After going over it in her mind several times, Shui Ling eventually did not condense her True Qi.
“What is your special constitution?” Yang Kai stared at her closely, immediately realizing after hearing her words that she too possessed a special constitution.
Special constitutions. So far, Yang Kai had only met two: Little Senior Sister and Shan Qing Luo. This was something generally inherited at birth and was a gift from the Heavens, extremely difficult to acquire later in life. Moreover, each special constitution had its own unique characteristics. It was extraordinarily rare for two people with the same special constitutions to meet.
Little Senior Sister’s special constitution was especially suited to Alchemy, and now there was another person with a special constitution in front of him. Yang Kai was naturally interested and wanted to know more details.
Shui Ling looked at Yang Kai with vigilance and was quite unwilling to answer.
Just like how Xia Ning Chang’s Sacred Spirit Medicine Body was a closely guarded secret, Shui Ling’s special constitution was something she wanted to hide, but a person under someone’s rule will have to bow.
After agonizing over it for a long time, Shui Ling finally muttered, “Water Spirit Body.”
Yang Kai nodded slightly, knowing that the other party didn’t lie to him. From the ability she had displayed repeatedly, her special constitution should be related to water. Her own name probably came from this as well.
“What kind of special abilities do you possess?” Yang Kai asked curiously.
“I can transform my body into flowing water.” Shui Ling said, pushing her True Qi to demonstrate. Yang Kai didn’t raise his guard against her as she did. Under the watchful eyes of the other three in the room, the long, light blue haired woman really becomes transparent, leaving behind only a human shaped figure, gradually even transforming into a round sphere of water.
Even the usually calm Ying Jiu couldn’t help his jaw from dropping, clear shock appearing on his face.
“Is this the extent of your abilities?” Yang Kai smiled, reached out and touched the water sphere in front of him gently.
*Peng* The sphere of water suddenly burst and transformed into mist before Shui Ling’s body reappeared beside Yang Kai, her face blushing bright red as she crossed her arms in front of her chest, gritting her teeth, seemingly a bit ashamed and angry.
Yang Kai stared back blankly, gently rubbing his fingers as his eyebrow raised, “Did I touch something that shouldn’t be touched?”
“What do you think?” Shui Ling angrily spat back, gritting her teeth.
“I didn’t mean to, and… I didn’t feel anything.” Yang Kai said calmly. Just now, he only felt like he was touching a stream of water, nothing at all like touching a human body, but for Shui Ling, it was probably not the case, otherwise she wouldn’t be so angry and embarrassed now.
“I’ll remember you!” Shui Ling said, hatred flashing across her eyes.
“There are many people who have said that.” Yang Kai slowly shook his head, obviously not caring, “But none of those people had good ends. Let’s continue, I’m very curious about your Water Spirit Body’s abilities.”
Seeing his indifferent expression, seemingly not embarrassed in the slightest about this indecent assault, Shui Ling couldn’t help feeling a sense of powerlessness.
She had never before met such a shameless man, she really wondered how he cultivated to acquire such thick skin.
“I have nothing more to say.” Shui Ling coldly snorted, “If you’re going to kill me, just get it over with.”
Yang Kai rubbed his forehead, knowing his unintentional act just now had really angered Shui Ling. Forcing her now would obviously yield no further results. The reason he so feared this mysterious woman was simply because he didn’t know her intentions or her origins.
But now that he understood a bit more, he no longer cared much about her. As long as she wasn’t someone recruited by his brothers, Yang Kai felt it was fine to let her go as long as she didn’t try to harm Xia Ning Chang.
“Is there anything else you want to ask? If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave now.”
Yang Kai shook his head.
Shui Ling was honestly surprised, she hadn’t expected him to really just let her go, quickly extending her hand and saying, “Give me back my hair.”
“That’s impossible.” Yang Kai chuckled, “You can go, I won’t stop you, but this thing must remain with me, because I have no way of knowing if what you’ve told me is true or not, nor do I know if you’ll try to act against me or my allies!”
“How can you be like this?” Shui Ling’s mood dropped again. “As long as you have that doll, you can control whether I live or die. Even if you let me leave, where can I go?”
“Anywhere. As long as you don’t try to make trouble in my house, the sky is infinite, just go wherever you please.” After a pause, Yang Kai chuckled, “Of course, if you’re willing to work for me, I’ll happily welcome you.”
“Work for you?” Shui Ling laughed disdainfully, “You think you have the qualifications?”
“If you don’t like the sound of that then call it cooperation. As long as you are willing to stay, anything is open to discussion.” Yang Kai continued to persuade.
“Who would want to stay here!?” Shui Ling all but shouted, turned around and left in a huff, secretly circulating her True Qi to guard against Yang Kai going back on his word and suddenly attacking her.
Walking neither fast nor slow, Shui Ling left Yang Kai’s mansion without encountering any resistance or restriction. The other party obviously didn’t plan to embarrass her.
Looking back, Shui Ling couldn’t help fuming. This time, she had really suffered a big loss. Not only had she failed to escape the control of that man, she even had her pure, innocent body defiled. What’s worse, after committing the act, her assaulter had acted like nothing had happened!
[Such an infuriating man!]
Also, how did he make that doll in the first place? How did he manage to link it to her Spiritual Essence?
[That damn bastard; sooner or later I’ll make him pay for this!] Shui Ling silently swore to herself.
Back in the room, Yang Kai stood up and put down the heavy psychological burden that had plagued him for so long.
“Young Master, why did you just let that girl leave? Her unique talents would be of great use to you.” Old Demon asked bluntly.
“Strongly squeezed melon isn’t sweet,” Yang Kai shook his head and casually lifted the little doll. “With this, I have the ability to force her to stay, but what about after that? If she were to suddenly retaliate and stir up chaos, who could suppress her?”
“If we were to fight, she is definitely not Old Servant’s opponent. Even a few of your Blood Warriors could defeat her, but dealing with her special physique would really be a headache.” Old Demon nodded, Shui Ling’s Water Spirit Body was difficult to handle.
Without relying on the hair Yang Kai obtained at Po Jing Lake that day, Old Demon wasn’t confident he could have captured Shui Ling.
“Not to mention, as long as I have this, she won’t stay too far away from me. When I want to make use of her, do you really think she’ll have any choice?” Yang Kai grinned fiendishly.
“Young Master is wise.” Old Demon suddenly felt a bit cold, almost feeling sorry for Shui Ling. That young girl probably believed Yang Kai’s words and thought she and him would be like well water and river water, not interfering with one another again. Little did she know that Yang Kai already considered her one of his henchmen, able to make use of her any time he wanted.
“A nineteen-year-old Immortal Ascension Boundary Eighth Stage…” Yang Kai murmured, letting out a long sigh, unable to stop himself from revealing a look of longing. What kind of force was this Water Spirit Temple that could cultivate such a genius? On top of that, Shui Ling had said that she was only among the top three juniors in the Water Spirit Temple.
That meant that there were at least two other young geniuses in the Water Spirit Temple that were at least as strong as Shui Ling.
[There was such a force in this world!] Yang Kai couldn’t help wanting to rush out and see it for himself.
“Treasurer Meng!” Unable to calm himself for a long time, Yang Kai suddenly called out.
Meng Wu Ya’s voice immediately reached his ear, “Don’t ask anything. When you’re qualified to know, this old master will naturally tell you. For now, just focus on reaching the Immortal Ascension Boundary.”
“Very well.” Yang Kai sighed.
No one else in the house knew about this night’s confrontation with Shui Ling besides Meng Wu Ya, Old Demon and Ying Jiu. Maybe some of the powerful Blood Warriors had sensed something, but without Yang Kai’s orders, none of them dared approach, so they naturally didn’t know any specific details.
The following day, Yang Kai announced he would enter secluded retreat to prepare for his breakthrough to the Immortal Ascension Boundary, leaving Qiu Yi Meng in total control of the mansion’s affairs.
The Inheritance War’s situation had become complicated now that Yang Kai only had two Blood Warriors available. Although he had a great advantage in financial and material resources, Yang Zhao had surpassed him in terms of manpower.
Rash actions now would only give his enemies opportunities to strike back, so for a short time, Yang Kai didn’t intend to seek trouble with Yang Zhao, only permitting Qiu Yi Meng to bring some people to harass him.
As for his Eldest Brother Yang Wei, although the strength he possessed wasn’t weak, comparatively, his position was undoubtedly the worst of the remaining three brothers and had long been excluded from the list of potential victors of the Inheritance War.
All eyes were on Yang Kai and Yang Zhao; the Yang Family’s next Patriarch would definitely be one of them.
But whether it was Yang Kai and Yang Zhao, neither of them wanted to attack Yang Wei, even if they already had sufficient strength to defeat him.
Firstly, attacking Yang Wei would definitely cost them a great price and weaken their forces.
Secondly, even after Yang Wei was eliminated, the two Blood Warriors beside him wouldn’t be able to provide any assistance in the Inheritance War, while any of his remaining allies would definitely choose to support the one who didn’t attack them, thus bolstering the enemy’s forces.
Such developments would definitely change the situation of the Inheritance War.
It was for these very reasons that although Yang Wei was the weakest of the three, he was also the safest.
It was even possible that if Yang Zhao and Yang Kai fought a great battle and were mutually wounded, the one to profit would be Yang Wei. This possibility was not something everyone could see clearly, only some stronger, more strategic masters who examined the big picture recognized it.
Time flew by and soon two months had passed!
War City had been completely silent for two months after the last turbulent shuffle.
Occasionally, the remaining three parties would have some small scale skirmishes, but facing the mutual constraint of each other, there would never be many casualties.
In general, the cultivators from the various forces participating in the Inheritance War were zealously cultivating.
After more than two months of development, although Yang Kai’s forces hadn’t expanded, their overall strength had grown several steps.
After taking Mysterious Grade pills every day and obtaining high grade artifacts from the Treasure Instrument Sect’s Artifact Refiners, it would be strange if all of their strengths didn’t noticeably increase.
Every day, there would be many cultivators breaking through their bottlenecks and promoting to the next stage. During this time, many of the leaders from the younger generation had even broken through to the Immortal Ascension Boundary!
The Immortal Ascension Boundary was a watershed for cultivators, and many people would never be able to reach it for their entire lives, but this hurdle wasn’t a big problem for the young leaders of these various forces.
After breaking through to the Immortal Ascension Boundary, how much further they could travel along the Martial Dao in the future would depend on their own efforts and respective opportunities, but for the vast majority of people, Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary would be their limit.
Because of the appearance of these new Immortal Ascension Boundary cultivators, many pills which could help cultivate one’s Soul began appearing from the Pill Room. The material consumption was also massive; fortunately, Yang Kai had begun accumulating supplies long ago and had harvested a great deal from Yang Kang and Yang Shen. The flags he had seized were also exchanged with the main family while the Bamboo Knot Gang continued to provide a steady stream of supplies, so for the time, war materials weren’t an issue.
In addition to the frequent breakthroughs of the younger generation cultivators, the older generation also continuously promoted.
For example, Guan Chi Le of Blood Battle Gang had been stuck at the Immortal Ascension Boundary Third Stage for eight years.
He had always thought that this would be the limit of his achievements in this life, but after taking a number of the Mysterious Grade pills provided to everyone in Yang Kai’s mansion, he found that after just two short months, the bottleneck that had plagued him for almost a decade began to loosen. Half a month later, he successfully broke through to the Immortal Ascension Boundary Fourth Stage, and since then, the rate at which his cultivation was increasing had only quickened. Now, his Immortal Ascension Boundary Fourth Stage cultivation had been completely consolidated.
When he had reached the Immortal Ascension Fourth Stage, Guan Chi Le couldn’t hold back his emotion, bursting into tears of joy, unable to calm down until the Hu Sisters personally comforted him.
Not only Guan Chi Le, all the Immortal Ascension Boundary masters from all the major forces, many of them in their forties, fifties, or even sixties, had seen their cultivation stagnate and become very difficult to increase.
However, since taking the pills refined by the Medicine King’s Valley Alchemists, all of their bottlenecks showed signs of loosening and they found themselves absorbing World Energy faster than ever before, giving many of them the illusion of being reborn.
None of them knew why this was.
Although Mysterious Grade pills were extremely high in terms of grade, they still couldn’t fundamentally change a person cultivation aptitude, yet this result really presented when they took the pills produced in Yang Kai’s Pill Room.
The younger generation and older generation all had their own breakthroughs, but the most stunning of all were the breakthroughs of the Blood Warriors!
Although of the nine Blood Warriors, only Ying Jiu and Tang Yu Xian could actively participate in the Inheritance War because of Yang Family’s interference, Qiu Yi Meng still didn’t reduce their share of the pill supply.
The Qiu Family’s First Young Lady knew that these Blood Warriors would be the capital Yang Kai possessed in order to stabilize his position in the Yang Family, so how could she not support their growth?
As of today, of the nine Blood Warriors, more than half of them had broken through to the Immortal Ascension Boundary Ninth Stage! Among them were Qu Gao Yi, Ying Jiu, Tu Feng, Tang Yu Xian and Xiao Shun.
The remaining four had only joined Yang Kai’s camp recently and although they had yet to break through to the Immortal Ascension Boundary Ninth Stage, each of them had noticeably increased their strength. Compared themselves to the time before they had first arrived in Yang Kai’s mansion, they all knew that they had grown stronger!
The Blood Warriors were all naturally ecstatic and grateful.
Immortal Ascension Boundary Eighth Stage masters trying to break through to the Ninth Stage would always encounter great difficulty and hardship, but given enough time, each of these Blood Warriors was confident they could achieve that step given their capital and aptitude.
However… originally, that should have been a matter to consider five or ten years later, possibly even longer!
The rapid improvement of their own strength made all of Yang Kai’s allies and supporters wild with joy.
In the end, everyone could only deceive themselves by saying the feng shui of Yang Kai’s house was outstanding!
In reality, everyone knew that the credit for this miracle belonged to those strange Mysterious Grade pills. These pills refined in Yang Kai’s Pill Room seemed to have some magical effect that steadily improved people’s aptitude.
Although everyone understood this, no one dared speak of it aloud.
Inside his room, Yang Kai calmly played with a small sword in his hand.
This was the Heaven Grade Top-Rank Soul type artifact acquired by Dong Qing Han at Po Jing Lake.
During these two months of secluded retreat, Yang Kai’s strength had increased greatly. It was rare for him to have such a long period of peace where he could focus solely on cultivating.
Thinking back, the only other time he had spent several months in retreat was when he broke through to the True Element Boundary in that Isolated World.
The Immortal Ascension Boundary was now just a stone’s throw away!
Every cultivator in the mansion received a supply of Mysterious Grade Pills, so as the house’s Lord, Yang Kai obviously also had some. His were specially refined by his Little Senior Sister and their effects were stronger than other pills.
Yang Kai’s True Qi had reached the same quality and quantity of an Immortal Ascension Boundary master and his Soul was incomparably more powerful than his current realm. After closing his eyes and focusing, Yang Kai could even faintly make out the Five Coloured Soul Warming Lotus, the supreme treasure used to cultivate one’s Soul had once again appeared.
For two months, Yang Kai had done nothing but cultivate and refine the two artifacts in his possession.
The small mirror Mysterious Grade Mid-Rank artifact had long ago been refined and he had just finished refining this little sword.
Unfortunately, he still found himself unable to break through to the Immortal Ascension Boundary.
Yang Kai always felt like this little sword wasn’t completely compatible with his current Soul, perhaps because he still had yet to open his Knowledge Sea. This thing was a Soul type artifact, so although due to his unique circumstances he could use it without reaching the Immortal Ascension Boundary, he was unable to make it display its full potential.
If he could successfully match this little sword with his own Soul, Yang Kai believed he would also be able to break through.
Contemplating over it, he had yet to achieve any significant results, but he also wasn’t anxious. And so, he had sat like this for the past ten days, using his Divine Sense to observe the little sword in his hand and try to synchronize it with his Soul.
Suddenly there was a loud knock at his door, waking Yang Kai from his meditative state. Letting out a long breath, he called out, “Come in.”
When the door was opened, Qiu Yi Meng walked in cautiously and looked at Yang Kai, relaxing when she discovered he didn’t have a displeased look on his face.
She knew that Yang Kai was in retreat to attack the Immortal Ascension Boundary and had been afraid to disturb him for the past two months, but now that she had, she was obviously somewhat nervous.
“What’s the matter?” Yang Kai looked up at her and saw that after two months, the Qiu Family’s First Young Lady seemed more relaxed and radiant than before, lifting his spirits as well, sweeping away from the fatigue he had built up from his constant cultivation.
“There’s a man named Pang Chi here who wants to see you!” Qiu Yi Meng replied.
“Pang Chi?” Yang Kai frowned, “What is he doing here?”
Pang Chi was Bamboo Knot Gang’s Leader and was also amongst the first people Yang Kai had gathered upon his return to the Central Capital. Yang Kai hadn’t let Bamboo Knot Gang actively participate in the battlefield of the Inheritance War because the average strength of its members was too low and because he needed a separate force to be responsible for collecting materials, gathering and transmitting intelligence, and handling other miscellaneous tasks.
After the official start of the battle, the Bamboo Knot Gang had secretly transported batches of supplies to Yang Kai’s base in War City once a month or so. All in all, Pang Chi had performed well.
However, he had never shown up in person before; after all, he was the leader of one of Yang Kai’s associated forces so it definitely wasn’t safe for him to appear in War City. Yet this time, he had come personally. It was obvious that he had something important to report.
Qiu Yi Meng squinted and replied, “He wouldn’t say anything specific, only telling me to relay three words to you, ‘we’ve found them’!”
[They’ve found them!]
In an instant, Yang Kai knew why Pang Chi would come to War City in person.
Just as Qiu Yi Meng finished speaking, she felt her body become light and the wind whistle past her face, the scenery around her rapidly changing, quickly discovering that Yang Kai had actually lifted her by her waist and was racing forward.
“Where is he?” Yang Kai asked hurriedly as he continued running.
“The main hall!” Qiu Yi Meng replied,
Qiu Yi Meng was stunned, since the time she had met Yang Kai, she had rarely seen him even slightly excited, but now, he was undoubtedly showing a look of tension and expectation, his eyes also flashing a greatly anxious light.
Somehow, seeing him like this, Qiu Yi Meng also trembled, subconsciously grabbing hold of Yang Kai’s clothes and clinging to him, though even she wasn’t sure why she had taken such a bold action.
The Qiu Family’s First Young Lady had never been one to act so meek and helpless; she had always given off the aura of a refined and intelligent woman.
The two of them stuck to each other intimately as he flew through the mansion, kicking up storm as they passed by Huo Xing Chen and Dong Qing Han.
The Huo Family Young Lord didn’t even have time to say hello before Yang Kai disappeared.
A moment later, a gust of wind came from behind him carrying with it a cloud of dust.
Huo Xing Chen waved the folding fan in his hand to clear the air as he frowned, “Who was Young Lord Kai hugging while running so fast?”
“It looked like… Young Lady Qiu!” Dong Fatzi wiped the sweat from his forehead, somewhat unable to believe his eyes.
“Seriously?” Huo Xing Chen couldn’t help his eyes from bulging, “In broad daylight… did Young Lord Kai have an accident while he was cultivating? Why is he acting so frantically?”
“Junior Brother isn’t such a person!” Lan Chu Die, beside Dong Qing Han, suddenly reprimanded Huo Xing Chen.
Huo Xing Chen couldn’t help laughing, “Beauty, I didn’t say anything about that.”
“Hmph!” Lan Chu Die snorted lightly, her full chest nearly bursting out of its bindings as she turned away.
After she left, Huo Xing Chen slowly shook his head, “That girl from your family, even though she can’t obtain Young Lord Kai’s favour, it seems she still refuses to simply be a passer-by with him either.”
Dong Qing Han helplessly sighed. Regarding Lan Chu Die’s thoughts, Dong Qing Han naturally understood, but there was nothing he could do about it. The only option he had was to sit back and let nature take its course.
In fact, there were a lot of beautiful women in this house, and many of them had favourable impressions towards Yang Kai, but he had been in secluded cultivation for the past two months and was extremely disciplined, never once leaving his room.
If it was Huo Xing Chen instead, it was likely that every night he would go out seeking drink and women.
To a certain extent, Dong Qing Han quite admired his cousin. He believed that among the beauties in this mansion, only Qiu Yi Meng was worthy of Yang Kai. Lan Chu Die wasn’t bad, but she was still somewhat lacking.
In the main hall, Pang Chi waited anxiously. Although he knew he had brought important information, that didn’t help settle his nerves at all, constantly checking his own appearance to make sure everything was in order as he sat on his chair, not daring to move around.
Suddenly, at the entrance to the hall, Yang Kai appeared in Pang Chi’s vision, still holding Qiu Yi Meng in his arms.
Seeing this appearance, Pang Chi was dumbstruck for a moment before quickly coughing and averting his eyes.
Gently putting down Qiu Yi Meng, Yang Kai walked towards Pang Chi.
The Qiu Family’s First Young Lady looked calm, in no way showing any embarrassment about being so intimate with Yang Kai, but her doubts were actually quite deep.
Because when Yang Kai had just let go of her, she clearly felt that his hands were shaking.
What news could make such a steadfast and determined man have this kind of reaction?
“Little Lord!” When Yang Kai stepped forward, Pang Chi quickly stood up and bowed, not bothering with any nonsense and directly saying, “Bamboo Knot Gang’s people have been searching for half a year, and finally located… the people Little Lord has been searching for.”
Yang Kai quickly calmed his breathing and asked, “Where?”
Before the start of the Inheritance War, Yang Kai had already ordered the Bamboo Knot Gang to inquire about the news of Su Yan and the others from High Heaven Pavilion and now there was finally a clue.
“About five thousand kilometers northwest from War City. There is a small village surrounded by mountains, where they seem to have secluded themselves in.”
“How certain are you?”
“Almost one hundred percent. Although we haven’t made any direct contact with them, according to Little Lord’s previous description, they should be the ones you are seeking for. Undoubtedly, the village is a newly built one that appeared roughly one year ago and the nearly hundred people who live there are all cultivators.”
“Good good good!” Yang Kai nodded again and again, feeling like a great weight had finally lifted off his heart, reaching out and warmly patting Pang Chi’s shoulder as he praised him, “You’ve done very well.”
Pang Chi was very extremely flattered, his face flushing red as he somewhat incoherently replied, “Many than… no, I mean… that is… it’s what this subordinate should do!”
As he said so, he hurriedly fumbled about in his sleeve pocket and took out a sheet of paper, handing it to Yang Kai, “This is a map drawn by my subordinates, I hope it will be of use to Little Lord.”
“Good work.” Yang Kai grinned as he accepted the map and unfolded it, immediately taking note of where the small village surrounded by mountains was located.
Seeing this map, Yang Kai further believed Pang Chi’s inference because this village was not far from the position where Yang Kai and Ling Tai Xu had once emerged from the Void Corridor.
Su Yan and the others should have hidden themselves in their present location not long after exiting the Void Corridor.
“Yang Kai, are you looking for someone?” Qiu Yi Meng came up and asked. She hadn’t spoken until now but as she was observing she took note of how greatly Yang Kai’s expression had changed and realized that the people he was looking for must be very important to him.
“En.” Yang Kai nodded and carefully folded the map in his hands.
“What kind of people?” Qiu Yi Meng smiled, intently or unintentionally inquiring.
“Members from my Sect.” Yang Kai took a deep breath and recalled Su Yan’s appearance in his mind, his gaze suddenly becoming soft.
“Members from your Sect?” Qiu Yi Meng smiled and realized something, immediately asking, “Since you’ve found them, what do you want to do?”
“Go pick them up.” Yang Kai smiled at her.
“Absolutely not!” Qiu Yi Meng slowly shook his head.
Yang Kai’s smile quickly converged as his eyes slowly became cold, squinting his eyes at her, “What do you mean?”
Qiu Yi Meng took a deep breath and softly said. “Don’t lose your temper, just listen to have I have to say first. Since they’re your former Sect Brothers and Sisters, they must be disciples of High Heaven Pavilion, right? High Heaven Pavilion is still designated an Evil Sect, the one which produced the current Demon Lord. Right now they haven’t been exposed to the world, but if you were to bring them to War City now, their identities would definitely become public knowledge. Do you think your Eldest Brother and Second Brother won’t try to take advantage of such a situation to publicly criticize and discredit you? Especially now that every action you take relates closely to the situation of the Inheritance War.”
Yang Kai’s brow furrowed. Although Qiu Yi Meng was telling the truth, he just couldn’t bring himself to agree with her perspective.
Unperturbed, Qiu Yi Meng continued, “Your Yang Family Inheritance War has been going on for almost a year now. I’m certain that even though those people from your Sect are hiding in the mountains, they would have received news of this. Since they already know, yet haven’t taken the initiative to come to War City, they obviously don’t want to cause problems for you. You rushing there to find them now will only waste all their efforts.”
“I understand that, but that just means the need to bring them here is even greater.” Yang Kai quickly objective, “They are currently living in seclusion, but since they can be found by people from the Bamboo Knot Gang, they can certainly be found by others as well! If they were discovered by someone with malicious intent…”
Su Yan and the others from High Heaven Pavilion weren’t that strong. More than a year ago, they only had a few Immortal Ascension Boundary masters with them and even their cultivations weren’t that high. The remaining disciples were only at the True Element Boundary, Separation and Reunion Boundary, and even the Qi Transformation Stage.
If they were to be found by any first or even second class force, they would definitely not be able to escape. Only by bringing them to his side could Yang Kai be certain of their safety.
Qiu Yi Meng frowned before letting out a sigh, “Do you insist on bringing them here?”
“Yes. This isn’t open to discussion.” Yang Kai firmly declared.
The Qiu Family’s First Young Lady understood Yang Kai’s temper quite well by now and knew it was useless to try to convince him otherwise now that he had made up his mind, simply nodding, “Okay, then I’ll make the trip.”
Yang Kai shook his head immediately, “No, I’ll go.”
“No!” Qiu Yi Meng frantically objected, “What are you thinking? Even if those people are important to you, with your status and current situation you can’t rashly leave War City! Just how many people do you think you’ll need to take with you to ensure your ability to safely return?”
“I’m just going there to bring some people back, not to fight. All I have to do is sneak out and sneak back, don’t I? Traveling five thousand kilometers will only take a few days.” Yang Kai replied, his brow furrowing further.
“What if your movements are exposed? You may not care about what happens to you, but at least consider what would happen to all your allies here! They’ve fought and bled so much for you! Many of them have even given their lives just to see you win the Inheritance War. If you have an accident now, how are you going to face them?”
As she spoke, Qiu Yi Meng walked up to Yang Kai and grabbed his collar. The little girl, wore an extremely stubborn expression, refusing to back down at all.
Although Qiu Yi Meng was really thinking about what was best for him and was considering the overall situation, Yang Kai was still dead set on his decision, shaking his head decisively, “I have to go. If I don’t go, they won’t come!”
Since Su Yan and the others had never come to War City, they would obviously have a lot of scruples if he didn’t persuade them personally. If Qiu Yi Meng went, not only would they not come to War City, they would likely disappear again, making it even harder for him to find them.
“I don’t care! I’ll go pick them up for you myself! In any case, you can’t go!”
“Can’t you act a bit more mature?”
“I’m still a young woman, why should I act mature? Do you only care about mature women?”
“Whose fault do you think all of this is in the first place!?” Yang Kai shouted impatiently, he didn’t like debating each and every decision like this, he preferred to act swiftly and decisively. Now, with Qiu Yi Meng blocking him in every way possible, he gradually became irritated, just thinking about Su Yan and his Brothers and Sisters he couldn’t wait to seek them out.
“What?” Qiu Yi Meng froze up.
“No, nothing.” Yang Kai wasn’t willing to say any more.
To begin with, if Qiu Yi Meng hadn’t lead people to the High Heaven Pavilion, Yang Kai wouldn’t have been sent to the Ash-Grey Cloud Evil Land and wouldn’t have been separated from Su Yan for so long. In the end, the Qiu Family’s First Young Lady was the main culprit behind all of this. It was precisely because of this that Yang Kai originally had a bad attitude towards Qiu Yi Meng, but after interacting with her for a long time and especially after the start of the Inheritance War, his anger towards her had slowly abated.
“Ahem… Subordinate has matters to attend to back at the gang’s headquarters and will take his leave now, Little Lord.” Pang Chi, who felt like he was sitting on pins and needles for a while now, finally found an opportunity to insert a sentence, and quickly tried to escape.
“You can’t!” Qiu Yi Meng turned her eyes towards him and declared, “You must stay here for a few days.”
“Yes, I understand. Your subordinates will retire here!” Pang Chi knew that Qiu Yi Meng made him stay behind because she was afraid of him revealing the sensitive information he had just heard. Although her doing this made Pang Chi feel like he wasn’t being trusted, he didn’t dare to complain.
When Pang Chi left them to go into the mansion, Qiu Yi Meng released Yang Kai, suddenly recalling a distant memory, slowly saying, “I remember when I went to High Heaven Pavilion with Xiao Man, under the Coiling Dragon Stream, I saw you were very close to a woman… are you thinking about her?”
“En.” Yang Kai nodded.
“What about Xia Ning Chang?” Qiu Yi Meng asked pointedly, “Your relationship with her doesn’t seem normal.”
Yang Kai just stared at her strangely, “Are you saying I can’t have two women?”
Qiu Yi Meng’s expression went black and angrily cursed, “Shameless, too shameless. You’re no different from that delinquent Huo Xing Chen! Why are all men like this? Fine, do whatever you want! I can’t be bothered to care about you anymore!”
The Qiu Family’s First Young Lady was really frustrated. From the beginning she knew that she had no hope of convincing Yang Kai not to go. Once this man made a decision, no one could persuade him otherwise. What’s more, what Yang Kai said did make some sense. If he wasn’t the one to go, those people from High Heaven Pavilion would definitely not come to War City!
Approaching things from the overall situation, Qiu Yi Meng had tried to prevent Yang Kai from acting rashly.
Unfortunately, she had failed.
Fortunately, War City had been calm and quiet for a while now, so even if Yang Kai wasn’t in the mansion, with the strength of those gathered here, it would be more than enough to withstand any enemy harassment.
That night, unbeknownst to everyone, a figure disappeared into the night sky, in the house. Only Qiu Yi Meng knew that it was Yang Kai.
Besides Ying Jiu, Yang Kai didn’t take anyone else with him.
Amongst all the Blood Warriors, only Ying Jiu, who was proficient in concealment, could join him. If anyone else joined, it was certain that their chance to get caught would greatly increase.
Meng Wu Ya and Old Demon may also have this ability, but Treasurer Meng had already declared he wouldn’t intervene in Yang Kai’s affairs while Old Demon had to stay behind. Otherwise, with just Tang Yu Xian guarding the mansion, it’s defence would be too thin if an accident occurred.
With both Old Demon and Tang Yu Xian together, Yang Kai could leave without any worries.
“I hope nothing goes wrong.” Qiu Yi Meng sighed slightly, because of the Inheritance War, she had to constantly worry about the safety of this man which really gave her a headache.
At the same time, Yang Zhao’s Mansion.
Ye Xin Rou walked into Yang Zhao’s room and grinned, “Second Young Lord, there’s some news about that matter.”
“Oh?” Yang Zhao brow lifted, suddenly showing a happy expression, “Go on!”
“Pang Chi of the Central Capital’s Bamboo Knot Gang seems to have arrived in War City today, but after he arrived in your Ninth Brother’s mansion he has yet to leave.”
“Hasn’t left?” Yang Zhao’s expression suddenly became pensive, tapping his finger lightly on the table, only speaking after a long silence, “Has there been any movement at Ninth Brother’s mansion?”
Ye Xin Rou shook her head, “Nothing so far.”
Yang Zhao jumped up, an excited smile on his face, clenching his fist tightly, “No movement is right.”
“Second Young Lord, I don’t quite understand,” Ye Xin Rou wrinkled her brows, “What do you mean no movement is right?”
“No movement means that he’s already moved!” Yang Zhao smiled slightly, “Ninth Brother and Ying Jiu should already have left.”
“Already left?” Ye Xin Rou was shocked, if what Second Young Lord had just said was true, hen Yang Kai’s courage was simply too big.
“Ying Jiu is proficient in concealment and assassination. If he wanted to sneak into or out of War City, our people not noticing wouldn’t be strange.” Yang Zhao explained patiently.
“What about the Little Lord, does he also have such ability?” Ye Xin Rou couldn’t help sneering disdainfully, subconsciously feeling that even if Yang Kai was strong, it was impossible for him to disappear silently like Ying Jiu.
Yang Zhao had posted so many spies around Yang Kai’s compound that if there was a single blade of grass out of place, he would know about it.
“I’d rather not believe it, but it’s entirely possible Ninth Brother has this ability. When he attacked Fifth Brother’s house, Eldest Brother brought his people to contain me, did you ever wonder why?”
“Obviously, he had reached an agreement with Little Lord.” Ye Xin Rou replied lightly, “I naturally know this, but what’s the problem?”
“That’s exactly the problem. None of us know when Ninth Brother formed an alliance with Eldest Brother; that means he has the ability to go to Eldest Brother’s house and talk to him for an extended period of time without our knowledge. If he hadn’t gone personally, Eldest Brother would never have agreed. Since he could do that then, obviously he can do so now!”
“Not to mention, Pang Chi not leaving Ninth Brother’s compound clearly indicates he knows some important piece of information and has temporarily been detained there. If he didn’t know something of vital significance, Pang Chi should have left already…”
Listening to Yang Zhao’s analysis, Ye Xin Rou couldn’t help feeling surprised. What he said indeed made a lot of sense.
“Interesting…” Yang Zhao laughed, “Bamboo Knot Gang is Ninth Brother’s subordinate force. I already knew this. I also know that ever since he subdued them, he made people of Bamboo Knot Gang go out and search for something or someone…”
“Whether he is looking for someone or looking for something, it’s definitely of great value to Little Lord. Now, it seems he’s finally received the news he wants.” Ye Xin Rou’s beautiful eyes flashed a cunning light, obviously understanding Yang Zhao’s intentions, “If that’s the case, we can use this to our advantage.”
