Nine Heavens Holy Land reception hall.
Twin Spirit Pavilion’s two Sect Masters Wu Fa and Wu Tian sat anxiously upon their chairs, as if their cushions were made from pins and needles, their eyes darting around unceasingly.
They had been here for a few days now but they had yet to see the Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land or the pair of twin sisters who had obtained the Twin Qi Shared Spirit Divine Art.
Naturally, they felt like ants on a hot wok.
With the Holy Land’s Great Elder Xu Hui standing nearby though, they didn’t dare show too much impatience and could only keep their anxiety to themselves.
A few years ago, an ordinary young disciple of Dragon Phoenix Palace had managed to enter the depths of Dragon Valley and obtain the Dragon Emperor’s Inheritance.
In just two years, that young disciple had managed to break through from the True Element Boundary Seventh Stage to the Immortal Ascension Boundary Seventh Stage, and upon exiting, had managed to kill the First Order Saint Realm Master of Frozen Nether Cave Heaven who had led his Sect to invade Dragon Phoenix Palace. In that conflict, Frozen Nether Cave Heaven had suffered heavy casualties while Dragon Phoenix Palace had won a near-total victory.
When this news spread to Twin Spirit Pavilion, Wu Fa and Wu Tian couldn’t help feeling deeply envious that Dragon Phoenix Palace had recovered its ancient inheritance.
At the same time that they felt happy for Dragon Phoenix Palace, they also felt a sense of dejection.
Twin Spirit Pavilion and the Dragon Phoenix Palace’s core inheritances were both lost at the same time, but now a new hope had risen in Dragon Phoenix Palace while their Twin Spirit Pavilion was still wallowing in decline.
With such a massive contrast between them, how could Wu Fa and Wu Tian not feel some indignation?
The two of them often sighed as they wondered why their Twin Spirit Pavilion hadn’t obtained such luck.
But a few months ago, Dragon Phoenix Palace’s Elder Xiao Ling had arrived with a message saying that in a Mysterious Small World, a pair of twin sisters who cultivated the original Twin Qi Shared Spirit Divine Art had appeared.
On top of that, this pair of sisters had arrived in Tong Xuan Realm and was currently staying in Nine Heavens Holy Land!
Upon hearing the news, Wu Fa and Wu Tian immediately set out from the Twin Spirit Pavilion and rushed to this place, neither of them daring to delay, arriving at Nine Heavens Holy Land as quickly as possible.
But now, unable to meet those they wanted to, and unable to question Xu Hui about why, Wu Fa and Wu Tian’s mood had understandably dropped.
Fortunately, just now, Xu Hui had returned and told them that the Holy Master would soon see them.
“Great Elder, may I ask when Holy Master Yang will arrive?” Wu Fa couldn’t help the restlessness in his heart and asked, his expression becoming quite awkward the moment these words left his lips.
He was embarrassed with himself because this was the third or fourth time he had asked this same question in the last hour.
Xu Hui smiled faintly and said, “Holy Master said he will be here soon, is Sect Master Wu feeling that anxious?”
Wu Fa laughed awkwardly, “Something like that. Please don’t mind, Great Elder!”
“Big brother, they’re here!” At that moment, Wu Tian’s shoulder trembled as he shouted.
Wu Fa also quickly released his Divine Sense and noticed that a group of people were rapidly approaching. The two brothers could no longer sit still and immediately flew out, landing in front of the reception hall and staring towards the approaching group.
A moment later, a blue light flashed and three figures appeared.
In the lead was a heroic-looking youth whose aura was quite powerful and whose eyes shone with a sharp light. At first glance, it was apparent he was not weak.
However, Wu Fa and Wu Tian’s gaze was completely attracted by the two young women behind this youth.
These two women appeared exactly the same, their life auras and True Qi fluctuations identical in every way and, as they stood side by side, there seemed to be an invisible connection linking them together as if the very essence of their beings was shared between them.
If not for the contrast in their innate temperaments and demeanours, it was likely that people would think of them as copies of the same person.
Wu Fa and Wu Tian felt their breath catch in their chests as a look of excitement filled their faces. The moment they laid eyes on the Hu Sisters, they refused to look away, their eyes gradually filling with both surprise and joy.
There was to confirm if these two were the sisters they had come to see as Wu Fa and Wu Tian had already concluded that they were definitely cultivating the Twin Qi Shared Spirit Divine Art.
Because in this world, there was no other Secret Art which could create this kind of result other than the Twin Qi Shared Spirit Divine Art.
Moreover, these two sisters had clearly cultivated the most orthodox version of this Secret Art.
The extent to which these two young women’s life auras and True Qi fluctuations mirrored one another far surpassed even Wu Fa and Wu Tian who were the Sect Masters of Twin Spirit Pavilion.
“Big Brother!” Wu Tian gasped, a frantic look appearing on his face.
“En,” Wu Fa was also very excited, “It is absolutely our Twin Spirit Pavilion’s lost inheritance!”
The Hu Sisters were also curiously sizing up Wu Fa and Wu Tian, they had never seen other cultivators in a similar situation to themselves.
However, the look in these two people’s eyes that seemed almost like starving beasts that couldn’t wait to devour them cause them some slight fear, so the two sisters couldn’t help hiding behind Yang Kai.
Their subtle movements made Wu Fa and Wu Tian realize their own impropriety and the two quickly composed themselves and wore temperate smiles, trying to appear harmless to humans and small animals.
“Are two friends the Sect Masters of Twin Spirit Pavilion?” Yang Kai asked with a smile.
Wu Fa and Wu Tian stood up straight and cupped their fists, “Indeed, is Your Excellency Holy Master Yang?”
Yang Kai nodded.
“Greetings! We have long heard your resounding name!” Wu Fa exchanged some quick pleasantries before getting straight to the point, “Holy Master Yang, these two girls…”
Yang Kai interrupted him with a smile and said, “Let us go inside first.”
Saying so, he led the Hu Sisters into the reception hall.
Wu Fa and Wu Tian exchanged a quick glance before hurriedly keeping up.
After the guests and hosts were seated, Yang Kai made the waiting maids serve fresh tea before calmly stating, “I will get straight to the point then. En, I am well aware of two Sect Masters’ purpose in coming here.”
Wu Fa face brightened as he directed an expectant gaze towards Yang Kai, anxiously waiting for him to continue.
“However, my Nine Heavens Holy Land and Twin Spirit Pavilion have never had any dealings with one another and this Holy Master is not familiar with two Sect Masters, so… there are some things I’d like to clarify first. I hope two Sect Masters will not mind!”
“What Holy Master Yang says is how it should be,” Wu Fa and Wu Tian quickly agreed.
“Ultimately, you wish for both of them to go to your Twin Spirit Pavilion, right?”
Wu Fa and Wu Tian nodded together.
“Because they have obtained the core inheritance of your Twin Spirit Pavilion and are your Sect’s hope for revitalization yes? The two of them also wish to see your Twin Spirit Pavilion, this point I have already confirmed with them.”
“Truly?” Wu Fa was overjoyed and directed a grateful look towards the Hu Sisters.
Wu Fa and Wu Tian had been extremely on edge this whole time, worried that the two sisters would not be willing to go with them. If it had turned out like that, they would have been helpless to do anything about it.
They were currently inside Nine Heavens Holy Land, where masters were as abundant as clouds. The two brothers were both only First Order Saints, and although when they collaborated, they wouldn’t have a problem handling a Second-Order Saint, such strength was far from enough to face a giant like Nine Heavens Holy Land.
They had already stayed here for a few days and were well aware of an incredibly powerful aura residing on one of the nearby mountains. They did not doubt that there was Third Order Saint Realm powerhouse guarding this place.
Acting dissolute here would be akin to digging their own graves.
“This is a matter between your two parties and not really the place of an outsider like me to interfere,” Yang Kai smiled softly, “But these two girls, to me… En… they are like younger sisters who live next door.”
As soon as he said these words, the Hu Sisters shot him a complicated look.
Yang Kai feigned ignorance and continued, “Moreover, they had just now arrived in Tong Xuan Realm. Before now, they used to live in a remote Mysterious Small World so they know practically nothing about this world, so I must ask about some things on their behalf.”
“Please ask, Holy Master Yang, we brother will definitely give you satisfactory answers,” Wu Fa declared sincerely.
“What would their treatment be if they went to the Twin Spirit Pavilion?” Yang Kai was no longer polite and began asking directly.
Wu Fa thought for a moment before replying, “Dragon Phoenix Palace has a disciple called Sun Yu, the Dragon Emperor’s successor. How Dragon Phoenix Palace treats Sun Yu is how we will treat these two girls in Twin Spirit Pavilion.”
Yang Kai nodded with satisfaction, “If they want to come back later?”
“We will not try to stop them. Twin Spirit Pavilion’s inheritance being carried forward is our greatest wish. As for where it is carried forward, it matters not.”
“When they arrive in your Sect, their cultivation…”
“We will provide them with the best cultivation materials in the Sect as well as the finest cultivation environment, we two brothers can even personally protect them at all times to ensure no harm comes to them unless we die.”
“The Twin Qi Shared Spirit Divine Art they inherited…”
“If they are not willing to share it, no one will force them to; it was the blessings of my Twin Spirit Pavilion’s ancestors which gave them that opportunity.”
“Their…”
……
Each proposal Yang Kai made was swiftly agreed to by Wu Fa and Wu Tian, the two brothers showing the utmost sincerity and unconditionally.
“Their…”
“Yang Kai!” Hu Jiao’er finally called out to Yang Kai, directing an accusing look at him, “That’s good enough, don’t embarrass them any further.”
Even though the various conditions put forward by Yang Kai and the various problems he asked about were all designed to reap the greatest benefits for them, the Hu Sisters were really unable to watch Wu Fa and Wu Tian continue on like this.
They had already felt the sincerity of the other party.
“En, so be it,” Yang Kai chuckled, turning to the side and saying, “Xu Hui, prepare some cultivation Saint Pills for them to take with them.”
“Yes!” Xu Hui quickly left to make arrangements.
These days, Xia Ning Chang and the five Grandmasters were refining many pills each day even when no patrons came to seek Alchemy services, so the Holy Land now had a great deal of Saint Pills in storage.
Wu Fa and Wu Tian were both quite shocked when they heard this and directed meaningful looks towards Yang Kai.
Saint Pills were rare treasures, but this Holy Master Yang actually intended to give these two girls several all at once, further articulating their status in his heart.
For a time, their looks became ambiguous.
“When do you intend to depart?” Yang Kai turned to the Hu Sisters.
Hu Jiao’er hesitated for a moment before saying, “Our departure is up to the two Seniors.”
Wu Fa clearly couldn’t wait and immediately proposed, “Then we should start off now, the road is quite far and it will take at least a month or two to arrive at Twin Spirit Pavilion.”
“Good.” Hu Jiao’er nodded before looking towards Yang Kai, “I’ll have to trouble you to inform our father over there. Tell him that this time we’re just going to Twin Spirit Pavilion to have a look and that after some time we’ll return so he doesn’t worry.”
“En, no problem,” Yang Kai nodded.
“How may we address two young ladies?” Wu Fa and Wu Tian asked finally. After today, the Hu Sisters would be spending a lot of time in Twin Spirit Pavilion, so naturally, they had to ask for their names.
The Hu Sisters replied promptly.
The four of them then began engaging in a lively discussion, creating a harmonious atmosphere, causing the two Twin Spirit Pavilion Sect Masters to even more appreciate the Hu Sisters.
Outside the nine peaks, Yang Kai personally saw off the two Sect Masters of Twin Spirit Pavilion and the Hu Sisters.
Wu Fa and Wu Tian walked in front while Yang Kai, Hu Jiao’er, and Hu Mei’er followed a few steps behind as he gave them some last warnings.
It had not been long since the two sisters came to this world, and now they were traveling far away to a place outside his reach, so there were many things Yang Kai urged them to pay attention to.
Jiao’er and Mei’er constantly nodded to his words.
After speaking to them for a while, Yang Kai finally said, “Then I’ll see you off here. When you arrive on that side be sure to be on your best behaviour and not cause trouble for others, but if anyone wrongs you, just come back and find me. I’ll help you straighten them out.”
“En…” Hu Mei’er seemed reluctant to part.
Meanwhile, Hu Jiao’er pressed her tender body onto Yang Kai’s and drew his arm into her soft embrace.
“What are you doing?” Yang Kai stared at her with a look of blank surprise.
“You actually called us neighbourhood little sisters…” Hu Jiao’er bit her lip in frustration, “Mei’er isn’t a problem, she is younger than you after all, there’s nothing wrong with calling her a little sister, but me… you actually want I, your great aunt, to call you Elder Brother Yang?”
Staring at her enchanting appearance, and listening to her crisp yet refreshing voice which was filled with flirtatious overtones, Yang Kai simply nodded, “Naturally.”
“Could you be more shameless?” Hu Jiao’er didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
In terms of age, she was older than Yang Kai.
However, because she and her sister were too similar in appearance, everyone who didn’t know them would mistakenly think they were twins.
“I just said those words because they were convenient, moreover, I did so to raise your status. You know all this, so why are you trying to make trouble now?” Yang Kai sighed helplessly.
“I know what your intentions were,” Hu Jiao’er released his hand and her expression became light again, laughing as she said, “Having a neighbourhood big brother like you might not be so bad!”
Yang Kai gawked.
While he was busy being dumbfounded though, the Hu Sisters had walked forward and caught up with Wu Fa and Wu Tian.
The two Twin Spirit Pavilion Sect Masters turned back and cupped their fists, “Holy Master Yang, we will take our leave here. You don’t have to worry about these two’s safety. As long as we brothers are alive, no one can bully them.”
“I’ll have to trouble two Sect Masters then,” Yang Kai returned the courtesy.
Jiao’er and Mei’er looked at each other and in an instant understood each other’s intentions, both of them suddenly raising their hands and waving, “Bye-bye Big Brother Yang, we’ll miss you.”
Saying so, their figures gradually flew away.
Looking in the direction of their disappearance, Yang Kai let out a long sigh of relief, shaking off the chill he felt before quickly returning to Nine Heavens Holy Land to seek Little Senior Sister’s warmth.
After ten days, everything has been arranged properly.
Inside the former War Spirit Temple grounds, all the various parties from the Great Han Dynasty were peacefully co-existing. The preliminary groundwork had been complete so now they all just needed time to familiarize themselves with this world.
Inside the Holy Land, there wasn’t much that required Yang Kai’s personal attention as Great Elder Xu Hui could handle most of the things on his own.
Saying goodbye to everyone, Yang Kai set out towards Ice Sect alone.
He was going to bring Su Yan back to reunite with the Sect.
He didn’t bring anyone with him this time; Li Rong and Han Fei had wanted to accompany him, but Yang Kai had refused.
How could he go to seek his woman while bringing along two great beauties? Even if Su Yan was magnanimous and would not suspect him of impropriety, Yang Kai would still feel quite embarrassed.
And so, he resolutely refused Li Rong and Han Fei’s request to follow him.
How exactly to reach Ice Sect, Yang Kai wasn’t clear, so he planned to first visit Water Spirit Temple then use it as a transit point to locate Ice Sect.
High up in the sky, a blue streak of light sped along as Yang Kai stood atop the Flying Heavens Shuttle leisurely.
Over mountains and across rivers, as Yang Kai got closer to Water Spirit Temple, his mood became more and more excited.
The closer he got to Su Yan, the stronger his nostalgia became, as if he was getting closer and closer to his family.
He didn’t know what cultivation Su Yan had achieved by now but Yang Kai estimated that given her aptitude and cultivation environment, she shouldn’t have fallen behind him at all.
It was pursuing her and Xia Ning Chang that brought him to Tong Xuan Realm in the first place and at the time, Yang Kai’s only thought was to find them as soon as possible.
He hadn’t anticipated that such a simple wish would actually take him more than ten years to complete!
He had also never anticipated that he would have his current achievements.
Third Order Transcendent, True Qi Sanctification, Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land, Master of the Ancient Demon Clan, a hidden identity of the Dragon Emperor.
Besides a slight lack of personal strength, it could be said that Yang Kai had reached the summit of this world and stood as one of its great overlords.
On top of that, the promotion of his strength was only a matter of time.
When he first came here, he was like a lost child that had just emerged from the wild mountains, ignorant of everything around him. He had followed behind Bold Independent Union’s Yun Xuan and the others while silently observing the world with his own eyes with no one to depend on but himself. Bold Independent Union seemed shockingly formidable to him back then.
But now, with a few words, he could actually consign a force like Bold Independent Union to oblivion and Yun Cheng, Bold Independent Union’s Union Master would actually humble himself in order to build a good relationship with him.
As such thoughts flashed across his mind, Yang Kai couldn’t help shaking his head and laughing wryly.
Suddenly, Yang Kai heard a spattering of panicked screams and saw a number of cultivators dashing in his direction, many of them wearing terrified expressions as they constantly glance behind them, as if they were being pursued by some kind of horrifying abomination.
Yang Kai frowned and slowed his pace.
He wasn’t clear what had happened down below to cause so many people to flee like this.
Approximately thirty kilometres in front of him lay Blue Water City, the place Yang Kai had come to in order to find Su Yan in the past and a territory under Water Spirit Temple’s jurisdiction.
Looking up ahead, at this moment, Yang Kai saw columns of smoke rising from Blue Water City and a great many panic-stricken screams resounded as total chaos ensued.
Yang Kai’s face sank and he shot forward in a streak of blue light.
A moment later, when he reappeared atop Blue Water City and looked down, his eyes shrank violently.
Blue Water City had been transformed into what could only be described as a bloody purgatory, with rivers of red running through the streets and smashed corpses scattered everywhere, a terrible scene to behold.
Yang Kai was greatly confused, unable to understand what kind of disaster had occurred here that could transform this once vibrant city into a bloody hellscape.
This was Water Spirit Temple’s territory, could Water Spirit Temple ignore such a tragedy?
Spreading out his Divine Sense, Yang Kai soon discovered some unusual places.
From a number of locations inside the city, Yang Kai detected somewhat familiar cruel and malevolent auras. These auras were making no attempt to conceal themselves, wantonly spreading out a rich Evil Qi that caused one’s skin to crawl.
Looking towards the nearest aura, Yang Kai was startled by what he saw.
In that position, there was a dark red skeleton standing upright and walking around, a thumbing sound echoing from it as if blood was pumping through its bones.
In the sockets of his eyes were two fiery green lights that terrified anyone who saw them.
All around, there were tragically killed cultivators, and at this moment, an inexplicable attraction was being emitted from the skeleton, causing the flesh and blood of the dead bodies to transform into a stream of energy and flow into it.
After absorbing the flesh and blood of these dead people, a thin layer of flesh appeared on the surface of the skeleton.
It was looking at an extremely thin man whose skin had been peeled off.
Seeing all this, Yang Kai couldn’t help calling out in alarm, “Bone Race?”
The skeleton in front of him, exuding a rich vitality, was clearly a Bone Race master, but he was not the same as the ones Yang Kai had seen in Ice Sect and Soaring Heaven Sect.
It was as if he was completely alive.
The aura pulsing from his thin body belonged to a First Order Saint.
Yang Kai’s thoughts were in a state of chaos as he found himself unable to explain the strange phenomenon he had just witnessed.
As he was lost in thought, the Bone Race master suddenly turned his head and stared straight at him, his greens eyes fiercely glowing as his Divine Sense locked onto Yang Kai.
Immediately, his mouth curled into a cruel grin.
Yang Kai felt a cold chill spread throughout his body, finally understanding why all the residents of Blue Water City had been fleeing, anyone who saw this hellish scene would only be thinking about escaping.
What’s more, Blue Water City’s residents’ strength wasn’t very high while this Bone Race kin was a Saint Realm master!
The Bone Race kin in front of him was also not the only one inside Blue Water City, Yang Kai had noticed at least four or five other powerful auras scattered throughout the city.
The sudden appearance of Yang Kai seemed to have caught the Bone Race master’s attention, and after observing him for a moment, the Bone Race master slowly began walking towards him.
There was clearly no skin on his body, but the places where he stepped remained clean, none of the blood flowing along the surface of his flesh spilling out and contaminating the ground.
After approaching halfway, the Bone Race master’s body suddenly emitted a bloody light and disappeared.
At the same time, Yang Kai’s instincts screamed out and he hastily pushed his True Qi, sending a palm strike forward.
A huge palm print flew out and with a great crashing sound, the Bone Race master that had just disappeared was struck by Yang Kai’s Heaven Covering Hand, revealing his figure.
Drops of jewel-like blood splattered from him, and the thin layer of flesh he had just condensed was greatly shaved off, revealing his blood red bones beneath it.
The Bone Race master was stunned, the green flames in his eyes flickering even more, seemingly not having expected Yang Kai to be able to block him.
His aura revealed clear anger as he opened his mouth and let out a piercing scream. His howl hit Yang Kai like a sledgehammer, causing the latter’s Knowledge Sea to toss and turn.
The Bone Race master’s scream was clearly a powerful Soul attack.
Yang Kai’s face became cold and he summoned a golden spear into his hand, tossing it ruthlessly towards the screaming Bone Race master.
*Xiu…*
The Heaven Punishing Spear turned into a streak of golden light and passed straight through the mouth of the Bone Race master like a bolt of lightning before exiting out the back of his head.
A hole appeared, allowing Yang Kai to see straight through the Bone Race master’s heads.
The Bone Race master, however, remained indifferent, the thin flesh around his neck squirming and quickly covering this wound, returning it to its original shape, as if it had never been pierced at all.
Yang Kai suddenly felt that the situation was more dire than he originally thought and his mood gradually became heavy.
This strange race was not only absorbing the vital essence of deceased cultivators but they could also use it to shape their own flesh and even ignore what would normally be fatal injuries.
It was almost like they were immortal, greatly disturbing Yang Kai.
The blow Yang Kai struck a moment ago seemed to completely irritate the other party. The Bone Race masters howled, releasing a blood red light that seemed to cover the sky before it descended onto Yang Kai.
This blood red light contained a terrifying strength and released a hissing noise as it passed through the air, clearly illustrating its extreme corrosiveness.
Yang Kai let out a snort and opened all the pores on his skin before he pushed his True Yang Yuan Qi, sending out an eruption of golden light, like a miniature sun, which bathed all of Blue Water City in a stunning radiance.
The blood red light falling towards him could not even approach before it was evaporated by the intense heat.
The Bone Race master was obviously startled by this, but before he could regain his composure, Yang Kai had already dashed towards him while condensing a Profound Heavenly Sword that he slashed out from close range.
An angry and unwilling scream burst from the Bone Race master’s mouth as the thin layer of flesh on his bones was cut apart and flew off, spewing blood all over the surroundings, turning him in to a miserable sight.
Yang Kai’s face remained indifferent as he silently observed the Bone Race master’s strength and reactions.
He had the aura of a First Order Saint, but it seemed he was unable to exert all his power, and as his flesh was cleaved from his skeleton, his aura grew increasingly weaker.
A moment later, Yang Kai withdrew and stared at his opponent.
The Bone Race master in front of him had been reduced back to nothing but a skeleton with meridians running across his bones, a strange sight as usual.
However, Yang Kai discovered to his amazement that even after suffering so many attacks, the Bone Race master’s skeleton didn’t have a single scar on it.
It seemed his bones were comparable to high grade artifacts.
On top of that, although his flesh had been destroyed, his vitality had not been affected. The Bone Race’s body once again exuded a huge attractive force and in an instant, Yang Kai felt as if his own flesh, blood, and vitality were being pulled from his body. His skin felt like it would rip open at any moment.
Yang Kai’s face changed dramatically as he hurriedly circulated his True Qi to resist this attractive force from the Bone Race master.
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
From all around, the flesh and blood of the deceased cultivators transformed into stream of pure vitality and poured into the Bone Race’s skeleton.
Soon after, another thin layer of flesh appeared on the bones of the Bone Race master, fueling his violent momentum.
Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed.
He suddenly felt that the guess he had made back in Soaring Heaven Sect a few days ago may be correct.
For this strange race, flesh was only a decoration; their true essence lay in their bones. As long as their bones were not destroyed, they would never die!
No wonder at that time Qing Ya had made him incinerate the Bone Race’s skeleton!
Only by doing so could they be completely destroyed.
Yang Kai’s eyes flickered as he secretly felt he had come to understand this race’s characteristics.
The Profound Heavenly Sword in his hands scattered into particles of light and Yang Kai gathered strength in his palms, pushing them forward slowly in the next instant.
Beast Soul Skill!
The White Tiger and Divine Ox appeared with a great roar and bellow.
“Crush him!” Yang Kai commanded, and the two beast phantoms condensed from his True Qi crashed towards the Bone Race master, Yang Kai following close behind.
One person and two beasts launched a simple and crude attack.
The Earth Splitting Divine Ox phantom dashed and impaled the Bone Race master’s abdomen with one of its horns. This huge impact caused the fire in the Bone Race master’s eyes to flicker, seemingly somewhat unable to withstand the violent force.
The Heaven Shaking White Tiger phantom took this opportunity to fiercely bite down on one of the Bone Race’s arms, refusing to let go no matter how its prey struggled.
Yang Kai flew out and stood opposite the White Tiger, a cold look upon his face as he reached for the other arm of the Bone Race master.
*Ci la la…*
Burning hot True Qi singed the thin layer of flesh, sending out an unpleasant smell.
Yang Kai ignored his opponent’s struggles as he pulled hard on this arm.
A wild aura burst from the body of the Bone Race master as he struggled violently, trying to escape from the fetters of the two beast phantoms.
The two beast phantoms were condensed from Yang Kai’s True Qi and were unable to withstand this intense struggle, soon growing dim and threatening to collapse at any moment.
Yang Kai reacted quickly, using his free hand to display the Imprisoning Heaven Chain.
A golden chain wrapped around the Bone Race master in the next instant, sealing his movements.
The two flame-like eyes flashed, convey the uneasiness of the Bone Race master, a thick and pure Blood Qi soon rushing out from his skeleton and transforming into a strange, disfigured face that bit towards Yang Kai.
“Grand Heavenly Shield!”
A solid barrier appeared and blocked the Bone Race master’s attack.
Yang Kai instantly increased the force in his arm.
*Kacha…*
Along with a crisp sound, one of Bone Race’s arms was gradually stretched until it finally tore off.
Blazing hot True Qi burst from Yang Kai’s hand and burned the torn arm down to ash.
Screams left the mouth of the Bone Race master as a thick flow of blood and energy escaped from where his arm once was, instantly making him appear dispirited.
Yang Kai clenched his fist and struck his opponent’s chest like a ten thousand kilogram hammer, devastating the Bone Race master’s body.
*Kacha, kacha…*
The bones of Bone Race’s chest gradually broke and shattered while the Heaven Shaking White Tiger’s jaw also began crushing the bones and meridians in his remaining arm.
After half a cup of tea’s worth of time, the flames in the Bone Race master’s eyes finally became dull and fully extinguished, his body collapsing and scattering in the next moment.
Yang Kai let out a sigh of relief, standing in place and frowning.
He now realized the difficulty in dealing with the Bone Race!
Ordinary attacks had next to no effect on this strange race and what would be fatal injuries for humans couldn’t even harm them. The only way to kill them was to complete incinerate or crush their skeleton.
With Yang Kai’s current strength, it wasn’t difficult for him to deal with an ordinary First Order Saint, but this Bone Race master had actually taken him quite a lot of effort to destroy.
Throughout Blue Water City, there were five other auras, one of them even showing the energy fluctuations of a Second Order Saint.
This situation was beyond what he could handle.
At that moment, a familiar life aura suddenly appeared inside the range of Yang Kai’s Divine Sense perception. Yang Kai quickly flew up high and looked over towards this life aura, quickly discovering Water Spirit Temple’s Shui Ling who was currently fleeing under the protection of a Saint Realm cultivator.
The strength of this Saint Realm cultivator was not low, his body giving off a rich Water Attribute aura that was both soft and powerful. He appeared to be around forty years old and his robes were stained with fresh blood, his Saint Qi fluctuating chaotically, clearly having just experienced a difficult battle.
As soon as he appeared, he was immediately noticed by the five Bone Race masters inside Blue Water City and a series of blood-red lights quickly shot towards him.
To these Bone Race masters, he seemed like a delicious meal, strongly arousing their interest.
In the blink of an eye, the five Bone Race masters had rushed over and surrounded him, their green glowing eyes staring at him with wicked interest.
Shui Ling, who was being guarded by him, couldn’t help but tremble, her pretty face draining of all colour.
The middle-aged man’s expression became dignified as he turned towards Shui Ling and spoke a few words. As Shui Ling listened to these words, her beautiful eyes filled with tears as she constantly shook her head.
“Be obedient!” The middle-aged man saw this and shouted firmly.
Shui Ling’s expression went blank as she faintly nodded.
The middle-aged man showed a face filled with tragic resolve as a supple strength burst from his body, filling the surrounding world with a raging Water Attribute Energy.
Drops of crystal clear water suddenly condensed around the middle-aged man, their number too high to count.
All at once, these water droplets shot out like arrows towards the surrounding Bone Race masters, each one containing tyrannical penetrating power.
“Go!” The middle-aged man shouted, his hands swiftly forming a series of seals, manipulating the water droplets around him to combine and pierce.
The Bone Race masters surrounding the middle-aged people remained completely indifferent, allowing these water arrows to penetrate their bodies, seemingly ignoring them altogether.
When these water arrows shot out, Shui Ling transformed into mist and vanished into the sky.
She was the possessor of the Water Spirit Body special constitution and was born with this Divine Ability. In the past, Yang Kai had suffered a number of losses because of this trick of hers, finally having to rely on Old Demon’s strange methods to capture Shui Ling.
However, Shui Ling still couldn’t escape. One of the Bone Race masters turned his gaze towards a certain place in the air and released a pulse of Spiritual Energy, sending out an invisible Divine Sense attack. A moment later, Shui Ling screamed and her figure reappeared, falling from the sky as red blood flowed from her mouth and nose.
Eerie laughter left the lips of the Bone Race masters, but because their physiques were seemingly incomplete, their voices were particularly harsh and grating.
The Bone Race masters were greedily eyeing Shui Ling, apparently interested in her physique.
It seemed like her Water Spirit Body would allow them to more quickly restore themselves than the flesh and blood of ordinary cultivators.
At that moment, a flash of blue light appeared and swept up Shui Ling before she could hit the ground.
The Bone Race masters stared coldly at this scene before a look of pleasant surprise appeared on their faces, their Divine Sense bursting out, seemingly be communicating with one another.
As she was held in his arms, Shui Ling saw who her rescuer was and exclaimed, “Yang Kai?”
“We’ll talk later!” Yang Kai rushed over to the absent-minded middle-aged man and shouted, “Come up!”
The middle-aged man didn’t hesitate and jumped directly onto the Flying Heavens Shuttle.
In a flash of light, Yang Kai, together with the middle-aged man and Shui Ling, were already a hundred kilometres away.
The few Bone Race masters didn’t even try to stop them, as if they knew it was futile, instead just staring at Yang Kai’s disappearing back while cackling lowly.
The few of them continued communicating via Divine Sense for a while before one of the nodded and quickly left Blue Water City and headed out towards the sea.
Several thousand kilometers away from Blue Water City, inside a remote mountain valley.
Yang Kai set down the Flying Heavens Shuttle and allowed the rescued middle-aged man and Shui Ling to disembark, all three of them remaining silent with heavy looks upon their faces for a time.
Shui Ling was still a little weak. She had been hit by a Bone Race master’s Divine Sense attack which had caused her some minor wounds. The middle-aged man hurriedly took out some pills from his Universe Bag and let Shui Ling take them.
Seeing her enter a state of meditative recovery, the middle-aged man gradually calmed down and turned to Yang Kai, sincerely cupping his fists and bowing, “Many thanks for little brother’s timely rescue, this humble one is extremely grateful!”
“No need to be so polite,” Yang Kai gently nodded, “It was just a slight effort.”
“Is little brother acquainted with Ling’er?” The middle-aged man looked at Yang Kai curiously.
Yang Kai smiled and asked back, “Are you the Temple Master of Water Spirit Temple, Shui Yun?”
“Indeed!” Shui Yun nodded, “How may I address little brother?”
“Father, he is the one I told you about, Yang Kai!” Shui Ling called out from the side.
Shui Yun’s shoulders trembled as he stared at Yang Kai in amazement, calling out in alarm in the next instant, “So it is Holy Master Yang of Nine Heavens Holy Land! This Shui’s vision was lacking, please forgive my lack of respect!”
After learning Yang Kai’s identity, Shui Yun’s speech immediately became more polite.
