An hour later, Yang Kai opened his eyes. He seemed as mighty as a dragon and fierce as a tiger, his face flushed red and his eyes bright, no longer looking weak and dispirited.
He circulated his Secret Art and disappeared in a flash, reappearing in front of the Embodiment.
The huge Embodiment opened his eyes and looked at Yang Kai when he sensed his presence.
Looking at each other, Yang Kai spoke, “The Artifact Spirit does not seem to have been completely obliterated. There is still a trace of its Soul hiding in the War Hammer, so be careful.”
The Embodiment grinned, spreading all five of his fingers, “You mean this?”
Yang Kai fixed his eyes and saw a mass of condensed Black Qi in the palm of the Embodiment, squirming about as if it had some spirituality, trying to escape from its confinement. However, this place was the Small Sealed World inside the Sealed World Bead, and the Embodiment and Yang Kai shared the same Soul, so with one thought, the World Principles here could be commanded by either of them. Under such a situation, how could this mass of Black Qi escape? Although it was merely held in the palm of the Embodiment, it was suppressed by the Small Sealed World itself, like a beast trapped in a cage.
“Did you force it out?” Yang Kai asked quizzically.
The Embodiment shook his head, “It appeared by itself.”
“Why?” Yang Kai’s eyes widened.
The Embodiment chuckled, “It probably sensed danger.”
Yang Kai asked in amazement, “What did you do?”
“Nothing much…” The Embodiment patted his stomach and replied grimly, “I just tried eating it.”
The corners of Yang Kai’s mouth twitched when he heard that as he grumbled, “Will that be a problem? That was an Ancient Demon Artifact on par with a peak grade Emperor Artifact, possibly even higher. What would happen to you if you just swallow it like this…?”
“According to the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, there is nothing that cannot be devoured, so what does a trivial Demonic Weapon count for?” The Embodiment smiled proudly, “You haven’t cultivated this Secret Art personally, so it’s only natural that you don’t know how profound it is, but don’t worry, I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t have complete confidence. If I was stronger, not just the spirit of a Demonic Weapon, I could also devour that Demon Spirit sealed in your body!”
Yang Kai stiffened and asked in shock, “Is that possible? Isn’t that Secret Art invincible then?”
The Embodiment laughed, “I’m probably the only one who can do it. Even if you cultivate it, it would be impossible to achieve similar results. Although your physical body is strong enough, you wouldn’t be able to withstand the contamination of that pure Demon Qi. If you cultivate the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, I’m afraid it won’t be long before you lose your sanity and devolve into a beast driven by the instinct to slaughter.”
“Understood,” Yang Kai nodded. “That old dog Wu Meng Shan was really up to no good. I don’t know why he wanted to pass me this Secret Art in the first place. What was his purpose?”
“I’m afraid he never imagined you would be able to resist the temptation to cultivate this Secret Art and give it to me instead,” the Embodiment answered.
Yang Kai went silent for a while before he replied, “If it weren’t for you, perhaps I really would have tried to cultivate it; after all… the name ‘Heaven Devouring Battle Law’ is too glorious, I’m afraid I wouldn’t have been able to resist this temptation alone.”
At this point, Yang Kai waved dismissively, “Fine, you can refine and devour it. If you can really refine its Soul, it should be of great benefit to you.”
Yang Kai left the Small Sealed World as soon as he finished speaking and appeared above Clear Jade Mountain.
Looking around, he found Hua Qing Si sitting cross-legged on the ground, leaning against a big tree, studying the Sealed World Bead in her hand enthusiastically.
Yang Kai glanced at her, but seeing that she did not seem to be aware of his presence, he simply stretched out his hand and took back the Sealed World Bead before scanning his surroundings again and asking, “Where’s Liu Yan?”
He did not see Liu Yan, and even the Luan Feng’s black flames which originally covered the whole region had disappeared.
“She went back,” Hua Qing Si stood up and replied.
Yang Kai was surprised by this response but quickly used his Divine Sense to check, and sure enough, he found Liu Yan inside the Sealed World Bead, working hard to refine the black flames surrounding her.
Yang Kai was not aware of when she had returned to the Sealed World Bead, so he assumed it was his Embodiment’s handiwork.
What surprised Yang Kai was that it took Liu Yan only a short time to absorb all of the Luan Feng’s World Extinguishing Black Flames. However, from the looks of it, it would take some time for her to refine them all.
“You have to go back too, I still have work to do!” With that said, he sent Hua Qing Si back into the Sealed World Bead before he took out a communication artifact. He sent a message to Qin Zhao Yang, requesting him to take care of Zhang Ruo Xi while he rushed back.
According to Hua Qing Si, Zhang Ruo Xi was now with the woman named Ye Jing Han. Although Yang Kai believed Ye Jing Han was a good person, it was better to entrust Zhang Ruo Xi to someone he was better acquainted with.
After receiving Qin Zhao Yang’s reply, Yang Kai put away the communication artifact and teleported away with a flicker of the local Space Principles.
Yang Kai returned to the site of the eighteen Spirit Spring Eyes a short while later.
The terrain of this place had undergone earth-shaking changes due to the previous battle. The most obvious change was a giant Spirit Lake with a radius of roughly ten kilometres.
The Demonic Artifact Spirit had smashed the ground here with its War Hammer, causing a massive underground collapse, resulting in a huge pit. The Liquid Spirit Qi from the eighteen Spirit Springs flowed up into this pit and gradually condensed into a lake.
This was a real Spirit Lake, comprised of sparkling liquefied World Energy.
The lake was already filled to the brim in just a few hours and was now overflowing into its surroundings, filling the space with pure and rich World Energy.
Countless cultivators gathered around the Spirit Lake excitedly.
These people were obviously from Maplewood City.
When Yang Kai arrived here, the lake was already full of cultivators.
Every cultivator occupied a place and did not waste any time in circulating their Secret Art, trying to absorb as much of the pure World Energy here as possible. The closer to the centre of the lake, the stronger the cultivation of the cultivators.
It was basically all Dao Source Realm Masters occupying the centre of the lake.
Gathered around the outskirts were numerous Origin Returning Realm and Origin King Realm cultivators.
From time to time, people would fight over better spots.
Looking at the scene here, Yang Kai knew in his heart that this place would be widely known as a cultivation paradise in the Southern Territory and even the Star Boundary, and sooner or later it would fall under the control of the top Sects.
By then, it would be impossible for an ordinary cultivator to enter it at will; at the very least, they would need to pay some kind of price to do so.
Yang Kai was not the only one who seemed to realize this; almost all Dao Source Realm Masters knew this was inevitable so they did not waste this once-in-a-million-year opportunity to hurriedly cultivate here, even if it was just for a while.
By now, the news of the Spirit Lake appearing near Maplewood City would have spread to the big Sects. In three days at most, Emperor Realm Masters would arrive and take control here.
Yang Kai saw the Dao Source Realm cultivators from before, and also Qin Zhao Yang, Zhang Ruo Xi, Ye Jing Han and others together, all of them having occupied a good spot in the middle of the Spirit Lake.
Yang Kai did not greet them immediately and instead quietly found a spot to dive into the lake.
There were also many cultivators below the lake’s surface, all of them focused on cultivating.
Yang Kai used his Nihility Secret Technique to conceal his presence. Unless one was intentionally searching for him with their naked eyes, it would now be impossible for Yang Kai to be detected by anyone in such a rich World Energy environment.
Yang Kai dived all the way down to where the eighteen Spirit Springs were previously.
It was deserted here now as no one dared to go too near to the bottom, probably due to the fear caused by the appearance of the Demonic War Hammer in human form.
Yang Kai released his Divine Sense delightedly and found the centre of the eighteen Spirit Springs, then he took out the Sealed World Bead and opened a rift in it, allowing the liquid Spirit Qi to flow into it while he sat cross-legged to consolidate his Second-Order Dao Source Realm cultivation.
Because of the imperfect World Principles of the Sealed World Bead, it could not produce its own World Energy. Only external supplements would be able to maintain the cultivating environment inside the Small Sealed World.
Right here and now was the best time to stock up on World Energy.
Yang Kai did not have much time before the arrival of the Emperor Realm Masters. By then, he would not be able to collect World Energy in this way.
Gradually, Yang Kai settled down and cleared his mind of any extraneous thoughts.
At the same time, the cultivators around the Spirit Lake discovered a strange phenomenon.
“This lake… why has it stopped spreading?”
“Huh? You’re right, not only did it stop spreading, it even seems to be shrinking a bit.”
“Could it be that this Spirit Lake was just a flash in the pan, and it will disappear in a few days?”
“Shut your mouth! Maplewood City finally has such a cultivation paradise, how could it disappear so easily? The reduction of the lake is just a natural phenomenon, it should stabilize after a while.”
Although many cultivators noticed the anomaly, they did not know the reason. Even those Dao Source Realm Masters were clueless.
However, it was not the right time to investigate the matter. Refusing to let go of such a glorious opportunity, the commotion on the lake soon settled down again.
Thousands of people had gathered here, most sitting at the periphery of the lake, and many more who had received the news were flying over from Maplewood City, making for an extremely magnificent scene.
Normally, there would not be sufficient World Energy to supply such a large group of cultivators; however, when the World Energy was rich enough to turn into a lake, even if there were hundreds or even thousands of people cultivating here, it was impossible for them to completely absorb all of the World Energy.
Time passed slowly, and every now and then, a cultivator would break through. Whenever this happened, the nearby affected cultivators would grunt with dissatisfaction and curse.
Soon, it became customary for a cultivator who sensed they were on the verge of a breakthrough to consciously leave and look for a suitable spot in the outermost area to welcome their World Energy Baptism.
The entire Spirit Lake, and even the entire Maplewood City area, was experiencing a slew of breakthroughs, and a jubilant atmosphere enveloped the entire region.
Time passed slowly, and after three full days, Yang Kai, who had been meditating at the bottom of the lake, suddenly sensed something. Opening his eyes and looking up, he sighed slightly and muttered to himself begrudgingly, “Why did they have to come so soon?”
While speaking, he put away the Sealed World Bead and teleported himself to the surface of the Spirit Lake.
Soon after Yang Kai appeared, the sound of something cutting through the air rang out and several figures flew over from the horizon, coming to a stop above the Spirit Lake!
These few people only stood mid-air and they didn’t release their auras, yet all the cultivators cultivating here were alarmed by their arrival and raised their heads to look at them.
When they got a clear look at the faces of those few people, they all drew a sharp, cold breath of air.
“Azure Sun Temple’s Gao Xue Ting!”
“Heavenly Martial Holy Land’s Chen Wen Hao!”
“Orthodoxy Temple’s Feng Ming!”
“Seven Glories Chamber of Commerce’s Cheng Yuan!”
“Violet Source Chamber of Commerce’s Lou Chi!”
“Even Star Soul Palace’s Senior Xiao has come!”
Those six were familiar faces to Maplewood City’s cultivators. When the Luan Feng had appeared last time, it was these six Emperors who had come to Maplewood City to carry out an investigation, and it was also they who opened Star Soul Palace’s Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda for the city’s cultivators.
The cultivators had assumed that they were already very lucky to see these great Seniors one time in their lives and never expected to see them again.
But just two years later, these six Seniors had gathered in Maplewood City again. This was all but an impossible occurrence for the little Maplewood City.
Usually, an Emperor Realm Master might not pass by here even once in dozens of years, yet several Emperor Realm Masters were now visiting this small city repeatedly.
The Spirit Lake’s vicinity descended into silence as the crowd looked up into the sky respectfully.
It looked like those six Emperors had also thought of the same issue as they observed the situation and Violet Source Chamber of Commerce’s Lou Chi chuckled as he spoke, “I always thought Maplewood City was anything but ordinary and had been considering opening a branch here, but unfortunately, I hadn’t found the time to do so. Now, it looks like I can’t delay this matter any longer.”
Maplewood City had some shops owned and operated by Violet Source Chamber of Commerce, one of which was managed by Kang Si Ran, but shops weren’t the same thing as a branch.
A branch was more like a representative of the chamber of commerce and it would be overseen by powerful Masters. An ordinary shop varied greatly in scale, but Spirit Pill Plaza was a decent example. It was only a little store, one that was so unimportant that Lou Chi wouldn’t have ever heard of it if so many incidents hadn’t occurred in Maplewood City.
As for branches, Lou Chi had a thorough understanding of the situation of every one of them.
If Violet Source Chamber of Commerce opened a branch here, then it would greatly improve the city’s economy and Maplewood City might become something more than a small unknown city in the near future.
“Glib words!” Ceng Yuan sneered. Seven Glories and Violet Source were the two greatest chambers of commerce in the Southern Territory and had an intense rivalry between them; as such, whenever Ceng Yuan and Lou Chi met, they would inevitably get into a verbal spat.
Upon hearing Lou Chi’s statement, Ceng Yuan couldn’t help but say mockingly, “Fatty Luo, if you had such good foresight, why didn’t you say so earlier?”
Lou Chi squinted his eyes and cast a glance at Ceng Yuan, snorting as he said, “My acute foresight isn’t something the likes of you can comprehend.”
“Go on, continue bragging. In any case, bragging won’t cost you money,” Ceng Yuan wore a disdainful look.
Lou Chi let out an infuriated shout and turned his face toward Xiao Yu Yang, cupping his fists as he said, “Senior Xiao, I want to have a duel against this horse-faced freak, a duel to the death.”
Ceng Yuan’s brows twitched and veins popped out of his forehead, gnashing his teeth as he snapped, “Such insolence! And just who are you calling a horse-faced freak?”
As his face fell, his long face looked longer than it already was.
Lou Chi cast a sidelong glance at him then snorted and said, “Then, who are you calling a fatty?”
Ceng Yuan mocked, “You ARE fat, yet you’re admonishing people for pointing out the truth? I dare you to slice off your fat belly,” as he spoke, he chuckled and patted Lou Chi’s large belly.
Lou Chi moved back several steps and snapped, “Hey, horse-faced freak, we’re having a civilized talk here, so keep your hands to yourself.” He turned his head and looked at Xiao Yu Yang then said, “Senior Xiao, you witnessed everything just now, didn’t you? That bastard is going too far! Today, I must fight to my last breath against him.”
“Enough, enough,” Xiao Yu Yang’s brow twitched as he waved his hand. “You’re both businessmen, so don’t you understand that amiability makes money? Why are you fighting and quarrelling with each other at every meeting? You’re embarrassing yourselves in front of everyone down below.”
Upon hearing this, Lou Chi and Cheng Yuan both looked down and noticed that many eyes were observing them, and many jaws had become loose. Everyone was observing these Emperor Realm Masters in stunned shock.
“It’s really so embarrassing to stand with you,” Gao Xue Ting looked at them disdainfully.
“That’s right, our dignified status and prestige have been brought down by them,” Chen Wen Hao said expressionlessly.
Feng Ming chuckled and his eyes started shining brightly, but his expression suddenly changed as he looked towards a certain region and said in surprise, “Huh, isn’t that the boy who refined the Extraordinary Treasure Pill? Why is he here in Maplewood City?”
The crowd followed his gaze and their eyes landed on Yang Kai.
“It’s really him!” Xiao Yu Yang smiled and said, “Now that you mention it… I always thought his face looked familiar, it turns out I had once seen him in Maplewood City before.”
“This boy is quite the talent, our Violet Source Chamber of Commerce needs him,” Lou Chi looked at Yang Kai with a flickering gaze.
Ceng Yuan snorted, “Didn’t he say that he’s already a member of a Sect? It isn’t up to you to recruit him.”
Lou Chi sneered and said, “If I step in personally, then which Sect won’t give me face? Horse-faced freak, I have to tell you now, if you dare to fight with me over him, then I’ll really kill you today.”
Ceng Yuan furrowed his brows and kept his silence. It looked like he was mulling over the pros and cons of this matter.
Gao Xue Ting said calmly, “Vice President Lou, why are you making such decisions by yourself? Did you forget to ask for my opinion?”
Upon hearing this, Lou Chi’s eyes widened as he looked at Gao Xue Ting in surprise, “What does this have to do with you?”
Gao Xue Ting brushed her hair back behind her ear and declared, “That boy is already mine…”
*Gudong!*
A gulping noise echoed out while an odd look appeared on Xiao Yu Yang’s face. He couldn’t help but cast some odd glances towards Gao Xue Ting.
“You… Yours?” Lou Chi couldn’t help but stutter. He felt like a lot of information was hidden behind those few words.
Ceng Yuan was also dumbfounded and he said weakly, “Doesn’t Temple Master Wen have… any objections?”
“Why would he object to this?” Gao Xue Ting saw the confusion in Ceng Yuan’s face and wondered what he was talking about, but she quickly understood something and her expression turned cold while a faint blush filled her cheeks.
The Emperor Artifact, Radiant Sun Mirror, appeared above Gao Xue Ting’s head and raging flames burst from its surface as she declared coldly, “If you dare indulge in such absurd thoughts, I’ll cut you into eighteen pieces.”
“Why is it such a specific number!? What’s so special about that?” Lou Chi was a businessman and he couldn’t help taking notice of this odd point
“That’s not the point…” Ceng Yuan cast a disdainful glance at Lou Chi then looked at Gao Xue Ting and said, “Does that mean this boy is already a disciple of Azure Sun Temple?”
Gao Xue Ting only snorted coldly in response and stored her Radiant Sun Mirror away, playing it off lightly.
She wouldn’t tell them that she had tried to recruit Yang Kai but was refused. It was an embarrassing tale after all. She was an Elder of the great Azure Sun Temple, yet she couldn’t even entice a single Dao Source Realm Junior to join her Sect. Even if she told them this, they might not believe her.
Xiao Yu Yang smiled, “That little girl Lan Xun thinks quite highly of this boy and believes he will accomplish great things in the future. Elder Gao, I have to congratulate you for recruiting him already.”
“Many thanks, Senior Xiao,” Gao Xue Ting replied calmly.
As the six Emperors exchanged a few words, they kept a close eye on Yang Kai.
The people next to Yang Kai were all engulfed by a strong wave of pressure and beads of sweat dripped down their foreheads.
Amazement was apparent in most people’s eyes as they all wondered why so many Masters were eyeing Yang Kai.
“Fine, we have already assembled and we have to start dealing with the Spirit Lake’s matter,” Xiao Yu Yang changed the subject and looked toward the Spirit Lake beneath them with a flickering gaze, “I have already obtained some information about this place before arriving here, but I didn’t expect that the World Energy would be this dense.”
Chen Wen Hao’s expression changed as he asked in a deep voice, “How is it in comparison to the Star Soul Palace’s Heaven Grade cultivation paradise?
The other people also looked at Xiao Yu Yang curiously. They all wanted to know more about the efficacy of Star Soul Palace’s treasured lands.
Xiao Yu Yang fell silent for a moment before replying, “It’s not on par, but it’s not far off.”
Upon hearing this, they were all shocked.
The Spirit Lake beneath them was the land with the densest World Energy they had seen in their lives, and it was vastly superior to any cultivation paradise in their respective Sects, yet it still wasn’t on par with Star Soul Palace’s Heaven Grade cultivation paradise. One could only imagine how high the density of World Energy was in that place.
It was no wonder that Star Soul Palace was the hegemon of the Southern Territory. Even if they didn’t have a peak-level Master such as Bright Moon Great Emperor, they would still be able to nurture a lot of experts with their Heaven Grade cultivation paradise, enough to ensure the Sect’s prosperity and dominance at least.
Upon realizing the large disparity between them, the other Emperors couldn’t help feeling a bit dejected.
“This isn’t the time to talk about this. The Spirit Lake below us has eighteen Spirit Spring Eyes and this lake has been formed by the unending stream of World Energy flowing out from them; however, if it goes on like this, then it will dry out shortly. We need to seal this land,” as Xiao Yu Yang spoke, he turned to Lou Chi and said, “Brother Lou, I remember that your Emperor Artifact, the Unified Ceremonial Record, has sealing powers, doesn’t it?”
Lou Chi smiled proudly, “Senior Xiao is not mistaken.”
Xiao Yu Yang said, “Then I’ll have to trouble you with this.”
Lou Chi said, “Senior Xiao, I’m at your command.”
As he spoke, his expression turned solemn as he strode forward, leaving visible ripples in the air, one that spread out rapidly.
As a boundless Emperor Pressure filled the region, the cultivators in the vicinity realized that the Emperor Realm Masters were finally making a move. Their expressions changed and they all moved back, trying to avoid getting caught up in whatever was about to happen.
As for Lou Chi, he stretched out his hand and summoned a heavy-looking book before him, one that gave off a profound and ancient aura. Apparently, this book had been baptized by the endless flow of time for many, many years.
The crowd’s gazes were attracted by it and Yang Kai’s eyes flickered upon seeing it.
Yang Kai knew that the book taken out by Lou Chi was an Emperor Artifact, but this was the first time he had seen such a type of Emperor Artifact and he couldn’t help but wonder what kind of miraculous abilities it possessed.
“The Emperor Artifact, Unified Ceremonial Record!” Duan Yuan Shan next to him had apparently recognized this artifact though and uttered its name in a low voice.
“Isn’t it just a book? How did it become an Emperor Artifact?” The inexperienced Zhang Ruo Xi was quite outspoken and she voiced out her doubts.
Duan Yuan Shan said with a smile, “Artifacts come in all kinds of shapes and they aren’t always a sabre, spear, sword, or something of the sort. Besides, the stranger an artifact’s shape is, the stranger its power generally is, too. I have heard about the Unified Ceremonial Record, and it is said that it is an ancient book that absorbed Emperor Aura and Intent from many different Emperor Realm Masters, gradually transforming it into an Emperor Artifact, a very strong Emperor Artifact which has now fallen into the hands of Lou Chi.”
Upon hearing this, Zhang Ruo Xi was still as confused as before and couldn’t understand what was so amazing about it.
As for the few Dao Source Realm Cultivators, they had all revealed a solemn look as they looked excitedly towards the Emperor Artifact in Lou Chi’s hands. They all wished to reach the Emperor Realm one day and obtain their own Emperor Artifact.
…
In the sky, Lou Chi, whose expression was solemn, weaved a series of hand seals before patting the Unified Ceremonial Record several times.
As a ‘swooshing’ sound echoed out, the heavy Unified Ceremonial Record shot forth and floated above the Spirit Lake. A mysterious aura emerged from it, while Emperor Intent and Emperor Pressure emanated out of Lou Chi’s body. He started weaving hand seals again as he mumbled, “The Book of Changes has the supreme origin, which gave birth to Yin and Yang. Yin-Yang turned into the four divisions, which are the basis of the eight trigrams that go back to the ten regions…”
As he mumbled, the Unified Ceremonial Record’s pages started fluttering and a bright golden radiance emanated from the pages and spread to the surrounding area.
The golden radiance emitted indescribable energy ripples that swiftly began sealing the entire region.
Lou Chi started weaving seals at a higher speed while his expression turned more grave. All of a sudden, he stopped and let out a shout, “Perfect Boundary!”
*Hong…*
The golden radiance shone brightly, so brightly that people almost couldn’t open their eyes.
At this moment, all cultivators gathered around the Spirit Lake were pushed away by a soft and formless power and they couldn’t regain their balance until they were pushed beyond a certain point. Despite this, no one seemed to suffer any injuries.
Once the golden radiance disappeared, the crowd took another look and their jaw immediately dropped to the ground.
It could be seen that a golden dome of light had appeared above the Spirit Lake, covering it completely and sealing it thoroughly. Even a wisp of World Energy couldn’t leak out of it.
The Spirit Lake had a radius of around ten thousand meters, yet Lou Chi managed to seal it completely all by himself, and he didn’t even look tired afterwards, as if he had only done some insignificant matter.
The eyes of the numerous Dao Source Realm cultivators shone brightly as they all longed for such great power. Each of them wished and dreamed about obtaining such strength one day.
After Lou Chi had finished this task, he turned around and cupped his fists to Xiao Yu Yang, “I have fulfilled your command.”
Xiao Yu Yang nodded, “Many thanks for your hard work.”
After his voice fell, he strode forward and surveyed the region below him with his eyes.
The cultivators gathered in the vicinity had all stuck out their chests, as each one felt like Xiao Yu Yang was observing him. They were under the gaze of a Silver Star Envoy of Star Soul Palace and they all didn’t dare to act improperly.
Xiao Yu Yang spoke in a clear voice, “A Spirit Lake has suddenly appeared in Maplewood City and it is this land’s good fortune, as well as our Southern Territory’s fortune. However, if we don’t manage it strictly, it will eventually dry out one day. This is why we have sealed it for now. As for how we will use it for the benefit of the people, we Seniors here will have a detailed discussion regarding this issue now.”
After he spoke, he turned to Duan Yuan Shan and said amiably, “City Lord Duan, you are Maplewood City’s Lord, so you also have the right to take part in this discussion.”
Upon hearing this, Duan Yuan Shan was overwhelmed by the amount of respect he was given and his face got rosy. He cupped his fists to Xiao Yu Yang and shouted, “It is my honour to receive an invitation from Your Excellency.”
Xiao Yu Yang nodded, “As for everyone else, you may rest assured that since this Spirit Lake has appeared in Maplewood City, no one will steal it from you and no single force will seek to monopolize it. After we finish our meeting, we will find a way to open it to everyone. Please await good news.”
“What? The Spirit Lake will be open to everyone?”
“Is this real? Did I mishear him?”
“Senior Xiao has spoken personally. It must be true.”
“Senior Xiao is a man of impeccable integrity, as expected of Star Soul Palace, our Southern Territory’s hegemon. They are generous and magnanimous.”
The cultivators present had assumed that after today they wouldn’t get another chance to use this Spirit Lake, thus an uproar arose among them upon hearing Xiao Yu Yang’s statement, delight apparent on everyone’s faces.
But a few people revealed pensive looks. Xiao Yu Yang had a prominent status and wouldn’t lie in front of so many people. Since he had said so, then he would surely open it up to the public.
But, it surely wouldn’t be easy for cultivators to enter this cultivation paradise. They would probably have to meet some conditions or pay a certain price for a quota. If this wasn’t the case and anyone could enter it at will, then the Spirit Lake that only stretched twenty kilometres across wouldn’t be able to accommodate so many people.
It could be well imagined that news of Maplewood City’s Spirit Lake would quickly spread across the whole Southern Territory. Once that happened, many cultivators would swarm over here to seize a cultivation spot within the Spirit Lake.
Maplewood City would become the focal point of the Southern Territory and it would attract many Masters.
Duan Yuan Shan was the City Lord of Maplewood City, and his little city had always been an unwanted child, but it would shortly become popular. Complex emotions welled up in his heart as he felt both excited and worried.
He was excited because Maplewood City would become a great city thanks to the Spirit Lake. As long as it could attract enough people, it would become stronger in the future and would become one of the greatest cities.
As for the source of his worries? He was worried because he wasn’t strong enough to control the Masters that would soon arrive.
He couldn’t help starting to weigh the gains and losses.
“Good! All of you can leave for now. I believe that you will shortly receive good news,” Xiao Yu Yang spoke and waved his hand in dismissal.
Upon hearing this, the numerous cultivators didn’t dare to stay here any longer. They all cupped their fists to Xiao Yu Yang then rushed toward Maplewood City.
“Yang Kai!” Gao Xue Ting suddenly shouted.
Yang Kai turned around and said with a smile, “Elder Gao, what instructions do you have for me?”
“Come to my room tonight,” Gao Xue Ting said with an indifferent look on her face.
“Uh…” Yang Kai was left dumbstruck.
The cultivators who were just about to return home all stiffened and stood in their places in a daze. They all turned their heads and looked in shock at Gao Xue Ting, their eyes almost popping out of their sockets. They all couldn’t believe what they had just heard. Azure Sun Temple’s Elder Gao looked apathetic and as cold as ice, yet she was actually so assertive.
The crowd looked at Yang Kai with envy and jealousy. They all couldn’t help but wonder what was so good about him and why he had been able to gain Elder Gao’s favour.
The few Emperor Realm Masters also wore spectacular expressions. They were all aware that Gao Xue Ting did not mean what it sounded like, but simply uttering such words was too scandalous.
“Why are you wearing such weird looks?” Gao Xue Ting cast an ice-cold glance at the few Emperor Realm Masters near her as her pretty face’s expression turned icy.
“Nothing, it’s nothing. My belly just rumbled. I must have gotten a cold last night,” Ceng Yuan clasped his belly with a pained look plastered on his face, as if he would drop dead at any moment.
“I ate something strange before coming here, I must have gotten sick from that horrendous food,” Lou Chi had also replied with a pained look on his face.
“Are you making fun of me?” Gao Xue Ting revealed a cold smile.
The two Vice Presidents could only laugh awkwardly in response. Neither of them knowing what to say in response.
At the crucial juncture, Xiao Yu Yang coughed, “Let’s talk about business.”
“That’s right, that’s right,” Chen Wen Hao nodded repeatedly like a chicken pecking rice, as if he was afraid that Gao Xue Ting would question him next.
On the other side, after Yang Kai got over this awkward ordeal, he cupped his fists and said with a solemn look, “Understood!”
Gao Xue Ting nodded, “Alright, you can leave!”
Yang Kai pulled Zhang Ruo Xi and quickly rushed into Maplewood City along with the crowd, as if he had just been granted amnesty.
On the road, many cultivators cast frequent glances at Yang Kai, and even Luo Yuan cast a glance at him with a weird look on his face.
“Damn it! That’s so unjust, I’m so ridiculously handsome with a face like jade, yet Elder Gao didn’t even spare me a glance. Why is she so cordial to you?” Ning Yuan Shu, who was under the protection of the two old men, Gao Shan and Liu Shui, yelled at Yang Kai with an indignant look.
Yang Kai sneered and shook his head, letting his black hair flutter in the wind as he let out a sigh, “It’s obvious that I’m more handsome than you.”
“Do you even believe your own words?” Ning Yuan Shu sneered in response.
“Mister is the most handsome man in the world!” Zhang Ruo Xi next to Yang Kai said shyly then lowered her head.
Yang Kai chuckled and patted Zhang Ruo Xi’s little head, “Little girl, you’ve got good eyes. En, once you grow up, you’ll surely find a good husband.”
“I don’t want to…” Zhang Ruo Xi said weakly.
Ning Yuan Shu was very infuriated to see this man and a woman flirting in front of his eyes.
All of a sudden, Yang Kai’s expression turned solemn and he said in a deep voice, “Young Palace Master, let’s take this chance to make something clear.”
“What is it?” Ning Yuan Shu was startled.
Yang Kai cast a glance at him, “You two old men, Gao Shan and Liu Shui, can stand here as witnesses. I saw with my own eyes how your big brother Ning Yuan Cheng died.”
Upon hearing this, the bodies of Gao Shan and Liu Shui shook, while Ning Yuan Shu’s pupils contracted and he yelled, “As expected, you were the one responsible all along.”
Yang Kai snorted and said, “I said I witnessed the murder, not that it was me who killed Ning Yuan Cheng.”
“Who killed him then?” Ning Yuan Shu asked.
“The Wood Spirit!”
“The Wood Spirit?” Ning Yuan Shu raised his brows and revealed a confused look, as if he had never heard about it, but the pupils of Gao Shan and Liu Shui contracted.
Gao Shan shouted in surprise, “Two years ago, I heard that a Wood Spirit appeared and ran amok in Maplewood City, spreading its seeds, devouring souls and enslaving people.”
“You’re right,” Yang Kai nodded and said, “The Wood Spirit planted its seed in Ning Yuan Cheng at some unknown time and no one detected it. It is a long and complicated story, but since Ning Yuan Cheng is someone from the Flying Saint Palace, I’ll tell you everything.”
Soon after, Yang Kai told them briefly what had happened on that day.
Upon hearing him, Gao Shan quieted for a long while before summarizing, “According to what you have said, after the auction that took place on that day, the Young Lord and his companions left Maplewood City, but Star Soul Palace’s exiled disciple Han Leng tailed after them and assaulted them outside the city to steal their possessions. Han Leng even managed to defeat our Flying Saint Palace’s Elder Liu Yi, but he was killed by the Wood Spirit inside the body of the Young Lord.”
“That’s right!” Yang Kai nodded.
“I happened to pass by during the incident and unexpectedly witnessed everything. At that time, I was only a Third-Order Origin King, so I could only watch the battle from afar,” Yang Kai said.
“What? You were only a Third-Order Origin King at the time?” Gao Shan and Liu Shui were taken aback by what they had just heard and they couldn’t help but shout in alarm, as if they had just realized something incredulous.
If what Yang Kai had said was true and he was only a Third-Order Origin King two years ago, then he would have broken through two Minor Realms, even crossing a Great Realm, to arrive at his current Second-Order Dao Source Realm cultivation in that short span of time. This rate of advancement was too terrifying!
