent many decades training in the Divine Armament World. Many of the memories he had were just like those of a past life. Pondering for a moment, Yang Kai finally recalled, “Thousand Cranes Paradise?”
Xu Ling Gong grunted, “Do you really think that Thousand Cranes Paradise will let you go after you beat Zhao Xing to death on the Prison Star?”
Yang Kai sighed, “Naturally I do not. But it is a blessing, not a curse, and even if it were a curse, it cannot be avoided.”
“It is for the best that you understand that; after all, Zhao Xing was a Core Disciple of Thousand Cranes Paradise. He was expected to advance into the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm in the future, and he had only broken through to the Sixth-Order less than 100 years before dying at your hands. One could say that Thousand Cranes Paradise has become incensed after this situation. You must know that anyone who can advance into the Sixth-Order directly is a rare talent, even for the Cave Heavens and Paradises. Only one appears maybe every 1,000 years or so.”
“Yes, I am aware.”
“If it were any ordinary Disciple, then it would not have mattered for them. The rules of my Yin-Yang Heaven’s Dao Theory Assembly were public knowledge, and Thousand Cranes Paradise is more or less still concerned about their face. Right now, the reason that Thousand Cranes Paradise is enduring this grudge is because they do not wish to sour relations with my Yin-Yang Cave Heaven; however, if you leave by yourself, Thousand Cranes Paradise will definitely make a move. With their abilities, it will not be a difficult matter for them to get rid of you without anyone knowing. When that happens, there is nothing our Yin-Yang Cave Heaven can say, either.”
“But this Junior cannot hide in Yin-Yang Heaven forever.”
“Wait a few days. I will arrange for someone to send you out.”
Yang Kai pondered about it but did not refuse his good intentions and just cupped his fist, “Then I shall trouble you, Martial Uncle Xu.”
After Yang Kai returned to his temporary residence, Hui Gu immediately came up to greet him, “Sir!”
Yang Kai was slightly taken aback. Only then did he remember how he had subordinated Hui Gu using the Loyalty List during the Dao Theory Assembly on the Prison Star, and also used his power to kill many prisoners.
The several dozen years of training that he went through in the Divine Armament World felt as though he had lived another lifetime, leaving him disoriented about events that took place only days ago in the outside world. So much had happened that everything now seemed a bit surreal.
Qing Kui had specially come to congratulate him when he learned of Yang Kai’s return from the Divine Armament World, and even brought a lot of good wine with him.
The two of them chatted up a storm over drinks, having a good time.
Qing Kui was envious that Yang Kai was able to refine 30% of the Divine Armament World’s World Force. He had also entered the Divine Armament World a long time ago, so he naturally knew about the situation inside the Small Source World. However, like all the other Yin-Yang Cave Heaven disciples over the ages, he was only able to refine 10% of its Source Strength.
It was not that he did not wish to refine 30% of its power, but rather, he could not.
The Ten Great Divine Armaments were manifestations of the World’s Source. Once refined, one would be repelled from the world, and forcibly staying was a difficult task.
“While you were in the Divine Armament World, Honoured Master personally visited Thousand Cranes Paradise to talk about Zhao Xing’s matter. However, Thousand Cranes Paradise kept an ambiguous attitude, and it seems like they will not be letting the matter go so simply. You should be wary in the future,” Qing Kui warned Yang Kai lightly while draining the wine in his cup.
“I know. Martial Uncle Xu has already told me about this.”
Qing Kui sighed, “In fact, you shouldn’t be blamed for this matter. It was Zhao Xing who first picked a fight with you on the Prison Star. He intended to kill you for glory, so as far as I’m concerned, he inflicted this misfortune upon himself. Regardless, he’s dead, and Thousand Cranes Paradise will surely argue for an explanation. Fortunately, my Yin-Yang Cave Heaven is no pushover, so Thousand Cranes Paradise won’t be able to take any overt actions. Remember though, a spear in the light is easily avoided, but an arrow in the dark may not be so. Nothing so far has indicated they won’t use hidden means to attack you. These old foxes have lived for countless years, after all, so none of them are easy to deal with.”
“Many thanks, Senior Brother Qing, for worrying about me. I will definitely be careful in the future.” Yang Kai nodded.
A few days later, a great ship slowly sailed out from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. Two flags flew high, carrying the characters Yin and Yang, the signboard of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.
Other than the cultivators atop the great ship, there were Yang Kai and Hui Gu, the Master and Servant duo.
At the bow of the ship, Yang Kai cupped his fist, “Martial Uncle Xu, I will be off now.”
Xu Ling Gong stood with his hands behind his back and nodded lightly, “Go. Cultivate well when you return to the Void Land, avoid going out without reason and do your best to advance into the Seventh-Order as soon as possible. If you encounter any troubles, then you can get someone to send a message over, and this Monarch will help you.”
“Many thanks, Martial Uncle Xu!”
Yang Kai also turned to Qing Kui and Su Ying Yue, “Senior Brother Qing, Senior Brother Su, I leave Senior Sister Qu under your care.”
Qing Kui grinned, “Rest assured, we will not let Qu’er suffer any grievances.”
“The green mountains will remain…”
“Hurry up and shut up. Shoo shoo!” Xu Ling Gong waved his hands impatiently.
Yang Kai coughed, “Farewell!”
The great ship set out slowly, but in a moment, it sped up, sailing as swiftly as the wind. It was so quick that in just several hours, they had already arrived at Yin-Yang Territory’s Territory Gate.
A dazzling layer of light enveloped the great ship, resisting the shock and vibrations from the warping of space as they passed through the gate. When Yang Kai regained his senses, the great ship had already left the Yin-Yang Territory.
Of course, there were other cultivators on the ship to operate it, so Yang Kai did not need to worry about anything. He just stood on the deck, silently cultivating. Entering his consciousness, he checked on the benefits he gained from the Divine Armament World.
In the Small Universe that existed within each Open Heaven Realm Master was one’s Dao Essence that had been accumulated throughout their lives. In the process of advancing into the Open Heaven Realm, a cultivator’s Dao Seal would disintegrate and dissolve into their Small Universe, and the Dao Seal was the condensed existence of a cultivator’s own Grand Dao.
It could be said that a cultivator’s Grand Dao had completely merged into their Small Universe through this process.
The most fundamental part of Yang Kai’s Small Universe was the Dao of Space. Other than that, there was the Alchemic Dao, Spear Dao, Sword Dao, and so on.
Right now, he was very conscious of the fact that something extra had appeared in his Small Universe. The Dao Essence of the Alchemic Dao and the Spear Dao was much more condensed, but the most significant change was to his Sword Dao Essence.
This was obviously a result he gained from his time in the Divine Armament World. He was able to refine the Medicine King Furnace, the Ten Facets Demonic Shadow Spear, and the True Void Sword, three great Divine Armaments which represented separate Grand Dao had naturally been integrated into his Small Universe.
Not only had the heritage of his Small Universe been strengthened, but even his Dao Essence had been condensed.
If there were living beings existing within his Small Universe, then they would have the opportunity to explore the mysteries of the Grand Dao through the perception and study of these Dao Essences, which would allow them to gain speedy developments in the Alchemic Dao, Sword Dao, and Spear Dao.
However, though Yang Kai’s Small Universe had been brought from ethereal to corporeal, no different from a true High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master’s, he did not intend to place any living beings inside. Even though his cultivation was not bad, there were still differences between him and a true High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master. If he encountered a strong enemy, his Small Universe could be shaken.
If disturbed to a certain extent, the beings living inside of that Small Universe would definitely be affected as well, and in that situation, it would be no less than a natural disaster for them.
And it was because of this consideration that even true High-Rank Open Heaven Realm cultivators seldom placed living beings in their Small Universes, even though they knew that the existence of such living beings inside of their Small Universe would help to strengthen its heritage and enhance the World Force.
Only those High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters who had great confidence in their own strength, or those who do not care about the lives of ordinary beings, would recklessly choose to raise beings in their Small Universes.
While investigating, Yang Kai suddenly frowned and raised his eyes in a certain direction.
What he saw was a ship floating silently in the void. On the deck were two figures, one behind the other, looking in his direction with sharp, piercing gazes.
Even from a great distance, Yang Kai could feel the deep-seated hatred engraved in their eyes!
Yang Kai’s pupils shrank slightly.
“Sir!” Hui Gu had also noticed the unusual situation and quickly moved over, “We have no idea who they are, but they seem to be very hostile towards us.”
Yang Kai was indifferent, “That man is an Inner Elder of Thousand Cranes Paradise, Zuo Quan Hui!”
Hui Gu was shocked, “An Inner Elder of Thousand Cranes Paradise!?”
Any Inner Elder from a Paradise or Cave Heaven was a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master. Coming to his senses, Hui Gu asked, “Sir, is this the same man who brought Zhao Xing, the one whom Sir killed on the Prison Star?”
“En.” Yang Kai nodded.
Because of Yang Kai’s interference, each Cave Heaven and Paradise was forced to send their Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm disciples into the Dao Theory Assembly, and Zhao Xing was the representative from Thousand Cranes Paradise. In the end, he was killed on the Prison Star by Yang Kai.
Zuo Quan Hui was Zhao Xing’s Honoured Master, so how could he rest easy knowing that his Disciple died a miserable death at the hands of another? Once the Dao Theory Assembly ended, he wanted to attack Yang Kai to take revenge for his Disciple’s death but was stopped by Xu Ling Gong. Helpless, he had no choice but simply to leave with Zhao Xing’s corpse.
According to Qing Kui, Xu Ling Gong had specially taken a trip to Thousand Cranes Paradise for that matter, but Thousand Cranes Paradise showed an ambiguous stance.
However, Yang Kai did not expect Zuo Quan Hui to actually be waiting here!
As a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master, Zuo Quan Hui was not an opponent Yang Kai could defeat, though escaping should be no problem. As such, he did not panic even after seeing Zuo Quan Hui.
What’s more, this great ship flew Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s banner, so if Zuo Quan Hui dared to attack him, it would be the same as smashing Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s signboard, which would trigger Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s people to try to settle accounts with him.
Obviously, as an Inner Elder of Thousand Cranes Paradise, this point was still clear to him.
Facts proved that Zuo Quan Hui was not a reckless man. Though he had been waiting here, even after seeing Yang Kai, he showed no intention to attack. Only, the murderous look in his eyes was exceptionally intense. He was staring so intently at Yang Kai that he almost seemed to want to stare him to death.
A few moments later, they each disappeared from each other’s view.
Hui Gu heaved a sigh of relief.
On Thousand Cranes Paradise’s ship, Zuo Quan Hui shut his eyes, and his face twisted into a somewhat grim look.
“Honoured Master, are we just letting him go?” The woman who had been standing behind him this whole time asked. This woman did not show up at the Dao Theory Assembly, but her aura, which she had unconsciously been releasing, indicated she was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
“If I do not let him go, do you expect me to force him to stay?” Zuo Quan Hui took a deep breath and barked through gritted teeth, “Xu Ling Gong, that old fart is too much! He must have suspected that this Monarch would be waiting here for that brat, so he sent him off on a damn Yin-Yang Cave Heaven ship. If I make a move here, then I will be waging war against Yin-Yang Cave Heaven!”
“Does that mean that we can never get vengeance for Junior Brother Zhao?” The woman was reluctant to accept this result.
Zuo Quan Hui coldly snorted, “This grudge is absolutely irreconcilable, so there is no way I will let it be just like that. Xu Ling Gong can protect him now, but he will not be able to do so forever. Come, let us return to the Sect.”
Turning around, he walked into the cabin.
The woman stood on the deck, looking in the direction where Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s ship left with hatred in her eyes. Only after a long time did she finally stomp away.
After ordering Hui Gu to stay and keep watch on deck, Yang Kai returned to his cabin to cultivate and refine some Open Heaven Pills.
Despite knowing that Zuo Quan Hui would not be so reckless as to dare make a move against Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s ship, Yang Kai couldn’t afford to be careless. Who knew whether that old man would become overwhelmed with hatred and do something rash?
Fortunately, as a Thousand Cranes Paradise Inner Elder, Zuo Quan Hui was also bound by all sorts of rules and would not take the risk to provoke an existence as great as Yin-Yang Cave Heaven alone. So, he did not take any action at all, and had long disappeared out of sight.
Cultivation in the Open Heaven Realm was a matter of perseverance. Even though Yang Kai had gained huge benefits in the Divine Armament World and increased his strength greatly, he did not simply rest on his laurels and continued to refine many Open Heaven Pills on the journey back.
After a short period of time, he finally returned to Void Territory.
When they received news of his return, everyone in Void Territory came to greet him.
Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s ship did not linger for long, leaving as soon as it sent Yang Kai safely back to Void Land. Even though Yang Kai tried to get them to stay, they were under orders from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven to not remain a moment longer than necessary.
Yang Kai had no choice but to prepare some gifts for them and then see them off.
Half a day later, in the Main Conference Hall, everyone was gathered.
Yang Kai sat boldly and uninhibitedly in the head position, looking out at the masses before him with a gratified look on his face.
When he thought back to the time when he first took over Void Land, there were only a handful of Open Heaven Realm Masters around him, but now, just Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were plentiful.
The Proprietress Lan You Ruo, Yue He, Mo Mei, the three Mountain Lords from Profound Yang Mountain that he recruited from Shadowless Cave Heaven, Mao Zhe, Geng Qing, and Zhou Ya. There were also the two Island Masters who submitted to him on Twin Spirit Island, the couple Hua Yong and Shu Mu Dan, and now, there was the new Hui Gu.
There were a total of 9! And that was without counting Yang Kai himself. If he were counted among them, then there would be 10 of them!
There were some 20 cultivators in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm as well. Lu Xue, Pang Duo, Gong Yang Xi, Mu Qian Xuan, Jin Yuan Lang, Fan Wu Xin, as well as others who came from Abundance City and the Shadowless Cave Heaven.
The ones in the Fourth-Order were even more difficult to count.
Right now, the Void Land could be said to be full of talents!
Compared to other great forces, the ratio of Open Heaven Realm Masters present in each Order was quite abnormal.
A heritage of 10 Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters was not considered weak even considering the entire 3,000 Worlds. In fact, excluding the Cave Heavens and Paradises, Void Land could be said to be a top great force now.
However, if a great force had 9 Sixth-Order Masters, then there would generally be at least 100 Fifth-Order Masters, or even more; however, Void Land only had around 20 or 30.
The root of all this is that all of the Open Heaven Realm members had entered Void Land halfway through and were not cultivated by Void Land itself, which threw the ratio out of balance.
However, this was not a big deal. The cultivators who could sit here, regardless of their origins and previous state of cultivation, were loyal to Void Land.
News of Yang Kai’s travel to Yin-Yang Cave Heaven to participate in the Dao Theory Assembly and subsequently becoming its champion had long spread to the 3,000 Worlds, so Void Land had naturally heard about it, too.
At the moment, Yang Kai had no idea whether to laugh or cry as he was surrounded by congratulations from all directions.
Before going to Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, he never expected things to come to this either; however, what happened happened, and no matter what, he was now a Yin-Yang Cave Heaven son-in-law.
Yang Kai also introduced Hui Gu to everyone, and they all welcomed him warmly.
Hui Gu felt a little flattered as to be honest, he never thought that Void Land would have such a strong heritage before he arrived here. He was especially surprised by the number of Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters like him.
Without even mentioning the many Fifth-Order and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters sitting in the Main Hall, Hui Gu could vaguely feel an aura coming from somewhere deep in Void Land that made his heart clench tight.
The aura was certainly hidden and obscure, but its occasional fluctuation made it impossible to ignore.
This Void Land had to be much more than what he could perceive! There may be more powerful forces hidden inside. However, now was not the time to be asking questions. Since he had already come to Void Land with Yang Kai, he could slowly figure it out in the future.
He suddenly felt as if he had found an amazing boss…
“This time, I won the Dao Theory Assembly, but I also got into a bit of trouble.” Yang Kai looked at the crowd below, “During the Dao Theory Assembly, I beat one of Thousand Cranes Paradise’s disciples to death.”
Everyone was shocked to hear that.
They had already known that Yang Kai was able to win the competition, but they did not learn much else besides that. It was only now that they realized what explosive things had happened during the events of the Dao Theory Assembly.
The corner of Old Bai’s eye twitched as he asked, “What Order was that man’s cultivation, and what was his position in Thousand Cranes Paradise?”
Yang Kai glanced at him and scratched his nose awkwardly, “Sixth-Order Open Heaven. In terms of position… similar to Qu Hua Shang from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.”
Old Bai sucked in a breath of cold air.
Yue He also frowned, “That sounds like big trouble.”
Suddenly thinking of something, she looked up at Yang Kai, “Is it because of this reason that Yin-Yang Cave Heaven escorted Young Master home?”
Yang Kai nodded sincerely, “During my return, we bumped into a Thousand Cranes Paradise Elder. If not for Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s signboard, then I’m afraid he would have made his move right then and there.”
Yue He was thoughtful, “Since that man is an Elder of Thousand Cranes Paradise, then he would not dare to take the risk of offending Yin-Yang Cave Heaven openly, which was why he held back. However, according to this situation, that man will surely not give up there.”
Mo Mei chimed in, “Did Yin-Yang Cave Heaven not say anything? The Dao Theory Assembly was held by them after all. They would be held responsible if anything were to happen.”
“Senior Sister Qu’s Honoured Master, Xu Ling Gong, personally went to Thousand Cranes Paradise to negotiate, but the latter did not give their clear opinion on the matter.”
“In any case, it would be best if Thousand Cranes Paradise is willing to let the matter go; otherwise, there are troops for the enemy, and earth for floods!” Yang Kai waved his hand, “I’m merely telling you this so that you may all be more careful in the future. Don’t be taken advantage of by some unscrupulous people!”
With the current power of Void Land, there was little need for them to worry. They had two mature Divine Spirits to watch over them, and they were also protected by the Nine Heavenly Layers Grand Array. Unless Thousand Cranes Paradise was willing to mobilize several Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, it would be impossible for them to do anything to Void Land directly. Heavenly Sword Union that led the Hundred Sects Alliance was proof of that.
Everyone cupped their fists, “Yes!”
Yang Kai then turned his head to Old Bai, “How is Proprietress doing now? Have you heard anything?”
Old Bai shook his head, “She is still in retreat. Advancing to the Seventh-Order cannot be achieved overnight.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Pay close attention to any changes in her situation. If there is news, contact me immediately.”
Old Bai grinned, “Will do.”
“Good, everyone disperse. Go and attend to your own matters. Second Manager, arrange Hui Gu’s accommodations.”
Bian Yu Qing immediately stood up and answered, “Yes!”
Void Land was not small now, but Yang Kai still had little to manage as Bian Yu Qing was taking care of everything. However, this delayed her cultivation efforts a lot. Among those who came here from the Star Boundary, many of the peak Emperor Realm Masters had already condensed their Dao Seals and begun refining resources of the various Orders to make preparations for advancing to the Open Heaven Realm. However, Bian Yu Qing had not even been able to condense her Dao Seal yet.
She had sacrificed a lot for the sake of Void Land.
However, Yang Kai had his own arrangements for her, and he would naturally not neglect her. With the Divine Dao Water, ensuring her future of advancing directly into the Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm would be no problem.
After returning to Void Land, Yang Kai had been living a comfortable and peaceful life. Besides refining Open Heaven Pills and some other cultivation resources each day, he would either play chess with Bi Xi or walk around the Star City.
Void Territory’s Star City was now famous all over the 3,000 Worlds, and the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill was always in high demand. After all, this pill could raise the success rate of a cultivator advancing into the Open Heaven Realm. Any cultivator with a bit of wealth would want to acquire such a pill; however, the only ones who could refine the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill in this world was Void Land.
The other great forces could not refine this pill even if they got the pill recipe, but this couldn’t be helped as its primary ingredient, World Source Liquid, was too rare. This was something that was created only at the birth of a new world, and in the 3,000 Worlds, which Universe World was newly formed?
The Star City brought great wealth to Void Land, which was enough to supply the cultivation needs of its many disciples. The only problem faced by Void Land was the difficulty in finding Yin and Yang Element treasures for advancing into the Sixth-Order.
These two items were rare resources even for the major Cave Heavens and Paradises, so finding them was extremely difficult. Even though Void Land was not short of money, it had not been able to buy many of these resources over the years.
However, the Great Emperors who came from the Star Boundary, as well as Yang Kai’s Wives, all needed these Sixth-Order Yin and Yang Element treasures in order to advance into the Open Heaven Realm. Without these, they could not advance.
Currently, the Star City’s top priority was to acquire these Sixth-Order Yin and Yang Element treasures in order to ensure a smooth advancement for the Great Emperors.
While Yang Kai was having a headache over this matter, thinking about where he was going to find these resources, he received a piece of good news.
Gathering Yuan Union’s Lu Jing had come to visit!
According to their deal, Lu Jing followed Yang Kai during the Dao Theory Assembly for protection, which allowed him to return safely from the Prison Star. Otherwise, with Lu Jing’s Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation, it was uncertain whether or not he would have survived in that harsh environment.
Before entering the Prison Star, Lu Jing had agreed to pay Yang Kai with a Sixth-Order Yang Element treasure as a reward for keeping him safe.
After the Dao Theory Assembly, Lu Jing returned alongside his Elders to Gathering Yuan Union’s Great Territory, and after much time had passed, he received no news from him. Yang Kai even thought that this guy was going to go back on his word.
Yang Kai never expected Lu Jing to visit in person on this day. It seemed like even though this guy’s cultivation was not very high, he was still a man of integrity.
But upon further thought, Yang Kai realized that this was not strange. Gathering Yuan Union was a mercantile alliance, with merchant ships that did business with many forces across the 3,000 Worlds. As merchants, trust was their greatest commodity, so they would never renege on their debts.
Lu Jing was flattered that Yang Kai received him personally.
In the reception hall, Lu Jing handed over a jade box, “Senior Brother Yang, here is the Purple Yang Jade, a Sixth-Order Yang Elements treasure. Please accept it as this Little Brother’s thanks to Senior Brother for the care he received on the Prison Star.”
Yang Kai did not stand on ceremony and reached out to accept it with a smile, “Brother Lu is too polite. What I did on the Prison Star was just a simple thing.”
Lu Jing responded, “To Senior Brother Yang it may just be a small effort, but to me, it is a life-saving grace. The Masters on the Prison Star were as plentiful as the clouds. A petty Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like me would hardly have survived without Senior Brother Yang’s care!”
Yang Kai laughed, “Brother Lu does not have to be so modest. Even though the Prison Star was dangerous, it was not so perilous that a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master could not survive. Brother Lu is so generous, so obviously, Brother Lu has a high status in Gathering Yuan Union, right?”
Lu Jing smiled proudly, “Currently, the Union Master of Gathering Yuan Union is my Father!”
Yang Kai nodded lightly, “I had guessed as much, but why has Brother Lu only achieved a trivial Fourth-Order with such a background?”
Lu Jing laughed bitterly, “Financial power is not everything. My aptitude was not high, so even reaching the Fourth-Order now has taken my Father a lot of energy and resources. Otherwise, with my aptitude, we would be thanking the Heavens even if I could reach the Third-Order.”
With some thought, it did seem to be so. The most important part that decided one’s initial Order in the Open Heaven Realm was aptitude. Without a strong enough Dao Seal, it was simply impossible for one to bear too strong of an impact, and with that, there was naturally no way of achieving a higher Order.
However, Lu Jing’s status was also not low. His Father was the Union Master of Gathering Yuan Union, which made him the Young Union Master, which was not far from what Yang Kai had guessed before.
“Brother Lu, I have a business deal I want to propose to Gathering Yuan Union; I wonder whether Gathering Yuan Union is interested?” Yang Kai looked eagerly at him with a smile.
Lu Jing laughed in response, “Our Gathering Yuan Union’s doors are always open to new opportunities. As long as there is business to do, we are naturally interested.”
“Young Union Master!” The two Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, who had been standing by Lu Jing’s side all this while suddenly called out to him before going down to a whisper, “Union Master has asked you to return immediately after delivering the item. He says he wishes to make arrangements for your betrothal.”
Lu Jing’s face turned dark, “I have my own plans for marriage, what is he concerned about?”
The man responded, “That is what the Union Master ordered. Young Union Master, please do not make things difficult for this humble one.”
Lu Jing now had an awkward look on his face.
Yang Kai glanced at the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who was speaking with interest. There was no way that he would not know that he was merely speaking like this because Gathering Yuan Union was unwilling to have too many entanglements with Void Land.
Since Gathering Yuan Union mainly focused on trade, they were indeed open to all in terms of business; however, Yang Kai had killed Zhao Xing in the Dao Theory Assembly, which was an insult to Thousand Cranes Paradise. Thus, Gathering Yuan Union was not willing to draw heat onto itself.
When Lu Jing came here, it was likely that his Father had warned him about this beforehand; otherwise, it was unlikely for these Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm guards to overstep their boundaries.
“There is no place for you to interfere when I’m speaking to Senior Brother Yang. Get out!” Lu Jing scolded.
Yang Kai raised his hand, “Since Brother Lu’s Father is thinking of arranging Brother Lu’s betrothal, then I will not keep you here; however, I will be troubling Brother Lu to pass on a message to your Father when you return.”
Lu Jing responded earnestly, “Please speak, Senior Brother Yang.”
“Please report to your Father that my Void Land would like to make developments in the dealing of our Heavenly Yuan Stabilizing Pill. If he is willing, then I will allow the Gathering Yuan Union to represent us in auctioning them!”
Lu Jing could not help but feel moved by the offer and even the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm guard who spoke earlier had a surprised look on his face.
The Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill was famous across the 3,000 Worlds. There was no one who had not heard of it. Many people had their eyes on this Spirit Pill, but Void Land was the only producer of it. Others were simply unable to refine it.
Void Land’s Star City was able to reach such a scale solely because of the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill. It can be said that this Spirit Pill was practically the foundation of Void Land’s development.
If they were able to get a share in this business, then that would be a big deal for Gathering Yuan Union. They may be able to rise to even greater heights with help from this arrangement.
If Void Land was willing to be generous, then what they want must not be small either, Lu Jing understood that, so he asked, “May I know what Senior Brother Yang wishes to gain from my Gathering Yuan Union?”
Yang Kai smiled, “Gathering Yuan Union’s merchant ships are spread across the 3,000 Worlds. With such a wide range of trade routes and so many eyes and ears available, finding Sixth-Order Yin and Yang Element treasures should be no problem, right?”
Lu Jing laughed bitterly at that, “Senior Brother Yang has given me a difficult task. Such resources are very scarce, and that is true no matter where you look.” After a pause, he added, “How many is Senior Brother Yang looking for?”
Yang Kai answered, “Naturally, as many as you can find.”
Lu Jing laughed and pondered for a moment, “This is a big deal, so I am unable to make the decision. Indeed, this matter has to be referred to my Father. So as to not delay matters, I will take my leave now so that I may return to Senior Brother Yang with news as soon as possible.”
Yang Kai did not keep him any longer and stood up, “Let me see you off.”
The two left the hall side by side, and having suddenly thought of something, Lu Jing suddenly went into a whisper, “Has Senior Brother Yang heard something recently?”
Yang Kai glanced at him, “What does Brother Lu mean?”
“About Thousand Cranes Paradise!”
“Thousand Cranes Paradise?” Yang Kai raised a brow and shook his head, “Nothing. What do you know, Brother Lu?”
Lu Jing told him, “Thousand Cranes Paradise’s Elder, Zuo Quan Hui, has rebelled from the Sect alongside those from his lineage!”
Yang Kai stopped in his tracks and stared straight at him.
Lu Jing shrugged, “I’m not joking. When it happened, one of Gathering Yuan Union’s Vice Union Masters just happened to be doing some work at Thousand Cranes Paradise. That is when he came upon that situation. When he returned and reported the matter to my Father, I happened to hear a thing or two.”
“When did this happen?” Yang Kai frowned.
Lu Jing responded, “Counting back, it should have happened around two or three months ago.”
Two or three months, that was around the same time as when he returned to Void Land.
“Why was there no news in the outside world about such a huge event?” Yang Kai was confused.
“There is no way that Thousand Cranes Paradise would want to make a loud announcement of such an embarrassing situation. Zuo Quan Hui is a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master and an Inner Elder of Thousand Cranes Paradise. If he rebels from his Sect, then it would mean the loss of face for Thousand Cranes Paradise. However, such a matter obviously cannot be hidden for long. Just watch, everyone will know about it within half a year.”
While chatting, they had already arrived at where Gathering Yuan Union’s ship was docked.
Lu Jing cupped his fist, “Senior Brother Yang, please wait. I will report to my Father about your proposal, and I will come again if there is any news.”
“Many thanks, Brother Lu.” Yang Kai nodded.
After watching Gathering Yuan Union’s ship depart, Yang Kai’s brow wrinkled as he could vaguely sense an impending storm.
Zuo Quan Hui was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, and an Inner Elder of Thousand Cranes Paradise, so how could he have turned against his Sect so simply? He was not the only Seventh-Order Master in Thousand Cranes Paradise, and as one of the 72 Paradises, they would surely have some Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters keeping watch.
If Zuo Quan Hui really did turn against his Sect, then he would have been apprehended almost immediately.
From that fact alone, Yang Kai could guess that Zuo Quan Hui’s rebellion was just a show they had put on for the outside world.
Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s Dao Theory Assembly was presided over by Xu Ling Gong, who said before it began that this was not a children’s game. It was a competition to choose a suitor for Qu Hua Shang, and no reprisals were to be pursued regardless of the lives lost during its course.
Even though these words were spoken by Xu Ling Gong, he was representing Yin-Yang Cave Heaven! If someone really did try and get revenge afterwards, that would be slapping Xu Ling Gong in the face and smashing Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s signboard. Yin-Yang Cave Heaven would not let the matter rest after such an insult, and even without anyone else to stand up to the matter, Yin-Yang Cave Heaven themselves would put an end to it.
Thousand Cranes Paradise did not wish to make the situation too stiff either and provoke Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s reputation for the sake of a lost disciple. However, Zhao Xing was still a Core Disciple, and he could not die in vain. Thousand Cranes Paradise’s reputation was still important to them.
Zuo Quan Hui’s rebellion from Thousand Cranes Paradise meant he had cut off his relationship with them, and as the deceased’s Honoured Master, he could rightfully avenge his dead Disciple. This matter would have nothing to do with Thousand Cranes Paradise in that case. If Yin-Yang Cave Heaven wished to blame anyone, then the only one they could blame was the rebel, Zuo Quan Hui.
Furthermore, Yin-Yang Cave Heaven may not necessarily come out to say anything about the matter. One was a Cave Heaven and the other was a Paradise. Surpassing Thousand Cranes Paradise to the point where they made such a choice was already Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s limit, and Thousand Cranes Paradise had already taken a step back on the matter. Naturally, Yin-Yang Cave Heaven would take a step back as well.
And this step was most likely their refusal to interfere in the feud between Yang Kai and Zuo Quan Hui.
After some thought, Yang Kai quickly worked out the relationships in this matter, and he could not help but sneer. Zuo Quan Hui was blinded by hatred, and he was most likely not going to be letting him go.
Yang Kai was just about to contact Bian Yu Qing when he saw two streams of light coming from the distance as soon as he looked up, and one of them happened to be her.
“Sect Master!” Bian Yu Qing saluted after landing, a troubled look on her face.
However, the person next to her fell to their knees and wailed, “Heavenly Monarch, please do something!”
Yang Kai frowned at them, quickly recognizing their identity, “You are Three Brilliances World’s World Lord, Pang Shao Yuan?”
Void Land was not the only great force in Void Territory. There existed seven Third Class great forces, and a dozen or so Universe Worlds, all of them with history’s far longer than Yang Kai’s reign in this place.
Back then, when Yang Kai established Void Land, these Third Class great forces and Universe Worlds sent their representatives over to congratulate him and even helped a lot to rebuild Void Land.
So, the seven Third Class great forces can all be considered subordinate forces of Void Land, and they were considered allies. The dozen Universe Worlds were essentially considered subjects of Void Land who were able to send over some talents to join Void Land once in a while.
Among the dozen or so Universe Worlds, one of them was Three Brilliances World, and the strongest Master of that world was the man in front of Yang Kai now, Pang Shao Yuan. However, even though this man aspired to achieve the Fourth-Order, or even Fifth-Order, Open Heaven Realm, he was still merely in the Emperor Realm right now.
“Please, Heavenly Monarch, save the people of my Three Brilliances World!” Pang Shao Yuan kowtowed to him, bashing his forehead to the ground in loud thuds.
“Stand up and speak!” Yang Kai reached out to pick him up, confused, “What happened?”
Bian Yu Qing hurriedly explained, “Someone stormed into Three Brilliances World and began slaughtering people indiscriminately. Three Brilliances World has sustained heavy damage. When he realized that things were beyond his ability to handle, World Lord Peng decided to come and seek help.”
Yang Kai’s pupils shrank. Just earlier, Lu Jing had just warned him that Zuo Quan Hui had rebelled from Thousand Cranes Paradise, and now, Three Brilliances World had fallen into danger. He could not help but think of something.
“Luring a snake out of its hole!” Yang Kai’s face turned grim.
Void Land was guarded by two mature Divine Spirits, which was a well-known fact. There was also the Nine Heavenly Layers Grand Array. To break through such defensive power, several Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters would have to join hands.
Even if Zuo Quan Hui wanted to avenge his Disciple, he would not be foolish enough to come directly to Void Land. He would have to lure Yang Kai out instead.
Three Brilliances World was just caught in the crossfire!
Otherwise, how could Pang Shao Yuan, a trivial Emperor Realm Master, be able to escape? Since Zuo Quan Hui wished to lure the snake out of the hole, it was only natural that he needed someone to pass on the news.
However, Zuo Quan Hui was still a man from a Paradise, and also a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so how could he be so merciless as to lay his hands on a Universe World? It had to be known that Universe Worlds were the foundation of the entire 3,000 Worlds. Was he not afraid of damaging his reputation with such rash actions?
Bian Yu Qing had no idea what Yang Kai meant by that assessment, but she could vaguely tell that something was not right. Void Land possessed extraordinary strength these days, and Three Brilliances World was a subject of Void Land. How could anyone be so brave as to cause trouble under Void Land’s eyes? They were clearly doing this on purpose.
“Heavenly Monarch, we must hurry. Lives are at stake. If we delay any further, then it will be too late. These vile people are strong, and I have no idea what Order of the Open Heaven Realm they are in, but even a single move can cause devastating damage. I’m afraid it would not take too long for them to tear apart the entire Three Brilliances World!” Pang Shao Yan begged anxiously.
Yang Kai nodded, “I know. I will go immediately.”
With that said, he rushed to the sky while urgently telling Bian Yu Qing to pass on his orders.
After watching Yang Kai disappear into the distance, Pang Shao Yuan fell powerlessly to the ground.
Bian Yu Qing reassured him, “World Lord Peng need not worry. Sect Master will naturally deal with the enemy. You should go and rest. I still have things to attend to, so I will not be accompanying you.”
After calling over a Void Land disciple to bring Pang Shao Yuan to a guest room, Bian Yu Qing took out her Communication Bead and sent out a series of messages.
In the blink of an eye, the Sixth-Order and Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters scattered all over gathered together.
Three Brilliances World was an azure Universe World, which was slightly larger than the Star Boundary. Whether it be in World Energy or World Principles, it was slightly better than the Star Boundary, so cultivating in Three Brilliances World was much easier.
Yang Kai transformed into a ray of light and kept on pushing his Space Principles as he closed in on his destination in merely a cup of tea’s time.
When he looked down from the void, Yang Kai felt so furious that his eyes could pop. The Universe World which used to be azure was now covered in pits and wounds. Even from the void, he could see the large cracks that spanned across the land. Black smoke was rising in the air and hot magma was erupting. Even the seawater was rolling black. Clearly, the world’s vitality had been damaged greatly!
Back then, a single Mo Sheng could stir up a huge mess in the Star Boundary, which almost led to the extinction of all life, so there was no need to mention what an even stronger Open Heaven Realm Master could do if they ran amok in the Three Brilliances World.
For the one behind this, all the living that exist within the Three Brilliances World were merely ants to them, easily slaughtering them without any resistance, which showed how heartless this person was.
Somewhere in Three Brilliances World, a violent energy fluctuation emerged. Yang Kai looked over in that direction. Across a distance of several tens of thousands of kilometers, his gaze pierced through the Void and could vaguely see a person wielding their power recklessly, leaving a reign of terror wherever they passed. A city, inhabited by tens of thousands, was flipped over in just a single blow, annihilating everyone in a mere instant.
“Courting death!” Yang Kai was seeing red and his murderous intent surged. Grabbing the air, the Azure Dragon Spear entered his hand. With a thrust of his spear, Space Principles warped, and he disappeared.
Above the rubble was a figure hovering with fluttering sleeves. There seemed to be wronged spirits lingering about his ears, but the man smiled as if he was enjoying the pleasure of his wanton slaughter. Under his Divine Sense’s perception, there was another city just 1,000 kilometres away where many living beings were gathered.
As he was about to make for the city, a powerful aura suddenly rushed over in his direction that sent a shiver up his spine.
Turning his head back, he saw a lightning flash in the clouds, then came a raging murderous intent, erupting out for all to feel!
Feeling the terror of the incoming blow, the man dared not be careless. With a great roar, soundwaves visible to the naked eye rippled towards Yang Kai through the air.
At the same time, the figure backed away speedily.
Yang Kai continued to give chase with his spear, his strikes flowing in an unrestrained manner, covering the sky in a flurry of spear shadows that rained down on his enemy.
That man, who was in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, was obviously very confident in his own strength, and at first, he was able to block Yang Kai’s attacks, but as he continued to clash, both his body and Soul were repeatedly shocked. Eventually, he was forced to cry out for help, “Divine Monarch, save me!”
“Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch?” Yang Kai also finally had a look at this guy’s face. He originally thought that it was someone from Thousand Cranes Paradise who was attacking this place, and there was even the possibility that he might see Zuo Quan Hui himself. Unexpectedly, the one slaughtering the inhabitants of Three Brilliances World actually turned out to be Prison League’s League Master, Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch!
It was too late to wonder why Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch was here though as after he shouted, powerful auras hidden in all directions quickly emerged, one of which made Yang Kai’s heart jump.
Turning around, he saw Zuo Quan Hui appear with a grim look on his face, and the sword in his hand was pointed his way, quickly approaching. His thrust may have seemed simple, but it was able to break through Yang Kai’s spear shadow blockade perfectly and head straight for the spot between his brow.
A feeling of imminent death washed over Yang Kai as he drew in a breath of cold air and manipulated Space Principles, executing his Near Distant Horizon Secret Technique, infinitely stretching the space between him and Zuo Quan Hui.
“Break!” Zuo Quan Hui shouted, shattering the stretched space. Then, the cold glint of his sword tip quickly enlarged before Yang Kai’s eyes.
[Near Distant Horizon was broken!]
Yang Kai’s heart was shaken. Sure enough, the power of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was truly extraordinary, even being capable of breaking through his Space Secret Technique with ease, which was something that had never happened before.
Yang Kai was caught off guard and could only block the blow with his spear.
*Hong hong hong…*
Following a loud series of explosions, a tidal wave of energy spread out in all directions, instantly turning the destroyed city below to ashes, leaving no trace of it behind. Even the ground was cracked open with lines like that of a canyon appearing out of nowhere. Between those cracks, magma gushed out in a spectacular display.
In an instant, the two had exchanged dozens of blows.
Yang Kai spat out a mouthful of Golden Blood and could not stop himself from flying backwards. He crashed headlong into a mountain 100 kilometres away and disappeared from sight.
“Hm?” Zuo Quan Hui frowned, looking surprised.
He was stunned that he was unable to execute Yang Kai instantly despite personally making a move. Judging by the blows they exchanged just now, the heritage of Yang Kai’s Small Universe was extremely powerful, not inferior to a Master at the very peak of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
After a brief pause, Zuo Quan Hui came back to his senses, “Is this the might of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s Small Source World? Even so, you will die here today!”
He did not hesitate to break away from Thousand Cranes Paradise and even took in someone like Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch, instructing him to cause carnage in Three Brilliances World, all so he could lure Yang Kai out. Now that Yang Kai was here, if he did not win this fight, then he might not have such a good opportunity again in the future.
With a flick of his sword, Zuo Quan Hui’s entire figure was wrapped in the sword light before he shot off like a flash of lightning!
But before Zuo Quan Hui could arrive, the mountain suddenly split apart and Yang Kai’s figure rose to the sky and headed straight for the void.
Even though he was now in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, and his strength had improved greatly thanks to the many opportunities he encountered, the difference between the High-Rank and Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realms was like the difference between the Heavens and Earth. If it were any ordinary Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, then they would probably have been killed by Zuo Quan Hui in the first exchange of blows.
Yang Kai was able to escape from death thanks to all the hard work he put in back in the Small Source World. If not for his previous gains in the Divine Armament World, his situation now would be even worse.
Even so, Yang Kai was in a dizzy state at this moment, and his Small Universe was in turmoil.
Before coming here, he had a hunch that Zuo Quan Hui would be waiting in ambush. Just as Pang Shao Yuan said, however, saving lives was like putting out a fire. If Three Brilliances World was in danger, then he did not dare to delay things, so he had no choice but to come over and stop the carnage immediately.
But now, after their exchange, Yang Kai was certain that he was no match for Zuo Quan Hui, so how could he stay here any longer? What was more, if he continued to fight in this place, then Three Brilliances World would really be done for.
After all, there were still countless living beings inhabiting this place, and if Three Brilliances World was shattered from their fight, all the living beings in this world would die without a burial.
“Where are you trying to run!” A figure rushed over from the side; a woman in imperial robes. The woman’s face was scrunched up with murderous intent and her aura flared madly. She was also a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master and with a wave of her hand, a colourful belt stretched out across the void, releasing an endless river of stars.
Crashing straight into this river, it was as if Yang Kai had entered a starry sky. In an instant, north, south, east, and west had become indistinguishable.
He knew that this artifact had a Heaven Sealing Earth Locking effect, almost like a Self-Contained World. If he did not break out of this trap quickly, then things will not be good once Zuo Quan Hui caught up to him.
Not daring to hesitate, Yang Kai let out a fierce roar, “Golden Crow Casts the Sun!”
A loud and clear caw broke through the air and a Great Sun rose up. Within the Great Sun, a three-legged exotic bird could be seen frolicking about.
Yang Kai raised his spear to the Great Sun before, stabbing fiercely towards the void.
The Great Sun exploded, and in an instant, the starry sky around him grew dim.
Terrifying Golden Crow’s True Fire swept out in all directions as Yang Kai’s body flew up. When he recovered, he found himself outside of the endless river of stars and not far ahead was a woman’s figure.
With her artifact broken, the woman’s face was slightly pale, and there was a trail of blood trickling down the corner of her mouth.
With fierce determination, Yang Kai raised his spear, preparing to impale the woman with its tip, but it was then that a heavy murderous intent emerged from behind him. Zuo Quan Hui had caught up, forcing him to have to fight back.
World Force collided as Yang Kai’s figure tumbled through the air and endless Sword Qi cut his clothes into pieces. No matter how strong his body was, it was instantly covered in blood from fresh wounds. The terrifying Sword Intent even lingered in his wounds like maggots, burrowing into his flesh and his meridians.
With a shout, Yang Kai forcefully suppressed his wounds, but when he saw Zuo Quan Hui approaching again, he had no choice but to borrow the force of the recoil, turning around and running away!
“Even if you escape to the ends of the Universe, you will surely still die today!” Zuo Quan Hui’s voice came from behind him as he continued to give chase.
Yang Kai wanted to escape using Space Principles, but the might of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was so great that each time he had that thought, the strange Sword Qi haunting his wounds would suddenly erupt, causing him unbearable pain and making it difficult for him to concentrate, which made it even more impossible for him to escape successfully.
Zuo Quan Hui was obviously on guard against his mastery over the Dao of Space. He knew that if he did not contain this ability of Yang Kai’s, then he would not be able to kill him.
“Honoured Master, he’s fleeing towards Void Land!” The woman followed closely behind Zuo Quan Hui, looking in the direction in which Yang Kai was running.
Zuo Quan Hui coldly snorted, “I knew this would happen, but he won’t be able to escape.”
As he spoke, three figures suddenly appeared before Yang Kai. From a distance, one of the men shouted, “You shall not pass!”
Then, the three of them combined their strength to deliver an attack in his direction.
Squinting his eyes, only two of the three men were recognizable to Yang Kai. One of them was Firm Gold Heavenly Monarch, another was Blue Flame Heavenly Monarch, as for the last one, he was someone Yang Kai had never met before, so he had no idea who he was or where he came from.
All the same, Yang Kai cursed in his heart. He knew that these two guys would be here.
In fact, Yang Kai had been on alert for them ever since he saw Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch.
Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch founded Prison League on the Prison Star, and Firm Gold Heavenly Monarch and Blue Flame Heavenly Monarch were his Vice League Masters. During the Dao Theory Assembly, Prison League captured Yin Xin Zhao and Pei Wen Xuan. Later, they also captured a Core Disciple from Azure Nether Paradise as a bargaining chip to negotiate with Yin-Yang Cave Heaven after everything ended.
The end result of that was that the three leaders of Prison League were freed, and they let Yin Xin Zhao and Pei Wen Xuan go while Yin Xin Zhao and the great force behind him had to pay Yin-Yang Cave Heaven a large sum of money.
Now, it seemed like the three from Prison League who were freed were Huang Quan, Jin Gang, and Cang Yan.
It was only natural for that to be so as the three of them occupied the three highest spots in Prison League. If they could obtain freedom, then they would not leave this opportunity for anyone else.
Only, Yang Kai could not understand how the three of them got mixed up with Zuo Quan Hui.
Whether it be Huang Quan, Jin Gang, or Cang Yan, all three men were veterans in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, no worse than Mao Zhe. In a one-on-one fight, they would definitely be no match for Yang Kai, even if it was two against one, Yang Kai might still come out on top. However, there were currently three Masters joining hands now. What’s more, Yang Kai had already been hurt from the fight with Zuo Quan Hui earlier, so he could only dodge when it came to a fight against a combined force like this.
However, this delay only allowed Zuo Quan Hui to close the gap between them.
With a wolf in front and tiger behind, Yang Kai was in a precarious situation!
“Yang Kai, when you killed my Junior Brother, did you ever expect to face this day?” The man standing between Firm Gold Heavenly Monarch and Blue Flame Heavenly Monarch gritted his teeth and snarled at him.
From what he said, it was obvious this man was Zhao Xing’s Senior Brother.
Lu Jing had previously told Yang Kai that Zuo Quan Hui had rebelled from Thousand Cranes Paradise along with his lineage, which meant Zuo Quan Hui was not alone. He had brought all his subordinates and Disciples he could use with him, and this man was one of them. The unfamiliar faces he saw earlier must be the same, including the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm woman.
“You bastard, you will die here today!” The woman’s voice also sounded from behind.
Looking down, Yang Kai sneered, “You wish to kill me? That will depend on whether you have that ability or not!”
A huge lotus-like ship was rapidly approaching from the void, and before it even arrived, a dense stream of lights shot out from the ship.
The woman’s alarmed voice sounded through the air, “Senior Brother Zhou Ti, watch out!”
Zhou Ti, Jin Gang, and Cang Yan, who were obstructing Yang Kai’s way, had also realized that danger was approaching, and when they turned around, their vision was filled with a brilliant light. One by one, terrifying attacks rained down on them.
The three of them were so shocked that they did not even have time to think how many Masters there were. They just turned tail and fled like frightened birds and beasts.
The moment they made their move, Yang Kai also stabbed at Zhou Ti with his spear, ignoring the barriers of space, reaching the latter’s face as soon as he lifted his hand. A Dragon Roar erupted from the Azure Dragon Spear as if it had truly transformed into a giant Dragon brandishing its claws and baring its fangs, seemingly about to devour Zhou Ti up in one gulp.
Sensing imminent danger, Zhou Ti tried hard to circulate the strength of his Small Universe and formed hand seals to protect his front.
*Chi…*
Blood spluttered out as Yang Kai and Zhou Ti passed each other. When their eyes met, Zhou Ti’s eyes were filled with great terror, while Yang Kai’s only showed mockery. Flipping the Azure Dragon Spear back around, he thrust out at Zhou Ti’s heart with an unstoppable momentum.
As the aura of death enveloped him, Zhou Ti’s face became ashen, but at the critical moment, Yang Kai frowned and pulled his spear back.
*Dang…*
A sword stopped the Azure Dragon Spear, colliding with it with a terrifying World Force. Grunting, blood spilled from Yang Kai’s nose and mouth. Behind the longsword, Zuo Quan Hui faced him with a grim expression. With a shake of his sword, a wave of Sword Qi formed and flew straight in his direction.
Yang Kai was forced backwards while fresh blood constantly spilled from all over his body. Dense cuts covered his skin in a horrifying display.
“Young Master!” Yue He shouted and dashed over to him together with Profound Yang Mountain’s Three Mountain Lords, Mao Zhe, Geng Qing, and Zhou Ya.
When it came to loyalty, none could trump the three of them. The three Mountain Lords were also powerful, all of them being established Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Back in the Shadowless Cave Heaven, they had been forced to write their names down on the Loyalty List and submit to Yang Kai; however, since they had already put down their names, whether they earnestly wished to submit to Yang Kai or were simply forced to, all three of now rushed forward when they saw Yang Kai teeter around the edge of life or death.
If Yang Kai died here, then they would be buried with him, so as soon as they saw him in danger, they all rushed over as soon as possible.
With the combined power of these five, they were finally able to block Zuo Quan Hui’s strike.
Seeing that he would not be able to kill Yang Kai in a short amount of time, Zuo Quan Hui wisely chose to step back. He pressed forward earlier mainly to save Zhou Ti, but now that his goal had been achieved, there was no need for him to pursue Yang Kai further. The most important thing for him to do now was assess the current situation.
The fight that spanned hundreds of kilometres in the void suddenly subsided, but everyone knew that this peace was just an illusion, the calm before the storm.
“Young Master, are you all right?” Yue He looked nervously at Yang Kai, feeling heartbroken to see him in such a state.
Yang Kai looked miserable. His clothes were in rags and there were numerous wounds littered over his body, both big and small. It was rare for him to show such a vulnerable side.
“I’m fine!” Yang Kai spat out a mouthful of blood. Looking in the distance with a defiant face, he sneered, “Zuo Quan Hui, you want to lure the snake from his cave? Aren’t you worried you’ll lure a Dragon out instead?”
Hundreds of kilometres away, Zuo Quan Hui’s face was still grim. Eyes sweeping over the people by Yang Kai’s side, he spat, “This Monarch has underestimated your Void Land!”
He knew that Void Land’s heritage was not bad, and that they had two Divine Spirits watching over them. Even a Master in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm like him did not dare to act recklessly, which was why he devised a scheme to lure Yang Kai out.
He thought that it would be easy to kill him as long as he was able to lure Yang Kai out, but Yang Kai was much stronger than he initially thought. It was surprising that he was not able to kill him off instantly, but knowing Void Land’s heritage was even more surprising!
They had 9 Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and more than 20 in the Fifth-Order!
This lineup was not in line with the information he had received previously. From the intelligence he gathered, Void Land only had 2 Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters at most.
Compared to Void Land, his own side only had Zhou Ti, Huang Quan, Jin Gang, Cang Yan, and his female Disciple. There were only a total of 5 Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in his service, but Zuo Quan Hui himself was in the Seventh-Order, so he more than made up for the gap in power.
Even so, Void Land was growing at a rate that shocked Zuo Quan Hui. How strong were they when Heavenly Sword Union formed the Hundred Sects Alliance to attack them? It had barely been 10 years since then, and they had already collected so many Masters! If they let this continue on, then Void Land will definitely become a big problem in the future!
“But how can you stop this Monarch with just the few of you? Boy, this Monarch must kill you today!” Zuo Quan Hui shouted as he raised his sword.
Yang Kai grinned, “What a coincidence, that was what I was thinking, too.”
He shouted, “Mao Zhe, Geng Qing, join me in this fight! I’ve never killed a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master before, so today, we will have a taste! The rest of you, corner the rest of our opponents. Don’t let a single one of them escape!”
All of them answered in unison, “Yes!”
Yang Kai raised his spear and pointed it at Zuo Quan Hui, bellowing, “Kill!”
A distance of hundreds of kilometres was merely a step away for Open Heaven Realm Masters, but in a step, in a shout, Yang Kai had already taken the lead and rushed forward.
Earlier, Yang Kai had practically nowhere to escape to as he was chased up and down by Zuo Quan Hui. Now, the elites of Void Land had all come out to face the enemy in battle. As Yang Kai said before, Zuo Quan Hui may have been trying to lure the snake out of its hole, but he had unwittingly lured out a Dragon instead.
Even if Zuo Quan Hui was not killed in this battle, his side would still be wounded, which should teach him that Void Territory was not a place for him to come and go as he pleased!
A battle even fiercer than the one before broke out instantly. Six or seven battlefields formed in the expansive void. World Forces collided with each other endlessly in a heated contest.
Mo Mei confronted Zhou Ti, who was instantly pinned down and only able to struggle passively. Under normal circumstances, Mo Mei would not be Zhou Ti’s opponent; after all, she had only advanced into the Sixth-Order a short while ago. Even if Void Land was there to support her with resources, she still needed time to build up her Small Universe’s heritage.
Zhou Ti had undoubtedly reached the Sixth-Order much earlier than Mo Mei, so his Small Universe’s heritage should be more powerful.
However, Zhou Ti was severely injured by Yang Kai’s spear when he tried to block his path just now. In fact, if not for Zuo Quan Hui rescuing him at the last moment, Zhou Ti might already be dead.
With his injuries, Zhou Ti was unable to exert his full strength to begin with, so it was only natural that he would be overpowered by Mo Mei.
Yue He, on the other hand, chose to fight the Sixth-Order woman. Both sides were on equal footing, so neither was able to do anything to their opponent.
Zhou Ya was slightly weaker when compared to Cang Yan, but her heritage as a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was still there, so killing her would still be as difficult as ascending to the Heavens, unless Zhou Ya herself courted death.
Hua Yong and Shu Mu Dan, the couple, had always advanced and retreated together, so with their combined skills, they were able to beat Jin Gang into a bitter state.
Finally, Hui Gu rushed up to Huang Quan at the first chance he got with overwhelming killing intent. He was practically fighting with his life on the line without any concern about whether or not he would be injured. His reckless ferocity caused Huang Quan to jump in fright.
Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch should have been slightly stronger than Hui Gu; otherwise, Huang Quan would not have been able to serve as Prison League’s Master. However, he was forced into a disadvantageous position by Hui Gu in this confrontation.
The reason that Hui Gu was like this was because of his deceased attendant, Bai Mo.
On the Prison Star, he and Bai Mo have been in each other’s company for hundreds of years. The Master and Servant had gone through many ups and downs together, and though Bai Mo’s cultivation was not high, only Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm, he was extremely loyal to Hui Gu and was even willing to offer his life for him.
It was just a pity that Bai Mo ended up in Prison League’s hands and was crushed before Hui Gu’s eyes by Huang Quan!
After the Dao Theory Assembly, Yang Kai got Hui Gu out of the Prison Star, and from then on, Hui Gu made a vow to kill Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch in order to avenge Bai Mo’s death.
The only issue was, Huang Quan had also escaped from the Prison Star and disappeared.
Who would have thought that Hui Gu would be able to find Huang Quan here? Naturally, he was seeing red when he saw his hated enemy. Despite knowing that he was not his opponent, Hui Gu still decided to confront Huang Quan.
This fight between the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters raged forth like an inferno, each side having both advantages and disadvantages. On the other hand, the fight between the Fifth-Order Masters was completely one-sided.
Among Zuo Quan Hui’s people, there were 4 Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. They had also appeared in Three Brilliances World, and had followed Zuo Quan Hui as his loyal Disciples.
None of them could have imagined that this would be their burial place!
The 20 plus Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from Void Land all descended on them at once, and the overwhelming gap in numbers was enough to form a lop-sided siege that suppressed them in a very short amount of time.
One by one, Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques were released as World Force flared. Even though the 4 Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters fought back desperately, they were still facing a miserable end.
In just several dozen breaths of time, Zuo Quan Hui’s 4 Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm followers fell into a dangerous position.
Naturally, this fact did not escape Zhou Ti and the Sixth-Order woman’s attention. Their Disciples and Juniors were being suppressed and sent into a life-threatening situation, so it was only natural that they would want to rescue them; however, how could Mo Mei and Yue He allow them to do so? In fact, their distraction allowed Mo Mei and Yue He to gain further advantage over them in their battles.
A few moments later, amidst a number of screams. The 4 Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were all killed. Their Small Universes shattered, and World Force poured out all at once.
When Zhou Ti and the Sixth-Order woman saw this, they were both heartbroken, but helpless.
After the many Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters finished off their opponents, they flew towards the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm battlefield under Old Bai’s lead without even a pause. Splitting up into four different groups, they offered support to Yue He, Mo Mei, and the others.
Within the Open Heaven Realm, the gap between each Order was immense, and the higher the Order, the more obvious the gap became.
A Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master could easily deal with the forces of 10 Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters combined, and they even had the strength to fight back. Under normal circumstances, what Void Land’s 20 or so Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters could do was quite limited.
However, at this moment, their existence had become the key to victory or defeat.
In the battle of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, Zhou Ya was outmatched against Cang Yan, Yue He was evenly matched with the Sixth-Order woman, and even Hui Gu was able to suppress Huang Quan for a short amount of time.
Zhou Ti and Jin Gang were both at an absolute disadvantage.
The addition of the many Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters added pressure to the enemy. They may not be able to face any one of these Sixth-order Open Heaven Realm Masters by themselves, but they could take to the sidelines and launch sneak attacks at the right moments. In a life-or-death fight, the pesky Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were extremely troubling and even deadly for the enemy.
Old Bai even had time to check on Yang Kai’s situation.
He knew that the key to winning or losing today’s battle would depend on Yang Kai’s side. If Yang Kai could stand up to Zuo Quan Hui, then this would be Void Land’s win; otherwise, any advantage on their side would be meaningless.
Loud roars filled the void as spear shadows erupted repeatedly. World Force was constantly reverberating as Yang Kai felt like he was constantly treading the line between life and death.
This was not his first time fighting someone in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. Back then, when he returned from Shadowless Cave Heaven, he led his men to destroy the headquarters of Boundless Altar and Golden Rainbow Province in order to relieve the Proprietress of her heart demon oath.
They did not encounter much resistance at Boundless Altar with their Old Ancestor making the wise choice of giving up their headquarters to save his disciples, leaving the Spirit Province for Yang Kai to do with as he pleased.
However, Yang Kai had to face off against the Old Ancestor of Golden Rainbow Province, Li Luo Shui, who was in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. The two of them fought, and Yang Kai forced his enemy back, finally razing Golden Rainbow Province to the ground and successfully relieving the Proprietress of her heart demon oath so that she could enter retreat in the following days in order to break through to the Seventh-Order.
Luo Li Shui had hastily broken through at the time, and her foundation was not stable, so it was hard to say how much strength she was actually able to exert during that fight.
In comparison, Zuo Quan Hui was one of Thousand Cranes Paradise’s Inner Elders who had advanced into the Seventh-Order who knows how long ago. He had deep roots in that realm and possessed a sturdy foundation, so the power that he could bring forth was far greater than that of Li Luo Shui.
At the very least, Yang Kai had grown tremendously recently. His experience in the Divine Armament World had also greatly enhanced the heritage of his Small Universe, so he was definitely much stronger than he was before. If he were to bump into Li Luo Shui again, then Yang Kai might be able to deal with her without suffering nearly as much.
However, the one he was facing right now was Zuo Quan Hui. An indelible sense of crisis was enveloping him at all times like a sharp blade hanging over his head, about to fall on him at any moment.
Each time he clashed with Zuo Quan Hui, Yang Kai could feel his organs turning inside out and his Soul shaking. The World Force within a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master’s Small Universe was so powerful that Yang Kai felt as if he was clashing against the entire world each time their blows met.
Even with Mao Zhe and Geng Qing to share in the pressure from the sidelines, Yang Kai still suffered greatly during this fight. Even with the combined strength of the 3 of them, they could not gain any advantage at all.
The fight had only lasted a half cup of tea’s time, but Mao Zhe and Geng Qing were already bloody and showing expressions of fear.
If it were not for the deaths of the 4 Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters acting as a short distraction, then Yang Kai would not even have had the chance to catch his breath.
The only thing that Yang Kai could be thankful for was the fact that Zuo Quan Hui did not possess a Divine Manifestation! Even though his moves were all extremely powerful, as were his Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques, he had not shown any signs of having a Divine Manifestation.
[If he still has not cast it, that means he isn’t hiding it. He must be unable to use it!]
It seemed that this Zuo Quan Hui was still slightly worse than Ti Zheng of Myriad Demons Heaven. At least, Ti Zheng was able to use a Divine Manifestation.
The rain of swords fell on them like a waterfall with each sword light containing the might of the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. Yang Kai, Mao Zhe, and Geng Qing combined their efforts to resist, but the sounds of flesh being penetrated still rang out. Both Mao Zhe and Geng Qing spat blood and were forced back with faces filled with terror.
They had never fought with an established Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master before, so it was only now that they realized how great the disparity between the Sixth and Seventh-Order truly was.
On the surface, it seemed like the three of them were joining forces to fight Zuo Quan Hui, but Mao Zhe and Geng Qing knew full well that Yang Kai alone had already blocked 80% of Zuo Quan Hui’s assault. The rest of the attacks that they each withstood represented only 10%.
Even this 10%, however, was extremely difficult for them to withstand, and they felt as if they could die at any moment.
They were shocked by just how strong a Master in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm could be, but were even more shocked at Yang Kai’s terrifying heritage, though they were no strangers to Yang Kai’s strength. Back then, at Shadowless Cave Heaven’s Profound Yang Mountain, they were able to experience it deeply, but they did not expect Yang Kai to be this powerful!
Though also being in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, Mao Zhe had already reached the peak of this realm and with enough resources and opportunity, he could definitely try to make a breakthrough to the Seventh-Order.
However, his so-called peak seemed ridiculous when compared to Yang Kai.
How long had Yang Kai been in the Sixth-Order? If he were given time to reach the peak of the Sixth-Order, could it be possible that even an ordinary Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would be no match for him?
[How can there be such a monster in this world?!]
Zuo Quan Hui was also shocked that a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was able to last in a fight with him for so long without dying. If he had not seen it for himself, then he would never have believed that it was possible.
Any time that he thought he could kill off Yang Kai, the brat would always find a ray of hope during the critical moment to escape from death. This young boy’s battle sense was simply beyond words, and the heritage of his Small Universe was also abnormally powerful.
Even at the Peak Sixth-Order, it should be impossible for anyone to hold off against the bombardment of a Seventh-Order Master for such a long time, but Yang Kai was able to do just that. Not only was he able to hold him back, he could even occasionally strike back at him.
In shock, Zuo Quan Hui attacked with even more ferocity. Yang Kai, Mao Zhe, and Geng Qing could immediately feel the intensity of the attacks being vented out on them becoming even more violent than before.
In just a short 10 breaths of time, Mao Zhe and Geng Qing were both sent flying with blood covering their bodies.
After knocking back these two, Zuo Quan Hui did not try to take advantage of the momentum he gained to kill them. For him, Yang Kai was his only target, the rest were just extras. As long as he could kill Yang Kai, then it was simply impossible for the others to hold back against his attacks. All of them would eventually face death at his hands.
A myriad of sword lights suddenly gathered into a beam that was being launched straight in Yang Kai’s direction!
In the huge void, the only thing left behind was the light of his sword!
Yang Kai’s pupils shrank to a needlepoint. The crisis that he was facing now was even more intense than any he faced before. He stood in the space between life and death, but rather than retreat, he advanced with spear in hand.
Without a bang, the light exploded into a halo that practically encased half of the void.
From the light’s midst, Yang Kai’s figure emerged. A bloody hole was pierced through his abdomen, but he seemed oblivious of it. There was no sadness or joy on his face as he stabbed his spear out.
Zuo Quan Hui’s face was extremely grim. Gritting his teeth, he bellowed, “A foolish struggle! How futile!”
Blade turning, his sword buzzed. Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm World Force poured into the blade as he pointed it lightly in Yang Kai’s direction.
Yang Kai grinned, “Your Disciple is going to die!”
When he said this, a scream arose from the side. Zuo Quan Hui quickly turned his head towards the sound, only to see Zhou Ti stumble back while holding the stub of his right arm, which had disappeared. Fresh blood was gushing out of the wound like a fountain.
In front of Zhou Ti, Mo Mei’s hands were constantly changing into different seals. One by one, Divine Abilities blasted his way. Behind Zhou Ti, Old Bai also led the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters to cast their Secret Techniques to disorient him.
Zhou Ti was in critical danger!
He was seriously injured to begin with, so he was not Mo Mei’s opponent from the start. Then, the addition of Old Bai and the others into their battle further added to his woes. Among all those fighting on this battlefield, Zhou Ti was in the worst situation. He was barely able to resist for a while before one of his arms had been blown away.
Obviously, Mo Mei was not going to allow him even a moment of respite. World Force pouring out, Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques blossomed ceaselessly.
Zhou Ti shouted miserably, “Honoured Master, save me!”
This cry came at just the right moment as Zuo Quan Hui happened to be looking his way. When he saw that Zhou Ti was in danger, Zou Quan Hui could only grit his teeth and head in his direction.
In order to avenge his Disciple, Zhao Xing, Zuo Quan Hui had left Thousand Cranes Paradise without hesitation, bringing along his followers in the Fifth-Order and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, even offering a handsome reward to Huang Quan, Cang Yan, and Jin Gang for their loyalty, but he never would have expected that not only would he fail to kill Yang Kai, his own Fifth-Order Disciples would be the first to die.
Even though those Disciples were not in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, he had still been teaching them for many years, and it broke his heart to see them die such a miserable death.
However, if he could kill Yang Kai and destroy Void Land’s Open Heaven Realm Masters, then he could avenge their deaths and bring some justification to their misery.
However, if Zhou Ti died, then no amount of deaths here would be able to make up for the loss.
This was all about avenging the death of one Sixth-Order Disciple, so he could not lose another in the process or everything would be in vain.
So, when he heard Zhou Ti’s plea for help, Zou Quan Hui did not hesitate to turn around and rush to his aid.
It was at that moment that a Golden Crow cried out as a powerful force fluctuated behind Zou Quan Hui. A Great Sun rose up, lighting up the darkness of the void.
Cold moonlight also set in all of a sudden, complementing the glory of the Great Sun.
When Zuo Quan Hui turned back around to see what was happening, his eyes bulged.
He saw a bizarre scene.
In the void between the Heavens and the Earth, Yang Kai stood with his body covered in blood, hand forming into seals whilst a dazzling Great Sun and Cold Moon hung behind his back.
Both Sun and Moon were shining together!
Even with Zuo Quan Hui’s knowledge and experience, he could not tell what the root of this mysterious power was, but he could feel his mind and thoughts being affected by it even now.
[What Divine Ability is this!?] Zuo Quan Hui was dumbfounded.
He knew that Yang Kai was able to perform the Golden Crow Casts the Sun Divine Manifestation, which was the Great Sun hanging behind his back, but what was that Cold Moon? It did not look like a Divine Manifestation, just the projection of a Divine Ability. Still, under the combined light of both Sun and Moon, a mysterious power surged in the dark. This power was as mighty as it was incomprehensible, so much so that even a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like him could not underestimate it.
Sun and Moon intersected as Yang Kai activated his ability. Space and Time Principles surged as he pushed his palm forward.
The Great Sun and the full Moon entwined and began to spin. As the Sun and Moon cycled, thousands of years seemed to pass in a single instant, complementing the Space Principles. Thus, a mysterious Space-Time Strength was born.
Sun and Moon Divine Wheel!
A sense of crisis abruptly weighed down on Zuo Quan Hui. How could he even think of saving Zhou Ti at this moment? Yang Kai’s Divine Ability was beyond the scope of what a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master could exert. Even for Masters in the Seventh Order, such a method was practically unheard of.
No matter how exquisite the moves that Yang Kai made before or how amazing his Divine Abilities were, Zuo Quan Hui did not put any of them in his eyes; after all, the power of Yang Kai’s Divine Abilities could not make up for the disparity between their Orders. Even if Zuo Quan Hui knew about Yang Kai’s Golden Crow Casts the Sun, he was only a little vigilant about it.
It was true that he did not have a Divine Manifestation, but the Divine Manifestation exhibited by a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master should not be able to do anything to him. If Yang Kai really did use Golden Crow Casts the Sun, then he had ways to deal with it.
However, the Divine Ability that Yang Kai unleashed at this moment posed a real threat to him.
A cold sword light filled the void, and the illusory phantom of a Small Universe emerged behind Zuo Quan Hui’s back. Like a prosperous world, World Force surged madly. In an instant, Zuo Quan Hui’s Seventh-Order Open Heaven aura reached its peak.
The sword tip was raised to the sky, then swung down! All of Zuo Quan Hui’s cultivation was poured into that one cut, with nothing held back.
The Sun and Moon Divine Wheel arrived in the next instant, and the dazzling light devoured Zuo Quan Hui almost instantly.
A terrifying energy burst out, and a circle of light spread out in the void, stretching for thousands of kilometres, as if the end of the world had arrived.
When the shockwave spread out, everyone felt as if they were standing on a rocky boat in a wild storm that could possibly capsize at any moment.
Behind Yang Kai, Mao Zhe and Geng Qing were both staring blankly ahead, and could not help but recall the scene back in the Shadowless Cave Heaven where they were defeated by this exact move.
Seeing this Divine Ability again, even after such a short amount of time, it seemed to be stronger than on that day.
Calm returned to the battlefield once the aftershocks subsided. Earlier, everyone was trying to protect themselves from the fallout of this clash, so nobody could afford to fight with others.
All eyes were locked on Yang Kai and Zuo Quan Hui. The victor of this confrontation would soon be revealed, so all of them could not help but feel nervous.
In the void, Yang Kai’s face was pale as a sheet of paper, and fresh blood was continuously flowing out from the gaping hole at his abdomen. From his shaky stance, it was clear that he was a lamp running out of oil.
On the contrary, Zuo Quan Hui’s body was intact and without injuries, though his face was extremely pale. He remained in a sword-brandishing pose, but he was unmoving.
Huang Quan and the others were overjoyed at this sight, because it undoubtedly meant that Zuo Quan Hui was able to block Yang Kai’s Divine Ability. In the end, he was a Seventh-Order Master, so this was no surprise!
Exchanging glances, Huang Quan shouted enthusiastically, “Kill!”
In a flash, he broke free from Hui Gu’s side and rushed straight in Yang Kai’s direction with Cang Yan and Jin Gang following closely behind. The other Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters did not lag behind either.
The only one who remained unmoving was Zhou Ti. It was a critical moment for him just now, and Zuo Quan Hui was interrupted by Yang Kai’s Sun and Moon Divine Wheel before he was able to save him. With Mo Mei, Old Bai, and the others joining forces to bombard him with Divine Abilities, Zhou Ti was in a miserable state, and it was unknown whether he survived their attacks or not!
4 Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters attacked from left and right, but Yang Kai just stood in place, seemingly lacking the strength to even defend himself. It was at the critical moment that Mao Zhe and Geng Qing exchanged glances and rushed over.
“You court death!” Yue He also shouted. Together with the Hua Yong and Shu Mu Dan couple, as well as Hui Gu, they rushed over to rescue Yang Kai.
Another fight broke out, with Void Land holding a slight advantage thanks to their greater numbers. As a result, they were able to repel Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch and his group.
However, the one they were most wary of was Zuo Quan Hui. This Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was still here, so everyone’s hearts were drumming. They did not dare to tangle too much with the enemy and only focused on helping Yang Kai retreat to the side.
To everyone’s surprise, Zuo Quan Hui did not move from beginning to end. He just stayed in the same pose, as if he had turned into a statue.
At this point, anyone with eyes could see that something was not right. Zuo Quan Hui definitely did not stop Yang Kai’s Divine Ability unscathed; otherwise, it was impossible for him to miss such a ripe opportunity to kill off his target.
It was not until everyone led Yang Kai back to safety that Zuo Quan Hui finally staggered. A strange wave of power burst out from his figure as he spat out a mouthful of blood.
“Honoured Master!” The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm woman was horrified.
When she looked up, she was shocked to see a piece of flesh the size of a fingernail fall off from Zuo Quan Hui’s face, and there were many small cracks all over his cheek, making it look like dried earth or cracked porcelain.
Not only his skin, but his entire body was also covered in such cracks. Looking past the peeling flesh, they could clearly see a bizarre energy surging within the wounds.
[Honoured Master was actually injured!] The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm woman was thoroughly shocked and simply could not believe her eyes.
A veteran Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was actually injured by a newly promoted Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Junior… This was simply unprecedented!
Huang Quan and the others were also stunned in place.
Zuo Quan Hui raised a hand to stop the woman from speaking. With cold eyes, he looked in Yang Kai’s direction and asked, “What Divine Ability was that?”
Yang Kai coughed violently and finally spat out a mouthful of blood before grinning, “Why do you care what Divine Ability that was? If it can hurt you, then it’s a good Divine Ability!”
Zuo Quan Hui gently nodded, “This Monarch has underestimated you. From ancient times until this day, the only Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who could exert such tremendous power is likely you!”
Previously, Yang Kai had already displayed power beyond Zuo Quan Hui’s imagination, and he thought that Yang Kai had already been forced to his limits then. Who knew that he would be hiding such a trump card still?
“Is there any point in talking about this now?” Yang Kai looked coldly at him.
Zuo Quan Hui was unperturbed, “Hand Zhou Ti over to me and this Monarch will leave immediately.”
Looking over to the side, Yang Kai saw Zhou Ti coughing up blood and looking exceptionally weak, but this guy was really quite tenacious. Even after receiving the Divine Abilities from Mo Mei, Old Bai, and several others, he actually managed to survive, though he was only barely hanging on.
“What, you want to exchange weapons of war for gifts of jade and silk with my Void Land?” Yang Kai sneered at Zuo Quan Hui.
Zuo Quan Hui shook his head, “The debt of you killing my Disciple is absolutely irreconcilable. This Monarch will make you pay for it.”
Yang Kai frowned strangely at him, “You must be sick in the head. You refuse to end the hostilities with my Void Land, yet you still have the face to ask me to return your Disciple to you?”
Zuo Quan Hui responded, “If you let him live today, then this Monarch will leave Void Territory immediately, and this Monarch will not attack Void Territory’s other Universe Worlds in the future. Our debt will be settled at another date. If you refuse to let him go, then this Monarch might just stay a while longer in Void Territory!”
Yang Kai’s face was grim, “Are you threatening me?”
“If you say I am, then I am!” Zuo Quan Hui looked on, unperturbed, “This Monarch is a Seventh-Order Master. If I truly had any intention of doing something in Void Territory, then you wouldn’t be able to stop me.”
Yang Kai glanced at him, “Is this how despicable the people from Thousand Cranes Paradise are?”
Zuo Quan Hui shook his head, “This Monarch is no longer a member of Thousand Cranes Paradise. Nothing I do has any relation to them!”
“Whether you are or not, you yourself know!” Yang Kai coldly snorted.
Zuo Quan Hui grumbled, “This Monarch will not quibble with you about this. I will only give you 30 breaths of time to consider. It’s up to you to make the right choice!”
Everyone from Void Land was angered with Zuo Quan Hui’s shameless attitude, but they all knew that if a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master were truly to act recklessly in Void Territory, then there was nothing they could do to stop him. The Great Territory was vast, so if they could visit Three Brilliances World today to eradicate its inhabitants, then they could very well go to Golden Sun Continent tomorrow!
Yang Kai glared at Zuo Quan Hui, but the latter seemed unconcerned.
After a while, Yang Kai grabbed Zhou Ti.
Zhou Ti was currently looking even more miserable than Yang Kai. His arm had been blown off, and his body was covered in blood. It was also not known how many bones he had broken during Zhou Ti’s battle earlier, or how many of his organs had been affected. However, a cultivator in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm had strong vitality, so he would not die even with such injuries.
Zhou Ti grinned meaningfully as Yang Kai grabbed him, “So what if you’ve captured me. In the end, you still have to let me go obediently, do you not? Do you have the guts to kill me?”
Yang Kai glanced at him indifferently, “Pitiful weakling, you’re not even worthy of my attention!”
Zhou Ti coldly snorted, “The winner is the King, and the loser is the villain. You can say whatever you want!”
Zuo Quan Hui interjected, “Time’s up. What is your choice?”
Yang Kai looked up at him, “Do you hear the voices of the lost souls in the Three Brilliances World? How many people have lost their family and loved ones on this day? If you want me to let him go, then first ask Huang Quan to ask the innocent souls to see if they agree!”
Zuo Quan Hui’s face changed and the Sixth-Order woman behind him also looked horrified.
*Hu…*
Golden Crow’s True Fire suddenly appeared in Yang Kai’s hand and instantly enveloped Zhou Ti.
There was a scream, and the calmness on Zhou Ti’s face was replaced by huge shock. He would not stop struggling or screaming.
Yang Kai squeezed his neck with a decent amount of force. Without moving, he turned coldly to Zuo Quan Hui, “This is just the beginning. If I do not kill every last one of you today, then the resentful spirits who died today on Three Brilliances World will haunt me for life and keep me restless forever!”
Zuo Quan Hui’s face twitched.
Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch, Firm Gold Heavenly Monarch, and Blue Flame Heavenly Monarch all looked shocked.
If it were an ordinary Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master saying such a thing, then there was no need for them to pay too much attention to it. However, Yang Kai had already shown how strong he truly was, even being able to hurt a Master in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. If they were to meet him in battle alone, then they would surely die.
There was an unending scream as tears had already welled up around the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm woman’s eyes, “Honoured Master, please save Senior Brother Zhou Ti!”
However, Zuo Quan Hui did not move. He just stared straight at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai grinned, “Do you think he doesn’t want to save him? Can he even do it? Do you think you can do whatever you want in my Void Territory just because you’re in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm? My Divine Ability is not so easy to bear!”
“Well, tell me, does it hurt? Are you in despair? This is what those innocent people in Three Brilliances World were feeling just half a day ago, now, it’s your turn to experience it!”
