As soon as the Origin King Grade Starship appeared, everyone was dumbfounded.
Almost without any pause, a shocking energy fluctuation appeared as the ship’s Crystal Cannons began charging and aimed directly towards Bai Xi.
“Yang Kai, you dare!” Bai Xi paled in shock, never expecting Yang Kai to be so decisive and ruthless.
Without even trying to discuss things with him, Yang Kai went straight for the kill, not leaving him any room to manoeuvre.
Did this boy really not fear perishing together with him?
“Kill him!” Yang Kai coldly shouted.
Bai Xi’s expression became flustered as he saw the Crystal Cannons aimed at him and the energy fluctuations growing stronger by the moment. When a white beam of light faintly formed and ready to fire, Bai Xi could no longer restrain himself and roared, “Little brat, you forced me to do this! Even if this old master dies here, you won’t feel any better!”
Saying so, he madly poured his Saint Qi into the Annihilation Thunder Bead.
The Emperor Pressure radiating from the bead swelled, causing everyone present to tremble.
Yang Kai’s expression turned solemn, as did Ye Xi Yun’s, the two of them staring directly at the Annihilation Thunder Bead in Bai Xi’s hand.
One after another, rice-grain sized runes emerged from the Annihilation Thunder Bead and as Bai Xi’s Saint Qi continued to flood into it, a small lightning arc suddenly appeared from its surface.
Although this arc was small and inconspicuous, it pulsed with an unfathomable power that seemed capable of extinguishing the soul of anyone it touched.
In the next instant, Bai Xi tossed the Annihilation Thunder Bead upwards, where it then split into two, then four, then eight…
In the blink of an eye, the sky was filled with Annihilation Thunder Bead with lightning arcs flickering around each of them, like tiny lightning snakes.
Then, these arcs lased out in unison, shooting towards the Origin King Grade Starship.
Yang Kai could tear space, and Ye Xi Yun had extraordinary strength and experience, so Bai Xi wasn’t confident he could kill either of them with this blow, thus he decided to aim at the Origin King Grade Starship!
If he could destroy this Starship, then his goal would have been achieved. At that time, Yang Kai would likely shed tears of blood!
After using the Annihilation Thunder Bead, Bai Xi’s aura became extremely weak.
Although this Emperor Artifact had unmatched power, a trivial Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator needed to pay an enormous price to use it. Consuming almost all of his Saint Qi at once was the price Bai Xi needed to pay.
Although he knew he was bound to die, he was still laughing wildly at this moment.
Bai Xi’s cackling came to an abrupt halt though when he noticed both Yang Kai and Ye Xi Yun directing looks filled with pity at him, neither of them seeming the slightest bit concerned about the Origin King Grade Starship.
[What’s going on?] Bai Xi heart clenched, suddenly realizing something was wrong, glancing up towards the Origin King Grade Starship instinctively.
Lightning arcs filled the sky, each one containing extraordinary destructive power as they crashed towards the Origin King Grade Starship, completely overwhelming it and shattering it in an instant, causing it to disappear without a trace.
Just as it appeared before, it vanished silently.
As if it had never been there in the first place.
Bai Xi was dumbfounded when he saw this and his face suddenly became extremely pale as he called out hoarsely, “An illusion?”
“Seems you’re not a complete idiot, old man!” Yang Kai laughed.
Accompanied by his laughter, another Origin King Grade Starship appeared mid-air. It was the same as the one from before, but this one was completely undamaged, as if the Annihilation Thunder Bead hadn’t left a scratch on it.
Bai Xi’s face filled with shame. At this moment, how could he not understand that he had been fooled by his opponent’s plot?
The attack he had placed all his hopes on had not hit anything, it was only an illusory Starship, which explained why it was destroyed so easily!
Being pressured by Ye Xi Yun and facing Yang Kai’s aggressiveness, Bai Xi’s judgement had become clouded and he was unable to distinguish between reality and an illusion.
But how did they create that illusionary Starship? And such a realistic one at that, capable of even deceiving his Divine Sense. It was simply incredible.
“Old dog, it’s time to send you on the road!” Yang Kai declared coldly as a Golden Blood Thread appeared between his fingers and transformed into a sharp golden arrow.
“Let me do it, it is this Queen’s duty to clean up her own Sect,” Ye Xi Yun suddenly called out.
Yang Kai tilted his head and looked at her for a moment before nodding lightly, no longer insisting.
He knew that Ye Xi Yun was doing this for his benefit. Regardless of whether Bai Xi was helping a tyrant do evil or not, he was still a long-standing member of Star Emperor Mountain. If an outsider killed him, it would inevitably create some dissatisfaction.
But if Ye Xi Yun took action it was different.
She was simply cleaning up the Sect, just as she said.
Without any Saint Qi, Bai Xi was like a venomous snake without fangs, unable to even summon ordinary artifacts, so how could he oppose Ye Xi Yun?
Moments later, Bai Xi died by Ye Xi Yun’s hand.
“Are you two going to cripple your cultivations or do you want this Queen to deal with you personally?” Ye Xi Yun coldly glared towards the two who had arrived with Bai Xi.
The two of them didn’t dare to resist and immediately shouted, “Sect Master, please forgive us! We didn’t know that Sect Master was still alive and were deceived by that usurper. Please show mercy, Sect Master!”
“After reaching this point, do you think this Queen will believe your words?” Ye Xi Yun remained unmoved.
Since the two of them had come here with Bai Xi, they must have been aware of the news from the outside world, proving they had chosen to oppose her, so now they would have to pay the price.
But even though she killed Bai Xi, Ye Xi Yun didn’t want to act ruthlessly if it wasn’t necessary.
“This is the absolute truth, please understand Sect Master!” The two cried out in fear.
“Fine, since you insist on acting stubborn, this Queen will personally send you to reunite with Bai Xi!” Ye Xi Yun declared coldly as her Saint Qi surged up again.
“Wait! We’ll cripple ourselves! We’ll do it!” Seeing that Ye Xi Yun was really going to kill them while refusing to listen to their explanation in the slightest, the two men quickly made a decision.
In any case, it was better to live than to die. Although their fate after crippling their cultivations would surely be miserable, it couldn’t be worse than losing their lives on the spot.
Yang Xiu Zhu and the others were watching vigilantly from nearby, so these two didn’t dare play any tricks, honestly shattering their dantians and meridians, scattering their Saint Qi, and degenerating into ordinary mortals, forever unable to step onto the Martial Dao again.
“Get out!” Ye Xi Yun commanded coldly.
The two hurriedly helped each other up and scampered away.
After these two left, Ye Xi Yun turned her head to look at the crowd, took a deep breath, and declared firmly, “This Queen knows that some among you may have collaborated with that person in the past, but even so, you have not harmed the honour or foundation of the Sect, so this Queen will not insist on holding you all accountable. Now, this Queen has only returned to this place to clean up the Sect on behalf of the honoured ancestors, so I will only ask all of you to wait here while this Queen deals with that person before we speak any further.”
“Many thanks for Sect Master’s magnanimity! May Sect Master’s victory be swift and decisive!” Yang Xiu Zhu bowed.
“May Sect Master’s victory be swift and decisive!” Everyone followed suit. Now was their only chance to prove their allegiance, so how could anyone dare speak otherwise? Even if some people had indeed been won over by and worked for the current Sect Master of Star Emperor Mountain, none of them had fully submitted like Bai Xi.
The law does not punish the public, and Ye Xi Yun did not want to take things too far, so she gave these people a way out. After all, there weren’t many of them, so there was no way they could resist Ye Xi Yun’s momentum.
“Sect Master, let’s go,” Ye Xi Yun looked over at Yang Kai.
“En,” Yang Kai gently nodded before glancing over at the two hundred gathered cultivators and sighing slightly.
If they were willing to help, this matter wouldn’t be so troublesome. Against so many masters, even if the current Sect Master of Star Emperor Mountain had Heaven-defying strength and abilities, there would be no way for him to resist.
Unfortunately, these people were all Star Emperor Mountain members and were forbidden to kill one another.
This was a law passed down by their ancestors that all of them needed to follow.
Yang Kai and Ye Xi Yun drifted away while the Origin King Grade Starship followed behind slowly.
Star Ascendance Peak was the highest summit in Star Emperor Mountain, towering up in the sky where the white clouds lingered, giving it a beautiful and mysterious scenery.
This was where, for generations, the disciples of Star Emperor Mountain would pay homage to the Great Emperor. There was an altar at the top of this peak engraved with the names of each generation’s Sect Master and Elders, atop which sat a Star Emperor Token.
The Divine Ability sealed inside this Star Emperor Token had already been expended.
Now, it was simply a symbol of the Great Emperor!
Every year, on a certain day, everyone in Star Emperor Mountain would gather here to make some offerings.
At this moment, two people stood in the wind on Star Ascendance Peak.
One was a spirited old man that, although appearing old, still had a ruddy complexion and tender skin. The other was a middle-aged man in green robes.
At this moment, the middle-aged man looked anxious while the old man looked relaxed.
Several dozen meters away from the pair was a young man with his head lowered.
If Yang Kai was here, he would definitely recognize two of these three people. The middle-aged man was Thunder Typhoon Sect’s Sect Master Fang Peng. He really came to Star Emperor Mountain to seek refuge.
As for the young man, it was Leng Qing, who was an acquaintance of Yang Kai’s.
In the fourth layer of the Flowing Flame Sand Field, outside the current High Heaven Sect headquarters, the two young men had met once. Both of them had been Saint Kings at the time, but were now Origin Realm cultivators, their respective cultivation speeds only describable as fast.
At this moment, the young man stood there motionless like a fossil, a cold and determined expression adorning his face.
Fang Peng’s anxious voice soon called out, “Brother Tian Che, they seem to have reached Star Emperor Mountain. Don’t we need to do something?”
The old man chuckled, “What does Brother Fang think we should do?”
Fang Peng frowned, “This Fang doesn’t know what Brother Tian Che has planned, but if we don’t act now, I’m afraid that the outcome will be decided before we even begin.”
“Haha, Brother Fang worries too much, the outcome is undecided until it is over. Calm down.”
“This Fang does not understand, please enlighten me, Brother Tian Che.”
“It’s not that Brother Fang is dull, it’s just… Before this King and Senior Sister Ye can determine a winner, nothing else will matter. The decisive factor will be whether she survives or I do, so in the end, this King only needs to fight Senior Sister Ye!”
Fang Peng frowned, thought for a moment, but eventually understood, hesitating briefly before asking “Then what does Brother Tian Che think his odds of winning are?”
The old man simply smiled without saying a word, acting mysteriously.
Seeing his expression, Fang Peng’s eyes brightened as he slowly calmed down. Although he didn’t know what this old man was relying on, it seemed that he was quite certain of his victory.
Star Ascendance Peak was extremely high and had many barriers surrounding it. It was the highest level Restricted Area of Star Emperor Mountain so it was naturally well-protected. If one wanted to arrive here, they could only do so by foot as the powerful Flight Inhibiting Array arranged here was enough to ground any cultivator.
On the trail between the peaks, Yang Kai and Ye Xi Yun advanced swiftly and quickly climbed to the top of the peak.
The Origin King Grade Starship parked halfway up the mountain, ready to charge in at any time.
The tens-of-kilometres-long walk was nothing to the two of them, so it only took them about half an hour to reach their destination.
As the winds whipped about, the pair’s robes rustled lightly.
“Great Elder, it seems someone has come to welcome us,” Yang Kai’s eyes instantly focused on the old man and the middle-aged man in front of him, a grin creeping onto his face.
Ye Xi Yun narrowed her phoenix eyes as she stared at the old man with a slightly complicated expression, calling out a low voice, “Qi Tian Che!”
“Senior Sister Ye!” The old man made a light smile which seemed quite refreshing, as if there was no ill will between the two of them at all. “With your temperament, Junior Brother had not expected that there would be a day you would actually return to Star Emperor Mountain.”
“There are a great many things you didn’t expect. Junior Brother Qi, are you prepared?”
“And what is it Junior Brother should be prepared for?” Qi Tian Che maintained his smile.
“Prepared to fall here. I hope you’ve made appropriate funeral arrangements!” Ye Xi Yun coldly snorted.
“Senior Sister does not need to worry, Junior Brother has already made all the necessary arrangements. Today, whether you die or I die, this boy will ensure that a proper burial is held,” Qi Tian Che gestured to the side where the indifferent faced Leng Qing nodded gently.
“In that case, Senior Sister will send Junior Brother on his way,” Ye Xi Yun gently nodded.
“Haha, Junior Brother feels that Senior Sister’s chances of losing are greater.”
The two failed to agree upon a single word. The Senior Sister and Junior Brother pair knew a fight was unavoidable so they were simply launching psychological attacks before they began exchanging blows. After the verbal confrontation, the atmosphere suddenly became solemn, as the expressions of both of them turned extremely serious, staring at one another like they were the greatest of enemies.
Suddenly, the two figures flickered, disappearing from where they stood at the exact same moment.
When they reappeared, the two were only separated by a couple dozen or so metres.
An indescribable force surged from both their bodies and enveloped one another.
In an instant, the space around the pair distorted. The invisible forces which filled the air were so condensed they were nearly tangible and observable to the naked eye as they surged and crashed into each other as the Senior Sister and Junior Brother pair tried to overwhelm one another.
Yang Kai’s brow twitched while Fang Peng’s jaw went slack. Even Leng Qing who was standing in the distance opened his eyes wide.
All three were shocked.
Clearly, both Ye Xi Yun and Qi Tian Che had cultivated their Shi to the grand accomplishment stage and had touched upon the threshold of Domain.
In the first confrontation, the pair were evenly matched!
Whether it was Ye Xi Yun or Qi Tian Che, both showed looks of surprise, the two obviously not having expected that the other party had reached such a level.
But soon, the two of them started to move again. The Bone Incinerating Flame Lamp was summoned by Ye Xi Yun and the Heaven rending flames were gripped with her bare hands as she sent a blast after blast towards Qi Tian Che, occasionally mixing in her own Secret Techniques.
Qi Tian Che naturally didn’t back down, summoning a golden wheel-like artifact above his head, like a small sun. As this wheel rotated, dazzling golden light lased from the artifact, each beam containing might equal to the bone incinerating flames.
Muttering words under his breath as he continued to form complex hands seals, Qi Tian Che launched a fierce assault that matched Ye Xi Yun’s blow for blow.
[Sun and Moon Golden Wheel!] Yang Kai looked at the artifact Qi Tian Che summoned and his eyes lit up.
He could recognize this artifact because Ye Xi Yun had informed him about it beforehand.
This was one of the two Origin King Grade artifacts left on Star Emperor Mountain and was of extremely high grade. It seemed this artifact was refined by the Great Emperor thousands of years ago and could absorb the essence of the sun and the moon, contain it, then release it endlessly when confronting an enemy.
There were two forms to the Sun and Moon Golden Wheel. Currently, it was displaying the first, where it radiated the scorching sun’s divine light.
When it assumed its second form, it would take on the appearance of a crescent moon and the beams it would release were extremely cold, enough to freeze the soul of a person.
In terms of power alone, the Sun and Moon Golden Wheel was actually above the Bone Incinerating Flame Lamp, but as with any artifact, the stronger the power, the more Saint Qi it required to operate.
Ye Xi Yun and Qi Tian Che both stood at the apex of Shadowed Star cultivators, so even if their respective artifacts had a gap in power, a battle between them would not be decided quickly.
As Yang Kai was watching attentively though, he suddenly frowned, stretching out his hand and summoning his Purple Shield to protect himself in the next instant.
*Hong…*
With a loud bang, Yang Kai’s body shook slightly and his expression became gloomy.
Glancing over, he saw Fang Peng standing there sneering at him.
“Sect Master Fang, launching a sneak attack at such a time isn’t in good taste, is it? If you want to fight, just say so, this Sect Master will gladly accompany you to your end!” Yang Kai snorted.
“Enough nonsense, Boy, since you dared come to this Star Emperor Mountain, don’t even dream of leaving alive. Today, this will be your burial place!” Fang Peng roared.
Because of Yang Kai, he was forced to abandon Thunder Typhoon Sect’s ten thousand year foundation, and even use that very foundation to set a trap to try to extinguish this boy. Now, since Yang Kai had appeared here unharmed, it was obvious his previous plot had failed, not only destroying his Sect’s headquarters in Thunder Typhoon Canyon but also wasting the lives of his five Martial Seniors.
If Yang Kai did not die here, today, Thunder Typhoon Sect would never be able to rise again.
Only by killing him could Thunder Typhoon Sect make a comeback.
“Your words are bold, Old Dog. If you want my life, you’ll have to come get it yourself, though I doubt you have the ability!” Yang Kai snorted as he stretched out his hand and summoned his Firebird Artifact Spirit.
A loud dragon roar also rang out as Yang Kai summoned the Verdant Dragon Bone Sword and transformed it into a giant dark green dragon floating above his head.
*Chi chi chi…*
A series of Space Blades appeared beside Yang Kai and flew towards Fang Peng rapidly under the control of his Divine Sense.
Fang Peng’s complexion changed drastically. Although he had spoken both aggressively and confidently, he was by no means underestimating Yang Kai. After witnessing Yang Kai’s many methods, he naturally didn’t dare to be negligent.
His body flashed brilliantly and a majestic looking Artifact Armour appeared.
Defending before attacking showed that Fang Peng was lacking in confidence.
At the same time, his wrist shook and a long whip suddenly appeared, the aura it pulsed with indicating it was an Origin King Grade artifact.
Thunder Typhoon Sect was one of the two giants of Shadowed Star, so it had a hallowed treasure of this grade. This Thunder Fire Seven Birds Whip was the most precious artifact Thunder Typhoon Sect possessed and had been part of its core inheritance for thousands of years.
Normally, it was never used, but Fang Peng had taken it away with him when he withdrew from Thunder Typhoon Sect. Now that he was confronting Yang Kai, he summoned it without hesitation.
This long whip was discovered by one of Thunder Typhoon Sect’s ancestors in an Ancient Ruin when he was out for life experience. It was said that it was also quite famous in ancient times. Refining it had consumed countless rare materials and there were even the Souls of powerful bird-type Monster Beasts sealed inside it, allowing the whip to transform into the appearance of these monster birds.
Finally, it had been tempered in a Ten Thousand Year Thunder Fire Pool, which allowed it to absorb the power of thunder fire.
Any artifact below Origin King Grade couldn’t withstand its lashing as once it was contaminated by this powerful thunder fire, the spirituality of any lesser artifact would be greatly damaged.
As the long whip lashed, faint sounds of thunder resounded.
At that moment, the Firebird rushed to the top of Fang Peng’s head, opened its beak wide, and shot out a fireball larger than the washbasin towards him.
Holding the Origin King Grade artifact in his hand, Fang Peng was unafraid of this fireball and he simply waved the Thunder Fire Seven Birds Whip viciously towards the Firebird.
A sad, piercing cry rang out from the Firebird as it failed to evade this blow and its body suddenly dimmed, seemingly suffering some trauma.
Yang Kai’s expression changed greatly when he saw this, but he soon calmed down.
He could sense that the Firebird was injured, but that it wasn’t a major problem and had only ignited its anger.
The series of Space Blades reached Fang Peng at this time. Facing this strange, esoteric force, Fang Peng did not dare confront it head-on, his body flickering as he dodged, reappearing an instant later only a dozen or so metres from where Yang Kai stood.
The Thunder Fire Seven Birds Whip traced a beautiful and sinister arc as it lashed towards Yang Kai.
Worthy of being a master at the peak Third-Order Origin Returning Realm and the Sect Master of one of Shadowed Star’s greatest Sects, both Fang Peng’s strength and skill were far above that of an average cultivator. His Saint Qi was especially pure and dense, nearly exceeding the normal bounds of the Third-Order.
The opponent’s attack was timed and aimed perfectly, making it impossible to dodge, so Yang Kai could only resort to using his Purple Shield to defend himself.
However, the Thunder Fire Seven Birds Whip changed direction mid-air, avoiding the position of Purple Shield as if it had its own intelligence. Fang Peng shook his wrist and the long whip stiffened straight and thrust out like a long spear towards Yang Kai’s heart.
At that moment, the long whip transformed into the figure of a demon bird as it let out a faint cry.
This bird somewhat resembling an eagle with sharp claws and a wingspan of several tens of metres which could obscure the sun’s light.
A Heavenly Peng!
Yang Kai stared at this attack indifferently, as if he was unaware that disaster was approaching him, not even showing any intention to dodge.
A lofty dragon roar resounded from above as the dark green dragon shook its head and waved its tail as it intercepted the Heavenly Peng. In the next moment, the two collided together, dragon roars and bird cries filling the air along with violent energy fluctuations that distorted the surrounding space.
The Heavenly Peng’s manifestation dimmed at visible rate while on the contrary the giant dark green dragon only became more and more ferocious.
“Impossible!” Fang Peng was shocked as he stared at the giant dark-green dragon in a daze, unable to believe what he was seeing.
He knew that the Verdant Bone Sword in Yang Kai’s hand was quite powerful, but he never thought that it was an Origin King Grade artifact!
If it weren’t, there was no way it could clash with the Thunder Fire Seven Birds Whip for so long. Moreover, the thunder fire of the whip, which could corrode the spirituality of an artifact, did not affect the giant dark green dragon. Instead, it was the Thunder Fire Seven Birds Whip that seemed to be taking damage.
Yang Kai’s giant dark green dragon was actually an extremely poisonous and corrosive existence!
Fang Peng’s face changed drastically as he desperately urged his Saint Qi and Spiritual Energy.
The Heavenly Peng phantom immediately disappeared, transforming back into its long whip form, breaking away from the entanglement of the giant dark-green, dragon-like snake, and returning to Fang Peng’s hand.
Although the Thunder Fire Seven Birds Whip was a high-quality artifact, it was still worse than the Dragon Bone Sword.
The Dragon Bone Sword was refined from a piece of True Dragon bone supplemented with a real Dragon Bead that contained a remnant wisp of a True Dragon’s Soul. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that the highest-end materials were used in its refinement. Even if the Thunder Fire Seven Birds Whip was also extremely good, it still wasn’t comparable to the Dragon Bone Sword.
What was limiting the Dragon Bone Sword from displaying its full power was actually Yang Kai’s low cultivation.
Additionally, the Dragon Bone Sword could swallow the physical essence of the enemies it slew to enhance itself, meaning it would only become more powerful in the future.
Yang Kai had great expectations for it, so saying it couldn’t even defeat this Thunder Fire Seven Birds Whip was a bad joke.
Even after seeing the artifact he was most relying upon being suppressed, Fang Pang was not discouraged. Although the quality of artifacts was a major factor in a struggle between cultivators, Secret Techniques and cultivation realm were still the most important aspects.
Fang Peng believed that with his cultivation being two Minor Realms higher than Yang Kai’s, and with his many years of experience, even if his artifact was being suppressed, he could still emerge victoriously.
Continuing to swing the long whip back and forth, striking from impossible angles with extreme accuracy, Fang Peng managed to launch an assault that made it impossible for both the Firebird and the giant dark green dragon to get close.
Even Yang Kai’s Space Blades were being torn apart by the long whip.
Suddenly, atop Star Ascendance Peak, two great battles erupted into full swing. These were life or death struggles, making them extraordinarily thrilling.
Only Leng Qing, however, standing at a distance, was able to observe this magnificent scene.
He didn’t watch the battle between Ye Xi Yun and Qi Tian Che though, as that fight was of too high a level for him, making it impossible for him to comprehend anything even if he tried to observe and emulate it.
The confrontation he was paying attention to was the one between Yang Kai and Fang Peng!
As an elite of the younger generation on Star Emperor Mountain, Leng Qing had always been quite proud, not even putting Qu Chang Feng in his eyes back in the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
But he didn’t dare to despise Yang Kai.
Ever since he ran into Yang Kai in the fourth layer of the Flowing Flame Sand Field, Leng Qing had regarded him as an opponent on the same level as himself and had secretly been looking forward to the day when he could fight against him in a death-match!
But now, Leng Qing discovered that the young man he considered a potential opponent was actually far stronger than himself.
Yang Kai was able to fight against a character like Fang Peng on even terms, and even if he was relying on various external forces, he was still able to completely suppress Fang Peng’s momentum single-handedly.
Leng Qing was extremely shocked.
He had never imagined someone could achieve this kind of feat with only a First-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivation! He freely admitted that even he had no such ability. Leng Qing was a true genius, but wasn’t Fang Peng one as well?
Those that can be the Sect Master of their sects are those that stood out amongst their peers in the sect, and the Sect Master of Thunder Typhoon Sect is no exception. His skills must be no worse than those that stood at the pinnacle of Shadowed Star.
But such a character couldn’t gain any advantage over Yang Kai in a frontal confrontation, all of his methods being handled easily or suppressed as they fought!
Leng Qing estimated that, if he were in Yang Kai’s place, he wouldn’t even be able to persist for more than half a cup of tea’s worth of time against Fang Peng!
At this moment, Leng Qing felt somewhat depressed, somewhat lost, but more excited than ever!
He had found a target, a goal he could pursue, raising his enthusiasm greatly. Clenching his fists, Leng Qing stared at Yang Kai’s movements fixedly, secretly applauding every time he attacked and counterattacked, often drawing inspiration from even an inadvertent action by the other party.
“Fang Peng, if you had escaped far away earlier, you might not have died today, but since you chose to come to Star Emperor Mountain, you’ve sealed your own fate,” Yang Kai drove the Dragon Bone Sword and his Firebird Artifact Spirit towards Fang Peng as he laughed loudly.
Fang Peng’s expression remained cold as he held his silence.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to refute, but right now, he was truly at a disadvantage and didn’t have the spare capacity to argue with Yang Kai.
Throughout this hard fight, Fang Peng had realized that he couldn’t kill Yang Kai with his strength alone, but that it was also not going to be easy for his opponent to kill him.
As such, he could only pin his hopes on Qi Tian Che.
Fang Peng felt that Qi Tian Che must still have a hidden card to play, otherwise, he wouldn’t have acted so confidently before.
Realizing this, Fang Peng seized an opportunity to glance over at the other battlefield and was surprised to find that they too were engaged in a deep and fierce fight, but unlike his own, they were evenly matched, neither able to overpower the other.
This discovery made his heart jump and a chill shoot up his back.
What if Qi Tian Che couldn’t defeat Ye Xi Yun? What should he do then?
Qi Tian Che’s strength and methods were superb so he could definitely escape from this place if he wanted to, but there was no way for Fang Peng to do so. In front of a cultivator proficient in the Dao of Space, trying to run away was the epitome of stupidity.
While thinking so, Fang Peng’s eyes suddenly shrank.
He found that on the other battlefield, Qi Tian Che made a feint to escape from Ye Xi Yun’s entanglement before transforming into a streak of light that shot towards his direction!
As Qi Tian Che flew through the air, he suddenly extended his hand and grasped forward ruthlessly!
Yang Kai, who was originally moving about freely, suddenly felt great pressure and couldn’t help his movements becoming somewhat sluggish.
Fang Peng was overjoyed and immediately understood what Qi Tian Che was plotting. Clearly, he was only pretending to fight Ye Xi Yun to the death when in fact his goal was to seize Yang Kai.
As long as Yang Kai could be captured, it wouldn’t matter how strong Ye Xi Yun was.
Instantaneously, Fang Peng grasped Qi Tian Che’s plan and now that he and Qi Tian Che were both grasshoppers on the same rope, naturally Fang Peng was going to contribute. Hastily, Fang Pen executed a Secret Technique that further suppressed Yang Kai in place.
“You think that you can suppress me by working together?” Yang Kai’s eyes went cold and sharp, “Seems you won’t show regret unless you see your coffin! Come catch me if you can!”
As he spoke these words, Yang Kai stretched out his hand and swiped forward, immediately opening up a Void Crack before him.
“Space Force is truly mysterious, but in front of this old master, your paltry methods are useless!” Qi Tian Che laughed and with a flick of his wrist threw out a small bead.
The bead looked extremely ordinary and gave off no discernible energy fluctuations, but when it appeared, Ye Xi Yun’s expression changed drastically and she couldn’t help calling out in amazement, “You actually managed to refine it?! Sect Master, dodge!”
Yang Kai’s heart clenched.
Although he didn’t know what kind of mysteries this bead hid, it was definitely no small thing if it could shock Ye Xi Yun this much.
Not daring to neglect, Yang Kai stepped into the Void Crack to escape.
But to his shock, a mysterious fluctuation burst out from the bead at that exact moment and, as this wave propagated forth, it actually destabilized the Void Crack and instantly sealed it.
It was as if it had been wiped away by a giant invisible hand.
Yang Kai only managed to take a step through the air in the end.
In the next moment, the surrounding scenery suddenly changed.
By the time Yang Kai recovered, he was already in another space.
Looking around, this space was extremely small, less than three hundred metres in radius, but it was also lush and green.
Yang Kai’s eyes flashed with surprise, not immediately able to understand what had happened.
What surprised him even more though was that this space was obviously incomplete! Because at the border of this space he could see partial pieces of vegetation, with the other half clearly somewhere beyond what was visible to him.
It was almost as if there was a barrier partitioning off the space.
Not far in front of him, Qi Tian Che stood wearing a smile while Fang Peng simply looked confused as he glanced left and right but was unable to see any trace of Ye Xi Yun.
The Firebird Artifact Spirit hovered overhead, crying out anxiously. It was also brought inside, but the Verdant Dragon Bone Sword was left outside, and when Yang Kai tried to communicate with it with his Divine Sense, he was actually unable to establish contact, a discovery that caused his heart to sink.
A moment later, Fang Peng frowned and asked, “Brother Tian Che, what is this place?”
He was obviously kept in the dark too, not knowing what Qi Tian Che wanted to do.
“A Small Sealed World!” Qi Tian Che laughed.
“Small Sealed World?” Fang Peng’s eyes widened, almost thinking that he had heard wrong. Yang Kai’s face also couldn’t help becoming gloomy as he glared towards Qi Tian Che.
“Has Brother Fang not seen such a minuscule Small Sealed World before?” Qi Tian Che asked.
“Indeed,” Fang Peng nodded honestly, “I have explored numerous Small Sealed Worlds before, but even the smallest of them was far larger than this place.”
What confused him even more though was how the three of them had suddenly been transported to this Small Sealed World.
Small Sealed Worlds were usually only accessible through a Void Corridor, but just now, Qi Tian Che had only thrown out a small bead which then released a strange burst of energy before the three of them appeared here.
Was it possible that this Small Sealed World was somehow related to that bead? Fang Peng frowned slightly.
Yang Kai was also surprised.
Back on Tong Xuan Realm, he had been to a few Small Sealed Worlds before, but after arriving in the Star Field, he had not encountered any such places again until today.
“Sect Master Yang, I presume?” Qi Tian Che looked at Yang Kai with a smile, his expression completely relaxed, “Come to think of it, you and I have not introduced ourselves have we? This King is Qi Tian Che and currently occupies the position of Star Emperor Mountain’s Sect Master.”
“Sect Master Qi’s name resounds like thunder, this Junior has long heard of it,” Yang Kai grinned, not showing the slightest fear, “But this Junior would like to ask Senior, why did you bring me to this place? Do you want to blackmail Great Elder with me?”
“Sect Master Yang need not use such crass words,” Qi Tian Che slowly shook his head, “This King bringing you here was not to deal with Senior Sister Ye, but rather because this King wished to make friends with you.”
“Heh heh…” Yang Kai laughed, stroking his chin as he said, “Senior must be joking.”
Qi Tian Che shook his head once more and declared solemnly, “This King truly means what he says, this is no joke.”
“But this Junior has no interest in making friends with you!” Yang Kai snickered.
Qi Tian Che failed to stifle his laughter as he continued, “If Sect Master Yang insists so, this old master won’t force the issue; however, this old master still wants to consult with Sect Master Yang about something.”
“You have something you want to consult with me about?” Yang Kai looked surprised.
“Indeed!” Qi Tian Che nodded sincerely.
“And what is that? Seeking power by usurping the throne? Deceiving one’s master and dishonouring one’s ancestors? If it’s about such matters, this Junior has nothing to say, Senior has clearly already reached the peak of such arts,” Yang Kai snapped at Qi Tian Che sarcastically.
The other party didn’t become angry at all though and simply maintained a calm smile, “Naturally, it is not about such trivial things. What this King wants to ask about… is the Dao of Space!”
Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed hearing this.
“The Dao of Space is extremely esoteric and difficult to cultivate, this King is untalented and has spent many years trying to comprehend it, but despite such effort, his achievements in the field are far inferior to Sect Master Yang, who can even condense a blade of pure Space Force or independently tear space! This King deeply admires Sect Master Yang’s profound methods! I simply wish to ask Sect Master Yang to resolve a few of the many quandaries this King is burdened with.”
“You’ve studied the Dao of Space?” Yang Kai frowned.
