“But! Before you can defeat me, you’ll still be my Little Brother. Do not forget about your identity!” Big Sister Lan reminded him by saying.
A humiliated Big Brother Huang replied, “I’ll never forget this day.”
After a moment of observation, Yang Kai placated the young boy by saying, “In war, it is normal to win or lose. Keep your chin up, Big Brother Huang. Just go back and continue nurturing your Small Stone Race members and stage a comeback.”
Big Brother Huang grunted and left. It seemed that he couldn’t wait to strengthen and develop his own Small Stone Race members.
Presently, he was only left with his ten Stone Kings and a small number of Elite Guards. It would be difficult for him to make his army stronger in a short time.
On the other hand, Big Sister Lan still had about 100,000 soldiers, which put her at a great advantage. She definitely had a better chance of winning the next battle.
“It’s all thanks to your idea!” Big Sister Lan looked smilingly at Yang Kai, “He’s finally willing to call me Big Sister after so many years. Tell me. What reward do you want?”
“You have a reward for me?” Yang Kai became energetic in an instant.
“Of cour… Nevermind, I know what you want even if you don’t say it.” Upon finishing her words, Big Sister Lan dashed out of the Small Universe. When she returned, she brought back literal mountains of Yellow and Blue Crystals and tossed them to Yang Kai.
Naturally, Yang Kai was ecstatic.
Initially, he thought that he would never have a chance to easily get these Yellow and Blue Crystals again, so it surprised him when Big Sister Lan gave so many to him all at once.
Yang Kai of course wouldn’t turn her down. After thanking her, he quickly sent these materials to the medicine garden.
After the epic war, Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan stopped bickering with each other for quite some time. While Big Brother Huang worked hard to develop his own Small Stone Race members, Big Sister Lan was never complacent. Even though she was the winner this time, 90% of her Small Stone Race members were killed. Naturally, she had to quickly replenish her ranks.
If she was drowned in the ecstasy of this victory and never thought about improving herself, she would be the one calling him ‘Big Brother’ next time. This kind of outcome was simply intolerable for her.
Even though both of them were busy, Big Sister Lan would look for Big Brother Huang from time to time just to hear him calling her ‘Big Sister’. While she was satisfied every time, Big Brother Huang only became more furious and further strengthened his determination to get his revenge.
The enlightenment that dawned upon Yang Kai from the battle allowed him to have a better understanding of the Great Nothingness Scripture. He had a feeling that he was just one step away from grasping the core of the Secret Art, but he hadn’t been able to achieve that. That was because he still hadn’t figured out the relationship between Great Nothingness Scripture and the Dao of Time.
On this day, he suddenly detected something and looked in a particular direction.
Presently, Xu Yi was seated with his legs crossed on a boulder by a cliff. All his vitality surged as his True Qi roiled. Above his head were swirling dark clouds and deafening thunder could be heard.
He was showing signs of achieving a breakthrough!
Xu Yi was already in the Third-Order Transcendent Realm, and he would soon make it to the Saint Realm.
That was a very unique Realm. Yang Kai recalled that when he was in Tong Xuan Realm in the past, the highest Martial Dao was the Saint Realm. It wasn’t until he left the place and entered the Star Field that he came into contact with higher Realms.
He already had a feeling that there would be a strange phenomenon when his Third Disciple ascended to the Saint Realm; therefore, when he realised that Xu Yi was achieving a breakthrough, he immediately came over and observed him from up close.
In fact, Yang Kai was there every time Xu Yi achieved a breakthrough in the past, but he hadn’t discovered anything special so far.
However, this time was apparently different.
Before the ascension even happened, the Time Dao Essence in his Small Universe began reacting in a way as though it was trying to resonate with Xu Yi.
Yang Kai had the same feeling when his First Disciple Zhao Ye Bai achieved a breakthrough, but what resonated with him was the Space Dao Essence.
Meanwhile, he wasn’t worried about Xu Yi’s breakthrough. Although the progress of Xu Yi’s cultivation was rapid, he had spent a much longer time in his dreams than in reality due to his unique talent in the Dao of Time; therefore, his foundation was solid.
Certainly, he wouldn’t fall into danger by ascending to the Saint Realm.
When the World Baptism descended on Xu Yi’s head, he didn’t seem to notice at all. Instead of reacting to it, he hung his head low as though he had slumbered off.
It wasn’t until the force reached him that he looked up and stared into the void with a pair of eerie-looking eyes. There was a strange smile on his face.
Upon seeing that, Yang Kai frowned.
The World Baptism continuously streamed into Xu Yi as he opened up his body and accepted it. Soon, he was covered in wounds, but as he was faced with the trial, his aura rapidly increased and soon reached the peak of the Transcendent Realm.
The Great Nothingness Scripture was circulated to the fullest as it protected Xu Yi’s vital parts. At the same time, the Time Dao Essence in the Small Universe became increasingly active. Yang Kai could clearly feel that a lot of Time Dao Essence streamed into Xu Yi’s body and was consumed by him following the World Baptism.
Just an hour later, Xu Yi’s aura, which was already at the peak, reached the next stage, and with him as the centre, a pressure wave was seen spreading out.
He had made it to the Saint Realm!
At the same time, the flow of time in the Small Universe seemed to have been affected as the whole world halted for an instant before it began surging ahead again.
The fog in Yang Kai’s mind remained, as he still hadn’t figured out the relationship between the Great Nothingness Scripture and the Dao of Time, but he could clearly feel that the flow of time in his Small Universe had accelerated.
In the past, the flow of time in his Small Universe was two times faster than the outside world, but now, it was three times faster.
This transformation astounded Yang Kai.
It had to be noted that his mastery of the Dao of Time remained in the sixth level, Exceeding the Ordinary to Reach the Extraordinary. This was a kind of categorisation he had invented and it was only thanks to this level of comprehension that the flow of time in his Small Universe had accelerated prior to this.
Why did he gain such a reward after Xu Yi achieved a breakthrough in his Small Universe?
Was it because of Xu Yi himself? Or was it because of the Great Nothingness Scripture? Could both reasons be valid?
Xu Yi was talented in the Dao of Time, and he had cultivated the Great Nothingness Scripture. Moreover, he had achieved an ascension in Yang Kai’s Small Universe. Perhaps this plethora of reasons brought about unexpected changes.
However, Yang Kai felt uneasy.
The reason he selected Xu Yi to cultivate the Great Nothingness Scripture was that he wanted to fully comprehend the Secret Art so that his mastery of the Dao of Time would improve.
But now, while he had benefited, he hadn’t really learned anything new, which was simply incomprehensible.
When he checked on his Small Universe and confirmed that there was nothing wrong, Yang Kai became even more doubtful.
Meanwhile, Xu Yi had awakened as he looked dazedly at his own hands. Although he had experienced a lot of hardship while achieving this breakthrough, his body had been fortified by Yang Kai. Additionally, he had already ascended to the next Great Realm; therefore, he was fine as his wounds had mostly healed already.
“Do you feel any discomfort?” Yang Kai appeared before him and asked.
Upon hearing that, Xu Yi quickly got to his feet and saluted him, “Greetings, Honoured Master.” He still appeared doubtful, “Did I break through?”
Yang Kai nodded, “You’re in the Saint Realm now.”
Xu Yi scratched his head, “I didn’t even realise it. For some reason, I was overwhelmed by sleepiness and dozed off just now. Many thanks for protecting me, Honoured Master.”
He thought that the reason he successfully achieved an ascension was that Yang Kai had been standing guard beside him; otherwise, he would’ve lost his life since he was asleep just now.
Yang Kai stared fixedly at him and gave it a thought before saying, “Since you’ve made it to the next Great Realm, continue strengthening your foundation. You must not become arrogant just because you’re more powerful now.”
“Yes,” Xu Yi replied respectfully, “Disciple will cultivate hard and never forget your teachings.”
When he looked up, Yang Kai was already nowhere in sight.
Xu Yi was very respectful of his Honoured Master. If Yang Kai hadn’t taken him on as a Disciple during the Disciple Recruitment, he wouldn’t have achieved anything great in life given his aptitude. Nevertheless, following Yang Kai’s teachings, he made it to the Saint Realm after just a couple of decades.
He believed that it was just the beginning as he still had a brighter future ahead of him.
Upon receiving Yang Kai’s order, he quickly began consolidating his new cultivation.
In fact, it was easy for him to cultivate, as he just had to fall asleep. His aptitude remained terrible when he cultivated while he was awake.
Over the years, Xu Yi had gotten used to cultivating in his dreams; therefore, he had learned how to slumber off at will.
Presently, Yang Kai was thoroughly examining his Small Universe.
The fact that Xu Yi had brought such a benefit to him by achieving a breakthrough in his Small Universe puzzled him greatly. He would never be at ease before finding out the reason.
Unfortunately, he still hadn’t found a clue after several days of searching.
With that said, it had been established that the flow of time in his Small Universe was now three times faster than the outside world.
Yang Kai decided to ask Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan about it, but they had no idea what he was talking about.
To them, their innate abilities were the most powerful in the world and already transcended all other Secret Arts or Techniques. There wasn’t a need for them to learn anything else.
Left with no other choice, Yang Kai could only give up on investigating.
As a matter of fact, he wasn’t particularly talented in the Dao of Time. The reason he had such achievements was thanks to all the opportunities in the past.
He was most talented in the Dao of Space, which had reached the eighth level of comprehension, Summiting the Peak. He wouldn’t dare to say that no one would surpass him in the future, but rarely had anyone reached this level since time immemorial.
The most talented person in the Dao of Time that Yang Kai knew of was the deceased Flowing Time Great Emperor from the Star Boundary.
If Flowing Time Great Emperor were still alive, he might have been able to fully comprehend the Great Nothingness Scripture given his talent in the Dao of Time.
Yang Kai could only lament that such a gifted person passed away too soon. Flowing Time Great Emperor died for the Star Boundary, and if he hadn’t single-handedly injured Great Demon God all those years ago, the latter would have devoured and destroyed the Star Boundary long before Yang Kai was born.
Fortunately, there were two Disciples who had obtained his inheritance.
Yang Xiao and Yang Xue were equally talented in the Dao of Time. While Yang Xiao had followed the Dragon Clan members to the Ancestral Land and wouldn’t come back so soon, Yang Xue remained in High Heaven Palace. Yang Kai decided that when he returned to High Heaven Palace, he would ask Yang Xue to comprehend the Great Nothingness Scripture.
Meanwhile, Giant Spirit God Ah Er still did nothing else but eat, sleep, head to his next destination, and repeat.
Every time he dozed off, it would take him a few years to awaken.
On the other hand, the fight between Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan remained intense in the Small Universe. Following his first defeat, Big Brother Huang had learned his lesson as he now tried harder to nurture his Small Stone Race members. He didn’t care how many materials it would cost him to do that.
Certainly, Yang Kai was pleased with what these two were doing.
Big Brother Huang never forgot about the lesson he was taught during the first war. Moreover, due to the disadvantage caused by the previous defeat, he wasn’t in a rush to have a showdown with Big Sister Lan. Instead, he sent out his soldiers in small groups and harassed Big Sister Lan’s mighty army. She had never expected him to be so shameless, so she found it hard to deal with the situation for the time being.
After gaining some advantage, Big Brother Huang brought out all of his armies and defeated the other party in a decisive strike. This kind of outcome surprised Yang Kai, while it was unacceptable for Big Sister Lan.
With that said, regardless of how powerful these two were, they had a good quality; they were willing to admit defeat.
When Big Brother Huang lost the battle the first time around, he gritted his teeth and called her ‘Big Sister’ regardless of how unwilling he was.
It was the same case this time. Nevertheless, it was Big Sister Lan’s turn to call him ‘Big Brother’.
Both of them were haughty, which was expected as they were probably the most powerful beings in the 3,000 Worlds, so it wasn’t surprising that they were arrogant.
Hence, after achieving a clear victory, neither of them would destroy the other party entirely.
Just like how Big Sister Lan spared the lives of his Stone Kings and gave him time to restock and rearm, Big Brother Huang had done the same this time.
It wasn’t that they were sympathetic to the loser, but rather that they just wanted to let the other party know that they were indeed the stronger one, and the loser had to willingly call the winner Big Brother or Big Sister.
For the coming years, Yang Kai witnessed their rapid growth as military commanders.
There were no techniques to speak of during the first battle as they just brought out all their soldiers and had a showdown on an open field. They didn’t intend to direct their soldiers at all.
After respectively losing and winning one battle each though, they seemed to have learned their lessons as they could now skillfully mobilise their soldiers.
As time passed, Yang Kai witnessed all sorts of interesting sneak attacks, ambushes, luring enemies into traps, creating diversions, and luring the tiger from the mountain strategies.
Their mastery of military tactics and formations became increasingly profound as they would fight against one another with their wits every single moment. Yang Kai was awestruck by this.
When he suggested using Small Stone Race members to determine who the winner would be, he had never expected that things would come to such a point.
The entire territory Yang Kai had given them had completely turned into a battlefield.
Their Small Stone Race soldiers had expanded to several tens of millions from barely 1 million and they had spent innumerable materials because of that.
If those from the Cave Heavens and Paradises found out about it, they would surely curse them for being so wasteful.
Nevertheless, Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan wouldn’t care about the Orders or amounts of those materials. In order to help their Small Stone Race members grow, they would even feed them with Seventh-Order and Eighth-Order materials!
As a result, the Stone Kings under their command were now quite different from normal ones. Not only were they much larger, but they could also produce more pebbles at a faster rate. The Small Stone Race members hatched from their pebbles were also much stronger from the start.
With their fight being never-ending, it had brought great benefits to Yang Kai.
As the Small Stone Race members were born and died in such incredible numbers, they continuously helped increase the heritage of his Small Universe. Therefore, even though Yang Kai had not cultivated at all recently, his strength had still continued to grow rapidly.
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan never rewarded him with any Yellow and Blue Crystals again as they were simply engrossed in the fight of wits among themselves.
Yang Kai was someone who counted his blessings as he had already obtained immense rewards in the Chaotic Dead Territory. No one in history had ever accumulated mountains of Yin and Yang Element material in their Small Universe like what he had done.
Moreover, Yang Kai had been observing his surroundings recently.
When he barged into the Chaotic Dead Territory alongside Giant Spirit God Ah Er, the void was filled with Blue and Yellow Crystals and he could easily get his hands on them.
However, as time passed, he could barely see any Blue and Yellow Crystals floating about now.
Some of them were given to Yang Kai by Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan and were now sitting in his Small Universe. Some of them were used to nurture the Small Stone Race members.
Perhaps there were some Yellow and Blue Crystals scattered around the Chaotic Dead Territory, but there wouldn’t be a lot of them.
Furthermore, Yang Kai’s arrival had changed the status quo in the Chaotic Dead Territory that had persisted for eons.
Before his arrival, Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan never stopped fighting one another. Every time a massive clash took place, countless Soul Clones would be produced that then hacked each other to death. The fallout would spread across the entire Chaotic Dead Territory, which made it a very dangerous place.
Nevertheless, the two of them were now engrossed in nurturing their Small Stone Race members and the danger in the Chaotic Dead Territory slowly dissipated. The Soul Clones had all turned into Yellow and Blue Crystals of different Orders while the giant masses of coloured light stopped clashing with each other.
The Chaotic Dead Territory was no longer dangerous.
This was a fact Yang Kai had inadvertently discovered.
There had always been a protective layer around Giant Spirit God Ah Er since they entered the Chaotic Dead Territory. He would never dispel it even when he was eating or sleeping. It was thanks to this protective layer that Yang Kai had remained safe until now, but there came a day when the protective layer around Ah Er abruptly disappeared.
It wasn’t until that moment that Yang Kai realised the Chaotic Dead Territory had undergone a stunning transformation.
His feelings were complicated upon that realization.
It was just an idea that flashed through his head as he was searching for a way to save himself, so he hadn’t expected it to solve the epic battle that had been ongoing between Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan since time immemorial. Seeing the fight between them had turned into something more peaceful, he actually felt a great sense of accomplishment.
Although he felt sorry for the Small Stone Race members, they were born to attack each other. Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan had only magnified this characteristic.
Since the Chaotic Dead Territory was no longer dangerous, Yang Kai felt that it was time for him to leave.
The reason he hadn’t left earlier was that he was unable to do so. Without Ah Er’s protection, he wouldn’t be able to move around freely in the void that was filled with murderous intent.
He was supposed to look for Qu Hua Shang after her 100 years of confinement were up, but that time had passed as he had been held up in the Chaotic Dead Territory for about thirty or forty years. He couldn’t wait to head to Yin-Yang Cave Heaven now.
After he won first place in Dao Theory Assembly and became a Son-in-Law of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, he was supposed to marry Qu Hua Shang.
Yang Kai thus found a chance to bid farewell to Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan.
Both of them were shocked upon hearing that.
“Are you leaving?” Big Sister Lan batted her eyes and gazed at him.
Yang Kai nodded lightly, “It was an accident that I came into this place. I’m more than satisfied to have come across the two of you as you’ve taken good care of me; however, I cannot stay here forever, so it’s time for me to leave.”
He was genuinely grateful to the two of them. Without them, he wouldn’t have gained so many benefits. It was expected that he was saddened to have to leave them after spending so many years with them.
On the other hand, it seemed Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan were fine with his leaving, and she only nodded upon hearing that.
Just then, Big Brother Huang said, “You can leave, but our territories will have to stay here.”
Yang Kai instantly sported a dark expression as his face twitched, “What do you mean?”
Big Brother Huang drew a circle with his hand, “These territories!” He directly included thirty percent of Yang Kai’s Small Universe.
Yang Kai coughed and replied, “No. It’s my Small Universe. I’ll die if I leave behind such a large area.”
Certainly, he wouldn’t die because of that, but his strength would plunge by cutting off such a large area of his Small Universe and his foundation would be crippled, meaning he would lose any hope of achieving another breakthrough in his life.
“Come up with a solution, then. Don’t affect our fight.”
“That’s easy.” Yang Kai was well prepared. Since he had decided to leave, he naturally wouldn’t run away with no backup plan. They wouldn’t agree to it, either.
Small Stone Race members just needed a simple environment to live. He just had to look for a new place for them to develop.
Fortunately, the Chaotic Dead Territory was full of shattered Universe Worlds. He just had to look for a larger shattered Spirit Province so that they could continue the fight freely.
After Yang Kai brought his idea up, Big Brother Huang spread his palms, “There’s none left.”
“What do you mean?” Yang Kai widened his eyes.
Big Brother Huang stomped his foot, “There were some in the past, but they were all eaten by this guy.”
He was talking about Ah Er.
At that, Yang Kai was speechless.
After Big Brother Huang stomped his foot on the ground, Ah Er, who had been sound asleep, suddenly awakened. This time, he didn’t appear to be sulky as he just charged forward into the distance.
Judging from the direction he was heading, his destination was the Territory Gate.
Since all the shattered Universe Worlds in the Chaotic Dead Territory were consumed by Ah Er, there was no reason for him to stay.
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan didn’t intend to stop him from leaving.
It wasn’t the first time Giant Spirit God Clan members visited their territory. Whenever their fight affected a new Great Territory, which resulted in numerous Universe Worlds getting destroyed, Giant Spirit Gods would get wind of it and arrive at this place. After they were done with wolfing down all the shattered Universe Worlds, they would leave.
The two of them were already used to it.
A few days later, the Territory Gate came into sight. Just like how Ah Er entered this place back then, he growled as his body shrank rapidly. The next moment, he plunged into the Territory Gate and disappeared.
On the other hand, Yang Kai’s Small Universe remained in place.
His Small Universe was placed on Ah Er’s head, so it had been moving alongside him; however, even though Ah Er was now gone, Yang Kai was left behind.
He couldn’t detect Big Brother Huang or Big Sister Lan making any moves, but he knew that it had something to do with them.
At that moment, he was heartbroken at the fact that Ah Er abandoned him just like that.
Meanwhile, Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan directly ignored his depression. To them, they just needed Yang Kai’s Small Universe to serve as their battlefield. As for Yang Kai himself, he didn’t matter to them.
Yang Kai felt his head aching as he watched the two in his Small Universe.
There was no way he could leave this place before solving this problem. With that said, he reckoned that it wasn’t so hard to solve this problem after all.
As he darted his gaze around, an idea soon came into his mind.
“Good, Big Brother Huang, Big Sister Lan. I’ll look for a new battlefield that’s much bigger and expansive than the current one so that you’ll be able to fight more freely. What do you think?”
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan exchanged glances before nodding gently, “Go ahead, then.”
Yang Kai said, “I have to leave this place for a short while. This place doesn’t have the things you need.”
On the other side of the Territory Gate, more than ten High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters still steadfastly watched over the Chaotic Dead Territory, just like they had been doing for a long time.
As Yang Kai had speculated, the fallout from the fight between the Sun’s Burning Light and Moon’s Serene Glimmer was too horrifying and would affect the neighbouring Great Territories. Once that happened, the entire Great Territory would become a part of the Chaotic Dead Territory.
Therefore, the Cave Heavens and Paradises would always empty the adjacent Great Territories to prevent too many casualties due to the fight. They had been doing this for many, many years now.
When the fight between the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer expanded previously and affected new Great Territories, they would already be empty to begin with; therefore, even though countless Universe Worlds would be destroyed, no casualties had been reported.
That was the reason the cultivators in this Great Territory fled decades ago.
When Giant Spirit God Ah Er dashed out of the Territory Gate, these High-Rank Masters didn’t try to stop him and simply watched him leave. In fact, they were unable to stop him even if they wanted to. Even though there was an Eighth-Order Ancestor around, there was no way they could challenge a Giant Spirit God.
As they watched the Giant Spirit God leave, a Seventh-Order woman suddenly let out a sigh, “It’s unfortunate that such a talent passed away at such a young age.”
The person beside her nodded, “You’re right. A rising star like him was killed just like that. Life is full of uncertainties, isn’t it?”
Another person said, “An ignorant person knows no fear. I suppose he wasn’t aware that he was entering the Chaotic Dead Territory; otherwise, he wouldn’t have the guts to tag along with the Giant Spirit God.”
“I heard that the young man was engaged to a Core Disciple from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. Now that he’s dead, I suppose the engagement has been annulled.”
“I heard from the Sect that he had made a significant contribution in the fight to destroy the Black Ink Disciples in Lang Ya Paradise. It was thanks to him that those from Lang Ya Paradise could find and eliminate all the Black Ink Disciples. They had even found some clues that led to the true Black Ink Clansman hiding behind the shadows.”
They were naturally talking about Yang Kai.
When Yang Kai barged into the Chaotic Dead Territory alongside Ah Er in the past, many of these High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters witnessed it.
At that moment, all of them were shocked.
First of all, no one had ever worked with a Giant Spirit God before, so the people who saw Yang Kai thought that they were just seeing things.
Secondly, the Chaotic Dead Territory was an extremely dangerous place. Even though Yang Kai had entered alongside a Giant Spirit God, they reckoned that his fate would be miserable. He would most likely be killed by the shockwaves of the never-ending fight.
Therefore, after Yang Kai dashed into the Chaotic Dead Territory alongside the Giant Spirit God, they started looking into his identity.
Although they had been monitoring the movements of the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer for many years as it was their duty, they still had ways to communicate with the outside world.
Upon asking around, they found out that the young man who entered the Chaotic Dead Territory alongside the Giant Spirit God was a famous figure, not a nobody.
His titles included Star Boundary Great Emperor, Void Land’s Lord, Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s Son-in-Law and so on.
Previously, the incident regarding the World Tree had spread like wildfire. Even though they were stationed here, these Masters had heard of it. It was already shocking enough that Yang Kai, as a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, was able to kill a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. During the Dao Theory Assembly, he defeated all other Core Disciples from the Cave Heavens and Paradises and won first place. That was why they were also aware that he was a Yin-Yang Cave Heaven Son-in-Law.
Additionally, it was thanks to Yang Kai’s contribution that those from Lang Ya Paradise were able to root out the Black Ink Disciples and kill them all, which prevented a disaster from happening.
Yang Kai had done many things that were of great concern to the Cave Heavens and Paradises, so he was no longer a nameless figure. That was why they could easily find out his identity by just asking around.
After some calculations, they reckoned that he had come to the Chaotic Dead Territory with the Giant Spirit God after leaving Lang Ya Paradise.
Regardless of how many achievements Yang Kai had made in the past, which included killing a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he was still just a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in the end. There was no way he could survive in the Chaotic Dead Territory.
They believed that it was the truth. Decades had passed, and the Giant Spirit God finally left; however, the young man that had tagged along was nowhere to be seen now.
No one could survive in the Chaotic Dead Territory for long, not even the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, to say nothing of the fact that Yang Kai was just a Sixth-Order Master.
Although they felt sorry for Yang Kai’s death, they were not close to him after all; therefore, after a moment of silence, they soon talked about other matters.
“Speaking of the Black Ink Clan, how’s the situation in the Shattered Heaven now?”
All of them shook their heads, including the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Ancestor, who supposedly knew a little more than the rest, “Although we’ve been looking into it for decades, we haven’t found the whereabouts of the Black Ink Clansman in the Shattered Heaven. They seem to be very well hidden.”
“Have they found other Black Ink Disciples in our forces?”
“No.”
“I suppose the situation is not that bad yet. I wonder how those Black Ink Disciples from Lang Ya Paradise became connected to the Black Ink Clan.”
Just when the Eighth-Order Ancestor was about to speak, his expression changed drastically as he turned to look at the Territory Gate.
Fluctuations could be felt coming from the Territory Gate. It wasn’t the first time they experienced this. The same thing happened when Giant Spirit God Ah Er shot out of the Chaotic Dead Territory. It would also happen when the fallout from the fight between the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer spread.
Now that the Giant Spirit God was gone, there were no other living creatures in the Chaotic Dead Territory other than the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer.
The Eighth-Order Ancestor felt his heart sinking, thinking that the fight between the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer would soon affect the next Great Territory. The same thing happened barely 100 years ago.
Why would it come so soon?
Without the need for him to give the order, more than ten High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters drew on the powers of their Small Universes to protect themselves while raising their vigilance to the highest.
According to past experiences, the Territory Gate wouldn’t be destroyed too quickly, so they still had time to flee. Once the Territory Gate was destroyed, if they still hadn’t left this Great Territory, they would be killed despite being High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Under their pointed watch though, a figure strolled out of the Territory Gate.
All of them were rooted to the spot as though they had been hit by some kind of binding technique. Even the seasoned Eighth-Order Ancestor widened his eyes as he looked dazedly at the young man, who had stepped out of the Chaotic Dead Territory totally unscathed.
When Yang Kai shook off his dizziness from crossing the Territory Gate, he saw that more than ten people gazing at him as though he was a ghost. He frowned, knowing that they must have misunderstood something.
However, he didn’t intend to explain anything and simply saluted them respectfully, “Void Land’s Yang Kai greets Seniors.”
[It’s really him!]
Although they already found out Yang Kai’s identity and knew that he was Void Land’s Lord, they hadn’t verified this fact as there was simply no way to do that. It wasn’t until this moment that they could confirm it.
These people exchanged dumbfounded glances as they couldn’t believe their eyes. They had always believed that Yang Kai was long dead, and the Cave Heavens and Paradises that received the news must have shared the same sentiment.
A Seventh-Order woman, who spoke earlier, asked doubtfully, “You’re still… alive?”
[What on Earth is she talking about?] A speechless Yang Kai gaped at her and nodded, “Yes?”
Another High-Rank Open Heaven Realm asked in shock, “How are you still alive?”
Yang Kai sported a dark expression, wondering why these people seemed to want him dead when there were no grudges between them.
The Eighth-Order Ancestor seemed to realise what Yang Kai was thinking and explained, “They’re curious about how you survived in the Chaotic Dead Territory. Did the Giant Spirit God protect you?”
Upon hearing this, the others finally realised what was happening. It would only be possible for Yang Kai to survive in the Chaotic Dead Territory with the Giant Spirit God’s protection.
However, after giving it a thought, they realised that something was off. The Giant Spirit God had left some time before Yang Kai came out of the Chaotic Dead Territory, yet he was still alive and kicking even though he didn’t have the Giant Spirit God’s protection for the past incense or so.
Yang Kai nodded his head, “Your insight is truly sharp, Ancestor. It was indeed thanks to the Giant Spirit God that I survived. However, it’s no longer dangerous inside as one can enter and leave without fear.”
All of them were stunned as some of them asked doubtfully, “Are you serious?”
Without going into the details, Yang Kai replied, “I’ve found a… game for the two powerful beings inside to occupy their time with. Now that they’ve switched to a different method of competing, it’s no longer dangerous inside.”
All of them stared fixedly at Yang Kai as though they were trying to figure out whether he was lying.
After pondering on it for a moment, the Eighth-Order Ancestor said in a weird tone, “You said you’ve found a game for the powerful beings inside?”
Yang Kai nodded seriously.
The Ancestor’s expression became more awkward, “Do you know who they are?”
“Of course, I know.” Yang Kai nodded again.
At that, the Ancestor was speechless.
The other High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters traded glances. Some of them even suspected that Yang Kai had gone mad.
The beings inside were the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer, who had been fighting against one another since the dawn of time. They had destroyed innumerable Great Territories along the way. No one knew what the cause of the fight was, but they speculated that they were simply incompatible with each other’s existence.
This was a truly irreconcilable feud.
Nevertheless, there was now a young man who said that he had found a new game for these two beings to kill time with so they changed the way they fought?
Was this whole thing some kind of child’s game? Certainly, they wouldn’t believe it.
They would probably find it to be even more inconceivable if they found out that Yang Kai had played this child’s game with them for quite a long time.
“Well…” The Ancestor tried to measure his words as he also believed that Yang Kai had gone mad. Even though Yang Kai had stayed in the Chaotic Dead Territory for decades and eventually stepped out of it safely, which was a feat no one had pulled off in history, it didn’t mean that what he said was true.
The Ancestor asked seriously, “What kind of game is it?”
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai replied, “Will you believe me if I say it’s a kind of strategy game?”
Yang Kai had naturally noticed the Eighth-Order Ancestor’s doubt, and there was something off about the way the other High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters looked at him, as if they felt sympathy for him.
The Eighth-Order Ancestor fell silent.
It wasn’t that he wasn’t willing to believe Yang Kai, but the latter’s words were just too inconceivable.
Could a so-called strategy game make the two powerful beings forget about the grudges between them that had spanned across the ages? If it were so easy, these people wouldn’t have had to keep guard in this place for so many years.
“It’s expected that you don’t believe me, so why don’t you come with me to see for yourself? You’ll believe me when you witness it in person.” Yang Kai invited him to enter the Chaotic Dead Territory with him.
The Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Ancestor instantly put up his guard. If he hadn’t known that Yang Kai had the World Spring, which protected his Small Universe from any external invasion, he would’ve suspected that the young man had been stained with Black Ink and was trying to kill him.
Not just anyone could barge into the Chaotic Dead Territory. Even though Yang Kai had left safely, he might have some special way of achieving it. On the other hand, the Eighth-Order Ancestor wouldn’t dare to put his guard down.
This matter had far-reaching implications. If the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer could live peacefully together, it would be good news for the entire universe. At the very least, the Cave Heavens and Paradises wouldn’t have to worry about their fight destroying more Great Territories.
Over the years, too many Great Territories had been destroyed because of their fight, which was a loss for the entire 3,000 Worlds.
Although the Eighth-Order Ancestor didn’t believe Yang Kai’s words, he still said, “You’ll stay here. I’ll go in and have a look.”
It wasn’t the first time he entered the Chaotic Dead Territory; after all, he was a powerful Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Although he couldn’t go deep into the Chaotic Dead Territory, it wasn’t hard for him to momentarily visit the periphery.
In fact, he had entered the Chaotic Dead Territory several times before to examine the situation inside, but he would always quickly withdraw. He wouldn’t be able to bear the repercussions if he stayed there for too long.
There was even once when he obtained a Seventh-Order Blue Crystal almost as big as a washbasin while he was there, which was a huge bonus.
“Be careful, Ancestor,” all of them said with concern.
The Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Ancestor nodded gently and fully activated the power of his Small Universe. Then, he summoned a defensive artifact, which turned into a glowing aura that engulfed him, before he plunged into the Territory Gate.
However, barely a few breaths of time later, he dashed out of the Territory Gate.
What shocked them was that the Ancestor was all charred, and his clothes were tattered. Even his hair was in a mess as smoke could be seen billowing from his head. It was as though he had been struck by lightning.
The defensive artifact he had summoned earlier was nowhere to be seen, apparently destroyed in just those few breaths’ time.
A dumbfounded Yang Kai exclaimed, “No way!”
The Chaotic Dead Territory was clearly calm and tranquil when he left, so why did the Ancestor seemingly get struck by lightning after entering it?
While feeling doubtful, Yang Kai dashed into the Chaotic Dead Territory to find out what had happened. The High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters couldn’t stop him in time.
In reality, the Chaotic Dead Territory was still calm and quiet. Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan were just standing there and staring at the Territory Gate.
Upon seeing Yang Kai, Big Sister Lan asked excitedly, “Are you done?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “It’s not something that can be completed so quickly. I came back not long after I left, so I still need some time.”
Big Brother Huang frowned, “Why did you come back when you’re not done with your task?”
Yang Kai asked, “Did you two see anything just now?”
Big Sister Lan tilted her head, “Are you talking about that old man? I was shocked when he suddenly barged in, so I gave him a little smack. I didn’t do anything else.”
[Her little smack almost shocked the life out of that old man, literally…]
Yang Kai didn’t know what to say, so he could only try to persuade them, “Please don’t hit him so hard next time. He meant no harm; he just wanted to have a look inside.”
Big Brother Huang snorted, “He should consider himself lucky that he wasn’t killed. Tell him not to come in again. We didn’t settle accounts with him when he came in several times before.”
“Good good.” Yang Kai nodded repeatedly. It seemed that Big Brother Huang didn’t welcome outsiders into the Chaotic Dead Territory.
He then turned around and bolted out.
Although the Ancestor’s head had been struck, he wasn’t at risk of losing his life. When he saw that Yang Kai come out all safe and sound while he was burnt and battered, he couldn’t help but feel indignant despite being an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai explained, “The thing is… the two of them don’t want to be bothered by anyone. They were displeased when you suddenly appeared, Ancestor.”
The Ancestor nodded gently, “They didn’t intend to kill me.”
If they wanted to kill him, he would be dead. Although he was injured, it was already the best outcome possible.
What was more shocking to him was that these supreme beings who had lived for countless eons were actually two young kids who looked like they were barely over ten years old.
If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn’t have believed it.
Over the years, no one had ever seen the true bodies of the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer. He wasn’t sure if what he had seen were their true bodies or just temporary forms they had manifested.
Although he was stunned, he could confirm that the Chaotic Dead Territory was indeed safe now as no horrifying shockwaves were rippling across it. The entire Chaotic Dead Territory was eerily calm.
It seemed that what the young man had said was true.
Suppressing his excitement, he asked, “You said you’ve found a new game for them. Is there anything we can do to help?”
It was wonderful news that the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer had stopped fighting. At the very least, they wouldn’t have to worry about more Great Territories getting destroyed.
Upon noticing the change in the Ancestor’s attitude, the other Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters gazed at Yang Kai with solemn expressions.
Yang Kai replied, “I could use your help actually.”
“Go ahead.”
“The thing is, the game requires a vast area for them to play freely. However, I’m sure you know that there’s nothing else but the endless void in the Chaotic Dead Territory. Hence, I’ve been tasked with looking for a new board for them to play on.”
The Ancestor pondered on it for a moment before nodding, “I understand. Come with me.”
Upon finishing his words, he led the way.
Yang Kai followed closely.
A few hours later, a gigantic Universe World came into their sight. The Ancestor pointed at the Universe World and asked, “How about this place?”
“It’s good enough. Are there no people living here?”
The Ancestor replied, “There were some residents in the past, but they moved out decades ago. There are no Humans living in this place now. Perhaps there are some low-level beasts.”
Yang Kai nodded, “In that case, please make a move to split up this Universe World so that it’s easier to send into the Chaotic Dead Territory.”
Upon realising Yang Kai’s intentions, the Ancestor raised his hand and pointed two fingers at the gigantic Universe World.
As the majestic World Force burst forth, Yang Kai couldn’t help but feel all his pores tightening.
It wasn’t the first time he witnessed an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master making a move. When he was previously hunted down by Bright Sun Divine Monarch, Cheng Yang, the other party had repeatedly attempted to kill him.
Nevertheless, that was different from the current situation. It wasn’t until this moment that Yang Kai realised how formidable an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master truly was.
Following the Ancestor’s move, a light penetrated the void and caused the entire Universe World to shake. It then split into shattered Spirit Provinces of different sizes.
The emotions in Yang Kai’s heart undulated. As a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he could also destroy a Universe World, but he could not do it as accurately and effortlessly as the Ancestor beside him.
This was the difference between their Realms.
The force the Ancestor exerted was ingenious. Although the Universe World had turned into countless shattered Spirit Provinces, they were not a jumbled mess; instead, they seemed to have been neatly cut into pieces.
It went to show that this Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master had precise control over his power.
“I heard that your Small Universe has materialised,” the Ancestor suddenly commented.
Yang Kai didn’t know where the old man had heard it from, but his Small Universe had been probed by numerous High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises, so it wasn’t really a secret now.
Therefore, he replied frankly, “Yes.”
The Ancestor went on to say, “In that case, we’ll store these shattered Spirit Provinces in our Small Universes and take them into the Chaotic Dead Territory; however, you must be careful. Use your own power to isolate these Universe World pieces; otherwise, your World Force will be contaminated. When that happens, you’ll have to spend quite some effort to get rid of it.”
“I understand,” Yang Kai replied respectfully.
The two of them made a move together and transferred these shattered Spirit Provinces into their Small Universes. Since Yang Kai was weaker, he couldn’t keep many of the pieces. In the end, he only kept 30% of them while the rest were taken by the Ancestor.
They then activated their own powers to suppress the World Force contained in those shattered Spirit Provinces so that they wouldn’t merge with their Small Universes.
Half a day had passed when they returned to the Territory Gate.
In front of the Territory Gate, the Ancestor was hesitant while looking at Yang Kai with a pair of hopeful eyes.
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai said, “Please come with me, Ancestor. It’ll save us time by completing it all at once.”
The Ancestor asked nervously, “But the two of them inside…”
Yang Kai secretly sneered, thinking that the Ancestor was clearly eager to have a look inside the Chaotic Dead Territory; however, he was still reeling from the memory of what had just happened to him. Without Yang Kai’s assurance, he wouldn’t dare to go in again, lest he be killed on the spot.
Therefore, Yang Kai reassured him by saying, “Don’t worry, Ancestor. We’re going in to help. You just have to follow me closely, and they won’t make a move on you again.”
It was then that the Ancestor nodded, “Sorry for the trouble then, Martial Nephew.”
He couldn’t help but feel his emotions undulating. Since time immemorial, the Cave Heavens and Paradises had been trying to come into contact with the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer, but no one had succeeded so far. The Chaotic Dead Territory was too dangerous, and no one was able to have a talk with these two powerful beings.
Would he be the one to make history on this day?
Certainly, he wasn’t the first person to do so, but Yang Kai wasn’t a part of the Cave Heavens and Paradises after all, nor could he represent the aforementioned great forces.
After telling the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters to keep guard in this place, the Ancestor followed Yang Kai closely and entered the Chaotic Dead Territory for the second time.
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan were still waiting in the same spot, but their eyes brightened when they saw Yang Kai return.
Their armies were ready for the next battle, so they desperately needed a large place where they could fight against one another freely.
However, when Big Brother Huang saw the Ancestor who was behind Yang Kai, he frowned with displeasure.
The nervous Ancestor quickly saluted them, “Greetings, Seniors.”
Although he was an old man who had lived for a long time, he wouldn’t dare to pull rank in front of these two. He hung his head low and stared at his own feet in a respectful manner while speaking to them.
Big Brother Huang directly ignored him while a displeased Big Sister Lan snorted, “Why did you call us Seniors? Call me Big Sister!”
The title ‘Big Sister’ seemed to be the sweetest music to her ears.
Upon hearing that, the Ancestor was dumbfounded.
[Why did she suddenly ask me to call her Big Sister?] He turned to look at Yang Kai in the hope that the other party could give him some clarity.
Yang Kai thus secretly spoke to him, “These two are a bit eccentric. Just do as they say.”
The Ancestor coughed and then said respectfully, “Greetings, Big Sister.”
“Good!” Big Sister Lan was elated.
Just then, Big Brother Huang snorted.
The Ancestor instantly got the hint and quickly followed up, “Greetings, Big Brother.”
It was only then that Big Brother Huang sported a milder expression.
On the other hand, the Ancestor was clearly embarrassed. He didn’t mind calling them Seniors as it was the most common form of address, but he was puzzled as to why he was asked to call them Big Brother and Big Sister. Although it seemed like he had taken advantage of them, the other old people of his rank would surely laugh at him if the news was spread.
At that moment, Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling gleeful. It was just like how one would feel much better when he saw that he wasn’t the only one who was suffering from some indignity. At the very least, Yang Kai wasn’t the only one who felt ashamed now as someone else was also forced to call these two young children Big Brother and Big Sister.
Yang Kai and the Ancestor had put a lot of shattered Spirit Provinces inside their Small Universes and were continuously consuming their own strength to suppress the World Force from these Spirit Provinces.
Otherwise, once the foreign World Force penetrated their Small Universes, impurities would be formed, and they would have to spend some effort to get rid of them.
This matter couldn’t be delayed, so they quickly fished out the shattered Spirit Provinces from their Small Universes.
Although the Ancestor had precise control over his power and had cut the Universe World into neat pieces, it was difficult to put these shattered Spirit Provinces back together in their original form.
Fortunately, Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan didn’t demand them to do so, nor did Yang Kai intend to put these pieces together just the way they were.
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan just needed a battlefield where they could fight freely, so they didn’t have any demands when it came to the venue.
Therefore, barely half a day later, an expansive territory that was made from Spirit Provinces of different sizes was completed.
In order to make it easier for them to battle with one another, Yang Kai had intentionally created a rectangular battlefield. In that case, Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan could respectively occupy half of the territory and nurture their armies to fight with each other.
After the two of them took a stroll around, they were pleased with their new game board. At the very least, it was much bigger than the previous territory provided by Yang Kai. This kind of territory that was made from an entire Universe World could accommodate billions of lives, which was enough for them to keep on playing this game for many years to come.
The next moment, Yang Kai released the Small Stone Race members that they had been nurturing inside his Small Universe.
The Eighth-Order Ancestor was dumbfounded when he saw the several tens of millions of Small Stone Race members. Despite being an experienced person, he had never seen such living creatures before. He had no idea where Yang Kai had found them, so he speculated that these unique living creatures might belong to the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer.
It wasn’t easy to help these millions of soldiers settle down, so it took Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan a few days to organize them.
During this period of time, Yang Kai and the Eighth-Order Ancestor had been waiting patiently.
Yang Kai wanted to wait for Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan to settle everything before leaving; after all, he had promised to help them with it. As for the Eighth-Order Ancestor, he wouldn’t dare to say anything in front of these formidable beings.
More than ten days later, all the soldiers had finally been settled in.
It was then Yang Kai bid Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan farewell.
Although they were a bit reluctant to part ways with their new Little Brother, they didn’t intend to make him stay. Before Yang Kai’s departure, Big Brother Huang suddenly said, “Thanks for what you’ve done for us during this period.”
Despite knowing that Yang Kai had gained a lot of benefits from them, they didn’t really care about those things. As far as they were concerned, it was thanks to Yang Kai’s own opportunity and capability that he had obtained those benefits. On the other hand, they had found a more peaceful and useful way to settle the dispute between them that had persisted for so many years upon his arrival.
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “Don’t mention it, Big Brother Huang. In fact, I should be the one thanking the two of you.”
Big Brother Huang shook his head, “It’s different.”
Big Sister Lan came over and beamed at him, “That’s right. Even though we would respectively lose or win the game, I’ve finally heard him call me Big Sister at the very least. I had never heard him call me that before your arrival.”
There was a haughty expression on Big Brother Huang’s face, “Have you never called me Big Brother?”
Big Sister Lan corrected him with a solemn expression, “You call me Big Sister more frequently, though.”
Instantly, Big Brother Huang felt humiliated and balled up his fists, “I have several dozen million soldiers with me now. I’ll definitely destroy you!”
“Bring it on! It’s not like I’m afraid of you. I have an army as well!” Big Sister Lan replied defiantly.
While they were engrossed in bickering with one another, the Ancestor was quivering like a quail in winter as he was worried that the two of them would suddenly come to blows.
If that happened, at this kind of range, he wouldn’t even know how he died.
He then turned to look at Yang Kai in the hope that the latter would persuade them to stop arguing, only to see him looking calm and collected. Admiration was written all over the Ancestor’s face at that instant.
Seeing that their argument was intensifying, Yang Kai had no choice but to stop them, “Good, stop arguing since there’s a battle ahead of you. I’ll take my leave now. Please take care of yourselves. I’ll visit you again when there’s a chance.”
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan shut their mouths at exactly the same time and turned to gaze at him. All of a sudden, they said simultaneously, ““Before you leave, we’ll give you a gift.””
Upon finishing their words, they raised their hands and pointed their fingers at Yang Kai.
No noise could be heard, nor was there any fluctuation of energy or any kind of anomaly at all.
Yang Kai didn’t feel or see anything.
On the other hand, Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan stopped responding to him as they dashed towards the newly formed battlefield and directed their own armies to fight with each other. Their fighting spirits had been ignited following the argument as they were now eager to defeat the other party and make them surrender.
With a frown, Yang Kai examined himself, but he still couldn’t feel anything.
He then turned his head and asked, “Did you see anything, Ancestor?”
The Ancestor shook his head, “No.”
He had heard the two of them say that they were giving Yang Kai a gift, and he had also seen them pointing their fingers at Yang Kai, but there was nothing else.
“Do you feel that there’s anything different, Martial Nephew?” The Ancestor asked cautiously. Since the two of them had said they would give Yang Kai a gift, they certainly were not lying; however, the current situation was strange.
Yang Kai shook his head as he didn’t detect any difference in his body.
After pondering on it for a moment, the Ancestor said, “Their powers are inscrutable. Perhaps we’re too weak to discover it. I’m sure the benefits of this gift will manifest in the years to come.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Perhaps you’re right.”
After taking another glance at the newly formed territory, Yang Kai left the place with the Ancestor. The armies behind them had already started clashing with each other.
In front of the Territory Gate, the Ancestor asked with an amiable expression, “Where are you going, Martial Nephew?”
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai replied, “I have to head to Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.”
Upon hearing that, the Ancestor instantly realised his intention. Yang Kai had won first place in the Dao Theory Assembly, after which Qu Hua Shang had been confined for 100 years. After some calculations, the Ancestor realised that those 100 years had passed some time ago. Yang Kai had been held up in the Chaotic Dead Territory, so he wasn’t able to head to Yin-Yang Cave Heaven on time. Now that he could leave though, he naturally had to hurry over.
“I hope you’ll have a smooth journey then, Martial Nephew.” The Ancestor put on a gentle smile.
Yang Kai saluted him and cupped his fist, “Until we meet again.”
The Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters sported conflicted expressions as they watched Yang Kai leave. They had seen how the Ancestor was treating Yang Kai in such an amicable manner, which was something unprecedented. Although they were in the Seventh-Order, which was one Order above Yang Kai, they had never received such a treatment from the Ancestor before.
It was inconceivable that an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would treat a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master so cordially.
With that said, Yang Kai was obviously no ordinary Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master as he was able to enter and leave the Chaotic Dead Territory freely.
“Ancestor… is the Chaotic Dead Territory really safe now?” One of the Masters asked.
After measuring his words, the Ancestor replied, “The status quo has changed, but as long as those two beings exist, it will never really be considered safe.”
All of them nodded in agreement. Although Yang Kai said he had found a new game for the two of them to occupy their time, no one knew how long their passion for the game would last. Perhaps they would lose interest a few years later. By then, another round of devastating fights would happen and destruction would reign once more.
Hence, they had to stay in this place and continue monitoring the situation.
In the void, Yang Kai fished out a Universe Chart to identify his current location. He then charted a route that led to Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.
After making some calculations, he realised that it would only take him two months to pass through more than ten Great Territories and arrive at Yin-Yang Territory given his current speed.
Most people couldn’t be as swift as he was and it would take the average Sixth-Order Master half a year to reach Yin-Yang Cave Heaven from this position. However, as an expert in the Dao of Space, Yang Kai could enjoy this kind of convenience.
Qu Hua Shang was supposed to have come out of the confinement by now. Yang Kai felt guilty that he hadn’t managed to meet up with her on time as they had agreed.
It was an accident that he came across the Giant Spirit God and was subsequently brought into the Chaotic Dead Territory. Before that, he had no idea that Ah Er was heading to the Chaotic Dead Territory, and he had never expected that he wouldn’t be able to come out until so many years later.
He wondered if Xu Ling Gong would kill him when he arrived at Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.
A sense of fear overwhelmed him when he recalled the way Xu Ling Gong held a sword menacingly in his hand.
He decided that he would directly give Xu Ling Gong an expensive bridegroom’s gift in order to appease him. He had obtained a lot of valuable items from the Chaotic Dead Territory, so he was sure that Xu Ling Gong would be pleased.
On his way to his destination, Yang Kai examined himself again. Before his departure, Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan said that they were giving him a gift, but they only pointed at him in silence, which befuddled him.
After another thorough examination, he still hadn’t discovered anything.
[Could the two of them have been messing with me? Given their temperaments, it’s not impossible…]
After all, he had already obtained a lot of benefits from the Chaotic Dead Territory, so there was no reason for Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan to give him an additional gift.
Upon that realisation, Yang Kai couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
However, some time after he decided to stop examining himself, there came a moment when he felt that something was off while he was heading to his destination.
The Dragon Vein in his body suddenly started throbbing for no apparent reason. Following that, it became scorching hot just like boiling water.
In an instant, Yang Kai became as red as a cooked shrimp while smoke could be seen billowing from his figure.
His Dragon Vein didn’t stopped rumbling from that point on while a violent force could be felt expanding internally. Yang Kai had a feeling that he would soon be unable to suppress it any longer.
Realising that he was in trouble, he quickly looked around and soon spotted a medium-sized Universe World before plunging into it.
Given his Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation, he could easily break through the World Barrier of this Universe World and pass through the clouds. A moment later, an ocean came into his sight.
Spotting a huge island in the middle of the ocean, Yang Kai landed on it like a meteorite, forming a deep crater in the ground.
He had used his last bit of power to come all the way here, so he was no longer able to suppress the roiling force in his body.
Therefore, as soon as he landed on the ground, cracking sounds could be heard coming from all over his figure.
The next moment, Yang Kai’s body started expanding rapidly. He uncontrollably let out a resounding Dragon Roar as his petite figure turned into a 10,000 metres long Grand Dragon.
Dragon Transformation!
This time, he wasn’t the one who took the initiative to transform into a Dragon; instead, he had no choice but to turn into a Grand Dragon following the unrest of the Dragon Vein in his body.
Yang Kai felt so scorchingly hot that it was as though he was burning.
Instinctively, he shook his head and plunged into the water as he headed to the depths of the ocean. The deeper he went, the colder he felt.
While he finally felt a sense of comfort, the ocean water started boiling wherever he went. In an instant, the area around him became a vacuum.
He had no idea what was going on with him, but he didn’t feel a sense of danger; instead, he was looking forward to what would soon happen, though he wasn’t sure what that would be.
Yang Kai soon realised what was going on. Following an excruciating pain, all the bones in his body started cracking loudly. His 10,000 metres figure, which was already colossal, was rapidly expanding at a speed that far exceeded his imagination.
He had obtained the Golden Divine Dragon Source when he was still in Tong Xuan Realm in the past. When he came across Zhu Qing in the Star Boundary, he was taught the Dragon Transformation Secret Art by her, which allowed him to tap into the power of his Dragon Vein and transform into a Half-Dragon.
Nevertheless, even after cultivating for many years, he could only transform into a 3,000 metre tall Half-Dragon.
If not for the opportunity in Ancestral Land where he obtained the Crystal Palace of the Dragon Clan and refined a lot of Ancestral Spirit Crystals and Spirit Fruits, it would have taken him thousands of years before he could become a Grand Dragon.
It took Dragon Clan members a painfully long time to grow. Not only the Dragon Clan though, but all Divine Spirits suffered from this problem. That was the reason the Divine Spirits were not willing to leave Ancestral Land. The Ancestral Strength in that place was extremely important to the Divine Spirits as it could greatly reduce the time they needed to mature and grow.
Yang Kai had already planned on heading to the Ancestral Land to cultivate in seclusion after ascending to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm so that he could further strengthen his Dragon Vein; however, that would only happen a long time from now.
He was only in the Sixth-Order currently, so he still had to make it to the Seventh-Order before he could even think of reaching the Eighth-Order.
Given his heritage, it wouldn’t take him a long time to make it to the Seventh-Order, but it would require a long, long time for him to ascend to the Eighth-Order. It could be several thousand years, or even 10,000 years.
With that said, it wasn’t the most pressing issue at hand. Although he could be considered a Pureblood Dragon after becoming a Grand Dragon, Yang Kai was still a Human, and he was most reliant on his Open Heaven Realm cultivation; therefore, he was determined to make it to the Eighth-Order, which was supposedly his limit.
Nevertheless, he had never expected that following a significant improvement in his Dragon Vein in the Ancestral Land, he would see another improvement so soon. Furthermore, this improvement was far more rapid, intense, and violent than the one he had experienced in the Crystal Palace in the Ancestral Land.
He could clearly feel that his Dragon Vein was becoming purer by the breath under the inducement of a strange force. As a result, his figure was expanding beyond his control.
The strength of a Dragon Clan member was manifested in their size. The bigger a Dragon Clan member was, the purer their bloodline was, and the more powerful they were.
His 10,000 metre figure became stagnant after he left the Ancestral Land, but now, in just half a day, it had expanded by several dozen metres.
One day later, it grew by another 1,000 metres.
Even his robust Grand Dragon body was unable to bear this kind of rapid improvement. His bones kept becoming dislocated and restructured while his skin started cracking. Golden Blood started streaming into the ocean, and even his Dragon Scales, which covered his entire figure, started shedding.
Wherever Yang Kai went, he would leave a golden stain in the ocean.
The beasts in the ocean seemed to have detected this metallic tang and soon swarmed over.
Faced with the allure of a Grand Dragon’s blood, these Sea Beasts with low sentience couldn’t resist it as they yearned to become stronger. They opened their mouths wide and absorbed the sea water that contained the golden Dragon Blood with reckless abandon.
Wherever it was, Dragon Blood was a treasure, for the blood contained the secrets behind the Dragon Clan’s power, which was the greatest in the world.
Many Secret Techniques and Spirit Pills required Dragon Blood to complete.
However, Pureblood Dragons were extremely rare, so it was difficult to find their blood. Hence, they could only replace it with the blood of Monster Beasts and spirit beasts that were Dragonkin. Naturally, this solution wasn’t very effective.
The blood that streamed out of Yang Kai’s body wasn’t just Pureblood Dragon’s blood; it was the Dragon Blood of a Golden Divine Dragon. There was no doubt that it was a rarity among rarities.
Just a bit of his blood contained a horrifying power.
Therefore, wherever Yang Kai went, a large number of fish and beasts lost their lives. The initially serene ocean was now filled with carcasses.
His Grand Dragon figure was still expanding while the Dragon Vein in his body was becoming purer. The speed of the purification even made Yang Kai feel a sense of unease.
However, when he became certain about the source of this sudden transformation, all the uneasiness vanished and was replaced by endless joy.
Half a month later, he stopped feeling like he was burning while his Dragon Vein finally calmed down.
On a certain island, Yang Kai remained in his Grand Dragon Form as his colossal figure lay on the beach, nearly occupying the entire island. Although he had benefited greatly from the transformation, he was well and truly knackered. Additionally, despite obtaining a greater power, he wasn’t used to it so he needed to get some rest to begin adjusting.
Under the scorching Sun, his Dragon Scales radiated a golden glow that could dazzle the entire world.
20,000 metres!
After half a month of agony, his figure was now twice as large. His Dragon Form had gone from 10,000 metres to 20,000 metres.
When he was refining Ancestral Spirit Crystals and Spirit Fruits in the Dragon Clan’s Crystal Palace in the Ancestral Land, his Dragon Vein became purer by the day and Yang Kai had thought that such speed was already outrageously fast.
It wasn’t until this moment that he realised he was too naive. His cultivation during that period of time back then was incomparable to his current transformation.
No Grand Dragon in the world could double his size in half a month like Yang Kai had just gone through.
[So, this is the gift Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan gave me before I left!]
He had already figured it out the day after the transformation started. Previously, even though Yang Kai had thoroughly examined himself, he didn’t discover anything out of the ordinary, but that was because he had remained in his Human Form. It wasn’t until he transformed into a Dragon that the gift from Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan manifested.
Presently, there were two amazing powers that were swirling about inside his Dragon Bead.
Only when a Dragon Bead developed in a Dragon Clan member’s body would he be considered a Grand Dragon.
Certainly, Yang Kai had a Dragon Bead as well. After he turned into a Dragon, the Dragon Bead naturally rested under his chin. Just like what a Monster Core was to a Monster Beast, the Dragon Bead was the condensation of a Dragon Clan member’s cultivation, so it was extremely powerful.
Yang Kai didn’t detect anything when Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan pointed their fingers at him back then, but their powers had somehow snuck into his Dragon Bead, just waiting to burst out.
The two of them were the ancestors of all Divine Spirits, so all Divine Spirits were like their children and grandchildren.
Hence, despite their nonchalance when they pointed their fingers at Yang Kai, they could easily stimulate the power of his Dragon Vein and rapidly purify his bloodline.
While thankful, Yang Kai also felt quite aggrieved.
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan could have explained all this to him, but they acted mysterious instead. Yang Kai initially thought that they were just playing a prank on him, so it surprised him greatly when he realised that there was actually a gift.
This purification process thoroughly exhausted Yang Kai. It wasn’t that he was trying to resist it, but the speed of the purification was a grueling physical and mental test for him. Fortunately, the transformation didn’t take place when he was in battle.
If such a transformation in his Dragon Vein took place when he was in battle, he wouldn’t be able to keep fighting. Instead, he would be injured or even killed when his strength went out of control
It was truly an invaluable gift, but there were a lot of complaints to be had.
Presently, Yang Kai was both elated and worried. The mysterious forces from Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan in his Dragon Bead had helped him purify his bloodline and caused his Grand Dragon form to go through exponential growth, but they hadn’t been exhausted yet and still remained hidden in his Dragon Bead.
Yang Kai wondered if they would be activated to give him another pleasant surprise when he was unsuspecting.
This move by Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan was like a prank from two young kids. They were previously led by the nose by Yang Kai in the Chaotic Dead Territory, which was why they decided to give him a gift that also served as a punishment before his departure.
They wouldn’t care if Yang Kai would fall into danger because of that.
Realizing this, Yang Kai was speechless.
The powers from Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan could help improve his bloodline, but the problem was that he was unable to control the process.
He had the urge to go back to the Chaotic Dead Territory and argue with the two of them.
However, considering the fact that he had gained such a massive benefit, he decided to give up on the idea. He could only think to himself that he had to be cautious in the future. If the powers in his Dragon Bead really exploded when he was in a fight with formidable enemies, he would end up in a horrible state.
There was no doubt that a Dragon Clan member had incredible restorative powers. Although all of Yang Kai’s skin had cracked during the purification process, his wounds were swiftly healed.
While feeling calm, Yang Kai silently sensed the increased power in his body.
When he became a Grand Dragon in the Ancestral Land, he already had the capital to fight with a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Now that his figure had grown to 20,000 metres, the average Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master wouldn’t be a match for him.
Nevertheless, his power now felt a little strange to him.
As a Human, he was still in the Sixth-Order. If he was faced with a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he might be able to go up against them, but he might not succeed in defeating such an opponent. He could hardly cross the huge gap between the Sixth-Order and the Seventh-Order.
However, if he transformed into a Grand Dragon, he could instantly become a match for even a Peak Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
Yang Kai figured he still couldn’t face an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Even though he had no idea how powerful an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm truly was, he had a vague understanding.
As he was lost in though, Yang Kai suddenly heard some splashing sounds coming from nearby and opened his eyes to look out at the ocean.
There seemed to be a big fish swimming under the water. The next moment, the sea water separated to the sides and revealed a sea carp that radiated a faint golden glow. The carp was several dozen metres away from Yang Kai’s head and was staring up at him.
At that moment, Yang Kai’s expression turned awkward.
That was because he could feel that this sea carp had a bloodline that was related to him. It was as though this sea carp was his descendant.
Even though he was previously distracted by the purification of his Dragon Vein, Yang Kai was still aware of the changes that his Dragon Blood had caused to the surrounding ocean.
Those Sea Beasts that had coveted his Dragon Blood and consumed it, regardless of their sizes and strengths, were all dead by now. They were unable to bear the violent force within his pure Dragon Blood.
While Yang Kai’s Dragon Blood had caused countless Sea Beasts to lose their lives, there seemed to be a little survivor here.
The sea carp before his eyes had obviously consumed his Dragon Blood, but it was lucky enough to keep its life.
That was the reason Yang Kai could feel that their bloodlines were connected.
The aura of this sea carp wasn’t particularly powerful, so Yang Kai couldn’t figure out why it could survive after chugging down his Dragon Blood. Supposedly, there was no reason for such a weak living creature to survive, but the sea carp had achieved just that.
Yang Kai could only think that life was indeed full of mysteries. There were many seemingly impossible things in the world that had actually happened. It was exactly because of these things that shouldn’t have existed that brought about endless wonder and amazing changes to this expansive universe.
At this moment, the sea carp was holding a Dragon Scale the size of a dustpan in its mouth. The Dragon Scale radiated a golden glow and exuded a strong Dragon Clan aura.
Apparently, it was a Dragon Scale that fell off from Yang Kai’s figure.
Due to the expansion of his figure, a lot of Dragon Scales had fallen off.
After they stared at each other for a moment, Yang Kai closed his eyes. Although he was amazed by the survival of this small creature, it wasn’t worth too much of his attention.
The most pressing issue at hand for him was to familiarise himself with his increased strength; otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to fully use his power when he was in a fight with his enemies.
The sea carp was initially an ordinary Sea Beast, but after consuming the golden Dragon Blood, it now had a faint Dragon Clan bloodline. Therefore, it could be considered a Dragonborn.
The Dragon Pressure from a 20,000 metres Grand Dragon should have a powerful suppression on the sea carp. Usually, a weak Dragonborn like the sea carp could only shiver and hang its head low in front of Yang Kai.
However, the little fish didn’t seem to be affected by this kind of bloodline suppression. Although it was afraid, its eyes were also filled with a sense of yearning.
The sea carp was supposed to have low sentience, but its emotions were now undulating in its heart.
When Yang Kai closed his eyes, the sea carp appeared to be disappointed. As its golden tail repeatedly tapped on the ocean, the sea carp caused the water to splash.
A moment later, it swam forward and crawled on the beach with difficulty before putting the huge Dragon Scale down in front of Yang Kai. Following that, it squirmed back into the ocean and leaped out of the water with joy before swimming towards the depths of the ocean.
When Yang Kai opened his eyes two months later, he saw that there were a lot of his own Dragon Scales in front of him while the sea carp was nowhere to be seen, causing him to wonder where it was.
Yang Kai tilted his head slightly and looked down at the Dragon Scales in silence.
While Dragon Blood was a treasure, Dragon Scales were equally valuable. When he was in Human form, Yang Kai could summon his Dragon Scales around his figure to protect himself.
Even just one piece of these fallen Dragon Scales could be used by a skillful Artifact Refiner to create a sturdy Artifact Armour of extraordinary quality.
There was an awkward expression on Yang Kai’s face when he realised that the things that he had literally shed from his body could well be the treasures in other people’s eyes.
There were about 1,000 Dragon Scales on the beach. It seemed the sea carp had patiently found them from the depths of the ocean and sent them to him.
Just then, a gurgling sound was heard as there seemed to be a ferocious beast in the ocean. The next instant, the sea water separated to the sides and revealed the sea carp’s figure.
When the sea carp previously appeared, it was only 10 metres long, but barely two months later, it had grown to be 100 metres in length. Moreover, the golden glow around it had become much more dazzling as its scales were starting to look less like fish scales and more like Dragon Scales.
There was no doubt that its aura had grown stronger as well. Even though the sea carp was still weak in Yang Kai’s eyes, it had actually experienced shocking growth in just two months’ time.
The sea carp’s eyes had become brighter and more intelligent as well.
Presently, there was a Dragon Scale in its mouth that it had found from the depths of the ocean. Since it had consumed Yang Kai’s Dragon Blood, it could easily locate those fallen Dragon Scales; otherwise, it couldn’t have found so many in just two months.
All the Dragon Scales that the sea carp had found from the ocean were sent to Yang Kai.
As their eyes met, the sea carp leaped into the air as though it was waiting for Yang Kai’s compliment. Then, it stared silently at him.
Faced with the gigantic and majestic Grand Dragon, the sea carp wasn’t frightened in the slightest. Instead, it was filled with joy.
Yang Kai extended his Dragon Claw and grabbed the sea carp alongside a large area of the ocean before pulling them closer to himself. After giving it a thought, he sent them into his Small Universe.
Since their fates were connected in a way, he decided to keep the sea carp.
As for the large amount of Dragon Scales on the ground, Yang Kai didn’t intend to give up on them. Although these things had fallen off from his body, they were all treasures. Sometime in the future, he could send them to Great Evolution Paradise and ask Grandmaster Ma Fan to make some Artifact Armours for him.
Although the sea carp had exerted itself to bring back the 1,000 or so Dragon Scales from the ocean over the past two months, a lot of them remained under the waves.
As a thought flashed through Yang Kai’s mind, all the Dragon Scales, which were scattered around the ocean, seemed to have been summoned as they leaped out of the ocean and turned into rays of light before coming to Yang Kai.
Strictly speaking, these Dragon Scales were left behind after his transformation, so he could easily summon them.
He then dispelled his Dragon Form and turned back into a Human. As he looked in a particular direction, he leaped into the air.
100 kilometres away in that direction, several figures saluted him and watched him leave respectfully.
They were the Great Emperors of this Universe World.
In fact, they had already detected it when Yang Kai broke through the barrier of this Universe World and arrived at this place; after all, they were the Great Emperors acknowledged by the Heavenly Way of this World, so they were fully aware of everything that was going on in it.
However, Yang Kai’s Dragon Pressure was far too intimidating; therefore, even though these Great Emperors had noticed the arrival of a powerful cultivator, they didn’t dare to disturb him. They could only watch over him from a distance.
Over the past two months, these Great Emperors had been on pins and needles; after all, they didn’t know whether Yang Kai was an ill-intentioned person who wanted to harm this Universe World.
It wasn’t until Yang Kai appeared in his Dragon Form and lay on the beach that they realised he was a legendary Dragon Clan member. At that moment, they were overwhelmed by a sense of admiration.
Wherever they were, Dragons were a symbol of the most powerful beings. This Universe World was no exception.
The Great Emperors could also finally set their minds at ease.
After all, they had never heard of Dragon Clan members committing acts of evil or slaughter without provocation, so they could stop worrying. On the other hand, it was their greatest honour to personally see a Dragon Clan member.
When Yang Kai left, they saluted him as it was a form of respect for a more powerful being.
In the meantime, a loud boom sent a shockwave across Seven Stars Sect in Yang Kai’s Small Universe. No one knew what had happened in the Sect as they just felt the ground shaking.
Sect Master Shang Guan Ji and the other Elders quickly came over to find out what was going on, and it didn’t take long before they were dumbfounded by the sight before them.
That was because there was initially a huge and beautiful mountain valley in the Sect, but now, it had turned into a lake.
The lake was filled with clear water that reflected the blue sky.
A doubtful Shang Guan Ji asked the other Elders, “Has there always been such a lake in our Sect?”
All of them shook their heads with Guan Qian Xing replying, “This should be Serene Light Valley. I visited this place yesterday. Why did it suddenly become a lake?”
It was inconceivable that a mountain valley had turned into a lake, and if not for the tremor just now, they wouldn’t have noticed anything at all.
With that said, they were certain that the loud boom had something to do with this transformation.
After giving it a thought, Shang Guan Ji hypothesized, “Perhaps it’s the Ancestor’s doing…”
No one knew how powerful the Ancestor truly was, not just the other great forces in the Void Continent, but even the people in Seven Stars Sect.
These people had tried to probe Xu Yi regarding this matter, but even this Legacy Disciple knew little about it. Yang Kai had never showcased his true power in front of Xu Yi, and even if he did, Xu Yi wouldn’t be able to comprehend it given his current vision.
If Shang Guan Ji were to describe the Ancestor’s power, the only word that came into his mind was ‘inscrutable’.
Everything could be explained if this was really the Ancestor’s doing; however, they still had to find out whether that was indeed the case.
Just when Shang Guan Ji was preparing to head to the Ancestor’s residence, a gigantic shadow suddenly appeared in the middle of the lake. The next moment, a dangerous aura swept out.
“Watch out!” Shang Guan Ji cried out in panic. He was now in the First-Order Emperor Realm, and other than the Ancestor, he was the only Emperor Realm Master in Seven Stars Sect. Therefore, he was the first one to detect the aura.
Before the group even came to their senses, a large golden carp suddenly leaped out of the lake. Under the brilliant Sun, the golden carp radiated a golden glow so bright that these people were almost unable to keep their eyes open.
All of them couldn’t help but narrow their gazes.
*Pfff…*
The next instant, the golden carp sprayed out a mouthful of water at all of them.
With a solemn expression, Shang Guan Ji activated his Emperor Qi and blocked off the water. Soon after though, he realised that the water sprayed out from the golden carp’s mouth wasn’t harmful at all. It was as though the Sea Beast was just playing a prank on them.
Certainly, the golden carp was puzzled by his action. After falling back into the lake, it stared at them for a moment before it became elated. As it flapped its tail, it took in a lot of water and leaped into the air before spraying it at Shang Guan Ji and the others again.
Shang Guan Ji raised his hand again, but this time, he could feel a bit of power from the water sprayed out of the golden carp’s mouth.
As he kept blocking the water, the golden carp increasingly exerted more force until he was unable to fend off the water.
In that instant, the leaders of Seven Stars Sect were all soaked in water, causing them to appear quite embarrassed.
Shang Guan Ji put on a helpless smile, thinking that it must be the Ancestor who placed the golden carp and lake here; otherwise, he couldn’t think of any other possible explanations.
He could clearly feel that this golden carp was significantly more powerful than him. The only reason he had persevered for such a long time just now was that the other party was teasing him.
When Xu Yi came over in a rush and saw Shang Guan Ji and the others in such a state, he was naturally shocked.
As though Xu Yi was their saviour, Shang Guan Ji hurriedly asked, “Martial Nephew, what’s going on with this fish and lake? Has the Ancestor said anything?”
Xu Yi quickly saluted all of them and replied, “Honoured Master was the one who placed the fish and lake here. He told me to take good care of it.”
Upon hearing that, all of them breathed a sigh of relief. Even though they had speculated that it was the Ancestor’s doing, it wasn’t until Xu Yi confirmed it that they could be certain.
Yang Kai had spent some 30 years in the Chaotic Dead Territory. During this period, roughly 100 years had passed in the Small Universe.
Presently, the flow of time in the Small Universe was four times faster than the outside world.
When Xu Yi ascended to the Saint Realm from the Transcendent Realm, the flow of time in Yang Kai’s Small Universe accelerated from two times to three times that of the outside world. Above the Saint Realm were the Saint King Realm, Origin Returning Realm, Origin King Realm, and so on.
When Xu Yi made it to the Saint King Realm and the Origin Returning Realm, the flow of time in the Small Universe didn’t change.
However, when he broke through to the Origin King Realm, the flow of time in Yang Kai’s Small Universe became four times faster.
Now, Xu Yi was already at the peak of the Origin King Realm. If Yang Kai hadn’t told him to suppress his cultivation, he would’ve made it to the Dao Source Realm already.
The growth of Xu Yi was neither slow nor fast. In just 100 years, he had grown from a mortal without any foundation to an Origin King Realm Master. The average person would have been proud of such an achievement, but Xu Yi was different. He was Yang Kai’s Third Disciple and was living in Yang Kai’s Small Universe. Furthermore, he had cultivated a Secret Art named the Great Nothingness Scripture that had been passed down from ancient times.
It wasn’t surprising that he had made such an achievement.
The reason Yang Kai told him to suppress his cultivation was that he wanted him to get prepared for ascending to the Open Heaven Realm.
It was just like how he wanted Zhao Ya to suppress her cultivation in the past. The Star Boundary was now a cradle to nurture future Open Heaven Realm Masters, and the lower one’s cultivation, the more benefits they could gain by cultivating there.
Although Xu Yi didn’t have a chance to start his Martial Dao in the Star Boundary from childhood, which would allow him to gain the greatest benefits from the World Tree, he would still achieve great things in life if he started cultivating in the Star Boundary as an Origin King cultivation.
Above the Origin King Realm were the Dao Source Realm and the Emperor Realm. Once he made it to the Dao Source Realm, he wouldn’t gain a lot of benefits by simply heading to the Star Boundary at this point.
Yang Kai planned on making him ascend to the Dao Source Realm in the Star Boundary. In that case, his potential might be fully cultivated, which would allow him to stand a chance to be on par with the growth rate of his Eldest Senior Brother and Second Senior Sister.
However, Xu Yi would have to suffer a little because of that.
Over the years, he had mainly relied on his dreams to cultivate; hence, whenever he cultivated, he would doze off, and he was now used to going to sleep every night. Since Yang Kai wanted him to suppress his cultivation and not achieve a breakthrough, it meant that he couldn’t sleep.
Initially, he would always feel sleepy and there were times when he almost slumbered off. Fortunately, Yang Kai managed to awaken him in time so that the latter didn’t have to bear the consequences of ascending to the Dao Source Realm.
Gradually, Xu Yi became used to fighting against sleepiness. When Yang Kai told him to take care of the golden carp, he really felt that this fish had come at the perfect time; after all, there was nothing else he could do since he was not allowed to sleep or cultivate.
Nevertheless, Xu Yi soon realised that the golden carp was simply too naughty. Every day, the fish would soak him in water, which caused him to constantly look disheveled and embarrassed.
The news that there was now a Sect Protecting Divine Beast spread like wildfire. Many disciples came over to see the Sea Beast, and when they saw the golden carp revealing itself, they would all exclaim in amazement.
The idea of a Sect Protecting Divine Beast came from Shang Guan Ji. Regardless of where the golden carp came from, it had to be given the title of Sect Protecting Divine Beast since it was brought to this place by the Ancestor.
Those who saw the golden carp before knew that this Sect Protecting Divine Beast was naughty and mischievous. The golden carp always seemed joyful when there were a lot of people around; therefore, the disciples didn’t mind getting splashed with water as they would always come to the lake to play with the fish, which actually saved Xu Yi a lot of trouble.
While Seven Stars Sect in the Small Universe was bustling with noise, Yang Kai travelled across the void round the clock and finally arrived at Yin-Yang Territory.
Although he had benefited greatly from the gift given to him by Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan before his departure, a lot of uncertainties remained. He had no idea when the two forces hidden in his Dragon Bead would act up again, so he constantly had to keep an eye on them.
He was still reeling from the shock after the first experience. Although his Dragon Form and Dragon Vein would grow exponentially when the two forces exploded, it would also put him in a precarious situation.
Fortunately, despite not knowing when they would explode again, Yang Kai had determined that it wouldn’t happen anytime soon.
It wasn’t the first time Yang Kai visited Yin-Yang Territory.
However, he had tagged along Su Ying Xue and Qing Kui previously, while this time, he was on his own.
Just like Lang Ya Paradise, those from Yin-Yang Territory wouldn’t restrict anyone from entering or leaving this Great Territory; after all, there was a First-Class Star City in Yin-Yang Territory that was hustling and bustling with activity. If they imposed any restrictions, the popularity of the Star City would be affected.
The reason the Territory Gates of Yin-Yang Territory were cordoned off previously was that some of the Cave Heavens and Paradises had worked together to make things difficult for Yin-Yang Heaven since the Dao Theory Assembly was just around the corner.
Nevertheless, it was obviously different now.
The core area of Yin-Yang Territory was where the Headquarters of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven was located. Gazing at it from the void, one could see that the gigantic Spirit Province looked like two Yin-Yang fish with their heads and tails connected.
In the periphery of this Spirit Province that looked like Yin-Yang fish, there were other Spirit Provinces of different sizes. They were all considered part of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.
With his previous experience in Lang Ya Paradise, Yang Kai was now familiar with how to enter the Cave Heavens and Paradises. Now, he was no longer a nobody as he had become a household name across the entire 3,000 Worlds.
Furthermore, he was a Son-in-Law of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. This identity alone warranted a serious treatment from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.
Yang Kai headed straight to the Star City and found the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who was in charge of the Void Dock. After telling the person his name, he revealed his intention and asked him to send a message to Xu Ling Gong or Qu Hua Shang.
Certainly, the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master knew who Yang Kai was. The reason the Dao Theory Assembly was held in the past was to look for a Husband for Qu Hua Shang. The incident sparked a commotion in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.
Qu Hua Shang was a Core Disciple of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven and her aptitude and beauty were among the top in the world. Some of the disciples in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven who were a match for her wanted to marry her. Unfortunately, she had violated the rule which stated that all the Cave Heavens and Paradises had to stay united. Faced with external pressure, those from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven had no choice but to give an explanation.
The Dao Theory Assembly was the result.
It could be said that the popularity of Qu Hua Shang in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven was on par with, if not greater than that of Gu Ling’er in Lang Ya Paradise. After all, Qu Hua Shang was a Core Disciple while Gu Ling’er was not; there was a difference between their statuses.
Initially, the Dao Theory Assembly was a plot devised by those Cave Heavens and Paradises. They were ready to let their Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters get married into Yin-Yang Cave Heaven and become a partner of the Core Disciple.
However, a guy named Yang Kai came out of nowhere and forced the Cave Heavens and Paradises to change their strategy, which saved the reputation of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.
Eventually, Yang Kai defeated all other competitors and won first place, which was shocking for everyone.
After the event, he became a household name across the 3,000 Worlds.
The series of changes that took place during the Dao Theory Assembly caught everyone off guard, especially when the Core Disciple of Thousand Crane Disciple, Zhao Xing, was killed. The consequence of it was that his Honoured Master, Zuo Quan Hui partnered with Heavenly Sword Union to launch a war against Void Land.
On the other hand, many of the disciples from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven were grateful to Yang Kai for what he had done during the Dao Theory Assembly. If he hadn’t interfered, Qu Hua Shang would have been forced to marry a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master from one of those great forces.
It would be an intolerable outcome for everyone in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.
In comparison, Yang Kai didn’t come from one of the Cave Heavens and Paradises, nor did he have a powerful background. Furthermore, he only made it to the Fifth-Order when he ascended to the Open Heaven Realm, so his future was dimmer compared to Qu Hua Shang’s. It could be said that he was not an equal match for Qu Hua Shang; however, since he had killed Zhao Xing, it didn’t seem unacceptable to let him become a Yin-Yang Cave Heaven Son-in-Law.
Cultivators always respected the strong.
After the Dao Theory Assembly, Qu Hua Shang had to be confined for 100 years as punishment for her actions.
Now that 100 years had passed, Qu Hua Shang had stepped out of confinement. Nevertheless, Yang Kai still hadn’t shown up at this point. Instead, they heard a lot of strange news from the outside world.
Therefore, when the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, who was in charge of the Star City’s Void Dock, saw Yang Kai, he was surprised and doubtful.
After confirming Yang Kai’s identity, he didn’t make things difficult for him as he told him to get some rest in a room and hurriedly sent a message to the Sect.
Certainly, Yang Kai had seen the surprise and doubt in that person’s eyes. He had a feeling that his visit to Yin-Yang Cave Heaven this time wouldn’t be smooth sailing as he had imagined.
With that said, he was here to meet up with Qu Hua Shang following the 100-year promise. With Xu Ling Gong around, he wouldn’t have to worry about anything as the latter would just solve any problems that were thrown at him.
He had come into contact with quite a number of High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters, including some of the Eighth-Order Ancestors; hence, the mystery and pressure surrounding the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters wouldn’t affect Yang Kai anymore.
Those from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven reacted quickly. One hour after Yang Kai sat down, an elderly man, who was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, personally came over.
Upon opening the door, the elderly man looked smilingly at Yang Kai and nodded, “It’s said that the next generation will always be better than the previous one. It’s when I see young people like you that I realise I’m old.”
Yang Kai quickly saluted him, “Greetings, Martial Uncle. You’re still very strong.”
He was puzzled. Initially, he thought that either Qing Kui or Su Ying Xue would meet him and bring him to Yin-Yang Cave Heaven; however, none of them came to this place. Instead, there was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master that he didn’t know.
Without reading too much into it, Yang Kai asked, “May I ask your name, Senior?”
The elderly man replied with a smile, “My name is Chen Xiu.”
“So it is Martial Uncle Chen.” Yang Kai saluted him again.
“This is not a suitable place to have a talk. Come to the Sect with me.”
“Yes.”
With Chen Xiu leading the way, it was easy for them to enter Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. When Yang Kai visited this place previously, he was told to stay on a certain Spirit Peak. He had also been to Qu Hua Shang’s residence, so he still remembered the route.
However, Chen Xiu didn’t intend to lead him to see Qu Hua Shang or Xu Ling Gong. Instead, he was heading to an unfamiliar Spirit Peak.
Yang Kai looked around with a calm expression.
Apparently, this Spirit Peak was where Chen Xiu cultivated. Upon arriving at the Spirit Peak, they entered a Grand Hall and each took a seat. Soon, an alluring and demure woman entered the hall. With her head hung low, she appeared to be quite bashful. The bit of redness on her cheeks was as beautiful as sunset.
What surprised Yang Kai was that the woman exuded a powerful aura which suggested that she was in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Although her face was alluring, her eyes were as pure as spring water. Her clear eyes reflected everything that she could see. Charm and innocence perfectly integrated into her being, giving her a fascinating attraction.
The woman poured a cup of tea for Chen Xiu before elegantly walking up to Yang Kai.
In an instant, a pleasant fragrance tickled his nose.
“Please have some tea, Senior Brother,” the woman said in a small voice, which sounded as delightful as a silver bell. As she spoke, she took a quick glance at Yang Kai before lowering her gaze.
“Many thanks, Junior Sister.” Yang Kai nodded in response.
The woman started blushing and held the tray in her arms. Then, she strode towards Chen Xiu and stood obediently behind him.
Chen Xiu said with a smile, “She became my Disciple when she was a young child, and has never stepped out of the Sect before. She’s pretty bashful as she has rarely met outsiders. Please don’t laugh at her, Martial Nephew.”
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai replied, “Junior Sister is beautiful and innocent. It’s rare to find anyone with such a temperament in this world.”
When the woman behind Chen Xiu heard his compliment, she hung her head even lower as her chin almost came into contact with her plump chest.
“What happened to you, Martial Nephew?” Chen Xiu didn’t seem to have the intention of talking about his Disciple as he quickly changed the topic.
There was a helpless smile on Yang Kai’s face as he replied, “It’s a long story. After I left Lang Ya Paradise, something happened and held me up for quite some time. Has Senior Sister Qu been released from her confinement, Martial Uncle?”
Chen Xiu nodded, “She was released almost ten years ago, and she had been waiting for you. Unfortunately…”
As he spoke, he shook his head as though he felt sorry for Qu Hua Shang.
A shocked Yang Kai asked, “Did anything happen to Senior Sister?”
Chen Xiu waved his hand, “Not really. It’s just that since you never showed up after she waited for a long time, she decided to cultivate in seclusion. She hasn’t exited even now.”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai set his mind at ease. When he saw Chen Xiu’s expression just now, he thought that something had happened to Qu Hua Shang. Now that he knew she was fine, there was nothing he had to worry about.
“Martial Uncle, where is Martial Uncle Xu? What about Senior Brother Qing Kui and Senior Sister Su Ying Xue? Why don’t I see them?” Yang Kai was curious about this point. He was a Yin-Yang Cave Heaven Son-in-Law on paper. As a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, Chen Xiu naturally had the right to receive him. However, this matter had something to do with Xu Ling Gong, so he should have been the one to show up.
Even if Xu Ling Gong wasn’t in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven at the moment, could Qing Kui and Su Ying Xue be busy as well?
Chen Xiu explained, “Senior Brother Xu and his Disciples were given an important task, so they left the Sect almost 100 years ago.”
Yang Kai was stunned, “100 years ago?”
It had been 100 years since Qu Hua Shang was confined, and Xu Ling Gong had left Yin-Yang Cave Heaven at around the same time. In other words, not long after the Dao Theory Assembly ended, Xu Ling Gong left the Sect with his two Disciples.
After making some calculations, Yang Kai reckoned that the incident happened after the matter regarding the World Tree in the Star Boundary was settled; after all, Xu Ling Gong was still in the Star Boundary at that time as he introduced the powerful cultivators from the Cave Heavens and Paradises to Yang Kai.
Then, he was also the one who helped persuade the higher-ups to let Yang Kai enter the Universe Temples to study the Universe Array.
Yang Kai had the urge to ask what kind of task Xu Ling Gong was given that the latter still hadn’t returned from after 100 years. However, as an outsider, it wasn’t his place to ask about such things. This task must be important and highly confidential; otherwise, they wouldn’t have asked a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like Xu Ling Gong to do it. He had even brought his Disciples with him.
Yang Kai reckoned that if Qu Hua Shang hadn’t been confined, she would have been taken as well.
It was no wonder that he hadn’t seen Xu Ling Gong or any of his Disciples. Upon that realization, he set his mind at ease. Yang Kai was previously nervous as he thought that Xu Ling Gong was displeased with the fact that he hadn’t shown up on time. Perhaps the older man was hiding in the shadows somewhere, just waiting for a chance to hack at him with his sword.
“Martial Uncle, where is Senior Sister Qu now? I’d like to see her. Can you tell me?” Yang Kai asked politely.
Yang Kai found the issue to be thorny as Xu Ling Gong and his Disciples were not in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. Other than Xu Ling Gong and his disciples, he basically knew no one else in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.
With that said, the other issue he was worried about could be dealt with at a later time.
He was a Yin-Yang Cave Heaven Son-in-Law, so he supposedly had to get married into the Sect. Nevertheless, he naturally wouldn’t agree to this. It wouldn’t have mattered if he were on his own; however, he was the leader of Void Land and High Heaven Pavilion. He was tangled up in many issues, so it was unrealistic for him to get married into Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.
On the other hand, Qu Hua Shang was a Core Disciple of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, so there was no way they would let her go.
Initially, Yang Kai planned on having a discussion with Xu Ling Gong so that they could come up with a solution that was acceptable for both parties.
He had the intention to offer some compensation to Yin-Yang Cave Heaven since he had obtained immense rewards from the Chaotic Dead Territory. Just by taking out a small part of it he would be able to tempt the leaders of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven to let Qu Hua Shang go.
However, since Xu Ling Gong wasn’t around, there was no one he could talk to about this issue. Having said that, this matter could be delayed for now.
Open Heaven Realm Masters enjoyed a very long life, so the matter between Qu Hua Shang and him didn’t have to be dealt with immediately.
Regardless, he had to meet Qu Hua Shang and find out what was on her mind. If she was willing to leave with him, he wouldn’t mind paying a hefty price for it. Nonetheless, if she wasn’t willing to do so, he wouldn’t force her.
Upon hearing this question though, Chen Xiu appeared hesitant, “There has not been any news about Martial Niece Qu since she started cultivating in seclusion, so it won’t be easy to see her. I’m sure you’re aware that a cultivator is most wary of external disturbance when he or she is cultivating in retreat. If that happens at a critical moment, they will suffer from cultivation dissonance. Or worse, lose their life.”
Yang Kai nodded as he was fully aware of this truth; thus, he cupped his fist and said, “Please tell me where she is, Martial Uncle. I’ll not disturb her as I’ll just wait outside. There will come a day when she steps out of it.”
After pondering on it with a frown, Chen Xiu nodded, “Good. Before Senior Brother Xu left, he told me to help handle the matter between you two. Since you’re here, there’s no way I’ll sit back and do nothing. I can gather some information on your behalf, but you mustn’t be overly anxious about it. Martial Niece Qu is now a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so it’s normal that she might spend decades in seclusion. During this period of time, you can just stay here. I’ll come to you if there’s any news.”
“Many thanks, Martial Uncle.” Yang Kai expressed his gratitude.
All of a sudden, Chen Xiu grabbed the Elder Token on his waist and probe it in silence for a while before rising from the chair, “Something has happened in the Sect. I have to take my leave now.”
He then turned to his Disciple, “Wan’er, you have to take good care of your Senior Brother Yang.”
The woman replied respectfully, “Yes.”
Following that, Chen Xiu flashed an apologetic smile at Yang Kai, “Martial Nephew, please wait here for a few days. I’ll inform you if there’s any news.”
Upon finishing his words, he strode out of the hall.
Presently, only Yang Kai and the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master named Wan’er were left in the Grand Hall. Just now, she had been hiding behind Chen Xiu. When Chen Xiu spoke to Yang Kai, she was too bashful to even lift her head.
The situation exacerbated since only the two of them were left now. Her face was as red as blood while she clenched the tray in her arms as though she was trying to seek a sense of security.
Yang Kai looked up at her and happened to see her stealing a glance at him. As their eyes met, the woman quickly looked away as though she was a frightened little animal. She appeared to be on pins and needles.
There was a helpless smile on Yang Kai’s face when he saw her behaving like this. If she wasn’t pretending, she must be very naïve and innocent. However, Yang Kai couldn’t see any traces of pretence, so he reckoned that the woman was indeed just sheepish.
“You are Junior Sister Wan’er, right?” Yang Kai asked in a gentle voice as he was worried that he would shock her if he spoke any louder.
With her head hung low, the woman nodded and replied in a small voice, “Tao Ling Wan…”
Yang Kai reckoned that it was her name; thus, he got up and said, “Please get me a room to stay, Junior Sister.”
Tao Ling Wan seemed to be in a dazed state and she didn’t seem to hear him. It wasn’t until Yang Kai repeated his words that she anxiously walked out of the hall, “P-Please come with me, Senior Brother.”
After a nod, Yang Kai followed her in a relaxed manner as he kept a distance of ten steps behind her.
The pleasant scent coming from the woman was like countless gentle hands that were tickling his heart.
Soon, they arrived at a room. Tao Ling Wan’s head remained low as she pushed the door open and stepped aside, “How do you find this room, Senior Brother?”
Yang Kai didn’t have any demands when it came to the room he had to stay in as he was just waiting for news from Chen Xiu, so he nodded, “Many thanks, Junior Sister.”
Upon entering the room, he realised that the place was small and there were barely any decorations. He then closed the door and took a seat.
He was surprised by the information he had heard from Chen Xiu on this day. It had been 100 years since Xu Ling Gong and his Disciples left Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. He wondered what kind of task they were assigned.
On the other hand, Qu Hua Shang started cultivating in seclusion several years ago. Was she furious at the fact that Yang Kai didn’t show up on time? He felt somewhat apprehensive. Although it was because he had been held up in the Chaotic Dead Territory, that was ultimately his own fault.
If not for his curiosity, he wouldn’t have followed the Giant Spirit God and barged into the Chaotic Dead Territory. He could have just returned to High Heaven Territory after leaving Lang Ya Paradise. In that case, he would have ample time to head to Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.
He reckoned that he had to sincerely apologise to Qu Hua Shang when they met again.
Fortunately, Qu Hua Shang wasn’t a small-minded woman, so he believed that she would understand after he explained everything to her.
While he was lost in his thoughts, Yang Kai suddenly furrowed his brow.
After rising from the chair, he opened the door and looked out, “Why are you still here, Junior Sister?”
Just now, he could sense that Tao Ling Wan never moved away from the door. Even the tray was still firmly held in her arms.
“Is there anything you need to tell me?” Yang Kai asked with concern.
Tao Ling Wan quickly shook her head, “Nothing. It’s just that Honoured Master has told me to take good care of you.”
Yang Kai burst into laughter, “There’s no need for that. Just do your own things. I’m fine with being alone.”
With her head hung low, Tao Ling Wan said in a small voice, “It’s an order from Honoured Master.”
Yang Kai didn’t know what to say. After giving it a thought, he said, “Junior Sister, why don’t you get some rest first? I’ll call out to you if I need anything.”
Tao Ling Wan didn’t say anything, nor did she take any action.
It seemed that Yang Kai was unable to reason with her. He had no idea whether Chen Xiu had told her anything or it was just her nature.
However, it wasn’t like he could let her keep standing outside the room. She wasn’t a maidservant but a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
If the others from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven saw that Tao Ling Wan was standing outside his room as though she was ready to serve him, they would definitely chastise him.
Yang Kai had learned just how influential a popular woman was to the Fellow Brothers of the same Sect while he was in Lang Ya Paradise.
Although Tao Ling Wan was bashful, she was strong and charming. It was expected that she was popular in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.
He then persuaded her for a bit, but she never replied to him. Faced with his persuasion, she only kept shaking her head.
This was giving Yang Kai a headache as he had never expected that Chen Xiu would leave behind such a difficult problem.
After giving it a thought, he walked out of the room, “I’ll take a stroll. Please tend to your own business, Junior Sister.”
Without waiting for her response, he directly left.
Instead of doing her own things though, Tao Ling Wan followed him, keeping a distance of several dozen metres. It was as though she was a maid who was ready to serve him at any moment.
The situation had only exacerbated. If those from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven saw it, they would definitely misunderstand him; hence, Yang Kai only walked around for a bit before returning to his room. Seeing that Tao Ling Wan stood obediently by the door again, he decided to just ignore her.
After closing the door, he started cultivating.
He could feel that he was just a step away from the Seventh-Order; in fact, if not for the 100 year promise with Qu Hua Shang, he would have started cultivating in seclusion in an attempt to break through to the Seventh-Order.
However, just by looking at the Proprietress’ situation, Yang Kai knew that he couldn’t make it to the Seventh-Order in a short time. It had been over 100 years since she started cultivating in seclusion, but she hadn’t managed to achieve an ascension yet.
Therefore, he decided to settle the issue in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven before attempting to break through to the Seventh-Order.
With that said, even though Yang Kai had rarely cultivated in retreat over the years, his heritage continued to grow due to the uniqueness of his Small Universe.
Furthermore, with the help of Xu Yi, who cultivated the Great Nothingness Scripture, the flow of time in his Small Universe was now four times faster than the outside world. As a result, the growth of his heritage had also accelerated.
Nevertheless, he had spent quite some effort to nurture more stalks of Profound Yin Bamboo, which required the consumption of the World Force in his Small Universe. If not for this, he would have reached the threshold of the Seventh-Order sooner.
For the next half a month, there was no news from Chen Xiu at all, which made Yang Kai feel doubtful.
Before Chen Xiu left, he had said that he would help gather some information for him. A long time had passed, so he had should have finished such a simple task; after all, he was the Inner Elder of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.
Moreover, Qu Hua Shang was cultivating in seclusion, so it shouldn’t be hard to find out her whereabouts.
Hence, Yang Kai felt uneasy at the fact that Chen Xiu hadn’t shown up for a long time.
One day, when Yang Kai was cultivating, he suddenly heard someone groaning outside the room. The voice sounded suppressed and awkward.
At that, Yang Kai furrowed his brow.
Tao Ling Wan had been standing outside the room, so there was no doubt that it was this sheepish woman who made the noise. Over the past half a month, just like a piece of wood, she had never made a noise or moved one step. Yang Kai felt guilty for that, but there was nothing he could do since she wouldn’t listen to him.
At this moment, something seemed to have happened to her.
Yang Kai listened attentively, but he could no longer hear anything. Just when he was about to use his Divine Sense to check the situation, he suddenly heard a thud, as though something had fallen to the ground.
He quickly got up and dashed towards the door. Upon opening it, he saw Tao Ling Wan curling up on the ground and shivering. Cold air could be seen billowing from her body as it froze the walls and ground around her.
Besides that, the aura coming from her body was clearly unstable.
[She’s suffering from cultivation dissonance!] Yang Kai was flabbergasted.
He couldn’t figure out why this woman was suffering from cultivation dissonance all of a sudden. Recently, she had only been standing outside his room. Yang Kai had never detected her cultivating, so this shouldn’t have happened.
Furthermore, she was now a powerful Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so why would such a thing even happen to her?
Could it be a hidden health concern she was left with when she just started out cultivating in the past?
Without any delay, Yang Kai crouched down and lifted her up. In an instant, he could feel that the woman was cold all over, as though he was carrying an ice block. On the other hand, her figure remained soft and supple, which gave off a contradictory feeling.
Upon feeling the man’s warmth, Tao Ling Wan, who was usually bashful, stuck closer to Yang Kai as though she was trying to merge with him in an attempt to seek his warmth.
Her actions made Yang Kai feel uneasy, so he quickly walked up to the bed and tried to set her down, but he was unable to do that because she had wrapped her arms around his neck and clung on to him like an octopus.
“Junior Sister Tao! Junior Sister Tao!” Yang Kai anxiously called out to her. It wasn’t certain whether Tao Ling Wan had heard him, but she opened her eyes and looked at him with a seductive gaze.
Yang Kai was most familiar with this kind of gaze, which suggested that this woman wanted to bed him. The enchantress Shan Qing Luo and the Charm Demon Yu Ru Meng would always seduce him in such a way.
He immediately realised that something was off.
Without any time to ponder on it, he apologised to her and pressed his palm against her forehead. The next moment, he activated the power of his Small Universe in an attempt to help restore the chaos in her body to order.
This was the most common way of assisting someone experiencing cultivation dissonance, and Yang Kai couldn’t think of anything else to do to help. Moreover, he wasn’t sure about what kind of Secret Art Tao Ling Wan had cultivated, so he was unable to give her the exact treatment she needed.
He was only doing all he could to help her, but it was up to the Heavens to decide whether she would recover. From the looks of it, she hadn’t completely lost her mind as she was seemingly trying to deal with the danger that came with cultivation dissonance.
Surprisingly, the treatment was working.
Yang Kai could feel that the power of his Small Universe could be perfectly absorbed by Tao Ling Wan, without a hint of conflict at all.
This revelation astounded him.
It had to be noted that the Dao every Open Heaven Realm Master was good at was different, so the powers of their Small Universes were never the same. He and Tao Ling Wan had cultivated Secret Arts that were not connected in any way, and they grew up in vastly different environments. Supposedly, even if there were no conflicts between the powers of their Small Universes, they wouldn’t have been perfectly matched.
Nevertheless, such a thing had actually happened.
Tao Ling Wan’s Small Universe had accepted his power without any repulsion. As time passed, she stopped shivering as her body regained some warmth.
It wasn’t until half a day later that Yang Kai retracted his hand.
At this moment, Tao Ling Wan was seated in front of him while breathing stably. Her face was slightly red, and her long eyelashes fluttered.
There was no doubt that she was fully conscious. Previously, she would start blushing just by taking a glance at Yang Kai, but after what she had done following the cultivation dissonance, it seemed she didn’t even have the nerve to open her eyes.
She could feel Yang Kai examining her, so she started trembling again as her face turned as red as blood.
After measuring his words, Yang Kai said, “If you feel any discomfort, you can tell me about it. If everything is well now, you don’t have to say anything.”
Tao Ling Wan remained silent.
Upon getting her hint, Yang Kai nodded, “In that case, you can get some rest here, and I’ll go to another room. Just call out to me if there’s anything you need help with.”
There was a room just beside this one. Previously, Yang Kai told her to stay in that room and stop standing outside his door, but she refused.
Now, Yang Kai had to stay in that room.
However, before he could make a move, he felt two powerful auras approaching from the distance. Upon sensing who they were, he became elated.
That was because he knew both of them. One of them was Chen Xiu, who hadn’t shown up for half a month now. It wasn’t surprising that he was coming, but the other one was Yu Xiang Die.
After Xu Ling Gong and his two older Disciples left the Star Boundary, Yin-Yang Cave Heaven sent Yu Xiang Die to be stationed in the Star Boundary. Yang Kai had frequently come into contact with her, and they had previously worked on the Lang Ya Paradise issue together.
It could be said that Yu Xiang Die had taken good care of him.
Yang Kai had never expected that she was in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven as he thought that she was still in the Star Boundary.
While he was lost in his thoughts, he suddenly heard Chen Xiu say, “What are you doing, Junior Sister? Why did you come here without informing me? If you had told me earlier, I could have prepared a welcome party for you.”
Yu Xiang Die snorted, “Do you think I have no idea what you’re up to? Where’s Yang Kai? Brat, get out here now!”
Yang Kai, who was initially joyful, shrank his neck upon hearing that. He had no idea how he offended Yu Xiang Die that she suddenly became so aggressive towards him.
Certainly, he didn’t dare to be negligent. Chen Xiu didn’t seem like a reliable person. Other than telling a Sixth-Order female disciple to serve Yang Kai, he hadn’t even come back with any information after half a month. Since Yu Xiang Die was here, Yang Kai naturally had to see her.
Before Yang Kai could even respond though, Yu Xiang Die scanned the Spirit Peak with her Divine Sense and instantly found him. The next moment, a figure abruptly appeared in front of his room.
“Martial Aunt Yu,” Yang Kai saluted her.
When he was in the Star Boundary, he was the Great Emperor of the Universe World who was in control of the World Tree, thus allowing him to be on an equal footing with the envoys from the Cave Heavens and Paradises. However, in this place, he was just a Junior.
Yu Xiang Die nodded firmly, but when she caught a glimpse of Tao Ling Wan, who was seated cross-legged on the bed, her expressions changed drastically and she questioned, “W-What did the two of you do?”
An embarrassed Yang Kai quickly explained, “Don’t get us wrong, Martial Aunt Yu. Just now, Junior Sister Tao suddenly suffered from cultivation dissonance for some reason, so I just assisted her. Whatever it was, I was fortunately able to be of some use to Junior Sister Tao. We didn’t do anything else.”
Upon hearing that, Yu Xiang Die’s jaw dropped for a time before letting out an exasperated sigh, “What a disaster!”
Her expression seemed to suggest that Yang Kai had done something terribly wrong, which made his heart skip a beat, “What are you trying to say, Martial Aunt? We really didn’t do anything.”
Just then, Chen Xiu finally arrived. While standing outside the room, he took a glance inside and put on a smile, as though everything was going according to his plan.
Yu Xiang Die turned and glared at him, “Are you happy now?”
Chen Xiu shook his head, “What are you talking about, Junior Sister? I don’t understand.”
Yu Xiang Die delivered a swift kick, but the well-prepared Chen Xiu easily dodged it.
“What are you doing, Junior Sister?” Chen Xiu asked in shock.
Yu Xiang Die said through clenched teeth, “Despicable!”
Upon finishing her words, she ignored Chen Xiu entirely and glowered at Yang Kai before shouting, “Come with me!”
Chen Xiu didn’t intend to stop Yang Kai from leaving with Yu Xiang Die. He only gazed at Yang Kai with a meaningful smile as they departed.
Yang Kai had no idea why Yu Xiang Die was furious, but he wouldn’t dare to ask her about it as he followed her in silence. One hour later, they arrived at a different Spirit Peak.
He realised that the view around him looked familiar. After looking around, he recalled that he had been somewhere near this place before.
Xu Ling Gong’s Spirit Peak was in a nearby place. It seemed that he and Yu Xiang Die were neighbours.
There were many people on the Spirit Peak who should be Yu Xiang Die’s Disciples. She was an Inner Elder of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, so she had the right to take on Disciples. Upon seeing her, all of them saluted her in a respectful manner. Yang Kai, who was behind her, grew curious.
Without looking at these Disciples, Yu Xiang Die directly passed through them in a manner that befitted her status as the leader of the Spirit Peak.
These Disciples wouldn’t dare to say anything. Yu Xiang Die was usually a mild-tempered person who wouldn’t put on airs and would respond to any disciple who said hello to her in normal times. Something seemed to have happened on this day as she sported a cold expression. That was the reason they were anxious.
Soon, they arrived at a room as Yu Xiang Die turned around and ordered, “Stay here for a few days. I need to gather some information.”
Yang Kai nodded without hesitation, “Yes.”
Yu Xiang Die glared at him before turning to leave, but she soon turned back and ordered, “Other than me, don’t meet anyone who comes to see you!”
[What’s going on here?] Yang Kai was puzzled. His experience in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven this time was very different from what he had imagined. First of all, he hadn’t even had the chance to meet Xu Ling Gong or Qu Hua Shang. Then, he was brought to Chen Xiu’s place and stayed there for half a month. Following that, Yu Xiang Die stormed in while feeling furious.
He had only lent Tao Ling Wan a hand when she was suffering from cultivation dissonance, which shouldn’t be a big deal. Given the situation, he couldn’t have turned a blind eye to her suffering.
Yang Kai suspected that Yu Xiang Die had misunderstood something, but he had already explained it clearly to her.
Previously, after Chen Xiu said that he had to gather some information, he went missing for half a month. Now, Yu Xiang Die has said the same thing. Yang Kai wondered what kind of information she had to find out; however, since she was infuriated at the time, he didn’t dare to say anything and simply agreed to her demands.
For the next three days, Yu Xiang Die didn’t show up.
It wasn’t until the fourth day that she appeared in front of Yang Kai.
“Martial Aunt Yu,” Yang Kai saluted her respectfully.
There was a conflicted expression on Yu Xiang Die’s face as she gazed at him. Her eyes seemed to suggest that she was heartbroken for what had happened with a hint of disgruntlement towards him.
A moment later, she let out a long sigh and extended her hand, “Have a seat.”
Yang Kai bowed his head. After she was seated, he did the same and waited for her to speak.
Then, Yu Xiang Die fell silent for quite some time. Just when Yang Kai was running out of patience, she suddenly asked, “How do you find Wan’er?”
“Wan’er?” Yang Kai looked doubtfully at her, then came to his senses, “Are you talking about Junior Sister Tao Ling Wan? She’s a kind-hearted and innocent person. It’s just that… she can be a little obstinate.”
Yu Xiang Die glowered at him, “I didn’t tell you to remark on her temperament.”
A stunned Yang Kai asked, “What do you want me to say, then?”
Cutting to the chase, Yu Xiang Die asked, “Do you love her?”
Yang Kai burst into laughter, “It’s only been a short time since we first met, and we have rarely spoken to one another. Why would I even have any feelings for her? Moreover, you know the reason I’m here…”
Before he could finish his words, Yu Xiang Die cut him off by raising her hand, “But Wan’er loves you!”
A dumbfounded Yang Kai asked, “Are you pulling my leg, Martial Aunt?”
Yu Xiang Die stared seriously at him, “Moreover, it has come to a point where she’ll can no longer love any other man in her lifetime.”
Yang Kai increasingly felt that she was just messing with him. Just like what he had said, it had only been a short time since he and Tao Ling Wan first met, and they had rarely talked to each other. Why would they even have any feelings for each other?
Even if she had really fallen in love with Yang Kai due to her inexperience in worldly affairs after Yang Kai lent her a hand while she was suffering from cultivation dissonance, it couldn’t have come to a point where she would no longer love any other man in her lifetime.
They hadn’t kept each other company for any significant period of time, nor had they experienced any life-or-death moments together. Why would she even develop such deep feelings for him?
However, Yu Xiang Die didn’t seem like she was pulling a prank. Following another sigh, she said slowly, “There are two major factions for the disciples in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. One of them is the Heartless Dao while the other is Heartfelt Dao. Although there are two different factions, they lead to the same goal.”
Yang Kai had no idea why she suddenly changed the topic, but he still listened attentively. He had heard Qu Hua Shang mention the Heartless Dao and Heartfelt Dao before. The Heartless Dao was the one she had cultivated. At that time, she had to fall in love with Yang Kai and then cut off those emotions to achieve a breakthrough and make it to the Open Heaven Realm.
Certainly, he didn’t understand the secrets behind this, nor did he know anything about Heartfelt Dao.
“Wan’er has cultivated Heartfelt Dao. You’ve come into contact with her before, so I’m sure you can feel that she’s bashful and timid.”
Yang Kai nodded.
Yu Xiang Die explained, “That is not a pretense. It’s mostly because of the Secret Art’s influence, and a small part of it is due to her natural temperament. She is inexperienced and as pure as a piece of white paper because of the Secret Art she has cultivated.”
“It’s hard to find women like her nowadays,” Yang Kai remarked. Tao Ling Wan was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master after all. She must have cultivated for a long time to achieve her current cultivation, but she remained pure and innocent.
Only the Cave Heavens and Paradises had the capital to nurture disciples like her. The Open Heaven Realm Masters of most ordinary Sects had experienced a lot of hardship during their cultivation journey. Such Masters were often the pillars of their Sects who carried great burdens on their shoulders, so they didn’t have the right to be innocent.
“But now…” Yu Xiang Die shot him a glare, “This piece of white paper has been marked with your brand!”
An aggrieved Yang Kai refuted, “Martial Aunt Yu, there was really nothing that happened between Junior Sister Tao and me. I only lent her a hand when she suffered from cultivation dissonance. If you don’t believe me, you can ask her about it.”
Yu Xiang Die slowly shook her head, “I know you’re telling the truth. Nothing more than what you said happened between the two of you. The problem is that you assisted her in the first place.”
A speechless Yang Kai said, “Are you saying that I shouldn’t have helped her? Should I have just watched her suffer and die?”
“She wouldn’t die. Even if you hadn’t helped her, she would have stabilized her condition on her own. Moreover, this isn’t the first time she has experienced such an incident. I also went through such episodes in the past.”
Yang Kai became dumbfounded for a while before asking, “Have you cultivated Heartfelt Dao as well, Martial Aunt?”
Yu Xiang Die nodded gently.
Although Yang Kai was still doubtful, he had somewhat figured out what had happened. Yu Xiang Die said that the white sheet had been left with his brand, and that Tao Ling Wan would never fall in love with another man in her lifetime. He reckoned that it had something to do with the Heartfelt Dao and the fact that he had helped her when she was suffering from cultivation dissonance.
After straightening his face, Yang Kai said, “Please enlighten me, Martial Aunt.”
Yu Xiang Die was pleased with his attitude. After measuring her words, she replied, “The Heartless Dao and Heartfelt Dao are two major factions of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven that have been existent since time immemorial. Although there is some competition between the two, we generally coexist harmoniously. With that said, we obviously have different cultivation methods from each other. I’m sure Qu’er has told you that she has cultivated the Heartless Dao. Only by falling in love and then cutting off that love could she ascend to the Open Heaven Realm.”
Yang Kai nodded his head as he was aware of this; after all, Qu Hua Shang didn’t hide anything from him.
“As for the Heartfelt Dao… we don’t have to go to such lengths to make it to the Open Heaven Realm. Cultivators of this Dao won’t face any difficulty when ascending to the Open Heaven Realm. The problem starts when we want to ascend to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. Cultivators of the Heartfelt Dao have to look for suitable partners when they are in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm and obtain their Yin Qi or Yang Qi. Only when Yin and Yang are merged can they achieve completion and break through to the Seventh-Order. At the same time, their Small Universes would also materialise. However, before that, the more powerful a cultivator of the Heartfelt Dao is, the more hidden concerns she would be left with. I’m sure you understand that Yin or Yang cannot grow on their own, so these hidden concerns break out from time to time.”
“Cultivation dissonance!” Yang Kai finally understood what had happened.
Yu Xiang Die nodded, “Yes, cultivation dissonance, but different from ordinary cultivation dissonance. While the two look similar on the surface, even without any external aid, one who had cultivated the Heartfelt Dao can overcome these episodes with enough focus and effort. That wasn’t the first time Wan’er suffered from ‘cultivation dissonance’, but no one ever helped her in the past.”
An embarrassed Yang Kai scratched his head awkwardly, “I had no idea. She was suddenly struck with cultivation dissonance, so I just tried to…”
Yu Xiang Die sighed, “It’s not your fault. Any conscientious person wouldn’t have turned a blind eye to it in that situation, but that was where you made a mistake. Did you feel anything strange when you were helping her?”
Yang Kai nodded, “My strength perfectly merged with hers.”
“That’s the uniqueness of the Heartfelt Dao,” Yu Xiang Die explained, “She can perfectly accept the first power from the opposite sex and merge with it, thus becoming the life companion of that man.”
Yang Kai was dumbfounded as he asked, “Martial Aunt, didn’t you say a cultivator of Heartfelt Dao has to look for a partner?”
Yu Xiang Die replied, “There are two ways of selecting a partner. One of them is to fall in love. If Wan’er had really fallen in love with anyone, that would be her choice. The other way is to merge her power with another party. This way is more forceful and dominating. One might fall out of love with their partner, but since their strength has already merged, it can never be untangled. Many disciples of Heartfelt Dao are unable to bear the pain of the cultivation dissonance, so they look for their partners using this method.”
There was an awkward expression on Yang Kai’s face, “Martial Aunt, are you saying that Junior Sister Tao and I…”
With a solemn expression, Yu Xiang Die nodded, “You are now the only man she can have in her life. Just like what I’ve said, she has been left with your brand. Other than you, she will never love anyone else.”
“No way!” Yang Kai quickly waved his hands, “You know what I came to Yin-Yang Cave Heaven for. I didn’t have a choice when I helped Junior Sister Tao. Moreover, we know nothing about each other, so how can we suddenly become a couple?”
“I’m afraid it’s not up to you to decide.” Yu Xiang Die slowly shook her head, “Although Wan’er is not a Core Disciple of the Sect, she has the highest hope of ascending to the Seventh-Order in the last hundreds of years. Without your help, her Martial Dao would end at the peak of the Sixth-Order.”
Yang Kai had never expected that his attempt to help someone would end up causing such a big problem.
He reckoned that the Secret Arts of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven were indeed abstruse.
If it was just like what Yu Xiang Die had said, Tao Ling Wan would never be able to accept another man’s Yang Qi as her Small Universe had absorbed Yang Kai’s strength. In that case, without Yang Kai’s help, she would never be able to make it to the Seventh-Order in her lifetime.
It wasn’t something those from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven wanted to see. A Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was valuable to every Cave Heaven or Paradise. Tao Ling Wan had high hopes of ascending to the Seventh-Order. If her future was ruined by Yang Kai, those from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven wouldn’t let him off.
Yang Kai felt helpless while his mind was a mess.
It had only been a short time since he and Tao Ling Wan first met, and they had barely even spoken to each other. However, if her future was destroyed because of him, he would feel guilty.
Nevertheless, he couldn’t bring himself to simply accept her. He had come all the way to this place for Qu Hua Shang. It wasn’t the right thing to do if he was tangled up with another woman while he hadn’t even met Qu Hua Shang.
“Chen Xiu!” Yang Kai suddenly cursed. He was puzzled previously, but upon hearing Yu Xiang Die’s explanation, he seemed to have realised something, “It was Chen Xiu’s doing, right?”
Tao Ling Wan was Chen Xiu’s Disciple, so he must be fully aware of her situation. Perhaps he knew that Tao Ling Wan would be struck with cultivation dissonance soon at that time, so he insisted on making her serve Yang Kai. After that, he went missing for half a month.
On the other hand, he never told Yang Kai anything.
Chen Xiu knew that once Tao Ling Wan suffered from cultivation dissonance in front of Yang Kai, the latter wouldn’t turn a blind eye to it. The moment Yang Kai decided to help, he would fall into the trap.
This probably wasn’t a well-thought-out plan; after all, Chen Xiu had no idea when Yang Kai would visit Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, so he had most likely improvised it.
When Yang Kai arrived, it just so happened that Tao Ling Wan would be struck with cultivation dissonance soon.
Yu Xiang Die parted her lips for a moment before letting out a sigh, “You’ve figured it out, after all.”
With a frown, Yang Kai asked, “But, why?”
Regardless, Tao Ling Wan was a powerful Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who was also strikingly beautiful. If such a beautiful woman got together with Yang Kai, outsiders would think that he had found a partner that was out of his league.
However, Yang Kai couldn’t figure out Chen Xiu’s intention for doing this. It wasn’t like he didn’t know that Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang were engaged.
The titles of Yang Kai, which included Star Boundary Great Emperor and Void Land’s Lord, were probably not prestigious enough to make him sacrifice a Legacy Disciple just to establish a connection.
“It’s for Qu’er!” Yu Xiang Die replied.
“What do you mean?” Yang Kai became even more doubtful.
Yu Xiang Die explained, “100 years ago, you won first place in the Dao Theory Assembly and became engaged with Qu’er. Supposedly, you should have come to Yin-Yang Cave Heaven a few years ago.”
Yang Kai nodded, “That was my plan, but I was held up by something.”
“It was the Chaotic Dead Territory, right?” Yu Xiang Die asked.
Yang Kai was shocked, “How do you know?”
“The Ancestor who is responsible for monitoring the Chaotic Dead Territory is from Luo Sheng Cave Heaven. When he saw that you entered the Chaotic Dead Territory alongside the Giant Spirit God, he asked around to find out about your identity. That was how all Cave Heavens and Paradises knew that you had entered the Chaotic Dead Territory.”
Yang Kai nodded gently. The appearance of a Giant Spirit God and someone entering the Chaotic Dead Territory were both major events. Since the Ancestor from Luo Sheng Cave Heaven had seen it, he would definitely inform everyone about it. The Cave Heavens and Paradises naturally had channels to communicate with each other; hence, it wasn’t a secret that Yang Kai had barged into the Chaotic Dead Territory alongside the Giant Spirit God.
“The Chaotic Dead Territory is a dangerous place. Even the Eighth-Order Ancestor from Luo Sheng Cave Heaven could only stay in the periphery for a short moment before having to retreat. What do you think the outsiders would speculate when you had gone missing for decades?” Yu Xiang Die stared at him and asked.
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai replied, “They must have believed that I was dead.”
Yu Xiang Die nodded, “Exactly. In fact, I just came back from the Star Boundary not long ago. I was also shocked when I heard that you had entered the Chaotic Dead Territory back then. I too believed that you were killed; however, when I asked the Head Manager of High Heaven Pavilion, she firmly declared that you were fine. If I hadn’t seen you with my bare eyes this time, I wouldn’t have believed it.”
At that time, she was puzzled by Hua Qing Si’s confidence. No one could survive after entering the Chaotic Dead Territory, but Hua Qing Si told her to rest assured and said that her Sect Master must be fine. As for when he would leave the Chaotic Dead Territory, she didn’t have a clue either.
Yu Xiang Die didn’t probe her further. Since Hua Qing Si had said so, she chose to believe her.
When she returned to Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, she really met Yang Kai.
While Yu Xiang Die didn’t understand the reason behind it, Yang Kai knew why Hua Qing Si was so certain.
That was because he had the Loyalty List which had nine names written in it. The life or death of those nine hinged on Yang Kai. If something happened to him, Mao Zhe and the others would instantly lose their lives as well.
Since Mao Zhe and the others were still alive and kicking, it meant that Yang Kai was fine.
“But others wouldn’t think of it this way. All the Cave Heavens and Paradises believed that you were dead. This speculation was further verified since you didn’t show up after the 100 year promise was due.”
Yang Kai appeared worried, “Did Senior Sister Qu enter seclusion because of this?”
“Yes.” Yu Xiang Die nodded, “If you were still alive and had come to this place on time, those from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven wouldn’t have gone back on their word. You would still be a Son-in-Law of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. However, since you were thought to be dead, the engagement became invalid as well. Qu’er is one of the Sect’s Core Disciples who has a bright future after all. Given the uniqueness of the Secret Art she has cultivated, those from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven decided to look for a partner for her.”
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes and asked calmly, “What did Senior Sister Qu think about the idea?”
Yu Xiang Die shook her head, “She naturally refused. It was because of this that she decided to cultivate in seclusion. Out of sight, out of mind. At the same time, she wanted to wait for you to appear.”
Yang Kai fell silent, thinking that he didn’t deserve Qu Hua Shang’s trust. If he had simply come on time, all this wouldn’t have happened.
“Qu’er’s stance was firm; however, since she is a Core Disciple, the Sect has the right to interfere in her affairs. She can’t change anything on her own. If Brother Xu were still around, he could have put in a word for her; however, since he’s gone, Qu’er was all by herself while I was far away in the Star Boundary. There was no one in the Sect who could speak up for her. She had tried her best by choosing to cultivate in seclusion to avoid this problem.”
“So… who is the partner that your noble Sect has selected for Senior Sister Qu?”
Yu Xiang Die shot him a glance, “Qu’er is a Core Disciple who has the hope to ascend to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm one day and become an Ancestor. There are not many people in the Sect who are a match for her. First of all, his aptitude must be similar, and his seniority comes next. With that said, there is a suitable person. He is Chen Xiu’s Disciple as well as Tao Ling Wan’s Junior Brother, Feng Cheng Si. He was the most recent Core Disciple before Qu’er who had directly ascended to the Sixth-Order. Although he’s much older than Qu’er, they are of the same seniority. In fact, the Sect’s Managers initially wanted Qu’er and Feng Cheng Si to get together. However, since she had violated the taboo, they had no choice but to hold the Dao Theory Assembly.”
Yang Kai frowned in puzzlement, “According to you, Feng Cheng Si is Chen Xiu’s Disciple, so why would he set me up to help Junior Sister Tao Ling Wan resolve her cultivation dissonance? He wouldn’t gain any benefits out of it, nor would it be beneficial to Junior Sister Tao.”
It would be terrible if they had to be tied up for life because of this as it had only been a short time since they first met. It probably wasn’t Tao Ling Wan’s intention either. She was just forced to obey her Master.
“He wouldn’t get any benefits out of it, but his plan could perfectly resolve the embarrassing situation that Yin-Yang Cave Heaven is facing,” Yu Xiang Die explained, “Although I don’t agree with what he’s done, and I think that he’s too short-sighted, there’s no doubt that he’s doing it to protect the Sect’s interests. I hope you’ll understand that he didn’t have any ill intentions against you.”
Yang Kai nodded.
Yu Xiang Die went on to say, “Those from the Sect thought you were dead, so they had designated a partner for Qu’er; however, with you being alive now, the Sect would have to go back on their word. That’s the embarrassing situation the Sect is facing.”
Yang Kai could somewhat understand it. Following her explanation, he deduced, “So, Chen Xiu thought of a way to resolve this conundrum, which is to pair me with his Disciple as a form of compensation. He would probably force me to give up the engagement as well. In that case, Yin-Yang Cave Heaven could get away with it, and outsiders couldn’t blame your Sect.”
Yu Xiang Die nodded, “Yes, that’s exactly his plan. Strictly speaking, Wan’er is not bad. It’s just that her aptitude is not comparable to Qu’er’s. If you’re happy with her, it will be a win-win situation. Do not think that just anyone can make Chen Xiu sacrifice his Legacy Disciple. If not for your amazing achievements over the years, he wouldn’t have the heart to use Wan’er to set you up. Back then, Wan’er directly ascended to the Fifth-Order, and her cultivation journey has been smooth sailing over the years. If nothing unexpected happens, she’ll make it to the Seventh-Order within a few hundred years. You directly ascended to the Fifth-Order as well, so outsiders would think that you and Wan’er are a perfect match. On the other hand, Qu’er would be out of your league.”
Yang Kai fell silent for a while before letting out a sigh, “Junior Sister Tao has sacrificed the most in this matter.”
Yu Xiang Die sighed, “She must have thought of it when she decided to obey her Master. Although she’s innocent, she’s not a fool. No fool can ever attain her achievements. Since she didn’t reject it, it means that she’s at least fond of you.”
Yang Kai shook his head, “But it’s different from becoming partners for life.”
“It’s indeed an embarrassing situation for Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, and it’s the same case for you. So, I have to ask you seriously. Are you willing to accept Tao Ling Wan and give up on Qu Hua Shang? In that case, everyone will be happy.”
“Everyone will be happy?” Yang Kai snorted, “I don’t think so. Has anyone asked what Senior Sister Qu thinks about it? What is really on Junior Sister Tao’s mind? What’s my stance on this matter? No one has bothered to ask. Only those from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven will be happy with this!”
Yu Xiang Die breathed a sigh of relief, “Good. Those from the Sect told me to ask you about it. Since that’s what you think, you’ve given me an answer, and I have a reply to them. Although Brother Xu is not around, I won’t allow anyone to bully Qu’er as I had watched her grow up.”
An idea suddenly flashed through Yang Kai’s mind as he examined Yu Xiang Die. She had said that she had cultivated Heartfelt Dao, and she had gone through the same experience as Tao Ling Wan.
Now, she was already in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. In other words, her crisis was resolved when she suffered from cultivation dissonance in the past, which allowed her to break free from her chains. That was why her Small Universe had materialised, and she had ascended to the Seventh-Order.
So, who was the partner she had selected back then? Involuntarily, the image of Xu Ling Gong sprang into Yang Kai’s mind.
After Xu Ling Gong left the Star Boundary in the past, Yu Xiang Die came over to be stationed there, and she had taken good care of Yang Kai. Now, she seemed concerned about Qu Hua Shang.
The average Martial Aunt wouldn’t have gone to such lengths. It seemed to suggest that Yu Xiang Die was very close to Xu Ling Gong and his Disciples.
While Yang Kai was amazed by the revelation, he asked, “What do you plan on doing, Martial Aunt?”
Yu Xiang Die shook her head, “It’s about what you have to do, not what I plan on doing.”
A humble Yang Kai asked, “Please enlighten me, Martial Aunt.”
Yu Xiang Die replied, “The place where Qu’er is cultivating in seclusion is special. It’s a place in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven where a cultivator’s heart is trained. It’s called the Samsara Pavilion. Those who enter it will experience a number of reincarnations, but remain unaware of it. Only when one finds her true love would she be able to break through the fog and retrieve her true heart.”
Yang Kai frowned as he didn’t understand.
Yu Xiang Die went on to say, “The Samsara Pavilion is where many female disciples of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven would select their life partners. Any female disciple who enters the Samsara Pavilion will temporarily lose her memory. She will only remember the things in her current life after the reincarnation. During the rounds of reincarnation, she will come across many people and events while her heart is tempered. The male disciples of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven wouldn’t lose their memories after initially entering. If two people are destined to be together, they will find each other in the Samsara Pavilion. Those from the Sect insisted on getting Feng Cheng Si to be Qu’er’s partner. She’s on her own and powerless to resist it, and she couldn’t dodge the problem with the usual way of cultivating in seclusion. The Samsara Pavilion was the only place she could go. If no one pulls her out of it, she will fall into oblivion for her entire life.” When she finished her words, Yu Xiang Die appeared to be melancholic.
The outsiders thought that the female disciples of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven were loose women who would just bed any man, but they had no idea that these women were actually the most loyal partners of all. That was because almost every female disciple who had found a partner had to go through the tests of the Samsara Pavilion. Only by not giving up on each other through several reincarnations would they remain together forever.
Since time immemorial, there had been countless female disciples who had fallen into oblivion in the Samsara Pavilion because they couldn’t find their partners inside. Yu Xiang Die had a Senior Sister who was just like her real Mother or Elder Sister; however, she had not appeared since entering the Samsara Pavilion.
It was certain that this Senior Sister wasn’t dead but she was still going through rounds of reincarnation in the Samsara Pavilion and would never see the outside world again in her lifetime.
“Has Feng Cheng Si gone to that place?” A glint flashed through Yang Kai’s eyes. It wasn’t hard to figure out. Since those from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven wanted these Core Disciples to get together, Feng Cheng Si would definitely be the next to enter the Samsara Pavilion after Qu Hua Shang. If he could pull her out of the Samsara Pavilion, that would be the outcome those from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven wanted to see.
“Good,” Yu Xiang Die nodded, “He entered the place not long after Qu’er started cultivating in seclusion.”
“That means he’s been inside for a few years already!” Yang Kai let out a sigh, thinking that he was too late to join the race.
Yu Xiang Die raised her hand to motion for him to calm down, “Even though he entered the Samsara Pavilion a few years earlier, it’s not really an advantage. Only with a sincere heart would one find their partner in the Samsara Pavilion. You are the one who occupies Qu’er’s heart, so that’s your biggest advantage. Feng Cheng Si is no match for you in this regard. Moreover… I suppose the Heart Barrier that Qu’er set when she entered the Samsara Pavilion wouldn’t be easy to break. Feng Cheng Si wouldn’t achieve his goal in a short time.”
“Heart Barrier?” Yang Kai asked doubtfully.
Yu Xiang Die explained, “Every female disciple who wishes to enter the Samsara Pavilion to wait for her partner will set a Heart Barrier before she loses her memory. Only by breaking this Heart Barrier can a male disciple bring back her memory and take her out of the Samsara Pavilion. The lowest level of a Heart Barrier is three lives while the highest is nine lives.”