“My thoughts exactly.” Yang Zhao grinned, “The only problem is I don’t know where Ninth Brother went. If I knew that…”
The Inheritance War has been in a deadlocked for two months. Although over this period his forces had grown significantly, Yang Kai’s allies obviously weren’t idle either. Yang Zhao obviously wanted to use every possible means to break this stalemate.
Yang Kai going out on his own was undoubtedly an excellent opportunity. As long as he could capture him, how many masters he had in his house would become irrelevant.
Nonetheless, the strength of the Masters in Yang Kai’s mansion still left Yang Zhao wary.
“Second Young Lord, do you want me to go back to the Central Capital and ask someone from Bamboo Knot Gang?” Ye Xin Rou suddenly suggested. It would be impossible to extract any information from those inside Yang Kai mansion, but since this news came from Bamboo Knot Gang, someone there should know the details.
“Bamboo Knot Gang … As far as I know, since surrendering to Ninth Brother, they have annexed many small forces, but Pang Chi’s management skills are somewhat lacking, so their interior power structure isn’t united, especially when it comes to the second in command, Mu Nan Dou, who joined later. He shouldn’t be convinced serving Pang Chi, or that loyal to Ninth Brother. He’s likely just overawed by the Yang Family’s reputation. Seek him out. As long as you offer the right conditions, I’m sure he’ll be willing to cooperate.” Yang Zhao said.
“And if he doesn’t cooperate?”
Yang Zhao smiled lightly, reaching out and gently holding Ye Xin Rou’s smooth chin, saying in a slightly provocative manner, “There’s no need for me to tell you that.”
“En, I know,” Ye Xin Rou’s cheeks blushed red, her eyes shimmering as she nodding lightly.
“This needs to be handled swiftly. Leave now; I hope to have accurate information by tomorrow afternoon at the latest!”
Ye Xin Rou smiled brilliantly, turned around, and rushed off into the night.
…………
Two figures, a thousand meters up, flew through the darkness at lightning fast speed.
Yang Kai lead the way while Ying Jiu followed just behind. Even if the difference in their cultivation was an entire Great Realm, Ying Jiu still had to use eighty percent of his maximum speed to keep pace with Yang Kai.
Knowing Yang Kai was quite anxious, Ying Jiu just silently shadowed him without asking a single question. Only the sound of their clothes fluttering in the wind broke the silence of the night.
Traveling non-stop for a day and night, even a master like Ying Jiu was breathing somewhat heavily and had to take True Qi supplementing pills to maintain his peak state in case any sudden accident occurred, but Yang Kai didn’t even seem flustered, only more and more excited with no traces of exhaustion on his face at all.
Ying Jiu hadn’t even seen Yang Kai take a single pill!
Feeling not a small amount of shock, Ying Jiu really wanted to know how Yang Kai stored so much True Qi that he could be so calm and relaxed even with such massive consumption.
One day and one night, nearly three thousand kilometers, and Ying Jiu was fairly certain the Little Lord was flying at full speed the whole time. Was such expenditure no burden at all for him?
Without stopping to rest, after another silent night, when the eastern horizon began glowing a faint golden hue, Yang Kai suddenly stopped and stood mid-air, overlooking the scene below.
A dense jungle seemingly placed within a 100,000-meter mountain range, lush verdant forests filled with ancient trees, clear sky, like morning mist, and blue skies. It was like an untouched paradise.
In this forest there seemed to be some traces of Monster Beast activity as well as quite a few good spirit herbs.
The hundred members of High Heaven Pavilion had secluded themselves in these mountains.
[Such a great area they’ve found!] Yang Kai smiled as his emotions fluctuated wildly. His Spiritual Energy surging upwards, he spread out his Divine Sense over a massive range, taking in all the sights and sounds for kilometers around.
The people of Bamboo Knot Gang being able to find anyone here probably had a lot to do with luck. In such an expansive wilderness, finding a mere hundred people couldn’t be described as simple ‘difficult’.
After a short while, Yang Kai took back his Divine Sense and showed a disappointed expression. Although his current Divine Sense could cover a wide range, he still didn’t notice any people, not even any traces of human activity could be perceived.
“Little Lord, do you want to split up and search separately?” Ying Jiu suggested.
“No need.” Yang Kai shook his head. “As long as I’m close enough, I’ll be able to sense them.”
Although Ying Jiu wasn’t clear what method Yang Kai had to seek his former Sect members, he didn’t ask any questions.
Pang Chi had only given Yang Kai an approximate location and a rough map, but with just this it was enough for Yang Kai to determine a general direction to search in.
After an hour, Yang Kai, who was still flying at full speed, suddenly stopped in place, a glimmer of hope flashing across his eyes as he turned his head in a certain direction.
“Follow me!” Calling out to Ying Jiu, he quickly sped off.
After the time it would take to boil a cup of tea, Ying Jiu noticed a series of newly built thatched cottages in the foothills surrounded by tall mountain.
The arrival of the two seemed to have alarmed the people living in this place, immediately causing several Immortal Ascension Boundary masters to emerge from their houses and stare at them vigilantly.
Ying Jiu quickly did a sweep of the area and discovered that there were only a few Immortal Ascension Boundary masters, the strongest of which had only reached the Fourth Stage, while all of them belonged to the older generation and their True Qi wasn’t very pure.
He suddenly felt a bit curious. For the former Sect of his Little Lord, shouldn’t there at least be a master at the Above Immortal Ascension Boundary? With a rising star like Yang Kai, how could all these people be so mediocre?
The people down below quickly noticed Yang Kai and they couldn’t help but point and shout, the caution on their faces quickly transforming into joy.
Before they even approached one another, Yang Kai smiled and waved to all of them, everyone down below following suit, several of them calling out to the nearby houses, resulting in a flurry of opening doors. In an instant, nearly a hundred people emerged, each of them waving and calling out excitedly.
Yang Kai immediately spotted Su Mu and Li Yun Tian and his other old friends, a warm feeling soon welling up in his chest.
After a while, Yang Kai and Ying Jiu fell to the ground, the former hurriedly walking up and cupping his fists, “Disciple Yang Kai greets Martial Uncles!”
“Good good! How did you find us here?” One of the older members, around forty years old, asked, “Aren’t you supposed to be participating in the Inheritance War in War City?”
“There’s no need to worry, disciple has been looking for your whereabouts for some time now. A few days ago, after finally receiving some accurate information, I decided to come find everyone.” Yang Kai took a deep breath and replied while sweeping his eyes over everyone present, seeing many familiar and unfamiliar faces, all of whom were smiling happily back at Yang Kai.
“Brother!” Su Mu ran forward and greeted.
Yang Kai grinned meaningfully and patted him on the shoulder.
Looking at Su Mu, he couldn’t help feeling a little surprised; he found that Su Mu had actually grown from the Separation and Reunion Boundary Ninth Stage to the True Element Boundary Fifth Stage. While this level of strength wasn’t very high amongst the elites of the younger generation, it was already very good for him.
“Come inside and talk!” The several Martial Uncles of High Heaven Pavilion encouraged.
This place was very humble, probably built only to satisfy basic living conditions. Once inside the house, the several members of the older generation intentionally or unintentionally inquired about the identity of Ying Jiu; after learning that he was a Yang Family Blood Warrior, all of them were quite shocked and immediately became somewhat cautious.
The Yang Family Blood Warriors, for them, were already people they could only look up to. Ying Jiu didn’t put on any airs however, nodding slightly to anyone who greeted him, but as a result of his naturally cold expression and temperament, the High Heaven Pavilion members didn’t dare disturb him more than absolutely required.
After tea was served, Yang Kai began to inquire about their situation this past year, the old men slowly explaining everything that had happened during this time.
After exiting the Void Corridor, they had concealed their identities and wandered about for some time, only later learning that the Sect had been burned down. With the Sect Master and the Elders missing, they didn’t dare go back, so they found a place to settle down temporarily and monitor the situation.
As such, this village came to be.
About the Yang Family Inheritance War, they had heard. Although they were in seclusion, they still sent out some people every month to obtain some general information. It was during one of these intelligence gathering missions that they learned about Yang Kai’s true identity and about the Inheritance War.
But just as Qiu Yi Meng had said before, even though they knew about the Inheritance War and wanted to support Yang Kai, it wasn’t convenient for them to appear in War City.
Because the title of ‘Evil Sect’ had yet to be removed from High Heaven Pavilion, their presence would only bring unnecessary trouble to Yang Kai.
And so, their current situation continued for more than a year. It wasn’t easy to make contact with the outside world, so they didn’t encounter many disputes. In fact, besides dealing with the occasional Monster Beast attack, everyone from High Heaven Pavilion spent all their time cultivating, looking forward to one day re-establishing the Sect!
“Then that must mean you don’t know that the Sect has already been rebuilt.” Yang Kai said after they finished explaining.
“The Sect has been rebuilt?” The several Martial Uncles parroted back.
“En, it should be fully rebuilt by now, but for the time being, it’s not a good idea to hang the Sect’s sign. Right now, High Heaven Pavilion can only be regarded as a private industry that belongs to me, as for clearing the Sect’s name, that will still take some time.”
“Martial Nephew, such thoughts are enough. Only you can accomplish such a matter!” Everyone understood what Yang Kai was implying and offered their thanks, “We old men are incompetent and must trouble Martial Nephew with this burden.”
Yang Kai gently shook his head in response, “This is what disciple should do. Has there been any word from Sect Master or the Elders since you settled here?”
The bright expressions on everyone’s face suddenly dimmed, “Unfortunately there hasn’t. We’ve sent out people every month to inquire about them, but even now, we haven’t discovered Sect Master and the Elders’ whereabouts.”
“Is that so…” Yang Kai sighed, offering some words of comfort, “There’s no need to worry, Sect Master is already an Above Immortal Ascension Boundary master, there aren’t many people in this world who can hurt him.”
Hearing this news, everyone couldn’t help feeling excited. Although they had heard about the Sect Master’s breakthrough long ago, hearing it from Yang Kai’s mouth was an entirely different matter. The weight of this statement was different coming from him.
“The reason I came this time was to let Martial Uncles as well as fellow brothers and sisters come back to War City with me. If Martial Uncles don’t have any objections, it would be best if everyone began packing up so we can leave as soon as possible.”
The few old men each glanced at one another and smiled, “We didn’t want to disturb you during this important time lest we become a source of trouble, but since Martial Nephew has taken the initiative to ask, if we still don’t go, it would be too ungrateful. Even if we still bare the stigma of an ‘Evil Sect’, as long as we have Martial Nephew’s shelter, no one should dare say anything, right?”
Yang Kai smiled coldly, “Anyone who dares won’t live long!”
Hearing this, the old men put down their final worries and agreed to leave.
“Disciple will take his leave first then… about Su Yan…” Yang Kai scratched his nose awkwardly.
Everyone in the room suddenly grinned knowingly, one of them intentionally calling out, “Of course Martial Nephew would ask about little Su Yan. Su Mu!”
“Disciple is here.” Su Mu came in from the outside.
“Lead your Senior Brother Yang to the Frozen Ice Cave.”
“Yes.” Su Mu grinned while gesturing to Yang Kai, “Brother, come with me.”
Yang Kai lightly coughed before standing up and walking out slowly.
Ying Jiu also attempted to follow, but was quickly stopped by Yang Kai.
Walking with Su Mu, Yang Kai asked, “Frozen Ice Cave? What kind of place is that?”
“It’s the place where big sister cultivates.” Su Mu replied, “It’s partly because we discovered the Frozen Ice Cave that was so perfectly suited to big sister’s cultivation that we decided to settle here. The last time I went to see big sister, she said she was going to enter secluded retreat. I don’t know if she has exited yet or not.”
“En, she’s probably still in retreat.” Yang Kai nodded.
If she wasn’t in secluded retreat right now, how could Su Yan not have come out to see him? From much farther than the eye could see, Yang Kai had sensed the existence of Su Yan. The Yin-Yang Joyous Unification Art had created a link between both their bodies and minds that no physical barrier could obscure. Since Yang Kai could sense her, she would naturally be aware of his presence as well.
But seeing how she had yet to show up, the only reasonable explanation was that Su Yan was currently at a critical point in her cultivation and couldn’t leave her retreat.
As the distance between the two shrank, Yang Kai has even faintly felt some uncontrollable fluctuations in his True Qi, as if there was an invisible whirlpool pulling on it.
Naturally, this was caused by the True Qi in Su Yan’s body!
After such a long time not cultivating the Yin-Yang Joyous Unification Art, whether it was the True Qi in Yang Kai’s or Su Yan’s body, it instinctively longed to blend with its opposite party.
Yang Kai’s normally steady mood gradually became excited.
The Frozen Ice Cave wasn’t far from where the village was built, only about five kilometers. After a short walk, Su Mu brought Yang Kai to the entrance of a cold cavern.
Even standing outside, Yang Kai could tell that the temperature was lower than the ambient environment. White mist gently wafted from the entrance of the cave and for a wide area around it, there was neither trees nor grass.
Su Mu had already reached the True Element Boundary Fifth Stage, but when he was about ten steps from the entrance, he paused and said, “Brother, you go inside on your own, this damned place is too cold for me. I don’t know how it formed but only big sister can stand cultivating inside here, even our Martial Uncles can’t stay here for long.”
“It’s alright, you go back.”
“Heh heh, brother-in-law, take your time!” Su Mu laughed obscenely before turning around and quickly leaving.
Yang Kai shook his head wryly before taking a deep breath and stepping into the ice cave.
Feeling the cold air all around him, it was almost as if even his True Qi would freeze.
Only after he began circulating his True Yang Secret Art did Yang Kai manage to dispel this feeling.
Looking around, the entire cave seemed to be covered in a layer of ice. This place was obviously a naturally formation as there were no signs of any artificial excavation.
Even though it was bright, Yang Kai didn’t see any sources of illumination. Instead, it was as if light came from all around him, reflecting off the mirror like ice.
The deeper he walked, the colder it became, and the faster Yang Kai’s True Yang Secret Art circulated.
After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the view in front of Yang Kai opened up, he should have reached the innermost area of the Frozen Ice Cave. The temperature here could only be described as frigid and the surrounding terrain was no longer a narrow passage but a wide open space.
With just a glance, Yang Kai found Su Yan.
Her long, black, silk like hair gently fell past her graceful shoulders, reaching all the way down her back. Her jade white skin stood out from the surrounding frost, like the most lustrous porcelain, while her exquisite face seemed to be adorned by a faint blush. As she breathed gently, he pair of cherry red lips and delightful dimples especially stood out against her snow white completion.
Just as he remembered her, Su Yan was as beautiful as an immortal ice fairy.
At this moment, she was sitting cross-legged on the bed crystal clear ice, silently meditating. Her tender body trembling slightly, betraying her inner excitement.
Suddenly, the True Qi circulating within her body welled up, forming a visible halo around her, covering her figure in a thin layer of frost.
Yang Kai’s expression greatly changed, rushing forward and sitting down in front of Su Yan, gently holding her two jade hands and circulating the Yin-Yang Joyous Unification Art.
Instantaneously, the True Qi in Su Yan also began flowing in accordance with the Joyous Unification Art.
Su Yan’s wildly fluctuating True Qi quickly stabilized and quickly began harmonizing with Yang Kai’s, both their breathing rhythm and heartbeats gradually synchronizing with one another’s.
After an unknown amount of time, Yang Kai gently exhaled and opened his eyes.
Opposite him, Su Yan’s beautiful eyes also slowly opened, her long eyelashes gently fluttering, seemingly unable to believe that Yang Kai had actually appeared here. But soon, the coldness in her expression began melting, giving way to a touch of intoxicating blush and happiness.
“Even if you’re happy I’ve come, you shouldn’t have gotten so excited. You almost hurt yourself!” Yang Kai gently chided.
Su Yan obviously was in the middle of cultivating, but because she noticed the arrival of Yang Kai, her focus was disrupted and her True Qi circulation became unstable. If Yang Kai hadn’t arrived and assisted her so promptly, it was hard to say what might have happened.
Su Yan’s face was bright red and she was about to say something, but she suddenly felt a great force overtake her, pushing her down onto the crystal ice bed, causing her to let out a light cry of surprise.
Looking up at her assailant, all she could see was Yang Kai’s eyes filled with blazing flames. His breathing was heavy, like a beast that had just found the most delicious prey.
Seeing this look, Su Yan swallowed down the words she was going to say. Stared at with eyes flashing such undisguised desire, her heartbeat couldn’t help speeding up as she suddenly realizing what would happen next.
“Yang…” Su Yan was only able to spit out a single word before she felt Yang Kai press down against her and seal her lips, the next words no longer able to escape…
After only a slight struggle, Su Yan’s two snow white arms stretched out and wrapped around Yang Kai’s neck, bringing him even closer to her, refusing to let go.
The sound of the pair’s breathing gradually became heavy. In this frozen environment, on top of a crystal-clear ice bed, a young man and woman embraced; there was no need to say anything, the fierce torrent of ecstasy they shared communicated everything they wanted to convey to one another.
As their clothes scattered, the world of ice around them couldn’t freeze the boiling hot bodies of the pair, Su Yan’s crystal white skin quickly being completely exposed.
Two peaks, like pure white mountains topped with pink cherry blossoms, a pair of long shapely legs as smooth as silk and soft as clouds, and glistening hair that flowed like gentle water. Su Yan’s beauty was breathtaking, every inch of her skin fascinated Yang Kai, violently stimulating his passion to untold highs.
In response to Yang Kai’s fervor, Su Yan’s pure white skin glowed with a red lustre, almost feeling like a starving beast which had just been set free from its cage was ravaging her delicate body, without any thoughts of pity or restraint.
What made her feel even more ashamed though was this wanton devastation only enhanced the pleasure she felt, fascinating and confusing her senses greatly.
After suppressing the thirst and longing in her heart for so long, faced with this sudden outlet, Su Yan’s cold rationality scattered into the wind. Responding even more fiercely to the Yang Kai’s encroachment, her lips constantly sought and received his own in an infinite cycle.
The sound of breathing gradually became louder, as Su Yan’s quiet moans slowly transformed into intense cries, arousing Yang Kai’s bestial instincts more and more. Everything in the world seemed to have disappeared, leaving behind only the two of them.
The dragon tattoo on Yang Kai’s back and the phoenix on Su Yan’s both seemed to come alive, swimming freely atop the skin of the entwined lovers.
As the two slowly opened their eyes, they found themselves still within each other’s embrace, the faint fragrance still lingering about the disordered chamber making Su Yan blush.
Embarrassed, she shrank herself into Yang Kai’s arms. Thinking about all the things she had just done, Su Yan couldn’t help whimpering softly, too afraid to even meet Yang Kai’s eyes.
Just as she buried her face in Yang Kai’s chest, Su Yan suddenly felt something hot and firm, like a rod of soldering iron, press against her stomach, causing her to flinch, but even this slight movement only caused this foreign object to engorge further.
“Yang…” Just like before, Su Yan was only able to say a single word before cries of ecstasy became all she was capable of uttering. It was like a great wave euphoria washed over her, wiping away her ability to think or speak coherently.
In an endless cycle, one gave to the other only to receive even more in return, like a perfect harmony that blended two into one.
After waking up and repeating this sequence of events more times than she could remember, Su Yan’s body was thoroughly exhausted, her once pure white tender body now radiating a fascinating pink hue, a glistening trail of nectar slowly dripping down her long slender legs.
“Yang Kai,” Lightly biting her thin red lips, Su Yan stared at the ceiling of the Frozen Ice Cave, her deep beautiful eyes somewhat blurry, like a helpless kitten, “Forgive me, I… I can’t.”
Until now, she was still immersed in the feeling of floating above the clouds, an intoxicating sensation that both fascinated and frightened her.
She simply couldn’t resist Yang Kai’s forceful entreaty. Even though she knew that they should have stopped long ago, her body still instinctively reacted and catered to each and every impulse thrust upon her.
Facing the infinite desire of this young man, her emotions were an odd mix of joy and panic.
“Then we’ll pause here for now,” Yang Kai grinned and said, “We can always battle again later.”
Su Yan slowly got up, resisting the dull pain coming from her waist and the numbness of her legs, glancing over at the culprit and helplessly scolding, “It’s all your fault… we haven’t even cultivated yet.”
Yang Kai just laughed lasciviously.
The Yin-Yang Joyous Unification Art with Su Yan had already reached the second-stage, so the two of them could dual cultivate even without extensive physical contact, but Yang Kai just now had chosen to use the most primal method to unite with her, not even giving a thought to cultivation.
“There’s no time to cultivate now, just wait till we get back.” Yang Kai shook his head, “It seems like two days have already passed, our Martial Uncles are probably anxiously waiting for us.”
“En.” Su Yan’s face suddenly became bright red, two days alone with each other, even a fool would know what they had been up to. Feeling thoroughly ashamed, Su Yan didn’t know how she was going to face everyone outside.
Eventually rising to her feet, Su Yan slowly collected the pair’s scattered clothes and then, like a devoted wife, proceeded to help Yang Kai dress.
Yang Kai sat on the ice bed, motionless, allowing Su Yan to assist him, the smile on his face never fading.
“You’re about to break through to the Immortal Ascension Boundary?” Su Yan felt slightly uncomfortable being stared at by him like this and quickly found a topic to divert his attention.
“Almost, I should be able to soon.” Yang Kai nodded, staring at Su Yan with admiration and saying, “But you’ve already reached the Immortal Ascension Boundary Third Stage. It seems if I want to catch up with you, I’ll have to work even harder.”
“It’s all thanks to the elixir you gave me.” Su Yan shook her head modestly, “That liquid really helped cleanse my body; now whenever I cultivate my True Qi circulates much faster, on top of that, this place is simply the best environment to practice my Secret Art.”
More than a year ago, when he had been separated from Su Yan, she was only at the peak of the True Element Boundary, similar to Yang Kai’s current situation of being just shy of breaking through to the Immortal Ascension Boundary.
But now that they had reunited, she had reached the Immortal Ascension Third Stage. this cultivation speed could only be described as phenomenal. After all, once a cultivator arrived at the Immortal Ascension Boundary, the speed of their improvement was generally extremely slow.
“Even if there are excellent external conditions, if one doesn’t have a solid enough foundation they still won’t be able to excel. You reaching such a height in such a short time is the result of your own talent and hard work.” Yang Kai reached out and gently stroked Su Yan’s cheek, suddenly pulling her closer to him, her pair of snow white rabbits pressing against his chest. Inhaling a deep breath, he seemed to immerse himself in her delicate feminine fragrance.
Su Yan smiled back softly, quietly embracing him.
A moment later, Yang Kai straightened up and glanced downwards, helplessly muttering, “It seems like I…”
“Ah…” Su Yan yelped in fright.
His expression instantly becoming determined, Yang Kai seriously said, “They’ve already waited more than two days anyway, it won’t matter if they wait a bit longer!”
Having declared so, he swiftly pulled Su Yan into his arms.
An hour later, Yang Kai, wearing a satisfied grin, watched Su Yan quickly dress herself. Only after she finished did she proceed to help Yang Kai wear his robes.
After suffering another loss, how could she dare present her bare body in front of Yang Kai? If she let this man in front of her have his way, it would likely be ten days to half a month before they left the Frozen Ice Cave.
When both of them finished dressing, Su Yan took a moment to look around the ice cave nostalgically.
After leaving this place, she didn’t know when or even if she would return. Finding a place so perfectly suited for her to cultivate in, one where the cold attribute energy gathered several times faster than the outside world, was quite rare.
“Do you want to take it away?” Yang Kai saw the look in Su Yan’s eyes and asked.
Su Yan shook her head somewhat regretfully, “Even if I can’t take it, I can always come back later.”
“I can take it away now.” Yang Kai smiled.
Su Yan glanced at him and laughed, “You want to take away this ice crystal bed?”
Yang Kai nodded, his expression filled with confidence.
“It’s impossible, it seems to be a single piece of crystal ice and weighs at least ten thousand kilograms, I tried once before and wasn’t even able to lift it.”
“Even if we could move it, there’s no way to transport it elsewhere, the little bag you gave me isn’t big enough to hold it. “
Su Yan gently held the Universe Bag in her hand. The Universe Bag was given to Yang Kai by Ling Tai Xu long ago, but after opening the Black Book space, he had had given it to Su Yan.
The space inside the Universe Bag wasn’t very big and fitting such a large ice crystal bed really wouldn’t be possible.
“Just watch!” Yang Kai grinned and walked over to the ice crystal bed that still had a lingering aura from the pair’s recent activity, reached out both his hands and closed his eyes.
Su Yan closely observed. Although she wasn’t clear what Yang Kai was doing, but she still had a faint sense of anticipation, seemingly believing that the young man in front of her could surprise her once more.
Just as this thought flashed across her mind, she saw the ice crystal bed, that weighed at least ten thousand kilograms, disappear in a brilliant flash of light.
Su Yan gasped, hardly able to believe her eyes, immediately releasing her Divine Sense to investigate but unable to discover the slightest clue, wrinkling her brow ever so slightly as she looked around suspiciously.
“Where is it?” Seeing Yang Kai’s smug expression, Su Yan hurriedly asked.
“I also have an artifact that can store things, and the space inside it is much bigger that the Universe Bag’s.”
Yang Kai smiled happily.
Su Yan gently nodded, “No wonder.”
After learning that Yang Kai had such a rare and powerful storage artifact, Su Yan was only slightly shocked but soon after only felt a sense of pride.
Because this was her man who had such amazing methods and heritage.
Su Yan secretly thought that all of this was just a matter of course, almost as if as long as it was Yang Kai. Even if he tore a hole in the Heavens, it would be normal.
The frigid temperature in the Frozen Ice Cave was all caused by the ice crystal bed, it could be said that it was the only actual treasure here, so now that it had been collected, so long as Su Yan desired, any place could be transformed into her ideal cultivating environment.
Back at the village, everyone was packed and ready to go.
The several older generation members of High Heaven Pavilion were all sitting cautiously, their expressions and attitude’s extremely solemn.
Nearby, Ying Jiu also sat in silent meditation.
The atmosphere was particularly dignified.
These Martial Uncles from High Heaven Pavilion had been sitting with this Yang Family Blood Warrior for two days now, not daring to move about carelessly. At first, they felt like they should say something, and in fact tried several times to talk to Ying Jiu, but given Ying Jiu’s almost perpetual silence, how could they carrying on a conversation?
In the end, none of them continued trying to communicate with this silent warrior, all of them just silently waiting, so obviously they would feel uncomfortable after so long.
All of these old men were silently complaining that Yang Kai was still not coming back.
The younger generation of disciples also seemed to be aware of the strange atmosphere here and all kept at least a three hundred meter distance, seemingly afraid they would be roped in by their Martial Uncles as substitute sacrifices.
Suddenly, Su Mu rushed into the house they were occupying, cupped his fists and report, “Martial Uncles, Senior Brother Yang and Elder Sister are back.”
“They’re back?” One of the old men almost shouted, quickly getting up. His expression a strange mix of relief and happiness, he hurriedly walked out, quickly followed by everyone else.
None of them were willing to stay here one breath longer.
Faced with the immeasurably strong and silent Yang Family Blood Warrior, each of them felt like they were constantly under great pressure.
Just as they exited, they saw Yang Kai and Su Yan walking over together.
One of them, his eyes somewhat tearful, swiftly arrived in front of Yang Kai and loudly patted his shoulders, saying in an exasperated voice, “Martial Nephew, you’ve finally returned. You’ve let us wait quite a while!”
“Hm?” Yang Kai frowned, he didn’t know why but he felt like all of his Martial Uncles had suddenly become quite friendly, even more so than when they had reunited two days ago.
Su Yan nearby, on the other hand, turned her gaze away slightly when she heard these words, blushing bright red from her neck to the tips of her ears. Everyone who saw this usually ice cold beauty showing such an embarrassed expression suddenly felt she was even more attractive.
“Everyone is ready, so if Martial Nephew has no other business to attend to…”
“Since you’re prepared, we can leave now.” Yang Kai nodded.
“Good, depart!” One of the old men waved his hand and called out loudly, rushing forward with all the other Martial Uncles.
Yang Kai stared blankly for a moment, not sure why everyone had suddenly become so eager to leave, as if they were desperate to escape something.
“Little Lord.” Ying Jiu came up and greeted him.
“What happened?” Yang Kai asked, his brow slightly furrowed.
“Nothing.” Ying Jiu shook his head, glancing over at Su Yan inadvertently, his expression changing slightly.
He immediately discovered that woman with an icy temperament and beautiful face was actually quite young, but already an Immortal Ascension Boundary Third Stage master!
Liu Qing Yao of the Liu Family was also only an Immortal Ascension Boundary Third Stage cultivator, but was already known as the first genius of the Central Capital. As the future successor of the Liu Family, he had a near unlimited supply of cultivation resources at his disposal, but what about this girl?
[This young lady… she’s extraordinary!] At that moment, Ying Jiu realized once again how terrifying High Heaven Pavilion was.
The current Demon Lord was from the High Heaven Pavilion and the Little Lord was also from the High Heaven Pavilion; on top of that, their Sect Master was an Above Immortal Ascension Boundary master!
It also seemed like that veiled girl who was constantly performing Alchemy miracles and her master, Meng Wu Ya, who had easily broken the Qi Binding Seal for him, came from High Heaven Pavilion as well.
This… is this really just a second-class Sect? Ying Jiu suddenly became confused.
The hundred or so High Heaven Pavilion members, led by Yang Kai, rushed towards to War City.
When they came here, Yang Kai and Ying Jiu had only spent less than two days which included the time it took them to find the survivors, but now, Yang Kai estimated that it would take at least four days for them to return. After all, the strength of these fellow brothers and sisters was somewhat mixed, although many of them had broken through to the True Element Boundary, there were still a lot who remained at the Separation and Reunion Boundary and Qi Transformation Stage.
However, Yang Kai wasn’t in a hurry. Talking and laughing with Su Yan, he walked along the road seemingly enjoying the various sights and scenes without a care in the world.
After being separated for more than a year, the physical and spiritual connection between the two not only hadn’t become weaker, but was instead firmer and more intense.
When the two walked side by side, Yang Kai could even feel the True Qi in their bodies slowly intermingling; there were even times when one of them would know what the other was thinking without even exchanging any words, it was a wondrous and mysterious feeling.
One in heart and one in mind, a state they will soon reach.
At the same time, nearly three thousand kilometers away from War City.
A large number of people were lurking in the tall grass, quietly waiting.
Among these people was Qiu Zi Ruo of the Central Capital’s Qiu Family, Qiu Yi Meng’s younger half-brother. Qiu Zi Ruo was originally an ally of the Yang Family’s Sixth Young Lord, Yang Shen, but after Yang Shen’s mansion was attacked by Yang Kai and his flag was taken, eliminating him from the Inheritance War, Yang Shen’s allied forces, including Qiu Zi Ruo, all joined the Seventh Young Lord, Yang Ying.
But only a few days later, Yang Ying forfeited, and his subordinate forces were absorbed by Yang Zhao.
And so, counting from the start of the Inheritance War till now, Qiu Zi Ruo had changed allegiances three times; a fact that weighed heavily on his heart. Although these changes were a result of circumstances beyond his control, it was still a big loss of face for him. At the very least, it proved that his vision and ability to judge people was quite lacking. Two of the Yang Family Young Lords he had chosen to follow had been eliminated in quick succession.
Before the Inheritance War began, he had once discussed the course the Inheritance War would take with Qiu Yi Meng and the Qiu Family Patriarch, Qiu Shou Cheng. At the time, Qiu Yi Meng was extremely optimistic about Yang Kai, and had even gone so far as to temporarily withdraw from the family and bring the Autumn Rain Hall, which was nothing but old and crippled soldiers, with her to follow him.
Now, it seems that Qiu Yi Meng had chosen the right person!
On the other hand, Qiu Zi Ruo and Qiu Shou Cheng, who were both optimistic about Yang Shen, had repeatedly been proven wrong.
Now, Qiu Zi Ruo could only sigh and vow to assist Yang Zhao in winning the Inheritance War to stabilize his position as the family’s heir.
In addition to Qiu Zi Ruo, the Kang Family’s Kang Zhan was also here.
Both of them were Young Lords from the Central Capital’s Eight Great Families, and true heirs to their respective families.
If they wanted to deal with Yang Kai, someone from the Eight Great Families had to step forward to take command, so the two of them had been sent here by Yang Zhao.
As for Yang Zhao himself, he had no choice but to stay in War City. If he were to act impulsively and come here himself, he would simply be repeating Yang Shen’s mistake.
Beside the two young super force heirs, Xiang Chu of the Xiang Family and Nan Sheng of the Nan Family were also here. These two’s grievances with Yang Kai were clear to everyone, so when they learned that there was a chance to eliminate him, they naturally took the initiative to offer their assistance.
Yang Zhao readily accepted.
On top of that, there were another four not weak forces that were participating in this operation!
“Brother Kang, is the information Second Young Lord gathered really accurate? How could Yang Kai act so recklessly?” Waiting for more than a day and seeing no movement, Qiu Zi Ruo couldn’t help feeling a bit restless.
Hearing this, Kang Zhan only laughed, replying confidently, “Brother Qiu, just be patient. Since Second Young Lord deployed us here, there’s definitely no problem with his information.”
Qiu Zi Ruo suddenly looked at Kang Zhan with a puzzled expression, “Brother Kang seems to admire the Second Young Lord quite a bit.”
Kang Zhan smiled lightly, “I’m not afraid to admit to Brother Qiu that, in fact, when the Inheritance War started, I wanted to form an alliance with the Second Young Lord because I felt that with his methods and strength he would ultimately become the biggest winner.”