“Some trivial accomplishments at most,” Qi Tian Che nodded humbly, “This King has been in retreat for several dozen years just to study the Dao of Space and had some minor gains, but…”
Yang Kai was stunned.
He hadn’t expected that this old man had been in retreat for several dozen years just to study Space Force.
Yang Xiu Zhu had reminded Ye Xi Yun to be wary of Qi Tian Che because the latter had been in retreat to cultivate some kind of Secret Technique for the past several dozen years, but now it turns out he was actually trying to cultivate Space Force.
However, why would he do this?
Yang Kai’s mind turned sharply before suddenly a flash of understanding came to him. Turning a grin towards Qi Tian Che, Yang Kai asked lightly, “Senior, if this Junior is not mistaken, you cultivating the Dao of Space must be related to this Small Sealed World and that strange bead, yes?”
“Oh? Why did you say this?” Qi Tian Che raised his brow as his eyes flashed brightly, seemingly very interested.
“Haha,” Yang Kai laughed, “I did not see a Void Corridor before being inexplicably brought here by Senior, so obviously that bead should be some kind of key to opening and accessing this Small Sealed World, but to use it, one must be capable of using Space Force, which is why you wish to cultivate it. Is this Junior correct?”
“That’s right!” Qi Tian Che looked at Yang Kai approvingly, nodding as he asked, “I wonder what else Sect Master Yang can see?”
“I can see that this Small Sealed World is incomplete, probably because your comprehension of the Dao of Space is lacking. If you wish to complete this Small Sealed World, you must become more proficient in using Space Force…” As he said this though, Yang Kai’s brow wrinkled as he suddenly became confused, not really able to see a specific relationship between Qi Tian Che’s proficiency in the Dao of Space and this Small Sealed World.
A Small Sealed World was a Small Sealed World, an independent world of its own, it should not have anything to do with anyone.
“Sect Master Yang’s vision is sharp; this old master deeply admires it!” Qi Tian Che nodded slightly, “But although Sect Master Yang is more than half right, he has made one critical mistake.”
“Oh? And what is that?” Yang Kai looked at him suspiciously.
“That bead was not the key to opening this Small Sealed World!” Qi Tian Che smiled meaningfully, “That bead is this Small Sealed World!”
“What do you mean?” Yang Kai frowned at him.
“Let me put it another way, a Small Sealed World was sealed inside that bead!” Qi Tian Che explained.
“What?” Yang Kai was shocked, and Fang Peng was also dumbfounded.
“A Small Sealed World contained within a bead? How is that possible?” Yang Kai frowned and shook his head, a look of disbelief filling his face, but soon, his expression became solemn as he stared at Qi Tian Che gloomily, hesitating before asking, “Could it be that bead… is an Emperor Artifact?”
Qi Tian Che laughed and stroked his beard lightly, nodding in confirmation, “Sect Master Yang is truly wise, understanding all the key points so quickly. Indeed, that bead is an Emperor Artifact! Normal artifacts could not possibly have such a profound function, but Emperor Artifacts are different, the secrets of Emperor Artifacts are beyond our comprehension! That bead is indeed one of the two Emperor Artifact beads, the Sealed World Bead!”
“Of the two Emperor Artifact beads!” Yang Kai said coldly snorted, “Then the other one is the Annihilation Thunder Bead?”
“En. These two beads are inheritances passed down personally from the Great Emperor and are the two most important treasures of my Star Emperor Mountain!” Qi Tian Che nodded and admitted, suddenly grinning as he said, “Sect Master Yang should not blame Senior Sister Ye for not warning you about this matter. Senior Sister Ye had no idea this old master was able to refine this Sealed World Bead. This thing has been passed down by my Star Emperor Mountain’s ancestors for ten thousand years, with each generation’s Sect Master attempting to refine it, but none have ever succeeded! As time passed, even the purpose and function of this Sealed World Bead became lost. This old master was only able to refine it and understand its mysteries thanks to a series of opportunities and coincidences.”
Yang Kai’s face was black and his expression was extremely difficult to look at.
If he wasn’t currently inside this incomplete Small Sealed World, he would never have believed that this strange Sealed World Bead, which contained its own independent world, could possibly exist.
Now that he was trapped inside, unable to even contact his Dragon Bone Sword, how was he supposed to fight? This old dog still had his Sun and Moon Golden Wheel Origin King Grade artifact.
“Sect Master Yang should not bother thinking about trying to tear space, this Small Sealed World is an independent space with its own World Principles, it is useless for you to tear space here,” Qi Tian Che also seemed to remind him kindly.
“I’d prefer to confirm that for myself; Senior doesn’t mind, right?” Yang Kai glanced over at Qi Tian Che faintly.
“Sect Master Yang, please, it just so happens that this King also wants to carefully observe how Sect Master Yang’s manipulates Space Force,” Qi Tian Che waved his hand lightly, showing no intention of stopping Yang Kai.
Yang Kai did not waste any time, stretched out his hand, and swiped the air in front of him, opening a Void Crack in the next instant.
But before he could step into it, Qi Tian Che suddenly waved his hand and the Void Crack disappeared.
Yang Kai looked at him coldly with an unhappy expression on his face.
Qi Tian Che smiled and said, “The World Principles of this Small Sealed World are now controlled by this old master, Sect Master Yang should give up.”
“Old bastard!” Yang Kai coldly snapped.
“Sect Master Yang is young and vigorous, so this old master won’t care about your lack of decorum. This old master has already honestly explained his purpose and intent, now it is time for Sect Master Yang to make a choice. If you choose to work for this old master, this old master will treat you as a friend in the future, but if Sect Master Yang insists on being stubborn… Well, this old master has other methods to obtain your cooperation. I have given you the opportunity, whether you can grasp it or not depends on your actions.”
Yang Kai grinned, “Do you think you’re in complete control now that you’ve simply trapped me in this place? Cooperate with you? Senior should abandon such wishful thinking, as for cultivating the Dao of Space, you’d best try harder in your next life instead!”
At that moment, the Firebird Artifact Spirit, which had been hovering above Yang Kai’s head, screamed and transformed into a ball of flame that flew towards Qi Tian Che.
“Oh!” Qi Tian Che sighed deeply, “Since Sect Master Yang insists on doing this, then this old master can only press forward as well, please pardon my offence, Sect Master Yang!”
Saying so, he stretched out his hand and pointed a finger towards the approaching Firebird Artifact Spirit.
A bizarre scene appeared next.
A vortex suddenly appeared in the sky, and as it rotated, it seemed to produce an irresistible suction force that pulled in the Firebird regardless of how the Artifact Spirit struggled to resist.
In just three short breaths, the Firebird plunged into the vortex and disappeared.
The connection between Yang Kai and the Firebird’s Soul was also cut off at that moment, causing his complexion to pale slightly.
“Sect Master Yang need not worry, this old master simply banished it outside, so it will not interfere in the fight between us,” Qi Tian Che said lightly before his expression suddenly became extremely solemn and he let out a loud shout as he stomped hard on the ground.
The earth seemed to tremble slightly and the sound of tearing silk rang out as Qi Tian Che’s robes were instantly shattered, blasting apart, revealing his upper body.
Yang Kai looked at him with a look of shock on his face.
This old dog looked old and frail, but his body was actually the exact opposite.
Rippling, clearly defined muscles which seemed to be filled with explosive power covered his frame.
It wouldn’t be a surprise for a young man to possess such a body, but it was a bit strange for an old man with grey hair and a long beard to have such a physique.
His body was nothing short of powerful! The rippling force that was contained in every one of his muscles was obvious to anyone who saw them.
Saint Qi surged wildly and Qi Tian Che’s momentum seemed unstoppable as a glow pulsed from his body.
Yang Kai and Fang Peng both stared blankly.
“Sect Master Yang, this old master will give you one last chance, it’s still not too late to see reason, but if you refuse, this old master will have to take action. If Sect Master Yang is wounded in the process, this old master will certainly feel some regret,” Qi Tian Che said as he stared down Yang Kai majestically.
“Enough nonsense, you brought me into this tiny space because you thought your physical prowess would give you an advantage, right?” Yang Kai smiled weirdly, “Whether you have such ability or not, we shall see!”
Seeing him refusing his kindness twice, Qi Tian Che’s expression also grew dark and he nodded, “Good, since that’s the case, then don’t blame this old master for being impolite.”
Saying so, Qi Tian Che’s figure flickered and he disappeared from where he was standing. When he reappeared, he was already above Yang Kai’s head.
Without using any kind of Secret Technique or summoning any kind of artifact, Qi Tian Chen fiercely threw a punch towards Yang Kai.
Fighting in this extremely small space, any kind of artifact or Secret Technique would be greatly restricted, while those who possessed superior physical capabilities would undoubtedly occupy a major advantage!
There was no sound, but the power contained in this fist was enough to break a mountain.
Yang Kai simply stood in place, however, seemingly unaware of the approaching danger.
Qi Tian Che frowned, wondering what kind of scheme he was up to.
It wasn’t until the fist wind began brushing Yang Kai’s face that he suddenly shouted, “Come out!”
A small and angular figure suddenly appeared in front of Yang Kai mysteriously and in an instant grew into a massive stone giant several dozen meters in height.
Stone Puppet Xiao Xiao!
The Dragon Bone Sword had been left outside, and the Firebird Artifact Spirit was banished by Qi Tian Che, but Yang Kai still had Xiao Xiao!
Xiao Xiao hefted the pitch-black Heaven Shaking Pillar on his shoulders, and as he grew, so too did the strange stick-like artifact.
Gripping the Heaven Shaking Pillar tightly, Xiao Xiao swiftly swept it forward.
Qi Tian Che’s eyes shrank and a look of horror filled his face as he hurriedly withdrew.
He felt a fatal threat from this stick and understood that even with his great physical strength, he could not take a blow from it head-on.
*Hong…*
It seemed like even space was smashed and collapsed while Qi Tian Che only felt a numbness in his abdomen.
He had not been hit by the pitch-black stick, instead just being swept by the wind pressure it created, but even so, his blood roiled and his breathing became disordered. It was easy to imagine what kind of fate he would experience if he were struck by it directly.
Qi Tian Che’s expression changed dramatically as he leapt backwards without hesitation while reaching out and pointing his finger towards the Stone Puppet.
He intended to exile the Stone Puppet from this space too!
This was how he dealt with the Firebird Artifact Spirit just now.
To capture Yang Kai alive, Qi Tian Che had expended a great deal of effort and gathered a large amount of information, so he knew that Yang Kai possessed several terrifying helpers.
However, he was also fully confident in the Sealed World Bead.
The Sealed World Bead was one of the two Emperor Artifact beads, and since he had refined it, Qi Tian Che could control the Sealed World Bead’s environment and laws to a certain extent. As long as Yang Kai was isolated, Qi Tian Che wouldn’t have a problem subduing a mere First-Order Origin Returning Realm Junior. Once Yang Kai was captured alive, not only could Qi Tian Che learn the secrets of the Dao of Space from him, but he could also force Ye Xi Yun into a desperate situation and even return to the ancestral land of Supreme Profound Sect.
From the very beginning, he had never intended to fight a life or death battle with Ye Xi Yun, his goal had always been Yang Kai.
The vortex that had appeared once before appeared again, and the terrifying suction force began drawing in the Stone Puppet!
“Wishful thinking!” Yang Kai shouted angrily as he stretched out his hand and grabbed towards the vortex suddenly. Rich Space Force pulsed and collapsed the vortex, allowing Xiao Xiao to break free and regain his freedom of movement.
Yang Kai laughed riotously, “Old Dog, it seems your grasp of this place’s World Principles is too weak.”
Qi Tian Che’s complexion sank, and a faint feelings of ill omen couldn’t help rising in his heart.
He hadn’t expected that Yang Kai would be able to counter him in this place. It seemed that even if he had refined this Sealed World Bead, when it came to manipulating Space Force, he was still not Yang Kai’s opponent.
The Stone Puppet moved swiftly, slamming its stick again the moment broke free from the suction force.
Qi Tian Che didn’t dare face this blow head-on and hurriedly dodged.
The Heaven Shaking Pillar brushed past his body and another dull impact from the wind pressure assailed his waist and ribs.
Before Qi Tian Che could steady himself, a strong wind pressure descended upon him from above as Yang Kai’s shout reached his ears, “Old dog, taste my fist!”
“Very good!” Qi Tian Che’s face filled with surprise and happiness.
He hadn’t summoned any kind of artifact or used any kind of Secret Technique because he wanted to fight Yang Kai hand to hand. Firstly, this battleground was not conducive to any other form of combat, and secondly because he had full confidence in his physical strength. Now seeing Yang Kai actually approach him of his own accord, Qi Tian Che was naturally overjoyed.
He thought Yang Kai had become overconfident and was acting recklessly.
Qi Tian Che deeply feared the power of the stone giant, but that didn’t mean he feared a trivial Yang Kai.
Without even hesitating, he sent out his own punch to meet Yang Kai’s.
Two fists impacted and a loud bang rang out.
Yang Kai’s body flew out like an arrow from the string while Qi Tian Che couldn’t help letting out a grunt as his entire body sank halfway into the ground.
In that instant, Qi Tian Che couldn’t help but turn pale.
Although it was just a simple exchange of fists, with Qi Tian Che’s vast experience it was easy for him to see that Yang Kai’s physique and strength were just as intrepid as his own. In that blow just now, both sides had suffered a small loss with neither having any distinctive advantage over the other.
[How can this be?]
Qi Tian Che had lived for over a thousand years and ever since he first tread upon the Martial Dao, he had always paid special attention to his Body Tempering. Now, his physical body was far stronger than that of an average cultivator in the same realm and was even comparable to an ordinary Origin Grade High-Rank artifact in terms of resilience.
But how old was this little brat? How long had he cultivated for? How could he possibly have such a strong physique?
The astonishing amount of vitality he felt in that moment of contact shocked Qi Tian Che to an incredible degree.
Before he could collect himself though, the Stone Puppet’s Heaven Shaking Pillar swept towards him again.
Qi Tian Che was unable to avoid the blow this time as he was half-sunk into the earth. Seeing that the pitch-black stick swept towards him, Qi Tian Che took a deep breath and the faint glow which had been radiating from his body suddenly increased in intensity several times. In an instant, Qi Tian Che’s body seemed to be covered by a rigid, almost metallic protective barrier.
Clenching his fists, Qian Tian Che lifted both his arms to protect his face.
In the next moment, the Heaven Shaking Pillar arrived.
*Hong…*
Qi Tian Che was knocked over and thrown out by the massive impact force, flying until he hit the edge of the Small Sealed World before smashing into the barrier and then crashing to the ground, his face going pale as he spat out a mouthful of blood, staggered, and looked up with solemn expression.
This time, he had suffered a heavy loss. The Heaven Shaking Pillar was forged from Heavenly Crystal Profound Iron in ancient times before it was brought out by Yang Kai from the Emperor Garden.
Heavenly Crystal Profound Iron was a top-level Origin King Grade artifact refining material and even a fist-sized piece weighed over ten thousand kilograms. If one incorporated even a tiny bit of it into an artifact they were refining, it would make said artifact many times more difficult to destroy.
The Heaven Shaking Pillar was completely forged from this peculiar material and was thus extremely heavy.
Yang Kai could barely lift it with all his strength, but he couldn’t swing it around.
Only strange creatures like the Stone Puppet could use this unusual artifact.
Even if Qi Tian Che cultivated a Body Tempering Secret Art for hundreds of years, he was still unable to withstand the violent blow of the Heaven Shaking Pillar.
“How did you like the taste of that attack?” Yang Kai shook his wrist as he stood a short distance away. Just now, he had exchanged a punch with Qi Tian Che so his hand was still stinging.
“Not bad!” Qi Tian Che did not lose his spirit and just gently nodded, “In time, Sect Master Yang would surely become the most dazzling master of Shadowed Star and have no difficulty unifying the entire world. Unfortunately, since you encountered this old Master here, you won’t be getting that chance.”
As the metallic lustre on his body increased, Qi Tian Che rushed towards Yang Kai solemnly.
A round of full sun suddenly appeared above his head, bursting with dazzling light.
The Origin King Grade artifact, Sun and Moon Golden Wheel!
Streams of hot Yang filled light shot from the golden sun, radiating a heat which seemed capable of burning all creation as they lased towards Yang Kai.
At the same time, Qi Tian Che also released his grand accomplishment stage Shi, covering the entire Small Sealed World in it.
The small space suddenly became extremely sticky, giving people the illusion of being stuck deep in the mud, the more they struggled, the deeper they sank.
Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed, knowing that this old dog was now going all out against him.
Qi Tian Che couldn’t beat the Stone Puppet in strength, so he could choose to target Yang Kai directly.
Not daring to hold back either, Yang Kai also released his Shi.
The space surrounding him suddenly became distorted and even began to collapse as innumerable tiny Void Cracks began to form, as if the world around Yang Kai had been shredded by a million blades. These tiny Void Cracks drifted about randomly for a moment before immediately being repaired by the World Principles of Small Sealed World, only to re-appear elsewhere in the next instant.
Yang Kai had condensed his Shi under the full impact of the Emperor Garden’s Emperor Pressure and incorporated his Space Force into it at the time, allowing his Shi to become far stronger than that of an average cultivator and even able to affect the surrounding space when he released it.
The constantly forming and collapsing Void Cracks around him were the best evidence of this.
Relying on this alone, however, wasn’t enough for Yang Kai to compete with Qi Tian Che’s grand accomplishment stage Shi which had touched upon the threshold of Domain.
A slicing sound rang out in the next moment though.
Hundreds of Golden Blood Threads spread out from Yang Kai’s body and constantly cut through the suppression of Qi Tian Che Shi.
The Golden Blood Thread Secret Technique originally had the effect of destroying Shi, so with Yang Kai using hundreds of them at once, the effect was naturally quite remarkable.
Using this two-pronged approach, the pressure weighing down Yang Kai suddenly disappeared and he was instantly relieved of the grand accomplishment Shi which was restraining him.
Manipulating them with his Divine Sense, Yang Kai sliced through the air with his Golden Blood Threads and intercepted every beam of radiant Yang light coming towards him, resolving the incoming danger without suffering any harm.
Qi Tian Che was deeply shocked!
He couldn’t imagine that the situation would develop to this point. All of the methods and strengths he was so proud of didn’t play any role against Yang Kai.
At this moment, he couldn’t help feeling somewhat nervous.
But now, he was already an arrow in mid-flight, and Ye Xi Yun was waiting for him outside, so if he couldn’t defeat Yang Kai in this Small Sealed World, even if he fled outside, his situation would only get worse.
Only by capturing Yang Kai here could he regain control of the overall situation.
Understanding this, Qi Tian Che flew towards Yang Kai and threw out a fist carrying vast destructive power.
Yang Kai didn’t even try to evade, instead sending out a fist of his own, his Saint Qi pushed to its limits as his muscles flexed, launching into a tangled struggle with Qi Tian Che.
All plots and conspiracies were useless at this moment, only by overwhelming their opponent with pure power could either of them achieve victory. The two were like savages as they recklessly swung their fists, pummeling each other with one blow after another.
This kind of hand to hand combat was simple, direct, savage, and bloody!
Endless explosions rang out as golden and silvery light intersected with one another, mixed with the occasional shout or muffled groan.
In this battle of pure physical strength, the two sides were actually even.
Fang Peng stood to the side, dumbfounded.
He had been brought into this Small Sealed World by Qi Tian Che and thought that they would join forces to easily defeat Yang Kai. He believed that Qi Tian Che had planned this entire scenario out as such, but now, to Fang Peng’s frustration, he discovered he was actually unable to intervene in this fight at all, only able to stand idly by and watch anxiously.
Even Xiao Xiao stood back and waited for an opportunity, not daring to attack rashly.
He too couldn’t interfere!
*Peng peng peng…*
The body Qi Tian Che’s was so proud of suffered blow after blow from Yang Kai’s fists during the battle, each strike producing a metallic thud upon landing, but despite being comparable in durability to an Origin Grade High-Rank artifact, it could actually not withstand his opponent’s brute force. The violent bombardment shocked his physique and damaged his meridians and bones, giving him an almost unbearable ache.
While he hadn’t sustained any major injuries, Qi Tian Che was soon bleeding from his nose and mouth, looking extremely hideous.
The same was true for Yang Kai, but the blood he shed was golden and overflowed with vitality, giving it an astonishing regenerative and restorative property.
The wild battle seemed to arouse the ferocity deep in Yang Kai’s heart, and his eyes became cruel and bloody, like those of a starved beast which had just been set free of its cage and could not wait to feast on its prey.
Time passed by.
The two men were both covered in blood and their skin was cracked and lacerated, but the strength behind Yang Kai’s punches did not diminish, instead becoming heavier and heavier, each blow causing Qi Tian Che’s figure to shake violently.
On the other hand, Qi Tian Che’s momentum was gradually weakening.
The stronger one had been decided!
Perhaps the two were on the same level in terms of body tempering and strength, but Yang Kai had a massive advantage over Qi Tian Che: His Golden Blood!
The injuries Yang Kai suffered could be restored rapidly, but Qi Tian Che’s could not. Under such circumstances, it was natural for Yang Kai to slowly gain the advantage.
Even an insect would struggle against death, let alone Qi Tian Che, a master who had touched the threshold of the Origin King Realm.
Despite falling into a disadvantage, he was not discouraged, he only focused harder on defeating Yang Kai.
“Old dog, choosing to fight with this Sect Master in this place was the biggest mistake of your life. Now, it’s time to pay the price!” Yang Kai was bathed in blood too, but he still roared with incredible fighting intent as a five-coloured radiance from his body.
Gold, green, white, red, and yellow light intermingled and merged to form a brilliant and domineering halo around Yang Kai, creating a ‘Chee’ sound effect.
Five Elements Indestructible Sword Qi!
Yang Kai’s already extremely strong momentum skyrocketed once more, and a terrifying, violent force that seemed capable of crushing everything that stood before it filled his aura.
Qi Tian Che was horrified.
Having fought Yang Kai with fist and foot, he was clearer about just how intrepid his body was than anyone else, but when this five-coloured brilliance appeared, the intensity of his physical force increased again by more than thirty percent.
Thirty percent may not seem like much, but it was more than enough to expand the small gap in their positions into a massive one.
*Hong…*
Yang Kai threw out a fierce punch, to which Qi Tian Che raised his hand instinctively to block, but when the latter was struck, he could not resist in the slightest and the blow landed square on his chest.
A sound of bones breaking rang out and Qi Tian Che’s chest sank in while the arm he had raised to protect himself also drooped.
The flesh and bones he had tempered for over a thousand years was unable to withstand this single hit and burst open.
The sound of bones shattering continued to resound one after another from Qi Tian Che’s body as Yang Kai rained down a barrage of fists on him.
Fang Peng’s face twitched as he watched from the side, his eyes bulging wildly!
Qi Tian Che screamed in horror as his organs began to rupture. No longer daring to confront Yang Kai head-on, he subconsciously began to dodge while trying to withdraw.
But how could Yang Kai allow him to get away?
Like a ravenous beast, he continued to pursue Qi Tian Che while landing blow after blow.
Qi Tian Che’s extremely strong body was rapidly beaten into a bloody pulp, with almost no place left intact, his skin completely cracked, and his physique battered with broken bones all over that were visible to the naked eye.
He screamed repeatedly, but could not dodge, coughing up his blood each time Yang Kai struck.
The battlefield Qi Tian Che had carefully chosen to maximize his advantage had become a fatal constraint, making it impossible for him to manoeuvre or execute any of his prided Movement Skills.
*Peng…*
Yang Kai threw another punch, hitting the bridge of Qi Tian Che’s nose.
Under the strong impact force, Qi Tian Che’s nose was beaten crooked, making his already hideous and terrifying face look even more so, and with his eyes bloodshot and stained red, his body flew backwards.
“Xiao Xiao!” Yang Kai shouted.
The Stone Puppet waved the Heaven Shaking Pillar, leapt two steps forward, and slammed the black stick forward.
*Hong…*
The Heaven Shaking Pillar smashed onto Qi Tian Che’s back, seemingly shattering his spine, and sending Qi Tian Che hurtling forward again.
Yang Kai looked on coldly but did not move for the kill. He felt that Xiao Xiao’s blow had almost destroyed Qi Tian Che’s ability to resist.
Like a dead fish, Qi Tian Che fell to the ground, and after rolling a few times, he came to a stop, lying there without even the strength to move.
Yang Kai walked over and looked down at him condescendingly, his eyes flashing like a cold blade.
Qi Tian Che opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something, but no sound came out.
“Don’t rush, take a moment to catch your breath. I have some questions to ask you,” Yang Kai grinned, flashing a ferocious smile dyed in Golden Blood, giving him a particularly menacing look.
Qi Tian Che closed his eyes, as if he had accepted his fate.
Yang Kai raised his head towards Fang Peng who was not far away and grinned fiercely, his eyes filled with malicious intent.
Being stared at like this, Fang Peng trembled as if he had been plunged into a blizzard, his hands and feet shivering as he panicked and hurriedly shouted, “Sect Master Yang, please be merciful. Last time in Fallen Emperor Mountain, this Fang was simply acting on orders, if I have offended you in any way, This Fang can apologize here and now.”
“Apologize?” Yang Kai curled his lips, “What good would your apology do me?”
Saying so, he pointed his finger and shouted in a low voice, “Kill!”
Receiving this order, the Stone Puppet rushed towards Fang Peng.
In the next moment, a shocking fight broke out.
Yang Kai no longer paid any attention to this though. If they were outside, Xiao Xiao may not have been able to kill Fang Peng; after all, the latter was a peak Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master, so even if he couldn’t win, he could still run, but in here, things were different. There was nowhere for Fang Peng to escape as this entire world was only three hundred meters in diameter.
Yang Kai turned his gaze back to Qi Tian Che again, and after waiting for a moment, bluntly asked, “How do you want to die?”
Qi Tian Che also seemed quite relaxed, however, even managing to put on a light smile after hearing these words and saying, “If Sect Master Yang really wanted to kill this old master, he wouldn’t ask such a question.”
“You think I won’t kill you?” Yang Kai asked coldly.
“At least before leaving this place, Sect Master Yang won’t kill this old master. You’re clearly worried that if you kill this old master, you won’t be able to leave here.”
“Seems that beating hasn’t made you stupid,” Yang Kai grinned.
“If I could not even realize this, this old master would have lived all these years in vain. Sect Master Yang has something he wants, and this old master wants to survive, so why don’t we have a discussion?”
“What do you propose?” Yang Kai motioned.
“After this old master recuperates here to the point where he can move freely, I will let you out. Of course, Sect Master Yang can no longer find trouble with this old master in the future while this old master will guarantee he will exile himself from the world and no longer be your enemy,” Qi Tian Che panted as he made his proposal.
“This is what you wanted to say?” Yang Kai sneered when he heard these words and said sarcastically, “Aren’t you deeply mistaken about something here, old dog?”
“And what’s that?” Qi Tian Che asked leisurely.
“You’re just a fish on the block while I hold the knife, anything I want you to do now, you must do.”
As he said so, Yang Kai lifted his foot and stomped down hard on Qi Tian Che’s hand.
The sound of bones breaking rang out as this hand immediately changed shape.
Qi Tian Che’s face distorted because of the pain, but he did not make a sound, instead just glaring towards Yang Kai in hatred.
“Let me out and I’ll leave you a whole corpse, that is the biggest concession this Sect Master is willing to make!”
“Haha, if that’s the case, then this old master would rather die here,” Qi Tian Che slowly shook his head and said in a relaxed tone, “This old master also knows what Sect Master Yang is thinking, you believe that because your achievements in the Dao of Space far outstrip this old master’s, you can simply kill this old master then refine this Sealed World Bead and free yourself, yes?”
“Precisely,” Yang Kai nodded.
“If that is the case, Sect Master Yang is free to try. It’s not that this old master is looking down on you, but even if your comprehension of the Dao of Space is great, wanting to refine the Sealed World Bead from here… heh heh,” Qi Tian Che grinned mockingly, “This old master was in retreat for several dozen years but only managed to slightly refine this Sealed World Bead and open this tiny piece of Small Sealed World. But with Sect Master Yang now stuck inside this Sealed World Bead, trying to refine it will be hundreds, if not thousands of times more difficult. If Sect Master Yang is willing to be trapped here for dozens or even hundreds of years, feel free to kill this old master, he had nothing else to say.”
Yang Kai’s face sank.
He was somewhat uncertain whether Qi Tian Che was just trying to intimidate him or was telling the truth.
If he was trapped inside this place for a hundred years because of this, when he finally escaped, the entire world would likely have changed.
“Sect Master Yang needs to consider carefully. This matter is of importance, and there’s no room for mistakes,” Qi Tian Che said again, putting pressure on Yang Kai. Now that his life was hanging by a thread, with Yang Kai in control of whether he lived or died, he did not dare to let up.
Yang Kai stared at him without saying a word for a long time before suddenly grinning, “Senior really wants to do this? There’s no room for discussion?”
Qi Tian Che shook his head and insisted, “If Sect Master Yang refuses to agree, this old master would rather die here.”
“Fine, then you can die!” Yang Kai gently nodded, raising his foot again before stomping down on Qi Tian Che’s head.
With a crash, Qi Tian Che’s head burst to pieces like an exploding melon, blood and brains splashing out across the ground as two eyeballs rolled out, still seeming to contain a shocked light within them.
“Deceitful old bastard!” Yang Kai coldly snorted.
He had been hoodwinked by Qi Tian Che just now.
This old dog was easy to deal with. If not for Qi Tian Che getting caught in his own trap this time, it would have been truly difficult for Yang Kai to kill him so easily, so how could he let such an enemy go just like that? Regardless of whether what he said was true or not, Qi Tian Che had to die here.
Since that was the case, there was no reason to hesitate.
Kill first, worry later.
As for being trapped in this Sealed World Bead, it was not that big a deal. Even if what Qi Tian Che said was true, Yang Kai was not worried, with his comprehension of and proficiency in the Dao of Space, there was still a good chance he could find a way out of this place.
When Qi Tian Che died, Fang Peng, who was struggling against the Stone Puppet, became even more desperate. He had no desire to fight here, and after seeing Yang Kai act with such mercilessness and cruelty, the last remnants of his will broke.
As he fought back against the Stone Puppet, Fang Peng continued to beg for mercy.
Yang Kai turned a deaf ear to these pleas, not only refusing to grant Fang Peng mercy but instead becoming impatient with the battle and rushing over to join forces with Xiao Xiao to kill him.
Even Qi Tian Che was not Yang Kai’s opponent in this place, so how could Fang Peng put up any meaningful resistance?
After half a cup of tea’s worth of time, Thunder Typhoon Sect’s Sect Master died tragically under the Stone Puppet’s Heaven Shaking Pillar. Fang Peng did not possess a forged body like Qi Tian Che, so the Heaven Shaking Pillar was able to smash him into a pulpy mess, making his death terrible and gruesome.
With the two enemies in this place wiped out, Yang Kai collected his spoils before quickly sitting down cross-legged to meditate and immediately began looking for a way to leave.
The ability to tear space was undoubtedly Yang Kai’s biggest advantage, but Qi Tian Che had interrupted him while he was experimenting with this, so he didn’t know if this method was effective here.
Now that there was no one here to disturb him, Yang Kai was naturally going to experiment thoroughly.
Making up his mind, Yang Kai got up, stretched out his hand and slashed it forward while sending out his Space Force, opening a long and narrow Void Crack before him.
However, compared to when he usually tore space, this Void Crack was much smaller.
The World Principles in this Sealed World Bead seemed to be very firm!
Yang Kai’s brow furrowed slightly, but he didn’t dwell on this for long, instead just stretching out his hands and pulling hard at Void Crack’s walls as he poured his Space Force into it, enlarging the long and narrow crack.
After releasing his Divine Sense for a moment, Yang Kai was pleasantly surprised to see that this Void Crack was extremely stable.
[Was that old dog Qi Tian Che just talking nonsense?] Yang Kai thought suspiciously as he dove into the Void Crack.
But when he reappeared and looked around, Yang Kai’s face sank.
He found himself in a small space about three hundred metres in diameter with traces of battle left all over the place, along with two incomplete corpses that had blood and organs spilt across the ground…
The Void Crack he entered led back to this strange Small Sealed World!
Furrowing his brow, Yang Kai tried tearing space again, unwilling to simply give up.
…
After repeating this a dozen times or so, Yang Kai stopped and sat back down on the ground before falling into contemplation.
He could not leave this Small Sealed World even after tearing space a dozen times, only able to move about within the three-hundred-metre range of this place, a result that surprised him greatly.
Apparently, Qi Tian Che’s words weren’t all just posturing, this Sealed World Bead really had its mysteries and even tearing space couldn’t allow Yang Kai to escape it.
Although he had not managed to escape successfully, Yang Kai’s efforts were not in vain. After tearing space more than a dozen times here, Yang Kai vaguely became aware of a barrier surrounding this small space that isolated it from the outside world.