Golden Crow’s True Fire burned intensely. Even Zhou Ti could hardly resist the power of the flames, and the harsh screams had not stopped since they began. Despite his struggles, he could not free himself from Yang Kai’s grip.
Zuo Quan Hui’s face twitched violently, and World Force was quietly surging in the dark. Another piece of flesh fell from his cracked face at that moment, and with some hesitation, the surge of World Force finally slowed to a halt.
As Yang Kai said, it was not that Zuo Quan Hui did not want to save Zhou Ti, but that he could not! An extremely corrosive power was contained within Yang Kai’s Sun and Moon Divine Wheel, and it was still wreaking havoc within his body and even his Small Universe, causing him much pain and throwing his Small Universe into disarray.
That Divine Ability had actually immensely affected his Small Universe!
Zuo Quan Hui had to focus most of his attention on it to suppress its erosion; otherwise, his Small Universe would constantly be in chaos. At this moment, the strength he could exert was less than 30% of his peak!
He was not sure that he could snatch Zhou Ti back under everyone’s watch and return safely, and even if he could, he may only make his injuries worse.
“Honoured Master… Save me!” Zhou Ti’s miserable cries reverberated in Zuo Quan Hui’s ears. The Sixth-Order woman’s eyes were already filled with tears, and the pain she was feeling in her heart as she watched her Senior Brother suffer such inhumane torture in front of her was indescribable.
Everyone watched as Zhou Ti’s vitality rapidly dissipated and his body gradually burned to a crisp. The Sixth-Order woman could no longer hold back, and with a jerk of her body, she was about to rush over to save Zhou Ti back regardless of the consequences.
A sword light blocked her path though, and the Sixth-Order woman turned around to look at Zuo Quan Hui and asked, “Honoured Master?”
Zuo Quan Hui slowly shook his head.
The last vestiges of hope in Zhou Ti’s eyes quickly dimmed down. He could vaguely understand what was going on and a bitter smile appeared on his face as he no longer tried to plead for help.
A moment later, a surge of World Force burst out and disappeared into the void. Zhou Ti had finally died, and his Small Universe had collapsed.
Yang Kai extinguished his Golden Crow’s True Fire and with a shake of his hand shattered Zhou Ti’s corpse, which had been burned to ashes. Only then did he turn a cold gaze at Zuo Quan Hui, “In order to avenge your Disciple, you are even willing to slaughter the innocent. Did you not think that you might lose another Disciple? But that matters little. One by one, I will send you all to Hell so that you can be reunited there!”
His eyes swept over the five people in front of him, as if to memorize their faces and auras in the depths of his Soul!
Huang Quan and the other two were pale-faced. They thought that they could make a good living if they joined Zuo Quan Hui, but none of them would have expected to encounter such a cruel and ruthless man. If they had known this would be the situation, then why would they even choose to interfere in these muddy waters? Once they were freed from the Prison Star, with their Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm strength, it was completely possible for them to found a Sect somewhere and rule over it freely.
“You have killed two of this Monarch’s Disciples now. This Old Master will not be a man if he does not kill you!” Zuo Quan Hui bellowed through clenched teeth.
Yang Kai sneered, “You speak big words, but if you think yourself capable, then why don’t you try and fight me now? Let’s see whether it will be me who dies or you!”
Zuo Quan Hui fell silent, only glaring coldly at Yang Kai. Flying up, he carried the Sixth-Order woman and quickly retreated. Seeing this, Huang Quan and his two companions also rushed to follow.
Very quickly, they disappeared without a trace!
“Sir, do we give chase?” Hui Gu looked a little reluctant to see them leave without paying any further consequence. Huang Quan was right before his eyes, so he only hoped that he could avenge Bai Mo right here and now. Naturally, he did not wish to see the enemy leave just like that.
“We can’t chase them!” Yang Kai shook his head, “Zuo Quan Hui still has some fight in him; after all, he’s a Seventh-Order Master, he just cherishes himself too much and dares not start another battle now. If we pursue them, then it would only end in great losses for both sides.”
If Zuo Quan Hui had acted recklessly just now, he could have saved Zhou Ti. However, that would only worsen his situation further. At that point, the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel’s after-effects may have damaged the foundation of his Small Universe, causing his strength to decline.
For his own safety, Zuo Quan Hui was even able to abandon his precious Disciple’s life. To put it nicely, Zuo Quan Hui was not someone who was afraid to make sacrifices, but realistically, he was just afraid of death.
Yue He was worried, “But, Young Master… What if they keep lurking around Void Territory?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “That’s not likely. They will not stay in Void Territory after their plan failed this time. They will need to find a place to rest and recuperate. Though, while they may not linger here for long, it’s still better to prepare for the worst and act cautiously… Let’s return to Void Land!”
After the battle, Yang Kai, too, was a lamp running out of oil. If Zuo Quan Hui really intended to continue the fight, then he would have little power to resist. Fortunately, there was the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel to deter Zuo Quan Hui and make him retreat this time.
Soon, the group returned to Void land and each went off to rest and recuperate.
On Dragon Sons’ Peak, Yue He helped Yang Kai over to make a visit to Bi Xi. When Old Man Bi Xi saw Yang Kai’s miserable appearance, he jumped in shock, “What happened to you? You look terrible! Hm? These injuries… This is the power of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Did you fight against one?”
Yang Kai put on an embarrassed grin, “Senior has a keen eye!”
Bi Xi quickly beckoned him over, “Sit down!”
Xiao Hong and Xiao Hei, the two little ones, were also looking nervously in Yang Kai’s direction. When they heard Bi Xi’s words, they rushed over to help Yang Kai to a seat.
After catching his breath, Yang Kai explained, “I must ask for Senior’s help to heal my injuries this time. The Sword Intent of that Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master is extremely difficult to dispel, and I don’t know how long it will take if I have to resolve it on my own.”
On the way back, Yang Kai tried to disperse the Sword Intent which invaded his body, but his efforts only produced minimal effects. The Sword Intent was latching onto him like maggots on rotting bones, and the more he tried to dispel it, the more troublesome it became. So, he went straight to Bi Xi as soon as he returned.
In all of Void Land, the only one who could help him, other than Zhu Jiu Yin, was Bi Xi, and the latter was much, much easier to talk to.
Bi Xi nodded, “Naturally, this is no problem. Tend to your injuries, I will help you from the side.”
“Many thanks, Senior!” Yang Kai nodded his head in thanks and shut his eyes to activate his Towering Evergreen Divine Manifestation.
A green light instantly spread out in all directions, and a Divine Tree, shrunken countless times, emerged behind Yang Kai. Its branches hung down, exuding seemingly endless vitality.
Old Man Bi Xi raised his brow at the sight. Even with his knowledge and experience, he had never seen such rich vitality before, causing him to marvel in his mind. The Wood Element that Yang Kai had condensed was definitely something amazing.
With the help of this Divine Manifestation, his injuries could recover in the blink of an eye. As long as the Sword Intent was dispelled, Yang Kai would be back to his old self in no time.
Putting his thoughts away, Bi Xi formed hand seals with both hands and suddenly slapped a palm on Yang Kai’s body. His palm looked soft and weak, but when it hit Yang Kai’s body, it sent a shocking force through it.
*Chi…*
Upon the emergence of a piercing sound, a Sword Qi that was visible to the naked eye came out of Yang Kai’s wound and came straight for Bi Xi’s face.
Bi Xi opened his mouth and caught the Sword Qi between his teeth like a sewing needle.
The needle-like Sword Qi was still twitching restlessly, but with some force, it cracked with a click.
As palm after palm continued to slap down, Sword Qi was constantly forced out of the dense cuts littered all over Yang Kai’s body.
Only after half a day’s work did Bi Xi let out a long sigh and slowly withdraw his power.
Without the Sword Qi to bother Yang Kai, recovering from his injuries was hardly a problem. Even the hole through his abdomen could be restored in short order under the power of his Towering Evergreen Divine Manifestation and Dragon Vein.
Another half a day later, Yang Kai opened his eyes and thanked Bi Xi with a tired voice, “Many thanks, Senior!”
Bi Xi waved his hand, “It was nothing. You, on the other hand… How did you end up fighting a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master?”
Yang Kai laughed bitterly and explained the events that transpired.
When Bi Xi heard everything and frowned, “These Cave Heaven and Paradise people are far too unscrupulous. How could they lure you out by ravaging the lives of a lower Universe’s beings? That’s simply despicable! However, though the Sixth Order and the Seventh Order are merely one Order apart, the true difference in strength is vast.”
Yang Kai sighed, “Indeed! The might of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master is truly hard to resist. This Junior almost did not make it out.” Eyes turning in thought, he continued, “Senior, though Zuo Quan Hui was forced to retreat, he will not leave peacefully. Sooner or later, he will be back. Even though Void Land’s strength is not low, and we have as many Masters as there are clouds in the sky, we have no High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters. Nobody can take on Zuo Quan Hui. This time, I was able to injure him by surprise, but it will not be as easy when he comes prepared next time. What should we do if he comes back?”
Bi Xi pointed a finger at him, “Don’t you dare have any funny thoughts about me! Even though I wish to help you with this, I have no good ideas either. My true body is too large and right now, your Void Land still rests on my back, which only makes it more difficult to move around. I can only move freely by returning to my true body and taking on Human Form. Doing that, however, will destroy your Void land entirely.”
Thinking about it that way, it made sense. The entire Void Land sat atop Bi Xi’s body, so it was really inconvenient for him to act.
Bi Xi said, “Rather than seek out his Old Man’s help, you might as well look for someone else.”
Saying so, he silently nudged his chin in a certain direction and whispered, “If she is willing to help, then taking down a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would be as simple as waving a hand, would it not?”
Yang Kai felt a headache coming on from these words, “I’m afraid I’m not able to persuade her…” [If she was so easy to talk to, then I would not have come to you in the first place.]
Bi Xi commented, “If you don’t try, how will you know?”
Yang Kai pondered for a moment and nodded, “Senior is right.”
Saying so, Yang Kai stood up and nodded, “I will take my leave now. I will come back to visit again when I’m free.”
Together with Yue He, Yang Kai left Dragon Sons’ Peak. Yue He then asked with concern, “How are your injuries now, Young Master?”
“Not too serious. Senior helped force out the Sword Qi inside my body, so the rest are just flesh wounds which won’t take long to heal. You also consumed a lot of energy in that fight, so you should hurry back to recuperate. The future is still uncertain, so we must all maintain our peak state at all times.”
Earlier, during the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm battle, Yue He and the Sixth-Order woman faced each other. The two of them were equally matched, so there were no injuries; even so, Yue He had used up a lot of her strength in the fight.
Yue He nodded, “Then, be careful, Young Master. That one is difficult to speak to.”
Yang Kai smiled, “What’s she going to do, eat me? Relax.”
Only then did Yue He leave.
A moment later, Yang Kai stood in front of Heavenly Moon Palace with a glum look.
Heavenly Moon Palace was Zhu Jiu Yin’s place of residence, the woman who was previously Yang Kai’s Protector. They had negotiated a deal with each other when Yang Kai brought her out of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary; however, on his last trip to Shadowless Cave Heaven, Zhu Jiu Yin had agreed to escort him, which was outside the scope of their original agreement, which Yang Kai managed to get her to do on the condition that her identity as a Protector would be lifted.
In other words, Zhu Jiu Yin was now free and no longer bound by her Source Oath, so Yang Kai’s life or death no longer had anything to do with her.
If not to take care of and instruct Shan Qing Luo, someone who shared the same bloodline as her, it was hard to say whether Zhu Jiu Yin would still be in Void Land now.
This woman was not easy to talk to. It took a lot of cajoling to even persuade her to do anything in the past when she was still his Protector, so it may not even work at all now.
When Yang Kai heard about the incident at Three Brilliances World, he guessed that it was Zuo Quan Hui’s doing. When he rushed to Three Brilliances World to support them, he had also specially asked Bian Yu Qing to notify Zhu Jiu Yin so he could borrow her strength.
However, from beginning to end, the woman never showed up. It was obvious that she had no intention of intervening in this matter.
This time, it would probably be fruitless even if he begged her for help.
Since he was already here though, he might as well try.
With his mind made up, Yang Kai cupped his fist and shouted, “Greetings, Senior, Junior Yang Kai requests an audience!”
To his surprise, the doors of Heavenly Moon Palace opened immediately after he spoke. Yang Kai raised a brow, wondering when Zhu Jiu Yin had become so hospitable, until a spider thread suddenly shot out from within and wrapped him up.
Shocked, Yang Kai tried to escape, but he was exhausted from the fight with Zuo Quan Hui and was unable to recover much in such a short amount of time. Being taken off guard, he was caught by the spider web and dragged into Heavenly Moon Palace.
Then, the door closed with a thud!
Soon, there was a series of bangs coming from the inside.
A few moments later, the door opened again, and Yang Kai was thrown out like a ragged sack. After rolling a few times, he stood up in a miserable state with his face bruised and swollen. There were even large black marks around his eyes, naturally a result of Zhu Jiu Yin’s fist.
Yang Kai’s lungs were about to explode from anger; still, he cautiously distanced himself from Heavenly Moon Palace’s entrance before gritting his teeth and roaring, “Crazy woman! Why can’t you use your words instead of your fists!?”
Even though the injuries were not serious, it was still a little embarrassing for Yang Kai. He was Void Land’s Lord, after all, so it was a big loss to his face to be seen by the many disciples walking past this scene.
“This Queen will do whatever she wants! If you have the ability, then fight back!” Zhu Jiu Yin’s voice rang out in Yang Kai’s ears.
Yang Kai was indignant, “Senior is a venerable Divine Spirit, this Junior knows he is not Senior’s opponent; however, this Junior has shown great respect to Senior, and the daily offerings have also never been lacking! If there is anything that this Junior has done wrong, Senior can just inform me of it. Why raise your hand against me directly?”
“You wish to reason with this Queen? Fine, this Queen will reason with you!” Zhu Jiu Yin coldly snorted, “Let me ask you. Are you enjoying yourself as Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s son-in-law?”
Yang Kai’s momentum withered instantly, and his brow twitched, “Senior found out?”
He cursed in his heart, wondering which bastard spread the word around. Zhu Jiu Yin lived deep within Heavenly Moon Palace and essentially never left, so who could have told her about it? But after some careful thought, Zhu Jiu Yin was still a Divine Spirit, so if she wished to seek out information, then nobody in Void Land could hide anything from her.
“What are you feeling guilty for?” Zhu Jiu Yin snickered.
Yang Kai cupped his fist and cleared his throat, “Senior must be joking, there really is a misunderstanding behind this matter. It was not this Junior’s intention!”
“I don’t care whether it was your intention or not, it happened and that’s a fact!”
Yang Kai blinked, “But, what does this have to do with Senior?”
Zhu Jiu Yin coldly snorted, “Luo’er is so devoted to you, and yet now that she’s in retreat to cultivate in seclusion, you’re out picking flowers and trampling the grass. It is difficult for her to do anything about it, but as her Honoured Master, what problem is there for me to teach you a lesson in her place?”
Yang Kai was speechless. If Luo’er found out about his most recent escapade, the most likely course of action she would take would be to find a way to drain him dry, in various ways. There was no way she would casually raise her hand at him like this insane woman.
As such, Yang Kai brushed her off surreptitiously, “Senior is mighty, whatever Senior says is right; however, there is another matter which this Junior requires Senior’s help with right now.”
Zhu Jiu Yin did not even wait to hear what it was before stopping him, “Don’t even think about it, you brat! This is a problem that you brought upon yourself, so you deal with it yourself; otherwise… If Luo’er were to find out that I, as her Honoured Master, stepped out to do your dirty work for you for the problems that you yourself caused, then would she not blame me for it?”
“Don’t be like that, Senior. Zuo Quan Hui is a Seventh-Order Master. Other than you, no one in my Void Land can best him. This time, we were fortunate enough to be able to force him back, but what about next time?”
“I’ll teach you a method!” Zhu Jiu Yin declared.
Raising his brows, Yang Kai said respectfully, “Please teach me, Senior!”
“Next time you meet Zuo Quan Hui, wash your neck and stick it out… then let him cut your head off!”
Yang Kai’s face darkened in an instant. He was naive to even have hoped to gain Zhu Jiu Yin’s help…
“If you die, then Luo’er will not be tied down by you anymore. Where else can she not go in this vast world with this Queen bringing her along? It would be much better than following a fickle man like you, only to be abandoned sooner or later.”
Yang Kai turned with a flick of his sleeve, “Good, if you won’t help, then so be it! Why slander others in such a malicious manner? Why purposefully be so infuriating!? If I had known that it would be so, then I would never have brought you out of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary and would have let you stay there until you died of old age!”
There was a bang, and the tightly shut doors of Heavenly Moon Palace flung open as Zhu Jiu Yin appeared and beckoned, “Here, come inside! Let me show you something nice!”
Space Principles surged and Yang Kai hurriedly fled.
Three days later, Void Land’s Main Conference Hall.
Yang Kai sat in the head seat, with many Sixth-Order and Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters sitting below. The group of people glanced up at Yang Kai from time to time. Old Bai, Chef, and the others were all trying their best to stifle their laughter, but their shoulders were still shaking uncontrollably.
Yue He, on the other hand, had a heartbroken expression.
Yang Kai glanced around at the crowd and said in a tone that was half exhausted, half aggrieved, “If you want to laugh, then go ahead and laugh, why hold it in? Don’t choke yourselves.”
Old Bai and the others finally could no longer hold back and broke out laughing.
Hui Gu said with concern, “Sir, have your injuries not healed? Zuo Quan Hui’s methods are truly despicable. How could…” Before he could finish his sentence, Zhou Ya next to him tugged on his sleeve.
Hui Gu was puzzled. He had been focusing on healing these past few days and had no idea what happened outside. He just knew that Yang Kai came out today and was now sitting with two big, black eyes, making him look both miserable and a little bit funny.
Yang Kai cleared his throat helplessly, “Are you done laughing yet? Let’s get to business!”
Meanwhile, he cursed in his heart. It wasn’t enough that that damned Zhu Jiu Yin kicked and punched him that day, but she even went so far as to use her Source Strength to punch his eyes, leaving black bruises that even a few days later refused to disappear. He had no idea how long it would even take for him to recover.
After hiding for a few days, trying to resolve the situation, Yang Kai realized this wasn’t a problem he could solve in short order, so he decided to just let things be and came out to meet everyone in this state.
Seeing that Yang Kai was starting to get angry out of shame, Old Bai and the others finally restrained their laughter and sat upright.
“Are your injuries healed?” Yang Kai asked.
Hua Yong rose, “Many thanks for Sir’s concern. Our injuries were not severe, so we are all fine after recuperating for a few days.”
Yang Kai nodded, “You should still pay attention to the Madame’s health; after all, she has borne a child just recently. Go and see Second Manager when you return later and get some nutritional tonics to help aid in her recuperation.”
After many years of gestation, Shu Mu Dan was finally able to give birth to a son just half a year ago. Yang Kai had also gone to visit him, and the child was indeed born with great talent and exceptional aptitude. Shu Mu Dan was in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm after all, so the child she had been carrying for many years was not one that ordinary people could compare with.
“Many thanks, Sir!” Hua Yong hurriedly responded.
Yang Kai nodded and went on, “Guo Zi Yan has brought news that someone has spotted five people leaving Void Territory, each one with powerful cultivation. There were four men and one woman, so it had to be Zuo Quan Hui and his group.”
Everyone breathed sighs of relief. Even though there was no way that Zuo Quan Hui would linger in Void Territory for long after eating such a heavy loss, it was hard for anyone to say what he would do for sure. It was only now that they finally had a solid confirmation.
If a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like Zuo Quan Hui truly did stay in Void Territory and continued committing atrocities throughout the land, then Void Territory would have no good way of dealing with him.
“There is the matter of Three Brilliances World next. Second Manager, what is the situation there right now?” Yang Kai turned to Bian Yu Qing.
Bian Yu Qing responded, “Three Brilliances World has suffered a lot of damage. It is, after all, only a Universe World. With the wanton destruction of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, nearly 20% of the landscape was destroyed, which has caused unrest across the entire Three Brilliances World. Many have died in the disaster. I have already dispatched people to Three Brilliances World to assist World Lord Peng in accommodating the refugees and calming the masses; however, this matter will not be resolved in a short time. If Three Brilliances World wants to restore its strength and vitality, then it would take at least hundreds or even thousands of years. As for the damaged landmass, there is a good chance it will never return to normal.”
Yang Kai said, “Whether the land can be restored or not is a secondary matter. The most important thing is the people. Do your best to fulfil any needs that Three Brilliances World may have.”
“Yes!” After a moment’s hesitation, Bian Yu Qing added, “Sect Master, we should take what happened at Three Brilliances World as a precaution. Should we send people to guard the other Universe Worlds, too?”
Yang Kai shook his head slowly, “There are more than a dozen Universe Worlds in Void Territory. It would take too much manpower to guard them all. Moreover, who can we even send to guard them in our current situation? Zuo Quan Hui’s strength is in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, it would be difficult for anyone present to put up a struggle against him, so it’s useless to go. What’s more… Zuo Quan Hui is still from Thousand Cranes Paradise. He has his own scruples about committing such treachery in Universe Worlds. Otherwise, he would not have used Huang Quan’s hand to wreak havoc on Three Brilliances World in his place. Huang Quan’s reputation is already nefarious, and it’s not as if he hasn’t done similar things before, so it wouldn’t hurt him to do it again. Comparatively speaking, Zuo Quan Hui more or less cares about his own reputation still. For that reason, I think it’s unlikely that he will use a similar method again!”
Everyone nodded lightly at his words as Yue He commented, “If he really did do so, then Thousand Cranes Paradise will definitely suffer criticism and be forced to intervene. Even though rumours say that he and his lineage have all defected from Thousand Cranes Paradise, anyone who is not a fool will know that this is merely a cover. His actions were more or less still tied to Thousand Cranes Paradise’s face, and something as low as raising one’s hand against mortals is something they cannot afford to accept.”
“There’s no need to worry about the Universe Worlds. Zuo Quan Hui has been injured by my Divine Ability, and it will not be easy for him to recover from it. I estimate that he will need around three to five months on the shorter end, but on the longer end, it may take him a year and a half. However, once he recovers, then he is bound to come back for us. Our Void Land still lacks the power to face a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who is determined to seek revenge!” Yang Kai massaged his forehead lightly.
Void Land had two Divine Spirits to watch over them, protecting their Headquarters and Star City, where it was indeed safe and secure. However, it was impossible for Void Land’s many inhabitants to stay cooped up all the time and not go outside.
With a true body that was too large, it was more than enough for Bi Xi to play a defensive role, but not an offensive one in such a situation. On the other end, Zhu Jiu Yin’s anger had yet to subside, so she could not be counted on.
If Void Land had a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, the situation could be greatly improved.
The Proprietress was currently in retreat in order to break through to the Seventh Order, but no one could say for sure how long that would take. It may be a couple of years, but it can also be well over 100 years. The uncertainty was too great.
Yang Kai looked down at Mao Zhe, “Head Mountain Lord, provided with the resources, how confident are you in advancing into the Seventh Order in a short amount of time?”
There were quite a number of Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters present here, but in terms of cultivation and heritage, it was Mao Zhe who was closest to advancing into the Seventh-Order besides the Proprietress.
Mao Zhe had a troubled look on his face and shook his head slowly, “Sir, the difference between the Sixth Order and the Seventh Order is the difference between the Mid-Rank and High-Rank Open Heaven Realm. This is not just about resources. This subordinate has not wanted for resources since following under Sir, but something still feels lacking when it comes to advancing into the Seventh Order. Even if this subordinate were to go into retreat and cultivate, it would not be very effective.”
Yang Kai nodded. Even Mao Zhe was in this situation, so there was no need to talk about everyone else who was further away from the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm.
“Without power equivalent to Zuo Quan Hui’s Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation, we will always remain on the passive side in a fight with him,” Yang Kai muttered. Then, he looked down at everyone, “Do any of you have any good solutions to this matter?”
Everyone looked at each other, all going deep into thought.
Hui Gu spoke up, “Perhaps we can ask Yin-Yang Cave Heaven for help?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “Zuo Quan Hui and his followers did not hesitate to rebel against Thousand Cranes Paradise in order to exact revenge for Zhao Xing. Though, their attempt to make a cover story will only make it more obvious. Anyone with a discerning eye can see what is going on. If not for Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s efforts in pressuring them, then it would not stop at being just Zuo Quan Hui and his followers stirring up trouble in my Void Territory, but several Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters!”
Zhao Xing and Zhou Ti may both be in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, but their status in Thousand Cranes Paradise was very different. Zhao Xing advanced directly into the Sixth Order, so he had hope of one day reaching the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, making his status much higher than Zhou Ti’s.
Any Core Disciple with Zhao Xing’s qualifications was seen as a treasure for any Cave Heaven or Paradise, so they could not afford to lose them; otherwise, the Sect would do everything in its power to avenge them.
The reason why Thousand Cranes Paradise did not make a big fuss about Zhao Xing’s death was completely thanks to Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, because there was Xu Ling Gong to mediate the situation.
Not to mention that asking for help from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven would be useless, Yang Kai was personally unwilling to do so as well. It was true that he was currently a Yin-Yang Cave Heaven son-in-law, but Void Land was Void Land and Yin-Yang Heaven was Yin-Yang Heaven. If they were to borrow Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s power in order to resolve this crisis, then it would not be long before Void Land simply became someone else’s subordinate.
This was not something Yang Kai hoped to see.
There was a moment of silence in the Grand Hall. They could not put their hopes on Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, and Void Land itself did not have the equivalent power to deal with the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Zuo Quan Hui. No matter how they looked at it, they could only remain passive in this situation.
“Sect Master, we may be able to settle this matter with an advantage in numbers,” Bian Yu Qing suggested thoughtfully.
Yang Kai looked over at her, “Explain.”
The others also turned their heads to her. Any ordinary Emperor Realm cultivator would probably be shaking if they were stared at by so many Fifth and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and begin stuttering, but as Void Land’s Second Manager, Bian Yu Qing, had long been in charge of all of Void Land’s matters over the years, so she naturally would not be afraid of this attention.
“This Mistress’ abilities are paltry, and I do not even know what the Orders of the Open Heaven Realm are like, so if there is something wrong with this Mistress’s opinion, then I must ask Sect Master to please not laugh at me.”
Yang Kai raised his hand, “There is no harm in putting forth a suggestion. Since you are in the Emperor Realm, perhaps you can consider things from a different perspective from us, and that may just reveal a path forward we have otherwise overlooked.”
Bian Yu Qing nodded and continued, “Zuo Quan Hui is in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, so indeed, nobody in our Void Land is his equal. However, when it comes to Masters in the Sixth-Order and the Fifth Order, our Void Land holds the advantage. Since we do not have any Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, nor will any appear among us in a short amount of time, then why don’t we try and surround Zuo Quan Hui with Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters? If three won’t do it, then perhaps five will. If five is not enough, what about ten? If ten still won’t do it, then we’ll use twenty Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. That should be enough to defeat Zuo Quan Hui, right?”
Hui Gu laughed, “Twenty would indeed be enough. Even ants can bite an elephant to death, let alone Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Under normal circumstances, a Master in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm can resist against the combined forces of ten Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters without issue; however, if Sir was among the ten, then Zuo Quan Hui would definitely be at a disadvantage. Hm… Maybe we won’t even need ten in that case.”
Yang Kai’s strength was clear to all, and it was something that no ordinary Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master could compare with. In a one-on-one fight, he was indeed not Zuo Quan Hui’s opponent, but a few days ago, with just Geng Qing and Mao Zhe’s help, he was still able to put up a good fight. Though he was constantly at a disadvantage, they were not wiped out in a short time. In the end, Yang Kai was even able to injure Zuo Quan Hui using his Sun and Moon Divine Wheel.
If ten Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were to team up with Yang Kai against Zuo Quan Hui, it would naturally be no problem for them to suppress the latter.
“But where will we find twenty Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters?” Hui Gu laughed bitterly, “All of our Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters are already gathered here. Excluding Sir, we only have nine at our disposal.”
Yang Kai was thoughtful, “What Second Manager means to say is…”
Bian Yu Qing explained, “We have many Great Emperors, as well as several of Sir’s Madams and the Pseudo-Great Emperors. There is even the newly joined Xiang Ying, Fang Yue, and the others who all have the potential to advance into the Sixth Order. These days, they have all been refining various Sixth-Order materials, and what they lack now are merely the Sixth-Order Yin and Yang Element treasures. If we had enough Sixth-Order Yin and Yang Element treasures, then Void Land would have no problem increasing its Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters by more than a dozen!”
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up at her words, feeling enlightened.
He had been thinking of ways for Void Land to acquire a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in order to deal with Zuo Quan Hui, but Bian Yu Qing’s idea was to have Void Land increase its Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. If they had enough Masters in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, then that would naturally allow them to fight against Zuo Quan Hui, who was in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm!
Sure enough, those who sit in different positions have different perspectives on the same issue!
Currently, there were many from the Star Boundary who were committed in Void Land to advancing directly into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
The Great Emperors, Iron Blood, Hong Chen, Marital Beast, Serene Soul, Flower Shadow, Ice Feather, Heavens Revelations, and Wondrous Pill; his wives, Su Yan, Xia Ning Chang, Xue Yue, Shan Qing Luo, Yu Ru Meng, and Ji Yao; the Pseudo-Great Emperors, Yang Yan, Jiu Feng, Li Wu Yi, and Bing Yun; Martial Beast Great Emperor’s daughter, Mo Xiao Qi, Iron Blood Great Emperor’s Disciple, Lin Yun’er, and Yang Kai’s younger sister, Yang Xue… There were a total of twenty-one people at least!
The eight Great Emperors need not be mentioned as they had already been in the Emperor Realm for countless years. Their foundations were strong and they had long developed their own Dao Seals back in the Star Boundary. Due to the isolation of the Star Boundary, the Great Emperors could only further polish their Dao Seals to increase their strength.
Once they leapt out of the Star Boundary, all of their Dao Seals could withstand the impact of Sixth-Order Powers, which gave them the qualification to advance directly to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, placing them on par with Core Disciples of any Cave Heaven or Paradise.
In comparison, Yang Kai’s wives, and even Li Wu Yi and the other Pseudo-Great Emperors had much shallower foundations, so it would normally be risky for them to advance into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. However, Yang Kai had a treasure like the Divine Dao Water, which could strengthen one’s Dao Seal, which naturally made up for their shortcomings and allowed them to stand at the same high starting point as the Great Emperors.
Once it truly came time for them to advance, Void Land also had the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill to help them in minimizing any risks.
Then, there were Xiang Ying and Fang Yue, both of whom Yang Kai had brought to his side from the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. Both of them were owners of Divine Medicines. Yang Kai had obtained three Divine Medicines from the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, namely Pu Bai Xiong, Little Mushroom, and the Gourd Vine. Xiang Ying had obtained the Purple Bamboo that was able to break all Principles, and Fang Yue had obtained the Thousand Leaves Stone Lotus, which improved his defenses several times over.
These two used to be Bearers chosen by Divine Spirits, and had received their greatest support in nurturing them. Both of them have refined Sixth-Order Powers; however, due to their lacking aptitude, it was a huge risk for them to advance into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm directly. When they learned that Void Land possessed Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pills, Fang Yue was the first to seek out Yang Kai and take refuge with him.
With Yang Kai’s support, Fang Yue opened the Grand Ancient Ruins Shop in Void Star City that specifically recruited the Bearers who were able to come out of the Grand Ancient Runs Boundary alive.
This happened before Yang Kai left for the Shadowless Cave Heaven. After the Grand Ancient Ruins Shop became famous, it did manage to recruit some Bearers, among which was Xiang Ying.
Including these two, Void Land had twenty-three prospects!
Twenty-three people were expected to advance into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm in the near future. If all of them could succeed, then adding the current nine that they had, then the number of Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters that Void Land possessed would become terrifying!
And that was not counting those from the Dragon Clan, who also came with Yang Kai from the Star Boundary!
The cultivation of the Dragon Clan was different from ordinary cultivators. Even though they also needed a lot of cultivation resources, they refined their own bloodlines and Source rather than splitting Heaven and Earth apart in their bodies to enter the Open Heaven Realm.
Once a Dragon Clan member’s bloodline reached a certain purity and concentration, the power that they could wield was no less than that of those in the Open Heaven Realm.
Any mature Divine Spirit would also have power on par with a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master.
However, it took a lot of time for a Dragon Clan member to refine their bloodline and Source, much longer when compared to the advancement of Human cultivators into the Open Heaven Realm. After all, the Dragon Clan members themselves lived much longer lives.
Even Yang Kai himself had no idea how the Dragon Clan purified their bloodlines further. Other than taking Dragon Blood Pills, he was not sure of any other way. So, in recent days, the Dragon Clan members had all been running over to Dragon Sons’ Peak to seek Old Man Bi Xi’s tutelage.
Tracing back his roots, Bi Xi also had a Dragon Vein, so he was able to give some guidance to the younger Dragons to help them in their cultivation.
The Dragon Clan couldn’t be counted on in such a short amount of time, but those with the potential of advancing into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm were worth looking forward to.
Yang Kai looked down towards Bian Yu Qing, “Second Manager, how is our Void Land doing on resources? Are the Great Emperors making progress on their cultivation?”
Bian Yu Qing nodded, “In general, they are doing well. With the Star City prospering, Void Land has no shortage of materials. At least 80% of our earnings are used to barter for cultivation materials in each Order, and it is enough to supply the cultivation needs of the Sect. We have also stockpiled many Sixth-Order Five Elements materials; the only tricky ones are Yin and Yang Element treasures, which are truly too rare. Counting the Sixth-Order Yang Element treasure that Lu Jing of Gathering Yuan Union brought the other day, the Yin and Yang Element materials we have now are only enough to provide for the advancement of three people!”
“Three people…” Yang Kai nodded lightly. Compared to the demand of twenty-three people, this number was truly too small. He pondered for a moment before asking, “If resources weren’t an issue, how long would it take for the Great Emperors to advance to the Sixth Order?”
“The Great Emperors all have deep foundations and their Dao Seals are firm and stable, so they are also able to refine materials quickly. If we had abundant resources, then all the Great Emperors would be able to advance into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm within a decade. The faster ones may only take three to five years.”
Yue He frowned at that, “Even three to five years is still a bit long.”
Yang Kai waved his hand, “Indeed, it is a long time, but the victor in this fight cannot be decided in a short amount of time either. We have to look at things from a long-term perspective. What’s more, whether it is for the sake of dealing with a fight like this or not, it does not change the fact that Void Land is lacking in Sixth-Order Yin and Yang Element materials, and something has to be done about that.”
Yue He nodded, “Young Master is right.”
Yang Kai sat up straight and raised his voice, “Good, the problem before us is clear. Where are we going to find so many Sixth-Order Yin and Yang Element materials? If you have any good ideas, let’s hear it.”
Bian Yu Qing suggested, “We can continue to offer a premium in exchange for the materials in the Star City, but I don’t think it will do much good; after all, we have been doing the same thing for a long time now and have only been able to acquire a few Sixth-Order Yin and Yang Element materials.”
Yang Kai said, “We must continue it even if the results are not good; after all, any piece is better than none.”
Bian Yu Qing nodded in response.
Mo Mei added next, “Perhaps we can look for the Cave Heavens and Paradises? Why don’t we go directly to them and ask to purchase the materials we need? Those Cave Heavens and Paradises have ruled over the 3,000 Worlds for many years, so they are bound to have accumulated some reserves.”
Yue He shook her head, “It’s useless. In the entirety of the 3,000 Worlds, materials in the Sixth Order and above have always been scarce. Even if those Cave Heavens and Paradises were able to accumulate some of these resources, they would rather stockpile them as strategic reserves. It would be impossible for them to sell them off to others so simply, much less now that we are in a confrontation with Zuo Quan Hui, who has Thousand Cranes Paradise behind him.”
Hui Gu narrowed his eyes, “Then, does that mean that there’s really no other way?”
Bian Yu Qing asked, “Sect Master, didn’t you meet with the Young Union Master of Gathering Yuan Union the other day? Since they are a Trade Company, they should have a way to get such materials, right?”
Yang Kai nodded, “Of course, Gathering Yuan Union definitely has their own methods. Even though Sixth-Order Yin and Yang Element materials are scarce, they will surely be able to get their hands on some; however, the possibility of us working with Gathering Yuan Union is low. They may not be willing to take the risk of offending Zuo Quan Hui and Thousand Cranes Paradise to do business with us.”
If it were a few days ago, then there would still be some possibility of the two of them cooperating with each other; however, after the big fight with Zuo Quan Hui, and the killing of the Sixth-Order Zhou Ti, Gathering Yuan Union will surely hear the news soon. And Gathering Yuan Union had already revealed some fear of Thousand Cranes Paradise, so it made it even more unlikely for them to cooperate with Void Land after what happened.
Mo Mei muttered, “It would be great if there was another Universe Cave Heaven or Universe Paradise like Blood Monster Cave Heaven. Those High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters would surely leave behind a rich inheritance after their death!”
Yang Kai laughed, “Even the Universe Paradises and Cave Heavens left behind after the deaths of those High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters may not contain what we need.”
Blood Monster Cave Heaven was the greatest example. Indeed, Yang Kai obtained many great things in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, but he really did not find that many Yin or Yang Element treasures, which showed just how rare these things were.
“I do know of a place that may have what we need, and in a good volume, too,” Old Bai, who was sitting at the side the whole time, suddenly spoke.
“Where?” Yang Kai quickly turned over to look at him in high spirits, at the same time cursing himself for being so muddle-headed. Old Bai, Chef, and Accountant were originally the Proprietress’ subordinates, and First Inn itself was in the intelligence gathering business, so they were the best people to ask if there was anything they needed answers for in the 3,000 Worlds.
The others also looked towards Old Bai.
After some hesitation, Old Bai began, “Do you still remember Luan Bai Feng?”
Yang Kai raised a brow, “Luan Bai Feng from the Black Prison?”
“Yes, her!” Old Bai nodded.
“Naturally!” Thinking back, Yang Kai had met with this woman twice. The first time was when she followed Heavenly Sword Union’s Union Master Kong Feng when he led the Hundred Sect Alliance to attack Void Land. It was during those events that Yang Kai learned that this woman had extremely high attainments in the Dao of Spirit Arrays, so she was invited by Kong Feng to crack Void Land’s Nine Heavenly Layers Grand Array! She also proved herself to be extremely strong and competent as she was almost able to dispel the Nine Heavenly Layers Grand Array completely.
After the defeat of the Hundred Sects Alliance, Kong Feng was killed, and Luan Bai Feng disappeared without a trace.
Later, when Yang Kai went to Shadowless Cave Heaven, this woman appeared again and blocked his way together with Heavenly Sword Union’s new Union Master, Shen Liang. Shen Liang was killed in that conflict, but Luan Bai Feng escaped again.
Yang Kai had a deep impression of her; firstly, Luan Bai Feng’s attainments in the Dao of Spirit Arrays were truly high, and the other was that she was also very good at keeping herself alive. Once she saw that the situation was not right, she immediately retreated.
Two successive generations of Heavenly Sword Union’s Union Masters died in battle, but she escaped both conflicts.
However, Yang Kai did not know very much about her. He knew only that she was the leader of a great force called Black Prison.
Now that Old Bai brought her up, Yang Kai could not help but feel a little puzzled, “Is there something special about this woman?”
Old Bai shook his head, “No, there’s nothing particularly special about her. What’s special is the Black Prison!”
Everyone looked towards him, but only Yue He had a thoughtful look on her face.
Among the many Open Heaven Realm Masters present, more than half of them came from Blood Monster Cave Heaven’s Abundance City. Before meeting Yang Kai, generations of them had been living in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, unable to escape due to the Blood Principle Restriction placed on their ancestors. There were also those who were brought out by Yang Kai from the Shadowless Cave Heaven who did not know much information about the current state of the 3,000 Worlds.
Yue He knew a few things, but not as much as Old Bai did.
“The Black Prison is called the Black Prison because it was a naturally formed prison with all sorts of Natural Arrays within. Its environment is also extremely harsh, so one could say that unless one were very familiar with the place, it is all but impossible to leave alive after entering.”
Yang Kai nodded, “No wonder Luan Bai Feng has such high attainments in the Dao of Spirit Arrays!”
To live most of one’s life in a place that was filled with countless naturally formed Arrays, one would only be killed if their attainments in the Dao of Spirit Arrays were not high.
“The Black Prison is such a dangerous place that even if a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master were to step foot into it, they may still not be able to escape safely. Rumour has it that even High-Rank Open Heaven Masters may not be Luan Bai Feng’s opponent inside the Black Prison as she can borrow the strength of all sorts of Grand Arrays there to display a strength far greater than her own.” Old Bai went on, “So, in all the 3,000 Worlds, Luan Bai Feng, and even Black Prison itself have become well-known; after all, not every Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master has the heritage and ability to kill Masters in the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly, “To be able to manipulate and control such impressive Grand Arrays… She’s a remarkable woman indeed. But… what sort of place is this Black Prison?”
Old Bai shook his head, “I do not know either; after all, I have never been there myself. I only know that the place is very strange, and its dangers are no less than the Shattered Heaven.”
“Why would she choose to stay in such a dangerous place?” Yang Kai was confused.
Old Bai laughed, “Men, or in this case, Women die for wealth just as birds die for food. If the Black Prison did not have something attractive enough, why would Luan Bai Feng stay there and not move? Black Prison is rich in a very special cultivation resource, and because it is fully black, it is called Black Stone.”
Mao Zhe was curious, “What’s so special about this Black Stone?”
Old Bai shook his head, “There’s nothing special about the Black Stones themselves, but it is a different story when it comes to what is contained within them. A piece of Black Stone may contain nothing, or it may be hiding Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, or even Seventh or Eighth-Order cultivation materials of various Elements!”
Everyone drew a sharp breath upon hearing this.
Hua Yong could not help but look wide-eyed at Old Bai, “Even Seventh and Eighth-Order materials can be found in these Black Stones?”
Old Bai nodded seriously, “That is what the rumours say. Nobody has seen it for themselves, but it has been confirmed that a good amount of Fifth-Order and Sixth-Order materials have come out of these Black Stones.”
Yang Kai was shaken, “There is no shortage of wonders in the 3,000 Worlds!”
Zhou Ya frowned, “If that is true, then as a cultivator who is merely in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, how did Luan Bai Feng gain control over the Black Prison? For a place as rich in resources as that, wouldn’t even the Cave Heavens and Paradises covet it?”
This question raised doubts in many of their minds.
Old Bai smiled, “Senior Sister Zhou is right. If Black Prison were just an ordinary place, then Luan Bai Feng would not be qualified to control it. It would have long been taken over by the Cave Heavens or Paradises; however, the Black Prison has its peculiarities. Not to mention, the major Cave Heavens and Paradises themselves have abundant wealth already. Who among them do not have their own resource production areas? The Black Prison may not even be worthy of their attention. Secondly, even if the Black Prison is rich in materials, they are extremely difficult to mine. Black Stone is something that only those in the Open Heaven Realm are strong enough to mine, and supposedly, the deeper you go into the Black Prison, the higher the Order required to mine the resources. The harsh environment in the Black Prison should also be taken into account. There are dangers everywhere, and a cultivator’s life may be lost at any moment. Even if they were fortunate enough to escape, their cultivation would still constantly be nibbled away by the Natural Arrays if they lived in such a place for long, which would eventually cause their Small Universe to shrink and collapse, a fate even worse than death!”
After a pause, Old Bai went on, “The price to mine Black Stone in Black Prison is the cultivation and vitality of an Open Heaven Realm Master. This was not something that those Cave Heavens and Paradises could afford to do; otherwise, they would be universally condemned.”
“Those who mine Black Stone in the Black Prison become ore slaves. Due to the harsh environment of the Black Prison, Open Heaven Realm Masters do not have long lifespans there, so the demand for ore slaves has always been great for the Black Prison. Ore slaves come from many different channels. Some are Open Heaven Realm Masters who committed great sins and were then bought by Luan Bai Feng at high prices to become lifelong slaves. Others were malefactors captured by Luan Bai Feng, and there were even those who were simply seized. There are also losers of conflicts between two great forces.”
While speaking, Old Bai shot a glance at Hui Gu, “Senior Brother Hui Gu has been staying in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s Prison Star this whole time. In comparison to Black Prison, the Prison Star’s conditions are extremely hospitable. The Black Prison is many times harsher than what he knows.”
Cold sweat ran down Hui Gu’s head to hear that. Inwardly, he was feeling glad that Yin-Yang Cave Heaven did not have any agreements with Luan Bai Feng; otherwise, their convicts may have all been sold to the Black Prison, and they would become nothing more than withered bones.
Yang Kai descended into thought as he speculated, “If that is so, does that mean that Luan Bai Feng had other intentions in mind when she came along with Kong Feng’s Hundred Sects Alliance to Void Land?”
Old Bai nodded, “Kong Feng and Luan Bai Feng have had several business dealings in the past, so they are well-acquainted with each other. He personally invited Luan Bai Feng to crack the Nine Heavenly Layers Grand Array. Naturally, the most compelling reason for Luan Bai Feng to agree was the ore slaves she could obtain. If Void Land was defeated back then, then all of the Open Heaven Realm Masters would have been taken back to the Black prison where they would mine Black Stone for the rest of their lives.”
“Unfortunately for her, both she and Kong Feng did not expect the heritage of our Void Land to be so great. They tried to steal a chicken but failed and lost their rice, too.” Yang Kai stroked his chin, “In that case, this Black Prison is worth a trip! Luan Bai Feng has been running Black Prison for so many years, so she must have accumulated a good amount of resources by now. If we can bring her to our side, then the crisis that our Void Land is facing will be solved in no time.”
Old Bai shook his head, “I don’t suggest you find her directly in the Black Prison. I mentioned before that the Black Prison has countless Natural Arrays inside of it. Even if you are strong, you may not be able to find her even if you made it inside. And, if you do manage to find her, you may not be her opponent.”
Yang Kai looked at him, “Then, what do you think we should do instead?”
“To advance with stillness!” Old Bai explained concisely, “If there is anyone in this world most interested in the battle between great forces, then it has to be Luan Bai Feng. There is bound to be a loser in every battle, and any Open Heaven Realm Master defeated can become an ore slave she so needs, so she is happy to intervene in such fights, betting in advance the side she takes will win.”
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up, “Now that Zuo Quan Hui has engaged our Void Land in a head-on confrontation, we will not be able to hide the battle that took place here a few days ago from prying eyes. News will spread sooner or later, and Luan Bai Feng has caused trouble twice for our Void Land. No matter her original intentions, she has already formed a grudge with us. With so many Open Heaven Realm Masters here, we are definitely a huge temptation for her.”
Old Bai nodded, “If news reaches her ears, she will definitely come out to help Zuo Quan Hui.”
Yang Kai got up at once, “We must not delay things. I will go to the Black Prison now. If we are too late… I may not be able to intercept her!”
Yue He hurriedly spoke up, “Young Master, I will go with you.”
Yang Kai waved his hand, “This, I can do alone. Zuo Quan Hui may have left Void Territory, but he will definitely leave spies to monitor our every move. I may still be able to act quietly alone, but moving with more people will make it more difficult. In my absence, I will leave you all to take care of Void Territory. Zuo Quan Hui will most likely not raise his hand again on the lower Universe Worlds, so all you have to do is stay here and watch over the Sect, then everything will be fine. Do not fight him head-on before I return!”
Everyone cupped their fists, “Yes!”
Even though Yue He was worried, she knew that Yang Kai was right. With his attainments in the Dao of Space, Yang Kai could move freely and easily by himself. She would only be a burden if she went along with him, so she did not argue his decision.
Many days had already passed since the battle, and nobody knew when news of it would reach Luan Bai Feng’s ears. However, once Luan Bai Feng learned that Zuo Quan Hui was personally launching an attack on Void Land, she may not be able to resist the urge to get involved in the struggle. Time was of the essence, so Yang Kai did not dally for even a moment. As soon as he left orders for his subordinates, he set out.
Using Space Principles, Yang Kai could come and go secretly without fear of being discovered by anyone. While travelling, he continued recovering from the wounds he suffered in the previous battle, and in just a few days, he arrived at the local Territory Gate.
Divine Sense stirring, Yang Kai made sure that no eyes were watching him at the Territory Gate before diving in.
After passing through the Territory Gate and arriving at the adjacent Great Territory, Yang Kai concealed his aura as soon as possible. If Zuo Quan Hui left any eyes behind to monitor the situation, then they would most likely be near the Territory Gates which led to Void Land.
Yang Kai looked around for a moment but did not find anything to be concerned about.
Most likely, Zuo Quan Hui had not had enough time to leave any of his men here; after all, it had only been a few days, and he had the injuries incurred from the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel that required his full and immediate attention.
Since he found no eyes on him even after reaching this place, Yang Kai was able to breathe easy and began acting more boldly. The 3,000 Worlds were vast, and as a lone man, he was just like the water flowing in the sea. Nobody could even dream of catching his tracks.
Even though he had never been to the Black Prison before, Yang Kai was not worried about losing his way with his Universe Chart in hand.
Passing through one Great Territory after another, Yang Kai urged his Space Principles on and on, and in just one month, was able to reach the Great Territory neighbouring the Black Prison.
The Great Territory that the Black Prison was located in was marked as the Black Territory on the Universe Chart!
The Great Territory that Yang Kai was in at this moment was only separated from the Black Territory by a single Territory Gate. After passing through that gate, he would be able to reach the Black Territory without issue.
But before he could ascertain what the situation on the other side of the Territory Gate was like, Yang Kai did not dare to rush in headfirst. If he accidentally came across a Trapping Array, it was possible that he would reveal himself, which would force him into a direct confrontation with Luan Bai Feng. No matter what, fighting in someone else’s territory would always leave one at a disadvantage.
What was more, the greatest problem Yang Kai faced today was whether or not Luan Bai Feng was even in the Black Territory. If she were not here, then everything would have been for nought. Even if she were here, Yang Kai still could not guarantee that Luan Bai Feng would come out from the Territory Gate that he was in front of right now.
From the Universe Chart, Yang Kai could see that there were as many as five Territory Gates leading to the Black Territory that were connected to five different Great Territories. If Luan Bai Feng were to leave Black Prison, then there was only a 20% possibility of her coming out from this Territory Gate.
So, in Yang Kai’s opinion, the most important thing to do right now was to find out Luan Bai Feng’s whereabouts and lure her out of the Territory Gate that he was at.
Though, this was not going to be an easy task. It required patience and cunning.
For the next few days, Yang Kai rested in the area around the Territory Gate. He had decided to wait here for up to two months, and if nothing were to come out of this exercise, then he would take the risk of heading straight into the Black Prison to find out where Luan Bai Feng was.
Fortunately, a person’s aura suddenly appeared near the Territory Gate after just a dozen days. Yang Kai, who was sitting cross-legged cultivating nearby, looked over at the Territory Gate just in time to see a black-robed man leave from the Territory Gate.
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up. This man had obviously just come out from the Black Territory, and the fact that he could freely leave meant that he was one of Luan Bai Feng’s confidants. From the aura fluctuations coming off of this person, Yang Kai could also tell that he was in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
After passing through the Territory Gate, the black-robed man gently shook his head to shake off the discomfort he was feeling. Then, after ascertaining the direction, he sped off into the void.
However, after going for just a short distance, something blurred in his vision and a figure blocked his way ahead.
The black-robed man was stunned and defensively shouted, “Who goes there? What do you want?”
The man ahead grinned at him, revealing a set of pearly white teeth. He suddenly reached out and grabbed him before chuckling, “Come over here, I have some questions that I’d like to ask you!”
A few moments later, the black-robed man stood respectfully before Yang Kai with a meek expression.
Yang Kai looked in satisfaction at the two characters on the eighth page of his Loyalty List, written in fresh blood, ‘Xin Peng’!
With Yang Kai’s current strength, dealing with a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was a simple matter. This Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master called Xin Peng did not even have the opportunity to struggle before he was subdued by Yang Kai.
This man was also very sensible. Knowing that he was not his attacker’s opponent, he immediately begged for mercy. After asking him a few questions, Yang Kai had him leave his name on the Loyalty List.
There were nine pages in the Loyalty List, and eight had been used thus far. Only one page was left, and for this very last page, Yang Kai intended to leave it blank for Luan Bai Feng.
Xin Peng was in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so it was reasonable to say that he was now not qualified to have his name placed on the Loyalty List. Yang Kai used to be weak, and did not have many subordinates that he could use, so he did not have the qualifications to pick and choose his followers. That was why he chose to accept Chen Tian Fei, Hei He, and Yun Xing Hua. Now, the Masters among his subordinates were as many as the clouds, so it really was a waste for a trivial Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master to take up space in his Loyalty List.
However, Luan Bai Feng was just barely worth the last slot he had!
Yang Kai carefully put the Loyalty List away before glancing over at Xin Peng, “Since you’ve already left your name on the Loyalty List, then you should be able to feel that your life or death is now in my hands. With just a thought, I can decide whether you live or die!”
Xin Peng’s sweat dripped down like rain as he quickly pleaded, “Mercy, Sir! Please be merciful! This subordinate will follow Sir’s lead and obey Sir’s orders!”
Yang Kai said indifferently, “Since I’ve taken you under my wing, then I naturally will not ask you to die.”
Xin Peng raised his eyes meekly at Yang Kai, “Then, is there anything that Sir needs this subordinate to do?”
“I have a question for you. You said that Luan Bai Feng was inside the Black Prison, did you not?”
Xin Peng quickly nodded, “Yes.”
“Can you be sure? Don’t lie to me.”
“It’s definitely the truth, Sir! This subordinate received orders from the Warden to purchase some things just a day or two ago.”
Yang Kai was happy to hear that answer and nodded, “Good.”
Obviously, there was no way that Xin Peng could lie under the effects of the Loyalty List, so Yang Kai was sure that Luan Bai Feng was currently inside the Black Prison. It seemed he had not made this trip for nothing, which made the ten or so days he spent waiting here worth it.
“How many Open Heaven Realm Masters are in the Black Prison?” Yang Kai asked.
Xin Peng thought about it for a moment before asking, “Including the ore slaves?”
“Including the ore slaves, and otherwise.”
Xin Peng gave a quick answer, “Including the ore slaves, there are almost 200. Otherwise, there are only a little over 30!”
Yang Kai was speechless. Based on what Xin Peng said, there are around 200 Open Heaven Realm Masters currently in Black Prison’s confinement. This was no small number as no ordinary great force would generally have such a high concentration of Open Heaven Realm Masters.
However, most of them were merely the ore slaves in Luan Bai Feng’s subordination, so there was no need to pay them much attention. If anyone did enter into a conflict with Luan Bai Feng, there was no way they would help. The only ones who had gained Luan Bai Feng’s trust and could come and go freely in the Black Prison numbered around 30 people.
“How many are in the Fifth Order? What about Sixth Order?” Yang Kai asked.
Xin Peng answered, “Reporting to Sir, the Warden is the only one in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm in the Black Prison. As for those in the Fifth Order, there are seven of them. The rest are below the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm.”
Yang Kai was surprised, “Luan Bai Feng is the only Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in the Black Prison?”
He thought that the Black Prison would have several Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters at least, so this was a surprising answer; however, this did make the rest easier.
Xin Peng laughed bitterly, “The Warden is a very paranoid person. Even after being in charge of the Black Prison for so long, she never allowed her subordinates to advance into the Sixth Order. Any with the potential and signs of advancing will be thrown into Black Prison’s depths to mine.”
Yang Kai coldly snorted, “What a ruthless woman.”
After a moment of silence, Yang Kai started with another question, “What were you asked to buy on this trip?”
Xin Peng answered what it was.
Yang Kai nodded, “Go to the Star City to finish your mission. I will wait here for you.”
Xin Peng had no idea what Yang Kai was planning to do, but he did not dare to ask too many questions, so he hurriedly responded, “Yes. Then, please wait here for a few days, Sir. This subordinate will go and return quickly.”
A moment later, Xin Peng left.
Yang Kai stood alone in the void, rubbing his chin and pondering. Right now, he had gotten confirmation that Luan Bai Feng was inside the Black Prison. Now, all that was left to do was to lure her out, and he also had to make sure that she would leave from this Territory Gate.
After studying the Universe Chart, Yang Kai felt much more assured. Even though the Black Territory had a total of five different Territory Gates that connected to different Great Territories, if Luan Bai Feng really had intentions to help Zuo Quan Hui to stir up trouble for Void Land, then there was a great possibility that she would leave from this Territory Gate; after all, this was the closest Territory Gate to Void Land. If she were to choose a different route, then it would take her a trip through at least two extra Great Territories to get there, which would delay her a great deal.
Now, the most critical thing left was to lure Luan Bai Feng out! Yang Kai had some certainty that she would come, but he also did not dare to be too sure.
Six days later, Xin Peng returned from the Great Territory’s Star City. Yang Kai, who was hiding, showed himself and gave him detailed instructions. Xin Peng nodded incessantly, putting Yang Kai’s orders to mind, and a short while later, he jumped into the Territory Gate.
A day later, inside a palace, Xin Peng stood submissively inside. Reclined on the long chair before him was Luan Bai Feng. She was sitting in a lazy manner with a pipe in hand. Faint smoke drifted out from the furnace. With eyes half shut out of comfort, Luan Bai Feng’s nose quivered faintly as the smoke entered and left her nose.
“Have you bought what I asked?” Luan Bai Feng asked.
“Yes, I’ve bought it, Warden!” Xin Peng answered respectfully and took out a Space Ring, offering it to her with both hands.
A woman dressed like a maidservant next to Luan Bai Feng came forward to take the Space Ring before returning to her position.
“You’ve worked hard,” Luan Bai Feng responded indifferently, her long phoenix eyes still semi-shut.
“It is this subordinate’s honour to serve!” Xin Peng flattered her with a big smile, but he did not excuse himself immediately because he knew that Luan Bai Feng would always ask for something else whenever he was sent to procure items from the Star City.
“En,” Luan Bai Feng made a lazy hum in response before asking, “Did anything interesting happen outside recently?”
Staring down at his toes, Xin Peng nodded, “Indeed, there are a few things.”
“Speak!” Luan Bai Feng played with the wisps of smoke in front of her with a jade finger, eyes looking distant.
“Firstly, the result of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s Dao Theory Assembly is out. The one who took first place was Void Land’s Lord, Yang Kai!”
“Huh?” Luan Bai Feng’s narrowed eyes opened slightly, and a cold light emerged in them, “That Yang Kai actually won first place? How could he, someone in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, achieve something like that? Are the disciples of the Cave Heavens and Paradises all wastes?”
Even though she was not present when Yang Kai advanced into the Open Heaven Realm, she would naturally keep herself apprised of his situation now that she had made enemies of Void Land. So, it was not strange for her to know that Yang Kai was only in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Xin Peng answered, “Warden, this subordinate heard that Yang Kai is not in the Fifth Order, but the Sixth Order.”
“Sixth-Order?” Luan Bai Feng’s eyes widened again. Then, she snorted, “Where did you hear that rumour? He was merely a Fifth Order when he broke through, that much is certain. The High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters of several Cave Heavens and Paradises saw it with their own eyes, so how could that be false?”
“This subordinate does not know where the mistake began, but that man is indeed in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, there is no doubt about that. And, during Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s Dao Theory Assembly, he even killed a man called Zhao Xing.”
“Zhao Xing?” Luan Bai Feng’s finger paused, a contemplative look appearing on her face, “That name sounds familiar… What Sect is he from?”
“This subordinate heard that he is from Thousand Cranes Paradise, and is even a Core Disciple who broke through directly to the Sixth Order!”
Luan Bai Feng’s eyes, which were narrowed this whole time, widened into circles, and her stern gaze was fixed on Xin Peng standing below, who instantly began sweating from the mountain-like pressure placed on him.
Hearing Xin Peng’s story, she finally remembered who this Zhao Xing was. Indeed, he was a Core Disciple of Thousand Cranes Paradise, and when he successfully advanced directly into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm a few decades ago, many great forces went to congratulate him. Even she had brought a gift over.
“Is that true?” Luan Bai Feng questioned sharply.
Xin Peng stammered, “This news has already spread among the general populace. Whether it is true or not, this subordinate does not know, but everyone is saying the same thing.”
Blinking, Luan Bai Feng muttered to herself, “Waves do not form without wind. This is a matter that concerns Thousand Cranes Paradise’s face. If it were not true, then Thousand Cranes Paradise would definitely step out to curb the rumours. However, the rumours have already spread to the masses, so it is most likely true… Zhao Xing advanced into the Sixth-Order several decades ago, but Yang Kai actually managed to kill him? Is he really in the Sixth-Order, too? But how did that happen?”
She thought about it for a while, but still could not figure out how Yang Kai could suddenly jump from the Fifth-Order to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Suddenly, she laughed like flowers trembling on a branch, her voice crisp and pleasant to the ears.
She laughed for a while before collecting herself, “How would Thousand Cranes Paradise stay still after Yang Kai killed Zhao Xing? Has Void Land been razed to the ground by them yet?”
“Not yet,” Xin Peng shook his head, “because Yin-Yang Cave Heaven intervened as Zhao Xing’s death occurred in the Dao Theory Assembly. There is no way that Thousand Cranes Paradise can openly exact revenge for Zhao Xing. In the end, his Honoured Master, Zuo Quan Hui, deserted Thousand Cranes Paradise while bringing along the disciples under him.”
“Zuo Quan Hui deserted Thousand Cranes Paradise!?” Luan Bai Feng was shocked. However, a person of her stature and experience only had to think for a moment before understanding the sequence of events, “That old fox! Continue.”
“Zuo Quan Hui led his disciples to Void Territory in order to kill Yang Kai; however, not only was he wounded after entering into a big fight with him, another Sixth-Order Disciple under him called Zhou Ti was killed during the battle!”
Luan Bai Feng was even more stunned at this revelation, “Zuo Quan Hui was wounded? Did you hear that wrong?”
Xin Peng shook his head, “That is what they are saying outside, and the rumours are still going strong in the Star City. If Warden does not believe it, she can send someone to inquire about the matter.”
Luan Bai Feng shook her head. It was not that she did not believe Xin Peng’s words, she just wondered whether there were any mistakes with those rumours or not. After all, Zuo Quan Hui was a Seventh-Order Master, so how could he be injured so easily?
Having suddenly thought of something, she began, “It was the doing of Void Land’s two Divine Spirits, wasn’t it?” Only the two Divine Spirits would be able to hurt a man like Zuo Quan Hui.
Xin Peng answered respectfully, “This subordinate does not think so. From beginning to end, the two Divine Spirits were never mentioned in the rumours. Rather, it was the huge number of Sixth-Order and Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from Void Land. Just the number of those in the Sixth Order was 9. In order to save his Disciple, Zuo Quan Hui was caught off guard and injured.”
“9 Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters?” The more she listened, the more confused Luan Bai Feng became. She had been to Void Land before, and if there were 9 Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters there at that time, then how could she have been able to return alive?
And, how many years had it been since the Hundred Sects Alliance besieged them? How could 9 Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters suddenly appear?
“Right now, Zuo Quan Hui must still be recovering from his injuries. In this subordinate’s opinion, a fierce struggle between two evenly matched opponents will soon take place between Zuo Quan Hui and Void Land now that two Sixth-Order disciples of the former have been killed.”
Luan Bai Feng nodded lightly, “Zuo Quan Hui is still in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm after all. Naturally, if he lost face, then he must get it back. Otherwise, how will he still maintain his footing in the future?” She waved him off, “You’re excused.”
“Yes!” Not daring to say anything more, Xin Peng bowed and left.
Wisps of smoke were still fluttering from the pipe, but Luan Bai Feng was not as interested in it as before. There was an inexplicable glint in her narrow phoenix eyes as if she were thinking about something.
The maidservant next to her began softly, “Mistress, should this subordinate go out and verify the rumours?”
Luan Bai Feng shook her head, “Rumours are not to be believed. There’s no finding out the truth unless we find Zuo Quan Hui and ask him about what happened in person.”
The maidservant answered, “But if Zuo Quan Hui is still in recovery, he must be in hiding. Who would be able to find him?”
Luan Bai Feng rubbed her fingers subconsciously, “That’s right… Who will be able to find him? However, it is true that Void Land is troublesome…”
She also kept tabs on Void Land; after all, a grudge had formed between them, so who knew whether or not Void Land would find an opportunity to come to the Black Prison to seek revenge?
Void Land had gradually been growing stronger, and back then, those guys from the Hundred Sect Alliance went rushing over to apologize one by one while bearing gifts.
Meanwhile, Luan Bai Feng remained in the Black Prison. The environment here was treacherous, and there were also the countless Natural Arrays she could take advantage of. She did not care too much at first, but now, it seemed that Void Land had grown to the point where it could threaten her.
She alone would not be able to solve this hidden danger called Void Land, but perhaps… she may be able to seek out Zuo Quan Hui in order to cooperate with him and eradicate this scourge with his help.
The air was quiet, and a million-kilometre area around the Territory Gate was like a forbidden zone that nobody dared to approach. Even those who were in a hurry were unwilling to get too close.
Everyone knew that this was the entrance to the Black Territory, and they also knew how ruthless a woman Luan Bai Feng was. If they were to bump into her along the way, then they just might be captured and brought to the Black Prison to become ore slaves.
Yang Kai remained alone, quietly waiting.
The bait had been cast, but he could not be sure of whether the fish would take it or not. He had only agreed with Xin Peng that if Luan Bai Feng were to leave the Black Prison from another Territory Gate, he would find a way to inform him about it. That would also give Yang Kai time to adjust his plans.
Five days had passed since Xin Peng returned to the Black Territory, but there was still no movement at the Territory Gate.
On the sixth day, however, the Heavens seemingly heard Yang Kai’s pleas and a ship suddenly sailed out of the Territory Gate. Yang Kai, who was watching for any movements from afar, saw the ship as soon as it appeared.
What was certain was that, indeed, it was one of Black Prison’s ships!
However, he did not make his move immediately because he could not guarantee that Luan Bai Feng was aboard.
Concealing his aura and figure, he continued to watch closely.
At a certain moment, a brilliant light suddenly shot out from the ship. Naturally, it was the signal that he had agreed on with Xin Peng!
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up, and his body flashed, lunging towards the boat at the speed of lightning.
In the uppermost cabin of the ship, Luan Bai Feng was sitting on her chair, twirling her finger around her hair with a contemplative look on her face. She had no idea why, but she had been feeling restless since leaving the Black Territory, as if something bad was about to happen.
This feeling made her extremely alert.
It was at that moment that a clear energy fluctuation rippled out from a certain part of the ship. She quickly turned her head to the window and, from the corner of her eye, caught a stream of light erupting and illuminating a large space.
Luan Bai Feng’s face paled. Spreading out her Divine Sense, she quickly detected a person leaving the ship and heading out at high speed.
“Xin Peng!” Murderous intent blazed in Luan Bai Feng’s eyes as she shouted his name through gritted teeth. Even though she had no idea why Xin Peng would betray her, the blinding Secret Technique from before was obviously some sort of code agreed upon by Xin Peng and some other party.
Before she even had any time to think about the situation, Luan Bai Feng quickly felt a familiar aura rapidly approaching her and a voice boomed, “Luan Bai Feng, suffer death!”
“Yang Kai!?” Luan Bai Feng was startled by the voice and turned her head towards the direction where the aura was coming from.
She had encountered Yang Kai twice before, so naturally, she was familiar with his aura.
There, in her vision, she saw Yang Kai rapidly approaching just as she had expected.
Luan Bai Feng’s first thought that it must be some sort of trap, and that Void Land’s army was ambushing her. She could possibly be surrounded at any moment and killed; however, from what she could detect, there was no army, only Yang Kai alone in this place.
“Brat who does not know the immensity of Heaven and Earth! You court death!” Luan Bai Feng began to move as she screamed, leaping through the window as she formed a set of hand seals and pushed her World Force before throwing out a palm at the approaching enemy.
Even though she did not understand why Yang Kai would come to ambush her by himself, she did not want to miss such a golden opportunity. If she was able to capture Yang Kai, then she would be able to offer him up as a great gift to Zuo Quan Hui. Then, once the battle against Void Land was over, her words would hold much more power, allowing her to get more ore slaves from Void Land.
Even though she did not use her full strength, it was still not something that an ordinary Open Heaven Realm Master would be able to withstand, not even for one in the Sixth Order. She had advanced to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm many centuries ago, so the heritage that she accumulated was extremely rich.
Faced with this palm, Yang Kai simply met it with a sneer as he shouted, “The one who does not know the immensity of Heaven and Earth… is you!”
World Force erupted and their auras clashed as the two figures rapidly approached each other!
Luan Bai Feng’s face changed, and her eyes went wide!
[Xin Peng was right, this brat… is really in the Sixth Order!]
The moment their World Forces collided, Luan Bai Feng was able to sense this clearly. The World Force possessed by her opponent was definitely not something that a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivator would be able to bring out. Yang Kai was definitely a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, and not an ordinary one at that!
Luan Bai Feng had never felt this sort of oppression from any other Sixth-Order Master before. When her own World Force was faced with her opponent’s power, it was smashed apart like it was dry weeds or rotten wood. It was her total defeat!
Jolting in realization of the situation, Luan Bai Feng no longer dared to hold back. With her Small Universe’s illusory phantom flickering behind her, she immediately went all out!
However, she was still unable to block her opponent’s attack. Yang Kai’s palm practically crushed and flattened all the obstacles in front of him. Breaking through the force of Luan Bai Feng’s palm, he quickly cut their distance of 1,000 kilometres to zero.
In the next instant, the large palm enveloped in World Force struck Luan Bai Feng’s towering chest.
Her ribs sank down from the force as a look of horror and shock emerged on Luan Bai Feng’s face. Fresh blood spurted out of her mouth, and her aura deflated significantly.
They were both in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, but she could not even withstand a single palm from Yang Kai and was severely wounded with just one hit!
However, this woman had presided over the Black Prison for so many years, so she naturally had some real ability. The moment she sensed she was at a disadvantage, she immediately used the force of the recoil to put distance between her and Yang Kai. At the same time, her wrist turned and revealed an Array Plate; launching it straight in Yang Kai’s direction, she shouted, “Open!”
The Array Plate activated, and the Killing Array that was engraved into it spread out in a flash, enveloping hundreds of kilometres in an instant. A violent power erupted from it, transforming into countless attacks that changed the area within the radius into a slaughtering field.
Luan Bai Feng did not pause, however. Although her Array Plate was powerful, judging from the strike that Yang Kai displayed earlier, she knew it would be impossible to stop him with just that. Her Array Plate would delay him for a couple dozen breaths at the most.
Still, that was enough time. She had barely left the Black Territory, so with a few dozen breaths, she could still return.
As long as she could cross the Territory Gate, with the help of the countless Natural Arrays present within, she could exert a strength that was far beyond her own. Forget Yang Kai being a Sixth-Order Master, even if he was in the Seventh Order, once he was inside her territory, he should not even dream of leaving unscathed.
Having suffered such a huge loss out of nowhere, the hatred gathered in Luan Bai Feng’s heart had already reached the Heavens, so even while she was escaping, she was already thinking of how she was going to take revenge on Yang Kai for this.
However, only 100 kilometres away from Black Territory’s Territory Gate, Luan Bai Feng suddenly stopped and stood in awe, staring at the figure that blocked her path.
Yang Kai stood with a spear in hand that was pointing forward as he grinned widely, “Since I already know about your attainments in the Dao of Spirit Arrays, how could I not be prepared to deal with you?”
“How did you…” Luan Bai Feng was in disbelief.
“You think you were able to trap me in that Killing Array? The Dao of Space is too profound for a woman like you to comprehend!” Yang Kai snickered, “You want to return to the Black Territory? That’s not an option!”
Luan Bai Feng ground her teeth. At the same time as when her body drifted backwards, she summoned three more Array Plates into her hands. However, before she could even toss out the three Array Plates, Yang Kai had disappeared from in front of her.
A great sense of crisis loomed over her. Luan Bai Feng raised her hand and was about to ignore everything else to throw down the Array Plates when she felt a sting in her wrist. Her vision became a blur, and Yang Kai was already in front of her, his broad chest practically pressing against hers as his hot breath blew on her face, “I have a great use for you alive, so don’t force me to kill you!”
Luan Bai Feng looked down to see that her hand that was holding the Array Plates had been pierced through by a spear and was covered in blood!
A cold feeling flooded her from her head down to her toes as Luan Bai Feng froze in place. Her eyes quivered, and her mind was a chaotic mess.
How could someone who was merely in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm possibly be this strong? She could not even fight back in front of this man. It could almost be said that her life or death was in the palm of his hand.
Raising her head, Luan Bai Feng stared at Yang Kai who was right in front of her, gritting her teeth and asking, “What are you going to do?”
Yang Kai grinned, “I told you, I need you alive, so don’t be so nervous. If you obediently cooperate with me, then naturally, there will be no harm to your life.”
Luan Bai Feng blinked, “You want to cooperate with me?”
“A wise person will submit to the circumstances!” Yang Kai nodded. Then, he took out the Loyalty List and said with an amiable expression, “Come, come, come, leave your name in your Blood Essence here!”
Luan Bai Feng glanced at the Loyalty list, and her pretty face sank, “Loyalty List? This thing is in your possession?”
“It’s good that you know it, that saves me the effort of having to explain,” Yang Kai smiled.
Luan Bei Feng sneered, “If I leave my name on the Loyalty List, then won’t I be under your control forever, never to have freedom again?”
“Indeed!”
“Then I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you. I’d rather die!”
Yang Kai looked indifferently at her, “You only have one chance, so choose well. If you pick the right answer, then you get to live. Otherwise… you die!”
Luan Bai Feng turned her head away and snorted, taking up the stance of a woman who was prepared for death.
Yang Kai nodded, “For a woman to have such a backbone… Many men cannot compare to you. That is worth admiring. In that case, let me send you on your way!”
At the end of his sentence, Yang Kai brought his hand down on Luan Bai Feng’s head, and Golden Crow’s True Fire burst from his palm, instantly turning her into a ball of fire.
Miserable screams filled the air as Luan Bai Feng’s entire body was enveloped by the pitch-black Golden Crow’s True Fire. Of course, there was no way for her to die in a short time thanks to her strong vitality; however, her cultivation, which was only in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, was not enough for her to extinguish the Golden Crow’s True Fire. In the face of doom, she was cursed to endure indescribable torment and suffering.
“You’re really going to kill me!?” Luan Bai Feng asked as she screamed in agony; after all, Yang Kai told her earlier that he had a use for her alive, yet now he was actually trying to kill her in the blink of an eye. His mood changed faster than one could flip pages in a book!
Yang Kai remained silent as he watched her indifferently with a cold look in his eyes, as if he were seeing her off from this plane of existence.
Luan Bai Feng panicked. Death was a terrifying thought, and though she knew that Yang Kai was merely trying to force her hand with this method, she was still frightened by his ruthlessness and determination. If this were to continue, then she might really die!
“Please spare me, I’ll do as you ask!” Luan Bai Feng shouted.
When Yang Kai raised his hand and grabbed at her again, the blaze of the Golden Crow’s True Fire that enveloped Luan Bai Feng’s body seemed to have a life of its own and quickly returned to his palm.
“You should have said so earlier, then you wouldn’t have had to suffer so much.”
A short while later, Yang Kai received the Loyalty List back from Luan Bai Feng’s hands with great satisfaction. There, on the final page, was Luan Bai Feng’s name written in three large, bright red characters.
From the time that Chen Tian Fei volunteered to put himself on the Loyalty List at the very beginning until now all nine pages had been used up.
On each page was Blood Essence used to write the name of each person.
Chen Tian Fei, Hei He, Yun Xing Hua, Mao Zhe, Geng Qing, Zhou Ya, Hui Gu, Xin Peng, Luan Bai Feng!
Unless one of them died, a new blank page would not appear in the Loyalty List. And out of the nine, as many as five pages were taken up by Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, which helped Yang Kai on many occasions.
Without the Loyalty List, Yang Kai would not have had the confidence to bring the three Mountain Lords of Profound Yang Mountain out from the Shadowless Cave Heaven. Without the Loyalty List, there was no way he could safely cooperate with Hui Gu, much less subdue Luan Bai Feng on this day!
The Loyalty List was a mysterious artifact with great binding force refined by a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master that had been nicknamed Loyalty Demon many years ago. The list was made using the flesh and bone of the Divine Spirit, Xie Zhi.
However, the power of the Loyalty List depended on who was using it.
Even though Chen Tian Fei also held the Loyalty List back then, he was only in the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so the Loyalty List was of little use in his hands; however, things were different when it was passed on to Yang Kai’s possession.
“So, that’s how it is. No wonder Xin Peng had the guts to betray me.” Luan Bai Feng glanced at the Loyalty List with a grim look on her face. She saw Xin Peng’s name on the Loyalty List just now, dispelling all her doubts. It was only natural that Xin Peng would obey Yang Kai’s orders since he was under the Loyalty List’s suppression.
Yang Kai chuckled, “Don’t look so reluctant. It’ll be much better for you to join me than to stay holed up in the Black Prison. There’s a big world out there, so if you’re free, you should go out and have a look!”
Luan Bai Feng coldly snorted, “The winner is the King and the loser is the villain. Anything you say is right.”
Yang Kai then took a glance around and commented, “These subordinates of yours don’t look very loyal!”
Luan Bai Feng was livid.
She had not come out alone today; she had brought some other subordinates with her, but when she was fighting Yang Kai, none of them came forward to help her. Of course, part of it was because Yang Kai had moved so quickly that they did not even have the time to react, but if they were truly loyal to her, then they would naturally have come to save her by now.
In fact, they had only been watching from afar on the ship without any intention of coming closer. They had even taken a stance where they might leave at any moment.
“What are you all staring at? Scram!” Luan Bai Feng’s stomach was full of grievances.
A dozen Open Heaven Realm Masters of different Orders rushed into the ship in an instant, disappearing without a trace.
Luan Bai Feng turned to look at Yang Kai, “Are you satisfied now? My name is already on your Loyalty List. Now, whatever orders you have for me, just voice them.”
“There’s no hurry. What’s more important is to heal your injuries first. I can’t bear to see a beautiful woman like you burned like this either.” While saying this, Yang Kai used his Towering Evergreen Divine Manifestation. Wondrous green branches dropped down, enveloping Luan Bai Feng with rich vitality.