If he continued advancing at the same pace, then wouldn’t he be a Third-Order Dao Source Realm Cultivator next year, then an Emperor Realm Master the year after that?
It wasn’t so easy for a Dao Source Realm Cultivator to break through to the Emperor Realm. But, if Yang Kai was given twenty years, then he would be able to achieve it, would he not? Moreover, Gao Shan and Liu Shui had heard that Yang Kai consumed an Extraordinary Treasure Pill in the Four Seasons Realm, so he had a higher chance to reach the Emperor Realm than an average person.
They had spent most of their lives in cultivation, yet they still couldn’t even touch upon the Emperor Realm, while a young boy had a great chance to reach it. Upon thinking of this, they both felt quite upset and complex in their hearts.
“That is why…” Yang Kai spread his arms, “The death of Ning Yuan Cheng has nothing to do with me.”
Ning Yuan Shu furrowed his brow, not sure whether he should trust Yang Kai. He fell silent for a moment before asking, “What about my brother’s possessions? I heard that you once used our Flying Saint Palace’s flying ship artifact. Where is that artifact and where is the Fire Attribute Artifact Spirit that was bought by my brother at the auction?”
“Young Palace Master, I can’t understand what you’re saying,” Yang Kai looked at Ning Yuan Shu curiously.
“Stop playing dumb!” Ning Yuan Shu flew into a rage, “My brother has already died, and his possessions belong to our Flying Saint Palace, I have the right to retrieve them.”
Yang Kai scratched his face and said, “Do you have to insist? Your Flying Saint Palace is a great force, so one or two flying artifacts should be nothing in your eyes.”
“Since it’s nothing, then give it back to me,” Ning Yuan Shu shouted.
“Ha…” Yang Kai sighed and said, “Fine, I have to tell you that your ship artifact has already been… destroyed.”
“Destroy… Destroyed?” Ning Yuan Shu’s eyes widened up and he said in surprise, “That’s impossible, that was a Dao Source Grade Artifact, and it is able to withstand the attacks of all cultivators below the Emperor Realm. It couldn’t be destroyed so easily! Even my Flying Saint Palace only has a few ships at such a high grade.”
Yang Kai said solemnly, “It has been destroyed by an Emperor Realm Master.”
The Ship Artifact had really been destroyed, and it was destroyed with a single strike from Aunt Feng who had taken Mo Xiao Qi away. Aunt Feng was a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master, so it had been easy for her to destroy the ship. As compensation, she did give Yang Kai a Wooden Boat Artifact though. The boat wasn’t as large as the ship, but it was simple, light and more convenient.
Upon hearing this, the corners of Ning Yuan Shu’s mouth twitched, “Who did you provoke?”
Gao Shao said in surprise, “You angered an Emperor Realm Master and are still alive?”
The members of Flying Saint Palace looked at Yang Kai in surprise.
“I didn’t really exchange blows with her,” Yang Kai’s face flushed, “I was hit suddenly by her, but fortunately that Senior didn’t seem interested in my life,” as he spoke, he added. “Besides, after Ning Yuan Cheng’s death, that ship became ownerless and naturally should belong to whoever picked it up. Since I found it, it’s mine, why grumble about it now?”
“Fine, I’ll grant you that!” Ning Yuan Shu shouted, “The ship has been destroyed, but what’s about the Fire Attribute Artifact Spirit? It’s said that the Artifact Spirit had already gained a high degree of sentience.”
Yang Kai sneered and said, “Didn’t you answer that question yourself? The Artifact Spirit already gained sentience, so it escaped the first chance it got.”
“Escaped?”
“Didn’t you just see a powerful Artifact Spirit that had gained sentience?” Yang Kai sneered, referring to the Artifact Spirit of the Demonic War Hammer.
Upon hearing this, Ning Yuan Shu’s expression turned aghast as he obviously recalled the violent encounter just now.
“Then doesn’t this mean… there is nothing left?” Gao Shan furrowed his brows.
“What else would be left? Didn’t I already explain everything to you?” Yang Kai chuckled, “As for the other Master who came from Flying Saint Palace, Fu Si Tong… That man was indeed quite strong, so even if I say that I killed him, you wouldn’t believe me.”
“That’s a matter of course, you wouldn’t be able to do so,” Ning Yuan Shu sneered and mocked. “City Lord Duan already said that Elder Fu died after he was corrupted by the Ancient Demon Qi.”
“That’s right,” Yang Kai clapped and said with a smile. “Then we have already resolved our misunderstanding, so don’t keep bothering me in the future or accusing me of murdering a member of the Flying Saint Palace. Young Palace Master, you seem like a reasonable fellow, so let us retain a good relationship between us so we can still be friends when we next meet.”
Upon hearing the word ‘friends’, Ning Yuan Shu couldn’t help but gaze around in fear that the Demonic War Hammer would suddenly appear.
“You don’t have the final say in this,” Gao Shan shook his head slowly.
“Then, it’s you who has the final say?” Yang Kai’s expression turned cold.
“No,” Liu Shan replied.
“Then who has the final say?” Yang Kai’s expression had already turned gloomy.
Gao Shan said, “If you’re not guilty, then why don’t you take a trip with us to Flying Saint Palace and explain everything to the Palace Master. It will be up to him to make the final judgment.”
“That’s right,” Liu Shan nodded and said, “You must come back with us to the Sect.”
Upon hearing this, Yang Kai laughed in response and looked meaningfully at Gao Shan, saying, “Protectors, it looks like you have misunderstood something.”
“What?”
“I provided you with an explanation not because I’m afraid of you, but rather because I don’t want to incur trouble for no reason. It’s up to you whether you want to believe me or not; however, if you keep bothering me for no reason, then… heh,” Yang Kai still wore a smile across his face, but his gaze had already turned cold.
Gao Shan and Liu Shan suddenly shivered for no reason and their pupils couldn’t help but contract, feeling like great danger was looming over them!
As they mulled this over, they suddenly recalled that Yang Kai had a good relationship with Elder Gao Xue Ting, and she had even told him to visit her room tonight in front of so many people. They didn’t dare to make a move against Yang Kai due to this. If they incurred Gao Xue Ting’s wrath, then they would all lose their lives.
Even if the Palace Master arrived personally, he still wouldn’t dare to make a move against Yang Kai unless he planned to kidnap him stealthily.
After Gao Shan and Liu Shi came to this conclusion, they realized that this affair was more thorny than they thought.
Gao Shan said, “Young Master Yang, if you don’t want to go with us to the Sect, that is fine, but you have to write a letter for us to take back to the Palace Master. If we don’t do at least that much, then the Palace Master may accuse us of neglecting our duties. We would have wasted time in Maplewood City without accomplishing anything.”
“That’s none of my business,” Yang Kai snorted coldly.
“Please, Young Master Yang, let’s have a proper discussion about this,” Gao Shan entreated shamelessly.
“Get… lost!” As Yang Kai spoke, he placed the Myriads Sword in front of him and said viciously, “I’ll repeat it for the last time. If you keep bothering me so stubbornly, then don’t blame me for taking your lives.”
As his voice fell, he pushed his Source Qi wildly while also sending out his Divine Sense to envelop Gao Shan and Liu Shui.
The expressions of Gao Shan and Liu Shan turned aghast as they suddenly felt the silhouette of this young man before them turn large and lofty. His aura wasn’t any different than a mountain weighing on their chests and they almost couldn’t breathe properly.
It was only at this moment that they suddenly realized that Yang Kai’s power was likely… No less than Luo Yuan’s.
This short moment felt like years, and by the time the two old men came back to their senses, Yang Kai had already disappeared. They both couldn’t help but exchange a glance and they could clearly see the shock in each other’s eyes.
“That man… we mustn’t provoke him again…” Gao Shan said in a deep voice with his fright still apparent on his face. His instincts told him clearly that if he provoked Yang Kai again, then he would likely lose his life.
“You’re right!” Liu Shan wiped off the cold sweat on his forehead and nodded.
“Then, did I get beaten by him for nothing?” Ning Yuan Shu pointed at his cheeks with an aggrieved look and said, “He insulted and shamed me, and he… killed Zhuang Pan. Does our Flying Saint Palace have to bear this in silence? If we do so, I won’t have the face to stay in the Southern Territory!”
Gao Shan cast a glance at him then sighed, “Zhuang Pan is a despicable coward whose death isn’t worth pitying. As for you, just take it as a mosquito’s bite.”
Upon hearing this, the corners of Ning Yuan Shu’s mouth twitched. The two old men had already expressed their standpoints, and he couldn’t take revenge by himself even if he wanted to, so he could only bear this in silence.
…
Inside the Qin Family Residence.
Yang Kai, Qin Zhao Yang, and their companions had already arrived back home.
Yang Kai had no place to go back to in Maplewood City. In the past, he still had a rented secluded home, but once his rent expired, he didn’t bother renewing it. Fortunately, the Qin Family didn’t treat him as a stranger and offered him accommodations.
The members of Eight Paths Sect had also returned, and they had all gone back to their courtyard under the lead of Luo Yuan and the round-faced woman.
But, Yang Kai noticed that Luo Yuan was now gazing at him with a dangerous glint in his eyes. He probably wanted to have a fight against him and he almost got a headache thinking about this.
“Little Brother Yang, I have asked the servants to prepare this courtyard specifically for you, it is one of my Qin Family’s best. You can rest here,” Qin Zhao Yang brought him into a courtyard and spoke.
“Patriarch Qin, thank you for your trouble,” Yang Kai said.
“You’re welcome, if you need anything, just call the servants and ask them,” Qin Zhao Yang laughed and said, “En, I won’t stay here and disturb your rest. I need to go back and check on Yu’er’s condition.”
“En.”
After Qin Zhao Yang left, Yang Kai walked into the courtyard with Zhang Ruo Xi and observed it. This courtyard wasn’t big, but it was peaceful, refined, and clean. It also had abundant World Energy which made Yang Kai satisfied.
After he observed the courtyard for a while, he asked Zhang Ruo Xi to take a room for herself before he turned his head to look at Ye Jing Han, who had followed him in silence like a shadow the whole time. He couldn’t help letting out a long sigh upon gazing at her.
Seeing this, Ye Jing Han bit her rosy lips and revealed a faint smile.
“Stop it, don’t smile like that! It’s uglier than if you just cried instead,” Yang Kai said with an annoyed look on his face.
Upon hearing this, Ye Jing Han’s body shivered as she turned deathly pale, her eyes becoming slightly red.
“What’s the matter? Come in and let’s have a chat,” Yang Kai gestured lightly with his head then pushed open the door and went into the room.
Upon hearing this, Ye Jing Han was taken aback and the distress apparent on her face quickly turned into delight as she said sweetly, “Many thanks, Young Master Yang!”
She quickly went inside, as if she was afraid Yang Kai would go back on his word.
Inside the room, Yang Kai had just started observing the room and he still didn’t have a clear look at the ornaments and furniture here. Yet, Ye Jing Han had already moved to quickly place a chair behind him, “Young Master Yang, please sit down.”
Yang Kai cast a glance at her then raised his robe and sat down.
At this moment, Ye Jing Han had already raised the teapot on the table and poured water for Yang Kai then placed the cup in front of him, “Young Master Yang, please have a drink.”
After her voice fell, she moved her hands again and a plate of fresh spirit fruits appeared on the table. She asked with a smile, “I have brought them with me from Thousand Leaves Sect. I wonder if they are to your liking? Please don’t refuse them.”
Yang Kai’s expression turned strange, as he had never been served so attentively before by anyone. If Ye Jing Han worked as a servant or maid, then she would be a very competent one.
“Why are you serving me?” Yang Kai looked at her warily, “Did you fall for me? I know that I’m so handsome and graceful and a lot of women are in love with me…” He flung his head back and said in a deep voice, “But I’m already taken. So, you have to refrain from having any presumptuous thoughts about me.”
Upon hearing this, Ye Jing Han’s face got flushed and she said indignantly, “Young Master Yang, what are you saying…”
She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She had never seen someone who could boast so shamelessly.
“Huh… Am I mistaken?” Embarrassment appeared on Yang Kai’s face and he let out a hollow laugh, “I’m just joking, don’t take it seriously.”
As he spoke, he took a spirit fruit on the table and started gnawing on it. It was pretty delicious and he couldn’t help but nod, “Speak, what kind of pill do you want?”
“What?” Ye Jing Han was bewildered by his question and a confused look appeared on her face.
Yang Kai sneered, “You have been following me since you recognized me, and you’re still serving me so meticulously. The only thing left is for you to serve me in bed. Aren’t you here to ask something from me?”
“You’re right…” Ye Jing Han nodded.
“Aren’t you here to ask me to refine a pill for you?”
Ye Jing Han revealed an enlightened look and said with a smile, “Young Master Yang, your attainments in the Alchemic Dao have already reached an unimaginable height, even allowing you to refine the Extraordinary Treasure Pill. Your talent and attainments in this craft are second to none in the world.”
“I know that you are flattering me, but it’s still pleasant to hear.” Yang Kai chuckled in response.
Ye Jing Han continued, “But I didn’t seek you to ask you to refine a pill for me.”
“Then what do you want?” Yang Kai furrowed his brows and got wary.
Ye Jing Han explained, “Our Thousand Leaves Sect isn’t a big Sect, but we still have a Dao Source Grade Alchemist under our employ, so we don’t have to trouble you to refine pills for us. I have sought you out to ask you to repair something for us.”
“Repair?” Yang Kai furrowed his brows, “What is it?”
Ye Jing Han pursed her rosy lips and surveyed the surroundings warily before saying in a low voice, “A Space Array.”
“A Space Array?” Yang Kai’s pupils contracted and he chuckled then said, “It looks like a lot of people know that I am well-versed in the Dao of Space.”
In the Four Seasons Realm, he had manipulated Space Principles in front of many people, so obviously he couldn’t keep this a secret any longer. He had already expected that this matter would be exposed, but he still didn’t expect that Ye Jing Han sought him out due to this. She obviously wanted to draw help from his comprehension of the Dao of Space to repair the Space Array.
“I indeed heard such news from a certain individual.”
“If it’s just for repairing a Space Array, then you don’t have to seek me out. Why not find an appropriate Array Master?”
Ye Jing Han smiled bitterly, “If it was an ordinary Space Array, then an Array Master would have been able to repair it, but my Thousand Leaves Sect’s Array is… We have already sought several Array Masters and have even invited members of the Gong Family, but none were able to repair it.”
“Even the members of the Gong Family couldn’t repair it?” Yang Kai was surprised to hear this before he suddenly realized something, asking in a solemn tone, “Is it a… World Crossing Space Array?”
Ye Jing Han’s pretty eyes lit up and she nodded, “Young Master Yang, you’re indeed as sharp as the rumours say! It is a World Crossing Space Array.”
Yang Kai’s expression changed as he stared at Ye Jing Han and asked, “Does your Thousand Leaves Sect control a Sealed World?”
Ye Jing Han let out a bitter laugh, “It looks like I can’t hide anything from Young Master Yang. En, you are correct, my Thousand Leaves Sect possesses a Sealed World, and it was once used as a cultivation paradise for our disciples. We don’t know how this Sealed World was formed, and we also don’t know where exactly it is located in The Void, so we have no other way to enter it except through the Space Array, but the array somehow stopped working nearly two thousand years ago, making it impossible for us to enter the Sealed World since then.”
“Is that Sealed World so important to your Thousand Leaves Sect?” Yang Kai asked.
Ye Jing Han nodded, “Two thousand years ago, while my Thousand Leaves Sect was not on par with the top sects like Azure Sun Temple and Heavenly Martial Holy Land, we were still considered a first-class force. However, after the entrance to the Sealed World was lost, the Sect entered a period of decline. Today, we are barely…”
Ye Jing Han stopped here, as if she didn’t want to talk about their current dire straits.
Yang Kai sneered, “The members of your Sect simply didn’t cultivate hard enough, this has nothing to do with losing your Sealed World. Not every Sect has its own Sealed World, but as long as one strives to make progress and advance further, such a Sealed World makes no difference.”
Ye Jing Han’s pretty face turned pale and she said bitterly, “Young Master Yang, you aren’t mistaken; however, two thousand years ago, the Sect Master at the time brought many of the Sect’s core inheritances as well as the supreme treasures of our Sect into that Sealed World, all of which became lost to us when the entrance disappeared. Many of our Thousand Leaves Sect’s Secret Arts and Techniques could no longer be cultivated after losing those inheritances, and the Aura Gathering Array of our Sect also used that Sealed World as its core. Once the entrance shut, the World Energy density of our Sect also began thinning…”
“I understand.”
Upon hearing this, Yang Kai had already understood Ye Jing Han’s implication. They had lost the inheritances connected to numerous Techniques and Divine Abilities, as well as their supreme treasures and their supply of World Energy. What cultivators needed most to cultivate was abundant World Energy, and if their supply became scarce, then it was normal for subsequent generations from Thousand Leaves Sect to become weaker.
Ye Jing Han bit her rosy lips and said in a deep voice, “I want to invite you to take a trip with me to Thousand Leaves Sect in order to repair our World Crossing Space Array. If you agree to do so, then all members of Thousand Leaves Sect will be very grateful to you and we will offer you a generous reward.”
“This…” Yang Kai rolled his eyes around and racked his brain for a long time, yet couldn’t come up with any excuses, so he could only say, “I got it, but I’m quite busy now. Why don’t you go back for now? Once I have some free time, I’ll take a trip to your Thousand Leaves Sect and I’ll be sure to live up to your expectations.”
Ye Jing Han could clearly discern that he was just being perfunctory in his response. If she really trusted him and left, then she probably wouldn’t ever see his shadow again. She could only entreat him anxiously, “Young Master Yang, it is only someone who is proficient in the Dao of Space who can repair our Sect’s Space Array. But the Dao of Space is so esoteric and mysterious that ordinary people cannot even begin to comprehend it. I have heard that a great Senior living in the Eastern Territory’s Spirit Beast Island is proficient in the Dao of Space, that Senior is a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master, and our little Thousand Leaves Sect can’t invite him.”
“Are you implying that it’s easy for you to invite an insignificant Second-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator like me?” Yang Kai cast a glance at her.
Ye Jing Han quickly waved her hand and said, “That isn’t what I mean. Young Master Yang, please don’t take offence.”
Yang Kai nodded, “I have also heard about that Senior from Spirit Beast Island…”
It looked like Mo Xiao Qi was also from the Spirit Beast Island, but she had never admitted it; however, after Yang Kai gained some understanding of the Star Boundary, it wasn’t difficult for him to guess her origins after witnessing her Aunt Feng’s terrifying strength.
Only the members of the Spirit Beast Island could control so many Monster Beasts and have them fight for them.
As he thought about Mo Xiao Qi, he couldn’t help but wonder how she was faring.
He arrived at the Star Boundary not long ago and he knew only a few people. One of them was Kang Si Ran, but he had been transferred by the Violet Source Chamber of Commerce after he reached the Dao Source Realm. As for his second acquaintance, Mo Xiao Qi, she had been fetched by her Aunty Feng and taken back home.
Ye Jing Han suddenly noticed that Yang Kai had quieted and got lost in his thoughts for a long while. She could only say through gnashed teeth. “Actually, I have sought you on someone’s recommendation.”
“Which shameless bastard has done so? Tell me, just tell me, I promise I won’t kill him,” Yang Kai flew into a rage.
Ye Jing Han pursed her lips and said with a smile, “It was Gong Wen Shan, you know him, don’t you?”
“That bastard!” Yang Kai’s eyes bulged as he muttered, “Do you know him?”
Gong Wen Shan was the rising star of the Heavenly River Valley’s Gong Family. The Gong Family was famed for its Array Masters, and Gong Wen Shan was also an Array Master. In the Four Seasons Realm, he had drawn help from the barrier around the Flowing Time Temple to obstruct Heavenly Martial Holy Land’s Wu Chang, forcing the latter to miss a rare opportunity because of this.
That boy looked honest and simple-minded, but he was actually a sinister and scheming scourge.
Yang Kai would have never imagined that it was Gong Wen Shan who recommended him to Ye Jing Han.
Ye Jing Han replied, “Several years ago, we invited him to repair our Thousand Leaves Sect’s Space Array, but he didn’t succeed and he told us to seek a person proficient in the Dao of Space to repair it. Three months ago, I suddenly received a message from him suggesting I seek Young Master Yang out. I planned to deal with this place’s affairs first before making a trip to Azure Sun Temple to try my luck, but I didn’t expect to run into you here. Don’t you think we were brought together by fate?”
Ye Jing Han revealed an excited look, as if she was a young girl yearning for love.
Yang Kai snorted, “Only distressed men and lovestruck girls are brought together by fate, do you want to have such a fate with me?”
Ye Jing Han sweated profusely and said awkwardly, “Young Master Yang, you really know how to joke. I’m not so fortunate.”
“I have met that brat, Gong Wen Shan, only once and I’m not close to him. He has to take responsibility for his words. This has nothing to do with me.”
Ye Jing Han let out a long sigh, “Young Master Yang, you don’t want to help me, do you?”
She bit her thin lips, wearing an adorable and pitiful look.
“I want to help, but I’m really too busy and have no time to spare for this. Didn’t I already tell you that I’ll go there once I have free time?” Yang Kai explained.
Ye Jing Han mulled this over for a moment then said through gnashed teeth, “Young Master Yang, our Thousand Leaves Sect’s sealed world has a Restricted Area known as the Emperor Heaven Valley. If one can cultivate in that land for a few days, it will greatly increase one’s chances to reach the Emperor Realm.”
Yang Kai glanced at her with a meaningful smile.
Ye Jing Han’s pretty face got flushed, “It is not that I was distrustful of you, but this matter is very important and I cannot disclose more information to you, or else, innumerable Dao Source Realm Cultivators will begin targeting us. Our Thousand Leaves Sect isn’t powerful enough now and can’t defend against them.”
Yang Kai chuckled and said, “The Emperor Heaven Valley, what a grand name! But, what does this have to do with me?”
Ye Jing Han stamped the ground, “Young Master Yang, if you repair our Space Array and help us regain our Sealed World, I can let you go in.”
“What’s your status in the Thousand Leaves Sect?” Yang Kai squinted his eyes and looked at her.
Ye Jing Han said, “I’m the daughter of the current Thousand Leaves Sect’s Master, Ye Hen.”
“So you’re a Young Sect Lady,” Yang Kai cupped his fists at her. “Sorry for the disrespect.”
Ye Jing Han’s face got flushed, “Young Master Yang, don’t make fun of me.”
Yang Kai had beaten even the Young Palace Master of Flying Saint Palace, so he wouldn’t take the Young Sect Lady of Thousand Leaves Sect seriously. As such, Ye Jing Han didn’t believe that her status was anything special and that was why she didn’t disclose it to Yang Kai from the beginning.
But now, she had to tell Yang Kai her status to gain his trust.
“Young Master Yang, please, I’m begging you…” Ye Jing Han said entreatingly with an aggrieved look, “My father is already old, and if he cannot break through to the Emperor Realm, he will die in a few years. However, it isn’t so easy to reach the Emperor Realm and the Emperor Heaven Valley is his greatest chance. Young Master Yang, if you help our Thousand Leaves Sect, then I can agree to any requests you raise.”
Yang Kai was surprised by her statement. She had already thrown all caution to the wind.
Yang Kai descended into silence and Ye Jing Han also quieted, not daring to even gasp for breath. She only pursed her lips and stood there waiting for him nervously. Only her strong and fast heartbeat still reverberated in the room.
After a long while, Yang Kai sighed, “Fine, I’ll take a trip with you there.”
“Are you serious?” Ye Jing Han was so delighted that she wept and she looked in disbelief at Yang Kai.
“But not now, you also know what’s happening in Maplewood City. You’ll have to wait until I deal with this matter.”
“I’m not in a hurry, so I can wait,” Ye Jing Han quickly waved her hand and said, “I have already waited for so many years so I don’t mind waiting a little longer.”
“But I must still say this ahead of time,” Yang Kai looked at her grimly, “I’ll only give it a try and I’m not sure I can repair your Space Array.”
“That’s more than enough.”
“Go look for a room to rest. I’ll notify you when it’s time to set off,” Yang Kai waved his hand at her in dismissal.
“Young Master Yang, I’ll await good news from you.”
Saying so, she bowed to him then left without forgetting to close the door behind her.
After Ye Jing Han left, Yang Kai let out a sigh and sat down, mumbling to himself, “I’ve gotten involved in something troublesome…”
He wasn’t close to Ye Jing Han and he also had no contact with Thousand Leaves Sect, so he didn’t want to tread into this muddy water. But, Ye Jing Han had bothered him for so long that if he didn’t agree, then she might have followed him to the ends of the world, and that would have been even more troublesome for him.
If he was followed all day long by a young woman with a sorrowful look, then people oblivious to the situation would assume that he had thoughtless sex with her then abandoned her. That would have been too scandalous!
Moreover, he was also quite interested in the Emperor Heaven Valley mentioned by Ye Jing Han. Since it could help one advance into the Emperor Realm, it was surely related to the comprehension of the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao.
Yang Kai was still a Second-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, but deepening his comprehension of the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao would still be beneficial to his future growth, and if he added the Extraordinary Treasure Pill to the equation, then he would be able to easily break through to the Emperor Realm in the future.
Yang Kai sat down and cultivated in the room in silence until midnight. He had just reached the Second-Order Dao Source Realm, and he obviously had to consolidate his cultivation base.
At night, Yang Kai pushed open the door and left. As his body flickered, he reached the City Lord’s Mansion in a dozen breaths.
The guards standing outside the City Lord’s Mansion weren’t any different than paper figures to him, but when he was about to enter the mansion, a chill suddenly ran down his spine as he felt several powerful Divine Senses sweeping his body.
They had swept him only for a short moment, yet his body still shivered uncontrollably and broke into a cold sweat. Those Divine Senses belonged to Emperor Realm Masters, which meant that Xiao Yu Yang and his companions were also residing in the City Lord’s Mansion.
Those Divine Senses had checked him only for a short moment then left him, but one of them still lingered on him.
Yang Kai took a breath and followed that Divine Sense towards its source. After a short while, he reached a room and he raised his hand to knock on its door, yet before he made contact, Gao Xue Ting’s voice suddenly reached him, “Come in!”
Upon hearing this, Yang Kai pushed open the door and entered. He sighted upon Gao Xue Ting sitting cross-legged on the bed with her pretty eyes gazing at him.
Yang Kai grinned, “Greeting Elder Gao. I didn’t expect that we would reunite again in Maplewood City… Huh, Elder Gao, what are you up to?”
As he spoke, he suddenly saw Gao Xue Ting waving her hand. Her Qi surging out, closing the door and creating a formless barrier that enveloped the whole room, isolating it completely.
“She’s so prudent, does she have to make a barrier even for this?” A resentful voice reverberated in another room. Xiao Yu Yang’s eyes snapped open with a playful look apparent on his face, “What are you up to, Junior Sister Gao? I just simply wanted to see what is so amazing about this little brat, yet it seems my efforts are in vain.”
Meanwhile, the Emperor Realm Masters in the other rooms twitched their mouths. They were obviously all spying on Gao Xue Ting as well, yet they had now been blocked by the barrier.
…
In a short moment, the room had been isolated thoroughly.
*Gudong*
Yang Kai gulped as he suddenly had a bad feeling about this.
“Strip!” Gao Xue Ting instructed Yang Kai expressionlessly.
“Huh?” Yang Kai’s expression changed and he said in surprise, “This, this… This isn’t appropriate, is it?”
“What are you grumbling about?” Gao Xue Ting snorted, seemingly annoyed by Yang Kai’s objections.
Yang Kai couldn’t even see what happened before Gao Xue Ting suddenly appeared in front of him and stretched her hand towards him.
Yang Kai felt like Gao Xue Ting’s lily-white fingers weren’t any different than five mountains assaulting him, making her grasp impossible to avoid.
Soon after, Gao Xue Ting clutched his neck and lifted him. He was shortly sent spinning by a pulse of energy, while his clothes were quickly stripped off him. In the twinkling of an eye, he was left with only his underpants.
“Elder Gao… Stop…” Yang Kai let out a shrill cry.
Gao Xue Ting turned a deaf ear to him. She stopped spinning him then tapped several points on his body, her pretty eyes shining brightly as she observed closely.
Gao Xue Ting’s pretty eyes swept every nook of Yang Kai’s body and she examined him thoroughly.
After a long while, she nodded and said, “Pretty good, there are no issues to speak of.”
As her voice fell, the force confining Yang Kai suddenly disappeared.
Yang Kai quickly crawled into Gao Xue Ting’s bed and covered himself with the quilt. He sat there shivering, as if he had just suffered some severe mental damage.
Gao Xue Ting sneered. “You’re still bashful?”
Yang Kai’s face was pale and he couldn’t help but twitch his mouth, saying, “Elder Gao, what did you just do?”
Now, he understood why Gao Xue Ting had set up a barrier. If someone had seen this, then she wouldn’t be able to justify herself and clear subsequent misunderstandings.
Gao Xue Ting sternly said, “Your cultivation has advanced too quickly. You just reached the First-Order Dao Source Realm a short time ago, yet you’ve already advanced to the Second-Order. I was just checking if there were any hidden dangers or issues left behind. What did you think I was doing?”
As she spoke up to here, Gao Xue Ting’s gaze turned ice-cold and Yang Kai couldn’t help but shiver.
“Even if you wanted to check my body, you didn’t have to do this…” Yang Kai said with a sullen look.
“If this was the sole reason, then I didn’t have to do this, but I heard that you were also chased by a Demonic Artifact Spirit that had appeared some days ago, so I had to make sure you weren’t corrupted by Demon Qi as well.”
“I’m not a child anymore you know.”
“I’m old enough to be your great-grandmother, so what’s the harm in seeing your body?” As Gao Xue Ting spoke up to this point, she curled her lips slightly and said mockingly, “Little brat, you’ve got some good muscles, en you’re pretty well built.”
“Elder Gao, thank you for the undeserved praise…” Yang Kai wiped the sweat off his forehead and said awkwardly, “What are the results?”
“Pretty good,” Gao Xue Ting said then took Yang Kai’s clothes and threw them to him as she said, “You broke through quickly, but your foundation is still as stable as ever, and it also looks like you haven’t been corrupted by Demon Qi.”
Yang Kai said weakly, “If I had been corrupted by Demon Qi… What would have happened?”
“You’d be a dead man by now,” Gao Xue Ting looked at him coldly, “What? Is there something else you’d like to tell me?”
“Nope, nothing… I have nothing to tell you,” Yang Kai quickly waved his hand, while he decided inwardly to hide the Demonic War Hammer and the Demon Spirit sealed in his body from her at all costs.
“Little brat, you’re acting strangely. Are you hiding something from me?” Gao Xue Ting said coldly.
Yang Kai smiled bitterly and said, “Not at all. Elder Gao, you’ve just misunderstood me.”
Gao Xue Ting gazed at Yang Kai for a long time then said, “That would be for the best. If I learn that you’re hiding anything from me, then I’ll give you a memorable lesson.”
Yang Kai didn’t dare to retort back as he quickly put his clothes on under the quilt.
After a short while, Yang Kai had finished putting his clothes on.
“How long do you plan to occupy my bed?” Gao Xue Ting looked at him coldly.
Yang Kai crawled out of the bed dejectedly and stood in front of Gao Xue Ting.
“Where did that Demonic Armament Artifact Spirit go?” Gao Xue Ting suddenly asked, “I heard that the Artifact Spirit was chasing after you, but I have already investigated its path along with Senior Xiao and the others today, yet its trail ends at Clear Jade Mountain, as if it had suddenly disappeared there. Even Senior Xiao couldn’t get any more clues about it. Where did it go?”
Yang Kai quickly shook his head in response, expressing that he had no idea about this.
“Then how did you escape from it safely?” Gao Xue Ting furrowed his brows.
Yang Kai chuckled, “Elder Gao, you also know that I have cultivated the Dao of Space, I’m an expert when it comes to escaping. At that time, I escaped to Clear Jade Mountain then used an aura concealing technique to hide in The Void. After the Artifact Spirit arrived and couldn’t find me, it left by itself. I also don’t know where it went.”
Gao Xue Ting observed him with her piercing eyes for a long while, as if she wanted to peer into his inner heart.
Yang Kai was quite diffident and he was afraid that she would notice any flaw.
After a long while, Gao Xue Ting nodded, “If I learn that you hid anything from me, then I won’t forgive you.”
Yang Kai wiped the sweat off his head then said aggrievedly, “I wouldn’t dare!”
“I also know that you don’t have such gall,” as Gao Xue Ting spoke, she sat down at the bedside and let out a sigh, “Honestly speaking, I have also been quite careless. If I had inspected this place carefully after the battle against that Demon, then we wouldn’t have to deal with so much trouble.”