This barrier was somewhat vague and difficult to grasp, but it was precisely because of its existence that this Small Sealed World could remain independent of the outside world, and trap Yang Kai inside of it.
If Yang Kai was not mistaken, this barrier should be comprised of this Small Sealed World’s World Principles!
If he could tear through this barrier, Yang Kai was confident he could leave here.
However, how could it be so easy to break through the World Principles of this Small Sealed World? Qi Tian Che had spent several dozen years just to slightly refine this Sealed World Bead and grasp a tiny portion of its World Principles, allowing him to enter and exit it freely.
Yang Kai could not even guess how much time it would take him to reach that point.
But now, apart from refining this Sealed World Bead, there was no other way out.
How was he supposed to refine this Sealed World Bead though? Refining it was tantamount to refining this world. Yang Kai was at a loss, feeling like a dog trying to bite a hedgehog, uncertain of where to even start.
Sitting on a spot, Yang Kai silently pondered the issue.
After a long silence, Yang Kai’s confused eyes suddenly flashed, and this spark soon turned into a burning flame that cleared the fog from his vision.
He seemed to understand something and could not help showing a look of both shock and inspiration.
He had a severe misunderstanding before, thinking that if he wanted to leave, he would have to refine this world, a prospect that left him at a complete loss.
In the final analysis, this Small Sealed World was just the Sealed World Bead, an Emperor Artifact!
He did not know how to refine a world, but he knew how to refine an artifact.
And since Qi Tian Che had spent several dozen years in retreat refining the Sealed World Bead, his aura must have permeated this Emperor Artifact somewhat. As long as he could trace the ambient aura fluctuations and erase them, he could simply begin refining the Sealed World Bead from the start.
In the end, the simplest method was often the most perfect, Yang Kai suddenly understood.
Standing up, Yang Kai used two balls of Demonic Flame to turn the nearby corpses into ash before releasing his Divine Sense and beginning to carefully scan the surrounding three-hundred-metre space.
The result of his investigation went well, as it did not take long for him to find the remnants of Qi Tian Che’s aura in this space.
Erasing these marks was not difficult.
However, when Yang Kai tried to leave his own aura on this space, he was met with great resistance.
Qi Tian Che wasn’t wrong in saying that it would be extremely difficult to refine the Sealed World Bead from inside, at the very least, it would require far more effort than doing so from the outside, the difference calculated in multiples of a hundred times.
Even if Yang Kai’s attainments in the Dao of Space were countless times greater than Qi Tian Che’s, such refining could not be completed in a short time.
Yang Kai did some calculations, and the results startled him.
With his current strength and attainments in the Dao of Space, it would take him at least a dozen years before he could refine the Sealed World Bead enough to escape.
Yang Kai suddenly regretted that he had killed Fang Peng so quickly.
If he were still alive, Yang Kai could at least vent his stress on him.
After frowning and pondering for some time, Yang Kai calmed his irritability and stopped trying to refine the Sealed World Bead. Instead, he poured out a large number of crystals from his Space Ring in front of him before picking one up in each hand and rapidly absorbing the energy within.
Space Spirit Crystals!
Yang Kai’s comprehension of the Dao of Space far surpassing Mo Xiao Sheng and Qi Tian Che’s was all thanks to these Space Spirit Crystals.
These peculiar crystals had always only been used as material for refining Space Rings, but Yang Kai had a different use for them: Absorbing the energy inside to enhance his Space Force.
Space Spirit Crystals were extremely rare, and even if others have this idea, they would find it incredibly difficult to implement.
But Yang Kai was different. The Space Spirit Crystal lode Xiao Xiao found beneath Dragon Cave Mountain in the past had given Yang Kai enough capital that he could squander Space Spirit Crystals like this without worry.
There were many Space Spirit Crystals that were mined back then, but with Yang Kai refining some of them whenever he was free or in secluded cultivation, he only had about half as many as when he had started.
However, before chopping down a mighty tree, one needed to sharpen their axe.
If Yang Kai wanted to shorten the time he needed to refine the Sealed World Bead, his only option was to increase his comprehension of the Dao of Space.
As such, he planned to cultivate his Space Force first.
Pieces of Space Spirit Crystal turned into dust in Yang Kai’s hands one after, but he was unable to feel the passage of time in this Small Sealed World.
Yang Kai had no idea how much time had passed, but a thick layer of dust from spent and shattered Space Spirit Crystals eventually developed around him, nearly burying him alive.
By absorbing the power inside these Space Spirit Crystal, coupled with his own insights, Yang Kai vaguely felt that his attainments in the Dao of Space had advanced a step, but at the same time, he found that the benefits he obtained from absorbing energy from the Space Spirit Crystals were growing smaller and smaller.
Perhaps one day, no matter how much energy he absorbed from these Space Spirit Crystals, he would not obtain any harvest.
Yang Kai paused temporarily and released his Divine Sense again to try refining this Small Sealed World.
A moment later, a touch of joy flashed across his face.
The refining process was much easier than it was at the beginning, and he could now clearly feel the barrier separating this world from the outside one.
As long as he could break through this barrier, he could escape from this place.
Integrating his Space Force into this Divine Sense, Yang Kai began spreading out his awareness like a tide.
Yang Kai was trying to leave his mark on this world, carving his Soul Brand into it to make it his own.
A scene that completely shocked him soon appeared though. As Yang Kai spread his Divine Sense out, the originally tiny piece of land which was only about three hundred metres across suddenly became slightly bigger, and the scenery that had been completely obscured began to appear.
This result surprised Yang Kai.
But after thinking about it carefully, he understood.
Although Qi Tian Che had refined the Sealed World Bead slightly and could enter and exit it freely, his grasp of the Dao of Space was still very shallow, so he was only capable of opening a space three hundred metres in diameter.
Yang Kai was different. His comprehension of the Dao of Space was far more profound, so he was capable of expanding this sealed space.
Yang Kai suddenly became curious.
He wanted to know just what this Small Sealed World would look like when fully opened, and just how big it would be.
The original intention of refining the Sealed World Bead to escape began to quietly change as Yang Kai fully immersed himself in the process of expanding and exploring this Small Sealed World.
Madly urging his Divine Sense and Space Force, Yang Kai watched as the Small Sealed World emerged from the chaos and expanded little by little, revealing picturesque scenery around him he had not seen before.
During this process, Yang Kai found that all kinds of magical insights poured into his mind and soul, allowing his comprehension of the Dao of Space to grow at a rate vastly superior to absorbing energy from Space Spirit Crystals.
Expanding the Small Sealed World and cultivating the Dao of Space unexpectedly formed a virtuous circle.
Yang Kai was overjoyed and became more and more fixated on this task.
Inside the Sealed World Bead, the borders of the Small Sealed World expanded every day, while Yang Kai also experienced a period of rapid growth.
In terms of cultivation, the shackles of the First-Order Origin Returning Realm were easily broken, and Yang Kai broke through to the Second-Order Origin Returning Realm.
After all, he had already reached the peak of the First-Order Origin Returning Realm in Fallen Emperor Mountain, and if not for him deliberately suppressing it, he could have broken through at that time.
Yang Kai continued repeating the same actions over and over again in an endless cycle.
As his strength increased, his Saint Qi became purer, and the power of his Soul soared, causing Yang Kai to obtain a comprehensive improvement!
Even his Soul Clone was strengthened and nourished in this process.
When he was tired, he would rest for a while, but with no one else in this Small Sealed World, Yang Kai brought Xiao Xiao out to talk to for a while.
Xiao Xiao was still very interested in the Golden Stone Puppet, and even though its sentience was incomplete, and it had to rely on Yang Kai’s Soul Clone to move about, it was still the only other member of Xiao Xiao’s race.
Xiao Xiao treated the Golden Stone Puppet with great sincerity, sharing all of his treasures with it.
Time passed little by little.
Yang Kai lost track of how long he had been stuck in this Small Sealed World, but by now, he had consumed all his Space Spirit Crystals and expanded this Small Sealed World from its original three-hundred-metre diameter to one that had a radius of over a hundred kilometres, with new developments still occurring every day.
Within this hundred-kilometre range, there were mountains and rivers, creating beautiful scenery.
However, this was far from the end of the Small Sealed World; it still concealed many secrets that greatly stimulated Yang Kai’s curiosity.
One day, Yang Kai suddenly stood up and he released his Divine Sense outwards. In a flash, everything within a hundred kilometres was open to his investigation.
Grinning lightly, Yang Kai stretched out his hand and slowly, a vortex appeared before him, spinning slowly while exerting a huge suction force.
Yang Kai did not resist this force, allowing the vortex to pull him in, his figure disappearing in the next moment.
Star Emperor Mountain’s Star Ascendance Peak was covered in white clouds from the halfway point up, giving it a calm and serene atmosphere. One day, however, an unusual energy fluctuation suddenly appeared at its summit. The ambient World Energy rapidly converged towards a certain point before a vortex was gradually formed.
Initially, this vortex was very small, but as more and more World Energy poured into it, it steadily grew larger until it was several dozen metres in diameter.
A figure leisurely stepped out of this vortex, as if passing through the Void, and stood proudly mid-air.
Turning his head and looking around, Yang Kai found no trace of anyone nearby, only a lone altar which stood not far away, protected from the elements by a small temple.
Yang Kai’s expression remained calm as he was not surprised by this scene.
Although he didn’t know how long he had been trapped inside that Small Sealed World, it had definitely not been a month or two; at least several years must have passed.
After such a long period, Ye Xi Yun must have determined that it was pointless just waiting for him here and returned to High Heaven Sect.
Trying to sense his Dragon Bone Sword and Firebird Artifact Spirit, Yang Kai was unable to find any trace of them and assumed they were brought back to the Sect by Ye Xi Yun.
Qi Tian Che and Fang Peng were now dead. On Shadowed Star, the three behemoths who had reigned supreme above all other great forces had fallen, so there was now no one who could stop the advancement of High Heaven Sect. With Ye Xi Yun assuming command of the Sect, Yang Kai had nothing to worry about.
After sweeping it with his Divine Sense, Yang Kai found that there were no traces of anyone anywhere on Star Emperor Mountain.
It seemed that all the cultivators from Star Emperor Mountain had left, but whether they had chosen to follow Yang Xiu Zhu and the others back to High Heaven Sect or dispersed separately was unknown.
However, in Yang Kai’s opinion, the former was more likely.
Since there was no one here, Yang Kai naturally didn’t plan to linger any longer.
Turning around, he stretched out his hand towards the vortex behind him, after which it began to shrink and in the blink of an eye disappeared, being replaced by an unremarkable bead.
One of the two Emperor Artifact beads, the Sealed World Bead!
This was an incredible treasure that contained its own sealed world. With it, one of the problems which had been plaguing Yang Kai’s heart for many years had been solved.
Moreover, Yang Kai felt that if he could completely refine this Sealed World Bead and complete its World Principles, he could even allow Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivators to break through inside of it to the Origin King Realm!
The cultivators of Shadowed Star were unable to break through to the Origin King Realm because of the suppression of this star’s World Principles.
But the Sealed World Bead contained an independent world of its own, with its own World Principles, which were un-tethered to those of Shadowed Star.
This was definitely a feasible method, but it was far too early to think about this. Although as Yang Kai’s comprehension of the Dao of Space grew, he was able to expand the Small Sealed World inside the Sealed World Bead to a hundred kilometres in radius, he was still a long way from completing it.
After pondering for a moment, Yang Kai took the Sealed World Bead back into his body before stepping out casually.
One moment, he was standing at the peak of Star Ascendance Peak, but the next moment, he was half-way down its slope.
With another step, Yang Kai reached the base of the mountain…
This kind of speed was simply unimaginable.
The Dao of Space was incredibly mysterious, and during his time trapped inside of the Sealed World Bead, Yang Kai’s mastery of it had grown considerably. The rapid movement he was displaying now was almost akin to teleporting without leaving any trace behind, as if he could break through the constraints of space to appear a great distance away in an instant.
Compared to his original method of tearing space, this was actually a much more advanced technique.
There was a certain process required to tear space, one which could easily be disturbed by strong external stimuli like the attack of a powerful master, but now Yang Kai’s movements were as smooth and simple as taking a step, no longer suffering from this kind of restraint like before.
As for shortcomings of this technique, there was indeed one.
Yang Kai couldn’t travel as far in a single step as he did when tearing space.
With Yang Kai’s current strength, tearing space would allow him to instantly traverse two or three thousand kilometres, but this new teleportation method only allowed him to move about a dozen kilometres or so at once.
Between the two methods, each had its own advantages and disadvantages, and it was impossible to say which was superior. However, a common factor they both shared was that they consumed a great deal of Saint Qi.
Yang Kai spent the next while familiarising himself with his new comprehensions regarding the Dao of Space, but after traversing ten thousand kilometres or so, he summoned his Star Shuttle and continued on his way.
Continuously using his Space Force to travel put a heavy load on him, so it was far more economical to use his Star Shuttle to travel long distances.
…..
Inside a lush forest, the roars of a beast continued to ring out loudly. A group of five cultivators, consisting of both young and old, male and female, were working together to besiege a huge, hideous, Monster Beast.
This Monster Beast had a tiger head, elephant legs, and a leopard tail, giving it an imposing image.
The tiger’s head was a reddish copper colour and seemed extremely strong while many strange patterns on its body gave it a mysterious look.
It was a Cracked Copper Head Tiger, an Eighth-Order Monster Beast with thick skin and tough flesh, making it particularly resilient.
As for the group of cultivators present, the leader seemed to be an old man at the Second-Order Saint King realm while the rest were only Saint Realm Juniors. From how these cultivators addressed one another, it was apparent that they all belonged to the same small family and had come to this forest to hunt Monster Beasts to earn Saint Crystals.
An Eighth-Order Monster Beast was equivalent to a Saint King Realm cultivator.
However, this Cracked Copper Head Tiger was at the peak of the Eighth-Order, so even if it was currently besieged, its fierceness did not decrease and it continued to spit balls of extremely powerful energy from its mouth while roaring, making it difficult for these small family cultivators to get close.
But the old man was clearly an experienced veteran, so even though this was a dangerous fight, his Juniors did not seem to be in immediate danger.
With enough time, this group of five seemed to have a good chance to kill this Cracked Copper Head Tiger.
Suddenly, an energy fluctuation appeared at the edge of their perception, causing a young girl in a green dress to look up and shouted, “Second Uncle, someone is coming.”
Hearing this shout, the old man looked up and his eyes narrowed.
As someone with much worldly experience, this old man could tell at a glance that the strength of this newcomer was definitely not low, otherwise, they would never have this kind of speed. As he was considering whether this person was an enemy or a friend, however, his attention wandered and the Cracked Copper Head Tiger managed to break free from his suppression.
The tiger let out a fierce roar. After being besieged for so long, this Eighth-Order Monster Beast was clearly enraged, so once it managed to free itself, it directly rushed towards the young girl in green, opened its bloodstained maw, and bit towards her neck.
The little girl was so scared that her beautiful face went pure white, and in a fluster she tried to summon her defensive artifact, but wasn’t in time to stop the tiger from pouncing towards her.
Seeing the giant fangs rapidly closing in on her, a trace of despair flashed across the girl’s eyes.
Shouts were coming from all of her companions and the girl even saw her Second Uncle desperately race towards her, trying to save her from the tiger’s maw.
But it was obvious he wouldn’t make it in time.
She saw death beckoning to her.
At that moment though, a breeze seemed to pass by her and a figure suddenly appeared right before her eyes.
This figure seemed like a ten thousand-metre high mountain, shielding her from the violent storm, making her inexplicably feel at ease.
*Guangdang!*
A loud noise rang out, accompanied by the whimpers of a Monster Beast. The girl clearly saw the person in front of her simply throw a single punch and the Cracked Copper Head Tiger, which their group of five had been unable to kill even after fighting for so long, was sent flying like a sack.
Its head seemed to be deformed from the blow as well.
Falling to the ground, the tiger only convulsed a few times before no longer moving.
A breeze blew through the trees and the scene fell silent as five pairs of eyes stared straight towards Yang Kai, unable to compose themselves for quite some time, a look of shock covering their faces.
Although this Cracked Copper Head Tiger was only an Eighth-Order Monster Beast, its head was notoriously hard, so even an Origin Returning Realm master shouldn’t be able to deform it with just a punch.
Looking at the sturdy back of this figure, she didn’t know why, but the young girl’s heart beat violently and she couldn’t help drawing in a deep breath.
A pleasant scent wafted from this person, which made her feel extremely comfortable.
Stealing a glance at this person, the young girl quickly realized that the other party didn’t seem very old; in fact, he seemed to be a young man, a discovery which inexplicably made her feel excited.
“Ah, sorry, it seems I’ve ruined your prize,” Yang Kai scratched his cheek, feeling slightly embarrassed.
He also recognized that this Monster Beast was a Cracked Copper Head Tiger. The two most valuable parts of this Monster Beast’s body were its Monster Core and its head, the former was prized by Alchemists while the latter was sought after by Artifact Refiners.
His punch deforming the Monster Beast’s head would clearly decrease its value.
Hearing these words, the old man suddenly came to his senses and his expression turned solemn as he cupped his fists and said, “This old master greets Little Brother. Little Brother is far too modest, if not for little brother’s timely intervention, Fei’er would have died. This old master has only thanks for Little Brother’s assistance.”
“Old Sir is too polite, it was my sudden arrival that disturbed your concentration in the first place,” Yang Kai chuckled, “If we really must assign blame, then it should be me at fault.”
Seeing this young man act so friendly, the old man relaxed greatly; after all, this was the wilderness, and the other party’s strength was clearly very high, so their small group wouldn’t be able to resist if he had any malicious intentions.
Fortunately, the other party didn’t seem to be a wicked person; in fact, he seemed quite compatible and open-minded.
The old man couldn’t help having a good impression of Yang Kai.
“Actually, I simply wanted to ask where this place is,” Yang Kai turned to look at the old man.
“This is Blue Wave Forest,” The old man replied.
“Blue Wave Forest!” Yang Kai frowned; he had never heard of this place so obviously he had no clue where on Shadowed Star he was now.
After leaving Star Emperor Mountain, Yang Kai had been familiarizing himself with his new comprehension in the Dao of Space, but in the process, he had accidentally lost his way…
“Where’s the closest city to this place?” Yang Kai asked again.
“The nearest city to here is Blue Wave City which is fifty thousand kilometres to the west.”
“Is there a Space Array?”
“As far as I know, there is, but the Space Array doesn’t seem to be accessible to outsiders and is for internal use only. If Little Brother wishes to use a Space Array, he might as well start from Blue Wave City and go two hundred thousand kilometres north to Heaven Battling City, where there is a Space Array which is open to the public.”
“Oh? Heaven Battling City?” Yang Kai raised his brow, showing a look of surprise.
He hadn’t expected he would actually be in the vicinity of Heaven Battling City.
“Alright, strictly speaking, Blue Wave City can be regarded as an affiliate of Heaven Battling City and there is some connection between the two,” The old man, as a cultivator from a small local family, naturally knew such basic information very well.
“Heaven Battling City now belongs to High Heaven Sect,” Liu Fei’er suddenly interjected from behind Yang Kai.
She seemed to want to attract Yang Kai’s attention.
Which young girl didn’t have romantic fantasies? Yang Kai had just swooped in and saved her life, and she was at the age where she was most sensitive to stories of heroes saving beauties.
What’s more, when she examined him, Liu Fei’er saw that Yang Kai’s face was handsome, his build was strong, his age wasn’t old, and the aura around him was calm and comfortable, so she wanted to try to highlight her existence to him.
“High Heaven Sect…” Yang Kai smiled as he glanced back at her.
The girl’s face was reddened, but she still happily explained, “En, you must have heard about it, it’s a Sect that has only risen in recent years. I heard that their headquarters is actually inside the Flowing Flame Sand Field and even Star Emperor Mountain, Heaven Battling Union, and Thunder Typhoon Sect were destroyed by them. Now, High Heaven Sect is the most powerful Sect on Shadowed Star.”
She talked on and on, seemingly having endless words to speak, giving her a lively feel and appearance.
“Fei’er,” The old man glared at her, secretly blaming this little girl for being ignorant and rude.
“It’s alright, I’ve heard of High Heaven Sect,” Yang Kai chuckled, “But I didn’t expect it to be so famous. En, you all can carry on, I won’t disturb you any further.”
He had approached them to find out where the nearest city was, so now that he had the information he needed, Yang Kai naturally didn’t plan on remaining.
However, before he could leave, Liu Fei’er suddenly called out, “Wait.”
“What’s wrong?” Yang Kai gave her a surprised look.
“Second Uncle, we’ve already been out for quite some time, shouldn’t we head back now? If we stay any longer, father and the others will begin to worry, not to mention Third-Brother and the others have all suffered some injuries, so it’s not safe to remain here anymore,” Liu Fei’er turned to the old man and asked.
“En, what you say makes sense. It’s indeed time we head back,” The old man gently nodded.
“Then let’s all go together. That way, we can watch out for each other on the way,” Liu Fei’er suggested.
“Well…” The old man looked at Yang Kai in embarrassment. To be honest, he was hoping to travel together with Yang Kai as well; after all, this young man had just shown he had high strength, and although there shouldn’t be any major danger on the journey back, it was still better to have an extra layer of protection when out in the wild. If Yang Kai could escort them, the return journey would be much safer.
The old man very much agreed with Liu Fei’er’s proposal, but he was uncertain what Yang Kai’s opinion would be.
“Alright, I also don’t know the specific location of Blue Wave City, so I’ll trouble you to lead the way,” Yang Kai smiled slightly and nodded in agreement.
In any case, he wasn’t in a hurry.
“Then this old man will have to thank Little Brother for his care,” The old man was overjoyed.
“I’ll go and collect the materials,” Liu Fei’er cheered before running over to the dead Cracked Copper Head Tiger nearby.
The old man smiled bitterly and shook his head, saying with an apologetic look, “Little Brother, don’t blame Fei’er, it’s in her nature to act this way. Little Brother can rest assured, we will provide the materials to you later.”
“No need, you keep them, they’re of no use to me,” Yang Kai waved his hand.
The materials from an Eighth-Order Monster Beast were truly useless to him.
The wealth that Yang Kai possessed was hard for ordinary people to imagine.
When the old man heard this, his eyes lit up, and after reconfirming that Yang Kai did not need the materials, he repeatedly expressed his gratitude.
The Monster Core and skull of the tiger would yield a good profit for them.
Soon, Liu Fei’er processed the Monster Beast’s body with the assistance of her clansmen. It was clear that these juniors were well versed in this kind of processing as they moved quickly and efficiently.
After taking a moment to clean up, Yang Kai and the group of five departed towards Blue Wave City.
Liu Fei’er’s character was lively, and her curiosity was extremely strong. It was like she never ran out of things to talk about or ask, causing her to chatter on endlessly.
She asked for Yang Kai’s name, his origins, what he was doing out here, and so on. Many questions others would consider taboo to ask, she did so without any hesitation.
Since they were simply travelling at what he considered a leisurely pace, Yang Kai chatted back with her to pass the time.
In the end, however, rather than learning much about Yang Kai, she spent most of the time telling her own story in a thorough and complete manner.
The old man felt extremely awkward listening to this conversation; fortunately, he realized that Yang Kai was not an ill-intentioned person, so he simply let it slide this time. Of course, he secretly decided that when they returned to the family, he would teach this little girl a lesson about how sinister the world was so she would not mindlessly tell strangers all her secrets again in the future.
Occasionally, the group would encounter Monster Beasts blocking the way, but the old man and his juniors didn’t need to worry about them in the slightest as they were all easily dispatched by Yang Kai.
As a result, their group made massive gains.
The several juniors all admired Yang Kai to the extreme after witnessing his performance. All of them seemed to be roughly the same age, but Yang Kai’s strength surpassed theirs by a wide margin.
Worship and respect for true masters was an innate mentality for cultivators, and Yang Kai’s display of skill had completely conquered these youngsters.
If Yang Kai had been travelling alone, the distance of fifty thousand kilometres would only take him an hour or two to cross, but with the old man and his juniors in tow, it took a full day instead.
One day later, a city standing at the edge of an open plain came into view. Everyone walked to the gate, turned over some Saint Crystals, and then entered the city smoothly.
“Many thanks for guiding me this far, it seems we must take our separate paths. Take care!” Yang Kai cupped his fists before his figure flickered and he disappeared into the crowd.
Liu Fei’er called out a few times, but Yang Kai didn’t turn his head back, so she could only purse her lips unhappily.
“Let’s go, we need to sell our harvest first. I don’t know what kind of price we can obtain,” The old man sighed before leading the group away.
Yang Kai walked along the spacious streets of Blue Wave City, observing his surroundings with great interest.
He wasn’t in a hurry to find the Space Array in Blue Wave City.
Since this city was attached to Heaven Battling City, which itself was attached to High Heaven Sect, as the Sect Master, Yang Kai knew there wouldn’t be any problem using the local Space Array, he believed that the City Lord of Blue Wave City wouldn’t even bat an eye to his request.
However, he had been in secluded retreat inside the Small Sealed World for several years now, so Yang Kai wanted to take his time and relax, rather than continue to hurry along.
Along the road, Yang Kai appreciated the local customs of this place while wandering through the shops at will. Yang Kai felt both physically and mentally relaxed, and his mood unconsciously became calm.
Inside the Small Sealed World, his cultivation had broken through to the Second-Order Origin Returning Realm, so it was important for him to consolidate both his cultivation and state of mind now.
Half a day later, he entered a restaurant.
On the third floor, he ordered the shop-hand to bring him some good wine and food. Yang Kai sat by the window and looked out at the scenery below.
Not long after, the table was filled with delicacies that Yang Kai tasted at leisure.
Leisurely, he turned his head and glanced lightly at two cultivators sitting at a nearby table, showing an expression of interest.
The third floor of this restaurant did not have many guests, but what these two were talking about just now had piqued Yang Kai’s interest because he heard them mention High Heaven Sect.
The rise of High Heaven Sect was extremely rapid, and although they had some cursory knowledge of High Heaven Sect’s current situation, knowing it was becoming more and more famous with each passing day, how could they possibly know more about it than Yang Kai himself? At that time, listening to someone talking about his Sect, Yang Kai wanted to hear more.
But to his disappointment, these two didn’t seem to have any intention of continuing this topic and instead began chatting about other random news.
Yang Kai secretly shook his head and no longer paid any attention to them.
After a while, the two of them finished eating and the one with fierce facial features shouted, “Shopkeeper!”
This loud voice caused everyone to turn and look at him, but after seeing this person’s face clearly, everyone turned their gazes aside, as if they were afraid to provoke him.
*Deng deng deng…*
Footsteps sounded as an elderly man quickly ran down from upstairs, rushed over to the table the two men were sitting at, smiled, and bowed, “Two Sirs, were you satisfied with the food?”
“It was just so-so,” The fierce-looking man answered casually while picking his teeth.
“Two Sirs, please forgive me,” The shopkeeper said frantically, “Next time, this old man will serve you more delicious food, you will surely be satisfied.”
“Sure, seeing how you’re not completely blind, I’ll let it slide for today, but… what about ‘that’ matter?” The big man squinted at the shopkeeper.
“This old man has brought it, do two Sirs wish to count it?” The shopkeeper said as he placed a package he was carrying onto the table.
The fierce-looking man didn’t hesitate to open this package directly.
A large number of High-Rank Saint Crystals immediately appeared before everyone’s eyes. The Divine Sense of the fierce-looking man scanned the package and he immediately knew the number of Saint Crystals inside, his expression sank in the next moment as he shouted, “Why are there so few? Old Dog, are you looking down on this King? Is this really all you’re going to pay for this month?”
The shopkeeper immediately panicked and frantically wiped the cold sweat from his forehead as he cried out pleadingly, “Sir, please understand, this old man’s restaurant has recently not had much business, so the number here is a little lacking. This old man is begging for just a few days of mercy, he will surely collect the rest by then.”
“A few days of mercy?” The fierce man coldly snorted, “If this King forgives you, who will forgive this King? If this King cannot complete his job, it will be me who is punished!”
Saying so, he slammed his fist against the table, immediately shattering it into pieces.
The shopkeeper’s face turned pale with fright and he instantly knelt and shouted, “Sir, please calm yourself. It will only take a few days for this old man to collect the rest, just a few days, please have mercy.”
“Hmph, don’t say that this King bullies the weak; I will give you three days, after which, if you still don’t have the required amount, this King will tear down your restaurant and twist off your head!”
“Yes, yes, this old man will not let Sir down!” The shopkeeper said repeatedly.
“Let’s go!” The fierce-looking man said impatiently, stood up, stuffed the parcel of Saint Crystals into his Space Ring, and walked off.
It wasn’t until after they left that the shopkeeper finally dared to exhale, a sorrowful expression still filling his face as he started to clean up the mess that was left behind.
A shop hand also came over to help.
After finishing with this, the shopkeeper made a round of the guests to apologize for the disturbance before sighing again, looking even older and more haggard than before.
“Shopkeeper, could you come here for a second?” Yang Kai waved at him.
Yang Kai had been watching the whole episode just now with cold eyes, not understanding exactly what was happening, but was eager to find out; after all, High Heaven Sect was somehow related to this incident.
“What is Honoured Guest’s order? Do you want any additional food or wine?” The shopkeeper came over to Yang Kai and asked with a forced smile.
“There’s no need for more food or wine,” Yang Kai smiled lightly before glancing suspiciously towards the stairs, “Who were those two just now? Why did they come into this restaurant, eat and drink, then not pay and also force you to give them Saint Crystals?”
“This…” A stunned look appeared on the shopkeeper’s face before he quickly glanced around to confirm that the other guests were drinking and having fun, not paying attention to him, lowered his voice, and said, “Is Honoured Guest a newcomer to Blue Wave City?”
“Indeed,” Yang Kai gently nodded.
“Then you’d best leave quickly. Blue Wave City is not a place to settle down long-term,” The shopkeeper said solemnly.
“Isn’t a place to stay long-term?” Yang Kai frowned, “Has there been some kind of dangerous incident here?”
He had seen people coming and going in the city, making it seem quite lively and prosperous as well as calm and controlled, completely unlike some kind of tragic event had taken place.
“Haha…” The shopkeeper gave a wry smile, “Honoured guest, please heed this humble old man’s advice. If you want to leave here, you’d best do so quickly. If you remain too long, you won’t be able to leave even if you want to.”
“What do you mean? Please explain more clearly.” Yang Kai stared at him with narrowed eyes, “I heard that this place is attached to Heaven Battling City, and is the property of High Heaven Sect, how could anyone dare stir up trouble in this city?”
“I can’t say it, I can’t say it. Although this humble old man has lived many years, he doesn’t want to die so soon, so please don’t force the issue,” The shopkeeper kept shaking his head, his expression quite ugly, turning around and walking away immediately after.
“I’m from High Heaven Sect!” Yang Kai quickly whispered.
“What?” The shopkeeper’s face changed dramatically as he turned around to stare at Yang Kai in amazement.
“Don’t be nervous,” Yang Kai smiled, “I am a disciple of High Heaven Sect, and am here on orders from the Sect Master to make an unannounced inspection. Old sir, if there is anything you wish to say, you may do so freely. I truly want to know what fool dares not put my High Heaven Sect in their eyes.”
“You’re from High Heaven Sect? Are you really from High Heaven Sect?” The shopkeeper looked excited and a little sceptical, approaching closer and asking in a low voice.
“Yes! Old Sir may rest assured, whatever words you say here today will only enter my ears and never leave my lips,” Yang Kai said in a soft, comforting tone, trying to appear as amicable as possible.
The shopkeeper’s expression changed, as if he was hesitating, but after some internal debate, he grit his teeth and sat down opposite Yang Kai.
Yang Kai stretched out his hand and poured him a glass of wine. The shopkeeper took a sip to embolden himself before saying, “Honoured Guest, the reason this old man advised you to leave quickly was not because someone here has ill intentions towards High Heaven Sect, nor because some kind of disaster is approaching Blue Wave City, it’s simply because this city is really not a good place to remain in.”
“Oh? If Old Sir can please tell me in detail what happened, this Junior would be very grateful,” Yang Kai smiled slightly.
“Ha, it’s a long story!” The shopkeeper sighed deeply, “Honoured Guest, you just saw the behaviour of those two people, yes?”
“Yes, who are they?”
“The City Lord’s Mansion’s men.”
“City Lord’s Mansion?” Yang Kai was thoroughly shocked.
“Haha, Honoured Guest is surprised, no? The City Lord’s Mansion is supposed to protect us citizens, so why would they send people here to extort Saint Crystals?” The shopkeeper’s tone remained low, “Because that was the tax collected by the City Lord’s Mansion!”
Yang Kai frowned.