“Oh? Then why did Brother Kang choose to ally with the Seventh Young Lord?” Qiu Zi Ruo’s brow rose, not quite understanding. Kang Zhan was originally the ally of the Seventh Brother, Yang Ying, it was only after Yang Ying’s forfeiture that he became Yang Zhao’s ally.
“I had no choice,” Kang Zhan smiled helplessly and shook his head, “Second Young Lord chose Ye Xin Rou from Ye Family, so I could only choose someone else.”
Qiu Zi Ruo’s eyes flashed a light of clarity, nodding his head in understanding, “Beauties always has some advantages.”
“En, beauties, especially ones as stunning as Ye Xin Rou, are always favoured by us men.” Kang Zhan licked his lips.
Qiu Zi Ruo also grinned meaningfully. As Young Lords of the Central Capital Eight Great Families, both of them were quite familiar with Ye Xin Rou and knew that this woman had a special relationship with Yang Zhao.
For this reason, Ye Xin Rou now held a unique position in Yang Zhao’s mansion. Although all of them were allies of Yang Zhao in name, Qiu Zi Ruo and Kang Zhan, who came later, didn’t have nearly as much authority as Ye Xin Rou.
However, under the circumstances, the two of them didn’t care about this much, and it wasn’t like their status was low.
“This information was obtained by that woman when she went to the Central Capital.” Kang Zhan smiled awkwardly, “Against the Ye Family’s First Young Lady, what kind of resistance could a trivial sub-Sect Master of an underground force put up? As long as he was offered a little incentive, I’m sure he’d have sold her his soul.”
“En, reasonable.” Qiu Zi Ruo nodded, secretly thinking about if he could keep any of his secrets should Ye Xin Rou use her beauty to tempt him. Especially if his life was also risk.
“Even if Yang Kai is quite smart, he probably couldn’t have imagined that such a little clue would allow Second Young Lord to infer that he had left War City!” Kang Zhan grinned, “He thinks he hasn’t revealed any flaws, but apparently he’s still a little naive.”
“No one is perfect!” Qiu Zi Ruo shook his head bitterly, “Yang Kai is also about the same age as us. If he could do everything perfectly, what point would there be in us still living?”
“Fair point.” Kang Zhan nodded. Even having said what he said, he couldn’t deny that Yang Kai’s methods were impressive. If it wasn’t for the Second Young Lord’s near paranoid surveillance of him, they might very well have missed this rare opportunity.
“Young master Xiang, Young Master Nan, we’ll be relying on the masters of your families to handle Ying Jiu by Yang Kai’s side.” Kang Zhan suddenly turned his head and said to Xiang Chu and Nan Sheng.
Xiang Chu nodded lightly in response, “Happy to oblige!”
On Nan Sheng’s face there was a sharp look, like a scorpion just waiting to sting. Coldly stroking the two stumps on his hand, he said, “This time we’ve both brought a Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary master specifically to tie down Ying Jiu. As long as I can obtain revenge for the loss of my fingers, when I become Patriarch of the Nan Family, I pledge to follow any command the Second Young Lord decrees!”
Kang Zhan glanced at him for a moment before nodding slightly.
Yang Kai had an evil demon in his service that had reached the peak of the Immortal Ascension Boundary; it was because of this master that Yang Zhao had requested the Xiang and Nan Family Young Masters bring a Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary master each during this operation.
Such masters were rarely seen in the Inheritance War.
After all, even first-class forces didn’t have many Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary cultivators and if one were to fall in the Inheritance War, it wouldn’t be a small loss.
However, Xiang Chu and Nan Sheng’s hatred of Yang Kai was so extreme that when Yang Zhao made this request, they had readily agreed.
These two masters had only arrived at Yang Zhao’s mansion a month or so ago with the intention being for them to help suppress the demonic masters who had joined Yang Kai, but now they were being deployed on this mission.
Although Ying Jiu was a Yang Family Blood Warrior whose cultivation had reached the Immortal Ascension Boundary Eighth Stage, two Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary cultivators should be enough to contain him.
Regarding this battle, no matter who it was, they were completely confident in obtaining victory.
None of them could have imagined that at this point in time, Ying Jiu had reached the Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary as well.
While a number of scouts were deployed to investigate the surrounding movements and circumstances, everyone else in this ambush squad held their breath and waited quietly.
One day later, there was news that roughly a hundred people were approaching and would arrive within half an hour.
Kang Zhan immediately stood up and called out, “Prepare for battle. If we can take down Yang Kai here, after returning home, Second Young Lord will definitely grant everyone rich rewards, so bring out all of your strength and absolutely do not underestimate the enemy!”
All the gathered cultivators nodded in unison.
“Should we launch a sneak attack?” Qiu Zi Ruo looked over and asked.
Kang Zhan glanced over and wrinkled his brow, soon after shaking his head. “Since our scouts could discover them, they must have noticed us as well. Trying to sneak attack them is impossible.”
“We should face them head on, I want Yang Kai to regret ever offending me, Nan Sheng!” Nan Sheng grinned, his True Qi violently bursting out.
“En, we’ll defeat them fair and square! After today, there will be no Yang Kai in the Inheritance War!” Kang Zhan declared, “Fight!”
Thirty kilometers away, Yang Kai’s expression dimmed, wondering just where he had screwed up.
How could Yang Kai have anticipated that Yang Zhao would infer his movements simply by noting an unusual action of the Bamboo Knot Gang Sect Master Pang Chi?
When he discovered some people lying in wait up ahead spying on everyone who passed by, Yang Kai suddenly realized that something wasn’t quite right.
The other party so clearly setting up a blockade along his return path, obviously they knew where he had gone! It was impossible for Pang Chi to have sold him out; he should still be detained by Qiu Yi Meng. As for Qiu Yi Meng betraying him, that was even more impossible.
Then the problem must be with someone else in the Bamboo Knot Gang!
After a moment of thought, Yang Kai deduced this conclusion.
It seems like when he returned to War City, he’d have to clean up his house.
However, even so, Yang Kai would never regret his actions! If he had to choose again, he would still have come out personally to meet his fellow brothers and sisters from High Heaven Pavilion.
If only to see Su Yan a moment sooner!
Sensing the change in Yang Kai’s mood, Su Yan couldn’t help but ask, “What’s wrong?”
Yang Kai just smiled and shook his head. “Nothing, just a group of people blocking the road ahead.”
Su Yan’s expression immediately became cold.
The last time they were together, she and Yang Kai had agreed to travel the world together, but due to Qiu Yi Meng’s interference, those plans had been destroyed. Now, more than a year later, after they had just reunited, a group of people had jumped out to cause trouble for them. It was only naturally for Su Yan to be upset.
“Who is blocking the road?” The several Martial Uncles from High Heaven Pavilion suddenly became nervous.
“Probably my Second Brother.” Yang Kai let out a sigh, Yang Wei wasn’t one to do this kind of thing, and even if he wanted to he didn’t have enough capital to do so, so it was easy to infer that the ones lying in wait for him were Yang Zhao’s allies.
“Martial Uncles, you may have to fight. You don’t have to worry about me, just focus on protecting the other disciples of the Sect.”
“Can we avoid them?” One of them asked, the group from High Heaven Pavilion was simply too weak to face these ambushers.
“They’ve already noticed us and have come prepared. We can’t escape.” Yang Kai shook his head helplessly, somewhat annoyed in his heart.
High Heaven Pavilion, although only a second-class force, had several thousand disciples at its height. However, after the last disaster, only a hundred or so disciples had chosen to live and die together with the Sect.
Although there were not many people back at High Heaven Pavilion’s territory, their degree of loyalty to the Sect was obviously not as high as the members here.
These brave few, after High Heaven Pavilion’s name was restored, would become the foundation of its rebirth. Therefore, absolutely no harm can come to them!
The news that a battle would soon take place disturbed all of High Heaven Pavilion disciples, but none of them showed any fear on their faces. On the contrary, many, like Su Mu, showed some eagerness to fight.
All of them had been in hiding for more than a year now, and many had grown restless. Now that they had Yang Kai as their shelter, they naturally felt emboldened. Nevertheless, this was also due in part to ignorance, not knowing just what kind of enemy they were about to face.
Noticing all of this, Yang Kai’s brows furrowed heavily. Yang Zhao sending people to intercept him here was completely out of his expectations.
Since the other party dared to do this, they must be certain of their ability to win; at the very least, they were confident of stalling Ying Jiu! This meant that, among the people sent here to ambush him, there would be at least one Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary master. However, since his Second Brother had deployed so much manpower, Qiu Yi Meng would certainly have noticed! Perhaps there were reinforcements from his forces rushing over right this moment.
Considering all this, Yang Kai’s tension slowly faded.
On top of all this, it wasn’t like the current situation was hopeless! His enemy had almost certainly miscalculated Ying Jiu’s true strength. Since he had already broken through to the Immortal Ascension Boundary Ninth Stage, his combat power was now much stronger than before.
They also weren’t clear about his true strength, and Su Yan’s presence was another huge variable.
If Yang Zhao had made arrangements based purely on their previous battles, then this time he still had a chance to come out on top! But soon, Yang Kai realized he had underestimated Yang Zhao’s wariness towards him.
Yang Kai quickly noticed a large number of silhouettes flying towards his group; sweeping this approaching force with his Divine Sense, his face couldn’t help cramping slightly.
The opposite party was comprised of at least seven forces! Among them, Yang Kai recognized four: Qiu Family, Kang Family, Xiang Family, and Nan Family, two of the Central Capital’s Eight Great Forces and two first-class forces, all of them turning out in full strength with absolute determination to win.
When they noticed so many people approaching, everyone from High Heaven Pavilion couldn’t help feeling some shock, none of them had expected their opponent to have made such a big move.
The few Martial Uncles were even more stunned, instantly understanding just what kind of importance Yang Kai had in his enemy’s eyes. In order to capture him, they hadn’t hesitated to send so many people, and so many masters.
Above the vast wilderness, two groups of people rapidly approached each other, coming to stop only a hundred meters apart.
Two pairs of hatred filled eyes swept over from the enemy force towards Yang Kai, obviously belonging to Xiang Chu and Nan Sheng, the two of them smiling deviously.
Qiu Zi Ruo wore a complex look when he saw Yang Kai staring back at them without any trace of fear, not knowing what he was thinking, while Kang Zhan’s expression was simply indifferent.
On the contrary, many of the others in this group were staring towards Su Yan who stood next to Yang Kai. Such an outstandingly beautiful young woman, with her cold noble temperament, had naturally caught many people’s attention. Looking at her, whether they were a man or woman, old or young, they couldn’t help feeling not help but feel a sense of defeat, even the two Young Lords from the Eight Great Families weren’t exempted.
It wasn’t like they hadn’t seen great beauties before. With their identity and status, no matter how many women they wanted, they could obtain. But, facing Su Yan, who seemed like an immortal ice fairy descended from the Heavens, even they felt unworthy of approaching her.
On the contrary, with Yang Kai standing beside her, they seemed to form a perfect pair, almost as if they were made for one another.
When this idea crossed their minds, Qiu Zi Ruo and Kang Zhan’s expression couldn’t help darkening; neither of them believed they were much worse than Yang Kai.
Lightly coughing, Kang Zhan cupped his fists and called out, “Ninth Young Lord, it’s been too long!”
“Brother Kang!” Yang Kai slightly curled his lips as he calmly asked, “Is my Second Brother not here with as well?”
“Second Young Lord is quite busy right now and unfortunately couldn’t be here, so he requested Brother Qiu and myself to entertain Ninth Young Lord, I hope Brother Kai won’t take offence!”
Yang Kai sneered back at him and stepped forward, proudly declaring, “My Second Brother didn’t bother coming to see me personally and instead sent you two as errand boys, right?”
Kang Zhan’s expression sank at these words as he coldly replied, “Ninth Young Lord, between all of us there’s a certain friendship, why make such demeaning comments?”
“There’s a friendship between me and you…?” Yang Kai rubbed chin and chuckled, “How come I can’t remember that?”
Regarding Kang Zhan and Qiu Zi Ruo, Yang Kai had basically never interacted with them, only sharing a drink briefly with the former when he had first returned to the Central Capital and was shouted out to by Yang Zhao. As for Qiu Zi Ruo, he had never even spoken to him.
Kang Zhan took a deep breath and let out a long sigh, calming his anger before saying, “Since Ninth Young Lord has such thoughts, this Kang won’t say any more nonsense. We really don’t have any friendship; our only connection is as enemies! In the coming battle, if we offend you in any way, Ninth Young Lord can only blame his own bad luck!”
“To you as well!”
Kang Zhan continued. “Before leaving, Second Young Lord told me that if Ninth Young Lord is willing to surrender, not to embarrass you, lest you feel he isn’t taking your brotherhood into account! So this Kang still has to ask, is Ninth Young Lord willing to accept Second Young Lord’s kindness?”
Yang Kai simply grinned and shook his head, “For a question you know the answer to, why bother asking?”
“Good!” Kang Zhan nodded heavily.
“Why bother with all this crap? While the masters from my Nan Family and the Xiang Family contain Ying Jiu, everyone else just needs to rush over and seize him.” Nan Sheng blurted out, obviously quite impatient to defeat Yang Kai and resolve the hate in his heart.
Kang Zhan’s brow wrinkled and didn’t say anything. He knew that Nan Sheng had a lot of grievances against Yang Kai; moreover this was also what he was planning to do anyways.
Yang Kai seemed to have a large number of people with him, but every few of them had reached the Immortal Ascension Boundary. The members of High Heaven Pavilion were nothing in Kang Zhan’s eyes.
Just as he was about to give the order, Yang Kai’s voice called out again, “Brother Kang, how about we make a deal?”
“What kind of deal?” Kang Zhan frowned.
“For this battle, only me and Ying Jiu will fight! If you can beat us, then you will be able to complete the task my Second Brother gave you!”
Listening to him, Kang Zhan and Qiu Zi Ruo couldn’t help looking at him strangely.
Neither of them had thought that Yang Kai would try to stop the hundred or so people behind him from participating in this fight.
Although the strength of these hundred cultivators wasn’t enough for Kang Zhan to worry about, if they all fought, they would still cause some losses to the forces he had brought.
So when he heard Yang Kai’s proposal, Kang Zhan subconsciously thought that he was plotting something and was hesitant to agree.
As for those on Yang Kai’s side, the several Martial Uncles from High Heaven Pavilion all objected, saying they wanted to contribute in any way thought could and that even if they knew they might die, they couldn’t just stand by and do nothing, their attitudes extremely resolute.
“You can’t have any losses,” Yang Kai shook his head and refused their kindness, his expression becoming dignified, “I am a Yang Family Young Lord. They won’t dare kill me. Even if I can’t defeat them, at worst they’ll just capture me, but if there are casualties amongst you, how will I be able to face Grand Master?”
“Our Martial Uncles shouldn’t fight, but I must!” Su Yan looked at Yang Kai and declared her gaze firm and unyielding.
Yang Kai looked at her and thought for a moment before nodding. Su Yan’s strength, like his own, couldn’t be inferred from her cultivation, and she may be able to bring about some unexpected effects if she was to work together with him.
Seeing him nod, Su Yan smiled happily and stepped forward…
“Brother Kang, sorry, I’ve changed my mind, there will be three of us participating in this fight from my side, myself, Ying Jiu, and my Senior Sister Su Yan!” Yang Kai said casually, “Defeat us, and I’ll voluntarily withdraw from the Inheritance War!”
Kang Zhan was trying to guess what Yang Kai was up to. He simply couldn’t understand, from the way he spoke and acted, it was as if this really was what he wanted to do and wasn’t some kind of clever ploy.
“It seems like those people are very important to Yang Kai. Even in this situation he’s actually trying to protect them.” Nan Sheng snorted, his aura becoming somewhat dangerous as he stared at the people from High Heaven Pavilion like a ruthless snake.
Xiang Chu nearby also sneered.
Kang Zhan’s frown deepened as he finally decided to just ask, “Ninth Young Lord, can you tell me why?”
“It’s simple really.” Yang Kai slowly shook his head, “These people are my Martial Uncles and fellow brothers and sisters from my Sect! If any of them were to be hurt, I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to control myself. If that were to happen and Brother Kang or Brother Qiu weren’t able to return to War City… it would be difficult to explain to the Kang Family and Qiu Family.”
“They’re from High Heaven Pavilion?” Kang Zhan and Qiu Zi Ruo’s expression changed greatly. Suddenly understanding where these hundred people originated from, a hint of dread even appearing in their eyes.
High Heaven Pavilion, it couldn’t be treated like an ordinary second-class Sect; after all, that was the Demon Lord’s Sect!
“This proposal has no downside for you, what is there to think about?” Yang Kai urged.
“Young Lord Kang, don’t agree!” Nan Sheng licked his lips and gazed over at the other side, “These wicked person, all of them deserve to die. We can’t say that amongst these people, another Demon Lord will descend. Killing them all is the best precaution!”
“I think so too!” Xiang Chu nodded in agreement.
Kang Zhan glanced over at them and snorted. He knew that righteousness had nothing to do with their motives; they just wanted to vent their anger against Yang Kai by killing these people now that they knew they were important to him.
Qiu Zi Ruo on the other hand shook his head and said, “Brother Kang, I think there’s nothing wrong with agreeing to his proposal. At this moment, we have an absolute advantage, so selling him a favor shouldn’t matter. I also don’t think Second Young Lord wants us to simply act ruthlessly.”
In Qiu Zi Ruo’s view, right now, capturing Yang Kai was as simple as flipping his palm, there was no doubt about the outcome.
In which case, there was no need to further antagonize him.
Killing these hundred people from High Heaven Pavilion wouldn’t help them win the Inheritance War and would only forge a grudge between them and Yang Kai.
Qiu Zi Ruo wasn’t willing to really become enemies with Yang Kai, a man who always seemed somewhat ruthless and unrestrained.
Hearing this, Kang Zhan nodded lightly, “What Brother Qiu says makes sense.”
Nan Sheng and Xiang Chu looked at each other and couldn’t help feeling aggrieved. This was simply the perfect opportunity to take revenge on Yang Kai, but in this situation they had no right to make any decisions, naturally they felt somewhat depressed.
“Ninth Young Lord, I accept your proposal!” Kang Zhan loudly declared, “For this battle, we will not involve the members of your Sect, provided they don’t interfere in any way, or else they will suffer the consequences of their own actions!”
“Of course!” Yang Kai gently breathed a sigh of relief and said, “Actually, this is also for your own good.”
Listening to Yang Kai say this, even the mild tempered Kang Zhan couldn’t resist coldly snorting, “Big words!”
Agreeing to Yang Kai’s proposal was nothing more than him not wanting to provoke further trouble, in Kang Zhan’s opinion, he was selling him a favor and giving him face, but now this person was actually shameless enough to say it was for his own good.
Such cheap rhetoric and arrogance naturally annoyed him.
Not paying Yang Kai’s words any mind, Kang Zhan waved his hand, “Brother Xiang, Brother Nan, send out your people.”
Xiang Chu and Nan Sheng nodded and signaled towards the crowd, the next moment two streaks of light shooting out from behind them.
In just the blink of an eye, two figures had already rushed over to Yang Kai’s position. One of these people was from the Xiang Family while the other was from the Nan Family, both of them old men at the Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary.
If not for Xiang Chu and Nan Sheng’s strong persuasion, it would have been impossible for the Xiang and Nan Families to send these two to participate in the Inheritance War.
Without a single word, the two old men struck towards Ying Jiu.
Both old masters went all out, trying to use overwhelming momentum to take Ying Jiu out in one fell swoop.
Two Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary masters attacking at once created an astounding pressure, immediately causing many of the High Heaven Pavilion members’ breaths to stagnate.
The violent power of these two strikes seemed to have created a whirlpool that drew in the lives of everyone around them.
Everyone was aghast; their faces turning pale, in the face of such astounding strength, none of them could even work up the will to resist.
Nan Sheng and Xiang Chu smirked as they smugly watched, secretly expecting Ying Jiu to be forced to display his Mad Tyrant Blood Skill.
But contrary to their expectations, Ying Jiu’s expression remained indifferent, suddenly disappearing just before the two old men’s attacks were about to reach him.
The looks on the Xiang and Nan Family masters swiftly changed. Suddenly having lost their target, a terrifying feeling welled up in their hearts.
The two masters hurriedly tried to retreat, but before they could, a sharp killing intent stabbed towards them from behind.
Before the two masters knew what was happening, a ghostly figure wielding two daggers appeared behind them and unleashed a series of slashes.
Flickering Shadow Strike!
The air was instantly filled with violent waves of energy, like ripples on the surface of a pond.
The arrogant expressions on Xiang Chu and Nan Sheng’s faces instantly solidified, soon being replaced by looks of fear and shock as they stared towards the sky.
Kang Zhan and Qiu Zi Ruo’s reactions weren’t much better.
Everyone, whether they were friend or foe, trembled at the sight of Ying Jiu’s strength!
Only Yang Kai chuckled and calmly said, “Martial Uncles, lead everyone else back to a safe distance.”
“Ah… en.” The old men from High Heaven Pavilion reacted as if they had just woken from the dream. Witnessing the battle between these three Immortal Ascension Boundary masters, they realized that even if they were to exert all their strength, they wouldn’t have any effect on the situation and would only end up dying unnecessarily. Understanding this point, they quickly led everyone else from High Heaven Pavilion away from the battlefield.
Only Yang Kai and Su Yan remained standing side by side at the front.
Su Yan’s long hair fluttered in the wind from the battle above as she turned her head towards Yang Kai and smiled.
*Shua Shua Shua…*
High up in the sky, the three masters separated from each other and stood mid-air facing one another.
Ying Jiu appeared just as he had a moment ago, his expression indifferent and his body unharmed.
On the other hand, the masters from the Xiang and Nan Families had expressions that were somewhat pale and their robes had been damaged here and there. Although they showed no signs of injury, this fight had made everyone realize that the Ying Jiu that stood before them now was already not the one they had previously known!
Also, this once again demonstrated to everyone present just how stunning the Yang Family Blood Warrior’s combat strength was!
Yang Family Blood Warriors, invincible amongst those of the same realm, commonly fighting those whose cultivation exceeded their own!
“Just you two? Insufficient!” Ying Jiu held his two daggers by his sides and shot a cold look at the Nan and Xiang Family masters in front of him, lightly shaking his head.
The two old men’s expression immediately became ugly!
“Brother Kang, Ying Jiu seems to have broken through to the Immortal Ascension Boundary Ninth Stage!” Qiu Zi Ruo also saw that the situation wasn’t good. In their original plan, the two Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary masters would distract Ying Jiu while the rest of the masters they brought captured Yang Kai, but now, with Ying Jiu reaching the Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary, that plan was no longer feasible.
“Since they can’t handle him alone, we just have to send more people up.” Kang Zhan was also dazed for a while but quickly collected himself and coldly ordered.
Qiu Zi Ruo nodded before signaling towards the group behind him. Immediately, four more figures flew up.
Two Immortal Ascension Eighth Stages and two Immortal Ascension Seventh Stages!
In addition to the previous two Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary masters, Ying Jiu was now facing a total of six people by himself, but his expression still remained indifferent, on the other hand it was the four newcomers who appeared nervous.
“Still not enough!” Ying Jiu shook his head, “If you want to contain me, you’ll have to send more.”
Kang Zhan and Qiu Zi Ruo’s expressions both became dark, secretly thinking that this Ying Jiu was too arrogant. Even if he was a Yang Family Blood Warrior, and had reached the Immortal Ascension Ninth Stage, he was still just one man.
“Mad Tyrant Blood Skill!” Ying Jiu suddenly muttered, his Blood Force rapidly rising and his True Qi surging wildly.
Everyone’s expression changed once more. None of them had thought that Ying Jiu would so decisively display the Blood Warrior’s forbidden technique.
This skill temporarily increased the intensity of a Blood Warrior’s Blood Force and True Qi at the expense of their vitality! In other words, every time a Blood Warrior used this skill, their lifespan would reduce.
Therefore, even if the Yang Family’s Blood Warriors had phenomenal strength, they generally didn’t live long lives.
In an instant, Ying Jiu’s aura changed from being sharp yet silent to violent and wrathful, his exposed skin suddenly emitting a crimson glow like a red scorpion.
*Shua…*
Ying Jiu’s figure flickered, seemingly moving yet remaining exactly where he was; on the other hand, the masters who were confronting him all staggered backwards a few steps.
*Pu…*
With a splash of blood, before realizing what had happened, without even engaging Ying Jiu in combat, one of the Immortal Ascension Boundary Seventh Stage master’s eyes dimmed and limply fell from the sky.
Blood sprayed out like a fountain from this man’s throat and before he even hit the ground, his body burst into a bloody fog, even his bones disintegrating!
A chill that seemed to come from the depths of hell gripped the hearts of everyone who witnessed this, causing them to shiver uncontrollably.
“Still think you’re enough?” Ying Jiu’s two daggers flashed a cold light as he spun them in a dazzling pattern through his fingers, his wild aura suddenly condensing and becoming deathly still, and said, “If you think so, then die!”
Just as his voice fell, the two old men at the Immortal Ascension Boundary Ninth Stage yelled, “Be careful!”
At the same time, both of them jumped forward and summoned their respective artifacts, pushing their True Qi to the limit as they displayed their strongest skills.
Ying Jiu’s figure flickered through this wave of attacks, like a leaf floating through a violent storm, swaying back and forth yet never falling.
“All Immortal Ascension Eighth Stages go up!” Kang Zhan didn’t dare underestimate Ying Jiu, with his Immortal Ascension Ninth Stage cultivation and Mad Tyrant Blood Skill. This Blood Warrior before his eyes now had the qualification to fight an Above Immortal Ascension Boundary master.
The five men facing him right now really weren’t enough to contain him! Realizing this, Kang Zhan immediately issued an order for reinforcements.
*Shua Shua Shua*, four more figures leapt up from the ground, all of them cultivators at the Immortal Ascension Boundary Eighth Stage, this was every master at this level from all seven forces present!
With the addition of these masters, Ying Jiu’s movements weren’t as free and fluid as before, but his rhythm still hadn’t been disturbed.
He was like a drawn blade, invincible and all conquering, whenever the two daggers flashed, chaos and panic soon followed.
Ying Jiu who was proficient in speed, stealth, and assassination, still occupied a completely dominant position in this lopsided confrontation. His vague figure flashed in and out of his enemy’s sight, striking from their blind spots and then withdrawing before they could even respond, causing all of them to feel an insurmountable pressure crushing down on their hearts.
“It’s not enough!” Kang Zhan’s eyes flashed a desperate look, just as he spoke these words, in the sky, another Immortal Ascension Boundary Seventh Stage master let out a bloodcurdling scream and plummeted to the ground.
“Elder!” Someone shouted.
This person belonged to one of the weaker seven forces that had been deployed for this operation; his loss was a big blow to his Sect.
When this Immortal Ascension Boundary Seventh Stage master hit the ground, everyone saw that his two arms had been cleanly separated from his body, blood splashing out from the smooth wounds.
“Send more!” Kang Zhan’s face paled as he ordered once more.
Several Immortal Ascension Boundary Seventh Stage masters in the crowd behind him glanced at once another helplessly before shooting into the sky.
Finally, with the addition of these people, Ying Jiu’s movements finally stagnated somewhat.
This single Yang Family Blood Warrior was fighting evenly with two Ninth Stage, six Eighth Stage, and five Immortal Ascension Boundary Seventh Stage masters, greatly surpassing everyone’s expectations.
Even Ying Jiu himself was quite surprised.
Before he had broken through, he had repeatedly thought about how much his strength would increase once he reached the Ninth Stage. He had estimated that after breaking through and displaying his Mad Tyrant Blood Skill he would be able to contain several masters of equal cultivation, but he absolutely didn’t expect to be able to suppress so many at once.
Being able to face so many high level masters far exceeded Ying Jiu’s estimate of his own abilities.
He didn’t understand why this was; he only knew that right now he was capable of this. Although his situation wasn’t relaxed, and could even be described as dancing a knife’s edge, he wasn’t worried about losing his life for a short time!
[Is it because of those Mysterious Grade pills from the Pill Room?] Ying Jiu wasn’t clear, but that didn’t matter right now. What he needed to do was reduce the burden Yang Kai faced as much as possible.
Looking at the difficult fight Ying Jiu was having up in the sky, Kang Zhan and Qiu Zi Ruo couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.
This situation was something they had never imagined before. Fortunately, the Second Young Lord had prepared for so many people for this ambush.
If he had accepted their proposal at the time, with just Ying Jiu, forget about capturing Yang Kai, they might not even have been able to escape themselves.
[Second Young Lord is really far-sighted!] At this moment, Kang Zhan and Qiu Zi Ruo felt a deep admiration for Yang Zhao’s foresight.
“It’s up to us now!” Kang Zhan took a deep breath and turned his eyes to Yang Kai who had been standing nearby this whole time.
With Ying Jiu being pinned down, the rest of them just needed to capture Yang Kai. Although most of the masters were occupied, Kang Zhan was still completely confident the rest of them could accomplish this task.
After all, he and Qiu Zi Ruo both had two Immortal Ascension Fifth Stage masters from Eight Great Families accompanying them a large number of masters from the seven forces.
With this lineup, Kang Zhan didn’t believe they couldn’t take Yang Kai!
“It’s our turn!” Yang Kai took back his gaze from the battle up above and gently said to Su Yan.
Su Yan nodded slightly, lightly brushing her hair back behind her ear as she smiled, “This will be our third time fighting side by side!”
“Third time?” Yang Kai parroted curiously.
“Have you forgotten?” Su Yan glanced over at him, “The first time was inside the Inheritance Heaven’s Cave when you saved my life and the second time was below the Coiling Dragon Stream when we brought up the rear. This will be the third time.”
“Does the first time count?”
“Of course it counts.” Su Yan smiled happily and whispered, “You’ve helped me two times before, this time… It’s my turn to help you!”
Yang Kai stared at her for a moment before smiling and nodding, “Alright!”
Looking at the pair before them calmly whispering to one another, seemingly flirting right in front of their faces, both Kang Zhan and Qiu Zi Ruo’s faces cramped.
They felt like they were being thoroughly despised.
Coldly waving their hands, the four Immortal Ascension Boundary Fifth Stage masters from the Kang Family and Qiu Family flew towards Yang Kai and Su Yan.
Their movements were neither fast nor slow. On their faces was an expression of complete indifference. It was obvious that they were confident that they could capture Yang Kai.
The hundred meter distance between them was quickly closed.
The smile on Yang Kai’s face gradually converged as he observed the four masters approaching them.
These four people were different from ordinary Immortal Ascension Boundary Fifth Stage masters. Each Immortal Ascension master from the Eight Great Families was a true elite.
“I should be able to cope with one and a half.” Su Yan wrinkled her brow, feeling a lot of pressure from these four masters.
“Me too.” Yang Kai nodded lightly. This evaluation was based purely on their own strength, but if they were to work together and use some special methods, things would be different.
The four people arrived ten meters in front of Yang Kai and stopped, politely cupping their fists before saying, “Ninth Young Lord, pardon us for offending you.”
“Conceited to the bone.” Yang Kai grinned and muttered.
These arrogant words made the four people’s faces sink, one of them shooting back, “Ninth Young Lord, it’s best if you don’t resis…”
Before he could finish his words though, Yang Kai and Su Yan simultaneously began moving.
One scotching hot, one frigid cold, two distinct energies burst out at the same time without any prior communication. The coupled seemed to be able to understand each other’s thoughts and perfectly synchronized with one another.
A burning hot True Qi rushed forward, like a raging inferno, engulfing the place where the four masters stood. Aware of the power contained in this pure and flawless True Qi, the four masters’ expression couldn’t help changing slightly; Yang Kai drawing a tie with Liu Qing Yao wasn’t because the latter had gone easy on him.
The Ninth Young Lord really had the capital to fight evenly with the Central Capital’s First Young Lord!
After the wall of flames came sharp blades of ice, slicing through the air towards them with harsh whistling sounds.
Thousands of ice blades swarmed the four masters like locust descending upon a field, the chill they radiated reaching their bones, forming an inescapable net.
Each ice blade was filled with an astounding amount of cold Qi and carried an astonishing force.
These ice blades were formed from the pure True Qi within Su Yan’s body and the penetrating power they had made even the Immortal Ascension masters of the Eight Great Families not dare underestimate them.
Su Yan’s attack was both dazzling and dangerous.
On the other hand, the wave of scaling True Qi Yang Kai released was somewhat lacking in comparison.
Two of the four didn’t move while the other two released a brilliant radiance from their bodies, forming a thin barrier in front of them, completely blocking both the hot and cold Qi.
The two men also branched out a portion of their strength to smash the ice blades which were approaching from the other directions.
Yang Kai and Su Yan’s first joint attack had yielded no results!
Just as the four Immortal Ascension Boundary masters relaxed their vigilance, there was a sudden and unexpected change occurred.
The energy contained in the attack that they had just blocked didn’t dissipate but instead swirled around them and become even more powerful and aggressive.
The four men’s expressions once again changed violently and the two Immortal Ascension Boundary masters who had previously not acted hurriedly showed their means.
*Hong hong hong…*
The hot and cold Qi crashed likes waves onto the defensive barrier, each impact stronger than the previous one soon shattering the thin film protecting the four Immortal Ascension Boundary masters, submerging them in a torment of extreme opposites.
Seeing this, Kang Zhan and Qiu Zi Ruo both gawked.
The scene in front of them immediately made them realize how big the gap between them and Yang Kai was, causing them to feel a deep sense of powerlessness.
Against Liu Qing Yao, they still felt like they had a chance of catching up to and one day surpassing him.
But when they faced Yang Kai, they couldn’t say the same; they deeply felt like they would only be able to look up to him for the rest of their lives.
This feeling of inferiority greatly frustrated and angered Kang Zhan as he yelled out, “Don’t show any mercy, Ninth Young Lord won’t die so easily!”
Hearing this, the four masters who were resisting this hot and cold energy storm all furrowed their brows and no longer held back. Gathering their strength, they sent out a burst of True Qi from their bodies and shattered the field surrounding them and then quickly used their Martial Skills and artifacts to strike back.