In today’s Tong Xuan Realm, no one dared disrespect the master of Nine Heavens Holy Land!
Yang Kai was able to recognize Shui Yun’s identity so easily because Water Spirit Temple only had a single Saint Realm master, the Temple Master Shui Yun. Coupled with the care he showed towards Shui Ling, his identity was obvious.
“Yang Kai, why are you here?” Shui Ling asked Yang Kai while she steadied her breathing.
“I was just passing through,” Yang Kai frowned, his tone lowering as he asked, “Where did those Bone Race masters in Blue Water City come from?”
“Bone Race?” Shui Yun.
“Those walking skeletons that absorb vital essence to mould their physiques!”
“Is Holy Master Yang familiar with them?” Shui Yun expression changed as he asked urgently.
Yang Kai shook his head, “I don’t understand much about them, but I have seen them before, once quite recently. Does Senior Shui know where they came from?”
Shui Yun’s look sank as he sighed, “We don’t know where they came from. A year ago, an iceberg that was about to melt drifted into the vicinity of Water Spirit Temple. Inside it, a disciple found a frozen skeleton. Curious, I retrieved it but after a thorough investigation failed to find anything of value so I casually buried it and that was the end of the matter, or so I thought until a few months ago when that skeleton inexplicably came to life…”
As Shui Yun narrated his story, Yang Kai listened quietly.
In summary, after that Bone Race master revived, it had gone on a killing spree inside Water Spirit Temple. As it killed and absorbed vital essence, its strength was quickly restored. When Shui Yun noticed this disturbance, he joined together with all the masters of Water Spirit Temple and after more than a dozen sacrifices, they somehow managed to imprison it.
However, no matter what they tried, they were unable to kill this Bone Race master and in the end, they could only burn him down.
This method ultimately proved correct and finally managed to put him down for good.
It took a few months after that incident for things to settle down, but a few days ago, before everything could return to normal, Water Spirit Temple was invaded by many similar living skeletons from all directions, instantly resulting in the Sect’s collapse.
“Those skeletons… En, Bone Race masters were all extremely powerful. There were many Saints among them while even the weakest had reached the Transcendent Realm. There were no Immortal Ascension Boundary cultivators at all. On top of that, after they killed someone, they would absorb their flesh and blood to restore themselves and to mould their own physique. My Water Spirit Temple’s two thousand disciples were completely slaughtered in less than a day and all our islands were seized… Water Spirit Temple has been completely destroyed!” Shui Yun said with a distraught look, “Not many managed to escape. This Shui was too incompetent and could only manage to protect Ling’er while escaping to Blue Water City, but I hadn’t expected that those Bone Race bastards had already made their way there and carried out another slaughter!”
“Father, this is not your fault!” Shui Ling comforted.
“But it is the truth that Water Spirit Temple fell under my watch,” Shui Yun shook his head sorrowfully.
“They may have come from the glacial expanse,” Yang Kai’s expression darkened.
“Glacial expanse?” Shui Yun stared at him in confusion.
“From Ice Sect’s territory!” Yang Kai tensed up, “These past few months, have you had any contact with Ice Sect? Do you have any idea what their situation is?”
“Our most recent transaction with them was a few months ago, a few days before that first skeleton came to life…” Shui Yun replied.
“You stay here and restore yourselves, I’m going to take a look,” Yang Kai said before summoning the Flying Heavens Shuttle and preparing to leave.
“Yang Kai, don’t go!” Shui Ling called out in alarm, “Those creatures are too strong, going along is too dangerous.”
“En, although there aren’t many of them, there are still a number of Saint Realm masters. Moreover, they can restore their strength after killing people; facing them along is far too risky, Holy Master Yang.”
“It’s alright, I’m just going to scout out the situation. If you notice danger approaching, leave here quickly, I’ll find a way to find you after,” Yang Kai urged them before vanishing.
Shui Yun and Shui Ling both wanted to stop him but were helpless to do so.
“I hope he can remain safe,” Shui Yun sighed heavily. In front of those horrible living skeletons, even he, the Master of Water Spirit Temple, was powerless to resist. This time, if he hadn’t decisively escaped, both he and Shui Ling would have definitely perished.
Thinking back on this experience, Shui Yun still felt some lingering fear.
Surrounding by an azure light, Yang Kai rapidly sped towards Water Spirit Temple.
The Bone Race appearing in Water Spirit Temple one such a large scale, occupying Water Spirit Temple’s islands and slaughtering all of Water Spirit Temple’s disciples, was no mere coincidence.
If Yang Kai wasn’t mistaken, these Bone Race cultivators should have come from Ice Sect.
Ice Sect had been guarding that glacial world for centuries to prevent the revival of the Bone Race. Yang Kai hadn’t thought about it much before but now he realized that Ice Sect must have known the Bone Race had not died out but were instead hiding deep within the ice, so they remained there all this time.
However, they probably didn’t know where the Bone Race was hiding. Before the Bone Race restored themselves, they appeared no different from ordinary skeletons, so it was extremely difficult to detect them.
But now, with so many Bone Race members appearing in Water Spirit Temple, Ice Sect’s situation was really worrying.
Su Yan was still in Ice Sect, so how could Yang Kai not worry?
A short while later, Yang Kai returned to Blue Water City.
At this moment, the city was filled with a rich air of death, with no trace of anything living, even the Bone Race masters had disappeared, but not before they had cleaned out all the corpses from the city.
All that remained inside Blue Water City were broken buildings and faint bloodstains on the ground.
Crossing Blue Water City, Yang Kai quickly arrived in the skies above Water Spirit Temple.
A tyrannical aura that caused one’s heart to clench spread from down below.
Yang Kai’s blood ran cold as he quietly released his Divine Sense to probe the situation, his face paling in the next moment.
In the range of his sensation, there were at the very least a dozen Saint Realm masters and a hundred Transcendents. Many of these Saints were Second or Third Order as well. Such a huge force could crush any Sect in this world. It could be said that if they wanted to dominate Tong Xuan Realm, it would be an easily achievable goal.
‘Great change is approaching!’
The words Chu Ling Xiao had said to him a few days ago now resounded in his ears again, their fulfillment appearing right before his eyes.
Yang Kai’s speed was incredibly fast and as he flew past, he had not been locked onto by any of these Bone Race masters.
When this blue streak flew by, the highest strength Bone Race masters all looked up and then in the direction Yang Kai disappeared.
“A Star Shuttle!” A middle-aged man with a pair of green eyes stood up and shouted, a look of pleasant surprise appearing on his face.
This Bone Race master was completely different from those Yang Kai had seen before, he already had a complete body that looks no different from ordinary humans. His face was ruddy and his body radiated a powerful vitality, only his eyes were different, an eerie and terrifying green in colour.
“Sir, that’s the Star Shuttle we saw a moment ago in that little city. Should we go seize it?”
The middle-aged man shook his head, “A Star Shuttle’s speed it too fast for us to catch up. Find out what the origins of that person are.”
“Yes!”
“From the direction he was headed, it looks like he is headed towards those glaciers… What reason would he have to go there? Does he have some kind of relationship with those people?” The middle-aged man frowned pensively.
After half an hour, Yang Kai successfully arrived in the vast world of glaciers.
As soon as he arrived, Yang Kai sensed an unusual energy fluctuation from up ahead.
Void Energy!
Looking up, he discovered that a few dozen kilometres away, several hundred meters off the ground, there was a Void Corridor entrance. The rich Void Energy was leaking from this Void Corridor.
Yang Kai was slightly startled.
Ignoring where this Void Corridor lead for the moment, Yang Kai quickly released his Divine Sense to explore the glacial expanse.
The results were disappointing. The whole glacier world was devoid of vitality. The original location where Ice Sect’s disciples lived was empty and the various ice peaks had also collapsed. From the various traces left behind, it was clear that a great battle had taken place here.
The white world of ice and snow was stained red in many places.
Yang Kai’s heart sank in a deep abyss!
He and Su Yan had already achieved a union of heart and soul, so as long as they weren’t too far apart, they could clearly sense the other’s existence, but now he was unable to feel Su Yan’s aura…
One possibility was that she had died while the other was that she had gone far away from here.
Yang Kai’s breath became ragged and his aura fluctuated rapidly as he hurriedly tried to control his raging emotions.
After a long time, he inhaled a deep breath.
He felt that the latter possibility was the more likely one.
Ice Sect’s Sect Master, Qing Ya, was a Third Order Saint Realm master and the other Elders were also powerful Saints, even if the Bone Race recovered here and launched an attack on them, it was impossible for them to have exterminated Ice Sect.
Qing Ya should have opened a path of escape with them.
Looking up, Yang Kai’s eyes landed on the Void Corridor.
Although he had no clues indicating so, Yang Kai could conclude that Qing Ya and the others should have entered this Void Corridor, because if he was Qing Ya, in a situation where resistance was futile, he would make this choice.
Without hesitation, Yang Kai immediately rushed into the entrance of the Void Corridor.
In a flash, a terrifying pressure descended upon him, seemingly trying to simultaneously crush and tear apart his body, yet there was nothing under his feet and his surroundings were filled with stars.
The Starry Sky!
Yang Kai’s expression sank, he hadn’t expected that this Void Corridor was the same as the one in Shattering Mystical Palace, a gateway to the vast Starry Sky. The heartstrings he had just managed to relax instantly became tense again.
The Starry Sky was filled with a terrifying pressure that, if one’s physique was not intrepid enough, they would die without a doubt. At the very least, one needed to be a Third Order Saint in order to resist the pressure of the Starry Sky.
This was a place of legend and very few had ever set foot there.
The legendary Great Demon God was even rumoured to have explored the vast Starry Sky, where he ultimately met his end.
Regardless of whether these rumours were true or not, it was certain that the Starry Sky was extremely dangerous.
If the masters from Ice Sect had thought this was just an ordinary Void Corridor entrance to Mysterious Small World and had rushed inside, the result was likely to be disastrous.
With the exception of Ice Sect’s Sect Master, Qing Ya, the others would have been unable to resist the Starry Sky’s pressure.
Yang Kai’s thoughts were in chaos as he stood stupidly in place for who knows how long, not knowing what to do next.
It wasn’t until he saw several broken bones out of the corner of his eye that he came back to his senses.
Yang Kai’s hands trembled as he reached out and drew these lightly drifting bones towards him, picking them up hesitantly and carefully examining them, only breathing a sigh of relief a moment later.
These bones should belong to a Bone Race cultivator that had rushed into the Starry Sky, and were unable to bear the huge pressure to end up crushed.
This, however, only reinforced Yang Kai’s previous guess.
The masters from Ice Sect should really have escaped through this Void Corridor and the Bone Race cultivators had chased after them, resulting in them being struck by the Starry Sky’s pressure and dying on the spot.
Looking carefully, Yang Kai discovered a great many broken bones scattered about; it seemed that several Bone Race cultivators had died here.
But if that was the case, what about the Ice Sect Elders and Su Yan?
There was no trace of their deaths here at all; it was as if they had magically vanished into the Starry Sky.
As his mood gradually stabilized, Yang Kai crushed the bones in his hand before using the Flying Heavens Shuttle to begin searching the vast Starry Sky for any clues he could find.
He did not let off any suspicious areas, his Divine Sense extended out as far as possible as he fantasized about suddenly finding a trace of Su Yan, or better yet finding her hiding safely under the protection of Qing Ya in some corner of the Starry Sky, just waiting for his arrival.
Unfortunately, he was destined to be disappointed.
Yang Kai searched a ten thousand kilometre radius around the Starry Sky entrance, combing over every last centimetre but failed to find any clues.
Time passed by, and after an unknown number of days, Yang Kai returned to the Void Corridor, turning his head back once to stare deeply into the Starry Sky’s depths before rushing inside.
As soon as he returned to Tong Xuan Realm, he flew directly to Water Spirit Temple!
In this world, if anyone knew the whereabouts of Ice Sect’s survivors, it would be the Bone Race masters. If they had any news about Su Yan, no matter the danger, he had to find out.
The largest island inside Water Spirit Temple’s territory was also the location of its headquarters, but since its destruction, this place had become occupied by the Bone Race.
At this moment, all the Bone Race cultivators had gathered here.
Every one of them now had a complete physique and were no longer a walking skeleton.
At first glance they appeared no different than the humans of this world, but their green glowing eyes made them easily identifiable.
Nearly two hundred Bone Race cultivators had gathered here, their green eyes flickering with an ominous light, causing the entire island’s atmosphere to feel and appear gloomy.
In contrast to this atmosphere, these Bone Race masters were in the midst of revelry, celebrating their recovery after thousands of years of slumber, each of them wearing an excited look.
Their cheers echoed across the surrounding sea.
They had all assembled in a giant circle at the centre of which was a huge pool of blood filled with broken pieces of meat and bone. Huge bubbles constantly emerged from this blood pool and burst open, sputtering out a rich blood fog that dyed the sky above it in a crimson hue.
Many pale bones and unknown herbs floated in this blood pool.
Bright flashes appeared from time to time at the bottom of the pool, forming a profound and complex array.
“Senior Luo, it’s almost time,” A Bone Race cultivator walked up to the head middle-aged man and reported.
The middle-aged man nodded lightly, his face indifferent, standing up in the next instant.
The noisy Bone Race cultivators all fell silent as they turned their gazes towards him.
Ke Luo swept his eyes over the crowd for a moment before speaking, “A few thousand years ago, my clan inadvertently arrived in this world, thinking it was a good opportunity to open up new territory, but we never expected to be set upon by a great expert. My clan was defeated, our masters all died in battle while the rest of us could only escape to the remote glaciers of this world to slumber away the centuries. But now, we have awoken! That powerhouse who killed our clan’s masters has already died, so now there is no one in this world who can resist us!”
The Bone Race masters all cheered in excitement, their voices resounding louder and than ever before.
Ke Luo lifted his hand to silence the crowd before continuing, “Tonight, new clansmen will be born. Each of us must contribute our strength to help them rise!”
All the Bone Race masters nodded.
In the next moment, all of them began to act, and the vital essence which formed each Bone Race’s physique welled up and poured into the blood pool.
The blood pool instantly being to churn, as if it was boiling up, the flesh, blood, bones, and herbs floating within swirling about violently.
Along with what sounded like a burst of cries and howls, many fuzzy faces appeared inside the blood pool. These faces were like ghosts that were trapped within the blood pool, none of them able to escape from its depths.
All the Bone Race masters stared at the blood pool with excitement and expectation.
Suddenly, the bones inside the pond sank down and with a crackling sound and began to fuse together, undergoing earth-shaking changes.
With a great splash, a complete skeleton stood up from the blood pond, its pitch black eye sockets soon filling with a green fiery light.
However, compared to the rest of the Bone Race masters nearby, this skeleton’s green eyes were very dim, like candles blowing in the wind that could be extinguished at any time.
This skeleton appeared somewhat dazed, as if he didn’t understand his own situation.
However, following his instincts, he began absorbing the vital essence contained within the blood pool.
At a rate visible to the naked eye, this feeble skeleton gradually became covered in a layer of flesh, and a moment later, skin also appeared.
It now looked like a shrivelled up old man.
More skeletons began to emerge from the blood pool and soon at least a hundred of them had appeared. As these new skeletons emerged, the blood inside the pool also rapidly reduced, and within half an hour, everything had dried up.
At the bottom of the now drained pool, there were some remnant herbs and bones which seemed to be useless scraps.
Ke Luo nodded lightly, a look of satisfaction appearing on his face, but just as he was about to issue some orders, an indifferent voice suddenly echoed from the night sky, “So this is how you’re born!”
Ke Luo’s eyes flashed as he turned them towards the sky.
He was only able to catch a glimpse of a golden light rapidly descending towards him, carrying with it a huge destructive force.
His face changed dramatically and Ke Luo quickly pushed the power in his body, trying to block this golden light attack, but he was a step too late.
With a loud bang, the newly born Bone Race clansmen who were still standing in the remnants of the blood pool were struck. Unable to withstand this blow, their bones were shattered and blew apart, not a single one of them surviving.
Bone Race clansmen born this way were clearly extremely fragile when they first step into this world.
“Who goes there!” Ke Luo’s expression warped as he called out angrily.
Wrapped in a cold aura, Yang Kai stood mid-air over the heads of the gathered Bone Race masters and looked down at Ke Luo fearlessly.
He also felt that among the Bone Race gathered here, this person was the strongest and possessed the highest status.
If he wanted to know something, this was the best person to ask.
All the Bone Race masters’ visions landed on Yang Kai, their Divine Senses locking onto him, their expression gloomy.
Among the crowd, one of the Bone Race masters stared at Yang Kai for a moment before he exclaimed, “It’s you!”
“Sir, he is the one who owns that Star Shuttle!” He quickly reported to Ke Luo.
Hearing this, Ke Luo’s expression brightened as he let out a laugh, “No wonder you show no fear despite having such pitiful strength, you think you can rely on your Star Shuttle to escape. Unfortunately for you, you’ve miscalculated. That Star Shuttle of yours is useless in front of me.”
As he spoke, the surrounding world seemed to stagnate, as if an invisible barrier had been erected with Yang Kai firmly placed in the middle of it.
Yang Kai’s brow wrinkled as he carefully probed his surroundings, but upon not sensing anything out of the ordinary, he became even more alert.
“Human, hand over your Star Shuttle and I can grant you the honour of joining my clan!” Ke Luo lifted his hand towards Yang Kai and said in a commanding tone.
“Star Shuttle?” Yang Kai’s brow wrinkled, immediately thinking of something and taking out the Flying Heavens Shuttle, “Do you mean this?”
“Yes!” Ke Luo’s green eyes fixed on the Flying Heavens Shuttle, “Give it to me!”
Yang Kai slowly shook his head, “You call it a Star Shuttle, do you know what this artifact is?”
Despise flashed across Ke Luo’s eyes as the other Bone Race clansmen also laughed at Yang Kai’s ignorance.
“Who doesn’t know what a Star Shuttle is? In any Star Field, it’s one of the most common artifacts!” One of the Bone Race down below shouted.
“Star Field?” Yang Kai raised his brow.
Ke Luo impatiently explained, “A Star Field is a Star Field! Your world is really too remote, you don’t even know about Star Fields and Star Shuttles.”
“Other than travelling quickly, this artifact doesn’t have any other function, what do you want it for?” Yang Kai asked.
“Hmph, without a Star Shuttle, how could one traverse the Starry Sky? Each Star Field is so vast that anyone trying to cross it casually will lose their way and end up dying alone of old age!”
Yang Kai’s expression changed. Although the other party hadn’t said much, he had managed to glean from useful information.
This Star Shuttle seemed to originally be designed for use in the Starry Sky, which explained why it possessed such great speed.
But this was not the most critical piece of information the Bone Race master’s words had revealed.
Staring deeply at Ke Luo, Yang Kai asked solemnly, “Your race isn’t from Tong Xuan Realm?”
Ke Luo laughed, “When did I say we were?”
Yang Kai’s heart clenched. If this Bone Race master was telling the truth, it meant they were visitors from a different world across the Starry Sky.
How was this not shocking?
Many had suspected that there might be other intelligent creatures in the vast Starry Sky.
But because no one could cross the Starry Sky, no one could confirm this theory.
It wasn’t until this moment that Yang Kai was able to determine that the suspicions of these great predecessors were true.
The Bone Race had come from the Starry Sky, they weren’t natives of Tong Xuan Realm!
“Boy, how much did you see just now?” Ke Luo’s pair of sinister green eyes stared coldly at Yang Kai as he asked.
“Basically everything.”
Yang Kai had witnessed the strangeness of the blood pool, the Spirit Array arranged at its bottom, how the various bones had combined into living skeletons with the help of the herbs and vital essence supplied by the already living Bone Race masters, giving rise to new Bone Race clansmen.
These newly born Bone Race clansmen were extremely fragile and had been easily destroyed by his attack just now, but each of them, without doubt, had the aura of a Transcendent Realm cultivator. It could be said that as long as they were given enough time, these fresh Bone Race clansmen would all become true Transcendents, moreover incredibly difficult to kill Transcendents.
“Hmph!” Ke Luo coldly snorted, “Whether you saw it or not isn’t important, you’re going to die today anyway!”
Yang Kai grinned, “When I came a moment ago, I heard you shouting something about dominating this world. Do you think that with a few extra Transcendents you’d be able to achieve such a lofty goal?”
Ke Luo shot Yang Kai a mocking look, not showing the slightest signs of nervousness, not taking any kind of offensive action, simply using his Divine Sense to block the space around Yang Kai to prevent him from using his Star Shuttle to escape as he lightly said, “A few extra Transcendents? The only reason for that is because this place is too barren so the newly born members of my clan can only reach the Transcendent Realm.”
“You mean you can directly create Saint Realm masters?” Yang Kai’s face sank.
Ke Luo laughed and replied, “As long as we kill enough experts and obtain enough high-grade flesh and blood as well as the matching high-grade herbs, what’s so difficult about creating Saints?”
Yang Kai’s face paled involuntarily.
He had far underestimated the strangeness of this race, never having expected such unfathomable creatures to exist.
However, one thing that gave Yang Kai some solace was that the price to perform this ritual was not small.
From what he had seen, the blood pool just how had an incredible amount of herbs, bones, flesh, and blood in it. It was likely it had contained the remains of most of Water Spirit Temple’s two thousand cultivators, but that had only been enough to give birth to about a hundred Bone Race clansmen.
“Enough nonsense, hand over that Star Shuttle and as a reward, I’ll let you choose a comfortable way to die,” Ke Luo remarked with impatience.
“Let me ask you one last question, if you can answer it, I’ll give this Star Shuttle to you!” Yang Kai said flatly.
“You’re not qualified to talk to me about conditions!” Ke Luo said disdainfully, “With your pitiful strength, I can take your life before you even blink!”
“Go ahead and try, see if I can’t destroy this Star Shuttle before I die!” Yang Kai replied boldly, gripping the Star Shuttle in his hand tighter as he pushed his True Qi, putting on a posture of perishing together.
Ke Luo’s expression finally changed, a hint of anxiety appearing on his face. Yang Kai’s words managed to strike at a sore point.
Star Shuttles were indeed extremely common in the vast Star Field; in fact, when they first came to Tong Xuan Realm, his clan had a lot of Star Shuttles with them, but after thousands of years without physiques, unable to nourish these artifacts, all their Star Shuttles had already become irrevocably damaged and unusable.
The Star Shuttle in Yang Kai’s hand was probably the only one left in all of Tong Xuan Realm.
If they wanted to leave Tong Xuan Realm and return to their Star Field in the future, they absolutely needed a Star Shuttle.
That was why Ke Luo was so interested in Yang Kai’s Flying Heavens Shuttle, without it, they would forever be stranded here.
“Young man, there’s no need to be impulsive, everything is open to discussion!” Ke Luo’s complexion became bad as his green eyes flashed a hint of coldness, swearing to himself that as soon as he got his hands on this Star Shuttle, he would make Yang Kai taste the world’s most brutal torture!
“Are you willing to talk now?”
“Ask your question!”
“That glacier-covered region with a gateway leading to the Starry Sky, where did the people who lived there go?”
“You mean those people who all cultivated Ice Attribute Arts?” Ke Luo’s green eyes flickered.
“Yes, tell me where they went!”
“What kind of relationship do you have with them?” Ke Luo didn’t answer immediately and asked a question of his own instead.
“Don’t spout any nonsense with me otherwise I’ll crush this Star Shuttle right here and now, making you forever unable to obtain it!” Yang Kai shouted.
Anger flashed across Ke Luo’s face and he was on the verge of erupting but somehow he managed to hold himself back and coldly state, “Most of them died, the rest fled!”
“Fled where?”
“The Starry Sky!”
“Bullshit!” Yang Kai’s expression became fierce as he shouted, “You think I know nothing of the Starry Sky’s mysteries? With the pressure there, besides experts on your level, none can survive travelling through the Starry Sky! Don’t think you can lie to me, I’ve been to the Starry Sky more than twice!”
Ke Luo couldn’t help showing a look of surprise at Yang Kai’s words, apparently not having expected this weak youth to possess such experience or boldness.
The Starry Sky was not a place an ordinary person dared to explore.
Shrugging his shoulders, Ke Luo grinned, “If you don’t believe me there’s nothing I can do about it. They really fled to the Starry Sky because… they also had a Star Shuttle in their hands!”
“They also had one?” Yang Kai was startled, but soon understood. Ice Sect had fought many battles with the Bone Race before, so it wouldn’t be impossible for them to have obtained a Star Shuttle.
If they used a Star Shuttle, they really could flee to the Starry Sky without worrying about the danger.
Ke Luo’s words were possible!
“How many of them escaped?” Yang Kai hurriedly asked.
“You said you’d only ask one question,” Ke Luo coldly snorted.
“I changed my mind!”
Ke Luo grit his teeth as sent of hate-filled stare towards Yang Kai and shouted, “Six! Five Saints and a Third Order Transcendent!”
“Six…” Yang Kai whispered, silently calculating before asking, “How many women were there?”
“Three, that Third Order Transcendent included.”
Hearing this, Yang Kai chuckled, his voice initially quite quiet but soon growing louder and louder until finally it boomed like rolling thunder, as if he had just heard the world’s funniest joke, his originally nervous look suddenly relaxing as a healthy glow appeared on his face.
He was certain the Transcendent Realm cultivator was Su Yan! Her cultivation had really not fallen behind his own.
Finally, Yang Kai’s tight heartstring finally unwound and he let out a long sigh of relief.
“If you’re satisfied, give me that Star Shuttle!” Ke Luo reached out again and said to Yang Kai in a gloomy manner. Obviously, he had decided that if Yang Kai tried to pull any tricks here he would immediately take action.
“If I refuse, what are you going to do?” Yang Kai snickered as he directed a contemptuous look towards him.
“Then you’ll die! Miserably at that!” Ke Luo warned coldly, “Don’t think you can use that Star Shuttle to escape, that’s pointless. Star Field cultivators have many ways to restrain the speed of Star Shuttles. In the end, it’s just a simple artifact used for fast travel!”
“I don’t need to use this Star Shuttle!” Yang Kai shook his head before waving his hand through the air.
As he did so, it was as if something had split open.
A jet black tear suddenly appeared in front of Yang Kai.
Yang Kai waved goodbye to Ke Luo lightly before stepping through this crack and disappearing.
“Tearing space!” Ke Luo’s face changed dramatically, a tidal wave like Spiritual Energy rushing out from his towards the crack in an attempt to stop Yang Kai from escaping.
However, the entrance to The Void closed in an instant, causing Ke Lou’s Divine Sense attack to hit nothing but air.
Staring at the spot where Yang Kai disappeared, Ke Luo’s expression fluctuated as a bitter taste filled his mouth.
Never had he anticipated that this weak looking youth would actually know how to tear space like this. Such an ability was not something an ordinary expert could master.
The Void was even more dangerous than the vast Starry Sky. The slightest carelessness would leave a cultivator forever stranded inside, unable to find their way out!
“Sir, should we pursue him?” One of the nearby Bone Race masters turned and asked Ke Luo.
“With no clue where he went, how do you intend to chase him?!” Ke Luo angrily roared, “Collect a new batch of materials! Word of my clan’s return will soon spread, we must prepare!”
“Yes!” The numerous Bone Race masters simultaneously flew off in all directions.
A thousand kilometres away, Yang Kai reappeared, a heavy look upon his face.
Although he had not confirmed that Su Yan was safe, this bit of good news was enough to lift his spirits. However, the Bone Race suddenly recovering brought Yang Kai great pressure, especially after he witnessed all the peculiarities of this race, each one of which made them seem more and more difficult to handle.
With them possessing a few dozen Saints and over a hundred Transcendents, no single force in this world could contend with them.
The worst part though was that by collecting raw flesh and blood, and mixing them with a variety of herbs, they could create more of their own race!
As long as they were given enough time to amass their strength, they really would be able to dominate the world.
This was a fatal infection that had to be purged as soon as possible, otherwise, Nine Heavens Holy Land and his friends and relatives from the Great Han Dynasty would be implicated sooner or later.
Yang Kai faintly felt that the appearance of the Bone Race was even related to the final words left behind by Great Demon God’s Soul Clone and the secrets that were hidden in the Demon Capital!
Summoning the Flying Heavens Shuttle, Yang Kai flew forward while deep in thought.
Arriving at the mountain valley where he had left Shui Yun and Shui Ling, Yang Kai went down to investigate and found that they were still waiting here.
When she saw Yang Kai return, Shui Ling rushed over, a thick look of concern on her face, “You really came back safely, it’s been almost half a month already.”
Clear admiration appeared on Shui Yun’s expression, “Holy Master Yang’s boldness appears to have been well-founded. Did you manage to obtain some gains?”
“En, a few,” Yang Kai nodded, “Why are you still here?”
“We were waiting for you!” Shui Ling replied.
“Then do you plan to depart now? Where do you want to go, I can send you anywhere,” Yang Kai said as to the father and daughter pair.
Shui Yun’s expression immediately became bitter and helpless, “Water Spirit Temple has been destroyed, so we currently don’t have any place to go.”
Shui Ling also wore a miserable expression and was clearly quite depressed. Water Spirit Temple was their home, but now it was completely occupied by the Bone Race; moreover, her fellow two thousand disciples had all been slaughtered, even Blue Water City had not escaped this calamity.
It could be said that in this big world, there was no place where they had a home to go to.
Observing their responses, Yang Kai understood their difficulties, and after thinking about it for a moment, he invited, “Would you like to return to Nine Heavens Holy Land with me?”
Shui Yun was somewhat startled and directed a look of surprise towards Yang Kai, “That… that wouldn’t be appropriate…”
“How could it not be? It’s just that the environment there may not be suitable for your cultivation. Of course, if you are willing, I can temporarily grant you the status of Deacon in my Nine Heavens Holy Land. If later you wish to revitalize Water Spirit Temple, my Holy Land will lend you its full support!”
Listening to Yang Kai, Shui Yun’s eyes overflowed with a deep sense of happiness and gratitude.
“Many thanks for Holy Master Yang’s generosity!” Shui Yun bowed his head.
“Shui Ling and I are friends, Senior Shui does not need to act like an outsider,” Yang Kai smiled.
Shui Yun was a First Order Saint, so a guest Deacon position in the Holy Land would not bring shame to him.
After a brief discussion, the three set out for Nine Heavens Holy Land.
Two days later, Yang Kai returned and immediately sent word to High Heaven Pavilion’s side.
Half a day later, Su Mu, Su Xuan Wu, and Ling Tai Xu rushed to the Holy Land and saw Yang Kai inside the main hall.
At this moment, all of the Holy Land’s Elders and all of the Ancient Demon Clan’s Great Commanders were present, each of them cloaked in a solemn atmosphere.
Sensing that the situation was quite serious, Ling Tai Xu couldn’t help but frown as he glanced towards Yang Kai, wondering why he had suddenly convened all his high-level forces here.
“Yang Kai, where’s Su Yan?” Su Xuan Wu was naturally concerned about the safety of his granddaughter, so when he looked around the hall and found no trace of her, he couldn’t help asking.
“Yes, brother-in-law, where is Elder Sister?” Su Mu also had his doubts. Yang Kai had gone out to find Su Yan, this was something they all knew, but now he had returned and without her, this fact alone caused them to become a little uneasy, concerned that something might have happened to Su Yan.
Yang Kai hesitated for a moment, but quickly organized his thoughts and expression before saying, “Su Yan is safe for now, but she is no longer in Tong Xuan Realm.”
Su Mu was startled and scratched his head, “What do you mean? If Elder Sister is not in Tong Xuan Realm, did she enter some Mysterious Small World?”
It had been some time since they arrived here so naturally, they were aware of the concept of Mysterious Small Worlds. The cultivators from the Great Han Dynasty even understanding that their original homeland was a relatively large Mysterious Small World.
Yang Kai shook his head and pointed his finger up, “She went to the Starry Sky!”
This time, everyone inside the hall was shocked, all the leaders of the Holy Land and Ancient Demon Clan staring at Yang Kai in disbelief.
“The Starry Sky?” Ling Tai Xu frowned, “Did you not say that the Starry Sky was filled with danger? That man named Wu Jie once talked to this old master about it and mentioned that anyone who had not reached the Third-Order Saint Realm that entered the Starry Sky would die without doubt.”
“En, that’s true, but Su Yan did not go there alone. There are five Saint Realm masters with her and they have an artifact designed to traverse the Starry Sky.”
“Brother-in-law, what happened?” Su Mu asked, his head unable to catch up with the situation.
Yang Kai sighed and began explaining what had transpired.