“As long as one opens a shop in Blue Wave City, they must pay at least seventy percent of their earnings to the City Lord’s Mansion in tax. The remaining thirty percent is barely enough for all kinds of expenses, but those people don’t seem to care and always find various reasons to take everything they can. This little shop is too weak to resist, and if we try, the consequences are dire. Just a few days ago, one of my workers was killed because he refused to comply with their demands,” The shopkeeper complained, seemingly becoming bolder and angrier as he sipped more and more of the wine.
“And this was all directed by the City Lord?” Yang Kai asked in a cold voice.
“Yes! How else would those people have the courage to act like this? Just now, those two were here to collect taxes.”
“Since the taxes here are so high, why doesn’t Old Sir leave Blue Wave City and make a living elsewhere?”
The shopkeeper gave a wry smile, “Who can leave? No one can leave! Once the people of the City Lord’s Mansion find that there are escapees, they will kill them without mercy. The heads which line the city walls are a bloody reminder of those who tried to flee. Not only are our small business targeted, but even the small families and cultivators living in the city live under the same restrictions. The various benefits they obtain from their adventures are largely stolen away in the form of tax, and anyone who resists is dealt with ruthlessly. Several small families have already been wiped out.”
Saying so, the shopkeeper looked at Yang Kai cautiously and asked softly, “Little Brother, may this old man dare to ask, is all this not on orders from High Heaven Sect?”
“How could High Heaven Sect give such vile orders?” Yang Kai wore an ugly expression as he coldly snorted, “My High Heaven Sect would never engage in such despicable behaviour. En, what about Heaven Battling City? Has Heaven Battling City not intervened at all?”
“This old man isn’t completely clear, but if Heaven Battling City was managing this situation, things shouldn’t have been like this. However, I do not know whether this situation has something to do with Heaven Battling City or is simply due to Blue Wave City’s City Lord’s Mansion. I have heard that since Heaven Battling City changed ownership, the taxes there have been extremely low, attracting many people to travel there and making it overcrowded. Many people were attracted by the name of High Heaven Sect, but none could find any way to join, and since Heaven Battling City is completely full, they could only choose to settle in places related to High Heaven Sect such as Blue Wave City. Outsiders can’t see the darkness which lingers beneath the surface in Blue Wave City, but this old man is perfectly clear about it, which is why he advised Honoured Guest to depart early. If you remain here and have your name registered with the City Lord’s Mansion, you will not be able to leave again.”
“Interesting!” Yang Kai smiled meaningfully.
“Little Brother, since you are here on orders from High Heaven Sect’s Sect Master to perform a surprise inspection, please send word back quickly. I hope you can quickly remove the festering filth from Blue Wave Cit,y so this old man can spend the rest of his life here in peace!” The shopkeeper looked at Yang Kai with expectation.
“Old sir, you can be assured, I won’t just sit back and watch this matter,” Yang Kai grinned, “In any case, there seem to be many people here using my High Heaven Sect’s name to bully others. If I allowed this to continue, it would ruin my High Heaven Sect’s reputation.”
“Little brother must not act impulsively,” The shopkeeper was startled when he saw the fierce light flashing across Yang Kai’s eyes.
“Relax, I have a sense of discretion,” Yang Kai said coldly.
If it wasn’t for a series of coincidences this time, Yang Kai might never have known that someone was committing such heinous acts under High Heaven Sect’s name.
Yang Kai suddenly recalled that, on the way back from Blue Wave Forest, the young girl named Liu Fei’er always hesitated when talking about the situation in Blue Wave City. Now he understood why.
The rise of High Heaven Sect was too fast, and the number of disciples in the Sect was too low, making its foundation unstable. Now was the time to win over the public’s trust, so the situation in Blue Wave City, which was discrediting High Heaven Sect, made it impossible for Yang Kai to simply stand idly by.
At that moment, a loud noise came from the street below, and immediately, a powerful energy fluctuation burst out, followed by exclamations and screams.
Yang Kai looked down towards the source of the sound and a familiar young girl in a green dress immediately caught his eye, causing him to raise his brow slightly.
“Old sir, here’s the money for the wine and food,” Yang Kai casually dropped a few High-Rank Saint Crystals onto the table before grabbing the wine bottle and leaping out the window.
In the middle of the street, in front of a small storefront, three young people stood with angry expressions, glaring at a pair of men with bloodshot eyes, their Saint Qi condensed, but none of them dared to act.
Behind these three, Liu Fei’er was supporting an old man. The old man seemed to have suffered a serious injury, his face pale, and blood flowing from the corners of his mouth.
Countless people were watching.
“Second Uncle, are you okay?” Liu Fei’er asked nervously, a worried look covering her pretty face.
“I’m fine,” The old man shook his head slowly, uttering these two words with some difficulty.
“How could you just hit someone like that?” Liu Fei’er turned her head and shouted at the two cultivators who had caused this scene.
“Hit someone?” One of the burly men heard this and grinned meaningfully, “So what if I hit someone? Who made this Old Dog unable to appreciate kindness? I didn’t want his life and acted mercifully little girl, yet now you dare not show this King any gratitude and even accuse me of committing a crime? Do you think I won’t dare kill him now!”
“You…” Liu Fei’er pretty face went white; after all, her strength wasn’t high and she was still quite young, so facing the other party’s overbearing intimidation, she didn’t dare argue back, lest these men become enraged and really kill them.
“Hmph, the City Lord has issued an order: Any time Saint Crystals are used in a trade, a portion of the proceeds must be paid to the City Lord’s Mansion. Old Dog, don’t tell me you’re both deaf and blind and dared to trade with others in secret? If not for Father here spotting your crime, he would never have dreamed someone would be so daring!”
“Ignoring the City Lord’s orders, it seems you’re impatient to die, Old Man,” The other man laughed maliciously.
The old man’s face was blue, but he didn’t dare to refute in the slightest. Although many people were watching, none of them dared to speak up in the old man’s defence, all of them simply directing sympathetic looks towards the old man and the young girl.
Blue Wave City’s taxes were so high and extortion was so common that barely anyone could earn enough to feed and clothe themselves properly. Worse, there was no way to escape from this place, so to maintain a living, after obtaining some kind of harvest, everyone would try to find a familiar and reliable source to trade within secret to avoid the harsh taxes.
This phenomenon had become commonplace in Blue Wave City.
This time, however, the old man and his party had bad luck and accidentally ran into the people of the City Lord’s Mansion, causing them to suffer greatly.
Taking a deep breath, the old man cupped his fists solemnly and said, “Two Sirs, it is not that I was trying to disobey the City Lord’s orders. I was going to pay the Saint Crystals after the transaction, but I had just not gotten around to it yet.”
“You, sure know how to speak the right words to us, Old Dog, heh heh, but what you think seems to be different from what you said,” The burly man obviously didn’t believe him.
“Since this old man has run into two Sirs here, he will pay the required taxes directly, please do not refuse these Saint Crystals!” The old man said while signalling to Liu Fei’er.
Liu Fei’er was covering her Space Ring and shaking her head repeatedly, apparently reluctant to hand over the gains from their recent adventure just like that; after all, it was the harvest they worked hard to obtain.
“Bring it out!” The old man ordered.
Under his firm gaze, Liu Fei’er unwillingly took out a package from her Space Ring and handed it to the old man.
The old man squeezed out a smile and said humbly, “These are all the Saint Crystals we gained, please accept them, two Sirs!”
Saying so, he tossed the package over.
The big man on the opposite side stretched out his hand to catch the package, weighing it slightly as his eyes lit up, “A good haul, Old Dog.”
“Haha, our luck was simply good this time,” The old man said bitterly.
In the past, they hadn’t gained much from their hunting trips, but this time, because they followed after Yang Kai, they had a good harvest.
“Two Sirs, we will take our leave first!” The old man cupped his fists slightly, not planning to stay here any longer.
“Wait, before I say you’re free to go, you actually dared to leave?” The big man threw the package to his companion and gave a low shout.
“Do the two Sirs have any further advice?” The old man asked in a panic.
“This time you secretly traded and got caught by Father here! So what happened before? When Father wasn’t around to see, how many Saint Crystals did you steal?” The big man asked with a dark expression.
“Sir must be joking, this old man paid his taxes every time he made a transaction, never once missing a single Saint Crystal, please believe me!” The old man was shocked.
“Heh heh, believe you? I’ll pass my own judgment. Today, either you hand over all the Saint Crystals from your previous illegal trades and I spare your life, or you refuse and this place becomes your grave!” The big man coldly snorted.
“This is a misunderstanding, Sir,” The old man said anxiously, “We have never done such a thing before, how could we possibly have extra Saint Crystals?”
“That’s right, almost all our Saint Crystals have been taken away by you, where are we supposed to find any extra to hand over?” Liu Fei’er also shouted.
“This little girl’s courage isn’t small,” The big man glanced at her, his eyes suddenly lighting up. The more he examined her tender, shapely body, the more obscene his face and laughter grew.
The old man did not miss this, and knowing the situation was deteriorating, he hurriedly stretched out his hand to pull Liu Fei’er behind him before cupping his fists and bowing again, “Sir, please show mercy and spare us.”
“Spare you…” The big man touched his chin, pretending to ponder for a moment before nodding, “Fine, this King is not an unreasonable person. In fact, he’s quite magnanimous, so he won’t pursue this matter any further.”
The old man was overjoyed and quickly bowed, “Many thanks, Sir.”
“Hold on, this King hasn’t finished speaking yet,” The big man chuckled lowly as he pointed his finger at Liu Fei’er behind the old man, “If you don’t have the Saint Crystals, it’s fine if you hand over some other kind of compensation. Leave that little girl behind and the rest of you can scram!”
As soon as these words came out, Liu Fei’er’s pretty face immediately turned white and the old man also began panicking, “Sir, Fei’er is still small…”
“Small? This King doesn’t think she’s small at all!” The big man gave a lewd smile, his meaning obvious. In the next moment, his expression turned fierce and he growled, “I’ll give you one last chance: Leave the girl and scram. If you dare try to argue, I’ll kill you all.”
The old man and the others fell silent; they were completely angered but didn’t dare to express their rage and could only cast their eyes around, praying that someone around them would speak to uphold justice.
But facing these gazes, everyone in the crowd turned their eyes aside.
The old man’s heart filled with despair, never having expected that things would develop to this point.
Liu Fei’er was also desperate.
“Things seem quite lively here, let me have a look!”
An abrupt voice suddenly called out from behind the crowd.
Everyone turned their heads towards the source of this voice only to see a young man in casual robes walking over with confident strides, his figure stalwart, a wine bottle in his hand, and a weird smile on his face.
His expression was arrogant and unruly, seemingly not putting anyone in his eyes. He strode forward while drinking from the bottle and smiling freely, “Did I hear that someone was going to kill?”
“Big Brother Yang!” Liu Fei’er cried out like a drowning girl who was grasping for a life-saving straw, the light of hope flashing across her beautiful eyes.
The old man and the others also wore complicated looks.
The crowd separated voluntarily and Yang Kai walked straight up to the old man and the others, his Divine Sense sweeping them briefly before he gently nodded.
Obviously the other party hadn’t wanted the old man’s life, as the latter’s injuries weren’t too serious, otherwise, the old man would likely already be dead with just a Second-Order Saint King cultivation.
After all, this big man was a First-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator.
“Little Brother…” The old man opened his mouth and looked at Yang Kai with some gratitude, but still said, “Why did you interfere in this turbid water?”
He sighed and spoke in guilt.
He knew that Yang Kai must have been walking nearby and saw what happened, then out of consideration for their brief association he had decided to show up to help them. He also knew that Yang Kai possessed profound strength.
But this was Blue Wave City, and Yang Kai was just one person, two fists can’t block four strikes, if Yang Kai really intervened here, he would likely not even be able to protect himself.
“Old Sir doesn’t need to worry about me,” Yang Kai smiled lightly.
Hearing this, the old man couldn’t help smiling bitterly but couldn’t say anything more.
“Boy, who do you think you are?” The big man’s face sank as he glared coldly towards Yang Kai.
“Just someone who wants to watch the fun,” Yang Kai grinned at him.
“Boy, you court death!” The big man shouted angrily. Ever since Blue Wave City became known as an attached city of High Heaven Sect, no one dared to act presumptuously here anymore. As a member of the City Lord’s Mansion, this man had become used to going wherever he pleased and doing whatever he wished, yet today, a little brat had appeared from nowhere and insulted him, so he became furious.
With a shout, the big man charged towards Yang Kai and summoned a hammer-like artifact into his hand which he proceeded to slam down viciously.
Exclamations rang out from the onlookers and even the old man and Liu Fei’er became frightened.
It seemed like this artifact would smash Yang Kai’s head in the next moment.
In response though, Yang Kai simply threw a punch to meet the hammer.
*Guangdang…*
A loud noise rang out, but Yang Kai remained unharmed while on the other hand the hammer artifact was struck by a strong force and sent flying.
Yang Kai swiftly raised the wine bottle in his hand and swung it down fiercely at the big man’s head.
With a crisp sound, the wine bottle shattered and the strong drink inside drenched the big man’s face. Before he could recover from this shock though, a big foot flew towards him and struck his face.
With a pitiful scream, the big man flew out like a paper kite, his face covered with blood, giving him a terrifying look. Yang Kai’s kick had broken the man’s nose and knocked out at least half of his teeth.
The audience was shocked!
Everyone stared at Yang Kai with a weird look, as if looking at some strange monster.
What shocked everyone was not Yang Kai’s strength, but that he dared to attack the people of the City Lord’s Mansion in Blue Wave City!
Feeling severe pain, the big man howled, “How dare you hit me!”
“So what if I hit you? Who made an idiot like you unable to appreciate kindness? I didn’t want your life and acted mercifully, yet now you actually dare accuse me of striking you instead of thanking me? Do you think I won’t kill you here?!” Yang Kai looked at and said in a mocking tone.
These words sounded familiar to everyone as they were the same ones this big man had used to ridicule Liu Fei’er just now…
The big man’s expression went dull.
His companion’s expression also changed as he stared at Yang Kai in horror.
If this young man could bring down his partner in a flash, then it was obvious his opponent’s strength was too high for him to contend with. Even if he wanted to recover his partner’s face, he couldn’t do anything. As soon this thought crossed his mind, his figure flickered and he tried to escape, only wanting to report this matter to the City Lord’s Mansion and call for help as quickly as possible.
“Before I say you can go, to think you dare to leave.” Yang Kai narrowed his eyes and waved his hand, sending a Golden Blood Thread over towards the fleeing man.
A flash of golden light appeared for a fleeting moment before the escaping man let out a scream and fell to the ground.
There were no visible scars, but his vitality was rapidly disappearing.
Dead!
Eyes bulged everywhere. Yang Kai daring to attack the people of the City Lord’s Mansion just now was enough to shock the onlookers, but this scene completely exceeded their ability to comprehend!
This youth had killed someone from the City Lord’s Mansion!
Was this really happening?
Over the past few years, no one had dared to oppose the City Lord’s Mansion, and anyone who even had thoughts of rebelling was mercilessly killed, but today, a young man had actually killed a cultivator from the City Lord’s Mansion in full view of the public.
It was clear just what kind of violent retribution the City Lord’s Mansion would exact now.
Even if this young man had outstanding abilities, he wouldn’t be able to escape from Blue Wave City.
He was going to die!
Gasps sounded from the crowd as the looks everyone were giving Yang Kai changed again, becoming frightened and amazed. Many began to unconsciously distance themselves from this boy so as not to be misunderstood as being related to him, lest they become implicated.
“Little Brother, you…” The old man also looked incredulous.
Liu Fei’er and the other juniors stared towards Yang Kai with worshipping eyes, however, as if already regarding him as their idol.
Young people were always passionate and hot-blooded.
“I only took care of some trash, Old Sir doesn’t need to be so nervous,” Yang Kai smiled, his expression indifferent.
“Little brother, you must go quickly, you cannot remain here! Before the news spreads, there’s still a chance you can escape here with your life, but if you linger, I’m afraid it will be too late!” The old man hurriedly shouted at Yang Kai.
“Go? Why must I go?” Yang Kai shook his head.
The old man stared at Yang Kai dully, “You’re not leaving? Do you still want to stay?”
“Yeah.”
The old man looked as anxious as an ant on a hot wok, “Do you know who you killed just now? Do you know what kind of disaster you brought upon yourself? You still want to stay here? Do you not know how to write the word ‘death’?”
“Haha,” Yang Kai laughed lightly, “Don’t worry Old Sir, since I’ve chosen to stay, I’m definitely not afraid of them. If they want to kill me, they’re welcome to try.”
Yang Kai looked as if he didn’t even fear the Heavens, his tone was wild and arrogant.
The old man looked at him with an aghast expression, and after confirming Yang Kai wasn’t just drunk, he couldn’t help shaking his head, “I really don’t understand how you young people think.”
“Rest assured, since I’ve come here today, all the garbage in Blue Wave City will be cleaned up. Just sit back and watch carefully.”
“Haa… I don’t know what you have to rely on, but this matter is still partly my responsibility, so I will accompany Little Brother all the way. As for what happens next… it will be what it is.”
He was obviously not optimistic about Yang Kai, feeling he was too young and impulsive.
Even so, he chose to stay with Yang Kai and not let him fight alone.
“Many thanks, Old Sir,” Yang Kai smiled lightly.
“Big Brother Yang, we pledge to live and die together with you too!” Liu Fei’er flushed and exclaimed with excitement, the other young members of her clan nodding with her, a type of fearless light flashing across their eyes.
“Alright!” Yang Kai nodded, “En, you all can accompany me into battle this time.”
“Nonsense!” The old man anxiously stamped his foot, “You… you troublemakers!”
He was willing to stay with Yang Kai and face death just to give his juniors a chance to escape, but how could he have anticipated that they would instead make such a reckless choice?
He was furious!
“Old Sir need not worry, I’ll keep them safe and sound,” Yang Kai said with a grin filled with confidence.
“This young man really doesn’t know how high the Heavens are.”
“Is he still ignorant of the disaster he caused? Does he not know who he killed?”
“Heh heh, this is interesting, someone actually dares to oppose the City Lord’s Mansion, there’s bound to be a good show.”
“How could the City Lord’s Mansion let him go? Such a pity that a talented young man will die today in Blue Wave City.”
Whispers from the onlookers came from all around, as many pointed at Yang Kai and talked about him with their friends. More cultivators who heard the disturbance were also arriving all the time, wanting to join in the fun.
Soon, the entire street became crowded, and Yang Kai and the others were surrounded by multiple layers of people.
Meanwhile, the extremely arrogant burly man from before wore a dull expression on his face. When he saw his companion killed by Yang Kai with a wave of his hand, a chill came over him from head to toe and a look of terror filled his face.
He never dreamed that someone would dare to kill people inside Blue Wave City, much less someone from the City Lord’s Mansion.
The sunlight suddenly seemed to get blocked, and when he looked up, he saw Yang Kai standing right in front of him, his arms crossed, looking down at him condescendingly from above, like a proud dragon overlooking an ant.
“Little Brother, mercy!” The big man struggled to get up before suddenly falling to his knees and kowtowing, “Little Brother, forgive me, I was blind and failed to see. I had no intention to offend Little Brother, I only ask Little Brother to be the bigger man and not care about a lowly dog like me.”
Compared with his life, a little shame was nothing to him.
He no longer had the guts to challenge Yang Kai.
“You want to live?” Yang Kai smiled at him.
The big man nodded repeatedly.
Yang Kai nodded back and his expression softened, “Good. Then, I don’t have to kill you.”
“Many thanks, Little Brother, many thanks Little Brother!” The big man cried bitterly, “What is it that Little Brother wants in return?”
He wasn’t stupid, Yang Kai being willing to let him go obviously had some kind of price.
“Is your City Lord currently in his residence?” Yang Kai asked.
“Yes, Sir City Lord is present.”
“Alright, then lead the way!” Yang Kai gestured.
“Uh…” The big man was dumbfounded, his expression turning extremely strange.
“Hurry up!” Yang Kai kicked him and shouted.
“Yes, yes!” The big man quickly got up, no longer daring to delay, and quickly led the way.
“Fei’er, come with me, we’re going to the City Lord’s Mansion to raise a ruckus!” Yang Kai beckoned to Liu Fei’er and the others.
“En,” The several juniors immediately followed.
The old man was dumbfounded and didn’t react until Yang Kai and his family’s juniors disappeared into the crowd, stomping his foot after he recovered and following after hurriedly.
The onlookers were now in an uproar.
This young man really didn’t know how to write the word ‘death’. After killing someone from the City Lord’s Mansion, instead of escaping from Blue Wave City, he wanted to go to the City Lord’s Mansion to make trouble.
There was actually such a fearless and reckless person in this world?!
What were his origins? Did he really have something to rely on, or was he simply tired of living?
Full of curiosity, everyone wanted to know what the fate of this young man would be, so they all followed after him.
It was not long before all of Blue Wave City was whipped into a frenzy, with a massive number of cultivators, led by Yang Kai, rushing towards the City Lord’s Mansion.
However, all of these people were just coming to watch the fun rather than fight with the City Lord’s Mansion because none of them had such guts!
In the centre of Blue Wave City, in front of a magnificent palace, dozens of cultivators were standing guard.
With such a big event happening in the city, it was natural that news made its way back to the City Lord’s Mansion. Blue Wave City’s City Lord was furious and immediately brought his men out to meet the enemy. He wanted to see which bastard had eaten the gall of the bear and the heart of a leopard to dare challenge him!
As a city attached to Heaven Battling City, Blue Wave City also had a large number of cultivators in its City Lord’s Mansion, making it a powerful force unto its own. There were also a large number of cultivators scattered throughout the city to deal with some unexpected events.
The City Lord and his inner circle were all Origin Returning Realm masters, with two of them even having reached the Third-Order.
For a City Lord’s Group, it could still be considered quite a powerful lineup.
At this moment, City Lord Dan Ying was furious as he stood outside the City Lord’s Mansion with his hands behind his back, staring out at the bustling crowd which was approaching from afar, his eyes narrowing as they honed in on a particular young man.
He knew at a glance that this young man was the one who was the source of this trouble.
Additionally, one of Dan Ying’s subordinates, whose face was covered in blood, was walking ahead of the crowd in a hunched-up posture, seemingly leading the way for the young man.
The sound of a few gulping could be heard when the cultivators of the City Lord’s Mansion saw the massive crowd of cultivators following behind this youth, many of them beginning to feel a little uneasy.
“Stop panicking!” Dan Ying roared, “Those people are just following the crowd, they won’t dare pick a fight with the City Lord’s Mansion so boldly. All we have to do is kill the young man leading them and the others will scatter like chickens and dogs!”
“Sir City Lord is right, don’t panic!” One of the Elders agreed.
Hearing this, the other cultivators managed to calm down.
Soon after, Yang Kai and the crowd arrived in front of the City Lord’s Mansion, but aside from him and the few members of the old man’s group, everyone else stopped to watch the fun from a thousand metres away.
This was per the laws of Blue Wave City. Anyone who stepped within a thousand metres of the City Lord’s Mansion without permission would be killed without mercy! Those who wanted to watch the excitement were still fearful of the City Lord’s Mansion, so they dared not step beyond this invisible boundary.
“That man is your City Lord?” Yang Kai cast his gaze towards Dan Ying and asked the man leading them.
The big man’s eyes glanced over quickly before he nodded very slightly.
“Deacon Liu, what happened? Why did you bring so many people to the City Lord’s Mansion to make trouble?!” Dan Ying stared at the big man with an imposing glare and asked.
The big man raised his head towards Dan Ying and his eyes flashed, as if he suddenly made a decision that was to decide his fate. Pushing his Saint Qi, this Deacon Liu shot out like a bolt of lightning.
In an instant, he rushed to Dan Ying’s side.
Seeing this, Yang Kai just smiled meaningfully, not making any attempt to stop him, seemingly having expected this to happen.
“Sir City Lord, please forgive me!” The big man yelled, “It’s not that subordinate wanted to lead these people here to make trouble, I was forced to!”
“Who dares to force you!” Dan Ying shouted coldly.
“It was that little brat!” The big man turned around and pointed straight at Yang Kai. After escaping from Yang Kai’s control, and standing next to Dan Ying, this man seemed to gain a sense of security and no longer had any scruples, grinding his teeth as he continued, “Subordinate was just doing his duty, collecting taxes with Deacon Zhou, but out of nowhere, this arrogant boy used his superior cultivation and attacked us, injuring me and killing Deacon Zhou. He did not put the City Lord’s Mansion in his eyes at all! To survive, this subordinate had to compromise and agree to lead this boy to the City Lord’s Mansion to seek justice from Sir City Lord!”
He had just been kowtowing and begging for his life, but if one had not seen that scene and simply heard him speaking, they would think he was a man of courage who braved great risk to bring Yang Kai to face punishment here.
Yang Kai’s eyes remained calm as he listened, finding this big man somewhat amusing.
“Good, well done!” Dan Ying nodded lightly.
“Idiot, do you think you are safe if you stand next to your City Lord? If I want to kill you, your City Lord can’t protect you!” Yang Kai sneered.
“Impudence!” Dan Ying roared, “Boy, you’re far too arrogant. Don’t think that you have the ability to not put the world in your eyes. This City Lord wants to see how you can kill Deacon Liu while he is here!”
“As you wish!” Yang Kai grinned and a golden light suddenly appeared in his left eye, after which a lotus bud manifested and shot forward, disappearing a moment later.
Screams suddenly rang out, as the big man standing beside Dan Ying put his hands on his head, dropped to the ground, and rolled about frantically.
His cries were miserable, as if he was suffering some kind of unimaginable torture, causing everyone who heard his voice to shiver in fear.
No one knew what had happened to the big man to cause him such pain.
Three breaths later, a dull thud sounded.
The head of the big man burst open like a ripe watermelon, splattering blood and brains all around, completely dying the surrounding area red.
Audible gasps echoed from all directions.
Dan Ying and the leaders of Blue Wave City all shivered when they saw this and their faces turned pale, clear signs of fear flashing across their eyes.
Standing behind Yang Kai, Liu Fei’er was stunned for a moment, as if she hadn’t realized what was going on, but soon, her pretty face turned pale and she rushed to the side to vomit the entire content of her stomach.
“Did you see it clearly?” Yang Kai looked over at Dan Ying contemptuously and chuckled mockingly.
Dan Ying’s face was extremely ugly and gloomy, but he didn’t say a word.
He didn’t know what kind of method Yang Kai used, but with his Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivation, he at least noticed that this boy had used some kind of powerful Soul Technique to silently kill Deacon Liu.
But just how strong would this boy’s Divine Sense have to be to make Deacon Liu’s head explode!?
Dan Ying quickly determined that he would not have been able to achieve such a feat.
A powerful enemy had appeared!
Dan Ying no longer dared to underestimate Yang Kai, his expression growing extremely solemn.
“Dare I ask who Your Excellency is and why you have come to my Blue Wave City to cause trouble?” Dan Ying asked in a deep, cold tone.
“Is that important?” Yang Kai curled his lips.
Dan Ying frowned, “This City Lord and Your Excellency have never met, but Your Excellency is quite unreasonable. Killing two of my City Lord Mansion’s Deacons is a bit too much for a greeting, is it not?”
He had seen that Yang Kai possessed extraordinary strength, so he didn’t dare confront him easily.
At such an age, with such strength, it was likely this young man had some strong backers, so Dan Ying didn’t want to act too aggressively before figuring out Yang Kai’s details.
“Too much?” Yang Kai grinned, “I don’t think it is too much. I’m here today not only to kill your two Deacons but also to take all your lives. None of you will escape!”
The cultivators of the City Lord’s Mansion felt a chill both physically and mentally.
Dan Ying’s expression went blank, but soon he burst into laughter, “Interesting, interesting, this City Lord hasn’t seen such an interesting young man in so long. Good, since you don’t know how to appreciate kindness, don’t blame this City Lord for not being polite! Kill him!”
Since Yang Kai shamelessly rejected his face-saving offer, Dan Ying decided to act ruthlessly.
Two of his Deacons had died, so if he simply swallowed this insult, it would deeply damage his face and authority in the future.
No matter what backing this young man had, it couldn’t be bigger than the one behind him, so Dan Ying was fearless and no longer bothered to discuss anything with Yang Kai, simply waving his hand and ordering the attack.
Dozens of the City Lord Mansion’s cultivators received this order and with ferocious expressions charged towards Yang Kai.
Although the tragic death of the big man just now had frightened all of them, Yang Kai was still just one person while Liu Fei’er and the other youths behind him weren’t even put in the City Lord Mansion cultivators’ eyes.
With so many of them, they were completely confident they could take down Yang Kai.
From the dozens of approaching figures, Secret Techniques and artifact attacks blossomed and flew towards Yang Kai.
The faces of Liu Fei’er and the others paled as a look of desperation flashed across their eyes when they felt the mass of chaotic energy fluctuations approaching.
They all thought they were about to die.
Yang Kai didn’t move; however, the smile on his lips just grew colder and colder.
Stretching out his hand towards the barrage of attacks, he leisurely summoned his Purple Shield.
The shield was originally about the size of a washbasin, but after it appeared, it suddenly expanded to several dozen metres in radius.
All the attacks landed on the shield.
A series of clanging sounds rang out and brilliant explosions blinded everyone’s eyes, but Yang Kai remained unharmed.
“An Origin Grade High-Rank defensive artifact!” Dan Ying narrowed his eyes as he recognized the shield’s grade, a touch of greed also appearing on his face.
Origin Grade High-Rank artifacts were incredibly rare on Shadowed Star, not to mention this was a defensive artifact which was more valuable than ordinary artifacts! With this artifact, anyone’s strength could be raised dramatically.
Dan Ying was now even more convinced that there was some great backer behind Yang Kai, otherwise, how could he have obtained such a good thing?
Suddenly, a golden light burst out from behind the shield as multiple golden silk threads shot out. A rough count put the total number of golden threads at around a hundred, and the vital aura which pulsed from each one was so shocking it caused many nearby to panic.
It was like these golden threads were alive.
The golden threads flickered back and forth, cutting through the crowd.
None of the cultivators’ protective Saint Qi could withstand the cutting a piercing power of these golden threads, the radiant glow surrounding their bodies no better than paper, unable to withstand a single blow.
Even ordinary defensive artifacts were unable to resist the sharpness of these golden threads, many of them being sliced in half, losing all spirituality and transforming into scraps.
Screams rang out one after another.
Blood splashed, broken limbs and meat scattered across the ground, heads flew up into the air, and corpses began piling up.
The cultivators from the City Lord’s Mansion screamed in horror as all those who were lucky enough to still be alive saw they were outmatched and hurriedly tried to escape from Yang Kai.
“You want to run? Since you’ve come, don’t even dream of leaving,” Yang Kai slowly shook his head, a faint sneer appearing at the corner of his lips. Under the control of his Divine Sense, his Golden Blood Threads flew and cut even faster.
He was like a bloodthirsty demon!
The onlookers only saw glimmers of golden light and heard terrified screams. As for what was actually happening on the battlefield, only a few masters could see clearly.
“Quickly send a message to Heaven Battling City. Request City Lord Liang’s assistance!” Dan Ying turned pale and hurriedly yelled to a nearby aide. He faintly felt that even if he went into action personally, he wouldn’t be the opponent of this young man, so he decided to call for help without hesitation.
Hearing this order, the aide turned around and rushed into the City Lord’s Mansion without hesitation.
The tragic screams continued for a time but gradually grew thin until finally falling completely silent.
The golden glow faded and revealed the surrounding area again.
The onlookers looked over, and after seeing the situation, they felt their bodies shiver…
With Yang Kai as the centre, there was a region of almost a hundred metres where no other living person remained, all the enemies who had swarmed up to attack him just now lay dead on the ground.
The scene was extremely bloody and cruel, and a rich smell of iron filled the air, making people want to vomit.
A thousand metres away, the crowd of spectating cultivators were dumbfounded. Some people kept rubbing their eyes, subconsciously rejecting the scene before them.
Behind Yang Kai, the old man, Liu Fei’er, and the other youths gawked as they stared at Yang Kai’s back in a daze, their jaws dropped and unable to close.
Liu Fei’er’s tender body was constantly trembling, half from fear and nausea, half from an inexplicable excitement.
Just now, Yang Kai had told her to follow him to the City Lord’s Mansion to raise a fuss, to which she readily agreed, but how could she have known that their presence would be completely superfluous? Yang Kai alone could destroy the entire City Lord’s Mansion!
The scene was eerily silent for a time as the blowing breeze spread a rich scent of blood across Blue Wave City.
Few people had ever witnessed such a large-scale slaughter, with broken limbs and hashed meat filled with blood scattered all around them in a manner to ghastly it was difficult to describe.
Dan Ying and the other leaders of Blue Wave City nearly collapsed on the spot.
“Kill them!”
“Kill all of them!”
“Good job Little Brother, don’t let these people go. Kill them all!”
Suddenly, the sound of angry roars came from the crowd of onlookers.
A single call led to a hundred responses as more and more people began furiously shouting.