Upon hearing her explanation, Yang Kai asked, “In other words, I have to find her through a minimum of three reincarnations to a maximum of nine reincarnations and win her heart in order to break her Heart Barrier. Am I right?”
“Exactly.” Yu Xiang Die nodded, “Qu’er has temporarily lost her memory after entering the Samsara Pavilion. Others might take advantage of it if the Heart Barrier is too easy.”
Yang Kai nodded, “What level of Heart Barrier do you think Senior Sister Qu has set for herself, Martial Aunt?”
Yu Xiang Die replied, “Three lives would be too easy as others might take advantage of her while nine lives would be too difficult. To be honest with you, the Samsara Pavilion has been in existence for countless eons, but no disciples from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven have ever broken a Heart Barrier of nine lives before. That’s because the more rounds of reincarnation there are, the more difficult it becomes to obtain the other party’s acknowledgement and win her heart. Qu’er is waiting for you, but she doesn’t intend to make things difficult for you; hence, the Heart Barrier she has chosen wouldn’t be too easy or difficult. As for how many lives you must experience, you’ll only find out after you find her.”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai grinned and revealed his white teeth, “That’s a pretty difficult challenge.”
Yu Xiang Die snorted, “I hope you’ll still be confident when the time comes. I’ll tell you this, if you can’t bring Qu’er out of there, you should just stay inside forever.”
Yang Kai bowed his head, “Don’t worry, Martial Aunt. I’ll bring Senior Sister Qu out of the Samsara Pavilion safely. However… as an outsider, do I have a right to enter the Samsara Pavilion? I’m afraid Chen Xiu wouldn’t agree to it.”
Yu Xiang Die scoffed, “I’ll handle it. That shameless old fart has used such a dirty trick. I’ll let him know what it means to go for wool but come back shorn.”
Upon finishing her words, she suddenly appeared dejected, “It’s just that Wan’er will have to suffer.”
Yang Kai remained silent as he felt helpless about this point as well. He had been dragged into an improvised plot while he was unsuspecting. Regardless of what the outcome would be, Tao Ling Wan would be hurt.
Yu Xiang Die soon left as she had to get prepared to help Yang Kai enter the Samsara Pavilion.
Not long after she was gone, Chen Xiu arrived with Tao Ling Wan. Upon seeing Yang Kai, he sported a smile and took a seat, “Nephew, it’s thanks to you that my Disciple wasn’t harmed during cultivation dissonance. I initially wanted to thank you, but Junior Sister Yu brought you away in a rush. The only reason we’ve come all the way here this time is that Wan’er wants to personally express her gratitude. I’m sure you’re aware that she’s pretty timid, so I have to come with her.”
Previously, he called Yang Kai ‘Martial Nephew’, but it was ‘Nephew’ now. It seemed that he now regarded the young man to be his family member.
Yang Kai remained calm as he nodded, “Don’t mention it, Martial Uncle. It was the least I could do.”
Chen Xiu waved his hand, “It might be the least you could do, but you have saved Wan’er’s life. Wan’er, you should express your gratitude to your Senior Brother now.”
After taking a step forward, Tao Ling Wan saluted Yang Kai in an elegant manner and said in a hushed voice, “Many thanks for lending me a hand, Senior Brother Yang.”
Strictly speaking, Tao Ling Wan was older than Yang Kai, and she had started cultivating much earlier. She was supposed to be his Senior Sister, but Chen Xiu told her to call him Senior Brother, so his intention was pretty conspicuous.
Yang Kai gazed at her and replied gently, “You don’t have to be overly polite with me, Junior Sister Wan’er.”
He then turned his head and stared at Chen Xiu, “Martial Uncle, to be honest with you, I’m preparing to enter the Samsara Pavilion to look for Senior Sister Qu.”
Upon hearing that, Tao Ling Wan shook a little while the smile on Chen Xiu’s face froze. A moment later, he nodded, “It seems that Junior Sister Yu has told you everything.”
“Yes,” Yang Kai didn’t deny it.
Chen Xiu grunted and ran his fingers through his beard. After giving it a thought, he said, “Nephew, this King didn’t mean any harm by doing this. I had no other choice, so I hope you’ll forgive me.”
Tao Ling Wan was supposed to be the one to decide whether she would forgive Chen Xiu, not Yang Kai; hence, he didn’t respond to him.
“However, Wan’er’s future now hinges on you. I don’t object to you looking for Martial Niece Qu, but what about Wan’er? Are you going to abandon her?”
Yang Kai replied, “There’s a solution to every problem in the world.” He then turned to Tao Ling Wan and spoke gently, “Junior Sister, we didn’t know each other in the past as we just met half a month ago, and you know nothing about me. Are you resigned to being tied to me forever just because of the Secret Art’s influence?”
Faced with his question, Tao Ling Wan hung her head low. A while later, she replied in a small voice, “I’ll obey my Master.”
Yang Kai felt sorry for her as he shook her head, “Junior Sister, you’re an adult who is in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so you’re supposed to have your own opinions. To put it bluntly, there will come a day when Martial Uncle Chen passes away. If you only listen to him all the time, what will you do when that day comes? Will you be unable to keep on living?”
Chen Xiu was infuriated upon hearing that. Although he was old, he still had many years to live as a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Yang Kai was practically cursing him and hoping he would die sooner.
[This brat is so resentful of me, but he just doesn’t show it on his face!] Chen Xiu thought.
Yang Kai then turned to look at Chen Xiu, “Martial Uncle, you’ve raised your Disciple wrongly, and you’ll suffer a setback because of it sooner or later.”
Faced with a Junior’s criticism, an embarrassed Chen Xiu flicked his sleeve and rose from the chair, “I don’t agree with what you’ve said, Martial Nephew. I do everything with a clear conscience.”
From his point of view, if Yang Kai could just follow along with his plan, not only would Yin-Yang Cave Heaven be saved from the embarrassing situation, but he could also find a suitable partner for his Disciple. Therefore, there wasn’t a hint of guilt in his tone when he said that.
After Chen Xiu left in a huff, Tao Ling Wan followed him closely. Before that, she looked apologetically at Yang Kai, who put on a smile and waved his hand to motion for her not to mind it.
For the next half a month, Yu Xiang Die was nowhere to be seen.
It wasn’t until twenty days later that she appeared while looking fatigued. When she found Yang Kai, she said, “Everything is ready. I’ll bring you to the Samsara Pavilion with me in three days.”
“Many thanks for your help, Martial Aunt,” Yang Kai expressed his gratitude. Although he was a Yin-Yang Cave Heaven Son-in-Law on paper, he wasn’t from the Sect after all. Since the Samsara Pavilion was the place where the disciples of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven train their hearts, it must be a top-secret Restricted Area. Only their disciples would be allowed to enter.
It took Yu Xiang Die a long time to come back, so it was apparent that she had put in a lot of effort to persuade the Sect’s management to let Yang Kai enter the Samsara Pavilion.
“However, there’s one thing I have to make clear to you.” Yu Xiang Die stared solemnly at him, “Although the higher-ups have agreed to let you enter the Samsara Pavilion, they have a condition.”
Yang Kai replied, “Please go ahead, Martial Aunt.”
“It will all be fine if you’re able to bring Qu’er out and your engagement will still be valid. However, if you fail, you have to get married to Wan’er.”
“Was this Chen Xiu’s idea?” Yang Kai arched his brow.
Yu Xiang Die shook her head, “It’s the managers’ idea.”
Tao Ling Wan was most likely able to make it to the Seventh-Order, but Yang Kai was an indispensable part of that. There was no way those from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven would give up on Tao Ling Wan, so it was expected that they had come up with this condition.
“Understood.” Yang Kai nodded, “I won’t fail.”
“I’m glad that you’re confident.” Yu Xiang Die slightly set her mind at ease.
“There’s something I need to ask you about, though. What is the situation inside the Samsara Pavilion? Since Senior Sister Qu has set up a Heart Barrier and lost her memory, how should I find her? Would her appearance change?”
“No one can be certain whether her appearance has changed. You’ll only find out about the wonders of the Samsara Pavilion after entering it. As for how you’ll find Qu’er, you’ll meet each other if you’re fated to be together. If your destinies are not connected, you’ll not recognise her even if she’s right in front of you. There are no techniques you can use during the heart training session in the Samsara Pavilion. Sincerity is of utmost importance.”
Yang Kai fell into his thoughts. Although he could fully understand what she meant, sincerity was an elusive thing. It was too abstruse.
With that said, he and Qu Hua Shang had experienced life-and-death moments together before. In the past, they were hunted down in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven and they both helped each other to survive. That was when they developed feelings for each other.
For the next three days, Yang Kai focused on cultivating in his own room as demanded by Yu Xiang Die.
Three days later, she brought him to the Samsara Pavilion.
Yang Kai initially thought that the Samsara Pavilion was somewhere like a Grand Hall or a Sealed World, but it wasn’t until he arrived at this place that he realised it was very different from his imagination.
It was a Spirit Province that was densely covered with huge trees. The World Energy that flowed through the entire Spirit Province like a fog was rich and ample.
Even from a bird’s-eye view, one was unable to make out what the Spirit Province looked like.
It was an important place in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, so it was expected that there was an Open Heaven Realm Master who guarded this place. Moreover, the person was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. There was no doubt that this guard and Yu Xiang Die knew each other, and he was aware that she would bring Yang Kai to the Samsara Pavilion on this day. Therefore, after a bit of small talk with Yu Xiang Die, he allowed them to pass.
Upon entering the Spirit Province, they arrived at the edge of the dense forest. Yang Kai could instantly see a large-scale shopping district where many disciples of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven moved around together.
Some of them were unwilling to part ways as they bid each other farewell with loving words. After that, the female disciples would steadfastly enter the forest and disappear while hoping that their partners would find them.
The male disciples would wait for a moment before entering the forest as well.
There were also some men and women who entered the forest on their own.
On the other hand, there was a loving couple who just stepped out of the forest. The woman’s smile was as sweet as honey while the man looked lovingly at her. It was as though she was the entire universe and there was no one else in the world in his eyes.
However, there were also some dejected men and women whose faces were covered in tears.
Looking at the young disciples who entered and left the forest, Yu Xiang Die sighed, “Many couples who think that their love for each other would never change are unable to pass the tests in the Samsara Pavilion, and they have to part ways as a result. This place is where the disciples of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven look for their partners, but it’s also the source of suffering for many of us.”
Yang Kai asked curiously, “Martial Aunt, didn’t you say that a female disciple would fall into oblivion in the Samsara Pavilion if her Heart Barrier is not broken? Why do I see some female disciples leaving the forest while sobbing? I suppose their male partners didn’t manage to break their Heart Barriers.”
Yu Xiang Die explained, “A female disciple will indeed fall into oblivion if her Heart Barrier is not broken. However, if she has only set up a Heart Barrier of three lives for herself, she’ll still be able to retrieve her memory after three reincarnations even if the male disciple is useless. However, this wouldn’t happen if there are more than three incarnations. The more rounds of reincarnations there are in the Samsara Pavilion, the more difficult it would be for the female disciple to recognise herself.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Got it.”
“Go in now. There’s nothing you need to do. Just allow nature to take its course.”
“Yes,” Yang Kai replied and stepped forward and his figure was soon engulfed by the fog.
Yu Xiang Die stayed on the same spot for a while before deciding to leave; however, as soon as she turned around, she saw two people walking towards her.
She frowned and looked doubtfully at them, “What are you doing in the Samsara Pavilion, Senior Brother Chen?”
These two were none other than Chen Xiu and Tao Ling Wan. While Chen Xiu was walking at the front, Tao Ling Wan followed closely behind.
Chen Xiu shot her a dispassionate glance and replied, “What else can we do here?”
Yu Xiang Die took a glance at Tao Ling Wan, who was behind him, and instantly realised what was going on. Her expression changed drastically as she snapped, “Are you out of your mind!? Do you not care about her life or death just because you want to let your other Disciple get all the benefits? Are you even Human!?”
There was an impassive expression on Chen Xiu’s face as he was unfazed by her accusation. He simply turned to Tao Ling Wan and said, “Go in now. Be careful.”
Tao Ling Wan nodded and stepped forward. All of a sudden, she turned around and fell on her knees before gently pressing her forehead against the ground three times in front of Chen Xiu.
After she got to her feet in silence though, Yu Xiang Die blocked her way and persuaded her by saying, “Wan’er, don’t be so foolish. Just tell me if anyone has forced you to do this. I’ll stand up for you.”
Tao Ling Wan hung her head low and shook her head.
“Listen to me. Go back with me, and we’ll have a talk,” Yu Xiang Die said and extended her hand.
Nevertheless, Tao Ling Wan dodged it and replied in a hushed voice, “Please let me go in, Martial Aunt.”
“No!” Yu Xiang Die directly rejected her, “Even if the Ancestors were here to persuade me, I’ll not let you enter the Samsara Pavilion. That’s not a place you should go!”
She then glowered at Chen Xiu, “You’re really a good Master to her, aren’t you? What has Wan’er done to be unlucky enough to become your Disciple?”
Chen Xiu stared calmly at her without any intention to refute her.
Just when Yu Xiang Die wanted to speak further, Tao Ling Wan suddenly looked up and gazed at her, “Please don’t blame my Master, Martial Aunt. This is my decision.”
Yu Xiang Die sneered, “I’m fully aware of your temperament. There’s no way this is your decision. It’s obvious that this old fart has forced you to enter the Samsara Pavilion to achieve his goal.”
Faced with her fierce accusation, Chen Xiu never explained anything and just looked down.
Tao Ling Wan spoke in a firmer tone, “Martial Aunt, this is the first decision I’ve made for myself after all these years. Please don’t make things difficult for me.”
Yu Xiang Die frowned as she darted her gaze between Tao Ling Wan and Chen Xiu. At that moment, she doubted herself.
Furthermore, she had never seen Tao Ling Wan speaking in such a loud voice with a determined gaze before.
She stared fixedly at Chen Xiu in an attempt to find the answer, but he only nodded in silence.
At that instant, Yu Xiang Die was in a dilemma. It took one a lot of courage to decide to enter the Samsara Pavilion. She initially thought that it was Chen Xiu’s order, but it didn’t seem to be the case now.
After giving it a thought, she said, “Wan’er, why do you want to enter the Samsara Pavilion? Yang Boy is looking for Qu’er. Even if you go in, you might not be able to come out again. In that case, you’ll be trapped inside forever.”
Tao Ling Wan spoke in a small voice again, “I’ll be careful.”
“No!” Yu Xiang Die shook her head, “It’s not like you’ll be safe just by being careful. I can’t let you go in. If you enter that place, you’ll end up in a horrible state.”
“Even if I can’t go in today, I’ll do it tomorrow. Even if I can’t go in tomorrow, I’ll do it the day after tomorrow, unless you can stay here forever.” Tao Ling Wan looked into her eyes without the intention to back down.
Yu Xiang Die was lost for words. Every disciple of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven had the right to enter the Samsara Pavilion. It wasn’t like she could stay here forever to block her path. She wasn’t supposed to stop her from entering the place to begin with.
If she was doubtful just now, she was now 100% certain that Chen Xiu hadn’t forced Tao Ling Wan into this. It was indeed her own decision to enter the Samsara Pavilion.
While she was in a dazed state, Tao Ling Wan suddenly dashed forward. When Yu Xiang Die came to her senses, she quickly extended her hand.
Chen Xiu instantly appeared in front of her and pushed out his palm. Both of them were sent flying away for several dozen metres.
Yu Xiang Die glowered at him, “Do you want her to die?”
Chen Xiu replied in a grim voice, “She wants to go in to find her own answer. Do you think I didn’t intend to stop her? None of you actually know what she’s like. Once she has made a decision, no one can change her mind. I took her on as a Disciple when she was just a baby and raised her all by myself. She may be my Disciple, but she’s also like a Daughter to me!”
Yu Xiang Die was rendered speechless.
She now recalled that Chen Xiu had indeed always treated Tao Ling Wan like a precious treasure. If not for him overly doting on her, she wouldn’t have grown up to be such a timid and inexperienced person despite being a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
Certainly, such a Master who loved his Disciple so much wouldn’t sacrifice her one day for the sake of another Disciple.
“Yang Kai is a talented young man who is a good match for Wan’er. She’s an adult now, and it’s impossible for me to stay by her side forever. Over the years, I found quite a few potential partners for her, but none of them were to my liking. Yang Kai is not bad. It will be perfect if Wan’er can marry him. However, it seems that I’ve done something wrong.”
There were countless ancient trees in the Samsara Pavilion. Every tree was covered with leaves, and each was so huge that it would take several people to hug it. A white fog flowed through the entire forest. While walking through it, one might think that he was lost in a dream.
Yang Kai sauntered through the forest in silence.
Millions of branches hung low from the ancient trees. Although there was no wind, they swayed gently as though they were welcoming the guests who visited this place.
Most of the trunks were fully sealed. Only some of the trunks had gaps in them, which looked like tree caves that could accommodate people.
There were two types of trees that corresponded to different genders. Other than the ancient trees with sealed trunks, some of the trees had gaps that were near the roots while some of the gaps were in the middle of the trunks.
All of the disciples who entered this place had to enter a tree cave and stay inside the tree of their choice. With the help of the forest’s mysterious power, they could enter the real Samsara Pavilion and go through reincarnations to train their hearts.
Previously, Yu Xiang Die had told Yang Kai about the things he had to take note of in the Samsara Pavilion.
Hence, he knew that the gaps that appeared in the middle of the trunks were for the female disciples while the tree caves near the roots were for the male disciples.
Although they appeared similar on the outside, they were starkly different inside. If one had selected the wrong tree cave, they were unable to enter the real Samsara Pavilion.
The difficulty of the Heart Barriers that the female disciples of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven setup had something to do with the locations of the ancient trees. The further they went, the more difficult the Heart Barrier they would be able to set up.
Those who just wanted a Heart Barrier of three lives could just find an ancient tree in the periphery. They didn’t have to go further into the forest.
However, the Heart Barrier that Qu Hua Shang had established must be more than three lives, so Yang Kai reckoned that he should travel deeper.
For the male disciples, the locations of the ancient trees didn’t matter, but Yang Kai wanted to get closer to Qu Hua Shang, though he had no idea which ancient tree she was in.
One hour later, Yang Kai arrived at the depths of the forest where he was blocked by a certain ancient tree. There was a gap near the roots of the ancient tree that had formed a tree cave that could accommodate a person. The branches that hung low kept swaying back and forth. Just when Yang Kai was ready to go further, he suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned to look at his own shoulder.
Above his shoulder, there was a curly branch that seemed to have turned into a petite hand and hooked his clothes at some point.
Yang Kai decided to stop moving forward; instead, he turned around and shuffled towards a nearby tree cave.
The Samsara Pavilion was a place where hearts were trained, and sincerity was of utmost importance. Yu Xiang Die had told him to let nature take its course, and he was ready to follow her advice.
Upon entering the tree cave, Yang Kai sat down with his legs crossed.
The tree cave was pretty big, so he didn’t feel cramped while sitting inside. After he emptied his mind for a bit, the tree cave suddenly started squirming and closing until he was fully covered by it.
From the outside, there didn’t seem to be any traces that suggested there was once a tree cave here.
Upon realising that his thoughts were running wild, Yang Kai quickly pulled himself together and stopped resisting.
There came a moment when his Soul seemed to have left his body as it passed through a colourful passage and reached for an unknown place.
Everything was going just like what Yu Xiang Die had described, so Yang Kai just waited patiently.
A moment seemed to have passed, but it also felt as if millions of years had gone by. Finally, a glimmer of light came into sight at the end of the colourful passageway.
The light rapidly expanded until Yang Kai could no longer see anything else.
In the meantime, he realised that his Soul finally landed on the ground, and he was equipped with a new body.
He could hear the sounds of weapons clanging with each other. The place was bustling with noise, and the people around him were clearly cheering.
Yang Kai looked around and realised that he was standing close to an arena. He was basically sandwiched among a group of people. On the stage, two figures were locked in an intense battle as they wielded their weapons.
After a moment of observation, Yang Kai realised that even though their techniques appeared sophisticated, they were really just flashy without much power.
With a frown, he examined himself and realised that there was a special power flowing through his meridians. This was not World Energy, though it was similar.
What he found unsatisfactory was that the power was far too weak, equivalent to maybe an Initial Element Realm Third Stage cultivator.
Before he could familiarise himself with the situation, the crowd was heard cheering again as there was a winner on the stage.
This didn’t seem to be a life-or-death battle. One person was obviously more powerful. While the loser cupped his fist and conceded defeat, the winner responded to him with respect. The atmosphere was harmonious.
This was the real Samsara Pavilion, which could also be called the Samsara World.
There were innumerable Samsara Worlds in the Samsara Pavilion. The Samsara World every person entered could be different. Only two people whose hearts were connected had a chance to enter the same Samsara World and go through reincarnations together.
From the looks of it, Yang Kai reckoned that the Martial Dao of the Samsara World he had entered was quite low, but that didn’t matter. The reason he was here was to look for Qu Hua Shang, unlike his previous experience in the Small Source World where he had to rise to become an overlord of that world.
Hence, the low Martial Dao wasn’t a big deal.
He was certain that Qu Hua Shang was also in this Samsara World. As for where to look for her, he was clueless.
Certainly, he wasn’t interested in the battles on the stage. The most pressing issue at hand for him was to find out more about this world and look for Qu Hua Shang.
Just when he turned around and was ready to leave, an old man with a goatee appeared on the stage with a piece of yellow silk cloth. After sweeping a glance over the people around the stage, he announced, “The next fight. Yang Kai versus Luo An Guo!”
Yang Kai turned to look at the stage and arched his brow.
A burly figure emerged from the crowd and walked up the stage in a few steps. His heavy build caused the stage to shake a little. The man, who looked like a bear, swept a condescending glance over the crowd and ripped his top apart, which revealed his hairy chest. He then demanded provokingly, “Where’s Yang Kai? Come out so I can destroy you!”
Yang Kai put on a smile, thinking that this was what Yu Xiang Die meant by allowing nature to take its course.
The way a cultivator was trained in the Samsara Pavilion was similar to that of the Small Source World. After he entered this Samsara World, he was given a new identity, it was just that his name was never changed as he was still ‘Yang Kai’.
Just now, he had no idea where to look for clues that would help him find Qu Hua Shang. Now, it seemed that the fight on the stage might help him with it.
He turned around and ambled towards the stage.
The crowd took the initiative to separate to the sides.
When he reached the stage that was around waist height, he pressed his hands against it and leaped up. Seeing that, the crowd broke into laughter.
Everyone who went on stage would do their best to show off their prowess. The different skills and movements would elicit applause from the crowd. It was the first time they saw someone clumsily climb up onto the stage like what Yang Kai had done.
On the stage, Luo An Guo gaped at the frail Yang Kai, whose limbs seemed as thin as twigs, and put on a grin, “Are you Yang Kai?”
Yang Kai placed his left hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist. He had just discovered that there was a sword hanging there. It was then he realised that he was supposed to be a swordsman in this Samsara World.
As such, he decided to play along. Even though he had never cultivated the Sword Dao before, with his vast experiences and high cultivation, he could just use any weapon fairly well.
With his left hand on the sword, he put on a gentle smile and nodded, “Yes.”
A ferocious glint flashed through Luo An Guo’s eyes as he bellowed, “I’ll destroy you with just one move!”
The moment he started speaking, his burly figure dashed forward. By the time he finished his last word, his huge fist was already coming right at Yang Kai’s face.
It was the first time Yang Kai arrived in this Samsara World, so he knew nothing about this place. He had the intention to find out the difference between his own Martial Dao and the other man’s, so he didn’t attempt to dodge the attack.
To the onlookers, he seemed to be stunned and rooted to the spot.
Following a loud boom, the entire stage shook a little.
Luo An Guo’s devastating attack didn’t destroy his opponent though. Faced with the fist that could kill a tiger, Yang Kai rapidly extended his fist and directly met the attack.
As a result, Yang Kai couldn’t help but stagger backward until he reached the edge of the stage. He quickly stomped his foot on the ground to stabilize himself. Upon impact, cracks started appearing on the wooden floor around his foot.
On the other hand, Luo An Guo only staggered backwards for a bit before he managed to stabilize himself. He then gazed at Yang Kai with surprise.
In the meantime, the onlookers broke out into a clamour. Those who laughed at Yang Kai earlier were staring at him in shock.
The two people on the stage were starkly different when it came to their builds. The onlookers initially thought that the winner would be revealed with just one move, and the loser might even lose his life. Unexpectedly though, Yang Kai, who appeared thin and frail, managed to fend off Luo An Guo’s attack. Although he appeared a bit discomforted, he had still managed to succeed.
To the onlookers, only when two opponents were equally matched would the fight be interesting. It was boring to watch a battle where one could easily defeat the other party. Seeing that Yang Kai was defiant, they immediately cheered for him to keep him motivated.
Luo An Guo frowned as he was embarrassed at the fact that he was unable to smash Yang Kai with only one move just like what he had boasted. He then snorted, “You’re indeed something, brat. You’ve successfully fended off my attack once. Let’s see whether you’ll be able to ward off my second and third attacks!”
The next moment, he dashed towards Yang Kai with his feet thudding on the ground.
After the exchange of moves, Yang Kai had a better understanding of his own strength. There wasn’t a huge gap between his power and Luo An Guo’s. The only difference was that his physical strength was weaker than the other party’s, which was why he suffered a setback just now.
At that instant, he was torn between laughter and tears. Over the years, he had never suffered a setback when it came to his raw physical strength. It was a new experience for him in this Samsara World.
He was already on the edge of the stage, so if he kept moving backwards, he would fall off. Therefore, faced with Luo An Guo’s strike, he bolted forward and met him head on.
With his left hand on the hilt, he unsheathed the sword as a glint flashed through the weapon and dazzled the onlookers. After the two figures brushed past each other, Yang Kai slowly sheathed his sword.
The boisterous crowd abruptly fell silent as they looked dazedly at the two figures on the stage.
Most of them didn’t have a sharp vision, so they were unable to make out the abstrusity of the exchange of moves just now.
Only a small number of the onlookers narrowed their eyes and gazed at Yang Kai with serious expressions.
There was now a winner on the stage!
There were no restrictions when it came to the battles today. It didn’t matter whether one would like to use a weapon or fight with his bare hands as long as he could win the battle; hence, Yang Kai didn’t break the rules by using his sword.
Luo An Guo didn’t collapse, but when he touched his throat, he realised that it was wet. When he looked down, he saw that his hand was covered with blood.
It wasn’t until this moment that he felt a pain coming from his neck.
A myriad of expressions came over him. He knew that the other party didn’t intend to kill him; otherwise, he would have been beheaded instead of getting cut slightly. Despite that, this kind of outcome was still unacceptable for him.
During the exchange of moves just now, he didn’t even manage to make out how Yang Kai unsheathed his sword.
He didn’t have a chance to counterattack as the other party’s attack was too fast for him to even perceive.
The old man with a goatee seemed to have received an instruction as he quickly went on stage and announced, “The winner is Yang Kai!”
Following that, he told the two of them to leave the stage and spoke no further.
For the next half a day, more people jumped on stage to fight. Some of them were weak cultivators with only flashy moves while some of them were truly powerful.
As Yang Kai observed it, he realised that there seemed to be a selection process going on here, though he wasn’t sure what it was for.
Fortunately, the people around him were talking among themselves, so he could deduce what was going on from the chatter.
The Meng Family ran one of the largest businesses in White Jade City, so it was expected that they were extremely wealthy; however, their wealth was coveted by many people as a result. Just a few days ago, the mountain bandits from Hidden Treasure Peak demanded that the Meng Family give them 100,000 silver coins and 10 beautiful maidservants every month; otherwise, they would destroy the Meng Family.
Hidden Treasure Peak was initially occupied by a small group of mountain bandits, and they didn’t pose any real threat at all. Some time ago though, a lot of fugitives came over and joined Hidden Treasure Peak, which significantly strengthened their ranks. In order to make a name for themselves, these new members of Hidden Treasure Peak decided to target the wealthy Meng Family in the nearby city.
Although there was a City Lord in White Jade City, who had his own soldiers, the Meng Family wouldn’t dare to entirely rely on others. Hence, they decided to set up an arena on this day and offered attractive salaries to hire some powerful private guards to protect them.
As Yang Kai listened to the people around him, he soon realised the situation he was in. Supposedly, he was there to apply for a job.
[Is Senior Sister Qu in the Meng Family?] Yang Kai couldn’t help but have this speculation; otherwise, he couldn’t explain why he had to take part in a selection battle right after entering this Samsara World.
Considering all this, he started looking forward to what was ahead of him.
It wasn’t until evening that the competition ended.
There were some powerful cultivators from the Meng Family who were hidden from the crowd here to watch the battles on the stage and make their judgments. Those who were qualified would be brought back to the Meng Family Manor while those who were not good enough would be given some money and told to go home.
Yang Kai had performed pretty well, so at the end of the day, the old man with a goatee called out to him and announced that he had passed the test.
Luo An Guo, who was defeated by Yang Kai, was also accepted. Although he had lost the battle, his power could not be underestimated. It was just that he had come across a stronger opponent named Yang Kai.
The powerful cultivators from the Meng Family had acute eyesight, so they didn’t accept the candidates solely based on the results of the battles; instead, they made their own judgments.
Those who were knocked out didn’t have any complaints as they were fully aware of their true strength. The reason they even took part in the competition was to get some money from the Meng Family. Now that they had achieved their goal, they were more than thankful.
There were many people left as there were forty to fifty of them. With a servant clad in green clothes leading the way, they entered the Meng Manor through a side door and arrived at a courtyard.
They would receive some training in this place for half a month. The Captain of the private guards would tell them where they could and could not go in the Meng Manor. He would also tell them the rules they had to follow and the consequences of breaking them.
On the first day, someone broke the rules. Perhaps he had lost his way while looking for the restroom, so he wandered into the nearby inner court. Seeing that, the personal bodyguards in that place immediately captured him.
The Captain had the intention of punishing this man to serve as a warning to everyone else. After this person was brought to him, he crippled him and threw him out of the manor right in front of everyone’s eyes.
The new batch of private guards were horrified. It wasn’t until this moment that they realised it wasn’t so easy to earn the attractive salaries the Meng Family offered. In this place, rules were everything, and one would end up in a horrible state by not following them.
The Meng Family was wealthy, so it was expected that their manor was huge; however, Yang Kai and the others could only stay in the same courtyard. Since the incident on the first day, no one dared to walk about as they pleased.
There was a test three days later, and more than ten people were eliminated.
After familiarising himself with this place for three days, Yang Kai decided to take action. He wasn’t interested in becoming a private guard in the Meng Manor. Since he had speculated that Qu Hua Shang might be in the Meng Family, he had to look for her.
Qu Hua Shang was likely a female member of the Meng Family. Although Yang Kai had no idea about her identity in the Meng Manor, she must be living in the inner court as she was a woman.
When darkness descended, he walked out in silence and headed to the inner court.
There were many private guards who were hidden in different corners of Meng Manor; however, Yang Kai could easily detect them and avoid getting caught.
Just when he was ready to enter the inner court, he realised there was a problem. The security in the inner court was obviously much tighter. He could detect that there were many pairs of eyes in the periphery of the inner court that were paying close attention to the surroundings. It was impossible for him to sneak into the inner court without getting caught given his current power.
He waited patiently for two hours but still couldn’t find a chance, so eventually, he decided to take it slow and come up with a plan first.
Just when he was preparing to leave, he caught a glimpse of a figure flashing past in the darkness. The person seemed to have the same intention as him. Since there was no chance for him to get into the inner court, he had no choice but to give up.
However, this man gave up earlier than Yang Kai did, which was why Yang Kai noticed him.
Although it was pitch-black in this place, it still couldn’t conceal his burly figure.
Yang Kai frowned as he recognised this person and he wondered, [What is he doing here? When did he come?]
Yang Kai was careful with every movement he made, so he was certain that this other intruder didn’t notice him.
After the person was gone, he silently left.
When Yang Kai returned to his place, he jumped through the window and entered the room. His roommates were still sound asleep and no one realised that he had left and returned.
In the morning, they still had to receive training. The Captain of the private guards became even more demanding; as a result, some of the arrogant candidates were beaten up and thrown out of Meng Manor.
There were initially forty to fifty people, but presently, only about thirty were left.
At night, Yang Kai pretended to be sound asleep as he waited patiently. Last night, regardless of what the intention of that person was, he hadn’t achieved his goal, so he would definitely take action again tonight.
As expected, in the middle of the night, Yang Kai heard a faint noise. If he hadn’t paid close attention to the surroundings, he wouldn’t have heard it.
Upon making sure that his roommates were still fast asleep, Yang Kai got up in silence.
After leaving the courtyard, he saw the burly figure dexterously navigating the darkness and heading straight to the inner court.
Yang Kai followed him closely; however, he still couldn’t figure out the person’s intention tonight. Just like last night, the person remained hidden and observed the surroundings for two hours before leaving.
For the next half a month, other than receiving training every day, Yang Kai couldn’t discover anything. He hadn’t even managed to sneak into the inner court.
After this period of time, only twenty people remained, which was less than half of the initial number.
On the other hand, the Captain was pleased with that. Standing in front of these twenty people, he swept a stern glance over them and said, “Since all of you are still here, it means that you’re pretty strong. Those who are weak have all been chased away. Moreover, we’ve looked into your backgrounds, and no problems have been found. Since you’ve passed the test, you are now members of the Meng Manor. As long as you’re loyal to the Meng Family, you’ll not be mistreated. As private guards, we have to always be ready to protect the Meng Family even if we have to lose our lives. Those who don’t have the determination to do so can leave now. I won’t blame you.”
Certainly, no one left.
Regardless of their reasons for wanting to become private guards, the salaries offered by Meng Manor were attractive. They couldn’t get a better job elsewhere.
As expected, the Captain was satisfied while he nodded lightly, “It seems that none of you are willing to leave. Good. I have one last question. Does any one of you have any ill intentions against Meng Manor? Just be honest with me. I promise not to kill you.”
When the Captain saw that no one responded to him a moment later, he went on to say with a smile, “It seems that you’re not willing to admit it.”
He then turned his head and gazed at a stern-looking young man, “Lin Xiao Shan, how are the Managers on the mountain doing?”
As soon as he finished speaking, the private guards, who were behind him, instantly surrounded Lin Xiao Shan.
A sense of fluster flashed through Lin Xiao Shan’s face as he stared at the Captain, “What are you doing?”
The Captain replied impassively, “You know what we’re doing.”
Lin Xiao Shan frowned, but he soon put on a relieved smile, “How did you find out?”
The Captain slowly shook his head, “We have our own ways.”
Lin Xiao Shan nodded, “It seems that the Managers have underestimated the Meng Manor. Since you’ve found out about it, you can just kill me as you please.”
The Captain replied, “I certainly hope to kill you and send your head to those on the mountain; however, Master doesn’t like to shed blood unnecessarily, so he has ordered that you be allowed to leave this place alive. However, you have to pass on his words to the Managers.”
“Go ahead,” Lin Xiao Shan said in a calm and collected manner.
The Captain replied, “Master has said that the Meng Manor is a business entity, and he doesn’t want to offend the people on the mountain. So, let us be friends instead.”
Lin Xiao Shan grinned, “What can you offer, then?”
The Captain clapped his hands, then someone came over with a package. He took the package and tossed it at Lin Xiao Shan, “This is what the Master can offer, and the same amount of money will be sent to you all every month.”
Without hesitation, Lin Xiao Shan opened the package and saw a lot of banknotes. After some calculations, he realised that they were worth about 20,000 silver coins.
After examining the banknotes in the package, Lin Xiao Shan frowned, “It’s too little. The Managers want 100,000 silver coins, and there’s a lack of women on the mountain.”
The Captain of the private guards shook his head, “This is what Meng Manor can offer. We won’t give you any more or any less.”
Lin Xiao Shan stored the package, “Got it. I’ll bring this back to the Managers. However, as for what decision they’ll make, I have no right to interfere.”
Upon finishing his words, he leaped onto the roof and stepped on the tiles in light steps. He soon left the place.
The personal bodyguards of Meng Manor didn’t intend to stop him as they watched him leave.
In fact, Meng Manor had offered them a lot of money; nevertheless, if those from Hidden Treasure Peak were not satisfied with it, the conflict would still be irresolvable. Therefore, they didn’t dare to fire any more personal bodyguards.
After half a month of training, new private guards that included Yang Kai were given some tasks.
Yang Kai hoped to be stationed inside the inner court. In that case, it would be easier for him to gather information in the inner court and look for Qu Hua Shang.
With that said, he knew that it was an unrealistic idea. Regardless of anything else, they were new private guards whose loyalty was not time-tested. They would be given some tasks, but they would not be stationed in important places.
As expected, Yang Kai was told to watch over some courtyards in the outer court, and he had a veteran private guard named Yin Zhi Yong as his partner. Another four people were going to work with them. There were three shifts in a day, and two of them would respectively guard the place for eight hours.
The task was neither difficult nor simple.
They familiarised themselves with each other and came up with a passcode for changing shifts, after which Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong hid in a corner and monitored their surroundings to prevent any ill-intentioned people from barging in.
It would be peaceful for the next three days.
When they were not on duty, Yang Kai would buy some wine and food to share with Yin Zhi Yong. Certainly, Yin Zhi Yong was pleased with Yang Kai’s tactfulness, so he became more amiable to him.
Therefore, barely three days later, Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong became good friends.
One day, Yang Kai brought back some wine and food again. They were seated across from each other while drinking and chatting.
Thinking that it was about time, Yang Kai pretended to be drunk as he said, “Brother Yin, I know nothing about the Meng Manor since I’m new. You’ve been a private guard here for more than ten years. Do you have any advice for me?”
Yin Zhi Yong stuffed some peanuts into his mouth and looked smilingly at him, “Of course I have a lot of advice for you, but it’s not like I can say it all at once. Just stay here for a few more years, and you’ll get the hang of it. The Meng Manor is a good place. There’s practically no risk we have to face as private guards, and the salaries are attractive. Countless people scramble to get in here every year.”
Yang Kai filled the cup with wine for him, “Just tell me anything, Brother Yin. I’m all ears. It’s just between you and me.”
Over the past few days, Yang Kai had bought him a lot of delicious food and wine, so it was hard for Yin Zhi Yong to turn him down. After giving it a thought, Yin Zhi Yong decided to tell him some basic information.
According to him, the Meng Family started out as salt sellers, and they gradually branched out into different businesses. Their properties were all over the world, and their revenue was counted in the millions of silver coins every year.
Presently, the Meng Family Patriarch, Meng De Ye, was fifty years old. He had more than ten Wives, four Sons, and three Daughters. The family businesses were practically managed by the Sons while two out of three Daughters were married to men who were equal matches in terms of their statuses.
“Only the Eldest Young Lady has been giving the Patriarch a headache.” Yin Zhi Yong frowned at the mention of the Eldest Young Lady.
A sensitive Yang Kai asked, “What’s going on with the Eldest Young Lady?”
All of a sudden, Yin Zhi Yong looked around. Still feeling worried, he rose from the chair and opened the door. Upon making sure that no one else was around, he took a seat and said to Yang Kai in a small voice, “In the Meng Manor, the Eldest Young Lady’s affairs are a taboo. You must not mention it as you please.”
With a solemn expression, Yang Kai nodded, “Don’t worry, Brother Yin. I won’t.”
Yin Zhi Yong took a sip of the wine and said, “In the Meng Manor, the Fourth Young Lady and the Fifth Young Lady are married, but the Eldest Young Lady is still single. Don’t you think it’s weird?”
Appearing to be shocked, Yang Kai asked, “The Eldest Young Lady is still single? How old is she now?”
Yin Zhi Yong shook his head, “I’m not sure, but I suppose she’s twenty-six or twenty-seven years old.”
[Twenty-six or twenty-seven years old?] A thought flashed through Yang Kai’s mind.
He asked in a hushed voice, “Is no one interested in the Eldest Young Lady because she’s… ugly?”
A flabbergasted Yin Zhi Yong quickly placed a finger on his own lips and anxiously looked around, “Are you sick of living? How dare you slander the Eldest Young Lady? Don’t drag me into this!”
Yang Kai hurriedly patted his own mouth.
After pulling himself together, Yin Zhi Yong went on to say, “I’m telling you, the Eldest Young Lady is not ugly. Rather, she’s incredibly beautiful.”
A curious Yang Kai asked, “How do you know, Brother Yin?”
Yin Zhi Yong replied with a smile, “I’ve been a private guard in the Meng Manor for more than ten years, after all. When I was still a rookie here, the Eldest Young Lady was just a teenager, and she was already beautiful at that time. There’s no way she’d be ugly after maturing fully. Since many years ago, the Eldest Young Lady has rarely stepped out of the inner court. Even when she does, she’d be wearing a veil and a hat. However, three years ago… Yes, it was exactly three years ago when I caught a glimpse of the Eldest Young Lady’s face. She was truly stunning. This Yin can be considered an experienced person and I once spent a lot of money to bed the most beautiful woman in a famous brothel in this city. She could be considered alluring, but she was in no way comparable to the Eldest Young Lady.”
Yang Kai didn’t seem to believe him, “Are you serious, Brother Yin? It sounds unbelievable.”
Yin Zhi Yong seemed to be thinking back to that time with fondness when he heard what Yang Kai said. He impatiently waved his hand and snapped, “It’s fine even if you don’t believe me. It’s the truth regardless.” He wasn’t willing to keep talking about the Eldest Young Lady’s beauty, as though it would be blasphemy to do so.
Yang Kai thus took the initiative by asking, “Since the Eldest Young Lady is so beautiful, why is she still single? Could it be that she had extremely high standards when it comes to men?”
Yin Zhi Yong shook his head, “Who knows? Maybe. In any case, the Meng Manor is wealthy, so even if she really was ugly, many men would still propose to her. Moreover, the Patriarch has been looking for suitable men for her since she came of age. Over the years, he has found a lot of talented young men who are from wealthy families as well, but the Eldest Young Lady wasn’t interested in any of them.”
Yang Kai nodded, “She must be demanding when it comes to men, then.”
Yin Zhi Yong chuckled, “Rumour has it that the Eldest Young Lady once told a maidservant the reason she’s not married up until now isn’t that she thinks those talented young men are not good enough; instead, she’s been waiting for a man who is destined to be with her. Pfft, destiny, what nonsense.”
Since he was tipsy, Yin Zhi Yong began spouting nonsense. He lamented that life was unfair to him. Despite being powerful, he wasn’t given any important tasks. He had been loyal to the Meng Manor for more than ten years, but he was still a mere guard.
On the other hand, Yang Kai’s eyes lit up.
It was very likely that the Eldest Young Lady of the Meng Manor was Qu Hua Shang.
In this Samsara World, the Eldest Young Lady of the Meng Manor was already twenty-six or twenty-seven years old. The Patriarch had been looking for potential partners for her since she came of age, which was about ten years ago. Qu Hua Shang had entered the Samsara Pavilion at around the same time.
Furthermore, she had been waiting for a man who was destined to be with her.
After entering the Samsara Pavilion, Qu Hua Shang set up a Heart Barrier and reincarnated into this Samsara World. Although she had lost her memory, the Heart Barrier was real. Under the influence of the Heart Barrier, she would do things that were true to her heart.
Yang Kai reckoned that he had to go to the inner court and see the Eldest Young Lady of the Meng Manor. Only by doing so could he be certain whether she was the real Qu Hua Shang.
While he was lost in his thoughts, a flustered voice was heard shouting from somewhere in the Meng Manor, “Fire! There’s a fire!”
Yang Kai looked out the window and indeed saw a tinge of redness.
A shocked Yang Kai quickly got up and opened the door before leaping onto the roof. As he looked around intently, he saw that a particular place in the Meng Manor was on fire while everyone was flustered and in a panic. A lot of servants rushed over with buckets of water in an attempt to put out the blaze.
A tipsy Yin Zhi Yong appeared beside him and frowned as he had a bad feeling.
“Brother Yin…” Yang Kai turned to look at him.
“Don’t make any rash moves without orders.” Although Yin Zhi Yong was slightly drunk, he was still clear-headed. As a person who had worked for the Meng Manor for a long time, he knew that it was a taboo to be absent from one’s duties without permission during a crisis. The best way to deal with the situation was to stay where they were supposed to be.
Just when Yang Kai was about to nod his head though, he suddenly felt his chest tightening. When he turned his head, he saw that over ten people had appeared on a higher roof with bows in their hands.
Under the night sky, cold glints flashed off the arrows from the fire in the distance.
“Enemy attack!” Yang Kai growled and tackled Yin Zhi Yong down from the roof.
The next moment, several arrows struck the place where they were standing just now. The violent force directly broke the roof.
Yin Zhi Yong instantly sobered up as he got to his feet and nodded at Yang Kai as a form of gratitude.
Nevertheless, before they could compose themselves, they felt gusts of wind coming from both left and right sides.
Instinctually, Yang Kai unsheathed his sword with his left hand and slashed it across the person behind him.
A short shriek was heard as the attacker behind him was killed. Another sword brushed past his chest and cut his clothes open.
An agile Yang Kai stepped forward and wielded his sword as shrieks were continuously heard.
When he finally stopped, six people had already collapsed to the ground behind him. All of them were respectively killed with a single stroke. Blood could be seen dripping from the sword and dyeing the ground crimson.
A dumbfounded Yin Zhi Yong gazed at Yang Kai. Just now, by the time he unsheathed his sword, the enemies had all fallen to the ground. A moment later, he praised the young man by saying, “Little Brother, you’re incredible!”
As soon as he finished speaking, Yang Kai came right at him with the sword as murderous intent was written all over his face.
Yin Zhi Yong felt his legs trembling as he instinctively raised his sword. Yang Kai dodged it and pressed his hand against the older man’s shoulder. Upon impact, Yin Zhi Yong was forced to whirl around. It just so happened that he dodged an arrow that was coming from behind as a result.
Yin Zhi Yong was drenched in cold sweat. He knew that Yang Kai had saved him once again.
In just a few breaths’ time, Yang Kai had saved his life twice. Feeling embarrassed, he quickly raised his sword and fought against the enemies alongside Yang Kai.
Since he had been a private guard in the Meng Manor for more than ten years, he was naturally strong. The experiences just now made him feel furious, so he was especially ruthless when dealing with the enemies.
The attackers were mostly weak, but there were a lot of them, and they had hidden themselves in darkness earlier. Now that they had been exposed, there was no way they could defeat the two of them.
A moment later, all the attackers were either killed or running for their lives. Soon, the courtyard fell into silence.
Despite that, they could hear the sounds of intense battles coming from other parts of the manor.
Just then, a high-pitched whistle was heard. The Captain of the private guards was trying to gather his subordinates together.
Yin Zhi Yong shouted at Yang Kai, “Come with me!” With blood still dripping from his sword, he leaped over the wall and led Yang Kai to another courtyard.
More than thirty private guards had gathered together in this place. All of them were covered in blood while some people were badly injured.
Since they were in a perilous situation, the Captain didn’t have time to explain anything in detail as he said, “Those from Hidden Treasure Peak are here, and there are a lot of them. However, all of you don’t have to worry. I’m sure those from the City Lord’s Mansion have gotten wind of this and will send some people to help soon. We just have to persevere for a while, and we’ll all be safe. Now, we’re on the same boat. If we can’t fend off the enemies, all of us will be killed.”
He then started giving orders.
Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong were still partners. They were told to guard a route that the attackers must pass through if they wanted to leave the Meng Manor. The bandits from Hidden Treasure Peak had snuck into the Meng Manor. Regardless of what their goal was, they definitely had to leave after achieving their objective. It was a chance to weaken the power of those from Hidden Treasure Peak, so the Meng Manor would never want to miss it. Other than fending off the enemies, they also wanted to work with the City Lord’s Mansion to destroy the bandits.
The others were also given some tasks.
Upon receiving the order, Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong left the courtyard.
On the roof of a tall building, they crouched down and waited patiently. They were like the shadows in the darkness. No one could detect their presence without taking a closer look.
Some of the bandits passed by this place from time to time, but before they even realized it, they had already lost their lives.
Yin Zhi Yong increasingly admired the strength that Yang Kai had showcased.
The chaos in the Meng Manor continued. Yang Kai stared intently at the inner court. Noises of intense battles could be heard coming from over there, but they were all in the periphery.
The core area of the inner court was serene, and all the lights were off.
A moment later, a large group of bandits tried to escape out of the Meng Manor. The private guards, who had been waiting at the important routes, appeared and hacked them to death.
The place Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong were in was especially bustling with noises. While Yang Kai was still fine, Yin Zhi Yong felt immensely pressured. His thigh was injured as it was now covered in blood.
However, with Yang Kai around, he seemed able to easily ward off the attackers. As long as it wasn’t dozens of bandits coming at him all at once, he could effortlessly kill three to five people at the same time.
Presently, more than twenty corpses had been piled up on the roof.
Meanwhile, the anxiety in Yang Kai’s heart intensified as he felt that something was off.
After killing another bandit, he suddenly realised what was amiss.
When they had gathered together just now, he didn’t see Luo An Guo’s burly figure. Luo An Guo was also a new private guard. Unless he was already killed, he was supposed to have joined them earlier. Nevertheless, he was nowhere to be seen.
Yang Kai instantly looked at a particular spot in the inner court where Luo An Guo had been hiding for several nights in the past.
As the fire flickered in the distance, he saw a burly figure leaping over the wall from the inner court and heading to a place where security was weak.
There seemed to be some helpers over there as they quickly left the place with the burly figure.
Yang Kai immediately jumped off the roof. An astounded Yin Zhi Yong called out in alarm, “Where are you going, Little Brother?”
He didn’t get any response from the young man. On the other hand, some bandits came at him from the side as they intended to flee.
Yin Zhi Yong couldn’t help but shudder. His thigh was injured. Without Yang Kai working with him, he would be killed by those bandits.
However, he would be considered to be absent from his duties if he left just like that. After the dust settled, he would be punished by those from the Meng Manor.
Between death and punishment though, Yin Zhi Yong steadfastly chose the latter. He quickly leaped off the roof and followed Yang Kai.
At the front, Yang Kai ran after the burly figure on the roof and soon left the Meng Manor.
A large group of people could be heard coming from behind. Supposedly, the support from the City Lord’s Mansion had arrived.
On the other hand, Yang Kai stared fixedly at the burly figure ahead. It wasn’t until this moment that he realised there was something on the sturdy figure’s shoulder. Despite that, it didn’t affect his agility as the towering figure remained as dextrous as a rabbit.
Around him, his companions were seen charging forward.
Sensing that there was someone running after him, Luo An Guo turned his head to take a look without stopping in his tracks. Meanwhile, two of his companions turned around and dashed towards Yang Kai.
Their gap soon shortened. Barely thirty metres away, those two people lifted their weapons and came at Yang Kai from both sides.
Yang Kai directly brushed past the two of them as a glint flashed from his sword.
When Yin Zhi Yong arrived at this place, he saw two corpses lying on the roof.
Although the gates of White Jade City were closed, it couldn’t stop a powerful cultivator like Luo An Guo from fleeing as he was well prepared. With the help of a claw hook, he climbed up the wall and soon jumped off to the other side under the night sky.
When Yang Kai arrived, two of Luo An Guo’s companions were still climbing up the wall.
He leaped into the air like a bird and hovered above the two of them for a moment before landing a kick on the one nearest to him. The person crashed into his companion as they fell to the ground together.
Upon landing on the top of the wall, Yang Kai sported a dark expression, for he could hear the sound of a horse neighing. Looking down, he saw that Luo An Guo was mounting up.
Luo An Guo looked up at Yang Kai and grinned. Then, he made the horse turn around and gallop off.
Yang Kai took a deep breath and leaped off the wall before rushing forward. However, even though he was fairly powerful in this Samsara World, with such low cultivation, he could never be as quick as a horse.
Despite seeing that Luo An Guo was getting further away from him, Yang Kai didn’t give up. Instead, he raced after him following the horse’s hoofprints.
About a cup of tea’s time later, Luo An Guo was nowhere to be seen while Yang Kai was feeling extremely anxious.
Just then, a horse could be heard galloping towards him from behind.
He turned his head and saw Yin Zhi Yong rushing towards him on horseback. The horse stopped in front of Yang Kai as Yin Zhi Yong panted and said, “The Eldest Young Lady was captured!”
When he saw Yang Kai leaving the Meng Manor to chase after someone just now, he still had no idea what was going on. But soon, the Meng Manor descended into chaos because while they were locked in an intense battle with the bandits, someone snuck into the inner court and abducted the Eldest Young Lady.
Yin Zhi Yong immediately thought of the person that Yang Kai was running after. With no time to report the matter to the higher-ups, he took a horse from the stable and dashed off in the direction of Hidden Treasure Peak. He faced an obstacle when trying to pass through the city gates, for they were already closed. The people guarding the gates were from the City Lord’s Mansion, and a mere private guard from the Meng Manor had no authority to make them open the gates.
Fortunately, Yin Zhi Yong was friends with the leader of the guards on duty, and he told him what was going on. He also promised a reward from the Meng Family before he was allowed to pass through the gates.
He believed that if his speculation was right, Yang Kai was just in front of him.
Just as he had expected, he soon found Yang Kai.
Following that, he leaped off the horse and said grimly, “Only you can save the Eldest Young Lady, Little Brother. If you’re able to do it, we won’t have to worry about money ever again.”
He had seen Yang Kai’s true strength just now, so he had confidence in him. Moreover, there was only one horse, and he was injured; therefore, he wasn’t willing to follow him to slow him down.
“Don’t worry,” Yang Kai nodded and jumped onto the horse. After clenching his thighs, he galloped off in a hurry.
Yang Kai wasn’t sure where Hidden Treasure Peak was exactly, but fortunately, Luo An Guo had left behind some traces while escaping.
Furthermore, Luo An Guo was a burly man, and he had to carry the Eldest Young Lady with him; therefore, it was expected that Yang Kai could outpace him on his horse.
At the break of dawn, Yang Kai had a feeling that he was getting closer to his target.
After galloping a few more kilometres, he indeed saw Luo An Guo.
The noise from behind alerted Luo An Guo, and when he turned his head and saw someone chasing after him, he was astounded.
The distance between them was getting shorter. Luo An Guo turned his head several times and finally made out Yang Kai’s face. Instantly, he burned with murderous intent.
He could never forget about the humiliation inflicted upon him by Yang Kai, who defeated him with his sword on the selection stage. Nevertheless, he didn’t show it on his face over the past few days; after all, he was on a mission in the Meng Manor, so he didn’t have time to settle the score with Yang Kai.
However, when he saw Yang Kai relentlessly pursuing him at this moment, he was infuriated.
Since Yang Kai’s horse could apparently run faster, there was no way he could flee. After giving it a thought, Luo An Guo slowed his horse down and turned around, choosing to wait on the same spot in silence.
A moment later, Yang Kai stopped at a spot a few dozen metres away from him.
As their eyes met, Luo An Guo put on a grin while Yang Kai remained calm and collected.
“Brat, you’re pretty bold. How did you have the gall to chase after me on your own?” Luo An Guo cracked his neck.
Yang Kai took a glance at the horse and saw a black cloth bag. There seemed to be a person who was squirming in the cloth bag. Perhaps her mouth had been sealed, so she could only grunt.
“Do you want to save the damsel in distress?” Luo An Guo sneered.
“Release her!” Yang Kai placed his left hand on the hilt of his sword with a cold expression.
Luo An Guo scoffed, “You just joined the Meng Manor recently, why are you pretending to be loyal? Brat, you’re pretty strong. Why don’t you follow me to the mountain? You can get all the money and women that you want. It’s better than working as a private guard in the Meng Family.”
“Release her!” Yang Kai repeated his words dispassionately.
The smile on Luo An Guo’s face disappeared, “I wanted to offer you an opportunity since you’re quite talented. However, since you refuse a toast, you must drink a forfeit. Don’t blame me for being rough with you!”
As soon as he finished speaking, he leaped into the air. The horse was unable to bear the impact as all its legs broke while it neighed in pain.
While in mid-air, Luo An Guo bellowed, “Do you seriously think you’re more powerful than me just because you beat me back then? I’ll show you my true power!”
In the next instant, his fists turned into countless shadows that rained down on Yang Kai.
Like an eagle descending towards a rabbit, Luo An Guo came right at Yang Kai from above. His towering figure gave off immense pressure to his opponent. If a timid person was faced with such a violent attack, he would be scared out of his wits before even making a move. In that case, he wouldn’t be able to defeat him even if they were equally matched.
Nevertheless, Luo An Guo was surprised at the fact that Yang Kai remained calm and collected. Yang Kai leaped into the air and unsheathed his sword with his left hand as a glint flashed through his weapon.
As the two figures brushed past each other, they landed on the ground with a thud and grunted.
Luo An Guo widened his eyes and covered his neck with his hands. Blood could be seen spurting out through the gaps of his fingers. Disbelief was written all over his face.
In the past, he had hidden his true power on the stage, so he was unresigned after he was defeated by Yang Kai with a sword. Therefore, when he saw Yang Kai racing after him just now, he intended to show his true power to the other man.
Nevertheless, he never expected that this would be the outcome.
Just like what had happened on the stage, he was defeated by Yang Kai with a single slash once more.
However, the attack was even quicker this time, and he was completely unable to ward it off.
The difference was that Yang Kai didn’t intend to kill him on the stage back then, but this time, he had sent him to Hell.
Luo An Guo still hadn’t figured out how Yang Kai managed to defeat him. It was supposedly impossible for Yang Kai to unsheathe his sword from that angle, and the timing at that moment was beyond a Human’s control. However, he really did it.
As a result, Luo An Guo’s blood was rapidly leaving him as he felt cold all over his body. He didn’t understand why Yang Kai wanted to be a private guard in the Meng Manor since the latter was such an expert in martial arts.
Regardless of how hard he tried, Luo An Guo was unable to stop his blood from spurting out as he gasped in pain. Nevertheless, he wouldn’t die so soon. He fell on one knee with a thud as he was engulfed in the fear and pain of death.
Yang Kai put his sword back into the sheath and shuffled forward without sparing him a glance.
However, after just taking a few steps forward, he staggered and almost fell to the ground.
He wasn’t sure about the level of Luo An Guo’s power according to the standards in this Samsara World, but he reckoned that the latter couldn’t be considered weak.
In comparison, his current cultivation was weaker than that of Luo An Guo. The battle on the stage some time ago had proven it.
A cultivator with Yang Kai’s current strength, born and bred in this place, would undoubtedly be defeated by a powerful cultivator like Luo An Guo.
Nonetheless, Yang Kai reincarnated into this world as a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so his skill and vision were far greater than the limits of this world. The chance that was impossible to grasp in Luo An Guo’s eyes could easily be captured by Yang Kai. That was why he could defeat the other party despite being weaker.
With that said, it wasn’t without a price to pay.
Three of Yang Kia’s ribs must have been broken after his chest was struck by Luo An Guo. He could even feel that his throat was filled with blood.
Yang Kai forcefully choked down the sweet liquid and stabilised himself before walking up to Luo An Guo’s horse.
The horse’s limbs were broken after it bore the impact of Luo An Guo leaping into the air. Presently, it was lying on the ground and wailing. The person in the cloth bag was still squirming on the horseback as she groaned and grunted.
Yang Kai opened the bag and revealed an alluring face that was covered in tears. The bumpy ride had caused her hair to become a mess and she must have cried for a long time as her eyes were all red, which could easily arouse a man’s sympathy.
Looking at this familiar face, Yang Kai smiled.
[I’ve finally found you, Senior Sister Qu!]
Her current identity was the Eldest Young Lady of the Meng Manor.
The Eldest Young Lady was originally flustered and horrified, but upon seeing the man’s soothing smile, she instantly calmed down. She stared fixedly at Yang Kai while a sense of confusion flashed through her eyes.
She found the man before her eyes familiar, but she was sure she had never seen him before. This feeling made her doubtful.
Yang Kai took out the cloth from her mouth and drew a deep breath, “Don’t be afraid, Eldest Young Lady. I’m a private guard from the Meng Manor. I’m here to save you. The bandit who captured you is dead.”
It was only then that the Eldest Young Lady saw the corpse kneeling on the ground up ahead. The puddle of blood horrified her as the colour drained from her alluring face. She exclaimed and instinctively crashed into the oddly familiar guard’s arms.
Yang Kai grunted as blood leaked out of his mouth.
Some of his ribs were broken to begin with, and this impact exacerbated his injuries.
Upon hearing his groan, the Eldest Young Lady looked up and saw that her rescuer seemed to be in pain, so she asked caringly, “Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine.” Yang Kai helped her up, “We shouldn’t stay here any longer. We have to get back to the Meng Manor as quickly as possible.”
The Eldest Young Lady nodded repeatedly.
Yang Kai led her to his own horse and helped her get on. Just when they were preparing to leave though, he heard some noises coming from the distance.
Yang Kai turned his head and saw some dust rising in the air. There seemed to be some horses coming right at them.
Quickly making a decision, Yang Kai pointed in a particular direction and shouted, “Eldest Young Lady, ride in that direction. Don’t ever stop!”
The Eldest Young Lady looked down at him, “What about you?”
Yang Kai flashed a smile at her, “I’ll get some rest before leaving.” Upon finishing his words, he unsheathed his sword and slapped the horse’s bottom with the back of the weapon.
The horse then neighed and galloped off with the Eldest Young Lady on its back.
Following that, Yang Kai turned around and took the sword with his right hand as he waited in silence.
Luo An Guo’s helpers from Hidden Treasure Peak had arrived. The dust rising in the distance was surely caused by those bandits.
Perhaps they had agreed to meet up in a particular place, but since Luo An Guo hadn’t shown up after a long time, they decided to look for him.
More than 100 horses came into Yang Kai’s sight as he licked the blood around his mouth while feeling excited and high-spirited.
In this place, he couldn’t rely on Space Principles or his powerful Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation. All he had was the powers given to him in this Samsara World and his own experiences.
Despite his profound skill, it was impossible for him to deal with more than 100 people in his current condition. Although he supposedly didn’t have a chance to survive, it had ignited his fighting spirit and fierce nature.
What would happen if he was killed in this Samsara World? Yu Xiang Die never told him about it.
However, Yang Kai knew that he must not die. Before the Heart Barrier of Senior Sister Qu was broken, she wouldn’t be able to move into the next reincarnation.
Just then, Yang Kai heard the sound of a horse galloping towards him from behind. With a frown, he turned around and saw that the Eldest Young Lady had returned.
Her beautiful face was pale as she was terrified to see that more than 100 horses were coming at them. Despite that, she still summoned her courage and didn’t hesitate to come back.
The Eldest Young Lady apparently had some excellent riding skills as she accurately stopped the horse in front of Yang Kai. With a furious expression, she snapped, “Liar!”
This was giving Yang Kai a headache as he asked, “Why did you come back?”
“I-I don’t know…” the Eldest Young Lady stammered. She had no idea why she decided to come back just now, but she instinctively turned around when she heard the noises from behind.
Yang Kai gritted his teeth and took the reins before leaping onto the horse. He said beside her ear, “Hold on tight!” He then turned the horse around and rushed towards White Jade City.
It was unrealistic to tell the Eldest Young Lady to leave on her own now, for the other party had seen her already. If they separated to chase after her, she would be in a perilous situation.
In that case, Yang Kai reckoned that he had to take matters into his own hands and protect her personally.
On the horse, the Eldest Young Lady hung her head low while blushing.
She had never come into such close contact with a man before. The bumpy ride caused her back to rub against the man’s chest from time to time. The panting she heard from the man made her feel flustered while she felt as if there were butterflies in her stomach.
More than 100 horses arrived at the place where Luo An Guo was killed soon after. Someone examined the figure that was kneeling on the ground, and upon confirming that Luo An Guo was dead, all of them were agitated as they chased after Yang Kai and the Eldest Young Lady.
The reason Yang Kai was able to catch up to Luo An Guo earlier was that his horse could run faster. After all, Luo An Guo had a heavy build, and he had to bring the Eldest Young Lady with him. On the other hand, Yang Kai was on his own.
That was the reason he could reach Luo An Guo.
Nevertheless, it was the opposite now. While Yang Kai had to bring the Eldest Young Lady to safety on a single horse, more than 100 bandits from Hidden Treasure Peak riding down on them.
The distance between them was shortening while the sounds of hooves thudding on the ground became louder.
The Eldest Young Lady was no longer in the mood to let her thoughts run wild. For a moment, a sense of anxiety flashed through her face; however, she seemed to recall something all of a sudden as she soon calmed herself down.
Right then, the sound of something breaking through the air was heard. The distance between both parties was short enough, so an expert in archery among the bandits from Hidden Treasure Peak shot an arrow at Yang Kai. However, he missed his target as the arrow landed on a spot that was ten metres away from the left of Yang Kai.
More arrows came from behind as the sounds of breaking through the air were continuously heard.
Most of the arrows were not threatening at all, and for the ones that posed a risk, Yang Kai turned his head and accurately slashed across them.
Behind him, a person with a hooked nose at the front of those bandits was dumbfounded by this sight, for he had never expected Yang Kai to be so strong and skillful. It was only then that he realised it wasn’t just bad luck that Luo An Guo was killed.
Yang Kai was apparently an expert in martial arts given his dexterity and eyesight.
The hooked nosed man had his interest piqued as he didn’t know that there was such a powerful cultivator in the Meng Manor. Since Luo An Guo was dead, the losses could be made up for if they could make Yang Kai join them.
The prerequisite was that they had to capture him alive.
As the gap shortened, more arrows were seen flying. Although Yang Kai had tried his best to ward them off, his defence wasn’t impenetrable.
An arrow jabbed right into the horse’s thigh and almost caused it to collapse, but a nimble Yang Kai quickly tightened the reins and used his force to help the horse stabilize.
It was obvious that they were unable to flee.
They couldn’t run as fast as the other party to begin with, and the fact that the horse was injured exacerbated the situation.
Nevertheless, it would still take them four to five hours before they could return to White Jade City.
Yang Kai initially hoped that those from the Meng Manor or City Lord’s Mansion could send some people to help so that the two of them could stand a chance to survive, but they were still nowhere to be seen.
Left with no choice, Yang Kai could only save himself and the Eldest Young Lady. He went through the route he had taken to reach this place in his mind in an attempt to find a useful place.
The sounds of breaking through the air were heard again. Although Yang Kai warded off some of the arrows, one of them still jabbed into the horse’s stomach.
The horse that had helped Yang Kai flee for the entire night collapsed to the ground after running for another kilometre.
The Eldest Young Lady, who was seated at the front, exclaimed while Yang Kai promptly wrapped his arm around her waist and stomped his feet on the horseback. They leaped into the air and then stably landed on the ground.
“Wrap your arms around me!” Yang Kai ordered.
A flustered Eldest Young Lady nodded and quickly draped her arms around the young man’s neck to stabilize herself.
While holding his sword with one hand, Yang Kai placed his other hand on the Eldest Young Lady’s body to support her weight before rushing forward in a particular direction with all the speed he could muster.
The Eldest Young Lady’s vision shook. As she looked over the shoulder of this young private guard, she could see more than 100 horses chasing after them. The faces of the horsemen were hideous and gave off a horrifying feeling.
Nevertheless, she had never been calmer than at this moment.
The scene and the feeling were somehow familiar to her, as though she had experienced it before.
However, she had always lived in the Meng Manor, and she had never stepped out of White Jade City before. When had she ever experienced getting hunted down while she was protected by a man?
Did it happen in a dream? Was it an experience from her previous life?
She was supposed to feel uncomfortable in such close contact with a man she didn’t know, but at this moment she was drowned in happiness as she exerted more force with her arms around the young private guard’s neck. It was as though she was trying to merge into his body.
She knew that this man wouldn’t abandon her even if he had to lose his life.
When she saw more than ten arrows coming right at them, she exclaimed, “Watch out!”
Then, her eyes were dazzled by the glint from a sword. Yang Kai didn’t whirl around as the Eldest Young Lady was in front of him. If he turned around, she would be struck by the arrows. Instead, he accurately slashed across the arrows without turning at all, as though there were eyes on the back of his head.
Most of the arrows were warded off, but one of them pierced right into his shoulder.
The Eldest Young Lady stared fixedly at that arrow, which was about the length of an arm. While it was deep in the man’s flesh, not much blood had streamed out. Nevertheless, she felt her chest tightening at the sight of it.
She reckoned that the young private guard must be in pain, but he never even grunted.
More arrows were coming at them while Yang Kai zigzagged to dodge them. The gap between both parties was shortening rapidly, and it was expected that they would be surrounded by their enemies in no time.
All of a sudden, Yang Kai turned left and rushed forward as there was a col over there. Perhaps he could make use of the terrain.
Soon, he dashed past the col with the Eldest Young Lady in his arms. It was a lucky day for him as he soon saw that there was a cave at the bottom of a mountain wall.
The cave wasn’t big as it could accommodate one person.
Yang Kai rushed over and put the Eldest Young Lady down, “Get inside, now!”
The Eldest Young Lady nodded and climbed into the cave on all fours and tried her best to curl up inside it.
When she looked up, she saw the young private guard standing in front of her like a mountain that could fend off all storms.
“What’s your name?” She asked.
“Yang Kai!” He raised his hand to grab the arrow stuck in his shoulder and snapped the shaft off, leaving the tip inside his flesh. He then turned his head and flashed a smile at her, “My name is Yang Kai.”
The Eldest Young Lady repeated it as though she was trying to imprint the name in the deepest part of her mind. She extended her hand to adjust her messy hair and put on a charming smile, “My name is Meng Ru.”
Yang Kai nodded his head, “A beautiful name!”
The sounds of hooves stepping on the ground were heard as more than 100 horses arrived at this place. The man with a hooked nose raised his hand, after which all of the horses stopped in their tracks. These bandits then stared fixedly at Yang Kai.
As their eyes met, the man with a hooked nose could barely contain his admiration for Yang Kai as he sized him up, “Brat, did you kill Luo An Guo?”
Yang Kai replied grimly, “Yes.”
With a gloomy expression, the man with a hooked nose said, “Luo An Guo was the Second Manager of Hidden Treasure Peak. You’ve formed a grudge with us by killing him.”
“He shouldn’t have kidnapped the Eldest Young Lady of the Meng Manor then,” Yang Kai shook his head, “Anyone who dares to harm her must die.”
The man with a hooked nose sneered, “You’re indeed loyal, but you’re also extremely foolish. Luo An Guo was weaker than you, so he only had himself to blame for getting killed. However, he was still the Second Manager of Hidden Treasure Peak. Since you have killed him, I have to avenge his death as the Head Manager.”
“How are you going to do that?” Yang Kai asked solemnly.
The man with a hooked nose grinned, “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. How do you think I’m going to avenge his death?”
Yang Kai replied impassively, “If you want my life, you’re welcome to try to take it. Let’s see if you’re capable of doing that.”
The man with a hooked nose scoffed, “Compared to your life, I’m more interested in you. Why don’t you give the woman behind you to us as a gesture of sincerity and follow me back to the mountain? Our grudges will be resolved then.”
Yang Kai frowned and lowered his gaze. After giving it a thought, he replied, “I can follow you back to the mountain, but I can’t pass the Eldest Young Lady to you. Let her go back to White Jade City, and I will agree to your demand.”
The man with a hooked nose shook his head, “No. We have spent a lot of effort to get her. Many of our Brothers were killed, including the Second Manager. It was so hard for us to get this woman out of the Meng Manor, so how could we let her go? Don’t worry. After you follow me back to the mountain, this woman will belong to you.”
Yang Kai said steadfastly, “I only have one request. The Eldest Young Lady must safely return to White Jade City!”
The expression of the man with a hooked nose darkened. He had paid Yang Kai due respect and expressed his willingness to let him join Hidden Treasure Peak, but the other party rudely turned him down.
“I’ll go to the mountain!” The voice of the Eldest Young Lady Meng Ru was suddenly heard coming from behind.
“Don’t speak nonsense!” Yang Kai snapped.
“En,” Meng Ru obediently shrunk back into the hole.
“It seems that there’s no room for discussion, then.” The hooked nosed man found it to be a pity as he waved his hand and ordered, “Kill!”
Upon realising that he was unable to make Yang Kai join them, he immediately ordered his death. There was no doubt that he was a decisive person.
More than ten archers were already well prepared as they pulled the bows taut. The next moment, a dozen or so arrows came at Yang Kai from different angles.
However, everyone soon became dumbfounded.
That was because Yang Kai wielded his sword and easily fended off all of the arrows. He didn’t even seem to have moved as he stood in front of the Eldest Young Lady of the Meng Manor like a wooden stake.
The man with a hooked nose was stunned.
He knew that Yang Kai was an expert in martial arts since the latter could kill Luo An Guo. Yang Kai’s performance during their pursuit also confirmed his speculation.
Nevertheless, it wasn’t until this moment that the Head Manager realised that he had still underestimated Yang Kai.
If he were faced with the same situation, he could have warded off those arrows as well, but he could never have done it so effortlessly. It was also impossible for him not to move a single step.
These archers were flushing as they felt embarrassed. Before the Head Manager even gave the order, they started shooting arrows at Yang Kai again.
Just like before, Yang Kai easily fended off all the attacks.
The archers became furious. Instead of shooting arrows at the same time, they did it intermittently so that they could find a chance to impale him.
An incense stick later, these archers helplessly lowered their bows as their faces were all red. The mockery from their companions made them hang their heads low.
There were more than ten archers, but after twenty rounds of shooting at Yang Kai, the man still wasn’t harmed one bit. On the other hand, they had no more arrows left.
The Head Manager sported a gloomy expression as well. He reprimanded the people who were laughing and pointed at Yang Kai before giving the order, “You guys over there, go kill him.”
The smiles of those who were ordered to kill Yang Kai froze as they sported bitter expressions; however, they could not disobey the Head Manager, so they had no choice but to drive their horses forward.
At the very least, they knew that they had to work together. They separated and surrounded Yang Kai from different directions.
As they exchanged glances, one of them suddenly charged towards Yang Kai and hacked at him with a sword while the others seized the chance and dashed forward.
Yang Kai lowered his figure to dodge the attack and unsheathed his sword as a glint flashed across his weapon.
The second person extended his sword while the third person, who had excellent riding skills, leaned far off his horse and swept his sword at Yang Kai’s legs while brushing past him.
The others showcased their skills and launched fatal attacks on Yang Kai.
With Yang Kai as the centre, several horses criss-crossed each other.
However, many fell off their horses and collapsed to the ground, apparently dead. Only two of them survived, and when they turned their heads, their faces instantly paled.
Yang Kai remained on the same spot. His top had been cut open as the flesh around his wounds rolled up. His figure was already covered in blood.
Nevertheless, he didn’t seem to care about it one bit.
Blood dripped from his sword and made some pattering sounds on the blood puddle, which was piercing to the ears.
The Head Manager had never been more embarrassed in his life as he growled, “Wastes! You can’t even kill a single person?! All of you, go get him! You don’t have to follow me back to the mountain if you can’t kill him!”
The death of their companions left the others fuming with fury. Although Yang Kai appeared powerful, he was all alone after all. There was no way they were unable to kill him when there were more than 100 of them.
They drew their weapons at the same time and drove the horses forward. They appeared as intimidating as a storm.
Yang Kai tried his best to stabilise his breathing and pulled off his tattered top from his body. He then fastened it around his sword-holding hand so he wouldn’t drop it.
As soon as he was done with that, 100 or so horses came charging towards him from all directions and engulfed him.
Following a guttural roar, Yang Kai slashed his sword as blood was seen spurting out from his enemies. Shrieks were continuously heard.
There was an upside as well as a downside when he told the Eldest Young Lady to hide inside the cave. The upside was that he didn’t have to worry about her safety. As long as he stood steadfastly in front of her, he could ensure that she wouldn’t be harmed.
The downside was that he was unable to move around freely. Once he revealed the woman behind him, those from Hidden Treasure Peak might be able to capture her. Once that happened, Yang Kai wouldn’t be able to save her despite being stronger than these bandits.
It was the same case for those from Hidden Treasure Peak.
While they were pleased to see that the Eldest Young Lady was confined to a spot by Yang Kai, they were unable to freely deal with him in such a small place.
Yang Kai only had to face seven or eight of them at the same time while the others could only circle around in the periphery. There was nothing they could do.
As more people were killed, the spot in front of the cave began running red with blood. The smell of blood was nauseating; however, the Eldest Young Lady, who was hiding in the hole, realised in shock that she wasn’t afraid of such a situation.
She couldn’t figure out what was going on as it was the first time she saw dead people. Any other Young Lady would have passed out in this situation, but she remained clear-headed while she was still able to monitor the young private guard’s condition.
All of a sudden, a corpse collapsed in front of her. It was a bandit who tried to capture Meng Ru while Yang Kai wasn’t paying attention. As soon as he reached this place though, Yang Kai directly killed him with his sword.
It was apparent that the bandit was horrified before his death. Presently, the corpse was right in front of the Eldest Young Lady.
She shot a glance at the corpse before snatching the sword from his hand. While clenching the hilt with both hands, she pressed the tip against her chest.
This young private guard named Yang Kai was indeed powerful. Despite being an ordinary person, the Eldest Young Lady could see that.
With that said, she was also aware that there was no way he could defeat so many enemies all on his own.
She had no idea how much longer this young private guard could persevere, nor did she understand why he still steadfastly stood in front of her in the face of death; after all, they had never even met each other before today.
There was one thing she knew, though. If this young private guard collapsed, she would end up in a more horrible state than death; therefore, she had to be prepared.
The sharp tip of the sword pressed against her chest and formed a cut on her skin, which made her feel a slight tinge of pain. She stared fixedly at the young private guard from behind to monitor his condition.
In the worst-case scenario, they would probably perish together here. While she was in her wild thoughts, she felt a sense of longing, as though she was almost looking forward to it.
The Head Manager of Hidden Treasure Peak never stopped cursing. As more of his subordinates collapsed, his voice became louder while his saliva spouted out of his mouth. As the bandits were continuously reprimanded, they were furious while they became increasingly ruthless with their moves.
Although their ruthlessness had inflicted a lot of injuries on this private guard from the Meng Manor, they could not make him fall.
Presently, the private guard from the Meng Manor was covered in blood while his clothes were all tattered. There was a long cut on his forehead from which blood slid down his face and dyed his eyes scarlet, which made him look like a mad Ominous Beast.
His sword had become crooked from all the hacking and slashing, so he randomly took up the blade of a nearby dead bandit so he could wield two weapons at once. Nevertheless, the cutlass was also badly chipped, so there was no way it could last for a long time.
About twenty to thirty corpses had been piled up in front of him. Blood streamed past his feet and made him look extremely terrifying.
The bandits from Hidden Treasure Peak were horrified. They knew that as long as they persevered, there would come a moment when this private guard from the Meng Manor collapsed to the ground, but before that, many of their lives would be sacrificed. They were afraid that they would be the ones who died uselessly here.
The bandits, who were initially high-spirited following the order from the Head Manager, started becoming timid as they launched attacks less frequently.
An infuriated Head Manager killed a bandit who was trying to flee. He then drove his horse forward as he apparently planned to enter the battlefield personally.
Just then, the ground started shaking as the sounds of hooves could be heard rapidly approaching from a distance.
The Head Manager felt his chest tightening. When he turned his head, he saw that the dust was rising in the distance as a lot of people were rushing towards them on horses.
Reinforcements from White Jade City had arrived.
Upon that realisation, the bandits became flustered as they instinctively moved backwards. Many of them turned to the Head Manager and awaited his order.
The Head Manager stared at the private guard from the Meng Manor, who had been standing resolutely in front of the cave all this time. After a moment of hesitation though, he shouted through clenched teeth, “Retreat!”
A lot of soldiers from White Jade City were approaching, so there was no way their weakened group could ward them off. They might even lose their lives by staying here. It would be an unwise decision to do so just because they were not willing to give up their prize.
The bandits were already frightened by Yang Kai’s actions to begin with, so upon hearing the Head Manager’s order, they turned their horses around and ran for their lives without hesitation.
A moment later, more than 100 knights clad in sturdy armour arrived at this place with a young man leading the way. The young man looked in the direction the bandits from Hidden Treasure Peak were fleeing with narrowed eyes, but he didn’t have the intention to chase after them.
He turned his head and took a glance at Yang Kai, who was covered in blood. Despite being an experienced man, he was still astounded at the sight.
The attention of the knights behind the young man was also attracted to Yang Kai.
He was standing there like a statue, as though he was trying to protect something. His figure was covered in cuts of different sizes, and his clothes were in tatters. The corpses of the bandits had been piled up in front of him, and his feet were drenched in a puddle of blood. His murderous intent seemed to have materialised and the horses beneath the knights were unable to bear it. They neighed and instinctively stepped backwards.
None of them had seen such a sight before, but they could imagine how intense the situation had been. A lot of bandits must have continuously launched attacks on this young man in an attempt to defeat him; however, like a rock amidst the storm, he was still standing strong in the end.
It was obvious that after his sword became bent, he picked up a cutlass that was also chipped. Even with such broken weapons, he wielded them to kill these bandits.
“Is it him?” The young man asked.
The person beside the young man was Yin Zhi Yong, who was also a private guard from the Meng Manor. Upon hearing that, he quickly nodded, “Yes, it’s him.”
After he finished speaking, he leaped off the horse and bolted towards Yang Kai, shouting, “Little Brother! Little Brother!”
Before he could get close though, he saw a sword slashing at him. He exclaimed in fright and fell on his bottom, his Soul almost leaving his body.
When he came to his senses, he quickly examined himself. Upon confirming that he wasn’t injured, he breathed a sigh of relief. While reeling from the shock, he called out, “Little Brother, it’s me, Yin Zhi Yong. Don’t you recognise me?”
He had no idea why Yang Kai would suddenly hack at him. If he were killed just like that, he would have passed away full of grief.
“He has already passed out!” The leading young man suddenly said.
Yin Zhi Yong was dumbfounded, “He has?”
How could Yang Kai still attack him when he was unconscious?
Upon closer look though, Yin Zhi Yong realised that there was indeed something off about Yang Kai. He was glowering at the front, but never batted his eyes. The blood from his forehead streamed down his face, which made him look horrifying, but his eyes seemed to have lost focus as he looked hollowly in no particular direction.
Nevertheless, he remained unmoving with the weapons in his hands.
“Don’t go near him. He will only react on instinct now,” the young man ordered.
A dazed Yin Zhi Yong nodded. Despite his age, it was the first time he saw someone who was still able to react out of reflex while unconscious. How resolute must one be in order to achieve that?
“He’s really something.” The young man stared at Yang Kai with admiration written all over his face. He turned to Yin Zhi Yong, “What’s his name?”
Yin Zhi Yong quickly replied, “Young City Lord, his name is Yang Kai. He’s a new private guard in the Meng Manor.”
“Yang Kai?” The Young City Lord narrowed his eyes as his expression became conflicted.
Yin Zhi Yong didn’t notice it as he looked worriedly at Yang Kai, “Little Brother Yang is badly injured, Young City Lord. We can’t go near him now; however, if we don’t help stop his bleeding, he’ll surely lose his life.”
The Young City Lord fell silent.
Just then, some noises could be heard coming from behind Yang Kai.
Yin Zhi Yong bellowed, “Who goes there!”
After he finished speaking, he saw a curvy woman whose hair was a mess crawling out of the small cave behind Yang Kai. There was a sword in her hands as she appeared vigilant.
“Eldest Young Lady!” Yin Zhi Yong was flabbergasted.
He only saw Yang Kai when he arrived at this place, and never paid attention to anything behind him. It wasn’t until the Eldest Young Lady crawled out that he realised that there even was a cave behind Yang Kai.
All of them finally realised who the person was that Yang Kai was protecting.
The Young City Lord became startled as he examined the Eldest Young Lady’s face. All of a sudden, he put on a wry smile.
He thought that life was truly full of surprises. Over the past few years, he had been looking for a particular person, but he still hadn’t managed to achieve his goal. Nevertheless, he had never expected to come across her today.
Fate was really a strange thing in this Samsara World. Despite having entered this world much earlier, he still hadn’t gained any advantage. On the other hand, the one who came at a later time had a chance to get close to the person he had been looking for almost immediately.
“Greetings, Eldest Young Lady. My name is Yin Zhi Yong, a private guard from the Meng Manor.” He cupped his fist, then quickly added, “Be careful. Please don’t go near Yang Kai.”
The Eldest Young Lady pressed her lips together and tossed the sword away. After making up her mind, despite the warning, she still shuffled towards Yang Kai.
She had heard the conversation between Yin Zhi Yong and the Young City Lord while she was hiding inside the cave, so she was aware of Yang Kai’s current condition.
But, so what? This man was willing to protect her with his very life. She didn’t believe that he would harm her in any way.
Upon seeing that, Yin Zhi Yong turned pale.
Since the Eldest Young Lady was fine, he and Yang Kai would be given handsome rewards after returning to the Meng Manor; however, if Yang Kai harmed her in any way, he would be doomed.
Before Yin Zhi Yong could stop her, the Eldest Young Lady was already standing in front of Yang Kai.
To everyone’s surprise, Yang Kai didn’t even try to harm her. Instead, his expression became more hideous as though he was trying to suppress something.
Yin Zhi Yong felt his heart leaping to his throat as he was worried that Yang Kai would hack his sword at her in the next instant. When that happened, the alluring Eldest Young Lady would surely lose her life.
Tears could be seen sliding down the Eldest Young Lady’s face. She covered her mouth with her hands as her shoulders uncontrollably trembled.
The person in front of her didn’t have any part of his skin intact. He was soaked in blood, and through his tattered clothes, she could see that he was covered in deep cuts with his flesh rolling up around his wounds.
Every wound and every drop of his blood was proof that he had resolutely protected her from harm.
While suppressing her tears, she extended her hands and took the weapons from Yang Kai.
Yang Kai didn’t resist. Just now, the bandits from Hidden Treasure Peak were unable to make him lose grip of his weapons no matter what they tried, but at this moment, the frail Eldest Young Lady easily took them from his hands.
She tossed the blood-covered weapons to the ground. When she looked up, she realised that his eyes had closed, and faint breathing could be heard coming from his nostrils.
“Does anyone have medicine? Help treat him, now!” The Eldest Young Lady turned her head and sought help from them.
Given his injuries, he would surely journey to the Yellow Springs if he wasn’t treated in time. Although the Eldest Young Lady had rarely stepped out of the manor, she was aware of such common knowledge.
The Young City Lord motioned to one of his subordinates.
The subordinate quickly leaped off the horse and bolted towards Yang Kai. Upon making sure that the man posed no threat, he helped him lie down on the ground.
Yin Zhi Yong hurriedly came over to help out. Seeing that the Eldest Young Lady was still standing nearby, he encouraged, “Please go somewhere else, Eldest Young Lady. I’m worried that you’ll feel nauseated at the sight.”
The Eldest Young Lady nodded and stepped back.
The Young City Lord walked up to her and examined her before saying, “Eldest Young Lady Meng, I am the Young City Lord of White Jade City, Feng Cheng Si. I just returned from my studies abroad. I’m sorry that I didn’t n’t manage to save you earlier.”
The Eldest Young Lady shook her head, “I’m fine.”
Her eyes never looked away from Yang Kai though as she was apparently full of worry.
When Feng Cheng Si saw that, he secretly cursed, thinking fate was really a bitch.
Those from Hidden Treasure Peak had launched a night attack on the Meng Manor. The Second Manager, Luo An Guo, personally made a move and kidnapped the Eldest Young Lady of the Meng Family amidst the chaos. A new private guard from the Meng Manor chased after him and intercepted him in a place that was over 100 kilometres from the city. He fought against the enemies on his own and killed many of them. Eventually, he successfully saved the Eldest Young Lady.
Everyone in White Jade City was shocked when the news spread.
Rumour had it that the power of the new private guard from the Meng Manor was inscrutable. Faced with over 100 bandits, he never backed down as he beheaded them with a saber and a sword like he was cutting fruits or vegetables.
It was also rumoured that he was ten metres tall with three heads and six arms! The hearts of the bandits were dug out and eaten by him!
By relying on his ferocity, he persevered until the Young City Lord of White Jade City arrived with the knights to end the calamity. They eventually destroyed the bandits from Hidden Treasure Peak and returned victorious.
While everyone who heard this news was shocked by the power of this private guard from the Meng Manor, they also admired him for his loyalty.
Hidden Treasure Peak was a nest of bandits; had someone like the Eldest Young Lady from the Meng Manor been captured by them, everyone could imagine what would have happened to her.
It was thanks to this loyal private guard that the Eldest Young Lady’s modesty was saved. They also found out this private guard was hired at the arena that the Meng Family had set up some time ago. Many families secretly felt envious and thought that the Meng Manor had found a treasure.
Nowadays, it was hard to find a loyal guard like him.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai was still unconscious in the Meng Manor. He had exhausted himself from battling against the bandits from Hidden Treasure Peak. If not for his determination to save the Eldest Young Lady, he would have collapsed much earlier.
Had the soldiers from City Lord’s Mansion come any later, he would not have been able to persevere.
After Yin Zhi Yong and the others treated his wounds, the Young City Lord, Feng Cheng Si, escorted the Eldest Young Lady back to the Meng Manor. Yang Kai, who had made the biggest contribution in this matter, was given special care.
Before he even regained consciousness, the Patriarch of the Meng Manor had already rewarded him with a lot of money and his own private residence. There was also high-quality healing medicine that the maidservants would use to apply on his wounds every day.
It was unprecedented that an outer court’s private guard be given such rewards.
The steward of the Meng Manor personally visited Yang Kai and told Yin Zhi Yong to inform him as soon as Yang Kai awakened.
Certainly, Yin Zhi Yong directly agreed to it.
Many private guards also came to visit Yang Kai. Although it had only been a short time since Yang Kai joined the Meng Manor, and they were not close to each other, he had risked his life to save the reputation of these private guards; after all, the Eldest Young Lady was kidnapped on their watch. Had Yang Kai not promptly decided to chase after the bandits, these private guards would have been punished by the Meng Manor by now. Some of them might even have lost their lives.
When everyone who visited Yang Kai saw his injuries, they fell silent.
That was because he was horrendously wounded. There was no part of his body that was intact. His entire figure was covered in bandages, which had been dyed crimson by his blood.
No one knew how he was still alive given his injuries.
The crooked saber and the chipped sword were brought back by Yin Zhi Yong following the Eldest Young Lady’s order. They were the best proof that Yang Kai had used these weapons to kill those bandits.
Every day, the Eldest Young Lady would send a maidservant named Qian Qian to visit Yang Kai. She would then go back and report to her on Yang Kai’s condition.
If possible, the Eldest Young Lady was more than willing to personally visit him; however, she was an unmarried woman as well as the Eldest Young Lady of the Meng Manor. It would be inappropriate for her to visit Yang Kai given her status.
Even though Yang Kai had made a significant contribution, the Patriarch of the Meng Manor had never visited him. He only told his most trusted steward to come here once.
After all, their statuses were too different, and it was the private guards’ duty to risk their lives to protect the Meng Family members.
Seven days later, Yang Kai finally regained consciousness.
When he opened his eyes, he realised he was in excruciating pain. His entire figure was aching and his throat felt like it was burning. This was the first time he had been so horribly injured since he began cultivating.
Although he was in a Samsara World, everything felt so real.
He darted his gaze around and saw Yin Zhi Yong sitting at the table. He was holding a maid servant’s hand as he seemed to be reading her palm.
The maidservant hung her head low with a flushing face. She wanted to retract her hand, but it seemed she didn’t have the strength to do so, and she wouldn’t dare to call for help. She was on the brink of breaking into tears.
Yin Zhi Yong pretended to not see it as he spouted nonsense by saying that her life wouldn’t be smooth sailing, but she would eventually meet a person who would extricate her from her suffering.
Unable to take it anymore, Yang Kai knocked on the bedside.
Hearing the noise, the maidservant became shocked and quickly retracted her hand. Yin Zhi Yong turned to look at Yang Kai and became elated, “You’re finally awake, Little Brother Yang!”
He walked up to Yang Kai and asked caringly, “How are you? Do you feel any discomfort?”
“Water…” Yang Kai said as he felt his throat burning.
“Oh, water! Water!” Yin Zhi Yong quickly beckoned to the maidservant, who picked up a jug of water and took a seat beside the bed before helping Yang Kai drink it.
After Yang Kai finished the water, he finally felt much better.
Yin Zhi Yong said smilingly, “Did you know how worried I was? I was worried that you would never wake up!”
Yang Kai didn’t think the older man looked worried at all.
Yin Zhi Yong went on to say, “Since you’re awake, you’ll be fine. Just stay here and recuperate. I’m sure you’ll enjoy plenty of good luck after surviving this disaster.”
“How is… the Eldest Young Lady?” Yang Kai asked in a hoarse voice.
In fact, he was already muddle-headed at the last moments of protecting the Eldest Young Lady. He faintly remembered that there seemed to be reinforcements approaching, and those from Hidden Treasure Peak were forced to flee. Supposedly, the Eldest Young Lady was safe.
Yin Zhi Yong replied, “The Eldest Young Lady is well, just a bit frightened. She now sends someone to visit you every day. Since you’re awake, I believe she’ll set her mind at ease as well.”
He then said to the maidservant, “It’s time to help Little Brother Yang reapply his medicine.”
The maidservant nodded in agreement and put down the jug before getting busy with a red face.
Yin Zhi Yong then went on to talk to Yang Kai about the incident on that day and expressed his admiration for him.
If he were in the same situation, he would have surrendered and begged for mercy. It wasn’t that he was disloyal to the Meng Manor; however, loyalty no longer mattered in the face of certain death.
It was during a life-and-death moment that a person’s temperament was put to the test.
While the maidservant was busy, Yin Zhi Yong left the place to inform the steward of the Meng Manor.
One hour later, the old man with a goatee, who appeared on the selection stage previously, stepped into the room and gave Yang Kai some words of praise. He said that the Patriarch was pleased with his loyalty and had rewarded him with many good things, including his current residence and a lot of money.
All the new private guards would go through a probation period of a few years; however, since Yang Kai had risked his life to save the Eldest Young Lady, the probation ended earlier, and he was now an official private guard of the Meng Manor.
The steward didn’t stay for a long. After finishing his words, he left the place in a hurry. Before that, he told Yang Kai to recuperate with peace of mind, saying that the Meng Manor wouldn’t mistreat people who had made contributions.
Yin Zhi Yong was also rewarded.
In fact, he didn’t spend much effort in the fight against the bandits; however, without him, Yang Kai wouldn’t have successfully saved the Eldest Young Lady.
At that time, Yang Kai was chasing after Luo An Guo on foot. It was Yin Zhi Yong who sent him a horse and then ran back to White Jade City to inform the soldiers about what was going on. In the end, they arrived in time and forced the bandits from Hidden Treasure Peak to retreat.
While Yang Kai had made the most significant contribution in saving the Eldest Young Lady, Yin Zhi Yong was the second greatest contributor. Therefore, he had also obtained a lot of rewards. The money that was given to him was enough to let him buy a lot of delicious food and wine for the next three years.
With that said, he had no idea why he followed Yang Kai on a whim at that time as it was no different from deserting his duties; however, it was thanks to this rash move that he made a contribution.
From his perspective, Yang Kai was his lucky Star. It had only been half a month since Yang Kai joined the Meng Manor, but Yin Zhi Yong managed to get the attention and honour he had never enjoyed even after ten years of service.
These days, the Captain of the private guards and some younger stewards had been amiable to him, which made him feel elated.
Therefore, he was more than willing to take care of Yang Kai every day.
The speed Yang Kai recuperated made Yin Zhi Yong doubt whether the younger man was really Human.
He regained consciousness barely seven days after he passed out, and was able to get out of the bed and start walking three days after that. Another three days later, he was clearly on the mend.
It only took him twenty days to almost fully recover.
While Yin Zhi Yong was dumbfounded, he persuaded Yang Kai to lie on the bed for a few days more.
That was because he was responsible for taking care of Yang Kai. As long as Yang Kai was still lying on the bed, he could get some rest for a few days more lest he was exposed to the sun or rain.
Fortunately, the steward didn’t immediately assign any tasks to them; so, for the time being, they had nothing else to do.
Every day, Yin Zhi Yong would pester the maidservant while Yang Kai refused to stay idle. He would practise martial arts in the courtyard and let his clothes soak in sweat.
The Martial Dao in this Samsara World was very low, but he could still slowly get stronger. Strength would be necessary in this world, so he reckoned that he had to quickly get stronger.
Yin Zhi Yong had tried exchanging moves with him once, but he would never want to do that again, for it was utterly humiliating. There was an overwhelming difference between their powers and it only took Yang Kai one move to defeat the him.
While cultivating, Yang Kai pondered on how to approach the Eldest Young Lady.
It was confirmed that Qu Hua Shang had reincarnated into this world as the Eldest Young Lady of the Meng Manor, Meng Ru. Before she reincarnated, she had set up a Heart Barrier. Only by breaking this Heart Barrier would her memory be restored.
In order to break the Heart Barrier, he had to win her heart.
Certainly, Yang Kai didn’t care about the difference between their statuses as he was a private guard while she was the Eldest Young Lady; however, he didn’t know how to win a woman’s heart.
Although he had a lot of Wives, he had rarely wooed a woman before. There was not much he could do when it came to pursuing a woman romantically.
The most important thing for him now was to approach the Eldest Young Lady so that they would familiarise themselves with each other. If he couldn’t even get close to her, how was he going to break the Heart Barrier?
Fortunately, the fact that he had saved her life must have left a good impression. The proof was that she would send her trusted maidservant, Qian Qian, to visit him every day.
While Yang Kai was lost in his thoughts, a chance presented itself.
One day, Yang Kai was wielding a sword and a saber in the courtyard when the Captain of the private guards entered the place.
Upon hearing the noise, Yin Zhi Yong quickly got out of the room and asked passionately, “Big Brother Chu, why are you here?”
The Captain was surnamed Chu, so the private guards would call him Big Brother Chu in private.
Big Brother Chu replied with a smile, “What’s wrong? Can’t I visit you two without any important matter? Have you forgotten about us just because you’ve made some contributions now? Are you looking down on us?”
Yin Zhi Yong put on a bitter expression as he said, “What are you talking about, Big Brother Chu? It’s thanks to your guidance over the years that I’ve had a chance to make a contribution. I would never dare to look down on you all.”
Big Brother Chu extended his hand and poked him, “You’re such a smooth talker, aren’t you?” All of a sudden, he put on a solemn expression and changed the topic, “Anyways, there’s indeed an important matter now.”
Yin Zhi Yong quickly said, “Please tell us right away, Big Brother Chu.”
Big Brother Chu turned to look at Yang Kai, “How are you feeling?”
Yang Kai moved his shoulders a little, “I’m fine.”
“Good. I was worried that you wouldn’t be able to take on this task.”
Yin Zhi Yong asked with concern, “What kind of task is that?”
Big Brother Chu put on a mysterious smile, “It’s not bad news. Something good awaits you. Come with me.”
After exchanging glances with Yin Zhi Yong, Yang Kai sheathed his weapons as they followed the Captain.
As they navigated through the Meng Manor behind Big Brother Chu, they soon arrived at a Grand Hall. In front of the Grand Hall stood an old man with a goatee. He was the chief steward of the Meng Manor. Seeing Captain Chu, he nodded gently.
Yin Zhi Yong suddenly felt his legs trembling slightly, for he finally recognised this Grand Hall.
Although he had been working in the Meng Manor for more than ten years, he had never had the right to come to such an important place as he was just an outer court’s private guard.
“Captain…” Yin Zhi Yong looked inquisitively at the Captain in the hope that he would be given a hint.
Big Brother Chu muttered quietly, “Don’t say anything unnecessary after going in.”
Yin Zhi Yong nodded repeatedly.
After having a small talk with Big Brother Chu, the steward with a goatee turned to Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong, “Come with me.” Upon finishing his words, he shuffled into the Grand Hall.
Yin Zhi Yong stuck close to Yang Kai and said in a small voice, “Little Brother, I believe we’re going to meet the Patriarch. You have to be cautious.”
The Grand Hall was where the Patriarch dealt with his daily business. No one could go near this place without his permission.
Yang Kai nodded gently to show that he understood.
After entering the Grand Hall with the chief steward, Yang Kai looked up and saw a man who was going through some documents behind a desk.
There was nothing special about the man, who was about fifty years old. Nevertheless, since he had taken good care of himself, he looked slightly younger than his age.
He was supposed to be the Patriarch of the Meng Family, Meng De Ye.
The chief steward told the two of them to stop, then walked up to Meng De Ye in light steps and said, “Sir, I’ve brought them.”
Meng De Ye grunted and continued handling his business.
Since he never said anything, Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong could only remain standing there.
About a cup of tea later, Meng De Ye put the documents aside and stamped them with a seal before falling into his thoughts with a frown. He seemed to have finally recalled the presence of these two private guards as he looked up at them, “Who is Yang Kai?”
Yang Kai cupped his fist and said solemnly, “Yang Kai greets the Patriarch.”
Yin Zhi Yong saluted him as well, “Outer court guard Yin Zhi Yong greets the Patriarch.”
Meng De Ye stared fixedly at Yang Kai and said impassively, “I heard that you were badly injured.”
Yang Kai replied in a firm voice, “As a guard of the Meng Manor, it is my duty to ensure the Eldest Young Lady’s safety even if it costs me my life.”
Admiration was written all over Yin Zhi Yong’s face as he thought that Yang Kai was usually taciturn, but the latter could tactfully fawn over someone in power when it was necessary.
“Good.” There was no doubt that Meng De Ye was pleased with his reply. Others might not be sincere when they said such a thing, but Yang Kai had proven his loyalty in the previous incident as he was willing to protect the Eldest Young Lady even with his life on the line.
Meng De Ye had heard others talk about the incident, so he knew that Yang Kai really almost died that day.
Although he had no idea why this new private guard was so bold and loyal, he reckoned that no more tests were needed.
“The inner court is supposed to be the place where the security is the strictest in the Meng Manor, but Ru’er was almost harmed this time. It’s because of this incident that she doesn’t trust the personal bodyguards in the inner court anymore.” Meng De Ye didn’t intend to beat around the bush as it wasn’t necessary to do so in front of his own private guards. Therefore, he directly told them the reason he had summoned them, “However, since you’ve saved Ru’er’s life, she has total trust in you. It could be said that she only trusts you of all the private guards in the Meng Manor.”
Yang Kai hung his head low, “It is my honour to have gained the Eldest Young Lady’s trust.”
“I want you to go to Ru’er’s side and be her personal bodyguard. Are you willing to take on this task?” Meng De Ye asked.
Yang Kai became startled for a moment before cupping his fist, “Rest assured, Patriarch. I am willing to be punished if the Eldest Young Lady loses even a single strand of hair.”
Meng De Ye nodded, “I have faith in your loyalty and capabilities. I’ll not mistreat you if you work hard.” He paused for a moment, “Do you have any requests?”
[He can even make a request?] Yin Zhi Yong was shocked, thinking that the Patriarch truly regarded Yang Kai as important.
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai replied, “I want a good saber and sword.”
The sword previously given to him by those from the Meng Manor was mass-produced, so it couldn’t be considered a good weapon. It soon became bent and chipped, making it all but unusable. The saber he randomly took from a dead bandit from Hidden Treasure Peak was just an ordinary weapon as well.
In a world where the Martial Dao was so low, one’s power would be enhanced greatly by having a good weapon. If Yang Kai had an incredible weapon in his hands at that time, he wouldn’t have become so battered.
Meng De Ye nodded lightly, “You may leave now. Someone will get the weapons ready.”
“Many thanks, Patriarch.”
To the side, the steward with a goatee saluted Meng De Ye before leading Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong to leave the hall.
An elated Yin Zhi Yong still had no idea what was going on. Just now, the Patriarch told Yang Kai to be the personal bodyguard of the Eldest Young Lady, but he never mentioned anything about Yin Zhi Yong.
If he didn’t also become a personal bodyguard, why was he summoned to this place?
While leading the way at the front, the steward with a goatee said, “Congratulations, both of you. Only the most powerful and loyal private guards have a right to enter the inner court of the Meng Manor. Most private guards are not allowed to even approach the inner court.”
Instantly, Yin Zhi Yong became ecstatic as the steward’s words suggested that he was also a part of the inner court now, which allowed him to set his mind at ease. It had been more than ten years since he joined the Meng Manor, but he had always been an insignificant private guard in the outer court. Now that he could enter the inner court, he found it to be surreal while feeling excited.
“Many thanks, steward.” With a smile, Yin Zhi Yong walked up to the steward and stuffed a money pouch into his hands. Fully aware of what was going on, the steward discreetly took it as he was pleased with Yin Zhi Yong’s gesture.
Yin Zhi Yong then asked, “Are there any taboos in the inner court, Sir? Although I’ve been working in the Meng Manor for more than ten years, I’ve never stepped into the inner court before. Please grant us some instruction.”
The steward replied with a smile, “There’s indeed some taboos, but the most important thing is that men and women understand their stations. Both of you are men after all, and most of the people living in the inner court are women. Hence, when you’re in the inner court, don’t listen to anything you shouldn’t listen to, and don’t look at things you’re not supposed to see. Also, don’t go to any places as you please without the Patriarch’s permission. You’ll be fine as long as you fulfill your duties.”
“Yes, yes, yes.” Yin Zhi Yong nodded repeatedly, “Little Brother Yang and I will protect the Eldest Young Lady regardless of what happens. We’ll do whatever she tells us to do, and we won’t make any mistakes.”
“I’m glad that’s what you think, and you’d better remember what you’ve said. Although you’ve made significant contributions this time, the Patriarch will not forgive you if you make any mistakes in the inner court.”
As they spoke, they finally arrived at the inner court. A maidservant with a bun was already waiting in front of the courtyard.
Yin Zhi Yong walked up to her and cupped his fist, “Lady Qian Qian!”
She was none other than the maidservant who worked for the Eldest Young Lady, Qian Qian. When Yang Kai was recuperating in the past, the Eldest Young Lady would send her to visit him every day; hence, Yin Zhi Yong recognised her.
Qian Qian seemed to be a timid woman. Although she had come into contact with Yin Zhi Yong and Yang Kai many times before, she still started blushing at this moment. She couldn’t help but take a step back and fall silent with her lips pressed together.
The steward stepped forward and said, “Lead the way for them. The Eldest Young Lady will make some arrangements.”
“Yes,” Qian Qian replied. After taking a glance at Yang Kai, she quickly hung her head low and turned around to lead the way.
Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong followed her closely.
The inner court was vast and beautiful. A lot of small bridges, ponds and rockery gardens were built among the various courtyards.
Yin Zhi Yong looked around and tutted in amazement. It had been more than ten years since he joined the Meng Manor, but it was the first time he came to the inner court, so he was curious about everything here. He was especially enamoured of the pleasant fragrance that lingered in the air that reminded him of the times when he was on a woman’s bed.
When he came across any women in the inner court, he quickly hung his head low as he would never forget that he was just a guard.
Of Meng De Ye’s three daughters, two of them were already married. Only the eldest Daughter, Meng Ru, was still single. The Patriarch had more than ten Wives though, so there were a lot of women in the inner court.
If Yin Zhi Yong caught a glimpse of anything he was not supposed to see, his eyes would probably be dug out.
After making many turns, they finally arrived at the Eldest Young Lady’s residence. Qian Qian went inside to inform the Eldest Young Lady about their arrival while Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong waited outside the building.
It was a building with three storeys. Many busy servants continuously entered and left the place. Perhaps they had heard the news, so they would look curiously at Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong when passing them by. Seeing that these two men appeared anxious, they covered their mouths and giggled while whispering among themselves.
A moment later, Qian Qian stepped out and said to them gently, “Come in. The Eldest Young Lady is waiting for you.”
Yin Zhi Yong replied in a fawning manner, “Many thanks, Lady Qian Qian!”
They entered and arrived at the lobby on the ground floor. It was supposed to be the place where the Eldest Young Lady received her guests as it was lavishly decorated. At this moment, the Eldest Young Lady, Meng Ru, was seated by a round table as she stared fixedly at Yang Kai with a pair of bright eyes.
The Eldest Young Lady appeared flustered when she saw the young private guard, who steadfastly stood in front of her to fend off all the danger for her previously. Although there was no part of his body that was left intact, he still never moved away.
Behind her stood a pretty woman, who was supposed to be Meng Ru’s maidservant. She looked curiously at Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong, though most of her attention was drawn to Yang Kai. Yin Zhi Yong was older and not very handsome, so there was nothing worth seeing about him.
“Greetings, Eldest Young Lady.”
Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong saluted her at the same time.
Meng Ru nodded and gazed at Yang Kai with concern, “How are you feeling? Did you use the healing medicine I told Cui’er to send to you?”
Yang Kai lowered his head and replied, “I am well. Many thanks for your concern, Eldest Young Lady. It is thanks to your medicine that I have recovered sooner than expected.”
“That’s good.” Meng Ru put on a smile, “I didn’t know what medicine would work for you, and they didn’t allow me to visit you. I wish I could have done so …”
Yang Kai quickly said, “Eldest Young Lady, you are a noblewoman, so it is not appropriate for you to step into the outer court where the men live. Your reputation would be tarnished if word got out.”
Meng Ru sighed, “That is what they all said.” She appeared dejected.
However, she soon put on a bright smile, “I can be at ease now since you’re fine. I was frightened when I saw you looking so horrible. I thought you would die.”
Yang Kai lifted his head and flashed a smile at her, “Well, it is not so easy to kill me.”
Seeing that he was so impudent, the maidservant, who was standing behind Meng Ru, frowned with displeasure and shot him a glare. She interrupted their conversation by saying, “Since you two have made a contribution, the Eldest Young Lady has asked the Patriarch to transfer you to this place. You must fulfil your duties and ensure the Eldest Young Lady’s safety at all costs.”
“We will remember,” Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong cupped their fists.
The maidservant then whispered to Meng Ru, “Eldest Young Lady, it’s getting late. You must take your medicine now.”
“Isn’t it still being prepared? Just wait a while longer,” Meng Ru replied.
The maidservant shook her head, “The medicine is indeed being prepared, but you were quite frightened previously. The doctor has said that you must recuperate without being disturbed for the time being.”
A helpless Eldest Young Lady let out a sigh, “Fine.”
With the help of the maidservant, she rose from the chair and spoke to Qian Qian, who had led Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong to this place, “Show them around the inner court and find a place for them to live.”
“Yes,” Qian Qian saluted her in an elegant manner.
The maidservant then helped the Eldest Young Lady Meng Ru walk up the stairs while Qian Qian said to the two of them in a small voice, “Please come with me.”
Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong thanked her before taking a stroll around the surrounding area with Qian Qian leading the way.
The place where the Eldest Young Lady lived wasn’t large, but there were still some places that they had to pay attention to lest they failed to discover some ill-intentioned people who hid there when the enemies struck again.
While following the maidservant, Yang Kai looked around and memorised the terrain. Since he was now responsible for protecting Meng Ru in the inner court, he had to put in his best effort.
Furthermore, he had to find a way to win the Eldest Young Lady’s heart in order to break the Heart Barrier that Qu Hua Shang had set up before this reincarnation.
A moment later, Qian Qian brought them to a tile-roofed house, “This is where you will be living, as it is not far away from the Eldest Young Lady’s room. When you’re not on duty, you can just remain here and be ready for any emergencies.”
“Many thanks, Lady Qian Qian,” Yin Zhi Yong thanked her and passed her a package as a gesture of friendliness.
Qian Qian apparently had no idea what was going on as she took the package. When she realised what was inside, she quickly passed it back to him and waved her hands, “There’s no need for that.”
Yin Zhi Yong said with a smile, “We’ll need your advice in many areas in the future. Please don’t turn me down as it’s just a small gift.”
“There’s really no need for that.” Qian Qian was flushing, “I-I just joined the Meng Manor not long ago, so there’s no advice I could give you.”
Yin Zhi Yong was startled, “You just joined the Meng Manor not long ago?”
“Yes,” Qian Qian nodded repeatedly as she appeared uneasy.
Yin Zhi Yong’s interest had been piqued. Supposedly, the maidservants by the Eldest Young Lady’s side must have passed a lot of tests and proven their loyalty to the Meng Manor. The new servants didn’t even have the right to enter the inner court, let alone serve the Eldest Young Lady.
“When did you join?” Yin Zhi Yong asked curiously.
“About a month ago…” Qian Qian replied in a small voice.
Yin Zhi Yong was dumbfounded as he gave her a thumbs-up, “You’re truly lucky to have the right to serve the Eldest Young Lady after only a month.”
Qian Qian hung her head low, “I don’t understand either. After the previous incident, I was told to send some medicine to the Eldest Young Lady. When she saw me, she decided to make me stay.”
“I see,” Yin Zhi Yong thought that she was extremely lucky. He was a private guard while Qian Qian was a maidservant. In the past over ten years, he had always been an insignificant private guard in the outer court. If not for the contribution he had inadvertently made, he wouldn’t have been transferred to the inner court. On the other hand, Qian Qian had only been working here for a month, but she could get into the inner court just because the Eldest Young Lady was fond of her. In comparison, his journey was much tougher, which made him feel a bit bitter.
With that said, Qian Qian was indeed beautiful and innocent-looking, so it was no wonder that the Eldest Young Lady was fond of her.
Upon learning that Qian Qian wasn’t a long-time maidservant of the Eldest Young Lady, Yin Zhi Yong became much more at ease. At the very least, he didn’t have to fawn over her.
Yang Kai, who had remained silent all along, suddenly asked, “The woman beside the Eldest Young Lady is named Cui’er?”
Qian Qian’s figure shook a little, as though Yang Kai had scared her by talking suddenly. With a blushing face, she replied, “Yes, she’s Big Sister Cui’er. She has been serving the Eldest Young Lady since she was a child. They grew up together.”
Yang Kai nodded his head then fell silent.
A short while later, Qian Qian left.
Yin Zhi Yong closed the door and asked in a small voice, “Little Brother Yang, is there anything wrong the Eldest Young Lady’s maidservant, Cui’er?”
He thought that Yang Kai had discovered something when the latter asked that question suddenly. He couldn’t help but speculate that Cui’er might be a mole sent to this place by those from Hidden Treasure Peak. Would they make another contribution not long after coming to the inner court?
“There’s nothing wrong with her.” Yang Kai didn’t know what was on his mind, “It’s just that the Eldest Young Lady said she had told Cui’er to send some healing medicine to me.”
After giving it a thought, Yin Zhi Yong replied, “Yes, that’s what she said.”
“Had you ever met Cui’er before that?” Yang Kai asked.
Yin Zhi Yong shook his head, “No…”
He suddenly realised something, “You’ve saved the Eldest Young Lady, and judging from her reaction today, there’s no doubt that she’s grateful to you. In that case, she would definitely send the most important maidservant to visit you; however, it was Lady Qian Qian who had been visiting you every day when you were recuperating.”
He initially thought that Qian Qian was someone important to the Eldest Young Lady, but it was apparently not the case. It had only been a month since she joined the Meng Manor, and she had only begun serving the Eldest Young Lady’s side after the incident.
The most important maidservant to the Eldest Young Lady should be Cui’er, who grew up with her.
“Why was that?” Yin Zhi Yong was puzzled.
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “I suppose Lady Cui’er received the Eldest Young Lady’s order, but she was too lazy or frightened to visit a person who was horribly injured, so she told Lady Qian Qian to visit me instead. After Lady Qian Qian reported everything to her, she would then report to the Eldest Young Lady.”
Upon learning what had happened, Yin Zhi Yong gave Yang Kai a thumbs-up, “You’re indeed clever since you’re able to figure out so many things from what the Eldest Young Lady had said. It was no wonder that you decisively ran after the bandits that night. To be honest, when I saw you leaving, I thought that you were escaping.”
Yang Kai put on a smile without responding to him.
Yin Zhi Yong asked curiously, “Little Brother, how did you know that the Eldest Young Lady was kidnapped?”
Yang Kai replied, “I didn’t know. I just speculated that someone was taken away from the inner court. I had no idea she was the Eldest Young Lady.”
“That’s incredible enough.” Admiration was written all over Yin Zhi Yong’s face as he chuckled, “I am incredible as well. I followed you as soon as I saw you running after the bandits.”
In fact, he didn’t have the confidence to ward off the enemies on his own after Yang Kai left the place, so he had no choice but to follow him.
With a frown though, he said, “This incident shows us that it’s not easy to deal with Lady Cui’er. We’d better be cautious so that she won’t be able to find fault with us.”
Yang Kai nodded. He had a feeling that if he wanted to win the Eldest Young Lady’s heart, Cui’er would be an obstacle.
Certainly, Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong were not the only private guards in the inner court. In fact, there were a lot of private guards, and they were significantly more powerful than the ones in the outer court.
After the previous incident, the Eldest Young Lady no longer trusted the personal bodyguards in the inner court though. It wasn’t that she was willful, but she was taken away by the bandit under the watch of so many personal bodyguards, so trust had indeed been lost.
That was the reason she wanted Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong by her side. Patriarch Meng doted on his eldest Daughter, so he directly agreed to this request.
Despite that, he had still told some personal bodyguards to hide around the Eldest Young Lady’s residence. All of them had profound auras; however, the Eldest Young Lady and the maidservants were unaware of their presence as they had never cultivated before.
When Yang Kai came over from the building earlier, he detected some people who secretly examined him. Of course, he didn’t react despite knowing what was going on.
When Yang Kai agreed to become the Eldest Young Lady’s personal bodyguard, he also made a request to the Patriarch, and it seemed the Meng Family was as efficient as they were wealthy.
They entered the inner court in the morning, and by the afternoon a sword and a sabre were presented to Yang Kai.
The sabre was similar to the ones given to the private guards in the Meng Manor. The characters ‘Stirring Clouds’ were engraved on the hilt. When he pulled out the weapon, a dazzling glint flashed through the blade.
The simple-looking sword was about one metre long, but the blade was shiny and sharp. When he flicked at the blade, a sword cry rang out for quite some time. The characters ‘Covering Rain’ were engraved on its hilt.
Yin Zhi Yong was dumbstruck when he saw these two blades.
“The Stirring Clouds Saber and Covering Rain Sword are real treasures. They’re said to have been left behind by a powerful cultivator several hundred years ago. They last appeared thirty years ago when they were obtained by a rogue cultivator. I didn’t expect that they were in the Meng Manor!” With a fervent expression, Yin Zhi Yong fiddled with the sabre and sword. He was also a cultivator, so he loved treasures like these.
The average cultivator would see his power increase by 30% by wielding these exquisite weapons, not to mention that Yang Kai was a very powerful cultivator.
Moreover, given Yin Zhi Yong’s eyesight, he was certain that the Stirring Clouds Saber and Covering Rain Sword before his eyes were genuine, not counterfeits one could easily find on the streets.
He reluctantly put the weapons back into their sheaths and said with envy, “Little Brother Yang, the Patriarch must regard you highly if he gave you such treasures. I suppose only someone like you deserves such an incredible sword and sabre though.”
In the battle to protect the Eldest Young Lady Meng Ru, Yang Kai did not only prove his loyalty but also his incredible strength and skill. In fact, Meng De Ye had sent his trusted aide to examine the battlefield, and the conclusion was that there were fewer than ten people in the world who could fight against 100 bandits on their own and cause such casualties.
Since Yang Kai was both loyal and powerful, it was expected that Meng De Ye regarded him highly. Yang Kai’s power would increase significantly as he now possessed the Stirring Clouds Saber and Covering Rain Sword.
It was not tiring to work in the inner court because Meng Ru stayed in her residence most of the time. She would rarely step out of the building.
It wasn’t certain whether it was because she loved staying indoors or she was still frightened following the previous incident.
Therefore, Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong just had to remain hidden when they were on duty and paid close attention to her to prevent any accidents from happening.
With that said, rarely would any accidents happen in the inner court. Other than the two of them, there were a lot of personal bodyguards hiding in different places. Those who were untrustworthy would never be allowed to enter the inner court.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai now faced a conundrum as he was unable to get into any close contact with the Eldest Young Lady. This was giving him a headache.
There was no doubt that he had left a lasting impression on her, and he was now lucky enough to become her personal bodyguard in the inner court; however, if he was unable to strike while the iron was hot, his efforts might all go to waste.
Nonetheless, Yang Kai was just a personal bodyguard in the inner court while Meng Ru was the Eldest Young Lady of the Meng Manor. There was a huge difference between their statuses. If he crossed the line, he would only invite trouble to himself.
Yang Kai reckoned that he had to come up with a plan to get closer to the Eldest Young Lady.
One day, Meng Ru was in a good mood as she led her two maidservants to take a stroll around the garden.
Although it had only been a short time since Qian Qian entered the inner court, she had gained the Eldest Young Lady’s favour for some reason. Only one month had passed, but she was now one of her trusted maidservants.
Despite the fact that she was on an equal footing with Cui’er, she wasn’t as close to the Eldest Young Lady as the latter; after all, Cui’er and the Eldest Young Lady grew up together.
Having said that, many of the maidservants in the inner court were envious of Qian Qian’s luck. No one knew why the Eldest Young Lady was fond of this new maidservant.
Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong followed them without revealing themselves. The Eldest Young Lady and the maidservants had no idea where they were.
However, Meng Ru knew that Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong were not far away from her in order to prevent any accidents from happening. That was because she had given it a try before. Regardless of where she was, she just had to call out to Yang Kai, and he would appear from a random corner and stand in front of her, as though he was her shadow.
For a few days, she never got tired of this little game. As soon as she found a reason, she would call out to Yang Kai.
As a result, Cui’er’s displeasure with Yang Kai increasingly intensified whenever she saw him.
On this day, the Eldest Young Lady was in a jovial mood; in fact, she had been cheerful recently as she was no longer traumatised by the kidnapping incident. She would always keep an alluring smile on her face.
Nevertheless, she was just a young woman who rarely stepped out of her residence, so after about two hours, she started panting and declared, “I’m tired.”
Cui’er said, “In that case, we should go back and get some rest. It’s pretty windy here, so you might catch a cold if you stay here any longer.”
The Eldest Young Lady tilted her head and fell into her thoughts. Suddenly thinking of something, she giggled and called out, “Guard Yang!”
The next moment, footsteps could be heard approaching from behind. Yang Kai appeared like a phantom and stopped in his tracks in a spot that was ten paces away from Meng Ru before cupping his fist, “Eldest Young Lady!”
“Oh, you’re here.” Meng Ru turned around and pouted with disappointment, “I thought you would appear from over there. I didn’t expect that you were behind me.”
When Cui’er saw that the Eldest Young Lady was acting so happily, she asked gently, “Eldest Young Lady, why did you call out to Guard Yang again? He has to stay hidden to protect you.”
She then glowered at Yang Kai, “You may go now.”
The Eldest Young Lady, however, interjected, “There’s not really any danger in the inner court. Moreover, Guard Yang is strong. Even if there’s any danger, he can protect me regardless of whether he is hidden or not. Am I right, Guard Yang?”
Yang Kai hung his head low, “It’s my duty to protect you, Eldest Young Lady.”
“Alright, the Eldest Young Lady knows that you’re loyal. You may go,” Cui’er waved her hand.
Instead of leaving though, Yang Kai asked, “Do you have anything to tell me, Eldest Young Lady?”
“Yes.” Meng Ru nodded happily, “I want to learn martial arts. Why don’t you teach me?”
Cui’er was astounded and asked, “You want to learn martial arts, Eldest Young Lady? You’ve never been interested in them since you were a child.”
Meng Ru replied with a smile, “That was in the past. Preferences can change over time.”
Cui’er dissuaded her by saying, “I’m worried that it’s too late for you to start learning martial arts. You won’t become a powerful cultivator. Furthermore…”
Meng Ru cut her off by saying, “It’s not like I want to become a powerful cultivator. I just want to strengthen my body. Isn’t that one of the benefits of learning martial arts? I feel tired after just walking for a short time, which must be because I’m weak. Moreover, I found it difficult to hold a sword previously as I almost couldn’t lift it. If I had learned martial arts, that wouldn’t have happened. Even if I come across any danger again, I’ll have the strength to protect myself.”
Seeing that the Eldest Young Lady was insistent, Cui’er wouldn’t dare to refute her. After giving it a thought, she offered a suggestion, “If you want to learn martial arts, you can ask a martial arts instructor in the manor to teach you. Guard Yang has his own duties, so it might not be convenient for him.”
Meng Ru snorted, “The martial arts instructors in the manor are not as strong as Guard Yang. You have no idea how bold he was. At that time, he easily killed those bandits with the sword and sabre in his hands. The blood formed into a puddle and dyed my shoes red.”
Cui’er had never heard of anything so ruthless before, so she turned pale in an instant and wouldn’t dare to say anything.
Meng Ru then turned to Yang Kai and asked, “Will you teach me, Guard Yang?”
Certainly, Yang Kai was more than willing to do that as he would have a chance to come into close contact with the Eldest Young Lady repeatedly, so after pretending to ponder for a moment, he nodded, “I am your subordinate, so I will definitely obey your orders.”
Meng Ru clapped her hands with joy, “Let’s start now, then.”
“Here?” Yang Kai asked.
“Oh, en, let’s go back first,” Meng Ru came to her senses and shuffled forward.
Yang Kai followed her closely.
Cui’er snapped back to reality and frowned. After telling Qian Qian something, she pulled up her dress and dashed out of the inner court.
The Eldest Young Lady wanted to learn martial arts, and she insisted that Yang Kai had to teach her. This matter had to be reported to the Patriarch. Since Cui’er was powerless to stop her, she reckoned that she would ask the Patriarch to intervene.
Upon leaving the inner court, Cui’er arrived at the Grand Hall where the Patriarch dealt with his daily business. After waiting for a bit, she was allowed to see him.
Cui’er quickly told him what was going on. With his back leaning against his chair, Meng De Ye placed his hands on his belly and gave it a thought, “If Ru’er wants to learn martial arts, just let her be. I suppose she just wants to learn it for fun. She won’t persevere for long. Tell Yang Kai that he must not let Ru’er get injured. If she loses a strand of hair, I’ll not spare him.”
Cui’er had never expected that the Patriarch would agree to it. Although it was obvious to everyone that he had been doting on the Eldest Young Lady over the years, she thought he would stop her this time.
She had the urge to say that after the previous incident, there was something wrong with the way the Eldest Young Lady looked at Yang Kai. She had been by her side for many years, but she had never seen Meng Ru looking at a man with such a gaze before.
That was a gaze with a sense of longing.
However, she wouldn’t dare to say such a thing out loud. First of all, she was worried that she was mistaken. Secondly, it might ruin the Eldest Young Lady’s reputation.
“You may leave now,” Meng De Ye waved his hand.
Left with no choice, Cui’er left the hall.
Upon returning to the inner court, she realised that the Eldest Young Lady had changed into some tight-fitting clothes. There was a wooden sword in her hand as she wielded it following Yang Kai’s instructions.
The move was monotonous, but the Eldest Young Lady seemed joyful and serious as she kept asking Yang Kai whether she was doing it right. Yang Kai was just standing in a spot not far away from her as he gave her instructions from time to time.
Meanwhile, Qian Qian was standing silently to the side. Cui’er walked up to her and complained, “Why didn’t you stop her?”
A flustered Qian Qian lowered her head and remained silent.
Cui’er snapped, “You’re so useless! I’ll chase you out of here sooner or later!”
Qian Qian hung her head even lower.
Just a quarter-hour later, the Eldest Young Lady was drenched in sweat.
A well-prepared Cui’er walked up to her with a wet towel and helped her wipe herself off.
With a hopeful gaze, Meng Ru asked, “How was I doing, Guard Yang?”
Yang Kai nodded his head, “As a beginner, you are doing very well. You have the talent to learn martial arts.”
That was to be expected; after all, she was Qu Hua Shang’s reincarnation. Although she had lost her memory, her instincts were ingrained in the deepest part of her Soul. It wasn’t surprising that she had shown exceptional aptitude in learning martial arts.
Meng Ru was elated, “Really? You’d better not lie to me. If you do, I’ll…” As she spoke, she balled up her fist and shook it as though she was going to punch him.
However, she soon realised that she was acting rather coquettishly, so she quickly retracted her hand and wiped her face to conceal her embarrassment.
With a solemn expression, Yang Kai replied, “I would never dare to lie to you. It’s the truth.”
Upon hearing that, Meng Ru put on a bright smile.
Cui’er pressed her lips together, “You’d better be cautious, Eldest Young Lady. Men’s words cannot be trusted.”
“What are you talking about? It’s not like you’ve had a man before,” Meng Ru pinched the other woman’s nose.