After listening to his story, everyone was dumbfounded. The strangeness of the Bone Race greatly frightened the Holy Land’s Elders.
“Holy Master, you mean to say that these Bone Race creatures are only living skeletons but they can actually absorb the flesh and blood of others to mould their own physiques?”
“Yes.”
“And they can create more of their race from a large amount of dead cultivator’s flesh and blood along with the appropriate herbs?”
“Exactly!”
“The higher the grade of the material, the higher the strength of these newborn creatures?”
“That’s what they said.”
Everyone’s heart sank greatly.
With just this information alone, everyone present was able to picture a future where the Bone Race dominated Tong Xuan Realm.
This race could invest its entire strength into a war without worrying about destroying their foundation. All they had to do was kill enough masters and they could give birth to new clansmen; what’s more, these newly born clansmen could extremely quickly become additional war strength.
If left alone, one day, the world would certainly become conquered by the Bone Race.
This was a catastrophe, a world-ending catastrophe!
“The situation is grave!” Xu Hui said heavily, “This matter must be told to the entire human race.”
“Even if we inform them, how many will believe it?” Yu Ying’s pretty face filled with worry. The news about the Bone Race was too sensational, if it wasn’t Yang Kai and instead someone else who had told them this story today, all the Elders present would have written him off as a raving lunatic.
“Whether they believe it or not is a matter for the future, we can only do what we’re capable of right now. I assembled all of you today for this matter, quickly arrange some manpower to go out and distribute this information to every force possible and make them continue to spread the word. Tell everyone that my Holy Land guarantees the authenticity of this information and that if they have any doubts, they may come to the Holy Land and speak directly with me!”
“Yes!” The Elders all acknowledged.
Without wasting another breath they departed and began making arrangements as all of them was well aware of the seriousness of this problem. If the Bone Race was not strangled in the cradle as early as possible and allowed to expand without check, even if the managed to assemble the power of the entire Human Race, they would be unable to stop them.
After the Elders left, Yang Kai turned to Li Rong and said, “You, Han Fei, and I will go to the Demon Capital!”
Li Rong’s tender body trembled, “Has Master decided to go?”
“En, whatever secrets are hidden there, I must unravel!”
“Good!” Li Rong nodded firmly.
“This old master will also accompany you!” Outside the hall, a deep sounding voice called out. When he heard this voice, Yang Kai’s expression shook and both he and Ling Tai Xu turned towards its source.
From outside the hall, Meng Wu Ya strode in, his face full of smiles as he let out a hearty laugh, “Brother Ling, it has been far too long, have you been well recently?”
“Brother Meng!” Ling Tai Xu was also quite excited and he hurried forward to welcome this old friend he had not seen in over a decade.
Meng Wu Ya had suddenly left only a few days after being brought back to the Holy Land by Yang Kai and was not present when the Great Han cultivators had arrived.
Before the two could speak many words though, Yang Kai called out, “Treasurer Meng, you’ve come back at a fortuitous time.”
“Do you want to go to the Demon Capital?” Meng Wu Ya turned his attention to Yang Kai.
“En.”
“Then I’m going with you. I also want to know what secrets are hidden there!” Meng Wu Ya eyes then flashed a profound light, “On top of that, I need to pay a visit to that Demon Commander. Last time he used an underhanded trick to seal my cultivation, this time I’d like to see how he plans to face me.”
Yang Kai smiled bitterly, “I’m not going there to find trouble with Zhang Yuan.”
Meng Wu Ya frowned, “You’ve met him?”
“En,” Yang Kai nodded.
“Be wary of him, Zhang Yuan is as insidious as he is ambitious. Don’t be deceived by his usual mild manner. If he really wants to act against you, he won’t show the slightest hesitation or mercy.”
“I know, but with you together with me, even if Zhang Yuan wants to play any tricks, do you think he’ll have the guts to try?” Yang Kai relaxed greatly.
It would have been sufficient with just Li Rong and Han Fei accompanying him, but now that Meng Wu Ya would be coming too, Demon Commander Zhang Yuan wouldn’t dare have any crooked thoughts.
“I hope he knows his limits,” Meng Wu Ya snorted.
“Treasurer Meng, why did you suddenly leave nearly a year ago, what have you been up to?” Yang Kai asked.
“Investigating, mainly about that Bone Race you were just speaking about!” Meng Wu Ya’s face suddenly became dignified, “But I only managed to learn that they are foreign invaders and that their deep sleep was somehow related to Great Demon God. Everything else I am not clear about. I was planning on going to the Demon Capital to inquire about them from Zhang Yuan, but since you also plan to go, we might as well go together. I have a hunch that as long as we go there, all the mysteries the Great Demon God left behind will become clear.”
“I also feel the same!” Yang Kai stared at him deeply, the two of them exchanging a grin.
Moreover, Yang Kai held the only key to unlocking the array in the Demon Capital, the Wordless Black Book, or as Zhang Yuan called it, the Demon Mystic Tome!
The secrets left behind by Great Demon God had puzzled generations of Demon Commanders, and Zhang Yuan was also very curious about it.
However, Meng Wu Ya being able to learn so much about the Bone Race was extremely impressive in Yang Kai’s eyes.
He had heard most of his information directly from the Bone Race, but Yang Kai didn’t know what method Meng Wu Ya had used to acquire his information.
Treasurer Meng’s network was obviously quite vast so being able to uncover some clues actually wasn’t too surprising.
After spending two days in the Holy Land taking care of various arrangements, Yang Kai took Meng Wu Ya, Li Rong and Han Fei and headed to the Demon Capital.
Passing through the Beast Sea Jungle, Yang Kai stopped at Thunder Tree Palace and told Thunder Dragon Great Senior about the Bone Race’s reappearance and made him aware of the stakes.
Thunder Dragon listened carefully, and although he found the story difficult to believe, since it was Yang Kai telling him so, he chose to unconditionally trust him.
Thunder Dragon solemnly declared that he would pass this information on to the other two Monster Race Great Seniors and discuss with them how to deal with it.
Yang Kai then continued on to the Demon Capital.
Passing through the entire Monster Domain, the group of four arrived in the Demon Land a few days later.
Feeling the Demonic Qi in the air, Li Rong and Han Fei both unconsciously relaxed, their beautiful faces showing looks of happiness. They were descendants of the Ancient Demon Clan and should by all rights be living in the Demon Land; it was only because they followed Yang Kai that they were currently staying in Nine Heavens Holy Land.
To them, the environment of the Demon Land was definitely more suited for them to live in.
Even though he had entered the Demon Land, Yang Kai still unscrupulously utilized his Star Shuttle. With the speed of the Flying Heavens Shuttle, even if the masters in the Demon Land became aware of them, they would be powerless to block their path.
The Demon Land’s area was inferior to the Human Territory, but still much larger than the Monster Domain. Meng Wu Ya also knew the way forward so there were no delays on the road or any need to stop and ask for directions to the Demon Capital.
With some idle time on his hands, Yang Kai inquired to Meng Wu Ya about his battle with the Demon Commander.
But the moment he asked, Treasurer Meng became angry out of shame and began unceasingly cursing.
From the few words between his various curses, Yang Kai managed to infer that Treasurer Meng had boldly run over to the Demon Capital all alone to challenge the Demon Commander, completely unaware that there was a hidden Grand Spirit Array beneath the Demon Capital. Zhang Yuan used this Spirit Array to trap Meng Wu Ya inside the city and fought him for a while three months before finally managing to apply the Profound Heavenly Seal to him.
It was also at that moment that Meng Wu Ya managed to luckily escape, but not before his Third Order Saint Realm cultivation was restricted to the Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary.
Since then, Meng Wu Ya had concealed his identity and been searching for ways to break this seal.
Finally, he had found his way to the Great Han Dynasty where he inadvertently discovered Xia Ning Chang who carried the Sacred Spirit Medicine Body.
Meng Wu Ya continued cursing resentfully for quite some time.
It was apparent that he was deeply disgruntled with Zhang Yuan using the grand Spirit Array to deal with him in the past. Yang Kai smiled bitterly as he thought to himself that if he had known Treasurer Meng had cared so much about this matter, he wouldn’t have asked about it in the first place, thus avoiding the suffering he was going through right now. This was a perfect example of moving a stone only to smashed one’s foot.
A few days later, the Demon Capital came into sight.
From far away, the entire Demon Capital appeared like an ominous beast lying down on the ground, exuding an ancient and desolate aura. Even from dozens of kilometres away, Yang Kai could clearly feel the violent Demonic Qi pulsing from it.
Naturally, this was the aura of the Demon Race masters living in the Demon Capital.
Although there were only five Third Order Saints in the Demon Land, there were more than a dozen Saint Realm masters living in the Demon Capital.
Ordinarily, Demon Commander Zhang Yuan would be in retreat to explore the mysteries of the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao, and wouldn’t pay much attention to the Demon Land’s day to day occurrences. There were rumours floating about that he was trying to break through the current world’s shackles and arrive at the same height as Great Demon God had in the past.
Unfortunately, even after several dozen years had passed, his cultivation seemed to have not made any progress, remaining at its current realm.
Even so, he was the undisputed strongest master in the Demon Land, far more powerful than any of the four Demon Generals.
The Demon Race city was not the same as one built by humans, not only was the architectural style different, but the buildings themselves were rougher and gave off a kind of wild beauty. On top of that, no one guarded this Demon Race city.
Anyone could freely enter or exit from the main gate, quite unlike cities in the Human Territory where someone would stand at the entrance and force people to pay a certain number of Crystal Stones before they could enter.
The group of four didn’t bother concealing their true faces and openly strode into the Demon Capital from the gate.
In an instant, countless eyes landed on Yang Kai, looks of great interest flashing across the Demons’ faces.
“A human?”
“Heh heh, interesting, unexpectedly there are humans who dare to intrude upon my Demon Capital!”
“This little brat’s courage is not small, isn’t he looking down on my Demon Race too much?”
These Demon Race cultivators who were originally walking about the Demon Capital stopped to sneer at Yang Kai, cold murderous intent slowly rising from their forms. Many Demons even began approaching Yang Kai, intending to teach this arrogant boy a lesson.
Meng Wu Ya coldly snorted and swept his piercing eyes across the crowd, causing every Demon Race cultivator he met eyes with to freeze in place as an icy chill gripped their hearts.
Only now did they comprehend why this human youth dared enter the Demon Capital: He had someone to depend on.
Yang Kai smiled faintly and stopped in place, allowing himself and his group to be surrounded by hundreds of Demon Race cultivator s. If he had continued walking forward, a fight would likely break out immediately.
“Who here has authority to speak?” Yang Kai looked around and asked.
The numerous Demon Race cultivators just stared at him, none of them answering.
Yang Kai’s eyes suddenly landed on a certain spot in the crowd; there, a Demon Race master with a Second-Order Saint Realm cultivation was walking over, his expression extremely solemn and his Demonic Qi quietly fluctuating, his eyes occasionally glancing towards the three figures behind Yang Kai, the light of fear apparent in their depths.
The other Demons here did not possess the vision to see the fierceness of Meng Wu Ya, Li Rong, and Han Fei, but he was different.
No matter which one of these three it was, they gave him a terrifying amount of pressure. Naturally, they weren’t nameless individuals, yet these three top powerhouses were actually standing behind a mere human youth, which begged the question, just who was this boy?
“Who is Your Excellency? What business do you have in my Demon Capital?” The Demon Race stood ten meters in front of Yang Kai and asked, not daring to approach any closer.
“Your Demon Commander invited me, please notify him that Yang Kai has come!”
“Yang Kai?” The Demon Race man’s brow wrinkled, vaguely recalling hearing this name before, but he couldn’t immediately place it, asking for confirmation, “Did Sir Demon Commander really invite you?”
“Is there any reason for me to deceive you?” Yang Kai chuckled.
“Good, wait here a moment, I must go to the Demon Palace to seek instructions!” The demon said but just as he finished his words, his brow furrowed slightly and he inclined his head, seemingly listening to something, a moment later nodding and respectfully replying, “Yes!”
Turning back to Yang Kai, he cupped his fists and said, “Sir Demon Commander has just sent a message informing me to guide you to Demon Palace, please follow me!”
Yang Kai nodded and kept up, followed soon after by Meng Wu Ya and the others.
Countless demons stared curiously at the backs of Yang Kai and his group, all of them wondering why their Demon Commander had suddenly invited such a human into the Demon Capital.
In front of the Demon Palace was a large open square.
In this square, there were a number of black pillars, each of them engraved with a mysterious Spirit Array that gave off a faint energy fluctuation.
There were a number of people bound to these stone pillars, some of them already dead, some of them looking as though they could die any moment.
The entire square was filled with a rancid aura and cawing birds were flying about, freely feasting on the various corpses.
As Yang Kai followed the demon man into the square, he couldn’t help looking around curiously, his brows wrinkling soon after.
The demon man seemed to notice Yang Kai’s look and voluntarily explained, “These people are criminals who dared disobey Sir Demon Commander. Their sentence is ninety days of drying in the sun before they are allowed to die.”
“Ninety days? Your Demon Commander’s means are too cruel, if you must kill them, just kill them,” Yang Kai grumbled unhappily.
The demon man sneered, “Sir Demon Commander has shown them enough mercy, if it were up to me, I would definitely extract their Souls and torture them for all eternity!”
Yang Kai glanced over at him before shaking his head.
Although it was well known that the Demon Race were violent and cutthroat, this kind of torture was still somewhat excessive.
“It seems like not everyone shackled here is from your Demon Race, there seems to be a few humans mixed in with them.” Yang Kai looked at one of the pillars and saw a corpse without a single trace of Demonic Qi, it was clearly once a Human Race master.
“Oh, that’s only natural. These few Humans called themselves experts and invaded my Demon Land, and obviously they need to pay a price for their arrogance!” The Demon Race man snickered casually.
Yang Kai simply nodded. There were always some fools in this world with too much time and too little brains. They thought themselves strong so they decided to come to the Demon Land to stir up trouble and make a name for themselves without comprehending their own depths, the result being their attempt to steal a chicken ending with them losing their rice.
Regarding these kinds of people, Yang Kai only felt they got what they deserved and had no sympathy for them.
“Yang Kai!” Meng Wu Ya suddenly came to a halt and stared towards one of the pillars seriously.
“What is it?”
“Look at that person!” Meng Wu Ya pointed in a certain direction.
Yang Kai looked in the direction Treasurer Meng pointed only to see a dishevelled Demon Race man shackled to a pillar, his aura as weak as a candle in the wind, in danger of blowing out at any moment.
His head drooped down and his long messy hair was blocking his face, making it impossible to see his true appearance.
On top of that, his hands and feet had been nailed to the pillar by some kind of dark metallic spikes, rendering him unable to move.
The blood that flowed out of his wounds had already dried up, giving him a particularly miserable look.
Li Rong and Han Fei both frowned, secretly thinking it was fortunate they not followed a master as cruel as this Demon Commander Zhang Yuan!
The Demon Race man who was leading Yang Kai and others also looked over and said with a grin, “This fellow is truly unyielding, even I admire him somewhat.”
Saying so, he began to explain lightly, “He was a rising star in my Demon Land. Ten years ago, no one had heard of him, but this past decade his strength grew rapidly until it eventually reached the peak of the First-Order Saint Realm. If he was giving another two years, he may have been able to break through to the same realm as me. Unfortunately, he refused to submit to Sir Demon Commander. Sir Demon Commander then crucified him here and declared that once he had reflected upon his decision and come to his senses he would be released. Who could have expected that even after a few months, he would continue to stubbornly refuse? Sir Demon Commander actually said that this guy would reach the Third-Order Saint sooner or later. When that time came, my Demon Land would welcome its fifth Demon General!”
“Isn’t he similar?” Meng Wu Ya ignored the demons musings and instead directed a solemn look towards Yang Kai.
“Not just similar, it’s him!” Yang Kai’s expression became gloomy as he quickly walked towards the stone pillar.
“Hey, what are you doing?” The demon man saw this and quickly called out while at the same time moving to block Yang Kai.
“You shut up!” Meng Wu Ya glared at him and emitted a thick murderous intent, “If you dare run your mouth, I’ll kill you. If you dare take another step, I’ll also kill you!”
The Demon Race man opened his mouth to speak but no words came out, his face turning bright red, not daring to say anything or even more.
He could feel the thick murderous intent flowing from Meng Wu Ya’s eyes.
“Master, what happened?” Li Rong was puzzled, “Do you know this Demon?”
“We know him!” Meng Wu Ya nodded solemnly.
Li Rong’s shoulder shook lightly as she glanced over to the other side with concern.
Over there, Yang Kai had arrived in front of the stone pillar, seemingly unable to suppress his excitement and surprise as he lifted his trembling hands to move aside this demon’s messy hair, revealing his pale face.
Sensing this movement, the bound demon slowly opened his eyes to see Yang Kai’s figure. After seeing Yang Kai’s face, the man’s dull eyes suddenly burst with light, revealing a look of shock, his lips moving slightly like he wanted to say something but failing to do so.
“I know,” Yang Kai nodded, “Don’t try to speak.”
The man gently nodded and obeyed Yang Kai’s instructions.
“Brace yourself, I’ll get you down now,” Yang Kai urged him before reaching out and grabbing hold of the black spike nailed through his right hand and swiftly pulling it out, causing black blood to spray out.
In the same way, Yang Kai removed the other three spikes.
As this was happening, because of the severe pain, the man continuously shuddered, but it was clear his will was extremely firm as he refused to make a sound from beginning to end.
Li Rong and Han Fei both wore uncomfortable looks.
Yang Kai brought down the half dead demon man and fed him some Myriad Drug Milk to help him restore himself while hurriedly checking his condition.
Zhang Yuan didn’t seem to want to take the life of this demon, nor did he intend to cripple him, his only intent was to torment him enough so that he would yield and submit to him.
As such, although the injuries this demon man had suffered looked serious, they were actually not too big a problem; it was just that after a few months of this torture he had grown very weak.
After taking a few drops of Myriad Drug Milk, with the strength of this man’s physique, he would recover within a dozen days or so.
Yang Kai took a deep breath and his expression relaxed.
“Holy Master Yang…” Beside Yang Kai, a voice called out and Demon Commander Zhang Yuan strangely appeared, a somewhat bitter smile look upon his face as he stared at Yang Kai and asked, “You come to my Demon Palace and then arbitrarily move my person, don’t you think that’s a bit inappropriate? Did you not think you should first at least ask for my opinion?”
“Your person?” Yang Kai straightened up and looked at him coldly, sneering in the next moment, “He is my person!”
Zhang Yuan’s brow furrowed as he stared at Yang Kai in confusion, “What is the meaning of Holy Master Yang? This Senior, doesn’t quite understand, is Holy Master Yang possibly mistaking him for something else? He…”
“His body is that of a former Demon General, but the Soul which resides inside is an old friend of mine!” Yang Kai didn’t wait for him to finish what he was saying and interrupted directly, not giving this Demon Commander any face.
Zhang Yuan’s expression changed greatly and said with some amazement, “Holy Master Yang knows about this?!”
“I’ll add this to the list of things we must settle between us!” Yang Kai grit his teeth before gently picking up the man lying on the ground then casting a sidelong glance at Zhang Yuan, “Arrange a place for us, I need to help him recover.”
Zhang Yuan wore a forced smile and nodded.
He could tell that Yang Kai was not just trying to make trouble, it was clear that the Soul which had seized this Demon General’s body was really related to him.
And that relationship was not shallow!
Choking down a lot of unstated criticism, Zhang Yuan quickly arranged a small building for Yang Kai’s party.
Inside this guest house, the demon man lay on a bed while Li Rong and Han Fei slowly poured their Demonic Qi into his body to help him recover.
Zhang Yuan watched for a while, but soon grew disinterested and found an excuse to leave.
Outside Demon Palace, the Second-Order Saint who had led Yang Kai and his group over patiently waited. Seeing Zhang Yuan soon appear, this man respectfully bowed.
“Send a message to Gou Qiong and them. Tell all of them to immediately come to the Demon Capital, I must see them here within ten days!” Zhang Yuan firmly ordered.
“Yes!” The Demon Race Saint shouted before departing to carry out his orders.
After this man left, Zhang Yuan turned back to stare at the majestic Demon Palace, a barely concealed excitement flashing across his eyes.
Yang Kai had come, bringing with him the Demon Mystic Tome, which meant that the mystery which had plagued him for hundreds of years would finally be solved! This was the greatest wish he had after he had become Demon Commander, so now that he finally saw a glimmer of hope, how could he not be excited?
“It’s alright now, he should wake up after half a day or so!” Li Rong and Han Fei took back their hands and stopped pouring their Demonic Qi into this man before nodding to Yang Kai.
“En.” Yang Kai responded as he stared down at the demon in front of him with a complex look on his face, not having anticipated that he would be reduced to such a state one day.
“Master… this person…” Li Rong looked at Yang Kai curiously, wondering why he was so concerned about this demon man.
Yang Kai smiled, “His name is Old Demon!”
“I just heard that his body is that of a former Demon General?”
“Yes, Old Demon was originally just a remnant Soul and by coincidence managed to obtain the heavily damaged body of a Demon General, allowing him to seize control of it,” Yang Kai explained.
Li Rong and Han Fei nodded as they listened to the story of Yang Kai and Old Demon.
When Yang Kai was small and weak, Old Demon had continuously accompanied him and provided a lot of assistance to his survival and growth. Although at the beginning neither of them trusted one another, even going so far as to harbour murderous intent to the other, as time passed, both sides grew closer and eventually began sincerely cooperating. Even after Old Demon regained his freedom, he did not leave Yang Kai.
He was grateful to Yang Kai for giving him a second chance at life and Yang Kai was also quite thankful for all the help he gave him over the years.
As he was speaking, Old Demon suddenly opened his eyes and hoarsely called out, “Young Master, Old Meng!”
Yang Kai’s spirit shook as he turned to look at him quickly, asking with concern, “How do you feel?”
“Terrible!” Old Demon curled his lips and remarked resentfully.
Meng Wu Ya laughed, “You old demon, aren’t you doing well? If Yang Kai and this old master didn’t happen to arrive here today, you’d likely have to bear that suffering without end!”
“Hateful! Just wait for this old master to reach the Third-Order Saint Realm! I’ll certainly unscrew that damn Zhang Yuan’s head and use it as a chamber pot, otherwise, I won’t be able to soothe the hatred in my heart!” Old Demon cursed as he gasped for breath.
“If you think you have such skill, you’re welcome to try, this Senior will be waiting expectantly!” Zhang Yuan walked in with a slight grin, a leisurely look upon his face.
Yang Kai shot him a gloomy look.
Zhang Yuan paid this no mind and said, “Holy Master Yang, don’t blame me for this, this Senior had no idea he was your person, and really had no other choice but to offend him. Well, regardless, this Senior will apologize.”
Saying so, he quickly added, “In fact, this Senior did not have any malicious intent, I just wanted him to submit to me, it’s just that his spirit was more stubborn than I had anticipated. If he had told me earlier he was one of Holy Master Yang’s subordinates, how could I have treated him like this? You should have also seen that although he’s suffered some pain, his foundation wasn’t injured. This is all a result of this Senior’s generosity.”
Old Demon just snickered wickedly and said, “It’s true that I am the inferior one today and have no way to defeat you, but one day, when my strength dominates above yours, I’ll let you understand the meaning of generosity!”
Zhang Yuan raised his brow, “I think you should focus on how to make your Soul fit perfectly with this body first. According to my observations, in less than twenty years, the two will surely begin rejecting one another! At that time, you’ll have to find a new skin to wear and re-cultivate from the beginning again. If that keeps happening, just when will you be able to unscrew the head of this Senior?”
Listening to him say this, Old Demon’s face went black.
Although he didn’t want to admit it, what Zhang Yuan just said was right on the mark.
When he first obtained this Demon General’s body, he had told Yang Kai that there would be no problems occupying it for thirty years, but if he could not find a way to perfectly integrate his Soul into it by then, he would have to abandon it and seek a new body.
It had now been just over a decade since then. The Demon Commander’s eyes were quite sharp and had easily peered into Old Demon’s future.
“Holy Master Yang, although this Senior carries some blame in this incident, the body your friend is currently inhabiting once belonged to a Demon General of my Demon Race. Technically, as this Senior is the current lord of the Demon Race, it would be well within my rights to take back this body. It was also for this reason that this Senior had wanted him to submit, but seeing how he is Holy Master Yang’s subordinate, how about a compromise? I will deliver this body to Holy Master Yang, and in exchange, Holy Master Yang will not make a fuss over the torture he was put through.”
Zhang Yuan’s face was sincere, but Yang Kai still frowned and looked at Old Demon, “I’ll respect your wishes, if you’re unwilling and wish to seek redress immediately, I’ll help you level this Demon Capital!”
As soon as this statement came out, Zhang Yuan’s complexion changed greatly, “Holy Master Yang, please don’t make such tasteless jokes.”
Yang Kai glanced over at him coldly and flatly said, “Do you think I’m joking?”
Meng Wu Ya, Li Rong, and Han Fei all shot him a bad look as well.
Zhang Yuan suddenly felt a great deal of pressure. Although he was confident in his own strength and possessed many earth-shaking methods, he was only a match for either Meng Wu Ya or Li Rong. If the two of them were to act together, he would definitely be at a great disadvantage.
If a fight were to really start here, the Demon Capital would probably be destroyed.
In an instant, Zhang Yuan’s expression became heavy as he turned a slightly nervous glance towards Old Demon, for fear that an unfavourable word might leave his lips.
“Many thanks for Young Master’s consideration, but this old master will seek retribution for this humiliation himself, there is no need for Young Master to intervene!” Old Demon grinned fiendishly.
Zhang Yuan’s expression relaxed greatly.
Yang Kai nodded and no longer said anything.
“This Senior will arrange for some healing supplements to be sent over,” Zhang Yuan said and quickly snuck away.
As Demon Commander, he had not been threatened by others for many years, how could he just stand here and endure such shame? If it weren’t for his need to use the Demon Mystic Tome in Yang Kai’s hand to open the barrier Great Demon God left behind, he certainly wouldn’t swallow this insult!
A Demon Commander naturally had the pride of a Demon Commander.
A short time later, a few precious treasures were delivered by one of Demon Palace’s maids to help Old Demon restore his vitality.
Old Demon was extremely satisfied and began conversing with Yang Kai and the others about his experiences these past ten years.
When he first arrived in Tong Xuan Realm with Meng Wu Ya, Old Demon had quickly separated from the group. He was currently inhabiting the body of a Demon General and it was too dangerous for him to act in Human Territory, so he set out for the Demon Land alone.
Over the following ten years, he had hidden his identity and worked hard to rapidly improve his strength.
After all, he had the foundation of a top-ranked master and the body of a top powerhouse, everything was already prepared and all he needed to do was accumulate enough World Energy into his body to improve his strength. He had no bottlenecks at all.
After more than a decade, he had managed to restore his cultivation to the peak of the First Order Saint Realm.
However, no matter how careful he was, he wasn’t able to completely conceal himself.
Someone had recognized him as a long lost Demon General and reported him to the Demon Commander. Zhang Yuan had personally brought him back to Demon Palace and ordered him to swear allegiance. Naturally, Old Demon refused and was then nailed to the stone pillar by the Demon Commander.
A few months later, Yang Kai showed up.
After listening to his remarks, Yang Kai and Meng Wu Ya exchanged a surprised glance, neither of them having expected Old Demon to show such unwavering loyalty.
“Young Master, how is your situation? Why are you here?” Old Demon then inquired about Yang Kai’s experience.
Yang Kai briefly explained.
Compared with Old Demon’s experience, Yang Kai’s was far more spectacular. Even Li Rong and the others had not heard about all these matters and incidents and were quickly drawn into his story.
Learning that Ling Tai Xu and the others had also come to Tong Xuan Realm, Old Demon couldn’t help showing a happy expression.
When he heard about the great change in the world and the recovery of the Bone Race, Old Demon’s expression suddenly becomes very strange, solemnly asking, “Young Master, are these Bone Race people you speak of nothing more than skeletons, but also capable of absorbing the flesh and blood of fallen masters to shape their own physique?”
“Yes!” Yang Kai was shocked and looked at Old Demon with surprise, “Have you encountered them before?”
Old Demon shook his head, “I only have a vague impression of them. I believe I should have fought with this race before!”
Old Demon was originally a remnant Soul, so before now, Yang Kai didn’t know which age he belonged to. But as his position in this world grew and he learned more secrets, Yang Kai was able to determine that Old Demon was from at least a few thousands of years in the past.
Because Yang Kai found him inside the Inheritance Heaven’s Cave.
And that Inheritance Heaven’s Cave was related to Dragon Phoenix Palace and Twin Spirit Pavilion.
The core inheritances of these two forces had been lost several thousand years ago.
That age was the era of Great Demon God!
In other words, Old Demon and Great Demon God both came from the same period in history! It was also possible Old Demon had fought against the Bone Race, but his memory loss was so serious that he couldn’t even remember his own name and only vaguely recalled being called Old Demon.
Obviously he didn’t know much about the Bone Race.
“With that Bone Race, was there another race that had a single horn on their forehead?” Old Demon seemed to recall something else and asked.
“You mean the Monster Race?” Yang Kai asked. A single longhorn was a characteristic of certain human form Monster Beasts.
“No no no, that race seemed to call themselves the Horn Race,” Old Demon frowned, but couldn’t remember much else.
After a few more words, Yang Kai made Old Demon rest.
For the next five days, Yang Kai and his group stayed in Demon Palace.
Zhang Yuan’s hospitality was impeccable, sending an array of delicacies crafted from the finest unique ingredients from all over the Demon Land, things most Humans would never be able to sample. Not only were these dishes delicious, but they also benefited one’s cultivation and help refine their physique.
However, Yang Kai didn’t have the frame of mind to enjoy these luxuries as repeatedly asked Zhang Yuan about the secrets left behind by Great Demon God, only to have Zhang Yuan tell him there was no hurry while encouraging him to enjoy the amenities of the Demon Capital for a few days before they discussed this matter.
Yang Kai was well aware that Zhang Yuan was wary of his strength, knowing he alone couldn’t compete with Meng Wu Ya and Li Rong. It was likely he had sent word to the four Demon Generals already, ordering them to quickly arrive and balance the situation.
Neither of them wanted to start a fight, but what secrets were left behind by Great Demon God were a complete mystery, it was possible there were massive benefits waiting to be reaped just behind that strange barrier. If that was the case, Zhang Yuan would definitely not be polite and would try to seize all these benefits with the help of his four Demon Generals.
Understanding Zhang Yuan’s concerns, Yang Kai no longer insisted.
A few days later, Yang Kai, who was wandering around the Demon Capital, suddenly looked up into the sky, his expression becoming serious.
“The four Demon Generals are here!” Meng Wu Ya grinned, “This old master knew that Zhang Yuan was waiting for them. His vigilance is still so heavy, actually worrying about us trying to monopolize the secrets left behind by Great Demon God.”
“Him having scruples is a matter of course,” Yang Kai snorted, “Let’s head back, I doubt he’d decline us again.”
Saying so, Yang Kai led his group back towards Demon Palace.
On the streets, countless demons cast curious eyes towards Yang Kai.
The demons living in the Demon Capital were aware that this human youth was a guest of the Demon Commander, so over the past few days, none of them had tried to find trouble with Yang Kai, but that didn’t stop them from wondering why their respected Demon Commander would invite and entertain a mere human boy.
In front of Demon Palace, Yang Kai and his group had only just entered the square when a demon race man walked up to them and cupped his fists, “Holy Master Yang, Sir Demon Commander invites you to join him in the hall, this way please!”
Yang Kai and Meng Wu Ya looked at each other and exchanged a knowing smile.
“Lead the way!” Yang Kai nodded lightly to this man.
The Demon Race master didn’t utter a word, simply turning around and guiding them inside.
Inside the palace, Zhang Yuan and the four Demon Generals were sitting at a large table, quietly waiting for the arrival of Yang Kai.
Seeing him walk in, Zhang Yuan stood up, laughed happily and greeted him, “Holy Master Yang, I’ve kept you waiting for a few days. The truth is my four subordinates are also quite interested in the secrets left behind by Great Demon God so I intentionally delayed things so they could arrive. En, come come, let this Senior introduce you.”
Saying so, he turned to the four people and said, “This is Yang Kai, the master of Nine Heavens Holy Land, the most talked about force in the world. Some of you have met him before, while others have not, but I believe all of you have heard the word of his reputation.”
Yang Kai swept his eyes over the four and added, “I am Great Demon God’s successor!”