For the past few years, the cultivators of Blue Wave City had lived very unpleasant lives, being exploited and wantonly insulted by the City Lord’s Mansion’s people. Even if they wanted to leave this city, they were unable to find a way out.
Many people had been killed, many small families had been wiped out, and many young and beautiful women were humiliated without even being able to resist.
They have had enough.
A trivial Blue Wave City City Lord’s Mansion wasn’t enough for them to fear.
But none of them dared disobey High Heaven Sect!
Three years ago, Shadowed Star had three top forces, Heaven Battling Union, Thunder Typhoon Sect, and Star Emperor Mountain, but all three of these great forces were crushed by High Heaven Sect, instantly making the latter the most powerful force on Shadowed Star.
This Sect commanded great awe and fear.
Behind Blue Wave City was the shadow of High Heaven Sect, so even if these cultivators were dissatisfied with their current lives, none of them dared openly resist.
Anger and hatred were like good wine though, the longer it fermented, the stronger it became.
The events of today finally allowed the dissatisfaction in everyone’s hearts to explode. Seeing his overwhelming strength, the onlookers began supporting Yang Kai’s approach and vented their anger, wanting to see Dan Ying and the others’ receive retribution for their evil deeds.
Someone bravely stepped forward, walked over, and stood behind Yang Kai, glaring towards Dan Ying and the other city leaders.
Soon others followed.
The law which stated that ‘any who approached to within a thousand metres of the City Lord’s Mansion without permission would be killed’ was instantly broken.
The crowd swarmed forward, curses spewing from their lips as murderous intent flared up, forcing Dan Ying and the others to repeatedly retreat.
Even if an Origin King Realm master had been the one standing here, they would likely be forced back by this show of force.
Dan Ying had never thought that these people, who were always so obedient to him, would dare show any rebelliousness, causing his legs to shiver.
“Sir City Lord, right? Are you going to committing suicide, or do you want me to act personally? Let me say this first, if you force my hand, you won’t be able to die easily!” Yang Kai looked ahead with a sneer.
Dan Ying’s brow twitched and he tried to put up a strong front, roaring angrily, “Boy, do you know who you’ve offended today? I am Heaven Battling City’s City Lord Liang Yong’s subordinate! My Blue Wave City is under High Heaven Sect’s jurisdiction, so no matter what your background is, no matter where you are from, since you’ve dared to offend my Blue Wave City today, your end will be miserable! If you know what’s best for you, you’ll leave quickly. Do so and this City Lord will forgive your crimes, if not, the consequences will be dire!”
“High Heaven Sect?” Yang Kai snickered, “Don’t try to tarnish the reputation of High Heaven Sect, High Heaven Sect would never allow you to act so lawlessly.”
“You don’t believe me?” Dan Ying grit his teeth.
“Am I just supposed to believe anything you say?” Yang Kai sneered.
“Who dares not give High Heaven Sect face?” An angry shout suddenly came from the City Lord’s Mansion, “This King must see who has not learned the lessons of Heaven Battling Union and Thunder Typhoon Sect and dares try to oppose High Heaven Sect!”
Hearing this voice, Dan Ying, who was originally grey-faced, suddenly became overjoyed and quickly turned to look into the City Lord’s Mansion, as if he were a drowning man who had spotted a life-saving straw, the panic and uneasiness he felt just now wiped away entirely.
Yang Kai’s eyes flashed a vicious light as he too cast his gaze towards the newcomer.
A short moment later, a man left the City Lord’s Mansion and stepped out in an imposing manner.
Behind him, there were many Origin Returning Realm masters who had equally arrogant and aloof looks to them.
“Dan Ying greets City Lord Liang!” Dan Ying hurriedly cupped his fists and saluted.
He had just sent a message to Liang Yong, but hadn’t expected the other party to rush over through the Space Array so soon.
He was saved now.
The masters from Heaven Battling City were far more powerful than those from Blue Wave City, so even if this evil boy had outstanding strength and methods, he would still need to surrender without a fight against City Lord Liang.
“En!” Liang Yong nodded faintly as he glanced over at Dan Ying and coldly snorted, “It seems you’re quite useless as a City Lord, are you unable to even solve a single person causing trouble?”
“City Lord Liang, please forgive me!” Dan Ying said in a cold sweat, “The little brat who came to cause trouble is truly extraordinary, several dozen of this City Lord’s subordinates were brutally killed by him in an instant! Please uphold justice here, City Lord Liang.”
“Since this City Lord is here, naturally he won’t just sit back and watch. Who is the one making trouble and refusing to give my High Heaven Sect face?” Liang Yong coldly snorted.
“It’s that boy!” Hearing Liang Yong’s question, Dan Ying pointed his hand and ground his teeth, “It’s him, he’s the one who doesn’t put our High Heaven Sect in his eyes at all! This Dan told him clearly that Blue Wave City is under the jurisdiction of High Heaven Sect and that this Dan is City Lord Liang’s subordinate, but this little brat arrogantly declared he does not believe me. Please teach him a lesson, City Lord Liang.”
After speaking, Dan Ying turned to stare at Yang Kai triumphantly, his eyes filled with expectation.
He was looking forward to seeing Yang Kai kneeling down and begging for mercy, allowing him to vent the anger he felt.
But to his disappointment, Yang Kai did not show any panic at all. He still stood there calmly, with his hands crossed in front of his chest, an inexplicable sneer on his lips as he stared arrogantly towards Liang Yong.
[This boy’s courage knows no bounds! Even with City Lord Liang here, he still showed no fear.] At this moment, Dan Ying could not help somewhat admiring Yang Kai.
However, this boy acting so defiant would only further anger City Lord Liang, making his ultimate end even worse.
Dan Ying sneered in his heart before sneaking a glance towards Liang Yong only to see the later stride forward towards Yang Kai quickly.
Dan Ying could not stop grinning, secretly looking forward to the good show.
Liu Fei’er and the others also clenched their sweat-filled palms as panic threatened to overwhelm them. The countless cultivators who also stood behind and supported Yang Kai just now saw how angry Liang Yong was and couldn’t help stepping back unconsciously, opening a little distance between them and Yang Kai for fear that the fire at the city gate would affect the fish in the moat.
Some even began to regret acting so impulsively just now.
All of them had heard Liang Yong’s name before.
Since Heaven Battling Union was destroyed, he had become the City Lord of Heaven Battling City which was directly managed by High Heaven Sect.
Although High Heaven Sect had gained a loud reputation in recent years, it continued to act in a very low-key manner. No one had ever heard of any High Heaven Sect disciple appearing in the outside world, so Liang Yong had become the external representative of High Heaven Sect almost by default!
Now that he was here, no matter what his strength was, what he represented was the behemoth High Heaven Sect!
Even if the one here was an ordinary mortal who had never cultivated, no one would dare to attack him, much less Liang Yong who was a peak Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master whose strength far exceeded Dan Ying’s.
This boy was finished!
Many people look at Yang Kai with a hint of sympathy on their faces. No matter what kind of backing this young man had, no one would dare to avenge him if he died tragically today.
The hundred-metre distance was narrowed in an instant as Liang Yong rushed up to Yang Kai; then, without pause, he actually knelt on one knee and lowered his head, “Subordinate Liang Yong greets Sect Master!”
This action was performed smoothly and neatly, as if it had been rehearsed countless times.
Yang Kai’s expression remained cold, however, as he looked down at Liang Yong condescendingly, the same sneer he had before never leaving his face, making his thoughts impossible to read.
Everyone’s eyes bulged.
All the people who saw this scene had their jaws drop, many of them thinking they were seeing things or that they had been caught in some kind of strange illusion.
The scene fell silent as a chill seemed to shroud the front of the City Lord’s Mansion, causing many to shiver unconsciously.
Dan Ying was also shocked as he stared towards Liang Yong in a daze.
He suddenly noticed that fine lines of sweat had appeared on Liang Yong’s forehead and were rapidly condensing into beads that dripped down onto the ground.
*Dida, dida…*
Dan Ying’s body shook and a thought flashed across his mind, suddenly remembering some details he had once heard before.
It was rumoured that Sect Master Yang Kai of High Heaven Sect was a young man, and the description of his appearance was indeed somewhat similar to the troublemaker in front of him…
Then there was what Liang Yong called him just now, so…
Dan Ying felt his heart clench as he nearly fainted from shock.
“Subordinates greet Sect Master. We did not know Sect Master had come, if we did, we would have come to welcome you immediately! Please forgive us, Sect Master!” The cultivators who were brought by Liang Yong shouted after recovering from their initial shock.
Liu Fei’er went sluggish again as he stared at Yang Kai foolishly, only after a long silence seemingly comprehending what was happening, at which point a strange brilliance flashed across her beautiful eyes.
“Liang Yong…” Yang Kai called out faintly.
“Reporting,” Liang Yong replied quickly, his voice trembling somewhat.
“I’ve not seen you for a few years, but it seems life is treating you well,” Yang Kai sneered.
“Certainly not!” Cold sweat on Liang Yong’s forehead kept dripping down, as if his whole body had been dunked into a river, his clothes soaking wet as he heard the clear dissatisfaction in Yang Kai’s voice. Anxiously, he called out, “Subordinate has been negligent in his duties, making Sect Master exhaust himself. Please mete out punishment!”
“Good, your punishment will come soon enough, but before that, this Sect Master has something he is curious about; when did you join High Heaven Sect? This Sect Master did not admit you, so who did?”
Liang Yong’s body shivered as he shot a hate-filled glare over at Dan Ying from the corner of his eye; the anger and rage in his heart were hard to describe in words.
He had just received information in Heaven Battling City about a disturbance here and hurriedly brought a group of people to this place through the Space Array, but how could he have expected that the moment he walked out of the City Lord’s Mansion, he would see the person he feared most in this life.
Liang Yong wanted to chop Dan Ying’s corpse into ten thousand pieces for being so stupid and blind.
“Sect Master please do not misunderstand! Subordinate has witnessed just how powerful the Sect is and earnestly wishes to pledge his life to it; unfortunately, Subordinate has not had an opportunity to realize this wish. Now, Subordinate only hopes to improve his usefulness to Sect Master as the City Lord of Heaven Battling City by gathering enough commodities and supplies. However, Subordinate and his supporters are, in the end, survivors of Heaven Battling Union, making it difficult to convince the public to obey, so outwardly we were forced to declare a different status. Vice City Lord also knows about this matter,” Liang Yong quickly explained after a moment of thought.
“Oh, Xiao Qi, is this true?” Yang Kai raised his head and looked towards a certain buck-toothed cultivator standing amongst the crowd.
The latter nodded.
“Alright, in that case, it’s fine,” Yang Kai gently nodded.
Hearing this, Liang Yong couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.
But before he could truly relax, Yang Kai continued, “Now let’s talk about this Blue Wave City again.”
Liang Yong’s heart clenched up again, and an unpleasant premonition came to him.
“I heard that Blue Wave City is attached to Heaven Battling City, yes?” Yang Kai asked as he looked at Liang Yong.
“Reporting to Sect Master, that is the case. Not only Blue Wave City, but all the cities within a radius of a few million kilometres are now attached to Heaven Battling City. There are nine large and small cities in total!”
“Very good,” Yang Kai grinned.
“Many thanks for Sect Master’s praise, it is this one’s honour to serve the Sect.”
“So, all the actions in Blue Wave City are approved of by Heaven Battling City?” Yang Kai looked at Liang Yong with a smile.
Liang Yong wore a somewhat panicked look and quickly refuted, “That is not the case. Subordinate only ordered these attached cities to pay some materials or Saint Crystals every year as a tribute. As for the administration of each city, subordinate does not interfere, everything is decided by their respective City Lord’s Mansion.”
“A smooth answer,” Yang Kai smiled meaningfully.
“Sect Master…” Ge Qi looked at Yang Kai suspiciously, “Was there some kind of accident in this Blue Wave City?”
“I only arrived here today too, so I can’t say I am well informed, but if we wish to know more, we might as well ask these people,” Yang Kai motioned towards the countless onlookers.
Ge Qi’s brow furrowed slightly, vaguely feeling that things were not as simple as they appeared. Hastily walking out, he arrived in front of the crowd and cupped his fists, “Everyone, this one’s name is Ge Qi, Heaven Battling City’s Vice City Lord and High Heaven Sect’s disciple! If you have anything to report, please feel to speak with this Ge. This Ge guarantees by the Sect’s reputation that absolutely no one will embarrass you for stepping forward.”
The scene remained silent, with no one speaking, everyone simply staring at Ge Qi in a daze.
They were wary and afraid of Ge Qi, so they did not dare to expose the misdeeds of Blue Wave City’s City Lord Mansion.
Liu Fei’er opened her mouth, seeming to want to say something, but quickly swallowed them back down again.
“Fei’er, don’t hesitate to speak, with me here, no one will dare cause any harm to you,” Yang Kai saw this and comforted her gently.
Liu Fei’er seemed to receive courage from these words, took a deep breath, and declared loudly, “Fei’er’s Fourth Uncle was killed by the City Lord Mansion’s people two years ago because he was unwilling to pay them off with Saint Crystals!”
“And today, the benefits we obtained from our own hard work were taken away entirely by the City Lord Mansion. Not only that, but they also wanted to take Fei’er! If it were not for Big Brother Yang’s timely arrival, the consequences would have been disastrous,” Another young man stood forward and shouted.
Ge Qi’s expression instantly sank.
“Blue Wave City isn’t a place where people can live! Seventy percent of everything we make has to be turned over to the City Lord’s Mansion, it’s simply unbearable.”
“There is a register of names in the City Lord’s Mansion, and anyone one that has been registered is not allowed to leave Blue Wave City, or else they will suffer a painful death! Many who tried to flee were killed mercilessly.”
Sporadic shouts began emerging from the crowd, but it did not take long before almost everyone was voicing their complaints.
Ge Qi’s face became gloomier and gloomier, as did Yang Kai’s.
After a long while, when the clamours gradually subsided, Yang Kai and Ge Qi exchanged a glance, and both saw the anger in each other’s eyes.
The vile deeds which were committed in Blue Wave City were not the main problem. Shadowed Star was so big, and had so many people living on it, that such matters were bound to happen somewhere; what irritated Yang Kai, however, was that Blue Wave City was doing so by using High Heaven Sect’s name.
If not for this point, the City Lord’s Mansion would already have been razed by these countless cultivators.
The reputation of High Heaven Sect suppressed all the citizens of Blue Wave City, making them too afraid to resist no matter how bad things got.
This was nothing short of smearing mud on High Heaven Sect’s reputation. If things were allowed to go on like this, there would soon be no place for High Heaven Sect on Shadowed Star.
There were nine cities under the jurisdiction of Heaven Battling City, so if Blue Wave City was in such poor condition, what were things like in the other cities?
“Xiao Qi, you’ve failed at your job as Vice City Lord!” Yang Kai shot him a sharp glance.
Ge Qi lowered his head in shame.
He also did not expect the situation outside to be like this.
Since Yang Kai asked him to stay in Heaven Battling City as the Vice City Lord three years ago, he had essentially never left Heaven Battling City, often secluding himself in cultivation while only monitoring the situation in Heaven Battling City occasionally.
Over there, measures to win over popular support which were implemented by Yang Kai were strictly adhered to. Taxes were so low they were almost negligible, which attracted many cultivators to move and settle down. Today, Heaven Battling City could be described as overcrowded but thriving.
However, the situation seemed to be quite different for the cities under Heaven Battling City’s jurisdiction.
Under an attractive outward image, some people were secretly committing vicious acts which were causing public outrage.
Fortunately, Yang Kai had discovered this issue now. It could be considered early. Otherwise, if a few more years had passed, the consequences would have been difficult to estimate. When thinking about this, Ge Qi broke out in a cold sweat and at the same time became livid.
“Liang Yong ah, Liang Yong. Don’t tell this Sect Master you knew nothing about this,” Yang Kai smiled maliciously towards Liang Yong.
The latter’s body trembled and a frightened expression filled his face as he said in a panic, “Sect Master, please understand. Subordinate truly didn’t know about this. It is the first time that subordinate has heard about the situation here in Blue Wave City.”
He didn’t dare admit anything. He had seen Yang Kai’s methods before, so he knew if he admitted to everything, this would be his burial place.
Since he couldn’t admit it anyway, Liang Yong decisively rejected.
“So you won’t show regret unless you see your coffin? Good, seems like I must find evidence before you’re willing to give up. In that case, this Sect Master will satisfy you; hand over your Space Ring,” Yang Kai coldly commanded.
Liang Yong broke out in a cold sweat, but he still didn’t agree, trying to talk his way out of this, “Sect Master, please reconsider! Subordinate is truly loyal to Sect Master and has never disobeyed any of Sect Master’s wishes or done anything to tarnish the Sect’s reputation. This Space Ring holds all of Subordinate’s most intimate secrets, so even if it is Sect Master’s request, Subordinate cannot agree to it. Please be reasonable, Sect Master.”
“Enough nonsense,” Yang Kai snorted coldly, reaching out to take the ring from Liang Yong’s hand.
A trace of struggle flashed across Liang Yong’s face before his eyes became determined. Seeing Yang Kai reaching out towards his hand, Liang Yong pushed the Saint Qi in his body and turned around, wanting to escape.
But the moment he took action, the surrounding space suddenly became extremely viscous and a crushing pressure pressed him from all directions, making it difficult for him to even move.
Innumerable crackling sounds rang out as millions of tiny Void Cracks began swimming around him like a school of fish.
Liang Yong’s courage broke completely as he no longer dared to move, for fear that he would be swallowed by these Void Cracks if he did.
A moment later, Liang Yong’s Space Ring had fallen into Yang Kai’s hands, and his face went pure white.
Holding this Space Ring, Yang Kai sneered lightly and swept its content with his Divine Sense, his expression gradually becoming gloomy.
Soon after, Yang Kai waved his hand and a loud clatter rang out.
In front of the City Lord’s Mansion, a hill-like pile of High-Rank Saint Crystals appeared.
The surrounding people looked at the huge number of Saint Crystals and couldn’t help exclaiming in shock while gulping hard.
When had any of them ever seen such a great fortune?
Although no one knew the exact count, this many Saint Crystals would no doubt have to be counted by the hundred million. If one could obtain this treasure mountain, they wouldn’t need to worry about cultivation resources for a dozen lifetimes.
Besides Saint Crystals, there were also various boxes and containers. No one could see what was inside these boxes, but even the containers themselves were made of valuable materials, so the contents were clearly even more precious.
“Where did you get so many good things from then?” Yang Kai looked at Liang Yong with a calm face, “If you can give me a reasonable explanation, I won’t kill you!”
Liang Yong’s face was ashen as he had no way to explain.
The evidence was already in front of him. If he hadn’t lined his pockets with the wealth from the nine cities under Heaven Battling City, how could he possibly have amassed such wealth all on his own?
No one had such ability!
“Mercy, Sect Master, mercy please! Subordinate knows his wrongs! Please give this Subordinate another chance to make up for this mistake! Subordinate will definitely live up to Sect Master’s trust!” Liang Yong shouted.
Yang Kai slowly shook his head, “Everything deserves a chance or two, but three is asking too much. Liang Yong, this Sect Master spared your life on Fallen Emperor Mountain, and didn’t take your life in Heaven Battling City because you still had some use, but now… you can die content!”
As soon as his voice fell, Yang Kai stretched out his hand towards Liang Yong.
Liang Yong seemed to want to dodge, but for some unknown reason, he was unable to. Yang Kai grabbed his head directly and pushed his Saint Qi strongly; Liang Yong screamed as a bursting sound erupted inside his body.
As his voice faded, Liang Yong’s vitality rapidly disappeared.
After Yang Kai took back his hand, Liang Yong no longer had any life aura and collapsed to the ground, dark red blood flowing out of all his orifices.
Everyone was silent as they stared towards Yang Kai with complicated looks.
What kind of strength Liang Yong possessed, many of them knew well. As a peak Third-Order Origin Returning Realm, even if Liang Yong wasn’t as powerful as the fallen Heaven Battling Union Union Master, he was not far off.
But such a master was pinched to death by Yang Kai with one hand.
Like pinching an ant.
Although most people had long heard about Yang Kai’s extraordinary strength, those were only rumours after all. Seeing that it with their own eyes though, everyone realized that not only were the rumours true, they underestimated how terrifying Yang Kai was.
Dan Ying had already collapsed to the ground, his eyes glossed over.
He had pinned all his hopes on Liang Yong, thinking that City Lord Liang could teach this arrogant youth a good lesson.
But the situation had developed in a way he had never imagined.
First, Liang Yong called this young man Sect Master, which made Dan Ying vaguely guess his true identity, then Liang Yong, whom Dan Ying regarded as his support, was actually pinched to death.
Dan Ying had always relied upon High Heaven Sect as his backer, but how could he have known he would inadvertently offend the Sect Master of this backer!
How was he supposed to survive now?
He saw Yang Kai’s gaze sweep over him but not stop, completely disregarding him, as if he was of no threat or his very existence wasn’t even worth paying attention to.
“Heh heh, I don’t know how many of you are related to this matter, but don’t be too nervous. Liang Yong is dead, and this Sect Master doesn’t feel like slaughtering indiscriminately. This matter will end here then. If you still want to survive, you should know what to do,” Yang Kai looked at the cultivators who followed Liang Yong.
Most of these people were originally Heaven Battling Union cultivators while some were later recruited by Liang Yong, and all of them were Origin Returning Realm masters.
“Subordinates thank Sect Master for showing mercy!” All of them shouted in unison before turning to stare at Dan Ying.
“No!” Dan Ying yelled in horror.
But it was too late; all of these masters rushed forward and swarmed Dan Ying, bombarding him with various Secret Techniques and artifacts, granting him a quick but tragic death.
“Xiao Qi, handle matters here as quickly as possible then report back to me,” Yang Kai turned to Ge Qi and ordered.
“Yes.”
“Who is Blue Wave City’s Vice City Lord?” Yang Kai swept his eyes around again.
“It is I,” A gloomy-looking old man quickly walked out, his legs still trembling slightly as he nodded and bowed to Yang Kai.
“Good, take me to see Blue Wave City’s treasury.”
“This way please, Sect Master!” The old man didn’t dare to neglect and quickly led the way.
A short time later, Yang Kai stood in front of Blue Wave City’s City Lord Mansion’s treasury and saw a dazzling array of materials, as well as a large number of Saint Crystals.
This was the manifestation of the blood and sweat of Blue Wave City’s people.
“Have your subordinates empty out this treasury and hand everything over to Ge Qi, he should know how to process them,” Yang Kai gave an order before turning around and leaving.
The old man nodded and got to work.
Three days later, in the City Lord’s Mansion, Yang Kai sat on a chair and listened to Ge Qi’s report.
“Sect Master, the contents of Liang Yong and Dan Ying’s Space Rings, together with what was stored in Blue Wave City’s treasury, have all been catalogued. Subordinate has arranged for all of Blue Wave City’s cultivators to report the amount of Saint Crystals they were forced to pay over the past three years and, after verification, had the appropriate amount returned. I have also ensured that everyone knows that what happened here was not ordered by High Heaven Sect but was a result of Dan Ying’s unauthorized actions. Everyone who heard this news cheers and praised Sect Master’s righteousness and kindness.”
“Stop with the needless flattery,” Yang Kai glanced at him and didn’t know why, but the more he saw Ge Qi, the more dreadful he seemed. Yang Kai was really curious why Ye Xi Yun had picked this guy up and raised him as a disciple.
Ge Qi laughed embarrassedly.
“Liang Yong is dead, so Heaven Battling City lacks a leader. You’ll assume that role for now, and if you can train a capable and reliable replacement, you can have them take over as City Lord then return to Sect where you won’t need to concern yourself with these trivial matters.”
“Good, that’s what I planned to do,” Ge Qi nodded.
“What about the other cities under the jurisdiction of Heaven Battling City? Was the situation the same as here?” Yang Kai asked.
“Not exactly. The situation was different in each city, some good, some bad, but Blue Wave City was the most severe case.”
“Good, that’s good. Handle things according to your own judgement.”
“Sect Master may rest assured; Xiao Qi will not allow such dishonourable matters to occur again. By the way, Sect Master, I have sent news of your return back to the Sect. Great Elder wishes to know what your current status is.”
“Me? I’m doing well, tell her that I will return soon so she doesn’t have to worry.”
“Yes,” Ge Qi nodded, “There is one more thing, Sect Master.”
“Speak.”
“Outside the City Lord’s Mansion, there are several people who had been asking to see you. They say they know you,” Ge Qi looked at Yang Kai with a strange expression.
Yang Kai pondered for a moment before figuring out who these people were and nodded, “Let them come in.”
Ge Qi nodded and left. A short while later, an old man leading several young people nervously entered.
Yang Kai got up and greeted them with a smile.
“This old man greets Sect Master Yang!” The old man hurriedly saluted.
“Old Sir doesn’t need to be so polite,” Yang Kai laughed, his gaze sweeping the youths behind the old man where he saw Liu Fei’er staring at him with a pair of big eyes, her face filled with curiosity.
“What are you doing in a daze, hurry up and bow! Such disrespect.” The old man shouted.
Yang Kai, however, just waved his hand, “No need, it’s fine like this.”
The old man smiled bitterly, “Please don’t blame them, Sect Master Yang, these few young ones are ignorant of how the world works. If they have offended you in any way, I ask you to please forgive them. En, this old man is here today simply to thank Sect Master Yang for upholding justice on behalf of all of Blue Wave City’s residents and for avenging the death of my family’s Fourth Elder. Please accept this old man’s worship.”
“Old Sir, please don’t say such things, if we really examine this matter, the fault lies with my High Heaven Sect for being negligent in its oversight. Fortunately, the situation here came to light before it was too late, and I can only hope to make up for the damage already done in the future.”
“It is our blessing to be able to live in Blue Wave City under the rule of High Heaven Sect,” The old man said solemnly.
Yang Kai gently nodded before turning to Liu Fei’er and smiling, “Why do you keep staring at me, don’t you recognize me?”
Liu Fei’er blushed and spoke hesitantly, “Are you really High Heaven Sect’s Sect Master? You’re not lying, right?”
“Fei’er!” The old man was startled and glared at her quickly.
In response, the young girl couldn’t help pouting.
Yang Kai chuckled, nodded and said, “Yeah, I am High Heaven Sect’s Sect Master. Why were you wondering if I was pretending?”
“I was just asking,” The girl stuck out her tongue. Next, she seemed to gather her courage, bit her lip, and asked, “Since you’re High Heaven Sect’s Sect Master, your word should carry a lot of weight, yes?”
“En, it should be useful!”
“Then can you accept me into High Heaven Sect?”
As soon as this remark came out, the old man was shocked and quickly begged for forgiveness.
He knew that High Heaven Sect never accepted outsiders.
A master like Liang Yong, who was also Heaven Battling City’s City Lord, had not been officially admitted into High Heaven Sect, so how could his Junior, Liu Fei’er, who was just a Saint Realm cultivator, possibly join such a Sect?
Although he was apologizing in a panic, the old man was also feeling somewhat expectant inside.
If Fei’er could really join High Heaven Sect, her future was guaranteed to be bright! Now on Shadowed Star, High Heaven Sect was the dominant force, with no Sect comparable to it in the slightest, how could it be bad to enter such a Sect?
Yang Kai stopped the old man’s apologies before turning a serious look towards Liu Fei’er and asking, “Do you want to enter High Heaven Sect?”
The girl nodded.
“Why?” Yang Kai asked.
“Under a big tree one can enjoy the cool shade!” The girl replied without the slightest hesitation.
The old man’s face twitched when he heard this, and even Yang Kai was startled for a moment before he burst into laughter.
“If I become a High Heaven Sect disciple, no one will dare to bully my family again,” The girl blushed and added.
Yang Kai laughed even more happily as he nodded, “Good, although your motives are a bit selfish, your personality is also reasonable and straightforward. Since you want to enter High Heaven Sect so much, this Sect Master will accept you.”
“Huh?” The girl looked dazed, seemingly not having expected happiness to come to her so suddenly. She had thought she would definitely be rejected and had mentally prepared herself for such an outcome.
“Stupid girl, why haven’t you thanked Sect Master Yang for his kindness yet!” The old man quickly urged.
Only then did Liu Fei’er come back to her senses and hurriedly knelt, giving a formal salute.
The other youths who had accompanied her here all stared at her with envy.
“Alright, get up. I’ll give you one day to deal with any unfinished matters you have at home, after that you will leave for the Sect together with me,” Yang Kai declared.
“Yes!” The girl bit her red lips, flushed, and replied excitedly.
There was no need for Yang Kai to worry about Blue Wave City or Heaven Battling City, so one day later, Yang Kai took Liu Fei’er through the Space Array of Blue Wave City, passed directly through Heaven Battling City, then proceeded to Demon Blood City!
By now, however, Demon Blood City had been renamed High Heaven City.
High Heaven City was High Heaven Sect’s link to the outside world as its headquarters were located deep inside the Flowing Flame Sand Field. High Heaven City was also under the direct jurisdiction of High Heaven Sect.
A few years ago, inside the Emperor Garden, Demon Blood Temple’s Great Elder and Temple Master had both died at Yang Kai’s hand. As a result, Demon Blood Temple had been plunged into a constant state of infighting with numerous Elders dying, causing the Sect to decline greatly in strength, almost to the point of collapse.
Ye Xi Yun had not missed this and taken action to quell the situation. At the same time, she took the opportunity to occupy Demon Blood City, which was the closest major city to High Heaven Sect, and rename it High Heaven City.
Even if Demon Blood Temple hadn’t been on the decline and was still at its peak, with the current strength of High Heaven Sect, if they wanted to occupy Demon Blood City, Demon Blood Temple wouldn’t have dared to resist.
Demon Blood City thus easily became the private industry of High Heaven Sect.
All materials and cultivators that passed through High Heaven City were now subject to fees and taxes levied by High Heaven Sect, so although High Heaven Sect still resided inside the Flowing Flame Sand Field, its connection with the outside world was much more pronounced.
As soon as he appeared atop the Space Array, Yang Kai heard a loud roar of voices.
“Subordinates welcome Sect Master’s return to the Sect!”
These voices caused Liu Fei’er to jump in fright, and in a fluster, she quickly hid behind Yang Kai.
Yang Kai swept his eyes around and found that almost all the high-level executives of High Heaven Sect were present, led by Great Elder Ye Xi Yun.
Obviously they had received news he would be arriving today and had been waiting.
Ye Xi Yun couldn’t help breathing a sigh of relief when she saw that Yang Kai wasn’t missing any arms or legs.
During the battle atop Star Ascendance Peak, Yang Kai, Qi Tian Che, and Fang Peng had suddenly disappeared. This disappearance lasted a whole three years, during which all of High Heaven Sect worried constantly about Yang Kai, expending much effort to inquire about his whereabouts and status, but unfortunately learnt nothing.
It was as if Yang Kai had suddenly disappeared from Shadowed Star altogether!
Now that he finally returned safely, Ye Xi Yun was naturally quite happy.
A moment later, her beautiful eyes couldn’t help shrinking as she suddenly realized that Yang Kai’s cultivation had actually reached the Second-Order Origin Returning Realm! Even Ye Xi Yun, who had experienced countless storms, felt shocked by this discovery.
It had only been a few years since he reached the Origin Realm yet he had already taken another step forward. Wasn’t the cultivation speed of this Sect Master of hers a bit too exaggerated?
“Great Elder, it’s been hard on you!” Yang Kai faced Ye Xi Yun and gently nodded, “All of you have worked hard too.”
“Sect Master is too polite, we’ve done nothing worthy of note, it is Sect Master who has been facing difficulties these past few years,” Ye Xi Yun smiled, her beautiful eyes finally turning to Liu Fei’er before turning back to Yang Kai curiously, wondering why he had brought a little Saint Realm girl back with him.
“This girl wants to join High Heaven Sect, and as Sect Master I took the liberty to accept her,” Yang Kai explained casually.
“So that’s how it is,” Ye Xi Yun nodded.
“Come on, don’t hide, greet your new Elders,” Yang Kai fished Liu Fei’er from behind himself.
Liu Fei’er blushed greatly as she swept her eyes across the faces before her, clear excitement and admiration covering her face.
These were the strongest masters of the strongest Sect on Shadowed Star! Anyone here could cause Shadowed Star to tremble with a stamp of their foot.
She had never seen such a grand scene before!
Quickly stabilizing her mood, Liu Fei’er cupped her fists and bowed reverently.
“There’s no need for excessive courtesy, since Sect Master has admitted you already, you are now a disciple of my High Heaven Sect. Cultivate diligently in the Sect. If you perform well enough, you may have an opportunity to worship one of the people you see before you and become their disciple,” Ye Xi Yun looked at her kindly.
“Yes!” Liu Fei’er nodded excitedly.
“En, let’s head back before we talk,” Yang Kai motioned.
Half a day later, inside High Heaven Sect’s main hall, the various Elders gathered together to report to Yang Kai about the Sect’s current condition and the events that had transpired over the past three years.