A blushing Cui’er stomped her foot on the ground, “How could you even say such a thing? I have to tell the Patriarch about it.”
“No, don’t do that! I’ll keep my mouth shut, Cui’er,” Meng Ru quickly pleaded with her.
Everyone thought that Meng Ru was just learning martial arts for fun, which was why she pestered her personal bodyguard to teach her. After she became exhausted and lost interest in it, she would give it up.
Therefore, after she persevered for a few days, the women in the inner court were shocked, including her maidservant Cui’er.
Every day, the Eldest Young Lady would get out of her bed before the sky turned bright. Unlike in the past when she would dress up patiently, she just had to tie up her hair and put on some tight-fitting clothes now before heading to the courtyard with a wooden sword. Yang Kai would always be waiting for her there.
She would be soaked in sweat every day, but she was still high-spirited. Even just by monotonously wielding her sword, she increasingly became better with the movements.
The two maidservants were asked to learn martial arts as well. The main reason was that the Eldest Young Lady was annoyed by Cui’er, who always tried to stop her from practising. If Cui’er could learn with her, perhaps she would keep her mouth shut.
However, not everyone had the Eldest Young Lady’s perseverance.
Cui’er gave it up barely two days later. Other than the fact that the moves were monotonous, her entire figure would ache every day. Although she was a maidservant, she grew up with the Eldest Young Lady and enjoyed the finer things in life. She had never gone through such hardship before.
With that said, after she gave it up, she rarely dissuaded the Eldest Young Lady from learning martial arts again. Perhaps she no longer had the nerve to do so.
On the other hand, even though Qian Qian appeared timid, she had impressive willpower.
Moreover, Yang Kai discovered that she was just as talented as the Eldest Young Lady when it came to learning martial arts.
Time went by quickly as he taught martial arts with an ulterior motive while the two women learned attentively.
Two months had passed. Yang Kai and the Eldest Young Lady had become much closer to each other through their contact every day. He could clearly notice that whenever the Eldest Young Lady looked at him, her gaze was filled with a sense of longing. Only when a woman was in love with a man would she gaze at him in such a way.
Back then, after he risked his life to save her, she started treating him favourably. The contact and guidance over the past few months had just pulled them closer to one another.
Yang Kai had a feeling that he was close to breaking Senior Sister Qu’s Heart Barrier, but he had no idea how much more he had to do before he could succeed. He could only play it by ear now; after all, he didn’t have similar experiences that he could refer to. This Samsara World had its own rules.
One day, after Yang Kai was done teaching the Eldest Young Lady, Cui’er came over with a wet towel and helped wipe her face. All of a sudden, the Eldest Young Lady said, “Guard Yang, I’m leaving the city tomorrow. Please come with me.”
Yang Kai became startled for a moment before nodding, “Yes.”
He had no idea why the Eldest Young Lady was leaving the city. Since she returned to the Meng Manor some time ago, she had never left her residence. She would only take a stroll in the garden at most.
She must have a matter to attend to for leaving the city. However, as a private guard, he wasn’t in a position to ask her anything.
“Is there anything I need to prepare?” Yang Kai asked.
“No, you just have to follow me.” The Eldest Young Lady forced a smile, “I’m a little tired now, so I’ll get some rest. Please rest early as well, Guard Yang.”
Yang Kai nodded his head and stepped back into the darkness.
The next day, the Eldest Young Lady was dressed in some simple clothes. A carriage was ready outside the Meng Manor. Besides that, there were a group of personal bodyguards with sabres who would escort her.
Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong were on either side of the carriage.
Beside Yang Kai was Qian Qian while Cui’er was leading the way at the front.
With his left hand on his hilt, Yang Kai looked around to prevent any ill-intentioned people from coming near. Although the crisis caused by the bandits from Hidden Treasure Peak had been resolved previously, he had no idea whether the Meng Manor had dealt with those from Hidden Treasure Peak in any way recently.
He had to be ready for a fight at any moment.
There was one time when he turned his head, he realised that Qian Qian was looking at him.
He nodded at her and put on a smile. In an instant, Qian Qian started blushing and hung her head low. She lost her balance and almost stumbled over.
A dextrous Yang Kai quickly took her arm, “Watch out!”
A flustered Qian Qian retracted her arm and said in a small voice, “T-Thanks.”
Yang Kai flashed a smile at her. He was pleased with this maidservant who was timid but hardworking. She was unlike the annoying Cui’er, who loved to boss others around just because she was the Eldest Young Lady’s trusted maidservant.
“What happened?” The Eldest Young Lady lifted the curtain and revealed her alluring face. She must have heard the noise just now.
“Nothing,” Yang Kai shook his head.
The Eldest Young Lady shot him a doubtful look and gazed at the blushing Qian Qian before snorting, “Don’t bully Qian Qian. If you do, I won’t let you off.”
“I would never dare to!” Yang Kai secretly smiled in a helpless manner, thinking that the Eldest Young Lady was the one he wanted to bully; however, he couldn’t say such a thing for the time being as he was just a personal bodyguard.
The Eldest Young Lady pretended to be fierce and showed him her fist before letting the curtain down.
A moment later, she was heard saying in a melancholic voice, “It’s the anniversary of my Mother’s death. I visit the Gratitude Shrine to pray for her every year.”
It was only then that Yang Kai found out why the Eldest Young Lady was leaving the city. Gratitude Shrine was more than a dozen kilometres away from the city where a lot of believers would pray to the Heavens.
Shrines were rarely seen in the 3,000 Worlds. There were no shrines in the Universe Worlds where Yang Kai had stayed before. With that said, he was aware of such places.
It had something to do with a kind of faith.
Furthermore, over the past couple of months, Yin Zhi Yong had given Yang Kai some information about the Meng Manor.
Although Meng Ru was the Eldest Young Lady, she wasn’t a legitimate child. Her Mother wasn’t Meng De Ye’s Wife; instead, the two apparently got to know each other when they were still very young.
Even though Meng De Ye had many Wives, he loved this woman, who had started following him since childhood and would never leave him, the most.
Unfortunately, she didn’t enjoy a long life. She passed away when the Eldest Young Lady was still a young child.
Perhaps Meng De Ye felt guilty as well as a sense of longing, so he doted on Meng Ru the most out of all his children. Despite the fact that she was pretty mature now, he had never forced her to marry anyone.
In this Samsara World, women who were still not married by the age of twenty-six or twenty-seven would be treated like jinxes.
However, the Eldest Young Lady was still doing perfectly well in the Meng Manor, which was a wealthy family to begin with. Despite the fact that she was a noble lady, Meng De Ye still allowed her to learn martial arts.
Gratitude Shrine was more than a dozen kilometres away from White Jade City where there were a lot of believers. While going up the mountain, they saw a lot of people walking along the path. Seeing the formation of the Meng Manor, these people would move to the sides.
The ordinary people would never dare to offend those from the Meng Manor.
One hour later, they arrived at the peak. Yang Kai looked up and saw a magnificent shrine.
In front of them stood an old monk with a scar on his head who was clad in a simple robe. Apparently, he had been informed in advance that the Eldest Young Lady from the Meng Manor was coming over.
Meng Ru and the old monk obviously knew one another; after all, she would visit Gratitude Shrine once every year. After getting out of the carriage, she saluted the old monk and followed him to enter the shrine.
The personal bodyguards followed her closely. After exchanging glances with Yin Zhi Yong, Yang Kai hid among the crowd.
While one of them was conspicuous, the other was hidden. Moreover, with the protection of other personal bodyguards from the Meng Manor, there were no worries about Meng Ru’s safety.
After following the old monk to an altar where ceremonial lamps were placed, Meng Ru poured some oil into it for her Mother and headed to another Grand Hall where she would light some incense sticks, pray, and perform divination with sticks.
Suddenly thinking of something, Meng Ru cheered up instantly and put on a smile.
After walking around for a bit, she was a little tired, so she found a stone pavilion and had a seat. Cui’er quickly fished out the cakes and tea she had prepared earlier while the personal bodyguards dispersed and guarded the stone pavilion.
Inside the stone pavilion, Meng Ru was having a joyous chat with the maidservant while looking around. She was a little disappointed when she didn’t see the person she had been longing for; however, when she thought of the fact he would protect her at any moment, she became at ease.
Right then, a young man clad in white clothes was sauntering towards them. He was followed by a servant who had a sword in his hand.
He was a tall and handsome young man who sported a harmless smile. There was no doubt that he was a gentle and good-looking nobleman.
When Cui’er caught a glimpse of the young man, she could not move her eyes away from him again.
“Stop right there! The Eldest Young Lady of the Meng Manor is resting here,” The responsible personal bodyguards tried to stop them from coming closer.
Despite the fact that the young man was a noble, he wasn’t infuriated at their rudeness. He just cupped his fist and said with a smile, “Please tell the Eldest Young Lady that Feng Cheng Si of the Feng Family would like to see her.”
The personal bodyguards were shocked as they finally recognised this young man and they quickly put away their arrogance.
Despite his gentle voice, Meng Ru could hear him as she wasn’t far from him to begin with. When she heard the name Feng Cheng Si, she turned her head and appeared surprised. Then, she beckoned to Cui’er and spoke to her in a small voice.
Cui’er nodded and walked up to Feng Cheng Si before saluting him in an elegant manner, “Young City Lord, our Young Lady would like to see you.”
Feng Cheng Si smiled and nodded his head, “Many thanks.”
Cui’er stole a glance at him and hung her head low with a blushing face.
After leading him to the stone pavilion, she stood behind Meng Ru.
Meng Ru examined Feng Cheng Si and put on a smile, “It’s really you, Young City Lord. Why are you here?” It wasn’t the first time they met each other. Previously, when she was in danger, it was Yang Kai who stood in front of her and became exhausted from fending off all the enemies while in the end, Feng Cheng Si came to the rescue with the soldiers from White Jade City.
Nevertheless, Meng Ru was concerned about Yang Kai on the way home, so she wasn’t in the mood to talk to Feng Cheng Si.
Feng Cheng Si replied with a smile, “The weather is lovely today, so I decided to leave home for a walk. I didn’t expect to see you here, Little Sister Ru. What a coincidence.”
Meng Ru reckoned that he was older than she was, and he had done her a favour previously, so she only felt awkward but not disgusted by the fact that he called her ‘Little Sister Ru’.
With a smile, she said, “I should have personally thanked you for helping to save me previously, but I haven’t had a chance to do so. Please don’t take offence, Young City Lord.”
“It was all thanks to the personal bodyguard from the Meng Manor. This Feng didn’t really do anything, so I don’t deserve your gratitude.” Feng Cheng Si put on a faint smile.
Meng Ru shook her head, “Young City Lord, if you hadn’t come to the rescue in time, the consequences would have been dreadful.” Seeing that he was still standing, she quickly invited him to have a seat.
Feng Cheng Si thanked her and elegantly took a seat.
They went on to have a chat in a joyful manner.
One hour later, Meng Ru appeared fatigued, so Cui’er promptly said, “Eldest Young Lady, it’s getting late now, so we should head home; otherwise, the Patriarch will be worried about you.”
Following a nod, Meng Ru rose from the seat and bid Feng Cheng Si farewell. The latter didn’t make her stay as he watched them leave.
It wasn’t until Meng Ru and her personal bodyguards were out of sight that Feng Cheng Si put on a smile and called out, “Junior Brother Yang!”
The sword-holding young man beside him appeared doubtful as he had no idea why the Young Master suddenly shouted at the air. Just when he wanted to ask him about it, a figure emerged from the shadow all of a sudden like a phantom. He wasn’t even aware of his presence this whole time.
Flabbergasted, the sword-holding young man dexterously hid behind Feng Cheng Si and stuck out his head before yelling, “Who are you!?”
Ignoring him, Yang Kai stared at Feng Cheng Si and cupped his fist, “Senior Brother Feng!”
As their eyes met, there seemed to be sparks flying in the air.
The sword-holding young man appeared puzzled. Judging from the way the Young Master and this strange man called each other, they seemed to be Fellow Brothers; however, at this moment, they appeared to be in a conflict for some reason.
What made the sword-holding young man feel even more perplexed was that this man surnamed Yang was apparently a personal bodyguard from the Meng Manor, so how was it possible that he and the Young City Lord were Fellow Brothers?
“I’ve heard a lot about you, Junior Brother Yang. We’ve finally met each other. You’re indeed a handsome man,” Feng Cheng Si flashed a smile at him.
“Many thanks for the compliment, Senior Brother,” Yang Kai replied dispassionately.
Sensing his impassiveness, Feng Cheng Si said with a frown, “It wasn’t my idea to come into this world; however, since I’ve received the order from my Honoured Master, I have to do my best. Please forgive me if I’ve offended you in any way.”
Yang Kai nodded, “We’ll do our best in our own ways, then. However, I still have to persuade you to quit as early as possible so that you’ll be spared the embarrassment.”
Feng Cheng Si asked with a smile, “Do you have so much confidence in yourself, Junior Brother?”
Yang Kai lifted his head and replied arrogantly, “Don’t you get it? I’m very close to her now.”
He found it somewhat laughable that he was competing against another man to win over a woman’s heart.
Feng Cheng Si said, “I’m fully aware of the advantages you have, but you’d better not underestimate me. I have my own advantages as well.”
“I’ll be looking forward to it, then,” Yang Kai turned around and disappeared into the darkness.
A moment later, the sword-holding young man, who was hiding behind Feng Cheng Si, looked around curiously, “Young Master… is that ghost gone?”
An annoyed Feng Cheng Si knocked on his head, “What nonsense are you spouting? We’re heading back now!”
“Yes!” The sword-holding young man responded as he kept looking back at the stone pavilion, as though a sabre-and-sword-wielding ghost would reappear at any moment.
Yang Kai would soon find out what Feng Cheng Si’s planned to do. That guy showcased his advantage with just one move and forced Yang Kai onto the defensive.
The day after they returned from Gratitude Shrine, the Eldest Young Lady and Qian Qian were learning martial arts from Yang Kai when Cui’er rushed over with an excited expression and shouted, “Eldest Young Lady! Eldest Young Lady! Something major has happened!”
Meng Ru, who was wielding the wooden sword, was shocked as she stopped what she was doing and looked at her; however, upon seeing Cui’er’s expression, she glared at her, “Why are you shouting? I was frightened.”
Cui’er stood in front of the Eldest Young Lady and stuck out her tongue before saying in a hushed voice, “Eldest Young Lady, something major has really happened.”
“What’s the matter?” Meng Ru asked with a frown.
While trying to be mysterious, Cui’er glanced at her and replied, “It’s something great.”
A helpless Meng Ru rapidly extended her hand and pinched the other woman’s waist, “How dare you keep me on tenterhooks? Are you going to tell me or not?”
Cui’er giggled and begged for mercy, after which Meng Ru let her off.
Qian Qian picked up a towel and passed it to Meng Ru, who wiped her face with it and listened attentively.
It was then that Cui’er said, “Those from City Lord’s Mansion have sent us several gift carts. It’s said that the Young City Lord is proposing marriage.”
Meng Ru froze for a moment before taking a glance at Yang Kai with anxiety and asking nervously, “Propose marriage? What are you talking about?”
Cui’er replied with a smile, “What else could it be? It’s the marriage between you and the Young City Lord. You saw him yesterday. He’s handsome and good at martial arts. Moreover, he’s wealthy and mild-tempered. Everything about him is good. He’s a perfect match for you…”
An anxious Meng Ru asked, “Did my Father agree to it?”
Cui’er shook her head, “I have no idea, but the Patriarch looks pleased. He’s having a chat with the Young City Lord in the Reception Hall right now.”
Upon hearing that, Meng Ru quickly tossed the towel away and sprinted off.
A shocked Cui’er asked, “Where are you going, Eldest Young Lady?”
Meng Ru ignored her. Nevertheless, she suddenly stopped in her tracks and stood there for a moment before turning around. With a conflicted expression, she gazed at Yang Kai, “Guard Yang, I’m a little tired now, so let’s call it a day.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Since you’re tired, you should get some rest, Eldest Young Lady.”
Following that, Meng Ru shuffled into her room and closed the door.
All of a sudden, Cui’er glared at Yang Kai, her eyes full of hostility.
One hour later, the Meng Family Patriarch Meng De Ye arrived at the inner court and entered Meng Ru’s room. It wasn’t certain what the conversation was about, but when he left the room, he shook his head and sighed in a helpless manner.
Cui’er followed him, but she was soon captured by the Patriarch’s personal bodyguard and brought to Meng De Ye.
She could be completely at ease in front of the Eldest Young Lady; after all, they grew up together, so they were as close as Sisters. However, in front of the Patriarch, she would never dare to cross the line.
That was because there were initially three other girls who grew up with the Eldest Young Lady, but eventually, she was the only one left.
The Eldest Young Lady was innocent and kind-hearted, so she thought that the three maidservants had found decent Husbands. Nevertheless, Cui’er knew that they had already lost their lives.
While working for the Eldest Young Lady, one might be killed for making even a small mistake.
Kneeling in front of the Patriarch, Cui’er was trembling, “Patriarch, there’s something I need to tell you.”
With his hands behind his back, Meng De Ye said impassively, “Speak.”
After hesitating for a moment, Cui’er replied in a shaking voice, “I’m not sure if I’m mistaken, but the Eldest Young Lady… She seems to have developed some feelings for Guard Yang.”
Then, she quickly added, “I don’t know if it’s just a misunderstanding. I’m not certain about anything.”
The Patriarch didn’t respond in any way; however, Cui’er knew that it was how the Patriarch reacted when he was furious, so she became increasingly anxious.
A moment later, the Patriarch asked, “When did you discover it?”
A terrified Cui’er replied, “After the Eldest Young Lady was rescued.”
Meng De Ye questioned, “It has been months since she was rescued. Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
Cui’er pressed her head against the ground, “I wouldn’t dare to!”
“You wouldn’t dare to?” Meng De Ye sneered, “Cut her into pieces to fertilize the plants!”
Cui’er felt her entire figure turning limp. It wasn’t until two personal bodyguards took her arms and dragged her out of the place that she started begging for mercy, “Please have mercy on me, Patriarch! Please spare my life! I’m the only long-time maidservant by the Eldest Young Lady’s side now. If I’m killed, she’ll be sad!”
Her words just barely saved her. After receiving an instruction, the two personal bodyguards dropped her.
Meng De Ye’s voice could be heard saying from a distance, “Watch over the Eldest Young Lady and inform me immediately whenever something happens. If anything goes wrong again, I will personally kill you!”
Cui’er hurriedly agreed. When she looked up, there was no one in front of her.
After that day, the Eldest Young Lady was back to her usual self. Yang Kai didn’t ask how the Young City Lord’s proposal was dealt with, but Yin Zhi Yong had found out quite a bit of information.
In fact, the Young City Lord had personally come over to propose marriage, and Meng De Ye was apparently pleased with him; after all, Feng Cheng Si was of noble background and was a perfect match for the Eldest Young Lady of the Meng Family.
Meng Ru was not getting any younger, and it was impossible for her to stay in the Meng Manor forever. If there was a suitable man for her, Meng De Ye wouldn’t reject him.
Nevertheless, Meng De Ye didn’t seem to have given a positive reply regarding the proposal.
This made Yin Zhi Yong realise that the Patriarch truly treasured the Eldest Young Lady. Even in families that were wealthier than the Meng Family, the parents held the right to make an arrangement for their children’s marriages, not to mention in ordinary families. Rarely would any woman decide for herself what man she wanted to marry.
However, in the Meng Family, the Eldest Young Lady had the final say in this matter, and even the Patriarch, who was known to be iron-fisted, didn’t try to force her.
With that said, Yang Kai clearly noticed that there were now more people who were hidden around the Eldest Young Lady’s residence. Other than paying close attention to the Eldest Young Lady, they were also watching over him.
Recently, Cui’er had been acting weirdly as well. In the past, he could sense that she detested him, but it seemed to have turned into resentment now.
She could barely contain the hatred in her eyes.
Yang Kai had a feeling that something was amiss.
One day, Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong were told to see the Patriarch.
Inside the Grand Hall, Meng De Ye gazed at them and said, “I have some goods that have to be sent to Great Abundance City tomorrow. These goods are extremely important, so I want you two to escort them.”
Upon hearing that, Yin Zhi Yong was startled, “What about the Eldest Young Lady?”
He and Yang Kai were the Eldest Young Lady’s personal bodyguards, so supposedly, they would have to send goods to another city. Hence, he was puzzled by Meng De Ye’s order.
Meng De Ye replied, “I’ve made arrangements for her, so you don’t have to worry about her.” He paused for a moment, “She’ll marry someone sooner or later. You two are loyal to the Meng Manor. After she gets married, I’ll need you two to work in other areas. So, try getting used to it now.”
An excited Yin Zhi Yong cupped his fist, “Many thanks for trusting us, Patriarch.”
Meng De Ye waved his hand, after which they respectfully left the hall.
It would take a person about half a month to travel from White Jade City to Great Abundance City. He would pass through a lot of desolate places where bandits might appear at any moment. The average person had to be escorted by powerful cultivators if he wanted to take this journey; otherwise, he would most likely be killed.
On the other hand, this was one of the major business routes for the Meng Family. Every year, countless goods would be sent to or dispatched from the Meng Manor through this route.
There were more than twenty people who were tasked with escorting the goods this time. Other than Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong, who were personal bodyguards from the Meng Manor, the rest were from Grand Abundance Bureau, an armed escort service provider from White Jade City.
The chief armed escort was surnamed Guo. He was a straightforward and well-built man.
The Meng Manor had worked with Grand Abundance Bureau many times before, so they were on good terms; therefore, after accepting the order, the chief armed escort immediately made an arrangement and even personally led the best-armed escorts in the bureau to protect the goods to show that they truly valued this partnership.
The task assigned to Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong was simple. They just had to follow the people from Grand Abundance Bureau and escort the goods to Great Abundance City. After the other party accepted the goods, they could return.
Yin Zhi Yong had been confined to the Eldest Young Lady’s side recently. Upon leaving the Meng Manor, he was as happy as a bird that had been released from a cage. With a wine bottle in his hand, he went everywhere to look for people who could drink wine with him. Besides that, he also boasted to Yang Kai that the women in Great Abundance City were beautiful and promised to take Yang Kai to a brothel when they arrived at the destination.
The armed escorts from Grand Abundance Bureau were professional. The scouts were regularly sent out in pairs to gather information and return with useful news.
It had been peaceful for the first five days.
On the fifth day, the team had to sleep the night in a place named Upward Mound. It was an open-air area with no places for anyone to hide. It wasn’t possible for there to be any ambushes. Even if an emergency happened, it would be easy for them to flee.
Those from Grand Abundance Bureau were careful when looking for a place to rest, and after they were done with dinner, most slept while the rest stood guard.
In the middle of the night, Yang Kai awakened in shock as he caught a whiff of a metallic tang. This faint smell of blood was imperceptible to those who hadn’t had a lot of experience in battle; however, Yang Kai had experienced countless carnage in his life. Although his strength had been significantly weakened after he was incarnated into this world, he remained sensitive to the smell of blood.
Right then, the sounds of something breaking through the air rang out. In the darkness, sharp arrows broke through the sky and poured down on them like rain.
“Enemy attack!” Yang Kai got to his feet and shouted. At the same time, he picked up Yin Zhi Yong, who was sound asleep, and rolled away before hiding behind a tree.
The sounds of arrows breaking through the air were heard amidst the grunts and shrieks. After just a short moment, the armed escorts from Grand Abundance Bureau were all either killed or injured.
Yin Zhi Yong had had some wine before going to sleep, but he was completely sober at this moment and asked in horror, “What’s going on?”
There wasn’t a need for Yang Kai to answer the question. Presently, all the tents were on fire. The arrows were aflame as they turned the tents and carriages into pyres. The horses neighed in shock as the entire place descended into chaos.
The rain of arrows didn’t seem to be stopping any time soon. Yang Kai pulled a dead-armed escort towards himself and covered his body with the corpse.
Upon seeing that, Yin Zhi Yong did the same.
The arrows that poured down like rain only stopped a cup of tea later. The entire place was ablaze as all twenty armed escorts from Grand Abundance Bureau were all dead.
It wasn’t until this moment that horses were heard approaching them from a distance.
Hiding beneath a corpse, Yin Zhi Yong looked around in horror with the help of the flickering fire. More than 100 people on horses had appeared from all directions. The burly bald man at the front was holding a sabre with a hideous expression.
Yin Zhi Yong felt his heart skipping a beat, for he recognised the bald man.
The person was none other than the Head Manager of Hidden Treasure Peak!
After those from Hidden Treasure Peak barged into the Meng Manor in the middle of the night and took the Eldest Young Lady away, their Managers were put on wanted lists, and their faces became known to everyone in the city.
That was the reason Yin Zhi Yong could instantly recognise this man.
However, why were the people from Hidden Treasure Peak here? This was a route that led to Great Abundance City, which was in the south, while Hidden Treasure Peak was in the north. Those from Hidden Treasure Peak didn’t have any business in this.
Nevertheless, he didn’t have any time to ponder on it as the Head Manager wielded his sabre and shouted, “Find the corpses!”
His subordinates then dispersed and searched around.
Yin Zhi Yong had no idea what corpses they were looking for. He only knew that he would be doomed if he couldn’t come up with a solution. He turned to look at Yang Kai’s hiding place and became dumbfounded.
That was because Yang Kai was nowhere to be seen. Only the dead armed escort, who was previously used to fend off the arrows, was left behind.
[That stinking brat is too much! How could he run away without telling me!?] Yin Zhi Yong had the urge to howl in misery. He didn’t even notice that Yang Kai had left. He only knew that when he was sound asleep, Yang Kai picked him up and rolled away to dodge the first round of arrows.
Seeing that those from Hidden Treasure Peak were about to find him, Yin Zhi Yong was struggling internally between begging for mercy or fighting to the death. Right then, someone was heard exclaiming, after which something heavy thudded on the ground. The next moment, everyone was heard yelling, “Head Manager!”
“Don’t move!” The Head Manager bellowed.
Yin Zhi Yong had no idea what was going on, but with the help of the fire, he looked up and faintly saw a figure standing behind the Head Manager, holding a sharp blade to the latter’s neck.
Stirring Clouds Saber!
Yin Zhi Yong was ecstatic. Even though he couldn’t make out the person behind the Head Manager, he could recognise the incredible weapon.
After pushing the corpse away, Yin Zhi Yong, who was drenched in blood, got to his feet. His action stunned the bandits around him.
The Head Manager took a glance at him and grinned, “You two are indeed martial arts experts. I didn’t expect you to survive.”
“Thanks for the compliment.” Yang Kai’s voice was heard coming behind him. The next moment, Yin Zhi Yong saw Yang Kai sticking out his head as the latter asked, “Are you alright, Brother Yin?”
“I’m fine,” Pretending to be tough, Yin Zhi Yong wiped the blood off his face. In fact, he wasn’t injured one bit as even his skin was still intact.
“What about you, Head Manager? What should I do about you now?” Yang Kai asked impassively, not moving the sabre away.
The Head Manager chuckled, “This is how I usually hold a woman. I hadn’t expected to be embraced in such a way one day. It’s a new experience.”
Just then, a glint flashed through the weapon as two fingers were sent flying away. The Head Manager grunted while his hand, which had secretly reached for the dagger at his thigh just now, was covered in blood.
At that moment, the Head Manager turned ferocious while the bandits from Hidden Treasure Peak were agitated.
“Nothing good will ever come out of your mouth, huh? Only say something after thinking it through and don’t do anything unnecessary. My blade is pretty sharp. If I cut off something important, you won’t be able to put it back.” Yang Kai threatened him in a hushed voice, “Tell your people to back up. I’m a timid person. My hand will shake with so many people around me.”
The Head Manager sported a hideous expression, then raised his hand, “Move back 300 metres!”
The bandits from Hidden Treasure Peak exchanged glances before they stepped backwards and disappeared into the darkness.
Despite the fact that the Head Manager was held captive while his blood was dripping from where his fingers were cut, he remained calm and collected. Yin Zhi Yong couldn’t help but think that this man was really something.
“I think we can have a talk now,” the Head Manager said.
Yang Kai sheathed Stirring Clouds Saber and leaped off the horse before shuffling towards the carriages where the goods were kept.
When the Head Manager saw Yang Kai facing away from him, he had the urge to unsheathe his sabre. However, as he recalled Yang Kai’s mastery of martial arts, he stifled his urge to do so.
When he held Meng Ru captive previously, he led more than 100 bandits to launch an attack on Yang Kai. Nevertheless, a lot of his subordinates were killed while the other party persevered until the soldiers from White Jade City came to the rescue.
This time, the Head Manager was captured by Yang Kai while he was unsuspecting, which was why he became at a disadvantage.
He still couldn’t believe that those from the Meng Manor had found such a powerful guard.
“Tell me. Who told you to do this?” Yang Kai asked with narrowed eyes while standing in front of the carriage.
Upon hearing that, the Head Manager sneered, “Do we need anyone to tell us to avenge the death of Hidden Treasure Peak’s Second Manager?”
“How did you find out our route and exact location? I’m guessing you have been hiding here for more than a day.”
The Head Manager replied impassively, “That’s what we do for a living. Of course we have our own ways of gathering information.”
While facing away from him, Yang Kai said, “It was those from the Meng Manor, right?”
Upon hearing that, Yin Zhi Yong was astounded, “Little Brother Yang, what are you talking about?”
The Head Manager flashed a smile at Yin Zhi Yong, “Your Little Brother is pretty interesting. Is there something wrong with his head?”
Yang Kai unsheathed his Covering Rain Sword. As a glint flashed through his weapon, the carriage fell apart and revealed the goods inside.
When Yin Zhi Yong took a glance, he became flabbergasted, “W-What’s going on here?”
The ‘valuable goods’ that the two of them and those from Grand Abundance Bureau had been escorting were just stones placed in crates. He couldn’t believe his eyes. He quickly went over to examine the stones. In the end, he confirmed that they were just rocks with nothing else hidden inside them.
It was the same case for the other carriages.
“How could this be?” Yin Zhi Yong found it hard to accept the truth as he still had no idea what was going on.
More than twenty people from Grand Abundance Bureau had lost their lives just to protect a few carriages of stones. If not for Yang Kai’s quick response, the two of them would have perished tonight as well.
“There’s something I don’t understand.” Yang Kai turned to look at the Head Manager, “Previously, those from Hidden Treasure Peak barged into the Meng Manor in the middle of the night and kidnapped the Eldest Young Lady from the Meng Family. There were quite a few casualties on both sides, and even the Second Manager lost his life. Supposedly, those from the Meng Manor would never work with you, but this is exactly what happened. Can you tell me the reason behind it?”
The Head Manager was no longer as calm and collected as before because he felt helpless at the fact that the other party had seen through everything; however, he chose to say nothing and simply stared at Yang Kai with a grim expression.
Yang Kai held both the sabre and sword in his hands while shuffling towards him. With his gaze lowered, he said, “A person who doesn’t speak is no different from a corpse!”
The Head Manager replied grimly, “I can only tell you that I received a piece of information that you would pass through this place while escorting goods. However, the person who told me this has nothing to do with the Meng Manor.”
“Who is that person associated with, then?” Yang Kai asked while standing in front of him.
The Head Manager shook his head, apparently unwilling to reveal anything.
“Farewell, then,” As soon as Yang Kai finished speaking, he pushed out his sabre and sword at the same time. Although the Head Manager had put his guard up, he was still unable to ward off both weapons. His head was sent flying away while blood spurted out from his neck.
On the other hand, Yang Kai leaped onto a horse and picked up the dazed Yin Zhi Yong before clenching his thighs. The next moment, they galloped off in a particular direction.
After the Head Manager was killed, the bandits from Hidden Treasure Peak madly chased after Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong while the latter killed those who pursued them. It wasn’t until the break of dawn that they were finally safe.
Yin Zhi Yong was already soaked in blood, and there were cuts all over his figure. With that said, those were not comparable to his mental fatigue.
In front of a river, Yang Kai cupped some water with both hands and washed his face. After that, he leaned against the tree trunk and panted.
Unable to contain the doubt in his mind, Yin Zhi Yong gazed at him and asked, “Little Brother, just what is happening?”
The incident on this night was too strange. He wasn’t really a bright person, so he was unable to figure it out. He just had a feeling that he and Yang Kai were sold out.
After measuring his words, Yang Kai said, “It’s me who has dragged you into this.”
Yin Zhi Yong replied, “What are you talking about?”
“That’s really the case,” Yang Kai reiterated, “Those from the Meng Manor want me dead. That was why they told us to escort some goods and orchestrated an attack in the middle of the night.”
Yin Zhi Yong parted his lips, not knowing what to say.
They were the Eldest Young Lady’s personal bodyguards, but they were suddenly tasked with escorting some goods to Great Abundance City. However, the goods from the Meng Manor were just a bunch of stones. On the other hand, the bandits from Hidden Treasure Peak lived in the opposite direction from their route, but they had laid in ambush around this business route in advance.
Moreover, before the Head Manager’s death, he said that someone told him Yang Kai would pass by Upward Mound while escorting some goods.
All of this showed that Yin Zhi Yong had been dragged into a scheme.
“Is there a… partnership between the Meng Manor and Hidden Treasure Peak?” Yin Zhi Yong found it hard to accept the notion. It wasn’t that he was surprised that those from the Meng Manor were in contact with bandits. As a wealthy family, it was expected that those from the Meng Family had contacts in both the authorities and the underworld. Nevertheless, just like what Yang Kai had said the day before, those from Hidden Treasure Peak had kidnapped the Eldest Young Lady, so there was supposed to be a blood feud between them. Given how the Meng Family Patriarch doted on the Eldest Young Lady, there was no room for partnership between the two.
“That might not be the case.” Yang Kai shook his head, “There is something in between that connects the Meng Manor and Hidden Treasure Peak.”
Yin Zhi Yong came to his senses, “Are you saying that there is no direct partnership between the Meng Manor and Hidden Treasure Peak? Instead, there is a middleman between them?”
Yang Kai nodded, “Regardless, I’ve dragged you into this mess.”
Yin Zhi Yong still couldn’t figure it out, “But… why do those from the Meng Manor want you dead? Did you do anything wrong?”
Yang Kai shook his head as he didn’t want to explain anything. He finally understood why there were more people who were hiding around the Eldest Young Lady’s residence recently and the reason Cui’er’s gaze was filled with resentment whenever she looked at him.
It was apparent that they were the Patriarch’s spies. The fact that the Eldest Young Lady and Yang Kai were in love must have been exposed, which was why the Meng Family Patriarch wanted him dead.
There was no way Meng De Ye would allow his treasured Daughter to fall in love with a mere guard.
As for Yin Zhi Yong, he was really innocent in this matter.
Yang Kai rose to his feet and declared, “Brother Yin, you’d better leave now. Stay away from White Jade City and go to a place where the Meng Family can’t find you.”
Yin Zhi Yong was startled, “What about you?”
Yang Kai leaped onto the horse and turned around, “There’s a matter I have to settle.”
Upon finishing his words, he drove the horse to leave. Yin Zhi Yong called out to him from behind, but upon getting no reply, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and leave.
There was no way he could return to White Jade City. Those from the Meng Manor hadn’t managed to achieve their goal this time, so if he dared to show up, he would certainly lose his life. Just like what Yang Kai had said, he could only go to a place where no one would recognise him.
A few days later, a young man covered in dust passed through the city’s gates. When he looked up, he saw two new faces on the wanted list on the wall. Both of them were private guards of the Meng Manor. One of them was named Yang Kai while the other was Yin Zhi Yong.
The painter was pretty skillful as the two pictures were quite life-like.
On the wanted list, it was said that both of them were the private guards of the Meng Manor, but they had worked with the bandits from Hidden Treasure Peak and ruthlessly killed more than twenty people from Grand Abundance Bureau at Upward Mound before stealing a lot of goods that belonged to the Meng Manor. They were cold-blooded and unforgivable.
With a dispassionate expression, Yang Kai looked away and directly entered the city. He had put on a disguise, so he could easily fool the people who were looking for him.
He had lived for many years and killed countless people, so it was expected that he had learned various skills and techniques.
He wasn’t particularly good at disguising himself, and in the eyes of the experts, he must have made a lot of mistakes. However, his skill was good enough for him to deal with this kind of situation.
Nevertheless, not long after he entered the city, Yang Kai realised that he was being stalked.
This surprised him quite a bit.
When the stalker barged into the alley, Yang Kai, who had been hiding in the dark, instantly appeared and clenched his neck. The stalker was apparently shocked as he pleaded, “Please don’t kill me! I’m just following orders, and I don’t intend to harm you.”
“Who gave you the order? What are you trying to do?” Yang Kai questioned coldly.
Seeing that the stalker shook his head, Yang Kai exerted more force with his hand. The person widened his eyes in horror, but he still wouldn’t expose anything.
Just when he thought he was about to get killed, Yang Kai suddenly tossed him away.
Having just escaped from death’s door, the stalker coughed violently and panted.
“Speak. What’s going on?” Yang Kai asked.
The stalker got to his feet with difficulty and looked at Yang Kai with a terrified expression. With his head lowered, he replied, “Sir said that he wants you to follow me to another place.”
Before Yang Kai even replied to him, he went on to say, “Sir also said that you don’t have to worry about anything as he has no intention to harm you. If he wanted that, I just needed to shout loudly, and you wouldn’t be able to leave White Jade City. There’s no point in going to such trouble.”
“I would kill you before you could shout,” Yang Kai threatened.
The stalker trembled, “Even if I can’t shout, someone else will.”
“Is your Sir threatening me?” Yang Kai narrowed his eyes.
The stalker shook his head, “No, no, no! It’s just his way of showing his sincerity. That was exactly what Sir said, so please don’t blame me.”
Yang Kai was suddenly interested in the so-called Sir. After giving it a thought, he asked, “Do you know who I am?”
The stalker shook his head again, “I have no idea. I’m just following orders.”
“Lead the way, then,” Yang Kai nodded.
The Sir behind this person must be aware of Yang Kai’s identity, and he had found out that the latter had entered the city. It meant that someone could recognise him just now. Perhaps that Sir had been observing the surroundings somewhere near the city’s gates.
However, just like the stalker had said, he could expose Yang Kai’s identity by simply shouting it out loudly. By then, Yang Kai would never be able to leave White Jade City.
In that case, he could only play it by ear. He wanted to find out who was behind all this and what their intentions were.
They took countless turns as Yang Kai followed that person.
He suddenly realised that White Jade City was currently bustling with noise as the sounds of drums could be heard from time to time.
As though noticing his doubt, the person at the front said in a small voice, “In three days, the Meng Manor’s Eldest Young Lady and our Young City Lord will be getting married. It’s wonderful news for all of us in the city.”
“They’ll be married in three days?” Yang Kai was astonished upon hearing that.
“That’s right. The Young City Lord has personally proposed marriage, and the Meng Family Patriarch agreed to it. It could be said that the Meng Family has found a powerful backer.”
Yang Kai’s face fell as he realized he was one step too late. Feng Cheng Si had made a quick and decisive move.
During the encounter at Gratitude Shrine, Yang Kai said that he had a better chance of winning the Eldest Young Lady’s heart as he was close to her; however, he was soon asked to escort some goods following the Meng Family Patriarch’s order. Eventually, there was an ambush that awaited him.
Now, he had lost all his advantages while Feng Cheng Si had gained the upper hand.
He didn’t think that Feng Cheng Si was a despicable person. He had his own motives for coming to this Samsara World, so he had to do his best to achieve his goals. The person with better methods would have the last laugh.
The fact that he was ambushed should have nothing to do with Feng Cheng Si. He reckoned that it was the Meng Family Patriarch’s doing.
However, Yang Kai had no idea who the middleman between the Meng Manor and Hidden Treasure Peak was.
From Yang Kai’s perspective, he naturally wouldn’t allow the wedding to take place; however, he didn’t have enough time to come up with a solution in just three days, and he was now faced with this situation that was shrouded in mystery.
“We’ve arrived at our destination,” The man stood in front of a house and extended his hand.
Yang Kai nodded and stepped into the house, but there was no one inside.
He turned to look at the man, who appeared embarrassed, “Sir told me to bring you to this place, and there were no further instructions. He said that you’ll realise he really means no harm after you enter.”
After a moment of silence, Yang Kai went further into the house and saw a red invitation card on the table.
While feeling doubtful, he picked it up and realised that it was an invitation card from the Meng Manor. With this invitation card, he would be able to attend the Eldest Young Lady’s wedding in three days.
Yang Kai arched his brow as he felt a sense of discomfort that his intentions had been seen through.
This invitation card was apparently targeted at him. The mastermind realised his thoughts and even created an opportunity for him.
There was no doubt that this invitation card was difficult to come by as the average person wouldn’t be able to get his hands on one. Fewer than 100 people in White Jade City had the right to receive such an invitation card.
The mastermind left behind one invitation card here for him, which suggested that the person had a powerful background.
The person who led Yang Kai to this place secretly fled while the latter was going through the invitation card. Yang Kai didn’t bother stopping him.
Since the mastermind had made such an arrangement, he naturally wouldn’t harm Yang Kai in the short term. It was obvious that this person wanted Yang Kai to make a scene at the wedding. His scheme would definitely be revealed by then.
Yang Kai didn’t intend to be led by the nose as he pocketed the invitation card. In the middle of the night, he put on some dark clothes and secretly left.
He had to head to the Meng Manor to see whether he could enter the inner court and see the Eldest Young Lady.
Yang Kai had been a personal bodyguard in the Meng Manor for several months, so he was fully aware of the arrangements within the manor. He felt that he had a chance to sneak in.
However, the reality was that the security in the Meng Manor had become far stricter. He still hadn’t found a chance even after waiting for a long time, so he could only give up in the end.
In that case, he could only look for an opportunity in three days. With the invitation card, he was supposedly able to enter the Meng Manor safely. The problem was how he was going to see the Eldest Young Lady in that situation and ask her about her intentions, thus allowing him to bring her out of that place.
He had snatched a bride during a wedding before, so this was not a new experience for him. At that moment, he was torn between tears and laughter.
There was no doubt that the most noble great force in White Jade City was the City Lord’s Mansion, which ruled over several hundred thousand citizens. No one in the city would dare to be disrespectful to them.
On the other hand, the Meng Family was one of the most prestigious families in White Jade City and was extremely wealthy.
Therefore, when word got out that both parties would soon be connected through marriage, it sent a shockwave across the entire city. It was rumoured that the Meng Manor’s Eldest Young Lady was a stunning beauty that was rarely seen in the world while the Young City Lord was handsome and talented. They were undoubtedly a perfect match.
On the wedding day, the entire White Jade City was bustling with noise as countless buildings were decorated with red ornaments on the outside to celebrate the occasion.
All the citizens seemed to have been infected by the jolly atmosphere of this wedding as the entire city was engulfed in a festive atmosphere.
The team that would fetch the bride departed from the City Lord’s Mansion and headed to the Meng Manor with sounds of music playing along the way. The bridegroom, who was clad in red clothes, was riding a well-built horse, which was also decorated with red ornaments, as befits the occasion.
In the meantime, Yang Kai, who had put on a disguise, showed the invitation card at the entrance and easily got into the Meng Manor. While pretending to be taking a stroll around the grounds, he surreptitiously got closer to the inner court.
He had been a private guard in the inner court for several months, so he was fully aware of the situation inside, including the places where the personal bodyguards would hide.
Over the past few days, he had repeatedly attempted to sneak into the Meng Manor; however, due to the stricter security, he was unable to achieve his goal.
It was an important day for the Meng Manor, and they were short of staff everywhere, so although the security in the inner court remained strict, it was still within Yang Kai’s ability to grasp. Hence, it was a great chance for him.
After avoiding some of the personal bodyguards who were hiding in the dark, he flipped over a wall the height of a person and entered the inner court. He was as agile as a cat while ensuring that he made no noise. Without stopping, he made a turn and hid behind a rockery garden.
A moment later, he stepped. A private guard had been knocked out within the rockery.
Like a gecko, Yang Kai climbed up the wall and reached the roof. When he jumped down more than ten breaths later, another private guard from the inner court was knocked out on the roof.
More and more private guards were knocked out. In just a cup of tea’s time, Yang Kai had incapacitated all the private guards around the Eldest Young Lady’s residence.
After that, he headed straight to the building where the Eldest Young Lady resided.
In front of the building stood two stern-looking personal bodyguards. With their hands on the hilts of their weapons, they looked around vigilantly.
With the smell of alcohol wafting from his body, Yang Kai staggered forward and covered his mouth, as though he would throw up at any moment. This alerted the two of them.
It was apparent to them that this person was a guest at the wedding, but it puzzled them as to how he even reached the inner court. Even if he had lost his way, the personal bodyguards outside should have stopped him.
How did anyone even arrive at this place?
The two personal bodyguards exchanged glances, after which one of them raised his hand and snapped, “Stop right there! You’re not supposed to be here!”
With his hand covering his mouth, Yang Kai waved at them with his other hand. At the same time, he stumbled over and crashed into them.
The personal bodyguard who spoke earlier frowned and stepped forward in an attempt to stop this mannerless guest.
As soon as they came into contact though, the personal bodyguard froze on the spot while Yang Kai was heard throwing up.
The other personal bodyguard soon realised that something was off. Just when he was ready to go over, the drunk guest appeared right in front of him the next moment like a phantom.
His clear eyes suggested that he was not intoxicated at all.
Flabbergasted, the personal bodyguard unsheathed his sabre, but it was too late. Yang Kai hit the other person’s neck with the side of his palm. The personal bodyguard turned limp and collapsed to the ground. At the same time, the other personal bodyguard behind him fell to the ground as well.
Yang Kai let out a breath and adjusted his clothes. Then, he stepped into the building and walked up the stairs.
Although he had been a private guard in the inner court for several months, it was actually the first time he stepped into this building. He just knew that the Eldest Young Lady usually lived on the second floor.
The room door on the second floor was closed, but someone could be heard speaking in a small voice inside. It was Cui’er.
“You look stunning today, Eldest Young Lady. Don’t you agree, Qian Qian?”
The next instant, Qian Qian was heard replying in a gentle tone, “Eldest Young Lady has always been good-looking.”
Cui’er said with a smile, “But she looks especially beautiful today. It’s said that a woman looks her best on her wedding day.” As she spoke, she suddenly felt a lump in her throat, “Please stop smiling like a fool, Eldest Young Lady. You make me feel worried. What’s good about Guard Yang? He’s just a private guard in the Meng Manor. He’s not comparable to the Young City Lord at all when it comes to his status. Only the Young City Lord can give you the happiness you deserve.”
“Haha!” Meng Ru was heard laughing, “Am I smiling like a fool?”
“Yes…” Cui’er replied, “Moreover, the Patriarch said that Guard Yang had worked with the bandits from Hidden Treasure Peak. He killed many of the armed escorts and took away the Meng Manor’s goods. Now, those from the City Lord’s Mansion are hunting him down. He must have had an ulterior motive for coming to the Meng Manor all along.”
Meng Ru refuted, “The man I love is not such a despicable person. He didn’t do any of that… Furthermore, he’ll come back to look for me.”
“Are you out of your mind, Eldest Young Lady?” Cui’er was furious, “You’re getting married today, and you’ll be the Young City Lord’s Madame. He is supposed to be the only man you love.”
Meng Ru said in a calm voice, “The man I love must be a hero who will go against the entire world for me.”
“He’s being hunted down. He’ll never come back to White Jade City! Will you please wake up to reality, Eldest Young Lady?”
Just then, a creak was heard. The ladies inside the room turned their heads and saw Yang Kai, who had restored his original appearance.
The next moment, the colour drained from Cui’er’s face while Qian Qian was astonished. Only Meng Ru seemed to have expected it as she rose from the chair with a joyful smile.
She was clad in red clothes with a phoenix coronet on her head. Her beauty was out of this world.
As their eyes met, Yang Kai put on a smile. Meng Ru could see nothing else as her vision was filled by this man.
Yang Kai asked, “Will you come with me?”
Without hesitation, Meng Ru lifted her dress and dashed towards him with a joying expression.
It wasn’t until this moment that Cui’er came to her senses and exclaimed, “Eldest Young Lady!”
All of a sudden, she felt someone striking her neck, after which she collapsed to the ground.
Equally shocked, Yang Kai and Meng Ru gazed at Qian Qian, who had made a move just now.
Even Qian Qian was astounded. Although she had learned martial arts from Yang Kai for several months, she had never attacked anyone before. It was all her subconscious reaction just now, so it surprised her that she had actually knocked the other maidservant out.
With a pale face, she stammered, “I-I didn’t mean to hurt her.”
Yang Kai took a glance at her and examined the unconscious Cui’er before comforting her, “It’s fine. She’s just passed out.”
Qian Qian nodded and felt slightly at ease.
“We have to leave White Jade City as soon as possible,” Yang Kai took Meng Ru’s hand and said in a small voice.
With a contented smile, Meng Ru bowed her head, “En.”
Over the past few months, they had never expressed their love for each other or done anything that crossed the line. They only exchanged glances at most; however, at this moment, they seemed to have known each other for several lifetimes. It was as though they were able to read each other’s thoughts with just one gaze or movement.
There was no gap or obstacle between them. They seemed to be fully aware of each other’s habits like a couple who had been married for years.
After summoning her courage, Qian Qian said, “I’ll follow you, Eldest Young Lady!”
Meng Ru looked inquisitively at Yang Kai, who remained silent for a moment and nodded.
The three of them then snuck out.
The private guards around the building were still unconscious, so it was easier to leave this place than when he came in. After passing through some doors, they arrived at the back street behind the Meng Manor.
Yang Kai had already gotten a carriage ready.
After telling Meng Ru and Qian Qian to get inside, he drove the horses forward.
He had successfully brought Meng Ru out of the Meng Manor, and his next step was to leave White Jade City, which would be a little difficult. Because of the wanted list, everybody who wanted to pass through the city gates of White Jade City had to be scrutinised.
It would have been easier if he were on his own. He could just put on some disguise and walk out; however, this wouldn’t work as he now had Meng Ru and Qian Qian with him. Moreover, Meng Ru was still clad in a wedding dress, which was naturally quite conspicuous.
Everything would be fine if he could pass through the gates. If he couldn’t, he had no choice but to fight his way out. Of course, Yang Kai was certain that the soldiers at the gates wouldn’t be able to stop him.
To his surprise, when he drove the carriage and emerged from the alley, several similar-looking carriages appeared from the sides and moved forward at the same time.
It was apparent that they were leaving the city as well. Yang Kai frowned as he had a feeling that something was amiss, but at this moment, he could only follow them. The team from the City Lord’s Mansion was supposed to arrive at the Meng Manor soon, so the fact that Meng Ru had gone missing would quickly be exposed. They had to leave White Jade City before that happened.
Soon, the carriages arrived at the city gates. Just when the soldiers were ready to examine them, a coachman at the front fished out a token and waved it. Seeing that, one of the soldiers shouted, “Let them pass!”
The carriages drove past the gates without any obstacles. Yang Kai followed them and easily left.
After leaving the city, Yang Kai furrowed his brows while following the carriages. He had a feeling that it was the mysterious mastermind’s doing.
In a place that was more than a dozen kilometres away from the city, the carriages suddenly dispersed. There stood a figure in silence as though he was waiting for something.
Yang Kai’s carriage stopped in front of that person as he turned his head, “Wait a moment.”
Meng Ru grunted in response.
It was then that Yang Kai leapt off the carriage and walked up to that person before cupping his fist, “Senior Brother Feng!”
Feng Cheng Si looked smilingly at him, “You don’t look surprised at all.”
Yang Kai nodded, “I had a speculation, though I was not certain about it. Many doubts are resolved now that I see you here.”
Given his disguising technique, he was still discovered after entering White Jade City, and he was subsequently followed. The only person he could think of capable of such things was Feng Cheng Si.
The events that followed also proved that his speculation was right.
Feng Cheng Si was the Young City Lord of White Jade City, so it wasn’t surprising that he could easily get an invitation card from the Meng Manor.
After Yang Kai left the Meng Manor with Meng Ru, several carriages appeared all of a sudden to help cover him up; otherwise, his plan wouldn’t have worked out smoothly.
“Since you’re here, who is the one going over to the Meng Manor?” Yang Kai appeared puzzled.
Feng Cheng Si replied with a smile, “You’ve met him before. The brat beside me previously.”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai recalled that there was a sword-holding young man who hid behind Feng Cheng Si at that time. The young man and Feng Cheng Si had similar-looking builds. Although their temperaments were different, the young man just had to put on a disguise and remain silent. The people who were not familiar with Feng Cheng Si wouldn’t find out.
Moreover, even though Feng Cheng Si was the Young City Lord, it wasn’t until recently that he returned to the city. Not a lot of people in White Jade City could recognise him, let alone be familiar with him.
No one could have expected that on his own wedding day, the bridegroom would tell his servant to dress up as him and head to the bride’s house in his place. On the other hand, he was helping another man to flee with the bride.
“Why are you doing this, Senior Brother Feng?” Yang Kai asked in puzzlement. The last time they met in Gratitude Shrine, they were pretty hostile to each other; therefore, when Yang Kai speculated that the events in the past three days had something to do with Feng Cheng Si, he couldn’t really believe it.
Feng Cheng Si didn’t directly answer his question; instead, he asked, “Do you know how long I’ve stayed in this world, Junior Brother?”
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai replied, “Martial Aunt Yu told me that you came in not long after Senior Sister Qu did. It’s supposed to have been seven or eight years now.”
Feng Cheng Si nodded, “That’s right. It’s been about eight years. During this period of time, I never stopped looking for Junior Sister Qu, but it wasn’t until a few months ago that I finally found her. At that time, you were soaked in blood as you stood in front of her to protect her. Although she was discomfited, she wasn’t harmed one bit. The Samsara World is an interesting place. Since Martial Aunt Yu sent you here, she must have told you about its wonders.”
“What do you mean exactly?”
Feng Cheng Si looked smilingly at him and pointed at his own chest, “Sincerity is of utmost importance in this place. The more sincere a person is, the more likely his wish will be granted. When I came across Junior Sister Qu for the first time several months ago, I lamented that life was unfair to me. I came here several years before you did, but you were the first one to approach her and protect her. The Heavenly Way can truly be cruel. However, after giving it a thought, I realised that this was one of the wonders of the Samsara World.”
“Please enlighten me, Senior Brother,” Yang Kai said humbly.
Feng Cheng Si explained, “You came here for Junior Sister Qu. Although she has lost her memory during the reincarnation, the Heart Barrier she has set up has something to do with you; therefore, even though you’re late to the game, you could still immediately appear beside her and have a chance to win her heart. On the other hand, I’m different. I came here to execute my Honoured Master’s orders, so I haven’t managed to achieve my goal despite the fact that I’ve been here for a few years. I would have stood a chance if you had never appeared, but nevertheless, since you’re here, I can only be a foil. I suppose that was the reason I suddenly had the urge to return to White Jade City a few months back.”
Yang Kai fell into his thoughts.
Feng Cheng Si went on to say, “Sincerity will affect the events that take place in this Samsara World. Junior Sister Qu is lucky enough to have someone like you who is willing to protect her even if your life is at stake. I believe that even if you two come across the same kind of danger in the real 3,000 Worlds, you will still make the same decision and will never betray her. Therefore, in this life, it’s pointless for me to keep staying here. To do so will go against my true heart.”
Yang Kai saluted him, “Many thanks for helping us, Senior Brother.”
Feng Cheng Si waved his hand, “There’s no need to thank me. I’ve just realised what it is I should do; however, you have to work harder. Although I have no idea what kind of Heart Barrier Junior Sister Qu has set up for herself, I suppose it won’t be easy to pass the tests. If you can’t help her shatter the Heart Barrier, she’ll be lost in the Samsara Pavilion forever. If that happens, Yin-Yang Cave Heaven won’t let you off.”
“I’ll do my best to bring her out of this place safely.”
“That’s for the best,” Feng Cheng Si nodded.
“I have another thing to ask you, though.”
“Go ahead.”
Yang Kai took a glance at the carriage, “It seems that I still haven’t managed to help Senior Sister Qu shatter the Heart Barrier. What can I do to help restore her memory?”
Feng Cheng Si replied with a smile, “It’s different for everyone. In fact, you have already done more than enough, but Junior Sister Qu still hasn’t retrieved her memory. It seems that her expectations of you are quite high, so you’ll have to work harder. I’ll lend you a hand as well.”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai frowned. Certainly, he would work hard, but the other man didn’t specify how much more he had to do; instead, he felt that Feng Cheng Si’s smile was somewhat ominous, especially when the latter said that he would lend Yang Kai a hand.
Yang Kai had a feeling that something terrible was about to happen.
“Also, it’s the City Lord’s Mansion that has partnered up with Hidden Treasure Peak,” Feng Cheng Si said, “It’s also the City Lord’s Mansion’s arrangement that you were attacked when escorting goods.”
“I already had such a speculation,” Yang Kai dipped his head.
Feng Cheng Si appeared surprised, “It seems that you’ve seen through everything.”
Yang Kai replied impassively, “A few months ago, those from Hidden Treasure Peak easily barged into the Meng Manor while the soldiers from the City Lord’s Mansion were unusually slow to react. That in and of itself was ridiculous. If White Jade City had always been this unsafe, the City Lord’s Mansion would have lost its authority long ago.”
Feng Cheng Si nodded, “Indeed. The Meng Family is extremely wealthy, so the City Lord’s Mansion would like to have a share of that. That’s why they worked with Hidden Treasure Peak to kidnap the Eldest Young Lady so that they could have a talk with Meng De Ye. At that time, I happened to return to White Jade City. When I heard about the matter, the first thought that came into my head was that she might be the one I had been looking for. Hence, I took the initiative to lead the soldiers to chase after the bandits; however, it was too late at that time. One night had passed since the Second Manager of Hidden Treasure Peak took the Eldest Young Lady away, so even if I ran after them, I wouldn’t have stood a chance to save her.”
He then added, “However, no one could have expected that there was an outer court’s private guard from the Meng Manor who risked his life to protect the Eldest Young Lady and persevered until the soldiers from White Jade City came to the rescue. In that case, the plan between the City Lord’s Mansion and Hidden Treasure Peak was foiled. Left with no choice, I had to personally propose marriage to the Eldest Young Lady. If we could get married, the City Lord’s Mansion would be able to get their hands on the Meng Family’s wealth given their power.”
He went on to say, “Meng De Ye is fully aware of that, but he can’t resist. Moreover, I’m a young man with a promising future, so I’m more than good enough to be his Son-in-Law, and the Eldest Young Lady is mature enough to get married. Hence, he decided to just agree to it.”
Yang Kai nodded as everything was just like what he had speculated.
The connection between the Meng Manor and Hidden Treasure Peak was the City Lord’s Mansion, which was why Feng Cheng Si was aware of what was going on behind the scenes.
After agreeing to the proposal, Meng De Ye told Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong to escort some goods to another city while the Meng Manor provided some information to those from City Lord’s Mansion, who would then contact Hidden Treasure Peak in order to have the two of them killed.
Nevertheless, no one could have expected that Yang Kai wasn’t a native in this world; instead, he was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who was incarnated into this place, so he had some skills and strength that were simply unimaginable to others here.
“Many thanks for enlightening me, Senior Brother,” Yang Kai cupped his fist. It wasn’t until this moment that he figured out the things that had been puzzling him.
“Alright, we should stop talking. You’re supposed to flee now. The Meng Manor must be in chaos, and they’ll soon be after you,” Feng Cheng Si waved his hand.
Yang Kai thanked him again and leaped onto the carriage before driving the horses forward.
Certainly, Meng Ru and Qian Qian, who were inside the carriage, must have heard their conversation just now, but Meng Ru didn’t ask anything. As a maidservant, Qian Qian naturally wouldn’t be nosy.
In the meantime, not only the Meng Manor, but the entire White Jade City was in chaos.
The bride had gone missing on the wedding day. The young man, who replaced Feng Cheng Si to head to the Meng Manor, was drenched in cold sweat as he didn’t know what to do.
Meng De Ye’s expression was as gloomy as the weather right before a storm. The people around him could hardly breathe.
Just now, they poured a basin of cold water on Cui’er to awaken her. Upon learning that it was Yang Kai who took Meng Ru away, Meng De Ye flew into a rage. He ordered the personal bodyguards of the Meng Manor to chase after them. They must capture him regardless of whether he was dead or alive.
There was no doubt that the Meng Manor was embarrassed as such an incident happened on the wedding day of their Eldest Young Lady.
It was equally humiliating for the City Lord’s Mansion. They worked together and soon found some traces, and one hour later, a large group of people set out from White Jade City, following the traces to hunt them down.
The speed at which the carriage moved forward was slow, so both Yang Kai and Meng Ru knew that they would be caught sooner or later.
What surprised Yang Kai was that there were people in front of them that attempted to stop them.
As though they had already expected that Yang Kai would come to this place, they were well prepared as several dozen riders charged forward. Yang Kai instantly recognised that they were the soldiers from the City Lord’s Mansion.
As he recalled Feng Cheng Si’s devious smile, he had the urge to curse.
Only Feng Cheng Si was able to do this.
Yang Kai had no idea what was on the other man’s mind. Earlier, Feng Cheng Si had a frank talk with him and said that he would back down from the competition; however, he had brought some people to intercept Yang Kai at this moment.
What was he trying to achieve?
It was unlikely that those from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven were so hypocritical; moreover, Feng Cheng Si appeared sincere when he said those words. Yang Kai believed that he wasn’t lying.
There were several dozen people over there, so if Yang Kai were on his own, he could have chosen to fight with them or flee; however, with Meng Ru and Qian Qian behind him, he didn’t have a choice.
After killing the knights that tried to block his path, he turned the horses around and headed in a different direction.
These people must have heard that Yang Kai was strong, so they wouldn’t dare to go near him again after losing some of their companions. They only chased after him while keeping a safe distance.
Nonetheless, barely an hour later, another group of knights, about several dozen of them, came right at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai’s expression darkened. Feng Cheng Si’s arrangements were impeccable, as though he had expected all of the moves that Yang Kai would make.
These groups of people came at Yang Kai from both sides. He could only choose to avoid them as he drove the carriage in a different direction.
When darkness descended, the carriage stopped.
They could no longer keep moving forward as there was a cliff in front of them. As the clouds weltered, stones could be heard rolling down the steep slope.
The horses were exhausted from all the running, so as soon as they stopped, they knelt down and kept snorting.
Two groups of knights that were more than 100 strong came together and surrounded them. They didn’t make any moves though, as though they were waiting for something.
Soon, Yang Kai found out what they were waiting for.
Torchlights could be seen flickering from the bottom of the mountain as another group of people came over.
The person leading the way was handsome and heroic. He was none other than Feng Cheng Si. The Meng Family Patriarch Meng De Ye had also tagged along.
The knights separated to the sides and revealed a passageway. The two of them passed through the knights and looked at the cornered Yang Kai. One of them sported a smile and winked at Yang Kai while the other’s expression was extremely gloomy.
On the edge of the cliff, Yang Kai stood in front of the carriage while facing the knights that had surrounded him.
There was nowhere else he could go. It could be said to be a death trap.
Meng De Ye’s eyes were fuming as he glared at Yang Kai. On the wedding day, his daughter was snatched by a private guard, which was humiliating for both the Meng Manor and himself. If this matter couldn’t be settled in a perfect manner, he would never be able to face anyone again in White Jade City.
He secretly swore that he had to rip this private guard into 10,000 pieces in order to vent out his fury.
“How dare you, you bastard!” Meng De Ye said through clenched teeth while glowering at Yang Kai, “Is this how you repay the Meng Manor for nurturing you? You’re such an ungrateful brat! Give Ru’er back to me and this Old Master will spare your life!”
Yang Kai cupped his fist, “Please forgive me, Patriarch. I have no choice but to do this. Eldest Young Lady and I are in love with each other. Please let us go!”
Like a cat whose tail had been stamped on, Meng De Ye was enraged, “Shut up! Who do you think you are? A noble lady like Ru’er would never fall in love with someone like you. Stop slandering her!” He then turned to Feng Cheng Si, “Young City Lord, please don’t believe his nonsense. He must have forcefully taken Ru’er away; otherwise, she would never have left the Meng Manor.”
With a smile on his face, Feng Cheng Si didn’t respond to him.
The next moment, with the help of Qian Qian, Meng Ru got out of the carriage with a sorrowful expression.
Meng De Ye was elated upon seeing that and quickly asked, “Are you hurt, Ru’er?”
Like a child who had made a mistake, Meng Ru wouldn’t dare to look her Father in the eyes as she shook her head.
After letting out a breath, Meng De Ye comforted her by saying, “Don’t be afraid, Ru’er. I’ll save you now and let this thug know the consequences of bullying you. Also, the Young City Lord is here. He’ll never let you feel aggrieved in any way.”
“Father…” Meng Ru called out.
Meng De Ye quickly replied, “I’m here.”
Meng Ru hung her head low, “Father, please let Big Brother Yang and me go.”
As if struck by lightning, Meng De Ye instantly sported a livid expression as he stared at his daughter with a pair of piercing eyes, “What did you say?”
He could reprimand Yang Kai for spouting nonsense just now and dismiss it out of hand, but it was a different case when Meng Ru said it. The Eldest Young Lady of the Meng Manor had basically just admitted that she was in love with her bodyguard right in front of everyone.
The revelation sent a shockwave across all the knights. Upon receiving the order, they started pursuing Yang Kai, thinking that the Eldest Young Lady was kidnapped by her personal bodyguard. However, it didn’t seem to be the case now. Instead, the Eldest Young Lady of the Meng Manor had willingly left with him.
Rather than a kidnap, it was two lovebirds who had eloped together!
These were two very different scenarios. The Eldest Young Lady of Meng Family had not only humiliated the Meng Manor, but also the City Lord’s Mansion.
Many of them cautiously glanced at Feng Cheng Si, only to realise that the Young City Lord remained calm and collected with a faint smile still on his face, as though the fact that the bride had fled with another man didn’t concern him one bit.
“Father, you’ve doted on me over the years, and you’ve never forced me to marry anyone. I’ve also repeatedly told you that I’ve been waiting for the man who is destined to be with me.” Meng Ru initially hung her head low. Despite her frail figure though, she seemed to have summoned enough courage as she looked up at him and declared, “Now, the wait is over. Big Brother Yang is the man I’ve been waiting for!”
Meng De Ye trembled with fury, which was about to erupt like a volcano.
Meng Ru had indeed repeatedly told him that she was waiting for someone, but he never took it seriously and thought that she was just being perfunctory with him. Certainly, he wouldn’t believe it when she brought it up again.
“You’re sick, Ru’er,” Meng De Ye said in a grim voice, “Come home with me. I’ll get a doctor to treat you.”
Meng Ru shook her head, “I’m not sick.”
Meng De Ye took a glance at Yang Kai and said impassively, “If you’re not sick, you should be concerned about his safety. If you come home with me, I’ll spare his life, but if you’re obstinate, he will die today!”
Meng Ru instantly turned pale. Although she knew that Yang Kai was powerful, there was no way he could deal with so many people.
She also was flustered at the fact that Meng De Ye threatened her with Yang Kai’s life.
When she turned her head and met Yang Kai’s eyes though, she saw the man flashing a smile at her.
In an instant, she cast away her hesitation and turned to look at her Father with determination, “Father, please let us go.”
Meng De Ye appeared to be heartbroken as he didn’t have the final say in this situation. Only a small number of people around here were from the Meng Manor. Most of them were soldiers from the City Lord’s Mansion, and they only listened to Feng Cheng Si.
Although he had the intention to forgive his Daughter, he was unable to do that. The Young City Lord was right beside him, and as the Patriarch of the Meng Family, he had to behave appropriately in this situation.
With difficulty, he shook his head and said, “You’re being fooled by him because you’re young and naive. The Young City Lord is a magnanimous person, so I’m sure he’ll forgive you. Come home with me and serve the Young City Lord with all your heart in the future.”
The last bit of hope in Meng Ru’s eyes went out as she fell on her knees and pressed her head against the ground three times in front of her Father.
Meng De Ye was flabbergasted, “What are you doing?”
After getting to her feet, Meng Ru turned to Yang Kai and put on a bright smile, “Since we’re not able to get married in this life, we will die together at the very least. Big Brother Yang, I’m really pleased to have finally found you.”
Yang Kai let out a breath and took a step forward before unsheathing his sabre and sword. Standing in front of Meng Ru with his sturdy figure, he clanged his weapons together, “Before I die, no one can harm you!”
“Both of you have gone mad!” Meng De Ye’s eyes turned bloodshot.
Feng Cheng Si, who had kept a smile on his face, seemed to have gone crazy all of a sudden as he roared, “Kill all of them and let them know the consequences of offending this Young City Lord!”
Meng De Ye was astonished and shouted, “Please wait, Young City Lord!” Just when he wanted to stop them, he was kicked off the horse by Feng Cheng Si and fell to the ground in pain.
The knights criss-crossed one another and came at Yang Kai from all directions, ensuring that he would not be able to flee.
As glints flashed through Yang Kai’s weapons, grunts and shrieks were continuously heard. Limbs were sent flying away while blood dyed the ground crimson.
As more corpses piled up, Yang Kai didn’t take a single step while his back remained straight, just like how he protected the Eldest Young Lady in front of the cave back then.
He wielded his weapons and killed his opponents like he was cutting through straw. Just a moment later, many corpses lay strewn across the ground.
Usually, this kind of carnage was enough to make anyone feel frightened. Despite the large number of people on their side, they might not have the courage to keep going forward; after all, no one could be certain whether they would be the next to get killed.
However, Feng Cheng Si was on top of everything here. Although the people from the City Lord’s Mansion were terrified, they wouldn’t dare to back down. Only by killing Yang Kai would they be able to live to see tomorrow.
There would only be one outcome to this intense battle; either Yang Kai was killed, or all of them would perish.
Feng Cheng Si had brought a lot of people with him this time, some two or three hundred in total, which was more than twice as many as the bandits from Hidden Treasure Peak that Yang Kai had to face back then.
Yang Kai’s energy was not infinite, so despite being powerful, there was no way he could persevere forever in this situation.
Stirring Clouds Saber and Covering Rain Sword were extremely useful in this battle. Even though Meng De Ye tried to kill Yang Kai by telling him to escort some goods to Great Abundance City and then ambushing him, he had indeed regarded him highly before that.
Stirring Clouds Saber and Covering Rain Sword were two of the best weapons in this World. The opponents’ weapons would be cut through or snap as soon as they came into contact with Yang Kai’s, which saved him a lot of energy.
Meng De Ye was still begging Feng Cheng Si to spare his Daughter’s life, but the infuriated Young City Lord simply ordered someone to tie him up and toss him aside.
The personal bodyguards from the Meng Manor wouldn’t dare to protest despite being furious. They also had to deal with Yang Kai following Feng Cheng Si’s order.
As time passed, a blood river formed at the edge of the cliff, and Yang Kai was already drenched in blood.
He was covered in the opponents’ blood as well as his own.
Despite being strong, he was unable to perfectly protect Meng Ru when faced with so many opponents. Feng Cheng Si did not only order to kill him but also Meng Ru. Seeing that Yang Kai was too formidable, those from the City Lord’s Mansion attempted to harm Meng Ru instead to distract Yang Kai, thus allowing them to achieve their goal.
Even incredible weapons like Stirring Clouds Saber and Covering Rain Sword were unable to last forever in such an intense battle. The blades of both weapons were bent and chipped, rendering them less useful.
Yang Kai was already on his last legs as he staggered. Despite that, he was determined to stand strong.
Just then, he saw a sword coming at him from the left, but he was unable to dodge it. If he did that, Meng Ru would definitely be harmed.
He could only tense up his body as he got ready to be stabbed. At the same time, he had to ensure that his vital parts wouldn’t be hit.
When a grunt was heard next though, everyone was shocked.
Yang Kai didn’t feel any impact or pain. Someone seemed to have blocked the sword for him.
As he turned his head, his pupils contracted.
It was a petite figure that had blocked the sword, which had pierced through her chest. It was a fatal injury. Qian Qian, who was usually timid and bashful, spread her arms and stood in front of Yang Kai at this moment. Summoning all her courage in the last moments of her life, she bravely looked Yang Kai in the eyes.
Then, she put on a bright smile while blood streamed out of her mouth, “Big Brother Yang, I’m glad that you’re okay.”
The smile was like an invisible hand that clenched Yang Kai’s heart, making it impossible for him to breathe.
His encounters with Qian Qian over the past months flashed through his eyes as he always remembered her to be a bashful and obedient woman.
Both of them joined the Meng Manor at around the same time, and although she was a newcomer too, she instantly gained the Eldest Young Lady’s favour and became her trusted maidservant.
When she learned martial arts, she showed an aptitude that was just as great as Meng Ru’s.
Whenever their eyes met, she would become flustered like a frightened rabbit. Yang Kai suddenly recalled seeing the same kind of expression on another woman’s face.
She was a woman he was not familiar with, but it was destined that he would be tangled up with her forever.
As two figures overlapped in his mind, he suddenly called out, “Junior Sister Tao?”
Qian Qian was already on her last breath, but upon hearing Yang Kai’s words, she seemed to have been infused with a new stream of energy as her eyes brightened instantly. All the sorrow and doubts in her heart were cast away as she called out, “Senior Brother Yang!”
“Senior Brother Yang!” Qian Qian called out with a satisfied smile, “Thank you!”
Yang Kai had no idea why she thanked him, nor did he know whether she would really pass away like this. With that said, it was just a Samsara World that she had reincarnated into, so the real her wouldn’t be affected when she was killed here.
However, he had never expected that Tao Ling Wan had also come to this Samsara World, and she had been by his side without him knowing the whole time. At the critical moment, she had even blocked a fatal sword strike with her body for him.
Both Feng Cheng Si and Yu Xiang Die had said that sincerity was of utmost importance in the Samsara World. The more sincere a person was, the more likely his or her wish would be granted.
Furthermore, everything that happened here reflected one’s true heart.
Tao Ling Wan was willing to die in Yang Kai’s stead in this Samsara World; in other words, she would make the same decision in the outside world if she was faced with the same situation.
Yang Kai felt an excruciating pain in his heart. He wielded his Stirring Clouds Saber and cut off the attacker’s arm. Then, he wrapped his arm around Qian Qian’s waist and stepped backwards.
When he looked down, he realised that Qian Qian had closed her eyes. Despite the trace of blood on the corner of her mouth, she sported a contented smile.
Feng Cheng Si, who appeared to have gone mad shouting orders to his subordinates, suddenly became startled and muttered, “Junior Sister Tao?”
Nevertheless, he soon realised what had happened and sported a bitter smile, “Honoured Master made a move in the end, but not only did he fail to catch the chicken, he even lost his rice in the process!”
He couldn’t imagine how his Honoured Master would react upon learning what happened in this place, but he was certain that the latter wouldn’t be pleased.
Qian Qian’s death didn’t give Yang Kai a chance to breathe. Although the people from the City Lord’s Mansion were surprised at the maidservant’s bravery and determination, it ultimately didn’t change anything.
Before Yang Kai could even lay Qian Qian’s corpse down, he was faced with another round of attacks.
Despite his anger, he had nowhere to vent it out. He staggered and dealt with the enemies with difficulty as blood spurted out of his wounds.
Meng Ru picked up a sword and wielded it at the enemies with gritted teeth, determined to fight alongside Yang Kai.
She had never fought with anyone before, let alone killed a person; however, after learning martial arts from Yang Kai for a few months, she had built a solid foundation, so she was in a far better state than when she was saved by Yang Kai previously. At that time, she found it hard to even pick up a sword.
Nevertheless, at this moment, she was somewhat intimidating when wielding her blade. Furthermore, she was the Eldest Young Lady of the Meng Manor as well as the Young City Lord’s future wife, so no one dared to really kill her.
Qian Qian’s death seemed to have shocked Feng Cheng Si, so while riding his horse, he simply looked up at the sky and sighed.
It was getting late, so it was time everything ended. Despite the fact that he hadn’t managed to achieve his goal after staying in this world for a few years, he never lost hope as he was determined to complete the task given to him by his Honoured Master. However, the moment he realised his true heart, he discovered that all he really felt was fatigued. Everything he had done in this Samsara World seemed to be nothing more than a farce.
The Young City Lord leaped into the air and flew over everyone like a bird. With a dazzling light flashing through his weapon, he came right at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai saw the attack and knew it would be fatal. Although he wanted to ward it off, he was powerless to do that.
Just like what happened to Qian Qian, the sword penetrated his chest. However, Feng Cheng Si apparently didn’t intend to kill him. The sword didn’t pierce into his heart, thus allowing him to survive.
Yang Kai was already on his last legs with countless wounds on his figure. After getting struck by the attack, he fell backwards and collapsed into Meng Ru’s arms.
Despite the fact that blood was streaming out of his mouth, he looked gratefully towards Feng Cheng Si. All of a sudden, he realised how he was supposed to break Qu Hua Shang’s Heart Barrier.
He had also figured out the reason Feng Cheng Si had done all of this.
Feng Cheng Si didn’t say anything as he gently nodded.
“Big Brother Yang!” Meng Ru said in a choking voice. She covered the wound on his chest with her fair hand, but she was unable to stop the blood from spurting out. Soon, her hand was dyed red.
Yang Kai took her hand, “It’s useless. I’m sorry for not being able to protect you.”
Meng Ru’s face was already soaked in tears as she repeatedly shook her head, “It’s me who has dragged you into this.” She knew that given Yang Kai’s strength, he would have been able to flee if he were on his own despite being surrounded by so many people.
However, with her around, he could not run away.
The soldiers gathered around him, but did not immediately make a move. They were horrified by the power Yang Kai had showcased earlier, but at the same time, they mourned for a dying hero.
All of a sudden, Meng Ru stopped crying and put on a smile. As she stroked the man’s face, she said gently, “I’m sorry for what happened in this life. Let me protect you in the next!”
Upon finishing her words, she carried Yang Kai up and turned around before leaping off the cliff without hesitation.
Under the moonlight, they looked like two lovebirds that sought eternal freedom.
When the tied-up Meng De Ye saw this, he instantly passed out.
Feng Cheng Si let out a breath while feeling exhausted. Everything had finally ended.
As Yang Kai heard the wind howl, he started losing consciousness.
He could feel his figure plunging rapidly as this life was finally coming to an end. All he could do was wait for Qu Hua Shang to break her own Heart Barrier.
Fortunately, Qu Hua Shang didn’t let him wait for a long time. While he was in a daze, he heard the woman calling out to him, “Junior Brother?”
Yang Kai coughed out some blood and put on a helpless smile, “You’ve finally regained your memory, Senior Sister!”
All of a sudden, Qu Hua Shang hugged him tighter as she appeared to be reeling from the shock. In a shaking voice, she said, “I knew that you’d be alright!”
Before she started cultivating in seclusion, she heard that Yang Kai had followed a Giant Spirit God to enter the Chaotic Dead Territory. Everyone from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven was certain he was dead, but she firmly believed that he was still alive; therefore, she entered the Samsara Pavilion and set up a Heart Barrier as she waited for him to come for her.
This was the only way she could resist the pressure from the Sect’s Seniors, who wanted her to marry another man.
“Senior Sister, we have no time to spare. Please tell me how many more lives I’ll have to keep looking for you,” Yang Kai asked in a hurry while wiping the blood from his lips.
However, Qu Hua Shang remained calm and collected as she winked at him, “Take a guess.”
Yang Kai was torn between tears and laughter, “You do realise we’re dying, right?”
Qu Hua Shang snorted, “It won’t be easy, so you’ll have to work hard, okay? However, I can tell you that the first life is the easiest but also the hardest. What I mean is that you could easily win Meng Ru’s heart, which was why everything went smoothly for you.”
Yang Kai asked humbly, “Where’s the difficult part, then?”
Qu Hua Shang put on a smile, “The hardest part was that we’d have to live or die together. I told myself that only when you managed to achieve that in the first life would my Heart Barrier be shattered and my memory restored.”
Yang Kai nodded.
It was because of this Heart Barrier she had set up that her memory wasn’t restored even though he had won Meng Ru’s heart some time ago.
The moment they jumped off the cliff together, they managed to share life and death, thus breaking the Heart Barrier.
“However, the more times we are reincarnated, the tighter our memories will be sealed. It’s the same case for both of us. If you are reincarnated too many times, you might even lose yourself in this Samsara World and never find your true self again. So, Junior Brother, you must always stay true to your heart,” Qu Hua Shang said with a solemn expression.
“I’ll remember.” Yang Kai nodded. When he suddenly felt a pinch on his waist, he put on an aggrieved expression and asked, “What are you doing, Senior Sister?”
Qu Hua Shang had actually pinched his waist and twisted it.
She had crossed the line by treating a dying person in such a way.
“Hmph! What’s going on with you and Junior Sister Tao?” Qu Hua Shang appeared to be jealous.
Yang Kai parted his lips, but he had no idea how to explain it to her.
Qu Hua Shang asked, “Junior Sister Tao must be Tao Ling Wan, right?”
Yang Kai nodded, “En.” He didn’t know why Tao Ling Wan had also come here and even entered the same Samsara World as Qu Hua Shang.
Suddenly, Qu Hua Shang let out a long sigh, “Although I have no idea what happened between you two, she would’ve been doomed if you hadn’t recognised her.”
“Why is that?” Yang Kai frowned.
“I’m sure you know a thing or two about the wonders of the Samsara Pavilion. A disciple who enters this place will set up a Heart Barrier for herself. If the Heart Barrier isn’t broken, she will be lost in this place forever. My Heart Barrier was that I wanted you to find me and make me fall in love with you. You were aware of that, so you had a target regardless of what you did. Despite the difficulties, you knew the kind of goal you had to achieve.”
Yang Kai nodded.
“The Heart Barrier she had set up was definitely different.” Qu Hua Shang, “I guess the Heart Barrier might be that you had to recognise her without knowing who she really was.”
It wasn’t hard for Qu Hua Shang to come up with this speculation; after all, Tao Ling Wan only recovered her memory after Yang Kai called her ‘Junior Sister Tao’ earlier.
“What would have happened if I hadn’t recognised her?” Yang Kai asked.
“All her memories were sealed within Qian Qian. If you hadn’t managed to help her restore her memory when Qian Qian passed away, she would never have had a chance to awaken. It was the same for me.”
Yang Kai was instantly soaked in cold sweat as he felt somewhat horrified.
He couldn’t figure out why Tao Ling Wan would do such a thing as he had no idea that she had also entered the Samsara Pavilion. The only reason he could recognise her was that Tao Ling Wan and Qian Qian were so similar when it came to their temperaments.
At that time, he was focused on breaking Qu Hua Shang’s Heart Barrier, so he didn’t pay much attention to Qian Qian. It wasn’t until Qian Qian was killed in his stead that he recalled everything about her.
“What is she trying to do?”
“Perhaps she’s trying to prove something,” Qu Hua Shang shook her head, “Women can be foolish and unreasonable sometimes, but she succeeded, didn’t she?”
Tao Ling Wan was willing to die in Yang Kai’s stead, and although they were in a Samsara World, she had still risked her life just by coming here.
Regardless of what Yang Kai thought of her, he now knew that this woman was willing to sacrifice her life for him.
“Will we see her again?” Yang Kai asked.
“I’m not sure.” Qu Hua Shang shook her head, “Maybe we’ll see her, but I doubt it. Her Heart Barrier is different from mine. You have recognised her, and she has expressed her sincerity. It’s pointless to go through the same thing again.”
“Senior Sister, I’m sleepy,” Yang Kai muttered under his breath.
“Get some rest. You’ll see me again when you open your eyes.” Qu Hua Shang pulled him closer to her embrace.
In the meantime, Yu Xiang Die and Chen Xiu were waiting patiently outside the Samsara Pavilion. This place was where hearts were trained, not where one would cultivate. Therefore, even though the Samsara Pavilion was amazing, it didn’t have the same advantage as Small Source Worlds in which time would pass by quicker.
The speed at which time flowed in the Samsara Worlds and the outside world was the same.
It had been three months since Yang Kai entered the Samsara Pavilion, and no one knew what was going on with him inside. It wasn’t certain if he shattered Qu Hua Shang’s Heart Barrier or had even found her.
Certainly, they were worried, but as outsiders, their worries were meaningless. It all hinged on Yang Kai’s own capabilities.
It was because of this matter that Yu Xiang Die and Chen Xiu, who had been fellow Brother and Sister for thousands of years, got into a conflict. Presently, they were dozens of metres apart as they sat on empty clearings and waited patiently.
Just then, a figure stepped out of the shopping district just outside of the Samsara Pavilion.
Sensing something, Chen Xiu immediately opened his eyes and glanced at that person. Following that, he let out a breath almost imperceptibly.
Yu Xiang Die noticed the person as well. There was a surprised expression on her face as she watched Tao Ling Wan coming over.
This couldn’t be helped, as Tao Ling Wan came out too soon!
No one had ever managed to leave the Samsara Pavilion so soon after entering it; however, Yu Xiang Die recalled something as she narrowed her eyes and put on a smug smile.
“Honoured Master!” Tao Ling Wan walked up to Chen Xiu and saluted him in an elegant manner.
Chen Xiu examined her to make sure that she was completely fine and healthy. He parted his lips in an attempt to express his concern, but he was not able to say anything. In the end, he just nodded, “I’m glad that you’re back.”
“I’m sorry for worrying you,” Tao Ling Wan hung her head low.
Yu Xiang Die approached her and asked, “Did you meet Yang Boy?”
Tao Ling Wan nodded gently.
“How was it?”
After giving it a thought, Tao Ling Wan replied, “I believe he must have helped Junior Sister Qu restore her memory.”
Yu Xiang Die’s eyes brightened when she heard that. Then, she let out a breath, “That’s good. That’s good.”
Chen Xiu asked, “Did you see him?”
Tao Ling Wan nodded her head, “Yes.”
Chen Xiu stopped asking further. Since Yang Kai had helped Qu Hua Shang restore her memory, it meant that he had broken her Heart Barrier; hence, he had succeeded in this life. On the other hand, Feng Cheng Si had not managed to achieve his goal even though it had been eight or so years since he entered the Samsara Pavilion.
Although Chen Xiu had already expected it, he was still disappointed upon learning the outcome.
As they spoke, Feng Cheng Si stepped out of the Samsara Pavilion and saluted Chen Xiu and Yu Xiang Die.
Like a friendly Senior, Yu Xiang Die patted the young man’s shoulder and comforted him by saying, “Sincerity can never be forced. You must not think that you’re inferior to the other party just because you’ve lost this competition. You’re a Core Disciple of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven after all, and a bright future is ahead of you. However, love is not something which one can control at will.”
Feng Cheng Si obediently saluted her, “Many thanks for your teaching, Martial Aunt.”
A gleeful Yu Xiang Die then shot Chen Xiu a glance and mocked, “So what if you’ve done everything you can to set others up? Look at the outcome now. You’re the one who has suffered a setback in the end. I suggest that you stop being so short-sighted, Senior Brother.”
A dispassionate Chen Xiu glanced at her, “Wan’er is my Disciple as well as a member of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.”
Yu Xiang Die batted her eyes and suddenly said through clenched teeth, “It’s basically a buy-one-get-one-free deal. We have made a loss!”
Tao Ling Wan started blushing furiously. She found it hard to deal with Yu Xiang Die, who could be unrestrained in her words sometimes, and when she thought of the fact that she had to face Qu Hua Shang in the future, she couldn’t help feeling guilty.
Although she was just executing her Honoured Master’s orders, she was the one who had acted in the end.
After struggling internally for a bit, Yu Xiang Die made up her mind, “Senior Brother, be prepared. When that brat exits the Samsara Pavilion, we’ll let him marry Xiao Hua Shang and Wan’er.”
Chen Xiu arched his brow, “How are they going to get married?”
Yu Xiang Die snorted, “Of course he has to get married into Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. No Core Disciple has ever left the Sect after getting married.”
There was finally a smile on Chen Xiu’s usually stern-looking face. He nodded and said, “That’s wonderful! You should stay here then. I’ll tell the higher-ups about it and let them make a decision.”
Yu Xiang Die bowed her head, after which Chen Xiu left the place with his Disciples. The conflict between them was resolved after they came to an agreement.
…
Some heavy things seemed to have pressed against Yang Kai’s body as he realised that it was pitch-black around him.
He tried his best to break free from this situation but to no avail; he even found it increasingly difficult to breathe.
For a moment, he thought that he was going to lose his life here and now.
After falling off the cliff alongside Qu Hua Shang, he moved on to the next life; however, he had not the foggiest idea about the situation in this place. As soon as he opened his eyes, he realised that he was buried beneath some things. The sounds of people wailing and dying could faintly be heard, but they soon quieted down.
Just then, a ray of light came into his sight as the heavy things on his figure were taken away.
He got to his feet with difficulty and immediately examined his body.
When he was beneath the heavy objects, Yang Kai already felt that something was off, and upon first examination, he realised what was wrong.
Presently, he was just a boy around twelve or thirteen years old. It was no wonder that he didn’t have much strength as his body had shrunk.
[What the!?] Yang Kai secretly cursed. The reason he entered this Samsara World was to break Qu Hua Shang’s Heart Barrier. In order to do that, he had to win her heart.
How was such a young brat supposed to do that? Did he have to grow up first?
At this moment, he was standing on some debris. It was apparent that he was pressed under a collapsed house just now.
He caught a whiff of a pleasant scent as a figure came into his sight. Looking up, he instantly saw the familiar face.
The words ‘Senior Sister Qu’ almost spurted out of his mouth.
Presently, Qu Hua Shang was just standing in front of him. She was clad in tight-fitting clothes with a sword at her waist. She tapped the dust off his shoulder and asked gently, “Are you alright, little one?”
[Little one…] Yang Kai’s brow twitched.
“Where are your parents?” Qu Hua Shang asked.
Yang Kai didn’t know how to reply to her.
Thinking that he was still reeling from the shock, Qu Hua Shang hesitated for a bit before letting out a sigh. Then, she bent her back and took his hand, “Don’t be afraid. You should follow me from now on. I’ll protect you.”
Yang Kai had the urge to curse.
This would definitely be a life that he would never want to look back on. He could already imagine that when he and Qu Hua Shang got out of the Samsara Pavilion, she would certainly tease him whenever she remembered this.
However, there was nothing he could do at this moment.
With that said, he felt fortunate that he saw Qu Hua Shang as soon as he opened his eyes. He could grow up by her side and slowly get closer to her heart.
All of a sudden, he recalled what Meng Ru said to him when she carried him up and jumped off the cliff.
“I’m sorry for what happened in this life. Let me protect you in the next!”
Her wish had been granted. In this life, it would be her turn to protect him.
The Samsara Pavilion was indeed an amazing place where sincerity was of utmost importance. When Meng Ru jumped off the cliff, she must have had a strong desire to protect Yang Kai in the next life, which was why her wish was granted after the reincarnation.
In this life, Qu Hua Shang was one of the brightest disciples in a major Sect. Not only was she talented and powerful, she was also beautiful. She had countless admirers within the Sect, and even the rising stars from other Sects had heard of her.
There was never a lack of people who proposed marriage to her, which made Yang Kai feel apprehensive as he was worried that the Sect’s Elders would pressure her to accept one of those proposals.
Fortunately, she was an important figure in the Sect, so she had a say in this matter. If she didn’t agree, no one could force her.
After Yang Kai was brought back to the Sect, he became a disciple and started cultivating under her tutelage.
They rapidly became closer to each other. In this life, Qu Hua Shang was like a Master or Elder Sister to him.
As time passed, Yang Kai grew up to be an adult. Unfortunately, in this life, his aptitude was terrible. Regardless of how hard he cultivated, he was still much weaker than Qu Hua Shang.
Perhaps it had something to do with Meng Ru’s last wish. He reckoned that he would really have to be protected by Qu Hua Shang in his life.
Additionally, since he was an adult now, he realised that she started looking at him with a different kind of gaze, which was filled with a sense of longing.
This made him feel secretly pleased.
As she continued to protect and take care of him, her love for the man became increasingly conspicuous; however, due to the difference between their age and seniority, she wouldn’t dare to cross the boundary.
Upon that realisation, Yang Kai decided to take the initiative to pursue her. She would always blush and feel her heart pounding against her chest whenever he approached her.
When he turned twenty years old, there was finally a breakthrough in their relationship.
Following Yang Kai’s years of pursuit, she finally cast away the worries in her heart and accepted the man, who was ten years younger than she was and who she had saved all those years ago.
The Heart Barrier was shattered, and Qu Hua Shang once again recovered her memory.
There wasn’t really any difficulty to speak of in this life, it just took Yang Kai a lot of time to win her heart. With that said, he once again experienced the abstrusity of the Samsara Pavilion this time.
As one’s memory was repeatedly sealed, they could realise their true heart and train it more effectively.
This was true for both Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang.
Every reincarnation and success meant a new start.
For the first three lives, it wasn’t difficult for Yang Kai. Be it Meng Ru in the first life, his Senior Sister in the second life, or the Little Sister in the neighbouring village in the third life, he could immediately find Qu Hua Shang and start taking action.
As long as he could find her, the rest wouldn’t be hard. That was because her Heart Barriers had something to do with him, so he had a natural advantage when it came to breaking them.
However, after the third life, the difficulty began to increase.
In the fourth life, it took him half a year before he found Qu Hua Shang, and during that period of time, he came across a lot of danger and almost lost his life.
It was the same case in the fifth life, and it became even more difficult to break Qu Hua Shang’s Heart Barrier. It was no longer easy to win her heart. After they met each other, they even got into a fight due to some misunderstandings.
The level of difficulty further increased in the sixth life. She no longer looked like her original self; instead, she appeared with an entirely different face, just like what happened to Tao Ling Wan, who was reincarnated as Qian Qian in her first life.
However, Tao Ling Wan’s situation was unique. Her Heart Barrier was that Yang Kai had to recognise her true identity without knowing who she actually was; therefore, she wouldn’t appear before Yang Kai with her original appearance.
It was different for Qu Hua Shang. Her appearance didn’t change in the first five lives, so Yang Kai could instantly recognise her after finding her.
Nevertheless, in the sixth life, she had turned into an entirely different person. If Yang Kai hadn’t repeatedly made sure she was Qu Hua Shang, he would have missed her.
The more reincarnations one went through in the Samsara Pavilion, the more difficult the challenge would be. One’s memory was greatly affected during reincarnation, and for every reincarnation, Qu Hua Shang’s memory would be sealed. Yang Kai was fine initially, but as he went through rounds of reincarnation, his memory began to be affected as well.
They moved on to the seventh life, eighth life, and finally arrived at their ninth life.
There were a lot of Grand Halls in the Grand Qi Temple where many powerful cultivators resided.
The fight between the forces of righteousness and evil had persisted for hundreds of years. Due to the never-ending war, countless people had lost their lives. As a result, the entire continent had turned into living Hell where blood rivers had formed.
About 100 years ago, Grand Qi Temple was born from an alliance of seven Sects. Only the most powerful and upright person had the right to become the Temple Master of Grand Qi Temple and lead all the righteous great forces in the world.
On the other hand, there were those from White Lotus Sect who were good at bewitching people and causing trouble in the world. In this chaotic world, they had taken on innumerable disciples to fight against Grand Qi Temple, becoming their greatest enemy.
There were victories and losses on both sides following years of fighting between the righteous and the wicked. Evil had steadily gained the upper hand over the past few decades, but perhaps the righteous would gain an upper hand in the decades that followed. However, regardless of which side was at an advantage, they couldn’t completely destroy the other.
There were the top seven Sects on the continent, which were Divine Method Hall, Grand Battle Sect, Swaying Willow Sect, Hidden Sword Villa, Shooting Star Palace, Emerald Smoke Sect, and Lion Hall. These were the seven Sects that had propped up the righteous side and jointly founded Grand Qi Temple.
It had been about 130 years since Grand Qi Temple was born. There had been four Temple Masters in the past who had all died in the battle against the powerful Masters from White Lotus Sect.
Yang Kai, who was in his prime, was the Fifth Temple Master of Grand Qi Temple. He was from one of the seven Sects, Divine Method Hall. His mastery over the spear was unrivalled, and he was an upright and honest man. After the Fourth Temple Master passed away three years ago, he single-handedly saved Grand Qi Temple, which was on the brink of falling apart.
In comparison, the Fifth Temple Master was much stronger than the previous four Temple Masters when it came to raw strength, determination, and intelligence.
In fact, as the Temple Master, he had launched dozens of attacks on White Lotus Sect in the past three years and been victorious every time. As a result, White Lotus Sect had suffered immense losses.
Everyone believed this was an opportunity for Grand Qi Temple. Under the leadership of Temple Master Yang, they might stand a chance to finally destroy White Lotus Sect once and for all.
In the middle of the night, Yang Kai awakened from his dream in shock.
A figure appeared beside his bed like a phantom and examined him before giggling, “Did you have a dream again?”
After shooting her a dispassionate glance, Yang Kai sat up on the bed and nodded.
The person was his personal bodyguard, Luo Ting He from Emerald Smoke Sect. Although she was a bit petite, she was extremely powerful. Three years ago, she was the one who competed against Yang Kai for the position of Temple Master. Nevertheless, she was defeated by Yang Kai in the end.
It wasn’t certain what was on her mind at that time. Given her strength, she was more than good enough to be the Vice Temple Master even though she had lost the competition to be the next Temple Master.
However, she didn’t do that; instead, she requested to become Yang Kai’s personal bodyguard.
Those from Emerald Smoke Sect were against the idea; after all, if a person from their Sect could become the Vice Temple Master, they would have a bigger influence in Grand Qi Temple.
Nevertheless, Luo Ting He obstinately wanted to become Yang Kai’s personal bodyguard, and no one could change her mind.
Although she was a personal bodyguard on paper, she was more like a friend to Yang Kai now. She could be at ease in front of the man. As they had spent the past three years together, she was fully aware of all the man’s secrets as well.
Therefore, she knew that this Temple Master, who was the hope of Grand Qi Temple’s future, had a problem.
He would always have strange dreams in the middle of the night. In those dreams, he would see a woman with a vague appearance. He had no idea who the woman was, nor had he met her before; however, he had a feeling that she was very important to him.
“Have you not recalled it?” Luo Ting He suddenly asked.
A speechless Yang Kai rolled his eyes, “Do you even know what you’re asking?”
Luo Ting He shrugged, “I don’t know. I just wanted to ask.”
The problem with Temple Master Yang Kai was that he would always have strange dreams. On the other hand, his personal bodyguard also had a problem. Whenever Yang Kai awakened from his dream in shock, she would always ask this exact question.
Yang Kai had a serious discussion with her the first time around, but she was unable to explain anything.
Furthermore, after three years of getting along with one another, Yang Kai realised that something was wrong with his personal bodyguard’s head. She would always do things that were unexpected.
For example, she would suddenly laugh for no reason, but sometimes, she would weep in silence. Her mood swings were pretty drastic.
“What time is it?” Yang Kai looked out the window.
“Just after midnight,” as Luo Ting He spoke, she soaked a towel in a basin of water and wrung it before passing it to Yang Kai.
After taking it, Yang Kai wiped his face and felt refreshed.
However, the vague image of that woman in his dream still lingered in his mind.
He had a feeling that the woman in his dream was someone very important to him, but as he went through the past experiences in his life, he was certain that he had never met her before.
This strange matter puzzled him.
Just then, a slight noise was heard coming from outside. Yang Kai’s gaze turned ferocious while Luo Ting He’s petite figure instantly disappeared from the spot.
A cold breeze swept through the gap of the door.
A moment later, Luo Ting He returned to the room with blood still dripping from her sword.
Yang Kai looked up while a calm and collected Luo Ting He said, “Some of the conceited disciples from White Lotus Sect wanted to assassinate you.”
“How many of them are still alive?” Yang Kai asked in a grim voice.
“Three.” Luo Ting He chuckled.
“You must do whatever it takes to find out everything they know.” Yang Kai snorted.
“Don’t worry.” Luo Ting He nodded repeatedly, “I’ll dig out everything from their heads.”
Upon finishing her words, she turned around and left.
The next day, powerful cultivators gathered together in the Main Conference Hall of Grand Qi Temple.
There were six Vice Temple Masters under Temple Master Yang Kai. Since Yang Kai was from Divine Method Hall, which was one of the seven Sects, the other Vice Temple Masters were the ones who were in charge of the remaining six Sects.
Under the Vice Temple Masters were the Hall Masters. There were about thirty of them.
These were the Managers of Grand Qi Temple that had gathered together. They could command all the cultivators in the world who belonged to the righteous path.
At this moment, all of them were gazing at Yang Kai. The past three years were more than enough time for Yang Kai to build sufficient authority as the Fifth Temple Master. Presently, he remained silent, and even though there were a lot of people in the Grand Hall, no one dared to say anything.
A moment later, Yang Kai suddenly opened his eyes and said, “In ten days, those from White Lotus Sect intend to hold a sacrificial ceremony in East Star City and refine a Ten Thousand Soul Banner.”
All of them had their expressions changed drastically upon hearing that.
Vice Temple Master Gan Wen Shan, who was from Grand Battle Sect, asked in horror, “Are you serious, Temple Master?”
Yang Kai nodded, “Xiao He personally obtained the information from the assassins last night.”
At the mention of Xiao He, all of them shuddered, including Vice Temple Master Xia Hong Tao, who was also from Emerald Smoke Sect.
Although Luo Ting He appeared to be crazy sometimes, all of them knew how ruthless she was. She was the oddest one in Grand Qi Temple. If not for the fact that she had never done anything wicked, and that she was really from Emerald Smoke Sect, many would have condemned her as the things she had done were no different from, if not worse than, those from the wicked path.
No one could hide any secrets following her interrogation.
Yu Xing Zhou, who was from Shooting Star Palace, frowned, “Can we believe what the assassins have said? Holding a sacrificial ceremony in East Star City to refine a Ten Thousand Soul Banner is no small matter. It’s supposed to be a top secret that only the leaders of White Lotus Sect have the right to know.”
Yang Kai explained, “It’s a major event to hold a sacrificial ceremony in East Star City, so they will need a lot of people to carry it out. Even if White Lotus Sect wanted to hide this news, some people might still be able to figure out what’s going on. Xiao He has already speculated that something like this was about to occur, so this conclusion is not entirely based on what the assassins have said.”
Upon hearing that, Yu Xing Zhou nodded, “In that case, East Star City will be in danger.”
Yang Kai rose from the seat and declared, “Although East Star City is not big, there are still around 100,000 residents, all of whom are innocent. If those from White Lotus Sect succeed in refining the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, many more innocent people will be affected. We have to stop them. Moreover, the Ten Thousand Soul Banner is very important to White Lotus Sect, so the White Lotus Matriarch might personally host the sacrificial ceremony. If we can kill the White Lotus Matriarch in East Star City, White Lotus Sect will definitely collapse. The fight between the righteous and wicked path that has spanned hundreds of years will come to an end, and peace will be restored to our world!”
Upon hearing that, all of them felt their blood boiling as they got up and said, “We will follow your lead, Temple Master!”
With a satisfied expression, Yang Kai nodded. He calmly gave the orders as it was apparent that he was well prepared.
When all the arrangements were made a moment later, Yang Kai swept an authoritative glance over them, “This is a great opportunity for Grand Qi Temple. If we succeed, we’ll be able to destroy White Lotus Sect. All of you should lead your own people and wait for further orders. Any leak of information will be punishable by death!”
In the middle of the night in East Star City, only the sounds of dogs barking and babies crying could be heard from time to time.
Under the moonlight, Yang Kai was standing on top of a tower and looking down with a pair of eagle-like eyes.
Below the calm surface was a violent undercurrent.
The people from Grand Qi Temple and the disciples from White Lotus Sect had hidden themselves in this small city, but they seemed to be aware of each other’s presence.
An hour to midnight, the first conflict broke out. It ended just as quickly as it started though and nothing much had been affected.
However, the second and third conflicts soon followed.
An hour after midnight, the battle was in full swing and carnage could be seen on every street of East Star City.
All of the citizens shut their doors and wouldn’t even dare to breathe loudly.
Just then, a high-pitched sound was heard coming from a particular direction. Yang Kai’s eyes turned ferocious as he looked in that direction.
Booms were continuously heard coming from over there. As the World Energy surged, more than ten figures engaged in an intense battle. Lights flickered following the use of different Secret Techniques.
Despite the long distance, Yang Kai could immediately see a middle-aged woman who was clad in white robes.
She was none other than the White Lotus Matriarch!
White Lotus Sect was founded a long time before Grand Qi Temple. The current Sect Master of White Lotus Sect was this White Lotus Matriarch, who was known for her ruthlessness. Countless Sects had been destroyed on the continent because they had offended White Lotus Sect.
Although those from Grand Qi Temple had launched several attacks to kill White Lotus Matriarch, they hadn’t managed to achieve their goal so far as she was cunning and elusive.
Just like they had expected though, the White Lotus Matriarch had really appeared to host the sacrificial ceremony in East Star City.
At this moment, she was leading some of the powerful Masters from White Lotus Sect to break through the siege. Unfortunately, several Vice Temple Masters from Grand Qi Temple had joined forces to stop them, so they were unable to break free for the time being.
With that said, the White Lotus Matriarch was one of the most powerful cultivators on the continent. Although the Vice Temple Masters from Grand Qi Temple were fairly strong themselves, they were unable to keep her trapped for long.
After several exchanges of moves, one of the Vice Temple Masters was wounded by a sword. A violent force exploded in his body, rendering him powerless to fight. It wasn’t certain if he could survive.
Yang Kai leaped off from the top of the tower and flew towards them like an eagle.
While in mid-air, he lifted his spear.
In that instant, the White Lotus Matriarch felt cold all over her body. When she turned her head, her expression changed drastically. She threw the people around her away without any hesitation and as a glint flashed through her blade, a sword wave slashed at Yang Kai.
As Yang Kai flourished his spear, and the sword wave shattered. Blood started streaming out of a wound on his face that was caused by the remnant Sword Qi, yet he did not even bat his eyes as he continued with his attack.
The next moment, the White Lotus Matriarch was sent flying away while spraying out a mouthful of blood. She seemed to have lost all her strength.
Technically speaking, both Yang Kai and the White Lotus Matriarch were equally matched as they were some of the most powerful cultivators in the world. However, Yang Kai had basically launched a sneak attack while the White Lotus Matriarch was unsuspecting, which was why she suffered a serious setback.
Before the enemy even landed, Luo Ting He appeared right on the spot where she was falling.
No one knew when Luo Ting He had appeared. She was just as silent as a phantom, but a sword cry was heard coming from her weapon.
From the looks of it, it was as if the White Lotus Matriarch took the initiative to throw herself onto the sword.
At the most critical moment, the White Lotus Matriarch forcefully twisted her figure to make sure her vitals wouldn’t be pierced. Despite that, she was still greatly harmed by Luo Ting He as the sword penetrated her chest.
However, the White Lotus Matriarch had also managed to land a palm on Luo Ting He with all her might and sent her flying away. Luo Ting He crashed into a house, and it wasn’t certain whether she was dead or alive.
After getting struck by two powerful cultivators consecutively, the White Lotus Matriarch had managed to survive, but she was in a terrible state. Her face was as pale as a white sheet, and her white dress had been dyed red.
She stared fixedly at Yang Kai with a hideous grin. As she performed different hand seals, she said through clenched teeth, “Activate!”
The next moment, she crouched down and pressed her hands against the ground as a violent force burst forth.
It was too late for Yang Kai to stop her.
The entire East Star City shook as everyone found it hard to keep their balance.
The blood flowing on the ground seemed to have been infused with life as it squirmed and formed a gigantic Spirit Array.
An eerie red light engulfed the entire East Star City as everyone could hear the sounds of crying and howling and the cold wind which was whipped up made them shudder.
The expressions of the Vice Temple Masters changed drastically. Xia Hong Tao from Emerald Smoke Sect exclaimed, “The Ten Thousand Souls Array!”
Seizing the chance, the White Lotus Matriarch escaped and disappeared into the darkness. Her voice could be heard saying from a distance, “I’ll remember what all of you from Grand Qi Temple have done to me today. I’ll make you pay a price that’s a hundred times greater than this!”
After hesitating between chasing after the enemy and saving lives for a moment, Yang Kai made a decision as he ordered, “Break the array and save the people!”
If this Spirit Array was allowed to fulfil its purpose, all 100,000 innocents in East Star City would be sacrificed. The White Lotus Matriarch certainly shouldn’t be allowed to escape, but they still had a chance to kill her in the future. The most important thing for them now was to save lives.
There were other remnants of White Lotus Sect in the city who still steadfastly guarded the Array Nodes; however, since the White Lotus Matriarch had fled, the disciples from White Lotus Sect were now leaderless. On the other hand, those from Grand Qi Temple were still moving forward in an orderly manner following the Temple Masters’ instructions.
The Array Nodes were occupied by those from Grand Qi Temple one by one, causing the Spirit Array’s operation to become increasingly sluggish.
Yang Kai charged towards the centre of the Ten Thousand Souls Array on his own, where the most important Array Node of the Spirit Array was located. As long as it was destroyed, the Spirit Array’s efficacy would be halved.
To his surprise, no sounds of fighting could be heard coming from over there; instead, the place was in dead silence.
With that said, the stench of blood here was the strongest.
With the spear in his hand, Yang Kai arrived at the Array Node, only to see the corpses of White Lotus Sect’s disciples scattered across the ground. In front of the Array Node stood an alluring figure. As she performed different hand seals, she used some fairly powerful Secret Techniques at the Array Node.
She must have been at this for quite some time as she was soaked in sweat. Her damp clothes stuck close to her back.
Looking at the woman’s figure, Yang Kai fell into a dazed state.
He recognised this figure. The vague image that had appeared in his dream countless times perfectly overlapped with this woman’s back.
Sensing the man’s presence, the woman turned her head and revealed a strikingly beautiful face. With sweat still streaming from her forehead, she bit her lip and said, “Help me quickly! Otherwise, it’ll be too late!”
“Step aside!” Yang Kai came to his senses and shouted. The next moment, he thrust his spear towards the Array Node.
The woman hurriedly moved out of the way. As innumerable spear shadows surged out, a violent force exploded. In an instant, the Array Node that no one was guarding collapsed.
The next moment, the red light that had engulfed the entire East Star City turned dim.
Yang Kai let out a long breath as he could finally be at ease. He had been apprehensive for the entire night. Thinking of the woman beside him, he turned around as he wanted to ask which Sect she was from; however, he soon felt a pain in his chest.
Looking down, he saw that a sword had penetrated his chest while a fair hand was clenching the hilt. The owner of the sword sported a strange expression. It was a combination of excitement, guilt, and even a sense of agony.
The power in his body exploded as the muscles in his chest locked the sword in place. He raised his hand as his force gathered together on his palm before he pushed it towards the woman.
As the Temple Master of Grand Qi Temple, it was expected that Yang Kai was extremely powerful. Even if there was a boulder in front of him, it would turn into dust following his attack.
The woman wanted to dodge the attack, but it was too late for her to do so.
The next moment, the hand that could shatter a mountain gently landed on the head of the sword’s owner, but no force could be felt bursting forth.
“Are you from White Lotus Sect?” Yang Kai asked gently, as though he was worried that he would frighten her if he spoke too loudly.
The sword’s owner sported an even stranger expression now. The moment she received her mission, she knew that she was bound to lose her life; after all, she was aware that the Temple Master of Grand Qi Temple was formidable. Even if she could achieve her goal, there was no way she could survive.
However, that was really what had happened. The Temple Master of Grand Qi Temple didn’t kill her.
In the meantime, the hand that rested on her head gave her a sense of warmth for some reason.
“What’s your name?” Yang Kai asked.
The sword’s owner pressed her lips together, “Qu Hua Shang!”
Yang Kai flashed a smile at her, “My name is Yang Kai.”
Upon finishing his words, he frowned and turned his head. Following that, he said to Qu Hua Shang, “Run quickly. Or else it will be too late.”
Qu Hua Shang had apparently noticed company was approaching as she looked in the same direction. The next instant, she released the hilt and ran away.
A short while later, a petite figure arrived with a sword in hand.
Luo Ting He could immediately see that Yang Kai was seated on some rubble while holding his spear. There was a sword that had jabbed into his chest.
She walked over and took a glance at him. Then, she grabbed the hilt with one hand and pressed her other hand on the man’s shoulder, “It may hurt a little.”
Yang Kai nodded.
The next instant, the sword was pulled out while blood spurted from the wound. Yang Kai’s figure shook a little.
A dextrous Luo Ting He struck some of the man’s acupoints to stop his blood from streaming out. Then, she said, “The White Lotus Matriarch escaped.”
The White Lotus Matriarch ran away after activating the Spirit Array. Luo Ting He chased after her, but despite her injuries, the White Lotus Matriarch was as agile as ever when fleeing.
After pursuing for more than a dozen kilometres, Luo Ting He realised that the enemy was nowhere to be seen. Left with no other choice, she could only return to the city.
Following that, she saw that Yang Kai was hurt.
“We’ll have another chance to kill her in the future.” Yang Kai nonchalantly nodded. Since the White Lotus Matriarch had been badly injured, it would take her about a year for her to recuperate. He then asked, “Have you heard of the name Qu Hua Shang?”
Luo Ting He shook her head, “No.”
She furrowed her brows while staring at the wound on the man’s chest.
Given her eyesight, she could see that Yang Kai was directly facing the opponent when he was hurt; however, she couldn’t think of anyone in the world who could harm this man while facing him head-on.
Even the White Lotus Matriarch wouldn’t be able to do that.
Nevertheless, she didn’t intend to ask him about what had happened. Yang Kai would tell her about it if he wanted to.
“Ask around,” Yang Kai ordered.
Luo Ting He said, “You’d better recuperate first.”
Yang Kai nodded, “There’s poison on the tip of that sword, so I’ll probably pass out soon. Before I wake up, the Vice Temple Masters will handle the affairs in the Temple while you’ll assist them from the side.”
“Got it,” Luo Ting He replied.
When she took a glance at Yang Kai, she realised that he had already lost consciousness. She let out a sigh and carried Yang Kai up before dexterously leaving the city at full speed. She intended to return to Grand Qi Temple first.
Strange images kept flashing through Yang Kai’s mind. The name Qu Hua Shang seemed to have a special power as it repeatedly resonated across his head while he was unconscious, knocking on his sealed memory.
There came a moment when the seal was broken as he went through the experiences in his previous lives in his dream.
The figure that had always been vague in his dreams finally became crystal clear. As she turned her head, a joyful and coquettish face came into his sight.
Yang Kai abruptly opened his eyes.
He was still weak due to the injury and poison he had suffered from. Even though he was strong, it was impossible that he could fully recover as soon as he awakened.
Everything around him looked familiar to him. He supposed he was in his own bedroom in Grand Qi Temple.
A person was seated beside his bed. The only person who could enter his bedroom as she pleased and protected him while he was unconscious was none other than Luo Ting He.
At this moment, she was looking at him with a weird expression. As though realising something, she once again asked the question she had asked countless times before, “Have you recalled it?”
Yang Kai nodded his head.
An energised Luo Ting He asked, “What did you recall?”
“Many things,” Yang Kai struggled to sit up, but he didn’t have the strength to do so. Seeing that, Luo Ting He quickly helped him up and placed a pillow behind his back.
Then, she stared at him with a longing expression, “Tell me all about it.”
Yang Kai shook his head, then gazed at her with an awkward expression and asked, “Have you recalled it?”
In an instant, Luo Ting He appeared puzzled, “What am I supposed to recall?”
“I don’t know.”
In the dream, he finally shattered the shackles that had locked his memory and remembered who he truly was. He recalled where this place was and his reason for coming here.
Yang Kai felt a lingering fear in his heart and realized once more how mysterious the Samsara Pavilion was. It was already his ninth life. After living in this world for so long, he had forgotten about who he was, not to mention the fact that he was supposed to shatter Qu Hua Shang’s Heart Barrier.
After many rounds of reincarnation, his memory had been greatly affected.
If he hadn’t come across Qu Hua Shang by chance this time, his memory wouldn’t have been restored. He would have still regarded himself to be the Temple Master of Grand Qi Temple who strived to achieve victory for the righteous path.
The challenge he had to face in this life was unusually difficult.
Now, he was the Temple Master of Grand Qi Temple while Qu Hua Shang was a disciple of White Lotus Sect. Both parties had been arch nemeses for a very long time.
During their first encounter, Qu Hua Shang thrust her sword into his chest and almost killed him.
This wasn’t a good sign. He reckoned that he had to come up with a good plan in order to win her heart and shatter her Heart Barrier in this kind of situation.
Besides that, the existence of Luo Ting He concerned him.
After his memory was restored, Yang Kai realised that his personal bodyguard was no ordinary person.
That was because she had been by his side since the sixth life!
In the sixth life, he saved a starving beggar, who was none other than Luo Ting He. The person had the same name and appearance as his current personal bodyguard.
He initially thought that she was just an illusory figure in the Samsara World, so he wasn’t bothered by it.
However, in the seventh life, she once again appeared by his side. This time, she was no longer a beggar; instead, she was a valiant General who had made countless contributions on the battlefields. On the other hand, he was the King of the country.
In the eighth life, she became a Sect Master while he was a disciple of that Sect.
After so many rounds of reincarnation, he finally figured out a thing or two about the Samsara Worlds.
These Samsara Worlds were born on the foundation of Qu Hua Shang’s Heart Barrier. In other words, her heart was the key to solving the mystery in the Samsara Worlds.
The reason Yang Kai could always smoothly appear in these Samsara Worlds was that Qu Hua Shang’s Heart Barrier had something to do with him as it connected both of them. Therefore, regardless of how many rounds of reincarnation he went through, he would always appear in the Samsara World where she was located.
While that was the case for him, what was going on with Xiao He? Since the sixth life, she had always appeared in the Samsara Worlds that were born on the foundation of Qu Hua Shang’s Heart Barrier, which suggested that she had something to do with the latter.
Was she someone important to Qu Hua Shang? Was that the reason she had always been around in the previous few lives?
However, Yang Kai had never heard Qu Hua Shang mention this person before.
What was even more puzzling was that Xiao He would always be by Yang Kai’s side every time she appeared.
Now, he wasn’t certain whether Xiao He was someone who had entered the Samsara Pavilion and become reincarnated into the Samsara Worlds just like himself or an illusory figure created by these Samsara Worlds.
If it was the former, it meant that Luo Ting He was training her heart in the Samsara Pavilion while her true body was hidden in one of the trees.
If it was the latter, she should be a manifestation of Qu Hua Shang’s memories somehow.
She repeatedly asked him if he had recalled anything, which seemed to suggest that she was aware that her memory had been sealed too. In that case, she was probably not an illusory figure; instead, she was a real person who had barged into these Samsara Worlds somehow.
However, she was muddle-headed and even acted somewhat crazed most of the time, so it was impossible for Yang Kai to ask her anything about it.
Luo Ting He stared at him with a tilted head for a moment. Upon realising that he didn’t intend to delve into this topic, she stopped asking. Instead, she said, “I’ve found out what you want to know. Qu Hua Shang is one of the Saintesses under the White Lotus Matriarch. She had only stopped cultivating in seclusion some time ago. The White Lotus Matriarch has very high hopes of her.”
“She’s a Saintess?” Yang Kai was rendered speechless. He initially thought that Qu Hua Shang was just an ordinary disciple of White Lotus Sect, so it surprised him when he learned that she was a Saintess.
This was a knotty issue.
There were countless disciples in White Lotus Sect, but there were only a small number of Saintesses who all had the right to become the next Sect Master. Every Saintess had extraordinary aptitude and influence.
Moreover, they were all loyal to White Lotus Sect and regarded Grand Qi Temple to be the arch-nemesis.
In this kind of situation, it was close to impossible for him to win Qu Hua Shang’s heart as the Temple Master of Grand Qi Temple.
Furthermore, it was already the ninth life.
He reckoned that the last round of reincarnation was also the hardest as even his memory had been sealed for several dozen years. It wasn’t until he came across Qu Hua Shang that his memory was unsealed. It must be even worse for her.
Unlike the first life, she wouldn’t fall in love with him just because he had saved her life.
Therefore, it was practically hopeless to wait for Qu Hua Shang to fall in love with him. When they met again, she would only try to kill him without hesitation, just like how she steadfastly thrust her sword into his chest during their first encounter.
“From what we’ve gathered, it was just a pretence that those from White Lotus Sect wanted to hold a sacrificial ceremony in East Star City. Their original intention was to kill you,” Seeing that he didn’t say anything, Xiao He took the initiative to report the information that Grand Qi Temple had gathered recently.
Yang Kai nodded, “I figured.”
In fact, the White Lotus Matriarch had made an incredible move. Holding a sacrificial ceremony in East Star City might not be entirely a pretence. If those from Grand Qi Temple were unable to stop them, they would achieve something great by successfully refining the Ten Thousand Soul Banner.
If those from Grand Qi Temple decided to interfere, they could attempt to kill Temple Master Yang Kai.
In reality, they had almost succeeded. Yang Kai was fully aware of who the Saintesses in White Lotus Sect were, but those from Grand Qi Temple were completely clueless about this new Saintess, Qu Hua Shang.
Moreover, Yang Kai fell into a dazed state when he saw the familiar figure; therefore, he was unsuspecting when Qu Hua Shang made her move.
“The people outside are flustered. They thought that you might not ever awaken,” Xiao He said, “The Vice Temple Masters have had some arguments. Do you want to go out and placate them?”
“There’s no need for that,” Yang Kai shook his head.
“Okay,” Luo Ting He appeared nonchalant. Everyone knew that Yang Kai was the only person in the world that she cared about. She wasn’t even concerned about her own Master Sect, the Emerald Smoke Sect.
That was the reason she decided to become Yang Kai’s personal bodyguard back then instead of one of the six Vice Temple Masters.
The fact that the Temple Master of Grand Qi Temple was badly injured wasn’t supposed to be a big deal. Basically, every cultivator would become wounded at some point in their lives; however, the injury Yang Kai had suffered was not ordinary and there was fatal poison on the sword that had wounded him.
Everyone thought that the Temple Master was doomed. Even if he was lucky enough to survive, his strength would diminish significantly.
In fact, that was indeed the case. The Temple Master was lucky enough to have escaped from death’s door, but he had rarely stepped out of his room since he awakened. When he did show up sometimes, he was seen with a pale face, and it was apparent that he had difficulty walking.
This was a sign that his condition had deteriorated.
One month later, all six Vice Temple Masters came to an agreement. During a meeting in Grand Qi Temple, they implicitly suggested that Yang Kai step down from the position of Temple Master.
After all, the Temple Master of Grand Qi Temple was supposed to be the most powerful cultivator of all seven great Sects. The Temple Master wasn’t just a symbol, but also the spiritual support of Grand Qi Temple.
Every year, those from White Lotus Sect would make countless attempts to kill the leaders of Grand Qi Temple. If the Temple Master was weak, the entire Grand Qi Temple would be greatly impacted if he was assassinated. By then, everyone would be flustered, and those from White Lotus Sect would seize the chance to destroy them.
Faced with the Vice Temple Masters’ implicit request, Yang Kai didn’t hesitate to step down as the Temple Master. As for who would be the next Temple Master of Grand Qi Temple, it was none of his business.
If his memory hadn’t been restored, he wouldn’t have easily made a concession; after all, he was a disciple from Divine Method Hall in this life, and he had always been involved in the fight against White Lotus Sect. Furthermore, his biggest wish had been to destroy White Lotus Sect once and for all.
However, since his memory had been restored, he knew what he was supposed to do.
Yang Kai turned down their invitation to become one of the Vice Temple Masters and one fine morning, he simply left Grand Qi Temple with a horse and some belongings.
Luo Ting He followed him closely. Although those from Emerald Smoke Sect were against the idea, they were powerless to stop her. As far as they were concerned, she was a crazy woman, and only Yang Kai was able to communicate with her. She wouldn’t bother to talk to others at all.
Barely after three years, she seemed to have perfectly accepted the fact that she was Yang Kai’s personal bodyguard. Even though he had stepped down from the position of Temple Master, she still followed him wherever he went.
One month later, a man and a woman, who were covered in dust, arrived at a certain village.
The man’s face was slightly pale as he coughed from time to time. There was a spear on his back. On the other hand, the woman was petite while her face was alluring. There was a sword in her hand.
They were none other than Yang Kai and Luo Ting He, who had come all the way here from Grand Qi Temple.
It was just an ordinary village. Beside the dilapidated walls were kids who were playing around. Smoke could be seen billowing from the chimney of every house as the smell of food lingered in the air.
There were some plump women who called out to their kids to go home and have a meal.
The kids, who were playing around with some weapons made from wood in their hands, were curious about these visitors as they surrounded and examined them.
Xiao He sniffled and stroked her flat belly, “I’m hungry.”
She then looked pleadingly at Yang Kai.
Following a sigh, Yang Kai took the pouch from his waist and fished out a silver coin. He then said to the kids around him, “Whoever can bring us to have some delicious food will get this.”
The eyes of those kids brightened as they streamed towards him.
“I have some delicious food in my house. I’ll bring you there!”
“Come to my house!”
“They’re lying. They don’t eat meat at all. There’s salted fish in my house!”
…..
After a tug of war, a slightly older kid managed to grab the silver coin. Although he was punched a bit by the other kids because of that, he didn’t mind it. As he clenched the silver coin in his hand, he took Yang Kai’s clothes with his other hand and said, “Come with me!”
Yang Kai nodded and motioned for Xiao He to follow him.
They soon arrived at the kid’s house. His parents were around, wearing simple clothes that most farmers would own. Years of hard work had left some clear marks on their bodies.
The man wasn’t good with words as he smiled like a fool. Realising that Yang Kai and Xiao He were wealthy though, he treated them in a friendly manner.
On the other hand, his Wife was stocky, but she was pretty hospitable.
Seeing the silver coin presented to them by their son, they generously gave Yang Kai and Xiao He two bowls of rice as well as a salted fish they had kept for quite some time.
Xiao He picked up the bowl and wolfed down the meal.
The man was squatting at the door and smoking while the woman stood on the side with a smile. The kid was seated by the table as he watched Xiao He devour the food with a pair of curious eyes.
“Are you not going to eat?” After finishing her own food, Xiao He looked up and realised that Yang Kai hadn’t had anything.
“You can have it,” Yang Kai put on a smile.
Without hesitation, Xiao He picked up his bowl of rice and gobbled it up.
It was hard to imagine that such a small woman had such a big appetite. In fact, Yang Kai had brought quite a bit of money with him when he left Grand Qi Temple, but barely one month later, he had used up almost all of it to buy food for Xiao He.
“My sister was born to have a big appetite. Please don’t mind her, Madam,” Yang Kai turned to look at the smiling woman.
Although the woman was hospitable, she wasn’t good with words. Upon hearing that, she waved her hand and said, “It’s fine. We still have quite a lot of rice. She can have as much of it as she pleases.”
Yang Kai then gazed at the kid beside him, “You’re still growing. Why don’t you eat something?”
The kid replied with a smile, “You can eat first. I’ll eat later.”
In response, Yang Kai nodded and stopped objecting.
All of a sudden, Xiao He raised the bowl and said to the woman, “More rice, please.”
Upon hearing that, the man, who was smoking at the door, started coughing violently. He almost couldn’t breathe because of that.
The woman’s eyelids twitched as she took the bowl with an awkward expression before she entered the kitchen to get more rice for her.
Xiao He proceeded to devour that bowl and then asked for more.
One hour later, the woman took the empty bowl with a bitter expression and looked at Xiao He, who was still asking for more rice, “That’s all we have.”
The man was no longer in the mood to smoke. Since Xiao He asked for more rice for the third time, he had kept turning his head to stare fixedly at her.
The kid beside Yang Kai sported a cold expression.
A disappointed Xiao He said, “I’m not full yet.”
Disbelief was written all over the woman’s face as she gazed at Yang Kai. She couldn’t figure out how he managed to raise his sister. This kind of appetite was enough to make a wealthy family go broke.
“Was the food delicious?” Yang Kai gaped at Xiao He.
“It was delicious, but there was a bitter aftertaste,” Xiao He replied honestly.
“Of course the food was bitter since there was poison in it,” Yang Kai chuckled.
As soon as he finished speaking, three figures came right at Xiao He and him at the same time.
The man, who had been seated by the door, suddenly attempted to tackle them. The sabre in his hand flickered as he was engulfed in murderous intent.
The woman tossed the bowl away as she took a step forward and pushed out her palm towards Xiao He.
Even the kid beside Yang Kai suddenly fished out a sword and tried to stab it into the latter’s heart from a tricky angle.
The next moment, Xiao He made a move.
The man and woman grunted before they were sent flying away while spraying a mouthful of blood.