Zhang Yuan’s complexion changed and the four Demon Generals couldn’t help revealing a slightly tense look, a faint trace of awe and respect flashing across their faces. Even Xue Li flashed Yang Kai a friendly smile devoid of any of her previous hostility and arrogance.
Great Demon God’s successor, the weight of this title was almost equal to that of the Demon Commander, so none of them dared act the least bit scornful or disrespectful.
Zhang Yuan gawked for a moment before letting out a hearty laugh, “Good, Holy Master Yang is indeed Sir Great Demon God’s successor, unfortunately, he is of the Human Race! If he was from my Demon Race… En, this Senior would immediately hand over the position of Demon Commander to him!”
The Demon Land was developed by Great Demon God, so naturally, his successor was its rightful ruler.
Zhang Yuan had spoken these words lightly, but secretly he was quite worried that Yang Kai would use this opportunity to snatch the position of Demon Commander from him.
Quickly switching the topic, Zhang Yuan began introducing the others to Yang Kai, “These four are the pillars of my Demon Land. En, Holy Master Yang has already greeted Xue Li and Meng Ge, he is Gou Qiong, and he is Ba He.”
As he spoke, he pointed to the other two seated men.
Ba He nodded towards Yang Kai lightly. Yang Kai had only heard about this Demon General in passing and never had any dealings with him.
Gou Qiong, however, wore an awkward expression as he looked towards Yang Kai.
His cheeks twitching slightly, Gou Qiong cupped his fists and said, “Holy Master Yang, before, there seems to have been some misunderstanding between us for which I apologize. I hope Holy Master Yang will not take these matters to heart. In addition, I must thank Holy Master Yang for saving my son’s life, if not for Holy Master Yang, I’m afraid he would have already lost his life back in that Mysterious Small World.”
Yang Kai smiled lightly, “Sir Gou Qiong is too polite, is Gou Che alright?”
“Many thanks for Holy Master Yang’s concern, my son is doing well,” Gou Qiong showed a slight look of surprise. He hadn’t expected Yang Kai to so easily brush off the past matters and even speak so freely with him.
His son, Gou Che, had once been trapped together with Yang Kai in a Mysterious Small World, and it was ultimately thanks to Yang Kai that he was able to escape. It was in that Mysterious Small World that Yang Kai obtained the Divine Tree.
However, after fleeing from that Mysterious Small World, their group had been captured by Xue Li and brought back to Sand City. Gou Qiong then sent someone to redeem Gou Che and at the same time take Yang Kai’s life.
With all these intertwined gratitudes and grudges, it was difficult to say the two were strangers.
“What about the Sun Clan? When the world’s Mysterious Small Worlds all opened, that one containing the Sun Clan must have as well, what became of them?” Yang Kai asked.
At that time, he had suffered a lot at the hands of the Sun Clan.
“Exterminated completely!” Gou Qiong replied sincerely, “The strength within their bodies has a highly suppressive effect on my Demon Race, so they can’t be allowed to remain!”
Yang Kai nodded, thinking that the Sun Clan suffering such a fate was perfectly normal, who made their Mysterious Small World exit into the Demon Land? Even if Gou Qiong hadn’t acted, Xue Li wouldn’t have just sat back and ignored them.
“Good, enough idle chatter, let’s get down to business!” Zhang Yuan stated.
Everyone’s expression suddenly turned serious.
“This time, I invited Holy Master Yang to come in order to unlock the secrets left behind by Great Demon God. Holy Master Yang must also be quite curious about these,” Zhang Yuan smiled knowingly towards Yang Kai.
“I indeed came for this matter.”
Zhang Yuan gently nodded and said, “To be honest, if the situation had not left me with no other choice, this Senior had not wanted to draw support from others; after all, the secrets left behind by Sir Great Demon God are the supreme treasures of my Demon Race. However, besides the Demon Mystic Tome in Holy Master Yang’s hand, there is truly no other way to open the barrier, I believe this was also the intention of Great Demon God.”
The four Demon Generals all wore dignified expression as the turned complicated looks towards Yang Kai.
“As such, this Senior needs to first confirm one thing; I hope Holy Master Yang can agree to a few conditions.”
“What conditions?”
“Regardless of what these secrets are, Holy Master Yang must not expose them to others!”
“Good!” Yang Kai nodded.
“If there are any benefits left inside, they will belong to my Demon Race, Holy Master Yang cannot covet them. Of course, this Senior will not make Holy Master Yang travel all this way and work for free, I will provide a satisfactory reward!”
“Does Sir Demon Commander think there will be many advantages inside?” Yang Kai chuckled.
“Who knows? Legend has it that Great Demon God possessed all kinds of Divine Abilities, perhaps the cultivation methods for those are hidden there!”
As soon as this statement came out, the four Demon Generals’ breathing suddenly became hurried, their eyes flashing a greedy light.
All of them couldn’t help feeling excited.
“I actually believe there won’t be anything of value left there!” Yang Kai smiled confidently.
“Why does Holy Master Yang say so?” Zhang Yuan looked at him strangely, secretly thinking that Yang Kai might have uncovered something he was unaware of.
“Just speaking thoughtlessly,” Yang Kai grinned.
In that strange world, Great Demon God’s Soul Clone had once said that if he had a chance, he should go to the Demon Capital, and that as long as he went there, all his questions would be answered.
So Yang Kai believed that the secrets hidden in the Demon Capital had nothing to do with Great Demon God’s Divine Abilities of treasures, but were instead purely information.
The benefits left behind by Great Demon God had all been stored in the Demon Mystic Tome, which Yang Kai had long ago obtained.
Seeing Yang Kai not willing to explain any further, Zhang Yuan knit his brow slightly and helplessly said, “Does Holy Master Yang agree or disagree with this Senior’s proposal?”
“It doesn’t matter, have it your way,” Yang Kai shrugged his shoulders.
Seeing him agree so easily, Zhang Yuan’s mood dropped, feeling a faint premonition that the secrets left behind by Great Demon God in the Demon Capital’s barrier did not have any tangible advantages.
However, before arriving at the end, he refused to give up hope, silently encouraging himself before saying, “Then it’s settled. If Holy Master Yang trusts this Senior, this Senior would like to you to enter alone!”
“Impossible!” Meng Wu Ya decisively shook his head and stared at Zhang Yuan with a sneer, “With you and those four Demon Generals there, what difference is letting him go alone than sending a sheep into a wolf’s den? No matter what, this old master and these two ladies must accompany you, there’s no way this old master can trust you.”
In the past, he had suffered a big loss because of this Demon Commander’s schemes, so he wasn’t about to make the same mistake again.
Zhang Yuan looked at Meng Wu Ya and sighed helplessly, he could tell how resolute his attitude was, so after hesitating for a moment he nodded, “Good, then we’ll all go in together! But this Senior still must insist on the previous conditions, when we get there, no matter what we see, it cannot be leaked out, otherwise…”
“Otherwise what?” Meng Wu Ya stared provocatively at Zhang Yuan.
“This Senior cherishes his friendship with Holy Master Yang and doesn’t want things to sour because of such trifles!” Zhang Yuan smiled calmly, not saying any more on the subject and simply beckoning, “Please come with me.”
The four Demon Generals followed behind him with excitement, they too were very curious about the secrets left behind by Great Demon God. Although they have heard rumours before, none of them had ever even seen this barrier before, so this was a great opportunity for them, one they owed to Yang Kai.
Zhang Yuan walked through the halls of the Demon Palace, soon arriving at a certain courtyard which he entered, followed closely by everyone else.
Yang Kai looked around quickly and discovered that this courtyard was actually where Zhang Yuan normally lived. Apparently, the entrance to the room where Great Demon God had left behind his last secrets was hidden here.
For many millennia, only the Demon Commander had been qualified to enter this place, but today, a great many people had come.
In one of the buildings tucked away in the corner of the courtyard, Zhang Yuan released a few strands of Demonic Qi towards one of the walls and a hidden passage opened.
Zhang Yuan walked inside without a word, followed by the four Demon Generals. Meng Wu Ya shot Yang Kai a glance and whispered a few words of caution to him before taking the lead.
Yang Kai then entered.
Li Rong, Han Fei, and Old Demon brought up the rear.
The passage sloped downward gently, leading deep underground, and although there was no way for sunlight to enter, it was not dark. The walls of this passage were lined with many strange stones that emitted a soft glow.
There was a faint hint of whispering coming from up ahead; it seemed the four Demon Generals were quietly discussing something.
Yang Kai also discovered something interesting. On the walls of this ramp, there were many profound and mysterious carvings. These patterns were quite abstract, and if one wasn’t paying close attention, they wouldn’t have even noticed them.
Zhang Yuan’s voice came from the front, “These murals depict the legacy of Great Demon God’s life. Perhaps they were even carved by Great Demon God himself, but they don’t contain any hidden secrets.”
Yang Kai gently nodded, and as he walked forward while observing these carvings, they seemed to come alive before his very eyes, as if they were silently telling him the life story of Great Demon God.
Yang Kai even saw the scene of Great Demon God fighting with that generation’s Nine Heavens Holy Land Holy Master. Great Demon God had suffered some injuries, but the master of Nine Heavens Holy Land was badly wounded, only managing to snatch a drop of Demon God Golden Blood before fleeing.
He also saw a scene of Great Demon God fighting with a man and a woman who were proficient in an exquisite Dual Cultivation Technique, the two of them displaying the power of a Golden Dragon and Ice Phoenix.
He then saw a pair of burly twin brothers suffering defeat at Great Demon God’s hand!
Atop an ancient iceberg, Great Demon God stood proudly as a woman dressing in a long white robe that was drenched in blood stared at him with a look filled with both love and hate. After a long time, Great Demon God departed casually while that woman silently shed tears.
Yang Kai trembled greatly as he immediately realized that these murals contained a great deal of hidden information.
The couple who was proficient in Dual Cultivation was that era’s Dragon Emperor and Phoenix Empress.
The twin brothers must have been the Sect Masters of Twin Spirit Pavilion at the time.
The woman in white robes standing atop an iceberg, if Yang Kai did not guess wrong, should have been the Sect Master of Ice Sect!
These three Sects were all top forces of their time.
The people who fought against Great Demon God were all the most powerful masters of their time, but Great Demon God never tasted defeat, remaining ever victorious!
The images flow by like a stream of water in front of Yang Kai’s eyes, making him feel like he had somehow been transported back in time to that era and become Great Demon God himself, coldly overlooking the world from an unsurpassed height.
Great Demon God had only used a few dozen years to establish his status as the First Under Heaven master from ancient to present, never once being surpassed. From that point on though, he became all alone.
He embarked on a journey to the Starry Sky to continue exploring the secrets of the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao.
After that, there was no word from him!
Rumours had it that he had perished out amongst the Starry Sky.
“Holy Master Yang… Holy Master Yang!” Zhang Yuan’s shouts reached Yang Kai’s ears, waking him up from his daze only for him to discover that everyone was staring at him strangely. He immediately realized he had allowed himself to become immersed in these strange murals.
“What is it?” Yang Kai asked.
Zhang Yuan frowned slightly as he stared into Yang Kai’s eyes. From his perspective, he could now see a kind of desolateness residing in their depths, as if in that instant, Yang Kai had experienced the passage of many years, causing this youth to now display the vicissitudes of age.
Meng Wu Ya also noticed this and couldn’t help wrinkling his brow.
However, the desolate light inside Yang Kai’s eyes quickly dispersed and Zhang Yuan dismissed it as him simply thinking too much, smiling lightly as he said, “We’ve arrived, the rest is up to Holy Master Yang.”
“Arrived?” Yang Kai looked forward and found that there was a dead-end in front of them, a thick wall that blocked everyone’s path forward.
On the wall, there was a smooth, square-shaped indentation.
Everyone looked at him with expectant eyes.
Yang Kai knew what to do, pushing his Divine Sense slightly to summon the Demon Mystic Tome.
In an instant, Zhang Yuan and the four Demon Generals’ eyes became hot.
“Don’t get any ideas, if we fight here, none of you will feel any better!” Meng Wu Ya grinned fiercely.
This space was far too small. Once so many Saint Realm masters began fighting here, the only possible result would be a mutual loss.
Zhang Yuan smiled wryly, “Isn’t Brother Meng a bit too suspicious? This Senior never thought of trying to seize this treasure.”
“One can’t be too careful, that’s the Demon Mystic Tome after all. Who knows what you might be thinking,” Meng Wu Ya coldly snorted before moving towards Yang Kai’s side and saying, “Go on, I’ll watch them.”
Yang Kai nodded and slowly pushed the Demon Mystic Tome in his hand into the spot on the wall.
Inside the tunnel, everyone’s breathing suddenly stagnated, their eyes completely focused on the Demon Mystic Tome, anticipation apparent in their gazes.
As the distance narrowed, Yang Kai felt the Demon Mystic Tome in his hand tremble slightly and an intermittent buzz began sounding from it. Suddenly, the Demon Mystic Tome transformed into a ray of black light and directly entered the slot.
The square depression was instantly filled and in the next moment, the whole world shook.
Rumbling sounds resounded and bits of loose dirt and gravel began falling from the ceiling, giving everyone present the illusion that it would collapse at any moment.
Everyone’s look changed and they secretly became vigilant, all of them wondering if some kind of accident had happened.
With a cracking sound, the thick wall in front of them suddenly split open and a dazzling white light bloomed, blinding everyone for a moment.
At the same time, a huge and irresistible attraction came from the crack in the wall and even characters like Zhang Yuan and Meng Wu Ya were powerless to resist it.
Along with a strange whistling noise, everyone was swallowed by the crack and disappeared.
It was as if they were being swallowed into the belly of a beast.
The next moment, in a world of white, the many Demon Race masters, Yang Kai, Meng Wu Ya, and the others appeared one by one.
“Kid, what about that Demon Mystic Tome?” Meng Wu Ya quickly checked his situation before hurriedly asking Yang Kai.
Yang Kai frowned and inspected himself before replying, “It’s returned!”
Just as they were being swallowed by the crack, the Demon Mystic Tome, which had been used to open this barrier, had returned to Yang Kai’s body.
“Good!” Meng Wu Ya nodded.
“What is this?” Meng Ge suddenly yelled, his voice mixed with shock and agitation, as if he had just witnessed something incredible.
Turning towards the direction Meng Ge was staring, the eyes of everyone present shrank sharply.
In front of everyone was a ship!
An incredibly massive ship.
However, it was hard to tell just how many years this ship had been resting here. It was already in ruins and there were many traces left on its hull that told of a fierce battle it had experienced.
What was most strange to everyone though, was that this ship did not have a mast, nor any trace of water stains, as if it had never before sailed upon the sea.
The desolate aura which spread from this broken ship made everyone realize it was very old.
Yang Kai swept it with his Divine Sense and was shocked to discover that the materials used to produce this large ship were all extremely high grade, its broken hull actually exuding the same aura as a Saint Grade artifact.
Staring at it, Yang Kai was struck speechless.
How much material was required to construct such a huge ship? That much Saint Grade material would be enough to create thousands of Saint Grade artifacts.
“Is this the secret left behind by Sir Great Demon God?” Zhang Yuan muttered to himself with a look of unwillingness himself, a look of deep disappointment flashing across his eyes.
He had made innumerable guesses about what was hidden here, many times fantasising about Great Demon God’s Secret Arts and Divine Abilities resting in this place, things which allow him to break through his current bottleneck and arrive at a higher cultivation realm.
Regardless of what treasures had been left here, he was very much looking forward to them, so he had even decided to lower himself to asking for Yang Kai’s help, hoping to open the barrier with the Demon Mystic Tome in his hand.
But when Yang Kai finally came and they managed to open the barrier beneath the Demon Palace that all previous Demon Commander couldn’t, Zhang Yuan discovered that the situation here was completely different from what he had thought.
All that was here was a broken ship!
Even though this broken ship exuded the aura of a Saint Grade artifact, what use was it? Could he use it to go out to sea? Zhang Yuan’s strength had reached the pinnacle of this world, he didn’t need to use a ship to traverse the sea.
He couldn’t accept this!
He even suspected that everything here was a big joke that Great Demon God had decided to play on his descendants.
“It seems that it’s only this broken ship here!” Meng Wu Ya smirked, clearly taking pleasure in other’s misfortune.
The more disappointed Zhang Yuan was, the happier he was. Meng Wu Yu even wished Zhang Yuan would drop dead here due to disappointment.
“It shouldn’t be,” Yang Kai frowned deeply. In that strange world, Great Demon God’s Soul Clone had clearly said that as long as he went to the Demon Capital, he would be able to unravel all the world’s mysteries. Now that he had come here though, opened this barrier that had been untouched for thousands of years, and was finally about to obtain the answers to all his questions, things had actually differed greatly from his expectations.
He was also somewhat disappointed.
There would have been no point in him traveling hundreds of thousands of kilometers just to see this broken ship.
Releasing his Divine Sense thought, there really was nothing else here except for this broken ship.
“The mysteries must be hidden inside this boat, search it!” Zhang Yuan seemed to recover and shouted.
The four Demon Generals exchanged a glance before rushing into the ship.
“I’ll also go take a look!” Meng Wu Ya grinned strangely before he quickly chased after the four Demon Generals, obviously not wanting to let them gain any kind of advantage by themselves.
Yang Kai shook his head wryly but didn’t follow.
In the blink of an eye, the four Demon General and Meng Wu Ya had arrived in front of the massive broken ship, but just as they were about to set foot on its deck, a potent Demonic Qi suddenly burst out from a certain place inside it.
The four Demon Generals couldn’t react in time and simply felt a great force slam into them, sending all of them flying backwards. Even Meng Wu Ya was sent tumbling through the air and fell beside Yang Kai, a look of dread flashing across his face as he turned back to stare at the broken ship.
In the direction he was staring, a pitch-black cloud of energy floated midair, constantly churning and folding over itself.
“The aura of Great Demon God!” Yang Kai muttered as a strong look of wariness appeared on his face.
“Is this the aura of Sir Great Demon God?” Zhang Yuan called out in alarm, a frantic light flashing across his eyes as he let out a riotous laugh, “This Senior knew there was more here than just a broken ship.”
Saying so, he began sweeping his eyes over this mass of energy, hoping to discover something; he figured that anything he could find would be invaluable.
Feeling the pressure coming from this aura cloud, everyone was on high alert.
After a while, the mass of dark energy took the shape of a figure, and although it was very vague, Yang Kai could still see the image of Great Demon God from the outline.
This figure only paused midair for a moment before it rushed towards the crowd.
As it approached, everyone suddenly seemed to be imprisoned by a mysterious force, unable to move, staring forward as the black figure exploded into a fine mist that enveloped them for a moment before disappearing.
At that moment, everyone feels that there was something extra that had been deposited in their minds and they couldn’t help closing their eyes.
Inside the white space, the group of people stood still, each of them examining whatever it was the black energy figure had left behind in their minds, their expressions gradually becoming serious.
Yang Kai was no exception, when he focused his consciousness inward, it was as if his Knowledge Sea had disappeared and had been replaced by the vast Starry Sky.
All around there was emptiness, with only distant stars providing light. A golden glowing man flew rapidly through the Starry Sky, his eyes firm and resolute, his body strong, and his expression indifferent; he was not using any kind of artifact, nor was he circulating his strength to shield himself, using only his flesh and blood body to resist the pressure of the Starry Sky as he roamed freely.
Naturally, this man was Great Demon God!
Yang Kai’s spirit shook, suddenly understanding what the black shadow had instilled into his Knowledge Sea.
This was clearly the experiences of Great Demon God while he was exploring the Starry Sky!
The legendary figure had left behind his memories of the Starry Sky here to enlighten future generations.
Yang Kai was now just an observer, only capable of silently watching what Great Demon God encounter, unable to intervene at all.
Yang Kai believed everyone else was also experiencing this!
Immediately, Yang Kai became focused, refusing to miss even the slightest of details.
The scene before him was the continuation of the murals from the before. Great Demon God, after enduring many years of loneliness, finally embarked on the road to the Starry Sky.
He had no goal in mind and was just like a fallen leaf, fluttering around the vast Starry Sky.
He encountered a Starry Sky Storm but, with his intrepid physique and tyrannical strength, he came out unscathed.
He found an asteroid sea, and sat down cross-legged on one of them, allowing the asteroid to take him through the Starry Sky.
After an unknown period of time, as he sat amongst the asteroid sea, Great Demon God suddenly opened his eyes and gazed towards a certain direction.
Following his gaze, Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed.
He saw a huge ship sailing through the Starry Sky, and the ship was exactly the same as the broken ship he had just seen.
Great Demon God’s eyes flashed with excitement, and after the big ship departed, he trailed behind it without saying a word.
His intention was to follow this ship to a more profound world, one where he could pursue greater heights in the Martial Dao.
However, what surprised Great Demon God was that this Starry Sky ship seemed to have also lost its way among the Starry Sky.
Great Demon God followed it for a few years without any gains, just aimlessly roaming about the Starry Sky.
Until one day, the Starry Sky ship seemed to have discovered something and hurriedly changed course, heading for a certain planet.
Great Demon God celebrated!
But after the Starry Sky ship arrived at the planet, Great Demon God discovered it was actually Tong Xuan Realm, the homeland he had left!
After wandering about the Starry Sky for an unknowable number of years, following behind this Starry Sky ship, Great Demon God had actually returned to where his journey began.
The big ship landed at a certain place in the Demon Land, and from the ship, many visitors from the stars emerged. Some of them had glowing green eyes, some of them had a single horn sticking out their forehead, some of them even had long drooping ears, but in general, they all had human like figures.
Each of these visitors was extremely powerful though, the weakest of whom had at least reached the Transcendent Realm.
Several of their leaders had even surpassed the Saint Realm.
As soon as they appeared, the entire Demon Land became engulfed in the flames of war. A Demon General came forward to block them, but the Third-Order Saint Demon General was no different than an ant in front of these visitors from the stars. He was struck dead by a single strike from one of the cultivators with green eyes, even his bones shattering as a result!
Atop a great mountain peak, the masters of these alien invaders stood around overlooking Tong Xuan Realm, pointing to the various mountains and rivers with interest, feeling like they could easily enslave this small world with their strength!
Great Demon God did not remain aloof and quickly rallied the entire Demon Race to resist.
The scene changed and became an earth-shaking battle, Great Demon God’s golden figure was bathed in blood as he killed one enemy after another, shredding their corpses and pulverising their bones.
Atop this battlefield, blood flowed like rivers and corpses piled up into mountains.
With Demon Crests covering their faces, the Ancient Demon Clan who had sworn to forever follow Great Demon God used their very bodies and lives to prevent attacks which were aimed at Great Demon God over and over again.
The Dragon Emperor and Phoenix Empress from Dragon Phoenix Palace collaborated to resist a powerful Bone Race master.
There were also many masters from Ice Sect who worked together to create a domain of ice and snow, freezing many enemies all at once.
The two Sect Masters from Twin Spirit Pavilion used their Twin Qi Shared Spirit Divine Art to combine their strength and challenge the alien invaders.
There were also several Monster Race Great Seniors who flew through the sky in their Beast Forms, spewing Monster Qi as they thrashed back and forth.
The world itself shook.
In this war, the alien invaders suffered a total defeat, none of them managing to survive.
Broken corpses littered the ground. The Dragon Emperor and Phoenix Empress had disappeared, as had the two brothers of the Twin Spirit Pavilion. Several Monster Race Great Seniors lay dead. The entire Demon Race had suffered heavy casualties, and even Great Demon God was barely clinging to life!
Over the next few decades, Great Demon God dragged his broken and battered body across the entire length and breadth of Tong Xuan Realm, arranging a massive Spirit Array using the strength of the Void Corridors scattered around the world.
He sealed off the entire Tong Xuan Realm from the outside world, allowing it to fade out of the Starry Sky’s sight, preventing any foreign visitors from ever discovering it.
He then left behind his Soul Clone at the centre of this grand formation, which guarded it for thousands of years without letting a single person approach.
Finally, he sealed away the Ancient Demon Clan.
After that, he faded from history!
Inside the white space, everyone slowly opened their eyes, each of them wearing an astonished look, somewhat unable to believe what they had just witnessed.
The atmosphere became heavy.
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
As they awoke, the dark energy that had poured into them suddenly overflowed and rushed towards Yang Kai, disappearing into his body in the blink of an eye.
Yang Kai’s body shivered and his face contorted, seeming to suffer from severe pain, sweat pouring down his forehead, soaking his clothes in an instant.
“Master!” Li Rong didn’t give a thought to digesting the shocking information she had just obtained and instead hurried towards Yang Kai.
The rest of them had fully woken up, but Yang Kai’s eyes remained closed; moreover, the movement of the pitch-black energy just now concerned Li Rong, she didn’t know why only Yang Kai’s experience was different.
“Don’t disturb him!” Meng Wu Ya suddenly called out to stop her, his expression turning pensive as he muttered, “He seems to have obtained some additional benefits.”
“In the end, he is Great Demon God’s successor, Great Demon God favouring him slightly is unavoidable,” Zhang Yuan stared at Yang Kai enviously. The dark energy that had poured into the crowd just now, besides carrying the memories of Great Demon God, also contained a massive amount of energy.
If he could have absorbed and refined that energy, Zhang Yuan was confident that his strength would increase noticeably.
Unfortunately for him, that energy had flowed away and all been given to Yang Kai.
Zhang Yuan felt some discomfort.
“You move away from him!” Meng Wu Ya glared towards Zhang Yuan, worried that he would try to disturb Yang Kai at this critical juncture.
Zhang Yuan smiled bitterly and said, “Brother Meng, after everything we just saw a moment ago, do you really think I’d try to act against him now?”
“I don’t know, but I don’t trust you,” Meng Wu Ya remained intractable.
“Fine, fine, this Senior will keep his distance!” Zhang Yuan said helplessly, moving away with the four Demon General to investigate the rest of this space.
The pain Yang Kai was experiencing seemed to grow stronger with time, his tough body shuddering as his muscles clenched tightly, causing both Li Rong and Han Fei much anxiety.
“When did he start undergoing True Qi Sanctification?” Meng Wu Ya suddenly asked. With Yang Kai’s True Qi spilling over, he had noticed the subtle change.
“A few months ago, when we went to High Heaven Pavilion,” Li Rong replied.
“Only a few months? How could it be so fast?” Meng Wu Ya frowned slightly.
Yang Kai’s current appearance was showing some signs of a breakthrough, but ordinarily, when a cultivator experienced True Qi Sanctification, it would be at least a few years before they could spy on the mysteries of the Saint Realm.
Even if Yang Kai possessed incredible natural talent, it didn’t seem possible to shorten this process to only a few months.
That was simply unthinkable.
Just as he was growing suspicious, Yang Kai’s close left eye suddenly began leaking blood. The red tear he cried containing a faint golden light.
“What’s happening?” Meng Wu Ya was shocked.
“Is Young Master in any danger?” Old Demon also expressed concern.
Meng Wu Ya didn’t say a word, instead focusing all his attention on Yang Kai’s situation, but the more he observed him, the less confident he became.
He had never encountered a situation like the one Yang Kai was currently experiencing.
Inside Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea, something unexpected had occurred.
Just after he finished viewing Great Demon God’s memories of exploring the Starry Sky, a burst of energy suddenly flooded in.
His entire Knowledge Sea was whipped up into a storm and the Six Coloured Soul Warming Lotus island which was floating atop the water was tossed about, in danger of being submerged at any time.
Yang Kai focused his efforts on stabilizing his Knowledge Sea but was unable to calm the chaos.
This flood of energy was like a great burst of wind and lightning that tore up his Knowledge Sea, making him feel very uncomfortable.
The Demon Eye of Annihilation, which hovered just above his Knowledge Sea, suddenly emitted a strong suction and inhaled all the rampaging energy, dying his entire Knowledge Sea black in the next breath.
This was Yang Kai’s personal domain, where he was the absolute master. Whatever he ordered or imagined would be, whether it was changing the scenery or completely rearranging the layout.
But after the Demon Eye of Annihilation swallowed up this torrent of energy, Yang Kai discovered that he had actually lost control of his Knowledge Sea.
It was as if his Soul Avatar was falling through an abyss that went on forever, without any bottom to it, causing him a good deal of fear.
In this darkness, only the golden light emitted by the Demon Eye of Annihilation illuminated his view.
His Soul Avatar was shrouded in a golden hallow and gave him the terrifying impression that he had been swallowed by it.
The Demon Eye of Annihilation’s golden light restrained all forms of Spiritual Energy; there were many masters killed by Yang Kai whose remnant Souls had been drawn into this place and then purified by this golden light.
It had never harmed Yang Kai before.
But this time was different, Yang Kai faintly felt that if he didn’t do something quickly, he would meet the same fate as all those people, his Soul purified, leaving behind only a mass of pure Spiritual Energy.
If that came to pass, there was no way he would survive.
As he was going all out to resist, Yang Kai suddenly saw a six-coloured point of light in the darkness and hurriedly rushed over towards it!
A moment later, his Soul Avatar set foot on the six-coloured island.
Atop this six coloured island, innumerable tiny Soul Devouring Insects were resting. After absorbing the energies in this place for so long, these Soul Devouring Insects seemed stronger than ever.
Yang Kai didn’t pay any attention to them and instead focused his Divine Sense, ordering the six coloured island to return to its original Soul Warming Lotus appearance, then wrapping his Soul Avatar up in its petals.
The rays of golden light continued to pour out, making the Demon Eye of Annihilation shine like a hot sun, evaporating the Spiritual Energy inside Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea, quickly drying it up.
An indescribable pain welled up from the innermost depths of his soul.
Yang Kai clenched his teeth and stimulated the power of the Soul Warming Lotus to continuously replenish the power he was losing from his Knowledge Sea.
Gradually, the pain grew faint, and Yang Kai was surprised to find that he had established a kind of connection with the Demon Eye of Annihilation which should originally have belonged to Great Demon God.
Since obtaining the Demon Eye of Annihilation, Yang Kai had been trying to refine it but had never had any success.
Although he could use the purification power of the Demon Eye of Annihilation, fundamentally, this single golden eye was a foreign object that coexisted in his Knowledge Sea, not something he truly owned and commanded.
It was completely different from the Six Coloured Soul Warming Lotus.
After experiencing this excruciating pain though, he had really connected with the Demon Eye of Annihilation; the power which had been evaporated from his Knowledge Sea had formed a bridge between him and the Demon Eye of Annihilation, joining the two together and finally allowing it to recognize him as its master.
Perceiving this, Yang Kai suddenly cheered up.
Continuously motivating the power of the Soul Warming Lotus, Yang Kai filled his Knowledge Sea with new seawater which was quickly evaporated and absorbed by the Demon Eye of Annihilation.
As time went by, the pain in his Soul became lighter and lighter, until it eventually disappeared altogether, replaced by a relaxed and uplifting feeling.
At that moment, Yang Kai felt that the Demon Eye of Annihilation had truly become his.
The Demon Eye of Annihilation, which had always been suspended midair, then turned into a streak of light that shot towards Yang Kai.
Surrounded by the petals of the Six Coloured Soul Warming Lotus, Yang Kai stared intently at the Demon Eye of Annihilation, allowing it to rush into his Soul Avatar and disappear without putting up any resistance.
The world suddenly became somewhat different, and a subtle type of joy rose inside his heart.
Back inside the white space, Yang Kai’s eyes shot open.
As an aching sensation spread from his left eye, Yang Kai noticed Meng Wu Ya and the others nearby staring at him with concern.
“Yang Kai, what happened?” Meng Wu Ya hurriedly asked.
As soon as these words came out though, Treasurer Meng let out a cry of surprise as he pointed to Yang Kai and said, “Your left eye…”
His left eye was no longer their original black and white, but had instead turned golden and was now emitting an endless aura of majesty. This eye gave off a feeling of indifference, as if it was overlooking all mortal beings, just like those of Great Demon God’s Soul Clone which Meng Wu Ya had met before.
Vaguely, an invisible vortex emerged from the golden eye that madly pulled at Meng Wu Ya’s Soul, seemingly wanting to swallow it whole, causing his Soul to rapidly become unstable.
Treasurer Meng’s complexion paled as he quickly removed his gaze and shouted, “Close your left eye!”
Yang Kai was also startled by this and soon realized what was happening, reaching out in the next instant to cover his left eye.
Yang Kai felt a hot and wet sensation on the palm of his hand and a faint smell of blood soon reached his nose.
Only now did Li Rong, Han Fei, and Old Demon let out a long breath, their eyes overflowing with shock and amazement.
“Young Master, what happened to your left eye?” Old Demon asked in a flurry, “The Soul of Old Servant was almost sucked away by it.”