The best description would be to say that the Sect had grown by leaps and bounds.
Without mentioning anything else, the simple addition of the more than two hundred cultivators from Star Emperor Mountain alone caused the overall strength of High Heaven Sect to reach the number one position on Shadowed Star! This was an undisputed fact; no Sect could compare with today’s High Heaven Sect.
Also, led by Heaven Battling City, the various cities and industries owned by High Heaven Sect generated a massive amount of income every year. Today, High Heaven Sect did not need to worry about cultivation materials in the slightest.
The Sect’s population wasn’t very large, but materials were constantly being delivered to it from all directions. High Heaven Sect currently had three grand storehouses, each one filled with various cultivation resources, but that was still not enough. Ye Xi Yun was even now planning to open up several more.
The Sect also had two close allies, Clear Sky Sect and Shadow Moon Hall.
These two great forces had been on good terms with Yang Kai since long ago, and during the past three years when Yang Kai had disappeared, both great forces had provided great assistance with High Heaven Sect’s development. As such, Ye Xi Yun decided to make a formal alliance between the three Sects.
With strong cooperation, mutually beneficial developments and exchanges could be achieved.
Countless other great forces wanted to ally with High Heaven Sect; however, none of them had any form of prior relationship they could use as an opening, so they could only stare jealously at the opportunities that Shadow Moon Hall and Clear Sky Sect had gained.
Yang Kai listened to these reports and nodded with satisfaction.
[The High Heaven Sect is currently on the right track.] When he founded this Sect, he hadn’t expected it to reach its current scope and scale.
Back then, he had simply brought Wu Yi and the others here in their Starship to settle down.
It could be said that the destruction of Heaven Battling Union, Thunder Typhoon Sect, and Star Emperor Mountain had provided an unimaginable impetus to the rapid rise of High Heaven Sect. Without the demise of these three great forces, there would absolutely be no High Heaven Sect today.
These three great forces had become stepping stones on High Heaven Sect’s rise.
Half a day later, the other Elders dispersed, leaving only Yang Kai and Ye Xi Yun.
The Great Elder also knew that Yang Kai must have other important questions, but before Yang Kai could speak, she took the initiative to say, “If Sect Master wants to ask about Madam’s situation, Subordinate can only say that all is as it was before!”
“So… nothing has changed, huh…” Yang Kai murmured.
“Yeah, Sect Master need not worry, since Madam said she would need ten or twenty years more, we simply have to wait patiently until that time.”
“Okay,” Yang Kai nodded, not asking any more questions.
“In addition, Sect Master’s Artifact Spirit is currently resting and building up its strength inside the Earth Lung Fire Pond in the fifth layer. As for the Verdant Bone Sword, Subordinate brought it back and placed it inside Sect Master’s First Heavenly Palace.”
“Understood.”
In fact, there was no need for Ye Xi Yun to explain these points as Yang Kai was able to sense his two helpers after he returned to the Flowing Flame Sand Field; after all, whether it was the Firebird or Dragon Bone Sword, both shared a connection with his Soul.
When Qi Tian Che dragged him into the Small Sealed World within the Sealed World Bead, the Verdant Dragon Bone Sword was left outside. Later, the Firebird Artifact Spirit had been expelled during the battle, resulting in Yang Kai being left with only Xiao Xiao.
Ye Xi Yun naturally brought the other two back to the Sect with her.
“What happened back then? Why did Sect Master suddenly disappear? Does it have anything to do with that Emperor Artifact?” Ye Xi Yun pondered for a moment before asking seriously.
She only knew that the Sealed World Bead was an Emperor Artifact, but she didn’t know what kind of powers or abilities it possessed.
No one from Star Emperor Mountain had ever been able to refine the Sealed World Bead, so Ye Xi Yun did not know its details.
“Yup, I was dragged into a Small Sealed World by Qi Tian Che,” Yang Kai replied.
“A Small Sealed World…” Ye Xi Yun’s eyes narrowed.
“Fortunately, it only took me three years to find a way to escape. Great Elder need not worry about it any longer.”
Seeing him not want to explain further, Ye Xi Yun naturally didn’t ask anything more.
After thinking for a while, she suddenly took out something and handed it to Yang Kai, “Madam sent me a message while she was still in a state of deep sleep, asking me to hand this to you to keep.”
“A Star Emperor Token!” Yang Kai looked at what Ye Xi Yun handed over and couldn’t help exclaiming.
Reaching out to take it, Yang Kai gently caressed this Star Emperor Mountain with a solemn expression.
He already had four of these tokens in his hand. The first was given to him by Gui Zu and still had the Great Emperor’s Divine Ability sealed inside, the second piece was something he found in the loft in the sixth layer of the Flowing Flame Sand Field. The third piece was brought to him by Ge Qi, and this fourth piece was the one currently in his hands.
Yang Yan had also said before that the Great Emperor refined a total of ten Star Emperor Tokens, each of which sealed one Divine Ability belonging to the Great Emperor.
Now, she wanted him to take these tokens for safe-keeping, and it made Yang Kai wonder: Was there some other hidden mystery in these Star Emperor Tokens?
However, no matter what this secret was, it would likely require him to collect all to expose it.
This was by no means an easy task. It has been many years since Yang Kai entered the Star Field and he had managed to collect four through numerous opportunities and coincidences, which meant there were still six remaining.
The only other Star Emperor Token Yang Kai knew of belonged to Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce and was stored on Water Moon Star, a detail he had learned accidentally when chatting with Xue Yue long ago.
Yang Kai didn’t spend any more time on this issue, simply storing away the fourth Star Emperor Token before asking Ye Xi Yun to send a message to Qian Tong, Fei Zhi Tu, and Clear Sky Sect, telling them that the time had come. After he finished giving instructions, Yang Kai left the hall.
Three years ago, Yang Kai was planning on taking a long-distance voyage.
If complications had not arisen before, he would likely already be sailing through the Star Field by now.
Because of the provocation of Star Emperor Mountain, these plans had been delayed, but now that these various problems had been resolved, it was time to set sail, find his way home, and look for the beautiful woman he knew was somewhere out amongst the stars.
On his way back to First Heavenly Palace, Yang Kai couldn’t help recalling Su Yan’s face, causing his gaze to soften.
Since he left Tong Xuan Realm, it had already been more than twenty years…
Over the past two decades, through ups and downs, Yang Kai’s cultivation had risen from the Saint Realm to the Origin Returning Realm, and he was more than a hundred times stronger than he was when he first entered the Star Field back then.
However, the Martial Dao had no end, and the higher his cultivation rose, the more Yang Kai realized his own shortcomings.
He desperately wanted to become stronger, to climb to the summit of the Martial Dao, stand at its peak, and look out on all living beings!
Cheers and shouts suddenly reached Yang Kai’s ears, pulling him out of his reverie. Turning his gaze to the source of the sound, Yang Kai saw a group of people gathered together. He couldn’t immediately see what they were doing, but it was very lively.
These people were all former disciples of the Hai Ke Family who had followed Wu Yi, left the family, and joined up with Yang Kai.
Although their cultivations back then were somewhat low and scattered, with the help of various cultivation resources and a good cultivation environment, all of their strengths had improved by leaps and bounds, most of them having now reached the Saint King Realm!
Yu Feng and Wu Yi were both now just one step away from breaking through to the Origin Returning Realm.
In High Heaven Sect, as long as one’s aptitude wasn’t too bad, there was no need to worry about problems breaking through. With various precious pills to assist them, the Ten Thousand Year Incense to soothe heart demons, and the Nine Branch Jade Crystal Tree to illuminate the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao, breaking through had become a simple task.
No disciple felt any difficulty when making breakthroughs, and everything occurred calmly and naturally.
Now though, more than twenty of these disciples had gathered together and were watching a certain battlefield, cheering loudly for the combatants.
It seemed two people were fighting one another, and the sound of punches and kicks being exchanged constantly rang out.
Disciples often sparred with one another as their strength improved to examining their own shortcomings. This was a good thing and Yang Kai simply smiled lightly upon seeing it, not having any intention to join in the fun, but when he inadvertently spotted one of the figures locked in battle, he couldn’t help exclaiming in surprise and walking over quickly.
Everyone was completely focused on the battle, so Yang Kai’s arrival did not alarm anyone.
In the middle of a small arena, two people were competing, but unlike what Yang Kai imagined, they weren’t comparing Secret Techniques or artifacts; in fact, they weren’t even using their Saint Qi, they were simply competing with pure physical strength and reflex, fighting hand to hand!
One of them looked familiar to Yang Kai, but he couldn’t remember his name. He was a burly man with a strong body and thick muscles. At first glance, he was the kind of person who specialized in brute force and his cultivation also wasn’t bad, a First-Order Saint King!
However, what drew Yang Kai’s attention was this burly man’s opponent.
It was actually a little girl!
This little girl looked about ten years old, but her petite body was as agile as a monkey. She flitted about with incredible speed and finesse, constantly engaging the burly man in a rapid close-quarter brawl.
The little girl’s hair had a hint of yellow in it and was tied into twin-tails that hung down to her shoulders and moved about freely as she dashed back and forth. She had delicate features which made her appearance quite cute.
She was the picture of a still maturing beauty.
When avoiding the attack of the burly man, she could often find openings to swing her small fists and score hits on her opponent.
Her punch looked light and fluttering, but it contained astonishing power, enough to cause the burly man to tremble and grimace each time he was hit.
Yang Kai found that both of the burly man’s eyes had dark blue circles around them, obviously the result of him being punched in the face by the little girl.
The burly man wasn’t showing any mercy when he attacked, punching out with all his might, creating howls of wind each time he swung his fists. Just watching caused Yang Kai to feel a little on edge, for fear that the little girl could not bear such a blow and would be beaten to pieces.
But his worries were clearly unnecessary. None of the onlookers were worried about the little girl either, all of them were shouting, some cheering on the little girl while others taunted the burly man. The scene was incredibly raucous.
“Lin Yun’er?” Yang Kai suddenly recognized the little girl.
She was the one Yang Kai had brought back from Sea Side City.
The adopted daughter of Huang Juan.
When he brought her back, this little girl was only seven or eight years old, now three years had passed and she was slowly approaching the age of maturity.
Yang Kai had long known that Lin Yun’er small body contained extremely powerful force, but seeing her today he realized that he had deeply underestimated her potential.
At a mere ten years old, she was able to fight evenly with a fully grown man in the First-Order Saint King Realm in a competition of pure strength, even showing signs of suppressing her opponent.
[What kind of monster is she?] Yang Kai was amazed.
Just as he was observing Lin Yun’er with interest, the little girl’s body flickered and she entered into the big man’s chest before leaping up and delivering a beautiful uppercut, hitting him square in the jaw and knocking him flying.
*Peng…*
The big man fell to the ground, his face flushed, and struggled for quite some time before managing to get back onto his feet.
The onlookers cheered, with Yu Feng laughing the most happily.
After defeating her opponent, Lin Yun’er seemed very happy, jumping up and down excitedly while cheering as well.
Yang Kai looked at her with a pensive expression.
If this was a real life-or-death struggle, she would definitely not be the opponent of this burly man; after all, there was too much of a difference in their cultivations, but in terms of physical flexibility and strength, Lin Yun’er had absolute superiority.
She was only ten years old, but her potential was simply astonishing. If she could be taught in accordance with her aptitude, her future achievements would be limitless!
[Interesting, really interesting!] Yang Kai thought to himself.
“Hey, you’re that uncle!” Lin Yun’er suddenly spotted Yang Kai, pointed her finger at him, and started shouting.
Yang Kai’s face instantly went black.
“Ah, it’s Sect Master!” Yu Feng turned his head, exclaimed, and quickly covered his eyes with his hand, seemingly wanting to hide something.
Yang Kai glanced over and found that most who were gathered here had dark circles around their eyes and looks of embarrassment on their faces.
“You were all brought down?” Yang Kai was surprised.
“Hehe…” Yu Feng felt like dying of shame, wishing he could find a hole to crawl into and never come out.
He was a Third-Order Saint King now, only one step away from breaking through to the Origin Realm, but in his competition with Lin Yun’er, he still took a blow from her by accident, leading to his current embarrassed state.
It was one of the greatest shames of his life…
“Truly disgraceful,” Yang Kai grinned before turning and beckoning to Lin Yun’er, “Yun’er, come here.”
The little girl was very obedient and hurriedly dashed over to Yang Kai. Pausing to think for a moment, she called out crisply, “Disciple Lin Yun’er, greets Sect Master… uncle!”
“En,” Yang Kai nodded, showing a harmless smile, “You don’t need to use that last word next time.”
“En!” The little girl nodded.
[Ye Xi Yun had taught her well.] Yang Kai looked at the little girl with great satisfaction. After bringing her back three years ago, Yang Kai had asked Ye Xi Yun to instruct her, so her being so sensible was obviously thanks to the Great Elder’s efforts.
“Do you like this place?” Yang Kai asked lightly.
“I like it!” Lin Yun’er replied immediately, “There is food here, and no one bullies Yun’er. Aunty Ye and the other uncles are also very good to Yun’er.”
“It’s good that you like it,” Yang Kai smiled, “Did your Aunty Ye find a master for you?”
Lin Yun’er shook her head slowly.
“Oh, why?” Yang Kai was astonished.
Lin Yun’er was very young, but it was also obvious she was a rare genius; for her, Yang Kai could imagine that group of Star Emperor Mountain masters coming to blows to be her master.
Although they all had strict criteria to accept a disciple, Lin Yun’er absolutely met those requirements. No one accepting her as a disciple was a bit strange.
“Aunty Ye said none of them can teach me,” Lin Yun’er replied crisply, tilting her head and happily saying, “Yun’er now follows Aunty Ye to cultivate, so there’s no need to worship anyone else as a master.”
“Alright, that’s good. Your Aunty Ye has outstanding strength, following her to cultivate will be good for you!”
“Yes!”
“En, carry on,” Yang Kai waved his hand, turned, and left.
Voices called out to see him off, but Yang Kai was too lost in thought to listen.
Ye Xi Yun saying no one could teach Lin Yun’er was also a bit strange.
Although there were only about two hundred cultivators from Star Emperor Mountain, each of them was proficient in their own field, so it shouldn’t be a problem to find someone from these elites to teach Lin Yun’er.
There was only one possible reason Ye Xi Yun would make such a decision.
She was incredibly optimistic about Lin Yun’er’s future and didn’t want to handle her carelessly. She probably wanted to teach Lin Yun’er only the best.
It seemed he would have to ask Ye Xi Yun about this. Yang Kai was curious how this young little girl possessed such amazing power.
Presumably, after spending three years together with Lin Yun’er, Ye Xi Yun had learned something.
As his thoughts turned, Yang Kai returned to First Heavenly Palace.
Just after stepping inside, a deep dragon roar faintly rang out from the depths of the palace and a green light shot towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai grinned and stretched out his hand, grasping the green light in his palm.
When the light dissipated, a bone sword without any edge appeared.
Dragon Bone Sword, Verdant!
Feeling a connection on both a spiritual and bloodline level, the green dragon’s Remnant Soul, which was swimming inside the sword’s hilt, seemed happy.
After three years, the aura of the Dragon Bone Sword seemed to have become stronger. After all, in the battle three years ago, Yang Kai had killed many people and allowed the Dragon Bone Sword to swallow a large amount of vital essence.
Three years of refinement could indeed allow it to grow somewhat.
After carefully examining it and confirming that he didn’t feel anything wrong, Yang Kai happily put away the Dragon Bone Sword.
Turning his head and looking around, First Heavenly Palace seemed just the same as he left it.
Although Yang Kai had been missing for three years, no one had dared to enter High Heaven Sect’s Sect Master’s private quarters at will. Aside from the disciples Ye Xi Yun had clean the place every day, First Heavenly Palace saw no other visitors.
After a while, Yang Kai nodded to himself and was just about to take a rest when his expression suddenly changed and he shouted sharply, “Who!”
As he spoke, he sent out a burst of Spiritual Energy towards a certain spot nearby.
He had suddenly felt a sense of being spied on at that moment.
As such, he did not hold back.
The space twisted under Yang Kai’s powerful Divine Sense attack, a strike even a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master would find difficult to take.
However, the twisted space calmed down a moment later, as if an invisible hand smoothed it out.
Yang Kai’s attack yielded no effect.
This discovery made his face change and his eyes flash sharply.
Inexplicable energy visible to the naked eye began to emerge next, twisting and changing mysteriously.
“Divine Sense Manifestation!” Yang Kai called out in shock, but at the same time, he relaxed his vigilance because he perceived a familiar feeling from this visible Spiritual Energy.
As soon as Yang Kai called out, the Divine Sense Manifestation condensed into a figure.
Although this figure was slightly fuzzy, Yang Kai could see it wore a long black robe that covered head and face, only revealing a pair of star-like eyes while outlining an extremely graceful body-line.
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes as he stared straight at this figure, his heart pounding slightly.
The other party also stared back at him motionlessly, appearing as tranquil as an ancient well, displaying neither joy, nor anger, nor sorrow of any kind.
After a long silence, Yang Kai took a deep breath and asked in a solemn voice, “Are you Yang Yan… or the Great Emperor?”
The figure which appeared belonged to none other than Yang Yan. Clearly it was the Divine Sense Manifestation of the person sleeping in the sixth layer of the Flowing Flame Sand Field, but Yang Kai wasn’t certain whether she was the Yang Yan he knew or the Starry Sky Great Emperor of legend!
If she was the former, things would be simple.
If she was the latter, Yang Kai would need to tread carefully.
Hearing Yang Kai’s question, the figure frowned for a moment before declaring, “Both!”
“Really…” Yang Kai responded with a sigh, “It looks like you have already begun to merge.”
“En, but it will still take a few years to complete.”
“Then how should I address you?”
“Whether it is the person you know or the so-called Great Emperor, both are named Yang Yan,” The figure replied.
Yang Kai gently nodded, “So why have you sent your Divine Sense here instead of continuing to sleep in your loft?”
“I sense that you brought back something interesting, so I came to take a look.” Yang Yan smiled lightly.
“Something interesting?” Yang Kai frowned.
“This…” Yang Yan said while stretching out her hand, waving it towards Yang Kai. This action seemed light and casual, but under its influence, Yang Kai suddenly felt that something from his body was snatched away.
The speed at which everything happened was so fast that he did not even have time to think of resisting.
In a flash of light, a bead appeared in Yang Yan’s hand.
“The Sealed World Bead!” Yang Kai narrowed his eyes as he stared at the seemingly inconspicuous bead.
“En, the Sealed World Bead!” Yang Yan gently nodded, closing her beautiful eyes after speaking, as if she was sensing something, a while later opening her eyes again and whispering, “Sure enough, you were able to refine it.”
Yang Yan was well aware that Yang Kai was proficient in the Dao of Space.
The most basic requirement for refining the Sealed World Bead was to comprehend Space Force. Therefore, none of Star Emperor Mountain’s Sect Masters for ten thousand years was able to accomplish this. It was not until Qi Tian Che’s generation that anyone had an opportunity to discover the mysteries inside the Sealed World Bead.
In the end, however, it fell into Yang Kai’s hands.
“You actually managed to open a hundred-kilometre radius space inside, a truly amazing feat considering your current cultivation,” Yang Yan seemed to have discovered something that surprised her and muttered in admiration.
Yang Kai frowned, hesitated for a moment, then spoke, “I know that this bead belongs to you, but in order to escape from inside of it, I had no choice but to refine it. If you want to take it back, I will not object, but could you at least lend it to me for a while? I need it to ferry some people.”
“Lend it to you?” Yang Yan glanced at Yang Kai and smiled, “Why ask if I can lend it to you? You’ve already left your Soul brand on this Sealed World Bead so it belongs to you now, I won’t take it back.”
Saying so, Yang Yan tossed the Sealed World Bead back.
Yang Kai caught it before glancing at Yang Yan suspiciously.
Although he had yet to figure out all the details of this Sealed World Bead artifact, since it was an Emperor Artifact, it obviously had some kind of huge use to the Great Emperor. Yang Kai had not expected to be able to claim the Sealed World Bead for himself, he simply wanted to use it to bring his friends and relatives here from Tong Xuan Realm.
Without the Sealed World Bead, he would not be able to bring so many people over at once.
“You’re mistaken about one point,” Yang Yan said softly.
“Oh?”
“This Sealed World Bead isn’t mine.”
“Huh?” Yang Kai was stunned.
“Strictly speaking, I have never refined this Sealed World Bead, I was just holding onto it,” Yang Yan’s Soul body floated down and stood in front of Yang Kai like a real person, “It was something a friend of mine gave me.”
“Your friend?” Yang Kai was shocked.
Yang Yan’s true body was that of the Starry Sky Great Emperor, so would not a friend of the Great Emperor… be an existence on par with a Great Emperor?
“Yup, a friend of mine!” Yang Yan nodded, “My friend and you have something in common, can you guess what?”
Yang Kai fell into deep thought for a moment before his eyes lit up and he asked, “We both cultivate the Dao of Space?”
“Exactly!” Yang Yan looked at Yang Kai approvingly, “He too cultivated the Dao of Space, but he had reached a profound height in his comprehension. This Sealed World Bead was something he used his own Space Force and comprehensions to refine. Although my strength is not inferior to his, I don’t have any attainments in the Dao of Space, so the Sealed World Bead isn’t very useful to me. At the very least, I am unable to fully open and expand the space inside the Sealed World Bead. You are different, however. You have cultivated the Dao of Space, so perhaps you will have the opportunity to reach his height with time.”
Yang Kai’s brow twitched.
Not because Yang Yan spoke highly of him, but because of the origins of the Sealed World Bead.
It was refined from the comprehensions of a cultivator on the same level as the Great Emperor!
This was too sensational.
Yang Kai had never seen an Origin King Realm master act, but according to his estimations, even an Origin King would absolutely not have this kind of ability.
The Great Emperor really was beyond the existence of the Origin King Realm!
Above the Origin King Realm, there actually was a higher realm. Sure enough, the Martial Dao had no end.
“Since you knew the former Yang Yan, it seems we share some common destiny, so with the Sealed World Bead having been refined by you, I have no issue with you keeping it. Expand it well, perhaps one day you will discover something interesting,” Yang Yan smiled mysteriously.
Yang Kai’s interest was piqued as his eyes shined.
From what Yang Yan said, it seemed there was some kind of hidden mystery related to this Sealed World Bead.
Yang Kai did not ask anything though, as he knew that doing so wouldn’t net any results. Pondering for a moment, he began to ask, “Your friend…”
“I don’t know where he is. I haven’t seen him for over ten thousand years, so perhaps he is off wandering or even fallen, there’s no way to tell.”
“En,” Yang Kai nodded.
Expanding the space inside the Sealed World Bead was of great benefit to his comprehension of the Dao of Space, so even if Yang Yan had not mentioned it to him today, Yang Kai would not have slacked off regarding it.
Now that he vaguely knew there was another mystery hidden inside the Sealed World Bead, Yang Kai would certainly spare no effort to refine it.
“Okay, by the way, I’m planning to depart on a long voyage in a few days. You are still sleeping in that loft though so it should be safe. I’ll make sure some people maintain it,” Yang Kai suddenly remembered and said.
Yang Yan opened her mouth, as if she wanted to mention something, but ultimately chose not to, instead just saying lightly, “There are many dangers in the Star Field, I hope your journey goes smoothly.”
Saying so, her figure suddenly disappeared.
Just as suddenly as she came, she left.
Yang Kai frowned and stood in place, only after a long time calming his mood, sitting down cross-legged on his bed, and adjusted his breathing.
…..
The next day, on Hundred Flowers Peak.
Yang Kai found Ye Xi Yun and asked her about Lin Yun’er.
After three years, Ye Xi Yun had indeed done some research on Lin Yun’er’s physique and learned some things.
“Yun’er possesses a Special Constitution.”
“What is it?” Yang Kai nodded, having expected such a result.
Some people in this world were given great innate gifts that were difficult to match by others, often time manifesting as Special Constitutions.
For example, Little Senior Sister Xia Ning Chang possessed the Sacred Spirit Medicine Body, making her proficient in all things related to Alchemy. She could also cultivate by performing Alchemy, meaning the more pills she refined, the higher her strength would grow.
Shan Qing Luo’s Poison Widow Body was also a Special Constitution which caused her entire body to become extremely poisonous once her emotions became overly excited.
Xue Yue’s Dragon Marrow Phoenix Body caused her Primordial Yin Qi to be incredibly rich, allowing the one who claimed it to greatly increase their strength without any hidden dangers.
The effects and benefits of each Special Constitution were different, but one characteristic they all shared was extreme rarity.
At Lin Yun’er’s extremely young age, how could she possess such incredible strength? Yang Kai could only think of one explanation.
She too possessed a Special Constitution.
The answer he obtained from Ye Xi Yun now coincided with his guess.
“Then, what kind of Special Constitution does she have?” Yang Kai asked as he turned his head and glanced at the little girl who was sitting nearby, gnawing on some spirit fruits happily.
“This Queen has searched through many ancient books and if I am not mistaken, Yun’er should possess the Tyrant Strength Body!” Ye Xi Yun quickly said.
“Tyrant Strength Body?” Yang Kai frowned.
“Those who have this kind of physique are born with incredible physical strength, and as their age and cultivation rise, this power will only become stronger. They are truly blessed by the Heavens as, after growing to a certain extent, they are able to compete with other cultivators in the same realm with their physical strength alone, always having the absolute upper hand in combat!”
Yang Kai’s eyes flashed a light of amazement.
“However…” Ye Xi Yun frowned suddenly, looking at Lin Yun’er worriedly.
“However?” Yang Kai looked over at her.
“However, those who have this Special Constitution are granted physical strength which exceeds the natural ability of their body to tolerate, so they often cannot fully exert their strength when fighting. Yun’er is still young and her cultivation isn’t high, so this drawback has not yet manifested, but when she really matures, this will become a severe constraint on her power.”
The Heavens were fair in everything.
Although those with Special Constitutions possessed amazing advantages in certain fields, most of them had shortcomings that could not be ignored.
Xia Ning Chang’s Sacred Spirit Medicine Body allowed her to easily comprehend Alchemy and enhance her strength by refining pills, but any other method she tried to use to improve her cultivation, like meditation and secluded cultivation, were highly inefficient.
Shan Qing Luo’s Poison Widow Body doomed her to lose her loved ones and live a life of loneliness, forging a deep regret for killing her lover the very day she truly became one with them.
This was an unimaginable torture for anyone.
Although Xue Yue’s Dragon Marrow Phoenix Body gave her astonishing aptitude and strength, those gifts would ultimately benefit another rather than herself.
Lin Yun’er’s Tyrant Strength Body was no exception.
The incredible power contained in her body would eventually grow to the point where Lin Yun’er herself was unable to bear it, and once that happened, the result of trying to use her strength would be self-harm or even death!
“Is there a solution?” Yang Kai asked worriedly.
“Yes!” Ye Xi Yun gently nodded.
“Oh? Let’s hear it then. Since there’s a solution, we just need to implement it,” Yang Kai’s eyes lit up. Lin Yun’er was still young and her potential was unlimited, he did not want her future to be ruined because she was unable to bear her own strength.
“The solution is actually quite simple, but actually achieving it is not…” Ye Xi Yun gave a wry smile. “The drawbacks of a physique like Yun’er’s are obvious, but as long as these drawbacks are dealt with by tempering her body, everything will be fine. In other words, she just needs her body to be able to keep up with her physical strength. However, in order for her to begin Body Tempering, and appropriate Secret Art is necessary, and its grade cannot be low.”
“A Body Tempering Art!” Yang Kai’s expression became strange.
“Exactly. Although Star Emperor Mountain also has a few Body Tempering Arts, none of them come close to meeting Yun’er’s requirements. I have been looking for an appropriate Secret Art for several years now, but so far there have been no gains. None of them have even been as good as the ones Star Emperor Mountain originally possessed,” Ye Xi Yun said a little sadly, “It has only been three years since Yun’er came to Sect, but the growth in her strength has already been so terrifying. I’m afraid that if she is allowed to continue to grow at this pace, in less than ten years…”
“If you need a profound Body Tempering Art… I have one.”
“Sect Master has such a Secret Art?” Ye Xi Yun looked at him in amazement.
“En,” Yang Kai nodded as he took out an ancient book from his Space Ring and handed it to Ye Xi Yun, “Have a look.”
Ye Xi Yun accepted the book while glancing at Yang Kai suspiciously, but she quickly immersed herself in this Secret Art, reading it carefully.
Yang Kai did not disturb her, instead playing with Lin Yun’er. This little girl was still very young. Before, she had been living with Huang Juan in Sea Side City, staying in a house where she could not even see the sun on most days. Only three years ago, was she brought to High Heaven Sect.
She had almost no contact with the outside world, so her innocence still remained and her childlike mannerisms and speech greatly relaxed Yang Kai’s mood.
Two hours later, Ye Xi Yun let out a long breath and put down the ancient book, a look of pleasant surprise flashing across her eyes.
“Does Great Elder think it will be sufficient?” Yang Kai raised his head and asked.
“Indeed!” Ye Xi Yun said excitedly, “It should be possible for Yun’er to cultivate. This Secret Art is quite peculiar. Its grade isn’t actually very high, but its effects aren’t really connected to that grade, but rather the resources used to cultivate it.”
“En, I thought so too. I’ve cultivated this Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art myself, and I’ve found that the higher the grade of materials used, the better the body tempering effects. It has almost nothing to do with the Secret Art itself,” Yang Kai said with a grin, “The rarest part is that the resources used to cultivate it can be replaced.”
If one wanted to cultivate the Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art, they must look for the supreme treasures from all five elements.
Each treasure must not be lower in quality than the Monster Core of a Tenth-Order Monster Beast.
Yang Kai had spent a great deal of energy and time to collect all the required materials.
Now that High Heaven Sect’s influence had grown so immense though, it should not be difficult for it to collect a set of five-element supreme treasures. Even if the collected treasures were not on par with Yang Kai’s Sun’s True Essence or Divine Nullification Sand, they could at least match the Profound Gold he used.
Once a set of treasures was collected, Lin Yun’er could begin cultivating this Secret Art with them first, then replace them with better materials in the future without any trouble.
Ye Xi Yun noticed this detail too and seemed extremely excited.
“Sect Master may rest assured, this Secret Art will only be cultivated by Yun’er and will not be spread out,” Ye Xi Yun said solemnly.
“It’s fine, even if you were to spread it out, there are probably few people who could cultivate it,” Yang Kai chuckled.
The Monster Core of a Tenth-Order Monster Beast was equivalent to the heart of an Origin King Realm master, how many people could hunt this kind of existence? So, it didn’t matter if this Secret Art leaked out.
“However, one needs a strong Soul to cultivate this art, or else they will be unable to bear the intense pain,” Ye Xi Yun glanced at Lin Yun’er pityingly.
This little girl knew little of the word, or even about herself. She only knew that she possessed great strength but was unaware that this strength was actually like a rope tied around her neck, slowly tightening and threatening her life.
“It will be up to Great Elder to train her,” Yang Kai smiled.
“En, I will arrange Yun’er and to begin cultivating her Soul as soon as possible,” Ye Xi Yun nodded.
“Putting Yun’er’s matter aside for a moment, Great Elder, I have something to ask you,” Yang Kai looked at her solemnly.
“Sect Master, please ask.”
“I will soon set off on a long voyage and will be taking some of the Sect’s disciples with me, otherwise there won’t be enough manpower to operate the Starship. Elders Yang Xiu Zhu, Chu Han Yi, and Lin Yu Rao will also be accompanying me. Great Elder, what about you? Will you come with me?”
“Me?” Ye Xi Yun flashed a hint of desire, but soon shook her head, “I appreciate Sect Master’s kindness, but I will be remaining here.”
“As expected…” Yang Kai sighed, as if he had expected this answer.
Ye Xi Yun’s strength and aptitude were superb. It was not an exaggeration to say she was the strongest master on Shadowed Star. Her Shi had reached the grand accomplishment stage and had even touched the threshold of Domain, so she had long obtained the qualification to break through to the Origin King Realm.
In this aspect alone, no one on Shadowed Star could compare with her.
It could be said that as long as she was freed of the shackles of Shadowed Star World Principles, Ye Xi Yun would have at least an eighty percent chance of breaking through to the Origin King Realm!
This was a terrifying probability!
However…
With the Great Emperor still asleep in the secluded loft, Ye Xi Yun could not bring herself to leave.
Yang Kai had already guessed this a long time ago, but he still had to ask. Now that he obtained her answer, he did not try to persuade her again.
“If that’s the case, I will leave the Sect in Great Elder’s care,” Yang Kai said sincerely.
“En, with this Queen here, the Sect will surely be fine.”
“With you here, I can rest fully assured,” Yang Kai nodded before adding, “If you have time, I’d also like you to find someone for me.”
“Who are you looking for?” Ye Xi Yun looked at Yang Kai curiously, wondering who exactly he needed to pay so much attention to.