Earlier, under the Golden Crow’s True Fire, Luan Bai Feng had tried her best to resist, but she was still burnt all over, with her exposed skin covered in appalling blisters.
They looked terribly painful, but Luan Bai Feng did not say a word about it, which showed how strong her endurance was.
Now, with the surge of vitality from the Towering Evergreen, Luan Bai Feng’s surface injuries healed at a rate visible to the naked eye. While resisting the tingling sensation caused by the technique, Luan Bai Feng turned her face away, “Do not expect this Queen to thank you for such a small favour.”
She had a calm expression on her face, but inwardly, she was quite shocked. Her burns came from the Golden Crow’s True Fire, yet the Wood Element Divine Manifestation that Yang Kai used was actually able to produce such visible restorative capabilities, [Just what Order Wood Element Power did he condense when he was advancing to the Open Heaven Realm?]
Yang Kai was calm, “Now that you have submitted to me, I will naturally treat you well, so I do not expect any thanks from you, either.”
Luan Bai Feng frowned and shut her eyes, enjoying the rich vitality that was healing her wounds. A moment later, she suddenly spoke, “Xin Peng was instructed by you to draw me out, so how much of what he said is true, and how much of it is false?”
“What he told you is basically the truth,” Yang Kai responded with indifference.
Luan Bai Feng’s eyes widened in surprise, “So, it’s true that Zuo Quan Hui was injured?”
“Indeed!”
Luan Bai Feng’s brows furrowed in thought for a moment before she nodded lightly, “You must have been the one to injure him. Your abilities are… a little better than what I expected!”
Even after fighting Yang Kai personally, Luan Bai Feng still could not understand how someone in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm could be so strong.
“Zuo Quan Hui was careless and underestimated his opponent, which allowed me to take advantage of the situation; otherwise, how difficult do you think it is to wound a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master?”
“Your Void Land and Zuo Quan Hui have already tossed aside all semblance of civility, yet you choose to run all the way here instead of staying back and watching after your Sect? I may be in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, too, but not even ten of me can match up against Zuo Quan Hui. If you are expecting to use me as a countermeasure to deal with Zuo Quan Hui, then I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you. Unless… Did you come here just to take revenge? After all, I did give you trouble twice in the past.”
Yang Kai laughed, “Void Land is as strong as iron. Even without me there, there’s nothing Zuo Quan Hui can do to it. I didn’t come here for you this time. Rather than that, it’s the Black Prison that I’m interested in! There are plenty of supplies in the Black Prison, and I happen to be in need of cultivation materials!”
Luan Bai Feng clenched her teeth and snarled, “Shameless!”
Yang Kai chuckled and took back his Towering Evergreen, “Think what you’d like. Now, let’s go. Bring me into the Black Prison.”
Luan Bai Feng glared viciously at Yang Kai before turning around reluctantly, “Follow me!”
After the pair returned to the ship, Xin Peng ran back as well. He seemed very embarrassed to see Luan Bai Feng again, but she did not even spare him a glance.
This woman knew, too, that the reason why her ship would have capsized on calm seas this time was partly to do with Xin Peng, but Yang Kai was the main culprit. Even if she wanted to kill Xin Peng for revenge, Yang Kai would not allow it, so there was no point in doing something useless.
On board the ship, the other dozen Open Heaven Realm Masters were all looking at Yang Kai in awe. They saw with their own eyes how powerless Luan Bai Feng had been when she was forced to submit to Yang Kai, so they had an inkling about just how powerful this man was.
The boat was not too far away from the Black Prison, so it only took a few moments to return.
After passing through the Territory Gate, they soon arrived in the Black Territory.
A dim light enveloped the entire sky. Standing on the deck, Yang Kai looked up and saw there, far away, was a great sun that was giving off light. However, unlike an ordinary Sun Star, this one gave off the impression of a dying old man. There were even black spots forming on its surface from time to time.
Yang Kai had refined the Golden Crow’s True Fire and had the Divine Manifestation, Golden Crow Casts the Sun, which was why he was constantly haunted by an indescribable feeling ever since stepping into the Black Territory.
He could clearly feel that the Black Territory’s sun was about to die!
It was not that he had not experienced the death of a Sun Star before. Back then, when he was escaping Seven Wonders Land, he witnessed with his own eyes as a Sun Star went out, and it was there that he obtained the Golden Crow’s carcass, which in turn allowed him to refine the Golden Crow’s True Fire.
However, he never expected to see such a similar scene again after so many years.
Perhaps, hundreds, thousands, even tens of thousands of years later, the Black Territory’s Sun Star would also burn out.
There was only this one Sun Star in the entire Black Territory as far as the eye could see, so once this Sun Star was extinguished, the entire Black Territory would be plunged into cold darkness.
The dying Great Sun enveloped the entirety of the Black Territory in an air of solemnity.
“This Black Territory does not seem very large,” Yang Kai noted his observations after looking around.
Luan Bai Feng subconsciously twirled her hair with her finger as she commented casually, “The Black Territory wasn’t large to begin with. Compared to the other Great Territories, you can even say that it’s pitifully small. There’s even only one Sun Star. What other Great Territory have you seen that’s like this?”
Yang Kai nodded lightly, “You’re right, I’ve never seen one like this before.”
Luan Bai Feng continued, “Legends say that the Black Territory used to be similar to other Great Territories. It was vast, but for some reason, it slowly shrank to the size it is now. Perhaps, once the final Sun Star goes out, the entire Black Territory will cease to exist. However, it’s thanks to this that the Black Territory was left untouched. Otherwise, how do you think that I, a woman, would be able to occupy such a piece of land? The environment here is harsh, so those under the Open Heaven Realm are simply unable to survive. Only those above the Open Heaven Realm can live here. If it were really any kind of prosperous place, then it would long have been taken over by other great forces.”
“En,” Yang Kai deeply agreed with her sentiments. Looking up, he saw the large and small celestial bodies floating silently in the void. The smaller ones were maybe a few dozen kilometres in diameter, while the larger ones may even be compared to the Star Boundary. However, the ones that could be seen were all filled with pits and cracks. Some were even split into pieces.
Those pits and cracks were clearly traces left behind by cultivators.
“These are…” Yang Kai frowned.
Luan Bai Feng explained, “All the objects in the Black Territory are technically Ore Stars that give birth to Black Stones. What you see are the mined-out Ore Stars, and these are only from the outermost region.”
Yang Kai understood and was just about to ask her more questions when Luan Bai Feng waved her hand, “Do not disturb me right now. We have already arrived at the area covered by the Natural Arrays. If you want to die together, then speak freely; otherwise, keep your mouth shut and don’t poke around with your Divine Sense! There are many peculiarities in this place.”
Yang Kai rubbed his nose embarrassedly and kept silent. When he looked around, he saw that all of the Open Heaven Realm Masters on the ship all had stiff looks on their faces, as if something very bad was about to happen.
All eyes were fixed on Luan Bai Feng, and at this moment, the woman had a grave look on her face as she kept forming new hand seals while guiding the ship through the void.
A few moments later, Yang Kai clearly sensed a terrifying power lurking around them. This power felt like it was sleeping, yet could be woken up with the slightest disturbance, bringing about a Heaven-destroying, Earth-shattering disaster.
Since he had received Luan Bai Feng’s reminder earlier, Yang Kai did not dare to probe his surroundings either. He was stunned that the Black Territory actually turned out to be this ferocious, and he had no idea how Luan Bai Feng was able to survive in a place like this.
The Black Prison was a dangerous place where countless Natural Arrays were hidden, but this was only what things were like in the outermost region. If one went deeper, then the dangers would only increase.
However, under Luan Bai Feng’s guidance, the ship navigated through the void unharmed, passing one Array after another, but not in a straight line. Sometimes, Yang Kai felt as if they had gone in one large circle, and sometimes, felt they were even spinning in place for a long time. There did not seem to be any standard pattern to it.
In the end, they were met with no dangers on their journey. This must have been a well-travelled route for Luan Bai Feng, which was why she knew where all the risks were and was able to avoid them perfectly.
About a day later, a ruined Spirit Province suddenly came into view. Obviously, this Spirit Province was also a fragment of an Ore Star. It was not very large, much smaller than Void Land, but from a distance, traces of man-made structures could be seen. On the Spirit Province stood a series of connected palaces.
The ship landed in front of the palaces, where a maidservant in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm came out to greet them. The woman was surprised and asked, “Why has Madame returned so quickly?”
Luan Bai Feng’s face was dark, but she did not even say a word since she herself was too embarrassed to tell her that she had been ambushed on the trip and even subordinated by someone else using the Loyalty List.
The maidservant could obviously sense that something was not right with the situation. She glanced curiously at the unfamiliar Yang Kai, but she was smart enough not to ask anything else.
“Get out of here, all of you. Go do your work! If anyone dares let a single word slip about what happened today, I’ll make sure they’ll suffer a fate worse than death!” Luan Bai Feng bellowed at her subordinates.
Everyone scattered like birds and beasts, quickly disappearing without a trace.
“You are also excused,” Luan Bai Feng waved off the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm woman, who simply bowed to her and retreated back into the Main Hall.
Soon, Luan Bai Feng and Yang Kai were the only ones left. She glanced at him before turning around and leaving in a certain direction.
While looking around curiously, Yang Kai followed behind her. After walking for a while, he could no longer hold his curiosity back, “The environment in the Black Territory is indeed harsh, but there are also rumours that if one stays here long enough, their World Force will continuously leak out, eventually leading to their Small Universe’s collapse and a complete loss of cultivation. How come I’m not feeling anything?”
Luan Bai Feng responded without even turning back, “Of course you can’t feel it here. This is only the outermost region. If that damned effect were to happen even here, how would I be able to live here? Once you go deeper into the Black Territory, you’ll naturally be able to experience it.”
Stopping her feet, she turned around and said in an inciting manner, “Do you want to go and try it right now? The deeper you go, the more obvious the feeling becomes!”
Yang Kai grinned, “Even if I decide to go, I’ll definitely drag you along with me.”
Luan Bai Feng’s face darkened. After a cold snort, she turned back around and continued leading the way.
A short while later, the two of them arrived before an exceptionally well-built palace that was enveloped in clear traces of layers upon layers of barriers.
Luan Bai Feng took out a jade token and poured her power into it before swaying in front of the entrance of the palace. A light shot out from the token and, following that, the doors of the palace opened with a click.
After leading Yang Kai into the palace, Luan Bai Feng did the same thing and opened three more doors in succession, each one heavier than the last, with traces of Arrays activating each time.
Yang Kai clicked his tongue in awe, “Your skills in the Dao of Spirit Arrays are truly spectacular.”
To this day, the most accomplished Master in the Dao of Spirit Arrays that he had encountered was undoubtedly Grandmaster Wu Liang who had arranged the Nine Heavenly Layers Grand Array, but when comparing the two, Luan Bai Feng was superior. During the siege of the Hundred Sects Alliance on Void Land back then, Luan Bai Feng had attempted to crack the Nine Heavenly Layers Grand Array after unravelling its mysteries.
Even though the Hundred Sects Alliance suffered heavy losses in the end, resulting in the death of Kong Feng, it was not as a result of Luan Bai Feng’s inability to break the Grand Array, but rather their unpreparedness against their enemy. Void Land’s heritage was simply too strong.
The fact that Luan Bai Feng was able to work out some of the Nine Heavenly Layers Grand Array’s mysteries in such a short amount of time was a testament to her mastery of the Dao of Spirit Arrays.
As the two of them were talking, they arrived at another Grand Hall, inside of which was white jade shelf after white jade shelf with no end in sight. On the shelves were an assortment of oddly-shaped containers of different materials, many of which were made of rare jades and ores themselves.
“What is this place?” Yang Kai asked, raising a brow.
Luan Bai Feng coldly snorted, “Why ask when you already know? Don’t you need a lot of cultivation resources? They’re all here!”
Even though he already had his guesses, Yang Kai still smiled happily when he heard what Luan Bai Feng said, “So, this is your treasury? Very good!”
Divine Sense surging, it enveloped the entire Grand Hall in an instant, taking in everything.
Despite his mental preparations, Yang Kai was still shocked by Luan Bai Feng’s wealth. The cultivation materials placed here numbered at least 10,000.
This was a terrifying number. Even though Void Land could still pull out such a humongous amount of cultivation materials, that was only natural because they had a whole Star City which saw merchants from all corners of the 3,000 Worlds patronizing them every day, bringing huge amounts of resources with them.
For a lone woman like Luan Bai Feng to have amassed such a fortune was simply terrifying.
However, since she occupied a treasure trove like the Black Prison, it was only natural for her to have accumulated such wealth after all the years she spent here.
“What is the Order of the supplies here? And what about the quantity?” Yang Kai asked with glowing eyes.
Luan Bai Feng did not like the look on his face; after all, it was hard to feel good about seeing one’s treasures being snatched away by someone else all of a sudden. Still, she turned away and muttered, “Those below the Fourth Order are unqualified to be stored here. The materials placed here are all either in the Fourth Order or above. On the left are the Fourth-Order materials, roughly 8,000 pieces in total. The centre shelves are for Fifth-Order materials, about 2,000 of them. On the right are the Sixth-Order materials. There are almost 200 pieces, but I haven’t counted them recently.”
Yang Kai clicked his tongue in awe, “You’re probably the richest woman in all the 3,000 Worlds!”
Firstly, without even mentioning materials in the Fourth and Fifth-Order, she actually had around 200 pieces of Sixth-Order materials. It had to be known that each piece would cost at least 15 million Open Heaven Pills each. Two hundred pieces would be worth at least 3 billion!
That much money, belonging to a single person!
How could anyone in the 3,000 Worlds compare with that?
While speaking, Yang Kai’s body had instantly moved towards the area where the Sixth-Order materials were placed and he began looking through them with interest. Suddenly, he turned his head towards the last White Jade shelf and asked, “Is this a Sixth-Order material, too?”
Only a single container was placed on the final White Jade shelf, which made it seem conspicuous.
Luan Bai Feng’s face twitched. She was practically gnashing her teeth as she forced each word out, “That’s a Seventh-Order treasure!”
Yang Kai raised a brow and said with glowing eyes, “Before coming here, I heard that the Black Prison’s Black Stones could even produce materials in the Seventh and Eighth Order. So it is true?”
Luan Bai Feng affirmed, “Of course it’s true; however, the number is extremely low! After all these years of occupying the Black Prison, I’ve only ever encountered a single piece!”
Yang Kai nodded, “Since there is one, that means there will be more. Sure enough, the Black Prison is really a treasure trove!”
With that said, he picked up the container that was holding the Seventh-Order material and opened it up to take a look, discovering that it was a Seventh-Order Metal Element material. Nodding lightly, he casually tossed it into his Small Universe.
Even though Seventh-Order materials were extremely precious and rare, it was not as if he had never seen them before. In fact, most of the materials that he condensed belonged to the Seventh Order or even above that, to begin with.
His biggest goal on this trip was to find the Sixth-Order Yin and Yang Element materials, which was what Void Land needed the most right now.
Turning his gaze to the more than 200 pieces of Sixth-Order materials, Yang Kai rolled up his sleeves and began examining them one by one. There were so many here, so surely some of them would be what he was looking for.
When she saw what Yang Kai was doing, Luan Bai Feng turned her face away in anger and scorn.
Once he began going through the Sixth-Order materials though, the expectation and joy on Yang Kai’s face began to die away. By the time he searched through all of the Sixth-Order materials, Yang Kai’s brow was deeply furrowed.
There were no problems with the Sixth-Order materials themselves as each piece was so pure that it was completely befitting the cultivating needs of any Open Heaven Realm Master. Only, there were hardly any which were of the Yin and Yang Element, the ones he truly needed.
He was able to find one Sixth-Order Yin Element material, but that was it. Besides that, there were also only two Yang Element materials!
Out of the 200 pieces of Sixth-Order materials, only three of them fit his needs. Even though he knew that the Yin and Yang Element materials were scarcer than those of the Five Elements, this ratio was still extremely unsatisfactory.
Turning his head to look at Luan Bai Feng, Yang Kai saw that she was currently gnashing her teeth at him. If not for the restrictions placed on her by the Loyalty List, then she would likely have pounced on him to drink his blood and eat his flesh.
Nobody would be in a good mood after seeing the wealth that they had been accumulating for so many years taken away by someone else in the blink of an eye.
“What are you looking at?” Luan Bai Feng grumbled.
Yang Kai blinked his eyes before he suddenly grinned, “That’s not right…!”
“What’s not right?” Luan Bai Feng frowned.
“You’ve been occupying the Black Prison for so many years, so surely this can’t be everything you’ve gathered so far?”
Luan Bai Feng coldly snorted, “Is this still not enough? How much do you think I have?”
“No, it doesn’t add up!” Yang Kai shook his head, “Yes, Sixth-Order Yin and Yang Element materials have always been difficult to find, but there’s no way that there are only three meagre pieces. You must have hidden the rest elsewhere.”
With his eyes fixed on Luan Bai Feng’s Space Ring, he reached his hand out, “Show me your Space Ring.”
Luan Bai Feng was furious, “Yang Kai, don’t go too far!”
“Hand it over!” Yang Kai looked sternly at her.
Luan Bai Feng gritted her teeth and her chest heaved for a while before she removed her Space Ring and threw it at Yang Kai, as if to take her anger out on him this way.
Yang Kai grabbed it and searched it using his Divine Sense. After a while, he tossed the Space Ring back to her.
There were quite a lot of good things stored in Luan Bai Feng’s ring, and their value could even be described as shocking, but he did not find what he needed.
“Satisfied now?” Luan Bai Feng coldly snorted.
Yang Kai looked at her in disbelief, wondering whether he had made a mistake. After a moment of silence, he began, “The Loyalty List can ensure one’s loyalty. Those who have written their names down on the list cannot resist the holder’s demands, but I have never used this ability on anyone. That is because I believe that since they have come under me, they should at least have a basic level of trustworthiness. Luan Bai Feng, let me ask you one last time. Other than in your treasury here, are you hiding any materials elsewhere? Think about your answer before you speak. Don’t force me to use the Loyalty List.”
Four eyes met, and Luan Bai Feng was furious as she snarled, “The greedy will not meet a good end!”
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up, “As expected, you’re hiding more!” He nodded lightly, “Even cunning rabbits have three nests. It’s normal for you to have hidden some elsewhere!”
This woman left most of the resources here to act as a treasury on the surface, but she had secretly hidden the truly valuable things elsewhere so that even if someone did catch sight of this treasury, they may not think more of it.
However, now that Yang Kai was even bringing out the Loyalty List, Luan Bai Feng would not be able to hide it even if she tried.
World Force surging, the illusory phantom of a Small Universe expanded, instantly enveloping the treasury. By the time the illusory phantom disappeared, everything in the treasury had been absorbed into Yang Kai’s Small Universe.
Luan Bai Feng looked at this scene with astonishment before furrowing her brows. For an instant, she could feel a profound aura coming from inside Yang Kai’s Small Universe just now.
What was more… The Small Universe of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master should still be ethereal and intangible, so how could it contain so many items?
But before she even had the time to think about it, she saw Yang Kai grinning at her, “What are you being so upset about? Our fates are tied now. If anything happens to me, then you won’t be safe either. Would it not be good for you too if you handed these things over to me so that I can grow stronger as fast as possible?”
Luan Bai Feng was livid, but she kept silent.
“Come on, lead the way,” Yang Kai patted her shoulder excitedly.
Whether Luan Bai Feng was willing or not, she was unable to refuse Yang Kai’s request now that things had already come to this. So, she had no choice but to lead him to the place where she hid her treasures.
To Yang Kai’s surprise, her private treasury was not located in this shattered Spirit Province, but somewhere else.
Two figures flew out together, heading deeper into the Black Prison.
After flying for four whole hours and passing dozens of Natural Arrays, the two of them finally appeared at a certain place. Luan Bai Feng stood still, and Yang Kai followed suit. Looking up, there seemed to be nothing before them. He could not even find anything suspicious nearby.
“This is the place?” Yang Kai asked.
Luan Bai Feng was still angry and did not feel like responding to him, but she raised her hand and tossed out Array Flags one by one in all directions. Following her actions, Yang Kai could clearly feel some energy ebbing and flowing around them, echoing Luan Bai Feng’s movements.
A few moments later, Yang Kai looked in amazement at a tiny Spirit Province fragment just a dozen kilometres ahead gradually materializing and revealing itself.
This Spirit Province fragment was only a couple of kilometres across, which was pitifully small. It also seemed completely empty without the slightest hint of any vitality.
However, this was the best place for one to hide one’s treasures. If not for Luan Bai Feng’s actions, then Yang Kai would never have been able to sense that a shattered Spirit Province was actually hidden here.
“The Dao of Spirit Arrays is truly a profound thing. Did you hide this place using an Illusion Array?” Yang Kai asked in awe.
Luan Bai Feng continued her movements and grumbled, “This Illusion Array existed here all along. I have merely deciphered it and used it for myself.”
“Even that is amazing.”
After a short while, the Spirit Province fragment was fully revealed. Without even calling out to him, Luan Bai Feng directly closed in on it in a flash. Seeing this, Yang Kai followed her.
Looking around, there seemed to be nothing special in this Spirit Province, but Luan Bai Feng walked in front of a stone wall and began working on opening another array. Soon, the stone wall slid open, revealing a dark cave.
“Everything is inside. Go and get it yourself if you want it,” Luan Bai Feng cut through Yang Kai with a sharp gaze.
Yang Kai laughed, “Many thanks!”
He had no worry that Luan Bai Feng would trick him here. It was simply impossible for her to do anything that may harm him under the influence of the Loyalty List, so he walked into the cave with ease.
An incense stick’s time later, Yang Kai reappeared with a satisfied look on his face, “Let’s return!”
After a pause, he looked at Luan Bai Feng, “You don’t have any other private treasuries left, do you?”
Luan Bai Feng had to take a deep breath to suppress the blood welling up in her chest. Shutting her eyes, she responded in exasperation, “None!”
“I was just asking,” Yang Kai chuckled.
Then, they went back to where they came from. Another four hours went by, and they were back at the original shattered Spirit Province.
After asking Luan Bai Feng for a room and telling her not to disturb him without good cause, Yang Kai went inside and checked his harvest for this trip.
He had not inspected what Luan Bai Feng had stowed away in her private treasury yet, but since she had hidden it elsewhere, it must be things of great value. Obviously, Sixth-Order Yin and Yang Element materials had to be part of it.
Yang Kai sat down cross-legged in the room with the goods hauled back from the cave placed around him.
There were only several dozen items, which was not many compared to the main treasury, and just like the ones he saw before, all the materials had been stored in separate containers.
Yang Kai casually picked up a jade box that was the size of a palm and opened it. A pure searing power came rushing out. As he felt the rich power fluctuating, he rejoiced.
This was clearly a Seventh-Order Fire Element material which looked like a Fire Spirit Crystal. Obviously, however, it was much more valuable than an ordinary Fire Spirit Crystal.
The very first material had given Yang Kai a small surprise, which made him even more eager to check out the others.
After picking up another item, he was a little disappointed. It was merely a Sixth-Order Water Element material, so he just casually tossed it into his Small Universe.
He picked up another one, and this time, it was exactly what Yang Kai was looking for, a Sixth-Order Yin Element material.
There were only several dozen items, so it did not take much time to go through all of them. In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Yang Kai had already gone through everything.
Everything here was clearly what Luan Bai Feng had prepared for her own personal use. There were a total of nine complete sets of Sixth-Order materials, which were valuable enough to buy a small city!
Any Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would be able to refine these directly after picking them up to enhance the heritage of their Small Universe.
Besides that, there were also as many as five Seventh-Order materials. Even though there were no Yin and Yang Element materials among them, they were worth an astronomical amount by themselves.
As he expected, it was right of him to have chosen to come to the Black Prison.
After offering a high bounty for the materials at the Star City for such a long time, he was only able to gather enough materials for three people to advance into the Sixth Order directly. However, just Luan Bai Feng’s two treasuries contained enough to supply ten cultivators.
With this, the resources they needed to advance thirteen people from Void Land into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm had been settled, which was enough to solve their most urgent problem.
However, since he came to the Black Prison, Yang Kai naturally would not be satisfied to just go back. There was little he had to worry about in Void Land right now. Zuo Quan Hui’s injury would take a long time to recover, so there was no way that he would come back to cause more trouble for a while. As such, Yang Kai still had some time to spend doing other things.
If he could get more Sixth-Order Yin and Yang Element materials, then that would naturally be for the best. Even if he were not able to get them, he had to find a way to get them. For that reason, he was very interested in the Black Stones.
After putting all his loot away, Yang Kai walked out of the room to find the physically and mentally exhausted Luan Bai Feng.
“Black Stone?” Luan Bai Feng was lying lazily on a chair while the Fifth-Order maid was crouching in front of her, gently massaging her calves.
Yang Kai sat uninhibitedly by the side and nodded, “Yes. I heard that all of these materials have been mined from those Black Stones. I want to see what those Black Stones are like.”
Luan Bai Feng knew that there was no use arguing with him, so she could only ask the girl in front of him, “Has the latest batch of Black Stones arrived?”
The woman responded softly, “They were brought back three days ago, and they are breaking the stones now. If Madam needs them, I can have some of them brought over now.”
Luan Bai Feng was about to nod when Yang Kai raised his hand, “No need, I’ll go and take a look by myself.”
Luan Bai Feng frowned when she heard this, but she still stood up and nodded, “Come, I’ll take you there.”
After following her for a short while, the two of them arrived at an open square where a dozen Open Heaven Realm Masters were busy, World Force fluctuating from their bodies.
Yang Kai looked over and saw that each of them had dark stones of different sizes in front of them. The small ones were only about the size of a palm, but the large ones were as large as a water vat.
Not far away from them was a pile of similar-looking stones.
“So, these are the Black Stones?” Yang Kai asked.
Luan Bai Feng nodded, “En.”
While the two of them were speaking, the Open Heaven Realm Masters who were hard at work had clearly noticed Luan Bai Feng’s arrival, so they all stopped what they were doing and greeted respectfully, “Madam Warden!”
Luan Bai Feng waved her hand, signalling for them to continue, and they did.
Yang Kai watched for a while and said in astonishment, “The Black Stones are dissolving?”
The Open Heaven Realm Masters were all controlling the World Force inside of their bodies to wrap around the Black Stones in front of them. As time passed, the Black Stones gradually became smaller, but nothing seemed to break off or flow away from them. It was as if the dissolved parts of the Black Stone had just disappeared into thin air.
“Black Stones are bizarre things. Only the World Force of those in the Open Heaven Realm is able to dissolve them. As for why that is, I have never been able to figure out,” Luan Bai Feng explained, “What’s more, these Black Stones may contain cultivational resources inside of them, or they may contain nothing at all.”
While speaking, she pointed to one of the Open Heaven Realm Masters who were working at the side, and Yang Kai looked over at him. He saw that despite the fact that the Black Stone disappeared without a trace in his hands, nothing seemed to be left behind. The man shook his head in disappointment before picking up another piece of Black Stone and continuing the process.
“These ore slaves will mine Black Stones from the Ore Stars before bringing them back here to extract resources contained inside of them. That is what the process is, basically. Every last piece of material found in the Black Prison has not been easy to come by…” While saying this, she glared at Yang Kai, “And now it’s been given to you for nothing!”
Acting as if he did not hear her, Yang Kai frowned, “Is there no way to determine which pieces of Black Stone contain materials, and which don’t?”
He watched them for a moment and found that it took a lot of effort for the Open Heaven Realm Masters to dissolve the Black Stones. If it could be ascertained beforehand which pieces of Black Stone contained resources, then it would save a lot of time and effort.
Hearing him say this, Luan Bai Feng grabbed a washbasin-sized Black Stone and tossed it to Yang Kai, “You can try it yourself, but I have no way of verifying it.”
Yang Kai accepted the Black Stone from her and weighed it in his hand, discovering that it was not as light as he expected it to be. After squeezing it with some force, no marks or traces seemed to have been left on the piece of Black Stone.
He was considered to be very strong now, so even if it was not crushed, any piece of raw ore would still crack open if squeezed in his hands. However, this Black Stone was obviously very different in make-up and was also extremely resilient.
Divine Sense surging, Yang Kai tried to investigate the insides of the Black Stone, but it actually repelled his Divine Sense completely, so it was impossible to find out whether something was hidden inside or not.
Yang Kai was surprised. Currently, he was in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so his Divine Sense was extremely strong, yet it was still rejected by the Black Stone, [Just what… is this thing?]
After contemplating for a moment, Yang Kai activated his Demon Eye of Annihilation, and his left eye immediately turned into a gold vertical slit.
Looking at it now, he could see something different. Inside of the Black Stone he was holding was the fluctuation of a vague and indistinct pale yellow energy.
Seeing this made Yang Kai’s heart stir. The Demon Eye of Annihilation worked!
Even though he had no way of seeing clearly into the Black Stone, he could be sure that something was inside of this piece, and it was likely an Earth Element material. As for what Order it was, he had no way of ascertaining that. He would have to dissolve the Black Stone to find out.
The Demon Eye of Annihilation had the ability to see through all illusions, and alongside the Black Purgatory Eye, they made up Myriad Demons Heaven’s Core Divine Abilities. These were extremely profound Eye Techniques, and even in Myriad Demons Heaven, only the most elite disciples were qualified to cultivate them.
Yang Kai had obtained his Demon Eye of Annihilation when he was still very weak, and he never knew these secrets either before meeting Ti Zheng.
However, since it was one of Myriad Demons Heaven’s two Core Divine Abilities, the Demon Eye of Annihilation naturally had its own profound traits. Even though his Divine Sense was unable to penetrate the Black Stone and assess the situation within, the Demon Eye of Annihilation could break through some of its barriers and penetrate straight into its essence.
However, Yang Kai’s cultivation of the Demon Eye of Annihilation was not very high, so he could only vaguely see what was inside. If it were truly someone from Myriad Demons Heaven who cultivated these Secret Techniques, then they would obviously be able to have a clearer look inside.
His movements did not escape Luan Bai Feng’s eyes, who was looking at him with some surprise, “You cultivate an Eye Secret Technique, too?”
“What’s wrong with that?” Yang Kai withdrew his Demon Eye of Annihilation and turned to look at her.
Luan Bai Feng shook her head, “It’s nothing. Were you able to see anything?”
“No,” Yang Kai responded casually. Even though Luan Bai Feng could tell that he possessed an Eye Secret Technique, she naturally might not be able to recognize it as a Myriad Demons Heaven’s Secret Technique, so Yang Kai would not try and explain it to her.
However, in order to prove whether or not his ability was right, Yang Kai urged his World Force to his palm, enveloping the Black Stone in it.
Rapidly, it shrank in size.
With his Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation, especially his World Force, which was much richer than an ordinary Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, Yang Kai was able to dissolve the Black Stone at a ridiculously fast rate.
The washbasin-sized Black Stone in his palm completely disappeared before a stick of incense could even fully burn out, and a piece of yellow crystal gradually emerged from it.
Luan Bai Feng looked on in surprise at it and muttered, “Fourth-Order Earth Element. You are quite lucky indeed!”
Yang Kai casually played with the earth-coloured crystal in his hand and said, “What is the probability that a piece of Black Stone would contain cultivation materials?”
“Very small,” Luan Bai Feng responded, “If you’re lucky, then it’s about 30% percent; otherwise, it may not even be 1%.”
“30% is too low.” Yang Kai shook his head. Out of 10 pieces of Black Stone, at least 7 would be empty. How much time and energy would that waste?
“That’s why I told you that none of the resources here came easy. Did you think this place was really so full of treasures that you could just bend over and find a piece?” Luan Bai Feng snorted, but then she frowned, “What are you even looking for? You have already taken away the stash that I have been gathering for so many years. Is that still not enough for you?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “It’s not enough. I still need more Sixth-Order Yin and Yang Element materials.”
Luan Bai Feng frowned, “If you are using it for your own cultivation, then you could just refine using Fifth-Order materials. Even though it will be a little slower, Fifth-Order materials are not as hard to find. Why restrict yourself to only the Sixth Order?”
She obviously thought that Yang Kai was seeking out so many Sixth-Order cultivational materials for his own use.
Yang Kai laughed, “Naturally, I can use Fifth-Order materials for my own cultivation, but what if someone needs to advance into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm?”
Luan Bai Feng was taken aback for a moment, and then her eyes widened, “How is that possible? How could your Void Land have so many people advancing directly into the Sixth Order?”
It had to be known that any cultivator that could break through directly to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm had hopes of reaching the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm one day, so their numbers are extremely limited. Even in the Cave Heavens and Paradises, such disciples only appeared once every 1,000 years or so. Yang Kai had already plundered plenty of Sixth-Order Yin and Yang Element materials from her, which was enough to meet the advancement needs of 10 whole people, so how could he still be needing more?
Yang Kai did not bother to explain it since it was useless to say anything. Now that Luan Bai Feng had come under his banner, she would naturally understand that he was not just boasting once she saw Void Land’s heritage for herself.
“Don’t just stand there, help them out. Get these Black Stones dissolved and see whether you can find what I’m looking for,” Yang Kai called out to her. Even though there were a dozen Open Heaven Realm Masters currently working to dissolve the Black Stones, they were not very efficient. Dissolving these Black Stones was something that happened faster the higher one’s cultivation was, and it was likely related to the potency of one’s World Force.
Luan Bai Feng looked at him in disbelief, obviously still shocked by what he just said, “There probably won’t be any Sixth-Order materials in these Black Stones. No need to bother.”
“Huh?” Yang Kai turned his head to look at her, “Why do you say that?”
Brushing her hair back behind her ear, Luan Bai Feng answered, “I’ve been in the Black Territory for so many years, so I still have some amount of experience. There are countless Ore Stars in the Black Territory, and the deeper the Ore Star, the greater the chance of it producing higher Order materials. The ones we collected here are mainly mined from the Ore Stars near the outer region, so one would be lucky to even find a Fifth-Order material. If you don’t believe me, you can check them yourself.”
Yang Kai had noticed it as well. Out of the resources that Luan Bai Feng’s subordinates found from the Black Stones here, it was true that the highest one only reached the Fifth Order, and the amount was very small. He could not help but frown, “Then, where did you find the ones in the Sixth-Order, and even in the Seventh Order?”
Luan Bai Feng explained, “Naturally, they came from the deeper Ore Stars. Previously I had several Sixth-Order ore slaves among my subordinates, and those things were mined by them. Unfortunately, no one is able to go into the deeper Ore Stars since they’ve passed away, so we are naturally unable to get to them.”
Yang Kai understood, “Is that why you were so eager to intervene when Heavenly Sword Union was stirring trouble in my Void Land?”
Luan Bai Feng remained silent.
Yang Kai stroked his chin, “So to say, in order to obtain Sixth-Order materials, there is no other choice but to go deeper into the Black Territory to mine them.”
“You could say that!”
Yang Kai nodded, “In that case, let’s go.”
“What?” Luan Bai Feng looked at him in shock, seemingly doubting her ears, “What are you thinking of doing?”
“We are going to go to the Ore Stars where the Sixth-Order materials are produced to mine out the Black Stones!” While speaking, Yang Kai reached for Luan Bai Feng, grabbing her by the shoulders, then turning around and flying off.
Luan Bai Feng was agitated and anxious as she shouted, “Let me go, I’m not going there!”
Yang Kai broke out into a fit of laughter, “Since you are under my command now, that’s not up to you to decide!”
“You bastard!”
The dozen Open Heaven Realm Masters who were hard at work watched dumbfounded as their usually terrifying and overbearing Warden was carried away by Yang Kai like a little chick, cursing all the way and disappearing in the blink of an eye. As if they had seen a ghost, cold sweat ran down their foreheads.
In the void, Yang Kai enveloped his World Force around Luan Bai Feng, who was clearly uncooperative, her expression as cold as ice.
“Do you really need to make a face as if you just lost your parents? We’re just going on a mining trip, not to have you killed!” Yang Kai laughed.
Luan Bai Feng answered coldly, “Naturally, it is because you do not understand the dangers deep inside of the Black Territory. Even after managing this place for so many years, I still dare not say that I know the Black Territory like the back of my hand. There are countless Natural Arrays in this place. Once triggered, neither you nor I would be able to escape easily!”
Yang Kai nodded, “That is why I will have to depend on you on this journey. I’m not very proficient in the Dao of Spirit Arrays, but if I die here, you will not get away either.”
Luan Bai Feng gritted her teeth, “I have never met a man as shameless as you before!” Inwardly she was drowning in regret. If she had known this would happen, then she would not have told Yang Kai that Sixth-Order materials could only be found in the deeper Ore Stars. She had moved a rock only to smash her own foot.
However, although Luan Bai Feng’s words were harsh and unpleasant, she was still quite sensible and flexible; otherwise, she would not have surrendered so easily. She knew that she could not resist, so after throwing a small tantrum, she cooperated obediently.
She knew that if she were to slack off here, then with Yang Kai running all around the Black Territory triggering the Arrays, something bad would happen sooner or later, and then she herself would have to suffer for it.
After a half day’s journey, Luan Bai Feng suddenly spoke, “The area we have arrived at will start to get more dangerous. Do not leave my side no matter the cost; otherwise, if you were caught up in a powerful Array, even I would not be able to save you!”
“Got it!” Yang Kai nodded repeatedly.
Then, Luan Bai Feng suddenly rubbed her eyelids with her fingers. Looking over, Yang Kai saw that her eyes were suddenly glowing with a purple light, exuding a demonic charm.
Yang Kai raised his brow. It was not until now that he finally learned that this woman actually cultivated an Eye Secret Technique, too. That was the reason why she said what she did when she saw him use the Demon Eye of Annihilation.
She must have noticed Yang Kai’s gaze because Luan Bai Feng explained, “I was born with this Eye Secret Technique, I did not cultivate it. It doesn’t have any offensive or defensive abilities, but it seems to have a natural advantage in deciphering arrays.”
Yang Kai was enlightened, “So that is how you became so proficient in the Dao of Spirit Arrays?”
Luan Bai Feng’s Eye Secret Technique had a natural advantage when it came to cracking Arrays, and having lived in this Black Prison for so many years, observing and emulating the many Natural Arrays in this place, even someone unlearned in the Dao of Spirit Arrays would be able to grow into a Master in time.
Luan Bai Feng coldly snorted, “How else do you think a poor little girl can survive in the 3,000 Worlds alone?”
“A little girl?” Yang Kai could not stop himself from laughing.
Luan Bai Feng glared menacingly at him.
Luan Bai Feng had been active in the Black Territory for many years, and though she could not say that she knew this place like her own backyard, she was still much more familiar with it than Yang Kai.
Under her guidance, their journey progressed without incident.
While following the woman, Yang Kai also brought out his Demon Eye of Annihilation, so he could keep an eye on the situation around them. Sure enough, the Demon Eye of Annihilation was amazing. Yang Kai could obviously see traces of some Arrays around them, but since he was not proficient in the Dao of Spirit Arrays, he could only see them, unlike Luan Bai Feng who could not only see them but could also see the appropriate method in cracking them.
Several times, Luan Bai Feng clearly led him into a Natural Array, but mysteriously, they did not trigger.
After moving forward a while longer, a mysterious aura appeared in the void. Under the guidance of that aura, Yang Kai could feel the World Force inside of his Small Universe leaking out.
Yang Kai made an exclamation of surprise and quickly shut his Small Universe, but it was to no avail as World Force continued spilling out from his body.
“It’s useless.” Clearly, Luan Bai Feng noticed his actions, “The first danger of the Black Prison is the Arrays you can find everywhere, but the second is this strange aura. Once enveloped by this aura, no matter what Order the Open Heaven Realm Master is in, they can’t stop their World Force from flowing out of their bodies. Right now, we are only at the edge of where we come in contact with this aura. The deeper we go, the stronger the aura becomes, and the faster our World Force leaks out. I would advise you to start replenishing yourself now; otherwise, the further we go, the more difficult it will be!”
Saying so, she grabbed a handful of Open Heaven Pills and stuffed them into her mouth, swallowing them down and silently refining them.
Yang Kai nodded lightly, but he did not take her words too seriously. Right now, even though the World Force inside of his body was leaking, it was at a very low rate, so he could ignore it for now. What was more, he also wanted to know what was going on with this aura, and why such changes would happen in his body because of it.
He calmed his mind and tried to search for an answer, but came up empty.
However, he was reminded of his experience in the Shadowless Cave Heaven. There was a formless Astral Wind that he encountered there, the essence of which was a powerful Divine Ability that swept across the entire Shadowless Cave Heaven. Occasionally, it blew through the Shadowless Cave Heaven and entered the Small Universes of Open Heaven Realm Masters inside, wreaking havoc with their World Force and shaving it away.
Unlike the strange aura found in the Black Prison, the formless Astral Wind could be regarded as a gush of a foreign power that entered one’s Small Universe and ground down some of the Small Universe’s heritage. The situation here in the Black Prison was that the heritage of one’s Small Universe would constantly leak away.
In the Shadowless Cave Heaven, Yang Kai relied on his Towering Evergreen to resist the formless Astral Wind, but he had no idea whether this Wood Element Divine Manifestation would have any effect on the situation in the Black Prison.
With this in mind, Yang Kai immediately released his Towering Evergreen, and a vibrant green light emerged, brimming with rich vitality. The ancient tree appeared and its branches hung low, wrapping around both Luan Bai Feng and himself.
As soon as this Secret Technique was used, the strange aura that had been surrounding them in the void was kept at bay, and the leakage of World Force from their Small Universes also stopped.
[It worked!] Yang Kai was overjoyed. As he expected, the Wood Element Power that he condensed from the essence of the Immortal Tree was truly extraordinary. Not only could it stop the encroachment of the formless Astral Wind, but it was also able to keep out the strange aura that filled the void!
However, when he thought about it, the Immortal Tree was a Supreme Treasure of an exceptionally high Order, so it was not strange for it to have such amazing effects. Now, a big problem of theirs was solved.
“What did you do?” Luan Bai Feng looked at Yang Kai, eyes wide in shock. She could clearly feel the change in herself during that instant. The World Force which had been slowly pouring out of her body suddenly stopped escaping. She could not even feel the strange aura anymore, “Isn’t this Divine Manifestation supposed to only heal?”
Previously, Yang Kai had also used the Towering Evergreen to heal her injuries after she had been burned by his Golden Crow’s True Fire. Now, it seemed like this Divine Manifestation may not be as simple as just a mere healing method.
For years, she had been trying to find a solution to the strange aura that was omnipresent in the Black Prison, yet she never found a single clue. She did not expect that she would be able to find such a miracle in Yang Kai on this day.
“Not only can it heal injuries, but it can also be used defensively!” Yang Kai gave a simple explanation.
Luan Bai Feng looked at him with bright eyes, “How long can you hold this Divine Manifestation for? Does it consume a lot of energy?”
Yang Kai chuckled, “If it’s only to cover the two of us, then it does not consume much energy. I should be able to keep it going for a long time!” Right now, as he was in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, his heritage was also mighty. Being limited to just a small area, the Towering Evergreen did not consume too much of his strength to maintain, to the point it could even be called negligible. What was more, he had countless Open Heaven Pills inside of his Space Ring, so it was not like he was unable to replenish what he was consuming.
Luan Bai Feng looked at him with complicated eyes. The problem that had been bothering her for hundreds of years was finally resolved today, so naturally, it would not be right to say that she was not ecstatic. Only, once she remembered the current situation she was in, as well as her status, that joy dimmed considerably. After all, even if she could mine the Ore Stars deeper within the Black Territory now, whatever she could find would still belong to someone else and have nothing to do with her.
Her mood suddenly plummeted, and she stayed quiet during their journey, simply using her Eye Secret Technique to check for the Spirit Arrays that surrounded them, continuously leading Yang Kai forward.
Half a day later, Luan Bai Feng said, “Another hour more and we will be reaching the no man’s land. My subordinated ore slaves were unable to stay there for long, so it has been many years since anyone has gone to mine the Ore Stars there.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Is that where all the Sixth-Order and Seventh-Order materials were mined?”
“Most of them are. Of course, a few pieces were found in the outer region. Even though the Ore Stars on the outside are a little lacking in terms of their output, finding Sixth-Order materials is not impossible, just very rare.”
Yang Kai turned to look at her, “I heard that the ore slaves under your subordination are either captives or prisoners of war. In that case, they must not be loyal to you, so how can you ensure that they will not pocket any of the resources they find?”
Luan Bai Feng was frank, “World Force must be consumed in order to mine the Ore Stars. Subsequently, just going deep inside the Black Prison would mean that their World Force is constantly being depleted, so where would they have the spare World Force to dissolve Black Stones once they got there. What’s more, even if they did secretly dissolve some Black Stone, they are still not guaranteed to find anything. Since that’s the case, it’s better for them to exchange for Open Heaven Pills from me using the Black Stone that they’ve mined. If they’re lucky enough and mine enough Black Stone, it’s completely possible for them to exchange enough Open Heaven Pills for their own use.”
It did make sense. The Black Stones may not necessarily contain anything, and the ore slaves would have to spend a lot of effort dissolving even one piece while there was a high chance of getting nothing in return.
For the ore slaves that live here in the Black Prison, every last thread of World Force was extremely precious to them. As for running away… there was little hope of that happening. The Black Territory was surrounded by Natural Arrays. If they were to accidentally trigger one of them, then the chances of surviving were slim to none!
Even compared to the Shattered Heaven, this Black Prison was no less dangerous!
While they spoke, Luan Bai Feng looked up ahead and declared, “We’re here. That Ore Star ahead is the deepest one that my ore slaves have been able to mine so far. No one has ever reached deeper before.”
Looking over, Yang Kai saw a dark Ore Star floating in the void.
This Ore Star was truly not small, even bigger than the Star Boundary itself. Like all the Ore Stars in the Black Territory, it was filled with cracks and pits without any vitality.
Luan Bai Feng led Yang Kai to a certain spot on the Ore Star, and at first glance, he was able to see the traces left behind from a previous mining expedition. Obviously the work of the Sixth-Order ore slaves that were here long ago.
However, even Sixth-Order Open Heaven Masters could not survive long in this environment. In the months and years they spent mining, their World Force never ceased escaping their bodies, weakening the heritage of their Small Universes. In the end, their Small Universe Collapsed, leading to their deaths.
“What are you planning to do now? You’re not planning to mine Black Stone here, are you?” Luan Bai Feng looked askance at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai laughed, “Do you have any other good ideas? If not, then get to work. Don’t tell me that you don’t know how to mine after living here in the Black Prison all these years!”
Luan Bai Feng was furious, “You ran all the way here just so you can mine Black Stone yourself? Are you stupid? Even if you did manage to gain anything out of this, it’s hard to guarantee you’ll be able to get your Sixth-Order Yin-Yang Element materials.”
Yang Kai stroked his chin in thought, “What you say makes sense, but there’s one part where you’re wrong.”
“Where?” Luan Bai Feng frowned.
“You’ll be the one mining Black Stone, not me!” Yang Kai wagged his finger in front of her eyes.
Luan Bai Feng blinked and gawked, “Then what are you going to do?”
Yang Kai said matter-of-factly, “Supervise!”
Luan Bai Feng’s lungs were about to explode from anger, “Keep dreaming! You may kill me, but I won’t allow you to humiliate me!”
“Hurry up and get to it. You know you can’t go against my orders, so why make a fool of yourself?”
Luan Bai Feng glared viciously at him with eyes that seemed like she wanted to eat him alive. It was clear that she was not willing to compromise on this issue.
However, when Yang Kai took out the Loyalty List and gave the order, she had to mine regardless of how reluctant she was. While exerting her Divine Abilities without restraint, sending debris flying everywhere, she cursed through her teeth, feeling extremely aggrieved.
There were a number of ways to mine Black Stone on an Ore Star, and Yang Kai quickly understood after watching for a while.
Since the Black Stone itself can block the probing of one’s Divine Sense, it was easy to see where they were just by spreading out one’s Divine Sense. Wherever the Divine Sense was being blocked, that was where the Black Stone was located. Then, using Secret Techniques, as long as one controlled their strength, they could simply blast apart the surrounding rock to obtain Black Stone.
Luan Bai Feng was a powerful Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so she was naturally efficient at mining Black Stone.
Even though Yang Kai said he was going to supervise, he wasn’t being serious. After observing and studying what Luan Bai Feng was doing for a while, he also began mining.
Only then did Luan Bai Feng’s anger subside slightly.
Now, with their united strength, it took only a short three days for them to mine 100 pieces of Black Stone. According to Luan Bai Feng, her ore slaves would be lucky to get five or six pieces of Black Stone in a single day in a place like this. Usually, they would only come away with a couple of pieces per trip, or even less.
Out of 100 pieces, at most 30% would contain anything, while most of the Black Stone was empty, so Yang Kai just tossed them aside.
In the end, Yang Kai harvested 27 materials from different Orders.
“You can see inside the Black Stone?” Luan Bai Feng looked in shock at Yang Kai.
The two of them had mined over 100 pieces of Black Stone after working for three days, most of which Yang Kai tossed after just a glance. In the end, only 27 pieces were left behind, and all of them contained cultivational materials without exception.
That only proved one thing.
“This is impossible!” Still refusing to believe her eyes, Luan Bai Feng grabbed a piece of Black Stone that Yang Kai had thrown aside. This piece of Black Stone was only the size of a palm, not very large. Circulating her World Force around it, it took only a few moments to dissolve the Black Stone, but there was nothing inside.
“Are you truly able to see into the Black Stones?” With the facts now placed before her eyes, Luan Bai Feng had no other choice but to believe it, “What exactly is that Eye Technique that you’re using?”
Yang Kai did not answer. He only frowned.
Even though he had obtained 27 pieces of cultivation materials, Luan Bai Feng was right. The Order of the materials produced on the deeper Ore Stars were slightly higher than on the outside as three pieces were in the Fifth-Order.
It was unfortunate that they were unable to find any Sixth-Order materials, much less any Sixth-Order Yin or Yang Element materials!
Luan Bai Feng, on the other hand, cheered up unexpectedly, “If you truly can see into the Black Stones, then it will save a lot of time, and the rate of our output will be increased.”
However, Yang Kai shook his head, “It’s too slow!”
Luan Bai Feng was surprised, “You still think it’s too slow? How fast do you want it to be?”
Yang Kai told her, “You and I have been working here for three days, and this is all we got. It is simply not worth the effort.”
Luan Bai Feng frowned, “If you want to get materials of the Sixth-Order Yin and Yang Elements, then it will naturally depend on your luck. You don’t expect this Ore Star to be full of the materials you need, do you?”
“Naturally I never thought so,” Yang Kai shook his head with a frown, “This is just different from what I expected.”
Luan Bai Feng pondered for a moment. Then, she pointed into a certain distance, “Perhaps you can bring your search to an even deeper Ore Star. The one we are standing on now is the farthest my subordinated ore slaves have ever reached. We never went deeper, but there is no saying that the materials found in the Black Stones that are found in the Ore Stars even deeper won’t be of higher Order.”
Yang Kai looked in the direction where she pointed, only to see the void littered with countless Ore Stars of all different sizes. After some thought, he shook his head, “No need. The mining speed with only the two of us is too slow. Who knows when we will be able to find the things I need.”
“This won’t do, that won’t do…” Luan Bai Feng was inexplicably angry, “Then why don’t you go back and bring my ore slaves here to mine? With your Divine Manifestation protecting them, they won’t die in a short amount of time no matter how low their cultivation is. It should be enough to do something, at the very least.”
Yang Kai shook his head. Luan Bai Feng’s suggestion was even less feasible.
He could probably shelter a couple dozen more without any trouble; however, it would be impossible for him to shelter all of her ore slaves. It would consume too much energy if he had to maintain his Divine Manifestation for a long time. What was more, it was impossible for him to stay here forever, sheltering the ore slaves using Towering Evergreen.
He had no idea what the situation in Void Land was right now, so he had to return as soon as possible.
Right now, he had already obtained enough materials for ten people. Including the three sets he had back at Void Land, they had enough resources to meet the needs for thirteen people to advance into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Perhaps he could return for now before waiting slowly for the Black Prison to mine more resources. If he was lucky, then he might be able to find more of the materials that he needed.
However, that thought only entered his mind for a moment before he dismissed it.
Luan Bai Feng had already told him that her personal collection of resources were basically mined from this Ore Star that they were standing on long ago. The rate of any Sixth-Order materials appearing in the outer Ore Stars was simply too low.
Yang Kai sighed, feeling that his way of thinking was too naive.
As he was about to leave, Yang Kai suddenly stopped and turned to look into the void.
Luan Bai Feng looked over in confusion and saw Yang Kai frowning at first. Then, his expression changed. Seemingly having thought of something, his spirit was lifted.
“You…” Luan Bai Feng eyed him warily.
Yang Kai grinned, “Of course! Bringing the ore slaves over is too troublesome, and there’s no way I can shelter them forever; however… we can bring an Ore Star back instead!”
Luan Bai Feng was dumbfounded by his whimsical idea and she narrowed her eyes at him and asked for confirmation, “Bring an Ore Star back?”
Yang Kai was inspired though and explained excitedly, “This strange aura does not exist in the outer region of the Black Prison. At least, not the place where you usually live. If we can bring out an Ore Star from the depths, then it can be mined without fear, and we would not have to worry about our World Force leaking out.”
“You must be crazy…” Luan Bai Feng stared at Yang Kai as if she were looking at a fool, “Why don’t you take one back and show me, then?”
“How would we know that it’s impossible if we don’t try?” Yang Kai rolled up his sleeves and observed the situation ahead, “I noticed it when we arrived here, but there are both big and small Ore Stars in the Black Territory. Naturally, there’s no need for us to even consider bringing back the larger ones, especially since we might not even be able to move them; however, if we could find one at just the right size, we could bring it back.”
“Wait, you’re not joking?” Luan Bai Feng was convinced that Yang Kai was serious now, and she was dumbfounded by that.
“Who’s joking with you?” While saying that, Yang Kai circulated his World Force and wrapped it around Luan Bai Feng, heading deeper into the void.
Since he was determined to bring back an Ore Star, then naturally, the deeper it came from, the better. That was because the boon was richer and the Order of the materials was higher the deeper the Ore Star was.
All along their journey, Luan Bai Feng maintained a dumbfounded expression.
She could hardly keep up with Yang Kai’s whimsical way of thought. After countless years of living in the Black Prison, she had never once considered bringing an Ore Star from the depths of the Black Prison back to the outer periphery, not because she had never thought of this idea, but because it was impossible.
Even with her strength in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, it was difficult to stay in these depths for long, not to mention the fact that the Ore Stars were generally humongous. Who could carry them away?
But not only did Yang Kai have that idea, he was even prepared to give it a try!
On the way, Yang Kai was constantly muttering, “This one’s too big, we probably won’t be able to take it back, but this one’s too small. It will not last long even if we bring it back. It’s simply not worth it. Why isn’t there one that’s neither too big nor too small?”
Annoyed by his constant babbling, Luan Bai Feng rolled her eyes.
It was not known how long they flew through the Black Territory’s depths, but Yang Kai was unable to find a suitable target. Then, at a certain point, a strange aura suddenly penetrated Towering Evergreen’s defensive barrier, instantly enveloping the two of them. Both Yang Kai and Luan Bai Feng grunted in unison. They could feel the World Force inside of their Small Universe flow out of them like a broken floodgate!
Luan Bai Feng’s face changed dramatically!
Yang Kai was also shocked at the sudden change and quickly stopped in his tracks before retreating backwards for 1,000 kilometres!
Still horrified at their encounter, both of them exchanged glances. Luan Bai Feng was first to break the silence as she asked hesitantly, “What just happened?”
Yang Kai shook his head, indicating that he did not know. However, when he checked, 10% of the heritage of his Small Universe had been drained away in that brief moment.
Even though he had no idea how Luan Bai Feng was faring, she must have suffered much more than he did, because even her face had gone slightly pale at this moment. Her aura was unstable, and it was obvious that she had just lost a lot of strength.
“Is it that your Divine Manifestation is unable to stop the encroachment of that aura anymore?” Luan Bai Feng asked tentatively.
Yang Kai quickly shook his head, “If that were the case, then the World Force in our Small Universes would still be flowing out right now.”
“But just now…” Just recalling what happened made Luan Bai Feng shudder. The experience was simply too frightening. Under the envelopment of that aura, she could not help but get the illusion that she was powerless to resist and would be drained of all her strength within a few breaths.
Yang Kai looked into the distance, “There must be a critical point that if we pass, even my Divine Manifestation won’t be able to defend against the Black Territory’s power!” He shook his head, “We can’t go any deeper than this. This is my limit. If we go any deeper, then both of us will die!”
He felt shocked inside. What exactly was the strange aura that was present in the Black Territory that even the Divine Manifestation he cultivated from the Immortal Tree’s essence was unable to resist against it? It had to be known that his Towering Evergreen could even pass through the formless Astral Wind without issue, but could this aura actually be even more dangerous than the innate Divine Ability of the formless Astral Wind?
“You’ve been in charge of this place for so many years, how could you not know what is inside the Black Territory’s depths?” Yang Kai frowned.
Luan Bai Feng shook her head, “Without you, it would be impossible even for me to reach this deep.”
“It seems like there’s a big secret hidden inside of this Black Territory!” Yang Kai sighed.
However, no matter what might be hidden up ahead, Yang Kai would naturally not step over the line again now that he knew where it was. It would not be too long to wait until his cultivation was higher to explore the secrets hidden deep inside of the Black Territory.
“You should recover your energy for now. I’ll see if I can find a suitable Ore Star. I might need your help when that time comes,” Yang Kai ordered.
Luan Bai Feng did not stand on ceremony and took out handfuls of Open Heaven Pills, swallowing them as she began refining them in order to make up for what she lost just now.
Even though Yang Kai also lost some energy, his heritage was much greater than Luan Bai Feng’s, so losing that much energy did not impede him from continuing his search.
He travelled in all directions, constantly searching.
However, he searched and searched, but still could not find a suitable Ore Star. All of them were either too large, making it too troublesome to take them away, or too small, making it not worth the effort to begin with.
Two days later, when Luan Bai Feng opened her eyes again, her complexion was rosier. Obviously, she was able to recover some of her strength.
“Did you find anything?” She looked at Yang Kai and asked.
Even though she had been meditating in order to restore her energy this whole time, she was not completely oblivious to what was happening around her. She could sense all of Yang Kai’s movements the past two days, and she could vaguely feel that Yang Kai had come to some sort of decision.
“Here, come and take a look with your Eye Secret Technique. What sort of Spirit Array is that?” Yang Kai pointed to a certain direction in the void. He could see that there were traces of an Array using his Demon Eye of Annihilation, but his proficiency in the Dao of Spirit Arrays was not high enough to determine what type of Array it was.
Luan Bai Feng immediately activated her Eye Technique, and after studying it for a short moment, she said, “It should be an Illusion Array!”
“An Illusion Array!” Yang Kai frowned. Then, he brought her to another place and pointed to the void in the front, “What about this one?”
Luan Bai Feng observed it for a moment before responding “This is a Trapping Array!”
Yang Kai shook his head and brought her to another place.
“This is a Killing Array, and… I can’t decipher it, we’d better stay away from it. If we get caught up in it, then it would be disastrous for both of us.” A purple light flowed in Luan Bai Feng’s eyes as she observed the area in the distance.
However, Yang Kai seemed cheerful to hear her answer, “This is it!”
Saying so, he dragged Luan Bai Feng along and flew off into the distance.
“What are you trying to do?” Luan Bai Feng could not resist the urge to ask. Previously, Yang Kai had the whimsical idea of bringing back an Ore Star with him, and now, he was looking for a specific Spirit Array for some reason. The way his thoughts jumped around was truly unpredictable.
Yang Kai replied casually, “Most of the Ore Stars here are too large for the two of us to bring back alone, so we have to think of another way.”
As they were talking, the two of them arrived before an Ore Star. Luan Bai Feng looked at the Ore Star and sneered, “So your idea is to bring such a small one back? Fine. This one is small, but it will take about a month to mine. Maybe we can get something good out of it.”
Yang Kai did not speak and just took a deep breath. Even though air did not exist in this void, Yang Kai’s chest still swelled up from his actions.
A Dragon Roar suddenly reverberated in Luan Bai Feng’s mind, and Dragon Pressure spread out, which shocked her greatly. After that, a crackle could be heard and Luan Bai Feng could not help but feel her vision lifting constantly.
There, in plain view, she saw Yang Kai covered in a golden light, and in a very short amount of time, he transformed into a literal giant. He had Dragon Scales from head to toe, sharp Dragon Claws, and a swaying Dragon Tail. A Dragon Beard fluttered under his jaw, and there were even two Dragon Horns growing atop his forehead. A terrifying pressure pressed down on her chest like a giant mountain, making her tremble with unease.
Luan Bai Feng’s vision could not help but freeze. Before this giant that stood several thousand metres tall, Luan Bai Feng simply felt as little as an ant.
Yang Kai looked down at her and leaned down slightly, extending a giant Dragon Claw to her and shouted majestically, “Climb up!”
Looking at the claw, which was countless times larger than her own body caused Luan Bai Feng to gulp regardless of her tough mental fortitude. Stiffly, she raised her feet and stepped onto Yang Kai’s palm.
Yang Kai straightened up again and gently placed Luan Bai Feng on her shoulder before urging, “Stay close to me. Don’t stray too far!”
Luan Bai Feng immediately grabbed onto one of the raised Dragon Scales on Yang Kai’s shoulder and nodded repeatedly, just like a naive but docile little girl.
Without the shelter of Yang Kai’s Wood Element Divine Manifestation in these depths, it would not take long for the World Force to be drained from her body entirely, so there was no need for Yang Kai to command her as she would stick close to him regardless.
However, Yang Kai’s actions gave her a vague awareness that he was going to be doing something big soon.
And that was exactly what happened. Hot Dragon Breath blowing in and out of Yang Kai’s nostrils, he shook his head faintly and stretched out his hand, summoning a spear into it.
The Azure Dragon Spear had also become incomparably large at this moment.
With a light shake of the Azure Dragon Spear, Yang Kai circulated his energy and thrust the spear out towards the small Ore Star.
The void shook as dazzling spear light erupted out.
Luan Bai Feng even wondered whether the Ore Star would immediately shatter into pieces under this thrust.
However, Yang Kai clearly did not mean to blow up the Ore Star before him. So, he thrust his spear with just enough force that when it was applied to the Ore Star, the latter shook violently and began moving forward!
All the Ore Stars in the Black Territory were stationary relative to each other, yet Yang Kai’s power had been so violent in that moment that it was enough to push forward an Ore Star of such a scale.
However, the speed was not very fast!
Yang Kai followed the Ore Star and thrust his spear forward again.
Again and again he prodded the Ore Star with his spear, and the repeated blows made the small Ore Star go faster and faster! Luan Bai Feng could clearly see that Yang Kai was not only pushing the Ore Star forward with his own strength, but also adjusting the direction of its advancement.
Surprised, she looked up to see a massive Ore Star up ahead! It was obstructing Yang Kai’s path, so if this went on, then the two Ore Stars would collide sooner or later.
Luan Bai Feng suddenly came to her senses, “Are you trying to break apart that big Ore Star using this smaller one?”
After gaining an understanding of what he was trying to do, Luan Bai Feng could not help but feel shocked by Yang Kai’s crazy ideas. This was a method she had never thought of before; of course, she did not have the means to even execute it either.
It was not worthwhile to bring a small Ore Star back with them, and they could not move the large Ore Stars. However, if the big Ore Star can be broken into smaller pieces, then it might be just right for him.
Under Yang Kai’s successive pushes, the small Ore Star was able to reach a certain speed. Suddenly, he collected his spear and stopped in place, looking ahead and shaking his head, “The size difference between them is too great. The larger Ore Star won’t be broken by it.”
Luan Bai Feng frowned, “If you knew that, then why are you still wasting your effort?”
Yang Kai grinned, but he did not explain.
As if to verify Yang Kai’s words, the small Ore Star soon collided with the surface of the large Ore Star. There was no sound, but they could see a huge circle of dust rise up from where they collided as the small Ore Star was shattered by the impact. A huge crater had also appeared on the surface of the large Ore Star that was surrounded by cracks.
Under the transmission of such a terrifying force, the large Ore Star, which had been sitting still in the void, began moving forward at a considerable speed.
“It worked!” Yang Kai’s brows were raised in joy.
[What worked?] Luan Bai Feng did not understand; however, when she looked up again, her pupils suddenly shrank.
The direction that it was going was exactly the large Killing Array that she identified before!
“So that’s what you’re trying to do!” Luan Bai Feng finally understood. Yang Kai’s series of actions confused her, and it wasn’t until now that she finally realized what he was trying to accomplish. She could not help but frown, “Are you so sure that the Killing Array will work?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “There’s no way to be sure, but we have to try regardless. Naturally, it would be for the best if it worked, but otherwise… We can just bring back a small Ore Star. It’s better than nothing!”
Since he had already said so, Luan Bai Feng had no choice but to listen.
The large Ore Star did not move nearly as fast as the small one. Despite the force transferred onto it from the collision earlier, it was still a very large Ore Star, so it was naturally impossible for it to gain much speed from that. In the vastness of the void, it did not seem that far away from the Killing Array, but it still flew for several hours before slowly arriving at its destination.
Luan Bai Feng activated her Eye Secret Technique with interest and began observing the situation.
Regardless of Yang Kai’s ultimate goal, she was very interested in the Spirit Arrays located deep within the Black Territory, and she wanted to know what sort of magnificent sight would erupt from it when something triggered it. Perhaps, she could take this as an opportunity to explore the profound mysteries of the Spirit Arrays located in these depths.
Yang Kai was also paying close attention. His goal was to bring back one of the Ore Stars here, but since he could not take back one that was too large, he had to find a way to make it smaller. In the end, whether his goal could be achieved or not, he was not very sure.
He only hoped that the might of the Killing Array was not too much, but also not too weak either.
Under the careful observation of the two, the large Ore Star finally rushed straight into the Killing Array’s range.
Lights of all colours suddenly emerged in the clearly empty void. At the same time, both Yang Kai and Luan Bai Feng could clearly feel a destructive aura releasing from inside the Killing Array. It was as if a sleeping Dragon was disturbed by an unexpected guest and awakened from its slumber in a rage.
Silently, the large Ore Star seemed to suffer an indescribable blast. Dust rose up from the surface as large swaths of the surface were shredded off. One after another, long cracks spanning millions of kilometres appeared out of thin air.
The entire Ore Star shrank at a rate visible to the naked eye as every inch of its surface was attacked indiscriminately.
As the Ore Star travelled deeper, the power of the Killing Array was stimulated further. The energy fluctuations coming from that place grew stronger and more terrifying by the moment. The Ore Star was becoming smaller and smaller, and in just a dozen breaths of time, it had shrunk by a large amount. Inside of the Killing Array, the barren mountains and land separated from the Ore Star drifted about and were ground into dust under the destructive force.
Luan Bai Feng’s face was slightly pale, and the purple light flowing in her eyes had also reached its brightest point. She muttered to herself, “Incredible. This power… It’s simply unfathomable!”
Yang Kai also had a very solemn expression at this moment. Even though Luan Bai Feng always stressed that the Arrays present deep within the Black Territory were very strong, it wasn’t until now that he understood just how much he underestimated them after seeing it with his own eyes.
Such a terrifying Killing Array would kill even him in less than ten breaths.
Suddenly, a bright light blossomed. Just like a stunning sword wave, it cut through the Ore Star and disappeared in a flash, but what shocked Yang Kai and Luan Bai Feng was the fact that the entire Ore Star had been split into two after the light passed through it!
The Ore Star… was actually split apart!
One side was clearly bigger than the other, but the cut was still almost clean!
The larger part was about 70% of the Ore Star, while the smaller part made up the rest. The cut was so neat and smooth that it seemed as if it had been sliced with a knife!
The Killing Array was still in full bloom, so the two halves of the Ore Star continued to shrink in size.
It took a while before the explosive force of the Grand Array slowly subsided.
“The Killing Array has been exhausted!” Luan Bai Feng breathed a sigh of relief.
Yang Kai could sense it, too. Even though his Demon Eye of Annihilation had no way of discerning what type a Spirit Array was, he could still detect some of its traces.
The traces of the Killing Array that previously existed there had been extinguished, which undoubtedly meant that it had been destroyed. However, the price it paid was that the huge Ore Star was worn down and cut into two pieces.
However, this was exactly what Yang Kai hoped to see, so everything was still going according to plan.
Maintaining his Half-Dragon Form, Yang Kai rushed to the larger half of the Ore Star and pressed the tip of his Azure Dragon Spear to one of its sides, shouting, “Help me!”
Luan Bai Feng understood what he wanted to do and shifted over, raising her hand to press the end of the Azure Dragon Spear to give Yang Kai a boost!
The Ore Star had been split into two after it fell into the Killing Array’s range. Yang Kai did not bother with the smaller half and allowed it to float about freely. Perhaps its fate was to end up in one of the other Arrays, eventually being reduced to nothingness.
The remaining piece was the larger one. After being cut and shaven down, it was less than half of the original size of the Ore Star, but it was just perfect for them to bring back.
In his Half-Dragon Form, Yang Kai possessed immense physical strength, but even with Luan Bai Feng’s added help, it still took them a lot of effort in order to change the Ore Star’s direction of movement.
After a few moments of continuous pushing, Yang Kai said, “It’s almost there.”
While saying that, he landed on the Ore Star in a flash while bringing Luan Bai Feng along, allowing the Ore Star to fly forward. He did not dare to speed up the pace that the Ore Star was moving at further; after all, there would be many Arrays on their way back. He still had to adjust the direction at certain points, and if the Ore Star was moving too quick, then it would be too late to stop it if a dangerous Array were to appear in front of them.
Yang Kai took out some Open Heaven Pills, swallowed them down, and refined them in order to restore his strength, all the while looking thoughtfully behind him.
Luan Bai Feng was also focused on recovering her strength. Even though she only exerted a little bit of energy from beginning to end, it still took a lot of effort in order to change the trajectory of the broken Ore Star.
“What are you looking at?” Luan Bai Feng followed Yang Kai’s gaze and asked curiously.
Though he bordered on what she would define as crazy, she held much admiration for Yang Kai after seeing what he was able to achieve. If everything went well, then it would take less than a month for them to bring this broken piece of Ore Star back to the outer periphery. Then, she could bring her ore slaves over to mine the Black Stones in peace.
However, Yang Kai was perhaps the only person who could achieve such a feat. As for others, they may not be able to do it even if they were in the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm. Before meeting Yang Kai, she had never seen anyone that was able to stop the encroachment of the strange aura present in the Black Territory before.
“Your attainments in the Dao of Spirit Arrays are not low. Were you able to discover anything from that Killing Array just now?” Yang Kai released his Dragon Transformation Secret Technique and returned to his original form.
Luan Bai Feng pondered for a moment before responding solemnly, “Did you see something?”
“If I could see something, then why would I still have to ask you?” Yang Kai slowly shook his head, “However, I have the nagging feeling that the Killing Array was not as simple as it seemed… That light at the end looked very much like a sword wave!”
“A sword wave?” Luan Bai Feng was stunned. She had an expression of uncertainty, “You’re not trying to say that Killing Array was man-made, are you?”
Yang Kai muttered thoughtfully, “If that truly was a sword wave, then I’m afraid it might be man-made.”
“Impossible!” Luan Bai Feng shook her head, “The might of that Killing Array is too terrifying. Who would be able to set such a terrifying Spirit Array? And, even if it were man-made, who would have the time to do something so meaningless? Don’t forget, there are Natural Arrays present all throughout the Black Territory.”
“That’s right!” Yang Kai nodded, “There are so many Arrays that, if someone truly did arrange one here, it would be shocking indeed.” After a pause, he added, “And also, you have been staying here for so many years, yet you have never understood what this strange aura that fills the Black Territory is, correct?”
Luan Bai Feng did not deny it, “I tried to study it at first, but I couldn’t figure out any clues.”
Yang Kai frowned, “I heard before coming here that this Black Prison was a natural prison. Is that a rumour that spread after you took over this territory, or has that been around since the beginning?”
“It has been called that since long ago. It has nothing to do with me being here.” Luan Bai Feng also frowned, “What are you trying to say?”
Yang Kai looked pensive, “I’m not sure either, but since the saying that this Black Prison was a natural prison had been circulated since a long time ago, if this place truly was a prison, were any prisoners held here in the past? Then, could it be possible that those Natural Arrays that we saw are actually…”
Luan Bai Feng shuddered, “Don’t say any more. Just thinking about it gives me goosebumps.”
Yang Kai chuckled, “What’re you worried about? We’re just having a casual chat. Of course, these are all just speculation and do not mean anything.”
Luan Bai Feng’s face looked grim, “If it truly was as you said, then what kind of prisoners are being held in the depths of the Black Prison that require so many layers of Arrays to restrict them? How terrifying must their cultivation be?”
Yang Kai stroked his chin in thought, “That is true. If there truly existed someone so terrifying, then there was no way that they would be captured. Maybe I was just overthinking it.”
Luan Bai Feng looked deeply at him and suddenly burst into a fit of anger, “Are you trying to scare me?”
Yang Kai snickered, “You yourself have small guts and you’re trying to blame others?”
Without waiting for Luan Bai Feng to snap back at him, he ordered, “Enough chit-chat. Hurry up and watch the front. If we accidentally crash into an Array, it would be too late to cry then.”
“You’re the one who’s going to cry!” Luan Bai Feng was pissed; however, despite how she reacted, she still activated her Eye Secret Technique and looked towards the void in front.
Along the way, they encountered all sorts of Arrays of all different types, but whether it be Yang Kai or Luan Bai Feng, they both had Eye Secret Techniques that could detect their presence early on, so they were able to change the direction of the Ore Star in advance.
Though the journey ahead was fraught with trouble, they did not encounter any actual risk.
A full month later, the two finally returned to the outer periphery of the Black Territory. The main reason it took so long was because they did not dare to speed up the Ore Star too much in case there were any incidents that they were unable to deal with in time.
It took a lot of effort for the two of them to stop the Ore Star just 10,000 kilometres away from the main shattered Spirit Province, despite it already having lost half of its initial speed during their trip. As soon as the Ore Star was in place, Luan Bai Feng sent out a command.
An incense stick of time later, Xin Peng led a group of Open Heaven Realm Masters over.
After landing on the broken Ore Star fragment, all of them were shocked beyond words. They had been living here for countless years, so they knew well what the situation was like in the outer periphery; however, it had been many years since any unmined Ore Star had existed in this outer region. All of them have been mined beyond recognition, and some had even shattered into dust.
So, the sudden emergence of a craggy Ore Star was naturally surprising.
“Warden, this is…” Xin Peng looked around curiously and confirmed that this Ore Star that he was standing on was one that he had never seen before.
“This is the Ore Star that Bai Feng and I brought from the Black Territory’s depths,” Yang Kai gave a casual explanation.
Luan Bai Feng immediately turned over to glare at him. Being called ‘Bai Feng’ did not sit right with her.
Many of the Open Heaven Realm Masters’ mouths hung open, all of them stunned as if they could not believe their ears.
Yang Kai did not explain much either, he just turned to Luan Bai Feng and said, “Call over all your ore slaves and tell them to begin mining.”
Luan Bai Feng snorted in response, but she still passed down the order. A few moments later, many Open Heaven Realm Masters took off, clearly in preparation to bring the ore slaves over.
Looking over at her, Yang Kai asked, “How long do you think this Ore Star will last?”
Luan Bai Feng thought about the answer for a moment before answering, “It should last for at least two or three years. The environment here is comfortable, and there is no need for the ore slaves to worry about their World Force leaking, so they will be able to dedicate more time and energy to mining.”
“Two to three years… That sounds about right,” Yang Kai nodded.
Even though what he brought back was less than half of the original size of the Ore Star, there should be a good amount of cultivation materials present within it. After all, this Ore Star came from very deep within the Black Territory. It should not lack Sixth-Order materials, and there was the possibility of finding materials of the Seventh-Order or even Eighth-Order…
As long as they could fully mine this Ore Star, it should be enough for Void Land’s use for the time being.
Once the day came when this Ore Star was exhausted, there was no harm in running into the depths once more to bring back another in the same way. Now that he had Luan Bai Feng serving him, the entirety of the Black Prison was his personal treasury. Other than him, no one had the right to put their hands on the resources found deep inside of the Black Prison.
“Since everything is settled, I will return to Void Land. I’ll leave the rest to you to handle. Head to Void Land once every half year and hand me the mined materials,” Yang Kai ordered.
Luan Bai Feng was surprised, “Leaving already?”
Yang Kai smirked, “Have you grown attached to me already?”
“As if!” Luan Bai Feng spat, but then she simmered down a little, “But isn’t your Void Land in conflict with Zuo Quan Hui right now? It can’t be easy dealing with a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, right?”
Yang Kai nodded gravely, “Yes. The strength of a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master is truly powerful.” Recalling his fight with Zuo Quan Hui previously, he had to admit that there was a huge gap between himself and a Master in the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm. Last time, he was only able to injure Zuo Quan Hui with his Sun and Moon Divine Wheel because the latter was careless. If they were to fight again, and if Zuo Quan Hui was any more prepared than he was before, it would make it very difficult for Yang Kai to injure him again.
Luan Bai Feng quickly said, “I’ll go with you. I’m still a Sixth-Order Master, at the very least. I should be able to provide you with some help.”
Yang Kai looked at her in surprise, not expecting such an offer from her.
However, he had no intention of bringing Luan Bai Feng away from here. Void Land had 9 Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, so having one extra wouldn’t make much difference. Right now, the matter of gathering resources in the Black Prison was his top priority, so he wanted Luan Bai Feng to keep watch here.
“You’re not that loyal, are you?” Yang Kai grinned at her.
Luan Bai Feng snorted, “What good would it do me if you were to die? That’s why I have to keep an eye on you.”
It was easy to garner that she had been insincere just from this sentence alone. From her words and expression, Yang Kai instantly understood why she would take the initiative to offer her help.
Perhaps the bold speculation that he made on their way back from the Black Prison’s depths had scared her a bit, and now this woman didn’t feel safe here, which was why she was in such a hurry to leave with him.
To be honest, that speculation was just a casual thought Yang Kai had. Even he felt that the idea was ridiculous, but he did not expect Luan Bai Feng to take it so seriously.
“If you leave, then what about…” Yang Kai frowned.