Yang Kai extended two fingers and gently caught the blade. Regardless of how hard the kid tried, he was unable to retract his sword as his face started flushing.
A furious Xiao He snapped, “Why didn’t you tell me earlier that there was poison in the food?”
“Aren’t you immune to all kinds of poison?” Yang Kai batted his eyes.
“Oh, right.” Xiao He calmed down instantly, but she still felt aggrieved, “But you should have told me about it.”
“Would you not eat it if I told you?”
A bashful Xiao He replied hesitantly, “I would still eat it anyway.”
“See?” Yang Kai shrugged and extended his hand. The kid grunted and fell backwards. Then, he was shocked to realise that he was unable to move as a mysterious force passed through all his meridians.
“Who are they?” Xiao He frowned. The three of them were cultivators, and they put poison into their food. It was apparent that they were ill-intentioned.
“They’re disciples of White Lotus Sect.” Yang Kai rose from the chair, “This place is one of their secret hideouts.”
Upon hearing that, Xiao He was astounded. She just followed Yang Kai wherever he went and didn’t care about anything else, so she was surprised to learn that he had brought her to this kind of place.
It wasn’t that she was afraid. Given their strength, there were rarely any cultivators in the world who could harm them if they were in a one-on-one fight.
The reason Yang Kai knew this was one of the secret hideouts of White Lotus Sect was that he had been the Temple Master of Grand Qi Temple for three years.
He was also aware of other hideouts like this. The reason he didn’t tell anyone to destroy them previously was that he didn’t want to alert the enemy to his knowledge. Nevertheless, since he was no longer the Temple Master, the previous arrangements didn’t matter anymore.
“What are we doing here?”
“Looking for someone,” As soon as Yang Kai finished speaking, he frowned and looked out the door.
He could sense that many people had surrounded the house. It was apparent that the fight just now had caught the attention of other White Lotus Sect’s disciples.
“I’ll deal with them,” After having some poisonous food, Xiao He was furious. Then, she raised her sword and dashed out of the house.
Soon, shrieks were continuously heard from all directions.
The woman and the man, who were lying on the ground, finally had their expressions changed drastically.
The woman asked, “Who are you?”
Turning to her, he slowly spoke his name, “Yang Kai.”
Upon hearing that, the man widened his eyes and started trembling. With a pale face, the woman exclaimed, “Grand Qi Temple’s Temple Master, Yang Kai?”
The war between good and evil had raged for hundreds of years. Even though the grassroots disciples of White Lotus Sect had never seen Yang Kai before, all of them had heard his name at least.
To them, the Temple Master of Grand Qi Temple was just as noble as their own White Lotus Matriarch. The average person wouldn’t have a chance to see either of them.
No one could have expected that the Temple Master of Grand Qi Temple would appear in such a remote village.
“I’m no longer the Temple Master of Grand Qi Temple,” Yang Kai shook his head. His words confirmed the woman’s speculation.
The woman appeared dejected. Just now, she was trying to come up with a way to flee; however, upon learning that the man before her eyes was the legendary Yang Kai, she gave up on the idea. The gap between their strength was insurmountable, so how was she supposed to flee?
“What are you doing in our White Lotus Sect’s stronghold?” the woman asked.
“I already said I’m looking for someone from White Lotus Sect.”
“Who are you talking about?”
“It’s none of your business. Just tell your higher-ups about it, and the person I’m looking for will come to see me.”
A myriad of expressions came over the woman’s face. With her hand pressed against her chest, she got to her feet slowly. Then, she forcefully moved backwards and destroyed the wall behind her before running away at full speed.
Then, she heard Yang Kai saying, “I’ll wait here for a month. If I don’t see the person I’m looking for by then, I’ll personally visit the eight secret hideouts of White Lotus Sect.”
The woman shuddered and ran faster.
Xiao He dashed into the house and looked around, “She fled?”
“It’s fine.” Yang Kai waved his hand and took a look at her sword, which was soaked in blood, “Have you killed all of them?”
A nonchalantly Xiao He replied, “Yes. You wanted some of them to live? You should’ve told me earlier.”
Then, she gazed at the man and the kid on the ground as her murderous intent surged.
“Well, you should probably keep them alive to cook for you. I don’t know how to cook,” Yang Kai’s words were effective in stopping her from killing the last two survivors.
Although the man and the kid had escaped from death’s door, they felt devastated; after all, as disciples of White Lotus Sect, they had fallen into the hands of these two. It was expected that life would be like living Hell for them.
They could already imagine the kind of torture they would face.
In reality, things were different from what they imagined. In the following days, they were not tortured in any way.
The man was responsible for cooking meals for Xiao He and Yang Kai every day. On the other hand, the kid had no choice but to play some childish games with Xiao He.
During this period of time, they repeatedly tried to flee using many different methods.
However, what was a matter of life or death to them was like another game in Xiao He’s eyes.
She would always appear at the most unexpected moments and capture the two of them, who were ready to run away or had already left the village.
Every time they were captured, some of their hair would be cut as a punishment.
After just half a month, both of them became bald.
Since there was no hair left on their heads, Xiao He said to them in a serious manner, “If I catch you again, I’ll have no choice but to cut your heads!”
Their hair would grow back after it was cut, but their heads certainly wouldn’t.
They wouldn’t dare to find out whether Xiao He was serious, so after that day, they became obedient and didn’t dare to flee again.
Meanwhile, having lost a source of entertainment, Xiao He found it to be boring and soon regretted threatening them in such a way.
The deadline Yang Kai had given was one month. If he couldn’t see the person he was looking for within that time, he would personally visit eight of White Lotus Sect’s secret hideouts.
This kind of threat was intolerable to those from White Lotus Sect.
There were countless disciples in White Lotus Sect, so there were definitely a lot more than eight secret hideouts; however, no one knew exactly which eight hideouts Yang Kai was talking about.
In that case, it wouldn’t be possible for them to move the people there to another place.
In order to keep the hideouts safe, the only way was to kill Yang Kai once and for all.
On the last day of the deadline, Yang Kai was cultivating with his legs crossed in the middle of the night. After a few months of hard work, he finally managed to force out the remaining poison. The last bit of poison was sprayed out from his mouth along with some black blood. At that instant, he felt energised and refreshed, as though the shackles around his body had been lifted.
Those from Grand Qi Temple thought that even though he had survived the fatal poison, his strength must have decreased significantly. That was the reason the six Vice Temple Masters joined forces to make him step down as the Temple Master.
They might be doing it out of greed or for the greater good of everyone; however, after realising his true heart, Yang Kai was no longer interested in the position of Temple Master.
Even if no one had forced him to resign, he would still have stepped down from the position.
There were more important things he had to do. His experiences in the Samsara Worlds were nothing more than illusions.
All of a sudden, the sounds of something breaking through the air were heard, which were extremely ear-catching in this serene night. Following that, arrows penetrated the door and windows from all directions and engulfed him like a storm.
Yang Kai, who was seated on the bed, picked up his spear and spun it. Following some clangs, all the arrows were deflected.
However, the rain of arrows didn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon.
Yang Kai roared and leaped into the air before smashing through the roof.
There were already some people waiting for him on the roof. As soon as he appeared, they assumed a Formation and tried to kill him together.
All of them were fairly powerful. In a one-on-one fight, none of them could last even three of Yang Kai’s moves, but after they joined forces, they could make up for each other’s weaknesses and greatly increase their collective strength.
After more than ten breaths of intense battle, Yang Kai grunted and fell backwards. He crashed through the roof and landed on the ground.
Just then, two hands suddenly emerged from the ground and grabbed his ankles. The person then exerted more force with his hands in an attempt to drag Yang Kai into the ground.
Without sparing a glance, Yang Kai stabbed his spear a metre deep into the ground. When he pulled out his weapon, the ground was already dyed crimson.
The attackers came at him from the rooftop, but Yang Kai wielded his spear and dealt with them.
Right then, shrieks could be heard coming from outside the house.
Xiao He had made her move!
In the darkness, she was like a phantom. Wherever she drifted, enemies would shriek and lose their lives.
A moment later, she arrived at Yang Kai’s side.
The people that had been using a Formation were initially an equal match for Yang Kai. However, with Xiao He joining the battle, they instantly found it hard to persevere.
Yang Kai and Xiao He had worked together for many years, so they could easily coordinate with each other. The powerful cultivators that White Lotus Sect had spent years nurturing were all killed in fewer than twenty breaths.
There was some blood on Xiao He’s face. She dabbed it with her finger and licked it with her tongue. Her expression became excited and hideous while her murderous intent radiated like a bright light in the darkness.
It was as though she would kill any living creature that was in front of her.
Yang Kai directly landed a smack on her head.
Xiao He’s figure was forced to lower, but her murderous intent had subsided significantly. She had restored some sensibility as she sported an aggrieved expression and pressed her lips together.
“Look for her!” Yang Kai demanded.
Xiao He sniffled, then pointed in a particular direction, “That way!”
They moved at the same time and charged forward in that direction.
Inside a house that was still intact stood several figures in silence as they had hidden their auras. Even a top cultivator like Yang Kai hadn’t noticed it before.
Nevertheless, Xiao He could accurately find them.
The wall shattered, but before those people could react, Yang Kai and Xiao He had already appeared right in front of them.
As their eyes met, Yang Kai flashed a bright smile at the woman at the front.
However, the woman sported an extremely gloomy expression while the faces of her personal bodyguards were tight.
Xiao He swept a glance over them while appearing eager. She looked inquisitively at Yang Kai to seek his permission to kill them.
While Yang Kai pretended that he hadn’t seen it, Xiao He appeared disappointed.
The atmosphere was somewhat awkward. Both parties were only ten metres apart. While those from White Lotus Sect were hostile, Yang Kai and Xiao He remained calm and collected, as though they didn’t have any regard for the other party.
At that, those from White Lotus Sect became even more apprehensive.
All of a sudden, the woman at the front put on a smile. Everything else in the world paled compared to her smile at this moment.
“I heard you were looking for me, old man.”
Yang Kai’s brow twitched.
In one of their lives, the woman called him little one and told him not to be afraid.
This life, she called him old man. It seemed that what went around came around.
“Yes, I was looking for you,” Yang Kai nodded.
There was an innocent expression on the face of the White Lotus Sect’s Saintess, Qu Hua Shang. She tilted her head and placed her finger on her lips, “What’s the matter?”
Yang Kai flashed a smile at her. There was no murderous intent in his eyes, which were only filled with tenderness.
A shocked Qu Hua Shang asked, “Have you fallen in love with me, old man?”
An unabashed Yang Kai directly admitted it, “It was love at first sight.”
Upon hearing that, Qu Hua Shang and her personal bodyguards were stunned.
Only Xiao He’s eyes brightened as though she had just heard something interesting. With an excited expression, she darted her gaze between Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang while for some reason feeling anxious.
Qu Hua Shang was lost for words. She wasn’t serious when she said that just now, so it surprised her that the other party directly admitted it. Moreover, his expression and tone seemed to suggest that he was completely sincere.
Although she was young, she was good at reading people’s faces; therefore, she could judge whether a person was lying through his gaze and tone.
She wanted to look for the traces of Yang Kai lying, but her attempt was futile.
All of a sudden, she started laughing and bent her back as though she had just heard the funniest joke in the world.
Yang Kai only looked silently at her with a pair of loving eyes.
A moment later, Qu Hua Shang stopped laughing and wiped the tears off the corners of her eyes. She gazed at the man and said, “It was love at first sight? Did you forget I wounded you at that time?”
Yang Kai nodded, “Your attack almost killed me, so you have to make up for it for the rest of this life.”
Xiao He’s face started flushing as she became more agitated. She pressed her hands against her chest with an enchanted expression, as though she had just heard the most loving words in the world.
The smile on Qu Hua Shang’s face froze as she pursed her lips, “You’re pretty good at spewing nonsense, old man.”
Yang Kai took a step forward and looked her in the eyes, “I speak only the truth.”
Qu Hua Shang suddenly became flustered and frowned, “You’re the Temple Master of Grand Qi Temple while I’m a Saintess of White Lotus Sect. We’re basically blood enemies. Just tell me straight if there’s anything you want to say and stop teasing a little girl like me.”
“Do you think I’m teasing you?” Yang Kai took another step forward.
Qu Hua Shang instinctively took a step backwards while her personal bodyguards felt threatened; after all, one of the strongest Masters in this world was standing right in front of them. Given the short distance between them, they wouldn’t have time to react if the other party abruptly made a move.
“Are you not?”
“Of course not. Everything I’ve said is from the bottom of my heart.”
Qu Hua Shang stared fixedly at him for a moment before turning to Xiao He and asking, “Big Sister, has he always been so crazy?”
Upon hearing that, Xiao He shook her head, “This has never happened before. I always thought that he wasn’t interested in women. Well, since he’s finally in love with one, you should just get together with him. What’s there to hesitate about? Although there’s a huge gap between your age and he’s old enough to be your Father… age has nothing to do with love. I’m telling you, even though he’s old, he’s still a virgin!”
A speechless Qu Hua Shang gazed at Xiao He. Since she was aware of Yang Kai’s identity, she certainly knew who Xiao He was as well. This woman was from Emerald Smoke Sect, but she wasn’t interested in the position of Vice Temple Master. Instead, she decided to become Yang Kai’s personal bodyguard. She was the nightmare of many powerful cultivators from White Lotus Sect, and she had killed many of them as well.
Almost everyone in the world believed that she was Yang Kai’s woman.
However, that didn’t seem to be the case now.
Although they were close to each other, they were apparently not lovers.
Both the Temple Master of Grand Qi Temple and this woman were insane.
“Those from White Lotus Sect have placed a lot of moles in Grand Qi Temple. As a Saintess, you should know that I stepped down as Temple Master two months ago. I’m no longer a member of Grand Qi Temple, so you don’t have to worry about anything.”
Qu Hua Shang snorted, “Who knows if this is a plot of those from Grand Qi Temple?”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “There’s no point in explaining. Time will prove everything.”
After a moment of silence, Qu Hua Shang suddenly winked at him, “Why don’t you prove it to me now?”
“How do you want me to do that?” Yang Kai asked.
“It’s simple.” As soon as Qu Hua Shang finished speaking, she pulled out a sword from her personal bodyguard’s waist and directly dashed towards Yang Kai before pressing her weapon against the man’s chest. The sharp tip penetrated his skin as blood started streaming out of his wound.
Qu Hua Shang was astounded.
She was surprised at the fact that the man didn’t try to resist or dodge the attack.
The Temple Master of every generation was one of the top cultivators in the world in their time. Although her movements were quick just now, Yang Kai should have been agile enough to react.
The reason she could harm him two months ago was that she caught him unsuspecting.
However, she succeeded in hurting him this time because he didn’t intend to dodge the attack, which was different.
They were so close to each other that she could feel the man’s breath brushing across her face. As their eyes met, Qu Hua Shang only saw a clear gaze that was void of any deception. Despite the fact that a sword had been jabbed into his body, he remained calm and collected. The smile on his face was so bright that it was almost piercing.
An infuriated Qu Hua Shang pushed the sword forward a bit further.
As Yang Kai’s personal bodyguard, Xiao He was responsible for ensuring his safety. Over the years, she had done a great job as she could always discover and easily resolve the assassination attempts targeted at Yang Kai by those from White Lotus Sect.
It was close to impossible for anyone to press his sword against Yang Kai’s chest. As soon as Xiao He detected a hint of murderous intent, she would decisively make a move and kill the enemy; however, at this moment, Xiao He didn’t seem to have the intention of stopping the Saintess of White Lotus Sect even though the sword had been stabbed into his chest. Instead, she just looked at them with interest.
The cultivators behind Qu Hua Shang were all tensed up and soaked in a cold sweat.
They felt that the Saintess was playing with fire, for any slight negligence would cause her to lose her life. The assassination attempt tonight was already a failure. The moment their whereabouts were exposed, they were already at a huge disadvantage.
They were fully aware that they were unable to go up against the former Temple Master of Grand Qi Temple and his personal bodyguard. If the two of them had any murderous intent, none of them would survive.
The fact that the Saintess had penetrated Yang Kai’s flesh with her sword was no different from a mad provocation.
Nevertheless, while they were apprehensive, they also hoped that she would succeed.
If the Saintess could really kill the former Temple Master of Grand Qi Temple here, that would be a huge contribution to the Sect, and they would be rewarded handsomely as well.
Her sword was just finger widths away from his heart. If she could penetrate it, Yang Kai would instantly lose his life regardless how strong he was.
Although Qu Hua Shang could easily determine the life or death of the man in front of her, she found it hard to really do it.
She had the intention to kill him, and she was aware that her reputation would be greatly enhanced by killing Yang Kai here, which would help her stand a better chance of becoming the next Sect Master of White Lotus Sect; however, there seemed to be a voice in her heart that kept screaming at her that she would regret it for all her life if she really made a move.
A myriad of expressions came over her, then she said through clenched teeth, “You’re insane!”
As soon as she retracted her sword, blood started streaming out of the man’s wound.
She wouldn’t dare to look him in the eye as her gaze anxiously moved away. After tossing the sword at one of the personal bodyguards, she ordered, “Let’s go!”
The moment she turned around, Yang Kai clenched her arm.
“What are you doing? Let go of my arm!” Qu Hua Shang demanded.
“Kill them all!” Yang Kai ordered, then carried Qu Hua Shang up with both hands. She intended to resist, but he exerted some kind of force through his hands and rendered her powerless to do so.
Like a tornado, Xiao He charged towards the personal bodyguards as sword lights flashed through her weapon. By the time she stopped in her tracks, the personal bodyguards had already all collapsed to the ground.
Carried in the man’s arms like a child, Qu Hua Shang felt utterly ashamed. She kept thumping her fists against his chest, but her action was rather coquettish since she had lost her strength.
To the side, Xiao He just watched them with interest.
Yang Kai flashed a smile at the woman in his arms, “You stabbed your sword into my body twice. You probably can’t make up for it for your entire life, so you’ll have to continue doing it in your next life.”
Qu Hua Shang snapped, “I’m not going to make up for anything. I should’ve killed you just now!”
“Why don’t I give you one more chance?” Yang Kai winked at her.
Qu Hua Shang snorted, thinking that he was just probing her. She even suspected that if she had really tried to kill him just now, the man would’ve counterattacked. When that happened, she would’ve fallen into a worse state than being captured.
Since she was unable to defeat him or flee, she decided to make a concession and let him carry her. She took the initiative to wrap her hands around the man’s neck to stabilise herself. Wind could be heard howling while the view around her flew backwards rapidly.
“Where are you taking me?” Qu Hua Shang asked.
“You’ll find out when we arrive,” Yang Kai replied nonchalantly.
Three days later, Yang Kai found a lake in a certain valley. There were no traces that suggested that anyone had visited this place before, and the view was excellent. This place was suitable for a reclusive life.
After putting the woman down, Yang Kai said to Xiao He, “Keep an eye on her and make sure that she doesn’t flee.”
Xiao He nodded, “Don’t worry, she won’t be able to run away.” She then took a look at Qu Hua Shang’s legs, “Why don’t I break her legs?”
Qu Hua Shang couldn’t help but shudder as she looked at Xiao He as if she was a demon, and firmly declared, “Don’t do that. I’m not going to run away.”
Xiao He nodded, “You’d better be obedient, then.”
After that, Yang Kai left the place to fell some trees. It took him several days to build three log houses by the lake for the three of them.
The difficulty in the ninth life was very high. It wasn’t until Yang Kai had lived in this world for decades that his memory was restored, so it would be even harder to bring back Qu Hua Shang’s memory and shatter her Heart Barrier.
However, since he had found her, there was a target he could aim to achieve. He was ready to make Qu Hua Shang slowly open up to him. He believed that she would fall in love with him one day.
Moreover, it was a good sign that she had decided to give up on the idea of killing him in the end some time ago.
This meant that even though her memory had been sealed, she still had some instincts that pulled her back from killing him.
No one would come to this valley. Every day, Yang Kai would head out to hunt some food and collect firewood while Xiao He would keep an eye on Qu Hua Shang. No one in the world would’ve thought that three top cultivators were living a reclusive life in such a remote place.
Time passed by slowly.
Initially, Qu Hua Shang was against this kind of life. Those from White Lotus Sect had nurtured her for years. As soon as she stopped cultivating in seclusion, the White Lotus Matriarch gave her the title of Saintess. She was also one of the candidates who had the hope of becoming the next Sect Master.
As a powerful young woman with a bright future, it was expected that she hated to live like a captive.
Nevertheless, she was clever enough not to try fleeing. That was because she knew that it was impossible for her to flee from Xiao He.
With that said, she made sure to let Yang Kai and Xiao He know that she abhorred them by glowering at them every time they met. Other than having meals, she would never leave her house.
Yang Kai had already expected it, so he didn’t mind it, nor did it bother Xiao He. The only person in the world she was concerned about was Yang Kai.
Soon, three months had passed.
Time could really change a person.
Qu Hua Shang was initially doubtful, but now, she could confirm that the man who was old enough to be her father had really fallen in love with her.
Although he had restricted her freedom over the past few months, he took very good care of her in all other ways. Every time he looked at her, his eyes were brimming with care. Anyone could see the longing behind his eyes as long as they were not blind.
Qu Hua Shang didn’t understand the reason behind it. Before she was captured by Yang Kai, she had only met the man once. At that time, she had stabbed her sword into his chest and almost killed him.
She was fully aware that she was beautiful, but she didn’t think she was charming enough to make someone like the former Temple Master of Grand Qi Temple fall head over heels for her.
If he could easily be attracted to beauty, he couldn’t have become the Temple Master of Grand Qi Temple.
After three months of living together, the tension between them had eased.
In the middle of the night, Qu Hua Shang and Yang Kai were lying on the roof of a log house. With their hands placed behind their heads, they looked up at the starry sky.
“Old man, where did we stop last night?” Qu Hua Shang gazed at the brightest Star in the sky and asked.
“The eighth life,” Yang Kai replied.
“Oh, continue from there, then. Who were you and me in the eighth life?”
These days, Yang Kai had been telling Qu Hua Shang about a love story of nine lives.
Everything he had said came from his own experiences, but to Qu Hua Shang, it was a strange story that was touching enough to elicit tears from naive young people.
She was willing to listen to it as there was nothing else she could do here, so it was a good way to kill time.
In the eighth life, both of them were from different Sects. However, these Sects were arch nemeses, just like what was going on between Grand Qi Temple and White Lotus Sect. It was expected that their love story was full of hardship.
Nevertheless, they were just Common Disciples of their own Sects, unlike in this life where both of them held powerful positions.
Despite the hardship and several attempts to kill each other, they resolved their differences in the end and married.
Qu Hua Shang attentively listened to the story. Although the story itself was banal, Yang Kai was able to make it interesting with his vivid descriptions. It was as though he had personally experienced it.
Just then, someone could be heard sobbing from behind them.
Without even turning her head, Qu Hua Shang let out a sigh, “Big Sister Xiao He, why are you crying again?”
“It’s such a touching story…” Presently, Xiao He was seated with her legs crossed behind them. She started bawling her eyes out as tears slid down her face like pearls with a snapped string.
Every time Yang Kai told Qu Hua Shang about this love story of nine lives, Xiao He would come over and listen to it as well. Without fail, she would always break into tears in the end.
She was more passionate about the story than Qu Hua Shang.
Suddenly thinking of something, Yang Kai asked, “Xiao He, if you were the Sect Master of one of the Sects in the eighth life, what would you do after finding out that someone in your Sect was in love with a disciple from an opposing Sect?”
Without pondering on it, Xiao He replied, “I would have agreed to let them get together regardless of what it took!”
Yang Kai put on a bright smile, “You really did. Thanks!”
Xiao He was perplexed, “What do you mean?”
Yang Kai didn’t explain anything.
In fact, Xiao He, as his Sect Master in the eighth life, had really allowed Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang to get together, just like she had said just now. In order to help them, she even decided to destroy the opposing Sect despite knowing that she would also be killed, thus clearing the biggest obstacle between the two of them.
Now that they were in their ninth life, Xiao He’s reply matched what she had done.
Yang Kai could now confirm that Xiao He was a real person who had barged into this Samsara World somehow. However, it wasn’t certain about her identity in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.
“Old man, according to you, we’re supposedly in our ninth life now, right?” Qu Hua Shang asked.
“Yes, it’s the ninth life, as well as the last.”
“Is it because of what we went through in our previous lives that you fell in love with me at first sight?”
“Yes.”
Qu Hua Shang couldn’t help but sneer, “You’re pretty amazing, old man. The story you’ve fabricated is so moving that I’ve almost believed it.”
Xiao He appeared beside her and looked down at her, “How could you not believe him? You should believe it and get married to him tomorrow. It’s a love story of nine lives. It will be complete after you two get together.”
Qu Hua Shang snapped, “I’m not going to get married. You should do that yourself.”
After giving it a thought, Xiao He shook her head, “The person I’m waiting for hasn’t found me. I’m not going to get married.”
Xiao He had always been a straightforward but crazy woman.
Yang Kai had never seen this kind of melancholic expression on her face before, and it made him think of something. Just when he wanted to ask her though, Qu Hua Shang suddenly grunted and started trembling.
With his expression changed, Yang Kai turned to look at her, “What’s wrong?”
“I-I’m fine!” Qu Hua Shang obstinately shook her head.
However, Yang Kai already realised that something was off. Under the moonlight, her face appeared slightly pale while her Internal Qi was unstable.
Xiao He placed her hand on the other woman’s forehead and exclaimed, “It’s cold!”
With a solemn expression, Yang Kai took Qu Hua Shang’s wrist and placed two fingers on her pulse before injecting some of his power to check on her.
Just like Xiao He had said, Qu Hua Shang’s figure was as cold as an ice block. While being close to her, he could feel the coldness wafting from her body.
Nevertheless, the coldness soon dissipated and was replaced by scorching heat.
Qu Hua Shang gasped for breath. Her vision had turned blurry, and her face flushed.
Upon examination, he realised that her Qi was in chaos. The power she had obtained by cultivating was rampaging around her meridians like an out-of-control horse.
Yang Kai and Xiao He exchanged glances before saying at the same time, “Freezing Blood Burning Soul Pill!”
There were countless kinds of pills in the world, but the wickedest of them all was the Freezing Blood Burning Soul Pill.
This pill was invented by the second Sect Master of White Lotus Sect, and its recipe was a top secret. Only the current Sect Master of White Lotus Sect knew how to refine it.
The pill was also one of the best ways for the leader of White Lotus Sect to control their subordinates.
The person who had taken this pill would see their aura turning chaotic if they didn’t consume the antidote at regular intervals, just like Qu Hua Shang was going through now. One would feel extremely cold or hot in a vicious cycle, and the situation would only exacerbate as time passed, eventually resulting in them exploding in a gruesome death.
There were countless disciples in White Lotus Sect. There were already a lot of disciples in the middle of the hierarchy, not to mention the grassroot disciples. Although the White Lotus Matriarch was powerful, she couldn’t ensure that her subordinates would always be faithful to her.
Therefore, many disciples in the middle of the hierarchy, especially the Hall Masters, were controlled by her using Freezing Blood Burning Soul Pills. Only by gaining the White Lotus Matriarch’s trust would they be spared from this kind of treatment.
Yang Kai initially thought that as a Saintess, Qu Hua Shang had gained the White Lotus Matriarch’s complete trust, and she didn’t have to take the Freezing Blood Burning Soul Pill.
It wasn’t until the poison struck her that he realised he was wrong. Although Qu Hua Shang was one of the few Saintesses of White Lotus Sect, she was still controlled by the Freezing Blood Burning Soul Pill.
From what those from Grand Qi Temple had gathered, after a person took the Freezing Blood Burning Soul Pill, they would have to consume an antidote every three months; otherwise, life would become a living Hell for them.
After some calculations, Yang Kai realised that it had been three months since Qu Hua Shang was brought to this place.
In other words, the last time they met, she must have just consumed the antidote. Since time was up now, the medicinal efficacies of the Freezing Blood Burning Soul Pill started taking effect.
“Whose blood was used?” Yang Kai asked with a solemn expression.
Needless to say, he knew that the White Lotus Matriarch’s blood had been used.
The refinement of the Freezing Blood Burning Soul Pill required Human blood, and it also took the same person’s blood to produce the antidote.
Qu Hua Shang was the Saintess of White Lotus Sect; hence, only the Freezing Blood Burning Soul Pill made from the White Lotus Matriarch’s blood could ensure her loyalty.
“What should we do now?” Xiao He asked anxiously. She was fully aware of the Freezing Blood Burning Soul Pill’s effects, so she was afraid that Qu Hua Shang would lose her life just like that.
If Qu Hua Shang died, she wouldn’t be able to see the things she had always wanted to get a glimpse of.
After a moment of hesitation, Yang Kai carried Qu Hua Shang up. While using his own strength to protect her meridians, he walked out and said, “Let’s go!”
In order to save Qu Hua Shang, they had to look for the White Lotus Matriarch.
He had underestimated the difficulty he had to face in his ninth life. Initially, he thought that after bringing her to this place, he just had to spend years with her, and she would eventually fall in love with him; however, since she had been struck by the Freezing Blood Burning Soul Pill, he had to give up on this plan.
The most important thing he had to do now was to save her life.
Although the fight between Grand Qi Temple and White Lotus Sect had been ongoing for many years, they still hadn’t found the location of White Lotus Sect’s Headquarters. It wasn’t that those from Grand Qi Temple were terrible at gathering information, it was just that those from White Lotus Sect didn’t have a fixed Headquarters.
White Lotus Sect had countless hideouts, so wherever the White Lotus Matriarch was located would be the Headquarters; however, she would always go to a different place after some time. Only the people closest to her knew the regular switching pattern. Usually, even the Hall Masters of White Lotus Sect were unable to find her.
Fortunately, Qu Hua Shang held a very important position, so she had the right to know the hiding place of the White Lotus Matriarch.
Sometimes, she was conscious, but sometimes, she would pass out. Yang Kai could only intermittently ask her about the White Lotus Matriarch’s whereabouts.
It took Yang Kai and Xiao He a month before they arrived at a certain valley.
There were some traces that suggested that there were people living here, and in the deepest part of the forest there were a number of buildings.
Apparently, this was another secret hideout of White Lotus Sect.
Certainly, the disciples of White Lotus Sect who were in the periphery had noticed Yang Kai and Xiao He’s arrival; therefore, as soon as they stepped into this place, they were surrounded by countless White Lotus Sect’s disciples from all directions.
Innumerable streams of Divine Sense had locked onto them. Some of them darted their gazes between Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang, who was in his arms, with doubtful expressions.
They definitely knew that she was a Saintess, but they had no idea why she was in a man’s arms at the moment. This prompted many of them to look resentfully at him.
Like an enraged cheetah, Xiao He growled from time to time while appearing tempted.
Since there were so many disciples of White Lotus Sect around, she had the urge to slaughter them all.
However, even though they were two of the most powerful cultivators in the world, they would be doomed if they had to deal with so many formidable enemies from White Lotus Sect.
In other words, the moment they stepped into this place, they already lost control of their own fates.
“I was wondering why the magpies were chirping early in the morning. I can understand now. There are some honoured guests here,” Someone was heard laughing as a middle-aged woman clad in white clothes emerged from the crowd.
Although she was no longer young, she was still charming. It was obvious that she must have been alluring in her youth. Despite her age, she was still pretty attractive as age didn’t seem to have left any marks on her.
Her white clothes made her look very pure, just like a lotus.
With a dispassionate expression, Yang Kai turned to look at her.
They had been arch nemeses for a long time, and it wasn’t the first time they dealt with each other, so there wasn’t a need to say anything else.
“Don’t be so nervous. Do you all know who that is?” The White Lotus Matriarch chuckled like a young maiden, “He is the former Temple Master of Grand Qi Temple, Yang Kai. If he wants to kill you all, I won’t be able to save you.”
In an instant, the disciples of White Lotus Sect around her appeared flustered.
The name Yang Kai was intimidating to the disciples of White Lotus Sect as he had killed a lot of their companions. In their eyes, he was their greatest enemy.
Upon seeing how her subordinates reacted, the White Lotus Matriarch snorted. Then, she looked condescendingly at Yang Kai, “What brings you, a Temple Master of Grand Qi Temple, here?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “I’m no longer the Temple Master of Grand Qi Temple, and they have nothing to do with me anymore. So, you don’t have to be resentful of me. I’ve come all the way here to save a person.”
The White Lotus Matriarch’s gaze fell upon Qu Hua Shang, who was in Yang Kai’s arms, and then she asked, “Do you want to save her?”
“Yes.”
The White Lotus Matriarch scoffed, “There are only two kinds of people in this world; those that are useful to me and those that are useless. Since she’s been captured by you, she’s useless. You have the liberty to decide if you want to kill her.”
The beautiful women behind the White Lotus Matriarch were supposed to be the other Saintesses of White Lotus Sect. Upon hearing what the Sect Master had said, they appeared elated.
All of these Saintesses had experienced countless hardships before they were promoted to their current position. On the other hand, Qu Hua Shang was given the title of Saintess without making any contributions to White Lotus Sect. That was why they were jealous and thought that the Matriarch was biased towards her.
Nonetheless, they wouldn’t dare to complain about anything to the Matriarch. If they could see Qu Hua Shang lose her life, thus eliminating a powerful rival, they were expected to be joyful.
“I have to save her,” Yang Kai said impassively.
“Go save her, then!”
“She’s been struck by the Freezing Blood Burning Soul Pill’s poison!”
Upon hearing that, the White Lotus Matriarch started guffawing and looked mockingly at Yang Kai, “Of course I know she’s been struck by the Freezing Blood Burning Soul Pill, but what does that have to do with me? What benefits would I get by saving her?”
“She’s the Saintess of White Lotus Sect after all. If you don’t save her, aren’t you worried that your subordinates will feel disappointed?”
“Who would dare?” The White Lotus Matriarch roared as the disciples of White Lotus Sect were instantly frightened. As she swept a glance over everyone with her eagle-like eyes, those who met her gaze couldn’t help but hang their heads low.
Meanwhile, the Saintesses behind her were quivering like quails in the winter.
A moment later, she gazed at Yang Kai and said through clenched teeth, “Good, I wasn’t aware that you’re such a sharp-tongued person.”
“Are you saving her or not?” Yang Kai stared fixedly at her as his murderous intent spread out. It was as though he would go into a frenzy if the White Lotus Matriarch dared to say no.
“She’s a disciple of White Lotus Sect, and you have no right to interfere. I have the liberty to decide whether I want to save her or not!” The White Lotus Matriarch said through gritted teeth. Despite what she had said, she jerked her head to the side.
The next moment, one of the Saintesses leaped forward and soon stood in front of Yang Kai.
It was apparent that this Saintess was anxious; after all, she had to summon her courage in order to stand before a powerful cultivator like Yang Kai.
She cautiously extended both hands to show that she didn’t mean any harm.
Yang Kai passed Qu Hua Shang to the Saintess, who quickly brought her back to the White Lotus Matriarch and put her down in front of the latter.
The White Lotus Matriarch looked down at Qu Hua Shang and extended her left hand. As she activated her power, she sucked Qu Hua Shang towards her and struck the woman’s acupoints with her right hand.
After a cough, Qu Hua Shang slowly awakened.
She still appeared to be in pain. As the force in her body charged around, she felt cold or hot from time to time, as though she would lose her life by exploding at any moment.
Faced with the White Lotus Matriarch’s impassive gaze, she fell on one knee and said through chattering teeth, “I’ve brought you a gift, Matriarch!”
The White Lotus Matriarch nodded gently, “You’ve done well. You never disappoint me.”
Qu Hua Shang hung her head low, “It is what I should do.”
“Step aside for now,” The White Lotus Matriarch waved her hand.
Upon hearing that, Qu Hua Shang got to her feet and stood behind the White Lotus Matriarch. Then, she fished out a Spirit Pill from somewhere and stuffed it into her mouth.
As soon as she swallowed the pill, she was in a much better state.
Upon seeing that, a dumbfounded Xiao He exclaimed, “Hey, she lied to us! We’ve been tricked!”
It was apparent that Qu Hua Shang had the antidote to the Freezing Blood Burning Soul Pill with her all along, but despite the fact that she might explode at any moment, she insisted on not using it. Instead, she slowly lured Yang Kai to this place.
This was undoubtedly a risky bet. If she failed, she would lose everything. Nevertheless, the outcome showed that she had won her gamble.
She successfully lured Yang Kai to this place where he was surrounded by countless powerful cultivators from White Lotus Sect. The White Lotus Matriarch was also present.
Basically, she was making use of Yang Kai’s love for her. Perhaps she wanted to prove something, but the outcome was somewhat unbearable to the average person.
She secretly examined Yang Kai’s expression, but there was no hint of fury on his face. He still remained calm and collected.
On the other hand, Luo Ting He, who was beside Yang Kai, was infuriated, “That woman is so ungrateful! You’ve been treating her so well, but she still decided to harm you. Don’t you feel upset about it?”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “I’m fine.”
The White Lotus Matriarch guffawed, “Who could have expected that the Temple Master of Grand Qi Temple would fall into a trap because of love? I’ve just watched a good show. Fortunately, my disciples are all very loyal to me. You’ve made a wrong move by trying to make her side with you.”
All of a sudden, her voice turned grim, “Yang Kai, you’ve killed countless White Lotus Sect disciples over the years. Now that you’ve fallen into such a state, do you have any last words to say?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “Are you confident you can kill me?”
The White Lotus Matriarch sneered, “I’m fully aware of how powerful you are; however, the disciples of White Lotus Sect are not weaklings either. I have the confidence to kill you.”
Yang Kai looked around, “Well, let’s see the price you’re prepared to pay for that.”
He then turned to Xiao He, “Do we kill half of them?”
An excited Xiao He unsheathed her sword, “That’s not enough. We have to kill 60% of them at the very least.”
“Why don’t we aim for 70% of them?”
“Sounds good!”
Yang Kai gazed at the White Lotus Matriarch and said with a smile, “Are you prepared to sacrifice 70% of the people here? I suppose they’re all the strongest Masters and brightest rising stars in White Lotus Sect. If so many die, White Lotus Sect will be all but crippled. By then, it’ll take you many years to recover.”
Instantly, the White Lotus Matriarch’s face turned livid. Although Yang Kai and Xiao He were arrogant, she didn’t think they were exaggerating.
For top cultivators like Yang Kai and Luo Ting He, it was very likely that they would be able to kill sixty to seventy percent of the people here if they were willing to throw their lives away.
Perhaps even the Matriarch herself would be badly injured. When that happened, Grand Qi Temple would be at a huge, possibly even decisive advantage.
However, the chance before her eyes was difficult to come by, so it would be unrealistic for her to give it up. At that instant, she was caught in a dilemma.
Yang Kai didn’t intend to make things difficult for her though, so he pressed Luo Ting He’s sword down and said loudly, “I have a suggestion. I’m not sure if you’re interested in listening to it.”
The White Lotus Matriarch scoffed, “Stop beating around the bush.”
Yang Kai stuck out two fingers, “Please give me two Freezing Blood Burning Soul Pills.”
Upon hearing that, everyone was stunned.
Qu Hua Shang, who was standing behind the White Lotus Matriarch, widened her eyes and stared at Yang Kai in disbelief. She even suspected that she had heard it wrong.
The White Lotus Matriarch was equally shocked as she spurted out, “What do you want two Freezing Blood Burning Soul Pills for?”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “Rather than risking the lives of so many people just to kill us, don’t you want two more powerful cultivators to work under you?”
“You…” The White Lotus Matriarch was dumbfounded. Although she already had a speculation before, she still found it hard to believe even after he spoke the words.
After all, the person standing in front of her was Yang Kai, the former Temple Master of Grand Qi Temple.
She even suspected that there was something wrong with the information she had gathered. Was Yang Kai stepping down as the Temple Master of Grand Qi Temple just a pretence? Presently, was this place already surrounded by many cultivators from Grand Qi Temple and as soon as Yang Kai gave the order, they would storm inside?
The idea soon became rooted in the White Lotus Matriarch’s mind and started growing. She was instantly alerted as she looked around, thinking that many people had hidden behind the bushes. It was as though they would jump out at any moment to kill her.
“What are you playing at!?” The White Lotus Matriarch questioned sternly.
Yang Kai shook his head, “There’s no point in explaining anything. You just have to pass me two Freezing Blood Burning Soul Pills and wait.”
The White Lotus Matriarch stared at Yang Kai as though it was the first time they had met. There was a conflicted expression on her face.
After all, she was no ordinary woman. Yang Kai’s suggestion was tempting to her. Rather than risking the lives of many in order to kill Yang Kai and Luo Ting He, the power of White Lotus Sect would be enhanced greatly if they could take control of these two people.
Other than being one of the most powerful cultivators in the world, Yang Kai was also the former Temple Master of Grand Qi Temple. As soon as the news was spread, it would deal a heavy blow to Grand Qi Temple.
Therefore, she soon made a decision and fished out a jade bottle, which was filled with red pills. She poured out two pills and flicked them at the two of them.
Yang Kai and Xiao He respectively took a pill.
The White Lotus Matriarch’s eyes started brightening as she stared fixedly at Yang Kai. If the man really swallowed the pill, it would prove that he was a trustworthy person, or he could at least be controlled. If he dared to pull a trick, she would immediately give the order to kill him regardless of what price she had to pay.
To her surprise, Yang Kai didn’t even hesitate to take the Freezing Blood Burning Soul Pill in his hand.
After examining the pill for a moment, Xiao He tossed it into her mouth and started chewing it. After gulping it down, she spat and complained, “It tastes terrible. What the Hell is it?”
Gazing at Yang Kai with an excited expression, the White Lotus Matriarch demanded, “Open your mouth and let me see.”
Yang Kai opened his mouth as he was told. There was nothing in it.
The White Lotus Matriarch’s eyes were as bright as stars. She couldn’t help but start laughing as the tears of joy slid down her face.
The tensed-up White Lotus Sect’s disciples could finally be at ease. They exchanged glances and smiled.
After Yang Kai consumed the Freezing Blood Burning Soul Pill, he would be under their control. Regardless of how powerful he was, he wouldn’t be able to escape now. In other words, the former Temple Master of Grand Qi Temple was now also a member of White Lotus Sect.
Life was truly unpredictable.
This kind of top cultivator was terrifying as an enemy, but now that he was one of them, he gave them a great sense of security.
They could already imagine that when he appeared in the battle against Grand Qi Temple, his presence would send shockwaves across the latter.
“Kneel down!” The White Lotus Matriarch suddenly stopped laughing and stared coldly at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai slowly shook his head, “It seems you’re mistaken about something. Although I’ve willingly taken the pill, I won’t be led by the nose by anyone. From now on, I’ll only listen to one person.”
The White Lotus Matriarch’s eyes turned piercing as she took a glance at Qu Hua Shang. Then, she said to Yang Kai, “Only I am able to refine your antidote. She can’t.”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “I believe you won’t let the poison kill me.”
After giving it a thought, the White Lotus Matriarch nodded, “Of course I won’t. Someone like you is of great help to us. From now on, you shall be the Left Protector of White Lotus Sect and I will allow you to listen to Qu Hua Shang only.”
It was expected that a top cultivator was haughty. If the White Lotus Matriarch insisted on making things difficult for Yang Kai, it would only bring about the opposite of the desired outcome; therefore, she decided to make a concession by granting Yang Kai’s wish. Although she had given him the title of Left Protector, that was nothing more than another chain to bind him.
Regardless, when word got out that Yang Kai was now the Left Protector of White Lotus Sect, the reputation of Grand Qi Temple would be tarnished.
Yang Kai nodded his head, “Many thanks for the promotion, Sect Master.”
The White Lotus Matriarch then said to Qu Hua Shang, “You must treat him well from now on.”
“Yes,” Qu Hua Shang replied with a serious expression.
Appearing to be elated, the White Lotus Matriarch declared, “Since we have a new Left Protector, we should celebrate. Come, prepare a banquet now to welcome the new Left Protector!”
The disciples of White Lotus Sect immediately set to work.
There were a lot of animals in the forest that could be hunted. It must have been quite a long time since those from White Lotus Sect occupied this hideout. Following the Sect Master’s order, a banquet full of wine and dishes was presented. The disciples, regardless of their statuses, gathered together. The atmosphere was initially awkward, but the place was soon bustling with noises after they drank and celebrated.
Yang Kai just sat beside Qu Hua Shang while there would be people who came over to propose a toast to him from time to time.
Although Yang Kai had killed a lot of White Lotus Sect’s disciples when he was the Temple Master of Grand Qi Temple, things were different now. Presently, he was one of them, so they naturally had to strike up a relationship with him. Perhaps he would save their lives on the battlefield one day.
Yang Kai could actually handle his wine quite well, though he would usually steer clear of it. He wouldn’t turn anyone down when they proposed a toast to him, which was why the disciples of White Lotus Sect started growing fond of him.
It was the first time they discovered that this man that they regarded as a terrifying monster in the past was actually so amiable.
Xiao He was the most ecstatic of all. When no one proposed a toast to her, she would go around with a jar of wine and do so instead. Her straightforward attitude stunned the disciples of White Lotus Sect.
There was already a Left and Right Protector in White Lotus Sect, and they were both fairly strong; however, following the White Lotus Matriarch’s order, Yang Kai became the new Left Protector, and his predecessor didn’t even dare to object.
First of all, he revered the White Lotus Matriarch. Secondly, he was fully aware that he was indeed no match for Yang Kai. He would only be embarrassed if he fought for the position.
At the banquet, this previous Left Protector proposed a toast to Yang Kai many times.
After the welcoming party, Yang Kai and Xiao He perfectly mingled with those from White Lotus Sect. Since then, no one regarded them as outsiders anymore.
It was peaceful in the days that followed. There was no doubt that the White Lotus Matriarch regarded Yang Kai highly as she would frequently visit him to discuss the current situation in the world and analyse the difference in power between White Lotus Sect and Grand Qi Temple. It seemed that she had started treating him like a confidant.
However, she had never demanded Yang Kai to do anything. Instead, she essentially treated him as an equal.
A few months passed just like that.
One day, the White Lotus Matriarch was having a discussion with Qu Hua Shang about the assassination attempt on the current Temple Master of Grand Qi Temple when she abruptly stopped and turned her head.
Yang Kai and Xiao He were standing beside Qu Hua Shang like two personal bodyguards. Nevertheless, they couldn’t help but start trembling at this moment as a sense of coldness rose within their bodies.
Xiao He shuddered and asked in puzzlement, “Why do I feel cold all of a sudden?”
The White Lotus Matriarch said with a smile, “The effects of the Freezing Blood Burning Soul Pills have started taking effect. It’s cold now, but you’ll feel hot in a moment. It will alternate between the two, and the feeling will intensify after every round until you can’t stand it anymore and explode.”
She spoke in such a nonchalant manner that it was as though she was talking about something insignificant.
“Hm? Three months have passed already?” Xiao He was surprised. She had fun playing with the other disciples of White Lotus Sect every day, so she had lost track of time. She extended her hand towards the White Lotus Matriarch, “Give me the antidote, then.”
The White Lotus Matriarch shook her head, “There’s no rush. It’s the first time you’ve been struck by the pill’s effects, so you should take some time to feel it; after all, you might not always immediately get the antidote every time the effects appear. You might have to persevere for quite some time. After getting used to it now, you won’t feel so terrible in the future.”
“You have a point,” Upon hearing her suggestion, Xiao He closed her eyes and focused on the sensation she was experiencing.
Yang Kai was in the same state as Xiao He. The sense of coldness in his body broke out without warning, seemingly using his own strength to disturb the flow within his meridians in an uncontrollable manner. The next instant, the coldness turned into a scorching stream of heat that burned every part of his physique like magma.
An excruciating pain overwhelmed him. Despite his impassive expression, he was already soaked in sweat.
He then turned to look at Xiao He in surprise.
Xiao He had a unique physique that allowed her to be immune to all sorts of poisons. Yang Kai didn’t know why she had this kind of physique, but it had always been like this since they got to know each other.
When they were in a secret hideout of White Lotus Sect half a year ago, it was thanks to her physique that she was still fine after eating so much poisoned food.
It could be said that ordinary poisons wouldn’t have any effects on her.
Nevertheless, even with such a physique, she was still unable to resist the medicinal efficacies of the Freezing Blood Burning Soul Pill.
Therefore, it was apparent that the Freezing Blood Burning Soul Pill wasn’t purely a poison.
The White Lotus Matriarch and Qu Hua Shang were still talking about the details of the assassination as they deduced what would possibly happen and how they should proceed so that the assassination attempt would be successful.
Qu Hua Shang attentively listened to her as she ignored the pain that the two people behind her were going through.
About four hours later. the White Lotus Matriarch nodded, “That’s all. If you fail again this time, you don’t have to return.”
Qu Hua Shang replied, “Don’t worry, Sect Master. I will definitely succeed.”
The White Lotus Matriarch nodded her head again, then suddenly ordered, “Kill them!”
There were only four people in the room. Other than the White Lotus Matriarch and Qu Hua Shang, only Yang Kai and Xiao He, who were struck with medicinal efficacies of the pill, were left.
They had been tortured by rounds of alternating coldness and heat for the past four hours. The powers within their bodies were in chaos, and all their energy was used to resist the medicinal efficacies of the Freezing Blood Burning Soul Pills.
Even an ordinary mortal would be able to easily kill the two of them, not to mention powerful cultivators like Qu Hua Shang and the White Lotus Matriarch.
Upon receiving the order, Qu Hua Shang didn’t hesitate to reply in agreement and appeared in front of Yang Kai. As she extended her hand, a sharp dagger suddenly appeared in her hand, then she directly stabbed it towards Yang Kai’s heart.
The dagger penetrated his chest barely a finger’s length before Qu Hua Shang’s wrist was grabbed. She was unable to continue pushing the dagger in further.
A puzzled Qu Hua Shang turned to look at the White Lotus Matriarch, who said with a smile, “It’s enough. Take them with you when you carry out your mission.”
Qu Hua Shang cupped her fist, “Yes.”
The next moment, the White Lotus Matriarch left behind two antidotes on the table and shuffled out of the place.
Qu Hua Shang picked up the antidotes and stuffed them into Yang Kai and Xiao He’s mouths, allowing them to quickly feel much better.
Upon opening his eyes, Yang Kai gazed at Qu Hua Shang and said with a light smile, “You’ve stabbed me another time. I suppose even the next life won’t be enough to pay off this debt.”
Qu Hua Shang replied dispassionately, “In that case, I’m not going to pay up at all. It’s not like I planned to from the beginning.”
She then turned around and reached for the door. When brushing past Yang Kai, she halted and said in a small voice, “Sect Master is a suspicious person. It was just a test, so you don’t have to mind it.”
Certainly, Yang Kai knew it was just a test. First of all, the White Lotus Matriarch wanted to find out if Qu Hua Shang was loyal enough to her.
If she had appeared hesitant upon hearing the order, she would’ve been removed from the position of Saintess. The White Lotus Matriarch only wanted subordinates who would unconditionally obey her orders, not those who had their own opinions.
Secondly, she wanted to ascertain whether Yang Kai and Luo Ting He had really been struck with the poison of the Freezing Blood Burning Soul Pills.
Although the Freezing Blood Burning Soul Pills were powerful, both Yang Kai and Luo Ting He were some of the most formidable cultivators in the world; hence, the White Lotus Matriarch wasn’t certain if she could control them using the Freezing Blood Burning Soul Pills.
If they only pretended to be struck with the medicinal efficacies, she wouldn’t be able to find out the truth.
When Qu Hua Shang made a move, Yang Kai was completely powerless to resist, which suggested that he was really affected.
Just a simple order could allow the White Lotus Matriarch to cast away a number of her doubts. It could be said that she was a very cunning person.
After Yang Kai stepped down as the Temple Master of Grand Qi Temple, the sixth Temple Master was Yu Xing Zhou, who was from Shooting Star Palace. He was already one of the six Vice Temple Masters when Yang Kai was still the Temple Master, and he was slightly more powerful than the other Vice Temple Masters. Moreover, he had built up enough reputation, so it was reasonable that he became the next Temple Master.
Usually, it would be extremely difficult to assassinate the Temple Master of Grand Qi Temple. When Yang Kai was still the Temple Master, he had encountered countless assassination attempts, but those from White Lotus Sect would always fail in the end.
Nevertheless, there was a great chance to succeed today.
It was the 80th birthday of the Palace Master of Shooting Star Palace. As his Legacy Disciple, Yu Xing Zhou was expected to return to celebrate the occasion. It was also the biggest news in the world recently as countless cultivators headed to Shooting Star Palace. Those from White Lotus Sect, who had been dormant for half a year, became active again.
After the White Lotus Matriarch was badly injured in East Star City back then, she went into hiding to recuperate. It wasn’t until recently that she fully recovered.
When those from White Lotus Sect finally made a move, it sent a shock wave across the world.
Temple Master Yu Xing Zhou was assassinated on the way back to Shooting Star Palace. All sixteen Masters from Grand Qi Temple who had accompanied him were also killed.
Many cultivators, who were heading to Shooting Star Palace, also lost their lives. It was apparent that those from White Lotus Sect were trying to create a disturbance.
The 80th birthday of the Palace Master of Shooting Star Palace was supposed to be a joyous event, but it turned into a calamity instead. Upon learning the news, the aged Palace Master fell ill.
Additionally, when it was revealed that Yu Xing Zhou was killed by Yang Kai’s Supreme Limitless Spear Art, all the people on the righteous side were shocked.
It had to be noted that the Supreme Limitless Spear Art was unique to Yang Kai, and no one else had mastered it.
Some experienced cultivators, who didn’t believe the news, headed to the scene and looked into the matter, but they all expressed with grief that Yu Xing Zhou was indeed killed by Yang Kai’s spear technique.
In other words, the sixth Temple Master of Grand Qi Temple was killed by the fifth Temple Master.
In fact, there was already a rumour spreading around that after Yang Kai stepped down as the Temple Master of Grand Qi Temple, he brought his trusted aide Luo Ting He to betray the righteous path and side with White Lotus Sect. Now, he was the Left Protector of White Lotus Sect.
However, no one believed the news as everyone knew the efforts Yang Kai had made against the White Lotus Sect when he was still the Temple Master. Those from Divine Method Hall were especially resentful of people who spread such rumours and would always defend Yang Kai’s reputation in public.
Nevertheless, those from Divine Method Hall wouldn’t dare to say anything this time.
Yang Kai’s Supreme Limitless Spear Art was very special. He had tried looking for disciples with excellent aptitudes from Divine Method Hall in an attempt to pass down his spear technique; however, after two or three years, those bright disciples were unable to grasp the abstrusity of this Art. They could learn the basics, but none could master it.
Hence, Yang Kai was the only one who could use the Supreme Limitless Spear Art in this world.
Since there was solid evidence now, even those from Divine Method Hall were unable to stand up for Yang Kai.
After the Temple Master of Grand Qi Temple was assassinated, the world descended into chaos. In the meantime, those from White Lotus Sect made a comeback and caused everyone to fall into a state of terror.
The Palace Master of Shooting Star Palace passed away several days after he fell ill. He didn’t even last until his 80th birthday.
After Yu Xing Zhou was killed and the Palace Master passed away, those from Shooting Star Palace blamed it all on Yang Kai. Even Divine Method Hall was marginalised within Grand Qi Temple.
This kind of marginalisation was exacerbated after Yang Kai’s whereabouts were exposed.
After killing Yu Xing Zhou alongside Qu Hua Shang, Yang Kai and Xiao He headed to the next battlefield. As they fought against the Masters from Grand Qi Temple, it was only natural that Yang Kai’s identity was exposed.
In fact, he didn’t even try to hide his identity.
This Samsara World was built on Qu Hua Shang’s imagination and was thus not real. It was just an illusory world he had reincarnated into, so there was no need to worry about things like morality or innocents. He just had to shatter Qu Hua Shang’s Heart Barrier in order to achieve his goal.
On that front, progress wasn’t so satisfactory.
It wasn’t easy to shatter Qu Hua Shang’s Heart Barrier in this life. Yang Kai became aware of that after spending months with her.
Although she was still a woman who appeared obedient to the White Lotus Matriarch, she was clearly a very ambitious person. This kind of ambition was as scorching as the sun, something Yang Kai had never seen before.
Previously, she was captured by Yang Kai and went on to spend months living in the secluded valley. The way she reacted might be a pretence or a revelation of her true feelings; however, after she was freed, her latent ambitions were reignited.
With Yang Kai and Luo Ting He joining White Lotus Sect, the latter’s strength had greatly increased. Both of them were already two of the most powerful cultivators in the world, so with the two of them joining forces, rarely was there anyone in the world who could go up against them.
When news spread that more and more leaders of Grand Qi Temple were killed, the world became anxious.
If the seven major Sects could work together at this point, they might stand a chance to weather the storm; however, because of Yang Kai, the entire Divine Method Hall was marginalised. Even Emerald Smoke Sect, which was the Sect that Luo Ting He hailed from, received this treatment.
Moreover, following the assassination of Temple Master Yu Xing Zhou, Grand Qi Temple became leaderless. The entire Grand Qi Temple had descended into chaos.
At this point, the White Lotus Matriarch resolutely made a decision and led the disciples of White Lotus Sect to storm the Headquarters of Grand Qi Temple.
The battle went on for half a month. Countless people were killed on both sides.
In the end, those from Grand Qi Temple lost the battle and their Headquarters exchanged owners. The cultivators from the seven major Sects who survived retreated to their own Sects to recuperate.
The power that those from White Lotus Sect had showcased in this war sent a shockwave across the world. In the past, they would only launch sneak attacks as they were as furtive as rats. Although everyone knew that White Lotus Sect had taken on a lot of disciples, no one knew the exact figure.
This time, they finally experienced it.
When storming into the Headquarters of Grand Qi Temple, the countless disciples of White Lotus Sect were like a rising tide.
After the war, White Lotus Sect became a name that most people would fear.
The White Lotus Matriarch had done something that her predecessors had never managed to achieve; she had successfully occupied the Headquarters of Grand Qi Temple.
Over the past 100 years, those from White Lotus Sect had made three attempts on Grand Qi Temple, but all three attempts failed. There was even a time when the Sect Master of White Lotus Sect was killed in battle.
After successfully seizing the Headquarters of Grand Qi Temple, the White Lotus Matriarch saw her reputation rising to unprecedented heights.
Following the incident, those from White Lotus Sect also had their own Headquarters, which originally belonged to those from Grand Qi Temple. They were now visible to the public, which was unlike in the past when they had to hide in the dark.
In this battle, Yang Kai had put in a lot of effort as he had killed more than 20 Masters from Grand Qi Temple, which contributed greatly to the success of White Lotus Sect occupying the Headquarters.
It wasn’t until this moment that the White Lotus Matriarch had complete trust in him.
Because of him, Qu Hua Shang’s status in White Lotus Sect was fortified. Initially, there were other Saintesses who were equal matches for her, but she was now the most outstanding of them all. The White Lotus Matriarch regarded her especially highly. Although it was never made official, all the disciples of White Lotus Sect believed that Qu Hua Shang would be the next Sect Master.
White Lotus Sect practically had no other rivals now. On the continent, those smaller Sects that originally relied on Grand Qi Temple to survive had all pledged loyalty to White Lotus Sect now.
Like a snowball, the power of White Lotus Sect increasingly strengthened.
Yang Kai returned to this familiar Headquarters barely a few months after he had left. He still lived in the place he had previously resided, and every day, he would follow Qu Hua Shang around to protect her.
All the disciples of White Lotus Sect knew that whatever demands Qu Hua Shang came up with, Yang Kai would immediately execute regardless of whether they were reasonable or not.
It could be said that Yang Kai was the biggest contributor in helping Qu Hua Shang attain her current status. If not for him, the several assassination attempts wouldn’t have been carried out so smoothly and caused immense pressure to the leaders of Grand Qi Temple. Those from White Lotus Sect wouldn’t have been able to defeat Grand Qi Temple with ease either.
Qu Hua Shang became increasingly ambitious following her rise in status and the White Lotus Matriarch’s appreciation of her. She was practically the second most influential person in White Lotus Sect now.
Presently, Yang Kai and Xiao He were following Qu Hua Shang as they walked along a corridor.
From the opposite direction, a charming woman who was leading her two personal bodyguards approached them.
As their eyes met, the charming woman flashed a smile at Qu Hua Shang and nodded, “Little Sister Qu.”
Qu Hua Shang responded with a smile, “Big Sister Tian.”
This charming woman was one of the other Saintesses of White Lotus Sect. Before the rise of Qu Hua Shang, she was the most outstanding Saintess as she was slightly more beautiful and powerful than the others. She was also most valued by the White Lotus Matriarch at that time.
“Where are you going, Little Sister Qu?” Tian Jie asked with concern.
Qu Hua Shang replied, “I just visited the Sect Master, and was going to get some rest now. Are you going to visit the Sect Master as well, Big Sister?”
Tian Jie put on a faint smile, “No, I’m just walking around since I have nothing to do. In the past, I thought that Grand Qi Temple’s Headquarters was profound and mysterious. Now, there doesn’t seem to be anything special about this place.”
“We’ll feel that something is mysterious before we obtain it. After we get it, we’ll realise that there’s nothing special about it.” Qu Hua Shang smiled gently.
Tian Jie shot her a meaningful glance and chuckled, “You have a point, Little Sister Qu; however, we’ll long for something before we get it. As for whether it’s really so mysterious, we’ll only find out after obtaining it. Don’t you agree, Little Sister?”
“You’re quite right.” Qu Hua Shang nodded, then sported a cold expression, “I heard you’re interested in my personal bodyguard, Big Sister.”
A shocked Tian Jie refuted, “Where did you hear such a rumour, Little Sister? Everyone in the Sect knows that he’s your personal bodyguard. Why would I even have my eyes on him?”
Qu Hua Shang said with a smile, “Oh, really? Why did someone not sleep in the middle of the night yesterday and sneak into his room while naked, then?”
A sense of fury overwhelmed Tian Jie as she glowered at Yang Kai, who was behind Qu Hua Shang.
She had never expected that he would tell Qu Hua Shang about this kind of matter.
On the other hand, Yang Kai remained unfazed.
Just then, Qu Hua Shang charged forward as she extended her fair hand and circulated her strength in an attempt to seize Tian Jie’s neck.
Tian Jie had never expected that Qu Hua Shang, who was also a Saintess of White Lotus Sect, had the guts to make a move on her. The assault on a fellow disciple was a taboo in White Lotus Sect, which was why she hadn’t managed to react.
Fortunately, the personal bodyguards behind her never put down their guard. The moment Qu Hua Shang made a move, they unsheathed their swords and hacked at her.
If Qu Hua Shang didn’t retract her hand, her arm would be cut off. Personal bodyguards were the most loyal servants to their Saintess, and they wouldn’t care about killing others to keep their charge safe.
However, instead of withdrawing her hand, Qu Hua Shang only hastened her speed.
Their swords didn’t manage to come into contact with Qu Hua Shang as Yang Kai and Xiao He gently pushed their palms forward and sent the two personal bodyguards flying away. At the same time, Qu Hua Shang clenched Tian Jie’s fair neck and exerted more force with her hand. At that instant, Tian Jie froze and wouldn’t dare to move a muscle.
“A-Are you out of your mind?” The colour drained from Tian Jie’s face.
Qu Hua Shang stared coldly at her, “How did you even have the nerve to try to seduce my personal bodyguard?”
The intensifying force on her neck and the murderous intent in Qu Hua Shang’s eyes made Tian Jie feel anxious.
Upon realising that the other woman really wanted to kill her, she regretted the decision she had made last night.
In fact, all the Saintesses believed that it was thanks to Yang Kai that Qu Hua Shang had attained her current achievements. As long as they could lure the former Temple Master of Grand Qi Temple to their side, Qu Hua Shang would no longer be a threat.
Yang Kai was a man while the Saintesses were women. The only way they could think of to make him side with them was to seduce him. Tian Jie had never expected that not only would Yang Kai not accept her, he had also immediately told Qu Hua Shang about the scandal, which rendered her powerless to defend herself.
“Please forgive me, Little Sister. I’ll never dare to do it again. I’ll obey you from now on.” Tian Jie begged for mercy with a pitiful expression, “If you kill me here, you’ll be punished.”
Qu Hua Shang remained unperturbed.
Yang Kai frowned and recommended, “Forgive her for once. I believe she won’t do it again.”
*Kacka…*
The light in Tian Jie’s eyes went out as her entire figure went limp.
Qu Hua Shang turned around and glared at Yang Kai, “Why did you ask for forgiveness on her behalf?”
Yang Kai parted his lips, then let out a sigh.
Everything in this Samsara World was built on Qu Hua Shang’s Heart Barrier, so all the places and people here were nothing but illusions. As the Saintess of White Lotus Sect, she was obliged to go against those from Grand Qi Temple. Both parties tried to destroy each other because they had different stances. Therefore, Yang Kai wouldn’t say anything regardless of how many people from Grand Qi Temple that she had killed.
With that said, he wouldn’t want to see Qu Hua Shang act so ruthless and without qualms about killing her own people.
It never crossed his mind that his persuasion yielded the opposite of the desired outcome instead. Tian Jie lost her life because of that.
Certainly, the real Qu Hua Shang wasn’t like this. Her memory had been completely sealed in the ninth life, and she was a totally different person now.
“Although she was in the wrong, you shouldn’t have killed her,” Yang Kai replied with a frown.
Like a child who was defending her favourite toy, she spat through clenched teeth, “I’ll kill anyone who has their eyes on you!”
A joyful Xiao He watched on from the side as she poked Yang Kai with her elbow and said in a small voice, “She has fallen in love with you.”
Yang Kai wasn’t certain if he should be happy or sad.
Although the conflict didn’t last long, the White Lotus Matriarch soon got wind of it and rushed over to the scene a moment later.
Upon seeing Tian Jie’s corpse, she sported a gloomy expression.
Of all the Saintesses, besides Qu Hua Shang, she regarded Tian Jie as the most important; however, Tian Jie was killed by another Saintess that she treasured.
This had never happened before.
Qu Hua Shang was confined following her actions.
It was a taboo to assault a fellow disciple within White Lotus Sect, not to mention that a Saintess was killed for no reason in public. Everyone knew that if the murderer wasn’t Qu Hua Shang, she would’ve lost her life then and there.
The White Lotus Matriarch wouldn’t allow anyone to challenge her authority and the Saintesses were valuable assets of White Lotus Sect. Only the Sect Master had the right to determine their life or death.
There was no doubt that Qu Hua Shang had crossed the line.
Certainly, the other Saintesses were gleeful that such an incident had happened. Everyone believed that regardless of how much Qu Hua Shang was treasured in the past, the Sect Master would no longer regard her as important following the incident.
On the other hand, Qu Hua Shang was confined in an underground prison. The prison was where those from Grand Qi Temple imprisoned their enemies in the past. It was cold and damp, so it wasn’t suitable for Humans to live long-term.
The White Lotus Matriarch had also ordered that no one was allowed to visit her, and only a small amount of water and food would be provided to her every day. In that case, regardless of how powerful Qu Hua Shang was, her health would deteriorate as time went by.
The prison was guarded by some powerful cultivators, so there was nothing Yang Kai could do. Certainly, he could barge into the prison, and he believed that no one could stop him; however, by doing so, he would only bring bigger trouble to Qu Hua Shang.
He had to wait for a chance, and one came sooner than expected.
After those from Grand Qi Temple were destroyed, those from White Lotus Sect took over their Headquarters. Following the war, countless people from the seven major Sects were either killed or injured. Those who were still alive had returned to their own Sects to recuperate.
As expected, the White Lotus Matriarch wouldn’t miss this opportunity to destroy the rest of the survivors as it was her biggest dream to rule over the righteous path and the wicked path. Now, the chance was right in front of her eyes. As long as she could devastate the seven major Sects, she would pull off a feat that the other Sect Masters of White Lotus Sect had never been able to achieve before.
Since many of the powerful cultivators from the major Sects were either killed or wounded, it was the best time for White Lotus Sect to launch a decisive attack and destroy them once and for all.
However, those from White Lotus Sect were used to acting in the shadows, so it wasn’t their forte to deal with those Sects directly. The reason they could occupy the Headquarters of Grand Qi Temple previously was that they had some distinct advantages.
Moreover, they had also suffered a lot of losses after the war.
Now, the White Lotus Matriarch had fallen into an embarrassing situation as she didn’t have anyone who could help her to deal with the seven major Sects.
It wasn’t that her subordinates were weak. She had many underlings who were good at one-on-one fights or assassinations; however, they were not skillful enough when it came to leading an army and marshalling soldiers.
Such an opportunity was hard to come by, and if they missed it, they might not get another one.
It was at that moment that Yang Kai and Xiao He suddenly barged into the Main Conference Hall.
The White Lotus Matriarch sported a displeased expression and looked at him, “What’s wrong, Left Protector?”
Because of Qu Hua Shang, the White Lotus Matriarch had been giving Yang Kai the cold shoulder recently. Rumour had it that the reason Qu Hua Shang was so reckless was that she had Yang Kai on her side. That was why she was so haughty.
Regardless of whether the rumours were true, the White Lotus Matriarch had to show everyone that she was acting impartial in this matter.
Yang Kai cut to the chase by saying, “Give me 500 people and I’ll destroy Lion Hall within one month.”
The other Hall Masters broke into a commotion upon hearing that.
They were having a discussion on launching an attack on Lion Hall just now. Of the seven major Sects, Lion Hall was currently the weakest. That was the reason they had to target them first. This war was very important, so those from White Lotus Sect had to ensure they wouldn’t fail in their attempt.
If they won the battle, their morale would be boosted. If they lost the battle, the advantages they had accumulated would be gone for good.
The discussion hadn’t gone smoothly. According to their estimation, in order to destroy Lion Hall, they had to send 1,500 people to gain the upper hand, and they must be prepared to suffer an immense loss.
Certainly, they felt that Yang Kai had overestimated himself even though he was the former Temple Master of Grand Qi Temple.
The White Lotus Matriarch gazed at him with narrowed eyes, “What if you can’t destroy them?”
Yang Kai replied flatly, “You have complete control over my life or death. If I can’t achieve my goal, I’m willing to die as a punishment.”
The White Lotus Matriarch’s lips curled up, “So, you are aware that I also have control over your life or death. Since your life belongs to me, it’s not up to you to make decisions about it; otherwise, you won’t be risking anything.”
Yang Kai frowned, “What condition do you have, then?”
The White Lotus Matriarch was apparently well prepared. In fact, she had already come up with such a plan after Qu Hua Shang was imprisoned following Tian Jie’s death, so she said, “If you fail, Qu Hua Shang will lose her life!”
Yang Kai was willing to take the Freezing Blood Burning Soul Pill and join White Lotus Sect for Qu Hua Shang. The White Lotus Matriarch believed that by threatening to kill Qu Hua Shang, Yang Kai would do his best to achieve his goal.
That was the reason she had only confined Qu Hua Shang instead of punishing her according to the Sect’s rules.
She needed a competent General who could lead the army for her, and Yang Kai was the most qualified. However, she didn’t want to take the initiative and asked him to do it lest she appear desperate.
Now, everything was within her control.
“Good.” Yang Kai directly agreed to it, “However, I’d also like you to agree to a condition I have.”
The White Lotus Matriarch was fully aware of his intentions. Upon hearing that, she said with a smile, “Don’t worry. If you can really destroy Lion Hall in one month, I’ll forgive Qu Hua Shang for what she has done.”
Yang Kai nodded, “It’s a deal, then.”
“I’ll give you 800 people, and I want to see success within a month,” the White Lotus Matriarch ordered.
The next day, 300 people departed from the Headquarters of White Lotus Sect and headed straight towards Lion Hall. More and more people joined them along the way, and by the time they arrived at the gates of Lion Hall, there were exactly 800 of them.
Yang Kai already had some experience in mobilising soldiers during the war between the Star Boundary and Demon Realm. Forget 800 people, he had even commanded 800,000 people in battle before.
Attacking Lion Hall might be a difficult task to others, but it was just a matter of time in his eyes.
Those from Lion Hall were alerted long before the soldiers of White Lotus Sect arrived. Not only was the entrance closed, but they had also set up some traps and a Grand Array to deal with the enemies.
These 800 disciples from White Lotus Sect didn’t immediately launch an attack though.
Yang Kai and Xiao He spent the next ten days leading the powerful cultivators from White Lotus Sect to launch continuous probing attacks both day and night.
Sometimes, several raids would take place at the same time. Lion Hall was like a dilapidated house during a storm, so they were unable to fend off the disciples of White Lotus Sect, who relentlessly attacked them from all directions.
Ten days later, those from White Lotus Sect had lost more than 300 people while half of the Lion Hall’s leaders were killed. Countless other cultivators from Lion Hall were also killed or injured, and morale was low.
It wasn’t until this moment that Yang Kai gave the order to deal directly with the opponents.
The remaining 500 White Lotus Sect’s disciples were high-spirited as they stormed into Lion Hall. Following a bloody carnage, they occupied Lion Hall.
When Yang Kai returned to the Headquarters of White Lotus Sect, about one month had passed since he offered to destroy Lion Hall.
The White Lotus Matriarch was elated as she held a celebratory feast for Yang Kai. At the banquet, Qu Hua Shang, who had been confined for one month, reappeared and she was seated beside the White Lotus Matriarch. They looked as close as a Mother and Daughter.
Destroying Lion Hall served as a good start as those from White Lotus Sect aimed to conquer the world. In the next three years, they launched even more attacks on the remaining six major Sects. There were victories and losses on both sides, but generally speaking, White Lotus Sect gained the upper hand.
After Lion Hall was destroyed, Divine Method Hall, Swaying Willow Sect, Shooting Star Palace, Hidden Sword Villa, and Emerald Smoke Sect were also wiped out. White Lotus Sect practically had no rivals in the world anymore.
It had come to a point where those who showed the slightest disapproval of White Lotus Sect would be killed without mercy. The smaller Sects either had to go into hiding in the mountains or submit to White Lotus Sect.
Of the seven major Sects, only the struggling Grand Battle Sect remained.
A hero would always emerge in chaotic times. An extraordinary person from Grand Battle Sect soon attracted everyone’s attention. He was the Legacy Disciple of the current Sect Master of Grand Battle Sect. His name was Lin Tai Dou, which had something to do with the Sect’s name. He was brought back to the Sect when he was a young child and was a righteous man who hated all things evil in the world. Besides that, he also had exceptional aptitude and intelligence.
It had only been 20 years since he joined the Sect, but he was already more powerful than all the previous Sect Masters of Grand Battle Sect. He was only 25 years old now.
Those from White Lotus Sect were high-spirited as they charged towards Grand Battle Sect. They initially thought that it would be an easy victory, but it turned out that they were faced with an unimaginable challenge.
Under Lin Tai Dou’s leadership, the battle against White Lotus Sect went on for about half a year. A lot of disciples from White Lotus Sect were killed, but they hadn’t managed to achieve their goal. An infuriated White Lotus Matriarch directly ordered Qu Hua Shang to occupy Grand Battle Sect within three months. Failure to do so would lead to the loss of her life.
The White Lotus Matriarch was not joking. Grand Battle Sect was the last obstacle for White Lotus Sect before they could declare hegemony over the world. By destroying Grand Battle Sect, she would pull off a feat that the previous Sect Masters had never been able to achieve. She would be able to be the ruler of the world. Certainly, she wouldn’t allow such an obstacle to get in her way.
All of them knew that the White Lotus Matriarch valued Yang Kai’s capabilities; however, when he joined White Lotus Sect back then, he said that he would only obey Qu Hua Shang’s orders.
The White Lotus Matriarch was unable to directly give orders to Yang Kai, so she could only make use of Qu Hua Shang.
Upon receiving the order, Yang Kai once again showcased his talent and capabilities in leading an army.
It took them two months before they finally seized Grand Battle Sect. The White Lotus Matriarch personally made a move to kill the Sect Master of Grand Battle Sect, which would mean that they had finally gained total victory.
However, after the war, they realised that many of the important figures from Grand Battle Sect had already fled, including the young and famous Lin Tai Dou.
Although the White Lotus Matriarch had given the order to find their whereabouts, she wasn’t really bothered; after all, the seven major Sects had been destroyed. From now on, White Lotus Sect was the only supreme entity that could lead the righteous and wicked paths on this continent.
Nevertheless, a single spark could start a huge blaze.
The White Lotus Matriarch had never expected that Lin Tai Dou would bring huge trouble to her one day.
Over the next six months, everyone on the continent went through a period of terror under the rule of White Lotus Sect. The disciples of White Lotus Sect became increasingly ruthless, which caused everyone to be resentful of them.
On the other hand, Lin Tai Dou gathered the remaining members of the seven major Sects together and attracted other disgruntled people to join him before he started a 20-year war against White Lotus Sect.
When the seven major Sects were destroyed, not everyone was killed. Some of them were lucky enough to have survived. Since they had a blood feud with White Lotus Sect, they naturally wanted to obtain their revenge.
Other than the seven major Sects, countless people in the world were resentful of White Lotus Sect. Under their reign of terror, innumerable people lost their friends and family.
That was why more and more people gathered around Lin Tai Dou.
Since White Lotus Sect now ruled over the world, they had no more rivals left. The Sect’s leaders all indulged in an extravagant life, and even the White Lotus Matriarch had put down her guard.
It wasn’t until half a year later when Righteous Union, led by Lin Tai Dou, rose into the light that the White Lotus Matriarch was alerted.
However, she still wasn’t bothered by it; after all, Grand Qi Temple and the seven major Sects had been destroyed by White Lotus Sect, so how was Righteous Union supposed to last long?
Nevertheless, every time White Lotus Sect clashed with Righteous Union, they would always suffer a loss. More and more disciples were killed, and even several Hall Masters lost their lives within half a year.
It was only then that the White Lotus Matriarch woke up to reality and became wary of the newly founded Righteous Union. She ordered some powerful subordinates to find out the whereabouts of those from Righteous Union and kill them ruthlessly.
Nonetheless, Righteous Union was different from Grand Qi Temple or the seven major Sects.
When White Lotus Sect was going up against Grand Qi Temple and the seven major Sects in the past, they were in the dark while the latter was exposed under sunlight, but it was the other way round now.
After destroying Grand Qi Temple, those from White Lotus Sect had their own Headquarters now, but they also exposed themselves to the public.
On the other hand, those from Righteous Union remained hidden since their founding.
Furthermore, Lin Tai Dou was a powerful and charismatic Union Master. Every time those from Righteous Union launched an attack, they would bring huge trouble to White Lotus Sect. It had also earned Lin Tai Dou unrivalled reputation and influence.
In just five years, Righteous Union became increasingly powerful instead of being destroyed by White Lotus Sect.
Although they were still unable to go up against White Lotus Sect in a frontal clash, they were strong enough to not be simply wiped out. There were even times when they were able to pose serious threats to White Lotus Sect.
Certainly, the White Lotus Matriarch wouldn’t allow an opposing power to rise in her territory. She initially thought that she had pulled off a feat that the previous Sect Masters had never been able to achieve after destroying Grand Battle Sect. Now, it seemed that she could not achieve her goal before she destroyed Righteous Union.
Upon realising the dangerous situation she was in, the White Lotus Matriarch stopped being decadent and focused on fighting against Righteous Union.
She had never expected that it would be so hard to deal with this new foe though.
By the tenth year, Righteous Union was already as powerful as Grand Qi Temple was back then. There were victories and losses on both sides as Righteous Union and White Lotus Sect clashed with one another.
This made the White Lotus Matriarch infuriated as she felt regretful of what she failed to do after destroying Grand Battle Sect.
If she had paid more attention to Lin Tai Dou and ordered her subordinates to hunt down and kill him at all cost, all of this wouldn’t have happened.
However, there was no use crying over spilled milk. Her negligence in the past had caused her to be in so much trouble now. Regardless of how furious she was, she had to deal with it.
Over the next ten years, the entire world was dragged into the battle between the righteous and wicked paths.
All cultivators would either have to join White Lotus Sect or Righteous Union, there wasn’t a third option, nor could they steer clear of the fight. The battles between both sides could be seen everywhere on this continent.
The White Lotus Matriarch’s days were numbered as she was now old and frail. Her dark hair had turned grey, and her face was full of wrinkles.
She could feel that she wouldn’t live for much longer. When she was young, she suffered a lot of injuries when fighting against Grand Qi Temple, and these dark injuries had started affecting her health as she became older.
Perhaps she would slumber off one night and not see the sun the next morning.
However, she hadn’t managed to obtain total dominance over the wicked and righteous paths. Her victory more than ten years ago was nothing more than an illusion. She would never be able to rest in peace before destroying Lin Tai Dou and Righteous Union.
Therefore, she did whatever it took to crush her last remaining foe.
In just one year, more than half of the cultivators from both White Lotus Sect and Righteous Union were killed. Every battle was significantly more intense than the ones in the past decades.
Eventually, the White Lotus Matriarch’s wish was granted. The White Lotus Sect’s army managed to trap those from Righteous Union inside Crimson Wind Canyon.
Crimson Wind Canyon was a natural canyon where the wide path could accommodate dozens of horses while the narrow spots would only allow several people to pass by at once.
The sides of the canyon were tall precipices.
With both sides of Crimson Wind Canyon blocked, those from Righteous Union had practically fallen into a death trap.
Yang Kai was the biggest contributor in successfully blocking them here. It was thanks to his skills in mobilising soldiers that they managed to lure the enemy to this place after just three months of battle. During that period of time, they fought with those from Righteous Union multiple times and almost failed their mission on numerous occasions. Fortunately, they succeeded in the end.
The final battle was right before their eyes. The well-prepared White Lotus Sect disciples stormed into Crimson Wind Canyon from both sides as both parties clashed.
There would be people losing their lives every breath, and within just one hour, a blood river had formed in Crimson Wind Canyon.
After days of intense battle, those from White Lotus Sect were still being pushed back despite their multiple attempts to charge forward. Both parties were exhausted as their eyes had turned bloodshot.
The White Lotus Matriarch stood on a boulder above Crimson Wind Canyon as she looked down at the fight in silence. All of a sudden, she beckoned in a particular direction.
Qu Hua Shang took a few steps forward and stood beside her.
The White Lotus Matriarch asked, “Qu’er, do you have any solution to destroy the enemy?”
Qu Hua Shang was fully aware of what was going on as she had been watching the fight all along, so she frankly replied, “We have to kill their leader. The others in Righteous Union pose no threat to us. As long as we can kill Lin Tai Dou, Righteous Union will collapse.”
Upon finishing her words, she cupped her fist, “Sect Master, please allow me to personally slay Lin Tai Dou!”
The White Lotus Matriarch shook her head with a smile, “I’m glad that you’re so loyal. I believe that White Lotus Sect will be in good hands after you take over my position.”
“Sect Master…” Qu Hua Shang hung her head low. In recent years, the White Lotus Matriarch had repeatedly told her this. It was as though she intended to pass the position of Sect Master to her after she passed away.
Although Qu Hua Shang was indeed the most qualified one to take over the position of Sect Master in White Lotus Sect, she wouldn’t dare to reveal her true feelings. She would always appear obedient every time the White Lotus Matriarch mentioned it.
The White Lotus Matriarch cut her off by raising her hand, “I’m old, and my predestined time is near. Every night, I can feel those I’ve killed in the past come back to haunt me in my dreams. I’ll pass the position of Sect Master to you sooner or later.”
She appeared sincere as it didn’t seem like a test, but Qu Hua Shang remained silent.
“Lin Tai Dou is formidable. Even though you are strong, you’re no match for him. There’s only one person in this world who can deal with him!”
As the White Lotus Matriarch spoke, she suddenly looked fervently at Qu Hua Shang.
Although she never said it, Qu Hua Shang knew who the person was that the older woman was talking about.
Yang Kai!
Although they had spent nearly twenty years together, Qu Hua Shang still hadn’t figured out how strong Yang Kai truly was. If there was anyone in the world who could defeat Lin Tai Dou, it had to be Yang Kai.
“Tell him to make a move. After Lin Tai Dou is killed, there won’t be Righteous Union anymore,” the White Lotus Matriarch ordered.
Qu Hua Shang had been staying by the White Lotus Matriarch’s side all along, so she had discovered something that those disciples of White Lotus Sect were not aware of.
She suddenly realised something upon hearing what the White Lotus Matriarch had said, so she appeared conflicted for a moment.
The White Lotus Matriarch took the younger woman’s hand and patted it, “I know you’re an ambitious person who wants to take over the position of Sect Master. You want to be the noblest woman in the world. Love doesn’t really matter to you, does it? I’m sure you’ve realised Yang Kai’s feelings for you after spending 20 years with him. Why do you always keep a distance from him? I promise you that after this war, I will pass you the position of Sect Master. That’s my only wish before my death. After you become the Sect Master, you’ll rule over both the wicked and righteous paths.”
Qu Hua Shang pressed her lips together and appeared hesitant.
“Think it over,” The White Lotus Matriarch shot her a glance and spoke no further.
She knew that Qu Hua Shang would make a wise decision.
As expected, Qu Hua Shang lifted her head a moment later and replied, “I will give him the order.”
“Go on,” The White Lotus Matriarch nodded.
It was only then that Qu Hua Shang turned around and flew towards the canyon.
On one side of the canyon, Yang Kai was monitoring the battle.
Time didn’t seem to have left any marks on him even though 20 years had passed. He looked almost the same as the time when he first joined White Lotus Sect. Although he was also older now, he wasn’t as wrinkled as the White Lotus Matriarch.
Xiao He still steadfastly stayed by his side.
Yang Kai saw Qu Hua Shang the moment she arrived as he flashed a smile at her, “Is the Sect Master running out of patience? Tell her that Righteous Union will collapse within seven days. Although Lin Tai Dou is impressive, this is all he can do.”
Qu Hua Shang stared silently at him for a moment before saying, “I want you to kill Lin Tai Dou.”
“Now?” Yang Kai arched his brow.
Qu Hua Shang nodded almost imperceptibly.
After a moment of silence, Yang Kai put on a smile, “Anything you say. If you want him dead now, I’ll behead him right away. I’m sure he won’t be able to go against my spear.”
Qu Hua Shang’s face turned pale. She parted her lips in an attempt to say something, but she couldn’t utter a word in the end.
Seemingly thinking of something, Yang Kai fished out something from his pocket and passed it to her, “Keep this and don’t let anyone discover it.”
A flustered Qu Hua Shang took it in a dazed manner.
After taking a glance at where the White Lotus Matriarch was located, Yang Kai said in a small voice, “You must never trust the White Lotus Matriarch!”
In an instant, Qu Hua Shang became stunned as if struck by lightning while the colour drained from her face.
When she raised her head, she realised that Yang Kai was already stepping towards the battlefield with his spear.
Xiao He followed him closely. All of a sudden, she turned her head and said to Qu Hua Shang, “You have to take good care of yourself from now on!”
Upon finishing her words, she pulled a face at her.
Qu Hua Shang’s eyes were soon drenched in tears as they slid down her face.
When she returned to the White Lotus Matriarch’s side, the intense battle had begun. The morale of White Lotus Sect’s disciples had been boosted with Yang Kai joining the battle. Those from Righteous Union, who initially could go up against them, were instantly put at a disadvantage as more and more of them lost their lives.
The White Lotus Matriarch looked down at the battle with a smile, “Qu’er, you’re lucky to have a man who is so loyal to you.”
Qu Hua Shang remained silent while feeling heartbroken.
Both sides had respectively sent more than 10,000 people to take part in the battle. Towards the end of the battle, only 10% were left. Even the most powerful cultivators were unable to ensure their own safety in this kind of situation.
Lin Tai Dou was eventually killed by Yang Kai while the rest of the leaders of Righteous Union were all destroyed.
However, Yang Kai had been badly injured; after all, he was much older than Lin Tai Dou, so he was no longer as energetic as in the past.
He had to take the risk of getting wounded in order to kill Lin Tai Dou with his spear.
Xiao He was also soaked in blood as her aura was weak.
Both of them were on their last legs.
Before the remaining White Lotus Sect’s disciples could cheer for their victory, they heard rumbling sounds coming from the cliffs. At that moment, the ground started shaking.
When those who were still alive looked up, their expressions changed drastically.
That was because huge rocks could be seen rolling down the precipices while burning arrows rained down on them.
Although Yang Kai was drenched in blood, he still held his spear firmly and looked up in a particular direction.
Over there, the White Lotus Matriarch no longer appeared frail as she looked down with a flushing face. Behind her was Qu Hua Shang, who clenched her fists while trembling slightly.
When rocks and burning arrows finally buried the entire Crimson Wind Canyon, the White Lotus Matriarch couldn’t help but start guffawing.
The last obstacle that hindered her from ruling over the world wasn’t Righteous Union, but Yang Kai!
She had never been a match for Yang Kai since the beginning. Even though Righteous Union was destroyed, she still couldn’t be the overlord of the world.
Now, this obstacle was finally wiped out.
The Death Qi that had surrounded her over the years vanished in an instant, and there seemed to be fewer wrinkles on her face now. Judging from how healthy she looked, she could probably live for decades to come.
Qu Hua Shang knew that she had been set up. The White Lotus Matriarch had made use of the ambition that had been burning in her heart for years.
In recent years, the White Lotus Matriarch always appeared to be frail in order to help fan the burning ambition in her heart.
The boisterous White Lotus Sect’s disciples around Qu Hua Shang cheered for their victory; however, the noises sounded so distant to her, as though everything in this world had nothing to do with her anymore.
Righteous Union and Lin Tai Dou were destroyed while Yang Kai was killed. There was nothing in the world that could stop White Lotus Sect from dominating the world.
White Lotus Sect was now the only great force in the world, and the White Lotus Matriarch finally showcased zest that was unlike her age. She was worshipped like an overlord in the Headquarters of White Lotus Sect by all others.
Two months later, a metallic tang permeated the Grand Hall.
There was a dagger plunged into the White Lotus Matriarch’s chest as she lay on her throne, her clothes soaked in blood.
She pressed her hand against her chest while gazing at Qu Hua Shang in disbelief, “Y-You dare!”
Qu Hua Shang was standing on a spot that was a couple of metres away from her. Even though the White Lotus Matriarch was dying, a cunning person like her might make the final strike before her death. Certainly, Qu Hua Shang wouldn’t give her the chance.
Despite her alluring face, she looked as devious as a viper at this moment. With a dispassionate expression, she said, “Why wouldn’t I dare?”
The White Lotus Matriarch coughed up blood, “I haven’t passed you the recipe for the Freezing Blood Burning Soul Pills. If I die, you won’t be able to live either. You’ll die in just three months!”
She had complete trust in the Freezing Blood Burning Soul Pills, so she had never been suspicious of Qu Hua Shang. That was the reason she was caught off guard.
Only the Sect Master of White Lotus Sect had the right to take control of the Freezing Blood Burning Soul Pills. Every Sect Master would pass the recipe to their successor before their death.
“Are you talking about this?” Qu Hua Shang suddenly fished out a jade bottle from her clothes and poured out dozens of red pills.
The White Lotus Matriarch widened her eyes in disbelief, “H-How can this be? W-Where did you get the recipe?”
She was certain that she had never told anyone the recipe before, nor had she left behind any clues about it. There was no way Qu Hua Shang could have obtained it.
“He gave it to me,” Qu Hua Shang appeared melancholic when she spoke about that person and recalled the incident in Crimson Wind Canyon two months ago.
Yang Kai passed her something before he left. After the war ended, she checked it and realised that it was the recipe for the Freezing Blood Burning Soul Pill’s antidotes.
Judging from the weathered look of the scroll, it must have been more than ten years old.
In other words, Yang Kai had already obtained this recipe more than ten years ago. He and Xiao He had probably resolved the poison of the Freezing Blood Burning Soul Pills long ago and were no longer controlled by it.
He could have left at any moment, but he had always stayed by her side instead. Regardless of how unreasonable her demands were, he had never refused her.
Even when she ordered him to die, he still willingly obliged!
Certainly, the White Lotus Matriarch knew who the person was that Qu Hua Shang was talking about. After becoming startled for a moment, she put on a bitter smile, “I’d never expected that he was an expert in the Alchemic Dao on top of everything else.”
Yang Kai had somehow obtained the antidote recipe while being clueless about it. The only possibility that the White Lotus Matriarch could think of was that merely through ingesting and studying the antidotes he got every three months, he was able to determine the ingredients and figured out the recipe.
Ordinary Alchemists would never have been able to pull off such a feat. The White Lotus Matriarch even doubted whether her speculation was right despite it being the only possibility.
“Yes… Who could have expected that?” Qu Hua Shang muttered under her breath.
The White Lotus Matriarch suddenly put on a smile, “Good, very good! The Sect Master of White Lotus Sect must be cruel and cold-hearted. You’re a woman, so you’re already weaker than men to begin with. If you remain so indecisive, you will destroy our foundation that has been built up for hundreds of years. I knew you were the right person. I’ll be able to rest in peace, knowing that you’ll be the next Sect Master.”
Qu Hua Shang saluted her in an elegant manner, “I ask Sect Master to go on ahead!”
The White Lotus Matriarch nodded and closed her eyes. Her aura became increasingly weaker until it was completely gone.
A moment later, Qu Hua Shang stepped forward and placed her finger under the White Lotus Matriarch’s nose. Upon confirming that the older woman was really dead, she moved her corpse and adjusted her own clothes before sitting on the throne of the Sect Master.
She had always dreamed of becoming the Sect Master, and now, her wish had finally been granted.
The magnificent throne symbolised unlimited power. She had the right to determine anyone’s life or death and command both the righteous and wicked path.
The power she had obtained was even greater than the dreams she had as a young child. In this world, White Lotus Sect had no more rivals.
She looked down at the hall as though she could already envision the countless Masters who would come over to pay respects to her.
The corners of her mouth curled as she suddenly began to laugh.
Life was too short to have a lot of dreams, and a person would be considered lucky if they could make even one of them come true.
Qu Hua Shang had managed to achieve that and more though.
However, innumerable people had lost their lives for her victory.
Her unrestrained laugh reverberated across the empty hall, but no one could share her happiness. Presently, she was only accompanied by a corpse.
As she laughed, she suddenly broke down into tears.
Her tears slid down her face like pearls after the string had snapped. Appearing heartbroken, she covered her face with her hands.
There was nothing in the world she feared while she had the unconditional love of that man. It wasn’t until she lost him that she realised he had become an inseparable part of her life.
While sitting on the throne, she finally discovered that her dream wasn’t worth anything. The man she had always neglected in the past was the most valuable treasure she had; however, she had lost him forever. All she could think of now were those few months she had spent living in that log house by the lake. That was undoubtedly the happiest time in her life.
At that moment, she felt she could feel the gentle breeze brushing past her cheek as she placed her hands behind her head. While looking up at the starry sky, she listened to the love story of nine lives. At that time, there were no deceptions and battles in her life. All she had was that man’s unconditional love.
She missed that time so much.
“In the next life, I’ll repay what I owe you!”
Qu Hua Shang lifted her sword to her neck as the sharp blade cut her delicate skin, preparing to end it all, but while her eyes were drenched in tears, she suddenly caught sight of a figure abruptly appearing before her.
The person was wearing a mask made from iron, but even though his face was covered, his figure was all too familiar.
Qu Hua Shang thought that her sorrow was causing her to hallucinate as she looked dazedly at the person, so she did not hesitate to exert more force with her hand.
It wasn’t until her wrist was clenched by the person that her entire figure shook.
Behind that person, Xiao He stuck out her head while appearing puzzled, “Why are you trying to kill yourself all of a sudden? You looked so happy a moment ago. How strange!”
“O-Old man?” Qu Hua Shang quickly wiped away her tears and asked in a shaking voice.
The person took her sword and tossed it away before the weapon clanged to the ground. He gently stroked her head and said, “Good people don’t live long while a scourge lasts 1,000 years. I won’t die so easily.”
Qu Hua Shang couldn’t believe her eyes as she attempted to take off the person’s iron mask.
“My face was burned. It might scare you,” Yang Kai said.
Without hesitation, Qu Hua Shang took off the mask and saw a contorted face that was caused by burn marks. The face was so hideous that a toddler would break into tears upon seeing it.
However, Qu Hua Shang crashed into the man’s embrace and hugged him tightly as though she was trying to merge with his body. She sniffed at the man’s scent as if she was trying to imprint it in the deepest part of her mind. Regardless of how many rounds of reincarnation she had to go through, she would never forget his scent.
Yang Kai’s clothes were smeared by her tears and snot while the woman was laughing and crying at the same time.
Xiao He looked at them with a tilted head and couldn’t help but remark, “The couple has finally gotten together. How wonderful!”
All of a sudden, Qu Hua Shang froze, and the next moment, she lifted her head from the man’s embrace and looked up at him with a perplexed expression, “Junior Brother?”
Yang Kai let out a long breath, “You’re finally awake, Senior Sister!”
It had been a difficult life for him as it was much harder to wake Qu Hua Shang up compared to the previous eight lives.
This couldn’t be helped, as Qu Hua Shang was overly ambitious in this life to the point that she neglected her own feelings. Yang Kai had been working hard to win her heart by staying by her side for 20 years. Even though he had made some progress, he still hadn’t managed to shatter her Heart Barrier.
Therefore, he decided to take a risk by helping her fulfil her wish and satisfy her ambition. She would only have time to examine her true feelings after that.
Even if the White Lotus Matriarch hadn’t come up with the plot during the battle at Crimson Wind Canyon, Yang Kai would still have pretended to die to fulfil his plan.
However, the White Lotus Matriarch’s plot almost caused him to really lose his life there.
Yang Kai had no idea what would have happened if he was really killed. Fortunately, the outcome turned out to be what he had hoped to see.
After going through nine rounds of reincarnation, Qu Hua Shang finally resolved her heart and regained herself after her Heart Barrier was shattered.
“Yes, I’m awake.” Qu Hua Shang snuggled up to Yang Kai with a joyous expression, “Thank you, for everything.”
Yang Kai slowly shook his head and ran his fingers through her hair.
Then, Qu Hua Shang lifted her head and looked over his shoulder before asking in puzzlement, “What’s going on with Xiao He?”
Since her Heart Barrier was shattered, her memory was also restored. Certainly, she had recalled everything that had happened in the rounds of reincarnation. Since the sixth life, Xiao He had always appeared in the Samsara Worlds that were built upon her Heart Barrier, which concerned her.
She didn’t remember anything about a woman named Luo Ting He. Supposedly, such a person shouldn’t have appeared in her Samsara Worlds.
“I have no idea either; however, I think we’ll find out about it after we leave this place.”
Qu Hua Shang nodded and lifted her head from the man’s embrace before looking at him with a sly gaze, “Well… I’ll see you in the next life then!”
Yang Kai was flabbergasted upon hearing that and in a half-panic asked, “There’s a next life!?”
Without replying to him, Qu Hua Shang winked at him in a cheeky manner. Just then, everything around him started dissipating like a burning picture scroll.
Yang Kai watched his own figure disappearing into the void as his consciousness seemed to have set off on a long journey.
When he came to his senses, he realised that it was pitch-black around him.
Soon, a light tore through the darkness and expanded as the view inside the Samsara Pavilion came into his sight.
Yang Kai was startled for a moment before realising that there wasn’t a next life. Nine lives was the limit in the Samsara Pavilion, which was also the number of lives Qu Hua Shang had set up for her Heart Barrier. She was just pulling a prank earlier.
He slowly shook his head as he was torn between tears and laughter. After stepping out of the tree cave, he looked up at the sky.
Although he finally returned to the real world, Yang Kai still found it to be surreal. The experiences and hardships he had gone through in the nine lives were so vivid that it was as though they had just happened the day before.
The experiences felt so real that it could be said they had actually happened.
Yang Kai could clearly feel that after nine rounds of reincarnation, he was now in a much calmer state. Only a bit more than 100 years had passed after nine rounds of reincarnation, but it was equivalent to 1,000 years of training for his mental state.
The Samsara Pavilion was indeed a place where hearts were trained and tempered.
If a person’s cultivation had progressed too quickly while he was in an unstable mental state, he would gain a lot of benefits by training inside the Samsara Pavilion.
Without the need for any reason, Yang Kai started walking in a particular direction. Although there were no clear indications, he was certain that Qu Hua Shang was in that direction.
Their hearts were now connected after nine rounds of reincarnation.
While he was on his way, he saw an alluring woman moving towards him.
As their eyes met, Qu Hua Shang put on a smile and shuffled over.
Yang Kai extended his hand and said, “Let’s go. Martial Aunt Yu must be worried about us.”
“En,” Qu Hua Shang obediently placed her hand in Yang Kai’s.
A lot of people were moving around outside the Samsara Pavilion.
It had been about 130 years since Yang Kai entered the Samsara Pavilion. To an ordinary mortal who had never cultivated before, this was a period of time that was longer than their lifetime; however, to an Open Heaven Realm Master, it was no more than a short, secluded cultivation session.
When Yu Xiang Die had some free time recently, she would come here to wait outside the Samsara Pavilion.
Unfortunately, after she waited for many years, Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang were still nowhere in sight. On the other hand, Chen Xiu’s two disciples had walked out of the Samsara Pavilion not long after they entered it.
During the past ten-plus years, Yu Xiang Die had spent more time waiting in this place. That was because according to her estimations, if Yang Kai could successfully bring Qu Hua Shang out of the Samsara Pavilion, it would happen around this time.
Waiting wasn’t something that felt boring to her. She had been waiting for a particular man to notice her for many more years, so she was already used to the feeling.
When two familiar figures stepped out of the Samsara Pavilion hand in hand, Yu Xiang Die let out a long breath as the worry in her heart over the years finally abated.
“Martial Aunt Yu!”
Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang saluted her at the same time.
Yu Xiang Die darted her gaze between the two of them with an amiable smile before nodding with satisfaction, “I’m glad that both of you are back. You must have suffered a lot.”
She had received training in the Samsara Pavilion before, so she knew what they would face inside. Contrary to her initial assumptions, the Heart Barrier that Qu Hua Shang had set up must have been extremely difficult to overcome, so the hardships they had gone through must be more intense than her own experiences in the past.
“Many thanks for your concern, Martial Aunt,” Yang Kai said.
Yu Xiang Die shook her head, “It’s nothing. In any case, both of you must be exhausted. Go get some rest now.”
“There’s no hurry.” Yang Kai shook his head and turned to look in the Samsara Pavilion’s direction, “Let’s wait a while longer.”
A puzzled Yu Xiang Die asked, “What are you waiting for?”
Qu Hua Shang knew what Yang Kai was waiting for, but just when she was ready to ask Yu Xiang Die whether the latter knew someone named Luo Ting He, Yu Xiang Die widened her eyes in disbelief as she looked over their shoulders.
At that moment, a powerful aura could be felt rapidly approaching them.
Qu Hua Shang turned her head and saw Xiao He descending from the sky with a smile. She soon landed on the ground.
Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang traded glances as they had already expected it.
Xiao He had always appeared by their side since the sixth life; therefore, they speculated that she must be a powerful cultivator from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven who for some reason was swept into their Samsara Worlds.
Now, they had gone through nine rounds of reincarnation and left the Samsara Pavilion. It must be the same case for Luo Ting He.
The person Yang Kai was waiting for was naturally Luo Ting He.
Judging from Yu Xiang Die’s expression, it was apparent that she knew Luo Ting He. Moreover, they seemed really close.
“Senior Sister Luo…” Disbelief was written all over Yu Xiang Die’s face as she spoke in a shaking voice, clearly on the brink of breaking into tears as she asked, “Is that really you?”
[Senior Sister Luo…]
Upon hearing how Yu Xiang Die addressed the woman, Qu Hua Shang realised something. Luo Ting He and her Honoured Master were supposedly from the same generation, but she had never heard of her before.
“Xiao Die!” Luo Ting He called out with a smile.
The next moment, Yu Xiang Die crashed into Luo Ting He’s arms and hugged her tightly as her shoulders trembled.
Luo Ting He’s face twitched as she gazed at Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang with a helpless expression. She patted Yu Xiang Die’s back and said, “There, there. You’re an adult now, so why do you still love to cry just like when you were a child? Where’s that good-for-nothing boy? Did he bully you?”
While hugging her tightly, Yu Xiang Die shook her head.
A helpless Luo Ting He muttered in a small voice, “They’re watching you.”
It was only then that Yu Xiang Die started flushing as she bashfully moved away. Then, she turned her head to glower at Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang.
One of them quickly looked up at the sky while the other gazed at the ground.
“Why haven’t you saluted her yet?” Yu Xiang Die spoke in a stern voice in an attempt to restore her authority.
Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang quickly cupped their fists, “Greetings, Martial Aunt Luo!”
Luo Ting He waved her hand, “Stop calling me that. It’s not like we’re strangers. Just call me Xiao He as usual.”
Yang Kai’s forehead was covered in cold sweat, “This Junior wouldn’t dare.”
In their ninth life, he had always called his crazy and muddle-headed personal bodyguard ‘Xiao He’. Since he was aware of her true identity now, Yang Kai wouldn’t dare to be impolite.
A perplexed Yu Xiang Die gazed at Luo Ting He as she had no idea why her Senior Sister and Yang Kai seemed to be so familiar with one another.
Just then, Luo Ting He frowned as though she was bothered by some kind of difficulty, “We’ll catch up later. There’s something I have to do now.”
Yu Xiang Die quickly asked, “Do you need any help?”
With a smile, Luo Ting He stroked the other woman’s head, “My Internal Qi is surging and my Small Universe is trembling now. I’m about to achieve a breakthrough. How are you going to help me?”
A pleasantly surprised Yu Xiang Die asked, “You’re about to achieve a breakthrough?”
Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang were shocked as well.
Luo Ting He’s aura had been conspicuous since she stepped out of the Samsara Pavilion, and the fluctuations she gave off indicated that she was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Yang Kai initially thought that she was unable to curb her aura after staying in the Samsara Pavilion for too long.
Apparently, that wasn’t the case though. The reason behind it was that she was about to achieve a breakthrough.
Since she was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master now, naturally she was going to ascend to the Eighth-Order.
An Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would be considered a Supreme Elder or Ancestor in any of those Cave Heavens or Paradises.
It wasn’t that Yang Kai had never seen Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters before, but it was the first time he was about to witness a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master ascending to the Eighth-Order. His interest had been piqued.
If nothing unexpected happened, he would make it to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm one day as well. If he could observe the process now, he might gain something from it that would help with his breakthrough in the future.
Qu Hua Shang shared the same sentiment, so she stared fixedly at Luo Ting He.
The next instant, Luo Ting He leaped into the air and said to Yu Xiang Die, “Wait for me. I’ll be right back.”
Certainly, Yu Xiang Die would wait for her return.
Luo Ting He didn’t head to a faraway place, stopping at a spot that was 1,000 or so kilometres away from the Spirit Province where the Samsara Pavilion was located as she sat down with her legs crossed and formed a hand seal. The World Force swirled around her as the illusory phantom of her Small Universe flickered behind her back.
Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang stared fixedly at her.
All of a sudden, Yu Xiang Die turned around and saluted the two of them, “Thank you!”
A flabbergasted Yang Kai stepped aside and asked in puzzlement, “What do you mean, Martial Aunt Yu?”
Qu Hua Shang also had no idea what was going on. She didn’t understand why Yu Xiang Die saluted them as they were her Juniors.
Yu Xiang Die said, “Thank you for bringing Senior Sister Luo out of the Samsara Pavilion.”
Yang Kai exchanged glances with Qu Hua Shang, then shook his head, “You’ve got it wrong, Martial Aunt Yu. We didn’t do anything. Instead, Martial Aunt Luo helped us a lot. It is we who should thank her.”
Yu Xiang Die put on a smile, “Do you know how long Senior Sister Luo has been trapped inside the Samsara Pavilion?” Before they could reply to her, she went on to say, “It has been 2,000 years. 2,000 years.”
Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang were astounded upon hearing that.
Although they had speculated that Luo Ting He was a powerful cultivator from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven who had barged into their Samsara Worlds, they hadn’t expected that she had been trapped inside for 2,000 years.
The Samsara Pavilion was a place where Yin-Yang Cave Heaven disciples trained their hearts. Although the place appeared serene, it was paved with danger.
Regardless of whether they cultivated the Heartfelt Dao or the Heartless Dao, Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s disciples had to fall in love at some point in order to advance.
It was rumoured that the disciples of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven were all lascivious people; however, they didn’t know that these seemingly unscrupulous people were the most loyal partners out there.
A lot of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s disciples entered the Samsara Pavilion to receive training and set up Heart Barriers for themselves, but they became lost inside forever.
Since time immemorial, countless Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s disciples had been trapped inside the Samsara Pavilion as they were no longer able to tell reality and illusion apart. They had lost their way in the rounds of reincarnation.
Luo Ting He was one of them. There had never been any news about her since she entered the Samsara Pavilion 2,000 years ago. It wasn’t until this day that she reappeared.
“Senior Sister cultivated the Heartfelt Dao, and she had a partner who was also deeply in love with her. Although the challenge was difficult for them, they were supposedly able to surmount it. Unfortunately…”
“What happened?” Qu Hua Shang asked with anxiety. Although she knew that something must have happened that caused Luo Ting He to be trapped inside the Samsara Pavilion for 2,000 years, she still couldn’t help but feel nervous at this moment.
Yu Xiang Die shook her head and let out a sigh, “Senior Sister is a willful person. When she decides to do something, no one can stop her. That day, Brother Xu had an argument with her, saying that no one could pass the test of nine reincarnations in the Samsara Pavilion. Senior Sister argued that she could do it, so she entered the Samsara Pavilion without telling anyone about it. Brother Xu and I were unable to stop her and, at that time, Senior Brother Sun was trying to break through to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm.”
Although she didn’t explain who Senior Brother Sun was, Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang knew that he was supposed to be Luo Ting He’s partner. She had faith in the love between them, and she believed that Senior Brother Sun would be able to bring her out of the Samsara Pavilion, so she didn’t have a discussion with him before that.
“An accident happened when Senior Brother Sun was trying to ascend to the Eighth Order, and he passed away.” Yu Xiang Die appeared melancholic as she recalled the incident from 2,000 years ago, “The higher the Order in the Open Heaven Realm, the harder it is to achieve a breakthrough. Although Senior Brother Sun was well prepared, he still failed in his attempt in the end.”
“Was that why Martial Aunt Luo was trapped inside the Samsara Pavilion?” Qu Hua Shang asked.
Yu Xiang Die nodded, “Since Senior Brother Sun had passed away, no one could shatter Senior Sister Luo’s Heart Barrier anymore. That was why no one was able to bring her out of that place.”
Qu Hua Shang suddenly recalled something as she said, “So, the person that Honoured Master had mentioned was Martial Aunt Luo.”
Yu Xiang Die shot her a curious glance, “What did Brother Xu say?”
Qu Hua Shang replied, “There was once when Honoured Master was quite drunk. He said he had wronged a Senior Sister long ago, but he didn’t delve into it, so I wasn’t sure what he was talking about. Now, it seems that the person he had mentioned was Martial Aunt Luo.”
If he hadn’t argued with Luo Ting He, she wouldn’t have dashed into the Samsara Pavilion on a whim and become trapped inside it for such a long time.
Yu Xiang Die snorted, “Hmph, he’s guilty of wronging more than just one Senior Sister!”
Qu Hua Shang knew a thing or two about what was going on between her Honoured Master and Yu Xiang Die, but she wouldn’t dare to say anything now, so she just stuck out her tongue at Yang Kai.
All of a sudden, Yang Kai realised a problem, “Martial Uncle Sun passed away after Martial Aunt Luo entered the Samsara Pavilion. It wasn’t until 2,000 years had passed that she got out of the Samsara Pavilion. Does it mean that she isn’t aware of what happened?”
“I suppose she’s aware of it.” Yu Xiang Die put on a bitter smile, “Back then, Brother Xu and I entered the Samsara Pavilion to look for her. There was once when we finally found her and told her about the news. At that time, her memory had been restored, but she soon reincarnated into the next life. Brother Xu and I couldn’t find her again after that.”
Yang Kai nodded in response.
A puzzled Qu Hua Shang asked, “In that case, how did Martial Aunt Luo manage to leave the Samsara Pavilion together with me?”
Yu Xiang Die replied, “That’s where I have to thank you. Both of you have been through nine reincarnations, right?”
Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang nodded their heads together.
“At that time, Brother Xu argued with Senior Sister that no one could ever pass the test of nine reincarnations. Senior Sister said that she and Senior Brother Sun could do that, so she entered the Samsara Pavilion without telling anyone. Brother Xu and I thought that the Heart Barrier she had set up must have something to do with Senior Brother Sun and her, and that they must experience nine reincarnations together for her to leave. However, now it seems that it was just one of the ways to break the Heart Barrier. Another way to do it was to witness another couple passing the test of nine reincarnations. The two of you completed just that, so Senior Sister Luo’s Heart Barrier was also shattered. That was why she could leave the Samsara Pavilion.”
Upon hearing her explanation, Yang Kai said, “It was no wonder that Martial Aunt Luo had started appearing by our side after the sixth life. It seems that our reincarnations had something to do with her Heart Barrier.”
That was the only reasonable explanation.
Yang Kai had always wondered why Xiao He had started appearing by Qu Hua Shang and his side with different identities since the sixth life. He initially thought that she was a powerful cultivator from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven whose consciousness happened to be tangled up with their reincarnations. Now, it seemed that it had something to do with the Heart Barrier she had built as she had to witness another couple completing the test of nine reincarnations. Hence, she started taking part in their journey in the sixth life.
The experiences in the previous lives were still alright, but when Yang Kai recalled that he had been bossing Luo Ting He around when she was his personal bodyguard in the ninth life, he couldn’t help but feel guilty.
He thus asked in a small voice, “Martial Aunt Yu, is Martial Aunt Luo a small-minded person?”
Yu Xiang Die shot him a glance, “What’s wrong? Did you do anything wrong to her in the Samsara Pavilion?”
Yang Kai quickly denied it, “No, no, no. How could that be possible?”
Yu Xiang Die smiled gently, “I don’t know if Senior Sister is a small-minded person, but Brother Xu was always bullied by her when he was a boy. Both of us were raised by Senior Sister, so while she’s like an Elder Sister, she is also like a Mother to us. If Brother Xu finds out that she has gotten out of the Samsara Pavilion, I’m sure he’ll be relieved.”
Yang Kai said nonchalantly, “When Martial Uncle Xu returns to Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, he’ll naturally find out about this good news.”
Yu Xiang Die and Qu Hua Shang fell silent.
“A lot of people are coming.” Yang Kai suddenly looked into the distance. Although they were 1,000 kilometres apart, Yang Kai could still feel the surging World Force coming from Luo Ting He. As they spoke, the elders from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven who had rarely stepped out of their homes began showing up. It was apparent that they became aware of the ascension attempt.
Chen Xiu rushed over to this place with his two Disciples as they watched the ascension from a place that was several dozen kilometres away from Yang Kai. Beside him were Tao Ling Wan and Feng Cheng Si, who gently nodded at Yang Kai.
In response, Yang Kai nodded back at them.
There were also a lot of Sixth-Order and Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters that Yang Kai had never seen before.
In just over an hour, hundreds of Open Heaven Realm Masters had arrived in groups or as individuals as they found suitable locations to observe Luo Ting He’s ascension.
It was rare to see a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master ascending to the Eighth-Order even in the Cave Heavens and Paradises, so whenever that happened, it would attract countless Open Heaven Realm Masters to come over.
To those who intended to make it to the Eighth-Order, such observation was greatly beneficial to them. Even those who didn’t have the chance to ascend to the Eighth-Order, they could still watch it as they might get something out of it.
Although Yang Kai couldn’t detect the presence of any Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, he could faintly feel that some people were paying attention to this place in the dark. There was no doubt that they were the Ancestors of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.
“Senior Sister is a genius who is one of the most talented people in the Cave Heavens and Paradises. When she ascended to the Open Heaven Realm, she did so directly to the Seventh Order.” There was a proud expression on Yu Xiang Die’s face when she mentioned Luo Ting He.
Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang were astounded, “She directly broke through to the Seventh Order?”
Yu Xiang Die nodded.
The two of them exchanged glances and saw the shock in each other’s eyes.
Most of the Open Heaven Realm Masters in the world had no hope of making it to the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm in their lifetime. Their starting point determined how far they could go in the Open Heaven Realm.
Those who started out below the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm would never see the High-Rank.
Even those who directly ascended to the Fifth Order would be at risk of losing their lives when trying to break through.
However, Luo Ting He had directly made it to the Seventh Order. In other words, her starting point in the Open Heaven Realm was already much higher than 99% of all Open Heaven Realm Masters.
This kind of disparity was truly dispiriting.
Yang Kai knew that there were people who could directly ascend to the Seventh Order as he too had such a dream in the past. Only by directly ascending to the Seventh Order would one stand a chance to reach the highest Ninth Order.
That was the peak of the Open Heaven Realm.
Nevertheless, life was not a bed of flowers. Although he had a solid foundation and heritage, Yang Kai was forced and made his decision to ascend to the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm outside of Shadowless Cave Heaven in the end.
After he consumed a Mid-Rank World Fruit, his starting point in the Open Heaven Realm became the Sixth-Order, which was equivalent to the Core Disciples from the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
At that time, he didn’t understand why those from the Cave Heavens and Paradises repeatedly stopped him from ascending to the Seventh Order and even risked tarnishing their reputations to oppress him, so he was furious about it. Although he found out that it had something to do with the Black Ink Clan at a later time, he still couldn’t get over it completely.
After all, his pursuit of the peak of the Martial Dao had been cut off.
This was something that was unforgivable.
In the 3,000 Worlds, apparently, only the disciples born in the Cave Heavens and Paradises who were proven to be loyal and righteous had the right to directly ascend to the Seventh-Order.
Even taking all 108 Cave Heavens and Paradises into consideration, only one such disciple would emerge every 1,000 years or so.
Luo Ting He was one such disciple.
It was the greatest honour to be able to directly ascend to the Seventh Order, and it was also a symbol of power.
Only a person like her had the right to take a peek at the greatest power of the Ninth Order.
Yang Kai had never expected that Luo Ting He was a cultivator who had directly broken through to the Seventh Order. It was also his first time meeting such a person.
He could imagine that those from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven must have been heartbroken when Luo Ting He was trapped in the Samsara Pavilion back then. They must have put in a lot of effort to save her, but it was apparent that their attempts had failed.
By going through nine reincarnations, Qu Hua Shang and Yang Kai accidentally brought Luo Ting He out of the Samsara Pavilion. In other words, both of them had made an incredible contribution to Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.
That was because they didn’t just save a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master, but a potential Master who could rise to the greatest heights in the future.
There was no doubt that of the two of them, Yang Kai had made a bigger contribution. That was because he was the one who had been working hard to shatter Qu Hua Shang’s Heart Barrier throughout the nine reincarnations. It was not an exaggeration to say that he had saved both Luo Ting He and Qu Hua Shang.
An ascension from the Seventh-Order to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm couldn’t be achieved in a short time. Perhaps it would take days or even months; however, the spectators didn’t appear to be impatient at all as they wouldn’t miss any details.
The Samsara Pavilion was where hearts were trained, so regardless of how long a person stayed inside it, their cultivation wouldn’t increase one bit.
Luo Ting He must have reached the critical point of achieving a breakthrough 2,000 ago; otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to achieve an ascension as soon as she got out of the Samsara Pavilion. 2,000 years of reincarnation may have even been what triggered the chance for her to achieve ascension.
In other words, if she hadn’t dashed into the Samsara Pavilion on a whim, she would’ve become an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master a long time ago.
“Xiao Qu’er, you directly ascended to the Sixth Order back then, so you’ll have a chance to make it to the Eighth Order. It will be beneficial for you to observe,” Yu Xiang Die said.
Qu Hua Shang nodded with a solemn expression.
“The danger that an Open Heaven Realm Master faces when achieving an ascension is related to the strengthening of their Small Universe. There is a limit to a Small Universe’s capacity, so if the cultivator is unable to bear the sudden increase in power, their Small Universe would be at risk of collapsing. That is the kind of risk that Senior Sister Luo has to face now, and it is also the kind of risk that all Open Heaven Realm Masters have to deal with. In your case, you’re a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who will make it to the Seventh-Order one day. The risk you will have to face at that time is that your Small Universe must materialise, which is the hardest part. It’s even more dangerous than what your Martial Aunt Luo is facing.”
Qu Hua Shang said respectfully, “Please enlighten me, Martial Aunt.”
Yu Xiang Die let out a sigh, “Brother Xu is supposed to be the one who tells you this; however, since he’s not around, I’ll do so on his behalf. During the materialisation process, your Small Universe will face an unimaginable impact. It’s just like a Monster Beast that has to condense a Monster Core in their body when their cultivation reaches a certain level. If your power is unstable, you won’t be able to achieve your goal; therefore, before you ascend to the Seventh Order, you have to make sure that you have accumulated enough heritage. If your heritage is insufficient, your Small Universe won’t be able to materialise, and that will be a fatal disaster. Countless disciples from the Cave Heavens and Paradises have lost their lives during the process. That’s the reason there are so few High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters in the Cave Heavens and Paradises.”
Since time immemorial, there were not many in the Cave Heavens and Paradises who directly ascended to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, but there must be many people who had directly made it to the Fifth-Order.
After years of accumulation, these disciples who had directly ascended to the Fifth Order were supposed to make it to the Sixth Order and even the Seventh Order if nothing unexpected happened; however, if it was so easy to ascend to the Seventh Order, there would have been more than 10,000 High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters in each of the Cave Heavens and Paradises by now.
Besides the Cave Heavens and Paradises, there should also be a lot of Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in the Second Class great forces.
Nevertheless, the truth was that none of the Cave Heavens or Paradises had a lot of High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters. There were likely other reasons for this situation as well, but the huge risk associated with crossing over to the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm was undoubtedly a big one. Those disciples who had the right to attempt an ascension to the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm either didn’t have the confidence to give it a try as they hadn’t accumulated enough heritage, or had lost their lives during the process.
The gap between the Sixth Order and the Seventh Order was a dividing line, and even after one made it to the Seventh Order, it would be extremely difficult to ascend to the next realm.
Yang Kai suddenly recalled something as he asked, “In that case, the Four Great Pillars and Twelve Minor Pillars must be very useful for the Open Heaven Realm Masters when ascending to the next Order.”
Yu Xiang Die nodded, “That’s to be expected. When an Open Heaven Realm Master achieves an ascension, their Small Universe will be faced with a violent impact. The Four Great Pillars and Twelve Minor Pillars are very useful in stabilising one’s Small Universes; however, you have to understand that only the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters have the right to refine the Twelve Minor Pillars. Although those things might be useful to cultivators below the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm, they’re unable to use them. The only things that are useful to them are the Four Great Pillars. Nevertheless, those are even rarer. How is the average person supposed to get their hands on them?”
As she spoke, she shot Yang Kai a wry glance to mean that he was truly lucky.
It wasn’t a secret in the Cave Heavens and Paradises that Yang Kai possessed the World Spring, which could protect his Small Universe from external intrusion or impact. Even the Black Ink Strength didn’t have any effect on Yang Kai. The High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were envious of him because of that.
Yang Kai initially thought that the only uses of the World Spring were to help him fend off external forces and fortify his Small Universe, so it surprised him to learn that it was also useful during breakthroughs.
With one of the Four Great Pillars in one’s body, not only could they ensure that their Small Universe would be freed from any external influences, but it could also allow the cultivator to have no worries about raising living creatures in his or her body to strengthen their heritage. Additionally, it could fend off the invasion of Black Ink Strength. Furthermore, it was very useful when the cultivator achieved an ascension.
Now, it seemed that the Four Great Pillars were indeed some of the most precious treasures in the world. They were just as precious as the Soul Warming Lotus and the Immortal Tree that Yang Kai had obtained. To the Open Heaven Realm Masters, perhaps the Four Great Pillars may even be more valuable.
“Martial Aunt Yu, there’s one more thing I’d like to ask you about,” Yang Kai said humbly.
Yu Xiang Die replied, “Go ahead.”
“I’m sure you know a thing or two about my situation. I’m a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master now, and I feel that I’m just one step away from the Seventh-Order. What would I face when I try to break through to the Seventh Order?”
Yu Xiang Die was shocked by how fast Yang Kai could accumulate his heritage.
It had to be noted that it had only been 300 or so years since he directly ascended to the Fifth Order outside of Shadowless Cave Heaven in the Shattered Heaven. On top of that, the 130 years he had spent in the Samsara Pavilion had to be excluded because he wasn’t cultivating at all during that period.
Not only had Yang Kai ascended from the Fifth Order to the Sixth Order so quickly, but he was also now just one step away from the Seventh Order.
She had never heard that anyone was able to cultivate so quickly in the Open Heaven Realm. Accumulation was of utmost importance in the cultivation of an Open Heaven Realm Master. There were no other ways to rapidly increase one’s heritage. A long period of accumulation was inevitable for all Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Every Open Heaven Realm Master had to spend a painfully long time cultivating to reach the next Order.
It was possible for a Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master to ascend to the Fourth-Order after 300 years of cultivating, but it was close to impossible for a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master to make it to the Seventh-Order within the same amount of time.
However, the truth was right before Yu Xiang Die’s eyes. She knew and could even feel that Yang Kai was indeed strong. In Lang Ya Paradise, he single-handedly defeated all its Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. No one was a match for him. It was apparent that the average Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master couldn’t compete against him. He must be at the peak of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Nevertheless, she was unable to answer Yang Kai’s question.
Usually, the most important thing when a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master ascended to the Seventh-Order was the materialisation of the Small Universe, but Yang Kai was different. His Small Universe had already materialised when he made it to the Fifth Order, so he didn’t have to face the biggest problem that troubled other Open Heaven Realm Masters.
After giving it a thought, Yu Xiang Die shook her head, “To be honest with you, I’ve never met an Open Heaven Realm Master like you before. I’ve discussed with my Fellow Brothers and Sisters regarding your situation, and we believe that the uniqueness of your Small Universe might have something to do with the fact that you’re an expert in the Dao of Space.”
“Has no one cultivated the Dao of Space before me?”
“There were many people who had cultivated the Dao of Space before, but none had attainments as high as yours; therefore, I’m not sure what you will face when ascending to the Seventh Order. However, I suppose you won’t face the common problems that trouble other cultivators. Moreover, you have the World Spring to protect your Small Universe, so I think that there won’t be a problem when try to reach the Seventh Order.” She then paused for a moment before continuing, “With that said, you’d still better be careful. Look for a quiet place and cultivate in seclusion. Deduce the problems you might face when achieving an ascension so that you won’t be flustered when that time comes.”
“I understand,” Yang Kai nodded.
He already had the intention to ascend to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm a long time ago; however, his 100-year promise with Qu Hua Shang was about to be due at that time, so he put it off until now. Presently, Qu Hua Shang had gotten out of the Samsara Pavilion, so after everything was settled in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, Yang Kai planned to start cultivating in seclusion.
As he thought of the Proprietress all of a sudden, he quickly asked, “Martial Aunt Yu, has Lan You Ruo from Void Land exited seclusion yet?”
Yu Xiang Die replied, “She had already left seclusion while you were inside the Chaotic Dead Territory. Don’t worry, she’s now a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.”
Yang Kai arched his brow. He had spent several dozen years in the Chaotic Dead Territory and more than 100 years in the Samsara Pavilion. So, it had been quite a long time since the Proprietress stopped cultivating in seclusion.
Upon learning that she had successfully made it to the Seventh Order, he was relieved. The main reason was that the Proprietress had cultivated in seclusion for a very long time, so he wasn’t sure if everything was going well for her. Even if she was facing any problems though, outsiders were unable to lend her a hand.
Since she had ascended to the Seventh Order, she had to face the problem that the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters, who were not from the Cave Heavens and Paradises, had to deal with.
“What’s the stance of the Cave Heavens and Paradises about her?” Yang Kai asked.
Yu Xiang Die replied, “Si Tu Kong from Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven has stepped forward to vouch for her, so no one will make a move on her. Don’t worry about it.”
Because of the matter regarding the Black Ink Disciples, the Cave Heavens and Paradises were wary of the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters that emerged in other great forces. As such, they would lure those High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters to their own Sects to keep an eye on them, which caused a misunderstanding among the general public.
Some people would secretly ascend to the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm and then sneak into the Shattered Heaven.
It was the same case for Bright Sun Divine Monarch Cheng Yang, Xia Lin Lang, and others; however, those from the Cave Heavens and Paradises were unable to explain anything about the Black Ink Clan to the public. Even the Vice Sect Master of Lang Ya Paradise, Yuan Du, was unable to resist the allure of the Black Ink Strength as he took the initiative to give a sacrificial offering to the Black Ink Clan in order to break through his own shackles. It couldn’t be guaranteed that others wouldn’t be tempted upon learning the powers of the Black Ink Strength.