“Flowing Cloud Valley’s, Lu Ye!” Yang Kai smiled viciously, “If you find him, don’t bother with any nonsense, just kill him immediately.”
“Alright!” Ye Xi Yun nodded.
Although she did not understand why Yang Kai was looking for this person, since it was the Sect Master’s order, she naturally wouldn’t ask any questions.
Yang Kai then got up to leave to make the final preparation.
He wanted Ye Xi Yun to look out for Lu Ye because he had an ominous feeling about him.
Yang Kai vaguely felt that there was something wrong with this Lu Ye, not to mention that the two had repeatedly encountered one another as enemies. It wasn’t that Yang Kai wanted to let Lu Ye off repeatedly, it was that the other party was simply too difficult to kill, but every time they met, Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling he was somewhat strange.
It was this feeling that caused Yang Kai to be wary, as if this Lu Ye was somehow extraordinarily dangerous.
…..
Although the chances of successfully using the Starship for a long-distance voyage were very high, it still needed to be fully prepared.
All kinds of materials needed to be loaded aboard and the staffing needed to be just right.
All of High Heaven Sect mobilized to fulfil this task.
Within a few days, everything was ready.
Five days later, Qian Tong, who received the news, rushed to High Heaven Sect.
Fei Zhi Tu did not accompany him though, as after surviving a brush with death in Fallen Emperor Mountain, his cultivation had fallen to the Second-Order Origin Returning Realm. Even if City Lord Fei left Shadowed Star with Yang Kai, there was no chance for him to break through, so he was currently in secluded retreat in Heavenly Fate City.
Fei Zhi Tu missing this opportunity caused Qian Tong to sigh.
Mo Yu had come from Clear Sky Sect as well.
Over three years ago, Yang Kai and Clear Sky Sect had already negotiated for a single quota aboard the Starship. Yang Kai did not know what kind of internal negotiations followed, but Sect Master Gu Zhen had not come, and it was Mo Yu who was more familiar with Yang Kai that took this spot instead.
All were old acquaintances, so naturally, they had a friendly chat after meeting.
High Heaven Sect was sending three Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters this time. Naturally, they were Yang Xiu Zhu, Chu Han Yi and Lin Yu Rao.
These five people carried the hopes and expectations of countless cultivators from Shadowed Star from the past ten thousand years. Whether they could break through to the Origin King Realm now would depend on their efforts and opportunities.
Yang Kai was simply providing them with a chance.
Since ancient times, it had been extremely difficult for Origin Returning Realm masters to break through to the Origin King Realm. Looking at the entire Star Field, there were few Origin Kings, and each one of them was a famous existence that entire Cultivation Stars would hail as supreme masters.
As such, even if these five people were qualified to break through, it was entirely possible things would not go as planned.
Perhaps all of them would fail!
Half a month later, inside First Heavenly Palace, Yang Kai opened his eyes from his meditation, leisurely got up, and walked out.
Outside his palace was a young woman dressed in long white robes waiting for him quietly.
Seeing Yang Kai come out, she took a deep breath, her chest heaving slightly as she clenched her fists in excitement and tension.
Qian Yue!
For this long-distance voyage, Yang Kai certainly wouldn’t leave her behind.
As someone from the same Star as Yang Kai, Qian Yue was also looking forward to finding Sect Master Qing Ya, Su Yan, and her other fellow Elders from Ice Sect.
She was so eager to see those familiar faces that she even dreamed about them.
“Is everything prepared?” Yang Kai looked at her.
Qian Yue nodded, “Everything is in order, we are just waiting for you.”
“Then… let’s go,” Yang Kai grinned and strode forward.
In his own clenched fist was a crystal-clear bead which exuded a faint chill.
Su Yan’s Ice Soul Bead! This bead would only break once its creator died.
As long as it remained intact, Yang Kai could be sure that Su Yan was alive in some corner of the Star Field. Yang Kai firmly believed that they could one day reunite.
After half an hour, the pitch-black Starship slowly lifted off into the sky as all the members of High Heaven Sect who stayed behind cheered until it disappeared.
In the endless Star Field, the pitch-black Starship sped along. Its speed was seemingly slow, but it was actually as quick as lightning, travelling several hundred kilometres in a flash.
Looking through the transparent window, everyone gazed at the huge star behind the Starship in amazement.
Many people had never observed Shadowed Star from this perspective, so it was not until this moment that they realized the star they had been born on was so grand and magnificent. Facing such a star, everyone felt a profound sense of respect.
The speed of the Starship was extremely fast, but it was also very stable. Inside the hull, no one could feel the slightest bump or vibration.
There were several meteorites drifting about, with some small Dead Stars without vitality floating like icy giants asleep in the Star Field.
There was a region of the Star Field several million kilometres outside of Shadowed Star that was considered a safe zone.
The great forces with Starships on Shadowed Star would often send them out to find ore deposits in this area. Although the harvest was small, that did not dampen the enthusiasm of these forces as they could occasionally obtain some rare treasures from the meteorites and Dead Stars nearby.
These were products not found on Shadowed Star.
However, beyond ten million kilometres was where a dangerous region began.
There was an Astral Wind of the Star Field beyond this point that constantly swirled about and could easily destroy a low-grade Starship. Big and small Starry Sky storms formed here and shredded almost everything they touched, breaking meteorites caught in them into dust.
It was known as the Dead Zone!
This was the first barrier that isolated Shadowed Star from the outside world, and the strongest one at that!
It was like a protective film, surrounding the Shadowed Star for millions of kilometres and prevented anyone from leaving or entering.
Over the past ten thousand years, it was not that no one wanted to leave Shadowed Star and explore the wider world outside, but no one had been able to succeed as all of them had been stopped by this Dead Zone.
When the Starship sailed into this region, everyone felt their clenched palms sweat.
Yang Kai immediately ordered the disciples to strengthen the Starship’s protective barrier to its maximum, not minding the consumption of Saint Crystal Sources.
The fierce Astral Wind swept over, like an invisible beast, slashing its claws at the Starship, trying to rip it open and drag the people hiding inside of it out.
A sharp grating resounded outside the Starship as the hull creaked, causing everyone’s face to pale slightly.
A huge meteorite which had yet to be broken up by the Astral Wind was flung towards the Starship, causing a loud thud and a violent shaking.
Like a small boat caught in a stormy sea, the Starship flew left and right in the Dead Zone, the disciples unable to control its direction, only able to follow along with the natural flow.
Exclamations of alarm from the disciples were constantly heard.
Yang Kai quickly shouted and, while using his Divine Sense to inspect the outside world, directed the disciples’ actions.
Yang Xiu Zhu and the other peak Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters also rushed to the power room under Yang Kai’s instructions and sat down to channel their Saint Qi into a special array, using their own strength to help power the Starship.
Everyone was fighting against death.
No errors would be tolerated, as any negligence in this place may lead to the ship’s destruction and everyone’s doom.
In this terrifying place, the power of a single person was far too small. The Dead Zone outside of Shadowed Star was so violent that even Origin Kings would not be able to withstand it, let alone the people inside the Starship.
Only by working together could they overcome this crisis.
It took a while, but the chaotic situation eventually stabilized. After realizing that the Starship was being tossed about but was still undamaged, the panic of everyone gradually calmed and they began performing their duties in an orderly fashion.
While frightening, there was no danger. The Origin King Grade Starship refined by Yang Yan provided a safe refuge for everyone onboard.
A full month later, High Heaven Sect’s Starship broke free of the Dead Zone and rushed out into the vast Star Field.
The grating noises no longer came from outside and the Starship no longer swayed randomly. After the disciples were certain they had successfully left Shadowed Star’s vicinity, a huge cheer broke out inside the Starship, one filled with joy and excitement.
Yang Xiu Zhu and the others soon appeared in front of Yang Kai with pale faces, each one of them clearly exhausted, their auras fluctuating unstably.
“You’ve all worked hard,” Yang Kai nodded at them.
“Yang Kai, did you feel it?” Qian Tong asked him with a solemn expression.
Yang Kai gently nodded.
He noticed it the moment the Starship rushed into the Dead Zone, but over the past month, all his focus had been on surviving, so he had not had time to think about it carefully.
Now that they had left the Dead Zone behind, Yang Kai had a moment to contemplate just what he had been sensing.
“So you noticed it too, I thought I was mistaken,” Qian Tong said solemnly.
“Emperor Pressure!” Mo Yu commented, “The Dead Zone was filled with Emperor Pressure, and more than one.”
“En, two distinct Emperor Pressures were flooding that place!” Qian Tong gently nodded, “One is similar to the aura which came from the Emperor Garden, but the other is completely different. What exactly was that?”
“I have a guess, but I can’t be certain…” Mo Yu showed a thoughtful expression.
Everyone turned to look at him.
Mo Yu’s face twitched as his eyes shifted, saying in a dry tone, “If I were to say it, you’d all think I was crazy.”
“Nonsense,” Qian Tong shook his head, “Old Mo, you can relax and tell us anything.”
Yang Kai also nodded, “Yes, let’s hear it, everyone has their own analysis.”
Mo Yu smiled bitterly, “This old master considers himself quite experienced, and knowledgeable, but after passing through the Dead Zone, he realized that he was just a frog sitting in a well, staring up at the sky thinking how wide it is. Alright, this is what I think; however, all of this is just this old master’s speculation, and he has real evidence to back it…”
“Stop stalling and just say it!” Yang Xiu Zhu interrupted him impatiently.
“The Dead Zone is flooded with two different Emperor Pressures, and those two Emperor Pressures seem to be entangled and fighting with each other in an endless struggle. I think the aura we are familiar with belongs to the master of the Emperor Garden, in other words, the Starry Sky Great Emperor! As for the other Emperor Pressure, it should belong to a figure on the same level as the Great Emperor!” Mo Yu declared solemnly, “Perhaps… perhaps the formation of the Dead Zone was a result of a great battle between these two characters.”
After giving his thoughts, Mo Yu turned silent.
Qian Tong’s jaw dropped wide as he stared at Mo Yu with a strange expression on his face.
Yang Kai, Yang Xiu Zhu, and the other Elders from High Heaven Sect, however, exchanged a quiet yet calm glance.
“Haha, that’s impossible, isn’t it? This old master also thinks he is just imagining things,” Mo Yu gave a dry laugh.
The Great Emperor was a legendary figure, one whose existence had not even been confirmed, but now Mo Yu was speculating that another character on the same level had appeared and engaged in a colossal fight with the Great Emperor, a speculating even he found difficult to believe.
“Senior Mo’s theory should be correct,” Yang Kai gently nodded, affirming his guess.
“Huh?” Mo Yu looked at Yang Kai suspiciously, his eyes suddenly lighting him as he asked anxiously, “Yang Kai, do you know something?”
Qian Tong also turned a curious and eager look towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai chuckled, “I don’t know much, but I do know that the Great Emperor had an opponent that was not weaker than her, and that the two of them indeed fought one another.”
Yang Xiu Zhu and the other Elders also knew about this detail, but it was the first time Qian Tong and Mo Yu had heard of it.
Both of them were dumbstruck and stared at Yang Kai with dull eyes, unable to close their hanging jaws.
“It turns out the main culprit behind Shadowed Star’s isolation is her!” Yang Kai murmured.
The situation in the Dead Zone was the best proof, where the two different Emperor Pressures were still fighting against one another, unable to determine an outcome even after ten thousand years.
Perhaps Yang Yan and her unknown enemy had once fought out amongst the Star Field, which led to the formation of a dangerous and desolate region around Shadowed Star.
The Supreme Profound Sect of ancient times should also have been one of their battlefields, but Yang Kai could not determine whether it was the first, or whether the Dead Zone held that position.
Qian Tong and Mo Yu seemed to want to ask something, but Yang Kai didn’t give them a chance, “The past month has been extremely tiring for everyone, let us rest and recuperate for the time being. After passing through the Dead Zone, the rest of the journey will be quite safe, perhaps it will be a few years before we even encounter anything worthy of note, so now is the perfect time to enter retreat and cultivate.”
Hearing Yang Kai say this, Qian Tong and the others could not ask more questions and simply nodded before withdrawing to their own rooms.
Yang Kai stood in place, casting his eyes out towards the Starry Sky. A moment later, he walked over to the main control panel of the Starship and stretched out his hand before immersing his consciousness into his Knowledge Sea.
Above his Knowledge Sea, a vast Starry Sky which had been shrunk down countless times, like a massive model, was quietly suspended.
This was Yang Kai’s Star Chart!
If a cultivator from Shadowed Star wanted to leave and enter the Star Field, the first difficulty they had to pass was the Dead Zone. So far, no one had managed to overcome this barrier.
As for the second hurdle, it was finding a direction to go after escaping the Dead Zone.
There were many dangers in the Star Field, and when any Starship set sail, they would need a master with rich experience to chart its course. This responsibility generally fell on those who held the title of Chart Master.
Chart Masters could draw Star Charts, allowing cultivators or Starships to advance safely and efficiently through the Star Field while avoiding dangerous regions.
Without a Star Chart drawn by a Chart Master, Starships were highly likely to get lost in the Star Field and never arrive at their destinations.
Shadowed Star was too isolated though, so there were no Chart Masters on it, and thus no one who could draw up an effective Star Chart. However, on other Cultivation Stars in the Star Field, Chart Masters were extremely well respected, their status not inferior to that of high-grade Alchemists and Artifact Refiners.
The Star Chart in Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea was a type of treasure he had obtained through a series of coincidences from a Chart Master called Wu Suo when he first entered the Star Field.
With this Star Chart, Yang Kai did not need to undergo any kind of training, he was the best natural-born Chart Master! The entire Star Field’s situation could be seen in his mind whenever he wanted, including where Tong Xuan Realm was located.
He had once taken Qian Yue to see it and would often gaze upon it himself when he had idle time.
For so many years, he had not had the opportunity to use this Star Chart to chart his direction.
But now, it finally came in handy.
Yang Kai’s Divine Sense flickered back and forth around the massive Star Chart, consuming vast amounts of Spiritual Energy in the process, before quickly locating a specific spot.
This spot was where Qian Yue had been separated from Su Yan and the others.
It was Yang Kai’s first destination.
He wanted to see if he could find Su Yan there!
Thinking this way in his heart, Yang Kai’s took back his consciousness from his Knowledge Sea before pouring his Divine Sense into the control panel in front of them, setting the Starship’s course.
For a long time to come, he wouldn’t need to worry about this anymore, as the Starship would follow the route he drew all the way to its destination, of course, provided that there were no dangers along the way.
Time flew by.
The Starship had been sailing forward steadily and safely following the route drawn by Yang Kai without any mishaps.
Occasionally, a few odd-shaped Star Beasts would spring out from nearby Dead Stars, but they were all killed by the disciples controlling the Starship’s Crystal Cannons.
Inside his private room, Yang Kai was sitting cross-legged, the Purple Origin Furnace he obtained from the Emperor Garden in front of him, and various boxes and bottles lying around him.
Yang Kai skillfully placed herb after herb into the Purple Origin Furnace then poured his Conflagrated Spiritual Energy into it to extract the medicinal essences from the herbs, portray Spirit Arrays, then merge these essences so they fused together.
Precisely controlling the heat and the timing of each step.
Yang Kai was meticulous about every detail, but still enjoyed the process greatly.
At a certain point, however, he frowned and quickly increased his input of Conflagrated Spiritual Energy.
The next moment, a popping sound came from the Purple Origin Furnace, followed by an unpleasant burnt smell.
Yang Kai gawked for a moment before his brow furrowed.
He had failed again!
His expression was dull as he lifted the lid of the Purple Origin Furnace and poured out a mass of blackened ash from inside it.
There was already a large pile of such ashes lying nearby, the result of Yang Kai’s previous failed attempts!
Instead of continuing, Yang Kai sank into contemplation.
It had been two years since the Starship left Shadowed Star, and during these two years, Yang Kai had not slacked one bit, cultivating his various Divine Abilities, comprehending various Secret Techniques, and improving his Alchemy skills, leading an extremely fulfilling life.
Since he first embarked on the Alchemic Way, Yang Kai had failed very few times when refining pills. His success rate was far higher than the average for most Alchemists and the quality of the products he refined was also very high as he was proficient in condensing and utilizing the medicinal efficacies of the herbs he used to the greatest extent.
These achievements could be attributed to his excellent talent in Alchemy, but also his Conflagrated Knowledge Sea which was far superior to Saint Qi in pill refining.
However, during the past two years, he had experienced failure again and again.
He could refine Origin Grade High-Rank pills at will, so what Yang Kai was attempting to refine now was an Origin King Grade Spirit Pill!
But so far, many Origin King Grade herbs had been consumed, but Yang Kai had yet to produce a single Origin King Grade pill from his furnace, everything winding up as burnt waste.
This result made him a little frustrated.
For any profession, it is extremely difficult to reach the peak, and in the Star Field, Origin King Grade was the peak.
There weren’t many Origin King Realm masters out there, but there were countless Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivators who had been stuck at this bottleneck and unable to move forward a single step until they died of old age.
In the same way, Origin King Grade Alchemists and Artifact Refiners were also rare, their number actually far less than the number of Origin Kings.
Yang Kai’s Alchemy skills were now stuck at this bottleneck and he was unable to advance any further.
He had gained immense knowledge from the True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture he found in the Emperor Garden, but he was still unable to obtain the answer he sought now.
He felt that his techniques and his control were sufficient, but for some reason, he just couldn’t refine an Origin King Grade pill.
‘Only when a pill obtains a spirit can it be called a Spirit Pill!’ There was such a line in the True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture, which was of great concern to Yang Kai.
[But how am I supposed to give a pill a spirit? To enable it to come to life? I just do not understand…]
Although he had collected a lot of Origin King Grade herbs, it still pained him to consume them like this. Yang Kai thought for a while before gathering up and storing away the remaining herbs. Before he could truly understand those words, he felt that no matter how hard he worked, it would all be in vain.
He needed to spend some time pondering this issue.
Taking out the Sun’s True Essence and his other five elements supreme treasures, Yang Kai began cultivating the Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art while trying to comprehend the True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture’s words.
After another half a year, Yang Kai suddenly opened his eyes.
He felt that the Starship had come to a stop.
There was a sound of quick footsteps outside his door, as if something had happened.
Yang Kai got up, stretched out his hand, and opened the door, the next moment seeing Qian Yue’s figure appear in front of him.
“We’re here!” Qian Yue shouted with excitement!
“We’ve arrived?” Yang Kai raised his brow and his figure flickered to appear beside Qian Yue.
Reaching out to hold her waist, his figure flickered again as obvious Space Force fluctuations emerged. Qian Yue only saw a flash before her eyes before she found herself and Yang Kai already outside the Starship.
Surrounded by the icy and vast Star Field, an array of large and small Dead Stars came into view.
This scene was extremely familiar to Qian Yue.
She had recalled this place in her mind every time she thought about how she had been separated from Ice Sect’s Sect Master Qing Ya and her fellow Elders, so she could not have mistaken this place.
“It’s here!” Qian Yue muttered again, “It’s here. There was a Void Corridor nearby, and we were separated after entering it!”
For some unknown reason, the Void Corridor had sent Qian Yue to Shadowed Star after she entered it, but sent Qing Ya and Su Yan somewhere else instead.
If it weren’t for Yang Kai chancing upon her, Qian Yue didn’t dare imagine what her fate would be like now.
After entering the Star Field, she deeply realized how small and weak she was.
“A Void Corridor…” Yang Kai murmured, closing his eyes and releasing his Divine Sense outwards to carefully investigate the surrounding area.
A short time later, he opened his eyes and quickly flew out together with Qian Yue in a certain direction.
The High Heaven Sect disciples, who received his orders, hurriedly piloted the Starship after them.
After a moment, Yang Kai came to a stop and stared straight ahead.
In front of him, there was a very obvious Space Force anomaly which swallowed any kind of Divine Sense that touched it in an instant.
This Void Corridor had completely collapsed, however, and could not be used again. In fact, it would likely disappear entirely soon. If Yang Kai hadn’t cultivated the Dao of Space, he would not have been able to so easily find it.
Yang Kai investigated this anomaly carefully while Qian Yue waited nervously nearby, not daring to interrupt.
A while later, Yang Kai let out a sigh.
“How is it?” Qian Yue asked hurriedly.
Yang Kai shook his head, “With this Void Corridor alone, I can’t locate where Su Yan and the others went.”
Qian Yue’s beautiful eyes, which were full of expectation, dimmed instantly.
“However… this Void Corridor isn’t too powerful, so wherever it connects to shouldn’t be too far away. For you to be able to make it all the way to Shadowed Star was probably an accident. As for Su Yan and the others… they should be nearby. Wait a moment, I’ll see which Cultivation Star is closest to this location and then we’ll set out for it.”
Saying so, Yang Kai closed his eyes and immersed his consciousness into his Knowledge Sea to check with his Star Chart.
Yang Kai opened his eyes a short time later and returned to the Starship with Qian Yue. Ordering the disciples to adjust the Starship’s heading, they set off in the direction of a certain Cultivation Star.
A few days later, a light blue star appeared in everyone’s view. Looking at it from afar, this star seemed to be much smaller than Shadowed Star, possibly only a quarter the size.
However, it was very beautiful and possessed an extremely rich World Energy aura.
There was no doubt that this was a bountiful Cultivation Star.
Stopping here, Yang Kai took the Starship into the Sealed World Bead before setting off.
Although Yang Kai didn’t know much about the situation in the Star Field, he at least knew that Origin King Grade Starships were far too conspicuous.
Even extremely rich and powerful forces like Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce would likely only have a few such Starships.
If they really rode the Starship to this star, it would definitely arouse ill intentions from others.
Yang Kai had only come here to search for someone, so he didn’t want to cause any trouble.
The lower strength disciples also entered the Sealed World Bead. With such an Emperor Artifact, Yang Kai found it much more convenient to act.
All of the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters and Qian Yue remained outside, using their Star Shuttles together with Yang Kai to approach the star.
Half a day later, a group of seven people set foot on this beautiful star.
The World Energy density here was similar to that on Shadowed Star, with neither having any significant advantage over the other, but Qian Tong and the others couldn’t help breathing the air here exaggeratedly as they stood in place with constantly changing expressions, seeming silently perceiving something.
Suddenly, Qian Tong let out a loud laugh and smiled extremely brightly.
“There’s no suppression here! I feel as if the shackles that had been binding me have suddenly disappeared!” Mo Yu also had an exhilarated expression and a spirited look.
Yang Xiu Zhu and the other High Heaven Sect elders were the same, all of them looking around, seeing the joy in each other’s eyes.
“Congratulations,” Yang Kai naturally knew what they were talking about, grinned, and congratulated.
This Cultivation Star did not have the same World Principle suppression of Shadowed Star, which meant that the powerful invisible shackles which had prevented them from gaining a deeper understanding of the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao had disappeared.
This meant there was now hope for them to break through to the Origin King Realm!
The excitement of these five was difficult to describe.
“Yang Kai, this old master will never forget this benevolence!” Qian Tong looked at Yang Kai and declared seriously.
Mo Yu also quickly thanked him.
If not for Yang Kai taking them away from Shadowed Star, they would be like all of their ancestors, dying of old age without ever having an opportunity to reach the Origin King Realm.
This opportunity was given to them by Yang Kai.
“Elder Qian is too polite. It’s alright, let’s find a place to stay first, perhaps we will be here for a while,” Yang Kai turned his gaze towards a city in the distance and said.
“En, although there is no World Principle suppression here, whether it is suitable to break through here or not, we’ll need to investigate first,” Qian Tong nodded in agreement.
Everyone reached a consensus and immediately set off for the distant city.
Inside one of Green Water City’s teahouses, Yang Kai and his group sat around a large table.
The young shop-hand offered a pot of spirit tea and was about to withdraw, but was stopped by Qian Tong.
“What are Senior’s orders?” The shop-hand bowed to Qian Tong, with a smile on his face.
With so many people coming and going from this shop, this shop-hand had long developed a pair of sharp eyes, so although he couldn’t feel what kind of cultivation Qian Tong possessed, he knew that this group was filled with masters, so naturally he dared not show any neglect.
Qian Tong smiled kindly, “Don’t be nervous, young man, this old master stopped you just to ask you a few questions. En, if you answer well, these are yours.”
Saying so, Qian Tong took out a few pieces of High-Rank Saint Crystals and threw them on the table.
The shop hand’s eyes bulged at that moment. By serving tea and water here, he could perhaps earn two or three Low-Rank Saint Crystals per month, so these few High-Rank Saint Crystals on the table were a shocking amount of wealth for him.
By being frugal, he wouldn’t have to worry about eating and drinking for the rest of his life.
He quickly nodded and bowed deeply, “Please ask, Senior, if this little one knows anything, he will surely say it. Although this little one is just an ordinary person who has not cultivated, he is still a native of this place. If Senior wants to know something, this little one will surely not disappoint!”
“Very good.” Qian Tong nodded, satisfied that the shop hand was so cooperative and asking directly, “This old master wants to ask you, are there any Origin King Realm masters on this star?”
“Origin Kings?” The shop hand looked at Yang Kai and the others gathered around the table in amazement before wearing a look of understanding and laughing, “Seniors should not be natives of my Green Mountains Star, yes?”
“You’re quite sharp!” Qian Tong didn’t try to deny it; after all, if he was born on this star, he wouldn’t be ignorant of this kind of thing.
An Origin King was a peak existence on any Cultivation Star, so if such a master lived on Green Mountains Star, they would surely be famous.
The shop hand laughed dryly, “Senior jests, this little one was speculating thoughtlessly. En, but since several Seniors have come to Green Mountains Star at this time, why do you not even know about such things?”
“Why should we know about them?” Qian Tong coldly snorted.
The shop hand didn’t panic nor become anxious, simply answering, “Since several Seniors are here, this little one assumes you have come for the grand event. Although it’s still a bit early, that should not matter much, it’s only another two years or so before it begins. En, regarding whether there are Origin Kings here, heh heh… when did Green Mountains Star lack a master of this level?”
He wore a proud expression, as if Origin Kings could be seen everywhere on this Green Mountains Star.
Everyone exchanged a glance and saw the interest in each other’s eyes, signalling for the shop hand to continue talking.
“Truthfully, there are now two or three Origin Kings on our Green Mountains Star. At its peak, Green Mountains Star had more than ten, two who had reached the peak of the Third-Order Origin King Realm.”
“Two Third-Order Origin Kings?” Qian Tong and the others trembled, their eyes bulging slightly, shocked by the words of the shop hand.
“Is that really true?” Mo Yu asked in a deep voice.
“This little one would not dare to lie, everyone knows about this kind of thing. If Senior wishes to confirm it, it will be as simple as asking around.”
“So this Green Mountains Star is quite suitable for breaking through to the Origin King Realm?” Qian Tong’s eyes brightened as his face filled with excitement.
Although he didn’t feel World Principle shackles here like on Shadowed Star, he still needed to inquire about whether it was suitable to stay here and attempt a breakthrough.
Now that he obtained such information from the shop hand, he was of course quite happy.
“Naturally,” The shop hand nodded his head with a triumphant look, “Did several Seniors not come here for this matter?”
“You can even see this?” Qian Tong was surprised.
“Senior must be joking, although this little one is an ordinary mortal, word of this once-in-a-lifetime event has already spread across all of Green Mountains Star. Even three-year-old children have heard about it now, so how could this little one be ignorant of it?” The shop hand replied seriously.
“Wait, what once-in-a-lifetime event?” Yang Kai looked at him curiously. This shop hand had mentioned something about this before, but Yang Kai hadn’t cared too much. Every Cultivation Star has its own customs and special events. For example, Shadowed Star’s Flowing Flame Sand Field only opened once every few hundred years.
This Green Mountains Star obviously had similar occasions.
However, listening to what the shop hand said, it seemed this particular event was somehow related to Qian Tong and the other’s breakthrough, so Yang Kai immediately took an interest.
Hearing his question, the shop hand was stunned and scratched his head before asking, “Was I mistaken? Did several Seniors not come here to participate in the Blood Prison Trial?”
“Blood Prison Trial?” Qian Tong and others looked at each other with blank expressions.
“Tell us in detail, what is this Blood Prison Trial?” Yang Kai threw a few more pieces of High-Rank Saint Crystals on the table and said lightly.
The shop hand gulped hard as his face filled with joy. Knowing he had run into some rich and powerful masters today, he dared not be negligent, quickly cleared his throat, and said, “The Blood Prison Trial is specifically for powerful masters such as several Seniors.”
“Why do you say that?” Qian Tong raised his brow.
“Because those who participate in the Blood Prison Trial are all top masters at the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm. This little one has heard that these masters participate because they can obtain an opportunity to break through to the Origin King Realm!” The shop hand said enthusiastically.
“Really?” Qian Tong suddenly stood up, his expression extremely excited.
The shop hand was taken aback but quickly nodded, “This little one dares not deceive several Seniors. Everything this little one has said about the Blood Prison Trial is true, but as for the specific situation, this little one is unfortunately ignorant. Several Seniors should also be able to see that this little one is just an ordinary person who has never even cultivated before, so I do not know the details of the Blood Prison Trial.”
“Then what do you know?” Yang Kai signalled Qian Tong to sit down again before turning to the shop hand to ask.
“This little one knows that each of the Lords that managed to achieve their Origin Kings Realm in Green Mountains Star has participated in the Blood Prison Trial. Not only them, but there are also many Origin Kings from other Cultivation Stars who came to this star to participate in the Blood Prison trial.”
“There are cultivators from other Cultivation Stars here right now?” Qian Tong frowned.
“Yes, as early as a few years ago, some cultivators from other Cultivation Stars arrived on Green Mountains Star, but their number isn’t that large. However, as the time approaches for the trial to begin, more and more people will come here, which is why this little one thought that several Seniors…” The shop hand glanced around at Qian Tong and the others anxiously.
“So that’s how it is!” Yang Kai nodded, “Good, talk about this Blood Prison Trial. Just tell us whatever you know, even if it’s some trivial details or rumours, we won’t mind.”
Qian Tong and others echoed this sentiment as they turned expectant looks towards the shop hand.
The shop hand calmed himself for a moment before he began explaining again.
The Blood Prison Trial was the biggest event on Green Mountains Star, and it only occurred once every thousand years. Every time this trial opened, it would attract a large number of Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivators, but the trial itself was quite bloody and many cultivators would fall during it.
But just as there were great dangers, great opportunities also existed.
Quite often, new Origin Kings would emerge from this trial!
Sometimes there would be more than one!
So even if it was dangerous, Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters flocked to it.
This trial was no different from bringing thousands of masters together to cross a single-plank bridge. Throughout the Star Field, there were countless Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters, but Origin Kings were extremely rare, and even though there were many opportunities to be had inside the Blood Prison Trial, it was still extremely difficult to break through.
Many, if not most of the Third-Order masters who rushed into the Blood Prison Trial would fall, and perhaps none of them would be able to break through when all was said and done, but that was still not enough to extinguish the determination of those masters to pursue great heights.
The reason why the Blood Prison Trial had such a magical effect was because of the existence of Domain.
There were many pockets of incomplete Domain inside the Blood Prison Trial which Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivators could absorb, and if they could gain enough comprehension regarding Domain, they would have a chance to break through.
“Why is this Blood Prison flooded with the power of Domain? And why are these Domains incomplete?” Qian Tong asked curiously.
“It is said this was the result from a great war,” The shop hand had an innate gift for storytelling, so his explanations were clear and easy to understand.
According to his description, the Blood Prison was once a battlefield, a battlefield where more than twenty Origin Kings and a large number of their subordinates fought.
In an ancient era, Green Mountains Star had two top masters at the Third-Order Origin King Realm, and even considering the entire Star Field, these two were amongst the strongest.
Each of these Origin Kings led a great force and were bitter enemies with one another, with many grudges and fights between their respective forces.
These grievances piled up for hundreds, even thousands of years, and eventually came to a head where even the two great masters became personally involved.
Not only that, but the two masters also widely invited their friends and allies to come and assist them.
Friends of Origin Kings were naturally other Origin Kings.
And so, a battle which could destroy stars broke out somewhere on Green Mountains Star.
In that battle, not only did more than twenty Origin Kings participate, but innumerable disciples from various Sects and forces were involved.
The casualties were countless!
No one knows what the final result of that great war was, only that when it ended, the land was covered in mountains of bones and rivers of blood.
From the twenty-odd Origin Kings who participated, it seemed like none survived.
From then on, this place had been called the Blood Prison by the people of Green Mountains Star, and it was rumoured that the land inside was still dyed red, as if the blood split during that battle still remained.
This was how the Blood Prison was formed.
Inside the Blood Prison, there were all kinds of broken Domains, their power dangerous and unpredictable. Those below the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm who entered basically could not survive, only those at the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm, at certain times, could delve into the Blood Prison to try to gain benefits from the broken Domains.
If one was lucky enough, they may be able to break through to the Origin King Realm.
If this was all though, it may not be enough to attract so many Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters.