Luan Bai Feng reminded, “Xin Peng has already signed your Loyalty List, so there is no need for you to worry if you keep him here to oversee the mining process. Later, I will teach him all the techniques required to enter and leave the Black Prison, and in case anything happens, he will report to you.”
She had already arranged everything, so Yang Kai could not refuse her. What’s more, Luan Bai Feng was a veteran Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master with excellent combat capabilities he could make use of if he brought her back. So, he eventually nodded, “In that case, we shall act according to your suggestion.”
Immediately, Luan Bai Feng called Xin Peng over and said a few words to him. She also handed him several jade tokens.
Flying Smoke Territory was the Great Territory adjacent to Void Territory, so the two could be considered neighbours.
There was a Second Class great force located in Flying Smoke Territory that was not considered too strong, Flying Smoke Temple, and it was from them that Flying Smoke Territory’s name came about. The Temple Master of Flying Smoke Temple was called Yu Xiu Shan, a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
When Seven Wonder Land occupied Void Territory, they had many conflicts with this Flying Smoke Territory. Such feuds between neighbouring Great Territories were common in the 3,000 Worlds.
Back then, Seven Wonders Land’s foundation was severely damaged when Xu Huang wrestled control of their Grand Array away from them. Even several of their Protector Venerables were killed. Qi Qiao Heavenly Monarch was also severely injured in that event. Naturally, Flying Smoke Temple was unwilling to miss this opportunity to attack. Yu Xiu Shan gathered all his troops to march against Seven Wonders Land before they could recover and slaughtered them.
Yang Kai had just returned from the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary at that time and was being hunted down by Scarlet Star’s Head Manager Zhao Bai Chuan and his men. Nearing the end of his rope, Yang Kai remembered Seven Wonders Land, so he used the Array Jade given to him by Xu Huang before the latter’s death to sneak into the shopping district of Seven Wonders Land.
Somehow, Zhao Bai Chuan and his men, who were in pursuit of Yang Kai, ended up conspiring with Yu Xiu Shan to attack Seven Wonders Land, killing all their Open Heaven Realm Masters and seizing control of their land.
Yu Xiu Shan had his foundation in Flying Smoke Territory, so he naturally would not stay in Seven Wonders Territory for long, so he ended up returning with a large amount of loot. Zhao Bai Chuan and the others stayed in Seven Wonders Land, planning to use it as a base to revive Scarlet Star.
Unfortunately for Zhao Bai Chuan, his beautiful dream was cut short when Yang Kai led his men out of the shadows to attack them, catching Scarlet Star’s survivors off guard and unprepared.
After that battle, most of Scarlet Star’s members either died or escaped, leaving only Chen Tian Fei behind who had even offered up the Loyalty List to keep his life.
It was then that Yang Kai took over Seven Wonders Land and became its new ruler, later renaming it Void Land.
Looking back on it now, Flying Smoke Temple and Yu Xiu Shan actually had a lot of merit in Yang Kai’s successful takeover of Void Land. Only, Yu Xiu Shan had no idea what he had done at that time.
Subsequently, Void Land emerged and rapidly grew in prestige. Yu Xiu Shan had also come to Void Land himself in order to meet Yang Kai and try to form connections with him; after all, they were neighbours so it would make everything more convenient to have a good relationship. However, Yang Kai was mostly cultivating in retreat or outside, so Yu Xiu Shan failed to meet him even after visiting twice.
When Heavenly Sword Union led the Hundred Sects Alliance to attack Void Land, Flying Smoke Temple also participated, but during that fight, Yu Xiu Shan was beaten back until he was thoroughly traumatized.
The result was needless to say. Kong Feng died during the battle, and the Hundred Sects Alliance collapsed. Flying Smoke Temple also suffered heavy losses, with Yu Xiu Shan fleeing with heavy injuries.
Flying Smoke Temple was one of the great forces that took the initiative to come to Yang Kai’s door to apologize. They scraped together everything they could afford as an offering, and fortunately for them, Void Land had no intention of settling accounts. Everyone in Flying Smoke Temple lived nervously for several years before they finally began to breathe a bit easier.
Yang Kai led Luan Bai Feng all the way from the Black Territory back to his territory through the Flying Smoke Territory route.
Currently, Yang Kai and Luan Bai Feng were both concealing their auras and figures as they stood several thousands of kilometres away from the Territory Gate, watching over the situation there.
This Territory Gate was the one connecting Flying Smoke Territory and Void Territory. In other words, they need only pass through this Territory Gate to arrive at Void Territory.
However, there were several great ships just outside of the Territory Gate at this moment, but not passing through it.
Yang Kai could clearly see that these great ships were trying to block off the Territory Gate. He saw a ship head over to pass the Territory Gate but was stopped by the great ships forming the blockade.
Both sides seemed to have gone through a simple discussion, then the ship had no choice but to turn back.
Yang Kai frowned at this sight. He had the vague sense that this had to have something to do with Zuo Quan Hui. He had only left Void Territory for half a year and the situation had seemingly changed again.
As for what exactly that change was, he could not say for now.
A little less than half a year should be enough time for Zuo Quan Hui to recover. He had eaten a big loss last time, and even lost his Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Disciple, Zhou Ti, at Yang Kai’s hands. Now, he would definitely try to take revenge.
“Follow the ship and find out what exactly happened.” Yang Kai could not go himself, so he had no choice but to order Luan Bai Feng to head over.
Luan Bai Feng spat disdainfully, but she still flew out obediently.
Yang Kai waited in place for more than two hours before seeing Luan Bai Feng return.
“What’s the situation?” Yang Kai asked.
Luan Bai Feng said with a strange expression, “Those ships blocking off the Territory Gate are Heavenly Sword Union’s ships. They say that nobody who wishes to enter Void Land is allowed to pass.”
“Heavenly Sword Union?” Yang Kai raised his brow, “Why have those trash jumped out again? What are they blocking off the Territory Gate for?”
He was now burning with rage. When Heavenly Sword Union led the Hundred Sects Alliance to attack Void Land, basically all of the great forces involved had come to apologize with gifts after he razed Boundless Altar and Golden Rainbow Province to the ground. Only Heavenly Sword Union did not make any noise about the matter.
Yang Kai was busy with Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s Dao Theory Assembly previously, so he had wanted to wait until it ended before dealing with Heavenly Sword Union, only to be delayed by Zuo Quan Hui who came over to give him trouble, ending up in him being caught in his current mess. Naturally, he had no time to care about a trivial Heavenly Sword Union.
However, Yang Kai never expected that the latter would come to his doorstep to flaunt their presence before he could even do anything.
Luan Bai Feng looked at him with a deep gaze, “Do you know who the current Union Master of Heavenly Sword Union is?”
Yang Kai could not help but frown when faced with her strange tone, “Who?”
“Zuo Quan Hui!” Luan Bai Feng muttered.
Yang Kai was taken aback for a moment, but he quickly understood, “The enemy of an enemy is a friend, is it? Zuo Quan Hui ‘rebelled’ from Thousand Cranes Paradise, and with his Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation, he is more than qualified to become the Union Master of Heavenly Sword Union. Obviously, Heavenly Sword Union could want for nothing than to be under a Master like him. That means those bastards are colluding!”
Luan Bai Feng nodded, “Now that Zuo Quan Hui is the Union Master of Heavenly Sword Union, the people of Heavenly Sword Union will naturally obey his orders. The reason they are blocking off this Territory Gate is so that they can stop any outsiders from entering Void Territory in order to cut off the foundation of your Star City.”
Yang Kai coldly snorted, “That man has wicked ideas, but what use is this? It’s not like this Territory Gate is the only one to my Void Territory! It’s not as if his Heavenly Sword Union has blocked off all the Territory Gates, right?”
Luan Bai Feng shook his head, “There’s no need to block off all of them. They only need to show their stance and spread the news.”
“What do you mean?” Yang Kai frowned. Even though he was stronger than Luan Bai Feng and had forced her to submit using the Loyalty List, Yang Kai could not compare with her in terms of experience and vision in the 3,000 Worlds.
After all, she was a veteran Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master with many centuries of experience. Compared to Yang Kai, a fresh face in the Outer Universe, she would often have the ability to see farther.
Luan Bai Feng explained, “Zuo Quan Hui is one of Thousand Cranes Paradise’s Inner Elders. With his Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation, his name echoes loudly across the 3,000 Worlds. On the other hand, your Void Land is nothing more than a rising star. Even though you do have some reputation, most of it is only based on your Star City’s specialty products. Tell me, if the two of you clash, who will the outsiders lean towards?”
Yang Kai frowned, “Naturally it would be Zuo Quan Hui, the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.”
Luan Bai Feng nodded, “En. A High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master can exert more power than just their own personal strength. There is also the terrifying connections and imposingness that they have built up over the years. If it were anyone else, how could Heavenly Sword Union give up the position of Union Master so easily? However, Zuo Quan Hui was able to obtain it at will, which shows the trust that Heavenly Sword Union has in him. Now that he has become the Union Master of Heavenly Sword Union and has come to block the Territory Gate of Void Territory, he’s trying to tell the world at large that he intends to go to war with Void Land. How do you think people will react if they find out? How do you think the merchants in your Star City will react?”
Yang Kai’s expression darkened.
Luan Bai Feng continued, “Zuo Quan Hui is smart. This way, he can isolate your Void Land without sacrificing a single soldier, and your Void Land’s resource supply will be cut off. Perhaps, even your Star City will find it hard to maintain itself over time. You have so many people in Void Land and all of them need to cultivate, do they not? Without resources, how are they going to do that? No matter how many resources Void Land has accumulated, it will eventually run dry.
“Cunning old bastard!” Yang Kai ground his teeth, “He truly has a wicked mind!”
“It’s an open conspiracy!” Luan Bai Feng said bluntly, “Even if you know his intentions, there is nothing you can do to stop it, unless your reputation can overshadow his! That is why he does not need to block off all of Void Territory’s entrances. He just needs to make a show here, and the news will soon spread all throughout the 3,000 Worlds.”
Yang Kai coldly snorted, “My Void Land is no soft persimmon either. If he wants to gnaw on my Void Land, then first let’s see whether he has strong enough teeth for it.”
Luan Bai Feng nodded repeatedly, “I know your Void Land has two great Divine Spirits to watch over it, but that old man Bi Xi is not mobile, so he won’t be able to do much in such a situation. The only one you can count on now is that Heavenly Moon Demon Spider. If she makes a move against Zuo Quan Hui, then your situation will naturally be solved.”
The corners of Yang Kai’s brow twitched. Just thinking about Zhu Jiu Yin filled his stomach with grievances.
With her identity as his Protector now voided, Zhu Jiu Yin had become even more fickle than before. She would rather see him suffer than to care about him at all. If she had been willing to join the fight last time, then how could Zuo Quan Hui have escaped from Void Land?
However, Yang Kai also knew what Zhu Jiu Yin was worried about. It was not a matter as simple as whether she joined the fight or not; after all, Zuo Quan Hui was from Thousand Cranes Paradise. If she were to kill Zuo Quan Hui, then she would definitely have to worry that Thousand Cranes Paradise would come to settle accounts with her in the future.
No matter how strong a Divine Spirit was, they were not invincible. Take the Eighth-Order Masters of the major Cave Heavens and Paradises, which one of them was any weaker compared to a mature Divine Spirit? Zhu Jiu Yin had come from the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary and had no foundation to speak of at all in the outside world. If she were truly to catch the eye of Thousand Cranes Paradise, then her days would not be easy.
After a deep thought, Yang Kai asked, “How long has it been since Zuo Quan Hui became Heavenly Sword Union’s Union Master?”
“It should be several months now,” Luan Bai Feng answered.
[Several months…]
That was to say that Zuo Quan Hui left for Heavenly Sword Union to recuperate after being injured by him. It seemed that he had long intended to bring Heavenly Sword Union under him.
It did make sense. Void Land did not possess any Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, but they did have plenty in the Sixth-Order. After Zhou Ti died, there was that Sixth-Order female disciple and the three from the Prison Star among Zuo Quan Hui’s subordinates on that level. Even though they were all strong, they were lacking in numbers, and it was necessary for him to rely on external forces. In this case, Heavenly Sword Union was undoubtedly the best choice…
“You worked with Kong Feng before. Do you have any idea how many Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters there are in Heavenly Sword Union?” Yang Kai asked. The biggest advantage that Void Land had right now was their superior numbers of Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. If even that advantage was nullified, the situation would become tricky.
“On the surface, only four appear to show themselves. Right now, two have died, so only two are supposedly left. However, Heavenly Sword Union has a long history, so it is hard to say exactly how many Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters they are hiding in the shadows. Those Sixth-Order Masters in hiding are old veterans who spend all their time cultivating in retreat, their goal to spy into the path of the Seventh-Order.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly. Heavenly Sword Union was one of the top Second Class great forces, so the number of Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm members they have will definitely not be too small; after all, even Golden Rainbow Province had a hidden Old Ancestor. When Yang Kai attacked Golden Rainbow Province, Li Luo Shui had just broken through to the Seventh Order and almost made him eat a big loss.
Compared to Golden Rainbow Province, Heavenly Sword Union had an even deeper and broader heritage, so it was not strange for them to be hiding some old monsters.
It seemed Zuo Quan Hui’s strength had greatly increased after receiving Heavenly Sword Union’s full support. Even with more Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, it was likely that Void Land would not have that much of an advantage anymore.
Yang Kai pursed his lips, feeling a headache setting in. Sure enough, beating the snake to death to avoid future calamity comes along with endless consequences.
“Also, you must not forget. Zuo Quan Hui has his own connections, too. The people that Void Land has to fight in the future will not only be Heavenly Sword Union. There is most likely going to be more.”
Yang Kai nodded grimly.
“What are you planning to do?” Luan Bai Feng turned to look at him.
“Let me think about it!” Yang Kai fell into deep thought. From the looks of this situation, Void Land and Heavenly Sword Union had yet to break out into an open conflict. When Zuo Quan Hui infiltrated Void Territory to set up an ambush, firstly, he did not expect Void Land to be so strong, and secondly, it was because he had absolute confidence in his own strength.
There was no way a Seventh-Order Master would slip up trying to plot against one in the Sixth-Order.
However, Void Land’s heritage gave him a huge surprise, and Yang Kai’s abilities were also far beyond what he imagined possible. In the end, not only did he fail in his plot, he even lost a Sixth-Order Disciple and was wounded in the process.
Now that he controlled Heavenly Sword Union, the power Zuo Quan Huai could mobilize was far greater than just the subordinates he brought before, yet he did not send any troops to Void Land. That was obviously because he was also concerned about the two Divine Spirits keeping watch over Void Land, but mainly, he was worried about Zhu Jiu Yin!
It seemed that Zhu Jiu Yin still had some use even without having to lift a finger. At the very least, her presence was a deterrent that was enough to keep Zuo Quan Hui from acting rashly.
Otherwise, there was no need for him to block off the Territory Gate. Zuo Quan Hui could have just led his men into Void Territory like last time and started a war.
Combined with what Luan Bai Feng told him before, Yang Kai now vaguely understood what Zuo Quan Hui’s plans were. He was truly prepared to swallow up Void Land. There are so many people in Void Land that even if all they did was sit idly and ate on their mountains, they would one day run out of resources. When that time came, they would be forced to go out by themselves, and that would be the best time for him to make a move.
Considering all this, Yang Kai was actually quite relieved. This was also what he wanted to see. The longer the fight dragged on, the greater the advantage would be for Void Land!
Licking his lips, Yang Kai looked up at Luan Bai Feng, “You were planning to help Zuo Quan Hui, weren’t you?”
Luan Bai Feng fidgeted, “That’s right. If I follow a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, then even if I can’t taste the meat, I will at least get a share of the soup.”
Yang Kai grinned, “Then go. I believe that Zuo Quan Hui would also be happy to see you join him.”
Luan Bai Feng blinked her eyes and answered in a daze, “Are you asking me to be a spy?”
“You don’t dare?” Yang Kai raised a brow.
Luan Bai Feng scoffed, “What’s there for me to worry about? Everyone knows that there are grievances between me and your Void Land. It is only normal for me to hear the news and come to join him. Obviously, Zuo Quan Hui will not be suspicious of anything.”
“Exactly!” Yang Kai nodded lightly.
Luan Bai Feng asked, “If I do find out any important information, how am I supposed to report to you?”
“There is no need to contact me in the near future. Zuo Quan Hui will most likely not be starting anything yet either. Once the real fight starts… there will be opportunities for us to communicate.”
Luan Bai Feng nodded, “Good. What about you?”
Yang Kai turned towards the Territory Gate, “Naturally, I’m returning to Void Territory!”
Luan Bai Feng followed his gaze and asked with some concern, “Are you planning to fight your way through? What if Zuo Quan Hui happens to be here. You are not his opponent. Why don’t you take the long way around and return through another Territory Gate?”
Yang Kai laughed, “Zuo Quan Hui is a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Where would he have time to idle around here? Even if his injuries are healed, he must still be recuperating somewhere. Not to mention, even if he is here… Do you think I can’t run if I can’t beat him?”
Luan Bai Feng stared blankly at him. If any other Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master were to say that, she would definitely scoff at them. Despite there only being a difference of a single Order, the Sixth-Order and the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realms were worlds apart in terms of true strength. It would only require the raise of one’s hand for a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master to deal with someone in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, but if it was Yang Kai…
“Then be careful lest you let the ship capsize on calm seas!”
Yang Kai nodded, “You should find a place to hide for now. Wait until the dust settles before you go to Zuo Quan Hui so you don’t rouse his suspicions.”
If Luan Bai Feng tried to join up just after Yang Kai got into a fight in Flying Smoke Territory, Zuo Quan Hui would definitely investigate it.
“I know!” Luan Bai Feng nodded.
“You should watch out, too. If things take a turn for the worse, leave immediately.” Yang Kai left her with a few more instructions before disappearing in a flash.
Luan Bai Feng tried to follow his traces, and at first, was able to detect which direction Yang Kai had gone, but it did not take long for her to lose track of him. She quietly withdrew 10,000 kilometres before all of a sudden, she felt a strong energy fluctuation burst out from behind her. When she turned around to look, a great battle had broken out near the Territory Gate. The ships floating in the void had all gone up in flames, illuminating the area as if it were daytime. Obviously, Yang Kai’s fight with those people had begun.
Several figures were engaged in battle near the Territory Gate. One by one, Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques were unleashed, shaking the Void and flipping the world.
There were five people surrounding Yang Kai, four of whom were old acquaintances. One of them was the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm female Disciple under Zuo Quan Hui, as well as Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch, Firm Gold Heavenly Monarch, and Blue Flame Heavenly Monarch. However, the last one was an elderly man Yang Kai was unfamiliar with.
Yang Kai guessed that he must be one of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters of Heavenly Sword Union!
To fight one against five was a little strenuous, even for Yang Kai. Other than the woman, whose heritage was a little shallower, the rest of his enemies were all veteran Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, and the World Force that they were exuding from their bodies was extremely rich and imposing. Each one of their Divine Abilities also contained great power.
If it were not for mastery of the Dao of Space and his Azure Dragon Spear’s might, Yang Kai would have long been defeated.
There was still a group of Open Heaven Realm Masters under the Sixth Order surrounding him in all directions, forming an impenetrable wall. Everyone was moving quickly, tightly surrounding the chaotic battlefield.
It was hard for these weaker cultivators to keep their positions under the fallout from the battle, so it wasn’t long before their vitality began roiling, shocking them greatly. If this was the aftershock of the battle, then how could they still survive if they were caught up in the real battle?
Huang Quan and the others were similarly shocked.
Last time, when they followed Zuo Quan Hui to ambush Yang Kai, they had not fought the latter head-on. Even though they knew that he was highly skilled, they did not know the true extent of Yang Kai’s strength.
However, they were finally able to fully realize how powerful he was at this moment.
His Azure Dragon Spear stabbed forward and retreated as quickly and unpredictably as a ghost, and it was simply impossible for them to catch its traces. Even while uniting their strength, they were unable to gain a decisive advantage. What’s more, they dripped with cold sweat each time they were faced with one of Yang Kai’s counterattacks.
Though on the surface, Yang Kai seemed like he was being suppressed and could do little to fight back, his every counterattack was wrapped in the aura of death, leaving the five people on their toes the whole fight.
Huang Quan and the other two from the Prison Star, as well as the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master from Heavenly Sword Union, struggled to keep Yang Kai in check as they tried to extend their advantage and simply hold him in place.
However, the Sixth-Order woman seemed to have gone crazy as she bombarded Yang Kai with attacks indiscriminately. Even her eyes were dyed crimson.
The scene of her Senior Brother Zhou Ti’s death had been haunting her for the past few months. With the killer in front of her, it was only natural that she would fly into a murderous rage, wanting nothing more than to rip Yang Kai’s corpse into 10,000 pieces and avenge her Senior Brother’s death.
Her reckless behaviour forced Huang Quan and the others to have to divert a large part of their energy in order to make up for the openings she left. They tried to give a few words of advice during the battle, but she simply was not listening to any of it.
Huang Quan and the others were almost going mad at this situation! They all felt miserable, as if someone was dragging them down despite all their best efforts in working together.
However, Huang Quan and the others did not dare allow her to get into any trouble; otherwise, they would have no way of explaining themselves to Zuo Quan Hui.
“Yang Kai, you killed my Senior Brother, and now I must take your life to avenge him!” The woman gnashed her teeth and screamed at him after a failed strike, but her hands did not stop moving as she continued, releasing her World Force recklessly.
Yang Kai raised his spear to block her assault before replying with a barrage of thrusts, pushing against his five opponents all at once. Gaining some breathing room, he snickered and taunted, “Is your Senior Brother the one called Zhou Ti? Hm, let me think about how he died… That’s right, I burned him to death with Golden Crow’s True Fire, and your Honoured Master, Zuo Quan Hui did nothing but watch! He should have been able to save him, but he didn’t, do you know why?”
The woman’s eyes became even redder, and there seemed to be tears welling up in them. She could not help but recall the scene of Zhou Ti’s demise, and his pitiful screams and pleas for help were still echoing in her ears. Tears quickly blurred her vision, but her moves continued to grow in ferocity.
“Don’t listen to his nonsense, he’s just trying to distract you!” Huang Quan yelled.
“It’s because your pathetic Honoured Master was trying to protect himself from further injury!” Yang Kai was fighting one moment and retreating the next, laughing wantonly, “If he saved Zhou Ti, then his injuries would become more serious; however, he could have done it if he wanted to. I’m not a match for him after all!”
“I’ll kill you!” The woman’s World Force was fluctuating violently, clearly showing her disturbed mood. She also separated from the rhythm of the other four and lunged straight at Yang Kai.
A cold light flashed past Yang Kai’s eyes, and the Azure Dragon Spear was thrust out at an unpredictable angle. A black dot the size of a bean suddenly appeared at the tip of the spear. Space Principles flared as he thrust out towards the woman.
Rupture!
“Watch out!” Huang Quan had been vigilantly guarding the woman the whole time, so he immediately unleashed a Divine Ability towards Yang Kai as soon as the woman made her move.
Jin Gang and Cang Yan both hastened to remedy the situation as well while the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master from Heavenly Sword Union blasted out a Divine Ability towards Yang Kai, attempting to save the woman by forcing the enemy back!
In a chaotic exchange of blows, the mighty powers of Divine Abilities exploded all around. Yang Kai’s face had turned slightly pale and he retreated 100 kilometres back, suppressing the blood that was roiling up inside of his chest.
Huang Quan and the others were guarding the Sixth-Order woman and confronting Yang Kai from a distance, but all of them were covered in a cold sweat.
If they had not rescued her at that moment, then Zuo Quan Hui’s female Disciple would have been severely injured if not dead. Cursing inside their hearts that sure enough, women were the source of all trouble, they still did not dare to loosen their guard.
It was at that moment that a terrifying aura suddenly erupted from deep inside Flying Smoke Territory. The aura was clearly very far away, yet it could clearly be felt by everyone here.
“The Divine Monarch has come!” Huang Quan and the others were all overjoyed. They knew that Zuo Quan Hui, who was recuperating in retreat all this while, must have sensed the energy fluctuations from their battle and rushed over to support them.
Yang Kai’s face darkened. Looking up towards the source of that aura, he could vaguely see a huge illusory phantom closing in rapidly, and that phantom was a terrifying face that was large enough to cover half the void.
He sighed. He had originally planned to take down another one of Zuo Quan Hui’s generals even if he were to suffer an injury while doing so, but now it seemed like that was impossible. Zuo Quan Hui was coming, and he had to make his escape now.
After glaring at Huang Quan and the others, Yang Kai turned around and left.
“Stop him!” Huang Quan shouted as he already began rushing in Yang Kai’s direction. As long as they could keep Yang Kai here, then when Zuo Quan Hui arrived, he would definitely be killed without a doubt.
“Those who stand in my way must die!” Yang Kai raised his spear and thrust it out. A spear aura blossomed, and screams of agony broke out among the many Open Heaven Realm Masters surrounding him.
Those Open Heaven Realm Masters who were surrounding the fight were all under the Sixth Order, so how could they hope to block Yang Kai’s path?
A hole was opened up before him, leaving a dozen corpses drifting across the void while the rest of the group fled in all directions with frightened faces.
By the time Huang Quan and the others rushed over, Yang Kai had already plunged straight into the Territory Gate and disappeared, leaving Huang Quan and the others with helpless looks on their faces.
They did not have the guts to follow him into Void Territory. Who knew whether Yang Kai would suddenly turn his spear back against them if they travelled to the other side? If they went in under such circumstances, it would be no different than stepping through the gates of Hell.
After standing quietly in place for an incense stick, Zuo Quan Hui finally arrived. Sweeping a glance around the wreckage, he coldly snorted.
Huang Quan and the others all hung their heads, not daring to speak.
“Where did Yang Kai come from?” Zuo Quan Hui asked.
They all looked at each other, but all of them shook their heads, not knowing the answer. They never thought that Yang Kai would show up in Flying Smoke Territory, either. If they had thought of this possibility, then they would have been more vigilant.
“Wastes!” Zuo Quan Hui cursed angrily.
Many of the Open Heaven Realm Masters did not dare to raise their heads after being scolded by Zuo Quan Hui. They had their complaints, but considering that Zuo Quan Hui’s mood had been terrible recently, none of them dared to make a sound.
Zuo Quan Hui had an angry fit by himself before he flicked his sleeve and left.
Seeing that he did not insist on chasing Yang Kai into Void Territory, Huang Quan and the others breathed sighs of relief. Inside, they regretted that they ever joined Zuo Quan Hui in the first place, and now they had to suffer his temper just after being freed from the Prison Star. The gains simply did not make up for the losses.
Inside Void Territory, Yang Kai stopped to observe the Star City from afar.
The dock was as bustling as ever; however, while there were people lining up to enter the Star City in the past, this time, it was people in the Star City who were lining up to leave.
Of course, there were still those who were entering the Star City, but the number was very small, which was extremely inconsistent with the previous situation at the Star City.
Yang Kai had expected this, but he did not expect the situation to develop so quickly. It seemed that no ordinary great force dared to provoke Thousand Cranes Paradise or Zuo Quo Quan Hui.
When Yang Kai appeared at the Void Dock, Jin Yuan Lang, who was responsible for overseeing this area, immediately came over to greet him. With a worried expression, he cupped his fist, “Sect Master!”
Yang Kai nodded lightly in response, “Let’s talk somewhere quiet.”
“Follow me, Sect Master.” Jin Yuan Lang gestured with his hand and led Yang Kai into a quiet room.
Before Yang Kai could speak, Jin Yuan Lang sputtered, “Sect Master, that Zuo Quan Hui has released news that he is now absolutely irreconcilable with our Void Land, and vows to raze our Sect to the ground. When the merchants in the Star City heard the news, many of them began scrambling to leave.”
“I saw.” Yang Kai nodded, “How long has it been since the message was released? How many have left?”
Jin Yuan Lang thought for a moment, “The news came out more than a month ago, and now, 10% of the merchants have left Void Star City. I’m afraid that number will only grow. The Governor has sent word that many businesses in the Star City are packing up to leave.”
“We’re not making it difficult for these merchants who are trying to leave, are we?” Yang Kai asked.
Jin Yuan Land shook his head, “Second Manager said that we cannot force them to stay if they have the intention to leave. So, all of them have been allowed to pass freely. That is why they are only checked routinely at the dock and released without any trouble.”
“Second Manager did well,” Yang Kai praised.
The people in the Star City were all from different great forces, both big and small, so it was only natural that they would fear a High-Rank Open Heaven Master like Zuo Quan Hui. If Void Land tried to force them to stay, then it would only draw criticism and ire, so they might as well just let everyone leave on good terms.
“But Sect Master, if this goes on, then the foundation of the Star City will be shaken. The popularity that we have built up with so much effort will all go up into smoke.”
Yang Kai waved his hand, “It’s not that serious! There will be businesses that won’t leave.” After a pause, he added, “How many merchants do you think will stay?”
Jin Yuan Lang shook his head, “That is hard for me to say. I am only in charge of watching over the Void Dock. Sect Master should seek Governor Mo for such questions!”
Void Star City had a Governor’s Office, where Mo Mei was assuming command.
As they were talking, they heard Mo Mei’s voice emerge, “We should be able to keep about 30% of them, possibly less.”
Yang Kai looked over and saw Mo Mei walking in, then bowing elegantly, “Welcome back, Sect Master.”
Yang Kai nodded and gestured towards a seat, “Sit.”
Mo Mei took her seat and explained, “My subordinates informed me that Sect Master appeared at the dock, so I came over to take a look. Has Sect Master’s trip been fruitful?”
Yang Kai left half a year ago without raising any noise, but the higher-ups of Void Land were still made aware of his movements, so they all knew that he had gone to the Black Prison to seek out Luan Bai Feng.
“It was a decent harvest.” Yang Kai nodded and smiled, “I brought back many good things from this trip.”
Mo Mei’s eyes lit up and she giggled, “Sure enough, nothing is impossible for Sect Master.”
“It was just luck,” Yang Kai waved his hand casually, “Let’s talk about the Star City. How can you tell that 30% will stay?”
Speaking of business, Mo Mei’s expression also turned serious, “Of course, there are merchants in the Star City who are afraid of Zuo Quan Hui and Thousand Cranes Paradise’s resounding presence, and do not think highly of our Void Land; however, as merchants, there are still those with the instinct to pursue profit. That is why there will still be brave ones who will remain. We will have to see what happens. Besides, not all are afraid of Zuo Quan Hui. There are a few who do not put him in their eyes, such as Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s Dao Temple and Asura Cave Heaven’s Asura Arena.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly. The ones behind these two businesses were both Cave Heavens, so there was indeed no need for them to fear a measly Zuo Quan Hui.
“The rise of our Void Star City is due to the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill, a Spirit Pill that only we can sell. There will always be people who will stay, so 30% is my estimate, though I can’t be sure.” Mo Mei smiled, “Still, the Star City’s popularity will take a plunge with so many merchants leaving, and before the conflict with Zuo Quan Hui is resolved, it will be impossible for us to restore our previous prosperity.”
“No matter. Even though this Star City is my Void Land’s foundation, we have still accumulated a lot of supplies over the years. It should be enough for us to use for a short period of time. As long as we win this war, the Star City’s popularity will be restored sooner or later.”
“Sect Master is right!” Mo Mei nodded, “Second Manager had also gathered us to discuss this matter. With the resources that Void Land has accumulated up until now, there is no need for us to worry for the next few years.”
“The next few years?” Yang Kai nodded lightly. He had brought enough materials for 10 people to break through to the Sixth Order during this trip. If the Great Emperors continued to do their best, then there was no reason for them not to be able to advance in the next few years. When that time came, Void Land would naturally gain the qualification to compete with Zuo Quan Hui.
“Sect Master, I have an idea,” Mo Mei looked at him.
“Speak.”
“The merchants in the Star City have signed contracts valid for differing numbers of years to rent the shops in the Star City. Now that they have left of their own accord, the contracts are naturally null and void. This will suddenly create an influx of unoccupied shops and stalls.”
Yang Kai nodded, “That is inevitable. What is your suggestion?”
Mo Mei smiled, “Naturally, I cannot solve the problem with the unoccupied shops, but for those who are willing to stay, can’t we provide them with some concessions and benefits, such as reducing their rent and taxes? At least, we should let them know that our Void Land is not ungrateful.”
Yang Kai pondered for a moment and agreed, “That’s a good idea. Also, if those who left ever want to return to the Star City, they will have to pay a higher rent and tax compared to the others.”
Mo Mei was surprised, “Would… Would that not backfire?”
Yang Kai laughed, “The Star City belongs to our Void Land. They can come if they want to, but if they don’t then no one will force them. There’s nothing wrong with this arrangement.”
Every step in a First Class Star City was paved with gold, and it was very difficult for a great force to rent shops in good locations. Void Star City had the qualifications to be called First Class and it had taken them several expansions to get to their current size. In the past, those merchants would fight desperately for the best locations. Now that Void Land was suffering external problems, those merchants were free to leave, but if they wished to return, then they would have to accommodate Void Land’s mood.
Mo Mei smiled, “You are the Sect Master, so your word is law. I will arrange for someone to take care of it.”
Yang Kai nodded, “En, go.”
Once Mo Mei left, Yang Kai turned back to Jin Yuan Lang, “For those who wish to leave, there is no need to denounce them. Just let them all go. Sooner or later, they will come crawling back.”
Jin Yuan Lang cupped his fist, “This subordinate will obey!”
The situation in the Star City was not stable right now, but there was also no need for Yang Kai to pay too much attention to it. When an external threat makes its presence known, everyone has the innate instinct to protect themselves.
Getting up and walking out, Yang Kai looked up into the void. This fight had just begun!
Void Land was surrounded in a grim atmosphere. Everyone was desperately cultivating so that they could play their part in the approaching great war.
For the disciples with lower cultivation, this was a battle that would determine Void Land’s fate, and the fighting could break out at any moment. Their cultivation was not high, but they were willing to sacrifice themselves for the sake of Void Land.
Yang Kai worked hard to bring them out of the Star Boundary and gave them the chance to see the vast and colourful world of the Outer Universe, giving them a place to reside and a peaceful environment to cultivate.
Now, someone wanted to destroy that; nobody was willing to let it happen. Anyone who wished to do so would have to do it over their dead bodies!
Surprisingly, a month went past, but everything remained peaceful. Two months, then three months passed, but it was still the same!
However, that was just what Void Land’s disciples wanted, more time to cultivate, though the supplies that were being handed to them each time grew smaller and smaller.
The Star City’s population had taken a serious hit, and each day, large droves of merchants left. Now, Void Star City was no longer the bustling city it once was. Walking through the Star City, the traffic was sparse, and most businesses were shut down.
In a matter of months, Void Star City had lost more than 70% of its initial tenants, which was higher than Mo Mei’s initial estimate.
Its popularity plummeted and the merchants left, which meant that the Star City’s income was significantly reduced, and the rate at which it could gather cultivation resources also slowed greatly.
Even though the Star City had accumulated a good amount of wealth for Void Land, it would not last them for more than a few years at this rate. In order to plan for the future, Bian Yu Qing, the Second Manager of Void Land, had no choice but to ration cultivational resources.
A large amount of supplies were given to those who were expected to advance into the Open Heaven Realm within a short time, such as the Great Emperors and Pseudo-Great Emperors, so it was only natural that disciples with lower cultivation were being allocated less now.
The more than 10,000 materials that Yang Kai brought back from the Black Prison entered Void Land’s treasury, relieving their resource woes for the near future. Bian Yu Qing was especially pleased and surprised at the Sixth-Order Yin and Yang Element materials he brought that were enough for ten peoples’ use.
Including the three sets that Void Land had originally, they now had enough resources to help 13 cultivators advance directly into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, and it was foreseeable that more than a dozen Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters would appear in Void Land soon.
Not to mention the fact that the mining operation was still going on back at the Black Prison. The Ore Star that Yang Kai spent a lot of effort bringing back from the Black Territory’s depths would grant them plenty of resources in the coming two to three years. Void Land’s material situation would be greatly improved once the ore slaves in the Black Prison had finished mining that half of the Ore Star.
The fact that Zuo Quan Hui has remained quiet for months without any intention of attacking Void Land all but confirmed Yang Kai’s theory that the former intended to wage a protracted war against Void Land.
This was exactly what Yang Kai hoped to see. Void Land had only been around for a short time, and what it needed most was time. The disciples needed time to grow, and the Great Emperors also needed time to break through.
For any other great force, they would definitely be forced into a very passive situation under such circumstances. Once their Star City’s population fell into a slump and without enough resources to support them, any great force would sooner or later run out of supplies even if they did nothing but wait idly. Then, they would have to find ways to go out and find resources to continue cultivating.
This time could be as long as 5, 10, 20, or even 50 years…
Zuo Quan Hui could afford to wait! Open Heaven Realm Masters had extremely long lifespans, so even 100 years was just a snap of one’s fingers, let alone to plot against a rising great force like Void Land. In Zuo Quan Hui’s estimation, it would take at most 5 years to cripple Void Land financially. Then, without resources to cultivate, Void Land’s members would fall into disarray and be at his mercy.
So, he need not block all the Territory Gates into Void Territory. He only needed to put in an appearance and release the news to be able to cut off Void Land’s resources and put them on pins and needles!
Such a plan would work on any ordinary Second Class great force. If Zuo Quan Hui were to use this method against Heavenly Sword Union, it would not be able to hold up for long. Such was the influence wielded by a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master. One man alone could stand against 10,000.
However, Void Land was no ordinary Second Class great force, and this was something that Zuo Quan Hui did not anticipate.
Inside his bed chamber, Yang Kai sat cross-legged, refining Open Heaven Pills while studying the mysteries of Space-Time Strength. Behind him, a Great Sun and round Moon rising and setting could be vaguely seen.
Sun and Moon Divine Wheel was a Divine Ability that he had discovered only after advancing into the Open Heaven Realm. In terms of raw power, it wasn’t much stronger than his Golden Crow Casts the Sun, but the new Space-Time Strength it exuded was extremely profound, and even he himself had barely scratched the surface of its mysteries.
If the Divine Ability was compared to the Divine Armaments of the Divine Armament World, that Golden Crow Casts the Sun was undoubtedly a top-class Divine Armament, easily able to pierce a hole through one’s body when stabbed.
Sun and Moon Divine Wheel could similarly be compared to a Divine Armament, but unlike Golden Crow Casts the Sun, Sun and Moon Divine Wheel was laced with poison! Not only could it pierce a hole through someone, it would also corrode their vitality on contact, which made it that much more powerful.
It had not been long since Yang Kai advanced into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, and he had done so by using a World Fruit. So, even though he gained great benefits from the Wind Spirits in the Astral Wind Divine Ability and from Yin-Yang Heaven’s Small Source World, increasing his heritage and making him much more powerful than ordinary Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he was still a long way from advancing into the Seventh-Order.
Without advancing into the Seventh Order, there was no way for him to compete head-on with Zuo Quan Hui. The only weapon that Yang Kai had against Zuo Quan Hui right now was his Sun and Moon Divine Wheel. This was something that Golden Crow Casts the Sun had no way of comparing to.
When the war broke out in full with Zuo Quan Hui, Yang Kai would be the only one capable of dealing with him, which showed how crucial the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel’s existence was.
While stuffing Open Heaven Pills into his mouth, Yang Kai immersed himself in that Space-Time Strength, unable to extricate himself.
Right now, Void Land’s resources and supplies were under strict rationing with the full allocation rights handed over to Bian Yu Qing, who heavily skewed the flow of resources towards the cultivators who were nearing their advancement into the Open Heaven Realm so that they could ensure that they would have more Open Heaven Realm Masters on their side when the great war came.
In the coming battle, only Open Heaven Realm Masters would be qualified to participate. If the Emperor Realm cultivators went out, none of them would survive!
That meant that the Open Heaven Realm Masters could only use Open Heaven Realm Pills to cultivate. Even Void Land’s Lord, Yang Kai, was no exception.
Refining Open Heaven Pills was the least efficient method for an Open Heaven Realm Master to cultivate, but it was also the simplest and most common. Basically, no Open Heaven Realm Master could avoid refining large amounts of Open Heaven Pills during their lives.
Inside the Second Manager’s office, Bian Yu Qing, who had already been working hard for more than half a month, was rushing back and forth. As the steward of the entire Void Land, Bian Yu Qing was usually busy enough, but the situation now had become even more serious due to the addition of both external and internal problems.
Previously, in High Heaven Sect, there was Hua Qing Si to take charge of the overall situation, and all she had to do was pick up the slack here and there. Now that they had come to Void Land and with Hua Qing Si still back in the Star Boundary, the burden was on her shoulders alone.
She had given a lot for the sake of Void Land, more than any other person. She could not even get any time for her own cultivation, which resulted in her seeing little growth despite all the time that had passed. She had not even been able to condense her Dao Seal yet.
However, she was happy to take on this responsibility.
If it was not for the support that Yang Kai gave her back then, she may have died long ago before even reaching the Emperor Realm. How could she even have the opportunity to see the sights of the Emperor Realm, much less gain such great power in her current status as Second Manager?
After consulting with Yang Kai, she selected a few apprentices from among the lower disciples and nurtured them to the greatest extent of her abilities so that they could share the managerial pressure with her.
Only, time was still short, and those few apprentices were not ready to take on real responsibilities yet.
Whenever this happened, she would inevitably think of Kou Wu. She could barely remember his face after all these years, but she would never forget the way that disciple who had sacrificed himself to protect her when she was in mortal danger.
If only Kou Wu were still alive, he would have become her greatest assistant!
She had barely sat down to rest for a half cup of tea’s time when a disciple rushed in, one of those that she had been training to become her right hand recently.
“What is it?” Despite her exhaustion, Bian Yu Qing still availed herself mentally. The situation in Void Land was very tense right now, and she could not afford to loosen up for even a moment.
The disciple blurted in a panic, “Something unusual has happened within Sect Master’s chambers!”
Bian Yu Qing’s exhaustion was tossed to the back of her mind and she rose with a start, “What happened?”
This was a matter concerning Yang Kai, so her heart jumped to her throat in an instant. If anything were to happen to Yang Kai, the pillar that held Void Land up, then Void Land’s foundation would truly be lost.
The disciple shook his head, “I’m not sure. I just saw it from afar when I was passing by. Second Manager should head over as soon as possible.”
Bian Yu Qing moved out without dallying for a moment, transforming into a bolt of light that shot towards Yang Kai’s chambers as quickly as possible.
Before she could even get close though, Bian Yu Qing saw the unusual situation witnessed by that disciple.
With Yang Kai’s room at the centre, the space in the surrounding area spanning a couple of dozen kilometres was in chaos. As if a mirror had been shattered and put back together by a child, light folded and interlaced, and everything inside of this warped region became distorted beyond recognition.
She could vaguely feel a profound aura coming from inside this altered space.
[What is going on!?] Bian Yu Qing was shocked. She could feel that the power fluctuations were extremely chaotic, but also extremely profound and mysterious.
When she extended her Divine Sense to investigate, she simply could not probe into what was going on inside. Instead, she only felt dazed and confused.
A number of disciples had already noticed the unusual scene and stopped to watch from afar, all of them with worried looks on their faces.
Bian Yu Qing did not dare to intrude, so she landed just outside the strange phenomenon. The chaotic Void entered her vision clearly as pieces of space folded in on themselves, twisting and reassembling themselves. Her vision was so blurred that she could not even see what was happening inside this anomaly.
*Shua…*
A figure suddenly landed beside her.
Bian Yu Qing turned her head to see Yue He and quickly called out, “Left Protector!”
Yue He’s face was grave. Obviously, she had heard what was going on and had rushed over to investigate.
Yue He nodded lightly and asked urgently, “Second Manager, what is going on?”
Bian Yu Qing shook her head, “I’ve only just arrived and I don’t know what’s going on either. Didn’t Sect Master say anything to you before going into retreat?”
“Nothing.” Yue He frowned anxiously, “It must just be an unusual cultivation session.”
“Left Protector can’t see anything either?” Bian Yu Qing was slightly shocked. Right now, she was only in the Emperor Realm, so it was normal for her to not be able to see what was going on inside; after all, she was lacking in insight and strength. However, if even the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Yue He could not see through the chaos, then the situation must be quite unusual.
[Could it be a cultivation dissonance?]
When that thought came up, Bian Yu Qing’s face went pale.
Yue He seemed to have realized her concern and comforted, “Don’t worry too much, it’s not what you think. Young Master is probably just comprehending something. En, hurry off to Dragon Son’ Peak and invite Senior Bi Xi to come. With his eyes, he should be able to see something.”
Bian Yu Qing nodded, “I’ll go at once.”
Two mature Divine Spirits resided in Void Land, Zhu Jiu Yin and Bi Xi. The former always secluded herself, having little to no interactions even with Yang Kai. Second Manager Bian Yu Qing could only meet Zhu Jiu Yin if the latter was in the mood. However, Bi Xi was different. Despite being a venerable Divine Spirit, he was very amiable. Bian Yu Qing would also visit Bi Xi occasionally. Knowing his temperament, it should not be difficult to invite him over.
After rushing to Dragon Sons’ Peak, she found Bi Xi, who was currently occupied with teaching Xiao Hei and Xiao Hong. After informing him about the situation, Bi Xi did not dare to dally either and rushed over to the site with her.
In just a few moments, Bi Xi arrived, dragged over by Xiao Hei and Xiao Hong.
“Senior!” Yue He bowed elegantly. Everyone in Void Land was very reverent and appreciative of this kind-hearted Divine Spirit.
“En,” Bi Xi answered and looked up ahead.
“Please take a look, Senior. What is going on over there with our Young Master?”
“No need to worry,” Bi Xi waved his hand and looked on solemnly. After a while, he made an exclamation of surprise. Staring straight at a certain spot in the void, he revealed a look of astonishment and surprise.
Yue He and Bian Yu Qing stood by, not knowing what he had seen, but not daring to speak up and interrupt him either.
Another while passed and Bi Xi suddenly raised his hand, probing the area in front.
In front of everyone’s eyes, when Bi Xi reached out into the chaotic space, his hand actually disappeared from everyone’s view out of nowhere.
A moment later, Bi Xi pulled his hand back. Neither Yue He nor Bian Yu Qing could hold themselves back from gasping in amazement because when Bi Xi’s hand reappeared, the old man’s wrinkly hand was wrapped in a crystal clear material similar to a layer of porcelain with a strange power surrounding it.
Bi Xi observed his hand for a moment and suddenly laughed, “Interesting.”
With a shake of his hand, the porcelain-like shine quickly faded, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
“Senior, is Young Master in any danger?” Yue He asked nervously.
Bi Xi mused, “It’s nothing you need to worry about. He is quite clearly comprehending some sort of Divine Ability or Secret Technique. En, it is most likely related to the Dao of Space and the Dao of Time, which is why such a bizarre spectacle has appeared.”
Yue He and Bian Yu Qing exchanged glances, then breathed sighs of relief.
“Keep an eye out on the situation and let me know if anything else unusual happens.” After saying that, Bi Xi led the two children back.
“Let me see you off, Senior!” Bian Yu Qing quickly offered.
After sending Bi Xi back, Bian Yu Qing hurriedly returned, dispersing the disciples who had gathered to watch the sights and ordering them to clear the area within several dozen kilometres of Yang Kai’s palace while she and Yue He kept a close eye on the situation here.
In the coming month or so, the space around Yang Kai’s home remained in a chaotic state of flux, but subtle changes did appear over time.
Yue He and Bian Yu Qing caught sight of very peculiar things in the chaotic space more than once. From time to time, visions of human figures would appear, and occasionally, it seemed like someone was fighting inside.
However, since time and space were in such chaos, nobody could see anything clearly. The two were not even sure whether what they saw was real or an illusion.
This situation continued for several more months.
One day, the strange occurrences suddenly disappeared, as if they had never even existed, restoring the local space to its original state.
Bian Yu Qing and Yue He, who had been keeping watch nearby all this time, exchanged glances before both of them made their way towards Yang Kai’s chambers.
Inside his room, Yang Kai opened his eyes, still deep in thought.
He had managed to gain a lot during this retreat. Since creating the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel, he had not had the time to properly look into the mysteries contained within it; however, now that he had some free time, it was just right for him to perfect this Divine Ability.
However, Yang Kai discovered a problem when he reached this point. His understanding of the Dao of Time lagged behind his understanding of the Dao of Space.
After all, the Dao of Space was his foundation, and though he dared not say that his grasp of it was perfect, it was as good as it could be for his current realm.
His Dao Seal had been condensed with the Dao of Space as its foundation, which later became the foundation for his Small Universe.
However, it was different for the Dao of Time. Yang Kai had cultivated the Time Flies Seal Divine Ability many years ago, but only superficially understood the Dao of Time. Later, when he arrived at the ruins of the ancient battlefield between Flowing Time Great Emperor and Great Demon God, he witnessed the reverberations left behind from their great battle, gaining much inspiration from it.
After a successful advancement into the Open Heaven Realm, the Sun rose and the Moon set in an endless cycle within his Small Universe. The passing of time became far more vivid and enabled him to take a great leap forward in his comprehension of the Dao of Time.
However, when all was said and done, his proficiency in it still could not compare with his mastery of the Dao of Space.
If he were to divide comprehension of the Daos he held into different categories, then from lowest to highest, it would be arranged something like Superficial Contact, Peering Through the Doors, Taking Initial Steps, Traversing a Familiar Path, Attaining Mastery Through Comprehensive Understanding, Exceeding the Ordinary to Reach the Extraordinary, Standing Above All Others Within Sight, Summiting the Peak, Transcending the Mundane, and eventually Shocking History and Amazing the Present!
In comparison, Yang Kai had barely reached the seventh level of mastery in his Dao of Space, possibly touching upon the eighth.
However, he was only barely at the fourth level of mastery when it came to the Dao of Time, and that was only thanks to the special good fortune of his Small Universe; otherwise, he would likely be stuck in the second level.
Space-Time Strength was a mix of two different Principal Strengths, so the difference in Yang Kai’s grasp on the Dao of Space and Dao of Time limited the power he could display. He could only exert Space-Time Strength equal to his level of mastery over the Dao of Time when he executed the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel.
This was similar to advancing into the Open Heaven Realm. A barrel could only hold as much water as the shortest plank of wood it was made from.
If Yang Kai was able to raise his grasp of the Dao of Time, then the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel would definitely become even stronger.
After months of study, Yang Kai finally saw the path extending towards the Grand Dao, and his eyes glowed!
He had not been prepared to spend so much time on the Dao of Time as comprehending a Grand Dao relied on both quality and quantity. The Dao of Space alone was enough for him to study for a lifetime, so if he wasted his time on studying and cultivating the Dao of Time, it may not necessarily give him any benefits. However, now it seemed that he truly had to spend some effort studying it.
This was the only way he could increase his strength within a short amount of time.
And, it was not too difficult to cultivate the Dao of Time. Flowing Time Great Emperor also made his name as a Great Emperor through his mastery over the Dao of Time and currently, his two Legacy Disciples lived in Void Land, as did the Flowing Time Temple which contained his inheritance!
What was more, Yang Kai could loosely be described as an in-name Disciple of Flowing Time Great Emperor.
In fact, Flowing Time Great Emperor had split his mastery over the Dao of Time that he passed on in his inheritance. Doing this would result in less immediate benefits to his Disciples, but it would also allow them to better understand their own abilities and shortcomings, which would allow them to set their own course.
Yang Kai had never encountered another Master who had split their mastery over a Grand Dao with such detail before.
Now enlightened, Yang Kai got up and slowly walked out.
As soon as the door was open, he was greeted by the worried gazes of Yue He and Bian Yu Qing.
Yang Kai had long felt their presence, so he was not surprised to see them waiting outside and gently nodded, “I managed to discover some things, but it seems I’ve made you worry.”
“Young Master seems to have made good progress,” Yue He smiled. She could feel subtle changes in Yang Kai’s aura after not seeing him for the past few months, but she could not say what those changes were.
“It was decent!” Yang Kai nodded lightly and asked, “How has Void Land been doing?”
Bian Yu Qing hurried forward to report to him. When he heard that everything was fine and that Zuo Quan Hui had not made any unusual moves, Yang Kai put his heart at ease.
More than 10 months had passed since Zuo Quan Hui blocked off the Territory Gate, but he never mobilized his troops during this time, only making his presence known in Flying Smoke Territory and putting pressure on Void Land.
Yang Kai knew that this guy was wary of Zhu Jiu Yin’s presence, but Yang Kai was also happy that the other side remained idle.
“There are two things that I must tell Sect Master.”
“En, go ahead.” Yang Kai nodded as he walked outside.
Bian Yu Qing hurried over to follow him and reported, “Firstly, someone called Xin Peng has come from the Black Territory, saying that it was under Sect Master’s instructions to deliver supplies here every six months.”
Yang Kai raised his brow, “How did he get here? Where is he now?”
When he was returning from the Black Territory, Yang Kai himself had been stopped on his way back through Flying Smoke Territory. If Xin Peng managed to reach Void Territory, then it was likely he came from a different route.
Bian Yu Qing said, “He has already returned. It seems like he came over from a different Great Territory, but he brought a lot of good things with him.”
Yang Kai glanced at her and smiled, “If even Second Manager says they are good, then it must really be good.”
“There were two Sixth-Order Yin Element materials and one Yang Element material. Besides that, there were 34 Sixth-Order materials of other Elements, 262 Fifth-Order materials, and over a thousand below the Fifth-Order.”
“So much!” Yang Kai was visibly moved.
Despite knowing that the Ore Star that he brought back from the Black Territory’s depths was sure to hold great riches, he never thought that it would be so bountiful. It had only been half a year, so how much would they be able to obtain if the entire half of the Ore Star was mined out?
And that was merely half of an Ore Star. What would happen if he could mine all of the Ore Stars in the Black Territory?
“There were even two Seventh-Order materials!” Bian Yu Qing added.
Yang Kai’s brow jumped upon hearing that, but then he felt a twang of regret.
The half-an Ore Star he had brought back from the Black Territory’s depths had been ground down by a great amount when it was pushed into the Killing Array, and he had no idea how many of its resources were lost during that ordeal, especially the Sixth-Order and Seventh-Order ones.
However, this was the only way things could be done if Yang Kai wanted to mine those Black Stones. Those ore slaves were simply unable to hold up for long in the depths of the Black Territory.
With no way to deal with the strange aura permeating the depths of Black Prison, they would inevitably incur losses when mining the Ore Stars located there.
The amount of resources that Xin Peng brought over on this trip could not be described as large, but the quality was excellent.
Without even mentioning the two Seventh-Order materials, there were a total of 34 Sixth-Order materials alone, with two Sixth-Order Yin and one Yang Element materials!
The latter were exactly the materials that Void Land was most in need of right now!
For the current Void Land, this was not exactly big news, but it was not small news either; however, knowledge about Xin Peng’s visit was limited to only a few people.
“What else?” Yang Kai gathered himself and asked.
“Gathering Yuan Union’s Young Union Master, Lu Jing came to visit a month ago, and has been waiting for Sect Master to exit retreat since his arrival.”
Yang Kai raised his brow, showing a look of surprise. At this juncture, almost over 70% of the Star City’s merchants had left. Even for those who chose to remain, a good many of them were still on the fence. The great forces with cooperative relationships with Void Land were all wishing they could cut off contact lest they draw unwanted fire to themselves.
[Why would Lu Jing rush over here to see me during this time? Is he acting in the Gathering Yuan Union’s name or is he here by himself?]
“Is he alone or with someone else?” Yang Kai asked.
Bian Yu Qing responded, “Apart from a few guards, he is alone.”
Yang Kai nodded, now having an understanding of the situation.
An hour later, inside the reception hall, Yang Kai met Lu Jing. After exchanging pleasantries, they took their seats.
“Brother Lu, what can I help you with on this visit?” Yang Kai looked at him curiously after taking a sip of tea.
Lu Jing responded with some awkwardness, “I have failed to make good on Senior Brother Yang’s favour, and I originally did not have the face to return because of that, but I had to come regardless because I owe Senior Brother a life-saving grace.”
Yang Kai was dumbfounded, “Why are you talking about that?”
Lu Jing said, “I have spoken to my Father about Senior Brother’s proposal. Originally, he seemed quite interested, but… things changed!”
He sighed deeply with a helpless expression on his face.
Yang Kai smiled, “That’s how business is. There is no need for it to sour our relationship just because the deal did not go through, so pay it no mind, Brother Lu.”
Last time, when Lu Jing came by, Yang Kai tried using distribution rights for the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill as a bargaining chip in order to negotiate a deal with Gathering Yuan Union. Originally, he figured that since Gathering Yuan Union’s merchant ships were spread across the 3,000 Worlds, it would surely not be difficult for them to gather up some rarer resources. If Gathering Yuan Union could truly help him acquire the Sixth-Order Yin and Yang Element materials that he needed, then Void Land would not be at a disadvantage even if they exchanged some Heavenly Yuan Stabilizing Pills for them.
At that time, Void Land and Zuo Quan Hui had not broken out into a full confrontation yet.
Though less than a year had passed since then, things had changed greatly. Void Land fought a great battle against Zuo Quan Hui and his Disciples, in which Zhou Ti was killed. Zuo Quan Hui subsequently became Heavenly Sword Union’s Union Master then spread word of his feud with Void Land far and wide. Anyone who was slightly well-informed would naturally have found out about what happened.
Gathering Yuan Union was a mercantile-based Sect, so it was only natural for them to be very well-informed, which explained why Lu Jing said that things had changed. Even though his Father was interested in the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill, he also had to watch out for the stance of Zuo Quan Hui and Thousand Cranes Paradise behind him. So, how could he dare to work with Void Land at such a time?
However, Yang Kai did not care about that anymore. After heading to the Black Prison and bringing so many resources back, Void Land’s immediate needs had already been satisfied, so they did not have to worry about cooperating with Gathering Yuan Union anymore.
Lu Jing looked even more embarrassed now and hung his head low, “Senior Brother Yang’s generosity is admirable.”
Yang Kai waved his hand and laughed, “Brother Lu is exaggerating,” Without the harvest from the Black Territory, he may have been slightly disappointed by how things turned out. However, with the Black Territory as a backup for resource production, the problem he had, had already been solved.
Lu Jing raised his head and cupped his fist, “Additionally, I have also come with a request.”
Yang Kai sat up straight and gestured for him to continue, “Pray tell, Brother Lu.”
Lu Jing said, “I would like to rent some shops in Void Star City and open a Trade Company.”
Yang Kai’s face became serious, “Is this Brother Lu’s idea, your Father’s, or Gathering Yuan Union’s?”
Moving into Void Star City was not a good choice in these times. There was no need to mention the merchants who stayed since they were originally established in Void Star City to begin with. Whether they left or stayed, Zuo Quan Hui was in no position to question or rebuke them for their choice.
However, to move in at this juncture would likely be interpreted by outsiders as a gesture of goodwill towards Void Land, which was no different than drawing fire upon oneself! There was no way that a business alliance as large as Gathering Yuan Union would not be able to see that.
Lu Jing responded, “This has nothing to do with my Father or Gathering Yuan Union. I am solely responsible for this decision.”
Yang Kai looked deeply at him, clearly not believing him. Despite being the Young Union Master, Lu Jing’s cultivation was still only in the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm. If his Father had any objections to this idea, he had thousands of ways to keep Lu Jing from acting. How could he possibly have allowed his son to wade into these muddy waters?
Since Lu Jing was here, then someone must be supporting him from behind. As a whole, Gathering Yuan Union likely would not support him in such a move. In which case, that must mean that as the Union Master of Gathering Yuan Union, his Father had at least given his tacit agreement for Lu Jing to proceed.
Doing things this way, however, meant that even if Void Land were to ultimately lose the war, Zuo Quan Hui would have no reason or be in any position to give Gathering Yuan Union any trouble.
It was not appropriate to speak about such matters openly, but it was fine as long as all involved understood the subtleties of the situation. As a result, Lu Jing was not deliberately trying to deceive Yang Kai.
After a short pause, Yang Kai said, “Brother Lu, you should know what the current situation is like in my Void Land. Coming to our Star City at a time like this is not the best choice.”
Lu Jing smiled, “I understand what Senior Brother Yang is trying to say, but for a merchant, danger also signifies opportunity, does it not?” He winked playfully at Yang Kai as he said so.
“Well, as long as you’ve made up your mind,” Yang Kai nodded lightly.
Lu Jing was no child. As a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master and the Young Union Master of Gathering Yuan Union, he could make his own judgements and decisions. There was no need to coddle him with advice.
Receiving Yang Kai’s agreement, Lu Jing perked up and asked, “Senior Brother Yang, how many shops can you offer me here in Void Star City?”
Yang Kai laughed, “How many does Brother Lu want?”
Lu Jing said generously, “The more the better, naturally. The best would be if you could offer me a whole street or two.”
Now, Yang Kai was even more sure that Gathering Yuan Union’s Union Master was behind this move; otherwise, Lu Jing would not have the guts to make such a big request.
“You really don’t hold back!” Yang Kai laughed. After some thought, he continued, “I will contact the Governor’s Mansion about this matter later, then you can go there and discuss it with Governor Mo yourself. Right now, the Star City has many empty shops to offer, so we will definitely be able to satisfy your requests.”
“In that case, Many thanks, Senior Brother Yang.” Overjoyed, Lu Jing stood up at once to bow, “There’s no time to lose, I will head to the Governor’s Mansion at once!”
Clearly, he was also eager and impatient to start his own business. And, Void Star City was a place with the opportunity for him to do so.
“I will send someone to go with you,” Yang Kai contacted Bian Yu Qing and had her arrange for someone to take Lu Jing over to the Star City.
Naturally, Lu Jing thanked him again. While waiting for his escort to arrive, Lu Jing added, “By the way, Senior Brother Yang. About the things you were looking for last time… Gathering Yuan Union is unable to provide you with them for now, but I do know of two places that are rich with Sixth-Order Yin and Yang Element materials.”
Yang Kai asked with great interest, “Oh? Where?”
Lu Jing casually blurted, “The first place is the Black Prison. Yang Kai should have met a woman named Luan Bai Feng before, yes?”
Yang Kai burst out in laughter inwardly, but on the surface, he kept calm and nodded repeatedly, “Yes, more than once.”
“Then that makes things easy. The Black Prison produces something called Black Stone, and these Black Stones can contain cultivation materials of all different Orders and Elements. If Senior Brother Yang could take over the Black Prison, then you will naturally have no need to worry about cultivation materials anymore.” Lu Jing looked at him, “Only… There are many Natural Arrays all over the Black Prison. Even though Luan Bai Feng is only in the Sixth Order, not even a Seventh-Order Master can best her inside the Black Prison because of her mastery over the Dao of Spirit Arrays. If Senior Brother Yang is truly interested, then you must be careful of Luan Bai Feng.”
“I know a thing or two about the Black Prison’s situation,” Yang Kai nodded. Inside, he thought to himself, [Not only do I know about it, I just came back from the Black Prison recently after carrying out an Ore Star from its depths!]
After a pause, Yang Kai asked, “What about the other place?”
Lu Jing’s expression became a bit serious when he mentioned the Black Prison and Luan Bai Feng. Clearly, he knew the oddities present within the Black Prison as well as Luan Bai Feng’s strength. However, his face turned even more serious when he continued, “Has Senior Brother Yang heard of the Sun’s Burning Light and Moon’s Serene Glimmer?”
Yang Kai’s face also turned solemn, “Chaos gives rise to Yin and Yang. Yin and Yang give rise to the Four Symbols, Ancestors of all Divine Spirits, Burning Light and Serene Glimmer?”
According to ancient legends, at the beginning of existence, there was only Chaos, which later gave rise to Yin and Yang, which became the Sun’s Burning Light and Moon’s Serene Glimmer, the oldest Divine Spirits in the world.
It was only after the two beasts transformed into the Four Symbols that Divine Spirits like the Dragons and the Phoenixes appeared.
It could be said that the Sun’s Burning Light and Moon’s Serene Glimmer were the progenitors of all Divine Spirits. That was to say, they were the shared ancestors of all Divine Spirits!
These two were terrifying existences that were highly likely to be even stronger than the Giant Spirit Gods.
Back then, Yang Kai obtained a Divine Spirit Record which listed the ranking of all the Divine Spirits in the 3,000 Worlds. The book listed the Dragons and the Phoenixes at the top, but the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer’s introductions appeared at the very beginning of the manuscript. Only, the author of the book did not believe that these two beasts still existed in this world, and that was why the Dragon and Phoenix Clans were ranked first.
Yang Kai was surprised when he read this, but he did not think much of it.
The one who really brought up the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer to him later was the Proprietress!
At that time, Yang Kai was looking to advance into the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm directly and was in search of a source of High-Rank Yin and Yang Element materials. That was when the Proprietress brought out her Universe Chart for him to see. Inside the Universe Chart, there were several Great Territories that were blank, without the markings of any great force. Not even Universe Worlds existed there.
According to the Proprietress, those Great Territories used to be thriving places, but the Sun’s Burning Light and Moon’s Serene Glimmer were naturally opposing forces. Since fire and water did not mix, the continuous clash between the two eventually tore those Great Territories apart.
The Great Territories then became areas forbidden for all life, Dead Territories so to speak. Whether it be a Seventh-Order or even Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, none could survive after they entered that place, so nobody had any idea what the situation was inside of these Dead Territories. Even the Proprietress herself had only heard others mention rumours about them, and there was simply no way of confirming whether the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer truly existed.
Naturally, Yang Kai would not dare to provoke existences as terrifying as them. Even Seventh-Order and Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters went silent after entering the Chaotic Dead Territory. He was only a trivial Emperor Realm Master back then, so how could he dare to have any extravagant thoughts about them?
However, he never thought that he would once again hear the Sun’s Burning Light and Moon’s Serene Glimmer’s names, this time from Lu Jing!
It was clear that though Lu Jing’s cultivation was low, he was still well-informed.
As Yang Kai’s thoughts began to drift, he heard Lu Jing say, “The Burning Light and Serene Glimmer were born of opposing attributes and fought incessantly, filling the void with the Elements, Yin and Yang. It was said that Yin and Yang Element materials condense in places where they have passed, and are of a very high quality at that!”
“Is this news reliable?” Yang Kai’s brow furrowed. It was not that he did not trust Lu Jing, but how could Lu Jing know something that even the Proprietress could not find out?
Sure enough, Lu Jing laughed embarrassedly, “I have only heard someone else mention it. Maybe it was just a rumour. After all, nobody has seen it for themselves.”
Yang Kai thought to himself, [if you’re not sure, then why say it?]
However, Lu Jing was clearly only trying to give Yang Kai a hint. It was up to Yang Kai to decide what he wanted to do with that information.
Within a few moments, Bian Yu Qing brought someone over, and Yang Kai sent Lu Jing out. There was no need for him to worry about anything happening at the Star City since Mo Mei was there to take care of it.
For now, allowing Lu Jing to build up a new Trade Company in the Star City may not be of much use to Void Land, but in the long run, it could help with leveraging the power of those supporting Lu Jing from behind, Gathering Yuan Union. After the fight here was over, the Star City would begin to develop again, and this would be of great benefit to both sides.
After Lu Jing’s side was settled, Yang Kai headed to Water Spirit Land without delay.
A large number of people that were brought over from the Star Boundary were housed in Water Spirit Land, including members of the Dragon Clan. There was a huge lake in Water Spirit Land, and at the very centre of that lake hovered a palace that was just like an island.
Yang Kai moved to the front of the palace and looked up, where he saw the characters ‘Flowing Time Temple’ shining brightly.
A white shadow rushed out of the main entrance and ran circles around Yang Kai like a puppy, saying excitedly, “Adoptive Father, what are you doing here?”
Another beautiful figure appeared subsequently from the Flowing Time Temple, standing gracefully and smiling at Yang Kai, bowing, “Big Brother.”
Two more rushed out of the Flowing Time Temple, one a beautiful girl, and the other, a fierce elderly man with an unkind frown. It was Liu Yan and Qiong Qi.
“Master!” Liu Yan called out to him softly.
“En!” Yang Kai responded. Then, slapping his palm down, he stopped Yang Xiao who was turning circles around him, instantly freezing him in place.
After rubbing Yang Xiao’s head, his white hair became a mess. Yang Kai beckoned, “Let’s talk inside.” Then, grabbing Yang Xiao by the scruff, he carried him inside.
Yang Xiao’s calves trembled, and he looked to Yang Xue for help, but the latter stuck out her tongue at him. As the brightest star of the Dragon Clan’s younger generation, Yang Xiao was afraid of next to nothing beneath the Heavens. Even Great Elder Zhu Yan and Second Elder Fu Zhun, his true parents, could do nothing about him. The Dragon Clan’s two Great Elders had once thought their son could never be born, and had subsequently spent many, many years mourning their loss, so when he finally was born, they doted on him greatly. How could they even think of restraining him?
The only one the boy feared was Yang Kai.
Since arriving in the Outer Universe, Yang Kai had been busy all year-round and had little time to spare, so the two did not see each other often.
Yang Xiao had no idea what his Adoptive Father had come to do this time, but he could not think about what he had done wrong during this recent period either. At most, he pulled a single hair from Old Man Bi Xi’s beard when he was receiving a lesson from him…
[That old man didn’t tell on me, did he?] Yang Xiao’s heart was beating in fear.
“Adoptive Father, have some tea!” Yang Xiao was very attentive after entering the Flowing Time Temple and offered up tea on his own initiative.
Yang Kai glanced at him and took a seat without standing on ceremony while the other three stood in front of him. After accepting the tea and taking a sip, he put on the dignified air as an Adoptive Father and asked straightforwardly, “How has your cultivation been going?”
Yang Xiao hurriedly answered, “I have been to Senior Bi Xi’s home frequently, listening to his lectures about refining one’s bloodline. It feels like I learned a lot.”
Yang Kai nodded and put down his teacup, “Then tell me more about this lesson!”
Yang Xiao was stunned for a moment, but then his mouth became like a tumbling river, blurting everything that he learned.
Yang Kai listened for a while and nodded, “Good. Senior Bi Xi is an extremely old and wise Divine Spirit who carries a potent Dragon Vein. His experiences are extremely beneficial to the cultivation of the Dragon Clan. If you are free, then you should go to his place more often and pay your respects! Until the Dragon Altar is found, Senior Bi Xi will be the only guiding light for the Dragon Clan’s rise.”
“Yes, Adoptive Father is right. Senior Bi Xi is highly respectable. Father and Mother also tell me to see him often.”
“En. Next time I hear you disrespected Senior Bi Xi, I will send you back to the Star Boundary!”
Yang Xiao’s eye twitched, but he still acted like a good boy, “Your Son won’t dare to do it again!”
“Xue’er, how have you doing recently? What stage are you in right now?” Yang Kai looked up at his biological Younger Sister. If possible, Yang Kai would have preferred to guide Yang Xue in her cultivation personally, but he had constantly been on the move recently. With so many matters requiring his attention, he simply had no time to spare.
Yang Xue smiled, “I was just able to condense my Wood Element.”
Yang Kai raised a brow, “Where did you start from?”
“The Water Element Power!”
“Water gives life to Wood… Since coming over from the Star Boundary, you have condensed your own Dao Seal and two Powers, the Water Element and the Wood Element. That is quick progress. Let me see.” Yang Xue had only been cultivating for a short time, after all. Even though her aptitude was outstanding, the progress of her cultivation was still not comparable to many of the Great Emperors and Pseudo-Great Emperors. She could not even match Yang Kai’s Wives in certain aspects.
After all, when Su Yan was still in the Emperor Realm, Yang Xue had not even been born for long.
Saying so, Yang Kai reached a hand out to Yang Xue, who put her own hand onto his palm in a docile manner.
After circulating his energy and doing a quick check, Yang Kai nodded, “A stable Dao Seal is the greatest safeguard one can have when advancing into the Open Heaven Realm. Your foundation is solid, but still lacking when compared to others, so you must not advance recklessly.”
Strictly speaking, for those who came from the Star Boundary, apart from the Great Emperors who had remained at the peak of the Emperor Realm for a long time and whose Dao Seals were stable enough for them to break through to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm directly, were still a little lacking, even the Pseudo-Great Emperors.
There was no need to mention Su Yan and the others, unless they were willing to spend a lot of time solidifying their own Dao Seals.
However, this was no trouble with the Divine Dao Water and the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill in Yang Kai’s possession! Of these two items, the first could strengthen one’s Dao Seal, allowing cultivators an even broader future. The second could then protect them during their advancement into the Open Heaven Realm, greatly reducing the risks that could come with breaking through.
Without these two items, there was no way that Void Land’s heritage could be as strong as it was today.
“I will do as Big Brother says,” Yang Xue nodded obediently.
“Also, the Wood and Water Elements that you have condensed are the gentlest of the Five Elements. That is why it took little effort and little risk to condense them. However, Wood stokes Fire, and the Fire Element Power that you will have to condense next will not be this simple. When that time comes, your Dao Seal will have to withstand a much greater impact than ever before, and if it can’t hold up, the consequences will be dire.”
Yang Xue nodded and said, “I will definitely prepare myself well before proceeding.”
Yang Kai then turned to Liu Yan and Qiong Qi, “The cultivation of a Divine Spirit is mainly to develop one’s bloodline, which is different from Human cultivators, so you will have only yourselves to depend on.”
Qiong Qi nodded before commenting, “Even though Senior Bi Xi is a Dragonkin, he said that the cultivation of a Divine Spirit’s bloodline is similar in almost all circumstances, so we also often go to his home to listen to his lectures.”
Yang Kai nodded, “That’s for the best.”
Liu Yan asked, “Has Master come for something this time?”
“Yes, just a small matter.” Yang Kai looked at Qiong Qi, “I need to study the Dao of Time, so I may need to use Senior Flowing Time’s Legacy Inheritance. There’s no problem with that, is there?”
Qiong Qi followed Flowing Time Great Emperor as his mount, and with the latter’s passing, he was tasked with passing down Flowing Time Great Emperor’s Legacy Inheritance, and was fortunate enough to find Yang Xiao and Yang Xue.
However, the Legacy Inheritance was not something that could be borrowed lightly, so Qiong Qi had to be informed beforehand.
Qiong Qi pondered for a moment before responding, “Naturally, others may not ask for it, but it is no problem for Sir. You can ask the two Young Masters about the inheritance.”
Yang Kai nodded, “In that case, I will not hold back.”
Yang Kai spent the next few months in the Flowing Time Temple, discussing the Dao of Time with Yang Xiao and Yang Xue. The two of them had accepted the full Legacy Inheritance of Flowing Time Great Emperor, so their proficiency in the Dao of Time was not low, almost at the Traversing a Familiar Path level, which was exactly where Yang Kai was as well.
However, they had not been cultivating for as long as Yang Kai had, and Yang Kai had also taken a giant leap forward in his understanding thanks to the evolution of his Small Universe.
The fact that they were now on equal footing with him was a testament to the two young ones’ efforts.
The Dao of Time was as esoteric as the Dao of Space, perhaps even more so, so it took a while for Yang Xiao and Yang Xue to explain all of the mysteries they inherited from Flowing Time Great Emperor. Combined with the insight that he had gained from his own cultivation over the years, Yang Kai was naturally able to gain a lot of benefit.
Yang Xiao and Yang Xue also benefited a lot from this discussion. Much of Yang Kai’s insights and ideas were things he had discovered on his own through his personal experiences. He was now a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so his insight was generally more profound compared to Yang Xiao and Yang Xue. Standing at a higher realm allowed him to see a broader picture.
Often, his thought-provoking words would cause Yang Xiao and Yang Xue to fall deep into thought.
Time passed quickly as they cultivated and discussed with each other, and all three of them were able to make significant improvements in the Dao of Time.
Half a year passed in the blink of an eye. If Yang Kai was said to merely be at the fourth level of Master regarding the Dao of Time when he arrived, then after his discussions with Yang Xiao and Yang Xue, he had now reached the fifth level, Mastery Through Comprehensive Study!
The same went for the two younger ones!
Yang Kai had no idea what level of mastery Flowing Time Great Emperor had reached; after all, he made the Dao of Time the foundation of his cultivation. However, at the very most, he did not surpass the sixth level.
Flowing Time Great Emperor was certainly a great genius, but he was only a Great Emperor back then who did not even reach the Open Heaven Realm; thus, his cultivation could not be compared to Yang Kai’s.
Yang Kai was pleased with this harvest while both Yang Xiao and Yang Xue were also pleasantly surprised by their gains.
Gaining a deeper mastery over the Dao of Time also solidified Yang Xue’s Dao Seal considerably, and naturally, the Divine Abilities that she performed through the use of Time Principles also became more powerful. Just the Time Flies Seal had become twice as strong as it had ever been.
Half a year later, Yang Kai returned to his chambers in order to improve his Sun and Moon Divine Wheel and Space-Time Strength. He had already thoroughly absorbed the Legacy Inheritance left behind by Flowing Time Great Emperor, and the rest was now up to him to study. It would be difficult to gain anything more now through external means.
Even though he did not have the chance to use the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel again to see the results of his labour, Yang Kai felt that there would definitely be a significant improvement compared to the past.
Three years had passed since the Territory Gate between Void Land and Flying Smoke Territory had been blockaded.
Void Land had spent most of those three years in closed-door cultivation and consuming countless materials. Now, the results were clear for all to see.
The most obvious result was that there were more than 500 new Open Heaven Realm Masters!
On average, several, or even up to a dozen people, advanced into the Open Heaven Realm every month.
The cultivators from the Star Boundary were naturally not as fast. Most of them were still building up their foundations to prepare for advancing into the Open Heaven Realm while most had not even managed to break through to the Emperor Realm yet.
The newly advanced Open Heaven Realm Masters all came from Blood Monster Cave Heaven’s Abundance City.
Back then, when Yang Kai brought a few thousand people back from Abundance City, their cultivations had been perpetually limited to the peak of the Emperor Realm due to the special environment and Blood Principle Restriction of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, making it impossible for them to explore the mysteries of the Open Heaven Realm.
Yang Kai brought them out and lifted the Blood Principle Restriction, giving them the freedom to surpass that limit and providing them with a favourable cultivation environment so that they no longer had to worry about anything.
For those cultivators who had long gained the qualifications to advance into the Open Heaven Realm yet were unable to break through due to their circumstances, it was only natural that group after group of them suddenly shot through to the Open Heaven Realm.
Mo Mei and the others were able to advance into the Open Heaven Realm very quickly, which added more than 300 new Open Heaven Realm Masters to Void Land in one go.