Yang Kai swiftly summoned his bone shield and swallowed these few attacks, but the two Kang Family masters both closed in before he could counterattack.
At such a close distance, the energy swallowed by the bone shield couldn’t be used effectively to repel them.
With two ferocious roars, Yang Kai sent out his White Tiger Seal and Divine Ox Seal, sending the two beast phantoms biting towards his attackers.
Gaining a little breathing time, Yang Kai quickly opened the distance between them and snuck a glimpse over at Su Yan, discovering that she was being entangled by the two masters from the Qiu Family.
Seeing this, Yang Kai was slightly annoyed. In order to maximize the effect of the Yin-Yang Joyous Unification Art, he and Su Yan needed to fight side by side, a point which had not escaped the observation of the fours masters, leading them to divide the pair in an attempt to take them down separately.
If they really fought like this, with the bone shield boosting his defence, Yang Kai probably wouldn’t have any problems, not to mention these four didn’t dare really hurt him, but Su Yan may be in danger.
Although he desperately wanted to join up with Su Yan again, the two of Kang Family masters were deliberately blocking his way, making it impossible for him to reach her in short order.
“Looks like there shouldn’t be any problems.” Seeing the situation take a turn for the better, Kang Zhan relaxed his tensed nerves and breathed a sigh of relief.
Qiu Zi Ruo also secretly wiped the cold sweat from his brow and smiled bitterly, “I didn’t expect that the Ninth Young Lord’s methods would be so amazing.”
“Him being amazing, I can understand, but who is that woman? How is she so powerful?” Kang Zhan stared at Su Yan with a puzzled expression.
“That woman is definitely the most important one here to Yang Kai.” Nan Sheng grinned, a vicious light flashing across his eyes.
Since he wanted to retaliate against Yang Kai, naturally he should give him the most profound and painful lesson possible.
It would be best if this woman were accidentally killed by the two Qiu Family masters! Nan Sheng was secretly looking forward to it. Although he knew such an outcome was unlikely, he couldn’t help hoping it would come to pass.
He even wondered if there was some way he could steer things in that direction.
But looking at this woman’s tyrannical strength, Nan Sheng felt a bit discouraged.
His strength wasn’t that high, so him interfering wouldn’t change anything.
“Young Lord Nan, our objective this time is only to capture Yang Kai.” Kang Zhan saw his thoughts and warned.
“Heh heh, I know.” Nan Sheng nodded.
In the few breaths they were speaking, the four Immortal Ascension Boundary masters gradually began to suppress Yang Kai and Su Yan.
The masters of super-forces were really different, even if it was just two Immortal Ascension Boundary Fifth Stage cultivators they could easily tie down Yang Kai. Having to constantly worry about himself, he couldn’t find an opportunity to help Su Yan at all, it was also impossible for him to use the energy swallowed by the bone shield in such close quarters and could only passively defend.
Seeing Su Yan’s situation becoming graver by the moment, Yang Kai’s expression quickly became cold.
The bone shield that had been using to defend himself disappeared and in its place a small mirror appeared.
This mirror gave off a profound chill and if one looked closely they would notice a white scenery contained within it.
As soon as Yang Kai summoned it, a dangerous aura pulsed from the mirror.
The two Kang Family masters noticed this and immediately intensified their attack in an attempt to stop whatever Yang Kai was attempting to do.
But they were a step too late.
From the mirror, a series of ripples burst forth and the surrounding region transformed into a world of ice.
*Hua…*
A vast, snowy sky, like a great dome, suddenly appeared before everyone’s eyes, enveloping Yang Kai, Su Yan and the Kang Family and Qiu Family four masters.
“Mysterious Grade artifact!” Kang Zhan shouted as he gazed towards this strange dome, but no matter how he tried, he could see nothing but blowing snow.
Everyone who stared at this strange barrier comprised of icy winds and snow felt a cold chill overcome them, causing them to tremble unconsciously. Becoming like this simply from observing from the outside, Kang Zhan could only imagine what it was like for those trapped inside.
Staring into the boundary, he could faintly make out a white snowy peak seemingly in the far distance.
“How could he have such a powerful Mysterious Grade artifact?” Kang Zhan’s face went blue. Although he knew that Yang Kai had snatched a second Mysterious Grade artifact in addition to the bone shield he had used earlier and had mentally prepared himself, he hadn’t imagined it would be able to display such an effect.
When such an artifact was summoned, it effectively created an isolated world that couldn’t be intruded upon until the battle inside was decided.
As the master of the artifact, Yang Kai would no doubt have an absolute advantage when fighting inside this barrier!
On top of that, the attribute of this artifact seemed to perfectly match with that woman’s Secret Art and Martial Skills!
In an instant, Kang Zhan realized that the situation was not good.
Regarding the power of a Mysterious Grade artifact, he also had a deep understanding; as the Young Lord of one of the Central Capital Eight Great Families, he too had a Mysterious Grade artifact.
“Quickly break through this artifact’s barrier!” Kang Zhan roared, quickly leading Qiu Zi Ruo and a group of people forward to bombard this dome.
Inside the ice world, Yang Kai and Su Yan finally gathered together.
Looking around at the snow-white scenery and the tall ice mountain, Su Yan couldn’t help taking a deep breath, her full chest rising and falling greatly in a sublime motion, an excited light flashing across her eyes.
To her, this place was a paradise, allowing her True Qi to circulate many times faster than usual.
As soon as Yang Kai activated the mirror-like Mysterious Grade artifact, Su Yan’s aura changed dramatically. She was clearly standing next to him, but in the eyes of the four masters from the Kang and Qiu Family, she had become ethereal, like her entire being was omnipresent. In other words, this woman, at this moment, had all but become one with this Mysterious Grade artifact.
The four people were stunned, not understanding why this was happening.
This Mysterious Grade artifact was clearly summoned by Yang Kai, so how could this young woman be the one resonating with it the strongest?
This phenomenon was also noticed by Yang Kai and Su Yan, both of them turning to one another, seeing the excitement in each other’s eyes.
When he had summoned the mirror artifact, Yang Kai hadn’t anticipated this result.
But in this moment, he understood.
Su Yan and he both cultivated the Joyous Unification Art, and their True Qis had formed a kind of circulation. As such, any artifact he had refined with his True Qi, to a certain extent, could be used by Su Yan, and vice versa.
This was equivalent to two people sharing their artifacts.
In particular, this mirror was primarily an ice attribute artifact, perfectly compatible with Su Yan’s True Qi attribute; it was basically tailor-made for her. While Yang Kai could use this artifact somewhat, because his True Qi attribute was the exact opposite, he was unable to fully display its strength; Su Yan, on the other hand, could utilize one hundred percent of its might.
During the artifact snatching battle at Po Jing Lake, Yang Kai felt that this artifact’s grade might be higher and had thus made it his priority target, leading to this unexpectedly fortuitous situation.
“This artifact is a barrier creation type!” One of the Kang Family masters shouted as he swept his eyes over their suddenly changed surroundings, the others beside him nodding in agreement, all of their expressions quite grave. They were all experienced people and could make quick and accurate assessments of their situation, so they naturally saw that this artifact was incredibly strong and sturdy at a glance.
This artifact had erected a dome like barrier around them, creating a type of small isolated space. Without breaking this barrier, the artifact would continue to maintain this isolated space, but breaking this barrier while Yang Kai and Su Yan were closely staring at them was obviously not going to be easy. How could the four masters dare act rashly? As the cold winds whistled and whipped around them, the ground became covered in a thick layer of frost as falling snow whirled around them.
All of a sudden, the four masters noticed that their True Qi was slowly being frozen! Immediately they began circulating their Secret Arts madly, but they were still unable to completely resist the chill around them, frost staining their hair and clothes only a moment later.
“How do you feel?” Yang Kai didn’t pay any attention to the four masters, but instead asked Su Yan curiously.
“My strength has increased a lot. I feel like… I can do anything!” Su Yan gently exclaimed, feeling a slight chill nip her nose, but still extremely comfortable.
Su Yan wasn’t one to boast or exaggerated, if she was saying so, it meant she really felt omnipotent within this barrier!
Yang Kai laughed heartily, “Good, then from now on this artifact is yours to use!”
“En,” Su Yan nodded lightly, without the slightest objection. Accepting something her man gifted her as though it was natural.
The conversation between the two youths reached the ears of four Immortal Ascension Boundary masters and caused all of their expressions to dim. Although a Mysterious Grade artifact was indeed powerful, none of them were weak, so how could they stand being so despised by two members of the younger generation?
“I’ll give it a try!” Su Yan whispered softly, waving her hand almost arbitrarily towards the four masters.
Instantly, the cold wind became even much more biting and the expressions on the four masters changed from unhappiness to fright. Although they had been able to stand their ground so far, with this drastic increase in cold pressure, their hair and extremities began freezing visibly faster.
To their horror, even when they pushed their True Qis to the limit, they couldn’t resist the invasion of this chill, their bodies soon beginning to shiver from the cold.
Su Yan’s brow rose for a moment before wrinkling slightly, seemingly trying to familiarize herself with the power of the artifact. As her expression fluctuated, the connection between her cold attribute True Qi and this frozen world deepened. With a fierce rumble, the ground which was covered in a thick layer of snow suddenly burst open as thousands of ice blades shot into the air, joining the already thick blizzard surrounding the four masters.
With no path to the Heavens nor door into the Earth, the four masters born into two of the world’s super-forces all felt extremely troubled. As their True Qi was slowly frozen, their responses became sluggish, further compromising their ability to defend themselves. Even though they somehow used their Martial Skills and Artifacts to block this round of attacks, before they could catch their breath, Su Yan’s next attack had arrived.
From the surrounding ice mountains, bright beams of light suddenly erupted, seemingly crossing space as they shot towards the four people.
As Yang Kai stood beside Su Yan, motionless, his heart pounded.
He hadn’t expected that with the help of this Mysterious Grade artifact, Su Yan’s strength could rise to this level, all on her own being able to suppress four Immortal Ascension Fifth Stage masters from the Central Capital Eight Great Families to the point where they could only defend themselves without being able to hit back.
This artifact had created the ideal combat environment for Su Yan. In this world, she was supreme!
Even as the real owner of this artifact, he had somehow degenerated into a mere spectator.
The power of the artifact was indeed terrible, but Su Yan’s strength was also unquestionable! With the two combined, this lopsided route was the result.
It was now only a matter of time before she beat these four; looking at Su Yan seemingly playing with a new toy, Yang Kai happily smiled.
Outside the barrier, Kang Zhan and Qiu Zi Ruo had both hurriedly brought their forces over, but none of them could approach within a hundred meters of this dome.
The chill that radiated from this barrier was too strong, even a hundred meters away, all of them had to circulate their Secret Arts to resist the invasion of the cold.
“Break it!” Kang Zhan shouted, taking the lead by pulling out his own Mysterious Grade artifact, which he had not used in the Inheritance War so far, poured in his True Qi, and attacked the barrier in front of him.
On the dome’s surface, a series of ripples quickly spread, the wind and snow that obstructed their view of the inside stagnating somewhat.
After this single strike, Kang Zhan’s breathing became somewhat heavy; his strength wasn’t that high, so the stress on his body and consumption of his True Qi from using a Mysterious Grade artifact wasn’t small. Fortunately, Qiu Zi Ruo also had an artifact of the same level and the other cultivators with them also unleashed a barrage of attacks to follow up.
After this round of attacks, the barrier seemed to weaken somewhat. Seeing this, Kang Zhan’s hope rose and he excitedly ordered, “Don’t stop! Continue until it breaks!”
The longer this situation dragged on, the more unfavorable it would be for them. Most of the masters from their forces had already been drawn out to contain Ying Jiu, so if the four Immortal Ascension Boundary masters from the Central Capital Eight Great Families were defeated inside this barrier now, Kang Zhan really had no idea how they would capture Yang Kai.
As this operation’s leader, he was more anxious than anyone else!
Everyone outside the barrier pushed their True Qi furiously, trying to break open this barrier even a moment sooner.
Suddenly, a few screams rang out from afar. Glancing over at the source, Kang Zhan’s face turned blue as he angrily yelled, “Xiang Chu, Nan Sheng! What are you doing?”
In the direction he was staring, Xiang Chu and Nan Sheng had actually taken their forces and snuck over to where the members of High Heaven Pavilion were standing.
Since the beginning of the battle, these people had been standing there observing, not interfering just as Yang Kai and Kang Zhan agreed.
But when the snow and ice barrier appeared, Nan Sheng and Xiang Chu had turned their attention to them.
It was only after this outburst that Kang Zhan noticed their actions.
Nan Sheng, who was confronting the members of High Heaven Pavilion, completely ignored Kang Zhan’s question as he sneered, “Obediently surrender. If you resist, I have no problem playing with you!”
The few members of the older generation all wore ugly expressions as they stood in front of the young disciples; although they were angry, they didn’t dare launch an attack, quickly shouting, “Two Young Lords, just now, my Martial Nephew reached an agreement with your leader, are you going to go back on your word now?”
Nan Sheng snickered, “An agreement? I don’t know anything about that. Why don’t you try pointing out who made a deal with Yang Kai? Do you really think you High Heaven Pavilion trash are untouchable? After this young master is tramples all of you, what can Yang Kai say?”
“You go too far!”
“Too far?” Nan Sheng laughed, “Why don’t you go ask Yang Kai and see if he knows the meaning of going too far!”
After saying so, his expression became cold as he yelled, “Capture them all! Kill anyone who dares to resist! It seems like Yang Kai cares a great deal about you, let’s find out just how you’re really worth to him!”
Immediately, the Nan Family and Xiang Family people surrounded the members of High Heaven Pavilion, their expression grim and menacing.
Everyone from High Heaven Pavilion was furious, especially the members of the younger generation. Seeing that the situation was about to reach the level of an all-out conflict, Kang Zhan quickly rushed over and grabbed Nan Sheng’s collar, grinding his teeth and angrily interrogating, “What do you think you’re doing?”
Nan Sheng didn’t pay Kang Zhan’s anger any mind, just grinning back happily as he calmly replied, “Young Lord Kang, do you think the four masters from your Kang Family and Qiu Family can capture Yang Kai inside that ice and snow barrier?”
Kang Zhan’s brows wrinkled and his eyes flashed an unhappy light, coldly snorting back, “What does that have to do with what you’re doing right now?”
“Naturally my actions are related.” Nan Sheng said lightly, seemingly not having the slightest tension, “If those four masters can’t catch Yang Kai, this time’s operation can basically be declared a failure! After dispatching so many people, we couldn’t even defeat three people, if word of this were to spread… heh heh Young Lord Kang, what the consequences would be, do I have to explain?”
“What do you mean?” Kang Zhan gradually calmed down. Just now, seeing Nan Sheng and Xiang Chu act against these High Heaven Pavilion people, he thought their plan was to kill them to vent their anger.
Thinking so, he was naturally enraged, firstly, Nan Sheng and Xiang Chu’s actions were basically disregarding his face, and secondly, if possible he didn’t want to offend Yang Kai.
But now, there were neither any dead nor wounded, so he was at least willing to listen to Nan Sheng’s explanation.
Moreover, the situation in front of them really wasn’t good, if he was really to allow Yang Kai to escape; he would have no way to explain to Yang Zhao. His status was already not as good as that of Ye Xin Rou’s, and after such a disastrous failure it would only sink even lower.
“I don’t have any other meaning.” Even facing Kang Zhan’s inquiry, Nan Sheng just smiled coldly, “I only want to say that as long as we have chips in hand, even if those four Seniors fail, we’ll still be in control. Yang Kai likely won’t surrender because of them, but allowing us to leave shouldn’t be an issue. Young Lord Kang also saw the power of his Mysterious Grade artifact. If Yang Kai is determined to keep all of us here, could any of us possibly resist?”
Kang Zhan’s expression became solemn as he contemplated Nan Sheng’s words, reluctantly finding himself unable to refute.
It was obvious to everyone here that Yang Kai really cared about these High Heaven Pavilion people. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have proposed such a deal in the first place. Given the strength he had just displayed, and knowing his temper, if someone dared block his road, he wouldn’t have bothered discussing anything and simply attacked. The fact that he didn’t proved that he wasn’t willing to abandon these people.
With these people as a bargaining chip, could he force Yang Kai to submit? Unlikely, but escaping would be a simple matter!
“Young Lord Kang wouldn’t be worrying about a simple oral agreement with Yang Kai, right?” Nan Sheng saw his hesitation and sneered.
Kang Zhan wore an ugly expression but didn’t deny the charge. Although it was just a verbal agreement, as a Young Lord of one of the Central Capital’s Eight Great Families, he couldn’t just go back on his word or he would lose face. Since he had promised Yang Kai not to move against these High Heaven Pavilion people, if he arbitrarily reneged just because the situation suddenly became unfavourable, it would be inappropriate.
“Young Lord Kang, this is a critical situation. Do you want to see Yang Kai use that artifact to defeat all of us here?” Nan Sheng struck while the iron was hot, continuing to persuade.
Xiang Chu also chose this moment to chime in, “Young Lord Kang, please consider the greater good. I don’t deny that I hate Yang Kai to the extreme, but even without considering my personal feelings, this is our best option given the situation.”
Taking a deep breath and letting out a long sigh, Kang Zhan’s hesitation turned to conviction and nodded, “So be it!”
He was also really afraid of Yang Kai and didn’t have much hope that the four Immortal Ascension Boundary masters would be able to defeat him.
When Nan Sheng and Xiang Chu heard this, their faces filled with joy.
Since they began participating in the Inheritance War, they had finally found an opportunity to exact revenge on Yang Kai, naturally they felt happy.
“Don’t embarrass them too much. Just grab two people.” Kang Zhan frowned and ordered.
“Good.” Nan Sheng nodded, snorting disdainfully as he swept his eyes over the members of High Heaven Pavilion, pointing to one of the older generation disciples and ordering someone to bring him over.
The middle aged man didn’t resist, even intentionally stopping some of the younger generation disciples from taking any rash actions.
At this moment, the enemy in front of them was too strong. If they were to retaliate then they would certainly be annihilated. Therefore, remaining calm and doing as they were told was all that they could do.
Seeing that no one from High Heaven Pavilion stood out to resist, Nan Sheng and Xiang Chu couldn’t help showing some disappointment, immediately cursing, “Cowards!”
Kang Zhan’s brow wrinkled; somewhat annoyed at their attempts to stimulate these High Heaven Pavilion people, but he ultimately didn’t say anything.
Nan Sheng’s eyes continued to wander around the crowd looking for a suitable target, suddenly noticing a pair of eyes glaring at him angrily and sneering, “take him!”
As soon as he spoke, one of the Nan Family masters charged into the crowd of High Heaven Pavilion disciples and retrieved the target.
This person wasn’t very old, even younger than Yang Kai, but his strength wasn’t bad, reaching the True Element Boundary Fifth Stage. Obviously, his aptitude was good.
It was also because of this that Nan Sheng chose him.
Two High Heaven Pavilion disciples were quickly brought before Nan Sheng, one old, one young. The old generation disciple still wore a calm expression, neither angry nor humble, but the younger disciple was actually grinning as he sneered at Nan Sheng. .
“Good eyes!” Nan Sheng nodded, suddenly slapping this youth across his face.
With a loud smack, a clear handprint appeared on this young man’s face and one of his teeth was knocked loose, blood leaking from his mouth.
Not uttering a word, this youth just silently turned his eyes back towards Nan Sheng sullenly.
Nan Sheng nearly popped a vein on his forehead, not having anticipated that this kid would remain so defiant; annoyed in his heart, he threw out another slap and yelled, “Little bastard!”
After being slapped twice, the young disciple’s cheeks swelled up and his mouth was stained with blood but the look in his eyes still didn’t change at all, not showing the slightest timidity, his look practically screaming ‘death before insult’!
Kang Zhan couldn’t help feeling a bit moved seeing the performance of this High Heaven Pavilion disciple.
“What is your name?” Kang Zhan asked.
The young disciple glanced at him faintly and said proudly, “Su Mu!”
“Su Mu…” Kang Zhan took a deep breath, nodded and muttered, “Seems High Heaven Pavilion really isn’t ordinary.”
If a simple young disciple had this kind of temperament, what about the others? These people, even if they were to kill all of them, would any of them yield or beg for mercy?
Silently contemplating this, for some reason, Kang Zhan felt the answer was a resounding no.
In response, Su Mu just sneered and said, “You can only bluff and bluster in front of me. Once my Senior Brother Yang comes out, you wouldn’t dare!”
Kang Zhan’s expression quickly dimmed. Just as Su Mu said, he really didn’t dare act ruthless in front of Yang Kai.
Nan Sheng was even more enraged, viciously kicking out Su Mu’s legs, causing him to fall to the ground before he sent out a series of slaps.
Kang Zhan didn’t even have time to stop him before Su Mu received a dozen slaps.
*Pa pa pa…* The sound was loud and resounding.
No one from High Heaven Pavilion moved, but the sound of their breathing became heavy, their eyes glowing red like wild beasts as they stared at Nan Sheng.
Their deafening silence was like the calm before a storm, causing Kang Zhan’s brown to furrow, quickly calling out, “Enough!”
Nan Sheng obediently stopped and let out a breath, grabbing Su Mu’s face and pulling out his sword, pressing it against his neck, “You really think I don’t dare to kill you?”
“You don’t have the guts.” Su Mu’s face was swollen and bloody, but his sneer never faded, as if he was completely unafraid of death.
Nan Sheng’s face twitched maliciously, hesitation and struggle filling his expression. The sword in his hand slowly pressed forward, leaving a bright red line on Su Mu’s neck, but never actually completed the act.
If he wanted to kill Su Mu right now, it would be quick and easy.
But thinking about Yang Kai seeking revenge, Nan Sheng couldn’t help feeling a sense of dread.
On the contrary, Su Mu still looked calm, without the slightest trace of fear; he could tell that Nan Sheng was terrified of Yang Kai.
“Let him go.” Kang Zhan took a deep breath and shook his head slowly. Nan Sheng wore a ruthless face, but on the inside he was just an indecisive spoiled child.
Nan Sheng’s fist clenched and he ground his teeth. He wanted nothing more than to kill this brat in front of him, but he couldn’t bring himself to do the deed.
After Kang Zhan spoke these words, Nan Sheng knew he was riding a tiger. If he really let him go, it would be the same as admitting he didn’t have any guts. As the Young Lord of a first-class family, could Nan Sheng afford such a reputation?
A ruthless light flashing across his eyes, Nan Sheng stabbed out his sword.
With a loud splat, blood splashed out.
Su Mu’s right chest had been pierced through by the sword.
Nan Sheng’s expression became ferocious as he mercilessly threw Su Mu to the ground.
The others from High Heaven Pavilion were shocked and rushed forward to support Su Mu.
“You really thought I wouldn’t dare to kill you?” Nan Sheng spat madly as his face warped with anger.
“You bastard!” Kang Zhan was also shocked, roaring angrily as he kicked Nan Sheng, sending him tumbling to the ground.
Just now, when Nan Sheng was slapping Su Mu, he didn’t stop him. After all, although he looked somewhat miserable, he wasn’t really hurt. After a few days of healing he would be as good as new so Yang Kai shouldn’t have cared, but this sword wound was no minor matter.
Fortunately, it seemed like Nan Sheng was still hesitant to actually kill him.
He had chosen to pierce Su Mu’s right chest. If he had chosen to pierce his left side where his heart was instead, Su Mu would probably have died immediately!
A series of enraged roars came from the mouths of the High Heaven Pavilion disciples and many of them began launching attacks towards the Xiang and Nan Family cultivators.
“None of you bastards is allowed to hit back!” Kang Zhan roared at the two family’s cultivators as he hurried forward, took a jade bottle from his sleeve, poured out a healing pill and stuffed it directly into Su Mu’s bloody mouth.
As he did so, Kang Zhan also suffered a number of attacks from the High Heaven Pavilion people. Fortunately, he wore a high grade defensive armour and wasn’t injured.
Perceiving his intentions, the people gathered around Su Mu did not stop him and the several older generation members quickly began revolving their True Qi to help Su Mu heal.
*Ju…*
A crisp sound suddenly spread from afar.
Kang Zhan turned his head and saw that the barrier created by the Mysterious Grade Mid-Rank artifact disappeared in a flash of light.
The remaining snow in the sky gently fell to the ground.
In the center of where the barrier once stood, Yang Kai and the young woman reappeared, a cold wind still swirling around them.
A few meters in front of the pair there were four ice-sculptures posed in a series of odd positions.
Naturally these sculptures were the four masters from the Kang and Qiu Families!
The stiff expressions on the faces of the four ice sculptures clearly showed everyone that none of them could believe what was happening to them.
Kang Zhan felt a chill shoot up his back as his expression twitched violently.
Although he faintly felt that the Immortal Ascension Boundary masters would be able to capture Yang Kai, he hadn’t thought the end result of their battle would be so lopsided.
As soon as the cultivators gathered around the barrier saw Yang Kai and Su Yan emerge, all of them leapt backwards, looks of fear and terror covering their faces.
There weren’t many powerhouses left among them, even if there were some Immortal Ascension Boundary cultivators remaining, they were only ordinary Fourth or Fifth Stage masters.
After seeing the elites from the Eight Great Families frozen into ice sculptures, none of dared challenge these two juniors.
Qiu Zi Ruo’s face also went pale as he sucked in a sharp breath, his heart filled with a sense of horror.
Yang Kai glanced at him and said faintly, “They won’t die, but if they want to free themselves it will take them at least half a day.”
Qiu Zi Ruo nodded half dazed and somehow managed to mutter out, “Many thanks for Ninth Young Lord’s discretion!”
Yang Kai simply nodded and said no more.
After all, these four people were from the Central Capital’s Eight Great Families; he could teach them a harsh lesson, even seriously injure them, and it wouldn’t matter. However, killing or crippling them would not end so easily.
Sometimes the best way to demonstrate your strength was to show mercy, so Yang Kai had let Su Yan spare their lives. Even so, after they managed to break out of their ice prisons, Yang Kai estimated that it would be a month or two before they fully recovered.
Looking around, Yang Kai immediately discovered the commotion surrounding the High Heaven Pavilion members, and although it wasn’t immediately clear what had happened, he realized that something was wrong and his expression couldn’t not help but sink.
“Senior Brother Yang, Senior Sister Su!” Li Yun Tian shouted tearfully, “Brother Su… Brother Su was stabbed!”
Su Yan’s beautiful face suddenly discoloured and her figure flickered as she rushed into the crowd, Yang Kai following close behind.
Staring at the scene before him, Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed as wrath began filling his face.
In the middle of the crowd, Su Mu had already gone pale, kneeling limply on the ground. A sword was inserted in his right chest and thrust straight out his back. With blood leaking from his mouth and wound, his vitality slowly draining as he struggled for each breath, cringing the whole time as he endured his urge to scream.
One of the Martial Uncles from High Heaven Pavilion sat behind him, his hands pressed against his back as he poured his True Qi into Su Mu.
Su Yan’s eyes quickly became wet.
She and Su Mu were real brother and sister. Seeing her younger brother in such a miserable state, how could she not feel tearful?
Yang Kai pushed open the crowd and quickly stepped forward, reaching out and grabbing Su Mu’s wrist, examining his condition for a moment before squeezing open Su Mu’s mouth and feeding him some Myriad Drug Milk.
Bracing Su Mu, Yang Kai pulled out the long sword inserted into his chest, bringing with it a splash of blood.
Quickly using his True Qi to seal the flow of blood to Su Mu’s wound, he turned to Su Yan and gently comforted, “He’ll be alright.”
Su Yan nodded lightly.
Having fed him the Myriad Drug Milk, Su Mu’s life wouldn’t be in any danger, and may even turn this tragedy into a blessing. At the very least, his constitution and strength would be improved, but… if it wasn’t for Yang Kai and Su Yan’s swift appearance, if they had taken even half an hour longer to defeat the four Qiu and Kang Family masters, things may have turned out very different.
Even if Su Mu didn’t die, he would likely end up crippled for life!
Standing slowly, Yang Kai’s expression became incredibly calm as he turned and stared at Kang Zhan standing nearby.
Kang Zhan suddenly felt his mouth go dry. Seeing Yang Kai stare silently at him made him realize this time things would not end simply.
“Who did it?” Yang Kai stared at Kang Zhan and asked solemnly.
Kang Zhan swallowed and hesitated, “Ninth Young Lord, this was just an accident…”
“Who did it!”
Kang Zhan’s brow furrowed. Although he knew Yang Kai’s strength was tyrannical, as the leader of this operation and one of the Young Lords of the Central Capital, he naturally couldn’t act too timid, quickly saying, “Ninth Young Lord, this is the Inheritance War. It’s normal for one or two people to be injured or killed. You and I are enemies, and your friend’s life isn’t in any danger. Even if he really died, that’s all there is to it. Has Ninth Young Lord not taken the lives of many others during this war?”
“I’ve indeed taken many lives.” Yang Kai didn’t deny Kang Zhan’s claim, “If the relatives and friends of those people want to take revenge on me, they are welcome to seek me out. As such, now that one of my friends has been hurt, I have to take revenge for him, so I must know who did it.”
Kang Zhan suddenly froze up. Where there are contradictions and resentments, there is revenge. Since he just said that injuries and death are perfectly normal, what right did he have now to stop Yang Kai from seeking revenge? What’s more, the two of them had previously agreed that the people of High Heaven Pavilion would not be harmed in this fight as long as they didn’t intervene.
Now that someone from High Heaven Pavilion had been seriously wounded in violation of that agreement, Kang Zhan really didn’t have any moral ground to stand on.
Kang Zhan fell into a dilemma, if he was to sell out someone on his side just like that, he would appear spineless, but he really was afraid of what Yang Kai might do if he continued to feign ignorance.
“It was them!” Li Yun Tian suddenly stood up and angrily shouted, point his finger towards the far side of the crowd, “Those two groups are the ones who wanted to kill Brother Su!”
Turning his eyes in the direction of Li Yun Tian’s pointed finger, Yang Kai saw none other than Nan Sheng and and Xiang Chu.
Turning his gaze towards them as well, Kang Zhan frowned deeply as he suddenly discovered that Nan Sheng and Xiang Chu had at some point quietly slipped away and returned to their own camps.
The two of them had escaped, leaving him behind to wipe their asses. Kang Zhan was naturally furious!
“Them huh? I understand.” Yang Kai nodded lightly before turning his gaze back to Kang Zhan, coldly saying, “Young Lord Kang, I told you that the people from High Heaven Pavilion not participating in this battle was for your own good! It seems like you didn’t believe me when I said that if they were to suffer any losses I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from killing you.”
Kang Zhan was momentarily dumbstruck, his eyes quickly filling with fear.
He discovered that the aura Yang Kai was projecting had suddenly become violent and bloody as he released a thick murderous intent.
Almost subconsciously, Kang Zhan retreated as Yang Kai glared at him, raised his hand, and stabbed the sword which had formerly been pierced through Su Mu’s right chest towards him.
Kang Zhan face went pale, never having imagined that once Yang Kai said he would kill, he really would kill. Hastily pushing his True Qi and using his strongest Martial Skill, he tried to resist, but against the devastating force of Yang Kai’s thrust, Kang Zhan’s attempt to defend himself was meaningless.
*Pu…*
Kang Zhan let out a strained cough as his right chest was pierced by the long sword, just like Su Mu. Under the huge force of this strike, he stumbled back a dozen steps before finally stabilizing his stance.
His whole body trembling violently, Kang Zhan stared towards Yang Kai in total disbelief.
The entire crowd went dead silent, all of their faces showing utter shock!
For the first time in the Inheritance War, one of the Young Lords from the Central Capital Eight Great Families had been injured, seriously injured at that!
Usually, it was impossible for any of the Young Lords from the Eight Great Families involved in Inheritance War to suffer real harm, much less have to worry about their lives. No one had ever dared to kill them; at most, they would defeat them and force them to withdraw.
But now, this age old precedent that had been maintained for countless years had been broken.
Kang Zhan slowly lowered his head and stared at the long sword in his chest. Even as the dull pain gradually began to spread from his wound, he still couldn’t believe that Yang Kai had really stabbed him; his courage had simply reached the point where he didn’t fear the Heavens.
“Ninth Young Lord…” Kang Zhan muttered, his mouth filling with blood and his breathing becoming laboured.
Yang Kai simply glared at him coldly and said, “If you weren’t from the Eight Great Families, I would kill you where you stand!”
Kang Zhan’s face paled visibly as an icy chill tightly gripping his heart. He didn’t dare say another word, quickly sinking to the ground before taking out a high grade healing pill and swallowing it.
As the wind whistled across the battlefield, Yang Kai stepped forward, releasing a pressure towards the crowd that felt as if a mountain was pressing down on them, each of them feeling the breath of death upon their necks.
From the people Yang Zhao had deployed, besides Kang Zhan who was focused on healing himself, the four ice sculptures a short distance away, and the dozen plus masters battling Ying Jiu, everyone else had all gathered in one place.
Headed by Qiu Zi Ruo, all of them had a look of panic on their face.
“What should I do? What do I do?” Qiu Zi Ruo muttered, his face pale as he anxiously asked the people around him.
This time’s operation was supposed to be directed by Kang Zhan, but now that he had been seriously wounded, this burden naturally fell to Qiu Zi Ruo.
Facing such a strong and ruthless character like Yang Kai, who hadn’t even hesitated to stab Kang Zhan through his chest, Qiu Zi Ruo couldn’t summon any courage to resist, he was afraid that if he were to try putting up a strong front, his fate would be the same as Kang Zhan’s.
Unfortunately for him, since he had no idea what to do, how could anyone else?
“Nan Sheng, all of this stemmed from your actions! You tell me, what we should do now?” Qiu Zi Ruo turned and yelled at Nan Sheng.
Nan Sheng’s previously domineering and arrogant attitude had vanished, replaced with fear and depression as he licked his dry lips, saying nothing.