After turning into Black Ink Disciples, they would no longer be restricted by their starting point in the Open Heaven Realm, which was temptation enough for a lot of people, especially those ambitious people who had a low starting point.
However, the Proprietress was originally from First Inn, which was a business backed by Si Tu Kong, who was from Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven. With his assurance, together with the connections the Proprietress had built up over the years, she could ensure her own independence. At the very least, she wouldn’t fall into the situation that the other High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters who were not from the Cave Heavens and Paradises had to deal with.
All of a sudden, Yu Xiang Die shot a meaningful glance at Qu Hua Shang, “Xiao Qu’er, you must be careful in the future. This brat is not someone who is content with his lot. He might even bring back more women in the future.”
Qu Hua Shang nodded repeatedly, “Yes, Martial Aunt.”
An aggrieved Yang Kai refuted, “Please stop slandering me, Martial Aunt Yu. I’ve never been a licentious man. I’m a well-behaved person who always stays within his bounds.”
Qu Hua Shang looked smilingly at him, “Oh, really? What’s going on with you and Senior Sister Tao then? Weren’t you supposed to tell me about that?”
Yang Kai hurriedly said, “I was just about to explain.
Yang Kai then started talking about everything that had happened after he arrived at Yin-Yang Cave Heaven in detail. Chen Xiu asked Tao Ling Wan to take care of him, but this woman suffered from cultivation dissonance in front of him. He was kind enough to help her restore order from chaos, but due to the uniqueness of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s Secret Art, he left behind a trace of his aura in her Small Universe.
As a result, Tao Ling Wan would need his help if she wanted to ascend to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm one day.
Qu Hua Shang attentively listened to him. A moment later, she let out a sigh, “Senior Sister Tao is the victim of this incident.”
In fact, Yang Kai was the victim here too because he knew nothing before the incident happened. If someone suffered from cultivation dissonance in front of him, he would immediately help them, not to mention that the person was a disciple from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. However, he hadn’t expected that his actions would invite such trouble.
From Tao Ling Wan’s perspective, she was just obeying her Honoured Master’s order. Given her temperament, she wouldn’t refute Chen Xiu regardless of what demands he came up with.
To Chen Xiu, he was just trying to save Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s face and resolve the embarrassing situation it found itself in. He was even willing to sacrifice his Disciple’s happiness in order to achieve that.
Certainly, in his consideration, Yang Kai was good enough for Tao Ling Wan when it came to his status and aptitude. It would be a good thing if they could get together.
On the other hand, Feng Cheng Si would enter the Samsara Pavilion to save Qu Hua Shang. That would be a win-win situation for everyone.
Chen Xiu’s idea and actions were the most beneficial to Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, but it wasn’t the outcome Yang Kai wanted to see. That was why he entered the Samsara Pavilion to experience nine reincarnations with Qu Hua Shang.
“What are you going to do about it?” Qu Hua Shang asked.
Yang Kai frowned, “Am I really the only one who can help Junior Sister Tao? Are there no similar precedents in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven?”
Yu Xiang Die shook her head, “No. Other than you, no one else can help her ascend to the Seventh Order. If you don’t lend her a hand, her Martial Dao will end where it is. Moreover, without your help, she will frequently face the risk of suffering from cultivation dissonance. Sooner or later, her Small Universe will collapse due to an imbalance of Yin and Yang.”
That wasn’t a small issue as it was giving Yang Kai a serious headache and he couldn’t help complaining, “Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s Secret Art is too strange.”
Qu Hua Shang said, “Don’t forget that Senior Sister Tao took a fatal sword wound for you.”
Everything that happened in the Samsara World was a reflection of one’s true heart. In the first reincarnation, Tao Ling Wan was willing to be pierced by a sword in Yang Kai’s stead. That was the sincerity she had shown. If the same thing happened to Yang Kai in real life, she would make the same decision.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but be moved when he recalled the incident; however, he wasn’t certain how he should face Tao Ling Wan.
Qu Hua Shang took his hand and snuggled up to him.
In the Samsara World, Tao Ling Wan blocked a sword with her body for him.
On the other hand, Qu Hua Shang had stabbed her sword into Yang Kai’s body twice, almost killing him. Just like he had said in the Samsara World, she owed him so much that she could only keep repaying the debt in the next life.
Luo Ting He didn’t seem to be facing any unexpected problems when achieving an ascension, though the process did not seem to be simple either.
The World Force that swirled around her became increasingly rich, and the illusory phantom of her Small Universe kept expanding and contracting as though the air was being blown into it.
Her aura strengthened by the breath until she reached the peak of the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm.
It had come to a point where no more increase was possible. The expansion of the Small Universe had a huge impact on her. Danger that outsiders were not able to see was sweeping across her entire Small Universe at that moment.
She had to persevere at all costs, and she must not be complacent. Every action she made would determine her life or death. Her life was hanging by a thread, and there wasn’t a third option.
A few days later, something unexpected happened to the seemingly smooth ascension.
Although Yang Kai had never experienced it before, he was also aware that something was amiss.
Looking up, he realised that the illusory phantom of the Small Universe behind Luo Ting He continued to expand while contracting from time to time, but it could not return to its original state. It was as though she was unable to control the increase of power in her Small Universe.
The solemn expression on Yu Xiang Die’s face confirmed his speculation.
There were times when he felt that Yu Xiang Die wanted to step forward to help, but she forcefully stopped herself from doing that.
The average person was unable to help when it came to the ascension of an Open Heaven Realm Master, and any rash move would only exacerbate the situation. More importantly, Luo Ting He was now trying to ascend to the Eighth Order from the Seventh Order while Yu Xiang Die was just a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Even if she was willing to use up all her strength to help, there was nothing she could do.
Yang Kai soon figured out the crux of the problem.
Given Luo Ting He’s aptitude, if she followed the conventional path of cultivating, there wouldn’t be a problem when she ascended to the Eighth Order from the Seventh Order. Even if there were some risks, they wouldn’t be insurmountable.
Nevertheless, she had been trapped inside the Samsara Pavilion for 2,000 years. During this period of time, she kept being reincarnated into different Samsara Worlds while being muddle-headed. Although she eventually found herself as her Heart Barrier was broken by Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang passing through nine reincarnations, the fact that she had been held up for 2,000 years had some influence on her.
If she had taken some rest and fortified her cultivation before attempting an ascension, there wouldn’t have been any problems.
However, right after she left the Samsara Pavilion, the chance for her to achieve an ascension had come, and she didn’t even have time to take a breather.
The problem wasn’t a lack of heritage as she had accumulated enough a long time ago. If that wasn’t the case, she couldn’t have attempted an ascension in the first place.
What she lacked was fine control over her own strength. 2,000 years of living blankly caused her to become unfamiliar with her own power.
At the thought of this, Yang Kai started getting worried.
Luo Ting He was someone who had directly ascended to the Seventh Order, and she had a chance to reach the highest Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm. If she lost her life here due to a lack of control, that would be a huge loss for Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.
Even putting Yin-Yang Cave Heaven aside, Luo Ting He had helped Yang Kai a lot in many rounds of reincarnation, so he wouldn’t want to see any accidents happen to her.
However, even Yu Xiang Die was unable to help her, let alone Yang Kai.
Just then, an aged and grim voice was suddenly heard coming from the distant Void, “Duo!”
Following that, another voice was heard coming from a different direction. Similarly, the person only said one syllable, which sounded abstruse and incomprehensible.
The next moment, the third syllable was heard coming from a different direction.
It was followed by a fourth, then a fifth.
Short syllables sounded from different directions in a continuous manner as though they had already come to an agreement. When the strange syllables came together, they formed a mysterious chant.
There was no doubt that it was the Supreme Elders of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven who spoke those syllables. Although they were cultivating in distant places, they were aware of what was going on in this place and that was why they decided to lend Luo Ting He a hand.
In an instant, Yang Kai felt refreshed, as though his soul had been cleansed. He felt a sense of peacefulness that he had never experienced before.
Qu Hua Shang and Yu Xiang Die parted their lips to join the mysterious chant. Yang Kai turned his head and saw that they sported solemn expressions.
More voices were heard coming from different corners of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. From the Open Heaven Realm Masters to the common disciples, the voices came together like creeks that streamed towards a river, which then flowed towards a lake. Eventually, the lake gushed towards the ocean.
Everyone in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven sang the ancient chant as the Heavens and Earth resonated with it.
Yang Kai was pleased to discover that Luo Ting He’s condition was improving while she was engulfed in the voices.
He also transformed himself into a creek and joined the ocean.
The last thing he wanted to see was an accident happening to Luo Ting He while she achieved an ascension. Since there was now something he could do to help, he was more than willing.
The power of one person might be negligible, but the power of thousands was a force to be reckoned with.
Yang Kai had never heard of such an amazing mantra before, but at this moment, he was able to sing it smoothly as though he had practised it for years.
Qu Hua Shang turned to look at him and put on a smile before gripping his hand more tightly.
With the help of the chant, Yang Kai seemed to have merged into Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. He could feel the distinct presence of every individual in the ocean. Everyone in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven seemed to have merged into a single entity, but they were also separate at the same time. This kind of feeling was amazing, and he had never experienced anything like it before.
Yang Kai couldn’t help marvelling at the inheritance of this place, something that Void Land and High Heaven Palace were no match for. Compared to these Cave Heavens and Paradises that had countless years of accumulation, Void Land and High Heaven Palace were like upstarts. The lack of heritage meant that they were nothing more than castles in the sand. If they couldn’t uphold their prosperity, they would fall apart sooner or later and be forgotten by everyone.
The continuous chant went on for a long time.
Luo Ting He finally managed to take control of her own power as the illusory phantom of the Small Universe behind her became stable again.
A moment later, a powerful aura suddenly radiated from Luo Ting He’s figure. It was the aura of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master!
She had successfully achieved an ascension.
After the ascension, she was still unfamiliar with the increased power she now possessed so World Force uncontrollably swirled around her and caused the void to look contorted.
She remained seated with her legs crossed as she familiarised herself with her increased strength so that she could fully control it.
The chanting slowly died down and stopped.
All the Open Heaven Realm Masters of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven appeared elated and proud of Luo Ting He.
From now on, there would be one more Eighth-Order Ancestor in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.
Although the Cave Heavens and Paradises had always been united, there was still some competition between them. They would compare the strengths of their disciples of every generation and the numbers of Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and Ancestors they had.
Even if they were just slightly more powerful than the other Cave Heavens and Paradises, the disciples would feel proud and confident when dealing with disciples from other great forces.
However, Yang Kai sported an awkward expression at this moment.
That was because he suddenly forgot how to sing the chant not long after he stopped doing it, though he had been chanting alongside the others for a long time just now.
He could remember every syllable of the chant, but he couldn’t string it together into anything meaningful for some reason.
It was as though there was a mysterious power in his mind that stopped him from doing that.
“Since we’ve chanted the Myriad Law Mantra together, you can be considered a part of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven from now on,” Yu Xiang Die suddenly flashed a smile at her.
Yang Kai arched his brow, “Myriad Law Mantra?”
It wasn’t until this moment that he found out the name of the abstruse chant.
“There are three great mantras in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, and the Myriad Law Mantra is one of them. However, this mantra is too profound as it requires a lot of people to sing it together to be of any use. It’s not harmful in any way, but it has an amazing effect on soothing one’s mind,” Yu Xiang Die explained.
Yang Kai nodded in response. He recalled that his mind was indeed completely at ease when he sang the Myriad Law Mantra just now.
In any case, he was already a Yin-Yang Cave Heaven Son-in-Law, so he was considered a member of the Sect. Whether or not he chanted the Myriad Law Mantra wouldn’t change anything.
They went on to wait for a few days more before Luo Ting He could finally gain some measure of control over her power.
The Sect Master of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven led a group of High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters to stand before Luo Ting He and salute her, “Greetings, Ancestor!”
Luo Ting He walked up to him and grabbed his long beard with a smile, “Junior Brother Zuo, we haven’t met for ages. Why is your beard so long now?”
Zuo Qiu Ming’s face twitched as he felt helpless in his heart. Many years had passed, but this Senior Sister was still as willful as ever. Only Senior Brother Sun was able to put her in her place, but he passed away 2,000 years ago. Now, no fellow Brothers of the same generation could discipline her.
Furthermore, she was now an Eighth-Order Ancestor.
“Ancestor Luo, my name is Zuo Qiu, not Zuo,” the Sect Master refuted meekly.
“What’s the difference?” Luo Ting He patted the Sect Master’s shoulder; however, since she had just achieved an ascension, she still couldn’t fully control her power. Her pat caused Zuo Qiu Ming’s shoulder to sink quite noticeably.
The brows of the Seventh-Order Elders behind him twitched.
Luo Ting He suddenly leaned close to him and winked, “Junior Brother Zuo, where are your little lovers? Why are none of them here? In the past, you’d always walk around with several women beside you, looking quite pleased with yourself.”
Upon hearing that, the Elders were stunned.
Many people were not aware of the Sect Master’s love affairs in the past. He always appeared solemn nowadays, and everyone respected him as the Sect Master. Hence, no one could have expected that he used to be a lascivious person.
At this moment, they couldn’t help but let their thoughts run wild after listening to what Luo Ting He had said.
A flushing Zuo Qiu Ming refuted, “Please do not slander me, Ancestor Luo. I’m now the Sect Master of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, and I represent the Sect’s face. If these words are spread to outsiders, it will cause a misunderstanding and tarnish Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s reputation.”
Luo Ting He started counting with her fingers, “Let me see… When you were fifteen, you were in love with Senior Sister Zhou who was three years older than you were. Then, you fell in love with someone else. That little girl came to me and bawled her eyes out. It was quite annoying actually. When you were twenty, you got together with Senior Sister Zhang who was ten years older than you were. The relationship only lasted for a few months. Oh, after you ascended to the Emperor Realm, there was Martial Aunt Tan…”
Zuo Qiu Ming’s expression darkened as Luo Ting He spoke, and at the mention of Martial Aunt Tan, he couldn’t take it anymore as he put on a smile and cut her off by saying, “You have such a good memory, Senior Sister, and you look just as beautiful as in the past!”
Luo Ting He looked smilingly at him and gave him another pat, “There you go! Why did you even call me Ancestor? I wiped your backside countless times when you were a baby, don’t you think it’s awkward for you to call me Ancestor?”
“Whatever you say, Senior Sister!” Zuo Qiu Ming wiped the cold sweat off his forehead, “Anyways, you’re an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master now, so you’re indeed a Supreme Elder of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. Please come to my place when you’re free as I have to help you to go through the registration process to leave your name on the ancestral records. You’ll receive the treatment that an Ancestor deserves.”
A nonchalant Luo Ting He replied, “Fine, fine, I’ll look for you when I’m free. Later!”
Upon finishing her words, she shuffled towards Yu Xiang Die and gave her a signal with her eyes. Then, she engulfed Yu Xiang Die with her power and left.
After they were gone, Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang traded glances.
“Respects to the Ancestor!” Zuo Qiu Ming saluted her, and the others followed suit.
All of a sudden, an Elder behind him asked, “You like older women, Sect Master?”
Zuo Qiu Ming ran his fingers through his beard and replied impassively, “Junior Brother Wang, you joined the Sect at a later time, so you’re not aware of Ancestor Luo’s temperament. You don’t have to take her words seriously.”
Just when Junior Brother Wang wanted to ask more questions, Zuo Qiu Ming turned to look at Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang, “You two, come with me. Elder Chen, bring your Disciple as well.”
Chen Xiu, who wasn’t far away from them, bent his back, “Yes.”
Yang Kai instantly figured out that Zuo Qiu Ming was going to talk about the marriage with him.
After the Open Heaven Realm Masters were done with witnessing Luo Ting He’s ascension, they soon left; however, this piece of exciting news would cause a sensation within Yin-Yang Cave Heaven for quite a long time.
Yang Kai took Qu Hua Shang’s hand as they followed Zuo Qiu Ming. Chen Xiu brought Tao Ling Wan to follow after them, then took the initiative to say, “Nephew Yang!”
“Elder Chen.” Yang Kai nodded in response, then flashed a smile at Tao Ling Wan, “Junior Sister Tao.”
He was not fond of Chen Xiu, but he felt a sense of shame when facing Tao Ling Wan. Perhaps he knew that he was unable to give her anything and thus felt guilty.
A blushing Tao Ling Wan called out in a small voice, “Senior Brother Yang.”
Qu Hua Shang glowered at Yang Kai, “I’ve been wondering. Why are you taking advantage of her?”
An aggrieved Yang Kai refuted, “What do you mean ‘taking advantage of her’?”
Qu Hua Shang reasoned with him, “In the Sect, Senior Sister Tao is my Senior Sister, so how can you call her Junior Sister? Do you want to call me Junior Sister as well?”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai was lost for words.
Tao Ling Wan was the one who called him Senior Brother first, and he just followed along. He didn’t intend to take advantage of her in any way.
Qu Hua Shang shot him another glare, then brushed past him and walked up to Tao Ling Wan before taking the other woman’s hand, “Senior Sister Tao, you have to be wary of him. He now takes advantage of you by calling you Junior Sister, and he might bully you in the future. If he really does that, you have to tell me about it. I’ll stand up for you.”
With a reddened face, Tao Ling Wan hung her head low, “No.”
It wasn’t certain what she meant by that.
Qu Hua Shang hadn’t frequently come into contact with Tao Ling Wan in the past, but she was aware that this Senior Sister was a bashful person. According to her observation, Tao Ling Wan was identical to Qian Qian, who served Meng Ru in their first reincarnation.
She couldn’t help but feel sympathetic towards this innocent Senior Sister.
Presently, Chen Xiu was walking alongside Yang Kai. He turned his head to look at Qu Hua Shang and Tao Ling Wan, then said with a smile, “Martial Niece Qu is a magnanimous person. Nephew Yang, I’m not sure if you’ll be the same.”
Yang Kai asked, “What do you mean, Elder Chen?”
Chen Xiu let out a sigh, “What’s the point of playing dumb, Martial Nephew? This Chen was indeed selfish previously, but I meant no harm. I understand that you have some grudges against me, and I don’t intend to defend myself; however, Wan’er’s future hinges on you now, so I hope that you’ll give this issue some serious thought. I would die with no regrets as long as she can obtain the happiness she deserves.”
Yang Kai frowned but didn’t respond to him.
Seeing that Yang Kai was unwilling to speak, Chen Xiu knew that the other man was resentful of him. It would only create the opposite of the desired outcome if he kept talking.
A moment later, they arrived at a Grand Hall atop a Spirit Province following the Sect Master’s lead. It was supposed to be the place where the Sect Master dealt with his daily business.
After they were all seated, a disciple of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven came over to serve tea.
It was the first time Yang Kai dealt with the Sect Master of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. Be it the incident regarding Dao Theory Assembly or the Samsara Pavilion, this Sect Master of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven had never shown up; therefore, Yang Kai wasn’t certain about the older man’s temperament.
As the Sect Master, it was expected that Zuo Qiu Ming was stern. This was how most people who were in powerful positions behaved. He gave off a sense of authority without the need to say anything.
What surprised Yang Kai was that Zuo Qiu Ming suddenly rose from the chair and saluted him.
A flabbergasted Yang Kai quickly stood up, “What are you doing, Sect Master? I don’t deserve this.”
Zuo Qiu Ming slowly straightened his back and said, “I salute you because I want to thank you on behalf of everyone in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven for saving Ancestor Luo from the Samsara Pavilion.”
The person Yang Kai had saved wasn’t just someone who had ascended to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, but also a talented genius who had the chance to make it to the Ninth-Order one day.
It was profoundly meaningful to everyone in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.
Yang Kai waved his hand, “It just happened by chance. I wasn’t even aware that Martial Aunt Luo was trapped inside the Samsara Pavilion. The only reason I entered the Samsara Pavilion was to look for Senior Sister Qu.”
As he spoke, he took a glance at Qu Hua Shang.
Zuo Qiu Ming nodded, “I’m aware of what’s going on between you and Martial Niece Qu. It was inconsiderate of Elder Chen to do such a thing, but I hope that you’ll forgive him.”
Yang Kai replied impassively, “Elder Chen already told me about it.”
He suddenly realised that Chen Xiu must have gotten permission from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s management before making such a move. In other words, Zuo Qiu Ming was aware of Chen Xiu’s plan at that time, but he didn’t try to stop him.
From his perspective, he would support anything that would save Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s face, and it had nothing to do with his own honour.
“Now that you’ve brought Martial Niece Qu out of the Samsara Pavilion, it shows that the love between you two is true. The couples who can pass the test of the Samsara Pavilion in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven always become partners for life.”
Yang Kai said humbly, “The reason I’ve come to Yin-Yang Cave Heaven is to marry Senior Sister Qu.”
Zuo Qiu Ming bowed his head, “Good. Since you have the intention to get together with her, I’ll not beat around the bush. So, when do you plan on marrying her?”
Yang Kai replied frankly, “I haven’t considered it yet. Sect Master, to be honest with you, I already have several partners that have stayed by my side for years before I met Senior Sister Qu, and I haven’t married any of them yet. Now, due to various reasons, they are cultivating in a number of different places. I want to wait for them to gather together one day and marry them all at once.”
Zuo Qiu Ming nodded, “It’s normal for a man to have three wives and four concubines. There must be a good reason why so many women have fallen in love with you. We don’t stick to archaic rules in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, and I don’t really care about such personal matters. I’m sure Martial Niece Qu wouldn’t mind it either.”
Zuo Qiu Ming took a glance at Tao Ling Wan and added, “I’m sure Martial Niece Tao won’t mind it either.”
A blushing Tao Ling Wan hung her head low and remained silent.
Chen Xiu quickly waved his hands, “She definitely won’t mind it. The more the merrier.”
After a nod, Zuo Qiu Ming gazed at Yang Kai, “Martial Nephew, you have the final say in when to hold the wedding. When your partners come together one day, and you happen to be free, you have to inform us earlier. We’ll hold a grand wedding for you.”
A grateful Yang Kai cupped his fist, “Many thanks, Sect Master. I will not forget this favour.”
Zuo Qiu Ming ran his fingers through his beard, “Since we’re one family, you don’t have to be overly polite with me. Although you come from a less desirable background, your capabilities are unrivalled among the disciples from the Cave Heavens and Paradises of the same generation. We are fortunate to have you get married into Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.”
Chen Xiu played along by saying, “That’s right. Although there are a lot of bright disciples from the Cave Heavens and Paradises in this generation, and they will be the pillars of strength in their respective Sects in the future, none of their achievements are comparable to yours, Nephew Yang. Senior Brother Xu does have acute vision, and Martial Niece Qu is truly lucky.”
Yang Kai frowned, “Sect Master, I have a request when it comes to getting married into your Sect.”
“Go ahead,” Zuo Qiu Ming replied.
“It wouldn’t have mattered if I were on my own. I would’ve been more than willing to get married into Yin-Yang Cave Heaven and rely on your Sect; however, I’m sure you’re aware of my situation. As the Lord of Void Land and the Palace Master of High Heaven Palace, I have to provide for hundreds of thousands of people. I’m afraid it’s not appropriate for me to get married into Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.”
“What’s not appropriate about it?” Zuo Qiu Ming asked.
Yang Kai said, “Let me ask you, Sect Master. If I get married into your Sect, what will happen to Void Land and High Heaven Palace?”
Zuo Qiu Ming replied, “They will become subsidiaries of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.”
On the side, Chen Xiu said, “Nephew Yang, there are some precedents that are similar to your situation. Many of the subsidiaries of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven belong to Sect Masters who got married into our Sect, so you don’t have to worry about it. If you get married into our Sect, you’ll still have full control over Void Land and High Heaven Palace, and we won’t interfere in any way. It’s just that there’s a Master Sect on paper. Moreover, with Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s protection, Void Land and High Heaven Palace will be safer. This is a good thing.”
Yang Kai shook his head, “Let’s put Void Land aside for now. Void Land might be fairly powerful compared to other great forces, but it’s still insignificant when compared to the Cave Heavens and Paradises. Nevertheless, High Heaven Palace is different. The World Tree in the Star Boundary is the centre of attention in the entire 3,000 Worlds. The Cave Heavens and Paradises have all set up Dao Temples in the Star Boundary, and there are senior experts who look for disciples with excellent aptitudes in that place year round. It’s the same case for Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. If High Heaven Palace becomes a subsidiary of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, the Star Boundary will be your Sect’s territory as well. Even if I am fine with that, the other Cave Heavens and Paradises won’t agree to it.”
Zuo Qiu Ming said, “If that’s what you’re worried about, you can set your mind at ease. We’ll deal with it appropriately so that the other great forces won’t have any complaints.”
Yang Kai shook his head again, “It’s still inappropriate.”
Regardless of what Zuo Qiu Ming and Chen Xiu said, once Void Land and High Heaven Palace became subordinate Sects of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, there would be complications. As the leader of both Sects, Yang Kai had to take their future into consideration.
Moreover, he had the intention to develop Void Land or High Heaven Palace into one of the Cave Heavens and Paradises one day. If they became Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s subsidiaries, he would never achieve his goal.
Zuo Qiu Ming narrowed his eyes, “What opinion do you have then, Martial Nephew?”
“I wouldn’t dare to say that it’s an opinion,” Yang Kai said humbly. He had already expected this kind of situation, so he was well prepared, “What I mean is that I’m not going to get married into Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. Instead, I’ll marry Senior Sister Qu and bring her back with me.”
Zuo Qiu Ming arched his brow.
A stunned Chen Xiu gazed at Yang Kai, “Nephew Yang, even though there have been disciples of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven who married outsiders and left the Sect, those were the marriages between the Cave Heavens and Paradises. Other than the Cave Heavens and Paradises, those who want to marry our disciples have no choice but to get married into our Sect. This is the case even for common disciples, not to mention that Martial Niece Qu is a noble Core Disciple of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.”
Zuo Qiu Ming nodded, “Since time immemorial, the Core Disciples of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven have never married outsiders and left the Sect. Besides our Sect, it’s the same case for the other Cave Heavens and Paradises. If you don’t believe me, you can ask around. If you can find such a precedent, I will agree to your request.”
Those who could become Core Disciples must have directly ascended to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, and they had a chance to become Eighth-Order Ancestors in their respective Sects.
It was expected that such disciples were treasured in the Cave Heavens and Paradises, and these Sects would never let them go.
Yang Kai argued by saying, “Precedents can be created.”
Zuo Qiu Ming shook his head, “We won’t make an exception for you, Martial Nephew.”
His firm stance suggested that he wouldn’t be easily persuaded by Yang Kai, who didn’t expect he could do it with ease anyways.
On the side, Chen Xiu asked, “Have you discussed this matter with Martial Niece Qu before, Nephew?”
Yang Kai shook his head as he had never mentioned this to Qu Hua Shang before; however, he believed that after they went through nine reincarnations together, she would support any decisions he made.
“Why don’t you ask Martial Niece Qu about it? If she’s willing to get married and leave the Sect, we’ll continue talking about it.”
“There’s no need for that.”
It wasn’t that Yang Kai didn’t respect Qu Hua Shang’s opinion; however, if he really asked her about it, she would be put in a tight spot. On the one hand, there was the partner she was engaged to and had gone through nine reincarnations with. On the other hand, there was the Master Sect that had nurtured her for years. Regardless of what decision she would make, her conscience would never be at ease.
“Sect Master.” Yang Kai cupped his fist and gazed at Zuo Qiu Ming, “I know that there are rules in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, and Senior Sister Qu is a noble Core Disciple of your Sect. If she gets married and leaves the Sect, it will be a huge loss for Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. On the most basic of levels, if I marry Senior Sister Qu, your Sect will lose a potential Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in the future.”
While Zuo Qiu Ming remained silent, Chen Xiu nodded, “That is indeed just one part of the picture.”
Yang Kai went on to say, “Yin-Yang Cave Heaven will lose a potential Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, but what if I can make sure that you’ll have more Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in the future? Will you agree to my request then?”
Zuo Qiu Ming’s interest had been piqued, “What can you do that will allow us to have more Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in the future?”
Chen Xiu raised his eyebrow and made a speculation, “Is it the World Tree in the Star Boundary?”
“It’s not the World Tree.”
The nourishment from the World Tree could indeed raise a cultivator’s potential and allow them to achieve greater heights; however, that was the general trend in the 3,000 Worlds. 1,000 years later, all the Cave Heavens and Paradises would benefit from it, so Yin-Yang Cave Heaven wasn’t the only one.”
Yang Kai gazed at Zuo Qiu Ming, “Sect Master, if you agree, I will tell you everything. However, if you don’t agree, it’s pointless for me to say anything further.”
Zuo Qiu Ming replied with a smile, “You have to make yourself clear so that I can make a judgement; otherwise, how will I know if you’re just making things up?”
“Certainly, I wouldn’t make things up when it comes to such a matter.”
And so, both sides fell into a deadlock. Zuo Qiu Ming wanted to find out why Yang Kai had the confidence to make such a claim. On the other hand, Yang Kai wanted the Sect Master to agree to his terms first before he would tell him anything.
Chen Xiu tried to probe him, but Yang Kai wouldn’t reveal anything. This made the two leaders of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven doubt whether Yang Kai was really capable of achieving what he said.
They would have run out of patience by now if Yang Kai was anyone else.
However, he had just made a huge contribution by bringing two important disciples out of the Samsara Pavilion, so Zuo Qiu Ming wouldn’t be stern to him. Certainly, Chen Xiu wouldn’t dare to do that as well since he still hoped there would be a proper arrangement for his Disciple. He remained polite while probing the younger man.
One hour later, Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang left since both parties hadn’t come to an agreement.
Nevertheless, it was a good start in Yang Kai’s eyes.
He had already made his stance clear, and those from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven would have to slowly accept it.
As Yang Kai walked alongside Qu Hua Shang, he suddenly asked, “Do you blame me, Senior Sister?”
Qu Hua Shang turned her head and flashed a smile at him, “Blame you for not discussing the matter with me in advance?”
“Yes.”
Qu Hua Shang replied with a smile, “Since it happened suddenly, you didn’t have time to discuss it with me.” Right after they left the Samsara Pavilion, they witnessed Luo Ting He’s ascension. Following that, they were summoned by the Sect Master.
As she spoke, she wrapped her arm around Yang Kai’s and rested her head on his shoulder, “Honoured Master used to tell me that a woman has to follow her man wherever he goes. To me, it makes no difference whether you get married into Yin-Yang Cave Heaven or bring me out of the Sect; however, it’s a different case for the others.”
She was talking about Su Yan and the others.
If Yang Kai really got married into Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, Su Yan and the others naturally had to come over as well. By then, they would be living under someone else’s roof. Certainly, those from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven wouldn’t oppress them; however, if something unexpected happened one day, they might feel aggrieved.
“But how are you going to persuade Sect Master and the others? Since Honoured Master isn’t around, no one else can help you with it,” Qu Hua Shang asked curiously.
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “I’m prepared to pay a hefty price to buy you.”
Qu Hua Shang stared at him before scoffing, “You want to buy me? You will have to spend a fortune then, for I’m very expensive.”
“Regardless of how high the price is, I’ll accept it as long as they’re willing to let you go.”
Qu Hua Shang giggled, “It’ll cost you an arm and a leg. You’d best be prepared.”
Over the following days, Yang Kai followed Qu Hua Shang to visit the Spirit Provinces in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven and take in the sights. He had never felt more at ease as he left behind the conflicts and carnage that he had always been tangled up with over the past many years, giving him an almost surreal feel.
Ten days later, two visitors arrived at Qu Hua Shang’s residence.
The visitors surprised Yang Kai, but it was also somewhat within his expectation. He asked with a smile, “Martial Aunts, are you here to persuade me?”
Luo Ting He remained as willful as ever. Although she was now an Eighth-Order Ancestor in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, she still sat directly with her legs crossed on a chair and munched on a delicious spirit fruit she took out from somewhere. As she was having her snack, she said, “I’m annoyed by that brat surnamed Zuo. He insists on making me ask you what you’re up to. I decided to come here since I was unable to brush him off.
Yu Xiang Die followed up, “Sect Master is curious about what you’ve said. He wants to find out how you’re going to create more Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters for us.”
Munching sounds were heard coming from Luo Ting He’s mouth. It seemed that she was crunching the fruit pits as well. She looked as if she had been starving for a long time and only when she was done did she speak, “Yang Kai, it’s not like we’re strangers, so stop beating around the bush and speak frankly.”
“Fine” Yang Kai nodded.
Luo Ting He went on to say, “I’ll tell you about the stance of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven first. I’m sure Zuo Boy has told you that no Core Disciple of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven has ever gotten married and left the Sect, and we don’t intend to make an exception. So, it’ll be extremely difficult for you to marry Qu’er. No one in the Sect will support you, and I don’t agree with it either. If this precedent is set, it will be terrible news for Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. If bright disciples can easily get married and leave the Sect, we will surely suffer huge losses in the future.”
“I understand,” Yang Kai was fully aware of this. The Core Disciples of the Cave Heaven and Paradises had never gotten married and left the Sects lest there was a loss of talented people. The disciples they had spent so much time and effort to nurture would belong to other Sects after getting married and leaving their original Sects. Even if they were still concerned about their Master Sects, it was no longer the same.
Luo Ting He said, “As a Supreme Elder of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, I don’t agree with you marrying Qu’er and bringing her out of the Sect. However, as your friend, I want to see you getting your wish granted; otherwise, the success of your nine reincarnations will be wasted. Therefore, you have to tell me what your plan is so that I can have a reason to persuade those old farts.”
Yu Xiang Die said, “Senior Sister Luo is now an Ancestor in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, so she does have some influence.”
Usually, even if a newly advanced Ancestor had some influence in their Sect, it wouldn’t be huge; after all, their foundation wasn’t solid, so the other Ancestors would have a bigger say. However, Luo Ting He was different, for she was an Ancestor who had a chance to ascend to the Ninth Order one day. This advantage alone would allow her words to be taken seriously by others.
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai nodded, “Since both of you have said so, I’ll stop hiding anything.”
He had already intended to talk to Luo Ting He about this. The reason he hid it from Zuo Qiu Ming some time ago was that he wanted to arouse the curiosity of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s leaders.
Besides Xu Ling Gong, Yang Kai was most familiar with Yu Xiang Die. Now, there was also Luo Ting He.
Sect Master Zuo Qiu Ming and Elder Chen Xiu were unable to get a clear reply from Yang Kai, so they had to rely on Luo Ting He to probe the young man.
In fact, Yang Kai had been waiting for Luo Ting He or Yu Xiang Die to show up for the past few days.
With the two of them as go-betweens, Yang Kai could finally reveal his plan.
“Martial Aunt Luo, have you heard of the World Tree in the Star Boundary?” Yang Kai asked.
Luo Ting He didn’t understand what their discussion today had to do with the World Tree, but she still nodded, “I’ve heard about it from Junior Sister Yu. You’ve done a great job as it’s a huge contribution for the entire 3,000 Worlds. In fact, I had heard rumours regarding the World Tree before, but I’ve never seen it with my own eyes. I’m ready to go over and have a look.”
“Martial Aunt, you’ve just ascended to the Eighth Order. If you can cultivate around the World Tree, it will help with stabilising your foundation. After the matter here is settled, I’ll head to the Star Boundary with you.” Yang Kai ended this topic, then continued, “The nourishment from the World Tree allows the cultivators living in the Star Boundary to gain immense benefits. Over the years, a lot of young people with excellent aptitudes have emerged in the Star Boundary. The power of the World Tree also allows cultivators to have a brighter future than what they originally could have achieved.”
He went on to say, “In the past, those who could directly ascend to the Sixth-Order would be Core Disciples in the Cave Heaven and Paradises, but there wouldn’t be a lot of them. It was even rarer for anyone to directly ascend to the Seventh Order. However, with the nourishment from the World Tree, the future of the Martial Dao in the entire 3,000 Worlds will only get better. In the future, when the first batch of cultivators who have gained the benefits mature, there will be many who will directly ascend to the Sixth Order. When the second batch of beneficiaries come of age, perhaps there will be a lot of people who can directly ascend to the Seventh Order.”
Yu Xiang Die nodded, “Since you’d been busy dealing with your affairs in the past years, you might not be aware of it yet. The power of the World Tree’s nourishment has already manifested. Some of the disciples from the Cave Heaven and Paradises who were sent to the Star Boundary have shown signs that they will be able to directly ascend to the Sixth Order.”
All of the Cave Heaven and Paradises had set up Dao Temples in the Star Boundary. Inside those Dao Temples, there were also disciples who were taken on in the Star Boundary, but most of the disciples were sent to this place from the Cave Heaven and Paradises. Most of these disciples were children, but there were also some established cultivators. Having said that, these established cultivators were far from the Open Heaven Realm as they were generally below the Dao Source Realm.
That was because the lower the cultivation and the younger a person was, the greater the benefits they would get from the World Tree’s nourishment. If they had condensed their Dao Seal and ascended to the Open Heaven Realm, it would be useless to head to the Star Boundary in terms of increasing their aptitude.
It had been several hundred years since the World Tree in the Star Boundary became known to the public. There was ample time for the first batch of disciples to grow up.
None of them had ascended to the Open Heaven Realm yet; however, many people had condensed their Dao Seals, so it was just a matter of time before they broke through.
The firmness of their Dao Seals and the Orders of the resources they had refined would determine how far they could go when ascending to the Open Heaven Realm.
In the past, all the Cave Heaven and Paradises treated their Core Disciples like treasures. Nevertheless, in the future, there would be more people who could directly ascend to the Sixth Order and that number would only continue to grow.
It was because of this benefit that those from Thousand Cranes Paradise were willing to reconcile with Yang Kai; otherwise, they wouldn’t have easily let Yang Kai off for killing Zuo Quan Hui.
Certainly, the fact that Zuo Quan Hui had ‘betrayed’ Thousand Cranes Paradise first had allowed them to have room to save the situation; otherwise, even if they were willing to reconcile with Yang Kai, they would still have had to kill him for the sake of their reputation.
If that had happened, Void Land and the Star Boundary wouldn’t have been able to bear the consequences.
The first batch of cultivators had already obtained immense benefits, so the children who were born and grew up in the Star Boundary would be the second batch of beneficiaries.
Some of them might be able to directly ascend to the Seventh Order because they were younger, which allowed them to get even more benefits from the World Tree’s nourishment.
Things would only get better for the third batch, the fourth batch, and so on.
All of the Cave Heaven and Paradises were looking forward to that bright future.
The fact that Star Boundary was an Open Heaven Realm Cradle had spread across all corners of the 3,000 Worlds. Those from the Cave Heavens and Paradises also regarded the World Tree in the Star Boundary as the most valuable treasure in the universe. As such, a lot of High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were stationed in the Star Boundary all year round to monitor and protect it.
“One day, there will be a lot of Sixth-Order and Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. Those disciples need a lot of materials when trying to break through, and it will require even more when they begin to cultivate.” Yang Kai gazed at Luo Ting He, “I know that given Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s heritage that has been accumulated over countless years, you must have a lot of materials in reserve that are ready to be used at any moment; however, your Sect’s reserves can probably satisfy the needs of the disciples who are trying to break through right now, but can it support the exponential growth of the people who will directly ascend to the Sixth-Order and Seventh-Order in the near future? Even if you have enough reserves for the time being, how long can they last?”
Luo Ting He shook her head, “I’ve just left the Samsara Pavilion, so I’m not sure about it.”
Yu Xiang Die on the other hand frowned, “I know little about it as well. Those valuable materials are controlled by a Supreme Elder; however, I’ve heard the Sect Master mention that the reserve of strategic materials leaves much to be desired. He especially wants us to look for more Yin and Yang Element materials that are in the Sixth-Order and above. Obviously, he has expected what will soon happen in the Star Boundary.”
When the Sect Master mentioned valuable materials, there was no doubt that he was talking about Yin and Yang Element materials, especially ones in the Sixth Order and Seventh Order which were the rarest of all.
When an Open Heaven Realm Master cultivated, they could use materials of lower Orders or Open Heaven Pills; however, those precious materials were required when trying to make the initial breakthrough to the Open Heaven Realm.
In the past, Yang Kai had spent a lot of time and effort in order to look for a Seventh-Order Yin Element material, but he never achieved his goal in the end, which went to show that these precious materials were extremely rare and couldn’t even be bought with money.
“I’m sure that the other Cave Heavens and Paradises can also see things that the Sect Master is able to see. I dare say that all the Cave Heaven and Paradises are now scrambling to collect Sixth and Seventh-Order Yin and Yang Element materials.”
Yu Xiang Die put on a bitter smile, “They don’t just scramble to get Sixth-Order and Seventh-Order Yin and Yang Element materials. Because of the Good Fortune Divine Furnace, they are collecting all Yin and Yang Element materials regardless of the Orders. Other than Yin and Yang Element materials, it’s the same case for materials of the Five Elements that are of higher Orders. These days, the prices of Yin and Yang Element materials have risen by ten or twenty percent.”
The Good Fortune Divine Furnace was an incredible treasure as it could potentially turn a lot of Low-Order materials into High-Order ones.
In the past, Second-Order and Third-Order Yin and Yang Element materials were practically useless; however, if they were dumped into the Good Fortune Divine Furnace, they could be turned into Third-Order and Fourth-Order materials, which would be useful.
“Now, you can’t even find Yin and Yang Element materials that are above the Fourth-Order on the market.”
Yang Kai nodded, “It seems that all the Cave Heavens and Paradises are getting prepared. Nevertheless, regardless of how they try to collect those materials, there will still be a lack when they need to use them.”
“What are you trying to say?” Luo Ting He still hadn’t figured out Yang Kai’s intention after such a long time.
They were talking about marriage, so why did he mention cultivation materials all of a sudden?
With a solemn expression, Yang Kai said, “I’m willing to offer 1,000 Sixth-Order and 100 Seventh-Order sets of Yin and Yang Element materials as a betrothal gift. So, I hope that those from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven will allow me to marry Senior Sister Qu at an appropriate time.”
Everyone was shocked upon hearing that.
The astounded ladies gazed at Yang Kai and thought that they had misheard him.
Although Luo Ting He had been trapped inside the Samsara Pavilion for 2,000 years, and she knew little about the current affairs in the 3,000 Worlds, she was aware that the figures that Yang Kai had just brought up were astonishing.
She couldn’t help but turn to look at Yu Xiang Die and ask, “Xiao Die, there must be something wrong with my ears after I was trapped for such a long time. What did Yang Boy just say?”
Yu Xiang Die appeared to be dumbfounded, but upon hearing her Senior Sister’s words, she subconsciously replied, “He said he would offer 1,000 Sixth-Order and 100 Seventh-Order sets of Yin and Yang Element materials as his betrothal gift.”
“Sold!” Luo Ting He landed her palm on the armrest. She was so forceful that the armrest directly turned into dust.
“Senior Sister!” Yu Xiang Die was torn between tears and laughter. They were talking about marriage, not an auction. Why did her Senior Sister even say it like that?
With that said, she was still stunned by the figures that Yang Kai had brought up. 1,000 Sixth-Order and 100 Seventh-Order Yin and Yang Element materials were worth countless Open Heaven Pills.
In fact, Sixth-Order and Seventh-Order Yin and Yang Element materials often couldn’t be bought with Open Heaven Pills, not to mention that those were a staggering number of strategic resources given the current situation in the world.
There was no doubt that even Yin-Yang Cave Heaven didn’t have so many materials.
It could be said that this kind of fortune was tempting enough for all the Cave Heavens and Paradises. With these resources in possession, those from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven wouldn’t have to worry about the ascension of their disciples for the next 1,000 years at least.
Yu Xiang Die soon came to her senses, “Is this the way you’re able to help create more Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters for Yin-Yang Cave Heaven that you’ve mentioned to the Sect Master?”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “En.”
With so many resources in possession, coupled with the World Tree’s nourishment in the Star Boundary, a lot of disciples who could directly ascend to the Sixth Order and the Seventh Order would emerge in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. These people would have the potential to slowly make it to the Eighth Order.
Yang Kai was unable to create more Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters directly, for he was only a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. However, the resources he had mentioned were necessary for creating Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
In comparison, it wasn’t unacceptable to let Qu Hua Shang marry Yang Kai.
A precedent could be created as long as he was willing to pay a good enough price.
When the leaders of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven heard about this news, they would give it a serious thought.
“Where did you get so many Sixth-Order and Seventh-Order Yin and Yang Element materials?” Disbelief was written all over Yu Xiang Die’s face. She knew a thing or two about the situation in Void Land and High Heaven Palace. Even though the New Great Territory was mysterious, it couldn’t possibly give Yang Kai so many good things.
She soon realised something after asking the question, “The Chaotic Dead Territory!”
If there was anywhere in the world that was abundant in Yin and Yang Element materials, it had to be the Chaotic Dead Territory. That was the battlefield where the Sun’s Burning Light and Moon’s Serene Glimmer unendingly clashed with each other. The war had been ongoing for countless years, so an unimaginable number of Yin and Yang Element materials must have been created.
However, it was extremely dangerous in the Chaotic Dead Territory. Even the Eighth-Order Ancestor, who had been keeping guard in front of the Territory Gate, could only enter the periphery temporarily, and his life would be at risk if he stayed too long.
Yu Xiang Die had never entered the Chaotic Dead Territory before. The Eighth-Order Ancestor who was guarding the Chaotic Dead Territory was from a different Cave Heaven, but he wasn’t stationed there forever. The Cave Heavens and Paradises would take turns sending their Ancestors to that place, so an Ancestor from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven had been there as well.
According to the Ancestor, he had tried entering the Chaotic Dead Territory and seen a lot of yellow and blue crystals from afar. The fluctuations coming from the crystals suggested that they were the Yin and Yang Element materials that people craved; however, he was unable to obtain them because he wasn’t powerful enough. That remained a regret in his heart.
After Yang Kai followed the Giant Spirit God to enter the Chaotic Dead Territory, everyone thought that he was doomed to die.
The Cave Heavens and Paradises were already astounded that he was able to leave the Chaotic Dead Territory safely, so no one could have expected that he had gained a lot of benefits from that place.
Since Yang Kai was able to offer 1,000 Sixth-Order and 100 Seventh-Order Yin and Yang Element materials, it suggested that he had obtained a lot more than that from the Chaotic Dead Territory.
Yu Xiang Die thought that he might have even gotten several dozen times more than he was offering.
However, she had no idea that the rewards Yang Kai had acquired from the Chaotic Dead Territory were simply incalculable. 1,000 Sixth-Order and 100 Seventh-Order Yin and Yang Element materials were like a mere drop in the ocean to him.
To put it bluntly, given his wealth now, he could make everyone go mad by leaking out a bit of what he possessed.
“En, the Chaotic Dead Territory,” Yang Kai didn’t deny it. Since he was able to offer so many valuable materials, anyone who wasn’t a fool was able to figure out where he obtained them. There was no way he could hide it.
“You’ve been to the Chaotic Dead Territory?” Luo Ting He was astonished, “How did you even survive?”
“It’s a long story…” Yang Kai recalled the time he spent dealing with Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan in the Chaotic Dead Territory, a somewhat shameful experience he’d rather not look back on.
It wasn’t like he could tell others that he had been playing games with those two for years, which was how he survived and acquired a large sum of wealth.
Swiftly changing the topic, he asked, “Martial Aunt Luo, you said it was a deal. Does that mean that you think my plan is feasible?”
“It’s totally feasible.” Luo Ting He nodded repeatedly, “I can’t even contain the urge to agree to it right now; however, Qu’er’s matter is important to the Sect, so I’ll have to discuss it with those old farts. Regardless, you don’t have to worry about it. I’m sure I can reason with them since you’re able to offer so many precious materials.”
“Many thanks for the help, Martial Aunt Luo,” Yang Kai saluted her.
“Good, I’ll go over to persuade them now. Wait for me here,” Upon finishing her words, Luo Ting He directly dashed out of the place.
Yu Xiang Die put on a helpless smile and shook her head as she watched Luo Ting He leave. Then, she turned to Yang Kai and said, “You don’t have to worry about it since you’ve shown enough sincerity. I would’ve been tempted if I were one of the Sect’s Managers. Rules are dead, and they can be broken at an appropriate time. Moreover, with Senior Sister Luo around, I’m sure she’ll be able to persuade them.”
She paused for a moment, “Also, you’ve made a huge contribution to Yin-Yang Cave Heaven by bringing Senior Sister out of the Samsara Pavilion. Even if they have nothing to give you to express their gratitude, there’s no reason for them to make things difficult for you.”
“It would be good if everything goes well,” Yang Kai nodded.
“En, just wait here. I’m sure a decision will be made soon,” Yu Xiang Die said, then left as she didn’t want to keep bothering them.
As expected, a decision was soon made. Luo Ting He came over again the next day.
Qu Hua Shang had already prepared a lot of Luo Ting He’s favourite spirit fruits and swiftly served them to her.
Instead of eating though, Luo Ting He frowned with a worried expression.
Upon seeing that, Yang Kai felt his chest tightening as he had a feeling that things didn’t go as he had hoped. Forcefully calming himself down, he asked, “Martial Aunt Luo, has a decision been made?”
After letting out a sigh, Luo Ting He looked apologetically at Yang Kai, “I’ve done my best, but those old farts are too obstinate. I’m not their match.”
Instantly, Qu Hua Shang’s face turned pale. Yang Kai took her hand and gave her a comforting look before saying, “Why aren’t the Ancestors agreeing to it? Do they have other demands? Please tell me, Martial Aunt. I won’t refuse as long as I am able to comply.”
“That’s what he said!” Luo Ting He looked up at him with a smile, “You also heard it, Qu’er! I didn’t force him in any way! You’ll be the witness and make sure that he won’t go back on his word.”
Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang were stunned.
They initially thought that it was a terrible outcome, but they were not so certain about it now upon seeing Luo Ting He’s expression.
Qu Hua Shang quickly went over to stand behind Luo Ting He and began massaging her shoulders. In an obedient manner, she asked, “Martial Aunt, what was the reply from the Elders? Please tell us.”
Luo Ting He smiled and teased her, “Are you in a rush to get married? You’re already taking your man’s side when the matter isn’t even settled yet.”
A frank Qu Hua Shang replied, “To a woman, the most important thing is to find the right man. Don’t you agree?”
After giving it a thought, Luo Ting He nodded in agreement, “You have a point. Don’t worry. How could the matter not be settled when I was the one persuading them? Although the old farts had some scruples, I managed to win them over in the end.”
An elated Qu Hua Shang asked, “Are you serious?”
“Why would I lie to you about it?” Luo Ting He picked up a spirit fruit and stuffed it into her mouth before speaking in a muffled voice, “The main reason is that Yang Kai has shown enough sincerity by offering an incredible betrothal gift. For such a price, forget about you, those old farts would even agree to let him marry me.”
Of course, that was completely impossible, for Luo Ting He had a chance to ascend to the top Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm one day. Such a person wouldn’t just be a pillar of strength in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven in the future, but it’s very foundation. Regardless of what was offered, those from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven would never let her go.
Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling a slight headache, but he still said gratefully, “Many thanks for your assistance, Martial Aunt.”
Luo Ting He waved her hand, “There’s no need to thank me yet. Although the old farts have agreed to it, they still have a demand. If you can’t fulfill it, you won’t be able to bring Qu’er with you.”
“Please tell me, Martial Aunt.”
Luo Ting He went on to say with a smile, “In any case, this isn’t really a disadvantage to you. The decision-makers have agreed to let you marry Qu’er, but there’s a caveat. With it being a buy-one-get-one-free deal, Yin-Yang Cave Heaven will actually be suffering a loss.”
Qu Hua Shang, who was giving her a massage, froze for a moment before coming to her senses, “Senior Sister Tao!”
Luo Ting He nodded, “En. It’s that brat Chen Xiu who messed everything up. He doesn’t deserve to be a Master after doing something so harmful to his Disciple.”
If Yang Kai hadn’t left his aura inside Tao Ling Wan’s Small Universe by lending her a hand when she was suffering from cultivation dissonance, there would have been room to maneuver. However, Tao Ling Wan’s life or death now hinged on Yang Kai, and no one could do anything to change that.
All this happened because of Chen Xiu’s plan.
Even though his intention was to resolve the embarrassing situation that Yin-Yang Cave Heaven was in, and he was well-meaning in that regard, it only led to an even more embarrassing situation.
Worse yet, despite his wrongdoing, it was his Disciple who had to bear the consequences.
At that instant, Yang Kai didn’t know how to reply. He had been trying to avoid this problem as he wanted to settle the matter regarding Qu Hua Shang first; however, he hadn’t expected that those from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven wanted to resolve the issues pertaining to Qu Hua Shang and Tao Ling Wan at the same time.
Just then, Qu Hua Shang directly made a decision for him, “Deal!”
A speechless Yang Kai asked, “Don’t you have to ask for my opinion first?” He could still explain himself to Su Yan and the others if he brought Qu Hua Shang back; after all, they were aware of Qu Hua Shang’s existence and what had happened during the Dao Theory Assembly. However, how was he going to come up with an explanation if Tao Ling Wan tagged along?
Yu Ru Meng and Shan Qing Luo would probably skin him alive.
Qu Hua Shang pretended that she hadn’t heard him as she continued giving Luo Ting He a massage and said with a smile, “However, please tell the Ancestors that Senior Sister Tao is not some freebee. Junior Brother will also offer 1,000 Sixth-Order and 100 Seventh-Order sets of Yin and Yang Element materials as her betrothal gift. Senior Sister Tao and I will then marry him at the same time.”
Upon finishing her words, she turned to look at Yang Kai, “Can you do it?”
Yang Kai braced himself to reply in a voice filled with tragic resolve, “Fine, no problem!”
The matter was decided just like that. Yang Kai had to offer 2,000 Sixth-Order and 200 Seventh-Order sets of Yin Yang Element materials as betrothal gifts, and he would be allowed to marry two disciples from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven at an appropriate time.
Chen Xiu was grateful to Qu Hua Shang for her magnanimity.
He was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master after all. As an Inner Elder of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, he was aware of some insider information; moreover, he was the one who persuaded the Ancestors to make marrying Tao Ling Wan one of the conditions.
Certainly, he was doing all this for his Disciple’s future; after all, Tao Ling Wan’s Small Universe had been marked by Yang Kai’s aura. Without him, she would never be able to make it to the Seventh Order, and she would be at risk of losing her life at any moment.
Qu Hua Shang’s magnanimity had saved Tao Ling Wan from that fate and allowed the two of them to stand on an equal footing.
The fact that two Sixth-Order disciples would get married and leave the Sect sometime in the future couldn’t be hidden. When the news was spread, everyone in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven was shocked.
However, upon learning the price that Yang Kai had offered as his betrothal gift, they were even more astounded.
2,000 Sixth-Order and 200 Seventh-Order sets of Yin Yang Element materials. Such an amount was unimaginably immense.
Those materials were more than enough to be the betrothal gifts for Yang Kai to marry two disciples.
Outside Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, goodbyes were being said.
Yang Kai had to return to the Star Boundary. Back then, after he left the Star Boundary, he headed to Lang Ya Paradise to make a scene; after that, he followed Giant Spirit God Ah Er to enter the Chaotic Dead Territory where he would be trapped for decades. Then, he went on to stay in the Samsara Pavilion in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven for more than 130 years.
It was time he headed back to the Star Boundary.
Since the matter in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven had been resolved, he was now prepared to cultivate in seclusion to achieve a breakthrough to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Certainly, Qu Hua Shang and Tao Ling Wan would tag along. Tao Ling Wan was at risk of suffering from cultivation dissonance at any moment, so she had to follow Yang Kai.
Because of the World Tree, Luo Ting He was ready to visit the Star Boundary to take a look at one of the rarest treasures in the universe. Moreover, she had just ascended to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so if she could cultivate beside the World Tree, she might reap some unexpected benefits.
Thus, the four of them left together.
Chen Xiu and Yu Xiang Die saw them off. Feng Cheng Si, who was Chen Xiu’s Disciple, had also come over.
“Martial Niece Qu, Martial Nephew Yang, I’m sorry for everything that I’ve done. Please forgive me and accept my apology.” Upon finishing his words, Chen Xiu saluted Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang with a sincere attitude.
As a Senior in the Sect, it was very sincere of him to offer an apology to two Juniors.
Yang Kai was initially resentful, but after giving it a thought, he realised that no serious harm had been caused, so he lifted his hand and said, “It’s all in the past, Martial Uncle Chen.”
Chen Xiu took a glance at Tao Ling Wan and sighed, “Perhaps I’ve overly doted on Wan’er by always keeping her by my side. She’s an innocent girl who has never seen the outside world. Please take care of her from now on, Martial Nephew, Martial Niece. If she makes a mistake, you can punish her appropriately.”
Qu Hua Shang wrapped her arm around Tao Ling Wan’s and replied with a smile, “Don’t worry, Martial Uncle Chen. Senior Sister Tao is an obedient girl. I’m sure Junior Brother will be fond of her. Why would he ever punish her? Am I right, Junior Brother?”
Yang Kai nodded, “I’ll not let Junior Sister suffer any grievances.”
Chen Xiu then said to Tao Ling Wan, “Wan’er, you have to listen to your future Husband from now on and must never do anything to bring shame to him or yourself. You have to stay by your Husband’s side. If I find out that you’ve done anything to betray him or the Master Sect, I’ll not forgive you.”
Tao Ling Wan’s eyes were red and drenched in tears. With her head hung low, she replied, “Yes, Honoured Master. I’ll never forget your teachings.”
She had always lived in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven since she was a child. Although she was now a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, she had never left the Master Sect before, nor had she not been by her Honoured Master’s side for any extended period of time.
After she left the Sect this time, it wasn’t certain when she would be able to return, which was why she was melancholic. The 3,000 Worlds was expansive, so they might not even meet each other again in the future.
“Go now,” Chen Xiu jerked his head to the side.
Feng Cheng Si cupped his fist, “Please take good care of yourself, Senior Sister!”
Tao Ling Wan was no longer able to hold back her tears. She slowly fell on her knees and kowtowed in front of Chen Xiu three times, “Honoured Master, I’ll never forget the fact that you were the one who raised me.”
“Go now,” Chen Xiu waved his hand and repeated.
A worried Tao Ling Wan said to Feng Cheng Si, “Junior Brother, you must take good care of Honoured Master.”
Feng Cheng Si nodded, “Don’t worry about it, Senior Sister.”
“Let’s go now. Stop dilly-dallying!” Luo Ting He shouted at them from the deck as she was eager to set off on her journey. She was deathly curious about the World Tree.
Yang Kai took a glance at the ship, then cupped his fist at Chen Xiu and Yu Xiang Die, “You don’t have to see us off, Martial Uncle, Martial Aunt. Farewell!”
“Be careful out there!” Yu Xiang Die replied with a smile.
After leading the two ladies to enter the ship, Yang Kai activated his power and drove the vessel towards the void. They soon disappeared from everyone’s sight.
Chen Xiu and Yu Xiang Die watched the ship leave.
A moment later, Yu Xiang Die turned her head and said, “Why are you still crying when you’re a grown man? Others will laugh at you.”
A flushing Chen Xiu remained silent.
Yu Xiang Die said to Feng Cheng Si, “Take care of your Master.”
“Yes,” Feng Cheng Si replied.
Unable to take it anymore, Chen Xiu refuted, “Don’t listen to your Martial Aunt’s drivel. I’m fine.”
In a dispassionate manner, Yu Xiang Die said, “Now that Wan’er has left the Sect and headed to another place, I wonder whether she will be oppressed. Yang Kai is an upright man, so I believe he won’t mistreat her; however, he has several partners. A woman driven by jealousy is capable of anything. I’m worried that Wan’er won’t be a match for them. She will be in a pitiful state if no one can stand up for her.”
Chen Xiu stopped in his tracks as his eyes reddened again. He almost couldn’t contain the urge to race after Tao Ling Wan.
On the other hand, Yu Xiang Die laughed spiritedly and took off. Chen Xiu glowered at her figure, but there was nothing he could do.
Everything looked novel to Tao Ling Wan, who had never left the Master Sect before. While she still hadn’t recovered from the sadness for having to leave her home, she was also engulfed in a sense of anxiety.
Fortunately, Qu Hua Shang was there to keep her company. A few days later, she finally settled her nerves.
Since Yang Kai was the one driving the ship, the ladies didn’t have to worry about anything.
Luo Ting He never showed up as she had to cultivate in her room to consolidate her Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation.
Qu Hua Shang thus led Tao Ling Wan to see Yang Kai. The former was completely at ease while the latter hung her head bashfully, seemingly not daring to look Yang Kai in the eyes.
It was as though another person had stood in front of Yang Kai and gotten struck by that fatal attack in his stead in the first life instead of this woman before his eyes.
Yang Kai looked curiously at them.
“Husband,” there was a tinge of slyness behind Qu Hua Shang’s eyes as she saluted the man. Her voice was as pleasant as the morning breeze.
A speechless Yang Kai pressed his palm against his forehead.
Before he could say anything, a slightly trembling Tao Ling Wan also saluted him. Upon summoning all her courage, she called out in a small voice, “H-Husband.”
Yang Kai shot Qu Hua Shang a glare, as though he was questioning what she had done.
Given Tao Ling Wan’s temperament, she wouldn’t have taken the initiative to call him Husband without significant prodding. Qu Hua Shang must have encouraged her to do so before this. Tao Ling Wan was a naive girl, so she could be fooled easily.
Pretending to not see his expression, Qu Hua Shang spoke in a sweet voice, “Husband, do you want to eat me first, or would you prefer Senior Sister Tao?”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai almost couldn’t stop himself from coughing up blood.
On the other hand, Tao Ling Wan widened her eyes and gazed at Yang Kai in horror. Disbelief was written all over her face, as though she had just heard something inconceivable.
A mischievous Qu Hua Shang went on to say in a charming tone, “You can also eat us together.”
“Stop messing around!” Yang Kai chided her with a straight face.
In an instant, Qu Hua Shang pouted in protest.
Ignoring her, Yang Kai turned to look at Tao Ling Wan, but he didn’t know what to say.
A lot of accidents happened during his visit to Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, but there was no doubt that Tao Ling Wan was the biggest surprise. Although Qu Hua Shang had made a decision for him to also offer the same betrothal gift to bring her away, he wasn’t ready to face this bashful and timid woman just yet.
They were not familiar with each other as they didn’t come into contact frequently in the past; moreover, she wasn’t as approachable as Qu Hua Shang.
“Wan’er… Can I call you that?” Yang Kai said after giving it a thought. Just like what Qu Hua Shang had said, Tao Ling Wan was her Senior Sister while she called Yang Kai ‘Junior Brother’. It would be a mess if Yang Kai called Tao Ling Wan ‘Junior Sister’.
Tao Ling Wan nodded almost imperceptibly.
“We haven’t known each other for long, and we’re not familiar with one another, but that’s fine. We’ll have ample time to grow closer. As for this engagement, you can give it a serious thought. If you regret it one day…”
“I’ll never regret it!” Tao Ling Wan suddenly summoned her courage and interrupted Yang Kai, staring him straight in the eye with unexpected fortitude.
Upon coming to her senses though, she quickly hung her head low again and whispered, “I-I’ll not regret it.”
Yang Kai nodded, “It’s me who has said something wrong. You can learn more about me through Senior Sister Qu or your own observation. We’re still young after all, so there’s no need to rush things. If you miss your Master and Junior Brother one day, just tell me about it and I’ll ask someone to send you back to Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. Since it’s your Master Sect, you two can go back to visit as you please.”
He then added, “Also, if you realise that you’re about to suffer from cultivation dissonance, you have to tell me quickly. You must not try to deal with it on your own.”
As Yang Kai continued to say caring words to her, Tao Ling Wan nodded repeatedly and became less nervous.
All of a sudden, Yang Kai stopped speaking and frowned.
The perceptive Qu Hua Shang noticed that there was something wrong with him, so she asked anxiously, “What happened?”
Yang Kai tried to sense it for a moment before shaking his head, “I have no idea. I just feel a sense of unease all of a sudden.”
“A sense of unease?” Qu Hua Shang arched her brow. To a powerful Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like Yang Kai, it wasn’t a good sign to feel a sense of uneasiness. That might signal that something bad was about to happen.
“Perhaps I was just imagining it,” Yang Kai pondered.
“You must not be negligent!” Qu Hua Shang said seriously, “Examine yourself carefully. I’ll also help.”
Yang Kai nodded.
A moment later though, they still hadn’t discovered anything wrong, as though the sense of unease just now was just an illusion.
It was not impossible. Although a powerful cultivator had a sensitive perception, it wouldn’t be correct every time.
As Qu Hua Shang led Tao Ling Wan to leave, Yang Kai could faintly hear Tao Ling Wan speaking in a hushed and terrified tone, “Junior Sister Qu, does Husband… really eat Humans?”
“Yes!” To make things worse, Qu Hua Shang took the other woman’s hand and spoke in a grim tone, “He’ll eat your hands first as the flesh is delicate. Then, he’ll go on to eat your arms and stomach…”
Upon hearing that, Tao Ling Wan instantly turned pale.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but let out a sigh as he was worried that Tao Ling Wan wouldn’t be able to bear Qu Hua Shang’s cheekiness.
The ship continued to move forward. It would take them several months before they could reach the Star Boundary.
If Yang Kai were on his own, he could have used Space Principles to speed up the journey; however, he was unable to do that as he had three ladies with him. He wouldn’t be able to endure taking three people with him using Space Principles for an extended period of time.
In any case, he didn’t mind spending a few months heading home.
While they were on the road, Yang Kai would refine Open Heaven Pills when he was free. Even if he never cultivated, his heritage would still continue to grow due to the living beings and Small Stone Race in his Small Universe. Nevertheless, the cultivation process of an Open Heaven Realm Master was dull and required time and accumulation.
The saying ‘many little drops make an ocean’ would best describe the process.
A few days later, when Yang Kai was refining Open Heaven Pills, he furrowed his brows all of a sudden.
The sense of uneasiness swept over him again, which alerted him.
He already had this kind of feeling a few days ago, but he couldn’t discover anything wrong after examining himself, so he thought that it was just his imagination. However, it didn’t seem to be the case now.
With the same feeling striking him for the second time, it couldn’t be an illusion.
He examined himself again, but didn’t discover any problems. As he scanned the surroundings using his Divine Sense, he also couldn’t detect the presence of any threats.
This puzzled him as he had no idea where the sense of uneasiness came from.
After pondering on it for a moment, Yang Kai left his room and arrived at another. Then, he knocked on the door.
The door was soon opened. Upon entering the room, Yang Kai saw that Luo Ting He was seated with her legs crossed. It seemed that she was cultivating just now when she was interrupted.
“What’s wrong? Why are you here instead of keeping your future Wives company?” Luo Ting He looked curiously at him.
Yang Kai nodded and told her about his worries.
Upon hearing that, Luo Ting He frowned, “When was the last time you were struck by that feeling?”
Yang Kai replied, “Three days ago.”
“I’ll have a look.” Luo Ting He extended her hand and placed her fingers on his wrist. The next moment, a gentle force streamed into his body and thoroughly inspected everything.
However, Luo Ting He was unable to discover anything as well. After retracting her hand, she said, “There’s nothing wrong with your body. Has anything happened to your Small Universe?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “That’s what puzzles me. I’ve examined my Small Universe as well, and there’s no problem with it.”
With the World Spring around, his Small Universe was basically impenetrable. Unless he passed away, there would never be any problems with his Small Universe. Moreover, he really never found anything upon examining his Small Universe.
Luo Ting He frowned and fell into her thoughts for a moment before saying, “If it’s not your own problem, something might have happened to the people closest to you. Two people could have their hearts connected when they’re close enough. When one person falls into danger, the other person will sense it regardless of where they are.”
Yang Kai’s expression changed.
If what Luo Ting He had said was true, could Su Yan have fallen into danger?
Although he had several partners, Su Yan was the only one whose heart was connected to his; after all, they had become closely knitted after they cultivated the same Secret Art when they were very young.
Shan Qing Luo and the others were not comparable to her in this regard.
However, Su Yan was supposed to be in the Ancestral Land where only the other Divine Spirits could pose a threat to her, especially the Kun Clan members.
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai realised that this was highly unlikely. The Kun Clan members were resentful of the Dragon Clan, but they were actually on good terms with the Phoenix Clan. Furthermore, Su Yan possessed the Source of a fallen Phoenix Empress. Those from Four Phoenix Pavilion would die to protect her.
Even if the Kun Clan members wanted to harm Su Yan, Hong Hu and the others would never allow it to happen.
The Phoenix Clan was extremely powerful in the Ancestral Land, so the Kun Clan members couldn’t easily pose a threat to them.
[Should I head to the Ancestral Land?] Yang Kai was hesitant. He felt that his road to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm was becoming a bumpy one. He had already intended to achieve a breakthrough to the Seventh Order many years ago, but he had kept putting it off due to various reasons.
Certainly, he could make a detour to the Shattered Heaven and head to the Ancestral Land, but that would take a lot of time.
Furthermore, he believed that with the protection of Four Phoenix Pavilion, Su Yan and the others wouldn’t be in danger.
However, why had he repeatedly felt a sense of uneasiness if it wasn’t because of Su Yan?
Luo Ting He was unable to give him a definitive answer. After Yang Kai returned to his room, he tried to focus on cultivating but to no avail. Instead of dissipating, the sense of uneasiness became worse.
Something must have gone wrong.
He fell into his thoughts as the faces of the people from Void Land and High Heaven Palace went through his mind, but he eliminated them one by one.
All of a sudden, he thought of a possibility thanks to Luo Ting He’s reminder.
She said that the reason he felt a sense of uneasiness was that something had happened to the people closest to him.
The first person that came into Yang Kai’s mind was Su Yan; however, he soon realised that Su Yan wasn’t the only one who was close to him.
To be precise, there were nine people who couldn’t really be considered to be close to him, but did have their lives tied to his.
He quickly fished out the Loyalty List from his Small Universe and opened it. The name ‘Chen Tian Fei’, which was written in blood, was on the first page.
The real name of Fatty Chen Tian was Chen Tian Fei. However, due to his rotund figure, those who were not familiar with him thought that his name was really Fatty.
In fact, he was the one who offered the Loyalty List to Yang Kai. As the first person who left his name on the Loyalty List, his name ‘Chen Tian Fei’ was naturally on the first page.
‘Hei He’, whose real name was Du Wen Hong, was on the second page. Back then, when Yang Kai led Lu Xue and Guo Zi Yan to look for the Star Boundary, they were hunted down by Hei He. Left with no choice, Yang Kai let Lu Xue consume a Mid-Rank World Fruit, which allowed her to ascend to the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm so she would have the capital to go against him. Eventually, they subdued Hei He with difficulty and made him leave his name on the Loyalty List.
Yun Xing Hua was on the third page. He was the Leader of Blood Swan Continent where Guo Zi Yan’s Daughter once lived. Since Yang Kai needed a new subordinate at that time, he decided to make him leave his name on the Loyalty List.
Of all the nine people on the Loyalty List, Chen Tian Fei and Yun Xing Hua were the weakest as they were only in the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Because of that, Chen Tian Fei was once worried that Yang Kai would abandon him. It wasn’t until Yang Kai told him to take care of the Small Stone Race members in the Small Stone World that he set his mind at ease.
Mao Zhe was on the fourth page, Geng Qing was on the fifth page, and Zhou Ya was on the sixth page.
All three Mountain Lords of Profound Yang Mountain from Shadowless Cave Heaven were in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Mao Zhe was the most powerful among them as he was just one step away from the Seventh Order. Although Geng Qing and Zhou Ya were slightly weaker, they had remained in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm for a long time and were strong in their own right.
There were initially four Mountain Lords in Profound Yang Mountain; however, the Second Mountain Lord, Yun Fei Bai, had offended the Proprietress, which was why Yang Kai decided to kill him. Because of that, Mao Zhe and the others were resentful of Yang Kai. When Mao Zhe left his name on the Loyalty List, Yang Kai could see that the other man was still eager to get his revenge.
Nevertheless, after so many years, these three had probably stopped thinking about avenging Yun Fei Bai’s death.
Yang Kai had killed more than one Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master already, so even if Mao Zhe managed to ascend to the Seventh-Order, he still wouldn’t be a match for Yang Kai.
He would certainly humiliate himself if he still wanted to get his revenge despite knowing that he couldn’t defeat Yang Kai.
Hui Gu was on the seventh page. Just like Mao Zhe and the others, he was in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Hui Gu had made a huge contribution when they were dealing with Zuo Quan Hui and the others on Prison Star.
There was nothing unusual with the first seven pages, which suggested that these seven people were still alive and kicking.
However, Yang Kai’s pupils contracted when he turned to the eighth page.
That was because the name ‘Xin Peng’ had disappeared without him knowing.
When he turned to the last page, he saw that the name ‘Luan Bai Feng’ had also vanished, just like he had expected.
The Loyalty List had an eerie effect. The person who possessed the Loyalty List had full control over the life or death of the people who had left their names on it. If the owner of the Loyalty List passed away, the people whose names were on the list would lose their lives as well.
The fact that two names had disappeared from the Loyalty List suggested that something had happened to them.
In other words, Xin Peng and Luan Bai Feng might have already lost their lives.
Xin Peng was only in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm; however, Yang Kai wanted to deal with Luan Bai Feng back then, and Xin Peng was her trusted aide. Therefore, he made use of Xin Peng and successfully lured her out of the Black Prison.
After that, the materials extracted from Black Prison would be sent to Void Land and High Heaven Palace. Most of the time, it was Xin Peng who dealt with these affairs.
The environment in the Black Prison was unique and dangerous, while Luan Bai Feng was one of the most powerful Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters out there. Additionally, she was also an expert in Dao of Spirit Arrays. The average Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master wouldn’t be a match for her inside the Black Prison.
After they defeated Zuo Quan Hui in the past, Luan Bai Feng returned to the Black Prison and started working on extracting more materials. Without Yang Kai’s permission, she wouldn’t easily leave the Black Prison.
Yang Kai had never expected that the two of them had passed away. What had happened in the Black Prison?
There were a tremendous amount of materials in the Black Prison, so it was a critical place that Yang Kai regarded highly. In the past, Void Land and High Heaven Palace mainly got their Yin Yang Element materials from the Black Prison. Even though Yang Kai had an inexhaustible amount of Yin Yang Element materials now, there was still a lack of higher-order Five-Element materials.
After he ascended to the Seventh Order, his cultivation progress would speed up if he had complete sets of Seventh-Order materials to refine; after all, it took a painfully long time to ascend to the Eighth Order from the Seventh Order. Furthermore, there might be Eighth-Order materials in Black Prison.
Hence, he couldn’t afford to lose the Black Prison.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai had finally figured out the reason he had repeatedly felt a sense of unease. That was because Xin Peng and Luan Bai Feng were killed one after the other. It was thanks to the Loyalty List that he could faintly detect it despite being far away from them.
Without any delay, he quickly summoned Qu Hua Shang and Tao Ling Wan. They then looked for Luo Ting He.
Upon hearing his explanation, Luo Ting He scowled, “So, the reason you felt a sense of uneasiness was that those two passed away?”
“That’s right,” Yang Kai nodded.
“What are you going to do?” Luo Ting He asked.
“I have to head to the Black Prison to look into the matter. Regardless of who the culprit is, I’ll make them pay,” There was a cold expression on Yang Kai’s face.
He had no idea who had made a move on the Black Prison, but Luan Bai Feng had been working for him for a long time now. She had also made a huge contribution when they were dealing with Zuo Quan Hui back then. Certainly, the ill-intentioned people were aware that she was Yang Kai’s subordinate as well as a person from Void Land.
Since the unknown enemy dared to make a move on Luan Bai Feng, their real target was probably Yang Kai. Furthermore, given Luan Bai Feng’s cultivation, coupled with her advantageous position in the Black Prison, the person who was able to kill her must be in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm at the very least, and the person was no ordinary Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
In other words, the person was probably from one of the Cave Heavens or Paradises. The High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters from the Shattered Heaven wouldn’t have the guts to enter the 3,000 Worlds.
Was it Thousand Crane Paradise or Myriad Demons Cave Heaven? Yang Kai reckoned that he only had some grudges with these two Sects, but he couldn’t think of the reason they decided to kill Luan Bai Feng.
At this moment, Yang Kai felt fortunate that Luo Ting He had also tagged along; otherwise, he, Qu Hua Shang, and Tao Ling Wan might not be able to accompany him to Black Territory.
Regardless of the danger in Black Territory, there wouldn’t be a problem as they had Luo Ting He, who was a new Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, with them.
Therefore, the ship changed directions and headed straight to Black Territory.
They never encountered any danger on the road, and a few months later, they arrived at a Great Territory that was just beside Black Territory.
Yang Kai didn’t rush into Black Territory to look into the matter. Since Luan Bai Feng and Xin Peng were dead, it suggested that a turn of events had already taken place in Black Territory. No one knew what was going on there. Although they had Luo Ting He, an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, with them, they still had to be careful.
They thus hid on a shattered Spirit Province and waited patiently.
Yang Kai had been to this place once before. This was the location where he ambushed Xin Peng, who had just left Black Territory at that time, and forced him to leave his name on the Loyalty List. He then subdued Luan Bai Feng and took control of the Black Prison.
Even though there were countless Ore Stars in Black Territory that were full of materials, the place was considered barren when it came to anything else. Luan Bai Feng was a woman who enjoyed the finer things in life; therefore, she would periodically tell someone to buy some daily necessities and luxuries from a Star City in the neighbouring Great Territory.
Yang Kai wanted to wait for someone to come out so that he could find out the current situation in Black Territory.
He was pretty lucky. After waiting for half a month, Yang Kai, who was meditating, heard Qu Hua Shang saying, “Junior Brother, someone has come out.”
Yang Kai hurriedly looked up and saw that a person emerged from the Territory Gate that was connected to Black Territory. The person was heading straight to the Star City.
As Yang Kai looked intently at the person, he soon widened his eyes in disbelief.
“What’s wrong?” Luo Ting He asked.
“That’s Xin Peng!” Yang Kai scowled.
Upon hearing that, Luo Ting He was stunned, “The one whose name has disappeared from the Loyalty List? Didn’t you say he was dead?”
She had no idea who Xin Peng was, but she remembered the name after Yang Kai mentioned the Loyalty List to her previously.
Yang Kai said, “For a name to disappear from the Loyalty List, it’s either that I let the person go or they pass away. I’ve never changed anything on the Loyalty List, but their names have disappeared. That’s why I thought they were dead.”
However, now it was obvious to him that Xin Peng was still alive and kicking. In that case, what about Luan Bai Feng?
“Could it be possible that the Loyalty List malfunctioned, or it’s a fake?” Luo Ting He turned her head and asked.
“That’s impossible.” Yang Kai shook his head, “The Loyal List is genuine, and I’ve always kept it on me, so there’s no damage on it.”
A glint flashed through Qu Hua Shang’s eyes, “In that case, they’ve probably found a way to safely remove their names from the Loyalty List.”
That might be possible, but Yang Kai didn’t think Xin Peng and Luan Bai Feng were capable of doing that. Even if they were able to do that, it wouldn’t bring them any benefits by doing so.
Black Territory was a strategic location that was under Yang Kai’s control, so Luan Bai Feng and Xin Peng had to listen to his command as well. In fact, Yang Kai had never treated them unjustly over the years. He had always been magnanimous when it came to rewarding his subordinates.
Mao Zhe and the others had enjoyed countless resources in Void Land over the years. Not only did they not have to worry about putting food on the table, they also held important positions in the Sect and were respected by all its members.
They didn’t have a reason to take the risk of removing their names from the Loyalty List.
Was there a senior expert who was behind all of this? What could their intentions be though?
“Instead of making speculations, why don’t you just go over and ask him?” Luo Ting He was a woman of action, that was the reason she dashed into the Samsara Pavilion back then over a trivial matter and set up an extremely difficult Heart Barrier, then waited for Senior Brother Sun to look for her.
That was indeed a good way of finding out more information. Regardless of how they were able to remove their names from the Loyalty List or whether there was a senior expert behind the scenes, Yang Kai would figure out everything by asking them.
If the senior expert wanted to lure Yang Kai to Black Territory, his plan would be revealed after Yang Kai met up with Xin Peng.
At the thought of this, Yang Kai decided to leave the hiding place as the ladies followed him closely.
In the void, Xin Peng, who had turned into a ray of light, was rushing to the Star City in this Great Territory. When he saw someone standing in his way all of a sudden, he was astounded.
He instinctively activated his World Force and bellowed, “Who is it!”
“Xin Peng, we haven’t met for many years. Don’t you recognise me anymore?” Yang Kai said, staring at him.
Upon hearing his voice and making out his face, Xin Peng was evidently shocked. He then quickly saluted him and replied, “Sect Master, I’m sorry for being rude. Please forgive me.”
“It’s fine. Where are you going?” Yang Kai asked impassively.
Xin Peng wouldn’t even dare to lift his head as he replied, “I’m going to the Star City to buy some daily necessities for Elder Luan.”
Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters like Luan Bai Feng who worked for Yang Kai were all the Elders of Void Land. That was the reason Xin Peng called her Elder Luan now.
Of course, that was how he addressed her in front of Yang Kai, the Sect Master. It wasn’t certain what he called her in private.
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes, “Does Elder Luan have the urge to drink again?”
Luan Bai Feng was an alcoholic. Yang Kai only realised it through his observation after he took her on as a subordinate. When there was a task she had to carry out, she wouldn’t even drink a drop of wine; nevertheless, when there was some free time, she loved to indulge herself in alcohol.
Black Territory didn’t have ingredients for making wine, so she would always tell Xin Peng to buy a lot of wine from the Star City in a neighbouring Great Territory; however, she would soon finish all the wine and tell Xin Peng to get more.
That has always been the case over the years.
Xin Peng smiled meekly, “You indeed have acute eyesight, Sect Master. Elder Luan… said that she wanted to drink a little wine. You happen to come back at the right time. Elder Luan always says that it feels lonely to drink wine on her own. Now that you’re here, Elder Luan will have fun drinking to her heart’s content.”
Yang Kai stroked his chin, “I haven’t met her in years, but she remains the same.”
[As expected, Luan Bai Feng is alive as well.] Yang Kai already had this speculation when he saw that Xin Peng was still safe and sound. Xin Peng’s words had also confirmed his speculation.
Luan Bai Feng was still alive, but for some reason, their names had disappeared from the Loyalty List.
Furthermore, Xin Peng’s reaction suggested that he wasn’t aware of this fact; otherwise, he wouldn’t have remained so calm and collected.
If he knew that his name had disappeared from the Loyalty List, he would’ve become flustered the moment he saw Yang Kai; however, even though he appeared slightly nervous, he wasn’t afraid one bit as he still behaved like usual.
Could Yang Kai’s other speculation be wrong?
He initially thought that a senior expert had made a move to help remove Luan Bai Feng and Xin Peng’s names from the Loyalty List; however, it didn’t seem to be the case now.
Xin Peng could only smile in response as he didn’t have the audacity to say anything when Yang Kai remarked on Luan Bai Feng’s behaviour.
He secretly took a glance at the ladies behind Yang Kai and realised that he didn’t know them either; however, these women were all beautiful in their own ways. He couldn’t help but think that the Sect Master was truly lucky to be always surrounded by such women.
Yang Kai already had several wives at home, but he still managed to bring back three more!
Xin Peng went on to say, “Where have you been all these years, Sect Master? It was rumoured that you had entered the Chaotic Dead Territory. While everyone thought that you were dead, Elder Luan and I knew that you were still alive, and you would emerge sooner or later.”
Yang Kai’s safety would have a direct impact on Xin Peng and the others. Since they were still alive, it meant that nothing had happened to Yang Kai.
Therefore, when the rumour spread that Yang Kai had lost his life in the Chaotic Dead Territory, the people whose names were on the Loyalty List knew that he was still alive. With that said, they had been apprehensive as well, for the Chaotic Dead Territory was known to be a dangerous place. They were worried that Yang Kai would be doomed to die sooner or later.
If something happened to Yang Kai, all of them would lose their lives as well.
Xin Peng was genuinely pleased when he saw Yang Kai appearing in front of him as he could finally be at ease.
Yang Kai nodded, “I did come across some accidents. Since you’re going to buy wine for Elder Luan, you should go now. I’ll be waiting for you here, and we’ll enter Black Territory together.”
After hesitating for a moment, Xin Peng asked inquisitively, “Why don’t I send you into Black Territory first?”
“There’s no need for that.” Yang Kai waved his hand.
It was then Xin Peng left the place in a hurry. It was apparent that he wanted to buy the wine and return quickly.
As Yang Kai watched him leave, he asked the others, “Did you see anything unusual?”
Luo Ting He shook her head, “There’s nothing unusual about his behaviour. Although he was nervous, it was only about as much as a subordinate would be when dealing with their leader.”
Qu Hua Shang nodded, “I don’t see anything wrong with him either.”
The fact that there was nothing off about Xin Peng suggested that something must have gone wrong somewhere else.
Yang Kai suddenly had a feeling that the matter regarding Black Territory was more complicated than he thought.
Tao Ling Wan parted her lips, as though she was trying to say something, but she couldn’t bring herself to speak in the end. Seeing that, Qu Hua Shang asked with a smile, “Do you see anything unusual about that person, Senior Sister Tao?”
Yang Kai instantly turned to look at her.
A blushing Tao Ling Wan said in a small voice, “It seems that he isn’t aware that his name has disappeared from the Loyalty List…”
Yang Kai arched his brow, “Why do you say so?”
Tao Ling Wan replied, “If he were aware of it, he would’ve been apprehensive. T-That’s because the fact that his name has disappeared from the Loyalty List suggests that he has betrayed you. In that case, he should have been afraid when he saw you.”
Upon hearing that, Luo Ting He and Qu Hua Shang nodded in agreement. The former said, “That’s right.”
Yang Kai praised her by saying, “You’re indeed an observant person, Wan’er. I share the same sentiment.”
Tao Ling Wan smiled bashfully upon getting the compliment, then stopped talking.
This was indeed a strange incident. Their names had disappeared from the Loyalty List for no reason, so they were supposed to be dead; however, not only were they still alive, they were also not aware of this fact.
Just then, a small group of people were seen coming from the Star City’s direction. The smiles on their faces as they chatted suggested that they were familiar with each other.
Nevertheless, the auras exuding from their bodies were not powerful. The one at the front was only in the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm while the rest were in the Third-Order.
It wasn’t until they came near Yang Kai and the others that they discovered their presence, which astounded them.
It was very common to kill people and snatch goods in the void; hence, the less powerful cultivators were at risk of losing their lives at any moment.
However, since both parties were so close to one another, it wouldn’t be appropriate for them to change direction now. By doing so, they would appear weak. They stopped talking and kept their guard up. They brushed past Yang Kai and the others before leaving in a hurry.
Seeing that Yang Kai and the others didn’t have any ill intentions or try to stop them, they breathed a sigh of relief.
Nonetheless, the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master soon returned.
Yang Kai looked curiously at him.
Upon confirming that Yang Kai didn’t have any malicious intentions, the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master cupped his fist, “White Fang Province’s Yuan Tong Guang offers greetings.”
Yang Kai nodded dispassionately, “What’s wrong?”
Although he had never heard of White Fang Province before, he reckoned that it was just a Second Class great force in some Great Territory, just like Great Moon Province. A great force could be considered Second Class when there were Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters in the Sect, but most such forces only had one or two Fifth-Order Masters assuming command.
Such great forces were innumerable in the 3,000 Worlds.
Yuan Tong Guang was only in the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Since Yang Kai and the others were just standing there, he was unable to judge their cultivation; however, he had a feeling that they were more powerful than he was, so he remained polite, “Nothing serious actually. This Yuan just wants to ask whether you’re also heading to Black Territory.”
Yang Kai’s expression changed when he heard that, then he played along by saying, “Indeed. Are you going there as well?”
At the same time, he was puzzled in his heart. Before his arrival, Black Territory had always been under Luan Bai Feng’s strict control. Even though there were ore slaves in Black Territory, they were all snatched from other places using all sorts of means. After those from Heavenly Sword Union were defeated, the captives were brought to Black Territory as prisoners.
Hence, those who had entered Black Territory were all Luan Bai Feng’s ore slaves. They had to extract materials for her until their death.
She had never allowed anyone else to have a hand in this place.
However, judging from Yuan Tong Guang’s words, it seemed that Black Territory had been opened up and anyone could enter now.
Yuan Tong Guang replied with a smile, “Yes. I heard that there were a lot of materials in Black Territory, but I had never had the chance to have a look. Now that Warden Luan has been kind enough to open up Black Territory for us to extract materials, it’s a great opportunity for cultivators who are not so powerful like us. Many people have already entered.”
Yang Kai frowned and asked probingly, “Brother Yuan, we’ve just come from another Great Territory after hearing rumours of this place, so we know little about Black Territory and Warden Luan. However, I’ve heard that Warden Luan is not a kind-hearted person. Instead, she’s ruthless and fierce. Can we even survive if we enter Black Territory? Will we be able to own the materials we’ve extracted? I don’t really believe it.”
Yuan Tong Guang sized him up and replied with a smile, “I see. That’s what you’re worried about. Is that why you’ve been staying here instead of entering Black Territory?”
This guy seemed to have misunderstood something, but Yang Kai didn’t intend to explain anything. He was just trying to extract some information out of him anyway.
As Yuan Tong Guang spoke, he nodded his head, “Your concern is not unfounded. In the past, no one would’ve believed Warden Luan if she said such a thing; however, it’s different now, for she has joined Void Land and become the Elder there. By the way, have you heard of Void Land before?”
“Yes,” Yang Kai replied in a perfunctory manner.
There was a sense of admiration on Yuan Tong Guang’s face as he continued, “Void Land is incredible, especially its Lord. I heard that he’s only in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, but he has killed Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters before. Also, he is still alive and well after offending Thousand Cranes Paradise back then. What’s more, he’s a Great Emperor of the Star Boundary. I’m sure you’ve heard about the Star Boundary before. One of the most precious treasures in the universe, the World Tree, is in the Star Boundary. Now, the Cave Heavens and Paradises have all set up Dao Temples in the Star Boundary, and they have a lot of collaborations with the Void Land’s Lord.”
“En, I’ve heard his name a lot,” There was an awkward expression on Yang Kai’s face. He didn’t know how to deal with this kind of situation when someone praised him right in front of him.
To the side, Qu Hua Shang covered her lips and giggled.
“Warden Luan is an Elder of Void Land. With the assurance from Void Land, there’s nothing to worry about. In fact, there are some people who have become filthy rich after getting immense benefits from Black Territory.”
“Really?” Yang Kai appeared doubtful, “Does Warden Luan really allow others to extract materials in her territory as they please?”
He was furious at this news as he wondered what Luan Bai Feng was up to. The materials in Black Territory were immense, but if all of them were extracted by others, there wouldn’t be anything left for Void Land and High Heaven Palace.
Nevertheless, he soon recalled something. There was a mysterious power in Black Territory. The further one headed into the place, the quicker one would lose the heritage of their Small Universe. The average person was unable to reach the depths of the Black Prison.
After years of extraction, the Ore Stars in the periphery had practically become barren. In the past, Yang Kai relied on the effects of his Towering Evergreen Divine Manifestation, coupled with the Void Yin-Yang Mirrors that he had created, to move several Ore Stars from Black Territory’s Inner Region to the periphery.
In other words, he was the only one in the world who could reach the depths of the Black Prison.
Where would these people mine Ore Stars after entering Black Territory? Why had some people even reaped tremendous rewards to begin with?
Yuan Tong Guang asked with a smile, “Where are you from, Brother? It seems that you know little about Black Territory.”
Yang Kai nodded, “I’ve only heard about it from others.”
“No wonder!” Yuan Tong Guang sported an expression that showed he had already expected it, “I’ll put it this way. Even though Warden Luan has allowed outsiders to extract materials in Black Territory, she wouldn’t want to be taken advantage of. There are rules to follow if we want to go in.”
Yang Kai said humbly, “Please enlighten me, Brother Yuan.”
Yuan Tong Guang responded politely, then explained, “Regardless of your origin or cultivation, you may enter Black Territory and extract materials. However, the materials you’ve discovered won’t be entirely yours. Warden Luan has her own rules. For materials in the Third Order and below, we can pocket everything. For those that are above the Third Order and below the Fifth Order, we can keep half of them. For those above the Fifth Order, we can’t keep any of that as we have to give everything to Warden Luan. Certainly, she won’t let you work for free though. When you hand in the materials above the Fifth Order, she will give you some Open Heaven Pills as a form of compensation. The compensation won’t be a lot, but it is satisfactory.”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai arched his brow, “So, those are the rules.”
“The rules are pretty fair,” Yuan Tong Guang smiled.
Indeed, the rules were fair.
If Luan Bai Feng hadn’t opened up Black Territory, the outsiders couldn’t have entered the place and extracted materials. Materials below the Third Order didn’t have much value, so they could just keep them. Fourth-Order and Fifth-Order materials were expensive, so they could only keep half of them. For materials above the Fifth Order, they couldn’t keep any of them, but Luan Bai Feng would compensate them with some Open Heaven Pills.
In that case, it would attract a lot of weaker Open Heaven Realm Masters to work for her.
Yuan Tong Guang, who was in the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm, was one such person. This group’s cultivation was neither high nor low, so they wouldn’t have much wealth nor a way to get more. There was no doubt that working in Black Territory was a good option.
Besides Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, even Fifth-Order ones would be interested in such a deal, not to mention those who were below the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Their Orders were too low, so it was extremely difficult for them to obtain cultivation materials. Once the news was spread, a lot of people would stream into Black Territory.
“Are there already a lot of people in Black Territory?” Yang Kai asked.
“I don’t think so; after all, it was only a short time ago when the news was spread. I believe that there will be more people in a few months.”
“When was the news spread?” Yang Kai asked with a frown.
“About three months ago,” Yuan Tong Guang replied as he looked doubtfully at Yang Kai, “When did you hear about the news?”
“Half a month ago,” Yang Kai said nonchalantly, “I heard someone mention it in a certain Star City, so I became curious. However, I haven’t made up my mind yet.”
Yuan Tong Guang guffawed, “It’s expected that you’re worried. In fact, I didn’t believe it either at first. If not for the fact that I was short on money, I wouldn’t have taken the risk. The truth is that the situation in Black Territory is just like what I’ve described. You’ll find out after going in.”
Yang Kai gazed at him with surprise, “Do you mean that you’ve entered Black Territory before?”
Yuan Tong Guang nodded, “En, I went in once two months ago and got some rewards. Certainly, I wouldn’t keep them to myself, so I returned to the Sect and brought my Fellow Brothers here,” As he spoke, he pointed at the people behind him. They were apparently the disciples from the same Sect that he had mentioned. Their cultivations were also similar to his.
He then paused for a moment before saying, “If you don’t mind, you can come with me. To be honest with you, there’s some risk when we extract materials in Black Territory. Although Warden Luan is generous as she won’t deduct the rewards that belong to us, she won’t care about our safety either. If we don’t come together and join forces, others might have their eyes on us if we manage to extract something good.”
It was then Yang Kai figured out why Yuan Tong Guang returned to talk to him.
It was apparent that he wanted to invite Yang Kai and the others to enter Black Territory together and form a small group. Although Yang Kai and his companions never showed their cultivation, it was apparent that they were powerful. Moreover, the three beautiful ladies in the group were undoubtedly attractive to them.
Black Territory was shrouded in mystery. It seemed that Yang Kai had to personally look into the matter.
He initially intended to wait for Xin Peng to come back before heading to Black Territory with him, but he had changed his mind; after all, if he went with Xin Peng, he would immediately see Luan Bai Feng, and he wouldn’t be able to investigate the truth on his own.
Hence, faced with Yuan Tong Guang’s invitation, he only gave it a thought for a moment and agreed to it, “Good. I’m sorry for troubling you then, Brother Yuan.”
An elated Yuan Tong Guang passionately told his fellow Brothers to come over and introduce themselves.
Yang Kai told them a fake name, but the surname was still Yang.
He wouldn’t dare to say that everyone in the 3,000 Worlds knew his name, but there must be a lot of people that were aware of who he was. As for his background, he lied to them that he was from Great Moon Province.
Upon hearing that, Yuan Tong Guang and the others became at ease.
In this expansive universe, great forces with the name ‘Province’ wouldn’t be too powerful; therefore, upon learning that Yang Kai and his companions were from Great Moon Province, Yuan Tong Guang and the others stopped feeling pressured.
Moreover, they believed that Yang Kai and his companions were attracted to the materials in Black Territory. The Open Heaven Realm Masters who came here to extract materials wouldn’t be too powerful, with the strongest generally being Fifth-Order.
The group then headed to the Territory Gate together.
It wasn’t hard to hide one’s cultivation. As long as they were careful when activating their powers, Yuan Tong Guang and the others wouldn’t find out anything.
The other men from White Fang Province were obviously interested in Qu Hua Shang and the two ladies as they kept trying to chat them up, but the two only responded in a dispassionate manner.
An hour or two later, they arrived at the Territory Gate.
Yuan Tong Guang summoned a flight-type artifact and nodded at Yang Kai, “Brother Yang, we’ll go first and wait for you at the other end.”
Following that, they subsequently entered the artifact, which turned into a ray of light and dashed into the Territory Gate.
It was then Yang Kai recalled that he was pretending to be a less powerful cultivator. Supposedly, he was unable to pass through the Territory Gate with his body alone.
In fact, one would feel immensely pressured when going through a Territory Gate. Only High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were able to safely pass through a Territory Gate without any protection. Mid-Rank Masters could still cross the gates if they were willing to expend a large amount of strength, while Low-Rank Masters would need a protective artifact.
Yang Kai was an expert in the Dao of Space, and his physique was robust; hence, he would usually just move through the Territory Gates without any protection, and he hadn’t come across any danger so far.
That was the reason he didn’t have an artifact that was specifically used for passing through the Territory Gates.
Fortunately, Qu Hua Shang was well prepared. Knowing what was on Yang Kai’s mind, she summoned an ordinary-looking flight-type artifact. After the four of them entered it, the artifact charged towards the Territory Gate.
The next moment, they arrived at Black Territory.
Qu Hua Shang stored the artifact, and then their figures were revealed.
The ladies looked around curiously as it was the first time they had visited Black Territory. This place was different from all other Great Territories. There wasn’t even a single shining star in the void, as though it was engulfed in endless darkness. A desolate aura permeated every corner of this Great Territory. Even the great Sun Star in the depths of the void only exuded a faint light, as though it was an old man whose days were numbered.
Luo Ting He frowned as the aura in Black Territory made her feel a sense of discomfort.
Yang Kai could immediately see Yuan Tong Guang and the others, who arrived at this place first. Presently, they were looking around casually.
Upon seeing Yang Kai and his companions, Yuan Tong Guang hospitably waved his hand, “Brother Yang, we’re here!”
Yang Kai nodded and led the ladies to shuffle towards them.
After they gathered together, Yuan Tong Guang said, “Brother Yang, I’ll bring you all to go through the registration process first. We can only extract materials from Ore Stars after getting Identity Tokens.”
“Good.” Yang Kai nodded.
Yuan Tong Guang led the way for them, and the rest followed him closely.
There was a shattered Spirit Province that wasn’t far away from the Territory Gate, one that was just big enough for a palace to sit on.
Many people could be seen entering and leaving this palace. Some of them were dejected while the others appeared joyful.
These people were mostly Third-Order and Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Additionally, there were a small number of Fifth-Order ones.
It was apparent that they had willingly come to Black Territory to mine ores, and there were indeed a lot of people. Just like Yuan Tong Guang had said, many people had already arrived at this place barely three months after the news was spread that anyone could freely come to Black Territory and extract materials. It wasn’t hard to predict that more people would come in the near future.
Furthermore, Yang Kai was concerned about the fact that the incident took place three months ago.
A few months ago, he was suddenly overwhelmed by a sense of uneasiness, then he discovered that the names of Luan Bai Feng and Xin Peng had disappeared from the Loyalty List. After some calculations, he realised that the turn of events in Black Territory started after their names vanished from the Loyalty List.
The people who entered and left the palace were mostly in groups. Only a small number of people walked around as individuals. It seemed that they understood they had to join forces to keep themselves safe.
Yuan Tong Guang had been to this place, so he was familiar with the procedure. He led all of them to enter the palace. Yang Kai looked around and saw that there were a lot of desks inside. Many people had lined up in front of the desks. Behind the desks were the busy Open Heaven Realm Masters who asked about their names, cultivations, and backgrounds. After the registration was done, they would give each participant an Identity Token.
“This way,” After looking around for a moment, Yuan Tong Guang led them to a particular desk and entered the back of the queue.
Then, he explained to Yang Kai in a small voice, “I’m on good terms with that guy, so I can ask him to assign a better Ore Star to us later.”
It was then Yang Kai realised why the other man chose to queue up in front of this desk in particular.
The people behind the desks were supposed to be Luan Bai Feng’s subordinates. Yang Kai had been to Black Territory twice, so most of Luan Bai Feng’s subordinates had seen him.
He was initially worried that his identity would be exposed, but he soon realised that he didn’t know the person who Yuan Tong Guang claimed to be on good terms with. It was apparent that he had never seen him before, so he set his mind at ease.
Just a while later, it was Yuan Tong Guang and the others’ turn.
They were indeed on good terms. The friendship strengthened after Yuan Tong Guang secretly passed him a Space Ring.
The person put on a bright smile, “You’re quick to return, Little Brother Yuan. You left this place barely more than ten days ago.”
Yuan Tong Guang replied with a smile, “Warden Luan is kind enough to present this great opportunity to us. Warden Luan’s efforts will go to waste if this Yuan doesn’t seize the chance.”
The person nodded, “I’m glad that’s what you think. Well, even though we’re friends, we still have to follow the rules. Are they from your Sect?”
Without hesitation, Yuan Tong Guang dipped his head, “Yes.”
“Take turns to tell me your name and cultivation, then,” the person demanded.
Yuan Tong Guang motioned for them to step forward.
It wouldn’t take a lot of time to go through the registration process and receive Identity Tokens and a moment later, everything was settled.
With a solemn expression, the person said to Yuan Tong Guang, “Little Brother, you’ve been here once, so you know the rules in Black Territory. I’ll not go through them again. I hope that you’ll stick to the rules and not keep any treasures to yourself. You’ll end up in a horrible state if we find out about it.”
“I wouldn’t dare to break the rules.” Yuan Tong Guang quickly nodded, then spoke in a hushed voice, “The Ore Star this time…”
The person shot him a glance that suggested that a tacit agreement had been reached between them, “Don’t worry, Little Brother. The Ore Star I’ve assigned to you this time is very good. Just ten days ago, someone extracted a Seventh-Order Wood Element material from there and received 10 million Open Heaven Pills.”
Yuan Tong Guang caught his breath and gulped, “10 million…”
According to the market rate, a Seventh-Order Wood Element material was worth a 150 million. Even a Sixth-Order one was worth 15 million.
Certainly, 10 million Open Heaven Pills were not enough to purchase a Seventh-Order Wood Element material; however, the figure was considered ample as a reward for just finding one. After all, the entire Black Territory was Luan Bai Feng’s territory. If she hadn’t opened up this place, no one could’ve come in and extracted the materials. Not only had she allowed outsiders to come in, but she would also reward those who handed in valuable materials. Certainly, the ones who sought wealth in this place were satisfied.
The person patted Yuan Tong Guang’s shoulder, “Work hard, Little Brother. If you become wealthy, you must not forget about me. To be honest with you, I’m envious of all of you. If not for the Madam’s orders, I would’ve been tempted to extract materials as well.”
“Don’t worry, Big Brother. If this Yuan has the luck to obtain a Seventh-Order material, I’ll not forget the help you’ve offered me.”
The person put on a bright smile, “I’ll take your word for it, then.”
After they were done with the small talk, the person waved his hand, then a short Open Heaven Realm Master came over. The person ordered, “Bring them to Ore Star 16.”
The short Open Heaven Realm Master nodded upon receiving the order, then said to Yuan Tong Guang, “Come with me.”
After bidding the person behind the desk farewell, Yuan Tong Guang led Yang Kai and the others to follow the short Open Heaven Realm Master.
Upon leaving the shattered Spirit Province, the short Open Heaven Realm Master summoned a ship and asked them to board.
Standing on the deck, Yuan Tong Guang appeared elated, “Ore Star 16 is one of the top-ranking Stars, so there must be a lot of materials. Junior Brothers, we have to work hard when we reach there, for we’re responsible for making White Fang Province thrive.”
The Junior Brothers nodded as they appeared prepared to do their best to get their hands on those valuable materials.
Yuan Tong Guang then turned to Yang Kai, “Brother Yang, I’m sorry for lying that you all are from my Sect. I just wanted to save us the trouble.”
Yang Kai waved his hand, “Don’t worry about it, Brother Yuan. We should be thanking you for saving us the hassle.”
Yuan Tong Guang put on a smile, “However, there’s one thing I need to make clear to you.”
“Please go ahead, Brother Yuan.”
“It’s the rules I told you previously. You all have to remember the Orders of the materials you can keep or have to hand in. When we leave Black Territory, we have to go through an inspection. Those who try to keep the materials to themselves will end up in a horrible state. In the past, there was a person who kept a Sixth-Order material, and…”
“What happened to him?” Qu Hua Shang asked.
Yuan Tong Guang let out a sigh, “I guess he’s still not dead.”
Tao Ling Wan was perplexed, but she wouldn’t dare to ask Yuan Tong Guang about it. She said to Qu Hua Shang in a small voice, “Isn’t it a good thing that he isn’t dead?”
Qu Hua Shang replied with a smile, “Sometimes, it’s better to be dead than alive. Senior Sister, have you ever heard about ‘fates worse than death’ before?”
It was then Tao Ling Wan understood what Yuan Tong Guang really meant. In an instant, her face turned pale.
The short Open Heaven Realm Master that led the way didn’t talk much as he focused on driving the ship. Faced with Yuan Tong Guang’s attempt to befriend him, he only responded in a perfunctory manner.
Yang Kai looked around while standing on the deck.
He had been to Black Territory twice. Even though he wouldn’t say that he was familiar with this place, he wouldn’t find it strange at the very least.
Soon, he found that there were a lot of shattered Spirit Provinces in the void on his right side. Those countless shattered Spirit Provinces were barren and strewn about disorderly.
Noticing his gaze, Yuan Tong Guang came over and asked, “Brother Yang, are you curious about what happened to those shattered Spirit Provinces?”
Yang Kai had an answer in his heart, but he could only play dumb and ask, “You know what happened, Brother Yuan?”
There was a meaningful grin on Yuan Tong Guang’s face as he replied, “I heard about it when I visited this place previously. It’s said that the Void Land’s Lord and Star Boundary’s Great Emperor, Yang Kai, is immensely powerful. When he visited Black Territory in the past, he used a Divine Ability to move the Ore Stars from the Inner Region to the periphery so that it would be easier for Warden Luan’s subordinates to extract resources from them. The shattered Spirit Provinces you see now are the debris that were left behind after the Ore Stars were fully extracted.”
Upon hearing that, Luo Ting He gazed at Yang Kai in shock.
Although she hadn’t seen any Ore Stars so far, she reckoned that they were just Universe Worlds with abundant materials. It would require an incredible Divine Ability to move a whole Universe World from one place to another.
She was an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so it was actually a simple matter for her to destroy a Universe World; however, she didn’t think she would be able to move a Universe World intact.
Yuan Tong Guang’s Junior Brothers were curious about it as well. One of them asked, “The Ore Stars were moved to this place? For real? Isn’t Senior Yang Kai a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master? Could he really do that?”
Yuan Tong Guang shook his head, “I don’t know whether it’s true or not, but it’s very likely to be what happened. Moreover, as you can see from the scale of the debris, Senior Yang Kai didn’t just move one Ore Star. It’s said that it took him some time to move hundreds of Ore Stars from the Inner Region to this place.”
“Hundreds of Ore Stars!?” All of them were dumbfounded as they found it inconceivable. Judging from the scale of the debris, they could see how large the Ore Stars originally were. Could anyone really pull off such a feat?
[Is Yang Kai even Human?]
Another Junior Brother said, “I suppose that happened a long time ago. There are no more materials left on these Ore Stars. It must have taken a lot of time to fully extract all the materials there.”
Yuan Tong Guang nodded, “Yes, it’s said that the incident took place 300 years ago.”
As he spoke, he took a glance at the short Open Heaven Realm Master, as though he was trying to get confirmation from him. Unfortunately, the short Open Heaven Realm Master didn’t intend to respond to them. It wasn’t certain whether he had no regard for Yuan Tong Guang and the others at all, or was just untalkative in general.
Yang Kai became increasingly doubtful as they moved forward.
Luan Bai Feng already had quite a number of subordinates to begin with, and she had previously captured almost 100 people from Heavenly Sword Union. 300 years had passed, so they should have fully mined out the 30 or so Ore Stars that Yang Kai had moved to this place, which was why the void was full of debris now.
However, what made him feel doubtful was that he couldn’t feel the strange strength that Black Territory was supposedly filled with.
He had personally experienced it on his previous visits. The further he went into Black Territory, the more conspicuous the strange strength would be. Engulfed in the strange strength, he could feel the heritage of his Small Universe leaving his body.
Therefore, even though Luan Bai Feng had occupied Black Territory, which was abundant with materials, for many years, she didn’t have a way to mine most of them.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai couldn’t detect the presence of the strange strength this time.
This made him feel perplexed, and the many surprising changes in Black Territory overwhelmed him with a sense of unease.
Half a day later, they reached a place that was definitely beyond the periphery of Black Territory.
In the past, no one could easily reach this place. Before anyone could arrive, the heritage of their Small Universe would be completely wiped out under the influence of the strange strength.
However, even Third-Order and Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters like Yuan Tong Guang and his group, who were from White Fang Province, could easily reach this place now.
The ship then landed on a large Ore Star.
After sending them to this place, the short Open Heaven Realm Master said, “This is Ore Star 16. All of you should do your best to extract the materials here. If there’s anything valuable, you can return on your own to turn it in.”
“Many thanks, Sir.” As Yuan Tong Guang spoke, he stepped forward and stuffed a Space Ring into the other man’s hands.
The short Open Heaven Realm Master took it and nodded before he turned the ship around and returned.
They finally arrived at their destination after quite some time, so Yuan Tong Guang and the other Open Heaven Realm Masters from White Fang Province appeared excited as they looked around.
One of them asked, “What should we do now, Senior Brother?”
Only Yuan Tong Guang had some experience here, and he was the most powerful among them, so it was expected that he was the leader in this group.
Yuan Tong Guang replied with a smile, “There’s nothing to take note of. You just have to mine as you please. The materials here are hidden in Black Stones. Before we shatter the Black Stones, we don’t know whether there are any materials in them or the Orders of the materials; hence, our mission is to find those Black Stones. Even if we destroy the entire Ore Star, those from the Black Prison won’t care about it.”
Upon hearing his explanation, all of them nodded.
Yuan Tong Guang went on to say, “Black Stones are very special and require World Force to dissolve. We can divide up the work. One group can mine Black Stones while the other breaks them down, taking turns to relieve ourselves.”
As he spoke, he turned to look at Yang Kai, “What do you think, Brother Yang?”
There was a solemn expression on Yang Kai’s face as he looked into the depths of the void, as though he was able to see a very faraway place. Upon being called out though, he replied, “You make the arrangements, Brother Yuan.”
Since an agreement had been reached, Yuan Tong Guang bowed his head. Just when he was about to speak, a tremendous figure suddenly descended from the sky and landed on a spot that wasn’t far away from them. The hefty figure crashed into the solid ground and caused a cloud of dust to rise.
Yuan Tong Guang and the others were flabbergasted as they looked intently in that direction and shouted, “Who goes there!?”
When the dust settled, a gigantic figure was revealed before their eyes. The figure had a big belly, and its skin was full of warts. There was a green aura, which was apparently poisonous, that swirled around its body.
This was an enormous Blue-Eyed Toad that was as tall as a three-storey building. Moreover, its aura suggested that its strength was at the peak of the Fifth Order, possibly even reaching the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Instantly, Yuan Tong Guang and the others turned pale.
They had never expected to come across a poisonous Star Beast on an Ore Star in the Black Territory’s Inner Region.
As the Blue-Eyed Toad’s chin contracted, a gurgling sound was heard coming from its throat. Just then, a displeased voice was heard saying, “Those brats from Black Territory have received this Uncle Yu’s benefits, but they’ve still sent some people to come over and snatch materials from me. They’re such a bunch of ungrateful people! Anyway, since you’ve come to this place, all of you will work for me now. You have to give me 30% of the materials you’ve extracted; otherwise, I won’t let you off!”
Tao Ling Wan widened her eyes in disbelief as she said to Qu Hua Shang, “Junior Sister Qu, this… I-It can speak!”
Qu Hua Shang replied with a smile, “It is not the one that can speak.”
A surprised voice was heard saying, “There are three ladies here? They’re quite beautiful. This Uncle Yu is in luck!”
Following that, a head stuck out from the top of the Blue-Eyed Toad as he swept a glance over Qu Hua Shang and the others in a lascivious manner.
It was then Tao Ling Wan saw clearly that there was a person riding on the Blue-Eyed Toad. The person was too petite compared to the gigantic Blue-Eyed Toad, so she didn’t discover him just now.
Luo Ting He sneered, “Who is this oaf that dares to call himself Uncle?”
Yuan Tong Guang turned pale as he sent a signal to Luo Ting He to motion for her to stop spouting nonsense, for he finally recalled who the Blue-Eyed Toad and its owner were.
He had heard that there was an old man surnamed Yu who had occupied an Ore Star in this place. Those who were sent there had to pay him 30% of the extracted materials and those who resisted would end up in a horrible state.
It didn’t really bother him when he heard about it at first. It wasn’t until he came across the duo that he felt horrified.
This couldn’t be helped, as this old man surnamed Yu was at the peak of the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, and the Blue-Eyed Toad was even more powerful than he was. With the two of them joining forces, they could go against a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
This kind of cultivation was unrivalled among the cultivators who had come here to mine ores, so there was basically no one who could fight against them.
Moreover, those from Black Territory wouldn’t care about such a minor matter. They just wanted the people who had arrived at Black Territory to follow their rules, and these people’s safety didn’t concern them.
Yuan Tong Guang secretly cursed at his so-called friend who had assigned Ore Star 16 to him back in the reception palace. The person had received some benefits from him, but he still sent him to this place, which was no different from sending him to a trap.
Fully aware that they were unable to escape unscathed, Yuan Tong Guang hurriedly cupped his fist, “White Fang Province’s Yuan Tong Guang greets Old Yu. Don’t worry. We will follow your rules when extracting the materials here, and we wouldn’t dare to keep anything to ourselves.”
With his hands placed on his hips, Old You was standing on the Blue-Eyed Toad’s head as he grinned, “You’re pretty tactful, brat. However, this woman doesn’t seem to understand the rules here. In that case, I’ll teach her a lesson so that she’ll learn not to speak nonsense and invite trouble!”
Upon finishing his words, he stomped his foot on the toad.
There seemed to be a ray of light that flashed across everyone’s eyes. Before Yuan Tong Guang and the others could figure out what was going on, they heard a loud slap. The next moment, a gale gusted through them as the sands and stones were blown into the air.
Yuan Tong Guang and the others were dumbstruck and hurriedly surged their strength to protect themselves.
Just then though, the man surnamed Yu was heard exclaiming in disbelief.
When the dust settled, Yuan Tong Guang and the others opened their eyes and were shocked by the sight before them.
The Blue-Eyed Toad had already extended its tongue in an attempt to attack Luo Ting He, but at this moment, the woman was gripping the tongue with just two fingers. Regardless of how hard the Blue-Eyed Toad struggled, it was unable to retract its tongue.
Yuan Tong Guang was astounded.
It had to be noted that this Blue-Eyed Toad was a Star Beast that was on par with a peak Fifth-Order or even a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Even its casual attack had to be taken seriously; however, Luo Ting He was able to easily catch its mighty tongue with just two fingers.
What kind of cultivation did she possess? How powerful must she be?
Moreover, it was obvious that the Blue-Eyed Toad was venomous, so its tongue must be coated in venom as well. The average Open Heaven Realm Master wouldn’t be able to fend it off, so how did this woman even grip its tongue with her fingers?
Yuan Tong Guang didn’t quite understand Luo Ting He now as he had a feeling that something was off. He thus quickly turned to look at Yang Kai.
However, Yang Kai didn’t even bother to look in their direction, as though he wasn’t aware of the conflict going on. After a moment, he simply said, “I’ll leave it to you. I’m going out to have a look.”
Upon finishing his words, he shot into the sky and headed towards the depths of Black Territory.
[He’s leaving just like that?] Before Yuan Tong Guang even came to his senses, he saw Luo Ting He exerting more force with her hand, after which the gigantic Blue-Eyed Toad was thrown into the air and then crashed into the ground. The old man surnamed Yu, who was on the toad’s back, was covered in dust as well.
Before he could get to his feet, Luo Ting He directly stepped on his chest and said smilingly, “You were going to teach me a lesson?”
The old man surnamed Yu immediately begged for mercy, “Please forgive me, Great Aunt! I’m sorry for my impudence, and I should be taught a lesson instead! From now on, 30% of all the materials extracted here will go to you! I’m willing to work for you!”
Yuan Tong Guang and the others were dumbfounded.
Yang Kai shot towards the depths of Black Territory. As Space Principles undulated, he was able to move at an astounding speed.
This area was supposed to be filled with the strange strength, and the average Open Heaven Realm Master wouldn’t be able to come anywhere near here; however, at this moment, his progress was unimpeded, which concerned Yang Kai.
He had never figured out what the strange strength truly was. In the past, he planned on thoroughly investigating Black Territory when he was free one day. Perhaps he could get to the bottom of the strange strength when the time came.
He knew that Black Territory was an expansive place with ample materials, but the reason it was easily occupied by Luan Bai Feng, a mere Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, was that this place was filled with that strange strength.
Without the strange strength, the Ore Stars in Black Territory would have been targeted by others long ago. Even the Cave Heavens and Paradises would covet such treasures.
However, it was because of the strange strength’s presence that it was extremely difficult to extract materials in Black Territory. Most of the time, Human lives had to be traded for materials; therefore, the Cave Heavens and Paradises had never had their eyes on this place before.
The strange strength could be said to be the natural barrier of Black Territory.
Nevertheless, the barrier was now gone.
On the other hand, Luan Bai Feng made a counterintuitive decision by spreading the news to attract a lot of Open Heaven Realm Masters to come over and extract materials. There was something off about what was going on.
Yang Kai passed by a lot of Ore Stars along the way and it was obvious that many Open Heaven Realm Masters were busy extracting materials on those Ore Stars. They used their own Secret Techniques and were making a lot of noises. Some of the smaller Ore Stars were completely shattered as all of the Black Stones had been found.
As he continued moving forward, there came a moment when Yang Kai suddenly felt the strange strength engulfing him. He couldn’t help but arch his brow, as he finally realised that the strange strength that had originally filled Black Territory was not completely gone. It was just that the area it covered had significantly shrunk; therefore, the safe area in the periphery had expanded, which allowed others to mine Ore Stars that were previously too dangerous to visit.
However, the strange strength was still existent in Black Territory’s Inner Region, and it was extremely dense.
On his previous visits to Black Territory, Yang Kai used his Towering Evergreen Divine Manifestation to protect himself and ward off the strange strength’s corrosion. However, even with his Wood Element Power that was condensed from the Immortal Tree’s essence, he was still unable to go very deep into Black Territory.
Once his Towering Evergreen Divine Manifestation was no longer able to bear it, he couldn’t proceed any further.
Nonetheless, it was different now. Yang Kai had obtained the World Spring in the Shattered Heaven, and with one of the Four Universe Pillars in possession, it could ensure that his Small Universe would always remain intact and impenetrable.
Therefore, even though he could feel the strange strength’s presence, it didn’t have any influence on him.
His expression changed upon that realization.
Perhaps he could finally find the source of the strange strength.
This strength had engulfed a large portion of Black Territory, so there must be a source. In the past, Yang Kai had wanted to find the source, but he was incapable of doing so. Now that he had the World Spring, he was no longer afraid of the strange strength’s corrosion. He was also not worried about the heritage of his Small Universe leaving his body anymore.
Perhaps he could really find the source of the strange strength this time and properly investigate the matter.
In this region, there was no one extracting materials on the Ore Stars, for Humans were unable to stay here. Yang Kai kept moving further and soon reached an area he hadn’t managed to visit on his previous trips.
The strange strength kept intensifying. Yang Kai reckoned that even an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters like Luo Ting He wouldn’t be able to remain here for long.
In this place, Yang Kai could faintly feel the presence of another kind of strength; however, with the interference from the strange strength, his perception was blurred, so he was unable to identify what that strength was.
He continued moving forward, but barely two hours later, he found it hard to go any further.
What stopped him from going further wasn’t the strange strength. With the World Spring’s protection, the strange strength in Black Territory wouldn’t pose a threat to him.
What hindered him were the Natural Spirit Arrays that were seemingly everywhere in Black Territory.
Black Territory was dangerous for two reasons. First was the presence of the strange strength, and second was the countless Natural Spirit Arrays.
The reason Luan Bai Feng had such high attainments in the Dao of Spirit Arrays was that she had been living in Black Territory for a long time. She didn’t have an Honoured Master, so she taught herself the Dao of Spirit Arrays and eventually became an expert in this field. All the Natural Spirit Arrays in Black Territory were her teachers.
Yang Kai was a complete amateur in the Dao of Spirit Arrays, and the reason he could even reach this far was that he was able to see through all illusions with the help of his Demon Eye of Annihilation. He had obtained the Demon Eye of Annihilation from Great Demon God, but it was actually a Secret Technique from Myriad Demons Cave Heaven. The Demon Eye of Annihilation and Black Purgatory Eye were very abstruse Eye Techniques. Yang Kai didn’t have a way to cultivate them as he had only obtained these Eye Secret Techniques by chance. Although they were already fairly powerful, he couldn’t improve them further.
Unless he was able to acquire the proper method to cultivate those techniques from Myriad Demons Heaven one day, he would never be able to strengthen them.
At this moment, Yang Kai could see that it was a land of certain death in front of him through the Demon Eye of Annihilation. If he really barged into it, he would definitely die.
After retracting the Demon Eye of Annihilation, everything he saw became normal; however, Yang Kai knew that underneath the serene facade of the void hid an intense murderous intent.
He could only make a detour, but he soon encountered a similar situation. The same thing repeated a moment later.
A large area in front of him seemed to be covered in Spirit Arrays, which barred anyone from intruding.
The area that was surrounded by the Spirit Arrays was likely the centre of Black Territory. Yang Kai had a feeling that the source of the strange strength was just inside this place. If he could go in and have a look, he would be able to figure out many things.
However, faced with the hindrance from the many Arrays, he could only give up on the idea.
Just when he was ready to return, he suddenly felt some people approaching.
This discovery astounded him. The reasons he could reach this place were that he had the World Spring to protect his Small Universe and the Demon Eye of Annihilation to guide him past the various Spirit Arrays. How were others able to come to this place?
Moreover, he could feel that there was more than one person.
Yang Kai quickly manipulated Space Principles and let his figure merge with the Void.
A moment later, rays of light came into his sight. Soon, these lights reached a place near Yang Kai and revealed themselves.
Yang Kai observed them in silence and realised that he didn’t know them. Furthermore, these people were not powerful as most of them were in the Second-Order and Third-Order Open Heaven Realm. The most powerful one was only in the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Their clothes suggested that they were not from the same Sect. There were seven of them in total.
The mass of Natural Spirit Arrays in front of them was like an invisible barrier that blocked their path. They stood silently in front of the Arrays, silently staring forward, making for an eerie atmosphere.
Yang Kai was astounded as the strange strength was extremely dense in this area. Even an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like Luo Ting He wouldn’t be able to persevere for a long time, so how were these Second-Order, Third-Order, and Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters still fine?
Supposedly, they couldn’t have come anywhere near this place. Before they even arrived, the heritage of their Small Universes would have been completely drained.
Yang Kai thought that perhaps he had perceived it wrongly since he had the World Spring’s protection, but just when he was beginning to doubt himself, he saw something even more shocking.
These people, who had been silent, suddenly shuddered as they were soon engulfed in a dark aura. At the sight of this dark aura, Yang Kai felt a sense of disgust and loathing overwhelming him.
Black Ink Strength!
He almost failed to stifle a cry of surprise at this revelation. Although he hadn’t frequently come into contact with the Black Ink Disciples, he would never forget about the encounters he did have with them. He was fully aware of the Black Ink Strength’s eeriness.
On his trip to Lang Ya Paradise previously, he found some of the hidden Black Ink Disciples and even detected the presence of a true Black Ink Clan member.
After he left Lang Ya Paradise, the Cave Heavens and Paradises examined themselves and looked for more Black Ink Disciples, then began searching for the Black Ink Clansman.
Nevertheless, more than 100 years had passed, but they hadn’t found any traces. All of them suspected that the Black Ink Disciples and Clansman had hidden in the Shattered Heaven, but they hadn’t found anything despite an extensive search.
The fact that there was no progress in this matter worried the leaders of the Cave Heavens and Paradises; after all, the Black Ink Strength was too strange. If they couldn’t find the Black Ink Clansman and kill them, a large number of Black Ink Disciples would start appearing in the 3,000 Worlds eventually and the situation would steadily grow out of control.
Yang Kai had never expected to come across Black Ink Disciples in Black Territory, and so many of them at that.
Unlike the Black Ink Disciples in Lang Ya Paradise who were all Open Heaven Realm Masters with bright futures, these Second-Order, Third-Order and Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters should be valueless.
Hence, it was obvious that they were not transformed into Black Ink Disciples through the invasion of Black Ink Insects.
To the Black Ink Clan, Black Ink Insects were precious items that had to be used sparingly. It would be a waste if the Black Ink Insects were used on these Open Heaven Realm Masters.
The likely explanation was that they had been corrupted by the Black Ink Strength directly.
Compared to using a Black Ink Insect, it was harder to transform someone into a Black Ink Disciple through the Black Ink Strength, but that didn’t mean it was impossible. Less powerful cultivators were unable to resist the Black Ink Strength, and could thus be corrupted given enough time and effort.
Even if the more powerful Open Heaven Realm Masters were accidentally corroded by the Black Ink Strength, they had a chance to resolve the crisis. For High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters, they could cut off the territory in their Small Universe that had been invaded, and they would be free.
Nevertheless, the heritage of their Small Universe would suffer a big loss if they did so; therefore, after Shi Zheng from Lang Ya Paradise killed himself previously, the Black Ink Strength he had left behind in High Heaven Territory gave the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters a headache. In the end, it was Yang Kai who solved the problem by storing the Black Ink Strength inside his Small Universe.
With the help of the Black Ink Strength in his Small Universe, Yang Kai was able to fool Yuan Du in Lang Ya Paradise. Unfortunately, the Black Ink Strength he had suppressed and sealed was then destroyed by Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan in the Chaotic Dead Territory.
The Cave Heavens and Paradises had been searching for the Black Ink Clansman and Disciples in the Shattered Heaven for more than 100 years, but to no avail.
Presently, Yang Kai came across seven Black Ink Disciples in Black Territory, which was why he was astonished.
As these Open Heaven Realm Masters were engulfed in the dark aura, the whites of their eyes became black, which made them look even eerier.
The next instant, they dashed forward without hesitation.
After they moved forward a couple hundred metres, the Natural Spirit Arrays hidden in the void activated. Yang Kai, who had hidden in the Void, was instantly overwhelmed with a sense of crisis as all his skin tightened.
These seven people didn’t resist at all and were soon turned into dust by the Arrays. Their Small Universes collapsed, and their World Forces dissipated. They were killed in the blink of an eye.
The sight stunned Yang Kai.
He initially thought there was a plot going on as these Black Ink Disciples suddenly appeared in this place. Since they stopped in their tracks in front of the Natural Spirit Arrays just now, it was apparent that they were aware of the danger ahead of them.
Despite knowing that they would be killed though, they still resolutely charged forward.
Yang Kai couldn’t figure out what was going on. Why did these Black Ink Disciples proactively try to get themselves killed?
A sense of unease engulfed him.
The fact that there were Black Ink Disciples in Black Territory was a major issue for the 3,000 Worlds, so he had to quickly inform the Cave Heavens and Paradises about it.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai wasn’t in a rush to return. The sight he saw made him feel that he had caught a glimpse of something very serious. The actions of those Black Ink Disciples who got themselves killed wasn’t the end.
Yang Kai thus remained hidden in the Void and waited patiently.