Gao Xue Ting sighed with her remorse apparent on her face.
Upon hearing her, Yang Kai felt quite insecure. If Gao Xue Ting learned that the Demon who fought against her on that day was standing in front of her, then who knew what she would do?
Yang Kai quickly changed the subject, “That’s fate, you don’t have to rack your brain over this.”
Gao Xue Ting cast a glance at him then snorted and swung her hand, sending a ray of light out toward him.
Yang Kai was surprised, but he didn’t try to dodge it, as Gao Xue Ting wasn’t trying to attack him. He just stretched his hand and caught the light ray.
When he opened his palm and took a look, he saw a palm-sized token. This token was refined from unknown materials and the back of a cultivator was depicted on its back. It was a large and lofty back, seemingly able to overlook everything under the Heavens. This was just a design, yet Yang Kai could still clearly feel the imposing manner of the man.
The corners of Yang Kai’s mouth suddenly twitched when he noticed that the back depicted in the design resembled Wen Zi Shan’s.
As for the front side of the token, only two large characters were carved there.
Azure Sun!
The whole token had a bright and dazzling golden hue.
“This is…” Yang Kai’s expression changed and he looked skeptically at Gao Xue Ting.
“It’s an Identity Token of a disciple of the Temple,” Gao Xue Ting replied calmly.
“Huh…” Yang Kai was surprised and he could only chuckle bitterly and said, “But, Elder Gao, I’m not a disciple of the temple, and it isn’t appropriate for me to take this Identity Token.”
“From now on, you’re a disciple of the temple,” Gao Xue Ting replied.
Yang Kai was taken aback and he could only say, “Elder Gao, this is coercion… Why didn’t you solicit my opinion?”
Gao Xue Ting looked askance at him, “Didn’t I solicit your opinion last time? A long time has passed since then, haven’t you finished mulling it over yet?”
Yang Kai quickly explained, “I need more time to ponder over this. This matter is too complex and I haven’t had time to properly consider it. Elder Gao, please give me more time.”
“How long?”
“Thirty years… maybe fifty…” As Yang Kai said so, he noticed that Gao Xue Ting’s expression turned cold, and he could only say quickly, “However, ten or eight years is also fine…”
“Hehe…” Gao Xue Ting suddenly sneered.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but shiver. His whole body trembling as his feet cramped.
Gao Xue Ting said slowly, “It looks like you have misunderstood something due to my good temper. Do you think it’s so easy to deal with me and I have no prestige at all?”
“Surely not!”
“Then are you looking down on me, are you looking down on our temple?”
“Not at all!”
Gao Xue Ting coldly, snorted “Today, I told Senior Xiao and the others that you’re a disciple of our temple and I have obstructed Lou Chi from recruiting you. If you dare to refuse me again, then I’ll tell them tomorrow that you have been expelled from the temple. Are you aware of what you would face then?”
Yang Kai broke into a cold sweat. He had no idea that Lou Chi planned to recruit him. It looked like his actions had been too eye-catching lately and he attracted the attention of many people. If he wasn’t protected by the halo of his fake status as a disciple of Azure Sun Temple, then the other Masters would quickly begin fighting over him.
Yang Kai suddenly understood why Gao Xue Ting had given him an Identity Token. She didn’t do so to force him to make a choice, but rather to protect him.
A while ago, she had inspected his body carefully, mainly because she was worried that something went wrong during his cultivation.
As he thought of this, a warm feeling welled up in his heart. He suddenly felt like it wouldn’t be a bad choice to join Azure Sun Temple, as long as he was in the care of such an Elder.
He let out a breath and cupped his fists with a relieved look plastered on his face, saying with a smile, “Then I’ll have to accept your invitation, many thanks for Elder Gao’s concern.”
Gao Xue Ting cast several glances at him then nodded, “You’re a sensible and promising young man!” She stopped for a moment then added, “But, your situation is quite special and you don’t have to follow the numerous rules of the temple. You can live as usual and the temple won’t interfere in your life too much. Understood?”
Upon hearing this, Yang Kai rejoiced, “Understood!”
“However, whatever you do in the future, it’s only your business and you don’t represent our temple. If you dare to make any trouble for our temple, then… hmph, you know what will happen to you,” Gao Xue Ting looked at him with her dignified gaze then snorted coldly.
“I know, I know…” Yang Kai nodded repeatedly, while his face broke into cold sweat again.
“I have nothing else to say, you have already taken the Identity Token and you’re now a disciple of the Temple. If you face any issues in your cultivation, then I can help you resolve them in my free time,” Gao Xue Ting said in an amicable manner.
Yang Kai was taken aback and he quickly began asking her about some questions he had regarding his recent cultivation.
Gao Xue Ting was quite conscientious and she replied carefully, not concealing anything about her own experiences and comprehensions of the Heaven Dao and Martial Dao.
Gao Xue Ting had assumed that it would be easy to guide a Second-Order Dao Source Realm Junior, but after she chatted with Yang Kai for a while, she became far more serious. All the questions raised by Yang Kai were related to some crucial and profound points that even she had yet to understand thoroughly. And so, the teaching session quickly turned into an equal discussion about their respective Martial Daos.
Yang Kai stayed in the City Lord’s Mansion until dawn before leaving and returning to his courtyard in the Qin Family Residence, seeking Qin Zhao Yang and asking for a private room he could use for secluded cultivation.
…..
Time quickly elapsed and a month or more passed in the blink of an eye.
On this day, Yang Kai finished his secluded cultivation, having already consolidated his cultivation that had just reached the Second-Order Dao Source Realm not long ago.
In his secluded room, Yang Kai had just inspected his body and he was very satisfied with his progress. Yet all of a sudden, he detected something and his expression turned strange. He quickly took out the Insect Enslavement Bracelet then entered it with his Soul Avatar to check it.
When he had been in Azure Sun Temple, he had asked for a lot of Facetless Profound Grass from Gao Xue Ting and he had used them to nurture his Soul Devouring Insects. Over the last period, the Soul Devouring Insects had been devouring each other in the large jar and engaging a kind of evolution.
But, it was only on this day that they finally showed some substantial progress.
The Soul Devouring Insects were ranked eleventh in the Heaven List of the Exotic Insect List, a very high place, and they had been very useful to him in the Divine Ascension Mirror. It was due to this that Yang Kai now placed more hopes on them.
After he detected some disturbance, he quickly went to check on them.
The jar was as peaceful as ever, as if all Soul Devouring Insects were still asleep, but Yang Kai had refined the Insect Enslavement Bracelet and he had a thorough understanding of all insects in its sealed space. That’s why he knew clearly that the stillness was only a facade.
Yang Kai’s expression turned solemn and he waited for a long time before he made up his mind. Weaving a seat of seals with his hands, he opened the jar.
When he peeked inside to take a look, he found out that it was filled completely with milky-white cocoons. There were cracks in many cocoons and evolved Soul Devouring Insects were crawling out of them, eating the remains.
As time elapsed, more Soul Devouring Insects emerged from their cocoons and a buzzing noise continued to echo inside the jar, as if a myriad of insects were gnawing on something.
“They’re so big!” Yang Kai was startled.
Originally, the Soul Devouring Insects were tiny organisms that couldn’t be seen with the naked eye and could only be discovered with Divine Sense. But, after they devoured each other and evolved this time, their size had increased greatly.
Each one was as big as a grain of rice and its body was covered by black patterns. These patterns had a demonic aura and it was obviously because they had once devoured an Ancient Demon’s Pure Demon Qi.
It wasn’t limited to just this, the Soul Devouring Insects looked more vicious than before and even Yang Kai was a little scared of them.
In less than a quarter of an hour, all of the Soul Devouring Insects broke free of their cocoons. Having gotten enough nutrition, those insects flapped their wings and flew out of the jar.
Yang Kai moved back warily and observed them from afar.
A cloud of insects quickly formed above the jar. The number of Soul Devouring Insects was obviously lower than before by a large margin, but their power and size were vastly improved.
Yang Kai was quite surprised. If he had travelled in the Divine Ascension Mirror with these insects, even if he ran into an Emperor Realm Master like Ban Qing, he wouldn’t have had to resort to cheap ruses and could have simply repelled him head-on.
After Yang Kai observed the Soul Devouring Insects for a long while, he suddenly issued them a command.
The flying Soul Devouring Insects flew towards Yang Kai, emitting a ceaseless buzzing noise. Yang Kai stood in place with a solemn look plastered on his face, raising his guard against them in preparation for any unexpected accidents.
In a short while, he was surrounded by Soul Devouring Insects, and one of them landed on him and stopped flapping its wings, laying there calmly, shortly followed by more of them.
A large mass of insects fell upon him, wrapping him completely and hiding his body, but these Soul Devouring Insects only laid there peacefully and didn’t mount an attack against Yang Kai. They all obeyed the orders Yang Kai issued due to the formless connection between them.
“Hahaha!” Yang Kai laughed loudly. The Insect Enslavement Bracelet was really a precious treasure.
In the Divine Ascension Mirror World, he had detected that his original batch of Soul Devouring Insects was starting to resist his control, and he didn’t have any mental connection with the new batch he obtained from Tian Yan. Yet now, all of the Soul Devouring Insects that had evolved obeyed his commands and he was able to perfectly order them around. This was all thanks to the Insect Enslavement Bracelet!
This Emperor Artifact didn’t have any offensive or defence power, yet it could control all forms of Exotic Insects in this world. It was the fruit of the Insect Emperor’s lifetime of work. Naturally, it was supremely effective against the Soul Devouring Insects.
Now, Yang Kai didn’t have any more qualms, as even if he ran into a powerful enemy in the future, he would be able to deal with them with these Soul Devouring Insects.
It looked like the inner space of the Insect Enslavement Bracelet was able to nurture Exotic Insects. The Exotic Insects in it wouldn’t weaken and die, only grow stronger.
However, Yang Kai obviously had to feed the Soul Devouring Insects enough Facetless Profound Grass to raise their growth speed.
The Facetless Profound Grass wasn’t a precious spirit grass and many Sects could cultivate it, so it wasn’t difficult to obtain. However, Yang Kai needed a large amount and he would have to pay a large sum to purchase them.
If it was in the past, Yang Kai might not have been able to afford such expenses, but now, he had gotten his hands on a Source Crystal lode and he wouldn’t have to worry about a shortage of Source Crystals in the near future. Therefore, he could carry out large purchases without any restraints.
As he thought of this, Yang Kai quickly left the Insect Enslavement Bracelet and opened his eyes, then stood up and opened the door of the room. He planned to make a trip to the city and buy Facetless Profound Grass.
But, as he pushed open the door and left, he detected unusual World Energy in the vicinity. It looked like the density of the World Energy in Maplewood City had increased greatly during his secluded cultivation.
Yang Kai was very surprised by this. Lou Chi had used the Emperor Artifact, Unified Ceremonial Record, to seal the Spirit Lake, so the World Energy should have turned thinner, going back to its normal state.
But, the opposite had occurred. The density of World Energy didn’t drop, but rather it increased further. This was bewildering!
At this moment, a pretty silhouette rushed toward him and landed in front of him. It was Ye Jing Han!
“Young Master Yang, you finally exited your retreat!” Ye Jing Han sized him up with her eyes and she noticed that his aura had turned more stable and restrained. She couldn’t help but say out of envy, “Young Master Yang, it looks like you have made pretty good progress.”
“It’s not much.” Yang Kai grinned in response. He had already decided to leave for Thousand Leaves Sect with Ye Jing Han so he didn’t shun her as before.
Yang Kai’s expression suddenly changed and he asked in surprise, “Did you stand guard here all along?”
Ye Jing Han smiled sheepishly, “In any case, I have nothing else to do.”
“You can set your mind at ease, I have already accepted your request so I won’t run away. I’ll surely take a trip to your Thousand Leaves Sect with you.”
“I wasn’t keeping watch on you…” Ye Jing Han quickly waved her hand with a flustered look, “It’s just… It’s just that…”
She stammered for a long while, yet couldn’t come with any excuse, and she only got more flustered, as she was afraid to incur Yang Kai’s wrath.
Yang Kai smiled, “Just forget it! Let’s go together to make some purchases. We’ll set off right away after I’m done with them.”
Delight appeared on the face of Ye Jing Han and she quickly nodded, then said, “Good, good…”
As such, they both rushed into the city. On the way, Yang Kai noticed that there were fewer cultivators in Maplewood City than before, and it wasn’t as lively as usual. But, every cultivator in the street was beaming, as if they all had a fortuitous encounter lately. He was puzzled by this and could only ask, “Why are they all smiling? Did something good occur recently?”
Ye Jing Han pursed her lips and said with a smile, “The current Maplewood City isn’t the same as before. Its World Energy is denser than before by at least three or fivefold, that’s why they’re all happy.”
“By the way, I was just about to ask about this,” Yang Kai turned his head and looked at her, “What happened to the World Energy here? Why did it become so dense?”
Ye Jing Han said, “Young Master Yang, you have been in seclusion for the last month so you obviously have no idea about the latest changes of Maplewood City. A month ago, Star Soul Palace’s Senior Xiao and several other Seniors carried out a discussion that lasted several days and decided to turn the Spirit Lake into a public cultivation paradise.”
“They summoned manpower from each of their Sects for this project and finished the work ten days ago. The Spirit Lake has already made a name for itself in the Southern Territory as a wondrous cultivation paradise and many cultivators have swarmed over to make use of it. Numerous residents of Maplewood City have also gone there to observe it and that’s why the city is so deserted.”
Upon hearing her explanation, Yang Kai finally understood why so few people were present in Maplewood City. They had all gone to observe the Spirit Lake and join in the fun.
“That land has been named the Spirit Lake Palace by Xiao Yu Yang and the other Seniors. The land has a large expanse and numerous rooms were built there, rooms suitable for secluded cultivation.”
“Spirit Lake Palace?” Yang Kai raised his brows
Ye Jing Han said with a smile, “That’s right.”
Yang Kai said with a pensive look, “Who is the manager of the Spirit Lake Palace and… Who is its owner?”
Ye Jing Han said, “The great Sects don’t plan to seize it and it is jointly managed by Maplewood City, Star Soul Palace, and the other great Sects. It is open to the entire Southern Territory. Anyone can enter it and cultivate there as long as they pay enough Source Crystals.”
“Huh?” Yang Kai was surprised, “Even Maplewood City has the right to manage it?”
“That’s a matter of course. The Spirit Lake Palace is next to Maplewood City and it is best to have the City Lord manage certain aspects of it. Now, Maplewood City has already made a name for itself with this amazing exploit.”
Yang Kai chuckled, “I can bet that City Lord Duan is thrilled right now.”
Ye Jing Han pursed her lips, “Actually, even though City Lord Duan is still at the Third-Order Dao Source Realm, his status has risen greatly thanks to the Spirit Lake Palace and he’s already on equal standing with the Sect Masters of first-class Sects.”
“His status is pretty high, but his cultivation base is still low and he can’t deter the masses,” Yang Kai furrowed his brow. He was quite worried about Duan Yuan Shan.
Ye Jing Han cast a glance at him. “Young Master Yang, you don’t have to worry about him. Senior Xiao has already taken care of this by accepting City Lord Duan and Vice City Lord Drunkard as Outer Disciples of Star Soul Palace. Those two have also gotten a sinecure in Azure Sun Temple, Heavenly Martial Holy Land, and the other top Sects.”
Upon hearing this, a startled look showed up on the face of Yang Kai, “Is that alright?”
Ye Jing Han covered her mouth and chuckled. She said, “They probably had no other choice.”
“Those Seniors are all quite sharp,” Yang Kai shook his head and smiled bitterly. “I have never heard about a similar occurrence, but I can still bet that none will dare to belittle City Lord Duan and Drunkard now, much less oppose them.”
The cultivations of Duan Yuan Shan and Drunkard weren’t high, but their backers were all the top Sects of the Southern Territory, so it wouldn’t be difficult for them to manage Maplewood City and the Spirit Lake Palace.
If anyone dared to violate their commands, it would be equivalent to opposing all the top factions of the Southern Territory. Which daredevil had the guts to attempt this?
“Senior Xiao is a virtuous and magnanimous person. As expected of Star Soul Palace, the overlord of the Southern Territory. They have outstanding bearing,” Yang Kai said sincerely.
If Star Soul Palace wanted to seize the Spirit Lake Palace, then none would dare to fight back; after all, Star Soul Palace was overseen by Bright Moon Great Emperor and the other top Sects couldn’t contend against them.
But Star Soul Palace didn’t do so and instead led the various factions to turn the Spirit Lake Palace into a Cultivation Paradise open to the entire Southern Territory. From this deed alone, one could see the magnanimity and integrity of this hegemon Sect.
Not every sect would do the same. If Azure Sun Temple’s Wen Zi Shan got his hand on this Cultivation Paradise, then he would likely hide it away and use it for just the disciples of Azure Sun Temple.
That wasn’t a strange matter, as people had different priorities and none would put thoughts into the issues of other people for no reason.
“Go on,” Yang Kai said.
“The Spirit Lake Palace has imitated the structure of the Cultivation Paradise of Star Soul Palace and is divided into three grades: Mortal, Earth, and Heaven. The Mortal Grade Cultivation Paradise is open to cultivators at the Origin Returning Realm or below, while the Earth Grade Cultivation Paradise is open to cultivators at the Dao Source Realm or below. As for the Heaven Grade rooms, they are only open to Emperor Realm Masters.”
As Ye Jing Han spoke up to here, a longing look appeared on her face, as if she yearned for the supreme Emperor Realm, “The entry fee of every grade is higher than the one below it, and it’s said that the Heaven Grade Cultivation Paradise costs a thousand High-Rank Source Crystals for a day and you can only pay with High-Rank Source Crystals. You can’t use an equivalent amount of Mid-Rank or Low-Rank Source Crystal.”
“This price is too… horrifying!” Yang Kai said with a distressed look.
A thousand High-Rank Source Crystals was tantamount to a hundred thousand Mid-Rank or ten million Low-Rank Source Crystals, and that was the fee for a single day. When someone entered secluded cultivation, the shortest it normally lasted was half a month.
Moreover, if they wanted to study and comprehend some Secret Techniques or Arts, they would spend an entire year or more in cultivation, and this was even more obvious for Emperor Realm Masters, as they might easily spend several or dozens of years in secluded cultivation.
The number of Source Crystals they would have to pay for this was almost immeasurable.
Moreover, they were still limited to only High-Rank Source Crystals. The conditions were quite severe.
“But, I guess most Emperor Realm Masters are wealthy, and if they wanted to advance further on the Martial Dao, they might not mind wasting mere worldly possessions to do so,” Yang Kai said with a pensive look.
“You’re right, the Heaven Grade Cultivation Paradise of the Spirit Lake Palace is probably on par with the Heaven Grade ones in Star Soul Palace, and all Emperor Realm Masters would want to give it a try. If they managed to make a breakthrough during their occupancy, it would be worth it no matter how high the price,” Ye Jing Han approved of the opinion of Yang Kai and she said. “But, there are only thirty Heaven Grade Cultivation Rooms.”
“Thirty rooms… Then those Seniors would have an intense fight over them.” Yang Kai nodded.
Thirty rooms seemed plenty, but it really was not. Emperor Realm Masters weren’t commonly seen, but even if there weren’t a thousand in the Southern Territory, there were at least eight hundred, and only those from Star Soul Palace wouldn’t be interested in the Heaven Grade Cultivation Rooms here. As for the rest, they would all covet a secluded cultivation in those rooms.
Once news about it spread out, thirty rooms wouldn’t be nearly enough!
“That’s those Seniors’ business and it isn’t something the likes of me has to agonize over,” Ye Jing Han pursed her lips and smiled.
“What’s the number of Earth and Mortal Grade Rooms?” Yang Kai asked next.
“It looks like there are 500 Earth Grade Rooms and 3,000 Mortal Grade Rooms…”
Upon hearing this, Yang Kai nodded lightly. The number of rooms looked low and far from enough, but not every person could afford a cultivation session in the Spirit Lake Palace and could only observe those rooms from afar.
The income of Maplewood City would reach an astronomical figure thanks to those rooms, but it would likely be divided between the top Sects and only a little would be left for the city. Despite this, Duan Yuan Shan and the others would quickly get rich.
“It is as you say…” Ye Jing Han’s voice suddenly turned low and she spoke in a mystifying tone, “However, this is only a rumour, but it is said that the Spirit Lake Palace has some additional rooms left for the top Sects, which aren’t open to the public. Disciples of those Sects can use those rooms for free, and they can stay there as long as they want.”
“Huh?” Yang Kai raised his brows, “Is that true?”
Ye Jing Han said, “The source of this information isn’t known, but it seems to be quite reliable; after all, the Spirit Lake Palace was built by those top Sects, so it only makes sense for them to reserve some rooms for themselves.”
“That’s understandable!” Yang Kai nodded lightly.
Now, he was also a disciple of Azure Sun Temple and he had an Identity Token in his hands. If the news was reliable, then he could use the token to cultivate in one of those rooms for free.
“In addition, the great Sects arranged a powerful Spirit Array that would lead the World Energy leaking out from the Spirit Lake Palace into Maplewood City, which is why the density of the World Energy in Maplewood City has risen so much.”
“So that’s what happened…” Yang Kai suddenly understood the reason why the density of the World Energy in Maplewood City had risen greatly rather than decreasing. It turned out that it was because an array was leading the World Energy of the Spirit Lake Palace here.
Now, Maplewood City was also much more suitable for cultivation than before. Even if it wasn’t on par with the Spirit Lake Palace, it was still a good fortune for the cultivators residing in Maplewood City.
“Maplewood City will become one of the greatest cities of the Southern Territory in less than two years. I heard that the two great chambers of commerce will also establish branches here.”
Yang Kai chuckled, “The two chambers of commerce wouldn’t miss any chance to make money.”
As they chatted, they quickly reached Spirit Pill Plaza. The shop wasn’t any different from before and there weren’t many customers shopping at the moment. In fact, only the shop-hand was present while the shopkeeper was nowhere to be seen.
Since Kang Si Ran had been transferred, Yang Kai had not visited Spirit Pill Plaza again until now and he couldn’t help sighing inwardly upon seeing it.
After all, Spirit Pill Plaza was the first place he ‘settled’ in Maplewood City.
“Are you… Grandmaster Yang?” A surprised cry reached the ears of Yang Kai and pulled him out of his trance. He raised his head to take a look and saw the shop hand gazing at him excitedly.
“Shop hand, how have you been lately?” Yang Kai greeted him with a smile.
When he had been refining pills in Spirit Pill Plaza, he often contacted this shop hand so, naturally, they weren’t strangers. However, due to various circumstances Yang Kai never actually learned this young lad’s name.
“Good, very good!” The shop-hand said excitedly and incoherently from Yang Kai even remembering his appearance, “Many thanks, Grandmaster Yang, for your concern.”
After he spoke, he quickly ran into the store, shouting, “Grandmaster Yang has come back. Shopkeeper, Grandmaster Yang has come back!”
“Why is he acting like that?” Ye Jing Han looked in confusion at Yang Kai, wondering what was wrong with the shop-hand.
Yang Kai said, “I refined pills in this Spirit Pill Plaza for a couple of months in the past.”
“So that’s the reason.”
“Let’s go in,” Yang Kai gestured to her lightly. He had noticed that after the crazy shouts of the shop-hand, the few customers who were here to make purchases of pills all turned to give him strange gazes, which was why he urged Ye Jing Han to head further inside.
After he walked past the lobby, he ran into a fatty with a gleaming face clad in luxurious clothes on his way to the back of the store. This fat man looked about forty years old and had an impressive belly.
This was obviously the new shopkeeper of Spirit Pill Plaza and he was also a Third-Order Origin King cultivator, the same as Kang Si Ran before his recent breakthrough.
The fatty wiped off the sweat from his forehead and said anxiously, “Where is Grandmaster Yang?”
As his voice fell, he suddenly raised his head and sighted upon Yang Kai. He quickly cupped his fists at him and said, “Greetings Grandmaster Yang, I am the current shopkeeper of Spirit Pill Plaza, Zhou Fu, I apologize sincerely for failing to welcome you personally, please don’t take offense.”
Yang Kai cupped his fists to him and said with a smile, “Shopkeeper Zhou is too polite. It was I who came unannounced.”
As they exchanged greetings, two more people raced out from the back rooms shouting anxiously, “Who is Grandmaster Yang, where is he?”
One of them surveyed the surroundings before his gaze fell upon Yang Kai and he immediately asked, “Are you Grandmaster Yang?”
Yang Kai cast a glance at him. This man had dishevelled hair and sunken, bloodshot eyes, as if he hadn’t rested in a long while. The other man standing next to him was in similar condition.
What’s more, Yang Kai could smell a faint pill fragrance lingering around this pair’s bodies.
Yang Kai quickly realized their occupations and he smiled at them, “I don’t dare to call myself a Grandmaster, but this one is indeed surnamed Yang.”
Upon hearing this, the eyes of the two people shone brightly and they stared at Yang Kai with an ardent gaze. Cupping their fists, they bowed deeply, “Greetings, Grandmaster Yang.”
“Two friends are too polite,” Yang Kai smiled before he turned to Zhou Fu, “Shopkeeper Zhou, can we go inside to have a chat?”
He gestured lightly toward the people in the vicinity. The customers making purchases in the store were all observing them in confusion, making guesses about the identity of Yang Kai and why the members of Spirit Pill Plaza were so respectful to him.
Zhou Fu said awkwardly, “How negligent of me! Grandmaster Yang, please come in.”
“Yes, yes, Grandmaster Yang, please come inside,” the two men behind him quickly made way for Yang Kai respectfully.
“Have the best spirit tea prepared immediately,” as Zhou Fu said so, he kicked the shop-hand observing them, sending the latter scurrying to complete his task.
After a short while, Yang Kai sat down in the backroom with Ye Jing Han standing behind him like a bodyguard, while Zhou Fu and his companions stood before him.
“Friends, please sit,” Yang Kai said and gestured to them lightly.
“No, we don’t have the right to sit in the presence of Grandmaster Yang, we’ll just stand!” Zhou Fu quickly waved his hand in refusal.
“That’s right, that’s right.”
“Kneeling is also fine!” One of the two Alchemists suddenly suggested, drawing light laughter from Ye Jing Han’s lips. She simply couldn’t understand why Yang Kai had so much prestige here.
Yang Kai didn’t force them to sit down anymore and instead asked, “Have you received any instructions from Shopkeeper Kang?”
Zhou Fu’s expression turned austere as he said, “Shopkeeper Kang has contacted us multiple times, inquiring about Grandmaster Yang, but until today none of us had seen Your Excellency, nor could we obtain any information about you. Fortunately, news spread from the Four Seasons Realm about Grandmaster Yang, allowing us to give a confession to Shopkeeper Kang,” Zhou Fu said and chuckled bitterly.
Yang Kai nodded, “Shopkeeper Kang is quite considerate, how is he doing now?”
Zhou Fu explained, “Very good, I heard that he’ll shortly return to Maplewood City.”
Yang Kai’s expression changed and he said, “Is it because of the matter about Violet Source Chamber of Commerce setting up a branch here?”
Zhou Fu said, “Grandmaster Yang, you are indeed well-informed. Violet Source Chamber of Commerce decided to open a branch in Maplewood City and they decided to assign Kang Si Ran as a Manager. He has been conducting business here for many years and has an extensive network of contacts, making it easier to deal with diverse affairs in this city.”
Yang Kai said with a smile, “Brother Kang will finally be rewarded for his hard work.”
In the past, Maplewood City was just an insignificant city, the likes of which could be found anywhere, so Kang Si Ran had been eager to transfer away after reaching the Dao Source Realm. However, the current Maplewood City was on the cusp of becoming a great city, which was why Violet Source Chamber of Commerce was transferring Kang Si Ran back here. They obviously trusted his ability and the latter would surely obtain many benefits and a prominent status as a result.
As a matter of fact, this was really what happened. Kang Si Ran had stayed in this city for so many years and he had a good relationship with the City Lord’s Mansion and the Patriarchs of the various great families, which was why he was a perfect candidate to become a Manager in Maplewood City’s branch.
After they chatted for a while, Yang Kai suddenly changed the topic of discussion and said, “Shopkeeper Zhou, I visited Spirit Pill Plaza today to ask for your help.”
Zhou Fu’s face became rosy and he said in a deep voice, “Grandmaster Yang, what instructions do you have for me? Please feel free to speak. This Zhou will walk through fire and cross oceans for you!”
“Hehe, it’s nothing so grave.” Yang Kai chuckled and waved his hand, “I want to purchase some Facetless Profound Grass, you know of it, don’t you?”
“Facetless Profound Grass?” Shopkeeper Zhou raised his brows and said, “I am indeed familiar with it and our Spirit Pill Plaza has some in stock. If Grandmaster Yang has need of it, he may take all of it as a gift.”
Yang Kai shook his head and said, “The stock in Spirit Pill Plaza is far from enough.”
Zhou Fu said, “How much do you want?”
“The more the better!”
“I’ll send people to collect it from the other shops in the city. Grandmaster Yang will not be disappointed by the results.”
“Many thanks, Shopkeeper Zhou,” Yang Kai said and cupped his fists.
Zhou Fu smiled, “Grandmaster Yang is far too polite. Grandmaster Yang is the saviour of our Spirit Pill Plaza as well as a former member of it, it is only natural that this Zhou fulfils your little request.”
Zhou Fu quickly went to handle matters related to the Facetless Profound Grass.
Actually, Yang Kai could have handled this and purchased them by himself, but he would have wasted a lot of time and energy on it; on the other hand, Zhou Fu was in touch with the shopkeepers of the other stores in Maplewood City and he could quickly get any materials from them, making him more efficient than Yang Kai.
After Zhou Fu left, the two men with dishevelled hair looked at Yang Kai excitedly, “Grandmaster Yang, do you need Facetless Profound Grass to refine pills?”
Yang Kai smiled, “You could say so. Friends, it looks like you are also Alchemists, aren’t you?”
“Indeed! We’re very honoured to undertake the same craft as Grandmaster Yang,” one of them replied with a fawning smile.
As for the other person, “Grandmaster Yang, we’ve looked up to you for so long, yet never had the chance to meet you and didn’t expect that we’d be fortunate to run into you today.”
The two Alchemists were both slick-tongued and they spoke one after the other with a respectful and humble look plastered on their faces. It was almost like they were worshipping Yang Kai!
Ye Jing Han observed this in shock. She felt like her worldview had been toppled and she almost couldn’t believe what she had just seen.
As far as she knew, Alchemists were arrogant and prideful people and she never got to see them praising and flattering someone.
But, as she gave more thought to this, she realized that Alchemists only gave respect to better Alchemists. Yang Kai had refined the Extraordinary Treasure Pill, so it wasn’t strange for two Origin King Grade Alchemists to treat him so respectfully.
Even at this moment, the two Alchemists were still showering Yang Kai with flattery and praising him to the highest Heavens.
Yang Kai let out a hollow cough, “Friends, don’t you have any questions for me? I have some free time now…”
Upon hearing this, the two Alchemists exchanged a glance and they could both see the excitement apparent in each other’s eyes. One of them then took the initiative to speak up, “Grandmaster Yang, you are indeed sharp and insightful! We have heard that the Source Condensing Pills refined by Grandmaster Yang when he worked at Spirit Pill Plaza were quite popular. But, since we took over, we noticed that our Source Condensing Pills lacked something and many customers were dissatisfied with that, which is why the number of our store’s customers has gone down lately.”
“We just want… Want to… Grandmaster Yang, if you have some free time, can you please share your insights into the Alchemic Dao with us?”
Upon hearing this, Yang Kai asked, “Does Spirit Pill Plaza still use the improved recipe for Source Condensing Pills? The one improved by Grandmaster Huang Fu?”
“That’s right, Grandmaster Huang Fu is an Emperor Grade Alchemist, and he is the foundation of our Violet Source Chamber of Commerce’s Alchemists.”
“Since you are still using Grandmaster Huang Fu’s recipe, then there is no issue with the ingredients or process, so the problem must be in your refining methods. It won’t be useful to just explain it to you in words… Why don’t you refine a batch of Source Condensing Pills while I observe?” Yang Kai proposed.
Upon hearing this, the two Alchemists became fired up. They had both realized that Yang Kai was planning to give them practical guidance, a rare opportunity far from the reach of most people, so how could they refuse his request? They both shouted at the same time, “We will obey Grandmaster’s instructions! Grandmaster, please come this way.”
Yang Kai nodded and stood up, allowing the two Alchemists to guide him to the underground Pill Room. Ye Jing Han also followed them closely out of curiosity.