Seeing Qiu Zi Ruo’s flustered reaction, a hint of disdain and hostility flashed across Xiang Chu’s eyes as he said, “Young Lord Qiu, Yang Kai is just one man. What is there to fear? What he and Young Lord Kang said was the truth: In the Inheritance War, there’s nothing wrong with one or two people being injured or dying. What’s more, that kid isn’t even dying. Yang Kai is clearly just raising a fuss over a trivial matter, he has no right to criticize our actions! Now is still a good opportunity for us to eliminate Yang Kai. Young Lord Qiu should act decisively and grab it, all of us await your orders.”
“Bullshit!” Qiu Zi Ruo roared, “Yang Kai and Young Lord Kang both warned you two not to touch those High Heaven Pavilion people. Moreover, Yang Kai also just showed mercy to our people, but you… you… damn your eighteen generations of ancestors!”
Xiang Chu expression blackened, deeply disappointed with Qiu Zi Ruo’s weakness.
As these two spoke, Yang Kai had already approached to within ten meters of the crowd; he was just one man facing seven forces, yet he showed no fear. Although all of the top masters were occupied or disabled, his enemy still had a massive numerical advantage including several Immortal Ascension masters.
“Qiu Zi Ruo,” Yang Kai shouted, “You are Qiu Yi Meng’s brother. I don’t want to embarrass you, so stand aside.”
A look of joy flashed across Qiu Zi Ruo’s face but, just as he was about to open his mouth and agree, he paused, furrowed his brow, and shook his head, “Ninth Young Lord, your offer, this Qiu will have to decline.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Seems you have some backbone!”
Without saying anything else, a light suddenly flashed, and a giant bone shield appeared in his hands.
“It’s that Mysterious Grade artifact!” Qiu Zi Ruo and others looked slightly confused.
Yang Kai had only used this artifact once in public during the attack on Yang Kang’s mansion; as such, everyone knew how outstanding the defensive strength of this artifact was and that it had the ability to swallow True Qi based attacks. With it equipped, Yang Kai’s defense could be said to be impregnable.
But at this moment, why had Yang Kai summoned it? This act made everyone here feel quite puzzled. Did Yang Kai perhaps want to consolidate his defence before attacking?
Before they could think through all of this thought, a dangerous aura began filling the air.
Thin bolts of lightning began flashing across the bone shield’s surface before a violent flash of energy burst forth from its gaping mouth.
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
A lifelike meter-thick lightning dragon rushed out from the mouth of the bone shield, coiling through the air. Reaching several tens of meters in length, a potent destructive aura radiated from it as it stared down the remaining members of the seven forces.
“How is this possible?” Qiu Zi Ruo exclaimed.
There were many kinds of artifacts out there but they could broadly be grouped into three categories, offensive, defensive, and auxiliary. This bone shield of Yang Kai’s was clearly used for defense, so how could it suddenly display such great offensive might?
On top of that, this lightning dragon seemed was something they had witnessed before!
“It’s the power from Yang Kang’s Mysterious Grade artifact!” Xiang Chu screamed and suddenly realized that the bone shield in Yang Kai’s hand could not only swallow True Qi attacks but could also store and then release them.
This giant lightning dragon was clearly the ability Yang Kang’s Mysterious Grade artifact had displayed when he and Yang Kai had fought more than two months ago.
At that time, this lightning dragon must have been swallowed up by Yang Kai’s bone shield, and now he was preparing to unleash it.
Could anyone here resist the power of a Mysterious Grade artifact?
Only if they had a Mysterious Grade defensive artifact like the bone shield in Yang Kai’s hands!
When the number of lightning dragons that emerged from the bone shield’s mouth reached eight, they suddenly roared furiously and charged towards the crowd. Meanwhile, the group headed by Qiu Zi Ruo just stood there dumbstruck, a mix of disbelief and despair filling their faces as the heard the bells of death toll for them.
If there were still masters here, they could rely on them to block these lightning dragons, but all of the masters that had been deployed for this ambush were either pinned down or encased in ice. There was no one left with the strength to resist this attack.
Soon, someone panicked and ran. Then, like an explosion had gone off in their minds, waking them from their stupor, everyone screamed and fled, each of them soaring up into the air or scrambling across the ground, desperate to escape the lightning dragons’ wrath.
Xiang Chu’s mind at this moment was surprisingly clear, loudly clamoring for everyone to band together to resist. However, in this chaotic scene, he was powerless to change anything. Even Qiu Zi Ruo was escaping, so how could he hope for others to stand and fight?
*Hong hong hong…*
*Ka cha…*
Those lightning dragons were like all-conquering swords, radiating supreme and unmatchable power and rampaging through the crowd. Those with better luck who were struck by one of these eight dragons fell to the ground, twitching and powerless. Those who weren’t lucky were directly incinerated.
The few remaining Immortal Ascension Boundary masters desperately protected their Young Lords and Ladies, doing their best to evade the lightning dragons, running around like whipped dogs.
Cries of pain and screams of terror resounded. Before the power of this Mysterious Grade artifact, life was cheap, harvested as easily as wheat.
Upon hearing these voices, Kang Zhan, who was still revolving his healing art, struggled to open his eyes only to bear witness to this miserable scene, his blood immediately freezing over.
Only now did he realize that what Yang Kai had said to him before was true.
Him not wanting these people from High Heaven Pavilion to participate in the battle really was for his and his side’s own good! Nan Sheng had only injured a single High Heaven Pavilion disciple and it had already provoked such wanton killing. If someone from High Heaven Pavilion had really been killed by them, then… would anyone here be able to return to War City?
Kang Zhan didn’t dare to think about it anymore, instead closing his eyes once more and doing his best to ignore the sounds of death around him.
On the other hand, everyone from High Heaven Pavilion suddenly looked excited, one by one clenching their fists and shouting out.
After enduring all the humiliation they had just received, at this moment, they saw all of it paid back a hundred times over.
Yang Kai alone had caused seven forces to scatter in panic, none of them able to escape or defend themselves, much less hit back.
A purple halo of light suddenly rippled through the air, as if someone had tossed a giant stone into the centre of a calm lake, washing over the cultivators who were already enduring the lightning dragons’ assault.
Along with these ripples of light came a frigid Divine Sense attack filled with a frigid demonic chill.
Soul Skill! Yang Kai had unscrupulously sent out a wide area Divine Sense attack.
Whenever this Spiritual Energy hit a cultivator, they would suddenly collapse, a sharp pain like needles piercing their minds causing them to shriek as an evil energy wore down their Souls.
Rendered powerless to resist, these incapacitated cultivators became easy prey for the lightning dragons.
Only the few remaining Immortal Ascension masters managed to withstand this Soul Skill, but none of them could avoid some pain in the process.
Wails of sorrow and the smell of burnt flesh filled the air.
It was only after several dozen breaths of time that the eight lightning dragons gradually dissipated, the power of the Mysterious Grade artifact finally expended. Simultaneously, Yang Kai stopped projecting his Soul Skill. In this barren wilderness, countless people lay on the ground, some just stunned, others wounded, and a fair number of them dead.
The seven forces that had participated in this mission were originally three hundred strong, but at this moment, only two hundred or so were still alive.
The bodies scattered atop this field were all burnt black like charcoal, wisps of smoke still rising from them.
Qiu Zi Ruo sank to the ground, his eyes dim and his teeth chattering uncontrollably.
Having just escaped from the jaws of death, his mood was a bit complicated.
Compared to so many of those around him, he was basically unharmed.
When he had begun participating in the Inheritance War, he wasn’t afraid of anything. He couldn’t imagine a scenario where his life would be in any danger, but after today, he no longer dared to think so.
He didn’t know whether Yang Kai had scruples about him because of Qiu Yi Meng or if his luck had just been amazing, allowing him to avoid falling victim to the lightning dragons. Nevertheless, seeing Yang Kai massacre so many people so easily really frightened him.
It was as if the very depths of his soul had been covered with a huge shadow, seemingly laughing at him, able to take his life whenever it pleased.
“Young Lord Qiu, we have to go!” A random Immortal Ascension Boundary master from one of the seven forces, seeing Qiu Zi Ruo fall into this morbid state, rushed over and picked him up before flying off towards War City.
After suffering such a terrible assault, this master couldn’t summon any fighting spirit and didn’t dare to remain, now just wanting to run away as fast as possible.
In fact, almost everyone here was the same, putting everything they had into escape, unable to care about anyone but themselves.
“Why are you all running?” Xiang Chu screamed, “His artifact can’t be used any longer and after releasing such a big attack he’s sure to be exhausted! Now is the best time to capture him! Young Lord Qiu, Young Lord Qiu! Where is Young Lord Qiu?”
Obviously, no one cared about Xiang Chu’s ravings. He wasn’t qualified to issue any orders here in the first place, but even if he was, amidst this hellish purgatory, no one would have listened to him anyways.
As he was shouting madly, Xiang Chu suddenly felt a sharp gaze fall upon him.
Turning his head, his eyes perfectly met with Yang Kai’s cold stare.
His heart leaping into his throat, Xiang Chu unconsciously stumbled backwards a few steps.
“Junior Brother Xiang, let’s go. There’s nothing more we can do here.” Nan Sheng rushed up and pulled him.
Xiang Chu ground his teeth angrily, staring back at Yang Kai with a vicious and resentful look before shouting, “Retreat!”
[A group of cowards! Together with such a group of people, how could they ever amount to anything?] Xiang Chu was extremely depressed thinking about how, at Tai Fang Mountain, if only he had not offended Yang Kai and instead been able to make a good impression on him, would he have been the one following him today, achieving miracle after miracle and basking in the glory of victory?
However, there were no redos in this world. Xiang Chu only hated how he had eyes but failed to see and wound up offending such a monster.
The cultivators from the seven forces either escaped or lay dead, and in the blink of an eye, no one was left.
“Do you think, I’ll let you go?” Yang Kai’s voice suddenly rang in everyone’s ears; although this voice wasn’t loud, it was no less impactful than the boom of thunder.
Nan Sheng and Xiang Chu both couldn’t help looking back, but when they saw Yang Kai still standing there, not chasing after them, they both felt a great sense of relief. Apparently, he was just trying to scare all of them.
Flying at their fastest speed, both of them only wanted to reach Yang Zhao’s mansion in War City so they could hide out and wait for Yang Kai’s anger to subside, or possibly let Yang Zhao come forward to mediate the matter.
Yang Kai’s True Qi and Blood Force swelled up before settling, showing he had regained his calm. Turning towards Su Mu, who was now in a coma, and Su Yan, whose eyes were still red and swollen, he lightly said, “You wait here for half a day before catching up. By that time, Su Mu’s condition should be stable enough to travel.”
Su Yan glanced over in surprise, looking up at Yang Kai and asking, “What about you?”
“Those who dare harm our Sect’s people must pay the price!”
Finished with what he had to say, like a bolt of lightning, Yang Kai shot off into the sky, radiating a frightening murderous aura.
Any cultivator from the seven forces who was still alive and currently struggling to escape gradually relaxed after flying a hundred kilometers or so. Looking back and not seeing any pursuers, each of them couldn’t help breathing a sigh of relief.
Recalling the tragedy they had just experienced, chills ran up their spines and they quickly thanked the Heaven’s for blessing them with good luck today.
A group of roughly twenty escapees glanced around at each other, not knowing where the rest of their allies were or how far they had fled.
“We should be okay now, right?” Someone asked nervously, everyone here obviously still very much on edge.
“Ninth Young Lord doesn’t put any weight on human lives…” As soon as these words came out, everyone immediately nodded in agreement.
“It’s all that Nan Sheng and Xiang Chu’s fault, if it weren’t for those two bastards how could we have become so distressed?”
“What did you say?” Someone stood up in anger, “My Nan Family’s Young Master was simply taking the bigger picture into consideration. What the hell do you count for? How dare you curse Young Master Nan!”
“Did I say anything wrong? Considering the bigger picture? Hah, bullshit! Nan Sheng and Xiang Chu were clearly just trying to find a way to vent their anger! You really think we don’t know that your Nan and Xiang Families have deep grudges with the Ninth Young Lord and have repeatedly suffered losses at his hands? Isn’t the whole point of you participating in the Inheritance War this time just to retaliate against him?”
“Shut your dog mouth!”
“I’m just telling the truth. Honestly, what were you Nan and Xiang Family people thinking, daring to fight with a Yang Family’s Young Lord! Why don’t you polish your dog eyes and take a look at reality. Even if Second Young Lord really wins the Inheritance War, what can Xiang Chu and Nan Sheng really do to oppose Yang Kai? At most, you people can only grumble and curse him behind his back!”
“Are you from the Nan Family?” As the two people were arguing, a low cold voice suddenly drifted into everyone’s ears.
The cultivator who was defending Nan Sheng proudly raised his head and shouted, “What of it?”
But just as he spoke these words, a blood red petal shot through his head. Everyone stared blankly for a moment before all the colour drained from their faces, slowly turning their eyes towards a figure deeply printed into their nightmares quietly floating above their heads.
“N… nin… Ninth Young Lord!” After clearly seeing the face of the person who had just killed the Nan Family cultivator, everyone trembled in fear as they stared at Yang Kai in horror.
They hadn’t expected Yang Kai to really pursue them.
Of the twenty or so people in this group, there was only one who had reached the Immortal Ascension Boundary, and he was just a Third Stage master from a random force.
Suddenly seeing Yang Kai appear here, everyone subconsciously gathered towards this Immortal Ascension Boundary cultivator, seemingly wanting to find some sense of security.
On the other hand, this Immortal Ascension Boundary Third Stage cultivator couldn’t help swallowing nervously.
While he was a genuine Immortal Ascension master, his combat power was extremely ordinary. For Yang Kai, who could fight evenly with Liu Qing Yao, wouldn’t he be nothing more than fish on a chopping board?
This man knew he was definitely not Liu Qing Yao’s opponent!
The only thing that made him feel a little relieved was that after Yang Kai killed the Nan Family man he hadn’t immediately started slaughtering everyone else but instead stared and asked, “Who else is from the Nan or Xiang Family?”
The twenty plus people here suddenly realized what Yang Kai wanted to do.
Injustice would bring about punishment, debts would be paid. The Ninth Young Lord intended to execute every last Xiang and Nan Family cultivator!
No one dared to answer, lest they inadvertently say too much and bring Yang Kai’s wrath down upon them.
Facing Yang Kai’s inquiry, no one dared to answer, only the loud pounding sound of their nervous hearts resounded through the deafening silence.
Waiting only a moment, Yang Kai quickly lost patience and coldly declared, “If you don’t speak, you can all die, if you talk, I’ll spare you!”
“Him! He’s from the Xiang Family!” Someone immediately couldn’t bear the pressure and pointed to a person nearby him.
Having been exposed, the man screamed in terror and tried to run.
Unfortunately, before he could take more than a single step, a blood-red petal shot towards him and pierced through the back of his head.
Following his momentum, the man fell face first to the ground and rolled a few times before never moving again.
“Anyone else?” Yang Kai asked again.
Everyone violently shook their heads, indicating that there were no more people among them from the two families.
Yang Kai swept his eyes over the crowd for a moment before shooting off into the distance again.
Seeing him keep his promise, really sparing those who weren’t from the Xiang or Nan Families, the survivors let out long sigh of relief and collapsed to the ground, powerless. With great beads of sweat falling from their foreheads, the cold wind caused their bodies to tremble unconsciously.
“Don’t let me see you again in War City!” From far away, Yang Kai’s voice reached their ears…
The crowd once more jumped to their feet and nodded quickly, “Yes, yes, you will never see us again!”
After narrowly surviving this calamity, none of them dared to return to War City anymore. None of them could summon the courage to face this slaughtering god again!
If Yang Kai alone was strong to this ridiculous extent, then what about the powerful masters who still sat in his house? Originally, this group of people was quite optimistic about Yang Zhao, believing he could rely on his vast numerical superiority and wide network of forces to obtain the final victory in the Inheritance War, allowing them to drink a cup of soup after the Second Young Lord finished with the meat.
But now, none of them dared to think so.
Shortly after, seventy kilometers away, Yang Kai once again killed three cultivators who belonged to the Nan and Xiang Families, leaving behind another terrified group of cultivators before disappearing again.
Yang Kai wasn’t someone who enjoyed indulging in indiscriminate slaughter, but when he needed to be ruthless, he would be ruthless, and when he could show mercy, then he would show mercy.
Just as he didn’t let Su Yan kill the four Immortal Ascension Boundary masters from the Qiu Family and Kang Family. That was, of course, also because he had scruples about the intricate relationships between the Eight Great Families.
However, this time, Xiang Chu and Nan Sheng had crossed his bottom line.
Although these two had consistently been targeting him and his allies since the beginning of the Inheritance War, Yang Kai hadn’t paid them any mind since it was true that when enemies met during the Inheritance War, deaths inevitably would occur on both sides.
But this time was different; these people were the last foundation remaining from High Heaven Pavilion and represented its hope for revival.
Moreover, he had reached an agreement with Kang Zhan, yet Nan Sheng and Xiang Chu had still taken action against them.
The moment he saw what had happened, Yang Kai swore he would not left off a single person from the Xiang or Nan Families.
He was going to use these two families’ forces to warn the world that anyone who moved against High Heaven Pavilion would suffer the tiger’s fury!
Chasing down various groups of fleeing cultivators, Yang Kai executed any and all members of the Xiang and Nan Families he encountered, not showing the slightest mercy, leaving a trail of blood in his wake.
After an entire day of pursuit, Yang Kai had traveled close to three thousand kilometers and finally caught sight of Xiang Chu and Nan Sheng.
The two were amongst a group of people still struggling along, having not stopped for a moment to rest the whole time. At this moment, their True Qi was all but exhausted and their breathing was ragged.
They had thought that once they returned to War City they would be safe, so to prevent any accidents from happening, they had forced themselves to keep traveling, but how could they have imagined that with their goal in sight, Yang Kai would really catch up with them?
When they felt a murderous and bloody aura lock on to them, everyone in this group turned their gaze towards the sky behind them and called out in shock, “Ninth Young Lord has caught up!”
“What!?” Nan Sheng and Xiang Chu paled with fright, also turning around and discovering Yang Kai’s figure crashing towards them, like a great scarlet meteor.
“Has he gone crazy?” Nan Sheng stared blankly, “All this for a single disciple from High Heaven Pavilion? “
Xiang Chu’s expression also darkened, all the blood draining from his face as he nodded subconsciously, “I’m afraid we really crossed the line this time!”
“Junior Brother Xiang, what should we do now?” Nan Sheng said as cold sweat began gathering on his brow, “Hurry up and think of something!”
“We have to make it back to War City, there’s no other option. As long as we return to Second Young Lord’s mansion, we can still survive!” Xiang Chu grit his teeth and desperately increased his speed.
Nan Sheng cursed viciously, thinking that Xiang Chu’s plan was equivalent to having no plan at all, but he didn’t voice his complaint directly. The most crucial thing right now was escaping Yang Kai’s pursuit.
The members of this group were already empty oil lamps after fleeing for an entire day at the fastest pace they could sustain; at this moment, seeing how fast Yang Kai was gaining on them, none of them were confident they could make it to War City before being overtaken.
Just what kind of monster was he? Did his True Qi reserve have no bottom? After chasing them for so long, his murderous intent hadn’t weakened at all. In fact, it was stronger and bloodier than the last time they faced each other. Clearly his fighting spirit had reached its peak, and he would not give up no matter the cost.
Without any time to complain, Nan Sheng quickly took out a few True Qi supplementing pills and furiously crunched them, also raising his speed to maximum.
“You can’t escape!” Yang Kai’s voice suddenly reached them from behind, causing everyone who heard it to feel like their hearts were being gripped by the icy hand of death, “Xiang Family, Nan Family, not one of you will survive!”
“Ninth Young Lord, we’re not Xiang Family people, nor Nan Family people!” A young leader of one of the seven forces couldn’t bear the overwhelming pressure Yang Kai’s pursuit brought him and quickly shouted.
“Then kill the people from the Nan and Xiang Families around you and I will spare your lives!”
Xiang Chu and Nan Sheng’s faces both changed greatly, quickly sweeping their eyes around at the people near them with great vigilance, for fear that these people would really take action against them.
For this ambush mission, the Nan and Xiang Families had deployed almost seventy people, but after suffering the devastating attack from Yang Kai’s lightning dragons, those who had survived had dispersed and escaped separately. Now, there were less than twenty of them gathered here. They were outnumbered by the other forces around them by a ratio of three to one.
If these people really listened to the temptation of Yang Kai and began attacking them, Xiang Chu and Nan Sheng were certain they wouldn’t survive.
Fortunately, the people who heard Yang Kai’s words didn’t immediately act and hesitation could be seen on their faces. Regardless of what had transpired, they were still allies of the Xiang and Nan Family cultivators. Therefore, they would hesitate to backstab their former allies with only Yang Kai’s words
Seeing all of their hesitation, Xiang Chu quickly shouted, “Everyone, Brother Nan and I are heirs to first-class families. If you really try to kill us here, I’m sure you yourselves understand what the consequences will be.”
Those who were still hesitating also suddenly awoke after these words. If they were originally hostile to each other, then even if they killed or butchered them here, no one would say anything, but right now all of them were allies of Yang Zhao. If they really slaughtered their allies here in order to save themselves and word of it spread out, their families and Sects would be shunned and disgraced as cowards and traitors. This was something none of them could afford.
Compared with their own lives, the honor and integrity of their respective forces was more important.
What’s more, whether Yang Kai could really catch up to them before they made it to War City wasn’t certain, and even if he did overtake them, while he was fighting the Nan and Xiang Family people they would still have an opportunity to escape.
“Young Master Nan, Young Master Xiang, rest assured, we would never try to kill you.” Someone immediately said in a righteous tone.
“Very good.” Xiang Chu nodded slightly, breathing slightly easier.
Behind them though, Yang Kai seemed to be able to hear their entire exchange and without changing his expression coldly snorted and shouted, “Since you’re not willing to kill the Nan and Xiang Family dogs, I won’t force you! As long as you can stop Xiang Chu and Nan Sheng for me, I won’t find trouble with you. Refuse, and I swear none of you will live to see tomorrow’s sunrise!”
The atmosphere that had just relaxed suddenly became tense once more.
The condition Yang Kai put forward this time was not only simpler, but also easier to accept. After all, they just needed to slightly hinder Nan Sheng and Xiang Chu. As long as they didn’t kill them personally, it wouldn’t be a complete betrayal.
Nan Sheng and Xiang Chu were also well aware of this and quickly led their own people away from the other cultivators in their group.
Nan Sheng even angrily roared towards the distance, “Yang Kai, do you think you’re something great? If not for having scruples about your identity, do you believe this young master would allow you to embarrass me so?”
In response though, Yang Kai just sneered coldly, “Regarding this kind of thing, I’m just studying what you taught me back at Tai Fang Mountain. When you and Xiang Chu schemed against and wantonly bullied those around you, did you give a fuck about right or wrong? At Tai Fang Mountain you acted all domineering and arrogant, taking lives however you pleased, but now that you’re faced with a Young Lord from a super family, do you only have the courage to escape?”
Facing this cold sarcasm, Nan Sheng suddenly couldn’t utter any rebuttal.
At Tai Fang Mountain, he had indeed acted arrogantly, bullying and oppressing Yang Kai and the members of Storm Hall and Blood Battle Gang, even trying to force the Hu Sisters to become concubines.
Fortunately, at that time, Tu Feng and Tang Yu Xian had promptly arrived and revealed Yang Kai’s true identity, causing Nan Sheng and Xiang Chu to choke back down their arrogance. Otherwise, after that battle, both Blood Battle Gang and Storm Hall would have suffered serious losses and even if Yang Kai managed to escape, the price he would pay to do so wouldn’t be small.
It was time to clear away all their debts, Yang Kai didn’t have the patience to continue entangling himself with these two fools.
“Not good, Ninth Young Lord is gaining on us!” Someone exclaimed.
Many cultivators turned their heads instinctively at these words and immediately went pale, they discovered that during Yang Kai and Nan Sheng’s short exchange, he had actually closed a large part of the gap between them. At this rate, he really would catch up with them before they reached War City.
Xiang Chu and Nan Sheng also panicked.
Sensing his aura inflate suddenly, it seemed like Yang Kai was preparing to attack them.
This discovery made everyone feel even more helpless. The shocking blow the bone shield had released was still fresh in all of their minds; naturally, all of them were afraid of the Ninth Young Lord’s awe inspiring methods.
*Shua shua shua…*
Behind all of their backs, a phenomenal Sword Qi erupted.
Thousands of Sword Qi blades, each one made from a wisp of pure True Qi, suddenly appeared, forming a great array in the sky before shooting towards them.
This long range, wide area of effect attack immediately hampered everyone’s pace. Many cultivators were even being forced to turn around and use Martial Skills or artifacts to fend off these Sword Qi blades.
After blocking this wave of attacks, there were several cultivators with weaker cultivations that fell to the ground either too injured or exhausted to continue escaping.
Xiang Chu expression became even gloomier, realizing that no matter how he tried to run, he couldn’t escape from Yang Kai’s pursuit. There was simply too big a difference in their speeds.
“Seniors, I’m afraid I have no choice but to ask you all to stall him for a while!” Gritting his teeth, Xiang Chu turned to the people around him and shouted.
These people were the last Immortal Ascension Boundary masters from the Xiang and Nan Families remaining. Although the strongest of them had only reached the Immortal Ascension Fourth Stage, between the two families, there was still seven of them in total!
With these seven Immortal Ascension Boundary masters, even if Yang Kai’s strength far surpassed his cultivation realm, it would still be impossible for him to pursue them.
Moreover, War City was already not far away, at most another hundred fifty kilometers. Right now, this was the only solution Xiang Chu could come up with to delay Yang Kai.
When the seven masters heard Xiang Chu’s words, they all wore surprised expressions for a moment but quickly collected themselves and nodded, “Young Lord, rest assured that we Elders will stop him here even if it costs us our lives.”
Xiang Chu nodded firmly, “Good. All of you must be careful, don’t underestimate him!”
“Understood!”
Immediately after, the seven Immortal Ascension Boundary masters from the Xiang and Nan families stopped; turned around and prepared for battle.
Xiang Chu and Nan Sheng led the rest of their group and continued to run, not once looking back.
Seeing seven people suddenly turn to face him, Yang Kai’s expression became cold, sweeping over them with his Divine Sense and quickly understanding the strength of his opponents, impatience slowly filling his eyes.
“Ninth Young Lord, if you want to pursue our young masters, you must first pass us old masters!” One of them called out, all seven of them quickly circulating their True Qi, unleashing a barrage of Martial Skills and artifact attacks towards Yang Kai.
None of them had anything more to say to Yang Kai. Now that things had developed to this point, all that was left was to fight.
“With just you?” Yang Kai laughed wildly, summoning his Mysterious Grade Low-Rank bone shield and blocking the torrent of attacks directed towards him.
*Hong hong hong…*
With a series of loud bangs, explosions resounded around. Every time he was struck, Yang Kai’s pace would reduce slightly, but at the same time the beast mouth of the bone shield would swallow up the berserk bombarding it. As it devoured these various True Qi based attacks, the bone shield expanded at a visible rate.
After a round of attacks, Yang Kai was unscathed but his speed had fallen sharply, delaying his advancements.
“Disperse!” Now aware of the abilities of the bone shield, none of these seven old men dared gather in the same place, scattering in all directions.
A burst of light quickly emerged from the mouth of the bone shield and the sharp spurs lining its edge began to hum.
With a bang, the True Qi which had just been swallowed was all shot out.
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
Simultaneously, the bone spurs on the edge of the bone shield were also released and shot out towards the seven Immortal Ascension masters.
These seven masters were prepared this time though and had already summoned their own defensive artifacts to protect themselves while they quickly took evasive action.
In this confrontation, the seven masters all managed to avoid the True Qi attack from the bone shield’s mouth while the bone spurs were all blocked by their various methods. Although they were uncomfortable, none of them were injured.
The bone shield was truly powerful. No cultivator under the Immortal Ascension Boundary Eighth Stage could break its defence, but if one understood its specific uses, it wasn’t difficult to handle. After all, artifacts were only tools, they were no substitute for people’s intelligence.
On top of that, these seven people had no plans to really fight with Yang Kai, they simply wanted to delay him for about as long as it would take to boil a pot of tea, if they could buy that much time, given Nan Sheng and Xiang Chu’s speed, they would be able to make it back to Yang Zhao’s mansion in War City.
Seeing their plan succeed, the seven masters relaxed and suddenly felt that Yang Kai wasn’t as terrifying as they had imagined.
Perhaps he was invincible amongst those at the same cultivation realm, and even had the ability to fight with low level Immortal Ascension Boundary masters, but to achieve the wide scale slaughter of more than a hundred people he had to rely on external forces.
Once he didn’t have such formidable external means available to him, his real strength would be quite limited.
Perhaps, this time, they could not only delay him, but even capture him alive! When they thought of this, all seven of these masters suddenly become eager to try, their original lack of confidence quickly being replaced with ambition.
Immediately, all of them launched Soul Skills towards Yang Kai, suddenly submerging him in a web of Spiritual Energy waves.
Standing in the center of this storm, Yang Kai simply shook his head and stared back at these seven, disdainful.
Since refining the essence of that Soul Type Evil Spirit in the Evil Cavern, the thing Yang Kai feared the least was Soul attacks. On top of that, comparing the amount of Spiritual Energy he had with the combined Spiritual Energy of these seven masters was like comparing a vast ocean and a stream, it was impossible for such a weak attack to disturb him.
On the contrary, when Yang Kai counterattacked, the Spiritual Energy which suddenly broke out from him made all seven of these masters feel like their Knowledge Seas were freezing over.
Realizing this, all of these masters were amazed at the power of the Soul type artifact Yang Kai possessed.
“Why are all of you struggling so hard when Xiang Chu abandoned you here as sacrifices?” Yang Kai shook his head, not wanting to be tied down by these seven any longer, “Even if he can escape to War City, I will still take his life. All of you will only die here in vain!”
The seven masters’ expression all sank, one of them firmly declaring, “Ninth Young Lord, there is no need to stoke dissension among us. I am a member of the Nan Family, and when I die my ghost will still be a member of the Nan Family. It is our duty to protect the Young Lord’s safety. Ninth Young Lord, since you are so confident about defeating us, why not let us see what Heaven defying methods you posses?”
“As you wish!” Yang Kai nodded gently, his expression suddenly becoming extremely calm, the bone shield in his hand disappearing as he slowly lifted his right hand to his brow.
As they saw his hand rise, the instincts of the seven masters suddenly began warning them of danger. In that moment, it seemed like everything under the Heavens suddenly stood still and the eyes of the seven Xiang and Nan Family masters all bulged as they stared at Yang Kai, wanting to respond but oddly finding themselves frozen in place.
In this world, they suddenly found that only Yang Kai could move.
Slowly wiping his right hand across his forehead, in an eerie voice, Yang Kai suddenly shouted.
“Devil Transformation!”
The Heavens shook and the Earth trembled, and all seven of the spectating masters suddenly felt like they had been submerged into a violent storm.
A thick cloud of darkness that seemed to swallow all light and hope suddenly burst out from Yang Kai’s body. This black energy was incredibly dense, filled with a bloodthirsty, brutal, and evil aura that permeated through the air, causing the seven masters to involuntarily retreat in fright.
As Yang Kai’s aura swelled, each of these seven masters felt a deep sense of intimidation descend upon them, filling them with a feeling of powerlessness.
The power shown by Yang Kai right now had left all of them dumbstruck.
The evil energy contained within the Unyielding Golden Skeleton had not been used for a long time. Yang Kai was also concerned about the relationship between the Eight Great Families and the Ash-Grey Cloud Evil Land, so he had thus far not used this trump card.
But now, in order to kill Xiang Chu and Nan Sheng, he had unhesitantly summoned this strength.
A moment later, this dark energy had engulfed Yang Kai’s body, completely concealing his figure within save for his two demonic red eyes.
Observing carefully, the will projected by Yang Kai was unchanged, but the demeanor of the seven masters had undergone a drastic change.
A moment ago, the seven of them had been dreaming about joining hands and capturing Yang Kai, gaining a massive merit for Nan Sheng and Xiang Chu, but now this thought had been viciously erased from their minds.
Although they didn’t understand exactly why, when they faced Yang Kai now, all of them couldn’t help feeling like they were facing their final moments.
The eyes of the seven masters soon clouded over, like the darkness was swallowing up not just the light but their consciousnesses too.
Staring into Yang Kai’s cold, cruel eyes, the seven masters couldn’t help but slowly retreat back.
Yang Kai raised his hand slowly, gathering a few small and wisps of dark energy into the shape of a snake which suddenly shot out towards one of the seven.
Seeing the approaching black snake, the man’s face paled and he hurriedly tried to dodge, but he was too late and the darkness penetrated his chest. The next moment, black gas began leaking from his entire body and he fell face down onto the ground.
A single blow, and an Immortal Ascension Boundary Third Stage master had died, unable to even fight back.
Witnessing this, the remaining six people are despaired.
They hadn’t even seen clearly how their comrade was attacked, nor did they understand how Yang Kai’s strength had suddenly reached such a terrifying height.
Back at Tai Fang Mountain, Yang Kai was able to kill two Immortal Ascension Boundary First Stage masters while only possessing a True Element Fifth Stage cultivation. Now that he was only a step away from the Immortal Ascension Boundary, how could his strength be comparable to back then?
Immortal Ascension Boundary Third and Fourth Stags cultivators were indeed no longer anything in his eyes.
“If you stand in my way… then die!” Yang Kai’s cold voice resounded, the sky dimmed, and a great black palm descended like rolling thunder towards the six remaining masters. As this dark palm approached, it appeared all encompassing in the six masters’ eyes, giving rise to the idea that no matter how they tried to evade, they would inevitably be struck.
The six masters all screamed, madly circulating their True Qi as they did their best to escape from this place, but all of their efforts were in vain as the giant palm continued to fall upon them.