“The Demon Eye of Annihilation! Great Demon God’s Demon Eye of Annihilation!” Zhang Yuan called out in alarm. Even though they were separated by quite a distance, when he had glanced over at Yang Kai a moment ago, he too felt his Soul being tugged at.
It was as if he had been personally facing Great Demon God, the pressure was as heavy as a mountain!
The four Demon Generals also looked deathly pale as they directed complicated looks towards Yang Kai.
Great Demon God possessed all kinds of Divine Abilities, one of which was embedded in his left eye and had the capability to release golden light which could erase an enemy’s Soul. Ancient records stated at the left eye of Great Demon God could see through all mysteries and secrets of the world while restraining the Soul of any it gazed upon.
Zhang Yuan had never imagined that after a few thousand years, the Demon Eye of Annihilation would reappear in this world.
What’s more, in the body of a human boy!
This made him quite depressed.
He couldn’t understand why this little brat Yang Kai was so lucky.
“I need to retreat here for a while!” Yang Kai declared as he covered his eye and wiped away the blood dripping from it.
Meng Wu Ya nodded. The golden eye was far too dangerous. If Yang Kai could not control it freely, anyone who got close to him in the future would be in extreme danger.
“You seclude yourself here, we’ll leave first. When you exit, we’ll discuss these matters again,” Meng Wu Ya said solemnly before turning to look at Zhang Yuan, “Do you have any problem with that?”
Zhang Yuan shook his head.
Yang Kai then summoned the Demon Mystic Tome, opened the exit, and let the others out first.
After they left, Yang Kai immediately immersed himself in studying the Demon Eye of Annihilation.
….
Time flew by and one month later, Demon Commander Zhang Yuan, the four Demon Generals, Meng Wu Ya, and the two Great Commanders were waiting anxiously.
During this last month, while Yang Kai was in retreat, they were essentially idle.
However, just now, they suddenly sensed Yang Kai’s aura appear and understand that he should have succeeded. All of them rushed to Zhang Yuan’s courtyard and stared at the entrance to the secret room.
After a short time, they heard the steady sound of footsteps.
A moment later, Yang Kai’s figure appeared before their eyes, and everyone unconsciously glanced towards his left eye while feeling a slight lingering fear. But they soon discovered that his eyes had both been restored to their normal state, becoming plain black and white.
“Succeeded?” Meng Wu Ya hurriedly asked.
“En,” Yang Kai gently nodded.
After a month of hard work, he was now able to summon and retract the Demon Eye of Annihilation at will. This single Divine Ability of Great Demon God’s had greatly enhanced his combat effectiveness.
“Since Holy Master Yang has exited, we should discuss the scenes we all witnessed,” Zhang Yuan didn’t want to go too deeply into the issue of the Demon Eye of Annihilation, his tone still containing traces of bitterness.
Everyone looked around at each other and nodded.
All of them had been mulling over this issue for the past month and were eager to discuss it now.
Inside a large hall, the Demon Race sat on one side of a large table while Yang Kai’s group sat on the opposite.
After a short silence, Zhang Yuan lightly coughed and stared the conversation, “I assume that everything this Senior witnessed in that space was also seen by all of you.”
Everyone nodded.
“Great Demon God did fall, not because he encountered some kind of accident in the Starry Sky, but rather to protect Tong Xuan Realm,” Zhang Yuan said with a sigh, “Sir Great Demon God is indeed worthy of respect!”
Meng Wu Ya snorted, “For a man who died thousands of years ago, there’s no need to speak such flatteries.”
Zhang Yuan stared at him indifferently, “This was a monumental achievement for Sir Great Demon God, no one can deny that. If he had not fought so selflessly in the past, this world would have already fallen to those alien invaders.”
“Say whatever you’d like,” Meng Wu Ya snorted again. Although he did not like the Demon Race, it was undeniable that Great Demon God’s actions had changed the fate of Tong Xuan Realm.
Unfortunately, the Bone Race had not actually died out. Although the message left by Great Demon God said that all the visitors from the Starry Sky had died, there must have been some from the Bone Race who had managed to escape Great Demon God’s sight and hide.
After thousands of years, they were now reviving.
“Thanks to Sir Great Demon God, we now know there is a realm above the Saint Realm, the Saint King Realm!” Zhang Yuan declared with emotion, “Sir Great Demon God also reached the Saint King Realm!”
It was precisely because he had achieved such a level of strength that even experts like Meng Wu Ya and Zhang Yuan could not crack the barriers and arrays left behind by Great Demon God.
The huge gap in strength had rendered them powerless.
“Among those alien invaders, there were also a number of Saint King powerhouses, but all of them were killed by Great Demon God during that war!”
“What I don’t understand is why Sir Great Demon God used all the Void Corridor across the world to set up a Grand Spirit Array to seal the entire Tong Xuan Realm,” Meng Ge asked curiously.
“Because he realized the danger those Starry Sky invaders posed!” Yang Kai said solemnly, “The method Great Demon God used in the past was more than just a seal, it was likely a kind of concealment array. Among those Starry Sky cultivators, there were multiple masters at the Saint King Realm, and Great Demon God knew that once he died, if such a master were to arrive in Tong Xuan Realm in the future, no one would be able to resist them. As such, he arranged that Grand Spirit Array to let Tong Xuan Realm fade out of sight from the Starry Sky. This way, if any Starry Sky cultivators passed nearby Tong Xuan Realm, they would be unable to sense it, creating a layer of protection for this world.”
Yang Kai’s explanation was reasonable and matched up with the suspicions of most people in the hall.
Each of them nodded in agreement
“I understand now!” Yang Kai suddenly wore a look of epiphany as he thought out loud, “I understand what those last words Great Demon God’s Soul Clone spoke meant!”
“Great Demon God’s Soul Clone?” Zhang Yuan heard these words and quickly asked for details.
Yang Kai did not try to conceal it and simply described the process of him rescuing Meng Wu Ya.
“At the end, Great Demon God’s Soul Clone had said that this world had been sealed for too long and that now it was time for it to step into the light again! At that time, I thought he was referring to all the Mysterious Small Worlds, but what he really meant was Tong Xuan Realm itself. It’s also why he told me to travel to the Demon Capital because this message had been left here.”
With the Grand Spirit Array broken, all the Mysterious Small Worlds had opened and Tong Xuan Realm had reappeared in the Starry Sky, exactly as Great Demon had said!
Yang Kai suddenly recalled that Chu Ling Xiao had said the night sky had undergone a change, and that many stars which were previously invisible could now be seen.
This must have been one of the effects of Great Demon God’s seal being lifted. With the layer of camouflage gone, there was now one less barrier between Tong Xuan Realm and the Starry Sky, so naturally, the stars appear brighter and more numerous.
“So that means…” Meng Wu Ya’s began to speak but hesitated, “The world’s current situation was a result of this old master and Little Yang Kai’s actions?”
Exchanging a glance with Yang Kai, they both wore somewhat awkward expressions.
“The seal being undone was indeed your doing, but the Bone Race recovering should have nothing to do with you. Although the timing is a bit coincidental…” Old Demon frowned.
“That’s not necessarily true. Great Demon God was the one who left behind that seal, so his aura has constantly been covering Tong Xuan Realm, causing the Bone Race to not dare wake up. After the seal was released though, and Great Demon God’s aura disappeared, the Bone Race definitely would have noticed,” Yang Kai postulated, “This is only my guess, but it is very likely to be true.”
The five Demon Race masters gawked for a moment, with Zhang Yuan soon saying, “If this is the case, then Holy Master Yang bears an inescapable responsibility to face the world’s current catastrophe.”
“What are you trying to imply?” Meng Wu Ya glared at Zhang Yuan and sneered, “Could it be you want to stay out of this? Yang Kai said that the Bone Race has the dozens of Saint Realm masters among them and that they can use the flesh and blood of masters they kill to create more of themselves. Once they are given enough time, they will be impossible to deal with.”
The Bone Race was like a spark in a prairie. Right now the fire was small, but that fire would soon grow out of control.
Zhang Yuan snorted, “Of course not. Sir Great Demon God exhausted his strength and life to defend this world from them, my Demon Race is his descendant, naturally, it is impossible for us to bring shame to his legacy. My Demon Race will also assist Holy Master Yang.”
Although he was speaking such words, anyone could see he was doing so reluctantly.
Yang Kai glanced over at him briefly before standing up and saying, “The course of events and the truth of this world, I have now understood. Whether your Demon Race intervenes in what is to come, that will be up to you. If you wish for your future generations to forever be enslaved by the Bone Race, by all means, remain on the sidelines.”
Saying so, Yang Kai directly walked out of the hall.
Meng Wu Ya and the others quickly followed after him.
Zhang Yuan’s expression dropped as he quickly called out, “Holy Master Yang, please wait!”
“What else do you want to say?” Yang Kai turned back.
“May I ask, after Holy Master Yang goes back, do you plan to fight with the Bone Race?”
Yang Kai paused for a moment before replying, “With just Nine Heavens Holy Land, it’s impossible. The difference in strength is too great, and I’ll first need to find allies. As for how many I can gather, that will depend on luck.”
Zhang Yuan frowned and pondered for a long time before saying, “There should be no one else in the world who understands the power of the Bone Race better than us. Just now, it was only that this Senior had some concerns which caused him to hesitate. En, after Holy Master Yang returns, please rally as much support as possible. This Senior will also do the same. Once this Senior has organized his forces, I will bring them to Nine Heavens Holy Land to join up with you.”
Yang Kai chuckled, “Do you want to help?”
Zhang Yuan wore a forced smile, “This Senior does not wish to disappoint Sir Great Demon God’s soul in Heaven! I am this era’s Demon Commander, the leader of the Demon Land. Could it be that I am incapable of even cleaning up the mess Sir Great Demon God left behind?”
Yang Kai stared at him deeply for a moment before sweeping his eyes over the four Demon Generals behind him, quickly discovering that all of them wore determined expressions.
Nodding lightly, Yang Kai declared, “No matter how things turn out, after this incident is resolved, all grievances between us will be written off.”
“When that time comes, this Senior will have many things to discuss with Holy Master Yang, especially about Sir Great Demon God,” Zhang Yuan laughed.
“Good!” Yang Kai nodded, “We’ll take our leave, no need to see us out.”
After Yang Kai and his group left, Zhang Yuan’s face became dignified as he turned to face the four Demon Generals, “How serious this matter is, you know yourselves. There’s no need for this Senior to say any more. Return to your territories immediately and call up all your strongest warriors. Meet back here within half a month!”
“Yes!” The four Demon Generals nodded sternly and quickly left.
Atop the Star Shuttle, Yang Kai’s group swiftly flew forward.
Meng Wu Ya said with some surprise, “Zhang Yuan was quite cooperative just now, much more so than I expected.”
“It’s not that he wanted to, it’s just that he understands the situation. He knows we will engage the Bone Race in battle; if we lose, the next one they will attack will be his Demon Land. If we win, I would definitely find him to settle accounts in the future! No matter who wins or loses, if he does nothing, he will lose,” Yang Kai said lightly, laying bare Zhang Yuan’s thought process.
His attitude at the beginning was very ambiguous. Obviously Zhang Yuan wasn’t eager to intervene; after all, once he did, he would definitely suffer heavy losses.
However, when he saw Yang Kai decisively get up to leave, he had no choice but to compromise.
Perhaps Zhang Yuan initially wanted Yang Kai to ask him for help so he could negotiate for some benefits. The two of them were not friends and Yang Kai had many things he coveted.
The Demon Mystic Tome, various Divine Abilities, the Demon God Golden Blood, each of these something Zhang Yuan would drool over.
“No matter what, this time’s catastrophe is also the responsibility of this old master!” Meng Wu Ya sighed heavily
If it weren’t for him entering that Mysterious Small World with Xia Ning Chang, Yang Kai wouldn’t have had to destroy those eight Tong Xuan Pillars in order to rescue him. That was the keystone of the entire Grand Spirit Array, once it was destroyed, the array ceased operating and the seal Great Demon God placed on the world was lifted, resulting in the current disastrous situation.
Meng Wu Ya heavily blamed himself for this.
“It’s no one’s fault,” Yang Kai shook his head, “Even if this time I hadn’t destroyed those pillars, this grand formation would have stopped working one day. The only difference is that it happened slightly ahead of time.”
“If you don’t believe this situation is your responsibility, why are you so enthusiastic to handle it?” Meng Wu Ya chuckled.
“You think I’m acting overly enthusiastic?” Yang Kai frowned
Li Rong and Han Fei both nodded.
Old Demon also laughed and said, “Young Master is truly so.”
Yang Kai thought for a moment, “Perhaps it is because I do not wish to let all those who left their homes behind to lose their homeland again. If it was some other matter, even if the sky were to fall, others would stand to hold it up, but regarding those who I led here, I am the one they look to. If I don’t act, who will?”
Meng Wu Ya’s shoulder shook lightly, understanding that the people Yang Kai was referring to were those from the Great Han Dynasty, nodding lightly, “You’ve matured a lot.”
Li Rong and Han Fei’s beautiful eyes also flashed as they looked warmly towards Yang Kai, feeling that the Master they had chosen to serve was extraordinary indeed.
Under the night sky, the Star Shuttle shot forward like a meteor.
Yang Kai looked up at the stars but couldn’t find the beautiful figure he dreamed of as she was no longer there.
He didn’t know where Su Yan was in the vast Starry Sky.
A few days later, the group returned to Nine Heavens Holy Land.
The atmosphere in the Holy Land was somewhat different from before he left, seemingly somewhat more solemn and tense. When Yang Kai came back, Xu Hui hurriedly reported, “Holy Master, there is news. With Water Spirit Temple as the centre, the surrounding ten thousand kilometres has become a barren wasteland where nothing lives. Word of this matter has spread throughout the world, causing quite a commotion. At the same time, those Bone Race monsters are continuing to expand their territory.
“Let them expand!” Yang Kai coldly snorted, “The more noise they make, the easier it will be for us to convince others.”
After a pause, he asked, “When you passed the news to the major Human Race forces, what was their attitude?”
Xu Hui immediately became indignant, “Many people refused to believe us, and even those who did reluctantly trust our word showed no intention of intervening.”
“Everyone only cleans the snow before their own door!” Yang Kai chuckled, “Their reaction was only natural, but I think they’ll have no choice but to believe us now.”
“It’s impossible to not believe,” Xu Hui smiled bitterly, “Countless people fled from around Water Spirit Temple and are spreading the word of this calamity. The Holy Land is actually on the edge of the Human Territory, so ironically we have nothing to worry about right now.”
“Good, continue to spread the word. Let all those who are willing to fight with the Bone Race come to my Nine Heavens Holy Land, and also tell them that this time it will not be just our Human Race, but also the Demon Race and Monster Race who will be participating. This time we will need to unite the full strength of this world to resist.”
“The Demon Race and Monster Race too?” Xu Hui was greatly shocked, suddenly realizing the situation was more serious than he had thought, quickly excusing himself to accomplish his orders.
After a brief stopover in the Holy Land, Yang Kai rushed to the Beast Sea Jungle.
Atop Thunder Tree Palace, the three Monster Race Great Seniors had gathered. It seemed they were in the midst of discussing something, so when Yang Kai suddenly arrived, the three of them were quite surprised.
Thunder Dragon asked with amazement, “Weren’t you going to the Demon Land? Why did you suddenly return?”
“I’ve already been there and spoken to Zhang Yuan.”
“What was his attitude?”
“He’ll be sending his forces here, I’m here to ask the meaning of three Great Seniors.”
“Zhang Yuan is also sending people?” The only woman among the three called out in surprise.
“Allow me to introduce you. This is Yang Kai, you’ve not met him before, right, Yu’er?”
The enchanting woman Thunder Dragon introduced as Yu’er had a graceful figure and delicate looking waist, with a plump pair of milk white peaks and deep, beautiful eyes, a truly mesmerizing appearance.
She was one of the Monster Race’s three Great Seniors, her original form that of an Ice Jade Python. In terms of strength, she was no worse than Thunder Dragon or Earth Splitting Divine Ox.
The two people greeted one another, and Yu’er soon curled her lips into a tender smile, “I have already heard that Holy Master Yang is a young man with excellent abilities. Today, I see your reputation is well-deserved. En, dashing and handsome too. I wonder if Holy Master Yang would be interested in coming to my territory as a guest for a few days.”
Saying so, her enchanting eyes stared deeply into Yang Kai’s.
“If there is an opportunity one day, I will certainly accept your generous invitation,” Yang Kai grinned.
“Then we have an agreement! I will eagerly anticipate your arrival,” Yu’er said while throwing him a coquettish look.
Thunder Dragon’s face turned black as he shouted, “Hey, flirting so blatantly in front of me, don’t you think that’s a bit inappropriate?”
Thunder Dragon Great Senior’s tone was bitter, and when Yang Kai glanced over at him he and immediately understood that he somewhat dreaded this enchantress, quickly composing himself with a cough and saying, “Let’s get down to business.”
The expressions of the three Great Seniors also became serious.
“Words alone aren’t enough to describe the situation, it would be best if three Seniors see for themselves!” Yang Kai quickly said.
“See for ourselves?” Thunder Dragon’s brows rose slightly, not quite understanding what it was Yang Kai wanted them to see.
“If three Seniors trust me, please lower your Knowledge Sea defences,” Yang Kai said as he gathered a shimmering ball of white light at his fingertips. This ball of light was composed of Yang Kai’s Spiritual Energy and carried the same fluctuations as his Soul; obviously it was a copy of some of his memories.
The three Monster Race Great Seniors exchanged a glance before all nodding.
Yang Kai pointed his finger towards their foreheads and transferred the Spiritual Energy wisp that carried his memories into their Knowledge Seas.
The three Great Senior’s bodies shook slightly and they quickly closed their eyes to carefully examine the information Yang Kai had delivered them.
What Yang Kai transmitted to them was not only everything he saw in the Demon Capital, but also the events he had witnessed in Water Spirit Temple.
After a long time, the three Monster Race Great Seniors slowly opened their eyes, their expression even more dignified than before.
They now deeply understood how difficult the Bone Race was to deal with.
“I didn’t expect that this matter was actually related to Great Demon God himself.” Thunder Dragon muttered to himself.
“On top of that, my Monster Race’s Seniors also fought with those Starry Sky invaders!” Yu’er’s brow furrowed deeply, “Why have I never heard anything about this? With so many of my Monster Race’s Seniors dying in battle, it should have been a glorious event passed down for many generations.”
“Above the Saint Realm is the Saint King Realm? Since ancient times, only Great Demon God has reached such a level?” Earth Splitting Divine Ox called out, “Truly inconceivable!”
“What do you want us to do?” Thunder Dragon looked towards Yang Kai.
“Help me!” Yang Kai said concisely, “According to my observations, the Bone Race doesn’t have a Saint King powerhouse, the strongest of them are only Third-Order Saints, but there are several of them. The biggest difficulty regarding them is their ability to create new clansmen!”
“They may seem incredibly powerful and nigh invincible, but that is not the case. If the Human, Monster, and Demon Races can join forces and rally together all the world’s masters, destroying them shouldn’t be impossible.”
Thunder Dragon nodded, “If we are going to do this, the sooner the better. The longer we wait, the worse the situation will be for us.”
“I think so as well.”
“Old Ox, Yu’er, what do you think?” Thunder Dragon turned his attention to the other two Great Seniors, “This matter affects our entire Monster Race, this King is unable to make a decision all on his own.”
“I’ll follow your lead!” Yu’er gave the decision to Thunder Dragon while Earth Splitting Divine Ox just shrugged his shoulders as if he didn’t care either way.
Thunder Dragon grinned, “Even that Zhang Yuan plans on getting involved, how could my Monster Race possibly stay out? If the word were to spread to that effect, wouldn’t the world’s common people laugh at our Monster Race’s cowardice? You can count us in!”
Yang Kai’s spirit rose as he nodded repeatedly, “Good, I knew Thunder Dragon Great Senior was an upright man.”
Thunder Dragon shook his head and said, “This is not about me helping you, but about my Monster Race seeking a path to survival! Tong Xuan Realm is not those Bone Race bastards’ site, it’s ours.”
After the three Great Seniors agreed to participate, they immediately dispersed to begin mustering their forces.
The Beast Sea Jungle was not far from Nine Heavens Holy Lands, so once they called up their subordinates, they would soon be able to join up with Yang Kai; at least they would be faster than the Demon Race.
Both the Demon and Monster Race had taken a stand, indicating they would use their full strength to intervene in this matter, causing Yang Kai to feel a bit disappointed that the powerhouses of the Human Race had actually not made their position clear.
Besides the forces which had close ties with Nine Heavens Holy Land or Yang Kai personally, most Human forces were maintaining a wait-and-see attitude.
They had all assumed that the situation was not too serious and that even if this plague spread out, it would not affect them greatly.
The ambiguous attitude of these forces caused Great Elder Xu Hui so much frustration that he couldn’t stop himself from cursing vehemently, but in the end, he was helpless to change the situation.
One day, a pair of men, one old, one young, arrived outside Nine Heavens Holy Land. The old man had a head of messy white hair but exuded a sage-like poise while the youth had extremely pretty features, so much so that many women would secretly be jealous of him.
“Master, we’ve arrived,” The pretty young man looked towards the nine peaks and took a deep breath, “That guy is living quite well now, actually occupying such a big paradise.”
The old man just lightly stroked his beard and smiled, “You don’t need to envy others, we Master and Disciple have freely travelled the world and gained much as well.”
“En, what Master said is true,” The young man nodded respectfully, “That being the case, why did Master suddenly decide to come here?”
The old man chuckled, “I heard that there is an Alchemy Grandmaster here, naturally I wish to greet him.”
“How could there be an Alchemy Grandmaster comparable to Master?” The young man laughed, obviously not taking his Master’s words seriously, his expression suddenly become dignified as he seemingly thought out loud, “Could it be Master does not want the Human Race to embarrass themselves?”
“If you already know, why bother asking?” The old man sighed slightly, “The world’s situation is worrying, but he is young. How many people can he really gather? The Demon Race and Monster Race have already begun to take action while my Human Race actually feigns ignorance and cannot coalesce. This old master has hidden himself for a long time, but now is the time I should appear.”
“I knew that this was Master’s true intentions!” The youth laughed happily, already having understood the old man’s plan.
“Good, there are some disciples over there standing guard, go inform them of our arrival,” The old man waved his hand and the young man quickly stepped forward, arriving in front of the Holy Land disciples and speaking a few words.
The disciple on guard duty listened carefully and quickly said, “Please wait a moment, I will go to inform Great Elder!”
Inside the Pill Room located in the Holy Master Court, Yang Kai was refining pills together with Little Senior Sister and the five Grandmasters when he suddenly heard footsteps outside the door.
His brow wrinkling, Yang Kai put down what he was working on and quietly left the room.
Outside the door, Xu Hui was waiting.
“What is it?” Yang Kai asked.
“There is a guest outside the nine peaks requesting to meet Holy Master.”
“Who is its?”
“According to the disciple’s report, the one who asked to see Holy Master called himself Di Yao!”
“Di Yao?” Yang Kai’s body shook as he hurriedly asked, “Did he come alone or was he together with an old man?”
Xu Hui was startled, not understanding why Yang Kai suddenly seemed so excited but quickly replying, “He really is accompanied by an old man.”
Before Xu Hui could even finish speaking, Yang Kai had rushed out towards the entrance to the nine peaks.
Xu Hui scratched his head in confusion.
He had never seen Yang Kai so urgently leave to welcome any guest; with Nine Heavens Holy Land’s current status, very few guests were even qualified to be received personally by the Holy Master.
Just what kind of identity did this Di Yao possess that let the Holy Master hold him in such high regard?
As he was wondering about this, Yang Kai actually rushed back again.
Xu Hui was stunned and called out, “Holy Master, you…”
Once again, before he could finish his words, Yang Kai rushed past him and dove into the Pill Room. A moment later, the angry shouts of the five Grandmasters rang out, “Boy, wasting my furnace’s pill, if you don’t give me a reasonable explanation, I must go all out with you!”
“My pill was also ruined! It’s such a waste of these precious Saint Grade herbs!”
“Heavens, what are you doing kid? Squandering the gifts of Heaven!”
“Stop trying to pull me, I must remain here to perform Alchemy, I refuse to leave!”
“See someone? This old master refuses!”
“En en, what person is possibly more important than our Alchemy?”
“Just try saying that again, what qualifications does this person have to make us old masters go out to greet him? I refuse, tell him to go away!”
The five Grandmasters shouted chaotically, obviously very discontented that Yang Kai had interrupted their Alchemy.
Xu Hui then vaguely heard Yang Kai whisper something.
Suddenly, the five Grandmaster stopped shouting, falling completely silent as if they had all become mutes.
Xu Hui then heard the sound of hurried footsteps coming from the room.
Immediately, the five Grandmasters rushed out and dashed down the hall, each of them wearing a frantic look as they did their best to pull away from the others.
Even the rotund Chang Bao refused to fall behind, his roll of fat undulating fiercely as he ran faster than a rabbit, actually relying on his immense figure to knock the other Grandmasters out of his way and take the lead.
Xu Hui stared dumbfounded at this scene.
When had he ever seen these world famous Grandmasters so completely lose their composure before?
“Several Grandmasters, please wait a moment!” Xu Hui only had time to shout out briefly before the five people disappeared.
Yang Kai and Xia Ning Chang also hurriedly flew past him.
“What is going on?” Xu Hui muttered out loud as he was lost in confusion.
Outside the nine peaks, when Yang Kai and Xia Ning Chang arrived, they saw the five Grandmasters gathered around a white-haired old man. The Grandmasters’ faces were all filled with looks of worship as they cautiously and haltingly spoke to this old man.
Chang Bao wiped the sweat from his forehead while wearing a huge smile. It seems he had received some praise from the old man causing his face to blush brightly with excitement.
“Brother Yang!” The youth standing next to the old man called out to greet Yang Kai.
“Brother Di!” Yang Kai warmly returned the greetings, “It has been many years.”
“Indeed, the events of Floating Cloud City were nearly ten years ago. Oh…” Di Yao was saying when he suddenly caught sight of Xia Ning Chang and exclaimed, “Aren’t you the girl from that time. Why are you here?”
“This is my Senior Sister, Xia Ning Chang!”
“Senior Sister…” Di Yao’s expression froze up but quickly remembered, “So you finally found her? Congratulations!”
“Many thanks, Brother Di,” Yang Kai smiled before walking over to the old man and respectfully saluting, “Junior Yang Kai, greets Old Man Li!”
Xia Ning Chang also performed an elegant greeting.
“Little Friend Yang does not need to be so polite,” Old Man Li smiled and nodded, “This old master has arrived unannounced, I hope Little Friend Yang won’t take offence?”
“Old Man Li must be joking, Old Man Li patronizing my Holy Land with Brother Di is this Junior’s honour, how could I possibly take offence? Please come inside!” Yang Kai opened the way and gesturing towards the nine peaks.
Old Man Li smiled and nodded, and while being escorted by the five Grandmasters, strolled into Nine Heavens Holy Land.
The disciples on guard duty who saw this scene almost had their eyes pop out of their sockets, wondering just what kind of status this old and young pair possessed that garnered such respect from the five Grandmasters and their Holy Master.
Word that The Old Man of Heaven’s Keep, Li Rui, had come to Nine Heavens Holy Land spread like wildfire through the nine peaks!
From all over the nine peaks, many disciples put down whatever they were doing and ran over to the reception hall, filled with curiosity, hoping to catch a glimpse of this world famous Grandmaster.
The source of all this was because Xu Hui had accidentally shouted Old Man Li’s name.
When Yang Kai and the five Grandmasters escorted Old Man Li and Di Yao into Nine Heavens Holy Land, Xu Hui quickly inquired about their identities; after all, he was the Holy Land’s Great Elder and could not mistreat any distinguished guests.
After learning that this old man was actually The Old Man of Heaven’s Keep, Xu Hui couldn’t stop himself from calling out in shock, only then understanding why Yang Kai would rush out so eagerly to meet him, and why the five Grandmasters behaved like obedient disciples in front of this old man.
In this world, only Old Man Li had such qualifications, and only he could command such respect from these five Grandmasters.
The result of Xu Hui’s gaff though was news had rapidly spread out.
A few thousand of the Holy Land’s disciples had soon formed an almost watertight crowd around the reception hall.
The world never lacked for supreme talents. Thousands of years ago, the Demon Race had produced Great Demon God, the greatest master in history, but today, Old Man Li of the Human Race had risen to the top of the world.
The Human, Demon, and Monster Races all opposed one another, and it was not an exaggeration to say hostilities between the three races had never ceased, but if there was anyone in the entire world who each of these three races would receive with courtesy, besides The Old Man of Heaven’s Keep, there was no other.
Even Demon Commander Zhang Yuan and the three Monster Race Great Seniors wouldn’t dare act disrespectful in front of Old Man Li.
Unfortunately, Old Man Li was a hidden dragon who showed his tail but never his face. There were very few people who even knew his true appearance, and no one had heard anything about him for many years. Back in Floating Cloud City, Old Man Li had also quietly arrived at the City Lord’s Mansion in order to not alarm too many people.
There were many rumors that he had actually passed away long ago, making the common people sigh
But unexpectedly, he had taken the initiative to come to Nine Heavens Holy Land today.
“Have you all looked enough? Don’t you have anything better to do? If you keep standing there staring I’ll dig out all or your eyes!” Xu Hui coldly snorted as he shouted to the crowd.
The thousands of disciples were all shocked out of their daze and quickly made like frightened birds and beasts
Inside the hall, Yang Kai apologized, “I’ve let Old Man Li see something disgraceful, don’t worry, I will order these disciples restrain themselves.”
“No need, no need,” Old Man Li waved his hand to indicate he didn’t mind, “Normally, I try to avoid letting others know about my whereabouts, but this time… I hope that as many as possible know I am here.”
“Hm, why would that be?” Inside the hall, the Holy Land’s Elder and the five Alchemy Grandmasters stared at Old Man Li in confusion.
Old Man Li light expression suddenly became serious as he asked, “Recently, this old man has heard some disturbing news, and that this news actually spread from here, yes?”
“En.”
“Then those rumours…”
“They’re true!” Yang Kai replied solemnly
“Sure enough,” Old Man Li sighed and said, “This old man also heard that Zhang Yuan and the three Monster Race Great Seniors have all begun to act, but most of the major Human forces have chosen to take a wait-and-see approach.”
“En,” Yang Kai expression sank, “Hearing rumours and seeing with one’s own eyes are two very different things. They also don’t know some ancient secrets like Zhang Yuan and the Monster Race’s Great Seniors, so them having doubts isn’t strange.”
After a pause, Yang Kai added, “But not everyone has chosen to remain idle, Soaring Heaven Sect, Dragon Phoenix Palace, Twin Spirit Pavilion, and Bold Independent Union have all sent word that their masters will soon arrive.”
“With only the Sects which had close ties to Little Friend Yang’s, how many masters will you be able to gather? I’m afraid that when the Demon and Monster Race arrive, we will become laughing stalks. In today’s world, our Human Race occupies the strongest position and this matter has actually occurred inside our territory, yet only the Demon and Monster Race are willing to contribute their full strength to resolving this issue, how improper of us!”
“Unfortunately that is just how things are, I have no way to compel these forces to act!” Yang Kai said helplessly.
“Does Little Friend Yang know which force has the greatest amount of influence in this world?” Old Man Li suddenly smiled and asked.
“Which force has the greatest influence?” Yang Kai was surprised by this question but quickly thought it over, “My Nine Heavens Holy Land’s name is quite loud right now and can be considered one of the world’s top forces. Soaring Heaven Sect is also quite good but I don’t believe there is a great difference between these two and other top forces.”
“En, there are many cultivation paradises and powerful forces throughout the world, there are also many top masters who have not appeared for many years, whether they’re even alive or not uncertain,” He Feng added.
“Old Man Li, which of these forces do you believe to be the most influential?” Du Wan asked curiously.
Old Man Li chuckled and didn’t answer directly, instead commenting lightly, “Little Friend Yang, the rise of your Nine Heavens Holy Land, this old man has heard much about. It is said that the appearance of a mysterious Alchemy Grandmaster has allowed Nine Heavens Holy Land to reach a height which surpasses even its peak former glory.”
“That’s right!” Yang Kai nodded, his eyes suddenly brightening, somewhat understanding which force Old Man Li was referring to.
“A single profound Alchemy Grandmaster caused many cultivators to travel from far and wide to seek Alchemy services, what would happen if all the world’s Alchemists were to come here?”
“The Alchemist Guild!” Yang Kai shouted.