She was a Second-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, but she had never observed someone refine pills up close before so she was quite interested in this.
After a short while, the small group reached the blazing hot underground Pill Room. There was a Spirit Array here for drawing out Earth Fire used in Alchemy, and Yang Kai was quite familiar with it because he had worked here for a few months.
The two Alchemists took out a batch of materials and started refining pills, while Yang Kai stood in front of them and observed carefully.
It wasn’t difficult for him to guide two High-Rank Origin King Grade Alchemists with his current attainments in Alchemy. Refining technique, Spirit Array portrayal, heat control, each aspect could influence the quality of Spirit Pills.
During the process, Yang Kai offered suggestions frequently and the two Alchemists accepted his advice humbly.
In the twinkling of an eye, half a day elapsed. The Alchemists opened their furnaces and they had both refined five or six pills of decent quality. They were quite delighted by the results and were very grateful to Yang Kai.
At this moment, Zhou Fu passed a message to Yang Kai, telling him that he had acquired the Facetless Profound Grass.
Yang Kai excused himself, leaving the two Alchemists to digest the gains from this brief instructional session, and returned to the plaza’s backroom.
Upon seeing Yang Kai, Zhou Fu, who had been waiting, quickly took out a Space Ring, “I have fulfilled your task. This ring has 2,000 stalks of Facetless Profound Grass. Please accept it!”
Yang Kai raised his brows and nodded, “Shopkeeper Zhou, you work quite fast.”
2,000 stalks of Facetless Profound Grass would sustain his needs for a long time, and Zhou Fu had used only half a day to collect them. He obviously put a lot of effort into this. If Yang Kai had done it by himself, he wouldn’t have been able to purchase so much in half a day.
“About the price…” Yang Kai took the Space Ring then raised his head to ask.
Zhou Fu hurriedly replied, “The Facetless Profound Grass isn’t worth much, just take it as a token of my regards for you. Please don’t reject it!”
Yang Kai said with a smile, “You don’t have to do so, you deserve proper remuneration.”
Saying so, Yang Kai suddenly waved his hand and a small mountain of Source Crystals appeared on a nearby table.
Yang Kai didn’t wait for the response from Zhou Fu before his body flickered and disappeared from the room. Even Ye Jing Han had disappeared along with him.
But, his voice still reverberated in Zhou Fu’s ears, “Whenever Shopkeeper Kang returns to Maplewood City, please notify me. When we meet again, we’ll have to drink to celebrate.”
Zhou Fu stared in a daze at the Source Crystals on the table and let out a bitter laugh.
…..
In one of the city’s streets, Yang Kai and Ye Jing Han suddenly appeared.
When Ye Jing Han re-appeared, she stumbled on the ground and almost fell. Her face was quite pale as she looked aghast at Yang Kai and asked, “Young Master Yang, is this your… teleportation ability?”
“Are you alright?” Yang Kai didn’t reply to her question and instead inquired about her well-being.
“It is my first time experiencing such a teleportation and I could clearly feel the chaotic flow of the Void around me. I still feel some lingering fear,” Ye Jing Han said.
Yang Kai said with a smile, “Then you’re still fine.”
Saying so, he took out a communication artifact and started sending his Divine Sense into it.
“Young Master Yang, who are you speaking to?” Ye Jing Han asked.
“Oh, I was planning to set out now so I need to leave a message for Patriarch Qin.”
“You don’t want to bid farewell to him in person?” Ye Jing Han looked strangely at him.
“There’s no need. In any case, I will return here in the future and Patriarch Qin is quite busy right now. Didn’t you tell me that the Patriarchs of Maplewood City’s families had all followed City Lord Duan to manage the Spirit Lake Palace?”
Ye Jing Han said, “If it’s only about Patriarch Qin, then I suppose that’s fine, but what about Young Lady Qin…”
“What’s about her?” Yang Kai turned his head and cast a glance at her, saying, “When I exited my retreat, I checked her aura stealthily and she seemed fine. Her state is already stable and her vitality is quite abundant.”
Ye Jing Han pursed her lips and smiled, “Young Master Yang, while you were in seclusion, Young Lady Qin came to your room daily and waited for no less than two hours each time. She probably has something she wishes to tell you, so why not give her a chance?”
Yang Kai cast a glance at her and his mouth twitched slightly, “Are all women so gossipy?”
As his voice fell, he used the communication artifact to leave a message for Qin Zhao Yang, telling him he would be leaving Maplewood City for a while and would come back again if there was a chance.
The Myriads Sword of the Qin Family was still in his hands, but he already had an agreement with Qin Zhao Yang about it. Once Qin Yu reached the Emperor Realm, he would return the Myriads Sword to the Qin Family. He couldn’t break his relationship with the Qin Family due to this, but he didn’t know when Qin Yu would reach the Emperor Realm, or whether she ever would.
Soon after, he took out the Identity Token of Azure Sun Temple to inform Gao Xue Ting that he would shortly leave. This token wasn’t just proof of his status and identity, it also served as a communication artifact. As long as there was another member of Azure Sun Temple in the vicinity, he could communicate with them through this token.
“That’s…” Ye Jing Han’s pretty eyes stared at the golden token with a pensive look, but when she saw the ‘Azure Sun’ characters carved on it, her body shivered and she cried out in alarm, “An Azure Sun Golden Token!”
Yang Kai looked in surprise at her, wondering why she had such a strong reaction.
“Young Master Yang, it turns out you’re a Core Disciple of Azure Sun Temple! Please forgive me for my previous disrespect…” Ye Jing Han laughed bitterly while an envious look surfaced on her face.
“A Core Disciple?” Yang Kai raised his brows, “How do you know that?”
Ye Jing Han looked strangely at Yang Kai and said, “Young Master Yang, you’re a member of Azure Sun Temple, so how come you don’t know how they classify their disciples?”
The corners of Yang Kai’s mouth twitched and he could only say awkwardly, “I’m only an in-name disciple of Azure Sun Temple, not a real disciple.”
“Then this golden token…” Ye Jing Han’s forehead filled with cold sweat as she felt her head spinning, her whole body shivering greatly. She couldn’t help but wonder whether Yang Kai had stolen this token from someone. If he had done so, then she would incur a disaster for Thousand Leaves Sect by inviting this man into it.
“Elder Gao forced it onto me,” Yang Kai said resentfully.
“She forced it… onto you…” Ye Jing Han almost fainted. Numerous talented youths of the Southern Territory fought with their lives on the line just to obtain the most common Identity Token from Azure Sun Temple, while a Core Disciples token had been ‘forced’ into Yang Kai’s hands by Elder Gao, as if he had accepted it only reluctantly.
Ye Jing Han suddenly felt quite unwell, while she got a dizzy spell and her vision turned blurry. She couldn’t help but wonder whether it was due to the previous teleportation or something else.
“Huh? Why is your face so pale? Did you eat something bad this morning?” Yang Kai cast a glance at her and spoke.
“Young Master Yang…” Ye Jing Han looked entreatingly at Yang Kai, “Please don’t make such terrible jokes, I’m quite excitable, so please stop trying to scare me.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Young Master Yang, don’t you know what this Azure Sun Golden Token represents?”
Yang Kai said sternly, “I only received it a month ago and have been in seclusion since then. What’s so special about this token?”
Ye Jing Han took a deep breath, causing her tall peaks to heave up and down heavily, like they were about to break through her dress.
Upon seeing this, Yang Kai couldn’t help but cast some frequent glances just below her neck.
After Ye Jing Han calmed herself, she explained, “The Identity Tokens of Azure Sun Temple’s disciples are all made of the same materials, but they are divided into three grades, bronze, silver, and gold. In the Temple, only a few top disciples of the Inner Sect possess an Azure Sun Golden Token, and with it, they are able to command all disciples with lower grade tokens. A person with a golden token has status equal to an ordinary Elder and they can even mobilize the personnel of the various industries of Azure Sun Temple across the entire Southern Territory. Whether it is requesting support, issuing commands, or borrowing resources, this token grants such authority. It is incredibly precious!”
“Oh, really?”
Upon hearing all of this, a stupefied look appeared on Yang Kai’s face. He didn’t know that the Identity Tokens of Azure Sun Temple’s disciples were divided into several grades.
It looked like the Azure Sun Golden Token given to him by Gao Xue Ting was anything but ordinary, and it was a symbol of her trust in him, as well as her recognition of his potential.
“Young Master Yang, you really didn’t know anything?” Ye Jing Han laughed bitterly.
“It’s just a token,” Yang Kai replied casually before he infused his Divine Sense into the token then sent a notification for Gao Xue Ting before placing it back. “Let’s go!”
The complex look apparent on the face of Ye Jing Han was quickly replaced by excitement and she nodded, “Okay!”
As her voice fell, Yang Kai’s power had already enveloped her and they teleported outside the city. Soon after, Yang Kai took out the wooden boat Artifact and stepped on it then beckoned to her, waiting for her to get on before weaving a set of hand seals and setting off.
The wooden boat wasn’t big, but it was still more than enough to accommodate two people standing on it. Besides, this was a Dao Source Grade High-Rank Flight Artifact, an artifact close to Emperor Grade, so its speed was quite outstanding.
Prior to this ordeal, he didn’t even remember where he had once heard the name of Thousand Leaves Sect and he had no understanding of it. That’s why he briefly questioned Ye Jing Han about it on the journey.
According to what Ye Jing Han had said, the Thousand Leaves Sect had been one of the first-class Sects of the Southern Territory long ago. It hadn’t been on par with peak-level sects such as Azure Sun Temple and Heavenly Martial Holy Land, but it still wasn’t too far from them.
However, since the entrance to its Sealed World had been sealed, the Sect lost access to abundant World Energy, as well as numerous pieces of its core inheritance. As a result, it had quickly declined and it grew weaker with each passing year.
In the current generation of Ye Jing Han’s father, the Sect had already declined thoroughly and the only Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator remaining was Sect Master Ye Han. In other words, they were weaker than the Blue Feather Sect!
Blue Feather Sect didn’t have an Emperor Realm Master assuming command, but it still had four Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivators the last time Yang Kai visited it.
In the previous opening of the Four Seasons Realm, Blue Feather Sect had still been awarded two entry quotas, while Thousand Leaves Sect didn’t even have one. One could clearly see the disparity between them from this.
Thousand Leaves Sect was located in Thousand Leaves Mountain Range in the Southern Territory’s Jiang Province, and it was around half a month’s journey away from Maplewood City.
Previously, Maplewood City had a Space Array leading to Jiang Province, but it had been destroyed by Drunkard during the desperate fight against the Demon Qi shrouding the city and it hadn’t been repaired since then.
After all, Maplewood City was quite small and the words of Duan Yuan Shan and his companions counted for little. They couldn’t invite competent Array Masters to repair the Space Array.
But, this wasn’t an issue any longer. After settling the Spirit Lake Palace’s affairs, Xiao Yu Yang and the other Emperors would surely dispatch Array Masters from their Sects to repair the Space Array.
Maplewood City would become one of the greatest cities of the Southern Territory and its Space Array would surely be connected to every major city it could.
Yang Kai reckoned that it would be easy for him to return to Maplewood City next time as he would just have to seek any medium-sized city and use its Space Array to instantly travel into Maplewood City.
Along the way, Yang Kai and Ye Jing Han spent their free time chatting, and he learned that the Thousand Leaves Sect was actually a Puppet Refinement Sect, and most of its disciples cultivated the Dao of Puppetry.
This was the first time Yang Kai had run into such a type of Sect in the Star Boundary. There were three thousand Daos which comprised the Martial Dao. Puppet Techniques weren’t weak, but they had strict cultivation requirements and refining puppets was a pretty complex process, which was why few people had any good achievements in this Dao.
But, if one cultivated the Dao of Puppetry to its pinnacle, then they would also be extremely powerful.
“Since your Thousand Leaves Sect mainly cultivates Puppet Techniques, why haven’t I ever seen you use them?” Yang Kai asked in confusion.
When they had run into danger below the eighteen Spirit Springs, Ye Jing Han didn’t use her puppets once.
Upon hearing Yang Kai’s question, an embarrassed look appeared on Ye Jing Han’s face and she said awkwardly, “If I tell you, then you would laugh at us. Our Thousand Leaves Sect is known for its Puppet Techniques, but we lost most of our core Puppet Control Techniques after the Sect Master of that generation brought numerous Secret Technique Manuals and books into the Sealed World. As a result, the puppets refined by our Thousand Leaves Sect currently… Aren’t very useful.”
Saying so, she pursed her rosy lips and weaved some hand signs, summoning a little blue bird into her palm.
Yang Kai observed the bird carefully. This was a perfect lifelike imitation of a bird and even had distinctive feathers that gave off a natural lustre. But, if one observed it with their Divine Sense, they would realize that this bird didn’t have a body of flesh and blood and it was just a puppet crafted out of various materials.
Amazement surfaced in Yang Kai’s eyes. If he didn’t observe the bird carefully with his Divine Sense, then he wouldn’t have been able to distinguish it from the real deal.
Soon after, Ye Jing Han weaved hand seals again and pointed her jade-white finger at the bird.
In the next moment, the bird shone brightly and it flapped its little wings, turning its head around and flying up into the air before it started circling around Ye Jing Han, letting out authentic-sounding chirps.
Upon seeing this, Yang Kai gasped in amazement and nodded at her with praise, “Your Noble Sect’s Puppet Techniques are outstanding.”
Ye Jing Han’s face got flushed, “Many thanks, Young Master Yang, for the undeserved praise. Our Sect’s current Puppet Techniques could only craft puppets like the one before your eyes. They are useful for gathering intelligence and stealthily tracking, but they are pretty much useless in real battles. This is why… Some of the Elders of our Sect have already started cultivating other methods and Secret Techniques as they believe Puppet Techniques are useless.”
Yang Kai sneered and said, “They are all just too short-sighted.”
Ye Jing Han’s eyes lit up, “Young Master Yang, do you truly believe the Dao of Puppetry is good?”
Yang Kai said firmly, “I haven’t delved into this Dao, but I still know that powerful puppets shouldn’t be underestimated. It’s said that the Star Boundary has some pretty strong puppets, ones so strong that even Emperor Realm Masters would avoid fighting them if they could.”
Upon hearing this, Ye Jing Han smiled bitterly, “I don’t aspire to craft such strong puppets, I just wish to halt the decline of our Thousand Leaves Sect. But it’s a pity… The crux of Puppet Refining is the availability of Spirit Energy Hearts and our Sect doesn’t have any methods left to craft High-Grade Spirit Energy Hearts. If we could at least obtain such a method, then regaining our former glory wouldn’t be so impossible.”
“Spirit Energy Hearts?” Yang Kai raised his brow as he suddenly recalled something. Stretching out his hand, he summoned several egg-sized crystals which emitted a strange radiance into his palm.
Ye Jing Han cried out in alarm and without waiting for him to explain anything shouted, “Spirit Energy Hearts? Young Master Yang, why do you have such objects in your possession?”
“I obtained them in the Four Seasons Realm,” Yang Kai replied.
In the Flowing Time Temple, the first trial faced by the crowd was numerous puppets, and after Yang Kai had defeated said puppets, he collected their Spirit Energy Hearts. He only had a few of them though and hadn’t decided what to do with them yet.
“The Four Seasons Realm…”
Upon hearing this, Ye Jing Han’s expression turned gloomy, but she quickly recovered and asked excitedly, “Young Master Yang, can I have a look at those Spirit Energy Hearts?”
Yang Kai cast a glance at her lightly before tossing one of them over.
Ye Jing Han caught it in delight and started playing with it in her hands while observing it carefully like a little kid who had just gotten a new toy. The woman’s delight was apparent on her face!
“The Spirit Arrays engraved on this Spirit Energy Heart look very old, the techniques to engrave the Spirit Veins have already been lost, but this Spirit Energy Heart’s grade is pretty high. If I’m not mistaken, this should have belonged to a Dao Source Grade Puppet, yes?”
Yang Kai nodded and said, “That’s right, you’re still able to appraise and identify them accurately it seems.”
“Young Master Yang, please don’t make fun of me. I have been involved in the Dao of Puppetry since my childhood and I have studied it ever since then. If I have this Spirit Energy Heart, then I can craft a Dao Source Grade Puppet…”
Saying so, she clenched the Spirit Energy Heart tightly and looked expectantly at Yang Kai, “Young Master Yang, I have a presumptuous request.”
“Since you know it’s a presumptuous request, don’t raise it,” Yang Kai knew very well what she wanted to ask and swiftly snatched the Spirit Energy Heart back from her, grinning as he said, “I have only a few of these and I want to keep them.”
“Young Master Yang…” Ye Jing Han wore a sorrowful look, as if Yang Kai had now thoughtlessly abandoned her after casually sleeping with her, “Why don’t you sell it to me? This object is pretty much useless to you.”
Now, she was only a Second-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, the same as Yang Kai, but if she could refine a Dao Source Grade Puppet, then she would be able to raise her combat strength significantly. This wasn’t any different than a Heaven-sent blessing for a person who was engrossed in Puppet Techniques since her childhood.
Moreover, it wasn’t limited to just this. She could still study the internal structure of this Spirit Energy Heart and might be able to comprehend some of its secrets, ultimately enabling her to reproduce it. If she could achieve this feat, then she would be able to raise the power of Thousand Leaves Sect by several-fold.
“Young Master Yang, can you sell one of them to me? I beg of you.”
Upon noticing that Yang Kai was turning a deaf ear to her pleas, Ye Jing Han gripped Yang Kai’s arm and started shaking it repeatedly like a little girl throwing a tantrum.
Yang Kai curled the corners of his lips and revealed an evil grin, chuckling as he said, “Young Lady Ye, we’re now in a desolate area, so is it really appropriate for you to stick so close to me?”
Upon hearing this, Ye Jing Han’s face got flushed and she immediately realized how inappropriate her current actions were. She quickly let go of him then asked piteously, “Young Master Yang, what do you want in exchange for one of them?”
“I won’t sell it for now,” Yang Kai replied.
“For now?”
Upon hearing this, Ye Jing Han raised her brow and she took keen notice of the implication behind Yang Kai’s words, her eyes suddenly lighting up as she asked, “Then when will you sell them?”
Yang Kai chuckled, “That depends on the situation. I may not ever sell them, or I may decide to sell them at a passing opportunity.”
“You’re so…” Ye Jing Han was so enraged that she stamped her feet. She had no way to deal with Yang Kai.
She didn’t get to finish her words though as Yang Kai’s expression suddenly turned grave and he stopped the boat. Ye Jing Han who had been standing behind him almost knocked into his back, but she reacted pretty quickly and used her Source Qi to keep her balance. Afterwards, she couldn’t help but ask angrily, “Young Master Yang, what are you up to?”
Yang Kai didn’t reply and just looked coldly into the void in the vicinity with a mocking grin on his face.
“What’s wrong?”
Upon seeing this, Ye Jing Han couldn’t help but question him, while a chill suddenly ran down her spine, as if she was being eyed by some dangerous beast.
A light breeze blew over the serene wilderness and brought with it an austere air.
Ye Jing Han had noticed that something was amiss, but couldn’t pinpoint what it was. She just wrapped her outer clothing around herself and stood there with a nervous look on her face.
“Friends, will you show yourselves obediently… Or will I have to make a move and pull you out?” Yang Kai sneered suddenly and shouted at the void.
“What? There is someone here?” Ye Jing Han was alarmed by what she had just heard and she suddenly understood why she felt nervous for no reason. She asked in surprise, “What’s going on?”
“Someone is staring at us,” Yang Kai said with a casual tone without even an ounce of nervousness.
Yang Kai waited for a long while, yet no one responded, so he could only sneer, “It looks like you’re quite confident in your Concealment Technique and you think that I’m just playing tricks with you.”
As his last word echoed out, Yang Kai’s figure suddenly turned fuzzy and he appeared in the next moment a hundred metres ahead of where he stood earlier, palming towards empty space.
*Hong…*
An explosion echoed out, closely followed by an alarmed cry. A silhouette suddenly jumped out of the void and moved back thirty metres before it could regain its balance.
After this one move, Yang Kai returned to the wooden boat and stood with his hands clasped behind his back, calmly stating, “The rest of you should also come out. Don’t waste my time. I don’t want to expose you one by one. You’re not little children, so don’t play such games with me.”
Less than three breaths had elapsed since his voice fell when two more figures revealed themselves. If the one Yang Kai attacked was added to their number, it would make them a group of three.
Ye Jing Han observed in shock. If she didn’t get a warning from Yang Kai, then she wouldn’t have noticed that someone was hiding here. She already knew that Yang Kai was far stronger than her, yet she still didn’t expect that the disparity between them was this great.
After all, she was still a Second-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, yet she did not manage to detect any danger lurking around them. If those three people had targeted her, then she would have been…
As she thought of this, Ye Jing Han’s whole body got drenched in a cold sweat.
“Hehe…” Yang Kai suddenly laughed and didn’t bother with observing the three that showed themselves, instead turning his head toward an empty region and asking, “Friend, you think your concealment skill is that good? Don’t you know that you’re standing opposite of where the wind is blowing and I can clearly sniff out your scent even though you’re standing that far away from me?”
After Yang Kai said so, another person showed up.
“Is there anyone else?” Ye Jing Han’s pretty face turned pale. After she released her Divine Sense, she realized that the auras of these four were hidden but it was obvious they were all powerful. They were most likely Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivators. Anyone among them could easily kill her, yet, they had to face four of them at the same time.
Even though she had a good understanding of Yang Kai’s power, she still got worried for him and she wondered whether he could contend against four of them.
Those four were strange. They did not utter a single word after showing themselves and they all wore hideous ghost masks that hid their facial features.
It still wasn’t limited to just this, the masks were obviously some kind of special artifacts that obstructed the probing of Divine Sense. When Yang Kai had released his Divine Sense to try and see their true faces, he was obstructed by the masks.
Other than the masks, the four wore the same clothing. They all looked capable and experienced and they wore the same black attire with the sole difference between them being the character embroidered on their chests. They were respectively Wind, Thunder, Fire, and Mountain.
The aura emanating from these four was also somewhat unusual. It looked like they had some kind of subtle connection and resonance between them.
Upon noticing this, Yang Kai’s face fell. He had realized that those four people weren’t pushovers and they likely cultivated some sort of Formation Technique.
“Wind, Thunder, Fire, and Mountain?” Ye Jing Han furrowed her brows and a pensive look appeared on her face, as if she had just recalled something.
“Friends, why were you waiting for us here? What do you want with us?” Yang Kai asked with a smile.
Upon hearing this, they still stood there motionless for a long while, before the Ghost Masked Man with the ‘Wind’ character depicted on his clothes suddenly spoke, “Come with us!”
Yang Kai raised his brows and asked, “Who are you? And where do you plan to take us?”
The Thunder-titled cultivator said in a deep voice, “Don’t waste time questioning, you’ll know once you get there.”
Yang Kai chuckled, “Sorry, but I’m quite afraid of strangers. I have never met you and I won’t go with you. Hope to see you again.”
As he spoke, he pushed his boat to try to escape, but a sizzling noise rang out at that moment and an arc of lightning flashed from the Thunder-titled cultivator, barring the path forward as he snorted coldly, “This isn’t up to you.”
Yang Kai’s pupils contracted. He was quite amazed by this person’s speed. His short distance movement speed wasn’t any weaker than his own teleportation technique, and from the looks of the Source Qi emitted from this man’s body, he obviously cultivated some sort of Thunder Attribute Secret Art.
Thunder was strong and swift, so it wasn’t strange for this person to possess such high speed.
Yang Kai’s face sank. Those people had obviously hidden here for a long while, and from their attitude and what they had said so far, it was obvious they were here for him.
But, Yang Kai had no idea about the origins of these four, nor their objectives.
The factions he offended lately were only the Flying Saint Palace and the Evil Moon Valley, but those two Sects didn’t have such powerful cultivators and they wouldn’t dare make a move against him.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but wonder if it was the Myriad Swords that had brought trouble to him. But upon giving it more thought, he realized that it was quite unlikely. If they were simply after his sword, they wouldn’t have asked him to accompany them, they could just kill him and steal his treasures.
As Yang Kai mulled this over, he said with a smile, “Friend, you’re quite swift. May I ask what I’ll have to do for you after accompanying you?”
“We have nothing to tell you,” The Thunder-titled cultivator replied coldly.
“You’re all so haughty! I see that there is no more room for discussion between us.” Yang Kai’s mouth twitched.
“Don’t waste your breath with him, just take him down.” The Fire-titled cultivator had a hot temper, probably because he cultivated a Fire Attribute Secret Art.
Upon hearing Yang Kai’s blubbering, he let out a shout and a blood-red dagger appeared in his hand. Pushing his Source Qi, the Fire-titled cultivator sent a cloud of flames towards Yang Kai.
In an instant, the temperature of the area rose drastically and the sky had been dyed by a blazing scarlet colour.
“Blood Dagger!” Ye Jing Han covered her mouth with her little hand and cried in alarm while her pretty eyes flashed in fright!
Yang Kai furrowed his brow and moved away along with Ye Jing Han. He dodged that terrifying strike and appeared again dozens of metres from his former position, staring coldly at the four people around him as he asked, “Do you know the origins of these people?”
“The Blood Dagger, they are from Blood Dagger!” Ye Jing Han replied in alarm.
“Look, I’m asking what this ‘Blood Dagger’ is.” Yang Kai shouted impatiently.
Ye Jing Han took a deep breath, trying to calm down, “Blood Dagger isn’t a Sect per se, but rather an organization, yet it’s more powerful than most top Sects. It isn’t known where its headquarters is located, but its activities span all four Territories of the Star Boundary. They would frequently sell their services and help people resolve their troubles for a fee. As long as you can afford to pay them, they will assassinate anyone for you, and once they make a move, they won’t stop until they eliminate their target.”
As she spoke up to here, Ye Jing Han said in a shivering voice, “Young Master Yang, why is Blood Dagger targeting you?”
Yang Kai’s brow twitched as he replied, “I’m as confused as you.” He really didn’t even know an organization like Blood Dagger existed prior to this.
Saying so, he shouted at the four, “Friends from Blood Dagger, may I ask you who is after my life?”
“No one!”
Surprisingly enough, the Wind-titled cultivator replied to this question, “We have just received an order from our superiors to bring you to our headquarters. So, please cooperate with us.”
Yang Kai chuckled and said, “It looks like getting into the limelight is not such a good thing after all.”
“Young Master Yang, you’re still in the mood to joke around?” Ye Jing Han stamped her feet.
“Just take a look at me,” Yang Kai stared at Ye Jing Han earnestly and said in a deep voice, “Does it look like I’m joking around? Am I not in the limelight?”
“You… You… You drive me crazy!” Ye Jing Han was choking back so much rage that her face got flushed.
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
The sound of something flying through the air suddenly rang out as the Wind-titled cultivator took the opportunity when Yang Kai was talking to Ye Jing Han to suddenly take out his dagger and make a move. He summoned several red blades of wind, which contained a sickening smell of iron, as if they had been formed by fresh blood.
Who knew how many people these cultivators had killed! Their attacks were all bloody and ruthless and had the same vicious aura.
Yang Kai’s body flickered again and he easily dodged the attack. He looked in mockery at the members of Blood Dagger, “If your powers are limited to just this, then go back home. It isn’t that easy to make a living in this world and you may lose your life at any moment.”
Upon hearing Yang Kai’s mockery, those four cultivators remained unmoved with the sole exception being the Fire-titled cultivator, who obviously showed anger in his eyes.
The Wind-titled cultivator nodded, “As expected, he’s proficient in the Dao of Space as the rumours say. It won’t be easy to deal with him.”
The Thunder-titled cultivator added, “That’s the reason why he’s so valuable. We have to take him back with us.”
“Let’s begin!” The Fire-titled cultivation shouted impatiently.
“Go!” As the Wind-titled cultivator shouted, his body shook and his wind surged. As the sound of the air being cut rang out again, a whirlwind started enveloping his body. The man was weaving hand seals with a heavy expression on his face as if he was using a powerful Secret Technique.
Meanwhile, the other three acted similarly, but the force surging out of their bodies was naturally different.
Yang Kai’s expression turned grave and he shouted at Ye Jing Han, “Protect yourself!”
As his voice fell, he flew toward his opponents with the Myriads Sword in his hand. An Emperor Pressure emanated from it while abundant Sword Qi and Sword Intent pervaded the region, as if it would shortly slice off a piece of the world. Yang Kai focused his strike towards the Wind-titled cultivator.
The opponents knew that he was proficient in Space Force, yet they still dared to obstruct him, so obviously they had a trump card up their sleeves and it was likely some Formation Technique.
Yang Kai had no idea about their power and skills, so how could he allow them to cast such a Secret Technique?
As he thrust out his sword, the world shook, like space itself was about to collapse.
The sword light had yet to reach the Wind character cultivator, but its bone-chilling murderous intent had already assaulted him. The man’s pupils contracted as he felt like death was looming over him, but he still didn’t dodge the strike and instead a resolute look flashed across his eyes and he started weaving hand seals at an even higher speed.
Meanwhile, the other three Blood Dagger Masters were still weaving their own hand seals with solemn looks on their faces.
*Weng…*
A faint yet strange noise suddenly echoed out, while the Source Qi of those people surged and a faint halo emerged around them.
Yang Kai’s expression changed. He suddenly discovered that the forces of those four cultivators resonated and connected tightly.
“Motionless… As Mountains…” The Mountain-titled cultivator who hadn’t uttered a word until now suddenly shouted with his face flushed. He patted the void below him with both his hands, letting out a loud slapping noise, followed shortly by a mountain phantom that appeared behind him for a brief moment before it disappeared into his body.
Formless ripples started spreading around the man and they turned into a peculiar power that sealed this region. Sitting cross-legged mid-air, the Mountain man closed his eyes like a monk in meditation, becoming deaf and blind to the outside world.
*Hong…*
In the face of Yang Kai’s Myriads Sword strike, the Wind-titled cultivator curled up the corners of his mouth and revealed a mocking smile.
*Pa…*
The sword strike stopped before the Wind-titled cultivator, but its sharp Sword Qi cut off his black bangs and left a bloody streak on his forehead, yet it still couldn’t take his life with one strike as Yang Kai intended.
The Myriads Sword was blocked by a formless barrier!
“What the hell is this?” Yang Kai’s pupils contracted as he stared in disbelief at the Wind-titled cultivator. He noticed clearly that the opponent didn’t even try to defend against his assault, yet his deadly strike was still obstructed.
The Wind-titled cultivator didn’t wait for Yang Kai to get over his shock before pointing his finger at his chest. A whirlwind containing indomitable power was formed at the tip of his finger.
Yang Kai could only place his sword in front of him in a fluster to defend against this assault, allowing the finger strike to fall upon the Myriads Sword’s blade.
The next moment, Yang Kai’s expression changed. He could feel that tremendous power was contained in this strike, as if a great mountain had slammed into him. He was sent flying away, the Source Qi flow within his body becoming disturbed.
A scarlet figure closed in on him silently. The Fire-titled cultivator attacked with his dagger in hand, bringing with him clouds of flames that swept towards Yang Kai.
“Young Master Yang, be careful!” Ye Jing Han’s pretty face turned pale and she cried out in alarm.
*Swoosh!*
The clouds of fire were assisted by a gust of wind. These two powers of different attributes overlapped and fused perfectly. In an instant, the whole sky was dyed in blazing scarlet colour.
Yang Kai could clearly feel the ferocious power contained in this move and his face fell. Just as he planned to teleport away, a sudden crackling noise echoed out, followed closely by the Thunder-titled cultivator who had appeared behind him and thrust his palm at his back.
The palm strike fell upon him directly before Yang Kai had a chance to dodge it. In an instant, arcs of lightning started dancing around him, while Yang Kai who had been obstructed by the lightning quickly got engulfed by the clouds of fire.
The Wind, Thunder, and Fire-titled cultivators cooperated skilfully and their timing was perfect. It was as if he was facing Soul Clones of the same person, rather than three different people. They had cornered Yang Kai with only a few moves.
Upon seeing this, Ye Jing Han’s face turned deathly pale, while her eyes shivered. She observed the raging clouds of fire in silence and asked herself inwardly, [Did he die? Did he die just like that?]
She couldn’t deny that Yang Kai was the strongest Dao Source Realm cultivator she had ever seen. He was prideful and arrogant, with an unyielding nature, but he also had many strange methods she could not begin to comprehend. She had always yearned to make some great achievements in the future like Yang Kai, yet such a great person was suddenly killed before her eyes.
He died so easily, to the point she couldn’t even believe it.
*Shua shua shua…*
The bodies of the Wind, Thunder, and Fire-titled cultivators suddenly flickered and they stood shoulder-to-shoulder in the air. They were coldly observing the region below them.