With a startling bang, the Earth trembled.
When the black palm struck, a giant crater appeared along with the sound of bones shattering.
A moment later, the six people all lay upon the ground inside the new palm shaped crater. Although none of them had died, the evil energy was already eroding their minds and bodies, blurring their consciousnesses.
Along with countless bones in their bodies being shattered, it was likely none of them would ever be able to recover.
“I told you, you’re nothing but sacrifices, but you all still insisted on this foolish resistance!” Yang Kai shook his head. Nan Sheng and Xiang Chu knew that he had a technique which could greatly increase his strength, but apparently they hadn’t told anyone.
If these seven people who had been left behind to delay Yang Kai knew this information, none of them would have had any delusions about capturing him and wouldn’t have ended up in such an embarrassing state.
Without caring whether these six people lived or died, Yang Kai turned his eyes towards War City, coldly snorted, and soared into the sky once more.
Even if Xiang Chu and Nan Sheng really hid inside Yang Zhao’s mansion, they would still die today!
War City.
Nan Sheng and Xiang Chu raced forward, leading a group of ragged and disheveled cultivators. When the pedestrians saw this group of people looking so embarrassed and fearful, they naturally became suspicious, especially about what kind of monster they were running from.
All of them were dripping with sweat, both from exhaustion and fear, and their True Qi was completely drained, barely able to yell at the bystanders to get out of their way as they rushed towards Yang Zhao’s mansion.
This news quickly spread to Yang Wei’s and Yang Kai’s compounds.
Yang Wei’s brow wrinkled, unclear what had happened. However, realizing that something big was happening, he immediately brought a guardian Blood Warrior along with him and quietly left his house, heading towards Yang Zhao’s.
Inside Yang Kai’s mansion, when Qiu Yi Meng received this piece of intelligence, her beautiful face immediately clouded over, quickly issuing orders to the major forces in the mansion to head out into War City in preparation for Yang Kai’s return.
She wasn’t sure what had happened to Nan Sheng and Xiang Chu, but she was faintly aware that this matter had something to do with Yang Kai.
As Yang Kai’s allies were just about to deploy, Old Demon suddenly appeared beside Qiu Yi Meng frowning and said, “You don’t have to go out, Young Master will be back soon.”
“He’s already back?” Qiu Yi Meng suddenly breathed a sigh of relief. With Yang Kai out alone and only Ying Jiu protecting him, she had constantly been on edge. Now hearing the news of Xiang Chu and Nan Sheng, she was afraid that Yang Kai had suffered some kind of accident, but listening to Old Demon, it seemed her concerns were unwarranted. Depressing the worry in her heart, she quickly asked, “Where is he right now?”
Old Demon’s squinted and stared off into the distance for a moment before replying, “Although Young Master is back in the city, he doesn’t seem to be headed towards the mansion and is instead moving to the southeast.”
“Southeast…” Qiu Yi Meng’s brow furrowed, the worry she had just pressed down suddenly resurfacing, “That’s Yang Zhao’s location!”
“Damn it, who provoked Young Master, he’s completely enraged now!” Old Demon took a deep breath and shouted, “This old master is going to rendezvous with him!”
As he spoke these words, Old Demon’s figure flickered, transforming into a bloody light that shot off towards the southeast.
Qiu Yi Meng’s beautiful face suddenly became solemn. Not daring to hesitate any longer, she hurriedly rushed out of the mansion with the assembled forces.
At the same time, Meng Wu Ya, who was meditating in his room, slowly opened his eyes, his brow furrowing deeply as he stared towards Yang Kai’s position, muttering to himself, “How is that little brat emitting such a strong Evil Qi?”
Becoming somewhat concerned, he quickly stood up, opened the door, and stared off into the distance. The sky over War City gradually began filling with dark clouds, blotting out all traces of sunlight, it was as a bucket of black ink had been spilled and was slowly dying the world black, weighing heavily on people’s hearts.
Letting out a sigh, Meng Wu Ya appeared to tread a few steps but actually crossed several hundred meters as he did so.
Inside the Seal Temple, the eight Above Immortal Ascension Boundary masters also left their mental construct world and stared at each other, their somewhat aged eyes all flashing some surprise.
Qiu Dao Ren frowned and quickly spoke, “Brother Yang, that little brat from your family seems to have signs of Devil’s Practices.”
Yang Li Ting’s face, however, remained indifferent, his eyes still closed.
The fat old man grinned and chimed in, “You really don’t care? If this continues, it’s possible he will fall onto the Devil’s Path.”
Yang Li Ting slowly opened his eyes and bluntly said, “Each of us follows our own path. Why should this old master care if he lives or dies?”
“If he really loses his mind and degenerates into a demon, what should we do?” The Kang Family’s Above Immortal Ascension Boundary asked. A young man, releasing such potent Evil Qi from his body, would inevitably have his heart corrupted and fall onto the Devil’s Path, becoming a demon that wouldn’t hesitate to slaughter his friends and family.
“At that time, this old master will take the initiative to clean up his own house. It has nothing to do with any of you,” Yang Li Ting responded indifferently.
When the other seven old masters heard this judgement, they no longer tried to persuade Yang Li Ting, all of them slowly shaking their heads. In this moment, they secretly thought that even though the Yang Family was strong, it wouldn’t survive for long. The bonds and affection for one another in the Yang Family was simply too thin. If one of the young genius disciples of their family suddenly appeared in this situation, how could they just sit by and ignore them? They would have already stepped forward to seize him, brought him to an isolated place, and begun suppressing the Evil Qi in his body.
What’s more, with this little brat’s talent and aptitude, he would very likely become the brightest star in the Yang Family’s future, yet now Yang Li Ting was still willing to casually discard him.
The other seven masters really couldn’t understand.
However, it was also true that this wasn’t any of their business. Each of them had already lived many years and had stopped concerning themselves with worldly matters. Since Yang Li Ting didn’t care to do anything, they were naturally too lazy to pester him about it, some of them even taking some pleasure in this awkward situation.
The Yang Family had occupied the top position of the Central Capital for a long time, but if things continued on their current trend, within less than a hundred years, they would definitely be supplanted by one of the other seven Great Families.
It was a somewhat ridiculous that these seven old masters could see this truth, but the Yang Family’s Elders were still oblivious.
Yang Zhao’s Mansion.
Nan Sheng and Xiang Chu rushed inside like a couple of stray dogs and hurriedly called out, alerting Yang Zhao who was in his private chambers.
Getting up from his bed, Yang Zhao stared towards where the voices originated.
“Second Young Lord, what happened?” Ye Xin Rou twisted her water snake like waist, the sheets slowly falling, exposing her pure white skin. Two slender arms gently wrapped around Yang Zhao’s waist as she gently pressed herself onto his back, her lightly blushing face showed a tender expression.
“Something’s happened, I sounds like the voices of Xiang Chu and Nan Sheng.” Yang Zhao’s brow wrinkled slightly.
“Are they already back?” Ye Xin Rou smiled sweetly, her lashes fluttering lightly, “They must be here to bring good news to Second Young Lord.”
Yang Zhao chuckled, reaching out and gently pinching Ye Xin Rou’s perfectly rounded bottom, silently marveling at the amazing elasticity of her skin.
This rude action provoked a light yelp from Ye Xin Rou who gazed back at Yang Zhao accusatorily.
“Hopefully so!” Yang Zhao was also secretly looking forward to it. This time’s ambush could be said to be perfect, filling him with great confidence that Kang Zhan, Qiu Zi Ruo, and the seven forces he had deployed would achieve their objective, and had been quite looking forward to hearing from them. In such a state, he had no mind to cultivate and had instead been entangling with Ye Xin Rou, trying to relieve the anxiousness and anticipation in his heart.
Otherwise, given his temperament, it would be impossible for him to still be lazing around at this hour. Beauties were tempting, but right now he valued his own strength and power above all else.
As long as he could defeat Yang Kai, he wasn’t afraid of facing his Eldest Brother Yang Wei and was confident he could easily win the final victory in the Inheritance War.
“Since its good news, then it won’t be too late if you listen to it a bit later.” Ye Xin Rou said playfully, lifting her jade arms and hooking them around Yang Zhao’s neck, pulling him back down, trying to keep him in bed for a while longer.
“Don’t make trouble. If it’s really good news, I’ll spoil you all night tonight!” Yang Zhao said with a light laugh, his eyes flashing a sharp light as they filled with endless expectation.
Although Ye Xin Rou felt it was a pity and was somewhat disappointed, she no longer tried to retain him. In order to handle people like Yang Zhao, her body was only a small temptation, not a decisive factor.
“Then allow your Xin Rou to help you dress.” Ye Xin Rou gently got up and found a messy stack of clothes near the bed, slowly helping Yang Zhao dawn his robes.
Just as she was wearing his robes though, Yang Zhao’s brow furrowed and Ye Xin Rou also paused. Both of them could not clearly hear Xiang Chu and Nan Sheng, but their voices weren’t excited, instead exasperated, shouting out desperately.
Both of them suddenly realized that something wasn’t right.
If these two people had really rushed back here to deliver the good news Yang Zhao was expecting, it was impossible for them to sound so panicked.
“Second Young Lord, Second Young Lord!” Outside the door, the footsteps and voices of Xiang Chu and Nan Sheng loudly resounded.
Yang Zhao quickly jumped up and opened the door. Upon seeing Xiang Chu and Nan Sheng, he couldn’t help narrowing his eyes.
These two were actually in such a sorry state. Many scars and bloody wounds appeared on their bodies, their faces were both pale, and their True Qi was obviously completely depleted. This wasn’t the appearance of someone returning in triumph but rather beat dogs that had been chased back!
Ye Xin Rou let out a sharp cry and quickly jumped onto the bed, covering her snow white peaks and graceful body with the beddings, lest something which shouldn’t be shown appear in the public eye. However, her ears continued to be perked up, not willing to miss anything.
“What happened?” Yang Zhao took a deep breath and tried to calm his turbulent mood. Although he was asking this question, just by seeing the appearance and expressions of these two, Yang Zhao had already understood, but he simply couldn’t bring himself to believe it.
“Second Young Lord…” Nan Sheng swallowed hard, unable to utter any more words.
Yang Zhao immediately turned his eyes to Xiang Chu, the latter’s eyes dimming somewhat as he bowed his head, his expression filled with shame and resentment.
“Failed?” Yang Zhao asked in a cold voice, his expression darkening noticeably.
Nan Sheng remained silent, his pale face slowly turning red while Xiang Chu clenched his fists and nodded, “We’ve disappointed Second Young Lord’s expectations.”
Yang Zhao couldn’t help staggering slightly, staring incredulously at the two before him, although he already had some suspicions in his heart when he first saw them, but upon receiving confirmation, he still couldn’t believe it.
With how many people he had dispatched, with so many high level masters, how could they still have failed?
“Explain!” Yang Zhao’s expression suddenly became cold and sullen.
“Ying Jiu… has broken through to the Immortal Ascension Boundary Ninth Stage!” Xiang Chu replied through his grit teeth. This was something beyond everyone’s expectations. Ying Jiu at the Immortal Ascension Boundary Eighth Stage was enough to give Yang Zhao a serious headache, necessitating him to deploy two Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary masters just to pin him down; however, who would have guessed he had already promoted to the Immortal Ascension Boundary Ninth Stage?
As a Blood Warrior at the Immortal Ascension Boundary Ninth Stage, only a Blood Warrior of equal strength or an Above Immortal Ascension Boundary master could deal with Ying Jiu!
Upon hearing this explanation, Yang Zhao’s brow furrowed further. This incorrect intelligence clearly occupied a large part of the reason for this operation’s failure.
“What else? Even if Ying Jiu reached the Immortal Ascension Boundary Ninth Stage, that can’t be the entire reason for this failure. There should have been more than enough of you to suppress Ying Jiu even if he has broken through.” Returning to his sense, Yang Zhao sharply interrogated.
“Ying Jiu was indeed pinned down…” Xiang Chu replied bitterly; as he recalled what transpired during the battle, he began to shudder unconsciously, “But Yang Kai possesses two Mysterious Grade artifacts…”
Xiang Chu began to briefly recount the events of their encounter.
The more Yang Zhao listened, the more his heart went cold, realizing just how terrifying his Ninth Brother really was.
“What about Kang Zhan and Qiu Zi Ruo? How come only you two have returned?” Yang Zhao suddenly realized something out a place and asked.
“Young Lord Kang, he… he… he was stabbed through his chest by Yang Kai with a sword and was seriously injured, he should still be healing.”
“What!?” Yang Zhao’s eyes bulged and Ye Xin Rou who was lying on the bed also cried out in shock, her delicate hands covering her small mouth while her eyes flashing an astonished light.
Kang Zhan had his right chest pierced by Yang Kai’s sword… this news was simply too absurd.
From the first time it was held until now, no child of the Eight Great Families had ever suffered such a serious injury when participating in the Inheritance War, according to historical records, these Young Lords and Young Ladies had at most suffered some small cuts and bruises.
But now, the Kang Family’s future successor had actually been run through with a sword!
This development left Yang Zhao and Ye Xin Rou suddenly dumbfounded, neither of them having imagined that Yang Kai would truly be so fearless.
“What about Qiu Zi Ruo?”
“Unclear. We were separated on the way back, I don’t know where he is now.”
“Good, good, good!” Yang Zhao suddenly laughed thunderously, causing Xiang Chu and Nan Sheng to feel like their faces were on fire, both of them wishing they could find a hole nearby to crawl into.
“You guys are simply too great! Actually being thrashed so miserably by my Ninth Brother, you really live up to your names as Young Masters from first-class families! Always acting so arrogantly and boasting of your extraordinary strength and wit, wantonly showing off your pride, only to now run back here like stray dogs! So many people at your disposal yet still unable to capture Ninth Brother! What use are you to me!?”
Being reproved so maliciously, Xiang Chu and Nan Sheng both felt quite annoyed, but although they were incredibly vexed, they didn’t dare to refute.
Just as Yang Zhao was reprimanding Xiang Chu and Nan Sheng, a piercing voice filled with murderous intent suddenly arrived, “Xiang Chu, Nan Sheng, come out and face death!”
Although this voice wasn’t loud, it resounded clearly in everyone’s ears.
Upon hearing these words, the ashamed and aggrieved Xiang Chu and Nan Sheng couldn’t help going pale.
Yang Zhao’s face also suddenly became strange, squinting towards Xiang Chu and Nan Sheng as he smiled coldly, “What is the mean of this? Why has Ninth Brother suddenly come here?”
Nan Sheng firmly shut his mouth, not daring to reply.
Xiang Chu nervously stuttered, “Yang Kai has been chasing us and probably just arrived…”
“Idiot!” Yang Zhao gnashed his teeth, “Obviously he is chasing you, what I want to know is why! What haven’t you told me?”
Just now, when he was describing the course of the battle with Yang Kai, Xiang Chu hadn’t said anything about the members of High Heaven Pavilion or what transpired between them, afraid it would only infuriate Yang Zhao.
But now, Yang Kai had already slaughtered his way to Yang Zhao’s front door, so Xiang Chu knew there was no way for him to keep concealing matters.
“Speak, what the hell did you do to infuriate Ninth Brother so much?” Yang Zhao took a deep breath and tried to calm his tone.
“It’s about some people from High Heaven Pavilion… Big Brother Nan injured one of High Heaven Pavilion’s disciples.”
“High Heaven Pavilion? The sect Ninth Brother was staying at?” Yang Zhao frowned and asked in confusion, “There’s more to it than just that, right?”
“Second Young Lord, it’s like this…” Xiang Chu’s brow furrowed deeply as he helplessly explained what had happened.
After listening to the whole story, Yang Zhao nodded lightly, “Facing an enemy, one must use any means they are capable of, what you did wasn’t wrong.”
Xiang Chu breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that Yang Zhao didn’t plan on holding them accountable, but just as he began to smile, Yang Zhao’s expression dimmed again and glared coldly at him, “If you had the ability to withstand Ninth Brother’s revenge, I would simply clap my hands and applaud! But do you have such ability? Without possessing any such capability, your actions are nothing short of idiotic! You two are just stupid pigs blinded by your hatred!”
Xiang Chu froze up, unable to utter a word of refute.
At this time, Nan Sheng raised his head and said, “No matter whether our actions were right or wrong, Yang Kai is currently standing outside the mansion and shouting loudly. If Second Young Lord just ignores him, I’m afraid no one will take Second Young Lord seriously anymore.”
“Trying to goad me using such obvious methods?” Yang Zhao laughed, “Nan Sheng, you look down on me, Yang Zhao, far too much. No wonder you and Xiang Chu suffered such a big loss at Ninth Brother’s hands.”
Nan Sheng trembled lightly and immediately apologized, “I had no such intention. Please excuse my rudeness, Second Young Lord.”
Glaring at him him coldly, Yang Zhao continued, “There is some truth to what you say. Ninth Brother daring to seek trouble right outside my house, I really can’t just ignore him.”
Hearing this, Xiang Chu and Nan Sheng suddenly felt overjoyed, quickly bowing their heads, “Many thanks, Second Young Lord!”
“No need.” Yang Zhao slowly shook his head and declared flatly, “This time, I will protect you because you are still my allies! After today, you and your people can scram. War City has no place for you, nor does the Yang Family Inheritance War!”
Coldly snorting, Yang Zhao quickly threw on the last of his clothes and walked out.
Nan Sheng and Xiang Chu remained where they were, as if they had lost their souls. They had never imagined Yang Zhao would drive them away because of this.
They represented the Xiang and Nan Families and had been among the first to support Yang Zhao in the Inheritance War. For so long, they had weathered wind and rain, experiencing hardships and struggles, fighting side by side with Yang Zhao.
In order to win this Inheritance War, both of their families had contributed a lot of manpower, materials, and money.
But just as the battle was about to end, they were being driven out by Yang Zhao.
If word of this were to spread out, the two large families would definitely become laughing stocks. Paying so much, yet not reaping any benefits, this would seriously damage their families’ honor.
Having offended Yang Kai and lost favour with Yang Zhao, it was impossible for them to form any meaningful connection with the Yang Family in the future.
Other forces in this world may also alienate them for this reason. If that were to happen, developing their families would become exponentially more difficult.
It was also likely that because of this failure, their positions as family heirs would be removed as well.
Considering all this, Xiang Chu and Nan Sheng couldn’t help shivering in a cold sweat.
Immediately, their eyes filled with rage and hatred, grinding their teeth and clenching their fists.
If it wasn’t for Yang Kai… if only that bastard Yang Kai didn’t exist… how could they have fallen into such a terrible situation?
“Two Young Lords…” Suddenly, a voice as delicate as falling rain quietly reached their ears. Xiang Chu and Nan Sheng looked over at the voice’s source only to see Ye Xin Rou smiling lightly as she held up a quilt to her chest, her two perfectly shaped shoulders completely exposed, giving off a jade-like luster.
In normal times, Xiang Chu and Nan Sheng would definitely do their best to imprint this beautiful scene into their memories, but right now they had no such desire.
Ye Xin Rou giggled, seeming to not care at all about exposing her skin, gently adjusted the beddings before her two snow white peaks as she said, “If you stand there, it is quite difficult for me to dress myself. Would you mind stepping out for a moment? Also, now that Second Young Lord has gone out, shouldn’t the two Young Lords chase after him?”
Waking from their daze, Xiang Chu and Nan Sheng quickly took back their gazes and sprinted out of the room. Although Yang Zhao said he would protect them, who knows if he was telling the truth?
After the two of them had left, Ye Xin Rou snorted with dissatisfaction, “Not even helping me close the door, hmph.”
As she spoke, her eyes flashed and her cheeks blushed slightly, muttering to herself, “This Yang Kai is quite interesting, even daring to injure Kang Zhan like that. How bold…”
Although she had seen Yang Kai a few times now, she and the youngest Yang Family Young Lord had never actually spoken, so she knew nothing about his temperament. However, after today’s events, she understood him a bit more, suddenly feeling a bit interested about him, in her heart secretly wondering whether Yang Zhao would really be the final victor in this Inheritance War.
When Yang Zhao stepped outside the house, he saw Yang Kai standing in the sky silently, alone, Evil Qi soaring into the sky, his immense Divine Sense enshrouding the entire compound, penetrating into every corner and crevice.
From all around, people constantly rushed towards Yang Zhao’s mansion, slowly forming a large crowd. These people had all been attracted here by Yang Kai’s voice and were eager to find out what was happening.
Inside the War City, the tranquility of the past two months gave way to heated tension.
A few thousand meters away, on the top floor of a tea house, at a window which opened towards the direction of Yang Zhao’s mansion, Yang Wei concealed himself and stared at Yang Kai across the distance, unable to help his expression from changing. Thick surprise flashed past his eyes due to how calm Yang Kai seemed despite projecting such a rich murderous aura towards the mansion below him. The look on his face was unyielding, and anyone who saw it would instantly understand that he would never give up until he achieved his objective!
“What does Ninth Brother want?” Yang Wei muttered to himself. War City had been peaceful for more than two months, and everyone had been working hard to develop and strengthen themselves in order to achieve enough power to fully suppress their opponents. Ninth Brother suddenly emerging at this point confused Yang Wei greatly.
Faintly, Yang Wei felt like he had missed out on some vital turning point.
There should have been some conflict between his Ninth and Second Brother that he was unaware of. Otherwise, this scene wouldn’t be taking place right now.
Suddenly, a blood red streak appeared in the sky, surrounded by thick Demonic Qi. When Yang Wei laid eyes upon it, his breath stagnated and his blood seemed to run cold.
A moment later, this bloody light came to a stop beside Yang Kai and revealed itself as the demon master who had suddenly appeared in Yang Kai’s mansion more than two months ago.
“Young Master!” As soon as Old Demon appeared, he greeted Yang Kai and began monitoring the surroundings vigilantly.
Yang Kai simply nodded. He was well aware that Old Demon would come so he naturally had nothing much to say.
“What the hell is he?” Yang Wei thought out loud, really wondering what Old Demon’s origins were.
Out of the corner of his eye, a familiar figure suddenly appeared and calmly sat down on the chair opposite him.
Turning around, Yang Wei confirmed the newcomer was none other than the Liu Family’s Liu Qing Yao!
Yang Wei nodded slightly and raised his hand to pour a cup of tea for him.
“About the origins of that man, everyone wants to know.” Liu Qing Yao suddenly said, “It’s almost as if he appeared out of thin air. The only thing we’ve managed to confirm about him is that for the past half a year or so he was wandering around the Ash-Grey Cloud Evil Land and he killed a lot of people during that time.”
“Oh?” Yang Wei’s brow furrowed, “So, he’s a man from the Evil Land?”
“Probably not. Among the Ash-Grey Cloud Evil Land’s six Great Evil Kings, there is no such person!” Liu Qing Yao shook his head. Old Demon had displayed terrifying strength and methods in battle two months ago, so naturally he would be curious about it. However, even after leveraging the power of the Liu Family to gather information about him, he still had no clue about his background.
“But he seems to be very respectful towards Ninth Brother. Why is such a strong master so timid in front of him?” Yang Wei gently let out a sigh, still just as puzzled as before.
This demon master was only a step away from the Above Immortal Ascension Boundary. Such characters were rare even among the Central Capital Eight Great Families. Even if such masters weren’t as revered as the Grand Elders at the Above Immortal Ascension Boundary, once they broke through, they would become objects of admiration and reverence.
“Forget about him, your Ninth Brother is also impossible to understand.” Liu Qing Yao said with a dignified expression, his eyes staring off into the distance at Yang Kai.
Yang Wei glanced at him and suddenly grinned, “I didn’t expect Young Lord Liu to speak of someone of our generation like this. If Ninth Brother were to learn of this, I’m sure he’d be proud.”
Liu Qing Yao shook his head, “I’m not qualified to evaluate him, and his future achievements will definitely be higher than mine.”
“His achievements are already higher than yours!” Yang Wei smiled deeply.
The Blood Force and aura Yang Kai was projecting, although still just carrying the signature of the True Element Boundary Ninth Stage, brought immense pressure to Yang Wei, even across such a great distance.
He estimated that if he were to fight Yang Kai right now, he would be defeated within a single breath.
Even if Liu Qing Yao was stronger than Yang Wei right now, he was still not Yang Kai’s opponent!
Yang Wei could see this, so naturally Liu Qing Yao could as well, his expression becoming a little complicated, but he didn’t refute, instead just nodding, “But like this, he will sooner or later fall to the Devil’s Path, so even if he possesses great strength and amazing aptitude, with his body’s True Qi being corroded by such thick Evil Qi, he won’t be able to suppress it.”
Listening to this, Yang Wei frowned bitterly, knowing that Liu Qing Yao wasn’t being an alarmist. In his heart, he was also wondering just how Yang Kai suddenly entered such a state.
[Did Ninth Brother cultivate some kind of supreme Evil Technique these past two months?] Yang Wei secretly guessed.
Yang Zhao’s allies quickly emerged from the mansion and glared at Yang Kai, their expressions filled with anger. However, when they saw Old Demon standing nearby to guard him, fear flashed across their eyes and they unconsciously stepped backwards.
The deterrence of Old Demon’s bloody and cruel methods was immense.
Not long after Old Demon appeared, Qiu Yi Meng also showed up with a group of Yang Kai’s allies.
After seeing Yang Kai’s current appearance, the Qiu Family’s First Young Lady couldn’t help feeling her heart clench, quickly calling out, “Yang Kai, what happened? What’s wrong?”
Huo Xing Chen also instinctively trembled as he felt the malicious aura pulsing from Yang Kai’s body.
All the people in the spectating crowd were also pointing towards Yang Kai, whispering and discussing whether the Yang Family’s youngest Young Lord had really fallen onto the Devil’s Path and would soon lose his rational mind.
If this really was the case, it would be the most ironic joke.
The Central Capital Eight Great Families and the Ash-Grey Cloud Evil Land had always been as incompatible as fire and water. The Eight Great Families’ cultivators were all charged with eradicating demons, but now, the Yang Family’s brightest new star and the most hopeful candidate to become its next Patriarch was about to become a demon. Such news would be the topic of discussion the world over.
Tang Yu Xian, the Hu Sisters, Dong Qing Han, the Ten Thousand Flower Palace quartet, Luo Xiao Man… many of them directed worried eyes towards Yang Kai.
“Are you still…?” Qiu Yi Meng asked, gazing into the crimson lights which were once Yang Kai’s eyes, desperately searching for any trace of humanity. Unfortunately, she was disappointed. Yang Kai’s eyes were clear at the moment, but all that filled them was hatred and murderous intent, nothing resembling human warmth remained, only cold malice.
Shivering involuntarily, Qiu Yi Meng felt her heart sink. From the beginning of the Inheritance War, she had performed admirably in acting as Yang Kai’s second in command, responsible for the management and deployment of his allies. Nevertheless, she still looked to Yang Kai as the backbone of their efforts. Every major operation centered around his commands.
If any accident were to happen to Yang Kai, all her efforts would become worthless.
Yang Kai glanced at her for a moment before shaking his head slowly, “I’m fine.”
Hearing these words, Qiu Yi Meng froze up, somewhat unable to believe that under such a state, Yang Kai was actually able to suppress the murderous hostility in his body and still maintain mental clarity.
If it were any other cultivator, could they accomplish this?
Old Demon on the other hand just spat disdainfully and snickered, “Young Master, your current look suits old servant very much! Hahahaha, we master and servant really share a common fate!”
Qiu Yi Meng couldn’t help shooting an angry glare at Old Demon before anxiously asking, “Since you’ve come back, why didn’t you return to the mansion but instead came here? What is it you hope to accomplish?”
“Kill someone!”
“Who are you going to kill?”
“Xiang Chu and Nan Sheng!”
Hearing this, everyone’s expression greatly changed.
Xiang Chu and Nan Sheng, although not on the same level as the Young Lords and Young Ladies of the Central Capital Eight Great Families, were still successors to first-class families. Such people could not be killed recklessly.
Even a blind bastard like Lu Song hadn’t provoked Yang Kai’s killing intent, so why was he suddenly so intent on killing Xiang Chu and Nan Sheng at this time?
Qiu Yi Meng, who was doing her best to calm her racing heart, couldn’t help thinking that Yang Kai really had gone mad.
“Yang Kai, can’t we go back first?” Qiu Yi Meng reached out and gently held Yang Kai’s arm, whispering softly, “Let’s go back and talk about this, see if there’s a more suitable way to kill Nan Sheng and Xiang Chu and calm your anger.”
Yang Kai turned his head and stared at Qiu Yi Meng strangely.
“If you insist on acting right now, there’s no way for you to really kill those two. Yang Zhao’s mansion has too many cultivators right now. Even if all of us rush in, we may not be able to cut them down.” Qiu Yi Meng continued to persuade, “So let’s go back first, okay?”
Watching this scene, Huo Xing Chen’s eyes had all but bulged out of their sockets.
He had never seen, or even heard of Qiu Yi Meng having such a gentle side. The Qiu Family’s First Young Lady always behaved in a steadfast and intelligent manner, bordering on shrewd and ruthless, so everyone had nearly forgotten that she was a young woman.
Such a woman whispering sweet words would be a fatal temptation to any man and was all but impossible to resist.
Huo Xing Chen thought about it and concluded that if he was treated gently by Qiu Yi Meng, even if he felt his will was firm, he would listen to whatever it is she said.
“Yes, Yang Kai, let’s go back first and discuss things. It’ll be fine even if we leave things as they are for a day or two.” Luo Xiao Man summoned up courage even she didn’t know she had and actually tried to persuade Yang Kai.
Each of the four Ten Thousand Flower Palace Four girls nodded in agreement, also doing their best one by one to calm Yang Kai.
Although their reasons and arguments varied, without exception, each of these beauties did their best to convey their care and concern.
Seeing all of these young women drown Yang Kai in such maternal care, the rest of the crowd couldn’t help staring awkwardly.
Yang Kai frowned and swept his eyes over crowd in front of him, eventually fixing his gaze on Qiu Yi Meng and asking, “Do you all see me as some kind of child?”
Although his words were sharp and cold, Yang Kai actually felt warmth in his heart. No matter the reason, these people spoke up out of concern for him and his current state.
All of these young women’s faces became slightly red, only now understanding that when Yang Kai said he was fine, he really was still fully conscious.
Seeing them blush, Yang Kai smirked, a trace of tenderness creeping into his expression as he gratefully said, “I’m really alright, you don’t have to worry.”
Qiu Yi Meng took a deep breath and adjusted her expression, a moment later nodding, “Good, I’ll believe that you are really okay, but you just said that you wanted to kill Xiang Chu and Nan Sheng. How do you plan on killing them? This is Yang Zhao’s compound and there are nearly a thousand cultivators in it, five times our current number! Even if you succeed in killing those two, most of your allies will be buried here along with them; do you really have the heart to do this?”
“You put too much value on those two.” Yang Kai’s expression once again became cold as he slowly shook his head, “The difference in number doesn’t mean anything, Second Brother is a cautious person, and he won’t act unless he is certain of his victory. It’s absolutely impossible for him to launch a full scale war here with me for them.”
“He still has scruples about big brother. His objective is to win the final victory in the Inheritance War! As for me, I don’t care.” Yang Kai smiled coldly.
Qiu Yi Meng was stunned. Let alone Yang Kai simply being alright in this condition, his thoughts and insight were actually just as sharp as usual.
One of them could go all out while the other was burdened with various worries. Thinking about it for a while, Qiu Yi Meng felt things would likely develop just as Yang Kai said they would.
As Qiu Yi Meng mulled over these thoughts, Yang Zhao walked out from his house, his expression incredibly gloomy. Standing tall, with a large number of his allies behind him, he coldly said, “Ninth Brother, what is your intent?”
Yang Zhao was quite angry right now. The failure of this operation and Xiang Chu and Nan Sheng aggravating the situation was a major disappointment to him. Although he was deeply shocked at the strength Yang Kai was currently displaying, it was more the fact that he was brazenly blocking the entrance to his house that made Yang Zhao feel like he had lost face.
It was still daytime, and although dark clouds loomed high in the sky blotting out any signs of the sun, his Ninth Brother acting this way was simply not putting him in his eyes.
“Second Brother,” Yang Kai faintly nodded at him. “Second Brother’s methods are simply outstanding. This time, Ninth Brother was almost defeated.”
Yang Zhao’s face twitched and coldly shot back, “Ninth Brother doesn’t need to ridicule me, the bottom line is I underestimated your strength. This time, if I had gone personally, it would be impossible for Ninth Brother to be standing here talking down to me.”
A fierce grin slowly crept onto Yang Kai’s face as he replied, “I’m afraid that even if Second Brother had come personally, nothing would have changed!”
Yang Zhao was stunned for a moment before his expression sank and he solemnly said, “Ninth Brother, Second Brother only realized just now that you are the wildest of us Yang Family descendants!”
Taking a deep breath to adjust his mood, Yang Zhao slowly continued, “Ninth Brother, for the sake of a single wounded High Heaven Pavilion disciple, is all of this worth it? I’ve heard the whole story. While it’s true you had an agreement with Kang Zhan and Nan Sheng and Xiang Chu violated it, resulting in the serious injury of one of your Junior Brothers, and they should be punished for that transgression, I don’t believe that’s enough to sentence them to death. Not to mention you’ve already killed so many, shouldn’t that be enough to cool your anger? You bringing your people to block Second Brother’s door, do you think that’s really appropriate? Or perhaps… you think Second Brother is easy to bully!”
As he spoke, Yang Zhao’s tone grew colder and more accusatory.
Hearing this sharp questioning, all the cultivators around Yang Zhao secretly rallied themselves, the atmosphere suddenly becoming red hot.
However, Yang Kai remained as calm and cold as ever, “Second Brother, I have no other purpose in coming here today, I just want to kill those two. After I take their lives, I will leave immediately!”
“With me here, do you think you can kill them?”