Old Man Li smiled and nodded, “If you can convince the Alchemist Guild to act, I believe the world’s great forces and experts would all move.”
“Has Old Man Li come here today for this reason?” Yang Kai looked towards him excitedly.
“Good, since becoming famous, this old man has secluded himself away and not intervened in worldly matters. For the past thousand years I have not done anything worthy of note for this world yet countless people revere and respect me, causing my heart to feel unsettled. Now that there is an opportunity for my influence to make a difference, this old man will naturally not let it off. En, although this old man was not born handsome, I believe I’ll be able to attract at least a few people’s attention,” Old Man Li smiled as he explained.
“I’ll go now to the Alchemist General’s headquarters and negotiate with them to take a stand!” Hong Fang hurriedly stood up.
“There’s no need for that, Master has already sent word to the Alchemist Guild about this matter before coming here. En, while he was at it, he also contacted many of his old friends!” Di Yao smiled and said confidently, “It shouldn’t be long before many people start arriving here.”
Inside the hall, the looks of everyone’s face filled with happiness and excitement.
Regardless of whether these people do so voluntarily or not, as long as they come, the Three Clans could collaborate to solve the problem of the Bone Race as soon as possible.
“Many thanks, Old Man Li!” Yang Kai said seriously.
“It is this old man who should be thanking Little Friend Yang on behalf of the world’s common people. It was Little Friend Yang who rushed about to rally the Three Clans, the dedication and care you hold for this world’s people is so great that this old man must admit his inferiority,” Old Man Li looked towards Yang Kai approvingly.
Yang Kai hesitated for a moment before saying, “Old Man Li misunderstands; I did not run around gathering the Three Clan and sending messengers to all the major forces out of some sense of righteousness, nor because I wanted to save this world.”
“Oh? Then why is Little Friend Yang acting so fervently, according to what this old man has heard, it was you who personally convinced the Demon and Monster Race to stand with you.”
“En, because I want to resolve the Bone Race issue as soon as possible so I can handle a personal matter. If I do not first solve the Bone Race, they will become an unwanted distraction,” Yang Kai replied sincerely.
Old Man Li stared at him deeply for a moment but did not ask him what this personal matter he wanted to deal with was, instead just letting out a chuckle, “No matter what your objective is, what you’ve done is a great meritorious deed, later generations who read tales of this day will no doubt see Little Friend Yang and Nine Heavens Holy Land’s names.”
Yang Kai could only let out a wry laugh.
Ten days later, Nine Heavens Holy Land had not yet seen the appearance of any Human Race master, but several Saint Grade Alchemists from the Alchemist Guild had actually arrived.
These Alchemists usually secluded themselves in their homes, and with their honoured status, it was always others who came to seek them out, but today, as if they had some prior agreement to, they all poured into Nine Heavens Holy Land.
Because The Old Man of Heaven’s Keep was here!
Each of them came here filled with anticipation, excitement and admiration.
Over the next few days, Saint Grade Alchemist from around the world arrived.
After learning the news, they had raced over even faster than the Human Race’s powerhouses.
In just ten days, the number of Saint Grade Alchemists inside Nine Heavens Holy Land had nearly reached thirty; almost ninety percent of the entire world’s Saint Grade Alchemists!
As for the remaining ten percent, they were all on their way.
Along with these Saint Grade Alchemists, a number of Human Race masters from various forces also began to arrive.
There were even several Third Order Saints!
Each of these masters were around a thousand years old and were old acquaintances with Old Man Li. After hearing his call, they had all rushed over without hesitation.
These top masters had also brought their own subordinates and disciples along with them to the nine peaks.
Soaring Heaven Sect’s Chu Ling Xiao had come together with Yang Kai’s four Martial Seniors too.
Chu Ling Xiao also seemed to know all of these old folks and each of them spent their time greeting and talking with one another
All of them praised Chu Ling Xiao about how outstanding a youth Yang Kai was.
As time passed, more and more Human Race masters assembled in the nine peaks, none of them possessing a cultivation lower than the Transcendent Realm.
The Alchemist Guild had announced that this time, if any great force did not give them face, the Alchemist Guild would act in kind, not only denying them Alchemy services, but even refusing to sell them spirit grasses and spirit medicines in the future.
This announcement had shaken the world and every force, big and small, did not hesitate to turn out in full strength.
They might be able to offend others, but none dared offend the entire world’s Alchemist, especially with The Old Man of Heaven’s Keep actually stepping forward to take the lead; none could withstand universal condemnation.
Once a cultivator no longer had access to pills, their days would be miserable.
Moreover, it was not like there were no benefits to showing up, the Alchemist Guild had pledged that after this matter was settled, all their Alchemists would provide Alchemy services for free for the next three years, including those Saint Grade Alchemist who would rarely personally take action!
No one would easily let go of such a huge advantage.
The entire nine peaks became very lively in a short period of time, with various masters emerging one after another.
With the introductions of Old Man Li and Chu Ling Xiao, Yang Kai also became acquainted with many of these top masters.
Time flew by and one month later, from the horizon, a terrifying Demonic Qi emerged, while at the same time, from a different direction, the sky filled with potent Monster Qi.
The masters inside the nine peaks all looked towards the sky, their expression becoming dignified.
On the other hand, Yang Kai’s eyes brightened as he muttered, “The masters from the Demon and Monster Races have arrived!”
The three Monster Race Great Seniors had already finished their preparations a month ago, but seeing how the Demon Race had not yet come, they decided to wait a day longer till they felt the approaching auras of the Demon Race.
Inside the nine peaks, the Human Race masters all turned their attention to the approaching Demon and Monster Race forces, many people showing looks of disgust and revulsion.
Facing those of different races, they naturally felt distrust. The grudges and hatred between the three races could not be resolved overnight.
A short time later, Zhang Yuan led the four Demon Generals and a large number of Demon Race Saints into the nine peaks, the three Monster Race Great Seniors also arriving at the same time.
Letting out a clear and resonant laugh, Zhang Yuan faintly swept his eyes over the crowd and calmly said, “There’s certainly a lot of people gathered here. If I had known so many would come, this Senior would not have bothered running all the way over from the Demon Land and just let you handle this yourselves. This Senior had actually thought most of you humans wouldn’t even show up.”
Thunder Dragon nodded in agreement, “En, this King also thought so.”
The way they addressed themselves as ‘This Senior’ and ‘This King’ caused many of the Human Race masters to glare as bitterness filled their hearts, their expressions becoming ugly.
“Do you two want to say anything else?” Yang Kai crossed the crowd and stared up at them, “Do you want to provoke hatred amongst our three clans even at this juncture? After coming this far, do you really want to just turn around and go home?”
Zhang Yuan chuckled as a look of vigilance appeared on his face, “This Senior had no such intentions, but I do need a guarantee from your Human Race’s powerhouses that after we finish dealing with the Bone Race, they won’t take advantage of the opportunity to attack my Demon Race. You Humans are famous for your insidious and deceitful nature. If you cannot provide such assurances, this Senior will immediately leave!”
“My Monster Race also needs such a guarantee!” Thunder Dragon concurred.
Vaguely, the Demon and Monster Race consolidated into one camp.
The Demon and Monster Race leaders had not anticipated that the Human Race would turn out in such force, they had thought that the various human forces would show their usual disunity and if even a dozen or so forces had assembled, it would have been quite good already, but upon arriving at the nine peaks, they discovered that almost every Human Race master had actually made an appearance.
There were even five or six Third Order Saint Realm masters here, and that was not counting Yang Kai’s people.
Once the Bone Race crisis had been settled, if these people decided to act against them, Zhang Yuan and Thunder Dragon weren’t sure the forces they had brought would be able to safely retreat.
At this moment, the two leaders felt an urge to withdraw and were secretly regretting agreeing to help Yang Kai so easily.
“If I promise you this, would you believe it?” Yang Kai looked up at them faintly.
Zhang Yuan and Thunder Dragon both decisively shook their heads. Although Yang Kai’s aptitude and influence were both outstanding, he was only able to directly command the forces of the Nine Heavens Holy Land. There was no way he could control so many other Human Race masters.
From the crowd down below, some of the Human Race masters began calling out, “Aren’t you two acting a bit paranoid? We didn’t have such ideas before. However, now that you mention it, some of us may be having some strange thoughts.”
Saying so, a number of sly grins began appearing.
Zhang Yuan and Thunder Dragon’s expression instantly became cold.
“How about if this old man makes the guarantee?” An elderly yet stable voice spoke out.
Zhang Yuan and Thunder Dragon followed the sound of the voice to its source and were met with the lightly smiling face of an old man who was slowly walking towards them. Upon seeing this man, both Zhang Yuan and Thunder Dragon respectfully cupped their fists, “Greetings, Old Man Li!”
Old Man Li stepped forward calmly and clearly stated, “You two are too polite. En, on behalf of the entire Human Race, this old man can guarantee that after this matter is settled, your two races will be able to withdraw without anyone acting against you. Are the two of you willing to trust this old man?”
Thunder Dragon and Zhang Yuan exchanged a quick glance before they both nodded sincerely.
Thunder Dragon’s expression relaxed as he said, “Among the Human Race, the only ones who I can believe in without question are Old Man Li and Holy Master Yang.”
“I agree,” Zhang Yuan expressed his support.
Old Man Li nodded lightly, “The specific situation I have learned from Little Friend Yang. The threat the recovery of the Bone Race poses must not be underestimated, this catastrophe really requires the cooperation of Human, Demon, and Monster races alike to resist, so this old man hopes that all of us can temporarily abandon the hatred between our races and unite against these Starry Sky invaders!”
“It is as Old Man Li says!”
“Old Man Li is correct!”
“We will do our utmost!”
Among the crowd, many Human Race masters openly expressed their support, none dared refute Old Man Li’s words.
Yang Kai was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. He has been worried that, when Zhang Yuan and Thunder Dragon arrived, conflict with the Human Race masters would erupt. If that were to happen, before they even fought with the Bone Race, their backyard would be on fire, a laughable predicament.
The sudden appearance of Old Man Li had solved this potential crisis though.
At the very least, he had allowed the Three Clans to temporarily unify.
“There is still an issue this Senior needs to clarify,” Zhang Yuan suddenly shouted, “With our three races teaming up, who is going to be in command?”
When these words came out, everyone fell quiet, each of them pondering over who would be the right candidate for this role, many of them soon turning their eyes towards Old Man Li.
Besides Old Man Li, there really was no one else who was respected by all three races.
Old Man Li, however, shook his head and chuckled, “Do you want this old man to stand on the battlefield too? This old man’s bones are brittle from age, going there would be tantamount to seeking death.”
Everyone couldn’t help revealing a look of disappointment, but considering Old Man Li’s situation, no one really dared let him fight with the Bone Race.
If he really suffered misfortune in the coming conflict, no one could afford the responsibility.
Old Man Li caressed his white beard and said solemnly, “This old man cannot go, but I do have a candidate in mind for the role, perhaps everyone can consider it.”
“Who?” Many people suddenly looked towards Old Man Li.
“Why not Little Friend Yang take the lead? This matter was originally coordinated by him. If he had not taken steps to inform the world, I’m afraid all of us would have died in ignorance. On top of that, he knows more about the situation than any of us. What’s most important though, is that this old man has heard Little Friend Yang has no prejudices in his heart. He was able to befriend both the Monster Race and Demon Race while himself being human. I don’t believe there is a more suitable candidate than him.”
Among the gathered Human Race masters, many whispers could be heard, some people began nodding while others shook their heads.
Yang Kai was also stunned and shook his head, “Old Man Li, I’m afraid this is not appropriate. I am not suited to ordering others around, and I am far younger and weaker than most of the Seniors here. How could I be the one commanding them?”
Old Man Li sternly replied, “Don’t belittle yourself so, although your present strength may not be great, having such achievements at your age is more than enough to qualify you as this world’s greatest talent. Besides the Great Demon God thousands of years ago, I am afraid no one can compare to your aptitude. Your achievements will certainly not be inferior to any of the Seniors present today. On top of that, you are the master of Nine Heavens Holy Land. Your status is no lower than anyone’s here.”
“But in the end…” Yang Kai frowned, not wanting to pick up this hot potato.
Old Man Li lifted his hand to interrupt him, “The Three Clans indeed need someone to oversee the whole situation, weigh the pros and cons, and give rational orders. If you don’t accept this role, then the Three Clans will be unable to collaborate effectively.”
Zhang Yuan nodded, “This Senior has no objections!”
Thunder Dragon shrugged his shoulders, “My Monster Race also agrees!”
Compared to anyone else here, they felt more comfortable following Yang Kai; after all, they had no friendship with any of the other Human Race masters, nor had they had any prior dealings with them. The only thing they shared was common hatred, so if they allowed someone else to issue orders, they may very well end up in a disadvantageous situation.
“My Soaring Heaven Sect agrees,” Chu Ling Xiao added his support.
“Little Yang Kai, if you are capable, you should not refuse,” Meng Wu Ya also advised.
With these two speaking, many human masters began pondering.
Whether it was Chu Ling Xiao or Meng Wu Ya, both were top powerhouses of the Human Race, so naturally their words carried weight.
Soon, the expression on the hesitant masters became stern as they discovered that although the Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land was neither old nor strong, his connections were actually broader than anyone else here.
He had a large number of Saint Realm master subordinates, originated from Soaring Heaven Sect, was closely related to the Human Race’s strongest master Meng Wu Ya, and was favoured by Old Man Li. He was even friends with the likes of Zhang Yuan and the Monster Race Great Seniors.
Invisibly, Yang Kai’s position in these peoples’ minds had risen sharply, making them realize that this young man was fully able to command a part of the world.
Bearing this thought in mind, none dared to despise Yang Kai again.
Immediately, everyone expressed their agreement to Old Man Li’s proposal.
Yang Kai’s brow became flat, not only lacking any joy but instead wishing he could find a way to reject.
Everyone’s vision silently gathered on him, waiting for his reply.
Facing this situation, rejection was not an option.
If Yang Kai were to reject, just as Old Man Li said, the combined forces of the Three Clans would be nothing more than loose sand.
After hesitating for a moment, Yang Kai braced himself and nodded, “Then this Junior will not be polite and will instead just ask the many Seniors present to assist me!”
Old Man Li smiled and nodded with satisfaction, “Don’t carry any psychological burden, just act in accordance with your best judgement!”
Yang Kai nodded lightly before sweeping his eyes over the crowd and loudly declaring, “Since everyone had gathered, we should not delay, let’s go!”
“May the fortunes of war be with you!” Old Man Li cupped his fists solemnly.
“We will take advantage of Old Man Li’s auspicious words!” Yang Kai took a deep breath and flew out of the nine peaks, Li Rong and Han Fei following close behind.
Many Human Race masters also pushed their Saint Qi and True Qi and swarmed after him, like a departing flock of birds.
Zhang Yuan and Thunder Dragon looked at each other with a slight grin before they too quickly kept up.
In an instant, the sound of rushing wind resounded across the nine peaks as various colourful rays of light flashed through the air.
In order to increase their speed, many masters had summoned their flight type artifacts.
Carriages, flying swords, boats, all sorts of artifacts of various shapes and sizes appeared, dazzling the crowds down below.
Behind the Human Race masters, the Demon Race’s were wrapped in a thick black cloud, obscuring their figures as they quickly flew forward.
Further behind then, the Monster Race masters followed, some in human form, some in beast form, a number of giant Monster Beasts actually dashing along the ground, their speed in no way inferior to those who were flying, a cloud of dust being kicked up wherever they passed.
Old Man Li stood at the edge of the nine peaks and watched as this gathering of the world’s top masters flew of and disappeared before turning to the Saint Grade Alchemists standing behind him and saying, “We should also handle the matters we are capable of and refine a number of Saint Pills. When they return home, there will no doubt be many in need of healing and restorative pills.”
The sky was dim and the earth was smashed, a scene one would only expect to see at the end of the world.
The masters of the Three Clans flew over a city as their Divine Senses all spread out. Yet, they have not found a single aura down below; chilling their hearts.
This was already the tenth dead city they had encountered.
These towns were originally bustling with people and activity, but now they had become bloodstained ruins that eerily lacked any corpses.
After leaving Nine Heavens Holy Land, the Tong Xuan Realm masters had spent an entire month on the road. A few days ago, as they approached the former boundaries of Water Spirit Temple’s territory, the Three Clans’ masters discovered that the situation was much worse than they originally thought.
The Bone Race had expanded rapidly; a swath of territory ten thousand kilometres in radius with Water Spirit Temple at its centre had turned into a desolate wasteland where not even birds remained.
It was as if this area had become a dead zone where no one lived and nothing grew.
At least several hundred thousand humans had disappeared from this land!
How many Bone Race clansmen could be spawned from these hundreds of thousands of corpses, no one could tell.
A blue light flashed in front of the group of masters and Yang Kai’s figure appeared, his expression extremely solemn.
“How is the situation?” Chu Ling Xiao hurriedly asked.
Because Yang Kai possessed a Star Shuttle, he had gone ahead a few days ago to scout out the situation and had not returned until just now.
“Not good!” Yang Kai shook his head before turning his attention to the group of masters in front of him, “The Bone Race currently has at least three thousand clansmen, all of whom have at least reached the Transcendent Realm.
When this remark came out, everyone’s face paled.
When Yang Kai had first encountered newly revived Bone Race, there had only been a few dozen Saints and a hundred or so Transcendents among them, their total population less than two hundred.
But in just half a year, their number had actually swelled to more than three thousand.
Such astonishing growth was difficult for everyone present to accept.
And these three thousand Bone Race clansmen were all at least Transcendent Realm masters!
Such strength was enough to sweep clean this world.
“We only have a bit more than a thousand people on our side, less than a third their number,” Chu Ling Xiao muttered unconsciously. Even someone as seasoned and experienced as he couldn’t help showing a grim look at this moment.
Zhang Yuan, Thunder Dragon, and all the other top masters were also aware of the seriousness of the problem.
Yang Kai nodded lightly, “While there’s some bad news, there is also some good. Although there are many more of them than before, most of them are still just Transcendents, the number of Saint Realm masters they possess hasn’t increased much. I estimate that from six months ago, there might be twenty more Saints in total on their side while on ours there are over two hundred. In terms of top-level masters, we have a decisive advantage.”
“But the remaining Transcendents are still a big problem,” Meng Wu Ya frowned.
Yang Kai grinned fiercely, “Just leave those Transcendents to me.”
Everyone looked at him with amazement, not knowing where his confidence was coming from.
Even Meng Wu Ya or Chu Ling Xiao wouldn’t dare say they could deal two or three thousand Transcendents, never mind Yang Kai.
“We should be glad that it took us less than half a year to assemble. If we have given the Bone Race six more months, they really would have become unstoppable,” Yang Kai said as a look of fear flashed across his face. The Bone Race’s rate of development was simply too fast.
Right now, with the Three Clans collaborating, they should still be able to extinguish the Bone Race, but if they had given the Bone Race another year, or even half a year to prepare, victory would no longer be guaranteed.
“Their entire population is now occupying Water Spirit Temple’s former headquarters, an island about one thousand kilometres away from here. We’ve all been travelling for so long, so I suggest we rest here for a while and then set off again two days later,” Yang Kai shouted in a clear and resonant voice.
No one raised any objections. They were now just a stone’s throw away from Water Spirit Temple where they would soon be waging a great war, so it was only natural for them to recover to their peak state first. In the coming battle, one moment of carelessness could very well result in death.
For now, many masters flew down to the ground and looked for positions to meditate and restore themselves.
Inside Water Spirit Temple, atop an island covered by a thick cloud of blood mist, one thick enough to even dye the surrounding pristine waters a bloody red.
In the middle of this island lay a huge blood pool, one that churned and tumbled as the fresh blood within it seemingly boiled.
Many pale bones and countless herbs floated inside the blood pool, similar to what Yang Kai had once seen before.
The only difference now though was that this blood pool was much larger than what Yang Kai had last visited, it now occupied almost half of the entire island.
Beside the blood pool, there were Bone Race masters who were pouring their own vital essence into the pool to help spawn new clansmen.
Innumerable hideous faces, like tormented ghost, were bound within the blood pool, wailing as they struggled to break free, filling the entire island with a terrifying air.
Ke Luo sat at the highest point on the island, overlooking the blood pool down below with satisfaction.
Suddenly, a Bone Race clansman hurried over and reported, “Sir, the masters of this world seem to have been attracted to our presence. They are now resting in a place not far from here.”
Ke Luo’s eerie green eyes flashed a ghastly light as he grinned, “They’re finally here, but it’s already too late!”
As he spoke, he rose from the chair he was sitting upon, “The inhabitants of this world are truly ignorant, actually giving my clan half a year to prepare. Without these past six months of buffer time, even if our clan had completely recovered, we wouldn’t have been able to create much stir, but things are different now. Since they dare to come, we must let them pay a suitable price. We’ll grind their bodies and use their remains to create more of our clan!”
His voice was high spirited and filled with confidence, causing the bone Race clansmen who had come to report to fill with excitement, as if he could already see the scene of his clan dominating this world and enslaving the beings who lived here.
“Transmit my orders! All our clansmen are to stop pouring their life essence into the blood pool, and instead have the newly born clansmen absorb as much energy from the blood pool as soon as possible to shape their physiques!”
“Yes!” The Bone Race clansmen immediately withdrew and rushed to the blood pool to spread the word.
After a moment, the Bone Race clansmen who were gathered around the blood pool stopped pouring their essence into it and began silently extracting energy from it instead.
The skeletons which originally did not possess any flesh or blood soon began forming their physiques.
The Bone Race clansmen who already had flesh on their bodies also became stronger after absorbing energy from the blood pool.
The Bone Race was planning to go all out as well.
The frightening blood cloud which had engulfed Water Spirit Temple’s main island gradually disappeared as the energy contained within it was absorbed into the bodies of the Bone Race clansmen, becoming a part of their strength.
In the blink of an eye, two days passed by.
Above the endless sea, the one thousand masters from the Thee Clans flew towards Water Spirit Temple.
Atop the island in front of them, the Bone Race clansmen stood fearlessly, their fiery green eyes filled with a violent and bloodthirsty light as they stared at the Three Clans’ masters like they were delicacies to be devoured.
Many Bone Race clansmen were even licking their lips, appearing completely undaunted.
Ten kilometres from the island, Yang Kai came to a stop, the masters from the Three Clans quickly forming up behind him.
Countless curious eyes stared towards the front.
Of those who had come here, almost none of them had ever encountered a member of the Bone Race before, so this was actually their first time seeing this enemy they had come to face.
On the surface, they appeared like ordinary humans, the only difference being their burning green eye. The coldness of these eyes and the bloodthirsty aura which pulsed from their bodies made everyone who was facing these Bone Race masters uncomfortable.
“Are they the Bone Race?” Many people muttered in surprise.
“They’re not such a big deal after all. I had thought they would have three heads and six arms, but it turns out they only have the normal amount!”
“Ha ha ha! We’ll soon let this trash know the meaning of fear!”
Everyone began shouting, seemingly not putting the Bone Race in their eyes.
“Yang Kai, what’s our plan? You’re in command, we’ll follow your orders,” Zhang Yuan stared forward, his Demonic Qi surging as a dangerous aura began pulsing from his body.
This was the enemy Great Demon God had once fought; now, after thousands of years, he, Demon Commander Zhang Yuan, was doing the same, giving him an indescribable feeling. He had secretly decided to give his all to clean up this mess Great Demon God had left behind so as not to bring shame to his legacy.
“I’m going to make the first move, all of you should wait patiently,” Yang Kai said lightly.
“You what?” Zhang Yuan was stunned and turned his head and looked at him; Thunder Dragon and the many Human Race masters also gave him strange looks.
Slowly shaking his head, Zhang Yuan said, “It’s not that this Senior is looking down on you, but with your strength, if you rush in there alone, you’ll die without a doubt.”
“That’s right, Little Yang Kai. Don’t forget that you are currently the one in command of our Three Clans’ alliance, so it’s not necessary for you to personally take the lead,” Meng Wu Ya said worriedly, “How about letting the old master step forward for you?”
He was afraid Yang Kai might have an accident.
“No need, naturally I have my reasons for going on ahead. Just watch,” Yang Kai smiled confidently.
Saying so, he immediately summoned his Star Shuttle and in a flash of light, soared into the skies above Water Spirit Temple.
Down below, countless Bone Race eyes stared towards him and Ke Luo coldly snorted, called out, “It’s you!”
Obviously he remembered Yang Kai’s appearance. The last time they met, Yang Kai had played him for a fool, causing Ke Luo to decide that in the future, he would track down Yang Kai and torture him brutally.
What he hadn’t expected was for Yang Kai to actually offer himself up.
Immediately overjoyed, Ke Luo waved his hand and shouted, “Capture him, I want the Star Shuttle in his hand!”
At that moment, a Second-Order Saint Realm Bone Race clansman flew up, sending out a burst of malevolent intent that formed itself into a nearly tangible beast that bit towards Yang Kai.
This monster was massive, and of a shape no one from Tong Xuan Realm had ever seen before. The Evil Qi it gave off seemed able to consume the Heavens and Earth.
An azure light flashed and Yang Kai’s Star Shuttle easily avoided this attack as he continued to fly about over Water Spirit Temple, a powerful Spiritual Energy constantly flooding out from him and covering Bone Race clansman on the island.
Ke Luo’s eyes narrowed as he sneered, “A Divine Sense attack?”
As he spoke, he sent out a pulse of Spiritual Energy no less intense than the ones Yang Kai was releasing, shaping it into an invisible sword and piercing it towards Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea.
Yang Kai’s figure suddenly went stiff.
“Hmph, seeking one’s own end! Actually daring to show off a Divine Sense attack in front of me, it seems you have no concept of your own strength,” Ke Luo snickered.
In the sky over Water Spirit Temple, Yang Kai, who was aboard his Star Shuttle, seemed to have frozen up and incapable of moving, a painful look upon his face.
Everyone who saw this scene paled, Earth Splitting Divine Ox quickly shouted, “Not good, that kid’s been incapacitated! We need to save him!”
“It’s too late!” Demon General Meng Ge’s expression turned ugly as he stared at the Bone Race master who was quickly approaching Yang Kai.
Just now, Yang Kai had taken advantage of his strange artifact to avoid being caught by the pursuing Bone Race Saint, but now that he had been locked in place, the Bone Race master was quickly able to close in, a malicious grin on his face as he reached out his hand to grab Yang Kai’s neck.
Everyone had no doubt that in the next breath, Yang Kai head would be separated from his body!
Many people couldn’t bear to witness this cruel sight and quickly turned their heads away, lamenting Yang Kai’s untimely demise.
In the next instant though, a wave of heat burst out and several muffled explosions resounded, dying Water Spirit Temple in a reddish hue. Numerous brilliant flames suddenly appeared and rained down like a meteor shower on the island below, each one containing a terrifying concentration of power that upon contact with the ground, erupting into an inferno that rapidly blackened the earth.
Many of the Bone Race clansmen’s green eyes couldn’t help flashing with fright as they hurriedly leapt up into the sky to avoid this raging hellfire.
What they feared most was fire, for potent flames were one of the few things that could completely kill them.
At the same time, Yang Kai, who was on the brink of being captured after suddenly losing his freedom, grinned mockingly towards the approaching Bone Race master as if he had never been hit before his figure flickered and he returned to his own camp.
“Smelly brat, you nearly scared this old master to death!” Meng Wu Ya was not exaggerating. Although he had great confidence in Yang Kai, the scene just now had been too close to the edge.
“Did you run over just to play a little trick and frighten them?” Zhang Yuan glanced over at Yang Kai, a slight look of dissatisfaction on his face.
“Of course not,” Yang Kai smiled lightly, “Just wait.”
“Wait for what?” Zhang Yuan couldn’t help but frown, not knowing what scheme Yang Kai was up to.
In fact, no one understood Yang Kai’s actions, not even Ke Luo, the leader of the Bone Race.
Although they had been hibernating for thousands of years, before that, they had fought against many of the inhabitants of this world, yet never before had they encountered such a strange young man.
A moment ago, Ke Luo realized that this youth’s Spiritual Energy was actually no weaker than his own! If it weren’t, there would have been no way for him to withdraw safely.
But what Ke Luo was confused about was this youth’s objective. Did he deliberately fly over just to show the unusual strength of his Soul?
After ten breaths of confusion though, a pitiful scream rang out from among the Bone Race camp. This one scream seemed to set off a chain reaction as more and more Bone Race clansmen began wailing.
Each of them seemed to be experiencing unbearable pain, their green eyes flickering as they soon began uncontrollably falling from the sky like raindrops onto the island and water below.
Within moments, five to six hundred of the three thousand Bone Race clansmen had fallen.
“What happened!” Ke Luo changed continence and shouted angrily.
“Sir, we’re not clear!” One of the nearby Bone Race clansmen replied.
The masters from the Three Clans were also staring dumbfounded at this development, unable to understand the situation.
However, they were keenly aware that the Bone Race clansmen who screamed and fell from the sky were all Transcendent Realm’s cultivators, and the less powerful ones at that.
“It was that Divine Sense attack!” A First-Order Saint Realm Bone Race master’s complexion paled as he endured a sharp pain coming from his Knowledge Sea, gritting his teeth as he reported, “His Divine Sense attack was laced with some strange insects that are now eating away at our Souls. These bugs are extremely tiny and difficult to detect, even I’ve been affected!”
“Soul Devouring Insects?” Ke Luo expression changed greatly as he suddenly thought of a certain type of insect which matched his subordinate’s description, “How could this backwater planet have these things?”
What was even more shocking to him though was how this young man could utilize these Soul Devouring Insects and even mix them into his Divine Sense attacks.
As they spoke out loud, their voices could be heard ten kilometres away and the masters from the Three Clans couldn’t help staring towards Yang Kai with amazement, their eyes filled with shock and pleasant surprise.
Naturally, they had heard of Soul Devouring Insects. They were a type of Exotic Ancient Insect that specifically fed on Spiritual Energy. Once someone was infested by these insects, if their Soul wasn’t strong enough to expel them, they would inevitably die.
However, what surprised them was that the Soul Devouring Insects released by Yang Kai seemed to be far more powerful than the rumors, because according to ancient records, as long as one arrived at the Saint Realm, they could easily use their powerful Spiritual Energy to kill these bugs.
But among the Bone Race clansmen, there were clearly Saint Realm masters affected as well; although these masters had not succumbed, they looked extremely uncomfortable. Obviously, they were completely occupied by these Soul Devouring Insects and had temporarily lost their combat capabilities.
“Are those Soul Devouring Insects they’re talking about really yours?” Meng Wu Ya asked curiously.
“En,” Yang Kai nodded, “I raised them with my own Spiritual Energy.”
“Raised them yourself…” Meng Wu Ya’s expression cramped up as he simultaneously admired Yang Kai’s courage and wondered what he was thinking.
“No wonder you said to leave those Transcendent Realm Bone Race to you. It turns out you had such a card,” Thunder Dragon Great Senior suddenly understood, these Soul Devouring Insects were indeed terrible and could even exterminate a race if used recklessly.
Considering this, Thunder Dragon, Zhang Yuan, and many others behind them felt cold sweat drip down their backs.
All of them secretly rejoiced that they had taken the initiative to be on good terms with Yang Kai and not become enemies with him. If they had really become intractable enemies, with just his Soul Devouring Insects alone he would be able to destroy their Demon or Monster Race.
Saints might not have to fear these insects, but how many Saints did each of their two races possess? The overwhelming majority of their clansmen were below the Saint Realm and would be helpless against these Exotic Ancient Insects.
Many Human Race masters also took notice of this and the looks they directed at Yang Kai became subtly different from before, all of them seemingly re-evaluating him and wondering how they could go about building good relationships with Nine Heavens Holy Land in the future.
“The opening of this war has gone well,” Chu Ling Xiao smiled heartily, “Eliminating several hundred of their number at once, it seems they are doomed to die here today.”
“If they have any intelligence at all, they won’t just sit there waiting to die!” Yang Kai knit his brow as he stared forward. Although he had successfully launched a pre-emptive attack on the Bone Race, if the situation turned into a melee, his Soul Devouring Insects would no longer be able to play such a big role.
These little insects only followed their instincts to devour Spiritual Energy, in a melee they were very likely to accidentally injure the masters from the Three Clans as well.
Yang Kai was now hoping the Bone Race would continue to remain in a state of confusion. Once enough time had passed, the Soul Devouring Insects would be able to kill all the Bone Race clansmen below the Saint Realm!
At the time, with less than a hundred Bone Race Saints left, it would a simply task for the forces of the Three Clans to clean them up.