A few days later, another group of people arrived from the periphery. There were only three people this time. These people were even weaker as two of them were in the Third-Order and the remaining one was in the Second-Order Open Heaven Realm.
However, the same thing happened again, just like Yang Kai had seen a few days ago. These Black Ink Disciple resolutely charged into the Natural Spirit Arrays and killed themselves.
Yang Kai had never seen these Black Ink Disciples before, so he reckoned that they were not Luan Bai Feng’s subordinates; instead, they should be outsiders who were attracted to the materials in Black Territory.
He decided to stop his observation here as he had figured out many things after witnessing two batches of Black Ink Disciples killing themselves. Now he needed to verify his theories.
Yang Kai supposed it was time he looked for Luan Bai Feng. Perhaps he could get the answers he needed from her.
Following that, he turned around and flew back.
He didn’t come across any Black Ink Disciples along the way as the cultivators were still busy extracting materials on the Ore Stars.
Before he even went near Ore Star 16 though, he saw Xin Peng rapidly approaching him.
“Sect Master, why did you come all the way here? I’d been looking for you.” There was a sense of anxiety on Xin Peng’s face. He was previously told that he would enter Black Territory with Yang Kai after he came back from the Star City; however, when he returned, he realised that Yang Kai was nowhere to be found.
Left with no choice, he quickly entered Black Territory and informed Luan Bai Feng about Yang Kai’s arrival.
After giving it a thought, Luan Bai Feng told her subordinates to go through the list of the people who had arrived in Black Territory to mine materials in the past few days. The records suggested that Yang Kai had headed to Ore Star 16.
However, when she arrived at Ore Star 16 with her subordinates, she only saw Luo Ting He and the others. Yang Kai was nowhere to be seen.
Left with no choice, she told her subordinates to look for him. Xin Peng was lucky enough to come across Yang Kai, who was on his way back.
“There are a lot of changes in Black Territory, so I decided to take a stroll by myself,” Yang Kai nonchalantly replied, “Where’s Luan Bai Feng?”
Xin Peng quickly said, “Elder Luan is waiting for you on Ore Star 16. It’s hard to look for you since she doesn’t know where you were, so she’s decided to wait for your return.”
Yang Kai grunted in response, “Let’s meet up with her now.”
Xin Peng hurriedly led the way for him.
A moment later, they arrived at Ore Star 16 where a beautiful and luxurious ship had landed.
The old man surnamed Yu, Yuan Tong Guang, and the others were obediently standing there in silence.
On the deck, there was a table that was covered in spirit fruits and bottles of wine. Luan Bai Feng, Luo Ting He, and the other ladies were seated by the table as they seemed to be enjoying a joyful talk.
Upon detecting the man’s presence, Luo Ting He looked up at the sky, “Yang Kai’s back.”
The next instant, two rays of light landed on the deck.
Luan Bai Feng quickly rose from the chair and saluted him, “Greetings, Sect Master!”
Upon hearing that, Yuan Tong Guang, who was kneeling on the ground, widened his mouth in disbelief. When he saw that Luo Ting He easily defeated the old man surnamed Yu, he instantly knew that she was a senior expert. Then, Luan Bai Feng’s arrival confirmed his speculation that Yang Kai’s group was from a powerful background.
Despite his speculation, he wasn’t certain about Yang Kai’s identity.
It wasn’t until this moment that he realised the young man he chanced upon on the way to Black Territory was the famous Void Land’s Lord.
At that moment, he was overwhelmed with conflicting feelings.
Yang Kai looked dispassionately at Luan Bai Feng without saying a word.
The silent pressure caused Xin Peng to tremble as he couldn’t help but gulp.
To the side, Luo Ting He fiddled with her glass and then took a sip of the wine. Despite the faint smile on her face, her Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm pressure slowly began leaking out.
A horrified Xin Peng directly fell to his knees on the deck.
“How dare you, Luan Bai Feng!” Yang Kai finally let out a snort.
Without lifting her head, Luan Bai Feng replied in a humble manner, “Forgive me, but I don’t know what mistake I’ve made. Please enlighten me, Sect Master.”
“Do you even need me to tell you what you’ve done?” Yang Kai’s piercing gaze seemed able to cut across her face.
Luan Bai Feng fell on one knee, “If I’ve really made a mistake, I’m willing to receive the punishment without any complaints; however, please point out what I’ve done, Sect Master!”
Yang Kai scoffed, “Who allowed you to let outsiders come in and extract materials here?”
“It was my decision,” Luan Bai Feng replied in a grim voice.
“I want the reason!”
Luan Bai Feng said, “A few months ago, I detected some changes in Black Territory. You’ve been to the depths of Black Territory, so you must be aware that the area that is covered in the strange strength has significantly shrunk. The originally dangerous places have become safe, and we can now visit Ore Stars that couldn’t be reached in the past. This is good news for Black Territory as well as Void Land and High Heaven Palace. The materials in the Ore Stars are abundant, but I didn’t have enough subordinates to extract them efficiently, So, I decided to spread the news to attract more people to come over and help with the mining. Certainly, we have to give them some rewards for their work, so I set up some rules. Those who follow the rules will get some benefits from Black Territory.”
Yang Kai said coldly, “There are more than 10,000 Open Heaven Realm Masters in Void Land and High Heaven Palace now. If you wanted to mine the Ore Stars, you could have just informed Head Manager or Second Manager about it, and they would have made the arrangements. Why even rely on outsiders’ help and waste precious resources?”
Upon realising the reason behind his fury, Luan Bai Feng replied, “Sect Master, if that’s what you’re angry about, please allow me to explain myself.”
“Go on.”
“There are indeed a lot of Open Heaven Realm Masters in Void Land and High Heaven Palace now, but most of them are needed to explore the New Great Territory while the rest are required to maintain the order in the two Star Cities. Moreover, the cultivators who have just ascended to the Open Heaven Realm need time to solidify their cultivations, so it’s not appropriate for them to take on any tasks for the time being. Therefore, Void Land and High Heaven Palace probably can’t send a lot of people to this place. Furthermore, there’s something off about the changes in Black Territory. Before I find out the truth, I wouldn’t dare to let my fellow disciples take such a risk. If… I’m saying if… I’d really gotten them to come over, I was worried that the strange strength in Black Territory would suddenly experience a resurgence. If that happened, a lot of people from Void Land and High Heaven Palace would die, and I wouldn’t be able to bear the responsibility for such a tragedy.”
Upon hearing that, Yuan Tong Guang and the others were soaked in cold sweat. It wasn’t until this moment that they discovered they had actually been exposed to much more risk while extracting materials in Black Territory than they originally thought.
On the deck, Yang Kai stared at Luan Bai Feng with narrowed eyes, “Are you saying that it was all with good intentions?”
Luan Bai Feng replied solemnly, “Sect Master, since I became your subordinate, I’ve always taken you and the Sect into consideration whenever I act. I would never dare to betray you.”
Yang Kai fell silent while Luan Bai Feng remained kneeling on one knee. The atmosphere was somewhat grave at that moment.
The apprehensive Tao Ling Wan darted her gaze around as it was the first time she saw Yang Kai looking so grim. She was extremely worried that he would start a fight at any moment.
Upon noticing her timid sister’s uneasiness, Qu Hua Shang patted her hand to placate her.
After a long silence, Yang Kai lifted his hand and engulfed Luan Bai Feng in his power, “Get up.”
With the help of the power, Luan Bai Feng got to her feet, “Yes.”
Yang Kai frowned, “Whatever happens next time, you have to inform Head Manager and Second Manager first before taking action. If you explain your suggestion to them, I believe they’ll support your idea; however, you have to make it clear to the outsiders the risks associated with extracting materials in Black Territory. It is not appropriate to simply attract them with benefits without telling them the potential danger.”
Luan Bai Feng obediently hung her head low, “I’m sorry for not taking that into consideration. I’ll make the arrangement after this. By then, they can decide for themselves whether they want to leave or stay.”
Yang Kai nodded, “That’s for the best. Since time immemorial, people have always been willing to take great risks to seek wealth. As long as you make it clear to them the risks hidden in Black Territory, whatever happens after will be their responsibility.”
Luan Bai Feng nodded again.
To the side, Luo Ting He said with a smile, “I told you that Yang Kai would only be scaring you instead of really punishing you, but you didn’t believe me.”
Luan Bai Feng put on a faint smile, “Many thanks, Senior.”
“Have a seat and tell me when the changes in Black Territory started taking place.”
After Luan Bai Feng was seated, she began, “I’m not sure exactly when the changes in Black Territory started, but it didn’t happen all at once. After some investigation though, I speculate that the changes started taking place after you left Black Territory previously, but we were not aware of it until recently.”
On his previous visit to Black Territory, Yang Kai personally refined an incredible artifact called the Void Yin-Yang Mirrors. With this Hallowed Treasure, he was able to move some 30-plus Ore Stars from the Inner Region to the periphery so that Luan Bai Feng’s subordinates could easily extract the materials inside them.
300 years had passed since that time.
The changes in Black Territory started taking place after he left.
Just like Luan Bai Feng had said, they were not aware of the changes going on in Black Territory because the cultivators here had been focused on mining the Ore Stars that had been moved to the periphery.
It took them about 100 to fully mine out those 30 or so Ore Stars.
Luan Bai Feng then headed to the Star Boundary to look for Yang Kai as she wanted him to visit Black Territory again and use the Void Yin-Yang Mirrors to move more Ore Stars out.
Unfortunately, Yang Kai was being pursued by Bright Sun Divine Monarch’s in the Shattered Heaven at that time. Then, he arrived at the Ancestral Land, and there had not been any news about him since then.
Since Yang Kai was nowhere to be found, Luan Bai Feng’s subordinates had nothing else to do. She was not a kind-hearted person, so she ordered her subordinates to go further into Black Territory to begin mining Ore Stars. She would never allow them to stay idle.
Although the ore slaves and captives were displeased, they could only obey her order.
It wasn’t until they began venturing into the Inner Region that the changes in Black Territory became known to Luan Bai Feng. The originally dangerous places had become safe, and the area initially engulfed in the strange strength was now unimpeded. When they were staying there, the heritage of their Small Universes wouldn’t leave their bodies.
This discovery astounded Luan Bai Feng while the ore slaves and captives were ecstatic; after all, no one was willing to work in a dangerous place. It was good news to them that Black Territory had become safe.
“Initially, the safe area in Black Territory wasn’t so big, but it became increasingly wider as time passed. More Ore Stars were free from the strange strength’s influence, and I didn’t have enough people to extract the materials, so I came up with a solution.”
“You spread the news and attracted outsiders to come over by promising to give them some benefits?”
Luan Bai Feng nodded, “Yes. Even though we’ll suffer some losses, it wouldn’t matter to pay a small price as long as we could have control over the valuable materials. That’s what I thought at least. If you think this is a bad idea, I’ll chase all of them out now.”
Yang Kai shook his head, “Since the news has been spread, others will have a bad impression of us if we go back on our word now. Moreover, you have a point. As long as we can keep the valuable materials, it’s fine to pay a small price. The rules you’ve set are sufficient.”
Luan Bai Feng hung her head low, “Many thanks, Sect Master.”
“You may continue handling the affairs in Black Territory; however, if you come across something like this again, you must not make any rash decisions. If you can’t find me, you can consult Head Manager and Second Manager.”
“Yes,” Luan Bai Feng replied respectfully. Then, she parted her lips as though she was trying to say something.
Yang Kai shot her a glance, “Speak.”
Luan Bai Feng said, “Sect Master, an interesting thing was found on one of the Ore Stars some time ago.”
“What is it?” Yang Kai asked with an arched brow.
Luan Bai Feng looked around and replied hesitantly, “This thing is a little strange, so it cannot be shown to everyone. I’m not sure how to describe it, but you’ll know what it is at first glance. Please come with me.”
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai said, “Very well.”
“This way please,” Luan Bai Feng extended her hand.
Yang Kai rose from the chair and followed her into the cabin. Soon, they entered a room, after which Luan Bai Feng performed different hand seals and activated the barrier in the room to bar anyone from entering.
Her actions made Yang Kai feel curious as he wondered what it was that they had found. Luan Bai Feng was so careful that she even asked him to enter a private room just to have a look.
Just as his curiosity was piqued, Luan Bai Feng suddenly fished out a wooden box from her Space ring and held it out to him with both hands, “Sect Master, it’s this thing.”
Yang Kai stared fixedly at the wooden box and narrowed his eyes.
That was because he found the wooden box familiar. A couple hundred years ago, someone had fished out a very similar wooden box and presented it to him as a Hallowed Treasure.
In the end, it turned out to be a plot.
All these years later, the same thing happened again right before his eyes!
Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling forlorn. Even though there were a lot of Open Heaven Realm Masters in Void Land and High Heaven Palace, there were only a small number of Sixth-Order Masters. Despite the fact that he had subdued Luan Bai Feng using the Loyalty List, she was of great help to him, not to mention that she was extremely talented in the Dao of Spirit Arrays.
In fact, Yang Kai regarded her highly and had decided to help her ascend to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm when the time came.
Now, it seemed that there would be no need for that.
He suddenly realised why the names of Luan Bai Feng and Xin Peng had disappeared from the Loyalty List. Initially, he thought that they had passed away, but it turned out that they were still alive and kicking.
Nevertheless, they were no longer the Luan Bai Feng and Xin Peng that he knew.
They had turned into entirely different people, so they were no longer loyal to Yang Kai; instead, they were loyal to someone else.
That was the reason their names had disappeared from the Loyalty List.
After taking the wooden box, Yang Kai didn’t immediately open it; instead, he said, “Elder Luan, we haven’t met in years, and it seems that you’re being overly polite to me now.”
With her head hung low, Luan Bai Feng replied, “You’ve become more powerful now, and I wouldn’t dare to be impudent in front of you.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Do you know what’s inside this wooden box?”
Luan Bai Feng replied, “It’s a very interesting thing, but I don’t know how to deal with it. You’ll have to make a decision, Sect Master.”
“Good,” Yang Kai said, then opened the wooden box as a nervous Luan Bai Feng watched him.
The next instant, a black light dashed out of the wooden box and came right at Yang Kai’s face at the speed of lightning.
At the same time, Luan Bai Feng took a few steps back to widen her gap with Yang Kai, then performed different hand seals as a Grand Array completely sealed off this room.
She was an expert in the Dao of Spirit Arrays, and she had personally set up the Spirit Arrays in this room and on this ship. In this area, she could temporarily exert the power of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
It seemed that Yang Kai was about to dodge the black light, but under the influence of the Spirit Array, he froze for a moment.
This moment of delay allowed the black light to penetrate his body.
While he started shuddering, an elated Luan Bai Feng gazed at him with a faint smile on her face.
A stream of Black Qi billowed from Yang Kai’s body and engulfed him. He gritted his teeth and roared as his eyes slowly darkened.
Just then, Luan Bai Feng parted her lips and started murmuring to him in a charming manner, “Obey the Black Ink Clan, Sect Master. When our Master ascends to his throne, we shall rule over the world together!”
Yang Kai soon stopped resisting as the Black Qi around him thickened.
A moment later, the Black Qi contracted and revealed Yang Kai’s face; however, his eyes had turned completely black.
An ecstatic Luan Bai Feng pressed one hand against her chest and nodded at Yang Kai, “Black Ink Eternal!”
With a solemn expression, Yang Kai saluted her, “Black Ink Eternal!”
Since they were companions now, Luan Bai Feng stopped acting polite. She took a seat on the chair and picked up a cup of tea as she wanted to give Yang Kai some time to get used to his new reality.
Standing on the same spot, Yang Kai examined his Small Universe.
There was some Black Ink Strength that had been suppressed in a particular spot in his Small Universe. The Black Ink Strength was even richer than what he had collected from Shi Zheng previously, but this wasn’t surprising as it was formed from a dead Black Ink Insect, so it was extremely pure. Although it was now suppressed in Yang Kai’s Small Universe, it was still squirming as though it was trying to kick up a storm.
The black light from the wooden box was a Black Ink Insect. Yang Kai still had a Black Ink Insect with him now, so he could instantly figure out what was inside the box when he saw it.
After that, he only put on a pretence in front of Luan Bai Feng.
It wasn’t easy to fool her, for the Black Ink Strength inside his Small Universe was already destroyed by Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan in the Chaotic Dead Territory. He was no longer able to pretend to be a Black Ink Disciple using Black Ink Strength.
Fortunately, the Black Ink Insect that had penetrated his body gave him a chance. Although a Black Ink Insect was threatening, it was frail. Any Open Heaven Realm cultivator could easily kill it if they were prepared.
Just now, Yang Kai directly killed the Black Ink Insect, and after it exploded, a pure Black Ink Strength streamed out of it.
He had previously used a similar method to fool the many Black Ink Disciples in Lang Ya Paradise, so it wasn’t hard to do the same with Luan Bai Feng.
The Cave Heavens and Paradises had done their best to stop any news about the Black Ink Clan from spreading.
Be it the suicide of Shi Zheng or the many Black Ink Disciples in Lang Ya Paradise, only the Inner Elders and Ancestors of the Cave Heavens and Paradises were aware of the incident. None of the disciples knew anything about it, let alone Luan Bai Feng, who was far away in Black Territory.
If she knew what Yang Kai had experienced, she wouldn’t have used a Black Ink Insect to deal with him and even thought that he was her companion and wouldn’t have his guard up against her.
She could never have expected that Yang Kai had a World Spring in his Small Universe either.
They hadn’t met for hundreds of years, so when Yang Kai obtained the World Spring, Luan Bai Feng was still monitoring her subordinates to extract materials in the Black Prison. It wasn’t until this day that they reunited, and she had no way of knowing Yang Kai’s current situation.
With the World Spring’s protection, his Small Universe was impervious to outside influences. Even Black Ink Insects couldn’t harm him one bit.
Both Luan Bai Feng and Xin Peng were now Black Ink Disciples. Perhaps many Open Heaven Realm Masters, who were mining ores in Black Territory, had also been corrupted by the Black Ink Strength as well.
Yang Kai already had this speculation when he saw two groups of Black Ink Disciples killing themselves in the centre of Black Territory. Now, his speculations were verified.
Only in a Black Ink Clansman’s hiding place would there be so many Black Ink Disciples.
The leaders of the Cave Heavens and Paradises thought that the true Black Ink Clansman was hiding somewhere in the Shattered Heaven, but no one could have expected that they were really hiding in Black Territory instead.
It was then Yang Kai realised what the other kind of strength was besides the strange strength when he arrived at the depths of Black Territory.
It was the Black Ink Clansman’s power, but it was obscured by the strange draining strength, which was why he couldn’t sense it clearly.
Yang Kai felt a crawling sensation on his scalp when he recalled the intimidating consciousness he had previously faced.
Presently, he was not powerful enough to go against the owner of that Will.
Hence, he had to immediately inform the Cave Heavens and Paradises about it, for he was no longer able to handle the matter in Black Territory on his own. The leaders of the Cave Heavens and Paradises had to intervene.
However, he had to get the answers to his questions before that.
Yang Kai directly took a seat beside Luan Bai Feng and picked up a cup of tea.
It was apparent that Luan Bai Feng was in a jovial mood. As she gazed at him, she asked smilingly, “How do you feel?”
In a muffled voice, Yang Kai replied, “I’m fine. It seems that I’ve found a goal in my life.”
There was a fervent expression on Luan Bai Feng’s face, “Our goal is to sacrifice everything for our Master, including our lives!”
Yang Kai bowed his head, “Is Master in Black Territory now?”
Luan Bai Feng was shocked, “How do you know?”
Yang Kai explained nonchalantly, “When I was investigating Black Territory over the past few days, I noticed something and had a speculation.”
“I see,” Luan Bai Feng didn’t ask what he had seen. Since they were companions, she could trust him unconditionally.
“Do you have a way to let me see Master?” Yang Kai asked.
Luan Bai Feng shook her head, “We can’t do that now, for Master is still asleep. The last time he awakened momentarily, he only gave some brief instructions, so I can’t bring you to see him. However, our main goal now is to help Master break free from his shackles.”
Yang Kai arched his brow, “Break free from his shackles?” What he had just heard surprised him. He initially thought that the Black Ink Clansman was hiding in the centre of Black Territory that he had visited before; however, judging from Luan Bai Feng’s words, it seemed that the Black Ink Clansman was actually trapped there instead.
“En.” Luan Bai Feng nodded, “Master has been trapped in the Black Prison for countless years. Before coming across Master, I’d always thought that the Black Prison was just a name; however, after I met Master, I realised that the Black Prison is a real prison that’s specifically used to imprison him.”
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes, “What do you mean?”
He recalled the Demon Sealing Land in Ancestral Land.
Although the Divine Spirits in the Ancestral Land were aware of the Demon Sealing Land’s existence, the current generation of Divine Spirits had misunderstood the place after a long time had passed. All the Divine Spirits thought that the thing that was sealed in that place had something to do with Demons. It wasn’t until the Demon Sealing Land was opened up that they realised it was a Black Ink Sealing Land that was used to suppress a Black Giant Spirit God.
It surprised Yang Kai to learn that the situation in the Black Prison was similar.
This was a real prison where a powerful Black Ink Clansman was trapped.
While in a dazed state, Yang Kai recalled that when he visited the Black Prison for the first time, an idea came into his mind that the Black Prison could very well be a gigantic cage, but he didn’t ponder on the issue at that time.
It wasn’t until this moment that his speculation was confirmed through Luan Bai Feng’s words.
He couldn’t help but fall into his thoughts for a moment, then ask, “Are the countless Natural Spirit Arrays and Ore Stars in Black Territory part of the prison?”
With a solemn expression, Luan Bai Feng nodded, “Yes. Those so-called Natural Spirit Arrays were not naturally formed at all. Instead, they were arranged by ancient Humans; however, the people who set up the Spirit Arrays were so skilful in the Dao of Spirit Arrays that no one realised it. Everyone believed that the Spirit Arrays were naturally formed. The Spirit Arrays and Ore Stars form into a Super Array, and at its centre is where Master is imprisoned.”
There was a horrified expression on Yang Kai’s face, [The entire Black Territory is one giant Super Array. Just who could have done this?]
He increasingly felt that the situation in Black Territory was similar to that of the Ancestral Land. There was the Black Ink Sealing Land in the Ancestral Land while there was the Black Prison that was used to trap a Black Ink Clansman here.
The Ancestral Land was surrounded by the Divine Ability Sea, which served as a secondary barrier; meanwhile, there were innumerable Spirit Arrays in Black Territory which acted as a cage.
Perhaps the setups in the Ancestral Land and the Black Prison were built by the same group of people. In ancient times, a group of Great Experts clashed with the Black Ink Clan. While the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was suppressed and sealed in the Ancestral Land, the true Black Ink Clansman was imprisoned in the Black Prison.
Luan Bai Feng went on to say, “The incident took place a long time ago, so I don’t know the exact time it happened, and Master didn’t tell me about it. Perhaps to Master, it is a kind of humiliation to be trapped for so many years. His power is irresistible. The setup in the Black Prison is to prevent anyone from approaching Master and giving him a chance to escape.”
The Black Prison was originally filled with a kind of strange strength. With its influence, no one could visit the depths of the Black Prison. In that case, there wouldn’t be a risk of anyone getting turned into a Black Ink Disciple and working for the Black Ink Clan.
“Fortunately, you visited this place back then,” Luan Bai Feng looked excitedly at him.
“What does it have anything to do with me?” Although Yang Kai had a speculation in his heart, he wasn’t certain about it.
Luan Bai Feng explained with a smile, “I didn’t lie to you just now. It was the truth. It was because you moved several Ore Stars from the Inner Region to the periphery that the Super Array was weakened, which allowed me to have a chance to serve Master.”
Yang Kai lowered his gaze, “Every Ore Star in Black Territory is part of the Super Array; therefore, for every Ore Star that is removed or destroyed, the Super Array will weaken a little.”
“Exactly.” Luan Bai Feng nodded, “The removal of 30 or so Ore Stars can’t really affect the Grand Array, but what if thousands of Ore Stars are destroyed? There will come a day when Master breaks free from his prison and makes a comeback to the 3,000 Worlds. When that happens, no one will be able to stop his hegemony.”
Upon realising something, Yang Kai said, “That was why you spread the news to attract outsiders to come over and mine the Ore Stars.”
Luan Bai Feng smiled, “I don’t have enough subordinates to destroy the Ore Stars quickly. Just like you’ve said, since time immemorial, men die for wealth just as birds die for food. The rules I’ve established are reasonable, which is why many people are willing to come here and help.”
Yang Kai praised her by saying, “That’s indeed a great idea.”
“You think so too?” Luan Bai Feng appeared eager as she looked at him, “With you around, we’ll be even more efficient. I need you to tell the people from High Heaven Palace and Void Land to come over.”
“I can make the arrangements,” Yang Kai directly agreed.
“After Master breaks free, you will be rewarded,” Luan Bai Feng said with envy.
“This is what I should do. It is every Black Ink Disciple’s dream to die for Master,” Yang Kai appeared solemn as he secretly let out a sigh of relief. Judging from what she had said, it would take quite some time for the Black Ink Clansman to really break free from his prison. In other words, he still had time to stop this.
Upon recalling something, Yang Kai said, “When I investigated Black Territory some time ago, I managed to reach the centre; however, I couldn’t go any further as that area was covered with Arrays. I suppose that’s where Master is trapped.”
Luan Bai Feng nodded, “Yes, I’ve been there as well. But given my current mastery of the Dao of Spirit Arrays, I couldn’t find any loopholes to exploit, let alone a way to break them. It will only bring danger to the Master if I make any rash moves.”
“I also saw some people getting themselves killed by crashing into the Arrays.”
“I know who you’re talking about.” Luan Bai Feng let out a sigh, “They’re our companions as well; however, Master is frail now from his long imprisonment, so he needs nourishment to restore his strength.”
Yang Kai frowned, “Nourishment?”
“The World Forces that leak from their bodies after their death are the best food for Master.”
Upon learning that those in the Black Ink Clan lived on World Force, Yang Kai felt his heart sinking.
“Since that place is engulfed in the Grand Array’s power, how did they arrive there safely?”
Although the Super Array’s power had been weakened after many Ore Stars were destroyed, the strange strength was still present around the centre. Before Third-Order and Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters even arrived at that place, the heritage of their Small Universes would have been wiped out.
Luan Bai Feng replied with a smile, “That’s because they had the protection of Master’s power; otherwise, they couldn’t have reached that place given their strength.”
It was then Yang Kai realised that the Black Ink Strength could even resist the Grand Array’s power.
“Is there anything else you want to know? You can ask me anything. I’ll tell you whatever I know.” Luan Bai Feng showed complete trust in him.
“How were the cultivators turned into our companions? I can see there are many of them.”
Luan Bai Feng put on a smile, “There are indeed a lot of them. I suppose we have about 1,000 companions now; however, that’s just the beginning as we’ll have even more soon. As for how they were transformed… Well, I was the one who personally turned the cultivators into our companions initially. Those Second-Order, Third-Order and Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters are unable to resist the Black Ink Strength, so I can easily subdue them. Now, you’re able to transform others into our companions as well. Companions who have been transformed by Black Ink Insects are able to do that; however, those who are not transformed by Black Ink Insects can’t.”
“What happened next?” Yang Kai asked. Regardless of how energetic Luan Bai Feng was, it was unrealistic for her to turn 1,000 people into Black Ink Disciples on her own.
“I had more companions to help out after that. They have their own Fellow Brothers and friends. I’ve also received some Black Ink Essence from Master. It has slowly developed into such a scale, and it’ll only grow bigger in the future.”
“Black Ink Essence?” Yang Kai arched his brow as it was the first time he heard about such a term, which was why he was concerned.
Luan Bai Feng explained, “You were transformed by a Black Ink Insect that was gifted directly from Master, but he doesn’t have a lot of Black Ink Insects. They’re usually used to transform Open Heaven Realm Masters that are above the Fifth Order. As for Black Ink Essence… you can take it as something inferior to Black Ink Insects. Although Black Ink Strength has some corrosive power, it can’t fully turn a cultivator into our companion. Black Ink Essence is different, for it can fully turn Open Heaven Realm Masters that are below the Fifth-Order into companions who would be loyal to Master.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Black Ink Insects, Black Ink Essence, Black Ink Strength… In that case, what’s inside my body is supposed to be Black Ink Essence, am I right?”
“Well, you can say that. So, you can also transform Open Heaven Realm Masters that are below the Fifth Order. Those who are transformed by you can’t turn others into our companions. The Black Ink Strength in their body is threatening to the enemies but can’t turn them into our companions.”
“I see.” Yang Kai bowed his head, then asked for a vital piece of information, “Do you have other Black Ink Insects with you?”
“I only have a few of them. These things are precious, so even Master can’t give me many. It requires quite a bit of his remaining strength to condense a Black Ink Insect,” Luan Bai Feng replied.
This was similar to what Yuan Du had said. Black Ink Insects were very precious to the Black Ink Clan; however, it wasn’t until this moment that Yang Kai found that the Black Ink Clan had to use its own strength to condense Black Ink Insects. The Black Ink Clansman in Black Territory had become frail from a long imprisonment, so they had to preserve their own power. It was impossible for them to condense many of Black Ink Insects.
Upon realising his intention, Luan Bai Feng asked, “What are you trying to do?”
“I’ve brought some companions with me,” Yang Kai replied, “Maybe we can turn them into our comrades.”
Luan Bai Feng rejected the idea, “We’d better not make any rash moves. We could have given it a try if the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were the only ones here; however, you’ve brought an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master with you this time. It is unlikely for a Black Ink Insect to turn an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master into one of us. Master will have to personally make a move to have any chance of success. If others are alerted, Master will be in danger. Both of us can’t bear the responsibility for that.”
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai nodded, “I shouldn’t have tried to act impulsively.”
Luan Bai Feng said with a smile, “It’s fine. You’re just trying to help Master achieve his goal.”
She had turned Yang Kai into a companion and told him everything, so she decided to end the conversation, “We should leave now. The people you’ve brought with you will be doubtful if we stay here for too long.”
Yang Kai nodded in response.
A moment later, they left the room together and acted normally. There didn’t seem to be anything wrong with them.
The ship had already left Ore Star 16 and was now heading to the periphery.
Standing on the deck, Yang Kai looked at the centre of Black Territory with doubt in his heart.
Was the Black Ink Clansman trapped in the Black Prison the owner of the consciousness he had previously detected? If they were not the same individual, it meant that there were more Black Ink Clansmen hiding in this expansive universe.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai had a feeling that it was the same Black Ink Clan member.
He tried to recall what he had felt during the sacrificial offering to the Black Ink Clan in the Universe Paradise that was left behind by Yuan Du after his death. When the consciousness descended, he could feel the other party’s prowess, and he could somewhat sense that the owner of the consciousness was trapped somewhere.
After the incident, he informed the leaders of Lang Ya Paradise about it.
Now, it seemed that the owner of the consciousness was trapped in the Black Prison. Nevertheless, it was just a speculation. As for whether the two were the same Black Ink Clansman, Yang Kai had to feel the other party’s consciousness to be certain.
Half a day later, they arrived at Luan Bai Feng’s palace which was in the periphery of Black Territory. Without any delay, he respectively passed Qu Hua Shang and Luo Ting He a jade slip, “One of you will go to High Heaven Palace while the other will head to Void Land. Pass the jade slips to the High Heaven Palace’s Head Manager Hua Qing Si and Void Land’s Second Manager Bian Yu Qing. Tell them to send over some people to Black Territory to help with the mining operations here.”
Qu Hua Shang was shocked, “Now?”
Yang Kai had never discussed this matter with her before, but he suddenly passed her a jade slip and told her to get more people to come over, which made her feel doubtful. After going through nine reincarnations with him, she had a feeling that something was off about how he was acting. Despite her doubts though, she didn’t insist on probing him.
“Go, now.” Yang Kai nodded and took a glance at Tao Ling Wan, “Wan’er will go with you so that you two can take care of each other.”
Qu Hua Shang replied, “Good.”
Tao Ling Wan had always been an obedient person, so she didn’t object to this arrangement. She just felt reluctant to part ways with him.
On the other hand, Luo Ting He was displeased, “I’m not done having fun here. Why did you tell me to pass a jade slip to someone? I’m not your subordinate.”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “Aren’t you going to take a look at the World Tree in the Star Boundary? High Heaven Palace is in the Star Boundary, so you can just pass the slip along on your way there.”
Luo Ting He pressed her lips together and stopped refusing, “Fine, fine, I’ll do you the favour.”
Qu Hua Shang gazed at Yang Kai, “We’ll set off now. Take care of yourself.”
“Don’t worry.” Yang Kai nodded to her.
Qu Hua Shang then summoned a ship. After the trio boarded, it turned into a ray of light and shot towards the Territory Gate.
Yang Kai and Luan Bai Feng saw them off. After the ship was out of sight, she said, “Let’s go. I’ll show you the things we’ve obtained so far. When you were not around, we’d extracted quite a lot of materials in Black Territory.”
The ship soon shot past the Territory Gate. The moment they arrived at the next Great Territory, Luo Ting He’s expression sank as she turned to Qu Hua Shang, “Something is wrong with Yang Kai.”
Qu Hua Shang was surprised, “You sensed it as well, Martial Aunt?”
Luo Ting He nodded, “Don’t forget that throughout your nine reincarnations, I’d started following you two since your sixth life. We’ve spent dozens of years together, so I’m somewhat familiar with his behaviour. Something must have happened, which was why he hurriedly chased us away.”
Tao Ling Wan was shocked, “S-Something has happened to Husband? What’s going on?”
“We don’t know yet.” Luo Ting He shook her head, then fished out the jade slip Yang Kai had passed her, “We’ll find out about it after looking into the jade slips.”
Qu Hua Shang nodded in agreement.
They infused their Divine Senses into the jade slips at the same time, and the next moment, their expressions changed drastically.
That was because there was only one sentence in both jade slips.
‘The Black Ink Clansman is hiding in the Black Prison!’
As a Core Disciple of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, Qu Hua Shang knew a thing or two about the Black Ink Clan. She was aware of the Black Ink Clan’s existence and the danger they posed, but she had never seen them before.
On the other hand, Luo Ting He was now an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Before she was trapped in the Samsara Pavilion, she was already a peak Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so she definitely knew more about the Black Ink Clan than Qu Hua Shang.
Moreover, after got out of the Samsara Pavilion, she heard a lot of things about Yang Kai from Yu Xiang Die. She knew that Yang Kai had previously made a scene in Lang Ya Paradise and went to great lengths to find the Black Ink Disciples hidden in that place.
The Cave Heavens and Paradises then spent 200 years examining themselves, while looking for the Black Ink Clan inside the 3,000 Worlds. They had even performed a thorough search of the Shattered Heaven, but they still couldn’t find a single Black Ink Clansman.
No one could have expected that the Black Ink Clansman was hiding in the Black Prison.
The two ladies instantly realised the severity of the matter. Anything that was related to the Black Ink Clan was no small issue.
The fact that Luan Bai Feng and Xin Peng were still alive even though their names had disappeared from the Loyalty List might have something to do with this incident.
“Martial Aunt,” Qu Hua Shang lifted her head and looked inquisitively at Luo Ting He.
After giving it a thought, Luo Ting He made a decision and said, “Head to the Star Boundary. The Cave Heavens and Paradises have all set up Dao Temples there, so you only need to inform them about this and they will handle the rest. You must not accidentally leak this news to anyone.”
Qu Hua Shang nodded, “Understood. What about you, Martial Aunt?”
Luo Ting He replied, “I will head to the nearest Cave Heavens and Paradises and tell those old farts to come over.”
After Qu Hua Shang arrived at the Star Boundary and spread the news, it would then take the envoys of the Cave Heavens and Paradises quite some time to get into contact with their respective Sects, then even more time for those Sects to mobilize.
Yang Kai was in danger since he was in the Black Prison alone. Certainly, Luo Ting He had to bring reinforcements to Black Territory as soon as possible.
That was already the best arrangement, so Qu Hua Shang quickly replied, “Good.”
Luo Ting He said, “Both of you must be careful. I’ll be going now.”
Upon finishing her words, she shot off the ship and flew towards the nearest Paradise.
Fully aware of the severity of the matter, Qu Hua Shang wouldn’t dare to waste any time. She and Tao Ling Wan fully activated their powers to drive the ship forward so that they could arrive at the Star Boundary as soon as possible and tell the envoys there about what was going on in Black Territory.
…..
The amount of materials that had been accumulated over the past few hundreds of years in Black Territory was staggering.
Before Yang Kai left previously, he had moved more than 30 Ore Stars from the Inner Region to the periphery. After these Ore Stars were fully mined out, the Super Array that had engulfed the entire Black Territory had weakened, which caused the area that was covered with the strange strength to shrink.
After that, more Ore Stars were exposed to be within the safe area, and as more of them were destroyed, the Super Array’s power continued to decrease.
It was a vicious cycle.
Over the past few months, countless cultivators had been attracted to this place to extract materials, which resulted in even more Ore Stars being destroyed.
The result was the Super Array’s became increasingly weaker while more materials extracted in Black Territory had been accumulated.
In the vault inside the palace, the materials of different colours dazzled Yang Kai’s eyes. Materials below the Third-Order were not good enough to be put in this vault, so everything here was Fourth-Order or higher.
There were even some Eighth-Order materials. Although there were not a lot of them, it showed the stunning heritage of Black Territory.
There were countless Ore Stars in Black Territory. So far, only a small number of them had been exploited, but the rewards were already staggering. If they managed to mine out all the Ore Stars in Black Territory, the materials they would get would be incalculable.
The Yin and Yang Element materials Yang Kai had were already inexhaustible, coupled with Black Territory’s materials, they wouldn’t have to worry about cultivation resources for the disciples of Void Land and High Heaven Palace anymore. Regardless of how many disciples they had, the materials would be enough to last them several tens of thousands of years.
With an excited expression, Luan Bai Feng showed Yang Kai the harvest she had reaped from Black Territory so far.
Although she was a Black Ink Disciple, her temperament and her way of doing things didn’t change, it was just that the core faith in her heart was now different.
As long as she never revealed her identity as a Black Ink Disciple, she was the same as before.
Moreover, Black Ink Disciples still required resources to cultivate, which was why she was elated when looking at these treasures.
“You’ve just submitted to Master, so you might not be aware of it yet. Master’s power is profound. With this kind of power, Black Ink Disciples will no longer be chained by the limits of the Open Heaven Realm.” Luan Bai Feng spread her arms as though she was trying to embrace the world.
Yang Kai pretended to not know anything, “What do you mean?”
Luan Bai Feng shot him a glance, “What I mean is that as long as you work hard enough, you can even make it to the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm.”
Yang Kai appeared astonished, “Are you serious?”
Luan Bai Feng chuckled, “Why would I lie to you? If my memory serves me right, you directly ascended to the Fifth Order in the past. If nothing unexpected happens, the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm will be the end of your Martial Dao. There’s no way you can make it to the Eighth Order. With the limit out of the way though, you can ascend to the Eighth Order and even the Ninth Order.”
Admiration was written all over Yang Kai’s face, “Master’s power is truly mesmerising!”
As time passed, more Open Heaven Realm Masters from different parts of the 3,000 Worlds steamed into Black Territory. They were then sent to the different Ore Stars to extract materials.
Since Yang Kai was already one of them, he had the right to know more information about the Black Prison.
The number of Black Ink Disciples was increasing by the day. In just one month, the number had increased by several hundred people. Moreover, several Black Ink Disciples would head over to the place where the Black Ink Clansman was imprisoned and crash into the Grand Array to kill themselves every day.
Their reason for doing so was to feed their World Forces to the Black Ink Clansman after their death so that the latter could restore his strength.
Luan Bai Feng was extremely cautious about this and never let a lot of Black Ink Disciples make a move at the same time; after all, the secret might be exposed if a lot of people went missing all of a sudden. Hence, it was the best arrangement to let several die each day. No one would care about the life or death of a small number of people who had gone missing. They were all attracted to the abundant materials on the Ore Stars in Black Territory.
Yang Kai would look around Black Territory every day. Everything he saw and the information he had gathered made him feel heartbroken.
If the situation was left unhindered, it would only take a few decades for the number of Black Ink Disciples to grow to a staggering figure. Besides that, the most important thing was that the Black Ink Clansman trapped in the Black Prison would also be freed. When that time came, the entire universe would be gripped by a reign of terror.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai was unable to stop it now. A Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master might be able to reign as an overlord of a normal Great Territory, and the fact that he was a Great Emperor from the Star Boundary allowed him to stand on equal footing with the envoys of the Cave Heavens and Paradises. However, at the end of the day, this kind of cultivation was too weak in the face of a major crisis that could affect the entire 3,000 Worlds.
His power was completely insufficient in this matter.
Yang Kai felt a great sense of helplessness, so he could only hope that the powerful Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises would arrive at Black Territory soon to take charge of this matter. Only the old fossils who had cultivated in seclusion for millennia had the right to go against the imprisoned Black Ink Clan and end this threat once and for all.
One day, upon receiving Luan Bai Feng’s invitation, Yang Kai arrived at a Grand Hall.
There was no one else in the Grand Hall as Luan Bai Feng was already waiting inside. Seeing him, she nodded.
Yang Kai looked around and asked curiously, “What’s wrong?”
Luan Bai Feng replied with a smile, “Wait a moment.”
A short time later, a timid-looking person walked into the Grand Hall. When Yang Kai realised who the person was, he couldn’t help but narrow his eyes.
The person was none other than Yuan Tong Guang, a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master from White Fang Province.
Upon seeing Luan Bai Feng and Yang Kai, Yuan Tong Guang sported an anxious expression. He hastened his pace and cupped his fist, “Greetings, Sect Master Yang, Warden Luan.”
Even though he was just here to hand in some materials and get his reward, he still felt apprehensive.
During this period of time, he and his fellow Brothers from the same Sect had extracted quite a lot Black Stones on Ore Star 16. After spending some effort to dissolve the Black Stones, they were lucky to obtain quite some materials. Most of the materials didn’t really matter much, but amidst their harvest, they actually managed to acquire a Seventh-Order Earth Element material.
According to the rules in Black Territory, high Order materials had to be handed over immediately; therefore, Yuan Tong Guang quickly returned from Ore Star 16 and informed Luan Bai Feng’s subordinate about it.
The person directly brought him to the Grand Hall. Yuan Tong Guang had never expected that Luan Bai Feng and Yang Kai would be waiting for him there.
However, after giving it a thought, he realised it was expected that those from Black Territory had to take this seriously; after all, this one material could be traded for 10 million Open Heaven Pills.
10 million Open Heaven Pills was an astronomical figure for a force like White Fang Province. It had to be noted that this amount of money was almost enough to purchase a complete set of Fifth-Order materials. It would allow them to create a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, which would bring White Fang Province to greater heights.
When Yang Kai first entered the 3,000 Worlds, those from Great Moon Province had given him some compensation because of the matter regarding the Golden Crow’s carcass. The compensation was only 100,000 Open Heaven Pills, which was the maximum amount of money that those from Great Moon Province could take out at once.
Great Moon Province and White Fang Province were similar in terms of their power and financial strength. It could be said that for someone like Yuan Tong Guang to possess 100,000 Open Heaven Pills, he would be considered wealthy, not to mention 10 million. That was an unimaginable amount of wealth.
“This Yuan has obtained a Seventh-Order Earth Element material on Ore Star 16. Please inspect it.” Without any delay, Yuan Tong Guang told them the purpose of his visit and held out the Seventh-Order Earth Element material with both hands.
“You’ve done a good job.” Luan Bai Feng extended her hand and sucked the Seventh-Order Earth Element material towards herself before stuffing it into her Space Ring. She didn’t even intend to examine it. She then turned to Yang Kai and said smilingly, “Weren’t you curious about how to transform a cultivator into a companion? You can give it a try now.”
While Yang Kai sported a dispassionate expression, Yuan Tong Guang was puzzled.
Supposedly, after he presented the Seventh-Order Earth Element material, Luan Bai Feng would give him his reward; however, instead of seeing any reward, he heard some puzzling words from the woman.
He instinctively felt a great sense of unease. Could everything he had heard be false? Was Luan Bai Feng going to kill him so that she didn’t have to give him the 10 million Open Heaven Pills? However, if she really did that, her reputation would be severely tarnished. In that case, the people who had come to Black Territory to help with mining materials would no longer trust her.
Just when he was doubtful, Yang Kai suddenly took a step forward and pointed a finger at him.
As Space Principles undulated, Yuan Tong Guang was instantly bound in place.
He was only a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so how was he supposed to defend himself against Yang Kai? Since the Binding Secret Technique had activated, there was no escaping now.
“Sect Master Yang?” Yuan Tong Guang’s expression changed drastically as he was now certain that he was doomed; however, he didn’t understand the reason behind it.
As Yang Kai was facing away from Luan Bai Feng, he looked apologetically at the other man.
He had indeed asked Luan Bai Feng about how to turn a cultivator into one of their companions, but he was only doing so to gather information. It never crossed his mind that she would make him do it.
He wouldn’t dare to show the slightest hesitation, for that might cause his secret to be exposed. The powerful cultivators from the Cave Heavens and Paradises hadn’t arrived yet, so if he was exposed at this point, he might trigger some unexpected consequences, and he wouldn’t be able to bear the responsibility for that.
As he stood in front of Yuan Tong Guang, he could see the fear and pleading behind the other man’s eyes.
Just then, Luan Bai Feng’s voice was heard coming from behind him, “Activate the Black Ink Essence in your Small Universe. That’s Master’s power, and no one can resist it!”
Without saying anything, Yang Kai lifted his hand as a squirming black fog formed on his palm.
An evil aura permeated the hall and made Yuan Tong Guang feel a great sense of discomfort.
He became increasingly horrified as he pleaded, “Please spare my life, Sect Master Yang! There are no grudges between us, and no one from White Fang Province has ever offended you! Please don’t kill me!”
“Don’t worry. I’m not killing you,” Yang Kai said, “In fact, I am going to grant you the most wondrous gift.”
Upon finishing his words, he covered Yuan Tong Guang’s face with his palm.
The squirming black fog seemed to have come to life as it streamed into Yuan Tong Guang’s body through his seven orifices.
Yuan Yong Guang widened his eyes and started shaking violently. A gurgling sound was heard coming from his throat, as though he was going through an unimaginable torture.
However, he was still bound to the spot by Yang Kai’s Space Principles, so regardless of how hard he struggled, he could never break free.
A moment later, the Black Ink Strength’s aura billowed from Yuan Tong Guang’s body as his eyes gradually darkened until they became completely black.
He slowly stopped struggling, as though he had resigned to fate.
“You can release him now,” Luan Bai Feng said from behind.
Yang Kai dispelled his Binding Technique, after which Yuan Tong Guang collapsed to the ground.
With a frown, Yang Kai asked, “Is it done?”
Luan Bai Feng shook her head, “It’s not that easy. Although the Master’s power is profound, it isn’t easy to transform a cultivator into a companion. It depends on how strong the other party’s willpower is. The time it takes the Black Ink Strength to invade a Small Universe also varies.”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai felt his chest tightening as it was different from his previous pretence.
Luan Bai Feng said with a smile, “We are different of course. It’s much quicker for a Black Ink Insect to transform a person into a companion. Black Ink Essence is much less concentrated and thus takes longer.” She then took a glance at Yuan Tong Guang, who was lying on the ground, “He has basically transformed; all we have to do is wait.”
That was indeed the case.
After just half a day, Yuan Tong Guang was fully transformed into a Black Ink Disciple. He got to his feet and acted normally, but his eyes were now black.
“Greetings, Sir, Madam!” Yuan Tong Guang cupped his fist.
Luan Bai Feng nodded and tossed a Space Ring at him.
Yuan Tong Guang took the ring and infused his Divine Sense into it, after which he realised that there were countless Open Heaven Pills inside.
If he had seen so many Open Heaven Pills before today, he would have been ecstatic; however, he sported an impassive expression at this moment.
“Do you know what you should say after you go back?” Luan Bai Feng asked.
Yuan Tong Guang quickly replied, “I will ensure all know that Sir Yang is a man of his word.”
“Good. You may go now.” Luan Bai Feng waved her hand.
Yuan Tong Guang saluted them again and then left the hall.
After he was gone, Luan Bai Feng looked smilingly at Yang Kai, “See? It’s that easy.”
There was a sense of admiration on Yang Kai’s face, “Master’s power is indeed amazing.”
Luan Bai Feng said with a smile, “This is just the tip of the iceberg. Let’s go. I’ll bring you to see something else.”
Upon finishing her words, she led the way for him.
With his curiosity piqued, Yang Kai followed her closely as he wondered what she was about to show him.
Luan Bai Feng led Yang Kai to a very remote place.
There didn’t seem to be anyone passing by here. The visitors in Black Territory were aware that this place was filled with inconspicuous but dangerous Spirit Arrays that were hidden in the void; therefore, the cultivators who were in Black Territory to mine materials wouldn’t dare to wander randomly. They would only travel the paths that had been proven safe.
No one else dared to come to this particular area in the void that Luan Bai Feng had brought Yang Kai to visit.
A lot of shattered Spirit Provinces were scattered around this area. It was apparent that these shattered Spirit Provinces were parts of the destroyed Ore Stars.
Yang Kai looked around and realised in shock that there were cultivators standing on these shattered Spirit Provinces. Without fail, they were all engulfed in dark fog. They were obviously Black Ink Disciples.
It seemed that they were cultivating.
A strange energy fluctuation was felt coming from a particular direction, which prompted Yang Kai to turn his head and have a look.
Luan Bai Feng noticed it as well. She then said with a smile, “What a coincidence. Something is about to happen. Let’s go take a look.”
Without saying anything, Yang Kai followed her.
A moment later, they arrived at a spot that was 30 kilometres away from a shattered Spirit Province. There was a Black Ink Disciple on the shattered Spirit Province who was performing a set of hand seals. Black Ink Strength weltered around his figure.
Yang Kai found the Black Ink Disciple familiar, so he reckoned that the person was Luan Bai Feng’s former subordinate. He had been to Black Territory twice prior to this, so he should have seen him before.
At this moment, the illusory phantom of the Small Universe behind the person was flickering, and his World Force was undulating. It was apparent that he was on the brink of achieving an ascension.
“Is he going to break through?” Yang Kai arched his brow.
Luan Bai Feng nodded, “En. Fan Xiu Qi has been stuck in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm for 2,000 years.”
Fan Xiu Qi was the name of this Black Ink Disciple. Luan Bai Feng was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so her subordinates were all below the Sixth-Order. She especially regarded Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters highly. Fan Xiu Qi was one of them and he had been her subordinate for 1,000 years.
He was a ruthless man who was originally from a small Sect. Since he was displeased with the Sect Master for distributing materials unfairly, he decided to kill him and fled from the Sect. As he had nowhere else to go, he eventually arrived at Black Territory and became Luan Bai Feng’s subordinate.
He had been stuck in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm for the past 2,000 years, so it was obvious that his aptitude was ordinary.
Yang Kai had a speculation about what Luan Bai Feng wanted him to see.
“You know, Fan Xiu Qi only managed to break through to the Third Order initially.” Luan Bai Feng looked in that direction with a fervent expression.
There were countless Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in the 3,000 Worlds, making it the starting point for most Open Heaven Realm Masters.
The limits of their own aptitudes, the difficulty of acquiring materials, and their finances made it impossible for most cultivators to have a better choice when ascending to the Open Heaven Realm. Moreover, even ascending to the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm was a dream that a lot of people could never achieve in their lifetimes.
Fan Xiu Qi was just one of those many people. Although he was ordinary, he was the epitome of those who could never achieve anything great in life.
If one directly ascended to the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm, the end of their Martial Dao would be the Fifth-Order. In other words, if nothing unexpected happened, the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm was the best Fan Xiu Qi could achieve in his life. That was the reason he had been stuck in this Order for 2,000 years.
Nevertheless, he was showing signs of achieving a breakthrough at this moment.
This had nothing to do with his own aptitude or the materials provided to him from Black Territory. It was entirely because of the Black Ink Strength.
Black Ink Strength was able to shatter the shackles of the Open Heaven Realm and allow Fan Xiu Qi to have a chance of achieving greater heights after he reached his supposed Fifth-Order limit.
This was the other benefit of the Black Ink Strength that Luan Bai Feng wanted to show Yang Kai.
The wonders of the Black Ink Strength were manifested right before their eyes.
Yang Kai pretended to be fervent as well, but inside he was truly flabbergasted. He had never witnessed this before, so even though he understood the allure of Black Ink Strength to cultivators, it had never felt more obvious than now.
Those from the Cave Heavens and Paradises were right to stop the news from spreading. If the wonders of the Black Ink Strength became known to the public, a lot of people wouldn’t be able to resist the temptation. In order to seek a greater power, they would willingly side with the Black Ink Clan.
It wasn’t easy for a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master to ascend to the Sixth-Order. With that said, Fan Xiu Qi had stayed in the Fifth Order for 2,000 years, so he had accumulated enough heritage. He was already at the peak of the Fifth Order, so even though the process was challenging, he managed to persevere.
A few days later, the noise gradually died down and Fan Xiu Qi successfully broke through to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Luan Bai Feng was evidently pleased.
Even though there were a lot of Black Ink Disciples presently, she and Yang Kai were the only Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters due to various reasons. With Fan Xiu Qi ascending to the Sixth Order, their collective power was now strengthened greatly.
Fan Xiu Qi didn’t immediately stop cultivating, for he still had to solidify his cultivation after the breakthrough. However, upon realising that Luan Bai Feng and Yang Kai were observing him, he opened his eyes and nodded at them.
However, Yang Kai had a feeling that something was off.
Although the Black Ink Strength was wondrous, it seemed it wasn’t as miraculous as he had imagined.
Before the ascension, Fan Xiu Qi had a short and frail-looking figure, but at this moment, his body had swollen up and become quite bulky, even a bit disfigured in fact. It was as though he had transformed into an entirely different person.
Even those who were familiar with him would no longer be able to recognise him.
The transformation in his body after the breakthrough was obviously a hidden danger of the Black Ink Strength. Although Yang Kai had no idea what consequences that the hidden danger would lead to, he reckoned that they wouldn’t be good.
He then turned to look at another shattered Spirit Province.
Over the past few days when Fan Xiu Qi was trying to achieve an ascension, the Black Ink Disciple in this particular Spirit Province was showing signs of achieving a breakthrough as well. Perhaps Fan Xiu Qi’s ascension had caused this person’s Internal Qi to surge as well.
This person was also Luan Bai Feng’s former subordinate, but he was only in the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm. According to Luan Bai Feng, his name was Shu Yuan Si.
Shu Yuan Si only started out as a Second-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so the Fourth-Order was his limit. However, under the influence of the Black Ink Strength, that limit no longer mattered as he was now able to make it to the Fifth Order.
After witnessing Fan Xiu Qi’s experience, Luan Bai Feng became even more excited.
Just like Yang Kai, she had initially broken through to the Fifth Order, so the Seventh Order would be her limit.
Now, she was only a step away from the Seventh Order, and when she finally achieved a breakthrough one day, there wouldn’t be any goal she could work towards.
However, the Black Ink Strength had given her the hope of possibly making it to the Eighth Order and even the Ninth Order. Even those from the Cave Heavens and Paradises would have to look up to her by then.
Unfortunately, Shu Yuan Si’s ascension wasn’t as smooth as that of Fan Xiu Qi. The turn of events surprised everyone.
As Luan Bai Feng and Yang Kai observed him, his aura rose from the Fourth Order to the Fifth Order. The moment it hit the Fifth Order though, the Black Ink Strength that had been swirling around Shu Yuan Si suddenly surged, as though it had gone out of control. A shriek was heard coming from that direction.
Luan Bai Feng’s expression changed, but she didn’t intend to interfere. The reason she was here was to observe her companions who would break through their limits so that she could get prepared for her future ascension. She didn’t know how to deal with this anomaly, nor was she willing to intervene.
As she and Yang Kai watched Shu Yuan Si attentively, his cultivation and strength fluctuated wildly. Sometimes he would be in a perilous situation, but sometimes he would be as calm as still water.
The dust finally settled more than ten days later.
In the Spirit Province, Shu Yuan Si was lying on the ground and gasping for breath.
Luan Bai Feng and Yang Kai came over and landed in front of him. Upon seeing his condition, they couldn’t help but frown.
Presently, Shu Yuan Si was in a terrible state. His power was undulating uncontrollably as his aura dropped to the Fourth Order, then rose to the Fifth Order in a seemingly random manner.
What concerned the two of them was that Shu Yuan Si’s appearance had changed drastically. His clothes were all tattered, and his body was covered with sarcomas. Some of them were as big as a head while some of them were as small as a fist. A dark power was seen flowing within these cysts.
Some cracks started appearing on some of the sarcomas as Black Ink Strength flowed out of them like pus.
At this moment, Shu Yuan Si could very well be described as hideous.
Realising that he was in critical danger, he pleaded with Luan Bai Feng, saying, “Save me!”
Luan Bai Feng dispassionately looked down at him. A moment later, she shook her head and pressed her hand against her chest before saying in a solemn manner, “Black Ink Eternal!”
Instantly, Shu Yuan Si turned from flustered to calm as he realised something. Without feeling resentful, he thumped his fist against his chest and shouted resolutely, “Black Ink Eternal!”
The next moment, Luan Bai Feng made a move by engulfing Shu Yuan Si with her Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm power and reduced him to dust.
Shu Yuan Si had no hope of survival. Even if she never made a move, he would have exploded sooner or later given his condition.
His Small Universe collapsed while his World Force dissipated.
Rich Black Ink Strength had also streamed out.
Just then, Luan Bai Feng took a deep breath. Instead of drifting away, all of the Black Ink Strength was sucked into her mouth.
She appeared elated and closed her eyes to enjoy it, as though she had just had a taste of the most delicious dish in the world.
Yang Kai felt all his bodily hair standing on end.
A moment later, he said, “It seems that there’s a risk of using Master’s power to shatter our shackles.”
Shu Yuan Si’s death was the best proof of it. On the other hand, even though Fan Xiu Qi had successfully broken through, his appearance had changed drastically. It was obvious that he would be faced with some hidden danger in the future.
Luan Bai Feng suddenly opened her eyes and shot him a piercing glare, “Are you doubting Master?”
An alerted Yang Kai hung his head low, “I wouldn’t dare.”
Luan Bai Feng stared fixedly at him for a moment before saying, “Master is omnipotent and all-powerful. Shu Yuan Si failed because he was incompetent. The reason Fan Xiu Qi has succeeded is that he is truly loyal to Master!”
“Indeed,” Yang Kai nodded in agreement.
“I don’t want to hear any of that again. Any disrespect to Master is blasphemy!” Luan Bai Feng sternly warned, “Even if Master won’t settle the score with you, I’ll not let you off.”
“I will never speak so again,” Yang Kai assured her with a solemn expression. In the meantime, he secretly warned himself to be careful when dealing with Luan Bai Feng before the powerful cultivators from the Cave Heavens and Paradises arrived. He had to pretend that he was a loyal Black Ink Disciple until then.
When Luan Bai Feng saw that Yang Kai had shown enough sincerity, her expression turned milder. She nodded and said, “You’re already familiar with the situation here, and you had the experience of transforming a cultivator into a companion some time ago. It’s time you began actively helping the cause.”
“What do you want me to do?” Yang Kai asked.
“Go turn more people into our companions.” There was a faint smile on Luan Bai Feng’s face, “There are a lot of people in Black Territory now. They are the sustenance that Master will need when he awakens, so we can’t miss this chance.”
Yang Kai replied respectfully, “It is my honour to aid Master.”
“Go now. I’ll be waiting,” Luan Bai Feng waved her hand.
It was then Yang Kai dashed towards the Black Territory’s Inner Region while pondering on how he should deal with this situation as a Black Ink Disciple.
The powerful cultivators from the Cave Heavens and Paradises hadn’t arrived yet, so he had to make sure that Luan Bai Feng wouldn’t be alerted; however, her request to make him turn more people into companions put him in a tight spot.
There was indeed some Black Ink Essence in his body that could be used to transform people into Black Ink Disciples, and he had done just that to Yuan Tong Guang previously.
Nevertheless, he had no choice but to do so at that time as Luan Bai Feng was watching him.
Now that Luan Bai Feng asked him to do it again, Yang Kai definitely wouldn’t want to oblige. Nonetheless, if he never made a move, his inaction would be exposed sooner or later. How was he going to explain himself to her by then?
Another thing that concerned him was the Black Ink Clansman trapped in the depths of the Black Prison.
In the past, Yang Kai performed a sacrificial offering and summoned the great Will in an attempt to find out the other party’s hiding place, but his attempt turned out to be a failure. However, he had clearly felt the consciousness’ presence and prowess. Similarly, the other party must have detected his presence as well.
If the owner of the consciousness was a Black Ink Clansman trapped in the Black Prison, he would be in a perilous situation.
Due to a long period of imprisonment, the Black Ink Clansman in the depths of the Black Prison was in a deep sleep, but when they awakened, they might notice his presence.
When that time came, his identity would instantly be exposed.
Hence, Yang Kai believed that it was just a matter of time before his identity was compromised. It was a race against time.
If the Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises could arrive before he was exposed things would be fine. However, if they couldn’t achieve that, he would be in danger.
While his emotions undulated in his heart, he headed to Ore Star 16.
The moment he descended from the sky, the cultivators on Ore Star 16 noticed his presence. Soon, the old man surnamed Yu, Yuan Tong Guang, and the others came over and saluted him, “Greetings, Sect Master Yang!”
Yang Kai nodded, “I’m just looking around. Tend to your own business.”
All of them replied, “Yes.”
Yuan Tong Guang and the others scattered and continued mining.
Yang Kai decided to stay on Ore Star 16 for now. Although he was at risk of having his identity brought to light, he wasn’t willing to turn more people into Black Ink Disciples. He could only pray that the Cave Heavens and Paradises would arrive sooner.
After making some calculations, he realised that it had only been one to two months since Luo Ting He and the others left. Regardless of how quickly they were, help must still be on the way to this place.
Fortunately, nothing unexpected happened in the next half a month. While Yuan Tong Guang and the others focused on extracting materials, Luan Bai Feng didn’t have the intention of looking for him. This allowed Yang Kai to have some peaceful days.
However, he soon discovered something that made him feel speechless.
There were a total of thirteen Open Heaven Realm Masters who were extracting materials on Ore Star 16 now. The most powerful one was the old man surnamed Yu, who was riding a Blue-Eyed Toad. He was in the Fifth-Order while the rest were in the Third-Order and Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
All thirteen Open Heaven Realm Masters had been transformed into Black Ink Disciples.
It seemed that Luan Bai Feng had already made a move prior to this.
Yuan Tong Guang was transformed into a Black Ink Disciple by Yang Kai, after which he returned to Ore Star 16. With his cooperation, Luan Bai Feng could easily subdue the Open Heaven Realm Masters in this place.
It wouldn’t have mattered if everything ended there, but twenty days after Yang Kai arrived at Ore Star 16, Yuan Tong Guang and the others, who were extracting materials, suddenly gathered together.
Upon noticing it, Yang Kai decided to observe them despite not knowing what was going on.
He didn’t hide his figure. Even though the Black Ink Disciples were aware of his presence, they didn’t say anything.
With Yuan Tong Guang in the lead, they took off their Space Rings and passed them to the old man surnamed Yu. The latter silently took the rings with a solemn expression.
“You’ll keep these rings,” Yuan Tong Guang gazed at the old man surnamed Yu and said.
The older man nodded, “Don’t worry. You all go on ahead. This Old Master will join you soon.”
Yuan Tong Guang and the others pressed their hands against their chests, “Black Ink Eternal.”
The old man surnamed Yu replied, “Black Ink Eternal.”
The next instant, twelve Open Heaven Realm Masters shot into the sky and turned into rays of light.
Yang Kai sported a dark expression as he had a speculation about what was going on. He sauntered towards the old man surnamed Yu and stood beside him before looking in the direction Yuan Tong Guang and the others had left.
“Before Black Ink, all are ants,” the old man surnamed Yu suddenly said. There was a longing expression on his face, as though he was eager to run after Yuan Tong Guang and the others, “They will soon be one with Master and live eternally. This is an honour we all crave.”
Yang Kai’s speculation was instantly proven right.
There was something he was curious about though.
“Who gave you the order?” He asked.
The old man surnamed Yu shook his head, “No one ordered us to do anything. As long as Master has a need, we are ready to sacrifice ourselves. It could be me next time, or even you.”
Yang Kai frowned. [Could the Black Ink Disciples sense the Black Ink Clansman’s need? Is that why they would proactively sacrifice themselves?]
However, Yang Kai didn’t have time to ponder on it. He had been waiting for a long time, and didn’t want to expose himself so soon, but things had come to a point where he had no choice but to make a move.
First of all, he was the one who transformed Yuan Tong Guang into a Black Ink Disciple. If the latter killed himself because of that, Yang Kai would be the murderer. It wasn’t that he had never killed anyone before, but the ones he had slain were all enemies he could not reconcile with. Yang Kai had never killed an innocent before, so he wasn’t willing to see Yuan Tong Guang die.
Secondly, the Black Ink Clansman trapped in the depths of the Black Prison lived on World Force. By intercepting Yuan Tong Guang and the others, Yang Kai could stop the Black Ink Clansman from restoring himself.
The old man surnamed Yu became alerted as he gazed at Yang Kai, “Didn’t you sense it?”
Yang Kai flashed a smile at him, revealing his snow-white teeth. While the old man surnamed Yu was confused, the illusory phantom of a Small Universe appeared behind Yang Kai and swallowed the old man up like an Ominous Beast.
The Small Universes of High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters had materialised, so they could accommodate living creatures, including Open Heaven Realm Masters of lower Orders.
Even though Yang Kai wasn’t a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master yet, his Small Universe had already materialised. As a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he was able to keep the old man surnamed Yu, who was a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, inside his Small Universe as long as he could unleash a burst of force that the other party couldn’t resist. With that said, there would be a risk Yang Kai had to bear for keeping the other party inside his Small Universe.
This wasn’t really an issue for Yang Kai though.
He was nearly on par with a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master now, so before the old man surnamed Yu had time to react, he was subdued and transferred into Yang Kai’s Small Universe. The next instant, he was engulfed in a restrictive power and became rooted to the spot, as though he had been struck with a Binding Secret Technique. He couldn’t even move a muscle.
In Seven Stars Sect, Xu Yi was feeding the golden carp that had obtained a Dragon Vein after drinking Yang Kai’s Dragon Blood when all of a sudden, the world around him started spinning. When he recovered, he realised that he was in an unfamiliar place.
There was a short and wrinkled old man who appeared bound in place there.
Beside the old man stood a Blue-Eyed Toad that was as tall as a three-storey building. A gurgling sound was heard coming from its throat, and the pustules on its figure exuded a poisonous aura.
Xu Yi was dumbstruck at the sight.
He felt an unimaginable energy fluctuation coming from the old man and the Blue-Eyed Toad. In the past, he thought that Emperor Realm Masters were the most powerful cultivators in the world, but even they seemed insignificant compared to the pair before his eyes.
He had only felt the same kind of formidable aura from his Honoured Master before.
Before he could figure out what was going on, Xu Yi heard his Honoured Master speaking to him, “Keep an eye on him. Call out to me immediately if anything happens!”
“Yes!” Xu Yi quickly replied. He no longer felt flustered upon hearing his Honoured Master’s voice. With his Honoured Master around, he wouldn’t have to fear anything.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai had already manipulated Space Principles to chase after the group which had just left.
A moment later, he saw Yuan Tong Guang and the others and directly hastened his pace to intercept them.
These Black Ink Disciple appeared startled and Yuan Tong Guang took the initiative to ask, “What’s wrong, Sect Master Yang?”
“Nothing. I’m just here to save your lives,” Yang Kai replied impassively. The next moment, he crashed into these Black Ink Disciples as his Small Universe expanded and engulfed all of them.
On the other hand, Xu Yi was staring fixedly at the old man surnamed Yu. Upon realising that the old man really couldn’t move a muscle, he shifted his attention to the Blue-Eyed Toad. He had never seen such a hideous-looking Monster Beast before. The golden carp he was told to take care of was much more pleasing to the eye than this Blue-Eyed Toad.
Just then, he caught a glimpse of several people appearing abruptly, and just like the short old man, they were all immobile.
Xu Yi quickly stayed further away from them as he wondered what his Honoured Master was doing.
It was apparent that his Honoured Master had captured and rendered them immovable, but what was his reason for doing so?
In the past, Yang Kai wouldn’t have spared the lives of Black Ink Disciples.
When someone was invaded by the Black Ink Strength, there was no way they could be saved. That was the firm belief those from Lang Ya Paradise had instilled in him.
That was what those from Lang Ya Paradise did as well. Those Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, who had exceptional aptitudes and held important positions in Lang Ya Paradise, were all killed. Even Gu Ling’er, who was popular among the disciples and Elders alike, was not spared.
Yuan Du and all other Black Ink Disciples were condemned to death the moment they were discovered.
However, Yang Kai wanted to save these Black Ink Disciples now. At the same time, he had to verify a speculation he had.
A cultivator’s temperament would change drastically after they were turned into a Black Ink Disciple, but that wasn’t their true selves.
If his speculation was proven right, it would mean that it wasn’t impossible to save these Black Ink Disciples. That would be good news for the entire universe.
Once again, Yang Kai arrived at the centre of the Black Prison where the Black Ink Clansman was imprisoned.
There were a lot of Black Ink Disciples scattered on the Ore Stars, and he had no idea which of those Black Ink Disciples would come over to sacrifice themselves, so he decided to simply wait for their arrival here.
With the help of the Demon Eye of Annihilation, Yang Kai was still able to clearly see the concealed danger in this place. The centre of the Super Array was the most intimidating. Even though he was strong, he wouldn’t dare to barge into its range.
The strange strength that derived from the Super Array was extremely violent in this place. If not for the fact that Yang Kai had the World Spring to protect his Small Universe, he wouldn’t be able to last here for long. Before he even arrived at this place, the heritage of his Small Universe would have been completely drained.
The reason the Black Ink Disciples could arrive at this place safely was that they had the Black Ink Strength’s protection.
There was one thing that puzzled Yang Kai, though. How did the Black Ink Disciples avoid the Spirit Arrays that were widely present in Black Territory? In this place, there was a Super Array that consisted of countless Spirit Arrays and Ore Stars which was used to imprison the Black Ink Clansman. Everywhere in Black Territory was potentially dangerous.
The reason Yang Kai could come all the way here was that his Demon Eye of Annihilation was able to see through all illusions in the world. He might not be able to see through the abstrusity of those Spirit Arrays, but with the help of the Demon Eye of Annihilation, he could find the traces of their presence at least so he could avoid them.
Those Third-Order and Fourth-Order Black Ink Disciples were obviously incapable of doing that, so Yang Kai could only speculate that Luan Bai Feng had mapped out a safe route for them to come to this place and sacrifice themselves for the Black Ink Clan.
The next day after Yang Kai arrived at this place, he intercepted a group of five Black Ink Disciples. Just like what he had previously done, he put them inside his Small Universe and suppressed them.
Two to three days later, he intercepted another group of Black Ink Disciples.
Yang Kai initially wanted to find a regular pattern, but his attempt was futile. The frequency of their arrival and the number of people were irregular. Sometimes there would be a lot of people, but sometimes there would only be a small number. There were times when no one came over for five days in a row, but at other times, people would arrive every day.
In just one month, Yang Kai had stuffed more than 100 Open Heaven Realm Masters into his Small Universe.
Other than the old man surnamed Yu, who was a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, the rest were in the Third-Order and Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Perhaps to the Black Ink Disciples, Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were indispensable for now, so they were not willing to sacrifice such people.
Yang Kai had a feeling that what was going on in this place would be exposed soon. In fact, he was already surprised that he had managed to stay here for a whole month without alerting Luan Bai Feng.
And soon that time came.
One day, when Yang Kai was resting in the void as he patiently waited for the Black Ink Disciples’ arrival, he suddenly opened his eyes. A chill gripped him, which prompted him to activate his World Force to protect himself.
There seemed to be a hidden gaze that took a glance at him from the depths of the void. The great consciousness he had felt during the sacrificial offering in the past appeared for a breath before vanishing again.
The consciousness could no longer be felt, as though it was nothing more than an illusion.
However, Yang Kai was fully aware that it wasn’t an illusion.
He had been intercepting the Black Ink Disciples in this place, so the Black Ink Clansman, who was sound asleep, hadn’t had any nourishment for an entire month. There was no doubt that the Black Ink Clansman had been alerted, which was why they had awakened from their sleep for a brief moment.
Yang Kai had no idea whether the other party had slumbered off again, but he was now certain that the Black Ink Clansman who had a hand in Lang Ya Paradise was the same as the one who was trapped in the Black Prison.
He had felt the same consciousness twice, so he reckoned that his speculation was right.
This was actually good news, for there might only be one Black Ink Clansman present in the 3,000 Worlds. Yang Kai was initially worried that there would be more members of the Black Ink Clan in hiding.
The bad news was that a battle was now imminent. There were probably thousands of Black Ink Disciples in the Black Prison, while Yang Kai was on his own.
The imprisoned Black Ink Clansman had already noticed his presence, so there was no way the Black Ink Disciples were still clueless now.
Over the past month, Yang Kai wasn’t just waiting around though; instead, he had been planning out his next move, and now was the time for him to take action.
He first fished out some Space Beacons and scattered them around the void.
These small Space Beacons were inconspicuous, and no one could notice them unless they were looking for them.
After he was done with placing the Space Beacons, Yang Kai charged towards the periphery of Black Territory at the speed of lightning.
He made a round trip after just half a day, and as he took a deep breath, he stared fixedly in a particular direction and waited.
The Black Ink Disciples didn’t let him wait for long.
Barely two days later, several rays of light rapidly approached him from the distance. Behind the rays of light were countless figures that navigated through the void like locusts.
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes, for he had underestimated Luan Bai Feng’s speed at turning more people into Black Ink Disciples.
Some time ago, Luan Bai Feng told him that there were about 1,000 Black Ink Disciples in Black Territory, but the number had increased by several times now.
As Yang Kai gazed at these Black Ink Disciples, who were densely packed in this place, and reckoned that there were at least 5,000 of them.
Although most of them were in the Third-Order and Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm, 5,000 cultivators were still a force to be reckoned with.
The person leading the way was none other than Luan Bai Feng, who was followed by Xin Peng and the new Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, Fan Xiu Qi.
They stopped in a spot that was several dozen kilometres away from Yang Kai. Luan Bai Feng stared at the man with a dark expression, fury and disbelief written all over her face.
She had seen the Black Ink Insect penetrate Yang Kai’s body and transform him into a Black Ink Disciple with her own eyes. Initially, she thought that Yang Kai was one of their companions, so she trusted him fully during this period of time.
However, she had never expected that it was all just an act.
If her Master hadn’t given the order in the brief moment he awakened, she would still have been in the dark about this.
She was fully aware of how strong Yang Kai was, so she knew that she was no match for him on her own, which was why she immediately gathered all the Black Ink Disciples together and came over to kill Yang Kai regardless of the cost.
“How did you do it?” Luan Bai Feng glowered at him. This question had been troubling her. Since Yang Kai was even able to resist the Black Ink Insect’s invasion, there were no other ways that could transform him into a companion.
If she couldn’t figure out the reason behind it, she wouldn’t be able to trust any new Black Ink Disciples. Without trust, the Black Ink Disciples could no longer work together.
“Why don’t you take a guess? Yang Kai grinned. It was expected that he wouldn’t tell her the truth, as he was more than happy to stall for time.
Luan Bai Feng said, “A lot of Profound Yin Bamboo was found in the New Great Territory. Since your Small Universe has materialised, you’re able to nurture Profound Yin Bamboo. As one of the Twelve Minor Pillars, Profound Yin Bamboo is beneficial to the Small Universe. Not only can it fortify the Small Universe, but it could also fend off any external influence. Is that the reason behind it?”
Yang Kai clapped his hands, “You’re indeed clever.”
However, Luan Bai Feng shook her head, “Although the Profound Yin Bamboo is incredible, it’s unable to resist a Black Ink Insect’s influence. In fact, none Twelve Minor Pillars can do that, unless you have one of the Four Great Pillars…” At this point, Luan Bai Feng’s expression changed, “I initially wanted to spare your life, but now it seems that I can’t do that.”
With one of the Four Great Pillars protecting his Small Universe, Yang Kai would never be turned into their companion. Although it was difficult to guard against the Black Ink Strength, the Four Great Pillars were its biggest nemeses.
Yang Kai shot a glance at the people behind her and sneered, “Do you think you can rely on these people to kill me, Luan Bai Feng? Are you sure it’s not all your wishful thinking? Even if they’re not familiar with my strength, are you clueless about it as well?”
Luan Bai Feng snorted, “Let’s see if they’re able to kill you or not.”
Despite what she had just said, she didn’t immediately order them to make a move. Instead, she asked, “You lied to me that those people were going to Void Land and High Heaven Palace to get more people to come over, didn’t you? They must have gone to seek help, right?”
“Correct.” Yang Kai nodded in admission, “If nothing unexpected happens, the Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises will be here soon.”
“So what if they come?” Luan Bai Feng wasn’t flustered one bit, “As long as Master breaks free from his shackles, those so-called Cave Heavens and Paradises are nothing more than weaklings. Before Black Ink, all are ants!”
Yang Kai let out a sigh, “Luan Bai Feng, listen to the voice in your heart. You are not your true self now! You’re just being influenced by the Black Ink Strength. As a woman, you’ve managed to make it to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, you shouldn’t be so weak-willed.”
“Impudence!” Luan Bai Feng snapped, “You have no right to criticize us!”
Yang Kai shook his head and fell silent. Luan Bai Feng was his former subordinate, so he wanted to give persuading her a try; however, he knew that after she was invaded by the Black Ink Strength, there was no way she would change her mind.
“I do have one question, though.” Luan Bai Feng frowned, “I hope you’ll answer it.”
“Go ahead,” Yang Kai nodded.
“It now seems to me that you were well prepared before coming to Black Territory. Were you already aware of the situation here?”
“You could say so.”
“How did you find out?” Luan Bai Feng appeared puzzled.
Yang Kai hung his head low for a moment before replying, “I thought you and Xin Peng were dead.”
As he spoke, he summoned the Loyalty List and turned to the pages where their names were supposed to be, “Your names suddenly vanished. I was heartbroken, so I decided to come to Black Territory to look into the matter, but it turned out that you two are still alive and kicking. That’s why I found it strange and began investigating.”
Luan Bai Feng was astounded as she had never expected the fact that the situation in Black Territory being exposed had something to do with the Loyalty List.
That explained everything. Yang Kai came over to find out the truth behind their deaths, but he came across Xin Peng just outside Black Territory. That was why he hid his identity and followed Yuan Tong Guang to enter Black Territory and look into the matter.
It wasn’t until Luan Bai Feng used a Black Ink Insect to deal with Yang Kai that all his speculations were verified.
“Fate is truly unpredictable. Our plan has been foiled.” Luan Bai Feng let out a sigh. If the situation in Black Territory hadn’t been exposed so soon, she could have come up with a way to help her Master break free from his prison. However, nothing was certain now. Even though she said she wasn’t bothered by the Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises, she actually regarded them as arch-enemies; after all, the Cave Heavens and Paradises had been in existence for aeons, and they had accumulated an incalculable heritage. The weak Black Ink Disciples in Black Territory were certainly no match for them.
All this happened because of Yang Kai, so it was expected that Luan Bai Feng was resentful of him.
Upon finding out the truth, Luan Bai Feng did not hesitate any more as she waved her hand and ordered, “Kill him!”
The Black Ink Disciples had been waiting for this moment. After receiving the order, they activated their Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques and launched them at Yang Kai.
Lights of different colours streamed towards Yang Kai. The magnificence would dazzle anyone’s eyes.
However, the magnificent view brought with it endless murderous intent.
Yang Kai was no ordinary Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master; moreover, he was an expert in the Dao of Space with incredible mobility. Therefore, Luan Bai Feng wouldn’t let those Black Ink Disciples directly deal with him. In front of someone like Yang Kai, these Third-Order, Fourth-Order and Fifth-Order Black Ink Disciples were no different from ants.
Having said that, enough ants could kill an elephant.
The Secret Techniques and Divine Abilities activated by thousands of people formed into a colossal torrent. Even a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would have to avoid it.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai didn’t seem to have the intention of dodging. With a solemn expression, he lowered his stance and activated his Wood Element Power, after which a gigantic tree with dense leaves appeared behind him.
The tree was so large that it seemed able to cover the entire sky. The umbrella-shaped tree crown turned into the most robust defence and protected Yang Kai within.
A rich vitality exuded from the ancient tree.
The Divine Manifestation, Towering Evergreen, had saved Yang Kai from countless dangerous situations before.
The Divine Manifestation was activated through his Wood Element Power which was derived from the Immortal Tree’s essence. Not only did it have incredible healing power, but it also had an unimaginably sturdy defence. This was the best defensive Secret Technique Yang Kai could use.
Yang Kai had always had an inkling about the Order of the Immortal Tree. Perhaps it was in the Ninth Order, or perhaps it even ranked above that; after all, this was the rarest and most precious treasure of the Wood Element, so it wouldn’t be surprising if it ranked beyond the Ninth Order. Though, this was only hypothetical as there was no established rank above the Ninth-Order
The Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques thrown by those Third-Order, Fourth-Order and Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters struck the huge tree crown and a green light undulated, sending out a layer of ripples.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai remained unharmed.
Luan Bai Feng gritted her teeth and glowered at Yang Kai. Since she never ordered them to stop, these Black Ink Disciples continued to blast their Secret Techniques and Divine Abilities at Yang Kai. They were going all out as they regarded the figure in front of them as their greatest nemesis and wanted nothing more than to destroy him.
Even though Yang Kai was able to fend off rounds of dense and continuous attacks for now, how long could he persevere?
Just a moment later, the gigantic tree started shrinking rapidly, and even the green glow grew dimmer.
One hour later, the colossal tree was reduced to the size of a normal tree and the hanging branches could only protect a small area around Yang Kai.
However, the Black Ink Disciple didn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon.
A mocking smile spread across Luan Bai Feng’s face.
Yang Kai let out a sigh, knowing that he couldn’t persevere any longer. Even though Towering Evergreen was powerful, it couldn’t bear the incessant bombardment from thousands of Black Ink Disciples. The fact that it had lasted this long time was a testament to how astonishing it was.
The moment Luan Bai Feng curled up her lips, Yang Kai abruptly disappeared from the spot.
Her expression changed drastically and without hesitation, she took out several Array Plates.
She knew what Yang Kai wanted to do, so she was well prepared for this. As an expert in Dao of Spirit Arrays, she would dedicate time to creating a lot of Array Plates. A powerful Spirit Array was sealed within every Array Plate, and once these Spirit Arrays were activated, they could be used against her enemies at a moment’s notice.
In an instant, several Array Plates exploded. One Sealing Array and one Killing Array expanded in front of her while three Bewildering Arrays overlaid each other and engulfed her.
Booming sounds were heard coming from in front of her. The moment the Killing Array was formed, it was forcefully destroyed by Yang Kai. The Sealing Array also only managed to stop him for a breath before it was shattered.
However, Yang Kai stopped in his tracks all of a sudden.
There was a fog in front of him where countless illusions loomed, but Luan Bai Feng was nowhere to be seen.
Naturally, she was hiding within the Bewildering Arrays she had activated. Her voice sounded elusive as she sneered, “You want to catch me first? Dream on! I dare you to come in and give it a try!”
In an instant, Yang Kai’s left eye glowed with a golden light as the power of his Demon Eye of Annihilation manifested. Nonetheless, he was unable to see through the Bewildering Arrays.
The Spirit Arrays that Luan Bai Feng set up were powerful, and he knew little about Dao of Spirit Arrays, so he wouldn’t dare to rashly intrude.
There was no winner or loser after this brief exchange of moves; however, the Black Ink Disciples were unaffected as they changed directions and continued throwing their Secret Techniques and Divine Abilities at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai gritted his teeth and snorted, “You’d better not show up; otherwise, I’ll kill you!”
As he spoke, he was drowned in countless Secret Techniques and Divine Abilities.
Some of the Black Ink Disciples appeared elated, but Luan Bai Feng’s high-pitched voice reverberated in the next instant, “Be careful! This bastard won’t die so easily!”
As expected, Yang Kai abruptly appeared in another place on the battlefield. The illusory phantom of his Small Universe expanded and swallowed the Black Ink Disciples, who were facing away from him, like an Ominous Beast.
The illusory phantom and Yang Kai then disappeared.
In the meantime, more than 100 Black Ink Disciples had also vanished.
This turn of events attracted the attention of many Black Ink Disciples as they turned to look in that direction; however, Yang Kai had already moved to a different place.
Just like what happened earlier, his Small Universe expanded and contracted in the blink of an eye. All the Black Ink Disciples in that area were sucked into his Small Universe. These Third-Order, Fourth-Order and Fifth-Order Black Ink Disciples were powerless to resist.
The entire battlefield was like a large biscuit that had been bitten by Yang Kai twice.
It was then followed by a third, then a fourth bite…
For every bite, at least 100 Black Ink Disciples that had gathered together would disappear.
Luan Bai Feng was livid. She had brought several thousand Black Ink Disciples to this place in order to kill Yang Kai and nip the crisis in the bud.
Nevertheless, it now seemed that she was too naive. The average Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master wouldn’t be able to face off against so many Black Ink Disciples; however, Yang Kai was no ordinary Sixth-Order Master. Even if he was no match for them, he could always manipulate Space Principles and flee.
By observing his actions, Luan Bai Feng finally realised his intentions. It was apparent that he didn’t intend to flee, nor did he want to kill any of these Black Ink Disciples. His plan was to suppress them inside his Small Universe.
Luan Bai Feng knew what he was wary of, so she soon came up with an idea.
Her eyes went completely black and as the leader of these Black Ink Disciples, she sent an order to all of them.
The next instant, thousands of Black Ink Disciples charged towards the centre of the Black Prison. They initially intended to kill Yang Kai, but they all ignored him now. Even when he brushed past them, they didn’t even spare him a glance.
“Don’t even think about it!” Yang Kai roared and crashed into those Black Ink Disciples as his Small Universe swelled. Wherever he went, a large number of Black Ink Disciples would be sucked into his Small Universe.
Luan Bai Feng’s laughter could be heard coming from within the Arrays as she taunted, “Can you stop them all? We are all willing to sacrifice ourselves for Master!”
She no longer wanted to kill Yang Kai, for she and the Black Ink Disciples were incapable of doing that; however, the Black Ink Disciples could sacrifice themselves to nourish the sleeping Master. As long as their Master could regain his power, he would be able to awaken and free himself. By then, even the powerful cultivators from the Cave Heavens and Paradises would be doomed, let alone a mere Yang Kai.
This was her original plan anyway. She initially wanted to take it slow and spend decades completing this task so that she wouldn’t attract any unwanted attention. However, since the secret had been exposed, she had no choice but to carry it out sooner.
The Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises were already on their way to this place. If their Master couldn’t break free from the prison in time, these thousands of Black Ink Disciples wouldn’t be able to defend themselves. Rather than letting these Black Ink Disciples be killed by those from the Cave Heavens and Paradises, Luan Bai Feng reckoned that they should sacrifice themselves for the Master.
No one could stop a person who was determined to die, not to mention that thousands of Open Heaven Realm Masters were adamant to sacrifice themselves.
Yang Kai shot through the crowd of Black Ink Disciples, and wherever he went, a large area would be cleared out as several hundred Black Ink Disciples would be kept inside his Small Universe.
Standing in front of the centre of the Black Prison, he was faced with Black Ink Disciples who were charging forward in his direction. All of them appeared pious as though they would soon be greeted with eternal life instead of death.
“Your actions are futile!” Luan Bai Feng sneered in an attempt to shatter Yang Kai’s confidence.
Ignoring her, Yang Kai stood there silently with a calm expression.
When the first batch of Black Ink Disciples arrived at a critical point, Yang Kai suddenly performed some hand seals and surged his power, “Activate!”
A dot of black light suddenly exploded and expanded into a black hole that seemed like it could swallow everything in existence.
The black hole was so huge that the surrounding space began sinking into it. The unsuspecting Black Ink Disciples were instantly sucked into it and disappeared.
Dozens of Black Ink Disciples were gone just like that.
Luan Bai Feng, who was hiding in her Arrays, had her expression changed when she saw that.
The Black Ink Disciples didn’t stop trying to kill themselves, so Yang Kai kept forming different hand seals as he darted about. As he kept these Black Ink Disciples inside his Small Universe and suppressed them, he activated the trick he had set up earlier.
More and more black holes exploded as they sucked these Black Ink Disciples into them.
An incense stick later, there still wasn’t a single Black Ink Disciple who had managed to cross the invisible boundary point. All of them were warded off by Yang Kai, so not even a tiny bit of nourishment had been provided to the Black Ink Clansman.
The Black Ink Disciples finally stopped in their tracks and stood there silently as they stared coldly at Yang Kai.
It was as though Luan Bai Feng was gaping at Yang Kai through these Black Ink Disciples.
She finally realised what Yang Kai had done as she spotted a larger number of Space Beacons floating about in the void.
“Where did you send them?” She asked.
Yang Kai put on a grin, “Since I can’t kill them, I can only send them far away.”
He had already pondered on this issue when he was setting up the trick. The Black Ink Disciples couldn’t be allowed to die anywhere near this place, for their deaths would turn into nutrients for the Black Ink Clansman. Hence, Yang Kai couldn’t kill and could only suppress or expel them.
Space Beacons were a useful tool that could connect two distant places, and upon Yang Kai’s activation, the Space Beacons’ power was magnified. The Black Ink Disciples sucked into the black holes were sent to a place that was billions of kilometres away.
Although the Black Ink Disciples could return, it would take them several days to do so. That was the only thing Yang Kai could do in this situation.
The silent Black Ink Disciples suddenly dispersed and blindly charged forward again.
More Space Beacons exploded and turned into black holes as they drew those Black Ink Disciples into them; however, the trick was no longer as effective.
Yang Kai kept darting around as he forcefully transferred more Black Ink Disciples inside his Small Universe and suppressed them.
However, his stamina was not infinite. Although he had made prior arrangements and fully exerted himself in the moment, he still couldn’t stop all these Black Ink Disciples from killing themselves. Eventually, one Black Ink Disciple broke through the blockade and crashed into the periphery of the Grand Array where the Black Ink Clansman was imprisoned.
The Grand Array’s power erupted and turned the Black Ink Disciple into dust. His Small Universe collapsed, and his World Force dissipated.
Although Yang Kai had previously seen batches of Black Ink Disciples killing themselves, he hadn’t originally understood their intentions. It wasn’t until he heard Luan Bai Feng’s explanation that he found out the reason.
As he observed the situation more carefully, he realised that the World Force which leaked from the dead Black Ink Disciple was drawn to the centre of the Black Prison by a mysterious force.
There was no doubt that the sleeping Black Ink Clansman was absorbing that World Force.
A second Black Ink Disciple soon crashed into the Grand Array.
More and more Black Ink Disciples broke through the blockade and sacrificed themselves to the Black Ink Clansman.
All the Space Beacons were used up by now, and Yang Kai had become noticeably sluggish and was no longer as agile before.
Luan Bai Feng, who had been hiding in her Spirit Arrays, finally appeared. Gazing at Yang Kai, she guffawed, “How much longer can you persevere?”
She could see the problem that Yang Kai was facing, so she was no longer afraid that he would harm her.
There was no way he would kill her here; otherwise, it would be akin to providing nourishment to the Black Ink Clansman. On the other hand, he was unable to put her inside his Small Universe as she was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. He could only keep Open Heaven Realm Masters that were below the Sixth Order inside his Small Universe.
Furthermore, his Small Universe must have reached its limit.
So far, Yang Kai had sucked around 2,000 Black Ink Disciples into this Small Universe, which was about half of the total number of Black Ink Disciples here.
There was a limit to his Small Universe’s capacity, unfortunately, and for every Black Ink Disciple he swallowed, the capacity would be reduced by a little. It was impossible for him to keep infinitely imprisoning these Black Ink Disciples in his Small Universe.
In fact, it was already inconceivable that he had managed to gobble up 2,000 Black Ink Disciples.
With such a large number of Black Ink Disciples inside his Small Universe, it was expected that it would be hard for Yang Kai to mobilize his strength, not to mention that he had to divert a large part of his energy to suppress these Black Ink Disciples so that they wouldn’t be able to harm him from the inside.
It was because of these hidden dangers that High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters wouldn’t keep other Open Heaven Realm Masters inside their Small Universes despite being able to do so. They wouldn’t do this unless it was absolutely necessary.
First of all, it would affect their abilities to use their powers by keeping other Open Heaven Realm Masters inside their Small Universes.
Secondly, if some ill-intentioned people made a move inside their Small Universes, they would be faced with great danger.
Now, Yang Kai had reached his limit.
The fact that the Black Ink Disciples were able to brush past him and his sluggishness were the best proof.
A sense of hesitation flashed through Luan Bai Feng’s eyes as she pondered on whether she should seize this chance and kill Yang Kai. Now, he was unable to fully activate his power. Perhaps he could only use half of his strength, so this was a great opportunity.
Nevertheless, she soon gave up on that tempting idea.
Although killing Yang Kai was important, she had to help her Master restore his power as soon as possible. As long as the Master could awaken, Yang Kai would no longer pose any threat to them.
As the leader of these Black Ink Disciples, Luan Bai Feng activated her Divine Sense and prompted all the others to madly charge forward. They were no longer bothered by Yang Kai’s presence.
Yang Kai let out a sigh and performed a hand seal with one hand. The next moment, the power of a Divine Spirit swirled around him.
Luan Bai Feng’s chest tightened as she suddenly had a bad feeling.
“Dragon Transformation!”
As soon as Yang Kai growled, a Dragon Roar was heard reverberating across the void. A huge Golden Dragon Head appeared behind him and a rich Dragon Pressure materialised and engulfed the surrounding space. Without stopping, the Dragon Head plunged into his body and disappeared.
The next instant, a series of cracking sounds were heard coming from Yang Kai’s body and soon a colossal creature came into the Black Ink Disciples’ sight.
It was a Golden Grand Dragon!
The Dragon was covered in thick scales and there were two intimidating Dragon Horns on his forehead. His Dragon Claws could be seen flickering with cold light, and the beard under his chin could be seen flapping in the non-existent wind. His huge eyes were like two Suns that dazzled everyone’s eyes.
Yang Kai’s 20,000-metre figure hovered in the void, as though marking a boundary between life and death.
Luan Bai Feng narrowed her eyes.
She knew that Yang Kai had a Dragon Clan bloodline, and a very pure one at that. Additionally, she had seen him using his Dragon Transformation before.
However, that happened several hundred years ago and after using his Secret Technique, he only transformed into a 3,000-metre Half-Dragon.
Several hundred years had passed, and now a 20,000 metres Grand Dragon stood before her.
A horrifying Dragon Pressure seemed to have materialised as all the Black Ink Disciples were stunned in place. As the leader of all Divine Spirits, the Dragon Clan’s presence was naturally intimidating to all other living creatures. This wouldn’t change even though they had turned into Black Ink Disciples.
Nonetheless, Luan Bai Feng soon came to her senses.
Yang Kai’s power had been affected because he had swallowed too many Black Ink Disciples, so he had no choice but to transform into a Grand Dragon in an attempt to deal with so many Black Ink Disciples head-on.
It was actually good news for them.
“Ignore him! Our lives are all for the glory of our Master!” Luan Bai Feng bellowed.
The Black Ink Disciples shot forward again. Even though a 20,000 metres creature was colossal, it was still tiny when compared to the expansive void.
Like the rising tide coming into contact with a rock, these Black Ink Disciples dispersed right in front of the Grand Dragon.
Certainly, Yang Kai wouldn’t let them succeed. As the distance between them shortened, he lifted his Dragon Head and the next moment, a deafening Dragon Roar reverberated out.
This Dragon Roar was actually a chant in the abstruse Dragon Language, one of the Secret Techniques unique to the Dragon Clan.
All these Black Ink Disciples seemed to have crashed into an invisible wall as they were forced to stop in their tracks. The weaker ones directly passed out upon impact while the stronger ones saw blood streaming out of their ears and noses as they staggered in the void.
In the blink of an eye, several hundred of the remaining Black Ink Disciples had passed out.
Luan Bai Feng’s expression instantly turned livid.
The Dragon Roar still hadn’t stopped yet, so the still-conscious Black Ink Disciples hurriedly activated their powers to resist its influence.
A moment later, the Dragon Roar gradually died down and the conscious Black Ink Disciples once again charged forward without hesitation.
This time, they scattered even further away from each other.
A sense of helplessness flashed through the Grand Dragon’s eyes. Yang Kai had already done his best, but he still couldn’t stop these Black Ink Disciples from sacrificing themselves.
He could only continue trying to stop them and let the Heavens decide their fate.
As Space Principles undulated, he used Near Distant Horizon and caused the void to contort.
After these Black Ink Disciples were engulfed in Near Distant Horizon, they were unable to move forward at all even though they were seemingly charging ahead.
The Grand Dragon dashed forward as he swung his Dragon Tail and wielded his Dragon Claws. Even the Dragon Horns on his forehead had turned into weapons as he knocked these Black Ink Disciples unconscious.
Yang Kai wouldn’t dare to kill them, as any dead Black Ink Disciple would help to restore the Black Ink Clansman’s power.
Even though a lot of Black Ink Disciples had passed out, more of them had broken through his blockade and crashed into the Grand Array.
After one or two days of intense battle, more than 1,000 Black Ink Disciples had been knocked out by Yang Kai while several hundred people had brushed past him and gotten themselves killed.
This made Yang Kai feel helpless.
Now, he was faced with an even more difficult situation.
The Black Ink Disciples that were transferred away by his Space Beacons should be returning soon, which would mean at least 1,000 more enemies to deal with.
The Black Ink Disciples had become familiar with the way Yang Kai fought, so he was no longer able to stop so many of them on his own.
Realizing this as well, Luan Bai Feng flashed a victorious smile at him.
Yang Kai had no idea what would happen if so many people managed to move past him. Perhaps the sleeping Black Ink Clansman would get enough nourishment and awaken from his slumber.
In front of the centre of the Black Prison, a Grand Dragon was silently hovering in the void. His own body was the last barrier. In a place that wasn’t far away from him, Luan Bai Feng was humming a song as she was apparently in a good mood.
Besides the two of them, the unconscious Black Ink Disciples scattered around the void.
Luan Bai Feng attempted to persuade him by saying, “You’re incredible enough to have achieved all this on your own, Yang Kai. Give up now. It’s still not too late to submit to Master.”
The Grand Dragon shook his head, “I’ll never side with you.”
“What side do you think you are on? What are you looking for in life? Whatever it is you desire, Master can give it to you.”
“He can’t.”
“He definitely can,” Luan Bai Feng spoke in a gentle voice as though she was coaxing a child.
“I think you’re sick of living!”
“Oh, you’re right.” Luan Bai Feng covered her lips and giggled, “Even I’d like to perish now; but, do you have the guts to kill me?”
As she spoke, she suddenly turned her head to look in a particular direction from which a ray of light was seen rapidly approaching them.
She put on a smile, “Look, my companions are back while you’re on your last legs. How are you going to fend them off this time?”
Yang Kai fell silent as he looked solemnly at the first ray of light that was coming from the distance.
There seemed to be even more rays of light behind it.
Luan Bai Feng’s smile became brighter, “The Black Ink Clan will eventually rule over the entire universe. Stop being so obstinate, Yang Kai!”
Yang Kai’s expression suddenly turned awkward as he questioned, “Are you sure about that?”
Luan Bai Feng’s face changed abruptly as she turned to look behind her. A distant stream of light was rapidly approaching, far surpassing the capabilities of a Third, Fourth, or Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivator. She actually felt the pressure of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master coming from that direction.
It wasn’t one of her fellow comrades, it was naturally a Master from one of the Cave Heavens or Paradises!
It had been two or three months since Luo Ting He and the others had left. Two or three months may not be enough time to reach the Star Boundary and inform the foreign envoys of the major Cave Heavens and Paradises about the Black Ink Clan; however, it was definitely enough time for Luo Ting He to get support from the nearest Paradise!
The Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was approaching them extremely fast. He, who was just a point of light a moment before, was close enough that his figure was now visible. A loud and clear voice resounded throughout the void as he closed in on Luan Bai Feng, “Golden Antelope Paradise’s Liu Mu has come! Which brats are causing trouble here!?”
As soon as those words sounded, Luan Bai Feng dove back into the Bewildering Array, which was just behind her, and disappeared.
This Bewildering Array was set up by Luan Bai Feng before in order to avoid Yang Kai’s attack. Although she ended up coming out of it, the Bewildering Array was still present, undamaged.
The Eighth-Order Master from Golden Antelope Paradise, who called himself Liu Mu, rushed in headlong, making both Luan Bai Feng, who knew she was facing a very strong enemy, and Yang Kai, who was filled with anticipation, stunned.
But before the two could react, the Bewildering Array suddenly swelled up as a violent energy fluctuation erupted from within. In less than a breath, the Spirit Array shattered and Six Wood Divine Monarch reappeared.
He turned his head to look at the place where the Spirit Array tried to trap him, and snickered while reaching out to flick the non-existent dust off of his clothes, “Heh heh, you dare try to show off your meagre skills before an expert?”
Luan Bai Feng finally regained her senses. Her body swayed while she tried to escape; however, Liu Mu, who had noticed her already, was an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. How could he let her escape right under his nose?
With a single grasp of his hand, a powerful force surged out, directly confining Luan Bai Feng’s body in place.
Pitch-black Black Ink Strength gushed out from Luan Bai Feng’s tender body, and at the same time, extremely unstable power fluctuations tumbled out from her body.
Yang Kai hurriedly shouted, “Senior, watch out, she’s trying to self-destruct!”
An Open Heaven Realm Master could self-destruct quite easily, without practicing or using any sort of Secret Techniques. All they needed to do was shatter their own Small Universe and their World Force would explode out.
Liu Mu obviously noticed this as well. In the blink of an eye, he appeared in front of Luan Bai Feng and flicked her forehead with his finger.
His flick, which seemed to contain no force whatsoever, caused Luan Bai Feng’s head to fiercely jerk backwards. The World Force in her Small Universe was instantly disrupted, leaving no chance for her to kill herself.
A golden rope artifact suddenly flew out from Liu Mu’s hand, wrapping itself around Luan Bai Feng, as though it was a snake and she was a dumpling.
Only then did Liu Mu smile proudly, “There is no chance for you to kill yourself in front of this Monarch!”
Liu Mu observed Luan Bai Feng, especially paying close attention to the Black Ink Strength that was emanating from her body, before nodding lightly, “She really is a Black Ink Disciple!”
He turned his head to look at Yang Kai. The 20,000 metres long Grand Dragon made him slightly lost in thought. Although Liu Mu was an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Cultivator, this was the first time that he had seen a Grand Dragon close-up. He then asked warmly, “You are that Yang Kai, right?”
Yang Kai reverted back to his Human Form before cupping his fist, “Yang Kai greets Senior Liu Mu.”
Liu Mu had already announced his identity when he arrived, probably because he wanted Yang Kai to realize that reinforcements had arrived. Yang Kai naturally knew about Golden Antelope Paradise. In fact, although he had not been to this Paradise and did not have any friends from it, Golden Antelope Paradise was actually the first Paradise he had heard of.
After the war between the Star Boundary and Demon Realm was settled, Yang Kai and Zhang Ruo Xi broke free from the shackles of the Universe World and ventured out into the Outer Universe.
Zhang Ruo Xi gave him a lot of information about the Outer Universe back then, including information about Golden Antelope Paradise which was quite famous and popular amongst cultivators.
There was a Sealed World in Golden Antelope Paradise which was filled with Metal Element materials, and this Sealed World was open to the general public. If one paid a certain amount of Open Heaven Pills as a fee, they could enter to search for materials.
If one was lucky, they could find the Metal Element materials they needed, or even make a tidy profit.
Zhang Ruo Xi had said at the time that, if Yang Kai wanted to find a Metal Element material in the future, he could try the Sealed World in Golden Antelope Paradise. Yang Kai, in fact, did want to do so before he advanced to the Open Heaven Realm. He lacked a high Order Metal Element material at that time, but the Blood Monster Cave Heaven fulfilled his needs, so he longer had any reason to visit Golden Antelope Paradise.
Golden Antelope Paradise was the closest to the Black Territory, so Luo Ting He’s first stop was Golden Antelope Paradise, which was why support from this Paradise arrived the fastest.
“Young and talented indeed. Your reputation is well deserved!” Liu Mu praised before quickly coming to the point, “Enough of the small talk, what’s the situation?”
Luo Ting He had gone to Golden Antelope Paradise to pass on information and ask for support, but she didn’t know any details. Moreover, before she left, Black Territory remained calm, and the Black Ink Disciples were all acting in the shadows, but it was apparent that today, Black Territory had suddenly changed.
Yang Kai hurriedly explained, “As Senior can see, behind me is the heart of the Black Prison, which is where the Black Ink Clansman is imprisoned. The Black Ink Disciples know that their identities have been exposed, so they wanted to break through Junior’s blockade and provide the Black Ink Clansman with the power to restore himself by sacrificing themselves.”
Liu Mu raised his brow at Yang Kai’s words, “And so? You just knocked them out and didn’t dare to kill them?”
“Yes, but there are still quite a lot of Black Ink Disciples who are rushing over.” Yang Kai replied honestly, “There should be more than 1,000 Black Ink Disciples heading this way!”
Liu Mu nodded, “I ran into them on the way and killed many of them.” As he spoke, he looked around and frowned, “This place is truly odd, the power of the Small Universe in this Monarch’s body is constantly being drained, I’m afraid I cannot remain here for long. So, what do you need me to do?”
The strange force spawned by the Super Array that enveloped Black Territory was meant to prevent people from being able to reach the imprisoned Black Ink Clansman. Yang Kai relied on the World Spring to remain safe, while the Black Ink Disciples relied on the Black Ink Strength for protection.
Even though Liu Mu was an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he couldn’t resist the influence of the Super Array; however, he could last a little longer than most.
“I would like to request Senior take these Black Ink Disciples away from here.” Yang Kai gestured behind him.
Liu Mu nodded, “That is fine.”
“Senior, could you also ask your subordinates to show mercy and not take their lives?” Yang Kai cupped his fist and pleaded.
Liu Mu frowned, “Why?”
He originally planned to take these Black Ink Disciples far enough before killing them; after all, Black Ink Disciples were not easy to deal with. If they self-destructed, the Black Ink Strength in their bodies would escape, and all it would lead to was a pile of trouble. It was better to just kill them.
What’s more was that, there was no chance to restore a cultivator that was eroded by the Black Ink Strength. Lang Ya Paradise lost several Open Heaven Realm Masters, and even one of their Vice-Sect Masters last time.
“They weren’t converted to Black Ink Disciples by choice, and are victims too. If possible, this Junior would like to save their lives!”
Liu Mu’s eyes lit up at his words, “Do you have a way to dispel the Black Ink Strength and restore their sanity?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “Currently, I can’t do anything about it, but I believe there are those who can.”
Liu Mu didn’t ask any more questions and just nodded lightly, “In that case, let’s leave them alive for the time being. It would really not have been easy to take care of this many Black Ink Disciples, fortunately, this Monarch has brought a lot of people over.”
The large streams of light that trailed behind Liu Mu were all Masters from Golden Antelope Paradise. This time, the cultivators dispatched were all in the Sixth or Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. Those under the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm were not even allowed to come here, and yet the total number of people exceeded 300.
This was an extremely large and terrifying lineup.
Liu Mu was faster than the rest, so he was the first to arrive, and while the two were speaking, many Masters from Golden Antelope Paradise were finally arriving.
Every one of them was frowning though, pushing their power to resist the effects of the Super Array, but there was nothing they were able to do to stop the steady drain of their Small Universe.
“Ancestor!” The crowd cupped their hands.
Liu Mu ordered, “Brats, do you see those unconscious Black Ink Disciples? Take all of them away after sealing their bodies and Small Universes.”
A Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Cultivator hesitated and asked, “Not kill them?”
They also encountered quite a few Black Ink Disciples on their way here, but they just killed them all, so they could not help but feel that their Ancestor’s order sounded a little strange.
“Fighting and killing all day long, how highly improper for you to think like that!” Liu Mu reprimanded relentlessly, “If I tell you to take them away, take them away, why spout so much nonsense? Hurry up and move without making a fuss, you can complain later! It is not suitable for us to stay in this place for long!”
The Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, who was reprimanded, was also very old, but he didn’t dare to have the slightest trace of grievance in front of Liu Mu. This Ancestor of theirs was known for his temper, so it was best to not refute his orders.
The Masters of Golden Antelope Paradise quickly gathered the unconscious Black Ink Disciples in one place before exerting their powers to seal their strength.
Liu Mu said in a somewhat worried manner, “Yang Boy, what about you?”
Yang Kai sat down cross-legged and replied, “I still need to stand guard here, in case any Black Ink Disciple comes seeking death again.”
Liu Mu frowned, “It’s going to be hard on you, so be careful. If anything goes wrong, leave this place immediately.”
Behind Yang Kai was the place where the Black Ink Clansman was imprisoned. No one knew what condition this being was in right now, or whether they would manage to break out or not, so staying here was undoubtedly very dangerous.
“This Junior understands.” Yang Kai nodded seriously, “Also, can Senior seal the exit of Black Territory, so that no Black Ink Disciples can escape?”
Liu Mu replied, “In regards to that, you can rest assured. When this Monarch came in, he ordered some people to stay at the Territory Gate and seal it off. Right now, no outsiders are allowed to enter this place, and no one will be able to leave.”
“There are also still many Black Ink Disciples that were moved elsewhere by me, and they should be rushing this way at this very moment…”
Not waiting for him to finish his words, Liu Mu added, “You can rest assured about that too. My Golden Antelope Paradise will make sure none of them can pass through.”
“There are still people mining materials on many of the Ore Stars in Black Territory right now. This Junior requests Senior to bring all those who are unaware about the current situation to one place and not let the Black Ink Disciples have the opportunity to convert more people to their side.”
“Good, leave everything to this Monarch!” Liu Mu nodded his head in agreement.
Golden Antelope Paradise’s many Masters came just in time. If they had come a few days later, Yang Kai would not have been able to stop the Black Ink Disciples who were rushing back.
This lineup consisting of hundreds of Sixth and Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters was nothing short of luxurious, and it allowed Yang Kai to let out a sigh of relief.
It was only now, after the situation was somewhat in control, that Yang Kai felt exhaustion catching up with him.
In fact, the fight this time with the Black Ink Disciples wasn’t too intense, and was by no means the most dangerous fight he had ever gotten into, but it was definitely the one in which he had the most difficulty exerting his full strength.
Due to the nearly 2,000 Black Ink Disciples he had suppressed and sealed, Yang Kai’s Small Universe was almost at its limit, which greatly affected the circulation of his World Force, not to mention the need to divert focus and strength to keep the Black Ink Disciples in his Small Universe under control. Due to all these restrictions, Yang Kai could not exert much of his strength.
What’s more was that Yang Kai didn’t want to, nor dared to kill the Black Ink Disciples willfully near the heart of the Black Prison, no matter how uncomfortable his helplessness made him feel.
The arrival of Golden Antelope Paradise’s Masters was a timely rain of fortune, pulling him out of his vortex of hardships.
Yang Kai used the time he gained to recuperate. Although Six Wood Divine Monarch, Liu Mu, guaranteed that he would not let any of the Black Ink Disciples pass through, it was never a mistake to be cautious.
As time trickled by slowly, Yang Kai probed his Small Universe while recuperating.
A vast area inside his Small Universe was filled with Black Ink Disciples that had been suppressed and then sealed. All of them were like statues, motionless. Xu Yi stood in the air with a rather pale face, with an expression of bewilderment.
His Honoured Master had ordered him to stand guard here, but he did not expect the situation to develop in this way.
At first, Xu Yi thought all he needed to guard was an unusually small old man and a powerful Monster Beast, but then, one by one, people who were obviously placed under a restriction suddenly appeared in front of him.
1 became 100, 100 became 1,000, and eventually, the numbers reached nearly 2,000.
Xu Yi could not tell how high these people’s cultivation was, but he knew that each and every one of them was an existence that the Masters on the Void Continent could not even dream to compete with. Emperor Realm Masters would be as weak as ants in front of them.
Fortunately, although these people seemed to be powerful, they were obviously unable to move. While Xu Yi was extremely shocked, he also felt immensely proud of his Honoured Master’s strength.
What kind of battlefield was the Honoured Master currently on, for him to have to capture so many Masters at once?
Right when he was at a loss of what to do, a figure suddenly appeared beside him. Xu Yi shifted his gaze towards the figure, and shook violently before hurriedly saluting, “Honoured Master!”
Yang Kai glanced at the Black Ink Disciples below him to make sure there was nothing unusual about them before nodding lightly.
Yang Kai manifested himself within his Small Universe World using his Divine Sense. The residents of the Void Continent couldn’t detect the difference between it and a real body.
“Honoured Master, are they all… enemies?” Xu Yi could not hold back his doubts and asked.
“Sort of,” Yang Kai replied.
“Then why capture them, instead of just killing them?” Xu Yi asked again.
“Because they are not willingly opposing me, and instead are just under the compulsion of a mysterious force, I didn’t kill them.” Yang Kai frowned and added, “Sometimes, killing is not the only way to solve a problem.”
Xu Yi nodded, “Disciple understands.”
Yang Kai was quite satisfied with all three of his disciples, but each of them had their own strengths and weaknesses.
Zhao Ye Bai was simple and honest, but lacked aptitude, Zhao Ya had extraordinary aptitude, but her killing intent was too wild. In comparison to the Eldest Disciple and the Second Disciple, Xu Yi, the Third Disciple, had the most malleable character.
“How is your cultivation going nowadays?” Yang Kai asked in reply.
Xu Yi answered, “Not bad. Disciple has been suppressing his realm recently.”
This was all in accordance with Yang Kai’s instructions. One must not have too high of a cultivation in order to reap the benefits of the Star Boundary World Tree, and Zhao Ya had also worked hard to suppress her cultivation for a long time back then. Now, it was Xu Yi’s turn to do so.
Yang Kai had originally planned to return to the Star Boundary after the Yin-Yang Cave Heaven incident, and place Xu Yi in High Heaven Pavilion to cultivate with his other two Disciples, but he had not been able to do so, so far, due to the delay.
“Continue to suppress your cultivation. After I’m finished with my current task, I will take you to meet your Eldest Senior Brother and Second Senior Sister.”
Xu Yi was a little apprehensive, but also felt a little excited, “Yes!”
Xu Yi was very curious about his Eldest Senior Brother and his Second Senior Sister, both of whom he had never met before. He was an orphan and had no family, so his Honoured Master was basically his only relative right now. However, he had also suddenly gained an Eldest Senior Brother and a Second Senior Sister, a possibility which he greatly cherished in his heart.
“Continue to monitor the situation here, and notify me if there are any problems,” After Yang Kai commanded so, his figure dissipated.
Outside, in the centre of the Black Prison, there were no signs of any Black Ink Disciples approaching, which made Yang Kai guess that they had all been taken down by Golden Antelope Paradise.
However, Yang Kai did not dare to leave easily, for right now, he was the last line of defence here. Once he left, if a Black Ink Disciple managed to reach here, they would be able to provide the imprisoned Black Ink Clansman with nourishment to help him awaken and escape.
Liu Mu occasionally stopped by to tell Yang Kai about the current situation in Black Territory.
The Black Ink Disciple were indeed taken down one by one, but during this process, many Black Ink Disciple noticed that the situation was not right and simply killed themselves directly. Right now, there were a lot of Black Ink Strength floating about in Black Territory’s void, which were the only things that remained after the death of the Black Ink Disciples.
This Black Ink Strength was extremely dangerous to any Open Heaven Realm Master. After all, once they got contaminated, the consequences would be unpredictable.
So, Liu Mu had the residues marked down, before using Spirit Arrays to suppress and seal the Black Ink Strength.
The numerous Open Heaven Realm Masters mining the Ore Stars were all recalled and placed in batches on a Spirit Province.
None of them would be set free until it was determined whether they had been corrupted by the Black Ink Strength and transformed into Black Ink Disciples, or not.
Although this move caused many complaints, they could only endure it even if they were dissatisfied since it was Golden Antelope Paradise that was acting.
Even right now, the miners did not know what had happened in Black Territory, nor did Golden Antelope Paradise dare to leak any information about the Black Ink Clan or the Black Ink Strength to the general public.
To not leak information such as this to the public was a principle the Cave Heavens and Paradises had adhered to since long ago.
Gradually, more Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises rushed to Black Territory, each group consisting of at least 100 Masters led by an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Ancestor.
The Cave Heavens and Paradises had been tracking down the Black Ink Clansman for hundreds of years now, but had found no traces of him. Thus, when they got this news, that the Black Ink Clan was actually hiding in Black Territory, the major Cave Heavens and Paradises were extremely shocked.
Until now, they had been searching for the enemy in the Shattered Heaven, without any results whatsoever.
Now that the Black Ink Clansman’s hiding place had been identified, the Cave Heavens and Paradises naturally wanted to get rid of him immediately, to prevent something like the tragedy of Lang Ya Paradise from happening again.
In less than three months, about 10 Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, 100 Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, and as many as 1,000 Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had gathered in Black Territory!
This was only the combined power of around seven or eight Cave Heavens and Paradises, not even mentioning that these few Cave Heavens and Paradises were also only the ones who rushed over immediately after being alerted by Luo Ting He.
There were still many more Cave Heavens and Paradises yet to arrive.
Luo Ting He also returned. Worried about Yang Kai’s safety, she rushed back to Black Territory after hurriedly alerting several nearby Cave Heavens and Paradises.
Yang Kai was thus finally liberated from his duties.
After Yang Kai met with the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and fully explained the situation in Black Territory to them, many of these Ancestors also realized the seriousness of the problem.
This Black Prison was obviously a cage fashioned by an ancient Great Expert, but it had remained unknown until today. The major Cave Heavens and Paradises’ ancient books would definitely have some records related to this matter if this was their handiwork; therefore, the Black Ink Clansman was definitely imprisoned here before the birth of the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
The Super Array had slightly decreased in power over the aeons, but this did not hinder its ability to imprison the Black Ink Clansman.
With the Super Array in place, even Eight-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had no way to reach the centre of the Black Prison, and Luan Bai Feng could only let the subordinate ore slaves mine the Ore Stars on the outer periphery.
This action was essentially harmless.
Even if they continued to do this for another 10,000 years, the Super Array would not have weakened in any noticeable manner.
However, everything changed when Yang Kai set his sight on the materials produced in Black Territory and refined the Void Yin Yang Mirrors, moving some 30-plus Ore Stars from the Black Territory’s Inner Region out at once.
The destruction of these Ore Stars caused the flawless Super Array to loosen a bit, allowing the Black Ink Clansman to take advantage of the situation.
Luan Bai Feng, who oversaw this whole process, was converted into a Black Ink Disciple and soon spread the word, attracting more people to come to mine materials while stealthily converting them into Black Ink Disciples.
Steadily, more Ore Stars were mined and destroyed, further weakening the power of the Super Array.
If it wasn’t for Yang Kai’s sudden arrival, it would really have just been a matter of time before the Black Ink Clansman was able to escape.
The good news was that the situation was not yet beyond saving.
The Super Array was still powerful enough, and the Black Ink Clansman was still imprisoned and would not be able to escape for some time, but the question of how to deal with this matter caused a headache for many of the Eighth-Order Ancestors.
No one really knew how strong the Black Ink Clansman here was, but just by looking at the methods the ancient Great Experts had to resort to, one could infer the terror of this Black Ink Clansman at his peak.
The Black Ink Clansman was probably not something they could compete against. Both the old man surnamed Yu and Luan Bai Feng had said that before Black Ink, all were ants.
They had demonstrated unwavering confidence in their Master.
The opinions of the close to 10 Ancestors were thus divided. Some wanted to improve the Super Array, repair the damaged areas, and let it continue to suppress and seal the Black Ink Clansman.
Others felt that it would be better to cut weeds and pull-out roots, arguing that leaving the Black Ink Clansman here would be the same as raising a tiger that would cause a calamity one day.
Each side had its own reasoning, and they argued noisily for a while. These Ancestors, who were all so high and mighty in the eyes of their disciples, were now acting like hawkers in a food market, with no manners to speak of whatsoever as they shouted their own opinions left and right.
Among them, Six Wood Divine Monarch was the loudest, roaring, ‘This Old Master will go over and kill that Black Ink Clansman right now, no one will be able to stop me!’ and so on….
After a long time of bickering with no conclusion, Liu Mu suddenly turned his head towards Yang Kai and asked, “Yang Boy, what do you think?”
Many of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters immediately looked over at him.
Because Yang Kai was deeply involved in the Black Territory matter, the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters also called him over to the meeting this time. Yang Kai thought that he only needed to answer some questions from the Ancestors and resolve some of their doubts, so he never expected Liu Mu would throw such a tough issue to him.
Yang Kai did not want to comment on this matter, but since things had come to this point, he had no choice but to express his views, “Junior has been thinking about an issue. The ancient Great Experts had the means to arrange a Super Array spanning an entire Great Territory to suppress and seal this Black Ink Clansman, so their methods should be unparalleled. So, why did they only imprison the Black Ink Clansman and not simply kill him?”
This question struck a chord within many Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Ancestors, who hadn’t thought about it before.
Six Wood Divine Monarch pondered about it for a while before suggesting, “Perhaps the ancient Great Experts thought it would be better to leave it imprisoned?”
Yang Kai shook his head and mentioned an additional matter, “Seniors must have heard about what happened to this Junior in the Divine Spirits’ Ancestral Land.”
Yang Kai had once recounted the events that had happened to him in the Ancestral Land in front of all the foreign envoys of the major Cave Heavens and Paradises, including Yu Xiang Die.
Yang Kai believed that these foreign envoys would definitely have reported this to their respective Sects; after all, this was a matter that involved the Black Ink Clan, the Divine Spirits, and even the Giant Spirit Gods!
Just as he expected, all the Eight-Order Open Heaven Realm Ancestors nodded lightly.
Yang Kai continued, “This Junior has a Dragon Vein, so I had the privilege of inheriting the Dragon Clan’s Crystal Palace in the Ancestral Land. With the power of the Crystal Palace, Junior was able to witness a Great War in ancient times. In that war, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was like an invincible warrior that had descended from the Heavens, and even the Divine Spirits were not his opponents. In the end, even the Dragon Emperor and Phoenix Empress of the time had to use the Sacred Treasures of each of the various Divine Spirit clans, sacrifice half of the Ancestral Land, and even give their very lives just to shackle the Giant Spirit God, effectively suppressing and sealing it in place.”
“I think the Divine Spirits would have preferred to kill the Black Ink Giant Spirit God if the circumstances had allowed them to do so, rather than incur such an immense price to simply seal him, but they couldn’t.”
“And in fact, the actions of the Dragon Emperor and the Phoenix Empress as well as that of the Divine Spirits was correct. Even after countless aeons, the seal had remained and the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was killed. Even the Black Ink Strength in his body has been thoroughly eroded by the Ancestral Strength, eliminating any potential problems.”
“What’s your point?” An Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Ancestor asked.
Yang Kai replied, “Junior’s point is that the situation in Black Territory should be similar to what happened in Ancestral Land. Perhaps the ancient Great Experts who imprisoned the Black Ink Clansman here were not able to kill him, but that is inconceivable as well, considering that the ancient Great Experts were powerful enough to set up this Super Array as a cage. If they were capable of that, they should have been able to easily kill a lone Black Ink Clansman.”
“The reason they did this, I think, should coincide with that of the Divine Spirits’. They were trying their best to prevent future troubles!”
A ruddy-looking Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Ancestor exclaimed, “You mean, if they had killed the Black Ink Clansman trapped here, it would lead to some unpredictable consequences, something like the Black Ink Strength left behind after their death?”
Yang Kai nodded, “This Junior is merely speculating, but the Black Ink Strength is sinister and dangerous. Even the Black Ink Strength left behind after the death of a lowly Black Ink Disciple is highly corrosive, not to mention the Black Ink Strength that would be left behind after the death of someone from the real Black Ink Clan, which may be what the ancient Great Experts were afraid of.”
The Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Ancestors glanced at each other and nodded lightly.
“So, you’d prefer to suppress and seal it again?” Liu Mu looked at Yang Kai somewhat angrily. He was one of the main advocates of the killing faction, and the fact that Yang Kai disagreed with him made him a little bit unhappy.
Yang Kai shook his head and said, “Junior’s words were merely frivolous remarks, and it is up to the Seniors to decide about the Black Ink Clan’s matter.”
Luo Ting He spoke out, “Let’s wait until everyone has arrived and then discuss this matter together so we can reach a resolution. No matter how much we quarrel here right now, it won’t help.”
Although she was just a newly promoted Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, all the Ancestors present knew that she had the potential to break through to the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm in the future, so they did not dare to take her lightly.
The matter of how to deal with the Black Ink Clan was thus put on hold until all the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Ancestors of the Cave Heavens and Paradises had arrived; however, the matter of what to do with the over 2,000 Black Ink Disciples in Black Territory that were still alive was an urgent matter that needed to be dealt with immediately.
Luan Bai Feng had rapidly corrupted some 5,000 or so Black Ink Disciples, out of which Yang Kai had suppressed and sealed nearly 2,000 inside his Small Universe, nearly 1,000 had died, and about 2,000 were captured by Golden Antelope Paradise’s Masters and imprisoned in an abandoned Spirit Province.
This was also another matter that caused a headache for the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Ancestors, so right now, they were all looking towards Yang Kai, since Liu Mu asked “Yang Boy, you had said before that you believed there was someone who could save them, yes? Who could possess such ability?”
Black Ink Strength was extremely persistent, and it was simply not possible to dispel. Liu Mu had personally tried his hand before, and even with his strength, he couldn’t do anything about the remnant Black Ink Strength floating in the void in the slightest.
He obviously pondered about it, but he didn’t know who Yang Kai was talking about.
Although the people from the Cave Heavens and Paradises acted a little domineeringly, they were not willing to kill innocent people easily, not to mention that there were nearly 2,000 Black Ink Disciples imprisoned in the abandoned Spirit Province.
Yang Kai hesitated for a moment, but decided to tell the truth, “The Sun’s Burning Light and Moon’s Serene Glimmer!”
The Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Ancestors collectively drew a sharp breath. No matter how hard they were to think, they would never have guessed that the ones Yang Kai was talking about were actually those two.
Six Wood Divine Monarch blinked and said tentatively, “I heard that you followed a Giant Spirit God into the Chaotic Dead Territory before?”
“Yes!” Yang Kai nodded. This matter was not a secret, so these top brass of the Cave Heavens and Paradises should have gotten the news about it.
“Those two are avatars of destruction. They’re basically ill-omens.” An Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Ancestor’s face was grave, “But if there’s anyone in the world who can dispel the Black Ink Strength, it’s probably them.”
No one knew how strong the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer really were, but none of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Ancestors sitting here dared to enter the depths of the Chaotic Dead Territory for they knew their lives would be at serious risk even if they just walked around its periphery.
“Not probably, but definitely.” Yang Kai said solemnly, “Seniors must have obviously heard about the incident where this Junior had taken the Black Ink Strength left behind after the death of Lang Ya Paradise’s Shi Zheng into his own Small Universe to suppress it. This Junior even used it to trick Lang Ya Paradise’s Black Ink Disciples into thinking I was one of them.”
Liu Mu nodded and said, “I have heard of it. Kid, your luck is indeed astounding. You even managed to obtain such a precious treasure like the World Spring.”
Liu Mu had a look of envy. If only he had one of the Four Universe Pillars, he would not have to be afraid of the Black Ink Strength anymore.
Yang Kai smiled at him and continued, “In the Chaotic Dead Territory, Seniors Burning Light and Serene Glimmer discovered the Black Ink Strength in this Junior’s Small Universe and took action to dispel it.”
The Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Ancestors all raised their brows at those words.
The Ancestor who spoke earlier asked, “Are you sure you can convince those two to help again?”
“I’ll try my best!” Yang Kai couldn’t guarantee anything, but the lives of thousands of Open Heaven Realm Masters were at stake, so he had to at least make an attempt.
“Good!” The Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Ancestor nodded, “Then this matter will be left in your hands. If you need any assistance, feel free to ask.”
Yang Kai did not stand on ceremony, “This Junior needs a ship that can carry around four to 5,000 people.”
“Anything else?”
Yang Kai shook his head and said, “Nothing else.”