“Then there’s nothing more to discuss.” Yang Kai said disappointedly, shaking his head slowly as he shifted his gaze away from Yang Zhao towards the cultivators behind him, his eyes swiftly landing on Xiang Chu and Nan Sheng who had at some point snuck into the crowd.
Perceiving Yang Kai’s cold stare, the two couldn’t help going pale.
“No matter who tries to protect you today, you will still die!” Yang Kai suddenly showed an impatient look as he shouted, an ice cold murderous intent flashing across his eyes.
*Kacha…*
Suddenly, a layer of ice began spreading across the ground, carrying with it a chill capable of freezing one’s soul. With Yang Kai at the center, a fan-shaped region in front of him immediately transformed into a frigid purgatory.
Feeling an acute sense of danger from this cold front, the cultivators gathered outside Yang Zhao’s mansion all showed shocked expressions, quickly leaping up into the sky to avoid being contaminated by this murderous ice.
Unlike the True Yang Yuan Qi from the True Yang Secret Art, the energy stored inside the Unyielding Golden Skeleton was actually the complete opposite, filled with cold and evil attributes.
Yang Kai used this frigid evil energy to cause the surrounding temperature to plummet.
Old Demon cackled happily, waving his hand and shooting out a crimson light, covering the newly frozen ground in a blood red layer, filled with a rich smell of iron, atop which stood a strange humanoid figure.
Naturally, it was Old Demon’s Blood Demon Puppet, the one that was impossible to destroy so long as the blood sea beneath it existed.
The Blood Demon stood quietly on the sea of blood without taking any action, simply releasing an astonishing Evil Qi from its body.
Tang Yu Xian also gave a shout and unleashed a powerful Spiritual Energy fluctuation.
The cultivators behind Yang Kai also no longer hesitated, rapidly pushing their True Qi and summoning their artifacts.
*Huo!* An astonishing roar rang out behind Yang Kai as a huge head formed entirely of black energy began to emerge.
The head swayed back and forth, its eyes the size of bronze bells exuding a terrifying light.
Being stared at by these ominous eyes, no one dared to act rashly!
Gradually, the black Qi coalesced into a solid form, drawing shouts of shock and dread.
Before everyone’s eyes, a hundred meter long pitch black dragon appeared, hovering above Yang Kai’s head like a living creature.
When Xiang Chu and Nan Sheng saw this black dragon, their legs couldn’t help going soft, almost causing them to collapse to the ground.
At Tai Fang Mountain, Yang Kai had used this black dragon to effortlessly kill two Immortal Ascension Boundary First Stage masters.
A hundred meters in length, the black dragon gave off an imposing aura, terrifying all the cultivators who laid eyes upon it. Their attitude towards Yang Kai, who had summoned such a monster, also quietly changed.
Many of Yang Zhao’s allies thought it would be easy to defeat Yang Kai and his forces simply by virtue of their overwhelming numerical advantage, but after witnessing Yang Kai’s astonishing methods, they quickly reigned in their expectations.
Such strength and heritage was not something ordinary people could handle. Today, although they were confident in being able to force Yang Kai back, defeating him was unlikely.
The only comfort they had was that whether it was Old Demon or Tang Yu Xian, neither of them had made any movements after showing their strength. It seemed like they just wanted to deter them rather than really start massacre.
Yang Zhao’s expression changed drastically as he quickly shouted, “Ninth Brother, are you really planning to fight Second Brother here and now?”
As Yang Kai said before, Yang Zhao had many more concerns than him. Although his forces were far superior in number, on average, they were also weaker and the amount of top level masters he had was actually fewer than Yang Kai. Once a battle broke out, the only result would be a mutual loss.
At that time, the fisherman’s profit would all be reaped by Eldest Brother Yang Wei.
He didn’t want to hand a gift to his big brother.
He didn’t plan on fighting anyone before he had secured an absolute advantage!
Unfortunately, Yang Kai’s forcefulness this time made him realize that his plan to win the Inheritance War would not develop as smoothly as expected.
“Second Brother, I meant what I said: I just want to kill those two. If you hand them over, I’ll immediately retreat!” Yang Kai said once more.
“Impossible!” Yang Zhao firmly rejected. If he were to hand over Xiang Chu and Nan Sheng here, how would any of his allies ever trust him again? However, from Yang Kai’s words, he knew that his Ninth Brother also didn’t want to fight here.
Mutual destruction, neither of them wanted to see this result!
Yang Zhao was worried about Yang Wei capitalizing on this situation while Yang Kai was unwilling to send his friends to a pointless death. Their concerns were different, but their conclusions were the same.
After letting out a sigh of relief, Yang Zhao suddenly smiled and said, “Ninth Brother, since you and Second Brother have similar scruples, I have a suggestion. Do you care to listen?”
Yang Kai’s brow wrinkled, not knowing what Yang Zhao was plotting. However, he still nodded lightly, “Go on.”
“This incident can be considered an internal matter of our Yang Family. Since it is an internal matter, only those from the Yang Family should participate. You want to kill, I want to protect. Whoever’s methods prove superior will have their way. How about it?”
Yang Kai’s mouth curled into a grin as he laughed playfully, “An internal matter?”
“Correct.”
“Only Yang Family people can participate?”
“Yes.”
“Including Blood Warriors, right?”
“Naturally, although the Blood Warriors are not surnamed Yang, they are still members of my Yang Family.”
“I understand.” Yang Kai nodded lightly, staring straight into Yang Zhao’s eyes and saying, “Then we’ll do as Second Brother says! This time, it will be an internal fight between Yang Family members.”
“Said it and meant it!” Yang Zhao couldn’t help laughing riotously, like he had just succeeded in some great trick.
Yang Kai also laughed loudly, so much so that Qiu Yi Meng’s brow wrinkled, faintly aware that something was wrong, but could not understand what.
In the distant tea house, Yang Wei and Liu Qing Yao were equally confused, neither of them understanding why Yang Zhao seemed so confidant nor what he was plotting to do. On the other hand, they also didn’t know why Yang Kai seemed equally smug.
Of the two brothers, one wanted to protect Nan Sheng and Xiang Chu and one wanted to kill them. Who would ultimately get what they wanted, no one knew.
For this battle that only Yang Family members could participate in, the Blood beside Yang Zhao would obviously square off against Tang Yu Xian while Yang Zhao’s opponent was Yang Kai, but at this moment Yang Kai’s aura was showing obvious signs of Devil’s Practices and his oppressive momentum and tyrannical strength were obvious to all.
What made Yang Zhao so certain he could block him?
Yang Wei and Liu Qing Yao both weren’t optimistic about Yang Zhao’s chances; no matter how much he had improved in the recent months, it was absolutely impossible for him to be Yang Kai’s opponent.
“Yu Xian!” Yang Kai suddenly called out.
Tang Yu Xian nodded gently, her outstanding figure flickering as it flew into the sky.
The Blood Warrior beside Yang Zhao also smiled slightly and without hesitation rushed to confront Tang Yu Xian.
The two Blood Warriors didn’t exchange a single word, launching straight into a violent conflict.
However, no one paid attention to their fight, even though they were among the strongest Immortal Ascension Boundary masters in the world, today’s focus was still the two Yang Family Young Lords.
“Ninth Brother!” Yang Zhao shouted spiritedly, surprising everyone. Facing the current Yang Kai, not only did he not focus on defending himself but instead took the initiative to attack, stomping his foot hard against the ground.
A number of strange cracks propagated along the ground with Yang Zhao at their center, like a group of great beasts were tunneling below the surface, a horrible energy soon emerging from the depths of the Earth and leaping towards Yang Kai.
Evil Spirit Earth Dragon Technique!
On the first night of the Inheritance War, Yang Zhao had used this Heaven Grade Martial Skill to deal with Huo Xing Chen.
Each of these dragon phantoms was condensed from the Soul of a Fifth-Order Monster Beast housed inside Yang Zhao’s body, and could be used as flexibly against an enemy as his own arms, often able to attack and defend simultaneously.
Previously, Yang Zhao was only able to use seven earth dragon phantoms simultaneously, but with the growth of his strength, he could now summon ten at once, each of which also had greater power than before.
Facing Yang Zhao’s killing blow, Yang Kai’s expression didn’t change at all. With a single thought, the great black dragon above his head suddenly opened its mouth and leisurely spewed a beam of Dark Qi.
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
As this beam of Dark Qi swept over the earth dragon phantoms, the latter exploded into a cloud of dust, unable to offer the slightest resistance.
Seeing his attack so easily dealt with, Yang Zhao oddly didn’t seem to care, instead actually wearing a sly grin as he stood in place, staring at Yang Kai proudly, a trace of pity in his eyes as he lightly said, “Ninth Brother, this is the end!”
Yang Wei and Liu Qing Yao, who still sat a few thousand meters away in the tea house also showed a look of understanding, both of them realizing what Yang Zhao was planning.
Qiu Yi Meng’s beautiful face also changed drastically. Through the dust, she suddenly spotted a figure moving at an unbelievable speed towards Yang Kai’s back.
The person who had appeared had expertly concealed himself and silently approached, so by the time Qiu Yi Meng noticed it was too late for her to warn Yang Kai.
“Second Brother, did you really think that Ninth Brother didn’t know what you were planning?” Yang Kai called out as a grin appeared on his face. The black dragon above him rapidly turned and rushed towards the approaching figure like an arrow shot from a bow, opening it’s great jaw in order to bite down on its prey.
The approaching figure was stunned, never having imagined that his whereabouts were actually fully understood by Yang Kai. He immediately realized how tricky it would be to handle the black dragon and swiftly retreated, his figure flickering a few times before coming to a halt beside Yang Zhao and gazing towards Yang Kai strangely.
Yang Kai just coldly snorted, still remaining motionless, staring straight at Yang Zhao.
“It turns out the other Blood Warrior in Second Brother’s house has already broken the Qi Binding Seal!” Yang Wei muttered aloud.
During the battle at Po Jing Lake, every Young Lord had lost a Blood Warrior to the Qi Binding Seals that the Yang Family Grand Elder Huang Jiu Zhou had planted on the Mysterious Grade artifacts. These Qi Binding Seals should have taken at least two months for the Blood Warriors to break on their own.
The affected Blood Warrior in Yang Wei’s service was still in retreat back at his mansion, striving to break through the Qi Binding Seal as he had be doing for the past two months, and he should be able to exit soon.
Yet, obviously, Yang Zhao’s Blood Warrior who was hit by the Qi Binding Seal had already managed to free himself.
[No wonder Second Brother made such a suggestion. This was what he was counting on.]
With Ying Jiu not here, Yang Kai now had to fight not just Yang Zhao, but an Immortal Ascension Boundary Eighth Stage Blood Warrior as well! From every outside observer’s perspective, he had no chance of winning.
“You already knew?” Yang Zhao’s face slightly twitching. He thought his plot had succeeded, and was even preparing to use this opportunity to eliminate Yang Kai, but now it turns out his opponent was already aware of his second Blood Warrior.
“Naturally I knew.” Yang Kai said casually with a look of disdain. Under the immense power of his Divine Sense, no one in Yang Zhao’s house could hide from him.
“Then why did you agree?” Yang Zhao looked at Yang Kai incredulously.
“Why would I not agree?” Yang Kai said proudly as he shook his head, “You can’t stop me.”
His words were arrogant to the extreme.
Everyone was stunned, all of them showing awkward or disbelieving expressions. Many of them secretly thinking that the Yang Family’s youngest was really crazy. At the very least, he couldn’t be measured by common sense anymore.
Yang Wei and Liu Qing Yao in the tea house were equally dumbfounded.
Facing a Blood Warrior at the Immortal Ascension Boundary Eighth Stage, he dared to make such a bold claim?
That meant wasn’t taking the Yang Family Blood Warriors seriously either!
The surrounding atmosphere suddenly became a bit strange.
The Blood Warrior next to Yang Zhao also wore a bitter expression and said, “Little Lord, although all of us Blood Warriors deeply admire you, being ignored so is still quite grating. In order to prove my strength, I won’t hold back any longer.”
“Then go ahead and try to stop me!” Yang Kai laughed, forming a series of hand seals, sending out a great wave of Black Qi.
The black dragon above his head also let out a fierce roar and charged towards the Blood Warrior and Yang Zhao.
Yang Kai wasn’t prepared to waste any more time, immediately using his full strength.
Faced with such a violent attack, Yang Zhao suddenly suffocated, unable to summon the slightest bit of resistance. However, the Blood Warrior beside him suddenly unleashed a powerful burst of True Qi and Spiritual Energy, forming a light barrier around him and Yang Zhao.
*Keng keng keng…*
When the Black Qi impacted the light barrier, in just the blink of an eye, the white halo became polluted, almost as if someone had spilled black ink on it.
The Blood Warrior hadn’t anticipated Yang Kai’s methods would be so overbearing. Not daring to show the slightest negligence, hurriedly pulling Yang Zhao away.
But the cloud of Black Qi seemed to have a mind of its own, quickly pursuing the retreating pair like a great shadow.
Simultaneously, the hundred meter long black dragon swooped down towards the heads of the Blood Warrior and Yang Zhao, opening its great maw as if to swallow them whole.
A violent and fierce power welled up with the black dragon as its centre and swiftly expanded outwards, causing the surrounding Black Qi to ignite and explode.
Withstanding the force of this explosion, all the surrounding cultivators revealed strained expressions.
Many suddenly felt that even breathing was difficult, as if a mountain was pressed against the top of their chest, causing the knees to go soft and urging them to fall to the ground.
Only Old Demon sneered, his eyes flashing an appreciative light as a wicked grin appeared on his face.
This violent and evil atmosphere was quite to his liking.
“Disperse!”
“Move away from the black gas.”
“How is this possible? How can this Little Lord use such potent power? Am I dreaming?”
The cultivators in Yang Zhao’s compound cried out, their faces filled with disbelief and fear, scattering about randomly in order to avoid being corroded by the swirly black Qi.
After this sudden outburst of power which spread black Qi all over the yard below, the black dragon opened its bloody mouth and began furiously inhaling, creating a black vortex that tried to draw in Yang Zhao and his guardian Blood Warrior.
Faced with this great suction, Yang Zhao was unable to offer any meaningful resistance. If not for the Blood Warrior beside him, he would already have been drawn into the black dragon’s maw and had his bones crushed.
For the first time, Yang Zhao realized just how enormous the gap in strength between him and his Ninth Brother was.
It was simply the difference between Heaven and Earth and he was afraid that, for the rest of his life, it would be impossible for him to catch up with his Ninth Brother’s pace.
Living the rest of his life in his youngest brother’s shadow, Yang Zhao suddenly felt depressed, as if struggling to resist, the Inheritance War, and even the entire Yang Family were all meaningless.
“Second Young Lord!” The Blood Warrior shouted, noticing Yang Zhao’s unusual mood and realizing that his mental state was being corroded.
“Don’t let yourself be affected by the Evil Qi!” The Blood Warrior hastily reminded.
Snapping out of his depressed mood, Yang Zhao dripped with cold sweat. He wasn’t a man who would easily admit defeat. The reason why such negative thoughts and feelings had overtaken him was purely because of the influence of Yang Kai’s strange power.
After being awakened by the Blood Warrior, Yang Zhao carefully guarded his mind to resist mental intrusion from Yang Kai’s power.
“Yu Xian!” Yang Kai roared.
High up in the sky, Tang Yu Xian, who was confronting Yang Zhao’s other Blood Warrior, smiled lightly at her opponent before releasing an astonishingly pure and potent Spiritual Energy pulse that engulfed not only the latter, but even affected the battlefield down below.
“Immortal Ascension Boundary Ninth Stage?” The Blood Warrior who was fighting with Tang Yu Xian called out in shock.
“Ah, you saw through me.” Tang Yu Xian laughed happily, “I still wanted to hide it for a while.”
“But how?” The Blood Warrior looked up and down Tang Yu Xian, seemingly trying to confirm she was still the person he knew, “How did you manage to break through to the Immortal Ascension Boundary Ninth Stage so soon?”
The Blood Warriors were all like brothers and sisters; they were all extremely familiar with each other’s strengths and talent. What Tang Yu Xian’s aptitude was, her opponent naturally understood, and he had a fair idea of how long it would be before she could break through to the Immortal Ascension Boundary Ninth Stage.
But now, when she had released her Spiritual Energy, he had immediately realized that Tang Yu Xian had actually broken through already.
“How did you do it?” The man eagerly asked. His aptitude and strength were similar to Tang Yu Xian’s, but now she had taken a giant leap ahead of him, he was naturally happy and anxious.
Happy that his sister Blood Warrior had broken through, but also anxious about falling behind her!
“Not telling!” Tang Yu Xian smiled sweetly.
Seeing her playful attitude, the man slowly shook his head and smiled bitterly, “Yu Xian, it seems that following the Little Lord has even caused your mentality to become younger. You never used to be so naughty.”
Tang Yu Xian’s smiling expression immediately sank, a cold light flashing across her eyes, “What do you mean? Are you trying to say I’ve gotten old?”
The man’s heart suddenly clenched, realizing he had inadvertently touched upon a great taboo, quickly waving his hands in panic, “Yu Xian, you’re not… I mean… I never said…”
“Hmph! I didn’t want to embarrass you too much, but now it seems I need to teach you a harsh lesson!” Tang Yu Xian muttered in annoyance, no longer holding back, using her full strength to beat her opponent, causing him to cry out in pain and grief.
Although there was only a gap of a single stage between them, this small gap was enough to allow Tang Yu Xian to completely suppress her brother Blood Warrior.
Tang Yu Xian was even able to continuously release Soul Skills to assist Yang Kai while she fought her own battle.
With the assistance of Tang Yu Xian, Yang Kai gradually gained the advantage.
“Little Lord, pardon my offence!” The Blood Warrior who was guarding Yang Zhao suddenly shouted, releasing Yang Zhao and pushing his True Qi furiously, sending out a great beam of azure light towards Yang Kai.
“Ha!” Before the beam could reach him, Yang Kai stretched out his hand and sent a beam of black Qi towards the oncoming assault, intercepting it midair and dispersing it.
The Yang Family Blood Warrior’s expression became somewhat solemn. Even if he hadn’t used his full strength just now, it was still a tremendous attack, yet Yang Kai had actually blocked it.
Everyone present was shocked, all of them wondering just how powerful Yang Kai was at the moment.
On the contrary, although his Devil Transformation had massively increased his Blood Force and strength, Yang Kai’s brow also deeply furrowed.
This head-on confrontation made him realize that it was impossible for him to defeat this opponent.
The title of Yang Family Blood Warrior wasn’t just for show. Even in his current state, and with the assistance of Tang Yu Xian’s Soul Skills, suppressing this master before him still beyond his abilities.
In fact, if not for the Blood Warrior’s need to guard Yang Zhao, Yang Kai estimated he would already have been defeated!
As of right now, he was not worthy to be a Blood Warrior’s opponent.
His thoughts revolving quickly, Yang Kai considered a dozen different scenarios before coldly snorting, recalling the black dragon and all the dispersed Evil Qi, shrouding himself in a thick protective coat.
Flipping his wrist, a small sword appeared atop his palm in a flash of light.
It was the Heaven Grade Top-Rank Soul type artifact!
Since refining it until now, Yang Kai felt like he was not able to fully synchronize with it, but at this moment, in order to kill Xiang Chu and Nan Sheng, Yang Kai determined that this was his best option. Success or failure would be determined in the next strike!
Looking far behind Yang Zhao, Yang Kai’s gazed focused on the hatred filled faces of Xiang Chu and Nan Sheng.
“I told you, no matter who tries to protect you today, you will still die!”
Standing tall, Yang Kai let out a great roar and his eyes flashed an ominous light.
Stared at by these crimson eyes, Xiang Chu and Nan Sheng trembled violently, suddenly feeling greatly unnerved. Subconsciously, they tried to retreat or find someone who could protect them.
Unfortunately, all the masters from the Xiang and Nan Families had been killed by Yang Kai on the way here. Only the two Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary masters’ status was unknown, as they had yet to return from their battle with Ying Jiu.
After looking around in panic for a moment, they discovered that there was no one here they could rely on. Facing Yang Kai’s cold eyes and murderous aura, the two of them couldn’t help feeling a sense of crisis.
Yang Kai’s performance was far beyond their expectation. They had never dreamed that Yang Kai would actually chase them all the way to Yang Zhao’s house and ruthlessly insist upon executing them, not giving a single bit of face to the Second Young Lord.
“We are heirs of first-class families! Yang Kai, if you dare kill us, you’ll regret it!” Nan Sheng was terrified and couldn’t help yelling out hysterically.
However, Yang Kai simply shook his head and firmly declared, “I don’t care if you are the heirs to first-class family. If it had been a head on fight and you had wounded my people, I would have nothing to say, but since you dared go behind my back and plot against them, you must pay the price!”
After saying so, Yang Kai suddenly closed his eyes.
*Zheng…*
A resonate hum came from the little sword in his hand, almost as if someone was striking it.
A bizarre aura also began spreading from Yang Kai.
“Stop him!” Yang Zhao saw the situation rapidly deteriorating and quickly summoned his own Mysterious Grade artifact.
In Yang Zhao’s hand, a golden ring-shaped artifact appeared. It was his trophy from the battle at Po Jing Lake.
Madly filling the golden ring with his True Qi, Yang Zhao shot it out; as it raced forward, it first divided into two, then into four, then again into eight…
In the blink of an eye, an overwhelming number of golden rings crashed towards Yang Kai.
The black dragon immediate roared and surged forth, using its huge body to wrap up and guard Yang Kai.
“Mad Tyrant Blood Skill!” At some unknown point, Tang Yu Xian had also rushed down from the sky and now unleashed an astonishing force from her delicate body, placing herself in front of Yang Kai.
The two Blood Warriors who followed Yang Zhao also rushed up.
The three Blood Warriors entered into a chaotic melee.
The scene was a mess.
Only Yang Kai remained an island of calm, the surrounding noise of battle and the violent fluctuations of energy seemed unable to affect him as he stood there silently.
*Dida…*
Suddenly there was a fluctuation in his Soul, and for some unforeseen reason, when his Spiritual Energy flooded into the small sword shaped Soul artifact, the two reached an unprecedented state of resonance.
At that moment, Yang Kai felt as if his Soul had integrated into the little sword.
*Xiu…*
The little sword transformed into a ray of light and shot out from atop Yang Kai’s palm at a speed invisible to the naked eye and impossible to trace with Divine Sense.
As his consciousness merged with the small sword, Yang Kai saw Tang Yu Xian using her Mad Tyrant Blood Skill to fight with the other two Immortal Ascension Boundary Eighth Stage Blood Warriors, fragrant sweat dripping from her long lustrous hair.
He also witnessed his black dragon clash with Yang Zhao’s Mysterious Grade artifact, sending violent waves of black Qi tumbling to and fro.
He saw the crowd of onlookers standing there with stunned expressions, their mouths agape.
He saw his own figure reflected in Qiu Yi Meng’s beautiful worry filled eyes.
He even saw a few thousand meters away, in a tea house, Yang Wei and Liu Qing Yao staring towards him out an open window.
At this moment, to Yang Kai, it seemed like the entire world had slowed down and his thinking had become more than ten times clearer than before, able to take in a process these myriad scenes around him in an instant.
A profound and mysterious feeling rose from the bottom of his heart, a sensation he had never felt before. Bathing in this feeling, Yang Kai experienced an unprecedented sublimation of his heart and soul.
*Hong…*
A layer of shackles seemed to shatter in his mind, giving Yang Kai an uplifting sense of freedom, like he was a fish that had leapt from the sea and begun soaring through the sky.
The speed of the small sword Soul artifact also increased significantly!
High up in the sky, dark clouds suddenly began to gather, covering the entirety of War City, releasing an ever increasing pressure as they thickened.
Even while Yang Kai had completely immersed himself in this strange mental domain, he never lost track of his target, Nan Sheng.
As if he realized what was about to happen, Nan Sheng immediately panicked and cried out in terror, “Save me, save me!”
He was calling for help from Yang Zhao.
Yang Zhao heard him, but unfortunately there was nothing he could do.
In order to suppress Yang Kai, he had used every plan, technique, and tool at his disposal, but the best he could do was break through some of the black dragon’s defence and was unable to even approach Yang Kai. How could he have any spare energy to help Nan Sheng?
Even if he had strength to spare, there wasn’t enough time for him to respond.
The next instant, as if he was clutched by a great invisible hand, Nan Sheng let out a heart-wrenching cry.
Xiang Chu, who was standing close by, turned towards Nan Sheng in horror, his entire body shivering uncontrollably.
Before his very eyes, he saw his big brother’s vitality quickly dissipate.
*Xiu…* A flash of light shot out from Nan Sheng’s head and returned to Yang Kai’s hand, transforming back into the shape of a little sword.
Nan Sheng fell to the ground, his eyes still open and staring out blankly, the light in them having vanished.
Seeing this, everyone at the scene paled.
Besides a few high level Immortal Ascension Boundary masters, no one saw when the small sword attacked.
Even the ones strong enough to have seen the sequence of events wrinkled their brows, secretly afraid, wondering if they would be able to withstand such an attack from Yang Kai’s Soul type artifact.
Soul artifacts, unlike general artifacts, were naturally driven by Spiritual Energy and only damaged one’s Soul and Knowledge Sea.
The power it could display was directly linked to the strength of its wielder’s Spiritual Energy; the stronger the Soul, the greater the role such an artifact could play and vice versa.
Although this little sword was a Heaven Grade Top-Rank artifact, not a low grade, without an extremely tyrannical Divine Sense to operate it, it couldn’t display much strength.
After seeing such a blow, the two Blood Warriors who were having a hard struggle with Tang Yu Xian didn’t hesitate to retreat and guard Yang Zhao.
They were afraid of this killing blow Yang Kai had displayed. If he were to use it to deal with the Second Young Lord, it would be difficult for them to handle.
Tang Yu Xian didn’t pursue them, instead just letting out a long breath and falling back to guard Yang Kai.
The black dragon also returned to its placed above Yang Kai’s head, it’s hundred meter long body coiling through the air, it’s giant head and crimson eyes staring towards Xiang Chu in the crowd as it continued to release an ominous pressure.
When Nan Sheng had suddenly died, Xiang Chu fell into despair, realizing that Yang Kai really had the ability to kill him even under the guard of Yang Zhao.
A fear unlike anything he had ever experienced before filled his heart as he jerkily turned his head towards Yang Kai, wondering if the next breath he took would be his last.
Wanting to find someone to depend on for protection, he hastily glanced around only to discover that everyone had retreated from where he stood, their faces filled with fear.
Many of these people used to talk happily with Xiang Chu and Nan Sheng like brothers and sister, drinking and having fun together while discussing their bright futures. However, now, they all avoided Xiang Chu like a viper, terrified that they might be swept up in Yang Kai’s wrath because of him.
The person who drinks the water knows best if it is warm or cold, self-awareness can only come from within.
Xiang Chu suddenly felt a little disheartened and bitter, unable to stop himself from glaring at those around him cynically, sneering at these former friends who were now doing their best to distance themselves from him.
On the other hand, Yang Kai stood where he was, slowly blinking as he pinched the little sword in his hand, his brow furrowed as his True Qi roiled and fluctuated.
*Hong long long…*
The sound of thunder resounded throughout the sky, like the beat of a giant drum shaking the very Heavens and Earth, causing everyone’s ears to ring and their hearts to pound.
As the wind howled, the dark clouds that now covered all of War City became thicker and thicker, gradually immersing the entire city in a profound darkness without a trace of light.
Suddenly being covered in this blanket of darkness, no one knew what was happening, all the cultivators at the scene whispered to each other as they stared up at the dark sky, anxiety and fear slowly creeping into their hearts.
Floating far in the distance, Meng Wu Ya, who had his arms crossed behind his back, carefully watched this sudden change, a bright light flashing past his eyes as he stared at the unmoving Yang Kai, a look of anticipation appearing on his face.
“Master, Master!” Xia Ning Chang called out as she flew towards him having run out of the mansion at some unknown point.
Meng Wu Ya glanced over at her and gently lifted a finger to his lips, signaling her to calm herself.
Xia Ning Chang couldn’t help shrink her neck embarrassedly and softly ask, “Master, what is happening to Junior Brother?”
“I don’t know. It looks like Devil’s Practices, but his consciousness is still completely intact. I really don’t understand what is going on with that little brat. He really loves making others worry.” Meng Wu Ya muttered in a depressed tone. Since he came to War City, he had been roped into helping Yang Kai a number of times. Although he kept saying to Yang Kai that he wouldn’t intervene in any way with the Inheritance War, when the latter faced some difficulties, he really had no choice but to step in.
“So is something wrong with him right now?” Xia Ning Chang’s beautiful eyes filled with worry as she anxiously asked.
“He should be fine.” Meng Wu Ya slowly shook his head, his expression becoming a bit profound. “Not only is he alright, judging from his current appearance, it seems like he’s about to break through.”
“Break through?!” Xia Ning Chang exclaimed, her delicate hands covering her small mouth. Looking up at the thick layer of black clouds in the sky and feeling a devastating power condensing within them, she couldn’t help paling slightly, suddenly realizing what was happening, “Master, do you mean to say that this phenomenon was brought about by Junior Brother’s breakthrough?”
“It should be.” Meng Wu Ya was honestly quite shocked as well.
He had neither seen nor heard of any cultivator creating such a massive disturbance when only breaking through to the Immortal Ascension Boundary.
The World Energy gathering in the dark clouds high above were definitely not something an ordinary Immortal Ascension Boundary cultivator could handle. Even Meng Wu Ya, in his current state, wasn’t certain he could withstand it.
“Such a baptism, will Junior Brother be able to endure it?” Xia Ning Chang asked anxiously.
Every time a cultivator breaks through a Great Realm, they will cause some changes in their immediate surroundings, pulling in the nearby World Energy to baptizing their bodies.
During this baptism, a cultivator could rapidly absorb this World Energy to strengthen themselves, but each cultivator had a different aptitude and physique, so the benefits they could harvest from this process would vary greatly.
The better one’s aptitude, and the stronger their physique and the more benefits they could obtain.
When Xia Ning Chang broke through to the Immortal Ascension Boundary, she also experienced this phenomenon, but the amount of World Energy she managed to draw towards herself was less than a tenth of what was now gathering.
This phenomenon could no longer be called a baptism, but instead a disaster!
“It will be up to his fortune!” Meng Wu Ya quickly said, a thick worry also developing on his brow. His treasured apprentice was quite attached to that little bastard, so if he was to encounter any kind of accident, his treasured apprentice would definitely be heartbroken. On top of that, he too was somewhat fond of this little brat, and felt it would be a shame for him to die so young in such an unfortunate circumstance.
[This brat, he’s definitely capable of breaking through this world’s bonds and ascending to a higher realm!]
Meng Wu Ya was quite interested in seeing just how far he could go.
“How could he suddenly try to breakthrough at such a tenuous moment?” Xia Ning Chang said with tears in her eyes. Yang Kai was still in the midst of a battlefield, yet now he also had to worry about this World Energy baptism. If he were to be disturbed in any way, the consequences would be absolutely unimaginable.
“He probably gained some kind of sudden enlightenment during the fight.” Meng Wu Ya sighed. This kind of opportunity was not something that could be sought or controlled. By overcoming some kind of formidable obstacle, Yang Kai had obtained a kind of sublimation. This kind of sudden blessing wasn’t something that could be suppressed. The only option was to go with the flow. Pausing for a moment, Meng Wu Ya calmly said, “Rest assured, if the situation really becomes dangerous, this old master won’t just sit idly by.”
“En.” Xia Ning Chang nodded lightly, her pair of crystal clear eyes staring over towards where Yang Kai stood.
Although the sun had disappeared from War City and it had grown dark, those with strong cultivation were still able to see what was happening.
At the sight, Yang Zhao suddenly realized what was happening, staring towards Yang Kai somewhat oddly as he called out, “Ninth Brother, are you thinking of breaking through right here, right now?”
Yang Kai glanced over at him, took a deep breath, and firmly nodded.
Tang Yu Xian was also quite shocked by this sudden development and couldn’t help feeling a little uneasy.
Yang Zhao laughed snidely as he wore a bitter smile, tightly clenching his fists as he ground his teeth, “Do you think Second Brother is going to let you peacefully break through here?”
“I don’t.” Yang Kai shook his head, “If Second Brother wants to try to stop me, you are welcome to try… as long as you can afford the consequences!”
Yang Zhao’s expression became cold, his eyes slowly filling with dread and hesitation. He couldn’t immediately make up his mind whether to fight with Yang Kai here!
Even with two Blood Warriors on his side, Yang Zhao couldn’t stop Yang Kai from killing Nan Sheng.
At this moment, Yang Kai already possessed such terrifying strength. Once he was allowed to break through to the Immortal Ascension Boundary, he would only become even more powerful. If that were to happen, he may never be able to catch up with him.
Right now was a unique opportunity. If he didn’t seize it, Yang Zhao felt like he would regret it for the rest of his life.
*Hong long long…*
The sound of boring thunder resounded again, causing Yang Kai’s expression to become somewhat strained.
Above his head, the tumbling black clouds slowly swirled and transformed into a great vortex. Following the lines of this, an unstoppable suction emerged from Yang Kai’s body and began swallowing the surrounding World Energy.
Fury, madness, cruelty, blood thirst, murderous intent, all of these malicious auras exploded out from Yang Kai’s position, blanketing the entirety of War City, seemingly transforming it into a hellish purgatory.
Of the tens of thousands of people in War City, more than sixty percent of them suddenly felt their heartbeats accelerate, the hidden dark impulses in their thoughts suddenly surfacing as their temperaments were affected by these evil auras.
A moment later, Yang Kai had risen to a height of several tens of meters and stood perfectly still.
The vortex of black clouds rotating faster and faster.
All of a sudden, a bolt of concentrated dark energy struck towards Yang Kai.
Along with a great shout, Yang Kai’s body seemed to become a bottomless pit, and in the blink of an eye, completely absorbed this bolt of energy.
Yang Zhao’s face went pale with shock!