In less than thirty breaths, the five or six hundred Bone Race clansmen that had fallen into the sea or onto the island down below had all died, their green eyes losing their former light and instead filling with dullness.
Even the strange Bone Race cultivators would die if their Souls were destroyed!
Seeing so many of his clansmen die like this, Ke Luo green eyes seemed to become red with anger, and in his fury, he roared towards the sky, releasing a thick blood fog from his body that washed over the island.
This blood fog not only contained his potent physical strength, but also Ke Luo’s tyrannical Spiritual Energy.
In an instant, Yang Kai felt the Soul Devouring Insects he had been raising for so many years suffer massive losses, causing his expression to ink as he quickly recalled the survivors back.
At this point, there were still more than two thousand Bone Race clansmen remaining, each of them now directing looks of bitter hatred towards him.
A huge suction force suddenly spread from these Bone Race masters.
The bodies of the Bone Race clansmen who had just died quickly shriveled up, their physiques transforming into stream of vital essence that was swallowed up by their living counterparts, enhancing their strength.
Within moments, the five or six hundred dead Bone Race clansmen had been transformed in dust and thoroughly vanished.
Yang Kai was stunned as he couldn’t help muttering, “They can even do this?”
The masters from the Three Clans also wore grim looks.
With this strange ability, the more people who died, whether they were their allies or enemies, the stronger the remaining Bone Race masters would become.
Yang Kai immediately realized this point, as did the others.
Everyone understood that this was going to be a difficult fight.
“They’re advancing!” Meng Wu Ya shouted.
“Meet them head-on!” Yang Kai narrowed his eyes as he shouted, “Remember, ordinary injuries have no effect on them! Even what would normally be mortal wounds are meaningless, the best way to kill them is to tear them apart, crush them to pieces, or burn them into ash!”
Yang Kai had previously explained this information to everyone, but with the battle about to begin, he couldn’t help issuing a reminder.
“I know, I’ll let these walking skeletons experience this Senior’s methods,” Zhang Yuan grinned.
On the opposite side, the two thousand or so Bone Race clansmen were flying over, each of them eerily silent, their expressions fierce and determined, seemingly unafraid of even death.
The masters from the Three Clans didn’t move, but all one thousand of them had begun to condense their strength, ready to strike at any moment.
The ten kilometres between the two groups quickly shrank.
When the Bone Race had crossed half the distance, the Human, Demon, and Monster Race masters finally moved, streams of potent Saint Qi, Demonic Qi, and Monster Qi flying out as all kinds of radiant artifacts were summoned out.
The entire sky was lit up with explosions of light as the world itself seemed to tremble under the fury of this combined attack.
Artifacts of all shapes and sizes flashed as they released one strike after another.
The more than two thousand Bone Race clansmen all simultaneously opened their mouths and let out a terrible howl, sending out an invisible shockwave that caused the sea below them to rise into the sky and blend together with the rancid Blood Qi they were emitting, countering the opening salvo from the Three Clans.
The world shook as the ocean rose up and a hundred Bone Race clansmen at the head of their charge were struck by the combined attack of the Three Clans’ masters and burst into dust, leaving behind not even a trace of their existences.
More Bone Race figures emerged from the tidal wave and charged fearlessly into the Three Clans lineup.
They had blocked the wave of attacks with the help of this wall of seawater and by sacrificing over a hundred of their fellow clansmen.
A great melee was about to begin. As the two thousand Bone Race clansmen rushed over, the Three Clans coalition instantly began to split up to engage the enemy.
The Bone Race also knew that this battle would determine the fate of this world.
If they were defeated here, the enemy would completely exterminate them, not giving them a chance to preserve the last of their clan, like they had done all those thousands of years ago. But if they were to win, they would be able to enslave this world without the slightest opposition.
As such, Ke Luo had gone all out, investing the strength of his entire clan and disregarding any kind of losses they suffered in pursuit of victory.
Howls and pitiful screams echoed through the air as cultivators from both sides perished, crimson flowers blossoming across the sky and sea.
The Bone Race had the absolute advantage in terms of numbers; even after Yang Kai had used his Soul Devouring Insects to launch a surprise attack, the Bone Race was still twice as numerous as the Three Clans masters.
On top of that, they didn’t fear injuries. Even if their hearts or heads were pierced through, they would quickly be able to restore themselves. As long as their skeleton remained undamaged, they would not die!
However, they had no artifacts!
Perhaps thousands of years ago, when they first set foot on Tong Xuan Realm, they had their own artifacts, but after thousands of years unable to nourish them, all their artifacts had long decayed and been destroyed.
Right now, they could only fight using their personal strength.
The masters from the Three Clans were different, each of them possessing a few good offensive and defensive artifacts which they did not hesitate to summon.
The Bone Race also possessed far fewer Saint Realm masters than the Human, Demon, and Monster Races.
Each side had its own advantages and disadvantages, so when this battle to determine the future course of Tong Xuan Realm broke out, it almost immediately fell into a stalemate.
The Bone Race’s clansmen were quickly being killed, each of them being smashed to pieces or burnt to ashes, their pitiful screams constantly ringing through the air.
The Three Clans also suffered losses, but compared to the Bone Race, the number of people who fell was undoubtedly less.
The Human, Demon, and Monster Race masters all respectively revealed their own Divine Abilities, display a shocking array of astonishing methods.
A thick black cloud covered the sky, resembling the curtain of night.
The brilliant rays of the sun were unable to penetrate this cloud, blanketing the entire sea in darkness.
The atmosphere was filled with a gloomy chill as this black cloud descended, bringing with it a pressure akin to a falling mountain, weighing down hundreds of Bone Race clansmen, severely hindering their movements.
Beneath this cloud, Zhang Yuan led many Demon Race masters in a grand formation to launch a devastating attack.
A giant meteor of compressed dark energy rained down from the black cloud onto the Bone Race cultivators below.
This dark meteor pulsed with terrifying, Heaven-shaking energy.
When the meteor landed among the suppressed Bone Race cultivators, it silently exploded into a wave of pitch-black ripples.
As these ripples of black energy propagated outwards, they swept up all the surrounding Bone Race cultivators.
The sea below sank as a huge gully formed on its surface.
Even the main island of Water Spirit Temple, which was ten kilometres away, could not withstand this series of attacks and was quickly torn apart, collapsing into the sea.
*Kacha…*
Countless Bone Race clansmen were caught up in this dark explosion and shredded, as if they had been slashed apart by thousands of sharp blades.
The Transcendent Realm Bone Race clansmen were unable to bear this kind of violent attack.
Even the Saint Realm Bone Race masters suffered heavy losses under this attack and were nearly crushed by it. If they had not escaped quickly, their fate would have been no different from their Transcendent Realm counterparts.
After experiencing Zhang Yuan’s tyrannical might, the surviving Bone Race masters’ eyes flashed with dread.
The four Demon General followed close behind Zhang Yuan, each of them wearing fierce expressions as they madly pushed their Demonic Qi, soaring straight into the Bone Race cultivators and slaughtering in all directions.
Meng Wu Ya fought alone.
His hands seemed able to grasp the sky itself, his gestures wild and unrestrained as an amazing momentum centred on him constantly whipped about.
No Bone Race master dared to approach him, steering well clear of this frightening aura.
Above Meng Wu Ya’s head, inexplicable energy gathered and gradually condensed into a number of great beasts. These beasts were massive and carried with them an indomitable and ancient aura.
A moment later, these beasts seemed to come alive as their eyes all shot open and an overwhelming aura of destruction erupted from their bodies.
The world shuddered.
There were eight of these beasts in total, some that ran along the ground, others that flew through the sky, and some that even swam in the sea.
These eight beasts possessed real physical essence and were nearly indistinguishable from living Monster Beasts. A moment later, they rushed into the Bone Race cultivators, trampling and smashing them to pieces, swallowing them whole without spitting out even their bones.
Chu Ling Xiao led Cang Yan and the other Soaring Heaven Sect Saints through the battlefield. Accurately targeting the Third Order Saint Realm Bone Race masters, their group of five focusing solely on killing these top enemy powerhouses with the greatest efficiency.
Scarlet Flame Thunder Dragon, Earth Splitting Divine Ox, and Ice Jade Python, the three Monster Race Great Seniors, also held nothing back, transforming into the Beast Forms as the led the other Monster Race masters on a wild rampage.
Scarlet Flame Thunder Dragon spat out swaths of burning flames; everywhere he went, Bone Race cultivators were reduced to ash. Arcs of lightning as thick as an adult male’s torso also surged around his body, inspiring bolts of lightning from the Heavens above to endlessly fall on the surrounding Bone Race masters, shredding their forms before they could even resist.
Wherever Earth Splitting Divine Ox stepped, massive cracks would appear, and from these cracks an intense vortex of Earth Qi would emerge, drawing in the nearby Bone Race cultivators before grinding them into slag.
Ice Jade Python’s body was covered in beautiful jade white scales that granted physical defence so strong that all the Bone Race attacks that landed on her only managed to produce some small sparks without causing any damage.
Whenever she whipped her long tail about, any Bone Race clansman unlucky enough to be hit would explode into a bloody fog, their bones shattering to pieces.
Among the Ancient Demon Clan, Li Rong’s figure flickered about lightly, her movements elegant and graceful, her jade white hands reaping the lives of one Bone Race master after another in a seemingly relaxed fashion.
Han Fei wrapped herself in a frigid aura as she shuttled across the battlefield. Everywhere she went turned into a frozen tundra where snow fell from the sky. Gorgeous ice flowers blossomed on the chests of Bone Race masters she struck, freezing them into ice sculptures that soon shattered into particles of light.
None of the masters from the Human, Demon, and Monster Races concealed their strength, each of them constantly unleashing their strongest Divine Abilities, going all out to destroy the enemy before them.
They paid no attention to their own side’s losses, instead just striving to extinguish these Starry Sky invaders as quickly as possible.
They had seemingly been infected by Yang Kai’s boldness after witnessing him single-handedly charging into the enemy’s ranks.
Yang Kai was only a Third-Order Transcendent, but he had still flown straight into the three thousand Bone Race masters all alone and killed hundreds of them in an instant.
None of these masters were willing to show any weakness here.
Before leaving, Yang Kai had been appointed by the Three Clans as their commander, but he was not one to sit back and issue orders.
Rather than using words, he had chosen to inspire the spirits of the Three Clans through his actions instead.
He had to let them temporarily abandon the boundaries between their races and work together to carve out a future for all of them in this world.
Everyone was fighting bravely, and Yang Kai was no exception.
Unfortunately, as a Third Order Transcendent, in this tangled melee, the role he could play was too small. Every one of the Bone Race cultivators was at least a Transcendent and quite difficult to kill, even making full use of his Nine Heavens Divine Skills, Yang Kai had only managed to kill ten more enemies since the battle broke out.
A tinge of annoyance welled up in his heart and Yang Kai quickly began condensing the burning hot True Qi inside his body.
The Golden Dragon tattoo on his back which none around him could see suddenly came to life and began swimming across his skin.
The next moment, a dazzling golden light erupted from the Golden Dragon tattoo pattern, blinding everyone nearby.
An immense and majestic aura erupted.
A mighty dragon roar resounded through the sky, piercing the Heavens like an unstoppable sword and echoing across the world.
A huge golden dragon suddenly appeared at a certain spot on the battlefield. This Golden Dragon shone like the sun, the blazing hot energy pulsing from its body scalding all the Bone Race cultivators near it.
In the blink of an eye, four or five Transcendent Realm Bone Race cultivators were burned to ashes.
“The Dragon Emperor’s power!” Dragon Phoenix Palace’s Palace Master Chen Zhou gasped as he saw this Golden Dragon emerge and then begin to wantonly slaughter the Bone Race cultivators around it, shouting out excitedly, “My Dragon Phoenix Palace’s Dragon Emperor has once again reappeared in this world!”
Even after several years had passed, Chen Zhou still distinctly remembered this familiar scene. On that day, when Frozen Nether Cave Heaven had invaded Dragon Phoenix Palace, and the Sect was on the verge of collapsing, the Dragon Emperor had appeared and swiftly turned the tide of the battle, saving Dragon Phoenix Palace.
Today, on this battlefield against these Starry Sky invaders, the Dragon Emperor has once again appeared.
“Xiao Ling!” After recovering from his excitement, Chen Zhou called out angrily.
“Palace Master!” Elder Xiao Ling, who was fighting nearby Chen Zhou, rushed over.
“Did Sun Yu come?” Chen Zhou asked urgently.
“No, Sir Dragon Emperor’s strength was insufficient and did not participate in this matter.”
“Then what is that all about?” Chen Zhou stared blankly at the huge Golden Dragon.
Sun Yu was the Dragon Emperor of Dragon Phoenix Palace. If he wasn’t here though, how could the Dragon Emperor have appeared?
Chen Zhou’s head was filled with confusion.
“The aura of a True Dragon!”
At the same time, Thunder Dragon Great Senior couldn’t help freezing up and turning towards the Golden Dragon, exclaiming in shock.
He too had assumed the form of a dragon, but compared to this Golden Dragon, his Scarlet Flame Thunder Dragon, whether it was in terms of size or purity of Monster Qi, differed greatly.
This Golden Dragon exuded the purest Monster Race aura, akin to that of a great sovereign.
For a moment, Thunder Dragon Great Senior’s heart was overawed, as if he had never expected a day would come when he could feel such an aura in this world.
Even Earth Splitting Divine Ox and Ice Jade Python wore solemn expressions as they stared towards the Golden Dragon with looks of reverence and yearning.
Many Monster Race masters became stimulated by this sight, transforming into their Beast Forms and releasing thunderous roars as they madly crashed against the Bone Race cultivators.
This True Dragon aura had greatly roused the spirits of the Monster Race.
The melee dragged on into the night, and the entire sea had become a battlefield, the number of Bone Race clansmen rapidly decreasing from originally more than two thousand during the day until only several hundred now, and this number was still falling.
From the original thousand Human, Demon, and Monster Race masters, less than half remained.
All who had fallen on this battlefield had no hope of survival.
Whether they were Transcendents or Saints, in this kind of tangled melee, their individual strength mattered not, only the Third Order Saints could move somewhat unscrupulously throughout the battlefield.
After Yang Kai transformed into a Golden Dragon, it was as if his bloodthirst had been awoken and he madly slaughtered all the Bone Race clansmen around him. Intense burning heat was the Bone Race’s biggest nemesis and the heat which naturally overflowed from the Golden Dragon was enough to melt any Bone Race clansmen below the Saint Realm.
The situation gradually changed from a balanced stalemate to a one-sided slaughter.
As soon as the Three Clans gained the advantage, they pressed it hard until the Bone Race was unable to resist, reducing them to pigs waiting for the slaughter.
However, Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling a sense of discomfort.
For some time now, he had been looking for the leader of the Bone Race, Ke Luo, but ever since the melee began, he had never appeared and no one knew where he had gone.
All of the masters present were busy fighting the enemies in front of them and had no time to pay attention to this oddity.
Yang Kai flew high up into the sky, ignoring all the commotion around him.
Fully releasing his Divine Sense, Yang Kai began searching for Ke Luo’s trail.
This person was the leader of the Bone Race and should be the most powerful among them. If he didn’t die here today, even wiping out the rest of the Bone Race would become meaningless.
As time passed, Yang Kai’s frown deepened.
Ke Luo seemed to no longer be here, as if he had long ago fled. No matter how Yang Kai pushed his Divine Sense, he simply couldn’t feel his aura!
Yang Kai’s heart sank but not believing such a ridiculous possibility, he persisted in his search.
After a cup of tea worth of time, Yang Kai finally found some clues.
All the Bone Race, Human, Demon, and Monster Race masters who died on this battlefield had their flesh and blood transformed into vital essence which then invisibly sank into the ground before gathering towards a certain spot where a formidable aura was concealing itself.
Ke Luo!
Yang Kai dove down without hesitation, his Golden Dragon form transforming into a streak of golden light, like the sun itself was falling from the sky, slamming into the ground in the next instant.
*Hong…*
The earth trembled violently as a wild strength passed through the soil and sank underground.
A cold snorted came out and Ke Luo’s figure smashed out from the ground, his face dyed in an unusual red light as he stood overlooking the crowds down below, his flaming green eyes filled with a contemptuous and self-satisfied light.
An astonishing energy fluctuated around him.
Yang Kai’s eyes shrank as his instincts screamed out in alarm.
He saw that something was wrong!
Just as Ke Luo came to a halt, a black demonic hand emerged from the void and grabbed towards him. This black hand grew bigger and bigger and soon seemed as if it was able to grasp the entire world in its palm.
Naturally, this hand belonged to Demon Commander Zhang Yuan!
Ke Luo seemed to have not realized at all and simply remained hovering mid-air.
“Zhang Yuan, fall back!” Yang Kai quickly shouted.
Unfortunately, he was too late; Zhang Yuan was the Demon Commander, the strongest master in the Demon Land, naturally he held absolute confidence in his own strength, but just as his black hand was about to seize Ke Luo, it was as if it was pierced by something and he hastily withdrew it.
The next moment, Zhang Yuan appeared beside Yang Kai, his expression incredibly solemn as red blood dripped from his right hand and a potent stench of death wrapped around his arm.
In that instant, he had been injured by Ke Luo.
A thick sense of dread flashed across Zhang Yuan’s eyes and he quickly circulated the Demonic Qi in his body to expel the malevolent energy Ke Luo had injected into his arm.
In a flash of light, Li Rong, Meng Wu Ya, Chu Ling Xiao, Thunder Dragon Great Senior appeared.
At this moment, the Saint Realm masters of the Bone Race had almost been completely eliminated and the remaining Transcendent Realm cultivators were fleeing. The Human, Demon, and Monster Masters were in pursuit, vowing to not let a single one escape alive.
Only the top powerhouses remained behind to deal with Ke Luo.
“Saint King Realm?” Meng Wu Ya asked in amazement.
The strength of Zhang Yuan was something he was clearer about than anyone else; after all, he had fought against Zhang Yuan hundreds of years ago. Naturally, he was incomparable to an ordinary Third Order Saint, but Zhang Yuan had still been easily wounded by Ke Luo.
Ke Luo’s strength at this moment seemed to be above everyone else here, and even as he faced the top masters from the Three Clans, he didn’t show any signs of panic.
“He’s not a Saint King yet, but he’s on the verge of breaking through!” Yang Kai said while maintaining his Golden Dragon form.
Ke Luo’s aura was truly earth-shaking, significantly more potent than anyone else present, but he had definitely not reached the Saint King Realm yet because his strength was still fluctuating wildly, a clear sign of imminent breakthrough.
“I must thank you!” Ke Luo looked down at the crowd arrogantly and said in a cold voice, “Thanks to your efforts I was able to obtain this opportunity! If it wasn’t for so many masters dying here, I would never have been able to break through to the Saint King Realm so quickly! Thousands of years ago, you had a powerful Saint King masters on your side who slaughtered my clan’s leaders, but now, I’d like to see what you plan to fight me with!”
With a shout, a great suction force erupted from his body, like an invisible vortex that spun madly.
The vital essence of the countless dead bodies down below flowed towards him at a rate visible to the naked eye.
The rivers of blood and essence continuously poured into Ke Luo’s body, transforming into his own strength, fueling his ever-rising momentum.
Most embarrassing of all was that the majority of this fresh blood came from the corpses of the deceased Human, Demon, and Monster Race masters!
The sky clouded over as Ke Luo breakthrough drew closer!
“This was your objective all along!” Chu Ling Xiao shouted.
The faces of the masters present all became gloomy as they suddenly understood.
This time, when the Three Clans collaborated to attack the Bone Race, the Bone Race had fought back without the slightest fear. The Human, Demon, and Monster Race masters had thought that these Bone Race invaders had simply been overconfident, but it was only now that they realized that Ke Luo didn’t care at all about the lives of his clansmen. The past six months, he had only expanded his clan’s numbers in order to force the Three Clans to confront him.
During this battle, both his clansmen and this world’s masters died in droves!
Ke Luo was aiming at this opportunity to obtain a massive amount of vital essence.
The dead Human, Demon, and Monster Race masters had all at least reached the Transcendent Realm and there was no shortage of fallen Saints.
With such a huge amount of vital energy injected into his body, Ke Luo wouldn’t have any trouble breaking through.
This was all one giant plot; while the Three Clans had thought victory was within their grasp, they were actually being manipulated into doing Ke Luo’s bidding.
“You can exterminate my clansmen to the last! As long as I live, I can spawn as many of them as I want!” Ke Luo seemed to think he had already won, turning his head towards the sky and letting out a victorious laugh.
Everyone’s face instantly darkened as they stared up at the terrifying swirl of World Energy gathering in the sky. Naturally this energy was the makings of the baptism one would receive when they broke through from the Saint Realm to the Saint King Realm; none of the masters here dared test its power.
If they were caught up in it, they may very well be reduced to dust.
“You plan to live on?” Yang Kai dismissed his Golden Dragon form and stared towards Ke Luo coldly, a grin quickly forming on his face, “Wishful thinking!”
Saying so, Yang Kai flipped his hand and summoned an item out from the Black Book space.
It was a dark red stone roughly the size of a fist.
Pouring his True Qi into this stone, it immediately released a brilliant red light as well as an astonishing attractive force, one many times stronger than the one Ke Luo was emitting.
The fresh blood which had been gathering rapidly toward Ke Luo instantly froze, as if it was grasped by a giant invisible hand, and then began flowing faster and faster through the air towards the red stone before being swallowed up by it.
Not a single drop of vital essence flew towards Ke Luo anymore.
The source of energy he was using to break through had been abruptly cut off.
“Blood Essence Stone!” Ke Luo’s green eyes shook violently and he couldn’t help calling out in alarm, a hint of panic flashing across his face, “How could you have a Blood Essence Stone?”
At this moment, he even seemed afraid of this strange stone.
Yang Kai grinned mockingly, “Without any energy to support you, I’d like to see how you break through to the Saint King Realm!”
As if to echo Yang Kai’s words, the gathering World Energy high up in the sky suddenly began to disperse.
Ke Luo raised his head to the sky and upon realizing he had no hope of breaking through, he finally began to panic.
Yang Kai held tightly to the Blood Essence Stone, constantly pouring his True Qi into it, absorbing every last drop of vital essence and fresh blood from the surrounding dozens of kilometre radius, refusing to give Ke Luo a single opportunity.
Sneering deeply, Yang Kai taunted, “What’s wrong, you suddenly seem afraid?”
The eyes of the masters gathered around Yang Kai also brightened as they once again saw hope of wiping out the Bone Race.
All of them were secretly rejoicing; if Yang Kai had not promptly discovered traces of Ke Luo, after he had gathered enough energy, no one would have been able to resist him.
Ke Luo’s eyes flashed as a thick murderous intent burned within them; glaring at Yang Kai, he gnashed his teeth and shouted, “Even if I have not arrived at the Saint King Realm, none of you are my opponent! I’ll kill you first then seize your Blood Essence Stone!”
Saying so, a cold, gloomy Spiritual Energy suddenly burst out from Ke Luo and flew towards Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea, clearly trying to extinguish Yang Kai’s Soul.
Realizing that this was a pure Divine Sense attack, Yang Kai didn’t show the slightest fear and stood his ground.
“Burn!” With a low shout, Yang Kai unleashed his Conflagrated Divine Sense and incinerated Ke Luo’s malevolent Spiritual Energy before it could even get close.
Not pausing for an instant, Ke Luo lifted his hand and palmed towards Yang Kai.
A pale, skeletal had suddenly appeared, giving people the illusion that it was the hand of death itself, causing everyone present to shudder.
This bone hand was massive and seemed to be comprised of the hardest jade, it gave off a strange power and terrifying pressure, its five fingers curling into hooks as it pressed down towards Yang Kai.
The surrounding world seemingly couldn’t withstand this pressure and began to crack and collapse, a huge palm print appearing on the ground.
“In your dreams!” Li Rong shouted as her pretty face was instantly filled with dense Demon Crests, giving her a wild look as a dreadful Demonic Qi overflowed from her tender body and shot like a barrage of arrows towards this giant bone hand.
“Go!” Yang Kai also shouted, summoning his Silver Leaf Grade Top-Rank artifact and transforming it into a silver shield to block the oncoming attack.
The ground below caved in as brilliant light shone; it was as if the entire world was trembling.
The skeletal hand shattered into fragments and before the pieces could hit the ground they disintegrated and disappeared.
Li Rong’s tender body shivered as her face flushed red; in the confrontation with Ke Luo’s just now, she had clearly suffered a slight loss.
At some point during this exchange, the other masters around Yang Kai had disappeared.
Zhang Yuan once again appeared mysterious right beside Ke Luo, his body wrapped in a thick black cloud and a jet black halberd in his hand. This weapon exuded terrifying energy and seemed able to swallow all light in its surrounding.
The long halberd pierced out, as if breaking the shackles of space, and stabbed towards Ke Luo’s chest.
This strike was made silently, but actually contained the full might of Zhang Yuan’s strength!
Until now, the Demon Commander had never displayed his full strength, causing Yang Kai to secretly marvel.
The tip of the halberd was filled with Zhang Yuan’s comprehension of the Martial Dao and Demonic Qi, creating an attack that tore through the world itself.
“Paltry tricks!” Ke Luo seemed to have already detected this attack and coldly snorted, showing neither panic nor anxiety as he summoned a bone shield beside him.
The halberd struck the centre of this bone shield and a shockwave of energy burst forth, forcing Zhang Yuan to retreat a dozen steps while the bone shield itself shattered.
Ke Luo was unscathed, causing Zhang Yuan’s eyes to flash with shock, he had never imagined this Bone Race leader’s strength would be this tyrannical.
His current strength, although not reaching the Saint King Realm, definitely exceeded the limits of this world, forcing Zhang Yuan to unwillingly admit his inferiority.
A cold gale whipped up and a dozen floating skulls suddenly appeared around Ke Luo. These skulls rapidly grew to become big as a houses and riding the swirling wind, rapidly surrounded Zhang Yuan, their eye sockets and mouths spurting out eldritch power as they closed in.
They were trying to swiftly kill Zhang Yuan!
Zhang Yuan didn’t even have time to dodge before he was struck by this mysterious power and a look of pain surfaced on his face. Even given the intrepid strength of his Demon body, he was unable to completely withstand this violent attack.
Not daring to delay, Meng Wu Ya flew in and pushed his Saint Qi to the limit, shielding Zhang Yuan from the next wave of attacks. Without saying a word, Zhang Yuan immediately began cooperating as he wielded his long halberd, sending out waves of black energy towards the giant skulls.
These two rivals who had competed against one another for hundreds of years were unexpectedly capable of perfectly coordinating with one another.
“The Saint King Realm expert from all those years ago only hit me once, leaving me severely wounded, I must see whether his descendants inherited any of his strength!” Ke Luo shouted, waving his hands and sending out a deep green rope from his sleeve. This rope seemed to have a mind of its own and quickly began to inflate, soon becoming even bigger than Yang Kai’s Golden Dragon incarnation.
When it revealed itself, everyone realized it was a powerful artifact.
No one knew how Ke Luo had managed to maintain the power of this artifact over thousands of years.
This artifact soon transformed into an incredibly realistic flying serpent with a pair of wings on its back.
When this flying snake artifact appeared, it gave Yang Kai an immense pressure and he couldn’t help give birth to the illusion that he was being crushed beneath a mountain, his body becoming heavy and difficult to move.
The flying snake danced through the air, sending out mysterious ripples from its body that seemed to contain a magical force that bound everyone present, like they were tied up with ropes.
At this moment, the masters present all felt as if they had been shackled and sunk into a muddy swamp, finding it difficult to move or even circulate their strength.
Chu Ling Xiao flew forward to confront this flying snake artifact, summoning his Demon Sealing Chain and releasing a brilliant golden light from it to block these ripples.
Thunder Dragon Great Senior also rushed up, wantonly releasing the power of flames, thunder, and lightning from his body, cooperating with Chu Ling Xiao to finally hold back the power of this flying snake artifact.
Ke Luo himself had not yet moved, only relying on the dozen skulls and his flying snake artifact to tie down four of Tong Xuan Realm’s top masters.
The four masters had each unleashed their full strength and were still only capable of dealing with the problem in front of them, having no spare ability to deal with Ke Luo himself.
Only Li Rong remained to guard Yang Kai.
Ke Luo turned his eyes towards Yang Kai and smiled coldly, “You should have escaped! You should have run away as far as you could, but since you’ve chosen to remain, you can have the honour of dying by my hand.”
Saying so, he leisurely stepped towards Yang Kai.
As he approached, Li Rong’s expression became heavier and heavier, an inexplicable pressure pressing down on her, making her bones creak, threatening to force her to the ground at any moment.
Yang Kai also noticed that something was wrong and quickly whispered in a low voice, “Devil Transformation!”
With these words, the True Yang Yuan Qi flowing through Yang Kai’s meridians madly retreated to his dantian and was replaced by a rich Demonic Qi. Demon Crests, which could not be seen by the naked eye, flickered before disappearing into his physique, forming a profound and shocking array inside his body.
Yang Kai’s strength of vitality soared and the energy fluctuations coming from his body sharply rose in intensity, become many times stronger than a moment ago.
Ke Luo steps paused briefly as he stared at Yang Kai with some surprise. In the blink of an eye, the young man in front of him who was supposed to only be a Third-Order Transcendent actually began giving off an aura similar to that of a Third Order Saint, a shocking phenomenon.
“Unexpectedly you are still able to summon out this kind of strength, impressive!” Ke Luo gently nodded, maintaining an aloof attitude as he grinned, “But you will still die! Without arriving at the Saint King Realm, no one can rival me!”
Saying so, he gently pushed his palm forward, sending a terrifying invisible strike towards Yang Kai, as if he was planning to crush him to dust.
Yang Kai dragged Li Rong behind him and also sent out palm strike of his own.
A massive palm print that seemed capable of blotting out the sky emerged.
Heaven Covering Hand, the hand that covers the Heavens!
This was the Heaven Covering Hand Yang Kai displayed while in his Devil Transformation state, causing it to be many times more powerful than normal.
*Hong…*
A loud explosion erupted, rattling everyone’s eardrums as shockwaves visible to the naked eye spread out in all directions, sending massive tidal waves racing across the sea down below.
“Hm?” Ke Luo expression changed once more, seemingly not having expected Yang Kai to so easily counter his blow and even remain uninjured.
He was clear just how much power was behind his attack just now, and though the young man in front of him gave off an aura equivalent to a Third-Order Saint, he had only been able to achieve this by borrowing some kind of external force.
In the end, he should still have just been a weak Third Order Transcendent.
But the reality was that this youth had managed to block his attack. The only explanation was that his body could fully utilize this external force without any reservations!
[Just how powerful is his physique?]
Ke Luo’s eyes lit up as he suddenly gained a strong interest in Yang Kai’s physique. He secretly felt that if he could extract all of this youth’s vital essence, his own strength would improve by leaps and bounds.
Yang Kai, on the other hand, didn’t stop moving for an instant, swiftly condensing a number of dark spears above his hand and hurling them out.
Li Rong followed immediately behind this rain of spears, waiting for an opportunity to deliver a critical blow to Ke Luo.
The bone shield once again appeared in front of Ke Luo.
This bone shield seemed to be condensed purely of Ke Luo’s energy, so it could be used over and over again as long as he still had enough strength.
The storm of Heaven Punishing Spears landed on this bone shield, breaking it to pieces once more, but Ke Luo remained unharmed.
Li Rong saw that the situation was unfavourable and rapidly pushed her Demonic Qi to send out two black spikes towards Ke Luo’s eyes as she fell back and returned to Yang Kai’s side, their joint offensive producing no appreciable results.
Ke Luo smiled lightly, “Is this the extent of your ability? If you only have such skill, I’m afraid your luck has run out.”
“You spew too much nonsense!” Yang Kai sneered and said impatiently.
At the same time, he hurriedly sent a Divine Sense Message to Li Rong, “His goal right now is the Blood Essence Stone in my hand. He wants to absorb the Blood Qi inside it to help him achieve a breakthrough. You don’t have to worry about me here, quickly help Treasurer Meng, Zhang Yuan and the others. As long as they can break that snake artifact and those skulls, we can encircle Ke Luo.”
Li Rong was startled and immediately understood what Yang Kai was planning.
Right now, the other four top masters present were completely tied down, leaving only her and Yang Kai to face this Bone Race leader. Obviously with just the two of them there was nothing they could do to Ke Luo, but if the other four could be freed up and all six of them joined forces, even if this Bone Race leader was strong he wouldn’t be able to resist.
After all, he hadn’t yet reached the Saint King Realm!