Liu Mu took over, “A simple matter. I will immediately have someone transport a great ship over.” Golden Antelope Paradise was the closest to their current location, and any ship that could carry 5,000 people would be an extremely large-scale artifact that had to be mobilized from within the Sect.
As such, the issue regarding the Black Ink Disciples was settled for now.
Yang Kai, Luo Ting He and Liu Mu went to the abandoned Spirit Province where the Black Ink Disciples were imprisoned. All of the Black Ink Disciples had traces of being confined with various Secret Techniques locking their bodies. The Secret Techniques used had transformed into shackles that suppressed and sealed all the strength in the Black Ink Disciples’ bodies, making them unable to even kill themselves.
Yang Kai noticed Luan Bai Feng’s angry glare which was directed at him, but ignored it.
The High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master, who was guarding this place, hurriedly stepped forward to salute when he saw the two Ancestors arrive. There was not only one High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master guarding this place of course, but several dozen of them, surrounding the entire abandoned Spirit Province.
Liu Mu waved his hand, indicating that this man should return to his duties, before looking towards Yang Kai.
“Are you both ready?” Yang Kai asked.
Both Liu Mu and Luo Ting He nodded their heads together.
“Then, let’s begin.” As his words ended, the illusory phantom of Yang Kai’s Small Universe expanded abruptly behind him, and the entire universe manifested with a loud bang.
The Small Universe expanded to include both Liu Mu and Luo Ting He, and the trio appeared in the very place where the many Black Ink Disciples were imprisoned.
Liu Mu was immediately stunned, “So many?”
Yang Kai had previously said that he had also suppressed and sealed some Black Ink Disciples in his Small Universe, and wanted both him and Luo Ting He to help transfer them out, but Liu Mu had originally thought that there would be a few dozen or hundreds of them at most. But at a glance, he could make out that there were thousands of Black Ink Disciples here.
Only then did he understand why Yang Kai wanted a great ship that could carry around some 5,000 people.
Luo Ting He was also amazed, “You still had the energy to fight with others after sealing so many Black Ink Disciples inside your Small Universe?”
Ignoring the fact that Yang Kai was just a trivial Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, even for her or Liu Mu, who were in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, it would be difficult to move about freely after sealing 2,000 Open Heaven Realm Cultivators inside their Small Universes, let alone fight.
Yang Kai, on the other hand, was lively and vigorous, seemingly like he was unaffected.
Yang Kai explained casually, “Junior is carrying a World Spring, due to which his Small Universe is extremely stable. Perhaps it has something to do with that.”
Liu Mu nodded his head in realization, “That’s true. The World Spring is really amazing.”
Yang Kai beckoned to Xu Yi, who had been guarding the Black Ink Disciples here, and pointed at him before saying, “This is my Third Disciple, Xu Yi. Xu Yi, greet these two Seniors.”
Xu Yi hurriedly saluted.
Liu Mu glanced at Xu Yi with some interest, but didn’t spare him much time. What kind of geniuses hasn’t an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like him seen? Xu Yi didn’t deserve his attention.
On the contrary, it was Luo Ting He who showed some interest, “Since this is your Third Disciple, does that mean you also have a First Disciple and a Second Disciple?”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “Those two are in the Star Boundary. Senior will naturally see them when she arrives there.”
Xu Yi’s heart was shaken. What kind of existences were these two, that even his Honoured Master had to address them as ‘Senior’? His expression became more and more respectful.
Luo Ting He nodded. She was definitely going to go to the Star Boundary. She had not had time to consolidate her cultivation since she advanced to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm with all the events going on around her. Now that there were people from the major Cave Heavens and Paradises present in Black Territory though, it would make little difference even if she were to be absent, so she planned to leave for the Star Boundary in a few days.
“Both of you, please!” Yang Kai cupped his fist.
It was not a problem for Yang Kai to suppress these 2,000 Black Ink Disciples in his Small Universe, but if he wanted to transfer them out, he’d have to seal their powers first.
It would be too slow for Yang Kai to handle this kind of task on his own, which was why he asked Liu Mu and Luo Ting He to help.
Liu Mu and Luo Ting He nodded their heads and got to work.
Hand Seals quickly changed as a series of Secret Techniques flew out one after another. As the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters personally took action, the Black Ink Disciples, most of whom were just in Third or Fourth Order, were completely powerless to resist.
The Secret Techniques struck every one of the Black Ink Disciples, sealing the strength in their bodies. Even their Small Universes had been thoroughly sealed.
In this condition, not to mention using the Small Universe’s strength, even lifting a finger was a mere dream.
This was the only way to ensure that the Black Ink Disciples would not try to self-destruct.
While Liu Mu and Luo Ting He were busying themselves, Yang Kai also had his hands full.
He quickly shifted every one of the imprisoned Black Ink Disciples, whose Small Universes were sealed, throwing them onto the abandoned Spirit Province outside.
The trio tirelessly worked for half a day before they were done dealing with the 2,000 Black Ink Disciples.
Yang Kai let out a heavy sigh. He finally felt a sense of relief, as if a heavy burden was lifted off his shoulders.
He then looked toward Luan Bai Feng, hesitated for a moment, before deciding not to go over.
Now that Luan Bai Feng was corrupted by the Black Ink Strength, she had lost her sanity and her heart was not the same as before. The Black Ink Disciples regarded the Black Ink Clan above all else. It was useless to try to talk to her.
After a dozen days or so, more Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises arrived at Black Territory, arriving in a nearly endless stream.
Two months later, Masters from almost all the various Cave Heavens and Paradises had gathered. Each Cave Heaven and Paradise team was led by at least one Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Ancestor, followed by an endless stream of Seventh and Sixth-Order Masters.
Currently, an unimaginable force had gathered in Black Territory, with the number of Eight-Order Masters alone having crossed the 100 mark.
This was the accumulation of millennia of the Cave Heavens and Paradises’ heritage. Generally, these top forces remained reserved, concealing their strength from the public eyes, but if something big were to happen, they would instantly display their fangs.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but feel a bit envious. He could not help but wonder when Void Land and High Heaven Palace would be like this, when they would stand toe to toe with these top forces.
The Eighth-Order Ancestors guarded the central region of the Black Prison in shifts, constantly monitoring the movements of the imprisoned Black Ink Clansman. However, even an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was unable to remain there for too long due to the influence of the Super Array enveloping the Black Prison. A day or two was the longest they could linger before having to retreat.
The thousands of Black Ink Disciples imprisoned on the abandoned Spirit Province were also an object of their interest. The Black Ink Strength scattered throughout Black Territory because of the last battle had also attracted many people’s investigation.
Matters related to the Black Ink Clan were not a secret to the top Masters of the Cave Heavens and Paradises, but knowing and seeing were two different matters, so they were naturally curious.
The Black Ink Strength’s peculiarity and the Black Ink Disciples’ stubbornness deeply shocked them.
Yang Kai’s brilliant performance in this incident had also piqued the interest of many High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters.
As the Lord of Void Land and a Great Emperor of the Star Boundary, Yang Kai wasn’t an unknown figure, so most of the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters had at least heard of him.
However, that didn’t mean many of them had seen him before.
This time, they finally got to meet him in person. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Yang Kai got acquainted with many Seventh and Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Yang Kai also took this opportunity to pedal his Profound Yin Bamboo.
As one of the Twelve Minor Universe Pillars, the value of the Profound Yin Bamboo was naturally well known. Furthermore, with the appearance of the Black Ink Clan, the Profound Yin Bamboo became even more important.
Although it couldn’t make its owner immune to the Black Ink Strength like the World Spring, it still offered quite a bit of resistance to Black Ink Strength’s corrosion, allowing the Small Universe to remain more stable.
When Yang Kai had negotiated with many foreign envoys about the right to use the Good Fortune Divine Furnace in the past, he had added the Profound Yin Bamboo onto the negotiation table, owing to which the High Heaven Palace would provide each Cave Heaven and Paradise with some Profound Yin Bamboo…
However, there were simply too few of them to go around.
Compared to the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters of the various Cave Heavens and Paradises, the Profound Yin Bamboo provided by High Heaven Palace was simply insufficient.
Now that they had met Yang Kai though, the Lord of Void Land, in Black Territory, the High-Rank Open Heaven Masters naturally wanted to target him.
Be that as it may, how could Yang Kai give away the Profound Yin Bamboo for free with his money-grubbing personality?
In Lang Ya Paradise, he even forcefully sold his healing pills to those he beat up, let alone a real treasure like one of the Twelve Minor Universe Pillars.
From the standpoint of a Sect Master, Yang Kai was just doing his best to accumulate resources.
The amount of Profound Yin Bamboo he had cultivated in his Small Universe was not small, but as he was about to advance to the Seventh Order, he did not focus his time and attention on cultivating them as the growth of the Profound Yin Bamboo would be at the expense of his own foundation.
After much probing and bargaining, Yang Kai and the many High-Rank Open Heaven Masters finally reached a price satisfactory to all parties.
Profound Yin Bamboo were then sold one after another.
Regardless, a single shoot of the Profound Yin Bamboo would not be of much use. The owner would first need to consume their own foundation to cultivate the Profound Yin Bamboo and then transform it into a large bamboo forest. The bigger the bamboo forest, the stronger the effects of the Profound Yin Bamboo.
This definitely required time and effort, but as the High-Rank Open Heaven Masters had extremely long lifespans, they really didn’t care about this.
Over the past few months, the miners in Black Territory had dug up quite a lot of materials from the various Ore Stars, so much so that Luan Bai Feng even brought Yang Kai to check them out some time ago.
After returning, Yang Kai also put all of them into his Small Universe.
By the time Yang Kai had sold most of the Profound Yin Bamboos, the Golden Antelope Paradise ship had arrived.
All the Black Ink Disciples were loaded onto the ship and 30 Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from different Cave Heavens and Paradises were stationed aboard it for security. After settling everything, Yang Kai led the ship out of Black Territory.
These Black Ink Disciples were of paramount importance; furthermore, the Cave Heaven and Paradises didn’t want any mishaps along the way. If an accident occurred and these Black Ink Disciples were able to escape somehow, the vast universe would instantly fall into chaos, so the Ancestors had taken precautions.
The lineup of 30 Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters was quite grand; enough to deal with any unexpected situation.
The ship was extremely large, but its speed was also quite surprising for its size. Soon, it left Black Territory and sailed towards the Chaotic Dead Territory.
At some point, a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master suddenly shouted, prompting the scattered High-Rank Open Heaven Masters to immediately gather around.
Yang Kai too instantly appeared at the source of the voice, asking, “What is it?”
“Someone’s chasing after us.” The Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, who had issued the warning, raised his hand, pointing toward the rear.
Yang Kai looked over and found that a streak of light was indeed rapidly approaching the ship from the rear. Judging by its speed, it was obviously not something an ordinary Open Heaven Realm Master would possess.
Everyone’s expressions couldn’t help but turn solemn. No one knew who was chasing after them or what their purpose was.
“Be on guard!” Yang Kai exhorted in a low voice. On this trip to the Chaotic Dead Territory, his cultivation might have been the lowest, but he was the one in charge. Thus, the 30 High-Rank Masters circulated their strength and prepared for battle.
A moment later, Yang Kai gawked at the figure approaching them, speechless.
The one chasing them was none other than Six Wood Divine Monarch, Li Mu, of Golden Antelope Paradise! Everyone wondered what he was doing here.
Liu Mu directly landed on the stern of the ship. When he looked around and saw the Seventh-Order Masters staring at him vigilantly, he instantly became dissatisfied, “What the Hell are you looking at, you brats?”
The Seventh-Order Masters looked at each other, not knowing what to say, but all of them knew that this Golden Antelope Paradise Ancestor had a fiery temper. His words might be harsh, he didn’t have any malicious intent.
Yang Kai quickly asked, “Senior, what brings you here? Do you have any instructions for us?”
Liu Mu stiffly replied, “Nothing of the sort, I just wanted to come with you to blow off some steam.”
Yang Kai’s face twitched as he asked, “Blow off some steam?”
Liu Mu heaved a sigh, “It’s because I can’t win an argument with those old farts. It’s too frustrating, so I’d rather not bother. I said I wanted to slaughter the Black Ink Clansman as soon as possible to avoid future troubles, but they just want to take their sweet time to deliberate on it. What’s there to deliberate? By the time they come to a decision, it will already be too late.”
“Uh…” Yang Kai was speechless for a moment. He already had no say in the matters of the Black Ink Clansman. The matter rested at the hands of Cave Heavens and Paradises; it was up for them to decide. Liu Mu could freely vent his anger, but he could not.
Liu Mu, on the other hand, suddenly threw this matter to the back of his mind and excitedly asked, “Yang Boy, have you personally seen the Sun’s Burning Light and Moon’s Serene Glimmer?”
“Indeed!” Yang Kai nodded his affirmation.
“What do they look like? Are they really tall and fierce?” Liu Mu asked curiously.
This time, even the thirty Seventh-Order Masters became interested and perked up their ears.
Everyone knew about the existence of the Sun’s Burning Light and Moon’s Serene Glimmer, and all had heard countless rumors about them, but none of them had been fortunate enough to witness their true appearances.
Those who had seen them were all dead.
Yang Kai thought about the image of Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan and felt that it had nothing to do with their height or strength. Both of them were much more like children who needed to be coaxed.
Playing house with them in the Chaotic Dead Territory was definitely the greatest shame in his life…
“I guess you can say that,” Looking at the look of reverence on Liu Mu’s face though, Yang Kai felt that it was best not to break his fantasy.
Liu Mu rushed over and sheepishly requested, “Yang Boy, can you… introduce this Monarch to them when we arrive at the Chaotic Dead Territory? This Monarch wants to admire their noble bearing.”
Yang Kai promptly stated without giving it another thought, “I’ll try my best. Senior, you also know that people like them really don’t have a good temper. Whether we can meet them, and whether they will help us, I’m also not sure.”
Liu Mu solemnly nodded his understanding, “I understand, just do your best. Even if you can’t, it’s just because my luck isn’t that good, I won’t hold it against you.”
Yang Kai curiously asked, “Why does Senior want to meet those two?”
Liu Mu leisurely replied, “It’s the Sun’s Burning Light and Moon’s Serene Glimmer. Who doesn’t want to meet them? Don’t you want to see them?”
His last sentence was meant for the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Everyone earnestly nodded again and again. Some of them even wore a flattering look as they looked at Yang Kai, probably requesting him to introduce them too.
Liu Mu added, grinning, “When this Monarch returns alive after meeting those, I can rub it in the faces of those old farts.”
He kept calling them old farts, but he forgot that in the eyes of others, he was probably one of them too.
Yang Kai didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
The huge ship sailed for three months before finally arriving at the outskirts of the Chaotic Dead Territory.
An Eighth-Order Ancestor, the one Yang Kai had met before, was still stationed outside the Territory Gate. Although the current Chaotic Dead Territory was much less dangerous because of Yang Kai’s previous visit and it could even be said that there was no longer any danger at all, when it came to the almighty Sun’s Burning Light and Moon’s Serene Glimmer, none dared to lower their vigilance.
The Territory Gate was guarded by many High-Rank Open Heaven Masters at all times, just in case.
“Senior Da Yi!” Yang Kai jumped down from the ship and respectfully greeted the Eighth-Order Ancestor.
The last time he met this Eighth-Order Master, Yang Kai had no idea how to address him, so he didn’t ask any questions; however, when he was in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, Yu Xiang Die told him that this person was an Eighth-Order Ancestor of Great Battle Cave Heaven, Clear Horizon Divine Monarch, Da Yi.
Clear Horizon Divine Monarch slightly nodded before looking behind him with a puzzled expression and calling out, “Liu Mu?”
They might have different backgrounds, but as Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, they naturally knew each other; after all, each of the Cave Heavens and Paradises had only so many Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. After having lived for so many years, everyone was basically familiar with each other.
Six Wood Divine Monarch stepped forward and respectfully cupped his fist, “Senior Brother Da Yi!”
Da Yi furrowed his brow, “What happened?”
He had already sensed the auras of many living people on the ship with his powerful Divine Sense, but he could not understand why Yang Kai and Liu Mu had brought these people here.
Furthermore, the presence of 30 High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters on the ship also made him very concerned.
For the mobilization of such a huge force, several Cave Heavens and Paradises would have had to come together. He faintly felt that something big must have happened.
“Senior Brother Da Yi, it’s better if you see for yourself,” Liu Mu stretched out, gesturing him an invitation.
Clear Horizon Divine Monarch pondered for a moment before nodding in agreement.
Upon boarding the ship, he was beside himself in shock when he saw thousands of imprisoned Black Ink Disciples. Not to mention the fact that there were still some obvious traces left behind even if the Black Ink Disciples had been sealed by a Secret Technique.
For example, Fan Xiu Qi, who had advanced from the Fifth Order to the Sixth Order. He might have broken his Open Heaven Realm Order limit, but it also left a great deal of hidden danger in his body. Not only had his body dramatically expanded, but many lumps and black cysts had also appeared on his body, making him look extremely gruesome.
Liu Mu and Yang Kai accompanied Da Yi as the latter studied the Black Ink Disciples’ situation, briefly explaining what had happened in Black Territory.
Da Yi was surprised when he heard everything, “The Black Ink Clansman is actually hiding in Black Territory?”
Liu Mu corrected him, “Not hiding, but imprisoned. Right now, those old ghosts are discussing how to deal with him.”
“Then these Black Ink Disciples…”
Liu Mu glanced at Yang Kai before explaining, “Yang Boy said that the two inside had the ability to purge the Black Ink Strength, striking at the root of the problem, so we brought these Black Ink Disciples here.”
Da Yi naturally knew who ‘the two’ he was referring to. He had followed Yang Kai inside and had personally seen them after all.
“Are you confident?” Da Yi looked at Yang Kai.
“I’ll try my best!” Yang Kai didn’t dare give a definite answer. Although he had gotten along quite well with Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan, he had no idea what was going on in their minds.
Da Yi slightly nodded his acknowledgement, “I’ll accompany you.”
As an Eighth-Order Ancestor guarding the Territory Gate, it was his duty to monitor every single movement related to the Chaotic Dead Territory.
After a simple arrangement, the others remained to guard the Territory Gate while Da Yi followed the ship into the Chaotic Dead Territory.
Liu Mu and the 30 High-Rank Masters immediately became a little nervous as the ship entered the Chaotic Dead Territory.
They had all heard of the Chaotic Dead Territory and knew how dangerous it was, but when they personally laid their eyes on it, they were totally confused. Much to their surprise, the Chaotic Dead Territory was completely calm and serene, without the slightest hint of danger.
This was very different from the rumours.
Each of their Sects had an Ancestor who was once stationed at this place. Even as the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Ancestors, they could only enter the periphery of the Chaotic Dead Territory for a short time to investigate the situation and could not venture in too deep, otherwise their lives would be forfeit.
Rumour had it that the Chaotic Dead Territory was filled with the fallout of the Sun’s Burning Light and the Moon’s Serene Glimmer clashes. Every time they fought, it would bring about unimaginable destruction.
Seemingly noticing everyone’s curiosity, Da Yi explained, “The Chaotic Dead Territory used to be extremely dangerous, but ever since Yang Kai came here, this place has calmed down significantly.”
Hearing this, Liu Mu asked in surprise, “What did you do to turn their hostility into friendship?”
Yang Kai didn’t know how he should explain. The only reply he could give was, “You will know when you meet them.”
Liu Mu nodded before he took a deep breath and straightened his back, trying his best to put on a dignified air.
Apart from a large Spirit Province that seemed to be pieced together, there was nothing else inside the Chaotic Dead Territory.
This Spirit Province was created by Yang Kai and Da Yi together, using an abandoned Universe World from the adjacent Great Territory.
A glimmering ball of light that looked like a sun was hanging high above the Spirit Province, illuminating its surface.
The light seemed extremely gentle, but when Liu Mu used his Divine Sense to examine it, he suddenly let out a muffled groan as he stumbled and started bleeding from his mouth and nose.
“Ancestor!” Everyone was shocked.
Liu Mu immediately waved off, “I’m fine! Don’t try to probe that thing.”
Just now, when his Divine Sense came into contact with the light, he instantly felt a destructive force envelop him. It was so overwhelming that even an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Master like him was unable to resist it and was instantly injured.
If even someone as strong as him could get this injured, how could the other Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, who were also curious about this light, dare to rashly investigate? The few people who were about to probe it secretly rejoiced.
Fortunately, the injuries to Liu Mu’s Divine Sense weren’t too serious. Also, he knew that nothing in this Chaotic Dead Territory could be underestimated, so when he was investigating the ball of light, he had done so cautiously. These little injuries weren’t that big of a deal.
Be that as it may, the fact that he had suffered a loss even before meeting the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer made him realize just how powerful these two beings were.
The ship flew towards the Spirit Province and soon came to a stop in the void. Everyone looked down from the deck and was immediately stunned.
The cause of their shock was the sight of countless small stone-like men charging at each other like a tide on the plains of the Spirit Province.
These Small Stone Man didn’t seem to have high intelligence and were simply letting out strange cries as they rushed forward.
However, their numbers were overwhelming; there were at least hundreds of thousands of soldiers on each side.
Everyone looked on in amazement because even with their vast experience, they had never seen a race like this. They could not determine which race they belonged to.
What was even more surprising was the fact that such a large group of living creatures were actually surviving in the Chaotic Dead Territory where the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer existed.
However, what happened next left everyone confused.
The two armies formed by the Small Stone Man, after colliding with each other, actually began to fight. Each of these Small Stone Ants was holding weapons of varying shapes and sizes in their hands. They were trying their best to hack their enemies into pieces, for which they were willing to use even their hands and teeth if they had to.
The two armies moved as swiftly as the wind. By the looks of it, they were well-trained and were clearly directed by some brilliant commanders.
While the two armies were engaged in a fierce battle, more squads emerged from the sides, flanking and intercepting their respective enemies.
“What’s going on?” Liu Mu was completely confused. These Small Stone Men might be living creatures, but obviously, they were not that strong. He could destroy them all by himself, but what he saw in front of him really confused him.
“They are the Small Stone Race. They are very similar to ants in their behaviour. They are a race I discovered in the New Great Territory,” Yang Kai explained.
“New Great Territory!” Liu Mu’s brow rose as he recalled the New Great Territory that had appeared beside the Star Boundary. The New Great Territory was occupied by Yang Kai as soon as it appeared, so there was nothing the Cave Heavens and Paradises could do about it. They knew nothing about the New Great Territory, but now he knew that Yang Kai had actually discovered a new race inside.
“Seniors shouldn’t look down on the Small Stone Race.” Yang Kai smiled lightly, “Their intelligence might not be high and they might not be able to cultivate, but if we keep them inside our Small Universes, they are highly beneficial.”
Liu Mu immediately became interested, “What are the advantages?”
“They reproduce extremely quickly as long as enough resources are provided, and each one of them provides ten times the benefit of other living creatures to the Small Universe’s foundation.”
Everyone was stunned for a moment before they all gasped in shock. Even Da Yi looked at Yang Kai in surprise, clearly seeking confirmation.
Yang Kai affirmed, nodding, “This Junior’s Small Universe has many Small Stone Race members as well as many Humans, so the comparison is quite obvious.”
The look in Six Wood Divine Monarch’s eyes suddenly became hot, “Yang Boy, you see, when you were in danger in Black Territory, this Monarch was the first to rush to help you. So about this Small Stone Race…”
Yang Kai replied, “If Senior wishes, this Junior can naturally send some to Golden Antelope Paradise.”
“You don’t want money?” Liu Mu cautiously asked.
Back in Black Territory, Yang Kai had sold his Profound Yin Bamboo to the many High-Rank Open Heaven Masters, and his profiteering look had left a deep impression on him.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but break into laughter, “As long as Senior can afford it.”
Da Yi coughed lightly and stated, “My Great Battle Cave Heaven also wants a batch.”
“No problem, whichever Cave Heaven Paradise wants them, I’ll have someone take care of it when we return to the Star Boundary,” Yang Kai readily agreed, “But let me make one thing clear to all of you. Although the Small Stone Race’s reproduction rate is extremely fast, it is very dependent on cultivating materials. The more material one invests, the faster their reproduction rate will be.”
Liu Mu nodded his acknowledgement, “Naturally, there is nothing in life which is truly free.”
The battle on the plains was extremely intense. The two armies fought back and forth, but they were actually evenly matched. The High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters felt their hearts ache, looking at so many Small Stone Race members dying every breath.
They didn’t take it seriously when they didn’t know that the Small Stone Race could bring them benefits, but now that they knew how amazing the Small Stone Race was, every death seemed like a terrible loss to them.
Liu Mu couldn’t help but want to forcefully collect a batch of them and raise them in their Small Universe.
Fortunately, he did not act impulsively.
When the battle between the two armies reached its climax, two more teams joined the battle from the rear of both sides.
These two teams were clearly different from ordinary Small Stone Race members. Their bodies were several times larger and their appearances were even more ferocious.
A small figure was also riding the leading Small Stone Race member of both teams.
“Ah, why are there two little children here?” Liu Mu exclaimed in surprise.
One of the two children suddenly shot a look at him. This casual glance caused Liu Mu to feel as if he had been struck by lightning. His entire body went stiff as cold sweat dripped down his back.
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan were personally commanding their most elite teams on the battlefield to fight right now.
Fortunately, these two were only supervising and had no intention of taking action; otherwise, the fallout of their clash would be unimaginable. If these two were to battle, the Spirit Province would be reduced to nothing in an instant.
One after another, the Small Stone Race fell to the ground as pieces of rocks blanketed the battlefield. The battle quickly reached a conclusion. In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the remaining troops of their respective armies slowly retreated.
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan, on the other hand, remained on the battlefield.
Big Brother Huang calmly looked at Big Sister Lan and arrogantly asserted, “You lost!”
Big Sister Lan disdainfully stated, “You lost!”
Big Brother Huang sneered, “What’s the point of haggling with me every time? Your Small Stone Race has more casualties.”
Big Sister Lan countered, pursing her lips, “But your personal guard has already been defeated by me. If we kept fighting, you would have definitely lost!”
Big Brother Huang shook his head, “It’s useless, no matter how you fight, you still won’t be able to defeat me. Even if I don’t have my elite guard, I can still defeat you.”
“Stop bragging!” Big Sister Lan made a face at Big Brother Huang, “You lost all your guards, who will you use to fight me!?”
Both of them glared at each other as if there was an irreconcilable blood feud between the two. Suddenly, both of them looked up toward the sky and asked in unison, ““Who do you think won?””
Yang Kai didn’t even have time to hide.
For a moment, Yang Kai had a huge headache. The last time he left, he had given these two the Small Stone Race for the two to rear and use to compete with each other. The loser would have to satisfy the other party’s desire to become the Big Brother or Big Sister.
By the looks of it now, these two were having a great time playing this game and were still in high spirits even after so long, but there was no accurate standard to determine the winner.
Yang Kai had a bad feeling when the two started arguing, and his premonition really came true.
Summoning up his courage, Yang Kai flew down from the ship and greeted with a smile, “Big Brother Huang, Big Sister Lan, we meet again.”
Six Wood Divine Monarch and Clear Horizon Divine Monarch followed closely behind Yang Kai. With his past experience, how could Liu Mu not be able to guess the identities of these two children? After all, how could two children survive in the Chaotic Dead Territory?
He was filled with anxiety at first, but after hearing how Yang Kai addressed them, his eyes could not help but widen in shock.
Da Yi had already experienced this shock once before, so his expression remained the same this time.
Liu Mu stepped forward and respectfully bowed, “Golden Antelope Paradise’s Liu Mu greets two Seniors.”
These two might look like little children, but they were actually Seniors amongst Seniors. Even an Old Ancestor from the Cave Heavens and Paradises would lose out in terms of seniority to them.
The two ignored him and simply stared at Yang Kai, as if they didn’t hear Liu Mu at all and all that mattered was Yang Kai’s answer.
Liu Mu suddenly felt somewhat awkward.
No matter what, he was still an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, an Ancestor-level figure in the Cave-Heavens and Paradises. He would be admired and respected by everyone no matter where he went. It had been millennia since he had last encountered this kind of situation and for a moment, he didn’t know what to do.
It was Yang Kai who helped him out, quietly nudging him and stating, “What Senior? Don’t call them Senior, call them Big Brother and Big Sister!”
Liu Mu’s eyes widened even more, staring at Yang Kai in surprise. Obviously, he was asking with his eyes, ‘Is that okay?’
Yang Kai might have called them Big Brother Huang, Big Sister Lan, but he didn’t dare act rashly in front of these two. Addressing like this violated the order of seniority, and if this offended them, the entire Golden Antelope Paradise wouldn’t even be able to fill the gaps between their gnashing teeth.
Just as he was hesitating, Da Yi had already accepted Yang Kai’s suggestion and cupped his fist toward Big Brother Huang, “Big Brother!”
He then turned to Big Sister Lan, “Big Sister!”
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan both turned to look at him, nodding slightly. There was a kind look in their eyes, as if they were exchanging greetings.
[It’s really okay!?] Liu Mu was stunned! He had never seen such a strange thing in his long life. Nonetheless, he called them Big Brother and Big Sister without any hesitation, his attitude genial and tone sincere. This finally made the two acknowledge his existence.
Just as he was feeling comforted in his heart, Yang Kai suddenly betrayed him and Da Yi, “Big Brother and Big Sister are quite worried about their battle, but Little Brother’s vision is too poor to judge the winner here. It would be better to ask these two as they are much stronger than Little Brother and their vision is much more profound.”
Saying so, he swiftly took a step back.
Clear Horizon Divine Monarch and Six Wood Divine Monarch stood out at once, which made their facial muscles twitch.
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan, on the other hand, shifted their gazes and intensely stared at them, causing the two of them to feel uncomfortable as if swords were being poked into their backs.
“Speak, did I win?” Big Brother Huang asked, looking at the two. Although his tone was calm, whether it was Liu Mu or Da Yi, both of them could faintly sense the threat in his tone. They could tell that if they were to say no, they would not be alive to see the sun tomorrow.
“It’s me who won, isn’t it? You’ve been watching from above for so long, you must have noticed.” Big Sister Lan’s tone wasn’t threatening, but the look in her eyes was obviously not.
Cold sweat dripped down the backs of the two Eighth-Order Ancestors. This was the first time they ever felt that life was so difficult.
Liu Mu secretly cursed to himself, [I should have stayed in Black Territory. Why did I follow Yang Boy here?]
He couldn’t afford to offend either of these two. It was impossible for him to achieve a perfect answer no matter what, but he had no choice but to give one. Being stared at by those two, Liu Mu was under a great deal of pressure.
He secretly glanced at Da Yi through the corner of his eyes, but he noticed cold sweat dripping down his temple too, causing him to secretly laugh in his heart, [It turns out I am not the only one suffering here.]
Liu Mu suddenly became much more relaxed, and after a moment of deliberation, he finally spoke, “When I was watching the battle, I thought that it was as if the Heavens themselves were commanding those soldiers. The soldiers were moving and fighting in an orderly manner. This… Little Brother, truly admires you!”
He then turned to Da Yi, and shot him a look.
Da Yi immediately understood and continued, “However, the outcome of this battle has yet to be decided, so it is difficult to say who won and lost. There are many factors that determine the outcome of a battle, such as the timing, location, and soldiers, all of which are indispensable. Any slight change in circumstances can change the entire course of the battle, so it is difficult to determine the winner…”
Seeing the unhappy faces of the two, Liu Mu quickly interrupted Da Yi, “However, based on the number of casualties your subordinates have suffered, it should be a tie, so in my opinion, this battle… is a draw, right?”
He didn’t dare to answer too confidently. He kept observing their expressions, preparing to say something else if this did not satisfy them…
Da Yi immediately nodded like a chicken pecking at rice, “Yes, yes, yes, a draw!”
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan fell into deep thought. Both of them were clearly unsatisfied with this answer, but it was still acceptable. As far as the two were concerned, it was a win as long as they did not lose.
Big Brother Huang raised his head and suggested, “Then let’s call it a draw.” He suddenly turned to Big Sister Lan and assertively declared, “Next time, I’ll definitely beat you until you call me Big Brother!”
Big Sister Lan was not to be outdone, “If you think you have what it takes to defeat me, then you come at me anytime! But first, ask if my army of 30 million agrees!”
Brother Huang sneered, “It’s obviously just 18 million, yet you insist on saying it’s 30 million, you really like boasting!”
The two broke into another argument, but Da Yi and Liu Mu both let out long sighs of relief. They felt as if they had just escaped a disaster.
Suddenly, the two stopped bickering and looked at Yang Kai together. Big Brother Huang then stated, “You seem to have brought a lot of disgusting people with you this time!”
The last time Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan noticed the Black Ink Strength inside Yang Kai, both of them showed faces of revulsion.
The thousands of Black Ink Disciples on the ship might have their energy suppressed and sealed, but how could the Black Ink Strength escape Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan’s senses?
In fact, they had already noticed everything as soon as the ship entered the Chaotic Dead Territory. It was just that the two were more focused on the outcome of their battle so they didn’t bother to ask anything.
Yang Kai stepped forward and cupped his fist, “Little Brother is actually here for this reason. The people on the ship have been corrupted by the Black Ink Strength and have been turned into Black Ink Disciples. They have lost their sense of self. I would like to ask for Big Brother and Big Sister’s help to save them.
Big Brother Huang furrowed his brow, “There are so many of them.”
Yang Kai added, “In the vast Universe, only Big Brother and Big Sister can expel the Black Ink Strength. If you two don’t do anything, they will definitely die!”
Big Brother Huang hesitated for a moment before suddenly glancing at Big Sister Lan, who happened to look at him too.
Their eyes met, and both of them seemed to be thinking the same thing.
The next moment, Yang Kai and the two Divine Monarchs saw the two little children squat down and leaned closer, whispering to each other.
Big Brother Huang asked, “Have you noticed a problem recently?”
Big Sister Lan asked, “You also noticed?”
Big Brother Huang nodded in acknowledgement, “The number of Small Stone Race under our command is increasing, so it’s getting harder to command them.”
“En, they’re too stupid, sometimes they don’t even understand what we want them to do.”
“En, Little Brother Yang also said that their intelligence is not high, so they cannot understand complex orders.”
“That’s why we need some generals who will follow our orders and lead our armies into battle!”
“En en, I’ve thought about it before, but I couldn’t find anyone.”
“We couldn’t find them before, but don’t we have them now? And they’ve even delivered themselves to us.”
While speaking, Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan both turned to look up at the ship, then at Six Wood Divine Monarch and Clear Horizon Divine Monarch with deep and profound gazes.
The two Divine Monarchs’ felt their faces immediately twitched.
A strange look also appeared on Yang Kai’s face as he kindly reminded the two, “Big Brother Huang, Big Sister Lan, we can hear everything you’re saying.”
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan, on the other hand, turned a deaf ear to this and focused on their discussion.
Big Brother Huang added, “Excluding those yucky ones, there are a total of 33 people.”
30 Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm escorts, along with Liu Mu, Da Yi, and Yang Kai, were exactly 33.
Big Sister Lan stated with a grin, “Half each.”
Big Brother Huang corrected her, worried, “There’s one more.”
Big Sister Lan explained, waving off, “Forget about Little Brother Yang, he doesn’t look very smart, he’s probably not much better than those from the Small Stone Race. Let’s leave those annoying flies to him, it will save us some trouble.”
“You’re right.” Big Brother Huang nodded seriously.
The veins on Yang Kai’s forehead bulged. If it weren’t for the fact that he couldn’t defeat these two, he really wanted to ask what do stupid people look like? Do they have some kind of horns on their heads?
Originally, Liu Mu and Da Yi were depressed, but now that they heard these two speak, they couldn’t help but snicker.
On the other side, after Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan finished discussing, the two looked over. Liu Mu and Da Yi quickly restrained their smiles and wore solemn expressions on their faces.
Big Brother Huang stated, “Little Brother Yang, we just discussed, it’s not like we can’t help you; after all, you’re also our Little Brother. Since you’ve come to beg us, we can’t just sit back and watch.”
Big Sister Lan quickly followed up, “But we also have conditions.”
Yang Kai knew their conditions but still pretended to be ignorant and asked curiously, “How can I help?”
Big Brother Huang replied, “It’s like this, since you left us last time, our forces have been expanding rapidly, and now each of us has an army of tens of millions. It has become harder to control them. We urgently need some generals and officers who can obey our orders! I think the people you brought this time are quite suitable, so why not let them serve under us? In that case, we’ll have time to help you!”
Before Yang Kai could respond, Liu Mu asked anxiously, “Big Brother, Big Sister, can you change your conditions?”
He finally understood that what these two invincible existences did on the Spirit Province was simply to kill time. In any case, he was still an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, yet instead of eliminating great evils and protecting the innocent, he would have to play around with these two children. If word got out, he would completely lose face.
This was something he absolutely could not agree to.
Although Da Yi didn’t say anything, his meaning was clear.
Big Brother Huang decisively refused, “This is the only condition. If you don’t like it, you can leave.”
Yang Kai quickly looked towards them. The next moment, his eyes became filled with sorrow and his tone turned heavy and solemn, “Seniors, please consider the bigger picture!”
The two of them immediately glared at him, wanting nothing more than to sew his mouth shut.
Big Brother Huang’s face slightly sank, “It seems you don’t like the idea of working under us!”
Big Sister Lan also looked a bit angry, “If you don’t want to, then leave. No one is forcing you to stay.”
Yang Kai tried his best to persuade them, “Seniors, there are thousands of lives on that ship. This time there are thousands, but the next time there may be even more. The vast universe will never forget your sacrifice!”
Liu Mu and Da Yi now couldn’t wait to chop Yang Kai into a million pieces. This brat was obviously just enjoying the show like it had nothing to do with him; after all, it did not cost him anything to throw them into the pit.
Be that as it may, their current situation left them with no other choice but to agree to their terms. Just as Yang Kai had stated, this time there were thousands of lives, but what about next time? No one could guarantee that their Sect’s disciples would not be corrupted by the Black Ink Strength at some point. They did not want to experience the tragedy of Lang Ya Paradise.
If they could get the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer’s help and capture Black Ink Disciples in the future, they would not have to kill them all.
Liu Mu clenched his teeth and agreed, “Good, since Big Brother and Big Sister think so highly of me, if this Little Brother still refuses, I would be someone who does not know how to appreciate kindness. This Little Brother is willing to obey your orders in the future!”
Da Yi sighed in his heart, knowing he couldn’t refuse either. So, he smiled and nodded, “Little Brother is of the same mind.”
The sullen Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan immediately smiled and stated, “Great, awesome, quickly call your people over.”
Six Wood Divine Monarch’s Divine Sense surged before 30 Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm flew down from the ship the next moment.
Although they had seen most of the proceedings from up there, they didn’t know what was going on in detail. They could only vaguely guess that the two little kids were the legendary Sun’s Burning Light and Moon’s Serene Glimmer.
Liu Mu pointed at Big Brother Huang and ordered everyone, “Come and greet Big Brother!”
The 30 Seventh-Order Masters were all dumbfounded and couldn’t understand why their Ancestor was saying something like that.
However, they didn’t dare to ask too much. Since their Ancestor had given such instructions, he must have his reasons. All of them cupped their fists and shouted ‘Big Brother’.
Liu Mu then pointed at Big Sister Lan, “This is Big Sister!”
Everyone bowed once more.
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan smiled even more happily. They even became humbler because of this. Big Brother Huang offered, “You’re younger, you choose first.”
Big Sister Lan smiled and offered in return, “You’re younger, you go first.”
Yang Kai knew that he could not allow this to go on; otherwise, the peaceful atmosphere would immediately be destroyed. Thus, he quickly intervened, asking, “If Big Brother and Big Sister don’t mind, how about I help you?”
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan looked at each other before nodding, “Good!”
Yang Kai immediately began distributing the manpower. In fact, it didn’t take any effort to assign teams. Two Eighth-Order and 30 Seventh-Order Masters were evenly distributed with a casual wave of his hand.
Big Brother Huang’s face was filled with eagerness, “Great, now we have Generals who can understand our commands. The next time we fight, it will definitely be more exciting!”
Big Sister Lan smiled and spoke in a provocative manner, “Then you must work hard, don’t cry when you lose.”
“You just wait and watch!” Big Brother Huang coldly snorted before he called out to his 16 High-Rank Masters, “You all come with me!”
Big Sister Lan pointed at the other 16, “You come with me!”
Yang Kai quickly interrupted them, “Please wait a moment, what about the people on the ship? I hope the two of you can first expel the Black Ink Strength from their bodies.”
“I’ll leave that to you.” Big Brother Huang impatiently passed the matter to Yang Kai before stretching out his hand and pointing towards him.
Yang Kai suddenly felt a scalding pain on the back of his left hand, as if it was being burned by flames, giving him a fright.
Before he could react, Big Sister Lan extended her hand toward him again and in the next moment, he felt a frigid sensation on the back of his right hand.
One cold, one hot, it was extremely strange.
Yang Kai looked down and saw nothing on the back of his hands, but he could feel that there was something there.
Yang Kai found this scene quite familiar and recalled the last time he had left, Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan had pointed at him and left behind an extremely mysterious power in his body, greatly enhancing his Dragon Vein and increasing his Dragon Form to 20,000 metres.
Moreover, he still had not completely refined that power and it had thus been lying dormant inside his body. Yang Kai couldn’t imagine how magnificent his Dragon Form would become after he completely refined that power.
Seeing that Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan had already mounted their respective Small Stone Race guards, Yang Kai quickly asked, “What should I do?”
“Everything in this world has its own counter. Although the Black Ink Strength is strange, it is not invincible. Use the benefits you obtained here and your brain to purify it!” Having said as much, Big Brother Huang turned around and started heading towards one end of the Spirit Province.
Liu Mu walked over to Yang Kai and warned him with a gloomy expression on his face, “If any of this leaks out, you’re dead!”
Having no other choice but to accompany two kids and play their games was already the limit of what Liu Mu could endure. If the word got out, he would be too ashamed to show his face in public.
Yang Kai quickly nodded his acknowledgement, “Seniors, rest assured, no one else will find out about this.”
“That’s for the best!” Having said so, Liu Mu led the 15 Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and chased after Big Brother Huang.
On the other hand, Da Yi led the other 15 Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters away with Big Sister Lan.
In the blink of an eye, only Yang Kai was left, along with the remains of the Small Stone Race.
Yang Kai looked at his hands as he sunk into his thoughts.
Big Brother Huang spoke some cryptic words, leaving him all confused, but the meaning had been quite clear. He was now able to expel the Black Ink Strength.
[What should I do?]
[Big Brother Huang wouldn’t lie about something like this. There must be some kind of profound mystery behind the finger pointed by Big Sister Lan and him.]
Yang Kai pondered for a moment before arriving on the flying ship and casually grabbing a Black Ink Disciple.
This Black Ink Disciple’s cultivation wasn’t high, only in the Third Order. Yang Kai didn’t know him, but his strength was sealed and he was unable to move at all, even his Small Universe was completely suppressed. Be that as it may, his eyes were filled with hatred as he stared at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai mobilized his Small Universe’s strength to his two hands, but after trying for a long time, he found that it had no effect, let alone expel the Black Ink Strength.
He could not even feel the heat and chill he had felt before.
Recalling what Big Brother Huang had said before he left, Yang Kai’s heart suddenly skipped a beat.
[Big Brother Huang mentioned the benefits I had obtained from this place…]
The greatest benefit he had reaped from the last time he was here was the endless amounts of Yellow and Blue Crystals, derived from Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan’s own strength. These were the purest Yin and Yang Element materials.
Yang Kai casually took out a palm-sized piece of Yellow Crystal from his Small Universe. The quality of this piece of Yellow Crystal wasn’t high, only Fourth-Order, so it was perfect for testing
With a flash of thought, Yang Kai immediately felt a burning sensation on the back of his left hand. When he looked down, he spotted a faint circular pattern where the burning came from.
Holding the Yellow Crystal in his hand, the Yang Element Power contained within it was clearly pulled by an inexplicable force, quickly flowing into the circular pattern on the back of his hand.
The pattern soon became visible and dazzling.
A moment later, the palm-sized yellow crystal disappeared into thin air; all its energy was pulled into Yang Kai’s left hand.
The circular pattern on the back of his hand lit up like a small sun.
Yang Kai suddenly understood.
He quickly took out a Blue Crystal from his Small universe and tried again.
As expected, with just a thought, a pattern appeared on the back of his right hand, but this one was a deep blue in colour. As the Blue Crystal’s energy poured into it, the glow became more profound.
Whether it was the Yellow Crystals or the Blue Crystals, both of them were the condensation of the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer’s strength. Although they had transformed into Yin and Yang Element materials that could be refined and absorbed after being broken down in battle with each other, their essence hadn’t changed much.
Before leaving, Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan had shot some kind of energy from their fingers, leaving a kind of key on the back of Yang Kai’s left and right hand to draw out that energy.
With Yellow in his left hand, and Blue in his right, Yin and Yang, Yang Kai pressed his palms together before the two energies started merging, blooming into a dazzling white light!
Yang Kai had never seen such a pure white light before. It was totally without any impurity, giving the impression that it could cleanse everything in this world.
The Third-Order Black Ink Disciple had been glaring at Yang Kai with a look of anger and hatred after he had been picked up. He kept roaring at the top of his lungs meaninglessly like a vicious beast that wanted to swallow Yang Kai alive. However, when the flash of white light burst forth, the ferocity and anger in his eyes were instantly replaced by confusion.
The next moment, his confusion turned into panic as he began to violently struggle.
Be that as it may, he was unable to move no matter how he tried as his strength was restricted by a Secret Technique.
Yang Kai became more confident at the sight of this and believed he had found the right method.
He had never thought that the Yellow and Blue Crystals he had obtained in the Chaotic Dead Territory would become the key to expelling the Black Ink Strength.
Yang Kai raised his hand, grabbing the small sun radiating with white light and thrust it onto the Black Ink Disciple’s head.
The white light poured down on the Black Ink Disciple like moonlight, bathing him in it. To Yang Kai’s surprise, a change occurred instantaneously.
The Black Ink Disciple seemed to be in unimaginable agony as his eyes bulged and his face contorted in pain. Immediately after, wisps of black aura began to emerge from his body, disappearing in the blink of an eye. Not only that, a sound similar to the melting of snow came from the Black Ink Disciple’s body.
Yang Kai carefully felt the black aura escaping from the Black Ink Disciple’s body. It resembled Black Ink Strength, but seemed to be lacking in stability, probably because it was being purified by the white light. Thus, it couldn’t continue to exist like pure Black Ink Strength, disappearing as soon as it was expelled.
Black wisps gushed out from the Black Ink Disciple’s body at first, but as time passed, fewer and fewer appeared while the Black Ink Disciple’s originally pained expression grew calmer.
In just a few breaths of time, no more black wisps escaped from the Black Ink Disciple as his eyes finally regained clarity.
Yet, the small sun-like white light in Yang Kai’s hand had not been completely consumed, only about half of it had been used up.
In other words, the remaining white light should be enough to disperse the Black Ink Strength from another Black Ink Disciple’s body. Yang Kai didn’t intend to waste this; after all, this was the energy derived from the Yellow and Blue Crystals. He thus held it in his hand and examined the Black Ink Disciple.
“Many thanks for Sect Master Yang’s life-saving grace!” The Black Ink Disciple suddenly thanked, his expression perfectly normal and extremely sincere.
Yang Kai raised his brow slightly, “I’ll remove your restriction, don’t make any sudden movements.”
“Understood!” The Black Ink Disciple replied.
Only then did Yang Kai remove the restriction sealing his power.
As expected, the Black Ink Disciple did not act rashly. So Yang Kai simply demanded, “Open up your Small Universe, I must examine it.”
Only by examining the other party’s Small Universe would Yang Kai be able to determine if there was any trace of Black Ink Strength left in this Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Normally, such a request would be considered extremely rude and no one would easily agree to it, but this Third-Order cultivator clearly understood how that eerie black mist that was controlling him would manifest. So, after a moment of hesitation, he quickly opened his Small Universe to prove his innocence.
The foundation of a Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was not strong, so their Small Universe was still immaterial and illusory, not having a physical form. Yang Kai carefully examined it, and only after confirming that there was no more Black Ink Strength left in his Small Universe did he finally relax.
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan might not seem very reliable, but they were still trustworthy. Although they didn’t personally expel the Black Ink Strength, they had shown Yang Kai the way forward.
Furthermore, Yang Kai looked at the white ball of light in his hand and faintly felt that Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan’s actions were not simply because they found it troublesome, but because they intended to give him a method to expel the Black Ink Strength himself.
If he were to encounter Black Ink Disciples again in the future, he wouldn’t need to travel trillions upon trillions of kilometres to the Chaotic Dead Territory to ask for their help. He could take care of them himself.
After pondering for a moment, Yang Kai looked up at the person in front of him and asked, “Does anything feel off to you?”
The Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master silently checked his body for a moment before shaking his head in response, “There’s nothing wrong, it feels like I’ve been reborn.”
“Do you remember what happened?”
The Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master bitterly smiled, “I do. I remember everything clearly. When I was possessed by that evil power, my thoughts weren’t affected much. They remained the same, but my true self seemed to have been sealed, replaced by another me that I didn’t even recognize.”
“This is the true malevolence of the Black Ink Strength. Those who are corroded by it will only revere the Black Ink Clan!”
The Third-Order Open Heaven Realm nodded with lingering fear. Recalling the thoughts he used to have, he truly understood Yang Kai’s meaning.
“This humble one will forever remember this debt,” The Third-Order Open Heaven Realm sincerely expressed his gratitude.
Yang Kai stated, waving off, “It was a minor matter, you don’t need to concern yourself with it. However, you can’t leave for the time being. This is not an ordinary place, so you need to remain here and wait until everything is settled.”
“Yes.” The man nodded before asking, “Does Sect Master Yang need any assistance?”
Yang Kai turned his head, looking at the thousands of people on the ship as a sense of responsibility suddenly weighed on his heart, “If you want to help, bring them here one by one.”
The man readily agreed and rushed off, quickly bringing back a Black Ink Disciple.
Just like he did earlier, this Black Ink Disciple glared at the two with hatred, even though his strength had been tightly sealed.
Yang Kai sent the remaining white light into the Black Ink Disciple’s body as the earlier scene repeated. The Black Ink Strength was dispersed as the angry Black Ink Disciple’s expression gradually became calm.
One by one, the Black Ink Disciples regained their rationality. Yang Kai had to carefully examine the condition of every Black Ink Disciple Small Universe that he dispelled the Black Ink Strength from, to make sure he didn’t miss anything.
As the days passed by, more and more Black Ink Disciples were purified. Furthermore, Yang Kai discovered the specifics of the usage of the Yellow Crystals and Blue Crystals over this period.
They were definitely not just cultivation materials, but also the greatest treasures to resist the Black Ink Strength.
In addition, Yang Kai discovered he needed to consume more Yellow and Blue crystals the higher the Order of the Black Ink Disciple. Basically, the Order of the Yellow and Blue Crystal corresponded to the disciple’s Order.
When he cleansed Luan Bai Feng, a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, Yang Kai had to use Sixth-Order Yellow and Blue Crystals.
Yang Kai couldn’t understand how this worked, so he could only guess that the higher the Order of the Black Ink Disciple, the more Black Ink Strength he would need to expel, so the amount of energy he would need to consume would increase proportionally.
Luan Bai Feng and Xin Peng had both been purified at this point, and although the two of them understood that their previous betrayal was not of their own will and instead a result of the influence of the Black Ink Strength, they still felt ashamed.
The two of them expressed their intention to leave their names on the Loyalty List once more.
The last two pages of the Loyalty List were still blank, so although the two of them had been saved, their names had not returned.
No one was willing to tie their lives to another person’s will, especially someone like Yang Kai who often took risks.
No one knew when they would be dragged down with him.
Luan Bai Feng and Xin Peng only did this because they were worried that Yang Kai would hold some kind of grudge against them.
Of course, Yang Kai did not agree to this request.
Back then, he had no choice but to subdue Luan Bai Feng by force. At that time, whether it was Void Land or High Heaven Palace, both were quite weak and unstable. If he wanted the materials from Black Territory, he could only make Luan Bai Feng submit.
Now, whether it was Void Land or High Heaven Palace though, both were famous and had established a strong foundation. It could be said that in all of the 3,000 Worlds, only a few forces could compare to the foundation of High Heaven Palace and Void Land besides the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
Under Yang Kai’s leadership, there was no shortage of cultivation resources, no real restrictions on their actions, and bright futures to look ahead to. Many people wanted to join this kind of force even if they had to sell themselves into slavery to do so. Even without the restrictions of the Loyalty List, Luan Bai Feng wouldn’t have any thoughts about leaving.
Yang Kai had already passed the point where he needed to control his subordinates with the Loyalty List as the current him already had a good reputation and status in the vast universe.
The expulsion of the Black Ink Strength continued as each Black Ink Disciple was restored by Yang Kai.
No one else could help in this situation. The ability granted by Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan was exclusive to Yang Kai. At most, others could cart Black Ink Disciples over to Yang Kai.
Several dozen days later, a dazzling light enveloped a burly Black Ink Disciple. This Black Ink Disciple was a little different from ordinary Black Ink Disciples, and Yang Kai naturally recognized him.
It was none other than Fan Xiu Qi, who had broken through his Open Heaven Realm Order limit to reach the Sixth Order.
When this man broke through to the Open Heaven Realm, he did so to the Third Order, making the Fifth Order his limit. After being corroded by the Black Ink Strength though, he was able to break through those shackles. Yang Kai and Luan Bai Feng personally witnessed him break through to the Sixth Order.
But at that time, Yang Kai noticed the hidden dangers of this breakthrough.
Originally, Fan Xiu Qi was short and lean, but after his breakthrough, his body swelled up immensely, giving him a tall, bulky physique with some large welts and cysts that gave him a somewhat mishappen appearance.
As for the other man named Shu Yuan Si, he wasn’t so lucky. When he broke through, his strength became unstable and he was unable to reign it in. So, Luan Bai Feng personally killed him.
Yang Kai faintly felt that dispelling the Black Ink Strength from Fan Xiu Qi would not end well for him.
Very soon, his hunch was confirmed.
Under the white light, the Black Ink Strength was turned into nothingness and disappeared as it was constantly expelled from Fan Xiu Qi’s body. During this process, the expressions of the other Black Ink Disciple gradually became gentler, but it was different when it came to Fan Xiu Qi. The expression on his face became more pained, his face turning so red it gave the impression he would almost start bleeding from his pores at any moment.
Behind him, his Small Universe was also constantly flickering and his aura fluctuated wildly.
A solemn expression appeared on the onlooking Luan Bai Feng.
At some moment, a frown suddenly appeared on Yang Kai’s face. Space Principles surged as he promptly grabbed Fan Xiu Qi and instantly disappeared.
In the void, Yang Kai quietly stared at Fan Xiu Qi for a while before asking, “Do you have any last words?”
Fan Xiu Qi’s face was filled with dread and panic. He shook his head vigorously, begging Yang Kai, “Sir, save me!”
He had regained his rationality after Yang Kai had completely expelled the Black Ink Strength from his body, but his energy had become extremely unstable. The World Strength in his Small Universe was uncontrollably leaking out, showing obvious signs of collapsing.
This was the hidden danger of the Black Ink Strength.
When Fan Xiu Qi had broken through to the Open Heaven Realm, he had been a Third-Order, and his limit was the Fifth-Order, but under the influence of the Black Ink Strength, he had broken through to the Sixth-Order, which was nothing short of a miracle.
However, such a miracle came at a price.
As a Black Ink Disciple, Fan Xiu Qi could still control his Sixth-Order strength, but without the support of the Black Ink Strength after it was expelled, his Small Universe could no longer handle his Sixth-Order cultivation; it had exceeded the limit he could bear.
This ultimately caused his Small Universe to become unstable and it was now on the verge of collapsing.
In short, he could not control his Sixth-Order strength.
Yang Kai slowly shook his head in response, “Forgive me. There’s nothing I can do.”
A look of despair appeared on Fan Xiu Qi’s face as the World Force fluctuations around his body became even more unstable. He knew in his heart that there was no way he could escape this calamity today, so he couldn’t help but look up and roar toward the Heavens in grief and indignation.
As his roar resounded across the void, his Small Universe collapsed and his World Force dissipated, resulting in a severe backlash. The next moment, Fan Xiu Qi’s entire body exploded into a bloody mist.
Yang Kai lightly sighed before returning to the ship.
Luan Bai Feng must have guessed everything as she gave Yang Kai a questioning look when she saw him return.
Yang Kai shook his head in response, “He died.”
Luan Bai Feng was momentarily speechless.
“How many others?” Yang Kai asked.
Luan Bai Feng knew what he was asking. She thought for a moment before replying, “Not many, about 20 in total.”
“Find them all,” Yang Kai ordered.
Luan Bai Feng nodded before turning around and leaving to find the 20 or so subordinates who had broken through their Open Heaven Realm limit under the influence of the Black Ink Strength and set them aside.
During the next few days, Yang Kai was completely focused, not relaxing for even a moment. He kept expelling the Black Ink Strength from the Black Ink Disciples, one by one. Furthermore, every time he purified a person, Yang Kai would carefully examine their Small Universe to make sure there were no problems.
Finally, when only the 20 or so people who had been set aside were left, Yang Kai found himself in a dilemma.
Having seen Fan Xiu Qi’s fate, Yang Kai didn’t need to imagine what would happen to these people after their Black Ink Strength was dispelled, but he had no choice but to do so. They had been contaminated by the Black Ink Strength and had been reduced to Black Ink Disciples. If he allowed them to do as they pleased, they would be lurking peril for this vast universe.
After thinking about it for a while, Yang Kai decided to ask Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan’s help.
These two might have some way.
Currently, each of them had 16 Seventh and Eighth-Order Generals under their command and were launching fierce attacks against each other every day. Yang Kai was able to easily find Big Brother Huang, who was in charge of overseeing his rear forces on a certain battlefield.
The battle in front of them was quite intense, but Big Brother Huang didn’t seem to be worried at all, not in the slightest. In the past, they had to command the Small Stone Race to do everything by themselves; but now, with the help of the Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises, things were much easier.
Seeing Yang Kai arrive, Big Brother Huang only gave him a sideways glance before carefully listening to the report of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm General. He then nodded his head and issued orders, displaying the dignity of a commander.
When Big Brother Huang was done, just when Yang Kai was about to speak, he interrupted him, “We can’t save them, just kill them all, it’ll save you time and trouble.”
Yang Kai had a lot of things he wished to say, but was unable to speak, which made him very uncomfortable.
He then went to look for Big Sister Lan, but received the exact same answer.
Yang Kai knew these two weren’t just giving him a perfunctory answer. If there was really some kind of method they could try, they wouldn’t hide it from him as doing so would be beneath them. If even they couldn’t do anything about it, then there really was nothing to be done.
Nonetheless, Yang Kai still didn’t give up. He returned to the ship and started dispersing the Black Ink Strength in the bodies of the 20 or so people.
But the result was extremely tragic.
Just like what happened to Fan Xiu Qi, after dispersing the Black Ink Strength, all of these people died because of the collapse of their Small Universe. Not a single one escaped this tragic fate.
Luan Bai Feng and the others all felt a sense of sadness while also secretly rejoicing that when they were immersed in the Black Ink Strength, they had not broken through their limits; otherwise, they would have suffered the same fate.
The thousands of Black Ink Disciples had already regained their senses. As every one of them was personally rescued by Yang Kai, they were naturally extremely grateful to him.
Yang Kai had consumed a lot of Yellow and Blue Crystals in this time, but compared to the harvest he had obtained here, it was nothing; after all, the cultivation of these Black Ink Disciples wasn’t high.
Purifying a Third-Order Black Ink Disciple only required a Third-Order Yellow Crystal and a Third-Order Blue Crystal.
Yang Kai’s consumption could be considered almost negligible as a result.
Having spent several months in the Chaotic Dead Territory, Yang Kai started to become concerned about the situation in Black Territory. He still didn’t know what to do with the Black Ink Clansman, so he immediately went to say his goodbyes to Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan.
“You’re leaving just like that?” Big Sister Lan looked at him in surprise.
Yang Kai nodded his affirmation, “There are still some things I need to take care of outside, so I can’t stay here for too long. I’ll come visit you two when I have time in the future.”
Big Sister Lan nodded and stated, “Then go. It doesn’t look like you’ll have a short life, so just come back when you’re free.”
Liu Mu, who was standing behind Big Brother Huang, shot Yang Kai a fierce glare at that moment.
Yang Kai understood what that glare meant and gave him a calm gaze in return before stating, “Before leaving, this Little Brother has a presumptuous request.”
“What is it?” Big Brother Huang asked.
Yang Kai cupped his fist and requested, “This Little Brother earnestly requests Big Brother and Big Sister to leave the mountain and destroy the imprisoned Black Ink Clansman in Black Territory!”
This was also something Yang Kai had discussed with Liu Mu and Da Yi before. If he could ask the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer to come out of their seclusion, the Black Ink Clansman in Black Territory would no longer be a problem.
Because of this, Liu Mu and Da Yi did not nag about the Black Ink Clan to Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan over the past few months because they wanted to lay the groundwork for Yang Kai’s request.
Unfortunately, Big Brother Huang shook his head in refusal after hearing Yang Kai’s request, directly stating, “We can’t.”
Big Sister Lan also refused, “It’s impossible.”
Yang Kai looked confused and couldn’t help asking, “Why?”
“If we can’t do it, we can’t do it. There’s no need to ask why,” Big Brother Huang impatiently stated.
Big Sister Lan, on the other hand, was the one to explain, “The outside world cannot accommodate our existence. If we really leave this place, we will only bring destruction wherever we go. Are you sure you can bear this result?”
Yang Kai was stunned. Suddenly, he recalled the first time he had come to the Chaotic Dead Territory. At that time, he had witnessed the collision between the two behemoths of light. Their clash had caused the entire Chaotic Dead Territory to tremble.
Although Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan in front of him looked like little children, these weren’t their true forms.
Their true forms were avatars of destruction.
The Chaotic Dead Territory had nothing inside of it, so they could stay here without worry. However, if their true bodies left the Chaotic Dead Territory and traveled to the outside world, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Yang Kai immediately realized that he had been too naive. He had considered the possibility that Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan would refuse, but he had never considered the possibility that their true bodies would be unable to leave the Chaotic Dead territory.
“However…” Big Sister Lan tapped her lips thoughtfully, “If you can lure that Black Ink Clansman here, we can still help you kill him!”
Yang Kai looked at Liu Mu and Da Yi.
Liu Mu shook his head in response, “That’s too dangerous!”
The Black Ink Clansman was imprisoned in the central part of Black Territory, where countless ore stars and Spirit Arrays formed a Super Array to suppress it. If they really wanted to lure them to the Chaotic Dead Territory, they would have to first breach the Super Array and then lure them here, crossing numerous Great Territories in the process.
Such a situation would be very hard to control. The Black Ink Strength was so treacherous and difficult to deal with, and wherever the Black Ink Clansman passed, the surrounding area would be filled with danger, and countless people would die.
“Then there’s nothing we can do about it,” Big Sister Lan shrugged, wearing a helpless look on her face.
“It’s fine, the Cave Heavens and Paradises have robust and long heritages, I don’t believe they can’t deal with a single Black Ink Clansman!” Liu Mu comforted Yang Kai.
Big Brother Huang glanced at Yang Kai and stated, “With the power in your hands, it shouldn’t be a problem to deal with the Black Ink Clan!”
Yang Kai immediately came to a realization and cupped his fist in gratitude, “Many thanks, Big Brother.”
Suddenly, he was struck with a thought and asked, “Can the two of you also leave a mark on Senior Liu Mu and Senior Da Yi? This way, they can also use your strength to deal with the Black Ink Clan.”
Liu Mu immediately winked at Yang Kai with an approving and even grateful look on his face.
Although he had no idea what Yang Kai was talking about, it was definitely not a bad thing.
Big Brother Huang, however, refused, “You are practically a Divine Spirit, so you have some connection with us, so you can use our strength, but they aren’t, so they can’t. Even if we leave a mark on them, they won’t be able to use it.”
Yang Kai didn’t know there was such a relationship between them, so he had no choice but to give up on this.
Yang Kai thus made up his mind to take a trip to the Ancestral Land and bring Su Yan and the others with him so that Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan could leave their marks on them.
While speaking, Big Brother Huang suddenly realized something and turned to look at Liu Mu, “You’re leaving too?”
Liu Mu took a step forward and cupped his fist, “We have heavy responsibilities weighing on our shoulders, so we cannot stay here for long.”
Big Brother Huang was dumbfounded as he muttered, “Then what should we do?”
Working with Liu Mu and the others during this period of time had saved him and Big Sister Lan a lot of trouble. If all of their subordinates were to leave, they would be back to square one.
Big Sister Lan also bluntly commanded, “You can’t leave. The dead can leave, but the living must stay!”
Liu Mu and Da Yi immediately broke out into a cold sweat. They quickly looked at Yang Kai for help. If they were really trapped here, they would be finished.
Yang Kai also felt a headache coming on. These two were not to be trifled with, and although they had always been calm and approachable, if he really angered them, he had no idea what would happen.
Suddenly, Yang Kai’s eyes flickered with an intelligent gleam before he asked, “Please wait a moment!”
Saying so, his figure flickered and disappeared.
When Yang Kai returned, there were over 100 people behind him.
All of them were Black Ink Disciples who had been rescued by Yang Kai. Yang Kai simply explained the current situation to them and asked if any of them were willing to stay behind to serve the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer, resulting in hundreds of people stepping forward.
The Burning Light and Serene Glimmer’s fame was universal, and only a destined few could have a chance to meet them, not to mention being able to serve them at close range. As far as an ordinary Open Heaven Realm Master was concerned, it was an extremely attractive opportunity.
Had it not been for the fact that Yang Kai had personally hand-picked them, more people would have stepped forward.
“What Big Brother and Big Sister need are only generals who can understand your orders, it has nothing to do with their cultivation. These people are all extremely intelligent, so I don’t think they will let you down. How about they stay here with you?” Yang Kai asked.
This was equivalent to exchanging 100 people for the freedom of 32. Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan glanced at each other but didn’t refuse and nodded instead.
Yang Kai immediately let out a sigh of relief.
After everything was settled, Big Brother Huang waved his hand once more as streaks of yellow light flew toward Liu Mu and the others before he indifferently stated, “You have worked hard these past few days, this is the reward for your service.”
Liu Mu looked down and noticed that these yellow lights were actually Yellow Crystals, each emitting a rich Yang Element aura.
These Yellow Crystals were at least Seventh-Order materials.
Liu Mu was even holding an Eighth-Order Yellow Crystal!
After blankly staring for a moment, Liu Mu smiled broadly and cupped his fist, “Many thanks, Big Brother!”
The remaining 15 also expressed their gratitude.
Da Yi and the others couldn’t help but feel envious. Fortunately, Big Sister Lan also had a reward, but what she bestowed were Yin Element Blue Crystals.
When the 100 or so Open Heaven Realm Masters who came with Yang Kai saw this, they were all extremely excited and secretly rejoiced at their decision. So long as they served the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer well, they too would receive some rewards. This was great news for them. Basically, all of them were poor; otherwise, they wouldn’t have been drawn to Black Territory to mine for materials in the first place.
They secretly made up their mind to win the favour of these two. Their bright future depended on whether they could grab this opportunity or not.
After dealing with a few minor things, Yang Kai and the others bid farewell to Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan.
For the time being, every single one of the thousands of Black Ink Disciples had to be brought back to Black Territory. All of them were from different Sects and even came from different Great Territories of the 3,000 Worlds, and since the matter of the Black Ink Clan had not been settled, they couldn’t be allowed to leave just yet, lest they spread rumours and cause trouble.
Da Yi remained behind to guard the Territory Gate and watched the ship depart.
It had taken them several months to arrive, but the journey back was still quite long.
Fortunately, the matter with the Black Ink Disciples had been resolved, so everyone’s mood wasn’t as heavy as it was before. Moreover, Yang Kai had obtained a method to purify the Black Ink Strength, which might be of great help to deal with the situation in the Black Territory.
The trip to Black Territory was smooth and uneventful. Even though the situation in Black Territory had caused the Masters from the various Cave Heavens and Paradises to gather, the ordinary forces were completely oblivious to it as all the news had been sealed off. As such, the other Great Territories had no idea that there was a Master hidden in the Black Prison that could overturn the entire universe.
Everyone returned to Black Territory in a few months.
High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters of the Cave Heavens and Paradises guarded the Territory Gate, preventing anyone from entering.
Naturally, the Golden Antelope Paradise’s ship was allowed to enter. The thousands of rescued Black Ink Disciples were temporarily placed under supervision by the Masters of the Cave Heavens and Paradises; however, chances were they would not be able to obtain freedom anytime soon.
Shattered Spirit Provinces had become the temporary bases for the various Cave Heavens and Paradises.
High Heaven Palace also had its own station.
Qu Hua Shang had returned to the Star Boundary to deliver Yang Kai’s message; as such, High Heaven Palace had also received the news. Head Manager Hua Qing Si had personally ordered High Heaven Palace to assemble in full force.
When Yang Kai arrived, Xia Ning Chang, Xue Yue, Yu Ru Meng, Ji Yao, Qu Hua Shang, Tao Ling Wan, Lin Yun’er, Mo Xiao Qi, Yang Xue, Yue He, Mao Zhe, Geng Qing, Hua Yong, Shu Mu Dan, Iron Blood, Beast Martial, Serene Soul, Flower Shadow, Ice Feather, Wondrous Pill, Heavens Revelation, Fang Yue, Xiang Yin, Li Wu Yi, Bing Yun, and several others were waiting for him.
It could be said that apart from Mo Mei who was in charge of Void Star City and Bustling World Great Emperor who was in charge of High Heaven Star City, all of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters Yang Kai could mobilize had arrived.
This time, Yang Kai was not fighting alone.
Furthermore, High Heaven Palace also had its own Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master this time!
The Proprietress had broken through at last!
Yang Kai had learned about this matter from Yu Xiang Die when he was in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, but he had not had the time to go back and check on her. It was the Proprietress who had come looking for him first.
After she entered retreat in Void Land, the Proprietress took some 200 years before she was able to sense a turning point and break through. Furthermore, Senior Bi Xi stood guard for her during her breakthrough, so while her ascension was by no means assured, it was at least safe.
Afterwards, she rushed to the Star Boundary, but at that time, Yang Kai was not there. So, she remained in the Star Boundary to consolidate her cultivation until the incident with the Black Ink Clan occurred, whereupon she led the many High Heaven Palace Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters over to assist.
Naturally, they started chatting when they met. Yang Kai first asked about the situation in Black Territory.
Because High Heaven Palace only had a single Seventh-Order Master, the Proprietress, she was the only one who had the qualifications to participate in the meetings between the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
Hearing Yang Kai’s question, Lan You Ruo replied, “They still haven’t come to a consensus on how to deal with the Black Ink Clansman.”
“They still haven’t reached an agreement?” Yang Kai was rendered speechless. Half a year ago, when he had taken thousands of Black Ink Disciples away from this place, the Cave Heavens and Paradise Ancestors had already been arguing about this matter for some time, yet they still hadn’t reached a decision even after he returned.
“Even though the Cave Heavens and Paradises have existed for a long time, they have never encountered a situation like this. Whether we rashly start a war with the Black Ink Clan or continue to strengthen the seal in Black Territory, the Ancestors are still hesitant. As of right now, they are divided into two factions, arguing all day long.”
Yang Kai nodded upon hearing this. He might feel that the Cave Heaven and Paradise Ancestors had wasted too much time on this matter, but he also understood their concerns.
No matter what decision they made, it came with great risk.
If they chose to reinforce the Black Territory Spirit Array and keep the Black Ink Clan sealed, for instance, they could not be certain of how successful they would be. The Super Array was the handiwork of ancient Great Experts and each Ore Star was a part of the Super Array. Furthermore, as many of the ore stars had already been destroyed, no one was able to restore the Super Array to perfect condition. Even if the Super Array was somehow patched, its power would likely suffer.
What’s more, the Black Ink Clansman inside the prison had not died yet even after so many years. Who could say that they would not be able to break free from the imprisonment of the Super Array on their own in the future? Leaving them sealed would only leave a hidden danger for this vast universe.
However, if they were to rashly start a war, the risks they would face would be tremendous.
The first risk they had to face was the threat of the Super Array itself.
The Super Array might have the power to imprison the Black Ink Clansman, but it also had a great impact on the Open Heaven Realm Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises. Even an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like Liu Mu was unable to remain inside its range for long. So, the time a Seventh-Order or Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master could last was naturally shorter.
No one could say what kind of consequences would befall them if they were to fight against a powerful Black Ink Clansman in these conditions. Perhaps they would be affected by the Super Array and harm their foundation before they killed the Black Ink Clansman. At that time, they would simply be waiting for death.
If they really wanted to kill the Black Ink Clansman, the first thing they had to do was take care of the effects of the Super Array; otherwise, it would be impossible to fight.
“Recently, the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters of the Cave Heavens and Paradises have all been urgently cultivating Profound Yin Bamboo. At the same time, many Spirit Array Grandmasters have been dispatched here to study the Super Array to see if they can find a better solution,” Lan You Ruo added, looking at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai lightly nodded, “The Profound Yin Bamboo is one of the Twelve Minor Universe Pillars. If a sufficient amount of it is cultivated, not only will one be able to resist the power of the Black Ink Strength to a certain extent, but it will also be possible to resist the influence of the Super Array. Of course, this is not something that can be completed in a short time.”
Lan You Ruo nodded, “They naturally know this, but since things have reached this point, we have no other choice.”
Yang Kai sighed and added, “High Heaven Palace is unable to intervene in this matter, so let’s see what the Cave Heavens and Paradises decide. If they need our cooperation, we’ll cooperate.”
He might have said as much, but Yang Kai had a faint suspicion that there was a high chance they would be called to join the battle with the Black Ink Clansman. Only the enemy’s death would be able to completely eliminate this hidden danger.
Yang Kai even had a trump card to deal with the Black Ink Strength from the Chaotic Dead Territory now, and he believed that Liu Mu, who was a leader of the faction which sought to eradicate the Black Ink Clansman, would use this as leverage to try and persuade others.
“No matter what, the most important thing is to increase our strength. Only with enough strength will we be able to cope with all possible contingencies. Since our High Heaven Palace does not lack cultivation resources, everyone should focus on cultivating. The 3,000 Worlds in the future may not be as peaceful as before.”
There was a hidden Black Ink Clansman in Black Territory, so who knew if there were others hiding elsewhere in the vast 3,000 Worlds? Yang Kai also had a faint premonition that this incident was just the beginning of matters related to the Black Ink Clan.
Everyone obeyed and dispersed.
Yang Kai suddenly called out, “Xue’er!”
Yang Xue stopped and Yang Kai caught up to her from behind and asked, walking side by side with her, “How are Father and Mother doing?”
Yang Xue smiled, “They are doing well. No one dares to speak of your trip to the Chaotic Dead Territory in front of them, so you don’t need to worry, Big Brother.”
When he crashed into the Chaotic Dead Territory with the Giant Spirit God, everyone thought he was doomed to die. When the news reached High Heaven Palace, Hua Qing Si immediately ordered them to seal off the news, preventing it from reaching Yang Kai’s parents.
Although from the fact that Mao Zhe and the others were still alive, so it could be inferred that Yang Kai was still safe and sound, it was natural for parents to worry about their children. If the two elders were to learn of this news, they would definitely be unable to eat or sleep in peace.
“They’re currently focused on teaching Xiao Bai and Xiao Ya, so they aren’t as idle as before.” Yang Xue smiled.
Zhao Ye Bai and Zhao Ya, these two Disciples, were being raised by Yang Kai’s parents. With them accompanying Dong Su Zhu and Yang Ying Feng, the two wouldn’t be lonely.
“Right, did you meet a Senior named Luo Ting He who went to the Star Boundary?” Yang Kai asked.
Yang Xue shook her head, “I’ve never heard of her.”
Yang Kai replied, “Perhaps you missed each other.”
Had she not just advanced to the Eighth Order and urgently needed to consolidate her cultivation, Luo Ting He would not have left Black Territory in such a hurry; after all, the Black Ink Clansman problem had just popped up. As a Yin-Yang Cave Heaven Ancestor, it was her bounden duty to take care of it.
When she was leaving, Yang Kai asked her to take his Third Disciple, Xu Yi, with her to the Star Boundary.
Xu Yi had cultivated in his Small Universe for many years and had a solid foundation. Now that he had achieved a certain level of competence in cultivation, it was time for him to go to the Star Boundary and enjoy the benefits of the World Tree.
If it was any later, it would be too late.
Yang Kai was unable to take him to the Star Boundary personally, so he asked Luo Ting He to take him with her.
However, when Luo Ting He left, High Heaven Palace’s group happened to have already set out for Black Territory, so it was quite natural for them to have missed each other.
During the hundreds of years he had been away from High Heaven Palace, a large number of Open Heaven Realm Masters had appeared in the Sect. Among them, Yang Xue, Mo Xiao Qi, and Lin Yun’er had advanced straight to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Also, the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who had advanced previously, such as the Great Emperors, spared nothing to cultivate, owing to which, their foundation had greatly strengthened.
What’s more, because of the Good Fortune Divine Furnace, Yang Kai had reached an agreement with the Cave Heavens and Paradises that High Heaven Palace would also have the chance to enter their Small Source Worlds for training.
Almost every High Heaven Palace and Void Land Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, who entered the Small Source World, had obtained great benefits.
Coupled with the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Proprietress, Yang Kai’s forces could be said to have greatly increased.
At a large piece of land where those from the Cave Heavens and Paradises gathered, there was a huge hall where the various Ancestors were discussing official matters.
At this moment, almost every representative Ancestor from the Cave Heavens and Paradises was present, sitting or standing. There were nearly 100 of them in total.
Many Ancestors happened to be expressing their opinions at the same time, which sounded very noisy. Nonetheless, each Ancestor could clearly hear every word spoken in the hall. Some among them even began to simultaneously converse with several people.
Among them, Liu Mu’s voice was the loudest. He had come straight here after having just returned from the Chaotic Dead Territory with Yang Kai. As a member of the battle faction, he was naturally doing everything he could to persuade the Ancestors who disagreed with him.
“The Burning Light and Serene Glimmer have bestowed a technique to Yang Boy. It could be said that after obtaining that technique, it will be as easy as flipping his hand to purify the Black Ink Strength. With such a method in our grasp, we’ll be like tigers with wings! What are you old farts still so afraid of? Let’s drag that Black Ink Clansman out and fight them to the death! If we leave them alive, we will always have a hidden danger looming in the darkness!”
Many people were moved by his words, but some still insisted on their own opinions.
Liu Mu had a violent temper and couldn’t wait to beat all those who opposed him and force them into submission.
However, their worries were just and reasonable; after all, Yang Kai had only purified some weak Black Ink Disciples, and he himself was just a Sixth-Order Master. If he really ran into the Black Ink Clansman here, it was hard to say if his new technique would have any effect.
Liu Mu argued till his throat went dry, and the persistence and stubbornness of the others made him furious.
After a few more words of disagreement, Liu Mu flicked his sleeve and left.
This was not the first time this had happened. The last time they had quarrelled, Liu Mu had followed Yang Kai to the Chaotic Dead Territory, so none of the Ancestors stopped him.
“A bunch of old farts!” An indignant Liu Mu looked toward the deepest part of the Black Prison as a crazed light flashed across his eyes.
[Since these people are suspicious of Yang Boy’s purification methods, they will be convinced once they see how effective it is.]
Liu Mu decided to take a huge risk; otherwise, he had no idea how long they would take to reach a decision if they continued arguing like this.
He thus flew off, his figure transforming into a streak of light as he flew toward the depths of Black Territory.
Half a day later, he easily arrived at the central part of Black Territory, where the Black Ink Clansman was imprisoned.
If he continued ahead, he would be inside the Super Array’s killing zone. Although Liu Mu was strong, he was not proficient in the Dao of Spirit Arrays, so he did not dare to rashly advance.
Now that he was here, he could clearly feel his Small Universe’s foundation being rapidly depleted under the effect of the Super Array.
“What a damned place!” Liu Mu cursed silently. Even he wouldn’t be able to last for more than a few days in this kind of place. By then, every bit of his Small Universe’s foundation, which he had accumulated over thousands of years, would be sucked away.
For a moment, he was filled with admiration for the ancient Great Experts who had arranged this Super Array in Black Territory. In this era, even if the 108 Cave Heavens and Paradises joined forces, they might not be able to set up such a Super Array.
Staring straight ahead, Liu Mu manifested his Small Universe behind him without any hesitation and roared, “Don’t you want to escape? Here’s your chance! Come!”
His Small Universe was completely defenceless. Furthermore, his Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm aura was extremely rich. Such an aura was like the smell of blood in the sea, which could draw sharks from thousands of kilometres away, let alone the Black Ink Clansman that was so close!
Liu Mu had prepared for any unforeseen circumstances, but he hadn’t expected his opponent to act so quickly.
Before he could even finish speaking, a black light shot out from the depths of the Black Prison and crashed into his Small Universe.
It was as if the Black Ink Clansman had been waiting for his arrival.
The moment the black light fell into his Small Universe, Liu Mu noticed the true form of the black light.
Black Ink Insect!
As an Eighth-Order Ancestor of Golden Antelope Paradise, Liu Mu naturally knew what the Black Ink Insect was. He might not have seen one before, but he understood everything once it entered his Small Universe.
This was the most direct and effective way for the Black Ink Clan to transform people into Black Ink Disciples.
Liu Mu quickly withdrew his Small Universe before turning around and fleeing, his figure moving as fast as lightning. Meanwhile, the Black Ink Insect exploded inside his Small Universe and transformed into extremely pure Black Ink Essence.
As the Black Ink Essence started contaminating his Small Universe, it looked as if a drop of ink had been sprinkled onto a sheet of white paper, and this drop of black ink was rapidly spreading out.
Liu Mu’s complexion changed slightly as he realized he had overestimated his ability to resist the Black Ink Insect and had also underestimated the abilities of the Black Ink Clansman.
His original plan had to be changed slightly!
Yang Kai was discussing some matters with the Proprietress about her advancement to the Seventh Order when Yu Ru Meng rushed over to inform him that something had happened to Liu Mu.
Yu Ru Meng pushed open the door and entered with a solemn expression, “Husband, news just came from the Cave Heavens and Paradises, something has happened to Six Wood Divine Monarch and they want you to go take a look.”
Yang Kai was slightly taken aback, “What happened to Senior Liu Mu?”
Yu Ru Meng shook her head. She had only received news from the Cave Heavens and Paradises; no one had told her what had happened.
Yang Kai quickly got up and left, meeting an Eighth-Order Ancestor who was waiting outside High Heaven Palace’s camp.
Yang Kai didn’t recognize this person, nor did he know which Cave Heaven or Paradise the man belonged to, so he simply cupped his fist and greeted the opposite party.
“Follow me!” The Eighth-Order Ancestor stated before turning around and shooting off into the void.
Yang Kai followed closely behind as the two of them quickly disappeared into the distance.
On the way over, the Eighth-Order Ancestor reported, “Liu Mu has been corrupted by the Black Ink!”
Yang Kai’s first reaction was that it was impossible. He had returned with Liu Mu from the Chaotic Dead Territory just recently. If Liu Mu had been corrupted by the Black Ink, Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan would surely have noticed it.
[Neither Big Brother Huang nor Big Sister Lan said anything, which means that when we left the Chaotic Dead Territory, Liu Mu was still perfectly fine. We didn’t encounter any Black Ink Disciples or Black Ink Strength on the way back. On top of that, Liu Mu is an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so how could he be so easily corrupted?]
The Eighth-Order Ancestor explained, “There’s no need to doubt it, you’ll understand once you see for yourself.”
Yang Kai suppressed his doubts, but worries still weighed on his heart.
Half an hour later, Yang Kai saw a Universe World sprawled out across the void up ahead. Although this Universe World was a physical entity, it was not a real Universe World, but rather the completely manifested Small Universe of a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master.
Even though he was still far away, Yang Kai could feel the aura of Liu Mu from the Small Universe.
[This should be Liu Mu’s Small Universe!]
However, what entered his eyes next caused his pupils to contract.
This Small Universe World was filled with the billowing energy of the Black Ink Essence. Its evil aura was quite apparent.
Furthermore, there were eight huge pillars over the Small Universe, nailing its eight corners in place, immobilizing it at that spot.
A figure was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the Small Universe World. It was none other than Liu Mu. He happened to be forming mysterious hand seals while chanting something. Yang Kai was too far away to hear what he was saying, but the situation was clear. Liu Mu had really been corrupted by the Black Ink!
If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, Yang Kai wouldn’t have believed it.
[How did this happen?]
Quite a few people were standing at the periphery of this Small Universe, staring at Liu Mu with solemn expressions.
Each of these figures exuded the aura of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Everyone turned their head upon sensing someone’s arrival, and when they saw it was Yang Kai, all of them lightly nodded at him.
Yang Kai cupped his fist and bowed before stopping just outside Liu Mu’s Small Universe. Furrowing his brow, he looked around for a moment before asking, “What happened? How did Senior Liu Mu get corrupted? Did the Black Ink Clansman make a move, or did some fish slip through the net?”
The Eighth-Order Master who led Yang Kai here shook his head as he replied, “Neither. It was Liu Mu who took the initiative to let the Black Ink Clan turn him.”
“He took the initiative himself?” Yang Kai was stunned, “Why would Senior Liu Mu do that?”
The Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master fell silent for a moment before replying, “He probably wants to prove something to us.”
Yang Kai didn’t know what Liu Mu was trying to prove, but the fact that he had taken the initiative to seek out the Black Ink Clansman was no small matter.
An Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master being transformed into a Black Ink Disciple was an extremely dangerous matter. If he were to secretly hide, who knew how many people would suffer?
Fortunately, it seemed Liu Mu had no intention of hiding.
“Although Liu Mu’s actions were somewhat rash, he should have a great deal of trust in you, which is why he did what he did. While he was still in control of himself, he used a Secret Technique to seal himself and manifest his Small Universe, explaining this scene.”
The eight giant pillars in the Small Universe of Liu Mu were the manifested form of a Secret Technique that had the effect of sealing and immobilizing. Furthermore, this Secret Technique was something Liu Mu had cast himself.
Before the situation reached a point where it couldn’t be cleaned up, he had sealed his strength first.
Yang Kai vaguely understood the events that led to this situation.
For some reason, Liu Mu had taken the initiative to seek out the Black Ink Clansman and let them corrupt him. However, he was unable to hold his sanity on the way back, so he had no choice but to manifest his Small Universe so that others could find him.
“Can he be saved?” The Eighth-Order Ancestor turned to look at Yang Kai and asked.
“I’ll do my best!” Yang Kai replied in a low voice. Having said so, he disappeared, instantly teleporting into the Small Universe.
Others didn’t dare to enter rashly, but Yang Kai had the World Spring, one of the Four Universe Pillars, so he had nothing to fear.
Sensing that someone had arrived, Liu Mu, who had been sitting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them, his gaze meeting Yang Kai’s. Yang Kai found that black colour had already filled his eyes, but there was still a trace of clarity.
After taking just a glance, Liu Mu quickly lowered his head and started focusing on safeguarding his sanity.
Yang Kai didn’t dare to be negligent, and he couldn’t afford to be stingy at this point. So, he quickly took out an Eighth-Order Yellow Crystal and Blue Crystal from his Small Universe and held them in place, activating the invisible marks Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan had left on the back of his hands.
The next moment, his left hand turned hot while his right hand turned cold.
Immediately after, the pattern on the back of his hand appeared and transformed into a bottomless pit, madly devouring the energy of the Yellow Crystal and Blue Crystal.
The Yellow Crystal and Blue Crystal disappeared in just a few breaths of time and were replaced by a brilliant yellow and blue glow in Yang Kai’s grip.
Under the tense gazes of all the Eighth-Order Ancestors, Yang Kai brought his palms together.
“Open!” Yang Kai shouted as he pushed his palms apart from each other.
Suddenly, a pure and flawless white light, without the slightest hint of impurity, rose up like the morning sun, instantly illuminating the world.
The white light became brighter and soon turned as bright as the sun itself. Many Eighth-Order Masters had to squint their eyes to see it clearly.
The Black Ink Essence surged like a tide and retreated from the surroundings as if it had encountered its nemesis. Wherever the white light passed, the black ink-like energy was quickly purified and reduced to nothingness.
The struggling look on Liu Mu’s face gradually turned calmer as he let out a long sigh, like a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders.
By the time the white light dissipated, Liu Mu’s Small Universe World had become clean again. The ink-like power that had filled it was nowhere to be seen.
Many of the spectating Ancestors looked moved.
Although Liu Mu had told them about Yang Kai’s method before, hearing about it was one thing and seeing it with their own eyes was another.
The pure white light created from the power of Yin and Yang was indeed the nemesis of the Black Ink Strength.
The eight giant pillars which were nailed into the Small Universe shattered as Liu Mu stood up.
Yang Kai asked with concern, “Does Senior feel anything wrong?”
Liu Mu replied with a grin, “No, I feel completely fine!” He then patted Yang Kai’s shoulder affectionately, “This King owes you one!”
“Senior is too serious,” Yang Kai humbly stated. Be that as it may, his heart was aching. The Eighth-Order Yellow Crystal and Blue Crystals he used up just now were worth at least a few billion Open Heaven Realm Pills.
However, obtaining a favour from an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in exchange wasn’t necessarily a loss either.
Liu Mu turned to the others in high spirits and asked, “What do you think?”
Immediately, the Eight-Order Ancestors started conversing via their Divine Senses. From time to time, some Eighth-Order Ancestors would lightly nod.
After a while, one of them looked toward Liu Mu and stated, “We’ll go with your proposal.”
Liu Mu burst out into loud laughter, “You should have agreed long ago. You old farts have lived too long, I’m afraid you’ve forgotten the hot-blooded passion of your youth!”
“However, we still need to consider this matter carefully!” Someone else added.
Liu Mu immediately became unhappy, “Another long-term plan? Who knows when you will come to a decision? Are you planning to wait until the Black Ink Clansman escapes on his own?”
“If you have any plan about how to proceed, feel free to voice it. If it is possible, we naturally won’t have any objections!” The man snapped back.
Liu Mu immediately scratched his head. Although he had taken a risk and had successfully persuaded everyone to fight a decisive battle with the Black Ink Clansman, he still had no idea how to go about doing that. He couldn’t just ask everyone to fight with the Black Ink Clansman head-on, as even he didn’t think that was a feasible method.
Right now, the biggest hurdle impeding them was the effects of this Black Territory’s Super Array. If they could not eliminate this issue, it would be difficult for them to last long in a fight no matter how many Eighth-Order Ancestors there were.
A battle with the Black Ink Clansman was definitely not something that could be decided in a moment of hastiness. If it was that simple, the ancient Great Experts wouldn’t have spent so much effort to imprison him here.
In this vast universe, the only one the Super Array could not affect was Yang Kai. Nonetheless, how could he be a match for the Black Ink Clansman with his strength alone?
While Liu Mu was silent, Yang Kai suddenly added, “Perhaps I can try!”
Liu Mu turned around and asked, “And what exactly are you going to try?”
Yang Kai explained, “I once stood guard at the centre of this cage for an extended period of time and found that there were many Grand Arrays there, preventing anyone from entering. It’s very hard to enter the core of the Black Prison, and that should be the place where the Black Ink Clansman is imprisoned. If I can enter the centre of that cage, perhaps I can cause some damage to him.”
Liu Mu couldn’t help worrying, “Can you do it?”
After all, Yang Kai’s cultivation was only at the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Although the Black Ink Clansman had been imprisoned for countless years and their strength had definitely fallen, no one knew just how much strength they could still display.
Yang Kai might not be afraid of the Black Ink Strength with the World Spring protecting his Small Universe, but the Black Ink Clan’s methods were definitely not limited to Black Ink Strength!
“We won’t know until we give it a try,” Yang Kai replied in a low voice. “If the Black Ink Clansman isn’t eliminated, a hidden danger will always be looming over our heads. Others might not have the ability to do so, but since I’ve received the power of purification from Seniors Burning Light and Serene Glimmer, I can’t very well disappoint them.”
As soon as he said this, the expressions of many Eighth-Order Ancestors became gentle, and Liu Mu even gave him a thumbs-up.
Yang Kai hadn’t given it much thought before coming here, but at this moment, he had made up his mind. He cupped his fist toward the Eighth-Order Masters and requested, “Junior has a direct responsibility for the matter of the Black Ink Clansman here, so Junior implores all Seniors present to let me give it a try. If it really doesn’t work out, then we can think of another way!”
Although it was unintentional, they would not be in such a predicament if Yang Kai hadn’t set his sights on the Black Territory’s materials; he would not have destroyed the Super Array here and the power of the Super Array would not have suffered.
Perhaps the Black Ink Clansman would have made a move tens of thousands of years from now, or perhaps even longer, but it would have definitely been a long time from now.
Yang Kai’s actions in the Black Prison had precipitated the Black Ink Clansman’s resurrection.
“What do you want to do? What kind of help do you need?” An Eighth-Order Ancestor asked.
Yang Kai pondered for a moment before replying, “If this Junior wants to enter the heart of this cage, I must bypass many Spirit Arrays around it, so this Junior needs several Grandmasters proficient in the Dao of Spirit Arrays to help me find a way inside.”
The Grand Arrays that surrounded the centre of the cage might have been perfect in the beginning, but with the passage of time and the destruction of many ore stars, a gap should have appeared in their arrangement somewhere.
The best evidence was that the Black Ink Clan was able to send out Black Ink Insect. Since they could send out Black Ink Insect, Yang Kai would have a chance to rush in. As long as he could find the weak point of this Array, he would be able to enter and exit.
“No problem.” The Eighth-Order Ancestor nodded his agreement. The Cave Heavens and Paradises were filled with talented people, so there was no shortage of Array Grandmasters, “However, it may take some time to identify weaknesses in the Super Array, and it’s hardly possible to just rely on one’s strength in that kind of place.”
Yang Kai cupped his fist and stated, “This Junior can spread his Small Universe and use it as a shield to protect all the Grandmasters.”
With his Small Universe’s protection, these Array Grandmasters wouldn’t have to worry about being affected by the power of the Super Array. At that time, they could study the Spirit Array in peace.
“Good!” The Eighth-Order Ancestor nodded in approval.
After everything was settled, the rest was out of Yang Kai’s hands. The Eighth-Order Ancestor needed to find some Grandmasters who were proficient in Dao of Spirit Arrays from the Cave Heavens and Paradise, which would take at least a few days.
After returning to his camp, Yang Kai did not conceal this matter from the others, which naturally made the Masters of High Heaven Palace greatly concerned; after all, he was going to enter that cage and face the Black Ink Clansman head-on. It could be considered a very dangerous trip, and when the Proprietress learned about this, she became even more indignant and began openly cursing. She felt that the Ancestors of the Cave Heavens and Paradises were really too incompetent to actually entrust such an important task to a mere Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Junior.
If it weren’t for Yang Kai stopping her, she would have gone looking for those Eighth-Order Ancestors to give them a piece of her mind.
However, since this matter had already been decided, nothing could be done to stop it.
A few days later, Masters of the Dao of Spirit Arrays from the Cave Heavens and Paradises had finished their preparations and were just waiting for Yang Kai to set out for the central region of Black Territory.
A total of ten Grandmasters who were proficient in Dao of Spirit Arrays were joining Yang Kai on this trip. Each of them had attainments at least comparable to Grandmaster Wu Liang who had arranged the Nine Heavenly Layers Grand Array in Void Land. Moreover, all of them were Sixth and Seventh-Order Masters.
Luan Bai Feng also tagged along. Her mastery of the Dao of Spirit Arrays wasn’t low, not to mention the fact that she had reached such mastery over it on her own in Black Territory. This gave her a deep understanding of Black Territory’s Spirit Arrays. With her around, it was likely that she could achieve twice the results with half the effort.
In addition to Yang Kai and the other Masters who were proficient in the Dao of Spirit Arrays, five Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had also joined the team. They were going to assist in dealing with any unexpected situations if they arose.
Liu Mu was the first one to volunteer for this.
The dozen-plus people flew towards the depths of Black Territory.
The further they went, the stronger the influence of the Super Array became, and the faster their Small Universes’ foundation leaked out.
The Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters could still endure, but the Sixth and Seventh-Order Masters were already having a hard time. What’s more, they had to rely on them to study the Spirit Arrays there and find flaws.
So halfway through, the five Eighth-Order Ancestors took the initiative to open up their Small Universes and take in these Grandmasters.
Half a day later, the group finally arrived at the central region.
Yang Kai stopped and immediately opened his Small Universe, spreading it out to isolate himself and the others from the outside world.
The five Eighth-Order Masters suddenly felt their bodies become lighter, and their Small Universes’ foundation, which had been constantly leaking, finally returned to normal. All of them secretly sighed at the wonders of the World Spring.
They then released the Spirit Array Grandmasters, who began to study how to crack the Super Array here.
The entire Black Territory was crowded with Spirit Arrays. These Spirit Arrays and the countless ore stars formed a Super Array that covered the entire Black Territory, forming a cage that had imprisoned the Black Ink Clansman since ancient times.
Of course, the Spirit Arrays in the central region were extremely powerful and profound. Finding a crack in these Spirit Arrays to find a safe way in was a daunting task.
Fortunately, the Black Ink Clansman had sent out a number of Black Ink Insects over the centuries, allowing the Array Masters to find some clues.
Furthermore, under Yang Kai’s Small Universe’s protection, they didn’t need to worry about the draining of their foundations. This gave them plenty of time to study.
Each of the dozen or so Array Grandmasters used their respective methods and busied themselves every day; sometimes lost in thought, sometimes using their Secret Techniques to peer into the mysteries of the Spirit Arrays, and sometimes gathering together to argue.
Yang Kai was completely helpless in this matter, as were the five Eighth-Order Ancestors who had escorted them here.
During his free time, Yang Kai began to study the method bestowed upon him by Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan to purify the Black Ink Strength. When Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan imparted this method, Yang Kai didn’t think too much about it. He simply thought that they found it troublesome and left him to take care of it.
However, when he left the Chaotic Dead Territory, Big Brother Huang’s words made him realize that it wasn’t just some means to save Black Ink Disciples who had been corroded by the Black Ink Strength.
Against the Black Ink Clan, this technique could be a lethal weapon!
It would be quite troublesome to utilize this method in combat though as he would have to first absorb the energy of Yellow and Blue Crystals and fuse Yin and Yang energy before he could use it.
The problem did not stem from the lack of Yellow and Blue Crystals as Yang Kai had literal mountains of them in his Small Universe. The issue was that even a small delay in a battle against a powerful enemy could result in death.
[My Small Universe is under my control, and the Yellow and Blue Crystals are stored inside my Small Universe. I don’t need to take them out of my Small Universe to absorb their energy. Absorbing them straight from my Small Universe would save me a lot of time and also catch my opponent by surprise.]
Reasoning so, Yang Kai immediately gave it a try.
From then on, the five Eighth-Order Ancestors would occasionally see Yang Kai form a ball of Yang or Yin Element energy in his left and right hand.
Realizing that Yang Kai was studying something, they didn’t disturb him.
After a month, the dozen Array Grandmasters who had been searching for flaws finally found a path to avoid the Grand Array and enter the heart of the Black Territory.
“It’s theoretically feasible to enter through this passage, but whether or not it will activate the Grand Array, we can’t say for sure. We’ll only know once someone probes it.” Luan Bai Feng explained to Yang Kai, “There are subtle differences between Ancient Spirit Arrays and modern Arrays. From today’s point of view, many methods used to set up Ancient Arrays are complete mysteries, so you must be careful and immediately retreat if you notice something wrong.”
Yang Kai nodded his acknowledgement, “I’ll be careful.”
Luan Bai Feng glanced at the other Spirit Array Grandmasters and continued, “When you’re ready, we’ll open the passage for you. The rest will be up to you.”
“I don’t need to prepare anything,” Yang Kai stated before turning to Liu Mu and the others and bowing, “Seniors, this Junior will be leaving now.”
Liu Mu stepped forward and suggested, “Hold on, there’s no hurry.”
Saying so, he suddenly stretched his hand out, pointing towards Yang Kai as a drop of dark red blood seeped out from his fingertip. That drop of blood contained a great deal of energy.
This was a drop of his Blood Essence.
Immediately after, Liu Mu’s finger gently danced as his drop of Blood Essence exploded, transforming into a mysterious symbol that entered Yang Kai’s body.
After doing all of this, Liu Mu’s face had gone slightly pale. Obviously, he had consumed a great deal of strength.
After him, the other four Eighth-Order Ancestors followed suit. Although their methods differed, all of them planted some kind of Secret Technique on Yang Kai.
Yang Kai didn’t try to resist. After they were done, he felt as if five powerful barriers were protecting his body. He immediately understood and cupped his fist in gratitude, “Many thanks.”
Liu Mu weakly waved him off, “Don’t mind it, we can’t help you in any other way. These five Secret Techniques were created by the five of us. In times of crisis, they can block five Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm attacks.”
“It’s more than enough!” Saying so, Yang Kai turned to Luan Bai Feng and nodded.
Luan Bai Feng understood what Yang Kai meant and promptly stepped forward, joining the other Array Grandmasters, displaying a series of techniques as Array Plates scattered around the Void one after another. As everyone’s hand seals changed, ripples appeared in the void ahead as a glowing tunnel appeared, seemingly leading to the centre of the cage. The glowing tunnel was like a bridge of light, and it was extremely obvious against the black backdrop.
Yang Kai took a long, deep breath before he stepped onto the bridge, pressing forward step by step.
After just a few steps, when he turned around again, he failed to see anyone else. The others had already disappeared. Yang Kai suddenly found himself alone in the dark and lonely void.
There seemed to be a fierce murderous intent hidden outside the bridge of light. This murderous intent was undoubtedly the power of this Grand Array, so Yang Kai didn’t dare to even spread his Divine Sense, lest he trigger it by accident.
Step by step, Yang Kai steadily kept pressing forward.
After walking for who knows how long, Yang Kai still failed to see the end of the bridge.
There was no change in his surroundings, so Yang Kai even had the illusion that he was walking in place; however, he knew that he wasn’t just standing still and only felt that way because of the Spirit Array.
While he kept pressing forward, Yang Kai suddenly felt as if he had stepped into a bottomless abyss and his figure rapidly fell
Yang Kai’s expression became serious in light of this sudden turn of events. He quickly stabilized himself. The light bridge seemed to be missing a part for some reason, and he had failed to notice it.
When he looked up, the light bridge ahead was also getting dimmer and dimmer, as if it would disappear if he went any further.
Suddenly, a wave of murderous intent swept towards him from behind, causing Yang Kai’s hair to stand on end. When he turned his head, he saw nothing, but he could clearly feel something or someone rapidly approaching.
The accident just now must have triggered the Grand Array.
After a moment of hesitation, Yang Kai immediately decided to rush ahead. If he retreated, he would only find himself swallowed up by the Spirit Array, while if he forged on, he may just grasp a slim chance of survival.
The murderous intent behind him grew stronger and stronger, while the light bridge became dimmer and dimmer, seemingly on the verge of breaking apart at any moment.
Yang Kai felt that everything happened in an instant, but also seemed to drag on for 10 million years. When he rushed out of the area covered by the light bridge, he suddenly felt like he had fallen into endless darkness.
Outside the centre of the cage, the five Eighth-Order Ancestors took the Array Grandmasters into their respective Small Universes after Yang Kai left to prevent them from being drained by the Super Array.
Although the Eighth-Order Masters couldn’t resist it completely, they could at least last longer.
Under their watchful gaze, Yang Kai’s figure gradually disappeared into the light bridge, but at some point, the light bridge collapsed. At the same time, the Spirit Array outside the cage also began to surge. The power of this Spirit Array caused even these Eighth-Order Ancestors to turn pale.
This change occurred quickly and ended quickly.
Just as they were wondering whether they should retreat to avoid coming under the influence of the Spirit Array, everything became calm again.
Everyone looked at each other in dismay while Liu Mu’s face sank.
This sudden change was definitely not a good sign. Yang Kai had obviously encountered some kind of accident, and judging from the power of the Spirit Array, if a mere Sixth-Order Master like Yang Kai got caught up in it, he couldn’t survive.
Now, they couldn’t even tell if Yang Kai was alive or dead.
Everyone silently and intently stared ahead, trying to find some clues.
Meanwhile, endless darkness enveloped Yang Kai as a sense of cold isolation welled up in his heart. Yang Kai became disoriented and even felt like he was about to melt into this darkness.
Suddenly a majestic Will slowly awakened like a sleeping dragon, filling the endless darkness, instantly alarming him.
Yang Kai found this Will quite familiar. It was the Will of that Master from the Black Ink Clan! This place was definitely where this person was imprisoned.
In other words, he had successfully reached his destination.
Yang Kai immediately became vigilant. Although he had the World Spring sealing his Small Universe, making him fearless against the Black Ink Strength, if he were to face the Black Ink Clan Master directly, he didn’t know if he could resist the corrosion of this strange power.
As his perception slowly recovered, Yang Kai finally realized that the place he was standing at was filled with Black Ink Strength. The Black Ink Strength was extremely pure and strong, and was extremely corrosive.
Fortunately, his Small Universe was robust and flawless so no external strength could invade it; otherwise, he would have instantly been corrupted.
Under such circumstances, even an Eighth-Order Divine Monarch like Liu Mu wouldn’t be able to last long here.
Not only that, but Yang Kai also felt something crawling on him.
Suddenly, a hot yellow and a cold blue light emerged from Yang Kai. He then brought the two palms together as yellow and blue light fused to form a pure white light.
The endless waves of black light frantically retreated like frightened snakes. As the white light enveloped the area, crackling sounds rang out as a large portion of the Black Ink Strength was instantly purified.
However, the potent pure white light was only able to illuminate a radius of 100 metres around Yang Kai while the pitch-black darkness was still present outside its range.
As if stimulated by this pure white light, the awakening Will suddenly became extremely furious. Yang Kai could clearly feel an intense destructive aura coming from this Will, causing him to shiver. He secretly circulated his Small Universe’s strength to protect himself.
Be that as it may, it became apparent that Yang Kai was worrying too much. Although the Master from the Black Ink Clan was extremely angry, he seemed to have no intention of attacking him. At the edge of the pure white light, the dense black ink-like energy began to stir, but every time it came into contact with the light, it would be purified into nothingness.
Yang Kai finally saw what was squirming and crawling on his body.
Black Ink Insects!
And there were quite a number of them.
He had always heard from the Black Ink Disciples that the Black Ink Insects were extremely precious, even to the Black Ink Clan, but now it seemed that this was not the case.
Yang Kai could only make an educated guess that the Black Ink Clansman would need to expend a great deal of strength to deliver these insects out of this cage. In other words, the Black Ink Insect in the Black Ink Disciples’ hands were indeed extremely rare and precious.
Nonetheless, these Black Ink Insects were definitely nothing special to the Black Ink Clan.
The Black Ink Insects were also unable to resist the purification of this pure white light, so thick black wisps emerged from the insects-like entities as they rapidly shrank and soon disappeared into nothingness.
The information he had obtained before was a little misleading. To the true Black Ink Clan, Black Ink Insects weren’t anything special.
Perhaps the Black Ink Clan had to pay a certain price in order to send out these Black Ink Insects from this place. That could be the only reasonable explanation.
As Yang Kai was thinking about the Black Ink Insects, a voice suddenly rang in his ear, “Look who it is?”
What caught Yang Kai by surprise was that this voice actually belonged to a woman, and it was extremely clear and pleasant to the ear. Hearing this voice, the first thing that appeared in his mind was a beautiful young woman with a graceful figure; however, Yang Kai would never believe that the owner of this voice was just a beautiful young girl.
The Black Ink Clansman had been imprisoned in the deepest depths of this prison for countless aeons. In this place, besides him, there was only the Black Ink Clan, so it was obvious who the owner of this voice was.
Yang Kai didn’t rashly answer. He knew nothing about the abilities of the Black Ink Clan, so if he opened his mouth, he would only end up in a passive position.
Yang Kai observed his surroundings with a cold gaze, but he couldn’t spot anything. About 100 meters away from the area of the pure white light, the endless darkness was stirring, as if it would rush over at any moment and bury the light.
“Boy, you dare appear before me? Aren’t you afraid I’ll eat you?” The voice of this person from the Black Ink Clan continued to ring in his ear. Yang Kai had never heard such a pleasant voice before. He felt as if an invisible hand was gently caressing his heart, giving him an indescribable sense of comfort, making him even more vigilant.
Back in Lang Ya Paradise, Yang Kai had used a sacrificial offering in Yuan Du’s Small Universe, allowing both to sense each other’s existence.
For Yang Kai, he would never forget the majestic Will that had suddenly descended upon him, and naturally, neither would its owner forget Yang Kai.
He was the person behind the sabotage of her plan.
“What’s wrong, are you too scared to even make a sound?” The woman giggled lightly, her voice crisp and clear.
Yang Kai turned a deaf ear to this and tried to follow the source of the sound to find her location, but it seemed to echo from all around in an unpredictable manner, sometimes far, sometimes close, making it impossible to determine where it originated from.
While searching, Yang Kai’s eyes suddenly looked towards a certain place in the darkness. He felt that there was something different there.
The pure white light in his hand suddenly expanded and shot in that direction.
The darkness quickly receded wherever the light passed, allowing Yang Kai to see everything.
Under the illumination of the pure white light, Yang Kai spotted a chain that was as thick as a washbasin hanging in the void, one end of it was connected to a certain place while the other was connected to the centre of the prison.
This chain gave him a familiar feeling; it reminded him of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God sealed in the Ancestral Land.
Inside the Sealing Black Ink Land, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was shackled by a bunch of Secret Technique Chains, which were formed from the Ancestral Strength of the Ancestral Land.
Over the years, even a being as powerful as the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was drained of its strength and life force and was reduced to a corpse; he was no longer a threat to anyone.
The chain in front of Yang Kai now was obviously similar.
The pure white light moved along the chain and soon reached its end. The end of the chain was inserted into the Void, making it very hard to discern its starting point.
Yang Kai then began checking the other side.
“Between you and me, it’s best to maintain a bit of mystery,” the Master’s voice rang in his ear once more. The voice was so warm and gentle that it gave the impression that she had known Yang Kai for a long time.
The moment she was finished speaking, the pitch-black ink-like darkness surged toward the white light from all directions. Crackling sounds immediately rang out as the white light dimmed and then was quickly extinguished like a candle flame.
The world was drowned in endless darkness once more. Inside it, it felt as if a dawn could never be seen here.
Inside his Small Universe, the energy of the Yellow and Blue Crystals was rapidly absorbed by Yang Kai.
Immediately after, an even more dazzling white light bloomed from Yang Kai’s hand, quickly transforming into a small sun.
Yang Kai raised his hand as the small sun flew out from his hand, illuminating the entire cage in the blink of an eye.
The black energy, which was like a living creature, surged towards the small sun. Within three breaths, the energy which was extracted from a large amount of Yellow and Blue Crystals was extinguished.
Be that as it may, Yang Kai was able to clearly see everything inside the cage during this brief flash of light.
An incomparably huge spider-like creature, over 1,000 metres tall, was quietly lying in the centre of the cage. It had the body of a spider but the head of a beautiful girl. When their eyes met, fury and coldness filled the beautiful face’s eyes, as if she felt ashamed of her ugly appearance having been seen by others.
As for her massive body, it was pierced through by a bunch of Secret Technique Chains. These chains seemed to have an incredibly strong restrictive force, firmly locking her in place and preventing her from moving.
Surely, these chains were the physical form of the power of Black Territory’s Super Array. It was these chains that had imprisoned this Black Ink Master for countless years.
The world fell into darkness once more as the light faded away.
Yang Kai suddenly sneered. “You’re really ugly!”
Anyone who heard this Black Ink Master’s voice would probably think that the owner was a beautiful young girl, but only after seeing her for themselves would they know that it was just a disguise.
“A puny little ant dares act so presumptuously in front of this Royal Lord?!” The Black Ink Master suddenly became enraged, her originally pleasant voice was now filled with a hysterical rage as her majestic Will filled the entire cage. The next moment, a fearsome pressure came bearing down on Yang Kai.
Yang Kai promptly responded to the overbearing pressure with an even stronger and more dazzling white sun!
Yang Kai had failed to find the location of the Black Ink Master until now, but since he now knew her position, he felt that there was no need to act politely.
The Burning Light and Serene Glimmer had given him a weapon to deal with the Black Ink Clan, so he naturally had to make good use of it. If he could kill the Black Ink Master right here and now, the Black Territory’s crisis would be resolved.
The dazzling little sun broke through the Black Ink Master’s defences and smashed onto her massive body.
A bloodcurdling scream immediately rang out; the Black Ink Master seemed to be in unimaginable pain and had suffered some gruesome injuries. She let out a piercing scream as her massive body struggled to break free, but she was unable to do so.
“What kind of power is this!?” The Black Ink Master roared in anger.
She had already been vigilant when Yang Kai first displayed the pure white light as she felt that it was not something to be trifled with. Now that she tasted the might of the white light first hand though, she understood just how terrifying it was. It was simply the Black Ink Clan’s nemesis.
Even a Royal Lord like her found it difficult to resist. She had never encountered something like this before in her long life.
When Yang Kai displayed another small sun, panic and anger became apparent on the Black Ink Master’s beautiful face under its illumination. Her enormous body started struggling more violently. She struggled so hard that even the Secret Technique Chains began to rattle.
“You will pay for this, I swear! You will pay an unimaginable price for this!” The Black Ink Master screamed.
The small sun-like light slammed into her massive body once more, creating a huge hole in it. Immediately after, massive and endless amounts of Black Ink Strength flowed out like blood, adding a sense of heaviness to the darkness of this cage.
Yang Kai ignored it and continued to bombard the Black Ink Master with his attacks. Each of his attacks was backed by a massive amount of wealth.
The wanton use of the Yellow and Blue Crystals caused much heartache to Yang Kai, but he couldn’t afford to care about such things right now. Although the Yellow and Blue Crystals were precious, it was more important to kill this Black Ink Master.
Worst case, he could just go to the Chaotic Dead Territory and ask for more from Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan.
The more intensely he attacked, the more fiercely the Black Ink Master struggled.
After launching countless attacks for a full quarter of an hour, the Black Ink Master’s body was riddled with hole-like wounds; every time the light flashed, Yang Kai could clearly spot an extra hole in her massive body.
Furthermore, the aura of the Black Ink Master was growing weaker with every attack.
This greatly shocked him.
[Perhaps I can really kill her right here and now while she’s being restrained.]
At a certain moment though, an abnormal sound rang out, accompanied by the sound of something breaking.
Yang Kai was beside himself with shock for a moment before a violent force blasted towards him.
Just as this blast was about to reach him, a total of five dazzling lights suddenly appeared around him, one after another.
They were the defensive techniques placed on him by Liu Mu and the others at the expense of their Blood Essence before he entered this place.
These five defensive Secret Techniques could withstand the full power of five Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm attacks, which ordinarily would be more than enough to ensure Yang Kai’s safety.
But not this time.
From their first encounter until now, the Black Ink Master had been the one being attacked one-sidedly. She was unable to fight back under the Super Array’s suppression, so Yang Kai had not experienced what she was capable of.
At this moment, he finally understood.
The five defensive layers around him were instantly shattered by this violent impact.
The next moment, Yang Kai felt as if an entire universe had smashed into his body and his figure involuntarily flew out. The fearsome attack had struck him right in his chest and abdomen, causing him to spurt out a mouthful of golden blood.
With the help of the small sun he had just sent out, Yang Kai clearly saw what struck him; it was a long claw-like foot!
Having broken one of the chains, the Black Ink Master regained some of her freedom and immediately retaliated.
The Super Array enveloping Black Territory had already suffered some damage over time, and coupled with the suicidal attacks of many of the Black Ink Disciples, it had given the Black Ink Master some nourishment to restore her strength. Furthermore, Yang Kai’s indiscriminate attacks have also stirred her up greatly. The Black Ink Master was obviously not willing to sit back and wait for her death; so, after a desperate struggle, she had actually managed to break free from one of the chains.
This was a terrible situation!
“Hahahaha… hahahahaha!” The Black Ink Master’s crazed laughter reverberated as her weakened aura rapidly recovered, “No one can trap me, no one can harm me. I am the Black Ink Clan’s Royal Lord! How dare you ants act so presumptuously in front of me!?”
*Crash…*
A violent quake rang out as the giant body of the Black Ink Master struggled to break free from the other chains.
Although the Super Array was powerful and had imprisoned the Black Ink Master for countless years, her foundation had not been destroyed. Now that a flaw had appeared, the situation would only become worse with time.
Liu Mu and the other Eighth-Order Ancestors were paying close attention outside the Black Territory cage.
Just after Yang Kai had entered the cage, the Grand Array before them suddenly activated; it was definitely because it was triggered by Yang Kai. This put them in a spot; they could neither determine whether Yang Kai was alive or dead, nor could they tell what was going on inside the cage.
At a certain point, a thick ink-like energy gushed out of the barrier of the Grand Array and spread out. The black tide of energy was like a belligerent army, pressing forward with unstoppable momentum.
Along with this black tide came a faintly discernible Will.
A solemn look immediately blanketed Liu Mu and the others’ faces.
Since the Black Ink Strength was leaking out, it meant that the hole in the Super Array had only gotten bigger, so big that they could even faintly feel the existence of the Black Ink Master inside.
[All of this should have something to do with Yang Kai; otherwise, there would have been no reason for such an accident. In other words, Yang Kai is probably still alive.]
Fortunately, the Super Array was still effective even if its power had weakened a little. The amount of Black Ink Strength leaking out was not much, and it was greatly restricted. The Black Ink Clansman would not be able to escape in short order; however, if this continued, it would only be a matter of time before she regained her freedom.
“We have to make preparations. If we wait any longer, it will be too late,” Liu Mu declared with a solemn look.
The other four nodded lightly in agreement.
Everyone glanced at each other but did not say anything, they just turned around and left.
Meanwhile, the Black Ink Master was madly struggling inside the cage, trying to break free from the Grand Array’s chains. The Secret Technique Chains penetrating her body kept rattling as she used her long, sharp legs to cut into them.
The leaking of the Black Ink Strength was a manifestation of her struggle for freedom.
Outside, all the Eighth-Order Ancestors gathered once again to discuss the matter of the Black Ink Clan.
Liu Mu first briefly explained what had transpired before shaking his head, “Yang Boy disappeared deep inside the cage, we don’t know if he’s still alive.”
As soon as he finished speaking, someone interrupted, “He’s not dead!”
Everyone turned around and saw that the one who spoke was the only Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master present at the meeting, Lan You Ruo, who had a loose relationship with Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven.
Liu Mu stated, “Yang Boy is indeed outstanding and also has the means to deal with the Black Ink Clansman. This Monarch also hopes that nothing happens to him, but now that he has ventured to the depths of that cage alone, it is difficult to say how he fares.”
Lan You Ruo spoke once again, “Since I said that he is alive, naturally I have my reasons!”
Having said so, she lightly clapped as a person walked into the hall.
The Eighth-Order Masters turned to look and discovered that the man who had entered was just a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. They believed that he should be a member of High Heaven Palace.
Lan You Ruo added, “Mao Zhe had once entered his name in Yang Kai’s Loyalty List, and his life and death is tied to Yang Kai. If Yang Kai dies, he will not survive either. Since he is safe and sound, it means that Yang Kai’s life is not in danger and he is still with us.”
Mao Zhe stood still and bowed to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Liu Mu raised his brow upon hearing this, “That’s good then.” He then asked Mao Zhe, “Since you and Yang Boy are connected through the Loyalty List, can you tell us how he is doing?”
Mao Zhe shook his head in response, “The Loyalty List can only verify the life or death of the Sect Master. This Junior has no idea what kind of state Sect Master is currently in.”
Although Liu Mu already had an inkling, he was still a little disappointed after hearing Mao Zhe confirm so.
Lan You Ruo waved off as Mao Zhe bowed once more before retreating. He had only come here to prove that Yang Kai was still alive.
An Eighth-Order Ancestor stated, “In that case, Yang Kai must somehow be behind the signs of the Black Ink Clan’s break out.”
Liu Mu nodded lightly in agreement, “I’m thinking the same. Yang Boy has the means to kill that Black Ink Master, so perhaps his actions have provoked the Black Ink Master. And with Super Array having weakened, it led to this.”
Lan You Ruo furrowed her brow and asked, “Could Senior be blaming him?”
Liu Mu waved her off and corrected, “Of course not. If the Black Ink Master really broke out, it would not be Yang Boy’s fault. Furthermore, he is putting his life on the line to eliminate the Black Ink Master. Also, as he is trapped inside the cage with the Black Ink Master, he might even delay the Black Ink Master’s escape. It is a highly meritorious deed!”
Saying so, he turned to look at the other Eighth-Order Ancestors, “What I mean to say is that we cannot delay the matter of the Black Ink Clan any longer. We old farts may have supreme cultivation, but we’re actually letting a boy face the Black Ink Clan alone. Do we amount to only this?”
Many people nodded lightly in agreement.
Someone suddenly stated, “The Black Ink Clan must be dealt with, but what can we do? The influence of the Super Array is extremely strong. Furthermore, the power of the Array in the depths of that cage is so great that even we can’t stay there for long, let alone fight with the Black Ink Master.”
“That’s right, we were bogged down with this problem before. If we can’t eliminate the issue of the Super Array, we won’t be able to deal with the Black Ink Master.”
Everyone’s Divine Senses surged as they began to discuss amongst themselves.
Liu Mu stood idly by.
Someone noticed his calm demeanour and asked, “Liu Mu, if you have any ideas, just speak up. There is no need for you to be so secretive with us.”
Liu Mu replied, “It’s not like I’m trying to hide anything, it’s just that the method I came up with might be a bit dangerous and I can’t make up my mind yet.”
“Let’s hear it.”
Liu Mu swept his gaze over everyone. After a long time, he finally replied in a solemn tone, “Let’s break the Array and seize life from the jaws of death!”
As soon as he said this, the Eighth-Order Ancestors immediately understood what Liu Mu‘s plan was.
Some of them shook their heads and started snapping at him.
Some people furrowed their brows and fell into deep thought.
Liu Mu continued, “In our current situation, the Black Ink Master will escape sooner or later even if we don’t do anything. If that happens, we’ll be forced into a passive position. By then, not only will we have to deal with the influence of the Super Array, but we’ll also have to fight with the Black Ink Master. Tell me, how much strength do you think our old arms and legs could display in that environment?”
“That’s right, but if we act according to your wishes, we will only be releasing the Black Ink Master ahead of time.”
Liu Mu agreed with a nod, “And that is what I am worried about. If we really do this, we’ll be helping the Black Ink Master, but from a different perspective, if we don’t do so, we will ultimately be in an even worse situation. Our Cave Heavens and Paradises are filled with outstanding Masters, so what can a single Black Ink Master do? What’s more, the Black Ink Master has been imprisoned for countless aeons. No matter how strong it is, it should not be anywhere near its peak. Furthermore, Yang Boy is still inside the cage, fighting it right now. He is just a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, and does not belong to any of the Cave Heavens or Paradises, yet he takes the safety and stability of the 3,000 Worlds as his responsibility. I don’t understand what we’re hesitating about.”
Everyone remained silent, not because they were rendered speechless by Liu Mu, but rather because they were considering the feasibility of his plan.
“Countless of our fellow cultivators have given their lives fighting the Black Ink Clan over the years. Of course, the No-Return Pass is the natural moat between peace and chaos. Once one crosses that divide, there is no turning back. The peace of our 3,000 Worlds was obtained through the blood and sacrifice of many generations. We cannot allow the sacrifices of our ancestors to be besmirched at our hands.”
Liu Mu had qualms over the feasibility of this plan, but as he pitched the plan to the others, his expression became firmer and firmer. This was the only way to take care of the Black Ink Master. More importantly, it was not the style of the Cave Heavens and Paradises to be overly cautious.
“Everyone, make your decision. Do you want to wait for the Black Ink Master to break out and fight to the death with him then, or do you want to take the initiative to find an opportunity to kill him and end all future troubles? The peace of the 3,000 Worlds rests upon our decision.”
The hall sunk into silence for a long time before someone finally broke it, “Since things have reached this point, we have no choice but to go along with your plan.
“Then let’s do this.”
“Let’s set the time limit to be 100 years.”
“Good!”
After a discussion that lasted a few days, the Cave Heavens and Paradises finally reached a consensus.
Liu Mu let out a sigh of relief, but he also couldn’t help but be a bit worried. [100 years… Even if Yang Boy is still alive now, can he survive 100 years in there? Can this cage imprison the Black Ink Master for another 100 years? Nonetheless, we can’t shorten the time any more than this either!]
Lan You Ruo suddenly stood up and slammed her palm on the table, asserting in a heavy voice, “My High Heaven Palace has no objections to everyone’s plans and we will fully cooperate with you, but all the materials of Black Territory must belong to High Heaven Palace!”
Over 100 pairs of eyes instantly turned and focused on her, each of them belonged to an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
An ordinary cultivator would fall into panic under such gazes, but Lan You Ruo simply craned her long, white neck and argued, “Each of you comes from a superpower, yet you still have the nerve to compete with High Heaven Palace for the materials here? Think about how Yang Kai is still holding back the Black Ink Master in that cage right now! If you really carry out this plan, he will have made the greatest contribution to it. So, the materials mined from Black Territory will be his reward!”
Everyone immediately looked away.
Liu Mu looked around and chuckled, “Little Girl, what are you thinking? Since Black Territory belongs to High Heaven Palace, the materials mined here will naturally be handed over to you. The Cave Heavens and Paradises will not eye them, you may rest assured.”
“That’s for the best!” Lan You Ruo sat down again, but she was under no illusions about the reality she faced. If she hadn’t spoken up and stopped these Ancestors right now, the materials of Black Territory would have been divided up by them. Black Territory was quite rich in materials, rich enough to be tempting even for the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
If she let the Cave Heavens and Paradises hog all the materials here, she wouldn’t be able to explain herself when Yang Kai returned.
Since the meeting had finally reached a decision, the news was relayed to everyone.
The Cave Heavens and Paradises wanted to destroy the Ore Stars and the Spirit Arrays spread across Black Territory in order to break the Super Array.
Only by doing so would the power of the Super Array not affect the combat power of the Open Heaven Realm Masters.
This was also what Liu Mu meant by ‘seizing life from the jaws of death’.
However, there was indeed a drawback to this method; and it was that it would only help the Black Ink Clansman escape even more quickly. Every time the Super Array weakened, the Black Ink Master’s chances of escaping would increase.
But if they didn’t do so, the Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises would not be able to display their full strength no matter how many of them were gathered. This would put them at a disadvantage when they really fought with the Black Ink Clansman. Only by doing this could the Cave Heavens and Paradises finally have the chance to confront the Black Ink Master.
When Liu Mu made this suggestion, the Eighth-Order Ancestors immediately understood his intentions. Lan You Ruo was a bit slower to understand, but she quickly caught on to the plan.
The Super Array was composed of countless Ore Stars and Spirit Arrays spanning the Black Territory.
The most effective way to break this Super Array was to destroy the Ore Stars, just as Luan Bai Feng had done before.
The Ore Stars were a rich source of cultivation materials, and they belonged to High Heaven Palace. They could not just give away all these resources without protest.
Lan You Ruo’s argument allowed High Heaven Palace to maintain ownership of these materials and also spared the Black Prison’s materials from being divided up by the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
This was good news for High Heaven Palace and even Void Land, but the century-long plan might not be good news for Yang Kai.
Be that as it may, they could not shorten this time further.
It would take time for them to break the Super Array, and the Cave Heavens and Paradises also needed time to prepare for the battle to follow. At the very least, they would need to cultivate enough Profound Yin Bamboo in their Small Universes to best resist the corrosion of the Black Ink Strength.
Lan You Ruo understood this point, which was why she did not try to argue with it, because she knew that it would be useless in this situation. Right now, she could only pray that Yang Kai could hold on until then.
Soon, large batches of Open Heaven Realm Masters arrived at the Black Prison. They were all dispatched by the various Cave Heavens and Paradises. Every batch numbered in the hundreds or even thousands, and every cultivator was either in the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm or above.
The entire Black Territory was divided into sectors, with each Cave Heaven or Paradise being responsible for one. They were to mine the Ore Stars in that sector and crack the various Spirit Arrays hidden in it.
One by one, the Ore Stars were destroyed as a tremendous amount of Black Stone was mined. The High Heaven Palace disciples also began to busy themselves, collecting the mined Black Stones, and sending them to the Star Boundary, where they were handled by Head Manager Hua Qing Si.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai confronted the Black Ink Master inside the cage.