“Did our superiors make a big fuss over nothing? This boy doesn’t amount to much,” The Fire-titled cultivator snorted coldly and said disdainfully.
The Wind-titled cultivator was still observing the clouds of fire with furrowed brows, yet upon hearing the words of the Fire-titled cultivator, he couldn’t help but reprimand angrily, “You attacked him too viciously. Our superiors asked us to bring him back alive! They don’t want a corpse. If he really died, then how are we going to report this?”
The expression of the Fire-titled cultivator changed, as if he just realized that this was anything but good news for them; however, he still said obstinately, “I didn’t know that he was so frail, he couldn’t even take a single move… What should we do now?”
The Wind-titled cultivator snorted coldly, “You should solve the trouble you have made by yourself. Once we get back, I’ll report everything to them truthfully.”
The Thunder-titled cultivator furrowed, “Don’t make a fuss here, we aren’t even sure if he is dead. That brat is quite tough and he probably just suffered heavy injuries. Fire, go down and have a look at him.”
Upon hearing this, the Fire-titled cultivator got irritated, but he still rushed into the clouds of fire to inspect them.
The Wind and Thunder-titled cultivators waited nervously. They were all afraid that Yang Kai had really died; after all, their superiors asked them to bring him back alive, so if they killed him by mistake, it could very well be their final days in Blood Dagger. They all couldn’t withstand the punishment Blood Dagger would mete out.
The clouds of fire were still burning like before, as if they would continue burning until the end of the world, but the inner region was quite serene and the Fire-titled cultivator didn’t make a sound after he entered.
The Thunder and Wind-titled cultivators exchanged a glance, both realizing something was amiss.
At this moment, an incident suddenly occurred. A muffled groan transmitted from the clouds of fire. Shortly after, the Fire-titled cultivator flew out of the clouds, coughing up mouthfuls of blood mid-air.
“What?” The faces of the Thunder and Wind-titled cultivators darkened.
*Shua shua shua…*
A peculiar noise transmitted from the clouds of fire, as if Sword Qi and Sword Intent were running amok there. Shortly after, the raging flames suddenly got scattered and were replaced by a single figure shrouded by a multi-coloured radiance.
“Young Master Yang!”
Upon seeing the silhouette shrouded by seven-coloured light, Ye Jing Han wept in delight.
“That’s impossible!”
Upon seeing Yang Kai’s current state, the Thunder and Wind-titled cultivators cried out in alarm. They had noticed that even though it looked like Yang Kai was quite dishevelled, he didn’t sustain any injuries.
Moreover, the multi-coloured radiance emanating from him contained some great and mysterious power. They could clearly feel the power of the Five Elements around Yang Kai at this moment, causing his aura to rise sharply. The Five Elements coexisted in a single person body, supporting and nourishing each other in a virtuous cycle.
“Be careful, this brat isn’t easy to deal with,” The Fire-titled cultivator suddenly returned to his companions and wiped the blood at the corners of his mouth before turning an eager look towards Yang Kai.
“We don’t need your warning,” The Thunder and Wind-titled cultivators glared at the Fire-titled cultivator.
“Friends, many thanks for your concern,” Yang Kai swung the Myriads Sword and erased the Five Element Sword Qi around him as he revealed a grin. “I took a good rest and managed to learn the essence of your Formation Technique. Mountain, Thunder, Fire, and Wind. Your attributes resonate and fuse together, allowing you to enhance one another’s abilities.”
Saying so, Yang Kai cast a glance at the Mountain-titled cultivator sitting in the void who had turned a deaf ear to everything and said with an appreciative look on his face, “The Mountain man is in charge of sealing this region and protecting you, isn’t he? It’s no wonder my teleportation didn’t work a while ago. If I didn’t have a tough body, then I would have sustained some injuries already. The one who invented this Formation Technique is a true genius.”
The expression of the Wind-titled cultivator changed, “And you discovered all of that in such a short time?”
“That’s not quite right,” Yang Kai patted his clothes. “I also took some time to change into a new set of clean clothes. Do they look good on me?”
The Wind-titled cultivator’s expression turned unsightly as he suddenly noticed that Yang Kai had really changed into a new set of clothes and wasn’t just joking.
The Thunder-titled cultivator said with a gloomy look plastered on his face, “It looks like our superiors have their own reasons for sending all of us after him. This boy cannot be assessed with common sense.”
“No matter how strong he is, he’s only a Second-Order Dao Source Realm boy. If we join hands, we can contend even against an Emperor Realm Master, so we don’t have to fear him,” The Fire-titled cultivator flew into a rage out of shame.
Upon hearing this, Ye Jing Han, who had just calmed down, got nervous again.
If these four cultivators could really contend against an Emperor Realm Master, then Yang Kai had no chance of success. No matter how strong Yang Kai was, he was only a powerful Dao Source Realm cultivator and he couldn’t defeat an Emperor.
After the three chatted for a while, they suddenly quieted down and looked at Yang Kai with a grave gaze.
On the other side, Yang Kai only smiled in response, as carefree as ever.
An austere air filled the region.
Ye Jing Han suddenly shivered as if she had just fallen into a blizzard, feeling the tangible murderous intent pervading the air and assailing her skin, making her feel quite uncomfortable.
She was aware that she couldn’t provide any help to Yang Kai in a fight of this calibre, so she just hid far away to not cause more trouble to him.
Soon, their murderous intent suddenly collided in the air and burst out. The ambience changed and the Fire-titled cultivator shouted, “Charge!”
Following his shout, the Thunder-titled cultivator, who was the swiftest, suddenly appeared in front of Yang Kai and raised his hand, which had been shrouded by Lightning to swat at him, while a sizzling noise ringing out loudly
Yang Kai’s pupils contracted, but he still just coldly snorted, “Three Thousand Sword Dao, Seal!”
As he made a move, Sword Light sliced the void open and spread to the surroundings to assail the Thunder-titled cultivator.
The Thunder-titled cultivator was still unfazed and he just raised the corners of his mouth in response. His body suddenly turned fuzzy and he disappeared from his former location, shortly replaced by the Fire-titled cultivator, who was dozens of meters away.
“Location swapping?” Yang Kai’s expression changed.
The Fire-titled cultivator thrust his blade at him, followed closely by a cloud of fire, “Raging Flames Burn The Plains!”
*Hong hong hong…*
As the Sword Qi and flames collided, an intense explosion echoed out, while the World Energy in the region was stirred up chaotically. Space trembled as shockwaves spread far and wide.
“Thunderstorm!” The Thunder-titled cultivator appeared on the left side of Yang Kai at some unknown time and thrust his palm at him, while several thick arcs of lightning suddenly appeared atop Yang Kai’s head and descended upon him.
After Yang Kai had broken through the raging cloud of fire, several arcs of lightning fell upon him. His body couldn’t help but shiver, while a burnt odour emanated from him.
Lightning possessed great might, and if Yang Kai didn’t have a tough body thanks to his Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art, then he would have been knocked out on the spot. But despite this, the flow of his Source Qi was obstructed and wasn’t as smooth as before.
“Spring Breeze… Rain!” The Wind-titled cultivator suddenly appeared next to Yang Kai and thrust his dagger at him. The dagger brought with it a breeze that engulfed Yang Kai, one that contained a sleep-inducing power that would make one’s will to resist fade.
As the breeze invaded Yang Kai’s body, a confused and blank look appeared in his eyes, but at the critical moment, he bit his tongue and Space Principle swirled around his body.
Yang Kai waved his hand and sent out several large Moon Blades into the surroundings.
“Dodge them!” The expression of the Wind-titled cultivator changed and he shouted in a deep voice.
It looked like the Thunder and Fire-titled cultivators also had some understanding of Yang Kai and a grave look surfaced on their faces upon seeing this Space Secret Technique. All of them swiftly used their Movement Skills to dodge it.
*Huala…*
A soft sound echoed out as a pair of wings suddenly appeared on Yang Kai’s back. These wings contained the power of wind and thunder and they increased Yang Kai’s speed greatly.
The Wind and Thunder Wings!
Yang Kai hadn’t used them for a long time. Along with the increase of his strength, and his grasp over the Space Principles, his Wind and Thunder Wings weren’t as useful to him as before.
But, at this moment, with this region being sealed by the Mountain-titled cultivator, limiting Yang Kai’s ability to teleport around, he could only summon his Wind and Thunder Wings to compensate.
The wind hovered around him, while the thunder surged about. The Wind and Thunder-titled cultivators were both surprised by the appearance of Yang Kai’s wings, neither of them having expected him to possess such a treasure on top of his mastery over the Five Elements and Space Principles.
At this moment, the members of Blood Dagger realized that the number ‘Daos’ Yang Kai had touched upon had reached an astounding number.
*Shua…*
Yang Kai managed to increase his speed further with the Wind and Thunder Wings. As his body flickered, he suddenly appeared next to the Fire-titled cultivator and his face was almost stuck to his opponent’s.
The Fire-titled cultivator was startled by this, but upon seeing the mockery and murderous intent apparent in Yang Kai’s eyes, he flew into a rage out of shame and shouted, “What are you staring at!?”
“Isn’t it obvious that I’ll start with the weakest one?” Yang Kai chuckled.
The expression of the Fire-titled cultivator changed, “Are you implying that dealing with me is the easiest?”
“Who knows!?” Yang Kai grinned.
It was a fact that he decided to assault the Fire-titled cultivator first, mainly because it was easier to deal with him as he said.
The Mountain-titled cultivator was out of the question, as it could be discerned with a glance that he had exceptional defence. If this Mountain man was assisted by his resonance with his three companions, Yang Kai believed that it wouldn’t be possible for him to break through his defence in a short time. As for the Wind and Thunder-titled cultivators, they were both endowed with high speed and could dodge easily, so dealing with the Fire-titled cultivator was indeed the easiest option.
Saying so, Yang Kai stretched his hand ahead and shouted, “Freeze!”
Manipulating the local Space Principles, even though they were affected by the Divine Ability of the Mountain-titled cultivator, Yang Kai could still lock the body of the Fire-titled cultivator in place somewhat.
When Masters exchanged moves, lives could be lost in an instant.
In this short moment, the Fire-titled cultivator felt death looming over him and his face turned deathly pale.
“Die!” Yang Kai shouted as he slashed out with his Myriads Sword.
The Fire-titled cultivator couldn’t even put a defence against this strike and the sword quickly reached him.
At this critical juncture, the eyes of the Mountain-titled cultivator snapped open.
A mountain phantom image suddenly appeared between Yang Kai and the Fire-titled cultivator and it quickly solidified. The Myriads Sword fell upon the mountain and let out a jarring metallic clank. The mountain quickly collapsed but managed to absorb all of Yang Kai’s strike.
The body of the Mountain-titled cultivator flinched slightly, but he quickly closed his eyes again as he sat cross-legged as before.
As for the Fire-titled cultivator who had just escaped death, his forehead was perspiring profusely and his body flickered, making a quick escape.
Meanwhile, the Thunder and Wind-titled cultivators had also arrived. After this short confrontation, they had both realized that Yang Kai was far from ordinary. They both exchanged a glance then started pushing their strength while weaving hand seals.
As the force of wind and thunder surged out, they both swung their daggers and formed a thunderstorm that engulfed Yang Kai.
In an instant, Yang Kai found himself in a precarious situation. His clothes had been torn by the sharp blades of wind and his sturdy muscles were revealed. As for the sizzling lightning, it was swimming across his flesh, paralyzing him. He could move only with great difficulty and couldn’t fight back, leading to a situation where he had to passively defend against this move.
The Mountain-titled cultivator in the distance suddenly waved his hand and a mountain phantom image suddenly appeared above Yang Kai, threatening to fall upon him and trap him.
As a rumbling noise echoed out, the mountain phantom image descended upon Yang Kai and pushed him down, while the ground beneath his feet cracked open, forming many spider-web like patterns.
However, Yang Kai suddenly raised his hands to hold up the mountain.
The Mountain-titled cultivator’s composed look finally had a subtle change and shock flashed past his face for a short moment.
The other three wore solemn looks as well. After this short confrontation, they all didn’t dare to close in on Yang Kai again and they only observed him from afar.
“Is this brat really… Human?” The Fire-titled cultivator had just escaped death and his heart was still beating loudly because of it. He stared ahead with wide eyes and spoke, “He could withstand the Mountain’s Mt. Xumi Technique with his fleshly body. Mt. Xumi weighs at least a hundred thousand kilograms and even ordinary Emperor Realm Masters can’t lift it. What’s more, it has the ability to seal its targets.”
“His flesh body is too strong!” The Wind-titled cultivator spoke enviously.
The Thunder-titled cultivator sighed, “I now understand why our superiors want him alive… This person is worth studying. He’s only a Second-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, yet he’s already so strong. If we can learn his secrets, then we will gain unimaginable benefits.”
Upon hearing this, the eyes of the Wind-titled cultivator and the Fire-titled cultivator lit up, as if they had suddenly seen a bright future awaiting them.
“But, it still ends here.” The Thunder-titled cultivator snorted, “No matter how much he resists it, he’ll still be suppressed by Mountain’s Mt. Xumi.”
The Wind-titled cultivator and the Fire-titled cultivator gave him an approving nod. They were both aware of the great power of the Mountain-titled cultivator’s Mt. Xumi.
“Ha… hahaha…”
Meanwhile, Yang Kai suddenly sneered. He had been surrounded and attacked by these four cultivators for so long and he was already in a sorry state, yet he still laughed as freely as before.
The Fire-titled cultivator shouted, “Little brat, laugh while you can, I’ll make you cry soon enough!”
“If this is the limit of your powers, then it will be you who is crying shortly,” Yang Kai cast a glance at the Fire-titled cultivator and calmly spoke.
The expression of the Wind-titled cultivator changed and he shouted, “Bad! We need to act now, he still has another trump card.”
Saying so, he already charged ahead, winder swirling around his body while a certain Principle Force started pervading the surroundings.
A loud Dragon Roar reverberated at that moment, accompanied by the manifestation of a giant golden phantom behind Yang Kai. The phantom quickly took the shape of a Golden Dragon, one that floated atop Yang Kai’s head and looked down on its surroundings disdainfully with its giant Dragon Eyes.
“Dragon Transformation!” Yang Kai didn’t wait for his enemies to reach him and roared madly.
The body of the Wind-titled cultivator who had been charging toward Yang Kai suddenly came to a stop and he couldn’t help but draw a sharp, cold breath as he was forced to retreat.
“This is…” The eyes of the Thunder-titled cultivator trembled.
“Dragon Pressure!” The eyes of the Fire-titled cultivator bulged as he shouted hysterically.
The trio wore shocked looks, as if they had just sighted upon an Emperor Realm Master. They all felt dizzy and their feet started cramping up.
As for Ye Jing Han, she didn’t look any less shocked than them. Upon seeing Yang Kai being pushed down by Mt. Xumi, she planned to go forward and help him, yet the situation changed again before she could make a move.
In an instant, Dragon Pressure filled the air and a pure Dragon Aura began pervading the surroundings. This was a lofty, noble aura that forced myriad beings to cower in fright, even evoking primordial fear in the hearts of the four from Blood Dagger.
*Kachaca…*
A cracking noise echoed out as Dragon Scales started emerging on Yang Kai’s arms, and even his exposed muscles were covered by dragon scales. As for the phantom image of the Golden Dragon, it rushed into Yang Kai’s body and disappeared. A moment later, a partially dragonized Yang Kai appeared.
Yang Kai’s aura rose markedly, touching upon that of a true Emperor Realm Master.
Yang Kai started slowly clenching one of his fists with an ice-cold look plastered on his face while he lifted Mt. Xumi with a single hand. It wasn’t a difficult feat for him like just now, seemingly as simple as lifting a brush.
Soon, he thrust his free fist and struck the bottom of Mt. Xumi.
As a rumbling noise echoed and Mt. Xumi, which weighed a hundred thousand kilograms, was sent flying into the air, flickering erratically.
The face of the Mountain-titled cultivator fell and he almost bit his tongue. He quickly weaved more hand seals, turning his Mt. Xumi into a ray of light which he quickly collected.
“You’re all going to die miserably!” Yang Kai wasn’t suppressed by Mt. Xumi any longer and he regained his freedom, not forgetting to taunt the three members of Blood Dagger with a nasty grin.
“Kill him!” The Wind-titled cultivator shouted, “Wind Dagger and Snow Sword!”
Using all of his Source Qi, he formed a large dagger and a sword, sending them after Yang Kai. The two weapons seemed to possess a might great enough to slice open the world.
Meanwhile, the Fire-titled cultivator and the Thunder-titled cultivator also used up their own trump cards to attack Yang Kai.
The Formation Technique used by the Wind, Thunder, Fire, and Mountain men resonated with each other, strengthening and supporting one another, combining to reveal an indomitable might!
They were truly able to exchange moves with an Emperor Realm Master, but on this day, they witnessed an even more shocking sight.
In the face of their three Divine Abilities, Yang Kai simply charged ahead and faced them head-on.
As a cracking noise echoed out, the three cultivators could only look on helplessly as Yang Kai shattered the Wind Dagger and Snow Sword with his fists then continued making his way through the gales and thunderstorms.
In just several breaths of time, the three cultivators’ Divine Abilities had been broken and extinguished.
As the body of the demi-dragon Yang Kai flickered, he suddenly reached the three cultivators and thrust out his Dragon Claw, which could rival the sharpest Artifacts in the world, straight towards the chest of the Wind-titled cultivator.
“Wind Escape!”
At this critical juncture, the Wind-titled cultivator let out a shout and his body flickered, turning into a gust of wind that shortly disappeared and escaped somewhere else. This was a brilliant and profound Escape Technique.
Yang Kai sneered and stretched out his Dragon Claw to grasp the void. A formless power emanated off his claw and it sealed a region with the power of Space Principles.
The Wind-titled cultivator stumbled out, cutting a sorry figure. An astounded look was apparent on his face, as if he didn’t expect that Yang Kai could easily counter his best life-saving technique.
“Ah!” The Thunder-titled cultivator and the Fire-titled cultivator cried out in alarm.
“Die!” Yang Kai shouted and slashed his hand at the Wind-titled cultivator. A large Moon Blade suddenly appeared and shot towards the Wind-titled cultivator in an indomitable imposing manner.
The Wind-titled cultivator’s face suddenly turned pale and he gasped nervously. He had been locked in place by the surrounding Space Principles and couldn’t evade the strike. He could only look on helplessly as death rapidly closed in on him.
“A Mass of Soil Forms a Mountain!” The Mountain-titled cultivator several hundred metres away let out a shout and weaved a series of hand seals. Mt. Xumi appeared once again, precisely between the Moon Blade and the Wind-titled cultivator. A dense aura of the Earth Element emanated from the mountain and drew in rubble and soil towards it. In the blink of an eye, an indestructible barrier was formed in front of the Wind-titled cultivator.
*Hong…*
As the Moon Blade fell upon the earth barrier, it cut a path through it, but it lost most of its power in the process.
At this crucial moment, a crackling noise echoed out and the Thunder-titled cultivator turned into a bolt of lightning, quickly saving the Wind-titled cultivator and escaping away.
Yang Kai’s face fell and he could only look viciously at the Mountain-titled cultivator.
He had been fighting with the members of Blood Dagger for some time now, but each time he gained an advantage, the Mountain-titled cultivator thwarted his attacks. If they weren’t protected by the strong defensive methods of the Mountain-titled cultivator, then the three other members of Blood Dagger wouldn’t be a match for him and they wouldn’t have been able to persist for so long.
Yang Kai realized now that if he wanted to win this battle, he would have to kill the Mountain-titled cultivator first. As long as the latter was in charge of defence, Yang Kai wouldn’t be able to kill any of the other three.
Moreover, the Mountain-titled cultivator was connected to the others and was overseeing this region, sealing it off completely, making it impossible for Yang Kai to teleport freely.
As this idea flashed, Yang Kai immediately made up his mind and revealed a profound grin, sneering as he said, “Friends, your means are truly outstanding and have widened my horizons today.”
“Brat, enough talk.” The Fire-titled cultivator had been stunned by Yang Kai’s great power; however, his side still had a numeral advantage so he wasn’t that afraid of him, “You still have a chance to surrender. We may not be able to guarantee your survival if this battle continues.”
The Thunder-titled cultivator gave a nod, “That’s right, if we go all out to kill you, then we won’t be able to complete our superiors’ orders, so just give up and surrender.”
The Wind-titled cultivator didn’t utter a single word as his face was still quite pale. He had just escaped death and was still somewhat unsettled.
“Haha…” Yang Kai sneered again.
The Fire-titled cultivator snorted coldly, “Bluffing again…”
Yang Kai’s smile disappeared and he glared at him coldly then snorted, “Open your eyes wide and see for yourself if I am just bluffing.”
Saying so, he pushed his Spiritual Energy madly and shouted, “Come out!”
As his voice reverberated, a small mountain suddenly appeared above the plain and fell to the ground, shaking it violently while kicking up a massive cloud of dust.
The four members of Blood Daggers were taken aback as they all looked up in confusion at the small mountain. They couldn’t understand what kind of Divine Ability Yang Kai had used and how he managed to summon this mountain.
“What the hell is that?” The Wind-titled cultivator gradually calmed down and he immediately waved his hand impatiently upon looking at the mountain. As a gust of wind blew over the mountain, the dust was cleared and they got a clear look at it.
In the next moment, the members of Blood Dagger stared wide-eyed at the small mountain with stunned looks plastered on their faces.
“Hey… I’m not seeing things, am I?” The Fire-titled cultivator couldn’t help but gulp, “Why does this small mountain look like… A human with four limbs.”
*Gudong!*
The other three people gulped as well as anxious looks filled their faces.
“What the hell is this?” The Wind-titled cultivator cried out in alarm.
“There’s also a woman up there!” The Thunder-titled cultivator’s pupils contracted as he spotted a beautiful figure sitting atop the shoulder of the small mountain.
“An illusion, it must be an illusion!” The Fire-titled cultivator was startled and his face had turned red as he shouted at his companions, “Did that mountain smile at me a moment ago? It must be a goddamn illusion.”
“En, that must be the case!” The Wind-titled cultivator frowned, “This boy must have used an Illusion Technique.”
Saying so, he turned his head to cast a glance at Yang Kai, only to see a meaningful grin appearing on the other side’s face. Upon seeing this look, the Wind-titled cultivator suddenly had a bad feeling fill his heart.
“You should have summoned us long ago,” Hua Qing Si sat atop the Embodiment’s shoulder and swung her legs lightly, curling her lips as she called out, “Why were you even fighting against them alone? You were just wasting time and energy.”
It looked like she had seen the whole fight from the Small Sealed World.
The Embodiment curled his mouth into a smile and spoke in a thunderous voice, “Didn’t we get out already?”
Upon hearing the woman and the mountain talking, the members of Blood Dagger were startled and their faces turned pale. They all felt like everything they could hear and see was real. It was as if the woman and mountain really existed, and they weren’t just some kind of illusion.
Yang Kai chuckled and replied, “I didn’t expect that these four would be this strong. I wanted to test my strength a bit by fighting against them alone.”
“And then you were almost beaten to a pulp,” Hua Qing Si snorted.
Yang Kai’s mouth twitched as he muttered, “It wasn’t that bad… Just a few bruises here and there. Sister Hua, pick one of them.”
Hua Qing Si chuckled and checked the members of Blood Dagger with her pretty eyes before she settled on the Fire-titled cultivator and pointed at him.
“Seems everyone is fond of bullying the weakest one,” Yang Kai laughed involuntarily.
Upon hearing this, the Fire-titled cultivator flew into a rage, “Boy! I’m warning you, if you say I’m the weakest one more, I’ll kill you!”
The Mountain, Thunder, Fire and Wind-titled cultivators had equal power and equal status in Blood Dagger, yet the Fire-titled cultivator had been repeatedly called the weakest by Yang Kai. He had been infuriated by this and felt like Yang Kai looked down on him.
Hua Qing Si said with a smile, “Out of the other three people, one is focusing on defence, while the other two have incredible speed, I don’t want to deal with troublesome characters, so I choose him.”
“Good!” Yang Kai nodded
“Then… You’ll be in charge of the Mountain-titled cultivator, alright?” Yang Kai looked at the Embodiment and spoke.
The Embodiment chuckled and replied, “That’s what I was hoping for!”
The Mountain-titled cultivator focused on defence, while the Embodiment was endowed with extraordinary strength but was lacking in speed, so the two were a good match.
“Make your move then!” Yang Kai spoke casually, as if he had just finished picking dishes and placing them on the table and was calling his friends over to ‘have a meal’.
Hua Qing Si chuckled and her body flashed, leaping off the shoulder of the Embodiment and flying towards the Fire-titled cultivator. A glowing Ribbon Artifact appeared in her hands and danced in her fingers.
“Little Brother, let’s play,” Hua Qing Si beckoned at the Fire-titled cultivator enthusiastically.
Upon hearing this, the Fire-titled cultivator’s expression turned solemn and he cast a glance at the Wind and Thunder-titled cultivators.
After the Wind-titled cultivator nodded at him, the Fire-titled cultivator pushed his Source Qi to engulf his whole body in flames, setting himself alight. He spoke sharply, “It doesn’t matter if you’re an illusion or not, since you dared to seek me, then prepare to meet your demise. I won’t show any mercy even if you are a woman!”
“Wu, so scary!” Hua Qing Si covered up her rosy lips with her hand and put on a frightened look, calling out sweetly, “Please don’t threaten me, I’m easily frightened…”
“Go to hell!” The Fire-titled cultivator was unmoved and he waved his dagger, sending a wave of flames out that condensed into a hideous fire dragon before pouncing towards Hua Qing Si.
Hua Qing Si’s face fell and she said through gnashed teeth, “Are you coming at me for real, even though I’m just a weak woman? Fine then!”
Saying so, she infused her Source Qi into the ribbon and it quickly began slashing it through the air, weaving a gorgeous dance that swiftly enveloped the Fire-titled cultivator.
In an instant, the two were locked in an intense battle and began exchanging vicious moves.
Meanwhile, the Wind and Thunder-titled cultivators suddenly felt that their bodies had gotten heavier, as if a great mountain was weighing on them, while a buzzing sound emanated from the space around them and innumerable pitch-black Void Cracks flitted about like living creatures.
The two people both gazed at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai only grinned in response, “The two of you better not make a move. After I send off your companion, I’ll come back to exchange some pointers with you.”
The face of the Wind-titled cultivator darkened and he said, “You want to take our life with just illusions? Don’t be ridiculous!”
“Illusions huh… hah,” Yang Kai chuckled in response.
Upon seeing this, the Wind and Thunder-titled cultivators were infuriated and they really wished to rush at him and viciously beat him up.
It wasn’t just the members of Blood Dagger who believed this was just a mere illusion, even Ye Jing Han thought so too. She had been observing the battle from afar and saw the moment the small mountain emerged along with a young woman. She had been taken aback and she stood there in a daze for a long while.
At this moment, she was rubbing her eyes and telling herself repeatedly that this was just an illusion.
But, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t find any flaw in this illusion. The small mountain and young woman simply looked too realistic.
*Dong dong dong…*
The Embodiment strode forward towards the Mountain-titled cultivator step by step.
The Mountain-titled cultivator had been telling himself repeatedly that this was just an illusion, but once the Embodiment started walking toward him, his face turned pale and he couldn’t help but gulp hard.
The colossal body of the Embodiment was too intimidating!
The Embodiment arrived in front of the Mountain-titled cultivator with only three steps.
If one looked at them from afar, it would seem that the Mountain-titled cultivator was sitting cross-legged in front of the Embodiment’s nose, and his little body formed a clear contrast with the colossus before him.
“Heh heh…” The Embodiment suddenly grinned at the Mountain-titled cultivator.
The Mountain-titled cultivator started sweating profusely, and he couldn’t help but gulp nervously. “Wind, something feels off. This doesn’t look like an illusion.”
The Wind-titled cultivator’s face turned black and he shouted sharply, “Steady your mind, don’t let it affect your senses.”
Even at this moment, he still believed that everything before his eyes was a mere illusion, and it was simply because as far as he was concerned, no one should be able to summon a giant stone man and a young woman out of thin air, not even one of the Ten Great Emperors.
Upon hearing this, the Mountain-titled cultivator took a deep breath and quelled his emotions.
At this moment, Yang Kai revealed a queer smile at the Wind and Thunder-titled cultivators then spoke, “Can you guess how many strikes that Mountain guy can take?”
The Thunder-titled cultivator snorted coldly, “Can’t you live without cheap tricks? Even if an Emperor Realm Master arrives, Mountain would still be able to stand his ground against him for ten breaths, let alone a mere illusion.”
The Wind-titled cultivator also spoke, “Little brat, don’t look down on Blood Dagger’s Four Ghosts!”
Yang Kai laughed then said, “You’ll shortly turn into real ghosts then.”
Saying so, he shouted at the Embodiment, “Did you hear him? He’s claiming that Mountain guy can stand his ground against an Emperor Realm Master for ten breaths of time.”
“Ten breaths…” The Embodiment revealed a nasty smile and shouted, “Three breaths is enough for me.”
Saying so, he thrust his fist at the Mountain-titled cultivator.
From the moment the Mountain-titled cultivator had shown himself until now, he had never moved away from his current position, and this might have been some sort of restriction put on him by the Formation Technique. He had always been sitting cross-legged mid-air, taking charge of defence and sealing this region. It also looked like he was the one in charge of maintaining the group’s formation like some kind of core node.
Therefore, upon seeing the fist of the Embodiment approaching him, he didn’t plan to dodge the strike at all. Instead, his expression had already turned grave and he pointed his hand ahead of him, summoning Mt. Xumi again.
This time, it looked like the shining Mt. Xumi had almost taken a complete physical form, as if a real mountain was sitting in front of him.
“You’re overestimating yourself!” The Embodiment coldly said and thrust his hill-like fist forward.
*Hong…*
A loud rumble reverberated and the land shook. When the Embodiment’s fist fell upon Mt. Xumi, it gave rise to a shockwave of luminous energy waves that spread to the surroundings.
The Mountain-titled cultivator’s grave expression instantly turned pale and he sprayed out a thick mist of blood, while his aura turned feeble. As for Mt. Xumi standing between him and the Embodiment, it was shattered apart and turned into dispersing specks of light.
“What!” The Wind-titled cultivator’s expression changed.
“That’s impossible!” The Thunder-titled cultivator cried out in alarm.
They both couldn’t believe what they had just seen.
The Mountain-titled cultivator had been known for his innately strong defence, yet his impenetrable barrier had been broken by a single strike from the Giant Stone Man. Mt. Xumi had been shattered, while the Mountain-titled cultivator sustained heavy injuries. The two of them couldn’t help but question themselves again. [Is this also an illusion? If so, then isn’t it too realistic?]
The scent of the Mountain-titled cultivator’s blood pervaded the air and the bodies of the Wind and Thunder-titled cultivators couldn’t help shivering when it reached their noses.
The Embodiment didn’t stop with just a single move though, and soon thrust his other fist out.
*Hong…*
A deafening explosion echoed. This time, the Mountain-titled cultivator didn’t protect himself with Mt. Xumi and resorted to a different method. He revealed more of his Divine Abilities as Earth Attribute energy surged around him. At the same time, Earth Principles lingered around him, transforming into a giant shield that protected him.
*Kachaca…*
As cracking noises echoed out, a luminous membrane covering a perimeter of several hundred metres appeared. But this membrane was already covered with cracks like a shattered mirror and it didn’t take more than a blink of an eye for it to burst open and turn into specks of light, shortly dissipating.
All of a sudden, Yang Kai found that his body became lighter, as if he had just been freed from some kind of shackle. He grinned at the Wind and Thunder-titled cultivators, “It looks like the seal has been broken. Are you still so sure that this is just an illusion?”
The faces of Wind and Thunder-titled cultivators turned gloomy and confused. They were clearly dismayed by what they had just witnessed and heard. They were no longer certain that it was an illusion.
*Pu…*
On the other side, the Mountain-titled cultivator spouted another mouth of blood with his face as pale as paper, and his aura turned even more feeble and unstable. He gazed over at the Wind-titled cultivator and Thunder-titled cultivator and spoke with great difficulty, “Save… me!”
The Embodiment laughed wantonly and thrust his fist for the third time.
At this moment, the Mountain-titled cultivator couldn’t put up any more resistance and had to helplessly watch as the hill-like fist descended. He felt his body go cold, while his limbs cramped up.
The fist fell upon the Mountain-titled cultivator, and his body burst into a blood fog which then sprinkled lightly on the ground, his aura disappearing completely.
“See, it has been just three breaths of time.” After the Embodiment settled the fight, he grinned at Yang Kai.
In response, Yang Kai gave him a thumbs up.