However, the potential of Abundance City’s cultivators had not been exhausted yet. Over the years, the cultivators who came from Abundance City advanced into the Open Heaven Realm one after another, constantly strengthening Void Land’s heritage.
The majority of those who broke through later did not reach high Orders. Even those in the Fifth Order were few and far between. Most of them were either in the Third Order or the Fourth Order, but there were many of them, and there was still the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill to guarantee their safety.
For other great forces, even the Cave Heavens and Paradises, it was impossible for them to guarantee that any of their disciples would succeed in breaking through into the Open Heaven Realm.
But Void Land could!
Even those who advanced into the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm were able to obtain a Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill. Advancing into the Third or Fourth Order was not difficult to begin with, so where would there be any chance of failure with the help of the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill?
So far, the total number of Open Heaven Realm Masters in Void Land had already broken through to the four-digit mark! It was foreseeable that more cultivators from Abundance City would be joining the ranks of the Open Heaven Realm Masters in the coming days.
Yang Kai had long expected this result, but when Bian Yu Qing reported the figures to him, he was still unable to stop himself from beaming with joy.
He remembered that when he first stepped into the 3,000 Worlds and landed in Seven Wonders Land as a Worker, he had to do so much meticulous planning and careful accounting for just a few to several dozen Open Heaven Pills. How could he have imagined that he would one day have over 1,000 Open Heaven Realm Masters under his command?
To bring a force of this calibre out in the world, which great force in the 3,000, save for the major Cave Heavens and Paradises, would be able to compete with them?
Void Land was filled with great talents, and now had a mighty army equipped with the finest arms!
No matter how much Void Land tried to hide this, with so many people advancing into the Open Heaven Realm, traces would surely leak out.
Heavenly Sword Union, under Zuo Quan Hui’s command, had obviously planted some spies outside of Void Land, and they even had some henchmen planted in the Star City right now.
Yang Kai and Bian Yu Qing knew this, but they had no way to pluck them all out and naturally had no way of getting rid of them.
Perhaps stimulated by the constant appearance of newly advanced Open Heaven Realm Masters, though Heavenly Sword Union had been idle in the first year, they had begun making tentative moves starting from the second year.
Every so often, ships bearing Heavenly Sword Union’s banner would wander within Void Territory. Even though they did not dare come too close to Void Land nor attack the Universe Worlds, they still scared the smaller forces under Void Land so much that they were all constantly trembling in fear.
In addition to Void Land, Void Territory housed 7 other Third Class great forces, all of which could be described as subordinates of Void Land that survived by relying on their protection. Third Class great forces did not even have Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters in their ranks, so when they saw Heavenly Sword Union’s ships loitering around their doorstep, they were naturally all distraught and rushed to Void Land for help!
Void Land dispatched troops many times to support their subordinate forces, but by the time they arrived, Heavenly Sword Union’s ships had already disappeared from sight.
After several repetitions of this behaviour, Bian Yu Qing was determined to set up a patrol of Open Heaven Realm Masters to monitor the situation in Void Territory.
With this, small skirmishes would break out eventually as both sides were bound to meet.
Void Land had the home advantage in these fights, and the number of Open Heaven Realm Masters under them was also massive, so they naturally had the advantage that basically allowed them to win every fight.
The tentacles that Heavenly Sword Union plunged into Void Territory to probe the situation inside had all been cut off without bringing back any gains, but they still continued blocking the Territory Gate leading from Flying Smoke Territory to Void Territory, showing no intention of starting an all-out war. It was clear that they were still hoping to snuff Void Land out by dragging things out.
In actuality, Heavenly Sword Union’s decision couldn’t be called a mistake. Three years had passed and the resources accumulated by Void Land had been greatly reduced due to this chokehold. Now, there was also little income flowing in from the Star City, and with so many more Open Heaven Realm Masters to support, the rate at which their supplies depleted also increased.
Void Land’s resources wouldn’t be able to last much longer. Even though a large shipment of supplies was sent over from the Black Prison every six months, it was still hard to make ends meet.
Moreover, after three years had passed, the half of the Ore Star that Yang Kai brought out from the Black Prison’s depths back then would be depleted, and it would be impossible for them to obtain such a large quantity of supplies from the Black Territory again unless Yang Kai made another trip to drag out another Ore Star.
However, how could Yang Kai leave without worry now that the situation was so unpredictable?
Bian Yu Qing had no choice but to try her best to make adjustments to try and make Void Land’s supplies last for as long as possible.
Inside his chambers, Yang Kai looked at Bian Yu Qing with astonishment while holding his teacup, “Is what you say true?”
Bian Yu Qing nodded solemnly, “Sect Master, how could I joke about such a thing? Iron Blood Great Emperor has already sent someone over to contact us and says that he will need a Sixth-Order Yang Element material in two months.”
Yang Kai could not stop his brows from rising in excitement, “That means that Senior Iron Blood is about to advance into the Open Heaven Realm!”
Bian Yu Qing nodded her head like a chicken pecking rice, “I’ve checked the records of the taken supplies. Since coming to Void Land, Senior Iron Blood has taken one piece each of the materials of the Five Elements, Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth, all in the Sixth Order. Less than half a year ago, another Sixth-Order Yin Element material was taken, so this Sixth-Order Yang Element material is the last one.”
“Good!” Yang Kai put down his tea and stood up, looking even more excited than if he himself were advancing. He then began pacing about the room, “This is the first person from the Star Boundary to advance into the Open Heaven Realm, and to advance straight into the Sixth Order at that! We must help Senior Iron Blood forge a clean path. En, did he say what we needed to prepare?”
Bian Yu Qing shook her head, “Senior Iron Blood has only sent someone to tell us that he needs a Sixth-Order Yang Element material in two months. He did not say anything besides that.”
Yang Kai pondered, “We definitely have to prepare a Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill. Go and look for one, and find one of the best quality. Make sure nothing goes wrong in Senior Iron Blood’s advancement into the Open Heaven Realm. And also…”
After blurting out a bunch of instructions, he looked up to see Bian Yu Qing staring at him with an astonished expression.
Yang Kai blinked his eyes, “Did you get all that? And what are you staring at me for?”
Bian Yu Qing smiled, “I have noted everything down, but if anyone unaware were to see Sect Master’s reaction, then they would think that one of the Madams was about to have a child.”
Yang Kai didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at that, “Advancing into the Open Heaven Realm is much tougher than giving birth to a baby, and for the first one at that!”
After some thought, he could not help but lament, “How fast!”
It had not been very many years since he brought everyone from the Star Boundary to the Outer Universe, so he never expected Iron Blood Great Emperor to actually be able to advance into the Open Heaven Realm so soon.
That was even quicker than he himself!
However, it did not seem strange after Yang Kai thought about it. He had to seek out every material by himself when he was trying to advance into the Open Heaven Realm, which consumed a lot of time and effort. However, it was different for Iron Blood Great Emperor and the others. They only needed to worry about cultivating since Void Land had everything in store for them already. All they had to do was keep refining, refining, and refining again. As long as their bodies were able to bear it, and as long as they could ensure that their foundation was firmly laid, there were simply no worries to be had for them.
This was what it meant when one said, ‘beneath a big tree, there is cool shade’.
In fact, Yang Kai’s situation was far more commonly seen in the Outer Universe, and that was true even for the disciples of those Cave Heavens and Paradises. They may not have to find materials for themselves, but if they wished to use the Sect’s resources, then they had to exchange for them with the appropriate contributions, which would still inevitably take time.
And, of all the Great Emperors, Iron Blood was the first to advance into the Open Heaven Realm, which was both unexpected and expected.
Back then, Iron Blood Great Emperor was the strongest in terms of abilities, so it was not strange for him to have progressed so quickly.
“Besides Senior Iron Blood, what about the others? How are they doing?” Yang Kai asked.
Bian Yu Qing answered, “Other than Senior Iron Blood, the ones improving the quickest right now is Senior Hong Chen and Senior Martial Beast. Both of them have already begun refining their sixth material. Senior Serene Soul is also almost there. I believe he is about to complete the refinement of his fifth material. Then, there is Senior Flower Shadow and Senior Ice Feather. Lastly, there is Senior Wondrous Pill and Senior Heavens Revelations!”
Yang Kai nodded, “That makes sense. Wondrous Pill and Heavens Revelations are both not proficient in combat, so it is inevitable that they are slower than the rest.”
Though they were all Great Emperors, there were still differences between them. Despite all of them coming from the Star Boundary to Void Land, the speed at which they could advance into the Open Heaven Realm was indicative of the differences between them.
Yang Kai then asked about the Pseudo-Great Emperors, to which Bian Yu Qing responded one by one. These results were satisfactory to Yang Kai.
There was no need to ask about Su Yan and the others as he would personally visit his Wives from time to time to investigate and give them pointers himself, so he naturally knew more about them than Bian Yu Qing did.
“If I had to point out anything, it would be that Fang Yue and Xiang Ying are also about to advance into the Open Heaven Realm. The same goes for a few of those who were recruited from the Grand Ancient Ruins Shop. They are not lacking when compared to the Great Emperors.”
“That is normal.” Yang Kai nodded, “They had already condensed various Elements while they were in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, and they also received the personal guidance of Divine Spirits, so it is only natural that their rate of refinement would not be slow. En, other than Fang Yue and Xiang Ying, who else has requested Sixth-Order materials?”
Fang Xue and Xiang Yin were both Divine Medicine owners with excellent potential and were keen on advancing into the Sixth Order. Yang Kai had also allowed them to do as they wished, and they had the full support of Void Land.
The other Bearers that were recruited from the Grand Ancient Ruins Shop had all been forced to refine Sixth-Order or even higher materials by the Divine Spirits supporting them, but most of their aptitudes were not good enough to directly advance into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. For the long term, it was best for them to take one step down and advance into the Fifth Order instead.
The Divine Spirits of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary would not think about the long-term development and future of their Bearers. They were merely helping their bearers to refine higher Order Elements just to strengthen them up and give them an advantage in the Spirit Seizing War. As for whether or not there would be hidden dangers to these actions, why would the Divine Spirits care?
However, in general, Fang Yue and Xiang Ying would both face more risk than the Great Emperors in their ascension to the Sixth Order.
They did not possess the deep heritages of the Great Emperors, nor the Divine Dao Water to reinforce their Dao Seals. Even if they were able to refine Sixth-Order materials now, the dangers they would have to face in the future would only become greater.
Otherwise, why would they join Void Land? There were so many great forces in the 3,000 Worlds, and with their aptitude, it would not be difficult for any of them to enter any of those great forces, but they were attracted here by the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pills.
It was foreseeable that the barrier that they must break through in order to ascend into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm would be a barrier of life or death. Success would mean life, and failure would result in death. They had no other choice.
“Apart from these two, the rest understood their limits and did not apply for any Sixth-Order materials, but rather opted for materials of the Fifth-Order!” Bian Yu Qing replied.
“En. We might not have much else in Void Land, but we do have plenty of Fifth-Order materials.” Yang Kai nodded. With the Divine Medicine, Gourd Vine, it would only take them a month to collect a complete set of Fifth-Order materials. As long as they were given enough time, Void Land would definitely see no shortage of Fifth-Order materials.
However, in the short term, Void Land’s resources would be scarce until the crisis forced upon them by Heavenly Sword Union was lifted.
As the two were talking, Yang Kai suddenly saw two tiny figures rushing in from the outside. It was Xiao Hong and Xiao Hei.
Just like in their original forms, Xiao Hong had a fine appearance in human form like molded porcelain or well-cut jade, but Xiao Hei looked as crooked and appalling as ever, drooling from time to time.
Yang Kai smiled, “What brings the two of you here? Has Senior sent you?”
Xiao Hong said urgently, “Young Master, quickly go and take a look, something is not right with the Young Madam. Grandpa sent me to call you over.”
Yang Kai’s face turned serious and he got up, “Which Young Madam?”
Bian Yu Qing’s face also became serious.
“That is… The one with the red hair!” Xiao Hei added from the side while sucking up the drool that was dripping down his face.
[Red hair… it’s Zhu Qing!]
Yang Kai had no idea what happened, but since Bi Xi called for him, then it must be serious. Not daring to delay, he manipulated Space Principles and disappeared from where he stood.
By the time he reappeared, he had already arrived at a platform on Dragon Son’s Peak.
There were a large group of people gathered here, all of whom were from the Dragon Clan, forming a circle. It was not known what they were looking at, but when they heard the noise, Great Elder Zhu Yan, Second Elder Fu Zhun, Third Elder Fu Xuan, and Fourth Elder Zhu Kong all turned their heads to look at him.
“Adoptive Father!” Yang Xiao quickly shouted.
“Yang Kai, you’re here.” Zhu Yan nodded lightly at him.
“What happened?” Heart hanging from his throat, Yang Kai moved through the crowd.
Bi Xi, who was standing inside, did not turn around. He stood there, hunched over, reassuring him, “No need to be nervous. It’s nothing bad. In fact, it’s good news.”
“What do you mean?” Yang Kai was confused.
“See for yourself,” Bi Xi pointed.
Yang Kai looked over and saw Zhu Qing sitting down cross-legged, surrounded by a blood mist. The blood mist was just like a living being that lingered around her. Inside, Zhu Qing had a peaceful expression on her face as if she had fallen into a deep sleep.
[En?] Yang Kai carefully observed the blood mist surrounding Zhu Qing’s body and could feel the might of her Dragon Vein coming from it.
“You sense it, don’t you?” Bi Xi asked.
Yang Kai answered tentatively, “Qing’er’s Dragon Vein is growing stronger?
“Exactly.” Bi Xi nodded.
“Why is this happening?” Yang Kai did not understand.
Zhu Yan explained, “Just now, we were listening to Senior’s lesson on refining our bloodline. Fifth Elder must have had an epiphany.”
“That’s a good thing, right?” Yang Kai asked tentatively.
“Of course it is!” Bi Xi nodded, “The growth of a Divine Spirit is a constant metamorphosis, and each transformation brings about great improvements. The same is true for the Dragon Clan. Qing Girl is now in the process of that metamorphosis.”
Yang Kai finally put his worries aside and grinned, “Many thanks for your tireless guidance, Senior.”
Bi Xi waved his hand, “I merely offered them directions. The reason this little girl was able to see a result so quickly is because of her pure bloodline. En, out of all of you Young Dragons, this girl has the purest bloodline.”
[Young Dragons…]
The Dragon Clan Elders all had awkward looks on their faces, but since it was Bi Xi who said it, none of them dared to refute him and accepted it in silence.
“So, what makes one a Mature Dragon?” Yang Kai asked.
Bi Xi shook his head and laughed, “There is no such thing as a Mature Dragon, only a Grand Dragon!” After a pause, he added, “To be able to evoke their original forms and take on a body over 10,000 metres long, that is the limit one must exceed to be called a Grand Dragon, and only a Grand Dragon can be as powerful as a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master!”
“10,000 metres long!” Zhu Yan was astonished. He was the Great Elder of the Dragon Clan, so it was reasonable to say that he was the strongest one. Not even Zhu Qing could compare; however, his body was currently only 1,000 metres or so in length. He was still far away from reaching 10,000 metres.
Yang Kai was also secretly speechless. When he executed his Dragon Transformation Secret Art, he could reach a few thousand metres in length, which he thought was amazing enough. However, he never thought that he would still be thousands of metres away from becoming a Grand Dragon. But of course, his situation was not the same as a True Dragon, so his size alone was not enough to tell how strong he was.
“Reaching 10,000 metres is just a basic requirement for one to become a Grand Dragon. As one’s bloodline continues to evolve, even 100,000 metres is not impossible,” Bi Xi’s words were astounding.
The Young Dragons were all stunned by what they heard… In terms of age, which Dragon Clan member here had not lived for thousands or even tens of thousands of years? But for the growth of a Dragon, the depth of their bloodline had always been the greatest standard. This was true for not only the Dragon Clan, but for all Divine Spirits.
While they were talking, the blood mist around the surface of Zhu Qing’s body became denser and denser. Previously, they could still see Zhu Qing through the blood mist, but now, the red mist was so thick that they could no longer see the inside.
“…This is quicker than expected!” Bi Xi exclaimed.
“Is there something wrong with that?” Yang Kai became nervous again.
“Not for now.” Bi Xi shook his head, “However, this Old Master has noticed a problem even before this. Among you Young Dragons, this girl has the densest bloodline. Reasonably speaking, since you all came from the same place, there should not be such a great difference. Has she taken some sort of precious treasure that can purify one’s bloodline?”
The Dragon Clan Elders all turned their heads to look at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai was puzzled by their stares, “What’s wrong?”
Bi Xi was also confused.
Zhu Yan lightly coughed. When he raised his hand, his Dragon Aura surged, isolating the inside from the outside and keeping the rest of the Dragon Clan members out, leaving only a few Elders behind.
There were not many members of the Dragon Clan to begin with, only around 20 or so in total. Apart from the Elders, all the rest of the Dragon Clan members were looking over curiously, but they could not hear any sound, so they had no idea what the Elders were talking about.
“Do you really have no idea, or are you just feigning ignorance?” Zhu Yan glanced at Yang Kai.
“What am I supposed to know?” Yang Kai was baffled.
Fu Xuan stood aside with a slight blush on her cheek, staring down at her toes. Zhu Kong, on the other hand, had raised his eyes to the sky as if there were a pretty little female Dragon flirting with him.
Fu Zhun, on the other hand, was as blunt as usual. Amused, she looked at Yang Kai and asked, “Think about it, how did Zhu Qing become the Fifth Elder of the Dragon Clan?”
Yang Kai stroked his chin, “Is it because of me?”
Fu Zhun sighed, “Of course, it’s because of you!”
Zhu Yan interrupted them, “Of course, it’s not all because of you. To become an Elder of our Dragon Clan, an exceptional bloodline is necessary. Strictly speaking, Zhu Qing was not the most outstanding Dragon on my Dragon Island at the time, and the purity of her bloodline was nothing exceptional. However, since meeting you, the purity of her bloodline has been increasing at a rapid rate. That is the biggest reason why she had become the Fifth Elder of our Dragon Clan, even surpassing the old ones like us. I’m more than certain she told you why we sent so many of our female clan members to you at that time.”
“After meeting me…” Yang Kai pursed his lips, reminiscing about their past encounters and those female clan member attempts at him, he said a little embarrassedly, “Great Elder means to say…”
Zhu Yan coughed lightly, “You have the ability to purify the bloodline of the Dragon Clan. Otherwise, how would the Fifth Elder able to achieve so much so quickly?”
Yang Kai glanced at the other Dragon Clan Elders and blushed a little.
Zhu Yan said, “We have discussed this issue before.”
Bi Xi was looking left and right. After listening for a while, he finally reacted and made a sound of realization.
Yang Kai hurriedly said, “Don’t listen to them, Senior Brother. It’s just baseless nonsense. Qing’er was surely able to reach an epiphany because of your great guidance.”
Bi Xi waved his hand and laughed, “That would only be possible if she had exceptional potential to begin with. Regardless, this is not something that is taboo for us to talk about. As far as I know, such practices are common in the Dragon Clan. The union between a Dragon of a stronger bloodline and a Dragon of a weaker bloodline will indeed be able to help the one with the weaker bloodline to purify theirs.”
Zhu Yan’s eyes lit up, “Senior, that also occurs in the Outer Universe?”
Bi Xi nodded, “Of course! Not only is this true for the Dragon Clan, but also for the rest of the Divine Spirits. So, the purer one’s bloodline, the higher their status. Only, no matter what Divine Spirit Clan it may be, their numbers are extremely low, and there were even fewer of them to be found in one same group. The Dragon Clan’s numbers are still quite numerous in comparison, and that is why it is more obvious.”
Zhu Yan’s eyes were already glowing as he was staring at Yang Kai with a burning gaze.
Yang Kai could not help but feel goosebumps rising all over his skin as he asked nervously, “What advice does Great Elder have for me?”
Just wanted to state this in case some wonder why this is a little different from the raws.
“Void Land’s current situation isn’t good,” Zhu Yan suddenly sighed.
Yang Kai furrowed his brow, “It still has not reached the point when life and death are at stake.”
Zhu Yan nodded, “Although that is true, being targeted by a High-Rank Open Heaven Master is still a terrible predicament.”
Yang Kai thought he was worried about Void Land’s future, so he quickly consoled, “Great Elder doesn’t need to worry, I have a way to deal with this.”
“I believe you.” Zhu Yan nodded, “The Star Boundary’s situation was horrendous back then, but you led us out of it, we fought our way out. No matter how bad the current situation is, it’s still less dangerous than the Star Boundary’s situation back then.”
Though, Zhu Yan suddenly changed the subject, “However, having more Open Heaven Realm Masters in Void Land is not a bad thing, right?”
“Great Elder is right, we’ve already begun to move to increase our numbers, and things are progressing quite smoothly.” In another two months, Iron Blood Great Emperor should be attempting to advance to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. This was exciting news.
“The more Masters there are, the better! Especially my Dragon Clan, if we can grow, each of us will be comparable to a High-Rank Open Heaven Master. At that time, what can a mere Zuo Quan Hui amount to?” Zhu Yan said proudly before turning to look at Yang Kai sincerely, “However, you also know that the growth of a Divine Spirit is extremely slow, the same goes for those from the Dragon Clan. After following you from the Star Boundary to Void Land for so many years, only the Fifth Elder has made some significant progress, while the others have basically been stagnant, so you’ll have to spend more effort to assist them!”
Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling a bit uncomfortable as he asked hesitantly, “What does Great Elder want me to do?”
Zhu Yan made a fist and coughed lightly, “You’re also a member of the Dragon Clan after all, so you can’t favour one over the other. You have to treat everyone equally, am I right? Us men and married women won’t count on you, but look over there, there are still a few young women who haven’t married yet.”
The corners of Yang Kai’s eyes couldn’t help twitching slightly, while Fu Xuan, who was standing to the side, blushed to the tips of her ears. Turning her head, she quickly stated, “Xiao Qi is waiting for me, I’ll go take a look at her.”
Saying so, she stomped her foot and soared into the sky.
Zhu Yan’s words were extremely clear, so how could those present not understand what he was saying? Fu Xuan was simply too embarrassed to stay.
Yang Kai didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, “Great Elder, you’re pushing me into a fire pit! The number of pure-blooded female Dragon Clan members is far fewer than the number of men, each of them is akin to a treasure. If the men hear what you said, they will chop me into eighteen pieces!”
Zhu Yan added in a serious and righteous manner, “When compared to the future of my Dragon Clan, what do personal sacrifices count for? If any of them dares to say anything, I’ll rip their heads off. We have talked about this before. Furthermore, I’m sure these little girls will be happy to do this. Have they not already made their stances clear?”
“No no, this is not appropriate!” Yang Kai quickly waved him off. Zhu Yan wanted him to become a Dragon stud, how could he do such a thing? There were only a few unmarried women left in the Dragon Clan, four or five, that’s it.
“There’s nothing inappropriate at all!” Zhu Yan assumed the posture that he was the law and his word would be final, “Everything else can be discussed, but this matter concerns the future of our Dragon Clan, so you’ll have to listen to me. In any case, your Wives are all cultivating in retreat right now, and you rarely get to meet them. You’re also a young man with a strong physique, so don’t you feel lonely?”
Yang Kai broke out in a cold sweat, “You’re the Dragon Clan’s Great Elder, is it alright for you to speak like this? If your clansmen were to hear this, where would your prestige go?”
Fu Zhun, who was standing to the side, interjected with a smile, “If we can really allow the Dragon Clan to have a few Grand Dragons, even if its prestige goes down the drain, so what?”
Yang Kai stared at her in shock, “Second Elder, why are you saying such things?”
He turned to Zhu Kong, and asked, “Fourth Elder, don’t you have anything to say?”
Zhu Kong muttered to himself for a moment before reaching out to pat Yang Kai’s shoulder and sighing, “Many thanks in advance for your hard work!”
Yang Kai was dumbfounded!
He looked towards Bi Xi for help; however, the old man, who had been observing everything for a long time, just stroked his beard and encouraged, “If you plant the crops and till the fields well, you’ll definitely gain something.”
Yang Kai’s face was as black as the bottom of a pot, feeling like someone had just stabbed him in the back.
Seeing Zhu Yan about to speak again, Yang Kai quickly raised his hand and stopped him, “Great Elder, the Dragon Clan’s future cannot depend on me alone, but I can promise you that I will find the Dragon Altar as soon as possible. If I can find it, the Dragon Clan will no longer be trapped here, and its future will be bright.”
Zhu Yan was stunned for a moment before stating, “The Dragon Altar is the Dragon Altar while you are you. We are not certain when we’ll find it, or if we ever will. So let’s talk about you first.”
How could Yang Kai be willing to continue this discussion? Putting on an act, he took out his Communication Bead and looked at it before raising his brow and saying, “Something happened in Star City, I’ll go take a look.”
He turned to Bi Xi and requested, “Senior, please look after Qing’er.”
Nodding, Bi Xi assured, “Rest assured, if there is any change, I will inform you right away.”
Yang Kai thanked him before escaping towards the Star City.
Seeing him flee, Zhu Yan was also helpless, while Fu Zhun heaved a sigh, “We were too impatient. We’ve frightened him off.”
Zhu Yan grinned meaningfully, “A man’s heart always longs for spring sceneries, how could such a good thing scare him? This isn’t the first time this has happened. Perhaps he’s still just too happy to say it out loud.”
Fu Zhun glanced at him casually, “Oh, is that so?”
Zhu Yan quickly coughed and replied, “I’m an old man, so naturally I won’t act like those young ones!”
Fu Zhun coldly snorted, “So, what do we do now?”
Zhu Yan thought about it for a moment, then waved his hand to remove the barrier and swept his eyes over the clan members in front of him, “Boys, leave, girls, stay. We have some things to tell you.”
The male members of the Dragon Clan looked at each other in dismay. Although they were all somewhat curious, since the Great Elder had spoken, they didn’t dare to remain any longer and quickly left, leaving five female Dragon Clan members behind.
Zhu Yan gave Fu Zhun a look, and the latter immediately stepped forward and whispered to the five female Dragons, occasionally pointing towards Zhu Qing. Some of the female Dragons had their eyes shine brightly, seemingly eager to give it a try, while some had their faces flushed shyly…
Meanwhile, the nearby Zhu Kong let out a long sigh!
The Star City’s popularity was low as nearly 80% of the merchants had left long ago, causing the situation to deteriorate. Even the Void Dock, which used to be extremely lively, was now deserted.
Yang Kai drank a few pots of tea in the Governor’s Mansion until his stomach was full.
Mo Mei had no idea why Yang Kai had suddenly come to her place, but she just quietly accompanied him and didn’t ask any questions, diligently reporting to him about the Star City’s recent situation, whereas Yang Kai perfunctorily listened.
Half a day later, Yang Kai thought that it was about time, so he finally stood up and stated, “Please take care of the Star City, I’ll go back first.”
“Sect Master, rest assured, I will definitely take good care of the Star City, goodbye!”
After returning from the Star City, Yang Kai went to find Bian Yu Qing to discuss the matter of Iron Blood Great Emperor breaking through to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm in two months. Although they couldn’t help much, this was not a small event, so they had to make some preparations.
At the very least, he had to isolate the energy fluctuations during the breakthrough so that others would not be able to spy on him; otherwise, if Zuo Quan Hui found out about this, he might not be able to hold himself back and attack.
Void Land’s top priority now was time, and second was supplies.
After settling some details with Bian Yu Qing, Yang Kai returned to his palace.
Just as he pushed open the door to his room though, Yang Kai frowned and looked towards the bed, only to see that there was something hidden inside it. He could clearly feel someone’s aura and breathing.
Frowning, Yang Kai walked over to the bed and looked down. Before he could see who was hiding here, two snow-white arms reached out from under the blanket and wrapped around his neck, pulling him down.
Yang Kai quickly held onto the edge of the bed to steady himself.
A pair of bright eyes stared straight at him, as if wanting to eat him alive.
“Fu Ling? What are you doing here?” Yang Kai asked, staring at her. Yang Kai had a deep impression of this loose Purple Dragon. When he first entered Dragon Island in the Star Boundary, he had seen many things she was involved in that nearly blinded his eyes. Before then, he had only heard that those of the Dragon Race lived in an impure and obscene manner, but he thought that only applied to the males. It could be said that Fu Ling had opened a new window for him.
“Brother-in-law!” Fu Ling called out sweetly with eyes filled with affection, “The Great Elder sent me here to serve you.”
After she had raised her hands, Yang Kai found that the thin blanket couldn’t cover her naked body at all. She wasn’t wearing anything!
“Great Elder asked you to come?” Yang Kai was both amused and annoyed. Zhu Yan really wanted to treat him like a Dragon stud and had sent Fu Ling over without any warning.
“Of course.” Fu Ling blew her orchid breath at Yang Kai’s face as she gently pursed her red lips, assuming a seductive look, “Brother-in-law, I also want to be like Big Sister Qing and grow into a Grand Dragon as soon as possible. Brother-in-law, can you help me?”
Yang Kai quickly nodded, “Let go of me first, I’ll help you.”
Fu Ling’s beautiful eyes lit up as she cheered in joy, “Brother-in-law is the best!”
A moment later, with an exasperated shout, Fu Ling, who was wrapped up in sheets like a dumpling, was tossed out of the palace.
Before she could land on the ground, the enraged Fu Ling transformed into her true form, a giant Purple Dragon. Shaking her head and flicking her tail, she breathed out a Purple Dragon Breath which caused the defensive Array around the palace to flicker.
After venting her anger, Fu Ling left in a huff.
From that day on, whenever Yang Kai showed up in Void Land, there would always be a female Dragon who would appear and follow him. Not every one of them was as unrestrained as Fu Ling. Some of them were bold and hot while others were shy and tender. Nonetheless, being entangled by so many female Dragons made Yang Kai feel helpless.
However, Yang Kai could never agree to be a Dragon Stud. Not in the past and not now. Zhu Qing’s achievements today were not done in a day or two, but rather because he had been nourishing her for a long time. If he really went along with Zhu Yan’s plans, Yang Kai would probably have no time for anything else and would be stuck pleasing those female Dragon Clans members with his heart and body indefinitely.
If Yu Ru Meng and the others found out about this later, Yang Kai was certain that he would never have any good days ahead of him. So, although his heart wavered, he refused to give in. Thus, regarding this matter, even Zhu Yan and the others were rendered helpless. After all, one could not force an ox to bend its head to drink.
Likewise, change a bit of the context to not make this the first time this has occurred.
In Void Land’s Wood Spirit Province, where there were endless mountain ranges with jagged rocks covered in lush forests. On a certain Spirit Peak, Yang Kai was sitting cross-legged and staring at another Spirit Peak 100 kilometres away.
He had been sitting here for more than two months now.
With these two Spirit Peaks as the centre, a radius of several hundred kilometres had been marked as a Restricted Area and no unauthorized personnel were allowed to approach.
A streak of light flew over and landed beside Yang Kai as a sweet fragrance spread in the air. It was none other than Yue He.
As their eyes met, Yang Kai nodded slightly. Yue He, standing quietly beside him, asked in a low voice, gazing into the distance, “Young Master, how is the situation?”
“For the time being, there shouldn’t be any big issues. We just need to see when Senior Iron Blood will be able to completely refine the Yang Element material. As long as he completely refines it, he will be able to split Heaven and Earth apart and form his Small Universe.”
After a short pause, he asked again, “Has everything been arranged?”
Yue He replied, “Everything has been arranged. Second Manager is bringing them over right now.”
Yang Kai nodded.
Two months ago, Iron Blood Great Emperor had received his Sixth-Order Yang Element material and was preparing to break through to the Open Heaven Realm. Yang Kai had also made many preparations for this and had especially found many Open Heaven Realm Masters to teach him about the things he needed to pay attention to in order to break through smoothly. This kind of experience was exactly what Iron Blood Great Emperor needed. With this guidance, he would be able to avoid many risks.
It had been almost two months since Iron Blood Great Emperor began refining his final Element material, so it should be about time for the results to be revealed.
He was the first cultivator from the Star Boundary to ascend to the Open Heaven Realm. This was extremely significant to the current Void Land and the people from the Star Boundary as a whole.
Therefore, Yang Kai arranged for some people to attend the ceremony! These people were all preparing to break through to the Sixth Order, so being able to personally observe and emulate Iron Blood Great Emperor’s breakthrough would be of great benefit to them in the future.
When Old Bai was breaking through to the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, the Proprietress had specially brought Yang Kai to watch for precisely this reason.
As the two were speaking, they saw a large group of people flying towards them. When they got close, all of them landed on the ground. There were more than twenty of them.
The ones in front were naturally the Great Emperors from the Star Boundary, Hong Chen, Martial Beast, Serene Soul, Flower Shadow, Ice Feather, Heavens Revelations, and Wondrous Pill.
Next were Yang Yan, Li Wu Yi, Bing Yun, Sheng Yu Zhu, and the other Pseudo-Great Emperors.
After them were Yang Kai’s wives, Su Yan, Xia Ning Chang, Shan Qing Luo, Xue Yue, Yu Ru Meng, and Ji Yao.
Yang Xue, Mo Xiao Qi, Lin Yun’er, Xiang Ying, and Fang Yue also came.
Everyone greeted him one by one, but there was no time for small talk as everyone’s eyes turned towards Iron Blood Great Emperor.
After observing for a while, Duan Hong Chen furrowed his brow and asked, “What’s the situation over there?”
Yang Kai replied honestly, “He’s probably still refining the last material, but it should be about time. We’ll know in half a month at most.”
Duan Hong Chen nodded slightly and suddenly smiled, “I didn’t expect that we would also be able to break through to the Open Heaven Realm.”
They were trapped in the Star Boundary and unable to see the vastness of the Outer Universe. Only by leaping out from there did they realize how small the world they lived in truly was. However, everyone understood that the greatest contributor to everyone’s success today was undoubtedly Yang Kai. If he hadn’t provided them with an unlimited amount of cultivation materials, even if they had jumped out to the Outer Universe, they might not have had a good result.
Since their arrival from the Star Boundary, the Great Emperors rarely gathered together as they were usually busy with their own cultivation. If Yang Kai hadn’t asked them to attend this event, they would still be in retreat.
Now that they had gathered together, there was naturally a lot to talk about, so it didn’t take long for them to start chatting.
Yang Kai didn’t pay any attention to them and instead shot a glance at his Wives before walking to the side. Seeing this, the several women quickly followed.
Although Yang Kai would often find time to guide Su Yan and the others in their cultivation, most of the time, they would be in retreat so they rarely saw each other. As such, it was only natural for them to feel a little lovesick.
There were many people gathered here, and since it was inappropriate to show too much affection in public, Yang Kai simply checked the cultivation progress of each of the women one by one, answering all of their questions in detail and allowing them to benefit greatly.
Three days later, Yang Kai, who was talking to his women, suddenly turned his head in the direction of Iron Blood Great Emperor and shouted, “It’s starting!”
The muttering on the Spirit Peak suddenly quieted down as everyone turned their attention to the platform where Iron Blood Great Emperor was sitting cross-legged. Bit by bit, an extremely profound aura suddenly started rising.
“Is the arrangement over at the Star City done?” Yang Kai turned his head and asked.
Yue He quickly replied, “Everything has been arranged. Mo Mei will personally keep an eye on it, so there won’t be any mistakes.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Start the Array!”
Yue He accepted the order and summoned the Array Jade. Immediately, her hands danced around as the Nine Heavenly Layers Grand Array was activated.
The Nine Heavenly Layers Grand Array that enveloped Void Land was extremely powerful, but the more powerful the Spirit Array, the more energy it consumed to operate.
Normally, the Nine Heavenly Layers Grand Array was not fully activated, especially now that Void Land was lacking in resources.
At this moment, under the control of Yue He, the Nine Heavenly Layers Grand Array’s Bewildering Array, Illusion Array, and barrier were all activated.
When Iron Blood Great Emperor broke through to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, there would inevitably be a great disturbance. If there was no Grand Array to isolate him, it was highly likely his breakthrough would be spied upon by outsiders.
Heavenly Sword Union was like a tiger eyeing its prey right now. It was unknown how many spies they had planted in Void Territory and the Star City, but once news of someone breaking through to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm spread, they would naturally hear about it.
Yang Kai didn’t know what Zuo Quan Hui’s reaction would be, but just in case, he had to be careful; Void Land still needed more time.
In the blink of an eye, the entire Void Land was covered in a thick layer of mist. Looking from afar, it was impossible to see anything within.
Inside Void Land, the movements of Iron Blood Great Emperor became more obvious, and a series of muffled thuds slowly and rhythmically rang out from the void, as if a giant invisible hand was beating a war drum.
Everyone focused all of their attention on him, not missing a single detail.
Watching others advance to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm was extremely helpful to their future cultivation, so no one dared to relax.
Advancing to the Open Heaven Realm was a process of a cultivator splitting Heaven and Earth apart within their body to form a Small Universe. This process was extremely dangerous because, in order to break through to the Open Heaven Realm, one needed to first shatter their Dao Seal and melt it into their Small Universe. If the Dao Seal was shattered and the Small Universe was unable to form, then their entire life of cultivation would be wasted.
If one succeeded, they would be reborn and soar into the sky. If they failed, they would lose everything and would die without a corpse. There were only two endings when breaking through to the Open Heaven Realm. One was to live, the other to die. There was no middle ground.
As such, there were many Emperor Realm cultivators in these 3,000 Worlds who already had the qualifications to break through to the Open Heaven Realm, but did not dare to take that final step.
The Great Emperors all wore solemn expressions.
Compared to Iron Blood, their foundation was almost the same. Perhaps Iron Blood was slightly better, but not by much. Whether or not Iron Blood could successfully advance to the Sixth Order was the key. If he failed, it would be a great blow to the Great Emperors from the Star Boundary.
If even the Great Emperors were like this, there was no need to mention the others.
As such, everyone present was nervous.
Seeing this, Yang Kai consoled, “Senior Iron Blood has a deep foundation and his Dao Seal is firm. Now that he has the protection of the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill, it shouldn’t be a problem for him to break through to the Open Heaven Realm. There’s no need to be so nervous.”
Mo Huang shook his head and commented, “Who dares to say that nothing unexpected will happen on our path of cultivation? Even if someone had travelled 99% along the path, before he or she had reached his or her destination the slightest carelessness may lead to unpredictable consequences.”
Yang Kai had wanted them to not be so nervous, but after hearing Mo Huang’s words, he could only nod and say, “Senior Martial Beast is right.”
As time passed, the Yin, Yang, and Five Element Powers gradually rose and fell, mutually reinforcing and suppressing one another. On the Spirit Peak, the atmosphere was heavy as everyone knew that Iron Blood had reached a critical juncture, so how could they be in the mood to speak?
Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements continued cycling without end, occasionally showing signs of disorder, causing everyone to be on edge. Fortunately, Iron Blood Great Emperor’s foundation was quite deep, so although there were some twists and turns during his advancement, it wasn’t to the point where he couldn’t control it himself.
Yang Kai paid close attention and was prepared to step in at any time. He didn’t know if he could help others when they encountered difficulties during their breakthrough to the Open Heaven Realm, or if he could assist them in any way, but he could only prepare in advance.
At a certain moment, the flaring aura suddenly disappeared, shocking everyone. They thought that something terrible had happened to Iron Blood Great Emperor; however, soon after, a strange feeling slowly spread out. When they probed, they sensed that the place where Iron Blood Great Emperor was standing was a chaotic mess, as if everything in this world had been turned into nothingness.
Yang Kai’s brow rose as he recalled the scene of him breaking through to the Open Heaven Realm. How could he not know that Iron Blood Great Emperor had reached the final step? He couldn’t help feeling excited.
A fierce shout suddenly rang out from Iron Blood Great Emperor’s side, “Open!”
A violent rumbling sound rang out as Chaos erupted and Heaven and Earth split apart.
The aura of the newly born Universe World spread out in all directions like a thunderstorm, spreading fierce gales and causing everyone’s clothes to flutter.
“Success!” Duan Hong Chen exclaimed softly, his eyes glowing with envy.
“Hahahaha!” Iron Blood Great Emperor laughed heartily, “Amazing!”
Martial Beast Great Emperor curled his lips, “Show off!”
Although he said so, there was still pride in his eyes; after all, they were all Great Emperors, and with Iron Blood reaching the Open Heaven Realm, he would soon be able to catch up.
Yang Kai’s tense heart finally relaxed as he let out a long sigh and smiled, “Everyone, please come with me to congratulate him.”
Saying so, he took the lead and flew forward while the others followed closely behind.
A distance of 100 kilometres was covered in the blink of an eye. Iron Blood Great Emperor stood there, gently clenching his fists. His face filled with confidence as if he could grasp the entire world in his palm.
Yang Kai could understand what he was feeling. On the Martial Dao, the gap between the Emperor Realm and the Open Heaven Realm was a big leap, a qualitative change that was difficult to describe, especially with Iron Blood Great Emperor breaking through directly to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. At this moment, the strength he possessed was thousands of times greater than before!
At the Star City’s Void Dock, a small ship, after receiving a routine inspection, slowly sailed out before quickly disappearing into the void.
After the ship left, Mo Mei slowly walked out from her hiding place and glanced in the ship’s direction, asking, “Who does that ship belong to?”
The disciple, who was responsible for inspecting the ship, reported, “It’s the transport of Gathering Smoke Territory’s Blizzard Sect.”
Mo Mei immediately took out her Universe Chart and examined it for a moment before coldly snorting, “Gathering Smoke Territory and Heavenly Sword Territory are adjacent to each other. They didn’t leave sooner or later, but chose to leave at this time. What a loyal bunch!”
As she spoke, she turned her head in the direction of Void Land and saw that it was currently wrapped in a thick mist. She knew that Iron Blood Great Emperor from the Star Boundary was definitely preparing to break through to the Open Heaven Realm, otherwise, the Nine Heavenly Layers Grand Array would not have been activated.
It was known that there were spies from Heavenly Sword Union in the Star City. She had discussed this matter with Yang Kai before. Just like how he had arranged for Luan Bai Feng to join Heavenly Sword Union, Heavenly Sword Union would have certainly done the same.
However, there were still many merchants and residents who remained in the Star City, so it was impossible to determine which ones were spies.
Iron Blood Great Emperor breaking through to the Open Heaven Realm had clearly alerted Void Land’s enemies.
When the Nine Heavenly Layers Grand Array was activated, the entire Void Land was covered by it, giving the impression they were trying to hide some kind of big secret. When the spies in the Star City saw this, they would definitely report it to Heavenly Sword Union, giving Void Land an opportunity to track them.
What Mo Mei saw now was completely in line with Yang Kai’s speculations.
Not long after Void Land’s Nine Heavenly Layers Grand Array was activated, Blizzard Sect’s ship left the Star City. Why did they leave if it wasn’t to send a message? It should be noted that the Star City’s Void Dock had been completely deserted all this while, no one had come or gone. So Jin Yuan Lang and his group of disciples who were responsible for overseeing the Void Dock had grown quite idle and bored.
“Elder Fan!” Mo Mei called out.
Fan Wu Xin quickly stepped forward and cupped his fist, greeting, “Governor!”
“Keep a close eye on this place, there’s definitely more than one rat. If anyone wants to leave, you can detain them first. If they have any objection, tell them to come to the Governor’s mansion and talk to me.”
“Yes!” Fan Wu Xin replied solemnly.
Mo Mei glanced at the deep void again, wondering how much they could gain from tracking these people down.
At the same time, in Void Land, a group of people gathered around Iron Blood Great Emperor and listened to him describe the feeling of breaking through to the Open Heaven Realm.
Although Yang Kai had previously asked many veteran Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters to teach them some things they needed to pay attention to in order to advance to the Open Heaven Realm, having someone who just broke through like Iron Blood Great Emperor teach them was naturally more effective.
Perhaps one of them might encounter a similar situation as Iron Blood Great Emperor when they made their attempt. At that time, if they were well prepared, it would be easier to deal with.
After a full day and night, everyone still hadn’t had enough, so Yang Kai had no choice but to interrupt them, “Senior Iron Blood just broke through and needs to consolidate his foundation. Let him rest for a while.”
Hearing this, everyone finally gave up.
There was a huge leap in strength from the Emperor Realm to the Open Heaven Realm. The sudden increase in strength required some time to gradually adapt to; otherwise, it would be impossible for Iron Blood to display his full might when facing an enemy.
Iron Blood Great Emperor’s ascension to the Open Heaven Realm was a good start, meaning that the cultivators from the Star Boundary had now finally stepped onto the stage of the 3,000 Worlds.
In three to six months, Yang Kai believed that Void Land would have at least three or four more Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Bustling World Great Emperor, Martial Beast Great Emperor, and even Fang Yue and Xiang Ying’s advancement to Open Heaven Realm was only a hair’s breadth behind Iron Blood Great Emperor.
Perhaps it was because they had been stimulated by Iron Blood Great Emperor’s breakthrough, but everyone returned to their respective rooms and immediately entered retreat. As expected, the two Great Emperors, Bustling World and Martial Beast, as well as Fang Yue and Xiang Ying, both requested Bian Yu Qing to provide them with the last Sixth-Order Yang Element material they needed soon after.
Bian Yu Qing naturally agreed.
After everything was settled, Bian Yu Qing came to Yang Kai’s side and whispered a few words to him.
Yang Kai slightly narrowed his eyes and nodded, “Let’s go take a look.”
The two of them quickly arrived at a secret room.
Jin Yuan Lang immediately cupped his fist and greeted, “Sect Master, Second Manager!”
Yang Kai nodded slightly and swept his gaze across the crowd, only to see three people standing side by side in front of him, two men and one woman. They looked a little panicked, but they were trying very hard to appear calm.
Jin Yuan Lang took a few steps forward and gave a simple report.
Yang Kai raised his brow slightly, “Gathering Smoke Territory, Blizzard Sect?”
Jin Yuan Lang continued, “Governor Mo has already checked. Gathering Smoke Territory is adjacent to Heavenly Sword Territory. I’ve been following their flying ship for a long distance, their destination should have been Flying Smoke Territory.”
Yang Kai nodded slightly. He then pulled up a chair before sitting down and lifting his head to look at the three people in front of him.
The Blizzard Sect members were led by the elderly man in the middle. This man had good insight as when he saw a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like Jin Yuan Lang acting so respectfully towards Yang Kai, he immediately guessed Yang Kai’s identity and cupped his fist, “This must be Void Land’s Lord, Sir Yang.”
Yang Kai agreed with a nod, “It is this Yang!”
The elderly man furrowed his brow and asked, “May I ask Sir Yang whether my Blizzard Sect has offended Void Land in any way that would cause you to detain us?”
Yang Kai asked lightly, “You really don’t know?”
The elderly man maintained a calm and composed manner, “Please enlighten me!”
Yang Kai stared at him for a moment before replying, “Since you don’t know, you don’t need to know.”
With a flick of his finger, World Force suddenly converged.
*Pa…*
The elderly man’s head exploded as red and white matter sprayed out in all directions while blood spurted out from the neck like a fountain.
Bian Yu Qing, who was standing behind Yang Kai, suddenly trembled, obviously frightened. It wasn’t that she had never seen a dead person before, but she hadn’t expected Yang Kai to act so decisively and take the old man’s life without any warning.
Jin Yuan Lang was also stunned for a moment, but soon a smile appeared on his lips, giving him a menacing look.
Since Blizzard Sect was willing to act as Heavenly Sword Union’s spy, they were enemies, so there was no need for them to show any mercy. Yang Kai’s actions were to his liking.
As the old man’s Small Universe collapsed, the power of the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm suddenly dissipated as the headless corpse staggered and fell to the ground.
Yang Kai looked up at the remaining two and asked, “What do you know?”
The remaining man and woman were only in the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm. Seeing their leader being killed so ruthlessly, their faces immediately went pale and their courage shattered. The man’s legs started trembling as he begged for mercy, “Sir, please spare my life! If there’s anything you need, please ask. I will tell you everything I know!”
As if he was afraid he would die if he spoke too late, he quickly replied.
Yang Kai turned to look at the woman again.
The woman’s face turned pale as she quickly expressed her stance, “This Mistress is the same, if Sir has any questions, feel free to ask.”
Yang Kai nodded with satisfaction, “That’s better.”
After pondering for a moment, he stated, “The one who tells me the most will live, the other will die. Elder Jin, take one of them away!”
“Yes!” Jin Yuan Lang accepted the order and reached out to grab the man, ignoring his pleas for mercy and resistance as he took him away.
Yang Kai turned to the woman and calmly continued, “You should understand what I want to know!”
The woman nervously gulped as her breathing became erratic. Her chest heaved up and down and she put on the best flattering smile she could as she gently nodded, “This Mistress knows.”
Without waiting for Yang Kai to ask any more questions, she began speaking.
She was frightened out of her wits, which caused her words to be extremely disorganized. Moreover, she was afraid that she would reveal less than her companion, so she said whatever came to her mind.
Yang Kai listened with an indifferent expression, making it impossible to guess what he was thinking. The more he acted like this, the more panicked the woman became.
After a long time, the woman finally stopped and looked at him with a timid expression.
As expected, these people from the Blizzard Sect were spies planted by Heavenly Sword Union in Void Star City. Blizzard Sect originally had a shop in the Star City, so before Heavenly Sword Union sealed the Territory Gate, they contacted them and asked them to monitor the movements of Void Land. They had ordered them to report every piece of news they found.
Previously, when they saw Void Land’s Nine Heavenly Layers Grand Array activate, they too were unable to see what was happening inside, so they thought that something big had occurred. As such, they prepared to go to Flying Smoke Territory to report the situation, but they didn’t expect to fall into Yang Kai’s trap.
“Is that all?” Yang Kai looked up at her.
The woman quickly shook her head, “Yes Sir! This Mistress and the others also didn’t want to do this, we were forced to do so. Gathering Smoke Territory and Heavenly Sword Territory are neighbours, if we didn’t comply, Heavenly Sword Union would definitely not spare us. My Blizzard Sect really has no intention of becoming enemies with Void Land.”
Yang Kai ignored her pleas and continued, “The people that Heavenly Sword Union planted in the Star City are definitely not just your Blizzard Sect. Who else is there?”
The woman thought about it carefully before shaking her head, “This Mistress has no idea!”
“Think carefully before you answer; otherwise, if your Fellow Brother says more than you, you won’t have a chance to see tomorrow’s sun.”
The woman’s eyes immediately turned red, “Sir, this Mistress really doesn’t know. Please spare my life, this Mistress is willing to do anything to repay Sir’s kindness. Please take pity on me.”
Saying so, she actually knelt down, crawled up to Yang Kai, and craned her snow-white neck to look at him. This immediately caused her deep ravine to be visible through her collar.
Bian Yu Qing couldn’t stand her pathetic look and coldly snapped, “You may not know, but don’t you have any suspects?”
After hearing her reminder, the woman thought about it seriously for a moment before reporting the names of the two other forces, “This Mistress doesn’t know if they are or not, but I’ve heard that they have many connections with Heavenly Sword Union.”
Yang Kai nodded, “I see.”
Giving Bian Yu Qing a look, she immediately turned around and called out.
A short while later, Jin Yuan Lang walked in with the man in his arms before carrying the woman away, ignoring her pleas.
Half an hour later, Yang Kai walked out of the secret room with Bian Yu Qing following closely behind him. The two Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from Blizzard Sect had already told him everything they knew, and after cross-referencing the information they had revealed, Yang Kai did not find anything suspicious. So, questioning them anymore would be pointless.
“Sect Master, what should we deal with those forces?” Bian Yu Qing asked softly.
In order to survive, the two Blizzard Sect members had mentioned several forces, but they couldn’t be certain if these forces really had colluded with Heavenly Sword Union. Perhaps they were just speculating, or perhaps they were just spouting names in order to appear more useful.
As such, dealing with these forces was quite troublesome.
“Send a message to Governor Mo to keep an eye on them, and if there’s any sign of trouble,” Yang Kai paused for a moment before coldly continuing. “We’d rather kill and be wrong than let them off!”
Bian Yu Qing quickly responded, “Yes!”
She also knew that what Void Land lacked the most right now was time. As long as they had a little more time, the number of Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters they had would grow. When the battle broke out with Heavenly Sword Union, every Sixth-Order Master would be an indispensable force. So, concealing information right now was the top priority.
Otherwise, if Zuo Quan Hui found out about the situation here, he would definitely launch an all-out attack.
Last time, Zuo Quan Hui’s lineage alone had forced Void Land to send out all its top experts; so now, with Heavenly Sword Union’s help, if Void Land didn’t have more Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, it would be difficult to resist.
“What should we do with those two?” Bian Yu Qing asked again.
“Detain them for now,” Yang Kai replied casually. He didn’t take the two Blizzard Sect members seriously, but since they wanted to make an enemy out of Void Land, he would not show any mercy. After the war here was settled, he would just throw them into the Black Territory. Luan Bai Feng would be more than happy to acquire more ore slaves.
After the order was passed down, the Star City also began to make arrangements. Sure enough, three days later, they caught another spy who wanted to leave Void Territory. After interrogating them and confirming that there was no mistake, they also detained them.
Yang Kai didn’t know how much longer Zuo Quan Hui could endure. He had led Heavenly Sword Union to seal off the Territory Gate for over three years now, which wasn’t necessarily a long time, but it wasn’t short either. Theoretically, it was enough time for a newly established force to run out of supplies.
Void Land had only risen recently, so unlike the Cave Heavens and Paradises that possessed inheritances that spanned countless centuries, it did not have a rich stockpile of resources. Now, even the Star City income had been cut off, so the only reason it was able to persist until now was because of the benefits brought about by the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill.
From Zuo Quan Hui’s perspective, he was in an invincible position. As long as he waited patiently, Void Land would one day be unable to hold back and rush out to seek a way out. At that time, he would be able to deal a heavy blow to Void Land!
However, there was always a limit to his patience, and it was impossible to completely seal off news from Void Land. Although Yang Kai didn’t need to worry too much about the Star City, many people were still in Void Territory observing Void Land.
Once the Nine Heavenly Layers Grand Array was activated frequently, it would definitely arouse Zuo Quan Hui’s vigilance, and at that time, he would definitely try to probe the situation.
As such, Yang Kai felt that Void Land would at most be safe for another year or so.
But a year was enough!
Three months later, Bustling World Great Emperor broke through to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, and quite smoothly at that.
Another month later, Martial Beast Great Emperor also did so, which came as no surprise!
In another two months, Fang Yue, and Xiang Ying both broke through, not facing too much danger.
Immediately after Fang Yue and Xiang Ying, Flower Shadow and Ice Feather Great Emperors broke through!
At this point, the number of Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Void Land had reached 16, not including Luan Bai Feng in Heavenly Sword Union or Lan You Ruo who was in secluded retreat.
Although 7 of these 16 had just advanced to the Open Heaven Realm and were unable to display their full strength for a short period of time due to the instability of their cultivation, they were still in the Sixth-Order Masters. As the saying went, a starving camel was still bigger than a horse.
In addition, there were more than 100 cultivators who had advanced below the Sixth-Order in Void Land during this time. It could be said that a wave of advancement to the Open Heaven Realm had been set off.
Just as Yang Kai had expected, the frequent activation of the Nine Heavenly Layers Grand Array had alerted Zuo Quan Hui. After the enemy scouts hiding in Void Territory sent word back, the peace that had been maintained for several years was finally broken.
“Sect Master, a large number of ships suddenly appeared from Flying Smoke Territory’s Territory Gate leading to Void Territory. They were confirmed to be from Heavenly Sword Union, and Mountain Lord Mao, who was watching over things there, engaged in a brief clash with the enemy.”
On Dragon Son’s Peak, Yang Kai was examining Zhu Qing’s condition when Bian Yu Qing suddenly rushed over and anxiously reported.
Yang Kai turned his head and asked, “How is the situation?”
After returning from the Black Territory to Void Territory that day, Yang Kai had Mao Zhe, Geng Qing, and Zhou Ya lead a group of Open Heaven Realm Masters to guard the Territory Gate. On one hand, it was to block spies from leaving towards Flying Smoke Territory, while on the other hand, it was to monitor the situation of Heavenly Sword Union.
Over the past few years, Heavenly Sword Union had made quite a few attempts to check the situation in Void Territory, but all of them had been easily resolved by Mao Zhe and the others. Since Zuo Quan Hui had decided to starve Void Land to death, he naturally wouldn’t start a war so easily before the time was right.
This time, the situation was clearly different from the previous small-scale investigations.
Bian Yu Qing shook her head and replied, “The situation is serious but not critical. Heavenly Sword Union sent several Sixth-Order Masters, forcing Mountain Lord Mao and the others to retreat. The Territory Gate fell into Heavenly Sword Union’s hands.”
“Is everyone alright?” Yang Kai asked with concern. Although Void Land was now filled with powerful forces, every Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was a rare and needed talent.
“A few low-order Open Heaven Realm Masters lost their lives in the clash, but not many. The other party seemed to only be probing the region, so Mountain Lord Mao and the others were able to retreat safely.”
Yang Kai fell silent for a moment before commenting in a mournful tone, “In a battle between two armies, injuries and deaths are inevitable.”
When the Star Boundary united to fight against the Demon Realm, millions of cultivators and billions of innocents lost their lives. The entire Star Boundary had been plunged into misery and suffering during that time. Now that they were fighting against Heavenly Sword Union, Yang Kai was naturally prepared for such losses.
“Did Zuo Quan Hui show up?” Yang Kai asked again.
Bian Yu Qing slowly shook her head and rejoiced, “If he showed up personally, Mountain Lord Mao and the others would definitely not have remained unharmed.”
Although Mao Zhe and the other two were veteran Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, they were definitely not Zuo Quan Hui’s match even if they were to fight together. Last time, they had been able to defend against Zuo Quan Hui because Yang Kai had been the one to bear most of the pressure.
“Coward!” Yang Kai sneered.
Zuo Quan Hui was obviously afraid of the Divine Spirits of Void Land, so he didn’t dare show his face easily; however, this was also in line with Yang Kai’s intentions. From this point alone, even if Zhu Jiu Yin didn’t actively participate in the war, she would still be a great deterrent.
“Sect Master,” Bian Yu Qing’s voice was somewhat hoarse, “Is the war about to begin?”
Although she was mentally prepared, when this day really came, Bian Yu Qing couldn’t help but be nervous.
As someone from the Star Boundary, she had never forgotten how tragic the Two Worlds Great War had been.
“It is!” Yang Kai took a deep breath and turned his head, “Senior, I’ll have to trouble you to look after Void Land and the Star City.”
Nodding, Bi Xi replied, “Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of these two places for you. If you can’t defeat the enemy, just come back. With this Old Master here, they won’t dare act rashly.”
“Many thanks, Senior!” Yang Kai expressed his gratitude before turning to Zhu Qing.
But before he could say anything, Zhu Qing stepped forward and stated, “I’ll go with you.”
Yang Kai flatly refused, “No!”
Zhu Qing’s bloodline had improved dramatically as a result of her Dragon Vein being greatly purified and condensed, allowing her to transform into a 3,000 to 4,000 metres long Dragon. However, when Yang Kai checked her strength, she was only able to display the might of someone around the Third or Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
A true Grand Dragon was said to be at least 10,000 meters long, so although Zhu Qing’s transformation this time had greatly increased her strength, there was still a big gap between her and a true powerhouse. It was likely that she would need to undergo another great transformation before she could truly become a Grand Dragon!
On the other hand, in a battle between two armies, the situation was chaotic, and a Third or Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master could die at any moment. How could Yang Kai allow her to enter the battlefield?
Zhu Qing looked at him quietly, “I am the Wife of Void Land’s Lord. If I didn’t have the ability to participate, it would have been fine, but now that I have the necessary strength, if I still have to hide in the rear, what will others think? If those disciples who are desperately bleeding and dying for Void Land came to know about it, what would they think? They will definitely think that I’m a turtle!”
To the side, Bi Xi couldn’t help but shrink his neck… he wanted to say something but decided to hold back.
Zhu Qing continued, “All these years, we Sisters have been cultivating hard, but have never been able to help you much when you were out roaming the world. Now that I have this opportunity, I want to do something! We can’t live under your wings forever, always allowing you to shield us from the wind and storms. Big Sister and the others must be thinking the same and working hard for this goal.”
Yang Kai had a belly full of words but couldn’t say them. Even though he was still reluctant, his heart was filled with warmth.
“In any case, if I want to go, even if you don’t allow me to, I’ll go myself unless you lock me up,” Zhu Qing proclaimed angrily.
Yang Kai stared at her for a moment before suddenly smiling and nodding, “If you want to go, you can go!”
Zhu Qing stared at Yang Kai in shock, “You’re not lying?” She hadn’t expected Yang Kai to agree to her request so easily.
“I’m not lying!” Yang Kai replied seriously before turning to look at the old man, “Senior, please take care!”
Saying so, he wrapped his arm around Zhu Qing’s waist and flew off.
A moment later, numerous large and small ships flew out from Void Land, transforming into streaks of light as they headed towards the Territory Gate.
Void Territory was vast, so it would take at least ten days to half a month to reach the Territory Gate. If Yang Kai was alone, it wouldn’t have taken him so long, but now that there were a lot of Open Heaven Realm Masters from Void Land accompanying him, their speed was naturally slower.
Inside a room aboard the Falling Lotus, Zhu Qing was lying on the bed, her clothes in disarray and her hair dishevelled as she was sweating profusely. Lifting her head, she rebuked with great difficulty, “Aren’t we going to war? If others find out… what will we do?”
Yang Kai grinned and replied, “It will take some time to get there, so we can’t waste time. Senior said that I can help you purify your bloodline, and with each transformation, your strength will grow, so I must work hard!”
Zhu Qing was already in a daze, unable to speak, her entire body glowing with a faint red light.
Yang Kai suddenly felt a little annoyed, “If I had known this would happen, I would have worked much harder and not wasted so much time before.”
The enormous Territory Gate was stretched across the void, slowly rotating in an endless cycle!
Outside the Territory Gate stood a grand palace. This palace was a combination of defensive, offensive, and flight-type artifacts.
Both inside and outside the palace, one could see cultivators walking back and forth.
Yang Kai led the many Void Land Open Heaven Realm Masters to a nearby place and immediately spotted the palace.
“Heavenly Sword Palace!” Old Bai whistled and exclaimed, “They even brought this thing out. They really want to settle down in our Void Territory!”
“Have you seen it before?” Yang Kai tilted his head and asked.
Although there were many Open Heaven Realm Masters in Void Land, and there were even 16 Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, in terms of experience and knowledge, none of them could compare to those from the First Inn.
For many years, they had followed the Proprietress around, collecting all kinds of information about the 3,000 Worlds. There were very few things they didn’t know about in the Outer Universe.
Old Bai replied with a shake of his head, “I haven’t seen it before, but I’ve heard of the famous Heavenly Sword Palace. Back then, in order to forge this artifact, Heavenly Sword Union nearly went bankrupt, yet it still took them nearly 100 years to complete it.”
Yang Kai was slightly surprised.
Heavenly Sword Union could be considered a top Second-Class force, yet they had almost gone bankrupt and spent so long to refine a single artifact. From this, it could be seen just how much Heavenly Sword Palace had cost them. The more they spent on it, the more it could not be underestimated.
Although he had not personally witnessed the power of Heavenly Sword Palace, Yang Kai could still feel that it had an impregnable defence and unstoppable offensive power!
This kind of artifact had already exceeded the scope of an ordinary artifact. It was a weapon of war!
With such a powerful weapon, Heavenly Sword Union’s morale would definitely soar!
In comparison, Void Land seemed somewhat shabby.
Yang Kai turned his head and looked around, noting that Void Land’s forces had taken up position about 1 million kilometres away from the Territory Gate. This distance wasn’t far, but it was definitely not close either. For Open Heaven Realm Masters, it would not take them long to cross such a distance. Moreover, there were no obstructions in the void, so if their eyesight was good enough, they could even see individual cultivators across this kind of gap.
Ships of all sizes were scattered across the void.
[If we get the opportunity, we should forge a palace artifact for ourselves. Otherwise, if we encountered such a situation again, our morale would be greatly reduced before the fighting even begins.]
Unfortunately, Void Land was currently short of resources, so now was not the time to consider such things.
“You didn’t see Zuo Quan Hui?” Yang Kai turned to look at Mao Zhe.
Mao Zhe slowly shook his head, “No.”
Yang Kai focused his attention on the Heavenly Sword Palace. Since Zuo Quan Hui hadn’t shown up, either he hadn’t come here and was still hiding in Flying Smoke Territory, or he was inside the Heavenly Sword Palace!
Yang Kai estimated that the former was more likely to be the case. If he really came, he would not let Mao Zhe and the others leave so easily.
Of course, he could have been hiding in Flying Smoke Territory and had now come along with the Heavenly Sword Palace.
Even though a great killing weapon like the Heavenly Sword Palace had been taken out, it was still standing guard near the Territory Gate. Obviously, they were only trying to probe the situation and weren’t preparing to launch a large-scale attack; otherwise, they would have mobilised the entire Heavenly Sword Palace and directly attacked Void Land!
Of course, directly attacking Void Land was something Zuo Quan Hui definitely didn’t have the courage to do. With Bi Xi and Zhu Jiu Yin standing guard, how could he dare to act presumptuously?
Setting up the Heavenly Sword Palace near the Territory Gate, he could attack or retreat at will. This was exactly what Yang Kai wanted, Zuo Quan Hui acting vigilant and cautious.
After thinking about it for a long time, Yang Kai stated in a low voice, “I’m afraid I won’t be able to contribute much to the battle against Heavenly Sword Union. You can only rely on yourselves. Be careful!”
The group of Open Heaven Realm Masters around him were stunned, most of them not understanding what Yang Kai meant, but a few of them quickly reacted.
Yang Kai’s strength had far exceeded an ordinary Sixth-Order Master’s, so if he were to take action, no one from Heavenly Sword Union would be his opponent. At that time, he would definitely provoke Zuo Quan Hui to take action, and once Zuo Quan Hui appeared, the situation would become difficult to control.
After all, no one on their side could restrain a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master!
Currently, Zuo Quan Hui was hiding, mainly because he was afraid of Zhu Jiu Yin, who hadn’t made an appearance yet. If Yang Kai didn’t show himself, Zuo Quan Hui also wouldn’t show up easily, which would benefit Void Land greatly.
Yue He was the first to understand this point, so when she heard this, she nodded and declared, “Young Master may rest assured. If Zuo Quan Hui doesn’t take action, Heavenly Sword Union is nothing but trash!”
For the current Void Land, they indeed had the qualifications to evaluate Heavenly Sword Union as trash.
“Let’s set up camp first. I don’t know how long Zuo Quan Hui’s probing will last,” Yang Kai ordered, and everyone readily agreed.
Several figures flew out and disappeared into the void.
Half a day later, a shattered Spirit Province from who knows where was brought over and set down before everyone landed on it.
This shattered Spirit Province was a barren rock one could find floating about in Great Territory. Although it couldn’t compare to the grandeur of the Heavenly Sword Palace, it was still a good place to temporarily establish a camp.
After settling the necessary details, Yang Kai immediately summoned all the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters for a war council. Everyone expressed their own opinions, and soon determined the most important task at hand, which was to determine the strength of Heavenly Sword Union!
‘Know thyself, know thine enemy, and you will emerge victorious in 100 battles’. It was a saying true in any circumstance.
On the other side, Heavenly Sword Union’s disciples were all holed up in and around the Heavenly Sword Palace, so it wasn’t easy to identify or count them. Yang Kai had arranged for Luan Bai Feng to enter the enemy’s ranks in advance, but in this situation, unless Luan Bai Feng left the Heavenly Sword Palace, it was impossible for her to send out a message.
The Heavenly Sword Palace’s defensive array was active, isolating the outside world and making it impossible to send out any messages.
In other words, to contact her, the battle had to reach a point where Luan Bai Feng would be deployed!
This matter wasn’t actually difficult. As long as Yang Kai put enough pressure on Heavenly Sword Union, Luan Bai Feng would definitely have a chance to move out and make contact. Yang Kai gazed at everyone and asked, “Who wants to lead the attack?”
Iron Blood Great Emperor was the first to step forward and volunteer, “Let me!”
It had only been half a year since he had broken through to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm and he had spent most of his time in retreat, consolidating his cultivation. It was an extremely boring process, so he longed for a good fight. Furthermore, fighting with others was far more efficient than cultivating in retreat to consolidate one’s foundation. The dangers of wandering between life and death also often stimulated one’s potential.
Yang Kai denied with a smile, “Senior Iron Blood, please don’t make a move for now. After your breakthroughs, you are all hidden forces of Void Land. I’m preparing to give Heavenly Sword Union a pleasant surprise when the time is right, so unless it’s absolutely necessary, I want you to remain hidden.”
Iron Blood Great Emperor snorted unhappily but still sat back down.
Mao Zhe stood up and proposed, “Let us take the lead; after all, we should retrieve the face we lost ourselves.”
Previously, the Three Mountain Lords had been forced to retreat by Heavenly Sword Union, not because their strength was necessarily inferior, but because they were heavily outnumbered.
Now that all of Void Land’s forces were ready to be deployed, Mao Zhe naturally wanted to avenge his previous humiliation.
Yang Kai agreed with a nod, “Then I’ll leave the first team to the Three Mountain Lords. Take 10 Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and 100 below the Fifth-Order!”
Mao Zhe and the other two stood up and cupped their fists, “Yes!”
Turning around, they walked out.
After they left, Yang Kai continued, “Hui Gu, Hua Yong, Shu Mu Dan!”
Hui Gu and the couple stood up and responded, “Sir!”
“The three of you will lead another 100 people and prepare to assist at any time!”
The three of them nodded and went out to prepare.
“Yue He, Mo Mei!” Yang Kai called out again.
The two women stepped forward.
“Ready 200 people as reserves, just in case!”
“Yes!”
After issuing these orders, Yang Kai raised his head and looked outside. All 8 known Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters of Void Land had been mobilized, so Heavenly Sword Union would have to arrange for Luan Bai Feng to fight. As long as Luan Bai Feng had the opportunity to leave the Heavenly Sword Palace, she could find a chance to send a message.
A moment later, streaks of light flew out from the shattered Spirit Province and headed straight for the Heavenly Sword Palace. Although there weren’t many in this group, all of them were Open Heaven Realm Masters. This was a battlefield for the Open Heaven Realm, and those below it weren’t qualified to participate.
At the same time, in the Main Hall of the Heavenly Sword Palace, Zuo Quan Hui was sitting on his throne with a group of Sixth-Order cultivators standing in front of him. There were old, young, men, and women, but all of them served Zuo Quan Hui.
A disciple dressed in Heavenly Sword Union’s uniform rushed in and cupped his fist, “Reporting to Union Master, a 100-man team from Void Land is heading straight for Heavenly Sword Palace, led by Mao Zhe, Geng Qing, and Zhou Ya!”
Hearing this, Zuo Quan Hui coldly snorted, “They sure are courageous, daring to take the initiative to attack.”
On his left, an old man stroked his beard and smiled, “A newborn calf is not afraid of a tiger, a young man’s temper is too hot, but this is just what the Union Master wants.”
This old man was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master from Heavenly Sword Union, but because of his advanced age, he stopped caring about worldly affairs and dedicated most of his time to secluded cultivation. After Zuo Quan Hui had entered Heavenly Sword Union, Zuo Quan Hui didn’t care if he was willing or not and dragged the old man along to serve him.
Zuo Quan Hui swept his gaze over the crowd majestically, “Who will meet the enemy?”
The group of people below all looked at each other in dismay. Unlike Void Land’s forces, who all volunteered to be the first to attack, no one here answered. Zuo Quan Hui had not hesitated to drag Heavenly Sword Union into this war in order to avenge his fallen Disciples, so the higher-ups of the Heavenly Sword Union were naturally not very motivated.
Eventually, someone suggested, “Union Master, how about we let these weaklings come over and show them the power of the Heavenly Sword Palace.”
The Heavenly Sword Palace was a treasure that excelled at defence, offence, and mobility. If the people of Void Land dared to approach within 10,000 kilometres of it, those inside wouldn’t even need to take action personally. The Heavenly Sword Palace’s various Arrays were enough to deal with them. If the enemy was careless enough, they might even be killed.
However, how could Zuo Quan Hui do such a thing? If he wanted to destroy Void Land and kill Yang Kai, he would first have to cut off their wings. If he really used the power of the Heavenly Sword Palace, it would only cause Void Land to retreat helplessly, which was not in line with his goals.
Moreover, the people of Void Land weren’t fools, so why would they purposely put themselves in danger?
This was to be the first real confrontation between Heavenly Sword Union and Void Land, yet no one had taken the initiative to help him resolve his problems, causing Zuo Quan Hui to be quite annoyed.
Inside the Heavenly Sword Palace’s Main Hall, Zuo Quan Hui had a cold and gloomy look on his face. The oppressive pressure of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was filling the air, making it difficult for everyone to breathe. The one who spoke realized that he had said something wrong and couldn’t help but feel a bit terrified.
“Union Master, this Mistress requests permission to lead our counterattack, I hope Union Master can grant my request!” Just as Zuo Quan Hui was about to lose all face, Luan Bai Feng stepped up and elegantly bowed.
Zuo Quan Hui glanced at her warmly and nodded, “Warden Luan is quite considerate, but with three Sixth-Order Masters attacking together, you alone will be outnumbered.” Although his cultivation was an Order higher than Luan Bai Feng’s, she had chosen to join him on her own, and now that she had taken the initiative to offer herself to save him some face, Zuo Quan Hui was naturally quite polite to her.
Turning his head to the other side, he shouted, “Huang Quan, Jin Gang, Cang Yan!”
Being called out, no matter how unwilling Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch’s trio was, they could only brace themselves and step forward. They cupped their fists and responded, “This subordinate is here!”
“I’ll leave those three to you!” Zuo Quan Hui looked at them indifferently.
How could Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch and the others dare to refute? Since they had submitted to someone else, they had to act like lackeys. The trio respectfully agreed, “Rest assured, Sir, we will make sure they never return!”
Turning around, they gathered their forces and left the Heavenly Sword Palace.
A moment later, a great battle broke out in the void.
This was not the first time the three Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from the Prison Star had fought with the Three Mountain Lords of Profound Yang Mountain. When Heavenly Sword Union had emerged from Flying Smoke Territory, these six had been the first to fight. The Three Mountain Lords, who were standing guard in Void Territory, were outnumbered and had no choice but to retreat until Yang Kai arrived with reinforcements, only then did they show their faces again.
It could be said that both sides knew each other and were evenly matched.
For a while, all kinds of large and small fights broke out in the void as the cultivators released various Divine Abilities and artifact attacks. It was an extremely spectacular sight.
However, whether it was Heavenly Sword Union or Void Land, everyone knew that this was not the time for a decisive battle, so both sides acted with a certain degree of restraint. The scene might look exceptionally spectacular, but its participants were all acting cautiously. After fighting for half an hour, with the exception of a few who were injured, not a single fatality had occurred. It had to be said that this was not a small miracle, but a tacit understanding between both parties.
Yang Kai, sitting in the shattered Spirit Province, gazed at the distant battlefield.
Inside the Heavenly Sword Palace, Zuo Quan Hui’s face turned livid. If he couldn’t gain an advantage in this battle, how could he force Yang Kai to take action? If Yang Kai didn’t take action, how could he have the chance to kill him?
Just as Yang Kai had planned to give Luan Bai Feng a chance to participate in the battle so she could send him a message, Zuo Quan Hui’s planned something similar. As long as he could force Yang Kai to show his face, his plan would be halfway there. Even if the Divine Spirit Heavenly Moon Demon Spider was protecting Yang Kai, it was not impossible for Zuo Quan Hui to kill him!
The last time he had been injured by Yang Kai was because he had been careless. This time, he would not lower his guard.
As long as he could kill Yang Kai, his revenge would be complete! As for the other residents of Void Land, he didn’t care whether they lived or died.
Seeing the state of the battle, Zuo Quan Hui was unhappy and called out once more, “Huang Mao, Liang Ce, Qi Xuan, Dan Yang!”
The four people below all stood up and accepted their orders.
These four were all Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from Heavenly Sword Union. Yang Kai had once asked Luan Bai Feng about the strength of Heavenly Sword Union, and she responded that there were four Sixth-Order Masters that she and the public were aware of. Two of them had been killed by Yang Kai, leaving only two behind. However, she had no idea about those who were hiding in the dark.
Huang Mao and Liang Ce were the two who were known to the public while Qi Xuan and Dan Yang were the hidden Masters of Heavenly Sword Union. Both of them were older-generation Masters, and basically spent all their time in secluded retreat. If Zuo Quan Hui hadn’t taken over Heavenly Sword Union, how could they have appeared here?
Then again, Heavenly Sword Union and Yang Kai did have a kind of irreconcilable enmity between them. They wanted to use Zuo Quan Hui’s power to avenge the death of two of their Union Masters, so they didn’t have any objections to his orders.
“The four of you will lead more people to support Huang Quan and the other two. You must gain the upper hand.”
“Yes!” The four quickly responded.
Zuo Quan Hui then turned to the remaining Sixth-Order Disciple from his lineage and ordered, “Zi Yan, you go too and act according to the situation!”
“Master, don’t worry, this Disciple understands what she must do!” Zi Yan clenched her teeth and turned around; the hatred in her eyes threatened to burn the world!
Zuo Quan Hui currently had many Sixth-Order subordinates, but he only had one true confidant, and that was Zi Yan; after all, she was his Direct Disciple, so her loyalty was unquestionable. Furthermore, only Zi Yan knew what Zuo Quan Hui was planning.
“Does Martial Uncle Zuo want to end this battle quickly?” A voice suddenly rang out in the hall. As soon as the battle began, Zuo Quan Hui had sent out almost all of his Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm subordinates, so his intentions were obvious. A smart person would naturally be able to guess what he wanted.
Zuo Quan Hui replied in a low voice, “Martial Nephew is right, this Monarch does have such intentions.” Zuo Quan Hui didn’t show any trace of politeness towards others. He ordered them around as he liked, but towards this person, Zuo Quan Hui was extremely amiable. He had no choice in the matter, as this person’s background could not be underestimated, and just like Luan Bai Feng, he had taken the initiative to join him. So, naturally, Zuo Quan Hui had to treat him with respect.