The weakening of the Super Array allowed the Black Ink Master, who had been imprisoned for countless millennia, to gradually regain some of her freedom. This little bit of freedom might not seem like much, but it was extremely dangerous for Yang Kai.
Every extra bit of freedom was tantamount to the Black Ink Master being able to exert a bit more of her true strength.
Yang Kai found it difficult to imagine just how powerful this Black Ink Master was at her peak. Even though she had been imprisoned since ancient times and her strength had obviously suffered as a result, the power she could display was still far beyond what he could contend with.
If it weren’t for the fact that he possessed the means to suppress the Black Ink Strength, he would have been powerless to resist in front of this Black Ink Master.
It was by relying on the pure white light that Yang Kai was able to survive.
Almost at the same time, an ear-piercing grinding sound reverberated at the centre of the cage. This was the sound of the Black Ink Master using her sharp, long legs to cut away at the Secret Technique Chains. She was probably trying to free herself from her shackles, but as the source of these chains was the Grand Array, it was very hard to break them unless the Grand Array itself was weakened.
Everything she did was destined to be futile.
Thick and dense Black Ink Strength filled the cage. The only place that was free from it was the ten-metre region around Yang Kai.
Yang Kai maintained the white light in his hand at all times. The illumination of the white light formed a sturdy, invisible barrier, blocking the Black Ink Strength from reaching him.
Yang Kai did not need to worry about the threat posed by the Black Ink Strength owing to the protection of this pure white light, but there was more than just Black Ink Strength in this cage.
He had to constantly remain on guard.
The ear-piercing grating sounds kept ringing out to no end, disrupting Yang Kai’s thoughts. Everything seemed as usual, but suddenly, a silent yet devastating attack came from the endless darkness.
The pitch-black darkness was the best cover, and only when the attack was right upon him did Yang Kai manage to react.
Sturdy dragon scales promptly appeared on his skin, forming a solid defence. At the same time, a flash of white light glimmered from Yang Kai’s hand, illuminating the surroundings. Yang Kai immediately spotted a sharp, long leg cutting towards him.
Yang Kai hurriedly retreated.
Although his reaction was quick, he was still injured. Even the dragon scales covering his body couldn’t withstand this fearsome blow. Yang Kai was sent flying, coughing up a mouthful of blood. This attack left a forearm-length wound on his chest and abdomen through which his internal organs could be seen.
If he was even a single step slower with his retreat, he would have been sliced in half.
While he was sent flying though, a brilliant ball of white light flew from Yang Kai’s hand, slamming straight into the massive body of the Black Ink Master like a sun crashing down on her.
The Black Ink Master immediately let out a blood-curdling scream of pain. She kept cursing non-stop, swearing to rip Yang Kai into a million pieces one day before devouring his soul so he would never reincarnate.
Yang Kai naturally turned a deaf ear to her ravings.
When he faced such a sneak attack for the first time, he cursed and bickered with the Black Ink Master, but after having gone through this very situation over and over again, he had grown accustomed to it already.
Inside this cage, the man and the Black Ink Master seemed to have been forgotten by the whole world. They might be each other’s companions, but they were also mortal enemies. Sneak attacks and counter sneak attacks were carried out almost every day, and each time, both sides suffered heavy injuries.
In the beginning, Yang Kai found it difficult to resist the Black Ink Master’s sneak attacks, but with time, he gradually became familiar with her habits and was able to counter them.
Even if the Black Ink Master didn’t launch a sneak attack, he would find an opportunity to do so.
The white light’s power of purification was a very potent method to deal with the Black Ink Master. Every purifying attack would wear down some of her strength. If Yang Kai wanted to live, he couldn’t give her any chance to recover.
Yang Kai’s constant offence and defence had already consumed an enormous amount of Yellow and Blue Crystals, but he couldn’t be bothered to care about that right now.
In the darkness, the two silently recuperated after a recent confrontation. Even the Black Ink Master, who had been clamouring to tear Yang Kai into pieces, had slowly calmed down.
The only thing that could be heard in the pitch-black darkness was the Black Ink Master’s attempt to cut the chains.
Suddenly, an inexplicable gentle voice rang in Yang Kai’s ears once more.
It was hard to imagine that a Black Ink Master like her would be able to sing such a beautiful song. She wasn’t singing any words, only humming a tune. Her song also did not carry any strange power or anything.
However, when this song entered one’s ears, it gave off an indescribable tranquillity, as if one had returned to their mother’s womb, returned to the source of life.
“Do you know how to sing?” The Black Ink Master suddenly stopped singing and asked, “If you do, sing a song.”
“I won’t,” Yang Kai refused, “And I don’t know how to sing.”
The Black Ink Master immediately broke into crisp laughter, “Since we have nothing to do, we should find something to do to pass the time, right?”
“Then keep singing, I’ll listen.”
“Wouldn’t I be at a loss? I’m a Royal Lord, and I don’t have the habit of singing to slaves or animals. That’s how you flatter us.”
Yang Kai slightly furrowed his brow.
During the time he had spent with this Black Ink Master, she had brought up the topic of being a ‘Royal Lord’, as well as the subject of slaves and animals more than once, making him a little curious.
“The Black Ink Clan is divided into different levels?” Yang Kai asked.
The Black Ink Master lightly giggled in the darkness before replying, her voice sounding like a lover’s whispers, “Of course, the Black Ink Clan’s hierarchy is strict, unlike you animals who follow no order. Some clansmen have always been born high and mighty, while some clansmen are born at the bottom of the ladder. I have been a Royal Lord since I was born.”
“The Royal Lord role should be very noble, right? What about those below the Royal Lord?”
“Below the Royal Lord…” The Black Ink Master dragged out her voice, trying to keep Yang Kai in suspense as she laughed, “I’ll tell you if you sing a song.”
Yang Kai decisively refused, “I don’t know how to sing!”
“Just sing whatever you want. If you want to learn about my Black Ink Clan, I can tell you, but this information isn’t free, it comes at a price. Don’t be embarrassed, a long time ago, only the most beautiful girl had the qualifications to sing in front of me.”
“Then I am honoured.”
The Black Ink Master didn’t continue but the grating sound of her feet striking the chains did.
Yang Kai bit the bullet and began humming a tune that Qu Hua Shang had once hummed in front of him.
However, the Black Ink Master interrupted him shortly enough, “Enough! Your singing is terrible! Even the sound of me cutting these chains is more pleasant than your voice.”
In the darkness, Yang Kai’s face turned slightly red in embarrassment, but he simply shrugged and stated, “I told you.”
“Women are always curious,” the Black Ink Master’s words were filled with playfulness, as if she was acting coquettishly. Yang Kai, on the other hand, had goosebumps all over his body, mainly because her voice brought her image to his mind, disgusting him outright.
In order to make himself feel better, Yang Kai’s figure suddenly flickered as he appeared behind the Black Ink Master. The next moment, a pure white light suddenly flashed in his hand, shooting straight towards her.
The darkness instantly retreated wherever this beam of light passed as it struck hard on the Black Ink Master’s back, leaving an enormous hole in her massive body. Black Ink Strength flowed out this hole like blood as the Black Ink Master madly screamed in pain. She instantly retaliated as her lone free leg slashed towards Yang Kai’s head like a deadly scythe.
But Yang Kai had already retreated by then.
The Black Ink Master’s screams and curses continued for a while. She kept shouting the same things over and over again; it was nothing new. Yang Kai’s ears almost started aching from it.
His sneak attack had infuriated the Black Ink Master and she was so angry that she ignored Yang Kai for several days.
It wasn’t until a few days later that she finally smiled happily when she successfully launched a counterattack and severely wounded Yang Kai.
Furthermore, she still remembered their previous talk and honoured her promise.
“In the Black Ink Clan, Royal Lords are supreme. Below them are the Territory Lords, followed by the Feudal Lords. Below the Feudal Lords are the ordinary clansmen. Every class has absolute authority over the ones below,” the Black Ink Master slowly explained, and Yang Kai listened carefully.
“Does that mean your status is very noble?”
“I stand above all others!” The Black Ink Master’s voice was filled with indescribable pride.
“Yet you have been imprisoned here for countless years!” Yang Kai’s words were like sharp knives that drove straight into the Black Ink Master’s heart.
As such, she angrily snapped back, “Isn’t that all because of you rebellious livestock!? You pretend to be docile, but actually harbour wicked intentions! Sooner or later, the Black Ink Clan will transform these 3,000 Worlds into our farmland!”
Yang Kai continued, “Tell me about this livestock business.”
The Black Ink Master giggled, “I can’t be the one always talking.”
“Shall I sing you another song?” Yang Kai suggested.
“I’d rather die!” The Black Ink Master promptly refused.
“If you want information, I can exchange it for information, no one will be at a loss,” After listening to Yang Kai’s singing, she decided not to give him another chance to do so.
“What do you want to know?” asked Yang Kai.
“Anything would do. I’ve been imprisoned for countless years and know nothing about the outside world.”
“Didn’t you transform many people into Black Ink Disciples? Did they not provide you with any information?”
“Although Black Ink Strength is powerful, it cannot bring me the information I want.”
Yang Kai was silent for a moment before replying, “The 3,000 Worlds are vast and boundless. There are countless forces of varying size and strength, but the 36 Cave Heavens and 72 Paradises reign at the top and are revered by all. They are the strongest of the forces and have countless Masters.”
This couldn’t be considered a secret, it was the most basic information. So, Yang Kai wasn’t worried about exposing anything.
The Black Ink Master rebuked with a snort, “A bunch of clowns dare act so arrogantly? Laughable!”
Yang Kai ignored her and continued, “They are the rulers and protectors of this vast Universe. They are responsible for the peace and stability of the 3,000 Worlds. It is admirable.”
The Black Ink Master sneered, “Just a dove occupying a magpie’s nest.”
“Your turn.”
The Black Ink Master snorted. Although she knew that Yang Kai was trying to trick her, she didn’t mind revealing a bit of information, “This vast space originally belonged to the Black Ink Clan. You people are nothing more than livestock raised by the Black Ink Clan. You pretentious bastards pretend to be docile, but have always harboured rebellious hearts. You stole everything from the Black Ink Clan and drove my Black Ink Clan to the edge of this Universe. Sooner or later, the Black Ink Clan will return and take everything back.”
Yang Kai frowned, “In this World, are there any other Black Ink Masters besides you?”
“Black Ink Eternal!” The Black Ink Master declared proudly.
This was not the first time Yang Kai had heard such words; he had heard them from the Black Ink Disciples many times.
By the looks of it, this obviously came from the Black Ink Clan’s own beliefs. The Royal Lord before him firmly believed that Black Ink was eternal.
But the other information she revealed worried Yang Kai even more.
“Where did the Black Ink Clan go?”
“You don’t know?” The Black Ink Master asked back.
Yang Kai shook his head, “Most people have never heard of your existence, only the Masters of the Cave Heaven and Paradises know. I only learned of your existence in the last few hundred years.”
“Hehehe…” The Black Ink Master suddenly laughed, “You all fear the Black Ink Clan, that’s why you’ve sealed anything related to us. You also know that you’re not the Black Ink Clan’s opponent. Just wait, that day will soon arrive. The Black Ink Clan will once again rule this vast Universe!”
Her words were filled with confidence, but Yang Kai remained indifferent, “We drove you away in ancient times, so we will wipe you from existence soon enough.”
“Shameless boasting!” The Black Ink Master sneered.
Yang Kai didn’t try to justify it with an answer and silently healed his injuries.
He might have obtained some information from the Black Ink Master, but she had been imprisoned here for countless millennia and had no idea about the outside world’s current situation. All she knew was some information from ancient times.
If what she said was true, then this vast world once belonged to the Black Ink Clan. Humans were nothing more than ants under the Black Ink Clan’s rule, reared by the Black Ink Clan like cattle, surviving at the whims of the Black Ink Clan.
But how could so many people bear to live in servitude like this? They finally gained freedom after countless years of accumulation and resistance. Perhaps the ancient people fought countless wars and sacrificed countless people before they finally managed to defeat the Black Ink Clan and expel them into the unknown.
As a result, the 3,000 Worlds finally welcomed a period of peace.
The relationship between Yang Kai and the Black Ink Master was extremely strange. Both of them wanted to kill each other, but neither of them could accomplish this. At times, they would calmly chat with each other, and at other times, they would be at each other’s throats. Yang Kai’s injuries kept piling up, and the Black Ink Master was also having difficulty gathering her strength.
Every time the light of purification was shot by Yang Kai, it would bring the Black Ink Master unimaginable torment and pain.
Yang Kai felt like he had really been forgotten by the outside world.
He silently calculated the time in his mind. It had been almost a decade since he volunteered to enter this cage, but the Cave Heavens and Paradises showed no intention of rescuing him.
He knew what the Cave Heavens and Paradises were wary of, so he had no complaints. It was just that after having been confronting the Black Ink Master for so long, he failed to see any hope.
All he could do was keep weakening the Black Ink Master; however, the gap between the two of them was too big, so he was simply unable to kill her.
Some day after the first decade, Yang Kai, who was healing his injuries, suddenly heard a strange sound.
He found it a little familiar, as if he had heard it once before.
However, before he could figure out what was going on, the Black Ink Master’s attack was already upon him. The aura of death instantly enveloped him, prompting Yang Kai to quickly dodge.
But before Yang Kai could stabilize himself, another wave of murderous intent engulfed him.
Yang Kai’s eyes went wide in surprise. He promptly used Space Principles and used Near Distant Horizon.
Space twisted and stretched, but under the fearsome attack, Near Distant Horizon was swiftly shattered.
Fortunately, this small delay gave Yang Kai some breathing room. Taking advantage of this, he promptly took out his Azure Dragon Spear and swung it to the side.
The next moment, a savage force struck him. It was so strong that Yang Kai was unable to resist it. He exerted all his strength and was barely able to hold on.
Yang Kai’s five viscera and six bowels were shaken, but he didn’t dare relax for even a moment before this danger. He intelligently used the rebound force to retreat to the edge of the cage.
“Count yourself lucky!” The Black Ink Master’s tone was filled with resentment and unwillingness. She might have chatted with Yang Kai like they were old friends at times, and she might have hummed a song for him at others, but the Black Ink Master had never given up on killing him.
She would launch a surprise attack as long as she found an opportunity.
This most recent attack had been quite a good chance, but unfortunately, Yang Kai’s reaction was too quick and he had quite a few powerful tricks up his sleeves, allowing him to ultimately avoid disaster.
Yang Kai didn’t say anything, but a flash of purifying light once again expanded into a small sun and shot straight towards the Black Ink Master.
But the next moment, two gleams of cold light flashed as the small sun was cut apart before it could even reach the Black Ink Master. The ball of purification light exploded, illuminating every inch of the cage. Although the purifying light could purify and disperse the endless darkness, even evaporate a great deal of the Black Ink Master’s Black Ink Strength, it still did not cause her much harm in this dispersed form.
Yang Kai’s pupils slightly contracted at what he saw.
With the help of the short burst of light, he noticed that the Black Ink Master actually had two free legs now.
He finally understood what the strange sound he had just heard was. It was the sound of the Secret Technique Chains breaking. He had heard it once not long after entering this cage.
Although the Black Ink Master had been continuously attacking the Secret Technique Chains over the past decade, she had not made any progress. Yang Kai had not expected that another one of the chains would suddenly snap, allowing her to regain a bit more freedom.
[Is it because of her constant attacks?]
Yang Kai quickly denied this conjecture. [The source of these chains is the Super Array that spans Black Territory. The Secret Technique Chains would never break until this Super Array breaks.]
The reason she could break one of the chains before was that the Super Array had weakened, but now she broke another one, and the Super Array couldn’t have weakened unless it was damaged intentionally!
Thinking so, Yang Kai vaguely guessed what was happening outside.
This immediately lifted Yang Kai’s spirits. [I haven’t been abandoned, and the Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises are trying to find a solution. The weakening of the Super Array is the best proof.]
However, this would only make things more difficult for him in the meantime.
The Super Array would grow weaker and weaker with time, meaning the Black Ink Master could display more and more of her strength. Would he be able to resist once that happened?
Perhaps he would have already lost his life at the hands of the Black Ink Master before he could escape this cage.
A strong sense of crisis immediately gripped Yang Kai’s heart.
Black Territory had countless Ore Stars, and each one was extremely rich in cultivation materials. It was so rich in materials that even if a force mined for tens of millennia, or even longer, they would still not be able to mine out everything.
However, every Cave Heaven and Paradise was participating in this operation, and each of them had dispatched hundreds of disciples. Naturally, their mining speed was extraordinary.
In order to break the Super Array, the simplest and fastest method was to destroy all the Ore Stars.
Nonetheless, the Cave Heavens and Paradises were mining the Ore Stars step by step in order to complete this 100-year plan.
Massive amounts of Black Stones were constantly sent to High Heaven Palace, allowing it to gather an unimaginable amount of wealth in this short span of ten years.
Fortunately, they had made an agreement beforehand, and the Cave Heavens and Paradises did not do anything greedy with a great enemy like the Black Ink Clansman knocking at their door.
All of the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters, regardless of whether they were Seventh-Order or Eighth-Order, had entered seclusion and were sparing no expense to cultivate Profound Yin Bamboo in their Small Universes.
Everyone knew that once the Black Ink Clansman was set free, a great battle would break out, and the Profound Yin Bamboo was the best treasure to resist the Black Ink Strength. At the critical moment, it might be able to save their lives.
It was precisely because cultivating the Profound Yin Bamboo needed time that the Cave Heavens and Paradises came up with this 100-year plan.
As years went by, the Ore Stars in Black Territory continued to wane and the Spirit Arrays were broken one after another, while the might of the Super Array was constantly weakened.
As the 100-year deadline was approaching, everyone was able to feel the tension in the air.
The Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises might be oblivious to how much the Super Array had weakened, but Yang Kai, who was in the centre of the cage, could clearly feel it.
Inside the cage, Yang Kai could no longer remain in his Human Form and had already switched to his Dragon Form.
He was only a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so his cultivation was insufficient to face off against a Black Ink Royal Lord, even if she had been imprisoned for so many years. As the power of the Super Array weakened, the Black Ink Master could display more and more of her strength. So, Yang Kai had no choice but to resort to his Dragon Form to protect himself.
A 20,000-meter-long Grand Dragon was as strong as a peak Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, which allowed him to preserve his life.
However, he was hanging on by the thread! It took everything he had to resist each of the Black Ink Master’s attacks, and each blow would leave him injured. Had it not been for the strong resilience of his Dragon Body and the restorative power of the Immortal Tree, he would have not been able to hold on for this long.
The purification light played a vital role as the power of the Super Array weakened over the years and the Black Ink Master gained more freedom and strength.
Every blast of purifying light Yang Kai fired dealt a certain amount of damage and suppression to her, preventing her from recovering fully.
Her hatred towards Yang Kai had already reached the apex. Had it not been for the fact that she had yet to completely regain her freedom, Yang Kai wouldn’t have had the chance to even breathe in this small cage.
Yang Kai’s 20,000-meter-long Dragon Form was riddled with wounds of all sizes. Many of his Dragon Scales had fallen off, making him look quite miserable.
Even if his strength was comparable to a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master now, he still couldn’t hold a candle to this Royal Lord.
Yang Kai silently endured and calculated.
In the beginning, a total of twelve chains happened to be piercing the Black Ink Master’s body under the Super Array’s suppression, firmly locking her in place and making it next to impossible for her to even move.
But as the Super Array weakened over the years, she had already broken free from ten of those chains. Now, only the last two were binding the Black Ink Master.
The day these two chains broke would be the day the Black Ink Master escaped.
A few days later, another chain broke as the Super Array’s power weakened to the limit.
The Black Ink Master suddenly fell silent.
She was finally going to regain her freedom after countless millennia of imprisonment, but her reaction was quite strange. She no longer tried to sneak attack Yang Kai and essentially ignored his entire existence. She had gone completely silent, which was completely opposite to her past self where she kept chattering non-stop.
[She’s accumulating her strength!] Yang Kai cursed, fully aware of what was happening.
She also knew that once the Super Array was destroyed, she would be up against the Masters of the Cave Heavens and Paradises; thus, she took this last moment to build up her strength.
Yang Kai welcomed a rare period of safety.
At this time, he should be trying to weaken the Black Ink Master as much as possible. Only by doing so would she not have too much power when she eventually broke free.
But he soon gave up on this idea.
Yang Kai also needed to gather his strength! Otherwise, he would most likely be doomed the moment she broke free. He had to save himself first.
In the current situation, he would be able to escape this calamity only by quickly advancing to the Seventh Order. Although Yang Kai had been fighting with the Black Ink Master all these years and hadn’t had the time to cultivate, the countless living beings in his Small Universe had been constantly helping him strengthen his foundation.
His Small Universe’s foundation was sufficient, so all he lacked now was the opportunity.
He vigilantly returned to his Human Form, all while paying close attention to the Black Ink Master’s movements. He was ready to transform into his Dragon Form at any moment to resist her assault.
Fortunately, his worries were unfounded. The Black Ink Master had really quieted down and did not make any moves against him.
Be that as it may, Yang Kai didn’t relax his vigilance. At the same time, he was silently searching for the opportunity to break through.
The Proprietress had gone into a retreat in Void Land for several hundred years before she was able to break through from the Sixth Order to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. Her aptitude was quite extraordinary actually, but even then, it was very hard for her to break through to the Seventh Order.
The gap between the Sixth and Seventh Orders was like the gap between the Heavens and the Earth. While a Sixth-Order Master was quite strong and could be considered a powerhouse in the Open Heaven Realm, their Small Universe was still immaterial, while a Seventh-Order Master was entirely different. Their Small Universes had already become material, which was a qualitative leap.
Since ancient times, countless Open Heaven Realm Masters had been stuck at this juncture, unable to advance even a single step forward.
The fact that one had initially broken through to the Fifth Order did not mean that they would be able to advance to the Seventh Order someday. Ascending to the Fifth Order only gave one the possibility to reach the Seventh Order. More importantly, it was extremely dangerous to break through from the Sixth Order to the Seventh Order. If one’s foundation was insufficient and one’s comprehension was lacking, a forceful attempt would only result in death.
Yang Kai felt that his accumulation should be enough; In fact, he had wanted to enter retreat and break through to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm a few centuries ago, it was just that he had been delayed by various matters.
But now, in the face of the Black Ink Master’s threat, he was left with no choice but to try his best to accomplish something he had failed to finish in the past. Yang Kai could only sigh with regret at the hand dealt to him by fate, and the results left him disappointed.
He was unable to sense the opportunity to advance!
The Black Ink Master was eyeing him like prey, ready to give a fatal blow at any moment, so how could Yang Kai focus on breaking through?
It was very hard to feel the passage of time in this pitch-black and monotonous darkness, but when Yang Kai heard a familiar sound, he instantly realized that several years had passed already.
The Super Array had been completely broken, and the Black Ink Master had gained her freedom at last.
The most dangerous moment had arrived, and Yang Kai could clearly feel the great power that the Black Ink Master desperately needed reviving. Her slumbering majestic Will instantly recovered, causing the entire cage to tremble.
At this point, a single moment of hesitation would be the difference between life and death.
Suddenly, the cry of a Golden Crow rang out as a great sun slowly rose, illuminating the world. Right behind it rose a bright round moon, radiating a chilling moonlight.
The sun and moon shone together as Time Principles began to churn.
At the same time, Space Principles also flared, merging with the Time Principles, transforming into a new and profound power.
The sun and moon intertwined, spinning like a top as they headed straight towards the Black Ink Master.
The Sun and Moon Divine Wheel was the most powerful Secret Technique Yang Kai had ever comprehended. With just a Sixth-Order Heaven Open Realm cultivation, Yang Kai had overwhelmed three Sixth-Order Masters from the Shadowless Cave Heaven’s Profound Yang Mountain with this Secret Technique.
With this Secret Technique, he was able to injure the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Zuo Quan Hui who was far stronger than him.
Space-Time Strength was an extremely profound power, and Yang Kai had just scratched its surface.
The Black Ink Master’s crisp laughter rang out, filled with pride and ruthlessness. She was finally going to be free after countless years of imprisonment. This was indeed joyous news for her.
The next moment, her sharp foot promptly slashed towards the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel.
This Secret Technique, which was strong enough to even severely wound a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, failed to even put a scratch on her. Just a swipe of her foot had caused the Sun to dim and the full Moon to collapse, dispersing the Space-Time Strength.
But surprisingly, another dazzling sun suddenly appeared right behind the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel.
Naturally, it was a ball of purifying light!
Since Yang Kai was well aware of the gap between them, how could he place all his hopes on the Secret Technique he had created? The Sun and Moon Divine Wheel was just a cover, while his real trump card was this purifying light hidden behind it.
This was the only method Yang Kai had that could restrain the Black Ink Master!
The Royal Lord obviously didn’t expect Yang Kai to be so shrewd, so in her moment of carelessness, the small sun-like ball of purifying light broke through her defences and smashed into her massive body.
The light immediately dispelled the darkness in the vicinity and left a giant hole on her body, from where thick ink-like liquid flowed.
Immediately after, a blood-curdling scream rang out before the Black Ink Master roared in fury, “I want you dead!”
She slammed her long leg that destroyed the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel straight down on Yang Kai’s head, sealing off all routes of retreat.
Yang Kai was already prepared for this counterattack though, and the moment he cast the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel, his body had already transformed into his 20,000-meter-long Dragon Form, bolstering his defence to its highest.
Even so, her long leg scraped through the Dragon Scales as his blood splashed out.
The Black Ink Master’s leg left a several-hundred-meter-long gaping wound on Yang Kai’s Dragon Body, almost cutting him in two.
Although he had escaped death, it was clear that the Black Ink Master had no intention of letting Yang Kai off so easily. Her multiple long legs slashed at him from different angles, causing his face to turn ashen. Even if he had assumed his Dragon Form, he would not be able to resist this attack.
Furthermore, even if he wanted to escape, he couldn’t do so inside this cage.
Yang Kai promptly manipulated Space Principles, placing all his hopes on the Masters in the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
Fortunately, the Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises did not disappoint him. The cage that was once flawless was riddled with cracks now. Since the Super Array had been broken, the cage that imprisoned the Black Ink Master was naturally no longer flawless.
Over the past hundred years, Yang Kai had continuously been using Space Principles in an attempt to find a gap in the cage, but he had found none until now!
Yang Kai quickly swung his Dragon Tail, smashing it into the invisible barrier of the cage.
The next moment, the cage completely broke, giving the impression that an entirely new world had been created.
Immediately after, one powerful aura after another immediately entered Yang Kai’s perception as countless figures came rushing towards his side, defending him.
These figures all exuded the powerful aura of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
*Hong hong hong!*
Deafening explosions immediately rang out as the Eight-Order Open Heaven Realm Master blocked the oncoming legs for Yang Kai one by one. Some people let out muffled groans while some sneered.
After this fierce exchange, the entire world fell silent.
The Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises were already preparing outside to break this final barrier, so Yang Kai’s last attack had saved them a lot of time and effort, while also saving his own life in return.
Otherwise, if the Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises attempted to break this cage themselves, it would have taken them at least a few breaths, which was far slower than Yang Kai using Space Principles from the inside.
At this moment, Yang Kai was disoriented and stars were circling before his eyes, but before he could recover from his near-death experience, he suddenly felt someone standing over him.
“Brat, you’re still alive?” Liu Mu asked from above.
Yang Kai replied, shaking his head, “Fortunately!”
Liu Mu meaningfully chuckled, “One who survives a great disaster is destined to have good fortune. Leave the rest to us old fogies and take a rest.”
Yang Kai fell silent for a moment before warning, “Seniors, please be careful. She calls herself a Royal Lord, but I don’t know what it means.”
Liu Mu clicked his tongue, “Although we had already guessed as much, it is still disheartening to hear you say it.”
He took a pregnant pause before explaining, “This so-called Royal Lord is equivalent to a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master!”
[Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master!]
Yang Kai’s heart trembled upon hearing this. Although the Black Ink Master was not at her peak after having been imprisoned for countless years, and Yang Kai had been constantly weakening her using the purification light over the past 100 years, a starving camel was still bigger than a horse. Who knew how much strength she could still display?
Thinking about how he had spent 100 years in the same cage with a Black Ink Royal Lord that was equivalent to a Ninth-Order Master, Yang Kai couldn’t help but shiver in fright a little.
“Do we have a Ninth-Order Master on our side?” Yang Kai asked.
“How can we have a Ninth-Order Master here?” Liu Mu curled his lips.
Yang Kai was beside himself in shock. This was a bit different from what he had imagined. Originally, he had thought that each of the hundred or so Cave Heavens and Paradises would have at least one Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master assuming command after countless years of accumulation.
But that didn’t seem to be the case.
The Black Ink Master in Black Territory was extremely dangerous, so if there really was a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in any of the Cave Heavens and Paradises, he or she would have definitely not sat back and done nothing. No matter which Sect he or she belonged to, they would have definitely come here to handle this situation. This was the only way to ensure the smooth eradication of the Black Ink Master.
But even now, there was no sign of a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master appearing, and Liu Mu had confirmed this fact.
In other words, the Cave Heavens and Paradises really didn’t have any Ninth-Order Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
[But how is that possible? How could so many Cave Heavens and Paradises be unable to give rise to a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master after countless years of accumulation? Sure, only a few geniuses were capable of making the initial breakthrough to the Seventh Order, but still, a few could. Could it be that none of them had successfully advanced to the Ninth Order even after all this time?]
Yang Kai was having a hard time understanding this, but this wasn’t the time to investigate.
Staring out in the direction of the Black Ink Master, Yang Kai asked, “Can you beat her?”
“It’s not a matter of can or can’t, we must!” Liu Mu stated in a heavy voice, “Black Territory has been completely sealed off. No one can leave this place until the battle ends!”
The Cave Heavens and Paradises had obviously decided to go all out; they would either succeed or die trying. As Black Territory had been completely sealed off, the Black Ink Master would be forever trapped in Black Territory even if they lost this battle, unable to leave this place.
Yang Kai’s heart sank. The Cave Heavens and Paradises had already prepared for the worst, which was indirect proof in itself of the Black Ink Clan’s strength.
“One, two, three…” On the other side, the Black Ink Master started lightly counting, her voice quite pleasant to the ear. Suddenly, a smile bloomed on her face, “Forget it, there are too many snacks to eat. I’ll just kill all of them, then there won’t be any left.”
There were indeed a lot of people here, and all of them were either Seventh-Order or Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. The cultivators below the Seventh Order were not qualified to participate in this battlefield.
The number of Seventh-Order and Eighth-Order in the Cave Heavens and Paradises numbered over 1,000. It had to be known that each of these Seven-Order and Eighth-Order Masters was a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master who had lived for countless years and seen and experienced all kinds of things. Every single one of them would be respected by most people in the 3,000 Worlds.
Over 1,000 people were split up into a hundred or so teams under the leadership of their Eighth-Order Masters and spread around, surrounding the Black Ink Master. Everyone had a solemn look on their faces as they stared at the giant spider-like Black Ink Master.
Although these people had long known about the existence of the Black Ink Clan, this was the first time any of them had actually laid eyes on one; her image caught them a little by surprise.
Many people thought that such an evil existence should be more imposing, but now it seemed that it was actually just ugly and disgusting.
“Go heal yourself! You may be of help later!” Liu Mu gently walked above Yang Kai’s head, his figure flickered as he arrived near the Golden Antelope Paradise Masters, standing at their forefront.
Yang Kai withdrew his Dragon Form and quickly retreated.
The Proprietress approached from behind to help Yang Kai. When they met, Lan You Ruo’s eyes were fixed on Yang Kai’s waist. There was a huge gaping wound there, with black energy lingering around the wound, preventing it from healing as his blood kept flowing out.
Lan You Ruo reached out to support him and led him back, asking with concern, “Are you okay?”
“I’ll live,” Yang Kai replied before asking worriedly, “Where are our people?”
“Everyone else has withdrawn from Black Territory. There are only the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters left here now.”
Yang Kai lightly nodded his acknowledgement. Those below the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm were not qualified to participate in this great battle. If they were allowed to remain, they would only be taken advantage of by the Black Ink Master. Once they were corrupted by the Black Ink Strength, they would become Black Ink Disciples, which would only divert the attention of the Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
Making them withdraw from the front lines was the best option.
The two retreated to a relatively safe location, an abandoned Spirit Province left after one of the Ore Stars was destroyed. Yang Kai quickly found a place and sat down cross-legged.
The next moment, a yellow light glowed in his left hand and a blue light in his right. Yin and Yang merged together as the purifying light enveloped his wound.
As the World Spring had sealed off his Small Universe, the Black Ink Strength would not be able to harm him in the slightest no matter how strong it was. However, this thick layer of Black Ink Strength was lingering around his wound, so it needed to first be purified before he could heal himself.
Yang Kai had been locked in a cage with the Black Ink Master for over 100 years and had been injured countless times by her, so he was already familiar with how to treat such injuries.
Under the effects of the purifying light, wisps of black smoke emerged from his wounds and were reduced to nothingness in the blink of an eye. After a while, the Black Ink Strength was completely expelled, whereupon Yang Kai used his Wood Element Power to heal his injuries.
The Black Ink Master’s attack just before Yang Kai escaped had been quite devastating, almost cutting him in half despite him having taken his Dragon Form. It was only by luck that he had been able to survive.
It would be quite a hefty task for him to recover from this kind of grievous injury; furthermore, he had been locked inside the cage with the Black Ink Master for over 100 years, where he had to constantly be on guard. His body and mind were both exhausted, so he really needed some rest.
Suddenly, powerful energy fluctuations came from afar, followed by non-stop flashes of dazzling light.
“It’s begun!” Yang Kai muttered as he looked towards the battlefield.
He was quite far away, as such he was unable to see much.
All he knew was that over 1,000 High-Rank Open Heaven Realm simultaneously made their moves. Their Secret Techniques and Divine Abilities left colourful dazzling trails as they shot towards the Black Ink Master. By the time Yang Kai looked up, the Black Ink Master was already drowned by this dazzling light.
Even from such a great distance, Yang Kai could feel the fearsome power contained in each of these Secret Techniques and Divine Abilities.
In this world, perhaps only the Black Ink Royal Lord was worthy of being taken so seriously by the Masters of the Cave Heavens and Paradises; after all, this was an existence comparable to a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
No one could survive such an attack, not even the Black Ink Royal Lord!
Yang Kai almost thought that the battle would be decided right that instant, but to his astonishment, the Cave Heavens and Paradises kept attacking, without showing any intention of stopping.
Yang Kai was able to witness the marvellous Divine Abilities of every Cave Heaven and Paradise, all of which was extremely profound and dazzling.
But the next moment, Yang Kai’s confidence began falling little by little, because there was a giant black cloud where the lights had flooded. And the dazzling brilliance of the Divine Abilities was unable to disperse this thick black cloud no matter how they tried.
Right then, the Black Ink Master’s voice reverberated throughout the void, her voice filled with pain and ridicule, “You filthy livestock have only become weaker over the generations! Your ancestors were far better than you!”
Just as she was finished speaking, a change suddenly occurred.
It was unknown what happened, but the tight encirclement around the Black Ink Master fell into shambles, causing countless openings to appear in their formation.
The next moment, Yang Kai’s pupils shrank.
He saw the head of a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master suddenly fly high into the air as a fountain of blood gushed out from his neck, raining down on his nearby companion’s head and face. When his companion looked over, he was totally confused, seemingly unable to react to what had just happened.
Although Yang Kai couldn’t see the expression on the man’s face because he was too far away, he could feel his shock and confusion.
There were some who were suddenly torn apart as their remains flew everywhere.
Some even exploded into blood mist, leaving nothing behind.
In an instant, more than ten people had lost their lives.
Each and every one of them was a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master who had taken millennia to reach their current Realm; but today, their lives were harvested like wheat from a field.
Yang Kai’s heart was gripped with fear!
Without the influence and constraints of the Super Array, the Black Ink Master’s strength had far exceeded his imagination. If the Black Ink Master was this strong during the 100 years he had been fighting her, he would have died long ago.
After the death of a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master, his or her Small Universe would be left behind, transforming into Universe Paradise.
Logically speaking, these Universe Paradise’s portals were hidden in the Void, so unless someone knew where they were or for some reason the portal was opened, it was difficult to find them.
But at this moment, these Small Universe’s portals suddenly exploded under a mysterious force. The World Force contained in these Small Universes immediately transformed into massive waves of energy visible to the naked eye, rushing towards the Black Ink Master before being devoured by her.
Yang Kai’s heart sank.
He thought back on the many Black Ink Disciples who had been trying to sacrifice themselves. Those Black Ink Disciples’ cultivation wasn’t high, only at the Third or Fourth Order, but under the summoning of the Black Ink Strength, they swarmed over and crashed straight into the Spirit Array, dying without hesitation.
They had killed themselves to provide the Black Ink Master with the energy she needed to restore her strength. After their death, the World Force released by their Small Universe’s dispersed, supplementing the Black Ink Master to recover her strength!
According to Luan Bai Feng’s original plan, she would have gathered Open Heaven Realm Masters from all over the 3,000 Worlds over the course of many years. These Black Ink disciples would on one side destroy the Super Array’s Ore Stars, while at the same time sacrifice themselves to provide the energy for the Black Ink Master to recover.
Unfortunately, this plan had been foiled by Yang Kai before it could be implemented for any significant length of time.
Now though, the instant death of a dozen or so High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters had undoubtedly greatly helped the Black Ink Master.
After a brief moment of chaos, the formation of the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master fell into complete disorder. Almost everyone was fighting by themselves and Yang Kai couldn’t tell what was happening, but he got the feeling that these High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were fighting an invisible enemy, plunging into an abyss of misery.
A short while later, several more High-Rank Masters fell.
Immediately after, a large number of Spirit Provinces appeared out of thin air with thick Black Ink Strength lingering about them. The thick ink-like power was constantly squirming and was extremely eye-catching. The Spirit Provinces were very soon dyed completely in black.
Some High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters had swiftly cut off a portion of their Small Universe’s territory.
Had they had no other choice, the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters would have never acted in such a manner. Once a part of their Small Universe was severed, it would not only permanently damage their foundation, causing their strength to decline, but it would also permanently halt the progress of their Martial Dao.
Long story short, it meant that they had no other choice but to do this.
In other words, these High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters had been corroded by the Black Ink Strength, and they had no choice but to cut off parts of their Small Universes to protect themselves.
For the past 100 years, all of the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises who had been assigned to Black Territory had been cultivating Profound Yin Bamboo in seclusion and had gained extraordinary benefits.
The Profound Yin Bamboo was one of the Twelve Minor Universe Pillars and was extremely beneficial to High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters, especially when it came to resisting Black Ink Strength.
However, even with the Profound Yin Bamboo protecting their Small Universes, these High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were still unable to resist the invasion of the Black Ink Strength. It was proof in itself of the Black Ink Royal Lord’s strength.
Fortunately, the situation still had not fully deteriorated. Many Eighth-Order Ancestors were still safe and sound. Surrounding themselves with World Force, and coupled with the protection of the Profound Yin Bamboo, there was no need to worry about being corrupted by the Black Ink Strength in short order.
Yang Kai withdrew his gaze and closed his eyes, focusing on recovering as soon as possible.
The battle that was supposed to end quickly was progressing in an unexpected direction. Who knows how many Masters would be dead after this battle ended?
Time slowly passed.
Yang Kai’s emotions slowly calmed down. He was well aware that it was useless for him to be anxious in this situation. The most important thing right now was to quickly regain his strength.
Two days later, Yang Kai finally opened his eyes.
Lan You Ruo had been waiting for him all this while, and when Yang Kai opened his eyes, she turned around and asked, “Are you done?”
Yang Kai stood up, nodding, “Don’t stray too far from me!”
Lan You Ruo curled her lips up, “I should be the one saying that!”
She was a Seventh-Order Master while Yang Kai was just a Sixth-Order Master. She should be the one protecting Yang Kai on the battlefield.
The two of them smiled at each other before rushing towards the battlefield.
After two days of fighting, the battlefield had become even more chaotic. Looking around, Yang Kai saw that the number of High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters had greatly decreased. A quick estimate put the losses at around 200.
Such casualties were really shocking.
On top of that, he also saw many High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters attacking their fellow disciples.
Obviously, these people had been corrupted by the Black Ink Strength!
In the face of the attacks by these Black Ink Disciples, the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters who still retained their rationality had their hands and feet tied. That’s why, the entire battlefield was thrown into chaos even when the number of corrupted High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters was not too high.
Yang Kai’s timing was impeccable.
Liu Mu had sensed Yang Kai’s approaching even when he was far away. He was finally able to vent all the frustration he had accumulated over these two days and angrily launched a palm strike at a nearby corrupted disciple. The Black Ink Disciple didn’t even try to dodge his Ancestor’s attack and instead launched a suicide attack intent on perishing together with him.
Liu Mu cursed loudly, “Brat, you’ve got guts, I’ll give you that! You even dare to fight this Old Master!”
Having finished speaking, he slammed his palm onto the other party’s chest, releasing a burst of World Force, causing the Black Ink Disciple to freeze for a moment as if he had been struck by lightning.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Liu Mu formed a series of hand seals and slapped him several times, thoroughly imprisoning him. Afterwards, he grabbed the corrupted disciple and flew towards Yang Kai.
The two came face to face shortly after. Liu Mu didn’t say a word, he just threw the Black Ink Disciple to Yang Kai. Yang Kai was also prepared for this as a beam of purifying light shot towards the Black Ink Disciple the next moment.
A look of pain appeared on the Black Ink Disciple’s face, but it gradually eased up as the Black Ink Strength was expelled.
Just a moment later, the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master who had been corrupted by the Black Ink Strength had regained his clarity of mind.
He had not forgotten what he had just done, so shame filled his face.
Right then, Liu Mu returned with another Black Ink Disciple in hand.
Seeing this, Yang Kai didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He wanted to participate in this great battle, so he rushed over in a hurry; after all, the purifying light he had mastered was the nemesis of the Black Ink Strength. Perhaps his participation would provide an edge to the Cave Heavens and Paradises, but by the looks of it, Liu Mu was treating him like a logistics doctor.
Yang Kai couldn’t even complain about it though as right now, he was the only one who was capable of dispelling the Black Ink Strength.
Liu Mu tossed the Black Ink Disciple to Yang Kai, removing the Black Ink Disciple’s restriction before shouting at the man, “Scram back and be careful! If you get corroded by the Black Ink Strength, hurry up and seek out Yang Boy!”
“Yes!” The Black Ink Disciple, who was the first to be rescued, accepted the order and rushed back to the battlefield.
“I’ll leave him to you!” Liu Mu nodded to Yang Kai before returning to the battlefield.
One Black Ink Disciple after another was sent to Yang Kai to be purified. Many of the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters corrupted by the Black Ink Strength, who still retained a certain amount of sanity, also rushed over and sought Yang Kai’s assistance on their own.
The light of purification kept shining as the Black Ink Strength was constantly being dispelled. For a moment, Yang Kai had his hands full.
During the purification process, Yang Kai didn’t relax his vigilance. Whether or not these High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters had been corroded by the Black Ink Strength and had been turned into Black Ink Disciples through and through, it was impossible to tell from their appearances alone. The more Black Ink Disciples there were, the more there were chances of a few of them hiding themselves to launch sneak attacks.
Therefore, when Yang Kai was purifying a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master of the Black Ink Strength, and a Black Ink Disciple suddenly struck out and attacked him, he wasn’t surprised at all.
He had no idea which Cave Heaven or Paradise this Seventh-Order Master belonged to, but his strength was quite extraordinary. He unleashed a powerful Divine Ability as soon as he made a move.
Yang Kai instantly summoned his Azure Dragon Spear and thrust it forward.
A blast of World Force swept out as Yang Kai’s spear stabbed into his opponent’s shoulder, but this Black Ink Disciple didn’t care at all, as if all that mattered to him was killing Yang Kai.
Lan You Ruo had been standing guard by Yang Kai’s side, protecting him against every High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master who had come on their own for help.
At the same time Yang Kai was attacked, she also attacked, her slender jade palm containing a massive amount of energy ruthlessly striking the Black Ink Disciple’s body.
The Black Ink Disciple was sent flying by their combined attack and Yang Kai promptly retreated.
At the same time, a streak of light came zooming towards them from nearby. It was none other than Six Wood Divine Monarch. Liu Mu’s brow twitched hard at the sight of this and he furiously roared, “Brat, you dare!”
The Black Ink Disciple, who had just sneak attacked Yang Kai, probably knew that he lost his chance and could not do anything further. As such, he self-destructed without a moment of hesitation. Furthermore, his Small Universe burst open after his death under his plan, filling the entire void with pitch-black energy.
Liu Mu quickly stopped and stared at the Small Universe that was filled with Black Ink Strength.
Although he was an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master and had the Profound Yin Bamboo protecting his Small Universe, he did not want to be corrupted by this strange energy either.
The thing that put him at ease a little was that Yang Kai and Lan You Ruo made their way out of the Small Universe shortly after.
They were surrounded by the purifying light, which prevented them from being corroded by the Black Ink Strength.
*Hong hong hong…*
Suddenly, a series of deafening explosions sounded. Liu Mu promptly turned his head as a solemn look filled his face.
Originally, a dozen or so Black Ink Disciples were still left on the battlefield, but at this moment, these Black Ink Disciples simultaneously self-destructed, shattering their Small Universes and turning the entire battlefield chaotic and filling it with countless Shattered Spirit Provinces. More importantly, each of these Spirit Provinces had a thick layer of Black Ink Strength surrounding them.
At the same time, their Small Universe’s World Force was swallowed by the Black Ink Master after their deaths.
Liu Mu handed over the last Black Ink Disciple he had captured to Yang Kai. He seemed to have aged several hundred years in an instant after seeing the death of so many Masters.
Since this battle started, the Cave Heavens and Paradises had lost somewhere between two to three hundred cultivators, all of whom were Seventh-Order Masters. All of the Cave Heavens and Paradises had suffered heavy casualties.
Although they had also caused quite a bit of damage to the Black Ink Master, they would have to pay a great price if they wanted to kill her.
However, this was the Cave Heavens and Paradises’ responsibility since ancient times. When the vast universe faced a crisis, everyone could choose to escape from it, but they had to face it head-on.
Their great and indomitable status means that they shouldered an equally heavy responsibility to the ordinary people.
When the entire Black Territory was completely sealed off, the Eighth-Order Ancestors of the Cave Heavens and Paradises had already decided that they would eliminate the Black Ink Master even if it cost all of their lives.
“It’s your turn!” Liu Mu turned to look at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai nodded lightly, purifying the Black Ink Strength from the last Black Ink Disciple’s body, “I shall fulfil my duty!”
The cruel battlefield caused Yang Kai’s heart to tremble. Only now did he truly understand how strong the Black Ink Royal Lord was. The reason he managed to come out alive after being trapped in that cage for 100 years with her was completely due to the Super Array restricting her strength.
She might not be at her peak due to having been imprisoned for countless years, yet she was able to slaughter so many people even after having been surrounded by over 1,000 High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters. Yang Kai couldn’t even imagine what would have happened if she was able to regain her full power.
While remaining vigilant, Yang Kai also yearned greatly for the legendary Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
The Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm was comparable to the Black Ink Royal Lord!
“Follow me closely!” Liu Mu shouted and took the lead to rush towards the battlefield.
Yang Kai and Lan You Ruo followed close behind.
Yang Kai was unable to see the entire battlefield clearly from this distance, so only when he stepped onto it did he understand the murderous intent lingering in the air.
An enormous spider web had appeared in the vast void at some point, covering a radius of 10,000 kilometres. At the centre of this spiderweb was the territory of the Black Ink Master. Every thread of this spiderweb was created from a thick Black Ink Strength. When the Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises entered this net, all of them were like insects trapped in the web, at the risk of being eaten by the spider at any moment.
This was the home field for the Black Ink Master, and she had everyone’s life and death in her hand within this web.
The strands of webbing formed from the Black Ink Strength were like living creatures, occasionally bouncing, and cutting, injuring those who got too close.
Yang Kai finally understood what had happened in the last two days. Many of the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters had no experience fighting against the Black Ink Clan, so they were completely caught off guard by the sudden appearance of this spiderweb. When the spiderweb cut towards them, more than a dozen High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters had lost their lives on the spot.
As for those who were injured by the spider web, their wounds were corroded with the Black Ink Strength. So, even if all of the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters had the Profound Yin Bamboo protecting their Small Universes, they still couldn’t avoid the fate of being turned into Black Ink Disciples.
The Profound Yin Bamboo could help them resist the power of the Black Ink Strength better, but it was unable to completely repel it like the World Spring. At most, it could delay the inevitable of being corrupted by the Black Ink Strength.
Far fewer dazzling Divine Abilities or Secret Techniques were being used as all the Masters were trying to get in close to the Black Ink Master to bypass her outer defences, but every time they did, they were blocked by the threads.
Only a small number of people were able to reach the Black Ink Master and confront her directly.
The Black Ink Master’s giant body was riddled with wounds.
Over 1,000 High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises had been fighting her for days now, and although they had suffered heavy casualties, it wasn’t for nought. A thick ink-like liquid was flowing out from the Royal Lord’s wounds, which seemed to be her blood.
A vicious look had taken over the beautiful face of the Black Ink Master, and the pain and anger made her look even uglier.
The moment Yang Kai stepped into the battlefield, the Black Ink Master immediately focused her attention on him. His Purifying Light had caused her to suffer quite a bit over the past 100 years. Hatred filled her eyes at the sight of Yang Kai, like a volcano on the verge of erupting.
Liu Mu promptly took the lead and charged ahead.
With a crisp clang, the spider thread bounced up and down as it became pointed, dancing in the void and turning the road ahead into a thorny dead zone.
Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques flew out from Liu Mu’s hands as World Force surged and swept away all obstacles blocking their path.
The Black Ink Master quickly realized Liu Mu’s aim; obviously, he was trying to create an opportunity for Yang Kai to act. In response, she sneered and snarled, “In your dreams!”
She raised her head slightly as she swung her legs, aiming at Liu Mu from afar. The next moment, black light shot out from the claw-like barbs on her long legs like lightning.
Liu Mu had not expected the Black Ink Master to have such a Secret Technique up her sleeve as she had not used this move once during the previous battle.
In a moment of carelessness, he did not have the time to defend himself. Left with no other option, he quickly leaned to the side.
The black light brushed past his shoulder, but Liu Mu jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on as he promptly used his fingers to cut off the flesh on his shoulder.
The severed part of his shoulder was instantly burned to ashes by a flame-like power.
He was bleeding profusely from his shoulder and was in a lot of pain. Be that as it may, Liu Mu ignored it like it was nothing and turned his head, looking at Yang Kai. When he saw that Yang Kai was still following closely behind him without the slightest injury, Liu Mu finally relaxed.
“Watch out!” Yang Kai warned.
Liu Mu’s expression changed as more black beams of light came shooting at him, reaching him in the blink of an eye.
Liu Mu’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. He let out a furious roar as a towering figure suddenly appeared behind him. It was a golden armoured man, majestic and awe-inspiring.
The armoured man was over a dozen metres tall and its body was completely covered in thick, shining armour, making it impossible to see its face. It held a long sabre in its hand that gave off a sheen which made it seem capable of slaying all evil.
This was Liu Mu’s Divine Manifestation.
As an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, Six Wood Divine Monarch naturally had his own Divine Manifestation, but he wouldn’t use it easily because it was the most powerful move in his arsenal and also a method of last resort.
Be that as it may, he was left with no choice but to use this move under the fearsome attacks of the Black Ink Master.
Liu Mu’s figure became one with the golden-armoured giant as he swung his sabre down, blocking the oncoming black beams of light. Every time the sabre cut a black beam, the golden-armoured giant would tremble and retreat.
The golden-armoured giant had retreated several hundred meters in just a few breaths of time, but there was no end to the black beams of light in sight.
The golden-armoured giant couldn’t defend itself any longer, but just as a black beam of light was about to shatter it, two figures suddenly appeared from either side.
Both of them were Eighth-Order Ancestors from different Cave Heavens and Paradises.
The next moment, profound Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques were unleashed, finally halting the barrage of black beams with the combined strength of many people.
Liu Mu looked over and nodded to the reinforcements before taking the lead and pushing ahead like a great general.
Over a dozen Eighth-Order Masters formed two wings on either side of Yang Kai as they pressed forward.
The Black Ink Master’s fearsome might was deeply rooted in everyone’s heart. Every Master from the Cave Heavens and Paradises had experienced the dreadful strength of the Royal Lord first-hand. She had fought against over 1,000 High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters all by herself, yet she was still as fearsome as ever.
The black beams of light kept shooting at them, but they were all neutralized by the Eighth-Order Ancestors.
Even as they drew closer to one another, the ghastly spider threads couldn’t stop their advance.
Lan You Ruo had already fallen back.
She had guessed the Eighth-Order Ancestors’ plan and didn’t want to drag them down. Instead, she took a relatively safe position and fired a series of Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques at the enormous body of the Black Ink Master.
She was not alone. There were many Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises around her. Furthermore, the dozen or so Eighth-Order Ancestors, who were protecting Yang Kai, were drawing most of the Black Ink Masters’ attention, which actually ensured the others’ safety for the most part.
A trace of panic appeared on the Black Ink Master’s face, obviously recalling the power of the Purifying Light.
Particularly when Yang Kai began to absorb the energy of the Yellow and Blue Crystals in his Small Universe. As each of his hands began to glow in different colours, her panic became even more apparent.
Liu Mu treated this trace of panic as a sign that she was at the end of her rope, and pressed the attack.
Suddenly, the corners of the Black Ink Master’s lips rose into a cruel sneer as a vertical crack appeared on her forehead. This crack in her forehead was like a third eye and was giving off a malevolent aura.
A black beam of light that was even denser than the previous Black Ink beams shot out from this third eye and arrived before the charging group of Ancestors in a flash.
Liu Mu and the others’ expressions drastically changed. The Black Ink Master possessing such a Divine Ability was totally out of their expectations.
They didn’t feel any threat from the previous black beams of light when they were grouped up, but they instinctively had a bad feeling now.
The black beam of light was not targeting anyone though, and when it reached the lead group, it suddenly exploded, transforming into a giant black net.
The net instantly blocked the entire region, enveloping all of them inside.
No one could avoid it. The next moment, blasts of Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm World Force surged as Divine Manifestations emerged one after another. The Eighth-Order Masters could no longer act conservatively and immediately used their most powerful Secret Techniques to repel the black net.
The black net was incomparably tough and impervious to all techniques though.
Everyone was caught in the net in a flash.
All the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters fell into despair and one even cursed in alarm, “We’re screwed!”
The giant black net also had the characteristics of the Black Ink Strength. Not only was it sharp, but it was also extremely corrosive. When the Eighth-Order Masters were caught in it, they felt as if their bodies were being sliced into by the net and Black Ink Strength was beginning to seep into their bodies.
The next moment, the Black Ink Master pulled the net, reeling in her catch.
When the nearby High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters outside the net saw this, they immediately tried to rescue them, but it was to no avail.
The trapped Eight-Order Masters found it even more difficult to save themselves. Each of them was too close to the other, so even if they wanted to go all out, there was a risk of accidentally injuring their nearby companions. Everyone was at a loss as to what to do.
The Black Ink Master’s shrill cackling reverberated through the void. As the giant net pulled closer and closer to the Black Ink Master, a giant crack appeared on her bulging abdomen. Jagged fangs were on either side of the crack, making it look like a second mouth that could swallow everything.
It was at that moment that a powerful Purifying Light bloomed, rising like a Sun and instantly enveloping all the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
The giant net, which could not be destroyed even by the Eight-Order Masters’ Divine Manifestations, rapidly melted like snow under a blazing sun. Even the surrounding Black Ink Strength was swiftly vaporized.
The Black Ink Master’s smile instantly turned stiff! It wasn’t that she forgot about the restraining effects of the Purifying Light; rather, she felt that she had more or less figured out the power of the Purifying Light after spending 100 years together with Yang Kai. The Purifying Light Yang Kai had displayed before was indeed powerful, but not to this extent.
What she didn’t know was that during those 100 years, Yang Kai was confronting her in the cage, he had only used the Yellow and Blue Crystals at or below the Sixth Order to display the Purifying Light. After all, Yang Kai had to conserve his resources in order to fight a protracted battle. Although he had countless Yellow and Blue Crystals, he didn’t dare to squander them freely.
But as he was facing the freed Black Ink Master just now, Yang Kai had gone all out and absorbed a massive amount of Eighth-Order Yellow and Blue Crystals.
As a result, the Purifying Light he was able to display was naturally much stronger. The Eighth-Order Yellow and Blue Crystals were the highest Order materials he possessed.
Having been freed, the dozen or so Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters promptly use their Divine Manifestation to attack the Black Ink Master.
This was a Heaven-sent opportunity. Once before, they had tried to break through the Black Ink Master’s blockade and engage in a melee with her, but none had been able to reach her. Everyone who tried to approach her was blocked by the defensive web she had spun.
But this time, she was the one who took the initiative to drag them into close quarters.
Blasts of World Force surged as Secret Techniques and Divine Abilities bombarded the Black Ink Master’s enormous body. Her beautiful face turned pale as she cried out in pain again and again. Seemingly falling into a rage, she began wildly swinging her long legs in an attempt to counterattack.
Panic quickly replaced her rage though as the dazzling white sun that had broken her Secret Technique was forcefully shoved into the crack in her abdomen.
Although Yang Kai was sent flying by one of her long legs the next instant, the Black Ink Master’s abdomen had gone through an earth-shattering change.
Everyone could clearly feel that the Black Ink Master’s aura weakened at a speed visible to the naked eye and was overjoyed, immediately increasing the intensity of their attacks.
A series of violent explosions rang out as the dozen or so Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters attacked to their heart’s content. It had been many years since they had a chance to unleash their strength like this. Having reached their current strength and position meant that there weren’t many targets worthy of them to personally take action against, so this was a rare chance to let loose.
When they first fought with the Black Ink Master, they had clearly been a little out of practice, but as time wore on, their attacks became more and more intense. They were acting as if they had suddenly become thousands of years younger, returning to their hot-blooded youth.
The Purifying Light kept bursting from Yang Kai’s hands, and each time his attack would cause varying degrees of injuries to the Black Ink Master.
The Black Ink Master’s enraged counterattack did not cease. From time to time, the aura of a Small Universe’s collapse could be felt from behind, indicating that a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master had fallen.
But even more Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters broke through the Black Ink Master’s web blockade and joined the battle.
It was quite a chaotic battle. Nonetheless, everyone knew what they had to do, especially Yang Kai, who was constantly guarded by four or five Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Everyone knew that Yang Kai’s Purifying Light was the sharpest weapon they had against the Black Ink Master. Although he was only a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, the damage he could cause to her with each blow was something that none of these Eighth-Order Masters were capable of.
The Black Ink Master’s aura continued to weaken, and after an initial struggle, it looked like she no longer had the strength to fight back. This situation greatly motivated the many High-Rank Masters.
The Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises kept unleashing their Secret Techniques and Divine Abilities. This was the first time in countless years that the Masters of the Cave Heavens and Paradises had come together in the 3,000 Worlds to battle an enemy, and besides Yang Kai, everyone participating in the battle was a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master.
After 100 years, everyone had managed to cultivate enough Profound Yin Bamboo in their respective Small Universe to provide a sturdy defence against the corrosion of the Black Ink Strength.
Some people got corroded by the Black Ink Strength from time to time and promptly cut off parts of their Small Universes. They would rather have their strength permanently decline than bother Yang Kai at this moment; after all, the Purifying Light in his hands was the best weapon against the Black Ink Master.
Things were looking increasingly grim for the Royal Lord! Everyone could see that she was at the end of her rope.
Yang Kai, however, was puzzled, because the Black Ink Master showed no intention of escaping from beginning to end. It was true that she was a Royal Lord, and at her peak, she possessed strength comparable to a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, but after having been imprisoned for countless millennia, she was just a shadow of her former self. She might have killed many Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises here, but she was still just a cornered beast.
So why didn’t she flee?
Not only was she not fleeing in fact, she’s not even moving around.
The Super Array had already been destroyed, so nothing was restraining her freedom anymore. If she wanted to escape, no one here could have stopped her, no matter how many Masters there were from the Cave Heavens and Paradises. What’s more, even though Black Territory had been sealed, she knew about that. More importantly, it probably wouldn’t be difficult for her to break through any kind of seal with her strength.
But for some reason, she wasn’t fleeing or even changing her position. This was definitely not due to arrogance.
Just as he was feeling puzzled, the weakened Black Ink Master suddenly took a deep breath.
The next moment, a long whistle came from the forefront, echoing throughout the void. It was a signal sent by an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who had caught sight of her actions.
But the next moment, a cruel and savage look blanketed the Black Ink Master’s face as she opened her mouth and let out a deafening scream, drowning out that whistle. At the same time, a sound wave visible to the eye spread out from her position.
Everyone was like a ship sailing on a stormy sea. They instantly lost their footing and were pushed back by the sound wave. Not only that, but everyone also jolted as their Small Universe’s strength suddenly became unstable.
This roar seemed to be a type of Secret Technique which targeted Small Universes directly. The Masters were still affected even with the protection of the Profound Yin Bamboo.
Only Yang Kai’s Small Universe remained completely stable. Be that as it may, the fact that he was just in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master put him at a disadvantage. Though his World Force could still flow steadily, the sheer magnitude of the scream sent him tumbling like a leaf in the autumn wind.
Fortunately, an Eighth-Order guard near him grabbed him at the critical moment and pulled him over.
“Many thanks, Senior!” Yang Kai quickly thanked him.
But the next moment, he realized that he was in grave danger. It might have looked as if the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master had grabbed him out of goodwill, but after holding him, a burst of fearsome force came from that Master’s giant hand as he gripped him tighter.
Yang Kai looked up at the Master and noticed an expression of struggle on his face as an eerie black soon replaced his healthy complexion.
“Black Ink corruption!” Yang Kai was beside himself with shock, unable to understand how this Eighth-Order Master had been turned into a Black Ink Disciple.
Yang Kai might not know the name of this Eighth-Order Ancestor, but he still recognized him. He was an Ancestor of Luo Sheng Cave Heaven and had an unfathomable cultivation.
Just a little while ago, this man along with a dozen other Eighth-Order Masters had jumped in and protected him with Liu Mu as they pressed towards the Black Ink Master.
When they were caught inside the black net released by the Black Ink Master, this man was trapped inside as well. Furthermore, he had always been protecting Yang Kai, even when that put him in a dangerous predicament.
Yang Kai hadn’t sensed any Black Ink Strength from this Ancestor, nor did the man show any signs of being seriously injured, which was why Yang Kai had not expected this Eighth-Order Master beside him to turn into a Black Ink Disciple all of a sudden.
A dark gleam flashed across his eyes. The Eighth-Order Ancestor seemed to have transformed into a completely different person, exuding an extremely dangerous aura.
Yang Kai instinctually raised his hand and summoned his Azure Dragon Spear, pouring in all of his strength as he thrust it out.
But the gap between the two was simply too big. The Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple swept aside the Azure Dragon Spear with a casual wave of his hand. Yang Kai almost had his arm torn off as a result, his all-out attack seemingly posing no threat to the enemy. A giant hand was lightly swinging towards Yang Kai’s head in the next instant, but this seemingly gentle palm strike contained a terrifying power and momentum.
In this life-or-death crisis, Yang Kai’s hand suddenly ballooned and transformed into a Dragon Claw which he pushed out with all his might.
Cracking sounds echoed as Yang Kai’s wrist bones shattered from the violent clash. Nonetheless, he managed to escape from the other party’s grasp.
Still, the palm strike was not entirely deflected and lightly landed on Yang Kai’s now much-enlarged shoulder.
Light as that attack may have looked, Yang Kai felt as if he had been struck by lightning. His face turned pale as his shoulder caved in.
Seeing that his attack had failed, no obvious change in expression on the Luo Sheng Cave Heaven Eighth-Order Ancestor’s face was noticed. He just pointed his finger towards Yang Kai’s head at lightning speed.
[I can’t dodge it!] With his Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation, it was already Yang Kai’s limit to parry the first strike, leaving him no strength to avoid this follow-up attack.
Be that as it may, Yang Kai’s momentary struggle had given the other Ancestors the time needed to react. One of them pulled Yang Kai behind him and raised his hand to meet the oncoming blow, while the others unleashed their Divine Abilities.
Luo Sheng Heaven’s Eighth-Order Master hurriedly exchanged a few blows before his figure jolted as blood trickled down the corner of his mouth.
Yang Kai turned around, hearing the sounds of fighting around him. A solemn look took over his face.
It wasn’t just Luo Sheng Heaven’s Eighth-Order Ancestor who had been corrupted. Four other Ancestors were currently fighting with the others.
No one knew how they had been turned as not a single Eighth-Order Ancestor had been corrupted from the beginning of the siege of the Black Ink Master until now. Only Seventh-Order Masters had degenerated into Black Ink Disciples.
Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were extremely powerful and possessed a certain level of resistance against the Black Ink Strength. Coupled with the Profound Yin Bamboo, there was basically no risk of them being corrupted by the Black Ink Strength.
It was precisely because they were so confident that so many Eighth-Order Ancestors could confront the Black Ink Master head-on. But by the looks of it, they had been too careless.
It wasn’t that the Black Ink Master was unable to corrupt the Eighth-Order Masters, but that she had been hiding this ability all along. She had only used it at the last moment, corrupting five Eighth-Order Masters at once.
“Royal Lord Secret Technique!” The Eighth-Order Ancestor, who had pulled Yang Kai behind him just now, didn’t participate in the battle and coldly muttered instead, a profound look of sadness filling his face.
Yang Kai’s heart skipped a beat upon hearing this. Obviously, the Eighth-Order Ancestors had a certain understanding of the Black Ink Master’s abilities. When he had asked Six Wood Divine Monarch about the Black Ink Clan Royal Lords, he had said that they were comparable to Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Now, when Yang Kai heard this Ancestors mutter the words ‘Royal Lord Secret Technique’, it was apparent that the Black Ink Royal Lord could not use this Secret Technique easily; otherwise, she wouldn’t have waited until now to cast it.
“Everything is within our expectations, don’t panic,” assured the Eighth-Order Ancestor without even turning his head, though Yang Kai knew he was talking to him.
Yang Kai nodded silently but he did not let his guard down.
Yang Kai had no idea whether the Eighth-Order Ancestor protecting him was also corroded by the Black Ink Strength or not; as such, he secretly circulated the power of his Small Universe to guard against any unexpected situations.
This sudden change threw the entire battlefield into chaos and it became difficult to distinguish friend from foe. Everyone, whether it was those who were fighting with Black Ink Disciples, or those who were watching, all became vigilant.
Seemingly sensing Yang Kai’s vigilance towards him, the Eighth-Order Ancestor explained, “Although we old fogies have never fought with the Black Ink Clan before, we’re not completely lacking information about them. The Masters of the Cave Heavens and Paradises have been resisting the Black Ink Clan’s invasion for many millennia in another place. It is thanks to their protection that the 3,000 Worlds has been able to flourish until now.”
This revelation shook Yang Kai to the core, but he didn’t ask any questions. He felt that he was slowly coming into contact with the core secrets of this world.
“Aren’t you curious why the Cave Heavens and Paradises have no Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters even after so many years of accumulation? Why we aren’t as powerful as you think we should be?”
Yang Kai didn’t refute this Senior’s questions as he did have such doubts.
Not to mention the existence of a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, even the Cave Heavens and Paradises’ heritage was not as strong as he had imagined it to be.
Logically speaking, each Cave Heaven and Paradise was a top force that no one in the 3,000 Worlds dared to challenge. Year after year, millennia and millennia they had cultivated countless elite disciples. Open Heaven Realm Masters had extremely long lifespans, so after countless aeons of accumulation, each Cave Heaven and Paradise should have at least 10,000 or perhaps even more High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters.
However, Yang Kai had been to Lang Ya Paradise and Yin-Yang Cave Heaven and seen their heritage up close. He might not know everything about these two forces, but he knew that they certainly did not possess so many High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Now, he finally understood why!
Pondering for a moment, he asked, “The Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters of the Cave Heavens and Paradises are all on that battlefield, and most of the elite disciples you have gained have been dispatched there over the years?”
The Eighth-Order Ancestor smiled, “You’re a smart one. I didn’t need to explain too much for you to understand. That’s right, the Ninth-Order Old Ancestors of the Cave Heavens and Paradises are all stationed on that battlefield. Furthermore, the Cave Heavens and Paradises must send reinforcements there every few years to replenish the ranks.”
Yang Kai was filled with respect, “So, this is the reason why the Cave Heavens and Paradises have all remained allies since ancient times!”
A long time ago, he had found the close relationship between the Cave Heavens and Paradises strange. As the saying went, a mountain cannot accommodate two tigers. Even ordinary tigers fought with each other, let alone behemoths like the Cave Heavens and Paradises. But even after so many years, these top forces had always lived in harmony and never had any intense conflicts. At most, there were some harmless disagreements.
Now, Yang Kai understood that it was the existence of an even greater danger that kept the Cave Heavens and Paradises so united.
If it weren’t for this external threat, the greed of humanity would have run amok. At that time, the 3,000 Worlds would likely have descended into a state of constant war.
It was already difficult to fight a single Black Ink Royal Lord even with so many High-Rank Masters on their side, so Yang Kai was having a very hard time imagining what kind of battlefield it would be for the various Cave Heavens and Paradises to have to constantly send the vast majority of their elites just to maintain the line.
“Once you step through the No-Return Pass, you can never return! That is the boundary between chaos and peace, the final line of defence of the 3,000 Worlds. Once you cross over, only one of two fates awaits you.”
He seemed to be answering his own question, “Die at the hands of the Black Ink Clan, or die at the hands of your fellow comrades!”
There was no other fate apart from these two, the only thing waiting after crossing the No-Return Pass was death.
Yang Kai slightly furrowed his brow, [I get it that we can die at the hands of the Black Ink Clan in that unknown battlefield, but dying at the hands of my fellow comrades…]
However, when he saw the situation on the battlefield, he instantly came to an understanding.
In that place, it would be a common occurrence to be turned into a Black Ink Disciple. Their fellow disciples would surely not show any mercy against Black Ink Disciples.
Nonetheless, Yang Kai still failed to understand, “No one can survive? Really?”
“On that battlefield, death is only a matter of time. The statement ‘once you cross the No-Return Pass’ is not mere rhetoric. It has been hundreds of thousands of years since the establishment of the No-Return Pass, but in all these years, there has never been a precedent for anyone coming back after stepping through. This is why the Cave Heavens and Paradises need to cultivate a large number of talents in order to constantly invest manpower into that battlefield.”
Yang Kai fell silent for a moment before asking in a low voice, “Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s Xu Ling Gong went to that battlefield?”
The Eighth-Order Ancestor replied, shaking his head, “This Old Master has been in seclusion for many years and doesn’t know any Xu Ling Gong. However, a group of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven disciples did cross the No-Return Pass several hundred years ago.”
He finally had an answer to his doubts.
Yang Kai always found it very strange when he failed to spot Xu Ling Gong in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven; after all, when Qu Hua Shang’s 100-year confinement ended, there was no reason for Xu Ling Gong to not appear.
The answer Yin-Yang Cave Heaven had given was that Xu Ling Gong was carrying out a mission for the Sect, but by the looks of it, he had left the 3,000 Worlds with other Yin-Yang Cave Heaven disciples when they parted ways at the Star Boundary.
Qing Kui and Su Ying Xue must have gone with their Honoured Master.
“Although no one has ever returned from the No-Return Pass, sometimes information can still be relayed when the passage is opened. The Cave Heavens and Paradises’ information on the Black Ink Clan comes from that side.”
“The Black Ink Royal Lords might be as strong as Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, but if that was all it was, we wouldn’t have to worry so much about this situation. Her strength has greatly diminished after being imprisoned for so many years, so it wouldn’t have been difficult for the Cave Heavens and Paradises to deal with her with our remaining heritage, it is just that we would need to pay a price to do so. There is only one thing that we were concerned about. The Black Ink Royal Lords have a Secret Technique that even Eighth-Order Masters like us can’t resist. Once we are hit by it, we will instantly transform into Black Ink Disciples and become loyal slaves to her.”
These pieces of information were sent back through the No-Return Pass and came at a price of countless years of sacrifice.
This was the situation Yang Kai saw.
The Royal Lord used her Royal Lord Secret Technique, instantly converting five Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters into Black Ink Disciples, throwing the rest into a panic. Furthermore, no one knew if there were any other Black Ink Disciples hiding apart from these five.
Be that as it may, everyone had already anticipated this situation, which was why others had immediately come to Yang Kai’s rescue when the Luo Sheng Heaven Eighth-Order Ancestor attacked him.
The current situation was something they had to bear during the course of this battle until now.
“She has reached the end of her rope!” The Eighth-Order Ancestor standing next to Yang Kai let out a sigh of relief, as if a heavy stone had been lifted off his heart and he could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.
According to the information they had obtained, a Royal Lord would never use this Secret Technique unless they were absolutely forced to. Because although this Secret Technique was incomparably profound, it consumed a great deal of the Royal Lord’s strength. It was the kind of Secret Technique that was used in a do-or-die kind of situation.
Now that she had to resort to it, it meant she was on her last leg.
Yang Kai looked up at the Black Ink Royal Lord and could tell that her aura was extremely weak. Her vast Will that had been filling the void previously was almost gone.
Yang Kai was filled with profound respect.
The Cave Heavens and Paradises Eighth-Order Ancestors had already anticipated this situation before participating in the battle. All of them were mentally prepared to be transformed into Black Ink Disciples. They knew that in order to have any hope of winning, they would have to force the Royal Lord to use her Secret Technique.
No one knew if they would be the ones to be turned into Black Ink Disciples, but everyone was prepared to sacrifice themselves for the sake of the 3,000 Worlds’ survival.
Secret Techniques and Divine Abilities flashed one after another as the wanton blasts of World Force crushed and warped space. While Yang Kai and the Eighth-Order Ancestor were talking, the five corrupted Eighth-Order Masters had been completely surrounded. Their close allies had turned into their enemies, pointing their weapons at them and ruthlessly attacking without mercy.
They couldn’t show any hesitation. Unlike the corrupted Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, who the Eighth-Order Ancestors could subdue and deliver to Yang Kai, allowing him to use the Purifying Light to free them, the Eighth-Order Ancestors had profound cultivations, so trying to capture them alive was too dangerous. The only way to deal with them was to kill them!
All of them had been mentally prepared for this very scenario.
The five corrupted Masters gathered around and attacked left and right, displaying their respective Divine Manifestations and confronting the rest of the Masters.
Suddenly, a fountain of blood flew into the void. Someone was finally injured. One of the five old men staggered as one of his arms flew into the air. But before he could regain his footing, another two powerful Secret Techniques struck him.
It was unknown which Cave Heaven or Paradise this old man belonged to, but his cultivation was quite profound. He did not fall even after suffering such a serious injury, though he did cut a sorry figure, covered in blood.
It appeared as if he couldn’t feel any pain. Suddenly, Yang Kai’s expression became stiff. His figure flickered as he promptly retreated. An extremely dangerous aura was radiating from the injured old man.
This was a sign of self-destruction.
Everyone quickly dispersed at the sight of this.
The self-destruction of a Small Universe might not be able to deter the Eighth-Order Ancestors, but Black Ink Disciple’s self-destruction could not be ignored. Once he self-destructed, the Black Ink Strength in his Small Universe would disseminate, and that posed quite a threat to them.
The next moment, a shockwave shook the void as the old man’s Small Universe collapsed. Spirit Provinces enveloped with a thick ink-like energy manifested, chasing after the fleeing crowd like a tsunami, trying to envelop them.
Fortunately, no one was affected by the Black Ink Strength.
But by the time they turned to look back, the other four Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples had all rushed to the side of the Black Ink Royal Lord.
The fierce battle had left them covered in wounds, but their expressions were firm and their eyes filled with determination. It was as if they were the most devoted of believers, protecting their God. Even if the world were to collapse, they would never allow outsiders to harm the Royal Lord.
The Eighth-Order Masters who still had their clarity were filled with grief. Although they were mentally prepared when they were forced to kill their own comrades, even their calm and tranquil state of mind was affected.
The Black Ink Royal Lord’s weakness was quite obvious. It was as if she didn’t even have the strength to stand up straight. Her giant spider-like body lay motionless, staring at everyone with incomparable hatred.
*Shua shua shua…*
One after another, figures rushed over from the periphery. Hundreds of Eighth-Order and Seventh-Order Masters rushed in, forming a giant encirclement around the Black Ink Master.
This time, it was impossible for her to survive.
Yang Kai turned around and noticed Lan You Ruo in the crowd.
Her face was slightly pale and her clothes were stained in blood, but she looked like she was otherwise alright. This put his mind at ease.
Even when she was in such a dangerous situation, the Black Ink Royal Lord gently smiled, her voice still as pleasant as ever, “Do you think you’ve won?”
No one answered her. Hundreds of pairs of eyes stared at her coldly, each one was filled with burning hatred.
Although the battle with her had not lasted too long, every Cave Heaven and Paradise had suffered heavy casualties. Even Eighth-Order Ancestors had fallen in this battle, something that had not happened in countless years.
Be that as it may, it was a small price to pay to kill a Black Ink Royal Lord.
After all, she was someone as strong as a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. If it weren’t for the fact that she had been imprisoned for countless years, causing her strength to drastically fall, they wouldn’t have been able to do anything to her no matter how many people they had gathered.
“If you want to kill me, then get on with it!” The Black Ink Master suddenly screamed, “Let’s see if you can still laugh after I die!”
Although she said so, she obviously didn’t intend to sit back and let herself be killed.
An Eight-Order Black Ink Disciple, who was guarding her, suddenly moved towards her and raised his arm, standing in front of her.
The Black Ink Master opened her mouth and bit off the Eighth-Order Ancestor’s arm as her cherry lips transformed into a giant, hideous mouth. Blood dripped from her mouth as she chewed a few times before swallowing.
The next moment, her weakened aura quickly started to recover.
She opened her mouth again and bit off half of the Eighth-Order Ancestor chest.
“Martial Uncle!” The eyes of some Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in the crowd cracked wide open and turned bloodshot. The Eighth Order who was being eaten alive by the Black Ink Master was an Ancestor of his Sect.
“Kill!” An angry shout rang out from the crowd. No one knew which Ancestor had given the order.
The consumption of the Royal Lord’s Secret Technique was enormous, and they had paid such a heavy price to force her to use it. They could not give her any chance to recover.
The Black Ink Master was extremely fast. She had eaten the entire Eighth-Order Master in just a few bites, allowing her to recover a bit.
Secret Techniques and Divine Abilities flew at the Black Ink Master in the next instant, leaving long dazzling trails in the void, drowning her instantly.
The remaining three Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples used their Divine Manifestations, protecting the Royal Lord, but they were swiftly overwhelmed by the endless barrage.
Before the first wave of attacks even subsided, a second wave was launched.
A moment later, three consecutive fluctuations of Small Universes collapsing spread out.
The three Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples had fallen. They had no intention of escaping, and only death awaited them in the face of such overwhelming attacks.
Everyone’s attacks became more ruthless, as if they wanted to vent all their anger and frustrations.
A miserable scream came from the Black Ink Master. Although she had eaten the flesh and blood of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master to regain some of her strength, it was far from enough for her to use her Royal Lord Secret Technique again.
The only fate that awaited her was death.
The dazzling flashes gradually ceased as the shockwaves from the previous attacks spread out. Everyone looked at the Black Ink Master and saw that her entire body was covered in wounds. Her pretty face was mangled and a few of her long spider legs were blasted away.
However, she was still alive. Her massive body was lying in place as she glared at everyone around her with eyes filled with hatred.
It took almost everything for the Black Ink Royal Lord to support her massive body with her last three legs. She raised her head and puffed out her chest, stubbornly maintaining her dignity and pride.
Disdain filled her arrogant eyes as she stared at everyone, “Go ahead, what are you waiting for?”
All eyes turned to Yang Kai.
The Black Ink Royal Lord was like a centipede that refused to fall even after death. The fact that so many of the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters failed to take her life was a testament to her tenacity to live. In order to completely destroy her, the Purifying Light was the best option.
Yang Kai stepped forward without a moment of hesitation. His left and right hands glowed with different colours, and when he brought his palms together, the two-coloured lights merged and gave birth to pure white light.
Yang Kai stepped closer to the Black Ink Master, asking the question that had been bugging him this whole time, “Why didn’t you escape?”
Even though she was in such a dangerous predicament, she had not moved from her spot, as if she had been locked in a place by a great force.
The corners of the Black Ink Royal Lord’s mouth rose into a smile but she remained silent. The contempt in her eyes only grew stronger.
Yang Kai furrowed his brow. He felt that something was not right. Nonetheless, he did not have the luxury to think too deeply about it. The Black Ink Royal Lord was already like an arrow at the end of its flight; furthermore, if he didn’t kill her now, there would be no end to the future trouble.
The next moment, the dazzling white light grew stronger before it transformed into a halo that enveloped the Black Ink Master completely.
The Black Ink Master grimaced in pain, but she clenched her teeth and didn’t scream.
Cracking sounds rang out as thick black wisps emerged from her wounds before disappearing into nothingness, causing her already weak aura to become even weaker.
Nevertheless, the Royal Lord seemed as if she had been extricated from a huge burden. She raised her head slightly as her eyes turned blurry.
The halo of light continued to wash over the giant spider’s body, constantly purifying the Black Ink Strength. The Black Ink Master’s body quickly became translucent as the Black Ink Strength was purified.
After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, only a hazy illusory phantom remained of the Black Ink Royal Lord’s body.
Suddenly, she smiled at Yang Kai and proclaimed, “Black Ink Eternal!”
The moment she finished speaking, her body burst like a bubble and completely disappeared.
As the light faded away, Yang Kai stared at the spot where her corpse vanished, furrowing his brow. Even if she was on her last leg, the Black Ink Royal Lord should still have had plenty of strength to fight back, but when he was purifying her just now, she didn’t resist at all. Yang Kai found this very strange.
This question had been plaguing Yang Kai’s mind all the while, but it remained unanswered.
Silence filled the void. Everyone stared at the place where the Black Ink Master had disappeared, neither cheering nor celebrating.
The Cave Heavens and Paradises might have won, but the price they had paid was simply too great. They had lost some 300 Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, as well as five Eighth-Order Masters. Each of their corpses was beyond recognition.
Not only that, many surviving High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters had discarded a part of their Small Universe in order to avoid being corrupted by the Black Ink Strength. This had damaged their foundation and they would never be able to advance their cultivation again.
Such heavy casualties were unprecedented.
Everyone quietly cleaned up the battlefield, collecting the remains of their fellow disciples.
There were many shattered Spirit Provinces surrounded by the Black Ink Strength scattered in the void; some were voluntarily cut off, some were left after the explosion of the Small Universe before the death of the Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Lan You Ruo flew to Yang Kai’s side and asked in a low voice, “What’s wrong?”
She could tell that Yang Kai was somewhat distracted.
Yang Kai shook his head, “I don’t understand.”
Lan You Ruo could guess what was going on in Yang Kai’s mind; after all, Yang Kai had asked the Black Ink Master his doubts out loud. She knew that he was mulling over why the Black Ink Master had not tried to escape, not even once. Nodding, she added, “I’m also a bit curious, but she’s already dead. Even if she was scheming something, she can do nothing now.”
“I hope not,” Yang Kai lightly mumbled.
Liu Mu walked over and stated, nodding slightly to Yang Kai, “You’ll have to continue working hard for a while. There is still a lot of Black Ink Strength lingering here. We need to dispel it as soon as possible.”
Yang Kai replied, “Senior, don’t worry, this Junior will take ca…”
Before he could finish his sentence though, a furrow suddenly appeared on his brow as he turned his head, looking in a certain direction. It was the direction where the Black Ink Master had fallen.
Liu Mu and Lan You Ruo, who were standing next to him, also turned their heads, but they failed to spot anything.
However, Yang Kai noticed something. His figure flickered, and he arrived at the spot where the Black Ink Master had died. He then closed his eyes and quietly sensed the surroundings.
The Eighth-Order Ancestors noticed his movements and their expressions became solemn as they slowly approached.
Someone asked Liu Mu, “What’s wrong?”
Liu Mu turned to Lan You Ruo and asked, “Do you know?”
Lan You Ruo shook her head, indicating that she had no idea.
No one had any clue what was going on, but Yang Kai’s actions had struck everyone’s taut nerves; after all, they had just fought a huge battle with the Black Ink Royal Lord and although they had won at a huge price, no one knew if she left some kind of machination behind or not.
A series of orders were sent out. The High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters who were cleaning up the battlefield quickly gathered around. Hundreds of people formed a huge circle around Yang Kai, staring at him as if there was another Royal Lord standing there.
After a while, Yang Kai finally opened his eyes and a solemn look filled his face.
Liu Mu lowered his voice, speaking like a thief, “Yang Boy, what did you find?”
Yang Kai turned around and replied in a heavy voice, “There seems to be a Void Corridor here!”
Everyone’s expression changed when they heard this. Liu Mu even rushed forward to Yang Kai’s side and focused his senses.
A moment later, he nodded, “There is indeed something here.”
Although his cultivation was much higher than Yang Kai’s, he wasn’t proficient in the Dao of Space. Even if Yang Kai was able to sense something, he might not be able to; however, being directed by Yang Kai, he meticulously probed the surrounding space and finally found something was wrong.
Other Eighth-Order Ancestors also investigated. Some noticed something, while others failed to.
However, they all knew that Yang Kai was proficient in the Dao of Space, and since he had said so, he must have noticed something.
“Where does it lead to?” An Eighth-Order Ancestor asked.
Yang Kai shook his head, “I don’t know! Moreover, this Void Corridor shows signs of being sealed. Judging by the method used to seal it, it should be quite old, but the seal has become loose for some reason. As for where it leads… I have a guess.”
Liu Mu’s face went pale and snapped, “Don’t make wild conclusions!”
He vaguely understood what Yang Kai was thinking. If his guess was true, then the 3,000 Worlds would definitely face a great catastrophe.
Yang Kai remained silent, but someone answered in his place, “The Black Ink Battlefield!”
Everyone’s hearts sank. The Black Ink Battlefield was the place where countless Cave Heaven and Paradise Masters fought against the Black Ink Clan, a place only accessible through the No-Return Pass.
It was precisely because there was only one entrance to the Black Ink Battlefield that the 3,000 Worlds could remain safe until now.
However, if there was a Void Corridor that led directly to the Black Ink Battlefield, the No-Return Pass would become meaningless, and the sacrifices that the Cave Heavens and Paradises had made over the years would be for nothing.
A heavy sigh escaped someone’s lips as he stated, “It seems we’ve all made a mistake. The Super Array in the Black Prison was not meant to imprison that Black Ink Royal Lord, but rather to seal this Void Corridor.”
Perhaps the Royal Lord was even a part of the Black Prison’s Super Array!
The Black Ink Master’s snide remark before her death rang in everyone’s ears.
‘Do you think you’ve won? If you want to kill me, then get on with it! Let’s see if you can still laugh after I die!’
Everyone thought she was just venting before her death, so none of them understood the hidden meaning behind her words. She would not reveal this secret to everyone either, because her death meant that the Super Array in Black Territory had been completely broken and the sealed Void Corridor would soon be revealed, connecting the 3,000 Worlds and the Black Ink Battlefield.
In other words, the Black Ink Clan could come through this Void Corridor at any moment.
A silent and heavy aura enveloped the crowd, causing everyone’s expressions to turn extremely solemn.
They had thought that after experiencing so much hardship, they had finally obtained victory, but who would have thought that this was just the beginning of a disaster?
“Enough nonsense, how do we know if this Void Corridor is connected to the Black Ink Battlefield?” Liu Mu scolded.
“What if it does?” Someone asked.
Liu Mu was speechless.
They could not take the chance, nor could ignore the situation. Even if there was a one-in-a-million chance, it concerned the lives of everyone in the 3,000 Worlds.
Liu Mu turned to Yang Kai and asked, “Can you determine where it leads to?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “This Void Corridor has been sealed once. That Black Ink Royal Lord might have been a part of the seal, but this seal will not be breaking anytime soon just because she is dead. I need a few more days until the seal loosens before I can confirm the situation on the other side.”
“Then, we’ll wait!” An Eighth-Order Ancestor quickly added, “Yang Kai, we need you to guard this place and observe this Void Corridor at all times. As soon as you get a chance, investigate the situation on the other side.”
“Of course!” Yang Kai cupped his fist.
Finished speaking, Yang Kai sat down cross-legged on the spot to recover and monitor the changes in the Void Corridor.
The High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters held a discussion before stationing some guards here while the rest dealt with the other problems of the battlefield.
Lan You Ruo stood beside Yang Kai, quietly staring into the void. Even now, she could not sense any traces of the Void Corridor.
She had just advanced to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, so her cultivation was not as profound as those Eighth-Order Ancestors. She was not proficient in the Dao of Space either, so naturally, she could not detect anything.
After a long silence, she suddenly asked, “Is this Void Corridor really connected to the Black Ink Battlefield?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “I can’t say for sure, but that’s the most likely scenario.”
This was the first time he had heard of the Black Ink Battlefield, but he understood what kind of place it was.
After a heavy pause, he continued, “I have no idea what exactly happened in the ancient era, but by the looks of it, it’s very likely that what happened back then was like this.”
“The Black Ink Royal Lord might have been fighting in the Black Ink Battlefield, but through some kind of coincidence, she either found or created this Void Corridor and found her way to the 3,000 Worlds.”
“However, she was discovered by the ancient Great Experts the moment she stepped in Black Territory.
“It must have resulted in a Heaven-shaking battle.
“The Ancient Great Experts won in the end, but the appearance of the Void Corridor threw a wrench in their victory.
“Ultimately, the ancient Great Experts set up the Super Array in Black Territory, creating a cage and imprisoning the Black Ink Royal Lord while using her as a core component to seal the Void Corridor.
“Until today!”
This was only Yang Kai’s guess. It was impossible to trace what had happened back then, so no one could say for sure.
There were many unreasonable points in his analysis, but there were some that made sense too.
Yang Kai had always suspected that if the ancient Great Experts had the ability to imprison the Black Ink Master for countless years, why didn’t they just kill her and get it over with? He thought that they didn’t kill her because it was difficult to deal with the Black Ink Strength left behind by the Black Ink Masters after their death, but apparently, that wasn’t the case.
Perhaps the Void Corridor had been created by the Black Ink Royal Lord, so using her to seal it was a better choice.
In the last battle, she had not moved away from the spot, no matter what kind of danger she fell into.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to move, nor was it that she didn’t want to escape, but rather that her entire existence had already become one with the seal of the Void Corridor. She couldn’t escape, nor could she move. She could only remain in one spot and endure the attacks of the Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises until her death.
Had she been able to freely move or escape at any moment, perhaps this battle would have ended differently.
But she was dead now, and the seal had become loose. The Void Corridor was slowly emerging, which made it possible for Yang Kai to notice it.
Lan You Ruo fell into deep thought when she heard this. If Yang Kai’s guess was right, once the seal was completely lifted, the 3,000 Worlds that had enjoyed peace for countless years would be connected to the Black Ink Battlefield. Countless Black Ink Masters would descend into Black Territory through this Void Corridor, plunging the vast universe into chaos.
She could already see corpses littered everywhere, while mournful wails echoed throughout the universe. The thought of this instantly caused her to shudder.
The Black Ink Royal Lord had been drastically weakened after being imprisoned for countless years, but she still made the Cave Heavens and Paradises suffer unimaginable losses. They would definitely not be able to defend themselves if a peak Royal Lord were to appear.
All the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters of the Cave Heavens and Paradises were stationed on the Black Ink Battlefield, so the remaining forces here would not be able to resist a Royal Lord.
She secretly prayed that the Void Corridor was not connected to the Black Ink Battlefield.
The seal slowly loosened day by day, not deteriorating any faster or slower as time passed, allowing the Void Corridor’s existence to become more and more apparent.
At first, only Yang Kai could sense its existence, and even an Eighth-Order Ancestor like Liu Mu could only barely notice that something was wrong.
But after half a month, any Eighth or Seventh-Order Master could sense the faint Space Principle fluctuations coming from the Void.
This was a clear sign of the continuous loosening of the seal, and once it was completely undone, the Void Corridor would connect the two sides together.
Be that as it may, where the Void Corridor led to was still shrouded in a veil of mystery.
Yang Kai stayed close to the place where the Black Ink Royal Lord had fallen, constantly monitoring its changes.
After working hard for a few days, Liu Mu and the others had finally managed to clean up the battlefield, though the residual Black Ink Strength remained a problem. Without Yang Kai’s help, they could only use their Arrays to seal up the remaining Black Ink Strength and wait to deal with it later.
Flying over to Yang Kai’s side, Liu Mu focused his senses for a moment before a furrow appeared on his brow, “It seems to have become more obvious?”
Yang Kai nodded his agreement, “En.”
“Are you still unable to investigate the situation on the other side?”
Yang Kai shook his head and stated, “The seal still exists, so without the ability to bypass it entirely, there’s nothing I can do.”
This seal was a relic of the ancient era. Yang Kai tried to study it, but to no avail. It belonged to a long-forgotten past, and most of the methods of that time were very different from the current ones. What’s more, the ancient Great Experts who had set up this seal must have had an unfathomable cultivation, so a mere Sixth-Order Master like Yang Kai was unable to grasp the profundities of this seal.
Liu Mu furrowed her brow. Since they couldn’t probe the situation of the other side, they couldn’t determine where the Void Corridor led to, all they could do now was guard against any possible dangers.
“If one day,” Liu Mu asked in a solemn voice, “I mean if this seal is completely broken, will you be able to seal it again?”
Yang Kai nodded his affirmation, “I will!”
His straightforward answer caught Liu Mu by surprise, “Are you sure?”
Yang Kai proudly smiled, “This Junior might be inferior to the ancient Great Experts in terms of cultivation, but when it comes to the Dao of Space, this Junior is confident he is not inferior to anyone. It won’t be difficult to seal this Void Corridor.”
Liu Mu immediately heaved a sigh of relief, “Very good, then we’ll see what you can do.”
Yang Kai assured with a nod, “Senior need not worry about this. However, we have another problem.”
Liu Mu immediately understood, “The Void Corridor will become exposed after the seal is broken. If anyone on the other side notices it, they will surely investigate!”
Yang Kai lightly nodded his acknowledgement.
The conversation between the two was naturally heard by other Eighth-Order Ancestors who were guarding the Void Corridor, so all of them furrowed their brow after hearing this. If they could not take care of this problem, sealing the Void Corridor again would be completely meaningless.
Nonetheless, no one had a solution. Everyone could only wait and see.
After half a month, a needle-sized black hole could be seen in the void. Yang Kai noticed it right away and he immediately focused his attention on it, finally confirming it to be the Void Corridor.
Naturally, the Void Corridor couldn’t be so narrow; it had not been visible before because of the existence of the ancient seal. In the past, only he could sense its existence, but the Void Corridor had appeared with the weakening of the seal’s power. Although it was only the size of a needle, it would definitely become larger with time.
This was indeed the case. The needle-sized Void Corridor had grown to the size of a fist after less than a month, pulsing with the aura of nihility and chaos.
As everyone attempted to probe it, they could clearly sense the existence of an invisible wall-like force inside the Void Corridor that was blocking their Divine Sense.
Obviously, this invisible wall was the seal’s power. It filled the Void Corridor and sealed the connection between its two ends.
This wall had become weaker with the loosening of the seal though, and one day, it would completely collapse, connecting Black Territory to whatever was on the other side.
Another month later, the fist-sized black hole had grown to more than twice that size. The joy of defeating the Royal Lord had long since faded from the faces of everyone, replaced by a solemn look as they kept staring at the changes in the Void Corridor.
These days, Lan You Ruo felt that there was something wrong with Yang Kai’s condition. Hesitation filled his face ever since the Void Corridor entrance had grown to the size of a fist, as if he was struggling to make a decision.
Although she had asked him about it, Yang Kai assured her that he was fine, so she questioned him further.
But today, she suddenly noticed that Yang Kai’s expression had become firm, as if the problem that had been plaguing him these days had finally been solved.
Just as she was about to ask, Yang Kai suddenly turned around and asked, “Proprietress, can I trouble you with something?”
Lan You Ruo asked, frowning “What is it?”
“I would like to ask you to return to the Star Boundary and invite Head Manager over, as well as Chen Tian Fei and Yun Xing Hua.”
Lan You Ruo’s expression slightly changed, “Why do you want me to bring them here?”
She faintly felt that something was off. Yang Kai obviously had something on his mind for him to suddenly want to see these three people for no apparent reason.
Yang Kai shook his head and didn’t answer. He just stared at her stubbornly.
“I’m not going. If you want to see them, you can go back and see them yourself,” Lan You Ruo looked away.
“Proprietress…” Yang Kai gently called her out.
“Shut up!” Lan You Ruo was completely infuriated and disappeared without a trace the next moment, apparently unwilling to speak with him further.
When the surrounding Eighth-Order Ancestors saw this, they all gave him a kind smile.
But soon, Lan You Ruo returned and stated, glaring at Yang Kai, “Smelly brat, no matter what you’re planning to do, do it after I get back!”
She also knew that even if she didn’t agree to Yang Kai’s request, the rest of High Heaven Palace’s members would still comply; after all, she wasn’t the only one in Black Territory right now.
“I understand,” Yang Kai nodded.
Lan You Ruo glared at him again before zooming away, leaving a long streak of light behind her. Although she was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, it would take her at least a few months to travel to the Star Boundary, and then back to Black Territory.
She didn’t know what Yang Kai wanted to do, but it was obviously something dangerous, so she wanted to return as soon as possible.
“Did you discover anything?” An Eighth-Order Ancestor asked.
The fact Yang Kai suddenly asked Lan You Ruo to return to the Star Boundary and bring some people here was obviously because he wanted to entrust them with something. In light of everything that had happened here, everyone could easily guess some things.
“Seniors, please gather everyone, this Junior has something to say.” Yang Kai cupped his fist.
“Good!” The Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master raised his hand and pointed toward the void. The next moment, a streak of light flew out from his fingertip, transforming into a dazzling light that shone for quite some time.
A short while later, the Eighth-Order Ancestors scattered throughout Black Territory, investigating various things, left everything they were doing and flew over.
The people who arrived later were oblivious to everything, but after asking around, they understood what was going on. All of them turned to Yang Kai one by one, looking at him curiously.
Once everyone was present, Liu Mu addressed the crowd, “Everyone is here. Yang Boy, now can you tell us what you want to say?”
Yang Kai stood up before he started speaking, “This Junior has been observing this place for a long time and I have made some discoveries I want to share with Seniors.”
Everyone perked up their ears. They might be his Seniors in terms of age and cultivation, but their attainment in Dao of Space was still inferior to Yang Kai’s. They too had been constantly investigating the Void Corridor these past few days, but they hadn’t made much progress.
“Although this Junior has yet to figure out where this Void Corridor is connected to, the only thing we can confirm now is that the Black Ink Royal Lord is indeed a part of the original seal. In any case, the Ancient Masters spent a great deal of effort to suppress the Black Ink Royal Lord here in order to seal this Void Corridor. Since they were so meticulous and serious about it, we can only assume the worst.”
The worst-case scenario was that the other end of the Void Corridor was connected to the Black Ink Battlefield!
This guess wasn’t completely baseless. The fact that an Ancient Great Expert had sealed the Black Ink Royal Lord here and turned it into a part of the seal meant that the other end of the Void Corridor had some connection to the Black Ink Clan.
The most likely place with a connection to a Royal Lord was the Black Ink Battlefield.
“Now that the Royal Lord is dead, the seal is becoming loose and the Void Corridor is gradually revealing itself. If our expectations are correct, we must begin preparing for the worst.”
“This Junior has also made some attempts recently, and with my current achievements in the Dao of Space, while it may be difficult to seal this Void Corridor again, it is not impossible.”
The Eighth-Order Ancestors lightly nodded their acknowledgement when they heard this. Yang Kai had mentioned this to Liu Mu before and many of them had heard it. They were all very glad that there was someone like Yang Kai who was proficient in the Dao of Space in the current generation; otherwise, there really wouldn’t have been any alternative for the Cave Heavens and Paradises in the face of the current situation.
Although they could have also found a way to seal the Void Corridor, it would definitely not have been better than the Ancient Great Expert’s methods, much less Yang Kai’s.
Special tasks should be handled by appropriate professionals only.
“What are you worried about, then?” An Eighth-Order Ancestor asked. Although Yang Kai’s tone was filled with great confidence when he spoke of sealing the Void Corridor again, the worry on his face was obvious.
Yang Kai smiled wryly, “Junior is only worried about one thing right now. When the seal set up by the ancient ancestors is completely lifted, the Void Corridor will be fully open. At that time, even if Junior is able to seal it again, the Void Corridor will still be at a risk of being discovered.”
In that case, re-sealing it would become meaningless.
It wouldn’t matter if the other side wasn’t the Black Ink Battlefield, but if it was, and the Black Ink Clan discovered the existence of this Void Corridor, they would definitely try to investigate what was on the other side. At that time, the 3,000 Worlds would not be able to block them.
It was quite a big ordeal, and everyone sunk into silence upon hearing this.
An Eighth-Order Ancestor with white hair asked, “Can you seal it again while the seal has not been completely lifted, apply another seal while using the original seal as the foundation?”
“Yes and no!”
Yang Kai’s ambiguous answer left everyone confused, [If you can do it, just say yes, if you can’t, say no. What’s the meaning of this ‘yes and no’!?]
Liu Mu wryly smiled, “Yang Boy, if you have something to say, just say it, you’re confusing us old fogies.”
Yang Kai cupped his fist in apology. He pondered for a moment before suddenly taking out a bamboo pole with a flip of his hand.
This bamboo was about as thick as a human arm with some green bamboo leaves also growing on it. Everyone was familiar with this bamboo and recognized it as a stalk of Profound Yin Bamboo.
Over the past 100 years, they had all spent quite a deal of effort and resources to cultivate Profound Yin Bamboo in their Small Universe in order to guard themselves against the Black Ink Master. Now, each and every one of them had a small bamboo forest inside their Small Universe.
Yang Kai’s Small Universe also had Profound Yin Bamboo, a lot of which he had transplanted there when he last visited the New Great Territory to investigate the situation.
The next moment, the Profound Yin Bamboo turned hollow and its branches and leaves withered with a slight shake of his hand, transforming into a long, cylindrical pole.
Everyone looked at Yang Kai in confusion, unable to understand why he did something like this. They were just talking about the Void Corridor’s matter, so why did he suddenly take out a Profound Yin Bamboo all of a sudden?
Nonetheless, everyone knew that Yang Kai must have something in mind and didn’t interrupt him.
“Let me put it this way, let’s assume that this bamboo tube is the Void Corridor.” Yang Kai, holding the Profound Yin Bamboo in one hand, pointed at its ends, “It connects two distant places through the Void. This end is connected to Black Territory, and the other is connected to somewhere unknown. For the moment, we’ll assume it is connected to the Black Ink Battlefield!”
Everyone nodded, indicating for him to continue.
Yang Kai pushed his strength into the Profound Yin Bamboo, filling the Profound Yin Bamboo with yellow light in the blink of an eye. Impressively, it was Yang Element Power.
Yang Kai continued, “The Ancient Masters used some powerful Divine Ability to seal this Void Corridor, cutting off the connection between the two places. The seal makes it absolutely impossible to discover this Void Corridor; but now, the seal has become loose, and the energy used for sealing the Void Corridor is slowly dispersing.” As he spoke, the yellow energy filling the bamboo tube started to slowly recede towards the other end. More than half of it had disappeared after a breath, almost reconnecting the two ends once more.
Yang Kai’s explanation was quite novel and also easy to understand.
Soon, someone noticed a problem. A stalwart Eighth-Order Ancestor furrowed his brow as he asked, “You mean to say that the energy sealing the Void Corridor began to dissipate from Black Territory’s end, and is gradually receding towards the other side!”
The fact that he spotted this wasn’t surprising as Yang Kai’s explanation made it quite obvious. Furthermore, when they had been investigating the Void Corridor recently, their probes also reached a similar conclusion.
When his Divine Sense probed the Void Corridor, Yang Kai could clearly feel an invisible wall blocking him, which was obviously the energy sealing the Void Corridor.
But after some time had passed, he noticed that the energy was indeed retreating.
“Indeed!” Yang Kai nodded his acknowledgement. It saved him a lot of explaining time, “When this Junior said that it could be sealed, this Junior meant it!”
It wasn’t that he was boasting, he was just speaking the truth.
Saying so, he mobilized the blue crystal’s energy, sealing the mouth of the bamboo tube representing Black Territory.
The yellow and blue energy were extremely obvious.
But then, Yang Kai shook his head, adding, “But doing so would be meaningless. We are fooling ourselves if we think that it will be over by just sealing up the passage to Black Territory. So, this kind of sealing does not cut it.”
While he was speaking, the yellow energy representing the Ancient Seal continued to dissipate, meaning that once the seal’s energy had completely disappeared, the Void Corridor on the other side would be revealed.
At that time, the Black Ink Clan on the other side would be able to follow along the Void Corridor, break the seal Yang Kai had left behind, and enter Black Territory.
Everyone fell silent. Yang Kai’s explanation couldn’t be any clearer. All of them were Eighth-Order Ancestors of their respective Sects, so whether it was their aptitude or talent, they were all the best of the best. They would be fools if they couldn’t understand things at this point.
An old white-haired Ancestor thus asked, “Sealing Black Territory is indeed just a treatment for the symptoms, but since you’ve brought this up, I assume you have a solution?”
Yang Kai nodded, “Yes!”
Everyone was shocked.
“Everyone, please take a look!” As Yang Kai spoke, he withdrew the yellow and blue energy and began another demonstration.
This time, he didn’t give any explanation. He just showed them.
The yellow energy once again filled the bamboo tube. After the explanation just now, everyone knew that it represented the energy left behind by the Ancient Masters.
In Yang Kai’s demonstration, the yellow energy continued to dissipate and recede from the side representing Black Territory and soon disappeared.
In other words, it meant that the Void Corridor was completely open.
But the moment yellow energy disappeared, blue energy emerged from the other end and began filling the bamboo tube back up again.
However, the supplement of blue energy and the erosion of yellow energy were in opposite directions.
Everyone understood that this sealing procedure of the Void Corridor had to wait until the energy in the Ancient Seal had completely disappeared. Yang Kai would enter the Void Corridor when the two places were completely connected, and seal it from the other end to Black Territory, completely sealing it!
There was no other alternative either. The Void Corridor was filled with energy right now, and Yang Kai could not reach the other side unless it had completely dissipated.
“It shouldn’t take long. This Junior will be able to completely conceal the traces of the Void Corridor from the other side within half a day at most. As long as no one discovers it during this half a day, the existence of the Void Corridor will remain a secret and there will be no risk of anyone breaking the seal and reaching here.”
“It’s too risky!” Among the crowd, an Eight-Order Ancestor immediately shook his head.
Forget about half a day, even an incense stick’s worth of time would not cut it as no one knew where the other end of the Void Corridor was. Everything would be fine if it wasn’t the Black Ink Battlefield, but if it really was, and the Black Ink Clan discovered it, the consequences would be unimaginable. Just as Yang Kai had said before, all they could do now was prepare for the worst.
This sealing method was too risky and depended too much on luck.
Although the others didn’t say anything, it was obvious they felt the same.
“Then there’s only one way left,” Yang Kai once again filled the bamboo tube with the yellow energy representing the ancient sealing energy, and this time, as the yellow energy receded, the blue energy representing his own sealing technique followed right behind it.
When the yellow energy completely disappeared, the bamboo tube was instantly filled up with blue energy! The Void Corridor’s seal remained intact, but the ancient sealing power had been replaced by Yang Kai’s.
Liu Mu’s expression changed slightly as he saw through Yang Kai’s intentions, “You want to enter the Void Corridor?”
Either way, Yang Kai had to enter the Void Corridor, but the first method entailed starting from the other side and retreating back here. Once the seal was complete, Yang Kai would find himself in Black Territory.
However, the latter method was completely different. This meant that he had to chase after the place where the ancient seal had disappeared and infuse his own energy behind him. Once the seal was complete, he would exit at the other end of the tunnel.
“This is the only way to ensure the Void Corridor is not discovered,” Yang Kai solemnly stated.
“If you do this, you won’t be able to return.” Liu Mu furrowed his brow. He felt the need to warn Yang Kai, “We still can’t determine what kind of place is on the other side, if it really is the Black Ink Battlefield…”
If it really was the Black Ink Battlefield, Yang Kai, being only a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, would definitely be doomed to die.
“Even if it really is the Black Ink Battlefield, this Junior will not refuse,” Yang Kai put away the bamboo tube, dispersed the yellow and blue energy, and looked at the crowd, “Of course, if Seniors have a better candidate or method to achieve this, this Junior will be more than happy to cooperate.”
Although the Cave Heavens and Paradises were full of talents, there were not many people who were proficient in the Dao of Space. Even if they were, they were not as proficient as Yang Kai.
Otherwise, they would not have asked Yang Kai to study the secrets of the Universe Temples to repair the Universe Arrays.
Yang Kai could claim he was the only one capable of repairing the Universe Array of a Universe Temple that had fallen into disrepair. At the very least, no one else could do it at this point in time.
“Do you know what the consequences are if you do this?” Someone asked.
Yang Kai laughed with humility, “Of course this Junior knows.”
He was the one who came up with the plan, so how could he not know the consequences he would face if he really carried it out? On the one hand, he might be safe, but on the other hand, after he sealed the Void Corridor, he might be drawn into the Black Ink Battlefield all on his own. That place was full of death and danger, where he could be killed at any moment.
“Unfortunately, I’m afraid no one but this Junior is capable of doing this,” Yang Kai sighed softly and said, “Even if the other end of the Void Corridor really is connected to the Black Ink Battlefield, this Junior still has some ability to protect himself.”
This self-preservation power naturally did not refer to cultivation. In the Black Ink Battlefield, Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters being killed was a common occurrence. He was only in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, far from being able to compare with those in the Eighth-Order; however, he did have advantages that others did not.
The World Spring fortified one’s Small Universe, allowing it to be impervious to external influences. If there was an attempted invasion, the World Spring in Yang Kai’s Small Universe would help protect him from foreign elements. Thus, he did not have to worry about being corrupted by the Black Ink Strength. During critical moments, he could even disguise himself as a Black Ink Disciple to mask his identity.
This was the ability that the other Open Heaven Realm Masters did not have.
The crowd fell silent.
Yang Kai continued, “I’m not going to lie, this Junior also hesitated for some time before making up my mind. Ultimately though, I decided I had to try. If the Void Corridor is not handled properly, no one in the 3,000 Worlds will be able to avoid the consequences. Once the Black Ink Clan invades, the war will definitely spread everywhere.”
Lan You Ruo had sensed that Yang Kai was worried about something, but when she asked him about it, he did not explain in detail; after all, this was not a trivial matter, and it was difficult for anyone to make such a decision.
Liu Mu sighed softly and said, “It is a blessing for the 3,000 Worlds that you are so understanding.”
Yang Kai shook his head and said, “All of you Seniors have defended the stability of the 3,000 Worlds with your very lives. This Junior may not be the smartest, nor the strongest, so he won’t try to take advantage of Seniors’ generosity.”
The fight between the Eighth-Order Ancestors of the Cave Heavens and Paradises and the Black Ink Royal Lord had greatly affected him. No one knew if they would be hit by the Royal Lord Secret Technique and transformed into Black Ink Disciples; however, in the battle, not one of them retreated nor hesitated. All fought with the conviction to sacrifice themselves for the greater good.
To be able to cultivate to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, many of these Ancestors were many thousands of years old; however, they maintained steadfast principles and acted in a manner that would make one question if they did not cherish their lives.
As for those in the Seventh Order, almost 1,000 had joined the battle. Which one of these Masters was not a favoured son of the Heavens? Who did not have family and friends, a wife, husband, or children? In the battle against the Royal Lord, their losses had reached almost 30%.
What’s more, the ordinary people of the 3,000 Worlds would never hear of this great battle.
There were also the elites from the Cave Heavens and Paradises who had been fighting the Black Ink Clan on the Black Ink Battlefield for countless millennia, all of them contributing their blood and lives in silence. Except for the Cave Heavens and Paradises, none knew that the 3,000 Worlds was facing total annihilation at all times.
The seemingly stable Universe was guarded by these few who remained in the shadows.
Since ancient times, the world had been dominated by the Cave Heavens and Paradises; however, no one ever learned of their dedication and sacrifice. Even Yang Kai had many misunderstandings in his early years about the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
If he did not have the ability to seal the Void Corridor, it would be natural for him to gather everything he had and quickly return to the Star Boundary, to protect his own life; however, he did have this ability.
If he did not do it and the Black Ink Clan ended up invading through this Void Corridor, then he would certainly regret it for the rest of his life.
Thus, after many days of hesitation, he finally made up his mind.
“Did you ask Lan You Ruo to go back to the Star Boundary in order to bring your people over for this reason?” Liu Mu asked gloomily.
Yang Kai smiled and said, “Since I’m leaving, I don’t know if I’ll be able to return, so… there are some things that I needed to arrange.”
He could return safely if the other side was not the Black Ink Battlefield; however, if it was, he might never be able to return even if he survived.
Since ancient times, no one had returned after crossing the No-Return Pass. Yang Kai would not be traversing the No-Return Pass and did not even know what the No-Return Pass looked like; however, his destination was likely the same as those forefathers of the Cave Heavens and Paradises, which was the Black Ink Battlefield.
The crowd fell silent.
To make such a decision required not only great courage, but also an unwavering sense of righteousness. Yang Kai’s ability to make this decision had earned him the Eighth-Order Masters’ respect.
Liu Mu bowed, “All of the Cave Heavens and Paradises owe you a favour, and the 3,000 Worlds are indebted to you!”
The Eighth-Order Masters bowed respectfully in unison.
Yang Kai quickly bowed in return.
Suddenly, someone said, “I heard that you had some trouble with the little ones from my Sect. I will teach them a lesson on your behalf.”
Yang Kai looked at him in surprise at that comment. Although he recognized the Ancestor who was speaking to him, they only exchanged greetings in the past, so Yang Kai did not know his name, let alone where he came from.
Liu Mu explained to him, “This is Brother Fei Yun of Thousand Cranes Paradise!”
Yang Kai suddenly understood, bowed, and said, “Junior was young and ignorant at the time and repeatedly offended your Noble Sect in the past, please pardon me!”
Thousand Cranes Paradise’s Zuo Quan Hui and his lineage were basically wiped out by Yang Kai. Although Thousand Cranes Paradise did not openly confront him about the matter, Yang Kai knew that their grudge was not so easily resolved. The only reason why Thousand Cranes Paradise was holding back was because of the Star Boundary’s World Tree.
Yang Kai had always been concerned that Thousand Cranes Paradise would seek to settle accounts with him one day, but now all the problems were solved with what Fei Yun had said.
Compared to the stability of the entire 3,000 Worlds, personal grudges were but trivial matters. That was why Fei Yun was willing to compromise and exchange weapons of war for gifts of jade and silk.
Fei Yun smiled, nodded, and said no more. Considering his status, it was already gracious enough to say so much to Yang Kai. There was no need for him to elaborate further.
Liu Mu spoke, “Rest assured that after you leave, we old fogies will look after your Void Land and High Heaven Palace, they will not suffer any grievances. This Old Master will stake all the Cave Heavens and Paradises’ reputation on this!”
Although he was only one Ancestor from Golden Antelope Paradise, no one present objected to his commitment.
Yang Kai said in response, “Then I shall have to trouble Seniors with this matter.”
Those were the private concerns that he wanted to express. Void Land and High Heaven Palace were now sizable in their own right; however, they still could not be compared to the Cave Heavens and Paradises. It was easy to sort things out with him present as he was more familiar with the major Cave Heavens’ and Paradises’ Seventh-Orders and Eighth-Orders, but once he left, no one could guarantee what would happen.
However, with Liu Mu’s assurance, Yang Kai no longer had to worry.
He previously proposed two options to seal the Void Corridor, but the former was too risky; thus, he took the initiative to choose the latter. He also wanted to send a message to the Ancestors, that he could personally make sacrifices for the 3,000 Worlds and that they could depend on him to see this through.
Liu Mu understood this.
“Is there anything else you need? Go ahead and ask if you can think of anything. The old farts here might be a little less flexible, but we still have some tricks up our sleeves,” said Liu Mu.
Yang Kai shook his head, there was nothing else he needed from them. Since he had made this choice, then he should begin to make his own arrangements.
This was potentially a one-way trip!
“The ancient sealing power can still persist for some time, so this Void Corridor won’t be exposed any time soon. I would like to request Seniors take turns monitoring it and notify me if there are any significant changes. I will return as soon as I can. For now, I would like to use what time I have to deal with some personal matters.”
Liu Mu immediately nodded, “Go ahead.”
Yang Kai cupped his fist respectfully. He then left a Space Beacon in place for emergencies before flying off.
At High Heaven Palace’s station, Yue He and the others had all returned.
During the war against the Black Ink Royal Lord, the entire Black Territory had been cleared out. All those below the Seventh Order had evacuated ahead of time.
The people waited anxiously outside Black Territory, and fortunately, the good news that the Cave Heavens and Paradises had won and the Royal Lord was dead had come.
Those who had left, returned again. Yue He and the others naturally also came back.
Yue He wanted to check on Yang Kai immediately, but was stopped by the Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises, so she had to wait patiently.
When Yang Kai appeared in High Heaven Palace, many Sixth-Order Masters had gathered around to greet him.
Yang Kai nodded and said, “Let’s go in first.”
The crowd entered the temporary palace and sat down in groups.
Yang Kai saw that everyone was jovial and in a celebratory mood, so he asked curiously, “Is there something I’m missing?”
Yue He pursed his lips and said, “Young Master, we’re rich.”
“We’re rich?” Yang Kai was confused and asked, “What do you mean?”
Of course, they were rich. High Heaven Palace and Void Land had a lot of profitable industries right now, including two Star Cities and the New Great Territory. They could not be described as poor by any stretch of the imagination.
Void Land and High Heaven Palace’s disciples had ample resources to cultivate with, to the point that even the Cave Heavens and Paradises might not be able to spend as freely as them.
With this in mind, Yang Kai could not imagine the huge number of resources that would have to come by in order to celebrate being ‘rich’.
Yue He asked, “Didn’t you see anything different when you came back?”
Yang Kai was trapped in a cage for 100 years, during which time he knew nothing about the outside world. After the Super Array was broken, he was thrown into the battle against the Black Ink Royal Lord, after which he was busy monitoring the status of the Void Corridor.
How could he have known what was different in the outside world?
Seeing Yang Kai’s bewildered look, Yue He went straight to the point with a smile, “All the Ore Stars in Black Territory have been mined out, and all the materials belong to us.”
Yang Kai was stunned by what he said and then responded, “In order to crack the Super Array?”
Yue He nodded, “Exactly.”
Yang Kai asked curiously, “And, all the Cave Heavens and Paradises were fine with that?”
The number of Ore Stars in Black Territory was quite large, and each one was rich in materials. Even the Cave Heavens and Paradises would be envious of such wealth. Unexpectedly, when these Ore Stars were being destroyed, all the materials ended up in Void Land and High Heaven Palace’s pockets.
Although only a few words were exchanged, Yang Kai could already imagine what had happened during the past 100 years he was trapped in the cage.
The Cave Heavens and Paradises must have deployed a large number of people to mine out all the Ore Stars in Black Territory, which broke the Super Array. Thus, those from the Cave Heavens and Paradises were able to avoid being restricted by the power of the Super Array when they fought the Black Ink Royal Lord.
“It was Big Sister who argued with them, saying that Young Master had risked his life for the sake of the 3,000 Worlds. Black Territory originally belonged to Void Land and High Heaven Palace, so everything mined here naturally belongs to us. With such reasons on our side, even they couldn’t do anything too outrageous.”
“En.” Yang Kai nodded lightly, “That’s good.”
With the huge supply of materials from Black Territory, High Heaven Palace and Void Land’s disciples would have more abundant resources to cultivate with. He had a huge amount of Yin and Yang Element materials in his hands, and he was worried that he might not have enough Five Elements materials in the future. Now, Yang Kai did not have to worry about anything.
This was a fortunate turn of events, which was why everyone in the Grand Hall looked happy.
“Young Master, you can’t be so reckless anymore,” Yue He said, “High Heaven Palace and Void Land have many people counting on you. What will we do if anything untoward happens?”
Everyone in the hall nodded their heads.
High Heaven Palace and Void Land’s rise had just begun and Yang Kai was the one who held them all together. If something happened to him, the Sect would definitely fall apart.
Yang Xue also said sternly, “That’s right, Big Brother, you are not on your own now, think more about your wives who have been living in fear and worry all these years.”
Yang Kai’s smile suddenly appeared forced.
Yang Xue looked at him and suddenly had a bad feeling. She frowned and asked, “Big Brother, are you going to do something dangerous again?”
Although they had not spent much time with each other, and Yang Kai was not with Yang Xue during her formative years, blood was thicker than water and there was a special bond between siblings that enabled her to sense something was off right away.
Yang Kai heaved a long sigh which immediately caused everyone in the Grand Hall to turn solemn. Yu Ru Meng and her Sisters also looked doubtfully at him.
“There is gateway in this world called the No-Return Pass!” Yang Kai suddenly said something that seemed completely unrelated.
“Even the Common Disciples of the Cave Heavens and Paradises do not know of its existence. Those who are qualified to know of it are all elite disciples from the Cave Heavens and Paradises, as well as the Elders. I only recently learned about it as well.”
“Once a person crosses the No-Return Pass, they will never be able to return. Beyond this great pass is a battlefield of never-ending war!”
The crowd was amazed, and Mao Zhe asked, “Battlefield? What kind of battlefield?”
“The Black Ink Battlefield!” Yang Kai replied in a deep voice.
Everyone gasped with their mouths and eyes wide open. Although this was the first time they heard of the ‘Black Ink Battlefield’, just by hearing the name alone, they knew that it was definitely not a pleasant place.
“Yes, as you can imagine, the armies of the Black Ink Clan fill this Black Ink Battlefield, and they have been trying to invade the 3,000 Worlds since ancient times. They want to turn all living beings in this world into their slaves and livestock. The Cave Heavens and Paradises shoulder the responsibility of guarding the 3,000 Worlds and all of their strongest Masters are stationed there to resist the Black Ink Clans.”
The Great Emperors’ faces turned grim, while Mao Zhe, Hui Gu and the others were dumbfounded.
It was understandable that the Great Emperors had not heard of the Black Ink Battlefield, for they had not been out of the Star Boundary for many years. Additionally, they had only advanced to the Open Heaven Realm a few hundred years ago.
However, Mao Zhe, Hui Gu and the others were already veteran Open Heaven Realm Masters. Even so, they had never heard of the existence of the Black Ink Battlefield and No-Return Pass, which was rather unbelievable.
Everyone turned their heads toward Qu Hua Shang and Tao Ling Wan who were held the highest statuses of all those present. They were the Core and Elite Disciples of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, so surely they would understand more of such secrets than the others.
Qu Hua Shang nodded lightly, “Honoured Master took Senior Brother and Senior Sister to cross the No-Return Pass and join the Black Ink Battlefield more than 300 years ago. As far as I know, every few years, every Cave Heaven and Paradise has to send a group of people into the Black Ink Battlefield to replenish the attrition losses of the great war.”
The crowd could not imagine how cruel and fierce the battles were in the Black Ink Battlefield that the Cave Heavens and Paradises had to constantly send reinforcements to hold the line.
“The Cave Heavens and Paradises have intentionally suppressed all information about the Black Ink Clan, so it’s naturally that you haven’t heard about it.” Yang Kai explained lightly.
Mao Zhe and the others were relieved to hear this. If it was not for the Black Territory incident, they really would not have heard of the existence of the Black Ink Clan. If they did not know about the Black Ink Clan, then it would be strange to know about the Black Ink Battlefield and the No-Return Pass.
“But… what does this have to do with us?” Xue Yue asked as her face turned pale.
It did not make sense for Yang Kai to bring this up for no reason, especially after the great battle with the powerful Black Ink Master had just ended. Thus, it was obvious something else was brewing behind the scenes.
“Originally, it didn’t matter much. Throughout the ages, the Masters of the Cave Heavens and Paradises fought against the Black Ink Clan on the Black Ink Battlefield in order to safeguard the peace of the 3,000 Worlds. Although the losses have been enormous, nothing has gone wrong in countless ages. If nothing changed, this pattern would continue on for a long time. However… the battle in Black Territory has changed everything.”
The crowd listened intently.
Yang Kai suddenly asked, “Do you know how many Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises lost their lives in this battle?”
All of them shook their heads, only Qu Hua Shang’s expression turned grave as she reported, “In this battle, the Cave Heavens and Paradises deployed more than 1,000 High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters. Even so, 268 in the Seventh-Order and 5 in the Eighth-Order were killed!”
Although officially she had married out of the Sect, she was still a Core Disciple of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven and had some means to find out such information.
When they fought against the Black Ink Royal Lord, Yin-Yang Cave Heaven also deployed a team of Masters led by an Eighth-Order Ancestor. It was from this Ancestor that Qu Hua Shang found out the details.
Hearing this number, the crowd was shocked. They knew that in this battle, many High-Rank Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises fell, but they did not expect that so many had died. 268 Seventh-Orders and 5 Eighth-Orders were killed!
Those Eighth-Orders Open Heaven Realm Masters were considered to be among the strongest in the entire 3,000 Worlds!
“The Black Ink Clan is so fierce?” Martial Beast Great Emperor exclaimed in disbelief.
“The Black Ink Master who was trapped in Black Territory was especially extraordinary. A Black Ink Royal Lord at their peak is comparable to a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master!” Yang Kai explained, “If it weren’t for the years of confinement that caused her strength to plummet, we might not have been able to kill her at all.”
The crowd felt slightly relieved, but were still astonished about the Black Ink Royal Lord being on par with a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
“After her death though, a Void Corridor appeared where she fell!”
The crowd stared in disbelief.
Zhan Wu Hen frowned and then asked, “Where does that Void Corridor connect to?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “I don’t know for certain, but we can only assume the worst.”
“The Black Ink Battlefield…” Someone murmured softly.
If that was the case, then things might turn serious.
“Indeed!” Yang Kai nodded, “We can only assume that the Void Corridor is connected to Black Ink Battlefield. Right now, the Void Corridor is still sealed by an ancient power but that seal is gradually dissipating and will disappear completely in short order. Once that happens, the Black Ink Clan will discover the Void Corridor and invade the 3,000 Worlds. The consequences will be catastrophic.”
Yang Kai paused to let the crowd digest the news, and then quickly said, “I must enter the Void Corridor to re-seal it. This is the only way to avert the disaster.”
Yu Ru Meng gritted her teeth and asked, “Why must you go? Aren’t there many Masters in the Cave Heavens and Paradises? Why aren’t they doing anything about it? Why does it have to be you? What is the meaning of this!?”
Yang Kai laughed bitterly and said, “They didn’t ask me to go. I was the one who volunteered.”
Yu Ru Meng smashed the armrest of her chair and screamed, “I think you want us Sisters to become widows!”
“Ru Meng…” Yang Xue saw Yu Ru Meng’s furious anger and quickly interjected, “Big Brother is now considered the head of the family. Your outburst is disrespectful, especially when there are so many people here in the Grand Hall. Even if you wish to discuss personal matters with Big Brother, you should do so in private.”
“I’m in the wrong to question this!?” Yu Ru Meng was furious and pointed her finger at Yang Kai, “How many life-and-death risks has your Big Brother taken over the years? Without even mentioning things from the far past, didn’t he recently follow a Giant Spirit God into the Chaotic Dead Territory? Is that a place for ordinary people to go!? If Mao Zhe hadn’t been alive and well all this time, how would we have known he was even alive!? When he ran into that cage to live together with that Black Ink Master for 100, we also had to turn to Mao Zhe just to figure out if he was still breathing!”
Mao Zhe looked helplessly with his eyes lowered as he rubbed his nose.
“It took so much effort and difficulty for him to come back alive from the Chaotic Dead Territory, and then survive the confinement with that Black Ink Royal Lord. Now you want to enter that damned Void Corridor to seal it? Do you have a death wish!?”
Yang Kai replied feebly, “Ru Meng, please don’t be angry, sealing the Void Corridor is not necessarily risky.”