The Wind and Thunder-titled cultivators exchanged a glance. They both realized that the current situation was anything but reassuring and they couldn’t bother with paying heed to the Void Cracks around them any longer. They both pushed the Principles around them to break through the Space Principle blockade and escaped in two different directions.
“Since you’ve come, don’t even dream about leaving!” As Yang Kai let out a chuckle, his body flickered and appeared suddenly in front of the Wind-titled cultivator, stretching his Dragon Claw toward him.
The Wind-titled cultivator’s face turned pale from fright and he raised the dagger in his hand, trying to parry Yang Kai’s claw with it. Wind Principles swirled around the dagger and it gave off a domineering might.
A vicious glint flashed past Yang Kai’s eyes as he directly caught the dagger with his Dragon Claw, leading to a jarring metallic reverberation.
“What the hell is this…” The Wind-titled cultivator’s eyes all but popped out of their sockets. He discovered in shock that his opponent had managed to block his strike with his flesh body without sustaining any injuries.
His dagger was a Dao Source Grade Artifact, one that even an Emperor Realm Master wouldn’t dare to catch with their bare hands, yet this boy managed to do so.
The Wind-titled cultivator had fallen into a trance for a short moment, but this short moment had been more than enough for Yang Kai to place his other palm on his chest. Yang Kai’s berserk Source Qi erupted and flooded the Wind-titled cultivator’s body.
As a splurting sound echoed out, the Wind-titled cultivator’s blood burst from his body like he had been struck by lightning, while the wind shrouding his body quickly weakened.
Yang Kai shortly closed in on him and weaved a series of hand seals, suppressing the Wind-titled cultivator’s cultivation.
Even though a disheartened look was plastered on the Wind-titled cultivator’s face, he still looked at Yang Kai coldly and said aggressively, “If you want to kill me, then just do so. Blood Dagger’s headquarters will shortly obtain word about our failure and they will send more powerful people after you next time.”
“If I kill all of you, then who will divulge any information about me?” Yang Kai sneered coldly in response.
The Wind-titled cultivator replied, “Thunder’s Movement Skill is second to none in the world, you won’t be able to catch him.”
“Did you lose your mind from fear?” Yang Kai smiled in mockery.
“Wind…”
At this moment, a dispirited shout echoed out near him. Upon hearing it, the Wind-titled cultivator turned his head around to see the Thunder-titled cultivator. He was trapped in mid-air between countless pitch-black buzzing Moon Blades, not daring to make any rash movements.
“How did you…” The Wind-titled cultivator looked in disbelief at the Thunder-titled cultivator. He didn’t expect that the Thunder-titled cultivator would also fail to escape.
“I was outmatched!” The Thunder-titled cultivator sighed and looked at Yang Kai with a complex gaze, saying, “Our superiors underestimated him, we aren’t… his opponent.”
“So, that’s how it is…” The Wind-titled cultivator revealed a miserable smile.
“I’ll be going on ahead,” The Thunder-titled cultivator suddenly spoke in a deep voice and weaved a series of hand seals, his body’s Source Qi fluctuating wildly as his body started swelling up.
Yang Kai’s expression changed and he shouted, “You dare!?”
The Thunder-titled cultivator revealed a mocking smile, “I’m not a match for you, but I can still choose how I want to die.”
Saying so, his body blew up, not leaving anything behind.
After he was trapped, he decisively chose to self-destruct. He was a decisive man with a firm resolve and Yang Kai couldn’t obstruct him in time.
The might of a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator’s self-destruction was dreadful!
An unstable black hole opened, causing chaotic currents to flood the surrounding region. Even though Yang Kai was still far from the explosion, he was knocked off balance because of the shockwaves. As for the Wind-titled cultivator, whose cultivation base had been sealed, he just let out a soft groan before breathing his last breath. His bones had been shattered and he bled to death through his seven orifices.
As for Ye Jing Han, her pretty face had turned deathly pale. She had been sent flying by the shockwaves and had to use all her Source Qi just to defend herself.
After a long while, the shockwaves finally died out.
As Yang Kai’s body flickered, he went to check in the Wind-titled cultivator only to find his body lifeless. He couldn’t be any more dead than this.
“Damn it!” Yang Kai couldn’t help but curse out loud as he raised his head to gaze at Hua Qing Si and shouted, “Sister Hua, don’t take his life!”
Yang Kai had no idea what kind of organization Blood Dagger was nor why they were looking for him. If he could capture one or two of them alive, then he might be able to extract some information from them.
He didn’t kill the Wind-titled cultivator and instead sealed his cultivation mainly for this purpose; however, even Yang Kai didn’t expect that he would end up dead due to the Thunder-titled cultivator’s self-destruction.
The Mountain-titled cultivator had already been turned into a blood fog, so the sole survivor was the Fire-titled cultivator. As such, Yang Kai couldn’t afford to have him die too.
But shortly after he shouted those said words, he stood in a daze.
Hua Qing Si standing next to her bright-coloured ribbon turned her head and looked with a bitter smile at him while shouting, “That… won’t be easy!”
Not too far from her, the Fire-titled cultivator was laughing nastily with his mouth overflowing with blood and his dagger plunged into his heart. Great pain was apparent on his face, but he still laughed heartily, “Once Blood Dagger makes a move, it won’t stop until its target is dead. Hahaha!”
It looked like he had chosen to kill himself after witnessing his companions’ deaths. He obviously realized that he wouldn’t get a chance to escape, so he did not hesitate to stab himself through the heart.
Even an Emperor Realm Master wouldn’t live for long after receiving this kind of mortal injury, let alone the Fire-titled cultivator who was just a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator. If Yang Kai simply did nothing, then he would soon die.
The ashen face of Yang Kai changed colour several times before he gritted his teeth and snapped, “Trying to seek death without my permission? In your dreams!”
Saying so, his body flickered and he arrived in front of the Fire-titled cultivator before tapping his body with his palm, sealing his cultivation. If this man self-destructed like the Thunder-titled cultivator, then Yang Kai wouldn’t be able to reverse the situation and save him.
“You… what are you doing?” Even though the Fire-titled cultivator had already heard death’s call, he still got scared by Yang Kai’s malicious look.
Yang Kai sneered. “Isn’t it obvious? I’m trying to save you, no need to thank me.”
“You’re… trying to save me?” The Fire-titled man’s eyes, which had already started losing their lustre, bulged and a dumbfounded look surfaced on his face.
Yang Kai grabbed the Fire man by his collar and his body disappeared along with him.
A reeking scent of blood pervaded the prairie, and the vestiges of this great battle were everywhere. It was a terrifying sight!
“Young Master Yang…” Ye Jing Han flew over with her face as pale as paper and surveyed the surroundings, but she was unable to spot Yang Kai anywhere. She could only question Hua Qing Si anxiously, “Sister, where did Young Master Yang go?”
Hua Qing Si exchanged a glance with the Embodiment then moved behind Ye Jing Han in a flash and struck the back of her neck with her palm.
Ye Jing Han would have never imagined that Hua Qing Si would suddenly attack her; after all, it was obvious that Hua Qing Si was one of Yang Kai’s companions and that was why she didn’t guard against her. Upon suffering this palm strike though, Ye Jing Han dropped down weakly on the ground.
“Did you kill her?” The Embodiment was startled by this sight.
“Like hell I did!” Hua Qing Si rolled her eyes at him then curled her lips, saying, “I just knocked her out.” She paused for a moment then looked suspiciously at the Embodiment and asked, “What are you doing?”
As she spoke, she suddenly noticed that the Embodiment moved next to the dead Wind titled man and picked his corpse up from the ground.
The Embodiment grinned and said, “What do you think? This is a pretty good tonic. Tsk, tsk, a Third-Order Dao Source Realm Cultivator!”
Upon hearing this, Hua Qing Si’s pretty face turned pale, as if she had just recalled some pretty bad memory and she couldn’t help but say in alarm, “You’re going to use that evil technique to devour his physical essence?”
The Embodiment nodded, “I can’t let good food go to waste!”
“It’s so sickening, don’t do it in front of me, or I’ll break off relations with you,” Hua Qing Si spoke with her disgust apparent on her face.
At this moment, Yang Kai’s body suddenly flickered and appeared again on the prairie before he beckoned to the Embodiment and Hua Qing Si, “Come back!”
After he said so, he looked at the unconscious Ye Jing Han on the ground and nodded in understanding, “Knocking her out is also a pretty good solution.”
He waved his hand and sent Ye Jing Han into the Sealed World Bead, then opened a Void Crack and had Hua Qing Si and the Embodiment also go back in.
…..
Inside the Sealed World Bead, Yang Kai and the Embodiment appeared next to the medicine garden.
The Fire-titled man’s aura was already pretty feeble, with next to no vitality left. The dagger which had been stabbed into his chest was still drawing out a constant stream of blood. This man was already in a sorry state and he obviously wouldn’t be able to survive, yet he still laughed in mockery, “I have sustained a mortal wound, nothing can save me other than some extraordinary healing pills that are essentially legends now. Don’t waste your time on this, cough, cough…”
Saying so, he coughed loudly with blood flowing out of his mouth and nostrils.
Yang Kai snorted and said, “I can’t help you make a full recovery, but I can still preserve your life.”
Saying so, he walked directly over to the Fire man and opened his mouth before tossing a large number of healing pills into it.
The Fire-titled man was still quite stubborn and didn’t plan to cooperate, constantly shaking his head to resist. However, with his cultivation already sealed, there was no way he could stop Yang Kai. After a short bout of futile struggle, he swallowed down the Spirit Pills.
The Fire-titled cultivator’s vicious gaze still remained full of mockery though, obviously not believing that Yang Kai could preserve his life. He could feel his vitality leaving his body quickly, which was also a pretty scary experience, but it was still better than the torment awaiting him if he fell in the enemy’s hand.
Yang Kai sat down cross-legged in front of the Fire-titled man and started weaving hand seals under his gaze before striking his chest with his palm. After this strike, the dagger in his chest flew out, together with a large spurt of blood. This violent act caused the Fire-titled man to groan in pain, while his body trembled, feeling like he would shortly die.
But in the next moment, the Fire-titled cultivator felt a clear stream of rich vitality flowing into his body and pulling him back from the gates of death.
A numb feeling started spreading from his chest and the bleeding instantly stopped, while his lost vitality had also been replenished greatly.
He opened his eyes widely to take a look around and his gaze soon landed on a small green tree that couldn’t have been taller than a little child. This tiny tree emitted a green aura that was visible to the naked eye, and Yang Kai was clearly using some kind of technique to draw this green aura into his body.
“What… What is this?” The Fire-titled man was aware that he would surely die, but he was still stunned by this sight and his body shivered involuntarily. He could feel an unimaginable amount of vitality coming from this little tree, and he knew he had avoided death only thanks to the green aura it was emitting.
He was dumbstruck and he quickly realized that there was much more to this little tree than meets the eye.
“The Immortal Tree, ever heard about it?” Yang Kai gave him a wicked grin.
“The Immortal Tree?” The Fire-titled man’s body shivered as he stared at Yang Kai in shock before vehemently denying, “Nonsense, it’s said that the Immortal Tree was formed at the birth of the Universe and is condensed from the purest vital energy between Heaven and Earth. It is said to be able to revive even the dead and if one is able to refine it, they will obtain an immortal and indestructible body. How could you possess such a divine treasure…”
“You’re pretty knowledgeable,” Yang Kai chuckled in response.
“The Immortal Tree? Hmph, who are you trying to fool?” The Fire-titled cultivator snorted disdainfully.
“It’s up to you whether you believe it or not,” Yang Kai cast a glance at him then revealed a nasty smile as he said, “You already have enough vigour to bicker with me. Not bad, not bad, it looks like you still have some life left to live.”
After Yang Kai said so, the Fire-titled man was dumbstruck and his face changed colours repeatedly. A spectacular look was plastered on his face!
He discovered in shock that just this tiny bit of green aura from the small tree had healed all of his wounds and brought him back from the brink of death. Didn’t that mean that if he were to refine this strange tree, he would be able to make a complete recovery?
Once this thought ran across his mind, the Fire-titled cultivator was stunned and beads of sweat started dripping off his forehead. He didn’t want to believe it, but he had already felt it himself. If everything he just experienced was real, then this little tree might really be the legendary Immortal Tree.
*Gudong…*
The Fire Ghost couldn’t help gulping hard while his gaze turned hot as he stared at the Immortal Tree.
Yang Kai didn’t bother with him and he just told the Embodiment, “I’ll hand him over to you, get something useful out of him.”
“Relax, I’ll make him talk,” the Embodiment let out a peal of sinister laughter.
When this laughter fell upon the ears of the Fire-titled man, he couldn’t help shivering as he turned his eyes back to Yang Kai, yet at this moment only the Giant Stone man remained, sitting down cross-legged on the ground with a corpse in his hand.
“Wind…” The Fire-titled man looked aggrievedly at his companion’s corpse and couldn’t help but sympathize with him. However, his gaze quickly turned cold as he shouted at the Embodiment, “I don’t care what the hell you are, but don’t dream of getting any information out of me.”
“You’ve got some spine!” The Embodiment praised him and said, “I like unyielding people. So, you can be at ease, I won’t embarrass you.”
The Fire-titled man only sneered coldly in response. He obviously didn’t believe a word of what the Embodiment had said.
But surprisingly enough, the Embodiment didn’t pay heed to him and he didn’t even bother with torturing and interrogating him. He just put down the Wind titled man’s corpse in front of him and covered it with his giant stone hand.
“What are you planning to do with the Wind’s corpse?” The Fire man’s expression changed as he questioned him sharply.
“What am I planning to do? Hehehe…” The Embodiment let out a burst of strange laughter.
Blue veins bulged out of the Fire-titled man’s forehead as he became somewhat anxious for some unknown reason. The Embodiment hadn’t given him a single decent answer to any question he asked, so he couldn’t help but get angry over this.
While the Fire man was still fretting over this, he witnessed the Embodiment’s expression turn solemn before it shouted, “Heaven Devouring Battle Law!”
In an instant, the Fire-titled cultivator’s eyes widened and he shouted in shock through clenched teeth, “Heaven… Heaven Devouring Battle Law!?”
…..
The Fire-titled man wasn’t as tough as he claimed, or rather, he had just witnessed a scene far more frightening than death. He could stab his heart with his own dagger without the least bit of hesitation and seek death on his own, but upon seeing the Embodiment using the Heaven Devouring Battle Law on the Wind titled cultivator’s corpse, he instantly broke down and gave in.
None wished for his flesh and essence to end up being devoured. This was far crueller than simply being killed, so the Fire-titled man quickly divulged everything he knew.
Those four people were really cultivators from Blood Dagger, and they had received orders from their superiors to bring back Yang Kai alive to their headquarters. As for the reason behind this, the Fire-titled man had no idea and was simply following orders. Blood Dagger had a strict hierarchy and people below a certain level weren’t privy to the organization’s core secrets.
The four of them didn’t even know who it was among their superiors that issued this order, they only received their mission at a certain time at a specific location.
After the interrogation, Yang Kai got a rough idea about the colossal size of Blood Dagger. Blood Dagger had many members and had branches established in every territory. They even had members who belonged to other great Sects who would seem perfectly ordinary until they received a mission, after which they would carry out their orders as members of Blood Dagger without question.
Once the mission ended, these members would go back into hiding and none would be the wiser.
Once the Embodiment questioned the Fire man about the location of the Blood Dagger’s headquarters in the Southern Territory though, the latter’s Knowledge Sea burst open and he died before he could give any reply. It looked like a powerful Master had placed a restriction on him to prevent him from divulging Blood Dagger’s more sensitive secrets.
Upon getting this intel from the Embodiment, Yang Kai’s face turned gloomy.
He had come in contact with Blood Dagger for the first time today, and from what he had seen so far from the powerful Four Ghosts, this wasn’t an organization to be trifled with. They had already set their eyes on him, yet he didn’t even know the reason behind this, let alone any useful information about his new enemy.
Yang Kai’s mood became pretty bad because of this and he felt like a bone was now stuck in his throat.
Once Blood Dagger made a move, they would keep fighting until their last breath. This mission was obviously a great failure and Blood Dagger wouldn’t take things lying down, they would surely send more powerful Masters after him next time. Yang Kai could deal with the Wind, Thunder, Fire, and Mountain Ghosts, but what about the next batch? If they sent Emperor Realm Masters after him, what could he do?
In a flash, Yang Kai’s mind became fraught with concerns.
While Yang Kai was still fretting, he heard a soft groan behind him and turned his head back to take a look there and saw Ye Jing Han sitting atop the boat with furrowed brows and a confused look plastered on her face.
She was a little confused by her current situation.
But, she quickly recalled what had happened before she got knocked out. She suddenly stood up and shouted, “Young Master Yang!”
“You finally woke up!” Yang Kai cast a glance at her and spoke calmly, “Don’t move around, you should first check your body and see if you have suffered any injuries.”
Upon hearing him, Ye Jing Han nodded and closed her eyes to observe the state of her body for a moment then opened them again, “I’m fine.”
She had just been knocked out by Hua Qing Si, and even though she was swept by the shockwaves of the Thunder-titled cultivator’s self-destruction, she hadn’t sustained any serious injuries. It was just her vitality that had gotten a bit feebler. Consuming some pills would be more than enough for her to make a full recovery.
“Yang Kai, where did that Elder Sister and the Big Stone Man go?” Ye Jing Han observed the surroundings, yet she couldn’t see Hua Qing Si or the Embodiment at all, so she couldn’t help but inquire about them.
“What Elder Sister and Big Stone Man?”
“Those…” Ye Jing Han was just about to describe them, yet she suddenly furrowed her brows and spoke with an odd look on her face, “Was it just an… Illusion?”
As she started mulling over the emergence of Hua Qing Si and the Embodiment, she felt like everything looked surreal, and she couldn’t help but suspect that she had fallen victim to an illusion.
“I used a special Secret Technique earlier to deal with those four; you must have seen an illusion because of it.”
“So that’s what happened!” Ye Jing Han let out a breath and said in self-mockery, “Young Master Yang, you’re endowed with remarkable abilities and I couldn’t provide any help to you. I’m really ashamed of myself.”
“Don’t brood over it, Blood Dagger’s so-called Four Ghosts are all quite strong. If you had meddled in the battle, you wouldn’t be alive right now.”
Upon hearing this, Ye Jing Han broke down into cold sweat and she realized the large disparity between Yang Kai and her.
The Blood Dagger’s Four Ghosts were all Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivators and they had even used a Formation Technique to join their strengths together. In that state, they could fight evenly against an Emperor Realm Master for a time, yet they had all been killed by Yang Kai.
It was an amazing feat!
They were both Second-Order Dao Source Realm cultivators, yet the disparity between them was like Heaven and Earth. She couldn’t help but feel gloomy over this and she started longing for the great power possessed by Yang Kai.
She suddenly chuckled bitterly and she reached her hand back to rub her neck as she felt some slight pain on it. This was another point she was dumbstruck by!
She suddenly recalled how the ‘illusionary’ woman had knocked her out and she continued to have doubts, wondering if everything she had seen was real or not.
The rest of the road was crossed in silence!
Yang Kai had just suffered the attack of Four Ghosts, and it looked like Ye Jing Han was still in a low mood because of it. She didn’t bother him on the way and she just gave him some directions, then sat down on the boat to rest.
After around ten days, they finally saw a mountain range in the distance.
At this moment, Ye Jing Han stood up on the boat cheerfully and pointed at the mountain range, “Young Master Yang, this is the Thousand Leaves Mountain where my Thousand Leaves Sect is located. We’ll reach it in half a day.”
“En!” Yang Kai replied casually.
Ye Jing Han added, “I’ll send a message to my father, he must be worried about me.”
She had spent several months alone outside and her relatives would probably be worried about her. She had already returned safely, so she wanted to quickly get in touch with them.
Yang Kai didn’t pay heed to her and just sat at the front of the boat and observed the surroundings.
Ye Jing Han took out a communication artifact and inputted some information into it. Shortly after, she got a response.
After Ye Jing Han checked it, she couldn’t help but furrow her brow and a displeased look showed up on her face.
Yang Kai had detected that her expression had turned for the worse and he inquired over this, “What happened?”
Ye Jing Han pouted and grumbled, “My father asked me to participate in the wedding ceremony of Sky Crane City’s Lord with his new concubine. It’s so infuriating! If I had known this earlier, I wouldn’t have told him I had come back so I could avoid this troublesome matter.”
“It looks like you don’t want to go,” Yang Kai looked at her with a smile.
Ye Jing Han snorted coldly, “I don’t want to mingle with a man who betrayed his allies. If he wants to take a new concubine, then that’s his matter. Why does my father even bother with such a man, even sending our Sect disciples to this ceremony.”
Ye Jing Han’s expression turned cold, “That man is just a treacherous and ungrateful scum. He only obtained the City Lord’s position thanks to our Thousand Leaves Sect’s support, yet he quickly sought another backer after he got it and didn’t put us in his eyes anymore. He had even chased off many of our already established industries in Sky Crane City. He’s just a vile man!”
Yang Kai wasn’t really interested in this matter, so he just inquired about it briefly then dropped it.
Ye Jing Han had also realized that it wasn’t really proper for her to grumble about this to Yang Kai and apologized, “Young Master Yang, I apologize, I let my frustrations get the better of me.”
“It’s no bother, there are many vile and infuriating people in this world,” Yang Kai waved his hand in response.
“Young Master Yang, just wait for a little while. I’ll notify my father, then bring you back to the Sect and arrange residence for you,” Ye Jing Han said then started composing a new message.
“You don’t have to bother,” Yang Kai grinned in response. “I’ll just take a trip with you there, it’ll be less troublesome and I’ll just take it for a brief outing to loosen up a little.”
Upon hearing this, Ye Jing Han spoke in delight, “Many thanks, Young Master Yang; if you experience something unpleasant during this situation, please don’t take offence.”
“It’s fine!”
Saying so, they adjusted the direction and headed off to Sky Crane City.
Sky Crane City was located three thousand kilometres from Thousand Leaves Mountain. It wasn’t a big city, but it was still a lot better than Maplewood City, and it could be said that it was medium-scale.
According to what Ye Jing Han had said, Sky Crane City’s City Lord Mansion had around a dozen Dao Source Realm Masters, including its City Lord, Luo Jin, who was a powerful Third-Order Dao Source Realm Master. Luo Jin wasn’t any weaker than some second-class Sect Masters in the vicinity, and he had been able to take a firm hold of the City Lord’s position with his power.
When Yang Kai and Ye Jing Han reached the city gates, they found it bustling with activity with many carriages loaded with goods waiting for their turns to enter the city. Those carriages were loaded with precious treasures and Yang Kai had even sniffed the odour of some pills and spirit medicines.
Those carriages were all decorated with festive ornaments, and they were obviously loaded with congratulatory gifts prepared by the local forces.
Sky Crane City was one of the most powerful forces within a hundred thousand kilometres, and all of this region’s Sects had to send delegations to congratulate the City Lord for taking in a new concubine.
The guards standing next to the gates were all spirited and delighted. They welcomed the guests with a smile, then inspected the goods before letting them pass.
Yang Kai and Ye Jing Han didn’t rush into the city and just waited at a spot a hundred metres or so from the city entrance. They were doing so because Ye Jing Han told him that disciples of the Thousand Leaves Sect would shortly arrive.
Ye Jing Han had gotten this assignment by pure chance. If she didn’t come back today, she wouldn’t have been given this hateful mission by Ye Hen.
She was still the Young Lady of Thousand Leaves Sect and it wouldn’t be unseemly for her to lead the group of envoys to congratulate the City Lord.
After they waited for a short while, Ye Jing Han’s eyes lit up and she pointed in a certain direction, “They’re here!”
Yang Kai gazed over there and saw a ray of light streaking across the sky, one that became clear as it approached. This was a ship-shaped Flight-Type Artifact with several cultivators in matching uniforms atop it. The person standing near the ship’s bow was looking around and upon seeing Ye Jing Han, he grinned and waved at her amicably.
Ye Jing Han responded in the same way as the ship landed shortly after. The man who had been waving at Ye Jing Han a while ago descended and waited for the others to disembark before he waved his hand and collected the ship.
“Ye’er, you’ve finally returned. If you didn’t come back, I would have gone to Maplewood City to look for you.” The man went toward Ye Jing Han directly then gazed at her affectionately with his bright eyes. He had ignored Yang Kai completely!
“Senior Brother Du Xian!”
Upon facing his ardent gaze, Ye Jing Han’s face got flushed and she couldn’t help but lower her head bashfully.
Upon seeing this, Yang Kai couldn’t help but smile. He had realized right away that these two had a ‘meaningful’ relationship.
One of the other men stuck his head out behind Du Xian and grinned, “Senior Sister Ye, you have no idea what Senior Brother has been like since you left for Maplewood City. He didn’t even get a proper meal and he wasn’t even in the mood to cultivate! He was scolded plenty of times by our Master.”
“Enough of your babbling!” Du Xian glared at him with a smile in his eyes.
Ye Jing Han pursed her lips and said in a low voice, “This is unacceptable… You must still cultivate…”
Du Xian looked affectionately at Ye Jing Han and said softly, “I have been trying to cultivate… but, I couldn’t calm down, I couldn’t stop thinking about someone.”
“And who… was that….” Ye Jing Han’s body trembled as her cheeks flushed even more.
“Who else could it be but you!?” A sneaky man butted in and continued, “Senior Sister Ye, I have also missed you, I missed you so much that I couldn’t get proper sleep at night…”
Saying so, he put on a pained look and started twisting around, which incurred a peal of laughter from the other disciples of the Thousand Leaves Sect.
“Wu Ma, get lost!” Du Xian stretched his hand and struck Wu Man’s head. The latter couldn’t help but lower his head and grumble, “You can do whatever you want, but we can’t even flirt a little? How can you be so unreasonable? Senior Sister, you must seek justice for me.”
Ye Jing Han spat and spoke, “You deserve it, who told you to keep jabbering on and on? Senior Brother, you must teach him an unforgettable lesson.”
Upon hearing this, a dejected and dismayed look surfaced on Wu Ma’s face.
Yang Kai had just been observing this from the side and found the disciples of the Thousand Leaves Sect to be pretty interesting, feeling that they all had close ties with each other. He couldn’t help but chuckle and sigh slightly. The smaller a Sect, and the more precarious its situation, the more united its disciples would be, but once a Sect grew larger, then they would start trying to outwit each other and they would even put on fake acts of civility.
At this moment, Du Xian finally noticed Yang Kai and a surprised glint flashed past his eyes. Cupping his fists, he introduced himself, “Du Xian of Thousand Leaves Sect greets this friend, may I ask for your noble name?”
Upon raising this question, Du Xian revealed a bewildered look. He didn’t know why this stranger, Yang Kai, was with Ye Jing Han, but he still didn’t show any animosity toward him, and it was the same for the other disciples of Thousand Leaves Sect. They were just sizing up Yang Kai curiously.
Yang Kai revealed a smile and cupped his fist at him, then spoke, “Yang Kai greets Brother Du.”
Ye Jing Han said, “Young Master Yang is my distinguished guest. I planned to bring him back to the Sect to discuss a certain matter with my father, but I was dispatched by him to Sky Crane City midway. Junior and Senior Brothers, you must never slight him!”
She spoke solemnly, as if Yang Kai had some kind of prominent status, so Du Xian and Wu Ma couldn’t help exchanging strange glances, some doubt welling up in their hearts.
Upon releasing their Divine Senses, they discovered that Yang Kai was just a Second-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator. He was also not clad in luxurious robes and did not look like a disciple from one of the top Sects, so why was Ye Jing Han being so cautious around him?
They had many doubts about this, but they still didn’t raise any questions and just nodded lightly in response.
“Since everyone has arrived, let’s enter the city. That old thing’s wedding ceremony is tomorrow, isn’t it?” Ye Jing Han looked at Du Xian and asked without providing any further explanation about Yang Kai.
After all, she had invited Yang Kai to repair the World Crossing Space Array, which was an extremely delicate matter which was best kept secret. She didn’t even notify and report it to Ye Hen yet.
At this moment, Du Xian finally averted his attention from Yang Kai and spoke with a grave look, “Ye’er, watch your tongue.”
Ye Jing Han spat out her tongue in response, “It’s already polite of me to call him an old thing, he’s already got half a foot into the grave, yet he’s still taking in new concubines. I wonder which ignorant girl had been deceived by him this time?”
Wu Ma revealed a bitter smile and spoke, “She might not have been deceived, but rather forced. These past years, the City Lord has been taking in new concubines over and over again, yet he still hasn’t gotten any male descendants… I wonder if his body can keep up with this for much longer… Hehehe…”
“It’s divine retribution!” Ye Jing Han said with a pleased look.
Du Xian rubbed his forehead, “Fine, you have already vented your frustrations so leave it there. We have come to congratulate him, not stir up trouble. Before setting off, Master warned me repeatedly and he urged me to not cause any trouble; after all, the representatives of all the big Sects and forces in the area will be attending.”
Ye Jing Han just pouted in response with a displeased look on her face and didn’t say anything else.
Du Xian smiled at Yang Kai, “Brother Yang, we must have made a mockery of ourselves in front of you.”
“It’s fine,” Yang Kai waved his hand in response.
“Let’s tidy up and enter the city,” Du Xian shouted at the other people.
The crowd straightened out their clothes a little then went toward the city gate under the lead of Du Xian.
The gifts the Thousand Leaves Sect brought were all stored in their Space Rings, so they didn’t really have anything to ‘tidy up’. Only people trying to openly flatter Luo Jin would use carriages to carry their goods. This way, as soon as they arrived at the City Lord Mansion, everyone would be able to clearly see the gifts they brought.
There was a long line of people in front of the city gate and the members of Thousand Leaves Sect did not plan to cut the line, so they just joined the queue and waited for their turn to enter the city.
Meanwhile, Ye Jing Han started apologizing to Yang Kai, as she was afraid to incur his displeasure.
The others didn’t know what kind of power and means Yang Kai had, but she was clear.
Just ten days ago, the Blood Dagger’s Four Ghosts had been slaughtered by Yang Kai, the scene of which was still vivid in her memory. If Yang Kai didn’t want to line up, he could just force his way into the city and no guard would be able to obstruct him, but doing so would incur a calamity for Thousand Leaves Sect.
Fortunately, it looked like Yang Kai was quite relaxed and didn’t seem irritated.
Upon seeing this, the expressions of Du Xian and Wu Man turned even more doubtful. They both couldn’t understand why Ye Jing Han treated Yang Kai so prudently, as if she was dealing with an Emperor Realm Master.
The line advanced quickly, and in less than half a cup of tea’s time, it was their turn.
At the city gate, the man in charge of checking goods and visitors grinned upon seeing Ye Jing Han and cupped his fists at her, “So it is Thousand Leaves Sect’s Young Lady, excuse our disrespect for not offering a proper welcome.”
He was an average-looking middle-aged man clad in festive clothes with a smile plastered on his face, a very fake one at that.
He could be considered to be decent in strength, a First-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, and it looked like he held some important position in Sky Crane City.
Usually, it wouldn’t be up to such an expert supervising the gates, but this wasn’t an ordinary time. All the factions in the nearby area were gathering at Sky Crane City to congratulate the City Lord, so someone of status needed to be present to welcome them.
He was that man!
As per what he had just said, he had recognized Ye Jing Han, which wasn’t really strange by itself, as Ye Jing Han had already stated that Sky Crane City’s Lord got his position only thanks to the support of Thousand Leaves Sect. The residents of Sky Crane City had obviously gotten a lot of chances to interact with the members of Thousand Leaves Sect, so the daughter of Thousand Leaves Sect’s Sect Master was a well-known figure.
Ye Jing Han replied calmly with an ice-cold look plastered on her face, “Elder Si Ming, just do your job, there’s no need for false courtesy!”
Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man called Si Ming smiled, “Young Lady Ye, thank you for your understanding. Our Sky Crane City is honoured by your presence at the wedding of our City Lord. If Sir City Lord learns of it, he’ll be surely pleased. Please come in!”
Saying so, he beckoned at her and invited her into the city. He didn’t try to embarrass Ye Jing Han.
Ye Jing Han didn’t stand on ceremony and she just walked into the city directly.
But, when Du Xian, as well as the other people behind Ye Jing Han were about to enter the city, Si Ming suddenly raised his hand and blocked Du Xian’s way then shouted coldly, “What are your intentions here, are you trying to force your way into the city?”
Upon hearing this, Du Xian furrowed his brow, while Ye Jing Han who had been walking ahead stopped midway and turned over to gaze at them.
Si Ming shouted arrogantly, “Bold! You haven’t obtained my permission, yet you want to enter the city? Are you looking down on my Sky Crane City?”