The person took a short pause before continuing, “According to the information we’ve gathered, there are a total of eight Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Void Land besides Yang Kai. On our side, there are three from the Prison Star, which are Huang Quan and his men, four from Heavenly Sword Union, making it a total of eight if we include your Disciple. This time, we’ve met a worthy opponent. It’s going to be a good show.”
The man smiled slightly as he spoke, his eyes filled with anticipation.
Zuo Quan Hui added in an earnest manner, “That’s why we may need Martial Nephew and Warden Luan to put pressure on them later. Only then will Yang Kai show himself.”
The man assured with a nod, “Of course, that’s not a problem.” Turning his head to look at Luan Bai Feng, his eyes brazenly lingered on her towering chest for a moment before he smiled and added, “Warden Luan, I hope we can cooperate well!”
Luan Bai Feng covered her mouth and giggled, “This Mistress is a woman with a weak physique. I’ve never seen such a big scene before, so I’m quite anxious. I’ll have to trouble Junior Brother to take care of me later.”
The man chuckled and stated, “Of course, of course!”
Luan Bai Feng also smiled, but a trace of anxiety flashed across her beautiful eyes. She hadn’t expected that she would be used by Zuo Quan Hui as a last resort. In this situation, she wouldn’t be able to inform Yang Kai in advance about the situation, and once Zuo Quan Hui’s plan succeeded, Yang Kai would really fall into great danger.
Now that she and Yang Kai were riding the same boat, if anything happened to him, she would not be able to survive either.
She turned her head to look outside, and when Luan Bai Feng saw that the battlefield was becoming more and more chaotic, the anxiety in her eyes became even more intense!
Heavenly Sword Union had sent out eight Sixth-Order Open Heaven Masters, so Void Land could only respond accordingly. Fortunately, Yang Kai had made arrangements long ago. After the three Mountain Lords of the Profound Yang Mountain, Hui Gu, Hua Yong, Yue He and Mo Mei also took action in an orderly manner.
The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm battlefield was evenly matched; after all, everyone had the same number of people, so neither side could gain any advantage. Although they fought fiercely, whether it was the enemy or their allies, none of them were in any danger of dying.
On the other hand, the battlefields below the Sixth Order soon had distinct differences in strength.
Although Heavenly Sword Union was also a peak Second Class Force with many Open Heaven Realm Masters, it was still slightly inferior to the current Void Land.
The countless years of accumulation of the Abundance City cultivators from the Blood Monster Cave Heaven had finally borne fruit in Void Land. Furthermore, Yang Kai had brought a large number of Open Heaven Realm Masters from the Shadowless Cave Heaven as well. Now, the total number of Open Heaven Realm Masters below the Sixth-Order in Void Land had reached about a shocking 1,500!
This was an extremely large number, and under the Cave Heavens and Paradises, there were very few forces who possessed so many Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Naturally, Heavenly Sword Union was inferior.
Void Land didn’t even need to mobilize all its forces, sending just half was enough to crush the enemy. In a situation where the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters couldn’t interfere, the cultivators below that Order became the key to victory. What’s more, Void Land had many Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Yang Kai’s eyes swept over the battlefield and clearly saw Heavenly Sword Union’s Open Heaven Realm Masters being suppressed to the point where they couldn’t even breathe. From time to time, a Small Universe would collapse and the World Force would erupt, the phenomenon following the death of an Open Heaven Realm Master.
As he was looking around, Yang Kai was suddenly shocked and his eyes fixed on a fiery red figure as his brow twitched violently.
The fiery red figure was none other than Zhu Qing, who had just undergone a bloodline transformation!
Although the power of her Dragon Vein had greatly increased, overall, she only possessed the strength of a Third or Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm. In such a battlefield, she was at great risk of being hurt or even dying.
[Who brought her out?] The veins on Yang Kai’s forehead bulged.
However, on second thought, he realized that no one would do such a thing and the most likely scenario was that she had run off on her own.
Lu Xue, who had been standing next to Yang Kai, also saw this scene and leaned over to ask in a low voice, “Sir, do we need to bring the Madam back? On the battlefield, swords have no eyes.”
Lu Xue had consumed a Mid-Rank World Fruit in the past, allowing her to advance from the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm to the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm directly. Moreover, she was one of the earliest Open Heaven Realm Masters to follow Yang Kai, so she could be considered a trusted aide. Now, she was staying by Yang Kai’s side as a messenger.
Yang Kai hesitated for a moment before slowly shaking his head, “No need!”
Since Zhu Qing was willing to fight, Yang Kai let her do as she pleased. Of course, what really reassured Yang Kai was that he could clearly see Old Bai, Chef, and Accountant sticking close to Zhu Qing’s position, neither interfering with her battle with her enemies nor allowing powerful opponents to approach.
With the three of them taking care of her, Zhu Qing’s life shouldn’t be in danger, and such a battle would be good for her growth.
Moving his eyes away, Yang Kai continued to observe the battlefield with a frown.
He didn’t see Luan Bai Feng on the battlefield, which meant that there were still more Sixth-Order Masters on the Heavenly Sword Union’s side!
It was just that he didn’t know how much strength Zuo Quan Hui was concealing. No matter what, he had to take extra precautions.
Turning his head, Yang Kai stated, “Everyone, prepare yourselves, we may need your help later!”
Originally, he had wanted to hide Iron Blood and the others so that he could give Zuo Quan Hui a big surprise, but now it seemed that he wouldn’t be able to hide them for long. Once Luan Bai Feng was sent out, he would need someone to deal with her.
After Iron Blood Great Emperor had advanced, six more Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had appeared in Void Land. Although all of them had just broken through and were unable to display the full strength of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, two of them would easily be able to suppress one opponent.
As long as Zuo Quan Hui’s side didn’t send out more than four Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, Yang Kai could deal with them without making an appearance, but it was impossible for him to keep hiding Void Land’s strength.
It was not easy to reach the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so Yang Kai estimated that Zuo Quan Hui wouldn’t have too many more at his disposal. In other words, with Void Land’s current strength, they should be able to handle the situation.
A moment later, another batch of streaks of light rushed out from the Heavenly Sword Palace and rushed towards the battlefield. The two leading people were obviously Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Yang Kai looked over, and when he saw the face of one of them, he was stunned as this person’s entire body was surrounded by Demon Qi. It was none other than Myriad Demons Heaven’s Pei Wen Xuan!
[Why is he here? Is it on Myriad Demons Heaven’s orders or of his own volition? If it’s the former, then Void Land will really be in big trouble. Myriad Demons Heaven is one of the 36 Cave Heavens, how can Void Land resist such a massive force?]
If Myriad Demons Heaven really decided to interfere, Yang Kai decided that he would immediately gather everyone and return to Void Land to hide under Bi Xi’s tortoise shell.
However, Yang Kai didn’t find too many Myriad Demons Heaven disciples in the new batch of Open Heaven Realm Masters, only three or four at most. This discovery made Yang Kai feel relieved. Apparently, Pei Wen Xuan’s interference in Void Land’s battle with Heavenly Sword Union wasn’t ordered by Myriad Demons Heaven; otherwise, they wouldn’t have sent so few people here. He should be acting alone.
Naturally, Luan Bai Feng was leading the group together with Pei Wen Xuan.
At the same time Yang Kai saw her, his Communication Bead vibrated. Yang Kai took it out and immediately understood the message Luan Bai Feng had sent him.
All the elites had been deployed to lure the snake out of its hole, so they had to be careful!
Yang Kai quietly put away the Communication Bead and turned his head to look at Iron Blood Great Emperor. Just as he was about to speak though, he suddenly felt two powerful auras appear seemingly out of thin air. Looking up, Yang Kai saw two streaks of light approaching from the distance at an astonishing speed.
Feeling the aura of these two newcomers, Yang Kai’s expression became strange and he swallowed his words.
The two people who had suddenly appeared flew across the vast void like two sharp blades, directly charging towards the team led by Pei Wen Xuan and Luan Bai Feng with astonishing momentum!
Pei Wen Xuan and Luan Bai Feng had received Zuo Quan Hui’s orders. They were preparing to bring their people into the battlefield to pressure Void Land further and force Yang Kai to take action, thus creating an opportunity for Zuo Quan Hui to act. But who would have thought that two more Sixth-Order Masters would suddenly appear and attack them.
Feeling the strength of the approaching enemies, Pei Wen Xuan didn’t even have time to think about where these two people had come from or what their identities were. He immediately used a Divine Ability together with Luan Bai Feng to counter-attack.
The two attackers didn’t try to dodge and instead seemed to perform a joint attack technique. The two figures quickly intertwined and their World Forces fused together to form a Taiyi Yin-Yang Chart which suddenly expanded and enveloped Pei Wen Xuan and Luan Bai Feng.
The next moment, the Taiyi Yin-Yang Chart began rotating rapidly, like a giant millstone crushing the void.
World Force fluctuated wildly as miserable screams rang out.
The people on the shattered Spirit Province were dumbfounded at this sight. Iron Blood Great Emperor and the others, who had been itching to fight, broke into a cold sweat as they stared at the sudden change in the battlefield, secretly wondering what would happen if they were enveloped by this kind of Divine Ability.
They might not end up dead, but serious injuries would be inevitable.
“Who is that?” Iron Blood Great Emperor turned to look at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai hesitated before replying, “It should be Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.”
“You invited them?” Bustling World Great Emperor asked. These two had suddenly appeared without any warning, and Yang Kai had never told them about this either.
Yang Kai denied, shaking his head, “I don’t know about this either.”
He really had no idea what was happening. If it weren’t for those two taking the initiative to attack, he wouldn’t have even known they were here. By the looks of it, Xu Ling Gong didn’t ignore him. His status as a Yin-Yang Cave Heaven Son-in-law still seemed a little useful.
“Then do we still attack?” Iron Blood Great Emperor stared at Yang Kai.
“No need for now.” Yang Kai waved his hand, “Just continue hiding.”
Some of the Great Emperors wore looks of disappointment on their faces. It had only been a short time since they had broken through to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so they hadn’t had a chance to carefully test their strength yet. They had thought that this was an opportunity, but who would have thought that people from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven would suddenly appear and intercept the enemy?
For a moment, they didn’t know if they should thank or curse them.
With a massive burst of energy, the Taiyi Yin-Yang Chart that had been suppressing the entire region suddenly shattered as several figures flew out.
Originally, Pei Wen Xuan and Luan Bai Feng had brought some 40 or 50 Open Heaven Realm Masters below the Sixth Order from Heavenly Sword Palace, but now only half of them remained. The rest were all dead. Furthermore, almost everyone who was still alive was injured, with the exception of those at or above the Fifth Order.
Although Pei Wen Xuan wasn’t hurt, he was still in a sorry state. After breaking free, he roared, “Qing Kui, Su Ying Xue, you court death!”
In the void, Qing Kui and Su Ying Xue stood side by side. The former sneered when he heard this and snapped back, “Such impudence! It seems you need a good beating!”
Luan Bai Feng stood to the side, not saying a word as she adjusted her messy clothes slightly, feeling a heavy weight lifting from her chest.
She had been worried that Yang Kai would be forced to act and give Zuo Quan Hui a chance to kill him, but by the looks of it, the sudden appearance of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven had resolved this crisis.
From her standpoint, she should be thanking Qing Kui and Su Ying Xue, so she naturally wouldn’t say anything, but neither would she let her expressions betray her thoughts.
“You dare attack me?” Pei Wen Xuan stared coldly at Qing Kui and Su Ying Xue, “I’m afraid you’ve forgotten what happened to Qu Hua Shang. I will definitely report this matter to Yin-Yang Cave Heaven and have you condemned as accomplices!”
Back then, Qu Hua Shang had only interfered with Yang Kai’s affairs, nothing too serious, yet she was forced to become a prize for the Dao Theory Assembly and was sentenced to 100 years of confinement. Qing Kui and Su Ying Xue’s actions just now were much more serious than Qu Hua Shang’s as they had directly killed others. If they really followed the rules set by the Cave Heavens and Paradises, they would definitely be charged with the crime of creating internal strife.
Qing Kui, however, wasn’t intimidated and sneered, “If you can’t beat others, you whine and complain to your Elders? Is this Myriad Demons Heaven’s way of doing things? How eye-opening!”
Qing Kui also didn’t have a good impression of Myriad Demons Heaven. The reason why his Little Junior Sister had encountered such a terrible situation was because of Myriad Demons Heaven’s Ti Zheng, so how could he have any goodwill towards Pei Wen Xuan?
Pei Wen Xuan coldly snorted, “Whatever you say, this matter will be decided by your Yin-Yang Cave Heaven!”
Qing Kui wore an aloof expression while Su Ying Xue stated indifferently, “There’s no need to worry about that. Senior Brother and I are no longer Yin-Yang Cave Heaven disciples.”
“Huh?” Pei Wen Xuan gawked, wondering if he had misheard her.
“Because the two of us defied our Honoured Master’s commands a few days ago, we were expelled from the Sect, so we are no longer Yin-Yang Cave Heaven disciples!” Su Ying Xue’s expression remained flat, as if she was discussing the weather rather than their expulsion from their Master Sect.
Pei Wen Xuan’s face was filled with shock, “The two of you were expelled from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven?” His first thought was that it was impossible.
Xu Ling Gong had taken in a total of three Disciples in his life, and each of them was extremely precious to him. Even if they had committed a grave mistake, he would not be willing to expel them from the Sect. Moreover, all Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were considered part of the elite forces of any Cave Heavens and Paradises and were more than capable of holding the position of an Outer Sect Elder. How could they be casually expelled from the Sect? Even if Xu Ling Gong was willing, Yin-Yang Cave Heaven would not let them go so easily. At the very least, their cultivations would be crippled.
However, on second thought, this explanation sounded somewhat familiar…
Zuo Quan Hui’s lineage could rebel against Thousand Crane Paradise, so why couldn’t Qing Kui and Su Ying Xue be expelled from Yin-Yang Heaven?
Xu Ling Gong was obviously trying to cheat! But thinking about the other party’s character, it wasn’t strange for him to act so shamelessly.
“Good, enough idle chatter. Boy, are you ready?” Qing Kui palmed his fist tightly as he looked towards Pei Wen Xuan with a grin.
“Ready for what?” Pei Wen Xuan’s brow twitched.
“Ready for a beating of course! I hope your skin is thick enough so you don’t get beaten to death by Father here!” As he finished speaking, Qing Kui raised his fists and pushed his World Force towards Pei Wen Xuan.
Pei Wen Xuan cried out in alarm as the Demon Qi around his body surged, transforming into a black cloud that engulfed his body.
Although it had been a few years since he had broken through to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm and his foundation had somewhat stabilized, how could Pei Wen Xuan be a match for a veteran Sixth-Order Master like Qing Kui? Although he knew that Qing Kui couldn’t really kill him, being beaten half to death was still quite embarrassing, not to mention painful. So, when he saw Qing Kui charging straight at him, Pei Wen Xuan immediately used his Divine Ability to conceal himself while falling back and waiting for an opportunity to act.
However, the Cave Heavens and Paradises had interacted with each other for countless millennia, so even if they didn’t know each other’s techniques and Divine Abilities like the back of their hands, they had a certain understanding of them at the very least. Qing Kui didn’t even bat an eye as he rushed into the Demonic Cloud, and a moment later, Pei Wen Xuan’s muffled grunts clearly rang out.
On the other side, Su Ying Xue went straight to Luan Bai Feng before the two women engaged in a fierce battle.
Unlike how Qing Kui had proclaimed that he would beat Pei Wen Xuan, he had to hold back a bit in order to avoid killing him. In the end, Pei Wen Xuan was still a Core Disciple of Myriad Demons Heaven, so if he were to die, it would definitely cause a huge stir.
The current battle between Void Land and Heavenly Sword Union was all because of the death of a Core Disciple, and this was only possible because of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven applying political pressure from the background. If it weren’t for Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, Void Land wouldn’t be facing Heavenly Sword Union, but Thousand Crane Paradise.
Su Ying Xue, on the other hand, didn’t need to worry too much about this. When she attacked, her killing intent surged and every move she made was deadly.
However, Luan Bai Feng didn’t dare to say anything to her and could only try to resolve the situation on her own. Fortunately, Luan Bai Feng was no pushover. Although her background wasn’t as high as Su Ying Xue’s, her Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivator was extremely profound. For a time, the fight between the two as they exchanged moves one after another was quite a spectacular sight.
Zuo Quan Hui had sent Pei Wen Xuan and Luan Bai Feng as a last resort, but they were unable to finish their mission. Furthermore, the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters he had sent out were also preoccupied with different opponents and were unable to extricate themselves.
As for those below the Sixth Order, they were suffering heavy casualties because they were outnumbered.
Inside the Heavenly Sword Palace, Zuo Quan Hui’s face was so dark and gloomy that it looked as if it could blot out light from the entire world.
This was the first official confrontation between Heavenly Sword Union and Void Land, and it was also a battle that was destined to be fruitless.
For Heavenly Sword Union’s side, as long as Yang Kai does not show up, Zuo Quan Hui’s scheme would be impossible to achieve. As for Void Land, they could not reveal the hidden strength in their hand before they had a certain degree of confidence in killing Zuo Quan Hui.
There were now 20 Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters participating in the battle and over 1,000 Masters were below the Sixth-Order. Across the million kilometres wide battlefield, everyone was locked in a heated melee and bathed in blood.
Yang Kai, who was sitting on the shattered Spirit Province, gazed over the battlefield and issued a series of orders. More and more Open Heaven Realm Masters below the Sixth Order rushed to the front to solidify Void Land’s advantage.
Since Heavenly Sword Union had decided to follow Zuo Quan Hui’s lead, they couldn’t blame Void Land for not showing any mercy. If they could take advantage of this opportunity to kill all of Heavenly Sword Union Open Heaven Realm Masters below the Sixth Order, it would be a great victory. At that time, Zuo Quan Hui’s group of Sixth-Order Masters wouldn’t be able to accomplish much.
Suddenly, Yang Kai’s eyes focused on a certain spot on the battlefield. After he observed carefully for a moment, he raised his hand and called out, “Lu Xue!”
“Reporting.” Lu Xue, who had been standing beside him as the messenger, came forward.
“Go deal with that Myriad Demons Heaven disciple!” Yang Kai directed her in a certain direction.
Lu Xue followed the direction of his finger and soon caught sight of her target. Although she didn’t know what was so special about this Myriad Demons Heaven disciple, since Yang Kai had personally ordered her to do so, she could only faithfully obey.
“Yes, Sir!” She quickly replied, but just as she was about to head out, she suddenly received Yang Kai’s voice transmission and nodded in response, “Rest assured, Sir.”
Her figure flickered as she transformed into a streak of light and sped across the battlefield.
A moment later, Lu Xue arrived in front of her target and slashed her sword towards the Myriad Demons Heaven disciple.
The Myriad Demons Heaven Disciple was a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master with extraordinary strength. He was currently locked in a fierce battle with Jin Yuan Lang. Seeing Lu Xue join the battle, not only did he not become afraid, he even licked his lips as if he had seen some delicious food.
Lu Xue couldn’t help but shudder as an inexplicable sense of dread filled her heart. Still, she followed Yang Kai’s instructions and sent him a message without a moment of hesitation!
The Myriad Demons Heaven Disciple’s face, which was beaming with fighting spirit, suddenly went stiff. He pushed his Demon Qi madly as he retreated 100 kilometres before raising his eyes and looking towards the distant shattered Spirit Province.
Lu Xue and Jin Yuan Lang could care less about what he was thinking, and attacked from the left and right. But the Myriad Demons Heaven Disciple only parried the attacks, seemingly no longer having any intention of fighting back.
In a two-against-one, with both of them being Fifth-Order Masters, the Myriad Demons Heaven disciple quickly fell into a disadvantageous situation. However, no matter how dangerous the situation was, he was always able to find a way to survive. After fighting for a long time, Lu Xue, and Jin Yuan Lang both sighed in amazement. The two of them had almost killed this man several times, but he still managed to stay alive and kicking.
If it weren’t for the fact that he was clearly a Fifth-Order Master, the two of them would have suspected that he was concealing his cultivation; otherwise, how could he be so lucky every time?
Lu Xue and Jin Yuan Lang didn’t fight with the Myriad Demons Heaven disciple for too long. After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, a streak of light suddenly shot out from the Heavenly Sword Palace, shooting towards the void.
Seeing this, the Open Heaven Realm Masters of Heavenly Sword Union all used their Divine Abilities to push back the enemies and then used this opportunity to quickly retreat.
Many Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters fought while retreating, bringing up the rear for the retreating lower Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Void Land Masters chased after them, but they didn’t pursue them too far. The deterrent force of the Heavenly Sword Palace was too strong, so no one dared to get too close.
“A cornered enemy should not be pressured!” Yue He was the first to stop, and only then did the people behind her come to a half, calmly watching Heavenly Sword Union disciples flee back to the Heavenly Sword Palace.
After a brief period of silence, the Void Land Open Heaven Realm Masters broke into cheers. No matter what, Void Land had won this battle. Although they hadn’t been able to kill any of the enemy’s Sixth-Order Masters, they had killed many below the Sixth-Order, greatly weakening Heavenly Sword Union’s strength.
Under Yue He’s orders, the cultivators below the Sixth Order began to clean up the battlefield. Void Land was currently lacking in supplies, and many people died in this battle. Naturally, the spoils of war had to be collected to replenish their consumption.
Under the leadership of Yue He, the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters flew towards Qing Kui and Su Ying Xue. The sudden appearance of these two fearsome Sixth-Order Masters had provided them with timely help. If they had not stopped Pei Wen Xuan and Luan Bai Feng, a portion of Void Land’s hidden power would have been exposed.
“Greetings, Senior Sister Su,” Yue He respectfully bowed. Su Ying Xue had spent some time in charge of Yin-Yang Heaven’s Dao Temple in Void Star City and was also the one who had told Yang Kai about the Dao Theory Assembly, so Yue He naturally recognized her.
“Junior Sister Yue He!” Su Ying Xue returned the greeting.
“May I ask who this is…” Yue He looked towards Qing Kui curiously. Although she had some guesses in her heart, she couldn’t be certain.
After Su Ying Xue introduced the man, Yue He finally smiled and thanked, “So it is Senior Brother Qing Kui. Many thanks for taking care of Young Master when he was in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.”
“It’s nothing.” Qing Kui grinned, “Junior Brother Yang is now a son-in-law of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, so naturally we have to take care of our family. Hmm, is Junior Brother Yang on that Spirit Province?”
Yue He nodded her affirmation, “Yes, it’s just that it’s not convenient for him to show his face for the time being. I’m sure Young Master is very happy to see the two of you. Please follow me!”
While everyone was talking, the battlefield had been cleaned up and the Open Heaven Realm Masters returned victoriously.
Inside an impromptu hall hurriedly built on the shattered Spirit Province, Yang Kai stood up and greeted everyone. Yang Kai introduced Qing Kui and Su Ying Xue to everyone, which immediately caused an uproar, but after exchanging greetings, both sides sat down calmly.
“Senior Brother Qing, Senior Sister Su, why are you here?” Yang Kai asked in confusion. Worry was clearly written on his brow, “Furthermore, wouldn’t stopping Pei Wen Xuan cause trouble for you? Will it implicate Martial Uncle Xu?”
If everything went smoothly, Pei Wen Xuan would be able to advance to the Eighth Order! In any Cave Heaven or Paradise, he would be a future pillar of the Sect.
Qing Kui, on the other hand, was lost in shock as he wondered, [Where did these people come from?]
He was so shocked that he didn’t even hear Yang Kai’s question clearly.
“Senior Brother!” Su Ying Xue gently elbowed him.
“Hmm?” Qing Kui was momentarily stunned, but he quickly came to his senses and calmly replied, “Oh, Junior Sister and I have already been expelled from the Sect by Honoured Master, so there’s nothing to worry about!”
After he finished speaking, his eyes swept over Iron Blood Great Emperor and the others, as if he was trying to figure out what was going on.
“What?” Now it was Yang Kai’s turn to be shocked, “Expelled?”
Being expelled from the Sect was not a trivial matter. Generally speaking, only those who had committed grave mistakes would receive such a harsh punishment. The disciples who were expelled from the Sect would be scorned, and they might even be hunted down.
Qing Kui and Su Ying Xue were both in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm and could be considered Xu Ling Gong’s left and right arms. Even if they had made a terrible mistake, how could they be expelled from the Sect?
But soon, Yang Kai understood and smiled bitterly, “Martial Uncle Xu has put in a lot of effort!”
The so-called expulsion from the Sect was definitely just an excuse to the outside world, just like Zuo Quan Hui’s rebellion from Thousand Crane Paradise. What’s more, since Xu Ling Gog could expel them from the Sect, he could naturally find an excuse to have them return.
Any ordinary High-Rank Open Heaven Master would care a great deal about their face and reputation and might not be able to do this, but Xu Ling Gong didn’t care about such things.
Su Ying Xue indifferently stated, “Honoured Master said that Junior Brother Yang was in trouble and we couldn’t personally help, so he felt uneasy. Moreover, he also had a certain responsibility for this matter, so he sent Senior Brother and me here to help!”
Yang Kai cupped his fist and bowed his head, “Many thanks to Martial Uncle Xu, many thanks, Senior Brother Qing and Senior Sister Su.”
Qing Kui waved off and stated, “There’s no need to be so polite with us. Originally, Honoured Master wanted to come here personally, but… the Sect didn’t agree.”
Yang Kai couldn’t help but laugh, “I wouldn’t dare trouble Martial Uncle Xu!”
Originally, he had some complaints about Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. Although he was the one who killed Zhao Xing from Thousand Crane Paradise, since the rules of the Dao Theory Assembly had been set long ago, Yin-Yang Cave Heaven should have helped him resolve this problem.
Under the pressure of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, Thousand Crane Paradise was unable to publicly and justifiably target Void Land, but Zuo Quan Hui, who had ‘rebelled’, had still caused Void Land to suffer greatly.
Now though, Xu Ling Gong had sent Qing Kui and Su Ying Xue to assist him. And if it weren’t for Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s disapproval, Xu Ling Gong would have personally come to assist him. The resentment in Yang Kai’s heart immediately disappeared.
In the end, it was all because his strength was insufficient, and because Void Land’s reputation was insufficient!
If he was strong enough and had enough prestige, Thousand Cranes Paradise would not have dared to say anything for the death of a mere Zhao Xing.
“We can achieve great things with your assistance!” Yang Kai said excitedly.
Qing Kui smiled bitterly, “I thought the two of us were delivering charcoal in a frigid winter, but who would have thought that we were just adding flowers to a brocade? Even if we didn’t appear today, with your Void Land’s foundation, it should be enough to deal with Heavenly Sword Union.”
As far as they knew, Void Land had nine Sixth-Order Masters, including Yang Kai, so when they saw Pei Wen Xuan and Luan Bai Feng appear, they immediately appeared to intercept them. But apparently, Void Land still had seven newly advanced Sixth-Order Masters in reserve, so they could have handled it with or without them.
When Qing Kui saw the entire hall filled with Sixth-Order Open Heaven Masters, especially the seven who had just broken through to the Sixth-Order directly, he could almost picture another Cave Heaven or Paradise rising within the next few ten thousand years!
“Senior Brother Qing, Senior Sister Su, you have provided my Void Land with great help by coming here. If not for you appearing, when we fought Zuo Quan Hui, we wouldn’t have been able to catch him off guard.”
Qing Kui’s eyes flashed as realization dawned upon him, “So that’s your plan.”
Even Su Ying Xue and he didn’t know that Void Land had so many Sixth-Order Masters, so it was likely that Zuo Quan Hui didn’t know about this either. This point was also clear from the way Zuo Quan Hui had arranged his forces today.
According to the original intelligence, Void Land had eight available Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters apart from Yang Kai, whereas Heavenly Sword Union had a total of ten. Heavenly Sword Union had first sent out eight Sixth-Order Masters to deal with Void Land’s eight Sixth-Order Masters, then sent out the last two to exert pressure. If Yang Kai wanted to stabilize the situation, he would have no choice but to show himself.
Once Yang Kai appeared, Zuo Quan Hui would have a chance to act. This was probably Zuo Quan Hui’s original plan.
The battle between the two sides was not only a life and death struggle between their Open Heaven Realm subordinates, but also a psychological contest.
Unfortunately, Zuo Quan Hui’s luck seemed to be bad. Qing Kui and Su Ying Xue, who had appeared out of nowhere, had foiled his plans. Who knows how he might be venting his anger in Heavenly Sword Palace right now?
“Senior Brother Qing, I only have one question right now,” Yang Kai leaned forward slightly.
Qing Kui stretched out his hand and stated, “Junior Brother, if there’s anything you want to ask, just ask. If I know it, I won’t conceal anything from you.”
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes slightly and asked in a low voice, “Can Zuo Quan Hui be killed or not?”
Hearing this, Qing Kui’s pupils immediately shrank. He was taken aback by Yang Kai’s courage and appetite and was suddenly at a loss for words.
Although he and Su Ying Xue had received orders from their Master to assist Yang Kai, they had never harboured any hope of killing a High-Rank Open Heaven Master. From the start, their plan was to protect Yang Kai and retreat to Void Land.
After all, they were from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, so Zuo Quan Hui would have some scruples more or less, so he couldn’t just kill them. As long as they could retreat to Void Land, Zuo Quan Hui wouldn’t be able to do anything to Yang Kai with Bi Xi’s protection.
Pondering for a moment, Qing Kui asked, “Is Junior Brother Yang worried about Thousand Cranes Paradise?”
Yang Kai indifferently replied, “I killed Zhao Xing and Zuo Quan Hui jumped out. If I kill Zuo Quan Hui, who knows if Thousand Cranes Paradise will jump out?”
Qing Kui’s scalp went numb. He could not figure out why he had started discussing the topic of killing a High-Rank Open Heaven Master with Yang Kai, but he felt like he was dreaming. After all, how could a High-Rank Open Heaven Master be so easy to kill? Although the number of Sixth-Order Open Heaven Masters on Void Land’s side was massive, if they were to fight against a veteran Seventh-Order Master, things would not end well for Void Land.
Still, Qing Kui lightly nodded in response, “That’s true, but Zuo Quan Hui’s situation is different from Zhao Xing’s.”
Yang Kai humbly requested, “Senior Brother Qing, please enlighten me.”
Qing Kui waved off and continued with a wry smile, “It’s nothing so profound. Zhao Xing was a Core Disciple of Thousand Cranes Paradise and had a chance to break through to the Eighth Order in the future. After being killed on the Prison Star, Thousand Cranes Paradise needed to regain its face; otherwise, they would become the laughingstock across the 3,000 Worlds. However, with my Yin-Yang Cave Heaven pressuring them, they can’t make a big fuss about it. As Zhao Xing’s Honoured Master, Zuo Quan Hui had no choice but to take a different approach.
“The public news from Thousand Cranes Paradise is that Zuo Quan Hui’s faction betrayed the Sect. Since they have betrayed the Sect, they are rebels and now have nothing to do with Thousand Cranes Paradise, similar to us as we were expelled from the Sect by our Honoured Master, but also quite different.” Qing Kui smiled, “Let’s put it this way, after this matter is settled, Honoured Master can take us back into the Sect, but no matter what, Zuo Quan Hui will never be able to return to Thousand Cranes Paradise; otherwise, Thousand Cranes Paradise will lose all face. This is the price he must pay for his ‘rebellion’.”
Yang Kai raised his brow and added, “If that’s the case, if I can kill Zuo Quan Hui, it would be the same as helping Thousand Cranes Paradise clean up its Sect. They should thank me instead.”
Qing Kui opened his mouth and wryly smiled, “That would be so if all parties were acting in earnest!”
In fact, everyone was aware of the true story behind Zuo Quan Hui’s ‘betrayal’. If Void Land really killed him, Thousand Cranes Paradise naturally wouldn’t show any gratitude, but they also had no right to seek revenge.
Yang Kai nodded, “I understand!”
All of a sudden, Yang Kai felt refreshed. All the troubles that had been haunting him regarding this war were now swept away. Ever since Zuo Quan Hui began targeting Void Land, Yang Kai had been somewhat worried about Thousand Cranes Paradise interfering. If he was alone, he wouldn’t have to think too much about it. After so many years of painstaking cultivation, if he was all on his own, all he would have to worry about is killing Zuo Quan Hui and clearing away their grudge. Alternatively, he could be killed by Zuo Quan Hui and be freed of all troubles.
However, as the Lord of Void Land, Yang Kai had no choice but to worry about the lives of the hundreds of thousands of Void Land disciples.
Now, he had no more concerns after hearing everything from Qing Kui.
Zuo Quan Hui could be killed!
After letting Qing Kui and Su Ying Xue withdraw to rest, Yang Kai finally had time to check the casualties.
In this battle, the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters didn’t suffer much of an effect, but those below the Sixth-Order had killed nearly a hundred enemies. Although this didn’t sound like a lot, everyone who participated in this battle was an Open Heaven Realm Master.
Yang Kai didn’t know how many Open Heaven Realm Masters there were in Heavenly Sword Union, but today’s battle was enough to make the hearts of the higher-ups of Heavenly Sword Union bleed.
There were also casualties on Void Land’s side, but they weren’t nearly as high. Less than 20 had been killed, so it was a significant victory!
After the great battle, everyone diligently cultivated and recuperated.
Yang Kai also began strategizing. Heavenly Sword Union had ten Sixth-Order Masters. Void Land originally had sixteen, and with the arrival of Qing Kui and Su Ying Xue, the number had increased to eighteen.
They had eight more Masters than the enemy, and if Luan Bai Feng was included, the gap would grow even larger.
However, because Iron Blood Great Emperor and the others had just broken through to the Sixth Order, they wouldn’t be able to gain any advantage against the veteran Sixth-Order Masters on the enemy’s side, so once they showed themselves and participated in the battle, they would have to fight two against one to be of any use.
In other words, the seven who had just advanced could at most restrain three or four opponents in the same realm.
If Yang Kai wanted to kill Zuo Quan Hui, he estimated that he would need six or seven veteran Sixth-Order Masters to cooperate with him to have a chance.
Void Land’s strength was still somewhat lacking!
After all, once the power of Void Land was completely exposed, if they couldn’t kill the snake, it would become impossible to threaten Zuo Quan Hui again. They only had one chance! As such, Yang Kai needed to be fully prepared and possess decisive strength.
Moreover, the most important problem was that the Heavenly Sword Palace was too close to the Territory Gate. Once Zuo Quan Hui noticed that something was wrong, there was a high chance he would retreat to Flying Smoke Territory. At that time, the question would be whether to give chase or not.
If they pursued, Zuo Quan Hui would definitely ambush them at the Territory Gate, and who among them could resist the sneak attack of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Master? If they didn’t pursue, all their previous efforts would be wasted.
Yang Kai was now having a headache. Zuo Quan Hui’s cautiousness had given Void Land some breathing room, but it also made killing him extremely difficult.
Now that things had reached this point, Yang Kai could only take things one step at a time. The situation on the battlefield was ever-changing, so perhaps he could find a suitable opportunity to act.
Perhaps he could send a message to Luan Bai Feng to find an opportunity to launch a sneak attack on Zuo Quan Hui.
After the first confrontation, Heavenly Sword Palace’s side remained calm for a full two months. Two months later, great waves rose again as a large number of lights flew out, heading straight for Void Land’s encampment.
Void Land had long since taken precautions, so when they saw this scene, they naturally charged forward to meet the enemy.
The two sides once again engaged in a fierce battle in the void, leaving behind dismembered corpses and broken limbs as they retreated.
In the main hall, after taking inventory of the casualties, Yang Kai looked out at the crowd and stated, “Zuo Quan Hui used his connections to gather a number of Second and Third-Class forces. Although it didn’t affect the number of Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, there were quite a few more Open Heaven Realm Masters below the Sixth-Order. Not only did they supplement the losses they suffered during the last battle, their numbers even grew quite a bit.”
Most of the people in the hall were shocked when they heard this. Right now, Void Land’s greatest advantage was the number of Open Heaven Realm Masters they had below the Sixth Order. If they didn’t even have this advantage, the situation would definitely deteriorate.
Qing Kui hesitated for a moment before asking, “Has this been confirmed?”
During this time, he had been staying in this small shattered Spirit Province, preparing for battle at any time, but he had not seen Yang Kai send anyone out to inquire about the situation, so he was naturally curious.
Yang Kai nodded, “En, it has been confirmed.”
The news had come from Luan Bai Feng, and she naturally understood the complete situation inside the Heavenly Sword Palace.
Qing Kui’s eyes flashed as he quickly realized something and began suspecting Yang Kai must have some kind of spy in Heavenly Sword Palace, so he didn’t ask any further.
“Then what is Zuo Quan Hui trying to do?” Hui Gu frowned, “Many of them died today.”
Yang Kai explained, “No matter how many casualties there are, it means nothing to Zuo Quan Hui. All the forces under his command are outsiders with the exception of his last personal Disciple, a Sixth-Order woman named Zi Yan. As long as Zi Yan doesn’t die, why would he care about the lives of others? The battles in the future will only become more frequent, so everyone should be prepared.”
“If he remains hiding and has his subordinates fight to the death, what does he want?” Mo Mei was puzzled.
Yang Kai took a deep breath, “He’s following the same plan as before, trying to wear us down!”
Zuo Quan Hui had sealed the Territory Gate and spread the news that he had an irreconcilable feud with Void Land. As a result, the Star City’s popularity had plummeted and Void Land’s revenue stream had basically disappeared. With so many people cultivating and needing resources, it was natural to begin running short of supplies.
Once Void Land’s resources ran out, Yang Kai would inevitably come out, giving Zuo Quan Hui a chance to act.
If it weren’t for the frequent activation of the Nine Heavenly Layers Grand Array, which made Zuo Quan Hui realize something was wrong, he wouldn’t have led Heavenly Sword Union into Void Territory so quickly.
More importantly, Zuo Quan Hui’s plan to lure the snake out of its hole had become hopeless after the arrival of Qing Kui and Su Ying Xue. Since he couldn’t bring out any more Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, he could only use his connections, force, or enticement to bolster his numbers.
And when a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master gave an order, how could mere Second or Third-Class forces resist? Whether they wanted to or not, they had to submit and obey his commands.
Currently, all of the Open Heaven Realm Masters in the nearby Great Territories, with the exception of a few with powerful backgrounds, had been recruited by Zuo Quan Hui, greatly increasing the number of Open Heaven Realm Masters he had under his command. For the time being, they were still inferior to Void Land, but it was difficult to say if this would remain the case as time passed.
Although every battle ended in Void Land’s victory, there were inevitably some casualties, and the surviving Open Heaven Realm Masters were quite exhausted, requiring them to expend plenty of resources to restore their strength.
It had become a battle of attrition and resources. Without enough resources to restore themselves, Open Heaven Realm Masters would not be able to maintain their full strength at all times, and if they were to fight again, it would be harder for them to hold on. If this continued for a long time, Void Land would eventually be unable to hold on, and at that time, it would become a decisive battle.
When Luan Bai Feng sent this message over, even though Yang Kai was already mentally prepared, he couldn’t help cursing the old dog’s cunning.
Before this, Void Land had been sealed off for three or four years and had already used up countless supplies. Now that the war had broken out, the consumption of resources had become even more severe. If it weren’t for the rich accumulation of the Star City’s resources in the early years, they would not have been able to hold on for this long.
Even so, they wouldn’t be able to last much longer.
In order to coordinate with this strategy, from the second battle onwards, the Open Heaven Realm Masters dispatched by Heavenly Sword Union did not even wear Space Rings. Obviously, it was to prevent Void Land from having the chance to collect spoils of war from the corpses.
After more than a dozen large and small battles, Void Land still held the decisive advantage thanks to their numbers, but they had not been able to collect any supplies from the enemy corpses all this time.
Zuo Quan Hui’s intentions were obvious, and he was not even trying to hide them anymore. He kept sending out his Open Heaven Realm subordinates one after another, leaving Void Land no choice but to fight back.
Usually, every battle was followed by a few days of peace, which was ultimately followed by another battle.
While voices of discontent rose on Heavenly Sword Union’s side, the Open Heaven Realm Masters on Void Land’s side were exhausted.
Both sides had fought countless times in a short span of a year. The number of Open Heaven Realm Masters Void Land had lost had almost broken through the 200 mark. Although the numbers were replenished steadily by the Headquarters, it was still not enough to make up for their losses.
Heavenly Sword Union’s losses were even greater. Their losses were at least three times their enemy’s. The void was filled with the blood of Open Heaven Realm Masters within a million kilometres of the Territory Gate.
Such heavy losses had angered Yang Kai. Several times, he wished he could lead all the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters to fight Zuo Quan Hui to the death, but after having personally experienced the might of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he had no choice but to give up on this idea. Any rash action on his part without absolute confidence could lead to even worse consequences.
Meanwhile, Zuo Quan Hui on Heavenly Sword Union’s side was also extremely annoyed.
Such a long battle had almost exhausted his patience, and Yang Kai hadn’t even shown up once, denying him the slightest opportunity to exact his revenge.
Inside the Heavenly Sword Palace’s main hall, many Sixth-Order Masters were gathered, while Zuo Quan Hui sat above with a gloomy expression.
An Open Heaven Realm Master dressed in Heavenly Sword Union’s uniform rushed in and cupped his fist, “Reporting to Union Master, Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch’s forces have been surrounded by Void Land and are outnumbered. Heavenly Monarch requests to withdraw and reorganize!”
This kind of battle report would appear almost every time a fight broke out. Although Heavenly Sword Union had gathered a large number of Open Heaven Realm Masters below the Sixth Order because of Zuo Quan Hui’s prestige, their numbers were still inferior to Void Land. And since the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were unable to determine the victor, the side with the greatest number of Open Heaven Realm Master below Sixth-Order naturally held the absolute advantage.
The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters present couldn’t understand one thing, Void Land was clearly a newly rising force, so where did so many Open Heaven Realm Masters come from?
Zuo Quan Hui picked up a nearby teacup and threw it at the messenger. The cultivator who had sent the message did not dare to move and was hit in the head, which caused him to bleed.
“Wastes! Retreating at the slightest setback? Tell Huang Quan that anyone who dares to retreat without my command will suffer a fate worse than death!”
The messenger trembled with fear and quickly replied, “Yes, Sir!”
He quickly left the hall to relay the message to Huang Quan.
Not to mention how Huang Quan angrily cursed when he heard this order, the group of Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in the hall were also angry, they just didn’t dare to even breathe loudly.
After a long silence, Luan Bai Feng stood up, picked up the teacup, and placed it next to Zuo Quan Hui’s hand, gently consoling him, “Sir, please calm your anger. Void Land’s forces are strong, and Senior Brother Huang Quan is not a timid person. I’m afraid that the situation must be truly difficult to handle, so he requested to withdraw.”
How could Zuo Quan Hui not know this? Only, he had not been able to avenge his two Disciples for such a long time and was now trapped in a fierce battle with Void Land. He had nowhere to vent his anger, which was very frustrating for him. He let out a cold snort and shouted, “A bunch of trash, you can’t take down a mere Void Land even after such a long time?!”
Luan Bai Feng took the initiative to volunteer, “This Mistress is willing to lead a group of people to assist Senior Brother Huang Quan, I hope Sir will agree.”
As Yang Kai’s spy in Heavenly Sword Union, Luan Bai Feng had done a good job of secretly sending messages to the former about Heavenly Sword Union’s situation. With her inside intelligence, Yang Kai knew Heavenly Sword Union’s forces like the back of his hand.
She had even led the Open Heaven Realm Masters of Heavenly Sword Union to fight against Void Land many times, allowing for many of them to be killed.
Zuo Quan Hui’s expression relaxed slightly, “Warden Luan is too thoughtful, then…”
Before he could finish speaking, Pei Wen Xuan stood up and added, “Martial Uncle Zuo, the momentum of Void Land’s forces is overwhelming. Even if Warden Luan goes to support them, I’m afraid she won’t be able to gain any advantage, rather it will cause more casualties. Why don’t we call back Huang Quan and preserve our strength and deliberate over what to do next?”
Zuo Quan Hui looked up at him and knew he was right. In his anger just now, he had not thought things through properly, so he immediately nodded and agreed, “Do as you suggested.”
Once Zuo Quan Hui’s order was relayed, Huang Quan’s troops who were fighting at the front retreated, one by one.
Inside the main hall, Pei Wen Xuan smiled warmly at Luan Bai Feng, who smiled back while cursing in her heart that this brat had ruined her good deed. Otherwise, if she brought her people out, Heavenly Sword Union would definitely suffer even more casualties.
Huang Quan returned not long after, though he was completely unharmed. The one who had fought with him just now was Profound Yang Mountain’s Head Mountain Lord, Mao Zhe. The two of them had fought countless battles and were completely familiar with each other’s tactics by now. Neither of them could do anything to the other unless someone interfered.
However, after having fought for over a year, both sides had formed a tacit understanding. Each of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had their own opponent, so no matter how many Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters one side sent out, the other side would send out their corresponding foe.
After returning, Huang Quan begged for forgiveness and received a scolding from Zuo Quan Hui.
After cursing for a while, Zuo Quan Hui calmed down and swept his gaze around, “The situation is quite tense right now, do any of you have any good ideas on how to defeat them?”
The ten Sixth-Order Masters in the hall glanced at each other blankly.
Although everyone knew that as long as Zuo Quan Hui personally took action, he would definitely be able to break this stalemate and even salvage the situation, yet he never did. He had only been sitting in the Heavenly Sword Palace with the Territory Gate at his back. Everyone knew that he was afraid of the Divine Spirit of Void Land.
By remaining here, he could retreat to Flying Smoke Territory to hide the moment anything went wrong. If he really went out and was targeted by the Divine Spirit, Zuo Quan Hui couldn’t guarantee he could escape unscathed.
Everyone understood this, but none of them said anything, lest Zuo Quan Hui lose face.
“Are you all mute?” Seeing everyone fall silent, Zuo Quan Hui coldly snorted, clearly displeased.
Pei Wen Xuan coughed lightly, “Martial Uncle Zuo, it’s actually quite simple to break the current situation.”
Hearing this, Zuo Quan Hui raised his brow, “What does Nephew Pei have in mind?”
Pei Wen Xuan smiled lightly, “At the end of the day, Void Territory is still the enemy’s home ground. As foreigners, it is natural we suffer losses when we fight. If we can move the battlefield out of Void Territory, it will naturally be easier to deal with Void Land.”
Zuo Quan Hui stroked his beard and nodded slightly in agreement, “You’re right.”
The reason why he hadn’t made a move yet was because he was afraid of Zhu Jiu Yin, who could be hiding in the shadows. If he could move the battlefield out of Void Territory, although he couldn’t guarantee that Zhu Jiu Yin wouldn’t follow him, at the very least, when they passed through the Territory Gate, Zhu Jiu Yin wouldn’t be able to hide and would be exposed. He could be prepared then.
However, if they wanted to move the battlefield out of Void Land, it was easier said than done. Although they could retreat to Flying Smoke Territory, if Void Land’s people didn’t follow them, there was nothing they could do.
“What is Nephew’s plan?” Zuo Quan Hui asked.
Pei Wen Xuan shook his head, “I just had this idea, but no way to implement it.”
Zuo Quan Hui couldn’t help but have a look of disappointment appear on his face.
Pei Wen Xuan added, “But other than that, there is another way.”
“Oh?” Zuo Quan Hui raised his brow.
Pei Wen Xuan continued with a smile, “Right now, both sides are on par when it comes to Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters while Void Land holds the absolute advantage when it comes to Masters below Sixth-Order. If we want to break this stalemate, we must start with the Sixth-Order Masters.”
Zuo Quan Hui’s expression changed slightly, “Nephew Pei means…”
“If we could obtain more Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, even if it’s just one, it would be enough to make Void Land suffer!”
They would be able to fight two against one with one more Sixth-Order Master. If they cooperated well, they might even be able to kill a Sixth-Order Void Land Master, increasing their advantage further.
How could Zuo Quan Hui not know this? His heart ached even more for his dead Disciple Zhou Ti just thinking about it. If Zhou Ti were still alive, how could he have so many troubles now? He would have killed Yang Kai and retreated ages ago.
“It’s easier said than done, it’s not so simple to find a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.” Zuo Quan Hui sighed. Although he had used his prestige and connections to recruit many helpers, none of them were Sixth-Order Masters. There were many Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Thousand Cranes Paradise, but it was impossible for them to support him openly.
Pei Wen Xuan smiled calmly, “If Martial Uncle Zuo trusts me, you can leave this matter to me.”
Zuo Quan Hui was stunned for a moment before asking, “Martial Nephew, are you thinking of getting support from your Sect?”
If Myriad Demons Heaven was willing to intervene, that would naturally be for the best, but Myriad Demons Heaven was one of the 36 Cave Heavens, so how could it interfere in the struggle between ‘lower’ Sects? Pei Wen Xuan had come here because he had a personal grudge with Yang Kai, giving him a reasonable excuse, but if Myriad Demons Heaven really interfered, Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s side would definitely not sit back and do nothing. At that time, it might lead to the two Cave Heavens engaging in battle, blowing the situation up multiple times over.
Pei Wen Xuan replied with a smile, “It’s just a mere Void Land, why bother the Sect? Does Martial Uncle Zuo still remember Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven’s Yin Xin Zhao?”
Zuo Quan Hui pondered for a moment as a young man’s appearance flashed in his mind before he nodded and agreed, “Of course I remember.” Every youth who was able to directly advance to the Sixth Order became famous overnight, so Zuo Quan Hui was naturally not unfamiliar with them. Moreover, Yin Xin Zhao had also been to Yin-Yang Cave Heaven last time, so he had indeed seen him.
“Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven’s Brother Yin has a close relationship with me, and has some grievances with Yang Kai. If you send a message to him, I’m sure Brother Yin will be happy to join in the fun.”
Zuo Quan Hui’s eyes lit up, “Is that true?”
Pei Wen Xuan didn’t comment on it, “I’ll have someone send a message over to try. Whether Brother Yin comes or not will be up to him.”
“Good!” Zuo Quan Hui slapped the armrest of his chair, “Then I’ll leave this matter to you, Martial Nephew Pei. If Martial Nephew Yin can really come, he will be of great help to me.”
A strange sense of bitterness rose in Zuo Quan Hui’s heart once he said this; after all, he had to place all his hopes on a newly promoted Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, but now that the situation was in a deadlock, the help of any Sixth-Order Master was extremely difficult to obtain.
“Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven isn’t too far from here, just a three to six months long journey. Brother Yin will have replied by then,” Pei Wen Xuan added before getting up to send a message to Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven.
Zuo Quan Hui reprimanded the crowd a few more times before finally dispersing everyone.
In Void Territory, although there were no big battles, there was no shortage of small skirmishes. Almost every three or five days, the Heavenly Sword Palace would launch an attack and Void Land would have no choice but to respond in kind.
In the entire 3,000 Worlds, a battle of this scale was quite rare. Both sides had over a thousand Open Heaven Realm Masters involved, including twenty Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and even a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master. This was enough to attract a lot of attention.
Time passed quickly, and soon several months had gone by…
In White Light Territory’s Universe Temple, a group of people walked out of the hall in a file, looking a bit tired and travel-worn.
The Universe Temples were jointly operated by the various Cave Heavens and Paradises. Basically, every Great Territory had one. Many cultivators used the Universe Temples as mediums to travel, saving them a lot of time.
At this moment, several people walked out from White Light Territory’s Universe Temple wearing the same blue and white robes. Their leader was a handsome young man. His aura was not obvious, but his clothes were slightly different from those of his peers, having a few conspicuous golden lines on the sleeves.
After walking out of the Universe Temple, the young man looked around before walking straight ahead as the others followed behind him.
When the surrounding crowd saw this, looks of awe and respect showed on their faces as they quickly gave way, some even started whispering amongst themselves.
“They are Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven disciples.”
“How do you know?”
“They’re wearing Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven’s robes, I’ve seen them before.”
“What are Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven’s people doing here, in this poor and backwater place?”
“The actions of the Cave Heaven’s people are not something you or I can fathom. Shh, don’t speak anymore, the one leading them is Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven’s Outer Sect Elder.”
“Outer Sect Elder!? Doesn’t that mean he’s a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master?”
“Naturally, in all the Cave Heavens and Paradises only the Sixth-Order Masters are qualified to be Outer Sect Elders. If one is a Seventh-Order, then he or she would be an Inner Sect Elder. Look at the golden thread on his sleeve, that is the symbol of an Outer Sect Elder.”
“I see.”
The surrounding discussions made the young man in the lead look extremely pleased, and as he walked, his eyes became more focused. The few of them simply traversed through the Universe Temple without any intention of stopping. After walking a few streets, they headed straight for the exit.
Suddenly, the young leader’s eyes shone brightly as he turned his head towards a side of the street.
Inside a teahouse, a man and a woman were sitting facing each other. The man was small and thin, and had a cold expression on his face, making him appear taciturn. On the other hand, the woman seemed to be quite curious about everything, constantly glancing around.
When their eyes met, the woman was stunned for a moment before quickly looking away.
“Interesting!” The corner of the young man’s lips leading the group rose and withdrew his gaze before continuing forward. A moment later, he left the Universe Temple and disappeared into the void with his followers.
Half an hour later, in the teahouse, the thin man stated, “It’s time to set out.”
“En,” The woman quickly got up and followed behind the thin man.
A moment later, the two of them left the Universe Temple. The thin man took out a small boat and the two of them entered it. Next, the thin man injected his World Force as the boat transformed into a streak of light and sped off.
Inside the ship, the woman asked, “Senior, you haven’t told me how far we are from Void Land.”
The thin man indifferently replied, “There are still a few Great Territories between us. It’s about a month away.”
“Is Void Land very powerful now?” The woman asked again.
The thin man shook his head, “I don’t know either, you’ll naturally know when we get there…” Before he could finish speaking, the man’s expression suddenly changed as he formed a set of hand seals and the flying ship rapidly moved to the side.
The woman was caught off guard and almost fell to the ground, quickly prompting her to circulate her strength to stabilize herself.
“What happened?” The woman asked in surprise.
However, the man’s expression was cold as he stared at a certain spot in the sky and asked in a grim voice, “Which friend is pulling such a foul prank on me? Please show yourself!”
The woman looked in the direction he was looking, but she didn’t see anything. However, she also had a faint feeling that something wasn’t right; someone had clearly attacked their ship just now.
In the next moment, a few figures suddenly appeared in front of the flying ship, all wearing the same blue and white robes. The leader was a young man with a shadow of a smile on his face.
The man on the ship stared fixedly at their clothes as if trying to determine something. After a long time, his face sank, “People from Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven?”
The woman beside him immediately revealed a look of shock as she covered her mouth and whispered, “Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven? One of the 36 Cave Heavens?”
Although she had just broken free of her Universe World’s shackles and entered the 3,000 Worlds, she was no stranger to the information about the Outer Universe. It was not surprising either as she had often sought out this Senior beside her to ask him about things over the years, so she had some basic knowledge.
However, she couldn’t understand why Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven, one of the 36 Cave Heavens, would attack them.
“You don’t need to say anything, I’ll handle this!” The man hurriedly sent a voice transmission, instinctively feeling that something wasn’t right. The 36 Cave Heaven were such huge forces that there was no reason for them to target them. Furthermore, from the looks of it, these people were clearly waiting here to ambush them.
The woman nodded heavily.
The man then appeared on the deck and cupped his fist, greeting, “Hei He greets Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven Senior Brothers, may I ask what advice you have?”
The leading man smiled at him and asked, “You’re called Hei He!?”
Hei He responded with a nod, “Yes!”
“You’re a Void Land disciple?”
Hei He shook his head.
The man who asked and furrowed his brow, “If you’re not a Void Land disciple, why are you going to Void Land?”
Hearing this, Hei He’s heart trembled. Just as he was wondering why this man knew he was going to Void Land, he suddenly remembered a question his companion had asked him in the tea house at the Universe Temple.
[They must have overheard it at that time.]
“Senior Brother misunderstands, we are not going to Void Land,” Hei He replied calmly; after all, he had not reached the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm for nothing. His many years of experience told him that these Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven disciples in front of him probably had some kind of grudge with Void Land, otherwise they would not have acted like this.
The leading Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven Elder slightly smiled, “You’re not going to Void Land? Do you know Yang Kai then?”
When the young man spoke this name, Hei He was able to remain calm, but the heartbeat of the woman skipped slightly. Although her reaction was very weak, how could she hide it from a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master?
The Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven Elder immediately looked towards the direction of the cabin, smiling, “It seems you know each other.”
While the young man was still speaking, Hei He quickly stamped his foot as his World Force erupted, causing the flying ship to turn into a streak of light that flew towards the Universe Temple.
His reaction couldn’t be said to be slow. He had already been vigilant to begin with, so now that he noticed something was wrong, he immediately wanted to flee back to the Universe Temple. As long as he returned to the Universe Temple, no matter what these people wanted to do, they would be safe.
Fighting was absolutely prohibited in the Universe Temple, even for the disciples of the various Cave Heavens and Paradises.
His movements were fast, but the Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven Elder’s movements were even faster as he stretched out his hand and grabbed towards the ship. Under the World Force of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, the ship suddenly froze in place.
He then let out a cold snort and clenched his fist as the ship’s defensive Array began to glow.
“Capture them!” The Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven Elder shouted as his subordinates immediately rushed out, each of them using their own Secret Techniques and artifacts to attack the ship.
Hei He turned pale at the sight of the might of these people’s attacks. He was just an ordinary Fifth-Order Master, but these people who had jumped out were all Fifth-Order Masters, and there was even a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master leading them, so how could he resist?
He used all his strength to activate the Spirit Arrays on his ship, but they were destroyed in less than a dozen breaths of time. The next moment, a few Divine Abilities shot towards him. Hei He struggled to resist them before flying backward, coughing up blood.
Only then did the Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven Elder stretch out his hand and grab the woman who had been hiding in the ship. The woman’s face was pale from the series of events that had transpired, but she was still someone who had weathered all kinds of great storms, so she didn’t show too much fear. She grit her teeth, staring at the young man in front of her angrily.
“You really know Yang Kai, right?” The young man asked coldly.
The woman refused to answer.
The young man scanned her from head to toe and clearly saw her cultivation. A frown appeared on his face as he muttered, “Strange, you just formed your Dao Seal, yet you have a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master to escort you. It seems your identity is extraordinary. Tell me, what is your relationship with Yang Kai?”
The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm pressure was extremely powerful, and the woman had just formed her Dao Seal, so she was unable to resist at all. She could feel that her Dao Seal was showing signs of collapsing under this terrifying pressure. Her blood and energy kept surging but it was still impossible to suppress.
“Pui!” She spat out a mouthful of blood towards the young man.
The young man didn’t move at all, but the arrow of blood disappeared under the pressure emanating from him. He immediately slapped the woman with the back of his hand, instantly knocking her unconscious.
“Let her go, if you want to ask something, ask me, leave her out of this. She’s just in the Emperor Realm, she doesn’t know anything,” Hei He quickly rushed over and fiercely shouted, coughing blood and gritting his teeth.
Xuan Yuan Heaven’s Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters promptly surrounded him. Hei He was outnumbered and was easily taken down in a few exchanges. His cultivation was sealed and he was left in a sorry state.
“I gave you an easy way out, but you just had to take the hard way!” Xuan Yuan Heaven’s Sixth-Order Elder coldly snorted. He looked at Hei He, and then at the unconscious woman in his hand before indifferently stating, “There’s no need to trouble yourself, this Elder will investigate it himself.”
Saying so, his Spiritual Energy madly surged towards the woman’s Knowledge Sea.
Hei He’s eyes shrank at the sight of this as he cried out in horror, “How could you use such despicable methods as an Elder of Xuan Yuan Heaven!?” The young man in front of him was actually using Soul Search!
Soul Searching Techniques were extremely vicious. One needed to have absolutely superiority in terms of Soul strength to use this kind of method. However, once a Soul Searching Technique was used, the subject of the technique would either have his or her Soul destroyed, or suffer serious damage to their Soul, so no one would do so casually.
Hei He had never imagined that this young man in front of him, who was a prestigious Xuan Yuan Heaven Elder, would so brazenly use a Soul Search on an Emperor Realm Junior.
The difference between a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm and Emperor Realm cultivator who had just formed their Dao Seal was like the difference between the Heavens and Earth. When this Outer Elder used his Soul Searching Technique, the woman was unable to resist.
Her frail and delicate body suddenly started uncontrollably trembling as her beautiful eyes widened in pain. Blood immediately started gushing out of her mouth, staining her clothes red. At the same time, Xuan Yuan Heaven Elder’s expression changed from curiosity to surprise and then to excitement.
A moment later, Xuan Yuan Heaven’s Elder’s Spiritual Energy calmed down and his eyes shone brightly as a sinister grin appeared on his face, “So you came from such a place. Hahahaha, what a surprise! We were really wearing out our iron shoes while seeking our own feet.”
He casually threw the woman in his hand aside. The woman’s eyes were dull and lifeless. Although she had not died, it was clear that her Soul had been severely damaged. Even if she was not dead, she was crippled.
“You’ll die a horrible death for this!” Hei He roared in anger, thinking how his Master had handed over the Star Boundary’s people to him to take care of. He had never thought that the first time he had brought someone out, such an accident would occur. If his Master were to find out about this, he didn’t know what kind of fate he would suffer.
How could a Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven Elder and so many Fifth-Order Masters tolerate Hei He’s outburst? They immediately launched their punches and kicks, causing the latter to vomit blood.
“Bring them along, they’ll make a good present for Brother Pei and Martial Uncle Zuo!”
…
Void Territory, a month later…
The constant struggle between the two sides had left both exhausted, but since a blood feud had already been formed, no one would back down.
Another fierce confrontation came to a close as both sides withdrew their forces.
A short time later, inside the main hall, Yang Kai was checking the number of casualties when a terrifying pressure suddenly spread from afar. Yang Kai’s expression promptly changed as he stood up and looked towards the source of this pressure, shouting, “Zuo Quan Hui!”
[Could it be that he couldn’t bear anymore and has decided to take action personally?]
Many of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Masters in the hall also wore solemn looks on their faces. Iron Blood Great Emperor and the others, who had remained hidden until now were all palming their fists in anticipation. If Zuo Quan Hui were to act, they would no longer have to remain hiding.
However, before Yang Kai could figure out what was happening, Chen Tian Fei rolled in like a ball and reported in a panic, “Sir, there’s something wrong on Heavenly Sword Palace’s side. Zuo Quan Hui is personally pursuing someone.”
“Who is it?” Yang Kai was stunned.
Chen Tian Fei shook his head, the fat on his face rippling as he replied, “This subordinate doesn’t know, it’s too far to see.”
Yang Kai’s brow furrowed as his figure flickered and he appeared outside the hall the next moment. He focused his gaze towards the distance before exclaiming, “Luan Bai Feng has been exposed.”
Luan Bai Feng had been hiding well ever since she had joined Zuo Quan Hui’s side, but this time she had been exposed somehow. At this moment, she was fleeing in their direction, leaving a long trail of light behind her. Whereas Zuo Quan Hui and a large group of Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters was hot on her tail.
[Did she attack Zuo Quan Hui?]
He had previously given Luan Bai Feng an order to find an opportunity to launch a sneak attack on Zuo Quan Hui. Although there was a gap of an entire Order between them, if Luan Bai Feng was careful and meticulous, it was not impossible for her to succeed.
[But why did she choose to make a move now?]
Yang Kai was unable to understand this, but he didn’t have time to think about it and shouted right away, “Senior Iron Blood, please remain here for the time being with the other newly promoted Sixth-Orders, the rest will follow me!”
Since Zuo Quan Hui had made his move, it was only natural that he would not be able to sit still. In his camp, Yang Kai was the only one who could fight Zuo Quan Hui and not immediately die.
Since Luan Bai Feng had been exposed, if he didn’t go to her aid, she would most likely die.
Space Principles surged as he brought ten Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters with him and rushed forward.
As the distance between them shortened, Yang Kai could clearly see the shadow of a huge hand behind Luan Bai Feng grabbing towards her. Luan Bai Feng was fleeing with great difficulty. She seemed to be injured as her snow-white dress was dyed red.
What surprised Yang Kai was that Luan Bai Feng didn’t seem to be alone. She was holding a figure in each hand, but it was difficult to tell whether they were alive or dead.
[Who is it?] Yang Kai slightly frowned.
However, as they got closer, Yang Kai felt a faint connection. This connection was something only those who had left their names on the Loyalty List could have.
His Loyalty List was now filled with the names of nine people, among which was Luan Bai Feng’s who was before; Mao Zhe, Geng Qing, Zhou Ya, Hui Gu were beside him; and Chen Tian Fei, and Yun Xinghua were stationed at Void Land headquarters.
Only Hei He and Xin Peng remained.
Thinking of this, Yang Kai’s heart clenched as an uneasy feeling gripped him.
Space Principles fluctuated even more violently as his figure flickered, rapidly approaching Luan Bai Feng.
The giant hand behind Luan Bai Feng was getting closer, and seeing that she could no longer dodge, Yang Kai could only grit his teeth and take out his Azure Dragon Spear, thrusting it forward.
A huge black ball suddenly appeared on the tip of the spear as World Force burst forth, sending out a terrifying shockwave.
A giant black hole suddenly appeared on the huge illusory phantom of a hand that was grabbing towards Luan Bai Feng, sending out a powerful suction force.
The giant hand collapsed. Although it was still able to grab towards Luan Bai Feng, she barely managed to dodge.
At long last, Yang Kai met up with her. His figure flickered as he directly arrived beside Luan Bai Feng, asking in concern, “Are you alright?”
Luan Bai Feng nodded, her face was slightly pale, “Many thanks, Sir!”
If it weren’t for Yang Kai’s timely assistance just now, it would have been impossible for her to escape the pursuit of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
Yang Kai gently nodded and looked towards the two people in her hand, meeting the gaze of one of them.
The man’s face was covered in blood and his aura was extremely weak. He looked up at Yang Kai with great difficulty and weakly called out, “Sir!”
“Hei He!” Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed as he looked to the other side, only to meet a pair of blank eyes.
“Lan Xun!”
Of the two people Luan Bai Feng was carrying, one was Hei He, the other was the daughter of Bright Moon Great Emperor, the Sect Master of Star Soul Palace, Lan Xun!
[How did Lan Xun and Hei He appear in the Heavenly Sword Palace? What did they encounter?] In an instant, Yang Kai’s mind was filled with thousands of thoughts. His heart was burning with rage at the sight of their miserable state.
“Sir, this humble subordinate has failed you, please punish me!” Hei He clearly only had half his life left, yet he was still thinking about the task Yang Kai had given him.
“Now is not the time to talk about these things, take Lan Xun to our Void Land’s encampment first,” Yang Kai suppressed the fire in his heart and quietly ordered.
Hei He nodded hard as he struggled to stand up. He covered Lan Xun with his energy before quickly retreating.
“Are you still able to fight?” Yang Kai looked towards Luan Bai Feng.
Luan Bai Feng brushed her hair behind her ear, “I won’t die!”
Yang Kai nodded and coldly looked ahead. The Sixth-Order Masters with him stood in a straight line, their auras surging.
10,000 kilometres away, the group of Heavenly Sword Union’s Sixth-Order Masters who were pursuing them suddenly stopped. There were a total of ten of them. Yang Kai’s eyes swept over them one by one before suddenly fixing on one of them.
“Yin Xin Zhao!” Yang Kai’s face sank slightly.
The nearby Luan Bai Feng reported, “He just arrived. I didn’t have time to send you a message. He was the one who brought Hei He and Lan Xun here. I escaped with them, using the excuse of imprisoning them.”
However, escaping from the Heavenly Sword Palace was not an easy task. Even though Luan Bai Feng was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, she was still severely injured by Zuo Quan Hui’s palm. If it weren’t for Zuo Quan Hui’s trust in her and his lack of vigilance, she probably wouldn’t have had a chance to leave the Heavenly Sword Palace at all.
“Many thanks!” Yang Kai took a deep breath. Although there was no air in the void, Yang Kai still felt a gust of chill blowing over him.
Fortunately, he had arranged for Luan Bai Feng to join Zuo Quan Hui’s side; otherwise, Hei He and Lan Xun would have died today. It was also thanks to Luan Bai Feng’s decisiveness that she had been able to save Hei He and Lan Xun, albeit at the expense of her identity being exposed.
Yang Kai didn’t know why Hei He and Lan Xun had fallen into Yin Xin Zhao’s hands; he could only ask Hei He about this matter later. Moreover, Lan Xun’s condition made him a bit worried. It was obvious from her appearance that she was unconscious and listless. He had no idea what kind of horrid things she had gone through.
Back then, Bright Moon Great Emperor had sacrificed his life for the Star Boundary. Without the Bright Moon Great Emperor, the current Star Boundary would have ceased to exist. Lan Xun was his only blood-related descendant left, so Yang Kai couldn’t allow anything to happen to her.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but feel a bit regretful. When he brought those 600,000 people from the Star Boundary to Void Land, many from Star Soul Palace had also come with him, but Lan Xun refused. To her, the Star Boundary was the home of Bright Moon Great Emperor who had used his life to protect it, so she was extremely attached to it.
That was why she had chosen to remain in the Star Boundary and Star Soul Palace.
Yang Kai didn’t force her; after all, there were many people who had stayed behind to guard the Star Boundary, including Yang Ying Feng, Dong Su Zhu, and High Heaven Sect’s Head Manager, Hua Qing Si. Yang Kai had also ordered Hei He to guard the Star Boundary, so he thought nothing would happen.
However, something unexpected had happened.
If he had known such a situation would occur, he would have brought Lan Xun along.
But thinking about it carefully, if it wasn’t Lan Xun this time, it could have been Hua Qing Si, or someone else.
Suppressing the roiling emotions in his heart, Yang Kai looked ahead again, but he failed to see Zuo Quan Hui’s figure. Zuo Quan Hui was clearly chasing them, but he was nowhere to be seen.
[That old dog is still as timid as a mouse!]
In the void, over twenty Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters stood over 10,000 meters apart, confronting each other
A distance of 10,000 kilometres was akin to a few steps away to a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Any Divine Ability could easily cross this 10,000 kilometres gap instantly.
However, neither side had any intention of being the first to attack.
Yang Kai’s Divine Sense surged as he scanned his surroundings, searching for Zuo Quan Hui’s aura. Being observed in the dark by a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, Yang Kai felt like a mountain was pressing down on him. If he couldn’t find any trace of Zuo Quan Hui, he wouldn’t be able to easily act.
A faintly discernible murderous intent lingered all around, and it did not originate from any of the Sixth-Order Masters in front of him, so it had to be from Zuo Quan Hui, who had concealed himself.
Yang Kai’s body tensed up as his muscles went taut. His eyes were filled with determination. If Zuo Quan Hui dared to make an entrance, he would have no choice but to call out Iron Blood Great Emperor and the others to fight to the death.
After a long and torturous wait, the murderous intent that had been lingering around him suddenly disappeared into thin air. The ten Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters confronting the Void Land cultivators 10,000 kilometres away, suddenly had a change in their expressions at the same time, as if they had received some kind of instruction. The next moment, all of them turned into streaks of light and withdrew.
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes slightly, knowing that it was Zuo Quan Hui who had ordered them to retreat, and couldn’t help but heave a sigh of relief.
After watching everyone from Heavenly Sword Union retreat more than 100,000 kilometres away, Yang Kai ordered, raising his hand, “Let’s return.”
He still had many questions that remained unanswered and now was not the right time for a decisive battle. It would be better to ask Hei He what happened first before deciding their next move.
Everyone turned around and flew towards the shattered Spirit Province where Void Land’s encampment was located, returning a short while later.
“Go and recuperate first!” Yang Kai ordered Luan Bai Feng before striding towards the main hall.
Hei He, who was the first to return, had already brought Lan Xun into the main hall. She happened to be surrounded by a group of people, while Serene Soul Great Emperor was investigating her situation.
When everyone heard some commotion behind them, they promptly turned. And when they saw that it was none other than Yang Kai, they promptly stepped aside, giving him way.
“How is she?” Yang Kai asked as he grabbed Lan Xun’s wrist and looked down at her.
As their eyes met, Yang Kai’s heart sank. Lan Xun’s eyes were open, but while they should have been lively and bright, they were now dull and lifeless.
Serene Soul Great Emperor replied in a grim and serious voice, “It’s not good, her Soul has suffered a great injury. I can’t repair it.”
“Even you can’t do anything about it?” Iron Blood Great Emperor asked.
Among all the Great Emperors, the one with the highest attainments in the Soul was undoubtedly Serene Soul. His Grand Dao was that of the Soul, so his authority when it came to such matters was unparalleled.
From the first battle with Heavenly Sword Union until now, all the Great Emperors had broken through to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm apart from Wondrous Pill and Heavens Revelation.
Hearing this, the other Great Emperors’ expressions became extremely ugly. Naturally, they didn’t feel good seeing their old friend’s daughter in such a state. Their hatred for the person who had caused Lan Xun to suffer was even greater.
Serene Soul pondered for a moment before replying, “Perhaps we can try, but first we need to figure out why her Soul suffered such serious injuries.”
Everyone turned their heads, looking at Hei He. When Hei He had brought Lan Xun here, all the Great Emperors had gathered around to investigate her condition, but none of them had had time to ask.
Hei He replied honestly, “Someone used a Soul Searching Technique on her.”
“Soul Searching Technique!” Everyone was shocked when they heard this.
No matter where, Soul Searching Techniques were considered extremely vicious. Lan Xun was fortunate to make it out alive with only damage done to her Soul after being subjected to a Soul Search. If she had been unlucky, she would have lost her life right then and there.
Serene Soul’s expression became solemn, “If the damage was the result of a Soul Searching Technique, I’m afraid there’s nothing I can do.”
“I’ll give it a try!” Yang Kai suddenly picked up Lan Xun and rushed to the room at the back of the hall. He then activated the restrictions before placing her on the bed and sitting down cross-legged next to her head.
Lan Xun’s Soul was severely damaged from the Soul Searching Technique, and even Serene Soul Great Emperor had raised his hands in resignation, but it was not that Yang Kai was also powerless.
The Soul Warming Lotus was a Supreme Treasure and had the effect of constantly nourishing and repairing one’s Soul. Yang Kai had fought many powerful enemies and suffered heavy damage to his Soul numerous times over the course of his life. If it was anyone else, his or her Soul would have been torn apart, rendering them either crippled or dead, but every time Yang Kai suffered injuries to his Soul, the Soul Warming Lotus quickly mended it.
His powerful Soul was all thanks to the nourishment of the Soul Warming Lotus over the years.
Yang Kai took a deep breath and bent down, putting his forehead against Lan Xun’s. His Divine Sense congealed into a Soul Avatar before he enveloped the Soul Warming Lotus with it and rushed into Lan Xun’s Knowledge Sea.
Under normal circumstances, if Yang Kai wanted to enter another person’s Knowledge Sea, he would definitely encounter some obstruction or resistance, but Lan Xun’s Soul had been damaged and she was currently unconscious, so Yang Kai didn’t encounter any difficulty entering her Knowledge Sea with the Soul Warming Lotus.
Looking around, Yang Kai saw that the world inside her Knowledge Sea was in tatters, like the scene of the apocalypse. The ground was scorched and torn apart, causing Yang Kai’s heart to ache at the sight. He could almost feel the pain Lan Xun had suffered that day.
Having one’s Soul searched forcibly by someone was definitely not a pleasant experience. It was as if someone was picking apart every part of your life; every scene and every incident. One had to endure the pain of their Soul being torn asunder.
Yang Kai noticed a faint glow in a certain part of her Knowledge Sea.
Yang Kai immediately flew over and saw a hazy human figure curled up inside like a baby, sleeping. He could vaguely make out Lan Xun’s outline, but it was indistinct. The dim light was also flickering constantly, as if it would disappear at any moment, but was stubbornly maintaining itself.
Yang Kai didn’t dare to delay and quickly released the Soul Warming Lotus, which lifted up the hazy figure.
A seven-coloured light blossomed in Lan Xun’s Knowledge Sea as the petals slowly closed, wrapping the hazy human figure in the center of the flower while an invisible force nourished her damaged Soul, causing her shattered Knowledge Sea to suddenly calm down.
Yang Kai heaved a light sigh of relief.
With the nourishment of the Soul Warming Lotus, it was only a matter of time before Lan Xun’s Soul was restored.
Just as he was about to withdraw from Lan Xun’s Knowledge Sea, an image suddenly appeared in Yang Kai’s mind. It was a picture of Yin Xin Zhao’s hideous appearance, followed by an indescribable sense of panic and helplessness, causing Yang Kai to feel like he was drowning.
But soon, this scene shattered and the inexplicable emotions that had filled Yang Kai also disappeared.
Yang Kai’s face immediately turned dark and menacing, his eyes burning with fury.
Obviously, the scene he saw just now was one of Lan Xun’s memory fragments. Furthermore, he was able to see this nightmare-like memory and experience everything Lan Xun had experienced because his Soul Avatar had entered her Knowledge Sea.
This panic and helplessness were a kind of trauma to Lan Xun.
Because she was so traumatized by the incident, it had turned into a nightmare that was tormenting her even though she was in a deep coma.
Luan Bai Feng had said that Hei He and Lan Xun were brought here by Yin Xin Zhao, so the one who had used the Soul Searching Technique on Lan Xun was undoubtedly Yin Xin Zhao!
[That bastard deserves to die!]
[However, these nightmare-like memories should no longer be haunting her after the nourishment of the Soul Warming Lotus.]
Yang Kai took one last look at the Soul Warming Lotus wrapping Lan Xun’s Soul Avatar before slowly withdrawing.
He then returned to the main hall, where everyone anxiously waited.
“She’s fine, but it may take some time for her to wake up,” Yang Kai waved his hand and stopped everyone from asking.
When everyone heard this, they all accepted it as a matter of course. Even Serene Soul Great Emperor didn’t ask any questions. Yang Kai had created too many miracles in his life for them to start questioning him now. Yao Jun may not have been able to do anything for Lan Xun’s severely damaged Soul, but that didn’t mean that Yang Kai couldn’t.
“What happened? How did you get caught by Yin Xin Zhao?” Yang Kai turned to look at Hei He.