He hadn’t anticipated that Yang Kai would be able to cope with this mass of World Energy so easily, the hesitation in his eyes suddenly giving way to firmness.
Xiang Chu’s anxious voice called out at this moment, “Second Young Lord, this opportunity will only appear once. It cannot be missed!”
Nan Sheng had died right in front of him and he was certain he would soon follow in his footsteps. However, at this moment, Yang Kai had unexpectedly been thrust into a critical situation where he had no choice but to break through. Suddenly seeing a glimmer of hope to survive, he naturally did everything he could to encourage Yang Zhao to order an attack.
As long as Yang Kai didn’t die, Xiang Chu knew he would die sooner or later. The Yang Family’s Ninth Young Lord was a man of his word.
Moreover, while Yang Kai was making this breakthrough, he would likely not have any energy to spare to deal with him. Realizing all of this clearly, Xiang Chu had not hesitated to call out.
Qiu Yi Meng and the others suddenly showed a nervous look when they realized the change in Yang Zhao’s expression.
Moreover, under the influence of the pervasive malicious intent radiating from Yang Kai, Yang Zhao’s mental state had obviously become somewhat unstable, making it difficult for him to make a rational decision.
He had already been subtly affected.
Both of them were direct descendants of the Yang Family. One was the second oldest while the other was the youngest, yet at this moment, the latter realized his achievements were far less than his little brother’s, inevitably giving birth to some feelings of envy. This negative emotion was then further magnified by the surrounding environment, causing Yang Zhao’s eyes to take on a reddish hue.
“Second Young Lord, his breakthrough will definitely fail if you can disturb him!” Xiang Chu coldly shouted, striking while the iron was hot.
Yang Zhao finally made up his mind and nodded heavily, waving his hand towards the sky as he ruthlessly ordered, “Stop him at any cost!”
The two Blood Warriors beside Yang Zhao both grimaced, showing distressed expressions.
As one of them had said before, everyone from the Blood Warrior Hall was very grateful to Yang Kai. However, at this moment, Yang Zhao had actually ordered them to stop Yang Kai from breaking through. In an instant, they were uncertain about what to do.
Yang Kai was now at a very critical juncture. If he was disturbed and really failed during this promotion process, it was quite possible for him to die, his body and soul both being completely erased. Even if the result wasn’t so extreme, it would at least halt his cultivation at the True Element Boundary Ninth Stage.
How could the two Blood Warriors be willing?
But although they felt disgruntled and disappointed at this course of action, Yang Zhao was still their current master, the Young Lord they had chosen to follow, so they had no choice but to obey his command.
“Since when did this old master not exist?” Old Demon grinned fiercely and let out an evil laugh. Watching this situation develop, Old Demon’s blood had already begun to boil, eager to cause some mayhem. At this moment, seeing Yang Zhao recklessly issue such an order, he joined together with Tang Yu Xian to block the two Blood Warriors.
“Yang Zhao, you’re insane!” Qiu Yi Meng angrily shouted, swiftly signaling to the cultivators behind her and forming a human wall around Yang Kai, vowing to protect his safety.
“Whoever dares to block me dies!” Yang Zhao also issued commands to his allies to launch a comprehensive assault. After having the darkness in his heart amplified, Yang Zhao no longer hesitated.
At the rear of the crowd, Xiang Chu laughed insidiously as he stared towards the seemingly immobile Yang Kai who could only float there to accept the World Energy’s baptism, snickering visibly.
Yang Kai obviously did not miss this, turning his eyes towards him and coldly declaring, “Nan Sheng is dead, you won’t escape either!”
Xiang Chu couldn’t stop himself from stumbling backwards, only stabilizing himself after taking a number of steps, immediately trying to put up a strong front, “Yang Kai, don’t try to frighten me! First cross your current tribulation before trying to talk big!”
The cultivators on both sides had already engaged in a full scale conflict, Old Demon and Tang Yu Xian had joined forces to resist not only the two Blood Warriors around Yang Zhao, but also more than a dozen Immortal Ascension Boundary masters from the latter’s allies.
Although Qiu Yi Meng and Yang Kai’s allies were fewer in number, they had all gathered together around Yang Kai, so they were able to coordinate and assist each other, ensuring they wouldn’t be defeated in short order. The brilliance of various artifacts and Martial Skills suddenly cut through and illuminated the darkness in War City.
Great explosions rang out as an intense battle suddenly erupted!
Inside the tea house, Yang Wei shook his head slowly, “Second Brother has gone too far.”
Liu Qing Yao also nodded lightly. Although the Inheritance War encouraged ruthlessness, this moment was of critical importance to Yang Kai. If an accident were to occur, it would affect things for the rest of his life.
Saying so, Yang Wei quickly stood up and threw off his cloak, revealing his original appearance.
“Does Eldest Young Lord intend to interfere?” Liu Qing Yao narrowed his eyes and faintly asked.
“En.” Yang Wei nodded firmly, “As the Yang Family’s Eldest Young Lord, I must take action!”
After leaving these words, he leapt from the tea house, his guardian Blood Warrior following close behind, and rushed to the battlefield.
Liu Qing Yao suddenly laughed, “Eldest Young Lord, you truly are a man of honour.”
Yang Wei said he was interfering as the Yang Family’s Eldest Young Lord, meaning that this time he would not be acting as a competitor in the Inheritance War, but as a member of the Yang Family.
Yang Wei could have taken this opportunity to mobilize his own allies and attack Yang Kai’s mansion, or join forces with Yang Kai to attack Yang Zhao.
But he did not choose either of these options, obviously he prioritised stabilizing the situation rather than taking advantage of it, a decision Liu Qing Yao deeply respected.
A moment later, Yang Wei arrived nearby Yang Kai’s forces; when Qiu Yi Meng noticed him, she immediately became alert as she loudly challenged, “What is Eldest Young Lord’s purpose in coming here?”
Seeing the suspicion and concern in her eyes, Yang Wei said nothing and simply nodded towards his guardian Blood Warrior, the latter charging straight into Yang Zhao’s lines, sending the already superheated battlefield further into chaos.
Witnessing this, Qiu Yi Meng couldn’t help blushing slightly as she respectfully called out, “Many thanks Eldest Young Lord for your assistance!”
Yang Wei simply nodded before stepping back, indicating he had no other intentions here.
This scene was also clearly seen by Yang Kai, causing him to feel slightly heartened. Nodding gratefully to his big brother, the two brothers only exchanging a silent glance with no need for superfluous words.
Down below, Xiang Chu continuously incited conflict while doing his best to taunt Yang Kai, hoping to interfere with his state of mind.
He didn’t dare to rush up and face him head on so he could only use this despicable method to vent his hatred and cover his fear. Right now, his only wish was to disturb Yang Kai’s focus and cause his breakthrough to fail.
Everyone on Yang Kai’s side wore angry expressions as they listened to Xiang Chu’s stream of foul language, but no one had any spare capacity to shut him up, only further emboldening him.
Glaring at Xiang Chu menacingly, Yang Kai suddenly reached out and summoned a small doll with light blue hair into his hand, flicking its forehead with his finger a few times.
In the distance, among the spectating crowds, a seemingly petite woman wrapped in a black robe suddenly called out in pain, covering her forehead with her two delicate hands as she resentfully stared up into the sky.
On the other end of her gaze, she saw Yang Kai bend his fingers again.
Not daring to delay any longer, the woman shot up into the air and loudly shouted, “I’m here already, don’t flick it!”
Yang Kai’s movements stopped when he heard this ire filled voice.
Seeing him no longer preparing to flick the doll’s forehead, Shui Ling let out a sigh of relief before directing a sullen look towards Yang Kai, grinding her teeth as she spat, “What the hell do you want?”
“Help me this time and this thing is yours!” Yang Kai shouted as he lifted the little doll, seemingly enduring great pressure as he spoke.
“Really?” Shui Ling was suddenly overjoyed, her eyes shifting back and forth between the doll and Yang Kai’s face, clearly filled with anticipation.
Seeing her expression, Yang Kai tossed the doll made from her hair to Shui Ling, who reflexively grabbed it, tightly holding on to it like a precious treasure, unable to stop herself from laughing happily.
Since enduring the torture of this Soul Binding Curse, Shui Ling had hated this little doll to the extreme and had spent every waking moment imaging how she would steal it from Yang Kai and regain her freedom.
In order to facilitate this, she had remained in War City and secretly looked for opportunities.
But after such a long time, no such change appeared as she did not dare to easily set foot in Yang Kai’s mansion, but all of sudden she had easily obtained the prized object she had even dreamed of.
Shui Ling suddenly felt that the invisible layer of shackles which bound her disappear, the link between her and the little doll vanishing. At this moment she was once again free!
Solemnly putting the doll into her pocket, patting it lightly to make sure it was secure, Shui Ling then calmed down and turned her eyes curiously towards Yang Kai and sneered, “Aren’t you afraid that I’ll just take this thing and run?”
“Feel free! Even without your help I’ll be fine, but remember that those who dare betray me never have good ends.” Yang Kai coldly snorted.
Shui Ling spat disdainfully and snorted, “Even at such a time, you’re still trying to talk big, hmph!”
Though she said that, after a short pause, she continued, “But you’re in luck, you haven’t seen wrong. This girl is not the kind of person who doesn’t pay her debts.”
Although Yang Kai had tortured her that night, he had still been quite calculative as he did so. He had only let her feel some pain and never actually wounded her. Moreover, even after such a long time, Yang Kai had never used the little doll to embarrass or coerce her. If he had wanted to shame or disgrace her, Shui Ling knew she wouldn’t be able to resist.
Over time, Shui Ling realized that this man wasn’t a despicable villain, his only motive in controlling her was because he was truly afraid of her.
“Tell me, what do you want me to do?” Shui Ling asked.
“Capture that man for me.”
Yang Kai stared towards Xiang Chu in the distance.
“A simple matter.” Shui Ling snorted pridefully and flicked her wrist, a nearly transparent stream of water suddenly shooting out from her hand. This stream of water was like a sentient rope, bypassing the chaotic crowd and honing in on its target, instantly wrapping up the still cursing Xiang Chu.
Xiang Chu was shocked and immediately pushed his True Qi in order to resist, but against the methods of an elite Immortal Ascension Boundary Eighth Stage cultivator, what could Xiang Chu’s resistance possibly achieve?
No matter how hard he tried, the stream of water binding him didn’t budge.
“Come here!” Shui Ling let out a light shout and gave the water rope a tug, the panicked Xiang Chu quickly being dragged in front of her.
“Stop struggling, or else!” Shui Ling frowned as she lightly snorted, hitting Xiang Chu’s shoulder before casually tossing him to Yang Kai like she was tossing away a piece of garbage, the whole sequence of events really just a simple matter for her.
Seeing Yang Kai’s cold indifferent face up close, all the colour drained from Xiang Chu’s face as he hurriedly shouting, “Ninth Young Lord, forgive me!”
Yang Kai sneered, “Trying to repent now? Too late!”
*Shi…*
From the dark clouds covering the sky, a tremendous bolt of energy fell onto Yang Kai. Under this raging torrent of World Energy, Xiang Chu, who was in close proximity to Yang Kai, had his True Qi sealed, and was place directly under this bolt of energy. Once it hit, Xiang Chu’s figure quickly swelling up as his skin started to show cracks on it. The damage was so large that his eyes started to bulge out and all of his flesh peeled from his bones. However, this gruesome scene was only on display for a split second.
*Hulala…*
With a muffled bang, Xiang Chu exploded into a bloody fog, with not even his bones remaining.
The fierce battlefield suddenly stopped for a moment and everyone stared incredulously at the bloody cloud drifting through the air, all of them seemingly stunned that the Young Lord of the Xiang Family would die so miserably.
Nan Sheng had been killed first, and now Xiang Chu had died without any hope of burial. Yang Kai… he really did what he said he would.
Even Yang Zhao couldn’t protect these two people.
“All our debts have been cleared.” Shui Ling said triumphantly to Yang Kai, the latter simply nodding before slowly closing his eyes. His breakthrough was fast approaching and he no longer had time to pay attention to outside affairs. At this moment, he could only focus on fully withstanding the World Energy baptism while waiting for the opportunity to open his Knowledge Sea and officially enter the Immortal Ascension Boundary.
After Xiang Chu was murdered, the devastating energy contained in the dark clouds seemed to become completely active. One bolt of energy after another streamed towards Yang Kai in a neverending torrent, causing the heartbeats of everyone present to race, wondering whether or not the Yang Family’s youngest Young Lord would be reborn from this baptism or forever destroyed.
Yang Zhao stared up into the sky gloomily and yelled, “Big Brother, does this mean you are standing on Ninth Brother’s side?”
Yang Wei shook his head and said flatly, “Big Brother is not taking Ninth Brother’s side. It is Second Brother who is taking things too far. Come to your senses and think about what you are doing right now!”
“In order to win the Inheritance War, any method may be used. I certainly know what I am doing!” Yang Zhao coldly snorted.
Yang Wei’s expression dimmed slightly and sighed, “You wanting to protect Nan Sheng and Xiang Chu from Ninth Brother, Big brother had nothing to say, but you trying to stifle Ninth Brother’s future achievements, Big Brother can’t just stand by and feign ignorance… If the situation was reversed, I’m certain Ninth Brother wouldn’t disturb Second Brother’s breakthrough to the next Great Realm.”
Like he had been struck by lightning, Yang Zhao was stunned, his face blushing with embarrassment and his expression twisting painfully, but soon this was replaced by his previous ruthlessness, mixed with a trace of madness.
Right now, he was unable to stabilize his mood.
If he was completely sober, he may be able to realize the folly of his actions, but as of this moment the only thought in his mind was of defeating Yang Kai.
*Hong…*
As the two brothers spoke, a great bang suddenly resounded, and with this thunderous noise, an even thicker and more insidious Demonic Qi began spreading out from Yang Kai’s body.
Affected by this aura, all the cultivators present, including those who had reached the Immortal Ascension Boundary, found it difficult to suppress the evil in their hearts.
Only Old Demon laughed happily. Amidst this rich Demonic Qi, his power even seemed to rise a bit.
“What exactly is happening with this little brat?” In the distance, Meng Wu Ya’s expression was dignified as he muttered to himself.
He couldn’t understand how Yang Kai had so much Demonic Qi in his body, where had his previous True Yang Yuan Qi gone? That should be the nemesis of Demonic Qi.
“Is there any danger, Master?” Xia Ning Chang said anxiously. Even so far away she had received some of the Demonic Qi’s affect, but the pale blue gem on her forehead was emitting a soft glow that seemed to dispel the darkness around her.
“I don’t know.” Meng Wu Ya was also at a loss. “His consciousness should be completely immersed in his mind so he had no way to control the burst of energy coming from his body.”
This breakthrough was different from all previous breakthroughs. When a cultivator promoted to the Immortal Ascension Boundary, rather than a change in their True Qi, the primary focus was the opening of their Knowledge Sea.
Right now, Yang Kai’s consciousness was definitely focused inwards so it was likely he wasn’t paying any attention to his physical body, resulting in him losing control of the Demonic Qi within him, wantonly releasing it into his surroundings.
“The situation is becoming worse.” Seeing that the battle becoming more and more violent, Meng Wu Ya’s face showed deep concern. He was not worried about whether Yang Kai could safely pass this trial, but rather what would happen to the people in War City who were affected by this evil force.
If tens of thousands of people in War City had their minds corrupted because of Yang Kai’s breakthrough, he would become a great sinner.
Spreading his Divine Sense out, Meng Wu Ya’s face only became darker and darker.
He noticed that various disputes and even some battles had broken out throughout War City. These people had nothing to do with the Inheritance War, but after the Demonic Qi from Yang Kai’s body had stimulated their evil impulses they had slowly lost control of their emotions, turning small grievances and arguments into full on conflicts.
At this moment, the entire city was devolving into a battlefield with swords being drawn and blood being spilled in various places.
And as time passed, things were only getting worse. Unless Yang Kai could take back this Demonic Qi into his body, the situation would become irreparable!
The breakthrough of a single person actually affected an entire city, it was like a myth from ancient times. Meng Wu Ya couldn’t conceal his shock.
Suddenly, his expression changed as he quickly stared towards the center of War City and sighed, “It’s finally alarmed them.”
“Alarmed who?” Xia Ning Chang asked anxiously.
“Those old ghosts.” Meng Wu Ya took a deep breath and said, “You go back to the house first. I’m afraid things are about to become unsafe.”
“I don’t want to go back…” Xia Ning Chang shook her head frantically as she stared towards Yang Kai in the distance, “Junior Brother is still there.”
“Go back,” Meng Wu Ya gently comforted, “Don’t worry, I will bring Yang Kai back safely.”
Xia Ning Chang hesitated for a while before reluctantly nodding, “Master, if you can’t bring him back, then disciple will also die.”
After leaving these ominous words, Xia Ning Chang turned around and rushed towards Yang Kai’s mansion.
She knew that she could do nothing to help Yang Kai in this situation and if she insisted on going she would only become a burden to her master, so she obediently returned.
Looking at the quickly fading back of his treasured apprentice, Meng Wu Ya smiled bitterly, really wondering what debt he owed to Yang Kai in his previous life that kept forcing him to help him.
Staring across the distance and seeing eight figures flying towards Yang Kai, Meng Wu Ya sighed and began striding forward.
These eight figures were the Eight Great Families’ Above Immortal Ascension Boundary masters that had been deployed to War City. All of them were over a hundred years old and would normally sit in the Seal Temple, ignoring all worldly affairs. Earlier today, they had not paid any attention to this conflict. Even if Yang Zhao and Yang Kai killed on another, they would not interfere.
But now, they couldn’t sit still any longer.
All of War City was blanketed by Demonic Qi, and everyone was slowly being affected, forcing them to step forward to deal with the matter.
The expressions on these eight people’s faces were indifferent, some of them even showing some slight displeasure at being disturbed by Yang Kai.
Rapidly reaching Yang Kai’s position, the eight masters came to a halt.
No one had noticed the approach of these eight old men, so when they suddenly appeared, everyone was caught off guard.
“Enough!” Yang Li Ting snorted. Yang Zhao and Yang Kai’s allies, who were fiercely attacking each other, immediately paused, as if this word contained some kind of magic which could forcibly stop their movements.
Yang Wei quickly recovered and hurriedly cupped his fists, “Greeting eight Seniors!”
Yang Zhao, whose eyes were still red, also quickly adjusted his expression, wearing a respectful face and doing the same.
In front of these eight old men, he didn’t dare show any disrespect.
Liu Qing Yao in the nearby tea house also quickly rushed over and politely bowed.
Everyone suddenly became quite respectful.
Yang Li Ting shot a faint glanced towards Yang Zhao, his face still indifferent as he raised his hand and sent a burst of energy towards him.
Under the influence of this energy, Yang Zhao’s eyes immediately restored their former clarity. Blankly staring at the chaos in front of him, he recalled each of his own orders and actions, beads of sweat filling his forehead.
After being shaken away, he finally regained his sanity.
“Unable to bear a trivial bit of Demonic Qi, you think you are qualified to be a child of the Yang Family with such weak mental strength?” Yang Li Ting spat.
Yang Zhao immediately paled, deeply lowering his head and cupping his fists, “Junior has disappointed Grand Elder.”
Yang Li Ting snorted and no longer paid any attention to him, causing Yang Zhao to further criticize himself. This kind of blatant disregard deeply wounded his pride, and he couldn’t help thinking that he really was worse than his Ninth Brother.
As this thought flashed across his mind, he quickly dispelled it, afraid he would be affected by his negative mood again. If that were to really happen, his very future in the Yang Family might become uncertain.
“You’re not bad.” Yang Li Ting took a look at Yang Wei and nodded gently.
Yang Wei was slightly surprised and quickly replied, “Grand Elder is too kind.”
Yang Zhao was influenced by the Demonic Qi while Yang Wei was able to firmly maintain his heart, this earned Yang Li Ting’s approval.
“This little girl is also not bad.” A slightly fat old man looked at Qiu Yi Meng and laughed. She was also one of the few people who wasn’t affected by Yang Kai.
“Of course my Qiu Family people are good.” Qiu Dao Ren’s face showed a hint of pride; Qiu Yi Meng’s performance had also made him quite satisfied.
“Greetings Grand Elder.” Qiu Yi Meng stepped forward and immediately asked, “May Junior inquire as to eight Seniors’ purpose in arriving here?”
As she spoke, her expression filled with nervous colour. These eight old men had never once appeared in public during the course of the Inheritance War and normally wouldn’t pay any attention to worldly affairs, so them suddenly appearing now was clearly because of Yang Kai’s current state.
Right now, Yang Kai’s situation was troubling. The Eight Great Families and the Ash-Grey Cloud Evil Land had many deep seeded grievances, especially those of the older generation, they abhorred anything to do with the Devil’s Path and all those who cultivated it, so under these circumstances, how could Qiu Yi Meng not be worried?
Qiu Dao Ren smiled temperately as he replied, “If you want to know, you should ask Brother Yang. All of this was caused by a member of the Yang Family.”
Qiu Yi Meng immediately turned her attention to Yang Li Ting.
The latter didn’t say a word though, instead just staring at Yang Kai who was still enduring the World Energy baptism, his expression gradually becoming cold.
Qiu Yi Meng couldn’t help her heart from clenching, a feeling of uneasiness growing within her.
Yang Li Ting’s expression clearly showed his dissatisfaction, but Yang Kai was still a member of the Yang Family, his descendant. If it was anyone else, Yang Li Ting would probably have already killed him.
“Old man, just sit back and watch. Don’t get any ideas about my Young Master, or this old master will be impolite!” Old Demon grinned and yelled at Yang Li ting, seemingly ignorant of life and death.
Everyone’s expression suddenly became strange.
Someone actually dared act arrogantly in front of an Above Immortal Ascension Boundary master!
When they heard Old Demon, all eight Grand Elders turned their heads at the same time, their Divine Senses instantly locking onto Old Demon, who in response violently pushed his own Devil Qi, coordinating with the evil energy Yang Kai was releasing, giving everyone the impression that a battle was about to break out.
“His Evil Cultivation Technique, was it taught by you?” Yang Li Ting casually asked, obviously not putting Old Demon in his eyes.
“Heh heh, about that, you’re wrong.” Old Demon slowly shook his head, not a trace of fear apparent on his face, “This old master doesn’t have the qualifications to teach Young Master, all of this is a result of his own cultivation. It is your Yang Family’s blessing to have someone like Young Master, you should cherish him. Your family’s future will definitely depend on Young Master.”
Old Demon had loudly and unhesitantly reproved the Eight Great Family’s Above Immortal Ascension Boundary masters, causing everyone to stare at him in shock.
“Ridiculous!” Yang Li Ting coldly snorted and waved his hand.
Facing this palm strike, Old Demon couldn’t help his knees from bending slightly, almost falling to the ground, but he somehow managed to hold himself upright. On the other hand, the Blood Demon Puppet that was close by exploded into a blood fog, even its bones disintegrating.
Old Demon’s eyes suddenly flashed a cold light as he glared at Yang Li Ting.
“Hm?” The eight Absolute Immortal Ascension Boundary masters all wrinkled their brows, none of them having thought Old Demon could withstand even this strike. Even though Yang Li Ting hadn’t used all of his strength, this strike wasn’t something an ordinary Peak Immortal Ascension cultivator could resist. At the very least, his bones should have broken and he should have vomited blood as he knelt on the ground.
However, Old Demon had only stumbled slightly. This was not something an Immortal Ascension masters should be capable of.
Although Yang Li Ting was quite annoyed with Old Demon, he was still one of this world’s peak characters. Since he had failed to make the latter kneel with a single strike, continuing to attack would only cause him to lose face, so he just coldly snorted and ignored him.
Seeing this, Old Demon laughed lowly, his aura becoming dangerous as he continued staring at Yang Li Ting.
His Blood Demon Puppet wasn’t easy to refine, so seeing it vaporized by Yang Li Ting naturally caused him to be annoyed.
But considering Yang Kai’s current condition and the general situation, Old Demon could only choke down his anger, not daring to start an unnecessary fight.
“Senior Yang…” Qiu Yi Meng cautiously called out, her heart filled with uneasy and her mouth feeling parched, “Yang Kai is currently breaking through. If you have any instructions for him, could you perhaps tell this junior? Junior will definitely convey your words for you!”
She already had an idea about what Yang Li Ting’s thoughts were in her heart, but she couldn’t confirm them so the best she could do was use this kind of rhetoric to gain some time for Yang Kai, hoping Yang Li Ting would place more emphasis on family relations and allow this incident to pass.
Unfortunately, Yang Li Ting didn’t even bother to respond to her, his eyes were completely focused on Yang Kai, who was still accepting the World Qi baptism. The only thing Qiu Yi Meng could understand was his gradually sinking expression.
The evil energy in the Unyielding Golden Skeleton had been pouring out without pause since Yang Kai’s consciousness had been submerged into his mind. At this time, there was no sign of the Demonic Qi converging; in fact, it was expanding instead.
Yang Li Ting’s brow wrinkled, and the other seven Above Immortal Ascension Boundary master’s faces weren’t very attractive either.
“Brother Yang, this kid seems to be consumed by the Devil’s Practices!” The fat old man sighed, “It’s a pity that such a good seedling has fallen onto the wrong path.”
He had already tried to convince Yang Li Ting to come forward and help Yang Kai suppress this Demonic Qi, but Yang Li Ting hadn’t listened, delaying until things had gone beyond the point of no return.
“Just how can there be so much Demonic Qi in his body?” Another of the old men frowned, voicing his greatest doubt.
It was impossible for a True Element Boundary Ninth Stage cultivator to have so much True Qi, his dantian and meridian weren’t bottomless pits after all. Yet the amount of energy Yang Kai had already released was almost the equivalent of a Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary master’s entire reserve, and he showed no signs that this was his limit.
“It seems like he has been practicing this Evil Cultivation Technique for quite some time.” One old man added, turning his head and staring at Yang Li Ting, “Brother Yang, what the hell are you going to do? Hurry up and make up your mind. If you simply allow him to continue like this, the tens of thousands of people in War City will fall onto the Devil’s Path. Although he is a member of your Yang Family, such a loss of life is still unacceptable.”
“Don’t presume to lecture me!” Yang Li Ting coldly snorted, seemingly having reached a decision.
“Senior, what are you planning to do?” Qiu Yi Meng quickly stepped forward, the unease in her heart rapidly intensifying as she asked.
Qiu Dao Ren wrinkled his brow and slowly extended his hand. Qiu Yi Meng suddenly felt like she had been bound by an invisible force and was swiftly pulled to Qiu Dao Ren’s side.
“Grand Elder…” Qiu Yi Meng’s beautiful face paled.
“This is a Yang Family matter, don’t interrupt!” Qiu Dao Ren slowly shook his head and tapped Qiu Yi Meng’s body, locking her in place, unable to move. Qiu Yi Meng couldn’t even open her mouth, only able to passively observe, her eyes filling with anxiety and helplessness.
“You shut up too, you damn brat!” The Above Immortal Ascension Boundary master from the Huo Family shouted towards Huo Xing Chen who he saw was about to speak up, quickly imprisoning him and pulling him over to his side.
Experiencing this, Huo Xing Chen couldn’t help rolling his eyes.
The two Eight Great Families’ descendants had lost their ability to speak instantly, causing everyone else present to immediately realize how dire the situation had become.
These eight people obviously wanted to do something about Yang Kai, otherwise they would never have taken such overt action.
“Brother Yang, before it’s too late, you must act.” One of the old men said with some impatience. Normally they sat in the Seal Temple and only attended to their own cultivation, hoping to enlighten themselves and reach a step further while they still lived, but today, because of the disturbance caused by Yang Kai, they were forced to appear, naturally some of them were disgruntled.
Not everyone was like the fat old man who sympathized with the experience of Yang Kai and felt sorry about his wasted potential.
Yang Li Ting nodded lightly and glanced at the various younger generation leaders who gathered around Yang Kai and said, “Stand aside!”
At this critical juncture though, Dong Qing Han, although clearly nervous, still stood his ground firmly in front of Yang Kai, asking in a neither humble nor flurried manner, “About Senior’s intentions, could you please explain to this junior?”
The Hu Sister also immediately stepped forward and stood beside Dong Qing Han, staring seriously at Yang Li Ting.
The four girls of Ten Thousand Flower Palace, Luo Xiao Man of Purple Fern Valley, Zuo Fang of Pure Heart Palace, Chu Jing Shan of Soaring Feather Pavilion, the five Immortal Ascension Boundary of the Duan Mu Family…
Everyone came forward and lined up.
The eight Above Immortal Ascension Boundary masters all couldn’t help feeling shocked, none of them had imagined that Yang Kai’s charm would be so great, even in this kind of situation there were still people who dared to defend for him.
They also faintly realized that if Qiu Yi Meng and Huo Xing Chen weren’t being detained by their family’s Grand Elders they would also be standing against them, perhaps even taking the lead roles.
Yang Li Ting didn’t show any emotion, simply nodding and patiently saying, “I intend to stop him from break through!”
Hearing this, everyone paled. Dong Qing Han sharply asking, “Why?”
If Yang Kai’s breakthrough was forcibly stopped here, his cultivation might be destroyed, causing him to degenerate into an ordinary mortal. Falling from the clouds to the bottom of the world, such a blow, it was likely no one could withstand it.
Yang Li Ting remained indifferent as he slowly shook his head, “He has been consumed by the Devil’s Practices, once he breaks through to the Immortal Ascension Boundary, he will no longer be the person you once knew.” As he spoke, he pointed his finger at Old Demon and continued, “My Eight Great Families and the wicked demons of this world are mortal enemies, and no such heretic can be allowed to emerge from our families!”
“Isn’t that just Senior’s speculation?” Dong Qing Han frowned, not backing down.
Being repeatedly questioned, and by a junior no less, Yang Li Ting suddenly became unhappy, coldly snorting, “This is the experience of we old masters. We have witnessed such things happen many times before!”
Among the Eight Great Families, it was not like no one had ever studied an Evil Cultivation Technique, but every such person, with the increase in their strength, would gradually experience changes in their personality, leaning more and more towards violent, bloodthirsty, and wicked means. Any such character that appeared would be directly executed or wasted in order to avoid future disasters.
“Just because it has happened before doesn’t mean it will happen this time too!” Dong Qing Han’s emotions were clearly boiling, for such an arbitrary reason, these eight old men actually wanted to stifle Yang Kai at this crucial moment?
He couldn’t accept it!
“This old master won’t debate theory with you; you’re not qualified to question my judgement!” Yang Li Ting’s patience had reached its limit, the only reason he had even bothered explaining just now was because he respected the loyalty these people had shown Yang Kai.
But now a group of little brats actually dared run their mouths off in front of him, delaying him from cleaning up the stain on his family’s honour, how could Yang Li Ting not become angry?
“Junior firmly believes that Brother Yang Kai will control his own heart and will not fall onto the Devil’s Path!” Dong Qing Han shouted.
“We also believe in him!” The Hu Sisters echoed immediately.
“We too believe…” One after another, voice after voice rang out, garnering the respect and admiration of all those who were spectating.
Even Yang Zhao felt a deep sense of inferiority at this moment.
The number of forces he had gathered numbered several times that of Yang Kai’s! However, Yang Zhao felt like if it was instead him in Yang Kai’s position at this moment, those who had gathered around him would not be nearly as determined to shelter him as Dong Qing Han, the Hu Sisters, and all of Yang Kai’s other allies.
The relationship between him and his allies was only one of mutual interests.
On the other hand, those who were supporting Ninth Brother seemed to be doing so out of pure sincerity, true friends who would not abandon him even in such unfavourable circumstances.
Having this awareness forces upon him, Yang Zhao’s mouth twisted into a bitter grin, glancing over at the unconscious Yang Kai wrapped in Demonic Qi, his eyes flashing an envious look.
He too wished to have such comrades.
Even Yang Wei frowned and began to speak, “Grand Elder, just now, even though Ninth Brother was engulfed by Demonic Qi, this junior personally saw that his consciousness was clear and his demeanor hadn’t changed, perhaps…”
“This is not a place where you may speak!” Yang Li Ting bluntly said.
“Yes.” Yang Wei helplessly retreated and kept his silence.
“If Senior wants to stop Brother Yang Kai’s breakthrough, then he will have to pass us first!” Dong Qing Han took a deep breath and firmly declared, making the strength of his resolve known.
Although he was the only one who spoke, all of Yang Kai’s allies wore expressions that silently made their thoughts known.
Even though she couldn’t move or speak, tears still began forming in Qiu Yi Meng’s pair of beautiful eyes as she witnessed this moving scene.
Huo Xing Chen also felt an inexplicable sense of pride as his blood seemed to boil.
In a situation that could only be described as a mantis trying to stop a runaway cart, such steadfast resolve and willingness to sacrifice had greatly moved the Huo Family Young Lord. He only wished he too could stand there alongside these people and passionately declares his fearlessness in the face of certain death.
Just thinking about not being able to step forward to join these allies of his, the Huo Family Young Lord suddenly felt a deep sense of guilt.
“With just you?” Yang Li Ting slowly shook his head, his expression cold and indifferent.
He was an Above Immortal Ascension Boundary master. Although there were quite a few people standing in his way, them trying to block his path was nothing but a fantasy.
“If they aren’t enough, then what if you add us as well?” A loud voice rang out and with a burst of wind, seven figures quickly flew over.
*Hong hong hong hong…*
Seven people fell like meteors from the sky, stirring up a violent storm upon their landing, forming a line in front of Dong Qing Han and the others.
Seeing these seven new figures, Dong Qing Han’s eyes brightened, the tightness he felt in his chest relaxing somewhat.
These seven people were none of than the seven Blood Warriors who had been forbidden from participating in the Inheritance War but who had still pledged loyalty to Yang Kai!
Tu Feng, Qu Gao Yi, Xiao Shun, Luo Hai, Yan Ling Xing, Wu Ju, and Fu Cong had all come.