Du Xian said with a displeased look on his face, “Elder Si Ming, are you blind or has your brain gotten worse with age? Didn’t you see that we came here together with our Sect’s Young Lady?”
“A brat like you still dares to curse at me?” Si Ming flew into a rage and snorted coldly, saying, “Do you think I don’t dare to arrest you right now?”
Du Xian squinted his eyes and sneered, “Elder Si Ming… What is your meaning here?”
Si Ming snorted and replied, “What do you think?”
Du Xian took a deep breath, trying hard to curb his anger, “We have come under our Sect Master’s order to congratulate City Lord Luo, are you trying to bar our way at the gate and make a joke of yourself in front of the masses?”
“You’ve come to congratulate our City Lord?” Si Ming said with feigned surprise then started sizing up Du Xian, his mouth curling into a sneer, “You’re clad in such cheap rags, which Sect do you belong to?”
“You… old dog, how shameless can you be!?” Upon hearing him, Wu Man flew into a rage. As long as one wasn’t blind, he would have noticed that they came with Ye Jing Han and they were all disciples of Thousand Leaves Sect, yet Si Ming still acted as if he didn’t recognize them. He didn’t just obstruct Du Xian and his companions, he openly mocked and disdained them.
He obviously wanted to humiliate Thousand Leaves Sect!
Upon seeing this, the cultivators lining up behind them to enter the city had also understood the other party’s intentions and they started whispering to each other.
Upon hearing the whispers of the crowd, the expression of the members of Thousand Leaves Sect turned ashen and unsightly.
They had just followed orders and came to congratulate the City Lord, yet they had been insulted so viciously at the city gate. No one would be able to bear this humiliation in silence and the few disciples of Thousand Leaves Sect had all started circulating their Source Qi, as if they were prepared to start a fight right here.
Si Ming jumped back in fright and spoke warily, “What are you doing? Are you trying to resort to violence? This is Sky Crane City, not the desolate wilderness you have come from. Even bumpkins like you dare to wreak havoc here?”
He shouted so solemnly, as if everything he said was pure truth, and the cultivators behind him couldn’t help but laugh in response. They all understood that this old man was playing the fool to shame Thousand Leaves Sect, but the latter still couldn’t fight back.
“Elder Si Ming!” Ye Jing Han cast a glance at him with the same cold look as before and spoke, “Elder Si Ming, have you already gone amnesiac? Can you not recognize our Thousand Leaves Sect’s emblem? Does my father have to come here in person to tell you this?”
Upon hearing this, Si Ming revealed a surprised look and looked at Ye Jing Han then said, “Young Lady Ye, what you are saying is…”
Saying so, he turned his head to observe Du Xian and the others and glanced at the Thousand Leaves Sect’s emblem on their robes. He then struck his forehead and said sheepishly, “Ah! Young Lady Ye, forgive my mistake, I didn’t notice it. So, those are the talented youths of your Thousand Leaves Sect. When my eyes fell upon them earlier, I thought they were just some bumpk… Cough… Cough…”
He put on such a serious act, as if he had just realized this for real and he kept apologizing to Ye Jing Han, as if he had just realized that Du Xian and the others were disciples of the Thousand Leaves Sect.
“Hmph!” Ye Jing Han had been infuriated by this and her pretty face went dark then flushed red. It was frustrating and she couldn’t even vent her pent-up emotions.
“Since you are the talented youths of the Thousand Leaves Sect, then you just have to register to enter the city. This has just flown out of my mind, please don’t take offence.” Si Ming beckoned at Du Xian and the others with a bright smile on his face.
“Register? What should we register for?” Ye Jing Han was surprised by what she had just heard.
Si Ming said with a smile, “Your name, Sect, as well as some other basic information. Young Lady Ye, you’re also aware that the City Lord’s wedding will be held tomorrow and it’s a very important event. These days, not just anyone can enter the city and any person who enters the city has to register. This is an important matter regarding the city’s order.”
Ye Jing Han spoke coldly, “Then why didn’t I see any of the people before us registering?”
Si Ming said with a smile, “Young Lady Ye, you have such sharp eyes. Those people… I recognize them all and I know of their backgrounds. So, they don’t have to register.”
“Are you implying that you don’t recognize our Thousand Leaves Sect’s disciples?” Ye Jing Han spoke through gnashed teeth with her fury apparent on her face. Si Ming had been embarrassing the Thousand Leaves Sect repeatedly and she couldn’t help but get angry. She didn’t even want to visit Sky Crane City and attend the wedding in the first place, yet she still suffered a lot of trouble for it. She couldn’t help but be filled with regret and hatred for coming here even more.
What was even more infuriating was that Si Ming was deliberately shaming her precious Thousand Leaves Sect in front of the whole crowd.
“Young Lady Ye, please don’t embarrass me. I’m just following orders,” Si Ming said solemnly with a smile plastered on his face, “If you enter the city without registering then the City Lord will condemn me upon getting wind of this, and I won’t be able to take responsibility for this.”
“Fine, fine,” Ye Jing Han couldn’t bear this any longer and she was so infuriated that she broke into laughter, “Sky Crane City, I’ll bear this in mind. We aren’t so adamant about entering the city. Senior Brother, let’s leave.”
Upon hearing her, Si Ming didn’t get flustered, but rather, his smile turned wider.
Ye Jing Han had already turned around, as if she would really leave, but Du Xian suddenly held her arm and shook his head at her, asking her to calm down.
Luo Jin’s wedding was just a normal celebration, but it had great significance as all factions within a hundred thousand kilometres would attend it, and if the members of Thousand Leaves Sect left, it would be an open insult to Sky Crane City, giving them the perfect excuse to have a fallout with Thousand Leaves Sect.
This was the reason why Ye Hen had admonished and urged Du Xian and his companions before they left to bear any hardships and insults they might face during their trip.
Du Xian was a mature and worldly individual, so upon seeing Si Ming’s delighted smile, he realized right away that all of this was a trap set out for them. Si Ming probably wanted to send back the members of Thousand Leaves Sect to fan the flames of conflict between Sky Crane City and their Sect.
Upon realizing this, Du Xian resolved himself to thwart his plans. He just pulled Ye Jing Han and moved his lips, sending a message directly to her ear.
Ye Jing Han had been gnashing her teeth out of fury, while her chest heaved up and down, but upon hearing Du Xian’s words, she quieted for a moment then nodded.
Du Xian revealed a smile and cupped his fists then said, “Elder Si Ming, we just have to register, don’t we?”
Si Ming furrowed his brows and replied, “That’s right!”
“Then isn’t it quite simple?” Du Xian nodded and walked toward the scarlet registration paper next to him and wrote his name, as well as his Sect’s name.
Under his lead, the other disciples of Thousand Leaves Sect followed suit, even though they were all irritated and angry.
The disciples of Thousand Leaves Sect quickly discovered an infuriating matter. Only the members of some weak families and third-class Sects had written their names on this registrar. Any faction with a little bit of influence didn’t have to do so, with their Thousand Leaves Sect as the sole exception to this rule.
In other words, they were placing the Thousand Leaves Sect at the same level as those weak families and Sects.
The members of Thousand Leaves Sect were all infuriated, but they could only bear this in silence.
Soon the registration process was finished.
When it was Yang Kai’s turn, Ye Jing Han’s pretty eyes flickered and she looked at him in worry, yet she quickly noticed that he just went to the table obediently and wrote his name with the brush.
Upon seeing this, she let out a sigh of relief. She was afraid that Yang Kai wouldn’t cooperate and would just leave in a huff.
“Wait!” Si Ming shouted and looked at Yang Kai with his ardent gaze, sizing him up before asking, “Friend, you have an unfamiliar face. Are you also a disciple of Thousand Leaves Sect?”
Yang Kai grinned and said, “That’s right!”
Si Ming snorted coldly, “Friend, you should give this more thought before replying. Our Sky Crane City is now heavily guarded, so if you want to use the Thousand Leaves Sect’s name to sneak into the city, then we must have a little chat.”
Yang Kai raised his brows and spoke with a smile, “Elder Si Ming, why are you so sure that I’m not a member of Thousand Leaves Sect? Can you recognize all members of the Thousand Leaves Sect?”
Si Ming replied, “I don’t dare to claim that I know all of them, but I have still seen most of them, especially those with a cultivation such as yours.”
Yang Kai said curiously, “Is that so? Since you recognize most people with my level of cultivation, then how did you fail to recognize Senior Brother Du Xian? Brother Du is our Sect’s Eldest Senior Brother, so how could you not recognize him?”
Du Xian next to them sneered, “I’m also curious about this as well. I may not have been friends with Elder Si Ming in the past, but I have still chatted with you once or twice, so how could you act like you didn’t recognize me just now?”
Si Ming let out a light cough and wiped off the sweat on his forehead before explaining, “I simply didn’t get a clear look of you a while ago.”
“Elder Si Ming, it looks like you have gotten a serious eye ailment. You must treat quickly, or you won’t be in this world for long,” Du Xian spoke mockingly.
Si Ming’s expression changed, “But your clothes don’t have the Thousand Leaves Sect’s symbol. How can you explain this?”
“I changed into a new set of clothes for the City Lord’s wedding and have yet to embroider the Sect’s symbol on it,” Yang Kai grinned and lied without a single pause.
“I’m afraid this explanation is… Far from satisfactory!” Si Ming sneered coldly in response.
“Si Ming, what are you implying?” Ye Jing Han had discerned that Si Ming didn’t plan to let go of Yang Kai and she couldn’t help becoming anxious. She had invited Yang Kai to repair the World Crossing Space Array, which was a critical matter that might even help Thousand Leaves Sect rise up once again, so she attached the utmost importance to Yang Kai.
Moreover, Yang Kai, just as an individual, was extremely strong so if he flew into a rage, then the city gates would be dyed in blood. That was why Ye Jing Han quickly stood up for him and glared at Si Ming aggressively, “Since we arrived, you have targeted us repeatedly, do you think it’s so easy to bully our Thousand Leaves Sect? We have come to congratulate Luo Jin, yet you obstructed our way here and intentionally embarrassed us. If we leave right now, then none will be able to blame our Thousand Leaves Sect as it is clearly your Sky Crane City that has slighted its guests.”
Si Ming furrowed his brows and wondered why Ye Jing Han got so angry. Even when he tried to embarrass Du Xian and the others, she didn’t get so irritated, yet she had now directly called the City Lord’s great name without an ounce of respect. She had obviously lost all patience.
As this thought ran across his mind, Si Ming smiled sheepishly, “Young Miss Ye, please calm down, I was just upholding my duty with caution and I just wanted to have a little chat with this little friend.”
“If you don’t allow us to pass, then we’ll immediately leave. I’ll give you three breaths, the decision is yours!” Ye Jing Han glared at Si Ming coldly with a stern look.
Si Ming’s expression changed. He really hoped for the members of the Thousand Leaves Sect to just leave, as he could use it as an excuse to break off all relations between Sky Crane City and the Thousand Leaves Sect and annex its numerous industries in the city, but he suddenly felt that something was amiss and his instincts were telling him that having a falling-out with them right now would result in something terrible befalling him.
This stranger sent a shiver up his back!
“I was just wondering who is so arrogant and aggressive, it turns out it was Ye’er.”
At this moment, a voice drifted over from afar as a streak of light flew over and landed nearby, revealing two old and one young man.
The two old men were both Third-Order Dao Source Realm Masters and they wore composed and restrained expressions on their faces. As for the youth, he looked like he was in his thirties and was a First-Order of the Dao Source Realm. He was a handsome young man with rosy lips, pearly white teeth, and a folding fan in his hand. As he stood there fanning himself, he looked quite graceful and elegant.
“Qiu Yu!” Upon seeing this person, Du Xian’s expression turned grave, as if this young man had some exceptional background. On top of that, it also looked like Du Xian was pretty displeased by the way Qiu Yu addressed Ye Jing Han.
Qiu Yu’s expression turned cold as he gazed at Du Xian and said, “My noble name is not something the likes of you can utter, slap him!”
After he said so, all cultivators outside the city widened their mouths with a shocked look on their faces.
After all, Du Xian was a Second-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, yet Qiu Yu planned to slap him just for uttering his name. If Du Xian really suffered such an insult here, his Martial Heart might crumble and he wouldn’t have the face to see people in the future.
Upon hearing this, the expressions of the disciples of Thousand Leaves Sect changed and they all openly began pushing their Source Qi, preparing to fight.
But, before the crowd could get over their shock, Qiu Yu laughed loudly and said, “I’m just joking. Brother Du, don’t be so nervous!”
Du Xian’s expression fluctuated rapidly, a pretty spectacular sight to see. Flames of anger raged in his heart, but he couldn’t do anything other than endure; after all, his opponent had two Third-Order Dao Source Realm Masters protecting him, so if he rushed out to fight against them, then the losing side would definitely be Thousand Leaves Sect.
Qiu Yu didn’t bother with Du Xian anymore and turned his ardent gaze back to Ye Jing Han, speaking intimately, “Ye’er, it has been a long time since I last saw you but you are more graceful than ever.”
He had been so bossy a moment ago, yet his bearing changed so drastically that it shocked the crowd, making them wonder if he was still the same person.
“You’re still as repulsive as before.” Ye Jing Han sneered in response.
After she said so, the eyes of the two old men next to Qiu Yu shone brightly and two powerful waves of pressure engulfed Ye Jing Han. She couldn’t help but groan softly, while her face turned a little pale.
“Stop!” Qiu Yu’s face fell and he shouted sharply.
Thereupon, the two old men next to him restrained their pressure.
“How dare you act without my permission?” Qiu Yu turned around and rebuked the two old men. “What if you hurt Ye’er? Without my permission, you are not to act, or don’t bother following me from now on.”
“Young Master, please forgive us!” The two old men that had just gotten rebuked didn’t get angry; instead, they lowered their heads and admitted their mistakes. It was a pretty shocking sight!
“Ye’er, are you all right?” Qiu Yu gazed at Ye Jing Han with concern.
Ye Jing Han took a deep breath and said through gnashed teeth, “You should put a tight leash on your family’s dogs so they don’t run around and bite others randomly.”
Qiu Yu revealed a smile and folded his fan before nodding to Ye Jing Han and saying, “I have always loved your straightforward and outspoken nature.”
“And I’ve always despised you.”
“It isn’t a problem, it isn’t a problem,” Qiu Yu said with a smile, “I believe that as long as there is a will, there’s a way.”
“Come back to reality, even if you’re the only man left in this world, I still wouldn’t spare you a glance!” Ye Jing Han sneered coldly in response.
Qiu Yu’s face fell, but he still just smiled gracefully and didn’t bicker with her. He looked at Si Ming and asked, “What have you done to incur Ye’er’s wrath?”
Upon hearing this, Si Ming wiped off his cold sweat, clearly afraid of Qiu Yu, then said, “Nothing, it’s nothing. It’s just a routine procedure.”
“Hmph, then hurry up and apologize to Ye’er.” Qiu Yu snorted coldly.
Upon hearing this, Si Ming ran toward Ye Jing Han and spoke servilely, “Young Lady Ye, if I have offended you a moment ago, then please don’t take it to heart and forgive me.”
Ye Jing Han cast a glance at him then gestured at him indifferently, “Elder Si Ming, you were just upholding your duty. So, let’s just forget this.”
“A planned meeting cannot compare to one destined by fate! Ye’er, why don’t we enter the city together? I have obtained some excellent Dark Blood Tea, and was eagerly seeking someone to taste it with. Would you do me the honour?” Qiu Yu turned around and said with a smile.
Ye Jing Han replied coldly, “The path we are taking is different. So, no!”
Saying so, she called out to Du Xian and the others, “Senior Brother, let’s go.”
Du Xian nodded lightly then smiled at Qiu Yu, as if he had won, “Young Master Qiu, you should slowly enjoy your tea alone, be careful to not choke on it.”
“Hehe, Brother Du, many thanks for your concern,” Qiu Yu didn’t get angry and just replied with a smile.
After a short moment, the members of Thousand Leaves Sect all entered the city. Likewise, Qiu Yu, who was already bored of this place, headed back to the city with the two old men and disappeared among the crowd.
“What kind of background does that Qiu Yu have? It seemed like his status was not simple,” upon entering the city, Yang Kai asked curiously.
Ye Jing Han let out a sigh and replied, “He’s the Young Master of Sky Illumination Palace, a Sect at odds with our Thousand Leaves Sect. They have repeatedly tried to suppress us, but we are still here. I also heard that Sky Illumination Palace’s Master, Qiu Ze, has gone into secluded cultivation in an attempt to break through to the Emperor Realm. If he were to succeed, then…”
Saying so, a worried look appeared on Ye Jing Han’s face.
Du Xian spoke, “Sky Crane City and Sky Illumination Palace are working together, so if Qiu Ze becomes an Emperor Realm Master, our Thousand Leaves Sect’s future will be bleak.”
Upon hearing this, Yang Kai realized that the City Lord’s new backer was none other than Sky Illumination Palace.
Wu Ma continued, “It isn’t that easy to enter the Emperor Realm. That old man Qiu Ze will probably suffer cultivation dissonance during his breakthrough and die.”
The crowd clearly discerned that he had just cursed him to die. However, since Qiu Ze dared to attempt a breakthrough to the Emperor Realm, then he surely had the confidence to succeed, and if he really did, the Thousand Leaves Sect would be in big trouble.
“Our Master has his own plans regarding this, so we just have to diligently perform our own duties,” Du Xian had realized that his Fellow Brothers had fallen into a low mood and he quickly consoled them.
…..
In Sky Crane City, the members of Thousand Leaves Sect stopped in front of a store called the Heavenly Puppet Workshop.
Ye Jing Han introduced it to Yang Kai, “This is our greatest industry in Sky Crane City. If you don’t mind, you can stay here for two days. Once tomorrow’s wedding comes to an end, we’ll return to the Main Sect.”
“En!” Yang Kai gazed at the grandiose and luxurious Heavenly Puppet Workshop then nodded.
He could clearly discern that the Heavenly Puppet Workshop’s business had once been amazing, as any store built in such an expensive plot of land would be as bustling with plenty of business.
But, this was clearly a matter of the past. The current Heavenly Puppet Workshop was completely deserted and the goods on the shelves were left to collect dust. Even the clerk was just dozing off behind the counter. This clerk was laughing in his sleep while drooling. Obviously, he must be having a pretty good dream.
“The business here is quite… bleak.” Yang Kai sighed with emotions.
Ye Jing Han smiled bitterly, “If a store is usually surrounded by a few vicious-looking men, using the name of the City Lord, it would naturally make our customers feel uncomfortable. Over time, who would dare buy anything from us?”
Upon hearing her, Yang Kai noticed a few thugs near the store and they were all looking at the doors of Heavenly Puppet Workshop with a sneer, as if they were ready to make a move at any moment. However, upon seeing the badge of the Thousand Leaves Sect on the robes of Ye Jing Han and her companions, these thugs hurriedly averted their gazes.
Yang Kai let out a chuckle, “Your Sect’s standing and businesses in Sky Crane City are in quite the conundrum.”
Ye Jing Han’s expression turned gloomy, “En… It’s gotten even worse than before… Young Master Yang, please come in!”
Yang Kai nodded and entered the store under the lead of Ye Jing Han.
Du Xian, Wu Man, and the others exchanged glances in confusion. They had all noticed that Ye Jing Han valued Yang Kai greatly, and she treated him respectfully, as if he was some important and noble guest. But, no matter how much they observed Yang Kai, he looked like an ordinary Second-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator. Therefore, they could not understand why Ye Jing Han was treating him with so much care.
But, this wasn’t time for questions. After they entered the store, Wu Ma rushed over to the counter and struck it several times to wake up the sleeping clerk.
The clerk must have also been a disciple of Thousand Leaves Sect, but his cultivation wasn’t high and his status was also pretty low. Upon seeing Ye Jing Han and her companions, he was scared out of his mind and his face turned pale. He could only lower his head and acknowledge his mistake.
Ye Jing Han waved her hand at him impatiently, “Ask the shopkeeper to arrange several rooms for us.”
“Understood, I’ll go right away to call the shopkeeper. Young Lady, please wait for a short while.” The clerk was scared witless and he rushed quickly to the back room as if he had just gotten amnesty.
After a short moment, an old man who seemed to be in his fifties walked out of the back room and went toward Ye Jing Han and her companions in quick strides. He bowed to them then brought them to the back room and made appropriate arrangements for them.
The wedding ceremony was being held tomorrow and there were no other important events today, so after Ye Jing Han helped Yang Kai settle down in his room, she went back to her room and waited for a short while, until she heard someone knocking on her door.
She moved toward the door with light steps and opened it only to see Du Xian standing there with a bright smile. The young woman’s face got flushed and she invited him into the room bashfully, a room which would be shortly drowned in sugary words of love.
…..
Yang Kai was sitting cross-legged in his room, resting.
He had come to Sky Crane City with Ye Jing Han only by pure chance and he planned to just spend his days here in peace.
But, he still felt uneasy for some unknown reason, and he felt like something major would shortly occur, making it impossible for him to calm down.
This was the first time he had such a feeling, he had never experienced something like this when cultivating.
He didn’t dare to take this lightly and he started examining his body repeatedly with his Divine Sense, out of fear that he suffered some hidden damage during his cultivation or he formed a Heart Demon unknowingly.
But, he still didn’t find any issue no matter how much he inspected his body. Rather, his uneasiness had only gotten stronger.
He furrowed his brows and started mulling this over. He noticed that he got this feeling ever since he had entered Sky Crane City, as if something here was affecting him.
It was a very peculiar feeling, but Yang Kai did not dismiss this sensation as irrelevant. He had already reached a fairly high realm and no external event would be able to perturb his inner peace without it being of true significance.
Yang Kai mulled this over for a long time, yet couldn’t come up with an answer and he could only let out a sigh and stand up.
He planned to greet Ye Jing Han and tell her that he would go out for a walk, but upon releasing his Divine Sense, he saw Ye Jing Han and Du Xian flirting in the room and his face had immediately darkened.
They weren’t really doing anything overboard. Du Xian was just holding Ye Jing Han’s hand and looking at her affectionately while showering her with words expressing his deep yearning for her. As for Ye Jing Han, she just lowered her head with her cheeks and neck flushed.
Yang Kai quickly took back his Divine Sense, as he was afraid that he would shortly gouge his eyes out if he continued watching this sight.
He didn’t tell anyone about what he had just seen and his body quickly flickered as he left Heavenly Puppet Workshop to appear in the crowded main street.
Sky Crane City could be considered one of the Southern Territory’s medium-sized cities, so both its overall layout and scale were far above Maplewood City. Its streets were big enough for eight carriages to pass side by side and they were filled with a throng of cultivators.
There were many stores set up at the sides of the street with loud shouts reverberating in them.
The whole city had a special festive air and was decorated with coloured lanterns and banners, which was most likely because of the wedding ceremony tomorrow. The city was bustling with activity and all cultivators wore bright smiles across their faces. One could make a guess as to why they were so cheerful.
Yang Kai walked along with the crowd and he quickly entered a restaurant filled with guests.
He was quickly welcomed by a cordial waiter. This waiter was also a cultivator, but his cultivation was pretty low, only in the Saint Realm. The waiter bowed to Yang Kai with a smile plastered across his face, “Sir, please come in. You look like a new face here, did you come to drink alone, or are you here to meet a friend?”
Yang Kai cast a glance at him and said with a smile, “I’m just by myself!”
The waiter smiled in understanding, “Understood, please have a seat here.”
Saying so, he brought Yang Kai to the third floor and offered a table next to the window to him then said with a smile, “Sir, what would you like to order? I’m not trying to brag, but there aren’t any restaurants in Sky Crane City better than ours. All ingredients used by us are from fresh Monster Beasts, cooked with exquisite Spirit Herbs and Fruits. If you can consume them all year long, then even someone at your esteemed realm will receive some consolidation effects. If one is lucky enough, then one may even achieve a breakthrough. This has occurred in our restaurant a few times already.”
“Oh?” Yang Kai raised his brows in surprise and spoke with a smile, “What do you think someone at my cultivation should have?”
The waiter chuckled, “Sir, I can guess with a glance that you’re a Dao Source Realm cultivator, so you should obviously have the best dishes and wine. The only thing missing would be the company of a beauty.”
The waiter had been working here for many years and he had already gotten a pair of pretty discerning eyes. He was just a Saint Realm cultivator, yet he still discerned that Yang Kai was at the Dao Source Realm. He wasn’t just decent looking, he was also slick-tongued and could easily get on people’s good side.
Yang Kai chuckled, “Alright, I’ll leave it to you.”
Upon hearing this, delight surfaced on the waiter’s face and he declared, “Sir, I won’t disappoint you, and if you don’t leave in satisfaction, then you can break my legs to make a stew out of them.”
Yang Kai nodded and spoke, “I’ll take you at your word, if I am dissatisfied by any little thing, then I’ll fulfil your wish.”
The waiter’s face darkened and he could only say, “Then I’ll have to do my best!”
Saying so, he quickly left to arrange and handle this.
Yang Kai sat down next to the window and looked outside while waiting. He found this pretty amusing and he regained his spirits. He had been pretty despondent for the past few days and he still got pretty uneasy a while ago, yet all of those gloomy feelings were swept away now.
It wasn’t limited to just this. Yang Kai also felt that his body had turned lighter. He felt refreshed and full of vigour, and his body’s Source Qi started circulating quicker than before.
Upon noticing this, Yang Kai was taken aback, but he quickly understood what happened. His state of mind seemed to have achieved a subtle breakthrough.
Realizing this, his delight quickly surfaced on his face. Going for a walk had been a wise decision.
If he stayed in the Heavenly Puppet Workshop and cultivated, then he would’ve just racked his brain over this in vain and wouldn’t have gotten this fortuitous encounter.
After a short while, the waiter served him top-notch dishes and wine. Even though Yang Kai felt that the waiter was just bragging somewhat, he couldn’t deny that the dishes of this restaurant were pretty delicious and they were all made from special ingredients rich in energy. If one consumed those dishes all year long, then it was theoretically possible to increase their cultivation.
But it was quite an insignificant increase and it wouldn’t be as pure and refined as meditative cultivation.
So, cultivators would usually avoid such methods to increase their cultivation. They would have to spend a large amount of Source Crystals to eat here every day, just to obtain limited growth. It would be far better to just sit down and cultivate.
But, Yang Kai didn’t bother with nitpicking over tiny details with the waiter. He just praised him with a few words and tipped him with a few Source Crystals then asked him to leave. Yang Kai then just sat there by himself and enjoyed his drink alone.
The third floor of the restaurant was packed with guests sitting down in groups. At worst, the patrons were pairs, with the sole exception being Yang Kai.
Everyone was drinking cheerfully and discussing miscellaneous matters in loud voices, touching upon many of lands’ affairs and oddities.
Yang Kai had been listening to them with full interest.
The topic of discussions quickly focused, however, on the new concubine being taken by the City Lord, Luo Jin. The reasons for this were most likely rooted in the curiosities of men.
“Now that you mention it, the City Lord is already so old, yet he’s still enjoying himself.”
“You’re right, the City Lord has already taken in fourteen concubines and he’s planning on marrying a fifteenth tomorrow! I really wonder where he gets all the energy to keep up? Hahaha!”
“Leaving beauties to spend their nights in solitude is pretty cruel and sinful. If Sir Luo can’t pamper them all equally, then his harem may stray off-road.”
“Huh? Brother, from what you have said so far, it seems that you’re harbouring some desires for them?”
“Hehe, I won’t dare. I would never dare, I’m just speaking randomly.”
“It looked like you were sympathizing with them, as if you wanted to help the old City Lord… Hehe…”
“If I get a chance, I may give it a try. As the saying goes, if you can die beneath a beauty, then you won’t have any regrets.”
“Don’t you think you had enough drinks? If you don’t zip your mouth, then a calamity may befall you. Don’t forget that walls have ears,” someone suddenly spoke in a cold voice and warned them.
Upon hearing this, the expressions of the two people caught in a heated discussion changed and they said sheepishly, “We have really drunk more than we should, what did we say a while ago?”
“Nothing, we didn’t say anything. Come on, let’s have another drink.”
The topic of the discussion had suddenly shifted.
But, after a short while, someone brought it up again, “Now that I think about it, it’s said that his fourteen concubines are all outstanding beauties. If one can live as Sir Luo, then he won’t have any more regrets in life.”
“Well, he’s the City Lord after all. But from what you said, you must have gotten to see the City Lord’s concubines, didn’t you?”
“He’s got a point there, the City Lord keeps all of his concubines hidden in the City Lord’s Mansion. Even if they were to come out, they would be escorted by guards, clearing the way for them. Their faces are always covered by black veils. Friend, tell me. How did you get to see them?”
That person revealed a faint smile, “Hehe, I didn’t get to see them, but my niece is working as a maid in the City Lord’s Mansion and she got the opportunity to serve his concubines. According to her, they are all exceptionally beautiful, especially the newest one. She’s a lot prettier than the others and the City Lord is quite fond of her.”
“Huh? Do you have information about the new bride? Hurry up and tell us. What does she look like?”
“That’s right, we’re all curious about her.”
That man said with a smile, “I don’t mind telling you, but I don’t have any wine on my table…”
“I’ll take charge of it! Waiter, serve us a few bottles of your best wine,” someone suddenly shouted.
The man cupped his fists at him, “Friend, you’re pretty straightforward. I won’t keep you in suspense and I’ll tell you everything in detail.”
Saying so, he wiped off his mouth and started describing the City Lord’s new bride with his silver tongue. As the man described it, the crowd felt like they could see a graceful and alluring woman stroking her hair coquettishly and walking out of the void toward them. They had all revealed captivated looks and some had almost started drooling.
“Hmph!” At this moment, someone let out a cold snort and slammed his mug onto the table heavily, letting out a loud rumble.
The crowd lost in their fanciful dreams and they all looked angrily at that said person.
Yang Kai had also been listening to the previous man’s tale eagerly, and he quickly looked at the source of the noise. He sighted upon a muscular man stinking off alcohol with a vicious glare in his eye.
Upon sweeping him with his Divine Sense, Yang Kai discovered that this man was only a Third-Order Origin King, and his aura seemed pretty unstable. It seemed like he had suffered some kind of serious injury recently.
The man’s right eye was completely white without a pupil, as if it had been blinded by some unknown substance. The man looked pretty vicious, and his strange eye only made him scarier.
At this moment, anger was apparent on the one-eyed man’s face. He had even destroyed the cup in his hand, causing sweet liquor to drip through his fingers.
“I was just wondering who it was, it’s the lone tiger who has just left his mountain, Brother Hu Chai,” the person who had been speaking a while ago laughed then covered his mouth, “No, he’s now the One-Eyed Tiger! Hahaha!”
The man didn’t even bother with hiding his mockery, and he laughed along with the crowd. It looked like they all didn’t like the man surnamed Chai.
“Brother Chai, I’m pretty curious. Who blinded you?” After that man had his fill of laughter, he questioned him.
Chai Hu snorted and didn’t bother with replying. He just sat there with a vicious look on his face and rolled his sole eye at that person, “If you continue making things up, then I’ll tear you apart.”
The expression of that person changed and he shouted, “Making things up? What do you mean by that?”
Chai Hu said, “That woman… doesn’t look anything like that.”
“Which woman?” That person furrowed his brows, but he quickly came back to his senses and responded. Squinting as he said, “Chai Hu, are you talking about… The City Lord’s new bride?”
Chai Hu snorted coldly then raised a wine bottle on the table to drink it down in one gulp.
That man still didn’t let go of this, “You’re talking like you have seen the bride. Did you?”
Chai Hu’s hand suddenly stiffened and a reminiscent look flashed past his sole eye, but he still said coldly, “It’s none of your business!”
That person was taken aback and he clapped with a smile, “I suddenly understand how you got blinded.” He stopped for a moment, leaving those around him in suspense, then laughed aloud, “You must have peeped on the City Lord’s bride when she was bathing and your eye got blinded by her.”
After he said so, the whole place broke into laughter.
Chai Hu suddenly stood up and flipped up the table. As his body moved, he rushed at the man like a ferocious tiger with a sabre in his hand, swinging it out.
The current Chai Hu was shrouded in a dense murderous intent. This matter must have poked a sore point. As for his opponent, he was startled by this and he quickly summoned up all his might to defend against the unexpected attack.
These two were both Third-Order Origin Kings, so their moves possessed indomitable might. As their Saint Qi surged, the battle’s shockwaves flipped up all tables on the third floor and the whole restaurant started shaking. It had almost crumbled apart!
Upon noticing this disturbance, the owner of the restaurant quickly rushed over and sighted upon the two men fighting to the death. His face turned pale and he entreated them to leave and finish their fight outside, but his pleas didn’t reach them.