Hei He quickly replied, “Reporting to Sir, ever since Sir left back then, this subordinate has been staying at the border of the Star Boundary, safeguarding the tranquility of both it and the Demon Territory without slacking off. Over the years, the cultivation of the cultivators living in the Star Boundary has been improving at an astonishing pace. Young Lady Lan Xun long ago broke through to the peak of the Third-Order Emperor Realm and successfully condensed her Dao Seal. The same is true for Head Manager Hua, as well as Sir’s Honoured Father and Mother. Thinking that there would be no future for them with the current cultivation limit in the Star Boundary, Head Manager Hua came to me and asked me to escort Young Lady Lan Xun to Void Land and report the situation to you while asking you to return to take a look.”
Hearing this, Yang Kai asked in surprise, “My Father and Mother have also formed their Dao Seals?”
The Great Emperors were also stunned.
It wasn’t surprising that Lan Xun was able to form her Dao Seal; after all, she was the daughter of Bright Moon Great Emperor and had inherited the Bright Moon Physique of the Great Emperor. She was also Star Soul Palace’s Palace Master and had an outstanding aptitude. Even before Yang Kai first left the Star Boundary, Lan Xun had reached the Third-Order Emperor Realm. Although she had congealed her Dao Seal a bit quickly, it wasn’t impossible.
Head Manager Hua Qing Si congealing her Dao Seal was also somewhat acceptable.
However, Yang Kai was well aware of his Father and Mother’s aptitudes. The reason why his parents hadn’t followed him to Void Land back then was because they considered their own aptitudes to be lacking. Even if they had come to the Outer Universe, it wouldn’t have benefited them much, so they decided it was better for them to remain in the Star Boundary and guard Yang Kai’s homeland. Although the First-Order Emperor Realm wasn’t high, it was still quite good in the current Star Boundary.
Yang Kai had spent countless resources and effort to achieve even this; so, it was quite hard to believe that his Father and Mother had grown so tremendously in such a short time.
It was not like it was impossible for Yang Yi Feng and Dong Su Zhu to condense their Dao Seals eventually, but it was absolutely impossible for them to have done so in such a short time.
The Great Emperors naturally understood this, which was why they and Yang Kai were so surprised.
This speed… was too fast.
Hei He continued, “It’s not just Young Lady Lan Xun and Sir’s Honoured Parents. Over the years, many Emperor Realm Masters had appeared in the Star Boundary. I’ve never seen anyone’s cultivation rise so quickly, and it’s not just one person, but essentially everyone in the Star Boundary.”
“Why is that?” Yang Kai asked with a puzzled expression. [Could it be that there was something special about the Star Boundary that I hadn’t noticed?]
What’s more, the Star Boundary was ruined by Mo Sheng, and the great battle had nearly caused the entire Star Boundary to collapse, leaving it in an essentially desolate state.
Hei He looked around and hesitated.
Yang Kai stated, “If you have something to say, just say it. No one here is an outsider.”
Hei He replied with a nod, “This subordinate once went to the Star Boundary to investigate, and I believe the reason why it has undergone such a dramatic change is related to the tree Sir planted there all those years ago.”
[The World Tree!]
Yang Kai’s expression changed slightly. If the changes in the Star Boundary were related to the World Tree he had planted, then it was not impossible.
The World Tree was simply too mysterious. At the very least, Yang Kai had never seen anything like the World Fruits that could allow the Open Heaven Realm Masters to advance an entire Order simply by consuming them.
Small Source Worlds were already quite impressive. Yang Kai had gone to Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s Divine Armament World for life experience; there, his foundation in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm was greatly strengthened. However, if he could obtain a High-Rank World Fruit, he could directly advance from the Sixth-Order to the Seventh-Order. The effects of the two were incomparable.
If the World Fruit had such a heaven-defying effect, the World Tree that gave birth to those World Fruits could surely create mind-blowing miracles.
The World Tree planted in the Star Boundary was a root Yang Kai had brought from the Great Ancient Ruins Boundary’s Primordial Land. Because of the war between the Human and Demon Race, the Star Boundary had nearly been destroyed.
Even if they obtained the final victory and killed Mo Sheng, the Star Boundary was so severely damaged that it could not last for too long. The reason why Yang Kai went to the Outer Universe was firstly to pursue a higher Martial Dao, and secondly to find the World Tree to save the Star Boundary.
Fortunately, he found the World Tree and brought back one of its roots from the Great Ancient Ruins Boundary.
On the day he returned to the Star Boundary and planted the root, Yang Kai faintly felt that there would be some changes to his homeland, and that the cultivators who remained in the Star Boundary would grow together with the Star Boundary as it recovered, perhaps gaining some unexpected benefits.
This kind of opportunity to grow and recover together with the entire Universe World was extremely rare. In the entire 3,000 Worlds, only the Star Boundary which had a World Tree Root planted could have such a chance.
It was just that Yang Kai had not expected this change to occur so quickly! Moreover, the effects were so obvious that even his parents had condensed their Dao Seals.
No wonder Head Manager Hua Qing Si who stayed in the Star Boundary had asked Hei He to come to Void Land to find him. Such a huge change in the Star Boundary was indeed not something that could be ignored.
The hall sunk into silence for a moment before Hei He pondered and added, “Sir, Head Manager Hua did an extensive investigation of all the cultivators in the Star Boundary. Basically, everyone’s cultivation speed is faster than before. What’s more, many newborns have outstanding aptitudes. All the great Sects have now taken in many good seedlings, and with time, they will surely become powerful Masters.”
Yang Kai nodded his understanding, “I understand. Tell me how you were captured.”
Hei He let out a bitter laugh, “When we were passing through White Light Territory’s Universe Temple, Young Lady Lan Xun accidentally mentioned Void Land. Yin Xin Zhao must have overheard her and waited in ambush for us outside the Universe Temple, and then…” Hei He’s face became gloomy; he was unable to continue anymore. He was only a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Although Yin Xin Zhao had broken through recently, he was still a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. It was a simple matter for Yin Xin Zhao to overpower a Fifth-Order Master like Hei He.
After using a Soul Searching Technique on Lan Xun, Yin Xin Zhao came to the Heavenly Sword Palace with Hei He and Lan Xun through Flying Smoke Territory.
Naturally, Zuo Quan Hui welcomed Yin Xin Zhao’s arrival, not to mention the fact that he brought two gifts along with him. After learning that Hei He and Lan Xun were actually from Yang Kai’s homeland, Luan Bai Feng took the opportunity to escape with them by pretending to take them to be imprisoned.
Fortunately, Luan Bai Feng was proficient in the Dao of Spirit Arrays and had many Array Plates on hand; otherwise, she would not have been able to escape from Zuo Quan Hui’s pursuit.
Be that as it may, she had still suffered injuries, and what happened next was clearly witnessed by Yang Kai.
After learning the whole story, Yang Kai was filled with fear. Thankfully, Luan Bai Feng had acted decisively; otherwise, he would have been pushed into an absolutely passive position.
With Hei He and Lan Xun in Zuo Quan Hui’s hands, it would be quite difficult for Void Land to handle the situation.
If it weren’t for the current predicament, Yang Kai would have immediately rushed to the Star Boundary to investigate whether the changes there were caused by the World Tree he had planted or not.
However, now that Heavenly Sword Union was occupying the entrance to Void Territory and was eyeing him like a tiger eyeing its prey, how could he possibly escape?
“Why don’t I go back and take a look?” Flower Shadow Great Emperor suggested. The Star Boundary was also her homeland, and every resident of the Star Boundary felt a unique connection to it. Although judging by Hei He’s report, the change in the Star Boundary was truly good news, how could they be assured without checking it out completely?
Flower Shadow Great Emperor was also a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master now, so it wasn’t a problem for her to investigate the changes in the Star Boundary.
Yang Kai was just about to nod in agreement when Jin Yuan Lang rushed in and reported, cupping his fist, “Sect Master, there are some movements on the Heavenly Sword Palace’s side!”
Hearing this, Yang Kai immediately ran outside the hall and looked up. The next moment, he saw the Heavenly Sword Palace, which had been occupying the Territory Gate for over a year, slowly retreating and disappearing into it.
[Zhuo Quan Hui is retreating?]
Seeing this, Yang Kai instinctively had a bad premonition. After a slight pause, he snapped, “Damn it, Zuo Quan Hui is going to the Star Boundary!”
Yin Xin Zhao had used a Soul Searching Technique on Lan Xun. Regardless of how much information he obtained from Lan Xun’s memories, the location of the Star Boundary and the World Tree could not remain hidden at the very least.
The Star Boundary was Yang Kai’s and other Great Emperors’ homeland; furthermore, High Heaven Palace and his parents were also there. If Zuo Quan Hui were to attack the Star Boundary, it would be impossible for the latter to resist.
After all, it was not protected by a Divine Spirit like Void Land was!
More importantly, the World Tree alone was enough to incite Zuo Quan Hui’s greed! Yang Kai didn’t know if the roots he brought back could grow into another World Tree, or if they could bear World Fruits, but something that could change an entire Universe World was definitely far from ordinary!
The act of Heavenly Sword Palace’s sudden retreat to Flying Smoke Territory undoubtedly indicated that Zuo Quan Hui had some kind of plan for the Star Boundary, otherwise he would not have acted in such a manner.
No wonder Zuo Quan Hui had not taken any action just now. A year ago, this old dog had been trying all kinds of means to force Yang Kai to show himself so that he could launch a sneak attack and kill him. But when Yang Kai finally appeared, Zuo Quan Hui had not made a move.
It wasn’t that Zuo Quan Hui was being kind, but rather that he had a better choice before him!
The Great Emperors who had followed Yang Kai out of the hall turned to him.
Yang Kai hurriedly shouted, “All forces, assemble immediately!”
*Xiu xiu xiu… *
All the Open Heaven Realm Masters in the temporary base began to gather around.
Yang Kai swept his gaze over them and ordered, “Don’t try to resist, I want to take you all into my Small Universe.”
Old Bai was shocked after hearing this, “Take us into your Small Universe? Yang Kai, only a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master’s Small Universe can materialize and contain living beings. You’re just in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm right now, how can you do that?”
Yang Kai replied, glancing at him, “My Small Universe has already become corporeal!”
When he had broken through to the Open Heaven Realm, Yang Kai had integrated the Sealed World Bead into his Small Universe, resulting in a rather unique phenomenon. If not for this, it was impossible for his foundation to be so robust, and neither would he have been able to suppress his opponent in the same Order so easily. It was just that this fact was not worth discussing with others.
If it weren’t for the pressing situation and the lack of a large-scale flight-type artifact like the Heavenly Sword Palace in Void Land, Yang Kai wouldn’t have made such a desperate move.
He was bearing risks by taking other Open Heaven Realm Masters into his Small Universe, even if they were his disciples, friends, and family.
Old Bai was stunned!
Yang Kai had already begun taking everyone in. As the Open Heaven Realm Masters below the Sixth Order gave up resisting, they felt a pull enveloping their bodies. By the time they regained their senses, they had already arrived in another world.
Batches of Open Heaven Realm Masters disappeared into thin air one after another, pulled into Yang Kai’s Small Universe. But very soon, Yang Kai noticed a feeling of fullness coming from his Small Universe, a feeling he had never felt before. It was strange and new.
As if she noticed the change in Yang Kai’s expression, Yue He nervously stated, “Young Master, if you sense something is wrong, you should stop immediately! High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters can indeed store living creatures into their Small Universe, but there is also a limit to their capacity, especially since everyone you are taking in is an Open Heaven Realm Master with their own Small Universe. Although it is not a real Universe World, it is still quite a burden for you. If you fight with anyone at this moment, you will be in a really tough spot and will be at great disadvantage.”
Yang Kai nodded, “I understand!”
Having said that, the number of Open Heaven Realm Masters that Yang Kai’s Small Universe could take in continued to decrease, and the feeling of fullness became more obvious.
Over the past year, many Open Heaven Realm Masters had died in the war, but even so, there were still over 1,300 remaining.
After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Yang Kai finally managed to collect all 1,300 cultivators into his Small Universe. At this moment, Yang Kai could clearly feel that his Small Universe was completely stuffed. He felt as if he had accidentally eaten too much and couldn’t even circulate his World Force smoothly.
He understood that it was just as Yue He had said, if he were to fight in this condition, he would definitely be at a grave disadvantage.
What’s more, if anything were to happen to him and his Small Universe collapsed, all 1,300 people residing inside would be buried along with him!
For this reason, a High-Rank Open Heaven Master would almost never be willing to accept another Open Heaven Realm Master into their Small Universe, and lower Rank Open Heaven Masters would not want to enter a High-Rank Open Heaven Master’s Small Universe under normal circumstances. Both sides were at a risk.
Yang Kai turned his head and stated, turning his head towards the Sixth-Order Masters, “I can’t take you in.”
Yang Kai had secretly experimented with Yue He before, and although they were both Sixth-Order Masters and he was able to take Yue He into his Small Universe, the feeling of fullness and discomfort her presence created was far greater than those below the Sixth-Order. Perhaps only when Yang Kai had advanced to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm would he be able to take Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters into his Small Universe without immediately becoming discomforted.
“Hei He!” Yang Kai shouted again.
“Reporting!” Hei He quickly cupped his fist, respectfully greeting.
“I leave Lan Xun to you. Take her to Void Land and hand her over to Senior Bi Xi where she can focus on recuperating!”
“Sir, please rest assured, this subordinate will protect Young Lady Lan Xun to the death!” Hei He nodded repeatedly. He was secretly shocked that his Master had actually advanced to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm!
Some time ago, he had been forced to leave his name on the Loyalty List. Yang Kai was just a mere Emperor Realm Master at that time.
“Let’s go!” Yang Kai pushed his Space Principles as he wrapped everyone with his energy before disappearing.
He didn’t pursue the Heavenly Sword Palace because he couldn’t guarantee that Zuo Quan Hui wouldn’t have set up an ambush in Flying Smoke Territory. Although this possibility wasn’t high, he still had to be prepared for even that remote possibility.
If he were to rush into Flying Smoke Territory and be blocked by Zuo Quan Hui, he would definitely be thrown into panic and have his hands tied, especially since his current state was not suitable for fighting.
Fortunately, if he wanted to go to the Star Boundary, Flying Smoke Territory was not the only route.
Furthermore, Yang Kai might not be able to circulate his World Force smoothly, making intense combat impossible, but simply bringing people along with him as he traveled wasn’t an issue. Unfortunately, the people around him were all Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, so even if they weren’t resisting, his consumption was quite high.
Yang Kai took out his Universe Chart, checked it, and quickly found a route.
Although this route to the Star Boundary was two Great Territories farther than the one that passed through Flying Smoke Territory, Yang Kai’s Space Secret Techniques allowed him to travel much faster than the Heavenly Sword Palace. If everything went smoothly, they would be able to return to the Star Boundary’s Great Territory before Zuo Quan Hui arrived.
At that time, he would lead the Open Heaven Realm Masters to block the Territory Gate and wait for Zuo Quan Hui to fall into their trap.
Yang Kai kept travelling without stopping, passing through one Territory Gate after another.
After crossing three Great Territories, Yang Kai’s face had already become pale and his body was on the verge of collapsing; he was almost like a lamp that had run out of oil. Continuously using Space Principles while bringing nearly twenty Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters with him was extremely taxing on him.
Left with no choice, all he could do was let everyone lead him forward while he slowly and silently recovered. Fortunately, the speed of Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters wasn’t slow and wouldn’t cause them to fall too far behind.
When Yang had recovered, he used Space Principles once more to lead everyone along.
This cycle thus continued.
It was rare to see so many Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters travelling together. So, when they occasionally ran into passing cultivators, others all became terrified and immediately made way for them.
Yang Kai couldn’t remember how long it had taken him to return to the Star Boundary from Void Land last time, but it took him only three months this time.
In the distance, a Territory Gate that stretched across the void appeared before everyone’s eyes. It was the Territory Gate that led to the Great Territory where the Star Boundary was located.
The closer he got, the more nervous Yang Kai became.
Although he hadn’t wasted any time along the way, he couldn’t guarantee that he would be faster than the Heavenly Sword Palace; after all, his group had taken a long detour, so it was possible that the Heavenly Sword Palace had arrived before them.
He was afraid that what he would see after passing through the Territory Gate would be a scene of misery and suffering.
In a flash, the Territory Gate was right in front of him. Yang Kai took a long and deep breath before shouting, “Everyone, be on guard!”
Everyone nodded in unison as they circulated their World Force, ready to attack or defend themselves at any moment.
Yang Kai enveloped the cultivators around him with his energy and plunged into the Territory Gate. After a moment of disorientation, Yang Kai’s group passed through and arrived at their Great Territory destination.
The twenty cultivators promptly spread out, vigilant of their surroundings.
But soon, everyone let out a long sigh of relief.
The ambush and attack they were expecting did not arrive, so it was highly likely that the Heavenly Sword Palace had not arrived yet.
“Is this the Great Territory where Sir’s homeland is located?” Hui Gu asked, whispering to Bustling World Great Emperor.
Bustling World Great Emperor looked in a certain direction but he saw nothing. Nonetheless, he could faintly sense something was calling out to him. Naturally, this was the connection between a Great Emperor and their Universe World, a result of being recognized by the Star Boundary’s Will.
Being in the same Great Territory, Duan Hong Chen immediately sensed the location of the Star Boundary.
“Yes, this is our home,” Bustling World Great Emperor smiled.
“It’s a bit desolate,” Hui Gu honestly voiced his opinion. Along the way here, the closer he got to this Great Territory, the more desolate it became. This Great Territory was lacking all the usual signs of prosperity. As he spoke, Hui Gu took out his Universe Chart and examined it. He found that even the Universe Chart didn’t have a clear description of this Great Territory, only a generic identification.
There were actually a large number of Great Territories in the Universe Chart that were simply marked with designations like A1 or B6, and each of them was a forgotten backwater that Open Heaven Realm Masters never visited because there was nothing of value to be found.
Every Great Territory was vast and boundless, so if one had the time to explore a barren nameless territory in hopes of getting lucky, he or she might as well refine Open Heaven Pills instead to strengthen their foundation.
Bustling World smiled, “If it weren’t for this, we would have long since broken free from our Universe’s shackles. Why would we have been suppressed for so many years?”
Fortunately, this Great Territory was a forgotten corner of the Outer Universe, allowing many Great Emperors to slowly consolidate their foundations over the years, which gave them the capital to directly break through to the Sixth Order.
There were Great Emperors in other Universe Worlds who had been recognized by their World’s Will. In fact, each mature Universe World had their own Great Emperors, but how many of them could directly break through to the Sixth Order? Most Great Emperors quickly broke free from their Universe World’s shackles and didn’t spend a great deal of time consolidating their cultivation, so their Dao Seal’s stability was naturally inferior to that of the Star Boundary’s people and their achievements were slightly worse.
However, even if they knew this, how many Great Emperors would be willing to spend tens of thousands of years to slowly reinforce their Dao Seal? Even if they were Great Emperors, they would not be able to resist the temptation to achieve the Open Heaven Realm as soon as possible, reaching a far greater height of power and status.
The current achievements of the Star Boundary’s Great Emperors were due to chance and coincidences, and had been achieved without much difficulty!
While the two of them were speaking, Yang Kai looked in the direction of the Star Boundary as his eyes glimmered brightly.
He still remembered the last time he had returned to this Great Territory to search for the Star Boundary.
Although he had come to this Great Territory back then, he had to spend a lot of time and effort searching for the location of the Star Boundary because he had been unable to determine if it was even in this Great Territory or not. In fact, he had already searched several Great Territories before arriving here.
But now, he could actually feel the connection between the Star Boundary and himself the moment he crossed the Territory Gate!
He was also a Great Emperor recognized by the Star Boundary’s Will and had the title ‘Void’. So, it wasn’t strange for him to have such a connection.
[But why? If I had this kind of connection the last time, why would I waste so much time searching for the Star Boundary? I could feel it the moment I entered this Great Territory.]
After pondering for a moment, Yang Kai faintly felt that this matter was related to the changes in the Star Boundary.
The last time he had returned, the Star Boundary was unstable and on the verge of collapsing. Its Will was about to disappear and the connection between them was extremely faint. So naturally, he was unable to sense it from afar.
However, after he had planted the World Tree’s root in the Star Boundary, the Star Boundary had undergone a tremendous change. Even the living beings in the Star Boundary had benefited greatly from this change. The average rate of cultivation had increased, and the World’s Will had been restored, which immediately strengthened this connection.
Yang Kai even had a feeling that though he was trillions of kilometres away from the Star Boundary, as long as he was in this Great Territory, he could instantly return to it!
When he turned his head to look at the other Great Emperors, Zhan Wu Hen also looked over and asked in surprise, “You felt it?”
Yang Kai nodded repeatedly.
Ice Feather Great Emperor sighed, “It seems that the Star Boundary has indeed undergone a tremendous change.”
“I don’t care about the changes in the Star Boundary, what I need to confirm now is whether Zuo Quan Hui has arrived here or not!” Yang Kai’s expression became serious.
Serene Soul slowly voiced his opinion, “Probably not, no matter how fast they are, they couldn’t have been faster than us.”
He had deeply experienced the advantages of the Dao of Space on their journey here.
“It’s always better to be safe than sorry.” Yang Kai pondered for a moment before continuing, “How about this, everyone will stand guard here for now while I’ll return to the Star Boundary to take a look. It would be best if Zuo Quan Hui hasn’t arrived as we can take this opportunity to ambush him at the Territory Gate, but if he has, I’ll send you a message.”
Iron Blood Great Emperor, Zhan Wu Hen nodded and agreed, “Good, it’s always best to take precautions.”
Yang Kai immediately took out a Space Beacon and handed it over to Yue He for safekeeping before spending some time to release the 1,000 plus Open Heaven Realm Masters he had stored in his Small Universe.
Carrying so many people in his Small Universe along the way, Yang Kai felt like he was carrying a huge mountain on his back, so he was quite refreshed after he had gotten rid of this burden.
“Zuo Quan Hui is a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, everyone must not be careless!” Yang Kai warned again. Although there were twice as many Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters on their side compared to their enemy, and the number of people below the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm far exceeded their opponent’s, a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm was enough to fill that gap.
“Don’t worry!” Zhan Wu Hen nodded, “You also need to be careful.”
“I know,” Yang Kai nodded before mobilising his Space Principles, following the connection between his body and the Star Boundary.
The next moment, his figure disappeared all of a sudden.
Everyone was used to this already. After Yang Kai left, the 1,300 Open Heaven Realm Masters spread out in all directions under the leadership of the many Sixth-Order Masters.
Meanwhile, a look of surprise appeared on Yang Kai’s face. This time, when he used his Space Principles, he had a completely different feeling from before.
Generally, when he mobilised his Space Principles, he was able to ignore the barriers of space and instantly teleport from one place to another within a certain range. Although it seemed mysterious to outsiders, everything was under his control.
But this time, he felt that things were somewhat out of his control.
When he followed the connection between himself and the Star Boundary and mobilised his Space Principles, he clearly felt a powerful pull from the Star Boundary, causing his body to involuntarily break through the Void.
This was a completely bizarre sensation for him. Furthermore, he was unable to recover for a long time. He felt as if he was crossing through the Void and falling into an endless abyss, even his Soul and Small Universe began to shake.
After an unknown period of time, the strange sight before him disappeared into thin air and a half-moon-shaped Universe World appeared in his vision.
A familiar aura blew towards him!
[The Star Boundary!]
As expected, Yang Kai was able to return to the Star Boundary directly. Although he had already guessed it would be possible, he still couldn’t help but feel excited.
This time, the distance he teleported was far too great, far exceeding his own limits. This was definitely not his doing alone. The Star Boundary also had a great part in it; otherwise, he would not have been able to accomplish this.
After calming himself, Yang Kai noticed that nearby the half-moon-shaped Universe World, there was another Universe World with a thick Demonic Qi.
[The Demon Realm!]
Yang Kai could clearly feel the familiar aura of the Star Boundary’s Will, as well as the aura of Gun-Gun and his Embodiment from the Demon Realm.
The Demon Realm had originally shattered, but Yang Kai had used his Embodiment to activate the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, guiding the Sealed World Bead to swallow and merge the broken pieces before separating the new whole.
Gun-Gun was the Demon Realm, and the Demon Realm was Gun-Gun, but because the Heaven Devouring Battle Law was mobilized by the Embodiment, he became inseparable from the Demon Realm.
The last time he returned to the Star Boundary, Yang Kai had taken 600,000 people with him and left Embodiment in the Demon Realm. Embodiment possessed the body of a Stone Spirit Clansman and had the ability to refine all kinds of impurities, making him the perfect candidate to cultivate the Heaven Devouring Battle Law.
It could be said that Wu Kuang’s Heaven Devouring Battle Law was made just for the Stone Spirit Clan, so Yang Kai had long since imparted this heaven-defying Evil Art to him.
Yang Kai had no idea how Wu Kuang had managed to resolve the various drawbacks brought about by cultivating the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. He had tried cultivating it in the Divine Armament World, and although his cultivation had improved at a rapid pace, the higher his cultivation, the harder it became for him to control his temperament. Fortunately, his powerful Dragon Vein was able to somewhat suppress the side effects, otherwise, Yang Kai would have long since suffered from cultivation dissonance.
After leaving the Divine Armament World, Yang Kai no longer dared to touch the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, lest his mind and temperament become warped.
The two Universe Worlds, the Star Boundary and Demon Realm, were neighbours and quite harmonious.
Looking around, the Demon Realm didn’t seem to have changed much, but Yang Kai could feel a vigorous vitality from the Star Boundary. He even saw a huge tree canopy that covered a vast swath of sky on the top of a tall mountain.
Naturally, this was the location where he had planted the World Tree Root. Over the years, the World Tree’s root had grown to an astonishing height.
Yang Kai was completely speechless. The World Tree he had seen in the Great Ancient Ruins Boundary’s Primordial Land wasn’t nearly this big, so he didn’t know how it grew this large.
Just as he was lost in thought, a familiar aura rapidly approached him. Yang Kai turned to look and saw a black light shooting through the void and appearing in front of him the next instant. When the light dissipated, the figure revealed was that of Embodiment.
When their eyes met. Yang Kai grinned and greeted, “Long time no see!”
“You’re back?” Embodiment also smiled and greeted in an echoing voice.
“I’m back!” Yang Kai took a deep breath. The feeling of chatting with his Soul Clone was quite strange.
Embodiment checked him out from top to bottom before raising his brow slightly, “The things you’ve experienced over the years are truly fascinating.”
Embodiment was formed from a wisp of Yang Kai’s Soul that had entered the body of the dead Stone Spirit, so he could be considered his Soul Clone. As long as the distance between them wasn’t too far, they could naturally communicate with each other. Thus, as long as Yang Kai opened his mind, Embodiment could see everything he had experienced over the years.
“There are many dangers in the Outer Universe. Without any foundation, I could only put my life on the line and compete,” Yang Kai replied with a smile.
“Is someone pursuing you?” Embodiment looked deep into the void.
Yang Kai nodded, “I don’t know if they have already entered this Great Territory, but you must be careful.” His expression became solemn as he asked, “When did the Star Boundary begin to change?”
Embodiment replied, “See for yourself.”
Yang Kai nodded and probed his Soul Clone’s memories without a trace of politeness, quickly understanding everything. As the main body, Yang Kai was naturally able to spy on the experiences Embodiment had gone through.
Although Embodiment had always been stationed in the Demon Realm, the Demon Realm and the Star Boundary were neighbours now, so the changes in the Star Boundary naturally came under his attention.
The changes in the Star Boundary could be described as silent and invisible. After Yang Kai planted the World Tree’s root, confirmed that the World Principles had stabilised and that the Star Boundary was no longer in danger of being destroyed, he left with several hundreds of thousands of people.
The survival and growth of the World Tree had consumed a great deal of the Star Boundary’s World Energy, so in the years after Yang Kai’s departure, the ambient World Energy in the Star Boundary was extremely thin and the rate at which cultivators cultivated was extremely slow. In fact, in those years, no cultivator had been able to break through and advance to a higher realm.
However, after several years, the World Tree began nurturing the Star Boundary which had fed it, causing the World Energy to gradually become denser. The damaged Universe World became firmer and more stable. As a result, not only did the cultivation become faster, even making breakthroughs became easier.
As time passed, this situation became more obvious, and when people discovered this change, the entire Star Boundary celebrated.
The World Tree had already become the Divine Tree of the Star Boundary. Countless people travelled across the mountains and rivers just to pay their respects to the World Tree, even giving it offerings as thanks.
Recently in particular, many cultivators who had poor aptitude had broken through to the Emperor Realm, and those who had formerly been in the First-Order Emperor Realm had all broken through to the Third-Order, many even comprehending their own Grand Dao and condensing their Dao Seals.
The situation of the newly born babies was especially noteworthy. In the past, when the various great Sects took in disciples, it was normal for one in every hundred, or even thousand to be considered. After all, there weren’t many children suitable for cultivation. Even if those with poor aptitudes were taken in, it would not yield any results after spending a great deal of resources on them.
But now, half of the newly born babies were suitable for cultivation, one in a hundred was a talent, and one in a thousand was a prodigy!
When Hei He had previously said that the various great Sects had taken in many good seedlings, this was what he was referring to.
All of this was thanks to the nurturing of the World Tree!
Hearing this, Yang Kai’s expression changed slightly as he directed his eyes towards the World Tree.
The World Tree’s nurturing couldn’t possibly be water without roots. It had consumed a large amount of World Energy when it was growing, so where did the energy it produced come from?
He hadn’t looked carefully just now, but now that he was scrutinizing the World Tree pointedly, he did see some traces, though they weren’t very clear.
With a thought, his left eye flashed and a golden vertical pupil appeared.
Demon Eye of Annihilation!
Under this Demon Eye of Annihilation, Yang Kai’s vision suddenly became clear. He saw countless inexplicable energies being absorbed by the World Tree, becoming nutrients for its growth. Furthermore, there were specks of light above the huge World Tree’s canopy, transforming into pure World Energy and spreading into the Star Boundary below.
[So that’s how it is!]
Yang Kai suddenly understood.
The energy fed back by the World Tree was actually coming from the Outer Universe itself. The void of the Outer Universe wasn’t completely empty and desolate; however, even a powerful Open Heaven Realm Master would find it difficult to refine and use this ambient energy. This wasn’t a problem for the World Tree though.
Another example of this was the Nine Heavenly Layers Grand Array in Void Land which was constantly absorbing the power of the Stars and transforming it into the energy for its regular operation and later use.
However, the efficiency of the Nine Heavenly Layers Grand Array, when it came to absorbing the energy of the Universe, was pitiful compared to the World Tree.
Yang Kai could clearly see that under the World Tree’s influence, the Power of the Stars was actively being drawn towards its canopy from all directions, regardless of distance.
In other words, the energy of this entire Great Territory was being influenced by the World Tree.
Embodiment, who was nearby, also gasped in shock. Yang Kai had not blocked his senses, so Embodiment could see what his Demon Eye of Annihilation was seeing. He couldn’t help but mutter, “So that’s how it is. If this continues, I wonder what would become of the Star Boundary?”
Yang Kai dismissed the Demon Eye of Annihilation and shook his head, “I don’t know, but it shouldn’t be anything bad.”
Not only would it not be bad, in the future, every corner of the Star Boundary would be a true cultivation paradise. Cultivating here would be countless times faster than in any other Universe World or Spirit Province.
Calming himself down, Yang Kai added, “We’ll discuss the matter of the World Tree later. Right now, we don’t have much time, so I’ll go back to High Heaven Palace first to see my parents. I’m afraid there will be a great battle soon. Although the Territory Gate is quite far from here, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Go find Hua Qing Si and explain the situation to her so that she can make preparations.”
“En!” Embodiment nodded.
Yang Kai utilised Space Principles again as his figure flickered as he disappeared from the spot.
The next moment, the pair had already arrived at the depths of High Heaven Palace.
Without any further communication, Embodiment immediately flew out and sent a message to Hua Qing Si to discuss important matters.
Yang Kai went straight to the Spirit Peak where his parents lived.
There was a forest of bamboo at the peak of a Spirit Peak, and a dense spiritual mist filled the air. Some intermittent sounds were coming from the forest.
When Yang Kai arrived here, he happened to see a group of young children sitting cross-legged in a clearing in the middle of the sea of bamboo, all of them wearing High Heaven Palace uniforms. These little children had their eyes open wide as they stared at a middle-aged man in front of them, listening attentively. From time to time, one of the little kids seemed to hear something incredible and shook his or her head, as if they had received some kind of inspiration.
Yang Ying Feng was currently preaching the Dao.
Seeing this scene, Yang Kai failed to stifle his laughter. Since when did his Father become so interested in such things? In the past, Yang Kai had never seen him preach the Dao to High Heaven Palace’s disciples. But then again, his Father used to only be a First-Order Emperor Realm Master while many in High Heaven Palace had higher attainments in cultivation than him, so there was no need for him to spend his time on such endeavours.
Now that he had formed his Dao Seal and his cultivation had reached the limit of the Universe World’s capacity, Yang Yin Feng was more than qualified to pass on his Dao to these young disciples.
Yang Kai didn’t disturb him and chose to watch quietly. The anxiety he had felt from facing a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master for so long was now completely swept away and his mind became calm.
With a sudden bang, the loft behind Yang Ying Feng had its door shoved open as a figure rushed out, looking around with wide open eyes, “Is our Son back?”
After being interrupted, Yang Ying Feng frowned unhappily, but understanding the power dynamics in his relationship with his wife, he wisely decided to swallow his anger and grumpily rebuked, “That smelly brat is roaming around the Outer Universe doing who knows what with who knows who! How could he be back?”
Dong Su Zhu frowned and looked around, “Strange, I clearly felt…”
Before she could finish speaking, she suddenly stared in a certain direction.
Yang Kai was utterly speechless. He was currently a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, and he had come here while concealing his presence. Not to mention Dong Su Zhu, a mere Emperor Realm cultivator, even a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master might not be able to discover him here.
However, Dong Su Zhu had sensed him!
Was this the bond between a Mother and Son? The kind of connection that had nothing to do with one’s cultivation, nor with their strength, but one that was innately formed after spending 10 months in the most intimate contact possible between one life and another?
With a thought, Yang Kai appeared and stared at Dong Su Zhu, smiling even more brilliantly than a flower in morning glory.
Dong Su Zhu was stunned and her beautiful eyes quickly became wet. She let out a cry of joy and rushed towards Yang Kai as swiftly as a gale wind, hugging him tightly.
She was a petite woman, shorter than Yang Kai by a full head, but at this moment, Yang Kai felt an unprecedented sense of care and safety, as if he had returned to the time when he was still in his Mother’s womb. Whether it was the wind or the rain, she would always be there to shelter and protect him from the storm.
Yang Ying Feng also slowly stood up and looked over, rubbing his eyes as if he was afraid he was seeing things.
The group of little kids below had no idea what was happening, so all of them followed Yang Ying Feng’s gaze and turned their heads back to look curiously.
“He’s back, you’re back~! My Son is really back!” After a long time, Dong Su Zhu finally let go of Yang Kai and grabbed him by his arm, jumping up and down like a little girl, crying and laughing at the same time. After carefully observing him for a while, she suddenly pulled him into her embrace.
“Mother!” Yang Kai called out softly as he felt his clothes quickly become wet. He slightly raised his hand and gently patted Dong Su Zhu’s trembling shoulder.
Dong Su Zhu finally recovered from her great surprise after a while and raised her head to dry her eyes. She looked lovingly at Yang Kai as she patted his arms and legs to make sure he was unharmed before heaving a long sigh.
Yang Ying Feng also walked over and sized up Yang Kai before coughing lightly, “You’re back?”
Yang Kai quickly greeted, “Father!”
Yang Ying Feng nodded lightly and glanced behind him, “Alone?”
Yang Kai stated with a smile, “Su Yan and the others are all cultivating in Void Land.”
Yang Ying Feng waved off, “I’m not asking about your wives.”
Yang Kai was a little puzzled. If he wasn’t asking Su Yan and the others, then who was he asking? After a moment of realisation, he replied, “Xue’er is also in secluded meditation in Void Land right now, her cultivation is improving at a rapid pace. Father doesn’t need to worry.”
Yang Ying Feng glared at him resentfully before asking in a dignified tone, “Do I have grandchildren after so many years or not?
[So that’s what he was asking about!] As soon as her husband said this, even Dong Su Zhu, who had been crying just now, perked up her ears and stared at Yang Kai with a burning gaze.
Yang Kai’s face was guilt-ridden as he awkwardly replied, “Your Son has been trying his best!”
Yang Ying Feng was furious, “You impotent little bastard, you’ve so many wives yet you can’t even sire an heir for us? What can I count on you for? Do you want me and your Mother to give birth to a Younger Brother or Sister to strengthen our Yang Family?”
Dong Su Zhu slapped Yang Ying Feng’s back, causing a loud sound as she rebuked with a blush, “What nonsense are you spouting? There are children here.”
When Yang Ying Feng turned around, he saw a group of little children staring at him, so he couldn’t continue. He waved off to the group of little chicks, stating, “That’s the end of today’s lesson. When you return to your room, you should review what you learned. Don’t slack off.”
The children all stood up and under the direction of one of the bigger ones who seemed to be their leader, and gave a proper bow, “Many thanks, Master Ancestor!”
Although the group of kids was young, their manners were excellent. They lined up in two rows and walked down the mountain. When they passed by Yang Kai, they all bowed to Yang Kai too.
Yang Kai, watching them leave, raised his brow and praised, “They really are good seedlings!”
Just now, he had secretly investigated the aptitudes of these children. Although he didn’t perform a complete examination, when he swept his Divine Sense over them, he found that each of them had a clear mind and outstanding aptitude. If nothing went wrong, all of them would be able to easily reach the Emperor Realm!
Yang Ying Feng glanced at him, “If you can sire one, I’m sure it will be better than any of them.”
Yang Kai didn’t dare to say anything.
Fortunately, his Mother’s heart felt bad for him and she slapped Yang Ying Feng again, “Our Son hardly has the chance to return, why are you spouting so much nonsense!”
Saying so, she turned to Yang Kai and comforted, “Ignore him and come with Mother. You must have suffered outside. Why have you lost so much weight?”
Having been left outside, alone, Yang Ying Feng’s face was filled with regret. He beat his chest and stamped his feet, “A doting Mother makes a wastrel!”
A moment later, the family of three started chatting happily for a while inside the bamboo house before Yang Kai finally stated, “I came back this time mainly to check on your situation. Hei He said that both of you managed to condense your Dao Seals.”
Dong Su Zhu replied, nodding, “That’s true. Speaking of which, I must thank Senior Hei He. If it weren’t for his careful guidance all these years, we wouldn’t know how to form our Dao Seals.”
In the Inner Universe, the Emperor Realm was the limit. Only by breaking free from the Universe World’s shackles would one be able to reach a higher Martial Dao. Yang Kai had undoubtedly made the right choice when he chose to leave Hei He to guard the Star Boundary and the Demon Realm. At the very least, under his guidance, his parents had successfully condensed their Dao Seals.
“Let me take a look!” Yang Kai stretched out his hand and grabbed Dong Su Zhu’s wrist, immersing his consciousness and carefully examining it.
A moment later, a look of surprise flashed across Yang Kai’s face.
Dong Su Zhu asked anxiously, “What’s wrong? Is there a problem?”
Yang Kai honestly replied, “There is something wrong, but it’s not bad, but rather a good thing. I’ll talk after taking a look at Father’s as well.”
Using the same method, Yang Kai examined Yang Ying Feng’s Dao Seal and the surprise on his face became even more apparent.
“Since this is a good thing, speak up then!” Yang Ying Feng flicked his sleeves.
Yang Kai pondered for a moment before replying, “Hei He must have told you about some things, so you must know about the different Orders of the Open Heaven Realm!”
Yang Ying Feng and Dong Su Zhu both nodded, “Naturally.”
Yang Kai continued, “The Order of an Open Heaven Realm Master determines their strength, while their initial Order is determined by the Orders of Element Powers they condense. The Element Powers are condensed through the refinement of a complete set of Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements. The higher the Order of the Elements condensed, the higher the Order one will be in when they break through to the Open Heaven Realm. Of course, the higher Order of the material you wish to refine, the firmer your Dao Seal must be!”
Yang Ying Feng summarized, “The Dao Seal is the foundation to reach the Open Heaven Realm!”
“Indeed!” Yang Kai nodded solemnly, “In simpler terms, after an Emperor Realm cultivator condenses their Dao Seal, their future path is basically set. From that point on, what Order in the Open Heaven Realm they can reach depends entirely on how high the Order of the Elements their Dao Seal can withstand.”
“Hei He said that your Father and I can reach the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm with certainty, while the Fifth-Order is possible but carries some risks, so he asked us to ask for your opinion.” Dong Su Zhu looked at Yang Kai somewhat uneasily. The Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm was not a high Order.
Yang Kai nodded, “This is what surprises me.”
He was well aware of his Father and Mother’s aptitude. When they first became Emperor Realm cultivators, he had spent a great deal of effort and resources to help them. In his opinion, even if his Father and Mother’s cultivation had progressed at a rapid pace because of the World Tree, and they had even successfully condensed their own Dao Seals, it would be good if they could reach the Third Order.
Although the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm was in the Low-Rank, it was still in the Open Heaven Realm, nonetheless!
Unexpectedly though, his parents were completely capable of reaching the Fourth or Fifth Order!
This was a huge pleasant surprise.
[Is the World Tree’s nourishment really so miraculous?]
After informing his parents of his thoughts, they finally understood what this so-called good thing was.
“What Order are you now?” Yang Ying Feng asked curiously. Although he could feel that Yang Kai had advanced to the Open Heaven Realm, he couldn’t tell his Order. After all, the difference in their cultivation was too great.
“Sixth-Order!”
Dong Su Zhu was immediately overjoyed, “I told you that your Son’s Order will definitely not be low. With the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, he could even become an Eight-Order Master in the future. Furthermore, if he can obtain Open Heaven Pills produced by the Universe Furnace, it’s not impossible to reach the very peak and become a Ninth-Order Master.”
Yang Kai was surprised, “Mother, you even know about the Universe Furnace?”
Dong Su Zhu stated proudly, “We haven’t wasted our time all these years. Senior Hei He has told us a lot about the outside world.”
Yang Ying Feng waved his hand causally and interjected, “Enough of that, first take a look at me and your Mother. Do you think we should break through to the Fourth Order, or should we try for the Fifth Order?”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “The limit of the Fourth Order is the Sixth Order while the limit of the Fifth Order is the Seventh Order. One ends in the Mid-Rank, while the other reaches the High-Rank, and there is a massive gap between the two. Since there is hope, you should naturally try to break through to the Fifth Order! Father, Mother, don’t worry, there may be some risks if others try to break through like this, but my Void Land has the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilising Pill, so there’s no need to be afraid!”
Unfortunately, he no longer had any Divine Dao Water in his possession, otherwise if he gave it to his parents, there would be no risk for them to break through to the Fifth Order at all.
His Father and Mother’s Dao Seals were quite stable, and what Hei He said was basically correct. They were indeed a bit lacking in trying for the Fifth Order, but it wasn’t too far off. Of course, if they wanted to break through to the Sixth Order, it would be impossible even if they had the Dao Divine Water.
Yang Ying Feng and Dong Su Zhu may not have any idea what the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilising Pill was, but since Yang Kai had said so, they naturally wouldn’t doubt it.
Yang Ying Feng immediately decided, “Good, just as you said, your Mother and I will try to break through to the Fifth Order. In the future, if anyone dares to bully us, we’ll beat them up!”
“I’ll prepare the materials for you two, please wait a moment.”
Dong Su Zhu seemed to have sensed something and furrowed her brow, “You just returned, but you want to leave right away?”
Yang Kai hesitated for a moment before deciding to explain truthfully, “When Hei He brought Lan Xun to find me this time, he encountered an accident. A powerful enemy has learned the location of the Star Boundary and he covets the World Tree, so he is rushing over as we speak, wanting to harm the Star Boundary. I have to stop him!”
Even if this matter could be concealed for a while, it couldn’t be concealed forever. If they could stop the Heavenly Sword Palace at the Territory Gate, it would be fine, but if they couldn’t, Zuo Quan Hui would kill his way to the Star Boundary. If a great battle broke out without any forewarning, it would only make Dong Su Zhu more worried.
Dong Su Zhu immediately asked nervously, “How is this enemy’s cultivation compared to yours?”
“He’s stronger than me, but we have more people than him, so Mother doesn’t need to worry,” Yang Kai comforted.
Dong Su Zhu’s expression became even more worried, “You’re already in the Sixth Order, if he’s stronger than you, doesn’t that mean he’s a Seventh-Order Master?”
Yang Ying Feng stated, “Since a powerful enemy has come, there is no use worrying about it. That Great Demon God was so powerful back then, but he was still killed! I and your Mother only hate that our strength is too low right now so we can’t help you much. You can go and face the enemy without worry. Your Mother and I will take care of the Star Boundary!”
“Thank you, Father!” Yang Kai stood up, “Time is of the essence, so your Son cannot serve you anymore, please take care!”
Saying so, he knelt down and kowtowed.
Dong Su Zhu quickly helped him up and reminded him with tearful eyes, “Be careful!”
Yang Ying Feng coldly snorted, “If he hasn’t left an heir for my Yang Family, how could he dare to die?”
“Nothing good comes out of a dog’s mouth!” Dong Su Zhu glared at him fiercely.
Yang Kai smiled and cupped his fist, “Your Son will take his leave now!”
With a surge of Space Principles, he disappeared from the spot.
Dong Su Zhu stretched out her hand and grabbed nothing but air. She felt as if a piece of her heart was missing, and it filled with melancholy.
The next moment, Yang Kai suddenly appeared inside High Heaven Palace’s Main Hall.
Hua Qing Si was startled for a moment before she quickly stood up happily.
“Palace Master!” Hua Qing Si elegantly bowed.
Yang Kai nodded, “Do you know about the situation?”
Hua Qing Si nodded in acknowledgement, “Sir Embodiment has already informed me. If Palace Master needs High Heaven Palace’s cooperation, please ask!”
Yang Kai shook his head, “In this war, everyone participating is an Open Heaven Realm Master, so the Star Boundary won’t be able to help. You just have to take care of yourself.”
Hua Qing Si stated solemnly, “I understand, then please be careful.”
“En, let me check your Dao Seal!” Yang Kai stretched out his hand and placed it on her forehead. Hua Qing Si quickly relaxed her mind and body, allowing Yang Kai to examine her.
A moment later, Yang Kai withdrew his hand and smiled at Hua Qing Si, “Wonderful, you can advance directly to the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm in the future!”
Although he had a speculation in his mind after investigating the situation of his parents’ Dao Seals, it was finally confirmed after examining Hua Qing Si’s Dao Seal.
Hua Qing Si’s aptitude was undoubtedly better than his parents’. His parents’ Dao Seals were stable enough to condense Fourth-Order Elements, or even Fifth-Order Elements, so there was no reason for Hua Qing Si to not be able to.
As expected, Hua Qing Si’s Dao Seal was stabler than his parents’. In other words, the risk of breaking through to the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm was basically non-existent for her.
“Is there anyone else in the Star Boundary who has condensed their Dao Seals?” Yang Kai asked.
Hua Qing Si shook her head, “Right now, there is only your parents, myself, and Palace Master Lan Xun; just us four.”
When Yang Kai had last left the Star Boundary, he basically took all the Emperor Realm Masters with him in one fell swoop, and the ones who remained weren’t very strong. Although the cultivation of the Star Boundary’s cultivators had quickly risen all these years with the World Tree’s nourishment and the recovery of the Star Boundary, cultivation still required some time. The Star Boundary cultivators could only condense their Dao Seals by raising their cultivation to the peak of the Emperor Realm.
As for Lan Xun’s condition, Yang Kai didn’t have time to carefully investigate it at the time, but after thinking about it, compared to Hua Qing Si, her aptitude was already top-notch.
“This matter…” Yang Kai wanted to say that this matter should be kept under wraps for now, but then he remembered that Heavenly Sword Union was nearly upon them, and if he couldn’t stop this formidable enemy, he would be doomed. At that time, even the Star Boundary would find it difficult to survive, so he quickly changed his mind and stated, “Wait for my return.”
Hua Qing Si nodded her understanding.
Yang Kai gave Embodiment a few more instructions before taking out a Space Beacon and testing it out.
As expected, he was unable to directly return to the Territory Gate. Although the Space Beacon allowed people to instantly teleport from one beacon to another it was paired with, there was still a limit to their range.
The Territory Gate was trillions of kilometres away from the Star Boundary, a distance far beyond its limit.
The reason he was able to instantly return to the Star Boundary from the Territory Gate was undoubtedly because of his connection with the Star Boundary itself. It was equivalent to the power of the Star Boundary pulling him back, but it was impossible to use this process in reverse. There was no place for him to borrow strength on the Territory Gate’s side after all.
However, this was exactly what he wanted. Although Heavenly Sword Union shouldn’t have been able to arrive at the Star Boundary’s Great Territory before him, Yang Kai had to take precautions to be on the safe side.
While returning to the Territory Gate, he could also investigate the route.
In a flash, Yang Kai left High Heaven Palace and arrived in the depths of the void, rushing towards the Territory Gate. Every once in a while, Yang Kai would place a Space Beacon for emergencies.
Along the way, everything was calm and peaceful, and there was no sign of any Heavenly Sword Union cultivators, causing Yang Kai to slowly relax.
After leaving behind a dozen or so Space Beacons, Yang Kai finally returned to the Territory Gate.
Void Land’s Open Heaven Realm Masters waiting by the Territory Gate immediately noticed Yang Kai’s return, so Zhan Wu Hen and the others surrounded him and asked with concern, “Is everything alright on the Star Boundary’s side?”
Yang Kai sorted out his thoughts and told them everything he was able to learn.
Many of the Great Emperors were shocked.
“That’s great.” Mo Huang smiled with relief, “The World Tree is actually so amazing. Not only can it swallow the Power of the Stars and void to nourish the World Energy of the Star Boundary, it can even allow one to cultivate more easily and condense a stronger Dao Seal.”
Duan Hong Chen also wore a look of fascination, “If that’s the case, wouldn’t the Star Boundary give birth to many Open Heaven Realm seedlings in the future?”
Zhan Wu Hen, on the other hand, was a bit worried, “Both fortune and misfortune lie together, if we don’t handle it well, great wealth can sometimes turn into disaster. Don’t forget why Zuo Quan Hui is coming to the Star Boundary.”
All of the Great Emperors were quick-witted, so when they heard Zhan Wu Hen’s words, how could they not know what he was worried about? It was like a bucket of cold water had been poured all over the excitement in their hearts, calming everyone down.
“We have to keep the changes of the Star Boundary under wraps.” Zhan Wu Hen looked at Yang Kai solemnly, “Otherwise, I’m afraid even the Cave Heavens and Paradises will become greedy.”
Even with Yang Ying Feng and Dong Su Zhu’s rather poor aptitudes, they now had the qualifications to break through to the Fourth-Order or even Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm. If a true top talent were to grow up in the Star Boundary, it would be extremely easy for him or her to advance to the Sixth-Order, and it might even be possible for a Heaven defying genius to reach the Seventh-Order.
The current Star Boundary could simply be called a cradle for Open Heaven Realm Masters! It could easily produce a large number of Open Heaven Realm seedlings, and this was only the beginning. Who knew what could become of the Star Boundary given more time?
What Zhan Wu Hen said was definitely not an exaggeration. If the Cave Heavens and Paradises came to know about the situation of the Star Boundary, everyone would probably want to take a share of it. At that time, would the Star Boundary still be the Star Boundary?
Not to mention, there was still the World Tree in the Star Boundary. Although the World Tree did not show any signs of fruiting, who could guarantee that it would not produce World Fruits after countless years? This was the only Heaven-defying treasure in the world that could allow an Open Heaven Realm Master to advance an Order directly without any side-effects, as well as increase their natural limit. Who would not covet such a treasure?
As Zhan Wu Hen spoke, he unconsciously glanced towards Qing Kui and Su Ying Xue.
Void Land’s forces were comprised entirely of their own people, so they would keep all the secrets to themselves if there were any. The only two outsiders were Qing Kui and Su Ying Xue from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.
“Senior Brother Qing and Senior Sister Su are both trustworthy people, I’ll remind them later,” Yang Kai stated.
Zhan Wu Hen shook his head, “I’m afraid this matter won’t be as simple as you think; after all, they are disciples of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. Although they have some friendship with you and are willing to keep some secrets for you, there are always exceptions.”
Yang Kai couldn’t help laughing, “Then what should we do? Senior Brother Qing and Senior Sister Su came to help Void Land in its time of need, we can’t just kill them to silence them.”
Zhan Wu Hen shook his head and stated, “Naturally, I’m not asking you to do such an ungrateful thing. What I want to say is that instead of letting them hide the situation of the Star Boundary from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, it would be better to let them know the truth and use the Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s power to protect the Star Boundary.”
Mo Huang quickly interrupted, “No!”
Zhan Wu Hen turned to look at him, whereupon Mo Huang explained, “Yin-Yang Cave Heaven is one of the 36 Cave Heavens. Such a huge entity must have its own factions. Qing Kui and Su Ying Xue are part of Xu Ling Gong’s lineage, and with the status of a Yin-Yang Cave Heaven Son-in-law, Xu Ling Gong naturally views Yang Kai in a favourable light. For small matters, everything is easy to discuss, but I’m afraid that Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s other High-Rank Open Heaven Masters will have some other intentions. What if the person sent by Yin-Yang Cave Heaven to investigate is not Xu Ling Gong?”
This was also a problem, causing everyone to fall into contemplation.
Yang Kai clapped his hands and diverted the topic, “Let’s talk about this later. Right now, the ones we need to deal with are Heavenly Sword Union and Zuo Quan Hui. If my guess is right, they should be arriving soon.”
All the Great Emperors nodded slightly, “Good!”
20 Sixth-Order Masters and 1,300 cultivators below the Sixth-Order, almost all the Open Heaven Realm Masters from Void Land, were quietly waiting in ambush outside the Territory Gate for Heavenly Sword Union.
Now that things had reached this point, there was no need to conceal their strength anymore. Yang Kai had hidden Iron Blood Great Emperor and the others for this long to catch Zuo Quan Hui off guard; however, while man plans, the Heavens laugh. Hei He and Lan Xun had met with an accident, and Zuo Quan Hui had learned of the location of the Star Boundary and the World Tree. The battlefield inevitably shifted from Void Territory to the Star Boundary’s Territory.
In this battle, they would definitely give it their all. In this battle, one side would die!
The newly advanced Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master naturally couldn’t be hidden any longer.
Waiting was the greatest torture.
For half a month, the Territory Gate remained still and calm.
Yang Kai almost suspected that his judgement was wrong and that Zuo Quan Hui had no intention of coming to the Star Boundary, or else why would he have not seen his shadow even after such a long time?
However, there was a violent surge of energy a few days later. When Yang Kai opened his eyes, he saw the Territory Gate glowing and a colossal illusory phantom slowly emerging from it.
“They’re here!” Yang Kai’s eyes went wide as he raised his hand and summoned the Azure Dragon Spear. At the same time, all the Open Heaven Realm Masters of Void Land also noticed the changes of the Territory Gate and began circulating their World Force. In a flash, the void began to tremble and distort.
What everyone saw was Heavenly Sword Union’s Heavenly Sword Palace emerging from the Territory Gate.
A moment later, the Heavenly Sword Palace rushed out, entering the Great Territory where the Star Boundary was located.
Yang Kai raised his spear and pushed his World Force madly while shouting, “Kill!”
A Golden Crow let out a cry as a Great Sun rose into the sky from behind Yang Kai’s back. In this sun, a three-legged exotic bird could vaguely be seen flying about.
Facing such a large artifact like the Heavenly Sword Palace, Yang Kai did not hesitate to use his Golden Crow Casts the Sun Divine Manifestation in the opening salvo.
The Great Sun took its spot on the Azure Dragon Spear as Yang Kai thrust it forward, ignoring the barriers of space as it crashed towards the enemy fortress.
At the same time, rays of light from various Divine Abilities and artifacts shot towards the Heavenly Sword Palace like meteors.
In that instant, the entire void lit up as if it was daytime as waves of World Forces surged and crashed out!
When the Heavenly Sword Palace was shuttling through the Territory Gate, they had naturally activated a protective barrier, but under the might of the countless Divine Abilities and artifacts, this barrier didn’t even last for a breath before it shattered like a bubble.
The people from Heavenly Sword Palace seemed to panic for a moment. Although they had guessed that they would be ambushed after crossing through the Territory Gate, no one had expected this ambush to be so ruthless.
As far as the eye could see, there were nothing but enemies around them and all of them asked the same question, how did so many people arrive here ahead of them?
Zuo Quan Hui, who was sitting in the Heavenly Sword Palace’s main hall, wore a gloomy expression as he quickly formed a series of hand seals to control the Heavenly Sword Palace’s Grand Array.
He knew that Yang Kai was proficient in the Dao of Space and could travel extremely fast. If Yang Kai insisted on pursuing him, the Heavenly Sword Palace would definitely be unable to escape.
However, he didn’t see any signs of Yang Kai chasing after him along the way, so he guessed that the latter had chosen another route to return to the Star Boundary to set up defences.
And facts proved that it was indeed the case. The Heavenly Sword Palace had just arrived in this Great Territory when it was ambushed.
He had already expected that Yang Kai would bring some helpers, but he hadn’t expected there to be so many! Over 1,000 Open Heaven Realm Masters. Even if they were ants in his eyes, they were Open Heaven Realm Masters, nonetheless.
[How did these people get here? Even if Yang Kai is a master of the Dao of Space, he couldn’t bring so many people with him.]
With a series of hand seals, the Heavenly Sword Palace’s defensive Arrays began to activate layer by layer, but they shattered and collapsed one by one. The entire Heavenly Sword Palace surroundings were crazily flashing, and it was violently shaking, causing everyone to lose their footing.
“Meet the enemy!” Zuo Quan Hui shouted, issuing a command.
Although the Heavenly Sword Palace was extraordinary, in the end, it was still just a large-scale palace artifact. While it could defend, attack, and fly, there were limits to everything. Right now, Zuo Quan Hui was still a bit wary and didn’t dare to appear, so he could only rely on his subordinates to defend.
Suddenly, a golden light flashed across his eyes. Zuo Quan Hui looked up, and saw a Great Sun at the tip of a spear smashing towards the Heavenly Sword Palace. It even left scorched marks in the void everywhere it passed through, which remained for a very long time.
[Divine Manifestation!]
Zuo Quan Hui coldly snorted before raising his hand and pointing towards the approaching sun.
The pressure of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master spread out as a streak of light shot from his fingertip. In the next instant, the sun collapsed as a wave of violent energy spread outward.
Zuo Quan Hui, who was sitting in the main hall, swayed slightly and his brow twitched. Although they were enemies, Zuo Quan Hui had to admit that Yang Kai was a once in 10,000 years genius, actually able to use a Divine Manifestation when he was just in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Zuo Quan Hui himself had yet to comprehend his own Divine Manifestation; to a certain extent, he was actually inferior to a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
Furthermore, rumour had it that Yang Kai had comprehended this Divine Manifestation when he was still in the Emperor Realm, which was simply unbelievable.
With Yang Kai being in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm and having his Divine Manifestation, he was able to unleash an attack comparable to a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Although Zuo Quan Hui managed to block this attack fairly easily, he couldn’t help but feel his blood and energy roil slightly.
[He is already so powerful when he is just in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. If that brat were to break through to the Seventh Order, I would not be his opponent.] Thinking so, Zuo Quan Hui’s killing intent became even stronger. [I have to kill him before he breaks through to the Seventh Order no matter what; otherwise, I will really die without a burial.]
Multicoloured lights flashed as an overwhelming barrage of attacks flew towards the Heavenly Sword Palace.
Heavenly Sword Union naturally wouldn’t sit back and wait for death, so after Zuo Quan Hui gave the order, they immediately began to counterattack.
In a flash, both sides started exchanging attacks as World Force flowed out in all directions, churning up the void and warping space as a result.
However, not a single person was injured or killed despite it being such an intense battlefield.
Needless to say, whether it was Sixth-Order Masters or those below that realm, Void Land had more people than the other party. The Divine Abilities and Secret Arts from Heavenly Sword Palace were intercepted before they could even approach.
The Open Heaven Realm Masters of Heavenly Sword Union also had their own advantages, which was that they could hide inside the Heavenly Sword Palace. As long as the Heavenly Sword Palace was not destroyed, they would have a layer of impregnable protection and would not need to worry about being killed.
However, how could the Heavenly Sword Palace, which had a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master assuming command, be so easily destroyed? This massive artifact was the fruit of unimaginable resources and manpower of Heavenly Sword Union.
Most of the Divine Abilities and Secret Arts aimed at the Heavenly Sword Palace were intercepted, and only a few of them actually managed to hit the palace itself. However, due to the Spirit Array barriers, it was difficult for Void Land to cause much damage in a short time.
On the battlefield, Void Land had the absolute advantage, but the Heavenly Sword Palace was like a hedgehog, making it difficult for anyone to swallow. If this continued for a long time, Void Land would be pushed into a great disadvantage.
The Azure Dragon Spear in Yang Kai’s hand danced as he used his Limitless Spear Techniques freely. Each spear strike was powerful enough to shatter a Star and break through a layer of the Heavenly Sword Palace’s defences, but the Heavenly Sword Palace’s Arrays kept regenerating, annoying him greatly.
At the same time, inside Heavenly Sword Palace, Zi Yan and the others also noticed that something was wrong. After fighting each other for more than a year, they had long known that Void Land had both strength and numbers on their side, but the previous Void Land forces were not strong to this extent.
After observing for a while, they finally discovered that there were some Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters on Void Land side they had never seen before! And there were not just one or two, but there were as many as eight!
These eight were Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, not eight cabbages one could find in a local market! Where did they come from?
After a quick count, there were actually 20 Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Void Land’s side!
All of Heavenly Sword Union members were shocked. They only had ten such Masters on their side, so the other party had twice their number. If it weren’t for Zuo Quan Hui presiding over this place, everyone would have fled long ago.
“Master!” Zi Yan called out to Zuo Quan Hui, while defending and attacking.
“I know!” Zuo Quan Hui sat still, but his eyes were scanning the surroundings as they shone brightly, “Astonishing, simply astonishing! All of them have just advanced to the Sixth Order, that Star Boundary really does carry great fortune with it!”
As the situation was quite tense, the others failed to pay much attention to the details, but Zuo Quan Hui, on the other hand, could tell with a single glance that the eight new Sixth-Order auras were unstable, meaning all of them had just advanced to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm recently.
However, Zuo Quan Hui didn’t think that these people had advanced straight to the Sixth Order; after all, that would make them Core Disciples if they were placed in any of the Cave Heavens and Paradises with such aptitude. How could there be so many genius-level talents in Void Land?
The only explanation he could think of was the World Fruit!
Perhaps these people had advanced to the Fifth Order and consumed a Mid-Rank World Fruit before reaching the Sixth-Order.
Suddenly, he remembered something; rumour had it that Yang Kai had achieved the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm outside the Shadowless Cave Heaven. It was impossible for him to fake this in front of so many Masters, but he had actually reached the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm when he participated in the Dao Theory Assembly.
Previously, Zuo Quan Hui had been unable to understand what was going on, but now everything was clear to him, or so he thought.
[So it turns out that Yang Kai consumed a World Fruit a long time ago to raise his cultivation to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm.]
“Martial Nephew Yin, according to your investigation, has the World Tree in the Star Boundary borne fruits?” Zuo Quan Hui asked.
Yin Xin Zhao pondered for a moment before replying, “I don’t know. Although I used a Soul Searching Technique on that woman, the information I obtained was incomplete. I only know that there is a World Tree in the Star Boundary.”
Zuo Quan Hui gently nodded his understanding, “If that’s the case, then it must be true. The World Tree has indeed borne fruits. I really didn’t expect for such a miracle to occur in this remote backwater!”
In his opinion, since the World Tree had already bloomed and borne fruits, the people of Void Land must have benefited from it. Since that was the case, it was not impossible for him to obtain a High-Rank World Fruit here. If he could obtain a High-Rank World Fruit, he would be able to instantly advance to the Eighth Order. At that time, he would be able to destroy Void Land with a flick of his finger. Even if he were to face off against the Divine Spirit Zhu Jiu Yin and Bi Xi, he would still have the strength to fight back!
The temptation of a High-Rank World Fruit was incomparably great. Originally, he had been somewhat afraid that Zhu Jiu Yin would follow Yang Kai here and ambush him, but now he couldn’t care about that. No matter what, he was an Elder of Thousand Cranes Paradise. He might be branded as a traitor by Thousand Crane Paradise now, but everyone knew what was going on behind the scenes. Zhu Jiu Yin might not even have the courage to kill him.
Thinking along the lines, Zuo Quan Hui made up his mind and changed his hand seal. The next moment, the Heavenly Sword Palace let out a thrumming sound as it flew straight towards the Star Boundary, forcefully resisting the bombardment of the many Open Heaven Realm Masters in the void.
“Stop him!” Yang Kai shouted at the sight of this. The shockwaves from the battle between Open Heaven Realm Masters were too great, so if the Heavenly Sword Palace really rushed to the vicinity of the Star Boundary, Void Land would be forced to be in a passive situation. At that time, Void Land’s hands would be tied while Heavenly Sword Union would be able to fight without fear.
Stronger and more fearsome attacks rained down on the Heavenly Sword Palace from everywhere. Even though Heavenly Sword Union’s numerous Open Heaven Realm Masters tried their best to stop them, they were still unable to do so completely.
Divine Abilities and Secret Arts landed on the Heavenly Sword Palace one after another, causing its barriers to flicker and shatter. However, new barriers were erected in the next moment, spreading out layer by layer and protecting everyone inside the Heavenly Sword Palace from the oncoming attacks.
Seeing this, Yang Kai’s eyes cracked wide open. He instantly teleported to the front of the Heavenly Sword Palace before shouting, “Dragon Transformation!”
The next moment, a deafening dragon roar resounded as a huge Golden Dragon head appeared behind Yang Kai before it plunged into his body.
Suddenly, a series of explosions rang out as Yang Kai’s figure swelled under the stunned gazes of Heaven Sword Union’s Open Heaven Realm Masters, soon becoming a several thousand metres long colossal Half-Dragon in the blink of an eye.
His entire body was covered in Dragon Scales, and his hands had transformed into Dragon Claws. The Dragon Tail on his back swung back and forth, and Dragon Horns grew on his forehead. And when he shook his head, his Dragon Beard fluttered about.
The next moment, a rich Dragon Pressure spread into the surroundings!
What was even more shocking was that the Azure Dragon Spear in Yang Kai’s hand had also grown bigger!
The massive Heavenly Sword Palace was actually shorter than Yang Kai who had assumed his Half-Dragon Form.
Seemingly affected by Yang Kai’s Dragon Pressure, another loud and sonorous Dragon Roar reverberated as Zhu Qing suddenly transformed into a Dragon that was several thousand metres long as well.
This Dragon was crimson red, giving the impression as if it was covered in raging flames.
Compared to Yang Kai’s Half-Dragon form, Zhu Qing’s Dragon Form was clearly that of a Pureblood.
Zhu Qing soared straight up before unleashing a flaming Dragon Breath straight at the Heavenly Sword Palace.
At the same time, Yang Kai thrust his spear out.
The huge Azure Dragon Spear crashed into the Heavenly Sword Palace’s defensive Arrays without any fancy moves. The Azure Dragon Spear was already a peerless weapon, and coupled with Yang Kai’s fearsome strength that could shake the Sun and Moon, the defensive Arrays were pierced through like paper.
The people in the Heavenly Sword Palace were thrown into panic as the enormous spear shadows rapidly filled their vision and an imminent threat of death gripped their minds.
At the critical moment, a cold snort rang out from within the Heavenly Sword Palace as the Dragon Pressure collapsed.
Zuo Quan Hui, who was in the main hall, promptly lifted his sword before swinging it down. His movements were graceful and elegant.
A one-metre-long sword wave cut through the air, directly slicing into Yang Kai’s Half-Dragon Form.
The next moment, a fountain of blood gushed out!
A gaping wound so deep that even his bones could be seen appeared on Yang Kai’s shoulder as a rain of Golden Dragon Blood spluttered across the void. Zuo Quan Hui’s attack was clearly extraordinary despite its simplicity. It would have been disastrous for Yang Kai had he not tilted his head at the last moment.
Nonetheless, he did not retreat!
He thrust the Azure Dragon Spear forward as if he was unable to feel any pain.
*Hong hong hong…*
One after another, the Heavenly Sword Palace’s defences were broken through, even its walls were pierced through. Over a dozen Open Heaven Realm Masters who couldn’t dodge in time were swept up by the spear’s power and exploded into a blood mist before they could even make a sound. When their Small Universes collapsed, World Force dissipated and flowed out into the void.
Before Yang Kai could even pull out his spear, he saw the Heavenly Sword Palace suddenly light up, shooting a beam straight at his face.
This beam of light came out of nowhere, but its power was extremely terrifying, comparable to an attack from a High-Rank Open Heaven Master.
Yang Kai couldn’t even figure out whether this beam of light had been shot by Zuo Quan Hui or if it had been launched using the Heavenly Sword Palace’s Arrays.
Yang Kai instinctively raised his spear to block and the next moment, he let out a suppressed grunt as he was sent flying out.
At the same time, countless beams of light shot out from the interior of the Heavenly Sword Palace. Although they were not as terrifying as the one that attacked Yang Kai, each one was still comparable to an attack from a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
There were more than 1,000 such beams of light!
Such an attack was obviously not something mere Heavenly Sword Union disciples could release, so it was definitely the power of the palace’s Grand Array.
At the sight of this, Void Land’s disciples, who had been attacking from the periphery of the Heavenly Sword Palace, didn’t dare hesitate and quickly used their defensive Divine Abilities and artifacts to protect themselves.
However, there would always be some flaws.
Blood splashed as dozens of Void Land disciples were pierced through. Most of them instantly lost their lives while a few with tenacious will managed to hang on. Their fellow disciples quickly responded and hurriedly retreated from the battlefield with them to find a place for them to recover.
Even Zhu Qing, who had revealed her Dragon Form, had suffered a blow. Fortunately, Flower Shadow Great Emperor had protected her at the last moment, so she was only slightly injured.
For a moment, Void Land’s Open Heaven Realm Masters no longer dared to approach the Heavenly Sword Palace and retreated one after another.
This was the terrifying aspect of a large-scale palace artifact. This kind of artifact was like a moving fortress, with both offensive and defensive capabilities, making it extremely difficult to deal with.
This was the first time the people from Void Land had come into contact with such a weapon, so they were not experienced enough to deal with it, resulting in some unnecessary damage.
The next moment, a Dragon Roar reverberated across the void as Yang Kai, who had been sent flying, returned in a flash. When he saw the casualties among his forces, he immediately shouted, “Everyone below the Fifth Order, retreat and coordinate from afar; the rest of you, follow me!”
As soon as he finished speaking, he took the lead and raised his massive Azure Dragon Spear before smashing it down.
Immediately, a transparent barrier appeared above the Heavenly Sword Palace, but it was unable to block the fearsome might of the blow. The barrier shattered as the fearsome force slammed into the Heavenly Sword Palace like a meteor, causing it to sink slightly.
Yang Kai’s figure flickered as he appeared directly below the Heavenly Sword Palace and swept out with his spear again.
A blinding flash of light surged as the Heavenly Sword Palace was knocked back again.
After a few rounds, several Small Universes collapsed and the aura of World Force dissipating came from inside the Heavenly Sword Palace. Obviously, some people had been killed.
Meanwhile, Void Land’s Open Heaven Realm Masters never stopped attacking.
However, those below the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm could only support them from a distance, and their usefulness was limited. The only ones who could pose a real threat to the Heavenly Sword Palace were the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters other than Yang Kai, and the dozens of Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Even after the original advantage in numbers had been levelled, Heavenly Sword Union’s cultivators were able to resist the oncoming attacks and defended themselves. With the exception of a few unlucky fools who had died due to carelessness, the number of casualties for the time being remained mostly unchanged.
Previously, Void Land was able to pose a certain degree of threat to the Heavenly Sword Palace’s occupants by relying on their numerical advantage, but now that most had to attack from a distance, very few of them were able to achieve anything. Basically, all of them were intercepted halfway.
Furthermore, Zuo Quan Hui attacked from time to time as well, forcing Yang Kai to be cautious in making moves lest innocents get hurt. Although Yang Kai could pose some level of threat to the Heavenly Sword Palace, it was still difficult for him to stop it from advancing towards the Star Boundary.
If this situation continued, if they were unable to destroy the Heavenly Sword Palace, the Star Boundary would certainly face a great catastrophe.
Yang Kai flew into a rage and shouted, “Old dog, if you have the guts, come out and fight! What kind of coward hides away inside his palace when the enemy is before him?”
Zuo Quan Hui’s response was an even fiercer attack, forcing Yang Kai to dodge.
As they clashed and cursed, both sides fought in the void for half a month, but neither side was able to do anything to the other. On the contrary, they were getting closer to the Star Boundary.
Yang Kai’s heart was gripped with anxiety, but there was nothing he could do. He was now a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, but he still felt powerless.
All of the Great Emperors were feeling the same! They communicated with each other via their Divine Senses, discussing how to deal with the enemy, but in this situation, none of their plans could be used.
The Star Boundary was in danger!
After a few more days, Yang Kai could already see the Star Boundary and Demon Realm, the two Universe Worlds in the distance. In the periphery of the Heavenly Sword Palace, Yang Kai was no longer able to maintain his Dragon Form and had reverted back to his Human Form.
Maintaining his Dragon Transformation for a long time was quite taxing on him.
After more than half a month of fierce fighting, Yang Kai’s entire body was covered in blood and his murderous intent was seemingly tangible as it lingered around his body, turning his surroundings as cold as ice.
“Is that the Star Boundary?”
Inside the Heavenly Sword Palace’s main hall, Zuo Quan Hui raised his brow slightly as he gazed ahead. When the Star Boundary entered his eyes, he couldn’t spot anything special about it and couldn’t understand why a World Tree would appear here.
Although Yin Xin Zhao had managed to obtain some information from Lan Xun, Soul-Searching Techniques had drawbacks. Even if his strength greatly surpassed hers, Lin Xin Zhao had no way of knowing what kind of information he could obtain from Lan Xun as the process was quite violent and destructive. In other words, what he could obtain from Lan Xun with a Soul-Searching Technique was entirely up to luck.
Just like how he did not know if the World Tree had blossomed and borne fruit or not, he also did not know that this World Tree was planted by Yang Kai, causing Zuo Quan Hui to think that it was naturally bred.
The World Tree was undoubtedly extremely eye-catching, so when Zuo Quan Hui laid eyes on the giant tree standing in the middle of the Star Boundary, his eyes gleamed with joy, “It really is a World Tree!”
He had never seen a real World Tree before and had only read about it in a few ancient books, but when he laid eyes on it, he saw that the entire Star Boundary was filled with thick vitality. Looking at the Star Boundary from the distance, it actually looked completely green.
If this Divine Tree was not a World Tree, then what could it be?
After taking a closer look, Zuo Quan Hui furrowed his brow a little. He actually didn’t see any World Fruits. [Perhaps it’s because I’m too far away that I can’t spot them, or maybe they have been harvested by someone. In any case, as long as I can get my hands on this Star Boundary, the World Tree and its World Fruits will all be mine.]
At the same time, Pei Wen Xuan, who was fending off an enemy at some place in the Heavenly Sword Palace, stared at a different spot.
Unlike Zuo Quan Hui who was looking at the Star Boundary, he was looking at the Demon Realm!
For some reason, he felt an extremely familiar aura from the Demon Realm, as if there was something there that was connected to him.
On top of that, the Demonic Qi of this Universe World was obviously extremely compatible with his Small Universe. In other words, he could directly devour the Demon Realm’s World Force to strengthen his foundation.
If he could do so, it would definitely advance his cultivation, saving him a great amount of time!
He had come to help Zuo Quan Hui this time mainly because he had some personal grievances with Yang Kai and wanted to use Zuo Quan Hui’s strength to deal with Yang Kai to vent his anger.
But much to his surprise, he actually encountered this kind of opportunity.
The energy of an entire Universe World was enough to save him several hundred, or even 1,000 years of hard cultivation. He believed that after Zuo Quan Hui had destroyed Void Land and captured the Star Boundary, he would not be stingy about giving this Demon Realm to him.
[I managed to get a hold of a treasure this time!] While Pei Wen Xuan was secretly excited, a streak of light suddenly shot over from the side. It was the Diving Ability cast by a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master from Void Land called Hua Yong. He waved his hand as his Demon Qi surged, cancelling the oncoming attack.
“How did the Star Boundary become like this? And what’s going on with the World Tree!”
While he was trying his best to block the Heavenly Sword Palace’s advance, when Yang Kai glanced towards the Star Boundary, his heart was filled with shock.
He had returned to the Star Boundary a month ago, but it had undergone a massive change since then!
While things were different the previous time he returned, it was certainly not to this extent!
The Star Boundary was currently covered in extremely rich vitality, causing the entire Universe World to appear warm and inviting. Everyone gasped in amazement at the sight of this.
Even from hundreds of millions of kilometres away, Yang Kai could still feel the vitality of the Star Boundary.
And the World Tree!
Although it was already tens of thousands of metres tall back then, it was obviously taller than before, almost twice the size it was compared to just a month ago. It was now nearly 100,000 meters tall, truly making it an existence that held up the Heavens themselves.
[The changes in the Star Boundary are definitely related to the World Tree’s growth and nourishment. But why has the World Tree’s feedback become so much stronger in this one month, even allowing it to grow to such a height?]
Yang Kai couldn’t understand!
At that moment, fluctuations of a Small Universe collapsing came from the Heavenly Sword Palace, indicating the death of another Open Heaven Realm Master.
Although the Heavenly Sword Palace’s defences were strong, the joint attack of 20 Sixth-Order and dozens of Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters was no joke. Along the way, at least 100 Open Heaven Realm Masters of Heavenly Sword Union had lost their lives. On the other hand, because the Void Land Open Heaven Realm Masters below the Fifth Order were all helping from a distance, their side hadn’t suffered many losses, with the exception of the couple dozen people who had died in the initial clash.
However, the Sixth-Order and Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were all injured and exhausted at this point.
The next moment, Yang Kai suddenly looked towards the Heavenly Sword Palace in shock before his gaze shifted back to the Star Boundary.