However, it was also rumoured that there were still artifacts used by those ancient Origin Kings inside the Blood Prison! Each of those artifacts was Origin King Grade, treasures difficult to find in the outside world.
It seemed that the inheritance of the two top masters was also hidden somewhere inside.
If someone could obtain one of these inheritances, they could undoubtedly break through to the Origin King Realm in the future, and possibly even reach the height those two masters reached in time.
With so many temptations and all kinds of benefits, the Blood Prison had an allure that many found difficult to resist.
Whenever the Blood Prison Trial opened, Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters who heard the news would come from all over the Star Field to participate.
This was also the liveliest time on Green Mountains Star.
It was still two or three years until the next Blood Prison Trial would start, so the shop hand misunderstood Qian Tong’s questions.
He thought Qian Tong and the others had come here to participate in the Blood Prison Trial after hearing the news.
Inside the teahouse, a group of seven people sat quietly.
Qian Tong and the others were understandably excited and unable to calm down for a long time.
The news they heard from the shop hand caused them to be overjoyed.
Originally, as long as they were able to break away from the shackles of the Shadowed Star’s World Principles, they would have been satisfied, but now they knew that their arrival on Green Mountains Star had actually coincided with such a golden opportunity.
For those who had been struggling on Shadowed Star their whole lives to pursue a higher Martial Dao, nothing could have sounded sweeter than this news.
There was no need for discussion, everyone could see the intent in each other’s eyes.
Obviously, they wanted to participate!
“All of you don’t need to be so anxious. If what that shop hand said is true, there will still be some time before the Blood Prison Trial opens. If you are interested in participating, you can spend some time here to inquire about the news before making a final decision,” Yang Kai glanced around at them.
“Yeah, that shop hand was just an ordinary person, so although the Blood Prison Trial is a truly a sensational once-in-a-thousand-year event, he probably doesn’t know too much about it. We should first go confirm this news with other sources,” Yang Xiu Zhu gently nodded, agreeing with Yang Kai’s point of view.
“In that case, let’s stay. It’s still too early anyway. If it’s really that good here, we won’t leave for the time being.” Qian Tong suggested.
“Agreed.” Mo Yu nodded.
After a brief negotiation, they quickly found a good inn in this Green Water City to stay at and reserved a few rooms for an extended time.
Yang Kai, however, did not remain. After entrusting Qian Yue to Qian Tong and the others, he left Green Water City alone and flew off on his Star Shuttle.
He needed to see if Su Yan was here on Green Mountains Star.
Based on the connection between him and Su Yan, if she was living on this Cultivation Star, it wouldn’t be difficult for him to find her. As long as the two of them were within a certain proximity, they would naturally sense one another.
What’s more, Su Yan’s Ice Soul Bead was still in Yang Kai’s hands, and this thing would surely have some reaction if Su Yan was nearby.
Yang Kai acted swiftly, sitting above his Star Shuttle full of anticipation as he flew around Green Mountains Star.
Across lofty mountains and expansive plains, large tracts of land were left in Yang Kai’s wake.
As time passed by, however, he gradually grew disappointed.
Green Mountains Star was the closest Cultivation Star to where Qian Yue and Su Yan had been separated, so there was a great possibility of the latter winding up here.
Still, this Cultivation Star was a few months journey away from that place.
Yang Kai felt that Su Yan shouldn’t have gone any further than that.
But after a long search, there was no trace of Su Yan and no reaction from her Ice Soul Bead, a result that surprised him.
Su Yan wasn’t here.
Six months passed, and Yang Kai had now covered almost all of Green Mountains Star in his search, but the final result disappointed him.
Standing above a lone peak, Yang Kai looked out at the distant scenery, a feeling of loneliness filling his heart.
Having not found Su Yan, his mood was naturally quite sour.
In the jungle behind Yang Kai, a pair of wild eyes stared towards him, and under the cover of the brush, a figure silently approached.
This was the territory of a powerful Monster Beast, and without its permission, no other creatures could set foot on it.
Any who dared to violate this rule had become a meal for this Monster Beast.
This Monster Beast had its own sense of intuition, and as it stared at Yang Kai quietly, it realized that this person’s strength wasn’t too great, so it was preparing to teach him the consequences of infringing on its territory.
With the help of the wind direction, this Monster Beast was able to eliminate its scent as it crept closer to Yang Kai step by step, looking for the best place and time to attack.
Suddenly, it saw Yang Kai turn his head and glanced towards its hiding place.
“Seems your luck is quite bad!” Yang Kai murmured as he grinned menacingly. This smile caused the Monster Beast to shiver down to its bones as an extremely uneasy feeling suddenly spread from the bottom of its heart.
Before it could move though, Yang Kai waved his hand and his three great helpers appeared around him.
Carrying the Heaven Shaking Pillar, the Stone Puppet Xiao Xiao suddenly turned into a stone giant. The Artifact Spirit cried out as it transformed into a giant red Firebird. The Dragon Bone Sword released an amazing pressure and accompanied by a resounding dragon roar morphed into a giant green dragon dozens of metres long.
The Monster Beast’s eyes flashed an almost human-like look of terror as he quickly turned around and hurriedly tried to escape.
It knew at this moment that it had chosen the wrong target.
“Kill it!” Yang Kai ordered bluntly.
The earth trembled immediately as Xiao Xiao chased after the Monster Beast, leaving deep footprints on the earth every time he took a step.
The Firebird turned into a red streak of light that also quickly approached the fleeing Monster Beast, incinerating the trees it passed by in an instant.
The giant dark green dragon followed closely behind.
Yang Kai exhaled lightly, as if he was trying to spit out the depression in his heart before he too tagged along in a leisurely manner.
Right then, his mood was quite low, so when this Monster Beast dared to treat him like prey, it was simply seeking its own death.
Yang Kai needed something to vent his frustrations on.
The roars of the Monster Beast and the dull growls of Xiao Xiao were heard from up ahead, sometimes mixed with the cries of the Firebird and the roars of the Dragon Bone Sword.
The surrounding World Energy aura fluctuated as the massacre in the jungle took place.
Although this Monster Beast wasn’t weak, being at the pinnacle of the Ninth-Order, just one step away from breaking through to the Tenth-Order, how could it possibly be the opponent of the combination of the Stone Puppet, Firebird, and Dragon Bone Sword?
Even escaping was impossible.
There was no suspense about this battle, and by the time Yang Kai strolled over, the Monster Beast that had just been eyeing him as a snack was now lying on the ground dead.
Its waist had been broken, with bone fragments poking out from its flesh, seemingly having been smashed by the Heaven Shaking Pillar. Its fur was also scorched black from the Artifact Spirit’s flames.
The giant dark green dragon, meanwhile, hovered over its corpse, seemingly wanting to swallow its physical essence.
Yang Kai stopped it, however, as he walked up to this Monster Beast’s corpse and unhurriedly sent a Golden Blood Thread into its body.
Under the control of Yang Kai’s Divine Sense, the Golden Blood Thread swam through the Monster Beast’s body like a fish through water.
A bizarre scene appeared next as the Monster Beast’s corpse shrivelled at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the energy contained in its body seemed to be swallowed by something!
Yang Kai observed this scene indifferently, as if he had been expecting to see it.
After a while, the Monster Beast’s corpse became a withered husk, with even its Monster Core disappearing.
Yang Kai waved his hand, and a golden red thread flew out from this corpse and like a tiny snake danced between his fingers.
Looking at this threat quietly, Yang Kai showed a look of surprise and joy, his previous depression abating somewhat.
With a single thought, the Golden Blood Thread in his hand suddenly twisted and squirmed before transforming into a Monster Beast.
This Monster Beast looked almost no different from the one which lay dead before him, even its shape and size were nearly identical while its eyes turned about, seemingly possessing great spirituality. The only difference was that it was transformed from Yang Kai’s Golden Blood Thread and had a two-toned gold and red colour.
This was the second type of transformation the Golden Blood Thread could undergo!
This transformation was recorded in the second half of the Demon Blood Thread Secret Technique. Yang Kai had thoroughly comprehended it long ago, but had not had a chance to use it until now.
The first advanced manipulation technique of the Golden Blood Threads was the ability to integrate and condense several different Golden Blood Threads into various shapes to perform different actions.
The second, however, allowed the Golden Blood Thread to absorb a Monster Beast’s physique and spirit, allowing the Golden Blood Thread to transform into a replica of that Monster Beast.
This was one of the miraculous uses of the Golden Blood Thread Secret Technique. Whichever Senior expert created this Secret Technique was a true genius.
Inside the Emperor Garden, Yang Kai had fought against the glamorous Temple Master of Demon Blood Temple and seen her two Demon Blood Threads transform into two life-like snakes. He had been very curious at the time about how she had accomplished this.
Later, he had obtained the second half of the Demon Blood Thread Secret Technique and understood the mystery.
Each Golden Blood Thread was condensed from a drop of Yang Kai’s Golden Blood, and each could absorb and fuse itself with the physical essence of a Monster Beast and the energy in its Monster Core, after which, it could transform into one of these so-called Blood Beasts.
The two bloody snakes the Temple Lord of Demon Blood Temple had used were Blood Beasts transformed from her Demon Blood Threads!
Blood Beasts could inherit a Monster Beast’s abilities from when it was alive, and because it was transformed from Yang Kai Golden Blood, it was directly linked with his Soul, allowing him to manipulate it like he would his own limbs.
Before, on Shadowed Star, Yang Kai had not had time to find a suitable Monster Beast, so he had not cultivated any Blood Beasts.
Now that he had chanced upon a suitable test subject, Yang Kai wasn’t about to just let it go.
With the assistance of all his helpers, he had easily succeeded.
Releasing his Divine Sense and examining this Blood Beast, Yang Kai nodded gently in satisfaction.
As far as aura was concerned, this Blood Beast formed from his Golden Blood Thread should be equivalent to a Second-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator. This strength was somewhat lower than the original Monster Beast it was condensed from, but the difference wasn’t too great.
The most important thing, however, was that Yang Kai had more than one Golden Blood Thread!
As long as there were sufficient Monster Beasts, Yang Kai could transform all of his Golden Blood Threads into Blood Beasts. At that time, with hundreds of Blood Beasts being released together, even if he had to face an Origin King, Yang Kai would not be helpless.
However, it wasn’t easy to find appropriate Monster Beasts, so this kind of plan had to be implemented slowly.
As he was thinking about this, Yang Kai lightly reached out towards the Blood Beast.
The Blood Beast immediately shrank and in the blink of an eye became only the size of a pigeon egg, its figure landing lightly on Yang Kai’s palm.
Yang Kai smiled slightly but just as he was about to store it away, he suddenly thought of something and his eyes fixed on the life-like Blood Beast on his palm, a pensive look covering his face.
Seemingly lost in thought, Yang Kai sank into a state of comprehension.
Only after a long time did Yang Kai’s body shiver and his eyes flashed a profound light, muttering out loud, “Only a pill with spirituality can be called a Spirit Pill… So that’s it!”
At this moment, he somewhat understood the meaning of the words that had confounded him for so long in the True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture.
Although it was just a guess, it was worth a try. If it succeeded, Yang Kai would finally be able to successfully refine Origin King Grade Spirit Pills and officially rise to the rank of Origin King Grade Alchemist!
“Disperse, stand guard for me nearby and don’t let anything disturb me,” Yang Kai commanded.
His three helpers immediately scattered and established a strict perimeter nearby.
Yang Kai sat down cross-legged, waved his hand, and summoned out his Purple Origin Furnace along with several boxes containing herbs from his Space Ring.
Yang Kai picked up a jade box, opened its lid, took out an Origin King Grade herb from it, then placed it directly into the Purple Origin Furnace.
Conflagrated Spiritual Energy burst out, and Yang Kai began heating the furnace to condense the herb inside into medicinal liquid.
He went about this task with familiarity and ease.
Yang Kai had lost count of how many times he had repeated this process aboard the Starship, so he was crystal clear about each step.
He felt he had made no mistakes in the timing and temperature he used for each herb, but still hadn’t figured out why he wasn’t able to refine an Origin King Grade pill.
But now, he had an extremely bold conjecture; whether this idea could be realized or not had yet to be verified though, so he still acted extremely cautiously, not daring to show the slightest carelessness.
Each Origin King Grade herb was placed into the Purple Origin Furnace and under the tempering of Yang Kai’s Conflagrated Spiritual Energy, and with the help of various Spirit Arrays, these herbs were transformed into medicinal liquids, merged with each other, and underwent profound and mysterious changes.
Yang Kai’s demeanour became more and more focused, his actions of adding herbs becoming more and more careful. Each Spirit Array was portrayed precisely using his Conflagrated Divine Sense and inserted into the Purple Origin Furnace to assist with the refining of herbs at precisely the right time.
Everything proceeded in an orderly fashion without the slightest of mistakes.
As time went by little by little, fine beads of sweat began appearing on Yang Kai’s forehead.
Refining an Origin King Grade pill was still a great test for him, not only because of the demands on his Spiritual Energy control but also because of the psychological burden.
He felt a mountain of pressure.
Faint fragrances began diffusing from the Purple Origin Furnace, an indication that the various medicinal liquid had begun to fuse properly, a positive sign; however, Yang Kai did not celebrate yet.
During the two years aboard the Starship, he had smelled medicinal fragrances from the Purple Origin Furnace countless times, but never once had he succeeded in refining a true Spirit Pill, always winding up with burnt failed products.
It was what came next that was the most critical moment in Alchemy.
This was the final step in a thousand step journey, and as Yang Kai gently inhaled the medicinal fragrances, monitoring their development, he looked for a suitable opportunity.
The aroma gradually thickened, and soon, a unique medicinal fragrance filled the surrounding thousand-metre radius, refreshing the sense of all who smelt it.
At a certain moment, when this fragrance reached the height of its potency, Yang Kai’s eyes suddenly flashed brilliantly.
It was now!
Stretching out his hand, Yang Kai summoned a ball of gold and red light into his palm. Inside this ball of light was the phantom image of a Monster Beast that had been shrunk down countless times.
Blood Beast!
It was the Blood Beast that Yang Kai had just finished refining with his Golden Blood Thread.
Lifting the lid of the Purple Origin Furnace, Yang Kai tossed the Blood Beast inside.
Silently, under the huge power of his Conflagrated Spiritual Energy, the Blood Beast instantly dissipated and completely merged into the medicinal liquid inside the cauldron.
A faint bloody smell mixed in with the medicinal fragrance, but this did not create any sense of dissonance and instead only made the medicinal fragrance stronger.
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up, faintly feeling that he had grasped the key point, but still not daring to neglect. Quickly urging his Conflagrated Spiritual Energy, he continued to refine the medicinal liquid.
The knowledge he had gained from comprehending the True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture was transformed into the foundation of Yang Kai’s Alchemy skill at this moment, and his movements flowed smoothly without any hint of delay.
The Blood Beast condensed from his Golden Blood Thread and the essence of a Monster Beast completely dissolved and transformed into a part of the medicinal liquid.
The Purple Origin Furnace shook suddenly, as if something unknown had happened inside, but Yang Kai quickly suppressed these tremors with his Conflagrated Divine Sense.
A clattering sound rang out from the Purple Origin Furnace, as if there was some kind of living creature hitting its walls, trying to escape.
Yang Kai remained focused, however.
After a half cup of tea’s time, the movement of the furnace gradually subsided.
Yang Kai retracted his Conflagrated Spiritual Energy and took a deep breath as he stared at the Purple Origin Furnace solemnly and hesitantly.
Whether he succeeded or failed would become clear in the next moment. Yang Kai couldn’t be sure which result he had achieved in his Alchemy this time, but at least, he didn’t smell anything burnt like before, so it was a good start.
After hesitating for a long time, Yang Kai stretched out his hand towards his Purple Origin Furnace.
Whatever the result was, it was better to simply take action and find out.
The lid of the Purple Origin Furnace’s was lifted by Yang Kai, and at that moment, a stream of light flew out, circling only once before trying to flee towards the distance.
“Where are you trying to run!” Yang Kai shouted as he stretched out his hand towards the streak of light, swiftly grasping it.
Although he grabbed hold of this stream of light, Yang Kai still held it gently as he felt it struggling and resisting. Soon, this struggle subsided, as if whatever it was had accepted its fate.
Yang Kai opened his fist and stared at his palm carefully.
A pale, silver pill, about the size of a longan, appeared before his eyes, and although its fragrance was not as strong as when it was being refined, when Yang Kai inhaled this scent it gave him a completely different feeling than previously.
It was significantly more refreshing than before.
An Origin King Grade Spirit Pill! Under the examination of Yang Kai’s Divine Sense, he could determine that the medicinal efficacies contained in this Spirit Pill were indeed Origin King Grade, and although it was only a Low-Rank Origin King Grade pill, it was of extremely high quality.
Yang Kai’s face filled with joy as he carefully studied this pill, letting out a hearty laugh after a while.
He finally understood the meaning of the phrase, ‘only if a pill had a spirit could it be called a Spirit Pill’.
This Origin King Grade Spirit Pill was the best proof.
His Golden Blood Thread was rich in spirituality, and the Blood Beast which had been transformed from his Golden Blood Thread was even more so. As such, using that Blood Beast during the refinement process had allowed Yang Kai to produce an Origin King Grade Spirit Pill.
It could be said that before he refined this pill, everything had only been speculation. But now, it had turned into confirmation.
A pill would not obtain spirituality for no reason. Even peak level Origin King Grade herbs could not possibly possess spirituality unless they had mutated to become World Spirit Treasures that had their own sense of sentience.
As such, one needed to use something that had spirituality to refine it.
In other words, a pill spirit! As long as Yang Kai could imbue a pill spirit, he could refine Origin King Grade Spirit Pills!
His Blood Beast has served as the pill spirit of this Spirit Pill.
It was when Yang Kai saw the rich spirituality of his Blood Beast that he suddenly had an epiphany and after trying it out, it worked just as he suspected.
Yang Kai didn’t know how other Origin King Grade Alchemists refined their Origin King Grade pills, but the method he now used was perfectly acceptable. The True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture had not clearly guided him to this result, it was an original method he had developed all on his own.
If one thousand Alchemists studied the True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture, they would produce one thousand different interpretations.
Yang Kai had now discovered his own Alchemic Way from the True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture!
The pill in hand was a Three Spirits Cleansing Pill that could be used to increase one’s cultivation. In terms of Origin King Grade pills, it wasn’t very high grade, and although its value was still quite good, it was by no means a Heaven defying treasure.
At the very least, it was a bit wasteful to use a Blood Beast refined from a Golden Blood Thread as its pill spirit.
Although the method Yang Kai had discovered was feasible, if he were to really use this method for all his Alchemy in the future, it likely wouldn’t be long before Yang Kai exhausted his supply of Golden Blood Threads.
Yang Kai couldn’t afford this kind of consumption.
But how could he improve upon this result?
Yang Kai was not satisfied with this momentary success and instead fell into contemplation.
Soon, he had a new idea.
Since a Blood Beast, which had spirituality, could become a pill spirit, then perhaps a pure Golden Blood Thread or even just a drop of his Golden Blood would suffice.
Additionally… Perhaps the spirit of a Monster Beast could also be used.
As soon as he thought of this, Yang Kai immediately went into action and began verifying his own ideas.
Half a day later, another Three Spirits Cleansing Pill appeared in Yang Kai’s hands. This Spirit Pill had been refined using a drop of Yang Kai’s Golden Blood.
Comparing the two Spirit Pills together, Yang Kai surprisingly discovered that the first batch of Three Spirits Cleansing Pill he had refined actually had a denser medicinal efficacy than the second batch.
Realizing this, Yang Kai adjusted his thinking again.
Instead of continuing with his Alchemy, Yang Kai began searching for appropriate Monster Beasts in the jungle.
One month later, Yang Kai held a jade bottle in his hand. This bottle was filled with Origin King Grade Spirit Pills, each one a pale silver colour.
In order to refine this bottle of Three Spirits Cleansing Pill, Yang Kai had expended a great deal of effort. The number of Monster Beasts above the Eighth-Order he had killed alone numbered several dozen.
After some experiments, he determined that his previous ideas were feasible.
To refine an Origin King Grade Spirit Pill, he didn’t need to use his own Golden Blood as a pill spirit. Any existence that had spirituality and did not conflict with the herbs could become a pill spirit!
For example, the spirit of a Monster Beast.
Yang Kai had his Demon Eye of Annihilation, and it had incorporated the power of the Coloured Glass Divine Light, so it was an easy task for him to suppress and collect the Soul of a Monster Beast. By integrating this Monster Beast spirit with the necessary herbs, he could give the pill spirituality.
However, Origin King Grade Spirit Pills had high requirements for their pill spirits. The spirit of a Seventh-Order Monster Beast was completely insufficient, Eighth-Order was passable, while Ninth-Order was the best choice. If he could use the spirit of a Tenth-Order Monster Beast, Yang Kai felt he could even refine a Spirit Pill that formed Pill Veins!
In addition to Monster Beast spirits, World Spirit Treasures that had formed sentience could also fulfil the role of a pill spirit.
The higher the grade of pill spirit used was directly related to the probability of successfully refining a Spirit Pill. After many experiments and failures, Yang Kai had created a basic framework for success.
He had gained a lot!
One month’s hard work had resulted in a bottle of Origin King Grade Spirit Pills and consumed countless materials, but it also marked his official promotion to Origin King Grade Alchemist, allowing Yang Kai to stand at the pinnacle of the Star Field’s Alchemic Way.
His method of refinement was his own original creation, and only he could use it.
It would be extremely difficult for others to capture the spirit of a dead Monster Beast and integrate during pill refinement, so even if someone were to steal Yang Kai’s Alchemy method, they wouldn’t be able to use it unless they cultivated a special Soul type Secret Technique which allowed them to produce similar results.
The sublimation of Yang Kai’s Alchemy’s skills had also deepened his understanding of the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao, so although his cultivation realm hadn’t changed much, his mastery of his strength was far superior to a month ago.
After becoming an Origin King Grade Alchemist, the next step Yang Kai needed to take was to study a particular Alchemy technique.
He had always thought that only one pill could be refined from a single batch of herbs.
This was also how he had done things since he began performing Alchemy years.
But the True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture had put forward a different and revolutionary opinion.
Supposedly, one batch of herbs could actually be used to refine more than one pill. Using this method, if one’s luck was bad, perhaps they would only be able to refine three to five pills at once, but with good luck and skill, one could refine seven or eight pills at once, while a perfect result would yield a full ten pills.
This theory allowed Yang Kai to peer into a far vaster Alchemy world.
However, to produce such an astonishing result, one needed to utilize a special technique at the exact moment before pills were formed. This required a lot of experience and skill and was not something every Alchemist could accomplish.
This Alchemy technique caused Yang Kai’s excitement to surge.
In the past, the pills he refined weren’t of very high grade, and the materials were easy to find, so there was no problem with only being able to obtain one pill from each set of materials.
Backed by High Heaven Sect, Yang Kai didn’t need to worry about sourcing such materials.
But now that he was an Origin King Grade Alchemist, the materials he needed to refine each Spirit Pill weren’t just extremely valuable, they were also incredibly difficult to find and needed an appropriate pill spirit to successfully produce. Even with High Heaven Sect, there was no way so many materials could be found.
However, if he could refine more than one Spirit Pill from a single set of materials, the profit for him would be enormous.
This matter wasn’t urgent though. Yang Kai had just become an Origin King Grade Alchemist, and he would need to accumulate a vast amount of experience refining Origin King Grade Spirit Pills before he could begin trying to comprehend more profound techniques.
…..
Half a month later, Yang Kai returned to Green Water City.
He had not found Su Yan here, so he wasn’t prepared to continue idling on this Cultivation Star. He still needed to return to Tong Xuan Realm as soon as possible so he could migrate his relatives and friends to Shadowed Star so they could have a better cultivation environment and resources.
When he arrived at the inn where Qian Tong and the others had been staying, Yang Kai released his Divine Sense to find them but was immediately shocked.
Qian Tong and the others weren’t here.
This unexpected discovery caused his heart to clench as he wondered if Qian Tong and the others had some kind of accident; after all, when he had left that day, he had told them he would meet them back here around this time.
Where had they gone?
Yang Kai frowned, took out a communication artifact, and poured his Divine Sense into it.
A moment later, the artifact lit up as a new Spiritual Energy fluctuation appeared inside of it. Yang Kai quickly sank his mind into it.
After hearing the message Qian Tong sent to him, Yang Kai was astonished.
Rather than an accident, Qian Tong and the others were living quite well right now and became High Ranking Guest Elders of Green Water City through a series of events.
This result surprised Yang Kai greatly.
Putting away the communication artifact, Yang Kai left the inn and walked towards a building at the centre of Green Water City.
When he got there, Qian Tong and the others were already waiting outside for him.
Even though they hadn’t seen each other for several months, none of them asked what Yang Kai had been doing, instead just enthusiastically welcoming him into the building. After having a few maids serve tea, they began explaining the situation to Yang Kai.
Soon after Yang Kai left that day, the City Lord of Green Water City personally came to visit Qian Tong and the others.
This was not a surprise, however, as a group of five peak Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters could not be ignored, even on this Green Mountains Star. What’s more, Green Water City was just a small city, and besides the City Lord and Vice City Lord, there were no other cultivators in this city who had reached the Third-Order Origin Realm.
Qian Tong and the others arriving so suddenly had obviously put Green Water City’s City Lord on edge, not knowing what this group’s intentions were. Worried, he came to inquire about Qian Tong and the others’ purpose.
After learning that Qian Tong and the others weren’t from Green Mountains Star and had only come here to participate in the Blood Prison Trial, Green Water City’s City Lord finally relaxed.
Immediately, he invited Qian Tong and the others to serve as the Elders of Green Water City!
Qian Tong and the others didn’t intend to agree at first, as Green Mountains Star was just a place for them to attempt to break through and they would sooner or later return to Shadowed Star.
Rashly agreeing to serve as an Elder of a city here would be too irresponsible.
However, after hearing out Green Water City’s City Lord’s entire proposal, learning that he too intended to participate in the Blood Prison Trial and that he wished for them to assist him in exchange for some inside information, Qian Tong and the others thought about it for a while and agreed.
However, they refused to become official Elders and instead decided to accept roles as Guest Elders.
They had also informed Green Water City’s City Lord that they would be leaving Green Mountains Star after the Blood Prison Trial.
Green Water City’s City Lord readily agreed.
This was why they no longer lived at the inn and had settled in a residence arranged for them by Green Water City’s City Lord.
“In the end, we’re outsiders, so this City Lord being wary of us is only natural. As is his desire to win us over, and since he is a native cultivator of Green Mountains Star, he clearly knows a lot more about the Blood Prison Trial than we do, so joining him is beneficial to us as well. It’s essentially an alliance of mutual interests,” Qian Tong said lightly.
“En,” Yang Kai nodded, “That’s reasonable. Having a local on our side at least means we don’t need to bother inquiring about intelligence on our own. Several Seniors can manage affairs as you see fit, just… be careful not to get deceived or used by this Green Water City’s City Lord; after all, it’s difficult to know the true nature of people from just their appearance.”
Qian Tong and the others laughed.
Mo Yu nodded, “Sect Master Yang may rest assured, although Green Water City’s City Lord is shrewd, from our contact with him, his character doesn’t seem to be bad and he should understand propriety in this situation. However, even if he tried to use some sort of scheme, we do not need to fear him.”
“En, this Junior was worrying too much,” Yang Kai nodded. “Good, since several Seniors are all well here, then I can rest assured and leave.”
“How long will it take you to come back?” Qian Tong looked at him solemnly.
“I don’t know, it could be as short as one or two years, possibly as long as three or four years. Hopefully, I can make it back before the Blood Prison Trial so I can join you to see the excitement inside,” Yang Kai grinned.
“That would be for the best. If you are with us, this trial will be much safer,” Qian Tong’s spirit was roused, obviously extremely confident in Yang Kai’s strength.
The others also looked at Yang Kai and smiled, as if wishing him to go and return quickly.
Yang Kai smiled back before turning to Qian Yue and asking, “Do you want to come back to Tong Xuan Realm with me, or will you remain here?”
“Me?” Qian Yue showed a look of hesitation on her face.
She really didn’t know what choice to make.
Tong Xuan Realm was her and Yang Kai’s homeland, so she missed it quite a bit. She had been forced to leave in the past, but now she had an opportunity to return to see the land where she grew up.
However…
While the scenery might have remained the same, the people she wished to see were no longer there.
Everything related to Ice Sect should no longer exist, wiped away to the point where others might not even know Ice Sect once stood there.
“I’ll stay,” Qian Yue’s beautiful eyes gradually became firm and she made a decision, “Everyone I wish to see should be out here in the Star Field already, so going back will only sadden me. Rather, if I remain here, perhaps… perhaps I can inquire about some useful news.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly, not trying to persuade her otherwise.
She had made this choice for clear reasons.
“Then I shall be entrusting Qian Yue to several Seniors,” Yang Kai turned to Qian Tong and the others.
“You can rest assured, no harm will come to her as long as we old masters are here; after all, it seems Origin Kings are rare everywhere,” Qian Tong gave a low laugh. Beneath the Origin King Realm, they were the strongest, and with the five of them joining forces, it was highly unlikely anyone would dare find trouble with them.
“This Mo won’t be wordy then. We wish Sect Master Yang a good journey and a swift return!” Mo Yu said solemnly.
“Sect Master must act carefully along the way,” Yang Xiu Zhu also said to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai nodded.
After knowing that Qian Tong and the others were safe and sound, Yang Kai didn’t delay in Green Water City anymore, setting off the next day for home.
Using his Star Shuttle, Yang Kai left Green Mountains Star and only took out the Starship from the Sealed World Bead once he was a day’s distance away. After setting the course, the Starship quickly sailed off into the Starry Sky.
In the past, Yang Kai boldly ventured into the Star Field with just a Saint Realm cultivation; now, several dozen years had passed, and he could not help wondering what kind of changes had occurred in his homeland.
Yang Kai’s heart pounded as he suddenly felt a sense of nostalgia and anticipation while nearing his home.
This mood only became more obvious over time.
He made the Starship return along the path he had travelled back then, feeling the changes in his mood, allowing all the sweetness and bitterness in his heart to condense and settle.
His state of mind was consolidated without him even realizing it.
Suddenly looking back, he was no longer the little boy he used to be.
Now, he was a powerful Second-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator, an invincible existence under the Origin King Realm, and the Sect Master of High Heaven Sect. On Shadowed Star, his position was akin to beneath one, but above ten million!
Straightening himself up, like a tall spear, Yang Kai wore a proud and resolute expression.
Suddenly, as if he had sensed something, Yang Kai turned his head and looked in a certain direction, releasing his Divine Sense at the same time.
A beautiful scene appeared in his observation.
Several massive stars, each emitting different attributes of energy, were gathered closely together at a certain place in the Starry Sky.
And at the centre of this cluster was a void where something seemed to be calling out to Yang Kai faintly.
Even tens of millions of kilometres away, he could still feel this faint signal.
The Chaotic Abyss!
He had already reached this place. Yang Kai quickly returned to his senses, only then realizing he had lost track of time as he contemplated his old memories.
This place was the first stop Yang Kai made after entering the Star Field.
This was also the most dangerous and unpredictable region of the entire Star Field. In this seemingly peaceful and beautiful area, there was a hidden danger that no one could resist.
Domain Eruptions countless times more terrifying than ordinary Starry Sky Storms could swallow up and shred Starships with ease in this place.
Yang Kai had been swallowed up by one such Domain Eruption and been dragged down to the strange floating continent where he had met Gui Zu and learned all about the excitement and dangers of the Star Field from various masters.
Back then, he hadn’t been able to understand the mysteries of this place, but now that his strength had dramatically improved and his vision and insight had become sharper, he was able to comprehend some things he wasn’t able to before.
The massive amount of energy here was actually able to compress a section of space at its centre, making it impossible to detect under normal circumstances, but every time a Domain Eruption occurred, a door to that compressed space would open.
In the very centre of the Chaotic Abyss was where that small world was hidden!
The floating continent.
Before Yang Kai left the floating continent with Gui Zu and the others, he had left a thread of his Divine Sense behind in a hidden underground chamber.
There was a giant mass of energy in that chamber, and Yang Kai even suspected that it was the floating continent’s Star Source.
At that time, his strength was too low so he didn’t dare to touch it rashly.
Passing by here now, that thread of Divine Sense immediately formed a connection with him, as if calling him to it.
Yang Kai did not respond, however.
Although his current strength was completely different from when he originally came here, he wasn’t arrogant enough to believe he could refine that mass of energy. If a Star Source was so easy to refine, Gui Zu would not have been trapped in that place for two thousand years.
Yang Kai still needed to wait until his strength grew stronger before he could attempt such a feat.
The Starship did not even slow down and soon left the Chaotic Abyss behind as it flew straight towards Tong Xuan Realm.