Yang Kai shook his head with a helpless look on his face then picked the wine bottle on the table, draining off anything left in one gulp. Shortly after, he left some Source Crystals on the table, then his body flickered away. He had left the restaurant and was making his way through the crowd.
Fights between cultivators were a common occurrence and every cultivator’s hands were stained in blood. On this day, Chai Hu or his opponent might get killed in the fight, but that was their business.
Yang Kai didn’t plan to intervene. He just wanted to get back to Heavenly Puppet Workshop, but when he passed by a pill store on the way, he suddenly stopped, then turned around and went inside.
This pill store was one of Violet Source Chamber of Commerce’s industries, as it had its symbol on its signboard.
Yang Kai planned to purchase some herbs. He had a lot of materials in his Space Ring, but he had consumed a lot of pills lately, and he was short of some secondary ingredients to refine replacements. Purchasing what he needed was the simplest method.
The Violet Source Chamber of Commerce’s pill store in Sky Crane City was a lot larger than the one in Maplewood City, and it had a much wider variety of goods than the latter. Yang Kai began purchasing a lot of herbs he needed with the help of the store’s attendant, and this attendant was very delighted by this. He realized that he had run into a pretty wealthy man, so he served him meticulously and respectfully.
After Yang Kai spent an hour there, he finally finished his purchases and he asked the attendant to pack all the goods then went to the counter to settle the bill.
The shopkeeper had also realized that they had run into someone with deep pockets and wore an amiable smile across his face.
But, while they were still counting the price of goods, a shadow fell upon the entrance and someone came inside.
The shopkeeper raised his head to take a look then said in surprise, “Young Lady Luo? We are honoured by your presence, please forgive us for not coming out to greet you.”
Upon hearing this, the expression of Yang Kai’s changed and he realized that ‘Young Lady Luo’ was most likely the daughter of Sky Crane City’s Lord, Luo Jin.
Those two had the same surname and the shopkeeper would likely treat only those from the City Lord’s Mansion so respectfully; after all, the shopkeeper here was a member of Violet Source Chamber of Commerce. With such backing, he didn’t have to treat guests without very special status with such courtesy.
Yang Kai turned his head and gazed at this ‘Young Lady Luo’ curiously. What he saw was a graceful young girl clad in a flashy dress. She had come here with a smile and waved her hand at the shopkeeper in response, “Shopkeeper, just take care of your business. I only came here for a stroll!”
“Young Lady Luo, please help yourself!” The shopkeeper revealed a faint smile.
The young girl walked in, accompanied by a handsome young man with rosy lips, white teeth, and a fan in his hand. This graceful young man was none other than the Sky Illumination Palace’s Qiu Yu.
When Yang Kai’s gaze met Qiu Yu’s, the latter was taken aback a little and he said with a smile, “It’s you?”
Yang Kai covered his face with his hand and turned around, saying, “It’s not me. I think you’ve got the wrong person.”
Qiu Yu was startled and he couldn’t help but wonder what Yang Kai was playing at.
The young girl sized up Yang Kai curiously then gazed at Qiu Yu, asking him, “Brother Yu, do you know this man?”
Qiu Yu smiled, “I know him, but I’m not that close to him.”
“Eh!” The young girl nodded, then patted Yang Kai’s shoulder boldly and said, “Hey, Brother Yu is talking with you, how dare you ignore him?”
Yang Kai moved his shoulder aside and shook off her hand, then looked at her in irritation, “Men and women should avoid any intimate body contact, didn’t your parents teach you this? Why are you patting someone else’s shoulders so casually? What are you up to?”
The young girl’s face got flushed and she said through gnashed teeth, “You dare to rebuke me?”
Qiu Yu said with a smile, “Little Sister Bing, don’t lower yourself to his level, this person has always been so guileful. He was also like this at the city’s gate. He even sneaked into the city under Thousand Leaves Sect’s name, who knows what he’s up to?”
“He is with Thousand Leaves Sect?” Luo Bing’s face fell upon hearing this, as if she had a very bad impression of Thousand Leaves Sect.
“That’s right!” Qiu Yu nodded lightly.
Luo Bing spoke promptly, “Then he surely has some malicious plan. Hey, tell me honestly, what did you sneak into the city for? Are you concocting some devious plot?”
She had unexpectedly started interrogating Yang Kai directly.
Yang Kai looked at the young girl with a helpless look on his face. [This little girl must have been spoiled to the bone and is completely oblivious to the ways of the world.]
Thinking so, Yang Kai suddenly let out a nasty laugh.
Luo Bing spoke out of disgust, “Your laugh is so sickening… Hurry up and blurt it out, what did you come to the city for?”
Yang Kai let out a peal of lecherous laughter and spoke, “What else other than that? I heard that Sky Crane City got so many beauties and I have just come here to enjoy myself, I’m especially interested in young girls with tender skin.”
Saying so, he took a deep sniff of the air with an infatuated look at his face then spoke again, “What a rich fragrance! What taste, so sweet and delicious! Ze ze ze…”
Luo Bing had been so frightened that her face turned deathly pale. She couldn’t help but move back several steps and she couldn’t utter another word.
Qiu Yu furrowed his brows and moved in front of Luo Bing, hiding her behind him, then snorted coldly, “Friend, pay attention to your words. You can eat whatever you want, but you can’t say whatever you want. Some words may cost you your life.”
Yang Kai chuckled and shrugged his shoulders, “It’s you who forced such a label on me, insinuating that I sneaked into the city with ulterior motives. So, I just played along with you.”
At this moment, Luo Bing had come back to her senses and she jumped from behind Qiu Yu and shouted in a sweet voice, “You dared to scare me? Do you know who I am?”
Yang Kai cast a glance at her then brushed off her threats, “Don’t know, please don’t bother me. You’re a nuisance!”
“He dared to… Shoo me off?” Luo Bing widened up her pretty eyes and she got so angry that her chest heaved up and down. She was the daughter of Sky Crane City’s Lord, she was from a family with great influence, and had a prominent status. She was also a great beauty with many suitors pestering her, Qiu Yu being one of them. Every time Qiu Yu visited Sky Crane City, he would accompany her and would follow her closely like her shadow.
Moreover, Luo Jin spoiled her and satisfied every little request of hers. She had always lived with the world revolving around her, where everyone treated her with the utmost care. She had never been so shunned by a man before.
She felt quite aggrieved and she stamped her foot, “You… You… I’ll teach you a lesson!”
Upon hearing this, Yang Kai’s face fell.
He wasn’t afraid of Sky Crane City, but if he got into a conflict with Luo Bing, then he would implicate the members of the Thousand Leaves Sect and he didn’t hope to see this.
Luo Bing shouted then jumped toward Yang Kai with her head held high, staring at him viciously.
When Yang Kai had just gotten wary, she turned her head around and pointed at the goods on the counter then spoke with the shopkeeper, “Did he buy those goods?”
Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper nodded without giving any thought to this, “That’s right.”
“Good!” Luo Bing gnashed her teeth, “Then I want all of them, don’t sell off any of them to him.”
Yang Kai’s expression turned gloomy, while Qiu Yu was taken aback. [Does she plan to teach him a lesson through this? Isn’t this lesson a bit too petty?]
An embarrassed look appeared on the shopkeeper’s face, “Young Lady Luo, those goods have already been picked by this guest, and we have just calculated the cost.”
Luo Bing said, “Then he didn’t pay for them yet, right?”
The shopkeeper hesitated for a moment, “He hasn’t done so. Yet….”
“Then, that’s fine, I want all of them,” Luo Bing snorted and looked at Yang Kai with a complacent look, as if she was saying, [Do you dare to fight with me?]
Yang Kai was dumbfounded by this, and he only got more certain that this little girl had been spoiled rotten to the bone. Even when she got angry, she didn’t know how to vent her anger.
The shopkeeper took a deep breath, “Young Miss Luo, those goods had been selected by him already, and if he wants to buy them, then I have to sell them off to him. So, I’m afraid that I can’t satisfy your request.”
“What?” Luo Bing pulled a long face and glared at the shopkeeper, “Didn’t you hear what I have just said?”
The shopkeeper explained calmly, “Those are our store’s rules, we hope for your understanding.”
This store wasn’t big, but it was still a branch of Violet Source Chamber of Commerce and it represented its face. So, the shopkeeper wasn’t really afraid of the daughter of Sky Crane City’s Lord, Luo Bing, and he also wouldn’t offend a guest for her and ruin the reputation of Violet Source Chamber of Commerce.
As for the consequences of offending the Young Lady of the City Lord’s Mansion? It would be up to his superiors to handle this. Besides, even if Luo Jin learned of this, he likely wouldn’t make any trouble for the store.
“You…” Luo Bing got so angry that her small face got flushed red.
Upon seeing this, Qiu Yu started to try and appease her, “Little Sister Bing, just forget about it. It’s just a few herbs. If they don’t want to sell them, we can just buy them from another place.”
“That’s out of the question! I have set my mind on this! So, I’ll buy them no matter what!” Luo Bing puffed up her cheeks, then said through gnashed teeth, “Shopkeeper, just tell me how much do those goods cost? I’ll pay double for them.”
The shopkeeper rubbed his forehead and said with a bitter smile, “I still can’t break the store’s rules.”
Yang Kai suddenly smiled, “Shopkeeper, how can you miss free money? Since this little girl wants to pay double the price, then just sell them to her.”
Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper cast a grateful glance at Yang Kai and bowed at him, “Dear guest, many thanks for your understanding.”
Luo Bing shouted, “Why are you talking as if he let me have them? I snatched them away, you know?”
“You’re right, you’re right, you have snatched them and I have just conceded in defeat,” Yang Kai nodded repeatedly.
“That’s more like it,” Luo Bing’s expression turned for the better and she raised her head complacently then knocked on the table, saying, “Speak! How much do they cost?”
The shopkeeper quickly calculated the cost and said, “The original price would be 18,604,300 Source Crystals, but we can just round it to 18,600,000. So, Young Lady Luo, you’ll have to pay 37,200,000 Source Crystals.”
*Gudong…*
Luo Bing gulped hard and said with great difficulty, “How… How much again?”
The shopkeeper raised his head and repeated the price with a composed look.
At this moment, even Qiu Yu winded up his eyes and he looked in shock at Yang Kai.
He would have never imagined that the things Yang Kai bought were so expensive. Such an astronomical amount of Source Crystals would shock most Dao Source Realm cultivators. Even Qiu Yu, who was the Young Palace Master of the Sky Illumination Palace, didn’t have such a large number of Source Crystals.
Since Yang Kai was this wealthy, to the point that he would casually carry that amount around, then he surely was no ordinary cultivator.
Luo Bing was completely dumbstruck as she stood there in a daze for a long time.
After a long while, Luo Bing asked bitterly, “Shopkeeper, are you sure you didn’t make some mistake while calculating?”
The shopkeeper replied calmly, “I have been managing this store for thirty years and I have never made such a mistake.”
Yang Kai next to them grinned, “Little girl, what’s wrong? Can you not afford it?”
“Who says I can’t?” Upon hearing this, Luo Bing stomped her foot, as if she was a little rabbit that got its tail stepped on. “I wouldn’t… put such a small amount of Source Crystals in… my eyes. The allowance given to me by my father is a lot more than this…”
“Great!” Yang Kai nodded and cupped his fists at her, saying, “The Young Lady is so rich and imposing, I can’t help but admire you.”
Luo Bing said in a low voice, “But I left home in a hurry today and didn’t bring that much with me.”
Yang Kai smiled and cast a sidelong glance at her then spoke, “Young Lady Luo, are you planning to purchase on credit?”
“Who said anything about purchasing on credit?” Luo Bing’s face got flushed. She really planned to do this just now, but having been mocked by Yang Kai, she no longer felt she had the face to do so. With no other choice, she turned expectantly to Qiu Yu, “Brother Qiu…”
Qiu Yu stroked his Space Ring subconsciously and twitched his lips as he spoke, “Little Sister Bing, I only have a million in hand…”
Upon hearing this, Luo Bing stomped her foot, “Why didn’t you bring more Source Crystals with you?”
A dumbfounded look appeared on Qiu Yu’s face as he couldn’t help but wonder, [A million is more than enough, and I have saved up for so long to accumulate this much. Where can I get more of it? Even if I had more, I wouldn’t take it out now….]
She was trying to buy herbs at double their price in a fit of anger, yet she wanted to use his Source Crystals. Luo Bing’s family would surely not return such a sum to him.
Upon thinking of this, Qiu Yu glared resentfully at Yang Kai. If this man hadn’t caused so much mischief, he wouldn’t have found himself in such an awkward position.
As for Yang Kai, he just turned a blind eye to his glare and laughed loudly, “Young Lady Luo, it seems you didn’t bring enough with you. Then, I can only take these herbs for myself.”
“Stop!” Luo Bing shouted and jumped between him and the counter, using her body as a shield like she was protecting some precious treasure, shouting desperately at Yang Kai, “Just wait for a little while, I’ll go back and ask for the Source Crystals from my father.”
“Would the City Lord give such a sum to you?” Yang Kai curled his lips.
As long as Luo Jin didn’t lose his mind, he wouldn’t give Luo Bing such a large sum for her petty quarrel. At most, he would send some people after Yang Kai to teach him a lesson.
Qiu Yu couldn’t just continue to observe in silence. He stretched out his hand to pull Luo Bing and warned, “Little Sister Bing, don’t make a scene, the City Lord is completely focused on preparing for the wedding ceremony tomorrow, and he probably doesn’t have time to meet with you.”
“I’m not making a scene, I just want to make a purchase,” Luo Bing said obstinately.
Yang Kai shook his head and took the medicinal ingredients then put them in his Space Ring. Shortly after, he paid the shopkeeper enough Source Crystals and turned around to leave.
He didn’t bother with quarrelling with the two!
“Stop!” Luo Bing ordered, but her shout was futile. Upon seeing that Yang Kai would shortly leave, she quickly pulled at Qiu Yu and entreated him, “Brother Yu, please block him for me, I have to buy those medicinal ingredients today.”
“Just forget about it!” An irritated look flashed past Qiu Yu’s eyes. He had already accompanied this insensible little girl for so long and he couldn’t stand her temper tantrum any longer; however, Sky Crane City was a fairly powerful force and Sky Illumination Palace wanted to have a better relationship with them, so every time he visited Sky Crane City, he needed to keep Luo Bing company. “If the City Lord learned of this, it won’t be a good end for you.”
“What? What did I do wrong? I can take and do whatever I want in Sky Crane City, and if anything goes wrong, I’ll take responsibility,” Luo Bing said bossily. “What’s more, isn’t he with Thousand Leaves Sect? We can take this opportunity to ask him the reason why he sneaked into the city, and what he is plotting.”
“Haa!” Qiu Yu let out a helpless sigh. She kept pestering him as before, and he could only brace himself and agree. In any case, he also wanted to know how Yang Kai was related to Thousand Leaves Sect. After all, he knew that the Thousand Leaves Sect didn’t have any disciples or Elders called ‘Yang Kai’.
However, Ye Jing Han had claimed that he was part of the Sect, so he couldn’t help but get a little wary and eventually nodded, “Good, but if the City Lord asks about this…”
“I won’t mention your name. Brother Yu, you’re the best!” Luo Bing revealed a delighted look.
Qiu Yu’s expression turned grave and he shouted, “Elders, I’ll have to trouble you with this.”
He seemed to be talking to the air, those who saw this would question who he was talking to…
Luo Bing stood there with a smile and observed Yang Kai’s back in anticipation, and she started daydreaming about taking him down and interrogating him until he would kneel and beg for forgiveness. Finally, she would get him to hand over the herbs to her. But, as she continued observing, her smile quickly disappeared. Yang Kai had just walked out of the door leisurely then turned around and disappeared into the crowd.
“He… He ran away!” Luo Bing shook Qiu Yu’s arm and reminded him.
A startled look appeared on Qiu Yu’s face and he shouted to the void, “Elders, what’s wrong?”
When his voice just fell, two silhouettes flickered and appeared in front of them. The two Third-Order Dao Source Realm Masters, who had been at the city gate with him appeared, but they were now drenched in a cold sweat with faces as pale as paper, as if they just experienced some terrible fright.
“Why didn’t you make a move?” Anger was apparent on Qiu Yu’s face. He felt like he had just embarrassed himself in front of Luo Bing and was in an awful mood.
The two old men exchanged a glance then one of them spoke, “Young Master, you must know, we didn’t wish to disobey your orders, we simply couldn’t make a move.”
“What’s wrong?” Qiu Yu’s face fell.
The old man continued, “I also can’t say why, when we were about to act against that boy, we suddenly felt an ominous premonition, as though the shadow of death was looming over us… It was as if… As if….”
Saying so, clear fear appeared on his face.
The other old man added, “If we had really made a move, we would now be corpses.”
“Are you cracking a joke with me?” Qiu Yu’s jaw dropped as he glared at the two old men in disbelief.
The old man who had spoken first responded, “Young Master, we have followed you for so many years and we have never disobeyed your orders, but this time… Things are just not as they seem!”
“That’s right, please forgive us,” the other old man pleaded.
Qiu Yu observed them for long then said bitterly, “What you are implying is that he’s hiding his true strength, and he’s likely an… Emperor Realm Master?”
Upon saying so, Qiu Yu couldn’t help but gulp hard as cold sweat dripped down his back, his face turning deathly pale.
The two old men were both Third-Order Dao Source Realm Masters, and even though they had already grown old, their power had only grown more refined and vigorous with time. No one other than an Emperor Realm Master could instantly take them down and deter them from making a move.
Upon thinking he may have just provoked an Emperor Realm Master, Qiu Yu suddenly felt feeble and his legs started shivering, making it impossible for him to stand straight.
“No, no, no…” The old man that spoke a while ago shook his head and said. “He is fairly young so he is unlikely to be an Emperor Realm Master. What’s more, we have observed him with our Divine Senses carefully, and he’s really just in the Second-Order Dao Source Realm.”
“Then there is an Emperor Realm Master in the dark protecting him?” Qiu Yu was surprised again.
“It isn’t the case, that feeling we felt… It didn’t seem like it was from an Emperor Realm Master…” The other old man shook his head.
Qiu Yu knitted his brow, “Then aren’t your senses betraying you?”
The old man who spoke first asked, “Young Master, don’t you believe us?”
“I didn’t say so,” Upon hearing this, Qiu Yu quickly waved his hand in denial. “It’s just… This matter must have a reasonable explanation, is it because that young man could easily defeat you?”
The old man sneered, “He’s one hundred years too young to defeat us with his current cultivation.”
Luo Bing, who had been listening to this for such a long time, was confused. so, she butted in, “What are you talking about? That man has already left. You two old men are so useless, Brother Yu has taken care of you in vain.”
Qiu Yu’s expression turned cold and he glared at Luo Bing, “Shut up!”
Luo Bing was startled by this. Qiu Yu had never treated her like this since she became acquainted with him and she had never seen him so angry. In addition, she had just been thwarted a while ago; therefore, she couldn’t take it any longer and shouted hysterically, “Did you just scold me? You dare to scold me!?”
Qiu Yu snorted coldly, “These two are as close to me as my own Grandparents! You don’t have the right to insult them!”
Luo Bing’s eyes got flushed and she broke into tears. She gnashed her teeth and glared at Qiu Yu resentfully then pounced at him, raining kicks and punches on him as she shouted, “I hate you, I hate you, you’re the worst. I hate you so much!”
After she beat him for a while, she turned around and ran outside of the store and quickly disappeared among the crowd.
“Young Master, go after her!” Upon seeing this, the expression of one of the old men changed and he advised.
Qiu Yu snorted coldly, “That little girl has been spoiled to the core, just let her be. Hopefully, she will reflect on her actions after this.”
“But, if Lady Bing suffers any mishap, then…” The old man spoke with a worried look.
Qiu Yu didn’t take this seriously and he just explained, “She’s the daughter of the City Lord, so who would dare to harm her in Sky Crane City? She probably ran back to the City Lord’s Mansion. I know her temperament, you don’t have to worry over this.”
Upon hearing this, the two old men quieted down and didn’t say more.
“About that young man… We should pay more attention to him,” Qiu Yu said with a grave look on his face, “He probably has some great secrets, and I’m also pretty curious about his origins.”
“Young Master, you can rest assured, I will go to investigate this right away,” After one of the old men cupped his fist and spoke, his body flickered and disappeared.
…..
In one of Sky Crane City’s streets, a heartbroken young girl was rushing ahead through the crowd in tears, knocking into some people along the way. Her careless actions caused many to shout and curse at her.
Luo Bing was deeply hurt. She didn’t just get mocked by someone, she had also been shamed in that store. Worse, now even Qiu Yu, who she saw as her closest friend, had publicly scolded her.
She had never suffered so much in her life and she felt immensely aggrieved. The young girl’s tears flowed without stop and her eyes quickly got flushed and swollen.
As she ran away in tears, she still didn’t forget to frequently look back, as if she was expecting someone, but she didn’t see him chasing after her. Upon realizing this, she felt even more hurt and felt like she was the most miserable and pitiful person in Sky Crane City.
As she mulled this over repeatedly and eventually realized that the chief culprit was that wicked young man. If he had just given up the herbs to her, then she wouldn’t have found herself in such an awkward position and she also wouldn’t get scolded by Qiu Yu.
Upon realizing this, she cursed Yang Kai viciously in her mind and vowed to teach him a memorable lesson.
Luo Bing had been running in tears for a long time, and when she finally came back to her senses, she discovered in shock that she had gotten lost.
She was the daughter of Sky Crane City’s Lord and she had lived her whole life here; however, she was always accompanied by guards when she went out into the city, so she never paid any attention to her surroundings, only caring about her own amusement. After she was done with what she wanted to do, she would be escorted home.
Moreover, all regions she visited were the most prosperous areas of Sky Crane City!
But, at this moment, she ended up in a deserted region with narrow roads and filthy air. A sickening odour pervaded this place and many broken stalls and run-down shops surrounded her.
There was also a wretched beggar covered in filth trying to pick the lice off of himself, tossing each one he caught into his mouth, chewing them in delight…
Luo Bing quickly looked away and she felt like she would soon throw up. She couldn’t help but question whether this was still the prosperous Sky Crane City? Did she run so far away and end up in another unknown city?
Upon thinking of this, Luo Bing was terrified.
If it was so, then she wouldn’t be able to find her way back home. She had just calmed down, yet she quickly succumbed to despair again and started crying.
At this moment, she sighted upon two men walking in front of her and she quickly ran toward them in tears, as if they were the last straw she could clutch onto. She shouted in a desperate voice, “Sirs, please wait!”
Upon hearing this, the two men halted and turned their heads to take a look at Luo Bing.
Upon seeing her, their eyes lit up.
Luo Bing was quite pretty and had an alluring figure. She had always lived like a princess so she had a naturally authoritative air, and even though her face was tear-stained, this only added a kind of special charm to her.
It was no wonder that the two men couldn’t take their eyes off her and they had even started drooling. Usually, any woman with decent looks wouldn’t step into this region of Sky Crane City, yet a great beauty had arrived on this day. So, how could they resist the temptation?
Upon checking the young girl with their Divine Senses, the two men discovered that she was just a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator. They then exchanged a glance and could clearly see the eagerness apparent in each other’s eyes.
One of the two men, a slightly fat cultivator, revealed a friendly-looking smile and asked in a soft voice, “Little girl, what’s wrong? Did you… Get lost? Hehehe…”
Upon hearing this, Luo Bing’s pretty eyes lit up and she looked in surprise at the fat cultivator, then spoke, “How did you know? I have gotten lost and don’t know how to get back home.”
“Huh?” The fat cultivator was taken aback. He had just blurted out whatever came into his mind, yet it actually hit the nail on the head. Besides, the young girl looked so delighted and innocent that it was obvious she wasn’t putting on an act.
He quickly understood that the young girl in front of him was the kind of sheltered flower that rarely left her home and she didn’t know the ways of the world. He just let out a cough and put on a compassionate look, “Young Lady, don’t be afraid, no one will hurt you with us here.”
Luo Bing wiped her tears, then broke into a smile, as if she had just been relieved from a heavy burden, “That’s great, I knew there was still hope.”
As she smiled, she looked like a beautiful blossoming flower, and the two cultivators couldn’t avert their eyes from her, gulping as their bodies started heating up.
“You two, hurry up and send me home. Once I get back home, I’ll reward you generously,” Luo Bing quickly recovered her bossy attitude and she started yelling at the two cultivators.
The two men exchanged a glance, and the thinner one said with a smile, “Understood, we’ll send you back home. Young Lady, please follow us.”
Luo Bing nodded and waved her hand, “Lead the way!”
She didn’t even bother asking them whether they knew her or the location of her home and she just followed after them.
Those two men also didn’t plan to engage in any conversion with her, and they just walked forward in silence.
Luo Bing’s mood quickly turned for the better, and she forgot all the mishaps she had just suffered. She had even started humming a tune like a happy little bird.
After the time it would take to brew a cup of tea, Luo Bing suddenly realized that something was off and she stopped in her tracks. When she turned her head and looked around, she noticed that this area was even more deserted and she couldn’t see a single soul here. The houses here were all in ruins with many broken walls left behind, as if it was a ghost town. She was a little intimidated by this and she spoke in a shivering voice, “What… What is this place? Didn’t I ask you to bring me back home… Why did you bring me here?”
Upon hearing this, the two cultivators in front of her stopped and turned their heads around to gaze at her, letting out sinister laughter.
Even if Luo Bing wasn’t the brightest, she still realized by now that something was amiss. She quickly realized that these two men were anything but good-hearted and that they never planned to bring her home.
“You… What do you want to do?” Luo Bing’s face turned pale from fright and she started moving back, stumbling on something and losing her balance, falling on her butt.
Fright and pain overwhelmed her fragile heart and she started weeping on the spot.
“Heh heh heh…” The fat cultivator sneered and approached Luo Bing step by step, his looming figure putting a lot of pressure on Luo Bing’s fragile nerves, causing her heart to start beating loudly, like it was trying to leap out of her chest.
“I… I’m warning you… don’t… don’t you dare come closer, or else… or else, you’ll pay for it!” Luo Bing bit her rosy lips and assembled the best words she could to threaten them.
But, matters had already developed up to here, so how could those two people just give up?
The thin cultivator said with a smile, “Little girl, you’re pretty interesting, do your parents know how naive you are?”
The fat cultivator let out lecherous laughter, “Scream all you want, even if you shout yourself hoarse, no one will come for you.”
Saying so, the fat cultivator jumped at Luo Bing and stretched his hand toward her fair neck.
Luo Bing cried out in fright and pushed her palms forward, summoning up her Saint Qi. She had unexpectedly launched a strike with pretty considerable might.
But in the end, she was just a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator, and she had never been fond of cultivating. She had only gotten to her current realm thanks to a large supply of precious treasures, causing her Saint Qi to be impure and her techniques to be quite sloppy.
As for the fat and thin cultivators, they were both Origin Kings, so facing this messy strike, the fat cultivator simply waved his hand to casually disperse it before he swiftly slapped Luo Bing’s shoulder.
Luo Bing fell weakly to the ground and she couldn’t summon up even a little bit of strength. Her cultivation had been sealed and she could only look on helplessly as the fat cultivator pulled off her belt and started removing her clothes.
“Don’t… Please don’t…” Luo Bing started entreating him in sobs.
The fat cultivator’s most vile desires were only stimulated by Luo Bing’s cries though. He couldn’t help letting out a hot snort from his nose as he gulped hard, his eyes flashing as he muttered, “Her voice is so alluring! The Heavens have not forsaken us, sending us such a beauty!”
The body of the thin cultivator had also started heating up and he jumped toward Luo Bing then pinched her face repeatedly, saying, “Her skin is so soft, I wonder which family this little girl is from? Hehe, we struck it lucky this time!”
Upon hearing this, Luo Bing suddenly found newfound strength and shouted, “I’m the daughter of the City Lord! Hurry up and let go of me! If my father learns of this, you’ll both die miserably!”
After she said so, the body of the fat and thin cultivators stiffened and their faces turned deathly pale.
Cold sweat started dripping down the fat cultivator’s forehead and it wouldn’t stop no matter how much he wiped it off. He muttered in a bitter voice, “No… It can’t be… The City Lord’s daughter?”
Fright was also apparent on the thin cultivator’s face as he stared at Luo Bing and stuttered, “What… What’s your name?”
Luo Bing looked at them coldly and spoke through gnashed teeth, “Luo Bing!”
Upon hearing this, a chill ran down the two cultivators’ spines and they couldn’t help trembling. The fat cultivator started sizing up Luo Bing earnestly before he spoke haltingly, “She… She really does look like the Young Lady of the City Lord’s Mansion, I have seen her once from afar…”
“We’re done for… done for…” The thin cultivator couldn’t take this heavy blow and he started muttering to himself. He had even fallen on his butt with a dispirited look on his face.
The body of the fat cultivator shivered intensely and he quickly pulled back his hands, which were trying to take off Luo Bing’s clothes, then gazed at Luo Bing, and tried to squeeze out a fawning smile, yet couldn’t do so, his expression even more unsightly than a crying face.
After they learned that she was the daughter of the City Lord, they were both scared witless.
They assumed that Luo Bing was just an ordinary girl that got lost and never dreamed she had such a huge background. If they had known earlier, then they wouldn’t have dared to do this.
Upon seeing this, Luo Bing’s eyes lit up and she shouted, “You’re afraid now? If you don’t want to die, then send me back to the City Lord’s Mansion!”
The fat cultivator quickly crawled toward Luo Bing and kowtowed to her so heavily that his head quickly got drenched in blood. “Young Lady Luo, we must have been blind to affront you, please don’t take it to heart and forgive us!”
At this moment, the thin cultivator had also come back to his senses and he crawled in front of her and started kowtowing to her, without forgetting to beg for mercy.
Luo Bing looked in disgust at them then snorted coldly and said, “Send me back to the City Lord’s Mansion and I’ll spare your lives.”
“Are you serious?” Upon hearing this, the fat cultivator rejoiced and he raised his head to look at Luo Bing with relief and delight on his face.
Luo Bing nodded and declared, “I can spare your lives, but you must still be punished for your actions! I also want to punish you properly…” Saying so, she tilted her head sideways and mulled this over for a moment then said, “I’ll ask my father to lock you up for eight or nine years.”
The expression of the fat and thin cultivators turned spectacular and they looked at Luo Bing with odd expressions on their faces.
“What are you looking at? Keep your eyes to yourselves or I’ll gouge them out,” Luo Bing glared viciously at them, as if everything was under her control.
“Big Brother…” The thin cultivator turned to the fat cultivator and said in a low voice, “This girl… Is she messed up in the head?”
If she wasn’t crazy, she would have known not to start threatening them before she got away from them. Any person with a little bit of common sense wouldn’t do this.
The fat cultivator nodded earnestly, “I also think so… The City Lord is so pitiful… He is a great man with an illustrious name, yet he has such a daughter…”
“Then what should we do?”
A vicious glint flashed past the fat cultivator’s eyes and he said in a low voice, “What else can we do? We’ve already come this far, so we can only follow through to the end…” Saying so, a murderous look appeared on his face.
Upon hearing this, the fat cultivator gave it some thought then nodded, “Good… this is the only way…”
The two men’s voices were pretty low, but Luo Bing could still hear them clearly. She assumed that she would shortly get away from them, yet matters didn’t develop as she had expected. Besides, from what they said so far, they didn’t just plan to violate her anymore, they also planned to take her life. She got scared by this and her face turned deathly pale, calling out in a fluster, “What are you planning to do? Don’t do this. If you send me back to the City Lord’s Mansion, I won’t punish you, okay?”
“Too late!” The fat cultivator sneered coldly in response. He had already made up his mind and was no longer afraid. The City Lord was not a person to be trifled with, but they were now in a deserted region, so as long as they cleaned up the scene, any sins they committed could not be traced back to them.
He quickly crawled toward Luo Bing and knelt in front of her. He could clearly smell her sweet maiden fragrance and his body started heating up once more. He spoke in an indistinct voice and leaned closer to her, going after her lips with his large mouth, “She’s so beautiful, if I can have her even once, then I won’t regret dying right after it.”
“No… No!” Luo Bing shook her head repeatedly, as she wanted to avoid his sickening face, but with her cultivation having been sealed and her movements restricted, she could only look on helplessly as his large mouth approached hers.
She could already smell its nasty odour.
Luo Bing’s mind turned blank at that moment. At this precarious juncture, it wasn’t the image of her compassionate father that ran across her mind, nor Qiu Yu who obeyed her every whim, but rather the hateful silhouette of Yang Kai.
[If I wasn’t for him, if it wasn’t for him… Then I wouldn’t have suffered like this…]