Li Rong’s pretty face filled with hesitation, “But…”
“No buts, just hurry,” Yang Kai cut her off.
A look of struggle flashed across Li Rong’s beautiful eyes.
Yang Kai was the master of the Ancient Demon Clan, so she naturally wanted to protect him above all else, but she also understood the correctness of Yang Kai’s proposal, causing her to temporarily not know what decision to make.
If any kind of accident happened to Yang Kai…
She almost didn’t dare to imagine it.
But after a moment, her look became firm as she grit her teeth, “Then Master must be careful!”
Saying so, her tender body flickered and flew off towards Zhang Yuan and Meng Wu Ya.
The two men were constantly trying to distance themselves from the dozen strange skulls but were unable to escape, only barely managing to avoid the strange energy which was being released by them as they exchanged blows. However, as they were withdrawing, they had managed to destroy a number of these skulls so their efforts were not totally in vain.
Li Rong had decided to help them first; as long as they were freed up and were able to assist Thunder Dragon and Chu Ling Xiao, the flying snake artifact was would be nothing to fear.
Seeing Li Rong depart, Ke Luo grinned towards Yang Kai, remaining in place, not taking any obvious actions.
He also understood what Yang Kai’s plan was and couldn’t help snickering, “Before they return, I can easily kill you!”
“Go ahead and try,” Yang Kai grinned back, “Let’s see if you can catch up to me!”
Ke Luo slowly shook his head, “Don’t think you can use that Star Shuttle in front of me, that’s useless, I told you as such the last time we met.”
Pausing for a moment he continued, “En, don’t think you can tear space either, I’ve blocked the surrounding area with my Divine Sense. Your cultivation is far lower than mine so you won’t be able to use that Divine Ability of yours. If I had previously known you possessed such a skill I would never have allowed you to escape!”
“I wasn’t planning on tearing space,” Yang Kai smiled meaningfully.
“Then how do you plan on dragging for time?” Ke Luo seemed quite interested in what methods Yang Kai was still hiding and wasn’t in a hurry to act.
“Guess!” Yang Kai’s eyes became cold as the strength of wind burst from his body and tiny arcs of lightning flashed across his form, this wind and thunder quickly condensing on his back to form a pair of semi-transparent wings.
The Wind and Thunder Wings!
Since obtaining his Star Shuttle, Yang Kai had only used this extremely fast flight type artifact to travel long distances.
His Wind and Thunder Wings had been left untouched for quite some time.
However, these wings which had almost transformed into a part of his body still played an irreplaceable role.
As the wind and thunder swirled around him, Yang Kai transformed into a streak of light and flew away.
Yang Kai understood the gap in strength between himself and Ke Luo, so he never had any intention of fighting him head-on, he only had to stall him long enough for Meng Wu Ya, Chu Ling Xiao, Zhang Yuan, and Thunder Dragon to defeat their opponents and return to assist him.
He had also determined that Ke Luo would not let him escape because he had the Blood Essence Stone in his hand, and Ke Luo’s breakthrough to the Saint King Realm depend on him obtaining the massive amount of Blood Qi stored within it.
As long as Ke Luo was still thinking normally, he would never let him escape.
Yang Kai had already seen through Ke Luo’s intentions.
Sure enough, when he quickly flew away, Ke Luo’s eyes shrank, a stunned look appearing on his face as his green glowing eyes stared at Yang Kai’s back, a thick murderous intent welling up from his body.
His figure flickered and he quickly chased after Yang Kai.
His speed was incredible, not in any way inferior to Yang Kai’s even when he was using his Wind and Thunder Wings.
The shackles of space seemed to have no effect on him and every step he took allowed him to cross a thousand meters at once, each pace bringing him ever closer to Yang Kai.
The palpable murderous intent behind him sent cold shivers up Yang Kai’s spine as he continued to flee. Yang Kai tried to tear space, but quickly discovered that the space around him had somehow become viscous and a strange force was solidifying his surroundings, making it impossible to open an entrance to The Void.
Ke Luo should have some understanding of the principles of space, otherwise, even if his cultivation was much higher than Yang Kai’s, it would have been impossible for him to have achieved this. This caused Yang Kai to become even more vigilant.
One chased while the other escaped, a seemingly endless cycle.
Yang Kai purposefully flew in circles, not rushing in any particular direction; he needed to buy enough time for the others to come help him. If he were to run far away, they’d have to catch up, wasting even more time.
The aura of death brushing against his back gave him an enormous sense of pressure.
Yang Kai had never experienced such a difficult battle before. Ke Luo was far stronger than Zhang Yuan, Meng Wu Ya, or any of the other masters present, he was truly the strongest in this world.
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
Slicing sounds rang out behind him, and even before the attack arrived, Yang Kai felt as if his body had been sliced apart, the illusion causing his soul to tremble.
Not daring to hesitate, Yang Kai summoned his Silver Leaf artifact and transformed it into a protective shield while simultaneously changing direction, his body twisting like a snake midair.
*Hong Hong Hong…*
The attacks still landed extremely accurately on his back, causing him severe pain. Yang Kai felt warm liquid leak out from the places he had been struck.
The Silver Leaf Saint Grade Top-Rank artifact’s defensive barrier was also instantly broken.
“You can’t run away! Surrender without a fight and I’ll grant you a swift death!” Ke Luo’s voice rang in his ears with haughtiness in his tone as if he had already won.
The next moment, he appeared alongside Yang Kai and sent him a mocking look, extending his finger towards him as a shocking amount of energy gathered at its tip.
Not waiting for him to attack, Yang Kai pushed both his palms forward and used his Beast Soul Skill, sending a roaring White Tiger and bellowing Divine Ox towards Ke Luo, while he himself changed direction again and flew off.
This attack gained Yang Kai a brief moment of time that he used to once again open the distance between Ke Luo and himself.
In his heart Yang Kai was secretly growing anxious, praying emphatically for Meng Wu Ya and the others to quickly finish their fights.
“I want you to die without burial!”
Ke Luo howled fiercely, his expression twisted with anger.
It seemed that because he had been unable to catch Yang Kai even after so long, he had finally become enraged.
A malevolent aura erupted as Ke Luo began using his full strength, obviously refusing to continue playing this game of cat and mouse.
The sky suddenly dimmed as a blinding red light as thick as blood surrounded Ke Luo and he shot out towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai’s instincts screamed out in warning and he hurriedly summoned his Silver Leaf artifact once again while at the same time condensing several Grand Heavenly Shields to defend himself.
But the great sense of crisis he felt had not abated, as if the strongest defence he had just erected could not play any role.
“Ice Seal!” Suddenly, a tender voice called out and a figure rapidly approached from in front of Yang Kai. Naturally, it was Han Fei.
Han Fei’s expression was indifferent, like an ancient iceberg, her elegant face covered in Demon Crests making her seem even colder than usual.
In her hand was an ice crystal sword that she waved repeatedly, sending out a burst of cold air that frozen the very space behind Yang Kai.
*Kacha…*
The blood-red light froze along with the rest of the world and came to a halt.
Han Fei passed beside Yang Kai and shot forward, apparently intending to resist Ke Luo for him.
Yang Kai hastily grabbed her arm and pulled her away, shouting as he did, “We cannot fight him!”
It was impossible for Han Fei to be Ke Luo’s opponent, the best possible result of her facing him would be severe injuries while the most likely one would be death.
Cracking sounds spread out, and although Han Fei’s attack had indeed blocked Ke Luo, sealing him in a thick layer of ice, this only lasted for the briefest of moments before he broke free.
Ke Lu’s pursuit became even more violent.
“Master!” Han Fei stared behind with amazement and shouted, “Who is this person, how is he so powerful?”
“The Bone Race leader!” Yang Kai released her and urgently asked, “What’s the situation on your side?”
“The Bone Race cultivators that ran away have basically been exterminated and the masters who pursued them are quickly returning!” Han Fei replied swiftly.
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up and he couldn’t help but smile.
At that moment, four figures flew in from the distance and caught sight of Yang Kai and Han Fei escaping from Ke Luo, startling them greatly.
It was the four Demon Generals!
Two more figures followed and soon came up beside the four Demon Generals.
Naturally, they were the other two Monster Race Great Seniors!
The six of them had gone to hunt down the escaping Bone Race cultivators thinking the battle had already been won, but the moment they returned they were actually greeted by this scene.
The six of them stood side by side and stared towards Ke Luo menacingly, gathering their strength and sending a combined world crushing pressure towards Ke Luo.
Ke Luo finally noticed them and abruptly halted his pursuit of Yang Kai, turning a cold stare towards these six newcomers.
A cold snort came out and he slowly closed his eyes, remaining motionless, his whole body sending out a dangerous aura, seemingly summoning something.
A moment later, from the distance, six house-sized skulls flew over.
They were the strange skulls which had been tying down Zhang Yuan and Meng Wu Ya, but of the original dozen, only half remained.
The snake-like artifact also flew back at the same time and disappeared into Ke Luo’s body, causing his brutal aura to grow even stronger.
“Ke Luo, it’s over!” Yang Kai also came to a stop and stood together with Han Fei, staring coldly towards him.
Just as his words fell, more figures appeared beside him; it was Meng Wu Ya and the others who had been pursuing the skulls and flying snake.
Eleven Third Order Saints, a Second Order Saint, and Yang Kai, a total of thirteen people formed this unprecedentedly powerful lineup.
These thirteen people quickly surrounded Ke Luo in a watertight formation, each of them applying the greatest pressure they could to him to prevent any chance of his escape.
“Over?” Ke Luo calmly laughed, “Not necessarily.”
Saying so, he shot a look over towards Yang Kai and said, “Do you think I didn’t know what you were planning? All you wanted was to buy enough time to gather together and oppress me with numbers.”
Yang Kai’s brow wrinkled, a sense of uneasiness rising in his heart.
Ke Luo was too calm, causing Yang Kai to wonder what kind of trick he had left.
“I said, without reaching the Saint King Realm, no one in this world is my opponent, it doesn’t matter how many of you there are!” Ke Luo declared.
“Enough idle boasting, in front of this Senior you’re not qualified to act impudently!” Zhang Yuan said coldly, his expression dim and gloomy.
“If you have some kind of magical means left, please feel free to demonstrate,” Meng Wu Ya stared at him with cold eyes, although his words seemed calm and relaxed, he was silently circulating his Saint Qi rapidly while maintaining the highest level of vigilance.
“As you wish!” Ke Luo laughed, suddenly sitting down cross-legged, his pair of green eyes violently flickering as they sent out blinding pulses of light.
His hands formed a series of unfamiliar seals as a stream of inaudible words left his lips.
The strength of his Blood Qi and vitality rapidly climbed and his skin took on a strange red glow, as if he would begin leaking fresh blood at any moment.
A thin crackling sound suddenly emerged from all over his body, as if his bones had all simultaneously broken while at the same time, cracks spread all across the surface of his skin.
Dark red fresh blood overflowed from these cracks turning him terrifying blood man.
“Be careful!” Chu Ling Xiao shouted hastily.
This must be Ke Luo’s last resort, and from the self-confidence in his voice, this method was definitely powerful. Before they knew the extent of this ability, no one dared to recklessly step forward and attack him.
Everyone wore a dignified expression as all of them secretly felt incredibly nervous.
The blood inside Ke Luo’s body was constantly flowing out, as if he possessed an endless supply, enough to dye the world red.
A suffocating Blood Qi filled the surrounding sky.
Suddenly, Ke Luo wore a treacherous grin and shouted, “Forcing me to demonstrate my Bone Race’s forbidden technique, Blood Pond Flesh Forest, you can all die without regrets!”
As he shouted, his figure suddenly burst open and pieces of flesh flew out, his body collapsing, bones and all.
“Self-destructing?” Everyone was dumbstruck.
None of them had expected that after making such imposing claims, Ke Luo would actually choose to explode his flesh body.
“Wrong, fall back!” Yang Kai suddenly shouted, feeling a great sense of crisis wash over him and hurriedly retreating.
“Too late!” Ke Luo sneered, his grating laughter resounding in everyone’s ears, his scattered flesh, blood, and bones suddenly seeming to come alive and gather together into a great blood sea that swallowed the group of thirteen people whole.
The blood sea was boundless and seemed to envelop the entire world.
In an instant, everyone’s heart sank; wherever their eyes passed, all they could see was red, their surroundings filled with thick blood which greatly hindered their movements.
The blood sea was also filled with a strange force that suppressed the flow of energy through their bodies.
All thirteen of them seemed to have fallen into a huge blood pond which they couldn’t find a way out of.
Instantly, they all summoned their defensive artifacts to shield themselves while searching for an exit.
Ke Luo had disappeared, but the blood sea was filled with his aura.
He seemed to be everywhere!
This was the Bone Race’s forbidden technique, the Blood Pond Flesh Forest.
Inside the thick sea of blood, a number of blood dragons took shape and began circling, each one exuding a dangerous aura. Obviously, these blood dragons were being controlled by Ke Luo who seemed to not be in a hurry to attack, apparently intending to appreciate the struggles of his prey.
Yang Kai stood shoulder to shoulder with Han Fei. Han Fei tried releasing the ice-cold strength within her body but failed to freeze any of the surrounding blood. Her Qi was being strongly suppressed.
Yang Kai took out the Blood Essence Stone and poured his True Qi into it, trying to absorb the fresh blood from this Starry Sky invader.
But he was quickly disappointed.
The Blood Essence Stone didn’t work here, it was completely unable to absorb any of the surrounding blood.
This discovery filled him with bitterness.
He had used the Blood Essence Stone many times before and understood that it could only absorb the blood of the dead, the blood of the living could not be taken.
Even if the person was badly wounded, he still couldn’t suck the blood from their wounds because the living person could circulate their own strength to resist the suction of the Blood Essence Stone.
Ke Luo was not dead, so the Blood Essence Stone had no effect.
On top of that, this whole Blood Pond Flesh Forest was formed from his exploded body. Realizing this, Yang Kai suddenly understood why Ke Luo’s aura seemed to be coming from all around.
“Figured it out?” Ke Luo’s voice sounded next to Yang Kai’s ear and was followed by a burst of wicked laughter, “That’s right, you’re all inside my body. In here, I am in control! If I want you to live, you live, if I want you to die, you die, none can resist!”
As if to prove the validity of his claim, just as his arrogant words fell, a tender scream rang out.
“Yu’er…” Thunder Dragon Great Senior shouted out nervously.
The scream just now came from Ice Jade Python Great Senior. Clearly, she had just been attacked.
“I’m fine!” Yu’er’s voice rang out from a certain direction which Thunder Dragon hurriedly rushed over to, but even tracing the sound to its source, he couldn’t find any trace of Ice Jade Python.
Inside this blood sea, it was impossible to even grasp one’s bearings.
Of the thirteen people, Yang Kai and Han Fei stood together while the other eleven had been separated, each of them cut off from everyone else.
The situation was extremely dire.
Yang Kai’s thoughts turned rapidly as he tried to find a solution to this crisis, but nothing came to mind.
“Your aura is similar to that man from thousands of years. It’s disgusting, so I’ll kill you first!” Ke Luo’s annoyingly calm voice sounded again, sounding as if he really could control whether one lived or died inside this blood sea.
Yang Kai clearly felt a huge amount of energy flow through the Blood Sea and gather towards a particular direction. Immediately after, the sounds of combat rang out.
A short three breaths later, Demon General Ba He’s scream echoed, “Want to kill me? Don’t think you’ll feel any better!”
A dreadful Demonic Qi surged up and the sounds of fighting grew even louder.
A muffled snort sounded and Ba He’s aura rapidly faded. A loud wheeze echoed throughout the blood sea as if Ba He’s heart and lungs had been crushed and he was unable to aspirate clearly.
“Ba He!” Zhang Yuan called out angrily.
“Sir, take revenge for this subordinate!” Ba He roared towards the sky, his voice trembling before a loud burst rang out and his aura completely disappeared.
Faintly, the others could sense the remnants of his Soul disappear into the Blood Sea.
“Ba He died?” The other Demon Generals who were scattered across the blood pool exclaimed, each of their faces filled with amazement.
Of the four Demon Generals, Ba He was the youngest and most junior.
But although his strength was the lowest, he was still a Third-Order Saint Realm master.
However, he had only managed to fight Ke Luo for less than ten breaths of time before perishing. Just how shocking was this blood pool ability Ke Luo displayed?
Meng Ge, Gou Qiong, and Xue Li all dashed back and forth, fearing that it would be their turn next, each of them shuttling through the blood sea looking for Zhang Yuan’s figure, hoping to find some kind of shelter.
At the moment Ba He died, Yang Kai madly poured his True Qi into the Blood Essence Stone.
A huge attractive force came out and from a certain spot inside the blood sea, a mass of Blood Qi flew over and disappeared into the Blood Essence Stone.
Naturally, this was Ba He’s Blood Qi!
The Blood Essence Stone was finally able to play a certain role, at least keeping Ke Luo from immediately becoming stronger.
“Hmph, I’ll deal with you soon enough!” Ke Luo’s cold snort rang in Yang Kai’s ears. It seemed Ke Luo was not in a hurry to take Yang Kai’s life. Yang Kai was the weakest one inside this blood sea, so Ke Luo felt it would be easy to kill him at any point.
“Sir,” Gou Qiong’s voice rang out from a certain location, a thick sense of joy contained within it.
“What is it,” Zhang Yuan’s voice responded from a different position though.
Gou Qiong gawked before he let out a cry, “You…”
He seemed to have seen something inconceivable, his Demonic Qi bursting out in the next moment as he shouted, “Inside this blood sea, he can change his appearance into anyone else, everyone be careful!”
Everyone’s faces paled even further.
Only then did they comprehend why Gou Qiong’s voice had been mixed with excitement a moment ago. Obviously, he thought he had found Demon Commander Zhang Yuan, but it had actually just been a fake that Ke Luo had formed from the energy within the blood sea.
Catching Gou Qiong off guard, Ke Luo had launched a sneak attack.
“Gou Qiong!” Xue Li shouted, but she didn’t receive any response.
The Blood Essence Stone in Yang Kai’s hand once again drew in a huge amount of Blood Qi, clearly illustrating Gou Qiong’s fate.
“Gou Qiong!” Meng Ge also called out.
Although the four Demon Generals were closer to enemies than friend, with two of their companions falling in such rapid succession, Meng Ge and Xue Li’s mood became very grim, and they couldn’t help giving birth to a sense of grief.
Somewhere in the blood sea, Zhang Yuan’s complexion became incredibly gloomy as he gnashed his teeth and exclaimed, “I’ll make you pay, this Senior swears he will make you pay for this!”
“You don’t have the skill!” Ke Luo snorted and ridiculed, “If that powerhouse from your race was still alive, my clan would not have dared reveal itself, but his aura has disappeared and he has clearly fallen. Now, in this world, none can resist me; rest assured, after I kill you, I will use your Blood Essence and bones to create a clansmen with your appearance so you can live on as one of us.”
Ke Luo clamoured wildly; after displaying the Bone Race’s forbidden technique, he felt like he had complete control over the situation.
“You’ve constantly been getting in my way. Evidently, I should kill you next!” Ke Luo’s voice once again sounded in Yang Kai’s ear. He had already killed two people but failed to obtain any Blood Qi from them, all of it having been sucked up by the Blood Essence Stone in Yang Kai’s hands. This annoyed Ke Luo to no end.
After killing two Demon Generals to sooth the hatred he had been harbouring for thousands of years, he finally turned his attention to Yang Kai.
A sharp bone spear flew through the blood sea and pierced accurately towards Yang Kai.
Silent and stealthily.
By the time Yang Kai noticed, the bone spear was already too close to dodge.
“Master, watch out!” Han Fei had been maintaining the highest level of vigilance and upon noticing the approaching danger shouted.
*Pu…*
A muffled sound came out, and Yang Kai’s incredibly formidable body was actually run through by the sharp bone spear, a small hole opening in his torso out of which golden blood began to flow.
“Master!” Li Rong immediately noticed something was wrong and began calling out in alarm, “Han Fei, how is Master?”
Han Fei didn’t answer because she couldn’t see Yang Kai’s situation. Even if she was standing nearby Yang Kai, the thick blood fog had cut off her sight, leaving her only able to see a sea of red.
However, under her Divine Sense’s perception, she discovered fluctuations in Yang Kai’s aura; obviously he had been hit.
In that instant she nearly fell into a panic.
“I’m fine!” Yang Kai shouted, trying to maintain the calmness of his voice as he gripped tightly to the bone spear which had passed through his body, his eyes stubbornly staring forward.
Among the blood sea, a humanoid figure had appeared, holding the other end of the spear.
Yang Kai felt Ke Luo was coldly gazing at him from this figure.
“I heard you mention the supreme powerhouse from thousands of years more than once. Are you afraid of him?” Yang Kai face became solemn as he asked.
“Of course!” Ke Luo replied without hesitation, “I am nowhere near worthy to be his opponent! With a single casual strike, he had severely wounded me and robbed me of my consciousness. The masters of my clan were also exterminated by him, so how could I not fear him?”
As he spoke, his indistinct hand twisted the bone spear, torturing Yang Kai with unbearable pain.
He seemed to be venting his anger for the embarrassment Yang Kai had caused him.
“However, it was thanks to that incident that I was able to avoid the fate of being slaughtered by him; to enter a state of stasis for thousands of years, waiting for him to fall!” Ke Luo laughed wildly, “In terms of lifespan, no race can compare with my clan!”
The essence of their lives was completely contained within their bones, so as long as their skeletons weren’t destroyed, they were nearly immortal.
“What if I told you, he didn’t fall?” Yang Kai muttered quietly.
The blood figure in front of Yang Kai noticeable shivered, Ke Luo’s state of mind clearly suffering a severe impact as a feeble and terrified aura leaked out from him. Ke Luo immediately shouted, “Impossible, his aura has truly vanished, it’s not possible for him to still be alive. In the past, after that war, he was already an arrow at the end of its flight, he’s already dead, you can’t deceive me!”
“Then open your eyes wide and see if he is still alive!” Yang Kai’s expression became fierce as he wiped the wound on his abdomen with his fingertips before lifting his hand toward his left eye.
The golden blood was absorbed into his left eye like a drop of water falling into the sea, disappearing without a trace.
Yang Kai’s black and white eyeball flashed and instantly became a frightening pure white.
Soon after, a majestic golden radiance appeared, transforming this pure white pupil into a golden eye, one that seemed to disdainfully overlook all mortal beings.
Great Demon God’s Demon Eye of Annihilation had long been integrated into Yang Kai’s left eye.
The Demon Eye of Annihilation contained one of Great Demon God’s Divine Abilities, the soul extinguishing golden light.
Yang Kai didn’t know how this mysterious golden light worked, or even the principles behind it, but he did know that Great Demon God was able to use this golden light to purify and erase all kinds of Soul.
However, when this demon eye appeared in his left eye’s socket, Yang Kai’s perception of the entire world became a little different.
The outside world also trembled as the blood sea became turbulent, seeming suffering a heavy blow. Amidst the roiling blood sea, a faint figure gradually became clear.
Naturally, it was Ke Luo’s figure.
This figure had no physique but was instead comprised of Spiritual Energy, Ke Luo’s Soul Avatar.
His body had already exploded, forming the Blood Pond Flesh Forest, and his bones were scattered across the entire blood sea, becoming his sharpest and deadliest weapons.
At this moment, Ke Luo’s Soul Avatar stood in front of Yang Kai, holding a bone spear which was pierced through Yang Kai’s abdomen. The golden blood flowed out from the wound and dropped into the blood sea, but instead of merging together, the blood sea actually separated and automatically gave way for this golden blood.
Ke Luo’s eyes trembled fiercely as he stared at Yang Kai’s left eye, its majestic glint giving him the illusion that he was seeing the proud and invincible master for thousands of years.
In the past, when that master had passed by him, a simple wave of his hand was all that was necessary to make Ke Luo slam into the ground and pass out.
From beginning to end, that master had never looked at Ke Luo, obviously never caring about him in the slightest.
That scene had left an indelible mark on Ke Luo’s heart. Even when he was slumbering away the millennia, he had remained fearful and uneasy, worried that the master would track him down and finish him off.
Ke Luo had hidden for thousands of years until that master’s aura finally disappeared from this world, only then daring to wake up along with the rest of his clansmen.
But now, that aura which filled him with terror from the bottom of his heart had appeared once more.
That same overbearing and domineering eye from thousands of years ago was now right before him.
From this eye a mysterious power emerged and gradually condensed into a great vortex seemingly capable of swallowing the entire world. Ke Luo instantly felt like his Soul Avatar had been seized by a giant invisible hand that was drawing him into this whirlpool, dragging him down into a purgatory from which there was no return.
“Impossible!” Ke Luo screamed desperately as he went all out to withdraw, pushing his Spiritual Energy frantically to resist the attraction of the golden eye.
“Ke Luo, your time of death had arrived. Obediently accept your fate!” Yang Kai stepped heavily towards him, not caring at all about the wound on his abdomen, constantly using words to further influence Ke Luo’s chaotic state of mind and make him lose focus.
“You’re not him!” Ke Luo cried out in panic, “Even if you have one of his eyes, you’re not him, he’s already dead!”
Ke Luo’s Soul Avatar quickly plunged into the blood sea to hide, howling as he controlled innumerable bone spears throughout the blood sea to fly towards Yang Kai.
He had listed Yang Kai as the most dangerous enemy present and immediately tried to kill him.
The masters from the Three Clans scattered throughout the blood sea instantly felt the pressure on them decrease and released their Divine Senses to seek out everyone else’s position.
At this moment, all of Ke Luo’s attention was concentrated on Yang Kai and he had no spare capacity to suppress the others, causing the effects of his Blood Pond Flesh Forest to drop sharply.
“Ice Crystal Shield!” Han Fei shouted as she swung her long sword as she simultaneously cut through the blood sea and condensed a giant shield of ice in front of Yang Kai to protect his safety.
Li Rong also flew in from the side, reaching out with her jade hand to grab one of the bone spears which was piercing towards Yang Kai, tightly wrapping it in her Demonic Qi to prevent it from advancing.
Zhang Yuan, Meng Wu Ya, Chu Ling Xiao, Thunder Dragon and the others all raced over as well, displaying their methods to intercept the bone spears one after another.
In front of Yang Kai, the ten masters worked together to block Ke Luo’s crazed offensive, allowing Yang Kai to remain completely unharmed despite not taking a single step.
Moreover, seemingly because of the appearance of the Demon Eye of Annihilation, all illusions and fabrications were broken, allowing everyone’s vision of the surrounding fifty meters to become clear.
Ke Luo was still hiding in the blood sea, far from Yang Kai, not daring to come out and expose himself.
He had exploded his own flesh and bones to display the Bone Race’s forbidden technique, leaving only his Soul Avatar behind in the blood sea. He thought he was the master here, but this development had shattered that belief.
The Demon Eye of Annihilation had an unparalleled ability to suppress Souls. Without a physical shell to protect himself, he dared not show himself.
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
The bone spears danced through the sky, each one carrying an incomparably sharp and imposing momentum. The red blood also gathered together to form several blood dragons which bared their fangs and roared towards Yang Kai’s group, recklessly attacking them.
The ten masters met these attacks head-on, no longer showing any signs of distress. Standing next to Yang Kai, they would not be lost in the blood sea again, so everyone’s nerves had relaxed as they once against saw hope of victory.
“Over there, use Divine Sense attacks. Right now, he’s only a Soul Avatar!” Yang Kai shouted as he pointed towards a certain position.
“Only a Soul Avatar?” Zhang Yuan was startled for a moment but immediately wore a fierce grin, “Good, then this will be easy. I’d like to see how long he manages to preserve his feeble existence!”
As he spoke, the Divine Sense attacks of all ten masters shot towards the direction indicated while Yang Kai also strengthened the power of his Demon Eye of Annihilation to constrain Ke Luo’s actions.
This silent and invisible attack burst out, causing a terrifying explosion of Spiritual Energy.
Ke Luo screamed out miserably.
He had finally been injured.
Even if he was close to breaking through to the Saint King Realm, he was unable to resist the simultaneous Divine Sense attacks of ten top-level masters.
“Over there!” Yang Kai pointed to another position and the Divine Sense attacks of the ten masters flew in that direction.
The blood sea once again trembled unstably and the bone spears and blood dragons which Ke Luo was originally controlling to suppress the ten masters lost all the force behind them. The blood dragons collapsed and merged back into the blood sea while all the bone spears were taken back by Ke Luo and disappeared.
Ke Luo obviously didn’t have any energy to spare on controlling them as evading the Divine Sense attacks of the ten masters was currently all he could do.
“Here!” Yang Kai pointed once more.
The attacks of the ten masters were akin to a sharp sword that slashed towards Ke Luo with extreme accuracy, causing him to remain constantly on edge.
After a half cup of tea’s time, the blood sea which had been surrounding everyone burst apart.
Everyone’s vision became clear and the Bone Race forbidden technique, the Blood Pond Flesh Forest, disappeared.
Not far from their position, the bone spears and fresh blood re-integrated and Ke Luo’s figure gradually formed.
Unexpectedly, he could still restore his original shape.
“Without that strange forbidden technique of yours, I’d like to see what you plan on fighting us with!” Zhang Yuan eyes flashed as he taunted.
The other masters also stared towards Ke Luo with thick malicious intent. Inside that blood sea, they were forced to dance on the top of his palm. Everyone here was a top master with their own sense of pride, what they just experienced was nothing short of a great disgrace.
Now that they had escaped from the blood sea, naturally they had to seek revenge for this slight.
Not waiting for Ke Luo’s figure to fully reform, the ten masters dispersed and surrounded him, leaving him no path the Heaven or gate to Hell.
Ke Luo finally began panicking, his face pale and his green eyes overflowing with fear and regret.
He felt that he should not have been so eager to wake up and instead remained asleep for another thousand years.
“Ke Luo, haven’t you forgotten something?” Yang Kai stared at him indifferently and asked.
Ke Luo turned his attention to Yang Kai and his eyes shrank.
What he saw was the bone spear he had inserted into Yang Kai’s stomach!
This spear was like fine white jade, seemingly carved from the most beautiful Crystal Stone, and inside it was fearsome energy. He had stabbed it into Yang Kai not too long ago and it was even now still there.
The instant he saw this spear, Ke Luo’s expression changed greatly and became more and more alarmed. This spear was a part of his body and contained a large amount of his life essence, if he lost this bone spear, his strength would be greatly reduced.
Yang Kai’s expression became fierce as he reached out and grabbed hold of the spear, slowly pulling it out of his abdomen.
His eyes were firm and never left Ke Luo, not a single rippled appearing in his vision despite the severe pain he was experiencing.
Golden blood flowed out as soon as the bone spear was removed, and Yang Kai’s wound automatically began to heal.
Ke Luo’s eyes stared fixedly on the bone spear, his lips trembling, seemingly wanting to say something but unable to form the words.
Yang Kai grinned as he stared towards Ke Luo in a calm and composed manner, lightly saying, “For your Bone Race, your bones are the basis of your life, right?”
“What about it?” Ke Luo grit his teeth and snapped back angrily.
“Very good!” Yang Kai gently nodded before a devastating Demonic Qi emerged from the palm of his hand and wrapped around the bone spear. In a flash, as if it had been lit on fire by these dark flames, the bone spear rapidly burned down and changed to ashes, slipping through Yang Kai’s and scattering into the wind.
Right before his eyes, Yang Kai had incinerated his bone spear.
Ke Luo’s expression warped madly, as if his most precious possession had been destroyed by Yang Kai, his face twisting horribly as he screamed, “For destroying my bones, I’ll make you pay the price!”
“You won’t get the opportunity!” Meng Wu Ya shouted, his hands wildly clawing at the void.
From the sky above, as if a meteor had been caught by Meng Wu Ya, a bright sphere of light containing a terrifying destructive force fell towards Ke Luo, as if it was trying to destroy the world together with him.
“For killing my Demon General, I’ll ground your corpse to ashes today!” Zhang Yuan’s long halberd pulsed with thick darkness and shot out like a great dragon towards Ke Luo.
Meng Ge and Xue Li immediately followed behind Zhang Yuan, looks of intense hatred and hostility filling their faces as they pushed their strength to its limits.
The three Monster Race Great Seniors all transformed into their Beast Forms and attacked towards Ke Luo.
Chu Ling Xiao’s Demon Sealing Chain flew out and entangled Ke Luo, restricting his actions.
Bone shields condensed all around Ke Luo as he felt a huge sense of crisis. He knew if he was unable to resist this blow, he would without a doubt die. He was counting on these bone shields to buy him a moment of time.
He still had ample strength to fight!