When the unknown Open Heaven Realm Master from Heavenly Sword Union died, his Small Universe collapsed and his World Force dispersed. Almost immediately after, Yang Kai could clearly feel this free World Force being drawn straight towards the Star Boundary, pouring into the World Tree where it was cleanly absorbed.
In a flash, realization dawned upon Yang Kai.
When Heavenly Sword Union’s Open Heaven Realm Masters died previously, Yang Kai had vaguely sensed the dispersion of their World Force, but he hadn’t paid much attention to it at the time. Now, when he observed more closely, he realized that this free World Force was clearly flowing towards the Star Boundary.
He was able to feel it so easily this time because they were now much closer to the Star Boundary.
In the past, the growth of the World Tree was mainly fueled by the energy absorbed from the Stars and void in the Great Territory where the Star Boundary was located.
Its growth had been slow because such energy wasn’t very rich.
However, during this month-long battle, over 100 Open Heaven Realm Masters from Heavenly Sword Union and several dozen from Void Land had died. After their deaths, their Small Universes had collapsed and their World Force had dispersed into the void before being drawn in and absorbed by the World Tree.
Naturally, the World Tree would be able to rapidly grow with nourishment like this. And owing to the corresponding feedback, the Star Boundary had also reaped great advantages!
This was why the World Tree and the Star Boundary had undergone such massive changes.
This was what Yang Kai believed; otherwise, there was no way he could explain what he was seeing.
This kind of change would undoubtedly bring unimaginable benefits to the World Tree and the Star Boundary, but with such a powerful enemy in front of him, Yang Kai did not have the time to consider such things.
In a flash, Yang Kai instantly moved right before the Heavenly Sword Palace and pointed his spear forward. A determined and serious look could be seen on his face.
They were only ten million kilometres away from the Star Boundary now, so if he allowed the Heavenly Sword Palace to continue advancing, the Star Boundary would definitely fall into enemy hands. They had to stop the Heavenly Sword Palace from advancing any further no matter what.
The only option they had left was to fight to the death!
*Shua shua shua…*
One figure after another flew over and stood beside Yang Kai, as if they sensed his determination. Iron Blood, Bustling World, Martial Beast, Serene Soul, Flower Shadow, and Ice Feather Great Emperors all arrived together without a word.
Immediately after, Yue He, Mo Mei, Mao Zhe, Geng Qing, Zhou Ya, Hua Yong, Shu Mu Dan, Hui Gu, Qing Kui, Su Ying Xue, Fang Yue, and Xiang Ying also appeared in a flash.
Twenty Sixth-Order Masters stood in a line in the void, blocking the path between Heavenly Sword Palace and the Star Boundary like an impregnable wall.
Behind these Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters stood dozens of Fifth-Order Masters!
The next moment, streaks of light shot over as more than 1,000 Open Heaven Realm Masters who were below the Fifth Order flew over to help.
As the army assembled, their momentum soared!
“This scene seems familiar!” Iron Blood Great Emperor smiled.
Martial Beast Great Emperor Mo Huang clenched his fists as a series of popping sounds rang out, “Reminds me of the Great War.”
When they had fought against Great Demon God in the past, the Great Emperors had joined forces to fight the enemy. This was the first time that the strongest Masters of the Star Boundary had all gathered together, and fortunately, they achieved their goal. Although the ones attacking today were Heavenly Sword Union and Zuo Quan Hui, the situation was quite similar.
In the past, they had joined forces to kill Great Demon God, and today, they had joined forces to destroy the Heavenly Sword Palace and kill Zua Quan Hui!
The situation of facing a strong enemy with weaker forces had stirred up the pride and sentiments in their hearts!
“Yang Boy, don’t die this time!” Bustling World Great Emperor turned his head and warned Yang Kai.
Yang Kai had ‘died’ during the battle against Great Demon God. Fortunately, by refining the Immortal Tree, he was able to reconstruct his body and return to life, allowing him to continue battling Great Demon God.
Yang Kai grinned, “Don’t worry, I won’t die!”
Then, he shouted, “Kill!”
Using his Dragon Transformation Secret Technique, Yang Kai’s figure reached the height of several thousand metres once more. A Great Sun appeared on the tip of the enormous Azure Dragon Spear as he thrust it towards the Heavenly Sword Palace.
At the same time, all the Void Land Open Heaven Realm Masters used their respective Divine Abilities and artifacts to launch attacks against the Heavenly Sword Palace.
After nearly a month of fierce fighting, although a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like Zuo Quan Hui had personally defended it, the Heavenly Sword Palace had still suffered some damage. Be that as it may, this artifact’s defensive capabilities were quite impressive and it was still holding up relatively well.
With a dazzling flash, the Heavenly Sword Palace launched another wave of attacks to intercept the incoming barrage.
Countless Divine Abilities collided in the void and canceled each other out as Void Cracks appeared before quickly closing one after another.
Most of the attacks were blocked, but a small number of them still made it through and struck the Heavenly Sword Palace, causing layers of protective barriers to shatter and disappear.
But before Void Land could launch a second wave of attacks, the Heavenly Sword Palace burst with another blinding flash as thousands of sword lights shone. The next moment, another barrage of attacks headed straight towards Void Land’s cultivators like a storm, drowning everyone in its path.
Yang Kai immediately stood at the forefront. With a flash of thought, a giant towering tree appeared behind him, covering the void as its branches drooped down to form a protective shield, blocking the countless sword beams.
Ripples appeared on the protective shield one after another as the Towering Evergreen Divine Manifestation became much dimmer.
The Towering Evergreen was powered by his Wood Element Power, condensed from the Immortal Tree, so not only could this Divine Ability heal injuries, it also had an extremely sturdy defensive ability.
However, the Towering Evergreen was not all-powerful and was unable to shield all the Open Heaven Realm Masters from Void Land. Although it was able to block most of the attacks, there were still some that managed to slip through.
Even though the many Open Heaven Realm Masters from Void Land had been prepared for this counterattack, every single sword light from the Heavenly Sword Palace was comparable to an attack launched by a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
Blood splashed as dozens died on the spot the next moment.
With a deafening crash, Yang Kai’s spear smashed into the Heavenly Sword Palace, causing its advance to slow as it shook violently.
*Hong hong hong…*
Yang Kai kept smashing his spear out again and again, releasing a massive amount of violent energy. The enormous Heavenly Sword Palace was actually stopped in place. Furthermore, under the continuous barrage of attacks, the aura of several Small Universes collapsing could be felt coming from inside the palace.
But before Yang Kai could rejoice, a dazzling sword light slashed towards him. Zuo Quan Hui had personally made a move.
The might of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm was like a mountain pressing down on them, making it difficult for everyone to breathe and sending their vitality tumbling.
When this sword light struck the protective barrier of the Towering Evergreen Divine Manifestation, it became even dimmer.
After another sword attack from Zuo Quan Hui, the Towering Evergreen was instantly destroyed, turning into specks of light that dissipated into the void. Yang Kai’s heart shook and his Small Universe became agitated, causing him to cough up a mouthful of blood.
Just like Yang Kai’s continuous attacks, Zuo Quan Hui didn’t stop at all, swinging his sword again and again.
At this moment, Yang Kai’s ears were ringing and his head was spinning. He shook his head to regain his bearing but still staggered back, unable to defend himself. However, after his Small Universe was shaken, he felt a strange connection with the Star Boundary for some reason.
At this critical moment of life and death, the Great Emperors joined forces and stood in front of Yang Kai. Each of them used their own Divine Abilities to resist the oncoming sword lights.
With a dazzling flash, the Great Emperors were forced back. All of them were vomiting blood and bleeding from their seven orifices.
Even with the combined strength of all the Great Emperors present, they were unable to resist Zuo Quan Hui’s assault and were instantly injured. But the silver lining was that the sword light shooting at Yang Kai was intercepted.
“Overconfident brat!” Inside Heavenly Sword Palace, Zuo Quan Hui sneered as another sword light slashed out.
Yang Kai vigorously shook his head before he finally stabilized himself. He then promptly raised his spear to meet the oncoming attack. At the same time, the injured Great Emperors also gathered their strength and joined forces to resist.
Yue He and Mo Mei also rushed over at that moment.
With everyone’s strength combined, they were finally able to barely resist Zuo Quan Hui’s sword strike.
However, the situation had grown worse.
The Heavenly Sword Palace, which had finally been stopped by Yang Kai, had once again started moving forward. Even if the Void Land Masters refused to back down as they made their last stand, they were still unable to stop the enemy from closing in.
10 million kilometres, 9 million, 8 million…
A long road paved with blood was floating in the void. Mangled and mutilated corpses of Open Heaven Realm Masters were scattered all over. Every time the Heavenly Sword Palace’s Arrays erupted, a few cultivators from Void Land would lose their lives.
Although the Heavenly Sword Palace was also on the verge of collapsing under the relentless bombardment of Void Land’s Open Heaven Realm Masters, it was still a hair’s breadth away from being completely destroyed.
Had there not been so many Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters on Void Land’s side, the outcome of this battle would have already been decided.
Be that as it may, everyone from Void Land was on their last leg.
Yang Kai was already fighting like he had lost his mind. He had simply stopped caring about saving his strength as he continued to pour his World Force into every attack. He had already used Golden Crow Casts the Sun several times, and each time he did he chipped away at the Heavenly Sword Palace, but he was still unable to break it.
His Small Universe had long been shaken to the point that it was already unstable. Yang Kai didn’t have time to investigate right now, but he knew that his Small Universe would definitely crash if he did not stop.
But the more turbulent his Small Universe became, the clearer Yang Kai could feel the strange connection between himself and the Star Boundary become.
He was Void Great Emperor, recognized by the Star Boundary’s Will, so it was not surprising for him to have such a connection. Yang Kai had used this very connection to instantly return to the Star Boundary a month ago.
At first, Yang Kai had not paid much attention to it, but as the battle proceeded and he displayed his stalwart determination to protect the Star Boundary, the connection grew stronger and stronger.
The connection became so strong that it was difficult for Yang Kai to ignore now. He didn’t know why, but for some reason, he even felt a faint calling, or expression of intent was about to surface from the mist.
“So… Zhu Jiu Yin isn’t here!” Zuo Quan Hui’s calm voice suddenly came from Heavenly Sword Palace.
Zuo Quan Hui was always holed up inside the Heavenly Sword Palace when he was in Void Territory, and did not dare to show his face. Even though the Heavenly Sword Palace was situated right outside the Territory Gate, he was afraid that Zhu Jiu Yin would suddenly appear and catch him off guard if he went outside.
Even when he had come to this backwater Great Territory, he had always been on guard against hidden murderous intent even though he was tempted by the World Tree to take a risk.
But even when the battle had reached this point, he hadn’t sensed Zhu Jiu Yin’s aura at all. Seeing that the people from Void Land could no longer resist his advance, he finally understood that his fears were needless. The one person he was afraid of was not even here in the first place.
If that wasn’t the case, why would Zhu Jiu Yin have been hiding all the while? Why hadn’t she taken action yet? She was not going to take action after everyone from Void Land died, right?
Realizing this, Zuo Quan Hui couldn’t help but become angry out of shame. He felt that his cautious actions had made him look like a coward.
However, he was most pleasantly surprised and couldn’t help but burst into laughter, “Without Zhu Jiu Yin, how can you ants resist this Monarch? This Monarch will occupy the Star Boundary and then destroy all you weaklings!”
Although he had confirmed that Zhu Jiu Yin was not here, he still had no intention of showing his face. He simply continued to activate the power of the Heavenly Sword Palace’s Grand Array, throwing Void Land’s Masters into panic.
Just as Yang Kai feared, once Zuo Quan Hui reached the Star Boundary, he would have everything under his control. Void Land’s Open Heaven Realm Masters would definitely not dare to start a war in the Star Boundary, so at that time, everyone would be at his mercy. The only option was to end things in the void.
Suddenly, the Heavenly Sword Palace shot straight towards the Star Boundary, as Zuo Quan Hui no longer had any scruples.
Over 1,000 Open Heaven Realm Masters of Void Land desperately tried to resist, but were still forced back!
Suddenly, a glimmer of light cut through the fog as the feeling that Yang Kai had been unable to understand for so long finally became clear like the rising sun. Yang Kai quickly dispelled any doubts he had and cleared his mind before understanding the epiphany.
[So that was how it is!]
[So that was how it is! I have actually neglected my greatest reliance, my greatest foundation!]
“The World lives!” Yang Kai lowered his head and mumbled to himself in a low voice. The next moment, he shouted as his long hair fell over his forehead, “You want the Star Boundary, but have you asked the Star Boundary’s Will?”
Sitting in the main hall of the Heavenly Sword Palace, Zuo Quan Hui scoffed, “When this Monarch occupies that place, this Monarch will become its Will!”
Yang Kai slowly shook his head, “Then I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you!”
Zuo Quan Hui’s face sank as he suddenly had a bad feeling. It was inexplicable, as if something terrible was about to happen.
Yang Kai grabbed his spear with one hand and suddenly formed a series of hand seals with the other, muttering in a low voice, “Heavens and Earth, lend me your strength!”
*Weng…*
The void trembled at that moment as everything came to a halt.
In the next moment, the World Tree, which had reached the height of 100,000 metres, began to sway violently. Its giant canopy rustled as a beam of green light shot out from the Star Boundary and struck Yang Kai.
Yang Kai remained still, but his aura, which had become incredibly weak due to over-exhaustion, started rapidly rising, soaring upwards seemingly without limit! His turbulent Small Universe calmed, reaching a state of tranquility that he had never felt before. Furthermore, his Small Universe’s foundation was also rapidly strengthening.
A terrifying pressure erupted from Yang Kai, spreading out in all directions, causing space itself to tremble.
The Open Heaven Realm Masters of Heavenly Sword Union inside the Heavenly Sword Palace were dumbstruck at the sight of this. In the void, 1,000 Open Heaven Realm Masters of Void Land also wore looks of amazement.
Yang Kai’s aura rapidly reached a peak, one far higher than his original. Although he had yet to reach the Seventh Order, he was just a hair’s breadth away from it now.
The corner of Zuo Quan Hui’s eyes twitched as he stared at this scene in disbelief.
“Borrowing the World’s Strength, so that’s how it is!” Zhan Wu Hen’s eyes flickered with realization. The Great Emperors also quickly understood what just happened.
Yang Kai was borrowing the power of the Star Boundary! Any Great Emperor who was recognized by the Will of his Universe World could borrow its strength, but this time, Yang Kai was borrowing power far beyond their imagination!
In general, there was a vast difference between the Emperor Realm and the Open Heaven Realm. Any Open Heaven Realm Master, even of the lowest Order, could easily kill an Emperor Realm cultivator.
But at certain times, in certain special circumstances, an Emperor Realm cultivator could display the strength comparable to a Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master!
Just like how the Great Emperors had fought against Great Demon God in the past!
Great Demon God definitely had the strength of the Open Heaven Realm at that time, but in the end, he was killed by the combined forces of the Star Boundary’s Great Emperors. The fundamental reason for this was that the Great Emperors had borrowed the World Strength of the Star Boundary to display enough power to kill Great Demon God.
Back then, when the Star Boundary had been nearly destroyed and the people had fallen into misery, the Great Emperors still had the strength to fight against Great Demon God by taking advantage of the Star Boundary’s remaining strength. Now that the Star Boundary had received the World Tree’s nourishment, and its foundation had become many times stronger, the World Strength Yang Kai could borrow from it was naturally far greater than before.
At this moment, it was as if he had the support of the entire Star Boundary’s World Force.
Zuo Quan Hui was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master with rich experience, so it wasn’t that he didn’t know about the secrets of Universe Worlds and Great Emperors, but under normal circumstances, how much strength could a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like Yang Kai borrow from a mere Universe World?
It was a little better than nothing, that’s all!
However, the situation in the Star Boundary was completely different from that of ordinary Universe Worlds. Its foundation was extremely rich due to the World Tree’s feedback. Furthermore, the World Tree had also absorbed the World Force of all the Open Heaven Realm Masters from both sides who had lost their lives in this battle, allowing its heritage to become even stronger.
The World was alive. When Yang Kai was giving his all to defend the Star Boundary, even willing to put his life on the line to protect it from danger, the Star Boundary itself had sensed it. The feeling lingering in Yang Kai’s heart was a sign of acknowledgement from the Star Boundary Will.
Yang Kai understood a bit too late, but he still managed to deduce it in time.
“Zuo Quan Hui, you made your biggest mistake by making things difficult for my Star Boundary in this Great Territory!” Yang Kai’s World Force surged as he felt an indescribable power coursing through his body. Borrowing the power of the Star Boundary, not only had he recovered, but his strength was also only a step away from the Seventh Order.
“You’re still only a Sixth-Order ant, how dare you boast so shamelessly!? When you have broken through to the Seventh Order, then you can act presumptuously before this Monarch!” Zuo Quan Hui was extremely angry. As he finished speaking, sword waves once again shot out from the Heavenly Sword Palace. Furthermore, he had also launched a Divine Ability personally at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai promptly raised his spear to block the incoming assault. Although he was forced back tens of thousands of kilometres again, he was no longer incapable of resisting.
The gap between him and Zuo Quan Hui had been greatly reduced.
This scene was witnessed by everyone present. Void Land’s morale immediately soared as they all took action to block the Heavenly Sword Palace’s attack.
The Great Emperors glanced at each other but didn’t say anything. Nonetheless, all of them could tell what the other was thinking.
“Yang Boy, I’ll leave this place to you!” Iron Blood Great Emperor suddenly shouted.
Yang Kai turned his head in surprise and saw Iron Blood Great Emperor’s figure instantly disappear from his spot. When he looked back at the others, he saw that Bustling World, Martial Beast, Serene Soul, Flower Shadow, Ice Feather, and the other Great Emperors were also nodding at him expectantly.
Yang Kai instantly understood and shouted, “Everyone, don’t worry, I’ll definitely kill this old dog at our doorstep!”
The next moment, several figures suddenly appeared atop the World Tree’s crown in the Star Boundary. They were none other than the Great Emperors who had disappeared from the battlefield.
They had never cultivated the Dao of Space, so under normal circumstances, it would be impossible for them to travel millions of kilometres in an instant, but the Star Boundary was their homeland, and since Yang Kai was able to return from the Territory Gate with the help of the Star Boundary, it was naturally possible for them to do something similar. Traversing a few million kilometres was as easy as stepping through their front door for them.
They were old friends who had known each other for over 10,000 years, so with just a glance at each other, all of them smiled and sat down cross-legged, opened their Small Universes, and poured their World Force into the Star Boundary.
The six Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters’ assistance caused the entire Star Boundary to tremble slightly, as if it was welcoming their return.
In the void, Yang Kai’s aura, which was slowly stabilizing, suddenly shot up again. Naturally, this was due to the support of the Great Emperors, carrying with it the hope of countless living beings in the Star Boundary.
Nonetheless, Yang Kai was still unable to break through the shackles of the Sixth Order. Although he was now just half a step away from the Seventh Order, there was still a thin barrier blocking his path. If he could not break through this barrier, he would not be able to glimpse the broad horizons of the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm.
The Sixth-Order was in the Mid-Rank, while the Seventh-Order was the beginning of the High-Rank. The gap between them was simply too great.
[Just a little more…]
Just as Yang Kai thought he had reached his limit, another wave of energy suddenly surged through his body. This wave of energy came at just the right moment, shattering the already cracking shackles.
*Hong…*
An invisible shockwave burst out from Yang Kai as the prestige of a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master filled the void!
Atop the World Tree, two figures slowly descended. One of them wiped the cold sweat from his forehead as he muttered, “Luckily, we were not too late!”
The other person stated, “What a pity, I thought that after advancing to the Sixth Order, I would be able to enjoy a good fight with old friends, but I didn’t expect I wouldn’t have such an opportunity!”
Iron Blood Great Emperor opened his eyes and gently smiled, “The two of you aren’t good at fighting anyway, so it’s best if you don’t cause trouble.”
Wondrous Pill and Heavens Revelations looked at each other and had no choice but to agree, “Fair enough!”
The two of them had been cultivating in Void Land all this time, attempting to break through to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Just when they somehow broke through and were preparing to head to the Territory Gate to assist, Hei He happened to bring Lan Xun to Void Land.
When the two of them learned of the situation, they anxiously rushed to the Star Boundary, but they were still a step behind Heavenly Sword Union.
By the time the two of them finally returned to the Star Boundary’s Great Territory, Heavenly Sword Union and Void Land had already fought for a long time. When they finally caught up with the Heavenly Sword Palace and arrived at the edge of the battlefield, they happened to see Yang Kai borrowing the Star Boundary’s World Force and their old friends returning to the Star Boundary to support him.
Seeing that Yang Kai was still only at the peak of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, just half a step away from breaking through to the Seventh-Order, the two of them didn’t hesitate to return to the Star Boundary.
“I wonder if Yang Boy has reached the Seventh Order yet,” Wondrous Pill Great Emperor looked up into the void and muttered.
“Old Dog, next year today will be the anniversary of your death!” In the void, Yang Kai was in high spirits. The World Force around him surged as he thrust out his spear, transforming it into a barrage of spear shadows that filled the sky and rained down towards Heavenly Sword Palace.
How could he lose this battle, carrying the hopes and expectations of all the Great Emperors and countless living beings in the Star Boundary on his shoulders?
Dazzling lights flashed across the Heavenly Sword Palace as its defensive Arrays shattered and collapsed. Multiple Small Universes collapsed one after another at the same time.
Although Zuo Quan Hui was desperately repairing the Arrays, he could not catch up with the storm of attacks.
His greatest reliance was that he was an Order higher than Yang Kai’s cultivation, but now he had even lost that advantage, which had immediately pushed him into a corner.
Attacks rained down at the Heavenly Sword Palace from every direction.
Heavenly Sword Union disciples tried their best to resist, but it was impossible for them to keep up.
In less than a dozen breaths of time, the Heavenly Sword Palace suddenly cracked with a blinding flash as an inexplicable and fearsome aura surged from it.
“Everyone, dodge!” Yang Kai promptly realized that something was not right and shouted aloud, immediately using his Space Principles to wrap up those around him and quickly retreating.
Not only were Void Land’s cultivators retreating, but countless figures fled from the Heavenly Sword Palace as well.
In the blink of an eye, a terrifying shockwave suddenly swept out, as if the sun in the sky had exploded. Some of the slower Heavenly Sword Union cultivators didn’t even have time to make a sound before they were enveloped by this blinding flash and instantly lost their lives.
The fallout from this explosion crashed into everyone, causing them to feel as if they were standing in the middle of a vast ocean, unable to even stand firm. Everyone promptly used their defensive Divine Abilities and artifacts to protect themselves as stray bolts of energy and rubble flew out randomly.
Yang Kai stabilized his footing and stared straight ahead.
The Heavenly Sword Palace had exploded! After defending for over a month, crossing trillions of kilometres, they had finally managed to crack this hard nut.
Void Land’s cultivators had evacuated in time, so apart from some minor injuries suffered by a few Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters, no one had lost their life.
On the other hand, Heavenly Sword Union’s Open Heaven Realm Masters had suffered heavy casualties.
Heavenly Sword Union had spent unimaginable resources and effort to build the Heavenly Sword Palace, so the instant it was destroyed, the resulting explosion was not inferior to a full-powered attack launched by a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
When the dust settled, only about 400 Open Heaven Realm Masters remained on Heavenly Sword Union’s side, and all of them were in a sorry state.
A giant black hole had appeared where the Heavenly Sword Palace had exploded. It was surrounded by thousands of cracks that extended to the depths of the void.
Space had shattered, making it look like the end of the world!
Zuo Quan Hui stood somewhere in the void, surrounded by a group of Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. His face was twitching, as if he had yet to recover from the series of events just now.
The Heavenly Sword Palace occupied an absolute advantage. Just a few million more kilometers and it would have reached the Star Boundary. At that time, Void Land would have been at his mercy.
But much to his dismay, Yang Kai had borrowed the power of Heaven and Earth to instantly break through from the Sixth Order to the Seventh Order, destroying the Heavenly Sword Palace, shattering his greatest reliance, and dragging him down into the dirt.
Yang Kai raised his spear and sneered, “Old dog, you’re finally willing to come out?”
Zuo Quan Hui narrowed his eyes as he looked at Yang Kai. When their gazes met, it seemed as if sparks were flickering.
“Kill!” Yang Kai shouted as his enormous Dragon Form wrapped in a supreme Dragon Pressure appeared before the Heavenly Sword Union Masters in a single move. The next moment, Yang Kai swept his massive Azure Dragon Spear that seemed to hold up the sky as a rich World Force burst out, wantonly releasing the power of the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm!
Even Zuo Quan Hui did not dare to casually take such an attack.
Although Yang Kai had acquired the strength of the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, he did not obtain it by cultivating himself, but because he had borrowed the World Force from the Star Boundary, an external aid.
Even so, when Yang Kai attacked with the Azure Dragon Spear using his several thousand metres tall Half Dragon Form, Zuo Quan Hui had no choice but to cherish his own life. Facing this attack, he used a Divine Ability to block as a feint before pulling back.
Seeing this, the ten Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters around him quickly dispersed.
Heavenly Sword Union’s formation collapsed in the wake of this attack.
Behind Yang Kai, a tide of Open Heaven Realm Masters swarmed towards him. Having been under extreme pressure for so long, it was now their turn to vent, which they did without holding back in the slightest. Everyone used their respective Divine Abilities and artifacts to their heart’s content to attack the enemy.
The few hundred Open Heaven Realm Masters on Heavenly Sword Union’s side were nearly frightened to death!
Heavenly Sword Union’s cultivators had suffered heavy casualties thanks to the Heavenly Sword Palace’s explosion. Now, there were less than 400 of them left. On the other hand, Void Land still had over 1,000 Open Heaven Realm Masters on their side.
With almost three times the difference in number, there was no need for any kind of battle formation, just charging forward was enough to crush the enemy.
Not to mention, Void Land had a huge advantage when it came to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Including Yang Kai, Void Land had a total of 22 Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. With the eight Great Emperors having returned to the Star Boundary, 14 still remained! Even if Yang Kai wasn’t included, there were still 13 on their side.
On the other hand, Heavenly Sword Union only had 10. So, Void Land had a three-person advantage!
Back then, during a meeting with Zuo Quan Hui in the Heavenly Sword Palace, Pei Wen Xuan had proposed to send a message to Yin Xin Zhao, inviting him to come and help. He had said that as long as they had one more Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master on their side, they could completely turn around the situation. With one more, they would be able to gain an advantage of two against one in a battle, which would become the key to victory.
If just one more Sixth-Order Master could be the difference between victory and stalemate, what more need be said if one side had three more?
Twenty Sixth-Order Masters from both sides were engaged in a fierce battle, and for the moment, they were evenly matched. Meanwhile, the three Mountain Lords of Profound Yang Mountain, Mao Zhe, Geng Qing, and Zhou Ya quietly blended into the 1,000-plus Open Heaven Realm Masters from Void Land’s side and rushed into Heavenly Sword Union’s army, leaving bloody carnage in their wake.
With three Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters joining forces, how could Heavenly Sword Union’s army, who were at most Fifth-Order Masters, be a match for them?
In less than the time it took for an incense stick to burn, the number of Heavenly Sword Union cultivators had been reduced by half, and the remaining people were now surrounded by Void Land’s forces. There was no way for them to escape and it was only a matter of time before they were defeated and killed.
After settling the overall situation, Mao Zhe and the others rushed back to the battlefield of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Huang Quan suddenly had his hair stand on end, as if he had fallen into an icehouse. A chill ran up from the tip of his toes to the crown of his head.
At that moment, Huang Quan was fighting none other than his old nemesis, Hui Gu! Both were from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s Prison Star and had developed a loose friendship during their hundreds of years of imprisonment.
However, Hui Gu had infiltrated the Prison League under Yang Kai’s orders after being subdued by the latter, only to be exposed in the end. As a result, Huang Quan killed Hui Gu’s only loyal servant, Bai Mo right in front of him.
That day, Hui Gu swore that one day he would kill Huang Quan and avenge Bai Mo.
By some coincidence, when Hui Gu returned to Void Land with Yang Kai, Huang Quan had fallen in with Zuo Quan Hui. Both sides had fought several times in Void Territory, but neither of them had been able to gain the upper hand. In fact, Hui Gu’s strength was actually slightly inferior.
After all, Huang Quan was the League Master while Hui Gu was just one of its Protectors in the Prison League. There was a difference between their status and strength as well.
After exchanging several blows several times over the past year, both of them knew each other’s techniques like the back of their hands. Huang Quan naturally wouldn’t be afraid if he was only facing Hui Gu; however, the three Mountain Lords of the Profound Yang Mountain were now rushing over!
Huang Quan was extremely unlucky. Mao Zhe and the others didn’t intentionally target him, rather they were just providing support to the closest battlefield.
Huang Quan and Hui Gu just happened to be on that battlefield!
Seeing these three rushing towards him, Huang Quan didn’t hesitate to escape as he knew that he couldn’t remain. Not to mention a Sixth-Order Master like him, even someone in the Seventh-Order like Zuo Quan Hui might not be able to escape this debacle. After Yang Kai had borrowed the Star Boundary’s World Force, strengthening himself to the point where he reached the Seventh Order, he had destroyed the Heavenly Sword Palace and stopped Heavenly Sword Union’s momentum. If Huang Quan did not flee now, when would he?
As for whether Zuo Quan Hui would settle the score with him later or not… he could worry about it after he had escaped.
However, Hui Gu kept desperately hounding him, which was very annoying.
A fierce gleam flashed across Huang Quan’s eyes as he ignored Hui Gu’s incoming palm strike and ruthlessly launched a Divine Ability towards him, seemingly wanting to trade a life for a life.
In truth, Huang Quan had no intention to fight to the death with Hui Gu. It wasn’t easy for him to escape from the Prison Star and regain his freedom, so he valued his life more than anything. With his Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation and a long life ahead of him, he still had many good days to look forward to.
He was simply doing this to force Hui Gu to stop and back off so he could escape.
But much to his dismay, when faced with this Divine Ability, Hui Gu didn’t even try to dodge or block. His eyes burned with unquenchable hatred as he appeared completely ready to sacrifice his life if it meant killing his enemy.
Huang Quan turned pale in shock as he cursed, “Madman!”
In a panic, he hastily withdrew some of his strength to defend himself.
The next instant, both of them shook and threw up a mouthful of blood each, their auras weakening as their World Force unstably fluctuated.
Mao Zhe, Geng Qing, and Zhou Ya arrived just in the nick of time!
The three of them formed a triangle and rushed towards Huang Quan. Their World Force surged as they fired their Divine Abilities before even reaching him.
[My destined time has come!] Huang Quan’s face turned ashen.
Even if he was at his peak, he would most likely die if he was facing these three, not to mention the fact that he had been forced into a dead end by Hui Gu.
A blinding flash of light appeared before Huang Quan’s body flew out like a rag sack as it was struck by three Divine Abilities. In the blink of an eye, he was left in a sorry state; his hair was a mess and he was covered in blood.
Suddenly, an angry and gnashing face appeared right in front of him like a ghost, almost touching his nose. Its eyes were burning with flames of hatred and blood was flowing from its seven orifices, making it look like a real devil.
Huang Quan’s heart almost burst in fright as he felt a sharp pain in his neck!
Hui Gu transformed into a streak of light as he brushed past Huang Quan.
About 1,000 metres behind Huang Quan, Hui Gu looked up into the void and smiled, “Rest in peace, Bai Mo, I’ve avenged you!”
He raised his hand, holding a bloody head in it as 1,000 metres behind him stood the headless corpse of Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch.
Huang Quan hadn’t died yet, as the vitality of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was extremely tenacious. He would not immediately die even if his head was twisted off, but he obviously knew what kind of situation he was in right now. Blinking his eyes, he also looked up into the sky and heaved a sigh, “Haa, why…”
Back when he left the Prison Star, if he hadn’t sought refuge with Zuo Quan Hui, he would have been living a happy life right now!
He didn’t hold a grudge against Hui Gu for killing him. From the day he started cultivating, he knew that when one walked the Martial Dao, even if he did not kill others, he would be killed by them one day! The Martial Dao was long, and there was no one whose hands weren’t dyed in blood. How many people were there who did not take life and death lightly?
Such a day was bound to come, sooner or later! Be that as it may, he named himself Huang Quan, meaning Yellow Spring, he might receive some kind of preferential treatment in the underworld but King Yama was not someone to be trifled with.
He slowly closed his eyes as his vitality rapidly dissipated.
1,000 metres away, the Small Universe of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master collapsed, releasing a massive amount of World Force that transformed into a violent wave of energy which was visible to the naked eye. The violent energy was immediately pulled in by the World Tree that was still a few million kilometres away.
Hui Gu’s hand trembled and he shattered the head in his hand before keeling over and coughing, spitting out pieces of his internal organs.
Zhou Ya flashed over, “Are you alright?”
Hui Gu shook his head, “I’ll survive!”
Although he had taken Huang Quan’s Divine Ability head-on and was seriously injured, he would live. Furthermore, a weight had been lifted off his heart after he had killed Huang Quan, allowing his mind to become much clearer.
“Retreat and heal yourself first!” Zhou Ya urged before following Mao Zhe and Geng Qing to the next battlefield.
Although many of the Sixth-Order Masters were fighting their own life-or-death battles, Huang Quan’s fall could not escape their senses. The commotion caused by the collapse of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master’s Small Universe and subsequent dissipation of his World Force was not small; even the dullest of people could sense it.
A Sixth-Order Master on their side had died in such a short period of time, naturally causing great fear among the remaining Heavenly Sword Union Masters.
Some of the smart ones immediately began to flee, but how could Void Land allow them to escape? Naturally, they tried their best to stop and suppress them, so the enemy’s efforts yielded little result.
Under normal circumstances, when two Masters with the same cultivation fought, if one of them insisted on escaping, the other would have no way to stop him. Let alone one, even if two of the same cultivation tried to stop someone together, they still might not be able to.
This was why the higher one’s cultivation was, the easier it was to determine victory or defeat, but the harder it was to determine life or death.
If they couldn’t beat the enemy, they still could run, unless one cultivated the Dao of Space like Yang Kai and had unmatched speed, or they had arranged a Heaven Sealing Earth Locking Array in advance, making escape impossible!
Yang Kai was currently locked in a fierce battle with Zuo Quan Hui. Even though he had obtained the strength of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master by borrowing World Force from the Star Boundary, he was unable to divert his attention.
Fortunately, there happened to be an Array Master on Void Land’s side!
Somewhere in the void, when Luan Bai Feng saw Heavenly Sword Union’s Sixth-Order Masters wanting to flee, she immediately sent a transmission to Mao Zhe.
The three Mountain Lords of the Profound Yang Mountain had originally planned to assist Yue He to capture that Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm female cultivator named Zi Yan, but after receiving Luan Bai Feng’s transmission, they immediately changed directions and flew towards her.
A moment later, Luan Bai Feng withdrew from the battlefield and the three Mountain Lords joined forces to fight her original opponent, Heavenly Sword Union’s Seven Mysteries Heavenly Monarch, Qi Xuan!
Qi Xuan was originally an older generation Sixth-Order Master of Heavenly Sword Union. He spent most of his time in secluded cultivation in order to break through to the Seventh-Order. Even most of Heavenly Sword Union’s disciples didn’t know that they had an Old Ancestor like him. Only a few of the higher-ups knew of his existence.
Besides Seven Mysteries Heavenly Monarch, Heavenly Sword Union also had another Sixth-Order Red Sun Heavenly Monarch, Dan Yang.
Zuo Quan Hui had forcefully taken over Heavenly Sword Union with his Seventh-Order cultivation, so he naturally wouldn’t allow these two to freely do as they wished. Qi Xuan and Dan Yang had no choice but to come out of seclusion.
Originally, although Qi Xuan was shocked by Luan Bai Feng’s unpredictable methods when he fought her, he was still able to gain a slight advantage.
He even had the room to ask Luan Bai Feng why she had betrayed Zuo Quan Hui and joined Void Land instead.
When Luan Bai Feng left and Mao Zhe, Geng Qing, and Zhou Ya took her place though, Qi Xuan couldn’t help complaining bitterly. One against three, and with all of them being Sixth-Order Masters, forget about fighting, it would be difficult to even escape. From the start, Mao Zhe’s cultivation was about the same as his at the peak of the Sixth-Order. As for Geng Qing and Zhou Ya, although they were slightly weaker, they weren’t too far off.
[I guess things are not looking good for us today, unless Zuo Quan Hui manages to take down Yang Kai!] Qi Xuan was barely able to deal with the three Mountain Lords of the Profound Yang Mountain and was forced to only defend under their combined attacks while secretly praying for a miracle.
On the other side, after Luan Bai Feng broke away from her opponent, her figure shuttled through the void, wandering the various battlefields as she sent out her Array Plates one after another, instantly activating the Arrays engraved on them.
She had quite a number of Array Plates in her possession and of various types, but because Masters on both sides were fighting, Luan Bai Feng had chosen to only use Trapping Arrays or Illusion Arrays; basically, all the Array Plates she had thrown out were non-lethal.
Although the Arrays activated from these Array Plates could not kill or injure the enemy, and might even disturb the judgment of her own allies, they could temporarily trap these Sixth-Order Masters in place and prevent them from escaping.
A moment later, eight Arrays took shape in the void. Although no figure could be seen inside these Arrays, the cultivators outside were able to clearly sense the shockwaves and fallout coming from inside. Obviously, the Masters of both sides trapped inside were fighting fiercely.
After having done all this, Luan Bai Feng took a break and turned her head to look at Yang Kai and Zuo Quan Hui, and saw the two of them exchanging blows, constantly releasing their Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques. Although Yang Kai was at a disadvantage, he was still able to hold on.
After seeing this, Luan Bai Feng could finally feel relieved. She then rushed into the Array in front of her to help her companion kill his opponent.
The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were locked in a heated battle with their respective opponents, but the Heavenly Sword Union cultivators below the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm were getting slaughtered one-sidedly. The original 300 or so Open Heaven Realm Masters of Heavenly Sword Union had suffered great casualties under the hands of the three Mountain Lords of the Profound Yang Mountain. Now, less than half the original number remained.
On Void Land’s side, over 1,000 Open Heaven Realm Masters formed a huge encirclement, surrounding all of Heavenly Sword Union’s cultivators and steadily pushing inward. As the encirclement continued to shrink, the Heavenly Sword Union’s cultivators suffered more and more casualties.
Under the constant barrage of the Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques, the Heavenly Sword Union cultivators would explode into blood mists at a steady pace.
The huge gap in numbers made it impossible for Heavenly Sword Union to turn the tide!
No matter what the outcome of this battle ultimately was, Heavenly Sword Union, a peak second-class force that had enjoyed countless years of glory, would cease to exist.
On another side of the void, Yang Kai and Zuo Quan Hui were locked in a heated confrontation. It was a battle between High-Rank Open Heaven Masters. The void would shatter every time they clashed and their battlefield spanned millions of kilometres. Their World Force kept constantly clashing, causing the space to crack like a broken mirror.
This was especially true for the place where the Heavenly Sword Palace had exploded. A black hole had appeared there after the explosion. This black hole should have slowly closed under the self-repairing properties of the World Principles if it was not subjected to any external forces; however, under the influence of the intense battle between the two, not only did this black hole not show any signs of closing, it even grew larger instead.
A chaotic aura of nihility was coming from inside the black hole.
This wasn’t the first time Yang Kai had fought Zuo Quan Hui. The last time they had fought was in Void Territory, but that time, he had still been beaten miserably by Zuo Quan Hui even with the support of the Three Mountain Lords. Yang Kai would have been killed on the spot if it weren’t for the fact that his strength far exceeded an ordinary Sixth-Order Master’s. Although he had managed to force Zuo Quan Hui back in the end, he had suffered significant damage and had even exposed his Sun and Moon Divine Wheel.
When they fought again after several years, the disparity between the first and this time was obvious.
A High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master was indeed on a completely different level from a Mid-Rank one! Even if he had reached the High-Rank by borrowing World Force, Yang Kai was still able to exert the might of a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master nonetheless.
On the surface, Yang Kai was still at a disadvantage; after all, Zuo Quan Hui was a veteran Seventh-Order Master, so he had better command of his strength and skills. However, Yang Kai was confident that it was next to impossible for Zuo Quan Hui to kill him with his current strength!
Moreover… he could feel his strength growing with every passing breath!
His current strength came from the Star Boundary’s World Force; thus, his strength was directly related to the foundation of the Star Boundary.
Previously, Yang Kai gained the might of the Seventh-Order and instantly destroyed the Heavenly Sword Palace with the help of the various Great Emperors who had entered the Star Boundary, causing countless Heavenly Sword Union cultivators to die.
It had to be known that the World Force released by every Open Heaven Realm Master who died would fuel the World Tree’s growth, which in turn would strengthen the Star Boundary’s foundation.
The more Heavenly Sword Union Open Heaven Realm Masters that died, the more energy the World Tree could feed back to the Star Boundary, thereby further strengthening its foundation.
This was the main reason why Yang Kai became more confident as he fought. With the Star Boundary as his backer, he had an endless supply of energy, unless the Star Boundary exploded and collapsed.
Obviously, this had not gone unnoticed by Zuo Quan Hui. In the beginning, Yang Kai was obviously much weaker than him, but as time passed, Yang Kai became stronger, soon almost equaling him in strength.
The World Force colliding with each other’s Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques was the best indication of this change.
Zuo Quan Hui’s confidence slowly sank to the bottom!
He thought that since Zhu Jiu Yin wasn’t here, victory was in his grasp, but it never crossed his mind that something like this would happen.
Zuo Quan Hui could feel his Small Universe shake every time they clashed. Although it wasn’t a big deal, it meant that Yang Kai had the strength to threaten him.
The only thing Zuo Quan Hui could rejoice about right now was that Yang Kai had not reached this Realm through painstakingly cultivating himself, so his control wasn’t perfect.
It was akin to a child holding a huge blade that weighed several dozen kilograms. Although the blade was sharp and deadly, the child could not wield it properly.
However, he was having a really hard time dealing with Yang Kai’s Space Principles!
Zuo Quan Hui did not find them that troublesome when Yang Kai was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, but now that Yang Kai’s had reached the might equivalent to that of a Seventh-Order Master, he truly found the Dao of Space difficult to handle.
Yang Kai would appear and disappear without a trace, often appearing right at his most defenseless corner and then thrusting his spear out without a shred of mercy. These attacks were simply impossible to guard against!
Occasionally, he would be able to determine Yang Kai’s position in advance and launch a Divine Ability to attack him, but Yang Kai would simply disappear like a ghost. Yang Kai’s usage of Space Principles had almost reached perfection.
Zuo Quan Hui’s expression became solemn as Yang Kai’s World Force became stronger and stronger. And with the continuous increase in his strength, he couldn’t help but feel an urge to retreat pop up in his mind.
[I have no choice but to admit that I have grossly underestimated the Lord of Void Land. It’s just as he had said, it was a wrong choice to make enemies of him in this Great Territory.]
But if he wasn’t here, where could he fight with Yang Kai? He couldn’t fight in Void Territory, as that was even more disadvantageous for him with two Divine Spirits lurking in the shadows.
What’s more, Yang Kai had still not used his Sun and Moon Divine Wheel. It was a Divine Ability that had injured him before, so its power was immense.
[The battle is already as good as lost! It would be unwise to stay here any longer. It would be better to retreat for now and plan what to do next.]
Although Zuo Quan Hui had decided so, it was extremely difficult to escape from someone who was proficient in the Dao of Space. While the two of them fought, Yang Kai also exerted his Space Principles to turn the surrounding space viscous, making it feel as if they were trapped in a swamp.
Had it been any other Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, even if the opposite party’s cultivation was much higher than his, Zuo Quan Hui was confident he could escape, but facing Yang Kai, he really didn’t have that kind of confidence.
Suddenly, fluctuations of another Small Universe collapsing spread out. It was Seven Mysteries Heavenly Monarch from Heavenly Sword Union, who had perished under the siege of the Three Mountain Lords.
Zuo Quan Hui’s face became dark and gloomy.
The situation would only become more dire as his Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm subordinates fell one after another. And once the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters of Void Land were to join forces with Yang Kai, he would be doomed.
Not daring to hesitate any longer, Zuo Quan Hui turned his head towards the direction of the black hole. [Since things have come to this, I can only take the risk.]
Knowingly or unknowingly, his body began to move towards the black hole. Yang Kai followed him like a shadow as his Azure Dragon Spear thrust out, releasing World Force in bursts all over the void.
The shockwaves from the battle between the two caused the black hole to expand further as the chaotic energy became even denser.
“Zuo Quan Hui, you will die today!” As Yang Kai shouted, he felt his strength sharply rise. This increment was far bigger than before, allowing him to feel as if he was now on par with Zuo Quan Hui. Without a moment of hesitation, a Golden Crow’s cry reverberated as a Great Sun leapt out, lighting up the void.
Golden Crow Casts the Sun!
In that instant, Zuo Quan Hui’s figure seemed to freeze for a moment. Yang Kai’s eyes immediately lit up at the sight of this. He promptly thrust the spear with the Great Sun on its tip straight towards Zuo Quan Hui without a moment of pause.
Space shattered under this attack, and so did Zuo Quan Hui’s figure.
As the Great Sun exploded, Yang Kai vaguely felt as if he had broken something, but he couldn’t figure out what it was. And before he could think about it, a mighty sword wave shot towards him.
He promptly raised his spear to block the incoming attack. The next moment, a violent energy drowned Yang Kai, sending him flying 10,000 kilometers back.
Yang Kai’s vitality was in turmoil as his Small Universe trembled. Zuo Quan Hui’s all-out counterattack was truly terrifying. Yang Kai didn’t even see how Zuo Quan Hui had managed to avoid his first spear strike. It could only be said that a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master was truly beyond common sense.
After quickly stabilizing himself, Yang Kai looked up again before his pupils shrank.
Zuo Quan Hui’s figure stood straight as a sword in front of the giant black hole, and beside him were several other figures. They were Zi Yan, Yin Xin Zhao, and several other Sixth-Order Masters.
After repelling him, old dog Zuo Quan Hui still had the strength to spare to save his trusted subordinates.
At this moment, Zi Yan and the others were still in a state of shock. They had expended a great deal of their strength during their respective battles. Furthermore, they had been trapped by Luan Bai Feng’s Array Plates. If Zuo Quan Hui hadn’t broken the Arrays and rescued them, they would have died here, their remains scattered across the void.
Now that they were standing beside Zuo Quan Hui, they finally felt a sense of security.
When they looked around, their eyes filled with sorrow.
The Heavenly Sword Palace had long since been destroyed, and the Open Heaven Realm Masters of Heavenly Sword Union had suffered countless casualties. Although there were still over 100 people left who were tenaciously holding on, it was only a matter of time before they would be defeated and killed.
Red Sun Heavenly Monarch’s lips trembled violently as his face turned ashen.
Heavenly Sword Union was done for!
Heavenly Sword Union, which had been gloriously standing for countless generations, was completely destroyed after this battle. Dan Yang felt as if a knife was being twisted in his heart. Although he was resentful over the fact that Zuo Quan Hui had dragged Heavenly Sword Union into this mess, he didn’t dare say anything. For better or worse, he and Huang Mao had been saved by Zuo Quan Hui, so as long as they could escape with their lives this time, with their Sixth-Order cultivation, they might still have a chance to make a comeback in the future.
“Honoured Master!” Zi Yan suddenly looked towards Zuo Quan Hui’s waist with a look of horror on his face. Much to her shock and dismay, there was a bloody hole in Zuo Quan Hui’s body which was surrounded by raging Golden Crow’s True Fire.
[Master was actually injured!?] Zi Yan couldn’t believe her eyes.
Yang Kai had injured her Honoured Master the last time they fought in Void Territory, but that was because Zuo Quan Hui had been too careless, and Yang Kai had joined forces with two other Sixth-Order Masters. The situation was much different compared to now when he was injured in a one-on-one fight! It was shocking to think Yang Kai was actually this strong!
Zuo Quan Hui didn’t seem to have heard Zi Yan’s concern as he simply stared indifferently at Yang Kai from a few thousands of kilometres away.
Yang Kai was also looking at him, his gaze slowly shifting down to the bloody wound as a big grin appeared on his face.
It turned out Zuo Quan Hui did not come out completely unscathed from their last clash!
Just now, Zuo Quan Hui had used some kind of unknown technique to avoid his fearsome strike, while simultaneously repelling him and rescuing Zi Yan and the others. Yang Kai thought that there was still a big gap between him and Zuo Quan Hui, but by the looks of it, Zuo Quan Hui had paid a great price to achieve this.
Yang Kai was overjoyed! Although he hadn’t been able to kill Zuo Quan Hui with that blow, if he could seriously injure him, he was not that far from killing him.
Raising his Azure Dragon Spear, Yang Kai looked at Zuo Quan Hui with a defiant expression on his face.
Zuo Quan Hui took a deep breath and indifferently stated, “This Monarch will pay you back a hundredfold for the ‘gift’ you have given me today!”
Yang Kai sneered, “You don’t need to wait, let’s settle this grudge now. Let us see if you die or I perish!”
Zuo Quan Hui slowly shook his head in response, “The time has yet to come!”
Having said so, he turned around and slashed his sword towards the black hole behind him!
Yang Kai was dumbfounded at the sight of this. He was completely unable to understand what Zuo Quan Hui was doing, but he instinctively felt that something was not right.
The next moment, the black hole suddenly expanded under the influence of the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm World Force pouring out from this sword strike.
Zuo Quan Hui summoned his strength without a moment of hesitation, wrapping it around the few Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters beside him before diving in.
Yang Kai’s eyes widened in shock. [Is he courting death? That black hole is filled with nihility and chaos! Even if he’s a Seventh-Order Master, it’s impossible for him to find his way out once he’s inside. Sooner or later, he would be lost in the Void Crack and suffer a fate worse than death!]
But right then, Yang Kai felt a strange aura from the black hole. It wasn’t an aura of nihility and chaos, but rather a trace of the Power of the Stars.
[He’s trying to escape!]
Yang Kai shouted in anger, “Where do you think you’re going?!”
Pushing his Space Principles madly, he thrust his spear forward, straight into the black hole.
Yang Kai heard a muffled groan as he withdrew his spear and could see blood dripping from the tip of his spear. Be that as it may, Zuo Quan Hui and the others were nowhere to be found, and it was unknown who had been injured by that spear.
Standing in front of the black hole, Yang Kai’s gaze turned serious as he carefully examined it for a moment. The next moment, he ground his teeth in anger and shouted, “A Territory Gate!”
This black hole had formed due to the explosion of the Heavenly Sword Palace, and along with constant barrage of attacks, the Void in this region was completely shattered, which actually resulted in the formation of a Territory Gate that was connected to another Great Territory!
Yang Kai’s face turned extremely dark and gloomy. He actually let Zuo Quan Hui escape, even when he had such a good opportunity before him.
Earlier, Zuo Quan Hui deliberately stood in front of this black hole to lure him into attacking with his spear even at the expense of being seriously injured. At that time, Yang Kai clearly felt that his spear had broken something.
However, Zuo Quan Hui’s quick counterattack sent him flying thousands of kilometres away, so Yang Kai didn’t have time to carefully investigate it.
[I guess I broke the Territory Barrier at that time! He lured me into attacking him at the risk of his own life so that he could borrow my Space Principles!]
Although Zuo Quan Hui was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he was not proficient in the Dao of Space, so even if he personally took action, he might not be able to achieve this. On the other hand, Yang Kai could. He knew that he could not escape from Yang Kai, who was proficient in the Dao of Space, so the only way out was to borrow Yang Kai’s strength to shatter the Territory Barrier and create a new Territory Gate to another Great Territory.
If it was the past Yang Kai, he might not have been able to do this; after all, his cultivation wasn’t high enough. However, the explosion of the Heavenly Sword Palace resulted in the formation of a weak spot in the Territory Barrier, which should have closed up soon after but due to the fierce battle between the two, not only did it not seal itself, it expanded, which made it possible for this to happen.
The right conditions and the right person with the right timing made this possible. If even a single factor was missing, this would not have been possible.
The fact that Zuo Quan Hui was able to come up with such a plan and find a lifeline even in such a desperate situation was a testament to his rich knowledge and experience. He really was an old fox!
Yang Kai’s teeth were about to break from all the gnashing. He gripped the Azure Dragon Spear so tightly that the veins on his hand were bulging.
Although he was filled with unwillingness, he was unable to launch a pursuit.
His current cultivation was thanks to the World Force borrowed from the Star Boundary, so once he chased after them and left this Great Territory, he would lose that boost. At that time, not to mention the sudden loss of his Seventh-Order might, his original Sixth-Order cultivation would be too exhausted to be utilised.
Yang Kai had consumed a great deal of his energy before borrowing the World Strength and had yet to recover.
“Mercy, please! I’m willing to surrender, I’m willing to submit! I’m willing to follow Void Land’s orders from now on!” Amidst the chaos, Firm Gold Heavenly Monarch’s begging could be heard from nearby.
After Zuo Quan Hui repelled Yang Kai, although he had managed to rescue a few of his subordinates, he did not get them all.
Apart from Zi Yan, Pei Wen Xuan, and Yin Xin Zhao, he only took Heavenly Sword Union’s Red Sun Heavenly Monarch and Huang Mao with him.
Zi Yan was his only remaining Disciple, so no matter what, he couldn’t ignore her. Pei Wen Xuan and Yin Xin Zhao were both Cave Heaven disciples, so he couldn’t leave them behind either; otherwise, even if he managed to escape today, Myriad Demons Heaven and Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven wouldn’t let him go. He only helped Heavenly Sword Union’s Dan Yang and Huang Mao because it was convenient.
As for the remaining Jin Gang, Cang Yan, and Heavenly Sword Union’s Liang Ce, Zuo Quan Hu, he couldn’t do anything about them and had no choice but to abandon them!
Now that Zuo Quan Hui had escaped and Heavenly Sword Union had almost been completely wiped out, how could Jin Gang and the others still have the courage to fight?
Hearing his request, Mao Zhe and the others who were surrounding them couldn’t help but slow down their attacks. Mao Zhe even retreated and turned his head towards Yang Kai with a look of inquiry.
A Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was considered a powerful force in the 3,000 Worlds. Although there were currently over twenty such Masters in Void Land, no one was going to complain about having a few more. The more Masters a force had, the stronger their foundation would be.
Mao Zhe could not tell what Yang Kai was thinking, but he faintly felt that Yang Kai should not refuse such a good opportunity.
To his surprise, Yang Kai just coldly glanced over and shouted, without a moment of hesitation or mercy, “Kill them!”
Mao Zhe’s heart clenched, but he joined the battle once more without any delay, unleashing his Divine Abilities and attacking Jin Gang with everyone else, causing the latter to curse and complain incessantly.
Luan Bai Feng rushed over and stood next to Yang Kai, asking in a low voice, “No matter what, those three are Sixth-Order Masters… Isn’t it a pity to just kill them?”
Yang Kai let out a cold snort, “Anyone who only knows how to bully the weak while currying favour with the strong can only have the courage of a mouse, what’s the point of keeping such trash alive? What’s more, if a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master tries to rebel, who can suppress them? If I still had pages in my Loyalty List, I wouldn’t mind keeping them alive, but now that all nine pages have been completely filled, there is no place to write their names, unless I remove someone else’s of course.”
Luan Bai Feng’s face twitched, “I was just making a suggestion. If you want to kill them, it’s your choice.”
Luan Bai Feng could tell that Yang Kai was in a particularly foul mood, so she didn’t say anything else, lest she offended him somehow. However, she still found it a bit regretful. [Those three are Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, it would be better to throw them into the Black Territory as ore slaves than to just kill them here.]
She had been in charge of the Black Territory for many years and was always interested in acquiring all kinds of Open Heaven Realm Masters who had been pushed to the end of their ropes. She was not trying to plead for leniency for Jin Gang and the others, it was just her instinct to acquire manpower. Any Open Heaven Realm Master she could use was just an ore slave in her eyes.
However, if Yang Kai wanted her to give up her position in the Loyalty List, it would be impossible. Once someone had entered the Loyalty List, he or she would forever be a slave, unless her name was erased. And having her name crossed out meant her death!
However, after she gave it another thought, she realized that the current situation of the Black Territory was very different from before. Yang Kai could go deep into the Black Territory and bring back Ore Stars to mine, so it didn’t matter if she had Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters or not.
“What about those guys over there? We don’t need to kill all of them, do we?” Luan Bai Feng turned to look at the remaining Heavenly Sword Union forces, “They’re all below the Sixth-Order, if we train them a little, they’ll be good at mining and will be easy to control.”
Yang Kai waved his hand, “I’ll leave them to you!”
In any case, there weren’t many Open Heaven Realm Masters left from Heavenly Sword Union, so whether they killed them or not didn’t matter. If Luan Bai Feng wanted them, he could just give them to her. She had made many great contributions in this war, and if she hadn’t risked her life to save Hei He and Lan Xun, Zuo Quan Hui would have definitely gained an absolute advantage over Void Land.
A bright smile immediately bloomed on Luan Bai Feng’s face, “Many thanks, Sir!”
Luan Bai Feng was just about to take over the remaining Open Heaven Realm Masters of Heavenly Sword Union when suddenly, the aura of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm burst out from inside the huge encirclement formed by the 1,000 Void Land Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Immediately after, a figure shrouded in Demon Qi broke through the layers of the blockade and rushed out, sending many Open Heaven Realm Masters tumbling in the process.
Luan Bai Feng’s beautiful eyes widened in astonishment at the sight of this, “Breakthrough during a battle?”
Luan Bai Feng knew exactly how many Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters there were in Heavenly Sword Union; after all, she had been there for several years and knew all of them like the back of her hand.
But at this moment, someone had broken through to the Sixth Order during this fierce battle.
Luan Bai Feng was shaken, and a storm blew through her heart!
On the Martial Dao, aptitude, opportunities, and destiny were all indispensable. Below the Open Heaven Realm, cultivators would often be able to break through to a higher realm under great pressure, allowing them to turn around desperate situations by killing enemies originally stronger than themselves. This was known as breaking through in battle.
Forget about others, Luan Bai Feng herself had experienced this once before.
She couldn’t remember how many years ago it was, but at that time, she was only in the Saint King Realm. A man who lusted after her beauty and wanted to do something heinous to her had chased after her relentlessly. Luan Bai Feng was still unable to escape from that man even after fleeing for a month.
However, during a cruel battle, she suddenly broke through to the Origin Returning Realm in a moment of life and death and defeated that sadistic bastard.
She clearly remembered that she cut off all that bastard’s limbs, severed his manhood, peeled his skin from his muscles and tortured him for three days and three nights before he finally died.
From the beginning to the end, she didn’t know the name of that bastard, she only remembered his cries and pleads before he died.
His pitiful begging was music to her ears and truly unforgettable.
However, she had broken through like this only once on her own path of growth, and she was a proud daughter of the Heavens; otherwise, she wouldn’t have reached the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Yet, someone with aptitude like her had only broken through like this once in a much, much lower Realm, so one could only imagine how rare such an experience was.
This was also just for the Realms below the Open Heaven Realm.
Once someone’s cultivation had broken through to the Open Heaven Realm, he or she would need time and accumulation above all else to advance further. It was practically impossible for any Open Heaven Realm Master to break through due to a life-or-death battle, because even if they did gain some insights during that moment of crisis, it would only advance their state of mind or comprehension, not their Order.
But now, she had personally witnessed a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master advance to the Sixth-Order in such a crisis! This came as a huge surprise to her.
“It’s that Myriad Demons Heaven’s disciple!” Luan Bai Feng’s beautiful eyes lit up as she developed a strong interest in this person. If such a man was captured and carefully examined, she might be able to gain some benefits.
“I’ll go capture him!” Luan Bai Feng stated before rushing forward. Impatience was clearly written on her face, as if she would miss out on something good if she was a moment late.
But right then, a spear suddenly appeared in front of her!
Luan Bai Feng turned her head in shock and saw Yang Kai staring at the Myriad Demons Heaven disciple who had just broken through to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, silently.
Even when the man rushed into the newly formed Territory Gate and disappeared, Yang Kai showed no sign of stopping him. Although he could easily stop this man with his current strength of the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm and his proficiency in the Dao of Space, he still didn’t make any moves.
Luan Bai Feng blinked her beautiful eyes in confusion, unable to understand what Yang Kai was up to.
Nonetheless, Yang Kai’s intention to let this man live was extremely obvious, so how could she not see it?
An extremely audacious idea suddenly popped up in Luan Bai Feng’s mind as she narrowed her eyes.
“If you don’t go now, none of Heavenly Sword Union’s disciples will be left,” Yang Kai indifferently stated, withdrawing his Azure Dragon Spear.
Luan Bai Feng promptly turned her head and saw that the Open Heaven Realm Masters of Heavenly Sword Union were all on their last legs. She could not delay any longer so she immediately rushed over and shouted to stop Void Land’s people.
Yang Kai turned his head and looked towards the three Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters before his figure left a long streak of light as he shot towards them, thrusting his spear out.
The eyes of Jin Gang, who was still struggling at death’s door, suddenly bulged as he stood there in a daze. He looked down and noticed that a giant hole had appeared in his chest at some point. His heart had been eviscerated and his vitality was now leaking out.
Before he could recover from his shock, a series of Divine Abilities came crashing down on him from all sides, instantly reducing him to mist.
The other two battlefields did not fare any better. Cang Yan and the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master named Liang Ce were already exhausted, so how could they possibly withstand the might of Yang Kai’s spear?
Not to mention, they were besieged by four or five Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters each by now!
The three enemy Sixth-Order Masters died one after another, and their massive World Force instantly dispersed into the void. With their deaths, the shockwaves of the fierce battle slowly subsided.
On the other side, Luan Bai Feng had also taken over the battlefield of the cultivators below the Sixth Order. There weren’t many Heavenly Sword Union cultivators left, just seventy or eighty.
In this battle, Heavenly Sword Union’s Open Heaven Realm Masters had suffered overwhelming casualties. Five Sixth-Order Masters had lost their lives, while the casualties below the Sixth-Order were in the hundreds.
The death of so many Open Heaven Realm Masters had caused the World Tree’s growth to reach unimaginable levels!
In the Star Boundary, the massive canopy over 100,000 metres tall now blocked out the sun over a vast swath of land. One could even see the towering giant tree clearly from millions and millions of kilometres away in the void.
“Recover as much as you can. Two hours later, follow me to pursue the enemy!” Yang Kai ordered before immediately sitting down cross-legged and cutting off his connection with the Star Boundary.
He knew to hit a dead snake to avoid any future trouble. He had managed to injure Zuo Quan Hui with great difficulty, so if he let him escape again, it would only be more difficult for him to kill him next time.
The last time he escaped, Zuo Quan Hui returned with Heavenly Sword Union under his command. Who knows if he would return with some ‘Earthly Sword Union’ or something next time!
It didn’t matter which Great Territory this Territory Gate led to, or what kind of dangers they might encounter on their way there, Yang Kai was determined to kill Zuo Quan Hui!
Yang Kai’s Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation rapidly started receding like a deflated balloon. Even though he was mentally prepared and knew that his cultivation would fall back once he cut off his connection with the Star Boundary, he still could not bear the backlash entirely.
Only after coughing a mouthful of blood did he feel any better.
His cultivation returned to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, and even his Small Universe was completely barren as his World Force had hit rock bottom. He secretly rejoiced that he had not chased after Zuo Quan Hui immediately as he would not have been able to defeat any Open Heaven Realm Master in his current state.
How could someone in the Open Heaven Realm without World Force be called an Open Heaven Realm Master?
After consuming a large number of Open Heaven Realm Pills, Yang Kai’s dry Small Universe finally received some nourishment and slowly recovered its World Force.
A short two hours was not nearly enough for Yang Kai to restore his strength to its peak, but time was not on his side. Zuo Quan Hui already had a head start, so if he didn’t chase after him now, he would not even be able to catch sight of his shadow.
Yang Kai slowly stood up and took a long, deep breath as he looked up.
22 Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from Void Land had gathered around him, including Heavens Revelation and Wondrous Pill.
Yang Kai had already sensed their auras when he was borrowing the World Force from the Star Boundary, so he wasn’t surprised by their appearance here.
However, since the eight Great Emperors had previously poured their World Force into the Star Boundary to allow Yang Kai to borrow more power, their current condition was quite similar to his. Their auras were weak and they were probably at less than 40% of their peak.
Yang Kai nodded slightly to the two.
Iron Blood Great Emperor, Zhan Wu Hen, on the other hand, sized up Yang Kai from top to bottom. When he spotted Yang Kai’s gleaming eyes, he could not help but ask in surprise, “Did you gain something?”
Yang Kai gently nodded, “It saved me at least 500 years of cultivation!”
Yang Kai was able to reach the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm for a short period of time by borrowing the strength of the Star Boundary. Although his connection with the Star Boundary was cut off and his cultivation had receded back to the Sixth Order now, it wasn’t like he had gained nothing.
His Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm foundation had been greatly strengthened because of this, but because his Small Universe still had not recovered its World Force, he was unable to display too much strength right now.
Once he did recover his World Force, Yang Kai believed he would be much stronger than before.
This kind of gain was not inferior to when he entered the Divine Armament World.
Furthermore, he had experienced the strength of the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm first-hand, which would be of great help to him when he advanced to the Seventh Order in the future.
“That’s wonderful!” Zhan Wu Hen nodded his acknowledgement, though he felt a little envious.
Bustling World Great Emperor asked in surprise, “If you can borrow some strength a few more times, wouldn’t you be able to step into the Seventh Order directly?”
Yang Kai waved his hand and explained, “Don’t speak about it so lightly. I had to consume a great deal of the Star Boundary’s foundation when I borrowed its strength. The Star Boundary has not shown any signs of degradation because many Open Heaven Realm Masters died in this battle, and the World Tree has received a great deal of nourishment from their collapsing Small Universes, which is why its foundation has strengthened instead of weakening. If I were to do this a few more times though, the Star Boundary’s foundation would be damaged, and the consequences will be unpredictable.”
Bustling World Great Emperor nodded lightly, “That’s true.”
Since Yang Kai was able to borrow the World Strength of the Star Boundary, the other Great Emperors of the Star Boundary could naturally do the same. Originally, Bustling World Great Emperor was considering whether he should use the same method to rapidly increase their strength, but by the looks of it, although this method was feasible, it would damage the Star Boundary.
No one was willing to do this.
Yang Kai turned to Qing Kui and asked in a low voice, “Is there something wrong?”
Qing Kui had been observing the newly appeared Territory Gate all this while. Unlike a normal Territory Gates, this new Territory Gate was constantly twisting and distorting for some reason, giving off an extremely uneasy feeling.
“It’s not very stable!” Qing Kui frowned, “I don’t know what we’ll encounter if we enter it rashly. We might end up torn apart by the Void if we aren’t careful… Ah, right, never mind, if you lead the way, we don’t need to worry about that.”
Yang Kai was proficient in the Dao of Space, so he naturally had a method to deal with this situation.
“How did he create a Territory Gate?” Yang Kai couldn’t understand this, but Zuo Quan Hui seemed to have anticipated this development; otherwise, he wouldn’t have lured him to attack the black hole in the first place.
Qing Kui pondered for a moment before explaining, “Rumour has it that the Great Territories were not connected with each other in ancient times. Each Great Territory existed independent of the others. Everyone thought that the Great Territory they were in was the entire Universe. However, the Great Experts of ancient times saw through the mysteries of the world and were somehow able to open passageways to other Great Territories, which was how the original Territory Gates came to be, similar to the one in front of us. As more and more Territory Gates appeared, the number of Great Territories they could explore increased, eventually forming the current 3,000 Worlds.”
Su Ying Xue added, “If one is strong enough, they can break through the Territory Barrier between the two Great Territories and open a new Territory Gate.”
Yang Kai’s expression became ugly, “I knew it. I fell into that old dog’s trap!”
Under normal circumstances, even a fight between High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters might not be able to break through a Territory Barrier, but Yang Kai happened to be proficient in the Dao of Space. Along with the previous explosion of the Heavenly Sword Palace and various chances and coincidences, Zuo Quan Hui was able to borrow his strength to open a passageway between the two Great Territories, which ultimately gave him a chance to escape.
Otherwise, it would be impossible for Zuo Quan Hui to escape from Yang Kai’s grasp even if he was an experienced Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. If Yang Kai could pin him down until Void Land’s Sixth-Order Masters had taken care of all their opponents, Zuo Quan Hui would not be able to resist once they had also joined and besieged him.
Unfortunately, Yang Kai had missed such a great opportunity. Who knows whether the old dog’s time had not arrived or the Heavens just did not want to side with Yang Kai.
“I have no idea which Great Territory is on the other side!” Qing Kui frowned.
“I’ll go in and take a look!” Yang Kai stated as he took a step forward.
“Allow me!” Hui Gu arrived in front of Yang Kai in a flash and rushed towards the Territory Gate without giving the latter a chance to say anything. After having personally killed Huang Quan and obtaining his revenge, Hui Gu had no regrets in this life. No one knew if there would be an ambush waiting for them on the other side of the Territory Gate or not, so the first one to rush in would be at a disadvantage. Yang Kai hadn’t fully recovered yet, so it wasn’t appropriate for him to lead the way.
From this point alone, one could see the difference between Hui Gu and Mao Zhe’s group. Both of them had left their names on the Loyalty List, but Hui Gu was far more loyal.
Yang Kai could not let him enter the Territory Gate alone though. Although this Territory Gate had been formed by his piercing through the Territory Barrier, it had just been formed and wasn’t stable yet. With his proficiency in the Dao of Space, Yang Kai didn’t need to fear the Void Turbulence. Hui Gu, on the other hand, was different; he might even lose his way in the Void if he was unlucky.
Yang Kai followed behind Hui Gu like a shadow while the others quickly chased after them.
The Territory Gate really was very unstable; it gave everyone a feeling of distortion as everyone passed through it. The Void Turbulence around them churned wildly with the air of chaos and nihility, causing everyone’s heart to clench.
Fortunately, everything went smoothly, and in the blink of an eye, all of them passed through the Territory Gate and arrived at the Great Territory on the other side.
Everyone immediately circulated their World Force as they secretly raised their guards.
But much to their surprise, there was no ambush waiting for them. Zuo Quan Hui probably didn’t have the courage to remain here and wait for Void Land to pursue him. He had lost more than half of his Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm subordinates in the previous battle, and all those below the Sixth Order had been killed or captured. If he remained here, he would just be waiting for his death. He might as well escape as soon as possible and find a place to recuperate, then look for an opportunity to make a comeback.
When everyone came to their senses, all they saw were dazzling nebulas and stars all around them. It was quite a beautiful sight.
Everyone was stunned by this gorgeous and stunning scene; even Yang Kai raised his brow slightly. Although he had seen many Great Territories, a beautiful Great Territory like this was still extremely rare.
No Great Territory could compare to this place.
There were many stars in the sky, indicating that there were many Universe Worlds in this Great Territory. There was also a Sun Star just a few million kilometres away, shining brightly while the occasional golden flare would arc up around it.
Yang Kai turned his head and looked around, silently investigating.
To his side, Qing Kui took out his Universe Chart and checked his location, trying to determine their position. A moment later, his eyes went wide in shock.
Su Ying Xue, who was standing next to him, curiously turned around and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Qing Kui raised his eyes and stared at her in a daze, muttering, “This Great Territory is not marked on the Universe Chart!”
Su Ying Xue was stunned for a moment before asking in astonishment, “Really?”
Yue He, Hui Gu, and the others also turned to look at him, their eyes filled with shock.
“What do you mean?” Duan Hong Chen didn’t understand, and the other Great Emperors also wore similar expressions; they could not understand why the others were so shocked.
Although the various Great Emperors of the Star Boundary had been brought to Void Land by Yang Kai many years ago, they had been cultivating in seclusion almost the entire time and had only recently advanced to the Sixth Order. They didn’t know much about the Outer Universe, so naturally, they didn’t know what a Great Territory that was not marked on the map represented.
Even Yang Kai didn’t dare to be certain and could only make some speculations.
Yue He and the others also took out their Universe Charts and checked to confirm it themselves. They discovered that Qing Kui was not lying to them, this Great Territory was not marked on the Universe Chart. Which also meant that they were unable to determine their current location on the Universe Chart.
It had to be known that even the Great Territory where the Star Boundary was located was marked on the Universe Chart. However, it was given a generic identification code as it was too remote and desolate, showing just how comprehensive the Universe Chart was.
The Universe Chart contained all of the Great Territories that had been discovered and explored, not a single one was left out.
But now, the Great Territory they were in was not marked on the Universe Chart, which left only one possibility.
“This is a Great Territory that has not yet been discovered!” Qing Kui excitedly stated.
Bustling World Great Emperor and the others were stunned for a moment before understanding the meaning behind Qing Kui’s words, “A new Great Territory?”
Qing Kui repeatedly nodded, “En, a new Great Territory!”
A new Great Territory meant unimaginable resources and wealth that could be obtained. Presumably, if news of this new Great Territory were to spread, it would definitely cause a huge uproar!
“How could there be a new Great Territory?” Martial Beast Great Emperor furrowed his brow. He had just heard from Qing Kui that in ancient times, every Great Territory existed on its own, and everyone thought that the Great Territory they were in was the entire world. It was only after the Great Experts of ancient times created many Territory Gates, connecting many Great Territories, that the current 3,000 Worlds was formed.
But after so many years of exploration, all of the Great Territories had been discovered. There should not be any new Great Territories.
Qing Kui replied, shaking his head, “I don’t know, perhaps some ancient Great Expert did not mark it when they were developing the Territory Gates, or perhaps it’s a Newborn Great Territory.”
Suddenly, Yang Kai, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke, “This Great Territory is very young!”
Using the word ‘young’ to describe a Great Territory was undoubtedly strange, but everyone immediately understood what Yang Kai meant.
The mysteries of a Universe World’s life and death were difficult to comprehend even for those with extraordinary cultivation at the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. The annihilation and rebirth of a Great Territory was even more out of their reach and definitely not something they could comprehend with their current cultivation.
No one knew when this Great Territory was born, but Yang Kai could sense the young and tender age of the nearby Sun Star.
Just like how he felt that the Sun in the Black Territory was getting old thanks to his Golden Crow’s True Fire having a special connection with Sun Stars.
In contrast to the sun of the Black Territory which was like an old man with one foot in the grave, the Sun Star in front of him was a newborn baby.
[I must lay full claim to this place!]
If it were any other time, such a great discovery would have made all of them ecstatic; however, everyone was chasing after Zuo Quan Hui now and their futures would be fraught with worries and dangers if they couldn’t find him.
Yang Kai was originally a bit worried that Zuo Quan Hui would escape completely; after all, he was already two hours behind him. Two hours for a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was plenty of time to do many things and travel a great deal of distance.
However, since they had confirmed that this was a new Great Territory, there was no need to worry about that.
Zuo Quan Hui had borrowed Yang Kai’s strength to break through the Territory Barrier and escape to this place. Before, it seemed like he had managed to find a slim chance of survival by some stroke of luck, but by the looks of it, it was a stroke of bad luck and he had fallen into a hopeless situation.
There was only one Territory Gate, so Zuo Quan Hui had nowhere to run. He was like a turtle hiding in his own shell!
“Let’s leave the matter of this new Great Territory for later, pursuing Zuo Quan Hui comes first!” Yang Kai shouted as he headed in a certain direction without giving anyone an explanation, following some traces which were left behind. Everyone quickly restrained their excitement and followed closely behind him.
Along the way, they all did their best to recover their strength and energy.
Yang Kai was not using Space Principles. First of all, doing so would consume a lot of his strength and he was trying to conserve every bit of his energy now to increase his chances of winning against Zuo Quan Hui. Second of all, it would be inconvenient for him to track the traces left behind while using Instantaneous Movement.
Luan Bai Feng was right behind Yang Kai, so she was both shocked and impressed.
If she had just made a guess when she saw Yang Kai let that Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Myriad Demons Heaven disciple go, she was dead certain now.
[The man who had broken through to the Sixth Order from the Fifth Order must be Yang Kai’s spy!]
[But how is that possible? That guy was obviously a Myriad Demons Heaven’s disciple, so when did Yang Kai get involved with him?]
She vaguely remembered that when she was in Heavenly Sword Palace, Pei Wen Xuan had addressed that guy as Junior Brother Mo Sheng!
There were almost undetectable traces of Demon Qi left in the void, so it was obvious that this guy named Mo Sheng had deliberately left a trail for Yang Kai to follow. If not for this, Yang Kai might not have been able to find Zuo Quan Hui in this vast void no matter how much he wanted to find the latter.
Luan Bai Feng couldn’t help but admire him! The more she looked at Yang Kai, the more she felt that this guy was even more scheming than Zuo Quan Hui. [What kind of sly and scheming mind is hidden behind this young man’s face? It’s one thing to send me into Heavenly Sword Union, but to think he can even put his nose into Myriad Demons Heaven is another thing altogether. It’s Myriad Demons Heaven! One of the famous 36 Cave Heavens!]
“What is it?” Yang Kai turned his head to look, sensing Luan Bai Feng’s strange gaze.
Luan Bai Feng shook her head and failed to hold her laughter, “This Mistress is thinking that her losing to you back then was not undeserved, Sir!”
Yang Kai snorted lightly, “If you have something to say, just say it!”
Luan Bai Feng slowly shook her head, not saying anything.
Yang Kai looked at her with a perplexed look on his face. After seeing that she really had nothing to say, he couldn’t be bothered with her and focused on chasing after the enemy.
Although Zuo Quan Hui only had a head start of two hours, a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was not slow. It was not easy to catch up to him. Fortunately, Yang Kai and the others also needed to recover, so they were not in a rush.
After five days, a rich Universe World aura blew on their faces as a Star appeared in front of them.
It was an azure world and should have been peaceful and tranquil, but looking at it from the void, they could clearly see that the weather on the surface of the Universe World was rapidly degrading, thunderstorms could be seen everywhere!
“Over there!” Yang Kai stopped in his tracks as he looked towards that Universe World, narrowing his eyes.
Wu Kuang’s trail pointed directly towards the Universe World in front of him.
Qing Kui frowned for a moment before his expression suddenly changed, “Damn it, Zuo Quan Hui is trying to refine the World Force of that Universe World to recover!”
Su Ying Xue’s pretty face sank, “To think that someone from Thousand Crane Paradise would use such despicable methods!”